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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 4 days

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Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 37

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 1417

Warnings: Swearing, insinuation of sex

Summary: Hangman learned his lesson a long time ago to never show his true feelings when someone's words or actions hurt him. To do so showed weakness that could be exploited, and Seresin men couldn't show weakness. Of course, there was an exception to every rule, and Jake's always came in the form of women, three in particular: his mom, Juliette Kazansky, and the girl whose name he could no longer bring himself to speak. She was the girl that got away; she was his biggest 'what if' and his biggest regret; she would forever be the ghost that haunted his dreams. Jake believed that's where she'd stay, for he would surely never see her again after what he did.

Or so he thought.

Notes: This is the sequel to India Lima Yankee; I'm using the same callsign for the Female OC as in Ghost Story because I just really like it, but they are different characters; chapters in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: True The Alchemy

****

Hangman

The blue light of breaking dawn peeked through his curtains, adding to the serene, surreal reality Hangman found himself in. Ghost lay beside him in the crook of his arm, her head on his shoulder and arm draped lazily over his torso. He traced mindless patterns on her bare back with one hand while his other rested on her arm. Sleep remained fleeting throughout the night, only allowing him a few precious hours of rest. It was Hangman's own fault. He feared if he fell asleep, that when he awoke, the events of yesterday and last night would be a dream. A cruel, heartbreaking, wishful dream.

I love you. Ghost's words echoed repeatedly in his head. Hangman couldn't stop it. For so long, he'd ached to hear those words, and then she'd said them. Hangman hadn't quite been able to process it, still silently reeling from seeing the letters he'd written to her- with no intentions of ever relinquishing them to her- in Ghost's hands. Coyote had no right to give them to her, but while Hangman wanted to give his friend a piece of his mind about it, he also recognized that without it, he and Ghost may never have confronted each other about everything.

Ghost twitched in her sleep and whimpered. Hangman placed a kiss on the top of her head, and she settled down. A few moments later, she stirred, squinting at the daylight and letting out an annoyed groan. She shifted slightly up his body to hide her eyes in the crook of his neck.

Chuckling to himself, he whispered, "Good morning."

Ghost only let a tired grunt in response. She had never been a morning person unless it involved getting breakfast, so Hangman didn't take it personally.

"You hungry?" Hangman queried.

Ghost nodded but failed to move to let him up. When he pointed this out to her, she mumbled, "I think I'm going to choose starving and staying where I'm at."

Hangman, unable to stop himself from teasing her, said, "Can you say that again? I can't hear you when you're talking into my shoulder."

Ghost twisted her head and rested it on his chest, but didn't look up at him. She repeated what she'd said and added, "You didn't have trouble hearing me talk into your shoulder last night."

Hangman laughed good-naturedly, tugging her closer to him. "That's because you were screaming, not mumbling."

"Shut up." The searing kiss Ghost captured him in took away any seriousness from her statement. God, Hangman couldn't get enough of her. He never believed they'd be like this together, let alone even speaking. And the strangest sensation, the most unfamiliar emotion, settled over him.

Happy.

He was happy.

Hangman tried to reflect on the last time he felt the way he did now. It didn't take long to figure out it had been before Ghoul died. A time when he and Ghost had briefly returned to Texas, and they sat on the bleachers of their high school football stadium, staring up at the stars, laughing so hard that tears filled their eyes. For the life of him, what they had talked about eluded him, but the memory and feelings remained, and Hangman would savor them forever, including the current moment he found himself in.

Hangman kissed the top of Ghost's head and said, "You relax here. I'm going to cook breakfast."

"No, no, I need to get up. Otherwise, I'll sleep until noon."

"We can go back to sleep after breakfast because God knows we barely got any last night."

Ghost grinned wickedly. "Who says we'll get any after breakfast?"

Hangman debated on saying 'fuck it' and skipping eating if it meant going another round -or two- with Ghost, but the love of his life decided for him, rousing herself out of bed and heading to the bathroom. He forced himself up and threw on some underwear and gray sweatpants before shuffling to the kitchen. He pulled out the bacon, the eggs, and some potatoes and got to cooking, playing some soft country music in the background.

About ten minutes later, Ghost padded in, wearing nothing but her underwear and his t-shirt. He nearly went weak in the knees at the sight but managed to stay upright through sheer stubborness. Ghost sat at the bar and watched him cook. Without a word, he slid a cup of tea over to her, already made the way she liked it with cream and sugar.

Ghost smiled sleepily and said, "I needed this."

"Wake you up for round two?" Hangman asked cheekily.

She snorted softly. "I'm pretty sure it'll be more like round six or seven, but no. It's not just because I got no sleep last night."

Hangman grated the potatoes to prep for the hash browns. "What's up?"

Ghost traced the rim of the cup, staring into the steaming hot liquid. "You know how my mom and dad split up for a bit before I was born?"

"Yeah, your mom came to Cali. Why?"

"She met up with Maverick while she did. They... had a fling."

"Huh. I'm surprised Charlie did that when she was still technically married. I mean, I know your parents were separated, but-"

"That's not the kicker."

"I feel I should stop grating the potatoes for this."

"You might want to sit down, actually," Ghost suggested with mild amusement. Hangman remained standing but braced himself on the counter. "It was roughly nine months before I was born."

"I don't... Oh. OH!" Hangman barely remained standing as the epiphany struck him harder than a plane going Mach 2. "You-you're-"

"Maverick's daughter," Ghost finished, crossing her arms on the counter and resting her chin atop them. "I haven't told anyone else in the Daggers. Not even Juliette. I wasn't planning on anyone finding out, especially Mom and Maverick."

"They know?"

"Yeah. Mom somehow found out, and I know she told Maverick because he tried calling me not long after Mom called me out on it. That was before I came over here, so, you know, was dealing with two existential crises at a time. Figured this one might be more easily solved since it was closer to home."

"Maverick's close to home," Hangman pointed out, tossing the potatoes onto the skillet. "Why not deal with him first?"

Ghost shrugged. "I don't know where to start or what to do about it. With you, I at least had history to go off of."

"And the knowledge that, for better or worse, I just can't say no to you."

Mischief flared in her eyes. "You shouldn't have told me that."

"Food first-" Hangman said, piling her plate with breakfast- "cardio after."

He joined her at the bar, and they said nothing as they devoured their food, starving from yesterday's activities. And last night's. But Hangman didn't mind the silence. It allowed him to wrap his head around everything that had happened and been discovered in the past twenty-four hours, and Hangman couldn't decide what shocked him more: Ghost sitting beside him as more than a friend or the news of Ghost's real father.

Maverick was Ghost's biological dad.

How... well, he knew how, but still. How would this affect Ghost's relationship with the Captain? How would it affect her relationship with Juliette, who had practically been a surrogate daughter to Maverick? And Rooster, who might as well have been Maverick's son?

"Trust me, I've had the same thoughts," Ghost said quietly, picking at the last few pieces of hashbrown on her plate.

"How did you-"

"I recognize the expression," she replied simply. "I should probably call my mom back, and Maverick too, for that matter, but I don't want to deal with it. I just... I want to enjoy a sliver of peace and happiness right now."

Hangman grabbed the underside of her stool and pulled her closer to him. "You don't have to face this alone. I'm with you."

"Forever?"

He leaned in and pecked her on the lips. "And always."

Ghost smiled, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Would it be okay if I stayed here a little longer? I don't want to go home yet."

"Of course," Hangman replied immediately, silently pleased not only for his own selfish reasons of keeping Ghost at his side for as long as possible but also because a little voice whispered sinisterly at him that if he let her out of his sight any time soon, he wouldn't see her again for a long time.

****

Tags: @lgg5989 @shanimallina87 @polikszena @summ3rlotus @icemansgirl1999 @supernaturaldawning @thedarkinmansfield @lyannaforpresident @lapilark @getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth @simpofthecentury @shadeops21 @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @double-j @bradshawsandbridgetons @catsandgeekyandnerd @peachiicherries @multifandomcnova @fandomsstolemylife00 @bookloverhorses @mak-32 @midnightmagpiemama @luckyladycreator2 @ellamae021 @kmc1989 @atarmychick007 @rotating-obsessions

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23Chp 24 Chp 25 Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31 Chp 32 Chp 33 Chp 34 Chp 35 Chp 36 Chp 37

If you're not on the tag list and want to be, just let me know :)

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 15 days

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Maverick: So, did everyone learn their lesson?

