Work Text:
A: Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)
Hangman isn’t overtly affectionate. Your phone number is one of his top contacts aside from the others in the squad. He is an extremely physical person, so affection when it comes, comes in the form of searing possessive kisses in the bar, a swat on the ass when you go to get another drink, his fingers through your beltloops to keep you close by. He’s with you why does he need to prove it everyone else. Aside from physical affection, he has an impeccable memory and remembers small things. Saw a shirt you like and commented on it? It’ll show up in the laundry a couple days later. Mention in passing your favorite flower, sweet thing to eat? He’ll get it for you, but he doesn’t make a big deal out of it. Again, he's with you and that’s all that matters.
B: Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)
His best and closest friendships start as competition. Always neck and neck barely ahead of each other. Until one of you gets the genius idea to work together. That’s when the real trouble starts. Hangman surrounds himself with quality, and that extends to the people he values in his life. You get under his skin, and he gets under yours.
C: Cuddles. (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)
You have to specifically ask him to be held. Most of the time he sits too close to you on the couch, the line his leg pressed against yours, his arm tossed over your shoulders while watching television together. When you do ask, he is the big spoon—end of story. He is pressed tightly behind you, arms wrapped around your stomach, your head tucked up against him. One leg between yours, ensuring as much contact as he can possibly get. It’s when he gets like this you can feel him relax. His posture will soften, his breathing slow, eventually his cheek nuzzling against your hair, or the press of his lips against the top of your head. If he’s had a bad day, something affecting him emotionally, or if a mission had a few hiccups, he’ll walk up, yank you against him, your face pressed to his chest, hands at the small of your back. You can’t move with how tight he’s holding you. His face is pressed against your hair, and you’ll never say it to him, but you like that he trusts you enough to be that vulnerable.
D: Domestic. (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)
Domestic life is something he hadn’t really considered. He’s a bachelor and enjoys that lifestyle. His apartment is very clean, tidy everything has a space and stays in that space. He’s got framed photos of landscapes and skyscapes on the walls and when you ask him about them, he’ll tell you all the details of a fifteen-mile hike to get to a waterfall or flying a chartered flight for some friends and taking pictures of farmland from the air at sunset. This man can cook. He eats clean to maintain his body/muscle mass but quickly got bored with simple chicken breasts and greens. He started exploring different cuisines and foods. He likes good food and doesn’t settle. He’ll cook amazing meals for you.
E: Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)
Up front and blunt. If he gets into a relationship, a genuine relationship and not just hook-ups, that’s an incredible amount of trust and vulnerability for him. He would tell you in no uncertain terms that the relationship was done. He’d have his stuff packed and gone if he had moved in with you. If you moved in with him, he’d be gone for a couple days to let you get your belongings.
F: Fiancé/Fiancée (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would hey want to get married?)
Hangman keeps people at arm’s length. It takes a while to get past the arrogance, cockiness and abrasive personality layers. But once you do, you’re his, and there’s nothing changing that. He wants someone who can keep up with him and realize that while he’s a cocky son of a bitch, there is some masking going on there. There will be a conversation about exclusivity and monogamy. Once you’ve had that conversation and agreed to it, or agreed to keep things casual, it will stay that way. Marriage is something he doesn’t really think about on a surface level. However, if you’ve agreed to be with him, he’d offer it casually. He has a dangerous job, and he would want to make sure you’d be taken care of if something happened to him. It would be a private courthouse ceremony probably having a couple members of his squad and a couple of your friends as witnesses. He’d have a massive party afterward to show you off.
G: Gentle. (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)
He can be physically, but again you have to tell him specifically what you want. Emotionally he keeps his own at a distance. He’ll listen to you and offer solutions that are practical and will make the other person look stupid. He equates gentleness to intimacy and that’s something he has hang ups about. It will take a long time for him to show that side of himself.
H: Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)
Fast, hard and tight. Squeeze of your rear end if he’s feeling particularly playful or possessive. He’s more likely to drape an arm over your shoulder, or around your waist.
I: I love you (How fast do they say the L-Word?)
It happens when it’s clearly become more than hook-ups, or car sex. In the quiet when he thinks you’re asleep, just before he drops off. Or in the early morning when the only light comes from his bathroom, and he’s getting ready for work, and you’ve already stolen the warmth from his side of the bed and dozing. The first time he says it to your face is when you meet him on the airstrip when he returns from a mission. You had launched yourself at him, and he caught you, holding you close. It felt so good to be in his arms, the familiar scent of his soap, and even the well-worn flight suit that it took you a couple moments to realize that he had kissed the top of your head and said that he loved you. He kisses you before you can respond, because how could you not love him? He’s perfect.
