Chapter 9 – Identity, Attraction, and Unraveling Control
Zack stared down at the board, jaw tight. No one had said it aloud, but something had shifted since the last round. The game wasn’t just changing their bodies — it was reshaping who they were.
Still, he rolled.
The dice bounced lazily onto a red space. Before he could brace for it, the card launched out.
“Time to say goodbye to the old look. You’re going bald… but gaining a beard.”
Zack barely had time to blink. A strange tingling sensation surged over his scalp. He reached up just as his thick, sweaty post-practice hair vanished — gone in an instant. His hand slid over a smooth, shiny dome.
“No. No way—”
And then came the beard.
It didn’t grow in slowly. It sprouted, full and thick, like it had been there for years. Deep brown and masculine, it wrapped around his jaw, his cheeks, his chin — coarse and unmistakably working man.
He rushed to the hallway mirror.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”
He looked older now — not gray, but mature. His face had deepened, features hardened. Combined with his plumber’s build and white briefs, he didn’t look like the team’s quarterback anymore.
He looked like a contractor. A thirty-year-old man.
He sighed. “This game is seriously messed up.”
Ty rolled next — cool as ever. Green space.
The card popped out without warning.
“You light up a cigar and grow a classic cop ‘stache. Enjoy the power.”
Ty blinked. “Wait, wha—”
A fat cigar appeared in his hand. And he lit it. Instinctively.
Puff.
Puff.
The thick smoke curled around him, and as it did, dark hairs began growing over his upper lip, forming a thick, commanding mustache.
He didn’t seem surprised.
He leaned back, one arm resting on his belly — now solid from donuts — and let the cigar dangle from the corner of his mouth like he’d been smoking for years.
“Might as well enjoy the perks,” he muttered, smirking.
Zack just stared.
“You look like you’re about to lecture a teenager for loitering in front of a 7-Eleven.”
“Damn right I do,” Ty said, grinning. “Keep it up, and I’ll write you up.”
Logan stepped up next, keeping quiet. He was still riding a strange wave of self-consciousness from the last turn. He rolled. Red space.
The card hissed out.
“Your desires shift. What once seemed clear is now confusing.”
He read it twice. Then again.
“What the hell does that even mean?”
But even as he said it, something in him tilted.
He glanced across the room. At Alex.
Alex was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his massive chest pushing through his stretched T-shirt, those thick thighs straining his shorts, his bulge outlined under his white briefs.
Logan swallowed.
“Weird…” he whispered.
His eyes lingered.
Too long.
He shook his head.
“It’s not like I’m… I mean, he’s just bulked up a lot, that’s all. That’s it.”
But he couldn’t stop looking.
He didn’t want to look away.
Alex reminded him of his old self. Strong. Grounded. Alpha.
But better.
Logan flushed and turned away.
“Dumb card. Whatever.”
Alex walked up to the board, face calm. He rolled.
Blue space.
Card out.
“You’re filling out even more. Let’s just say… everything’s growing in nicely.”
He felt the change instantly — a warm pulse in his groin. His briefs stretched forward. Not dramatically — but noticeably. And he could feel the eyes.
Especially Logan’s.
He turned slowly, locking eyes with him.
“You okay, Logan?” he asked, voice low.
Logan froze.
“What? Yeah. Fine. Just… you look different, that’s all.”
“You’ve been staring since I rolled.”
Alex stepped a little closer.
His eyes scanned Logan — noting the tension, the way he bit his lower lip, the awkward stiffness in his posture.
“You sure you’re good?” Alex pressed again, a smirk teasing at the edge of his mouth.
Logan flushed red and looked away.
“Totally. Yeah. Just playing the game.”
Zack watched it all, eyes wide.
His younger brother — getting massive, confident, and... openly flirting with Logan?
Logan — the team's old powerhouse — now looking bashful, attracted, confused?
Ty — puffing a cigar like he ran the department?
And him?
A balding plumber with a service smile and sagging pants.
Summary: After making the acquaintance of the granddaughter of one of his regulars, Jake has his heart set on asking her out. Though, he has no idea how. Lucky for him, he has his own personal Cupid to help him make that a reality.
A/N: Finally! Thank you @comics-nerd-number-3001 for the suggestion/request for this fic. On this note, I hope that I was able to bring justice to this wonderful idea. Also, this fic is done solely from Jake’s perspective.
