The latest wormhole... Top Gun: Maverick @tgmsunmontue - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
The latest wormhole... Top Gun: Maverick
@tgmsunmontue
Side-blog. I follow from sunmontuewrites and my name's Janine/J9.
(For those that apparently need this info, I was born in the 1970s, so a fandom old and adultier-adult).
All completed fics can be found at: ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN, however if you want an up-to-date comprehensive list of completed works on Tumblr you can visit this Tumblr post, as it links to all my TG/TG:M fics (both AO3 and the first Tumblr post for that fic (useful for when AO3 goes down)).
I try and use sunmontuewrites to tag my writing and random ideas. It is also my main blog.
2026 SPREADSHEET OF WRITING TALLIES, UPDATES, WHAT TO WRITE WEEKEND, & COMPLETION STATUS.
2025 SPREADSHEET for those curious souls.
Top Gun BINGO Event 2025-2027.
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POSTING TO AO3 (despite not being completed)
Upon which our souls touch - 25/? - Hangster Fantasy AU - Not close to completion at all however was started as an AU Bingo 2024 and posted to AO3 for that so is being very slowly updated as we go...) (Last updated 29th July)
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WIPs (+ FIC IDEAS CURRENTLY GERMINATING)
FYI - everyone is welcome to take any of the ideas and do their own spin. Don't plagiarise obviously, but definitely feel free to take it and add your own twist.
A) Scattering seed to the wind to see what grows - 4/6 - Agripilot Bradley and Single Dad Jake and (longer fic based on this ramble) (Updated 7th June)
B) I am the rainbow sheep of the family - 2/? and also Blue Sheep - 3/? - A Hangster fic with everyone living based on the idea of Jake meeting Nick and Carole at a pride parade and being enveloped into their family. And then meeting Bradley. (Making a proper fic of this idea here). (Updated 11th July)
C) It takes a village - 21/? Co-parents Bradley and Natasha and NICU nurse Jake Seresin. RomCom vibes all the way. (Tumblr post) (Updated 8th August)
D) Love is only a feeling - 6/? - Hangster - Jake and Bradley gay-chicken and fake/pretend date each other into a relationship. Based on this rambling here (Updated 12th August)
E) Skinny dip with me in the moonlight - 3/4 - Hangster with Jake and Bradley meeting while both on leave. They're neighbors. Sort of. (yep yep yep) (Updated 27th July)
F) Chaotic and Unpredictable Trajectories - 1/3 - a Twisters / Gorge / TGM Mashup with twins Jake/Tyler and Bradley/Levi. Based on this riffing post here (11th July 2026)
H) Remember Me, Smart and Sassy, With Love - TGRBB sequel - posted 2nd August 2026
I) My words are under your skin - 3/4 - Hangster soulword trope subversion based on this tumblr ramble. (4th August)
J) Lay your hands on me - sequel/continuation of this fic which is very PWP (Posted 30th June)
LAST EDITED 12th August 2026
RECYCLYING BIN
Ideas I may revisit however have other ideas currently consuming my brain and I was running out of letter of the alphabet.
Practical Magic AU (Tumblr ramblings) (And further ramblings)
Two guys in the mines hooking up... (Madness)
Long-distance/Zoom D&D players. (Madness)
Rooster is a shapeshifter trapped in his animal form? Crackity crack crack. (Madness)
Community Theatre putting on Grease with a twist - Jake as Danny and Bradley the new Sandy.
IceMav Bingo of the Florist and Undercover agent variety.
Olympic AU - Jake and Javy are the Flyboys, a synchronised diving pair. Bradley is a gymnast.
Party of 5 AU - Jake raising his younger siblings and trying to run the family business and grieve the life he had started to build at College.
Bradley runs away and joins the circus. Tumblr ramblings.
Hangster TGM AU with them working in a mall together
Puppetry Troop Hangster
Divorced-dad Jake and Pre-K teacher Bradley Bradshaw
Didn't know they were dating and fake dating combo
Meet!Ugly through a car crash
Encanto/TGM crossover
Follow up on Dagger Squad reaction to Jake and Bob being twins - based around this comment.
5+1 Hockey Season ticket holders.
Like vinegar on my tongue... (and here)
Travel besties and then realising you love your best friend
Pitch a Date
Jake has a teenage niece
Rock-a-bye Baby - something @stars-of-nixie is working on (rubs hands in glee!)
MOVED 21st July - Ice in my veins - Hangster Hockey AU with Hangster being ex-es (like stood up at the alter type exes) and the trade deadline coming in hot and Bradley being traded in and all hell is about to break loose... Ramblings and more here Explanation why can be found here.
Tagged by the incredibly talented @welcometololaland who is making themselves accountable by sharing their WIP goals. I made myself a Bingo Card at the end of last year and that includes quite a bit of writing goals on it. I won't get them all the other goals done, but the writing ones are well in hand.
That said - adding three things here:
Finish Chaotic and Unpredictable Trajectories
Finish making the Hungry Caterpillar Quilt I am making
Get vegetable garden up and running for summer
I am not tagging everyone again but feel free to tag me if you're sharing. I like helping other people get things done while I procrastinate doing my own things... 🫣
Thinking about Bradley 'anger management issues' Bradshaw and how he gets extra snippy when he hasn't gotten off. His temper gets frayed even more easily, he's so much easier to rile up.
Now Hangman notices this, because he is AN EXPERT in Bradley Bradshaw and getting him to lose his cool. Thing is during the training for the mission Jake is a little taken aback because Bradley is on a hair trigger even for him. So, Jake starts digging, and he uncovers the whole Goose/Maverick connection. He wants Bradley to blow up, thinking it'll get it all out of Bradley's system. He is SO WRONG.
Because the thing is they are friends of a sort, they used to be close friends, fucked, then awkwardly kind of no-homo'ed their way through the morning after and then kind of distanced themselves from one another, splitting their previous close-knit friend group a little. Deployments come and go and it eases things a little but they never get back to what they had before (both totally think that fucking each other ruined their friendship, however if they had just talked they'd have realised they were mutually pining for each other).
They've both gone and had other relationships, (one of them got married, has kids/step-kids and is now divorced), and now they've been thrown together into this mission and Jake is trying to figure out what Bradley's deal is, so he eventually corners him and demands some answers. Suspects he knows the rough outline.
Sure enough, this is when Bradley admits he hasn't had sex with anyone in over 18 months. How he hasn't even been able to get off in about five months and Jake's mind is BOGGLING (also he has his answer as to why Bradley is wound so tight). Then, because he often speaks before thinking he offers to help him out. In the interest of saving everyone else from his bad temper.
And Bradley is SUPER hesitant, because he feels like their friendship has only just started recovering a little from the last time they fucked and that was a decade ago. Jake counters and says that if they've done it once and managed it'll just get easier. Practice and all that, right?
Bradley agrees and then Jake proceeds to blow his back out seven ways to Sunday and Bradley is suddenly in the BEST MOOD. Everyone notices. Bradley isn't just pretending to be in a good mood, he IS in a fantastic mood. Natasha is suspicious. Jake pleads the 5th.
Then he's picked for the mission and he thinks Jake is going to be mad at him, but instead Jake is dropping to his knees and sucking him off, fast and urgent. Jake doesn't say anything but Bradley feels like there are unsaid words now. Bradley's going to talk to Mav and sort that out, he and Jake are managing to still be friends and he's happy about that.