J: Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)
Hangman is cocky for a reason. He’s good. He’s very good. You’re with him, why would you lower your standards once you’ve had the best? On the other hand, he does enjoy riling you up and watching you get possessive. He’ll wink at people who try to catch his eye, or chat with them standing a little too close. It’s a game to him, he likes to win, and he likes to see you fight for what’s yours.
K: Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)
He approaches kissing the way he approaches most things. Once you’ve experienced what he can do, you’ll want to have more. He’s all encompassing, one hand in your hair, the other at the small of your back. You’re pressed tight against him, feeling every ounce of strength in that body. Possessive, and maddeningly slow, he takes his time, puts on a show. He steals your breath, mind and leaves you gasping against him when he’s done. He’s also fond of pinning you against a wall, one knee between your legs, again maintaining as much bodily contact as he can. You’re his, and he’ll claim your mouth over and over again until it’s all you can think of. He starts with kissing you on the mouth, down the neck. When he’s feeling needy or wanting your attention, and only your attention he kisses you on the top of your head. He wants your mouth on you wherever and however he can get it.
L: Little Ones. (How are they around children?)
This one surprised you. You hadn’t expected him to agree to come meet the entire family at once, but here he was at the annual back yard picnic. Your parents have welcomed him in, most of your family stealing him away for conversation. At one point you lost track of him, and when you went to go find him, a beer in hand for him and one of your own, you found him down at the makeshift baseball diamond. Standing on the pizza box that was the stand in pitching mound, a tiara on his head, and glove on his hand pitching underhand balls to your younger family members who would swing and miss. You find out later that he’s not sure of having kids of his own, but his siblings have tons, and he likes being the ’fun’ uncle.
M: Mornings (How are mornings spent with them?)
Hangman in the morning during the work week is mission oriented. Wake up, work out, shower, shave, coffee (black) and to work. He’ll pour you a cup of coffee and leave it on the counter for when you wake up. On the weekends or when he’s on leave, he stays in bed as long as he possibly can. When the need for food or coffee drags you both out of bed, you get to make coffee, and he makes breakfast. He’ll put on music, sing along under his breath unless you make him sing along out loud with you. Breakfast will probably happen in the kitchen, a plate of French toast and bacon sitting on the island between you.
N: Night (How are nights spent with them?)
Nights out either with your or his friends you get Hangman. The same, smug, cocky arrogant asshole that you’ve found yourself falling for. When it’s just the two of you, you typically end up on the couch watching movies. You’ve stolen one of his t-shirts, and he’s down to just gray sweats. He really likes movies, so there’s not a lot of playing around when you’re watching something. He’ll play with your hair or let his hand rest on your upper thigh. Dinner dishes will be left on the coffee table, probably with sticky bowls of melted ice cream. Nothing happens until after the credits roll and the movie returns to the title screen.
O: Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? DO they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)
Hangman is a storyteller. He talks a big game, and it’s up to whoever is listening to comb through the layers of self-appreciation, hero inflation, and just how important -he- is to the story. There are bits of truth buried there, and those who figure that out get to see what kind of man he really is. Yes, he’s self-important, confident, arrogant and a self-proclaimed gift to humanity. To get him to be open with his emotions and acknowledge that he has them other than “of course you’re interested in -me-“ it takes a while. Most of the time it comes out late at night when you’re both on the edge of sleep. That’s when he's the most willing to share things that he normally wouldn’t.
P: Patience (How easily angered are they?)
This man is hotheaded and likes to push buttons. Once he knows he’s under your skin, or knows exactly what buttons to push, you’re at his mercy—his interactions with Rooster are a prime example of this. When it comes to you, he’ll explain something once or twice, with detail, and he’ll get frustrated if you don’t catch on quickly.
Q: Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? DO they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)
Hangman is extremely detail oriented. It’s part of his job and has bled into every aspect of his life. He doesn’t really keep with the traditional anniversaries. However, he’ll make you a meal and mention that you shared this together the first time you stayed over. It’s not something that he acknowledges but he remembers everything you make a note of relationship wise.
R: Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)
When he realized that he loved you. You had agreed to go out with him and the squad, Rooster had taken over the piano leading the bar in a raucous sing-along. You had drifted over to join in after brushing a kiss to Hangman’s cheek. His beer was warm, the bottle sweating, label peeling, but his attention was on you. Your smile as you leaned against Fanboy belting out the chorus with everyone else made something in Hangman’s chest catch. When the full force of your smile was flashed his way, he knew that nothing would ever feel as good as that—and that he would do his all to keep that smile just to himself.
