Lady Hawk

Getting into the Vigilante Mobile you felt an air of anticipation wash over the two of you as well as the strong fragrance of bubble gum air freshener.

"I've been following this new crime cartel that has tried to move into Evergreen from the last one I busted up. Their warehouse is an obvious plant right by the docks pretending to some company that makes those funny fake dancing cactuses or some shit. But really they are shipping cocaine inside them. So I've got enough C-4 in that bag on the back seat to replace it that white powder for their next score and blow them the fuck up!" Adrian went through his plan with you giddily, driving towards the docks.

"Great! How will I help?" You asked.

"Hm well let's do some stuff off the list first, these guys are pretty unprepared because they are expanding from Gotham and sending their D-squad to test the waters here, they really underestimate Evergreen so I think we can cross off a lot. But then I do have a surprise for you to join in on the mission properly." Adrian explained and you blushed remembering the Vigilante list in his diary. 

"O-okay sounds good." You replied a bit anxiously, the list sounded great in theory but some of it was quite dangerous. "I'm excited Adrian but..." 

"I'll keep you safe, just make sure to listen to what Vigilante says all right my delightful dewdrop?" Adrian reassure you with a gentle squeeze of your thigh. "Don't worry, I'm in control." The confident inflection he spoke with made you shiver.

"Hey can you grab me the binoculars from the glove box my foxy lady?" Adrian asked you sweetly.

Rummaging around past the mixtape CD wallet of kickass tunez, yo-yos and crossword puzzle books, you found the binoculars at the very back.

"Every stakeout needs music!" He pressed play and Ke$ha's JOYRIDE began to blast from the stereo and started dancing to it.

I'm just looking for a joyride, joyride

I'm just looking for a good time tonight

Baby, I want you to rev my engine 'til you make it purr

Your brows raised at his choice of music, the first item on Vigilante's list was for you to ride him cowgirl style while he did reconnaissance. 

But this was also Adrian and he seemed to be genuinely rocking out to Ke$ha right now oblivious to the actual lyrics and their meaning.

Keep it kinky, but I come first

Beep-beep, bitch, I'm outside

Get in, loser, for the joyride

"Here you go Vigilante." You handed him the binoculars and purposely swung your legs onto his lap when you turned. 

"Thanks!" Adrian grabbed the binoculars, his vigilante helmet still sitting on the dashboard. You frowned but got your own pair out to take a look at the warehouse. 

"Does this count as reconnaissance?" You asked him pointedly. 

Making every motherfucker turn

Fell from Heaven, no, it didn't hurt...

Joyride! Get in, loser, for the joyride...

"Huh? Yeah it does why...oh." Adrian realised with a gulp, dropping the binoculars to face you. "Only if you wanted to uh do that first thing on the list." He said sheepishly.

"Oh I want to." You replied with a sultry wink.

Suddenly you grabbed the handle of Adrian's chair moving it right back making him exhale sharply when you straddled him. His glasses were askew and before he could, you readjusted them back up his nose.

Keep your eyes on the road!

A label whore, but I'm bored of wearing clothes...

"What do you see baby?" You asked him, unbuckling his seatbelt and deftly unclipping the utility belt of the Vigilante suit to unzip his fly.

You want kids? Well, I am Mother!

"I um...they are doing a deal..." Adrian began his voice hitched a couple octaves tighter as you began to stroke his shaft with a hand.

"O-of the...uh drug...variety..." His voice cracked like popcorn as you increased the tempo, flicking your wrist up and down. The sound of him getting slicker echoed obscenely in the car as Adrian bucked his hips into your fist.

Don't, don't, don't, don't even try to gi-give me shit!

I've earned the right to b-be like this...

"W-which is ahh illegal!" He added sweetly moaning when you pumped nice and slowly, swiping he tip coated in precum with your thumb. 

"You going to punish them for that baby?" You asked Adrian with a sultry whisper against his ear. His cock twitched in your palm.

Fishing around in the utility belt you knew exactly where the hidden condom compartment was and got one out.

"Y-yeah baby...I'm going to punish them." Adrian nodded, intense green eyes locked with yours as you tore open the wrapper with your teeth. 

"Gonna punish them so hard..." Adrian watched down at how your fingers couldn't quite wrap all the way around his thick cock with a hooded desire spread across his face.

Don't even, don't give me shit...

I'm a bi-, I'm a bitch!

Don't even, don't give me shit..

He hissed in frustration with a frown when your hand suddenly left his dick. 

"You'll need your helmet then." You winked and got his Vigilante mask off the dashboard and handed it to him.

"Thanks my sugar plum." Adrian kissed you passionately before putting the helmet on and you could tell the flip was switched as the visor went down. It was an overall change in his posture, becoming more confident, alert and direct.

"You've got to remember to wear protection Vigilante!" You added with a grin, helping put the condom on rolling it down his girth. Then you circled a finger teasingly at his chest.

Joy-joy-joy..Joy-joy-joy...

Get in, loser, for the joyride! 

"Well I'm all geared up aren't you going to ride me?" Vigilante said, gloved hands settling in a tight grip at your waist and motioning down to his throbbing erection.

"Isn't having car sex illegal Vigilante?" You teased him further, rolling your hips against his shaft.

"Only if you leave witnesses behind, then it becomes indecent exposure. But all those Soprano wannabe drug dealer fuckers out on the dock are going to be dead soon." Vigilante informed you, lifting you up slightly by the waist making you gasp.

 "Come on, you're my ride or die and I'm yours..." He practically purred against your chest, pawing at your thighs to pull down your stockings and panties in one swooping motion.

"Now, ride me." Vigilante ordered, drawing your hips back down, hovering just above the tip.

"Or I die?" You asked cocking a brow.

"Or I'll fucking die from blue balls." Vigilante said dramatically leaning back with a huff and you chuckled. 

You happily complied sinking yourself down onto his cock with a moan, Vigilante's grip at your hips tightened and he shuddered when you took all of him inside. "Good girl..." He cooed, threading a gloved hand through your hair pulling it so you leant back.

"Oh fuck yes, that's it...you're so damn tight for me baby." Vigilante sat back to watch you work for a minute before turning his attention elsewhere.

Picking up his binoculars he kept making notes of the action outside despite the action he was getting from you in the Vigilante Mobile. 

That made you pout at him but it also just spurred you on to make Vigilante have to pay attention.

"Ahh oh my god...you're so fucking big Vigilante!" You cried out nice and loud for him as you found the right rhythm and took your pleasure on top thrusting your hips. 

The windows of the Sebring fogged up from your exertions along with Vigilantes visor that he wiped the condensation off with the back of his glove.

"God you fill me up so good Vig..." You moaned for him, raking your hands up and down his chest. 

Vigilante grunted at that in pleasure, hands wavering around the binoculars. His hips twitched and he held firm, but one finger was tapping away on your thigh.

"I love your cock Vigilante!" You kept grinding up and down on him, moaning as his cock filled you each time. "I love it so much!"  

"Ahh you take down all the bad guys! It makes me so fucking wet when you punish them!" You chorused out, sitting back with your hands planted against his chest to keep your balance.

Following his eye line through the visor, he was no longer running surveillance but instead was locked onto the rhythm you were putting him through. Green eyes watching how he slipped in and out of you and the sweet slick hot mess you were both making.

"Y-you're my hero Vigilante!" You used the line that you knew drove him absolutely wild. 

"Damn it." Vigilante was struggling to keep it together and when you bounced on top of him moaning that you were his hero, he dropped the binoculars with a thud. 

Victory was yours. 

"Yeah you love it, I know you can't get enough of this cock babygirl." Vigilante agreed with a throaty groan, wrapping his hands around your hips he held you tightly in place. 

"Don't worry, I'll fucking give to you. Every inch." He took over control, beginning to fuck up into you completely bottoming out. The slapping thud of him balls deep inside you echoed out in Sebring.

"Your one and only hero Vigilante is going to absolutely rail that amazing tight pussy of yours baby!" Vigilante panted, his visor fogging right back up again as he furiously snapped his hips with a punishing pace that drove you crazy.

"Vig! Oh fuck Vigilante!" Wrapping your arms around his neck to try and hold on as you were brought up and down mercilessly onto his cock.

The car seat was hot and sticky now leather squelching against his suit, your hand wiped the dew away from your lovers visor and then sprung out to grip the fogged up window as he rammed into you desperately.

"Your pussy should be illegal for being that tight...I'm gonna fucking punish it with my cock!" Vigilante rasped into your ear speeding up.

"Punish me baby!" You cried out, holding the Sebrings grab handle to keep yourself upright you began to give back as good as you were getting, making Vigilante moan.

"You fucking take it so good my cowgirl, you ride my cock like a damn rodeo!" Vigilante panted with a wild laugh, spanking your ass.

"Giddy up cowboy!" You giggled shakily dipping your head back and playfully slapping his chest. 

Vigilante leant forward and folded you right up against the steering wheel and it let out a long droning beep when your back pressed into it and you froze. 

"Shit!" You said clapping your hands over your mouth, quickly recoiling from the wheel. 

"They definitely heard that..." Turning around you saw three thugs in the distance pointing right at the Vigilante Mobile and spotting you two inside.

"You're the Bonnie to my Clyde only we're the good guys and way hotter..." Vigilante said, still thrusting and not giving a single fuck about the mobsters closing in on the Sebring. 

Instead he only pulled his dick out to swivel you around so you were a reverse cowgirl for him now.

Then Vigilante got out a pair of earplugs from his utility belt and put them delicately into your ears. 

"You're my Calamity Jane." Not worrying even when the thugs raised their guns he whipped out his Glock 17 and put it into your hands, closing his own over the top.

Vigilante rolled down the window, dragging your hands outside of it to aim and shoot at the targets. 

"Squeeze the fucking trigger baby just like you're squeezing down on me right now with that tight pussy of yours...fuck." Vigilante ordered you with a sharp grunt, stilling his hips for a moment.

You pulled the trigger, the kickback of the gun a sweet addition to the relentless pace Vigilante thrusted inside of you as reward, he moaned when the bullet found purchase right between the gangsters eyes, collapsing into a pool of crimson.

"Good job baby!" Vigilante cooed. "Annie get your gun!" He laughed manically as the body hit the ground and you clamped down around him.

"Y-you like killing criminals baby? Feels good doesn't it?" Vigilante whispered. "I felt you tighten when you saw that fucker die..." His fingers found your clit and you nodded with with a shaky groan.

"F-feels good baby..." You admitted. 

Moving your aim slightly to the left you timed it and pulled the trigger again this time on your own, striking another thug in the jugular. 

"Holy fuck! You're such a good shot baby!" Vigilante groaned loudly. "So fucking god damn hot my sexy black widow!" He punctuated every world with a frantic pump of his hips. 

To the right you took out the last offender smoking him in the chest just before he got the chance to try and shoot up the Vigilante Mobile. 

"Ahh fuck you're my Cat Ballou dream girl! Ahh shit you're so tight!" Vigilante cried out sounding very close, his hands reaching for his helmet. 

He threw it off and you saw Adrian's handsome face contoured in pure ecstasy. His red sweaty brow was furrowed in total concentration, lust ridden green eyes finding yours.  

"Fuck! I'm going to cum..." Adrian admitted, biting down hard on his bottom lip.

 "You're so damn fucking sexy killing all those drug cartel motherfuckers like that baby!" His gloved hand went down to your clit desperately but you gripped his wrist. 

"Yeah I fucking killed those two-bit thugs while Vigilante was inside me..." You felt so powerful.

Bringing his hands up to your tits instead you had him clinging on for dear life as you rocked his entire world. The leather seats of the Sebring squeaked underneath the sweat dripping off both of you.

"I'm going to cum too, all over your dick." You told him, taking back control you rode him out like a damn mechanical bull. 

"Ahh fuck yes cum on my dick!" Adrian practically sobbed into your back with pleasure. "Please cum all over it!" He begged. 

"I-I'm..." He whimpered shooting his load as you saw stars still holding the gun in your hands while you railed him. 

"M-me too..." You sighed dreamily, stopping your hips and steadying yourself against him.

"Damn..." You both said and laughed into a passionate kiss that only broke when you needed to come up for air again. 

"Well that's the first item off the list!" Adrian said happily, cleaning himself up with a Fennel Fields wet wipe from the centre console. Handing you one to freshen up, you also fixed up your hair and checked yourself over in your compact.

"That was fucking awesome my gorgeous sunflower!" Adrian exclaimed, he was so exited that he hadn't even bothered to get out his glasses. 

 "Let's fuck up these drug dealers!" Instead he just popped the Vigilante helmet back on ready to rock and roll. 

The Evergreen docks were creepy at night, the rickety wooden floorboards of the pier holding shadows of crates and shipping containers looming overhead. But you didn't feel fear walking through them with Vigilante by your side, who had both guns drawn. 

"There's the warehouse." Vigilante nodded to one of the undisclosed buildings that had a cute cactus mascot on it. 

"Let's fuck shit up!" He exclaimed with a fist pump, he had the duffle bag filled with C-4 at the ready slung over his back. 

You were armed with a pistol just in case but for the second item on the list you followed behind Vigilante a few paces. Entering the warehouse it was a large processing centre of cardboard boxes and conveyor belts. Those little dancing cactus things were everywhere. 

"Hey you nose candy huffing fuckwits quit snake dusting eachother and get out here to face your new worst nightmare, Vigilante!" Vigilante announced himself with a loud battle cry.

"What's snake dusting?" You asked quizzically.

"It's when someone snorts cocaine off a penis my innocent sweetie pie." Vigilante informed you. 

"What are all of you stupid motherfuckers deaf from bell-ringing that crack rock?!" Vigilante demanded waving his gun around, he started kicking boxes across the room and smashed the conveyor belt with a nearby tire iron.

Wow Adrian sure did know a lot of drug slang, you realised somewhat impressed.

Shooting a welcome bullet into one of the dancing cactuses, sure enough a bust of cocaine spouted out and you watched on as it sadly contort around with half it's plushie plant brains before it's wiring died.

"You're a dead man!" You both heard a gruff voice shout as the door was busted open.

"Huh? What's that?" Vigilante cupped a hand condescendingly to his ear. 

"You should really read palms, cause you're totally right I see a dead man in my future right now!" He blasted the mobster away with two well aimed shots to the chest and forehead.

"Oh yeah? How's this for reading your fortune? I'll kill the girl if you don't drop the gun right fucking now you clown!" Another thug roared, gun pointed at the back of your head.

"Don't move or I'll blast her brains all over the walls!" He ordered Vigilante who turned to face you and your new captor.

"Hey let go of me!" You were wrestled by the forearm and dragged against the armed man's chest. 

"I said don't fucking move!" The mobster warned him when Vigilante kept walking forward. 

"I'll fucking do it!" The one restraining you raised his gun right against your temple.

"Oh fuck yeah that's it...put a gun up against my girlfriend's head!" Vigilante groaned, beginning to palm himself through his combat pants as he raised his own gun.

This worked perfectly into list item number 2: hostage situation roleplay.

"Oh no! Please save me Vigilante!" You cried out over dramatically, leaning your head back.

"What in the actual fuck?" One of the thugs said.

"Is he jerking himself off right now?" The other one who was holding you turned with a bewildered expression. 

"Yeah I'll save you baby...I'll save you so fucking good!" Vigilante promised you, pulling the trigger while his other hand undid his fly to properly jerk off.

The thug next to the one holding you dropped dead and you moaned out loudly as you saw the life drain from his eyes. 

"Take them down for me baby!" You ordered him, as your own hand went to your core, biting your lip.

 "What in the fuck lady?!" The thug restraining you shouted in alarm at your freak on full display.

"You both need Jesus!" Another mobster shouted.

"Put in a good word for us with him won't you?" Vigilante asked, firing his gun and taking down the gangster who just spoke. 

"Oh wait guess you can't because you're going to hell." Vigilante realised and then shrugged.

"Fucking dome this idiot already honey bear!" You snapped at Vigilante, motioning to the thug keeping you hostage.

"Wow my darling honeybun you're so beautiful when you tell me to kill for you!" Vigilante said through gritted teeth as he stroked his cock, watching you struggle in the arms of your captive.

"These two are fucking nuts! I need some back up here ASAP!" The remaining thug requested frantically over the radio. 

Begrudgingly zipping back up his fly with a disappointed sigh, Vigilante addressed you.

"Okay my sugar plum he sent for backup like a little bitch so now I have to shoot him. God but you look so fucking hot like that..." Vigilante whined, blasting his Glock 17 with a bullet that tore through the thug taking you hostage right between the eyes. 

"Thank you for saving me Vigilante!" You said brightly, walking over to him.

"Anytime my sexy citizen..." Vigilante replied then raised his gun again. "Get down!" He told you, pointing to the ground as a group of mobsters flooded into the warehouse office.

"But Vigilante, I must repay you somehow for rescuing me!" You said demurely. Then you kneeled down, unzipped his fly again and got to work taking Vigilante into your mouth. 

"Oh fuck yeah baby that's one way to pay me back for sure!" Vigilante said with a pleased grunt, raising both guns he unloaded the clips into the thugs like shooting fish into a barrel. The kickback was a nice bonus thrust against your throat.

The incoming thugs had no idea what to do with the scene unfolding in front of them. 

His pants were around his ankles, the cool night air breeze tickling his balls along with your hand. While you were on your knees bobbing your head with a series of muffled moans.

"Is she blowing him right now?" One thug asked before being blown away into a puddle of crimson.

"Yeah she is, you jealous? Bet you are, my girlfriend is ahh the fucking coolest..." Vigilante groaned as you sucked the life out of him like a vampire. 

"Sucking my dick while I smoke these stupid criminals, gosh I love you so fucking much my sugar plum!" Vigilante moaned in pure appreciation of your languid efforts.

"What the fuck? I thought we were leaving the freaky stuff behind back in Gotham! This is so much worse..." Another thug complained before his brain cavity became swiss cheese. 

You and Vigilante moaned at the sound of the bodies hitting the floor.

"Don't underestimate Evergreen motherfuckers, we're freaky AF on these streets!" Vigilante laughed manically, tearing through the remaining squad with ease all the while bucking his hips into your mouth. 

When they were all taken care of, Vigilante holstered both guns at his hips and steadied his hands at your shoulders to properly thrust inside your mouth. 

"You look so fucking perfect like this, I can't get enough of watching you suck me off..." Vigilante tilted his head back gritting his teeth as he twisted your hair in his gloves. 

"Your lips wrapped around my cock is the absolute best thing on this fucking earth!" His gloved thumb lovingly glided along you lips and rested on your flushed cheeks. 

"I'm going to cum my sweet sunshine. I'm gonna really...ah! C-can I...?" Adrian snapped his visor up to check in with you and when you nodded with a sloppy moan he shut it again with a sharp hiss of pleasure. 

"Fuck yeah baby...swallow for your hero Vigilante!" Vigilante was back and his hands roughly gripped the back of your head as he fucked your face. "Good girl, don't waste any of it...fuck you're incredible..." He groaned loudly when he shot his load down your throat. 

With a few shaky thrusts he was done slipping out of your lips and you both took a moment to catch your collective breaths.

"Wow holy shit my foxy lady that wasn't even on the list but it sure as fuck is now!" Vigilante said still slightly dazed post orgasm.

"I'm nothing if not innovative!" You said with a grin.

"You're so good to me..." He cooed, getting out some wet wipes and tissues from his utility belt.  

Then he whipped out a packet of mints from another pocket and you took a couple with a wild grin.

Taking off his Vigilante mask, Adrian whipped his glasses on and dug through the duffle bag with a cheerful hum.

"Time for the second phase of the plan." He announced, getting out a bundle of bright red leather combat gear.

"And here's your surprise ta-da!" Rolling it out and picking up a helmet that mirrored his own he handed them to you. 

"You made me a suit?" You asked flabbergasted.

"Yeah, I took down notes on the one other you was wearing when we went through that inter dimensional portal door thingy and replicated it to wear so if you're ever in danger again like when we were killing those Nazi cops you can wear it to help protect you..." Adrian explained simply with a shrug like it was no big deal. 

"I had a lot of time on my hands now that my best friend doesn't want to see me..." He added dejectedly and your heart sank. 

"And I guess when I wasn't seeing you either sorry." Adrian admitted with a guilty hang dog expression.

"No need to be sorry, I'm so excited for the suit!" You quickly reassured him with a firm hug and he perked right back up.

"You're so good to me..." Adrian sighed and brought you in for a tight hug. "Okay get your suit on before the next wave of goons arrive, it's made to your exact measurements."

