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#top gun maverick fluff
laaundromat · 3 months
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Comfort Back Home, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw
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Summary: As strong as Bradley can be, he feels miserable from time to time. This is the first time he crumbles in front of you.
Short (900ws), cute drabble for baby Bradshaw
Being the best upcoming aviator in the Navy has to be stressful, you think, and yet Bradley had handled it like a champ up until recently.
He’s always done everything by himself, and although behind closed doors he would let frustrated tears out, around people he would always show the confident and happy side of himself.
If not, he still kept himself relatively calm for when he was alone, not wanting to come off as vulnerable to others (mostly Hangman).
But, there’s always a breaking point. Since you had been around him during the deployment at Top Gun with Maverick, and you’d seen him react fairly well (apart from some quieter days and a snapping attitude from time to time), you’d think it would take him a bigger obstacle to completely break down.
And yet, all it took was a minimal fuck up in the air during training, and he’s now knocking on your flat looking like a beaten up puppy, blood-red eyes and shuffled hair. You heart tightens in concern gazing up at him, usually big and strong, looking small in an oversized hoodie that was his father’s.
“Baby…”, you whisper, a hand slowly rising for the instinct of giving him a comforting touch, but stopping midway to check if he’s okay with that. He has the strength to smile at your respect for him as he nods.
When your warm hand makes contact with his burning cheek, he takes a few seconds to close his eyes and the moment the irises disappear, a tear runs down his cheek.
You move in a heartbeat and yet somehow still slowly to not startle him from the bliss he’s feeling now. You keep one hand on his face, while curling the other around his waist to move him inside, and then close the door.
“Bradley,” you try, now both hands on his neck, thumbs overlapping a few stressed veins there. He opens his eyes, and you’re met with a thunderstorm of emotions that make you want to cry out in agony.
You recognize all of it. The pain, the worry, the bad thoughts, the lack of strength, the fear of being so lost and powerless all of a sudden. You know because you’ve experienced that as well. And seeing it on him, recognizing how much pain he’s in right now really destroys you. It’s the last thing you want for him. You want him to be the careless side of him all the time, cocky smiles and silly chokes. You try your best to do your side of what you can, and although you knew at one point it had to happen, it still grumbles your grounds.
You try to think fast, and doing that you can feel a hint of panic starting to make its way inside you. Fearing you’re not what he needs right now because you’re incapable of helping him in this situation, when he needs you the most. You can feel all your insecurities trying to take over you, but Bradley is your priority, his desperate eyes begging you to gain the power he's lost right now. All your memories with him calm you down and, at the same time, give you strength, and you know what to do.
You take off of his shoulder the training bag from work, and then slot your fingers in his hand and slowly, carefully, you bring him in front of the couch and staying there as he sits. He goes to drag you down with him but you restrain, silently asking him with your eyes to trust you with your thing.
You nudge his legs open with your knee and slot in between them, standing a few feet taller in front of him, his head leveled with your chest. Smiling reassuringly, you embrace his neck with both arms and lay his head on your chest, right between your breasts, his nose nuzzling on your right one, and eyes closed in bliss.
You whisper sweet nothings to him. Words of affirmation you know he needs. You tell him how much you missed him during the day. How much you thought of him. How needed he is in your life, how essential he is. You lightly sway left and right, in a silent lullaby, while calling him pet names you know he loves. He takes a few minutes to connect fully after a well deserved, love-ignited black out, and moves fast to wrap his arms around the low of your thighs. You feel his gratitude in the kiss he gives your breast followed by a content smile.
"My Baby," you say blissfully and, at one, he lets all loose.
He cries, tears damping your shirt and you couldn’t care less. you're cooing at him in understanding, though you know they’re not sad tears. They are of relief. He feels like all his worries just disappeared under those words, and he can’t believe it happened after a whole day they weighted on his shoulders.
You both don’t make a sign to move.
“Whenever I am sad, feeling you caging me like this brings me back to Earth. Makes me feel safe, knowing there’s someone bigger than my insecurities believing in me, helping me take those away. I wanted to do it for you too, baby. I’m sorry today was stressful, but I’m bigger than the bad things you thought of yourself throughout today. I am here always, at the end, and I’ll remind you of all the good things you’ve done and felt. And I’ll be with you when you feel like crying to fight for you, yeah?”
He nods against your body, arms tightening around you as few more sleepy kisses are left on the valley of your breasts.
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I Know Places.
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Synopsis - Jake always joked that he'd kill for you. One fateful day, he does just that.
Pairing - Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Female Reader (Callsign - Ivy) - Bonnie&Clyde inspired au
Warnings - cursing. very near SA. mentions of abuse/assault. mentions of blood, gunshots and violence. mentions of suicide. please, do not read if any of these warnings will affect you.
Age Rating - 18+
Word Count - 3.1k
Author's Note - i'm not sure what happened, because this was really fluffy in my head. it ended up kind of dark, but i'm rolling with it. i like writing a different side of jake. just in time for halloween too. this was written for @laracrofted 1989TGM celebration!! <3
as always, reblogs, comments and feedback (even anonymous feedback) are immensely appreciated!! your reblogs are the only way to circulate my fics, which keeps me going <3
Masterlist. Inbox.
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You stand with your hand on my waistline
It's a scene, and we're out here in plain sight
I can hear them whisper as we pass by
It's a bad sign, bad sign
Jake's always had impeccable timing.
He'd tell you, later, that he sensed it. Just knew. Felt it in his gut, some sort of warning from the universe. He had to get to you.
The Admiral has you half bent over the desk in his office, fingers twisted into your underwear. He's trying to pull them down your legs when the door swings open.
You're paralysed, frozen with fear. The look on your face must tell Jake enough. He gets the message, understands your silent communication.
The Admiral stops. Backs away. As if putting distance between you will erase what he's been caught doing. Trying to do.
You expect Jake to yell, fight, throw The Admiral across the room by his collar. You expect blood, bruises, broken skin and bared teeth.
All you're met with is silence.
Jake strides across the room towards you. Fixes your clothes, smooths down your hair. Wipes the tears from your cheeks. He snakes a hand around your waist and guides you out of the door. Not a word said.
Something happens when everybody finds out
See the vultures circling, dark clouds
Love's a fragile little flame, it could burn out
It could burn out
"He'll ruin my career."
You're tucked into Jake's lap, legs slung over his hips as he holds you close. His rough fingertips run themselves up and down your spine, comforting and gentle. You inhale his musk, letting the familiarity fill your lungs.
"You didn't do anything wrong, baby."
"That won't matter."
The two of you are whispering, hushed voices bouncing off the furniture. You're alone together in Jake's living room. There's no one else around. You think he's scared he'll spook you. You're right.
"I worked so hard for this, Jake. I sacrificed everything to get into Top Gun."
"I know, baby."
"I can't lose it all."
He presses a tender kiss to your forehead, brushing your hair back from your eyes.
"What do you want to do? Report him?"
"Jake, you're not listening to me. He'll ruin my career."
"But he's the guilty one. Not you."
"Yeah, well. This is the way it works. Men can assault you and still play the victim."
You're frustrated, now. There's something bubbling, running through your veins. You can't put your finger on it. It feels like more than rage. Whatever it is, it's lethal.
You climb off Jake's lap and stand, pacing across the carpet.
"What am I supposed to do?" you murmur, tears threatening to spill.
Jake can't stand the wobble in your voice. It tightens something in his chest, pulls at his heartstrings. He was furious, before. He's just sad now.
"I'll do anything you ask," he tells you, standing up to cradle your face in his hands. "Anything in the world."
"I know."
And you do. That's what it's like, being with Jake. He loves so entirely, with his whole being. Every fibre of his heart belongs to you. It beats to the rhythm of your name.
"Just tell me what you wanna do, baby. I'm on your side. No matter what."
You lean up to kiss him, his lips soft and careful against yours.
"I'm not sure, yet. When I know, you'll know."
Jake sits back down on the couch, pulling you with him. You tuck yourself into his side, fitting there perfectly. He slings an arm around your waist and keeps you close, holding you a little tighter than usual.
Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes
And guns
They are the hunters, we are the foxes
And we run
"We should kill him."
You're strewn across Jake's chest, tangled in the sheets. Your limbs and hearts are intertwined, bodies drenched in sweat and lungs heaving.
"What?"
You sit up, pulling the comforter up and over your body slightly to combat the chill of the ocean breeze that's filtering through the open window.
"Let's kill him."
You look over to your boyfriend, waiting for the punchline. It never comes.
"Jake."
He turns to you, the most serious you've ever seen him. There's a look in his eye you've never seen before. It's dark. You're vaguely aware you should probably feel fear - but all you feel is anticipation.
"How many girls do you think he's done this to before you? How many will come after?"
You swallow, biting at your lips.
"He needs to be stopped, baby. You and I both know they won't fire him. He needs to be taken out of the equation altogether."
You realise, suddenly, that the thing you're worried about isn't the morality of the situation. It's the logistics. You don't want to get caught.
"Do you think we're smart enough to get away with murder?"
"Baby," he drawls, brushing his knuckles over your cheekbone. "We're a hell of a lot smarter than people give us credit for."
You know he's right. People underestimate both you and Jake. Everyone assumes he's nothing but a pretty face and toned muscles. That you're just his pilot girlfriend, seduced by his Southern charm and the fact that he's good in bed.
It seems like a challenge, now. You want to do this. You want to see if you can get away with it. You're already on the precipice of losing everything - why not go out with a bang?
"How would we do it?" you ask, leaning in closer to the blonde man next to you.
He thinks for a moment, running his fingers up and down your bare thighs.
"I say we make it look like a suicide. Shoot him in the head and frame it so it looks self inflicted."
You nod, processing.
"I think we should hold him at gunpoint first. Get him to write a confession, some sort of letter. That way, there's no confusion as to what happened."
"You're a genius," Jake grins, dipping down to kiss you.
He slips his tongue into your mouth effortlessly, sighing when he tastes himself from earlier. You straddle his waist and tangle your fingers into his hair, desperate to be close to him.
Both of you are high on adrenaline, buzzed on the anticipation of what's to come.
Baby, I know places we won't be found and
They'll be chasing their tails trying to track us down
'Cause I, I know places we can hide
I know places
I know places
Murder isn't as hard as you thought it'd be.
Careful planning. Airtight alibis. Reassurance and recon.
You and Jake have created the perfect crime.
The two of you show up to The Admiral's office on an evening you know he'll be working late. He's doing paperwork when you arrive.
You walk in first. Jake follows, and locks the door behind him.
The Admiral goes to speak, but you silence him with a handgun pointed at his chest.
"Speak, and you die."
He doesn't say another word.
Jake takes the gun from your hand and walks around the desk, pressing it into his superiors temple.
"We need a couple of things from you," he begins. "Just a favour or two."
The Admiral is sweating, pale and rigid. He looks scared. It sends a rush of adrenaline through you. You're enjoying this. Jake is too, judging by the beaming grin on his face.
"Grab a pen, and some paper. We're about to do some creative writing."
Jake orchestrates the letter. Gets him to write exactly what you need. Notes down the brutality, the arrogance, the abuse of power. He makes him recount every incident, not just yours. You're there for what feels like hours, as his shaky hands move the pen across the paper.
Finally, he finishes. Dots the I's and crosses the T's. Jake chuckles.
"Wonderful. And for the last part of this joyous evening were having together, my girlfriend is gonna shoot you."
The Admiral chokes on his breath. Looks to you with fear in his eyes. Finally, you think. He understands how it felt.
He goes to open his mouth, but you stop him.
"Don't beg. Don't plead. It's pathetic."
"We made up our mind weeks ago," Jake adds. "You're not going to deter us now."
You smile at your boyfriend, giddy over the way he's protecting you, saving you, loving you.
"I'm going to enjoy this," you whisper.
You take the gun from Jake and press it to The Admiral's temple. You know the silencer will muffle the noise - you really have thought of everything.
You click off the safety, and lean down so your mouth is next to his ear.
"This is for all of the women you hurt."
You pull the trigger.
He dies instantly.
Lights flash and we'll run for the fences
Let them say what they want, we won't hear it
Loose lips sink ships all the damn time
Not this time
In another life, you and Jake could have been actors.
You're all called into the briefing room the next day, gathered together in confusion.
Admiral Simpson stands in front of your class - pale as a sheet, dark circles bruised under his eyes.
"There's been a situation, and we want you to hear it from us," he begins. "I ask that you all keep this to yourselves, where possible. Don't talk to any media, don't gossip, don't spread rumours. Understood?"
When you all nod, he continues.
"The Admiral is dead."
The room goes silent. Jake's hand finds yours under the table. To anyone on the outside, it looks like a boyfriend supporting his girlfriend. To you, it's something different.
It feels like time stands still. The world stops turning, suspending you in the present moment. Eventually, Rooster speaks.
"What happened?"
Beau clears his throat, swiping his hand over his face.
"He took his own life."
There are whispers now, hushed and clipped. Everyone is in a state of shock and confusion. Everyone, except for you and the blonde man next to you. He squeezes your hand tightly, refusing to let go.
"Of course, there will be an investigation. But, it seems pretty obvious to us what happened. If anyone in this room has been effected by the actions of The Admiral that have come to light... please, speak to me, or any other of your superiors. Thank you. "
He exits the room, leaving all of you in palpable silence.
"What the fuck?" Payback mutters. "What did he mean, 'actions that have come to light?'"
"There's rumours," Phoenix begins. "He had a... soft spot, for young female pilots. People have been whispering about it for months."
Suddenly, all eyes are on you. You're the only other woman in the room besides Natasha, and she clearly wasn't involved.
"Did he ever... try anything with you, Ivy?"
"No," you're quick to answer. "No. Thank God."
The room breathes a collective sigh of relief.
If only they knew.
they take their shots, but we're bulletproof I know places
and you know for me, it's always you I know places
in the dead of night, your eyes so green I know places
and I know for you, it's always me I know places
A month later, you snap.
Jake comes home to find you frantically shoving clothes into a duffel bag, sweat dripping down your back.
"Baby," he tries, cautious, like he's approaching a spooked animal. "Baby."
You turn to face him with wild eyes, fear radiating off you.
"What's wrong, angel?"
You look at him incredulously.
"What's wrong? What's fucking wrong? We killed someone, Jake! That's what's wrong!"
"He wasn't a good guy."
"That doesn't matter. That doesn't make it right."
He cradles your face in his hands, eyes never leaving yours.
"Talk to me. What's going on? You've been okay. We've been okay. I thought we were processing, moving forward."
"I was. And then today, I just... can't. It was murder, Jake. Premeditated murder."
"Listen to me," he demands, tilting your chin up so your eyes are level. "He was an awful, awful man. The world is a better place without him. We saved so many women from a horrible fate, baby. We did a good thing."
You inhale carefully, and exhale a shaky breath, leaning up to press a kiss to his bitten lips.
"Yeah?" you ask, unsure. "We did save people, didn't we?"
"We wouldn't have done it without just reason, baby. We're good people, you and I. We both know we are."
You nod, looking for any signs of insecurity in his eyes. You don't find a single speck.
"You're right. Fuck, you're right. Sorry if I scared you, Jake."
"You scared me because I thought you were leaving me," he chuckles. "Wondered what I did wrong."
"Nothing," you're quick to reassure, tangling tracing your fingertips over the features of his face in a featherlight touch. "My God, Jake. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. You're it for me. You're my forever."
Jake leans down, pressing his lips to yours firmly and surely. It's as if he's telling you everything he feels without using any words. He pulls you into him, winding his arms around your back and tugging you closer.
"I've got you, baby. No matter what happens. It's me and you, always. I love you."
"I love you too, Seresin. Always."
They are the hunters, we are the foxes
And we run
Just grab my hand and don't ever drop it
My love
"Let's run away."
You're taking off your shoes by the door when Jake comes bounding down the stairs, buzzing with energy.
"Hmm?"
"Let's run away, baby. You and me. The open road. We can go anywhere we want."
"Jake," you laugh. "Are you drunk? What's happening?"
"Not drunk. My head's clearer than it has ever been. I've been thinking, while you were gone."
"Thinking about...?" you ask, wrapping your arms around his neck and leaning up to kiss his rosy lips.
"Getting out of here. This place is full of bad memories and old ghosts. We can start afresh somewhere new."
"Like where?"
"Anywhere. Literally anywhere. We don't even have to stay in America. We could go to Europe, Australia, Canada? The possibilities are actually endless."
"What's triggered this?" you murmur. "You okay?"
"I'm always okay when I'm with you," he smiles. "But.... I can just feel it, you know? I can feel everything piling up. There's a weight on my shoulders, and on yours too. We can let that go. I know we can."
"You're right, about the weight. I haven't relaxed in months."
Jake slides his hands under your shirt, tracing his fingers up and down the bare skin of your back.
"I know," he murmurs against your lips. "I think there's something better out there for us."
"Where would we go? Like, serious talk, what are our options?"
"I know places," he winks.
"What places, Jake?" you try to chide, but you're smiling.
"We can go to my mom's, first, in Texas. Just to touch base. From there, I mean it when I say literally anywhere, baby. Wherever you wanna go, we can go. You've always wanted to go to Italy, right? We could go there. Or I have a high school friend in Perth - we could go there."
"I wanna go somewhere with good food. Kind people. Beautiful views. A little sunshine wouldn't hurt either."
He's grinning at you, white and blinding. His excitement is contagious, settling into your bones.
"Imagine it, baby. Me and you, on the beach all day. We could surf, swim, go grab some lunch, then surf and swim some more. Go home, make dinner, sit out in the yard and listen to the ocean waves. Do it all again the next day."
You can't wipe the smile off your face, practically bouncing on the soles of your feet.
"Okay."
Jake stops in his tracks, still and rigid.
"Really?"
"Really. We can go right now, Jake. I don't wanna be here any longer."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Fuck, I love you. Let's pack our shit and go, baby."
Jake kisses you with fervour, dipping you backwards like you're in a movie. You squeal, gripping the nape of his neck for balance. He picks you up and spins you around, twirling you like a fairytale.
"What about everyone here?" you ask, forehead pressed to Jake's.
"We'll miss them, and they'll miss us, but we'll all be okay."
He's right. These people are your family, but they'll understand. You have to do what's best for you.
"Do you really wanna go as soon as we can?"
"Yeah, Jake. I meant it. We can start packing right now."
He wraps his arms around your middle and carries you upstairs, throwing the closet doors open while you grab your suitcase.
Baby, I know places we won't be found and
They'll be chasing their tails trying to track us down
'Cause I, I know places we can hide
I know places
The sun beats down on your skin, warming you up from the outside in. There's a breeze whipping through your hair, carrying salt from the ocean into the car. The sunroof is down, allowing you to breathe in the fresh air.
Jake's hand slides across the centre console and onto your thigh, thumb rubbing circles into your bare skin.
"You okay?"
He's looking over at you, taking his eyes off the road for a split second.
"I'm good, baby."
He smiles, the grin reaching every feature of his face, lighting him up.
You've been on the road for months, stopping and starting however and whenever you please. A motel here, a beach apartment there. You've lost count of how many states you've travelled through, collecting postcards in each one.
You'll settle down, eventually. You've been making a list of your favourite places you've visited, ranking them as you go. You'll most likely buy a place in your top choice. But not yet.
For now, you're content with the open road. The convertible car, all your belongings in a suitcase in the trunk, roof down at every opportunity. You like not staying in one place for too long. It weirdly suits you.
Jake's never looked happier. He glows, smile lines creasing the corner of his eyes. He laughs so often, and you never get tired of the sound.
You glance down to the golden band on your left hand, smiling softly.
"What are you thinking about?" your husband asks, squeezing your thigh.
"Vegas," you beam. "Never did I think I'd be married by an Elvis impersonator in a bright blue chapel."
"I'm the epitome of class, baby. You know this."
Both of you are grinning, chuckling gently.
"We did the right thing. Leaving."
"Yeah, we did. I'm glad I believed what you said."
"What did I say?"
"That you knew places."
He traces a love heart on your skin with his thumb, over and over again.
"Told you, baby. I know places."
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croimilis · 2 years
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The Arrangement
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title:  the arrangement
characters:  bradley ‘rooster’ bradshaw x doctor!mitchell!reader (rooster calls them angel)
words: 20k +
themes: childhood friends to strangers to friends to lovers, fake dating (minor), fluff, , smut, mutual pinning, idiots not realising they’re in love
rating: 18+
warnings: female identifying reader and female anatomy used, mentions of parental and canon character death, panic attacks, fingering (f receiving), oral (f receiving), fingering, penetrative sex (p in v), rooster has a lieutenant kink, rooster in dress whites, praise kink, unprotected sex, scratching, biting, cream pie, overstimulation
summary: 'he laughed, my darling you will never be unloved by me you are too well tangled in my soul' @atticuspoetry
You and rooster made an arrangement when you were 18 years old, that if either of you needed a date to an event and you were both single you would be each others date, you try your best to be at every celebration and ceremony for your education and respective careers. you managed to keep this up for a while, but the life of a doctor and the life of a navy aviator never seem to line up and suddenly you find yourself not only cities but countries away from one another and the arrangement falls to the background of your minds that is until you move to San Diego and Rooster finds himself calling on your arrangement one last time.
a/n:  this ended up being sooo long and i am (not) sorry about it, i got so carried away with it. also this is the dress i imagined when writing this. also, i don’t consistently refer to Rooster as Bradley or Rooster in this, it switches so often. i also apologise if the smut is bad, i don’t write it often. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT this is an 18+ piece, I will be checking blogs that interact so please have an age indicator somewhere on your blog. this is part of the ‘fly me to the moon universe’
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Rooster was sure the world stopped the minute you walked through the doors behind your father, it had been over 10 years since he had last seen you and yet he knew it was you instantly. If anybody asked, he would say it was your eyes that gave you away as being (Y/N) Florence-Mitchell. The same emerald green as your father, full of life and happiness as they crinkled at the sides when you smiled at Penny across the bar, giving your soon to be step mother a wave as your father guided you through the crowd and straight towards the group of aviators that made up the dagger squadron. 
Realising your destination, Rooster's heart began to beat erratically as he stood from his bent position where he had been planning on taking his shot at the pool table, causing a confused look and a 'dude' from Hangman. Out of all the ways he had imagined and dreamed about reuniting with you, he never would have imagined it happened in Fightertown, never mind at the Hard Deck.
Yet here you are, getting closer and closer and he swears his heart is gonna beat straight out of his chest. You're beautiful, you always had been but what had once been a soft and innocent beauty when you were younger and never knew a life without Bradley had turned into sharp edges and maturity as you found what it meant to be your own person without him. He was awestruck to put it lightly as his eyes stalked you through the bar until you were standing just at the other end of the pool table, Mavericks arm wrapped tightly around your shoulder as he made introductions. 
“Everybody this is my daughter, Dr (Y/N) Florence-Mitchell.” With a smile you rolled your eyes at your father's insistence on using your title, he was very proud of everything you accomplished in your life and career and while he very rarely actually used the words ‘I’m proud of you’ he always made sure to show it when he showed you off to other people. “Please call me (Y/N/N)” 
With pleasant smiles and shaking hands everyone introduced themselves, though you had heard about all of them so many times you were sure you could pick out each and everyone member of the dagger squad by name if you tried. Your eyes moved over them all the same as they introduced themselves, taking in their features and finally putting faces to names. Maverick was the absolute worst at having pictures on his phone, preferring to keep a hard copy of photos in his hanger and you were never around the hanger anymore, much to busy with your own life that you could only really talk to your father over the phone, especially considering he was usually on the other side of the country or world. But maybe now that dagger squad had become a permanent fixture at Top Gun for whenever they were needed and you had taken a job in San Diego (that Mav was still completely unaware of) you would see the old man a little more. 
Your eyes finally made their way to the other side of the pool table where the WSO Bob sat with a small smile on his face as he introduced himself, finally your eyes met with Roosters and he swears he nearly melted at the sight, at the friendliness and tenderness towards him that remained after all these years, and your smile. God your smile still made him weak at the goddamn knees and he silently curses to himself about how you still have such an effect on him and how he should be over his silly childhood crush. “Bradley”
Walking around the pool table, Rooster gladly opens his arms for you as you unwrap your father from your shoulder and meet him in the middle, wrapping your arms around his torso as he wraps his around your shoulders, placing a kiss to your forehead as he does. It was comforting, to the both of you, it was something he always did before you grew apart, when you were still an everyday presence in each other's lives. You had missed it. It had been far too long since you had even spoken to each other, never mind seeing each other. “Hey angel.”
The familiarity of the nickname warms you from the inside, or maybe that was just the heavy radiating of Bradley as he held you in his arms. Or maybe it was the flush slowly spreading up your body and making its way to your face as you relish in how nice it feels to be held by him once again, or maybe it is because you're thinking about just how handsome Bradley had become since you last saw him. 
He had always had a bit of boyish charm about him, that cheeky smile he usually sported that was so similar to that of his fathers always drew the ladies in when he was turned their way pair that with the fact that he was always athletic and fit and you had a deadly combination that turned Rooster into quite the heart throb when he was younger. But now, you swear he's never looked better, even as he sports that ridiculous mustache he started growing when he was in college, all rugged muscles and that same charming smile alongside the new air of confidence and maturity that was unrecognizable to you.  
Never one to have a moment taken from him, the voice of Hangman forces the two of you to seperate, though you still stand close to one another. “How long you in town for?” With a gentle chuckle you cross yours arms over your chest and appraise but your father and Bradley before you answered, they both looked expectant. You had told your father you were in Fighter town for around 2 weeks but had yet to drop the bombshell that you were relocating to San Diego permanently. 
“Well I’m in Fighter town for the next 2 weeks, staying at an air bnb close to the base.” You eyed your father as he sent you a small glare, he didn’t know you were coming and so he couldn’t insist on you staying with him and Penny and that was deliberate not only did you want to surprise him but you wanted your own space, somewhere you could retreat too if need be and have some time to yourself because you were sure that every moment he could your father would be at your side to make up for not only the time he missed as an adult but the time he missed out on when you were a kid. “But after that…I am permanently relocating to San Diego.” 
You had to bite your lip to stop the giggle that tickled your throat as both Bradley and Maverick whipped their heads round to stare at you, mouths and eyes wide with shock. “(Y/N) (M/N) Florence-Mitchell!” You had to giggle at your dad’s tone as you turned to look at him with innocent eyes and a small smirk, “Yes?” Though Mav tried his hardest to look stern and serious, ready to scold you for not telling him, he can’t help but smile at the fact that you weren’t going to be so far away now. 
“What?” Now you turned to Bradley, who’s shocked expression had lessened a little but you could tell from the pinch of his brows and the down turn of his lips that he was still confused. “I wanted to surprise my dad, that was the whole purpose of this trip. Safe to say I surprised him. But I uh, I got offered head  of the ED and trauma at one of the hospitals in San Diego a few weeks back and I accepted it. Spent the last few weeks sorting out a place to live and getting ready to move, I start there in 3 weeks.” 
Strong arms wrap around you as Maverick brings you into a tight hug with a chuckle and a kiss to your forehead. “That's amazing news kid.” As he lets you go, your eyes meet with Bradley’s and you smile at him, which he reciprocates before turning to Phoenix who pulls his attention away from you and back to the pool game they were playing. 
Though now he was playing much worse than he was before, he was sloppy as his eyes followed you as you flitted between the crowd of aviators getting to know everyone and he was sure Phoenix would kick his ass in the morning for making them lose against the tag-team of Hangman and Coyote but he couldn’t bring himself to care, though she wasn’t really going to catching onto the love sick look on her friends face the minute he caught sight of you. All he cared about was the fact that you were here and even when you left you would only be 30 minutes away from him and he was determined to not let you slip out of his life once again. 
------
The next time Bradley sees you is three days later, not that he’s counting or anything, and the squad are on the beach playing some dog fight football to relax after a grueling training session with Maverick. You had been at the Hard Deck with Penny and Amelia looking at some bridesmaid dresses for the pair of you to wear at the upcoming wedding of Penny and Maverick, your eyes occasionally moving from the laptop in front of you down the beach to where they were playing. You had to admit it was quite the sight and you just couldn’t help yourself from watching, I mean who could blame you.
The sight of the 12 aviators, excluding Hondo and Mav who were now sitting on the sidelines enjoying just watching their squad enjoy themselves, shirtless and sweaty would make even a nun stop and stare. But your eyes were on one particular aviator and his on you, it seemed that every time you looked over his eyes were already on you, a smirk on his face as he sends a wink your way that has you rolling your eyes everytime. 
“So… you and Rooster.” Penny’s voice pulls you away from your staring and you turn to her with a questioning look that she rolls her eyes at with a scoff. “Oh come on (Y/N), I’m not blind. I can see the way you two look at each other, you can’t tell me there’s nothing there.” 
With a gentle huff, you fold your arms and place them on the table in front of you, pushing your laptop forward slightly as you do, “There is nothing there Penny. He was my best friend for 23 years and then we drifted apart, him busy becoming one of the best naval pilots currently serving and me busy becoming the best doctor I could.” A soft hmm falls from Penny’s lips, one that perfectly conveys a very sarcastic ‘I believe you’, “Are you sure about that? You didn’t see the way his entire face lit up when he saw you in the Hard Deck the other day, I swear that boy looked like he was on cloud 9 the minute he held you in his arms,”
Rolling your eyes, you shake your head at your step mother and tell her once again that there is nothing romantic about your relationship with Bradley. At least now anyway, but you would never tell her about the fact you’re pretty sure you were in love with him in college. “Bullshit.” Eyes widening in shock, you turn to Amelia with your mouth open and she at least looks a little bashful about her outburst obviously not meaning to say it out loud as her cheeks flush a little and her mouth gapes a little. 
