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#Nowhere to Run
zanephillips · 10 months
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JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME Nowhere to Run (1993)
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actressplayground3 · 5 days
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Rosanna Arquette (34) in Nowhere to Run (1993)
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cannibalistic-lemon18 · 7 months
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Yes, and they’re terrifying. ✨🔮🕳
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topguncortez · 1 year
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Day 2: Nowhere to run ➢prompt: Confrontation ➢character: Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw ➢warnings: cheating, mentions of sexism, cannon character death, TOPGUN shit ➢word count: 5k
|| masterlist || whumptober || whumptober masterlist || library page ||
Goose’s heart was big. He loved everyone and everything he had ever had the pleasure to come in contact with. He was kind, and wore his heart on his sleeve. Goose loved the idea of love, and happiness. He had been one of the lucky ones, finding his true love early in his life. Carole had been Goose’s high school sweetheart, she was his everything. Goose had always thought Carole was going to be enough for him. But he was wrong, so very wrong. 
Y/N ‘Tigress’ L/N was another pilot that Maverick and Goose had met during flight school. She was their best friend, their wingman. They had always shared the sky together, and there was no one in the world that would be a better match for Maverick and Goose. Her relationship with Maverick went beyond the platonic level a couple times, drunken hookups after a night out, but her relationship with Goose never went past platonic. There was always some sort of tension in the air between the two of them, it was natural, but never awkward. To a person who didn’t know better, you would think that Y/N and Goose were together. 
They loved each other, it was clear to see. They both harbored feelings that meant more, but neither one could cross that line to the otherside. As far as Y/N knew, Goose wasn’t attracted to her. And as far as Goose knew, she wasn’t attracted to him. Maverick had been the force that pulled both of them out of their stupid stubborn ways and made them confess their feelings. But when Goose was on his way to her dorm, a bouquet of flowers in his hand, he was met with the sight of a half naked Tom Kazansky opening the door. 
“Hey, mother goose,” Tom smirked. His lips were slightly swollen and his hair was a mess. Goose could also see the remnants of red lipstick on his collar. 
“Who is it?” Her sweet voice sounded out as she walked to the door in nothing but what Goose could tell was Iceman’s shirt, “Oh! Nick, hey.” 
“Hey,” Goose said and looked down at his flowers, “I uh. . . got these, I saw some guy selling them on the corner and remembered how much you loved orange roses.” 
“Thank you, Goose,” Y/N said and took the flowers he offered to her, “Usual sunday breakfast tomorrow?” 
“Always,” Goose said, giving her a tight lipped smile. Iceman looked between the two of them, noticing the awkward shift, and Goose felt it too, “I’ll be going now. I’ll be waiting in the commons at 9.” 
“I won’t be late,” Y/N said and turned back around to head into her room. Iceman gave Goose a nod before closing the door. 
That next morning Goose didn’t show up in the commons at 9 like he said. Y/N waited about half an hour before standing up and going to his dorm to make sure everything was okay. She expected the door to be answered by a hungover Maverick and pointing her in the direction of a just as equally hungover Goose. But what she didn’t expect was for a blonde woman with bright blue eyes to walk out of the door, and a half naked Nick Bradshaw behind her. 
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t-” Y/N shook her head, “I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow, Goose.” 
Goose nodded, a surge of guilt filling his veins. He told himself all last night that he was just getting even for what she was doing. She had no right to get mad at him and he had no right to get mad at her. But what neither of them knew was that Y/N didn’t sleep with Iceman and Goose never slept with that blonde, but they were both too prideful to admit that to one another. 
There was a shift in their relationship after that night. Y/N and Goose had both pulled away from each other, becoming distant. The only time she would really talk to Goose was when she needed to get flight numbers for her RIO. Other than that, the conversation and actions were limited. Y/N had started spending more time with Iceman and Slider, while Goose had found comfort in that blonde woman, who had reminded him that her name was Carole. 
After graduation, Goose and Y/N went their separate ways. Goose had tried to talk to Y/N after they were dismissed by the Admiral, to celebrate completing the past four years at the academy, but she was too busy in the arms of Tom Kazansky. Goose had left a note on Y/N’s door the day he moved out, and was headed for his first duty station. Y/N was heartbroken that he didn’t bother to stick around and see her, already heading for the coast. 
Their careers went in different ways. Goose and Maverick had landed in Virginia, while Y/N lived on the opposite side of the country in Lemoore. They had both managed to keep tabs on their careers, hearing through the grapevine their accomplishments. That’s how Y/N knew that Goose and Maverick had gotten into TOPGUN at the same time she did. 
Y/N had been dreading the day she would see Nick Bradshaw again. She had actually refused to go out to the O Club that night, but Slider threatened to string her laundry out down the hall, and she had been a witness to one too many of Slider’s threats to know he wasn’t joking. So she donned her uncomfortable summer white uniform and walked into the club behind Iceman and Slider. She rolled her eyes at how Ice kept his sunglasses on and walked to the bar to get a drink. 
“Hey, can I get a-” 
“Vodka tonic with lime and a splash of grenadine, and I’ll have a budweiser.” 
“You still know it?” She looked up at him. 
“Of course, it was the least of the disgusting drinks you’d order,” Goose said looking down at her, “Hi.” 
“Hi,” She smiled, “I miss-” 
“I missed-” They both chuckled as they started speaking at the same time, “You first,” Goose said. 
“I missed you,” Y/N responded, “I heard what happened to Cougar, I hope he’s okay. I got to meet him back in Lemoore before he moved to Virginia.” 
“I think he’ll be okay. How’s the desert? I know how much you hate the heat.” 
“It feels like I live in the sun most days,” Y/N smiled, and Goose felt all those feelings he tried to push away resurface. 
While Y/N had been flying every mission that she could possibly get, Goose had chosen to get married to that blonde woman, Carole, that he had met that night he found Y/N with Ice. They were going on five years of marriage and had a beautiful son, named Bradley back home. Goose thought about mentioning it to Y/N, but when he noticed there was no ring on her finger, or no man by her side, he refrained. He had thought that maybe her and Ice were still together, but by the way she responded to his little dick showing contest, letting Goose know there was nothing but friendship there. 
The two had to make up for lost time, basically getting to re-know each other. Y/N talked about the success she had on missions, and Goose talked about how he avoided getting in trouble with Maverick. Time slipped past the two of them, and suddenly it was the last call. 
“Oh shit,” Y/N giggled as she stood up from the bar stool, and noticed the room was spinning, “Oh fuck, I’m gonna be hungover.” 
“I think those vodka shots were a bad idea,” Goose chuckled, “Come on, I’ll walk you back.” 
Y/N nodded, and Goose wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They walked in comfortable silence back to the dorm, occasionally sharing a memory from the academy that would pop into their minds. Goose had walked her to the door of her room, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. 
“So uh. . . this is me,” Y/N said, and opened the door. She turned around to face him in the doorway and sighed, “Goose, I should’ve said this a long-” 
She was cut off by Goose smashing his lips to hers. She froze for a second, before wrapping her arms around his neck. His hands went to her waist, as he walked them backwards into the room. They stumbled their way into her bedroom, kicking off their uniforms, and letting their hands roam each other's bodies. Goose couldn’t even think about the family that he had back home, as he was placing kisses up and down Y/N’s body or feeling her hands touch his body, or the feel of her cunt pulsating around his cock. When he woke up in the morning, naked and with a pounding headache, the guilt finally set in. 
He was gone before she ever woke up, leaving a note on her bedside table like he had all those years ago. Y/N woke up to an empty, cold, bed and found the note and her uniform neatly folded on her desk. She was pissed that he once again left without a notice, as she got dressed in her khaki uniform and packed her duffle bag. She didn’t even bother looking at him as she took a seat in front of Ice and Slider. Ice could tell something was up with her, having become one of her closest friends in the past year. Once they were dismissed, he grabbed her by the arm and let Goose and Maverick go by them. 
“What happened last night? You stayed back at the bar with Bradshaw, and now you look like you want to kill him,” Ice said. 
“Nothing other than the fact I was thinking between my legs last night,” Y/N huffed, “Sometimes, I need you to stick around so you can slap me.” 
“Darlin, if you want me to sleep with you, all you have to do is ask,” Ice smirked and Y/N rolled her eyes, pushing past him to get to her locker room. 
Y/N’s hop had gone off perfectly. There was a reason why her callsign was “Tigress”. She was sneaky, usually keeping her comms to a minimum. Her RIO had been flying with her long enough to know what she wanted with just a basic move of her hand. When she had successfully shot down Jester, Goose felt a sense of pride swell in him, but it was quickly diminished by the guilt he felt from last night. He didn’t feel guilty for what he did, he loved every moment of it. From the way she held him in her sleep, to the way his name fell from her lips. It was the fact that he had left her without saying anything, and then the angry look on her face this morning. 
Maverick and Goose’s hop didn’t go as well as Y/N’s did. Yes they had shot down Jester, but they had also broken the hard deck and done a flyby without permission. Y/N didn’t say anything to them as they walked past her in the locker room. In fact, she blatantly ignored them when Maverick asked her for a drink at the O Club. He looked between his RIO and the girl, putting two and two together. It wasn’t until later that night, when Goose came to talk to Maverick, that he had asked what happened the previous night. 
“I didn’t hear you come in until this morning,” Maverick pointed out, “What happened?” 
“I. . .I did something, and I’m not sure how to feel about it,” Goose said, looking down at his hands, “It was dumb, and I’m not going to do it again. It’s just going to hurt more people.” 
Maverick nodded, knowing that Goose’s words were falling on his own deaf ears. As soon as Goose left Maverick’s dorm, he was knocking on Y/N’s to apologize for leaving without saying anything. She had been practicing what she was going to say to him all afternoon, but it all went out the window the second she saw him. She grabbed him by the collar of his bomber jacket and pulled him into her dorm. It was just like the night before, a frenzy of touches and trying to get out of their clothes quickly. Except this time, Goose didn’t leave without saying anything. Y/N had set her alarm for half an hour earlier, so Goose could get up and have time to go back to his dorm to get ready. 
“I’ll see you tonight,” Goose said, and kissed her. 
“Okay,” Y/N smiled and Goose left her dorm. 
— — — 
That’s how everything was for the first three weeks of their ten week program. Goose would come to Y/N’s dorm after talking to Mav about their flight plan and calling home to Bradley and Carole. Y/N had a single dorm, being the only female in her class, so it made sense for Goose to be there. They would watch some stupid rerun on TV, that neither of them really paid attention to between the sloppy makeout session on the couch, or the delicate touches on eachothers bodies. Goose would take her to bed, depending on how the day went they might have an intimate moment or quite literally sleep next to each other. Then they would wake up early so he could go back to his dorm. 
It worked fine for Y/N, she was happy and content with having moments alone with Goose, but he was not. He was a romantic guy, he loved being able to show off his partner, showcasing the love he had for them. He didn’t like the fact that he had to sneak around to see Y/N. At the beginning of their fourth week, Goose had asked her out for dinner off base. Goose knew going off base was the best option of not getting caught. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he didn’t know how to stop it. He was too far in love to be able to stop it. Goose had thought he was getting away with it, but he never took into effect that Maverick knew everything about him. 
“Are you sleeping with Y/N?” Maverick asked him one day. Goose had shown up late, and so did Y/N. They both had slept past the alarm, staying up way too late the night before. Their date was perfect, and neither one wanted the night to end. 
“No!” Goose said, lying right through his teeth.
“You’re a shitty liar. You are sleeping with her.” 
Goose sighed, “It’s more than that. It’s. .  . I love her, Mav. I have always loved her, and I messed up thinking that her and Ice were a thing, but she said that they never were. I missed my chance and I am-” 
“Married. With a child.” 
“Don’t act like you have the moral high ground here,” Goose said rolling his eyes, “I’m sorry. I know that this is all sorts of wrong but, while I have her here, I plan on making the most of it. But once we graduate, we’ll go back to how it has been for the past five years. I’ll be in Virginia, and she’ll be in Lemoore.” 
“But it won’t be,” Maverick sighed, “You haven’t ever done this. I know you love her, and I tried to get you to go to her years ago, but now. . . Goose, you said it yourself, you are married and have a child. You are having an affair with a woman who you loved so deeply. It’s not just some random hookup from a bar. This is Y/N, the woman you said countless times you were going to marry.” 
“Are you saying it would be easier if she was just some slut from a bar?” 
“Yes,” Maverick said, and Goose sighed, “You need to cut it off. And to help you, I invited Carole.” 
“What?!” Goose exclaimed, “Why would you do that!?” 
“Because as much as I love you and Y/N, I also love Carole and Bradley. You are going to hurt more than just Y/N by doing this. Have you even told Y/N about Carole and Bradley?” Goose looked down at his shoes and that was confirmation enough for Mav, “Exactly. This is what you need to stop this. Okay? You tell Y/N tonight that this is over. Carole and Bradley arrive in the morning.” 
Goose knew that he should’ve listened to Maverick, and told Y/N about Carole and Bradley, but he couldn’t. He was a weak man, a very weak man. He had rehearsed in his head what he was going to say, but when she opened the door in tears because she received a bad phone call from home, Goose knew that he couldn’t tell her the truth, it would break her even more. Instead, he held her why she cried, and kissed away the tears from her cheeks. And like he had been doing, left in the morning when that alarm went off. 
Y/N hadn’t done much with having a day off, choosing to catch up on laundry and then go to the beach. She had dragged her RIO, Ice, Slider, Wolfman and Hollywood with her, not wanting to be alone. They had brought a football, and started a game of two hand touch in the water. Y/N had been dying to go to the beach since she got to Miramar. 