Coyote: No.

Rooster: I did not.

Fanboy: I may have actually forgotten one.

Payback: Also no.

Bob: Oh good, it's not just me.

Phoenix: *Exhausted sigh*

Hangman: There was a lesson?

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 15 days

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Maverick: We can’t lose because we have this! *points at his chest*

Hangman: We have heart?

Rooster: We have love?

Maverick: No. Me. I’m pointing at myself. I’m going to win this for us.

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 22 days

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Rooster: Can you fly this plane?

Hangman: That question insults me.

Rooster: Can you fly this plane while insulted?

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 23 days

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Cain: It looks like Captain Mitchell is engaging the enemy.

Cyclone: That’s nothing out of the ordinary, especially since I gave him a direct order not to.

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 23 days

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Iceman, meeting with Cain: Admiral, you’re not looking well.

Maverick, under his breath: He never does.

#top gun #maverick #rooster #hangman #phoenix #bradley bradshaw #iceman #bob #jake seresin #incorrect quotes #incorrect quote #top gun: maverick incorrect quotes #top gun maverick incorrect quotes #incorrect completely correct quotes #tgm #tg 1984 #icemav #iceman x maverick #maverick x iceman

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 27 days

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Mav: Today I realised I'm old

Ice: What happened?

Mav: I fell in the mess hall and instead of laughing, Rooster came running to see if I was ok

Ice:

Mav: I saw fear in his eyes

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 27 days

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Ice: *sees shenanigans afoot* Mav, no!

Mav: *From next to Ice* Hey, I'm right here!

Ice: Sorry, habit.

Ice: Slider, no!

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 1 month

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Rooster: Can you fly this plane?

Hangman: That question insults me.

Rooster: Can you fly this plane while insulted?

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 months

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Maverick: We can’t lose because we have this! *points at his chest*

Hangman: We have heart?

Rooster: We have love?

Maverick: No. Me. I’m pointing at myself. I’m going to win this for us.

#top gun #maverick #rooster #hangman #phoenix #iceman #bob #payback #fanboy #coyote #tg2 #tgm #incorrect quotes #incorrect completely correct quotes #incorrect top gun quotes

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 months

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Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 36

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 2373

Warnings: Swearing

Or so he thought.

Chapter Songs: King Of My Heart Beautiful Drug

****

Ghost

Standing at the threshold of Hangman's apartment turned out to be even more daunting than anticipated. Staring at his door, Ghost thought grimly: I really should've figured out what to say before I got here. But there's no turning back now. Here goes nothing.

Her hand thudded heavily on the wooden door. She waited impatiently for a few seconds before knocking again. Once more, nothing. Ghost sighed, figuring he wasn't answering because it was her. She knew he was home; otherwise, his blinds wouldn't be raised. Unless he had headphones in while he worked out... that was a good possibility.

Ghost hesitated, grabbed hold of the doorknob, and twisted it. The door opened without resistance.

"Guess some things really never do change." Ghost stepped inside and set her backpack on the floor, calling out, "Hangman? You home?"

Noise in the back of the apartment caught her attention.

Please don't let there be a girl here...

"Hangman?" Ghost called out again, slowly walking toward the noise. She warily poked her head into the bedroom. "Jake, are-"

"Fuck!" Hangman's voice boomed to her right, and she jumped to face him. Staring at each other like startled deer, Ghost's eyes trailed down his glistening body, water droplets rolling down from his shoulders to his abdomen to his-

Ghost whirled around, cheeks flush from embarrassment and silent awe at what she'd seen. Meanwhile, Hangman hurriedly wrapped a towel around his waist and demanded, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you," Ghost replied, wincing at how stupid the words sounded coming out of her mouth.

"And you couldn't have called?"

"Would you have picked up?"

His irked silence gave her the answer. "That's what I thought."

"So you thought waltzing in here was a good idea?"

"I always told you to keep your doors locked before someone unsavory person walked in." I just never thought I'd fall into that category...

"Did you come here to tell me 'I told you so,' or is there another reason?" he snapped. Hangman moved to his dresser, pulling out fresh clothes.

"We need to talk. I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready."

"You're going to be waiting a while."

"Fine. I have nothing else planned today anyway."

Turning on her heel, Ghost exited the bedroom and strode to the kitchen. The bedroom door slammed shut behind her. If Hangman thought his rude demeanor and behavior would dissuade her from talking and persuade her to leave, he was vastly mistaken. Ghost opened her backpack and pulled out the box of letters, setting them on the kitchen island, pristinely clean like the rest of Hangman's apartment.

He took his sweet time getting ready, so Ghost contented herself with rereading the letters as a reminder of why she'd come here as the stress of the impending talk began to loom over her more and more.

Relax. We'll work this out. It'll be fine. Perfectly fine. We'll-

Her affirmations were cut off by her ringing phone. Glancing at the screen, she saw her mom's name. Ghost frowned and silenced the call. Not right now. The drama over Maverick being her dad could wait until later when she was emotionally capable of handling it. She was dealing with enough at the moment.

"One existential crisis at a time," Ghost mumbled to herself while she silenced the second call from her mom. A third call came in, but this time, from an unknown number. Either Charlie was borrowing someone's phone to try and reach her, or a new person was trying to call her. Curiosity got the better of her, and Ghost answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, Annalise."

The voice sent ice running down her veins. She shouldn't have answered. "What do you want, Kyle?"

"To talk."

"Did Hangman's threats not get through that thick skull of yours?" Ghost snarled, bracing herself on the counter to keep her hand from shaking. Something about his eerily calm tone set her on edge.

"Either you tell me where you are so I can come talk to you, or I will find you," Kyle said, "and I will not be alone."

"Come anywhere near me, and I will get that restraining order in place." Movement out of the corner of her eye caught Ghost's attention. Hangman walked in, throwing a shirt on, staring at her in concern. He must've heard the last bit of the conversation. She mouthed 'Kyle' to him, and his expression went livid. Without a word, he held out his hand, and Ghost placed her phone in it.

"If you call my girl one more time-" Hangman growled, his lip curling involuntarily- "there will be hell to pay. I have a lot of pent-up rage right now, and I'd love nothing more than to use you as my personal punching bag."

My girl. The declaration sent shivers down Ghost's spine, even though she understood he only said it as a way to deter Kyle from reaching out to her again. Ghost had learned long ago that some men respected another man's claim on a woman more than the woman's outright denial of him.

Kyle said something else, and judging by the murder in Hangman's eyes, it was nothing good. Ghost's suspicion was confirmed when he snarled, "Do not touch her, or I'll make you wish you were dead."

Hangman hung up after that and returned the phone to Ghost, who asked, "What did he say?"

"I'm not going to repeat it, but... be careful. Kyle's obsessed with you, and he's with Nick now. He has backup if he decides to confront you. Just... be on guard."

"It's good he doesn't know where I live then."

"Don't underestimate Nick's abilities. Even if you've blocked your address from being found by normal methods, if he wants something, Nick will find it." Hangman opened his mouth as if to add more but shut it and moved away from Ghost. He opened a kitchen cupboard and pulled out a glass, filling it with water. "So, why did you barge in here?"

"To talk. About everything. Including-" Ghost slid the box to him- "these."

The color drained from Hangman's face. Deathly quiet, he queried, "How did you get those?"

"It doesn't mat-"

"Yes, it does! You weren't supposed to read these! Where the hell did you-" The epiphany suddenly dawned on him- "Coyote. God... damn it!"

He swiped at the glass of water, sending it flying across the kitchen and shattering against the wall. Shards scattered everywhere, and Ghost might've been concerned about the sudden show of rage had Hangman not suddenly sagged against the counter, shaking.

"How much did you read?" he asked, deceptively calm.

"I didn't intend to read any of them at first since you hadn't been the one to give them to me. Then I decided to read the first one," Ghost admitted guiltily, hating how much this appeared to be affecting him. "And then I couldn't stop. I read all of them."

Hangman scoffed. "They were the ramblings of a delusional aviator. I don't see what was so riveting in them," he replied, heading to a closet and grabbing a broom and dustpan. "You shouldn't have read them. They weren't meant for you."

