Of Scales and wings and Things that Go Bump (in the night)
The next snippet of Dragon Verse. Short, cute, and a little sappy-sugar going on. Cavities are not my fault.
Title: Of scales and wings and things that go Bump (in the night)
Chapter 18 / (?)
Fandom: Losers
Genre: AU
Rating: PG
Word Count: roughly 1600
Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Losers' movie or comic. i make no profit from writing or posting this fic.
Warnings: Slightly sappy/ domestic vibes run amok. Appearances of Jolene. I love her.
Sadly, every time I determine to cut something short I get a flash of idea. So what was supposed to happen as the second part of this chapter, will wait a little bit. Bite me, don't care. You guys get one more action-y chapter after this as a reminder that our boys are badasses, no matter how else things may occasionally appear. And then something I can't get out of my brain at all.
Done rambling. Cue the fic.
Chapter 18
Two weeks later found Cougar following Jensen as he walked up the short sidewalk to Pooch’s house. Jolene was waiting at the door, holding it wide for the hacker as he proudly hefted high a freshly stuffed deer head. The fair-sized rack made it naturally awkward, but he managed to get it in through the door without banging it or the wall. “Where did you manage to find that?”
Jensen grinned slightly as he settled the thing on the floor, mounting plate flat against her linoleum tiling. His first real hunt, and he’d managed to pull a prize. “Cougar and I went hunting during the down time. But I can’t put this thing in the barracks. I was hoping I could maybe, ya know, store it here until I got a place. So I know it won’t get stolen or moth chewed or anything else.”
Jolene eyed it critically for a long minute before turning that stare on Jensen. He squirmed accommodatingly, even though her glare had nothing on Cougar’s. But he wasn’t going to piss off the wife of a teammate. He knew better. “It won’t be for long, I promise. But I trust you, and I thought you wouldn’t mind. I can take it to my sister’s, but...” He left the line hanging, although he wouldn’t follow through with that. He didn’t want it to wind up in the hotel on a wall. It was his, dammit.
“Who killed it?” The tone had eased up and Jolene shifted forward enough to stroke one hand against a soft cheek, marveling at the texture of the fur. Jensen smothered a random giggle and admitted he’d killed it. He wasn’t about to explain precisely how he’d dismembered the poor deer, however. He doubted Jolene knew all the dirty details of the team. After a few minute’s consideration she consented, permitting him to descend to the downstairs family room and find a suitable place for the stuffed head.
Jolene rounded on Cougar the instant Jensen had stopped thumping down the steps, eyes narrowed and a hand perched on one shapely hip. “The men of your team have no balls. Now, did you hook up with Jensen properly, or you two still dancing around each other??” He gave her wide eyes for a moment, then smirked without saying a word. “They won’t say it, but I was told clearly to leave you and Jake there alone this time, that you two were working out ‘issues’. Considering the look that crossed my Porteous’ face, I totally get there’s a LOT between you and him.” She gestured toward the stairwell, where Cougar had no doubt Jensen was listening at the bottom of the creaky steps. “I would just like to understand how much.”
His smirk smoothed out into something calmer, more serious. “Together. Para siempre.” The simple words caused Jolene to stare at him a moment before stepping forward, face lit up with joy. She checked herself a moment later, remembering Cougar wasn't much for overly- affectionate gestures. Squeezing the life from him because the men finally got over their googly- eye stage and done something about the thing between them would not have been appreciated, she was certain. She settled for smiling widely and offering her appreciation with a brief hand on his shoulder. The light squeeze brought a cute little smile to his face, and Jolene chuckled before bustling away. “You two took damn long enough. I know I can't plan like, a wedding for you two or anything, but know I support you both.”
“You are... generous.” Cougar offered, a token of his surprise. He knew Jolene was an amazing women, but even a passing mention of marriage was making his head spin. Dragons mated, some species for life, but marriage was a human concept. He hadn't thought about it. “Gracias.”
