Turning Tables || Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x OC

delicate

It was early morning, and the beginning rays of sunlight shone through the whimsy curtains.

Jake had tried to get Jas to stay in bed for just a little longer, not wanting her to leave just yet. She'd agreed but had started fidgeting almost immediately, so he let her get out of bed, only protesting a little. He'd watched her as she put on a t-shirt and ran her hands through her hair, trying to tame it.

It was an entirely new and foreign feeling that had crept up on him slowly, wanting her to stay in his arms just a little longer. Most days, he pushed it down and ignored it, hoping it would somehow go away. It hadn't. Not yet.

He sat on the edge of her bed, listening to the sound of Jas roaming around the kitchen as he pulled on his uniform. Both their tan uniforms were scattered all over the floor from the urgency of the previous night, trying to get it off and get closer to each other's skin. The memory of her moans made a shiver run down his spine. He doubted he would ever get tired of that sound.

Jas had let him stay. Waking up with his arms around her, the smell of her hair in his nostrils felt so natural.

Jake stood, adjusting his belt before deciding to make his side of the bed. Not with as much precision as he was taught in basic, but enough that it looked presentable. After a second, he decided to just make the entire bed, the sight of the crumbled-up sheets on Jas' side making the nerve in his jaw tick.

Task completed, he walked through the house as the floors creaked under his footsteps. It looked different in the morning light, with many of the little things that made it a home appearing. Photographs, plants, books, trinkets. Clutter. It was small and modest, but it felt like Jas. She had such a demanding presence that it made sense that her home was unassuming. He liked that she lived off-base because it gave him a look inside the woman he'd spent so many intimate moments with, and he found the list of things he liked about her growing as time went by.

He rounded the corner to the kitchen, where he found Jas preparing coffee. She only wore an oversized t-shirt and underwear, and her hair was messy and unruly. Jake's eyes traveled the expanse of her body, appreciating every curve and dimple. He smiled when she stood on her toes to reach the top shelf of a wall-mounted cabinet for mugs, and the t-shirt rode up, exposing her–

"Quit staring at my ass, Seresin."

Caught red-handed but with no regrets, Jake crossed the room, stopping behind her and engulfing her in a hug. He leaned his head on her shoulder and kissed her exposed neck. "You have a great ass."

She snorted, but he was almost sure he saw a flush start to form at the base of her neck.

He was surprised by her seemingly good mood. He'd been unfortunate enough to run into her early one morning on base, and when he opened his mouth to greet her, she warned him not to say a word. She'd looked ready to kill anyone in sight, and when he mentioned it in the rec room, Bob had chuckled and told him Jas wasn't a morning person. So, the fact that she didn't seem ready to strangle him right this minute was a little surprising.

"How do you take your coffee?"

"I'd rather take you," he mumbled against her neck as his grip tightened around her waist.

She turned in his arms, the look on her face unreadable. "Don't make me regret letting you sleep over."

He smirked at her and weighed the pros and cons of kissing her. It was a risk. It could send her running, make her push him away, and never speak to him again. It could make the fragile connection they shared break, and he didn't like how much the possibility of that made his stomach churn.

Still, he leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss. She was hesitant at first, barely kissing him back, but it didn't take long before she melted into him. Her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him closer. The hand he'd rested on her waist traveled down her back until it stopped, just barely touching where he really wanted to.

Jas broke away, shoving his chest gently. She leveled him with a warning stare, and he placed his hand back on her waist.

She smiled and pecked his lips once. "Do you want coffee or not?"

She turned back to the mugs, and Jake tried, he swore he did, not to hug her again, but he couldn't help it. He snuck his arms back around her waist. "Please," he muttered and placed a kiss on her temple.

Jas reached for the pot and poured coffee into both mugs. She put it back and handed him a mug with the Golden Gate Bridge, forcing him to let her go. He didn't like the coldness that followed as her body left his.

"Milk's in the fridge if you want some, and the sugar's probably in one of the cabinets, too."

He nodded but took a sip of his mug, preferring it black. He hummed at the discovery that the good doctor made a half-decent cup of coffee.

She reached for her own mug and carried it out of the kitchen. Jake followed her to the doorway, only to watch her disappear down the hall to her bedroom. "What are you doing, Doc?"

She turned to look at him, a mischievous grin on her face. "Getting dressed," she told him as she walked the last few steps backward. "And you better be gone by the time I'm done."

He let out a light chuckle when she winked at him as she closed the door to her bedroom.

He finished his coffee and checked his pockets for his wallet and phone before leaving her house. Jake had no idea what Jas would do if he was still there when she walked out of her room, so he left.

An odd ache settled in his chest as he got into his car. He looked up at the small weather-worn house Jas called home, hesitant to leave. She had asked him to, though, so he started his car and drove away with the ghost of her kiss still on his lips.