When you zipped it up he wasn't lying, the Vengeance suit fit like a glove. While Adrian's animal facts were a mixed bag of true and false when it came to you he was always right.

Putting your helmet on and flipping down the visor you could see so clearly through it in fact your vision felt somewhat heightened and focused. There was also hearing protection installed which you realized was why Adrian usually yelled so much as Vigilante outside of being really excited.

The utility belt wasn't as heavy as it looked and the holsters had two Glock 17s with red accents. Adrian crouched down to help you zip up your boots and he rested his head on your calf, running a hand up your leg lovingly. 

"You're so hot..." Adrian told you a completely entranced look captivating his face when he took you all in.

There was a shout in the distance and you got out your pistol holding it up in anticipation but you saw that Adrian hadn't moved.

"Do you want your helmet?" You asked Adrian and he shook his head with a whimper against your thighs. Clearly the switch had flipped back and Vigilante wanted a break with you in action as Vengeance.

The door busted open and you shrugged, blasting the thugs one by one all of your sessions at the gun range with Adrian shining through as bright bursts of crimson through their heads. You always were if nothing else an A+ grade student.

"Ooooh that girl is murder...everybody get down!" He hummed along to Justin Timberlake's Murder, kissing your boots and you giggled, threading a hair through his curly hair with one hand as the other squeezed the trigger of your pistol.

"You know that she's a killer...watch it get down...watch it get down..." Adrian continued to sing to himself sweetly, knelt down and pressing his head against your waist longingly. 

Looking up at your with his big imploring green eyes, Adrian used his teeth to unzip your fly and awaited your nod of confirmation.

"Murder..." He whispered in a shudder when you nodded, trailing his tongue along your slit.

"I'm going to hollow out all of your skulls rip out the stapes bone in your ears until I have enough to make a necklace!" You shouted at the next wave of thugs who looked at one another confused.

"Go back to school motherfuckers! It's the smallest fucking bone in your body! Well outside of your dicks of course." You snapped when they still didn't get your onliner and shot them in frustration.

"You tell them baby...staple their bones together!" Adrian encouraged you before going back to eating your pussy fervently with a deep groan.

You could see the prominent tent formed in his crotch padding that he was absolutely loving this role reversal.

And so were you.

Using a boot to press down on Adrian's shoulder, you used him to leverage yourself up to shoot a taller thug in the kill zone and Adrian groaned loudly at being stepped on. 

"You're like a goddess of death! My Vengeance vixen..." Adrian cried out, a couple tears of pleasure forming in the corner of his green eyes. 

He was doing such a good job servicing you. So you decided to reward his efforts and keep a boot pressed firmly at his crotch as he devoted himself between your thighs like an altar.

"And you're my good boy aren't you Adrian! Who's a good boy?" You asked him, lightly kicking his erection with the heel of his boot making him arch his back and buck his hips forward.

"Ohh ahh... it's me, I'm your good boy mommy!" Adrian moaned and quickly stopped, eyeing you nervously a bead of sweat dripping down his nose. 

"I uh..." He began and but stopped when you ran your heel nice and slow up his crotch.

Huh, that wasn't written down in the diary your thought to yourself and from the bewildered look on his face, he hadn't realised it until then either unlocked on the spot.

"S-sorry..." Adrian tried to apologize and you raised a finger to his lips to shush him.

"Shhh, mommy Vengeance is here." You said with a playful laugh. "And she's going to bathe the warehouse floors in the blood of these cocaine peddling scum!" You called out in a roar to the next oncoming wave.

Tossing the emptied clips of your pistols you grabbed out the sub machine gun slung over your shoulder and fired away in a rain of bullets and that vibrated your entire body, Adrian anchoring you in place as he desperately sucked your clit and began to finger you. The kickback was something else...

"Oh fuck...Adrian I don't think I can stand baby!" Your legs were becoming jelly underneath him and Adrian gave a muffled acknowledgement still kissing every inch of you. 

When a lone surviving gangster tried to get the drop on you in this vulnerable state, Adrian swiftly planted a throwing knife into their neck blood spurting from their aorta without even once glancing in that direction or leaving you unattended still eating you out. Now that was multitasking, you thought to yourself. 

Hiking your legs over his shoulders and your thighs around his neck, pinning you in place with a satisfied grunt. His glasses were coated in you and bullet residue was in his curly hair from being underneath the submachine gun. 

When the air cleared and so did the wave of destruction you left in your midst, not a single survivor stirred and you had never felt so fucking god damn powerful in your entire life. You tore off your helmet and let it fall to your side, face patched in sweat.

"A-Adrian! I'm close, I'm so close! Fuck...!" You cried out to him, dropping the gun on the ground you wrapped your arms and legs around his neck in a crushing pretzel and Adrian stood up, lifting you alongside him until you made contact with the wall. 

Pinning you there he pumped his tongue into your pussy like there was no tomorrow. You looked down and saw Adrian was jerking himself off as he ate you out wheezing and you gently smacked his shoulder to get his attention.

"Fuck me Adrian." You ordered him but Adrian shook his head defiantly, his hand leaving his cock entirely. 

"Later, first I'm going to get you there my gorgeous murderess." Adrian promised, kissing your forehead before sinking back into your folds. 

"Cum for me baby!" He urged you, scissoring you desperately with his gloved fingers while lovingly sucking your clit. 

"I've been so good for you baby please oh please cum all over my face!" Adrian whimpered.

"A-Adrian!" Your entire being ached so fucking good as you rode out one of the greatest orgasms of your entire life. Whole galaxies opened up behind your eyes that you squeezed shut. 

It was amazing, you'd taken everything just then. 

Shuddering against Adrian who lapped everything up desperately like he was drying from dehydration in the Savannah when you were finished he brought you in for a cuddle. Looking down you saw there was a damp patch at his crotch padding. 

Your eyes misted over with tears and he gently threaded a hand through your hair as you cried from the amazing rush of it all. 

"You're so good, you're a good girl, you're my good girl come here..." Adrian whispered to you. 

"I killed all of those fuckers..." You said feebly nodding back at Adrian with a sob. 

"Yeah baby you did so good, you fucked up all those criminals you're amazing." Adrian kissed your forehead and made his way down to your cheeks and then your lips.

When you were ready Adrian helped you up onto your feet and he put on his helmet and then did yours. 

"Let's go kill the crime boss now, he's holed up in the inventory room. I heard him pissing himself over the radio." Adrian told you giddily, clapping his hands together like it was time to sing happy birthday around the cake.

"Let's do this!" You grinned, slapping down your visor.

When you got to the inventory room Vigilante motioned for you to stand at the side and stay while he got the door with his lockpicks. You heard a loud click and Vigilante sauntered in, duffel bag in hand.

"Who the fuck are you?!" The crime boss shouted at Vigilante, holding a shotgun trained on him. 

Vigilante ignored him humming away as he tossed the duffel bag and began skipping around to put C-4 over the place.

"Hey I asked you a fucking god damn question you masked freak! Who the fuck do you think you are?" 

"Well duh I'm Vigilante obviously, if you haven't heard of me then that's your problem for living under a rock!" Vigilante scoffed, staring at the shotgun directly pointed at his chest.

"12 gauge. Cute." He said, taking his honshu blade he used it to the jam the barrel and the gauge misfired causing the boss to drop it in a yelp of pain.

"Hurry up and just kill me already." The mob boss spat back and Vigilante shook his head at that with a boyish laugh that turned cold like ice.

"I've looked at your rap sheet. Outside of this lucrative venture, extortion, trafficking, your biggest rap sheet is in rape, sexual assault and battery." Vigilante listed it off and your blood boiled. He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled the signal for you to make your entrance.

"Now say hello to my little girlfriend!" Vigilante announced proudly. He was so ready for you to kill this third rate Scarface wannabe.

You walked in dressed as Vengeance in red black and white, helmet fitted out with a teal visor and sub machine gun in hand at the ready.

"Her name is Vengeance!" Vigilante grinned.

"That woman deserves her revenge. And you deserve to die." He quoted Kill Bill when you lifted the gun and fired.

"Yippee ki yay motherfucker!" You cried out unleashing the whole magazine into that fucking waste of space. The mob boss was an unidentifiable sack of riddled flesh, viscera and cartilage when you were done with him. 

Taking deep breaths, you high fives Vigilante and cheered together. "Mission success!" He shouted pumping the air and jumping for joy.

"Alrighty Chi Chi get the yayo." Vigilante said, pointing to the cocaine and you frowned.

"Uh what?" You shrugged completely lost.

"Could you please get the cocaine bricks off the table and put them in the duffle bag for me my precious sunset while I set up the C-4?" Vigilante asked in plain English this time. 

"Oh sure I can do that." You got to work tossing the bricks into the bag. 

"We really need to watch Scarface together my sugar plum." Adrian said, pulling off the helmet. "Then you'll get all of my zany perfectly timed references!" 

"Okay but first you need to watch the Princess Bride to get my zany references! The fact you still don't get them is inconceivable!" You retorted taking off yours, it was insane that Adrian hadn't seen that movie. 

"Well there is one movie we've both seen together recently is the Wolf of Wall Street..." Adrian said coyly.

"Oh and what reference from that movie did you want to make?" You knew the answer of course but wanted to get him to say it.

"I want to make the reference together that when we get all of this blood curse money back home to the Vigilante hideout with the rest of it I want us to fuck on the piles until neither of us can think straight. That's what I'm referring to." Adrian said with a big cheesy grin enjoying every bit of watching your face flush bright red.

"That's a good reference..." You admitted.

Adrian went to finish setting up the charges, getting out a wired detonator and placing it in the centre he pressed the big red button. 

"Okay now we have like..." Adrian checked his watch.

"Eight minutes to get the fuck out of dodge before this place explodes." He told you, grabbing you by the hand tightly and booked it to the Sebring. 

A massive explosion erupted behind you both as Adrian pulled out of the docks, the warehouse you were both just in nothing but ash and molten dancing cactus thingys. 

The drive back to the Chase residence was one filled with exhilarated laughter between the two of you to the sweet beat of Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! by the Vengaboys, the entire car stashed to the floor and ceiling with money and cocaine. 

Boom, boom, boom, boom

I want you in my room...

Let's spend the night together...

From now until forever! 

"This is so much more fun with a partner!" Adrian said turning to you with a dopey smile on his face.

"I'll always be your partner Adrian." You said brightly, taking his hand into yours. "But I might sit out on the tougher missions, those guys were small fry right?" 

"Yeah they were hire-a-goon sitting ducks but that still doesn't mean you weren't fucking amazing my sugar bear!" Adrian replied earnestly. 

"Thanks honey bear." You gave him a big smooch on the cheek.

Boom, boom, boom, boom...

I wanna go boom, boom...

Let's spend the night together...

Together in my room!

It was a race to the finish line when you both hauled the cash and cocaine down into the basement. Once everything was all in place you were exhausted but the reference Adrian made kept your mind racing.

"All done sugar plum!" Adrian grinned at you, tossing off his gloves and boots but keeping the rest of his suit on he wiped the copious amounts of sweat off his brow. 

You took your gloves off to do the same and turned to see Adrian staring expectantly at you.

"Well, now I'm going to stick my dick in you until you can't walk straight my sweet pumpkin." Adrian said the line so sweetly that it made you laugh into the sloppy kiss he gave you. 

Laying you down on the pile of dirty blood money, your back was protected from paper-cuts by the combat suit and Adrian zipped down the front to get access to your rocking tits.

He captured your nipples in his mouth, lapping at the hardening buds. Eyes closed shut his expression was the perfect mixture of concentration and ecstasy. Adrian always made sure to address each breast evenly, he couldn't play favorites he would tell you and them.

Sucking a hickey between them both, Adrian ran his tongue down your collarbone to your sternum with a throaty groan.

"Time for the money shot baby?" You asked him with a smirk at how worked up he already was.

"Not yet, gotta give you my fat wad first." Adrian replied with a stupid grin.

Snapping on a condom, Adrian's pants and briefs were around his ankles so they wouldn't touch his butt while you fucked. It was more dry humping at this point you were both exhausted but Adrian was not a quitter. 

He grabbed your leg and pushed it up to your chest, lining his cock up with the other hand. You were still wet from earlier and he slid in without any resistance. 

"F-fuck...you're so perfect." He admired you as he entered you and started rambling while thrusting shakily.

"Everything about you, I get lost in your dazzling eyes, your soft hair that smells like flowers, your absolutely rocking tits, your strong thighs, your sublime pussy, you're my sexy labyrinth and I'm a minotaur roaming around you for all eternity imprisoned by how beautiful you fucking are..." He said kissing your cheeks softly as he lazily rutted into you nice and slow.

"Adrian you're so fucking perfect, your green eyes are like the ocean and your gorgeous smile is like a great big light house that guides me back to your strong arms. Also your ass is perfect and plump like a big peach that I want to bite into!" You said spanking his ass which made Adrian go wild, properly thrusting into you now. 

"Ahh fuck, your cock is also perfect it curves just right and so deep my coke bottle loverboy!" You cried out slapping his ass again to keep going.

"Oh my sugar soaker..." Adrian clearly had more lined up but couldn't find the words as he rolled his hips at your hands beck and call.

Dollar bills cascaded off the pile and floated around you both before settling like snowflakes.

"W-will you cum for me again?" Adrian asked looking a bit worried as he locked eyes with you. 

"I don't know Adrian, but it's okay this feels good baby..." You told him trying to reassure him by combing your fingers through his curly hair.

"H-hey touch yourself for me." Adrian requested, pulling your wrist down. "Go on, rub your clit I want to see you make yourself cum while I'm inside you." 

There was something about when Adrian got dominant outside of the Vigilante suit that really drove you wild. 

You nodded finding that idea incredibly hot, circling your clit the way you liked it and tipped your head back as Adrian began to snap his hips again.

His green eyes transfixed on the motion of your hand and himself entering you like Adrian was making a calculation in his mind, gritting his teeth.

"That's it, get yourself there baby and then I'll blow my load..." Adrian cooed, cupping your face lovingly. 

Staring at each other intensely, Adrian took in your expression like he was painting a picture of you in his mind every pleasured gasp a brush stroke he added when you writhed underneath him.

"I wanna fuck you through your orgasm, come on be a good girl and cum first for me!" He ordered you with a desperate whine. 

That neediness did it for you, you finally came and Adrian's face lit up with a dopey grin as he pumped away and you were flat on your back. A few thrusts of watching you lost in your post orgasm haze beneath him in wonderment was all he needed and Adrian finished with a loud satisfied moan.

When you two got upstairs and Adrian peeled out of his Vigilante costume and you out of the Vengeance costume you could tell the switch had been pulled over in the other direction when he got out of the shower. He was only dressed in a towel around his waist and his brow was adorably furrowed.

"Uh...while we're exploring all of this stuff..." Adrian said gingerly and continued when you reassuringly nodded and took his hand.

"I-I made something for me to wear too alongside that vigilante dominatrix outfit..." He said with a sharp sigh like he was worried you'd be disgusted or disappointed.

"Wow really? I want to see it Adrian!" You told him.

"Well, okay...I'll go get changed into it. But uh yeah it's...a bit different..." Adrian trailed off walking into his closet and you heard him shuffling around and getting changed with some cursing.

"If you don't like it and think it's weird I won't ever wear it again and I'll burn it..." Adrian said nervously walking out to you. 

Your jaw dropped. He was in thigh high teal laced stockings, attached to a garter belt with leather black and white accents running down the sides, and a Vigilante suit corset with red string laced at the back.

He looked beautiful.

"I got inspired by Rocky Horror Picture Show..." He added, his face burning bright red as you appraised it, his own eyes glued to the floor.

"Oh my pretty prince...I love it!" You sighed dreamily at the sight of him all dolled up.

"R-really?" Adrian replied shakily, peering up at you still a bit shy.

"Yeah, it's so sexy honey bear...do you have heels you'd want to wear with it?" You offered.

"No! That's like you wearing my glasses, I don't have the right prescription to wear the heels. It's your thing..." Adrian said insistently, clearly hating the very notion of it so you let it go.

"I'm glad you like it." Adrian grinned brightly at you, his cheeks and ears bright pink. He got a bit more confident and did a little twirl for you to show off the whole ensemble.

"I love it!" You exclaimed, admiring how his muscles flexed against the corsets boning, while the stockings helped accentuate his amazing strong thighs and well defined calves.

Then a loud tapping on the door scared the shit out of both of you.

"Sweetie, are you in there? I'm back from church choir!" Mrs. Chase called out from outside the door and Adrian's eyes bugged out of his skull. "Did you get to sleep?" 

"Fuck!" He screamed, throwing the covers over to hide you and then tried to find something to put over himself as the door was knocked on more aggressively.

"I can hear you in there Adrian, what's wrong?" Mrs. Chase opened the door looking at the mess you'd caused over the weekend. 

"Oh god it's disgusting in here, young man you need to clean your room..." Then she paused, taking in Adrian's outfit, which he was in the middle of trying to cover up with a bathrobe.

"Mom, seriously I mean it get the fuck out now!" Adrian let out a high pitched holler.

"Oh Adrian what are you wearing don't tell me...you aren't..." Mrs. Chase began, holding a hand up to her lips.

"Don't start mom, just fuck off and leave!" Adrian continued to yell, his face brick red.

"Are you gay Adrian? Like your father? You need to tell her right away young man if you are! I won't let you put her through that torment like Charles being closeted did to me!" Mrs. Chase said, hands on her hips. "I will love and accept you no matter what Adrian but it's not fair to do this to her!" 

"IT'S NOT FUCKING LIKE THAT!" Adrian cursed over and over again, rubbing his temples.

"It's really not like that Mrs. Chase!" You piped up and revealed yourself from the covers. "Adrian just likes dressing up in lingerie trust me he's still very much into me! And I'm super into him! Our sex life is fantastic!" 

"Oh thank goodness...aw how darling is that outfit, you're just like Tim Curry! Dear why didn't you just say so?" Mrs. Chase asked Adrian with a frown.

"Fine, mom I'm out of the closet, I'm kind of... bisexual? But I also don't really enjoy sex much outside of with her to be honest and I was bro bonding with Chris...but then again I did really want to kind of fuck myself that one time...so I don't fucking know? And yeah I like dressing up in lingerie occasionally...and I love when she steps on my head with high heels on...plus I have tons of other fucked up shit that I enjoy sexually, there happy?" Adrian huffed, folding his arms and waiting bitterly for the insane response.

"Yes I'm super happy! That's just great Adrian, I love my bisexual son and it's so wonderful that you've found such an open minded partner to explore all of this in a loving way! Now should we have some lunch? I'll make sammiches." Mrs. Chase replied brightly, completely unfazed.

"...what really? You're not going to lecture me?" Adrian asked his mother bewildered.

"No? Why would I do that?" Mrs. Chase scoffed at the question and cocked her head in confusion. "Don't be silly! Now hurry up and tidy this room of yours young man!" 

"The only thing I have to criticize is that you're wearing protection and not working on getting me any grandchildren..." She chuckled, walking back down the stairs with a whistle.

"Huh. Maybe my mom is cool." Adrian reluctantly admitted. 

"Definitely, Mrs. Chase is the coolest!" You agreed with a big grin.

"We should really get our own place soon though!" Adrian said, gripping your hand tightly.

You nodded fervently at that. A private place of your own to be together and keep exploring things was definitely in order. 

It was Evergreen where she met Harcourt and Economos and it was the first time outside of her family that she actually started to feel like she belonged. It was a nice little bubble the three of them had and then Project Butterfly happened and they started working again with Peacemaker, a man she had only heard of when Harcourt had one too many drinks and would open up about Project Starfish. 

But with Peacemaker, came Vigilante. At first she found his endless nonsense really annoying, but coupled that with the fact that every chance he got he checked on her, thanked her, and brought her some of her favorite treats she couldn’t help the small butterflies in her stomach. 

And even though she swore of dating vigilantes after watching her brother’s fumble relationship after relationship. Adrian Chase had worn her down. 

They had been dating for a little over a year now and for the first time in her adult life she finally felt comfortable bringing her boyfriend back to Gotham to meet her family. 

“A private plane is so fucking cool and there’s no pilot? That’s so fucking cool,” Adrian said for what had to be for the hundredth time as he shuffled in the seat across from her, she peered over her book with a small smile as Adrian looked around. 

“Yeah,” she said gently and he looked over at her, a goofy smile on his face. 

