Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If you asked most people, they wouldn’t know the exact moment their lives changed in ways that they would never have expected, but Lieutenant Jake ‘Hangman’ Serein wasn’t most people.

He knew the exact moment his life changed.

It wasn’t when his parents died in a car crash when he was just aged six (though that was horrible and the reason it took him years to let anyone else in).

It wasn’t when he came back to Top Gun for a near-impossible mission (though that did lead to him making more friends than just Javy).

It wasn’t when he went against his own call sign in favour of defying orders to go and save Maverick and Rooster (though that did lead to him gaining a father figure in Maverick (though technically two as Ice wasn’t going to let Mav semi-adopt him without him, because Wingmen and husbands didn’t adopt fully grown adult pilots alone), and a brother in Rooster).

And it wasn’t even when he decided to stay at Top Gun and teach (though that certainly meant he was no longer going out on missions and was alive in order for his life to change).

No, Jake Seresin knew the exact moment his life changed .

It was when he met one Ethan Hunt.

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“It’s right!”

“I’m pretty sure the guy said it was left.”

Call Jake a curious cat, but he had never been able to resist snooping in situations where things weren’t the norm, and the group of four attractive people (well he assumed all four were attractive, because one had his back to him so he could only go by his compact, muscular frame and extrapolate from there), who were clearly not Top Gun pilots, and were arguing amongst themselves stood in the middle of one of the base’s corridors, was definitely not the norm.

Jake stopped where he’d been walking down the corridor to listen, to see if he could help, of course. And maybe find out who they were.

“And I’m pretty sure out of the two of us, I’m the one who listens to directions better.” A man with dark flaxen hair and a sharp suit was going back and forth with a man who wore big spectacles (he could join a club with Bob), a bow tie and braces. Somehow, he managed to make the look work.

“God, you’re never going to that go, are you? You get lost in one quaint little English village, and your boyfriend never lets it go.”

And apparently they were together. It seems opposites did attract.

“We wandered round that village for two hours, Benji! We saw the same pigeon three times. Also you shouldn’t be talking this much, you’re meant to be resting your voice.”

Guy with glasses (Benji?) sighed. “Only you could coddle me and argue with me at the same time, Will.”

“It’s my job to care about you, Babe.”

“Actually, your job—"

“Boys!” The extremely attractive woman who had that whole ‘could kill you with my pinkie finger’ vibe chastised them like children. The pair of them looked suitably scolded under her unimpressed gaze. “Seeing as you two were the ones that asked for directions, and have failed at actually retaining the knowledge, and I am way too tired to be dealing with this, let’s just leave it to our fearless leader to get us where we need to go, hmm?”

Mr Suit (who Jake assumed was called Will) levelled the woman with a flat look. “And pray tell, how is Mr Death Wish going to do any better when he was on the phone when we asked for directions?”

“Easy. I’ll ask someone.” The fourth member of the group finally spoke, and Ohhh, Jake could listen to that voice read the phone book (if you could find one). It was rich and smooth, and it slunk it’s way down the notches of his spine to wrap around him like a warm hug. The man had only said four words, but Jake was willing to bet he could trust him with his life.

It was an insane and most likely stupid thought to have, considering he didn’t actually know who the guy was, and had yet to even see his face, but Mav was always saying ‘Don’t think, just do’, and Jake felt he could be forgiven for taking the first part of that mantra to heart sometimes. Call it a gut feeling, but his gut hadn’t let him down yet.

“Who are you going to ask?” Benji asked. Obviously none of them had noticed him stood in the middle of the corridor stock-still like a local cryptid trying not to be spotted.

The man turned around like he’d known Jake had been there the whole time, and removed his sunglasses. “Hey Beautiful!” He was looking in Jake’s direction, but Jake was sure he wasn’t talking to him. Not that he was unaware that he had a nice looking face, but he’d never been called beautiful, and he doubted he was going to start being called it now, especially by the most gorgeous man he’d ever laid his eyes on.

A man, who looked a spitting image of Maverick.

Jake blinked, and then blinked again, but nope the guy was still there. Still looking at him with a Hollywood smile on his face, as he tucked his sunglasses onto the neck of his t-shirt.

“Uhh—“ Way to go, Jake, a great first impression you’re making. “—are you talking to me?”

“See any other beautiful men in uniform around?” He huffed out a laugh and wandered closer. As he did, Jake ran his gaze over the man, taking in the stupidly gorgeous face, the action-hero body, and the air of competence and danger that surrounded him, and Jake decided this guy might look like the man who was his Captain and who he looked up professionally and emotionally (if not physically because Mav was a shortass), but if you glanced at him for more than a few seconds you could tell he wasn’t Maverick.

He had longer hair for one. It flopped onto his forehead in an endearing manner, and Jake thought it was ridiculous how attractive it made him look.

But more importantly, the way he held himself was different. He was both more confident (if that was possible) and world-weary than Maverick; like he’d seen both the worst and best the world had to offer, and hadn’t come out of it unscathed.

Case in point, he was holding himself carefully as he walked, like he was injured underneath his black leather jacket and tight t-shirt combo.

“….No?”

“Well then, can you tell us the way to Captain Mitchell’s office?”

Of course, they were here for Maverick.

Nothing this insane would be linked to anyone but Maverick.

“Um—” He cleared his throat and tried not to stare at Mav’s doppelganger more than was polite. “—it’s down there, take a right, then a left, then another right.”

“See, I told you there was a left in there!” Benji grinned smugly at Will.

Will rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but after a right. So, technically, I was the correct one first.”

“Thank you very much, Beautiful.” The leader of the ragtag group winked at Jake ignoring the squabbling pair behind him, and Jake felt his heart flutter like he was in some kind of damned Austen romance novel or some shit.

“Ah, it was—um—my pleasure.” Fucking hell, he was even blushing.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

He’s not like this around anyone else. He’s not even like this around Maverick. Like he’s very aware that Maverick is gorgeous, but he also has no sense of self-preservation, is the US Navy’s most insane pilot, and is still head over heels for his husband—who just so happened to be Admiral Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky—after 30 odd years together.

That, along with the fact that he sees Mav as his pseudo-dad after he lost his own when he was six, means he does not blush, or stutter when he speaks to him.

Unlike, the man in front of him.

“Come on, you lot. Let’s go.” He turned on the ball of his foot—giving Jake one last smile—and then walked down the corridor, the other three following him.

Jake stood there for a moment—huffing out a laugh as the woman grumbled about needing coffee to deal with Benji and Will—and then he spun around and bounded down the corridor that was off to the side. Because whilst Jake had sent them the official way to Mav’s office, there was still a shortcut.

He ran down the hallways, and then after frantically knocking on Mav’s door and getting a ‘come in’ in response, he opened the door, and shut it firmly behind himself; chest heaving as he plastered himself to the door.

“You okay, Jake?” Rooster asked with a concerned look on his face.

Jake could understand the concern. He usually didn’t run unless he was working out or playing on the beach, and he was usually so confident in his abilities at Top Gun—both in a jet and instructing—that he moved all languid and precise. The only one who moved at a slower pace than him was Rooster; not because he was still snug on that perch (he’d flown off there in style thanks to the mission), but because he was so laid back now he was no longer angry at Maverick, that he might as well be horizontal.

“Y—Yeah.”

“You sure, Kiddo?” Maverick sat up from behind his desk and came over to stand in front of him, pressing the back of his hand to Jake’s forehead. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”

Jake shook his head. “Not a ghost. Something even more insane.”

Ice who had been sat behind Mav’s desk on a second chair—the three of them clearly having a family lunch if the half-eaten sandwiches that were on the desk were anything to go by—raised an eyebrow at him as if to say, explain please.

“Mav, do you happen to know someone who’s like, a floppy-haired, slightly handsomer version of you by any chance?” He asked it in a rushed out breath, because he could hear Benji and Will still squabbling through the door, implying that the guests were soon going to be upon them.

“Ethan’s here?” Mav asked, a smile spreading over his face, at the same time as Rooster said;

“Uncle Ethan’s here?” Perking up like a puppy, at the same time as Ice sighed deeply and looked to the ceiling like he was praying for strength and said;

“Great, your dumbass twin brother is here.”

Ethan?

Twin brother?

There were fucking two of them?!

Just then, there was a knock on the door that reverberated against Jake’s back where he was pressed against the wood, and he gulped, knowing that once he opened that door he was never going to be able to go back to not knowing Ethan existed.

Chapter Text

The three men in front of him looked at him expectantly, as a second knock echoed throughout the room, and unable to put off fate any longer, Jake let out a deep breath, and turned around opening the door as he did so.

He came face-to-face with Maverick’s twin brother, and Jake swore silently, because he’d somehow gotten more gorgeous in the five minutes since he’d last seen him.

“Hello again, Beautiful.” Ethan grinned up at him, dimples nestled in tanned cheeks. Jake was galled to hear a strangled sort of noise escape his own mouth.

“Weren’t you just behind us?” Benji asked, popping his head around to peer over Ethan’s shoulder. “Did you teleport? Is there two of you? Are you a twin?” Jake caught the lone woman rolling her eyes, and he had a feeling she was very much like Phoenix; surrounded by idiot men for her sins.

He moved his gaze to the bespectacled blond, and found his ability to speak return now he was no longer looking into Ethan’s moss-green eyes.

“I would say the likelihood of it being twins is low, but considering I was just looking at a slightly different version of a face I know very well, I’d say it’s not as low as I previously thought.” He caught Ethan out of the corner of his eye, biting his lip in amusement, and felt a giddy thrill roll through his belly. “And no, I just took a shortcut.”

“Why didn’t we get the shortcut?” Benji pouted, his voice getting raspier with each word.

“Benji, for the love of Christ, you were fucking hanged, please stop talking so much.” Will pushed away from the wall where he’d been content to lounge, in order to mother-hen his boyfriend. But fucking hell, hanged? What type of job do these people do?

“Sorry.” Benji grinned sheepishly, and butted his shoulder against Will’s to show he meant it.

“You gonna let us in?” The tantalising voice brought Jake’s focus back to the wormhole that was Ethan; his ability to focus or deal with anything else bar the captivating man making him feel like he was being sucked in towards that one point, and it was getting harder and harder to pull away from him the longer he looked.

“That’s a good impression of a door you’re doing, Jake, but fancy letting my brother in?” Maverick came up behind him and shoved him gently to the side.

“BROTHER?!” Benji and Will shouted in unison. The woman didn’t join in, but Jake could see from the slight furrow of her brow, that she was surprised too.

“Okay, hands up who knew Ethan had a brother?” Benji looked around their small group, the fact that he should be resting his voice forgotten in the face of this new information. “Ethan put your hand down.” Jake snorted at the smirk on Ethan’s face. Seemed being a little shit ran in the family then. “Ok, I don’t feel as bad now, seeing as Ethan apparently kept his brother secret from all of us.”

Maverick managed to get Jake out of the way, though he doesn’t remember actually moving his feet, and held open his arms in welcome. “Come give me a hug, asshole.”

“Yeah, I missed you too, Mav.” Ethan laughed all fond and warm, as he embraced his brother in a hug that looked like it would be easy to get lost in. Mav gave great hugs, so Jake guessed Ethan did too. Not that he was vying for his own Ethan hug, no, not him.

“Uncle Ethan!” Rooster bounded up out of his chair and practically bounced on his feet whilst he waited for Maverick to let Ethan go. It was rather cute seeing a grown man so excited to see his uncle.

“Bradley?” Ethan’s eyes widened in shock. “Jesus, kid, you got …..fucking huge.” He pulled Rooster down by the scruff of his neck, and hugged him tightly. “I’m still upset with you though, you know. You cutting off Mav nearly killed him, you know that right?”

Jake bit his lip to stop his laugh escaping as he watched Bradley pale slightly and unsuccessfully wiggle out of Ethan’s strong grip as he was told off for not speaking to Mav for years after he pulled his papers to the Naval academy.

“Ethan Matthew Hunt.” Maverick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he perched on the edge of his desk.

“What Pete Maverick Mitchell?” Ethan’s grin was too wide and sharp to be entirely innocent. Jake swallowed at the wave of pure unadulterated want that rushed through him at the predatory look, as he imagined it aimed his way when they were alone and both naked. “I can’t look out for my baby brother anymore?”

“You’re only three minutes older than me.” From the tone of Maverick’s voice, they’d had this conversation a lot.

“And half an inch taller.”

Maverick rolled his eyes. “That’s only because your hair is its own lifeform. And stop smothering Bradley, you idiot. We’re good now.”

“Okay, okay.” Ethan chuckled, letting go of Rooster who wobbled as he stood up straight again. “Good to see you again, kiddo.”

“Yeah, you too.” Bradley scratched the back of his neck, but still seemed to relax again, like he knew once Ethan let something go, that was it, he wouldn’t bring it up again.

Jake was very much enjoying being a spectator to this reunion, and chancing a look at the other three members of Ethan’s group, they were too. Hell, he was pretty sure Benji was only not munching on popcorn, because he didn’t have any on him.

Ethan turned his attention to Ice, and Jake wondered how this was going to go; getting the impression his second pseudo-dad wasn’t his brother-in-law’s biggest fan. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t The Iceman.”

Ice’s face was unreadable. “If it isn’t Ethan Cun—”

“Ice!”

Jake covered his mouth to muffle his laughter, as Maverick just whacked Ice round the back of the head. Ice didn’t look sorry about swearing at Ethan in the slightest. Only sorry that he didn’t get to finish swearing at him.

Ice sighed as his husband glared at him. “Fine. Hello again, dear brother-in-law. How was the Russian prison?” He asked it blandly like they were discussing the weather, and Jake was torn between being really fucking proud of how much of a little shit Ice was being, and wanting to protect Ethan from anyone being mean to him. Which was absurd because he didn’t even know the guy, and Jake was pretty sure he was like an actual action hero or something, and could probably kill someone with a paperclip.

“I’ve stayed in worse places.” Ethan shrugged, smirking like he enjoyed the barbed comments between them.

Benji and Will cleared their throats in unison and Ethan shook his head as if to remind himself that there were other people behind him.

“Oh right, this is my team—apart from Luther who is taking a well-deserved break in the Caribbean with his wife— family, this is Benji, Will, and Ilsa who is lucky enough to be stuck with us now.” All three of them waved, with Mav, Ice and Rooster waving and nodding back. “Guys this is my brother Pete Mitchell, but call him Maverick, his husband- the indomitable Iceman- boring name- Tom, and my Nephew- Bradley.”

“Hi.” Benji grinned, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“Hey.” Will nodded.

“Nice to meet you. And my condolences at having Ethan as a brother.” Ilsa apparently gave no fucks and Jake might be a little bit in love with her awesomeness. She only smirked when Ethan rolled his eyes at her comment.

Speaking of Ethan, Jake felt his lungs stutter when the man walked over to him where he stood in front of Bradley (having moved to the side when the others had burst into Mav’s office) and trailed a finger along the sharp line of his jaw.

“But you, I don’t know your name, beautiful.” Oh god. This wasn’t fair. He was snarky with everyone else, why was he all soft and murmury with Jake? Was it getting warm in here? Why was his collar suddenly so tight?

“J—Jake.” He cleared his throat and tried not to sound like a mouse when he spoke again. “Jake Seresin. Well, it’s Jacob actually, but I go by Jake. Or Hangman. Call me whatever you want.”

Fucking hell, just shoot him now.

“Are you having a stroke, Bagman?” Bradley leant forward and whispered so only he could hear.

“Shut up!” Jake hissed behind clenched teeth.

“Did he say Hungman?” Benji asked with a befuddled face.

“No, you idiot.” Will rolled his eyes fondly. “Hangman.”

Shit, Jake took in the bruises around Benji’s neck, and felt himself flush, even though he hadn’t been the one to put them there.

“Fuck, I hope that’s not triggering for you what with the—” He nodded at Benji’s neck trying to be delicate about the whole thing. “—It’s just a call sign.”

“You’re sweet.” Benji smiled at him like he was actually touched by Jake’s consideration. “It’s fine. You’re nothing like the asshole who did this, so I’m good. Thanks though.”

Jake made some kind of weird, indescribable noise as Ethan full on beamed at him and reached out to squeeze his shoulder in thanks for looking out for his friend and teammate.

“Are you sure you’re not having a stroke?” Bradley whispered again, this time loud enough that everyone in the room could hear.

“I will stab you, Roo.” He whipped his head around to glare at the man who was now his brother.

“What, with your sweetness?” Rooster fluttered his eyelashes and smirked at him.

Jake huffed and elbowed the bastard in the gut, enjoying the grunt of pain he got in return.

“Please, ignore these two. We try to.” Maverick bemoaned.

“Hey!” He shouted at the same time as Bradley.

“Don’t worry, we do the same with Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee here.” Ilsa drawled.

“Hey!” Benji and Will yelled in unison.

“Not to sound unwelcoming—” Ice spoke, as if attempting to get this all back on track, and not sounding welcoming in the slightest despite his words to the contrary. “—but what are you doing here, Ethan?”

Ethan raised an amused eyebrow. “You do realise your voice sounds exactly the same as it normally does when you talk to me, Ice?”  Ice looked at him as if to say, yes, that’s my point, I’m always unwelcoming towards you, dickhead. “And we just got off a mission, and needed somewhere to lay low and recuperate and I missed my younger brother, so we came here.”

“Well, we’re busy, so you’ll need to entertain yourselves for a bit until we finish work.” He shuffled a bunch of random, no doubt blank papers—purposefully ignoring the half-eaten sandwiches which so blatantly conflicted against his statement of being busy—and scowled at Ethan.

“Ice, we can’t let them wander round on their own.” Maverick tangled his fingers with his husband’s like he was very used to the fake dick-measuring contest between his brother and his husband and at this point in his life was just going to ignore it for the most part. “They at least need to be shown the good spots.”

“Fine.” A beat and then;  “Jake can be tour guide.”

Oh no.

OH NO.

He wouldn’t survive that.

“M—Me?” He squeaked, embarrassingly.

“Do you know another Jake in this room?” Ice asked flatly.

“Why me?” He didn’t whine per se, but he might have whined.

“You saying you don’t want to join us for the afternoon, beautiful?” Ethan turned his full charm Jake’s way, and Jake honest to god felt his knees buckle. How was he meant to be a decent tour guide if his legs were going to shake like Elvis the whole fucking time?!

“Nooooo. No. I’m not saying that, I just—I work—I mean, I have work too—I don’t just wear my uniform for fun you know?” He babbled out, praying for a quick death.

“Not even in the bedroom?” Ethan looked him up and down, checking him out, and oh, it seems Jake’s death from embarrassment wasn’t quick enough because everyone in the room heard his bubble of hysterical laughter escape his mouth, before he could stop it.

“Ethan, stop flirting with the poor boy in my office, and just take him with you.” Maverick chuckled, waving a hand at them in a shooing motion. “Jake, it’s fine, it was only going to be a paperwork afternoon for you anyway. Bradley will do it for you.”

“What? Why?” Rooster asked, sounding annoyed like only a pile of boring paperwork suddenly landing on their desk, could make someone.

“Because I’m your dad, and I said so.” Maverick folded his arms as if to emphasise the point.

“I’m over 35 years old!”

“If you do his paperwork, me and Ice will take you out for ice cream.”

“….fine.” Bradley grumbled, gently bumping his forehead against Jake’s shoulder like he’d taken to doing as a goodbye gesture, like he was a strange dog or something, and then went and sprawled out on one of the seats in the corner.

“Great. Ethan, take good care of him.”

“Oh, I will.” The sultry promise made Jake flush all over.

Maverick sighed again. “Ilsa, please make sure my brother keeps his hands to himself.”

“No promises.” She grinned, though she did look like she’d kick Ethan in the balls to protect Jake, which was nice, if slightly terrifying of her.

“And you two—” Maverick looked at Will and Benji who had been silent for a whole four minutes. “Go and…. make out or something. Elsewhere, obviously. You’re all giving my husband a headache.”

Ilsa dragged the troublesome twosome out of the door before they could defend their honour, and Ethan stepped forward to give Maverick one more brief hug, flipping off Ice as he did so, before he was walking out the door too.

With his hand linked with Jake’s.

Jake had no idea what was happening—in fact, he could only look back over his shoulder at his dads and his brother getting further and further in the distance (Rooster snickering like the asshole he was)—and could only focus on the fact that his hand was touching Ethan’s warm, soft and slightly calloused hand, and he was being led down the corridor to god knows where.

He had no idea what was happening, but by fuck, he was looking forward to finding out.

Chapter Text

Jake felt himself gently pulled down the corridor by a determined Ethan (which was hilarious because the man had no idea where the good spots of Fightertown were, so could’ve been heading in any old direction for all he knew), until they were outside, when Benji stopped them all by their SUV with a hand in the air, causing Jake to walk into Ethan.

He let out an Oof as his chest hit solid muscle, forcing his hands not to come up and grab at the older man, lest he never let him go.

“Okay—” Benji looked at them seriously. “—now we’re out of that delightfully cramped office, can we address the elephant in the proverbial room?”

“Why Ethan, didn’t tell us he had a twin brother?” Will offered opening the passenger side door to grab some gum from the glove compartment.

“Which one of them is the evil twin?” Ilsa asked, with the utmost sincerity.

“Why does Ice style his hair like that?” Ethan threw that question in to the ring, like he was dying for someone to engage in that topic of conversation. “Frosted tips are not in this decade.”

“Which one of them is more insane?” Jake muttered, rubbing at his temple with his free hand, because Jesus Christ, this whole situation—Ethan. Ethan and Mav. Ethan’s team. Ethan—it was a lot to process.

Benji looked at them all, and shook his head. “All good questions, but no.”

“What then?”  Will sighed. “Is it why they have different surnames?”

“Again good question—” Benji leant over to kiss Will on the forehead.”—but no, my petit filous, that is not what I meant.”

Will tilted his head and squinted at his boyfriend. “Did you just call me a fucking yoghurt brand?”

“No. I called you a little rascal in French.” Benji grinned sheepishly. “….which just happens to be the name of a yoghurt brand.”

Ethan looked pained and waved his arm in an encouraging gesture, clearly knowing what these two were like when they got going. “Please get to the point. What is the question that is more important than all those listed, Benji? And yes before any of you ask, I will answer them all at some point…except the one about Ice’s hair because I don’t have a fucking clue what he’s thinking there.”

“The questions is—” Benji looked at them expectantly, like the next words out of his mouth were going to be ones they would not only expect, but agree on. “—what the fuck was in your nephew’s sandwich? It looked like Neapolitan ice cream with the stripes and stuff.”

Whatever Jake had been expecting the bespectacled Englishman to say, it had not been that. He burst out laughing, because he took the piss out of Rooster’s sandwich choice too; his nerves and general flustered demeanour that was present when faced with Ethan’s face, pushed aside by his need to just laugh at Benji’s bemusement at his brother’s choice of sandwich filling. “It’s ham, cheese and peanut butter.” The four of them offered various facial reactions from mildly curious, to downright horrified. Jake wasn’t surprised to see that Ethan’s was more curious, seeing as he got the sense the man lived to try new and exciting, and weird things. “Don’t ask. Roo, says it tastes nice, but I don’t agree. I’m just glad I don’t have to kiss him. Bob has that honour.”

Ethan sighed, like he was severely disappointed in all of them (though probably not Ilsa). “I see you have your priorities straight, Benji.”

“It’s the only thing about me that is.” Benji winked. Jake found himself charmed.

Ilsa slumped against the side of the car and rubbed at her face. “It amazes me every day that we’ve managed to save the world more than once.”

Jake honed in on that tidbit of knowledge like a missile lock. “Save the world? What type of work do you do?”

All four of them went still and silent.

“Errr…” Ethan carded his hand through his hair and didn’t quite meet Jake’s gaze. “We work for the government.”

Jake had never heard such bullshit.

“You’re trying to tell me all four of you a pencil pushers and desk jockeys for the government?” He crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the fact that one of his hands was still linked with Ethan’s, and so now the older man’s hand was tucked in between his arm and his chest at an awkward angle. “Those two sure.” He nodded at Will and Benji. “Will looks at home in a 3-piece suit and like he has coffee instead of blood in his veins, and Benji looks like he has contemplated marrying his laptop at some point—”

“Both of those things are true.” Benji said, solemnly.

“—I won’t insult Ilsa by suggesting she works behind a desk as I’m pretty sure she’s the most deadly one of you all. Sorry Ethan—"

“No, no. You’re right.”

“—And if you think I’m going to believe that someone who has a body like yours—all muscly and compact, like you could throw me around despite being shorter than me—” Shit, where was he? That was not what he was meant to be thinking about. Fuck. “—Ignore that I just said that—”

“I will very much not ignore that.” Ethan looked at him with dark, delighted eyes, which Jake did his best not to get lost in, lest he lose his train of thought, especially when he’d been doing so well.

“—then you must think I have shit for brains.” He cheered internally at managing to finish his point without blushing or tripping over his words. The little tangent was acceptable in his mind, he’d gotten to the end eventually.

“I don’t think you have shit for brains.” Ethan said, earnestly.

The others shook their heads.

“Great. So which government agency do you work for? CIA? FBI?”

They all looked at Ethan, as it seemed it was down to him as to how much they would tell him. “We work for the IMF.” The older man said, eventually.

Jake’s eyebrows rose towards his hairline. “You’re spies?” That made so much sense once Jake thought about it for more than one second. It also confirmed that Maverick’s brother was the same amount of insane, if not more so, than the pilot was himself.

Yipeee.

“You know what the IMF is?” Ethan sounded equally shocked.

Jake cleared his throat and looked out in the distance, trying not to come across as too big a nerd. “I have an interest in espionage type things, and I used to have a lot of time to myself on deployments to look things up. And I’m quite good with computers to know where to look. So yeah I know about the IMF.

“Hello fellow nerd.” Benji grinned, holding his hand up to high five, which Jake found he couldn’t resist returning.

Ethan tugged on his hand to get his attention and looked at him seriously. “You’re the only one other than Mav, Ice and Bradley who knows about who we work for and stuff.”

Jake furrowed his brow. “What? Why? Why tell me the truth? You could’ve just made something up; I wouldn’t have known most likely.”

The older man looked at him for a long second like he was trying to place Jake in the world as he knew it and was having to make a new Jake-spaced shape to fit him in. He flicked his gaze away, licked his lips, and then looked at Jake again with those eyes that Jake had trouble looking away from. “I find I can’t bring myself to lie or say no to you, Beautiful.”

Oh.

OH.

Jake had no idea what to do with that information.

Ilsa coughed to break up the tension. “This is lovely and nauseating, but I need a drink—alcoholic or caffeinated, I’m not fussy—so can we please go? I don’t want to hang round in a carpark forever.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Jake grinned sheepishly. “Let’s go to The Hard Deck. It’s a staple here.”

Ilsa climbed in the back of the SUV, and Will and Benji moved to join her (apparently Ethan was driving and Jake was sitting shotgun as the directions man), when the suited man looked at them in confusion.

“Uh…Ethan.”

“Yes, Will?”

“You’re still holding Jake’s hand.”

Jake knew this, but if he thought about it, he would just cease to exist because it was too much  for his brain to handle right that second.

“And you’re holding Benji’s. What of it?” Ethan grinned sharply, like he knew his answer annoyed his friend and teammate.

Will just sighed. “You know what, dickhead, I don’t get paid enough for this shit.”

Ethan laughed, all carefree and sexily, as he walked Jake round to the passenger side door and opened it for him like a fucking gentleman.

Jake got in the car silently, because he didn’t know how to process all that was going on. And then Ethan was hopping in the front, and manhandling the SUV like he would a lover, and Jake had to shift in his seat to stop himself getting turned on by the way the man caressed the handbrake.

“Ready?” Ethan asked, looking at him with a grin, putting the car in gear and turning to drive out off the base.

Ready for what? Jake wanted to ask.

Ready to go get drinks with them all?

Ready for his life to change?

Ready for Ethan in all the intensity that he was?

Jake had no idea what he was meant to be ready for, but he knew the answer was no. He was not ready.

He nodded anyway.

Chapter Text

They all walked into The Hard Deck a short drive later, and Jake smiled at the long-haired woman behind the bar. “Penny, m’dear, looking as lovely as ever.”

Penny laughed fond, as if amused by Jake’s attempts at being charming. “Hi, Jake. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be working?”

He leant against the bar and jerked his head in the direction of the group that had followed him in. “I’m playing tour guide. This is Ilsa, Benji, Will, and—”

“Ethan.” She said the name of the man who made Jake’s insides go doolally like a long-suffering sister would. “Look what the cat dragged in.”

The older man reached over the bar to kiss her on the cheek, and offered her an easy grin. “Hey Penny. Long time no see. I see you’re still within Mav’s crash zone.”

“You know I can never stay mad at him, or leave Ice to suffer his madness alone.”

“Can any of us?”

“Admiral Cain probably.”

Ethan snorted, and yeah, Jake didn’t disagree. It was common knowledge amongst their Dagger squad—curtesy of a protective Hondo who was like a grizzly bear at anyone who was mean to his small, nuisance friend; Captain Mitchell—that Admiral Cain hated Mav’s guts for how stupid he’d made him look prior to coming back to Top Gun.

Suffice to say, not one of them liked the guy.

“You two know each other?” He asked, almost redundantly, because clearly they did. But Jake had trouble dealing with the fact that all these people knew about Ethan’s existence and hadn’t told him. Like they had personal knowledge of the most beautiful man in the world, and thought that wasn’t news to share.

Obviously, everyone ignored his pointless question making him roll his eyes and rest his chin in the palm of his hand.

“How’s Julia?” Penny asked, popping her hip against her side of the bar and handing Benji and Will a bowl of nuts to share. Jake bit back an internal snort at the thought, you are what you eat.

Maybe there was something to that as he liked to eat dick? He mused.

He shook his head and focused on the conversation taking place next to him. Why was Penny asking Ethan about another woman? Did Mav have a secret sister no one had mentioned?

“Happy.” Ethan said, a tender smile flitting across his face. “With her new husband.”

Oh no. Jake had a bad feeling about this.

“Who’s Julia?” He murmured quietly to the nearest person, who happened to be Will snuffling back nuts like they were at risk of being ambushed by bar nut eating squirrels.

“Ethan’s ex-wife.” Will said. Jake could only hear a ringing in his ears as he started to panic about the fact that maybe the ridiculously attractive man he’s been all flustered about, wasn’t flirting with him, and was actually just very friendly, and only liked women like that because he’d been fucking married to one.

God, had Jake just been a complete dumbass and embarrassed himself for no reason?

“Uhh—” He slapped a pile of notes on the bar in a rush, missing the frown of concern both Penny and Ethan shot his way. “—whatever these guys would like please, Penny. I’m gonna visit the little boys room.”

He then fled to the bathroom like his ass was on fire.

Shutting the door behind him—thankfully the bar was very quiet as they’d pretty much just opened up so it was unlikely he’d be disturbed—he let out a ragged breath and then called the one person who he knew would be able to handle him like this.

Pick up, pick up, pick uuuuupppp.

“Jake? You okay?” Javy’s calm, but concerned voice, echoed down the phone into his ear.

“I think I’m crushing on Mav’s twin brother, who I’m not sure if he actually likes men—or me—because he has an ex-wife but he held my hand and he has a really nice smile, and he makes me struggle to say words, and I don’t know what to do, so I’m hiding in the toilets at The Hard Deck.” He said it all in one breath, words tripping over themselves to escape his mouth and push past his heart which felt like it was in his throat.

“Okay, firstly; breathe Jake.” He took a deep breath on Javy’s command and felt himself relax slightly. “Secondly, MavDad has a twin brother?!”

“Yeah.” He huffed out a laugh, because he still wasn’t over there being two of them either. “Ethan.” He ran a trembling hand through his hair and closed his eyes as he leant against the wall. “He’s just as attractive as Mav—probably more so actually—and even more insane.”

Jake didn’t need to know any details about any mission Ethan had been on to know that. He could just tell. No one became a successful spy and live to be Ethan’s age without doing some absolutely batshit things.

“Fucking hell.” Javy sounded both impressed and pained at the mere thought. “And you like him.”

He didn’t say it as a question, because it wasn’t. It was a statement, confirming Jake’s own insanity.

Jake rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “I mean I don’t know him much, but he seems nice and his team are loyal to him which is always a sign of what a man is like, and I’d really like him to pin me to the nearest surface and fuck my brains out, but also he seems like….important somehow?” He scrabbled around in his head for another word for how he felt, but couldn’t think of one. “I don’t know how to describe it, Javy.”

Javy let out a choked sort of laugh as he processed all of Jake’s vomited out thoughts. “He really packs a punch, huh?”

“Yeah.” He lamented, because it was rather unfair of him, if Jake was being honest.

“How long is he here?”

That was a good question.

Jake shrugged even though his best friend couldn’t see down the phone. “I’m not sure. Could be a couple of weeks, could be longer. Haven’t asked. Him and his team are here to recuperate from a mission.”

Javy hummed down the phone. “Jake, if you want to fuck him then as long as he’s up for that, then fine. But—” Jake knew there was going to be a but. There was always a but with Javy. Normally a logical and well-intentioned but too. “—bear in mind, you’ve never called me panicking like this about anyone before. So, maybe if he feels important, then get to know him first and hold off on riding his dick until you work out how important he’s going to be.”

He hated sometimes how much his best friend spoke sense.

“I only met him like an hour ago.” Like he thought that might sway Javy into forgetting how dumb and emotionally compromised he already sounded about the man.

“Yeah so?” Javy was having none of Jake’s bullshit. “You told me you knew I was worth letting in, within like two hours when we first met. And although you were rivals before you were brothers, you said the same about Rooster—that he was important. And you practically mentally assigned Mav as your dad from the get-go when we came back to Top Gun.” What, did Javy keep a fucking list or something? “When you say someone feels like they’re going to be important, they usually are, Jake.”

Jake sighed. “You’re too good to me, but also know me way too well, Javy.”

“I know.” The other man smirked down the phone.

“Dick.” He grumbled with absolutely no bite. “So, no fucking him until I work out if it’s just physical and a temporary crush, or more.”

“Sounds good.”

He stood there for a moment hearing his best friend breathing down the line as stood against the bathroom wall with his eyes closed. The steady breaths helped him right himself enough to slowly revert back to his cheeky self.

“Can I still suck his dick though?”

“Maybe if you ask nicely.” A voice that was definitely not Javy’s said from right beside him, hot breath tickling his neck.

“Ahhhh!” He let out a yelp and opened his eyes to see Ethan stood there, looking gorgeous and amused.

“He’s there isn’t he?” Javy asked down the phone.

“Yep. Gotta go, bye.” He frantically babbled before ending the call, slipping the phone into his back pocket. He’d apologise for the abrupt ending later; sure Javy would understand. “How—” He cleared his throat, and his gaze bounced round the room, not landing on Ethan’s face for more than a second at a time. “—How long have you been there?”

Ethan pushed his hair away from his forehead and walked over to the sinks; hopping up and sitting on the counter in between them, like he couldn’t lounge anywhere normally, and it was normal to just park his annoyingly pert ass on the countertop.

“Only long enough to hear about you sucking some lucky person’s dick. Anyone I know?” He asked with a devilishly glint in his eye.

“Maybe.” Jake wet his lips and try as he might to look at the tasteful paintings of planes and beach scenes decorating the wall, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the older man. “What are you doing in here anyway? As you don’t look like you came in here to piss.”

Ethan didn’t point out that Jake didn’t look like he had either. “You were gone a while. I wanted to check you were okay.”

Oh.

“Oh. You didn’t have to come find me.” He rubbed his hand over his bicep and grimaced.

“Yeah I did.” He said it like someone who doesn’t like to leave anyone behind. Maverick always sounded the same. Though now he was just an instructor and no longer flew missions, Mav’s ‘never leaving anyone behind’ meant more ‘we nearly lost you in the grocery store because you spent five minutes picking an ice cream flavour, and I had to come find you so Ice didn’t drive off without you’ rather than ‘make sure everyone comes home from a mission’. Jake appreciated the sentiment in whatever way it came. (And he maintains choosing ice cream flavours when there’s so many good ones out there takes more than a minute, and they’re just heathens for always picking the same two ones).