“Iceman, you bitch!” Y/N yelled, as the tall pilot basically jumped over her to catch the ball that was thrown from Wolfman. Ice gently pushed her out of the way as he ran towards the end zone and scored,“That was a short on tall crime. I’m calling the police.” 
“Oh hush you,” Iceman smiled, and tossed the ball back to her, “Oh look, it’s mother goose!” Y/N looked up and spotted the mustached WSO, and that familiar blonde woman. 
“Who’s that with him?” Y/N asked Ice. He looked down at the girl, his eyebrows at her.
“His wife, I think. And their son,” Ice said.
"What?"
"Yeah. Bradshaw got married not long after- did he not tell you? You guys are like bestfriends."
"No, he didn't," Y/N looked down at the sand, and that's when Tom put two and two together.
"I'll be back," Ice said and walked over to greet them. Y/N felt her heart stop as she watched Goose introduce his small family to Ice. Maverick had looked up from looking at the small child, and shot Y/N a sad look, “Tiger! Get your ass over here.” Y/N finally moved from her spot, and ran over to them, “This is my best girl, Y/N, aka Tigress.” 
“Hi,” Y/N said, holding her hand out for the blonde woman to shake. Y/N was suddenly thankful that Iceman could read her like a clock, and put his arm around her waist, “Nice to meet you.” 
“Nice to meet you too, I’m Carole,” The blonde introduced herself, “I think we met before?” 
“Oh, maybe, I, uh. . . I’ve known Goose since the academy,” Y/N said awkwardly and didn’t even dare to look up at him, “And this is your son?” 
“Yep! Our little Bradley,” Carole smiled down at the boy. 
“He’s cute,” Y/N felt her voice crack but covered up with a cough, “I have to get going. I need to call my mom.” 
“Is everything okay now?” Goose finally spoke up. 
“Yeah. She’s fine,” Y/N said, quickly looking at Goose and then turning back to Ice, “Come over later?” 
“Of course, baby,” Ice said, and Y/N grabbed his face and kissed him. Goose clenched his jaw and looked away, knowing she was only doing this to piss him off, “I’ll see you later.” 
“Bye,” Y/N said, and gave Goose one last glare before leaving the beach. Iceman smirked and shook his head before going back to playing football. 
Goose waited nearly an hour after Carole fell asleep to sneak out of the small house they had gotten on base. He stopped at the local florist and picked up a bouquet of orange roses. He braced himself as he knocked on the door to her room, and was once again, like deja vu, met with the sight of a half naked Tom Kazansky opening the door. 
“We gotta stop meeting like this,” Tom smirked. 
“Move,” Goose said, and tried to get past him, but Tom stopped him. 
“You have a wife, Bradshaw, and a kid,” Tom pointed out, “What do you want here?” 
“To apologize.” 
“Apologize? For breaking her heart? For lying to her? For making her feel like absolute shit? She spent the afternoon in uncontrolable tears because of what she has done, all because you were too much of a fucking pussy to come up to her five years ago and tell her the truth.” 
“Yeah, but once again, you were in my way,” Goose said, getting in Ice’s face.
“I have never been in your way, Bradshaw. Your own stupid pride was in the way,” Ice said. Goose clenched his jaw, as he looked behind Ice, and could see Y/N’s shadow in the doorway of her room. He was happy this time around, she was wearing her own clothes.
“I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you,” Goose called out to her. 
“Then why did you do this?” Y/N stepped forward, walking into the living room area. Ice moved out of the way, stepping back into the dorm, and going to her room to leave them alone, “Why did you let me believe that I was the only one for you? I even fucking asked you, Goose. I asked you if there was someone back home, and you lied straight to my face. Goose, I told you everything that has happened in the past five years. The good and the awful, because I truly believed that you were telling the truth. I was stupid enough to believe that you actually cared-” 
“I do care!” 
“No you don’t!” Y/N yelled, tears falling down her face, “If you did care, you would’ve told me the truth after the first night. Not lead me on these past five weeks thinking that I was getting all of you. But I wasn’t.” 
“You are getting all of me, I promise.” 
“No, Goose, I’m not. You can’t give all of you to me, and still be married to Carole. And I’ll be damned if I keep playing into this little game. Make a choice, Goose. I love you too much to let you ruin everything that you have made for yourself. So, make a choice,” And with that, Y/N closed the door on him, leaning up against it and let out a loud sigh. 
— — 
Y/N was thankful that everything that went down happened on a weekend, so she could start fresh Monday morning.  She had spent the past two nights alone for the first time in five weeks. It was weird not having someone laying next to her. But she did feel a tad bit more rested as she woke up in the morning. Ice was waiting outside of her door, giving her a small smile as they walked towards the hangar together. Neither one brought up what had happened on friday, neither one really knew what to say. 
Goose hadn’t talked to Y/N since Friday night, but she was really the only thing he thought about, other than Bradley. He was happy to have his son here in Miramar, getting to spend time with the little boy. Carole could tell something was off with her husband, but she refrained from asking. Maverick had asked if Goose told Y/N the truth, but the bags under his RIO’s eyes were enough giveaway for Maverick. 
Y/N had ignored every advancement that Goose had tried to make in talking with her. She was determined to get through her hop today with Wolfman and Hollywood, and she didn’t want the drama with Goose affecting her. She stood next to her plane, looking everything over when she heard him call out her callsign. 
“Goose,” Y/N said, turning to face him. 
“I love you,” Goose said, and Y/N felt tears in her eyes, “It’s always been you, I’ve always wanted you. And no matter what, I will always love you.” Not bothering who was watching, Goose leaned in and kissed her cheek, before running off to find Maverick. 
“I love you,” Y/N whispered as she watched him run off. She couldn’t help but smile as she realized what he had said. 
The smile stayed on her face as she had brought down Jester in her hop with Wolf and Hollywood. The smile stayed on her face as she finished her post-flight check. The smile stayed on her face as she showered, and looked at the old polaroid of her and Goose from the academy. The smile had even stayed on her face when Wolfman ran into the locker room and told her there had been an accident. She felt her heart drop, as she ran down the hallway with Wolfman, going straight to the hangar to get any information. Viper and Jester had told all of the pilots to go home, as they needed to handle what had just happened. 
“Who was it? Who was in the air?” Y/N asked Chipper, as he walked by. 
“Ice, Slider, Maverick and Goose,” He answered, “Not sure who is who. I’m sorry, Tigs.” 
Y/N bit her lip and nodded, taking one last look at the sky, before following the pilots out of the hangar. She had hardly eaten dinner that night, waiting for any update on the three pilots she considered friends, and the one she was in love with. She had nearly paced a run in the floor as she waited, fiddling with the academy ring on her finger. When it got too late, she forcefully tried to go to bed, but her mind was running a mile a minute. The second there was a knock on the door, she was up and running to answer it. 
“Thank-” Y/N’s smile dropped as she looked at Maverick, who was on the other side. His eyes were bloodshot, and his nose was red, “No. . . No, it can’t be. . . Maverick, don’t-” 
“I’m sorry,” He said, and Y/N let out a loud sob as she crashed towards the ground. Maverick moved quickly, and helped her to the ground the best he could. They sat on the floor of her dorm as they both cried over the loss of Nick Bradshaw. 
The next day, Y/N agreed to go with Maverick to clean out Goose’s dorm. He wasn’t sure if there was anything of hers that she might want back, and she was grateful that he was cleaning it and not Carole. Carole Bradshaw had been on Y/N’s mind the whole night as she tossed and turned next to Maverick. She couldn’t even imagine the pain that Carole was going through. . . but at the same time she could. Y/N and Carole were much alike right now, sharing in the grief of losing the man they loved. 
“Hey, you might want this,” Maverick said, and handed Y/N the polaroid picture of her and Goose from their date the other night. Goose had asked some random stranger to take a picture of them, “I hadn’t seen him smile like that in years.” 
“Thank you,” Y/N said, and placed it in the small box she had grabbed, “I know you probably think I am a horrible person, and you’re not-”
“Don’t blame yourself, Y/N,” Maverick said, “I don’t like what happened between the two of you, don’t get me wrong. . . but he the way he looked at you is not the same way he looks at Carole. It’s the same way he looks at Bradley, or at the sky when we’re flying. It’s the look of pure love. You will always be his true love.” 
“He’s my one that got away,” Y/N sniffled and looked down at the dog tags in her hands. She wiped her eyes and placed the dog tags in the box to go to Carole, “That’s everything.” 
“Yep, I’ll go give this to Carole.” 
“I’ll wait outside for you.” 
Maverick nodded, as they both left Goose’s room. Y/N waited outside the readiness building where Carole and Bradley were waiting. She leaned against the outside of her car, picking at her fingernails as she waited for Maverick. She looked up as she heard someone call her name, and felt her heart in her throat as the familiar blonde woman and little boy walked towards her. Y/N stiffened, preparing for a slap to come her way. 
“Y/N, right?” Carole asked and Y/N nodded wordlessly. She watched as Carole reached into the box and pulled out Goose’s dog tags, “You should have these.” 
“No, I can’t-” 
“You will,” Carole said, set the box down. Then grabbed Y/N’s hand and placed them in it, “He will never love me the way he loved you.” 
“I am so sorry,” Y/N sniffled, “I didn’t-” 
“That man’s heart has always been too big. He could never just love one person,” Carole smiled, “He still has that picture of the two of you from when you were at the academy. He’s giving you orange roses, and you’re wearing a birthday sash. I could even tell in that picture he loved you.” Carole sighed and picked up the box. She gave Y/N one last smile, before grabbing Bradley’s hand and walking towards her car. 
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wallacepolsom · 1 year
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Wallace Polsom, Life During Wartime: Nowhere to Run (2023), paper collage, 18 x 27 cm.
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thesoulspulse · 1 month
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This cover might be a placeholder but I love my Valerie's look so much! And I'm looking forward to resuming my journey with Valerie and Dani in Turning Point sometime in the future.
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missathlete31 · 11 months
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Nowhere To Run- Chapter 7
Summary:
Jake and Bradley finally come to blows, literally
Warnings for physical fights, bad language and just a whole bunch of angst
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The music was still playing, people were still dancing, the party was still in full swing, yet a blonde pilot stood in the center of it all, mind reeling from what had just transpired. Jake Seresin was in a semi-state of shock from his confrontation with Pete Mitchell, his heart thundering in his chest as the former captain’s words buzzed in his ears. He felt a hand grip his shoulder, startling the man so badly that he jumped back in alarm. Jake whipped around on his heels to be faced with a concerned looking Javy Machado, the man’s forehead creasing at his friend’s jumpiness. "Hey" Javy began, eyes narrowed as he took in Jake's paling face with a frown, "you alright?"
"Hm?" Hangman couldn't stop his gaze from trailing after the direction Maverick left in, "yeah fine,” his voice was as detached as his mind felt but Jake’ll be damned if he couldn’t at least attempt to slip back under his mask. “I’m good.”
Coyote didn't look like he believed him one iota, following Jake’s eyes to trail a ghost’s path through the dancers. He glanced back at his friend worriedly, "I saw you talking to Mav" the man levied, "how did that go?"
The blonde offered a shrug but it was a weak attempt at nonchalance, "A little weird” Jake finally conceded.
The other man bristled with snarky amusement, "Yeah no shit, the guy's looked like a zombie all night."
Jake didn't fully realize in his slightly dazed state, but Javy was subtly maneuvering him back towards their table and out of the crowd. Hangman let himself be manhandled, a sure sign in itself that he wasn’t in the best headspace at the moment. Javy’s hand was a comforting warmth on the back of Jake’s shoulder, steering him to a relative safety.
“What were you doing with him for so long anyway?” the darker skinned man asked curiously. When Jake stayed silent, Javy filled the quiet with more words. “You looked tense man, I tried to rescue you-" Coyote nodded over to where Fanboy was dancing with a young woman, "I was on my way until Mickey roped me into playing photographer for him and his date."
Jake snapped back to himself enough to wave the other man off, "it's fine, we were just- we were just talking."
"About what?" Javy pressed.
"Uh" Jake swallowed roughly. He wasn't quite sure where to begin, so much of that conversation had kept him off balance. "We talked about my future, kinda” his voice rose enough to make it sound like a question.
Coyote's brow furrowed but they reached the table before he had a chance to respond. Jake moved to sit, smiling weakly at Naomi who was engaged in a discussion with Callie and Marilyn, before he plopped in his chair. Javy followed suit, and then immediately turned back to his friend, "okay so you talked about your future? What about it?"
"Do you think I could ever become Admiral?" Hangman asked softly, voice unsure, "or is that just not in the cards for someone like me?"
It certainly wasn't what Javy was expecting his best friend to ask if the double take was any indication but the other man rolled with his surprise and offered a cheeky grin, "I mean I have a pretty embarrassing video of you dancing and singing to Salt 'N Pepa's ‘Push It’ that would probably disqualify you on sheer cringe level alone-"
Jake huffed a laugh that eased the tension that had been steadily building inside him since his talk with Mitchell, "that was you" he informed with mirth.
Javy tilted his head in contemplation, "was it? I mean I vaguely recall the dance moves being on point, so I guess that makes sense. No way your white ass can do anything but square dancing."
Hangman rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah."
"Hey" Coyote nudged him, his face turning serious, "you've been on that Admiral track since the academy, we've all seen it. Did Mav disagree or something?"
