Sweet As Candy (J.S)

Sweet as Candy (J.S)

Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x F!Reader

Description: Reader has a sweet tooth and Hangman learns that this is the way to your heart. OR the 4 times Hangman brings you candy.

Warnings: mentions of a cheating ex-boyfriend, slight mentions of drinking but nothing crazy.

WC: ~3000

This is dedicated to all the girlies who buy their own candy for valentines day. May you find someone who brings you treats all year round.

Happy reading :)

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To say you had a sweet tooth would be the understatement of the century. In college, you motivated yourself with to study with the promise of candy, although your roommate would have to guard it until you were done (it really wasn’t the best study method). You had quickly earned your call sign 'Haribo' in flight school after a bag of gummy bears fell out of your flight suit at the worst possible time. After that, you tried to limit flying and candy as much as possible, only indulging after hours.

When you joined the dagger squad, naturally they questioned the origins of your call sign. Silently cursing your past self again for putting yourself in this situation, you explained how you earned ‘Haribo’. It didn’t come at a surprise that it got quite a few laughs from the group, something that you always took in stride. What you didn’t bargain for however, was that although Jake was laughing, he hung on to every single word.

The first time Hangman brought you candy wasn’t only a shock to you but a shock to him. You had just broken up with your boyfriend of 5 years. You had come home early from a mission, hoping to surprise him but instead when you reached his apartment, you found him in bed with his neighbour that you were constantly told not to worry about. Typically after a successful mission, there was a sort of buzz around the squad, but it had seemed to skip over you. Jake suspected that something was off as you walked through the hangar.

“Mornin’ haribo” he greets you with a hint of that southern drawl and a smile.

“Hey Seresin” you reply trying to muster as much normalcy as you can.

Jake sees it. He sees the way your smile doesn’t quite reach your eyes or how your eyes don’t quite reach his. “Everything alright?” He asks, not wanting to overstep.

“Dandy” you reply as you move past him willing the tears not to spill.

As the day moved on, the thought of you unhappy gnawed at him. He couldn’t help the fact that he wanted to fix it (whatever it was), it was who he was. That afternoon he had cornered Phoenix in the hallway to try and get some information on what was making you so upset.

"Phoenix, i'm not asking for your social security number, I just want to know what's up with y/n." Jake said starting to grow slightly frustrated at her loyalty.

"Fine" Phoenix huffed as she looked around, ensuring their privacy "She caught that asshole cheating on her when we got back from the mission on Thursday. That is why she is so upset." Phoenix whispered with anger in her eyes.

It felt like a punch to the gut. He couldn't rationalize why someone would ever compromise a relationship with someone like you. Someone so genuine and passionate. Fire burned through Jake's veins as he thought about the fact that someone would hurt you like that. "Thank you" he said to Phoenix as he left the hallway.

That night on his way home, he stopped at the grocery store. He stood in front of the candy section debating on what to buy and what would communicate "I am so sorry your boyfriend cheated on you, just out of curiosity where does he live." He let out a puff of air as he realized he was certainly overthinking this candy thing. He grabbed two bags of gummy bears and made his way to the checkout.

The next morning you were no better. Jake still saw the way your smile didn't quite reach your eyes and how you constantly tried to make yourself seem small. He hated that, he hated that anyone would ever make you feel like you weren't good enough. When the rest of the squad was preoccupied around the base with their various tasks, he wandered around until he found you flipping through pages of paperwork. He made his way over to you with the gummy bears in hand. He cleared his throat to get your attention. He felt the tug at his heart when your eyes met his, puffy and red. He could tell you had just been crying. Without saying a word he held the candy out to you.

"What's this" you question, your eyes darting back and forth between him and the candy.

"C'mon y/n, don't make it weird." He says, placing it on the table.

You stand up from your seat, moving around the table to stand in front of him. Your hands move around his side pulling him into a hug. You breathe in his scent for a moment, comforted by the fact that you are not alone. He places his chin on your head and rubs a hand up and down your back as he lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "We've got you y/n, we always have".

