Dog shifter!Jake Jensen x female reader (nicknamed Birdie)
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Not beta'd. I do not give permission for my work to be reposted, copied, translated or put through an AI machine. all my work is 18+. Headers and dividers made in Canva with pics from Pinterest (credit to OG creators).
🐾tags/warnings: none for this part
Summary: After a visit from Officer Jones, you and Jake finally talk some more.
Word count: 2.5k-ish
It took longer than you cared to admit to get back to sleep. Jake's presence was somehow still comforting, yet, your mind was buzzing with a thousand thoughts that wouldn't quiet. Your eyes adjusted to the darkness slowly and you had to remind yourself to breathe normally multiple times as you patiently waited for Jake's snoring to start. It made you smile knowing he snored as both a man and a dog.
The predicament you know found yourself in created more upon more questions that you didn't think Jake was best suited to answer, or even know. Like, for example, was he born a shifter or created? And would it be rude to ask him that in the morning?
You tried not to toss and turn as you struggled to keep your thoughts at bay, eventually succumbing to sleep. But not before you had a mental list of questions to bring to Jake and multiple plans to ensure your safety - just in case.
You forgot all but three questions to ask when you awoke the next morning, and only one contingency plan which so happened to be run away. You also knew that that plan was about as useful as a chocolate mug since Jake looked like he could run faster than you in human form, not just as a dog.
Sighing as you swing your legs out of bed, you can smell a sweet scent in the air. Pancakes.
As you enter the kitchen, Jake was wearing a blanket around his waist and not much else, as he flipped another pancake onto a pile of perfectly golden ones on a plate next to him. You stared at the muscles on his back as he worked before he shot you a smile and said good morning.
You really hoped he hadn't noticed your staring as you took your seat, muttering a bashful good morning of your own before he set the giant stack in front of you.
"Oh, thanks." You pick up the syrup the was waiting for you on the table and drowned your pancakes, before adding a blob of butter. You ignore the tightness in your chest when Jake does the same. "I have a bathrobe upstairs. It's way too big for me if you want to wear that."
"Really?" Jake asks, syrup sliding over his chin. "You wouldn't mind?"
You shake your head. "Not at all."
Not if it stops me from going all goo-goo-eyed.
"Thanks." Jake pauses as he spears one of his pancakes. "How are you feeling? About our... situation?"
"I kinda feel weird about it." You admit taking a bite of a syrupy pancake. "I mean, you were my dog and secretly you were this hot guy all along. It's like that Supernatural episode-"
"But you think I'm hot." Jake interupts and your eyes narrow over at him as your cheeks burn. His head dips and he gives you an apologetic look through his lashes. "Sorry. Continue."
"I keep forgetting that you're not-" You're about to say a dog but instead say, "-that you're a human being. Sorta. Kinda? What-" you shake your head as if physically shaking the question of what are you, actually? away from your tongue. It seemed rude. You sigh at your pancake. "Nevermind."
"It's ok." Jake says with a smile. "I don't really know either."
You manage a meager smile back. "Well, you make really good pancakes."
Jake's smile broadens and he's about to say something when there's a knock at the front door.
"Miss L/N?" A male voice calls out. "It's Officer Jones."
"Uhhh, yeah!" You shout back. "I'll be right-" you go to shoot Jake a look of panic but when you look around he's disappeared. "-there."
You try to act as calm as possible when you answer the door and let the officer in. He's in plain clothes, like the others before and flashes you his police badge from under his jacket. He scans the room as he enters, before he settles on you and you try to look innocent (although you're not sure what you'd be guilty of) whilst your mind races about where Jake disappeared to.
Is he okay? Would he have changed back in time? Where was he?
"You good?" Officer Jones asks, handing you over a small bag of groceries. It was only the weekly must-haves; bread, eggs milk. Survivable things.
"Uh, yeah, um…" You shake your head and smile nervously. "I just… I had some pretty bad nightmares last night and I'm a bit frazzled."
It's not a total lie. You were prone to nightmares.
Officer Jones seems to believe you and nods seriously. "Good news is perimeter looks fine, though so you can put your mind at ease." He gives you a reassuring smile before adding, "Besides, don't you have that dog to protect you?"
"I- yes!" You clap your hands together, hoping Officer Jones didn't notice the look of bafflement at the mention of Jake's dog form. You'd almost forgotten everyone else thought he was just a dog. "I do. Yes."
"Have you come up with a name for him yet?" Officer Jones chuckles. "Back at the precinct everyone tells me you call him Goldie."
"Aha…" You begin awkwardly. "My golden boy."
"That's it!" Jones says, snapping his fingers. "You have to have thought of a better name by now."
"Uh - yeah. It's Jake." You say, immediately feeling stupid.
Who's going to know? Or even guess?
"Jake?" Officer Jones pulls a face. "A human name for a dog?"
You shrug comically. "He acts more human than dog."
More than you'll ever know.
The officer chuckles,"Yeah, my dog is exactly the same."
"Ohhh, what dog do you have?" You ask, inviting him further inside. "I really need some pointers."
Officer Jones closes the door quietly and follows you through to the kitchen, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, actually, it's my girlfriend's dog. And she's hardly trained."
He goes onto explain that Muffin is a very happy, very pampered pooch Lassa Lapso who lives in the city centre, and her tricks include sleeping and knowing whether or not the food she is given is high quality, expensive chow.
"Sounds like you've got your hands full." You tease, hurriedly clearing away the two plates that were left out before he notices. "Jake will eat anything."
As if on cue, Jake appears, shiny golden coat reflecting the middle morning sun. He makes a disgruntled sound, obviously catching the last part of your statement, before giving Officer Jones a cautionary sniff.