Jake looked down at his hands to avoid eye contact, playing with the blunt edges of his nails as he ran them across the white linens that rested on the table, "something like that" he admitted quietly.
"Well that's bullshit" Coyote's annoyance was palpable. "What did he say? That Rooster would be the better fit again?"
"He um...” Jake fidgeted, unsure why he was so nervous about telling his buddy what Mav had alleged. It wasn’t that he believed Javy would agree with the disgruntled Captain, if anything his best friend was more likely to freak out the minute Jake told him the truth. Yet something about saying those harsh words out loud made it feel like Jake was giving them some kind of credence. That the universe would declare that Pete was right after all and Jake’s career would be destined to flash out as quick as a blown out flame, ending with him in a pine box. Hangman shuddered, looking up to see Javy having caught the movement with a critical glare. “Jake-“ Coyote started with a voice of care, “what did he say?”
The blonde sighed, “He basically said that the best thing I could do for my career in the Navy was to die quick."
"Wait" Javy held up a hand as if to physically halt the conversation, the man not quite able to comprehend the words that had just come out of Jake’s mouth. "Captain Mitchell, your former CO, said what to you?"
"He said," and Hangman rubbed a weak hand behind his neck to ground himself, "that men like him and me... we don't rise up in the ranks, we don't go far, we are just meant to fly until we die and stop being liabilities."
Javy's face looked blank for a moment before it darkened with a murderous gleam, "okay first of all” the man looked to almost rise in his chair in his fury, “what the fuck man? Who the hell is he to say that to you?"
"Well he's been in the Navy for decades-"
"And only stayed a Captain!” Javy bit back immediately. “Um, hello projection of your own limitations, welcome to the table" the pilot looked livid, "Mav's pissed because his career is over so he's going to take it out on you? No way man, that's messed up."
"So you don't think it's true?"
Jake almost flinched at the look his best friend gave him. "No" Javy spoke especially slowly to make sure the man took in every word, "I don't. Shit Jake, don't tell me you do?"
"I don't know” the blonde muttered looking down once more. It’s amazing how fascinating a table cloth could be when you wanted to avoid your best friend’s scrutinizing gaze, “I have been pretty reckless in my flying,” Jake admitted out loud, “and I leave wingmen behind-"
"Not when it matters. Hey" Javy forced Jake to look at him, "not when it's ever mattered. Yeah you leave people behind in training. Is it annoying? Yeah. Does it make me want to go faster next time to wipe the smug smirk off your face? Hell yeah. And that's what it makes us all do; be better, be faster. But there has never been a time in all the years of flying with you that I have ever doubted you wouldn't be right there if any of us needed you. Shit man, the mission proved that enough."
"Yeah, I know, thanks Javy” but Jake’s eyes were still moving downcast, his voice holding the tiniest wobble of uncertainty. It was nice to have Javy’s staunch support but Maverick’s words still stung. Jake had always looked up to Pete Mitchell, of his accomplishment and his record of valor. Hearing the man exclaim they were similar should have been a compliment until it was finished with the warning that they were both better off dying young to get out of the way. Jake had no fears of dying, it was a possibility for all active duty military members, and he certainly would prefer dying for a purpose or to save someone if it had to happen soon. However he liked to think that he was more useful to this world alive rather than dead. Thinking any other way was a cruel pill he didn’t think he was strong enough to swallow.
Javy huffed in angry frustration when he saw his best friend still having trouble believing him, "I mean it Jake” he reiterated, “Mitchell was wrong, and I have half a mind to go smack the shit out of him for saying all this. Where the hell did he get off?"
"I ruined his career-"
"Did you?” Coyote challenged, his voice shifting into the tone he tended to get when he really wanted to get a point across to the normally hardheaded Hangman. “You're the reason he didn't get promotions all those years? You're the reason he decided to let his personal relationships dictate the plan for a suicide mission that impacted four other pilot’s lives? You’re the reason he decided to pull a dangerous stunt on a bunch of replacements that not only ended his career but theirs as well?” Javy leaned back in his chair with a look of over-exaggerated amazement, “Wow Jake” he mocked but not unkindly, “who knew you had that much control on other people's actions?"
The blonde scowled. It wasn’t as simple as Javy was making it sound but Jake could also concede that it wasn’t as complicated as he himself was making it. The truth was this whole situation was just plain unfortunate. Jake was sorry that the Dagger Squad didn’t become what some of the team wanted but he wasn’t sorry that he chose what made sense for him in his career. Maverick’s accident in the sky a few weeks ago was not Hangman’s fault. He wasn’t in the air that day and if a decision made months ago was enough to initiate such a visceral emotional response in someone like Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell that it affected his judgment up in the air, then the man shouldn’t have been in command anymore anyway; he was dangerous to everyone up there.
“I think we should head out” Coyote announced suddenly, looking to his wife who had stopped her other conversation to catch the tail end of the discussion with her husband and his best friend. Naomi nodded, “sure” she agreed amicably but Hangman instantly shook his head. “No we can’t leave” he argued, “they didn’t even serve dinner yet.”
“The perks of having a heavily pregnant wife dude” Coyote motioned to Naomi, “a built in excuse” he informed. His wife rolled her eyes with a mock slap to his arm, “I feel like I should be offended” she chided.
Javy gave a charming smile as he moved in to kiss the love of his life quickly on the lips, “I’ll make it up to you later with a foot rub.”
“Mmmm” the woman moaned as Javy’s lips moved to her neck, teasing the skin gently with just the barest hint of his teeth, “works for me. Use me as the excuse boys, I’m good with it.”
“No” Jake cut in; embarrassed that his friends needed to cut their night short because he got upset over a drunken man’s rambling. “Mav was just spouting nonsense alright? It wasn’t a big deal.” Hangman could tell the Machados weren’t completely convinced so he turned on the charm, “and look you both said this place is known for its steak right? So let’s wait at least until we get our dinners before we attempt our Irish goodbyes.”
The couple shared a glance. “You sure Jake?” Javy asked, looking like at the slightest nod from his best friend and he would have them all out of there in seconds. There was warmth in Hangman’s body from the other man’s fierce protectiveness that translated to a smile on the blonde’s face. “I’m sure” he nodded, “now come on, let’s try to enjoy ourselves while we wait for our food.” He offered a hand to Naomi who took it gracefully as he helped pull her up. Once standing, Jake swung the woman carefully in a spin, a high squeal of laughter erupting from the pregnant lady. Javy followed after the two as the trio made their way onto the dance floor to have some fun.
About a half an hour later the guests were being called back to their tables as dinner platters were being served. Jake found himself rosy with amusement and from the exertion of dancing, him and Javy pulling out all the stops to some of the old 90’s hits that the Fitchs’ DJ kept playing. It was the first time all night that Jake just closed off his mind and let go, the rest of the Daggers following suit until they seemed to take over the entire dance floor. Payback was pulling off bad break dancing movies to the amusement of his new wife, Callie and Omaha tried the dirty dancing lift but almost took out poor Bob and Fanboy stole a microphone and attempted some bad karaoke. Jake and the others laughed more out there then he could ever remember, and it made him happy, so happy, that he didn’t chose to leave back when he did. He would have been sad to have missed this time.
As they all headed back to their seats, Jake’s contentment had lulled him back into a pleasant mood, the earlier issues with Maverick put to the backburner in his mind. He sipped some water before he nodded over to Javy, “Hey man, I gotta hit the head, be back in a sec.”
“Do you want me to go with-“ but Javy cut off at the steely look he received from his friend. “Alright” the man conceded with a wiry grin, “just offering” he held his hands up in mock surrender.
“I think I can manage on my own, thanks” Jake informed, “been potty-trained for quite a while now actually.“
“Well that’s a relief to hear Seresin, we were all so worried” Yale and Harvard were heading back to the table from their time on the dance floor, both shiny with sweat and flushed with merriment as they caught the tail end of the conversation. Hangman offered them both a curt middle finger as he took his leave, their laughs washing over him as he headed for the men’s room.
Jake’s destination was in his peripheral as he squeezed around the last few groups of people making their way back to their seats. He was nearly there when a hand shoved him roughly to the right, almost sending the blonde into an elder couple that was still dancing but Jake luckily managed to catch himself in time.
He turned around, thoroughly confused until an angry Bradley Bradshaw was suddenly right in his vision. The man’s hand reached for him once more this time physically manhandling him the rest of the way out of the reception room and taking him into the deserted hall. Jake offered a protest but it was largely ignored, only when they were finally far enough away from the main doors did Rooster lessen his grip and all but throw Hangman away from him.
The younger man poised himself, readying for a fight, his green eyes constricted with annoyance only to see Bradley’s brown eyes were locked and loaded, staring at Jake with such primitive disgust it almost made the blonde want to recoil. But Jake refused to back down, “If you wanted to dance Bradshaw” he mocked with a long Texas drawl, “all you had to was ask-“
Rooster’s face reddened, “You had to rub it in, didn’t you?” he asked, the fury so visceral that his spit clung to the corner of his mouth like foam to a rabid dog. “You couldn’t just leave well enough alone-“
“What are you talking about?”
“Cut the shit” the man demanded, hand pulling on Jake’s uniform when he dared to take a step back, “where the hell do you get off doing that?”
“Doing what?” Hangman questioned, arms ripping out of Bradley’s grip to raise them in confusion, “I’m trying to go take a piss and you’re grabbing me like you want a pissing contest-“
“I grabbed you because once again” the older man huffed, “you had to take your victory lap.”
“What victory lap?” Jake’s face couldn’t hide his perplexity, “shit Bradshaw what are you drunk or something?”
“Mav!” Bradley screeched, “You just had to go up to him, had to rub it in that he lost everything when it was all because of you!”
“Me!” Jake exasperation was tangible, his righteous anger beginning to simmer, “Mav started it! He brought it up! I was trying to get a drink and he decided to air out every grievance he has against me!”
“A move you perfected asshole, or does the day in the hangars not ring a bell?”
Hangman scoffed, “he confronted me that day too and you know it.”
“You tell yourself whatever you want princess” Rooster jeered, “but it doesn’t fix what you did tonight. Mav is hurting you asshole, I know this might be hard for you to understand since you have more concern for toothpicks than you do other people but he didn’t need this.”
“I didn’t do anything” Jake pushed back, not relenting. “I said hello because he was right there. He was the one that started with his pity party and then he was the one that said some pretty fucked up things to be me in the process.”
“His career, that he worked decades on, is over, what do you expect?”
“Decorum?” Jake waved his arms out in front of him for emphasis, “Decency? Shit, I don’t know, maybe some accountability? He almost killed three pilots that day-”
Bradley rolled his eyes, “He pulled the same moves he did for us the first day and we were all fine-“
“It doesn’t mean that it was right!”
“- and it would had been fine that day too if we were all still a team, if Mav still had his Daggers” Bradshaw continued as though Jake never interrupted. He pointed a finger at the man opposing him, “but you took that from him, and you broke something in him when you did it.”
“Oh for shit’s sake, get a new story” the blonde moaned, “Mitchell lost the Daggers when he chased after you with his tail between his legs because his dear Rooster was upset. The other guys saw that and they knew that they would never be worth more to their Commanding officer as his precious Bradley freaking Bradshaw. His judgments and his decisions would always be clouded by you!”
Bradley looked ready to kill, “Well I’m sorry that my father died and Mav decided to be a more decent human being than you’ll ever even comprehend and look after his wingman’s family. I’m sorry that his heart, the same one that cared about all the Daggers even your selfish ass, told him it was more important to look after me and my mom than how it would impact his career-“
“And that’s why no one has ever said he wasn’t a good man Bradshaw” Jake was yelling now, trying to be heard over the other man, “but he shouldn’t have been your CO too! It’s not professional, there are rules about it!”
“He was the only person that was getting us through that mission alive and now he’s kicked out of the Navy. Are you proud of yourself now Seresin? His career is ruined-“
“Mav ruined his career all on his own, okay? An action a long time coming from the way he deals with stress-“ the quip earned a hard shove from his adversary, Jake stumbling back a few paces before he could catch himself right-footed once more. The anger in Hangman was blatant now. The normally composed man enraged once again by this same old argument; the fact that he couldn’t even get up from his table without finding some sort of confrontation tonight also exasperating his frustration. “But you’re familiar with that aren’t you Rooster?” he questioned, going in for the cheap shot, “blaming everything else but yourself for your own fuck-ups?”
“Rich from you Dagger Spare” Bradley spat the last words like they were curses, throwing back Jake’s biggest insecurity to his face. “Standing on your high horse telling everyone that can listen that the reason you didn’t get picked was because Mav was trying to win me back. But tell me Hangman, did you ever sit back and think that maybe it was because you weren’t the right fit?”
Jake huffed out a breath with an eye roll, “I’m a better pilot than you Bradshaw-“
“If you need to stroke your own ego again, then fine” the other man acquiesced to the surprise of the younger man, “sure, you’re the better pilot, but I was the one who had the others behind me. I was the one they trusted!” Rooster smirked when he saw Hangman’s face fall, “that was more important for the mission” the brunette explained, “more important than speed.”
He wasn’t wrong. Jake loathed admitting it but Bradley wasn’t wrong. Coming into the mission Jake played his Hangman persona too much; was a little too heavy handed with the bravado and the snark. His introduction to the other pilots had them rolling their eyes at his attitude and muttering about him under their breaths and even to his face. They didn’t like him, and after his show with Phoenix and Bob, they didn’t trust him. Bradshaw meanwhile, had spent the first hop taking the hit for Payback and Fanboy, instantly revering him in the eyes of his team as a selfless and team player. He earned all their trust on the same day Jake lost it. His face must have shown the realization because Rooster immediately smiled, cold and harsh in the lights of the hallway, “yeah” Bradshaw nodded, “doesn’t feel so great when the truth hits does it?”