“Are you nervous? Is it weird that I’m nervous?” he asked and she smiled, putting her bookmark in her book and setting it off to the side. 

“I don’t think it’s weird that you’re nervous,” she said simply and he nodded. 

“I just really want them to like me both as your boyfriend and as Vigilante. I’m so glad he sent the plane because I have no idea how we’d get my suit through the everyday security, like could you imagine?” he said with a bright laugh. 

“You didn’t bring any of your guns right?” she asked and Adrian nodded. “Good, Bruce would hate that and I don’t want to start anything because Jason would defend you and then it’ll just be a whole thing.” 

“Should I call him Bruce? Mr. Wayne? Batman? Mr. Batman?” he listed off and she rolled her eyes when she realized each suggestion was serious. 

“I don’t know I just call him Bruce, but if you feel like you should call him something else, you can?” she said, nudging back at her book as Adrian glanced at it. 

“Are you trying to finish it before we get there?” he asked, gently and she smiled. 

“Jason recommended it, I wanted to finish it so we can talk about it while I’m there in person,” she said and he nodded towards her book. 

“You can read,” he said softly. “I can be quiet for a few hours,” he promised, crossing his finger over his heart. She hummed as she picked up her book, finding herself reading the same page over and over again as she tried to not spiral too much about what might be her brothers’ reactions to Adrian. 

She knew at the end of the day that if she said she was happy and they cleared their grievances they would at the very least back off and let her live her life, but getting there might be painful. Especially considering her and Adrian planned to stay for a week. Which also meant that Adrian was going to get antsy and want to go on patrol. 

Vigilante in Gotham was almost asking from and it wasn’t that she didn’t think he could handle it, she just wasn’t sure how Bruce was going to feel about Adrian’s “kill first, ask questions later” motto. Maybe she can distract Adrian enough to take a week off and just avoid the conversation entirely. 

True to Adrian’s promise he let her read in peace, but she didn’t get much reading done. Most of her thoughts finally circled the worst case scenarios of her family's reactions to her boyfriend. She felt lucky knowing that at the very least there was little they could do to make Adrian not like them. Still a week was a long time to deal with all the frequent flyers of Wayne Manor. 

Once they landed, they made quick work grabbing their bags and heading towards the pickup spot. Her face splitting into a grin when she saw Alfred standing outside of one of the Wayne cars, a gentle smile on his face. 

“It is so good to see you, my dear.” he said, quickly accepting her hug as Adrian took her bag, smiling and bouncing back and forth on his heels as he watched them. “And you must be Mr. Chase, it’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” he said, holding out his hand, which Adrian readily took. 

“Just Adrian is fine!” he said brightly. “It’s nice to meet you too!” 

Alfred gave her a smile, before they all got in the car. 

“Everyone is already at the manor, eagerly awaiting your arrival,” he said, looking at them from the review mirror and she smiled. 

“It’s that exciting?” she teased, squeezing Adrian’s hand as she watched Gotham whiz by from the window. 

“It’s been five years since you’ve been home, of course it’s that exciting. You should’ve seen Master Bruce’s face when he got your message.” 

“Really?” she asked, biting her lip. “And the fact I’m bringing someone who I…spilled the beans to?” She watched Alfred seem to choose his next words carefully.

“He’s aware of…Adrian’s own… night time activities. I believe that softened the blow. Master Damian had more resistance, but once Master Bruce spoke to him things seemed to get easier. In fact, I think the boys are now excited to get to talk ‘shop’ and show off some gadgets from the bat cave.” 

“Oh my god, can we please do that first, that sounds amazing!” Adrian said, looking at her with wide begging eyes as she laughed. 

“You don’t want to unpack and get settled first?” she asked, squeezing his hand.

“Okay, yeah that first then cool gadgets. Do you know if I can bring my suit down? I made it myself and I’ve been dying to get feedback and upgrades from others that actually understand what I’m going for,” Adrian asked, leaning forward as Alfred chuckled. 

“Oh, I’m sure Tim is going to have a field day with that, he’ll love doing that,” she answered before Alfred could. 

“I believe you’re quite right,” he said, pulling into the manor. “You know the way to your room and I will gather everyone in the bat cave shortly.”

She happily led Adrian through the manor, smiling as she listened to his ‘ohs’ and ‘aws’ as he carried both their bags up to her old room. Which was left just how she remembered it. She smiled as she started to unpack and Adrian took in every picture, poster, and knick knack she had left behind. She tried her best to not let the fact the room was the same make her feel any sort of way, Bruce was weird and sentimental about the weirdest things and she tried to not think about the fact that any of them had been waiting for her to come home this long. 

“You okay?” Adrian asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, his head resting on her shoulder. She placed her hands on top of his. 

“Yeah, just thinking,” she said honestly. 

“Ready to go? Or do you want a few minutes?” he asked. “We can always play hookey for a bit. I honestly wouldn’t mind. Not that I’m nervous to meet them at all! I just know that this has to be a lot for you, home for the first time in five years and I’m just so grateful you wanted to share this with me and not just because Bruce Wayne is Batman and I’m about to see Batman’s lair.”

“Don’t call it a lair,” she said, crinkling her nose and Adrian chuckled, kissing her cheek. “It’s just the Bat Cave.” 

“The Cave!” he said, trying and failing to sound mysterious as she laughed, leaning most of her weight back and against Adrian. 

“Yeah, let’s go to the cave,” she said, unraveling herself from Adrian who pouted at the loss of contact before she slotted her hand in his. 

She was pleased they bumped into Jason first, who was quick to wrap her up in a hug that she returned. Out of her whole family her and Jason always got along best, she always chalked it up to the fact that both of them were comfortable in the silence, never feeling like they had to make conversation and they could just exist around each other. 

“Hey sis,” he said, squeezing her when she laughed, letting go of Adrian’s hand to give him a proper hug. 

“Hey, Jay. How are you?” she said, releasing him as Jason turned to shake Adrian’s hand. 

“Here,” he said with a shrug, the wait of the word was clear to her and she was happy that he made the sacrifice for her and Adrian. “You must be Adrian.” 

“You must be Jason!” Adrian parroted back and Jason smiled at her. 

“I like your methods,” Jason said, skipping straight to the point and Adrian beamed at him. 

“Thanks man! See, I wanted to bring my guns, but wasn’t sure about the security of the airport and I figured getting detained on the way to meet my girlfriend's family was not the move,” he answered honestly. “But! If you ever find your way to Evergreen you’ve gotta come check out my set up!” 

“Will do, the old man is waiting for you. I’ve got some stuff I have to take care of but I’ll be around a few times this week,” he said, moving to slip away, but she grabbed his arm before he could move too far away. His green eyes snapped to her face. 

“Let’s get a drink at some point this week, out of the manor.” she said and he smiled. 

“We do have some books to talk about,” he said before finally slipping away. She would never pressure Jason to stay or be around Bruce but she wished for her sanity he would stay. 

“Come, let’s meet everyone else,” she said, putting her hand back into Adrian’s before she started to lead them back down. She smiled as she heard the familiar sounds of Tim and Damien bickering and Bruce typing away at the keyboard. 

“Hey guys,” she said and all their heads whipped towards her. “This is Adrian-”

“Holy shit is that a bo staff?” Adrian asked, immediately letting go of her hand to inspect Tim’s staff that was in his hands. Tim blinked, eyes wide on her before looking back at Adrian. 

“Oh yeah, it’s collapsible and-”

“It’s collapsible!” Adrian practically shouted as both her and Damien winced, but Tim just started grinning. “Oh my god that’s so cool. I typically have a katana on my back that I use on occasion but trust me I’m always looking for new and different weapons to try on patrol. Could you show me how you use it?” 

“Yeah, of course. I’ve got a second one. If you want to spar with it, I can show you a few moves.” Tim suggested and Adrian turned towards her and she laughed as he gave her his best puppy dog eyes. 

“Sure, just please be careful,” she said as Tim immediately starting leading Adrian throughout the Bat Cave, listing off the various gadgets and gizmos they had. 

“Nerds,” Damian said with a scoff as he trailed behind them.

“If they’re nerds, why are you following them?” she asked, smiling as Damian turned to glare at her. 

“Someone here needs to make sure he’s actually equipped to protect his city. It’s a travesty none of us have done it yet,” Damian said, shuffling slightly and avoiding her eye contact, but the meaning between the words is still there. His city, her, in Damian’s mind the same thing. 

She watched the three of them make their way to the training area as she walked over to Bruce, jumping up to sit on the desk as she watched him. He was at least in casual clothing, she partially expected him to go running off as Batman when she brought a new person home. She guessed the night was still young. 

“He’s meta?” Bruce asked her, eyes sharp on the computer as she narrowed her eyes, of course the questions would be the first thing out of his mouth and she wasn’t even sure if he had even looked at Adrian to acknowledge his existence in person. His body stayed tense or well as tense as Bruce would ever show. He clearly felt out of place questioning her at all when she didn’t react the way he wanted. 

“How do you know that?” she asked. 

“I have access to the A.R.G.U.S. servers,” he said simply and she scoffed. She knew for a fact that Adrian’s file with A.R.G.U.S was far from lacking and she could only begin to wonder just how much Bruce already knew about him before she even said she was bringing him home. 

The invasion should bother her, but coming from Bruce she knew it was just the strange way he showed care for them. 

“Access or you’ve hacked them?” 

“Does it matter? He’s a meta human?” he pressed again as he turned in his chair to look at her, arms crossed tightly across his chest. 

“In the loosest way possible, yes he’s meta. He can heal fast, he typically passes out if the pain is too bad and he wakes up fine,” she relented and he nodded. “That doesn’t mean you need to come up with a contingency plan,” she hissed, making sure no one else could hear her as Adrian and Time kept talking about the different weapons. 

“I didn’t say I made a contingency plan, did I?” Bruce said and she rolled her eyes. “I think it’s fair that I look into anyone who my kids are dating.”

“Yeah a social media check, not going through top secret files from a government agency,” she said, rolling her eyes. 

“I do what I can,” he said and she smiled. 

“I know,” she said gently as she looked over to where the boys were, she saw Dick above them leaning against the bannister watching Adrian and Tim spar while Damian egged on Tim. 

“Why don’t you go see what Dick is up to,” Bruce said and she looked back over to him. 

“I will, but first your thoughts,” she said and Bruce furrowed his brow. 

“Thoughts on what?” he asked. 

“On Adrian and well…I guess me?” she clarified, looking away. She truly hated how badly she wanted Bruce’s approval at this moment, but she figured they were all weak when it came to wanting Bruce to agree with their life choices. 

“He seems nice,” he said gently. “Makes you happy, happy enough to come home and bring someone with you. He understands the field, which I know makes dating feel impossible.” 

“Yeah,” she said softly. 

“But I like him, I’m sure the rest will give you their opinions, but I’m happy to see you both,” he finished and she nodded, trying to fight the beaming smile that threatened to take over her features. 

“Yeah, I’m happy to see you guys too,” she said before squeezing his shoulder and making her way up to where Dick was watching Adrian and Tim. Adrian bouncing around and talking almost nonstop while he and Tim practiced with the bo staff.

“So, he’s a lot,” Dick said, leaning against the railing with her as she watched Adrian and Tim go back and forth about different gadgets. 

“Hm, a little” she relented with a small smile and he chuckled. 

“But he’s good to you?” 

“The best,” she answered honestly. 

“That’s good,” he hummed, clapping an arm around her shoulder and tugging her in for a small side hug. 

“Baby! Do you think we have room in the apartment for a bo staff?” Adrian shouted up at her and she smiled.

“If it’s collapsible and Tim helps you,” she shouted down and Tim gave her a thumbs up as he focused on Adrian, the two still circling each other before going back to sparing. 

“You guys live together?” Dick asked softly. 

“He just moved into my apartment three months ago,” she said, leaving out the part where Adrian was living with his mom. Not that any of the bat family really had much of a say in that, they’ve all lived in Wayne Manor or by using Bruce’s help at one point or another. 

“That serious, huh?” 

“Serious enough I brought him to meet you guys,” she hummed and he smiled. 

“Yeah that’s true,” he said, not saying anything else as they watched the two spar. She could tell Adrian and Tim were pretty evenly matched since Adrian was newer to the weapon, but as he started to get a hang of it he started to get the edge on Tim. Once Damian immediately noticed the slip he looked up at her and Dick, giving her an approval nod. 

They all end up watching Adrian spar with Damian and katanas and later with Dick as he practiced with escrima sticks. Adrian was having the time of his life sparring with them and the others seemed impressed with how eager he was. 

Later when they were wrapping everything up in the Bat Cave, she managed to pull Adrian to the side, whispering in his ear. 

“Heads up, Bruce did access your files from A.R.G.U.S. I’m so sorry,” she whispered and Adrian turned to look at her, cocking his head to the side with a goofy grin. 

“No baby, he absolutely should do that! I mean what if I was a complete weirdo! I’m glad he’s checking in and making sure you’re safe. Do you think he found anything cool on me?” he asked brightly and she laughed, leaning into him. 

“I’m sure you can ask,” she said smiling at him as he smiled back, leaning in to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek. 

“Awesome! I wonder if he has access to Chris’ file too! I’d love to know which one of us Batman himself thinks is the cooler superhero!”

“Of course,” she said flatly and Adrian chuckled. 

“Hey,” he said, wrapping her up in his arms. He was barely sweaty from the sparring. 

“Hey,” she said softly, the others bickering about what they wanted to order for dinner, as if Alfred wasn’t going to make sure she got to pick for her first night back in Gotham. 

“I’m really glad you brought me out here, not just because this is sick as fuck and I can’t wait to get to know them all better, but because you wanted me to meet them. It means a lot,” he said softly, his smile almost shy reminding her of when they first started dating and how nervous he would get by her. 

“Of course, I’m really glad you said yes,” she whispered and he shook his head. 

“You should know by now I’ll say yes to anything you want,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I love you.”

Your vain attempts to hint at a wedding sadly fell on deaf ears as Adrian measured out the hexagons per tree minis ratio for three quarter coverage in combat at his DM screen. 

“Sorry about him, he gets so awfully nervous about parties or catch-ups with his friends. Probably because none of the kids in Adrian’s classes ever showed up to his birthday parties in school.” Mrs. Chase whispered to you, scooping out some brownie mix for the tray. 

“How awful! Mrs Chase, you said that you kept all of Adrian's yearbooks and class photos?” You asked, smiling innocently while internally ready to make those childhood bullies rue the day that they were ever born. 

“I did sweetie, let's look over them together! And please call me Loretta.” She beamed, excited to keep showing off her pride and joy. 

As everyone began to file in and sit around the table, bringing enough alcohol to open a distillery, you and Loretta ran around trying to make sure everyone was comfortable.

Setting down coasters down at the same time, placemats, cutlery and dips you both loved to fuss over others.

"Can I get a rootbeer?" Adrian called out to the kitchen as you both went to bring the dessert. 

"Of course sweetie!" You and Loretta sang back in the same tone. 

"Hey dude have you ever kinda noticed that your girlfriend is pretty similar to your mom..." Chris said innocently, before he saw the murder death glare Adrian was giving him.

"If you say that to me ever again, I'm sorry I know you're my best friend in the entire world but I will kill you." Adrian said, his stare so intense that Chris fully believed it.

"Yikes, somebody has mommy issues..." John muttered under his breath. 

“Let's introduce our characters round the table!” Adrian loudly interrupted that train of thought before it could go any further. “You're all adventurers who are ready to go questing in the local tavern. 

“I’m a halfling rogue.” Judomaster announced, putting his feet up on the table until Langston deftly swiped them off.

“Have some respect while in the lovely Loretta’s abode! And the question was ‘what D&D character are you playing?’ not a basic introduction.” Langston said with a stern glare, before stealing a look at Mrs Chase who you noticed was in a slightly lower cut cardigan than usual sitting next to him.

Rip rolled his eyes and pointed down at the mini in front of Langston. “Haha very funny, why the fuck are you a bird dude? Aren't you bird deaf or something?”

Langston stared at the bird man mini with a quizzical frown. “I have bird blindness, it's a serious condition!” 

“Oh dear how terrible. I feel like I've heard about that on dateline.” Mrs Chase put a comforting hand on Langston's shoulder, who immediately snuggled his cheek against it. “You're so strong to suffer with such an affection Mr Fleury!” 

“No please, beautiful women can call me Langston.” 

Adrian looked like he was about to blow a gasket. 

“And I'm not a bird dude, I'm an Aarakockra. Which I assume is like some kind of lizard person. Or is this an elf? It's hard to tell…” Langston trailed off, setting it back down.

“I went for a sorcerer because I'm charming as hell and it's all natural baby…” Langston stared dreamily into Mrs Chase's lovely green eyes as he described his characters class. 

“Ooh! I'm a voluptuous vampire warlock who was turned by her patron, and also super charismatic.” Mrs Chase grinned, pushing her cleavage together slightly as she picked up her mini. “She's like Elvira, oh I had a little bit of a goth phase myself. I watched Siouxsie and the Banshees back in the day…” 

“I'd let you feed on me anytime baby doll…” Langston drawled. 

“I'm a gorgeous wood elf druid with dire doggos as my animal summons!” Adebayo diffused the situation gracefully. 

“I'm a half orc barbarian because I want to punch things.” Harcourt explained sharply, cracking her knuckles.

Chris grinned beside her, showing off his mini which he'd crudely painted. “And I'm a hot as fuck tiefling bard. I use my awesome singing to take down all the baddies and tavern wenches panties.” 

“AND the tavern dudes panties.” He added to quell the angry eyebrows from Harcourt and Adebayo. 

“I'm a warforged artificer.” Sasha said briefly, already looking bored. 

“So a fantastic cyborg? How creative.” John scoffed. 

“Shut up, what the hell are you playing as then?” Sasha snapped back. 

John gave a real nerdy smirk, a geeky smoulder if you will as he presented an immaculately painted mini. “I'm a Firbolg wizard.” 

“So a big hairy nerd with no hit points? I thought we were meant to play a character not ourselves.” Sasha clapped back. “And a warforged isn't a cyborg, they are a sentient being made from metal created by magic to fight wars.”

“Nerd alert!” Rip cackled. 

The entire table started to go off the rails, a total dms nightmare as everyone began to loudly role play their characters at the same time. 

“I'd like to seduce the barkeep!” Chris shouted, rolling his die. “NATURAL 20!” He clapped his hands together like he was trying to set a fire.

“Wait, I didn't say for you to roll…” Adrian began but was ignored. 

“So what position do we do? I'm thinking…” Chris continued on graphically while suggesting the hair metal ballads that would suit each one. 

“I want to start a bar fight.” Harcourt announced, rolling her dice. All of them at once. “How many do I hit?” 

“You can't just start combat.” John sighed. Adrian lit right up at a voice of reason. “Can I order an ale?” 

“Of course it's five copper, my fine Firbolg friend.” Adrian grinned, putting on the gruff barkeep character voice he'd been practicing. 

“Five copper? What a rip off! I cast charm person to get a free drink.” John said and Adrian's face fell again.

“Are you sure? It's standard for…” Adrian tried to explain but was cut off again.

“I want to steal all the coin off the barkeep!” Rip declared, rolling for it. Somehow another natural 20 and the table all cheered.

“It's a wisdom saving throw for my charm person.” John said.

“Well okay but…” Adrian was floundering.

“Are there any animals I can talk to up in here?” Adebayo asked. 

You could tell that your man was getting seriously over stimulated, hands beginning to tremble with his bottom lip.

Clearing your throat sharply you got the attention of the entire room with scathing librarian shush, making all heads turn. 

“Ahem, I haven't even gotten to introduce myself yet.” You stated severely.

“Of course! Sorry my love, please tell everyone your character.” Adrian was glad for the reprieve, especially given his mother and Langston were trying to out roll each other for seduction currently.

“I'm a Goliath cleric.” You said cheerfully, placing your mini down. Just like yourself it was wearing a removable black velvet cloak.

“Huh, that's kinda standard.” John mused, the rest of the table similarly surprised at your time choice. Then the other shoe dropped. Along with your cloak. 

Everyone's eyes nearly bulged out of their skulls at your cosplay. Black leather studded pauldrons flowed into a chain mail laced body suit in long chained silver ropes that left nothing to the imagination. Thigh-high boots with rings and skulls up the side and elbow-length gloves helped finalise the dominatrix outfit, 

“Of the Lady of Pain, Lovitar.” You continued, a cat-like grin on your painted ruby red lips.