“Sorry,” her eyes flit to her mother, expecting to be scolded but Penny is simply watching her with amusement in her eyes, “but it’s true.” Leaning forward in her chair, Amelia places her head in her palm as her eyes flit between you and the aviators on the beach. “Look, I know I’m only a teenger and I know nothing about relationship and being in love and all that adult stuff” at the words ‘adult stuff’ she uses air quotes that makes you let out a small chuckle, “but Rooster looks at you the same way Mav looks at Mom, and from the photos I’ve seen the way Goose looked at your aunt Carole.”  
Moving to look down the beach once again, you smile as you see the aviators carrying Bob about on their shoulders with a small chant of his name, Rooster is once again looking at you and this time you give him a small wave and a smile as he offers you a salute in return. Behind your back, Penny and Amelia share a knowing glance and a smile seeing how completely fucking  gone you were for Bradley Bradshaw. “Why don’t you go bring them down some bears to cool them off? Maybe you and Rooster can talk a little.” 
Though you rolled your eyes, knowing Penny was simply scheming, you did as she suggested, pilling some beer into a cooler she had on hand and carrying it down the beach to where your dad and the rest of the squad sat as they took a breather. Placing a kiss to your dad’s cheek as he turned his head towards you and greeted you with a gentle ‘hey honey’ you smile at the aviators as you set the cooler on the sand as you announce your presence to the rest of the group. “I bring gifts” 
You’re meet with a chorus of thanks and greetings, and of course a flirty remark from Hangman who got hit up the side of the head thanks to Phoenix who had planted herself next to the Texan which caused you to let out a laugh as you bent down to open up the cooler and begin handing out the cold beers, and soda for Bob. As you go to hand Rooster one he smiles at you and instead of taking the beer from you, offers his hand out, palm facing up as if asking to take your hand, “Walk with me angel?” 
You nod your head gently and place the bear back in the cooler, placing your freehand in his to allow him to guide you through the lounging aviators that were lying haphazardly across the sand. Though Rooster’s hand was sweaty, you had to admit to yourself that you enjoyed the few seconds in which your hand was clasped in his. It reminded you of simpler times, walking to school hand-in-hand as your mothers walked behind the two of you, playing with his fingers as you lay on his bed as he lamented about the most recent girl whose heart he broke by telling them he wasn’t interested, and even of less simple times where you would hold onto his hand in the hospital waiting rooms as his mom's health began to decline, and him holding yours the day you got the call that your mom had been in a major accident involving a drunk driver and he drove you all the way from Virginia to your home town, holding onto one another at the funerals of both Carole and your mother as if you were the last people you both had in the world, and in a way you were. While Maverick was very much present in your life now as an adult, growing up he was never really around throwing himself into missions and detachments to distract from the pain of losing Goose, you saw him at holidays and birthdays and got a few letters through the year if you were lucky, but you really only had your mom, your aunt Carole, and Bradley until you were an adult. 
“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” Rooster’s voice cut through your thoughts and you let out a soft little ‘hmm’ as you came back to reality and looked over to him, ignoring the fact that his hand was still in yours despite it no longer needing to be, “I lost you there for a second angel, where’d you drift of to?” 
You gave him a sad smile and looked out to the ocean as you walked, “Just thinking about how the last time I held your hand was my mom’s funeral.” He let out a soft ‘oh’ and gave your hand a soft squeeze as you turned round to face him once again. “And about how much I’ve missed you B.”
You always knew you missed Bradley, he had been such a constant in your life with your mom and aunt Carole being best friends that bought houses right next to each other and were basically co-parents for the pair of you growing up and by the point you were in high school the two of you were attached at the hip, only really seen without the other when in classes you didn’t share together, hell, you even ended up at the same college as one another when the time came. 
So when you slowly faded out of each other's lives it was like you slowly lost a part of yourself, you always found yourself wanting to turn to Rooster whenever anything important happened. Like when you did your first solo surgery during your internship in Seattle, or when you meet the guy you thought you were gonna marry only for him to turn round and break your heart, though if you were being honest you weren’t as upset about that as you should have been, or even to tell him about the little things in life like the day you went to the pound with a friend and ended up coming home with a little scruff ball of a dog who turned out to be part german shepherd and grew up with the size to prove it. 
Even after 10 years, you still found yourself thinking ‘I should tell Bradley about this’ and then getting disheartened when you realise, you can’t. You had no real way of contacting him, you knew you could reach out to Maverick but that felt like crossing a line, a complete invasion of privacy, and even if you did reach out to Maverick he would only really know roughly where he was but not how to contact him,  and it broke you over and over again. But seeing him, it hit you like a ton of bricks just how much you missed him and with the way your heart twisted with the realisation you made sure to take a mental note to not let Penny know or find out because she would have the smuggest grin and ‘I told you so’ mentality about it, seeing him again truly felt like a piece of your soul had been returned to its rightful place. 
“I’ve missed you too angel.” If you thought you missed Bradley, he missed you just as much if not more and had spent so many sleepless nights searching you up on social media and google to keep up with your life and see how you were doing. When he was at basic, he tried to write letters, something that he could send you to let you know he was still thinking about you but he couldn’t get the words out. Couldn’t articulate just how much he missed you without it sounding far too much like ‘I love you’ and that was not something he wanted to tell you in a letter, that was something he needed to say in person, so he sent nothing instead. 
He had saw you at your med-school graduation, smiled you and told you how proud he was of you but he never told you, he apologised for the lack of communication blaming being busy and not having a chance and you did the same, med-school had kicked your ass and meant you just did not have the time to sit down and put thought to paper, or email, to send to him. And then he got deployed and the cycle started again, he would start writing you a letter and then he would trash it because it didn’t like the way it sounded and even the ones he liked never got sent as he lost the nerve and instead stashed them in a box that now lived under his bed, and you started your internship to and communication was run into the ground. 
He was just glad you were a social media person, while he wasn’t and rarely posted on any accounts he had, he got to watch your life unfold through the screen. He watched you enter relationships which made his heart twist in pain as he thought about you being with someone that wasn’t him and then he watched those relationships end which hurt even more because he couldn’t be there to comfort like he had been when you were younger. He watched as you moved from Seattle after your internship being offered a position in one of the best trauma centres in the country where you adopted your scruff ball that had been adequately named ‘shaggy’. He watched as you posted photos of you and your dad, though his own relationship with Maverick was in the gutter, he was happy to see yours healing. Happy that you had someone when he wasn’t there. 
Now that you were back in his life, he felt like that one piece of the puzzle that had been missing since he enlisted had finally been put back into place, though he would never admit it anyone, especially Phoenix after she interrogated him about your relationship after you had left the Hard Deck that first night, he didn’t want her to have the satisfaction of known that he was in fact, in far too deep with you even after 10 years after he spent so long denying that there was anything romantic between the two of you.
Though your admissions hung heavy around you, as if waiting for one of you to reach out and grab it in an admission of blame of whose fault it was you drifted apart, conversation flowed naturally between the two of you as you caught each other up on the details and events in your lives for the past 10 years, neither one of you wanting to play the blame game though it was heavy on your heads because you both knew you were equally to blame. 
As you talked and caught up, you were none the wiser to the lingering gazes of the squad of aviators who sat with either a questioning look or a smug smirk on their faces (Phoenix and Hangman specifically) as one of them voiced the question to Maverick, “What’s going on with those two?”
With a shake of his head, Maverick let out a small sigh and moved his eyes away from the form of his daughter and surrogate nephew as they walked hand in hand along the shore line and to the aviators who had now downed their beers and were getting ready for another round of dogfight football without Rooster. Pushing his aviators back up his nose, Maverick laid back in his lounge chair and shrugged his shoulders, “They were attached at the hip once upon a time, they’re just catching up.” 
Though his tone was playful, there was a warning edge to it that warned the others to drop the subject because truthfully even Maverick didn’t know what was going on between the two of you. He knew you were close growing up and you grew apart as adults, something you lamented to him about as you healed your relationship with him after graduating college, but watching you two he could finally see what your mother saw every time you two were together. The undying, unbridled love in each other's eyes that you were too blinded to see, the same kind of love he saw in Carole and Gooses eyes every day. Yeah, Maverick found himself thinking, maybe your mom was right and you were gonna be Mrs.Bradshaw one day. 
---
Its 2 weeks later and you’re finally moved into your new place in San Diego, only 30 minutes away from Fightertown on a good day and 60 on a bad day, a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom (1 ensuite, 1 main), bungalow with an open plan living room and kitchen. It was a nice bungalow, sitting right beside the beach and a small garden out your front, the amount of bed rooms meant one could be converted into an office or home gym while the other can be a storage room, maybe changing into a baby room a few years down the line. And it was all yours, after years of renting, you owned your own home and you couldn't be happier. 
You had been moved in within 5 days with the help of your father and dagger squad who spent most of their evenings helping you move furniture and unpack everything after it had arrived. Though you were pretty sure they were doing it under the orders of your father, it was nice to have them around. The squad were your dad’s family, which meant by extension they were yours now and it was nice to get to know them. You grew especially close with Siren, Phoenix and Halo, the three happy to have another woman around to break up the testosterone, especially one who could handle Hangman’s ego and kept him and Rooster in line when things started to get heated between them. 
Your relationship with Rooster also got better, since that day on the beach where you seemed to walk the entire length of the beach and back as you talked, though you weren’t as close as you were when you were younger, which was physically impossible as he had training and drills every day and you were helping Penny with both wedding planning and in the Hard Deck on busy nights, you were still close. 
You were happy to find all the quirks and mannerisms you had memorised still existed, like the way his lip upturned when he was scheming or the how he fiddled with his dog tags when he was nervous or thinking (when you were young he would always fiddle with his dads), turning the metal over his fingers again and again, or how when he was lying he would scratch behind his right ear and his eyebrow would twitch slightly (honestly, it was such a small reaction that most people didn't notice it) everything about him so familiar and it was welcome because it meant he was still your Bradley even after all this time. 
Which is why when Rooster walked into your bungalow that night, pizza and beer in his hand with a certain look in his eye, you knew immediately that he wanted something. You watched him carefully with your arms crossed over your chest as you leaned against your kitchen sink and he placed the pizza down on your island. He was avoiding your gaze, another nervous habit when he was scared to ask something, instead looking over your kitchen as if he hadn’t been there every night for the past week. With a gentle sigh you moved forward, uncrossing your arms and putting your hands on the island so you were now leaning on it instead. 
“Spit it out Bradshaw. What do you want?” 
Rubbing at the back of his neck, Rooster almost looks sheepish as he also leans on the island with his forearm against the cold granite and this only makes you raise an eyebrow at him in a questioning manner. 
“You see…” You very rarely saw Bradley struggle to ask for something, especially not from you as there was very little you would say no to him about, now he seemed nervous as if what he was asking would cause you to reach over and slap him across the face. “I, uh, I wanted to call upon our arrangement one last time.” 
Now, whatever you were expecting him to say it was certainly not that and the shock was clear on your face as you quite literally stood up straight with wide eyes and your mouth opening and closing. It had been a while since you thought about your arrangement with Bradley, years even as the last time it came into play was your med-school graduation 10 years ago, before everything fell apart. While the arrangement was something the two of you agreed upon almost 20 years earlier as freshly graduated high schoolers, you still remembered it like it was yesterday. 
---- 
It was just after your high school graduation, your mother had organised a small party with a few of your relatives that lived nearby and a few friends from outside of school but you and Bradley snuck away in his old Bronco he had gotten as soon as he got his licence (it was almost the exact same one as Gooses) and you ended up in what you had dubbed ‘your secret spot’. It was a silly name, but it was where the two of you would always go to escape when the world got a little bit too much, either together or alone. After Bradley parked near the large oak tree that took up most of the clearing, you clambered out of the car and laid down the blanket you had brought with you, popping open the champagne you had snuck off one of the tables at the party. 
Letting out a content sigh, you plopped yourself down on the blanket, your legs spreading out in front of you as you leaned back on your arms with your head thrown back to look at the stars that decorated the night sky. Your eyes traced over the shapes of the constellations, following them until an image formed in your mind of what they were meant to be. You knew them all, and their stories, that was something your mom had taught you. Bradley settled next to you, one leg propped up so he could lean his arm on it, the other pressing against yours alongside his shoulder as he leaned back on his hand, following you in looking up at the stars. 
Bradley never understood your fascination with the stars, you had explained it to him once telling him a story your mom constantly repeated to you about how you would never settle at night unless she took you out to the stars and told you their stories, it seems that even as a baby you found them calming. You told him that even if the world was in chaos and falling apart around you, the stars were always there, they were the one constant in a world where nothing else was and looking at them brought you comfort. But no matter how much you explained it, and how much he said he got it, there was always a part of him that never quite knew what you meant but that never stopped him from listening as you explained the different constellations to him, no matter how many times he had already heard the story. 
The two of you sat in silence for a while, passing the bottle of champagne between you quietly, simply revelling in each other's company because you knew things were gonna be different come September time. Sure, you were going to the same college things were going to be different, you were hoping to join a sorority and Bradley was going to try out for the baseball team, you didn’t imagine you would have the same time for each other that you have now given you were never apart for more than an hour or two when you weren’t asleep. Eventually you moved from your sitting positions, instead opting to lie on the blanket, you with your arms on your stomach and Bradley with his arms under his head causing the muscles in his arms to flex and you cursed him for it, finding it hard not to look at him as he did. 
“I have a proposition.” Turning your head to look at Bradley with an amused smirk, you see he’s already looking at you with soft eyes and an even softer smile and you raise your eyebrow at him. Bradley turns on his side, using his arm to prop up his head, and you do the same giving him your full attention. 
“Go on, you’ve piqued my interest.”
He rolls his eyes at the teasing tone in your voice and lightly shoves your shoulder, just enough that you wobble but not enough that you fall over which causes you to giggle. “Come on, I’m being serious.”
Wiping the smile from your mouth, you put on a fake serious face, “Okay, okay, I’m serious.” Bradley only rolls his eyes again but he doesn’t shove you, instead his free hand starts to play with a loose strand of fabric on the blanket, his eyes casting down to avoid meeting yours as he spoke. 
“We make a promise, an agreement, that when we get to college and even after we won’t forget about one another. Like, if one of us has an event or a party, and we’re both single, we go together, if one of us has a ceremony or an award or any sort of celebration we go and support the other.” 
His eyes moved up to meet yours, having been scared you were going to tell him no. Tell him that now you were grown you wanted some independence from him, a chance to see who you were without Bradley Bradshaw attached at your hip. But you don’t, instead you reach out your hand, fingers clenched closed with your pinky extended and a small smile on your face. 
“I promise B” Bradley reaches out and intertwines your pinky fingers together. 
--- 
And that was the start of your agreement with Bradley Bradshaw that saw him as your date to your first sorority event and you as his to the college baseball formal, it’s what saw you at multiple events together throughout college and saw peoples always asking about if you were dating or not, with some of your sorority sisters commenting on the fact that you were lucky to have him. It was what saw him supporting you when you were given an award by the school for academics and you supporting him when he got MVP three years in a row with the baseball team, it was what had you in the crowd of his graduation from the naval academy and him in the crowd of your med-school graduation. But after you started to drift apart, the agreement fell apart with it and it hadn’t been brought up since. Until now that is
“The arrangement?” Bradley let out a small chuckle and stopped rubbing at his neck, instead now leaning on the island with both arms as his eyes swept across the room, determined not to meet your stare he tried to find something, anything he could focus on instead of you because he was sure he would see rejection in your eyes. Finally, his eyes settled on the photos on your fridge, one of you and your friends on your graduation day, one of you and your dad working on the F-14  he had in his bunker, one of you and Shaggy from shortly after you got him, and one of you and him at your senior year prom. 
A small huff passes your lips as you look him up and down, once again crossing your arms over your chest your, “Okay, but I need details first.” Bradley’s eyes snapped from the photos on your fridge to your face as his mouth opened in shock, he was truly expecting you to say no. To tell him to fuck off, that it was a stupid promise made when you were teenagers but here you were agreeing. 
“You’re serious?” Rolling your eyes, you leaned forward onto the island once again, this time folding your arms over one another, matching the way Rooster was standing, and you slid forward slightly so your face was just millimetres away from Rooster and you had to stop your eyes from flickering down to his lips and imagining the way they would feel on yours. Rooster was having a similar issue, finding himself forcing his eyes to look into your eyes because he knew if he looked anywhere else he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from reaching out and pulling you into a bruising kiss.
“Of course I’m serious, I did pinky promise after all and we both know those are sacred.” With a small smile you suddenly pull back, all too aware of how the heat of his breath against your skin was starting to cause a blush to spread over your cheeks. Quickly you clear your throat and reach for the pizza on the counter, lifting it as you round the island and head towards your living room. Throwing yourself onto the sofa you place the pizza box on the coffee table and reach down to pet Shaggy who is asleep in his bed at the end of the sofa, motioning to the other side of the sofa with your hand, “Now, details.” 
Lifting the beer, and a bottle opened, Bradley joins you on the sofa and hands you an open beer, while you’re sat with your back against the arm of the sofa and your legs pulled up to your chest, Bradley leans back, stretches one arm around the back cushions of the sofa and spreads his legs in front of him. Taking a deep swig of beer, he lets out a sigh and runs his hand over his face before he starts to explain. 
“An old navy buddy is getting married on Saturday and I was invited to the wedding a while back,” Okay, so far so good, you think to yourself and you let a gentle ‘hmmm’ to let Rooster know you were listening as you took a swig of your own beer, “At the time I was just a guest, but one of his groomsmen has dropped out, well he’s been kicked out but that's another story for another time, so now there’s an uneven number of bridesmaids and groomsmen and the bridesmaids already have their dresses so it would be a complete waste of money to ask one of the bridesmaid to drop out and he doesn’t have any other close friends or family, his brother’s are already part of the grooms party” 
“B you’re rambling.” You very rarely saw Bradley rambling, only when he was really  really nervous like that time he asked Ashley Stone to be his prom date in junior year or when he confessed to his first college girlfriend. 
“Right, sorry. Anyway, he reached out to me and asked if I would be his groomsman, all the other guys are navy men, and I said yes, no problem. The thing is this all went down when I was still seeing that girl, Molly, I was telling you about and I had put down a plus one.” 
Realisation hits you and you nod your head along with what he’s saying, “So you want me to be your plus one.” His eyes, which had been staring up at your ceiling, move to your face and he nods slowly, but there’s something in his eyes that tells you that’s not all it is and you let out a small sigh and narrow your eyes at him. 
“There’s something else, isn’t there?” He nods solemnly and takes another swig of his beer before he leans forward and places his elbows on his knees, head turned towards you with an apologetic look on his face. 
“I heard Molly was going to be there with her new man, apparently he’s a friend of the brides, and I may have said I was bringing my new girl.” You close your eyes and curse at his stupidity, taking swig of your beer as you rubbed at your temples. 
“So you want me to be your date and play pretend as your girlfriend?” It wouldn’t be the first time you had pretended to be his girlfriend, you had done it once or twice in college when he was clearly uncomfortable when someone was flirting with him to chase him off, and he had pretended to be your  boyfriend numerous times when some creeps wouldn’t take the hint that you  wasn’t interested in them, but that was short bursts. This was going to be an all day thing, and you didn’t know if your heart could take that. 
“Pretty much.” Bradley knew it was a lot to ask, it even feel outside the parameters of your agreement and he was sure you were going to turn around any second now and tell him to get lost, that you wouldn’t do it. But as you opened your eyes with a resigned sigh and looked at him, he knew you weren’t going to do that. 
“Okay Bradshaw, you got a deal. But…” You were caught off guard by Bradley reaching over and pulling you into a tight embrace, practically putting you onto his lap as he did so as he muttered thank you over and over again into your ear. You hugged him back and let out a gentle chuckle before pulling back, your hands on Bradley’s shoulders as his remained your waist where he had pulled you in. 
Your heart picked up in your chest from the contact and you felt heat rush through your body as a blush spread across your cheeks, you didn’t want to pull away any further than you already were, you actually wanted to pull him closer to you and press your lips against his. In fact every muscle in your body was screaming at you to do just that but you didn’t listen, instead letting go of his shoulder and shuffling back to your position on the sofa. 
“As I was saying, I need to know details of the wedding. Time, theme, colours, bridesmaid colours, dress code, what you’re wearing.” You ran your hand through your hair, starting to panic a little the more you thought about it, which Bradley saw. He reached a hand out and took the one carding through your hair in his, pulling it to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to it and something about the gentle intimacy of it almost stopped your breathing. 
“Stop panicking. I will text Mercury, uh, Gerard and ask him anything I don’t know and then I’ll text you. He’s asked all the groomsmen to wear their dress whites so it won’t be hard to match me. I don’t know the theme, the dress code for the reception for the women is princess? I don't actually know, and I don’t know about the colour scheme. But I will find out, I promise.” At Rooster’s words you calm a little, taking a few deep breaths to settle your racing heart before you nod. 
“Okay, okay.” He gives you a smile before dropping your hand and reaching over to the coffee table, flipping open the pizza lid and pulling out a slice, handing it to you with a smile, “Now let’s eat before it turns to ice.” 
--- 
Saturday rolls around quicker than you would have liked, you thought you would be over the nerves by now but as the day approached the only seemed to get worse and worse until you felt your chest constricting and your lungs felt like they were collapsing in on themselves as you struggled to breath. Eyes squeezed tight, your hands gripped onto your island lip with such force that you knew your knuckles were turning white even without looking at them. Your thoughts were spiralling a little, little what ifs that were nothing if not intrusive thoughts like what if Bradley’s doing this to embarrass you? What if he’s doing just to make his ex jealous? What if? What if? What if? They swarmed your mind and you felt like you were beginning to drown. 
Suddenly a hand is placed on your arm, slowly rubbing up and down the skin to soothe you and another is placed on your head slowly moving through your hair and you hear voices but they feel a million miles away, distorted by your heartbeat that was thundering in your ears. Slowly you opened your eyes, to see Natasha and Callie looking at you from either side with concern and you could see their mouths move but still couldn't quite make out the sound coming out. Callie removed her hand from your hair and instead used it to guide one of your own to her chest, where you could feel her taking deep long breaths and you tried your best to match the pattern. In for eight seconds, hold for six, out for eight and repeat. Your heart beat started to calm and you could start to make out what the girls at your side were saying. 
“That’s it (Y/N)....” 
“Nice and easy…”
“You’re okay…” 
The tightness in your chest slowly fades, it still lingers but it doesn’t inhibit your breathing anymore, and the rapid beating of your heart slows to a relatively normal rate. Finally, your hands release their grip on the island and you stretch your fingers open and closed to ease the ache that had settled in them. Your eyes move to Natasha, whose hand is still running up and down your arm and then to Callie who stills holds one of your hands against her chest with a small smile and look of appreciation. 
“Thank you guys.” 
They give you small nods in return, Callie lets go of your hand and instead wraps an arm around your shoulder and brings you into a hug while Natasha threads her fingers through your hand, “No need to thank us,” it was Natasha who spoke, “I’m just glad we arrived when we did.” 
Callie let out a soft ‘yeah’ agreeing with her girlfriend, “That looked pretty bad, you okay?” You had told the girls before about having panic attacks, you were at the Hard Deck one night, just the three of you, and some creep was not leaving you alone and you had a little freak out in the bathroom that they witnessed, but it had been a while since you had a full blown attack like the one you just experienced. You were glad the girls arrived then they did as well, you didn’t know how you were going to calm down from that one on your own and it was a gift to have them there grounding you. 
With a small nod you pull back from Callie, “Yeah, I’m good now. It’s just one bad thought spiralled into another and another and another and I didn’t know how to pull myself out.” Natasha’s hand moved from your arm to rub at your back softly, knowing your body is probably still pumping with adrenaline, to sooth you further, the looks of concern remained but their lips turned up into soft smiles. They knew you were nervous about the whole thing, having lamented to them your nerves and fears when you went out dress shopping only yesterday because Rooster didn’t give you the details you needed to find a dress sooner. 
The theme of the event was fairy tales and what can only be described as royaltycore, with the bride wearing a replica of the live action Cinderella dress and her bridesmaids baby blue and baby pink dresses obviously inspired by the dress worn by princess Aurora in sleeping beauty going by their shape (matching the wedding dress in the live action movie) and colour (an obvious nod to the changing blue and pink in the original animated feature), with a pastel colour scheme, Bradley had told you that guests would have to wear pastels that matched the table you were assigned and those wearing dresses were under orders (straight from the bride herself) to dress like the princess of their childhood dreams (and surprisingly she didn't care if you ended up looking better than her, it seems she just wanted to live out her childhood dream of living a fairy tale for just a few hours) , and the table you and Bradley would be placed at was designated the lavender table so you had to hunt for a lavender dress. 
Having found nothing in San Diego you, Natasha, and Callie all ended up driving over 2 hours to LA in the traffic and heat to try and find something you could wear. You had formal dresses, having attended many a charity gala and medical events but they were all dark navys and emerald greens, you weren’t really one for pastels and you certainly didn't have anything that made you feel like a princess, in fact most of your dresses made you feel like a display, a prize to be given to the highest bidder as you were paraded around to convince donors to up their donations with a flutter of your eyelashes and your tits pressed against their arms as you walked, so you had to go out and shop for something.
 While some of the dresses you found when in San Diego had potential, they were either the wrong shape or the wrong size (and you most definitely did not have time to have anything tailored) so you made the journey to L.A and finally found something in a small shop owned by an independent designer that had been recommended by Siren (who couldn’t join you as she was dragging a very nervous Bob to meet her family in Miami that weekend). You were lucky, it was the last of the dress in stock and it was just your size and, in Callies words, you looked like a knock-out in it. With dress in hand, the three of you made your way back to San Diego and settled in your respective homes just before midnight. 
Natasha removed her hand from your back as she felt your breathing even out completely, the tightness in your chest was now completely gone and your panic had settled though nervousness still brewed in the pit of your stomach, and she turned to Callie with a smile, “Now let’s get you all dolled up.”
That’s right, you forgot you asked them to help you get ready, well you told them you didn’t know what to do with your hair and makeup and didn’t have time to book in with anyone to get it professionally done, to which Natasha let you know that Callie is phenomenal at doing makeup making a joke that if she wasn’t a pilot she would be on a movie set somewhere doing makeup for the stars. Callie blushed at the compliment and let you know she could do yours for you, while also volunteering Natasha to do your hair because she was surprisingly good at it. And that’s why they were at your place at 8am in the morning after getting home so late at night. You were gonna have to buy them a bottle of wine or two to thank them later. 
Natasha guided you into your room, her hand in yours and placed you down in front of your vanity. It was an old thing, the one your mom used to keep in her room though she very rarely used it, but it was nice to have a piece of her. She turned you to the side, so you were facing the door into your ensuite while she positioned herself behind you and Callie positioned herself in front of you, placing her makeup bag on the vanity. You were thankful she brought it, the only makeup you had were the basics to make you look less like a zombie when out in the ED, some foundation, concealer, blush, eyeliner, and maybe three eyeshadow palettes none of which contained pastel colours. Under their instructions, you closed your eyes and let the girls get to work.
The ceremony was starting at 10, would be finished in 30 minutes and Rooster was coming to pick you up on his way to the reception venue, with the reception not due to start until 12, Rooster would pick up at 10.45, giving him time to get to the venue with the midday San Diego traffic.
Which was great, considering the fact that both Natasha and Callie restarted their entire process at least 3 times each drawing out the time it took for them to actually finish doing your hair and makeup, well that and the breaks you took to eat something and to sneak a drink of champagne that Callie had brought with her deciding you would need a little bit of an edge to calm your nerves before Rooster arrives. Between the stopping and restarting, your hair and makeup was finished by 10:40. 
Though you couldn’t see yourself yet, Callie had covered up the mirror halfway through because you kept trying to peek, the looks on Callie and Natasha’s face were enough to let you know you looked good. “Beautiful. Now get your ass into your dress, I can hear Rooster pulling up.”
Callie left the room, leaving Natasha to help you get into your dress. As yout stripped out of your pyjamas, folding them neatly and placing them on the edge of your bed, Natasha turned away towards your bedroom door and started to remove your dress from the protective covering given to you at the boutique yesterday, while you made your way to your underwear drawer and pulled out a lacy thong and a strapless bra in a matching colour out and put them on. You then turned to Natasha who had removed the dress from the hanger and was holding it folded over her arm, you let out a gentle ‘okay’ to let her know it was okay for her to turn around. 
While Natasha helped you into your dress, Callie let Rooster into your home with a smile and a bit of a questioning look as she noticed he was driving a black Bentley and not his usual bronco, “You give up the bronco?” Rooster rolled his eyes as he stepped over the threshold of your home with a small smile on his face. 
“Gerard insisted all the groomsmen arrive in Bentley’s, he did wanna give me a driver but I insisted on driving to get (Y/N) myself.” Callie nodded her head as they walked into the open plan living room and kitchen, leaning against the island as she eyed up Rooster. Even she had to admit that he looked good in his dress whites. 
“You clean up well Bradshaw.” 
Roosters rolled his eyes at Callie, but his lips upturned slightly at the compliment, it fed his ego a little bit, though he only really cared about what you thought he looked like. Rooster’s eyes once again found the photo of the two of you at prom and a small smile spread across his face as he remembered just how beautiful you looked that night and how that was the first time he realised that he may have had not so friendly feelings towards you. He remembered his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he waited for your mom to go and get you from your room, how his hands felt clammy and his head began to spin as he saw you in your dress for the first time. This was no different, his heart was hammering in his chest as if it was trying to break through his ribs and throw itself directly into your hands, and his hands felt damp to his touch as he clasped them together in front of him to stop him fidgeting. 