After they get back, all safe and sound, Jake pins him to the bed and rides him, Bradley just has to lie there and take it. Again feels like there is a whole conversation being had in the silence between them. Kind of imagining Jake crying and breaking down, finally feeling like he can. And Bradley is shook, because he didn't realise Jake cared about him this much or this deeply.
In which Jake and Bradley fall into a relationship together and keep being in a relationship because they both refuse to talk about it.
A 'they're totally dating, know that they're together, they're just not sure how, when or why that changed'...
PART ONE PART TWO PART THREE PART FOUR PART FIVE
PART SIX
The shaking in the bed wakes him up and he thinks for a second that it’s an earthquake, however he quickly realises that it’s Hangman, not quite thrashing in his sleep, but he is trembling. Bradley reaches out, hand hovering for a few seconds before he lets it settle on Hangman’s arm. The shaking immediately lessens and he wonders briefly if it’s because Hangman is cold, but it can’t be, he can feel Hangman’s body heat under his palm. While he’s trying to figure it out he feels Hangman suddenly go still, body relaxing completely and then there’s a grunt followed by a soft snore and he blinks. Hangman is fast asleep. Okay then. He falls back to sleep himself easily.
He wakes up again, freezing, realising that Hangman has somehow stolen all the blanket and wrapped himself in them like a burrito. He grumbles under his breath as he tugs the sheet and blanket free, pulls them back over himself, glad for the residual warmth on them from Hangman’s body. Hangman makes similar sounding sleeping noises and stays asleep and Bradley is impressed because he would have thought Hangman would feel weird sharing a bed with him.
A sharp kick to his shin wakes him up for a third time and he jolts awake, because surely Hangman is awake this time. But no, he’s still fast asleep and Bradley shoves him a little, back toward the other side of the bed, because he’s definitely migrated toward Bradley’s side. He still doesn’t wake up and Bradley finds himself envious of his ability to apparently sleep through anything. Bradley wakes at the drop of a hat unless he’s sick or physically wrung out. The only silver lining right now is the fact he knows he’s actually getting better, his body no longer keeping him asleep to heal. He falls back to sleep after a few minutes of listening to Hangman snuffle.
Weak light is creeping around the edge of the curtains when he wakes to Hangman clinging to him. More than just clinging, he’s got an arm and a leg thrown over Bradley’s body and his cock is hard and pressed into Bradley’s hip. Hangman is rocking ever so minutely against him and it’s kind of soothing in its own way. His own body is reminding him he ejected from a plane and crashed less than a week ago, and he knows he still has weeks of feeling achy ahead of him. The painkillers are good, but it’s been over eight hours, closer to ten depending on what time it is. It feels later than usual.
He lets himself lie there, his own cock getting harder with every minute rolling thrust of Hangman’s hips against his body. Bradley hasn’t jerked off since before the mission, his body too highly wired beforehand and then too tired and hurt after. Right now he’s not feeling too tired despite the broken sleep, and despite the deep painful ache in his body the underlying desire to chase pleasure is there, starting to thrum with more and more urgency.
Hangman is still asleep and Bradley wonders if he’d be going this slow and soft if he was awake. Guesses he’s going to find out given they’re in a relationship so sudden he’s still a little confused about how it came about. He shifts a little, wants to better feel the full length of Hangman’s cock grinding against him, wonders if he’s imagining the small uptick in Hangman’s breathing getting faster. Then he feels Hangman’s fingers curl and press a little too hard into his ribs and he can’t help the quiet grunt of pain. That, that more than anything is what apparently wakes Hangman up and Bradley immediately feels him shift away.
“Shit. Sorry Bradshaw…”
“No, it’s fine. You don’t have to stop.”
“What?”
“You, um, can keep going…”
“Don’t want to accidentally hurt you.”
He supposes he shouldn’t be as surprised by Hangman’s care as he is, but it’s still a novelty and also makes him feel a blindside by such a well-hidden character trait. Hangman has been so careful with him physically, his actions while asleep not withstanding. He ducks his head down to cover Jake’s lips with his own, mouth a bit sour but he doesn’t care. They kiss, bodies now carefully held apart and he misses the closeness but he can tell Hangman has his hand around his cock, is stroking himself while they make out.
“Let me watch you?” Bradley suggests, and the noise Hangman makes is half-groan half-gasp, but it is definitely affirmative. “Yeah? You like the idea of me watching you jerk off?”
“Want… want your hand on me more,’ Hangman mutters, and he’s shoving his pants down and Bradley lets himself take advantage of Hangman’s hand being busy and brushes the back of his fingers against the warm length of Jake’s erection,
“Well, my hand isn’t broken. Come here…”
“Fuck… yeah. Wait. Like this,” Jake says, and he rolls onto his side, away from Bradley before carefully shuffling back to tuck himself against the full length of Bradley’s body. He can reach around and he does so, finally wrapping his fingers around Hangman’s cock for the first time.
“Okay?”
“So okay…”
Bradley’s own erection is pressed against the curve of Jake’s ass and he’s glad he’s still wearing his sleeping clothes, although the idea of feeling all of Jake’s skin pressed against him is a heady one. It’s impossible to think of him as Hangman when he’s like this, warm and pliant and now naked in Bradley’s bed. This is Jake making little punched out groans as Bradley strokes him, Jake’s body twitching and jerking against him and he nuzzles into the curve of Jake’s neck, kisses and licks the skin there. Hears the low moan and feels the vibration of it against his mouth.
“Sound so pretty…” Bradley whispers into his neck, lets his teeth graze over the skin and moves his hand faster. He assumes Hangman would have said something if he wanted lube, demanded it. Bradley prefers it without, likes to be able to feel the shift of skin and the rougher friction. Jake isn’t cut so the movement of his foreskin up and down is also making the jerking off smoother, and Jake’s cock is kicking in his hand and Bradley’s hand is suddenly much more wet with Jake’s come, his body jerking and shuddering against his and Bradley hums, murmurs quiet reassurances and praise under his breath.
“Lie back baby…”
“Uh…” Bradley starts, and the wicked amused flash of Jake’s eyes make him want to kick him, but Jake is licking his lips and Bradley suddenly realises what he’s thinking of doing and he’d be an idiot to turn that down. He can bitch about Jake later.
“Gonna make you feel so good…”
He watches as Hangman, no, Jake, shifts backward down the bed, down Bradley’s body, placing light kisses on the skin as he carefully pulls Bradley’s sleep pants down, making sure they don’t catch on his jutting cock. Jake doesn’t bother taking his pants all the way off. Then the slick wet heat of Hangman’s mouth is on his cock and he entire body jerks at the almost overwhelming sensation and he grunts a little at the associated pain in his ribs.
“Sorry sorry, nice and slow…”
Bradley doesn’t know if slow is going to be better. The hard and fast would bring it to a finish quickly, or whether Jake dragging it out will be a different type of agony. Regardless he doesn’t muck about, his mouth and hands handling his cock and balls with a level of confidence that definitely screams Hangman. Part of him wants Jake plastered to him, pressing him down into the bed and holding him in place, while the other part of him is so incredibly grateful that Jake is being so careful of his injuries.
“This okay?”