Adrian loved that shade of lipstick so much, it was the blood red you wore the very first day you'd met in the library. 

“Ah there it is.” John sighed.

“Woah, the uh Scourge Mistress?” Adrian audibly gulped, blushing behind the DM screen. 

“That's right, my sacred duty is to enact the Patroness of Torturers will with her cat of nine tails, finding those faithful and willing of the whip.” You drew the cat of nine tails whip you’d made and cracked it behind your chair, startling the table. “Any takers?”

“Wait so you’re a Goliath too?” Adebayo needed the full picture here and as you nodded everyone saw the vision but Harcourt spelled it out, looking thoroughly impressed. 

“Giant goth dom mommy.” She murmured like it was a secret code you’d unlocked to successfully swipe the declaration of independence. 

“That’s right.” You flashed everyone a sharp smile, those hypnotically crazy eyes intensely staring into Adrian’s soul. He gave you a loving stare back, drunk off how good you looked. 

You'd successfully out freaked them all, even Langston and his mother, allowing Adrian to slip into the role of Dungeon Master without any more interruptions. 

God Adrian seriously loved you.

The rest of the session was amazing, the party worked together to solve the mystery and take out a whole gang of Gnolls that were terrorizing the local village. Adrian had so much fun that his ribs hurt from laughing along with his friends too much. He was so proud of them all getting into character, reading their sheets and trying to figure out the dice mechanics that he had to make sure the BBEG was defeated, handing the landing blow to his BFF Chris who delivered a vicious mockery so vicious, Mrs Chase had her ears plugged by Adebayo. 

“That was awesome man thank you!” Chris declared, the goofiest of smiles plastered on his square head. “Let's do this again sometime.” 

“Really?” Adrian was flabbergasted, staring around the table when everyone else agreed. 

“You guys want to hang out and play DND again?” He thought this would only be a one time deal, that they were all contractually obligated by you to show up somehow. 

But instead the Checkmate crew all said they were looking forward to it and bid him farewell. He didn't even notice when anyone left, dumbfounded and glued in his chair, staring down at the minis, maps and copious notes of preparation he had put into the evening. 

Not even when Langston and Loretta left together did he make a single sound of protest.  You waved in front of his face a couple times, “Adrian you okay? That was such a fun session, you’re a wonderful DM!” 

“Y-yeah.” Adrian said slowly, tearing up. It had all suddenly hit him at once. These were truly his friends, genuine bonafide friends, who wanted to be here playing a game with him tonight. 

His mother didn’t even need to beg them to come back for another session like his last campaign. 

Suddenly a rush of every excluded sleepover, empty birthday party, always without a lab partner, dancing alone on prom night, all of those sad childhood memories, flooded back to him. 

“What's wrong?” You asked, noticing his forlorn expression, bottom lip trembling. “Did we not play the game properly or you’re worried about how you ran something? I think that combat went super well.”

“You didn't have to bribe them right? The gang just showed up?” Adrian double checked, lovely green eyes peering up at you at last.  

“No I didn't Adrian, they all wanted to be here and enjoyed the game.” You reassured him gently and Adrian burst into tears. 

“Oh my sweet man, come here.” You held his crying face close at your chain mail laced bosom, letting him sob for as long as he needed. When Adrian was done, blowing into a tissue and went to clean up the table of his DND stuff, but you stopped him, cracking the whip nearby. 

Adrian’s eyes widened and then his cheeks flushed bright pink, rising to his ears when he saw the lust-filled gaze on your face. “Let’s do that tomorrow handsome, you’re mine now. Time to go to bed and prove yourself a true believer of the Maiden of Pain.” You cooed, gripping his wrist tighter and pulling him up the stairs, slack jawed and dazed by the swing of your hips in that tight paingiver priestess garb. 

Slamming his bedroom door shut behind you both, you motioned for him to strip, holding the cat of nine tails and stroking it suggestively. 

“Are you an ardent apostle for your lady of torture?"  You demanded, cracking the leather right by his thighs. Adrian inhaled sharply, everything on his face spelling out just how ardent he was for you in this very moment, most notably formed in a nice tent at his jeans. 

“I’m always an ardent apostle for you my precious poison…” Adrian sighed, instantly dropping to his rightful place, on his hands and knees before your glory. 

It took him no time at all to shuck off his clothes, hesitating at his teal boxers for a moment, as if contemplating something. His eyes drifted to the bedside table drawer and flickered back to you a few times, making you grow slightly suspicious and excited. 

“Oh? Something fun in there?” You guessed, grinning when he nodded. 

“I have something for you.” Adrian whispered, sounding incredibly nervous as he went over still on his hands and knees for you of course and opened the drawer. 

“I’ll say.” You giggled, taking a step forward and harshly pressing the point of your stiletto heel into the small of his back, earning you a lovely groan. Raising the whip high you eyed the plump booty shaking but stopped when he suddenly swiveled around. 

But when he turned, it wasn’t something kinky like what you were expecting. Instead in his palm was a velvet teal ring box, snapping it open to reveal a white gold ring, topped with a large spider-shaped star sapphire, its fangs dripping in emerald green poison, sitting on a web of tiny shimmering diamonds. 

“Wha-” You couldn’t even finish your sentence. 

“Will you marry me?” Adrian asked, knelt in his boxers, with you standing over him caught unawares, only a second prior fully about to whip his ass. 

This truly was the perfect moment to propose for you two. 

It made complete sense, and your heart was so full on how on the same page you both were. 

“Oh Adrian…” This time it was your turn to tear up, dropping the whip to the floor. “YES! A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILLION TIMES YES!” You squealed, jumping up and down excitedly, chains jingling and plump curves jiggling gorgeously, Adrian was truly the luckiest man alive. 

“I mean I already forged the documents with the courthouse and census, but an actual wedding to be officially announced Mrs Adrian Allen Chase? I can’t wait! Oh I’m so excited!” Screaming in pure delight, you dragged his face up to smooch it a hundred times over until it was sufficiently marked in blood-red lipstick stains showing exactly who he belonged to.  

“Me too!” Adrian couldn’t even focus on what you were saying, the joy of your answer to his question being yes was still ringing in his ears. 

Slipping the ring on your finger, it was dazzling and perfect, he’d listened to what sort of stones you loved, the little eyes on closer inspection were amethysts and Adrian showed you the engraving. 

Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly. 

“Your high school yearbook quote! I felt like it was fitting, but I mean if you want it changed…” Adrian grew a little nervous when you kept staring at the words, thumbing them over in a trance. 

“I never thought I’d meet someone who understood me, let alone so well.” You teared up, the odd sensation stunning you and probably ruining your mascara. Yet Adrian kissed the tears all away, and looked at you like you were still just as beautiful, if not even more. 

“I feel the same way.” Adrian flashed you a princely toothy grin. 

“I also have a ring for you.” You remembered suddenly, getting it off your costume. Unclasping the silver ring, it was pronged and crafted after the whip you’d made. 

“Oh it’s a little big, I might need to get it resized.” Adrian said cluelessly, holding it at his ring finger. 

You giggled at your naive fiancee and leant into his ear whispering, “It’s not for your finger.” 

That explanation left his face cherry red, lips parted, eyes glazing over when Adrian fully understood its purpose, realisation stumbling in a whine that he poorly hid with a cough. 

“I love you.” He kissed you, stealing the laugh that left your lips, roughly replacing it with his tongue. 

“And I love you.” You returned the favor, biting down his neck in a series of loving, bruising nips. 

The night was spent in another series of dice rolls, role playing, dungeon delving, critical hits, misses, and resulted in a nice natural 20 with advantage for both of you. The next morning getting up any earlier than past midday was however, a natural 1 with disadvantage. 

༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･

tag list: @bastardstevie, @brianna-merlim @danversxwasabi @mellyhemps815 @emily-a13 @tostellify @lil-rigatoni @havkjhdecs @basement-laughter @whoshotupthetacobell @trelaney @stupiddumpslit @qurems @bhabbiebhee @multi-fandom-bi-bitch @nobodylikeslia @brooklynb8by @blueyobsessedgirly @pickledturnips @chevelle-r @svudetective @pearl-heartzz @smolcupatea @xxxxxxctu @freak-named-kira @directbing @whoshotupthetacobell @secretjesterr @mayret3 @pughsbelova @trelaney @s0ngbird13m @f4sh10n-m4v3n @amerikyan @stickywonderlandbird @zombiegrrlsworld @vigilickme @runawayraccooon @burningluminarysheep @chilifrylizards @countvonklit @bikinikill3r @frenchcowws @ynight14 @michasweirdworld @trahea

You didn't really mind if you missed out on Halloween but Adrian had invited you to go together and he was so looking forward to it. He wouldn't talk about anything else at school lately on the walk back home and excitedly pointed out all of the decorations to you that were popping up in the neighborhood.

Adrian kept saying how extra spooky this year would be, and how he had apparently heard about from mysterious sources that you should both definitely hold hands while trick or treating just to be safe from any strangers or ghosts. Besides you might get lost!

When you tried to ask your father about going he broke the television set so you guessed it wasn't allowed. But disappointing Adrian would feel way worse than whatever your stupid parents dished out.

Your arm was still broken from the last holiday you'd celebrated without your father's permission, Valentine's Day, when you gave Adrian a card so you incorporated it into your costume making a brief case out of cardboard you spray painted silver to go around the cast.

You swung it around as your candy bucket, but probably wouldn't take many sweets home anyway so there wasn't evidence of your sneaking out. It felt secure enough and was light not affecting the cast which was annoyingly bright blue and not red.

It was blank outside of Adrian who had signed your cast with a drawing of a cute cat saying hope you'll be feline better in no time! 😻

Whenever you looked down at it you found yourself smiling and you really didn't want the doctor to cut through the cast when it was time to be removed. Which was coming up soon. Turns out your elbow shattered as well and you needed screws drilled in so it had taken quite a few months for it to properly heal. 

Looking over by the nightstand you saw your crutch and recalled how Adrian had been sent to detention recently for biting a boy who tried to steal it off from you on the way to homeroom. 

While you still needed the crutch for some balance with the funny position your arm was locked into, it didn't really suit the outfit for Halloween when you looked at yourself in the mirror and you decided that you could just limp around a bit tonight. 

The character you'd chosen was Carmen Sandiego because that was your favorite game at the moment so you were all dressed in red with the trenchcoat and hat. You thought it looked pretty good and going down stairs you tried to sneak out but with the added limp the stairs creaked horrendously. 

"Hey!" Your mother yelled groggily from the living room and you heard the familiar roll of a wine bottle.

Before your mother could yell at you about what the hell you thought you were doing or where the fuck you were going, you bolted outside and ran towards the Chase residence. Thankfully she was too drunk to make any sort of pursuit.

Knocking on the door, you enjoyed looking at the gaudy cute Halloween decorations that were littered around the lawn and the cute ghost fairy lights on the porch. A sweet hand made sign by Adrian listed that TPing their house was actually illegal.

Every year the sign and house was relentlessly TP'd anyway along with yours from the bullies that gave you both a tough time but Adrian never gave up and outlined why it was wrong.

Answering the door Mrs. Chase stood there dressed as a witch while Adrian was dressed up as Where's Waldo. He had a white and red striped beanie tucked over his headgear and wore a long sleeved striped shirt with high belted jeans. The costume perfectly suited him and his large wire framed glasses.

"Killer costume! Where in the world did you come from?" Adrian said with a cheeky grin. 

"Thanks Adrian, I really like your costume too...um I found you!" You replied shyly. 

"Oh lovely costume dear!" Mrs. Chase said brightly when she saw you. "Are you little red riding hood?" She asked sweetly. 

"No mom, she's Carmen Sandiego!" Adrian said with a huff. "And I'm Where's Waldo, our costumes match!" He announced proudly. 

"Wow they do, but I never told you what my costume was going to be? That's a cool coincidence!" You said brightly and watched Adrian's face immediately flush a bright pink, green eyes daring away.

"Uh...sure is, yeah a crazy coincidence!" Adrian tried to save face but his mother was onto him and  twisted his ear.

"Did you climb that fence again Adrian Allen Chase?" Mrs. Chase demanded.

"N-no!" Adrian lied, not making eye contact with either of you and finding the ceiling very interesting all of a sudden.

"Honestly..." Mrs. Chase sighed. "Okay let's go, I'll chaperone you two!" She clapped her hands together giddily and Adrian's face fell.

"What? No mom, please I don't need you to chaperone us! We are old enough to go out on our own!" Adrian argued with a big whine.

"I don't think so young man!" Mrs. Chase rebuffed him with a stern frown.

"I'll take them mom." Gut offered, he was dressed as a zombie, the grungy makeup and gratuitous fake blood, stitched and green face paint was really well done and he'd torn his already distressed clothes up even further.

"Hm, alright just don't lose sight of them!" Mrs. Chase relented. "I'll stay here for the trick and treaters then, have fun dears!" She waved you all off with a fond smile and dumped a bunch of candy into your briefcase candy bucket.

When you were out of earshot and view from Mrs. Chase a couple blocks down, Adrian turned to Gut.

"Thanks for covering for us bro. You can leave now though! See you later, okay let's head to the haunted house!" Adrian gripped your hand tightly and tried to walk away from Gut but was grabbed back by the scruff of his neck.

"Nope. Not leaving you guys alone. No monster mash for you two! You've got to hang with me and Chris tonight." Gut chuckled as Adrian tried to wrestle out of his grasp futilely.

"And what's all this about a haunted house?" Gut asked Adrian who grinned.

"There is a big haunted house set up at the end of the street near the park, it's supposed to be really scary and have actual ghosts in there!" Adrian announced to the group trying to sound mysterious but his voice cracked at the mention of ghosts. 

The grip on your hand also trembled slightly from Adrian who tried to keep brave. But you knew that the one thing that seemed to frighten him was the paranormal.

Nothing else seemed to phase him even if it was gory or gross but he would close his eyes tightly at the ghost scenes of Scooby Doo and only reopened them back up again once Velma had definitely solved the mystery.

"Don't you hate ghosts? You cried watching Casper..." Gut began and Adrian glared up at him.

"No I didn't!" Adrian snapped. 

"And you left your light on in your room all night for a month after Ghost busters..." Gut continued to tease him with a malicious glee. 

"That's not true...it's really not!" Adrian turned to you panicked. "I'm not scared of ghosts at all!" 

Then a figure entered your periphery, Chris had snuck up and put a finger to his lips for you to be quiet.

"Boo!" Chris said behind Adrian who jolted and let out a high pitched scream.

"AHH! NO PLEASE DON'T HURT ME GHOST I'LL DO ANYTHING!" Adrian begged for his life, beginning to cower against you.

"Haha! Dude it's me...heya geek squad!" Chris greeted you both, dressed as a vampire.

His hair was slicked right back and he had a black cape on with dress pants and white collared shirt. Fake blood dripped down his dollar store fangs. 

"Uh...I mean, that wasn't scary. I was only joking I knew it was him." Adrian coughed trying to cover up his shaky voice and looked at you sadly.

His sweaty hand nearly left your grasp but you squeezed it and his eyes widened keeping hold of it.

"I know." You played along with a big smile at him. "We shouldn't stop holding hands in case of strangers right?"

"Right! No weirdos will get to you through me, don't worry!" Adrian promised.

"What's cracking Dracula?" Gut said high fiving him.

"Knew you didn't have a brain Prince Charming haha!" Chris scoffed at Gut's zombie costume.

"Don't fucking call me that dude!" Gut snapped back at him, green eyes narrowing.

"Nice costumes by the way! Are you Inspector Gadget and the Hamburglar?" Chris asked you both.

"No I'm Carmen Sandiego..." You said shyly.

"And I'm Where's Waldo!" Adrian said proudly.

"Oh right...those guys! Well they both wear disguises so good job." Chris said with a grin. "Can we join you to go check out that haunted house?" 

"Okay I guess we can let you guys tag along then..." Adrian said reluctantly, looking to you.

"Sure, it'll fun!" You replied cheerfully.

"Y-yeah...fun..." Adrian said, going white as a sheet.

"Let's head to that haunted house then shall we?" Gut offered with a snide look at his scaredy cat little brother.

"Hell yeah dude!" Chris agreed. "What about candy though?" He asked, his bucket already filled to the brim with it.

"You are such a dork!" Gut laughed.

"I don't really want much." You said.

"Me either, it all just gets stuck in my braces." Adrian agreed.

After going to a couple houses along the way, as you walked along you could see that Gut and Chris were  whispering together in secrecy about something.

For whatever reason they also kept staring back at you and your broken arm making you a bit self conscious.

The two of them looked uncharacteristically serious about whatever they were talking about, their trademark happy go lucky and petulant expressions were wiped from Chris' and Gut's faces entirely.

Maybe the cast looked a bit silly with your costume after all...but you couldn't help it!

"I'm excited to see the haunted house." You said with a bright smile to Adrian who was fidgeting with his striped shirt the whole way there.

The haunted house was a big manor of a rich family in Evergreen and it was completely decked out with spider webs, skeletons, tombstones, coffins and witches cauldrons.

When you all arrived on the lawn, Adrian stopped and turned to you nervously.

"O-okay...but um only if y-you don't think that you'll get too scared right? It's okay if you don't want to go inside or anything..." Adrian checked with you anxiously, his hand was trembling in yours.

"I'll be all good." You said with a certainty that made Adrian looked up at you confused.

"H-how do you know that?" He asked, befuddled.

"Because you'll be by my side Adrian, and you're the bravest boy I know." You replied as you walked up the stairs to the front doors, tugging him along. Adrian paused, pulling your hand back.

"R-really? You think that?" Adrian said, pushing his glasses up his nose a bewildered expression on his now cherry tomato face.

"I know that! You always protect me from the bullies at school even when those boys gang up on us." You gave him a brilliant smile that he returned with one full of braces. 

"S-so do you, when the girls pick on me and call me names that is...you always yell at them to stop for me..." Adrian gripped your hand tighter, not able to keep eye contact as he wobbled up the last remaining stairs.

"Come on dudes, it's this way!" Chris told you both to hurry up, ushering you into the front doors.

"Don't wet your pants!" Gut teased Adrian who was about to yell at him but stopped caring when you yelped, getting scared at the doors suddenly closing with a slam and gripped his arm.

"Are you okay?" Adrian asked you quietly.

"U-um...yeah." You lied. The door slamming reminded you of home and what was going to happen when your parents got a hold of you for trick or treating without their permission.

There was a set of red curtains and a sign that read it was completely pitch dark inside and to be careful. When you two walked through it was pitch black darkness and your eyes couldn't really adjust, putting off your already shaky balance.

"Hey Adrian, sorry but can you hold me? It's a bit hard to walk still with my arm and I didn't want to bring the crutch because it ruined my costume. But I don't want to trip in the dark." You were struggling a bit to be honest and Adrian quickly helped you his entire being stammering in reply. 

"S-sure...o-of course I uh can h-hold you..." Adrian gulped heavily and you heard Chris and Gut snickering ahead as they continued to enter the darkness behind the red curtains.

Huddling together you and Adrian tried to follow close behind Chris and Gut through the gauntlet.

First a silly Spirit Halloween glow in the dark skeleton jumped out and Adrian nearly socked it in the face with a scream but still kept you upright.

There was a spooky soundtrack playing with ambience from the Goosebumps tv show that Adrian whimpered at whenever it creaked or a boo and howl emitted.

The fog machine vapors basically made him hyperventilate in fear at the ghost residue but he never once let go of his grip on you and led you through the house. 

When a plastic bag on a string constituting the ghost sprang out on a fishing line, Adrian stepped in front of you, his whole body shaking. 

"I ain't afraid of no ghost!" He screamed, tearing up, you could hear him sniffing in the dark.

"Run, go save yourself! I'll hold it back!" Adrian told you with a strangled cry like you were in a Friday the 13th slasher movie about to get caught by Jason Voorhees.

"Adrian, I won't abandon you!" You insisted, taking his arm again and helping him walk past the plastic bag, kicking it away.

"Holy shit! You just Karate Kid kicked that ghost like it was nothing!" Adrian said in complete awe. 

"Yep that's me, I crane kick ghosts anytime of the week!" You replied with a giggle.

"You're so cool, sorry I'm such a lame dork...getting scared at all of this silly stuff." Adrian said glumly.

"You must be embarrassed to even be seen with me, the boy is meant to be the brave one..." He sighed heavily and trudged along.

"You are brave you were going to sacrifice yourself for me! That's really cool." You attempted to cheer him up but Adrian wasn't listening.