S: Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)
He is protective. You’re -his-, and he protects what’s his. He enters rooms first, he puts you in the car first, when you’re walking down the street, he’s on the outside. When you’re out together, you’re never outside of his reach. He’ll keep a hold of your waist, or beltloops if you’re standing around at the bar. When you’re sitting together, his hand is on your knee of thigh. He’s got a security system at his apartment, and when he finally gives you a key it’s a big deal for him. When it comes to protecting him it's more breaking down the walls he puts up. He sometimes has nightmares, he’s seen combat it’s a given, and when that happens, once your voice has cut through that fog and fear, his shoulders will
relax. It’s then that you can sit next to him on the edge of the bed, hand on his back. He won’t go into details about the dream, but he finds so much solace in your touch and your presence next to him.
T: Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)
Hangman likes to show you off for dates. He’ll take you to nice restaurants, clubs, dancing. You know that you’ve broken through when he takes you to the bar to hang out and play darts with the rest of the squad. When it comes to gifts, early on it’s flashy stuff. The closer you get, the more tailored to your likes the gifts become. He’s not really a gift giver, but he does try.
U: Ugly (What would some bad habits of theirs?)
Whoo boy. Hangman is superficial, cocky, arrogant, proud, and possesses an insanely inflated sense of self-importance. He keeps everyone at a distance because if he has to care, he will have to admit that he failed if something bad happens. Hangman doesn’t fail. He doesn’t like being placed on the back burner, as witnessed with his assignment as a backup for the reactor team; but he can acknowledge when he’s not a good fit and will do anything to ensure success.
V: Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)
Hangman keeps his hair regulation, shaves daily, works out once or twice a day, eats clean and makes sure he keeps healthy. He needs to be at peek condition to do what he does, and his habits reflect that. His one vice is hard candy/gum anything that sates his oral fixation. His clothes are pressed, tailored and of good quality. He favors clean scents, and probably wears old spice cologne.
W: Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)
Once you’re his person, you’re his. If you leave, he’ll completely revert to the cocky son of a gun who doesn’t give a shit about anything other than himself, his career, and his career.
X: (E)Xtra (a random headcanon for them?)
It was late, well past midnight and you couldn’t sleep. Hangman was out on a mission, without outside communication. He’d been gone a week, and it was slowly starting to eat at you that his side of the bed was cold, and the scent of his soap was fading from his pillowcases. You found yourself in the kitchen, ignoring the takeout containers by the sink, promising yourself you’d take them out in the morning. The light of the fridge is the only illumination, as you observe the contents of the shelves as you eat shredded cheese right out of the container. A sound at the door made your stomach drop, dying in your underpants, his shirt, a mouthful of shredded cheese is not the way you wanted things to end.
The lock turned, and Hangman stepped through, dropping his flight bag on the floor. From where you sat on the counter you could see how weary he was, his footsteps heavy as he trudged toward the bedroom. He paused in the doorway, before turning on the light. He stood there for a long time, staring into the empty room for a while, before his hand came up to rub at his eyes. He exhaled deeply, shoulders curling in on themselves.
“That answers that.”
Even his voice was tired, cracked and worn. You heard the twin thumps of his boots, and the zipper of his flight suit, and the sound of the shower being turned on.
Brows furrowed, you hop off the counter, and follow him into the bathroom. He’s leaning against the shower wall, head down, eyes closed the water pounding down on him. He’s wearing an expression you’ve never seen on the confident man—one of defeat.
“Jake?”
He startles, head snapping up, looking at you with wide eyes. “You’re here?”
“Where else would I be?” You give him a grin, though the worry keeps it from your eyes.
“I thought, that maybe.” He swallowed hard, looking away from you.
“I told you I’d be here. I was just stealing the last of your cheese.” The water is scalding, but it doesn’t compare to the heat of his kiss.
Y: Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)
He will not tolerate indecision, or people not living up to their potential. His interactions with Rooster are proof of this. He pushes Rooster because he knows how good the other pilot is, and it drives him nuts that Rooster holds himself back. Know where you want to go for dinner, or on your date if he leaves the planning up to you. He will push you to be better in your career, hobbies ect.
Z: ZZZ (what’s a sleep habit of theirs?)
He sleeps in boxers and a t-shirt. Big bed, comfy bedding. His bedroom is his sanctuary and while he may also use it as a brothel, it’s calming and quiet. He can unwind here. No electronics except for his phone charger, and an alarm clock. After he gets ready for bed: brushing his teeth, rinsing his face with water, a little bit of moisturizer because the high-altitude flights dry his skin out, he’ll curl up and read for about half an hour. He likes fiction, thrillers and mysteries and will often solve it before the characters do. Lights off, and this man doesn’t move unless a call comes through, or his alarm goes off.