“Don’t fucking tease…” Bradley snaps, fingers clenching into the sheets, not giving into the desire to curl them into Jake’s hair and pull no matter how much he wants.
“Not a tease sweetheart, just wanna take care of you.”
“Fuck Jake…”
“Mmm,” Jake hums, going back to sucking him, occasionally coming off to suck and lick at his balls and he feels lightheaded, glad he’s lying down already, his body feeling shaky with desire and the building need to come. Jake’s is making him sloppy and he’s starting to burn up from the inside with the need to come, muscles in his stomach jumping erratically, causing switching pain-pleasure to flare through him.
“God I wish I wasn’t hurt… want you to fuck me. Close Jake, fuck… so close…”
Then he’s coming and Jake is still sucking, like he doesn’t need to breathe, swallowing; and Bradley hysterically wonders what his lung capacity is like, his brain offering nothing more than white hot pleasure before he’s back to wincing a little at the pain and over sensitivity. Jake seems to notice, pulls off gently, kisses the head of his dick softly. Tender.
“Wish you weren’t hurt either,” Jake says, voice rough, kissing one of Bradley’s thighs and then hauling himself up to lie beside Bradley, close again but still not touching. He makes grabby fingers for the blankets, and Jake huffs, but reaches for them and pulls them up haphazardly to cover them both.
“So you could fuck me?” Bradley asks, hopefully teasing. Playful.
“Don’t want you hurt at all. The sex is a bonus…”
The sincerity is unmistakable and he can’t help the little smile, and it gets bigger when Jake ducks forward to press a kiss to his lips.
Thinking about how Bradley and Jake are BOTH the masculine manly man 💪 AND the damsel in distress 💅, it just depends on the current situation which one is which:
If there’s a bug in the house, Bradley handles it swiftly, heroically, and proficiently (while Jake dances a panicked jig on a table pointing and shrieking at it).
If the Bronco needs an oil change, Jake is laying under it with a flashlight in his mouth mumbling for Bradley to hand him the wrench. “No, no hon, that’s not a wrench. The long shiny thing with the C shape on the end. Yep, that’s the one.”
Jake’s mouth gets him into trouble, but he’s absolutely not a fighter. When the big drunk guys at the Hard Deck get tired of his snarky yapping and square up with him, Bradley quietly slides between them with a look. 95% of the time the drunk guys are intimidated enough to back down, but the 5% of the time fists are swung, Rooster lays them out quick.
Jake “I’m almost done with the back porch I just need to make sure the joists are level and then I gotta measure and cut the rest of deck boards, but I don’t like the flat cutoff so I’m gonna lay them at an angle and just made the porch a little bigger” Seresin
Bradley “…are you telling me those little lines without numbers on the measuring tape actually mean something??” Bradshaw
Jake sets the stove ablaze trying to fry an egg. Bradley swoops in (before Jake panic-throws his coffee on it) with the fire blanket that he bought for just such an occasion and smothers the fire while Jake frantically tries to fan the smoke away from the blaring smoke alarm.
Jake and Bradley both foam at the mouth witnessing the competency of their Big Strong Man in his element. 🥰
Bonus:
“Got it!”
Bradley and Jake, peaking hesitantly into the garage: “…are you sure??”
Natasha: “guys, it’s a bat not a fucking pterodactyl.”
(Yes! Again! Just like birthdays they keep rolling around! 🤣)
Back to Wednesdays of just sharing a snippet - saving the Q&A for the last Wednesday of the month, which will also come around much too fast. 💛💛💛 Have a wonderful week! Also, I am on holiday this week and next, so if you haven't already put something in for What to Write Whirlwind and want to, hit me up.
“Let me watch you?” Bradley suggests, and the noise Hangman makes is half-groan half-gasp, but it is definitely affirmative. “Yeah? You like the idea of me watching you jerk off?”
“Want… want your hand on me more,’ Hangman mutters, and he’s shoving his pants down and Bradley lets himself take advantage of Hangman’s hands being busy and brushes the back of his fingers against the warm length of Jake’s erection.
“Well, my hand isn’t broken. Come here…”
“Fuck… yeah. Wait. Like this,” Jake says, and he rolls onto his side, away from Bradley before carefully shuffling back to tuck himself against the full length of Bradley’s body. He can reach around and he does so, finally wrapping his fingers around Hangman’s cock for the first time.
On the soulmate train again but with a touch (bucket) of angst
Bradley has a dream one night, one that feels different from the other, generic shit he dreams randomly. This one is different because there's someone here.
Someone he has never met before.
"Hello?" He asks, standing a few feet away and not wanting to get closer. It's dark in this room, and chilly, with a rough floor below his feet.
No answer.
Bradley steps a little closer and raises his voice, asking again, "who are you?"
The person—a man, now that he can make out—shuffles slightly and turns, face still mostly hidden by shadows.
"You're not real." His voice is scratchy, hoarse like he hasn't spoken in awhile.
Or like he's been yelling. A lot.
Bradley frowns, stepping closer. "This is a dream, right?" He extends his hand, memories of stuff he'd looked up online when he was younger resurfacing. His parents were soulmates, dream sharing. He'd wanted to be exactly like them.
But not like this.
Before he gets too close the man flinches and backs away, pressing tight against the wall. "Don't — please."
Before Bradley can ask what he's begging for he startles awake and comes to in his base housing, sweat dampening his brow and heart racing. "What the fuck."
The dreams keep happening.
Sometimes, they're somewhere different—Bradleys' parents house back in San Diego, a farm in what looks like rural Texas, North island base housing—but most of the time they are here.
The room is made of cement and has no windows. Bradley only knows that because one of their dreams the light was on for once. But mostly its dark.
He doesn't know the name of the man, but he knows him. They talk about everything besides who they are and where they are, and Bradley knows without a doubt that his soulmate is in danger.
He tries to look for him in his waking hours, but it's difficult. More so when he gets deployed to a carrier and can't access the internet as easily.
This goes on for months.
He doesn't know who to tell. Who would even believe him? Hey, so I'm dreaming of this guy whose possibly being held captive? Maybe help me find him? But I don't know his name or age or anything.
Then, one day he's called to Lemoore, and as he's walking the halls he spots a wall of pictures. He mostly ignores these—he's used to seeing photos of the lost, a distant part of him always grieving for his father's photo back in NAS—but one of them makes him halt in his steps.
Upon closer inspection, he almost passes out from surprise when he comes face to face with his soulmate.
LT Jake "Hangman" Seresin.
Bradley calls Mav and finally tells him the truth, tells him about the dreams and the worries and the picture. Mav helps him find out more information (with Ice's help, of course) and together they find out what they can.
Jake, pilot, was shot down in enemy territory a year prior. No recovery. They assumed he was KIA, but according to what Ice found, they hadn't been able to find a body or even his tags, so technically he's MIA.
Bradley knows without a doubt that Jake is still alive.
The next time he dreams of Jake, he calls him by his name.
Jake looks stricken. "You found me?"
Bradley feels tears well up. "Not yet, baby. But we will. I will. I promise."
It takes another few weeks. There was a lot of red tape on Ice's end, and Mav cutting corners to ignore said red tape. They finally figure out where, exactly, Jake's plane went down, and then, somehow, Mav gets them an extraction team that is willing to drop into enemy territory to go and find Jake.
