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#at the moment pete is the best character
gammer-bunny · 2 years
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You know I wanna say something but I'm afraid if I say it on Twitter people will @ me but ep 10 had poor writing and it kinda threw me off?!
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Like how did tawan ran away?
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Why did Porsche trusted Vegas? Okay yeah he is naive and believes people are good and shit but he literally knocked out his bestie pull out a gun at his love and trusted a man who people keep telling him not to trust since the start of the series?!
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The way he went to save Chay?😭😭 please who does that, going in the heart of the enemy shouting like baby? You need to hide😭😭
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WHY TF NO ONE WEARS A BULLETPROOF JACKET???
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The whole interaction between Chay and Porsche seemed a little bit off ( at least to me)
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Kinn is an intelligent man, he is cool af but he really doesn't know how to control his facial expressions when he is dealing with minor family ( bring ep 1 kinn back " I'm more like my mom" then bang! He didn't even blinked 🥵 that was hot)
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Let Porsche be a badass bodyguard he deserves please 😭😭😭
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I need more violence in this series ( I'm sorry)
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Kinn forgetting Pete does not make any sense we needed some beck stories for it like kinn telling Pete to hide after sent him the info do it wouldn't be odd that Pete is not around you know!
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The explosion... that explosion was a no for me🙄
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Please don't hate me 😅I just needed to say these at least once 😂
But still kinnporsche is great series, but it can be so much better but still I'm thankful for everything they are giving us❤️
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very rarely do i have like a set in stone favourite scene in a musical because, you know, a nearly two hour production can have many bangers along the way.
however. no matter how much time passes by, the best scene in Nerdy Prudes will always be that first scene with Pete, Ruth, and Richie in the library.
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babybinko · 11 months
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I just like him! 😭
Bonus + close ups below the cut:
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ailendolin · 2 years
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I wonder what happened to the two bounty hunters that got stuck in Croydon. Did they manage to build a new life for themselves in Debbie's world? Are they happy? Do they miss Yonderland? Are they still trying to find their way home?
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cutesilyo · 6 months
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the thing i really like about just for once in nerdy prudes must die is that it's best iteration of the musical within a musical trope that has become characteristic of the hatchetfield musicals
like both show-stopping number and deck the halls (of northville high) are catchy songs from in-universe musicals that were very much written to have plots that suck
and show-stopping number was so well-beloved because it is, frankly, a hilarious scene that robert manion put 100% into
but i argue that only just for once is thematically relevant to its musical and fully emblematic of the wants and desires of the character singing it
because what is just for once, as a scene? it's ruth singing a song because she thinks she's got a chance of doing it better. it's ruth singing a song about a character who looks back on the mundane miseries of her lonely life and — at the last second — remembering who she used to be before the pain set in. it's ruth singing her version of cooler than i think i am and reflecting on how she is perceived and wondering what it takes to break away from it. it's ruth singing right after she says, "in my dreams, i'm the star of the show."
of all the losers that max jagerman victimizes, only ruth says who she'd like to become beyond that. where pete can't even admit to liking steph at gunpoint and richie doesn't ever get the chance to verbalize what he wants, ruth gets on the stage in the few minutes of break time and just for once, the spotlight is on her.
and the really crazy thing about just for once is — it has the "i'm not a loser" motif. possibly the most iconic and important motif of the whole musical, it's the motif that starts the opening number. and here it is, in the silly musical within a musical by the silly character who has — until this song — always served as comic relief.
in the climax of the song, just for once is no longer the song of a character from the barbecue monologues. it's ruth's. in those few seconds, it's her lamentation of the life that max jagerman forced on her.
but that's the thing about the "i'm not a loser" motif. the way it functions in the musical is as a harbinger for max's violence. the police at the beginning ask, "what the hell happened here?" and its the motif that answers. pete is the first character that sings the line and is immediately beaten up by max in the next scene. then richie sings it and max kills him in the same song. when ruth has the motif running as the crescendo to just for once, it sounds absolutely incredible... and it should come as no surprise when max appears shortly after.
(as a quick note: you can also hear the motif after max makes the car crash, then max appears two scenes later. you then hear the motif in the cooler than i think i am reprise and max also appears right after the song. it's like max is instantly summoned by any instance of the losers trying to shake off the role he placed on them — of trying to defy him.)
tl;dr: the inclusion of the "i'm not a loser" motif in just for once makes it the big lipped alligator moment that wasn't. like yeah, it accomplishes its goal in being the funny musical within a musical trope! the character acting makes it a funny song, and its a funny character performing it! but it also furthers our understanding of ruth AND of what the "i'm not a loser" really is: it's the characters trying to develop past being nerdy prudes and max doing everything in his power to prevent that.
and it does all that while being a banging musical tribute to stephen sondheim and, especially, his song the ladies who lunch. which in itself is a massive flex on jeff blim's part. what a brilliant song in a brilliant musical.
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One of the things I most mourn about not getting a s3 is a conclusion to Lucius and Ed's relationship. There is such an interesting and profound disconnect with Lucius' anger towards Ed and I wish so badly to see where they would've taken it.
Pushing Lucius overboard was, by far, the worst thing Ed ever did during his Kraken era. No contest. Lucius was the crew member who had gotten to know him best, and reached out to him with nothing other than support and sympathy. Ed pushing him was the cruellest thing he ever did, and while we can assume that Ed did that because Lucius was the only person who might see through his Blackbeard act, that's a pretty shitty excuse for hurting someone so badly.
And Lucius doesn't know what the fuck he did to make Ed do that to him, of course. All he can assume is that "Stede broke him" (which isn't even close to true). I'm so struck by his drawings of Ed in s2e5, because saying there's a disconnect between the anger and Ed is honestly an understatement. He draws Ed as he knew him best, with the beard, and the drawings are beautiful and soft and flattering. Even though the Ed that pushed him overboard was beardless, I think remembering that Ed is still too hard to hold true anger towards because Lucius remembers him vulnerable and hurting and crying and human. Lucius called him "Ed" before he was pushed overboard; in s2 he only calls him "Blackbeard," in a tone that makes it very clear he means it as an insult. He is clearly struggling to reconcile the man who hurt him so badly and needlessly with the friend he had.
Both Ed and Lucius are left unsatisfied with their attempts to get closure. Pushing Ed overboard gives Lucius momentary satisfaction but not much else, and later he tries to get Izzy on his side to chop Ed's leg off - he doesn't just want Ed to make amends, a part of him wants him to suffer, and that's so incredibly striking coming from this character. His closure comes from turning to love instead and focusing towards the future he can have with Pete. Ed is happy to let Lucius push him, but he's clearly unsure what else he can do. It feels like they're left on an unfinished note because it is unfinished.
Ed and Stede being so joyful at Lucius and Pete's wedding was a healing moment, but I wanted to see them talk it through.
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lucky-bucky-boy · 1 year
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Restless Night
Pairing: MCU!Peter Parker x Reader
Summary: An impulsive phone call leads to a happy ending
Word Count: 1307
Warnings: Slight angst, smut, pet names, little to no (y/n), mentions of missions, lemme know if i missed anything  
A/N: MCU!Peter - I do plan to write something for TASM!Peter in the future but this was just easier for my brain to set up the scene. I wanted to do something different and challenged myself to write something that was more dialogue-heavy than I’ve written in a while. Not my best work, but a little smutty smut bc why not
I do not own these characters. Do NOT repost my writing and/or fics anywhere without my written permission. Reblogs are welcomed and highly appreciated!
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The soft sound of the television playing a forgotten movie almost drowned out the sound of the phone ringing, tucked under a pillow and muffled. The sweet cusp of sleep was only moments away, being dragged out by the vibrating as the first call ended and a second came through. 
The near unconsciousness caused forethought to be left behind, grabbing the phone, answering the call, and putting it to your ear. A soft "hello?" was all you could muster. 
"Hey, baby."
A tsunami of emotions flooded through your body, suddenly wide awake and hyper aware of everything that was going on; The television was nearing the end of the movie you had put on, your clock reading 1:32, the lights from the cars passing by casting various dancing shadows around your room.  
"I've missed you, baby." 
His voice was sweet, almost addictive and something you hadn't realized was a need buried deep inside you. You shuffled, forcing yourself up and sitting against the squishmallow he'd won for you on your first time, something you hadn't been able to get rid of. 
"Hi, Peter," you voice was quiet, sleep still etched between the syllables. There was a beat of silence between the two of you, "Peter, why'd you call? It's been 10 months."
Peter let out a soft sigh, you could hear him shuffling around. "Missing you really bad tonight, love. M' on a mission," there was another sigh, "I almost got hurt, like really hurt. Thankfully Bucky was there. All I could think about was you."
"Peter!" You voice was now much louder, instantly filled with worry, "Don't go and get yourself ki-"
He cut you off, "I wasn't tryna get hurt, baby. We got ambushed. We had just went in there for me to copy some information onto a drive. Ended up being some rogue Hydra agents, a leg of them we didn't even know existed." Peter was rambling and he knew it, he was starting to think the reason he called was a bad one. 
You sighed, body riddled with a million different emotions, "Pete, why'd you call me?"
"I miss you," his words had a slight whine to them, "I wanna touch you so badly, wanna hold you and kiss you."
If he was there you would have undoubtedly melted into him. The breakup was mutual, but difficult nonetheless. Between trying to focus on your career and all of the responsibilities Peter had, it was near impossible to maintain a relationship - there was no time for date nights or dinner, no time to sit and reminisce and talk about the future. For months, the only time spent together was sleeping in the same bed, which was almost always disrupted by some responsibility. 
You two loved each other, loved each other more than yourselves most days. But it had become too taxing and tiring, the constant worrying, near lack of support because attention was needed elsewhere. So, after a long, tearful date night gone wrong, the two of you agreed to break up, maybe try again when there were less things counting on you both. 
Peter regretted it immediately, but he had wanted to give you space, give you time to flourish and not worry about him. He'd asked M.J. and Ned all the time what you had been up to, he would check your Instagram and Snapchat to see the things you were posting and proud of. He did whatever he could to support you from afar. 
But tonight, tonight he dared to be selfish, he needed to be selfish. Deep down he knew it was wrong, calling you up in the middle of the night because the adrenaline was still pumping through his veins and all he wanted was to be with you. 
"I miss you too, Pete." Your voice was soft again, it always was in moments like this. Where the intimacy lay just behind every fiber in your body. 
He hummed, starting to get antsy as he continued to try to figure out how to say what he wanted. "Baby, can you do me a favor?"
"What is it, Pete?" You almost hated how quickly you answered, how eager you were. 
"Touch yourself, sweetheart. I wanna hear you touch yourself."
The gasp that left you was audible. Peter was never incredibly bold, never the type to initiate unless you two were definitely alone. Even in those moments, it was always sweet and loving. But this, Peter calling in the middle of the night, a desperate whine to his words and an insane neediness that make his tone demanding. 
“Baby, if you don’t want to, you can just hang up. I won’t be upset with you.” You could hear some ruffling and the sound of metal hitting the floor. “I just miss the pretty sounds you make, miss the way your face scrunches up, miss the feeling of your skin against mine.”
This wasn’t a command you were going to disobey. He was still rambling, your mind only half paying attention to the honey-like words he was saying. “Do you want me to use my hand or one of my toys?”
He paused for a moment and you could practically hear the smile spread across his lips. “Use your hand, sweetheart. Run you hands across your body like I would.”
You could hear the moment Peter wrapped his hand around himself, a small groan leaving his lips. You listened to him, it being nearly impossible not to. "Wish you were here, Petey," the words slipped out of you as your fingers danced across your skin, sending goosebumps in their wake. 
Your eyes were pinched shut, listening to every whimper and sigh the came through your phone, doing your best to pretend your own touch was his. "Me too, God, me too. Miss kissing your skin, hearing your little gasps when I nip."
"Peter," you couldn't help but whimper, forgoing anymore teasing and quickly giving your clit the much needed attention. It never took long with Peter for you to become needy and impatient, let alone when it had been almost a year since you heard the noises he was making, "I'm not gonna last long, want you so badly," your words were gasped out between soft moans, instant pleasure radiating from your core already making your body warm.
"Me neither, baby," there was a low groan that slipped from him, strangled as he attempted to hold himself together. With every sound you made, he nearly felt like he was in a dream. But he knew this was real, his subconscious hyper aware of the thin walls in the shitty hotel he was holed up in for the night and the super soldier who undoubtedly could hear him. 
A endless stream of "fuck"s, gasps, moans, and whimpers flooded through each phone. It only took a few more minutes before the coil burst and the warmth of your high shook through your body, thighs quaking and chest heaving. Peter followed suit, a breathy moan of your name as he spilled into his hand and all over his abdomen. 
There was a lingering silence as the  other of you recovered, both taking in what has just happened while relishing in the aftermath. Peter broke the silence first, "Need to get m'self cleaned up," he mumbled. There was another beat of silence from him, "I do really miss you."
You hummed your agreement, shifting yourself into a more comfortable position. "I do really wish you were here." 
He huffed out a small laugh, a sound that was laced with relief and contentedness. "I'll be home tomorrow at 4. I still got my key, I'll bring dinner, and we can talk. How does that sound?"
Now it was your turn to laugh, excitement filling every nerve in your body. "It sounds like a date."
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cosmicluvcore · 28 days
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To be human part 1
Rottmnt Leo x reader, gender-neutral, friends to lovers, jealous Leo
Summary: Leo has the biggest crush on you, but he's afraid that you'd never date a mutant, so with the help of a cloaking brooch, he plans to become your perfect human boyfriend!
Part 2 here
Okay I have to be honest. I saw someone with this idea, but I have no clue where it came from originally. If you know who I should credit, please tell me!!
Anyways, this concept gave me way too many ideas hope you enjoy.
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Leo wasn't great at dealing with his feelings.
He'd been crushing on Y/N for far too long, the terrapin couldn't even remember when the whole thing started.
A few loving glances and a flirty joke or two had suddenly burst into the thought of Y/N keeping him up at night. He wasn't great at hiding it either, blushing like an idiot when they smiled his way.
Leo knew he needed to tell them sooner or later, but he hadn't worked up the courage yet. A part of him hoped they secretly felt the same way and would confess to him, but there'd been no sign of that happening anytime soon. Leo wanted to confess, he really did, but... what if they didn't feel the same way? What if it made their friendship weird? What if he looked like an idiot? What if they never wanted to speak to him again?!