"But I'm just a big coward..." Adrian whispered to himself. 

"No you aren't!" You told him but he kept silent clearly dejected. 

You then both entered a room with a faint eery green light and a table with different silver serving dishes and platters inside.

"Woah this must be the candy room!" You said excitedly and went to pull a lid off.

Inside was what looked like a human brain and guts and you leapt back and screamed.

"Cool!" Adrian said enjoying how realistic it appeared.

Then he noticed you shaking like a leaf beside him and wrapped his arm around your shoulder.

"Hey it's okay, it's not really brains and guts. It's just jello and baked beans and stuff." Adrian explained and you felt silly for getting so scared.

"Sorry that I screamed like that..." You said with a blush at how loud you'd been.

"No it's okay, I'll protect you from this room. It's only fair right?" Adrian grinned back at you and began to pull the other lids off. 

Revealing a severed hand that made you tremble, pulled teeth that you turned away from, and a plate of human hearts and a bowl of eye balls that were moist that all seemed way too real as they stared back at you. 

But Adrian went to each one and took a big bite, telling you how it was made with a mouth full of food making you giggle. 

"Grapes with food dye and fondant...red velvet for the hearts..." He munched along. "Intestines are sausages with spaghetti maggots..." 

By the end of it you weren't the slightest bit scared anymore and neither was he and leaving the haunted house you found a rather pale faced Gut and Chris.

"Hey what did you think? Kinda scary huh?" Adrian said brightly to them.

"Uh yeah...that stuff looked so real in the last room like actual body parts dude I can't believe you ate it..." Gut looked like he was going to be sick.

"Yeah, seriously Jeffrey Dahmer, what the hell?" Chris agreed, looking just as grossed out.

"But it was all fake and made of food anyways, why not eat it?" Adrian shrugged like it was obvious.

Then the owners came out looking pissed. "Did you seriously eat our display young man? That took us ages! Where are your parents?" They yelled at you all, Gut and Chris looking at one another before turning to you and Adrian.

"Woops...let's bail gang!" Gut decided dashing out with Chris. Adrian helped you down the stairs with your arm to bolt away. 

In their wrapped up mummy costumes, the owners couldn't really chase you guys much anyway and just shook their fists in indignation at your direction instead.

Making your escape back to the Chase residence you both giggled inbetween heavy breaths for air.

"That was so much fun!" You and Adrian said exhilarated. 

"Yeah sure was! Thanks guys we're gonna head to a party now. Happy Halloween you two." Chris said goodbye.

"Can we go?" Adrian asked even though he knew what the answer was going to be.

"When you're older...maybe!" Gut said with a shit eating grin, waving you off condescendingly. Gut and Chris grinned, sauntering down the road together.

You noticed that they had masks from the movie Scream ready to put on for whatever highschool party they were going to.

"Darn it." Adrian said to you with a frown, walking you back to your house down the street.

"Maybe next year." You replied with a giggle. 

"Thanks for a great spooky Halloween Adrian." You said shyly giving him a hug with your good arm once you were outside your house.

"T-thanks for a great s-spooky Halloween too!" Adrian chirped out, gently patting your back.

"I'll see you around Waldo, don't go hiding too well!" You said playfully to him with a wave as you walked up the steps of your porch. 

"Same to you Ms. Sandiego! I'd go all around the world to find you!" Adrian returned your wave and upped you with a big formal bow, nearly losing his beanie in the process. 

"Night Adrian. Thanks for protecting me from all the ghost and ghouls tonight!" You said fondly, hand shaking as it gripped the front door handle.

Soon enough you'd be yelled at by your mother and maybe even get your other arm broken for defying your father. 

"Anytime! I'll always protect you from anything no matter what." Adrian proclaimed with a big puppy dog grin, walking back to his house tail wagging.

adrian and chris had been at the bar for at least an hour. it was their regular bar they always met up at after work, usually with the other 11th street kids. but, even with all the hours spent drinking here, adrian had never seen you here before. trust he’d remember that face.

you honestly didn’t look like you belonged there, too pretty, too sweet looking. this dark, dingy bar didn’t deserve to have you in it. he noticed you the second you had walked in. about a half hour ago with your friend, a look on your face that read you’d rather be anywhere else, maybe it was your friends idea to come here, maybe that’s why he’s never seen you. you nursed one drink and chatted causally to your friend sitting across the table from you. adrian, ever observant, didn’t take long to notice a few cute little habits of yours (twirling the same piece of hair, messing with the lemon on the side on your drink, crossing your legs and kicking your foot almost nervously)

“dude, you’ve been staring at that chick for like 20 minutes, it’s getting creepy. when are you gonna go talk to her?” chris’ words snap him out of his daydream.

“what? i have not been staring at her!” adrian tries to defend himself.

“hey man it’s ok! she’s kinda cute. go buy her a drink!”

“first of all she’s way more than “kinda cute”, second of all—“ adrian’s eyes suddenly snap over to chris, who now has a huge grin on his face.

“i knew you were staring at her!” chris laughs, slapping adrian on the back,

“look, i’ve never seen you actually have the hots for a girl before, you need to go talk to her!”

“ew, i dont “have the hots” for her,” adrian grimaces.

“all im saying is if you don’t go talk to her soon….” chris sighs, adrian’s eyebrows pushing together.

“…i’m going to,” he rests a hand on adrian’s shoulder.

adrians eyes go wide.

“please don’t.”

“i’m gonna have to,” chris shrugs.

“no! fine. ugh! i’ll go,” adrian slowly and nervously gets off the shaky bar stool he was sitting on next to chris, reluctantly making his way in your direction.

you saw him across the bar, of course you did. he’s been staring at your friend basically the entire time you guys have been in here. you’re used to guys staring at her, she’s gorgeous.

it’s only a matter of time before he saunters over and cringingly asks to buy her a drink, it happens everywhere you guys go.

you never get hit on and honestly, you don’t really mind. the guys that usually hit on your friend are….unique looking… to put it nicely. and of…. below average intelligence with little to no emotional maturity or respect for women. again, to put it nicely.

you much prefer to be left alone, your distaste for men growing everyday anyway (especially the losers in these bars). it makes you feel bad for your friend even though she doesn’t seem to mind much. ordinarily giving the guy the time of day, for reasons unknown to you.

aaaand here he comes, right on cue!

he’s nervously wringing his hands and adjusting his big silver glasses again and again as he approaches. you stare into your drink, awkwardly stirring the straw as you wait for the usual dorky pick up lines.

“hi, uh, i’m adrian. and i just um…was just wondering if you would be ok with me buying you a drink?” he clears his throat as a beat of silence follows.

god, this guy sounds like he’s never talked to a girl in his life.

the silence drags on and finally, you look over at your friend to see why she isn’t answering him to find her staring at you. with furrowed brows you look up at the man to find him staring at you as well.

you look side to side with just your eyes.

“were you talking to me?” you ask with a monotone voice.

“well yeah,” he gives a small nervous smile and pushes up his glasses again.

you laugh dryly at his response and he presses his hands together again, his shoulders starting to slump, looking like a kicked puppy.

“sorry, this was dumb. i’ll just go.” he mumbles.

“no wait, you’re seriously asking to buy me a drink?” you raise an eyebrow.

“yeah?” his voice shakes a bit.

“why?” you cross your arms.

“why?” he repeats.

“yeah, why?” you stare at him, eyeing him up and down.

“cause…well cause, i think you’re pretty and my friend said that this is what you do when you think a girl in a bar is pretty,” he gestures behind him at his muscular friend who tips his beer bottle towards you with a smile, taking a sip.

you laugh at him again and look him over some more.

he’s actually sorta cute, in a dorky way. he looks like he’d have a comic book collection and unfortunately you’re into that.

“i guess so?” you’re still unsure but you look over at your friend who’s smiling brightly and giving you double thumbs up.

his eyes go wide and his smile stretches across his entire face, “really? sick!” he clears his throat again, “uh, i mean, what would you like? to drink, i mean,” leaning on your table. he’s really trying to be “cool” but it’s not working at all.

you give him your drink order and he shoots finger guns as he turns to make his way to the bar. hitting himself in the forehead with his palm and shaking his head on his way over there.

your friend immediately grabs your hand.

“oh my god! he’s a cutie! and so nerdy! just your type!” she giggles.

you let out a small laugh,

“he’s probably just talking to me cause he was too nervous to talk to you first. 20 bucks says he’ll ask me for your number.”

“what? why would he do that?”

“you think guys don’t ask me for your number?”

her smile falters, “but he seems into you! and he was so nervous, it was so cute!”

“girl, guys are never into me. they don’t ask me out and they definitely don’t ask to buy me a drink,” you tilt your head at her.

“well maybe because you’ve never met this guy! maybe the universe was waiting!” she grips your hand tighter.

“ok that’s a little dramatic for a guy i just met at a bar,” you roll your eyes at her.

“omg he’s coming back! and i “conveniently” have to go to the bathroom,” she winks at you and shoots up out of her chair to leave you alone. your hand extends towards her and you open your mouth as if you’re going to yell at her not to leave you when the man sets your drinks down.

“i’m back!” he smiles brightly at you.

“i see that,” you nervously reach for your drink.

“what happened to your friend?”

there it is.

“what happened to your friend” trying to casually bring her up so he can ask if she’s single.

“i’m not giving you her number. if you want her number you should’ve just asked her, buying me a drink is not—“

“i don’t want her number?” he looks at you like you’re crazy.

“you don’t?”

“no, why would i? am i supposed to? cause i really don’t. i didn’t even notice her there until i walked up to your table, really. why would i ask to buy you a drink and then ask for your friends number, that’s crazy!” he laughs, probably louder than appropriate.

“you’d be surprised how many guys think that works.”

you grab at the stem of the cherry in your drink as he looks at you in surprise.

“is that why you were kinda mean when i asked to buy you a drink?” he asks sheepishly.

“oh, was i mean?” you ask condescendingly, pouting slightly.

“yeah you kinda scared me,” he admits while still smiling at you.

“and yet you still bought me a drink.”

“yeah cause like i said, you’re really pretty. i wanted to talk to you. well actually, to be honest, i didn’t wanna talk to you. i didn’t think you’d talk to me, but my friend kinda made me,” he winces.

“first of all you didn’t say i was “really pretty”, you just said pretty. also it’s great that you’re only talking to me cause your friend made you,” you roll your eyes at him.

“no that’s not why!” he waves a hand towards you.

you stare blankly at him.

“ok technically- if you wanna get technical, that is why. but it’s because he really wanted me to talk to you,” he defends himself, his voice getting a bit higher.

“i wouldn’t stop staring at you and he said it was creepy.”

“you were staring at me?”

“yeah, who else?” he laughs again like you’re crazy for thinking any different.

“it probably was creepy.” you deadpan but then give him a slight smile so he knows you’re joking.

“i wasn’t trying to be!” he whines, throwing his hands up.

you let out a small laugh and then pause for a moment,

“what was your name again?”

“adrian!”

“ok, adrian. what about me is so pretty to you?”

“you want me to tell you what i think is pretty about you?”

you nod, knowing he’s not going to have anything to say and you can prove that he really wants your friend.

“ok…well,” he begins, voice slightly shaky,

“the first thing i noticed was your eyes. they’re so big and pretty, i couldn’t stop looking. i like your outfit too, i don’t wanna sound like a perv but it looks really good on you. also your hair, it looks so soft and shiny. and your um, your lips, they look soft too,” he gets quiet at the end of his sentence but you still heard.

“and you smell good! which i didn’t know obviously until i was near you but still, you smell like a strawberry field!”

suddenly, you can’t look him in the eyes and you can feel your cheeks heating up. good thing you’re wearing blush otherwise he’d be able to see how pink they are right now. you’re not used to people, let alone cute guys, complimenting you.

“oh. well, thank you for the drink,” your voice comes out quieter than you mean it to.

“you haven’t told me your name,” he says after a moment of silence.

“well you haven’t asked, genius,” you cross your arms.

maybe you’re being a bit meaner to him that he deserves but whatever.

“shit sorry! ok, what’s your name?”

you tell him and he repeats it back with a smile.

“did you know penguins mate for life?” he asks suddenly.

“i did know that, actually.” you say, caught slightly off guard by the random animal fact.

“well did you know spiders dance to attract mates?” he leans excitedly towards you a bit.

“so what, are you gonna dance for me?” you laugh and tilt your head at him.

“do you want me to? i can.”

and then he’s out of his seat, next to your table, hands in his belt loops, moving his hips in a circle.

“oh my god stop!” you grab at him, a bit embarrassed, and make him sit back down as you laugh so hard your stomach starts to hurt.

“did it work?” he looks at you with big puppy-like eyes.

“that dance was supposed to attract me?” you’re still laughing so much you can barely get the words out.

“yeah! it’s the best one i’ve got! maybe you need to see it again.”

“please no! it worked, okay! i don’t need to see it again!” you force him to stay in his seat, covering your face a bit with your hand.

“ok i-i’ll stop as long as you don’t cover that…pr-pretty face,” he stutters through that line, trying to flirt but he’s obviously not very good at it, grabbing your hand to move it away from your face.

“ew that was so corny,” you scrunch up your nose.

he smiles wide at you in response. his smile is actually really cute, it’s so big it takes up most of his face and he’s got dimples.

damnit.

“did you know crows can remember faces?” he tells you.

“you sure know a lot of animal facts,” you smile at him because it’s weirdly appealing.

“i know so many! i could probably take a test right now and become like a zoologist or something.”

you giggle because unfortunately his big glasses and nerdy facts are charming you.

suddenly, you feel eyes on you. turning to your left, you see adrian’s strong friend still at the bar but now with three other people, 2 women and 1 super tall man, all staring at you guys.

“do you know them?”

he looks over to where you’re gesturing and sighs.

“yea sorry, those are my best friends and coworkers. we come here a lot but they’ve never seen me talk to a girl before so they’re just being nosey. you can ignore them.”

he waves his hand in their direction as if waving them off but just as he finishes his sentence an absolutely beautiful woman with dark braids starts walking over to you.

“hi! my name is adebayo! i’m really sorry to interrupt cause this is super cute,” she points between the two of you, “but i have to steal adrian.” she gives you a sad look as adrian whines.

“nooooo, seriously? why?”

“look, i wouldn’t if it wasn’t important, okay? we have to go.” she gives him a weird look that he apparently understands and he sighs as he starts to stand up.

“sorry, i actually do have to go. i really liked talking to you though,” he pouts.

“it’s okay, i liked talking to you too,” you stand awkwardly infront of him.

“you did?” he says it like he almost doesn’t believe you but you huff out a small laugh and nod your head yes.

both of you smile at each other for a moment too long before adebayo interrupts.

“but you got her number, right adrian?” she nudges him with her elbow.

“oh shit! i would’ve killed someone if i left here without your number.” he laughs and shakes his head.

weird joke but okay.

he fishes for his phone in the pocket of his jeans that look like a dad from a 90’s sitcom should be wearing. you get your phone out of your purse and you swap, typing your number in as he types his. when you trade back he notices you put a little pink heart emoji next to your name and his stomach does a small flip.

he thanks god for ads reminding him to get your number even though, had he forgot, he 100% would’ve just found you and followed you around a bit to see you again. there was no way he was letting you get away.

“well, we really gotta go! nice to meet you girl, you’re adorable!” adebayo smiles as she drags adrian, who hasn’t taken his eyes off you, away. you give him a small shy wave, wiggling your fingers and he copies you, tripping over his own feet as the woman pushes him away.

he meets back up with the team and they immediately leave the bar, harcourt explaining that she’ll go over the mission on the way there. he steals one more glance at you before he’s shoved out the door and he can’t believe that you were already looking at him, your friend back by your side, a big smile on her face, you two no doubt talking about him.

maybe he should feel too needy about texting you immediately but he can’t stop himself. his fingers hit send before he even has his seatbelt buckled in the back of economos’ van.

adrian 🧜‍♂️: did you know that if the female spider doesn’t like the male spiders mating dance, she eats him?

why the hell did he save his name with the mer-man emoji? he’s so weird, you think as you smile to yourself.

you: good thing i wasn’t hungry

adrian laughs out loud at your response, making the rest of the team look his direction.

“awwww look who’s texting his girlfriend,” chris teases, tousling adrian’s hair.

“she’s not my girlfriend,” he rolls his eyes and unsuccessfully bites back a smile.

“this is so cute,” ads smiles.

“it’s weird. but anyway you need to focus.” harcourt adds, harshly.

adrian pouts but puts his phone away, already thinking about how when this mission is over he’s going to call you and tell you every manta ray fact he knows.

“This is the kind of place people go to hire people like Murn,” Chris explained on the first day. “Emilia said he mentioned this bar to her one time. It looks like a shithole. A lot of…unsavory types find business here.”

It’s Chris’s turn on watch, sitting up front in the driver’s seat, keeping an eye out for familiar targets that have been burned into Adrian’s brain at this point. Ads has her attention turned to a computer screen, connected to the van’s subtle security cameras, which she’s pointed at the bar entrance.

Adrian has read the dossier dozens of times, committing their names and faces to memory. You, Emilia, and John had finalized everything. The people they need to track down, the questions they need to ask them. And Adrian is ready to bribe and threaten and kill and do any number of other illegal things in order to take them down. Protect his pack. Protect you.

Leon Sullivan. Devon Mason. Lydia Grimmaldi. Hilary Young. Selena Falko. Nathaniel Wilde. He repeats the names in his head, matches the names to the faces on the screen.

The dossier is open on a laptop in front of him now. He clicks away at it, not actually doing anything productive, just changing the font of the dossier and scrolling up and down like that might make it say something new and different and interesting. It doesn’t.

Adrian sighs forlornly and starts fidgeting with a switchblade, flicking it open and closed, wishing there was a bad guy’s face nearby for him to throw it at.

“Adrian, stop that,” Adebayo scolds. “You’re gonna cut your damn finger off.”

Chris and Ads have been watching him bounce off the walls of the van with barely restrained irritation for three days, giving him as much grace as they can because they know how anxious he is about the fact that he had to leave you behind.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, putting the switchblade away. He sighs again. His foot starts tapping. Ads rolls her eyes.

But he misses your voice. He misses the way you smell. He misses kissing you whenever he feels like it. He’s been spoiled the last two months. He spent years wishing he could, and now that he can, now that you aren’t within his immediate reach, he feels like he’s going through withdrawal.

When he opened his duffle bag and discovered that you packed him the picnic blanket you always sit on together in the Checkmate courtyard, his throat had closed up with emotion. You’d tucked a little note into it. Be safe. I love you. Sleeping with that blanket every night, cocooned in your shared scents. Hearing the sound of your voice on the phone, or seeing your face on a video call if he’s lucky—they’re the only things keeping him sane.

Well, that and the fact that he’s gone out to blow off some steam each night by taking down some regular street criminals. He’s been itching to kill, even more than usual, fueled by some kind of almost-uncontrollable aggression. And as long as he’s taking it out on some bad guys, he’s less inclined to explode at his teammates. Chris might be Adrian’s best friend, but several days of two Alphas crammed together in the close proximity of the van has been driving them both up the wall.

When he sighs with frustration for the fifth time in ten minutes, Ads finally speaks.

“Why don’t you take a minute and call—”

“Excellent idea,” Adrian says immediately, already pulling out his phone and tapping on your contact. He’s checked it a thousand times today already, hasn’t stopped texting you, but he feels like it’s overkill if he spends too much time on the phone with you. He is, in fact, supposed to be working, no matter how boring the work.

He taps the call button and brings the phone right to his ear, hit foot continuing to tap impatiently as he waits to hear your voice. It never comes—just the robotic sound of the automated voicemail telling him to leave a message. He frowns.

“Hi baby,” he says. “Call me back when you get this. I love you. I miss you—”

Chris’s voice, low and serious, interrupts him.

“Hang on—look. There. That one. Ads, play back footage.”

“Oop, things are happening,” Adrian says quickly. “Gotta go. Call me. I love you—”

“You already said that, Adrian,” Chris mutters, annoyed. “Hang up the phone. We’ve got shit to do.”

Adrian’s frown deepens, but he disconnects the call and crowds around the monitor with Chris and Ads as she does what Chris asked, tapping away at the computer keyboard and rewinding just a minute. Chris points at a man with brown skin. Long, floppy hair sticking out of an old worn beanie. Hands shoved into the pockets of a black denim jacket.

“That guy.”

