Klriggs @klriggs07 - Tumblr Blog

Sep 13, 2025

The Ranch Lie ~ Jake "Hangman" Seresin

synopsis: You needed a fake date for your brother's wedding, simply to annoy your step sister. Who would be better than Jake Seresin, the man you were already halfway in love with?

tw: fem!reader, reader's from Nashville, you're a pilot and your callsign is Fairytale, your sister in law calls you babes (platonically), your dad got remarried while you were in high school, your older brother is named Matteo, your step sister is Cass, your childhood best friend is Owen, Jake's a sweetheart to you since he's in love with you, Jake is also an asshole at one point because he's insecure about his own feelings, one bed troupe, fake dating, sexual tension, reader has a sex dream about Jake, barely edited.

fic, ficlet, drabble, request I'm actually so proud, this is 9369 words

I had this thought and went: "It sounds like a rom com, I'm going to name it like one" so I landed on The Ranch Lie.

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The rules: 1) No telling anyone, not even the team 2) All intimacy will be saved for in front of family or to keep appearances 3) All kisses will be short and sweet 4) No hookups while in Nashville 5) No falling in love

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Your brother, Matteo, was getting married and you knew you would have to see some people you'd rather not. You hadn't been home since joining the Navy, not because you didn't want to. But because you knew your step sister was still stringing the man you loved in high school along. But Owen loved Cass in high school and willingly got strung along and there was nothing you could do. Cass took pride in stringing him along, took pride in having the man you once wanted at her beck and call.

It's why you were standing outside Jake "Hangman" Seresin's apartment early one Saturday morning. You just hoped that his conquest of the night had left already, or that he had gone to hers so she wouldn't be there. You had knocked about a minute ago and debated knocking again but Jake opened the door, water droplets painted his bare chest and he wore a pair of soft looking grey sweatpants. "Well, what do I owe the pleasure, Fairytale?"

You sighed harshly before shoving one of your hands, the one that held the cup holder of coffee cups, towards him. "A peace offering for what I'm about to ask you," you told him, stepping inside his apartment when he let you in. You looked around as Jake moved to his couch, you had seen the inside of his apartment when he was still moving in. You had offered to set up his kitchen while the others worked on other rooms, having gotten his apartment set up in only a matter of hours. "It looks nice in here," you mused, cautiously settling onto the opposite end of his couch.

Jake huffed a laugh at your words. "What were you expecting?"

You thought for a moment before shrugging a little. "Lot's of mirrors," you settled on and smiled as he laughed.

"What are you here to ask?" Jake finally got to the point and you looked away from him.

You took a deep breath and reminded yourself that the worst that could happen is that Jake said no and told the whole squad. Then they would make fun of you for a little before it went away after someone else did something more stupid. "My brother is getting married, and as I've told the squad, we have a step mom and step sister. Cass is kinda an ass to me and she's still stringing my high school crush, and best friend, along and if I show up without a date she'll feel too proud of herself. And like, you're kind of a showboating asshole but she's so much worse. And I know you're from Texas and she just got back from college there. And I know she really only liked Owen because I used to like him and because he's a bull rider and she's a buckle bunny. So if you show up pretending to be my date while being your southern self while also ignoring her completely, it'll drive her mad and she'll hopefully stop stringing Owen along. So he can finally actually get into a loving relationship," you were ever so slightly panting after your rant, but kept your eyes on the wall you were looking at the whole time.

Jake was stunned, he caught every word and understood you wanted him to pretend to be your date. "Well, damn," he mused, setting the coffee cup he had been holding down on the coffee table.

You finally looked at him and slowly nodded. "I know it's a lot, but you're also the only one I know who could help me pull it off," you told him, trying to make yourself smaller.

Jake smirked at you and you prepared yourself for him to reject your proposal. "How long until the wedding?"

You raised your eyebrows in shock before scrambling for an answer. "About a month, I wanted time to try and find someone else if you said no," you told him before adding on more. "Well, the wedding is in a month but I leave in three weeks. My brother and my soon to be sister in law are doing this whole week of things beforehand. Not that you would have to be there, but you could be if you wanted to be," you clarified.

Jake nodded at you before his smirk turned sharper. "Guess we have three weeks to get to know each other better," Jake told you and you looked at him baffled.

"You're helping me?"

"Well, yeah. You clearly don't like Cass and why not help? It seems fun," Jake shrugged and you nodded slowly. "Should I bring my hat?"

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It was a bad idea, you decided, a bad idea to agree to let Jake drive you two across the country to your childhood home in Nashville, Tennessee. Because now you were sitting in the passenger seat of Jake's truck with Jake driving with his cowboy hat on. You tried to tell him it was unnecessary but he insisted on it, even though you knew it would make something flutter in your stomach. You two were leaving for the wedding celebration week the Friday night before you had to be there and told your brother it would take about a day and 4 hours to get there. Matteo told you two that you could be late and didn't have to leave the night before, but Jake insisted.

Matteo and Lillian, your soon to be sister in law, were the only other two who knew what you and Jake were planning. It's why Matteo told everyone that you were bringing someone but didn't say anything more than a name. Cass, as predicted, sent you a message about how she and Owen were going together. You showed it to Jake who huffed, you had given in all the information about what happened over the past three weeks. "What's going on in your head, darlin'?" Jake questioned, you pursed your lips at the petname, he had been full force in this fake dating thing.

