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It was far too easy to forget that Hangman is from Texas. And not even city Texas, but small town everyone knows your name and there’s one stop sign small town. So, the first time Rooster sees Hangman drunk his accent thick he swears out loud. Fuck.
That was years ago back when they were in Top Gun and the snark between them was fueled by actual anger. Now, after the Mission, it seemed that all of the anger had melted away. A mutual understanding now between the two men. It was hard to stay mad at the guy who broke admiral orders to save he and Mav’s life.
So now days later finally released from the medbay and the hawk eye of Mav whom he’s been staying with while on their temporary leave. The team is down at The Hard Deck celebrating their scrape with death the whole bar buzzing with it even though only a select few know what happened.
Rooster was last to arrive and when he got inside, he could hear Fanboy’s loud laughter from the pool tables followed by spotting Coyote leaning against the bar. He joined the other pilot bumping shoulders as he settled. “Fashionably late?” Coyote signaled Penny for one more and three beers were placed in front of them.
“You should start calling Mav mother hen, instead of me, I think he gave me a concussion test before I left,” Rooster and Coyote headed towards their loud little group. He clocked Fanboy and Payback huddled together leaning heavily on their cue sticks while Phoenix and Bob were on the other side heckling.
Coyote laughed tossing back his head, “Yeah, I bet Pop’s would love that!”
As if materializing from thin air Hangman pushed between the two of them stealing his beer from Coyote’s hands, “We might need to rethink that call sign there Rooster.”
His accent was already thick making his name rounder and all his vowels carry. Rooster would blame the heat of the bar for his rising blush, “Well, Roosters are morning birds and it’s nighttime.”
A smirk played at Hangman’s lips and Rooster barely held in his groan, “So you’re more active in the mornings?”
Coyote saved Rooster from becoming the first person to actually explode by shoving the blonde, “Keep it in your pants, Seresin. I thought you were on jukebox duty?”
The smile on Jake’s face turned devious, “Who says that I’m not?”
As if on cue the songs switched over some country tune that Rooster had heard on the radio when he was younger. Coyote however knew the song turning an unamused expression on the blonde, “Boondocks? Really, we’re already Little Big Town levels of drunk?”
The blonde in question shrugged before turning his gaze on Rooster and shooting him a wink before sauntering off to interrupt their game of pool. Rooster felt warmth settle in the pit of his stomach his face undeniably red. Coyote slaps a hand on his shoulder in sympathy, “Just wait till he gets Big N’ Rich drunk.”
“Should we be worried?” he glanced around the crowded bar.
“Nah, you though, Rooster, you should be worried,” and with that mysterious remark he too walked off leaving Rooster stood glued to the slightly sticky floorboards.
After a moment he shook himself out of it. He’s a big boy and could handle Hangman be that in the sky or in a bar. He’s not sure it’ll be the same for Jake Seresin which Coyote joked was his true drunk identity. He settled on a bar stool next to the pool table to watch the inevitable smack down.
Jake was racking up against Fanboy and even fall over drunk Jake was better than all of them at both pool and darts, which he never fails to remind them. “You sure you want to make that bet, Fanboy?”
Bob settled in next to him with a small wave, Rooster bumping shoulders with the younger man to make him laugh. Phoenix was next to join the audience leaning into the spread of Bob’s legs his arm coming up to wrap around her shoulders. “Do I want to know what they’ve bet?”
Rooster perked up leaning towards Bob, “Yeah, stealth pilot, what exactly did they bet?”
Bob looked both amused and queasy, “Dancing.”
“Dancing?” he and Phoenix spoke at the same time.
“Line dancing to be specific,” Bob buried his head in Phoenix’s hair his shoulders shaking with laughter, “If Mickey wins, he has to line dance with the hat and all, and if Hangman wins, he gets to teach Mickey a line dance.”
Rooster was a mix of excited and terrified at the thought of either way he would get to watch Jake dance which has only happened once in all the tense years they’ve known each other.