"Then why were you addressing them to me?"

"Because maybe it started out that way, and it was the closest I could come to telling you what was on my mind without actually burdening you with it."

Ghost shook her head. "We'd been friends for years, Jake. Burdens aren't meant to be carried alone. Your burdens were mine, and vice versa."

"My burdens stopped being yours when I killed you and Ghoul!" He snapped, furiously brushing the shards of glass into the dustpan. She waited for him to finish the chore before she spoke, mainly because she wasn't sure what to say next. Hangman, however, decided he hated her silence and asked a question of his own. "What are you doing? Why are you still coming after me when I told you to leave me alone?"

"Because I told you once that you were stuck with me. Yes, we had a fight. Yes, it was a nasty one, and in our grief, we fractured our friendship. We both had parts in it. You tried to mend it early on, but I was stupid and ignored you. I'm sorry it took me this long to realize the demons you were facing in the aftermath of it. I'm sorry, Jake," Ghost said earnestly, finally taking a step toward him.

"Why do you care so much about fixing us after all this time?"

"Because I loved you back," Ghost replied, sliding his last letter over to him. "Unequivocally, unabashedly, wholeheartedly, I loved you."

I still love you.

At the echo of his written word rolling so easily off her tongue, Hangman's green eyes searched her face, scanning for any lies and deception. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I need you to understand that as long as I'm around, you are not alone in this world. That you will always have someone willing to pull you out of that darkness."

"I don't want to have this conversation, Ghost."

"I don't care. It needs to happen. It's needed to happen for a long time now."

"You should go."

Ghost stood her ground. "No."

His nostrils flared, and he pointed firmly at the door. "Go."

"On one condition."

"This is not a negoti-"

"Do you love me?" Ghost interrupted, stepping toward him again.

"What?" The question took him aback, and he shook his head. "That's not-"

"Do you love me?" Ghost repeated.

"I can't do this, Annalise. We can't-"

She would not be deterred. "Tell me you don't love me, and I will walk out that door right now and never return. I will give you what you want. But first, you have to tell me that you don't love me."

It was a dangerous game she played. For all Ghost knew, Hangman would tell her those dreaded words, and then she'd have to follow through with her promise, even if it killed her to do it.

Hangman took a step back from her, shaking his head. "Annalise, please, I can't- I'm trying to protect you. Why can't you see that?"

"Protect me from what? What do I need protection from? Why won't you answer my question about if you lo-"

"Just stop. Please, stop asking-"

"Is this because you're afraid I won't love you back?" Ghost stared him down, challenging him to answer. When her question was met with silence, she decided to finally reveal the truth that she'd been lying to herself about since the accident that had torn them apart. At the risk of having her last guard wall between them torn down, if it meant she got him to answer, then she'd do it. She'd do anything for him. "Because I do. I love you, Jake."

Hangman froze, the genuineness of her statement crashing over him as his gaze searched her face once more for the lie, but he wouldn't find one. All he would see were the tears welling in Ghost's eyes as she said, "I love you, Jake. I love you so much that if leaving is what you truly want me to do, then I will. If you tell me you do not love me, I will walk out that door without another word or argument. I will do as you wish, and we- we can live our separate lives and be cordial to each other when social situations are required, but I will not talk to you during those times or contact you outside of them. I will find a way to live my life without having the hope that one day, you will once again be in it. But first-" Ghost closed the distance between herself and Hangman, heart and head aching in terror at what his words would be to her request- "you need to tell me that you do not love me."

"Annie, I..." Hangman gulped, and Ghost could've sworn his entire body shook. "I'm a danger. To you, to everyone who-"

"That wasn't my question," she said sharply. "Do you love me?"

"I'm cursed! You don't deserve a life with a man who could get you killed or a guy who was so weak that he thought jumping into the black waves would solve all his issues. You deserve-"

"Jake!" Annalise exclaimed in exasperation, grasping his forearms firmly. "I will decide what type of man I deserve! And I will be the barrier between you and the black waves when they try calling for you to jump into them again. I will stand with you through the good and the bad. Just tell me: do you love me?"

"I love you!" Jake burst, chest rising and falling rapidly at the emotion he loosed. He broke from her grasp, clasping his hands behind his head as he walked away from her. Hangman took a few deep breaths, calming himself, before facing Ghost and closing the distance between them. He cupped her face, and in the gentlest of voices, he said, "Annie, I have loved you from the moment you tried to take my head off with your guitar. I never said anything because I did not want to drag someone as bright and full of light as you down with me into my darkness. I wanted you to find someone who deserved you, and I never saw myself as that man."

I love you. I love you. I love you. The words rang loudly in her head, and Ghost couldn't quite believe she was finally hearing them fall from his lips after all this time. She covered her hands with his, unable to tear her gaze from her sparkling green eyes.

"You-" Hangman began, kissing her brow- "have bewitched me- body and soul- since the day I met you, and I love you."

Ghost smiled at the reference to her favorite film. She tilted her head up to brace her forehead against his. "Forever?"

Without hesitation, without stumbling or missing a beat, Hangman replied, "And always."

Ghost closed the gap between their lips, and no more words needed to be said.

****

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23 Chp 24 Chp 25 Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31 Chp 32 Chp 33 Chp 34 Chp 35 Chp 36

If you're not on the tag list and want to be, just let me know :)

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 months

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Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 35

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 1692

Warnings: Swearing

Or so he thought.

Also, PLEASE listen to Forever Winter. It's completely Ghost/Hangman coded.

Chapter Songs: Hold My Hand Forever Winter

****

Ghost

"You really need to lock your doors. One day, someone unsavory could walk in. Or I could walk in and see something I don't want to," Annalise said, entering Jake's room. Her friend lounged shirtless in his bed. It took all her willpower not to admire his well-defined abs or how low his shorts rode on his waist.

Jake rolled his head to look at her, giving her a cheeky smile. "To your first point, I like to live life dangerously. To your second point, there would've been a sock on the door."

"Live life dangerously by flying jets, not by leaving your door unlocked. Now, this is a rhetorical question because I already see the answer to it, but are you ready to go?"

Jake groaned and rolled onto his stomach, burying his face into his pillows. His muffled response of "No" could barely be heard. Annalise sat on the bed and leaned over him, asking, "What are you so afraid of?"

"Lydia."

Annalise snorted and rested her chin on his bare shoulder. "She's not going to kill you. Torture you? Possibly."

"Death might be easier." He turned his head to the side, green eyes staring her down. Realizing how close their mouths were, Annalise propped herself above him again, unable to bring herself too far away, though. She'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't enjoy seeing him underneath her without a shirt. Jake, seemingly unaware of her thoughts, continued, "What exactly did I do to her last night?"

"Spilled a drink on her favorite dress, and when you noticed she was angry about it, you grabbed a napkin and wrapped it around her shoulders and said, 'Now you're super angry!' She didn't take to it well. Not with all the alcohol she drank, at least."

"I have a better idea: why don't you and I go for a drive? Just the two of us."

Annalise cocked her head. He hadn't requested they go on a drive in a long time. Last time he had, it'd been on the anniversary of his mom's death, and his mind had been reeling with the survivor's guilt and PTSD from that night. Come to think of it, that time was approaching again... "Sure. But you'll still need to get dressed for it."

"All right, all right." Annalise moved so Jake could get up. He padded to the bathroom, running a hand through his cropped hair. Without shutting the door, he started getting ready: brushing his teeth, fixing his hair, and getting dressed. Annalise hastily averted her eyes. It's not like she hadn't seen him naked before when they went skinny-dipping at the lake with Lydia and Javy at the latter's family cabin, but being in his room alone with him felt much more intimate.

"So, where are we driving to, exactly?" Annalise inquired, taking out her phone and studiously scrolling through her photos and videos, looking at anything and everything other than Jake's flawless physique, perfectly visible from the bathroom entryway.

"The Everglades? Away from civilization?"

"If it were almost anyone but you, I'd question it because I've been watching too much true crime, but I know you'd never kill me, so I'm game."

Jake chuckled, exiting the bathroom while throwing on a blue tee. "If you die, I die. Want to swing by Starbucks on the way?"