You looked over at him and felt the flutter in your stomach at the sight of him in his hat. "How if this doesn't work, Cass is going to be an insufferable bitch," you lied.

Jake nodded before speaking again. "We got this, it's just a week," Jake stated like it would be no big deal.

"Yeah, just a week," you parroted before falling silent and looking out the window again.

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You had fallen asleep a little before Jake reached the hotel you two were staying in before finishing the journey the following morning. Jake paused before running inside to check you two in, you looked so peaceful while relaxed and lightly breathing in his truck. With a light brush of your hair away from your face, Jake jumped out, locked the truck, and ran inside to check in.

He got back and you were still sleeping so he unlocked the car and opened your door. He gently reached to unbuckle you and lifted you out of the seat. He kicked the door closed after hitting the lock button again and carried you to the room you two were sharing.

Jake gently laid you on one of the beds and tucked you in before running back to get your bags. He walked back into you barely waking up a bit, Jake smiled at you as you scrunched your eyebrows. "Welcome back to living," Jake joked.

"Did you carry me in?" You questioned, looking around at your surroundings and noticing your shoes neatly tucked under the desk next to the dresser and TV.

"Yeah, you looked so peaceful, didn't want to wake you," Jake shrugged and offered you your bag.

"Thanks," you smiled at him before moving to dig around in it.

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The next day passed pretty much the same, both of you calling out the horses, cows, and donkeys you passed on the highways. Your nerves started ramping up when Jake turned on to more familiar roads, he parked outside your family home and turned to you. "You ready?" Jake asked softly.

You nodded before shaking your head a bit. "We have to make sure we are convincing," you reiterated and he nodded a bit.

"I know, we've got this," Jake reassured you and you had a horribly wonderful idea.

You pursed your lips as you recalled the darker shade of lipstick and gloss you chose for the day. "We talked about kissing and you should let me kiss you so you're walking in there with my lipstick on you. Because that," you pointed to a truck a little further away, "is Owen's truck so that means he, his family, and Cass are here," you told him.

"If you wanted to kiss me that bad, you didn't have to come up with a whole excuse," Jake joked and you tried to be serious but ended up laughing with him.

"Just shut up and kiss me," you told him, pulling him in by the front of his black shirt, your dominant hand quickly nudging his hat up a bit so you didn't run into it. Your lips met and it might have been the first time you kissed him, but it was like rewatching an old movie and realizing you remembered the exact plot.

You pulled away and saw the way your lipstick prettily painted his lips in a sheer glow. You used your thumb to wipe some away before leaning back. "Why'd you wipe it away?" Jake raised one of his eyebrows and you pursed your lips a bit.

You watched as he fixed his hat before speaking. "I only wiped a little away, just enough to make it seem like we tried to wipe it away but failed," you told him before looking back at the house. "We should probably go around back and greet everyone," you mused and Jake jumped out of the car before rounding it and helping you out, his hands on your waist even as your feet hit the ground. "Your truck is still too tall for this," you complained again, like you had every time you had to get in and out of his truck.

Jake chuckled and shook his head lightly before lowering his head to whisper in his ear. "Maybe it's just a reason for me to touch you," Jake mused and you knew he felt and heard your breath hitch. You brushed it off with a breathy laugh as you gently pulled out of his hold.

You two rounded your house and Jake opened the gate for you to walk in first. You heard your dad shout your name before everyone looked over. "Is that the man your brother was talking about?" Your dad asked as you two got closer, everyone paused to keep listening. You had never once mentioned a man when you did your monthly phone call with everyone, you knew they were all wondering.

"Yeah, this is Jake Seresin, Hangman. He's part of my squadron," you told your dad, and by extension everyone else.

"It's nice to meet you sir," Jake played up the southern charm, but you had the sneaking suspicion that this was the real Jake Seresin coming out to play. Especially with the ease he was playing the part. He ended up back at your side and his hand easily slid to lace with yours.

"Oh, you've got yourself a nice southern boy," your mom mused and you laughed lightly. You nodded at her, ignoring the look from Cass as you and Jake stepped just a tad closer to each other.

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You and Jake had ended up separated and he found himself talking to Owen's family and Cass. Owen was off talking to your father and Cass was blatantly hitting on Jake. Sherry Fisher, Owen's mother, had her lips pursed at Cass' flirting but Jake kept turning her down. Your laugh pulled Jake's attention away from Cass, his face softening as he looked at you. You were laughing with Matteo and Lillian as you three talked about something. "I'm sorry, if you'll excuse me," Jake said as he got up to walk over to you.

It was almost natural the way Jake wrapped his arm around you before letting his hand rest in your back pocket. It was almost natural the way you snuck your hand up his shirt to rest on the bare skin of his back, his smile just as easy as yours. "You two are a little too good at this," Matteo lowly said, his eyes taking in the way you two cozied up with each other and the still sheer color of your lipstick clinging to Jake's lips.

"We've had three weeks to get ready for this," you shot back.

"Did you fuck?"

"Matteo!" You laughed while shaking your head.

"Not from my lack of trying," Jake joked.