“What about the others? You left them in there unchaperoned.”

Ethan snorted and rolled his eyes. “Will and Benji are playing darts and getting more and more competitive with each turn, I’m convinced they’re either going to make out or stab each other with the darts. And Ilsa is lamenting being surrounded by stupid men with Penny. I’m pretty sure I saw them exchange numbers to start a club where they drink cocktails and bemoan our existence.”

Jake had a feeling that if a club like that was started, Phoenix would join in a heartbeat.

“And you? No pretty lady strike your fancy while you were out there?” He asked, trying and failing not to let his voice shake, like the answer wasn’t of great interest.

Ethan smiled softly like he could see right through him. “No, the most beautiful person here was in the gents, so I came to find him.”

“You don’t—you don’t have to say shit like that just to be nice. I’ll still be your tour guide and stuff.”

Ethan tilted his head at him and then looked at him concerned. He crooked his finger in a beckoning motion, for Jake to come closer, and Jake found his feet moving before he’d ever realised what was happening, until he stopped a few inches away from him, in between Ethan’s spread legs.

“I’m not. Ask anyone, Jake. I’m not like this unless I mean it. I fake flirt on missions when it’s needed, but outside of that—it’s only if I want to.” He scratched at the line of his jaw, and huffed out a breath. “I can be a bit intense, or so I’m told by the idiots in there. Sorry.”

Jake shook his head, because he liked the intensity. He just didn’t know how to handle being the sole focus of it.

“So….You like men as well as women who you were once married to?”

Ethan chuffed, because he clearly knew what Jake was asking. He snuck a hand under the collar of Jake’s shirt and pulled out Jake’s dogtags to run the chain over and through his fingers; hypnotised by the quiet jangle like a cat with a toy.

“Julia and me didn’t work because of my job. She was always at risk and as much as she loved me and I loved her, she didn’t truly understand what it meant to be in my shoes not knowing if I’ll survive a mission and leave behind people to mourn me. She understood being the one left behind, but not the one who did the leaving, albeit it would be against my will.” Ethan took a moment, and then when he looked at Jake, his moss-green eyes were shinier than they’d been before; a clear sign that the man felt emotions down to his core. “I assume you know what I mean?”

“Y—Yeah. I—I know what that’s like.” He hadn’t for years, but then there had been Javy, and then he’d gone against orders because he wasn’t allowing Mav and Rooster to leave Ice. It was only when he’d landed and the hurrah of the mission had died down that he’d been lovingly chastised by not only his best friend, but his new adopted dad and brother, about how they didn’t want to have to mourn him either. And he realised that day that every mission he went on after that, he’d be leaving behind four people (because Ice had just looked at him flatly, unimpressed, until Jake had mumbled sorry and let the older man hug him), if he died, and that had made his chest hurt.

He’d applied to be a Top Gun instructor as soon as possible after that, not wanting to lose his family after so many years of being without one.

“Then you understand why she’s my ex-wife.” Ethan gently tugged on Jake’s dogtags until he was stepping forward even closer into the gap between his legs. “And yeah, I like men too. Just the one fascinates me at the moment though.”

“And that’s….me?” Jake asked, barely daring to believe it.

“Yep. Just you. That okay?”

“Just like physically or…?”

Ethan smiled at him softly and brushed the tips of his fingers over Jake’s cheekbone making him shiver. “I want to get to know you. And I’m sure I can find it in me to let you suck my dick, if you really want to.” He winked at him, when Jake flushed. The bastard.

“Who said I was talking about your dick?”

Ethan’s grin was all teeth. “I’m a spy. A really, really good one.”

Jake let out a humph. “That’s cheating.”

“Sorry, Baby.” Ethan cooed, and Ohhh, that pet name just wrapped itself around Jake’s throat and made him breathless. “I’ll keep my spy shit to a minimum around you.”

“If you’d be so kind.” Jake sniffed haughtily, becoming less nervous around the older man, even as he was becoming more aroused. The newness of him making way for the sheer everything that he was, and somehow that was both so much better and so much worse. “Get to know me the traditional way.”

“Like kissing you in a bar bathroom?”

Jake’s heart stuttered. “Who—Who said anything about kissing?” If his voice sounded like a strangled cat, neither of them mentioned it.

“I did.”

Oh.

OH.

Oh fuck.

His mouth opened, but no words came out; only garbled noises. Ethan bit his lip as if trying not to chuckle at Jake’s brain ceasing to malfunction, and grasping his dogtags in his hand, pulled him close, until Jake could smell the woodsy cologne that clung to his skin and made his mouth water.

Jake closed his eyes—unable to process Ethan up close with this little warning—and held his breath, waiting to see what the other man would do.

He shuddered when he felt soft lips press against the corner of his mouth, right where his dimples are when he truly smiles.

It undid him more than if he’d been kissed on his mouth within an inch of his life, because the feeling of Ethan’s lips on his jaw, so close to his own lips, felt like something much more dangerous than just mindless lust.

It felt like a promise.

Chapter Text

“You still with me, Beautiful?”

Jake fluttered his eyes open at the soft question from Ethan, and bit back a moan seeing the older man’s face so close. Jesus Christ, he’d only touched his lips to his cheek, and Jake was already close to swooning.

“Y—Yeah—I—ahem—I’m here.”

“Good.” He thumbed a line along Jake’s cheekbone. “Should get back in there before the others notice we’re both missing.”

“Aren’t they spies too?”

“Yeah, but they’re used to me disappearing. They wait a longer than average time before coming to find me as there’s a 97% chance I’m just causing mischief somewhere.”

Jake huffed out a laugh. “Why does mischief in this scenario sound like a word you’ve just slotted in when what you actually mean is dangerous chaos?”

Ethan looked at him, grinning wickedly. “I thought you said you didn’t know me well.” He winked and gently pushed Jake back so he could jump down from the counter, walking towards the door. Jake absently noticed the wince of pain that shot across Ethan’s face as he landed, but before he could ask about it, what Ethan had said filtered through, and his eyes widened with panic.

“HOW MUCH OF MY CONVERSATION DID YOU HEAR?!” He called, turning and projecting his alarm at Ethan’s back.

The older man’s low chuckle as the bathroom door swung shut behind him was not comforting to Jake’s internal panic in the slightest. But he’d already had one dramatic breakdown in the bathroom, two in one visit would be a bit much.

Narrowing his eyes at where the sneaky sonofabitch had just been, he straightened his shoulders and walked back out to the bar. He clocked Ilsa and Penny talking—both of them sipping on something brightly coloured and fruity—and saw Ethan sprawled out on a chair watching Benji and Will playing darts.

Jake walked over to where the couple were bickering like him and Bradley were wont to do when sports was involved—picking up his beer that Penny nodded her head at as he walked by, that had been waiting for him dripping drops of condensation onto the bar, smiling at her in thanks—and cleared his throat to announce his presence next to Ethan’s shoulder.

“I guess it’s my own fault for having a conversation in a bar toilet with my eyes closed.”

Ethan smiled softly and turned to look at him; his own beer hung loose in his hand, resting against his thigh that was really putting the denim of his jeans to work by the way it made it stretch tight across it. “I didn’t plan on eavesdropping for so long, and I did say your name, but you were very focused on your conversation you didn’t hear me, and then I got distracted just looking at you. Sorry, Jake.”

“Are you apologising…for getting distracted looking at me?” He took a pull of his drink, because his throat suddenly felt as dry as the dessert.

“No.” Ethan laughed softly, shaking his head making his floppy hair brush his face. “That I will never apologise for. I was apologising for the eavesdropping. I didn’t mean to listen to your conversation, especially as I seem to have inadvertently caused the upset in the first place.”

Jake wasn’t sure how to deal with someone being this open with him so quickly. Apart from Javy who is one of the most calm and kind-hearted people Jake knows, and for some reason decided to pluck Jake out of their graduating class of aviators and nurture him like a baby duck; no one in Jake’s life has ever let him in this easily.

Like, Mav was pretty stressed having to teach them about the mission and he kept a healthy distance while still their CO, and Bradley, fuck, that moustached moron had only let Jake see his marshmallow inside after years of antagonistic rivalry (started and elongated by both of them), and under layers of barely repressed anger (not directed at Jake). Trying to get even a smile out of him had been a heroic feat.

And here was Ethan just….putting it all out there for Jake to deal with in whatever way he wanted to. Offering him both the truth and an apology—along with some flirting—without even being coerced into reluctantly giving it.

“Uh, thanks. I probably could’ve asked you and save myself the drama, but that’s not really my style.”

Ethan snorted, and took a swallow from his beer bottle. Jake watched the bob of his throat and lost a few seconds imagining what the tanned skin would feel like under the press of his teeth, then he remembered they were in a bar—a public bar where he knew people—and he shook his head to focus himself.

“Do you just offer the truth like that all the time? Surely, that’s not a good skill for a spy to have?”

“I’m a great liar. I told you though, I can’t bring myself to lie to you.”

Jake blinked, and then blinked again, because he’d thought that was a line, not an actual thing that Ethan was going to do. “What if I ask you something that means to tell me the truth you’d be like breaking IMF rules or something?”

Ethan shrugged. “Breaking rules is nothing new to me—” Oh god, him and Maverick were so alike. “—and I’m sure I could wrangle a promise from you not to tell anyone.”

“You’re insane.” Jake spluttered.

“So I’ve been told.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “What to play pool?”

“Sure.”

“Can we play too?” Benji asked, sidling up to Jake silently, giving away the fact that when he’s not bickering with Will, he can be a damn good spy too.

“I’m getting you all bells to wear around your necks.” Jake grumbled, jolting in shock.

“Kinky.” Will drawled, coming up on his other side.

“Jake I’m with you—” Ethan said, getting up and grabbing a cue. “—I’ll whack one of those two with this otherwise, if I have to deal with them being on separate teams.”

“O—Okay.” He took a breath at the thought of being on Ethan’s team, and moved to stand beside him. Will racked ‘em up, and then Benji was taking the first shot.

Jake could play a good game of pool with his eyes closed—and a fantastic one with his eyes open—but he definitely had to focus with Ethan being so close. He nearly whited out when he watched the older man lean over the table, and hitch up his leg to perform a trick shot; the hem of his t-shirt rucking up exposing his muscled torso.

The only thing that stopped him from having a horny-induced stroke was that instead of just tanned skin, Ethan’s torso seemed to be covered in a myriad of bruises in all various shades and colours.

He knew he should’ve paid more attention to that wince of pain.

He grabbed Will by the elbow as he was the closest one. “How close to dying did he come during that last mission?” He hissed lowly and a bit frantically.

Will had the decency not to ask Jake who he meant, because it was clear that if Benji had been hanged then it had been a close call for him, and also there was only one man that made Jake’s emotions go all over the place.

“I wasn’t actually there; I was on a different mission. And when it came down to the end of the world bit, Ethan was fighting a bad guy on a cliffside away from the others. He’s never actually said how close he came, but knowing him—” Will pursed his lips and looked at Jake sadly, like he knew what it was like to be fascinated by someone who was prone to getting hurt. “—probably really fucking close.”

“Right.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and then played his shot. He potted the last ball which meant they won, but he paid the game no attention.

“Excuse us a second.” He gave a tight smile to Will and Benji, as he gently grasped Ethan’s elbow and lead them away from the pool table to somewhere quiet and private. The older man let himself be dragged away, both of them silent until Jake opened the door to the gents.

“People are gonna talk if they keep seeing us going in and out of the toilets together.”

Jake waited until the door closed behind them and then he turned and with his hands on his hips gave Ethan his best, most sternest look.  “No making me laugh, right now.”

Ethan’s eyes widened at the serious tone. “What did I do?”

“Why do I get the feeling you ask that question a lot?”

The older man grinned sheepishly but didn’t elaborate. Jake huffed through his nose. “How close were you to dying on your last mission? And I don’t mean in a ‘if I don’t stop this bad guy the whole world will die’ sense, I mean you. Specifically. How close to dying were you, Ethan?”

Ethan swallowed and wet his lips, carding his hand through his hair. “Would it make you feel better if I said I’d technically died before?”

Jake reeled back in shocked disbelief. Honestly, if he wasn’t used to Mav’s total lack of self-preservation he’d be wondering how Ethan could even think that was an acceptable question to ask.

“No. That does not make me feel better, you idiot. Why would knowing you’d technically died before making me feel better?!” He threw his hands up in despair.

Ethan winced, as if he knew he’d inadvertently fucked up. “I think I preferred it when you blushed and stuttered around me.”

“I’ll go back to doing that when I’m not worked up about the fact that you were apparently this close—” He held up his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “—from never meeting me in the first place.”

“I’m glad I didn’t. Die that is. Not meeting you would’ve been tragic.”

“Stop flirting and trying to distract me. How much of you is bruised, Ethan?”

The older man sighed, and then instead of answering Jake’s question like a normal person, he pulled his t-shirt off over his head, revealing his tanned, muscled, and VERY BRUISED torso to Jake’s gaze.

“Jesus Fucking Christ.” He murmured, taking a breath to steady himself, as he fought down the urge to go beat up whatever or whoever had done this to the man who had burst into Jake’s life only a few hours ago, but had made it that much more interesting already.

He reached out with his hand before he even knew he was doing it, and sucked in a sharp breath feeling warm skin beneath his fingertips. Ethan’s abs flexed under his touch, but he didn’t move away.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not as much as it did two weeks ago. All the briefings I had to sit though helped dull the pain to be honest, because they were even more painful.”

God, Jake just wanted to wrap him in cotton wool and hold him so he never got hurt again (even though he knew how ridiculous that thought was). He barely knew the guy, but he hated the idea of him being all broken and bruised.

Jake moved his hand from Ethan’s bare stomach, because feeling the muscles move as he spoke was distracting him too much, and cupped Ethan’s cheek.

“Stop deflecting with humour and just tell me the truth. You said you would.”

Ethan sighed. “I took a hell of a beating. I crashed a helicopter onto a cliff and then fell off the cliff after fighting the bad guy we were after. He fell off with me, both of us hanging on to a rope and we raced to get back up to the top whilst trying to stop the other from doing so, and trying to grab a detonator for two nuclear bombs—which the guys were disarming elsewhere—and I managed to win. Just. I might have got a bit of hypothermia as well as it was really cold up there.” Ethan pushed his hair back from his face and smiled lopsidedly at him. “Still, I lived and I’m used to pain, and we succeeded with the mission, so it’s no big deal.”

Jake stood there stunned at all the words that tumbled out of Ethan’s mouth, and then hauling him into his embrace gently, he hugged him as hard as he could without hurting him. “Your sense of what is okay is so skewed, it’s terrifying, but I’m glad you survived.” He murmured into Ethan’s hair. He held him close just to reassure himself that the older man was still alive—though he still had no fucking clue how, as he was nearing sixty, and Jake was pretty sure he wouldn’t have survived all that had happened and he was in top shape and younger—and breathed in the scent that clung to his hair.

“Your hair smells like apples.”

Ethan chuffed; breath warm against the hollow of Jake’s throat where he’d had no choice but to put his face as Jake had hugged him suddenly. “I like apples.”

Jake held him for a bit longer—long enough to see Will open the bathroom door, spot them stood there (Ethan shirtless and Jake clinging to him somewhat desperately), and do an about face, like he’d gone, ‘nope, not dealing with that’, and go back out—and then eventually let him go.

“Apples are good.” Jake chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry for freaking out a bit there and going all mother hen. I just—I knew you were a spy, but it hadn’t quite sunk in—even though I’d seen Benji’s neck—how much danger you put yourself in to save others. I know I can’t talk, though I don’t go on missions anymore, but it’s just seeing the bruises….it makes everything more real.”

“It’s okay.” He pulled his t-shirt back on and flicked his hair out of his face. “The realness of it all has pushed a lot of people away. I understand if it’s spooked you from wanting to get too close.”

Jake shook his head vehemently. “No. I still want to get to know you. I just need to internally recalibrate my expectations of things.”

“Like what?” Ethan titled his head and looked at him with intrigue.

“Like how often I’d have to get used to seeing you all banged up….and how long until you’d be able to fuck me into the mattress without wincing in pain.”

Ethan smirked and snorted in amusement, even as his green eyes darkened in arousal. “I heal quickly, don’t you worry.”

“I do worry. It’s a thing I do.”

“I haven’t had anyone worry about me like that—outside of the team anyway—in a long time. It’s… nice.” Ethan brought Jake’s wrist up to his lips and kissed him; lips pressing softly against the veins there. “You’re very sweet.”

“I’m normally a dick. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Yeah, normally I make sweet people turn into dicks, not the other way round.” Ethan smirked. “Come on, let’s go back out. No doubt Will has something to say about what he witnessed.”

“HOW DID YOU EVEN KNOW IT WAS HIM? YOU HAD YOUR BACK TO THE DOOR!”

“Spy.”

Jake let out a humph of annoyance. “You cannot just say spy every time.”

“But I am a spy.”

“And I’m a Libra, but I don’t use that as an excuse for everything.”

Ethan bit his lip, like he was trying not to burst out laughing. Yes, Jake knew he sounded ridiculous, but that was the Ethan Hunt effect™, he was quickly learning. “Sorry, baby.”

“Just get back out there, so I can kick your ass at darts.” Jake grumbled, refusing to acknowledge the blush that stained his cheeks at the pet name.

He followed Ethan back out to the bar—and what a view, that was—and commandeered the dart board while Ethan wandered to grab another round of drinks. Ilsa and Penny had moved on to sharing a pitcher of Sangria and both were scribbling furiously on napkins. Jake had a feeling that the idiot men in their life were fuelling a lot of those tipsy scribbles, especially when Penny looked annoyed at having been interrupted by Ethan’s request for more beer.

“You work fast.” Will smirked, leaning on his pool cue. “Usually takes a while for the shirt to come off.”

Jake flipped him off. “It was a de-shirting of concern, not one of arousal, thank you very much.”

Will blinked at him, then offered him a sincere smile. “Well, alright then. It’s like that is it?”

“Like what?”

“You’re one of the special ones who’s getting to see under the shiny veneer of Ethan Hunt, and are choosing to stick around anyway.” Benji offered, grabbing a handful of nuts and popping them in his mouth. “Generally people realise he’s not perfect like his face and hair would suggest, and then run in the other direction.”

“I don’t run, or abandon the people in my life.” Regardless of how he got his call sign, when it came down to it, Jake would never leave those he cared about. And despite only knowing Ethan a couple of hours, he knew that the older man would be one of those people at some point, so he might as well start as he meant to go on. “Especially not for them letting me see the real them.”

Benji and Will looked at each other, then looked at him. “We like you, Jakey boy. You’re going to be good for him.”

“You know it’s creepy when you say things like that in unison, right?”

They just smiled like they knew exactly how much it weirded people out and enjoyed that fact.

“Gonna hit a bullseye?” Ethan asked, handing Jake a beer.

“Are you?”

Ethan puffed out his chest slightly. “I am pretty good at darts.”

“Yeah? Want to bet who wins?”

“Sure. What does the winner get?”

Jake thought for a second about what he’d want if he won. “Loser has to do a shot; winner gets to kiss the person they’re most attracted to.”

Ethan licked his lips at the suggestion, and nodded. “You’re on, pretty boy.”

Oh god. Another pet name, another moment lost to trying to subtly rearrange his dick in his trousers so it didn’t end up strangled.

“I’ll even make it an even playing field and play with my eyes closed.” He offered graciously to take his mind away from his dick.

Ethan looked at him with raised eyebrows. “That confident are you?”

“Or just that good.” Jake winked. The thrill of a good game of darts always able to get his blood pumping, and helping him not to make a complete fool out of himself in front of his crush.

“I’m going Jake.” Will muttered from the side lines.

“I’ve seen Ethan play. He’s never lost to anyone.” Benji sounded confident in his choice.

“Fine, I’ll play with my eyes closed too.” Ethan grinned, grabbing the darts. “That way I won’t see your beautiful face fall when I win.”

Jake bowed, stepping out of the way, and let Ethan go first. He watched the older man close his eyes, take a breath and then throw the first dart. It landed on the bullseye, and Jake internally screamed with delight knowing that he’d found someone who could keep up with him when playing his favourite game.

He let Ethan take his second go—another bullseye—and then stepped up behind him and whispered, “I hope Will doesn’t mind when I give Benji that kiss after I win.”

He knows it’s mean, but he is a bit mean. And the small growl Ethan lets out at that, and the fact that he misses the bullseye and hits the outer bull instead, makes Jake want to pin him to the nearest surface and ravish him breathless.

He doesn’t, but it’s a close call.

“That’s not fair.” Ethan whined, pouting all pretty like.

Jake walked over and grabbed the darts. “Libra.” He offered, so Ethan would know how it feels to have a stupid excuse thrown in his face in response to something he said. “I’m a pair of scales. I’m always fair.” He stuck his tongue out, and laughed as Ethan’s eyes narrowed to beady eyes of betrayal.

“Go on then. See if you can do better when I get my own back.”

He had no idea what the man was going to do, but he’d be okay. He was a master at darts. He played his first two shots easily, hitting the bullseye, and then tensed when he felt Ethan behind him. He held his arm up to aim, and then felt a shiver roll down his spine as Ethan placed a soft kiss to the nape of his neck.

The imprint of his lips felt like a brand on his skin, but it wasn’t quite enough to knock him off his game. He threw his last dart, and by Will’s cheer, he gathered he’d hit the bullseye again.

“Fuck, kid. You’re something else.” Benji clapped his hand in celebration.

“Don’t worry, it’s not actually you I’m going to kiss.”

Benji snorted. “Yeah, I’d worked that out for myself.”

Jake turned to look at Ethan who was looking at him all dark-eyed and intense. “Sad you lost?”

“No. I clearly lost to the best.”

“Damn right. Now, to get my prize.”

Ethan opened his mouth—no doubt to say something snarky or stupid about how Benji was behind him—but before he could (and before Jake lost his nerve), Jake curled his hand around Ethan’s waist and pulled him close; covering his mouth with his own.

He swallowed down the gasp of surprise—honestly, did Ethan think he’d been telling the truth when he’d said he was going to kiss Benji? What a dumbass—and then Ethan was kissing him back, and fireworks were going off in Jake’s brain. He slipped his tongue into Ethan’s mouth and tasted the beer he’d been drinking.

Ethan grasped at Jake’s uniform shirt, and Jake filed away his tiny moans and whimpers of arousal for later, when he could scream about them freely and repetitively, without being judged.

He licked at the ridges of Ethan’s mouth and nipped at his plump bottom lip, and just generally wondered if he actually needed to work for a living, or if he could just spend his days kissing Ethan Hunt.

Surely, that was a justified use of his time and in the best interests of his country. Surely.

Eventually he relinquished the older man, because breathing was a thing that they had to do, and was gratified to see a blush on Ethan’s face.

“Even less sad I lost now.” Ethan breathed out, brushing his lips with his fingers like he couldn’t believe Jake had just kissed him. “Do I have to have my shot now or can I have it later?”

“Why would you want to have it later?”

“I don’t want to get rid of the taste of you just yet.”

Benji and Will may be making fake heaving noises behind him, but Jake ignored them in favour of being utterly charmed and blushing like a school girl. He may have been the one to kiss Ethan until they were both breathless, but Jake still feels like the other man upsets his perfectly coiffed equilibrium just from saying a few pretty words at him.

He’s honestly not sure he’s going to come out of this without losing his whole heart to the other man.

He’s surprisingly okay with that.

Chapter Text

They didn’t stay at the bar for long after the kiss. Jake, because he couldn’t concentrate on anything that wasn’t the haunting feel of Ethan’s lips on his own, and the rest of them because they were either on their way to drunk (Ilsa), tired (Ethan and Benji) or both (Will).

After blowing a kiss to Penny, and not feeling jealous in the slightest (honest) when Ethan kissed her on the cheek as they walked past the bar, they all piled into the SUV. Benji drove because he’d only had a coke—the damage to his neck and throat not helped by alcohol, and that thought just made Jake want to hug the man he’d met only a few hours ago. Clearly there was a lot of that madness going around, seeing as he’d already kissed and hugged Ethan in the few hours since meeting him.

None of them were up for visiting anymore hot spots of Fightertown just then, just wanting to check into their hotel and sleep; so Benji dropped Jake off at his house after asking him for his address.

“Nice place.” Will drawled from the back seat where he was smooshed up against the window, with Ilsa sprawled half on him—her head on his shoulder—where she was lightly snoozing. Jake flashed him a grin in the rear-view mirror. “Thanks. It’s nice to have a place to call my own after so many years moving around.”

He gave Benji a shoulder squeeze and thanked him for the lift, and then got out the car. His eyebrows rose towards his hairline as he saw Ethan get out and walk round towards him.

“Not leaving without saying goodbye to me now, are you, Beautiful?” His smile was lopsided and soft, and Jake wanted to kiss him again so badly, but this had already gone faster than he thought it would, so he held himself back.

“Wasn’t sure if you were dozing too. You looked pretty cute curled up in the back seat.”

“Cute?” Ethan huffed out a laugh. “Not been called that before. Not as an adult anyway.”

“Well it’s true.”

The older man hummed like he didn’t believe him, but his grin didn’t leave his handsome face. “You at least going to let me have your number so I can get in contact with you?”

“Oh—uh—sure.” He patted his trouser pockets to get his phone, and held it out dumbly for Ethan to take. Ethan grabbed it with an amused smirk and put his number in before sending himself a text so he had Jake’s number, and then handing it back to Jake.

He huffed out a laugh when he saw that the older man had text himself the kissing emoji.  “Just cos I kissed you once, doesn’t mean I’m gonna kiss you again, Darlin’.” A bit of his Texan twang filtering in as he spouted out the blatant lie, because who was he kidding? He’d probably spend the rest of his life kissing Ethan Hunt if he could.

He is a clown without a circus, and he’s accepted this.

“Yeah you will, Jake.”

And if to prove his words true, he stepped into Jake’s personal space, curled his fingers into the soft hair at the base of his skull and pulled Jake down to press their lips together. Jake groaned against Ethan’s mouth as he drowned in the feel, taste and smell of the other man. His hands found their way to Ethan’s waist; thumbs rubbing back and forth over the cotton of his t-shirt, making Jake crave to feel his warm skin beneath his palms again.

They pulled back when Jake heard someone wolf-whistling from the car. He levelled Will with a flat look (because of course it was Will), and flipped him off.

“Let the poor boy go, Ethan. He must be tired too; he’s had to put up with us lot unexpectedly.”

Ethan chuffed, and pressed one last kiss to Jake’s cheek before stepping back and letting him go. “Please ignore him.”

“I’m trying. He is leaning out the car window like a weird-looking puppy though.”

Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes like he was praying for strength. He let out a sigh and then wandered back to the car, this time getting in the passenger seat Jake had not long vacated.

He offered Jake a wave, and then they were driving off. Jake watched them go and then made his way inside.

                                                          ----------------------------------------

His phone vibrated in his hand and his heart fluttered thinking it was maybe Ethan, and then he despaired at himself, because why would the man text him, when he’d literally just driven off?

It wasn’t Ethan. It was Bradley asking if he was home.

Jake: Yes, I’m home, you mother hen.

Bradley: How was it?

Jake: None of your beeswax.

He wasn’t surprised in the slightest when he saw Bradley’s moustached mug (a picture of him with a rubber chicken strapped to his head from a night of one too many drinks and poor decisions) flashing up on his screen indicating he was facetiming him. Jake let out a sigh as he padded into his kitchen and accepted the call.

“I can’t decide if you’re more annoying now or when you were just my rival.” He muttered not even bothering to say hello to the man; opening the fridge to grab a yoghurt pot, and closing it with his hip before digging in his cutlery drawer for a spoon.

“You know it’s my mission in life to annoy you as much as possible, Bagman.”

“Lucky me.” He drawled sarcastically, around a spoonful of peach yoghurt. “What do you want, Bradshaw?”

“Don’t be like that.” Bradley grinned at him, and shuffled on what Jake now realised was his bed. The phone screen moved slightly and Jake caught a peek of blond hair against Bradley’s side, which meant Bob was curled up against him, sleeping like he often did. Jake thought it was cute how someone who was over 6ft could curl up so smally, like a cat. “You know you love seeing my face.”

Which, sure, was true. Jake liked seeing the people he considered family, especially as before Javy, and then Mav, Bradley, Ice, Bob, and Phoenix, he hadn’t had anyone to call family for way too many years.

But also, Bradley’s curly-haired head, big, dopey eyes, and pornstached mouth were not the facial features he was craving to see just then.

“You’re delusional. Bob has my condolences for putting up with you.”

He snorted as Bradley flipped him off, and then grinned wolfishly around his spoon.

“Sooooooooo, what did you do while I was doing your paperwork?”

Jake tried to appear casual and shrugged, eating another spoonful of yoghurt. “Went to The Hard Deck. Played some pool. Shot some darts. Came home.”

Bradley narrowed his eyes at him as if he didn’t believe him. Fuck. “So, nothing else happened?” Jake took a second too long to answer, and knew he’d been caught. “Aha! I knew something had happened. Spill, Seresin.”

“This is your uncle we’re talking about here, remember? Do you really want me to talk to you about stuff that may or may not have happened.”

“An uncle I haven’t seen in longer than I had Mav. Ethan’s always been one of those people that had flitted in and out of my life, because he was always off on missions, doing….stuff—” He seemed to realise that he had to be vague so as not to give away what Ethan did, and Jake bit back a laugh.

“It’s okay, Roo. I know he works for the IMF.”

Bradley’s eyes bugged slightly, like he was surprised Jake knew, but he cleared his throat and carried on talking; his hand coming up to card through Bob’s hair and pet him while he snoozed pressed up against Bradley’s side. “—okay, that saves a lot of vagueness. But yeah, it’s fine. I want to know what happened. You didn’t suck his dick, did you?”

Jake choked on his yoghurt. “N—No.” He coughed out. Not yet anyway.

“Good. I’d need to be eased into knowing that info.”

“You’re delusional and deranged.” Jake ran his hand through his hair, and put his empty yoghurt pot on the kitchen side. “And we kissed a couple of times.” He looked away from the screen like that might stop the other man from seeing the rosy-pink that painted his cheeks.

“D’awwwwwwww, you’re blushing.” Bradley cooed at him, like he was a baby animal or something equally ridiculous.

“I will hang up on you.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Sorry. It’s just. I don’t normally get to see you so flustered, and yet since Ethan’s turned up you’re been all ruffled feathers and blushing cheeks. It’s adorable.”

“Don’t bring me into your weird bird  thing you have going on. There are no feathers here, Rooster.”

Bradley laughed. “Alright, Bagman. Good kiss though, yeah?”

“Yeah. Real good. I don’t know what to do though, Roo.”

The moustached man looked at him with a concerned furrow marring his brow. “What do you mean? You just kissed, Jake. It’s no big deal…..unless it is a big deal?”

Jake sighed and pulled out a chair at his kitchen table and sort of flumped down on it; one leg coming up to rest on the edge of the table (shoes having been kicked off as soon as he got in the door), and the other, toes trailing against the floor tiles. “It’s stupid. I just met the guy a few hours ago, and yet I can’t stop thinking about him, and it’s like—ah I don’t know—he’s probably going to leave in a few weeks and go back to wherever he lives, and forget about me, so it’s stupid to even let this crush at first sight become more, but it’s not like I can help my feelings, Roo.”

He looked at his brother beseechingly through the phone, and dug his fingertips of his free hand into his scalp. “What do I do?”

“Okay, wow. That’s a lot of words.” Bradley ran his fingers over his moustache, and shifted, pulling Bob in closer. Jake could see the blond’s glasses were skewwhiff on his face, and he smiled softly at the cute image. “You can’t help how you feel, Jake. And if you like Ethan, and I’m pretty sure from the way he was eyeing you, he likes you back—I was close to cracking out the scissors to cut the tension between you two.”

“Fuck off.” Jake rolled his eyes.

“And, yeah Ethan will probably leave, because he’ll get called on a mission, but that’s no different to what you used to do when you went on deployment. It’s not about him leaving that you’re panicking about, it’s about the fact that you’re not sure if you’re worth coming back to, or if he’d even want to come back to you, which is ridiculous.”

Jake tipped his head back against the top of the chair and closed his eyes, not quite able to deal with how easily Bradley saw through him. “I think I preferred it when you didn’t give a damn about me.” he murmured quietly.

“No, you didn’t. You’re just annoyed you can’t hide behind your walls anymore.”

“Bradley’s right.” Bob said quietly, snuffling against his boyfriend’s chest. “And for what’s it’s worth, he’d be stupid not to want to come back to you, Jake.”

Jake opened his eyes and looked at the phone screen which showed Bob staring back at him; all scrunched up face and unbalanced glasses, like a kitten with bad eyesight. “When did Bobert wake up?”

“When you were talking about kissing Bradley’s uncle.” Bob said around a yawn. He’d only recently gotten back from deployment and was still trying to catch up on sleep; taking to cuddling up to Bradley whenever they were in the same vicinity as each other.

Not that Jake was jealous and imagining doing the same with Ethan, because he wasn’t.

At least not right that very second, anyway.

“Stealth pilot as always, Floyd.”

Bob smiled at him; snuggling closer to Bradley and closing his eyes again.

“Bob’s right. I grumble that you’re a pain in the ass, but that’s just the bickering we do. You’re a great guy Jake, and if he feels as intensely for you as you do him, then I just hope he doesn’t try and run from it. You could be good for each other. Ethan needs someone to come home to, and you need someone who picks you to come home to, over everyone else, every time.”

“When did you get so smart?”

Bradley snorted. “When I stopped being an angry dumbass. When I let people in.” He said the last bit softly, but looking at Jake pointedly.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll let him in, even if he breaks my heart when he inevitably leaves. Not like I’d be able to stop myself falling for him, anyway, have you seen him?”

“I mean he’s my uncle and looks like Mav, but yeah, objectively I can see he’s attractive.”

Jake chuckled sheepishly because for a second he’d forgotten Bradley’s familial link to the man he was having an emotional crisis over. “Sorry, forgot for a second there. I hope you know if something does come out of this, I will be gracious and allow it so you don’t have to call me Uncle Jake.”

“Eat a dick, Seresin.” Bradley glared.

“I’m fucking hopeful.”

Bradley hung up on him; the last image on Jake’s screen was his unimpressed face and his middle finger front and centre. Jake grinned to himself, because he did so love annoying his brother.

                                                                 ------------------------------------

Jake was just pulling a worn-soft t-shirt over his head when his phone rang again half an hour later. He picked it up and flopped down on his bed, swiping to answer the facetime call from Mav. He wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Ice’s face filling the screen alongside his husband’s.

“Hi Pops. Hi Ice.” He smiled at them both. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Do you need me to castrate the bastard, Jake?” Ice growled through the screen, looking very serious in his offer. “Because I will do. It won’t be a problem.”

“Hi Kiddo.” Mav grinned, elbowing Ice in the side and grinning even wider at the pained grunt from his husband. “Please ignore this dumbass. He’s been trying to castrate Ethan since they met.”

“Why would he need to castrate him on my behalf?” He asked with a wince. A selfish wince, because he hadn’t even gotten acquainted with Ethan’s cock yet, and he did not want the goods damaged out of some stupid sense of protection.

“Do I really need a reason?”

“Okay, you be quiet, and just stand there looking pretty, alright?” Mav patted Ice’s cheek condescendingly, and then looked at Jake. “We’re just checking to see that you survived your time with Ethan and his team. They’re quite a handful.”

“Yeah I survived.” He rolled his eyes. “Not that it was a hardship.”

“Bradley said—” Jake raised an eyebrow, because his brother better not have told them everything he’d just admitted to him. “—nothing bad don’t worry, he just said you had a nice time and were blushing.”

Jake shrugged, because yeah those two things were both true. At least Bradley hadn’t blabbed about their kisses and Jake’s emotional panic. “Ethan is a charming guy.”

“Your taste in men is terrible, Jake.” Ice grumbled.

Jake laughed. “Ice, I hate to break it to you, but you married his twin, who is very much like him.”