Jolene plunked a tray of hot cookies on the counter, the smell of cinnamon and sugar taking over the house. “I am the only wife on this team. It means I can spoil you all, or jump on every last one of you if I think you're being idiots. I won't interfere with love, but I do support it. It's my job to make sure things run well when you guys aren't getting your asses shot off.” She smacked a pale hand reaching for one of the steaming cookies and shoved her spatula at Jensen's face. “It also means a lot of other things, like ripping Jake's fingers off when he touches my hot cookie pan.” His wide grin and huge puppy eyes would never sway her, no matter how many times he tried. And he tried a lot. “Now, how long am I housing that prized rack of yours, Jake?”
The man smothered a giggle into a choked cough. “I'm going house hunting over the next couple weeks. I want out of the barracks anyway, and most people outside the chain of command wouldn't think twice about two single team-mates splitting rent on a decent place. I know Clay will cover us in the event of random questions that can't be easily covered by the simple fact barracks suck.” He stole a cookie off the plate she was moving them to, breaking it in half and shoving a piece toward Cougar. “Would you happen to know where the rest of the guys are, by the way?”
“I sent Pooch to the store about fifteen minutes ago, he'll be back soon. Roque and Clay are no doubt getting into trouble again. I haven't heard of them or from them since just after leave started, so I'm going to assume they are perfectly fine in their own way.” She glanced at the clock and grinned. “One of you pull the cookies out of the oven in seven minutes. I have a toddler to go wake up.”
Jake turned to wave at her, and the instant she was out of range he turned in a blur, grabbing Cougar by the neck and chasing the sweet, spicy scent to its source. Cougar responded quickly, lips and tongue teasing without the heated dominance of other kisses. Jake pulled away after a minute, a smug little smile plastered on his lips. “You smell really good with cinnamon. Taste even better.” An pleasant purring sound rumbled between them, and Cougar finally leaned back further.
“Question.” His tone was sober, warm but almost, maybe, just a little nervous. Jake nodded in answer and stole another cookie from the tray. “If we ever had the option, would you wish to marry me?”
He’d fully expected Jensen to sputter, watch cookie crumbs fly across the kitchen and have to risk resuscitating the kid. Instead, Jensen froze, a volatile twitch in one hand destroying the cookie before he turned very neutral eyes on Cougar. “Is that a ‘Marry me?’ or a ‘Would I ever want to?’”
“Would you ever want to. If life allowed us the chance.” Cougar’s eyes were very human, very calm. Only his tone gave away the slight insecurity in the question. Jensen placed the bits of cookie back on the tray and brushed his hands off before grabbing at the front of Cougar’s shirt. He pulled Cougar close, enough they were suddenly sharing body heat and he could speak right into Cougar’s ear.
“My marks are on your body, and yours is in my skin. I don’t need a damn ring to show my personal interest in you.” He rubbed their cheeks together, Cougar’s barely- there stubble scraping his skin. “If the time comes that getting hitched is an option for us, we can talk about it then. We are content to have a mate that is strong and loving and… yeah. You get it. I don’t need a wedding, Cougs. Not now, maybe not ever. It’s a moot point until we’re done with the army, anyway.”
Cougar nodded, letting Jensen hold him there for a moment, soaking in the comfort of them being together. Damn humans and their tendency to make things more difficult than necessary. He remembered the cookies a moment later, the sharp spice smell reaching him under the deep filling aroma of dragon musk. “Jolene’s gonna hurt you if her cookies burn.”
Jensen laughed, letting him go and stepping away to pull the tray out of the oven. “I must get her recipe. It’s not fair the only time I get snickerdoodle cookies are when we’re home or Jolene sends us goodie boxes. I want to make them myself.” A huff answered him, and he glared at Cougar. “What? I can bake. Granted, I may ruin the first batch, but I can at least follow directions as well as the next guy.”
This time Jolene’s laugh filled the kitchen. “You, away from my stove. You don’t get to cook in my kitchen, Jacob Jensen. And besides, men that can actually follow directions are very rare. That’s why my man is mine and no longer available to anyone else.”
Cougar and Jensen nodded in agreement, before Jensen burst out laughing. No matter how their relationship worked and who looked at it, Pooch and Jolene were an awesome couple. And if his and Cougar’s relationship held on past some very, very good chemistry, they’d probably be like that. In time.