"Alright, Casanova," you laughed again, trying to cover the way your stomach fluttered at the thought.

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You knew you would have to share a bed with Jake, but you weren't expecting your dad to insist that you two take the guest house instead of staying in the main house. Cass normally stayed in the guest house with Owen, the only time the two had a whole space to themselves and not sharing the same space as either set of parents. "Cass is so mad," Matteo laughed as he and Lillian walked in.

You and Jake shared a laugh before you spoke. "Oh we know, she death glared at us when Jake was bringing in the bags," you told Matteo.

"You didn't help?" Matteo asked.

"Jake wouldn't let me so I just walked next to him."

"I told her to sit on the couch and look pretty but she insisted on following me," Jake shrugged from his spot on the couch. You were too busy glaring at Jake to notice the shared look of Matteo and Lillian.

"Dad thinks the next marriage will be between you two, I had to lie and say you've only been together a few months and hadn't even said 'I love you' yet," Matteo told you and you shared a look with Jake, one of understanding that this was now part of the lie.

"This is genius, by the way, babes," Lillian stated, moving to sit on the love seat with you. "I would have never thought about faking a boyfriend. I would have simply gone alone and suffered whatever I had to face," she told you, her blonde hair swaying as she laughed.

"Cass keeps insisting that her and Owen are casual, by the way," Matteo announced, settling into the empty chair, leaving Jake alone on the couch.

"I noticed, normally she's all over trying to convince people that her and Owen are just trying to keep their relationship lowkey," you mused before moving over to sit on the couch with Jake, your empathy making you sad for him to be all alone. Matteo moved to sit with Lillian as you sat down on the couch, your back resting on the armrest so you were facing the loveseat and your feet landed in Jake's lap.

"I think she's going for your fake man," Lillian warned and you shared an amused look with Jake.

"I figured she would." You gently wiggled your toes out of instinct but Jake's hand landed on one of your calves as he gently started to massage it.

"We have a whole plan," Jake told the pair and you nodded at his words.

"When you told me you two have been planning for three weeks, I didn't think you meant all three weeks," Matteo told you and you shrugged.

"We have rules too," you announced with pursed lips.

"Oooh, like in To All The Boys I've Loved Before?" Lillian questioned and you nodded.

"Yeah, but less high school and more two people who work together and still need to work together after this," you told her. The four of you talked for a little while longer before you all agreed to call it a night.

There were no words spoken when you and Jake got into the bedroom, you already had the talk. You two would separate the bed with a pillow and lay back to back, no touching necessary.

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The next day was a slow start, neither of you set an alarm since you both were used to getting up so early for work. But you let Jake shower since you showered the night before. While he was showering, you used the stocked kitchen to make you two breakfast.

You could see Cass out with Owen, you could tell Owen didn't want to be there and that Cass was trying to spy. Jake walked out of the bathroom, a pair of jeans low on his hips and shirtless. Your back was turned to the windows that Cass was spying through so you knew you could talk without her trying to read your lips. "Cass is outside looking through the window," you warned Jake as he walked closer.

Jake walked up to you and spun you to face him, putting your side to the window, before dipping down to kiss you. You let yourself melt into it as Jake pulled you closer by the hips, you were sure it looked just as heated as it felt. It was over too soon but you knew it was just the rules. "Think she got the show she was searchin' for?" You dumbly nodded before blinking a few times and turning back to the stove.

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The day's activities kept you and Jake away from each other, but Cass had told everyone she had seen you and Jake share a kiss that morning. The group was buzzing with wedding excitement and the possibility that you had found "the one".

You actively avoided answering all questions by diverting the attention back to Lillian and Matteo's wedding. It worked every single time, allowing you to move through the motions of helping Lillian.

Jake, on the other hand, was having more trouble with avoiding questions. Most of the men only wanted to know about you and Jake, it's how he learned that you hadn't ever brought anyone home. That you once mentioned liking Owen and that was the last time you've ever told anyone anything.

Your dad, Alec, told Jake that he was glad Jake made you so happy that you felt comfortable enough with him to bring him home. Jake smiled at the words but avoided answering when he was going to propose. It just took a well timed comment telling the others that you two hadn't even said "I love you" yet for them all to stop.

By the end of the day, Cass was fuming that she hadn't once been asked about her and Owen. You could tell that she was mad so you decided to stir the pot just a little. "Hey, Cass?"

"Yeah?" She practically sighed as she responded, you were sitting on Jake's lap as everyone talked in the living room of the main house.

"Are you and Owen official yet?" You asked, your best attempt at a friendly smile on your face. You saw the way she quickly glanced at Owen before coming back to you.

"Uh, no. We're still just casual," she responded and you gave her your best sympathy pout as Jake pressed his face to your hair to hide his smile.

"Oh, can I ask why?" You knew you sounded convincing but you were fighting a smile as you watched everyone pay attention to the conversation. Everyone wanted to know, you looked at Lillian and Matteo and noticed they were both silently laughing with each other.

You watched as she struggled for an answer before Owen spoke up himself. "She doesn't actually like me," Owen shrugged and you widened your eyes while turning your face to look at him. He was to your side so you could see Jake in your peripheral as you looked at Owen.