“I didn’t say my own taste wasn’t terrible too.”

“Hey! Enough of this thank you.” Mav huffed. “I am a delight. As is my brother…when he’s not being a shithead.”

“I assume your surnames are different due to him needing some sort of cover for his job?”

Mav looked at him with wide eyes. “Yeah…wait….He told you who he works for?”

“Yeah. Said he can’t bring himself to lie to me. What’s the big deal? I’m not gonna tell anyone who doesn’t already know.”

Mav waved him off. “No it’s not that. it’s just… he threatened Ice on pain of death not to tell anyone about him working for the IMF, and he only told him after we got married. Bradley found out through eavesdropping because he’s a little shit.”

“Oh, well. Yeah he told me.”

Ice and Mav looked at each other; communicating silently like a couple who have been with each other for way too many years.

“What is it? Come on spit it out.”

“Uhh—” Mav cleared his throat, and tried again. “Last person who Ethan told about his job he ended up…. marrying.”

“Julia?”

“Jesus Christ kid, you know about her too?” Ice looked at him in shock. “What were you doing all afternoon? Mining him for secrets?”

Jake shrugged. “Just have one of those faces I guess.” He played it casual, even as his heart thumped in his chest excitedly at the knowledge that it wasn’t just him who was acting different around Ethan; the older man was acting different around Jake too.

“Still, this is worrying.” Ice muttered. “Anything involving your brother is worrying. Jake, if he gets down on one knee run in the opposite direction.”

Mav whacked Ice around the back of the head. “What good is that going to do when Ethan can run really fast?”

“Also he’s not going to want to marry me, Ice.” Jake rolled his eyes. “He probably just wants someone to keep him company while he’s here and then he’ll go on his charming way.” If his voice sounded hollow when he said that, it was only because he couldn’t fully hide how much the thought of that hurt.

Neither of his dads looked like they believed him.

“Still, just keep a healthy distance” Ice looked at him sternly through the screen, Mav was looking like he was used to his husband being a good-intentioned idiot, and sympathised with Jake for being on the end of his ‘concern’. “For the love of fuck, don’t let him kiss you, that just opens the flood gates to more madness.”

Jake cringed and averted his gaze. “Ummmm…”

“JACOB THOMAS SERESIN HAVE YOU KISSED ETHAN FUCKING HUNT?!” Ice looked like he was going to have a coronary then and there.

“I thought his middle name was Matthew?” Jake said, for lack of anything less dumb to say.

Maverick facepalmed and Ice took a deep breath to calm himself. “Deflecting implies guilt. Guilt would imply Ethan has kissed you in the few hours you’ve known him, Jake.” Maverick grabbed hold of his Ice’s arm like he knew the man was one thing away from making an escape to go take down his brother.

“My kisses are my business, Dad. And technically I kissed him first, not the other way around.” He paused. “The second time was him though.”

“Why are you like this, Kiddo?” Mav wailed as Ice tried to escape his husband’s tight grip, muttering darkly about needing a kitchen knife to cut Ethan’s balls off.

“I live for the chaos.” He snickered. “Ice, stay away from Ethan’s balls. And his dick. And just him in general. He’s mine.” He winked and then ended the call just as the screen went sideways as Mav dropped the phone and rugby tackled Ice to the floor.

                                                 -------------------------------------

“I told you, Ethan’s dick is mine.” He said cheerily, when his phone rang a minute later; answering the call without looking as he assumed it was the two dumbasses he viewed as father figures trying to convince him to stay away from the older man.

“Is that so?” A deep husky voice chuckled down the line.

Jake pulled his phone away from his ear nervously and let out a high-pitched squeak as he saw it was Ethan calling and not Mav.

“I—oh fuck—I’m sorry—” He buried his face in his pillow and let out a muffled scream of embarrassment; holding the phone away from his face to try and minimise the noise that made it to Ethan.

“It’s fine, Baby.” Ethan soothed. “I mean I’m not opposed. I just think we should go on a date first before you claim possession of my dick. Especially as you’ve yet to see it. You may not even like it.”

Jake could hear him smirking through the phone, and wanted to both hit him for being amused by this, and kiss him for being so understanding and charming. “It’s going to be as attractive as the rest of you. S’no good pretending otherwise. I did have a good reason for talking about your cock though.” Jake mumbled, his face half-smooshed into the pillows as he was still weighing up whether or not to smother himself out of sheer embarrassment; sure he’d passed his quota for one day.

“Let me guess, Ice threatened to castrate me?” Ethan chuckled, clearly very used to this behaviour from his brother-in-law who lived to antagonise him, like Ethan did Ice in return.

“Yep. I defended your honour.”

“And my dick.”

“Your balls too, actually.”

“My hero.

“Says Mr Action Hero himself. I hope you’re resting by the way. Still upset by the fact you’re one giant walking bruise.”

“Don’t worry, I showered and am now stretched out on my bed in my hotel room.”

Jake tried not to think about Ethan laying on his bed in some sort of state of undress, but it was very hard not to. He imagined his hair sticking to his forehead and curling slightly from where he’d towel-dried it, his tanned (and bruised) skin flushed pink from the hot water and with a few errant drops trickling down the ridges of his abs. And maybe just a pair of tight boxers or a towel covering the dick that had been in his mouth more than a polite amount these past few conversations, and unfortunately not in a physical sense.

“What are you wearing?” He asked before he could tell his mouth no. His eyes widened and he covered his mouth with his hand; a groan of despair escaping his throat as he did so. “Please ignore that I just asked that.”

He could hear Ethan’s low chuckle and while it was at his expense, it did feel nice rippling over each of his vertebrae.

“I swear to god, I don’t normally put my foot in it like this around anyone else.”

“I find the honesty endearing, even if it’s not your intention to be quite that honest.” Rustling noises came through the speaker hinted at the older man moving around, as if getting comfy. “Oh and Jake?”

Jake hummed in response, not trusting his mouth to say actual words.

“I’m just wearing a towel.”

Oh, you bastard.

He made a sort of strangled cat noise and glared at his phone. “That’s not fair.”

“Sorry, Beautiful.” Ethan didn’t sound sorry in the slightest. “I didn’t actually call you up to tease you.”

Jake rolled over onto his back and stared at his ceiling in the hopes that that might divert his brain away from mental images of Ethan in a towel. “No? Why did you call me then? Surely you didn’t miss me that much.” He teased.

“I did actually.”

Jake jerked in shock. “What?”

“I did miss you. I like having you around, Jake. Being around you feels like being around someone I didn’t even know I was missing.”

He blinked away a tear that had welled up without his say so, and scrubbed at his face. “Is your sincerity your most dangerous weapon in your arsenal?”

Ethan huffed out a soft laugh, having clearly worked out that Jake didn’t really know how to handle such a genuine compliment. “You can let me know. I was calling though, to ask you if you wanted to spend the day together tomorrow?”

“Well, I’m not working, so sure. What did the guys want to do?”

“Ilsa is going to a spa with Penny, and Will and Benji are having a duvet day.”

“So, when you said spend the day together, you meant…just the two of us.”

Ethan hummed in agreement.

“Mr Hunt are you asking me on a date?”

“Looks like it. So? Is that a yes?”

Did he really expect Jake to say no?

“Yes it’s a yes. Want me to pick you up?”

“No, I’ll get you. I’m going to pick up my bike from Mav’s garage, and then you can ride with me.”

Jake swallowed at the thought of being pressed up against Ethan on his bike, the vibrations of the engine purring away underneath them. “O—Okay, yeah, that’s…yeah. Where are were going on our date?”

“The beach okay?”

“You trying to see my body, Darlin’?”

“Just bring your swim trunks, Baby.”

“Fine.” He sighed, even as he wiggled on his bedsheets in excitement.

“Pick you up at 10?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“See you tomorrow, Beautiful.”

Ethan hung up the phone before Jake could respond in kind. He laid there grinning like a loon before getting up and going to make himself a stir fry, and when he eventually went to bed a few hours later, he was still sporting the same excited smile.

He knew it would probably end in some kind of heartache, but he was going to go all in with Ethan for however long he was here for.

Damn the consequences.

Chapter Text

Jake had thought that riding on Ethan’s bike with him would be a test of his self-restraint, but he hadn’t realised how difficult it would be.

There was no way the older man didn’t notice the way Jake’s cock had hardened from how close they were pressed together—Jake’s arms wrapped around his trim waist and his crotch lined up perfectly with the swell of Ethan’s ass—and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

The drive from Jake’s house to the beach was short, but that mattered naught to Jake’s libido. He could feel Ethan’s warm body pressed close, and he could smell a mix of the woodsy cologne that clung to the tanned skin of his neck, and the apple scent of his shampoo.

He’d been on bikes before—Mav loved to go for drives with him or Bradley, so Jake had quickly gotten used to going at high speeds on the road instead of in the air—but it was different with Ethan.

Everything was different with Ethan.

“You okay there, Beautiful?” The man in question asked, when they stopped, parking just off from the beach. “A fan of the thrill, huh?” He smirked, obviously giving no shits about drawing attention to the bulge in Jake’s jeans.

“Shh. If we ignore it, it will go away.” Jake took a deep breath and thought about erection-shrivelling things like, fractions, naming all the US presidents backwards, and Admiral Cain naked.

“That’s a shame, it felt good pressed up against me.” Ethan winked as he got off the bike and locked it so no one could steal it.

“Ethan.” Jake positively whined, rubbing at his eyes as he thought about a naked Admiral Cain even harder; sighing in relief when the image made his cock soften even as he tried to bleach away the image from his brain at the same time.

“Sorry, Baby. You’re fun to tease.”

Jake flipped him off, and dumped his backpack onto the ground so he could grab their change of clothing. He handed Ethan his stuff, and they wandered to the public changing rooms. Jake slipped off his jeans and boxers and pulled on his swim shorts. He felt like topping up his tan too, so he stuffed his t-shirt in his bag too and slipped his feet into a pair of flip-flops. He rubbed in some suncream, and then went back outside to meet Ethan.

His date.

Fuck, he still wasn’t over the fact that he was on a date with Ethan.

He blinked in shock when he took in the appearance of the older man who was stood waiting for him outside the changing rooms and smiled when he spotted him.

“What?” Ethan asked, looking confused as to why Jake looked shocked. “Do I have something on my face or something?”

“No.” Jake shook his head softly and padded closer to grab Ethan’s stuff and put it back in his rucksack. “Your face is as annoyingly handsome as ever. It’s just….you’re actually wearing swim shorts.”

Ethan looked down at his outfit; a white vest with a pale green short-sleeved shirt on top (so as to cover the multitude of bruises that covered his torso, and save anyone asking questions, though Jake did mourn the fact he wouldn’t get to ogle the older man’s bare chest for the whole day), a pair of black flip-flops and a pair of dark grey swim shorts that fell to just above his knee. To top it off, he had on a pair of black shades, and his hair looked luscious and soft, and blew gently in the breeze.

He looked like someone off of a movie set for fuck’s sake.

“Huh. So I am.”

Jake rolled his eyes at the sarcasm. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant, Mav never wears anything that isn’t his flight suit or jeans.”

Ethan chuckled. “Yeah, he’s the worst for that. Did he tell you he played beach volleyball with Ice and Bradley’s dad back in the day, wearing jeans? Honestly.”

Jake hitched his bag onto one shoulder and let it hang against his back, and then jerked his head in the direction of a more deserted section of the beach. Ethan grabbed his hand and linked their fingers together, and let Jake lead the way.

“He played fucking beach dogfight football in jeans. He caught the flu not long after our Mission ended—think his body had just had enough of the stress and nearly dying and said you’re gonna rest for a bit or else—anyway, he tried to rest in jeans. Ice had to physically wrestle him into a pair of sweatpants—Phoenix’s sweatpants because everyone else’s were too big. It got kinda ugly. He was like a sweaty, flu-y eel trying to wriggle out of Ice’s grip. I think someone got it on video.”

Ethan laughed and Jake basked in the fact that he’d made him laugh; the deep, melodic sound quickly becoming one of his favourites sounds there was.

“Truthfully, I’m not as attached to my jeans as my brother is.”

“Does that mean you’re not opposed to them coming off at some point?” He leered, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You can take my shorts off later if you want. It will save you the hassle of having to deal with my zipper at least.” The sonofabitch winked as Jake faltered in his steps and nearly fell into the sand.

“Fuck.” He groaned. He knew it was his fault for bringing it up in the first place, but he should’ve remembered that Ethan seemed to give as good as he got. “Haven’t even done anything on this date yet and I’m already thinking with the wrong head.”

Ethan snorted out a laugh. “That’s okay, Baby. I’ll try and behave. Come on, let’s wander over there and look in some rock pools.”

Jake let himself be dragged towards to the area where there were lots of rock pools, and grinned at Ethan’s enthusiasm to get up close and look at the inhabitants of the small craters of water. There were small fish—the many species Jake was unsure of—limpets, crabs, some anemones and different types of seaweed too.

He stuck his hand in the rock pool he was closest to—the water warmed by the sun—and picked up a medium sized ruddy-brown crab. “Hey, this crab looks like Roo.”

“Roo?” Ethan looked at him quizzically as he shook his own hand that he had been swirling in the water, to dry it off, and came and crouched next to him to stare at the crab in Jake’s hands.

“Oh, sorry. Bradley. His callsign is Rooster. I like to annoy him so I shorten it.” He huffed out a laugh. “Jokes on me though, as I’m pretty sure he likes it.”

“I see.” Ethan was still wearing his sunglasses but Jake knew his moss-green eyes were sparkling with amusement behind them. “And please explain how this crab looks like my nephew?”

Jake stared at the crab as it scuttled side to side in his palm; its pointy legs softly poking his hand. “It’s giving me the beady eyes of judgement.”

Ethan got even closer; close enough Jake could feel his breath on his forearm as he peered at the crab, and Jake focused on making it so his hands didn’t shake. “Oh yeah, I see it now. That bit of seaweed stuck to its mouth could be his moustache.”

Bless Ethan Hunt for indulging Jake and his silly thoughts.

Jake sort of wanted to keep him forever.

“Fuck, you’re right. Here let me take a pic. Hold old Croostacean would you? While I capture the likeness on camera.”

He encouraged the crab to walk onto Ethan’s outstretched hands, and then whipped out his phone. He took a few steps back and took a picture of Ethan holding the crab, because he couldn’t resist, and then moved back in, to take one focusing on the creature he was holding. “Lemme just take one of just the crab. I mean you look very sexy holding Croostacean, but I haven’t told anyone I’m on a date with you, and I don’t want to be bombarded with questions if I put this pic in the group chat. I just—I’m not….hiding or ashamed to be with you or anything—”

“I know.”

“—I just want it to be us for a while.” He finished with a soft smile; nodding so Ethan could put the crab back in the water.

“Perfectly fine with me.” Ethan caught Jake’s chin with two fingers—drops of sea water running down the slope of his throat as they dripped off Ethan’s fingertips—and kissed him soft and warm; smiling against his lips. “It’s nice being alone with you outside of The Hard Deck gents.”

Jake chuffed and ran his hand over Ethan’s shoulders and down the length of his back, before both of them stood up and wandered to another rock pool. “How are the bruises by the way?” He asked, watching a small Blenny swim and dart in between strands of seaweed.

“Healing.” Ethan sat down on one of the rocks and leant back on the his hands, legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles, and tilting his face up to the sun. Jake snuck a photo of him, because to put simply, he looked like a fucking work of art, and Jake wanted to be able to look at that image whenever he could. “The sun and relaxation is helping. And the company.” He looked at Jake over the top of his sunglasses and winked.

“Flatterer. But I don’t think being with me helps with your bruises.”  Even if it was a nice thought; being able to help the man who was like the sun, he shone so bright and Jake didn’t want to look away even if he got burned.

“Maybe not. But your smile chases away the pain so it’s pretty much the same thing.”

Oh. My. God.

Jake’s heart felt like it might burst out of his chest.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to handle you saying genuine, sincere things like that.” He said gruffly; clearing his throat to try and dislodge the ball of emotion that had welled up, and sitting down cross-legged to watch the creatures in the water swim and move around.

“I hope you don’t. I like the way you blush. Maybe you will in a few years, hmm?”

Jake’s brain stopped at the thought of knowing Ethan in a few years. Not that he didn’t want to ever stop knowing him, because he didn’t; he found the man easy to be with, endlessly fascinating and charming, and he was sex on legs.

He just never thought that he’d be allowed to know him for more than the short amount of time he would be staying here, in Fightertown.

He didn’t know how to respond to Ethan’s question so he just hummed unsurely, and stared at the water. “Oh, look a starfish.” He took a photo of the dark blue starfish and showed Ethan, who offered up the appropriate level of enthusiasm for Jake’s discovery. “I feel like a kid looking in rock pools—” He chuckled sheepishly. “—Not that I ever did this as a kid, but still.”

“No?”

“No, I went into foster care when I was 6 after my parents died—car crash—so I didn’t really have anyone to take me to the beach. There were a lot of kids and days out were just a chore so they were few and far between. Then I grew up and I focused on being the best pilot I could be; wasn’t until I settled down here that I even had the time to visit the beach properly.” He ran his hand through his hair and offered Ethan a sad smile. “Sorry, just kinda dumped that all on you.”

Ethan got up and came and sat next to Jake; grabbing his hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. “No need to apologise, Jake. I want to get to know you—and not just the fun bits. I’m sorry about your parents.” He leant over and gave his cheek a kiss. “You turned out well though.”

Jake let out a wet laugh, and wiped at his eyes; the genuine pride in Ethan’s voice as he said that, hitting Jake in his very soul. “Thanks. I have good people who care about me now, and they help me be the best version of myself.”

“Room for one more?” Ethan bumped their shoulders together.

“I knew me and Benji had made a connection yesterday.” He smirked, trying to bring things back to lighter topics and enjoying Ethan’s unimpressed face.

“No, Idiot. I mean me.”

“I know. And if you want to care about me, I won’t stop you.” He had no idea why Ethan had chosen him as someone he wanted to care about, but if it meant that Jake would feel his strong arms wrapped around him—protecting him from the world’s hurts, even if in just the metaphorical sense—then he wouldn’t push the man away.

It was only fair, seeing as Jake had already made it clear he cared about Ethan. Mother-henning someone in a bar bathroom kinda made it difficult to hide those protective and caring emotions.

They sat together for a while; not speaking, just enjoying the sounds of the ocean around them and glancing at each other and the rock pool inhabitants, their hands entwined.

“Shall we leave these guys alone and go for a swim?” Ethan asked eventually.

Jake nodded his agreement, and then picking up his bag, they made their way to the ocean.

                                                      -----------------------------------

“I can’t believe you just did the movie hair flip thing and looked good doing it!” Jake huffed in disbelief, flicking water at Ethan who we pushing his wet hair off his face.

“I always look good, Baby.” He smirked, and yeah, Jake didn’t disagree.

They’d dumped their stuff on the sand, along with their flip-flops and sunglasses, and the older man had taken his vest and shirt off to go swimming as they weren’t near anyone else, so no one would catch sight of his mottled chest and wonder what the fuck had happened. Jake was appreciating the way rivulets of water were making paths of temptation down Ethan’s neck and clavicle to fall back into the sea and down the rest of his body that was hidden under the water.

“Show off.” Jake ducked under the water and then popped up on Ethan’s other side; shaking his hair out like a dog. “Also, I’ve been topless for pretty much this whole date and there’s been not one single comment from you. My ego can only take so much silence, Darlin’.”

He knew he looked good, but he wanted reassurance that Ethan thought he looked good.

Ethan turned around fully and got as close as possible to Jake without actually sharing his body. He wrapped his arms around Jake’s shoulders and nuzzled at his cheek. “Aww, I’m sorry, Beautiful. Trust me, you look exquisite.” His plush lips dragged across Jake’s; both wet from the sea, he tasted a hint of salt as Ethan kissed him. “I only kept quiet because it’s taking all my control and effort not to pin you down somewhere and ravish you, so I can show you how fucking gorgeous I find you with my hands and mouth.”

Jake’s dick went from 0-60 in a heartbeat. “Oh.”

He swallowed a few times, because he wasn’t sure if he should say what he wanted to say, as it might be seen as moving way too fast, but then he thought, fuck it. This was Ethan—who lived dangerously, and fully, and who looked at Jake like he wanted to eat him alive.

“Want to go to a more secluded part of the beach just down there and ravish me?”

Ethan’s grin was sharp, and slightly feral, and Jake wanted to be cut on the promise of it, from now until eternity.

                                                             -----------------------------

He only had time to get a towel out of his bag and lay it on the ground, when they made it to a little hidden away nook not even five minutes later (out of the way of everyone else which was very convenient), before Ethan was pouncing on him.

“Oof.” Jake pulled Ethan in closer as the older man stretched out on top of him in between his spread legs, and then kissed him deeply. He licked his way into Ethan’s mouth, and ran his hands up and down the line of his spine; rucking up his shirt and vest to feel the smooth plains of his warm skin. “Is this too fast?”

“No.” Ethan kissed along the sharp line of Jake’s jaw, and then nipped and sucked his way down his neck; leaving behind marks that were sure to bruise. “You said you wanted to get to know me properly before you rode my dick. Nothing was said about not being able to do other stuff.”

Jake groaned at being reminded of his bathroom freak out, but then Ethan was grinding their hips together, and Jake was groaning for another reason entirely. “I—I wanna—wanna—”

“What do you want, Baby?”

Instead of answering, Jake rolled them over so Ethan was splayed out underneath him, and then nuzzled at the hollow of his throat. “Wanna suck your dick.” He fluttered his eyelashes and offered his most charming smile. “Please.”

“I….If that’s what you wanna do?”

Jake nodded eagerly, and then he was pushing up Ethan’s shirt and vest so he could look at his abs, and pulling down his swim shorts; sucking in a sharp breath as the older mans cock—hard, flushed red and beading pre-cum at the tip—slapped against his stomach as it was freed from his cloth prison.

“I fucking knew your dick would be as pretty as the rest of you.” He grumbled; mouth watering at the mere idea of tasting the delicious looking length.

“Well, you said it was yours, so it’s yours to do with what you want.”

Jake looked at him just to make sure, and his lungs stuttered as he saw pure visceral want swirling in Ethan’s green eyes. He leant over to kiss him because he couldn’t not, and then he wiggled down so he was comfy between Ethan’s legs, before wrapping his lips around the sun-warmed head of his dick.

Ethan’s hands immediately came to rest on Jake’s head; fingers curling gently in his hair, as Jake bobbed his head up and down a few times, trailing his wet tongue over the shaft.

“Fuck, Baby. I knew your mouth would be trouble from the moment I saw you.”

Jake grinned around the heavy length in his mouth, and suckled on the spongy head. Bursts of pre-cum gushed onto his tongue, and he moaned at the bitter, but pleasant, taste on his tastebuds. The vibrations rippled through Ethan’s cock making him jerk, and Jake brought his hand up to hold him down by the hips.

He tongued at Ethan’s slit and then pressed sloppy, wet kisses up and down the shaft, and over his balls, before taking the heavy sac into his mouth and sucking on the soft skin. Ethan was moaning and stuttering out praise about how good he was, and how amazing his mouth felt, and the words as well as the gentle touches to his scalp were going straight to Jake’s cock that was making the front of his swim shorts damp with arousal.

“J—Jake.” Ethan pulled at his hair to get his attention, and Jake reluctantly dragged his mouth off his cock.

“Yeah, Sweetheart?”

“I—I was close to coming and didn’t want to come in your mouth without you saying it was okay.” His chest was heaving, and his skin glistened with sweat (the sea water having already dried on their walk to their little love nook), and he looked at Jake like he couldn’t believe he was real.

Which Jake thought was probably how he looked at Ethan most of the time.

“Darlin’, you can come in my mouth. In fact I insist that you do.” He smirked and then grabbing his hips, he swallowed Ethan’s cock down until the head was snug in the wet clench of his throat; breathing in the musky scent of his arousal as his nose pressed against the neatly-trimmed curls at the base.

Ethan let out a sharp yell of pleasure at feeling Jake’s mouth on him again, and then it only took Jake a few deep sucks and a gentle tug of his balls, before the older man was coming down Jake’s throat in hot, sticky bursts; saying Jake’s name like a prayer.

Jake swallowed it all down greedily and then pressed a barely there kiss to the tip of his dick, before tucking it away in his swim shorts.

“I thought I was meant to be the one ravishing you?” Ethan said, all breathless and happy; his eyes crinkling at the edges with joy.

Jake shrugged, flopping down next to him; half on the towel and half on the sand. “I’ve been wanting to suck your dick since I first saw you. Trust me, I had a good a time as you hopefully did.”

Ethan curled his hand around the nape of his neck and kissed him deeply. “It’s the middle of the afternoon and you made me see stars, Baby. Yes, I had a good time.”

Jake blushed, but he was glad for the confirmation. It had been a while since he last sucked someone off, and never someone he thought he could love in the future. Just the act of giving Ethan pleasure made him as hard as the rocks that was only a few feet away.

“Let me help you with that.” Ethan purred, trailing his hand up to cup Jake’s cock and give it a squeeze.

“O—Okay.”

The older man pulled Jake’s swim shorts down until his cock sprung free, and then spitting on his palm, he wrapped his hand around the straining length and stroked it up and down. His hand was warm, and calloused from no doubt all the insane shit he did as a spy, and it felt so good, Jake was going to come embarrassingly quickly.

“Ethan.”

“It’s okay, Baby. Come for me.”

The permission was all he needed. He clutched at Ethan’s shoulder, and shuddered as his release washed over him; his cock spilling over Ethan’s fist, errant drops falling onto his abs.

“Holy shit.” He let out a breathy laugh, because no one had made him come that quickly or intensely in….ever.

Ethan smirked at him and then brought his palm up to lap at the sticky white that coated his hand, swallowing down Jake’s come as if it was a sunny day treat.

Jake felt his dick twitch at the sight—especially when Ethan bent down to lick up the come that had splattered onto his belly—and he fell back against the sand; throwing his arm over his face, because the man was too good to be true.

“Holy fucking shit. Now I’m going to get horny every time I think of the beach, because of you.”

“Me too.” Ethan pulled his swim shorts back up, and pressed a kiss to his sternum where his dogtags rested. “Worth it though.”

Jake peered at him from under his arm, and couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face as he looked at Ethan’s open and honest, and happy expression. “Yeah, it’s worth it.”

They laid together cuddling for a while; chatting about nothing in particular, just enjoying each other’s company, when Jake’s stomach rumbled. “Ok, now it seems like I’m hungry for food, seeing as I’ve sated my hunger for you, for now.”

Ethan barked out a laugh, and sat up, pulling Jake up with him. “Come on, let’s go get some food. My treat.”

                                                      ---------------------------------------

They got burgers and fries, because Jake was a growing boy, and even if Ethan wasn’t going to grow any taller (a short ass like his brother), he was one of the most energetic people Jake had ever met and would burn through the calories in no time.

“So—” Jake asked swallowing a mouthful of his cheese and bacon burger. “—what was it like growing up with Mav? Were you two terrors?”

“Yes.” Ethan chuckled, taking a sip of his coke. “Honestly, growing up with Mav—having him there with me for everything, it was great. Our ma died when we were eight, and it was just us and our dad and his mom, and then dad died on a mission when we were fifteen, and two teenage boys with too much energy was a lot of an elderly woman to handle, even if we tried to be on our best behaviour for her.” He ate a handful of fries before he carried on talking; Jake sat there quietly eating his food, as he listened enraptured at hearing what Ethan had to say.

“Gran died not long after we turned eighteen and then it was just us two. We’d learnt early on to just depend on each other, because dad was away a lot, and as I said, we were a handful, and wanted to spare gran as much trouble as possible. We finished school and we both decided that we wanted to do something to protect the world—back then the world just meant each other. So, Mav joined the navy and I joined the army.”

He had a few bites of food, and Jake stole one of his fries, because they tasted that little bit better coming off Ethan’s plate. Ethan rolled his eyes but didn’t stop him.

“Now, Mav is the best pilot they’ve ever had, sorry, Baby—”

“No, it’s fine. You’re right.”

“—and I became a spy. We’ve both done a lot of scary shit, a lot of stupid shit, and there’s been a lot of near misses—”

“Didn’t you say you actually died?” He joked, but the thought of Ethan dying and never actually meeting him, made Jake’s heart hurt.

“—Okay, and one non-near miss, that thankfully wasn’t permanent. But all of that—knowing it helps keep Mav safe, it helps when it feels like I might not win. We’ve each found people to add to our family—my team, Ice, Bradley, Goose and Carole who are no longer with us, all those pilots Mav seems to have adopted, you—but I know if I ever need Mav, he’s only one call away and he’d do anything and everything to help or protect me, and I would him. He’s both my weakness and my strength and I love him to bits. He deserves the world.”

Jake loved how much Ethan loved his brother; just witnessing him feel all of that love and affection for the man who has been with him since the very beginning—the man who Jake saw as a father figure—it was very touching, and made Jake fall that little bit nearer to the point of no return.

“Is that why Ice seems to want to drill holes into you with his eyes?”

“Heh. Sort of.” Ethan finished his food, and wiped his hands on his napkin before he grabbed his drink and settled back in his chair, watching Jake munch on his remaining pile of fries. “I’m protective of Mav—always have been, always will be. He’s my baby brother, even if it’s only by three minutes. And when I first heard about Ice, it was because Mav was calling me to bitch about this tall, blond, asshole who was his rival at Top Gun and kept snapping his gum at him. I listened to him bitch about Ice for weeks, and then nothing. It got to the point where I was concerned Mav had maybe killed him, and I’d have to help hide his body somewhere, so I asked about him.”

Jake huffed out a soft laugh, because he could see where this was going.

“Imagine my surprise when Mav says that they were friends now—Wingmen after a mission together, and oh actually, we’re sort of, maybe, full on dating, and I love him? I was very confused and used the break between missions to go and see them. How was I supposed to know that they were going to go all enemies to lovers on me? Emphasis on the love part. It just made no sense back then. Obviously, if I’d been here to see the sexual tension in person it would’ve made more sense, but alas, I wasn’t.”

“Guess Mav forgot to mention that on the phone.” Jake snickered, scooching around the table to sit next to Ethan rather than across from him, now they were both done eating. The older man smiled at him warmly, and laid his hand on Jake’s thigh, leaving it there to slowly feel like it was leaving a brand of possession on his skin.

“Yep. Tom may be called Iceman, but I was frosty as hell to him as the beginning. Because Mav had been hurt and left by too many people—all our family had gone, which happens, but still leaves a mark, and then anyone who had been interested in him romantically had either not bothered taking the time to see the great guy underneath the cocky exterior, or used his low self-esteem (which has gotten better now thankfully) to make him feel like shit. Up until that point I was the only one who hadn’t left him, but even then, I was still around the other side of the world most of the time, and so I couldn’t be with him as much as I wanted to.”

Jake kissed him then, because Ethan sounded so sad at the time he’d missed with his brother, when he’d been busy saving the world. Being a hero was a lonely business sometimes.

Ethan licked his lips as Jake pulled away, as if savouring the taste of him, and Jake took a sip of his coke to cool down his raging libido.

“Credit to Ice though, he didn’t give up or leave. He stayed. He showed me how much he loved Mav, and he hasn’t stopped. I apologised for how I’d been acting, after he asked for my approval before he proposed; he forgave me straight away. Said he understood being protective, but he was here to stay so I didn’t need to worry about Mav quite as much anymore. And stay he has. Through deployments, promotions, near death experiences, and through what happened with Bradley.

I love my brother-in-law for how much he loves my brother. Doesn’t mean I won’t give him shit every time I visit or call though.”

“Thank you for telling me.” Jake appreciated being let in and getting to know the many facets of Ethan Hunt. So far, nothing he’d seen had made him any less likely to fall head of heels in love with him.

“Thank you for asking. I haven’t been able to speak about my family in a long, long time.”

He smiled at him in sympathy, because he realised that even though Ethan had let his team close, he clearly had left some walls up. Fuck knows why he wasn’t doing that with Jake, but he wasn’t complaining.

“Do you think you’ll ever have that?”

“What’s that?”

“A love like Mav and Ice. Someone who stays. Someone who you can come home to and know they’ll understand when you hug them tight when you first see them again, because the last mission had been a little too close for comfort and you’d nearly had to leave them in a world where you couldn’t protect them anymore.”

Ethan looked at him for a long while; gaze searching as it trailed over Jake’s face.

“I hope so.” He said eventually. “I thought me and Julia might have been that, but in the end, our puzzle pieces didn’t quite fit right. I’d like that though—someone who loves me enough to let me go so I can do what I have to, to keep them safe, and trust me to come back to them every time.”

Jake just squeezed his hand in response. Not quite able to admit that he would be that person for him in a heartbeat.

All Ethan had to do was ask.

Even then, Jake would probably still do it.

Because the love and affection he was beginning to feel and that was getting more intense as the minutes and hours ticked by, wasn’t something that he was asked to feel.

It was just happening, and there was nothing he—or anyone else—could do to stop it.

Chapter Text

                                 The Dagger Famalamadingdong Group chat

HaveYouSeenMyMissingLetters: Guys, look, it’s a Croostacean.

-Image attached of a medium sized crab with beady eyes of judgement and seaweed stuck to it’s face that could be mistaken for a moustache.-

I’llBeYourBiggestFanboy: You know when he see this, he’s going to get crabby.

PaybackIsABitch: Someone pinch me, it looks just like him.

BibbityBobbityBob: He looks clawesome! 😀

RoadRunnerIsDeadToMe: I am crabsolutely crabtivated by this topic of conversation.

ThisBirdIsSmokin’: D’aww Roo looks crabulous.

CockADoodleDoo: Fuck you. Fuck you very much.

CaptainMavDad: Now, Son…don’t be shellfish. Let them have their fun.

IceIceBaby: At least he finally grew into his sea legs.

CockADoodleDoo: I hate you all 😠

I’llBeYourBiggestFanboy: Oh no. He’s going to snip us out of his life….

HaveYouSeenMyMissingLetters: 🦀

PaybackIsABitch:🦀

RoadRunnerIsDeadToMe:🦀

I’llBeYourBiggestFanboy:🦀

ThisBirdIsSmokin’:🦀

BibbityBobbityBob:🦀

CockADoodleDoo: Haha, real funny guys.

CaptainMavDad:🦀

IceIceBaby:🦀

CockADoodleDoo: Not you two as well. 🙄 Assholes. The lot of you.

Jake chuckled to himself as he read the responses from his friends and family in the group chat. They were all a bunch of smartasses and he adored them. It was fun to tease Bradley, and he loved that even Mav and Ice got in on the action.

Ethan had excused himself to go to the restroom, so Jake had taken the chance to send off his snap of the crab, because when Ethan came back, Jake knew he’d be unable to focus on anything that wasn’t the other man.

He startled when he felt his phone vibrate indicating a new text message, and his eyes bugged slightly when he read what Bradley had written.

Bradley: You with Ethan?

How. The. Fuck? Was he a fucking clairvoyant or some shit?

Jake: Why would you ask that?

Similar to when you had an enemy on your ass and no defensive measures left, Jake figured it was best to evade, evade, evade.

Bradley: That’s a yes then. Is it a date?

Jake: The more important question is how the fuck you knew it was Ethan holding your crab bro?

Bradley: I was there when he broke his pinkie finger on his left hand. It never fully healed right. So, is it a date?

Jake: I’ll tell you later.

“What’s got you looking all confused?” Ethan grinned, slipping back into his chair and putting his hand back on Jake’s thigh.

“Oh, I sent the group chat the photo of the crab.” He put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Ethan’s left hand that was resting against the denim of his jeans. Bradley was right, the pinkie finger wasn’t quite as straight as the one on his right hand. “How did you break your left pinkie?”

The older man looked at him for a moment, failing to comprehend the topic change, before his eyes lit up in understanding and he laughed softly. “Let me guess, Bradley recognised my hand?”

Jake hummed in agreement, and sat back in his seat; taking in the sight of Ethan as he spoke.