It was something he was looking forward to.
Title: Of scales and wings and things that go Bump (in the night)
Chapter 18 / (?)
Fandom: Losers
Genre: AU
Rating: PG
Word Count: roughly 1600
Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Losers' movie or comic. i make no profit from writing or posting this fic.
Warnings: Slightly sappy/ domestic vibes run amok. Appearances of Jolene. I love her.
Sadly, every time I determine to cut something short I get a flash of idea. So what was supposed to happen as the second part of this chapter, will wait a little bit. Bite me, don't care. You guys get one more action-y chapter after this as a reminder that our boys are badasses, no matter how else things may occasionally appear. And then something I can't get out of my brain at all.
Done rambling. Cue the fic.
Chapter 18
Two weeks later found Cougar following Jensen as he walked up the short sidewalk to Pooch’s house. Jolene was waiting at the door, holding it wide for the hacker as he proudly hefted high a freshly stuffed deer head. The fair-sized rack made it naturally awkward, but he managed to get it in through the door without banging it or the wall. “Where did you manage to find that?”
Jensen grinned slightly as he settled the thing on the floor, mounting plate flat against her linoleum tiling. His first real hunt, and he’d managed to pull a prize. “Cougar and I went hunting during the down time. But I can’t put this thing in the barracks. I was hoping I could maybe, ya know, store it here until I got a place. So I know it won’t get stolen or moth chewed or anything else.”
Jolene eyed it critically for a long minute before turning that stare on Jensen. He squirmed accommodatingly, even though her glare had nothing on Cougar’s. But he wasn’t going to piss off the wife of a teammate. He knew better. “It won’t be for long, I promise. But I trust you, and I thought you wouldn’t mind. I can take it to my sister’s, but...” He left the line hanging, although he wouldn’t follow through with that. He didn’t want it to wind up in the hotel on a wall. It was his, dammit.
“Who killed it?” The tone had eased up and Jolene shifted forward enough to stroke one hand against a soft cheek, marveling at the texture of the fur. Jensen smothered a random giggle and admitted he’d killed it. He wasn’t about to explain precisely how he’d dismembered the poor deer, however. He doubted Jolene knew all the dirty details of the team. After a few minute’s consideration she consented, permitting him to descend to the downstairs family room and find a suitable place for the stuffed head.
Jolene rounded on Cougar the instant Jensen had stopped thumping down the steps, eyes narrowed and a hand perched on one shapely hip. “The men of your team have no balls. Now, did you hook up with Jensen properly, or you two still dancing around each other??” He gave her wide eyes for a moment, then smirked without saying a word. “They won’t say it, but I was told clearly to leave you and Jake there alone this time, that you two were working out ‘issues’. Considering the look that crossed my Porteous’ face, I totally get there’s a LOT between you and him.” She gestured toward the stairwell, where Cougar had no doubt Jensen was listening at the bottom of the creaky steps. “I would just like to understand how much.”
His smirk smoothed out into something calmer, more serious. “Together. Para siempre.” The simple words caused Jolene to stare at him a moment before stepping forward, face lit up with joy. She checked herself a moment later, remembering Cougar wasn't much for overly- affectionate gestures. Squeezing the life from him because the men finally got over their googly- eye stage and done something about the thing between them would not have been appreciated, she was certain. She settled for smiling widely and offering her appreciation with a brief hand on his shoulder. The light squeeze brought a cute little smile to his face, and Jolene chuckled before bustling away. “You two took damn long enough. I know I can't plan like, a wedding for you two or anything, but know I support you both.”
“You are... generous.” Cougar offered, a token of his surprise. He knew Jolene was an amazing women, but even a passing mention of marriage was making his head spin. Dragons mated, some species for life, but marriage was a human concept. He hadn't thought about it. “Gracias.”