Jake felt his face flush as the desperate need to escape overwhelmed him. It was foolish to engage with Bradshaw, to get into these conversations over and over once again, and it especially didn’t help when Jake was feeling a little too tongue tied to properly defend himself. But leaving now seemed like the coward’s answer and Hangman would never allow himself to be that. “Fine” the blonde submitted, “maybe I wasn’t the right choice but the others-“
“You have never given a shit about Fritz not being the one picked” Bradshaw cut in immediately, his words slapping down Jake’s arguments like gnats as he took a step closer, popping the blonde’s personal space bubble until they were almost nose to nose, “you used him to make you point that day but it meant nothing. That day it was about you, it’s always about you Hangman.”
It was Jake’s turn to push, shoving Bradley enough for the brunette to lose his balance for a moment, “back off Bradshaw” the blonde warned.
Rooster grinned wickedly, walking closer once more and giving Jake a shove of his own, “what’s the matter Seresin? The facts hurt too much?”
“I said back off-“
“Aw” Bradley mocked, “Hangman’s got no witty retort, no little comeback? Is it because you know it’s true?” he smirked just like Jake always did. “Face it Seresin, all you will ever care about, is yourself. That’s why you have no friends, no one to go to bat for you besides Javy and that’s out of pity than anything else. You came after me and Mav after the mission because we did something that no one will ever do for you, we went back for each other. You’re a shitty teammate, that’s why you weren’t picked. No one has ever fought to fly with you and they never will. You’ll never be the commander you dream to be so why don’t you just keep hanging people out to dry and start counting fallen wingmen as your air to air kills. Should reach that Ace status real quick that way.”
Jake opened his mouth but nothing came out, just the white noise of building ire spurning in his gut. He locked eyes with Bradshaw, rage meeting rage as the older man went in for the kill. “I mean, unless one of your teammates knocks you off first“ Rooster laughed with barely contained glee, “maybe that will be the early grave Mav told you about right? He was telling me about your conversation at the bar and I must say I agree” the mustached man shared, “you’d do the world a much bigger favor going out before you leave more of our pilots out to dry. I’m sure your parents would concur wouldn’t they?”
And then Jake lunged.
It was stupid and unbelievably out of character for Hangman but he didn’t care at the moment. As much as he enjoyed his silver tongue he never enjoyed physical altercations and he normally never started them. But Bradshaw’s words hit too many nerves, too many insecurities; rubbing into all the wounds that Maverick had splayed open not two hours before. The blonde couldn’t help the rush of fury as he launched himself at the brunette with a clenched fist. Bradley welcomed it, more than prepared and ready to use his size to his advantage but before they could inflict any real damage besides pushes and shoves, they were stopped.
“Hey!” Rough hands were throwing Jake back as he vaguely recognized Omaha and Harvard grabbing Rooster. “Hey!” Fanboy was standing in between them, his face livid, “what the hell is this?” he asked out loud but no one responded. “I said, what the hell is this?” he chastised again as though they were children and not grown men, “You both promised you’d behave tonight! That you wouldn’t cause a scene at your friend’s wedding-“
“I’m cool” Rooster shrugged off the others, giving a valiant performance of how Hangman reacted in their classroom altercation all those months ago, “I’m cool” he smirked again.
Jake wished he had gotten a punch in, wished he could have slammed his fist into Bradley’s pompous face for doing this to him again and again; pushing him and getting under his skin. He was aware that Rooster had probably felt this same way about him numerous times in the past and maybe even now although he hid it behind the cocky façade, but Jake wouldn’t dwell on that. He couldn’t right now. Right now he just wanted to get out of any space with Rooster in it before he did something he’d regret.
“Jake-“ Javy was there, pulling Hangman back while still watching his flank in case Bradley got close again, “what the hell happened?”
“I need some air-“ Jake croaked, the events of this wedding just become too much. For a man that prided himself on keeping his cool, the blonde was way too close to losing it, “I gotta get some air” he all but begged again.
“Okay yeah” Javy was steering him once more, this time towards the exit and away from the other’s who were taking Bradley back inside the party. “Come on” Javy urged still pushing Hangman along, hovering right next to him like a guiding light in the storm, “let’s get outside-“
“I need air on my own Coyote-“ Jake fought to take control of his own movements again, simultaneously hating losing Javy’s kindness but needing a moment to get himself back under control in private. “I just need a minute.”
The other man instantly shook his head, “I don’t think so, every time you leave my sight you’re getting into it with someone else.”
“Javy-“
“I’m not letting you-“
“Damn it Javy, I’m not a child!”
“I’m not saying you are but-“
“Will you leave me alone for Christ’s sake!” he finally screamed, stopping their movements like a petulant child, “I don’t need you on my ass every second! I can get some damn air by my damn self okay? SO BACK OFF!”
The second Jake spoke the words he regretted them. Javy stuttered back immediately, taking his hands off the blonde and holding them up in a placating manner. His face looked hurt long enough for Jake’s heart to clench before the darker skinned man schooled his features. “Fine” Coyote told him, a little colder than he usually spoke to his best friend, “I’ll just wait for you in here okay? Call me if you need anything.” Before Jake could even reply, the man had walked off.
Jake cursed himself as he headed outside the wedding venue, annoyed at his emotional displays throughout this night. He hadn’t meant to snap at Javy, of all the people here tonight he was the one looking out for Jake the most, but of course Hangman managed to ruin that too.
He was ruining a lot of things lately apparently.
The night air cooled the flush of anger on Jake’s face as he closed his eyes and exhaled sharply. He was tired, so tired, and he knew he needed to own up to his outburst and apologize to Javy before they all took their leave for the night. Any enjoyment left to be had was over, the night spoiled.
Jake sighed, steadying himself against a pillar on the back porch of the country club. It was a cloudy night, even the stars hiding from Jake and his anger, but he still managed to catch a few glimpses of passing airplanes in the sky to ground himself.
After a few minutes of calming breaths, Hangman brought his eyes back to level ground, noticing a woman sitting on a bench down the sidewalk. The dress uniform and bun confirmed it was a woman and considering he had last seen Halo, shaking her head in disappointment over Jake and Bradley’s fight, that meant the woman on the bench could only be Natasha Trace. Jake paused for a moment, unsure if he should approach. There was a nagging voice in his ear that sounded suspiciously like Javy Machado, warning him with a shout that the last thing he needed was another conversation right now but the blonde ignored it, moving instead out into the mild Florida night and walking towards his former teammate.
The woman tensed up at the footsteps, her body almost prepping herself until she saw it was Jake in front of her. She lowered her defensives immediately, making Jake feel better about his decision to engaged.
“Phoenix” He drawled out with a teasing tone, trying not to show his surprise that the woman was actually staying to chat instead of retreating like she did during the cocktail hour.
Natasha’s dark eyes closed for a moment, as she let out a sigh, “Bagman” she greeted, voice measured though it sounded like it was taking more of an effort than usual.
There was so much Jake wanted to say, wanted to ask, but he stayed silent for a moment. The normally talkative blonde felt every word in his arsenal insufficient for this moment. “It’s- been a while” he finally settled on, just as inadequate but at least it got a reaction. Phoenix sized him up; a smirk playing on her lips that made Jake wanted to jump for joy for the win of seeing some sort of life to Natasha again, the fire that been missing from the woman making everyone in the vicinity of Phoenix feel so very cold. “How have you been?” he levied when it dawned on him that conversation was going to be his responsibility out here.
She shrugged, looking down at her dress shoes that were half buried under the pretzel style position she sat in, “been better” she finally shared.
“Yeah” Jake spared a glance around before moving to sit next to her. It made him keep his back to the country club which made him feel exposed but he didn’t like standing over Phoenix either, “I heard things have been rough for the squad lately.”
Nat only scoffed in reply before her mouth fell quiet once more.
Jake whistled for a moment in the silence that followed, the notes barely making a tune before trying his hand with Trace again. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She set a glare on him but it missed the playful annoyance and contempt that it usually held, still too lifeless to be a normal Phoenix scowl. “Why would I want to do that” she asked.
“Didn’t you know?” Jake feigned surprise, “I’m a great listener.”
“Right” the tiniest lift appeared on Nat’s lips, almost like her body was slowly losing the fight to hold in all her emotions. “That’s what everyone says about you Bagman.”
“Hey” he nudged her gently, “come on, talk to me Trace, you’re starting to freak me out with all this brooding silence.”
“I just don’t want to hear it” she muttered, avoiding his eyes.
“Hear what?”
“The ‘I told you so’.”
Jake sighed, cursing Javy once again for being right as he shifted to face the woman next to him and preparing for one more confrontation. So much for a nice leisurely talk. “So if you don’t want me to say I told you so” he began, keeping his calm but still being pressing, “then you must see it?” the blonde questioned, “how much you’ve changed.”
She narrowed her eyes, “I see you dying to say it but no, actually, I haven’t changed.”
“Really?” Jake shot back heatedly, “because I heard you’re the new big bully in town, knocking out WSO’s without a second glance-“
“They couldn’t keep up” she mocked and Jake couldn’t help the exasperated sigh that escaped him. How tired he was of people throwing his own words back at him tonight. He glared at Natasha with a small shake of his head, “fine, you don’t want to have this conversation I won’t force you but I will say it” he leaned in, watching as her brown eyes found his face, “I told you so. I told you to leave Bradley Bradshaw in your rear view mirror before this could happen, before he could ruin you.“
“He didn’t ruin me!”
“He did! You’re a freaking shadow of yourself!” Hangman knew he was yelling but he didn’t care, the desperation for the woman next to him to see what he saw making the words ooze out of him, “God damn it Nat, where is Phoenix, where is the fireball that kicked all of our asses into gear?”
“She grew up Jake” she shot out, that fiery temper no longer hidden as she pointed a stern finger at him like she used to do when she would lecture him on his bad teamwork, “like we all are meant to!”
“Bullshit” he pressed forward, forcing her finger all the way into his chest, heat rising in him when she didn’t pull it alway. “Where is Phoenix, the actual leader in every squad she joins? Where is Phoenix, the one who gets everyone flying their best without nastiness or competition but by camaraderie and teamwork? Where is Phoenix, the woman who has never cowered to anyone? Where is she?” the blonde continued, working himself into a huff, “because she’s sure as shit not here. Letting Bradshaw tell her when to sit and who to talk to and hiding her in a corner this whole night-“
“You don’t… “
“I don’t what?” he interrupted when she seemed to hesitate, “I don’t understand? I don’t know? I don’t get it?” he clung to her hands and resisted the urge to shake them until he got some real answers from the woman in front of him, “what is it Nat? Tell me-“
“You want to be mad at me for not listening to you that day outside of Top Gun but you don’t get it” she implored, “I didn’t have the choice you had.”
“You did” the blonde instigated further, “you were just too afraid to make it.”
“No” Nat’s eyes were flashing now, the most emotion she had shown all night and Jake couldn’t stop the joy in his heart at the sight of some fire from this bird. Nat deserved to feel again. “I had to stay okay, I had to!”
“Why?”
“Because I left him!” Natasha screamed, loud and clear in the dark night, “I left him in the sky that day, I left him, my best friend to d-die-“ she stuttered, a sob rippling through her small frame and heaving from her mouth, “I- I’m his b-best friend and I-“
“Shhh” Jake was grabbing her then, the woman not even putting up a protest as he brought her into his chest and rocked her softly, “Nat, you didn’t have a choice-“
“I-I didn’t even… I didn’t even look for a parachute” she sniffled, a wetness settling through Jake’s dress whites telling him she was crying though she managed to still speak, “I just headed back to the carrier,” she told him devastatingly, “I only worried about getting out of there and following orders.”
"Nat-"
"Don’t” she warned, muffled but still holding a threat, “you can’t say anything because even you Hangman” he hated the way his call sign fell from her lips, “went back for them and you hate Rooster. But me, his best friend, I turned tail and ran-“
Jake pulled the woman out a little so she could see him, the look of guilt in her eye a familiar feeling for the blonde that he hated to see the woman in front of him struggle with as well, "You had Bob, Natasha, you weren't the only one in that plane."
“It doesn’t matter-“
“It does,” he pushed, hoping his own conviction could persuade her, “you owed it to your WSO to get him home and you did. You did your job Natasha.”
She pulled all the way out of his grip, running fingers under her eyes to clean up her make-up and tears, "I still left him” she spoke up sadly, “I still left him behind.”
“So what?” Hangman questioned, “You feel guilty about that day so you’re going to make sure you never leave Bradshaw again? Ever? Does that sound rational to you?”
“Jake-“
“You are not yourself with him, don’t even try to deny it” he told her sternly when she opened her mouth to retort. “And if he cared about you even a quarter of the way you care about him he would see it too and he would let you go. He shouldn’t want this for you!”
Nat shook her head, “he does care about me, more than you know-“
“Then it should be a no brainer” Jake moved closer, inches from the woman’s face, “you aren’t yourself Nat, this” he emphasized the shell of a broken woman, the fire extinguished for so long now, “this is a downed bird when all you’ve ever deserved to do is fly.”