Bradley's tasked with finding out any defining details of the place—land markers and building schematics, anything. Jake is more reserved in those dreams, staying in the corner with his knees to his chest and head down. He answers questions readily but avoids touching Bradley unless it's to try and convince him to just let this whole thing go.
"I can't. I won't. You deserve to be safe. You deserve to come home. I'm going to give that to you." He promises.
Jake just stares. "Or risk dying to try."
They arrive at the compound just as night falls a week later. Bradley had demanded (pleaded, begged, bargaining with anything and anyone) until he was allowed on the ground. He needed to be there. Jake needed him there.
There were few people around, half a dozen if that, most surrendered easily. Some didn't. Bradley ignores them all, hyper focused on the tugging sensation pulling him towards the back end of the building.
The door is familiar, the creak and squeal of the hinge as it opens.
And then—
There, huddled in the corner but staring, green eyes wide and brimming with tears, was Jake. He looks ashen, cheeks gaunt and hands shaking, but he's alive.
Bradley rushes to him and drops to his knees. "Baby. Hey," he soothes when Jake all but falls into his chest, "I've got you. Shh, relax. Breathe for me, that's it." He rubs a gentle, calming hand up and down the protruding bones of Jake's spine, slow and soft until Jake's breathing calms enough to move him.z
"You found me." Jake rasps, voice thick. "You're real."
It's so much like the first dream and that punches a wounded noise from Bradley's gut, but he holds Jake close and rocks them gently. "Yeah, Jake. I'm here. I'm real. I promised I'd come get you, didn't i?"
"C'mon," he pulls back and helps Jake up on shaky legs, "let's go home."
brought to you by this tiktok and by @shorelinetides suggesting that jake has nipple piercings with Bs instead on the tiny balls on each end of the barbells.
warnings: married hangster (yes. it's a warning.), jake threatens bradley with a knife (it's fiiiiine), very sudden mention of their sexual activities, so ass play mention? but no actual violence or sex. either way, 18+ only, MDNI. i wrote this at midnight in twenty minutes and i will Not be proofreading it, so you get what you get and you're gonna like it
word count: 763, short n sweet
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If it were held in the hands of anyone other than his husband, Bradley might have been more terrified of the kitchen knife tapping against his car window. Don’t get him wrong—there’s still a high likelihood that he’ll die the second he rolls down the window, but that’d be a small price to pay for whatever egregious crime he committed against his husband to make him stomp outside with a kitchen knife at five in the morning.
The Bronco’s old enough that it doesn’t have automatic windows. The pane of glass descends comically slowly as Bradley cranks the handle, eyes never leaving the tip of the blade.
His voice is low, placating as he starts.
“Baby—”
“Forget something?”
The way Jake twitches the knife is almost enough to have Bradley flinching backwards, but he knows better.
No sudden moves.
He almost whispers it aloud, but that’d be surefire way to become a shish kebab, and frankly, he’d like to avoid that fate if possible.
Bradley swallows thickly and takes a harder (not closer, definitely not closer) look at the knife and promptly feels his stomach drop.
The knife suddenly feels much more warranted.
Gold glints against silver, and his left hand suddenly feels noticeable bare. He doesn’t have to rub his ring finger to confirm what he already knows.
“What, suddenly you’re not married anymore?” Jake drawls, head tilted, lazy as all get-out like he isn’t holding his lover at knife point. On a Tuesday. At five in the morning.
And maybe Bradley hit his head one too many times as a kid, or at flight school, or while ejecting from his Super Hornet at Mach Fuck after he got blown up, but he doesn’t apologize. Doesn’t placate the knife-wielding maniac he’s married to, doesn’t even try to explain that he’d taken it off in the first place because Jake was begging so sweetly for his fingers last night, and Bradley didn’t want to lose the ring in that tight little asshole of his.
Bradley’s gaze finally leaves the knife, eyebrows raised, suddenly unimpressed with the grand display.
“Sweetheart. You leave your ring at home every time we have a sortie planned, and I don’t exactly go around waving a meat cleaver in your face at the crack of dawn every time.”
“First of all, this is a chef’s knife, you absolute caveman,” Jake scoffs, the knife waving dangerously with each emphatic flick of his wrist. “Second of all, I have very permanent secondary jewelry for you specifically, and you don’t, so it’s not exactly the same, is it, darling?”
Bradley’s eye twitches. The coffee mug in his cupholder is far too full for him to have this conversation.
“Right, because your nipple piercings are always visible for the whole world to see, aren’t they?”
Clearly, it was the wrong thing to say, because Jake’s grin sharpens, and the knife gets just a little too close for comfort as he takes a step forward.
“Bradshaw”
Oh, good, we’re back to last names.
“Are you telling me you want to take my shirt off in front of everyone who flirts with me? Because I don’t think they’ll care much about the initials, if they even notice them. I think they’ll take that as a resounding yes to their advances, don’t you?”
Bradley doesn’t respond right away, his teeth grinding as he tries to ignore the very vivid scenario Jake is painting for him. Jake, of course, takes the opportunity to twist the knife.
“So, you do want me to flash anyone who hits on me.”
“No, I want you to wear your god damn ring—”
“And that’s what I want from you,” Jake says, voice suddenly chipper as can be. “So glad we’re on the same page, darlin’.”
The way he presents the knife to Bradley leaves no room for further argument, and Bradley silently takes the ring off the tip, letting out a long-suffering sigh as Jake finally, finally lowers the damn thing.
Jake leans through the open window, kissing Bradley with a little too much teeth to be considered an innocent goodbye kiss.
Just as Bradley lets himself give in to the kiss, Jake pulls away, lips sharpened into a grin.
“Have a good day at work, baby.”
Bradley watches as Jake turns and walks back into their house, gait cool and relaxed like it’s just a regular Tuesday. A soft laugh puffs out of him, and he shakes his head, looking down as he slides the ring back into place.
“Fuckin’ piece of work,” he mutters, disgustingly fond.
Hangster. Explicit. (2.5k chapter) Years before they meet in person Bradley and Jake strike up a friends-with-benefits relationship online. And then something more like an actual relationship.
A predominantly epistolary fic set in a world where papers were pulled and events of TGM will take place and DADT exists until it is repealed at the end of 2011.
The website they begin chatting on is called 'Jake', which was a site that existed back in the early 2000s. (It was too good an opportunity to miss).
Odd year = Bradely's POV and Even year = Jake's POV
>>Bradley chatting (bold and italics)
>>Jake chatting (italics)
Many thanks to @celandinebergerac, @phisworld14, @redfurrycat and @nevergettingoverit for being my sounding boards as I hashed this out.
2005 – Bradley
Bradley refuses to be grateful about his years at college. Going the ROTC route has meant he’s likely had a wider exposure to certain elements than if he’d gone to USNA but he still doesn’t understand why Pete pulled his papers, or why Tom let him, but they’re his past now. He has a new family, his fellow classmates and the online message boards he found when he was exploring. He’s got them in his corner no matter where he goes in the world now, his own private little cheering squad. Of course he’s been lonely in the holidays, but he’s made do. Usually working to earn money to see him through the next semester.