There were just too many 'what ifs' for his liking.
So Leo had decided to take the easy way out, hoping that Y/N would just see how great he was, then he wouldn't have to deal with any uncomfortable conversations. He started going out of his way to impress them, saving them on missions, being overly nice, letting them win in video games, giving them his last pizza slice, (which is very valuable by the way!)
Not that he'd ever admit it, but Leo had spent an embarrassingly long time researching 'how to get your crush to like you back'.
He'd bought a cologne for Pete's sake! But no matter what he did, they never seemed to notice.
~
It was a ordinary evening. Leo and the others sat in the projector room watching a movie. Raph, Mikey and Y/N were sitting comfortably on the floor surrounded by blankets and pillows. Meanwhile, Donnie and Leo took the couch, popcorn in their hands. They were watching some random action movie. Leo wasn't really paying attention.
He was more focused on Y/N.
Y/N had started fawning over the male love interest and that began to spark a little- scratch that, a LOT of jealously in Leo's heart. Every scene that guy appeared in they were freaking out, gushing over him like he was the best thing since sliced bread.
The blue-masked turtle scoffed to himself as the character appeared again, narrowing his eyes at the screen.
What was so great about this guy anyway?
Leo was twice as charming as him, he was the one with good looks, great one-liners and clearly the best ninja skills. This guy barely spoke a word and Y/N was blushing like crazy. But as he kept watching the film, something clicked in his mind.
He was human.
That's something Leo could never beat. Sure, 'biologically' he was part human, but he didn't exactly look like it. The turtle shifted a little in his seat, the uncomfortable feeling of insecurity settling in.
"Leo? Are you good?" Donnie asked, snapping him out of his thoughts for a moment.
"Me? Yeah, I'm great," Leo replied quickly, glancing away from his brother's gaze,
"It's just that this movie sucks, never letting Raph choose again!" He lied, that playful smirk returning to his face as he saw his eldest brother's reaction.
"Hey!" Raph called out from afar.
As the movie continued, Leo sighed deeply and took another handful of popcorn, chewing the kernels absentmindedly and leaning back in his seat. Was that really why Y/N wasn't interested in him? Because he wasn't human? There wasn't much he could do about that, it's not like there was just some magic spell that could-
Leo's face lit up as an idea popped into his mind, cloaking brooches. Yokai used them, April's slime friend had one, so they must be easy to find. Leo's mind started spinning with possibilities. If he could get his hands on a cloaking brooch, he could be human and finally get Y/N's attention! But, where would he get one?
~
For once, Leo was distracted as Y/N entered his room. Usually he'd be all over them chatting up a storm, but he was sitting on his bed glancing away from them.
"Leo?" They asked softly, watching as the turtle was startled by the interruption.
"Hey, what's with the jump scares?" Leo joked with a playful chuckle,
"I thought we were friends." He said in mock offense, leaning onto his back and over-dramatically draping his hand over himself.
Y/N couldn't help but laugh at his shenanigans, "I just came to check on you drama queen, you're being weirdly quiet today."
Leo blinked at their observation. Jeeze, was he that obvious?
"Ohh well you know, I was just thinking about Raphs' riveting movie choice tonight." He replied casually, quick to make up an excuse.
I mean, technically, it wasn't a lie he had been thinking about the film.
Y/N rolled their eyes at that, "You're just salty it wasn't your choice tonight, besides that movie wasn't so bad." They replied, calmly leaning against the door frame.
"Ooh really? You're just saying that because you were all over the male lead," He retorted, grinning smugly as he watched their cheeks flush, "You, my friend, are biased."
"Well- Can you blame me? That guy was a total stud." Y/N blurted out defensively.
"He was alright, I guess. Just totally not as hot as the real stud in the room." He said with a cocky smirk as he gestured towards himself.
Y/N let out a laugh at that.
Normally, Leo wouldn't take such a tiny thing to heart, but his ego took a hit from the way Y/N laughed at him. He was the type to eagerly take any opporunity to see them smile, but this time it felt like they were laughing at him. Scoffing at just the thought of him being attractive to them, it was this newfound level of insecurity that he didn't know how to handle.
"Alright Leo, seems like you're biased too." They said with a chuckle.
"I simply speak the truth." He shrugged in reply, trying to ignore the painful realization.
Thankfully, Y/N didn't seem to notice, "Well, I'm heading home. I'll see you around."
"I'll see you." Leo smiled, waving as he watched them go.
After the coast was clear, Leo let out a long annoyed sign. He leaned onto his back, letting the soft cushion of his bed comfort him as insecurities began to plague his mind.
He needed a cloaking brooch.
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multi-fandom-imagine · 6 months
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Day 29: Sex while high
Fandom: Insomniac Spider-Man { though it can be any Peter you like }
Character: Peter Parker
Warnings: tender / slow sex, Peter being needy, drug use { eating of edibles }, light food play, sex on counter top.
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His mind was in a fog, it wasn’t a bad feeling of course, it felt good.
Really good, when you suggested to him to take one of your edibles to help him relax he express to fall asleep like you normally do not be turned on.
Every touch of yours only heightened his experience, his nose nuzzled into your neck as he pressed your body against the counter top. “You smell so good, like cookies.” Peter groaned against your neck as he rutted against you.
A small giggles escaped your lips until Peter silenced you with his lips against yours. Your tongue battling his for a moment, you were so distracted you didn’t even notice the man grabbing some chocolate sauce, you were to distracted by him running his fingers across your inner thighs to notice the man pour chocolate a cause down your neck. Breaking the kiss, Peter licked the chocolate away. “But you taste even better.”
A deep moan escaped your lips as your legs wrapped around his waist pulling him in close. A shudder down your spine feeling his erection pressing into your panties. “Peter.”
His soft touch driving you insane, you’ve read how edibles might effect the sense’s but you didn’t think it would feel so good. A giggle escaped your lips as you steered to rub yourself against Peter, you could feel his moan against your neck.
Pulling back, you noticed a glaze in his eyes. You felt him gently caress your cheek. You weren’t quite sure how you got naked or when Peter took his own clothes off but a deep groan escaped your lips as he slowly pushed his length into your cunt. “Peter.”
Keeping his face pressed into your neck, Peter let out his own whimper as he slowly started to thrust in and out of your pussy. Your heels digging into his back as you pushed him deep into your warmth. Your breasts pressed into his chest. He dragged out his thrusts slowly, deliberately. You felt so good wrapped around his cock.
All the anxiety he felt was gone, the stress of Spider-Man vanished. He finally felt like he could be Peter Parker.
Panting against your neck he let one hand holding your hips moved to where you were joked, his thumb teasing the nub. Your cries only fueling his desire, god everything about you was wonderful.
The taste of your kiss, the taste of his kiss, it was something neither of you could describe. It was something that was too good to be put into words, the way your body arched into him. The little tremors of pleasure that hit you or how your walls clenched around his cock in such a away that it nearly sent him over the edge.
Pulling his gaze away from your neck, Peter could feel himself getting closer to the edge. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed through out the kitchen. “Fuck, I’m so close.”
Resting your head against the cabinets a airy laugh escaped your lips as you bucked your hips against Peter’s thrusts, a shudder running down your spine feeling Peter lick more chocolate sauce of your breasts. “Cum for me Pete…please.”
Hips snapping, Peter continues his thrusts until the coil snapped. His breath coming out in ragged pants as he emptied himself within you. A silent cry tore from your lips as clutched the countertop tightly.
“Pete.” Your chest was heaving, a small giggles escaped your lips as you ran your fingers through his hair.
Nuzzling his nose into your neck, Peter placed a kiss to the skin though he let out his own chuckle. His eyes still slightly glaze over. “You’re so beautiful.” He muttered still clinging to him. “I’m so tired, but I feel so good.”
A happy smile formed on his face, as he did his best to not fall sleep in your embrace. “Well let’s go to bed him.”
Nodding his head, Peter pulled himself out of your warmth then lifted you in his arms. “I rather like that idea.”
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ravenpureforever · 2 years
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I think the best part of KinnPorsche, and it really comes to mind with this latest episode, is that every character thinks they’re in a different genre and it’s the funniest thing watching it clash with the reality.
Kinn is just living his best rom-com life where he falls for his sassy but kind assistant bodyguard that he can no longer live with out.
Porsche is basically a YA novel where he falls for his sexy morally ambiguous love interest who’s secretly sweet but *gasp* his past has come to haunt him!
Pete thinks he’s in a dark psychological thriller where he must battle his inner demons and brooding but hot captor to maintain his humanity but it threatens to over take him at any moment as he is torn between his newly found dark desires and the reputation he prides himself on.
Vegas acts like he’s in gothic bodice ripper novel where his entire world becomes the kind, empathic heroine Pete and he will do anything to keep him to himself and Pete is going to help him overcome the truama of his past with his love.
Kim sees himself in this brooding noir style detective film where he must uncover the dark past of his family but oh no he finds himself falling for the pure and sweet ingénue Chay and must wrestle with the dangerous life he leads and the mission he’s devoted himself to and the love of his life
Porchay thought he’s living his Wattpad dream life where he meets his idol and gains his respect as he tutors him and they slowly develop a sweet friendship that turns into a heartfelt romance
They really demonstrate how all the characters are protagonists of their own story, and that’s how they make their decisions, based on the assumptions on the world around them. They think they know the story their in, and that’s the role they have taken, but the tragedy and the complications of these relationships is that they aren’t in a single genre story. They’re people, achingly human people, interacting with other complex people and what is salvation for one is a damnation for the other.
They aren’t in any specific genre (you know, beyond on the whole mafia thing) and that’s where the miscommunication happens, that’s how the drama unfolds, that’s how all these different romances keep missing each other, because they’re all operating on different wavelengths based on the story they think *THEY’RE* in and not stopping to really consider the other perspective.
It’s absolutely hilarious, it’s terribly tragic, it’s utterly beautiful and performed so well by the writers and the actors.
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alloftheimaginesblog · 9 months
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webcam {peter parker}
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inspired by a post by @dailyau
We're the only two with our cameras on on this Zoom call and you are so pretty AU
character: peter parker x female reader
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For college, you had enrolled in an extra advanced bioscience course, it helped to get your grade up and it was only two hours a week. It was a Saturday morning so it took up a small part of your weekend but it covered 10% of your overall grade so you were happy to do so. It was a lot of just listening to the tutor explain things and the PowerPoints were always sent to you afterwards so all you had to do was show face and you could catch up on the reading at a later date.
You were sitting at your desk trying your best to look interested as the tutor droned on and on. You noticed that you and one other person had your cameras on, aside from the lecturer. His name was Peter, you read off his screen. He looked to be around your age and looked as interested in the course as you did. He was tapping his pencil against his lip as his other hang ran through his hair. He was quite handsome, you thought before shaking yourself out of thoughts about boys and tried once more to concentrate...
It wasn't long before your eyes wandered back to the mysterious Peter.
Peter Parker sat with his eyes glued to the screen trying to look interested but all he could focus on was you. You weren't doing the same course and he'd not seen you around campus so he could only assume you went to a different college too. You were... gorgeous. He couldn't concentrate on anything but the grainy image of you with your hair in a messy bun and the way your nose scrunched in concentration.
He cleared his throat, rubbing a tired hand over his face as he tried to stop staring at you. He grabbed his latest spider trinket and began to fiddle with it but it didn't take long before his eyes found their way back to you. You were sipping some coffee was it? Tea? He wondered if you liked coffee, what kind of coffee was your favourite? A latte? Black? Maybe he could take you out for coffee.
Feeling a little brave, Peter moved his mouse so that the cursor hovered over your video. "(y/n)..." He murmured softly, "pretty." His eyes darted to the mute button just making sure he was definitely muted before he right clicked on your video. A list of options appeared and Peter selected Send Message.
For about ten minutes, he typed, deleted and retyped a message over and over again. Peter never did anything like this, he wasn't usually so brave or so bold but maybe it was the coffee he'd downed at 8am but he was sending you something, he just wasn't sure what. Eventually he settled for something and with a deep breath he hit Send.
Peter Parker: @(yourname) hi so this is random and hopefully not weird but it's just me and you with webcams on and i just want to tell you that you are so unbelievably pretty. I'm Peter. Peter Parker by the way.
He waited with baited breath and could see the moment you read the message as a wide smile crept onto your face and your hand pressed against your face bashfully. He grinned.
"Mr Parker," the lecturer's voice sounded, breaking his happiness, "I appreciate that you this Miss (Y/L/N) is unbelievably pretty but please send her these messages using the private function. Right click and select Send Private Message... And do it out with my lesson. Thank you."
Peter's face fell and his cheeks immediately turned bright red, "Oh, fuck!" He hissed as he scrambled up to sit up straighter in his seat. Quickly he hit the unmute button, "I am so, so sorry!" He panicked, "I-I'm sorry!"
The lecturer rolled their eyes but the hint of a smile was on his face as he continued.
Messages pinged in which made Peter hide his head in his hands.
Helen L.: lmao cringe parker
John P: he's right, she's pretty
Sheryl M: i'd die if that happened to me smh
Jadyn A: yo pete sorry that happened my guy
Peter spared a glance at the screen to see that you were fanning at your face, you must've been rather embarrassed by that all too. Peter debated whether or not to send you an apology message, he hadn't meant to put you in the centre of attention like that but a minute later, a message dinged from you.
(y/n): This is how you send private messages, dummy.
Peter: im so fucking embarrassed im so sorry
(y/n): Don't be, most exciting thing to happen today. A cute boy calls me pretty? As Charlie Sheen once said... winning.
Peter laughed.
Peter: I meant it. You are seriously the prettiest girl I've ever seen.
(y/n): thank you peter parker. what college are you at
Peter: ESU, you?
(y/n): NYU. You near Brooklyn?
Peter: Queens so yeah decently close, why?
(y/n): well you can't embarrass me like that in front of the whole class and not take me for lunch or coffee or something right? ;)
Peter: seriously? i'd love to! when suits cause i would love to take you out if youre serious
(y/n): here's my number, text me and we can figure it out
Peter: Amazing! I'll text you as soon as this lesson wraps up
He was smiling like an idiot but he noticed that you were too. The last twenty minutes of the lecture dragged in, his foot tapped impatiently on the floor, he was itching to text you, itching to get to know the pretty girl behind the camera. And as soon as the lecturer said goodbye, Peter left the zoom call and grabbed his phone to text you. He hadn't felt this good about something - someone - in a long time so why would he wait? Why not dive in head first?