“Bradley he’s-“ she hesitated, “it’s not that simple” she finally settled on, her eyes wet and fraught as they caught his green ones. She managed a small smile as she took a gentle hand to his cheek, but the touch lasted for just the barest of seconds before she ripped it away as though his skin burned her. “I know you care about me and you think this is what I need but-“
“It is what you need Nat,” Hangman urged, “please, I can help you” he told her desperately, reaching his own hand now that she had broken the invisible barrier between them and wiping the tears that had begun to fall down her cheek once more. “Listen, we can go to Cyclone and ask him for a transfer together. You can serve with me and the Vigilantes, or I know Coyote’s squad has an opening. Or anywhere, anywhere you want to fly. You deserve to be free to go where you want!”
“I can’t” she sniffled, leaning back from his touch with a shaky breath, “it’s too late now.”
“No” he shook his head, “it’s not, look Bradshaw will be fine, don’t worry about him-“
“No I want to be with him, I have to now.”
Jake’s face blanched in surprise, “why?”
She gave him a heartbreaking look that didn’t match the next words from her mouth, “We’re together” she explained but it wasn’t said happily or excitedly. It was hollow, back to the Phoenix he had seen at the beginning of the day, the new Phoenix whenever Rooster got his claws in her.
Hangman was confused, “what?” he questioned, “together as in?”
“We’re a couple-“
“You can’t be serious-“
“What the hell is this?” called a voice and Jake snapped around and cursed every deity he had ever heard of. There was Rooster, once more being the bane of Jake’s existence and the master of appearing at inopportune moments. The blonde shook his head dejectedly while Natasha jumped from her seat as though scalded. “Bradley” she began, not quite nervous but not quite comfortable either. The bombshell of Phoenix’s last words were coming back to Jake now that the shock of Bradshaw’s entrance was dulling away and the blonde couldn’t help but scrunch his eyes with bewilderment at the strange couple the two made. Of course they had been friends for decades but they were always just that, friends. Trace was off-limits to the other pilots, in a league all her own and it went without saying that she was better than any of them would be getting. And as for Bradshaw, he always seemed to look and act like Nat was just another one of the guys. Jake could understand if it were just a physical thing, postings tended to have limited pickings and everyone had certain needs. A running pool had started a few years ago about whether Phoenix and Rooster had ever done it, Jake’s mind idly wondered what the pot had accumulated to.
“What are you doing out here with him?” Bradley was asking his girlfriend and Jake felt rage rise within him immediately, “she was talking to me Bradshaw, got a problem-“
“Oh all ready to go for round two I see” Rooster sneered before turning back to Phoenix, “Babe you should go inside, I left Mav alone, you mind checking on him?“
The woman nodded and moved to head in and Jake saw red, “telling her what to do and where to go?” the blonde chuckled sarcastically, “How abusive of you!”
“I just asked her” Bradley instantly defended, “she has a choice.”
Hangman nodded to the woman already making headway to get back inside, “clearly. So you control Phoenix now and Maverick, what a nice little family you got there Rooster.”
“Mind your business-“
“Nah” the blonde shrugged, moving to stand in Rooster’s face, “I don’t think I will.”
Bradley met his step, the two glaring at each other. Jake cursed the inch or two Rooster had on him, hating to concede even that little ground to the brunette in front of him. “My relationship with Nat is none of your business” Rooster informed, deadly serious, “nor is mine with Mav-“
“Nat looks like she is afraid of her own damn shadow and Mav is a drunken mess” Jake recited angrily, “I wouldn’t call what you have as relationships, more like you destroying the people that actually care about you-“
“I’m helping them!”
“You keep telling yourself that” the blonde interrupted immediately, “but it’s all bullshit. Both of them are floundering and instead of actually getting them help you’re keeping them to yourself in some misguided attempt to keep people around you. You’re so afraid of being alone that you would rather hurt others than be a little lonely! What’s the matter Bradshaw?” he mocked, “afraid if you let them think for themselves they will see you’re not worth the effort and ditch you?”
“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you Hangman?“
“Yeah sure” Jake rolled his eyes, already tired of this narrative, “because I leave people hanging-“
“No” Bradley’s grin reappeared, the sight so close to Jake’s face it took all his effort not to take a step back but the blonde refused to not stand his ground. “I’m not talking about you leaving people Jake, but people leaving you, ditching you, abandoning you.”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about”
“Oh I think you do. You accuse me of wearing my tragedies on my sleeve but how about you Jake? Poor little Hangman, all alone, with no family. I used to think you were just like me when we first got to know each other, an orphan. But you’re not Jake are you?”
“I might as well be”
“No,” Rooster continued, getting into his argument, “an orphan is someone whose parents died. You parents didn’t die Jake, they are still in Texas, back on that farm that they drove you out of. Your parents aren’t around because they didn’t want you. You were such a shitty son, a shitty person, that they would rather disown you than lay any claim.” Bradley scoffed dramatically, “what does that have to say about you, huh?”
“They didn’t leave me” Jake all but whispered, his heart clenching thinking of all the moments that he spent as a kid begging for his parent’s attentions, for their love, only to be denied each and every time. “I left them” he corrected, “because of what they did to me-“
“Yeah” Rooster gave a mockingly big, patronizing smile, “I remember hearing it all from Coyote back in the day. All about the hits and the smacks and how they starved you sometimes.” He tiled his head, “didn’t they lock you outside for like two days” he smirked when Jake couldn’t contain his shudder at the memory. “But parents love their kids Hangman, unless the kids give them a reason not to. You must have been some terror growing up-“
“Fuck you” Hangman spat back, his voice thick with emotions, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Rooster held his hands in mock surrender, “you never do, right Seresin?”
Jake rubbed a hand across his face, cursing when he felt the wetness of tears. “What does this have to do with you and the others, about what you’re doing to them?”
“I protect the people that I love” Bradley informed the blonde, “maybe if you weren’t such a selfish asshole you’d actually have people that would do the same for you and so you would understand. Maverick is broken; he lost his meaning in the world so I’m helping him, getting him back to himself to find a new purpose-“
Jake sniffled, “that sounds like a cult’s message if I ever heard one.”
“Believe what you want, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“I think it does” the blonde was frantic to get back on the offensive, to cool down his emotions and stop letting Bradley Bradshaw get the better of him. “I think it matters a lot Bradshaw, it’s why you keep pushing that I took the Daggers from Mav, it’s why you came out here like a bat out of hell when Nat even dared to talk to me. What’s the matter Bradshaw? Don’t want to share your toys? Scared that big bad Hangman is going to take them all away from you?”
“Well it wouldn’t be from lack of trying when it comes to Nat would it?” the brunette replied tersely.
Hangman shook his head, “What does that mean?”
“Come on, anyone with eyes can see that you love her-“
Jake stuttered back in surprise, Bradley’s words hitting him like physical blows. Did he love Phoenix? Yes, his heart was telling him but not in the way Bradshaw meant. Jake loved the spunky little pilot, the only person that could give it back to him when he was being a cocky asshole but with fondness mixed with her annoyance. He loved her skills and her brain; she was the best of the best at her craft just like him and she never apologized for it. She trained hard, studied harder, and earned every second she got in the air. Jake had been in love with her spirit from the moment he watched her take off into the air; Phoenix, a beautiful Phoenix, a majestic fire bird.
But she deserved so much better than him. He wanted so much more for her and that’s why his heart broke at the sight of her tonight, so far removed from the Phoenix he had always admired
The blonde looked up, his face surprisingly composed despite Roosters claims, “I don’t love her like that-“
“Sure you don’t” Bradley mocked sarcastically, “keep telling yourself that big guy” he patted Jake patronizingly on the chest, “but she chose me asshole. So for all your bitching and moaning about what a shitty person I am, I’m good enough for Nat and you’re not,” he shrugged his shoulders, “how’s that feel?”
“She’ll see your true colors soon” the blonde warned, “once you let her breathe for a moment.”
“No Jake it’s you that people leave when they see how you really are. It’s you” Rooster continued to press, “that people would rather be alone than be around. It’s you at the end of the day who will be so busy being the best of the best that you’ll have no one to celebrate with, no one to go home to, no one to mourn you when you’re gone.”
“Fine” Jake conceded, his voice impossibly small, “maybe I will be all alone, but at least I’m honest about myself. I don’t have anyone yeah, my parents couldn’t give two shits about me but I’m still trying okay? I’m still working to be the best. I don’t let my tragedies whether my own fault or not, dictate the rest of my life” he stepped into Bradley’s face, “I don’t act like the world owes me something every day of my damn life.”
“Watch it” Bradshaw warned, his face getting red, “watch what you say next Hangman or I swear I’ll-“
“You’ll what Rooster?” Jake instigated roughly, “hit me? What? You don’t want to hear about how you walk around with a chip on your shoulder like you had the hardest path to get to where you are because your papers for the academy didn’t go through-“
“You don’t know what you’re talking about-“
“I do though! Mav pulled them and you didn’t talk to the guy for 15 years! The man who loved you so much that he cared for you, remember? Something I wouldn’t understand. Well I understand why Mav did it but what I don’t understand is why you had to be so damn prissy to him about it for over a decade! News flash Rooster, you still became a pilot, you still graduated from Top Gun, you still became everything you ever wanted so who the fuck cares what Mav did! Honestly” the blonde pushed, letting out a deep breath from all his yelling, “unless staying mad about it earned you some favors with a certain COMPACFLT-“
Bradley’s eyes turned to daggers, ready to strike, “excuse me?”
“We all know how close Iceman and Maverick was,” Hangman lifted his hand in innocent nonchalance, “wouldn’t be too far of a stretch for the departed Admiral to pull strings to get you where you ended up, would it Bradshaw, fixing Maverick’s mistakes one more time, right?”
“Don’t you dare fucking say I didn’t earn where I am-“
“But he pulled us for the mission, even brought Mav back as well; Despite knowing you connections and despite knowing your current disagreement. But that’s you Bradshaw, always getting ahead the wrong way. Hell maybe you can become the next COMPACFLT, I’m sure there is someone else that flew with your dad and feels sorry enough to-“
But the rest of Jake’s were cut off when Bradley’s fist rose, landing right in the bone under the blonde’s eye. The force was staggering, enough that Jake fell to one knee to catch himself, not expecting the hit enough to prepare at all. Another punch was coming, this time hitting the younger man in the jaw before Jake regained enough wherewithal to bring his own hands up.
Hangman nailed a shot right to Bradley’s unprotected nose, pleasure swelling within the younger pilot as the sound of cartilage breaking filled the air. Rooster stumbled back, blood already starting to drip but he wiped it away with his dress sleeve, the red stain stark against the blinding white. The brunette got his feet under him and moved to attack again but Jake was ready, blocking a few of Rooster’s attempted body shots, but not getting a chance to land his own. Finally Bradley’s blows hit their marks, two back to back in Jake’s stomach that had the man doubled over and wheezing. Bradshaw moved in, the blood on his face eerie in the dark night, and looked to perform an uppercut to Jake’s already bruised ribs. The blonde shifted, moving his body out of the way before raising his arm back and launching it once more into Rooster’s face, the man collapsing to the ground from the force.
Jake stumbled for a moment, physically and mentally exhausted as he wished for Rooster to just stay down. The blonde’s eye was pulsing in pain and the taste of blood was filling his mouth, he moved to spit, turning his head, and then cursed himself as Bradshaw moved during Hangman’s split second of not paying attention. Rooster threw himself at Jake once more. This time it was more wrestling, the two men just flailing hard against each other as they grappled for control. Blows still landed at times, Jake felt his lip split as he landed his own gut punch to the brunette opposing him. There was no winner here, not between these two men, just anger and resentment and harsh words spurning into harsher hits. Jake imagined they would fight until they each collapsed, spent of energy every way possible.
Suddenly there was a hand grabbing his arm but Jake shrugged it off, not even comprehending the movement until a surprisingly feminine shout of alarm sounded from behind him. Jake managed to turn his neck in time to see Naomi stumbling backward from the force of his push before Bradley was slamming into him, the two men knocking back into the pregnant woman and pushing her to the ground. It took all the abdominal muscles Hangman possessed to catch both his and Bradshaw’s weight and shift it over, avoiding landing on top of Naomi and hurting her worse. Instead Jake landed solidly on his own back, the wind effectively knocked out of him and getting a punch in his stomach for his efforts before screams began to sound around them and Bradley was ripped off of him. Jake turned his swollen face to the right, seeing Javy sprint over and collapse beside his wife, cradling her carefully.
A hand cut through his vision, Bob and Dylan each offering help to get Jake up but they had to do all the work as Jake’s focus was entirely on his two friends still on the ground. The minute he was released he raced over, “N-Naomi” Jake stuttered, blood leaking once more from his mouth, “My God Naomi, I’m so sorry-“
“What the fuck man” Javy’s dark eyes looked to want to set Jake on fire when they found him, “what the fuck did you do?”
“I didn’t know it was her- I felt someone grab my arm and-“
“And you threw her!” Coyote screamed, “My wife! My pregnant wife-“
“I’m so sorry” Hangman breath hitched and he turned around to see some of the other Daggers pulling a bleeding Bradshaw back inside, “I didn’t mean to, I swear I wouldn’t-“
“Javy” Naomi was trying to stand but her husband didn’t seem so willing to let her go, “it was an accident, I shouldn’t have tried to stop them-“
“No” Javy was not letting this go so easily, “they shouldn’t have been fighting in the first place” he zeroed in on Jake, “this is why I asked to join you outside, because I knew, I knew, something like this was going to happen! But no, you shot me down, yelled at me to leave you the hell alone and then you hurt my family?”