“I’ve seen Emilia wear that exact outfit before,” Adrian observes. “Is that like, a required black ops thing? Owning a black jean jacket? Should I invest in—”

“Shut up,” Chris says. “Zoom in, Ads. Is that Dev Mason?”

“Sure looks like him,” Ads says, and Adrian thinks, finally.

What he doesn’t expect is the murderous rage that roars up inside him when Ads zooms in further and he gets a closer look at the man’s face.

You got hurt because of this dickwad.

“I’m gonna kill him,” Adrian says. “I’m gonna make him tell me where the rest of them are, and I’m gonna kill him.” 

His fingers twitch around the phantom trigger of a gun. No, he thinks, I’ll use my katana. Slit his throat. Make him bleed just as much as you bled, let it spill out on the dirty street, let him die alone and scared, like he fucking deserves.

He starts reaching for the duffle bag with the Vigilante suit.

“No,” Ads says immediately. “You can’t just go in there guns blazing. We haven’t gone inside. We don’t know what it’s like in there.”

“She nearly died because of that asshole—”

“Adrian,” Chris snaps. “Use your brain. I know you love her. You can’t let that be a liability.”

“Excuse me?” Adrian snaps right back. “I’m sorry. I thought I just heard you call my Omega a liability. Are we doing the whole thing where you’re yanking my leg to set me off again? Because if you are, it’s fucking working. I’ll punch you in the mouth, no questions asked—”

"You're gonna get yourself killed without a plan,” Chris says, stone-faced. “I’m not yanking your leg this time. I’m being serious.”

“The plan is I go in there and kill everyone,” Adrian argues, raising his voice. “This is a shady bar. They’re all criminals! We’ve watched how many drug dealers walk in those doors? And I have been sitting here patiently and not killing any of them yet while we waited—”

“If you run in there as Vigilante you’ll freak everyone out. Mason knows Vigilante works with Peacemaker at Checkmate,” Ads says calmly, trying to calm down the two Alphas that are getting more worked up by the minute. “I’m the media face of the business. I’ve been in the news and shit, just like Chris has, after Task Force X. But no one knows who you are, Adrian. You’ve somehow, miraculously managed to fly under the radar all these years.”

“It’s not a miracle,” Adrian says. “It’s because I’m smart. My uniform covers my whole body for a fucking reason. As an instrument of vengeance I have to be anonymous. If Chris and Judomaster would take my advice and rebrand with new suits with masks they could also fly under the radar. But both of them are self-centered and too concerned about showing off their muscles. I know you have a jacked face because of your muscle exercises, bro, but really—”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“The point is that people will recognize Chris,” Ads continues, unphased. “So you need to go in there undercover and scope the place out before we make any moves.”

“You want me to go in there and mingle with the criminals?” Adrian summarizes, disgusted. “Absolutely fucking not—tell her, Chris—”

“She’s right, Vig,” Chris says. “You don’t have to pretend to do criminal shit. You don’t even have to talk to anyone. Just go in there, order a drink. Look around. You’ve been bored out of your mind, haven’t you? Well, now you’ve got a task to do.”

“Traitor,” Adrian grumbles.

“I’m not the traitor, you’re the traitor,” Chris grumbles right back. “My costume is sick as fuck. Fuck you.”

An hour later, Ads finishes attaching a tiny earpiece to Adrian. He keeps checking his phone, waiting for another message from you. You’d texted him back twenty minutes ago—a quick sorry I missed you, was with Emilia, talk later, love you too—but nothing since.

He reaches for the device again, and Chris steals it out of his hand.

“Fucking focus dude. What is your deal? She’s home! She’s safe!”

“Give it back!”

“Smooth out your shirt,” Adebayo orders, ignoring them. “You look all rumpled.”

“Why do I have to wear Chris’s clothes?” Adrian complains as he snatches his phone back and slides it in his pocket. “I have my own clothes.”

“Because you dress like a fifty-year-old dad,” Chris says. “Your Vig suit might be sick as fuck but the rest of your wardrobe needs some fucking work.”

“Hey!”

“Shit talk my Peacemaker costume, I’ll shit talk you right back,” Chris says plainly.

“I specifically asked you when we went shopping—”

“Stop bickering! Jesus Christ!” Ads cries. “The two of you have been unbearable the last two days!”

“That’s what happens when you’ve got two Alphas in such close proximity,” Chris says matter-of-factly. “And one of them is being annoying as fuck.”

“More like two of them are being annoying as fuck,” Ads mutters. “Are we sure this is a good idea? Sending him in there when he’s all on edge like this?”

“He’ll be fine,” Chris says firmly. He makes eye contact with Adrian. “Right, Vig?”

“I know how to do my job,” Adrian says.

“I know you know how to kill people. I need you to keep a level head,” Chris says. “Sending in an Alpha for undercover work is not ideal. But there will probably be a bunch of other Alphas in there, so you won’t stand out too much. It’s a double-edged sword, though. You gotta keep a level head around all those assholes.”

“I will,” Adrian insists.

“Good. If I bring you home dead, your Omega would fucking kill me,” Chris says.

“Can I go now? The sooner I find this guy the sooner we can torture him for information and kill him.”

“The earpiece is working?” Ads checks. “We’re not gonna have a visual on you in there, so we need the audio.”

“It’s working.”

“Then yes,” Chris says. “Let’s get this over with.”

The inside of the bar looks just as shitty as the outside. Dimly lit, smoky, walls with chipping paint and crooked old decor. It stinks of weed, and Adrian thinks the thin powdery film on the bartop might be cocaine.

He fucking hates it. But he keeps his mouth shut. Sits at the bar in the darkest possible corner and orders a beer he’ll only pretend to drink as he scans the room.

“I don’t see him,” he whispers into the beer bottle as he pretends to drink. He lets some of the alcohol splash onto the counter. It’s already sticky and gross anyway. He doesn’t feel bad about it.

“Is it only the one space?” Chris’s voice rings directly in his ear. “Is there a basement, or a back room?”

Adrian’s eyes latch onto a man in an army green shirt coming out of the kitchen. He looks a little shifty, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He nods at the bartender as he takes a seat at the bar, and the woman who had served Adrian his beer pours some hard liquor into a short glass for him.

Not an employee. So what was he doing in the back?

“The kitchen,” Adrian says quietly, trying to move his mouth as little as possible so it doesn’t look like he’s talking to himself. “Some guy just walked out of there. Not an employee. I can sneak back there. I know my way around a kitchen from my busboy days, and I’m armed.”

“Stand down,” Ads says. “Finish your beer. Get out of there, we will regroup and make a plan to get back there tomorrow, somehow. It might be accessible from a back door.”

“Fine,” Adrian grumbles, annoyed that he actually has to sit here for another half an hour doing nothing. “Next time someone else is going to do the investigation. I’m here for the killing, not for the boring shit. If I wanted to watch people in a bar, I’d go back to Fennel Fields.” 

In the end, though, Adrian is glad that he stuck around, because he sees Dev Mason come out of the back room not fifteen minutes later. He stops to say something in a low voice to the other man at the bar and shakes his hand. Something passes between them. Money, maybe.

Adrian can feel himself getting hot with anger. He could get up out of his stool right now and strangle the man. It takes all his self control not to.

“Mason just came out of the back,” he hisses. “He’s…paying the other guy, maybe?”

“Weird,” Chris says. “I would have thought the other way around. That someone is paying him for his mercenary services.”

“He’s leaving the building,” Adrian says, taking one last fake swig of beer and dropping a twenty on the counter to pay for it. “I’m following him.”

“No,” Ads says. “We have eyes on the van cameras. We can see which way he goes. Don’t draw attention to yourself.”

Adrian is going to listen. Really, he is. 

But then the other man leaves, too, just a few minutes behind.

He makes his way, casually, out the front door, following the army-green jacket. He glances up and down the block and doesn’t see Mason, but he catches a glimpse of the other guy’s army-green jacket disappearing down the block. He starts after him.

“What the fuck are you doing Adrian?” Ads asks. “Do not engage!”

“I’m going after him,” Adrian growls. “He has to know something. I’m done waiting around for shit.”

“Adrian, stand down,” Chris says, voice booming directly into Adrian’s eardrum so loudly that he winces. He pulls the earpiece out and pockets it, taking the opportunity to draw the switchblade out of his pocket.

Adrian catches up to the man just as he rounds the corner, and shoves him into the nearest dark alley up against the rough stone wall. The guy grunts at the impact, Adrian’s elbow digging into his sternum and knocking the breath out of him. He looks up with wide, confused eyes.

“Hey man,” Adrian smiles, pressing his knife into the man’s throat.

“Who the fuck are you?” the guy hisses.

“That’s not important,” Adrian says, falsely bright. “Saw you talking to someone tonight. Dev Mason. You know him?”

A flash of recognition passes over the man’s features.

“What if I do?”

“Then tell me where he went, and maybe I won’t kill you.”

“Kill me?” the guy scoffs. Adrian just stares, silent, and watches wary fear grow in his expression. “What—what do you want with Dev? You want to hire him?”

“I do my own killing, thanks.”

“I’m not telling you shit.”

“Look,” Adrian says, “I’ve got an Omega back home, and she got hurt, because of something he did. So when I find that asshole, I’m going to kill him long and slow. And you still haven’t answered my question, so I’m going to kill you too. But if you give me the info I want, then I won’t torture you beforehand. I’ll make it nice and quick.”

The switchblade digs into the thin skin at the man’s neck, drawing a thin line of blood. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows.

“I don’t know where he went,” he says, voice thin.

“I don’t believe you. I saw you talking to him. Exchanging money.”

“I’m just his dealer!” the guy exclaims, voice shaking. “You—you want something? If you let me go—you can have all the coke I have on me, man. No charge.”

Adrian scowls. “Do I look like I do drugs, you dickwad?” He grips the man’s jaw with one hand so hard that his teeth grind together. “Dealing cocaine is a felony. Did you know that? You probably did. And you do it anyway. Do you know what I do to criminals?”

He shoves the man down on his knees, where he hits the pavement with a cry of pain and a crack.

“Vig, what the fuck are you doing—”

Chris storms into the alley and takes in the scene in front of him. He sounds pissed as hell, and Adrian couldn’t care less. He turns to bare his teeth at his best friend.

“Fuck off, Chris,” he growls.

“Help me,” the guy on the ground says pitifully, looking at Chris with pleading eyes. “This guy just attacked me right off the street, he’s fucking insane—”

“Tell me where Dev Mason went!” Adrian demands.

“I don’t know! I don’t know, I swear I don’t know—please don’t kill me—”

Adrian lets out a disgusted sigh and pockets his switchblade. The man lets out a shaky sigh of relief.

“Thank you,” he says. “Tha—”

Adrian’s hands circle his neck, and with one sharp movement, he snaps his jaw to the side with a sickening crack. The man crumples to the ground dead, his lifeless eyes staring into the sky.

“What the fuck was that Adrian—”

“Well I couldn’t exactly slit his throat! That’s messy as fuck! There would have been so much evidence!”

Chris just looks at Adrian and shakes his head.

“You’re a fucking psycho, Vig,” he mutters, looking down at the body. “Jesus fuck.” He presses a hand to his ear. “Yeah, Ads. I found him. We’ve got a body to deal with. We’ll take all his shit. If anyone finds him, they’ll assume he got mugged.”

“He’s a drug dealer, actually,” Adrian says pleasantly. “They’ll assume it was related to that.”

Chris ignores him, silently fuming, as he reaches down to dig in the man’s pockets.

“Hi baby,” Adrian says later that night once he’s showered and changed into his pajamas. He’s curled up on the motel bed, the picnic blanket wrapped around his shoulders. When he closes his eyes and breathes in, he can pretend you’re sitting right next to him when you respond. Just the sight of you over the video call is helping him relax after the tense evening he’s had.

“Hey, Ade,” you say. “How’s the mission going?”

“It’s okay. We caught sight of one of the guys going into the bar tonight. Dev Mason. I went in, just for a beer, to scope the place out. Saw him buy some drugs from a guy. I followed the dealer. Killed him.”

“Yeah,” you say wryly. “I heard. Ads texted me. Said you were a little trigger happy.”

“I didn’t pull a single trigger tonight,” Adrian says. “I didn’t even have a gun on me. I snapped his neck with my hands.”

“Okay,” you say, rolling your eyes at him. “It’s just an expression, honey. I meant that…did you really have to kill that guy? Or did you jump the gun a little bit?”

“I didn’t have a gun,” Adrian repeats, confused. You sigh.

“Okay,” you say softly. “As long as you’re being careful. Just—listen more to Chris and Ads? You don’t always have to go in for the kill right away. I know you’re feeling a little antsy. I don’t want you to take any unnecessary risks, though. You promised me you wouldn’t get shot, remember?”

“I didn’t get shot! And I got us some really valuable information!”

“What did you find out?”

“We took everything in the guy’s pockets, to make it look like a mugging,” Adrian explains. “He had his phone. Ads was able to hack it. Dev Mason is in his contacts. We’re gonna send him a text to meet on the street corner the day after tomorrow at eleven p.m.”

“You should probably send a follow-up that the dealer is sending one of his ‘guys,’” you point out. Give him your description. Then you can meet him in person, and he’ll have his guard down.”

“Good idea. I’ll text Ads after this. She’s got the phone.”

“I also hear you and Chris are butting heads a little bit.”

“Yeah, well. I love the guy. He’s my bff. But personal space is at a premium inside that tiny van,” Adrian grumbles. “But that doesn’t matter. I can handle it, I’m good. Are you feeling okay? How are your symptoms?”

“I’ve been nesting,” you admit, gesturing behind you at the headboard of your bed and holding up a pillow that has clearly been punched into submission. “John helped me move all your stuff into my apartment, like we talked about. I can’t stop rearranging it all. Every time I move something, another thing feels wrong. I think it’s—” You pause, like you’re not sure you should finish your sentence.

“It’s what?” Adrian prompts.

“It’s because there’s something missing.”

“You have my Amazon log in,” Adrian says. “Order whatever you need, baby—”

“It’s you,” you say softly. “You are the thing that’s missing.”

Adrian inhales at the sudden, sharp pain he feels in his chest at your words.

“Do I need to come home?” he asks worriedly.“No. Don’t even answer that, I’m coming home—”

“Adrian,” you interrupt. “I am fine. I promise you, if I needed you, I would tell you.”

His eyes flicker over the screen as he looks you up and down. You look okay.There are no dark circles under your eyes, and you’re not too sweaty. Nothing that tells him you’re too hot, or struggling to sleep. But—your hair was damp from your evening shower. Maybe you are sweaty. Hot. Uncomfortable.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to—”

“Wanting is a different story,” you say with a soft laugh. “I always want you home with me. But my heat has not started, so I don’t need you yet. Chris and Ads need you more right now.”

Adrian’s heart hurts. You don’t need him, but you want him. And he’s hours away.

“How are you doing?” you ask. “Ads said you’ve been jumpy.”

“I’m just worried about you,” he says fretfully. “And the last couple days have been boring stakeouts so I’ve had nothing to do but think about the fact that you’re at home alone and—”

“I’m not alone,” you remind him. “I’m still going to work every day. I’m still seeing the rest of the pack. I am doing just fine. I swear to god, all of you worry too much.”

“Who else is worrying? I didn’t tell anyone about—that you’re—”

“Emilia knows. That’s part of the reason I was with her earlier today, when I missed your call. She wanted to give me one last physical today to make sure I’m in good shape, that I won’t hurt myself when we…” You clear your throat. “Things can get more, uh…vigorous than usual? During my heat, I mean.”

Adrian flushes hot at the implication, and internally curses the bolt of arousal that shoots right to his lower belly at the thought of it. But there’s another feeling, too, swimming in his gut. Terrible, possessive jealousy, when he thinks of Emilia’s hands on your body, checking you over, touching you, getting another Alpha’s scent all over your skin when you’re so close to your heat. An uncontrollable growl rises up Adrian’s throat.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry,” Adrian says. “I just—I’m trying really, really hard not to be a pathetic, possessive dickhead right now.”

“It’s okay, baby,” you tell him. “I’m used to this—my preheat symptoms. This is all new for you. It’s normal for Alphas to be more protective over their Omegas when their heat is approaching.”

“I just really fucking miss you,” he says, his voice tight. “I wish I was there.”

“You’ll be home soon,” you say. “It’s late. You should get to bed. I don’t want to keep you, you need to sleep, especially if you’re going to be meeting up with Dev.”

“Can you just…stay on the line?” Adrian asks. “Let me look at you?”

“I was just gonna sleep—”

“I know,” Adrian says. “Just prop the phone up on the nightstand. For me.”

“Okay,” you smile. He watches you flick off the lights and climb into bed, pulling the covers all the way up to your chin. You hug the teal teddy bear to your chest. The one you’d given him during his rut.

“Is it stupid that I’m jealous of the fucking teddy bear right now?”

“No. Because I’m jealous of the blanket draped over your shoulders.”

Adrian smiles. “I love you.”

“Love you too. Goodnight.”

You fall asleep within fifteen minutes. Adrian watches you sleep for an hour before his own eyes finally droop shut.

The next morning, Adrian meets the others in Chris’s motel room so they can make a plan for the evening. When he knocks on the door and Chris lets him in, Adebayo hasn’t arrived yet.

“Where’s Ads?”

“She went to get breakfast,” Chris says, gesturing for Adrian to sit. The serious look on his face gives Adrian pause.

“What’s up?” he says, sitting on the edge of the bed. Chris stays standing and crosses his arms.

“You’ve been real irritable the last couple days. What the fuck is going on with you?”

“Nothing,” Adrian lies.

“I just talked to Emilia yesterday, so I know everything is going just fine at home. If there’s something going on with you, you gotta tell us, man. I don’t want us to be at each other’s throats.”

Adrian bites the inside of his cheek. “If I tell you, you won’t say anything?”

“Spill, Adrian.”

“She’s in preheat,” Adrian reveals, and Chris’s eyes widen.

“Oh,” he says. “Oh, shit. Why didn’t you say anything, dude?”

“It’s none of your fucking business, that’s why,” Adrian says sharply. “She told Emilia, so I’ve already got another goddamn Alpha all up in my fucking business.”

“Watch it,” Chris says, just as sharp, when he hears the low growl in Adrian’s tone. “What did I tell you about the growling?”

“You told me not to growl at her. I’m growling about her,” Adrian says petulantly.

“Don’t get fucking sarcastic about my mate right to my fucking face. I will shoot you. On top of the fucking risky shit you’ve been pulling the last twenty-four hours—it’ll be a miracle if you get home to your Omega in one piece. Maybe you aren’t ready to be an Alpha. Because a good Alpha would keep a level fucking head—”

Adrian gets up and lunges for Chris just as Ads opens the door to the room, with coffee and bagels for all of them.

“What the fuck is wrong with you two?” she cries.

Chris and Adrian, who are fisting one another’s shirts in their hands, ready to throw punches, look at her and start shouting at the same time.

“He’s talking shit about Emilia—”

“Did you hear what he just said Ads? Un-fucking-believable! I’m not about to let that shit slide—I am trying to protect our pack—”

“You are the one who keeps making irresponsible choices—”

“Stop!” Ads shouts. “The two of you have been at each other’s throats for three days straight. I know bickering is like your fucking love language or some shit, but Jesus. What gives?”

Chris stays quiet. He looks at Adrian.

“Ask him. Not my place to say,” he says, low and quiet. Adrian swallows.

“It’s about my Omega.”

Ads’ eyes widen. “Is this—holy shit. Is she pregnant? Is that why you are so on edge right now?”

“Holy shit!” Adrian says. “No! No fucking way!”

“I mean, there is a fucking way,” Chris says mildly. “You see, Adrian, when an Alpha and an Omega love each other very much—”

“Oh, fuck you,” Adrian says, grumpy. “We’ve only—one time. And it was literally right before we left.” He looks at Ads. “She’s due for her heat in a couple days.”

“Oh!” Ads says, eyes wide. “Do you need to go home? I can book you a flight.” She reaches for her phone immediately, already pulling up the airline website. Adrian shakes his head.

“No. I asked her before we even left if she wanted me to stay,” Adrian says. “She told me to go. That she would call if she needed me. I’m sorry if I’m being annoying and checking my phone too much but—I just—”

“Whoa, okay, hold on,” Chris says. “Slow down, man. Take a deep breath.”