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cosmal · 1 year
Note
cake — send me in a character and a prompt and i’ll write you a blurb!
tasm!peter x reader who’s insecure about their stretch marks or hip dips or being flat chested!!! literally any or all of those. he’d be the most comforting ever I’m swooning. (this is not self indulgent at all btw)
spiderwebs
summary peter makes you feel better about your stretch marks.
content tasm!peterparker x fem!reader, reader has body image issues
note mal i love you for this shut up. also I love u.
Peter is kissing you. He's been kissing you for the past ten minutes and you feel like your entire body is on fire.
He hovers above you but still keeps his weight pushed into your torso until you feel breathless with it. Where his elbow is firm up against your side, and his hand at your throat with his thumb in your pulse point.
You feel like you could melt right into the mattress every time he sucks on your bottom lip or when he pulls away to look at you. He blinks hard and says, "Shit," under his breath like he's amazed. You feel quite alike.
He sneaks down the bed, pushing the heavy quilt down until it slides off to the floor. He looks up at you where you're panting, head turned to the side and pushed into your pillow. A smile that Peter thinks is quite unravelling. He starts to push your shirt up, over the bump of your belly and holds it below your bralette.
He starts to kiss along your stomach and you freeze. He peppers tiny wet smacks over the skin you really wish he wouldn't. Weeks of doing your best of keeping your top on around him and hiding yourself from your boyfriend unravel and you shouldn't be this terrified about it.
You push your hands into his curls and say his name. He seems too busy. "Hey, baby," you say quietly, voice shaky when you don't want it to be.
Peter must feel you tense up. He lifts his face and looks worried, hair a mess and eyebrows pinched. His swollen lips glisten under the light on his bedside table.
"You okay?'' he asks gently, sitting up on his arm. "Did I do something?"
You feel worse when he asks because it's not his fault. You shouldn't be so jumpy around your boyfriend when he touches you. "No, I just..." you can't find it in you to explain it to him because you feel stupid. Especially when he'd been loving on you so hard.
"You're not feeling sick?" he gets up and tucks his feet under him to kneel, half a breath away from a panic.
You sit up too, leaning back on your elbows, frowning. "No, I'm...I'm okay, don't worry about it, baby."
He smooths a hand down your stomach and you tense up again unthinkingly. "You sure you're okay?"
You duck your head down and worry you're acting childish. "It's silly."
He squeezes your thigh and smiles something that calms you more than you think he knows. Soft eyes and even worse cheeks, appled and creased around his mouth. "I'm sure it's not."
"I just," you bite your tongue for a moment and work up enough courage to say more. It doesn't take much because he's just Pete. He'd never make you feel bad for feeling things. "I have stretch marks down there. Like on my belly and my hips."
Peter grins. "I know right." Your stomach churns. "They're so cool, huh?"
"What?"
He holds your hip and it startles you how much you don't hate it this time. His thumb traces over the marks absentmindedly like he already knows their path. "They're so pretty."
Your mouth feels a little dry. "Pete..."
He tamps it down a notch, nibbling his bottom lip unthinkingly. "Sorry, okay..." he starts, shuffling up the bed to meet you. "I love them."
"You do?" It's easier to stare at his nose than look into his sparkly eyes.
"Yeah," he nods, hair all floppy, "I think they're amazing."
"They're not ugly?" You hate yourself when you ask it. You're not sure why you do.
"Not at all. Look," he lifts up his shirt and turns to face his hip to you, "I have them too. Grew up too fast, I think."
You reach out to touch them. Running your fingertips over the marks along his hip and in towards his tummy. You think they look a lot nicer on him than they do you. You hum under your breath, you'd never noticed them before, and if you did, they hadn't bothered you one bit. You think he must feel the same way.
"They're pretty," you say quietly, more to yourself. You feel him shiver under your light touch.
"Not as much as yours." Pete falls down again until he's leaning over your stomach again. He kisses over them and you don't feel the need to tell him to stop this time. You relax like butter in the hot sun. You feel just as warm.
He suckles the soft skin and you twitch. "Pete," you gasp.
He pulls back looking proud, mouth popping crudely. "Yours are like little spiderwebs."
You feel a little dizzy suddenly, your arms wobbling under your weight. You lay back down before Peter can make fun of you for it. "Spiderwebs, huh?" you say breathlessly to the ceiling.
"Yeah," he agrees. Suddenly he's above you. Boyish grin that burns brighter than the downlight you were staring at. You close your eyes lest you're blinded by his charm. "It's like a part of me on you. Not as sticky though."
"Jesus," you giggle.
"Do you have any more?" he suddenly asks.
"Huh?"
He bounces up. "Any other marks? I wanna kiss them all. Gotta show my girl how much I love them."
"Peter, no."
"No, you don't have any, or no you don't want me to kiss you?" he asks incredulously. "That's really mean, baby."
"You're unbelievable." You can't help but laugh some more.
"Quick, give me your arms, I wanna look." Peter reaches for you and you roll over out of his grasp.
Peter searches until he finds them. You're less than horrified when he does, you're genuinely happy you have others he can touch. He kisses them for what feels like hours until you convince him it's your turn.
You kiss his until he's putty.
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ohtobeleah · 1 year
Text
Chronos // Robert Bob Floyd
Summary: Bob told you that Chronos carried a sickle, that he used it to cut a hole, a tear in the cosmos between heaven and earth. Chronos did that to separate this world from the next, to separate the known from the unknown.
And while someone by the name of Pete Mitchell told you over the phone that your husband had been involved in a training accident….Well—you felt as if you'd fallen straight into it.
Warnings: Bob Floyd x Pregnant F!reader. F-18 accident. Medical inaccuracies. Birth. Bob Whump, ANGST. Major character death.
Word Count: 6.1k
Author Note: Today is Monday, for most of you it’s Sunday: Please enjoy this oneshot that’s been a work in progress since the 28th of March. ~ Last minute title name change. I’m posting this at 4am my time so blow this up.
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First there was a storm of carbon and molten rock which begat granite and soil. Then, the land shook and it cracked and it rose till it spiked the sky. Forest grew and died and grew a hundred times again. And then people grew and died and grew and died a hundred times again. There were storms and seasons and fences and blood. Wonder and vengeance and a whole lot of regret….
And through every grievance, every war, the land and the sky didn't give two shits about any of it. Bob Floyd knew that as he and his front seater, Natasha Phoenix Trance, fell through the sky in a tin bird designed by man, for man to destroy other men….
That it wouldn't give two shits about them either. 
“Extinguishing right engine!” There were far too many sounds coming from every system possible as Phoenix tried to regain control of the F-18 that seemed impossible to wrangle. All Bob could think about in those utterly terrifying moments was you. 
He’d always made it a promise to come home to you. He knew how much you worried about him, how much the thought of being left behind ping ponged around in your brain. How sometimes you'd stay up all hours of the night hoping that wherever he was and whatever ocean he flew across that he was okay. That he was safe and that he;d come home to you. 
Robert Floyd had made you a promise he had every intention of keeping, but he wasn't so sure he could. 
“Phoenix, Bob! Punch out! Punch out!” Maverick shouted through the comms as he chased the rogue fighter jet down. Bob looked around at all the warnings flashing in his face, there was nothing left to save except themselves. 
“Phoenix there’s warning lights everywhere, we’re in hydraulic failure!” All Bob prayed for in those terrifying moments as his colleagues watched on in pure shock horror from the ground below was that he’d get a chance to tell you he loved you again. 
He always told you that he’d come home, that there wasn’t a chance in hell that he wouldn’t. You knew better than to believe Government Property though, Bob knew you knew that there was always a chance. So he promised in the event of his untimely demise that he’d come back to you and wiggle your earlobe. To let you know he made it safe and sound. That you need not worry about him anymore. 
You promised him the same thing, because working from home was just as terrifying as flying a multimillion dollar fighter jet. 
“I can’t control it!” But as the ground grew closer and closer, Bob knew he wasn’t ready to die, he wasn’t ready to leave you behind and he certainly wasn’t ready to not meet his unborn child. 
“We’re going down, Phoenix! We’re going in! We’re going in!” He wasn’t ready to wiggle your ear. 
“You can’t save it! eject, eject!” Maverick shouted again, he was watching on like he’d been sucked into some kind of timeloop. He’d seen this happen before. Only he lost his best friend when to this day he thought it should have been him. 
“Eject! Eject! Eject!” Were the last three words Bob heard escape from Phoenix’s mouth before he was reaching between his legs to pull at the emergency yellow and black striped handle that sent him flying out of the cockpit. He’d been taught how to handle a situation like this, they all had. Every single naval aviator currently on active duty had been taught what to do when they needed to eject. 
But when Bob's head hit the top of the cockpit? He didn’t care for procedures and protocol and what he should or shouldn’t have done in the moment, all he cared about was you and holding on to whatever consciousness he had left as he tumbled through the sky at a rapid pace. Reaching for his parachute in just the nic of time. 
Knowing if he hit the ground where the land had shook and cracked and rose till it spiked the sky that it wouldn’t have given a shit. It wouldn’t have been all that forgiving and it certainly wouldn’t have mourned his untimely demise. 
So Bob faught until he hit the ground with a not so graceful thud, he hit the ground hard—with an almighty groan as his ribs popped and his head throbbed inside his helmet. 
“Ahhh!” He gasped as he clutched at his stomach, forgetting how to breathe as the darkness of tunnel vision claimed its next victim. Unconsciousness overcoming its latest casualty: 
Bob Floyd. 
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
Bob had asked you once when you were wrapped up in his arms in the dead of the night, listening to the storm raging on outside if you knew anything at all about a Greek God called Chronos. When you had chuckled out a soft no as his lips trailed up your neck and his slightly calloused hands roamed your body like they knew every inch, Bob told you that he carried a sickle, that he used it to cut a hole, a tear in the cosmos between heaven and earth. Chronos did that to separate this world from the next, to separate the known from the unknown.
And while someone by the name of Pete Mitchell told you over the phone that your husband had been involved in a training accident….
Well—you felt as if you'd fallen straight into it.
You felt like you'd fallen into the cosmic existence between now and soon to come, plummeting into a realm where time didn’t exist and light didn’t reach. You tumbled into a parallel dimension where nothing made sense, nothing seemed tangible or real. You descended into a world where Bob Floyd wasn’t around. 
“Your husband was involved in an accident during a training exercise this afternoon—“. 
At the sound of Pete Maverick Mitchell’s voice explaining that there had been an accident on base during an exercise—you begun to crack, you started slipping further and further into the unknown because Bob had always said he’d never leave and if he did you’d feel him tugging on your earlobe to let you know he got there safe and sound. 
There was no one tugging on your earlobe though, no soul that had passed on or ghostly figure watching over you. What there was though, was a radiating warmth between your legs. A wetness that shouldn't have been there. 
Had your water just broken? 
“Oh—oh god.” You gasped as you looked down, gripping the side of the kitchen island as you groaned out a prolonged, primal moan. You were in labour there was no doubt about it. “Ahh.” 
“Mrs Floyd? Are you alright?” The voice on the other end of the line asked with a confused undertone as you watched the seconds tick past on the ongoing call. 
“I uh—“ You tried to speak, tried to make sense of what you were hearing, what you were experiencing. Pain in every aspect both physically, emotionally and mentally. “I think my water just broke.” 
“Oh—“ Maverick couldn’t suppress his shock nor could he disguise his sudden state of disbelief. “Oh okay, I’ll uh—I'll have an ambulance come by right away.” You replied with a sharp groan. Doubling over as you felt how hard your stomach had truly become. This was happening, everything was happening all at once and you had lost focus in the pain of both worrying about the state your husband was currently in and the fact your baby was on their way. “Mrs Floyd, someone will be there very soon, I’m gonna stay on the line with you until they arrive.” 
“I need Bob—“ You’d begun to cry as you kneeled on the kitchen floor before you decided that sitting up against the cabinet with your legs outstretched felt a hell of a lot more comfortable. “I need my husband, I can't do this without him.” You felt warm tears streaming down your cheeks as your bottom lip quivered and another painful contraction rippled through your body. Every fibre of your being ignited in a fireball. “Ahhh—I won’t do this without my husband!” 
On the other side of the phone call that had taken a rather drastic turn, Mav looked to Phoenix who was being wheeled into the awaiting ambulance on the tarmac. Bob was next, Pete didn’t have the heart to tell the Weapons Systems Officer that had just escaped death that his wife, who he hadn’t mentioned to a soul beside Phoenix, that his wife’s water had just broken. 
“Phoenix, hey—“ Pete stopped the medics briefly, they looked at Pete like he was risking her life by wasting valuable time. But this was just as important. “What’s Bob's wife’s name?” Pete wanted to know so he could be a little more personal. 
The truth was Natasha didn’t even know, she’d seen the picture of you in Bob's wallet that he’d shown her, but Bob had only ever called you by your nickname. Bob's beloved term of endearment. 
Peach. 
“He’s only ever called her Peach, I don’t even know her name.” Phoenix cried. She was still trying to process what had happened—she felt like the blame was all her own to bear. She’d damn near killed her back seater and she didn’t even know his wife’s real name or that you were pregnant. “I nearly killed him and I don’t even know his wife’s name—“ 
“Hey hey hey.” Mav tried to soothe the clearly shocked pilot. “It wasn’t your fault, it could’ve happened to anyone, Phoenix.” Mav smiled softly as he held the phone back to his ear, he was still yet to call Phoenix's emergency contact, her sister Lily. It wasn’t inherently Mavericks' job to call the emergency contacts listed in Bob and Phoenix’s files, but it was his duty, his responsibility. 
He was going to as soon as he’d informed you, however, Pete wasn’t expecting this call to take the turn it had. “Peach, you there?” 
There was no answer, Simply whimpers. When you’d doubled over in pain in the kitchen you’d left your phone on the island bench top. It was far too out of reach now as you sat trying to breathe through the latest contraction that bodied you. 
“Peach—“ Mav started, but as he did so saw the medics wheeling Bob closer and closer to the ambulance waiting on the tarmac. He couldn’t say anything, not when Bob was still fighting to stay conscious. “Mrs Floyd, someone will be there as soon as they can, I promise.” 