“We were playing frisbee in the back garden of Carole and Goose’s house—think Bradley was 9 maybe?—and he threw the frisbee my way for me to catch. I caught it, but lost my footing and fell. I landed awkwardly on my finger and it broke. It healed but was never quite the same.”

Jake picked up Ethan’s left hand and pressed a kiss to the pinkie finger in question, before placing it back on his thigh. Ethan rolled his eyes but looked charmed by the action.

“I’ve broken a whole lot of bones over the years, so I kinda forgot about that one.”

“Is there anything you haven’t had broken?” Jake raised an eyebrow in question.

Ethan was silent for a while as he thought on the question, then he gazed his way and offered him a small smile. “My heart.”

Of all the answers he could’ve given, Jake hadn’t been expecting that. “What? What about Julia?”

Ethan moved his chair so he was facing Jake, rather than sat to his side, and then picked Jake’s legs up so his feet could perch on the edge of his seat in between his own legs. The older man folded his arms on top of Jake’s knees and then brought his head down to rest on top.

Jake reached out and tucked his hair behind his ear. Ethan shook his head slightly so the strand of hair would fall in front of his face again, and grinned when Jake sighed and just tucked it back behind his ear again.

His moss-green eyes seemed subdued compared to normal, but he didn’t tell Jake to mind his own business, so Jake just waited for him to answer the question in his own time; happy to just look at him in the meantime.

“I knew even before we were married—” Ethan spoke eventually. “—that me and Julia were never going to last. But I wanted to try anyway and so did she. When it ended my heart took a beating, sure, but I knew when I woke up that first morning that she was no longer my wife, that I’d be able to live without her being who and what my life revolved around. And I knew the next time I saw her a few months later that she felt the same way about me too.” He turned to look out at the horizon; the pinks and oranges of the early evening painting its way across the sky, highlighting the enviable bone structure of his face. “Her new husband is a much better fit for her.”

He looked back at Jake, and Jake couldn’t not touch him, so leant forward to kiss him softly. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart. Not because you didn’t have your heart broken, or I want you to, but…you know.”

Ethan cupped his cheek and dragged his thumb over the line of Jake’s cheek bone. “I do know. Thank you. There’s no need to be sorry though. Everything happens as it happens.” His mouth hitched up at the edge in a lobsided smile; his green eyes no longer dulled. “And besides, if I was still married, I wouldn’t be able to go on a date with you, which would be a real shame.”

“Oh.”

He didn’t know what else to say.

Ethan didn’t seem upset about what had happened with his ex-wife; in fact, he seemed like he wasn’t sad to have loved and lost her, only that they had been unable to overcome the odds, and stay together anyway. Like the fact that he hadn’t been able to achieve the impossible was a personal failure and not one of those things that just happened.

Jake figured it was a symptom of the missions that he went on; if you got used to pulling off miracles, being unable to do the same for your own marriage must sting.

He didn’t appear to begrudge Julia her happiness though, and for some reason that Jake was still unsure about, he genuinely seemed to believe that being able to go on a date with Jake was a winning outcome of the whole thing.

Jake had known he was insane when he said he was Mav’s twin, but this just confirmed it.

“If I ever have my heart broken, I’ll let you know, okay?”

“I hope you never do.” He whispered. “But okay, you can let me know.”

He didn’t make the same offer in return, mainly because he was almost certain his own heart was going to break whenever Ethan left San Diego, and he wasn’t ready for the other man to know how fragile he truly was.

                                              --------------------------------------

They left the burger place at some point and wandered along the beach again, hand in hand. Grains of sand brushed against their feet as they walked, and gulls flew overhead; their calls mixed with the gentle waves of the sea.

Ethan stopped suddenly and wiggled his phone out of his pocket. He huffed out a laugh and showed Jake the screen, showing it was Mav calling.

“You can answer it.”

The older man looked at him as if to say, are you sure? so Jake nodded and even reached over and swiped to answer the call. Ethan put him on speaker, because by blood he was a Mitchell and ‘little shit’ was hardwired into his DNA.

“What can I do for you, little brother?”

“Are you by any chance at the beach with Jake?”

“That’s confidential.”

Jake bit is lip and tried not to laugh at the huff of frustration he heard from the other end of the phone.

“Don’t be a dick, E. Are you on a date with him?”

“Why? You going to give me the shovel talk?”

He’d never had someone give a shovel talk on his behalf before. Javy had glared daggers at a few people that had gotten too close before Jake told them he wasn’t interested in what they were offering, but he’s never been with someone that wasn’t just a hook up before. It felt rather nice knowing that someone loved him enough to want to tell a prospective partner that they needed to be careful with him.

“I might do.” There was a rustling noise in the background and then Mav was laughing. “Ice says he has the shovel ready to bury you if you hurt him.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “I bet he’s kept it from rusting over the years too, just ready and waiting for me.”

“You bet your ass, I have, Dickhead!” Ice’s voice could be heard in the distance.

Jake spoke up then, because as much as loved the bantering, he didn’t think Ethan deserved a grilling or threatening. Not even one on his behalf. Plus he wanted to get his two pseudo dads off the phone so he could finish his date. “No burying Ethan guys.”

“Aha! You are on a date together.” Mav sounded like he’d just solved an Agatha Christie murder mystery, bless his little cotton socks.

“Yes, Pops. A date you’re interrupting.”

“Shit. Fuck. Sorry, Kiddo.” Jake tried not to laugh, because Mav really did try his best to be the best dad he could be, but sometimes his timing wasn’t great. (Bradley is still trying to get over walking in on Mav riding Ice on their couch one time because he’d woken up horny and had forgotten he’d invited Bradley round for brunch. Jake still brought it up if he wanted to make Bradley flush red with embarrassment). “We’ll go, just don’t hurt him, E. We love this one, alright?”

“I will do my utmost not to.” Ethan said sincerely, and then ended the call.

“Sorry about them.” They said simultaneously and then burst out laughing. They’d made it back to where the bike was parked, and both changed back into the clothes they arrived in so they could ride the bike back. Jake was towelling the sand off his feet so he could put his socks and boots on when Ethan sat down next to him and bumped his shoulder lightly.

“Hey.” Ethan had already finished changing and was looking at him intensely. “I meant it, you know.”

“Hmm?” He pulled on his socks, and flicked his gaze between Ethan’s face and his boots. “Meant what?”

“That I’ll do my utmost not to hurt you.”

Jake let out a shuddery breath that seemed an ingrained reaction at this point, whenever Ethan said something so genuine and heartfelt, because it hurt to breathe, and finished tying up his laces. “I’ll do my best not to hurt you either. You seem pretty indestructible though.”

“Everyone has a weakness.”

As they stood up together and Ethan slipped a hand around Jake’s waist and squeezed his hip, Jake had the strangest feeling that the other man was trying to tell him that of all the things in the world that could be his weakness, that Jake might be it.

Jake figured they’d been out in the sun too long, and his brain was fried.

Because the alternative was too insane to even comprehend.

The drive back to his house was made up of the purr of the bike’s engine, the addictive smell of Ethan filling his nostrils, and the solid feel of him under his hands and pressed tightly against Jake’s chest. It was both torture and a dream.

He climbed off the back of the bike and rearranged his dick in his jeans, ignoring the low chuckle from the man who was the reason he was so horny.

“Thanks for a lovely date.” Jake smiled shyly, suddenly overcome with all the emotions he’d felt that day.

“My pleasure, Beautiful. I think the guys want to do something as a group tomorrow, so maybe see if Bradley, his boyfriend and someone else wants to join us? We could go bowling or something?”

“Whoever has the winning team gets to pick what we do on our next date?”

“Sounds like a plan. Speak to the others and let me know?”

Jake nodded and then stepped close; pulling Ethan in with his fingers tangled in his hair (and he was so going to explore the soft moan that escaped Ethan’s mouth at the slight tug, at a later date, that was for sure), and kissing him deeply.

By the time Jake relinquished his plush mouth, Ethan’s lips were kiss-bruised and berry pink. Jake whipped out his phone and took a picture of him looking soft under the early silver beams of the moon, and instantly knew he was going to make that his contact photo for the man.

“Get home safe, Darlin’.” He stepped back so Ethan could start up the bike again.

“See you tomorrow, Baby.” And then with a wink, he sped off. Jake watched him go until he blended in with the city lights, and then made his way inside.

The front door closed quietly behind him and he leant back against the wood, sighing like a teenage girl in a rom com, because he’d just had the best date—and one of the best days—of his whole life.

He couldn’t wait for the next one.

Chapter Text

Bradley had only agreed to go bowling if Jake told him about his date; citing the fact that Jake had said he’d tell him about it later as an actual promise, and not something Jake had said to get him off his back.

Jake had sighed and rolled his eyes, but relented; telling him about his date, minus the dick-sucking and hand-job part.

“That sounds like a very tame date for you, Bagman.” Bradley had said with a quirked eyebrow.

“You said you’d need warning if I did anything like that with Ethan.”

“I said if you sucked his dick I’d need warning.”

Jake hadn’t responded, and had suddenly found his kitchen table really interesting; staring at it intently, waiting for Bradley to speak.

“Jacob!” Bradley had sounded suitably scandalised down the phone when he’d realised what Jake’s silence had meant, and had then cackled with glee. “How naughty of you.”

“Fuck off, Bradshaw.”

Bradley had ended the call shortly after (after laughing again, of course), agreeing to join him for bowling and saying he’d bring Bob and Phoenix with him,

And now here they were. Jake was doing up the laces of his blue and red bowling shoes that sort of looked like clown shoes, and silently thought the choice was rather apt considering how much of a clown he seemed to act around Ethan.

He was just looking at the others to check if they were ready when he heard the tell-tale sound of Benji and Will bickering, indicating the others had arrived.

“I’m just saying, Babe, being able to shapeshift is one of the best superpowers, why wouldn’t you want it?”

“And I’m just saying, I want to be able to talk to animals.”

“You would make a pretty Disney princess.”

Jake huffed out a laugh as he heard their topic of discussion. Seems those two passionately debated even the most random of topics. He saw Ilsa and Ethan behind them and he couldn’t stop his face lighting up as he saw the older man.

“God, you’re right, he does look at him with heart eyes.” Phoenix whispered loudly behind him. He flipped her off without looking in her direction; she just laughed in response.

“I think it’s cute.” Bob said, putting chapstick on his lips and then tucking it into Bradley’s front pocket.

“I think you’re cute.” Bradley murmured, kissing his boyfriend on the temple.

“Save me from men.” Phoenix bemoaned, just in time for Ilsa to hear her. The older woman made a beeline for her and kissed her on the cheek.

“Ilsa Faust. I spend too much time surrounded by idiot men too; I think we should be friends.”

Phoenix grinned. “Yes, I agree.” She guided Ilsa to the counter to get some bowling shoes, and Jake silently prayed for all of them, because those two together was going to be dangerous.

He saw Bradley was introducing Bob to Will and Benji, which just left—

“Hi, Baby.”

“Hi.” He smiled softly at Ethan, wondering how they were going to greet each other, because he wasn’t sure if Ethan’s team knew they’d been on a date; when the older man took the decision out of his hands, reaching up to cup Jake’s face in both hands and pull him down for a deep kiss.

He didn’t hear any squawks of surprise so he assumed Ethan must have told his team the basics at least, and so pressed closer to the other man; licking into Ethan’s mouth and humming in delight when he smiled into the kiss.

“I thought we were bowling, not making out!” Bradley called. The little shit.

Jake reluctantly pulled his mouth away from Ethan’s and looked at the moustached idiot he’d chosen to be his brother. “I’m too good to be true, remember? I can do both.”

Bradley rolled his eyes, and dragged Bob over to the lane they’d been assigned so he could set up their names on the screen.

“And here I thought Ethan was the man of many talents.” Will drawled, looking amused.

“Oh, Jake is definitely talented.” Ethan winked, trailing his thumb over Jake’s bottom lip, while his other hand surreptitiously pinched Jake’s ass before wandering over to the lane, chuckling as he left Jake stood there looking flushed.

“Uhh…”

Benji held up his hand to stop whatever pathetic nonsense was going to come out of Jake’s mouth following Ethan implying he was great at giving blow jobs. “We don’t need to know. Honestly.”

Jake nodded and blew out a sigh of relief. “I keep forgetting he’s Mav’s twin and being a charming asshole is in his blood.”

“It’s been years and he still catches us by surprise.” Benji clapped him on the shoulder in sympathy. “It’s the Hollywood smile, it blinds you so you don’t see the sneaky sonofabitch coming. Good luck dealing with both of them.”

Jake thought he’d be okay. He seemed to surround himself with chaotic people by choice nowadays, as if after years of being alone, unable to let people in for fear that he’d lose them, he was making up for it by picking people who were larger than life in their own ways. Who drew him into their orbit and accepted and embraced him for who he was.

Javy and Bob were clearly the obvious exceptions in regards to the whole chaos thing, and were the pillars of calm he needed whenever everything else got a bit too much.

He had a feeling that Ethan could easily become the centre of his universe, and Jake would happily spend the rest of his life spinning round him, if he let himself.

When he finally made his way to the lane, he saw that he was last to bowl on his team; with Phoenix going first, then Bob, and Bradley just before himself.

“You good, Bobert?” He asked, sliding onto the bench and ruffling Bob’s hair.

“Yeah, thanks for inviting me.”

“No problem. It was Ethan’s idea for us to all hang out.”

As if he heard his name (he probably did with his spy hearing or some shit), Ethan looked up from where he’d watching Benji bowl and smiled at him. Jake bit back a happy sigh as he looked at Ethan’s gorgeous face, because he’d already had the piss taken out of him enough, he didn’t need to give Bradley anymore ammo.

Once it was his turn to bowl, Jake’s competitive nature took over and he focused on giving his best game; grinning smugly when he scored a strike. Normally Bradley would playfully boo and hiss, but as they were playing more their team against Ethan’s, the moustached man just cheered.

He saw Ethan walking up to select his ball, and couldn’t resist leaning over and getting as close to the other man as he could with the machine between them. “Whichever team scores the highest total wins, right?”

“Sure.” Ethan agreed easily. “Hope you’re ready to lose.”

“Oh ho ho, you’re on Mr Action Hero. Get ready to go on a date of my choosing.”

Ethan winked at him, picked up his ball, and then looking like he was barely trying (which probably meant he wasn’t, the asshole), he scored a strike, knocking all the pins down. He smirked at Jake as he walked back to his seat. “It’s on, Beautiful.”

Fuck, Jake wanted to get on his knees and worship the cocky man via the medium of cock-sucking, so bad right then, but figured that would make him look like he didn’t care about winning—which he did—so instead he narrowed his eyes at his ‘competition’, and turned to his team.

“Make sure we kick their asses, yeah?”

“Like you’re not extremely turned on by how competitive he is.” Phoenix grumbled, as she walked past him to take her turn. Jake didn’t dignify that with an answer. Mainly because she was right.

They ordered a round of drinks via the venue’s app, and Jake was thankful he soon had a cold beer in his hand, because watching Ethan bowl made him very, very, very thirsty. Benji and Will had taken it upon themselves to go up against Bob and Bradley—like a mini competition—and were heckling the other couple whenever they played. Jake’s brother and friend giving back as good as they got.

Bob telling Will to ‘kiss his bespectacled ass’ and then scoring a strike was definitely a highlight, for sure.

Phoenix and Ilsa on the other hand seemed to be cheering each other on; both of them sharing a pitcher of margaritas and raising their drink to the other, whenever they played—regardless of score.

And Jake. Well, he was playing a great game, it just took a while for his brain to actually function for him to actually pick up the ball, and bowl, as he got very distracted watching Ethan take his turn. The older man looking delectable in a forest green t-shirt that clung to his torso, emphasising his tiny waist, and tight jeans that highlighted how impossibly pert his ass was.

Honestly, it was a tad unfair how peachy his ass was, considering he was the oldest in the group.

Jake obviously wanted to bury his face in it and feast to convey his annoyance at said unfairness. He wondered if Ethan would be up for that sometime.

He sort of blanked out for most of the game; absently noticing the cheers and boos from each side depending on who has scored what, but all he could focus on was Ethan. As the game progressed he wasn’t even sure what even he was scoring anymore. He assumed he was doing good, as he was a great bowler, but he had no real idea.

Ethan was doing amazing though.

He scored a strike or spare on every go.

Jake had half a mind to propose then and there, because finding a man who was sexy, great at bowling and darts, and who seem to like him in return, was a once in a blue moon opportunity. He held himself back from making a fool of a self by asking. Just.

He got up on autopilot and played his throw, grinning to himself when he scored a strike. As it was the last go of the game, he got to play again, and scored another strike.

He got a third go.

He looked at Ethan who was looking at him with blown pupils and licking his lips.

He threw the ball, and scored another strike.

“Yesssssssssss!” Bradley cheered, doing his little wiggle he’d last done when they’d been playing beach football. “In your face, Suckas!”

Will and Benji flipped him off, but were smiling.  Phoenix and Ilsa were drinking out of the same Margarita glass; lips barely inches apart, not even caring who won.

Jake guessed his team had won. He looked at Ethan again, who despite having just lost, didn’t look upset in the slightest.

He wandered over and sat down next to the man who fascinated him so, and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. “Doing that didn’t irritate your injuries or anything, right?” He asked, pressing a kiss to his temple and breathing in the apple scent of his hair.

“No, I’m okay.” He turned to look at Jake, and Jake felt caught in his orbit again, and happy to be there. “Your team just won. No bragging?”

“Nah.” He grinned easily and leant in to whisper close to Ethan’s ear. “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really paying attention to anything but you.”

“So, what you’re saying is, you’re just that good, you won without paying attention?”

Jake chuckled sheepishly. “Guess so.”

“Said you were talented.”

“Yeah—” Jake scoffed. “—because it was my bowling skills you were talking about earlier.”

Ethan’s grin was all teeth. “Coulda been.”

Jake just rolled his eyes. He saw Benji and Will had moved over to sit next to Bob and Bradley and the older couple were saying something that was making Bob blush (which could’ve been anything, seeing as the bespectacled WSO blushed a lot). Ilsa and Phoenix had disappeared to the arcade (having finished their drinks) and were playing Mario Kart together. He could hear Tasha shouting “You blue shelled me! Eat dick, you sexy bitch!” and chuckled when he heard Ilsa say back calmly, “Dick isn’t really to my taste, love.”

“I think they’re getting along.”

Ethan hummed and snuggled into his side. “Which is both nice and dangerous for us.”

“Yup.”

“What are doing for our second date then?”

“Come back to mine after this and you’ll see.”

The older man looked at him in surprise. “We’re having our second date tonight?”

“Yeah. And no, there will be no fucking. I want to get to know you more first.”

Ethan just smiled softly, and leant back into his embrace.

Jake had an idea for their second date together. It wasn’t the usual type of date idea, but he hoped Ethan would like it.

He had a feeling it would be something both of them kinda needed.

                                                       --------------------------------------

“So, what’s the plan?” Ethan asked once Jake had shut the front door. Jake kicked off his shoes and waited for Ethan to follow suite.

They’d gotten food with the others at a local pizza joint, before they’d all gone their separate ways; Bob and Bradley inviting Benji and Will round to watch a film, and Ilsa and Phoenix going back to the younger woman’s house to do stuff Jake wasn’t going to think about.

“You’ll see.” He smirked, lifting Ethan up by the backs of his thighs, and carrying him to his bedroom.

“I thought you said no fucking.” Ethan laughed, holding on to Jake’s shoulders, and for once in his life, having to duck to go through doorways.

“We’re not going to fuck.” He set Ethan down next to his bed. “Now take off all your clothes bar your underwear.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow at him, but did as he was asked. Jake did the same, and soon he was looking at a lot of exposed skin, and reaching out to gently touch Ethan’s bruised torso. “They’re getting better.”

“Yeah, look better than they did even yesterday.” He nodded towards the bed and climbed under the covers. Ethan joined him without asking anymore questions, and Jake felt his chest warm from how much the other man seemed to trust him implicitly. “On your side.”

Ethan turned so he was facing Jake. “It’s a good view.”

“Charmer.” He rolled his eyes, but felt his cheeks blush all the same. He carded his hands through Ethan’s hair and kissed him softly. They made out languidly; running their hands up and down the other’s back and shoulders, but doing nothing more than kissing and touching.

He could feel himself relaxing though, and he could feel the tension leaving Ethan’s body too.

When he finally relinquished Ethan’s lips, the man was smiling so wide; like being with Jake just made him so happy.

Jake turned him over so his back was to him, and then tucked himself around him, like a protective blanket.

“So our second date is making out and spooning?”

Jake hummed his agreement against the nape of Ethan’s neck. “That okay?”

He knew it wasn’t a normal kind of date, but he thought they both needed some softness; some time together away from the others where they could just be, without having to be saviours of the world. Without having to be the people everyone else expects them to be; leader, brother, son, friend.

They could just be Ethan wrapped in the arms of Jake.

He could feel the steady thump of Ethan’s heartbeat under his palm, and he held on tight to the fact that the man was alive; knowing it had been a close call before. That he might not have made it to Jake’s life at all.

“It’s perfect.”

Jake kinda thought Ethan was too.

Chapter Text

“Ethan, Darlin’. Wake up.” Jake gently shook the older man’s shoulder where he was curled up in front of him, whimpering as if in distress. “You’re having a bad dream.”

He kept his voice low and soothing, not wanting to frighten him, but he really needed Ethan to wake up. Jake hated seeing the usually strong and vibrant man, trembling and upset.

“Come on, Sweetheart. Open those eyes. It’s me, Jake. You’re okay. You’re safe. Whatever you’re dreaming about isn’t real.” He rubbed his hand up and down Ethan’s bare arm, trying to bring him comfort. He murmured he was safe, he wasn’t alone, he was okay; until finally, Ethan’s green eyes fluttered open.

“Jake?” Ethan’s voice was rough and splintered, like part of him was still trapped in the nightmares of his mind.

“Yeah, I’m here.” He rolled Ethan over so he could run his eyes over his face; brushing his sweat-slick hair back from his forehead and cupping his cheek. “You ok? You were thrashing in your sleep and moaning in distress a lot.”

Ethan grimaced and ducked his head, as if embarrassed. “Sorry.”

Jake shook his head and kissed him on the forehead, pulling him closer so he could cuddle him some more. “No need to apologise, I have my fair share of nightmares too. Just want to make sure you’re ok.” He ran his thumb over the sharp line of Ethan’s eyebrow and sighed in relief when the other man started to relax. “You don’t have to talk about it, but if you want to, I’ll happily listen.”

“Thank you, Baby.” Ethan nuzzled closer and just laid in Jake’s arms for a while. Jake didn’t push him to speak, knowing that sometimes even if you wanted to, the words got stuck in your throat amongst the cloying tendrils of distorted memories and worst fears given life. He’d had a recurring one right after the mission; he hadn’t been able to save Bradley or Mav in time. He’d told Javy—phoning him in a panic and sweat-soaked sheets—who had come over the first night and just held him while he’d cried; putting on Jake’s favourite movie (Tangled, and no he will not elaborate), even though it was 2am, and Javy had been forced to watch it multiple times over the years by Jake.

He'd never told Mav or Rooster about his nightmares, but somehow they knew anyway. There must have been something in his eyes the mornings after he fell into that well of despair, because they usually hugged him extra tight those days.

Like he held Ethan now.

The older man’s breath tickled the hollow of Jake’s throat when he eventually spoke again. “It was just a jumble of memories—missions—made worse by my fear of not being able to protect my team. They follow me loyally, and I’ll never be able to thank them properly for that, but fuck… every time they get hurt, it feels like I’ve failed them.”

Jake carded his fingers through Ethan’s hair, petting him as a sob wracked his body. He knows they’ve only been in each other’s lives a handful of days, but Ethan is remaining true to his commitment not to lie to Jake. He’s giving himself completely to whatever this is between them, and Jake is doing the same in return.

There’s no barriers, and whilst it’s scary, it’s also incredible.

To be trusted with Ethan’s vulnerabilities—a man who everyone views as indestructible—it made Jake blink back his own errant tears.

“You haven’t. You’re the best team leader there is, even I can see that and I’ve just observed you outside of missions.”

“Benji was fucking hanged on our last mission, Jake. Before that he had a fucking bomb strapped to his chest because of me. All of them were milliseconds away from being vapourised by a nuclear bomb as well. I just—” He buried his face in Jake’s chest; his tears making Jake’s t-shirt damp, but he didn’t care.

He just cared about Ethan.

“But they weren’t. Because of you. You saved the day as usual.” He encouraged Ethan to lift his head and kissed him softly. “But, you can’t save everyone, Darlin’. You do your best, and your best is fucking incredible—"

“Thank you.”

“—and your team are great, but you have to make sure you save yourself too, Ethan. Remember that, yeah? It shouldn’t be you or the world.”

“But I don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.” Ethan’s voice was a whisper; barely there in the darkness of the room, but Jake heard it. And it made his heart hurt, because he knew Ethan believed it. Believed he was dispensable.

“You do….to me.” Ethan squeezed his waist and pulled him impossibly closer. “Get some more sleep, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks for waking me.”

“Not a problem, Sweetheart.”

“I could get used to seeing your pretty face when I open my eyes.” Ethan peered at him; his face mostly shadows, but the featherlight brush of his eyelashes against Jake’s chin gave away the fact he was looking at him.

Jake huffed out a soft laugh and tangled their legs together. “Shh, sleep now.”

Not five minutes later, Ethan was fast asleep and Jake was a little bit more in love with him.

//

“‘lo?” He squinted in the early morning light as he held his phone to his ear. Ethan was sprawled out on top of him; his head resting on Jake’s chest, his breaths even as he slept.

“It’s a bit late for you isn’t it, kiddo? I thought you got up early?” Maverick chuckled down the phone; his voice too loud for Jake’s barely-awake brain, making him wince.

“Wanted a lie-in.” He lied, not wanting to give away the fact that he was staying in bed that little bit longer due to Ethan’s nightmare. “What is it, Mav?”

“You’re coming round for dinner tonight.” It wasn’t a question.

“Am I?” Jake huffed out a laugh. He was trying to be quiet, but apparently he’d failed, because green eyes were looking up at him intently. It was like he was being watched by a cat eyeing up its next victim to pounce on.

“Yep. No excuses.”

Jake sighed, like it was a real hassle to go visit Mav and Ice, and not something he did 2 or 3 times a week. “Fine.”

“Oh, and bring, Ethan.”

The phone was grabbed out of his hand and Ethan was growling into it. “Fuck off, Little Brother. It’s too early to hear your annoying voice.” Jake shifted to try and hide how much he loved the low rumble of Ethan’s morning voice, and his show of slight aggressiveness, but Ethan’s leg was thrown over Jake’s hips, so it was pretty hard (pun intended) to hide his erection.

Going by Ethan’s smirk, he hadn’t managed it.

“Good morning to you too, Big Brother.” Jake could hear Mav laughing down the phone. The man lived for being a little shit. “Be there. 7 o’clock.” He hung up a few seconds later and Ethan chucked the phone on the side.

“Urgh. I was having a nice dream too.” He whined, flopping down to press his face to Jake’s chest. Jake trailed his fingers up and down the length of his t-shirt covered back, and snickered at how much of a grumpelstiltskin Ethan seemed to be in the mornings.

He always seemed to wide-awake and ready for everything.

Clearly that took a bit of effort in the mornings to appear that way.

“Yeah? What about?”

Ethan looked up at him, and his face went from sleepy and grumpy, to predatory and heated. “Why don’t I show you?”

Jake shuddered out a breath and nodded.

Ethan straddled him properly and cupped his face in his hands; kissing Jake almost desperately. They both had morning breath, but Jake didn’t care. Ethan was swiping his tongue in between his lips, and grinding down against Jake’s aching cock; a bit of morning breath meant jack shit right then.

He brought his hands up to grab and fondle Ethan’s firm ass cheeks, and moaned into the older man’s mouth when their erections rubbed against each other through the thin barrier of their boxers.

Ethan nipped at his bottom lip and then kissed his way down the tanned length of Jake’s neck; taking the time to suck a deep bruise right where his collar wouldn’t be able to hide it. He’d huff and roll his eyes at the cheek of the man, if he didn’t find the possessiveness so fucking hot.

“You like that, baby?” Ethan breathed out, wiggling his way down the length of Jake’s body, and rucking up his t-shirt to graze his teeth over the nub of his nipple. “Like me marking you as mine?”

“Y—Yeah.” He rolled his hips in frustration, because the delicious weight of Ethan was no longer pressing down on his cock, but Ethan just shh’d him and pressed a kiss to the jut of his hipbone.

“It’s okay, Beautiful. I’ll get you off.”

He tugged Jake’s boxers down his hips and his long legs, until Jake was laying there with just his t-shirt on, rolled up under his armpits; his chest heaving with anticipation. Ethan was licking his lips and looking at him like he was his favourite three course meal, and pre-cum dribbled out of Jake’s slit onto his belly, because he was so fucking turned on, it wasn’t even funny.

Ethan ran his hands up and down the insides of Jake’s thighs, and he held his breath waiting for his mouth to wrap around his cock and swallow him down.

Of course, he should never have tried to peg Ethan as predictable.

He let out a grunt as Ethan flipped him over onto his belly (and yeah the easy way he handled him was fucking hot as hell and just made his cock even harder), and then a gasp of surprise when the older man parted his cheeks, and rasped a wet stripe up from his balls to his hole.

“Fucking hell.”

His hands clenched in the pillows, and his mouth went slack with pleasure. Ethan’s tongue was hot and wet, and was licking at his hole, over and over. His dick was getting harder as his rim was becoming soft and pliant under Ethan’s mouth. He let out a sob when the wet muscle of his tongue wiggled in past the ring of muscle. The man was tongue-fucking and slurping at his ass like a champion and it was barely eight in the fucking morning.

Jake pushed his ass back towards Ethan’s mouth, because he was greedy and wanted even more. Ethan huffed out a laugh; his hot breath tickling the sensitive skin of his rim. He gripped Jake’s hips hard enough to bruise and pinned him down, making him take whatever pleasure he had to give, and nothing more.

“Ethan. Please.”

“Please what, Baby?” He asked innocently, as he slipped two fingers into Jake’s ass and pressed against his prostate.

“Oh fuck—I—please—fuck—” He was babbling and pressing his face against the pillows as Ethan thrust his fingers in and out; rubbing at his insides and making his brain melt.

“Gimme a full sentence, Beautiful.” Ethan teased. The sadist.

“F—Fuck you.” He panted out, when Ethan dragged his tongue around his hole at the same time he crooked his fingers and played Jake’s swollen prostate like a fucking fiddle.

“Well, that is a sentence—” Ethan drawled, laying his cheek on Jake’s ass and just watching the way his hole swallowed up his fingers. Jake couldn’t see him watching, but he could feel the heaviness of his gaze on his spread and exposed hole, and it was obscene, and embarrassing, and so fucking hot. “—but not one that will help you. Plus, I thought you wanted to ride me, when we get to the fucking part?”

Jake was falling in love with an Asshole. A talented, charming, hot as sin, little shit, Asshole.

“If you don’t let me come in the next 30 seconds, you won’t have a dick for me to ride.” He threatened, craning his neck to glare at him. Not that he would actually do anything damaging to Ethan’s dick, because it was lovely and delicious, and his, but still. It was the principle of the thing.

“Okay, Baby.” Ethan chuckled lowly, and then wriggled his hand under Jake’s body to grasp his cock. He stroked it up and down, and then wrapped his lips around Jake’s puffy hole and sucked.

Jake’s whole body shuddered as he yelled out his release. He might have whited out for a second there too, as Ethan kept licking and sucking on his puffy rim, until his cock spurted out every last drop of come it had to give; all over the bedsheets and his belly.

“Jesus Christ. That’s a way better wake-up call than up call than Mav ringing me.”

Ethan swatted his ass cheek. “Don’t mention my brother when I have my cock out and can still taste you.”

“Sorry.” He huffed guiltily. He looked over his shoulder and blew the other man a kiss. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“Yeah? How?” Ethan asked, stroking his cock languidly. It was hard and flushed almost purple from how aroused he was, but his restraint meant he looked as calm as always.

“You can come on my ass. Mark me that way too.”

Ethan bit his lip and shivered with want. Jake watched, captivated; even though the angle hurt his neck, he didn’t dare look away as Ethan fucked his own fist. It wasn’t long before he was gasping out Jake’s name (and didn’t that sound incredible?), and then ropes of sticky white were splattering all over the cleft of his ass and dripping inside him.

“That make it up to you?” He asked on a groan as a glob of come fell and slid past his rim.

“Oh that was the stuff dreams are made of, Baby.” He winked, palming Jake’s ass and rubbing his come into his skin. “Literally.”

The man was sexy, kind, dangerous, and a dork.

Jake had no hope of resisting him.

(Not that he wanted to).

//

The family dinner was nice, if a bit strange.

Apart from the time in Mav’s office, the five of them hadn’t been together since Ethan had arrived; and Jake wasn’t sure how to act.

He was no longer a blushing, stuttering fool around Ethan (well most of the time, anyway), but this thing between them was still new, and he wasn’t sure how they should act around the two men that Jake saw as father figures, and who were Ethan’s twin and brother-in-law.

Thankfully, Ethan took the lead and apart from a soft kiss on the cheek when he arrived—Jake the last one to get there as he had to make sure his hair was perfect—he didn’t do anything extreme or in your face.

He pulled out Jake’s chair for him to sit down, and then when he sat down next to him, he rested his hand on Jake’s thigh; keeping it there the whole time except when he had to cut up his food. But other than that, he kept what was special between them, just for their eyes only.

It was… nice.

It didn’t feel like they were hiding—because the others knew there was something going on between them—but like they were keeping things private, because it was new and theirs.

Bradley kept grinning at him as he ate his sausages and mash; so much so that Jake was worried his face was going to get stuck like it—the bristly caterpillar on his lip twitching from how amused he was—and so he flicked a pea at his face just so his expression changed to something else for a minute.

Mav was chatting and gesticulating wildly as he told a story about one of the many missions he’d been on that had been the result of pissing off an admiral.

And Ice.

Well, he was glaring at Ethan like the man had come in the house, on the bottom of his shoe.

Ethan for his part, was ignoring his brother-in-law, and squeezed Jake’s thigh intermittently when he caught Jake looking worried, but he didn’t let the icy-blue stare get to him.

Jake figured he was used to it, but it still made his gut clench.

//

“Hey Icepops.” He shut the kitchen door behind himself, muffling the laughter of Mav and Bradley as they listened to Ethan tell a story about when Benji switched the team’s coffee pot to decaf and Will had malfunctioned for the whole day.

Ice looked at him from where he was loading the dishwasher and rolled his eyes. “God, your nicknames are getting worse.”

“No, they’re  not.” Jake leant against the kitchen counter and stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets

“Yeah, they are.” Ice rose to his full height and looked at him with concern. “What’s up?”

Jake cleared his throat and looked at the tile flooring; unable to look Ice in the eye for fear of his answer. “You don’t….you don’t actually hate Ethan, right?”

“Where’s this coming from?” Ice grasped his elbow and pulled him to sit at the kitchen table with him. Jake shrugged a tad helplessly.

“Like, he said it was just this brother-in-law banter thing you two have going on, but in there you were looking at him more death-glare-y than normal, and I just—you don’t hate him, right?” He knows his voice sounds needy and a bit pleading, but he needs the answer to be no.

Ice stared at him for so long that Jake felt his heart drop to his stomach, before he sighed and deflated against the backrest of the chair. “No, I don’t hate him. I love Ethan. He’s the only reason Mav made it to an age where I could actually meet him and fall in love with him. Without Ethan I’ve no doubt Mav would’ve died young and reckless, so he has my eternal gratitude for making sure my husband lived so I could take over watching over him.” His face was pinched, like he hated admitting it, but his eyes had softened slightly, so Jake could see it was the truth. “We just razz on each other a lot because it’s fun. We both know it’s harmless.”

Jake let out a sigh of relief. “Ok, good. Because I really like him.” He said it like it wasn’t obvious to anyone who had working eyes.