“It’s okay, Adrian,” Ads says, her voice soft. “It’s totally normal for you to be experiencing some symptoms too. Aggression, irritation, insomnia. Especially for mated pairs. I know you aren’t mated yet, technically, but—”

“It doesn’t feel normal,” Adrian says, his voice strained. “Even though she’s a hundred miles away, I’m all hot and itchy and anxious and nervous, and I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing what if she needs me—”

“It is normal, Adrian,” Chris says. “It’s just biology.”

“I hate it!” Adrian cries. “I hate it. I don’t like not being in control of my body. And it makes me feel like—like my connection to her is nothing but that. Nothing but fucking hormones. And she can—she can get that from anyone. I’m far away from her and if she needs me and I’m not there some other Alpha might—might take her away from me butshe’smine—-”

“Adrian,” Chris says sharply, and Adrian inhales, but it feels shallow, like he can’t get enough air in his lungs. “Listen to yourself.”

“Breathe, Adrian,” Ads says. “Come on. Sit down and just breathe.”

She puts her hands on his shoulders, a gentle, grounding pressure pushing down until he lets himself collapse onto the bed. He leans forward, elbows on his knees, face in his hands, and does what she says. He takes a few shaky breaths. In and out, slow and steady.

“Do you remember how you felt the first day after your rut, when we went out to that bar and that random Omega touched your shoulder?” Chris asks him after a minute, and Adrian’s face screws up in disgust.

“Chris—what?” Ads says.

“Did you want to fuck her?” Chris demands, crossing his arms.

“What?” Adrian says, affronted, his confusion pulling him out of his panic entirely. His face screws up with disgust.

“She was in preheat,” Chris reminds him. “That girl. She touched your shoulder and you were so disgusted by it that we got into a fistfight in the parking lot and you spent an hour scrubbing the scent of her off you in the shower.”

“I remember,” Adrian says. “Why the fuck—”

“Did you want to fuck her?” Chris repeats.

“No,” Adrian says. “Obviously not! I could not give less of a fuck about that random girl—”

“Exactly,” Chris says. “Because she was not your Omega. You wanted your Omega.”

Ads realizes with a flash of clarity the point that Chris is trying to drive home.

“If being an Alpha and an Omega was just about hormones,” she summarizes. “Adrian would have wanted her. The way he wants—”

“I would never,” Adrian says hoarsely. “I only want—”

“And it’s not because she’s an Omega,” Ads says. “You want her because she’s your Omega. You want her because of who she is and the connection you share.” 

“It’s the same for her, Adrian,” Chris says after a moment. “She’s not going to just go—running off to the nearest Alpha if you aren’t there. Because they aren’t you. And you are her Alpha.”

Adrian falls silent and takes a deep, settling breath. “I just want to be good for her.”

Chris winces, apparently realizing he hit a particularly deep nerve a few minutes earlier.

“You are,” he says. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said. That you aren’t ready. I was just being a dick. But listen—you don’t have to do this alone, Adrian. Hell, I was there to help you through your rut. Giving you pointers about how to help her through her heat is a walk in the park compared to that.”

“I can help, too,” Ads offers. “I helped her put together that care package for you, when you were in rut. We can do the same for her, on the way home. A few things you’ve scented, some drinks to stay hydrated, some of her favorite snacks, things she’ll want to add to her nest.”

“That’s a good idea,” Chris agrees. “But really, Adrian, at the end of the day—she’s just going to want you. Okay? So be a little more patient, a little more careful, and let’s make sure you get home to her in one piece. I will try to be more patient too. Can we do that?”

Adrian looks at them gratefully. He wishes he were home with you right now, but—he’s got a job to do first. And he needs to stop fighting with his friends in order to do it.

“Yeah,” he says hoarsely. “Yeah, we can do that.”

Adrian tag list: @justalotoffanfiction @danversxwasabi @clowninavan @adoresami @a-young-g0d @bastardstevie @am-3-thyst @xoxocamis @morguegrl89 @somethin-sparklyy @secretjesterr @seeingdubs @lovenerdywhitemen2 @jeshomie @aerionshipthrust @deamlucem @tlfg-adrianchase @brianna-merlim @amart-e @countvonklit @pieolsen @gingerjane15 @dosyrosyposy @mylcvemineallmine @rentaldarling @vigilcourt @hot-bean-juice @meg-winchester @sepaaaaa @residentsuperhero

They followed the receptionist to a small room, and she unlocked the door and handed Adrian the key that was on a wrist band.

“You can leave all your personal items in the room and lock the door. There are two robes for your comfort, please wear your swim suit under your robe, but feel free to disrobe fully for your massage. Since you have the top package, every room will be private, so please undress to your comfort level,” the woman finished happily as she ushered the two into the room. “Please let me know if you guys need anything else!” 

Both she and Adrian stared at the now closed door. 

“If we’re in a private room how are we supposed to find her?” she hissed, slapping his arm, and he winced. 

“I don’t know! I didn’t book any of this shit, Chris did!” he said, grabbing his arm. 

“Why would Chris book us a private spa day when he knows we’re trying to get information for the mission?” she said, hitting his arm again. 

“Quit hitting me! I didn’t do anything! Abusive wife!” Adrian said, and despite his tone sounding frustrated he had the widest smile on his face. 

“Shut up,” she grumbled, moving to sit on the bench as she put her head in her hands to take a few deep breaths. 

“Hey, we’re going to figure this out,” he said sitting next to her, putting a hand on her leg and giving her an awkward pat. She sighed and moved so her head was resting against the wall, watching Adrian out of the corner of her eye. “At least we get to enjoy a spa day in the meantime?”

“A spa day means nothing if we don’t have anything to show for it,” she murmured. 

“We’ll find her!” Adrian said before getting up and grabbing his designated robe. “Come on, we can’t mope, we have a mission to do!” 

She sighed, unable to bring herself to argue with him - it wouldn’t change their situation and Adrian seemed to believe they would still be able to get something out of the day, so maybe she should just trust the universe like he seemed so keen on doing. She made sure Adrian was facing away before she started undressing and getting on her swim suit and robe, awkwardly folding her clothes so he wouldn’t be able to see any of her undergarments. Her face was still burning from the hotel giving them one changing room, but at least both of them had the sense to turn around and face the wall as they got naked and into their robes. 

“Should I flirt with her for information?” he asked, as he finished tying his robe. If Adrian had sneaked a peak at her she had no clue, but she knew he at least respected her enough to not.

But a small (and sick) part of her was hoping he did anyway. That there was something about her that he just couldn’t resist.    

“It seems they have us together so I’m not sure how well flirting for information is going to go in front of me,” she whispered, just in case some staff were lingering outside their door. 

“Okay, we both flirt with her and invite her to a threesome,” Adrian said with such a strange amount of confidence that she had to do a double take at him. By the expression on his face she could tell he was serious in his suggestion. 

“Are you insane?” she whisper-yelled, and he put his hands up. 

“Chris says maybe clinically, but what’s wrong with that idea?” he asked, head tilted. 

“How on earth is getting her to have a threesome with us on our fake honeymoon going to make her want to give us information?”

“I feel like you’re just shutting down all my ideas and not adding anything. You can’t just say no, you gotta yes and me,” he said gently. 

“Adrian, this isn't an improv club.”

“It basically is,” he said with a shrug and she sighed. “I’m just saying that’s basically what an entire undercover mission is. We’re playing a role and trying to get the target to yes and us!” 

“Huh, I guess you have a point,” she said, tightening her belt as she looked at him. “But I don’t think flirting will work with her.”

“If we can’t flirt then how are we supposed to get information from her?” he asked, tilting his head. 

“Well, we have to find her first,” she said as she walked over and looped their arms together again, ready to keep playing the happy couple. “Are you going to be okay getting a massage?” 

“Yes, why?” he asked, suddenly tense under her touch as her grip loosens his tightens, keeping her in place. 

“I just, I know you’re not the biggest fan of physical touch and a massage can be a lot. I’m sure there’s something else you could do instead like the circuit pools?” she suggested gently, and Adrian looked at her with a strange look in his eyes.

“If it’s for a mission, I can handle it,” he settled on.  

“Alright, then let’s do this,” she said, fighting the shake in her voice as they walked out of the room together. They followed the signs that were marked for the couples of massage as they walked into the room her heart sunk. 

It was a completely separate room with just two massage beds, close enough that they could hold hands if they wanted. 

“So, she’s not going to be in this room,” Adrian said, clapping his hands and turning around only to be met by two masseuses. Both women were smiling at them as she turned, leaning into Adrian just to play into her part, Adrian was quick to wrap an arm around her and plaster a clearly fake smile on his face. 

“Are you two ready for your massages?” the taller woman asked them. 

“Yes, of course! We were just hoping to look around the spa first, see what all we can do today,” she said, squeezing herself against Adrian, trying to look natural. 

“Oh! Well, the massages are just an hour, let’s get those started and we can tell you all that we have here!” the tall girl said cheerfully as they ushered both her and Adrian into the room. She let go of Adrian and moved towards one of the tables, her heart pounding as she quickly dropped her robe, took off her swim suit, and she moved to lay on the table, Adrian mirroring her actions. Beyond happy that the shorter woman was quick to throw a towel over her butt. She lays her on her arms and tilts her head so she can look at Adrian. He’s done the same, except he’s letting his arms hang off the side of the table. He’s looking at her with a large goofy smile, his curls falling in his eyes slightly. 

She allowed herself a single glance across the curve of his body and the towel hanging off his lower back, just barely covering his ass that she wouldn’t mind sinking her teeth into or maybe -

It’s then she forces herself to look away, just as the masseuse got to work on her body. She was quick to bite her check hard, fighting the urge to let any sound. 

Adrian didn’t seem to have the same idea. 

He was loud. 

Very loud. 

She wanted to black out, this was her coworker and she should not be thinking about Adrian like this, but the noises he was letting out. 

God, how she desperately wanted to hear those sounds in any other context. God she could practically envision the way he would taste on her tongue, how he would respond to her praise, and fuck, how hot his hands would be all over her body. 

She bet that he would even tell her stupid animal facts while she bounced up and down on his-

Yeah, she needed to calm down. 

She gritted her teeth and tried to think about anything else outside of Adrian. She tried to think of the mission, how they were going to find Jasmine and how on earth they were going to question her. 

She was still having a hard time wrapping her mind around the entire mission. The dossier was a mess, these contacts made little to no sense, and she still didn’t understand why on Earth it was just her and Adrian with no outside source. It wasn’t even like they were spread too thin, the only other mission currently running was Ads, Judomaster, and a few of the new hirers she hadn’t bothered getting to know just yet. It made no sense why they were even on this mission. 

A mission with barely a coherent target and plan, but no choice but to complete it if she wanted to keep her job. 

She was so lost in her own thoughts and trying to block out Adrian’s noises and keeping herself quiet that she completely missed the whole conversation Adrian had with the masseuse about the different circuit pools and their benefits. It wasn’t until her masseuse was pulling back and grabbing her swim suit for her that it was over. The two immediately left them alone and Adrian was quick to get ready for the rest of their spa. 

“I feel so relaxed, what about you?” Adrian asked her as she finished putting her swim suit back on. She turned to find Adrian stretching his body, her eyes wandering to his happy trail. 

“Yeah, I’m so glad we just spent an hour getting massages instead of getting the information we need for our mission,” she said, pulling at one of the straps of her swimsuit, trying to ignore the fact that Adrian’s eyes never left her face as she pulled on her robe. “Do you even think Jasmine is out there?” 

“I mean, there’s 15 circuit pools and saunas so we should get looking,” he said with a shrug before offering his hands again. “Did you know they have one pool that is filled with whole lemons?” he asked and she laughed as she took his hands. 

“What’s the point of that?” 

“Fuck if I know, but I want to squish one!” he said brightly and she couldn’t help the smile that came over her, one that Adrian seemed happy to give back. His green eyes sparkling behind his glasses as he looked at her like she hung all the stars in the sky. “Come on, I think you’ll really like them, there’s a salt water pool so you float and there’s also a heated pool that goes into a cold room so it’s like a mix of both.” 

“Okay, yeah. Lead the way,” she said gently, finding herself meaning it. With Adrian it was easy to just give in and make it simple even with the mission holding her down. 

Adrian happily held her hand, squeezing it tightly as he led her around all the pools, only stopping for a light lunch before finally getting ready to get into the water. She found herself watching all the people closely, but none of them matched Jasmine’s description.   

“Any of them look like her?” she asked as Adrian let go of her hand to pull off his robe, and she followed suit, leaving her in just her swim suit. 

“You look really great in your swim suit,” he said, with almost a dreamy tone, and she looked at him. His eyes were locked on her body as she awkwardly shifted. 

“Adrian!” she hissed, slapping his arm. 

“I’m just complimenting my wife, give a guy a break,” he said with a smile, his canines showing as he grabbed her hand and pulled her into one of the pools. It had lukewarm temperature, but coming from the warm air it was almost freezing as Adrian walked backwards and kept tugging her along, almost like he was afraid that he’d turn around and she’d leave. Almost like a backwards Orpheus and Eurydice. 

However, the pool wasn’t what she was expecting and even with Adrian’s hands on her the whirlpool was much stronger than she expected and all it took was wide eyes and the start of a slip for him to realize she had lost control. One of his arms came to quickly pull her into him as the other flew to the side of the pool to keep both of them steady. She heard someone else in the pool snicker as her whole body tensed.

“This is a bust, Adrian. You can keep trying, but I need like an hour to myself in the room, okay?” she said, pulling herself out of the pool, his hand slowly falling from her waist. 

“Are you sure?” he asked, starting to pull himself out of the water too, but she was quick to hold up her hand. 

“Please, just one hour to myself,” she said softly and she’s not sure if it’s the look on her face or what, but Adrian gives her a solemn nod before he sits back down in the pool, keeping his grip tight on the edge. 

“Okay, one hour and then I’ll come up,” he said gently, eyes watching her closely, his glasses slightly fogged up from the steam of the room. “I’ll even keep a look out! I’ll let you know if anything changes,” he finished giving her a not so discreet wink. 

“Okay, Ade. Thank you,” she murmured before grabbing her robe and heading up, missing the way his eyes watched her until she was out of sight.

__

Tag List (comment if you’d like to be added!)

@trelaney @kierselleboogie @v1gilanteloser @quietlybitchy @lil-rigatoni @snowyathena @tez0 @danversxwasabi @obsessedromancereader @pandanapping @burningluminarysheep @a-young-g0d @4duniadae @countvonklit

“Come in Precision!” A garbled voice spoke over the comms in your busted helmet. It was Rick, as if this situation couldn't get any worse.

“Can't talk right now.” You muttered back to the comms but it pittered away, broken.

“You're awake? Oh thank goodness!” Vigilante gasped beside you. To your surprise he'd been sitting entirely still, not unconscious like you'd assumed.

Regretfully your window was gone and the knife slipped back into your heel.

“I'm awake too. This fucking sucks.” Chris stated the obvious. He stared at you, eyes glimmering with some sentiment you'd no doubt find pointless.

“But hey, if we don't get out of this and wind up dead I have to ask. Why did you up and leave me and dad like that?” His question somewhat surprised you. 

What reason wouldn't you have for leaving? It's not as if you were wanted in that house.

“I thought that was fairly obvious Chris.” You replied, only to be met with his confused, upset, annoyingly square face. 

Internally rolling your eyes at your dumbass brother you sighed. He always did need everything spoonfed to him. 

“I hated living under that roof with him. Following his orders.” You explained, focusing on the flashing lightbulb at the basement roof. “Killing for him.” 

“We didn’t kill for him! We killed for the United States of America! Government jobs, deep undercover stuff like we are doing now. It’s all in the file.” Chris snarled at you, eyes wild and desperate for the words he was spewing to be true.

“Uh-huh, yeah all of those jobs were definitely covert operations performed in the name of the world's best interests. You’re right. I’m wrong. Like always. Hope that helps you sleep at night big bro.” 

“Sorry to ruin the family reunion.” A sharp voice cut through the air, and Senator Goff was standing before the trio, a kit of fun tools at his disposal.

Chris tried bartering and intimidating their captor to no avail while Adrian reassured you that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to you. 

“Too late for that don't you think? I'm already tied up.” You sighed. 

Swinging a pair of pliers around, Goff surmised his options. “I think torturing the female might get the information quicker.” Goff supposed. 

“I don’t give a fuck about my sister! She’s a total psychopath- do your worst.” Chris huffed.

Typical.

“No, don't take me instead!" Adrian shouted desperately but was flatly ignored. 

“Very well, let’s begin.” Goff shrugged, turning back to you. 

Tearing off the Precision mask he was met with two cold dead eyes. You'd give him nothing just like in all of your training.

Your glove was drawn roughly away and a set of rusted pliers shoved underneath a fingernail. 

Twisting, the nail was wrenched, Chris and Adrian’s eyes widening in fear as it was hanging on by a thread of sinew. But you sat by, staring into Goff’s eyes, not willing to give him the satisfaction. 

“You think wrong.” You replied through gritted teeth. This was nothing compared to the torture Auggie had put you through. 

True amateur hour over here by the alien wearing a meat suit. 

“Damn that's hardcore.” Chris admitted.

“No please stop, don’t torture her, torture me instead!” Adrian begged, shaking his head wildly. “Don’t fucking hurt her!” 

Meanwhile your coward of a brother shook his head with a smirk. “Yeah get those two, I'll never break do whatever the fuck you want.” 

“Very well, let’s try the loud annoying one next then.” Goff, tired of his whining and your noncompliance, turned to Vigilante, tearing off his helmet. 

Adrian started to make stupid expressions to try and cover his identity. He truly was the dumbest man alive. 

Jumper cables were hooked up to Adrian's crotch, the sight exciting you. One or two jolts in, Adrian tried to brave it but began to wince. Then he began to have his pinkie toe sawn, an annoying wail leaving his lungs. 

“Your torture tools are dull as fuck dude!” He yelped, straining uselessly against the corded restraints. “Please not my pinkie toe that's like the most important one for balance!” 

“Will you tell me now that your friend is crying out for your help?” Goff turned to Chris who yawned.

“I won't give up any information. He can take it.” Chris stated, puffing out his chest. Adrian stared back at his so-called best friend in utter disbelief.

“How about you?” Goff tried his luck with you this time.

Honestly you enjoyed watching Adrian like this, his face patched with sweat, blood trickling down his nose. Vigilante, unmasked, dethroned, completely debased, jumper cables hooked up to his balls, put in his rightful place made to grovel like a dog…

You were glad that you were a woman and the lust you felt in this moment was hidden in the recesses of your mind. A nice risque snapshot for you to think upon later when you got out of here. 

“Oh Pris, you're speechless and staring at me, she's in total shock. It'll be okay my gorgeous girlfriend, this won't stop me!” Vigilante reassured you, wonderful tears blinking down his cheeks now. 

If you got your way you'd lick them off and make him beg for forgiveness. Just as he started to form the words you'd shock him again, shove a rag on his mouth to get some amazing, unfettered silence. Holy shit you had to calm down right now or your chair would become a slip n slide.

“Right, yes, shock. That's the word for it.” You replied flatly, crossing your thighs best you could in the confines of rope. 

Chris stared at you squirming in your seat questioningly but thankfully an explosion made a fine distraction. Murn and the rest of the team had broken through and it gave ample opportunity for you to break free with the hidden knife. 

There was a moment you contemplated the odds, stab Chris in the neck, Adrian in the chest, leave Goff to the others and book it.  But that seemed unwise. They were A.R.G.U.S. operatives who would come after you know, this had to be done the smart way.

With a sigh you undid your own and Chris' ropes, stabbed Goff in the back, reeling back when there was a guttural screech from the man. To the amazement of you three, a blue butterfly ripped out of the man's mouth and floated in the air. 

But that was short lived as the explosion set off a chain reaction, Chris shoving you out of the way. You fell into Adrian's arms, still bound to the ceiling that untethered upon colliding with you and the ground.

“Chris?!” You shouted amongst the rubble and dust. Why had he done that? Risked himself like that for you of all people? 

“Guys, I think we used way too much of that explosive stuff…” Adebayo shouted from the top of the stairs and another rumble of the foundations agreed. 

“He's okay!” Adrian told you, helping you stand up and pulling you away from the wreckage.

“What?” You asked, the whole world was going numb, there was too much noise to make anything out. You were having a complete sensory overload.

“Chris is okay! He's right behind us.” Adrian shouted louder this time and you realised he was getting you to safety.

You'd frozen entirely and without him might've been crushed by the collapsing building. “He's okay.” You repeated, looking over your shoulder there Chris was hobbling behind.