Officer Jones squats and ruffles Jake's fur. Knowing what you now know about him, you aren't sure if you should find the affectionate cooing Officer Jones makes over your dog-not-dog endearing or downright strange. It makes you wonder if Jake feels uncomfortable by the constant attention - but from his lolling tongue and wagging tail it doesn't seem to.
"He's real handsome." Officer Jones says finally before standing. "It's good you've got something to protect you and keep you company."
"Yeah," you say, subconsciously fussing Jake when he comes to sit next to you. "I'm really lucky I found him."
"Definitely." Officer Jones smiles again - friendliness rolling from him. He was much nicer to deal with than Officer Chuckles. "If there's nothing you want to report, if you haven't noticed anything strange recently or if you're not settling in, I'll just do a quick walk round the perimeter and report back to the precinct?"
"Yeah, sure." You nod. "I've not noticed anything recently - and I'm doing much better with Jake around."
Officer Jones nods. "Alrighty. I'll stay out of your hair and let you know once the ." He flashes a smile down at Jake. "Nice to finally meet you, bud."
Jake does his usual excited happy dance and a short howl that makes you both laugh. Officer Jones buds you both goodbye and begins a quick perimeter search, leaving both you and Jake in the kitchen.
It's extremely strange. The behaviours he now exhibits are no longer cute but entirely human. He doesn't brush up against you for more scritches, but waits patiently next to you for the officer to come back with the all clear. You half expect him to start speaking to you in dog-form any second.
His gold ears move and twitch to sounds you can't hear, nostrils occasionally flaring at the scent of something new. New questions begin to take form in your head and so many more when he turns to look at you quizically with big brown eyes you were sure were blue when he was human.
Today was going to be a long day.
Once officer Jones had given the all clear and the hum of the undercover car became nonexistent, Jake politely toddled upstairs. You sat patiently on the couch, stroking the sides of your warm mug of tea in an effort to soothe your nerves. You didn't know why you felt anxious but you were glad that it was more of an excitable anxiety than terror.
When Jake reappeared, he was human again and donning the bathrobe you mentioned. It seemed to fit him perfectly - even if it was just a tad short on his legs.
"Hey," you smile awkwardly, knowing you're trying so hard to act normal in such an un-normal situation.
"Hey." Jake says and rubs the back of his head, eyes to the floor. Seems he was just as awkward as you.
"So, um," you shrug, attempting nonchalance. And failing miserably. "The whole-" you gesture vaguely to his body. "-shifter thing. Honestly? Not the worst thing in the world."
Jake beams at you, and playfully tugs at the collar of the robe in a proud, mayoral fashion. "That's reassuring to hear. And look, I swear, I wasn't trying to be weird or a creep or-"
You cut him off with a small wave of your hand. You're smiling softly, genuinely, but you can't help that it's bitter. "You were trying to survive. I can't judge you for that."
Jake makes a gentle hum sound - between a thank you and an I'm sorry you went through that - that makes your heart warm. You're glad he doesn't try to apologise or speak further on the matter. You don't want to confront that demon yet.
Your eyes flicker back to his and you're taken by surprise to see that he's squinting down at the book you'd picked off the shelf while waiting for Officer Jones to finish his checks.
"You... ok?" You ask.
"Sorry- erm..." Jake looks sheepish. "I usually have glasses."
"Glasses?" Now that he mentions it, you can't look away from his face trying to imagine him with glasses.
It's a mistake. You remembered him being hot, though you'd been to pre-occupied by the fact your dog was suddenly a man to really appreciate his features. He had a perfectly chiseled nose that you found hard to imagine glasses sitting a top of, pink pouted lips that you knew would melt your heart if he paired them with that puppy-dog look he's mastered and, worse still; his body was lean but muscular - and covered in dark golden hair. He was built like he was pulled from a romance novel.
"Yeah, I usually have them in a safe area so I can see when I shift back." Jake continues, seemingly unaware of your inner-processing.
"Is that why your eyes change colour?"
"You noticed?" Jake blinks at you and you can feel heat rise up your neck as he smiles. "Yeah - dogs eyes are almost always brown. So, I guess as an evolutionary thing I always have brown eyes as a golden since it would look weird if I didn't."
"Makes sense." You nod. "Is your eyesight better when you're a dog?"
"Yeah," Jake shrugs. "Most of my senses are heightened as a human but all are increased as a dog."
"That's-" you catch Jake's look of worry and smile. "-really cool."
"You think so?" He brightens.
"Yeah," You say trying not to laugh - but his energy is infectious. "Is it the same for all shifters?"
"Mostly. Eyesight being the biggest issue - really depends on what you shift into." The more he talks the more animated he becomes, clearly excited by getting to share this information. "Like I knew a guy who shifted into a cat. Man, that was so awkward - I chased him up a tree. His eyesight was fine but he suffered with chronic fatigue."
Jake eyes the spot on the sofa beside you cautiously and on impulse you smack to call him up; immediately recoiling. However, Jake chuckles and plops down ungracefully next to you whilst still maintaining a respectful distance.
You take a sip of your coffee thoughtfully. "Do you know many shifters?"
Jake shakes his head. "It was mainly my family. The community is small and so far as I know many shifters like keeping to themselves."
You hum distantly. "So you didn't really have a big support system for all of these changes?"
Jake blows out a long breath as he thinks of what to say and you watch him carefully. It was nice to be able to have a conversation with someone that wasn't a cop or detective or lawyer. It was nice for your dog to talk back. Still, you didn't know him very well and you should be on your guard... but something about Jake told you you were safe with him. Something about him made you comfortable. Relaxed.
Even when you thought you shouldn't be.