“Bbboooooobb—!” You cried out. “I can’t do this!” It was all too much for you to handle, the immense pressure, the anxiety, the fear of losing your husband. “I can’t fucking do this!” You never thought in your wildest dreams you’d have to do this alone. Bob always said he’d be right with you every single step of the way. And up until right now he had been. 
“Someone’s coming Peach.” Maverick knew you couldn’t hear him, but he couldn’t bring himself to put the phone down. He looked at Bob being wheeled into the back of the ambulance on a stretcher, wondering if his decision to not say anything as of right now was a bad decision. He seemed to always be full of those. 
“Someone’s coming—“
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
By the time Bob was brought back to the North Island Base Hospital, he was very aware that someone would need to call his emergency contact about what had happened. Someone was going to need to call you, he thought it would be best if he was the one who called. 
With a throbbing headache and a few cuts and gashes, Bob let the nurses and doctors tend to his aid without much of a fight. He knew he needed the care, knew it was for the best if he just let everyone do their jobs. He wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and if he put up a fight they would only keep him admitted for longer. 
“You got a partner Robert? A wife or husband that we need to call?” Doctor Austin asked as he shined a light into Bob's eyes, watching carefully as he followed the light side to side. 
“I have a wife–” Bob mumbled, his head hurt from when he’d hit the ground not so gracefully but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle as he sat up on the hospital bed with his legs hanging off the side. Phoenix was laying with an ice pack over her eyes on the other bed. “She’s um, she's pregnant, could go any day now.” Doctor Austin chuckled as he clicked his pen light off and placed it into his top pocket. Sending Bob an all knowing look. 
“And you thought it was a good idea to fall outta the sky?” Bob's ribs hurt when he laughed softly, cupping at his side as he did so, laughing with the doctor who had cleared him and Natasha of any serious injury. “My good man, I can't say that's a good mix.” But there were still observations that needed to be made and a few more tests just to be sure. He wasn't out of the woods. 
“Yeah I think you might be right doc—“ Bob smiled softly. “But can I be the one to call her? She’ll probably take the news a little better if she heard it from me.” 
“I’ll see what I can do Lieutenant.” Doctor Austin nodded as he picked up his charts and headed out of the room, leaving Phoenix and Bob in the heavy silence of the aftermath of their near death experience. 
“What’s her name?” Phoenix mumbled from behind the ice pack she kept over her eyes. 
“Y/n—“ Bob replied softly as he played with the wedding band that was strung through his dog tags. “We’ve been together since high school.” 
“Why do you call her Peach?” 
“Because she’s as sweet as the peaches from the orchard my grandma used to own.” Bob couldn’t stop himself from bashfully blushing, a hume all consuming crept across the apples of his cheeks whenever he spoke about you. “We’re about to have a baby, the detachment was meant to be my last before I could access my paternity leave entitlements.” 
“Rough last assignment—“ Phoenix chuckled as she shook her head in disbelief. Bob agreed silently, it was a rough last assignment. “You don’t talk about her an awful lot do you?” 
“I would—“ Bob pressed his lips together. “Just no one really asked.” It was then that Phoenix realised that she didn’t know an awful lot about the man who had gone down with her. The man who sat behind her and had her back in the sky. Her WSO. “And I guess we’re not here for all that long anyway so I just kept her to myself, she’s a nice reminder that even after the rough days we’ve been having I get to go home, safe and in one piece to the woman I love.” 
“Do you guys know what your having?” Phoenix didn't mean to pry, but she felt an overwhelming pressure to get to know the person she had been flying with since being requested for this detachment. Bob shook his head in response. 
“Nah, we wanted to keep it a surprise.” Just as Bob was finishing his sentences Doctor Austin returned, his face looked all kinds of pale and worry was written in the deep lines across his forehead. 
“Lieutenant Floyd it looks as if your wife was just admitted into the maternity ward—“ Bob's heart stopped beating inside his chest as he listened to Doctor Austin. “It appears that she was contacted earlier about your accident and the shock sent her into labour—“ 
“I uh—I need to see her.” Bob mumbled as he slid off the exam bed and nearly fell to the floor. His knees were so weak from the shock and adrenaline from the accident and now the realisation that he was about to be a first time dad. “I need to see my wife, where is she?” 
“Lieutenant, I know this must be a stressful situation for you but I really advise against leaving until we’ve finished with your own test. We still need to get you in for—“ 
“I won’t miss the birth of my baby.” Bob shook his head in defiance. “No, I won’t leave her to do that alone, she needs me—I know she does because I know how scared she is about doing this alone.” 
“Robert—“
“No no you have to listen to me. I can't let her do this alone because I’ve heard her cry about it in the middle of the night.” Phoenix's heart shattered into a million pieces as she watched Bob plead with the doctor and the nurses that had come in to try and subdue him. “She’s scared I won’t come back one day and today was almost that day and now she’s giving birth to our baby alone after I promised I’d be here for her—“ 
“We can’t let you go, it would be against all my medical advice.” Doctor Austin tried to explain. “I understand the difficulty of the situation Mr Floyd but your health and wellbeing is our number one priority.”
“But you have to let me!! That’s my wife! She needs me! Please—“ You needed your husband, things weren’t travelling all that well in the delivery room. You weren’t ready to have this baby—not if Bob wasn’t there with you. Not if Bob had left you behind, he was too young to die. He couldn’t leave you here by yourself to raise a baby, his baby, on your own. He promised he wouldn’t. 
“Mrs Floyd, you are going to have this baby.” 
“Aahhhhhh! I’m not doing this without my husband!” You groaned out. You were covered in sweat and crying your heart out as one of the labour and delivery nurses held your hand and placed a cool washcloth to your forehead. “I won’t have this baby without him, do you understand me!” 
“Someone needs to contact her husband—“ Everyone from the King of England to the Hounds of Hell could hear you screaming. It had been a rather quiet day for the L&D department. Until the ambulance had brought you in. 
“We can’t reach him, but I’ll try again.” One of the intern labour and delivery nurses replied as she rushed out of the room, she sprinted towards the nurses station in a hurry. So fast she almost went straight past it, she came to a halt with a flustered sigh.“I need you to try contacting Mr Floyd again, his wife won’t cooperate—she’s refusing to give birth to this baby without him.” 
“She knows how having a baby works doesn’t she?” One of the older nurses sitting at the desk rolled her eyes. “That baby, no matter the circumstances, isn’t going to wait for anyone.”
“I’ll let the L&D ward know you’re here as a patient but that’s the best I can do at this stage Lieutenant, I can’t in good conscience let you leave this ward without having run through all the proper medical procedures to make sure you’re fit to return to work.” Doctor Austin wasn’t trying to be the bay guy, if anything he wanted nothing more than to send Bob on his way—but he couldn’t, he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing he didn’t do his job to the best of his ability. “My primary priority is you and Miss Trance here.” 
“You don’t understand!” Bob ran his hands through his hair as his bottom lip quivered. He was holding back tears as he looked up to the ceiling—begging whatever God up there that saved him this morning to work just a little more magic. “She won’t have this baby without me, that was the deal—I needed to be there and now that I’m not—“
“She can’t not have the baby Robert.” Doctor Austin sighed, that was the moment Bob knew he needed out. He needed to get to you, he needed to be there by your side and whisper how beautiful and strong and amazing you are for being a whole person into this world. Because if there was one thing you were, it was strong willed, and you weren't going to have this baby without him. That was a promise. “I’ll go talk with L&D and I’ll be right back.” 
“Tell my wife I’m here!” Bob shouted as Doctor Austin left the room, Bob felt like he couldn’t breathe. There was a pressure mounting inside his chest, like an elephant was perched upon his chest. “I’m—I’m here.” He broke. Tears streamed down his grazed cheeks as Phoenix hobbled over. She’d done a little damage to herself but nothing a little rest and recovery couldn’t fix. 
They were lucky—oh so lucky. 
“She's gonna be okay.” Natasha tried her best to comfort the Weapons System Officer she hardly knew, but Bob was long gone. He’d fallen deep into that hole, the one that the Greek God Chronos had created to separate this life from the next one. He was falling through a helpless paradox of anxiety and fear. You were about to give birth and he was going to miss it. As he crouched down as a whale of pain escaped his parted lips, Bob wished for nothing more than to reverse time.
Because if he could just simply reserve time then he wouldn’t have gone into work this morning. And none of this would be happening. 
***~***~***~****~***~****~****~***
“Desmond, she’s not doing well, at all.” Lily, one of your delivery nurses, pleaded with Bob's doctor to just let him come to your aid. “She thinks he’s dead, something about an accident he was in this morning.” 
“F-18 ejection, he hit the ground pretty hard.” Doctors Austin looked in at you on the bed, in the middle of active labour, fighting every urge you had to push. You weren’t having this baby, not without Bob, the love of your life, your best friend, your husband. “He’s fine, but he’s in for observation overnight and I’m still waiting for his result to come back from his MRI.” 
“If she doesn’t see her husband soon she’s going to need an emergency c-section and I for one am not about to place a panicked mother to be under the knife unless it’s critical.” Lily was your voice of reason. You couldn’t plead with Doctor Austin to let your husband go yourself so she did it for you. “If your patient can walk, hold his wife’s hand while she delivers their child and can sign a waiver saying he waved all medical advice then send him down here before she loses this baby.” 
“You L&D ladies think you know everything—“ 
“Just bring me her damn husband before it’s too late.” 
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~**
Bob felt like he’d been condemned to some eternal hell, time froze as the walls of the hospital room he sat in with Phoenix grew closer and closer. He felt claustrophobic for the first time in a long time. 
“How did the two of you meet?” Phoenix tried to keep Bob's mind from going to places too dark to fathom. He needed a distraction from the fact he was here with her and you were delivering his child. All alone. 
“I was never good at history, she was my partner for this assessment we had in ancient history class once, everyone was doing their research on Pompeii but not Peach.” Bob chuckled to himself at the memory. “No she wanted to do Herculaneum and it turned out to be the only project I ever got an A on for that class.” You were just it for Bob. There was something special about your aura. Your ability to draw him close like a moth entranced by a flame. You took his breath away every time you told him you loved him. 
Your love sent Bob's heart clear out of this world. 
“We kinda just never left each other's side since then.” Bob explained as he sat against the wall on the floor with his elbows on his knees. “She’s always been so supportive of what I do even though I know it scares her more than anything to see me walk out that door every morning and she worries endlessly whenever I’m deployed.” 
“Becoming she loves you.” Phoenix wished she knew a love like Bobs, but her time hadn’t come yet. Bob nodded along as he twirled his wedding band around his finger as it hung from his dog tags. 
“Because she loves me.” 
“Floyd—“ Doctor Austin made his presence known as he chucked Bob a blue hospital gown and cap. “Put those on, sign this form that says you're going against my professional medical advice and follow me, you’re needed in labour and delivery.”
***~***~***~***~***~***~
“Push! Y/n dear you need to push—!” Lily tried to persuade you to push when your next contraction hit but you were too far gone. You weren’t ready to be a mother, not without Bob there to be a father. 
“No! No, I'm not having this baby!” It was the hardest thing to hear as Bob came racing down the hall, his entire body ached from bruises, his head felt heavy on his shoulders from his concussion. But he was okay, he was alive. “I’m not! I won’t! I can’t do this without him!” You cried out in pain as you fought the urge to push, you swore your teeth were about to crush under the force of you clenching. A scream so heartbreaking and primal ripped through you as your body began to betray you. You were fighting nature's course and it wasn’t going well.
“She needs to push—she’s losing too much blood.” One of the nurses stated as a matter of factly just as Bob made it to the door. He froze at the sight of you, how could you look so beautiful in so much pain? He thought he was going to pass out as he took steady, slow steps into the room. 
“I’m here—“ Bob cooed as he came up to your beside. “I’m here Peach I’m here.”
“Bob?” You turned in a delirious state to where your husband's voice had come from. “No no I thought you—“
“I’m okay.” He smiled as he bent over to kiss your forehead and splay his hand on top of your head to push your hair away from your face. “I’m here, I told you I’d be here didn’t I?” 
“I thought you died, I thought you were in an accident?” You could barely focus, you felt so light headed that the world felt like it was spinning. “I thought—“
“Hey, hey you need to push alright? You can push now baby because I’m here and I’m with you and I’m fine.” Bob reassured you as you sobbed and nodded as he kissed your lips softly and held your hand. “You’re so strong, you’re so brave, and I love you so much, please push mama.” 
“This baby is coming whether you're ready or not Mrs Floyd so I’m gonna need you to focus so we can get this baby out.” Lily rounded the bed as she positioned herself between your legs. Bob felt you tighten your grip around his head and everything stopped. Time stood still, your screams were all but drowned out by the excitement and fear in Bob's heart. 
“Yes, Y/n good job. I can see bubs head you’re doing so well! Oh your next contraction I need you to push until I tell you to stop.” Lily smiled as you let your head fall back against the bed. 
“You’ve been telling me to push and now you don’t want me to push!?” You hissed. Bob couldn’t help but to chuckle. He was so amazed by your strength. 
“Yep, that’s exactly what I’m telling you.” Lily chuckled. She knew you were close, barreling towards another contraction. She could see it. “Alright this is the one mama, big push for me and bubs will be here in no time.” 
“Bob! It hurts! Make it stop!” You cried out, Bob wished he could take all your pain and experience it himself. He never wanted to see you in such a state, but your baby was coming, the baby you’d made together. You’d created together late one night or in the early hours of the morning he wasn’t too sure. But what he was sure of was that you could do this. “It hurts!!” 
“Push Mrs Floyd!” Lily shouted. 
“Come on peach push! push!” Bob willed you on as you did. You shouted  and cried and squeezed your husband’s hand so hard he thought you were about to break his damn hand. But this was it. Your baby was coming. 
“Okay okay the heads out stop!” Lily guided you as you let your head fall back against the bed in pure exhaustion. You were dehydrated, covered in sweat and ready to give up. “So I lied before, you’re gonna give me one smaller push to help bubs out Y/n and that it’s—you're done.” 
“I can’t.” 
“No peach you can.” Bob cooed. “You can because you’ve come this far.” 
“I’m not even sure if you're here or not.” You sobbed as you reached out to caress Bob's cheek. “I’m not even sure if you're here with me or if I’m seeing things.”
“I’m here, I’m real.” Bob whispered in your ear. “And we’re having our baby Peach, just one more little push and it’s gonna be you and me and our little one against the world.” You nodded softly and you shut your eyes and groaned. “You can do it.” 