Callies eyes softened as she watched one of her best friends and she smiled, it was obvious from the very first day that you were Roosters girl to the point that even Hangman was leaving you alone not wanting to incur the wrath of a love sick Rooster, but now watching him Callie could see it was so much more than just an infatuation but was pure, deep love, one not everybody got to experience and those who did were lucky too. “She’s beautiful Bradley.” 
Rooster’s eyes snapped to Callies and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, he knew you were beautiful. You were always beautiful, even when you thought you looked your worst Bradley always thought you were the most ethereal being on the planet. The sound of a door opening and closing caused Bradley to look down the corridor he knew lead to your bedroom, but instead of you walking down there was Natasha with a smile on her face. 
“She’s just getting her shoes on.” Bradley nodded his head as Natasha joined Callie leaning on the island, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek before she turned her eyes back to Bradley. She narrowed them slightly and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked him up and down. 
“This is your one shot Bradshaw, fuck this up and I will run you over with my car.” Bradley wanted to ask what she was talking about, argue that there was nothing to fuck up, you were just friends, and you were only doing this as a favour to him, but the sound of your heels coming down the hall stopped him and he turned to look at you. 
Callie wasn’t wrong, you were beautiful but you were so much more than that. You looked like an absolute goddess, your makeup made all your features pop, especially your eyes and
your hair was styled to perfection with little decorative butterflies poking out here and there to match your dress. Your dress. God, you truly looked like a fairy princess. A gorgeous lilac, floor-length gown, with butterflies decorating the skirt and collar line with pink highlights, including a pink belt around your waist. 
The world around Rooster faded away as he looked at you, it was like he had tunnel vision and everything else faded to darkness, and his heart beat so rapidly and loudly in his chest he could hear it and felt like he was underwater. Eyes moving over your form, not every discreetly, a flush rose on his cheeks and he felt his throat dry up and constrict as he tried to vocalise anything to let you know what he was thinking.
The intensity of his stare at you blushing profusely, eyes moving away from him as you ran your hand over the skirt of your dress to distract yourself from his gaze, which you could physically feel on you as if it was peeling back the layers of your skin and muscle and staring directly at your heart, which was beating so rapidly against your ribcage. You were so distracted by not looking at Bradley, you can’t see the sly smiles shared by Natasha and Callie, or the way they were eyeing the two of you just waiting for one of you to make a move. 
Taking a gulp, making his adams apple bob in his throat, Rooster clears his throat finally moving his eyes away from your form, though the blush he sports is still rapidly spreading across his face, “You look good angel.”
Mentally Rooster curses himself, was that seriously the best he could come up with? That you looked good? Did you really short-circuit his brain that badly that he couldn’t even compliment you properly? Natasha groans internally, throwing her head back in exasperation as she lets out a sigh and rolls her eyes. She knew Rooster was an idiot but this was beyond idiocy. You didn’t mind though, you gave Rooster a smile as you finally looked at him again. 
“You look good too B.” 
A smile spread across Rooster’s face as he reached out a hand for you to take, which you do with a small smile, “Your carriage awaits princess.” You roll your eyes at his extravagance, taking your clutch from Callie as Rooster escorts you to the car, which you give him a questioning look about and you laugh as he explains that he was forced too, but if he had a choice he would be driving you to the ball in his bronco. 
Natasha and Callie watch with smiles as you laugh with one another before driving off and as you do the couple turn to one another and sigh, “They are absolutely hopeless.” Callie nods along to her girlfriend's words and clicks her tongue, “Completely hopeless.” 
---
The drive to the venue doesn’t take as long as you thought it would, the traffic isn’t as bad as anticipated with most people taking advantage of the beautiful morning and heading to the beach before temperatures reach their peak between mid-day and three pm. It’s a peaceful drive, mostly. 
You of course tease Bradley about his moustache and how you’re surprised Gerard didn’t make him shave the ridiculous thing off to be in the wedding party and he rolled his eyes and chuckled, letting a little “you know you love my moustache” slip past his lips. And, surprisingly, you do love his moustache, though you would never let him know that it would simply inflate his ego to the point it would match Hangmans, and you did not need a cocky Bradley in your life.
But after you actually set off, conversation dies off with the only sound being the music playing gently from the speakers. You realise, half-way through the drive, that it’s a playlist of all your favourite songs from childhood and you smile at the thought that Bradley remembered and made a playlist specifically for you, you supposed it was to try and calm the nerve raging inside of you the closer you got to the venue. 
For most of the ride, you’re sitting staring out the window with your elbow propped on the window and your head propped on a fist, just watching the world whizz by, occasionally moving your eyes to take in Bradley in his dress whites. Bradley is a handsome man, he knows he’s a handsome man and often uses that to his advantage, but in his dress whites? His dress whites take it to a whole other level and you swear he looks like Prince Charming coming to sweep Cinderella off her feet. 
You take your time to admire him, from his nearly combed and styled hair that doesn’t have a hair out of place and it certainly being held in place by a mountain of products curving down along his chiselled jawline to his plump lips that had a light sheen to him, probably just a lip balm, but they looked so kissable as you stared at them for a little bit longer than you should have, being so lost in thought that you bite down on your own lips that were painted a light pink. 
You finally move on from staring at Bradleys lips back across his jawline and down his neck, moving across his arms that looked absolutely amazing in the white overcoat until you reached his hands, which were gripping onto the steering wheel with such an intensity that his knuckles were starting to change colour and the veins in his hands bulged, causing heat to spread through your body as you thought about his hands on your body, wrapped around your throat, holding your waist, dipping lower and lower to where you wanted him the most. But before your mind wanders too far, you strip your gaze away from him and look back out the window to try and calm your now rapidly beating heart and quell the embers of burning desire. 
Your gaze isn’t unnoticed by Rooster, oh no, he doesn’t even have to look over to know your staring at him, he can feel your emerald eyes burning into his skin as it moved over his form and as he looks over and sees you biting down on your lip, he has to suppress a groan because you looked so damn good and he didn’t know how long he could control himself if you kept looking at him like that, which is why he was gripping onto the steering wheel with such force to try and ground himself and focus on anything other than your pretty pink lips and how they would feel on his own, how they would feel pressed against the skin of his neck, his chest, his abdomen, his. 
Suddenly, Rooster is shaken out of his thoughts as the venue comes into sight and he is directed by a concierge to park alongside the other groomsmens bentley’s and he quickly clears his throat before following the directions and pulling in. As he pulls the keys of the car out of the ignition, he turns to you with a smile tugging at his lips, eyes roaming over your body once again, “You ready?” 
You take a few deep breaths, in for eight, hold for six, out for eight and repeat, close your eyes and steady your heart before turning to Bradley with a tight lipped smile and a gentle nod of your head, “Yeah, let’s do this.” 
You go to open your door, but Bradley quickly slaps your hand away and you turn to him with a shocked expression. Bradley only gives you a goofy grin before he gets out of his own door, shutting it behind him, before he makes his way over to your door smiling at the other groomsmen who were gathered only a short distance away. Straightening out the collar of his jacket quickly, Bradley open’s your door for you and offers you his hand, which you roll your eyes at but gladly take, allowing him to help you out of the car.
You hear a couple of whistles as Bradley’s hands fall to your waist as you allow him to steady you, pulling you close to his chest in the process. You could hear a few voices calling out from behind you, all some variation of ‘go Bradshaw’ or ‘way to go Rooster’, which causes a blush to rise on your cheeks which actually mirrored the one on Bradley’s as he tried to let you go. You stopped him, moving your arms around his neck and pulling him down to put a kiss on his cheek. Afterall, you were supposed to be his girlfriend and with people watching, you were going to put on a show.
The blush you had seen on Bradley’s face was nothing compared to the one heating up his skin now, he looked like a tomato and he had to hide his face in your neck to avoid being seen by the other groomsmen who were whooping and hollering at the display of affection. You rolled your eyes at the antics but welcomed the display of affection from Rooster, especially as he snaked his arms fully around your waist and rubbed up and down your back. It was something you frequently did when you were both younger, a way for the both of you to ground one another when it was needed, and it was very much needed now as anxiety started to take root in your heart. 
A strong smack on Rooster’s shoulder prompts him to pull away from you, “Rooster man, you gonna introduce us to your girl here or are you just gonna love up on her all night?”
The small group of groomsmen (a total of 3 excluding the groom) had made their way over to you and were now leaning either against the bentley you arrived in or the one beside it with cocky smiles on their faces and their arms crossed. You had to assume the one who smacked Rooster was the groom, Gerard. 
“Uh, yeah. Gerard, this is my girl (Y/N).” Though he had pulled away from you, Bradley manoeuvred so he was now at your side with his hand around your waist. “(Y/N), this is Gerard, and the rest of the groomsmen are Sam, James, and Steve.” He motioned to each one as he introduced them and you met them all with a smile.  
James was the first of the group to speak to you directly, his eyes trailed up and down your body appreciatively and even though you know he means no harm by it you can’t help but cringe slightly at the way his eyes rake over you, there was just something wrong with the way he did it, “Damn Bradshaw. When you said your girl was a knockout you really meant it.” Finishing off his sentence with a wink in your direction, he moves back to look at Rooster who holds you just that little bit closer. 
“Yeah, I’m damn lucky to have her.” 
You look up to Bradley with a smile, only to find him already looking at you with a softness you’re not used to. One that speaks to the way lovers look at one another in the privacy of their own homes, one that you had seen before in how your friend Graham looked at his husband and how Maverick looked at Penny. Not wanting to overthink, truly not wanting to think about it all, you turn back to the group of groomsmen and clear your throat. 
“Are you all aviators?”
Steve is next to speak, “Gerard and Sam are, me and James are marines” You give a small hmm in acknowledgement before he continues on, “What about you? You in the navy?”
You shake your head with a small laugh, “No, I think my dad would have actually murdered me if I even considered joining the navy. Um, my dads a pilot, Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell?” All the men exchange wide eyed shocked looks and Sam lets out a whistle. 
“Wow, Rooster, the Captains daughter? And not just any Captain at that, Maverick? I’m surprised he hasn’t skinned you alive.” 
You roll your eyes a little at that, sure your dad was overprotective and had threatened a few of your ex boyfriends, the one person he would never threaten is Bradley, and you both knew that. “There are two people in the world my father is scared of, one was my mother when she was alive. She was small but she was mighty and quite the temper. The other is me, unfortunately for him I inherited my mothers temper and his attitude.” 
The boys around you let out a small chuckle, imagining you going in on Maverick, which you had done multiple times when he took on a dangerous mission and told you nothing about it (not even his flight details or that fact that he was flying, you really ripped into him after the uranium mission). The conversation looked like it was going to continue, until a small frazzled red head with a clipboard approached the group, the wedding planner you guessed. 
“Boys!! You are needed for photographs before the reception begins!!” You stifled a giggle as you saw them all roll their eyes at her and cast your eyes to the ground, knowing if you meet any of the groomsmens eyes you would burst out laughing. The wedding planner let out a huff as she looked at her watch and then stormed off in the direction of what you assumed was the entrance. 
“That’s our cue then.” James is the first to move off, throwing you a quick wink as he stood up straight and started heading towards the entrance alongside Steve and Sam. Gerard stayed with you and Bradley as you started moving towards the entrance yourselves, Bradley’s hand still wrapped firmly around your waist. As you walk the few metres to the entrance, Bradley and Gerard joke amongst themselves and all you can do is smile. Bradley was well and truly relaxed, you could feel it as he held you. There was no tension in his muscles, they way there usually was even if you were just hanging at the Hard Deck or at your place or at the hanger, even the micro muscles in his face seemed relaxed. 
Stopping at the entrance, Gerard motions into a girl in a beautiful light purple dress with constellations stitched into the skirt and a small silver tiara in her hair, who was standing by a table of champagne, talking to an older woman in a beautiful regency style dress that looked like it had been picked out of Bridgerton , “That’s Sarah, she’s my cousin and Sam’s girl. Let her know your Rooster’s girl and she’ll show you to your table, she’s sitting with you. That’s her mother with her, my aunt Millie, be careful she’ll talk your ear off if you let her,” the last bit is spoken in a whisper as Gerard bends down to your ear, causing you to smile. 
You nod your head and go to move in her direction, but Bradley grabs your hand and pulls you back into him, lifting your hand up and pressing a soft kiss to the back of it. It was something he had done before, the night you had agreed to this whole charade, and again it took your breath away as the simple intimacy of it made your head feel light. 
“I’ll be in soon, okay?” You give him a gentle nod and a soft ‘yeah’ falls past your lips, which is enough for him to let you go. You give him a smile as you turn towards the entrance, eyes following him from your peripheral as he moves towards where the photos are being taken until he is out of your view and you look at Sarah, who has turned to look at you having heard you coming. 
“Hi, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Sarah.” She offers a hand out to you, which you take, and you instantly relax as you take in her gentle and welcoming smile and how something about her just eases peace, maybe it’s the constellations on her dress calming you or maybe she oozes the same energy that you found in them. 
“Hi,” You don’t expect your voice to sound as small as it does and you quickly clear your throat before you continue, “I’m (Y/N), I’m uh…” 
A look of excitement crosses across her features as she clasps her hands together and lets out a small squeal, “You’re Roosters girl? The doctor?” You nod your head slowly, shock settling in as to how she knew who you were, which you apparently weren’t good at hiding, as she links arms with you and smiles widely. 
“At the rehearsal dinner the other day he could not stop talking about you! Honestly, I wish Sam talked about me as passionately as Rooster spoke about you. And, honey, the way his eyes lit up anytime someone asked about you, it’s adorable.” 
Relief washes over you, Rooster had already spoken about you. He had planted the seeds that this relationship was legit in the minds of all the people here already, that made things easier. Now you just had to act like you were desperately in love with him, which was easy considering that you were no matter how much you refused to admit it to yourself. 
Aunt Millie now turned to you with a smile and a glass of champagne, “Hello dear, I’m Mildred but you may call me Millie.” 
You gently take the glass from her with a smile, “Hello Millie, my name’s (Y/N).” Her gentle smile and warm eyes remind you of your grandmother, and of the countless old ladies who made their way into an er throughout the year as a means to battle their loneliness, Gerard had said she would talk you ear off and you would have gladly let her if it meant she was a little less lonely for the night. 
“Well my dear’s, almost all the guests are seated, shall we join them?” Sarah smiles at her mother and links her other arm through hers, keeping one linked with you, as you walk into the main reception area. Your mouth gaped open as you looked around, it was absolutely stunning. Vine wrapped stone pillars decorated with tiny lights that you were sure would look like twinkling stars once the night had hit, beautifully arranged circular tables curved in a crescent shape with a two person table at the centre reserved for the bride and groom that was decorated with beautiful white gardenias and wild flowers on top of a soft pink table cloth that resembled the colour of rose quartz,, with a lavender table either side (one for the groomsmen and their plus ones and one for the bridesmaids and their plus ones), which was followed by sky blue, then a gentle green colour, then a soft yellow, and then it repeated in reverse order (yellow,green, then blue, then lavender). 
Each table had a flower centrepiece matching the colour of the table cloth, some sprigs of lavender on the lavender tables, blue daisies at the blue tables, limelight hydrangeas at the green tables, and coreopsis at the yellow tables. In the centre of the tables was the dance floor, edges decorated with bushes, all filled with blooming flowers of varying colours (you would have to assume most of them were artificial or else the smell would be completely overpowering), and hanging above it was a gorgeous chandelier that had been threaded with the same wildflowers as the bride and grooms table. 
Behind the bride and groom's table, towards the back sat a photobooth very similar to the one found at proms and homecoming dances with a box of props at the side, that included toy swords, tiaras, and feather boas.  At the very back of the room, hidden behind the floral background of the photobooth, was a pair of white arched doors that you assumed lead to the beach, if you listened close enough you could hear the waves crashing against the shore. It was like walking into a fairy tale. 
Sarah gently guided her mother to her table and seat, it was at the blue table next to yours and she was seated with the mother and father of the groom, as well as some admirals from the navy who usually regarded you with a slight of disdain having meet you at naval event alongside your father, but now meet you with apprehensive smiles and a tilt of their glass in acknowledgment. You gave Millie a gentle goodbye and a promise that you would join her for a conversation at another time during the night. 
Sarah then guided you to your own seat, the lavender table at the right hand side of the two person table, the groom's side you were assuming, and to your seat, though you probably could have figured that out yourself as placed at it was a placard with gentle swishing writing spelling your name. Thankfully, you were sat right next to Sarah and Rooster would be sitting on your right. 
At the table were two other women already and Sarah introduced you to them as Peggy and Natasha, Steve’s fiance and James girlfriend. They’re both lovely women and conversation between the four of you flows quite easily, you discuss your respective careers, learning that Peggy actually works as a nurse in the paediatric unit of your new hospital, and Natasha teaches self defence, and Sarah is a pre-K teacher. 
Throughout your conversation you feel eyes burning into you, though not in an unsettling way, more so a questioning way as if to determine if you were who you actually were and as you move your eyes away from the group of girls around you, you find a pretty blonde staring at you from the far lavender table on the bride’s side with a little bit of sadness in her eyes. She sits next to a tall man with dark curls and a soft lilac suit that perfectly matches her dress. She’s stunning and you quirk your head to the side, curious as to why she’s staring at you but, realisting she’s been caught, she quickly looks away from you. 
You didn’t realise that everyone (minus the wedding party) were seated until the sound of the wedding march started to play from the speakers within the room and the door opens with the maid of honour and Sam making their way in first, followed by the next bridesmaid and Steve, and then the next bridesmaid and Bradley (who gives you a wink) as he enters, and then the next bridesmaid and James. All four of them make their way across the dance floor and to the couple’s table, where they separate to their respective sides with wide smiles. 
“Introducing the newly wed Mr and Mrs Alcove!” Sam's loud tenor voice booms across the room, even without a mic, and in comes the happy couple wrapped up in each other’s arms. You had to admit you thought the bride was going to look ridiculous when Bradley had told you she was wearing a replica of the Cinderella dress, thinking she was going to be wearing the large iconic blue dress, but she looked absolutely stunning in the much simpler replica of the wedding dress from the live action movie. The dress was a beautiful creamy colour with a long, flowing skirt decorated with flowers, and atop the bride's head sat a gorgeous crown. She well and truly looked like a princess. 
You smile and clap with the rest of the guests, some of them whooping and hollering as the couple make their way to the table. The couple share a passionate kiss in front of the table, arms wrapping around one another as if they needed the other to breathe, before sitting down and motioning for their wedding party to do the same. The party splits to either side of the table and takes their seat and as Bradley sits beside you, you reach over and place your hand on his thigh, rubbing it gently as you turn to him with a smile that he gladly returns. 
--- 
The meal begins and conversation surges amongst the table, though it’s hushed it brings a buzz to the air and electrifies it. You're enjoying the conversation amongst your own table, Sam was telling a story about how Bradley literally tripped and broke his nose trying to impress someone while they were on deployment with each other. You, of course, laugh along to the story while Bradley leans back in his chair with a bit of a huff. 
Once again you can feel the same eyes as earlier on you and as you look up, you’re once again met by the same blonde staring at you but this time she doesn’t look away until Bradley catches her eye. You can feel him straighten beside you as he leans forward, one arm wrapping around the back of your chair as he whispers in your ear, “That’s Molly.” And with that, the staring makes sense, though you’re still unsure how she knew it was you. With Sarah, you had introduced yourself but you hadn’t so much as said a word to the other girl. 
Bradley leans back in his chair again, but keeps his arm wrapped around the back of your chair, his fingers rubbing gentle circles on your bare shoulder as you lean back into the chair. 
---
After dinner and speeches, and first dances, Bradley joined the rest of the groomsmen to smoke a cigar out the front of the venue, joined by the wedding photographer who wanted to get a few more candid shots of the boys (you assumed she was still going to pose them, but in a more natural manner), leaving you at the table by yourself as Sarah had disappeared to talk to some of her relatives a few tables down and Peggy and Natasha (she insisted on you calling her Nat, but you just couldn’t having stored that nickname away for Phoenix) joined the bridal at the bridesmaids table for a conversation. Your eyes had met with Millies over the crowd, and you had every intention of going over to join the woman and converse with her, but a body landing in Sarah’s seat next to you stops you. 
You turn to look who it was, not knowing anybody but those sat at your table, and find Molly sitting next to you. She looks nervous, chewing on her lips and fiddling with the golden chain wrapped around her left wrist, as she looks around for someone. She looks for a good few seconds, making sure whoever she was looking for was not going to suddenly pop up out of nowhere and usher her away, before her eyes settled on you. 
When they do, you expect to see rage, jealousy, hate. Instead, they’re soft and kind and hold a hint of sadness in them that you recognise immediately, it's a look you’ve worn yourself. One of mourning a love lost, of grieving over a relationship you would never have, and you realise she’s mourning her relationship with Bradley. 
Molly clears her throat slightly and she releases her lips from her teeth as she speaks, “I’m…uh, I’m Molly but you probably already know that.” Her eyes shuffle away from your face in nervousness, settling instead on the sprigs of lavender in the centre of your table, “And you’re (Y/N), right?”
You nod at her question, afraid to open your mouth but still wanting to acknowledge what she was saying, and she gives a small smile. “I thought so. When we were together Rooster would talk about you, tell me stories about the two of you, you look just like he described you.” You flush slightly, heat engulfing your cheeks, you didn’t know Rooster talked about you to Molly, didn’t know he spoke to anyone about you. “You really are as beautiful as he said.” 
Molly’s eyes moved away from the lavender, landing on you and she tilted her head to the side with a small sigh. You know she isn’t here to be malicious, especially as she moves to take your hand in hers gently, “I shouldn’t be talking to you. The ex talking to the new girl? People will probably think I’m threatening you” You both let out a small chuckle at that, and you must admit she had a beautiful smile. 
“That’s not what I’m here to do, promise.” She looks around her once again, this time you’re able to gather that she’s looking for Rooster, “I just wanted to let you know how in love Rooster is with you.” You’re shocked, and she gives a small giggle at your face as your mouth opens slightly.
“I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty, I am truly happy for Rooster that he finally managed to get you to agree to date him and , but I…I thought Rooster loved me, and maybe some part of him did, but after reading the letters I knew he would never love me like he loved you…” She looks back down to the bracelet on her arm and moves her hand away from yours to play with it again, “And seeing you two together? Seeing how he looks at you like you placed each individual star in the sky, as if you were born from stardust and the cosmos itself? God….” 
Your brain finally catches up to you, and you reach an arm out to touch Mollys arm, “Wait. What letters?” Molly matches your confused look with one of her own, raising an eyebrow as she looks at you, “You haven’t seen the letters? He has a whole box of them, all addressed to you starting from when he was in basic and the most recent was one from his mission before he got called back to Top Gun.”
Your head suddenly feels too full, a million questions running through your head. He wrote you letters? All this time? Why didn’t he ever send them? What about them made Molly realise he was in love with you? Where were they now? Why did he keep them? Alongside your racing thoughts, your heart started to beat rapidly in your chest as the same tightness from this morning returned and you struggled to breath. Suddenly the sound of the party felt like it was a million miles away and it was distorted as if you were underwater, the pounding sound of your heart all you could hear, as your head started to feel dizzy and the room started to ring. 
You could vaguely feel Molly reach out to you, a look of concern on her face, and she was speaking to you but you couldn’t make out exactly what she was saying. It seemed she called someone because in a second Sarah was at her side, a hand on your arm, she was also talking but you couldn’t make out what she was saying. You tried to relax your breathing, eight in, hold for six, eight out, a few times but it wasn’t working. As you panicked, your eyes moved from Molly and Sarah looking around the room for a way out and finally your eyes caught the edge of the arched doors leading to outside world, and you stand suddenly, knocking Sarah back slightly and mumble out, “I need…I need air,” as best you could given your inability to breath properly.  
You rush away from the table and push through the large oak doors, letting them slam behind you, though you were sure no one was able to hear over the pounding bass of the music playing. It was dark out, night having fallen about an hour earlier, with the only light coming from the small porch you were standing on. Your eyes scan around you, the beach spreads out before you with the ocean only a short bit away and in a sudden decision you strip yourself of your shoes, leaving them on the porch, and stalk towards the water, not caring and not really in a rational mind to care about your dress. 
You step into the water, walking until your ankles are fully covered and the skirt of your dress floats around you. The cold is a shock to your system and though the freezing cold would stop your panic attack you’re in too deep now for it to work, so instead you look to the sky. Lucky for you it’s a clear night and you can see some of the twinkling stars in the sky. 
The stars, the one constant in a world of chaos and if your body was anything right now it was pure chaos. Your thoughts still hadn’t subsided and your heart was still thundering, the tightness in your chest remained the same and it felt like every breath you took was like breathing in shards of glass. You focused on the stars, tracing the familiar patterns of the constellations and picturing them in your head as you go. Slowly your heartbeat starts to slow and then your breathing even outs, your thoughts are cleared as you go over the names and summaries of each constellation you find. 
Suddenly strong arms are wrapping around your waist and the scent of Bradley’s cologne fills your nostrils as he pulls you against his chest, saying nothing, just letting you ground yourself and come back down to earth.  
The silence lingers for a few moments as you gather yourself, “How’d you know I was out here?” 
Bradley chuckles slightly, arms tightening around your waist, “Sarah came out and got me, said you looked like you were having a panic attack and you ran off. Knew you would be somewhere looking at the stars.” You hum lightly in response, leaning your head back against his chest. It’s peaceful for a few seconds before you remember why you had your panic attack. Suddenly you’re pulling forward and turning towards Bradley with your arms crossed. 
“Tell me about the letters Bradley” 
Rooster curses to himself and avoids looking into your eyes, he knew he should have never left you alone. Should have known that Molly would seek you out, say something that gave away his secret. He brings his hands in front of him, wringing them together over and over again nervously. 
“I-I…” Rooster was struggling to find something to say, wanting nothing more than for a huge wave to come and knock into the two of you so he could disappear. Your gaze was piercing, eyes narrowing slightly as he took too long to reply. 
“I… I wrote them and then I meant to send them, I promise” Roosters hand carded through his hair, the effects of the products fading as he messed it up by doing so. Still he refuses to look at you, and you huff at it a little. 
“Why didn’t you?” You uncross your arms, instead bringing your arms down and playing with your fingers in nervousness. 
“Because…” Now Bradley looks in your eyes and he looks nervous, he couldn’t believe himself. Bradley flew F-18’s for a living, went into dangerous situations every day but this was the most scared he had ever been in his life. “No matter what I wrote, even if it was just about my day, about training, no matter the words, the only thing I wanted to write was I love you. I wanted to write it over and over and over again until my hands bled and that is not the confession you deserve.” 
You let out a laugh, tears gathering in your eyes, “And this is?” You didn’t want to cry, didn’t mean to, but you were so overwhelmed with emotions that it was the only outlet you had. You still had residual adrenaline in your veins from your panic earlier and you were happy, oh so happy, that Bradley was in love with you, with his confession it was like every nerve in your body lit up at once and the only way you could express it was tears. 
Bradley curses under his breath again, reaching a hand out to wipe the tears forming on your lash lines, “God no it’s not. This is not how I wanted to do this.” You let out another huff, rolling your eyes and looking away from him. 
“Were you ever gonna do it or were you gonna let me go throughout the rest of my life thinking you didn’t love me back?” 
Bradley, who had dropped his hand and turned his eyes away with your huff, snaps his eyes back to yours. He wasn’t expecting that, not in 100 years did he expect you to be in love with him as well. 
“You really didn’t know?” He shakes his head, hands now reaching out to grab at yours as you step closer to him. You looked so pretty as you looked up at him through your lashes with a smile on your lips. You reached up to him, cupping his jaw gently in your hand and rubbing your thumb gently across the apple of his cheek. 
“God Bradley. You wanna know why all my other relationships failed Bradley? Because I compare them all to you. No one was ever you. I have been in love with you since we were 16 and no other man or woman has ever compared to you.” 
Bradley gulps, his adam's apple bobbing as he does, and he watches your eyes looking for any hint of dishonesty. Any glimmer that you were having him on. But there's nothing but love in your eyes, and suddenly he sees what everyone else saw. Pure, unbridled love. 
“Can I kiss you?” His voice is soft as his hands move to hold you at your waist and you answer by pulling him down and pressing your lips against his. The kiss is sweet and gentle, your lips moulding together perfectly, but still filled with passion as he pulls you closer to his body. It wasn’t like the books described, no fireworks, no sparks, but rather a feeling of peace. One of home, as if your souls had been reaching out to each other your whole lives and were now touching. And though the kiss is sweet and soft and innocent, you can’t help the feeling of heat pooling in your abdomen as you thought of where this could be heading next. 
You pull back from one another, but still stay close as he presses his forehead against yours and you wrap your arms around his neck. You stand like that, simply holding each other for a few moments, until a chill settles in you and you start to shiver a little. 
Bradley gives you a small smirk, “Why don’t we head home and get warmed up? Huh?” You smile as he wiggles his eyebrows at you, making an obvious innuendo that you were all too happy to carry out, and nod and, reluctantly, untangle yourself from Bradley, making your way to the shoreline where you notice he’s abandoned his dress shoes. You suddenly turn to him with wide eyes and a hand over your mouth. 
“Bradley! You’re dress whites!” He simply shakes his head with a smile, taking your hand in his as he puts his shoes back on, “Don’t worry about it angel. I’ll get them dry cleaned.” He places a kiss on your forehead to calm your nerves before you make your way back to the venue.  
You disappear back into the room, your heels now in your hand, and make your way over to the table where Sarah is now sat with Natasha, Peggy, and Molly, who are all looking at you with slight concern. You simply smile and lift your purse, “I’m fine, promise. But we’re,uh, we’re gonna head home” The girls smile and give you hugs as you go, with Peggy promising to stay in touch and Natasha gives you a ‘be safe’ with a wink. 