"My mom did her best for me and my sister. She was great." He says finally. "That's all I needed."
You huff a little chuckle, somewhat envious. "I'm glad. And a sister? That's new."
"And a niece." Jake says proudly. "And before you ask, being a shifter is a genetic thing. I don't know how or why - but if you're worried I'll bite you to turn you it doesn't work like that."
"I wasn't," You say playfully. "Until you mentioned it."
Jake looks so terrified for a brief second you can't help but laugh. "I'm kidding! If you wanted to have bitten me, you'd have done so by now."
Jake breathes a sigh of relief and smiles sheepishly. "Sorry."
"It's fine." You wave him off dismissively with a smile. "Look, I could order some glasses online if you know your perscription and if I can get away with ordering an air-bed-"
"I'm happy sleeping on the floor!" Jake interjects. "I was in the special forces. Just gimme a pillow and a blanket and I'll sleep like a baby.
"Absolutely not!" You gasp. Jake only shrugs.
"Or I can sleep on the sofa - so long as I wake up early."
"I can take the sofa." You say defiantly. "And if you're not happy with that then we can take turns."
"Deal." Jake says quickly. "But I'll sleep down here tonight since you didn't get a fullnight's rest last night."
You roll your eyes but your heart skips at his thoughtfulness. "Okay, let's get you some glasses and I'll make a list of some snacks to stock up on."
Part 6 END
A/N: I finished this ages ago but never got around to posting it because i wanted more consecutive parts... I think y'all have waited long enough 🫠😅
For reblogs of my fics follow @grems-library or join my taglist here
Summary: Jake's been spending a lot of time away from you lately, and he's about to show you what he's been up to.
Warnings: none
A/N: I originally wrote this as part of yenzys-lucky-charm and sweater-daddiesdumbdork's Horny Hoes Hootenanny (on Tumblr). While it's still going to be part of a larger series now, I wanted to go ahead and repost it while I work on the other parts when I have time. It was a fun story to write, and I'm quite proud of it. I hope you enjoy.
Jake Jensen Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Character Masterlist
A smile graced your features as you noted the time.
5:00 PM. Friday.
The weekend has finally arrived.
While the week wasn’t a bad one by any means, you couldn’t help noting the release of work tension from your shoulders. It dropped further as you shut your work computer down and gathered your things.
Before you walked to your car, you shot Jake a text, telling him you were on your way home.
Oh, you couldn’t wait to see him most of all.
It’s been a rare sight to see your sweet boyfriend these last few weeks. Whenever you questioned him about his long or sudden absences, he’d tell you it was something work related. A special, hush-hush mission that he couldn’t get into with you then. He’d tell you when he could. He always did.
You could live with him keeping his secrets, but you were struggling with how little you’d seen him. Never had his previous missions been quite like this where he’d disappeared at the weirdest hours, or he’d drop conversations on the phone if he sensed you nearby.
If this had been the earlier days of your relationship, you might’ve suspected Jake of cheating. But if you’d learned anything about Jake Jensen, it was how utterly and deeply besotted he was with you. He worshipped you every chance he got. Spoiled you, too.
It helped that you did the same for him. One of your greatest pleasures was getting him to stutter or blush whenever you found the perfect little doodad for him.
No, if you were being honest, he’d gotten weird not long after you made a most heartbreaking discovery on your favorite home-browsing website.
You still recalled the day you learned your dream home had gone on the market. It was a cute Victorian-style home complete with turrets and gables. The intricate scrollwork and other details made it feel like a little girl’s dollhouse come to life. You could well imagine building a future and a family with Jake in this home. Holidays would be postcard-perfect and could even indulge both yours and Jake’s love for having the best dressed place throughout the year. You could even picture Jake getting into some type of decorating competition with the neighbors.
In a snap, the house went from For Sale to Pending Sale to Sold.
Your dream crumbled before your eyes.
Sure, you could always find a different house to build a home and family with Jake. But deep in your heart, you knew it would never be the same. It wouldn’t be like you imagined and even shared on occasion with Jake whenever he joined you on your home-browsing adventures.
You’d even made a game of it. Some days, you’d share ridiculous homes with outrageous price points or the gaudiest interiors you could find. Other days, you’d share cuter homes that more suited both yours and Jake’s needs.
Jake would do the same, especially during downtime on one of his missions. He swore it helped him stay focused on what he was fighting for. You. The life he wanted with you. The future he saw for himself because of you.
Neither of you had broached the topic of marriage, but you knew without a doubt Jake was it for you and you for him. A piece of paper and a pair of rings weren’t necessary, even if both your families hinted that they did.
Coming into your shared apartment, you called out, “I’m home.”
Silence answered.
You checked your phone to see Jake had read your text, but he hadn’t responded.
Another night spent alone as far as you could tell, but you refused to let it get you down. Dropping your stuff on the closest chair in your living room, you strode toward your bedroom and ensuite bathroom. If you were going to have the place to yourself, then you were going to make the most of it.
A long, hot shower with your favorite bath products was the first order of business. Nothing ever felt as good as washing away the workday, or more so, the work week. Well, maybe a hug from your cuddly boyfriend, but a nice shower worked, too.
Comfy clothes followed, which meant a raid of Jake’s side of the closet. If you couldn’t have him personally, then you were going to make sure you had his scent surrounding you. It didn’t take long to pull out your favorite of his graphic tees and a pair of his softest sweatpants. You completed your ensemble with some of the fuzzy socks he’d given you during one of your first sleepovers.
At least, your night was already looking a little better, even if you were without your greatest comfort.
What you didn’t count on was Jake standing in the bedroom doorway. It took everything in you not to yelp in surprise.