“I know.” Ice chuckled sadly. “That’s why I was more death-glare-y than normal as you put it.”

“Why?” Jake’s face scrunched up in confusion.

Ice sighed again and reached over to clasp his hand. “Because I don’t want to see you get your heart broken, Jake. Ethan’s going to leave again soon, and it could be months before he returns. He could also not come back at all. The near misses are stacking up, and there’s not many more lives left before he’s no longer a cat landing on his feet.”

“I know that.” He said, quietly. He knew it right down to his bones. The thought of it hurt, but not as much as the thought of not giving this a chance between them.

“And yet you’re falling in love with him anyway.” Ice didn’t look surprised. By the fact that Jake was falling fast, or that he was falling for Ethan in the first place.

“Surely, you of all people understand.” Ice had been in love with Mav for decades at this point; if anyone was going to understand giving his heart to a god walking on Earth, it would be Ice.

“I do understand. That’s why I worry about you, Jake.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and sat back in his chair. “Do you think it was easy when I stopped flying—stopped being Mav’s wingman up there—to watch him go, knowing it could be the last time I saw his face? The last time I told him I loved him. The last time I held him, or heard him laugh? Do you think it was easy loving someone so brilliant that he defies every law there is—nature, physics, naval, you fucking name it—to be the best pilot the world has ever seen, knowing that to let him be who he is, I could only hold on so tight? Even when I wanted to hold him with everything I had until I couldn’t breathe with all I felt for him. It wasn’t. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, Jake.”

Jake had known that Mav and Ice had had to go through a lot of lows to get to the highs, and it was only now that Mav spent the majority of his time teaching and on at the base, that Ice had started to relax more. But still;

“Being with him was worth it though, right?”

Ice barked out a laugh, like that was a fucking stupid question. Which, fair. “Yes, it was worth it. I’d do it again, every time.”

“I’m not afraid of hard work. Or giving my all when we’re together to make the time apart bearable. I want us to have this chance together, Ice.”

The older man looked at Jake sadly, and stood up, pulling him close so he could hug him.

“I know. That’s why I’m so glare-y. Because there’s nothing I can do to stop this from happening. He’s falling for you as much as you’re falling for him, that’s obvious to anyone even if you’ve kept the PDA to a minimum. He can’t stop himself from looking at you every five seconds and smiling like you’re the best thing he’s ever seen.” He let Jake go and grabbed a beer from the fridge. “I just hope you defy the odds, kiddo. I really do. Because some heartbreaks are too much to fully heal from.”

He left Jake sat at the table feeling like he’d gotten both a blessing and warning.

“You okay, Beautiful?” Ethan asked, poking his head around the door, before coming into the kitchen and pressing up against Jake; letting him lean his head against his belly, his hand stroking Jake’s hair.

“Yeah. Just talking to Ice. He’s….worried.”

“I don’t doubt it. I am too.”

Jake pulled back to look up at him. “You are?”

Ethan nodded. “Last time I found myself caring about someone like this, I married her. And we both know how that turned out.”

He offered the older man a small smile, and melted back into the warmth of his body. “You think we’re mad to try?”

“Probably.” Ethan chuckled. “But I’ve never been accused of being sane, so…”

“Think we’ll defy the odds and make it?”

Ethan stroked his hair in silence for a while, and then breathed out a soft “Yes.”

The man hadn’t lied to him so far, so Jake chose to believe him.

Even if he wasn’t sure the future wasn’t going to make a liar out of both of them.

Chapter Text

Ethan: Meet me in Mav’s hangar this afternoon :) Around 4pm.

Jake had received the text earlier that morning and had had to stop himself repeatedly looking at it and smiling like a loon when he should’ve been teaching.

It had been a couple of days since their dinner at Mav’s and whilst they had texted and spoke on the phone, Jake hadn’t seen Ethan in person since then. He hadn’t wanted to come across as too clingy or needy (even though he was so very needy when it came to Ethan Hunt), so he’d told the older man to spend some time alone or with his team; because there were other people who would appreciate his company other than just Jake.

Ethan had pouted at him, but had done so if Jake promised that he could take him out on another date in a couple of days.

Jake had agreed (obviously), and those couple of days had passed, and he had now driven the couple of hours to Mav’s hangar, and his breath caught as he saw Ethan stretched out on a chair, facing the open land with his sunglasses on and his head tilted towards the sun.

He knew Ethan would have heard him coming because his sports car wasn’t exactly quiet, but he sat there waiting for Jake to come to him; like he knew Jake would do so every time. The soles of Jake’s shoes crunched on the dry ground, and he walked closer until he was stood in between Ethan’s spread legs. He pushed his aviators up into his hair, and spread his arms as if presenting himself for inspection.

“I’m here as requested.”

Ethan pulled off his sunglasses, tucked them in the neck of his t-shirt and then trailed his gaze over the long line of Jake’s body. It felt like fire was left in his wake. “That you are.” He purred.

Jake barely suppressed a shiver as arousal spiked in his blood. “So—” He cleared his throat as he tried to clear his head. “—what are we doing?”

The older man stood up—only a scant few inches between them, their lips almost touching if Jake tilted his head slightly—and grinned devilishly. “We’re going flying, Beautiful.”

Jake furrowed his brow. “I don’t think Mav will let me fly his mustang, Darlin’.”

Ethan chuckled softly, and trailed his fingers over the vee of tanned skin exposed by the open buttons of Jake’s shirt; fingertips pressing gently against the hollow of his throat. “He probably would actually if you asked him, but no, you’re not going to be the one flying today.”

“Y—You’re going to be flying?”

“Mmhmm.” Ethan hummed, flicking his gaze from Jake’s clavicle that he’d been eyeing up like he wanted to mark it with his teeth, to his face. “Trust me?”

With his life. With his heart.

With his very soul.

“Yeah, I do.” He said, offering an easy smile to hide how sincere and damning to his future his confirmation was.

“Don’t worry, I do have a proper pilot’s licence. I don’t just crash helicopters into the side of cliffs.” Ethan winked at him, and then guided him over to the Mustang.

“That’s reassuring.” He rolled his eyes and followed him, eyes firmly on the swell of his peachy ass and not caring in the slightest. “Will you still think I’m cute when I’m all windswept.” He joked as they moved the plane out of the hangar.

“Baby, I’ll always think you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.” Ethan flashed him a grin over the wing he was next to. “Nothing is going to change that.”

Damn the smooth talking fucker.

“Fuck’s sake, now I’m blushing again.” He grumbled, narrowing his eyes at the other man who was looking smug and unrepentant.

They climbed into the cockpit and backseat, and waited for the canopy to close. The blades started turning, and then they were getting into position to roll down the runway and fly up into the sky.

“Ready?” Ethan’s voice was warm and confident in his ear; the headset he wore perched on his flaxen hair.

“Ready.”

“Then let’s fly, Baby.”

                                                    ---------------------------------------

The view was incredible.

It had been a long time since Jake had been up amongst the clouds just for the sheer joy of it. Usually he had a mission to complete, minions to teach, or a Rooster to sass. This was different.

For one, he wasn’t the one in the pilot’s seat.

He got to sit back and look around at the land that stretched out underneath them. Ethan handled the plane expertly, and getting first-hand experience of his skills was making Jake really fucking horny.

They did loop-de-loops and barrel rolls, and soared like they never needed to step foot on solid ground ever again.

The sky changed from pale blue to a mix of purples, pinks and oranges as the sun began to set and all the while they flew. Ethan turned to look back at him, and the smudged daylight just made him look even more stunning than usual. Jake snapped a photo, and while it captured his beauty, it didn’t quite capture just how much Ethan’s green eyes had sparkled like emeralds in the sun.

By the time they were landing on the runway again, Jake realised that that was probably one of the best dates of his life, and no matter what happened in the future, no one was going to be able to compare to the life-changing man that was Ethan Matthew Hunt.

                                                         -----------------------------------------

“I haven’t been a back-seater since training.” He ran a hand through his hair, which wasn’t overly windswept, but wasn’t as neat as it usually was.

“No? How was it?”

They rolled the Mustang back into its place in the hangar, and Ethan leant against the main body of the plane, just watching Jake as he chucked his sunglasses down onto Mav’s coffee table.

“It was….good.” He shrugged. “Don’t think I could do it with anyone else though.”

Ethan grabbed his shirt and tugged him in close, resting his hands on Jake’s hips. “Aww, you saying I’m special, Lieutenant Seresin?”

More than you could ever know.

Jake scrunched up his face as if he had to seriously think about it. “I might have a soft spot for you, yeah.”

The older man pulled him even closer until their bodies were pressed against each other, and draped his arms around Jake’s shoulders. “Well, I have a hard spot for you.” He rolled his hips to emphasise his point, as if Jake couldn’t feel the straining length of his dick pressing hot and insistent against his own hip.

“God, I can’t believe that line is working on me.” He groaned, cheek resting against Ethan’s temple.

“Yeah?” Ethan grinned, fond and excited. “How much?”

“Let’s just say I’d let you do whatever you wanted right now.” Not that that was any different to how he usually felt around the IMF agent, but still. He didn’t usually admit to it out loud.

Ethan gripped Jake’s chin and moved him so he had no choice but to look deep into green eyes blown wide with desire. “Even suck your cock with you pressed up against the Mustang?”

Jake’s breath whooshed out of him, and the closed his eyes feeling overwhelmed. “Jesus fuck, Ethan.”

“That a yes?” He chuckled lowly.

Jake looked at him flatly, like was he really asking that? “Yes, it’s a fucking yes.”

Ethan kissed him then, and spun them around so Jake’s back was flat against the side of the plane. His hands were in Jake’s hair, and his tongue was in his mouth; licking every ridge and curve, like he was learning every inch of him so he’d never forget.

Jake moaned as he was thoroughly kissed, and then thunked his head back against the plane as Ethan let him go, and dropped down to his knees.

The concrete floor must be uncomfortable on his knees, but Ethan showed no sign of caring as he tugged open Jake’s fly and nipped at the tanned skin of his belly that he exposed. He nosed as the downy blond hair that trailed from his navel to the base of his cock, and then pulled Jake’s aching erection out of his briefs, pushing the clothing down to his mid-thigh.

“Fuck.” Jake hissed, as Ethan wasted no time in wrapping his lips around him and swallowing him down.

Jake wasn’t sure if Ethan had learnt sword swallowing as a skill in the IMF or he just had no gag reflex and put that skill to good use, but he was as talented with his mouth as he was in the cockpit of a plane.

He bobbed his head up and down; running his tongue along the underside and pressing against the vein that throbbed there. His fingertips dug into the meat of Jake’s ass as he sucked him down, sloppy and wet; the heat of his mouth just adding to the pleasure he felt.

Ethan pulled his head back to suckle on the spongy tip; swallowing down the pre-cum that gushed from his slit. He rasped his tongue over the sensitive head and grinned when Jake jerked against the plane; the aircraft and Ethan’s grip on his hips the only thing keeping him upright.

“You can fuck my throat, Baby.” He murmured, and then swallowed him down to the root.

“Shiiiiiiiiiiiit.” He threaded his fingers in the soft strands of Ethan’s hair and held his head in place. “You—You sure?”

Ethan nodded as much as he could round the heavy weight of Jake’s cock in his mouth, and then keeping his throat relaxed and his mouth wide, he let Jake use him.

Jake thrust his cock in and out, not too rough, but hard enough to make Ethan moan every time—in pleasure, not pain. He fucked Ethan’s mouth—cockhead pressing against his throat over and over, making the tanned skin of his neck bulge obscenely as he swallowed—and he bit his lip hard enough to bleed, because it felt so good.

“Fuck, E—Ethan.” He could feel his orgasm burning at the base of his spine. He wasn’t sure how he was going to go about his every day business now he knew what the wet heat of Ethan Hunt’s mouth felt like.

He just knew he was going to be thinking about it at inappropriate times, and no one else would understand, that it wasn’t going to be his fault. It was Ethan’s. It was like he was born to suck cock.

Jake’s cock.

And only his cock (if Jake had anything to say about it).

“I’m gonna come. Shit, can I come in your mouth, Sweetheart?”

Ethan tapped Jake’s leg so he let go of his hair, and then pulled off his cock with a wet pop. “I’d consider it an act of treason if you didn’t.” His voice sounded utterly fucked; a deep rasp, that sounded like it had come about due to a fat cock being stuffed in his mouth and getting up close and personal with his tonsils. Funny that.

He grabbed the base of Jake’s cock with one hand and rolled his balls in the palm of his other, and then he was sucking him down, and Jake was spilling down his throat.

His whole body shuddered as Ethan slurped down every drop of his come eagerly, and he sagged against the Mustang when the other man finally released him and tucked him back into his jeans gently.

“Your mouth is fucking dangerous, Mr Hunt.” He panted out, sinking down to the ground to drape himself over Ethan and kiss him breathlessly.

Ethan huffed out a laugh; his face practically glowing with happiness, as he gave not one fuck for the state of his voice. “People normally say that—and by people I mostly mean Will—when I mouth off at someone on a mission and nearly get myself killed.”

“Then they’ve clearly never had a blow job from you, because that was incredible.”

The older man smiled at him softly, and cupped his face to kiss him. Jake could taste his own come on Ethan’s tongue, and he idly wondered if the man was ever going to stop doing things that Jake found impossibly sexy. He hoped not.

“You’re the first in a long, long time.” He admitted, eventually.

“Fuck.” Jake let the weight of that settle over him, and felt it warm his chest. He really, really, really liked the man in his arms, and he couldn’t deny he was rather happy about the fact that he was getting to experience things with him that nobody else had for years. “What about you, though? Want me to return the favour, or use my hand?”

He trailed his hand down Ethan’s chest and leered in the direction of his crotch.

“Ah—” Ethan chuckled sheepishly. “No need.”

Jake’s eyes widened. “You mean?” Ethan grabbed his hand and guided it under the waistband of his jeans. Jake shuddered out a breath as he felt sticky come on his fingertips. “Shit that’s—no—I can’t get hard again so soon. Stop it.”

Ethan’s bright laughter echoed around the hangar and Jake thought the desert had probably never heard a lovelier sound.

                                                      ---------------------------

Jake: Thanks for letting Ethan borrow your Mustang.

Mav: No worries, Kiddo. How was it?

Jake: Orgasmic.

Mav: What does that mean, Jake?

Jake:  :)

Mav: JACOB SERESIN, You better not have gotten spunk on my plane!

Jake:  :)

Mav: I am extremely disappointed in you right now.

Jake:  :(

Chapter Text

He saw them before they saw him, and used his advantage to sneak up behind Bradley and clap him on both shoulders, making him jump. “Well, if it isn’t Croostacean, himself.”

Bradley groaned and turned to glare at him as Jake sat down at the table they’d spread around in The Hard Deck. “Fuck, don’t start that again.”

He leant back in his chair and smirked. “Why…. does it make you crabby?”

Javy snorted into his beer next to him, and Jake knew he could always rely on the man to have his back.

“Fuck off.” Bradley grunted, though his brown eyes were sparkling with amusement. “I’ve only just gotten Fanboy to stop sending me crab memes.”

The despair in his voice was hilarious. They all knew what Fanboy was like when it came to memes, he mined those babies until you wanted to block his number and never see a meme ever again. He somehow always managed to stop before any of them ever went that far though. Like he just knew.

“It did sort of look like you, though, you have to admit, Honey.” Bob said; pressed up against his boyfriend.

Bradley reared to the side and looked at Bob, gobsmacked. “Betrayed, by my own boyfriend no less. How has this happened?!”

Jake snickered at the Bradshaw/Mitchell dramatics in effect, and offered Phoenix, who had been sat watching them be idiots, like this was just life now, a smile.

“How is everyone? Apart from betrayed, obviously.”

“We’re good.” Phoenix said, taking a sip of her drink. A strawberry daiquiri if Jake guessed. “It’s very nice having another woman around.”

She meant Ilsa. “And having her in your bed helps too, I bet.”

Phoenix levelled him with a flat look and a raised eyebrow in response to his grin. “Do you really want to go there, Bagman?” Her tone indicated that if he was going to, she’d flex her claws and tear him to shreds as he did so.

He gulped and held up his hands in surrender. “Nope, backing off now.” She huffed out a laugh, and shook her head in fondness. She nudged his foot under the table, and he knew they were okay.

Jake turned to look at his best friend, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “And how are you, Javy Machado, light of my life?”

Javy rolled his eyes but leant into his embrace and offered him a genuine smile. He always had one of those for Jake. It had taken years for Jake to realise he meant every single one. “I’m good. Got a pet hamster.”

“What?!” He had not been expecting this level of exciting news when he’d agreed to meet up with them all for a catch up. The other three were looking as equally invested in the thought of a Dagger Squad pet, whose photos could be added to the group chat in the future.

“Yeah. Figured, seeing as I sort of have a home here now, I could get a pet to keep me company. Named him Hammy.”

“Awww.” They all cooed in unison. Javy showed them a photo of the little guy on his phone, and yeah, he was fucking adorable. All sandy coloured fur, beady eyes, and looking like a ball of fluff just up and decided to become sentient.

Jake would not admit that he was an iddy bit jealous.

“He’s not going to replace me as your best friend, right?”

Javy rolled his eyes as he put his phone away. “Not decided yet.”

He gasped and clutched at his chest. “Rude.”

His supposed best friend just laughed.

“How’s Ethan?” Bradley asked, as he fixed Bob’s glasses that become a bit skewwhiff on the bridge of his nose, from where they’d all leant in at the same time to look at the photo of Hammy, and he’d been pressed against Bradley’s shoulder.

“Yeah, spill the beans.”

“I thought we weren’t going there?” He looked pointedly at Phoenix who was looking very eager to hear the juicy deets of his romantic life.

“That’s me and Ilsa. You and Ethan are different.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“That’s not fair at all.”

“Don’t care. Now spill.”

He was glad he was gay, because he didn’t understand women in the fucking slightest. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she just grinned back unrepentantly, giving absolutely zero fucks about her hypocrisy.

“What do you guys think?” He asked the other three.

They looked at each other and then said as one, “Spill, Seresin.”

The sigh Jake let out, rattled all the way down to his bones.

“Fine.” He took a pull of his beer that one of them had been nice enough to order for him before he arrived, and shuffled in his seat. “It’s good. Been nice—going on dates and stuff. He’s a great guy.”

He thought that was going to be it, but then Bradley smirked at him, and he just resigned himself to his moustached menace of a brother saying something Jake was going to regret. He quirked an eyebrow, as if to say, go on then, and waited for the bomb to drop.

“Did you really sully Mav’s P-51?”

Jake’s eyes bugged, because of all the things— “He told you that?!”

Bradley snickered as the others looked at Jake with laser-eyed focus, not letting him squirm out of providing further details. His friends were the worst. The. Worst.

“I was there when you messaged him. He looked traumatised. He showed his phone to Ice afterwards, who just laughed and said, ‘what did he expect?’”

Jake flushed and curled in on himself on the chair, hiding half his face behind his hand. “Fuck.”

Phoenix leant over and flicked him on the arm. “Did you actually get jizz on the plane?”

“No, Ethan swallowed.” He muttered. He wished the ground would open up and swallow him, to save him from this conversation.

“Really didn’t need to know that.” Bless Bob. He was an Angel.

“Yeah we did.” Phoenix was the Devil, and her hanging around with Ilsa was only going to make her worse.

“I just let Mav think we got spunk on it for payback after he kept calling while we were on dates.”

Javy let out a low whistle, and ruffled his hair. “Your lack of self-preservation is impressive, Jake.”

“D’aww thanks, Javy.”

Javy rolled his eyes. “Not a compliment, Dumbass.”

Phoenix turned to look at Bradley and Bob. “What about you two, glad to be back together? How are your new friends?”

Bradley’s face lit up as he looked at Bob and kissed him on the cheek. Bob scrunched up his nose at the tickle of his moustache, but still leant into the affection. “We’re good. It’s nice having my Angel back.”

Bob blushed, and linked their fingers together. “Benji and Will are nice. Movie nights with them are really fun. Benji does his own commentary and we end up crying with laughter.”

“Will is also a secret cuddler. He fell asleep the other night and he was curled up hugging Bob. It was very cute.”

Jake wiggled his hand at him. “Photo evidence please.” Bradley grabbed his phone and handed it over, and indeed there was a photo of Bob pressed up against the edge of the sofa, and Will (still in a suit but with his jacket off, sleeves rolled up, and brightly coloured socks on show; so practically chill for him) curled up next to him, drooling slightly. “That is adorable, Bobert. I am so proud of you, making friends.”

Bob lifted up his and Bradley’s linked hands to flip him off. “Fuck you, Mr Plane Sullier.”

“Oh, Me-ow. Baby-On-Board has claws.” He chuckled. “I love it.”

The bespectacled WSO grinned at him, and Jake looked around them all. He never would have guessed they’d all be this close when he’d first returned to Fightertown for the mission, but he didn’t regret it. It was nice being out with them, though he did miss Ethan.

He missed him all the time, and it was ridiculous. It had only been like a week and a bit since they first met, and he missed him whenever he wasn’t with him.

“Shall we play pool?” Phoenix asked, finishing her drink.

Bob and Bradley stood up with her, and Jake waved them off. “You go. I’m gonna sit and watch for a bit.”

It was unlike him not to want to show them all up with his skills with a pool cue, but despite the earlier teasing, none of them said anything now. They just offered him a smile and Bradley squeezed his shoulder, before they wandered off towards the pool table.

“You okay, Jake?”

“Yeah. S’just—” He shrugged feeling embarrassed. “—it’s stupid.”

“You miss Ethan.” Javy said, like he’d picked the thought direct from Jake’s brain.

“Again; I hate how well you know me.”

Javy snorted and bumped their shoulders together. “No you don’t.” No he really didn’t. “Why don’t you call him? I’m sure he misses you too.”

Jake turned in his seat and looked at his best friend seriously. “Not going to tell me to be careful?”

He shook his head. “No. Not much point.” He sounded fond, if unsurprised.

“Why?”

“Because; you’re already halfway in love with him and I know you’re not going to stop at just halfway.”

Oh.

“I—How can you tell?”

He thought the others would guess he liked Ethan, but not that he was falling in love with him, and falling fast with no hope of a safe landing.

Javy looked at him like, was he really asking how his best friend could know these things, but still decided to be magnanimous and tell him anyway. “Because you deflect and become vague when you really care about something or someone and don’t want to give stuff away. Get the guys focussing on his mouth and your dick and they don’t hear the way you sound soft and your face goes gentle when you talk about him.”

Javy ‘Coyote’ Machado was like fucking Blues Clues. It was slightly terrifying.

“Oh.” He picked at the label on his beer bottle and looked over at the other three who were playing a weird game of pool where they took it in turns taking shots, and laughing at the awkward angles they were having to play from, to try and pot the balls. “You’ll be there when it call comes crashing down around me and he leaves, right?”

His best friend looked at him sadly and gently bumped their temples together. “Don’t even need to ask, man.”

Jake rested his head on Javy’s shoulder and let the man hug him. “I’m dumb for falling in love with him, aren’t I?”

“No, Jake. Just human.” He stroked Jake’s hair, like he knew he liked but could never come right out and ask for. “And listening to your heart.” A beat. “And maybe a little bit dumb.”

Jake snorted, and wiped at his eyes. He wrapped his arm around Javy’s torso and gave him a squeeze. “I love you, Hammy’s Dad.”

“I know. Love you back, dude.”

He left go of his best friend a few minutes later and then told him to go save Bradley from getting his ass kicked by Phoenix and Bob. Javy knew he wanted some time alone and let himself be gently shoved in the direction of the pool tables.

Bradley looked over and him and tilted his head in question. You okay? He mouthed.

Jake nodded and offered him a small smile. He pointed at his phone and then the door. The moustached man gave him a thumbs up and then turned back to the game. Jake wandered outside, the cool evening air hitting his face and helping him breathe through the slight panic he felt at how much he was no longer in control of his feelings when it came to Ethan.

Ever since he was young and he lost his parents to an accident he couldn’t control, and spent the rest of his childhood being unable to control which family he would be living with, or for how long; he’d hated not being in control.

It’s why he flew solo. So he didn’t have to rely on someone else to look out for him.

It had taken a while to realise that relying on someone to be his wingman, or to look out for him like Javy did, wasn’t a failure on his part.

He still sort of controlled who he let into his life—who he let look out for him.

He had absolutely no control over how fast he was falling in love with Ethan, though.

He’d told himself he wasn’t going to hold himself back, but he hadn’t expected to just throw himself over the edge with his whole heart and soul, and fall so irreparably in love with him, and it was only getting worse by the day.

He’d become a Top Gun instructor so he didn’t die in the air on a mission. He hadn’t realised he was most likely going to die with his feet on solid ground.

Because that’s what was going to happen, whenever Ethan had to leave in the near future. He was going to take Jake’s heart with him, and the Jake Seresin everyone knew was going to cease to exist.

An empty shell left behind.

He pulled up Ethan’s contact on his phone—his smiling face looking back at him from the photo Jake had taken at the end of their beach date—and he pressed the call button.

Because why stop the inevitable when you could just give in and enjoy the time you spent free-falling before you hit the ground.

“Hi, Beautiful.” Jake’s whole body relaxed at the sound of Ethan’s voice in his ear. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m good just….” He cleared his throat and whispered out the confession. “I missed you.”

Ethan sounded as soft and gentle as Javy had accused Jake of being only minutes before, when he responded. “I missed you too.”

“You did?” He couldn’t stop his smile. He was a ridiculous human being.

“Every minute I’m not with you.”

“Oh.” He was never going to be able to handle the ease at which Ethan just offered up these truths to him. Emotionally flaying him on the regular.

“Made you blush again, didn’t I?” The older man teased, and even though Jake couldn’t see him, he knew his green eyes would be twinkling; the corners crinkled with joy.

“Shut up.” He muttered. He was indeed blushing.

Jake looked out at the ocean that glittered under the stars, and let Ethan’s delighted laughter wash over him.

Yeah, there was a 99% chance he was going to lose Ethan and his heart was going to break beyond repair, but there was that 1% chance. That small percentage that said they might pull off the impossible and make it so they got to live a happy life together; more than just a handful of days.

But even if they didn’t.

Even if all they were ever meant to have was this, until Ethan was taken away from him again, he couldn’t find it in himself to regret ever letting himself love Ethan Hunt.

Not when he made it as easy as breathing.

As necessary, too.

Chapter Text

Jake grinned as his front door swung open to see Ethan’s handsome, smiling face on the other side.

“Hi, Beautiful.” He looked so happy to see Jake, it was like something out of a movie. No one is ever that happy to see Jake. (Not even Javy when he brings him homemade cookies; the ones that Jake has perfected the recipe on, over a number of years).

“Hi.” God, he sounds so soft and fucking gentle (thanks for pointing that out, Javy), it’s ridiculous. He hauled Ethan forward by his dark purple shirt (and oh god, that clung to every muscle of him obscenely, Jake needed him out of it yesterday), and dragged him inside, kissing him before he said something else sappy.

Ethan moaned against his lips as he stumbled forward, pressing up against Jake’s chest; fingers tangled in his hair. He nipped at Jake’s lips and licked into his mouth like he knew he’d always be welcome. (He was right).

Jake kicked the front door shut and turned them so he could push Ethan up against the wall.

“I thought you’d invited me over for dinner.” Ethan sounded breathless, and like he couldn’t contain the joy that bubbled in his throat.

“Who said you’re not the main course, hmm?” Jake grazed his teeth against that soft spot behind his ear and smirked when Ethan shivered. “What if I want to devour you, Ethan Hunt?”

“I’d say you can feast on me, all you want, Baby.”

Fucking hell.

If he hadn’t actually planned a nice meal for them to eat, he’d push Ethan onto the welcome mat and feast on his peachy ass right then and there until his jaw fucking ached. But alas, he didn’t want to come across as too slutty.

Especially because once he’d fed them both, he was going to ride Ethan’s dick to kingdom come (or more accurately, Jake comes), and as he was finally going to experience that wonder (because who was he kidding, there was no point holding out any longer when he was clearly so deep in love with him he might as well be a guest star on a National Geographic Deep Ocean special), he didn’t want to ruin the plan.

He kissed him again—and again….and again—and then he finally pulled back.

“Well, that’s definitely the best welcome I’ve ever had.” Ethan chuckled, thumbing Jake’s bottom lip.

“Yeah, well…I missed you.”

“Missed you too, Beautiful.” He held up the bunch of flowers that Jake had somehow missed upon first seeing him—and that Ethan had somehow managed to stop from being crushed while Jake mauled him (super spy skills, no doubt)—and Jake felt his cheeks warm.

“You got me flowers?”

“Pretty blooms for a pretty boy.”

Oh. My. God.

Jake whined high in his throat, and just buried his face against Ethan’s chest. “You can’t keep doing this to me.”

“Doing what?” Ethan sounded very amused. Bastard.

“Every time I think I’ve got a handle on the blushing and the swooning; you do or say something like that.”

“Good.” Ethan pulled him close by a firm grip on his ass, and licked a wet stripe over the jut of Jake’s throat. “I love it when you blush and swoon. You’re so put together with everyone else. I love knowing I can take you apart like this.”

“Fucking asshole.” He grumbled weakly.

“Sorry, Baby.” He didn’t sound sorry, at all. “What have you cooked for us?”

Jake stepped out of Ethan’s embrace—it was safer that way—and lead them to the kitchen, taking the flowers Ethan handed to him (Blue Irises, Bird of Paradise, and Daisies), and sticking them in a vase with some water. “Tuna steak, boiled potatoes, green beans, and a lemon Dijon sauce.”

“Sexy and talented in the kitchen. How were you single before this?”

“Nobody struck my fancy.” Which was the truth. He’d been busy with work and then the mission, and then he’d just been content; with his friends and family that he’d made all by himself. And then Ethan had come along and he’d been lost.

“Lucky me.”

Ethan sat down at the neatly set table, and just sat there watching with a smile on his face as Jake put the finishing touches to their meal. Jake served up the food and then poured them a glass of chilled white wine.

“To us.” Ethan murmured, holding his glass out for Jake to toast his against.

“To us.”

They ate in companiable silence; their feet entangled under the table, and their eyes unable to stray from the other’s face for more than a few seconds. The food was tasty, Jake knew that, but he barely acknowledged it.

He just couldn’t stop looking at Ethan. Couldn’t stop wanting to taste him.

“That was delicious, Jake.” Ethan said, once his plate was clean.

“Yeah?”

“Not as delicious as you, but I doubt anything is.” Ethan smirked, wiping his mouth with a napkin that Jake had frantically searched his kitchen drawers for. “It was a worthy runner up though.”

“You are a ridiculous human being.” He said, blushing again.

The older man just grinned and reached over to brush Jake’s hair off his face. “What’s for dessert?”

Jake cleared his throat and cleared away the plates, placing them in the sink to wash later on. “Um…me?”

He turned to look at Ethan, and gulped when he saw that predatory, sharp smile again; the one he saw when he first saw him. The one that made Jake ache to be bitten and marked by him. “I was hoping you would say that.”

“Oh, well—did you want to go to the living room for a bit, or—”

“Jake, if I don’t get you naked and in your bed in the next five minutes, I’m afraid I’ll have to fuck you on the kitchen floor, and that wouldn’t be good for either of our knees.”

Jake’s jeans suddenly felt very, very tight. “I—bedroom’s up the stairs and to the right.”

“I’ll give you a three second head start.”

Oh god.

He was going to get pounced on, and he couldn’t fucking wait.

Jake shot past him like his ass was on fire, and made it up the stairs before he felt hands on him. Fuck, he’s fast. He turned to look at Ethan, who was now right behind him, and then let out a yelp when he was fucking lifted off the floor and carried to his bedroom; slung over Ethan’s shoulder like a rescued princess.

“Fuck—your bruises—what are you doing—put me down you mad man!” He squawked, in mock protest, very aware that his cock was throbbing in his jeans at how strong Ethan was.

“Okay.” Ethan chuckled, throwing hm onto the bed, and pouncing on him before he’d even fully stopped bouncing. Jake heard the thud of shoes being kicked off and then Ethan was on top of him. “And my bruises are fine. Pretty much completely healed now.”

“Still can’t believe you just picked me up though!” He wasn’t getting over that, ever.

“You liked it though, right?”

Jake looked at him as if he was mad. “Duh. My cock is nearly punching a hole in my jeans because of how fucking hot it was.”

Ethan smirked and then ducked his head to kiss him. Jake felt fingertips tickling at the skin under his shirt, and his breath hitched as it fully set in that he was finally going to be fucked by Ethan Hunt.

“You are healed enough for this, right?” He had to ask. Because Ethan got hurt enough in life; Jake didn’t want to add to that.

Ethan pulled off his dark purple shirt, and Jake was faced with miles of tanned, barely bruised skin. There were a few yellowing marks left, but most of the bruises had faded. Just leaving behind all that warm, beautiful skin that Jake couldn’t not run his hands across.

“I’m fine, Beautiful. Now, you’re wearing too many clothes, so let’s do something about that, hmm?”

He peppered kisses over Jake’s jaw and down his neck as he undid the buttons of his shirt, and then Jake was sitting up so he could pull it off, whilst Ethan was shimmying downwards and dragging Jake’s trousers and underwear down with him.

Once Jake was naked, Ethan jumped off the bed to get rid off the rest of his clothes, and Jake wept for all the life model artists who would never get to capture the beauty that was Ethan Hunt, on paper.

“Lube’s in the drawer.” He drawled, folding his arm behind his head, and stretching out his body; trying to draw Ethan’s eye his way.

“Fuck, you’re so very beautiful.” Ethan murmured, trailing a finger over Jake’s sternum, before he reached over and grabbed the lube. He held up a condom and Jake shook his head bashfully.

“I—um—I get tested for work and I’m clean. And I—I want to feel all of you.” He knew he was blushing, but he didn’t care.

Jake revelled in the small whimper that Ethan wasn’t quite able to stop from escaping, and the look of pure want that painted his face. “What did I do to deserve you, Jacob Seresin?” He leant down and kissed him deeply, cupping Jake’s face and devouring his mouth.

“I’d say—” He swallowed as he tried to get his breath back that Ethan had just stolen. “—you got the shit kicked out of you and got in a fight with a helicopter and a cliff side, but I don’t want to encourage you to do that again.”

Ethan huffed out a laugh, and knelt in between Jake’s spread legs. “I’ll try not to. I’m clean too, by the way. And haven’t had sex in about three years, so…”

“Christ.” Jake reached down and grabbed the base of his dick that was threatening to blow its load at the mere thought of being the first person in three years to experience Ethan’s cock. “Are you determined to make me combust?”

Warm, calloused hands smoothed over the insides of Jake’s thighs, their owner smirking at Jake with green eyes sparkling with mischief.. “Like knowing that, huh?”

“Shut up.”

“Want me to prep you, or do you want to do it?”

As much as Jake wanted Ethan’s fingers inside him, he didn’t have the patience. He’d waited like a week and a half for this moment, and waiting any longer was just prolonging the torture.

“Neither.” He said, wrapping his legs around Ethan and rolling them over so he was now straddling his lap.

“What—” Ethan’s query was cut off when Jake grabbed the lube from his hand, flicked it open, and poured a generous amount onto his dick, watching it run down the shaft; droplets of it clinging to the dark curls at the base.

“I’ve been patient, Darlin’.” He shifted up Ethan’s body and held onto his shoulder for balance. “I’ve been wanting to ride this dick since I first saw you.” He lifted himself up onto his knees and grasped said dick in his hand. “I’ve gotten to know you, and I like you—” The understatement of the century. “—So now, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to ride you until I can’t form a coherent sentence, okay?”

Ethan looked at his with lust-blown pupils, licked his lips and then grasping Jake’s hips, nodded.

Jake gave him a quick kiss, and then lining his ass up with Ethan’s slicked-up cock, he sunk down on it, inch by inch.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccckkkkkkkk. He’d known it would feel good, but he hadn’t realised just how good.

“You okay, Baby?” Ethan asked through gritted teeth; Jake’s hole torturously tight, no doubt.