As you said goodbye to them, Bradley ordered the two of you an uber, having had a few beers and you having had a few champagnes and wine, and said goodbye to the groomsmen who are all giving him knowing looks, especially as you approach behind Bradley and place your hand on his upper forearm and rub it gently as you give your own goodbyes to the boys. 
The uber is quick in arriving and you and Bradley climb into the back seat, anxious to get back to your place (which is closer than Bradley’s who lives in Fightertown). In the back of the car, your hand finds Bradley’s thigh and you start to rub gently on it, biting down on your lip as you do. You feel Bradley tense at the touch, his eyes shifting to watch you and figure out what you’re doing and he swears to god that the you were trying to kill him with the way you’re biting your lip and looking at him like you wanted to jump his bones right here in the back of the uber. 
As your hand ghosts closer and closer to his hardening cock, Bradley has to suppress a groan, instead pretending to cough as he glares at you. You were playing a very dangerous game. He grabs at your hand as it ghosts across his cock, loose enough that you can pull away if you want but tight enough that it sends a warning. You only smile at him, cocking an eyebrow, “Everything okay, lieutenant?” 
The sound of his rank rolling off your tongue has Bradley biting back a moan as he throws his head back against the headrest, you were definitely going to be the death of him, and by the looks of it you knew exactly what you were doing to him. Instead of releasing your hand, he threads his fingers through it to stop your hand from wandering and you pout a little in your seat. 
The drive to your place was far too long for Bradley, seemingly dragging on forever despite the almost empty roads, but that might have been the frustration bubbling inside of him that only seemed to grow every time he met your lust-blown eyes. When you finally stop at your place, he rushes out a thanks as he all but tumbles out of the car, causing you to giggle, and makes his way to your side, opening your door for you with a goofy grin on his face. 
You mutter out a thanks to the driver before taking Bradleys outreached hand and climbing out yourself, you’re barely out of the car before the driver speeds off leaving you and Bradley at the bottom of the path leading to your place. Bradley can’t help himself as he cups your face in his hands and presses a deep kiss to your lips, which you gladly reciprocate, moving your lips in sync as you grab at the collar of his jacket. 
You don’t wanna end the kiss, so instead you twist a little and start walking back on the path and Bradley’s hands move from your face to your waist to hold you steady and help prevent you from falling. Your back hits against the front door and you finally pull away from Bradley with laboured breaths, “I… I need to…” 
All words vanish from your mind as Bradley starts to kiss down your neck, squeezing gently where his hands meet your hips, stopping at a particular spot that has you whining in pleasure to pay extra attention to it, you could already imagine the bruise that would be there come the morning. At your little sounds, Bradley smirks against your skin and kisses back up your neck making his way to your lips once again, where he places a gentle peck. 
“What was that angel?” You roll your eyes at him playfully, turning your back to him with a smile as you start to rummage through your bag for your keys, which would be a thousand times easier if Bradley didn’t preoccupy himself with running his hands over your clothed body and placing kisses against your neck and shoulders, giving you a matching hickey on the other side. Finally, and with a fumbling hand, you find your keys and quickly unlock your door before turning to Bradley and pulling him in by his collar, dropping your purse by the door and pushing it closed with your foot. 
Bradley hums appreciatively into your mouth, arms wrapping around your waist once again and pushing you against the door once again. You stay there, kissing each other slowly and passionately, as if you had all the in the world to enjoy each other. Eventually Bradley pulls away from you, laboured breaths fanning against your face as yours fanned against his and you want nothing more than to pull him forward into another kiss but you also know if you continued this here you wouldn’t make it to the bedroom. 
You placed a hand on his chest, your blown out eyes looking into his, “I want this off lieutenant.” This time Bradley let’s himself moan at how his rank rolls of your tongue and pulls away from you enough to let himself the room to unbutton his jacket, and for you to bend down and take your shoes (which you put back on waiting for the uber, not wanting to carry them) off, throwing them down beside your purse. 
After all the buttons are undone, your hands are spreading across the expanse of Bradley’s chest that was still covered by his hunder shirt until you are moving the jacket down his shoulders and off his body completely. His lips press to yours once again and you run your hand up his chest, and around his neck to play with the little hairs at the base of his neck. With this kiss, Bradley pushes his tongue into your waiting mouth and plays with your own causing a small moan to resonate from your throat. 
While your hands are preoccupied, Bradleys are smoothing over your hips and running up the expanse of your rib cage to reach behind you and undo the zip on your dress, which he does quite fluidly and the bodice falls gently from your chest onto Bradleys. You pull away from him again, finger pressing against his white undershirt, “This too.” 
Bradley only smirks and gladly removes the offending item of clothing, allowing you to take a step back so that your dress would fall from your frame completely and pool at the ground which leaves you in nothing but the matching set of underwear you put on earlier. Bradley groans at the sight, his hands reaching out to paw at the skin now exposed to him. He grips at your hips tightly, fingers digging into the skin as he does, pulling you close to his body. 
“You are so goddamn perfect.”
If you weren’t already flushed from the situation, you most definitely would be from his compliment. You place a hand on Bradleys chest, pushing him slightly so he starts to walk backwards down your hall towards the bedroom, and while Bradley loved seeing you take a little bit of control he couldn’t let you have it all. So he very quickly has you pushed against the wall of the hall, right beside a photo of him and you, with his knee pressed between your thighs and he swears he can feel how wet you are through your panties and his dress trousers, causing him to groan as he kissed you once again. This time a little bit more fervently than the last. 
You happily reciprocate, mixing your tongue with his and throwing your arms around his neck to pull him as close as possible. You moan gently as he knocks the knee in between your thigh against your aching core, which only encourages him to do it again only harder. This time you pull away from him with a desperate moan and he smirks at you. 
“You like that angel?” You nod your head at him as he presses against you again and this time you grind down to meet the movement, letting out a moan as you do so. The sight of you grinding down on his knee has Bradley groaning and growing even harder in his dress pants than he was before. He needed to have you and he needed to have you now. Quickly, Bradley falls to his knees in front of you, his hands making quick work of discarding your panties, and he moans at the sight of you. 
“You’re so wet angel, is all this for me?” He looks up at you through his lashes, hands now gripping onto your thighs and he looks so good between your thighs, pupils absolutely blown so that very little iris remains and a devilish smirk on his face. You can only nod at him, to which he tuts and bites gently down on your thigh causing you to whine. “Come on now angel, use your words like a good girl”
You swear you feel your wetness dripping down your thighs at his word and you bite back the whine gathering in your throat, “All for you lieutenant,” you had noticed the effect calling him by his rank had on him earlier and you were going to fully take advantage of that.
“That’s a good girl”
Suddenly Rooster licks a stripe up your slit, causing you to throw your head back with such force your picture frame shakes and let out a moan, your hand coming to tangle in Bradley’s hair as he continues to lick at your cunt. It goes at it like a man starved being presented his last meal, licking and sucking at your clit as he goes, which has you a moaning, panting mess above him, barely able to utter a coherent word other than ‘Bradley’. 
You were teetering so close to the edge now, the coil in your stomach tightening and tightening. Bradley removed a hand from your thigh, instead bringing it round to rub gentle circles on your clit while he pushed his tongue into your entrance, causing you to tug on his hair with such a force that Bradley moaned and that was it, the coil in your stomach snapped and suddenly you were cuming all over Bradley’s face with a choked moan of his name.
But that didn’t stop him, no Bradley continued on throwing you into overstimulation as he swapped his finger and mouth. His mouth latched onto your clit while his middle finger slide into you, you were a babbling mess of ‘too much, too much’ but Bradley wasn’t going to stop. Not when you tasted and felt so good. Slowly he entered a second finger into you and you could feel your coil tightening once again as he moved in and out of you, occasionally curling his fingers to try and find the spot. Which he quickly does, your sharp intake of break and deep moan letting him know he’s found it. 
Bradley lets go of your clit with a pop and looks up at you, slightly teary eyed at the overstimulation and with your mouth wide open as moan and moan slipped from your lips. He could have stayed like this forever, just watching you as he got you off with his mouth and fingers. He continued to abuse your g-spot, pressing against every time his finger push into you, watching your face twist in pleasure as he does. God you look and feel so good that he can’t help but reach into his dress trousers to rub at his cock to get some kind of relief, because at this point he feels like he might burst. 
Bradley feels you tightening around his fingers and he presses a kiss against the inside of your thigh, “You gonna cum for me again angel?” You nod your head, eyes squeezed shut as pleasure courses through you and the coil in your stomach gets tighter. This time Bradley bites at your thigh and scissors his fingers inside of you, “What I say angel? Gotta use your words?” 
You let out another strangled moan, the coil read to snap once again, “Yes lieutenant, gonna cum again.” Bradley smirks against your thigh, you can feel it against your skin as he presses another gentle kiss there, “Go ahead angel, cum for me.” 
Another strangled cry of his name falls past your lips as you cum for a second time and Bradley nearly moans at the sensation of you squeezing on his fingers and he can’t help imagine that feelings on his cock when he fucks you. Pulling his fingers from you, Bradley stands once again, smirking at your already fucked out expression, and places his fingers on your lips. Without needing instruction, you open your mouth and suck them in, swirling your tongue around them to clean them off. 
“You’re such a good girl angel.” You whimper at his words and Bradley pulls his fingers from your mouth to cup your jaw and pull you into another searing kiss as his other hand wraps around your thigh and pulls it up to his waist in silent instruction, which you follow jumping to wrap both your legs around his waist, your bare cunt now rubbing against the fabric of his dress trousers and against his clothe cock hidden inside, causing a moan to fall from both your lips. 
Bradley pulls you from the wall and proceeds to move towards your bedroom, he had spent the night innocently when you first moved in earlier in the week and knew exactly where he was going, never breaking your kiss as he does. Gently, he lowers you down onto your bed before breaking your kiss to stand at the end of your bed and watch you. Your pupils are completely blown and you whine at the loss of contact, which he finds just absolutely adorable. 
“Patience angel. Now be a good girl and take your bra off for me.” You do as you're told, reaching behind you to unhook your bra and then throwing it somewhere in your bedroom, as Bradley reaches down and strips himself of his dress pants and boxers. Now, you had heard many a rumour in college about Bradley and how well endowed he was, and you were very happy to say that the rumours were true. 
As Bradley’s cock smacks against his stomach, you salivate at the sight of it. You sit up as Rooster crawls onto the bed, strong thighs in between your knees, your chest rubbing against his providing stimulation to your nipples that has you moaning which Bradley takes advantage of by shoving his tongue into your mouth. You moan at the sensation, one hand grabbing at his neck while the other reaches down to stroke his cock. 
You rub gently at the tip first, gathering the precum in your palm, which Bradley moans obscenely at, and then you start moving your hand up and down his length using the precum as a lubricant. You smirk into your kiss with Bradley as he continues to moan at the sensation of your hand wrapped around his length, suddenly the sensation of your nail scratching lightly at the underside of his cock has him cursing and stuttering forward. Bradley knew he wasn’t going to last long if you continued your teasing and there was no way he was going to cum unless he was wrapped in your pretty pussy. 
Suddenly Bradley grabs your hand from his length, as well as the one on his neck, and pins them above your head with one hand with a small growl that has you clenching your thighs together to get some friction despite having already came twice. 
“That's enough teasing from you angel.”
You whine lightly, and struggle against his grip, wanting to touch him, but he simply tuts at your behaviour and rubs his cock through your folds, catching your clit on the tip as he does. You moan at the sensation and let a please slip past your lips. 
“Please what baby?” 
“Ple…Please fuck…fuck me lieutenant” 
You can barely get the words out as Bradley continues rocking though your folds, hitting against your clit every time he does, but you do. Bradley smiles, leaning down to kiss you as he lines himself up with your entrance and pushing himself in. You gasp at the stretch, eyes closing and mouth falling open as you do. 
“You okay angel?” 
You nod your head, “Yes, feels s’good, keep going.”
Bradley was not one to deny you what he wanted, so slowly he kept going until he was bottomed out in you. God you felt absolutely amazing as you squeezed him trying to adjust to the size. He was definitely bigger than anything you had before, so you needed time to adjust. After a few seconds you're begging Bradley to move, you needed him to move, and so he obeys by pulling almost all the way out and slamming back in again which causes a loud, pornogaphic moan to fall from your lips. 
He does it again, and again, hitting the right spot over and over again as he did, which caused you to see stars but you still needed more. “Faster Bradley, please.” Your eyes roll into the back of your head as Bradley moves faster, causing a moan to fall from your lips with every movement. The pleasure was immense, you could feel every part of him inside you, every ridge and every vein pressing against your walls and you could swear his head was hitting against your cervix, and you could feel the coil in your stomach begin to tighten once again. 
You begin to babble out Bradley’s name as you approached another orgasm and he threads the fingers of the hand holding your arms down with one of yours, letting the other one go to come down and grab at his shoulder as he pistoned his hips into you, “I’m right here angel, you’re doing so well for me.” 
He lets out a deep moan as you squeeze down on him with the praise, pressing kisses and bites to your shoulders and collarbones, moving his way down until his lips wrapped around your nipples as a way to contain his sounds and to stop him from speaking, because if you squeezed down on him everytime he praised you there was no way he was lasting to give you another orgasm, and he was determined to give you another one. 
With a sharp snap of his hips, he finds your g-spot once again, moving on from beating your cervix, and instead beating into that spot over and over again causing loud moans and whimpers to fall from yours lips as the coil inside you tightened and tightened again and with a whimper you let Bradley know you’re gonna cum again. 
With a pop he releases your nipple and brings his free hand down to rub at your clit to bring you over the edge as he continues his abuse of you g-spot, “Come on angel, cum for me. You’ve been taking me so well.” 
With the pressure on your clit and the praise falling from Bradley’s lips you quickly fall over the edge and cum around his cock, the pressure from you squeezing him so tightly causing his hips to stutter as he reaches his own peak, filling you up with his cum. You openly moan at the sensation of him pulsing inside you, the feeling of his cum painting your walls just felt amazing to you. 
Bradley quickly presses a kiss to your lips as he pulls out of your sensitive hole, and runs a hand gently through your hair, your little butterflies lost somewhere in the chaos. You place a hand against his cheek and kiss him back gently, your fingers moving to push some hair off his sweaty forehead. As he pulls his lips of yours, Bradley presses his forehead against yours with a goofy smile on his face. 
“You’re amazing (Y/N), I love you” 
“I love you too Bradley” 
Bradley lifts himself off you and off the bed, to which you groan already missing his warmth, and Bradley just rolls his eyes a little as he moves towards the bathroom. “I’m only getting a washcloth to clean up with, stop being a baby.” 
You still pout at his turned back, though you are grateful he’s going to clean you up, most men didn’t but then again Bradley wasn’t most men. He’s back in seconds, a damp washcloth in hand and he’s gentle in the way he wipes you down from your neck and chest to your aching pussy where his cum is dripping out, making sure to wipe down your thighs as well before throwing the washcloth in your wash basket.
Bradley gently lifts you from the bed, allowing you to wrap your legs around his waist as he does, so he can pull back the blankets before he sets you back down. Though you are desperate for his touch, and he knows it, he goes over to the drawer he knows you keep your pyjamas in and pulls out and oversized shirt he gave you in college and then he goes to a drawer you had made up for him of some sweats and stuff so he could get changed at your place after training. 
Quickly, he slips the sweats on over his hips before making his way back over to you. Your eyes are slightly glazed over and they are struggling to stay open as you fight with sleep, but still you turn to him and match the small smile on his face. “Arms up”
Bradley’s voice is soft but still commanding and you do as your told, raising your arms up so he can put the oversized shirt on you. Once it’s on, he leans on the bed slightly and presses a kiss to your forehead, “You need anything angel? Water? Snacks?” 
You shake your head and move over on the bed, “Just you B”
Bradley smiles and crawls into bed next you, pulling you close to his chest as he wraps his arms around your shoulder. Your head rests on his pec while your hand reaches out to rest opposite you, just about his heart, and you follow the rhythm of beating until your eyes are closing and your drifting off to sleep.
---
You wake up to a text from an unknown number of a photo of you and Bradley wrapped up in one another in the ocean the night before, you seemed to be in the perfect position for the moon to illuminate your bodies as you kiss, “You’re souls are so deeply intertwined with one another that even the moon bends to your love xxx Molly”. 
6K notes · View notes
strawhbrrries · 11 months
Text
Babys Breath, i
pairing: bob floyd x seresin!florist!reader
summary: Bob stumbles into the nearest florist to the funeral he’s attending and, unknowingly, charms Jake Seresin’s sweet younger sister with all the anxious charm he possesses.
warnings: everyone calls reader “sunshine”, just straight fluff that is all, warnings will differ depending on chapter, no use of y/n or description of reader, not proofread 
word count: 897 words
authors note: this is just the first part of a sweet series i’m planning for bobby! eventually i’ll make a masterlist and everything but for now enjoy this (short) but sweet first chapter! I tried to encompass the personality i envision sunshine having, obviously different from jake, in this chapter but i can’t wait to expand upon it all :)
tag list: @kloofspeaks
find the masterlist here! read the next part here!
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Ding!
Your head lifted from the flowers in your hand when the bell above the door rang out, bringing in a highly decorated aviator. He looked nervous and was fiddling around with the wallet in his hand, looking around for the attendant and looking relieved when his eyes fell on you. You carefully placed the flowers down on the counter behind you and walked around the counter in front of you to go help him.
“Welcome! I’m sunshine, how can I help you?” Your voice was soft and warm, easing all the anxiety Bob had about walking into this place he knew nothing about and trying to buy flowers he also didn’t know jack shit about.
“Hey, uhm I’m Bob?” He scratched the back of his neck, you assumed it was because the flowers were overwhelming. It was entirely because he had prepared for an older woman not a beautiful younger woman his own age, his palms became sweaty the second his eyes saw you and his breaths became shallow.
“I didn’t know your name could be a question.” You teased, scrunching your nose to prevent the giggle you were holding inside from coming out. “What can I help you with, Bob?”
“Uh, I need funeral flowers.” He gave an awkward smile, wiping his palms against the pants of his dress blues one at a time. Trading the wallet between hands. “I could use some suggestions?”
Funeral flowers. How odd. You wondered if he knew your brother or if it was just some strange coincidence, you’d text him the description of the man in front of you later. He seemed sweet enough for an aviator, Jake shouldn’t have any qualms if you wanted to take a crack at it.
“Well, I’d suggest-”
Bob had tuned out whatever you had said, watching your lips move as you talked and how passionate you seemed about the subject of flowers. He’d never been one to think flowers were of any interest but suddenly they seemed like the most important subject he’d ever learned. You listed off all the colors and different flowers along with their different meanings, he’d shook his head like he’d been listening. Then you asked what he’d like to put in a bouquet and he looked like a deer in headlights, you giggled and snapped him out of the trance he was in. You were used to this, especially from men in the navy. You weren’t used to the shy nature Bob had.
“I’ll put together something for you, what’s your price range?” Once he’d responded you gathered some flowers, trimmed the stems and wrapped them in brown paper. Adding some twine around the stems to top it all off. You rang up the flowers and told him the price.
“What do they mean?” He asked, picking up the flowers from the counter as he handed you his card. 
“Somebody should’ve listened.” You teased, running his card and placing it down on the counter so you could explain the flowers. “These here are apple blossoms, which means better things to come. And these are lilies of the valley, god I love these, they mean the return of happiness.”
This time he listened as you spoke, asking some follow up questions about some of the flowers to prove he was listening this time. He caught a glimpse of the time on his watch and audibly cussed.
“Oh sorry, you probably need to get going!” You scribbled something on his receipt and pushed it, along with his card, into his hand and sent him on his way with a smile. The second you heard the door close you pulled your phone out, hit the contact for your brother and texted him.
had an aviator come in, asked for funeral flowers…
What’d he look like? You are aware that you can just ask them if they know me, right?
not as fun! 
Description please
aviators, the glasses not the sunglasses,  uhhh dress blues
Sunny every naval officer within a hundred miles is in dress blues, please be more specific.
blondish hair, he said his name was bob, kinda shy but it was sweet!
Bob Floyd.
He didn’t respond to any other text messages after that, you had asked for more details on Bob and he was not willing to give any. You assumed they knew each other pretty well, he only acted so closed lipped about people he actively knew and worked with. 
You tried to get the image of the sweet aviator out of your mind but to no avail. He clouded your thoughts for the rest of the day, for the first time since you’d become a florist you made easy mistakes that should’ve been avoided. All because of some man named Bob. Every time the bell went off, you hoped and prayed that it would be the sandy blonde walking his way back in. Every time your phone went off, you hoped it was him. But it never was, you had hoped he hadn’t thrown away the receipt you gave him.
(XXX) XXX-XXXX
Bob pulled out the receipt to throw it out, stopping when he caught a glimpse of the handwriting scrawled at the top. You had given him your number, he thanked the gods above and immediately typed your number into his phone under the name Pretty Florist Sunshine.
The flowers were a hit, thanks Sunshine!
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topguncortez · 7 months
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A Letter to My Grandchild - Rooster & Dragon
over the rainbow series | rooster & dragon masterlist | main masterlist
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synopsis: Maverick isn't known for keeping a lot of things from his past, but he did hang on to a beat up old shoe box for the day his best friend's boy would grow up and settle down
word count: 2.3k
warnings: pregnancy, mentions of past pregnancies, mentions of character death, cursing
note: nope y'all didn't miss any parts. it's just me, writing out of order. and I wanted to give y'all something cute and sweet before whumptober starts:)
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Maverick wasn’t sure how long he had held on to the letter, let alone remembered where he had put it. Penny thought he had finally lost his mind when she came home to boxes of Mav’s stuff strewn all over the living room. Maverick had never ever been labeled a “pack-rat” choosing to live very modestly, but there was some stuff he had kept over the years. One of those things had been a couple of envelopes that Carole had given to him the last time he saw her alive. Carole could hardly keep her eyes open from the pain medication but she had managed to direct Maverick towards her closet and grab an old shoe box that had been tucked away in the corner. 
“You give that to him. . . when he becomes a father,” She had whispered to Maverick. He had promised his best friend’s widow that he would keep the box safe and protect it with his life. He swore that if his house was on fire, that old shoe box from Yonkers would be the one thing he ran back in and saved. 
Maverick didn’t even bother to wrap the shoe box or remove its contents into some nicer box. Instead, he slapped a bright pink bow on it and set it on the gifts table with the others, sticking out like a sore thumb. He stood in the back of the crowded bar with Jake and the rest of the guys, watching as Dragon and Rooster took their time opening up the gifts and holding them up so everyone could see. Phoenix sat to the right of her sister, already taking on the doting aunt duty by writing down what the gift was and who it was from. 
Maverick still couldn’t believe that he was standing in the same room as Bradley Bradshaw, celebrating the soon to be birth of his child. If you would’ve told him ten years ago that he would be “grandpa mav”, he probably would’ve laughed in your face. There was no way on earth that anyone, let alone a child of Bradley’s would be calling him “grandpa”. Those years of hatred and no communication seemed to be a distant memory now as Maverick watched the kid who was basically his son try to hold back tears while holding newborn onesies and baby blankets. 
The baby shower was shark theme, which had to have been 100% Dragon’s idea, and Rooster went along with it. Dragon was at the point in her pregnancy where all Rooster could do was nod along and agree with her. So if was sharks that she wanted ontop of carrot cake cupcakes, than it was sharks on top of carrot cake cupcakes she got. It was moments like these, where Maverick could see the resemblance between Rooster and Goose. Two Bradshaw men who would’ve gone to the ends of the earth to make their partners happy. 
“Last one!” Phoenix smiled, and handed Dragon a beat up old shoe box, “It’s from Mav.”  
“You couldn’t have wrapped it!?” Penny scolded, lightly smacking her husband’s arm.
Pete just shrugged, “Adds character.” Penny rolled her eyes. Dragon chuckled, carefully removing the top. Her eyes widened for a moment, then she looked up to look at her husband. 
“Rooster,” Dragon whispered, her eyes starting to fill with tears as she looked down at the contents of the box. Bradley leaned over her shoulder, his eyebrows furrowed, “Look.” Dragon handed him the shoebox, and he felt his breath get caught in his throat. 
“Are these all from-” 
“Your mom and Dad from various deployments. There’s some written after his death too,” Maverick said, “She promised me to keep that box for you.” 
Rooster nodded, his eyes feeling the sting of tears, “Th-” He cleared his throat, “Thanks. I’ll have to read them.” Dragon grabbed his hand and squeezed it, “Thanks everyone for the gifts. It’s clear that Baby Bradshaw is gonna be one spoiled duck.” 
“Hell yeah!” Jake cheered, raising his glass, only to be swatted by his wife for his language. 
— — — 
Later that night, after Bradley had joined Dragon for a bath, and rubbed her feet until she fell asleep, he grabbed that old, worn shoebox and sat down at the kitchen table. He poured himself a glass of scotch and grabbed his glasses, sitting in the orange glow from the light above the stove. There were probably a hundred letters in the shoebox, some of them bound together with a rubber band with notes on them. Carole had grouped together letters that were sent from when Goose was either at the academy, in flight school, or deployed. Bradley carefully ran his fingers over his parent’s handwriting as he shifted through the box, landing on one letter in particular. 
‘Open when: you become a father 
It was his mother’s handwriting, Bradley could tell by the curly tails of some of the letters. He gently opened the worn envelope that had a coffee stain on it, which always seemed to be a signature of Carole Bradshaw letter. Bradley could remember the various birthday and Easter cards that somehow had a coffee stain on the envelope. He unfolded the sheets of paper, and sucked in a breath as he began to read. 
‘Dear Bradley, 
If you are reading this it means two things, I am no longer with you. Though it is sad, you must remember that my earthly body is no longer there, but my soul remains with you always. The other thing that this means, is means you are about to be a father. 
Your dad once told me the greatest thing to ever happen to him was becoming a father. Now, I thought he was lying to make me feel better about getting pregnant so young and when his career was just getting started, but he assured me that it was the truth. And for those three years, I got to watch him live up to that truth. 
You might not remember a whole lot about your father, but he was a damn good one. Bradley, he loved you more than anything in the world. More than flying with Maverick, more than the Phillies, and more than apple pie on Sunday afternoons. He once told me that he could walk away from flying forever and be just fine because he would have you to fill his time. 
I bet you are scared, and that’s okay. Goose was too, but do you know what he used to say about being scared?  “What is life without a little fear? A life that is not one at all.” But I assure you, that parenthood is the best time of your life. There is nothing better than watching your child grow and become their own person. My favorite thing was watching you become an adult and spread your wings on your own. There comes a time in your life when you will sit back and say to yourself: “Yep. I did that.” as your child gets ready to leave the home and start a life of their own. 
There are three simple rules to live by when it comes to being a parent: 
Celebrate everything - no matter how big or small 
Write down a note or two about the day, it’ll help you remember when you get old like me 
Love can conquer all - remember to tell them that.
Oh, how I wish I could meet the person you fell for. Bradley, your heart is so big, I just know that whoever it is you met has a big heart just like you. You need someone to challenge you, someone who has the same spitfire and determination as you. Whomever it is, I hope you treat each other respectfully and always say I Love You before you leave for the day and every night. And remember no house is complete without an ironing board. 
Bradley, I hate to leave this earth before you really get a chance to be on your own. It hurts me that you are about to walk into adulthood on your own and start a family without your own, but remember, I am always there. If you need me, turn to the sky, and I will guide you. We will both guide you. 
We love you, Bradley. 
Always have & Always will, 
-love, 
Mom. 
P.s. I also found a letter that your dad wrote when we found out we were pregnant with you. 
P.p.s I hope you can forgive Maverick one day. He only did what he thought was best.’ 
Bradley didn’t even know Dragon had walked into the kitchen until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and looked up at her, a small smile on her face. He pushed his chair back from the table and pulled her to sit down on his lap, his hand instantly resting on her protruding bump. Dragon gently cupped his cheek in her hand, wiping away a tear he didn’t know rolled down his cheek. 
“You weren’t in bed,” Dragon mumbled, running a hand through his curls, “The baby wouldn’t settle down without you.” 
“‘M sorry,” Bradley said, placing a kiss on her cheek, “Wanted to look through these.” 
“Yeah?” Dragon asked and he nodded, “Do you care if I-?” 
“Oh go ahead,” Bradley said, “I was just about to read this one from my dad. . . C-can you read it, actually? I don’t think I can.” 
“Of course, baby,” Dragon said and picked up the letter. She smiled looking at the messy, yet familiar handwriting, “You two have the same handwriting,” She looked at his baby cow brown eyes, “Dear Baby Bradshaw,” Dragon read, “Wow, you two really have a lot in common.” 
“Hush,” Bradley chuckled, “It’s not my fault my child is ‘camera shy’ and won’t tell us what they are.” 
“‘Camera shy’ my ass,” Dragon rolled her eyes, mumbling the words that their midwife had told them about 10 weeks ago, “I ain’t ever heard of a Bradshaw being ‘camera shy’.” 
“Must get it from their mama,” Bradley smiled. 
“As long as they don’t come out with my attitude, I’ll be okay with that,” Dragon sighed, and continued reading, “‘Dear Baby Bradshaw, I would call you by your name if you had one, so Baby Bradshaw it is. 
I’m writing this letter because I can’t sleep, my mind is too awake. I know I should be cashing in on the sleep before you get here, but there’s just too much going on. 
We got to see you today and hear your heartbeat. It was nice and strong and had a sound that was even better than Great Balls of Fire. I could never tire of hearing your heartbeat. Next appointment I’m gonna have to record it so I can listen to you whenever I can. The doc said you were growing nicely, which is good. Your mom and I want you to grow big and strong. 