Your surprise soon shifted to concern when you took in Jake’s state. He was clearly out of breath and frankly a little frantic for your tastes. You couldn’t imagine what had happened to elicit such a reaction, but you were determined to find out.
“What’s wrong, Jakey?”
Jake shook his head while taking giant gulps of air. His glasses sat askew on his nose and his clothes had several streaks across them that had you more than a little alarmed. If you didn’t know better, you would say he’d just returned from the worst battlefield. It was impossible since he’d been home when you left for work that morning. Wasn’t it?
Your anxiety had you closing the distance between you, but Jake’s hand shot up, stalling you.
“Stay there, pumpkin,” he said between breaths. “I’m okay.”
It wasn’t lost on you he’d started using his fall-themed nickname for you or the date that day. Jake never forgot the first days of each season, shifting your nickname accordingly. But you had more pressing concerns at the moment, namely the state Jake came home in.
“You sure about that? Jake, you’re covered in…” you let your words trail off in the hopes he’d fill in the blank.
His hands plucked at his clothing while his face twisted in a grimace.
“It’s paint. I swear, pumpkin. Just let me clean up, then I’ve got a surprise for you. If you’re up for one anyway. I don’t want to presume after you just got off work. I’d totally understand if you don’t want to get out again, but I’d really like to show you what I’ve been working on. It can totally wait though I don’t know if I can keep this secret much longer. It’s been killing me, pumpkin, not telling you what I’ve been up to, and I just really, really want to show you.”
Knowing he’d keep going if you let him, you ignored his earlier request to stay back. With two steps, you erased the distance between you two and pressed your hand over Jake’s mouth. It took another second or two for his anxious, buzzing self to realize what you’d done and for him to stop his adorable rambling. Oh, how you adored this man and how flustered he could still get around you.
This close, you realized what you took as alarming concerns were a bit overblown. Sure, Jake was disheveled and shook, but that wasn’t so much from a fear response. No, it was nerves of a different kind, an excited kind. While he might appear to be battle-dirty, you could make out glitter under the paint. Whatever he’d been doing, it wasn’t mission-oriented or military, but it was something he’d been enthusiastically working on. Just for you, you realized. That eased your anxiety and brought a small smile to your lips.
When you were certain he wouldn’t start up again, you moved your hand and fixed his glasses. The smile he sent you had warmth blooming in your chest. Leaning in, you spotted the only clean patch of skin you could find near his jaw and pressed a kiss there. A soft sigh released from him at your gesture.
“Jakey, I’d love to go anywhere with you.” You pressed another kiss to the same patch of skin. “Show me your surprise.” One more kiss. “Please, my love.” A final kiss and a sweet smile to follow your words as you tilted your head to see him better.
You’d never get tired of how he practically melted at your words. His eyes softened behind his glasses, and he leaned into your space unmindful of his clothing. It was as if you’d just trusted him with one of the greatest treasures in the world.
In a way, you had.
He told you every chance he got how much your love was one of the greatest gifts he’d ever gotten, and he’d do anything to keep it. He swore he’d never make you regret giving him your love or your trust, and he’s always made good on that promise.
“I really want to kiss you,” he said in a rough voice.
You grinned.
As you rose on your tiptoes, his hands moved to your waist to keep you balanced. You couldn’t quite keep your smile from turning into a smirk when you leaned close enough to say, “Clean up first, studly, then you can have all the kisses you want.”
“You’re so cruel,” he groaned but acquiesced, “but you’re right.”
With his hands on your hips, you could only giggle as he swooped close and pressed a kiss to your cheek before letting you go. He dashed into the bathroom and hurried to clean up.
Ten minutes.
A new record for your military man.
Dressed in clean clothes, he found you in the kitchen where you’d been preparing a small snack. His arms wrapped around you from behind while his goatee tickled your neck. Several sweet kisses and teasing nips peppered your skin until you couldn’t take it any longer. You turned in his arms and fed him a few pieces of the fruit you chopped up. Each piece followed a peck to his lips.
“So, my studly love, what is this surprise you have for me?” you asked once the two of you finished off the fruit and cleaned up your workspace.
Jake, the menace, yawned and stretched. “I don’t know if I can stay awake now to show you. All that rushing around and then that soothing shower, I’m pretty exhausted, pumpkin.”
Not about to let him get away with hyping you up, you poked him in the stomach. “Oh, no, you don’t, mister. You promised me a surprise, and I want to see it. It’s not nice to tease.”
His brow arched at you then.
As if you didn’t tease him all the time, but you always ended your teasing with the sweetest rewards or surprises. You never left him hanging for long because you were always too giddy to see his reaction to seeing what you got him. His enthusiasm and adoration for everything you got always made it worth the time and effort you invested.
Sensing he wanted to play a bit though, you decided you could play, too.
Moving so you pressed yourself fully to his front, you bit back a grin when he instantly reacted to this new position. It never failed to boost your ego and your confidence in how quickly he reacted every time. His hands came back to your waist to keep you close as they always did.
“Name your price, my love,” you murmured near enough to his lips that you could feel each soft exhale. “What would you like more than anything else so I can earn my surprise?”
To your surprise, he dropped his teasing. His eyes softened though a look of such intent lurked in their depths that had you catching your breath. His nose brushed yours as he whispered, “I have everything I could possibly want right here, pumpkin. I love you so much, you know that?”
You nodded because you did know. It was something you’ve known since you practically met Jake. Sure, you two didn’t have the best first interaction. In fact, it’d been a real disaster, but it’d been what brought you two together. There was no regret in how everything played out from that night until this one.
The teasing glint returned a moment later as he added, “But I wouldn’t mind a proper kiss.”