One thing he has saved and scrimped for is a laptop. A personal laptop that he can use to keep in touch with his friends he made online and at college. Yes he could of course use the communal computer labs, and he will need to do that to actually get closer to the WiFi signal, however he doesn’t have to use a communal machine, which makes him more comfortable considering what he often uses his machine for. He’s aware of what he says and does could be used against him, but he’s aware now that he could do something else with his life if he had to. Not that he wants to, but he will if he has to.
And it’s all been worth it. He’s made it, he’s at flight school, is a commissioned officer in the US Navy and now he just needs to be the best. He knows he’s good, flight school is highly competitive and the fact that he’s here is enough of a confidence boost that he’s actually good enough, no matter what Pete or Tom think. That it didn’t take anyone’s name to get him here. He settles into the orientation session, listening intently, taking notes, and looking around at the rest of the class. He recognizes a few faces, but most are simply a haze, although he knows that will change soon enough. A break comes and the woman beside him turns to him.
“Hi, Natasha Trace.”
“Bradley Bradshaw, nice to meet you.”
“Is that actually your name?”
“Yep,” Bradley sighs, resigned to going through the whole thing with another group of people.
“Ouch. My condolences.”
Bradley laughs, pretty sure he’s going to like her.
2006 – Jake
Jake stares at the name of the site and he’s pretty sure he could use Jake as his username, and no one would believe that it’s actually his name. And he’s not actually going to use his whole first name, he remembers a few details about staying safe online. He creates an account, his hands shaking a little because he’s not ever gone looking for anything like this before, not online. Not where he might get found out.
>>Okay, if that’s the year of your birth you need to change your username. That’s not a smart thing to put on here.
Jake stares at the message, then at his username. It needed to be eight characters or less and something he’d remember. Of course he’d gone with his initials and the year he was born. Of course that maybe wasn’t the smartest thing in the world in hindsight, but he’s new to this. What this PeteF14 thinks he knows isn’t much, because he’s fucking using a first name and the name of a fighter jet. It couldn’t be more obvious. Well, maybe he’s just a fan of fighter jets?
>>What’s wrong with JAS1986?
>>And you’re using your first name, that’s not smart either.
>>Pete is definitely not my first name. It’s not even part of my name. I hate the name Pete.
>>Oh my god, why did I use the name Pete?
>>I don’t know, you tell me.
>>Just someone from my past I’d rather forget. How about you call me Nick instead? Actually.
>>PeteF14 has changed their username to NickNick
>>Again not your name huh?
>>Nope. But it is a family name somewhere in the line of my ancestors.
Jake snorts, because that could be father, uncle, grandparents. Hell, it could even be part of a last name, which he guesses is actually pretty smart as names go, for it to be something so generic.
>>You need to make a new username though. There are some dodgy people online.
>>But not you right?
>>I can be plenty dodgy if the circumstances require it, but just doing my civic duty. Change your username kid.
Fucking fine. He doesn’t want to be kept calling kid by strangers on the internet. This isn’t why he signed up to this account.
>>JAS1986 has changed their username to JASTexas
>>No! Don’t put where you’re from. Or where you live. Fucking hell. Is this your first time or something?
>>Yes, if you must know.
>>What would you suggest? Considering your name was something you apparently hated and is now NickNick, which is ridiculous by the way, double-barrel names like that sound stupid.
>>This isn’t why I signed up to this site. And Texas is a fucking huge state, and even if I did still live there, it’s not where I live now.
>>Sorry. How about TJASX, or 00Austin, JASUSA maybe?
>>You suck at coming up with usernames.
>> JASTexas has changed their username to 00JASTYX
>>Hmm. Yeah. Better.
>>So glad to have your approval.
>>I can’t tell if you’re being a dick, or if you actually want my approval. Because I do like that you listened to me. If that’s something you’re into.
>>I don’t know what I’m into. First time remember?
>>First time online right?
>>No. Not just online.
He pushes the laptop away from himself, suddenly mortified that he’s admitted that to someone. Not that it matters, not that he just can’t outright lie about it, and he shouldn’t care so much, but… well. He does. He doesn’t like not knowing, not having that life experience. Not that he can just go out and get it, hence… this.
>>You ever slept with a guy?
>>Yep. I got the whole college experience under my belt.
>>I’m jealous. None of that where I went. And not really easy now either.
>>You ever had cybersex? I can tell you what to do to yourself. Might get you off.
Jake’s pretty sure there isn’t any might about it, is already getting hard just thinking about it, just having this tenuous connection with someone, anyone, that might in fact be like him. Fuck. He has no idea if this Pete-hating Nick guy is even a guy, or how old he is, or even where he is in the world. It’s all sorts of freeing actually, this level of anonymity that despite the fact that Nick knows he considers Texas home and is born in 1986 there is nothing else about him that can be used to identify him.
>>No, but I am very open to new experiences. You want to tell me what to do huh?
>>No, I think this time I want to tell you what I want to do to you.
>>You can touch yourself however you like.
>>Trust me, you can just read. Multi-tasking takes a while to figure out.
Jake snorts, but Nick probably, no, definitely, has more experience than Jake in all things sex-related and if all he has to do is read words on his screen then he can manage that. Although he’s going to practice, wants to be able to jerk off and type at the same time, get good at doing it one-handed. Wants to be able to reciprocate in the future.
>>Your first time, I’d kiss you, slowly and softly to start with, and I’d hold your body close, because I want to feel it against mine, solid and warm. I’d slip a hand between our bodies, run my fingers up the length of your cock, feel how warm it is, how heavy…
>>God I love the feeling of a cock in my hand, knowing how much pleasure it can bring.
>>We’re still fully clothed, I want to enjoy undressing you. I’m not touching your cock to get you hard, more giving you a promise of what’s to come.
Jake’s mouth is dry, his entire body tingles at the images and ideas this is creating. These words are meant for him, and him alone and he runs his fingers down his body in a ghosting imitation of what it might feel like to finally have someone else’s hands on him. This is exactly what he was looking for when he made the account, something real but also not too risky. A little risky though, but it’s not heading out to the nearest gay bar.
>>I’m pulling your shirt out of your pants, getting my hands onto your skin, just touching for a little before I go back and undo the buttons and push your shirt off your shoulders.
Jake groans, part of him impressed that his guy has somehow picked exactly what kind of shirt Jake is wearing, and he pulls it off, along with his singlet top, lets his hand stroke over his skin and is a little surprised at the responding shiver his body makes. He likes this even more than he thought he would. He shoves off his pants, not wanting to wait until Nick tells him he’s taking them off.
>>You’re enjoying it, enjoying my hands on you, warm fingers just tracing over your skin, making you feel desirable. I’m still kissing you, still pretty softly, I don’t want to spook you, not this first time. I run my hand down your body again and I find your cock. It’s gotten harder, pressing against the front of your pants and I can feel how thick you are. I want a closer look. A taste.
>>I kiss down your neck, along your jaw, suck at your nipples a little until I’m on my knees in front of you.
Jake groans, imagines some guy wanting to do this with him, to him, for him. He reaches for his lube, glad he doesn’t have to try and type, squeezes a little out, he doesn’t like it too slick, grips his cock and strokes, tries to imagine what a hot mouth would feel like sucking him down.
>>I know it will be warm, I’ll inhale through my nose, learning what you smell like. I’ll exhale through my mouth, pressing it to your cock so you feel the warmth of my breath through your pants around your most sensitive skin.