We have been waiting for you for a long time. Your mom is probably a bit more than me. I’m not going to beat around the bush, when she told me she was pregnant, I got scared. Am I really ready to be a dad? Am I dad material? Can I be a good dad? I had a good dad growing up, he didn’t do more than what was expected of him. So I don’t really know what I have to do. I guess that’s something I will learn as we go. 
I know your mom is just going to be the best. I’ve seen her with the young kids running around base, and it is one of those things that makes my heart flutter. She’s just a natural and the kids seemed to be drawn to her. She cares for them and makes them smile and giggle. She is already getting things set up for you and you aren’t even here! The poor woman is making my wallet hurt! 
You are going to be so spoiled, not just by us but by your Uncle Maverick too. He’s already shown up with teddy bears and onesies and some child aviators, which I have no idea where he even got! I’m guessing it's got something to do with a certain Admiral’s daughter he’s been seeing. You didn’t hear this from me. . . but I think Penny might be the one for your ol’ uncle Mav. That is if he can ever settle down. 
Hell, you might settle down and get married before your Uncle Mav ever does. 
I gotta be honest with you for a second kid, I’m scared to be your father. I don’t have the most ideal job in the world. Flying planes with my best friend has been my everything (don’t tell your mother). It’s been one of the best parts of my life. I love being in the sky, watching the world from up above. I love knowing that I am protecting people. People who don’t have the means to fight for themselves. But being able to protect people comes with a risk. A risk that one day, those enemies might turn the page and come after me. 
There might be a day when I am no longer on this earth with you, baby Bradshaw. It hurts to think about, leaving behind you and your mother, but it’s the harsh reality of doing something I love. But I promise you, if something were to happen to me, Baby Bradshaw, you will be taken care of. You will have all the means to get by. You and your mom will never have to worry, I can swear to you that. But Baby Bradshaw remember one thing:”
Bradley had hardly felt like he could cry for his father. He barely knew him and didn’t feel right to cry for a man he hardly knew. Plus, he had watched his mother cry for years and Bradley felt like he had to be strong for her. But now, sitting in the arms of the woman he loved, Bradley let years of pent-up grief out. Dragon held him tightly in her arms, as he rested his head in the crook of her neck. Bradley’s large hand rested on her belly, fingers splayed out as if he could protect the growing life inside her from the outside world. She gently ran her hand up and down his back, a trick she remembered her mother doing to her when she cried, to try and soothe him. 
Dragon sniffled, and picked up the letter, reading the last line: 
“I love you and I will always be with you, no matter where on this earth or in the sky I am.
-love your dad, 
Goose’”
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lieutenantfloyd · 10 months
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heyyy so i just read the rooster sfw alphabet and i was wondering if u could do one for mr hangman? if not it’s totally ok! have a great day or night :)))
SFW Alphabet — Jake "Hangman" Seresin
Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x reader
Warnings: mentions of alcohol, jealousy, etc
a/n: A year later, and I'm finally in my Hangman era.
Also If you haven't yet, please check out the general Hangman headcanons I posted a while ago, as it gives a bit more context to my characterization of him!
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a- asking (Who's the first person to confess and how does it happen?)
Jake will ask you out (or offer to take you home) first but when it comes to actual confessions of feelings, you'll need to initiate it. I truly believe that once Jake begins to fall for someone, he panics. He has no idea what to do with these feelings and will need you to take the reigns.
B - Butterflies (How they act when they're nervous.)
Do you think Hangman is cocky with a strong streak of narcissism now? A nervous Jake is an infinite amount worse, as he uses his already contentious traits as the ultimate defense mechanism.
c- cuddles (What is their favorite cuddling position? Do they like physical touch?)
Given the correct circumstances, I fully see Hangman as being very cuddly. Particularly when he's sleepy, drunk, or just returning from deployment. Once Jake is in a relationship where he feels safe and secure, he becomes more than a bit clingy as well.
d- domesticity (Are they the type to settle down with you? Are they willing to help with chores? What is your daily routine with them?)
Contrary to popular belief, Jake is 100% the type to settle down. Furthermore, he's the type to have the full American dream. Several kids and a nice white picket fence included. As far as domestic chores go, he was raised in a very traditional household where the men did none of the housework. Once he settles down though, he wants to help out but doesn't know where to start. Instead, he throws himself into more "masculine" chores, like mowing the lawn and paying the bills.  While it'll take a bit of time (and patience on your part) for him to break the habit, soon he'll be cooking, cleaning, and caretaking better than you could've ever dreamed of.
e- encouragement (Do they encourage you to achieve your goals? If so, how do they support you?)
If there's one thing Jake can do, it's hyping someone up. Once you're in a relationship, all bets are off and he instantly becomes your personal hype man. There's even been a few times he nearly got himself kicked out of an event for being too rowdy. Whether it's celebrating a major life goal or completing your weekly shopping, Jake will be by your side cheering you on.
f- favorite thing(s) about you (What are their favorite personality traits/physical features about you?)
He loves how you challenge him and push him to be a better man.
g- goofiness (Do they like to make you laugh? How often do they joke around with you?)
He's the type of man to make a complete fool of himself just to make you crack a smile. Ego be damned.
h- honesty (Would they lie to you? How much do they share with you?)
While I don't think he's a liar, he does have a tendency to spin things in his favor to avoid conflict. This is especially true early on in your relationship before he feels fully comfortable. Once you two start building a life together, this habit disappears completely.
i- i love you (how fast do they say the L-Word?) 
I can see this being a pretty big point of contention in your relationship. It's not that Jake doesn't love you (he's actually head or heels boots for you) it's just that those same insecurities keep bubbling up. His heart all but begs him you say those three words to you, but his head keeps winning out. What If you don't feel the same? What if he scares you off? What if you laugh in his face? Vulnerability is far from his strong suit, so this can only end up one of two ways. If you say it first: He'll give you the biggest, widest smile and pull you into the tightest hug. It's not lost to him how a few tears spill as he echoes those three words. If it turns into a big blowout fight: Only to end up spilling his guts while dodging your eyes, silently praying to whatever is out there that he made the right choice.
j- jealousy (Are they the type of person to get jealous? If so, how do they react to being jealous?)
Hangman, for better or worse, is jealous as the day is long. It all stems from several poorly hidden insecurities. A major one is that deep down he's always waiting on the other shoe to drop, as he believes that he doesn't deserve you. Jealous Jake is explosive, flippant, and often downright mean. This is especially true if he's at the hard deck and has had a drink or two. On a good day, he'll stomp around the bar and give you the silent treatment. On a bad day, he'll be going toe to toe with whoever gives you more than a passing glance.
k- kissing (Where do they like to kiss you? How frequently do they like to kiss?)
In public, he's an old school, arm around your shoulder, kisses in your hair kinda guy. In private he's a big fan of sneaking up behind you and giving you a few kisses on your neck.
l- love language (What's their love language?)
Words of affirmation. His less-than-stellar childhood paired with his career in the armed forces has left him craving the particular type of love only words of affection can give. Just a mere "Have fun!" Text, when he goes out with Javy, is enough to make his heart pound happily in his chest.
m- marriage (Do they want to marry you eventually? Who proposes to who?)
As mentioned in letter D, he's the all-American type, and marriage is just another aspect of that. I don't see him doing a big planned proposal though. Instead, he'll end up asking for your hand while you're like, washing the dishes (or something equally as mundane). He's actually been thinking about it for like two years but he's too nervous to say anything, but this time the thought of his wife washing the dishes in his house was too much to bear
n- nicknames (What do they call you? What do you call them?)
He calls you: Sugar, Doll, cupcake, or anything else sickeningly sweet You call him: Honey, Darling, Jakey, Jay... Cowboy and/or Tex when you want to get on his nerves
o- openness (How much do they tell you about themselves? Do they reveal everything at once or gradually throughout the relationship?)
You wouldn't be a fool to think Jake has told you everything. Lord knows that man loves to talk about himself. Yet if you look hard enough, you'll see inklings of a deeper, darker story lying beneath. Despite this, you won't press him about it. It stays in the back of your mind until one day, when the sun shines just right, he'll choose to reveal every part of his backstory to you.
p- PDA (Are they affectionate in public or do they prefer to keep your kisses behind closed doors? Are they the type to brag about their SO?)
One thing that surprises you when you first start going out with him is that he's shockingly shy when it comes to PDA, especially around those that know him best. As your relationship grows he'll be a bit more lenient when it comes to ODA, but he'll still always prefer to keep the larger displays of affection behind closed doors.
q- quality time (how do they like to spend time with you?)
Paintball, hiking, axe throwing... He likes to try new activities or do something physical. Really, anything that allows him to be a show off.
r- romance (Are they the romantic type? If so, how do they express their feelings?)
Hangman is the most accidentally romantic man you'll ever meet. On any random Thursday, he'll cook dinner, string up fairy lights in the backyard, and hire a string quartet. Not to be romantic, just because he thinks you'll find it cool.
s- security (How protective are they of you? If they are, how do they show this?)
Hangman would quite literally both kill and die for the people he loves. Luckily, in everyday life, he takes a more chill approach to things and is instead very trustworthy and dependable.
t- turn-offs (What traits do they find unattractive?)
Jake is a son of Texas through and through, and is immediately turned off by anyone who is disrespectful and lacks manners. Oh, and anyone who supports Aggie football.
u- understanding (Are they good at sympathizing with your problems? Do they listen to you when you need to rant?)
He's decently understanding. If you're prone to more emotional responses, he may struggle a bit with that. Nonetheless, he will always sympathize and/or let you rant to him if need be.
v- value (What do they value most about your relationship?)
Having someone in his corner. With his choice of career, he understands better than most the importance of having someone you can depend on no matter what.
w- wild card (A random headcanon about your relationship)
Hat. Rule. If you're going out with Jake, his nice white cowboy hat will inevitably become a staple of your wardrobe.
x- x-ray (How well are they able to read you?)
When it comes to emotional labor, he is more than a bit oblivious. He'll even admit that it is a foreign concept to him. Like other areas of your relationship, give him some grace and a few pointers and he'll figure it out soon enough.
y- yearning (How well do they cope when their SO isn't with them?)
It takes a while for your absence to sink in. After it does, his ego won't let him admit he's in shambles without you. Unfortunately, anyone who has the (dis)pleasure of being in his presence during this time Is well aware. Javy has even taken it upon himself to alert the rest of the squad when you leave town, etc so they can prepare.
z- zappy (Are they fast-paced in a relationship? Or do they like to take things slow?)
A relationship with Jake will start off as an achingly slow burn. But give him time and your unwavering love, and before you know it, you'll have a full-on forest fire.
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sebsxphia · 1 year
Note
Hi!
I was wondering if it was possible for you to do a Natasha Trace/Pheonix x fem!reader where Nat and the reader are arguing about something and Nat raises her hand/arm to prove or exagruate her point but the reader flinches away? Thanks
:)
sunrise and sunset.
natasha ‘phoenix’ trace x reader.
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→ c/w: angst, fluff, mentions of past abuse, implications of past abuse, crying and what you read in the ask is what it’s going to be.
→ a/n: i loved this idea so much dear anon and it comforted me thinking about it with our sweet natasha. i hope you enjoy! <3 my main masterlist can be found here! 💌
You’ve had this conversation with Natasha many times before. You were leaning against your kitchen table with your arms folded tightly across your chest, Natasha mirroring your stance and leaning against the kitchen counter.
“I just worry, Nat. The uncertainty of it all, I mean… c’ mon. Can’t you see what this is like for me?”
It went like it always did. It was a stand off in your kitchen, late at night once Natasha was home and disclosed the possibility of another deployment and perhaps, a squadron mission. The weight of Natasha’s words never lulled and the blow to your gut never softened.
You wanted to be there for Nat, your Tash. You wanted to console her, ask how she was, ask what was next, but your deep fear of the unknown and being left alone in the world always bubbled to the surface first.
“For you? You don’t think I can’t see how this eats you up? You don’t think I care?” Natasha’s voice raised an octave higher. She would never shout at you, but her frustration was creeping through. “I will always care about you. I think about you every time I’m up in that sky.”
It was at this point that Natasha raised her arm to figuratively point towards the sky with her hand and you flinched away in a split second. Your body instinctively retreated into muscle memory and your brain went into auto drive. You turned away from her, feeling the tears sting the corners of your eyes.
A beat of deafening silence clouded your dimly lit kitchen. “Fuck-” Natasha breathed out, her eyes going wide, with panic clouding her normally bright and fiery gaze. “Baby? I’m so sorry, are you okay?” She reached out to place her hand on the table in your view, to tell you she was there but wouldn’t overstep anything if you didn’t want it right now. “I- I didn’t mean to. You know I would never.”
Natasha was aware of your past and she had done the most to help you. You know she didn’t mean it intentionally. “Just the heat of it all and you-” You motioned Natasha’s previous movements. “I’m sorry.”
You turned back to face her and Natasha could read your body language from years of learning you. She understood she could now bridge that gap and she gently placed her hands on your arms and gave them a light, reassuring squeeze.
“You never have to apologise. I am sorry.” She paused fleetingly as you met her eyes. “This whole situation is shit, but I never want you to think that I don’t think about you. Every time I see a sunset or sunrise when I’m flying, I always think of you. We’ll work this out, like we always do. Okay, my dove?”
You nodded. “Can we talk about this tomorrow, Tash? I’m so tired. I can’t think straight.”
“Of course, baby. Honestly, me neither. They got us flying the most God awful routes today. For the first time in five years I thought I was gon’ puke.”
You let out a small laugh with Natasha for the first time this evening. You leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips and she pulled you closer, smiling against you. “C’ mon. I want to kiss my sweet girl in bed.”
taglist: @beachbabey @tallrock35 @luckyladycreator2 @unmistakablyunknown @thedroneranger
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Ridin’ The Waves 🏄‍♀️ | Javy “Coyote” Machado Imagine
Takes place before, during and after the events of TGM
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TGM masterlist
Characters & Pairings: Javy “Coyote” Machado x pro surfer!reader (romantic), dagger squad (platonic)
Content Warnings: fluff, profanity, pop culture references, details of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 9.1k
Requested 📨 yes/no (for @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby)
Premise: From the moment she could walk Y/n L/n belonged to the sea. Riding the waves that started as a hobby, only to lead her to the world’s greatest sporting stage. It would take time before her dream of Olympic Gold would happen as surfing had yet to be recognized by the IOC. But in her pursuit of becoming the greatest female surfer of all time, Y/n found who she believed was the closest person to paradise.
Note: I gotta say writing athlete/Olympian!reader imagines with the dagger squad are truly some of my favorite. Gosh I cannot wait for next year because that means…..2024 Olympics 👀 Guys I’m almost done with my semester! I have less than two weeks and all i have left to do is a paper and final project !! Almost to the finish thank goodness and then I move in with my friend before starting my summer job! Hope y’all enjoyed this work and let me know what you think!
Be sure to watch the video I linked during the Rock’s segment. I didn’t make it up it actually was a segment during the opening ceremonies on NBC’s coverage.
————————
“Is this heaven?” He laid on the surfboard beside her, feet in the water with the warmth of the sun hit his back. A cool breeze was starting to set in as the most beautiful sunset was before him, painting the sky an endless murrel of pink and orange. Only the subtle echo of the low tide filled his ears. Javy pressed his cheek onto the board, finding her smile which made his own appear at her words.
“More like paradise.”
Everyone had their own definition of paradise. Maybe it was the quiet plains of Montana or the mountains of Appalachia. Maybe it was strolling down the streets of Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Rain pouring down on New York City with a steaming cup of tea in hand or driving down the Pacific Coast Highway with “California Love” blasting through the radio. Reading a book by the fire next to their soulmate, dancing with strangers at a concert. Ask anyone what they viewed as their own personal paradise and the responses will vary.
Y/n L/n felt she was in paradise almost everyday of her life. Waking up to the view of the ocean while birds flew overhead. Feet hitting the sand as she ran to the waters with her board, anxiously waiting to ride the waves. Salt water coating skin and hair, sun beaming down.
Paradise.
From the moment she could walk the beach became her second home. Having grown up on the island of O’ahu Y/n learned how to surf before riding a bike. Her parents surfed. As did her siblings. Getting an instructor wasn’t needed with a family who knew everything there was about the art of surfing. Y/n received her first board at age four, and from then on her life was devoted to the water. Owning more swimsuits than t-shirts and shorts by the time she reached fifth grade.
She was a natural at best. Always predicting when and where the best waves would be. Timing the push up so perfect others—even her family—were unable to keep up.
“C’mon, leave some for the rest of us,” her brother would groan, missing a wave due to her swooping in at the last second. Y/n only laughed in return.
“Gotta be faster than that.”
Her parents, surfers themselves, were basically her coaches. On weekends they were waking her up at the crack of dawn, breakfast on the counter and telling her to be on the beach when she was done. Then of course she had to apply sunscreen, the substance coating every inch of her skin. Once on the beach a thirty minute run and stretching was mandatory before she could get in the water.
Skipping such a step would have her sore all night.
“We’re gonna work on your 360, cutback, and tube ride before finishing the day with cleaning up your alley oop.”
“If I don’t make a lot of mistakes can we watch Lilo & Stitch after dinner?”
“Yes, that is a fair deal.”
Mistakes? What are those? Mistakes weren’t in Y/n’s nature and if they occurred it was a rare sighting. Only time Y/n ever did mess up on a maneuver was when she was first learning it. Once she had it down it was impossible to lose.
All the friends she made loved going to the beaches after school and on weekends—getting all their homework done during the school hours so their entire afternoon was free. They signed up for competitions together, Y/n entering her first at age 14 for the 2004 Juniors season after competitions in regionals since age 11. “You’re gonna win the comp, Y/n.”
“Oh stop playing,” she brushed her best friend off, only to hear the murmurs of agreement from the rest of the group.
“I’m serious! You catch the best waves and ride them perfectly. Those judges are gonna be amazed on Saturday—I bet you’ll even get a sponsor.”
Her best friend was right. Not only did Rip Curl—THE Rip Curl want Y/n to be the face of their new campaign, but the surfing world would know her name for generations to come.
“Welcome back to our coverage of the 2004 ISA World Junior Surf Championship here in beautiful O’ahu, Hawaii here on ESPN. We’re dwindling down on the final competition with the defending champion from last year's event, sixteen-year-old Carolina Kanoa, and newcomer, Y/n L/n. If you’ve been watching the competition then you know all eyes have been on the fourteen-year-old native of Kapolei here on O’ahu, who scored the highest in her heats and received all tens in the quarterfinals after a perfect run.”
“It was quite the sight, Tom. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so effortless in this competition. Y/n’s delivered a captivating performance each wave she’s catched—always getting the first one in her heats and pulling out a big score putting her high on the leaderboard. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see her on top of the podium today.”
“For anyone watching at home who are new to surfing or just want a little refresh on the scoring system, here is how it works: a panel of five judges determine a score one through ten, ten being the best, for each surfer on their wave based on degree of difficulty, innovative maneuvers, combination of major maneuvers, the variety of said maneuvers, and the speed, power, and flow. The highest and lowest score are thrown out leaving the remaining three, which are then averaged out. Now a surfer can catch as many waves as they please but only the two highest scoring waves will be added together to give the total score for that heat. From there competitors are eliminated until there are two finalists.”
Treading water, Y/n paid close attention to the scene in front of her. With only three minutes left on the clock, she was one wave away from crowning herself the Junior World Champion.
“Give me a sign,” she breathed in the salty air. Her thoughts were answered seconds later by a chill running down her neck, gaze snapping to the left where she saw the water draw back. Springing into action, Y/n paddled towards the forming wave, timing it at the perfect moment to end the competition on a bang. She heard the crowd cheer when she stood up, increasing each maneuver she did until finally riding out the end of the wave right as the bullhorn sounded.
Her heart pounded, “Did I just win?” Damn sure she did. Nothing could describe the feeling of holding the championship trophy at the top of the podium. And what made it ten times better, an ambassador of Rip Curl offered her a sponsorship. Before long Y/n’s name and face were plastered across all their campaigns. After winning the ISA Junior World Championships three years in a row—making her a household name in surfing—Y/n went on to senior international competitions. From there her glory only skyrocketed.
ISA World Surfing Games, World Surf League, Rip Curl Pro, Big Wave Tour, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Y/n’s little shelf of trophies turned into a full length china cabinet. Traveling back and forth from O’ahu to America. Sometimes even going to South America and Japan for international comps. By age 19 she had created her own maneuver earning her even more attention due to the level of difficulty.
“I don’t see what the fuss is about?” She chewed on a piece of spam, leaning her elbows on the kitchen counter. “All I did was add a couple of extra spins on my aerial.” Her mother gave her a bewildered look.
“That move in itself is difficult, Y/n. Not many perform it in competition and the fact you successfully landed one—with your little spoof nonetheless, people are gonna be amazed.”
“Well, I guess I just got lucky.”
Following high school Y/n turned professional and moved to Honolulu to attend the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa where she studied sports management with a minor in sports science. A family friend had an old Volkswagen Type 2 and Y/n was happy to take it off their hands, fixing it up to have the perfect beach van. Once classes were done for the day Y/n was packing it up with her board, cooler, boombox, and her closest friends.
“You sure this thing isn’t gonna break down on us?”
“Don’t insult Sandy. She’s as good as new,” okay that was a stretch, the van was literally 60 years old, “and I filled her up on gas this morning so we shouldn’t find ourselves on the side of the road.”
“Thanks for the confidence, Y/n. Much appreciated.”
It wasn’t uncommon for people to recognize her on campus. Having generated a public image in surfing—which many of her peers were also involved in—meant she was bound to hear, “Hey, you’re Y/n L/n?” “Oh my gosh I’ve been watching you compete since you were a junior competitor.” “Congrats on winning the Pro this year.”
There were times professors kindly asked, “Can you sign this for my kid? They’ve been into surfing lately and you’re their favorite athlete.” Taking photos with supporters happened occasionally as did giving advice to those wanting to get into surfing. It was a nice feeling for the woman to be able to inspire people and share the sport she loved.
Expanding the art of surfing to the world.
Four years of college seemed to fly by fast. Y/n was surprised she managed to pull through with a 3.6 GPA and graduate Cum Laude with everything in her life. A lot of the competitions were during the school year so Y/n had lots of work on her plate—thankfully some instructors were reasonable and allowed her to get an advance on the material. But she completed her degree with immense relief, aiming to get a career in sports going either by becoming a trainer or manager following her retirement from surfing.
“Y/n, It’s so great to see you again this year at the World Surf League World Championship. You recently graduated from the University of Hawai’i, you’re set to compete in today’s finals to defend your title—how many would this be for you? Number seven?”
Y/n chuckled with the reporter, brushing away a stray piece of hair. “Lucky number seven, yes. I’m so happy and grateful to be competing today—excited to hit the water and try to catch the best waves possible. Regardless of the outcome today I’m just really happy to be here again. I always look forward to this time of year—being able to compete and after working so hard in school this last semester, it’s definitely a relief to not have to worry about finishing a paper last minute once this comp ends.”
“There’s been recent talk of surfing possibly becoming an Olympic sport after much demand following the London Games this year. What are your thoughts? Do you think it’ll be featured in Rio and if so are you going to try and make the team?”
Since becoming a professional sport in 1959 following the first West Coast Surfing Championship in Huntington Beach, California, surfing had yet to reach the greatest sporting stage. The Olympic Games. Held every four years where thousands of athletes from around the globe come together to compete for the chance at gold. Duke Kahanamoku, the father of modern surfing and three-time Olympic freestyle swimming champion having won gold at the 1912 and 1920 Games respectively, first advocated the sport to be in the Olympics back in 1920. Had it not been for him, surfing may not have become as popular in the world as it was.
When it came to the Olympics, Y/n loved sitting by the tv to watch Team USA. Witnessing historic moments and record breaking finishes she was in awe of every athlete who came across the screen. Swimming, diving, track, gymnastics, soccer. So many sports events in a single fortnight. She hoped surfing would become an official sport in the Games. For she too had dreams of an Olympic gold around her neck.
Pausing for a moment, Y/n smiled at the thought of her becoming an Olympic Champion, “I think a lot of us can agree that we’d like to see surfing become part of the Olympic family. It’s one of the oldest sports and has its own professional circuit for decades now—I mean we’ve got people here today from Japan, Italy, El Salvador and Australia. Why not include it? And you can definitely expect me to be training the moment it is.”
It would be four years before Y/n could make do with that promise. On August 3, 2016, two days prior to the opening ceremonies of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, the IOC announced surfing would finally be an Olympic sport.
“Exciting news for the surfing world,” the headline appeared on the screen of ESPN’s afternoon coverage, “the International Olympic Committee has just confirmed the sport will be introduced for the first time in its history at the Tokyo Olympics taking place in 2020–marking 100 years since surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku first started advocating for it to be featured. Professional surfing isn’t new to international competition having debuted at Huntington Beach, California in 1959. Since then there’s been several meets featuring surfers from all over the world—the most recent being the 2016 Rip Curl Pro where ten-time World Surf League champion Y/n L/n claimed the title once again for the fifth time since her senior international debut in 2007. L/n is just one of many professional surfers who’ve advocated for surfing to be in the Olympics over the years and expressed interest in competing for a chance at gold. With the confirmation by the IOC this morning, I’d say we’ll be seeing her at the trials in four years.”
The morning after the announcement Y/n headed to the beach to find her father propping her board into the sound. “So four years, huh?” Y/n crossed her arms over her chest, feeling the wind breeze past them.
“Seems like a long way, but it’ll be around the corner before we know it.”
“We better get started then.”
Morning, afternoon, evening. Every day Y/n was on the water catching waves left and right. Perfecting maneuvers, getting air in her aerials. When taking breaks she’d go on runs and to the gym. She still participated in yearly competitions and surfed with her friends, but her training habits became more intense as she prepped for Tokyo. When she wasn’t sleeping, eating, or competing she was on the water.
By 2019 Y/n had accumulated the most titles won by a female surfer with ten ISA World Surfing Games—formerly the World Surfing Championships, ten Rip Curl Pro trophies, five QuickSilver pro Gold Coast, five-time triple crown winner, and the 2016 champion of The Eddie Aikua Big Wave International. Winning The Eddie and becoming the first woman in history to do so after the event returned from a seven-year hiatus had Y/n on the front page of several sports magazines around the world. It was a huge accomplishment. Pushing Y/n as the favorite to win gold in Tokyo.
Towards the later end of the year, October in fact, Y/n found herself on the sunny beaches of San Diego, California. August to November were the best months to surf in the area, being it was late summer going into fall where the heat wasn’t excruciating. Still one had to wear a wetsuit to even touch the water.
Y/n was in town to visit an old friend from college and to help the Pacific Beach Surf Club with their beach cleanups and participate in a charity competition. Having traveled in San Diego a few times she was no stranger to the club and welcomed with open arms. Volunteering in their cleanups was the least she could do to prepare the beach for the charity event.
When they finished they all changed out of their clothes into wetsuits, wasting no time to hit the waves. “Hey!” Her friend yelled from where she was treading water, tone teasing, “be sure to leave some for the rest of us, yeah?” Y/n threw her head back in laughter.
“I make no promises!”
Anytime Y/n surfed out of training or competition she felt so free. No pressure to be perfect. No shouting from her father. No commentary from the sportscasters or questions from reporters. Only her, her board, and the beautiful sea.
She cheered on her friend and the people in their cleanup group when they caught waves. Complimenting them whenever they did a cool trick. In return they whistled and hollered for her. They soon developed an audience from the shore. Children and adults alike stop to watch them in awe. Instantly drawn to Y/n who glided effortlessly, guiding her board into a tube ride.
Unbeknownst to the surfer, a group of navy pilots had stopped their game of dogfight football to observe the show.
Jake whistled, “Damn she’s good.” Mickey agreed.
“I don’t think I’ve seen someone surf like that. She’s a natural.”
“Probably has been doing it for years,” Bradley commented, fixing his aviators. Natasha and Bob hummed in agreement.
“I think I’m in love,” Javy breathed out, simply in awe of what he was witnessing. The most beautiful woman he’d ever seen showcasing talent on a board he could only dream of possessing.
He wondered what her laugh sounded like, seeing her head tilt back at something her friend said. Even from the distance her smile was breathtaking. Hair pulled back into a tight bun, body adored in a wetsuit to combat the cool water. A cheeky smirk thrown at her peers when she started paddling toward a forming wave. Standing on the board like a pro and making all kinds of turns and tricks Javy knew he’d wipe out the second he attempted them. Speaking of wiping out, she hadn’t done it once.
Jake nudging him from the side snapped him out of his daydream, “Go talk to her.” At the nod of his head, Javy realized she was running across the sand, stopping when she got to an area of coolers, towels, and backpacks.
“No!” He hissed, eyes reading, ‘are you crazy?’
“Why not? Just go up and start complimenting her. Ask her how long she’s been surfing. That’ll start a conversation.”
Javy scoffed, “Easy for you to say, Mr. Ken Barbie Doll who doesn’t need a confidence boost when talking to women.” Jake went to rebuttals but the sound of Reuben coughing stopped him.
“Uh guys….” He lifted a finger, their gazes following to find a family of four approaching the young woman. They couldn’t hear what was being said, but seeing her take a notepad from the little girl before scribbling in what appeared to be an autograph followed by the father snapping a photo with his phone, it was enough to conclude she was someone.
“Are…is she signing autographs?” Javy wondered aloud. He watched her sign the little boy's boogie board, posing for a photo with him before kneeling down to be on both the children’s level and smile for the camera. Hell even the parents wanted a photo, one of her friends coming over to hold the phone while they positioned themselves on either side. Then finally the whole family had a group one, saying their goodbyes and thank you’s to the woman who waved as they left.
“So she’s kinda famous,” Bradley said the obvious, everyone in a daze. Probably trying to figure out who the woman was, as none had recognized her as an actress or singer.
