Just Chillin’ Til My Homies Come Back

It’s DONE.

Shoutout to @texasteaparty and @prollybradshaw my rockstar “editors” with their invaluable (and often times hilarious) advice and insights 🥰🥰🥰

And also to @sad-trash-hobo I’m so sorry for my panic-inducing comment on your ask! In my defense I am sleep-deprived. 🥴

But I can just hear the shit-eating grin in the Texas drawl crackling over the radio:

“Hey baby, I feel like stirrin’ up a little shit this morning. Watch this. 😏”

Tagged by my beautiful friends @texasteaparty @tgmsunmontue @seekstrivefind @stars-of-nixie 🥰

(Tragically unedited) Titanic!AU snippet featuring poor Bradley Bradshaw wallowing in self pity over a crush like a middle schooler, bless his bones 🥹

🚢🚢🚢

He'd laid awake for a long while after he'd returned to his tiny cabin some time after midnight. He couldn't stop thinking about the heated caress of Jake's lips, the solid body pressed against his own. Jake had surprised him with his boldness, but it honestly seemed to befit the precocious blond's brash personality.

When he eventually did fall asleep, Bradley dreamed of a full and wondrous life with Jake by his side. His beautiful Jake, smiling brighter than sunshine as they ran through the lush green pastures of the rolling Virginia hills he missed so much, laughing and chasing each other and kissing in the humid breeze. He'd woken, happy and heartbroken at the bitter-sweetness of the life he'd just experienced, knowing that perfect life would deign to forever be what it was: a dream.

Perhaps that reluctant admittance was the reason why Bradley made no effort to get up and face the morning. He'd much rather laze away in bed, wallowing petulantly in his grief over losing what he never had in the first place.

People didn't fall in love that quickly.

No one but his mom and Goose.

And Mav and Ice.

But Bradley was…practical. Logical. A realist. He of course desperately wanted to be the shameless romantic his father had been, but the reality, the cruelty of the world had dashed his fervent dreams early on. Even if Jake happened to return his all-encompassing love, and even though he was miserable in his…arrangement, Bradley could never ask him to abandon his family and run away with him. Why would Jake ever agree to flee one cage only to be caught in another, no matter how much loyal adoration Bradley could promise.

He sighed, and tossed himself onto his back, and glared at the low ceiling. He'd thought he was finally done cursing the unfairness of the world, but now, thanks to one beautiful, maddening man, Bradley had started the cycle anew. Life was unfair as fuck, and he was obviously never going to catch a break.

Because he was fairly certain he'd just found exactly what Goose had found with Carole, and what Tom had found with Pete. A soulmate. His other half. The kind of relationship wars were fought over, and books were written about.

And he was going to lose it all to an abusive old rich man the second they docked in New York.

"Dammit," he groaned pathetically and flopped onto his other side, and buried his face into the pillow to hide his suddenly burning eyes from the rest of the empty room. He drew his knees up to his chest and curled into a miserable ball, and contemplated barring the door so he didn't have to face the day at all.

He proudly and obnoxiously drinks from it every single day at work.

The rest of the staff on base:

Yay I get to participate in my favorite thing this week! 🥰

Tagged by my lovely friends: @tgmsunmontue @ladylanera @welcometololaland @stars-of-nixie 💞

Snippet from the next chapter of Titanic!HangsterAU:

🚢🚢🚢

Jake stuttered to silence at the quiet, bitten inquiry. The strong hand holding his tightened, his knuckles grating together harshly. Icy dread washed over him. "W-what?"

Beau's eyes darkened dangerously, and bore into his own. "I asked if you slept with that sewer rat from steerage, darling."

Jake felt helpless as he dared to try to pull his hand away. Beau held fast. "No!" he almost shouted, already panicking. "Beau…w-where is this even coming from?"

"Where is-“ Beau's laugh was quiet, incredulous, "-where is this coming from?" His pleasant smile pulled into a monstrous snarl, and he surged to his feet. The entire table flipped on its side at his hand, sending food and fine China crashing across the room in a startling cacophony. "Where is this coming from?"

He yanked Jake up by his collar and pushed him against the wall behind him. The force stole the air from his lungs and he wheezed, kicking his feet uselessly as they dangled an inch above the floor. "It comes from seeing you…wrapped around that wretch like a fucking whore last night, Jacob, that is where this is coming from."

He shook Jake like a rag doll and slammed him back against the wall hard enough that sparks burst behind his eyes. The fists at his throat held him up and cut off his breath, and he couldn't answer even if he wanted to. Beau's wrathful face hovered an inch away from his own, and Jake closed his eyes tight.

"So I'll ask you once more, my love," Jake flinched as spittle sprayed from between Beau's clenched teeth onto his face, "did he fuck you?"

WIP Wednesday is a go!!