>>I undo the button of your pants, carefully lower the zipper, and then pull them down, tugging your underwear down carefully as well. Then I can finally taste, get my tongue on you, let my fingers dig into the muscles of your thighs and bring you closer to me.
>>I am not in any type of rush, I love giving blowjobs, gets me off, having a guy trust me this much. Just let my face rest there and breathe for a few seconds before I lick up your length, one of my hands coming to fondle your balls. Some guys love having their balls sucked, I wonder whether you will?
Jake bites his lip, his hand stroking harder and faster, wonders when he’ll get to find out, god he wants to find out. If this is how good the written word is he really wants to find someone he can try these things with in-person. He might have to wait a couple of years still, but fuck it’ll be worth it. God it better be worth it.
>>I lick at the head of your cock, place a light kiss and then I lick and purse my lips, making a warm slippery heat for you to press into and then I suck you into my mouth and all you can feel is sudden tight heat around your cock. I’ve moved my hand to the bottom of the shaft, stroking you there but I’m sucking the head and top half of your cock with the sole intent that I want you to come in my mouth.
Jake whines, his hips jerking as he imagines coming in someone’s mouth, having someone wanting him to come in their mouth. For it to be sexy rather than dirty or forbidden. That idea, that he will one day get to be sexy, that he will have someone that is his, that wants to be with him, is what has him coming, his breath coming in rough pants, loud in the quiet of his room, all the tenseness in his muscles suddenly turning into hot liquid as he comes and he groans.
>>I reach for one of your hands, get you to run your hand through my hair, encourage you to pull a little as I suck you harder and faster. I want to make you noisy, want to hear your pleasure when you come. Want you to come.
Jake quickly wipes himself clean, the tissues by his head there pretty much there solely for this purpose and he wants to go and wash his hands before typing but he types one thing before sprinting to the little bathroom and washing his hands as quickly as possible before running back to his bed and laptop.
>>Wow.
>>Mmm. I’ll take that as a compliment.
>>I hope that was an okay first time.
>>You know where to find me if you want to.
Jake shivers, re-reads the words, because first time implies there will be more and he can only imagine the things he might get to share.
>>Thanks.
>>That was really something.
>>Was good. Amazing.
>>I enjoyed it.
>>A lot.
Oh god, he’s babbling through the internet and the guy is probably laughing at him.
>>Good. I’m glad. Can’t vouch for your first time in real life, but at least you can always hit me up if you find the real thing lacking.
>>Actually the real thing can take some practice and experience to get right, so don’t just go with the first guy who shows interest okay? Learn from my mistakes at least.
>>Your first time wasn’t good?
>>Nope. Got better of course. Eventually. But I had years at college to figure things out. Now I’m not at college, but I’m still figuring things out. Young yet though. Got time. Not as young as you though.
>>Haha. I’m legal.
>>Yeah well, I’ll have to take your word for that.
He signs off, feeling a little awkward and he wonders how awkward it would be if it was face-to-face. Yeah, he’s really not ready for that yet.
The awkwardness fades though, and he chats with Nick almost weekly. They definitely get better at the sex talk, and Jake becomes adept at one-handed typing. They also talk about other stuff, and Jake can feel like he can ask him anything, be open with his worries about his career, without going into detail about what that career is exactly. Nick is non-judgemental, answers all his sex questions and when he goes looking to verify some of the answers he finds that the information he’s getting is solid. Correct. It makes him trust him. Probably more than is wise, but he doesn’t share any further information that could identify him. The risks are too high and Nick hasn’t offered up anything either.
Then Nick says he’s going to be online less regularly, maybe not online at all, potentially for five to seven months and Jake is surprised at how disappointed he feels. Somehow, with the sex and the talking and the fact that he’s been able to be so open with Nick about being gay makes Nick feel like his best friend. He has other friends, but none of them know he’s gay. He’s far too scared to tell them.
Hmm... Hyper competitive Jake Vs a stubborn AF Bradley. Definitely has potential. Secret relationship? Because this is... Yeah. Daggers sitting around moaning, asking why Payback had to bring it up, a game he used to play in high school. Because Hangman is always up to play a game, especially when he can win it. Thinks he can make Bradley break and put his hands all over him.
Bradley is more used to denying himself nice things though, so he goes into it pretty confident he will actually win...
“It’s a game we used to play in high school. Better than spin the bottle…” Payback says.
“That is not a high bar,” Phoenix mutters, exchanging a look with Jake and he tilts his bottle of beer at her in a silent toast, wonders if she’d play anyway, or want to watch Bob and Javy duel it out. He’s not going to ask.
“Come on then, explain the rules…”
“Uh. Just… well. Two people kiss without stopping but they can’t touch each other.”
“If they’re kissing, surely they’re already touching each other?”
“Their lips are allowed to touch. But nothing else. No hands or other body parts…”
“Wait. So how does the game end?”
“When one person touches the other, with their hands or their body…”
“And what does the winner get?”
“Uh, usually they got to do whatever they wanted to the loser…”
“Seriously?”
“Gross…”
“No! Not like that! Like… shaved eyebrows. Or dyed hair. Or uh… a date.”
“First kiss before the first date? Really?”
“It’s how my wife asked me out,” Payback mutters and then everyone is cooing at him, Fanboy even reaching over and pinching his cheek which he swats away with an annoyed huff. Jake grins and throws back the remainder of his bottle, because he’s met Susanna, Mrs Payback, and he is not surprised in the slightest that she was the one to ask Payback out.
“Wait. So you played this game and lost?”
“I mean… I ended up married to the love of my life, so did I really lose?”
Half the squad are now pretending to throw up and Jake laughs, because it’s actually kind of sweet, even if it’s equally ridiculous.
“Phoenix? You up for the challenge?” Jake throws out, just for the hell of it, and because he knows she’ll say no. He’s about to be shot down in flames but he’ll gladly take the heat.
“Of course you’re first in line for an adolescent game. Also never in a million years. How about you try this little game with…” she pauses and looks around, eyes falling on “Rooster.”
“Nat!”
“I’m game if you are…” Jake says, and it won’t be the first time he’s kissed Rooster. They’ve been, well, for want of a better word, fucking, for the last few weeks. Which has definitely helped ease the tension between them. Jake wonders if it’s all been built up and denied sexual attraction all along or whether Bradshaw has simply had the stick loosened from his ass by Jake’s dick. Helped along by saving his life. He waits for Rooster to reply, wonders is he’s going to be shot down a second time, although this one will sting a little more.
“Sure. Fine. Whatever,” Rooster says, and he tosses back the rest of his bottle of beer but Jake doesn’t miss the flush rising up his neck or across his cheeks.
“So just my lips can touch? Can I move them to other parts of his body?”
“Uh… I never needed to ask for that level of… um… clarification,” Payback offers and Jake lets his lip curl, because he’s not just going to play, he’s playing to win. He’s not going to get disqualified on a technicality.
“House rule Payback, what is it?”
“Uh. Someone’s lips have to be touching the other person at all times.”
“Anywhere on their body?” Jake stresses.
“Uh…” Payback is looking wildly to the other Daggers for some help but they’re all shrugging, clearly happy to watch him flounder.
College AU featuring Bradshaw!Twins Bradford and Bradley, a Jake Seresin with a crush, and a long-suffering Javy Machado.