"Absolutely." Annalise hopped up and trailed him out of his bedroom to his pickup truck. Jake opened the door for her, and she slid in. He climbed into the driver's side shortly after. While Annalise texted Lydia and Javy about the change in plans- something she was sure the couple wouldn't mind since they were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship- Jake drove and tried to get a decent music channel on. Only when they arrived at Starbucks did he actually find one.

"We're going in?" Annalise queried, surprised by the fact since they typically only did the drive-thru.

"Yeah. Figured we had nowhere to be. I also forgot to use the bathroom before we left, and now I need it."

Annalise laughed. "That's what I thought. Come on."

They entered the establishment, and he hurried to the bathroom while she ordered. By the time he finished, Annalise had already paid and waited at the counter for their names to be called. Jake leaned against it next to her, his eyes drifting to something over her shoulder.

"What is it?" Annalise asked.

"Nothing," he said, sheepishly smiling and returning his gaze to hers.

Not believing him, she peered behind her. A woman, appearing in her mid-thirties, waited patiently at the counter. Her blonde hair and green eyes bore a striking resemblance to someone Annalise once knew.

"She looks just like my mom," Jake murmured.

"She does," Annalise agreed, slipping her hand into his. "Is this why you wanted to go for a drive? Because it's nearing the anniversary?"

Jake swallowed and nodded. "It's been years, but I still-"

"Hey, you don't have to explain."

"You're the only one who understands. I love Lydia and Javy, but they- they're not-"

"You'll always have me, Jake. You can't get rid of me at this point. You know too much about me." Annalise added the small joke at the end to try and break the sadness from Jake's face, even just momentarily. She despised seeing him upset. It was a side of him only she ever got to witness, and Annalise prided herself in the fact he felt comfortable enough with her to show such emotion, but that didn't mean she enjoyed seeing him in such a state.

"Forever?" Jake's vulnerable eyes met hers.

She squeezed his hand. "And always."

****

It'd been four days. Four days since Coyote dropped off the letters and turned Ghost's world upside down from the revelations they revealed to her. She'd reread each letter multiple times until she'd practically memorized them by heart. It also took her those four days to land on a song she thought perfect enough for the message she wanted to convey to him that she hadn't entirely found the words for yet. Ghost landed on two songs, actually, posting one on the third day and one on the fourth, 'Hold My Hand' by Lady Gaga and 'Forever Winter' by Taylor Swift, respectively. Both took multiple tries to get through because some of the lyrics hit too close to home, causing a knot to block any vocals from escaping her throat, particularly the 'Forever Winter' lines: "If I was standing there in your apartment, I'd take that bomb in your head and disarm it. I'd say, "I love you even at your darkest, and please, don't go," and, "He says he doesn't believe anything much he hears these days. I say, 'Believe in one thing, I won't go away.'"

Ghost wasn't even sure if he still followed her account and didn't have the courage to check. She had lost a follower but couldn't tell who it was. Probably him if she had to be honest with herself. Ghost decided to give it a day or two for Hangman to reach out to her, and if he didn't, then she would go to him. He at least needed some space, time to cool down, after their fight at the Bradshaws. Still, the wait ate at her to the point that Ghost's appetite all but disappeared. She ate only a handful of trail mix one day and a single piece of bacon on another, too wrapped up in her worry and anxiety.

On the sixth day, without any word from Hangman, Ghost decided it was time to go to him. Whether he was ready or not, they needed to talk. Once and for all, they needed to get this cleared between them.

As Ghost gathered her belongings and gingerly placed the box of letters in her backpack, her phone rang. She answered without looking, blindly hoping it would be Hangman on the other end. "Hello?"

"I have bad news and... other news," Jackie said. "What do you want to hear first?"

Ghost tried to hide her disappointment when she answered, "Isn't it supposed to be good news and bad news?"

"Well, I'm not sure how you'll take one. The other, I know you'll take as bad news."

Ghost groaned. "Bad news first."

"I'm not sure how, but Mom found out about what we were digging into. She's pretty upset."

"Fuck."

"And I think she's calling Maverick, based on the conversation I overheard before sneaking away to call you."

"And? Is he-"

"Your dad? Yeah..." A weird flurry of emotions coursed through Ghost at her sister's words: shock, happiness, guilt... all this time, she wondered why she didn't look like Nathan Blackwood, and now it made sense. But another emotion trumped all of them: indifference.

"Ghost? You okay?" Jackie prodded hesitantly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. It's just... I don't think it's quite sunk in yet."

And because I care more about fixing things with Hangman right now than I do about who my biological dad is. There was the truth of the matter. That much she could tell was the root of her indifference, at least for now. If that got sorted out, then she could focus on what it meant to have Maverick as her dad and what their relationship would be like going forward.

"I-I need to go. I have to-"

"You don't need to explain. Go fix things with your man."

"How did you-"

"Because I know you, and I could hear the emotion in your voice in those last two videos. Only Hangman ever got that reaction out of you. Go fix whatever is going on between you once and for all. We can deal with this after. I love you."

"Love you too, Jackie. And thank you. Thank you for everything. Call if you need anything?"

"I'll do no such thing until I get confirmation things are good with lover boy." That earned a small but genuine chuckle from Ghost as she hung up with Jackie. Then she grabbed her stuff and strode out the door before she could chicken out.

****

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23 Chp 24 Chp 25 Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31 Chp 32 Chp 33 Chp 34 Chp 35

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 months

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Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 34

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 2505

Warnings: Talk of suicide, swearing

Or so he thought.

Chapter Songs: Innocent Cry Pretty

****

Ghost

Rooster had been more than ready to follow Hangman and punch him for what he'd said to Ghost and Juliette; the latter barely stopped him, threatening him with staying over at her mother's house for the night if he followed through with his desire. Rooster reluctantly refrained from going after Hangman.

Ghost convinced the couple she would be okay, that she'd expected him to retaliate against her for what he'd revealed last night. What she hadn't expected was for him to bring up her videos. She'd been so careful not to show her face, to blur the background to hide any notable features of her room, to hide her dog tags under her shirt and out of sight. So what gave her away? The songs? The timing of the songs? The guitar? Surely, other people had similar blue guitars. And how could Hangman even recognize the one he gave her? It'd been so long ago.

Ghost twisted her ring anxiously on her finger, staring at the guitars on her wall, debating whether to post a new song as an apology or delete the account altogether. She leaned toward the latter.

A knock on her door brought Ghost out of her thoughts. She hurried to answer it, wishing Hangman would be there to try and work things out but knowing better than to hope for such a thing. Her life wasn't one of the romance novels she loved so much. Hers was more of a tragedy...

When she opened the door, Coyote greeted her. Ghost immediately inquired, "How is he?"

"Struggling, trying to shut me out. The usual when he's upset," he replied, stepping inside with a backpack. "How are you doing?"

"Had better days."

"I figured. Listen, I can't stay long. I just needed to bring something by. And for the record-" Coyote opened his backpack and dug around before taking out a battered box- "you didn't get this from me."

"What is it?" Ghost asked, removing the lid. A bunch of letters, neatly organized, rested inside. Each envelope had her name on it in familiar handwriting.

"Hangman planned on giving you these when he realized he couldn't voice his apology. He wouldn't answer me truthfully about why he never followed through, but I think he got scared about how you'd react. He told me he got rid of them, but I knew better. I still believe he should've given them to you. I'm not sure how much Hangman told you last night, but if there are any holes or questions, maybe these will answer them for you."

Ghost stared at Coyote, unsure whether she should read the letters. Hangman had kept them from her for a reason. Even if he had been scared to give them to her, if he hadn't been the one to deliver them to her, there had to be a reason. Hangman was mad enough at her already. Ghost hated to add to that anger by reading the letters without his consent. Still, she had a question. "Why letters?"

Coyote shrugged. "I don't really remember. Just that it had something to do with a movie. I should get going, but call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, Coyote. For checking on him."

"Of course. And really, I know you have Princess and Rooster, but I'm here for you too."

"Hangman feels he only has you. I can't take you away from him."

"I'm your friend too, Ghost. Don't forget that," he told her firmly. Smiling appreciatively, she hugged Coyote tightly, a gesture he willingly returned. Ghost missed his bear hugs. "I want you two to work this out."

"Me too. You have no idea."