Jake made a high-pitched, affirmative sounding moan, and carried on sinking down on the fat cock that might be Ethan’s most dangerous weapon after his sincerity, (depending on the state of his ass by the end of it, Jake might even nudge it to first place), until the jut of Ethan’s hip bones dug into his ass cheeks.

“Fuck.” He said emphatically.

Ethan laughed, and then moaned when that jostled his cock inside Jake. “God, you feel incredible. I could stay inside you forever.”

Please do.

“Stop—stop talking.” He panted out, feeling like he was being spilt in two and loving every second. He just needed to get used to the feeling is all. “I can’t deal with your cock and your whole—” He waved his hand at Ethan’s face. “—everything, at the same time.”

Ethan bit his lip so he didn’t laugh at Jake’s breathless grumblings; squeezing his hips in silent support.

After a minute or two—in which Ethan was a very good boy and did his best to stay absolutely still while Jake adjusted to being filled; only his cock letting him down when it kept twitching inside Jake every so often, like Ethan kept being faced with the fact his cock was sitting snug in Jake’s hole and he really, really liked that fact—Jake let out a deep breath and nodded.

“Okay, I’m good.”

“You’re very good.” Ethan purred, sitting up so he could kiss Jake, and swallowing his moan when the change in position made his cock slip that little bit deeper inside him. He brought his knees up so Jake could relax back against them if needed, and Jake very much appreciated how considerate he was when he was spearing him on his dick. “Too good to be true, in fact.”

Jake rolled his eyes, but inside, his resident tummy butterflies were doing loop-de-loops at the older man teasing him with his own saying.

Grasping both of Ethan’s shoulders, he tentatively lifted his hips—every thick inch of Ethan’s cock dragging against his swollen insides making his brain nearly spark out already—until just the plump head was nestled against his rim.

Jake’s thighs trembled from the effort, and then he sunk back down. Only this time he didn’t go slow; his ass swallowed up Ethan’s length like it was made for it, and both of them let out a punched-out groan.

“Fuck, Baby. So good for me.” Ethan cooed, running his hands all over Jake’s back and chest; like he couldn’t stop touching him. “Look so pretty sat on my cock.”

Jake needed him to stop talking, otherwise he was going to come before he’d gotten to actual riding part. He knows Ethan has clocked onto his praise kink, and if Jake let him, he’d probably murmur as many poetic and filthy utterings as he could until Jake was a writhing mess in his lap. But Jake didn’t fight fair.

Not when it came to cock.

Especially Ethan’s cock. (Which was now forever his cock).

He licked his lips, set his shoulders, and then grabbed two big fistfuls of Ethan’s hair, and pulled.

The older man let out a guttural moan, and Jake smirked in victory. He crashed their mouths together (so Ethan couldn’t talk), and then rolled his hips as he tugged on Ethan’s hair.

Ethan’s nails dug into the muscles of his back as he clung to him desperately, red marks being left in their wake as he clawed at him as Jake moved; Jake going from undulating his hips to bouncing up and down on his dick like a needy whore. Somehow, Ethan had managed to angle his dick so it hammered his prostate every time he bottomed out, and Jake internally wept, because surely that wasn’t what the IMF target training was meant to be used for?

Teeth clacked together, and their noses bumped as they fucked with wild abandon, but didn’t want to stop kissing; all that pent up energy and sexual tension finally being released, and making Jake lose his mind. Noises he didn’t even know he could make were falling from his slack lips as Ethan pulled off his mouth to suck bruise after bruise into his neck.

His hands were gripping his hips now, hard enough to bruise; ignoring Jake’s cock that slapped against his belly, smearing pre-cum in its wake.

Jake didn’t mind, mainly because he knew if Ethan so much as touched his cock, he’d come all over himself; blowing his load like a damn fire hydrant. He keened when Ethan bit down on his clavicle, and thrust his hips up at the same; shoving his cock in deep, stretching his hole to make him take it.

“Gonna come just on my cock, Baby?” Ethan had clearly decided to play dirty now that Jake was no longer in control; fluttering those green eyes and smirking up at him from where he was sucking marks, claiming Jake as his, all over Jake’s tits. “Gonna make yourself all messy, from how much you love being split open, hmm? Love being stuffed full?” He scraped his teeth over the nub of Jake’s nipple and bit down hard enough that pain and pleasure zapped up Jake’s spine. “Gonna fill you with my come too, my pretty boy. Leave you gaping and dripping wet.”

Oh, Jesus Fucking Christ on a Pogo-stick.

Ethan bit down on Jake’s other nipple—Jake’s grip on his hair subconsciously directing him to the forgotten nub; the moan of pleasure from the older man rippling over his skin as Ethan wrapped his lips around him—and Jake couldn’t hold off any longer.

He threw his head back, and arched his spine. Sobbing out Ethan’s name, his cock spilled hot and wet between them; covering half his chest in ropes of sticky white. He clenched down over and over around Ethan’s fat cock, and then Ethan was biting down on the curve of his neck as he growled out his release.

Jake felt himself become even more stuffed as Ethan filled his guts with his come, and then he collapsed into Ethan’s embrace.

He gently let go of the sweat-slick strands of Ethan’s hair, and fell against him. Ethan ran his hands up and down his back, and kissed any part of him he could reach.

“So beautiful. So good for me.” He murmured, over and over; laying back so Jake could cuddle up to him and wrap around him like a fucked-out blanket.

Jake nuzzled at his cheek and wondered when he’d cried? Because his cheeks were wet and his lashes were clumped together. Probably when Ethan’s cock made him see through time, he guessed.

“You with me, baby?”

“Buh.”

Ethan laughed softly, kissed Jake’s messy hair (god, he really was in deep if he no longer cared about his hair being perfect), and just cuddled him close until Jake could try and form words.

“Back with me, now?” He asked about ten minutes later.

Jake hummed. “Jus’ ‘bout.”

“Worth the wait?”

He peered at Ethan’s pleasure flushed, and handsome face, and saw genuine sincerity in his eyes. Along with worry. Like he honestly thought he might have disappointed Jake, and that the build up between them had just led to something they were never going to talk about or do again.

That just wouldn’t do.

He pawed at Ethan’s face—his arms not really working properly because his brain was soup—and nudged him until Jake could kiss him. “I’d wait a lifetime for you, Ethan Hunt and it would always be worth it.”

His soup brain made him painfully honest, it seemed.

Ethan looked at him with wide eyes and tucked Jake’s face into the hollow of his throat; his breathing suddenly a bit more choked up than it had been a moment ago, as he squeezed Jake tightly. Jake let himself be held, and clung to Ethan just as desperately.

After all, he had no idea how long he’d get to do this for.

Chapter Text

Ethan slid out from underneath him some amount of time later, and Jake let himself merge with the pillows and mattress.

“W’er’ ‘ou ‘oin’?” He mumbled, not even bothering to open his eyes, as he was enjoying being fucked out and sleepy.

“Be back in a minute.” Ethan kissed him on the shoulder, and then Jake heard the sound of the toilet flush a few minutes later, and the sound of the tap. He flinched slightly when damp hands slid up the backs of his thighs, before he relaxed again as Ethan pressed a kiss just above the dimples of his spine. “So beautiful.” Ethan had murmured it enough times, that he clearly believed it.

Jake thought he was mad. Especially because he must look like a right mess laid there.

He assumed the older man had grabbed a wet cloth to wipe him down with, but although there were drops of water clinging to Ethan’s fingers as they made their way towards his ass, there didn’t seem to be a cloth following them.

“So beautiful.” Ethan murmured again, just as he spread Jake’s ass cheeks and kept them spread.

Jake flushed and buried his face in the pillows, because Ethan was being sincere. But about his asshole. His puffy, wrecked, no doubt filthy-looking, come-covered asshole. He moaned when two fingers brushed his rim. “What are you doing?” He wailed, unable to stop himself from trembling in response to the featherlight touch.

“Well, I promised I’d leave you gaping with my come dripping out of you, and I wanted to see that up close.”

He was fucking insane. A horny, insane, perfect man.

“But as much as I like seeing my come dripping out of you—fuck you’re all puffy and red—” The pads of his fingers trailed over his tender hole, and Jake let out another moan. “—I think this should go back where it belongs, don’t you?”

Before Jake could ask what the fuck he was going on about in that sexy, deep voice of his, Ethan was scooping up the globs of come that had leaked out of Jake’s gaping hole and was pushing them back inside his ass; thick fingers pressing against his swollen insides.

“Oh fuck.” Jake sobbed, feeling his cock get hard again where it was trapped between his body and the mattress. It was too soon. Sure, it had been about twenty minutes since he’d come so physically he could get it up again, but mentally?

Mentally, he still had soup for brains and he wasn’t sure he could handle Ethan Matthew Hunt fucking him again so soon.

“Want me to stop?” Ethan’s voice was all gentle and warm, like he would stop if Jake just said the word. Even when his fingers were slowly stroking his insides.

No, Jake didn’t want him to stop. He’d rather die than have Ethan stop touching him. Even if there was a chance he’d permanently become a pile of goo from pleasure overload, he didn’t care.

He shook his head against the pillows, and moaned out a no.

“Want me to fuck you with my fingers?” The older man asked, dragging his finger tips over the swell of Jake’s sensitive prostate, over and over.

“Or…” He pulled his fingers out—spreading them as he did so Jake’s rim fluttered and throbbed in protest at the stretch, because he was a bastard—making Jake whine in disappointment.

“Or?” He peered over his shoulder, blinking at Ethan owlishly; his eyes bleary and pupils wide.

Ethan crawled so he was covering Jake’s body, and nibbled at his neck. Jake could feel the burning length of his cock against his ass, and oh god. The libido on this guy.

Yep, it was decided. Ethan’s cock was the most dangerous thing about him.

“Or, do you want me to fuck you again? Push my cock into this wrecked, little hole of yours, and fill you up so it’ll feel like I’ll be dripping out of you for days?” He rubbed the slick head of his cock against Jake’s hole—the glans catching on his rim—as he waited for Jake to make his decision.

Like there were ever any other option.

“Please.” He whimpered, pushing his hips back as much as he could with the solid weight of Ethan on top of him.

“Please what, Baby?”

Jake sobbed; his throat convulsing as he tried to speak, because even without his cock inside him, Ethan knew how to take Jake apart until he was left exposed, and vulnerable, and just aching to be touched. “Please fuck me into the mattress with your cock.”

Ethan turned Jake’s face so he could kiss him softly, and then pushed his cock into his tight heat again. Jake let out a garbled sort of noise; pleasure and pain shooting up his spine as he was stuffed full with Ethan’s cock, and mixing together in his brain to create stars behind his eyelids.

“Fuck, you feel even better than last time.” Ethan panted out; nosing at the sweat-slick hair at the nape of his neck, his hands either side of Jake’s head. “Didn’t think that was possible.”

Jake clenched around him, because words were not possible right then (or probably for the next half hour at least), to get the other man moving. Thankfully, Ethan seemed to understand what Jake was trying to say as he pulled his hips back, and then fucked into him slowly.

He could feel every inch of his cock as it dragged against his swollen insides.

He knew Ethan wasn’t going to speed up. He could just tell.

The man was a fucking sadist, and was going to make Jake lose whatever of his sanity he had left by fucking him achingly slow.

Jake pulled his hands out from where they’d been clenching the underside of his pillow and desperately linked his fingers with Ethan’s. Ethan squeezed his hands, and pressed kiss after kiss to Jake’s neck.

Time stretched between them like taffy as Ethan took him apart with each deep, overwhelming thrust, and Jake just let him. He let Ethan remake him under his touch, until the man who cried out Ethan’s name as he came onto the bedsheets underneath him, was not the same Jake Seresin who had climbed into bed earlier that evening.

He felt wet heat spill inside him again, and sighed into the pillows. Ethan stayed stretched out on top of him—staying snug inside his ass until his cock fully softened—offering Jake the silent comfort of his weight, and the knowledge that he was there. He was with Jake for now, and he would protect him against the world.

                                                              -----------------------------------

When he had breakfast at the local diner the next morning with Bradley, and his asshole of a brother took in the way he winced with every step, and when he sat down—along with the hickeys that littered the skin of his neck, and peeked out over the open collar of his shirt—and cackled; Jake was pleased to find he had enough energy to flip him off.

Even if he had very little energy to actually eat his breakfast.

                                                            ----------------------------------------

Over the next week and a half, Jake and Ethan spent as much time as they could together. It wasn’t just the two of them. They went out with Ethan’s team, with Jake’s friends, and on one memorable occasion went round to Mav and Ice’s and kicked their ass at charades; all four of them giggling like children by the end of it.

Neither of them said anything about it out loud, but following that first night when they slept together after their fourth date, Ethan stayed round at Jake’s rather than going back to his hotel.

It meant both of them slept better—having the other near to soothe after a nightmare, and to cuddle close meant the nightmares didn’t hang around long. And Jake enjoyed waking up to see Ethan sleeping beside him.

When Jake woke up that morning—three weeks after Ethan first arrived in his life—he woke with a feeling like something was going to happen. Like fate was looming over him and he couldn’t stop it.

Ethan was asleep next to him and he looked so relaxed. So carefree. So… vulnerable.

He didn’t look like a man who could take on the evils of the world and win, with his hair falling onto his face, and his mouth slightly open as he let out soft snores. He just looked like the man who had captured Jake’s heart and who Jake was going to love until the end of time.

He quietly grabbed his phone and snapped a photo. It wasn’t one he ever planned to show anyone else.

It was just for him.

It was…proof…that this hadn’t all been some elaborate dream his brain had cooked up. He’d taken dozens of photos of Ethan at this point—Ethan laughing, Ethan looking sexy, Ethan smiling—but it was this one that was proof that it had all been real.

Because Ethan Hunt didn’t let himself be vulnerable with many people. But he did with Jake.

And Jake wasn’t ever going to forget that.

“I can feel you staring.” Ethan mumbled a few minutes later, not even opening his eyes. Damn his spy skills.

“The view is the best there is.”

Ethan squinted one eye open at him and smiled at him, fond. “Charmer.”

“What do you want to do today?” Jake had the day off. He’d still been working whilst Ethan had been here; the older man spending time with his team when Jake couldn’t be with him.

Ethan smacked his lips together and blinked a few times as he sat up; properly waking up now. The sheets pooled around his waist, and Jake wasted no time reaching out and running a hand over the warm skin of his chest.

Jake’s own chest was covered in love bites in various stages of healing, because Ethan was obsessed with his tits and if Jake let him, he’d spend hours worshipping them with his mouth.

Suffice to say he hadn’t gone to the beach with his top off recently, for fear that everyone else would become green with envy….and because he knew Bradley would take the piss, and he didn’t want to give the pornstached nuisance anymore ammo.

“Thought you could maybe fuck me?” Ethan said, around a yawn.

Jake nodded his head, and then he realised what the older man had actually said. “W—What?” Was it suddenly really warm in here? It felt like his lungs had stopped working, and he felt dizzy. Though the way the bedsheets over his lap were tenting obscenely, that might have had something to do with all of his blood rushing towards his cock. “Did you just—”

Ethan huffed in amusement, and leant over to kiss his slack mouth; curling his fingers into Jake’s hair. “I want you to fuck me, Jake. That okay?”

Jake nodded mutely, and pushed Ethan back onto the bed. He crowded him in, and kissed him over and over; needing him to know how much he loved him without him saying the words. He blindly felt around for the lube that they’d thrown onto the bedside unit the previous evening, and smirked against Ethan’s kiss-bitten lips when his fingers curled around it.

“You want to—”

“You do it.”

Jake let out a shaky breath, and then sat back on his knees in between Ethan’s spread legs, and poured a generous amount of lube on his fingers. He grabbed a pillow with his other hand and put it under Ethan’s hips, and then once the lube had warmed slightly, he circled Ethan’s hole with the pads of his fingers.

“You sure?”

“Never been surer.” They were the words of the confident man Jake had first seen on the Top Gun base, but there was that thread of vulnerability, that Jake had been lucky enough to witness, underlying the words.

“Have you done this with anyone before?”

“No.” Ethan breathed out on a moan, as Jake pressed a finger inside him. “Just you.”

Jake closed his eyes for a moment, and took a breath to centre himself again. That feeling of impending doom still felt like it was breathing down his neck, but Ethan was here—giving himself to Jake in a way he’d never given himself to anyone else—and Jake was going to treasure every second.

“Fuck, Ethan.”

“That’s the plan.”

He huffed out a laugh, because Ethan was a dork, and Jake really loved that about him. He loved everything about him. It had been three weeks and he was unequivocally in love with Ethan Hunt. And there was nothing he could do about it.

He slid a second finger inside him, and Ethan was like hot velvet around him. Tight, and wet, and clenching down around him like his fingers weren’t enough.

“Come on, Jake. Get in me.”

“Impatient, aren’t you, Darlin’?”

Ethan hauled him down so he could nip at Jake’s lip and reached between them to grasp Jake’s aching erection. “Please replace your fingers with this pretty cock of yours, right now, before I grab that dildo of yours that’s in your bottom drawer and fuck myself with it.”

Fucking hell. This fucking man.

He pulled his shaking fingers out of Ethan’s hole, and slicked up his cock. Ethan graciously let him go, and looked at him smugly; as he laid back against the pillows like the most dangerous princess there’d ever been.

“Been snooping, Mr Hunt?” He asked through gritted teeth as he pushed past the tight ring of his rim, and felt blinding heat surround him.

“Ah—fuck—more like—fuck—imagining you playing with it—fuck you feel so big, Baby.” Ethan moaned as Jake bottomed out. “So good. Knew you would.” His voice was trembling, from where he was getting used to Jake inside him, but he was smiling at Jake so wide, he knew he wasn’t in pain.

He grasped Ethan’s legs and wrapped them round his waist, and kissed him until he felt him relax around his cock slightly; the slide of Ethan’s tongue against his own the only thing stopping him from coming there and then from how incredible he felt.

“You can fuck me now.” Ethan panted, tearing his mouth away and kicking his heel into the swell of Jake’s ass. He put the imp in impatient, and Jake couldn’t even be mad.

“How do you want it, Sweetheart?”

Ethan cupped Jake’s face and smoothed back his hair; looking at him like he was seeing into his very soul. “Fuck me so I never forget, Jake.”

Oh.

Jake guessed he wasn’t the only one who felt like time was against them.

He nodded, swallowing back the tears that threatened to fall, and threaded his fingers in Ethan’s hair. He held on tight, and then pulling his hips back, he thrust into him hard. Jake swallowed down his gasped out moan, and mentally thought about his 9 times table, so he could make it good for the man he had a feeling he was never going to be able to love enough.

He buried his face in Ethan’s neck as he fucked into him hard and fast; sucking a bruise on his tanned and freckled skin, as a sign to the world that he had been there. A sign that said, he had been allowed to love Ethan Hunt.

“Feels so good, Baby.” Ethan cried out as Jake hit his prostate again and again. “Not gonna last.”

“Want you to come, Ethan.” He whispered, kissing him again. “Come for me, Sweetheart.”

Ethan threw his neck back and let out a sharp cry as his orgasm ripped through him. Jake felt the wet splash of come against his belly, and Ethan’s hole gripping him like a vice. Ethan blinked at him with teary green eyes, and Jake couldn’t hold back any longer.

He groaned out a curse as his cock spurted his release inside the older man; spilling his come deep where no one else had ever touched.

“Fuck.” He let out a breathless laugh as he rolled off Ethan, so as not to crush him, and draped an arm above Ethan’s head to play with his hair. “That was incredible.”

“Yeah.” Ethan smiled at him softly, and tangled his fingers in the chain of Jake’s dogtags.

“You still have yours?” He asked, because he hadn’t seen the older man wear them the whole time they’d been together.

Ethan hummed. “I don’t wear them. They have my birth name on them. And if anything were to happen to me—if the bad guys got me—I don’t want them finding out about Mav. I carry them with me though. They’re in my bag.”

They laid there in silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company until the come drying on their skin started to become uncomfortable. “Shower?”

“As long as you promise to hold me up if my legs start to buckle.”

“Always.”

He wasn’t just referring to them in the shower.

                                                           ------------------------------

They showered—Ethan letting Jake rub his apple scented shampoo and conditioner into his hair—trading kisses as they washed each other down, and then dried off and got dressed. They had breakfast together, and Jake was about to ask Ethan what he wanted to do with the day when Ethan’s phone rang.

Jake knew immediately from the way Ethan’s whole body tensed, that this was it.

Fate had come for them.

Their time was up.

Chapter Text

“When do you go?” Jake asked when Ethan put his phone down on the table with a quiet thud.

“Couple of hours.” The older man looked tired; like the bright light that made up his very soul was dulled by the news that he had to leave. “This is the first time they’ve called and I’ve wanted to tell them to go to hell with their mission.”

Jake dearly appreciated the sentiment, even if he couldn’t let Ethan go through with it.

“Are you allowed to tell me where you’re going?”

“Turkey. I don’t care if I’m not allowed to tell you, I want you to know where I’ll be, even if I can’t tell you anything else.”

God, Jake loved the passionate, obstinate, little shit so much.

“Thank you.” He bit his lip and carded a hand through his hair. “We should tell Mav and the others. They’ll want to see you off.”

“In a minute.” He reached over and grabbed Jake’s hand. “Can we just have five minutes more where it’s just us and the world doesn’t need me?”

“S—Sure. Five minutes.” Jake squeezed his hand and swallowed back any kind of negative emotion that was threatening to choke him. He would not cry. Not right now. “Want to sit on my lap and cuddle?”

Ethan nodded silently, and pushing his own chair back from the table, came and sat on Jake’s lap; his back to Jake’s chest. Jake wrapped his arms around Ethan’s chest and rested his head on his shoulder.

Their fingers tangled together, and Jake pressed kiss after soft kiss against the tanned and freckled skin of Ethan’s neck.

He knows he said five minutes, but he let them have fifteen. He couldn’t bring himself to let go of Ethan, and the older man couldn’t bring himself to move off Jake’s lap.

Eventually though, he had to gather the strength for both of them, and gently nudge Ethan off his lap. He slid off Jake’s thighs….reluctantly, and captured Jake’s mouth in a kiss before he could move more than a foot away from him.

“I’m going to call Mav.” He said, solemnly.

“I’ll call, Roo.”

Ethan rested his hand on Jake’s chest—right where his heart was—and took a moment to look at him. Jake didn’t know what he saw, but apparently it was enough, because a second later Ethan was grabbing his phone and trying to find the words to tell his brother that he was leaving again.

“What’s up, Bagman?” Bradley chirped down the line when Jake called him.

Jake opened his mouth, and no sound came out.

“Jake?”

“I—”

“Talk to me, Jake.” Bradley sounded worried. He was probably right to be.

He took a deep breath, and with his brother’s comforting breaths in his ear, found the strength to say the words which signalled the end. “IMF called. Ethan leaves in a couple of hours.”

“Shit.”

Jake barked out a bitter laugh, because yeah…it was fucking shit.

“Want me to meet you at the private runway?” It made sense that Bradley would know that Ethan and his team wouldn’t be flying coach out of the airport.

“Please.”

“I’ll be there.”

Jake whispered a thank you, and then looked up in time to see Ethan in the door way. “Roo will meet us there.”

Ethan nodded; his face looked drawn, and his whole body was tight with sorrow. “Mav and Ice will be there too. He said he’d rugby tackle me to the ground if I left without saying goodbye.”

“Which one?”

“Both, if you can believe it.” Ethan huffed out a strained laugh. “Ice is clearly getting soft in his old age.”

“Nah, he just loves you.”

Ethan smiled at him gratefully and padded towards the bedroom. They gathered up Ethan’s things in silence, and then slipping on his shoes and grabbing a jacket, they climbed onto Ethan’s bike. Jake had the older man’s bag strapped to his back, and figured he’d get a lift back with Bradley, whilst Mav took care of Ethan’s bike.

The journey to the private airstrip went by too quickly. Jake kept his face pressed to the nape of Ethan’s neck the whole time, breathing in his comforting scent, and letting the apple of his hair embed itself deep into his cerebral cortex so he never fucking forgot it.

When they pulled up, everyone else was already there. Ilsa was looking subdued—he assumed she’d already said goodbye to Phoenix and Penny (he made a mental note to check in on them at some point in the coming days) and Bradley was hugging Will and Benji goodbye; extra squeezes being given to make up for the distance that was about to be between them.

There was a man stood by the plane, who was looking at the IMF agents with fondness, and who smiled sadly when he saw Ethan arrive, and Jake could only assume it was their missing team mate; Luther.

When the bike came to a stop, Jake slid off and placed Ethan’s bag on the floor. He knew the man wanted to say goodbye to his brother and brother-in-law, so he went over and said goodbye to the rest of the team.

They stood together and looked at him, like they could tell how much this was killing him. He cleared his throat and tried to lighten the mood, because otherwise he was going to breakdown on the tarmac, and he couldn’t do that.

Not yet.

“Sorry, I was a pretty shitty tour guide in the end, huh?”

All three of them laughed, even if it was strained. “I don’t know. You made it so I discovered Penny and Natasha, so I think you did okay, Flyboy.” Ilsa said, and he knew she was telling him thank you.

He hugged her goodbye. “Stay safe, please. I can’t be dealing with Tasha if you get hurt.”

Ilsa rolled her eyes, but nodded all the same. She made he way to the plane—waving goodbye to the others—and then Will was standing in front of Jake.

“I’m sorry we’re taking him away from you.”

“S’not your fault. It’s not just him I’ll miss, you know. Though it will be quieter without yours and Benji’s constant bickering.”

“Oh, fuck you, Hungman.”

Jake snorted, and let Will drag him into a fierce hug. “Keep an eye on my fellow nerd, hmm?”

“Always.”

Will left and then it was just Benji. The Brit looked like he was going to cry, but he was sniffing back the tears, whilst looking like he was mentally saying to himself that spies didn’t cry.

“Gonna miss you, Benji-boy.”

“You know he’d stay if you asked, right?” Oh, it seemed like he was just going to come right out and say it, huh?

Jake sighed. “That’s why I can’t. He’s needed out there.”  

Benji looked like he was proud of Jake for being so strong and understanding, but also like he wanted to punch the IMF on his behalf, which Jake appreciated. “Well, then try not to think about it. He’ll come through in the end, just like he always does. It’s only when the world stops turning that you know Ethan has failed.”

He offered the other man a sad smile. “Hard to know when the world stops turning when yours already feels like it’s ended.” It was dramatic, but that’s what it felt like.

“Oh, darling.” Benji cupped Jake’s cheek and looked at him with sad eyes. “Have you told him you love him?”

“No.” He shook his head. “And you can’t tell him either.” He couldn’t tell Ethan, but he also wasn’t having someone else tell him either. They were his words to say. At some point. Just not today.

“But—he feels the same way!” Benji spluttered.

Jake shrugged and reached out to straighten Benji’s glasses to give his hands something to do. It wasn’t a denial, but until Ethan told him he loved him, then he could pretend—just a little bit—that this wasn’t as devastating as it was. “He’s needed out there.” He said, instead.

“You need him too.”

He needed Ethan Hunt like the very air he breathed, but he had a feeling with the man going shortly, he wouldn’t have need for breathing anymore. It felt like he hadn’t taken a breath since the phone call in the kitchen.

“I’ll survive without him. The world won’t.”

Benji looked at him disappointed, but fond. “Hanging on by a thread, isn’t surviving you know.”

Jake let out a wet laugh. “Shh. Go do nerdy hero things.”

He was pulled into Benji’s arms and he let himself hug the man who he’d developed a soft spot for. “I’ll miss you, Jakey boy.”

“Miss you too, Benji. Look after them all yeah? Look after him.” He didn’t need to say who the ‘him’ was. They both knew.

“You bet.”

Benji patted his cheek and then made his way to the plane. Jake took a deep breath and then turned round to the man who he’d sensed walk up behind him.

Ethan looked beautiful, and sad, and wonderful, and heartbroken all at once. Jake reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear.

“I—I don’t know what to say.” He whispered. This moment only for them, even though he could see Mav, Ice and Bradley huddled together not far from them.

“This isn’t goodbye, Jake.” Ethan smoothed his hand around Jake’s waist and pulled him closer, until they were breathing the same air.

“It feels like it.” He mumbled, ducking his head to press his face into the curve of Ethan’s neck. That his safe spot; he could feel Ethan’s pulse against his lips, and breathe in his scent. He couldn’t be hurt with his face pressed there.

“I know.” Ethan sounded devastated. “I’ll miss you, Beautiful.” He guided Jake’s head up and stroked his thumbs over his cheek bones.

“I’ll miss you too.” So much. More than he could ever put into words. Ethan pulled him down and kissed him like the world was ending and they only had twenty seconds left to do one last thing. Jake wrapped his arms around the older man and kissed him back just as fiercely. Putting everything he felt, but couldn’t say, into the press of their lips.

“Look after these for me, would you?” Ethan said when they eventually stopped kissing. He looped a chain around Jake’s neck, and grabbing onto them his eyes widened when he saw the dogtags that said ETHAN MATTHEW MITCHELL on.

“I—” His throat spasmed as he was overcome with emotion.

Ethan looked at him all soft and fucking gentle, and no one had ever looked at Jake like that before Ethan. And he doubted anyone else ever would. Even if they did, it wouldn’t be the same.

“These three weeks have been more than I could ever have hoped for, and that’s because of you, Jake.” He cupped Jake’s face in his hands, and Jake put all his effort into not crying. Because he couldn’t cry, because if he cried he wouldn’t stop. And he didn’t want to miss a second of looking at Ethan’s face due to his vision being blurred by tears. “To the world I may be Ethan Hunt, IMF Agent, but with you, I was just Ethan. And that means more than I could ever fully be able to tell you. So thank you.”

“Ethan means a lot to me, Mr Hunt. Take care of him, please.”

Ethan smiled at him, and nodded. He pressed their foreheads together and shuddered out a breath. “I’ll come back to you, Jacob Seresin. I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” He whispered. He wouldn’t hold Ethan to something that could well be impossible. Even if the man was used to doing the impossible, somethings just weren’t meant to be.  “Go, the world needs you, Darlin’.”

Ethan looked at him with tears in his green eyes, and Jake kissed him again. For what was probably the last time.

“Go.” He said again. “It’s okay. I’m letting you go.”

The older man seemed to know what he was saying, because he looked like his heart broke in two and his soul became complete at the same time.

I love you, Ethan Hunt, was what he was saying.

He gave a jerky nod, and then stumbled back to grab his bag. He looked at Jake one last time, and said, “I’ll come back to you.”

It sounded like a vow.

It sounded an awful lot like, I love you too.

                                               --------------------------------------------------

“You do know there’s a high chance he might not make it back, right?” Bradley was stood next to him; his arm around Jake’s shoulders, offering silent support.

“I know.” God, it hurt, but yeah, he knew.

“And yet—"

“And yet, I’m not stopping him from going.”

“Does he know you’re in love with him?”

He shrugged. It’s not like he’d been hiding it. “I’ve not told him.” Not said those three words, anyway. “Whether he’s worked it out with his spy skills is another thing entirely.”

Bradley turned his head to look at him. “Why don’t you tell him before he goes? There’s still time.” The plane engines were firing up, and the door was closing. He wanted to run over and stop the plane from rolling down the runway and flying away, but his feet were stuck.

“Because I’m pretty sure I’m his weakness—” He’d said before that it was Mav, but Jake had a feeling it had changed; his fingers tightened on the new set of dogtags that hung around his neck. “—and if I tell him—if I say the words out loud—just as he’s about to leave to go save the world, then I’ll distract him from what he’s meant to be doing. He can’t afford to have a weakness out there.” Jake looked at his brother, and tried to smile. He failed.  “He told me all he wanted was someone to love him enough to let him go do what he needs to do, and to trust that he’ll come back to them. So that’s what I’m doing.”

Bradley made a pained noise and pulled Jake even closer into his side. “You’re a big marshmallow under that cocky exterior, aren’t you?”

“If you tell anyone I’ll have Ice bury you in the back yard.” Bradley let out a wet chuckle and pressed a kiss to Jake’s hair.

They both watched the plane fly away—taking Ethan away from his brother, taking Benji and Will away from Bradley and Bob who had forged a new friendship between the two couples, taking Ilsa away from Phoenix and Penny…and taking Jake’s heart away from him—and the air around them felt that little bit more cold.

Jake could see Mav crying into Ice’s chest—this visit the longest and best visit Mav had had from Ethan in years—and his heart ached for the men he looked up to.

“It’s gonna get real hard for however long Ethan’s away—” Bradley said. “—So I want you to know you can come stay with me and Bob as much as you want, and I’m sure Mav and Ice will be glad of your company too. You’re not alone, okay?”

Jake gently bumped his head against the other man’s. “Thanks, Roo. I’m gonna have a few days to myself, probably cry for a bit… most definitely cry for a bit, and then I’ll come round okay?”

“We’ll hold you to that.”

“I know.” He let out a soft laugh, because the asshole would probably drag him out by his ankles if he tried to hide away for too long. “You know… I knew right from the start I was going to get my heartbroken, because Ethan is such a force of good, he was always going to be needed elsewhere.”

“And you still fell in love with him, anyway.” Bradley didn’t sound judgemental. He sounded like he understood, which was somehow worse.

The sky was clear now, the plane having flown off on its way to Turkey; unsure if or when they’d all be back.

“I didn’t even really think about not loving him, you know? It just seemed like what I was meant to do. Jake Seresin was meant to give his heart to Ethan Hunt. Like fate. Even if I never see him again, I won’t regret it. I’ll be devastated, and never quite the same, but I won’t regret it. These past three weeks have been the best in my life.”

For a moment the dream had been theirs. A glorious, wonderful moment in time. But dreams end and now Jake is being dragged kicking and screaming back into reality and it hurts so much.

Bradley pulled him into his arms and hugged him tightly.

“Oh, Jake. I hope he comes back to you.”

“Me too, Roo. Me too.” He whispered, his voice wobbly from the effort of keeping it all together. Bradley stroked his hair, and let him curl into his chest.

“It’s okay. You can let it all out now.”

Jake took a gasping breath—

And then, he let the tears fall.

Chapter Text

Jake had never cried so much in his life.

Not even when his parents had died, had so many tears fallen down his cheeks. It was the uncertainty that was the cause, he just knew. With his parents, he’d been told they were never coming back, and he’d had to accept that. Doing anything else would’ve been childish, and whilst he may have been 6-years-old at the time, he’d known that wishing for a different fate would just hurt more in the long run.

But with Ethan, there was a chance he could come back, and Jake didn’t know how to handle that.

So he cried.

He dragged out an old scratchy (and probably moth-eaten) blanket from the cupboard, pulled out the sofa bed, curled up like a pathetic, limp burrito, and cried until his eyes were nearly swollen shut and they looked like piss holes in the snow.

The bed would’ve been comfier, obviously, but he couldn’t sleep there. He could still smell Ethan on the pillows and the sheets, and every time he caught a hint of apples he wanted to sink to the floor and never get up.

Not that he slept much on the sofa bed.

He drifted in and out of restless slumber; every time picturing the love of his life bleeding out and never making it back to him.

Never getting to tell Ethan how much he loved him.

Cyclone wasn’t surprised when he called in sick. Apparently he’d been forewarned and just told him to try and get some rest.

He barely ate anything. Everything tasted like ash. It was like the whole world had turned grey with the flick of a switch and what once had been colourful and delicious, tasted rotten and full of disappointment.

He remembered to drink water. If only so he didn’t become a dehydrated husk and have to be carted off to some museum as a semi-alive exhibit of what a broken heart in motion looked like.

Bradley allowed him three days of wallowing, and that was it.

Just as Jake was starting to contemplate whether he should invest in one of those chairs with a toilet in so he didn’t have to get up, the biggest man chicken there ever did was, let himself into Jake’s house, and promptly picked him up; lugging him over his shoulder whilst Jake wiggled in the trap of his arms, like a pathetic worm.

He was unceremoniously dumped in the shower (with his clothes still on because those stunk too), and his moustached nuisance of a brother stood there whilst Jake became more and more like a drowned rat, until he hauled his clothes off with a huff and properly washed himself.

