When Jake meets a woman at the Hard Deck, the last thing he expects is for her to be a Navy Seal. And not just any Seal, the Commander of Seal Team 3. She's beautiful, smart, dangerous, and everything about her just makes him want to get close. Her...
Warnings: hospital setting and the stuff that comes with that, some minor angst, unconsciousness, blood, fist fight, Jake beats the shit out of someone and it's a little hot, bruises, this is still pretty fluffy, author is trying to redeem herself.
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Jake's feet slid over the tiled floor of the infirmary in his haste to get to Bear. He knew that he was getting strange looks as he dodged nurses and medics as they went about their business, but he couldn't find it in him to care what they thought. He had had a realization that was more pressing than anything in his life. If Bear loved him, and Jake was almost certain she did, he had to be the one to act. Her rank prevented her from doing so, it always had. Now though, it was different. She wasn't his direct superior any more, and that gave him this opportunity.
He had been running through a speech, words he would say to her as he made the trip from the showers to her room, but nothing seemed to quite capture the depth of his feelings for her. Bear was special. She deserved nothing less than the best, especially after everything that had happened in the last couple of weeks. So Jake had to get this right.
He walked through the door to her room, stopping whatever conversation Rooster and Phoenix were having. "Hey."
"Hi," Phoenix replied. She had a very curious look on her face, but it quickly shifted to a smirk as she took him in. "Finally realized it, didn't you?"
"Shut up." Jake knew his face was bright red and the knowing looks from both Rooster and Phoenix only made his embarrassment worse. "Seriously. Shut it."
"Karma's a bitch, Seresin," Rooster said with a laugh. "You made fun of me and my girl for how long? It's only fair I get the same honor." The look on his face was making Jake regret ever opening his mouth, and that never happened. And that fucking Chicken looked smug as hell.
Jake just groaned, scratching at his jaw. "And I shouldn't have done that, but it got you two idiots together. So just get out. Please. I have to talk to her."
The other man's face softened, just a little. "Fine. Go get her." Rooster clapped Jake on the arm before getting up and leaving. "I was hungry anyways."
"Asshole!" Jake yelled out the door at his retreating figure. "Thanks Nix."
Phoenix just grinned at him. "You finally clued in, didn't you? Your dumbass just realized that she loves you." The look on her face was pure glee, a look no one saw very often, and now it was staring him down. "Jake. Relax. You'll be okay."
"I know. I appreciate this." He'd stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets, awkwardly shifting his weight from foot to foot.
Her smile grew and Jake knew that she had understood him. "I know you do, even if you can't say how much." Her tone was soft and Phoenix gave him a nod before slipping out the door, closing it gently behind her.
Finally, Jake was left alone with Bear once more. Like he had before leaving, he let his eyes trail over her, searching for any sign that she was awake. Any muscle twitch, a sign, anything. But there was nothing. So he took his seat once more, his hand finding hers and blew out a breath. He had time to practice his speech, he might as well use it.