This time, you rolled your eyes, but you indulged him. It’d been too long since you two had spent more than a few minutes together. You missed him so much, too. At least, it seemed that you wouldn’t be forced to miss him much longer after he finally revealed his surprise.
Just when the kiss would’ve turned into something a bit more, Jake pulled back, his glasses askew once more and maybe a bit foggy. Another boost of confidence at the way you could leave him in a bit of disarray with every make-out session.
He gulped in some air as he rasped, “We’ll come back to this later. It’s getting late, and your surprise is waiting. I don’t want you to miss out on the full effect.”
Within minutes, you two had gathered what you needed for the cooler night air, then headed towards Jake’s car. He helped you into the passenger seat and secured the belt around you. Not a second was wasted as he came around and hopped into the driver’s side, starting the car. His hand reached for yours and held it against his thigh like he always did.
He drove you through the heart of the city and further until you hit the historical district. This was one of your favorite districts because the residents and small businesses alike really liked to go all out for the seasons and holidays. Every building and home were decorated to the nines whether it was spring or fall, Easter or Christmas.
Right then, all the homes and businesses had varying levels of fall decorations with a generous smattering of early Halloween décor mixed in. With that night still a few weeks away, most in this area had plenty of time to really go all out for the spooky season.
It wasn’t until Jake turned on a familiar street that you really perked up. The street name wasn’t lost on you. This was the same street that had your dream home on it.
“Where are we going, Jakey?” you asked, turning down Time Warp as it played on the radio.
His hand squeezed yours. “You’ll see, pumpkin. It’ll all make sense in a moment.”
When he pulled up to the exact home you’ve always dreamed about calling your own, you grew even more confused. The sold sign had disappeared, but that wasn’t what got and kept your attention.
No, it was the fully decked out yard and porch. So many pumpkins, some carved and some not, covered almost every surface. Their sizes ranged from so tiny to almost comically large. Some, you even recognized as being similar to ones you and Jake had collected since moving in together a few years ago.
Past the pumpkins, you could make out a group of people spilling onto the porch. It took you a moment to realize who they were, but their presence didn’t really clear anything up. Why would the Losers be at your dream house? Did one of them buy it and wanted to share their new home with you and Jake? Was this Jake’s surprise?
Thoughts of Jake pulled your attention from your friends standing on the porch to your boyfriend.
You gasped when you turned your head.
While you’d been occupied with taking in everything, Jake had subtly unzipped his jacket and pulled it away so you could read the writing on his shirt.
This shirt is made of Fiance Material.
In his trembling hand, he held up one of the most beautiful rings you’d ever seen. It was the very ring you’d seen one day while window shopping. It’d been an impulse to stop in the old antique shop. The ring had been an accidental find that had enraptured you from the moment you spotted it in the case.
When you’d gone back to see it once more, you’d found the shop owner had sold it. The older gentleman had given you what you’d thought to be a sympathetic look, but you realized now his look had held a note of mischief in it. The same mischief Jake’s expression could have whenever he was planning something really sweet for you.
His voice shook almost as much as his hand, but he managed to say, “Welcome to our new home, Mrs. Jensen.”
Tears sprang to your eyes as you took in everything.
“You did all this for me?”
He nodded. “I wanted you to have the house of your dreams, pumpkin. It’s the least you deserve for putting up with me and all my quirks. I’m not the easiest guy or the smoothest, but baby, I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I’m the right guy to love and cherish you if you’ll let me. Marry me?”
“How’s a girl supposed to turn down such a sweet proposal?” You fought back your tears while you brought your hands to his face and tugged him close to you. “I love all your quirks, Jakey, and I love you with all my heart. You are definitely the best man for the job. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
You followed up with your words with several sweet kisses, mindful of the Losers still standing on the porch. Somewhere between all the kisses, he managed to slip the ring on your finger, the fit perfect.
When you finally pulled back, you murmured, “Now, show me our new home so we can celebrate with our friends. Maybe after they leave, we can have a different kind of celebration, hm? One where we break in as many rooms as we can manage before we pass out? What do you say to that, Mr. Jensen?”
“I say,” he paused to unbuckle both your seat belts, then reach for the door handle on his side, “I should hurry up and lead the way, then, Mrs. Jensen.”
Jake tried, he really did, but he was beginning to accept that Aisha was right: just because he was a librarian did not mean he should be allowed around children.
“My uncle’s a fireman,” Marisela had said while they were playing on the floor in the kids’ section, and Jake had said, “Oh, that’s cool! That’s awesome, Mari, did you know that there are an average of three hundred and fifty eight thousand home structure fires per year? Mostly due to human oversight and failures in upkeep on fire alarms, but that’s not —”
“He has a airplane,” Marisela had said. Jake had stopped his train of thought to find her the airplane toy out of the toy chest. The kids’ section was awesome, and some things were important, more important than finding out how exactly airplane ownership was relevant. Did your uncle get super rich fighting fires and buy himself a pimped-out jet? Did he get it as a reward for putting out an especially perilous fire?
Probably it was relevant because Marisela was five, and airplanes were cool, almost as cool as/possibly more cool than being a firefighter. That was understandable. Jake thought airplanes and firefighters were equally cool, depending, he guessed, on the type of airplane versus the type of firefighter. Jets were unquestionably cooler than passenger planes; he wasn’t sure about whether he should rank fighter jets above regular jets — his innate destructive tendencies definitely appreciated the possibility of explosions but was the military-industrial complex really that much more badass than a commercial supersonic jet, which was a marvel of modern engineering and provided efficient transport? Only Richard Branson could say.