Jake was first to break which meant he nearly cleaned the table of stripes messing up on a skip when Rooster shot him a wink. Lately all of their banter had felt more like flirting than fighting and his mom used to tell him that hate was closer to love than actually being in love sometimes.
She would tell him, ‘I love your dad so very much, Bradley, but I do not like him right now.’
He was so lost in thought he almost missed Fanboy pulling off the first win against Hangman since they’ve been on North Island. Payback was first to jump up shaking Fanboy by the shoulders, “You just beat Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin at his own game!”
Phoenix and Bob both broke into cheers and laughter and Rooster tried to laugh along but it was tense. Jake had bowed accepting his defeat and snagging the hat, the cowboy hat, that always hung behind the bar that Payback had brought over at the start of their game.
He unbuttoned not one, not two, but three of the buttons on the pale blue shirt he was wearing revealing his dog tags and more than enough of his chest to make Rooster’s teeth hurt. He sauntered over making Coyote sigh like a grandmother until he was stood in front of Rooster.
Never one to not take the bait Rooster teased, “Well, c’mon Hangman put on the hat like a good boy.”
He could’ve sworn the flush on his cheeks darkened, but before Bradley could analyze it Jake placed the hat on his head and was hurrying for the jukebox. A couple seconds later a new song was filling the air and Coyote’s sigh turned into a full-blown groan.
“Is that Nickelback?” Bob’s voice was laced with laughter.
And sure, enough Burn it to the Ground by Nickelback was now blasting through the bar causing mixed reactions. Jake jokingly cleared space and after a few moves he was joined by at least half the girls at the bar. And Bradley, well, he had to make sure he wasn’t drooling.
He wasn’t sure if it counted as a line dance, but as he smiled and stomped along with the beat Bradley was pretty sure he was halfway in love. The first high kick nearly knocked Rooster off his seat and the cheers of the bar drowned out the honest to God whine he let out.
Jake looked good and he knew it. As the song was coming to an end, he locked eyes with Rooster the cheers of the bar felt far away as both men just watched each other. It was like all the tension since the mission was sitting between them just waiting to crumble.
Coyote bumped shoulders with him breaking the moment, “Buy him a whiskey and he’ll fall into your lap.”
Rooster laughed but he knew it sounded nervous as he stood heading for the bar. He ordered another bottle and after a second of hesitation a whiskey on the rocks. He shook his head as they were placed in front of him, he was whipped, and they weren’t even a thing.
He made it back to the table to see Bob and Coyote now playing a game of pool and Jake draped over the high-top table like some kind of slutty cowboy pinup. The hat was slightly crooked, and Bradley reached out to fix it after setting their drink on the table. Jake grabbed his wrist stopping him, “Can’t just go touching a girl’s hat on the first date, Roo.”
“Good thing it isn’t your hat then,” he shook out of the loose hold and adjusted the hat as the smile on Jake’s face turned sappy, “you look good, hangman.”
“I’m feeling good, Roo,” he leaned in his voice breathy, “too good to be true, in fact.”
Rooster refused to acknowledge the blush on his face pushing the whiskey towards the blonde who lit up, “Okay, pretty boy.”
The blush was back on Jake’s face and Bradley finally felt like he had the upper hand again. He pressed forward getting into Jake’s space as he turned to watch Bob wipe the floor with Coyote. “I didn’t know you could dance.”
Jake pressed more firmly into his side, “I grew up with all sisters and debutant mom, I’ve known how to dance before I knew how to walk.”
Rooster imagined a young Jake being forced to dance with his sisters and mom and it brought a soft smile to his face. “They sound nice. My mom and dad were always dancing or just wrapped around each other sometimes with me smushed in the middle.”
He felt a bit of melancholy creep in but before it could take root Jake reached forward laying his hand over Bradley’s arm on the table easing his white knuckled grip on the bottle in his grip. When their eyes locked, they were in their own world again.