"I'm so sorry, that must hurt," you told him, surprised no one has called out your passive aggressive way of stirring up some drama.

"You get used to it," Owen shrugged and you glanced at Jake as you two shared a look of understanding. The group moved on to another topic, but the seeds had been planted. You and Jake were going to get you your childhood best friend back and make Cass pay for being so mean to you.

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You were sure you had put the pillow between you two that night, but you woke up with Jake's front pressed to your back and his arm over you. His hand was resting on your stomach and the very tips of his fingers were resting under the waistband of your shorts. Your first thought was to pull away, but you felt Jake sigh and his hand flex causing his fingers to dig into the skin of your lower stomach, so you stayed.

You stayed in his hold for a good five minutes before Jake stirred awake, his hand flexing again before withdrawing it. He said nothing as you two moved through the same motions as the day before, right down to the shared kiss in the kitchen. You weren't sure if his small "she's watching" was a lie, but didn't complain as his lips landed on yours.

You were spending time with Jake that day and knew you two had to absolutely play the shit out of your fake relationship. You knew Cass was going to look for any small thing that might hint at you two lying, so you knew you had to make sure there was none.

Your personal plan? Let yourself fall into the belief that it wasn't fake, that you and Jake were really together. It worked too because each touch, each glance, each kiss shared was filled with all the love you didn't dare say aloud.

Owen was there too, you saw the way he watched you and Jake and knew he was thinking. It's why you weren't surprised when he entered the kitchen after you to talk. "Hey," Owen greeted you.

"Oh, hey," you gave him a small smile.

"It's been a minute since we've talked, huh?" He rubbed the back of his neck as you nodded.

"Yeah, it has. How have you been?"

"Pretty good, been helpin' dad at work," he shrugged and you nodded slowly.

"And with Cass?" You saw him look around and took a glance yourself. Cass was next to Jake on the couch with both of their backs to you, even so you could tell Jake wasn't giving her the attention she wanted.

"It's like I don't exist until someone or somethin' reminds her of you," he revealed.

"I'm sorry," you apologized, bringing your cup to your lips.

"What the hell are you apologizin' for?"

"She wouldn't even be all over you like this if I never ruined our friendship by developing a crush," you responded.

"You didn't ruin shit, it was my fault for fallin' for Cass' bullshit," Owen shook his head.

"Can't blame you, she is pretty," you mused, looking back at her and Jake only to see Jake had moved seats away from Cass. You met his eyes and watched as he silently asked if you needed his help, you gave him a small shake of the head before looking back at Owen.

"Yeah, but she ain't ruin your oldest friendship pretty," Owen responded, his eyes trailing between you and Jake. "He's good for you, haven't seen you this happy since before your dad's wedding."

"Jake's a good man," you vaguely responded, forgetting you were talking to the only person who would be able to see through the lies.

"Uh huh," he slowly nodded before a slow smirk spread on his lips. "A good enough man you asked him to be your date to your brother's wedding despite obviously being in love with him and pretendin' you aren't while pretendin' you are?"

"Owen Fisher, are you callin' me a liar?" You cocked an eyebrow at him while he laughed, calling the attention of your dad and mom who watched the interaction. You were standing across the kitchen from Owen with your arms crossed and cup resting on the counter behind you while Owen leaned against the doorframe and laughed. It was a sight that wouldn't have had them looking twice if not for the fact you two had barely looked at each other the last few years you were home and that you came with another man.

"I ain't sayin' you're a liar, I'm sayin' you're not tellin' the whole truth," he said and you couldn't help but smile at him. You missed this, being friends with someone who wasn't afraid to call out your bullshit. Maybe that's why you liked Jake so much, he was the same yet different in every way.

"Jake's a good man and yeah, I like him. But we haven't said the big L yet," you smoothly lied, watching as Owen bought it. He had lost his touch at reading you in the past couple of years.

"You don't gotta, you show it in every way you interact, Moony," the childhood nickname made your smile waver for a second.

"Haven't called me that in a while, Owen," you pointed out.

"Haven't felt like I deserved to in a while," Owen countered and you looked at Jake, needing a way out of this before you got too involved again. You weren't scared of falling for Owen again, you were scared to get close only for him to choose Cass again. You made eye contact with Jake and gave a small nod this time, signaling him to walk over. You looked back at Owen as he glanced around too.

"Owen," you called his attention back to you. "I don't think you ever stopped deserving it, but I can't lie that I'm not scared that you'll choose Cass again," you told him as Jake walked in and beelined for you.

"Hey, darlin'," Jake pressed a kiss to your head and you smiled up at him.

"Hey," you responded before you two walked out of the kitchen. You gave Owen a small smile before leaving. "Jake and I are going to retire for the night," you announced as you and Jake walked out the back door to make your way to the guest house.

"How'd it go with Mr. I-lost-my-chance?" Jake questioned as you two got into the guest house.

"Asked how he was, asked about him and Cass, he told me that she only ever goes to him if someone or thing reminds her of me. He told me he's sorry for ruining our friendship even though I was the one who had the stupid crush. He almost caught onto us but I successfully redirected the conversation. He called me Moony, which was my childhood nickname, and then said he felt like he didn't deserve to call me that. And then I needed you to come get me out of there before I got my hopes up again," you briefed Jake on everything you and Owen talked about.