“What does he do with his airplane?” Jake had settled on, helping Marisela build a runway and a tarmac support team. Support was important. Without effective operations, no system could maintain optimal functionality.
“He jumps,” Mari had said, “from really high,” and Jake had accidentally knocked over the Lego woman he was using for a baggage handler.
Okay, never mind, her uncle had not won an airplane in the firefighters’ lottery, he’d just lost his fucking mind.
“Oh, wow,” Jake had said, because you were not allowed to say whoa-ly fuck to a five-year-old. “That is, uh, that is a little bit insane. Mari Strawberry, that is kind of a job for insane people.”
Marisela had wrinkled her nose.
“Papi says he’s loco,” she’d said.
“Yeah, well, I for one think your father is extremely correct,” Jake had told her, and then Clay had appeared out of nowhere and said, “What the hell are you doing?” like it was okay to say hell in front of a five-year-old, and then said, “Your break’s over, get the hell back to work,” and Jake had gone back to his station at the main desk just to get Clay away from impressionable young minds. Jesus Christ: Jake might be fucking up kids’ futures with his bad career advice, but at least he wasn’t teaching them to swear.
Jake had accidentally told her that her crazy fucking uncle was cool, though, so it was probably going to be his fault when she turned eight and decided bungee jumping was a great idea, or tried to ollie down the railing on the library steps and broke her arm.
Shit, Jake probably needed to teach her how to skateboard.
—
Marisela and her older brother spent every weekday from two to four pm at the library. What was Jake supposed to do, neglect his young friend? Vanish from her life in a cloud of shame at his misguided approval of her daredevil relatives? Leave her to wonder if he’d been fired, or worse, stopped thinking she was awesome? No. No way. He was loyal, and he was brave, and he was maybe going to mess her up for life but she obviously had a good support system so she’d figure it out.
Also, she turned six in a month and six was totally old enough to learn to skateboard.
Sometimes Jake’s sister brought his niece, who was only nine months older than Mari and already knew how to skate, and they spent their breaks outside in the garden area, very very carefully skating around the circular section of sidewalk with the little fountain the middle. Well, they spent his breaks. Kids didn’t need breaks because they didn’t need jobs, but life wasn’t fair like that.
—
Sometimes Pooch met him for lunch, which is to say, Pooch drove his food truck to the library and parked it by the garden area so Jake and Marisela and Alice could very carefully skate over and get barbecue.
“I like the helmets,” Pooch said, leaning out the window of the truck. If he hung around long enough Clay would come out and get lunch for the research librarians.
Jake didn’t know why Clay never sent Roque or Aisha: nobody ever asked Roque to look up anything. Nobody ever asked Aisha to look up anything twice.
Jake worked at the main desk, and people asked him to look things up all the time, because the central branch was super fucking huge and super fucking busy. He could not responsibly imagine reassigning any of the research team to the main desk, though.
“Yeah, they’re good, right?” Jake said. “They picked their own. Alice wanted flowers because her soccer team, you know, they’re doing really well this year. She’s big into repping them. All her cupcakes gotta have flowers these days.”
“And the other one’s just a pyro?” Pooch asked.
“That’s for her uncle,” Jake said, shoving the rest of his barbecue into his face. “He’s a firefighter.”
“I don’t wanna rag on a five-year-old —”
“She’s six now, but okay, yes.”
“— six-year-old, fine. But I don’t feel like that helmet is supporting her uncle right now.”
“Well, they didn’t have a helmet that represented the dampened ash of a well-extinguished blaze,” Jake said. “Or one that supported fire safety. It was a bleak picture, the children’s wheel-sports helmets section of Target, Pooch, and I did what I could.”
“It’s actively against her uncle’s whole line of work,” Pooch argued.
“If there wasn’t fire, he’d be out of a job!” Jake protested. “She understands supply and demand, she’s a smart kid, she’s just trying to keep him in airplanes — not in airplanes, but jumping out of them —”
“She’s six, she doesn’t understand supply and demand!” Pooch cut in. “Oh, shit, dude, he’s a smokejumper?”
“Yeah, I keep expecting her to come in one day and tell me he’s dead or something,” Jake said. “She thinks he’s cool, though. I may have told her he was cool, before I learned a few critical pieces of information about the specifics of his job description.”
“What? It’s still cool,” Pooch said. The main doors opened, and in the middle distance Clay’s figure stumped down the marble steps, glaring out at the sunlight.
“No, it’s crazy,” Jake said.
“When has that ever stopped you? Jensen, you’re out here teaching six-year-olds to skateboard.”
“With helmets!” Jake said. “Look, I’m afraid of heights, okay? Getting very close to a very large fire: okay, I admit, I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. It is admittedly badass. But flinging yourself out of an airplane? Just to get closer to a very large fire? No. I have limits.”
“You have a job,” Clay grunted from behind Jake. Fuck! “So go do it.”
“I’m on break,” Jake whined.
“Break’s over,” Clay said. “Pooch, gimme the usual.”
—
Four days after Easter, they had a families-exploring-the-library charity event and Jake got to hang out in the kids’ section during his shift.
Clay was walking around begrudgingly glad-handing the donors, Aisha was manning the main desk, and Roque was left up at the research desk because nobody was letting families explore the library near him.
Which is why Jake was the king of the packed kids’ section. He knew where everything was anyway; so far he had found five hundred books about horses, four hundred books about trucks, and one little guy had asked him for a book about bugs that ate dead people and Jake had delivered.
Medical maggots were a well-researched and time-honored treatment modality, and young mister ‘CAMDYN’, according to his nametag, seemed like the kind of man to appreciate that.
The adults mostly wanted to know where the bathroom was, but Jake was here to help everyone.