“You’re accent gets thicker when you drink,” Bradley could’ve smacked himself, genius move.
Jake’s smile turned into a smirk, and he turn fully towards Roosters having to look up slightly making something possessive unfurl in his chest. His next sentence was thicker than honey his accent thicker than Bradley ever heard it and it made his cock twitch.
“Bradley Bradshaw you’re gonna make a girl blush.”
Bradley was the one blushing and he took a long drink to hide from the smug smirk on Jakes face. He had lost the upper hand again. The air around them felt warmer and when Jake licked his lips Bradley followed the movement.
“Hangman!” both men startled, and Bradley nearly growled at a smug looking Fanboy, “isn’t this your song?”
The beginning chords of Save a Horse by Big and Rich were filling the bar and Rooster scanned their friends faces for a guilty one and Coyote winked admitting his guilt willingly. Jake lit up immediately singing along swaying along with the beat. There was no line dance this time, but he bounced around the group kicking and spinning to the beat pulling Coyote and Bob into a couple simple steps making the group laugh.
Rooster can’t help but think of a few weeks ago when this would’ve seemed impossible. Being so at ease with the team and especially Hangman it felt like a dream. Jake finally made a full round ending back over at Rooster who had sat down at the table to watch the show.
Jake tipped his hat as he swayed towards Rooster making both men laugh before he kept singing without missing a beat. Jake crept closer and Rooster spread his knees making room.
The last chorus started, and Rooster joined in singing along as Jake stepped between his knees slipping the hat onto Bradley’s head with dark eyes. The green of Jake’s eyes was nearly gone and Rooster knew he looked the same. At the last of the chorus Jake pushed away leaving Bradley with his hands raised and a crooked hat on his head.
He beelined for the jukebox leaving Rooster to watch his ass he swayed away. Bob leaned on the table next to him, “You okay there, Rooster?”
“I’m too good to be true,” he couldn’t resist the joke and Bob snorted.
“You guys are perfect for each other.”
As another song started, a slower country song that Rooster didn’t know, Bob wandered off and Jake came back over sliding back between Rooster’s knees like he never left. Rooster wrapped his hands around Jake’s hips relishing in the warmth as he rubbed his thumbs over the small strip of skin between his shirt and jeans. “Well do I make a good cowboy?”
Jake reached up adjusting the hat before letting his hands fall to his shoulders, “Depends, how well do you ride, Bradley?”
He isn’t sure if it was the question or the use of his real name but suddenly, they were kissing. Bradley pulled Jake further into his chest both arms wrapping around the blonde. Jake’s hands went up into Bradley’s hair knocking his hat sideways.
When Bradley imagined them kissing it was aggressive and biting another fight between them, but this was soft and deep and made Bradley a little weak in the knees. It could’ve been minutes or hours when they broke apart pressing their foreheads together panting. “I think I really like you, Bradley.”
Bradley pulled back smirking down at the blonde before pulling the hat from his head and setting it on Jake’s head again, “Well, I think I’m halfway in love with you, Jake.”
The smirk melted off Jake’s face a mix of shock and fondness in his eyes, “No more sitting on the perch, huh?”
“Don’t need to afraid as long as my wingman is there with me,” Bradley watched as Jake seemed to actually melt into his arms.
Jake hid his blush in Bradley’s shoulder mumbling out curses about Bradley being far too smooth for his health. After a moment Jake seemed to gather himself looking up at Bradley with determination in his green eyes, “Take me to bed or lose me forever, Bradshaw.”
Bradley had a flash of another life where his parents sat in the same place with so much love between them it made his breath hitch. Bradley pulled Jake impossibly closer, “Show me the way home.”
Jake tossed the hat back onto the bar before grabbing his hand tugging him towards the door. They left the bar hands linked the other daggers letting out whistles and cheers making both men laugh. It felt like time had stopped and restarted all in the same moment. It felt like the start of the forever Bradley had spent the last fifteen looking for.