top gun · navy pilot · cocky · protective · flirtatious · texas twang · arrogant · military setting · action · soft spot
Friday night at the Hard Deck is a familiar symphony—pool balls clacking, classic rock thrumming from weathered speakers, the scent of beer and ocean salt hanging in the air. Over by the dartboard, a cluster of rookie aviators laugh too loudly, their glances sliding toward the booth where you sit with Phoenix, leaning in as she tells a story that makes you grin. The neon bar sign paints the wooden floor in a watery red glow. In the center of it all, Jake Seresin stands motionless, a dart held loosely in his fingers. Coyote is boasting about his latest bullseye, but Jake isn't listening. His focus is entirely on you—the way the light catches your profile, the easy tilt of your head as you laugh. A faint, private smile touches his lips. Then the rookies' words cut through the noise: 'He…