“I’m so sorry” Hangman sobbed, his tears mixing with the blood on his face, “you’re right, I shouldn’t have pushed you away-“
“This is why we should have gone home hours ago!” Coyote continued, his temper nowhere near extinguished, “because every time you even get near Bradshaw you lose all your senses-“
“Javy I-“
“No!” he cut in, shutting Jake up quick, “no you don’t get to talk right now okay? You just shut up and listen!” When the blonde stayed silent, Coyote continued, “You had the balls to worry about how Bradshaw is impacting Mav and Phoenix but have you ever taken a look in the mirror and seen what he’s done to you? Shit Jake you’re the least emotional man I have ever seen. You’re eerily professional at all times, almost borderline cold and yet I catch you in how many fights tonight, your emotions all over the place, hell you almost cried before at the table when you asked me the Admiral question- “
Jake sniffled to contain his sob, not wanting to prove Javy’s words even though everything his friend was saying was true, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry-”
“I don’t care that you’re sorry!” Coyote’s words hit like knives, each one piercing another piece of Jake’s already shattered heart, “I don’t care one freaking bit. You put your hands on my wife Jake! You pushed her and then you and Rooster almost body slammed her with you stupid fucking antics! She could have fallen to the ground and been crushed by you both! She could be hurt; my unborn child could be hurt, for what? The next round in the endless battle between you and Bradshaw? No,” he shook his head, “I won’t do it, I will not let you make my family be your collateral damage anymore, I won’t-“
“Javy” Naomi moved to intercede, her own tears falling, “please, it’s alright, I’m fine-“
“No, they are two grown ass men that are lucky this wasn’t worse. That are lucky they didn’t hurt you, or that they weren’t arrested for the way they acted tonight.”
“You’re right” Hangman nodded, crisp and precise because he had to shut himself off before he collapsed to the ground from the weight of his guilt for what he had done to his best friends. Javy was right, he could have hurt Naomi, hurt their baby, in his stupid pissing contest with Rooster. He had never been more ashamed.
“I’m taking my wife to get checked out, you can find your own way home-“
Jake nodded immediately, not daring to disagree, “absolutely-“ he began but Naomi cut him off with a raised hand. “No” the woman turned to her husband, “we are not leaving him out here.”
“He can get an uber.”
“Yeah” Hangman interrupted cautiously, afraid to reignite Javy’s ire, “you should get checked, I’ll find my own way back.”
“I’m fine” the woman held up her hands where there were little scratches in her palms, “I broke my fall with my hands, see?” Besides the tiny breaks in the skin she looked okay physically, if not a little bit in shock over the events of the night. “They barely touched me Javy, it was just the shock of it all, that’s why I fell.”
Coyote shook his head, “I’m still taking you to the hospital-“
“Honey-“
“Non-negotiable” he pulled out his valet ticket, “can you walk?” he asked his wife, as he drapped his dress uniform jacket over her shoulders.
“Yes I can walk, and I can also drive” she yanked the ticket from his hands, “they didn’t even hit my stomach Javy, it’s okay” she looked at Jake, “if anyone needs to go to the hospital, it’s you Jake, you’re bleeding-“
Hangman shook his head, refusing to be anymore of a bother to the couple, “I’m fine really, don’t worry about me.”
“Come on” she urged, “you’re coming with us-“
“Naomi-“
“Javier” she snapped, meeting her husband’s angry eye, “I know you’re mad right now and I get it but we are not leaving your best friend, your brother, out here alone. Now go get our keys from the valet.” Coyote looked ready to challenge further but finally relented, taking the ticket back and heading inside.
Once alone Naomi took a step over to the blonde, touching motherly fingers to his swollen right eye with a hiss, “are you alright” she asked softly making the man feel worse that she still cared.
“I’m so sorry” he cried, Jake unable to stop the sobs from rolling out of him, “so, so sorry.”
“I know you are honey” the woman shared sadly, “and Javy knows too. He’s just scared, that’s all. Just give him some time to cool off okay?”
“I don’t deserve you guys, I ruin everything, I hurt everyone-“
“Shhhh” she soothed, moving her fingers to fix his mussed hair, “don’t say that-“
“But it’s true” he whimpered, overcome with the juxtaposition of his swirling emotions and the calming feel of her fingers, “How can you still help me? How can you still look at me?”
“Because you’re Javy’s brother okay? And brothers fight and they hurt each other but they always, always love each other.” She smiled sadly, “it’s going to be okay Jake, I promise.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“That’s okay” she whispered, slipping her hand carefully though his arm, mindful of his injuries, “I believe enough for all of us.”
The two started their walk to the front, arriving just in time for the valet to arrive with the car. Javy drove, painfully sober now after all the excitement and Jake headed to the backseat. Naomi tried to make conversation in the car but neither man engaged. Javy was still too angry, only opening his mouth to ask every few minutes if his wife was feeling alright as they made their way to the hospital. Each time the woman answered the same, explaining that everything was fine, it was all an accident, as she tried to meet Jake’s eye in the side mirror. Jake refused to look anywhere but at his window, his forehead resting against the cool glass as he looked without seeing at all the places they passed. His head was throbbing, his right eye now almost swollen shut and his ribs ached but nothing compared to the pain in his heart. Jake wondered if perhaps Maverick was right after all, maybe he was a liability, but not only to the Navy but to his friends. They didn’t deserve this, didn’t deserve to pay the price for his screw ups, to get hurt because of him. Maybe the bigger mercy, like Mav said, was Jake not being around.
As a tear rolled down his cheek, Jake closed his one working eye tightly, as he wished he could have gone back not even to the start of this day but before the mission. He wished he turned it down, wished he stayed with the Vigilantes and minded his own business, that he never met Pete Maverick Mitchell or ran back into Rooster. The tiniest part of his heart going even further, wishing, like Mav warned, that he had died young.
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obsessive-evie · 2 months
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trying to change apps bc someone is walking behind me but all i have open are my gay spotify playlist called “i eat more pussy than you do”, tumblr, kate martins instagram, my tiktok saved videos (god bless editors) and my photos app (which is just photos from my recent fics)
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luna-jaden-shadow · 1 year
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Nowhere To Run
Prompts - Cornered | Caged | Confrontation
Summary - Fighting Spider-Man wasn’t on your agenda today, and yet here you are, limping through the doors of home after running from the menace.  Or  In which you get found by Spider-Man while on a walk, and you end up with more bruises than Otto remembers being on you when you left. 
Angst / Fluff
Warning - Blood/Gore, Injury, Others (?)
Pairing - Otto Octavius (Doc Ock) X Reader
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You can’t help but check behind you every few seconds, making sure that you weren’t being followed because the last thing that you needed today was to be cornered by Spider-Man, of all people. It had already happened once and forced you to change up the way that you were going home, which now made you late for dinner, which really was just the icing on the cake. You could hold your own in a fight with the Spider-Man; you had to when dating Otto Octavius (or, as the news took to calling him, Doc Ock). 
You could only imagine how worried the scientist must be as you hide in yet another alley to avoid both Spider-Man and the prying eyes of the public, who would out you the first chance they got just to see the hero of the city. “Jesus doesn’t this guy have literally anything better to do.” You whisper to yourself, catching sight of the red suit flash by as he swings down the street. 
Getting home was easy after you lost the Spider. What wasn’t easy was getting up the stairs to even get through the front door. Your ribs were definitely bruised; every breath you took seemed to just hurt you more than it did you good. The upside was that nothing seemed to be broken, which is a win in your book. You slipped in after one last check to make sure that you weren’t being followed by a certain masked hero.
“Otto?” You called out, making sure to close the door behind you. Somewhere, deep in the house, you can hear the unmistakable mechanical whirling sound of his extra arms along with the noise of his tools hard at work doing who knows what. You lean your head back against the door for a second with a sigh, finally able to catch your breath. 
The noise of the tools comes to a halt, and there’s a clattering before you can hear his footsteps. “I was starting to wonder about you, my lo-” He stops, standing opposite of you at the start of the hallway. You can almost see the gears in his head turn as he looks you over before he walks closer to you. “What happened?” His head tilts ever so slightly as he raises a hand to your face to get a look at the cut on your lip. 
“Had a run-in with our not-so-friendly neighborhood Spiderman,” You inform him with a smile. The metal arms behind him practically hiss at the sound of the hero. “I totally won, though, don’t worry.” You laugh, and he just continues to frown, looking you over for injuries. 
“Next time I see him, I swear I’ll-”
“Do nothing because the last thing I need is for you to get hurt.” You cut him off, cupping his face in your hands. His expression instantly softens when you hold him, giving in (for now). He couldn’t quite understand why you weren’t all for him teaching Spiderman a lesson, but if you didn’t want him to do it, then he wouldn’t. “Could I get some ice, maybe?” He snaps out of the little trance you seemed to put him in and nods, turning to walk to the kitchen. 
One arm hisses as it moves and wraps you up as gently as possible to carry you with him with little effort. Without fail, it gets you to laugh every time, and that’s enough for him to be content with not going out and hunting down Spiderman. “You’ve gotta be careful out there, darling.” He sighs, setting you down on the countertop as he rummages in the freezer for an ice pack. 
“Hey, I was. The man came out of nowhere; I was minding my business.” You defend, raising your hands in defense. “He was just looking for a fight.”
“Always is.” He turns back to you, holding the ice pack out to you. You take it with a smile, pressing it to your side as he stands in front of you, soothing your hair back (unless you don’t have hair, in which case he’s rubbing your arms soothingly). “You okay, my dear?”
You smile up at him, reaching up and pulling him gently by the collar of his sweater. “Now I am.” You press a kiss to his lips, feeling him smile into the kiss.
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let-me-love-you-loki · 6 months
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Nowhere to Run--Ch. 55
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Chapter 55
            It felt like the hallway stretched out in front of them as if it would never end. Jericho trailed behind Jack with his heart caught high in his throat and his head spinning. Somehow, Santana had gotten to the front and had raced down the cinderblock corridor. The sound of the door banging against the wall echoed like a gunshot. Jericho could feel the weight of his terror pressing against his ribs. Dark spots blinked in front of his eyes as he tried to focus on Kat’s head lolling against Jack Perry’s bicep.
            “Move it,” Jack snapped as he practically shoved his way past Santana to get into the Inner Circle locker room. He raced across the room, dodging suitcases and chairs to get to the low sofa against the wall. Kat whimpered as he lowered her down, propping her head on the arm.
            Santana stepped out of the way to let Jericho in. The rest of the Inner Circle followed right behind, crowding into the small room. They moved out of the way to let him get to the sofa. His heart pounded in his ears as he studied the pale hue of Kat’s face. At least she was breathing. He could see her chest rise and fall slowly.
            “Sammy, get me a wet towel from the bathroom,” Jericho said as he sat on the edge of the sofa next to her hip. “Jake, go get Doc Sampson.”
            They barely hesitated before heading off on their individual errands. Water ran in the sink in the bathroom. Jake’s heavy footsteps echoed until they were inaudible.
***
            Jack found himself hovering at the end of the sofa, chewing on the edge of his thumb. Kat’s head rolled side to side as she let out faint whimpers of discomfort. Her brow furrowed as her eyelids fluttered. He watched, his skin crawling, as Jericho rested his palm on the curve of her stomach.
            Kat moved sluggishly until her fingers settled over Jericho’s. She drew in a deep, shaky breath that started a rush of color into her cheeks. “Chris?”
            “I’m right here,” Jericho said softly. He reached out as Sammy handed him a damp paper towel, then settled it gently on Kat’s forehead. Jack clenched his fists. “Do you want the lights off?”
            She sighed and put her free hand over the towel. “What happened?”
            Jack felt someone staring holes through his chest. When he looked up, he saw Sanatana glaring at him as if he wanted to shove him straight through the wall. The rage that simmered below the surface of Jack’s skin made him almost hope that Santana made a move. A fight would make him feel better.
            “The boys were being idiots,” Jericho replied. His thumb stroked gently over Kat’s belly. “Santana and Jack were picking a fight with each other, and you got in the middle of it. Worked yourself up yelling at the two of them and got dizzy.”
            For half a second, Jack felt his eyes go wide. He was surprised that Jericho hadn’t just thrown him under the bus over the whole thing.
            “If Jack hadn’t caught you, you’d have bashed your head on the floor.”
            What the fuck is he playing at? Jack thought caustically.
***
            “Is everyone okay?” I asked quietly. My mouth was dry, and it was hard to speak.
            Jericho’s faint laughter rolled over me like the warmth of a blanket. He stroked his palm in soft circles along my stomach. “You’re impossible, Kat,” he said, voice tinged with equal parts worry and happy exasperation. “Yes, everyone’s fine. Nothing happened. You put both of them in their place before anything happened.”
            “Good,” I grunted. “You’re all a bunch of children with your heads up your asses most of the time anyway.”
            He laughed again, louder and more full-bodied this time. “Whatever you say, Katarina.”
            I cracked open one eye and glared at him beneath my lashes. “Don’t start with me, Christopher.”
            Jericho leaned forward and kissed me softly. His nose nuzzled against mine. “You scared the absolute shit out of me.” My fingers wrapped around his as they settled against my belly. “I couldn’t get to you fast enough.”
            I reached up with the other hand and settled my palm against his cheek. The rough stubble scratched pleasantly against my skin. He was warm and close, the scent of Irish Spring filling the space between us. “I’m so sorry.”
            He kissed me again, lingering half a second longer than before. “I shouldn’t have let you talk me into coming back. You should be at home resting. We should be at home.” His lashes brushed against my cheek, followed by the heartbreaking sensation of teardrops. “I promised you that I would take care of you.”