The second time Jake brings you candy, is a much more joyous occasion. After the uranium mission, it was decided that the dagger squad would stay together for 6 more months as an experiment of sorts , the final decision on if the group would be permanent or not would be made at the end. The entire group waited eagerly to see what would happen. As the end drew near, each morning briefing was filled with anticipation. The morning Maverick walked in, smiling a little too much for 6am on a Monday, the squad knew this was it.

At the end of the briefing, Maverick announced what everyone suspected and the excitement filled the room. Jake surprised himself a bit when his first reaction was to search for you. You surprised yourself by doing the same. Beaming, he wrapped you in a hug lifting you off the ground.

That night he found himself at the store yet again, eyeing the candy. He opted this time for a bag of m&m's. The next day, he followed the same routine as the time before, waiting for privacy. He didn't know why the thought of the rest of them knowing bothered him so much, especially after his display when he learned the group was staying. He found you talking to Bob in the hangar about the previous days training exercise. Jake stood back for a moment, not wanting to impede on work. When the conversation had begun to drift, Jake took opportunity to interrupt.

"Baby on board , do you mind if i have a second with Haribo?". He said making his way over to the two of you.

Bob laughed giving a nod before leaving. After the pre-uranium tension subsided, Jake and Bob had grown fairly fond of each other.

"What's up Bagman?" you asked, stealing Phoenix's line as you turned to face him.

"Here" he said as he tossed the bag toward you, ignoring the name. "If i'm going to be stuck around you indefinitely, I need to keep you sweet" he said with a smile.

You opened the bag, ignoring your rule of no candy while working, and started to eat a few pieces. "Ugh, these are so good, you're the best" you say, closing your eyes and savouring the sweetness.

"Oh yeah?" Jake questions with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Uh-huh" you mumble.

Jake takes a step closer, grabbing a handful of the m&m's, popping them into his mouth. "You're right, so good" he mumbles as bits of candy start to fall out.

You start to laugh. Full on uncontrollable laughter, the kind that is so infectious that just encourages the other person further. Jake swears that it is the most beautiful sound he's ever heard. He wants to hear you laugh again, he wants to be the one to make you laugh again. His thoughts and your laughter is interrupted when Maverick enters the hangar.

"Sir" Jake nods as the two of you try to pull it together.

Maverick looks between the two of you, a faint smile on his face. "You two, we're up in the air in 20, I wanna try something new" he orders.

As he walks away the two of you fall into a fit of laughter again. As you wipe the tears from your eyes and move to get yourself ready.

"See you up there, sugar "Jake calls with a wink while you are left definitely overthinking the new name.

The third time Jake brings you candy, he really doesn't have an excuse other than he loves to see you smile. He had grown quite fond of the way your eyes lit up and how it seemed to make your day a little brighter. That night before heading to the hard deck, he opted for a bag of sour skittles, tucking them safely in his jacket pocket before heading out the door. The all too familiar feeling of butterflies filled Jake as he walked into the bar and seen you, head tilted back laughing at a joke Fanboy had made. It was getting harder and harder for Jake to convince himself that he felt this way because you were such great friends. He never got butterflies when he talked to Coyote or Phoenix. Jake had decided once again, that he would wait until the two of you were alone to give you the candy. He wanted that time just for him, and the smile just for him.

As Jake approaches the crowded bar he greets Penny with a smile before flicking his attention back over to you momentarily. "The usual?" Penny asks, once he's close enough that she doesn't have to yell over the music and conversation.

"Yes ma'am" Jake replies with a smile as he leans against the bar.

He lets his gaze travel over to you once more and he can't fight the smile on his face. Jake watches the way the bar lights dance over your cheekbones and he can't help but wonder what it would be like to brush his hand against them. He watches the way you chew on your lip in concentration before throwing a dart and he cant help but wonder what it would be like to taste them. Would they be sweet? It dawns on Jake that he's been spending a lot of his time wondering what it would be like to just be with you.