(He was kind enough to keep his eyes above Jake’s shoulders, and didn’t comment on the sallowness of his skin, or the haunted look in his eyes).

“You’re an asshole.” Jake grumbled, rubbing himself down with a towel, and refusing to acknowledge that the act of showering made him feel a smidge more human.

“I gave you your few days, and now you’re coming with me.”

Bradley chucked some clothes at him (thankfully his assortment of clothing was all tasteful enough that even Bradley’s ‘quirky’ fashion sense and inability to try and match things properly, couldn’t make him look truly awful….his devastated face probably did though), and then grabbed Jake’s duffle and packed some clothes and essentials.

“Are you kidnapping me?” He asked, getting dressed; trying and failing to ignore the heavy weight of the second pair of dogtags that hung against his sternum.

“I refuse to watch you waste away, Jake. Ethan wouldn’t want you to either.” Bradley eyes were soft when he heard Jake’s sharp intake of breath at hearing Ethan’s said name out loud, but he didn’t apologise. Jake wouldn’t expect him to. “So, you’re coming to live with me and Bob until Ethan is back, and we can make sure you’re fed and you actually sleep.”

“God, you really are a mother hen aren’t you?”

“I refuse to apologise for caring about you, Jake.” Bradley zipped up the bag and looked at him. Jake could see the worry in his eyes, and he deflated in on himself, feeling like an ass.

“M’sorry. You’re being lovely, and I’m—”

“Scared.”

Jake sighed. “Terrified.”

Bradley hauled him into his arms, and gave him a squeeze. “You may be terrified, but you’re not alone. You just need to remember that, hence why I’m taking you back to ours. Bob is making his homemade fancy pizzas.”

“Thanks, Roo.”

“Don’t mention it.”

                                                           ------------------

He slowly became more human.

After a week of sick leave, mother-henning from Bradley and Bob, and finally some decent sleep, he went back to work.

Bradley was happy to fly and do all the in air demonstrations; realising without Jake having to put it into words that he just didn’t have the concentration or the motivation to be in the air safely.

He got on with his job and he tried not to think about Ethan; about where he was, or if he was okay—if he missed him—lest he fall into a downward spiral.

It was on day 12 when he fully noticed that someone was avoiding him.

More specifically, Mav was avoiding him.

He hadn’t been round to see his father-figures since Ethan had left; slightly embarrassed by how pathetic he’d been, but he’d expected to see the Captain wandering round the base once he’d returned to work. And he had…sort of.

He’d seen a lot of Mav’s flight-suit covered ass, as he managed to turn a corner in the opposite direction to where Jake was going, every single time.

And he had no idea what the fuck was going on.

Ice came to the base on day 13 and as soon as he saw him, hauled Jake into his arms and didn’t let go for a good five minutes. (So at least one of them still likes him).

“How are you doing, Kiddo?” He asked, handing Jake a crappy coffee from the staff room machine. It was a testament to how dead he felt inside; that he drank it without wincing once.

“I’ve been better.”

Ice huffed out a hollow laugh, and nodded sadly. They stood in companiable silence looking out the window onto the deck, when Jake asked the question that he still had no idea the answer of.

“Why’s Mav avoiding me? Did I do something?” God, did he say something hideous in during his crying session that he didn’t remember?

Ice sighed. “He’s being a dumbass. I keep telling him, but he won’t listen.” That doesn’t narrow it down to anything new. Mav was always a dumbass and never listened to Ice (unless it was really serious). “But you’ll need to speak to him about it. Only you speaking to him face to face will get him to see sense.”

“How can I speak to him if he keeps fucking walking away from me?”

“Ambush him.”

Well, he might as well.

                                                        -----------------------

“Ice, Baby? You’re back early.”

Jake stayed seated at Mav and Ice’s kitchen table, and didn’t respond to the incorrect assumption from the Captain as to who was currently in their kitchen. Ice had told him Mav had gone to get groceries, and had given him their spare key so he could lay in wait for the tiny dumbass.

Mav pushed the door open with his ass—brown grocery bags precariously balanced in his arms and covering his face—and then stumbled towards the table to set the bags down.

His eyes widened when he spotted Jake, and he twitched in the direction of the door.

“Don’t even fucking think about it, Pops.” Mav sighed in defeat, and slumped down in the chair, Jake nudged his way.

“Can’t believe Ice set me up. He’s sleeping on the sofa tonight.”

“He’s trying to help you. Now tell me why the fuck you’ve been avoiding me? Did I upset you or something? I’m sorry I didn’t handle Ethan leaving well, but I can’t try and fix things if I don’t know what I’ve done wrong, Mav.”

The older man looked at him with shocked eyes, and reached out to grab his hand. “No, Jake. You didn’t do anything. …It’s me.”

Jake furrowed his brow in confusion. “You? You haven’t done anything.”

“But—I look like him…doesn’t that hurt you?”

Oh, this stupid, wonderful man.

“You’re an idiot, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell.” The man in question looked affronted at the comment, but didn’t disagree. “Yes, you’re Ethan’s twin, but you don’t look exactly alike. And you’re two separate people in my mind, Mav. I look at you, and I see you—the man who is my role model and who treats me like a son. When I look at Ethan—” His throat clicked as he felt emotion try to choke him at the thought of Ethan. “—when I look at him, I see… I see my whole world.”

He said the last bit so softly, he wasn’t sure if Mav heard, but from the squeeze of his hand and the sad-sounding Oh, he figured he must have.

“Please don’t leave me too, Mav. Not when I need you more than ever.”

Mav scurried up from his seat and wrapped his arms around him. “I’m so sorry, Jake. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just—I just didn’t want to make your heartache worse.”

Jake hugged him tightly and felt himself relax knowing things between them were okay, even if part of him wished it was a different man in his arms.

“No making Ice sleep on the sofa, okay?” He said, once Mav sat back in his seat.

“Fine.” Mav huffed, though his lips quirked in a smile. “Bradley looking after you, okay?”

“Yeah. Surprised I’m not as fat as a house with Bob’s cooking. They make it so the nights aren’t lonely.”

Mav smiled at him sadly, and stood up to start putting the groceries away. “I can’t imagine how you’re feeling.” Jake’s confusion must have shown on his face, because Mav chuffed softly. “I mean, yeah, he’s my brother but I’m used to him being away a lot of the time. But even if I wasn’t, what we feel for him is different. For me to feel like you do, it would be like if Ice went away and I didn’t know if he was coming back. Thankfully whenever he went on missions, I was there with him, so I always knew.” He paused putting a whole chicken in the fridge and let out a shudder. “He’d know though. Fuck…he’d know exactly how you’re feeling. The missions I went on after he became an admiral, some of them were close shaves. He wouldn’t have known—not until he saw me afterwards.”

He shut the fridge quietly and looked at Jake with tears in his eyes. “I just realised how  much I’ve put my husband through.” He let out a wet laugh. “Fuck. I don’t deserve him. He must have been terrified.”

“He was.” Jake said, quietly; finding comfort in holding Ethan’s dog tags in his palm. “He told me it was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do—letting you go each time.”

Mav let out a pained sob, and clutched onto the kitchen counter for support. “Why did he stay then?”

“Because you’re worth it, Mav.”

They turned to look at Ice who was stood in the doorway looking at Mav, like he was everything he’d ever wanted in life. “You’re still worth it, and always will be.” He strode forward and kissed the smaller man. Jake watched Mav melt into Ice’s embrace and then turned away to give them their privacy.

He wanted what they had. He wanted that with Ethan.

So much, it made his chest ache.

“He’ll come back to you, Kiddo.” Ice said, hand resting on Jake’s shoulder.

Jake wanted to believe him. He really did.

                                                       ----------------------------------

It had been 33 days.

33 horrible, lonely, painful days of not knowing whether Ethan was okay. Whether he was alive or not.

The days blurred into one another now. An endless parade of grey, numb hours spent awake, only broken up by sleep. Sometimes it was dreamless, most of the time he woke up sobbing at some point.

Bradley had given him the stuffed Rooster Jake had gifted him as a joke after the mission, to hug for comfort. Jake had scoffed at the stupid idea, but had still clutched the toy with both hands. It helped.

Annoyingly.

He’d just brushed his teeth and had slipped into bed ready to welcome day number 34, and was staring at the ceiling; wondering if the patterns he’d traced with his gaze hundreds of times now, had changed in the past 24 hours (they hadn’t).

He hugged Cockadoodle tightly (and yes, he’d named it, and was very proud of that fact), and tried to get to sleep.

He laid there for ten minutes with his eyes forcibly shut, when his phone vibrated on the bedside table.

Grabbing at it blindly, he was about to end the call as it was a private number and he didn’t answer those, when he got a bad feeling in his gut. He swiped to answer the call and held it to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Is this Jake Seresin?”

He could feel his chest getting tight, and his pulse roar in his ears. “Yes.” He whispered.

“My name is Doctor Hopper. I’m calling about Ethan Hunt.”

Chapter Text

Ethan Hunt had never been in love before.

Truly, all encompassing, made-it-hard-to-breathe-sometimes, love.

Sure, he’d had a few dalliances with men and women, and then he’d married Julia. But that had been destined to fail from the start. They’d both known it, but they were triers who didn’t like to fail—not at something like love. It had been Ethan’s chance at normality—his only chance he’d feared—because how many other people would be able to handle who he was and what he did? The risks, the danger, the uncertainty if he ever returned to them.

He wasn’t exactly a catch.

Not under the movie star looks (as Benji called them), anyway.

He’d let Julia go and since then, he’d figured he was better off alone. No one to worry about him, no one who would mourn him sooner than they’d reach a double figures wedding anniversary. No one he would have to say goodbye to, before he was ready to.

And he’d been fine.

He had his team. He had Mav (who was always there for him, if normally so far away), Ice and Bradley.

And then Solomon Lane, and the Apostles, and August fucking Walker had happened, and he’d nearly died (again), and he’d suggested they go to San Diego to recuperate; because the sun and sea always helped. And he’d missed his twin brother.

He’d been fine, and then—

Jake.

For Ethan he was pretty sure it had been love at first sight.

The man was beautiful—in every sense of the word. He was a work of art, and his kind heart shone from his core; Ethan could barely bring himself to look away.

And he hadn’t been able to stop himself from flirting. And looking. And then not lying about who he was or what he did.

Then came the dates, and getting to touch all of Jake’s golden skin; watching his face crest in pleasure.

The more time he’d spent with him, and the more he’d gotten to know him; the more he’d wished with everything in him not to have to leave. For IMF never to call him again.

It had been a slippery slope from the off, and Ethan—who was usually so well prepared for every kind of chaos or unexpected disaster and change of plan—he’d been untethered. He’d fallen for Jake hard and fast, and he was never going to be able to stop loving him (not that he wanted to).

He’d thought maybe—when he was drifting on the edges of sleep and he could hear Jake’s soft breaths in his ear and feel safe in the curve of his arms—that the other man might in some way, not be as perfect for Ethan as he seemed.

If he hadn’t been able to make it work with Julia—if their love had never been a burning flame that made their souls dance, butterflies swirl in their bellies, and their futures seem infinite if only they were together—then why would Jake be any different?

Ethan wasn’t meant for happy endings, right?

It made sense.

He was an agent for the IMF. He had created a new name to protect his old one—protect his only living family—and he had been on the edge of life for years; never truly living. Afraid that if he got in too deep, it would all be taken away by the hands of fate, or a badly timed bullet.

He was supposed to become a different person every time he went on a mission; normal things like falling in love weren’t meant for the IMF’s best agent.

He’d gotten used to being lonely, and alone, and on more than one occasion; lonely and alone. The comfort his team could offer him only warmed him so much. But it had been enough to stop him from truly being left out in the cold.

But with Jake…god, it was like being a cat and finding that beam of sun shining through a window, and being able to take a nap in its rays for hours. It was like heaven.

Jake warmed the chill in his bones and the ache in his heart, like nothing ever had.

Everything Ethan had known about the world had turned upside down and been flipped inside out when he met Jake Seresin, and he’d been fucking terrified. But also…he’d been happy.

Truly happy.

He hadn’t realised what the lightness in his chest was at first.

And then when he’d realised that what he was feeling was pure joy at being with the person he was pretty sure was his favourite one on the whole planet, well, then he realised what he’d been missing out on all his life.

In his mind he’d pictured their life together; and in every scenario—every dinner date, every cheeky fuck, every night they fell asleep in each other’s arms—it had been him and Jake. Jake was like the sun, and Ethan just wanted to orbit him and bask in his light.

He could honestly say, that if he spent the rest of his life just being where Jake Seresin was, he’d live a happy life.

Which…was a pretty stupid dream to have for someone who was a spy, wasn’t it?

When the Secretary had rang and told him, him and his team were needed in Turkey to infiltrate an organisation that was suspected of smuggling top secret allied security plans, Ethan had wanted to throw his phone in the ocean and tell him to fuck off.

But of course, Jake had told him to go.

Ethan, who had never been in love before, and when asked, what he wanted from someone who loved him—trust, freedom, support—was told to go.

It’s okay. I’m letting you go.

That’s what Jake had said on the runway.  He could have asked Ethan to stay, and he would’ve gotten whiplash from how quickly Ethan would’ve tugged them in the direction of Jake’s house; which he now saw as his home.

But instead, Jake had said the one thing that meant Ethan was never going to stop loving him, even as he blinked away tears on the plane taking him away from him.

Walking away from the younger man had been the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. Every second they’d stood in front of each other—with sorrow and heartache in their eyes—Ethan had wanted to tell Jake he loved him.

But he knew it wasn’t the right time.

Any declaration confessed on that tarmac would’ve been one made out of fear, and Ethan wasn’t scared of loving Jake. He was terrified he wouldn’t get to love him for as long as he deserved, and his heart thumped in his chest at the thought that he might never see him again, but he wasn’t afraid of knowing what true, bone-deep love felt like anymore.

And he didn’t want the bitter taste of the fear that he might never make it back to him, to taint the words as he said them to him for the first time.

He knew it made no real logical sense. But Jake didn’t say the words either.

He knew Jake loved him. He had felt burnt—branded—by the younger man’s emotions from the very beginning, and had been only to happy to be smothered in the flames.

Ethan figured Jake didn’t say the words for some similar illogical reason—one of those reasons you need to cling onto, to make it through the shit that was about to come your way.

And so, he hadn’t begged, or said I love you, even though he did. Even though he felt like a new person just from loving Jake.

And now, it’s been 33 days since he last saw the love of his life, and Ethan had had enough.

Their mission had been successful so far; with surprisingly few hiccups in their plan. Ethan had done the main infiltration, and Ilsa and Will had been back up on the peripheral with purposely forgettable job roles on the out skirts. No one would notice them coming and going. Benji and Luther were working the tech and surveillance angles.

And it had been going great.

They’d gotten a tip off that the plans were going to be moved from the database they were being held on and downloaded onto a USB drive to be innocently handed over to their enemies, later that day.

So, of course, Ethan had to make sure he got in there and downloaded it first.

And he had.

He’d downloaded the plans and handed them off to Ilsa; making sure no copies were left behind. Benji and Luther were in their van ten minutes away (pretending to be carpet fitters), and Will had already left after leaving behind some nasty surprises for the enemies so they wouldn’t be able to do anything like this again.

It had all been going great, until someone had been where they weren’t meant to, and the alarm had been raised, and then they were running.

Ilsa was in front of him, the USB drive safely hidden on her person, and Ethan was running like his very life depended on it. And it did. Because if he ran, then he made it back to his team, and then they could fuck off out of here and he could go back to Jake.

He ran down alleys, and over cars; until his thighs burned and his breath curled in the air like a dragon’s smoke.

Run, run, run.

Jake, Jake, Jake.

They were so close. He could hear Benji down the comms, giving him directions and telling him he could do it. He heard gunshots and ducked and weaved as he ran. They were shooting at both him and Ilsa, and for a second he felt torn.

Just for a second.

For a moment in time, his selfish desire for a future with Jake battled with the selfless act of distracting the enemy and taking their fire so that Ilsa—and the security plans—could make it back to the van without her getting hurt, or the plans getting into enemy hands.

He felt terrible for it. But he was only human.

His finger twitched on the trigger of his gun, and he thought of Jake.

Jake, who had let him go, when they’d both wanted him to stay. Who had known exactly who Ethan was—what he was—and loved him anyway.

Jake, who believed in Ethan as a person—not Ethan Hunt, IMF Agent—but Ethan Mitchell. Who had only ever wanted to protect the world, when his world had consisted only of his brother, and who had decided to try and save everyone else anyway.

“Go!” He shouted at Ilsa, as he turned and fired his gun at the bad guys who had been chasing them. She didn’t stop or look back. Just like she’d been trained to do by him. He got one bad guy in the chest; another he incapacitated with a shot to the knee, and then another shot to the gut.

“Hurry up, Ethan!” Benji sounded worried, and frantic in his ear.

“Is Ilsa with you?” He asked; panting from exertion.

“Yes.” Will said, curtly. He always kept a tight rein on his emotions during missions, it was the only way he could get through them. “Now get the fuck here too, asshole.”

Ethan huffed out a laugh—“You say the nicest things, Will.”—and started running again. He could see the van now; it was seconds away. His pulse was roaring in his ears; he knew there was still one more enemy advancing on him.

He looked over his shoulder and saw them. He twisted and took the shot. A bang echoing in the alley way. He stumbled slightly; the pavement uneven under his feet.

The bad guy fell to the floor, and Ethan didn’t hang around to see if he was truly dead.

“Ethan!” He could hear his team, and he ran the last few feet; before tumbling in to the back of the van; Luther pulling away almost instantly. He let out a grunt as he rolled around on the bed of the van as they sped off to try and hide in amongst the other vehicles; Will reaching out to pull the swinging door closed as they drove.

“Did you manage to send it to IMF?” He asked Benji. The tech expert was meant to upload the plans from the USB to their secure datapath, that way they didn’t need to wait for the USB to be received physically their end. Cutting down on the chances of the enemy getting their hands on it again.

“Yeah, it’s done. The USB is empty now.”

“Good.” He breathed out; sprawled out on the floor. He’d made it. He was sweaty and exhausted, but he’d made it.

He could go home.

Home that had blond hair, gorgeous green eyes, a sinful smile, and arms he could lay in forever.

Jake.

“Uh…Ethan?”

He turned to look at Will who was looking at him with concern; his eyes wide with fright.

“What’s wrong?” His speech slurred, and his eyelids suddenly felt heavy. He blinked to try and make sense of things, because it looked like there were two Wills now, and that wasn’t right.

“Shit.”

Why was Benji cursing?

“Ethan, stay with us.”

Where else would he go?

“Ethan.”

There were hands on his face. His skin felt clammy, and it hurt to breathe. Ilsa was in front of him, and she looked scared. She never looked scared. She was looking at his abdomen.

He let his head loll forwards—feeling too tired to keep it upright anymore—and oh. That was a lot of red. His shirt was meant to be white.

“What’s going on back there?!” Luther yelled from the front.

“Ethan’s been shot. A bullet to the abdomen.”

“Shit!”

“That’s what I said.”

Everyone’s voices were overlapping, and everything was too much. He was so tired. He just wanted to sleep. With Jake wrapped around him, where he felt the safest.

After a lifetime of being surrounded by danger, the feeling of safety was something he never thought he’d truly have.

And yet, Jake offered it willingly, and without even realising he did it.

His breaths were getting shallower now, and pain bloomed over his torso—shock was a funny thing—and he knew he wasn’t going to stay awake for much longer.

He was terrified though, because he didn’t know if he was ever going to wake up again.

He was losing a lot blood.

His chest hitched at the sudden realisation of what pain he was truly feeling. It wasn’t the bullet wound to the gut (though that hurt like a bitch), it was something infinitely more painful.

As his vision swam and darkness called, he thought of everything he was about to lose before he’d ever really had it.

His mouth parted, and he breathed out one word. The only thing on his mind as he felt the end of all he knew curl its claws over his chest.

“Jake.”

The last thought he had before everything went black, was that considering he was pretty sure his whole world had just imploded, he thought the sound of his heart breaking would have been louder.

Chapter Text

Jake hated waiting.

He hated the uncertainty of it. The way it crawled up your chest and gripped you by the throat, making it hard to breathe. And although he knows he’d wait forever for Ethan if he had to, the past two days (fuck, had it only been two days since that call?), had been almost more than he could bear.

After the call from the Doctor—“I’m afraid Ethan received a bullet wound to the abdomen. He’s had surgery, now we just have to wait for him to wake up”—Jake had been running on fumes and autopilot.

He demanded to know where Ethan was, and then once that information had been given (a little bit too easily compared to the fight he’d been expecting), he grabbed a bag, drove to Mav’s and not even fifteen minutes later, the three of them (because Ice wasn’t letting an emotionally charged Mav out of his sight and especially around people of Authority he was bound to piss off) were heading to New York where the IMF had brought Ethan to.

He didn’t remember the flight; he just knew he had to get to Ethan and time and distance were both in the way.

When they made it to the hospital (after checking into a hotel to drop their stuff off), Jake had been told that they were unable to see Ethan yet, as nobody could go in until The Secretary had visited him.

So, they’d parked their asses—Jake glaring at the door that was keeping him from Ethan, as he did so—and had just been waiting.

Benji, Will, Ilsa and Luther had turned up at one point, and he’d hugged them all tight enough to bruise. Even Luther who he’d never met before, but he knew Ethan adored.

“He made sure I got to safety.” Ilsa had said quietly, like she thought he would blame her.

“I don’t doubt it. It’s what he does.” He’d squeezed her hand and offered her a small smile. “Tasha will be glad you’re okay.”

They hadn’t been told anything either.

Nobody was being told anything, until The Secretary arrived, and he was taking his sweet fucking time about it. Benji told him that once they’d discovered the gunshot wound, and Ethan had passed out; they’d done their best to stop the bleeding, and had gotten him to their standby Medic.

He’d been stabilised enough to fly him back from Turkey to the US, and then had been whisked into another surgery to check for any internal damage etc. The bespectacled Brit had tried to apologise to Jake—for what he didn’t know, because Jake cut him off before he even started.

“It’s not your fault, Benji. This is who Ethan is, it’s what he does. I know that.”

The team had left a few hours ago because they were exhausted, and Ice had dragged Mav away to get some sleep too, because he was starting to look like he was willing to fight anyone and everyone to get to his brother, and there was already one of them injured. They didn’t need the other Mitchell twin in hospital too. Especially because Mav was a horrendous patient.

Jake was the only one in the small waiting room. The rest of them had tried to get him to go to the hotel, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t leave without seeing Ethan.

He heard low talking, and then the sharp sound of fancy shoes on the tiled floor, and he looked up to see a middle-aged man in a suit, and figured that must be The Secretary.

He watched the man go into Ethan’s room, and it felt like he held his breath the whole time he was in there. The Secretary was in there for about an hour. Jake didn’t know if he talked to Ethan that whole time, or if he had to wait for Ethan to wake up. (Part of Jake hoped it was the latter, and the stupid Secretary got a taste of his own medicine in regards to waiting).

Jake’s knee bounced as he waited. His gaze flicked from the clock on the wall, the door, and the nurse’s station. Head Nurse Glenda eyed him beadily, and he offered her a small and hopefully charming smile.

Somehow, she seemed even more unimpressed than she had a second ago.

He may be about a foot taller than her, and have about 50 pounds on her, but he honestly wasn’t sure he could get into a fight with her and win, so he waited—instead of barging in and asking the Secretary just what the fuck he’d been thinking and couldn’t he have gotten here any quicker?

As if summoned by Jake’s thoughts, the man in charge of the IMF exited Ethan’s room. Jake thought he’d go straight back out the way he came, but suddenly there he was stood in front of Jake, like he knew who he was.

“He’s fallen back asleep, but I suppose that won’t stop you from running in there and clinging to his bedside will it?”

“No, Sir.” He tried not to glare at the older man. By the quirk of The Secretary’s mouth, he’s not sure he fully managed it.

They stared each other down for a few minutes until The Secretary sighed. Then shaking his head, he said, “I hope you’re worth it, Kid” and then left, leaving Jake feeling utterly confused.

Worth what?

“You can go in now.” Glenda’s voice cut through his confusion, and Jake was up like a shot. He knew she would contact Mav and Ice, so leaving her to it, he strode into Ethan’s room, and his lungs stuttered as he saw the love of his life laying on the bed asleep.

He could hear the steady beeps of the heart monitor, and whilst he couldn’t see Ethan’s forest-green eyes just yet, hearing his heartbeat and just seeing that he was alive, was enough for now.

He sat down in the chair by his side, and grabbed hold of his hand.

His skin was more tanned from being in Turkey, but there was a fragility to his face that only came from nearly dying. He looked small under the hospital bed sheets; and Jake knew he was shorter than a lot of the men he knew, but Ethan was always larger than life, that it was easy to forget. But here, he looked small…vulnerable.

Jake brushed a strand of hair away from his face and just sat there, holding his hand and staring at his face.

Jake loved him so fucking much, and even though Ethan hadn’t said the words to him yet, Jake knew the man felt the same.

He’d known it—truly known it—when Doctor Hopper had called.

Because after hearing the news, he’d asked her why she had called him; thinking that Mav was Ethan’s family, so he would be called.

“You’re Mr Hunt’s emergency contact, Sir.”

“Since when?”

“About six weeks ago.”

Jake had ended the call with a faint thank you, and had been dizzy with the realisation of what that meant. Ethan had changed his emergency contact from Mav (because who else would it have been before?) to Jake, after a week of knowing him.

And in doing so, he had made it possible that he would always come back to Jake.

Just like he’d promised.

Even if he came back beaten and bloody—or …dead (fuck, that made his heart hurt even just thinking about it)—Jake would still be the first person to be called.

Jake had let him go, and Ethan had found a way to make it so he always came back.

He sniffed back tears, and bent over in the chair, resting his head on Ethan’s thigh. He held his hand tightly, listening to the sound of his breathing, and for the first time in two days, he tried to sleep.

                                                               -----------------------------

Jake’s cheek twitched as he felt something soft brush his face.

It happened again, and Jake let out a soft groan of annoyance. He’d been dreaming about him and Ethan frolicking in the sea, and he hadn’t wanted to wake up. But something was tickling his cheek, and he just hoped it wasn’t a fly otherwise it was going to be a squished fly in a minute.

He scrunched up his eyes to then open them with effort, and then let out a small Oh, when he saw what—or more specifically who—had been touching his face.

“Hey, Beautiful.”

Ethan’s voice was low and raspy from the effort it was taking to be awake and present, with the pain he must be feeling, but fuck—it was Ethan, and he was awake, and he was smiling at Jake like he loved him.

“Ethan.” He sobbed, unable to blink away the tears of relief fast enough.

“Shhh, Baby. Don’t cry. I’m okay.”

Gun-calloused fingers cupped his cheek, and Jake sat up so he could drag his chair closer to the head of the bed, and be even nearer to the other man.

“You were fucking shot, Ethan. You nearly didn’t make it.” Worry made him snappy; Ethan was a big boy; he could deal with it.

“But you’re here, so that makes everything okay.” Ethan offered him a sincere smile, and just like that any bristly energy he’d been feeling from the shock and the worry, deflated, and he reached over to press their foreheads together.

“You’re insane.” He sounded a bit hysterical, but seeing Ethan again made him a bit hysterical.

“You already knew that.”

Jake rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair.

“Mav and Ice have already been by. You slept right through their visit.” Jake flushed and flicked his gaze down. “Don’t be embarrassed, Baby. They thought it was cute. They told me you hadn’t slept at all the past two days, so they were happy to whisper so you could sleep.”

His body and mind must have taken the fact that Ethan was okay to heart, and let him finally succumb to sleep. He wasn’t usually so heavy a sleeper, but he guessed nearly losing the love of your life, did that to a person.

“They okay?”

Ethan hummed and shifted under the standard hospital white, waffle blanket that was tucked around his waist. “Mav was quiet which was weird—” He coughed and Jake held up a cup with a straw for him to drink some water, only putting it down when the older man waved his hand to show he was done and okay now. “—guess usually he just hears about my scrapes with death—seeing this one, and the fact that we’re both older now—I think…I think it shook him more than he thought it would.”

“Not surprised.” Jake murmured.

Ethan’s mouth quirked, and he brushed his thumb over the knuckles of Jake’s hand. “Ice just told me to get better so that he doesn’t feel guilty about being mean to me again.”

Jake snorted out a laugh. Ethan laughed too, until the pain in his abdomen made him hiss in a breath and suddenly the air was taut again.

“It missed all the important parts, Jake.” He said, talking about the bullet they’d pulled from his body. “I just need to heal now.”

Jake nodded, and then biting his lip, he looked at Ethan who was here, and alive, and looking at Jake like he should be the one worrying, and he couldn’t hold back anymore. He surged upwards and captured Ethan’s mouth in a deep kiss. Ethan moaned into it and curled his fingers at the nape of his neck as he kissed him back just as intensely.

He reluctantly pulled back when his lungs started to protest from a lack of oxygen and the monitors attached to Ethan were beeping with intent, like they were going to summon Glenda in here to ruin Jake’s fun. He swiped his thumb over Ethan’s plush, spit-shiny bottom lip, and shuddered out a breath.

He looked into Ethan’s green eyes, and said the words that he’d been wanting to say for way too long.

“I love you, Ethan. So fucking much.”

Ethan let out a wet, happy sounding sob, and pulled him close; Jake half-falling on the bed as he tried not to press down on Ethan’s injured torso. “I love you too, Jake. From the moment I saw you.” He pressed a kiss to Jake’s temple and held him like he was afraid he might never get to again. Jake could feel the tremors running through his body, and wrapped his arms around him as much as he could, to offer him comfort while he said what he needed to say.

“I didn’t feel it—getting shot—but when I realised I might not make it….might not make it back to you; I felt more pain than I ever have in my whole life.” Jake swallowed back tears, and pressed his face closer into the hollow of Ethan’s throat. “I promised to tell you if my heart broke, and well…it did. In the back of a van in a road somewhere in Turkey. Thankfully though, having you in my arms again means it’s already healed.”

“I’m sorry.” Jake whispered, even though none of it had actually been his fault.

He nudged Jake so he was no longer hiding his face and kissed him again. God, Jake would never get enough of kissing this man. “Nothing to apologise for, Baby. I’d rather love you and feel that pain, then never have known you at all.”

Jake swallowed and nodded. “Well, thank you for making it so I’d be the first one they contacted.”

“I couldn’t let you suffer that—the not knowing.”

“I definitely appreciate it.”

“It’ll be the only call you get like that though.”

Jake furrowed his brow. “I mean, that’s good, because those calls are never great, but why?”

Ethan took a deep breath, and stroked Jake’s hair back from his face; it had become like a cockatoo’s crest in his sleep; all ruffled and sticking up every which way. “Because I’m officially retired from the IMF now. That’s what I was speaking to The Secretary about.”

Hi eyes widened in shock. “What? Why? You know I’d never stop you doing this right?”

“I know.”

“Okay, then I don’t understand. This is who you are, Ethan. I don’t want you to give up that, not for me. Can you tell him you change your mind?”

Ethan pressed a kiss to their joined hands, and smiled at him. “I don’t need to. That’s who I was. It’s not who I am anymore. I’ve been Ethan Hunt for years—and that was fine, but I always felt like I was missing something. I over-compensated—needing to save the world whatever the cost to myself, because I had no idea what that missing part of me was, and so couldn’t handle the emptiness inside.” He took a pained, tired breath; the ache from his wound draining his energy, but Jake could see he wasn’t going to go back to sleep until they finished this conversation, so he let him carry on without mother-henning. Just this once.  “But now I know what was missing—it was you, Jake. You make me feel…alive. More than I have in my whole life. And I think I’ve saved the world enough, don’t you? I want the chance to properly live in it now, as myself, and with you…if you’ll have me?”

Jake huffed in amusement, otherwise he was going to cry again, and he’d already shed too many tears. Suddenly what The Secretary said to him, made so much more sense. “I’d like to see you get away. You’re stuck with me now, Darlin’.”

“Perfect.”

Jake shifted and the two lots of dogtags that hung around his neck, fell out of his hastily and haphazardly-buttoned shirt. Ethan reached up and tangled his fingers in the chain that carried the tags bearing his own name, and flipped the metal rectangles over his fingers.

“Thank you for looking after them for me.”

“Thank you for trusting them to me.”

Ethan licked his lips and then smirked at him. “Wearing my name suits you.”

Jake’s eyes widened and he spluttered in disbelief. “Ethan Matthew Mitchell, you better not have been proposing to me just then!”

The sonofabitch shook his head and winked. “No, Beautiful. You’ll know when I’m proposing to you.”

“You’re a fucking menace.” He harrumphed, even as his heart beat wildly in his chest, because Ethan had said when, not if. “But I love you.”

“Love you too, Baby.” Ethan yawned, and Jake went into protection mode.

“Okay, sleep for you.”

The older man shifted to the side—even as he winced and breathed sharply from the pain as he did so (idiot)—and beckoned Jake closer.

“I’m not gonna fit in that bed with you, Darlin’.”

“Not with that attitude you won’t.”

Jake offered him a flat look, and knew the other man wouldn’t back down. He may now be retired (!!!) but he still believed he could pull off the impossible, and it seemed he was dragging Jake into that insanity too.

Who was he kidding? He wasn’t being dragged anywhere he wasn’t wanting to go willingly.

He sighed and climbed onto the bed, making every effort not to jostle the smaller man. Ethan snuggled up into his side, and Jake felt him finally relax.

“You’ll be here when I wake up?” Ethan mumbled; his eyes already heavy with sleep.

“Never gone leave you, Darlin’.”

Ethan fell asleep a few moments later, and Jake followed soon after; both of them finally feeling whole again after being torn apart 35 days previously.

Sometimes saving the world needed big explosions and dramatic music no doubt playing in the background; but sometimes…

Sometimes, saving the world just required two people pulled apart by fate to be reunited. It was a much more mundane of an affair, but it shook the Earth to its core, just the same.

Chapter Text

“Ethan, I swear to god, if you don’t take it easy I’ll—”

The man in question who clearly lived to lovingly antagonise Jake in every way he could possibly manage, paused in his coffee making, and arched an eyebrow at him. “You’ll what? Spank me?”

Jake took a deep breath, as his fingers flexed; itching to do just that. And not for punishment reasons. Ethan’s ass was just really, really, really nice to hold and touch and Jake had missed it. Which the older man clearly knew and was trying to test Jake’s resolve and patience.

“You’d like wouldn’t you? You pervert.” He grumbled, trying and failing to take over the coffee making duties, as Ethan nimbly slipped out from around him and carefully sat down at Jake’s dining table.

“Mmhmm.” Ethan grinned sharply at him, and hummed around his coffee mug; sighing in satisfaction as the hot liquid slid down his throat. Jake’s own mouth parted and went dry as he got momentarily distracted by the movement of Ethan’s tanned skin as he swallowed.

It had been ten days since Jake had seen Ethan’s green eyes staring at him with love swirling in them as he lay on his hospital bed. Eleven days since Ethan had been shot in the abdomen and Jake hadn’t known if he was about to lose the love of his life before he’d even gotten the chance to tell him he held that title.

Ethan had been good and had grudgingly stayed in hospital for a whole week. He hadn’t been an easy patient (shock), but he’d stayed and let himself be looked after—both by the actual nurses and Jake who refused to leave his side. Mav and Ice had gone back to San Diego once they knew Ethan was alright and that Jake would take care of him. Ethan’s team had visited a couple of times.

All four of them—Benji, Will, Ilsa and Luther—had sat in dumb shock when Ethan had told them he was officially retiring.

“Well, I’ll be….” Luther had said, rubbing his hand over his mouth, before barking out a laugh. “Now I can finally take my wife on that cruise around the world. Ain’t no way I’m staying on at IMF, if I don’t need to watch over your dumb ass.” Ethan made an affronted noise, but his eyes were soft, as he looked at his friend who had been there for him for so long. “Just make sure to invite me to the wedding, alright?”