            “You have,” I whispered back. “You do, Chris. It’s not your fault I’m more stubborn than a backwoods Tennessee mule.”
***
            It felt like someone had just punched Jack as hard as they could in the middle of his chest. He couldn’t breathe. His heart seemed to have stopped dead behind his ribs as his father’s voice echoed through his head. It was as if Luke Perry was standing right in front of him just like he’d used to, arms crossed over his chest and staring at him with a light in his eyes that was equal parts frustration and amusement.
            Jack was immediately flung backward in time. Without even trying, he conjured up an image of the Perry farm awash in bright summer sunshine. His father walking along the fence line in faded jeans and a pair of worn boots, baseball cap pulled low over his eyes as he watched horses meander through the clover fields. Kat sitting on the fence and swinging her bare feet playfully. Nighttime washing over everything as he tried to mediate a screaming match between Jack and Kat over some minor thing.
            “I swear to God,” Jack could hear his father say, “the two of you are ridiculous. Stupid. Idiotic. More stubborn than a backwoods Tennessee mule. And I’ve seen a good few of those that were easier to deal with!”
            The memory was so clear, so strong, so real that Jack felt dizzy. He stumbled back, his shoulders slamming against the wall. He gasped as he tried to drag air into his lungs. The sound echoed.
            Caught Kat’s attention.
***
            My head started to swim as I tried to sit up. It took a moment for my vision to clear enough to see Jack practically collapsed against the wall at the end of the sofa. His face was pale, dark eyes standing out.
            “Jack,” I whispered, my voice cracking. Fear lanced up my spine, dragging with it a worry that he wouldn’t answer. That he wouldn’t speak to me. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Jack?”
            He didn’t answer. It was as if he was lost in his own world somewhere. His dark eyes were unfocused, staring off into space. There was something about his face that made my heart fall into my stomach. In that moment, he wasn’t the angry Jack who’d yelled at me and called me a whore on the delivery bay. He looked… sad. Lonely. Vulnerable.
            He looked like the Jack who had once been my best friend.
            I glanced back at Jericho who was still sitting on the sofa next to my hip. There was a shadow of worry behind his blue eyes when he looked at me. His hand rubbed slow circles on my stomach, thumb brushing back and forth. His palm settled low on my belly, feeling for the push and stretch of our baby moving. It was something he’d taken to doing not long after the first kick. He did it absently, as if it was a talisman. A way to calm himself. To remind himself that we were real, that we were here. He took several slow breaths as he watched me. I felt his eyes searching my face.
            I looked at the set of his jaw and knew exactly what he was thinking. The last thing he wanted to do was leave me anywhere alone with Jack Perry.
            My hand settled over his, threading our fingers together. His warmth spread through me as I met his gaze. For just a moment everyone and everything in the room faded away. It was just the two of us. The three of us. My belly stretched and jumped as the little life inside me pressed against it. Jericho closed his eyes and leaned forward. His cheek settled on my chest, lips settled over my heart.
            “I can’t do this, Kat,” he whispered against my collarbone. “I can’t.”
            My free hand settled against the back of his head. The dark blond locks twirled around my fingers. The scent of his shampoo filled the space between us, mixing in with the calming aroma of Irish Spring. “Chris, it’s okay,” I replied soothingly. “Look at me. Look at me, please.”
            Jericho hesitated. Then, instead of looking up, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tight against him. His hands slipped beneath my back, drawing me up against his chest and tucking his face against the curve of my neck. My breath caught in my chest as I felt the first tear against my skin.
            “Oh, Chris…” Tears of my own burned up the back of my throat. I gathered him close and pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead. “Talk to me.”
            He was quiet, the tears still settling on my skin. I could feel my heart breaking deep inside my chest. It took a moment for me to realize he was whispering something. It was barely audible, a brush of breath against my neck.
            “Don’t ask me to do this,” he prayed. “I can’t leave you here without me. Not like this. Not right now. Not with him.”
            “Hey, you absolutely ricockulous man,” I said, surprised by the faint smile that spread over my lips. “You stupid, idiotic, moronic, wonderful, amazing man.”
            Jericho finally looked up at me, brows furrowed together. His eyes were glassy and red, and his mouth was curled in a confused frown. He stared at me as if he couldn’t understand why I was on the verge of laughter.
            “You aren’t going off on a tour of Siberia with only a smoke signal to contact me,” I replied, doing my best to keep the incredulous laughter from spilling out. “For Christ’s sake, you’ll be in the hallway. And I know you’ll be listening to every word.”
            “Katarina,” he said with a dark tone carrying beneath his voice.
            I tried so hard not to laugh. I forced my mouth into a serious frown. “Christopher.”
            For a moment Jericho and I stared at one another. I waited. He closed his eyes, scrubbed his fingers over his forehead and sighed.
            “The door stays open.” I watched him glare at Jack, knowing those words weren’t for me.
_____________
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riverripplespeaks · 4 months
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16, mothwing?
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ofc! the song is nowhere to run by stegosaurus rex! i love mothwing, poor girl.
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whump-tr0pes · 1 year
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Lamia Lenis - Part 5
Or, a Carlo/Maxim/Dara/Ilya/Dee crossover AU  collab with the amazing @deluxewhump
Or, @whumptober prompts no. 2 “Nowhere To Run”, no. 7 “Shaking Hands”, no. 10 “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, no. 14 “Desperate Measures”, no. 16 “No Way Out”, no. 19 “Knees Buckling”
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Maxim the vampire lives a quiet life with his beloved mortal, Carlo. That is, until Maxim’s friend Dara, an angel of the Lord, brings two creatures to Maxim’s doorstep - Ilya, a human bloodbag barely clinging to life, and Dee, their beloved demon who is willing to kill to keep them safe. Maxim and Carlo find more than they bargained for when they take in the traumatized pair.
Contents: captivity (sort of), isolation, blood, vampire whumper, muzzled, bargaining, offer of implied nsfw
~
Carlo put the heavy blue pot on the gas stove, waiting for the click of the gas and the little rush of flame. He took a seat at the small kitchen table beside Ilya, who was staring out the window into the blackness beyond the property. 
“It's woods, out there,” Carlo said gently. “Just lots of woods.”
“And a town,” Ilya replied, their gaze faraway. 
Carlo looked at their reflections in the glass. He shook his head. “It's far. Farther than it looks from the road coming up here. And it’s cold.”
Ilya blinked, turned their weary, haunted eyes toward him. “Not in the daytime, with the sun out. He lets you wander around, doesn’t he? He doesn’t lock you in.”
Carlo held their gaze, though something made him want to flinch away. He knew that look, that feeling. The feeling of being trapped— of being prey. Like an insect in a spiderweb, waiting for sundown. How could he explain he did not fear dusk, anymore? That he waited for it anxiously, but not out of fear?
“No,” he said. “He doesn’t lock me in.”
“So you could leave.”
Carlo swallowed. “I have nowhere to go.”
Ilya’s eyes narrowed a fraction. A drop of bright blood had seeped through the bandage on their arm. 
“I don’t want to go,” he explained. “I—I feel safe here.”
“Safe?” Ilya hissed.
Carlo blushed. “Yes,” he said a little too defensively. “Maxim… he took me away from another house. A….another vampire’s house. I’d been there for months. I don’t think… I don’t think I’d have lasted much longer if he didn’t take me when he did.”
Recognition crept over Ilya’s features. They looked Carlo up and down, taking in his soft cashmere sweater, his pink cheeks and his soft, clean hair. Yet they glanced a moment too long at the scars of his wrists and neck not to have noticed them.
“Those aren’t…”
“From him? No.” Almost proudly, Carlo added, “Maxim’s never left a mark on me. It doesn’t even hurt. I always…” he trailed off. It felt almost too intimate to share, though he wanted Ilya to understand. “I always let him. He doesn’t… he doesn't take it. I have to give it.”
Ilya raised an eyebrow. “Why, then? Why wouldn’t you just say no?”
Carlo got up to stir the soup, hoping it was warm enough to serve already. He felt Ilya watching his back as he did. Because he takes care of me. Because I love him.  
“Because it’s what I am,” he said at the stove, knowing Ilya was listening. “Vampires like me. They find me. And this one keeps me away from them.”
There was a creak, and Carlo glanced back to see Ilya lean back in their chair. Understanding settled in their features, hardened their mouth. They threw a glance at the demon, who stood at the door to the kitchen, as if guarding it. He wore the muzzle still.
“I get it,” Ilya whispered, nodding slightly. “I get it.”
Carlo bit his lip. “It’s not like… like that,” he said, mouth twisting. “Not like… whatever it is you’re thinking right now. I… I like being here. I like being… being his.” He hated the embarrassment that burned his cheeks, the shame that twisted in his stomach. The last thing he needed - the last thing he wanted - was Ilya’s judgment. “I w-wouldn’t be alive if not for him,” he said, weakly. 
“Is he going to keep us?” Ilya said. There was something different to their voice now, a steely hardness that made Carlo shift his weight uneasily.
“I don’t know,” he admitted, fingers tight around the wooden spoon he realized he was somehow still holding. 
Ilya rose slowly from their seat and took a step towards Carlo. “Is he going to hurt me? Hurt him?” they hissed, jutting their chin out at Dee. 
Carlo shook his head. “N-no,” he whispered. “No. Never. I told you, he’s not… he’s not… like that.”
Another step closer. “Does anyone else live in this house? Does anyone else know we’re here?” Ilya said softly.
“No,” Carlo murmured. His head was starting to swim. It suddenly occurred to him that both Ilya and Dee were between him and the door. And the drawer just inches from Ilya’s hand contained a knife - and a few other things, but most importantly a knife, a sharp one for some specific use that Carlo couldn’t even remember at the moment. His fingers were going numb around the wooden spoon. All he had to defend himself against a knife was a wooden spoon and a pot of hot soup - at least until Maxim returned with the key to Dee’s muzzle. Something about a specific type of iron, angel power type of stuff… 
Carlo couldn’t remember right now. His throat tightened, and he felt the heat of the stove against his back. “Ilya…” he said softly.
“We can’t be trapped again,” Ilya said, and their voice cracked. Their hands were shaking at their sides. “Me and Dee. We can’t. And the Vampire wouldn’t take the bait, so…” 
They took another step closer. Carlo let out a soft, airy sound of fear, and smelled the back of his shirt begin to singe. “P-please,” he croaked. 
Ilya slid to their knees in front of Carlo, head bent, shoulders bowing with bitter exhaustion. Dee whimpered softly and glanced down the hall. Carlo’s stomach roiled. 
“Please,” Ilya breathed, and tipped back their head. Their eyes were rimmed with tears. “Please, just… tell me what you want. If you get us out, I’ll… I’ll do anything.” Their chin quivered. A tear rolled down their cheek. They raised one shaking hand and traced their cold fingertips along the waistband of Carlo’s soft woolen pants.
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Whumptober #2: Nowhere To Run
Option: Caged
They wheeled the crude, rusted cage into the middle of the arena, the only effort needed to move the metal frame, as the skeletal fighter inside paced. They were feral. 
Covered in poorly healed wounds and mottled with bruises, the ‘prised fighter’ circled the inside with a slight limp. The rescuers watched on, concerned at how long A had been forced to fight and caged like some kind of attraction. On the other side, a terrifying beast was hauled out from the shadows in their own cage. 
Between them was a small pile of weapons, bloodied and rusted. Once the cages were in place, the crowd jeered as the guards fled the scene, bars slammed across the entrances and the spotlights blinded the fighters as the announcer proudly egged the audience into a frenzy. 
Upon the count of three, klaxons blared, and the cages opened. The rescuers were horrified to see their previously mild mannered friend launch themselves from the confines, and towards the weapons.
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one-piece-aus · 1 year
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Whumptober Day 2
Jinbei x Reader
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@flossie12 requested Jinbei for Day 2, I hope you enjoy the story! ^-^
"[Y/n], get out of here while you still can," Jinbei instructed as he blocked the door with a bookshelf. His breaths were uneven and sweat dripped from his forehead. "I'll hold them off when they come through the door."
"No!" you protested and pushed a sofa in front of the bookshelf. You were trying to catch your breath yourself from all the running and dodging. "We're in this together. I'm not leaving you."
You could feel yourself walking on thin ice, your heart beating on the edge. You were unable to decipher if the room was burning or freezing because both temperatures slithered across your body. You had the ice of fear running down your back but your adrenaline pumped through your system to fire your ass to get out of harm's way. Either way, your body screamed to get to safety.
"I'll be fine, these guys are nothing," Jinbei reassured you as he went to lift the window up. the cool night slipped into the room after it was lifted up. "It's you I'm worried about. I can't let them get to you."
"I can't just let you get captured either, Jinbei," you said as you did your best to drag a desk to build the barricade.
"[Y/n]." Jinbei placed a hand on your arm.
You turned to him and saw his face full of worry despite it staying strong. Your emotions hit you like a truck and your eyes began to shed tears. You wrap your arms around the fishman, your breath becomes unsteady as you feel fear pounding in your mind. You need him.
"Jinbei..." you mutter as you felt him return the hug. "I'm... I'm scared."
"Don't let fear consume you, [Y/n]," Jinbei told and squeezed you tighter. "You're strong, and you can make it. I'll catch up with you once I can."
You nod your head and let him wipe your tears. You take a deep breath, readying yourself for the journey ahead. The fear in your mind was buried in the back of your mind.