He is pulled out of his thoughts when Penny gently taps on the bar ahead of him, a knowing smile on her face. Jake feels his cheeks turn that rosy colour ever so slightly.

"Thanks, Pen" Jake says as he goes to grab his beer but Penny doesn't let go.

"You know Hangman, the worst that could happen is she says no" She offers.

Jake lets out a laugh and shakes his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about" he says.

Penny hums in response. "I'm not blind you know, neither is Maverick" she says as she lets go of the beer and backs away.

Jake nods as he moves away from the bar and towards the group. He thinks about what Penny said for a moment, but he finds no comfort in her words. The thought of not hearing your laugh or seeing you smile because he couldn't keep his feelings in check? Quite frankly sounds like it would be the end of the world, because you are his world.

Jake takes a breath and a swig of his drink before joining the group but he doesn't miss the way his heart skips a beat when you smile at him. He takes a place beside you, something that had grown common his the last few months as he watches Rooster line up his shot at the dart board.

Jake is able to ease into the evening trying not to focus too hard on the way your leg brushes his or how you put your hand on his arm after he says something to make you laugh. He certainly tries not to think about the smell of your perfume but he fails miserably at that.

His breaking point comes later in the night, mid conversation with Coyote, when he feels your head rest on his shoulder. Every ounce of self preservation is thrown out the window as he takes in your sleeping figure. Jake is beyond thankful when he realizes that Coyote is far too drunk to clue in and has already put his attention elsewhere. Despite him wanting to stay with you like this forever, he knows that it's best to get you up and home.

"C'mon sweets" he says softly, nudging you awake.

It doesn't take much before your eyes open and you're sitting up straight once more, slightly disoriented. Jake watches as the heat rises to your cheeks when you realize what you had done, he forces himself to bite back a smile.

"I'm so sorry Seresin" you mumble, bringing your hand to your face, eternally grateful that you didn't drool.

"Don't worry about it" he smiles. "C'mon, up we go pretty girl, i'll drive you home, I only had one drink." he says standing, grabbing his jacket and handing you yours.

Too tired to protest. You nod your head and follow him, offering the rest of the group a quick goodbye as Jake goes to close out his tab. As you approach the bar, Penny is saying something to Jake that causes him to blush. "To be a fly on the wall for that conversation" you think to yourself.

"I'm closing out too Pen" you say as you reach the bar.

"No need, Hangman here already had it covered" she says with a smile before moving to tend to the next customer.

"You really didn't need to do that" you say turning to Jake. He just shakes his head. "You had like two drinks, that's nothing Haribo" he says as he puts his hand on your back, leading the two of you out of the busy bar.

The drive back to your place is fairly silent except for the sound of old country music that fills the cab of the truck. You turn to look at Jake and can't help but smile. He looks over at you quickly before returning his gaze to the empty streets.

"What are you smiling about?" He asks, a smile on his face now too.

"Nothing, just happy" you reply, your voice laced with fatigue.

After a few more minutes of silence. Jake pulls into your driveway and places the truck in park.

Jake turns to you before speaking. "Uh before you go, I brought you these" he says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the skittles.

Your eyes light up yet again and Jake can't help but smile even brighter when he sees your excitement. You lean across the centre pulling him into a quick hug, as best you can in a truck.

"Thank you Jake, you're the best." you say into his shoulder.

When you pull back and look at his face, you can see a hint of something in his eyes that wasn't there before. Passion? Determination?

"Y/N, i've been meaning to ask" he says as he scratches the back of his neck. You swear you've never seen the man so bashful before. "do you wanna go get dinner sometime, like a date?" he says, making eye contact at the end of his sentence.

Jake swears its the brightest smile you've given him yet. You nod your head "I thought you were never gonna ask me, Seresin" you reply.