“He’s so fucking hot,” Jake whines and Javy rolls his eyes, clearly sick of hearing about it but Jake just can’t help himself.
They’re watching a group play ultimate frisbee, a sport they’ve both learnt to come to appreciate watching when the teams differentiate themselves by shirts and no-shirts, the women stripping to tanks and everyone wearing the shortest-shorts they apparently seem to own. Jake approves, even if he doesn’t really understand how the game itself works. But the guy is playing, and Jake has dedicated a lot of time to watching him.
He’s been seeing the guy everywhere on campus, can’t seem to walk anywhere without seeing him and it’s really fucking distracting. He goes to the pool, and the guy is there. He goes to the gym, the guy is there. He goes to the library, the guy is fucking there. He’s not in any of Jake’s classes thankfully, he does get some reprieve, however if the guy was in a class he’d have an actual chance of learning his name.
“Where’s your infamous charm now? Why don’t you just go and ask him out?” Javy asks. While there are a lot of names being thrown around, it’s impossible to tell which one belongs to the guy in question.
“I… I can’t.”
“Seriously? You can’t? You’re actually… oh my god. You actually care about getting rejected by this guy.”
Part of Jake wants to snap that he doesn’t care. And that he doesn’t get rejected. However he has to admit that he usually doesn’t get rejected because he generally only asks people who are a sure thing. People who have made their interest known. With this guy, he just doesn’t know. Sometimes he thinks that maybe yeah, he’d totally be down to going out with Jake. Maybe. And other times there’s definitely zero interest. So it’s not like the guy is blowing hot and cold. More like… barely lukewarm and cold. Maybe once or twice he thinks there was something, but it had been gone so fast he’s pretty sure he imagined it.
… … …
“I think I’ve found you an in. The guy is a member of the Delta Frat. And he’s a senior. That’s why he’s not in any of our classes.”
“He’s in a frat?” Jake asks, pulling a face.
“Yeah, and I am totally judging your taste. Because not only is he in a frat, but his name is Bradford Bradshaw.”
“Oh god…” Jake groans, because that is one hell of a name. But he has a name now, and he recognizes it as being one yelled out while watching ultimate frisbee, so it sounds like it is probably the same person.
“And, because they’re a frat, they’re having a party on Friday night to celebrate… the end of the week probably. I don’t remember. Anyway, I got the details. You owe me.”
Jake feels like he might throw up.
Javy has gone to all this effort for him, he can’t just not use it.
… … …
They stand in front of the house and it doesn’t seem like there’s a party and they look at each other hesitantly before Javy shoves him into motion with a push to his shoulder.
“Just walk up and knock. Come on.”
He huffs out a breath and squares his shoulders. He can do this. He raises his hand to knock and then the door is opening away from him and there’s a guy standing there looking at them, wide smile on his face, and at least he looks welcoming rather than asking them who the fuck they are.
“Oh, hey man, just go straight in. Mickey’s out the back heating the grill, think Bradshaw’s in the kitchen. You’re a bit early, game doesn’t start for another hour.”
He exchanges a look with Javy, because that would have been useful information to have, and he also feels empty handed, like maybe some chips and dip wouldn’t have gone astray, because it seems far too settled, too quiet, considering they’re having a party, and Bradshaw is in the kitchen. Chips and dip would give his hands something to do, something to hold onto. Reaching out to grasp hold of Javy just doesn’t elicit the image he’s at least trying to portray here.
There’s posters and scarves for different teams. A pair of silicon boobs is sitting on a shelf beside what Jake is pretty sure is a bong. Beside which is a dildo. Okay then. They walk further into the house, and there he is. Bradford Bradshaw, in the kitchen as promised, poking at an assortment of Jello shots in the fridge. They’re arranged like a rainbow, and it gives Jake a little flare of hope, because so far, the house had been very… frat bro aesthetic.
“Uh. Hi. I’m Jake.”
“Hey man. Bradford. I think I’ve seen you around. Swim team right?”
“Uh, yeah,” Jake manages to croak, because that also bodes well for him, that the guy has at least noticed him enough to know that. “I’m actually here to see if you’d be interested in going out sometime,” Jake says, surprised his voice sounds fairly level given how badly he feels like his insides are shaking.
The guy has looked up sharply at that, his eyes have gone wide and he’s suddenly looking supremely fucking awkward and Jake shrinks inside. God. He’s about to get rejected. At least he can just leave. And maybe transfer to another college. Or country.
“Oh… dude. I’m flattered. Seriously. Uh. Look. You want the good news or the bad news first?”
Jake isn’t quite sure how there is any good news to come out of being rejected and he just shakes his head, is already stepping back, heading toward the door. But the guy is quick, slaps his hand against it and looks at Jake likes he’s an idiot. Sue him, maybe he is.
“So, bad news, I’m mostly pretty straight. And I know that without any shadow of a doubt,” Bradford says, like he’s trying to somehow let Jake down gently, but he seems happy or eager about something, like crushing Jake is somehow making his night. “So, while I don’t really bat for your team I did say I have some good news. I have an identical twin brother who is very not straight, so… lets go find him!”
“Uh, what?”
“An identical twin. Well, identical enough. So if it’s all this you want to get up in on, then I have another model that I think would be very, uh, interested,” Bradford says, gesturing at himself and Jake despairs of himself, because unfortunately he is very much interested in getting all up in that. He looks to Javy, who has followed them, and he’s glad, because they’re walking down the street past other houses. He’s pretty sure he’s not getting pranked or anything, most people don’t invent something like an identical twin out of thin air as a joke…
“How do you know? That he’d be interested?” Javy asks, and Jake blinks, looks between them, because he hadn’t caught that, his mind too busy processing the idea that there are two guys that look like this and that he wasn’t going mad thinking he was seeing them everywhere.
“What?”
“Would you believe twin telepathy?”
Jake raises an eyebrow disbelievingly and scoffs.
“No.”
“That’s a good thing, he doesn’t buy into any of that bullshit either. What he has been doing though is whine about this guy…” he says, turns to give Jake a quick up and down glance which makes him flush a little, because this is still the guy Jake has been sort of drooling over the last few weeks. “You happen to have a toothpick on you?” Bradford suddenly asks, apropos of nothing and Jake glares at Javy when he snorts.
“Yeah, I have a couple. Why?”
“Oh yeah, you’ll do. He’s been mooning over this guy with an oral fixation that won’t stop flicking a toothpick with his tongue. And buddy, I don’t know how many guys are walking around with a supply of toothpicks to fellate, but I’m pretty sure I’m about to fucking play cupid.”
Javy is outright laughing now and Jake punches him in the arm, wrestles away from the noogie Javy tries to give him in retaliation.
“What’s his name?” Jake asks, trying to straighten his hair, no idea how close they might be getting, but they’ve been walking pretty fast for about five minutes now.
“Bradley.”
“Your parents named you Bradley and Bradford?”
“Our parents think they’re hilarious. Last name Bradshaw remember.”
“Yikes.”
“It’s fine, means we’ve got thick skin and a decent sense of humor. Although, while I can commend you on your taste, he is definitely the more boring twin. See if you can make him come to the party, I made the Jello shots especially for him.”
Oh. That’s kind of sweet Jake realizes, showing support through no-doubt alcoholic Jello shots arranged in rainbow colors.