"You fallin' for him again?" You heard Jake's accent slip out a little more as he asked and scrunched your eyebrows in confusion while your back was turned.

"No," you denied, it was the truth too. Jake could hear that it was the truth. "I just don't want to think I could be friends with him again only for him to choose Cass once again," you told Jake as you collected the rest of your things for your shower. Jake hummed at you and you didn't know what that meant, but didn't press him on it.

You cracked the door as you got into the bathroom, you had the previous nights just in case Jake needed to tell you anything while you were in there. You assumed Jake had left the room by the time you turned on the shower like he was the other nights, but you were wrong. Jake had stayed relaxing in the bed and when he glanced up, he saw a glimpse of your bare back in the mirror.

Jake felt like he was creeping on you, even if it was an accident, and quickly looked away from you. He kept his eyes trained on the wall until he heard you open the glass door and close it once you got in. As quietly as he could, he slipped out of the room and went to the living room. The TV was on but Jake wasn't paying attention, his mind was on the way your back looked moving as you reached to unbuckle your pants.

Jake ran his hand down his face as he thought about how stupid he was acting. One glance at you had him imagining you spread out on the bed for him, he felt like a teenage boy seeing a naked woman for the first time. Jake knew having a crush on you was stupid, that there was no way you liked him. Not after his reputation and the way he never made a show of stopping it, even though he had.

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Jake's shower was longer than the others and it was at night, but you didn't question it. When and how long he showers wasn't something you felt like you should comment on, even if there was very little steam flowing through the cracked door. You were lounging in the bed when Jake exited the bathroom, the towel low on his hips while he went to look through his bag. You let yourself look over him, your eyes trailing the muscles he had. "Are you starin'?" One thing you've learned about Jake Seresin, his accent came out when he was tired, his emotions were running high, or if he was around other people with one.

"You know what you look like, Hangman, don't even try and claim otherwise," you shot back, your eyes moving from his arms to his face. He had his shit eating grin resting on his lips and he was already staring at you. "Don't make me throw a pillow at you, get dressed," you reached for a pillow just to prove a point.

"Ok, ok, no need to get violent, darlin'," Jake smirked before moving back to the bathroom to get dressed.

You were looking back at your phone when he walked back out, missing the fact he purposefully forgot a shirt until he was crawling into bed. You glanced at him quickly before taking a double take causing Jake to laugh at the action. "Where the hell is your shirt?"

"Figured you'd be happier if I was without one," Jake shrugged with a smirk and you huffed at him.

"Then lose the pants too," you joked and Jake shrugged before reaching for his waistband. "I was joking!" You laughed, gripping his forearms and roughly pulling his hands away from his sweats. You were both laughing as you kept your hold on him, you were using him to keep yourself stable as you doubled over in laughter.

"Are you sure you were jokin'? Cause I'll do it," Jake offered but you wheezed when you went to answer, making yourself laugh harder.

You kept wheezing before it turned into snorts as you officially lost all grip on your sanity for a moment. "It hurts to laugh," you finally managed to get out but it caused both of you to laugh even harder. Once you managed to calm down, you collapsed with your forehead pressed against his pec. "I don't know why but that killed me," you gasped as you tried to catch your breath again. Jake let his hand rest on the back of your head as you laid there, your breathing slowly going back to normal.

You stayed there even after your breathing was normal, enjoying the heat radiating off Jake. It soothed the headache you had been nursing since lunch, the dull throb of pain going away. "You ok?" Jake gently gave the back of your head a squeeze as if to show who he was talking to even if it was just the two of you.

"Yeah, I've just had this killer headache since lunch and your body heat is making it go away," you mumbled, adjusting how you were sitting so you were flat on your stomach instead of crouched over. Jake let you lay there for a minute before fully readjusting you both. Instead of you laying the wrong way on the bed, the side of your head was pressed to your pillow while Jake tucked your forehead against the middle of his chest.

"Sleep, I'll be here the whole time, I promise," he mumbled as he pulled the blankets over you. The lights turned off a few moments later and you realized he had grabbed the remote to them while readjusting the two of you. You were sure you felt him press a kiss to the top of your head before you drifted off, but you couldn't be sure.

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Jake had decided he wanted to make breakfast the following morning so you let him. You sat yourself on one of the bar stools at the counter and watched as he made the food. "Is the pillow barrier officially done for?" You questioned, sipping the coffee Jake had handed you a few moments prior.

"I don't care if it is," Jake told you honestly and you smiled at his back. A knock on the door let you know someone was there. "It's open!" Jake called, clearly not caring that someone was going to see him shirtless. You both looked over at whoever knocked and you were shocked to see your dad, step mom, and Cass walk in.

"Morning," your dad greeted the two of you and you glanced at what the two of you were wearing. You were in an old TOP GUN shirt that accidentally ended up in your things after a wash, it was several sizes too big and seemed like it should be Jake's. And Jake was in sweatpants, just sweatpants.

"Good morning!" Cass called, her eyes trained on Jake.

"Mornin'," Jake glanced at them before glancing at you. You didn't care if he told you to just sit there while he cooked, you were going to at least stand by him while they were there.