After you said your goodbyes, and Jake promised to bring you to your car tomorrow, you fell into the best sleep that you had in months. Excited, optimistic and a little nervous all in one.

The fourth time Jake brought you candy, he thought he was going to be sick. He had never in all his years been this nervous for a first date. He wasn't quite sure why this was so different considering you had worked together for almost a year at this point, and the date had been agreed upon for a little over a week. But still as he stood in front of your door, gummy bears and your favourite flowers in hand, he couldn't help but notice the way his stomach flip flopped. When you opened the door, you quite literally took his breath away. Dressed in a floral black dress that hugged your curves perfectly and the smile that he simply could not get enough of. You were radiant, and Jake was certain that you were an angel standing in front of him.

He had a similar effect, dressed in a crisp white button up and black slacks, his hair looking effortless on his head. You stared at him for a second, smiling like a crazy person before kicking back into gear and inviting him in.

"You look stunning" he says, his eyes giving you a once over yet again.

"You clean up well yourself Seresin" you smile, taking the flowers and gummy bears, setting them on the kitchen table.

"You brought me gummy bears?" you turn to him, still smiling.

"The last time I gave you gummy bears, a boy treated you horribly. This time i'm giving them to you because I promise i'm going to treat you right. The way a man would. " He says, a serious look on his face.

You bite back your smile and nod your head at him. Who knew the Jake Seresin could be so cheesy and passionate at the same time.

Jake felt his nerves begin to slip away once you reached the restaurant. The two of you fell into a comfortable, familiar rhythm as you talked about everything and anything. Jake told you about growing up in a house full of sisters and how he was the victim of tea parties and dress up until he grew up. He told you about his childhood dog that he loved so dearly, his mom and how much he missed her cooking. You told Jake about your experiences in high school and college, how no one believed that you would make it as an aviator, let alone flying fo the top squadron in the country. Jake felt his heart swell with pride at that one. He had always admired the way you never let anyone stand in your way yet always remaining kind.

As it grew later, you found yourself sitting on the beach, his jacket around your shoulders as you both ate ice cream. Naturally, you opted for chocolate while Jake ate strawberry. You lean your head against his shoulder, intentionally this time.

"Thank you for such a great night Jake, I really think this is the best date i've ever been on" you say, bringing the ice cream to your lips again.

"As much as I love to hear that, Y/N, I also feel like your bar is incredibly low" he says, letting out a small chuckle.

You can't help but laugh yourself, "yeah you're right". You lift your head to look at him, setting the cup of ice cream down beside you. "But I think it helps when it's with the right person." you say.

Jake swears he can feel his heart expand at that sentence. He looks down and smiles. "Yeah, I think you're right." He pauses for a moment before beginning again. "For the record, this has also been the best date i've been on."

The two of you look at each other for a moment, watching how the moonlight bounces off the others features. The gentle sound of the waves crashing against the shore filling the silence in between. Jake leans forward ever so sightly. "I'm going to kiss you now okay?" he asks. You just nod your head.

Jake moves closer, bringing one hand to the back of your neck and the other cupping your face. He gives you a small smile before closing the gap. You never understood the whole fireworks moment that you read about in those romance novels, or how the woman's head goes blank at a kiss. It turns out that you had just never been kissed properly.

As your lips move in unison, the taste of the strawberry and chocolate ice cream mixing, you could not produce a thought if you wanted to. Every sense filled with Jake , Jake, Jake.

The two of you break apart, foreheads resting against each other with matching cheshire cat-esque smiles.

"Yeah, best date i've been on" Jake breaths out before meeting your lips again.

When you break apart for the second time, your head finds its place on Jakes shoulder once again.

"I've always wondered what your lips would taste like" Jake admits.

"Did you find your answer?" you ask lifting your head up.

"Yup." he says, turning to look at you. "Sweet as candy." He says, smiling at you once more.

If you enjoyed reading this, please consider leaving a like/comment or giving it a reblog!

if you enjoyed this, please consider leaving a like/comment or giving it a reblog!