"We're three stories high so you'll have to climb down carefully. Pass the gates, and make sure you don't get caught. Once you get out, meet Hatchi at the lampost, he'll know what to do next. Remember to stick to the shadows," Jinbei instructed. His hands are on your shoulders, and crouching down to meet you at eye level.
"I will." You peck his cheek and give him a small smile. "Don't get yourself killed, okay?"
"I won't." Jinbei returned the smile. It gave you all the strength you need.
A pound on the door brought you back to the reality of the situation. Jinbei pushed the desk against the barricade and held it there. He looked back to you who appeared frozen in headlights.
"Go!" he urged as another pound on the door shook the furniture blocking the door.
Shutting your brain on and moving on instincts now, you rush over to the window and began to climb out. Your heart pounded with each bang on the door. Getting to the ground, you started to run. Your ears started to ring, drowning out any background noise. You repeated to yourself that you needed to keep going. 
It got cut short, as you watch the ground rise and hit your face. The impact clouded your mind and the rest of your body met the ground. You lifted your head and saw a figure standing in the shadows. In your struggle, you did your best to glance at your leg which screamed in pain. You were shot in your quads.
Your breath slowly lessened as your adrenaline ran out. Your blinks were slower and you couldn't hear what jibberish the figure spoke. All you could do was think about Jinbei, and how you failed him. He stayed behind for nothing.
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onceuponastory · 1 year
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nowhere to run - steve kemp x reader
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Plot: After Y/N sees something she wasn’t supposed to, Steve makes sure she knows there’s no way out. Pairing: Steve Kemp x Female!Reader Warnings: 18+ PLEASE! Graphic descriptions of blood, gore, violence and body parts/corpses. Mentions of death/serial killers/murder, and cannibalism. Also mentions of nausea and vomiting. Basically, everything Steve does to people in Fresh is a warning. And of course, Steve Kemp, because he’s a warning all on his own. As always, if I miss any triggers, please let me know! Notes: This is for @whumptober day 2, aptly named: Nowhere to Run. Also, this is loosely based on the song Veronica, Open the Door from the Heathers musical. Thanks again to @staticscreenwriting for my dividers!
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Locking the bathroom door behind her, Y/N feels her stomach twisting as bile rises up her throat. Thankfully, she makes it to the toilet in time, and empties her stomach into it. Her hands grip the sides of the toilet, holding on so tightly her knuckles turn as white as the porcelain. Oh god. Oh god, what is she going to do?
A knock suddenly sounds at the door. “Y/N, are you alright?” Steve calls. When there’s no reply, he knocks once more. “Come on sweetheart, just let me in.” Y/N squeezes her eyes shut tight to try to shut out Steve’s voice. Her body shakes in fear, and silent tears stream down her cheeks as she tries desperately to hold in her cries and stay quiet. 
“Just stay still and quiet. Just stay still and quiet. He can’t hurt you if you’re in here. Just. Stay. Quiet.” She repeats to herself, hoping it calms her down. Although she knows it’s impossible by this point. And to think things were so different only a few minutes ago. All Y/N had done was innocently go to grab a bottle of water from her boyfriend Steve’s fridge. However, little did she know she would find herself in a nightmarish situation. Actually, this is far worse than a nightmare. As she reached inside, her hand brushed against something soft and squishy. When she looked up, she was confronted with the sight of a human leg. At first, she was stunned into silence, and hoped that if she just shut her eyes and wished for long enough, the leg would disappear. Because after all, who expects to see a human leg in their boyfriend’s fridge? It was probably just her overactive imagination. Or at least, that’s what she hoped it was. However, when she opened her eyes again, to her horror, the leg was still there. Then, her eyes darted across the rest of the contents of the fridge. Horrifyingly, the leg wasn’t the only gory thing there. There was an arm with its hand attached. Another leg, presumably to match the one Y/N discovered. Other bags and containers with indiscernible things inside. But judging by the other contents of Steve’s fridge, she has an idea of what they are. And then, Y/N screamed at the top of her lungs and ran as fast and as far away as she could. 
Now, here she is. Hiding in her boyfriend’s bathroom, terrified that she’s going to be his next victim. After all, it’s his fridge. He must’ve known there’s body parts in there, which means he put them there, too. And now, she’s a witness. God knows what he’ll do to her now. Just thinking about it is enough to make her stomach churn again, and another wave of nausea hits Y/N once more. 
“Y/N. There’s no point pretending that you’re not in there. You can stop hiding now.” Steve calls through the door. His tone sounds as if he’s punishing a child for hiding from their parents, and not because someone found out that he had dismembered limbs in his fridge. “Darling. It’s okay. I promise.” Hi’s voice sounds again, his voice now softer and sweeter. In an instant, he’s back to the same kind and caring person she thought he was. She tries to ignore how it feels to hear Steve calling her darling, and how much she’d love to feel his lips on hers again.
“It’s just an act. He’s lying to you. He has been this whole time.” She tells herself. Staying strong, Y/N doesn’t respond to him, hoping he gets the hint soon and walks away. That plan works, until he says:
“It’s really not that big a deal, you know.” 
“Steve! You have body parts in your fucking fridge! How is that not a big deal?!” she exclaims. “What the fuck?!” Steve sighs defeatedly.
“Well, I did tell you not to go into the fridge, but you disobeyed me. I mean, I hate to say I told you so, but it’s not my fault you looked, or that you didn’t like what you saw.” After hearing that, her anger grows. He’s seriously trying to blame her for this when he’s the one with body parts in his fridge.
“I wanted a bottle of fucking water Steve, how the hell is that my fault?! And what do you mean it’s my fault that I ‘didn’t like what I saw’? How else was I supposed to react? What do you want me to say? ‘Sorry I expected normal shit in your fridge and not a fucking leg’?” She shouts through the door. Steve tuts.
“Can you calm down, please? You’re really being quite hysterical.” Y/N’s mouth drops open, and she starts crying again. She never thought he was like this, so dangerous and callous. “Y/N. Calm down.” He repeats, which does little to quell her alarm. 
“Steve, stay the fuck away from me.” She orders. “I’m not going anywhere with you ever again. You’re a fucking-”
“For god’s sake! Just shut up for five fucking minutes so I can explain!” He shouts suddenly, his soft persona completely gone. The change makes her yelp in fear, and the tears stop soon after. Steve sighs. “I was going to tell you eventually, you know....sort of.” He laughs. Y/N decides not to ask him what the ‘sort of’ means. She has a few guesses, though. “But if you must know, I sell people’s meat and personal effects on the black market. Specifically, women. It gets me a lot of money. You know, you really should be more grateful. I mean, how else do you think I could afford all your gifts and presents?” 
Y/N glances down at her wrist and at the bracelet dangling from it. When she was presented with the Tiffany box on her last birthday, she was so surprised and grateful, slipping it on her wrist right away. All she wanted was to show both it and Steve off to everyone she ever knew, and show them all how lucky she was to finally find a good boyfriend who bought her expensive gifts like this. And now, she’s terrified to even be in the same room as him. She stares at the bracelet, watching as it glints in the light. How much pain and suffering had to happen for her to get this? Disgusted, she rips the bracelet off and throws it across the room, hearing it clatter against the floor.
“Steve.” She begins, taking a wary breath. “...Do you eat them, too?” She asks. She knows it’s a stupid question. Why else would he sell human body parts and have so many of them in his fridge? Steve laughs coldly. 
“What do you think? Of course I do.” Fear courses through her veins at hearing his nonchalant attitude towards this. How could he be so calm about this? What happened to the sweet man she fell in love with? But then again, he probably never existed at all. It was just a ruse to draw her in, and she fell hook, line, and sinker for it. Her entire dating history with Steve, and everything she knew was just a lie. And now she’s about to be murdered.
“A...Are you going to eat me, too?” She asks.
“...Maybe.” He replies, and she lets out a whimper. “I was at first, but now I’ve spent more time with you and bought you gifts...I’m not so sure anymore. If you behave, I might keep you alive.” Her ears perk up at that. If she behaves? Maybe, she’s got a chance to get out of here.
“If I behave? What do you mean?”
“Well, first sweetheart, you have to open the door.” Her eyes glance to the doorknob, and she lifts her hand for a moment. 
“Just do it.” A little voice sounds. “For freedom.” But then a question enters her mind, and she stops. “Are there women here, Steve? People you’re going to eat?” Steve huffs.
“Does it matter? Just open the door.” 
“Just tell me the truth. Are there women here, Steve?” Even though she already knows what his answer is. 
“Yes. They’re downstairs, actually. I have a special place for them.” She can just picture the look on his face as he says that. Her hand drops. “But I keep them safe and well fed. I don’t mistreat them. Unless they act up, that is.” Involuntarily, she rolls her eyes. Ah yes, at least he feeds them. Because that’s what she was so worried about, not the fact that he eats human flesh and is a fucking murderer. “If you’d like, you can meet some of them.” 
“No thanks. I’d rather stay here.”
“You sure? I really think you should come and meet them. Depending how things go...you might be joining them.” Her blood runs cold. Her anger from before fades, replaced by more fear. She starts hyperventilating, and her body shakes again as more tears fall.
“Steve...” She whimpers. “Please, just let me go. I won’t tell anyone, I swear!” She begs through tears. In response, Steve just sighs.
“You know I can’t do that.” He knocks again. “Now. Come on. Open the door, please.” He orders. “You can still choose me, you know. We can talk this out and decide what will happen.” He tells her, his voice firmer. Something tells her that Steve will be the one deciding her fate, rather than her.
“No. I want nothing to do with this.”
“You sure? If you stay with me, I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted. You wouldn’t have to do anything you didn’t want to.” Steve encourages. “Think about it. No more money issues. Fancy cars, nice clothes, everything you’ve ever deserved.” Images flash through her mind as his words soak into her. Images of shopping sprees, of all her wishes coming true, and of her and Steve, together forever. “Just open the door, Y/N.” As if pulled by an imaginary force, Y/N’s hand lifts once more. But as it brushes against the doorknob, more images flash through her mind. Ones of blood, and violence…and all the body parts in Steve’s fridge. Violence that she’ll be complicit in if she joins him.
“No.” Her words come out mumbled at first, so Steve says,
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“No.” she repeats. “I’m not joining you, I-I’m not being complicit in this.” Steve is silent once more, and Y/N’s blood runs cold as she wonders what he’s going to say and do to her.
“Well, if you want to choose never seeing the sunlight again, then so be it.” He sighs. Y/N panics again. Oh god she was right. She’s going to die. The doorknob jiggles as Steve tries to open the door, and she silently praises herself for actually remembering to lock it. At least she won’t die right away. The praise is short-lived, however, as soon Steve slams his hand against the door in frustration, letting out an angry curse as he does so, the sound making her jump. “Fine. You want to stay in there? Be my fucking guest.” He hisses. “But you’ll need to come out soon, and I’ll be right here when you do. Either you come out willingly, or I’ll make you. Mark my words. There’s nowhere else to run, Y/N.” He warns. Pressing her ear to the door, she hears footsteps retreating. 
After the footsteps stop, Y/N breathes out a sigh of relief before her legs give way, and she crumples to the floor, sobbing. 
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After a while, Y/N opens her eyes, squinting at the bright lights in the room. She must’ve fallen asleep. For a moment, she wonders where she is, hoping she’s at home and in her bed. However, as she wakes up more, groaning as she moves to sit up, she realises she’s still in Steve’s bathroom. The horrible situation and the fear dawns on her once again. She pulls herself up, her legs half asleep. She doesn’t even know what time it is. Her phone is still in the living room, and no doubt Steve’s already using it to tell her friends not to worry about her, and that she just needs to disappear for a while. Y/N glances around the room, trying to see if there’s a window or something she could sneak out of before Steve realises.  
But unfortunately, there’s no window in the room, and nothing for her to use as a weapon either. “Fuck.” She hisses. For a moment, she almost laughs. Because of course, there’s no fucking window. Of course life couldn’t just let her have this one fucking thing, this one smidgen of hope. She’s probably going to die because there isn’t a window in this room. This definitely isn’t how she thought her death would go, or what her last thoughts would be. She leans against the wall, sighing. Her best hope is probably unlocking the door and trying to run, but no doubt Steve’s sitting outside the door to grab her as soon as she tries to leave, just as he promised.
Speaking of the devil, Steve’s voice soon returns to the door. “Yoo hoo! Y/N! Open up!” He calls. Her heart drops as the knocking resumes once more. 
“Just go away Steve. Please just go away.” she begs silently, hoping that someone, somewhere in the universe hears her and puts an end to this. Even though deep down, she knows it’s already too late for her. 
“Oh, you don’t wanna answer this time? Well, I told you. Either you come out yourself...or I have to drag you out. Guess you chose the second option.” To Y/N’s horror, the sound of the banging is replaced with an even louder banging. The door shakes and buckles as the banging echoes through the room. The sound reverberates through her entire body, and it scares the shit out of her. “I warned you Y/N!” Steve calls. “It’s nobody’s fault but your own!” Y/N gasps. He’s trying to break the door down with what sounds like a fucking baseball bat. And by the sound of it, he’s getting close. Hurriedly, she backs away from the door, moving away just in time before part of the door smashes into pieces, causing her to scream. Steve’s head pokes through the gap, and he grins when he sees her. “There you are.”
“Steve, w-wait please...” she begs, but he shakes his head. His arm reaches through the gap, and he unlocks the door, stepping inside. 
“Now...let me introduce you to the others.” 
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thesoulspulse · 1 month
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Once I get my laptop all up and running again I might replace the cover art for Nowhere To Run again.
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