"We just wanted to stop by, we haven't had time to properly talk to you two since you got here," your step mom, Whitney, announced and you pressed your back to one of the counters by Jake, allowing you to see his face while also looking at the others.

"Talk about what?" You questioned, worried that they might have picked up on the lie.

"How you two met," Whitney responded.

"Oh, we met through work," you told her, there was no need to lie about this part you two decided. "When we were called back to TOP GUN for a special detachment that's when we met, we were asked to stay as a permanent detachment after the mission," you explained.

"How'd you start dating?" Cass asked and you glanced at Jake, his head was turned forward but his eyes were on you.

"Honestly? We aren't really sure," you started telling them the lie. "We just kinda realized that we both had feelings and that we were practically dating already. The only thing that changed was that we no longer hid our affection," you shrugged as Jake wrapped his arm around your midsection and gave you a small side hug despite the two of you facing opposite directions.

"You've been awfully quiet, Jake," your dad pointed out and you quickly jumped in before he had to think of an answer.

"He's not much of a talker when he cooks, he likes to focus," you lied smoothly and gave Jake a smile when he mouthed 'thank you'. Your dad and the other two finished their quick little chat with the two of you before leaving, you were sure they were trying to find out if you two were really dating. You'd like to think you two were convincing enough.

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Jake had you spread out on the bed, his lips were on yours as his hands slowly undid the button of your jeans. You had half a mind to ask about the rules, but any thoughts were pushed out of your head as his hand dipped into your jeans and panties. You heard him chuckle as he gently ran his middle finger through your folds to collect your slick before running it up to circle your clit.

It was slow circles before he withdrew his hand all together. Jake slowly kissed down your neck, chest, and all the way down until he gently pulled your jeans off. You sucked in a harsh breath as Jake leaned in to press a feather light kiss to your clit. Your hips jumped up and Jake chuckled again right before he dove in.

The annoying sound of your alarm pulled you from your dream, why you agreed to be up and ready this early baffled you. It made you groan as you pulled away from Jake, his warm body not helping the heat radiating through you from the dream. You watched as Jake blinked awake before smiling over at you, it was a softer smile. You gave him one back before rolling back a bit more and landing on the floor with a small grunt. "Did you just?" Jake stopped his question short as you spoke.

"Roll too far and land on the floor? Yes, shut it," you hissed, already sitting up to get off the floor. You gave him a lighthearted glare when he laughed, the same one from your dream. The dream you didn't get to process before falling on your ass off the bed.

"Come on, darlin', give me your hands and I'll pull you back up," Jake's hands came into view and you grabbed them. You used your ab muscles to help him and your legs before you were back on the bed and pressed into Jake's side. Yeah, you were going to have to splash cool water on your face to get rid of the dream running through your mind.

"Why'd I agree to such an early morning?" You whined, burying your face into Jake's shoulder. You felt Jake's shoulder move as he laughed but he ran his hand up and down your back.

"Because you love your brother and soon to be sister in law," Jake stated.

"I know," you dramatically announced before getting up and heading to the bathroom to get ready for your day.

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Jake was watching you as you did your makeup, Lillian had requested that everyone had extra glitter on them that day. You had dragged Jake to the store the day before to get a new eyeshadow pallet, one with just pure glitter shades. It was mesmerizing to Jake as he watched you put the glitter on your eyes. You went around the color on your lids to make it look almost like it was a sun glow surrounding the pretty purple. "Do you think there's enough glitter?" You turned to look at Jake, the light catching the glitter perfectly. If Jake hadn't already been in love, he swore he would have fallen right then.

"I think it looks perfect," Jake replied and you happily hummed before spinning back to do your lips. Jake would have never guessed that watching someone do their makeup would be as entertaining and mesmerizing as it was.

You had noticed him just watching you the whole time, but said nothing. Not when you were focused on lining your lips with the lip liner stain before adding the normal stain itself. You used the small piece of paper you had next to you to dry down the stain, it took a moment but you got it dry. "So, after I have breakfast with my mom and Lillian, we are free for the day until dinner. That means, you're stuck with me again," you told Jake as you finished adding the clear gloss to your lips.

Jake laughed at your words before speaking. "Better than Owen," he told you and you chuckled before looking over at him.

"Are you going to get dressed?" Jake was still in his pajamas and shirtless behind you.

"I will, don't worry. No one will be getting a show here," Jake assured you.

"What? It's only for me?" You joked, shoving your feet into your shoes. You missed the look across Jake's face as you did but you heard his words.

"Hell yeah, it is, darlin'," Jake smirked at you when you looked back at him with a smile on your face. You looked at the time and gasped lightly, you were going to be late.

"Mhm," you hummed before walking over to him. "I gotta go. Be good, I love you, bye," you gave Jake a kiss on the cheek before rushing out the door.

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Jake was still sitting on the edge of the bed a few minutes after you left. He knew realistically you probably were just in a rush and not thinking what you said through, but there was a part of him that hoped you meant your words.

You, on the other hand, were sitting at breakfast thinking about what you said to Jake before leaving. It was a slip of the tongue, sure you loved him but you hadn't planned on telling him. Jake was Jake, he had his way of living and you had yours. You doubted he would be open to a real relationship, let alone one with you.