“Alright let’s have this baby! One more small push!” Lily announced as another contraction tour through your exhausted body. 
“Ahhhhhh!!” You shouted and Bob swore you bust his eardrum, but it was a small sacrifice as the cries of the world’s newest human echoed off the walls. 
“Congratulations Mr and Mrs Floyd you have a little baby girl.” Lily handed you your daughter the second she was born. Placing her on your chest within seconds of her arrival. 
“Oh Peach, she's so beautiful.” Bob cried as tears streamed down his cheeks. He swore he’d never be able to love someone more than he loved you. But as you held your newborn daughter on your chest he kinda thought he’d been wrong. He could love someone just as much as he loved you. Your daughter. 
“She's perfect, hi b-baby.” Your voice was all but a whisper as your head lulled to the side. You felt dizzy, lightheaded as your daughters cried softened. “I love you.” 
“Y/n? Sweetheart are you alright?” You didn’t reply but you looked up at your husband with a dazed expression, a tunnel had begun to form, edges of a dark black hole crept its way into your mind.
Chronos hole—the one between this world and the next. 
“Peach?” Alarms rang out as Lily removed your crying newborn just minutes earth side from your chest as your eyes rolled into the back of your head. “No no no no what’s wrong what’s happening to her?” Bob asked as he tapped your cheek softly. “Hey, Peach, no stay with me, stay with me.” 
“Her blood pressure is dropping, she’s haemorrhaging.” Lily explained as she and a bunch of other nurses worked around you. “We need to get her into surgery, Mr Floyd.” 
“Sir, step back—“ An older nurse asked as she placed a hand on Bob's shoulder. He did as he watched Lily take a sample of your blood. 
“I’ll head directly to the lab to drop off the sample.” 
“Just make sure her surgeon has o-negative on the ready.” The only nurse replied as Bob stood there, watching as they wheeled you out on the same bed you'd just given birth in. He didn't even get a chance to say goodbye, he didn't get a chance to tell you how much he loved you. 
“Uh, do I go with her or?” Bob didn’t know what to do, his whole world had been turned upside down and on its head already today, and again it had just flipped once more. There was one nurse left, he didn’t know her name, but she smiled politely at him. 
“No, you should stay here with your daughter, she needs her daddy now.” 
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
First there was a storm of carbon and molten rock which begat granite and soil. Then, the land shook and it cracked and it rose till it spiked the sky. Forest grew and died and grew a hundred times again. And then people grew and died and grew and died a hundred times again. There were storms and seasons and fences and blood. Wonder and vengeance and a whole lot of regret….
And through every grievance, every war, the land and the sky didn't give two shits about any of it. Bob Floyd knew that as he sat with his newborn daughter in the maternity room of the Miramar Base Hospital designed by man, for man to help other men with westernised medical procedures and treatments…
That it wouldn't give two shits about you either. 
“Hey..” A gruff voice came from the doorway, it took Bob all his light and all his remaining energy to look up from his daughter. The light and life of you. “I uh, I just thought I’d come check in on you and Phoenix.” Mav crossed his arms over his chest as he moved into the room. “How’s your wife doing?” 
“I don’t know.” Bob explained as he rocked his little girl, skin to skin was important so he’d stripped off what he could. “She’s still in surgery.” Pete could see the worry written in the lines of Bob's face. But the little girl who cried against his shoulder had him mesmerised. “Sorry darlin, I got you, daddy’s here.” 
“She’s a little beauty isn’t she?” Mav sat down beside the WSO who’d had a longer day then most. “You get a chance to name her yet? Before—?” Mav didn’t have to say before you went into shock. Your body had been through a lot and the nurses believed if you hadn’t held on so long, held back against what your body was telling you it needed to do then there was a possibility that it could have been a rather smooth delivery. Bob took that personally, the only reason you were holding back was because he wasn't here for you when you needed him the most. 
“No, but we’ll name her after, for now she’s baby Peach.” 
“Your wife’s nickname.” Mav replied softly as he looked up. He knew then and there what was about to happen. 
Bob knew there was a Doctor standing in the doorway. He didn’t dare look up. He knew if he looked up he’d be told the worst news of his life. 
Bob remembered that had asked you once when you were wrapped up in his arms in the dead of the night, listening to the storm raging on outside if you knew anything at all about a Greek God called Chronos. He remembered that you had chuckled out a soft no as he trailed his lips up your neck. Bob told you that he carried a sickle, that he used it to cut a hole, a tear in the cosmos between heaven and earth. Chronos did that to separate this world from the next, to separate the known from the unknown.
And while a Doctor by the name of Henry Nardella told him that you didn’t make it through the surgery, that you'd left him and your daughter behind, in a world where nothing made sense without you in it. 
Well—Robert Floyd felt as if he’d fallen straight into it. 
“No, please don't leave me here.” Bob felt like he’d fallen into the cosmic existence between now and soon to come, plummeting into a realm where time didn’t exist and light didn’t reach. He felt like he had tumbled into a parallel dimension where nothing made sense, nothing seemed tangible or real. He’d descended into a world where you weren't around. “No Peach, no.” 
But at the touch of his earlobe, a slight pressure formed at the lobe. So warm and comforting. Bob knew as your baby girl settled in against his chest at the lub dub of his heart beating for you–he knew you were safe on the other side. 
Because you had tugged on his earlobe, just like you promised you would. 
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
653 notes · View notes
sarahsmi13s · 4 months
Text
Rocks Are Allowed to Crack, Stars Are Allowed to Dim
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pairing: jake 'hangman' seresin x fem!pilot!reader
characters: jake seresin, y/n nivans, the daggers, pete mitchell, penny benjamin, diego and benny harding (oc father and son)
warnings: 18+ MDNI, angst, language, ptsd, description of accident, panic attack, injuries, descriptions of scars, flashbacks, fear of death, familial death (mentioned), crying, bottling up feelings, please please let me know if i missed any
word count: ~8.0k
a/n: this has been sitting in my docs and on my wheel for at least a year (please forgive the awkward moments). so i figured i'd take a sliver of the wheel and make him a little lighter! i've also been in a funk lately, so i thought getting something out there might help!
quick summary: everyone deserves someone to comfort them in their time of need, even the ones that always lend their shoulder
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Ah, yes, dogfight football. Maverick’s way of creating a team. You play offense and defense at the same time. Tackling each other into the sand, sometimes into the water. It may be chaotic, but it’s fun and a great team building exercise.
Which is why you hated that you were running a little behind.
You sighed as you got out of your car and walked over to where Penny was sitting at the table. 
You placed your aviators on your head, “I’m not late am I?” Penny chuckled and shook her head, “Just in time. Want a beer before you go?” You shook your head, “Nah, I’m okay right now. Care to watch my stuff?” 
The brunette gestured to the items in front of her, chuckling, “I’m watchin’ everyone else's. I don’t see why not.” You chuckled and sat your wallet, phone, and keys down, as well as your sunglasses. You slipped off your shorts, folding them and laying them down.
“Nivans!” 
You turned at the call of your last name, brows raised in curiosity. 
 It was Maverick. 
“Hurry up and get down here!”
You turned to Penny, “This is gonna be fun.” You both laughed before you jogged across the sand to meet everyone by the water. 
“Sorry I’m late, Mav.” 
Maverick shook his head, “You’re not late, Rockstar. Can’t be late for fun.” 
“Not gonna take your t-shirt off?” Phoenix asked when you stood beside her. You shook your head, “Nah, I’m good.” 
Hangman sighed, “That’s a shame.” 
You chuckled at him and bent down to throw a handful of sand at him. 
“Watch it, Rockstar,” Hangman said, his voice light as he glared at you playfully.
“Or what, Hangman?” You challenged, eyes narrowed but a smile pulled at your lips.
Now, you and Hangman joked like this all the time. You considered each other best friends, which confused everyone else on base. 
Jake Seresin was an asshole. He was cocky and arrogant. You, Y/N Nivans, were not an asshole. Quite the opposite, actually. 
You were humble while still knowing your worth, but also showing anybody up if they proposed a challenge, and not being sour when you lost. 
Jake went out looking for competition, you let it come to you. 
You were also probably the sweetest thing to walk the planet. Most certainly the sweetest to walk the airstrip. 
You were nice to everyone, always giving someone the benefit of the doubt until they truly proved they were an asshole. 
You also took care of your team, they were your family. You always had the door open if someone needed to talk. Your arms were wide open when they showed up in the middle of the night because they had a nightmare and couldn’t shake it. You were their rock.
So, when you walked into the Hard Deck that first day of the Uranium Mission and hugged Hangman, everyone was confused — except Coyote who knew you from a year prior. But they didn’t verbally question you, choosing instead to ponder in private.
Hangman sighed, “Come on, Rocky. You're giving your enemy the advantage.” He tugged at your shirt and pulled you into his arms. 
You laughed and pushed him away by his chest, “You’re gonna have to catch me first.” Hangman cocked his head to the side, “Oooh, that’s how it is?” You nodded, a smirk playing on your lips, “That’s how it is.” 
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You panted as you used your shirt to wipe the sweat from your face. 
When you let go of your shirt you raised your arms, calling for the ball. They threw it to you and you took off for your endzone. 
You felt the sand shift and you knew Hangman was behind you. You had to get rid of the ball, so you called out to your teammate, “Phoenix!” She ran ahead of you and you threw her the ball.
As soon as the ball was out of your hand, Hangman tackled you to the ground. 
You laughed as you laid on your stomach, arms out in front of you. 
“What was that about ‘catching you’?” Jake grunted from above you.
You didn’t have to look at him to know he was smirking. “Haha, very funny Hangman. Now get off, you’re heavy.” 
“First, ouch. Second, nah, you’re comfy.” You laughed and shook your head, attempting to push off the ground and basically buck him off. 
But, Hangman wouldn’t let you, laughing as he moved and made you fall back down.
In this new position, Hangman was putting pressure on a certain part of your back and panic shot through you. 
“Seriously, dude, get up,” you tried to say with a laugh, not wanting to sound rude or like you were mad at him. He just smiled and rested his chin on his hands. 
You closed your eyes and tried to control your breathing, but the waves hitting you pushed you over the edge. 
“Jake, get the fuck off me.” You didn’t mean to sound harsh but you were panicking.
Jake was surprised by your tone, along with the use of his first name. He immediately got up and held out a hand for you to take but you just got up and ran to the table. 
“Rockstar, where you going?” Maverick asked. You called out while still running, “I need a break for a minute.” 
You got to the table, “Is it unlocked?” Penny nodded, “Yeah, why?” “Bathroom break.” Penny just nodded again and watched you take your sunglasses with you as you jogged inside.
Rooster ran over and hit Jake’s arm, “What did you do, Hangman?” Jake shook his head, “I’m not sure.” He put his hands on his hips and watched you disappear into the bar. 
He felt bad, he wanted to chase after you and apologize but he didn’t know what he did. 
“Well, you seemed to piss her off,” Phoenix said, shoving the ball into his chest. 
Maverick looked at Penny but she just shrugged, meaning you didn’t say much.
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You ran into the bathroom, throwing yourself into a stall.  
You leaned over the toilet and waited to throw up. Tears had started running down your face the minute you stepped in the bar. You coughed and sobbed lightly as you tried to control your breathing. 
After a few minutes of that, the nausea subsided and you slowly stood to go to the sink. 
You turned the cold water on and splashed your face. 
“Shit…” 
You closed your eyes as the tight feeling in your chest loosened. You let out a shaky breath and looked in the mirror, cringing at the puffiness around your eyes. You grabbed your sunglasses and slipped them on before leaving the bathroom.
When you stepped outside you saw Maverick and Penny talking, and when you sat down they stopped talking and looked at you concerned. 
“You alright? Gave Hangman quite the scare for a second,” Mav asked, squaring his shoulders to you. You nodded, resting your forearms on the table. “Yeah, I’m fine.” You rubbed your forehead, “Hey Pen-” 
Before you could finish your sentence, a beer was sat in front of you, causing you to giggle, “Read my mind.”
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As he continued to play, Jake still couldn’t get over the fact that you called him ‘Jake’ during a day out. 
It wasn’t that you never did, but it was rare that you called anyone by their first name. 
But it wasn’t just that, it was the way you said that really made him worry. He had never heard your voice sound like that before.
He looked at you from his spot on the beach, noticing you didn’t come back to join in the fun. 
Hangman walked up to Phoenix, worried that he had really upset you and wanted help from the girl you were closest to. “You don’t really think I pissed her off, do you?” 
She sighed, “I don’t know, Hangman. Even if you did, I doubt she could stay mad at you for long. She can't be mad at anyone for very long.”
Jake nodded and watched you stand up from your spot at the table.
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You finished your beer and stood up, “I’m gonna head out.” 
Maverick frowned, “You sure you’re okay, Y/N?” 
“Yeah, I’m okay. I just really need to shower. I’ve got sand in places sand shouldn’t be,” you said with a light laugh. 
“Okay, drive safe. I’ll see you in the morning.” 
“Yes, sir.” You collected your stuff and headed to your car.
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Jake noticed you leaving and tilted his head, “Hey…” He patted Coyote on the shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” 
He jogged up to the table to ask Maverick if he knew anything.
“Is she okay?” Hangman asked as soon as he came to a stop. Maverick shrugged, not looking up at the pilot, “She seemed okay. Said she needed to shower.” 
Jake let out a breath, “So she isn’t mad at me?” 
“I didn’t say that. But as far as I can tell, she’s just tired.” 
Jake licked the sweat off his upper lip, putting his hands on his hips as he looked down. 
“Hangman, honey, just go talk to her. If she’s upset with you, she’ll be honest about it,” Penny encouraged, giving Jake a small smile. He nodded and jogged to go find you before you left. 
You were standing by your car, the door opened as you moved to get in when he approached. 
“Hey, Y/N,” Jake called as he walked over to you. You smiled, “Hey, Hangman.” 
Jake swallowed, “Look, I’m sorry about earlier. I was just messing around. I did-” 
You held your hand up, cutting him off, “Jake, I’m not mad at you. I know you were just playing. But your tackle jump started my bladder and I wasn’t kidding when I said you were heavy.” You giggled a bit to show him you were teasing.
Hangman visibly relaxed at the sound, “Okay, good. I know I like to get under everyone’s skin. Sometimes I don’t know when to knock it off. I–” 
You held up your hand, cutting him off. “Jake, I can handle your teasing. Yeah, you can get a little mean. But I know it’s all a big show. Come here,” you opened your arms and made grabby hands at Jake. 