“I’ll ask him.”
“Good thing you’ve got balls and are doing the asking, because he’d never get around to it. Anyway, this is him,” Bradford says, and he’s just pushing the door open and kicking his shoes off and Jake exchanges a look with Javy and just follows after him, scrambling a little to keep up as Bradford just calls out a general welcome to the house, telling anyone who can hear him that it’s only him, and not someone here to steal their shit. From somewhere there’s an answering yell about them having nothing worth stealing and Jake blinks, because he’s in the dorms, and this isn’t a frat house, but it’s still a shared house of some sort, smaller for sure. Then Bradford is banging on a door, and Jake sucks in a deep breath, because this must be Bradley’s door. His bedroom. Oh shit, suddenly this feels far too personal and he feels like he’s shaking.
“Bradley!” Bang bang bang. “Bradley stop jerking off and answer your door man.” Bang bang bang. “Dude, come on, I will open this door on you…”
Then the door swings open and there is another man standing there, the spitting image of Bradford, but he looks furious, eyes flashing, knuckles white where they’re gripping the door and Jake swallows nervously, but also a little turned on. That anger isn’t directed at him after all.
“For fucks sake Bradford, I’m trying to study!”
“Yeah, not anymore you’re not. Here. I come bearing gifts. You can thank me later.”
Then Jake is being grabbed and hauled in front of Bradford like a human shield and the change in expression from anger to surprise on Bradley’s face is immediate.
“Uh, hi.”
“You’re the guy from the library,” Bradley says and Jake nods.
“Yeah. I didn’t realize you had a twin brother.”
“Yeah, my whole life.”
“Um. Did you want to… um. Get a drink sometime?” Jake asks, and the way Bradley is looking at him is still surprised, like he can’t believe Jake is there. And Jake hadn’t ever planned to do this in front of Javy and somehow, the identical twin of the guy he’s got a crush on. Well, he was told going to college would give him new life experiences.
“What?”
“A date. Or something. Or just studying together if you don’t have much time. Just, uh, I wanted to ask you out.”
“And my work here is done,” Bradford says, taking a step back and making a bow. “I’ll see you round. You want to come back with me?” Bradford says, turning to Javy with the last question, and Javy’s giving Jake a little salute, slap to the arm and he’s leaving with Bradford; leaving Jake there alone.
They stand there awkwardly looking at each other and Jake’s wondering if he should maybe just leave, because Bradley hasn’t said anything else, not even yes to Jake’s jumbled date asking.
“I think I’m just going to go. Leave you to it.”
“No! Sorry… I’m just. You want to go out with me?”
“Yeah. I’d like to… get to know you.”
“Yeah, okay. That would be nice. What’s your name?”
“Oh shit. Jake. My name’s Jake Seresin. It’s nice to meet you.”
The smile Bradley gives him is breathtaking and Jake can’t help but smile back, his stomach feeling like a kaleidoscope of butterflies has made itself at home, but he feels a lot less nervous now.
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
They kind of stand there and just grin at each other for a few moments, and Jake feels so relieved that Bradley seems to be into him.
“Oh. Did you want a drink, or to… go out somewhere? Now?” Bradley asks.
“Well, we could go to the party. Just walk there, say hi, then walk back…”
“You don’t want to actually spend time at the party?”
“No, not really. I was only going to meet you, so… Think your brother might like to see you there though.”
“I think the last thing Bradford wants is me there killing his vibe, but sure, a walk sounds nice.”
… … …
As they walk their arms brush and bump occasionally and Jake finds himself unable to stop smiling. He’s also pretty sure he’s blushing, but Bradley is definitely blushing, so Jake doesn’t care. They’re walking slowly, ambling really, neither in a rush. They’ve talked about what they’re studying, their families, friends and now…
“I need to teach you how to tell Bradford and I apart. For a start, he’s left handed. He’s also taller and heavier. I’m the oldest though, but you can’t tell that from looking.”
“Hopefully I get to know you well enough I’ll just be able to look and easily tell you apart. Your parents can tell you apart, right?”
“Yeah. Mostly. As long as they’re actually paying attention. Our voices changed when we went through puberty. We sound pretty much the same now, except for the part where he sounds like a typical frat-boy jock.”
“You do seem to have very different personalities,” Jake concedes, and part of him is glad that Bradley seems more chilled out than Bradford.
They’re back in front of the Delta Frat and Bradley is pulling a face and rolling his eyes, and Jake laughs, reaches for his hand to tug him inside.
“Five minutes. Ten max and then we can leave. Okay?”
“Okay. I’m holding you to that.”
Jake grins and then pushes the door open. There are a lot more people here now, there’s music and a football game being projected onto a white wall in the living room. There’s a keg and the smell of cooking meat. It’s still early, no-one appears drunk, although he’s sure that’s a certainty considering someone is setting up beer pong. Bradley is rolling his eyes and Jake pokes him for good measure, it’s not his scene either, but he’s not going to judge his peers if they want to take part.
“Bro! You made it! Oh my god, you’re a miracle worker already!” Bradford says to Jake, slapping him on the back and reaching out to give Bradley a fist bump. “I made you Jello shots! Rainbow Jello shots!”
“Of course you did…” Bradley sighs.
“It’s sweet of him,” Jake murmurs in Bradley’s ear, because he doesn’t know either of them well, not yet, but he imagines one of his siblings trying to be supportive by making him rainbow colored drinks at a party and it is sweet.
“They’re Redbull and vodka, caffeine and alcohol, avoid at all costs.”
“One won’t hurt…”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a paper-wrapped toothpick, strips the paper off and runs it around the inside of the shot glass, loosening the Jello so he can better suck the entire thing into his mouth. His tongue is running over the bottom of the shot when he realizes exactly what it might look like, because Bradley is watching him with hooded eyes and he swallows, nervous again.
“You and your fucking toothpicks.”
Jello now gone Jake sticks the toothpick in his mouth and rotates it 360, raises an eyebrow.
“I think you have a thing for my toothpick…”
“I have a thing for a guy who might have an oral fixation. It’s been five minutes; can we go now?”
“Lead the way.”
“You guys leaving already?” Bradford asks.
“I have better things to do,” Bradley states and Jake snorts.
“Yeah you do! Go. Have fun.”
“Oh my god…”
“I’ve only known him like an hour, you walked right into that one,” Jake says, grinning, letting Bradley pull him out of the house.
“He’s the worst.”
Jake isn’t going to agree or disagree, because he’s pretty sure Bradford would die for Bradley, but also if anyone pointed out to him how much his siblings loved him, he’d also deny it until his dying breath. He does laugh along with Bradley though, as they walk back to his place, and he doesn’t miss Bradley’s eyes flicking to his lips, where the toothpick is still being worried at between his teeth. They’re almost back to Bradley’s when he slows to a stop and turns toward him, and the street is quiet and empty.
“Can I kiss you?”
Jake quickly takes the toothpick from his mouth and throws it into the nearest bush.
“Yes, yes you definitely can.”
(FYI - all photos (and children) are my own. I haven't gone and posted pictures of someone else's kids without their consent etc.)
This fic fills the "Frat Party" square on my Top Gun AU Bingo card, as well as the "Free Space" which can be either a College AU, or Bradshaw Twins AU.