Coyote kissed the top of her head. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Ghost bid him goodbye, waited for the door to shut, then turned to the box of letters. She grabbed the top one and stared at it, mulling over the pros and cons, the right and wrong, of opening it.

It's addressed to me. Hangman intended to give them to me. Reading one wouldn't hurt... would it? Throwing caution to the wind, Ghost grabbed the box and sat on her couch before opening the first letter. It was dated the day after the accident:

Ghost-

I'm not sure how to talk to you right now, so I'm resorting to these letters. It's easier to write what I'm feeling than to speak it. So much has happened in such a short amount of time, and all I can think about is seeing you die, seeing Ghoul die, and how I'm to blame for it. Saying sorry will never suffice or bring Ghoul back, but to the deepest parts of my soul, I am sorry. I am sorry for hurting you; I am sorry for taking Ghoul away from you and Coyote; and I am sorry that I haven't been able to see you again. I did try today, but the moment my foot stepped into sickbay, images of you dying- mixed in with those of Mom and Ghoul- stopped me. The three of you all died when I entered your rooms, and I couldn't risk it happening again. Logically, I know it's stupid. Logically, I understand they're simply horrific coincidences, but if there's even a chance that they're not mere 'coincidences,' then I can't see you until you're out of the hospital. That way, you can't die on me a second time because I can't lose you, too, Ghost.

I'll try to see you again tomorrow.

Forever and Always,

Texas

Ghost's hands trembled. She should've stopped reading them after the first one like she said she would, but curiosity got the better of her. Ghost pulled out the second letter:

I've decided to write you a letter a day like Noah did to Allie in The Notebook. I remember watching that movie for the first time with you, and the letter idea always stuck with me. Not sure why, but it looks like it's coming in handy. Maybe this could be our own Noah and Allie story, but rather than it being us falling back in love, it's us falling back into our friendship because God knows it's going to be different now. I tried to visit you again, but the same thing happened. I can't cross the threshold into sickbay. All I want to do is see you, but even if I could get the courage to do so, what could I say to you that would even begin to mend what I broke? If your pain is anything like what I see in Coyote... I can't bear the idea.

Forever and Always,

Texas

Ghost wiped away a tear, smiling at the reference to The Notebook. She had wondered where he got the letters idea from, and now she knew. It had been her favorite movie for so long before she finally watched Pride and Prejudice, but it still held a dear place in her heart.

Ghost moved on to the third letter:

Coyote said you requested to see me today. I told him I would with every intention to follow through, but like yesterday and the day before, I couldn't do it. The weakling I am, I let my fears get the better of me. If you ever end up reading these, please know that my lack of visits has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I can't bear to see you in pain, let alone pain caused by me, and I can't stop seeing the memory of you dying every time I even consider visiting you. You can call me cowardly for it, and you'd be right. One day, maybe I can overcome this, but that's not today, and I'm sorry. I wish I could be better for you.

Forever and always,

Texas

Ghost read through more and more letters. All were relatively short, usually repeating the same things, but she could sense the despair and hatred for himself in each one, the next letter always turning slightly darker, more depressed. She found the one about a quarter of the way through that made the tears finally cascade silently down her face:

Word got around about my apparent ability to kill people when I step into their hospital room. Bradshaw- damn him- joked about me being some sort of hangman. Well, now that name's stuck, and whether I like it or not, my callsign is no longer Texas but Hangman. Nothing like being reminded that you killed your two best friends every time someone says your name. If they only knew about my mom... It's a fitting punishment for me, though. I did kill you and Ghoul, and I know I'm pretending like I've moved on in everyone's eyes, including yours, but I'm not okay Ghost. I'm so far from it. The trial is about to start soon. Why it's taken them this long to get to it, I don't understand. The waiting is the worst, especially because I know I'll see you then, see and hear your pain... if I don't look at you, it's not because I'm uninterested. It's because I'm not strong enough to do it.

Forever and Always,

Hangman

A few weeks later, the letter became even more pained, more desperate:

It was so much worse than I imagined. Seeing you, I mean. Hearing you recount what happened reopened the wound I'd so carefully stitched together. Each word felt like a knife slicing open my skin, deep enough to hurt but not enough to kill, even though death would've been a less painful option. But you defended me. After everything I did that day, after everything I've done following it, you still defended me. It's given me the courage to finally talk to you. Once this is over, that is, since we're both witnesses and not meant to speak to each other until after the trial, but I will. I will finally talk to you, tell you why I haven't seen you, why I haven't been able to talk to you. I hope you understand. If not, I get it. I left you alone during a horrible time. If that ends up being the case, then know I love you, Ghost. I always have and always will, and if you ever decide to give me a second chance, I will be waiting for you.

Forever and Always,

Hangman

More weeks passed, and the letter said:

I'm not sure why I'm continuing to write these letters. Maybe a part of me thinks I'll get the nerve to send these to you and that you'll read them and magically forgive me for all the wrongs I've done to you. But I know those chances are slim to none. The look you gave me when I tried to approach you after the trial closed told me as such. I've seen you enraged, but not at me. Not until today. How you kept from throttling me in that moment, I'll never understand. I wish you would've, if not to put me out of my misery. It's getting worse each day, and I don't know how to pull myself out of it... and that scares me. I think I might need help, but if the Navy believes I'm mentally unfit, they'll pull me from flying, and that's the one thing keeping me sane right now. I don't know what to do, Ghost. All I do know is that I wish you were here.

Forever and Always,

Hangman

After that letter, Ghost had to take a break from reading them. How could she have been so blind to his pain? How could she not recognize that his response to her accident was a trauma response from his childhood? Sure, she'd been wrapped up in her own grief, but that badly?

It took an hour before she could bring herself to read more. One after the other, each one wrenching her heart and tugging on her heartstrings until it threatened to suffocate her. However, the last letter was her undoing.

It's been a year since everything went to shit. It's been a year since Ghoul died, a year since we stopped speaking, a year since the last time I felt any form of genuine happiness. It's been harder and harder each day since the accident to get out of bed, go to work, put on a smile, and pretend everything's okay, but I barely made it today. It was weird. I'd actually been doing okay once I got out of bed and got in the air. It was when I landed, and my phone decided to remind me of my memories of the day that it all went to shit. I stupidly opened the reminder and saw a selfie of you, me, Coyote, and Ghoul, our last picture together before I killed y'all. I skipped lunch, and I'm skipping dinner to write this letter because I'm tired. I'm tired of the guilt, I'm tired of being alone, and I'm tired of hating myself. I can't keep doing this. I can't stop thinking of how easy it'd be to go down to the hangar right now and jump into the black waves. I'd be dead before anyone noticed I was gone. I'm not sure what's stopping me right now. Maybe because Coyote is on board, and I don't want to hurt him more than I already have, but even then, he has friends outside of me here. He has Phoenix and Payback, to name a couple. Who do I have outside of him? These letters will never make it to you, so maybe that's why I feel I can say all this. If these letters truly were meant to get to you, I would never voice half of these things. You've been burdened enough because of my decisions and actions, and I wouldn't dare add my own personal issues to them. God forbid, however, that these letters do find their way to you, if there are two things I want you to take away from them, it's that, first and foremost, I love you. Unequivocally, unabashedly, wholeheartedly in love with you. Second, I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused. It was never my intention.

Yours, Forever and Always,

Jake 'Hangman' Seresin

Ghost set the letter down and buried her face into her hands, sobbing at the depths of Hangman's despair, that'd he'd been in so much pain without anyone to turn to that he trusted. As close to Coyote as he'd been, Hangman hadn't felt he could go to him for what he'd been enduring, and Ghost understood Coyote had been the only one left for Hangman. Ghoul had died, Ghost had ended their friendship, and that was it. No wonder Jake felt so alone. No wonder his mind had gone down such a dark rabbit hole.

Ghost wiped away her tears and turned her gaze to the wall of guitars. She'd toppled over the edge with a song. Maybe she could start mending their friendship back with one...

****

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23 Chp 24 Chp 25 Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31 Chp 32 Chp 33 Chp 34

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 months

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Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 33

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 1973

Warnings: Talk of suicide, swearing

Or so he thought.