He just shook his head and chuckled, pulling you in by your outstretched hands and letting them find their place around his built torso. 
He rubbed his hand on your back, nearly missing the slight tensing right beneath your shoulder blades before they relaxed. His brow furrowed but he didn’t mention it, thinking that maybe it was you tightening your arms around him. 
He kissed the top of your head before you pulled away. 
“Geez, Jake, you’re sweaty.” 
“You’re not too dry yourself, Rockstar.” You laughed and playfully shoved him away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N.” You smiled and slid into your car, “I’ll kick your ass tomorrow Hangman.” 
He scoffed leaning on the roof of your car and the open door. “Since when did you get so cocky?” 
You smirked and placed your glasses on your head, forgetting that your eyes could still be red and puffy from earlier. “It’s not cocky if it’s the truth.” 
Jake shook his head and looked back to the shore. “Uh-huh. We’ll see.” He leaned back and patted the top of your car. “Drive safe.” You nodded, and he closed your door. 
He watched you start it up before driving away.
Jake shook his head and made his way back to the group.
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Speaking of the group, they had all noticed the change in Jake when you showed up at the Hard Deck a few months ago. 
While he was still his cocky self, having no shame in bragging and trash talking, he seemed to tone it down when you were around.
They also noticed how he always made sure to find you in the crowd, keeping an eye on you. Coyote joked that you had Hangman wrapped around your finger, that he would be at your side with a simple look. 
Jake was painfully aware of the effect you had on him. 
When he met you a year ago, he was starstruck by your dazzling smile. 
So, naturally, in true Hangman fashion, he flirted with you. 
With a toothpick between his perfect white teeth and his bright green eyes shining under the yellow lights of the bar, he walked up to you. 
“I sure hope no one left you alone.” 
When you turned, eyeing him up and down to take in the uniform, beer bottle popping as it left your mouth, his breath was ripped from his lungs. 
“Well, you’re here now. I’m not alone.” 
Seeing your smile up close caused Hangman to blush, and leaving him thankful that his tan could somewhat hide it. 
“Well, ain’t I special.” 
You nodded, giggling while looking down at the bar, “That you are. But, before this can go any further, I’m gonna be honest, I’m more dedicated to my work than anything else at the moment. And I have to be up by 5, so I’d hate to lead you on.” 
Jake shook his head, but you continued, gesturing around the bar, “I’m sure there are plenty of girls here that would love to get attention from you and give you attention.” 
Jake smiled –not smirked, smiled– while leaning on the bar, “Well, the only one I want attention from is you. Plus, I can’t stay out too late either. Gotta be at work early too, so I guess we’re both clocking in early.” 
None of the feelings that day had been one sided. You also had been starstruck by Hangman. 
He was broad shoulder, tall, tan, and had a voice that could make a girl swoon in a second. But you knew he was a pilot, his uniform gave it away, and you knew how they acted. Except, you liked Jake’s company and decided to talk all night with him. 
Ironically, what you both did for work never came up.
So, imagine the look on Jake’s face when he saw you the next day in your flight suit. 
“You didn’t tell me you were a pilot.” 
You smirked, “You didn’t ask.” 
He shook his head, biting his lower lip to hide his smile but failed. 
You nodded to him, “What do they call you?” 
“Hangman. What about you?” You smiled, “Rockstar.” 
You were able to peg why he earned his callsign very early on but he couldn’t seem to figure yours out. 
Until he had a close call and couldn’t shake it.
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The last day of training had just ended, tomorrow you might not come home, and to say you were nervous was a major understatement. 
As you changed to get ready to go out with the squad, you couldn’t stop shaking. You knew you needed a drink… okay a couple drinks.
While you changed, Hangman was walking around, looking for you. 
When he walked past the locker room, he caught a glimpse of you reaching to pick something up.
He turned to walk in, but stopped when he saw that you only had your pants on. But, before he could stop himself, his eyes trailed up your back; starting from above your waistline on your pants and going up. 
Then he stopped, his eyes widening when he saw the large scar that looked fairly new – maybe a year or so old. It spanned from the middle of your left shoulder blade to nearly below your ribcage and was positioned diagonally across your back. 
Jake quickly looked away, realizing that you must have not wanted anyone to see it if you hadn’t told him. 
His brow furrowed as questions ran through his mind. Was that why you freaked out during dogfight football, the other day? Why you always tense up when you get an unexpected touch there? 
Shit… He thought, feeling like a horrible friend for never noticing and never asking. 
Jake took a deep breath and walked away, choosing to approach the locker room differently and pretend he never saw you. 
He put on a smile and walked back towards the locker room, “Hey, Rockstar! You almost ready?” He stopped just short of the door, leaning his back against the wall. 
Your head jerked up as you pulled your t-shirt down. “Uh, yeah, Hangman. I’ll be ready in a second.” 
You finished getting ready and walked out, jumping slightly when he pushed off the wall. 
“Geez Hang, don’t do that!” You punched his arm. 
“Gosh, I forgot how hard you punch.” He chuckled and rubbed the spot on his arm as you both walked to the parking lot.
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You all sat in the Hard Deck, drinking and playing pool.
“Dude, she’s kicking your ass!” Payback laughed as he clapped Hangman on the shoulder. 
You were, in fact, kicking Jake’s ass in pool. You couldn’t help the giggle that escaped as the blond narrowed his eyes at Payback. 
“Yeah, you feelin’ okay? You’ve been off your game tonight Bagman,” Rooster commented, smirking as he drank his alcohol. 
Instead of clapping back at the jab, Jake just rolled his eyes and lined up his shot. 
That made you frown, Hangman always had a comeback. Always had sarcastic quips to embarrass the other person. But he was silent. 
You made eye contact when he stood, silently asking if he was okay. He just nodded and moved to sink another pool ball. 
You didn’t want to drop it, but you did for the sake of having fun before facing the chance of death tomorrow.
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Sometime later, after a few rounds of pool and drinks, you all stood around and just talked.
“Hey, did you guys hear about that one pilot that saved her WSO’s life when they got shot down?” Bob asked, looking around the group. 
You clenched your jaw slightly, but not enough for anyone to notice. 
“Bob, that happens all the time. It’s kinda what we do,” Phoenix said, squeezing his shoulder. 
Rooster stood up and sat his beer down. “No, not the way this pilot did. Bob, I know who you’re talking about. I read the mission file, the only thing that was classified was the pilot and WSO’s names.” 
You swirled the beer in your glass, not looking up from the amber liquid. “Did the pilot survive?” 
When you finished asking, you looked up, trying to ignore the watchful eyes of Hangman as you met Rooster’s eyes. 
The latter nodded, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, she did. But she had a pretty serious injury. I’m not sure if she was ever clear to fly again.” 
You nodded and looked back down at your glass. 
“And the WSO?” Jake asked, eyeing you as you downed the rest of your drink before looking at Rooster and Bob. 
“He survived. But I don’t know if he still flies,” Bob answered. 
“Well, that’s good that they both survived,” you said, your smile returning to your face. 
Rooster shook his head a bit, “Yeah, but that pilot pulled a risky move. Saving some like that…” 
Your smile dropped a bit, “People have their reasons.” You raised your glass, “I’m gonna go get another drink.”
Hangman watched you leave as the conversation changed into something more light hearted. 
Jake took a step to go after you but Coyote caught his arm. “Hey, come on. Play me in a round of pool. Let’s see if you still got your game.” Jake looked from his friend back to you and saw you laughing with Penny and Maverick at the bar. That allowed him to relax a little bit. 
“Oh, I still got my game. Let’s see if you found yours,” he smirked. “There he is!” Coyote laughed and clapped Jake on the back.
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As Jake played pool with Coyote, you talked with Penny and Maverick. 
“Are you serious?” 
You nodded, laughing at Penny’s reaction to you telling her how you and Jake met. 
“Pen, why are you surprised? Hangman flirts with every girl,” Maverick said, using his hand to point the direction of the mentioned pilot. You and Penny both nodded your agreement. 
“Sounds familiar,” Penny says, a playful grin on her face making Maverick roll his eyes.
You had become so invested in your conversation with Penny and Mav, that you missed Rooster coming up behind you.
He placed his hand on your back, right on your scar, making you tense and jump in surprise.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya’ Rocky,” he took his hand off and leaned on the bar. 
“You doin’ okay? You seemed a bit…” He glanced back at the group, thinking of the right word. “...tense a minute ago.” 
You bit the inside of your lip, had you really been that obvious? 
Still, you nodded and gave him your best smile. 
But to him, he could see that it didn’t reach your eyes. He may not have been your best friend, but he had seen plenty of your genuine smiles and this one did not make your eyes shine like the others. 
Bradley decided not to press, “Okay…” He turned to Penny, “Penny, could we get another round?” The bartender nodded, “Of course, but you’re reaching your cut off.” 
Penny had set a cut off for drinks for the pilots not wanting them to go into this mission hungover. You chuckled and glanced back at the group, all of them messing around and having fun. “Yes ma’am.” 
You turned to Rooster and then back down to your empty glass. Penny hadn’t refilled it yet, having started a conversation with you as soon as you came over. 
You glanced at your watch, seeing that you had been there for a couple hours. 
Penny sat a tray down, placing the full glasses on top. “There you are, Rooster. Who’s tab?”
Rooster opened his mouth to tell her to put it on his, but you beat him to it, “Put it on mine Pen.” 
“You got the last round, Rockstar,” Rooster argued. You shrugged, “I don’t mind. Plus, I’m closing my tab for tonight.” 
“What? You’re heading out already?” You nodded, sliding Penny your card, “I’m hitting my limit, Roos.” 
Bradley searched your eyes for a moment, looking for any indication that something was wrong.
You were usually the one that made sure everyone was okay to go home and if they needed rides; so leaving early rung bells in Rooster’s head. 
Penny gave you your card and receipt, “Thank you.” “Thanks Pen,” you gave her a smile before turning back to Rooster. 
“Tell ‘em I’m heading out. I know if I do it I won’t be able to leave.” You gave him a one armed hug and turned to Maverick, “See you in the morning, Captain.” 
“See you in the morning, Rockstar.” 
Penny gently squeezed your hand, giving you a small smile as you slid off the bar stool and walked out. 
Rooster, Maverick, and Penny watched you leave the building before turning to each other, concern written all over their faces. 
“Is she okay? She’s been acting a little off ever since dogfight football the other day,” Penny asked the two pilots. 
They both shrugged, Bradley looking up at her. “I was about to ask you the same thing.” 
“I’ve noticed, but I thought it was just because Harvard and Yale had to eject the other day,” Mav admitted. “We were all a little shaken up by that…” 
It was silent for a minute. 
“You know… if one person knows anything, it’d probably be Seresin,” Penny said, pointing over to the pilot, who was very invested in the game he was winning, and basically suggesting that they talk to him. 
Bradley sighed, knowing that Penny was right and if anyone knew you the best, it would be him. He grabbed the tray, thanking Penny and walking over to the group.
They all cheered when he sat the tray down, taking a glass for themselves. 
Jake noticed that there was an extra and he frowned in confusion before he realized it was for you. 
He looked up, eyes searching for you in the crowd, panicking a little when he couldn’t see you, “Where’s Rockstar?” 
Rooster sighed, “She closed her tab and left. Said she reached her limit.” 
Fanboy frowned a little bit, “Why didn’t she just tell us herself?” 
Rooster shrugged, “Said if she did it would take longer for her to leave.” 
“Does she seem different to you guys?” Coyote asked, finally voicing his concern that had buit up over the last few days. 
The group shared a look before making small noises of agreement. 
“I mean, she’s still the same Y/N. Still lighting up a room and being there for us like she always has been… I just… I don’t know.” 
Rooster looked at Jake, “Hangman, you’re like her best friend, do you know anything?” 
Jake shrugged and shook his head, “All I know is she’s nervous for tomorrow and the accident the other day shook her up a bit, but she hasn’t said anything else.” 
He took a large gulp from his beer, hoping to swallow the confession of seeing your scar that he wanted to bring to light.  You trusted Jake and he wasn’t about to ruin that by telling the squad what he saw when he wasn’t even supposed to know it was there.
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Meanwhile, you walked the beach, taking in the fresh and salty air. You just needed the quiet time before you went home.
You sighed and pulled out your phone, seeing a text from Hangman and laughing slightly at the message.
Hangboy: Hey, I get that I kicked your ass those last few rounds of pool, but you could have told me you were leaving. I would have walked you out. Text me when you get home. 
Also, there was an extra beer. I assume it was meant for you, but you left so I drank it. Don’t worry though, I can handle it.
You shook your head and opened your phone, but not to text Jake.
You went to your contacts and pressed the caller ID, putting the phone to your ear as it rang. 
“Hey, Rockstar, what's up? It’s been awhile.” 
You smiled, sighing, “Sure has been, Tundra. How are you? How’s the little one?” “I’m good. Ben is great, he wants to know when you’ll be by again to visit.” 
You giggled at the fact the 6 year old wanted to see you. “Soon… hopefully.” “Y/N, I know that voice. Is it happening again?” You shook your head, despite the fact that Tundra couldn’t see you. 
“No, no. Well, sorta, but this is different Diego.” You heard him shift, presumably crossing his arms. “What do you mean?” 
You sighed, remembering that you couldn’t share all that much about the mission, even if he was former Navy. 
“I don’t know how much I can tell you. But I got called back to TopGun, and I could be flying out on a mission tomorrow. A dangerous one.” 
“Y/N, do they know?” 
You shook your head again, this time to fight tears. “No, but I’m scared that mid air, I’m gonna freeze. I don’t wanna freeze, Diego. I haven’t frozen since our incident. But I don’t know what’s been wrong these past couple of weeks. I can’t seem to shake off this dread… this-this fear. I do-don’t-” 
He cut you off, “Have you talked to anyone recently?” 
You were silent and he took that as a no. “Y/N, you have to talk about it if you ever want to move past it.”  “I did though. I had mandated therapy for my entire time in recovery.” “And have you been since you recovered?”
You threw a hand up, frustrated, “I thought I was past it! I hadn’t had an attack in a year, not until we were playing football. I-I thought it was just a one time thing, and then something happened during training and I just-” 
You were cut off by a small, tired voice. 
“Is that Aunt Y/N?” 