"What's going on in your head, babes?" Lillian asked and you looked up, you realized you had been zoned out for a while.

"Uh," you looked at your soon to be sister and your mom, it was just the two of them but your mom didn't know about you and Jake. "Just thinking, this whole wedding thing has given me something to think about," you waved your hand in a noncommittal circle as you spoke.

"Are you thinking about marrying Jake?" Your mom giddily asked.

"Oh, uh," you looked at Lillian who was also looking intrigued about your answer. "I don't know, I hadn't given much thought to marriage before. You know how my job is, and, yeah, Jake works with me but we haven't even said I love you yet. Or he hasn't, I kinda just said it while rushing out the door this morning without thinking about it," you ranted and saw your mom raise her eyebrows and Lillian gasp.

"Did he not say it back?" Your mom asked.

"I, uh, didn't exactly give him time to. I was in a rush to leave so I wasn't late!" You defended when you saw her get ready to say something more.

"Do you love him?" Lillian questioned, her tone letting you know she was genuinely asking and not just to keep appearances.

"I think so, I don't know. It's just an all new feeling! For all I know, I'm just getting swept up in the wedding romance and said it because it's all been going so well," you ranted, your thoughts running a mile a minute.

"Tell us what was happening before you said you loved him," your mother said, Lillian scooting closer to grab your hand.

"Well, I was doing my makeup at that vanity that's in the bedroom and he was sitting on the bed watching me. When I asked if there was enough glitter, he said it was perfect. We were talking about how we were free until dinner after I'm done here. And then I asked if he was going to get dressed because he was still in his pajamas. He said he would and that no one would be getting a show, so I jokingly asked if it was all for me because, you know, we live in San Diego and he's gone shirtless at the beach before. He replied "hell yeah, it is, darlin',"" you put on your best impression of him and his accent making your mom and Lillian laugh. "That's when I noticed I was going to be late so I kissed his cheek and said "I gotta go. Be good, I love you, bye," before rushing out of the guest house," you finished explaining as Lillian and your mother gaped at you.

"He's in love with you," Lillian mumbled but you shook your head.

"What?" You almost denied it and said that he was still sleeping around, but you had to remember that your mom didn't know.

"That man is in love with you," your mother reiterated as if you didn't get it the first time, which you're pretty sure you didn't.

"No way, we've only been together for a few months!" You tried to reason.

"And yet you love him," Lillian told you, her hand moving to your shoulder as she spoke.

"Yeah, but that might be hysteria from all the wedding things getting to my head," you denied but they both gave you a flat look. "I'll talk to him later," you promised after a moment of silence.

"Good," Lillian stated before the conversation drifted back to whatever they were talking about before your confession.

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You were practically dragging your feet as you walked back to the guest house, your mom and Lillian refused to make breakfast longer than necessary. You weren't ready for Jake to ask about what you said, or for you to have to explain it.

Yet, Jake was just casually spread out on the couch watching TV when you walked in. "Hey, darlin', how was breakfast?" Jake called over.

"It was fine, just idle wedding talk," you told him, throwing your purse on the entry table and toeing off your shoes. You sat yourself down on the opposite end of the couch as Jake turned the TV down.

"Owen came by earlier," Jake told you and your scrunched your eyebrows.

"What did he want?"

"You," Jake plainly stated.

"For what?" You leaned closer to Jake as you studied his face. He had a pinch to his brows and he looks over all upset.

"No idea, wouldn't tell me. Just kept sayin' that he needs to tell you somethin' before the wedding," Jake shrugged and you shook your head.

"Why wouldn't he just tell you to tell me?"

"You're the one who knows him, not me," Jake responded and it rubbed your wrong.

"Do you have a problem with that?" You got defensive.

"No, I was just sayin'. He's your friend, not mine. Though from his tone he doesn't want to be just friends anymore," Jake responded, his tone taking a sharper edge.

"And you think I want that?"

"I don't know what you want, Moony," Jake's voice was bordering on venom. "I'm not your real boyfriend, remember?"

"What is wrong with you? What the hell happened in the last hour and a half?" You stood up and crossed your arms as you started talking.

"Owen wasn't the only one to come over while you were gone. Cass did too, apparently I'm not even your type," Jake stood too and you took a step back.

"You're taking her word over mine?" Your voice lost the edge it had, your insecurities creeping into the edges.

"You're never told me your type, what am I supposed to think? You suddenly made an exception for me just because I was the only one who could help piss off your step sister? Cause that's what it's soundin' like, darlin'."

"You don't get to call me darlin' while being an ass, Hangman," you seethed, your eyes blazing even though your voice was still soft. You made your way back to your shoes and purse before speaking again. "And for the record, Cass is wrong. You've always been my type, in fact, you may be the only man who will ever be my type again," you were about to close the door before you decided to add the last nail in the coffin. "Oh, and I meant it when I said I love you. But I understand if you decide to leave, I'll tell the others that you had a family emergency."

The door shut behind you, leaving Jake to grapple with the fact he probably just let his own insecurities ruin whatever was blossoming between you two.

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"Babes, what are you doing here?" Lillian let you into the bedroom that her and Matteo were staying in. Your brother was sitting on the bed, his phone playing some video he was watching.

"Jake and I fought," you sighed, sitting down on the vanity chair.