Chapter Songs: Tequila Right Now

****

Hangman

A consistent pounding in his ears roused Hangman from his deep sleep. He tried to sit up, but that only worsened it. He swiftly pieced together that it was the blood in his head making the incessant noise, not someone knocking on the door. God, death would be less painful than this. How hadn't he died last night with all the alcohol he'd had? It's not like Hangman intended to drink that much, but he kept making friends at the bar who kept paying for his drinks until they could drink no longer and left. But he had stayed. Stayed until-

Fuck. Although barely memorable, faces belonging to Rooster, Juliette, and Ghost flickered in his mind, along with the drunken ramblings he'd tried so hard to keep to himself, to keep quiet, even if they ate him alive because no one deserved to know his pain, but not because of his lack in trust in them. In fact, three of the four people he trusted most with that pain had rescued him from the bar that night. No. They didn't deserve it because they all had pains and worries of their own, none of which needed the added burden of his own problems that were far darker than anyone should ever know.

Hangman forced his eyes open and, through his blurry vision, recognized the white coffee table with aviator magazines neatly spread out on the surface, the built-in bookshelves with a myriad of pictures, books, and awards dotting the shelves, the navy blue recliner with the curled-up figure of Ghost-

At the sight of her, Hangman rocketed upward. The movement caused his world to spin, and it took all of his willpower to not throw up again. He remembered that from last night, too. So much hurling before they'd lugged him to the couch...

When his world stabilized, he tried to stand, but Hangman had hardly taken two steps before ramming his shin into the coffee table. "Fuck!"

Ghost jerked awake, staring wildly and dazed at him. When she comprehended the situation before her, she jumped up to help him.

Push her away. You're only hurt her more. It doesn't matter how much it hurts. Push her away. "Leave me alone," Hangman snapped when Ghost tried to rest her hand on his shoulder. He stepped out of reach, ignoring the pain wracking his body, both from the hangover and the run-in with the coffee table.

"Jake-"

"Don't," he hissed. "I'm fine."

A lie given away by his stumbling, and Ghost knew it, but she listened to him. To his amazement, she listened, staying perfectly still, eyes staring at him with nothing but concern. Why? The last time they'd been in the same room together, she'd rightfully stormed out on him, giving him what had been a final goodbye. Why change her mind so suddenly?

Unless...

He vaguely remembered he'd told her some of his reasoning for not seeing her in the hospital after the crash, but how much else had he divulged to Ghost?

She held her hands up placatingly. "If you want to leave, that's fine, but let me help-"

"I don't need your help," Hangman snapped. "I-"

"What's going on?" Juliette's calm, concerned voice floated from behind him. Hangman turned slowly to avoid toppling over. On Princess's heels was Rooster, eyeing the situation warily. They landed on Hangman, who braced himself for a snarky comment, but none came. That scared Hangman.

"I was just leaving," Jake managed to say, hoping they could avoid any more awkwardness if he ignored the truths he surely divulged last night. "Thanks for letting me crash here, and sorry for dragging y'all out in the middle of the night."

"Don't mention it," Rooster replied evenly. "You want breakfast?"

Hangman shook his head. "I should be getting back to my place."

"Why don't I give you a ride?" Juliette offered, moving toward the garage.

"No." It came out more sharply than he intended, his tone a knife in the tense atmosphere, but he kept it that way. He had to if he had any hope of leaving unescorted. "I'll walk. Sober me up."

"Hell of a walk," Rooster commented, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning against the door frame. Hangman refused to dignify him with a response, only rolling his eyes and moving to the front door.

"You either let one of us take you, or we call someone, but you shouldn't walk alone," Ghost said kindly. "I know my motorcycle might-"

"I don't want you trying to help me because of some stupid, drunken shit I might've said last night. You made it perfectly clear how you feel about me after that fight, so why don't you call Wolfie up about that wine and chocolate he promised you?" The color drained from Ghost's face, and Hangman knew he'd hit his mark. She posted her videos anonymously, possibly only a handful of people knowing about the account. Having not told him about it, Hangman assumed it'd rattle Ghost for her to know he had knowledge about the account she sang her heart out for. But it still wasn't enough to stop her from coming after him if he left. He had to strike lower, harder. Had to rub salt in the wound. Hangman had to keep her away from him. "You want to know what brought that drinking binge on? It wasn't my father's death. It was you. It was 'Forever and Always' after our fight the other night. It was 'Mr. Perfectly Fine' when I was here for the training detachment when I started having a thing for Juliette. It was 'Haunted' on the anniversary of Ghoul's death. It was 'My Tears Richochet' after your lunch with Jackie. It was 'All Too Well' and 'The Story of Us' after running into each other at the Hard Deck the night of Juliette's promotion celebration. It was 'I Forgot That You Existed' after you slept with Rooster. It was every fucking cover song directed at me. It was hearing the anger and hurt in your voice and realizing you not only never moved on from what I did to you but that you thought I stopped caring about you, that I forgot about you altogether, when that couldn't have been further from the God damn truth. It was realizing how low of an opinion you had of me. That's what sent me over the edge. Because I learned how to stop giving a shit a long time ago about what people thought of me, but you mattered. You always have and always will."

"You were never supposed to see those," Ghost breathed, voice barely audible.

Hangman's heart shattered. He might've gone too far, but he'd had to. They weren't good together. No. He wasn't good for her. Hangman did nothing but drag her down, did nothing but hurt her. Ghost gave him chance after chance, and he blew them every single time. She was too good to stop trying to provide him more opportunities to fix what he had broken, so Hangman had to end it for her. Ghost would move on from him, and that's all that mattered to him, whether he found the strength to move on from her or not.

"Yeah, well, I did." Hangman tore himself away from her and yanked the door open. Stepping into the bright sunshine, he called over his shoulder. "Leave me alone. That goes for all of you."

Slamming the door behind him, Jake strode onto the sidewalk with his head held high until the Bradshaw house could no longer see him. Only then did he sag against a stranger's white fence, letting the emotions and turmoil of what occurred just now and last night wash over him. Hangman had always been good at destroying things: flight records, enemy targets... now he could add 'relationships' to the list, too.

With an effort and lead feet, Hangman shuffled to his apartment, the long trek his personal punishment for treating his three friends the way he had. None of them had done anything wrong except see him at the second lowest point in his life, save Hangman from drinking himself into oblivion last night, and learn his deepest, darkest secrets.

It took him a good hour to walk the short trip to his apartment, but rather than heading to bed like his body screamed at him to do, Hangman forced himself to work out. Stripping off his shirt, he put on the boxing gloves and went to the punching bag, taking all his frustration and embarrassment out on the leather and sand, trying to punch away all his emotions. It'd take him until the end of his life to succeed with that endeavor.

"Dude, you've really got to start locking your doors," Coyote said. Hangman whirled around, wondering how long his friend had been there. As if sensing his question, Javy added, "I just got here, but judging by the sweat, you've been at it for a while."

Feigning casualness and masking the dark thoughts that might've been showing on his face, Hangman said, "I thought you would've been with your date still."

"No, we're taking it slow." Coyote looked him up and down. "You look like shit."

Hangman scoffed. If his friend only knew. "Nice to see you, too."

"Ghost texted me."

Shit. "About what?" Jake replied, dropping his gaze to his hands as he took off the boxing gloves.

"All she said is, and I quote: I fucked up. Hangman needs you. No other explanation, so I figured I should get here quickly."

Ghost's words were an exact echo of the ones Hangman had sent Juliette after their fight. God, why couldn't she stop caring about him? Why couldn't Ghost let his words ruin their relationship like he had wanted them to?

"What happened?" Javy prodded, moving aside when Jake stalked to the kitchen.

"I got drunk, said things I shouldn't have, and told her off."

"What exactly did you tell her?"

Hangman sighed, realizing his friend would only drop this once he told the truth. Again. So he did. Almost every nitty gritty detail, with the exception of the near-suicide jump into the ocean that Coyote had unknowingly saved him from. At the end of the story, Javy sat on the bar stool and sighed. "Wow, you really did tell everything. Even the letters?"

"No, not those." Miraculously, it had been the one secret he kept to himself. How that- over everything else revealed last night- ended up being the one piece he hadn't blurted out, Hangman couldn't figure out, but he wasn't complaining.

"Do you still have them?"