“It is. Do you want to talk to her? I think she needs to talk to you.” “Yes, please!” You smiled as you heard the phone go to speaker and then be passed to the little boy. 
“Hey, Aunt Y/N!” 
You smiled, tears finally falling, “Benarino, hey buddy.” “I miss you. When are you coming to visit?” You wiped at your eyes with a shaking hand. “Soon, buddy. Really soon,” you sniffled. 
“Aunt Y/N, why are you crying?” 
You laughed, coughing a little at the end, “I just really miss you Benny. I can’t wait to see you.” 
You looked back at the Hard Deck, seeing your fellow pilots laugh and sing. 
“I’m gonna bring a friend too. If that’s okay with your mom and dad?” “That’s alright with me, Rockstar. I’m sure Lila won’t mind.” 
“Who is it?” 
You brought playfulness into your voice, “You remember the pilot I told you about? The one that thought he could fly better than your Aunt Rocky?” 
The little boy giggled, “Yeah!” “Well, I think it’s about time you brought home the boy that stole your heart.” 
“Diego,” you hissed. “We are just friends.” “Mhmm, sure.” You scoffed, rolling your eyes, “You should probably get Ben to bed before Lila wakes up.” 
You heard Diego grunt as he picked up his son, “Goodnight Benny Boy.” “G’night Aunt Y/N.” 
“Call me when you make it back.” You nodded, hand sliding into your back pocket, “Yeah, of course. Night Tundra.” “Night Rockstar.” 
The call ended and you slid your phone into your unoccupied back pocket.
You took in a deep breath, trying to relax again. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In, out. 
On an inhale, the scent of smoke filled your nostrils and it made you hold your breath.
Quickly looking around, you spotted a bonfire a couple yards away. Realizing it was harmless, you let out the breath and tried to relax your shoulders.
But, despite knowing it was completely harmless, your body went into a state of panic. Your chest tightened, limbs went numb, pain spread through your back, and tears filled your eyes. 
You held a hand to your chest, the air stopping just before it made it to your lungs, and stumbled to your car as fast as you could, hoping you weren’t seen by your friends inside the bar.
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Jake looked at his phone as he left the bar. You hadn’t texted him, and by now you definitely should have been back to your on base bungalow. 
Hangman wasn’t going to panic, he knew you well enough that you would have texted or called him if something bad happened. Of course he felt anxious, who wouldn’t, but he was going to remain calm. 
The reason you hadn’t texted him when you got home was because the moment you fumbled yourself into your place, you booked it for the bathroom. 
Your knees smacked into the tile and you threw up whatever alcohol you had consumed before the strangled sob ripped itself from your throat. You crumbled to the tile as your chest refused to let air in. 
Your skin felt hot and sticky, sweat coating it as you laid on your bathroom floor. It wasn’t helping you, your damp, hot skin sending you back to one of the worst days of your life.
So, in a frenzy, you ripped off your shirt and kicked off your shoes and socks before yanking your pants off, not even loosening your belt. 
You crawled over the tub wall, too dizzy to properly stand, before fumbling with the knob to turn the water on. 
Once you got it turned on, you jostled the faucet switch, a desperate sob escaping as it kept falling down before it finally stuck, turning the shower on and drenching you in water.
And that was how Jake found you.
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Jake decided to stop by your place and check on you, that being his only option to get his anxiety to go away. 
When he pulled up to your place and saw your car there, he let out a breath of relief. 
He parked his truck behind your car and ran to your door, his chest lighter than before.
But his chest became heavy again when he made it to your door only to find it unlocked. You rarely left your door unlocked, if ever.
He cautiously pushed it open, looking around to see if anything was out of place. 
Your keys were on the floor, your phone and wallet not too far from them. 
Jake walked further in, making sure to close and lock the door behind him. 
He held his breath as he looked for you. But his search was cut short when he heard the shower running. 
He exhaled and had to take a minute to calm the drumming in his chest. 
He cautiously walked to the bathroom, making sure to knock before walking in. He kept his head down so he didn’t see anything he wasn’t supposed to… again. 
“Hey I was-” 
The door stopped, hitting something on the floor. 
Hangman squinted his eyes in confusion. It was your shoe. He kicked it out of the way and pushed the door open enough for him to just step in and close it. 
He stopped with his hand on the door, realizing that the room didn’t feel like a sauna. There was no fog covering the mirrors and steam wasn’t filling the small space. You always showered hot, and right now the bathroom was freezing. 
Jake finally looked up and saw you curled in the shower, the water cascading from the faucet and hitting your back. It was obvious you had been there for a while because you were shivering. 
Jake sat on the edge of the tub cautiously, not wanting to startle you.
His heart broke at the sound of your quiet crying and the puffy redness of your eyes was a sight Jake never wanted to see again.
The eyes that usually held the brightness of the stars and a kindness that was unmatched, were now red, distant, and constantly filled with tears that fell over and mixed with the water drenching you. 
He hated it.
Jake held his hand under the water and recoiled at how cold it was. 
“Shit,” he cursed as he quickly turned it off. 
When you didn’t react, he knew you truly weren’t in this reality. 
“Y/N,” he spoke gently and touched your arm. He sharply inhaled when he discovered how cold you were. “Y/N, darlin’, we need to dry you off and get you in some warm clothes. You’ll get sick.” 
Jake wasn’t sure if you heard him because you just stared ahead, biting on your nail. He sighed and pulled your hand away from your mouth. 
He moved to pull his hand back but you grabbed it, your freezing cold hand latching onto his warm one. “Please don’t… Jake, please don’t leave.” 
Your voice was quiet and broken, raw with fear. And he was sure that sent a shiver up his back.
Jake quickly shifted to kneel beside the tub, his thumb rubbing back and forth on your hand. “I’d never leave you hangin’.” 
He looked you over, “Can I pick you up?” You nodded, letting his hand slip from your grip and feel it wrap under your legs.
He awkwardly shifted to lean over and pick you up, grunting a little as stood up. He was too pressed about his clothes getting wet, he’s sure he’s got pants somewhere around here.
Jake managed to open the bathroom door and walked to your bedroom. 
He sat you on the bed and quickly grabbed the towel on the back of your desk chair. 
Wrapping it around you, Jake kissed the top of your head. “You’re okay. You’re safe,” he spoke gently against your hair.
He pulled back and watched you bite your lip to keep your tears hidden.
You avoided his eyes, looking at your shaking hands. 
“I’m gonna get you some clothes, okay?” You slowly nodded, lip trembling before you bit down on it again.
Your eyes didn’t follow him as he walked around your room, but your ears were very aware of Jake’s noises; everything from his footsteps to his mumbling. 
In under five minutes, neatly folded clothes were placed beside you and Jake kneeled in front of you, his large hands resting on your biceps gently. 
“Do you want me to stay while you change?” 
It took you a second to register what he had asked, but he was patient and rubbed reassuring circles on your arms with his thumbs. 
You inhaled, the familiar scent of his cologne calming you down a bit. 
You were tempted to say yes, you didn’t want to be alone but you also didn’t want Jake to see you any more vulnerable than he already has. 
You shook your head, unconsciously pulling the towel tighter around you. 
Jake noticed it and nodded, “Okay, I’ll go tidy up your bathroom and throw some blankets in the dryer to fluff them up and get ‘em warm.” He gave you a small smile and stood, leaving the room and the door open just a crack.
You managed to peel off the wet bra and underwear, drying off before changing. 
That simple task was exhausting. It felt like your bones had turned to rocks and your muscles no longer existed. But eventually, you did it.
You haphazardly dried your hair, basically just dry enough to where it wasn’t dripping, and walked into the small living room. 
You sat on the couch, deciding to occupy your hands with your oversized shirt while you waited for Jake. 
Minutes later he was on the couch beside you, wrapping you in the fresh-out-of-the-dryer blanket. 
“Thank you…” Your voice had a rawness to it that made Jake shiver, something was really wrong and he didn’t know how to help.
He nodded and rubbed your upper back, “Of course.”
He sat there for a moment, just listening to your sniffles and weeping exhales, before finally turning to face you. 
“What’s going on? ‘Cause this-” He gestured to you and your current state. “-is way more than just nerves for tomorrow.” 
“I’ll be-” 
“If you say ‘fine’, I swear,” he sighed to control his volume. “Y/N, you are not fine.” 
“Jake…”
The blond pilot took a deep breath, looking at the sliver of couch cushion between you. “I saw it…” 
If you weren’t going to be honest, then he needed to be. Maybe what he saw is connected to what was shaking you to your core all of a sudden.
He finally looked up at you and watched your breathing halt as fear filled your eyes. 
Jake continued, making sure to keep his tone even, “I didn’t mean to. I was just looking for you in the locker room today and I-” He stopped talking when you choked out a small cry. 
He immediately pulled you into his lap, one hand going to the back of your head and the other arm wrapped around your lower back. “I got you… I got you.”
Jake closed his eyes and rocked you a little as his mind went back to the day these roles were reversed.
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Jake had sat in the locker room, flight suit half off and tied around his waist. His knee bouncing as his eyes went in and out of focus. 
“Hangman!” You called as you ran down the hall. But he couldn’t hear you with the blood still rushing in his ears. 
“Hangman! Hang- There you are!” You jogged to him and saw that his emerald eyes were blank, not the playful or confident eyes you normally saw. “Hey, Hang- Jake what’s wrong?” You knelt in front of him, putting a hand on his bouncing knee to stop it.
Jake looked at you, the concern swimming in your eyes breaking whatever resolve he had left. 
The tears he tried so hard to hold in finally spilled down his cheeks. 
You instantly cupped his face in your hands, wiping them away, “What’s got you so shaken up? I’ve never seen you like this.” 
He shook his head, pushing your hands away as he sat up and leaned against the locker. “You’re not supposed to.” 
You sighed and leaned back on your heels, “What happened up there?” 
Jake wiped the still flowing tears, shaking his head, “I don’t know. I guess- Fuck I don’t know, Rockstar.” 
You stood, “Talk to me, Jake. Please, I’m your friend and I want to help.” 
Your tone was desperate and worried. This was a new version of Jake that you would have never seen if you hadn’t followed him off the tarmac.
Hangman finally got the guts to grab your hand and squeeze it. He took a deep breath as he tried to collect himself. 
“I almost lost you up there. You’re one of my closest friends, we’ve only known each other for a few months and I feel like we’ve known each other forever. I never let myself be that close to anyone, but you made it so easy.” 
His voice was raw and shaky. He was scared, but you couldn’t blame him. What just happened to you both was really intense and it was scary. But you were both okay.
You squeezed his hand back, giving him a soft but encouraging smile. 
“Can we just- Shit this is gonna sound so weird…” 
You knew where he was going, so you straddled his legs and wrapped him in a hug. “I got you Jake, I got you.”
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That was when Jake realized the backstory to your call sign. You were everyone’s rock. You kept everyone sane, even at the expense of yourself.
Which is why you were currently shaking and sobbing in his arms. You never sought out comfort for your problems, a bad habit you picked up in high school. You always put everyone first, and you had it in your head that you couldn’t be vulnerable. 
You pulled away from him, not meeting his eyes, “I’m sorry…” 
“Why the fuck are you apologizing?” 
“Because I-” 
“Because you’re being vulnerable in front of someone?” You nodded, unconsciously playing with your fingers. “Look at me, please.” You did, biting your lip to hold your tears in. 
“You are allowed to be vulnerable. You are allowed to cry. You are allowed to be scared. You shouldn’t have to hide your feelings from your friends. I’m sorry if we ever made you feel like you couldn’t talk to us.” 
You nodded, staying silent, focusing on how Jake had moved his hand from the back of your head to your cheek to rub his thumb back and forth on your cheekbone. 
Your silence broke his heart a little bit, making him think you didn’t trust him. But he knew he had to be patient with you. 
He goes to move his hand away but you hold it there. “I thought I was over it…” 
“Over what, Sweetheart?” 
“The accident…” 
Jake pushed some hair behind your ear, “What accident?” 
You took a deep breath, closing your eyes as a few tears rolled down your cheeks. He wiped them away as he spoke softly, “Take your time…” You nodded, swallowing as you tried to catch your bearings. 
“A year before I was stationed with you, I was flying a mission. It was dangerous, but still fairly routine. On my way out, I got hit. It completely destroyed my weapons system. Before I could get back up, I was hit again. This time it took out my engine.” You took another deep breath, looking up at the ceiling. 
“We were dropping altitude fast and my WSO and I had to eject. We landed on a beach, we unbuckled so fast,” you chuckled, remembering the relief you and Diego felt before the shit hit the fan.
Jake smiled a little bit at the sound, but dropped it when you started talking again.
“However the jet had also crashed onto the beach too. The fuel had leaked and caused an explosion. I covered my WSO, and a piece of scrap metal lodged itself into my back.” 
Jake’s eyes widened, more dots connecting in his mind, “You’re the pilot the squad was talking about at the bar…” 
You nodded, wiping your eyes, “Jake, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. It’s just… when I was in recovery, if I wanted to fly again, I had to go through therapy. And I haven’t had an attack in a year…” You got choked up again, hot tears rolling down your face, “Hang, I’m so sorry.” 
He shook his head, using both of his hands to wipe your face, “Hey, don’t be sorry. Do I wish you would have told me sooner? Hell yeah, but I understand why you didn’t.” You just nodded and relaxed into his hands.
“What happens when you have an attack?” 
You took a sharp inhale through your nose before sighing it out, “It depends. I sometimes get flashbacks of the beach, everytime I close my eyes I just see fire and it’s fucking terrifying. Other times, when it gets really bad, I can feel pain in my back, but that’s rare.” 
You bit your lip a little as you looked away, and Jake knew, “That happened tonight didn’t it?” You nodded, coughing a little bit, “Yeah, uh, yeah it did.” 
“Was it because we talked about-” 
“No," you said quickly. "W-well, I mean kinda… yeah. But there was a bonfire happening on the beach, and just the two things… my brain went into panic mode. Before you ask, I don’t really know what triggers it. But during dogfight football-” 
Jake’s eyes widened and he dropped his hands, “Fuck, Y/N, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” 
“Exactly, Jake, you had no idea. It’s not your fault. It was just the pressure on my scar made me panic, and I was back on that damned beach. But I’m not mad or upset with you because you had no idea. So don’t beat yourself up, please.” 
Jake nodded, bringing you into a hug again, being mindful of the scar. “Jake, you can touch it. I know I’m safe.” He said nothing and brought a hand to run over the covered scar before tightening his hug. 