Jake had choked on his own saliva at that, but Ethan had just grinned and nodded; his fingers linked with Jake’s and squeezing in comfort.

“Where do you get the money for all these vacations, Luther?” Benji had asked, honestly confused.

Luther had smirked and just said, “Danger money.”

“What? All our missions are dangerous. Why do you get danger money? I want danger money.”

“I meant for babysitting Ethan.”

Ethan had flipped him off, making everyone laugh. “Don’t be mean to me, can’t you see I’m in the hospital.”

Luther had rolled his eyes, knowing Ethan was fine and he was free to snark him. “You’ll get over it.”

Ilsa confirmed that she was going to stay at IMF. She admitted that she didn’t know how to be a civilian anymore. Ethan had just reached out to her and said, if she needed anything, he’d always be there for her. Even if he was retired.

“What about you two trouble-makers?” Jake had asked, looking at Benji and Will.

Both of them shrugged. “Not sure yet. Ethan was the reason I became a field agent—he was the hero I wanted to be you know?” Benji had shrugged; the tips of his ears pink. “But I don’t trust people easily, so not sure I want to work with another team leader.”

“Yeah, Ethan is the one who got me back in the field. I mean I’ve worked with others on short missions, but this team is more than a team—it’s family.” Will’s voice had been quiet, unusually serious. “I might go back to being an analyst. Or I might have a go at being Benji’s househusband.”

Benji had snickered and then his eyes had widened and he’d looked at Will with shock. “When you say househusband, you don’t mean—”

“I might do.”

Jake had watched enraptured as Will had pulled a ring out of his jacket pocket (because of course he wore a full suit to visit Ethan in hospital) and held it up to Benji.

“So, how about it Benji? Fancy being my husband?”

Benji had blushed and looked at everyone else to make sure they were seeing what he was seeing; and then Ethan had nodded at him encouragingly, offering him a wide smile. Benji had then taken a breath and then simply said—

“Okay.”

Jake had been so happy for his new friends, cuddling Ethan tight when they’d left and there had been tears of happiness in the older man’s eyes; Ethan feeling so much all the time, and now no longer having to hide his emotions as he hid his true self behind his spy persona.

After a week had past, Ethan was adamant about going home, and Jake had been unable to deny the man anything; the pain of nearly losing him still fresh in his mind. The bullet wound in his abdomen had mostly healed over by then anyway. They’d gotten a flight back—Ethan graciously allowing Jake to fuss over him on the journey—and then they were back home.

Together.

Because Ethan wasn’t ever leaving again, now.

Their first night sleeping in a bed that wasn’t a hospital one, Jake had ran his fingers over the ridges and groves of Ethan’s torso—being mindful of the dressing covering his wound—and had asked softly, “Are you sure you don’t regret giving it all up? For me?”

Ethan had cupped his face and kissed him deeply. “Never. You’re worth it and more.”

And then they’d gone to sleep, and then when they’d woken up it was like Ethan had decided to do his best to make Jake go crazy. Gone was the good patient Ethan had been, and for the last two days, he had been a charming asshole who seemed to be goading Jake into ravishing him—apparently he’d had enough of being limited by his healing body and wanted them to get back to how they’d been before.

And by that, Jake meant, Ethan wanted them to get down and dirty, and fuck.

And Jake was barely holding on to his principles not to take advantage of a still healing man.

“You’re meant to be resting and healing, Darlin’.”

“I don’t think making coffee is going to exhaust me, Beautiful.”

“You never know.” Jake grumbled, pouring himself his own cup of coffee and sitting down next to him; hooking his foot around Ethan’s ankle and rubbing his socked toes over the older man’s bare skin.

“Jake, Baby, I was beat up when we first met, and you sucked my dick then—this isn’t any different.” He pouted, fluttering his eyelashes; looking ridiculous and incredibly sexy, making Jake groan.

“That was different. You’ve been shot this time.” He sighed. “Plus, I wasn’t in love with you then.”

Ethan just arched an eyebrow at him again, looking at him pointedly.

Jake narrowed his eyes at the audacity of him, implying otherwise. Even though he was right. “Okay, I was a little in love you then, but still….I just don’t want to hurt you, Ethan.”

Ethan downed his coffee, and then stood up; holding out his hand for Jake to grasp. Jake looked at him, because he knew Ethan was going to try and persuade him to give in, and he knew it wouldn’t take much for him to say fuck it, and ravish the man who owned his heart and soul.

Knowing this, he still slid his hand into Ethan’s gun-calloused palm and let himself be guided towards the bedroom anyway.

What can he say? He’s a fool in love, and he’d fucking missed being able to run his hands all over Ethan.

“Get undressed.” Ethan said, when they got to the bedroom; pulling his vest off—his face barely pinching with a wince. Despite his age, Ethan really did heal pretty quickly. He swallowed as his gaze was drawn to Ethan’s tits, and he flicked his eyes up guiltily when he heard Ethan huff in amusement.

Jake took his sweatpants and socks off—having only put them on about fifteen minutes earlier anyway—and stood there naked as Ethan finished taking his own clothes off. His cock hardened at the sight of all that tanned skin, and he internally sulked knowing Ethan had won. His cock wasn’t going to rest until it had found pleasure in the arms of Ethan Hunt, and Ethan very well knew it.

The bastard.

He furrowed his brow as he saw Ethan peeling off the dressing on his belly. “What are you doing?”

“Showing you that I’m okay. There’s no hole in me anymore—look.” He chucked the dressing in the bin, and brought Jake’s hand to his torso; letting him gently touch the pinkened skin of his closed wound. It would take a bit longer for the skin not to pull with excessive movement or for it to not ache as the final bits fully healed and the scar settled down, but essentially, he was whole and healthy.

And he was showing Jake exactly that; the damage no longer hidden behind the white of his dressing.

Jake ran his fingertips over the puckered skin of the fresh scar and nodded. Very well, Ethan could get what he (and Jake) wanted, but as much as Jake loved being pounded into the mattress by the older man, he wasn’t going to let him exert himself and cause himself pain.

“Technically, there is at least one hole in you.” He drawled, moving his other hand down to cup and squeeze Ethan’s ass; his fingers dancing along the cleft where said hole was hidden.

Ethan snorted and  buried his face against Jake’s tits. “I’m in love with a dork.” He said between breathless laughter; he sounded not one bit upset about that fact either. Jake’s chest warmed at hearing Ethan so casually say he was in love with him, and nuzzled his nose in between the apple-scented strands of his hair.

“A dork that is going to fuck you slowly so you don’t get hurt, okay?”

“As long as you get that pretty cock of yours inside me, Lieutenant, I don’t care how you fuck me.”

Jake shuddered out a breath, because fuck, Ethan knew just what to say to take him apart, and then nodded towards the bed. “Go lay down on your back. I wanna be able to see your face to make sure you’re not in pain.”

Ethan stroked Jake’s cheek and neck and kissed the underside of his jaw. “I don’t know what I did to deserve your ferocious love and protection, Jacob Seresin, but I’m glad I have it….even if I have been bitching about the protection for the past couple of days.”

Jake padded to the bedside drawers and grabbed the lube. “Don’t worry, I know who I fell in love with, Mr-Does-It-Make-A-Difference-If-I-Said-I’d-Technically-Died-Before.” He climbed on the bed, grabbing a pillow to stuff under Ethan’s hips, and then stretched out over him, to kiss him softly. “And you didn’t do anything but show me who you truly are. After that, I was helpless not to fall in love with you, Darlin’.”

The older man whined softly, and pulled him down to kiss him again; until he was rolling his hips trying to get friction on his cock where it rubbed against Jake’s belly, and he pulled away with a gasp. “Okay. Enough love declarations, more fucking please.”

Jake clicked open the lube and poured the clear liquid onto his fingers; rubbing it between them to warm it slightly. “Oh, you are going to be even more of a menace now you’re retired, aren’t you?”

“I’m sure you can handle me.” Ethan grinned, biting his bottom lip and stretching his arms up to grab hold of the headboard.

Jake wrapped his hand around Ethan’s straining cock the same time he pressed a slick finger past the tight ring of muscle of his furled hole and smirked. “Yeah, I think I can handle you, Darlin’.”

Ethan gasped at the dual points of touch—the muscles of his abdomen clenching and flexing as he pushed back against Jake’s hand to take his finger deeper.

“You okay? No pain?”

He shook his head; his hair fanning out against the pillows. “M’fine. No pain. Need more, Baby.”

Jake stroked his hand up and down Ethan’s cock—pre-cum dripping from the older man’s slit helping to slick the way—and pressed a second finger inside his greedy hole. “I missed this—touching you I mean.”

“Missed being touched by you.” Ethan moaned as Jake crooked his fingers and dragged the pads over his swollen prostate. “Missed touching you. Just really fucking missed you, Jake.”

Jake bent his head and pressed a soft kiss to the pink skin of Ethan’s scar. He felt the skin tense under the touch and Ethan gasp in a sharp breath, but he knew it wasn’t pain. It was from sensitivity. “Thank you for saving the world again, Darlin’. And for coming back to me.”

“Thank you for letting me go, and for waiting for me—believing that I’d come back.” Ethan reached down with one hand to stroke Jake’s hair and face; tears clumping his long lashes as he looked at Jake so tenderly, his breath caught in his lungs.

Jake kissed Ethan’s palm, and then focussed on opening him up and stretching his hole; keeping a steading rhythm with the hand on his cock—teasing him enough to make him leak obscenely, but not enough to make him come.

The only sounds for a while were the breathy moans from Ethan, and the obscene, wet squelch of Jake’s fingers as two became three, and Ethan’s hole stretched to take him in—pressing in and dragging back out, stroking his inner walls as he did so.

Until—

“Enough, Beautiful. Need your cock. Right now.”

Jake pulled his fingers free and let go of Ethan’s cock; huffing in amusement at the disappointed whine that escaped the older man’s throat at the loss of touch, even though this was what he wanted. Ethan was a brat, and Jake adored that about him….especially because Jake was usually just as bratty when he wasn’t in caretaker mode.

He slicked his cock up with lube, and then gently moving Ethan’s legs so they wrapped around his waist—keeping his belly as flat as possible—he pushed inside him until the jut of his hip bones pressed against the swell of his peachy ass.

He groaned at the tight, wet heat of Ethan’s ass surrounding his cock, and bowed his head, so their foreheads touched, as he tried not to come straight away, “You okay?” He asked Ethan, through gritted teeth.

“Never better, Beautiful.” Ethan tugged him down so Jake fell onto his hands, and then wrapping his hand in the chain of the two sets of dogtags that hung from Jake’s neck, he brought their mouths together and kissed Jake, all languid and slow.

Jake moved his hips in time with the swipes and licks of Ethan’s tongue; both of them lost in the sensations of the other—making love in the truest sense of the words.

Ethan didn’t let go of the silver chains—holding them tightly, and keeping the tags entwined, as if a metaphor for them in the present. Jake was happy to be tugged close, and slowly devoured Ethan’s mouth as he fucked into him slow and deep; making him feel every inch of his fat cock, whilst keeping him still so he didn’t feel even a twinge of pain.

Ethan arched his neck as Jake pressed against his prostate, and Jake wasted no time in dipping his head to suck and nibble bruises down the length of it, and even more onto his delectable tits. Ethan tugged on the chain in his hand first, when he thought Jake was moving away, but let it go lax around his fingers when he realised Jake was marking his chest over and over.

He had no doubt that he was going to look completely ravished by the end of it, but Jake didn’t stop—he needed the universe to know that Ethan belonged with Jake, and he had to stay with him for as long as possible.

“Baby—I—” Ethan keened as Jake pinched a nipple and titled his hips slightly to slide in deeper. Jake could feel his own orgasm burning in his gut, and he knew Ethan was close—he was getting tighter around him; his puffy hole clenching and quivering with need.

“You can let go, Darlin’. I’ll catch you.” He murmured into the soft, firm skin of Ethan’s kiss-bitten tit.

A broken cry filled the room as Ethan’s release crashed over him—spilling hot and wet in between them; droplets of come hitting Jake’s neck and chin as he refused to stop worrying another mark into Ethan’s chest—his fingers curled tightly in the blond strands of Jake’s hair.

Jake groaned as he fell over the edge after him, and shoving himself deep, his come filled Ethan’s guts. He gasped out a breath and gently pulled out of him, so he didn’t collapse on top of Ethan’s tender abdomen; flumping back onto the mattress.

“Better now?” Jake looked over at where Ethan was trying to get his breath back; sweat dripping down his face to soak into his hair, and his cheeks flushed. Love bites and quickly purpling bruises littered his neck and chest, and Jake would’ve felt guilty about how he’d practically mauled the other man, if he didn’t know how much they both liked it.

Ethan licked his lips to wet his throat, and turned to smile at him. “You’re better than any medicine, my love.”

He swiped his finger through the come splattered over Jake’s neck and chin and brought it to his finger to suck clean.  Jake closed his eyes against the erotic image and wondered hysterically how he was going to survive the rest of his life with Ethan, when Ethan seemed determined to make him combust from horniness already.

“And you’re a fucking asshole, Darlin’.”

Ethan snickered and gripped his chin; reaching up to kiss him and then flopping back on the bed. “You love that about me.”

“I plead the fifth. You okay, though? Nothing hurts?”

“Well, I feel like I just had a cock up my ass, and I’ve been attacked by a vampire posing as the love of my life, but other than I’m good. My wound doesn’t hurt.”

“That’s good.” He dragged the pads of his fingers over the bruises he’d kissed into Ethan’s skin and bit his lip. “Sorry if I went overboard.”

Ethan shook his head. “Nothing to be sorry for. I love how much you love me, Baby. Thank you for giving in to me, and fucking me—I know I’ve been a nuisance the past two days.”

Jake chuffed and settled his head on the pillow; laid on his side facing Ethan. “To be honest, I was surprised I held back for that long. If you hadn’t been recuperating, I definitely would’ve pounced on you and begged you to fuck me as soon as you stepped through the door the minute you were back.”

The older man shifted onto his side, and snuggled up to Jake; their limbs becoming entangled just like their lives had. Jake reached behind himself for a blanket that had been pushed to the edge of the bed earlier, and dragged it over them both. Neither of them wanting to get up and clean themselves just yet.

They laid there, just taking the other in and content to be in each other’s presence after all that time apart and not at home. Jake wasn’t sure how much time past, with them just snuggling and making out lazily, when the door went and he heard the distinct sound of family.

“Jaaakkeeeeeee.” Bradley called from outside. “We know you’re in there. Stop squirrelling Ethan away like a….uh…squirrel—” Jake snorted at his dumbass of a brother. “—and let us in. We want to see him.”

“Ethan get your ass down here.” That was Ice. Growling. He was back to being not nice to Ethan then. “I need to see you in the flesh so I can make sure the hole in the back yard is big enough to put you in, if I ever need to.”

“I see he’s ignoring the fact he could just use Mav as a measuring stick for that.” Ethan mumbled, rolling his eyes; getting up and grimacing slightly as globs of Jake’s come slid down the inside of his thighs.

Jake tore his gaze away from that distraction, and dragged on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, uncaring about his tousled hair; opening a window to stick his head out just as Mav was shouting up to them—

“Come on, Kiddo. I wanna see my brother.”

“You’re all children.” He scoffed. “We’ll be down in a minute. Let yourselves in with Roo’s key. Guess I should be thankful you didn’t do that from the off.”

“Trust me, I know not to walk into places where people I know might be naked.” Bradley muttered, before moving to the door and opening it; Ice and Mav following him in.

Jake barked out a laugh and then shut his window. He kissed Ethan on the cheek and then said, “See you downstairs in a minute; I’ll distract them whilst you get dressed.”

He wandered downstairs and was immediately pulled into Mav’s arms; the smaller man hugging him tightly. “Thank you for looking after him, Jake.”

“I couldn’t not look after him.” Jake hugged him back and then let him go. “I love him. With everything I have.” He said it quietly, looking at the two men who were his father figures.

“He can’t do better than you, Jake.” Ice said, squeezing his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I’m well aware of that.”  Ethan said from behind them, coming into the kitchen where they’d all gathered. Jake saw Bradley’s eyes widen and him choke on nothing, and he just knew what his brother had seen.

He cringed and tried to get the world to swallow him up, as Mav and Ice turned fully and looked at the now retired Agent.

“WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK HAPPENED TO YOU?!” Mav shouted, taking in the state of his brother. Jake silently turned round and tried to make himself smaller; Bradley was now stood beside him, laughing himself nearly sick.

“I thought you were only shot?” Ice asked. “Did someone beat you up on the way back? Who do I need to thank?”

Ethan just grinned shamelessly; carding his hand through his hair and bringing more attention to the fact that he was only wearing a pair of Jake’s sweatpants—the hems folded up adorably over his delicate looking feet—and nothing else. His tanned, muscular chest and all of Jake’s love bites proudly on display for all of them to see.

Jake kinda wanted to propose to the insane man, then and there, but even he knew it was a bit too soon. And Ethan didn’t need to be encouraged to be even more of a little shit than he already was. He elbowed Bradley in the gut to get him to stop laughing, and levelled Ethan with a flat look. The sonofabitch just winked at him.

“No one beat me up, Iceman. Generally people find me a delight.”

“Who? I want names.” Ice muttered as Mav stepped forward and hugged his brother.

“Thomas Kazansky-Mitchell is definitely one.” Ethan smirked, pulling Bradley into a hug.

“Bite me, Dickhead.”

“I think Jake has the biting covered, Ice.” Bradley snickered, like the betrayer he is.

Mav and Ice looked at the bruises on Ethan more closely and then looked at Jake with disbelief. “Jesus, Kiddo. You don’t hang around do you?”

Ethan wandered over to where Jake was, and pushed him to sit down on one of the chairs around the dining table, before making himself comfortable of Jake’s lap. Jake’s arms wrapped around his waist automatically, even as he buried his face in the muscles of Ethan’s back; unable to look at the others.

“What can I say—” Ethan drawled. “—I’m impossible to resist.”

Laughter bubbled its way out of Jake’s throat, and then he was giggling on the chair like a child at the absurdity of the situation. Relief and happiness fizzing his veins; the difference compared to the previous month stark, as they gathered in the cosy warmth of the kitchen.

The others joined in and soon all five of them were laughing.

Gone was the uncertainty, and the pain, and the desperate longing from not knowing where Ethan was or if he was okay, and then the anxiety and defeat they tried to push back when he’d been shot. There was only love, and joy shining all around them as bright as the sun, and the flutter of possibilities in the air.

Because that was the thing.

When Jake had first met Ethan, everything had been stacked up against them, their love story destined to be a short, but passion-filled moment in the grand scheme of time; an unhappy ending looming over them with a heavy cloak.

They both knew the odds were against them, but they were also both stubborn and willing to believe in the other—in the love that they felt—to overcome the impossible, so they could be together.

And what do you know—they rolled the dice; they beat the odds.

They made the impossible, possible.

But then again, that’s what Ethan did. And Jake, well….he may not pull off the impossible on a regular basis, but he’d waited all his life to find the person who was perfect for him. No way was he letting him go without a fight.

No, their love was no longer impossible—

It was unstoppable.

Chapter Text

“You know—” Jake leant in closer to Ethan; the older man’s floppy hair tickling his cheeks as he did so, both of them sat facing the dancefloor. “—I kinda thought Will would do like an UNO reverse and not wear a suit today. Seeing as he wears them all the time.”

Ethan quirked an eyebrow and bit back a laugh. “You thought Will wasn’t going to wear a suit on his wedding day?”

Jake shrugged. “Never know with him. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he looks good—they both do—I just thought, some of your insanity might have rubbed off on him, and he’d be wearing like shorts and a vest or something.”

The older man shook his head, as he could no longer contain his laughter. “Never change, Jake.”

He smirked and pressed a kissed to their joined hands. “That was a nice speech you did.”

“Thanks. I had a lot of material to work with.” The two grooms had held their heads in their hands at various points as Ethan cracked out multiple embarrassing stories about the two of them.

“I bet. I’m surprised Ilsa was able to make it—I thought she was meant to be on a mission.”

Ethan grinned smugly and took a sip of his beer. “Just because I’m retired, doesn’t mean I can’t still pull some strings with the Secretary. I’ve fucking earnt it after all.”

Jake shifted in his seat, and tugged at the trousers of his suit.

“You’re turned on by that, aren’t you?” Ethan asked, chuckling wickedly.

“No.” Jake didn’t sound convincing in the slightest.

“Uh huh.” Ethan unlinked their hands and slid his over Jake’s thigh up towards his groin.

“Okay, okay.” Jake jerked and caught Ethan by the wrist; stopping him mere centimetres from him fondling him right on the edge of the dancefloor in view of whoever happened to look their way. Just because he was retired now, did not mean Ethan had stopped courting danger. “Keep your hands to yourself, Mister. Fucking dangerous for my health, you are.”

Ethan snickered. “That’s a shame. I was going to ask you to dance.”

Jake perked up like a meerkat. “You were? I mean, you still can.”

“You just told me to keep my hands to myself.”

He rolled his eyes and standing up, he dragged Ethan with him onto the dancefloor; his hands coming to rest on Ethan’s trim waist. The older man’s arms draped around Jake’s neck; fingers tickling the two beaded chains that were hidden under his shirt. Ethan had refused to take his dogtags back following his return from his last mission. Said they suited Jake better. Jake wasn’t of a mind to argue.

“Don’t think I’ve slow danced since my prom.” Jake murmured; nuzzling his cheek against the top of Ethan’s head as they swayed from side to side. The dance floor was filled with most of the guests; Bradley was twirling Bob under his arm. Ilsa was as close to Tasha as physically possible, Luther was waltzing with his wife, Ice was sighing as Mav stood on his foot for the third time in a row muttering to himself about how after all these years you’d think he’d know how to do a basic slow dance, Mav (Jake caught Mav’s eye and saw his father-figure wink, because obviously the little shit was doing it on purpose), and the happy couple…

Well, they were making their way around the dance floor, bickering all the while about who was meant to be leading. Because, of course they were.

“Yeah?” Ethan tilted his head back and looked at him all happy and fond. “Bet you wore a cowboy hat.”

“Damn straight, Darlin’.” Jake puffed his chest, and exaggerated his Texan drawl.

Ethan snorted and pecked him on the lips; Jake pulling him closer and deepening the kiss because he could.

Eventually they stopped dancing when their feet ached and Ethan wanted another drink. He looked so beautiful flushed with happiness, and with his sleeves rolled up and his bowtie hanging round his neck, that Jake couldn’t help but shiver with arousal.

Jake got him another drink, of course.

But not before he dragged him to the toilets and sucked his dick until he cried out Jake’s name and spilled down his throat.

                                                                      --------------

Jake had seen some weird things in his time on Earth, and he’d seen some fucking hilarious things; and the thing in front of him and Ethan was definitely both.

“Is that—”

“Yep. That is indeed your brother-in-law, banging on his own front door, wearing just a towel around his waist.”

Him and Ethan had wandered over to see Mav and Ice, as they tried to see them about 2-3 times a week, now that Ethan had the time. Usually though, both of them were dressed and presentable. Clearly, Ice had done something to piss Mav off.

That could be the only reason why Ice was yelling, “PETE ‘MAVERICK’ MITCHELL-KAZANSKY GET YOUR SHORT ASS DOWN HERE AND OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR! DON’T MAKE ME PULL RANK ON YOU.”

Jake leant against the car that was parked in the drive and settled in to just watch for a few minutes. Ethan pressed himself up against him, and slid out his phone, pressing record.

The upstairs window opened and Mav popped his head out. “Rank doesn’t work in a marriage, you prick!”

“Look, I’m sorry okay? You know I’d love you no matter what.”

Mav flipped him off and glared at him. “You’re about ten minutes too late. You should’ve said that before. I hope your nipples fall off.” He huffed and slammed the window shut.

Ice just sighed and thunked his head against the door.

Jake figured they might as well help—he did have a spare key after all. He just needed to check what argument he was getting involved in first, as it might just be better to take Ice back to theirs.

“Uhh…What’s going on, Ice?”

Ice thunked his head again and then turned around; his fingers clenching hold of the towel around his waist tightly.

“Mav locked me out when I came to get the newspaper.”

“We can see that.” Ethan smirked. “But what did you do to piss off my brother?”

Ice scrunched his face up, like he couldn’t believe he was going to say whatever it was he was going to say, and Jake waited with bated breath; no idea what would’ve set Mav off.

“He asked me if I’d still love him if he was a worm. Apparently, I didn’t answer yes fast enough.”

Jake’s jaw ached from how much effort it took not to burst out laughing in Ice’s face just then. But he was thinking about future family dinners and he didn’t want salt to end up in his drink. Ethan’s face twitched in amusement before it became scarily blank. Jake knew the man he was in love with was going to torment his brother-in-law, and he wasn’t going to stop him.

Finally, he could get his own back.

“And why didn’t you say yes, straight away, hmm?” Ethan tilted his head; his aura threatening like this was an IMF interrogation. “He’s your husband, you should love him no matter what.”

“He took me by surprise, okay!” Ice said, getting defensive. “Would you have said yes if Jake just asked you that out of the blue?”

“Damn straight.” Ethan didn’t even hesitate. “Jake would make an adorable worm.”

Jake found himself blushing and he had no idea why. “Umm… thank you?”

“You’re welcome, Baby.” He stepped forward and flicked Ice on the chest. It was a pretty hard flick too. Jake could hear the thwack from where he was stood.

“Ow? What the fuck was that for?”

“You upset my brother.”

“I love your brother.” Ice growled in annoyance.

Ethan sneered and held out his hand for the spare key. Jake handed it to him silently; watching all of this with wide eyes. “Maybe if you’d said you’d love him as a worm when he asked, you’d have some  fucking company when I bury you in the back yard, Dickhead.” He shoved Ice out of the way and opened the door; jerking his head for Jake to go inside.

Jake winced and mouthed Sorry at Ice as he scooted by them and went inside. He heard the door close a second later and saw Ethan behind him.

But no Ice.

Try as he might, he could no longer keep his laughter swallowed down; Ethan joining in as he handed Jake back his key. When Mav peered over the banister and saw his husband wasn’t with them, he cackled louder than both of them.

                                                            -----------------------------

Jake didn’t even have his eyes open and he knew Ethan was staring at him.

He did this. It was a thing Ethan did.

Jake had asked him about it once, and Ethan had been so sincere when he’d said, “I once thought I was never going to see you again, so now I like to look at you as often as I can, because you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen”, Jake had flushed a deep pink and hadn’t known what to say.

So, now he just lets Ethan stare at him.

Though the fact that it’s seven in the morning, and Jake knows he has horrendous bed hair and pillow creases on his face, means he doesn’t quite understand why Ethan is staring at him just then.

“Why are you staring at me?” He mumbled; snuffling further into his precious pillow’s embrace, wondering if he could go back to sleep as he wasn’t fully awake yet.

“Because I want to.”

Urgh, Ethan sounded way too awake.

“Go back to sleep. You’re fucking retired. Act like it.” Jake had the day off and didn’t plan to get out of bed before the clock reach double digits.

“Can’t. Want to ask you something.”

Jake flopped a hand around as if to say go on. Ethan huffed out a laugh and carded his fingers through Jake’s bird’s nest pretending to be hair. “Ask your question then, before I fall back asleep.”

He heard movement, and felt the bed shifting slightly, but Ethan was a fucking fidgeter so he didn’t pay much attention to it. His hand was still stroking Jake’s hair so that was the important thing. He was drifting off and assumed Ethan wasn’t going to actually ask anything, when the older man spoke—

“Jacob Seresin, will you marry me?”

He snorted first, because surely Ethan wasn’t asking him to marry him when he looked a mess and still had his come sticking to his inner thighs from the night before. And then his eyes shot open because that is exactly something that the asshole he went to bed with every night would do.

And would you look at that, Ethan was sat there with a sheepish grin on his handsome face and a ring held between his thumb and forefinger.

Oh, the conniving, romantic bastard.

“You’re—You’re fucking serious?”

“Like a bullet wound to the abdomen.”

Honestly if he wasn’t proposing just now, Jake would whack him round the head for that one. What a dumbass. Too bad Jake was head over heels in love with him. He was predisposed to adoring everything about him.

“You’re asking me to marry you when I look like this?!”

Ethan cupped his stubbled cheek in his palm and stroked his thumb over his lips. “You always look beautiful to me, Jake. And laying in bed with me, looking all sleep-soft and relaxed, you just make me want to see you like that every morning for the rest of my life. The only thing that would make it better is if the morning sun shone off the gold of your wedding ring. So…will you marry me?”

Jake rolled his eyes—as he tried and failed not to blush—and pulled him close to kiss him deeply. “You know the answers yes, you lunatic. It’s been yes since I first met you and it’ll always be yes.”

Ethan blew out a sigh of relief and slid the ring onto Jake’s finger. It fit perfectly and looked right.

“Surprised you waited six months to ask me.”

Jake’s fiancé (!!) scratched his jaw and averted his eyes. “I’ve actually had the ring since about two weeks after I came back. I’ve wanted to ask every day. I just couldn’t not ask you when I looked at you this morning.”

“Oh, Darlin’.” Jake kissed him again and hauled him on top of him, so he was sprawled out like a blanket. “I would’ve said yes, any of those times.”

Ethan smiled at him with such love and happiness in his eyes (and some tears but Jake was ignoring those as he was trying not to cry too), and Jake decided that even with the bed head and the pillow creases on his face; this proposal couldn’t be beaten.

                                                            ----------------------------------

If you asked Jake what his favourite moment from his wedding was, he’d smile and say bashfully, “ I couldn’t possibly choose.”

But really, he’d secretly be thinking about the moment just before Ethan slid the wedding ring onto Jake’s finger. They’d just said their vows, and Ethan had just said “I do”. He’d looked at Jake—his green eyes shining so brightly—and his breath had done this little hitch, like he couldn’t believe this was happening. A strand of hair had flopped onto his forehead, and his fingers had trembled as he’d held Jake’s hand in place.

He'd looked at Jake, and said softly—so only Jake could hear, “I’m so happy right now.”

And Jake could only blink away tears and smile, because otherwise he’d sob like a baby. Jake had managed to stutter out his own “I do” and slide the matching ring onto Ethan’s finger, and then they were kissing.

But, Jake couldn’t stop thinking about how Ethan was so innocent in that moment—so genuinely happy to be marrying Jake, that he had to tell him.

Considering Ethan had spent years hiding his true feelings; the fact that he was literally unable to suppress them in that moment—that Jake made him so happy—yeah, it was his favourite moment.

The rest of the wedding was pretty darn special too, though, it had to be said.

                                                             --------------------------------------

Of all the things that Jake expected his husband to take up, to fill time now that he was retired and no long galivanting around the globe, and to keep himself occupied whilst Jake was at work; it definitely wasn’t this.

He would’ve asked if he was in the right place, if an elderly lady wearing a crocheted shaw and thick-rimmed glasses hadn’t peered up at him and said, “You must be Jake.”

“Uh, yeah?”

She jerked her head towards the back of the shop and shuffled off, as if expecting Jake to just follow her. As he was confused as fuck, he figured he might as well.

He walked behind her towards the back of the shop, past various bundles of different colours and other customers looking at him with confusion as to why he was there. Yeah, you and me both, mate.

And then he was in a small room out the back, and he couldn’t help but smile as he saw Ethan surrounded by women. Old, young, middle-aged. He was the only man in the group, and he looked like he was having a whale of a time.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding, huh?” He drawled, leaning up against the doorframe and watching his husband knit one purl one.

He should’ve known Ethan would look sexy fucking knitting.

He was sexy all the time.

“Not exactly hiding, Beautiful.” Ethan said, not taking his eyes off the green and blue scarf he was knitting. “I told you to meet me here.”

“Shhh. I was going for dramatics.”

One of the women next to Ethan snorted. “No wonder he’s a perfect match for you. Both dramatic dumbasses.”

“This is Janice. She’s mean to me because she’s jealous of my hair.” Ethan grinned, sharp and cutting like a shark. “Grace was the lovely lady you followed in; she’s a sorceress with a crochet needle. On my other side is Beth, she’s the youngest of the group and is trying to knit a scarf that’s really fucking long. Aisha is next to her and owes me $10 bucks because she didn’t believe you would be as beautiful as I said you were and going by her face she’s realising you’re even more beautiful than I said. Georgie only knits gloves, so if you need a pair, she’s your gal, and finally Evelyn. She tried to stab me with a knitting needle the first day just to test my reflexes, so obviously she’s my favourite.”

“Obviously.” God, his husband was an insane dumbass. Jake loved him so fucking much.

“Jake this is the group. Group this is my husband, Jake.”

“Charmed to meet y’all.”

He wander round the group and came round to where Ethan was sat. He picked his husband up and settled him down again in his lap. He pressed a kiss to his cheek and let him carry on knitting.

They were all sat there staring at him, blinking in silence. A smile played on Ethan’s lips as he felt their judgement too. And then—after Jake felt like he was going to expire from sweating from nerves—they all nodded and said hello, and Jake apparently passed some test he hadn’t even known he’d have to face when he’d entered the shop.

They carried on chatting whilst they finished their knitting and Jake just held Ethan and tried not to fall asleep with the weight of him on his lap, as he was so comfortable.

“This is for you.” Ethan said, once they’ve finished; wrapping the scarf around Jake’s neck. He swallowed past the emotion trying to choke him and stroked the soft material.

“Thanks, Darlin’.”

Ethan kissed him softly, and then lead him outside, saying goodbye to the group as he did so.

From that point on, Jake joined Ethan in being adopted by the group of women knitters and by the time winter was fully here, Jake had his scarf, some gloves, a hat, socks, and two different jumpers. It was great.

Of course, when Ethan fucked him whilst Jake was wearing only the blue and green scarf made by his own two hands, that was even better.

(Jake made sure to hide the knitting needles whenever Ice came round for dinner. Just in case).

                                                   -------------------------------

The golden sun shimmered on the surface of the beach as Jake chucked a ball for Daisy to catch. Him and Ethan had adopted the chocolate Labrador two years ago, and she was their baby. They adored her, and often took her to the beach for a run around.

Ethan was chasing after her in the shallow water on the edge of the beach; his hair blowing in the breeze, and his beautiful torso on display, his t-shirt hanging from his waistband of his shorts. The scar from the bullet wound that had nearly ended things before they’d truly started was faded now; no longer pink or tender as it had fully healed.

Jake still made sure to kiss it every day though.

As a sort of thank you—for Ethan being strong enough to live and make it through so they could be together.

Jake was sat amongst the soft grains of sand, watching his husband and he couldn’t stop smiling. It was often the case these days. His fingers tangled in the chains of the two sets of dogtags he still wore.

Ethan had said before that Jake looked good wearing his name, but when it came down to it, Ethan was the one who changed his name when they were married. He said he hadn’t been Ethan Mitchell in a long time, and Mav was doing that name proud. He was no longer Ethan Hunt—he had no need to be.

He had a want to be Ethan Seresin though. And who was Jake to deny him anything?

They’d been married for three years.

Mav and Ethan were closer than ever. Ice had yet to bury Ethan in the back yard, and in a strange turn of events even wore a jumper that Ethan had knitted him. (It was Ice blue, obviously). Bradley and Bob had adopted two cats and had weekly movie nights with Will and Benji who had moved to San Diego. They’d left IMF and had started their own security business. Luther was on a cruise, but still made sure to keep an eye on Ethan just to make sure he wasn’t causing trouble in his old age. Ilsa visited every time she had leave, and Jake was adamant they were only one scribbled-on napkin and a couple of pitchers of the right drink away, before she took over the world with Tasha and Penny. Javy was still a proud hamster dad to Hammy and Jake was still his number one best friend.

And him and Ethan?

They were happy.

He got up and ran towards his husband; tackling him in to the water and laughing as Ethan spit water into his face; clinging to him as Daisy started barking in excitement and bounding in the water.

Jake had known from the first moment he’d met Ethan, that his life would change.

He’d just never realised that the change would be better than he ever could’ve dreamed of.

Yeah, him and Ethan….they were really fucking happy.

Impossibly so.