As the kind old woman in the back seat was going on about how you were coming to visit her for Valentine’s Day, Jake’s heart started beating rapidly.
You. The woman who already knew so much about him from how much her grandmother talked about him.
You. Who eagerly smiles and shakes Jake’s hand upon you and your grandmother entering his cabby to run some errands with her over the weekend.
“Jake Lockley,” your first words were (after hello of course). “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you. My grandma speaks so highly of you that I think she likes you more than me.”
Jake laughed at your joke. While Jake was aware of your grandmother’s fondness for him (which was reciprocated by him), Jake knows that you are your grandmother’s pride and joy.
From what he was told of you, you were kind and beautiful (which he thought right away the first time his elderly client had shown him, practically shoving her phone into his face) young woman who had so much going for her.
Despite him initially thinking that his sweet elderly client was talking to you due to having an unconditional love for you as her granddaughter, Jake is pleased to see that isn’t the case.
After that first meeting, Jake always looked forward to your weekend visits to your grandmother’s to help her run her errands or simply just spend time with her as you would also call upon Jake to take you toward your various activities.
Anytime you’d tell him that he didn’t have to hang around to take you to and from places, Jake would shrug saying that he couldn’t leave two lovely women in to fight the elements when there was an eager mustachioed cabby driver ready to be at your beck and call. Sometimes even on his days off (though you aren’t aware of this).
While he enjoyed the time he spent with you and your grandmother, Jake wished there would be an instance where you and he could have some time together.
There were times he thought about asking you on a date, but it wouldn’t be too long after the idea popped into his head that he would talk himself out of it. Claiming that you were only nice to him because of his relationship with your grandmother.
Don’t get him wrong, Jake adores the señora in the back. As a matter of fact, he sees in her a maternal figure that he wished he would have had when he was a boy. It’s just…Jake wants to be able to impress you with his own personality and looks rather than his current actions. Though, he does know that actions matter more than a person's word.
Before Jake can question himself and the attraction you certainly do Not (in his mind at least) have any attraction towards him, Jake realizes he’s made it to his elderly friend’s home.
“Gracias, Jake,” the woman says as the cabby helps her out of the vehicle.
Jake then walks the smaller woman to her door. The woman holds onto his arm as he helps to carry her bags inside the house.
Once he ensures that everything is put up where it should be, Jake asks the older woman if there’s anything else she needs. When she shakes her head, Jake responds by wishing her a good evening with her wishing him the same.
“Don’t forget about Valentine’s Day,” she smiles.
Jake nods, tipping his hat atop his head and turns around, making his way towards the front door to take his leave.
He then walks up and gets into his taxi, puts the vehicle into drive and heads out. Trying (and unsuccessfully) trying to get his mind off you by thinking about the potential missions that Khonshu will be sending him out on in the coming weeks.
What he doesn’t know is that his sweet elderly client is working on a plan of her own regarding him and her dear granddaughter.
_________________________________________
The early afternoon of Valentine's Day…
Jake is finally at your grandmother’s house.
He gets out of his car and heads to the door, knocking.
“Just a minute,” he hears (y/n)’s voice piping out.
A few seconds later, the door opens to you wearing the most beautiful pink dress with red hearts all over it with white flats to go with it. Meanwhile, your hair is done up nicely as well as your makeup.
“Wow,” Jake starts, trying to keep his jaw from falling to the floor. “Corazon, you look even more amazing than usual.”
You blush. “Thanks, Jake. And you, you look good as well.”
Your words cause Jake to blush. “Please, I look the same as always.
Jake gently takes your hand into his before bringing it up to his lips to kiss. “My amorcito looking so lovely on the day of love.”
After a few moments of intense eye contact with one another, Jake lets go of your hand.
“Would you like to come in?” You asked, motioning inside. “Grandma should be done in a few minutes but still…”
Jake nods. “If it isn’t too much trouble.”
You give Jake a look. “Jake… we’ve been through this. You could never be trouble to us.”
Jake smirks. If only you knew, he thought.
The next few minutes are spent making small talk before you both realize that your grandma still hasn’t come out yet.
“Hmm,” you thought aloud. “That’s strange. Grandma should be out by— “
Before you can say more, your grandmother finally makes an appearance.
However, Jake notices that the older woman doesn’t look nowhere near ready to go out. Instead, wearing a blue fluffy robe, her silver hair still in rollers.