“Can you tell me about him? Your WSO?” 
You nodded, “Diego Harding, call sign Tundra. He has a wife and a son.”
“That’s why you-” 
“Yeah, that’s why I covered him. He had a family to go back to.” 
“What about you?” 
You sighed again, using Jake’s shoulders to sit up, “Most of my family served. My dad was killed in action when I was young. My mom died when I was a teenager, leaving Piers to raise me for a little bit. Then Piers goes and sacrifices himself… so I didn’t have anyone to come home too.” 
You shrugged and got off his lap, but snuggled into his side.
He rubbed lazy circles on your bicep. “Well now you do.” You looked up at him confused, “What?” 
“You’ve got me to come home to, and I’ve got you.” He placed a chaste kiss on your forehead. “Don’t get sappy on me, Seresin.” He just chuckled.
It was silent for a moment. 
“Promise me that you’ll do your best to fly back to me,” he asked in a hushed whisper as if he were telling you a secret.
“Only if you do,” you whispered back.
He held out his pinky, “I promise.” You nodded, interlocking your pinky with his, “I promise too.” 
“Can’t break that now, you know,” he chuckled, squeezing your pinky a little. You giggled a little before yawning, “I know, cowboy.”
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Honestly, you'd think seeing the same six performers have characters discover the power of friendship and the meaning of family would get boring after a few times, but D20 makes it work every time, and I have a theory as to why, and the answer comes in three parts.
1 - It's never the same set of dynamics twice. The Bad Kids feel like siblings with friendly rivalries and stuff while the Heroes of New York have older sibling/younger sibling dynamics (with Kingston and Pete having a father/son dynamic). Crown of Candy has a conventional family dynamic, but Starstruck doesn't and Neverafter has hints of parental dynamics in Red and Mother Goose.
2 - The situations are different. This is probably the most self-evident, but the Found Family you find in a John Hughes High School is different from one you'd find in an extreme late-stage capitalist hellscape future which is different from one you'd find in an otherwise cold, unfeeling fractured fairy tale universe filled with unknowable eldritch monstrosities.
3 - The performers themselves. It feels like every season the cast try out new dynamics with each other. For example, Riz and Fig aren't particularly close (they're best friends and part of the Bad Kids, but they're closer with other members of the group) while Sof and Kug are drinking buddies and best friends and Barry and Syd are almost inseparable despite all three pairs being played by the same actors, and it feels like every cast member experiments with dynamics like that so part of tuning in to a new season is seeing how these actors bounce off of one another in new, exciting ways.
And when they do return to settings (like Elmville and New York), new dynamics are explored that bring the families together. All the little moments in Sophomore Year where the Bad Kids are there for each other in ways that mean the world to each other and build on dynamics like the three-sided friendship that The Bad Boys develop or the quiet moment Kristen and Gorgug share in the road where they console each other and tell each other how special they are. Or, in The Unsleeping City Chapter II, seeing how much Kingston, Sophie and Ricky ground Pete (a major theme of the season is that Vox Phantasmas are prone to ennui and self-destruction) and the fact that all three of them go to bat for Pete when he isn't around, with Kingston and Pete's dynamic going from the aforementioned father/son to a dynamic of older and younger brothers.
Tl:Dr Dimension 20 does found family real good.
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Text
Same as it ever was 1
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Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as neglect, bullying, manipulation, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.
This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.
Summary: Between your home life and work, you just can't catch a break. Especially after you draw the ire of your boss.
Characters: Lloyd Hansen ft. Pete Brenner
Note: Hope yall like this one!
As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.
Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)
I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖
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Everyone knows to keep their head down when Mr. Hansen walks through the department. As often as he already has a gripe in his belly, he is just as likely to be looking for a victim to accost. You keep your head down as you sense him trawling the bullpen, his figure a speck at the corner of your eye.
You keep an ear pricked, call it paranoia, but you've witnessed the sort of suffering he can rain down on the unexpecting. You browse the spreadsheet, carefully inputting numbers cell by cell. You withhold a sigh, not wanting to give away any clue of your existence.
"Kendra," he leans on the blonde's desk, his other hand on his hip, "pretty name…"
She thanks him. The new girl is always his favourite novelty. It's these moments that make you even more thankful for the obscurity that comes with age. And more disgusted by the unchanging behaviour of creepy men.
"There's this conference next month, good experience for a temp," he offers, "what about it, sweetheart?"
If it was any other man, you might clear your throat to let him know you can hear him. To remind him of professionalism. Too dangerous. You feel a twinge of pain at letting the twentysomething flounder against his undeniable proposal.
"Far away so… we'd have to fly out," he continues and you shift in your chair unthinkingly. You can't help it, you've been there, you've had to smile and fawn, to pretend your skin isn't crawling. "...pack something pretty."
Your elbow hits your pen and it rolls off the edge of your desk. You wheel back to grab and dare a peek over at Mr. Hansen in his predatory posturing. His eyes are drawn to you and he squints as he rolls his tongue behind his lower lip. Shit.
You sit up quickly, repressing a groan at the pang in your lower back, and roll up to your desk. You cradle your face, hiding behind your hand as you scroll and pretend to be enraptured by your screen. You doubt you're enough to distract him from the beautiful blonde.
"They got room service up in Gaines," he continues, "think about it."
He taps two fingers on her desk as he pushes off. You expect him to strut back to his office but continues his walk of the floor. You shrink down and curl your shoulders, looking at your cold coffee in desperation. A good excuse to get away from your desk but you can already hear him rebuking you for getting up just for another cup.
You click to the next sheet in the file as he nears. You stiffen as he comes behind you, holding your breath as you wait for him to pass. You feel him pause and hear the subtle scuff of his sole. You nearly jump as he puts his hands on your shoulders.
He leans in, his overpriced cologne tickling at the migraine in the back of your brain. You select a cell and pull up a report for comparison. He watches you work without a word, hands firmly on your cardigan.
He shoves away suddenly and claps his hand as he twists on his heel.
"Alright team, back to work," he demands as if the whole floor must be rapt by his presence, "no fucking around."
You let out a breath of relief. You glance over at Kendra as she gives a cringe at his back. You want to commiserate but you'd hate to make her feel more awkward.
You wait until you're certain Hansen is in his office and take your half-finished coffee to the kitchen. You rinse it out and dry it before placing it on the tray of the machine. You put a pod in and select the size, standing back with crossed arms to watch it brew.
You hear someone behind you but don't look over. The shadow approaches the fridge and pulls it open, taking out a container seemingly at random. You turn your head and blanch at Mr. Hansen as he cracks the communal carton of milk meant for coffee and drinks directly from it. You try not to show your disgust.
"Morning," he swipes the back of his hand across his mustache, "want some?"
He offers the carton as you grab your mug and shake your head, "no, thank you, sir."
"On a diet? Keeping the dairy low?" He wonders before taking another gulp then looks at the label. "Ugh, who the fuck ordered skim?" 
You muster an awkward smile. You've never been good at office politics, you don't pander, you just mind your business and so your work. A good day is when no one bothers you.
He puts the carton back without closing it. You retreat slowly, realising he's between you and the door. You try to sidle past as he reaches into the fridge again. He steps back, nearly into your path and examines the tupperware. You stop short as you recognise the worn teal lid; it's your leftovers from the night before, your name clearly labelled on the top.
"Huh," he peels back the lid and smells the chili, "smells delish…" he dips his fingers to your shock and sucks it off shamelessly, "hell of a cook." He says, a tinge of red in his mustache.
"Uh, thanks, I should–"
"You should?" He arches a brow, "you should… keep your nose out of my conversations and focus on your own work, right?"
"I don't know what you mean–"
"I saw you. Squirming like a caterpillar," he snaps the lid back into place and tosses the whole container on the bin beside the fridge, "look, I know at your age, there’s not much excitement but it doesn't mean you needa eavesdrop on matters that don't concern you."
"I didn't–"
"I get it, you're jealous, your ass blew up after the kids and your husband hasn't looked at you in years–"
"Sir," you say affronted but more stung by the accuracy, "please, I wasn't–"
"Oh, yes, you weren't listening because you have a deadline," he steps closer and wraps his hand around your mug. He wiggles it free of your grasp and you let him, "I moved the budget review to tomorrow morning so…" he pauses and swigs the coffee while snapping his fingers with his other hand, "snap, snap on those expense reports."
You stand, stunned and shamed. He spins nonchalantly and strides out, still sipping your fresh coffee. You let your head fall back and groan. Not only are you out the extra caffeine boost but you have to call the babysitter.
🗄️
You don't mourn your lunch as you likely wouldn't have the time to eat. You spend it outside, below the awning of the building as rain pours over the edge. You have your phone in hand and a needling in your skull. This sort of weather always gives you a headache.
On the fifth try, Pete picks up and you swallow a sigh, "hey," you say abruptly, checking your watch.
"Hey, what's up? I had to leave a meeting," he hisses low, out of breath.
"I'm sorry, I just need to know what time you're expecting to be home. The sitter can only stay until seven but I have to stay late–"
"Late? Honey, you know I can't guarantee I'll be there. I'm working my ass off tryna get this thing off the ground. Grinding–"
"I know, I know, but we could use the overtime and… I don't really have a choice."
"Can't you do tomorrow?"
"Pete, it's one night–"
"One night? It's a call I'm not making–"
"Please," you beg, "we need the money, you know we do."
He puffs and blows a raspberry, "shoulda told that sitter to stick around…" he grumbles.
"We can't even afford to pay her for the extra," you mutter.
"I fucking know–"
"Don't swear at me," you warn, "if you hadn't bought that damn corvette–"
"Not doing this again. I'll be home at seven. Happy?"
You roll your eyes, "yeah," you lie. Happy, no, that's not something you feel anymore.
"Pete," a female voice purrs and he hushes them.
"Got it, Anita," he clears his throat, "tell them I'm on my way back."
"Sorry to keep you," you chew your lip, "I'll let you go."
"Sure," he scoffs.
"See ya tonight," you soften your tone, "love ya."
Click. The call ends and you're left dangling. You pull your phone away and look at the screen. No point in using up the last of your break, you might as well just go back to your desk.
🗄️
Your vision glosses as you stare at the messily painted portrait of a house and tree. The sitter sent a picture of Simone's latest artwork and tugs on your impatience to get out of there. You wish you could be there to pick up your kids and hear all about their day. 
Most times you spend the hours after work cooking, cleaning, and trying to rein them in. You're not fun like Emma, their sitter, you're always the voice of reason, the strict ruler of discipline. You send back a heart and black the screen.
Another person packs up for the day, once more tightening the chain that attaches you to your desk. You lean forward, your head pulsing as the brim of your vision blurs. The advil did nothing against your migraine.
You hold your forehead as you squint at the numbers. This is going to take forever. Pushing a budget meeting up one week surely is a personal attack. You need to work on your poker face, you can't do this again. You're too old and tired.
You yawn and fight to keep your eyes open. Maybe Pete can do bath time. You almost snort at that. Right, and hippos are bright pink and friendly.
You shake your head and lean back, trying to stretch out the kinks. You hear the elevator. Eventually you'll get there. 
You look around, realising the desolation of your predicament. Not too many people left, at least not those without offices. You roll each ankle, arches achy just from your low heels.
Your phone buzzes and you ignore it. It's six-thirty. You let it go to voicemail and save your file for good measure.
You think of having another coffee but that will only make your head throb and your night sleepless. Well, more than usual. 
Your cell starts to jitter again. You're agitated as you snatch it up. It's 7:03. Emma's number greets you in blaring white digits. Dammit, you already know what's going on.
You answer, saving again as you wheel the chair back and reach into the drawer to fish out your purse. You keep the phone to your ear as you say 'hi' and struggle to get your jacket on. Pete!
"Hi, um, I'm still waiting for someone to show up–"
"I'm so sorry, Em," you shut off the monitor without bothering to boot down, "Pete said he'd be there. I'm on my way now."
You step around your chair, nearly tripping over it and push it in behind you. You rush across the office in a clomping gait, half-running as you weigh coming in at 4am and convincing security to let you up early. You continue to apologise to Emma as you promise to be home as soon as you can.
You hang up and dial Pete. As you near the elevator, his voicemail plays and you sneer, hitting end and dialing out again. You poke the down button several times and wait for an answer.
"Pick up!" You growl to no one.
"All done for the night?" A lilting taunt brings you around to face Mr. Hansen as he runs a small comb through his mustache, "you work fast."
"Mr. Hansen, I… I have an emergency–"
"Ah, so you're not done," he tuts, "I figured you'd be used to working fast. I'm sure the old man only last about five seconds, huh?"
"Sir," you bite back your offence, "my kids–"
"Aw, mommy's running late for supper. Let me guess, the dead beat can't even boil water."
You want to shriek. Can this man not shut up? This day just won't end and it's really all his fault. You're welling up and about to explode.
"Please," you utter.
"Oh, come on, you got exactly what you wanted, didn't you? Kids, a husband, the whole nine yards," he tucks the comb into his front pocket, "didn't anyone ever tell you they stop fucking you once you pop at a couple watermelons?"
You gulp. What is happening? Your throat tightens up and your eyes glaze. It shouldn't bother you, he's a gross old pervert but what are you? A bitter and sad old woman.
"You're not going to cry, are you? A strong working lady like yourself? Nah, you can hold it in, for the kids. You got a daughter don't ya, you wouldn't want her to see you break–"
You take a step towards him and stop yourself, palm itching to smack him. You raise your chin and bat your lashes. 
"I'll finish the reports at home. I need to go take care of me kids," you fight to keep your voice steady.
"That's the thing about you moms, always the martyr, always looking for special treatment cause you let a guy drop a load indoors," he sneers, "and you're just gonna raise a couple of brats to go off and live the same boring lives."
"Stop," you croak.
"If you're gonna cry, just do it," he goads, "huh, maybe it's menopause kicking in early? All that stress–"
"Good night, Mr. Hansen," you say curtly and face the elevator just as the doors slide apart, "I'll have the numbers done. I promise."
"Oh, I know you will," he snickers, "but you still owe me. For being such an understanding boss, you know?"
You turn around and grimace in confusion. Owe him? He winks and smirks back, "say hi to the kiddos for me."
The doors shut and you close your eyes, hanging your head in defeat. You're going to be up all night, less than ready for the review and certainly unprepared for Mr. Hansen. You can only hope by then he finds a new target.
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