While they were busy investigating, Y/n unzipped her wetsuit leaving her bikini underneath and pulled on shorts with a graphic t-shirt overtop. “What are you guys doing after this?”
“We’re gonna grab some drinks at The Hard Deck. You down?”
“The Hard Deck?” She repeated with a tilt of the head. Never had she heard of the place.
“It’s that bar over there,” Y/n turned to the direction her friend was nodding at, eyes landing on a building not far from where they stood. “Great vibes, but I must warn ya it’s always filled with Navy fellas.” Y/n perked up slightly. Having lived on O’ahu all her life she was familiar with Navy personnel. After all, Pearl Harbor was located just on the coast of the island.
“Really?”
“Yeah, Miramar is not too far from here. It’s where the pilots train so expect to see some in flight suits.”
At around 6 the group packed it up and headed for the bar. Upon entry Y/n saw exactly what her friend had warned. The place was buzzing. Servicemen and women on every corner, music blasting from the jukebox. They approached the bar top to order a round of beers before settling over by the high top tables, splitting the group up since there were about eight of them.
“Check it out, Machado,” Payback clapped his friend’s back, making him turn to where his attention was. Javy’s eyes widened upon seeing the surfer.
“Did they just get here?”
“Looked like it. You should talk to her—especially since this is the second sighting in mere hours.” The pilot rolled his eyes.
“I don’t wanna come off as a creep, Fitch. What am I supposed to say ‘Hey, sorry if this is weird but I saw you surfing earlier—can I buy you a drink?’ She might throw me to the sharks.”
Natasha shook her head, “men.” A moment later Penny arrived with a tray of beers, placing them down on the seat beside Bob where the guys were shooting pool, “delivery for my favorite dagger squad.”
Thanks were sent her way followed by Jake asking, “Say Pen, you know those guys?” The bartender glanced over her shoulder to see who he was referring to, nodding with a smile.
“Oh that’s some members of the Pacific Beach Surf Club. They were cleaning up the beach earlier for tomorrow's charity competition. Expect the place to be packed if you drop by, it’s always a madhouse. This year they’ve got some of the best surfers participating.”
“Do you know if she’s one of them,” Javy tried to act cool when pointing out the woman.
Upon Penny’s smirk, the answer was clear, “Unless my eyes are deceiving me, I believe that’s ten-time world surfing champion Y/n L/n.”
“Ten?!” Mickey repeated, “Holy shit.” Around him the others were matching his expression. Javy immediately grabbed his phone to type in the name. Sure enough the image of the woman seated at the table appeared on his screen. Clicking on the Wikipedia page he started to read aloud for the group the opening paragraph.
“Y/n M/n L/n, born y/b/m yb/d, 1990 is an American professional surfer from Kapolei, O’ahu, Hawaii and a ten-time World Surf League Women’s World champion, the most titles won by any female surfer to date. L/n made her debut at the World Surf League Junior Championships at age 14 in 2004 in her native O’ahu, winning three consecutive times before turning to senior international competition where she’s won a total of forty world titles—including becoming a five-time triple crown winner. As of 2016, L/n is the defending champion and first women to win the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. She is set to compete at the first ever U.S Olympic Trials in hopes of making the Tokyo Olympic Team where surfing will make its debut at the Olympics.”
“Well I’ll be damned,” Jake peered over Javy’s shoulder, watching him scroll down to view Y/n’s career statistics. Mickey appeared on the opposite side, whistling under his breath. Natasha took out her own phone to search herself, Bradley, Bob, and Payback all glancing over to see.
“She’s literally called the greatest surfer of this generation,” Bradley pointed out. “Talk about intimidating.”
“Now you gotta buy her a drink, Machado,” Payback concluded, igniting another glare from his friend. “Say you pulled an Olympian.”
“I’ll take it to her,” Penny offered, and before Javy could stop her the woman was back behind the bar. They watched her take a Corona from the cooler, add a lime and proceed to the table the athlete was at. “From the gentlemen by the pool tables,” Penny smiled at Y/n, nodding to the group, “the one the blonde is pointing at.” Turning her head, Y/n saw the guy in question pushing his friend’s hand down, a reddish hue on his cheeks when they made eye contact followed by a wave.
‘Well hello there,’ she thought, smiling at the handsome man. He was in a pair of basketball shorts and t-shirt reading NAVY in bold letters. The group he was with all scattered to make it look like they weren’t eavesdropping when Y/n approached, Corona in hand, “Hi.”
“Hello,” even his voice was attractive. Everything about him was. From his clear smooth skin to his dazzling smile. Toned arms and legs.
“Thanks for the beer.”
“Anytime,” he tipped the one in his hand, Y/n clicking hers against it. “Sorry if this is weird at all. I saw you surfing earlier and was trying to muster up the courage to come talk to you….but couldn’t find the words to say.”
Y/n smirked, gesturing to an empty pool table, “how about a game? Maybe it’ll help loosen your nerves.” Moving to a cue Y/n sees his grin widen, “I’m Y/n by the way.”
“I’m Javy, but you can call me Coyote.”
“Coyote?” She repeats with a chuckle, “That’s an interesting nickname.”
“Callsign actually,” he politely corrects before explaining he was a naval aviator. Grabbing his own cue while she sets up the rack, he added, “Wasn’t my doing.”
“Then how’d you get it?”
“Um…” he made a face, as though he was embarrassed to say. “I’ll tell you if you win this match.” A sound between a scoff and a laugh escaped her.
“So that’s how it’s gonna be.” Javy raises his hands in defense, laughing with her. “And if you win?”
His own smirk appears, “You give me your phone number…maybe even let me take you out.” Biting back a grin and fighting the warm feeling in her chest, Y/n removes the rack leaving the pool balls neatly centered.
“Challenge accepted, Coyote.”
It was safe to say both came out as winners that night. Though Y/n won the game and got the scoop on Javy’s callsign origin, he walked away with her number and plans to have dinner the following night after her charity event. Javy made the promise to come out and watch her surf, excited to see her in action. Hearing Y/n talk about the sport and her accomplishments was even cooler in person than reading it off the internet. From her amateur days to becoming a full blown professional. Winning countless championship titles, being the first woman to win The Eddie and her dream to win gold at the Olympics.
Javy was smitten.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” She smiled when they reached her van at the end of the night. They talked for hours to the point they lost track of time. It was 11 o’clock and she had to be up at five.
“You said it starts at noon?” At her nod Javy continued, “I’ll be there. And I look forward to our dinner plans after.” Y/n felt the heat rise, hoping it wasn’t displaying on her face.
“Me too. Thank you for a fun night, Javy,” feeling bold, Y/n leans to place a kiss on his cheek. The action leaves him stunned, smile growing bigger as she pulls away. “See you on the beach.”
Now Javy had loved the beach before meeting Y/n. But his love for it and the ocean only grew the moment he watched her ride the waves. Cheering from the sand as she dropped down and glided the tide with ease. It made him want to stay there forever.
He understood quickly why she was regarded as the greatest female surfer of all time. Yeah it was a charity competition and not a world championship, but Y/n treated the waves no differently. She was a beast. Total control of her board, little to no mistakes.
Their dinner date was filled with laughter, flirty sarcasm, stories so outrageous one would think they were bluffing. Javy spoke of his time at Top Gun and his friendship with Jake. Y/n told him about her college days. Both engaged in conversations about dreams and aspirations. Yeah they had their dream careers, but one can always dream bigger. Dream about friendship, dream about love.
Dream about the future.
When the night came to an end, Y/n laid her head on the pillow with a smile on her face, “I think this might be paradise.”
23 July 2021–The Hard Deck, San Diego California.
“It’s almost time for USA!” Javy hushes everyone, grabbing the remote to increase the volume. The place was packed mostly with the squad's friends, colleagues, the Pacific Beach Surf Club, and college students from UC San Diego. Togethery they were gathered to watch the opening ceremonies of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Tokyo Olympics.
Finally after a whole year of waiting the Games were finally being held. A global pandemic sure would be the only thing to stop the most iconic two-week sporting event in the world.
And Javy’s girlfriend, 12x World champion Y/n L/n, was there to be part of surfing's Olympic debut. Gold on her mind.
The two had been long distance the majority of their relationship, but FaceTimed nearly every day with promises to visit as soon as restrictions were lifted. Y/n traveled to San Diego in the winter of 2020 to mark the couple’s one year anniversary. Then Javy flew to Hawaii in the spring, spending two weeks in Kapolei where most time was spent surfing and late night drive on the beach.
“There’s no place I’d rather be,” he sang at the top of his lungs, windows rolled down .
“Than on my surfboard out at sea,” Y/n followed, smile wide on her face with her hair blowing in the wind.
“Lingering in the ocean blue.”
“And if I had one wish come true.”
Together they sang, “I’d surf ‘til the sun sets beyond the horizon!”
Y/n tilted her head back, “‘Āwikiwiki, mai lohilohi. Lawe mai i ko papa he’e nalu.”
Belting out together once again, their voices echoed in the night, “Flying by on the Hawaiian roller coaster ride!!”
“‘Āwikiwiki, mai lohilohi. Lawe mai i ko papa he’e nalu.”
“Pi’i nā nalu lā lahalaha. ‘O ka Moana hānupanupa.”
“Lalala i ka lā hanahana. Me ke kai hoene i ka pu’e one.”
“Heel, hele mai kākou ē.”
“Hawaiian roller coaster ride!”
During the Olympic surf qualifying event in Huntington Beach the whole squad was in attendance to cheer Y/n on. Javy embraced her in tears, lifting her onto his shoulders to the hollars and whistles of their friends and family.
Y/n was officially an Olympian.
Now usually during the parade of nations of the opening ceremonies Greece is the first to enter the arena followed by the countries in alphabetical order with the hosting nation entering last. Having waited a whole year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the world was excited to get the Games started. But to everyone’s surprise the order of the parade of nations would proceed differently than prior Olympics.
Greece still entered first, followed by the Refugee Olympic Team and then the nations paraded in based on where they fell on the Gojūon system. Japan would be the last country to march in, but for the first time ever the hosting countries of the next two Olympics entered before the hosting country. And what were those two countries?
France and The United States of America.
Paris was set to host the upcoming 2024 Games just three years away, and then in 2028 Los Angeles gets the honor once again of bringing the world together. The last time LA hosted was in 1984, and the last time America itself hosted the Summer Games was Atlanta 1996.
“Okay everyone shut up!!” The tv was turned to the loudest volume possible, all in attendance falling to hush whispers.
“Everything changes,” Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s voice echoes through the speakers, his silhouette figure walking into an empty arena. “The longest wait of their lives is over.” The beat of the music gets louder, building in pressure. “And the combination of their blood, sweat, and tears,” his face is revealed under the light, “finally arrives.”
The beat drops in time with the image of fireworks rocketing from the Rio arena, an announcer’s voice stating, “this is the moment that you all have been waiting for.”
“It’s not easy to bring the entire whole planet together,” the Rock states, “and it certainly wasn’t tonight. But, here we are.”
“Finally!”
“It’s finally here.”
“The Olympics are finally here,” Gold Medalist Simone Biles grins.
“Yeah, I’m hyped up.”
“Can’t wait to show the world what I got.”
The image shows Dwayne once again, “Tonight we are all so lucky to witness the hardest workers in the room.” Then it changes to athletes training, from gymnast Sam Mikulak to sprinter Noah Lyles. “The athletes who are a brilliant tapestry of talent, commitment, and drive.”
“Drive, drive, drive!”
“Now what was once considered unthinkable just one year ago has become a glorious reality. We come together united to celebrate the Olympians who exemplify the very best in all of us.”
🎼 legs are shaking, hands aching, 🎼
Simone Biles appears, determination in her gaze as she races down the vault runway. “It’s Simone’s party and everyone else is just a guest,” Tim Daggett’s voice cuts in during the clip of Simone at the World Championships, followed by the Rock.
“She is absolutely the greatest gymnast the world has ever seen. But even if there’s nothing left to prove, there’s a chance to launch herself even higher into the rarest air of immortality.”
As Simone lands her vault, it transitions into Katie Ledecky entering the pool. “The most dominant swimmer in the world.” “It’s just ridiculous!”
“She swims like a machine created to wreak havoc and decimate with impunity.”
“Katie Ledecky smashes her own world record!”
“But in reality she’s about the nicest person you’ll ever meet,” the rock’s face returns, bearing his own smile like Katie. “And kindness matters. Always.” Track star Noah Lyles running takes over. “He makes running as fast as you can look the way it’s supposed to look.”
“NOAH LYLES, WORLD CHAMPION!”
Dwayne grins, “Damn fun.” The next athlete featured was the one they were all waiting for.
“On dry land she’s impressive, in the water she’s simply lethal,” the Hard Deck erupted in cheers, Y/n flashing onto the screens showcasing her drop in during the WSL World Tour.
“That’s my baby!!!” Her name appeared in big bold letters like the others, ‘Y/n L/n. Kapolei, O’ahu, HI.’
“Monstruos wave for Y/n L/n, but she handles it like a pro.” The clip shows her pointing to the sky in victory following her win. “She’s here to prove why surfing should’ve been in the Olympics ages ago,” the Rock looks proud, “and look cool as hell while doing so.”
The tone of the video shifts, bringing forth the raw and emotional reality of athletes who’ve given every inch of their soul to be on the world’s greatest sporting stage. “They’re kids from Minneapolis—.”
“Kenny Harrison!” A girl crosses the finish line in joy, soon embraced by her father. “Raleigh.”
Fellow surfer and native Hawaiian Carissa Moore is shown, “And Honolulu.” A baby in a stroller being pushed by her mother. “They’re working moms with unfinished business.” Allison Felix with her daughter.
“This is what makes all the sacrifice worth it.”
Simone Manuel becoming the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic gold at the 2016 Rio Games. “The barrier breakers who’ve proven the power of the platform.”
“I can’t begin to tell you what this means for the sport of swimming in the United States.”
“There’s Jordan—!” A montage of Gold medal winning teams flashed. The Fab Five. The women’s soccer and basketball teams. The women’s rowing team. The Fierce and Final Five of U.S Gymnastics. “And the teams that have dominated for generations with no intention of changing the script for this one.”
“Get the gold medals ready. Again!”
“These awe-inspiring multi-talented athletes are taking on the world.”
🎼 ‘You bring me back to life.’ 🎼
Between the music and feel good montage, some of the viewers in the hard deck were having trouble holding back tears. Chills racking up their body. It made them want to get out and start training to be a world class athlete.
“They really are the best of us. They’re bringing us together.”
“That’s a new world record!”
“And they’re about to give you, at long last, the greatest two-week spectacle the world has ever seen.” Close ups of Team USA’s Olympians rolled, Javy wiping his eyes when Y/n appeared. “It is their Games. It is our Games.”
Absolute chills.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am so grateful to have the honor of presenting to you….Team USA.” At the last word the Rock disappears, cutting to Team USA entering the Tokyo dome—the American flag flying high, “USA! USA! USA!” Though they couldn’t hear the cheers from the Hard Deck across the ocean, that didn’t stop the building from erupting in whistles. It was only the opening ceremonies so one could imagine what it would be like come the 26th and 27th.
When Y/n hits the waves for a chance at Olympic gold.
Tsurigasaki Beach, located 40 miles from Tokyo, was the place where it would all happen. The damp sand beneath Y/n’s toes felt comforting. Although the overcast skies made her worried. Tropical Storm Nepartak caused the waves to be more aggressive and unpredictable. It was going to be an interesting day of competition.
After qualifying with a big score in her heat the previous day, Y/n was set to compete in the quarterfinals that morning. From there the semi-final contestants would be decided, going straight into the event before finals that afternoon. Three events in one day if she made it all the way to the end.
“I’m going to be so sore tonight.”
Shortboard in hand, Y/n raced to the water the second the horn sounded. Instant shivers along her arms from the cold feeling. Cloudy skies prevented the sun from heating the water, “goodness gracious.”
Quarterfinals breezed by. Y/n started off strong with a score of 7 for her first wave, going on to claim two more, another 7 and an 8 bringing her total score to a 15. Putting her, American Carissa Moore, South African Bianca Buitendag and Japan’s Amuro Tsuzuki into the semifinals.
“Stellar performance by Y/n L/n of the United States. She had a bit of trouble on her second wave—which we can’t blame her for; many competitors have been having difficulty today due to the impact of tropical storm Nepartak on the tide. L/n’s score of 15 puts her at the top for the quarterfinals, but that can all change when we return for the semifinals in the next hour. It looks like she’ll be up against Japan’s Amuro Tsuzuki for one of two spots in the gold medal match.”
“That’s how you do it,” Javy clapped at the tv, the footage replaying Y/n’s competition highlights. “Semi-finals here we go.”
During the semis the pressure was on. Y/n could feel it all over, anxiety coursing when the horn sounded. Thirty minutes on the clock, ticking down to eliminate either her or Amuro. Usually her luck turns out for the better whenever she gets the first wave, however, Amuro beats her to it. Catching the next one Y/n focuses on pulling speed and managing her flow into the maneuvers, receiving a score of 6.2 on her first wave, 8.3 on her second and 7 on her third. Unfortunately a wipe out early on her fourth and final wave results in a score of 3.
“Is that gonna be enough?” Jake cringes, noticing the look of unease on his friend's visage. Y/n appeared shaken from the wipe out. Very rare has she ever messed up greatly in competition. But there’s always a first for everything.
Javy had a paper in front of him, writing down Y/n’s scores and the ones of her competitors to predict what she needed and if she was qualified to the final round.
“Her six and seven will be dropped, putting her at 11.30,” he taps the pen on the bar surface, “if Amuro doesn’t get another wave in the next,” Javy checks the time, “two minutes then it should put Y/n through to the finals.”
Amuro did in fact catch another wave before the horn sounded, ending their round in the semis, but it wasn’t enough. Her total score accumulated a 7.43, eliminating her from the final competition.
“One more,” her father/coach took a hold of her shoulders. “You’re almost there, Y/n.” Almost to the gold. “Rest up, you got one hour.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. Picking up a water bottle and plotting on the sand Y/n downed the liquid and munched on an apple. To pass time she scrolled through Tik Tok, sent a selfie to Javy—who sent one of him and the squad back—and called her family in O’ahu to calm her nerves. She had already talked with Javy that morning before quarterfinals, promising to FaceTime him after the finals.
It was nerve racking. Regardless of how the event went, Y/n was guaranteed the silver medal. USA would take home both Gold and Silver in surfing’s debut being fellow American Carissa Moore beat out South Africa’s Bianca Buitendag in their round.
One competition left.
Bidding good luck to Carissa, Y/n took her position and waited for the horn. Thirty minutes on the clock. Thirty minutes to a gold medal.
“Here we go,” Payback announced in time with Y/n paddling out to sea. Javy rubbed his hands together, eyes glued to the screen.
“And the two Americans are off in the first ever gold medal match for surfing. Carissa Moore, the 2019 WSL World Champion, and twelve-time title holder Y/n L/n head-to-head to declare who will become the woman to win surfing’s first gold medal. Both have exemplified great performances today—it’s not easy doing a quarterfinals, semi-finals, and finals all in one day, but these pros make it look easy.”
“There she goes!” Nat shouted, earning cheers at the bar when Y/n caught the first wave of the competition.
“Kicking off with the first wave, in just two minutes of the clock starting is Y/n L/n. Dropping in beautifully, easing into the wave…..Straight into an roundhouse cutback, which she does flawlessly. Bottom turn, I think she’s gonna try and do a off-the-lip right here….and she nails it! I think she’s hoping to elongate this wave as far out as she can. Carving now and finishing with a 360 into an Ariel. Wow! That was a great start by Y/n.”
“Yeah that’s what I’m talking about!” Javy shouted over the cheers, grin plastered wide only to brighten more when the score came back a 8.7. “HELL YEAH! LETS GO!”
Carissa’s wave was impressive. She managed to hold it down with complicated moves to earn a 8.5. Both women scored huge on the first waves followed by 7s across the board. Nearing the final five minutes Carissa managed to get a 6.43.
“She can’t get anything lower than a 6.23,” Javy felt sweat pool on his forehead, suddenly feeling hot in the bar despite it being the ass crack of dawn.
“She’s got this,” Nat patted his back.
The clock was ticking down. Two minutes to go and Y/n had yet to find a wave. Placing her palm onto the surface, she took a deep breath, “please, give me a sign.” Not a moment later she felt something in her say to look right.
There, brimming about fifteen feet away, was the perfect wave.
Wasting no time Y/n’s chest planted to her board, paddling as fast as possible. Her heart was pounding, salt water splashing. Positioning herself in front of the forming body, Y/n silently called out to whoever was listening for strength.
“Wow she’s going for that huge current out on the west side. Moore is too far back—it’s gonna be L/n on the final wave of the women’s competition. With one minute to go she’s dropping in—.”
Y/n allowed the adrenaline to consume her, giving it total control as she dropped in. The highest wave of the competition yet, Y/n knew she’d be having a tube ride with how it formed. Picking up speed, she knelt slightly, paralleling her chest with the wall of the wave, the water curving around her. Blocking the world from her view.
It was just her and the sea. No one else.
Closing her eyes briefly, she pictured she was back on O’ahu in the water she grew up in. Sun beating down and gentle hum of seagulls.
Like she was in paradise.
The image left as quick as it came. Y/n snapping out of her daydream to exit the tube ride to the cheers of her father on the beach, curing back into the wave to finish on a high note by performing her signature Ariel. Smiling the whole way down just as the horn signified the end of the competition.
“And there you have it folks. The women’s surfing finals has officially come to a close—Y/n L/n ending her Olympic Games with a remarkable last wave. Absolute perfection with speed, precision, and control. That’s gonna be the highest score for her I feel.”
“C’mon, c’mon,” Javy bit his nail, knee bouncing from the anxiety of not knowing. Carissa’s total score was displayed first, 14.93. Y/n’s lowest was a seven, highest 8.7. Her final wave was amazing, but judging was unpredictable. Anything could happen.
Then in the blink of an eye the hard deck exploded.
“I don’t believe it! Tens across the board for Y/n L/n bringing her total to 17.00!! Y/n L/n has won the gold for the United States—Carissa Moore with the silver. USA goes one and two in women’s surfing at its Olympic debut!!! Take it all in, we are witnessing history,” the screen shows Y/n and Carissa embracing, leaning over their boards to congratulate the other, “Team USA has much to celebrate, the world of surfing has their champion. Y/n L/n adds gold to her name—surfing’s first Olympic Champion here in Tokyo!!”
Y/n laughed the entire time she paddled to shore, raising to her feet to race towards her father. She was soaking wet but he didn’t care. “You did it!” He yelled, kissing her head with tears in his eyes. “You’re an Olympic champion! I’m so so proud of you!” Soon they were greeted by Carissa and the rest of Team USA’s surfing members. The two women were lifted onto shoulders, American flags draped over their backs with photographers surrounding them.
It was a moving image. Two women from Honolulu and Kapolei, Hawaii won surfing’s first Olympic silver and gold medal. If only Duke Kahanamoku could be there to witness.
Back at the hard deck celebratory drinks were served and toasts raised to Y/n. Javy barely contained his emotion, eyes watering the moment her name came back the winner. Natasha and Jake embraced him in a hug, the guys whistling and hollering. Penny rang the bell.
“She won! Oh my God my baby is a gold medalist!! This is the best day ever!!”
The entire podium ceremony Y/n was on cloud nine. Placing the gold medal around her neck, she took a moment to stare at it. Disbelief and awe in her eyes. ‘Wow, I actually did it.’
When the national anthem came to an end Y/n did the traditional bite of the medal for the cameras. Posing with Carissa and Bianca afterwards, Y/n was ushered to interviews.
“Hello, Y/n,” the reporter beamed, “congratulations are in store—what an amazing moment for you. You’re the first gold medalist in women’s surfing at the Olympics. How does it feel?”
“It’s absolutely a dream come true. For years the surfing community has wished for this—to be in the Olympics and for me to be part of its debut, winning the gold medal…I-I can’t put into words how much this means to me. I’m so grateful and honored.”
“You’ve been around for a while now,” the reporter mentioned, “2004 was the first time we saw you and you’ve gone on to have a stellar surfing career. Winning the WSL World Surfing Games twelve times now—competing when it was still called the WSL World Championships and became the first woman to win The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational in 2016. This is your first Olympic Games, surfing will be at the Paris Games in three years. Can we expect to hopefully see you there?”
“I wouldn't rule it out,” Y/n winked with a giggle. “Paris is in three years and I would love to return to the Olympics again. After dreaming for so long I don’t want to let it go so easily. Of course anything can happen between now and 2024 but with my family, friends, and boyfriend cheering me on with their endless support…” she gave a cheeky shrug, “I’m gonna work hard and get back in the water once I’m home.”
“We’ll be rooting for you, Y/n. I don’t think the surfing world is ready to say goodbye to you. Anything else you’d like to say before you have to go. Anyone you’d like to say thanks to?”
Instantly the Olympian brightened, eyes locking on the camera. “I wanna give a shoutout to my hometown of Kapolei on O’ahu—the place where this journey started on the beautiful beaches and waters of my home. To my family and friends, thank you for your love, support, guidance and always cheering me on even when the going gets tough. My dad, who’s been my coach since I was seven is with me here to share this win, I couldn’t have done this without him. To my San Diego family watching, you better save me a beer at the Hard Deck when I come visit next week,” she winks, knowing the squad would get a kick out of it. Then Y/n softens, “and finally to my boyfriend, Javy, who’s with our friends in Fightertown. I love you so much, thank you for being my rock during quarantine and pushing me to do my best. I can’t wait to see you and this is for you.” Holding up the medal, Y/n blows a kiss to the screen before saying goodbye to the reporter.
Upon landing in San Diego two nights later, Y/n was greeted by a celebration from her friends. Members of the Pacific Beach Surf Club were there, as were the dagger squad. Javy met her in the middle the second she exited the terminal, lifting her in his arms. “Finally your back!! I’m so fucking proud of you!” Setting her down, he kept his arms around her and the two jumped up and down like school children in a heap of laughter.
Finally they calmed, sharing a sweet kiss. “How was your flight,” he walked when they pulled away, moving to grab her carryon back.
“Long,” she moaned, leaning into his side. “But worth it.” Soon she was surrounded by their friends. Congratulations all around, Mickey asking to see the medal, Jake saying all her drinks are on him, Nat telling her how much she missed having another girl around. “I missed you guys,” Y/n pouted, “man I wish you all could’ve been there.”
“Don’t worry, Y/n/n,” Bradley patted her shoulder, “We’ll be there in Paris.”
“That’s quite a bit away, Roo.”
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “but there’s no harm in planning now.”
“Let’s let the woman rest before kicking her training mode into gear,” Javy teased, earning a playful nudge from his girlfriend. Together they got her bags and headed straight for The Hard Deck. They drinked, they danced. Javy and Y/n had a rematch of their pool game.
“This feels a bit like deja vu,” she smirked, chalking up her cue. Javy winked, puckering his lips in an air kiss causing her to laugh.
For a week Y/n stayed in San Diego before flying home to Hawaii with Javy. Again she was greeted at the airport by her family and friends she’d grown up with. The local news station was present, students from schools wanting to join in on the celebration. It felt amazing to be home after two weeks away.
They settled in at her Honolulu home, finding the perfect place to display her medal and ordered take out since neither was in the mood to cook after a 6 ½ hour flight. Once finished with dinner Y/n gave her boyfriend a knowing look, “Wanna watch the sunset?”
She didn’t mean sitting on her porch or even the sand. No, she meant taking the boards and laying out on the sea as the calm surface of the water kept them afloat.
Javy agreed, rushing to get his swim trunks on while she put on a swimsuit. Grabbing their boards they locked up the house and jogged the quarter of a mile to the beach, paddling out to get a front row seat of the descending sun. Colors of bright orange and pink painted the sky. A beautiful contrast to the deep blues of the ocean.
“Is this heaven?” He whispered, finding her eyes staring back at him from where her cheek pressed to the board. All the love conveying in the simple look. And with her gentle words, Javy felt all the worry and unease he ever experienced lift from his soul.
“More like paradise.”
……………….
TGM Tag list: @avaleineandafryingpan , @caitsymichelle13 , @poppyalice2001 , @cutelittlepotatofry , @luckyladycreator2, @americaarse , @elenavampire21 , @back-tooo-black , @wildellaa , @artemissunn , @pinkpantheris
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callsign-joyride · 7 months
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Hi, Kira! For the Fluffy Fall Fantasy, how about number 11 with Coyote?
Delicate | Javy “Coyote” Machado
Summary: You have the night off, so Phoenix and Rooster invite you and Javy to Hard Deck night as a couple.
Content warnings: Mentions of working in the NICU, drinking
Prompt: 11. Sender nestles back against the receiver, pressing backwards so that they’re snug against one another.
A/N: This one was so short, oh my gosh. I also uploaded this on my iPad so my apologies if the formatting looks weird. Hope you enjoy, Emily!
This was written for my Fluffy Fall Fantasy event. Feel free to send in requests!
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You had the night off, which didn’t happen often because of your job as a NICU nurse. The main reason you had the night off was because you were on call, but you weren’t complaining. You were in the Dagger Squad group chat as an honorary member because you had been dating Javy for so long, so you saw the messages come in when he mentioned that you had the night off. Everyone (mostly Phoenix and Rooster) wanted you to come hang out at The Hard Deck, but there was no pressure. It was one of your favorite places to go in general, because of how different the environment was compared to working in the NICU.
You waved to Phoenix and Javy made his way over to you, putting his credit card on the bar so that you could order a drink and start a tab. Penny quickly got your drink ready and you walked over to the pool tables where the rest of the group was. You were invited to play a round with Fanboy, but you politely declined because pool wasn’t really your thing. Phoenix and Bob were leaning against the wall as you talked to them.