Perhaps she’s having an off morning, Jake thinks to himself.
Nevertheless, Jake takes the situation in stride as he helps the woman onto the couch. The both of you are taking a seat on each side of her.
“Is everything alright, grandma?” Your voice filled with concern as the back of her hand touched her forehead. Your words and actions cause Jake’s heart to ache for you as he knew how close you were to your grandmother.
The elderly woman nodded. “Must be allergies. You know how they are for me at this time of year, my sweet girl.”
Before Jake can ask if there is anything he could do for you both, the elderly woman beats him to it.
“(Y/n), why don’t you and Jake go on to make it to those reservations at the cafe where we planned on eating today?”
You looked at Jake in shock before turning your view back to your grandmother. “What about you?”
“What about me?” The older woman asks. “I’ll be fine. I have food here, a TV. Please, you two, go have fun and you can tell me all about it when you get back.”
Though this idea sounds tempting to him, Jake shakes himself out of his own selfish desires. “Are you sure, Señora? I can leave, so that (y/n) and you can— “
“Nonsense,” the old woman says. “You two go on without me. It would do you both some good to spend some time together without having me in the way.”
Despite both of you trying to get her to change her mind, she practically pushes you both out the door. “Have fun you guys, love you both!”
_________________________________________
The two of you are shocked by the amount of strength that an elderly woman had to be able to push you both out the door and onto the front porch. Still in a bit of a daze at what just happened.
After a few moments of silence, Jake attempts to break the silence. “So…”
“Look,” you interrupted him. “I'm sorry about this. I had no idea that my grandma would go through all this trouble to plan this when I told her— “
Noticing the huge pause you take, Jake takes it upon himself to probe for more detail. “When you told her what, hermosa?”
The way you bite your bottom lip in nervousness causes Jake’s thoughts to run rampant. Oh, what he would give to kiss them.
You blushed. “It’s embarrassing.”
“Try me,” Jake challenged. A soft smile on his face.
You take a deep breath before looking Jake in the eye. “I may have told my grandma that I had a crush on you,” you replied. “She probably decided to put all this together without fully considering— “
“Ilikeyoutoo,” Jake quickly gets out, partially hoping you heard him so he wouldn’t have to repeat himself again.”
“I beg your pardon,” you respond, your doe eyes looking curiously at him.
This time, it’s Jake himself who takes a deep breath before looking at you. “I like you too, (y/n). So much. I have for a while now actually.”
“Really?” You asked, eyes filling with what appears to be hope.
Jake nods. It’s because of your smile at him that he can continue professing what’s in his heart.
“I’ve been wanting to tell you for so long but was afraid you’d think that I was being a creep and going through all this trouble for ulterior, selfish motives. I truly like your grandmother and…”
Jake paused as he took in your facial expression. Still smiling, if not wider, at him.
“What is it, conejita? Is my not so smooth behavior a laughing matter?” he lightly joked.
You shook your head. “Would you believe it if I said that I thought the same thing regarding that you might think the same way?”
At this point, Jake couldn’t stop smiling. He couldn’t believe that she had the same concerns as him. If only either of them had spoken up sooner. Perhaps they would have already been together at this point celebrating their first Valentine’s Day.
What am I thinking? Jake thinks to himself. We are still celebrating our first Valentine’s Day together. Just a bit differently that he initially planned.
Therefore, he wasn’t going to let any more time be wasted between you both.
“Of course I do. Now, how about we talk about it further on our way to lunch?”
Jake finishes this by offering his arm out to you. He doesn’t wait for you long as you eagerly grab onto his arm.
“That sounds perfect, Jake.”
Both of you share one last smile before Jake takes the lead by walking you both out of the yard and into his taxi.
After opening and closing the front passenger door for you, he makes way to the driver’s side.
As he opens the door, and before he enters his vehicle, Jake happens to look back at the house and sees the little old woman peeking from the curtains and blinds.
The two make eye contact with one another for just a moment. However, the older woman breaks the stare by smiling and winking at him. In response, Jake smiles and nods his head in thanks before entering the vehicle. Though, Jake makes a mental note to properly thank his own Cupid for what he hopes will be the first of many dates with you.
A few seconds later, Jake eventually starts the car as the two of you eagerly talk about anything and everything as you make your way to your destination.