"Do I need to go kick his ass?" Matteo stood but you quickly shook your head.

"No, it's not even his fault."

"It's always then man's fault, but continue," Lillian cut in.

"Apparently Owen stopped by the guest house while I was at dinner and from his tone it sounded like he wanted to confess he had feelings for me. And apparently Cass stopped by it too and told Jake he wasn't my type," you told the two, your eyes trained on the open window. "I told him that Cass was wrong, that I don't like Owen like that again, and that I meant it when I said I love him."

"You told him you love him?" Matteo sat up and you looked over at him.

"Lils didn't tell you?" You looked over to the aforementioned blonde.

"I was going to let yo two figure out your feelings first," she admitted.

"You told him you loved him and he still had the audacity to believe Cass?" Matteo brought the conversation back.

"Well, to be fair, I said it in a rush and we aren't actually dating," you mumbled, wanting to be quieter just in case.

"No because Lili told me all about what went on with you two this morning, except the love confession, but there is no way he doesn't love you," Matteo stated but you just sighed.

"If he loved me, why didn't he just say so?"

"If everything you've told us is true, that he's a playboy who no one believes can settle down, then he's probably scared about what you think," Matteo gently told you, moving over to grab your hands. "Y/n, you're my baby sister. I've always done everything I can to protect you, but this isn't something I can fix. But you can, go talk to him or something. The wedding is in two days and I doubt you want him to leave."

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Jake was sitting on the edge of the bed when you walked back into the guest house bedroom. His bags were open but not packed and he was staring at something in his hands. "Jake?" You called for his attention as you walked around the bed to see what he was holding.

You saw the picture you knew existed but didn't know how he got. It was of younger you holding a white board, some of your friends and you thought it would be funny to write down a description of your dream men and pose for photos. "I'm sorry," Jake whispered and that's when you realized he was crying.

"How'd you get that?" You sat down next to Jake, leaning into his side as you did so.

"Your mom dropped it off, said somethin' about how she overheard you talkin' to your brother and sister in law about our fight," Jake admitted.

"Jake," you sighed, you needed to say something.

"No, you don't get to apologize. I was an ass, I was scared that you wouldn't want to be with someone like me."

"Someone like you?"

"I've slept around more than I probably should have, I was so mean to you in the beginning for no reason," Jake's eyes were still trained on the photo. "Then I believed your step sister over you even though you've told me all about her lyin' tendencies. But your mom gives me this, photographic proof that I'm your type, and it makes me think. I am so sorry," Jake let out a shaky exhale.

"I should have been more up front in the beginning. I made the no falling in love rule knowing damn well I was already half way there," you told Jake, your hand grabbing his free one. "I just thought that if you ever did fall in love, if you wanted to settle down, it wouldn't be with me. I'm nothing like those girls that throw themselves all over you at The Hard Deck."

"Exactly," Jake said before quickly clarifying. "I meant that in a good way, I meant that you're nothing like them because you're everything I ever wanted but never let myself to dream about."

"I know it may be a little late to ask, but Jake, will you be my date to my brother's wedding? For real this time?"

You watched as Jake's face split with his signature smile before he answered. "I'd love nothin' more, except you. I love you more," Jake replied, his movements self assured as he pulled you to him for a kiss.

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You freely cried while you listened to Lillian and Matteo share their vows. You glanced out to the crowd to see Jake watching you with a soft look. "You ok?" He mouthed while you gave him a small nod, a smile on your face as you did so.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss your bride!" The officiant announced as you clapped with the others in the ceremony hall. You watched as they walked down the isle before you were supposed to follow. You met up with Jake by the stairs of the hall after exiting the doors.

"Here," Jake gently dried your face with a tissue he produced from his pocket. You smiled as he held your chin and tilted your head up, a look of focus on his face.

"Thank you," you mumbled, your eyes trained on his. He smiled down at you before dipping his head and kissing you softly.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," you took his hand and you both walked hand-in-hand to his truck. Jake opened the door and gently gripped your waist to make sure you didn't fall backwards while getting into the truck.

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You were grateful that Lillian and Matteo decided to let the bridesmaids and groomsmen sit with everyone else instead of a table in the front of the room. You and Jake were sitting at a table with your step mom, your dad, mom, Cass, and Owen. It was a little awkward, but you were thankful that you were between your mom and Jake.

Jake was obviously trying to seem casual while sitting as far from Cass on his other side as possible. You gently tugged the side of Jake's chair closer to you to hint to him to scoot it closer. He caught on and, when no one was watching, scooted his chair right up next to yours.

When dinner was over and after Lillian and Matteo had their first dance, you got up and took Jake away from Cass. "Was it just me or was Cass leanin' towards me more and more as time went on?" Jake questioned once you were a safe distance away.

"She was!" You laughed a little, leaning into Jake as you did so.

"You're laughin' at that?" Jake fake outraged.

"Hey, you told me you love me," you gently poked his chest as you spoke. "There's no take backs, you're stuck with me."

"Good because I've been imaginin' you in a white dress since we showed up at The Hard Deck the first night," Jake admitted, dipping his head down to kiss you once again. Both of your smiles making it a little hard but you neither of you cared, not when you finally got each other.

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