“Jake!” somebody tiny yelled, and Jake spun around in circles, hunting for the voice. Was that Mari? Was she dying? Was she in desperate need of another book about fire? Jake was starting to worry that Pooch had been right and that actually Mari was a soon-to-be-dangerous pyromaniac, but until that potential danger came to fruition, Jake was still committed to the expansion of young minds. In any case, he had at least made a list of more fire books for her.
“Mari Strawberry?” he called, because there was no fucking way he was finding a three-and-a-half foot tall child in this crush.
“Jake!” she said again, appearing like Moses and dragging, wow, not her brother, that was not her brother.
“Uh,” Jake said eloquently. Whatever, focus on the children. He was bad for children’s futures but they were good for him, in that he could probably maintain a conversation with a six-year-old right now if he ignored her incredibly hot — father? No fucking way. He’d met Marisela’s father at least once and he would have remembered.
“Jake,” Mari said impatiently.
“Yeah, hi,” he said, leaning down. “What’s up, kiddo? Do you want another book?”
“No,” she said. Jake smiled.
“You don’t want a book? Are you sick?” he asked, pretending to check her temperature. “Oh my gosh, you must be sick, I gotta find a doctor!” She wrinkled her nose at him. She’d never stopped wrinkling her nose when she thought he was being dumb, and it was so fucking cute.
Oh, wait, genius idea: “Do you know where any doctors are?” he asked her as she dissolved into giggles. “Is this a doctor?”
“That’s my uncle,” she giggled, wrinkling her nose even more, like how could Jake be so stupid, obviously that was not a doctor, because of course it was her uncle, who had not yet flung himself out of an airplane to a fiery or possibly traumatic death and was instead attending a ‘families explore the library’ event with his niece.
“Oh!” Jake said, because you also were not allowed to say where does your hot, insane uncle fall on the Kinsey scale? to a six-year-old. “Are all the fires out? Does he get a break to hang out with you?” He looked up at Marisela’s hot uncle. “I spend all my breaks with Mari, so I’m pretty she thinks that federally-mandated work breaks were invented so that adults could hang out with her.”
Marisela’s hot uncle’s face shifted, and the standard blank, disinterested look that Jake usually mustered from adults melted very slightly to allow an extremely small smile.
Whoa. Could Jake say is your hot, insane uncle single to a six—
“I’m looking for the bathroom,” Marisela’s hot uncle said.
“He’s visiting. From California,” Mari said, apparently not that worried about her uncle’s bodily needs. “For Easter.”
Marisela tugged on his hand, maybe because Easter was important? Or maybe because she was six and she was excited that her uncle was visiting and not out trying to die in a wildfire. Her hot uncle looked down at her, his smile blossoming into a grin. He had nice teeth.
Marisela wrinkled her little nose at him. He did it back, still grinning. Jake’s body considered throwing up, then settled on sweating profusely instead.
This was a man who threw himself out of airplanes? Seriously? Did he just think that the ground would be hopelessly smitten, and catch him gently? If Jake tried that he would slam face-first into a rock and die, no question. There were certain distances the human body was not meant to fall.
“I’m afraid of heights,” Jake said. Marisela’s hot uncle just stared at him, for way too long for it to be flattering.
“I’m not,” he said finally.
“Well, that’s good,” Jake said. “that would be a real liability, you know, in your line of work. That and flammability, although as far as I know all human beings are roughly equally flammable. I guess you would know better than I would, I don’t need to be telling you this.”
Marisela’s hot uncle raised one eyebrow.
“Not that you set things on fire,” Jake said. “But you do see things burning. I hope not people, actually, that would be pretty fu—messed up,” he corrected rapidly.
Marisela’s hot uncle didn’t have anything else to say to that. Probably for the best; Jake was going down a horrible immolation-death pathway that was, again, not appropriate for children. Children and Jake: a mistake actively in the making.
“The bathroom is over there,” Jake said, pointing.
Summary: Jake gets you a special gift because he wants to make your time away (due to both your jobs) a little bit easier.
Warnings: Implied smut
A/N: Oh, this was such a fun fill for last year's Fluff Bingo Spring event. I couldn't help not going full fluff with Jake, but then he's made to be spoiled with all the fluff, isn't he?
Jake Jensen Masterlist | Character Masterlist
Your phone pinged with a text the moment you walked into your apartment.
Dropping your things in a heap near the door, you fished out your phone from your pocket. While you did typically leave it in your camera bag, you'd been busy with clients all day. Your pocket had been the easiest solution as you dealt with the busy day.
Exhaustion rolled over you and settled like an overweight, entitled cat on your shoulders.
Not another client question, you couldn't help thinking before your phone's screen lit up.
The familiar name showing on your screen with the notification dragged a smile across your lips.
Jake.
Your longtime boyfriend.
Oh, that was someone you wanted to hear from.
Unlocking your phone, you tapped on his message.
Your smile slipped a little as you read: Called into work. So sorry, babe. Wanted to be there. Miss you.
How long? I miss you, too, you typed back.
Barely any time passed before Jake sent you another that read: Unsure. Clay's being dodgy.
Well, poo.
You'd been hoping whatever new mission he'd been pulled into wouldn't be a long one. Between your schedules lately, the two of you hadn't been getting to spend much time together. A fact that wasn't lost on either of you. It'd been the reason you left the office early, determined to get an evening with Jake.
As if reading your mind, another message popped up on your screen: Oh almost forgot. Check bedroom. Special gift for ya.
Not needing to be told twice, you kicked off your shoes, unmindful of where they landed, then dashed across your apartment.
The door to your shared bedroom stood open a crack. It didn't give you much to go on until you pushed it fully open. You had no need to scan the room as your gift sat in the middle of your made bed.