Jolene plunked a tray of hot cookies on the counter, the smell of cinnamon and sugar taking over the house. “I am the only wife on this team. It means I can spoil you all, or jump on every last one of you if I think you're being idiots. I won't interfere with love, but I do support it. It's my job to make sure things run well when you guys aren't getting your asses shot off.” She smacked a pale hand reaching for one of the steaming cookies and shoved her spatula at Jensen's face. “It also means a lot of other things, like ripping Jake's fingers off when he touches my hot cookie pan.” His wide grin and huge puppy eyes would never sway her, no matter how many times he tried. And he tried a lot. “Now, how long am I housing that prized rack of yours, Jake?”
The man smothered a giggle into a choked cough. “I'm going house hunting over the next couple weeks. I want out of the barracks anyway, and most people outside the chain of command wouldn't think twice about two single team-mates splitting rent on a decent place. I know Clay will cover us in the event of random questions that can't be easily covered by the simple fact barracks suck.” He stole a cookie off the plate she was moving them to, breaking it in half and shoving a piece toward Cougar. “Would you happen to know where the rest of the guys are, by the way?”
“I sent Pooch to the store about fifteen minutes ago, he'll be back soon. Roque and Clay are no doubt getting into trouble again. I haven't heard of them or from them since just after leave started, so I'm going to assume they are perfectly fine in their own way.” She glanced at the clock and grinned. “One of you pull the cookies out of the oven in seven minutes. I have a toddler to go wake up.”
Jake turned to wave at her, and the instant she was out of range he turned in a blur, grabbing Cougar by the neck and chasing the sweet, spicy scent to its source. Cougar responded quickly, lips and tongue teasing without the heated dominance of other kisses. Jake pulled away after a minute, a smug little smile plastered on his lips. “You smell really good with cinnamon. Taste even better.” An pleasant purring sound rumbled between them, and Cougar finally leaned back further.
“Question.” His tone was sober, warm but almost, maybe, just a little nervous. Jake nodded in answer and stole another cookie from the tray. “If we ever had the option, would you wish to marry me?”
He’d fully expected Jensen to sputter, watch cookie crumbs fly across the kitchen and have to risk resuscitating the kid. Instead, Jensen froze, a volatile twitch in one hand destroying the cookie before he turned very neutral eyes on Cougar. “Is that a ‘Marry me?’ or a ‘Would I ever want to?’”
“Would you ever want to. If life allowed us the chance.” Cougar’s eyes were very human, very calm. Only his tone gave away the slight insecurity in the question. Jensen placed the bits of cookie back on the tray and brushed his hands off before grabbing at the front of Cougar’s shirt. He pulled Cougar close, enough they were suddenly sharing body heat and he could speak right into Cougar’s ear.
“My marks are on your body, and yours is in my skin. I don’t need a damn ring to show my personal interest in you.” He rubbed their cheeks together, Cougar’s barely- there stubble scraping his skin. “If the time comes that getting hitched is an option for us, we can talk about it then. We are content to have a mate that is strong and loving and… yeah. You get it. I don’t need a wedding, Cougs. Not now, maybe not ever. It’s a moot point until we’re done with the army, anyway.”
Cougar nodded, letting Jensen hold him there for a moment, soaking in the comfort of them being together. Damn humans and their tendency to make things more difficult than necessary. He remembered the cookies a moment later, the sharp spice smell reaching him under the deep filling aroma of dragon musk. “Jolene’s gonna hurt you if her cookies burn.”
Jensen laughed, letting him go and stepping away to pull the tray out of the oven. “I must get her recipe. It’s not fair the only time I get snickerdoodle cookies are when we’re home or Jolene sends us goodie boxes. I want to make them myself.” A huff answered him, and he glared at Cougar. “What? I can bake. Granted, I may ruin the first batch, but I can at least follow directions as well as the next guy.”
This time Jolene’s laugh filled the kitchen. “You, away from my stove. You don’t get to cook in my kitchen, Jacob Jensen. And besides, men that can actually follow directions are very rare. That’s why my man is mine and no longer available to anyone else.”
Cougar and Jensen nodded in agreement, before Jensen burst out laughing. No matter how their relationship worked and who looked at it, Pooch and Jolene were an awesome couple. And if his and Cougar’s relationship held on past some very, very good chemistry, they’d probably be like that. In time.
It was something he was looking forward to.