The night wore on and you had a few more drinks, doing some shots with Phoenix and Payback. It was nearing midnight when people started leaving, including some of the other members of the Dagger Squad. Javy was playing pool with Hangman and you decided to go over to them with your gin and tonic in hand. He had made a good shot when you tapped him on the shoulder and stood with your back against his chest. It was fairly obvious that you were tipsy, if not drunk, even though you had been eating while you were drinking. Javy could tell, so he wrapped his arms around you and let you lean into him more.
“Do you wanna go home?” He whispered into your ear. You nodded your head and handed the rest of your drink to Phoenix before saying goodbye to everyone. Javy grabbed his card from Penny and thanked her before leaving a tip and guiding you out of the bar while holding your hand. The drive home was fairly quiet, but you were both tired.
Almost as soon as you walked through the front door, you took your shoes off and headed for the bedroom to get ready for bed. Javy watched with adoration in his eyes as you took your makeup off and brushed your teeth before throwing on one of his t-shirts. He plugged your phone in as you climbed into bed and turned the lamp on your nightstand off. You drank a glass of water before going to the bathroom for the last time and finally deciding that it was time to go to bed. Javy tightly wrapped his arms around you before pulling a blanket over the two of you.
“You had a good time, right?” He asked. You smiled and kissed his hand.
“Yeah. I always do. You know that.”
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too.”
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ethunreal · 2 years
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first date kisses. ⊹ dagger squad (top gun maverick)
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including: bradley ‘rooster’ bradshaw, jake ‘hangman’ seresin, robert ‘bob’ floyd, mickey ‘fanboy’ garcia, natasha ‘phoenix’ trace, reuben ‘payback’ fitch, javy ‘cayote’ machado. — drabble, fluff, warning(s): [ i do not own these characters in anyway shape, or form. please note that this is all fiction ]
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— bradley ‘rooster’ bradshaw: bradley had your hand interlaced with his since your date had begun barely letting go throughout, only detaching your had to help you with food or to fix a strand of hair when his other hand was occupied; but you didn’t mind even if either of your hands got clammy or sweaty neither of you let go; occasionally switching hands depending on which side he was standing beside you. now you lead him to your door step; hands still together, in a comforting grip. you talk for sometime about future plans and how well the date went. but you don’t mention how he’s been holding your hand for the majority of the day. he eventually gets quiet and you notice that he’s staring and fiddling your hand; you were about to interrupt the silence when bradley brings your hand to his lips, giving a kiss to each of your knuckles. once he’s finished he gives you a charming smile before letting you go on your way inside. not leaving til you’ve entered safely.
. . robert ‘bob’ floyd: robert was rather distant when he walked you to your doorstep, you felt rather disappointed because this was an entirely different man than the one you went on a date on, shy and cute bob who would giggle cutely when you both did something silly and would compliment you every chance he got. you thought maybe he was regretting this date but he was thinking the opposite, he loved the date, he wanted to go on more but now he’s thinking about whether it’s a good idea to kiss you on the first date, he knows that some people don’t like that and he was afraid you would be one of those people. to spare yourself the rejection your turn to open your door but bobs hand on your arm stops you. robert confesses to you wholeheartedly how much of a good time he had with you and before you can respond he kisses your nose, a puckering sound emits as he kisses you. it’s short and sweet which makes you smile and hug him to return the favor.
jake ‘hangman’ seresin: this date was made after a lot of convincing and finally you decided to give hangman a chance after his countless tries since he met you. you and jake stood outside the ice cream parlor which was the last destination of your date, if he was being completely honestly he didn’t want this date to end and you could share the same thought, he had honestly blew your expectations— you had thought you just sit in a both dying of boredom as jake went on and on about himself; but to your surprise he was so sweet and gentle— a total opposite to how you see him at the hard deck. this date was probably the best one you’ve ever experienced so it became even better when jake had leaned in and kisses the corner of your lips, both hands interlocked with each other. you look at him with wide eyes as he says “sorry i wanted to taste the strawberry ice cream you got...”
natasha ‘phoenix’ trace: natasha had you enamored since the first time she met you— she was flirty, sweet and respectful, never crossing the line when she talked to you. so you didn’t expect anything less for your first date with her. she had walked you to your car since you both came separately, though you insisted that it was unnecessary that she walk you to your car, she was very adamant; stating that she didn’t want anything bad to happen to you. emphasizing how she wouldn’t know how to deal with herself if she let anything happen— you rolled your eyes playfully but your heart swelled at her comment. your farewells were kept short since the date ended pretty late at night but you think the best part of the date was when she pulled you into a warm embrace and kissed your temple, wishing you a safe drive home and to text her when you get there.
. mickey ‘fanboy’ garcia: he was rather nervous before the kiss; mickey wasnt the type to kiss on the first date but after what he experienced and the things he felt, he just had to do it. the whole date you’ve given him butterflies and warm feeling in his stomach more than he can recount. so doing such an intimate act on your first date was nerve racking, his hands are stuffed in his pockets when he walks beside you to your door. when you face him butterflies erupt in his stomach, you give him a smile and he returns it graciously. you begin talking about your date and gradually as the conversation he gains confidence and ends the conversation with a gentle kiss on your forehead his hands cupping your face securely, both of you are scarlet red when you part ways.
. . . rueben ‘payback’ fitch: rueben wasn’t able to walk you inside. it wasn’t that you didn’t want him to, it was the exact opposite; your roommates would be nosy and try to watch how this date would end so instead he gave you his farewells in his car. it was a lovely date, he had taken you to a beautiful restaurant by the beach as a little reference to where you first met— the faithful day where the football he threw had accidentally hit you in the head. you remember it clearly as he profusely apologized, insisting he make it up to you. so with a smirk you had suggested at date. which brings you to the end of the night; one of the best nights you’ve has since moving to fighter town. you both couldn’t admit that but you were admittedly shy to initiate anything but with a last minute thought rueben caught your wrist before you exited his car and gave you a nice peck on the apple of your cheek whispering a goodnight before letting you go, a dust of pink on your cheeks as you walk inside. the last thing you hear is his car take off after you close the front door before your roommates begin bombarding you with questions.
— - javy ‘cayote’ machado: javy had walked you to your doorstep like a true gentlemen does, you had a wonderful time at the hard deck, it wasn’t the most ideal first date but due to both of your busy schedules, you both had settled in just meeting somewhere locally— but it didn’t make it any less magical. you usually saw javy attached to the hip with hangman so you had thought their personalities were pretty similar. turns out under that rough exterior was a sweet and dorky guy who charmed his way into your heart. you chatted for a little bit about how well the date went and how you both hoped you go on another one soon. he ended the chat with asking you if he could kiss you and to his elation you accepted which lead him to give you a gentle kiss on your lips before leaning back to look at your reaction. but in the moment you both knew you wanted more so he gave you to more pecks before sending you on your way inside your apartment.
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written by ethrunreal. please do not repost or translate !! please let me know if you enjoyed !
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sahanaswrld · 2 years
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"unattainable" j.h.s
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self-indulgent minific (also posted on my group account! @multivrses )
summary: jake told himself that tonight would be a night dedicated to only him and his fellow pilots, but when you walk in, side-by-side with none other than bradley rooster bradshaw, he decides he needs to have you.
or where you are rooster's sister who catches jake hangman seresin's eye
pairing: Jake Hangman Seresin x Y/n Bradshaw
warnings: implied sex, cursing, not proofread
word count: 822
do not repost, translate, or copy my work without my permission.
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it's not like Jake Seresin wanted to be known as a playboy, he just wanted to let off some steam with girls who may have thought it was going to lead into something... bigger, something... more permanent. Jake wasn't looking for that. so tonight, he decided no girls, just him and his fellow pilots. that was until he spotted a gorgeous woman walking into the Hard Deck with none other than his "rival" Bradley Rooster Bradshaw.
when Jake first laid his eyes on you, he had to do a quick double take. Bradley could pull? was his first thought, until he noticed the similarities between you two. your noses looked pretty similar, along with the few other things he could spot from this distance.
against his better judgement, he decided to go up to you guys, where you were being swarmed with the whole crew of aviators, Phoenix taking the lead and introducing you to everyone. once phoenix got around to him however, he took matters into his own hands.
"Hangman, darling." he said, holding out his hand with his cheeky (normally) pantie dropping smirk
you, however, looked him up and down, then looked at rooster with a raised eyebrow as if to say who is this guy
"ignore him Y/n, he always thinks he's the shit" phoenix said whilst rolling her eyes, which earned a few chuckles throughout the group
"Y/n, Brad's sister." you said while shaking his hand
before Hangman could say another word thought, you were whisked away by Phoenix taking you over to Penny to get some fresh drinks. hangman made his way back over to the pool table along with Coyote, Bob, Payback, and Fanboy.
you could feel his gaze burning into you even at the bar with your brother and your newest friend, Phoenix, who told you to call her Tash (short for Natasha) you couldn't lie though, he was attractive. though you promised yourself to never date a navy pilot because of the pain you had witnessed first hand from the death of your father, and the fear for your brother whenever he was called on missions, maybe it was okay to give this Hangman guy a shot.
after some ime, you found yourself waiting at the bar alone for your, now, fourth round of drinks for you and the pilots. Penny flashed you an apologetic smile and told yuo that she would be right to you right after she finished up with some other customers. you were twirling Bradley's credit card between your fingers until you felt a presence behind you,
"Did they leave you all alone darling?"
no doubt. it was Hangman. you twirled around coming face to face with his playful smirk
"Well, i guess i'm not alone anymore, hm?" oh he liked that. his smirk grew noticeably wider, this time reaching his twinking green eyes. they were truly captivating.
"I'm down to keep you company all night sweets" he said with a wink
you just rolled your eyes with that comment and turned around to Penny coming right towards you.
"What can i get you Y/n?" she said, giving a confused look as to why Hangman was standing so close. you just brused it off and gave your order, handing the credit card along with her.
Hangman waited with you until you got your drinks and walked back over to your little group with his arm slung around your shoulders.
as you approached the group, Tash gave you the same look that Penny did, that confused and quite concerned look. Rooster however, was more verbal.
"Hangman what the fuck are you doing with my sister."
"Well I was just-" you cut him off before he could anger Rooster
"He was waiting for the drinks with me Brad, he didn't pull any weird shit don't worry. He was actually pretty nice." you said while passing the round of drinks you got over to the aviators, the actions got a few quiet thanks. You could tell Bradley was about to speak again but you just shut him up with a look.
Tash guided Rooster and the others over to the piano, you knew Bradley was good and just loved to show off. surprisingly Hangman didn't join them, instead he walked over to the corner. you thought about going over with bradley, but decided against it. what's the worst thing that could happen witht his Hangman guy?
many things apparantly. how you found yourself tangled in his sheets, completely naked, with an equally naked Hangman lying next to you was a mystery. all you remembered was a few drinks with him, learning his name was Jake, and the drive over to his place. the rest was a blur but you could already figure out what you did.
as you sat up, Jake's eyes started to flutter. once his vision cleared all he said was:
"Shit, Rooster is gonna fuckin kill me."
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Hello!! I love your work so much ❤🥰. I wanted to know if I could request something with Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia? Something fluffy, loving with him?
Thank you so much ❤🥰
Dr Cupid.
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Synopsis - Mickey Garcia passes out in hospitals. Luckily, this time there's a pretty nurse there to catch him.
Pairing - Mickey Garcia x Nurse!Reader
Warnings - a little cursing, a lot of tooth rotting fluff. mentions of blood and hospitals.
Age Rating - 16+
Word Count - 1.5k
Author's Note - thank you for this request!! i love mickey so much. i've been a HUGE danny ramirez fan for years, so i was so excited when he was cast in top gun, and mickey did not disappoint. an angel <3
Masterlist. Inbox.
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You pull back the crinkly blue curtain with a bit too much force, startling the man sat on the edge of the bed.
"Sorry!" you apologise, closing it behind you. "These things are always lighter than I think they're going to be."
"It's alright, ma'am. No worries."
He's handsome. Really handsome. Big blue eyes, golden blonde hair, an air about him that exudes intelligence and compassion. You smile at him gently before retrieving his chart, giving it a once over quickly.
"Lieutenant Robert Floyd. United States Navy."
He introduces himself, shaking your hand formally. You tell him your name, and he repeats it carefully.
"Pretty name."
"Thank you, Lieutenant."
"Please, call me Bob."
"Thank you, Bob."
He smiles at you bashfully, nodding his head.
"So, Bob, what seems to be the problem today?"
"Training exercise gone wrong. I'm clumsy. You can probably tell by my medical history."
You look over the chart, and laugh softly.
"So you are. What happened this time?"
"It's just a little cut, on my shoulder. I fell onto it, onto the tarmac. I told everyone I didn't need to see a doctor, but they insisted."
"Well luckily for you, I'm a nurse," you wink, chuckling when he blushes. "Let's get this shirt off you so I can take a look. You mind if I cut it?"
"Go ahead."
You cut a line clean down the middle of his t shirt, an old, grey thing. It falls off of him, allowing you to see his shoulder wound.
Just as you're about to explain your next steps, the curtain flies open, a man in a flight suit rushing in.
"Sir, can I help you?"
"He's with me. He's in my squad," Bob reassures you. "Fanboy, you don't have to be here."
"I want to be."
"Fanboy?" you ask, confused about the unusual name.
"It's my call sign. We're pilots. US Navy."
"Why didn't I know they had pilots in the navy? I thought that was the air force."
Fanboy grins at you, all gleaming white teeth, before holding his hand out for you to shake.
"Lieutenant Mickey Garcia. Weapons Systems Officer."
You tell him your name, followed by 'nurse', which makes them both laugh.
"Well, Mickey, if you take a seat, I'll patch up Bob here and you can both get back to flying your jet planes."
Mickey steps around you, eyes darting over Bob as he goes. He catches sight of his bleeding shoulder, and all the colour drains from him.
You've seen this before.
He goes pale, and then wobbles on his feet. You stride over and wrap your arms around him, catching him as he passes out.
"Shit," Bob swears. "I'd help, ma'am, but I'm a little out of commission right now."
"It's alright," you chuckle. "This happens a lot. I'm stronger than I look."
You manage to walk Mickey backwards, sitting him in the chair that you originally sent him towards. You cradle his face in your hands, holding up his head. His eyes flutter open, straight onto you.
"Did I die? Is this heaven?" he whispers.
Both you and Bob try not to laugh as you check him over.
"I'm afraid not, Lieutenant. You're in the hospital, visiting Bob. He's hurt his shoulder. Remember?"
"Yeah, I remember," he murmurs, embarrassed.
You grab him a cup of water, placing it into his hand carefully.
"You okay?"
His big brown eyes are locked on you, not leaving for a minute. He's beautiful, you realise suddenly. Yes, Bob is handsome, but Mickey is beautiful.
"I get a little weird around blood."
"You're telling me."
The smile he gives you is enough to move mountains.
"Okay, Garcia, listen up. You're gonna sit here and drink your water. Take big, slow, deep breaths. And do not, under any circumstances, look at Bob, okay? Keep your eyes on me, no matter what."
"Yes ma'am."
You leave him in his chair, returning your attention to the blonde. You take a good look at the wound, and decide it'll need a couple of stitches.
"I'm gonna clean this up for you, and sew it shut. I'm sure you'll heal fast, being a healthy pilot and all."
You glance over at Mickey, and see that he's still watching you. Gazing at you like you hung the stars in the sky.
"Bob, I won't lie to you. This is going to hurt. Feel free to hold onto me if you need to."
You numb his shoulder, before getting to work stitching it up. You flick your eyes to Mickey intermittently, smiling gently when his stare meets yours.
"Garcia, did you bring any spare clothes? I had to cut Bob's shirt off. I doubt he wants to walk out of here shirtless."
"Yeah, Phoenix has a bag in the waiting room. I'll go and grab it."
You watch him carefully as he stands, making sure he doesn't pass out again. He leaves, and Bob grins at you.
"He likes you."
"Everyone likes me, Bob. I'm a good nurse."
"No, he likes you. That's the quietest I've ever heard him sit. And he took your orders. He doesn't do that for anyone."
You shake your head, smiling as you do it.
"Are you single?"
"Very forward, Lieutenant."
"For him, not for me! You're beautiful," he justifies, "but I'm sort of dating my copilot."
"Sort of?"
"It's complicated."
"Then make it uncomplicated, Bob."
He thinks for a moment, before nodding.
"You're right. I'm going to talk to her."
Mickey comes barging back in with a t shirt in hand.
"Phoenix packed you an overnight bag, just in case. She says this is your shirt anyway."
You look at Bob and wink, chuckling when he blushes.
"Anything else, ma'am?"
"That's all. You've been a perfect patient Bob," you say, squeezing his other shoulder. "If you go to the desk, they'll give you some spare dressings for when you need to change it. Besides that, just take care of yourself, okay?"
"Okay. Understood. Thank you, for everything. I appreciate it."
The two of them leave in a flurry of thanks, Mickey casting a longing glance back at you. You can hear them bickering on the other side of the curtain.
"Fine!" you hear Mickey say, before he reappears.
"Uh... hi."
"You forget something?" you ask, looking around the bed.
"Yeah. To ask you out."
Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise, corners of your lips twitching.
"And to apologise. For before. Passing out, and all. I, uh-"
He scratches the back of his neck nervously before perching on the edge of the bed. You move to sit next to him, leg pressing into his.
"I practically grew up in a hospital. My Dad wasn't a nice guy, so my Mom was here all the time."
You lace your fingers with his, resting them on your thigh.
"I used to try and clean up her injuries at home the best I could, but sometimes it wasn't enough. He finally left when I was thirteen, and I didn't have to play doctor anymore."
He takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
"Now, as an adult, I have this crazy reaction to blood. Even just a papercut is enough to have me hyperventilating. I guess I saw so much of it when I was a kid, that I can't handle it now?"
He looks at you expectantly, unsure of what you'll say.
"It's way more common than you think, you know. I have people pass out on me all the time. You're not alone, I promise."
He smiles at you softly, and you're convinced you've never met someone more beautiful.
"I have a friend who works on the fourth floor. She's a psychiatrist - which I know people roll their eyes at, especially men - but, she's really great to talk to. About anything. She can help with phobias. I've seen her do it."
He nods almost imperceptibly.
"I mean... it can't hurt to talk to her, right? Just once?"
"Exactly. I can give you her number, you can give her a call whenever suits you."
He nudges your shoulder with his, your hands still linked.
"Thank you. Bob doesn't love hospitals either, but you really set his mind at ease today."
"Just doing my job."
"Trust me, you're doing a hell of a lot more."
You feel the heat rise up your chest, praying he can't hear how fast your heart is beating.
"I know you probably work crazy shifts here, but... would you like to go for dinner sometime? I'd love to get to know you in a less... uh... clinical setting."
You grin at him, squeezing his hand tightly.
"I'd love to. As long as you promise not to pass out," you wink.
"That is a promise I cannot make."
You laugh with him, shaking your head.
"I should get back to work. God knows this place needs me."
"Of course. Do your thing, SuperNurse."
You lean over and press a kiss to his cheek, handing him a card with your number on.
"Call me."
"What time do you get off?"
"7."
"I'll call you at 7:01."
"Deal," you laugh, pulling the curtains back.
You watch as he leaves to join Bob and a woman you assume is Phoenix in the waiting area. You wave at Mickey as you go, the other two pilots looking between you with knowing grins on their faces.
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frost-queen · 1 year
Text
Obstacle course (Reader x Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin)
Requested by: anon, Forever tag: @missmelodramatic, @merlin-dahlia, @alex--awesome--22, @elllie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers, @merlieve, @queen-of-books, @glimmering-darling-dolly @denkisclown, @wildieflower, @meyocoko, @bubblybrianna, @justanothercoco,   @subjecta13-thefangirl, @m-rae23, @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr, @swampthing07
Summary: Hangman is overprotective over you even when you dislike each other yet slightly warming up to each others due to having caught feelings for each other. When alone with Hangman tensions rise leaving you flustered beyond handling. Unable to handle yourself, you run away. Avoiding Hangman the next following days till he drags you into a private room. Truths are revealed leading to a kiss and the poor boy wondering why you left him hanging.
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Cyclone picked up the file that laid before him, addressing everyone. – “This.” – he said wiggling the file a bit in his hand. Turning his head he threw it in the trash can nearby. All the aviators looking shockingly back at him. – “Pointless if you all don’t start acting like team.” – he made clear grabbing the stand firmly. – “From now on I want you to eat, sleep and breath together till you become a team you can count on blindly.” – he continued. Hangman smirked, looking teasingly back at Phoenix.
Phoenix knew what silly thoughts harbored his mind, rolling her eyes back at him. – “We’ll start with an obstacle course.” – Cyclone moved his hand up as you all rose, following him out of the hangar. – “Hear that Phoenix, we’ll all be sleeping together.” – he teased wrapping an arm around her. Natasha elbowed him hard in the side to get him off her. – “A dream come true, sleeping among all those men.” – she laughed out. Hangman clicked his tongue with a shake of his head. He threw an arm over Bob’s shoulder who was caught by surprise.
“Say Bob will it be the first time you lay close to a girl?” – he taunted, rubbing his hair. Phoenix shot him a glare to leave Bob alone. Bob swallowed nervously, pushing his glasses further up his nose. Hangman was about to comment again when you walked past him with Coyote. He turned silent, watching you go with the movement of his eyes. He puffed in your direction when he caught Natasha looking over.
You crossed over the fields to the obstacle course. Maverick standing near Cyclone surrounded by a bunch of backpacks. Fully loaded with material. – “Go on and pick a bag.” – Cyclone called out, hands behind his back. You all moved closer. You took one, puffing loud as you could barely lift it up. Hangman was laughing at you while putting one hand through the hoop. His eyes widened huffing loud as he barely got his up from the ground. He groaned loud lifting it up with two hands, holding it from underneath.
Bended knees, his cheeks bloated trying to steady his posture. – “Nope.” – he mumbled out feeling himself fall backwards. He landed flat down, backpack on his chest. Chuckling in pain as his arms spread out. You came hovering over him, laughing loud. If only you had a phone on you to take a picture. Jake was childishly mimicking your laughter finding it anything but funny. Coyote and Bob helped him back up on his feet.
Rooster helped you put the backpack over your shoulders as you clicked it tight around your waist. Feeling the heavy weight of it on your back. Cyclone and Maverick were waiting for you to form a line. The struggle of the weight clear on your faces. – “The task is easy.” – Cyclone explained. He turned slightly around to the course. – “Complete the obstacle course in time.” – he revealed a stopwatch from his pocket. – “You got twenty minutes.”
Some aviators puffed loud, finding it impossible to do so. Rooster and you looked concerned at each other. Maverick blew on his whistle as everyone started to get in motion, moving to the first start of the course. – “Oh just one more thing!” – Cyclone said loudly making everyone pause. – “You’ll have to finish as a team… on time.” – he declared smirking. Hangman groaned loud. Phoenix and bob looking nervously at each other. Some eyes fell upon you as you felt targeted. You surely weren’t the slowest of the crew, right?
Rooster glared at them, standing firmly beside you. Coming at the stripe you stood in the middle. Hangman beside you, smirking. – “Are you going to make it sugarcane?” – he said teasingly with a smile. – “Eat my dust.” – you bit back readying yourself to run. Hangman doing the same smiling cocky. – “Oh you’ll so taste mine Y/n.” – he replied. Maverick blew on his whistle as the course started. Clenching your jaw, you started running with the heavy backpack over your shoulders.
It immediately exhausted you, legs weighing down as you barely had begun. The first obstacle was climbing a wall. Coyote and Fanboy were the first ones to reach it, climbing upwards. Phoenix stumbling down after setting the first foot. Hangman easily climbed up, going for the top. You grabbed onto the little patches, setting a foot on one as well. Groaning loud, you felt the backpack lean back.
Quickly setting your other foot and pulling yourself a bit up, you hoped to win time against gravity. Payback was on your right making a climb for it. Him passing you, caught you off guard as the weight of the backpack brought you down. You called it out falling backwards, landing on the back. Rooster who was at the top, sitting with one leg over each edge was helping Bob cross over. Hangman sat at the top as well, pulling at Phoenix’s arm. He gasped loud when you fell down.
He assisted Phoenix over, jumping down. The weight of the backpack making him stumble to the ground. – “Y/n get up!” – Hangman called out, helping you up. He stood by the course setting his hands. – “I’ll push you upwards.” – he said. You nodded setting one foot on his hands. Hangman puffed loud, pushing you off. You reached for a patch as you held tight onto it. Rooster extended his hand to you still sitting at the top. You reached your hand out, grabbing a hold of him.
He pulled you up with all his might. Hangman meanwhile making his own way back up. You laid yourself down on the edge, carefully moving one leg over. Suddenly you felt the weight on your back falter. Furrowing your brows, you looked up to Hangman holding your backpack up by the hoop. His expression tensed, his arm trembling of carrying the weight. Rooster held a hand on your back to make sure you wouldn’t roll over the edge.
You swiftly swung your other leg over the edge as well. Hangman still holding your backpack. He kept holding it till you were climbing down a bit. Slowly setting it back on your back. The weight was so sudden you fell down the last few parts you still needed to go down. Hangman and Rooster making their way down quickly. – “You okay Y/n?” – Jake asked pushing Rooster’s concerning hand off you. – “I’m… I’m fine.” – you breathed out. With a hand on your backpack, pushed Jake you forwards. The others already up ahead.
Rooster huffed loud as you came by the river. In the river you saw Bob go under, arms swaying around. Phoenix and Coyote pulling him back up by his backpack. Bob sputtering out water with a loud gasp. Rooster got into the water feeling the weight of the backpack lure him under. Spewing out loud, he avoided absorbing water in his mouth. Jake took your hand going into the waters with you. He wrapped an arm around your waist, swimming with the use of one arm. You were using both barely staying above water. Jake’s head went under water.
“Jake!” – you called out as he resurfaced again, shaking the water off him. You were kicking your feet under water to move forwards. Panting loud as it was wearing you down. – “Head up Y/n.” – Jake insisted seeing your mouth go under water. You nodded, moving your head back to keep it above water. In front of you, you saw Bob, Phoenix, and Coyote crawl out of the water. – “How many minutes do you think have passed?” – you asked breathing loudly. – “Just focus on staying with me.” – Hangman called out.
Despite having a certain hatred towards each other, he was always super protective over you. Even now, making sure you’d make it knowing fully well you were slowing him down. The course wasn’t easy for him as well with the weight on his back. Yet everything in his might concerned himself around you. You were nearing to the edge. Hangman pushed you forwards as you grabbed the grass. Crawling out of the water.
Turning around you gave Jake your hand to pull him out as well. Laying on his stomach, he needed a moment to catch his breath. – “I’m slowing you down.” – you told him, waving your hand for him to move on. Jake shook his head getting up. – “I’m not leaving you behind.” – he helped you up as well. Weighing heavier from your wet clothing. – “We’re a team.” – taking you by the elbow he started pulling you with him.
Running towards the next obstacle. Jake nearly sunk through his knees from the weight as you held him upright just in time by his arm. He thanked you with a brief nod, showing you that sweet smile. It flustered you, looking shy away. The next course was crawling under a net in the mud. The others were slipping, losing their grip as the wetness of them combined with the mud emerged into a slippery mess.
Bob’s hands slipped, hitting the mud face forwards. Lifting his head up, he gasped loud, face covered in mud. Wiping his glasses was no use as his hands were dirty. You dove to the ground, crawling under the net. Jake right behind you. It was time to show everyone that you weren’t the slowest of the crew. The mud sticking on you, yet you continued. Quickly passing Rooster and Coyote past. – “Go Y/n!” – Rooster shouted moving his fist forwards.
Jake slapped him against the back of his head to shut up while crawling past him. He shot Rooster a glare for even interacting with you. He didn’t like it how the other boys concerned themselves over you. He felt the need for it being his task. As unable to deny it anymore, he actually liked you despite the hatred you had for each other first. Having grown over time. You reached the end of the net first, getting up trying to maintain your balance. Jake pushed past Phoenix, getting out behind you.
He caught up with you, shooting you a flirtatious wink. Jake and you staid by the end, helping everyone out. Bob was running blind as his glasses were stained. Phoenix and Rooster locked arms with him, running along with him. Coyote and Fanboy in the back. Jake and you in the front. Payback somewhere in the middle. The only thing left was running a while to the end of the line. They didn’t let you do the entire obstacle course as with such a heavy backpack was impossible in twenty minutes.
Panting loud, you felt how worn out you were. Everything weighing down as Payback already caught up with you. Hangman noticed you were slacking, coming to run closer to you. – “Hey!” – he called out getting your attention. – “Don’t go slacking on me Y/n!” – he pressed his mudded hand on your backpack, pushing you forwards. You nodded biting through the pain of your sore muscles. – “I’ll carry you if I have too!” – he panted out. You stared in shock at him as that was ridiculous. Rooster, Phoenix, and Bob passed the two of you as well.
You didn’t know if you could make it to the finish. You grunted exhausted seeing Cyclone and Maverick at the end. Cyclone holding the stopwatch high. Maverick stuck his finger up. – “One minute and a half left!” – he shouted loud making you widen your eyes. Jake grabbed you by the arm, other hand on your backpack, pushing you forwards. – “Run Y/n!” – he called out as your feet could barely follow. Coyote and fanboy coming in closer. – “Come on Y/n! You got this!” – Coyote called out.
Hangman was too exhausted to comment on it. You clenched your jaw, forcing yourself to endure. Finding a bit of fuel left in your body, you started running faster. Hangman’s grip slipping of you as you outrun him. The three boys started sprinting after you to make it in time. You jumped past Cyclone and Maverick falling down.