"No," Hangman lied, thinking of the stack of envelopes tucked away in a box on the top shelf of the coat closet, forgotten for most of the year except on the few days he found himself tempted to send them. "Even if I did, they wouldn't change anything."

"Why did you never give them to Ghost in the first place?"

Hangman shrugged, unwilling to admit he'd been too scared, too cowardly, to give the sheets of paper that contained every piece of his love to her, afraid she would read them and then wrench his heart right out of his chest out of pure spite for the pain he'd put her through. "Don't know. Didn't feel like it'd make a difference. I've never been good with words or actions anyway, so probably best I didn't give them to her. Most likely would've made it worse."

Coyote nodded but dropped the subject. "Whatever you need, I'm here for you, starting with telling you- and I mean this in the nicest way possible- you need a shower. You reek of alcohol."

And probably other shitty things. Hangman thought grimly. Nodding in agreement, he shuffled off to the bathroom.

****

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23 Chp 24 Chp 25 Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31 Chp 32 Chp 33

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 months

Text

Maverick: *pitches an idea*

Goose: You might have something there!

Iceman, pinching the bridge of his nose: Yeah, a lawsuit.

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 months

Text

Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 32

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 1547

Warnings: Talk of death, PTSD, talk of suicide, swearing

Or so he thought.

Chapter Songs: Fire Away Afterglow

****

All these years, Ghost had believed Hangman abandoned her, that he never came to visit. All these years, Hangman had allowed her to continue believing that rather than confess the truth. But why?

As if sensing her question, Hangman continued, "I'd just watched the medics try to resuscitate Ghoul after she coded when I stepped into her room. I offered to be the one to break the news to you when you woke up since her death was my fault. I went to your room and stood outside for probably ten minutes, watching your heart monitor beep slowly and steadily, convincing myself you were okay. My foot barely hit the floor in your room when you started coding, too. I don't know what caused it. I never asked. But after that… I- I couldn't bring myself to see you again. I'd killed Ghoul, temporarily killed you, and just by trying to see y'all. I was terrified if I tried to see you again, you'd code a second time, and that the medics wouldn't be able to bring you back. So, I stayed away."

"W-why did you never tell me?"

"I blamed myself so fully- and still do since we're bein' honest here- that I convinced myself you would too. I could see how upset you were whenever I did see you, and I couldn't- I couldn't face you and hear the words I thought you might hurl at me, the words I already told myself every night, so I would leave before you could reach me. It was one thing if the words came from me; I could chalk it up to survivor's guilt. But coming from you..." Hangman chuckled humorlessly. "I never cared much for people's opinions unless they had sway and could get me where I wanted to go, but you- you were one of the few whose words meant everything to me. When you defended me so firmly at the trial, it was the first time I thought you might not hate me like I'd convinced myself you did, but I was wrong. When we exited the room and locked eyes, I saw the hurt and the anger, mainly the latter. You could've burned the world with the flames of rage in your eyes. Then you turned your back on me and walked down the hallway, essentially telling me to fuck off, which you had every right to, and the little remaining hope I had left disappeared."

Hangman rubbed his face with his hands, then tipped his head back against the wall to stare at the ceiling. Ghost noticed the tics in his jaw while he mulled over his next words. "I relived that crash every God damn time I closed my eyes. I saw it every time I went up in the air for a year. I wouldn't let my wingmen fly directly behind me. I pushed everyone away. It was easier that way. That way, no one could hurt me, and, more importantly, I couldn't hurt anyone else."

"But I still don't understand why you never told me you visited. If you told me this back then, I would've understood, Jake. It was traumatic for everyone involved."

"Because I was a coward. Seresin men, we- we tend to break things. I swear we're cursed. Look at my father with broken his marriage, Nick with his embezzlement situation, myself-" Hangman scoffed, and Ghost saw a glimmer of unshed tears in his eyes. "I kill people without meaning to. Killed you, killed my mom, killed Ghoul, now my father… that's what I do. Seeing my mom in the hospital and die in front of me the second I went into her room traumatized me, and I never liked hospitals after that, but I chalked it up to shit luck. Then I went to see you and Ghoul after the crash, and when Ghoul died upon my entrance, I figured it was a shit coincidence. Then you died and- and I realized I was the problem. I believed if I tried to see you again, you'd die a second time. I couldn't risk that. It sounds stupid to say I'm cursed, but it's the only explanation. After all, one's an accident, two's a coincidence, and three's a pattern. I believe it to this day. It's why I couldn't bring myself to see Phoenix and Bob after their crash. It's why I couldn't go to the hospital when Princess passed out at the beach. If I went, it would've been the death of her. My father's death just adds to the proof of my curse. God, even halfway across the country, and I still killed him."

Ghost swallowed the knot in her throat. All this time, it'd been a severe misunderstanding with horrible pain and PTSD on each side. She wanted to cry in frustration, but her gut told Ghost to keep it together, that Jake held something back. Taking into account his rambling explanations and apparent inability to currently stop talking, Ghost pressed on. "You're not cursed, Jake; if Juliette were here, she'd tell you the same thing. As awful as the coincidences were with me, Ghoul, and your parents, they were just that: coincidences. I'd had water in my lungs, and Ghoul and your mom had bleeding of the brain that they didn't catch in time. None of that was your fault."

"My mom died because she picked me up. You and Ghoul died because I cut you off."

"Which you wouldn't have done if you thought it would put us in danger, and it wasn't the crash that killed her. Her parachute failed to open. That's not on you."

"It still happened, though. Y'all wouldn't have had to eject if I hadn't cut you off in the first place."

Ghost reached over and laced her fingers with his. "I don't blame you. I never have and never will. I just wished I would've learned this sooner. Then maybe we wouldn't have been the way we were all these years. I'm sorry for not giving you the chance to explain sooner."

"You did, but I balked. Every fucking time, I balked."

"But you told me in the end. Thank you for telling me everything."

Ghost froze when Hangman slid over and rested his head on her shoulder. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring myself to tell you sooner. You should thank Coyote, too, come to think of it. He's the only reason I'm here right now, whether he knows it or not."

"What do you mean?" Ghost's blood ran cold at his words. She'd swiftly understood how Jake's upbringing and trauma from his childhood caused his reaction when the accident happened, but these words… only one thought came to mind, and she couldn't bear to even go down the road of consideration for them.

"After the trial, realizin' you hated me, the nightmares, the knowledge I'd killed Ghoul, I started thinkin' the world would be better off without me. All I did was hurt people. I walked too close to the edge of the hangar deck and stared at the black water, thinkin' how easy it'd be to jump in and disappear. Javy found me, but I don't think he realized his impeccable timin'. He told me to not get so close to the edge and just chatted with me. I couldn't figure out why he was speakin' to me after all that happened, but it stopped me from jumpin' that day."

"And the days after that?" Ghost asked, voice barely above a whisper. A weight- unrelated to Hangman's head- rested on her shoulders at the newfound knowledge of his inner turmoil.

"Spite. Javy knew how to get through to me, said why I should keep flyin' and own the new callsign. Told me if I gave up on the Navy, it'd prove my father right about me. That was all I needed to hear, but I never forgot the pain, and I decided outside of Javy, I would never let someone else in. Held that promise to myself until I met Jules, but even she doesn't know all this. She'll find out sooner or later. You women always find out everythin' whether us men want you to or not…"

Ghost waited for Hangman to say more, but when he started snoring, that gave her the answer. Ghost squeezed her eyes shut and pursed her lips, desperately attempting to stop herself from crying and waking him up. He needed to be the one comforted right now, not her. Maybe if she'd been there for him, maybe if she'd gotten her own head out of her ass and released her anger long enough to talk to him, had given him a chance to explain, then those suicidal thoughts never would've entered his mind. Ghost had come so close to permanently losing Hangman, and she hadn't learned of it until six years later. Had Coyote not shown up when he did...

The brutality of the truth hit her like a tidal wave; no matter what she did, the silent tears flowed down her cheeks. She tilted her head and rested it atop Hangman's, whispering so low that she was barely audible, "I love you. Forever and always, I will love you."

****

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23 Chp 24 Chp 25 Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31 Chp 32

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 months

Text

Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 31

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 1629

Warnings: Talk of death, PTSD

Or so he thought.