The sweetest looking stuffed bear.
It took you another moment to take in all his little details.
When you did, you couldn't help the full smile that covered your face until your cheeks hurt.
The bear resembled one of those from Build-a-Bear, but it went beyond their limited options.
No, this one had been fully made into the almost-spitting image of your sweet and loving Jake. Little circular glasses rested on its nose in the same wire frames. It even had the goatee and the frosted tips on the tiny bits of hair they'd stitched between its ears.
The bear even smelled like him.
You had no idea how he'd made that happen, but it made your heart feel close to bursting. Your arms wrapped around the bear as tight as you could manage, just so you could breathe in the subtle scent wafting off its fur. You went so far to smush your face into its fur to better breathe in that soothing scent that Jake always had. He smelled like home.
Without realizing it, you accidentally activated another surprise Jake had installed on the bear.
His voice filled the room.
"Hey, love, I, uh, I-I'm not used to doing these, but I just wanted you to know how much I love you. You make every day so much brighter, and I'm so lucky to have you in my life. I know we can't always be together because of our jobs, but I thought this might help in those lonelier times. You're never far from my thoughts, and I really hope I'm in yours. Love ya, angel."
Hearing the falter at the start had your heart twisting, but his words came out stronger the longer he went on. It made your heart twist more as love filled you.
Oh, this man has been on your mind since the day you met.
You had few doubts he would remain on your mind forever at this point, and you wouldn't have it any other way.
Especially with this new bear that looked so much like him.
As your gaze drifted over the bear with renewed fondness, a soft glint on the bed caught your attention.
Turning your head to see what it was, you gasped at the sight of the outfits you hadn't seen before. Several lined up behind where the bear had been sitting. The soft glare came from a necklace that bore two dog tags. Upon closer inspection, they bore the similar information as Jake's did.
Without thinking, you slipped them over the bear's head and settled them just so. They finished the outfit the bear already wore — the pink 'Petunias' shirt he wore in support of his niece and the cargo pants he preferred for their numerous pockets.
It was only when you went to fully inspect the other outfits that you noticed they were all your favorite outfits from his closet. Right down to the few accessories, he hadn't left out anything from each of them. Your mind froze at this realization of how much he paid attention to your compliments and your choices on a few special occasions.
A new text notification from your phone was the only thing to bring you out of your frozen state.
See it yet? You like it?
Your fingers trembled as you fumbled to type back: Oh, J, I adore it. Wish you were here so I could show you just how much.
And you really did love the bear.
It was already on your mind that this mini Jake would be following you everywhere. No more so than the times that the real one couldn't go with you. Like the work trip you had coming up and had been dreading until you came home that night to find this new treasure waiting on you.
Another ding came a moment later.
Be home soon. Mission's no-go.
Reading his latest text, an idea came to you.
If you knew Jake and you really did know him, he'd be breaking all kinds of driving laws to get back to you. Well, maybe not breaking them but very much bending them as he knew you, too, and how much you'd hate to see him in trouble.
By the time he pushed the front door open some time later, you were already ready and waiting. You pounced before he could even call out your name, dragging him to the closest surface you could find. After all, you had to show him just how much you appreciated your gift. Even more so, you had to show him how much he meant to you.
And you did.
The sun had long since set before Jake got the chance to show you the other half of his gift.
With movements sluggish from being so sated by your rather vigorous and thorough appreciation, he pulled out the matching bear he had made to look just like you. From your hair to your tips of your toes, he didn't spare a single detail, either. You even learned he'd gone and made it smell like your favorite fragrances, but that wasn't all. He'd even given himself a recording of a recent voicemail you left him, so he could have your voice, too.
Like his bear, he also had several outfits made for the bear to match the ones he loved seeing you in. You'd been pleasantly surprised to find that only one of them was made of lingerie as he always appreciated those, but no, he'd chosen some of your everyday outfits.
When you landed on the dress you'd worn on your first date with him, tears misted your eyes. You honestly couldn't believe he remembered that outfit. You even said so aloud.
"How could I not, angel? When I saw you step out of your place in that dress, I knew you were it. I was so head over heels that I was afraid I'd scare you away."
What little distance existed between you as you studied your mini replica disappeared. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you tugged him down until your lips could touch his. It was a kiss filled with promise, love, and adoration for the man at your side.
When you pulled away, you couldn't help saying, "Better be careful, or we're not leaving this room until I give you a repeat performance of earlier."
"I mean, I wouldn't be upset if you did," he said even as pink flooded his cheeks while a shy but happy grin spread over his features. You lost it when he waggled his brows at you before lifting you and setting you on the bed, saying, "Or better yet, how about I return the favor?"
Jake's younger. He always looked up to Steve, it's partially why he joined the Army too. They're supportive and protective of each other. Steve tends to call Jake to simply ask if he ate some vegetables that week 😆
My brain went somewhere you probably weren't expecting with this. Canonically Jake has to pretend he died in combat and I'm just thinking of Steve getting word that his little brother is dead.
He cries in private, wanting to be strong for their sister and niece. But at the funeral, closed casket because there was no body, he can't hold back. He was supposed to be Jake's protector, to keep his family together.
When Jake turns up again, Steve doesn't give him time to explain before grabbing him in a big bear hug and just sobbing. He doesn't let go for a long time because he was so scared he'd lost his little brother. That he'd failed his most important mission.
For your zoo/animal event, I was thinking (sorry if you already did it)
Jake Jensen + Parrot 😁
This was such a delightful prompt! Did you know there's a kind of parrot called the Gaia Cockatoo that's pink with dark colored wings? If that ain't our boy, I don't know what is!