Rolling over till you ended on your back. Cyclone stopped the watch when everyone had run over the line. Loud breaths everywhere. Jake removed himself from his backpack, letting himself fall beside you. Coyote wanted to sit beside you to catch his breath when Hangman pushed him aside with his foot.
“Congratulations.” – Cyclone spoke looking at the stopwatch. – “Seven seconds on the clock.” – he showed the time making you all exhale relieved. – “Good work team.” – he said as Maverick clapped loud. Rooster slapped Bob on his back out of breath. Bob nearly dropping his mudded glasses in an attempt to clean them. Cyclone and Maverick left as you all waited till you had recovered a bit. Hangman helped you up your feet.
Groaning loud, you were so sore. Dragging yourself back to the hangar. The boys went to the boy’s section of the showers as Phoenix, and you went to the girl’s side. The warm water feeling like heaven on your sore muscles. Shutting the water off, you got out and dressed. Making your way over to the locker room afterwards. You were slightly startled when Hangman was the only one present. Shirtless as he was searching for a shirt in his locker.
He looked over his shoulder when you went over to your locker. Swallowing nervously to be in a room with him alone. Staring in your locker, you felt the need to say something. – “Hangman.” – you said. He hummed loud, moving his head back to look at you. – “I…I just wanted to say thank you for today.” – you told him. He chuckled, turning his posture more to you. Your eyes dropping to his bare chest. Fighting the urge to wet your lips in pleasure. – “We needed to finish as a team.” – he replied. – “I know, but still you chose to assist me.”
He shut his locker a bit, approaching you. – “I couldn’t let you drown could I now?” – he said teasingly placing his hand above your head. You swallowed nervously, feeling your cheeks warm up by his presence. He took in your face, letting his eyes go all over you. Up and down, leaning subconsciously closer. You felt your heart beat out of your chest. A warmness creeping up your cheeks like a hot stove. Jake’s eyes went down to your lips.
Your eyes widened overwhelmed with shyness. You couldn’t take the tension as it was driving you wild. Before Jake could kiss you, you pushed him off you. Running out of the locker room. Jake stared stunned in front of him. He did not expect you to run off. As he thought the feeling was mutual. He exhaled loud moving away from your locker when Coyote entered. He quickly putted on a shirt, taking his leave.
When he came in the common room, he couldn’t find you. Wondering where you had gone off to. The next following days Hangman noticed how you avoided him. Always making sure that you weren’t alone with him or even around him. Slipping away before he could ask of you for a private moment. It started bothering him that much that he grew enough of it. Needing to put an end to your hiding away from him.
He smirked lurking behind a corner while watching you. He waited till the right moment when you were near the locker room. He came running out of his hiding spot, scaring you. You jumped out of your skin as he grabbed you by the elbow, pushing you inside the room. Shutting the door behind him. – “The hell Hangman!” – you called out, heart pounding from fear. He puffed his chest up, approaching you firmly. You backed away feeling intimidated by him. A gasp escaped your lips when your back hit the lockers.
Jake setting his hands firmly beside your head. The way he stared at you; made you swallow nervously. It was clear he was here to confront you about something. His stare could break out any truth inside of you. The words boiling up inside your mouth. He moved his head closer to you, to intimidate you even more. – “I like you!” – you spilled out, covering up your mouth immediately. How was that he pulled the truth out of you by just staring.
A smirk curled up on his lips. Without any further thought he pressed his lips onto yours. You kissed him back, grabbing a hold of his uniform to pull him closer to you. Jake retracted his lips from you, tilting your chin up by this finger. – “Why did you leave me hanging back then?” – he asked, quirking his eyebrow up. – “I don’t recall your callsign being Hangman.” – he chuckled out. He gave your jaw a sweet kiss, flustering you. – “Sorry…” – you answered setting his tie right. – “It caught me off guard.”
He kissed you once more. – “I could always call you misses Hangman?” – he teased, smirking. You gave him a little shove as he grabbed you tight. Kissing you passionately.
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topguncortez · 1 year
Note
7 and 18 with hangman
personally living for angst
pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x female!reader prompts: 7. “They’re dying.  The least you can do is be there with them.”, 18. “Please try to bust me out of here.  I hate hospitals.” warnings: death, sadness, cancer, ANGST prompts list Jake Seresin Masterlist
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Jake couldn't bring himself to go in there. You were facing away from him, looking out at the window towards the ocean. That was your one request, you wanted a hospital near the ocean. If they were going to keep you locked inside, you at least wanted a pretty view in the end. Jake leaned against the nurses station, watching the slow rise and fall of your chest.
The end was near. He knew it. Your doctors knew it. You, of course, knew it. The treatments had stopped working about three months ago, and you decided to quit being a human pushpin and being pumped full of toxins. Jake, at first, didn't agree with you wanting to withdraw treatment. He wanted you to keep fighting and maybe, just maybe, there was hope that the tumors would shrink and that you'd survive. But, the teary look in your eye told him that there was no hope left.
The one good thing about these past couple months, is that you had started to feel better. You looked healthier, you looked happier. You spent your days laughing and talking to members of the dagger squad. You had begged Jake for a hamburger from In and Out and he gladly sat in the long-line for you. Your cheeks started to fill a bit, your hair shinier, your smile was brighter.
"It's called a surge," The doctor told Jake, "Patients will have time where they make an improvement, can last for weeks, can last for a couple hours."
The 'surge' lasted a couple weeks, and you slowly started to take a turn for the worse. You were sleeping more, you had asked Jake to tell the daggers to stop visiting that you didn't have the energy to deal with them. You didn't find joy in music, or drawing like you used to. And most recently, you lost your appetite. The doctor had told Jake that now was the time to start making his preparations and saying goodbye.
"Goodbye? Doc, she turned thirty, two weeks ago," Jake said tearfully. You, Jake and the Daggers had celebrated your birthday. Phoenix had snuck in a cake and Rooster brought his guitar to sing to you. It was probably one of your last good days.
"I know this is hard," The doctor said, "It's never easy, no matter how old the patient is. But. . . Jake, she's dying.  The least you can do is be there with them. You don't want to regret standing in the hall and not spending those last moments with your wife."
Jake clenched his jaw and nodded. The doctor patted his shoulder gently and walked down the hall, but stopped when Jake called out to him.
"I need a favor."
--- --- ---
It was a beautiful sunny San Diego day. You could tell by the amount of surfers in the water and people on the beach. When you moved out to California, the first place you went was the beach. The sun was setting and the sky was filled with gorgeous pinks and oranges. You had never felt more at home in your life than you did at that moment.
But now, all you could was watch the sunset and the waves crash from your room. You missed feeling the last rays of warmth on your skin and smelling the salt of the water. Jake had fought to get your a room at faced west and you were thankful for it.
You knew that your time was ticking down. You remembered what the hospice nurse told you about dying. She said most of the time it was peaceful, especially if you had come to terms with it. You fought it at first, when Jake and your medical team decided that it was time to bring hospice in. You weren't ready for it, you still believed you'd make it home. But you could hardly keep awake for more than a couple hours at time, another side effect of dying.
"Knock, knock," You heard the sound of your husband's voice float in your room. You knew that he had been standing outside by the nurses station, watching you. That's how he spent most of his days, just watching you from afar.
"Who's there," You said weakly and turned your head as he walked in, a smile on his face.
"Your handsome husband," Jake said and took a seat on your bed. He grabbed your hand and gently brushed his thumb over the back of it, "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," You answered. The was your answer most days now,  “Please tell you're about to bust me out of here. I hate hospitals.”
"Actually, I am," Jake asked, and watched as your eyes perked up a bit, "I got the all clear from the Doc. The squad is playing dog fight football this afternoon, they want us to join."
You gave him a small smile and nodded. Jake leaned in and kissed you softly, "I'll get you some clothes."
Jake helped you get dressed in a pair of sweatpants and one of his sweatshirts. He put your favorite fuzzy socks on your feet and your crocs. You picked out one of his black Texas longhorn beanies to wear (your hair looked thin and dry). Jake even helped you apply a little makeup to your face so you looked less tired.
When you arrived at the beach, the dagger squad was already there, setting up a small little campsite area. The sun was starting to set, and Jake helped you walk to the camp. It took longer and more energy than you thought it was going to take, but you were determined to do it. The dagger members greeted both of you as Jake made a comfortable spot for you to sit.
"You comfy?" Jake asked, pressing a kiss to your temple.
You nodded, a bit too winded still to talk. Jake smiled and pulled you in closer to your chest. The two of you just sat and watched the sunset and the dagger squad play dog fight football. It felt like old times, being in Jake's arms and watching your friends. It didn't feel like the inevitable was about to rain down at any moment. It didn't feel like the reaper's hand was on your shoulder.
You didn't know you were crying until Jake wiped a tear from your eye. You looked up at him a bit startled and he just gave you a soft smile.
"It's alright," He whispered, and caressed your cheek. You could see it in his eyes, he too had come to terms with what was about to happen. You thought you were the only one who could sense it, but he could too.
"I'm not scared, Jake," You said, grabbing his wrist. You nodded and looked back towards the ocean. You closed your eyes feeling the last bits of warmth radiate from the setting sun.
Jake sniffled, as he pressed his lips to yours. You held him close, taking in the scent of his cologne and the feel of his heartbeat under your fingertips.
"I need to go back now, Jake," You whispered and he nodded. He shifted gently, with you in his arms and carried you back to his truck.
He had just gotten you back into your bed, and laid down next to you. You cuddle into his arms, still looking out at the ocean, when you drew your last breath.
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lieutenantfloyd · 5 months
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AU — Christmas with Bob ♡
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Grounded Part 5 (Jake Seresin)
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Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four
Summary: After an injury leaves pilot reader (callsign Ariel) grounded, you have to travel cross-country with your nemesis Jake Hangman Seresin. But as you finally reach your destination you have to admit that maybe “nemesis” had aways been a bit of a stretch…
4.4k words
Author notes: I’m sorry for the long wait cliffhanger on this one. As you may have seen, I’ve had some bad news this past week, and just getting online has been a struggle. So now Ariel and Jake’s story is complete I’m going to take a week or so offline while I try to get my head together. In the meantime, please forgive me if this final part of the story isn’t proofread as well as usual – my brain isn’t working. And thank you as always for all of your wonderful comments and reblogs – and thank you for simply being here and reading.
Warnings: MINORS, DO NOT ENGAGE! Smut (unprotected p in v, oral – m receiving, dirty talk, a little choking if you squint), a little angst, sickeningly fluffy Ariel and Hangman.
Taglist: @gingerbreadandpaper, @shanimallina87, @dempy, @desert-fern, @rosiahills22, @tallrock35, @lgg5989, @lilylilyyyyyyyyy, @smoothdogsgirl,  Sorry if I’ve missed anyone ❤️
Grounded Part 5
His face was a picture of uncertainty, and suddenly you realised what he’d meant the night before, about your night together being different to any sex he’d had before.
“If you want to come in, I’d like that.” You laughed softly “That’s underselling it. But if you don’t it’s ok, we don’t need to rush into anything. We’ve been waiting this long, what’s a little longer?”
He cupped your jaw in his large, rough hand, thick fingers stroking your chin as he breathed raggedly. “That’s exactly what scares me. With you I want to rush into everything.” He leaned in to touch his lips gently to yours. “Let’s go to bed.”
Unlike the previous night, there was no frenzied tearing at one another’s clothes. Instead you walked steadily to the bed, pausing en route to grab bottles of water before standing face to face as you undressed yourselves - a gesture that was somehow more intimate than anything you could have done to one another. You watched in fascination the way that Jake’s always steady fingers shook just once as he began to undo the small buttons on his shirt and shrugged the fabric off his shoulders; found your mouth watering as he set to work on the button-down fly of his jeans and dragged the denim down his thick, muscular thighs. When he reached his underwear - tight, black and bursting with hard, hot flesh, your core tightened.
“Can I, when we’re ready, please?”
He nodded, teeth imprinting on his lower lip.
He had taken in every second of your own undressing, eyes soft as your dress had fallen from your body to pool at your feet, then hardening again when you slid the straps of your bra down your arms and unhooked the clasp to allow your breasts to fall free. And though part of you expected him to return the request when you reached your panties, there was no such pause. Instead his eyes rose to yours, burning into you as you slid the damp fabric down your legs before kicking them off on the floor.
When he stepped to you and pressed a hand against the small of your back, you were struck by his closeness, his bareness, and by how it felt to be stood together and pressed against one another as though your flesh was magnetised.
And, you thought fleetingly, maybe it always had been. Maybe everything until now had simply been fighting the way things were always meant to be. 
Slowly, gently, he led you back and supported you to lie onto the bed, moving to cover you as your hands explored every part of one another while your lips simply moved and breathed together with a hesitant softness that was somehow sexier than anything the previous night.
Earlier that day you’d told him you wanted him, Jake. And here he was, no trace of the arrogant Hangman on show, and none of the tension you’d come to associate with his family lineage visible as he moved against you.
As his hand moved between your thighs you paused, retreating just enough to see his face and shake your head. “My turn tonight Jake. You asked me what I wanted to know, so tell me. What’ll make you feel good?”
He said nothing, but when your mouth moved to nip at his earlobe, you heard him groan softly, and when your nails scraped softly down his front until your palms moved against him through his boxer shorts, you felt him shiver.
“Touch me y/n.”
“How? What do you want?
“You. Please.”
Mouth too dry to respond, you simply nodded as he lifted to allow you to slowly tug down his underwear, chewing on your lip as you moved inch by inch to take in all that was revealed and relishing the way the powerful Jake Seresin simply laid back and allowed you to take charge in this most simple but intimate of actions. It was only when the fabric reached his ankles that Jake took over, kicking the shorts off until you were both entirely naked.
You moved back up to nip at his lips gently with your teeth and nudged him onto his side to face you. Pupils blown, he watched your hand - small and delicate when gripping his fully grown erection - move up and down him, your thumb moving over his tip to swipe off the jewel of wetness that had gathered there. You moved in firm, steady strokes while your tongue began to dance down his neck and you answered his groans with whispered praises as you licked and kissed every inch of skin you could reach before sucking each of his nipples in turn into your mouth.
Gazing down at you, he moved a hand to your cheek, but you only turned your head and took his finger into your mouth, maintaining eye contact as you sucked it onto the back of your tongue and felt him hiss.
When your mouth finally made its way through the light trail of golden hair, you paused to watch him, gauging his reactions as you stroked his balls and drew your fingers over the veins of his cock. And when you spoke again, your voice was hoarse.
“I want you in my mouth.” But as you shifted, your knee twinged and you heard yourself gasp.
Jake’s hands came straight to your hair. “Y/n, you don’t have to-.”
You shook your head and paused consideringly. “No, I want to. I just might need us to, err, shift a little. Ok?”
The two of you manoeuvred yourselves - him with typical grace and ease, you with a much less sexy shuffle than you would have liked - until you lay on your side, head on a pillow, with him kneeling in front of you.
“Are you sure about this? Is it, OK?”
Snaking out your tongue to touch the very tip of his cock, you shot him a cheeky grin.
“For tonight you get to have me underneath you. That won’t always be the case, so maybe you should make the most of it.”
He laughed and stroked a hand over your hair. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“Oh Jake, you have no idea,” you murmured, running a single fingertip all the way up his length until he shivered.
When his eyes were closed you followed your finger with your tongue and then took him all the way down your throat.
The sound that left his mouth was part groan, part grunt, all lust, as his hands braced on your shoulder, gripping with a restraint that made you moan even as your tongue danced along him.
You moved back, playing gently with his balls as you planted wet, open-mouthed kisses along the whole of his length. When he hissed your name you moved back into position, licking playfully at his tip before whispering your instruction to him.
“Fuck my mouth Jake.”
You heard him gasp softly as the tip of your tongue moved against the soft ridge beneath him.
“Y/n...”
“Fuck. My mouth.” You told him again, scratching your nails against his thighs.
This time there was no hesitation as he thrust himself into you. Right way up it might’ve been too much; he was big enough to make your jaw ache at best. But with your head at a different angle, he slid down your throat in a way that had the famous Hangman whimpering in what might have been the hottest noise you’d ever heard.
He rocked back and forward, alternating the depth of his movements while one hand came to your breast, flicking rhythmically against your nipple, as the other moved to your throat, not quite gripping but touching in just the right place to make your core clench all over again. You moaned and squeezed your legs together to create some friction.
“Want me to take care of you?”
You shook your head, and only carried on sucking him with a vigour, nails digging into his thighs now as you pushed your head forward to take him deeper still as a steady stream of praises left his lips.
It was only a few minutes later when he suddenly pulled back, his cock leaving your mouth with a gentle pop and his hand moving to your cheek as he clambered down next to you on the bed.
“I wasn’t finished,” you pouted as his lips moved against your neck.
“Y/n, if you hadn’t stopped I would’ve been finished. And I need to be inside your pussy.”
“Now.” You told him.
“I’ve barely touched you,” he argued, teeth grazing against your neck and fingers pressing into your wetness until you moaned.
“You don’t need to, this is enough.” Catching your breath, you raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you a tits or an ass man?” When he looked confused you continued. “You still haven’t told me what you like, and I want to know.”
Pursing his lips into a bemused grin, Jake dragged a finger between your tits. “How’s a man meant to choose Princess, when you have these beautiful tits,” he moved a hand round to grip the meat of your butt cheek. “And this incredible ass?”
“Believe me, you can have both. But if you want to be inside me tonight then you need to decide which you want your hands on while you do it?”
He hissed out a curse and shook his head at you. “I want every part of you. But tonight I want to see your face,” He paused with a grin, “so tonight we’ll say tits.”
For all of the awkwardness you’d found in moving yourself around, it turned out that good old missionary position was the most comfortable position you could get into, Jake gathering pillows to place under your knees and hips before he positioned himself above you.
“Shall I get a-?”
“Jake. I want to feel you inside of me.”
Was it possible to physically explode from lust? Because when you saw it - the moment that final wall toppled and he began to move his unsheathed tip between your folds - you decided it was impossible to be this horny and still stay in one piece.
“Anything hurts, you say the word, ok?”
You moved close enough that his breath was your own. “Now Jake, please.”
And then there were no barriers at all you and he was moving; anchoring himself inside you over and over again as his movements against the spongey area within you had your nails digging into his back. And when he shifted his weight to one perfectly sculpted arm and moved a thumb to your clit, you lost the ability to do anything but sob out single syllable words. “Jake. Yes. God. More. Fuck.” It was a constant cycle, your brain too full of lust to say any more, your body to full of him to feel anything else, and the swelling in your core matched only by that in your chest as the two of you moved and expanded together.
His eyes were on yours throughout it all, never looking away, the deep green penetrating into you like a challenge you couldn’t resist that kept you staring back even as your head begged to be thrown back and your eyes longed to squeeze shut.
But you couldn’t look away, found his eyes brought as much pleasure as his hands and his cock, and only found yourself tugging at him, digging your nails into the golden hair on his head as your breaths became heavier, louder and he matched you, thrust for thrust and gasp for gasp.
“Are you there?” He asked, at the exact moment your knees went weak, and you felt yourself take to the air as you soared towards your peak.
“So close. Together. Now. Inside me.”
He moaned out a noise that was almost a roar and crushed his mouth against yours as his hips snapped hard into you again, again, again, until you couldn’t take another and all you knew was the pulsing in your core matched by the sensation of him exploding within you, coating your walls over and over again.
With a final thrust, he pressed his open lips against yours, both of you too weak and breathless to worry about technique, before laying his head beneath your breasts.
You lay for what seemed like hours, breaths rising and falling together as you stroked your fingers through Jake’s hair. You would’ve stayed there all night, maybe even forever, had it not been for the stabbing cramp that started up in your healthy leg and had you shoving him gently up with a grunt.
Though he rolled away, Jake’s eyes were still on you as you flexed your leg, his smile clouded by a hint of uncertainty until you looked to him and grinned.
“So I’m guessing that was a definite turn up for the books right?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll say. That was, yeah…”
“Fucking incredible are the words you’re looking for Cowboy. Fucking. Incredible.”
He grinned, and then looked down to where your combined juices were now leaking onto the pillow beneath you. “Should I get something to clean up?”
You looked down. “That would be good, thank you.”
When he came back a moment later, confusion etched on his face and a roll of toilet paper and a small towel in his hands, you raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve never had to do this before,” he explained. “I’ve always used condoms.”
“Always?!” You took both from him and began to clean up yourself and the surrounding pillow.
“Sweets, did you miss the part where I told you I was terrified of getting too close? Unplanned pregnancy is not something I ever wanted to worry about.”
“Not after what happened to Elaine and that terrible pilot.” You teased in mock scandal, and though it took him a moment, he eventually gave you a wide-eyed nod that was only half joking. “Well I’m honoured,” you murmured as you pulled yourself into a sitting position on the towel and moved close enough to kiss him. “Imagine popping Jake Seresin’s bareback cherry.”
He caught your bottom lip between his teeth, and grinned as he pulled back just enough to look in your eyes. “And you said I was arrogant.”
“Oh Jake, I learned from the best there is.” You declared with a wink, something that might have been sexy and sassy had you not chosen that moment to stand on wobbly knees and attempt to make it all the way to the bathroom without dripping on the carpet.
“Do you need-.”
“Don’t offer to help me in the bathroom Jake,” you laughed. “And no texting your mom while I’m in here!”
You heard the groan and a thud as he fell back against the pillows. “Don’t talk about my mom when we’re naked!”
When you returned, he was lying on the bed but had obviously gotten up to pull back the covers. He was still naked, and you wondered for s moment whether that was choice or circumstance.
“Do you need to go back to your room?” You asked, as you moved slowly into the bed.
He raised an eyebrow. “You want me to go?”
“Of course not. I just wonder if you need… well, anything before morning?”
He shrugged and pulled the cover over you both as you lay down next to him. “I could… toothbrush, phone charger. But honestly?” He reached under the covers and gently tugged your leg on top of his. “I don’t want to move. As long as you’re ok with me sleeping naked?”
Grinning, you trailed a finger down his perfect chest. “However will I cope?”
The laugh descended into silence and Jake moved slightly, rolling onto his side to face you and lifted your hand out from under the covers as he interwove your fingers together and fixed his emerald gaze on where your skin met.
“It’s a lot of pressure, carrying the legacy of the Seresin family and all that shit. I know people think I’m arrogant,” when you snorted softly he only smiled and squeezed your hand. “But I have to be. Have to big up every achievement I make because nothing I really do will ever be good enough for my dad. He was admiral by 35.”
“That’s a lot.”
“It is. I sometimes feel like I’ve already failed, whatever happens I’m just running to catch up. Then there’s my mom.” He sighed. “Unless I’m saving the world single handed - hell, maybe even if I were - she thinks I should have a whole gang of kids by now, pretty wife at home keeping everything on track.” He shrugged, “which is ridiculous - that’s not the relationship I’d want. But it’s what they had.”
Your free hand moved up to his face, fingers moving through the rough beard as his eyes rose to meet yours. “What do you want Jake?”
“You asked me that already.”
“But today maybe you trust me enough to answer.”
Jake took a deep breath, eyes steeled on yours. “I’d like to be an admiral - as long as I still get to fly I’ll go as high as they’ll let me, but the flying is what matters. And I’d love to teach; never thought I would, but every time I do, it reminds me how incredible our work is, you know?”
“I want to get married. But not just to some quiet, pretty woman who stays home and goes out for lunch every day with the girls. There’s nothing wrong with those women, or the guys who marry them - great for them, but I want someone who keeps me on my toes you know? Tells me when I’m being an ass.”
You snorted and he only quirked his lips.
“And lives the life she wants too. There’s so much adventure out there if you’re not afraid to find it. I want someone to live that with, who gets that every bit of life can be an adventure. I’d like maybe three kids? Couple of dogs, maybe a cat. A good patch of land somewhere where the kids can run off all that energy kids have, just like we used to. And I want,” he sighed, and you stiffened as you saw the glittering in his eyes. “Fuck y/n I want this. Being able to lie in bed and talk about the world, to feel like I don’t need to do anything - to be anything except for myself. I didn’t think I would ever have that part, could ever have that.” His voice trembled slightly and you stroked his face. “I’m so scared of doing it wrong. I worry it’s not just my dad I won’t be enough for but that when the time comes I’ll be a terrible husband, a terrible father.”
You brushed a kiss over his lips and stared into his eyes. “Jake, everyone worries about those things. My dad told me he broke down in a public bathroom the day my mom told him she was pregnant. I’m pretty sure it’s the people who don’t worry who have something to worry about.”
“I doubt my dad has ever worried about fatherhood in his life.”
Shifting, you laid your head against his chest, “Bullshit. I bet he worried when your sister was hanging out with navy boys on air bases,” you declared, rewarded when his chest rumbled beneath you with a laugh.
“Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“How come it’s OK to talk about your dad while we’re naked, but not your mom?”
“Why would you do that?”
You bit back the smile, knowing you’d shifted his emotional discomfort. “What?! It’s a valid question.”
“Why would you make this weird?  Why?”
You were still laughing when he spoke again. “I bet your dad’s not an ass though, right? I’m Hangman, y/n, I’m really good at being an asshole. What if that never changes?”
“Oh you’re very good at being an asshole,” You laughed softly, “but you’re also an incredible man Jake Seresin. You’re a brilliant pilot for sure, but you’re also a pretty fantastic man, and I don’t think you could ever disappoint anyone who loved you.”
When you felt his chest catch and tremble, you stroked his back gently, and gave him a moment before speaking again. “So where would it be? Your patch of land for the kids to run around on?”
Jake sighed and shifted, wrapping his arms tightly around you as he intertwined his feet with your own and began to speak, painting a perfect picture of the family home he dreamed of - one that bore more than a few similarities to the home you had imagined for your own future.
You swapped details, hopes and plans for the future, and kept talking until the spaces between your words grew longer and softer, and the two of you drifted off to sleep in a tangle of limbs and whispered dreams.
_______
Waking up next to Jake was no longer a surprise. Waking up to find his green eyes fixed on you though, a soft smile on his face? That wasn’t something you’d experienced before.
“Watching me sleep Cowboy?” You murmured, voice heavy with sleep.
He ran a hand over your hair and grinned, “trying to figure out what you were dreaming about to be talking the way you were.”
You swatted a hand against his chest good-naturedly, but he only caught it, using it as leverage to pull you closer and press his lips against yours for a deep kiss.
There was something deliciously decadent about lying together and simply kissing one another - long, slow and comfortable - after days of feeling unsure what was going on between you; and when his tongue moved against yours and you began to make out like teenagers, you found every cell of your being humming with a blend of excitement and satisfaction you swore you had never felt before. You allowed yourself to get lost in the sensation of kissing him, in the gentle movement of his hands in your hair and the heat of his skin next to yours, with no thought for the clock or anything that may lie in the day ahead. You stayed that way for what seemed like hours, stroking, touching and only deepening your attention on one another as the day wore on.
if you got on the road later than he’d been planning, Jake didn’t complain; and it was likely no one else would either - not when you both headed off on the road with the kind of expressions that let everyone in a five-mile radius know exactly how you’d spent your morning, and would undoubtedly be spending many mornings to come.
For now though, the pair of you had at least a week in separate rooms of a navy base to contend with; a base you drove to in contented silence while soft rock played on the stereo and Jake’s hand rested on yours upon his thigh, the two of you exchanging occasional glances that brought a flush to your cheeks and a warmth to your core.
When you arrived at Whiting Fields you were met by a harried looking admiral who was only too keen to hurry you into the admiral’s office where you could get your orders for the coming days. You were escorted rapidly to a training room with barely time for even the most professional goodbye to Jake, but didn’t miss the way his eyes lingered on yours as you gave the quickest of glances in his direction. Nor did you miss the fact he’d saved you a seat when time for dinner finally arrived - the seat next to his no less where he was able to gently brush your arm with his each time he reached for his drink in a way that left a soft, warm buzz on your skin long after dinner had finished and you’d returned to the single room that had been set aside for you on base.
You were just planning to settle in for the night when there was a gentle tap at the door in a rhythm you recognised only too well. Moving across the room with more way more ease than you’d felt at the start of the week, you opened the door and felt your breath catch when you saw him there; broad shoulders, confident stance and perfect uniform of Hangman but that gorgeous wide-open face that was purely Jake. Your Jake.
“Well hello lieutenant,” you murmured softly, leaning against the door jam. “What can I do for you?”
“I heard you might need a comfort blanket to get you through the night?” Though the grin that pulled at the edge of those perfect lips held a hint of cockiness, the eyes were filled with a hope that made your heart swell, even as you glanced back to the bed and shrugged.
“You know, these Navy issue blankets are pretty heavy, I might just be OK tonight.” You didn’t have to look at him to know he’d be disappointed, and maybe even a little confused before you finished your sentence. “But actually, there is something you could help me with.”
You let him into the room, and when he closed the door gently behind him, you stepped close enough to feel the warmth of his breath on your skin and flicked your eyes down his broad chest.
“What’s that Princess?” He asked, voice soft and thick with lust.
“It struck me earlier that I’ve had sex with Jake Seresin - well, a few times now, and it’s been great. But you know who I haven’t slept with?” He raised an eyebrow, but it only caused you to bite your lower lip before you spoke, “the famous Hangman – I’m told he’s the best there is.” You took another step closer until your body was pressed tightly to his.
Eyebrow still cocked; Jake let out a quick laugh even as he began to harden against you.
“Oh sweets, I’m not sure you’re ready for that?”
Fisting a hand in his shirt, you pulled him impossibly close and stared into his eyes as you flicked out your tongue to trace his lips.
“Now Jake, don’t make me remind you of all the ways I can more than handle you,” you began to run a nail down his rock-hard chest. “In the air, in the training room, in bed.” This time you licked your own lips. “Fuck me Hangman.”
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