Chapter Songs: The Reason Broken Halos

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Ghost

Juliette waddled purposefully to the garage before giving either of the aviators a chance to argue with her. Ghost and Rooster were hot on her heels. They slid into Bradley's Bronco, and Juliette floored it to The Riptide. Ten minutes later, they swiftly entered the dimly lit establishment and found Hangman sitting at the bar, his cheek plastered to the dark wood of the counter. His green eyes were half shut, but he recognized his friends immediately, although he didn't appear exactly pleased to see two of them.

"I called Princess," he slurred, frowning. "What're youse doin' here?"

"You might've called Juliette, but you gave the bartender my callsign," Ghost explained, looking him up and down. "I happened to be with them when he called."

Jake sighed dramatically. "Shit. Sorry, Annie, uh, I mean, Annalise… youse can go. I'm… I'm good."

"It's fine," Ghost responded gently, gingerly placing a hand on his back, "but I'm not leaving here without you."

"Our place is closest. Let's bring him there. The sooner we get him to a toilet, the better," Juliette remarked, taking Jake's credit card from the bartender.

Rooster grabbed Hangman by the shoulders and pulled him into a sitting position. "Ghost, can you help me carry him back to the truck?"

"On it." Ghost and Rooster each grabbed one of Jake's arms and threw it around their shoulders, then proceeded to carry a deadweight Hangman out of the bar and into the back of the Bronco. He mumbled incoherent protests, but none of them listened. Ghost hopped into the back of the car first before helping Rooster slide Hangman onto the seat with her. Jake promptly slumped over into her lap. Ghost cradled him, heart thundering in her chest as she thought of everything that could've possessed him to drink so heavily. Never in all the years she'd known him had he ever drank that much. Hangman hated to lose control, and drinking did just that. She'd seen him tipsy, but never drunk, especially not like this.

"Jus- just take me home," Hangman mumbled.

"Negative, Ghost Rider," Juliette responded, glancing at him from the rearview mirror. "Our place is closest, and all that alcohol is going to come out one end sooner or later, and if it's from the top end, we want to make sure you don't choke."

Hangman sighed and whispered, "I'm not anyone's responsibility… I don't- don't wanna be a burden."

Juliette nor Rooster reacted to the comment, causing Ghost to believe they hadn't heard him. Otherwise, Juliette absolutely would've said something to dispute his claim, whether Hangman could've comprehended the response or not. Ghost took matters into her own hands and softly responded to him, "You're not a burden."

His green eyes narrowed in on her, perplexed. He opened his mouth to say something, but when Juliette slammed on the brakes and let out an impressive string of swear words at a driver who cut her off, Hangman clammed up. The group arrived at the Bradshaw household a few minutes later. Ghost and Rooster once more threw Hangman's arms around their shoulders and escorted him into the house. Juliette opened the door for them and said, "Let's get him to the guest bathroom. I have a feeling he's going to be sick soon."

"I'm fine," Hangman slurred before letting out a big belch.

Rooster scoffed skeptically as he set the aviator on the floor across from the toilet. "Yeah, and my last name isn't Bradshaw."

Ghost sat next to Jake, who had slumped against the wall. Juliette wiped the toilet lid with a Clorox wipe before she lowered herself to the ground by the cabinets diagonally opposite them. Rooster leaned against the door frame, keeping the curious German Shepherds at bay. Hangman scanned the room and asked, "Why are y'all here?"

"We're worried about you," Ghost replied, pulling her knees up to her chest.

Hangman snorted and slurred his words as he said, "You haven't been worried 'bout me since-" he hiccupped- "since the accident. Bradshaw only worried 'bout me when he competed against me for the position on the mission and when he thought I was makin' a move on his girl. Princess is the only one who worries 'bout me, but she shouldn't. I ain't worth the stress."

"You're my best friend, Jake," Juliette said sincerely. "You're worth the stress."

"It's… it's not good for you, though," he insisted emphatically. 'Specially when you're pregnant and-and have proclamsia."

"Preeclampsia," Rooster corrected.

Hangman rolled his eyes, "That's what I said."

"No, you said- never mind. So, what brought this drinking binge on?"

"W-why would I tell you? So you can give me another callsign? Least this time, it won't be based on me killin' someone…"

Rooster winced at the slight. "I never intended for it to stick."

"Yeah, well, it did. Got to be reminded of Ghoul's death every fuckin' time someone said my-" he hiccupped again- "my callsign until I managed to convince people it was because I'd leave them hangin' in the air rather six feet deep. You're lucky I'm so fuckin' persuasive, Bradshaw," Hangman said, pointing a finger at him. "Otherwise, the memory might've sent me over the edge that day before Coyote stopped me."

"What are you talking about?" Ghost inquired quickly, a dreadful sensation running through her veins at his words.

Hangman weakly shook his head. "Don't matter."

"Jake-"

"No. It's not of import. Besides, not tellin' someone who doesn't care and not tellin' it in front of Princess, who does care and would probably freak out. She's gotta be careful with that preplamsia."

"Preeclampsia," Rooster corrected again.

"Whatever. I don't-" Hangman hiccuped for a third time and covered his mouth, turning a sickly shade of green. He lurched forward to the toilet and hurled the contents of his stomach three times. He groaned and said, "This never leaves the room."

"Doubt anyone would believe us if we said you got smashed." Rooster looked to his fiancée. "Honey, I'm going to take the dogs out. They're getting antsy."

Juliette nodded and slowly pushed herself up with Rooster's assistance. "I'm going to find some Gatorade. He's going to be dehydrated, throwing up so much."

The couple disappeared, leaving Ghost alone with Hangman. He scooted back against the wall next to her, and Ghost, disliking the uncomfortable silence, broke it with a question. "Why'd you give my name but Jules's number?"

Hangman shrugged. "Musta got you two mixed up. Y'all remind me of each other. When I first met her, she reminded me a lot of you with her love of fighter jets and music. Probably why I fell for her. She's the only girl I thought I could love after you."

The news came as a shock to Ghost, who'd only ever believed Hangman had loved her like a best friend, maybe a sister at most. "I didn't- I never knew that."

"Why would you? I never said anything, and you think you meant nothing to me at the end of our friendship. Because, you know, what reason could I have to cause me to ignore you after the crash?"

"What was the reason?"

Hangman fell quiet, staring intently at the toilet. Ghost couldn't tell what he was thinking- if he even was at all- but she allowed him the silence. He evidently didn't like the direction of the conversation with the way he shut down, and Ghost wouldn't push him. They weren't close enough for that anymore, and in no small part because of her. Still, wanting to keep him awake, she asked kindly, "What caused this? You've never gotten this drunk before."

"Got a call from my father today. I figured since I'd already fucked up my best relationship the night before, a good way to punish myself would be to open the door to my most toxic one," Hangman mumbled, wiggling his body so he inched up the wall to sit straighter. "I'm not sure who was more surprised I answered- me or my father. But I sure as hell was shocked when he apologized for being so shitty to me growing up. Explained he thought I'd been the child of an affair my mom had, only to find out she'd been tellin' him the truth the entire time that I was, indeed, his son. His own flesh and blood. And then..." Hangman trailed off, his brow furrowing. He slid down the wall a little.

"And then what?" Ghost prodded.

"He- he started breathin' funny, chokin' on his words. And then he was... gone. All I heard was the flatlinin' of his monitor. I-I stood there in shock because he was number four. I thought I had to be in the hospital for it to happen, but no, apparently talkin' on the phone halfway 'cross the country does the trick too. I mean-" Hangman held up his hand and lifted a finger for each person he rattled off- "You, Mom, Ghoul, Father. All y'all died 'cause of me."

"Jake, Ghoul didn't die because of you. Neither did I, your mom, nor your father. Is that- I know you blamed yourself for the accident, but we didn't- is that why you never visited me?"

Much to her dismay, although not to her surprise, Hangman refused to answer. Even drunk out of his mind, some small part of him actively remembered not to tell his reasoning to her. She'd been close to getting it out of him. They were on the verge of the truth, but Ghost wouldn't poke too much. Not in his state.

"Forty-one," Hangman said, voice barely above a whisper. He remained in the same position, staring straight ahead.

Ghost frowned. "Huh?"

"Forty-one," he repeated. "That was your heart rate when I entered your hospital room."

****

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23 Chp 24 Chp 25 Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31

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