“I'm okay.” Chris gave you a goofy smile, covered in grime, blood and dusted concrete.

“Okay.” You replied coldly and sat in the van, staring out the window trying to figure out what had happened back there.

Losing your edge would get you killed. What the fuck were you even doing? 

“I'm never going to be able to walk normally ever again!” Adrian bemoaned, resting his head up against your shoulder for sympathy. 

“Then don't.” You pushed him away. 

“Some bedside manner you've got there.” Chris scoffed, eyeing you curiously. He could tell there was something off about you, but he didn't know what exactly.

John pulled the van up to drop everyone out at the HQ for some well needed recuperation. 

“Why did you do that?” You asked quietly to Chris before getting out of the van.

“Do what?” He raised a quizzical brow.

“Try to save me. That was pointless and nearly got you killed. I would have been fine!” You snapped at him venomously, the others overhearing likely from outside but you didn't care.

“Because you're still my sister.” Chris replied, his gaze troubling you.

“Exactly, that's going to get you killed someday.” You murmured, expecting him to recoil but instead he smiled.

Like something was on your face.

“I get why your nickname is Strawberry now!” Adrian cooed, poking his head back into the van. “Your face is so cute and red when you can't hide that you're angry.” 

“Isn't it?” Chris chuckled, then fell silent. 

Wordlessly you exited the van and stormed off, and neither of them were game to try and follow you from the livid expression you gave. 

That night you tried to relax, take your mind off things by playing some calming video games. Bloodborne was a favorite of yours, but the stupid chiming of your phone going off from Rick interrupted the zen flow you were trying to achieve.

“What?” You answered curtly.

“I'm the one who asks that. What the fuck happened in there?” Rick snapped. 

“Aliens are invading.” You replied, phone tucked under your neck as you wrestled won't the controller. “Ever seen invasion of the body snatchers?” 

“When aren't they? I don't give a shit. I want Peacemaker dead. Now, do you have an in or not?” Rick demanded.

“I have an in and I'll do you one better. He tried to save my life tonight.” You clicked your tongue in frustration as the boss fight was not going well.

“Glad to hear it. The longer this drags on, the more tabs I need to put on you. By the way, red is a real good colour on you there.” Rick laughed when the line went silent.

You exhaled sharply, staring around the room until you spotted the bug. “Pot plant.” 

“One of many.” Rick couldn't hide the impressed tone to save his life.

Continuing to look around your apartment you kept calling out to him. “Bookshelf. Microwave. Back window. Closet. Diploma. Counter. Medicine cabinet.” Finally you strolled into your bedroom and laid down on the mattress. “Finally, bed post. Kinky.” 

There was a pause on the other end and some muffled swearing as Rick told off his incompetent crew. 

“Sweet dreams, Precision.” Rick sang to you with a grating chuckle. He still had the upper hand. 

You answered him by hanging up and smashing the obvious placed bug at your bed frame. 

The next morning you woke up with a nice spring in your step. Bandaging the wound at your torn nail bed, the disinfectant stung pleasantly, a reminder you were truly alive. 

It was a good day. Your father was in jail after all. And you were going to pay him a visit. While originally it had been Rick's idea to mess with you, perhaps you could make the most of the experience.

Taunting him while trapped like a rat in a cage? You could think of worse past times. Dressing up in your best visiting Daddy in prison outfit, the plan was simple. 

Tell Auggie the number he should make for his one call. Rick's cell. Then make fun of the old geezer before sauntering out of there. Rick was a sick puppy wanting further information on Chris from their father to use as blackmail. But whatever.

However when you got to the visitor phone booth, the one with the shit eating grin wasn't you but Auggie. 

“So you've got a boyfriend?” Auggie greeted you, making your blood freeze over.

“Where did you hear that?” You rolled your eyes, he hadn't seen you in years and those was his first words to you? 

“Yeah, he's in isolation here. Adrian.” Auggie laughed when he saw your eyes widen in recognition.

“Stupid fucker tried to get me to fight him. Have to say that dorky cunt can give a spin kick. Got a few of my guys good.” He had that malicious look you recalled numerous times from your childhood. 

Auggie was going to kill Adrian if he stayed in here. On the off chance that you did actually care about Adrian. To teach you a lesson for betraying him. 

You recited Rick's phone number, finger tapping at your thigh to try and keep collected.

“What's that?” Auggie scoffed.

“A phone number, call it or don't.” You replied, slamming the phone. 

Meanwhile Adrian was sitting in an individual cell, which was nice because he really needed to pee and couldn't do it with the gang banger who kept staring at him. 

Sighing partly in relief and in sadness, pants around his ankles, Adrian lamented his morning.

An hour or so previously, he had tried to kill that Nazi asshole for you and Chris once and for all but had failed.

It had been going so well too, he got their attention instantly, sitting at the table of Neo-Nazis trying to bond with them. 

"Speaking of sister fucking, I also fucked someone's sister. But it wasn't from my own family tree!” Adrian announced, grinning around the table but no takers yet. 

“No, it was Christopher Smith, Peacemaker's sister! I heard that her father Auggie is here and I wanted to make a formal introduction." He continued to yell and finally met his mark.

“Who the fuck are you?” Auggie stood up from his chair, eyeing Adrian up and down, a cold assessment calculating in his mind.

"Hey there, great to meet you pops. I'm Adrian, your soon to be son in law." Adrian grinned, hand outstretched.

"I don't fucking think so pal." Auggie chuckled darkly at him. 

"Your daughter seems to think so, she loves choking on my above average sized penis! Blowjobs are like her favorite thing to do for me..." Adrian crudely motioned down to his crotch. 

While he hated speaking of you that way as a staunch feminist, he had to rile up your father.

Auggie's eye twitched but he gave no other indication of irritation. 

Setting the pitch for his own voice a couple  registers deeper and your voice several higher, Adrian continued, "I'm always like woah babygirl can we do something other than fellatio for a change and she's like noooo wayyyy daddyyy I loveee deep throating youuuu!" 

He went to simulate some fellatio choking charades but suddenly a firm tattooed hand was gripping his shoulder. 

That was when the spin kick came into play and Adrian dispatched the goons. But Auggie wouldn't fight him and the guards dragged Adrian away to isolation.

“Chase, Adrian. You have a visitor.” The prison guard shouted through his cell bars.

“Okay, I'm nearly done tinkling!” Adrian called back with a wave.

Assuming it was one of his buddies to come pick him up, Adrian was floored when he saw you sitting on the other side of the protective glass. 

Dashing to grasp the phone, he couldn't wait to hear your dulcet tone.

“Adrian. What in the fuck are you doing  here?” You hissed at him through the phone.

“Oh my gosh! My beautiful girlfriend is here, is this my conjugal visit?” Adrian asked hopefully, pressing his hand up against the glass. 

Pinching your brow in frustration, you snapped back at him. “No. I was here to speak to my father. He told me you introduced yourself as his future son in law?!” 

“Yeah, so I threw a bin at a window. But that was all just a clever ploy to get in here and kill your father.” Adrian explained without really explaning anything at all. It was a real talent of his. 

“You were trying to kill him?” Your eyes widened at that.

“Yeah he's not a good guy! Total racist and now that he thinks Chris did this he's gonna want revenge. Also your dad is a sexist pig, I mean that tiny room of yours was so depressing…I'm sorry are you mad at me?” 

“Shut up. Stop talking.” You snapped at him. “What's your bail set to?” 

It was a measly sum of money to you, forking it over to the bonds office, Adrian was released in a manner of minutes.

“Get in the car.” You told him gruffly when he wandered outside, already starting up the engine.

“Where are we going?” Adrian asked, admiring the fancy leather seats of your Lexus.

“My place.” You replied tensely gripping the steering wheel.

“What for?” He cocked his head to the side.

The entire drive was in silence. 

“You're mad with me aren't you?” Adrian pestered you on the way up the elevator to tell him what was wrong. You were staring at him, eyes murderously cold.

“Sit down.” You ordered him sternly, pointing to the couch. 

“Please don't break up with me.” He whimpered, and you told him to shut up. 

Then to Adrian's utter shock you unbuckled his belt and sank right between his thighs.

“Ohhh fuck…I can't believe you're uhh doing this for me!” Adrian moaned, watching you on your knees, bobbing your head up and down. 

The flat of your tongue lapped at his shaft with such a fervent ministration it was making Adrian's head spin.

Giving him a blow job was your idea, hearing that Adrian wanted to kill your father was insanely hot. Also this would help you manipulate him even further. 

Besides you still had the comms set up so likely Rick was listening in. Perfect revenge for making you talk to that piece of shit, two birds with one stone.

“Trust me I can't either. Don't ruin the moment. Or I'll bite it off.” You warned him.

“You're so good at this…” Adrian whined, a shaky hand going out to reach for your head.

“Hands behind your back.” You ordered him and he snapped them away immediately. 

“O-of course…ahhh oh thank you! You're the best girlfriend ever…” He sang your praises when you took him deeper down your throat. 

Adrian couldn't help himself but babble the further you went. “It's ohh wow like I willed this into the universe…when I lied and told your dad and all those neo-nazis that you loved to suck my dick!” He shouted, trying to not buck his hips forward.

Upon hearing that, you spat out his cock with a wet popping sound. 

“You what?” Any lust you had for him had instantly dried up like the Sahara Desert.

“I was playing a role! You know acting, trying to get him riled up so I could beat his ass and kill him. But your dad didn't take the bait.” He explained with a dumass laugh.

“Adrian.” You glared daggers at him, wanting to will them into existence and stick him like a pin cushion. 

“Yes, my prettiest girlfriend in the whole entire world?” He grinned back at you.

“Zip your pants up before I make you wish that your balls had been completely fried from that car battery.” With that you stood up and went to wash your mouth out in the kitchen.

“Sure! Thanks for the dick sucking. I liked it way better when you did it, less slimy and your lips felt so good…” Adrian whistled away unbothered, checking out your living room. Then he came across something that gave him pause.

“Woah you have a shit ton of consoles!” 

“Yeah I do.” Nodding, you were internally screaming at yourself.

Why the fuck had you let him into your place? Now he knew where you lived! Such a pathetic impulse you'd acted upon dragging him back here and for what? 

Now this goofy motherfucker was trying to set up your game cube and play Donkey Kong. Digging through your assortment of games, he went into another cabinet.

“Woah what's this thingy? Is it a microphone for karaoke?” Adrian asked, twirling the stick around in his hands.

“It's a vibrator.” You rolled your eyes at his naivety.

“Oh for your back muscles? I could use it on you.” He grinned, innocently flicking the switch. 

When it violently shook and fell out his hands Adrian was flummoxed. “That doesn't feel very soothing.” 

You laughed at that, picking the toy up, “Oh it can be. I'll show you?” 

“Sure!” Adrian was none the wiser.

The tiny flashing green light of a surveillance bug behind your pot plant cemented the idea. At least you could make Rick and whoever else was watching you right now incredibly uncomfortable.

“Ohhh! F-fuck it's really ahhh! Umm…is this normal?” Adrian panted, hands gripping the couch cushions. 

“Yeah it's normal. I actually have it on a super low setting.” You lied. “Why are you feeling it?” 

You actually had the vibration scaled nearly all the way up, resting it just at his tip, leaving the rest of him untouched. 

“Y-yeah I am…it's so much I don't know…” Adrian wriggled in place but didn't dare leave your grasp, green eyes pleading with yours. “Oh fuck I don't know if…” 

“You don't like it? Fine, we'll stop.” You threatened and Adrian shook his head profusely. 

His hands clung to your thighs. “No! Please…I do I just think I might cum soon and Pris uhh I want to well–”  

“Great, once you're done you can leave.” You said with a half-yawn. This was all for the bugged cameras to make Rick and his stooges cringe. 

“W-what about you?” He asked with a deep whine. 

“What about me?” You glared at him again but he wasn't deterred.

“I want to make my girlfriend cum too…” His eyes were tearing up as the vibrations were clearly too much.

“Oh and how would you do that?” You sternly asked him and turned off the toy, setting it down.

“H-huh?” Adrian panted, trying to catch his breath again. 

“Last time wasn't very good.” You said flatly, watching his face fall. 

“It wasn't?” He whimpered.

“No, it sucked.” You weren't going to sugar coat it for him. 

“I can do better! I'll look up some more research videos and…” He began but you cut him off.

“No videos. Either you fuck me hard and good right now like I know you can or leave my place and don't ever come back.” 

You saw his green eyes still at that, the same way they did behind the red visor. 

Like you unlocked a side to Adrian hidden behind the constant masking. Or the often strange attempts to. 

“I'll do it, I'll fuck you so so hard! Hey, can we play Donkey Kong Jungle Beat after?” Adrian assured you, unbuckling his belt, then he glanced over at your consoles.

“Depends how well you do.” You shrugged, lifting up your skirt.

“Killer.” Adrian's hands gripped your waist nice and rough, a good start. Then he brought you onto his lap. 

“What are you doing?” You asked.

“I want to see you on top, bouncing on it. My dick that is.” Adrian explained cheerfully, before dropping you down. 

“Don't worry I'll still do most of the work though!” With that reassurance, you shifted your panties to the side.

“Oh yeah that's so good…” He grunted, watching where you were both connected. 

“Stop.” You knew this wasn't giving the shock factor you wanted, while fine it felt satisfying, the angle was all wrong.

“Let's take our clothes off.” You ordered him and pointed to the carpet. “And fuck me on the floor.” 

“Skin on skin? I do love shag carpet though…you sure?” Adrian whined, clearly enjoying the way things were going as is.

“Yes, we are boyfriend and girlfriend and totally at that stage now!” You flashed him a brilliant fake smile and watched his face flush bright red.

“Ohh awesome! Yes you're so right, we’re really a proper couple now oh holy fuck this is amazing…” He immediately started fumbling with pulling his jumper over his head.

“Let's roleplay to get you focused.” You decided, unbuttoning your blouse.

“Roleplay…okay sure! Who am I?” Adrian mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Not important!” You snapped, stripping off entirely.

“Yes it is, how else can I get into character? In DND I play this artificer whose name is…” Adrian started to ramble and lose his erection, about to go into full geek mode.

You couldn't have that happen. “Ugh, you're Adrian. And I'm me. It's easier to remember. But the scenario is what we're role playing.” He slowly nodded at that.

“Yeah how about this, pretend there's a video camera, right here!” You dragged him over, directing you both in the eyeline of the obvious plant A.R.G.U.S was watching from. 

“Um sure, so we're filming us doing it in this scenario?” His breath quickened, already starting to get hard again.

At least he was simple to please. 

“No someone is watching us, some shady old man from the government.” You said directly into the camera plant pot, seeing a tell tale blinking red light faintly. 

Adrian nodded, eagerly pinning you down onto your back, "I can work with that!" Then he entered you nice and slow, the stretch felt amazing. 

At first. But he didn't change up anything, chasing after his own tail like a stupid dog. 

“Ohh baby you're incredible! So fucking damn tight around me…” Adrian groaned as he started to move again this time in a basic missionary position.

You were not going to have a repeat of last time on the racing car bed.

“Not like that, fuck me like you mean it.” You instructed him, still not satisfied with how he was doing. 

“Fuck…okay!” Adrian panted, pulling out to reposition himself.

Meanwhile in the A.R.G.U.S. surveillance offices Langston Fleury was sadly shaking his head in solidarity. “Damn, poor dude. Crazy is hard to dick down. But he keeps trying. That's the human spirit right there.” He pointed to the screen at Adrian's determined sweat ridden face.

“Shut the hell up Fleury.” Rick snapped, ordering that the video be taken off the big screen. 

“Harder!” You urged him, digging your heels into his back, jolting Adrian off balance.

“Hey, oh shit my glasses!” Adrian reached out for them but you knocked them further away. 

His face really did look way different without them, it was almost as if someone else was having sex with you. That was super appealing, like when he had the visor on. For whatever reason Adrian got under your skin unlike nobody else.

“Keep them off.” You swatted his arm.

“But I can't see you properly…” He grumbled, but his hips were still diligently snapping away. 

“Aw, guess you'll have to make me moan so you can at least hear me then?” You cruelly whispered against his neck, feeling the shudder he gave off.

“Y-yeah…” Adrian agreed, his eyes were unfocused and wild as he gripped down to your waist, fingers bruising. 

“Guess I'll have to.” He pulled out and flipped you onto your stomach. That position he'd told you about as Vigilante, pinning again. 

It took some effort finding where to reenter you, he was seriously blind but after a few jabs his cockhead found the right spot. 

“That's nice Adrian…” You encouraged him, staring right up into the camera. “Fill me up baby, that's it.” 

“Fuck, you're calling me baby now uhh oh god I can't…it's too much!” Adrian whined.

“Are you seriously going to finish?” You couldn't believe this guy.

“No I mean I'm trying not to…but it's more I don't think I can hold back and you know not like…hurt you and stuff.” He bit his lip, with a worried unfocused frown.

“I'm not a delicate flower, are you serious right now?” You rolled your eyes back at him. “I said I want it, now hurry up!” 

“Okay, okay, fuck oh fuck…” Finally he pumped away properly, gripping deathly tight at your hips. 

“That's it, like that Adrian, don't stop.” You ordered him, shoulders arching as he took what he wanted. 

And more importantly gave you what you wanted.

Release.

That sensation of a total loss of control, body relinquishing its constant state of fight mode.

Hot, heavy, like a bullet your orgasm shot out from you, ripping his name along with it in a pleasured cry that Adrian would think about for nights on end afterwards.

You could feel that he'd finished too when the feeling began to return to your legs.

“It wasn't inside, I came outside on your thighs…” He quickly said, wiping them down with a nearby box of tissues.

“Can I kiss you?” Adrian asked, lips trembling towards yours. 

“No.” You deftly held up a hand and turned his cheek away.

“Why not?” He asked curiously.

“Not yet, I don't feel like it.” There was something about that act you didn't want, it made the whole thing too real somehow.

This ultimately was fake, whatever this fucked up thing between you and Adrian was. It was going to end. As soon as you killed Chris, likely you'd have to kill him right after. 

“Alrighty then. That was good though?” He double checked.

“Uh-huh.” You nodded for the camera, but had to admit he was quite good this time around. 

“Yessss!” Adrian pumped the air up and down idiotically with his fists. “Donkey Kong Jungle Beat good?” 

“Sure, I guess you Donkey'd my Kong until it Jungle Beat.” You said without thinking, watching Adrian start to cackle like a hyena. 

Rolling your eyes, despite everything you found yourself laughing along with Adrian.

“Still I prefer sex with the suits on.” You said idly, controller in hand. 

“Same here.” Adrian instantly agreed. 

“Less sweaty.” You both said at the same time. It was strange but having him in your apartment  wasn’t as terrible as you had expected. 

In fact the rest of the evening was spent having fun playing video games, eating dinner and chatting away. But this fake relationship wasn’t allowed to run off course. 

“Can I stay over?” Adrian asked when it was getting late.

That gave you pause. “No, I prefer to sleep alone.” A step too far, besides you really didn't think it would be a good idea. 

Rick might call you or a lucrative job might open up to go kill someone and you’d rather not have to deal with killing Adrian or kicking him out in the middle of the night. 

“No worries, I'll see you tomorrow?” Adrian asked hopefully, that big dumb smile of his never leaving for a second.

“Sure.” You frowned back as he waved you goodnight.

There was a very good reason you didn't want Adrian in your bed. Not only was it your personal space, you also got night terrors. 

Strange dreams that caused you to wake in the middle of the night and lash out. 

The few times you'd let a one night stand sleep over, you had accidentally strangled one unsuspecting gym bro to near death.

Some nights you dreamt you were Annie Oakley on a theatre stage. Dressed head to toe in bright royal blue wild west attire, fringed skirt, ten gallon hat, thigh high boots with spurs.

Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You was the song you danced to, prop gun poised up and ready like a puppet. 

If I should stay Well I would only be in your way And so I'll go, and yet I know I'll think of you each step of the way...

The kind of puppet that danced on a string like a marionette with red curtains the colour of blood behind you. 

Your gun caps fired in a brilliant smoke and the other actors dropped to the ground, red scarves spurting from their chests and necks in a dazzling circle. 

And I will always love you I will always love you...

This time unlike the all of the others, you had a partner, the dashing sharpshooter Frank Butler was played by Vigilante. 

Bitter-sweet memories That's all I'm taking with me Good-bye, please don't cry 'Cause we both know that I'm not What you need...

Without hesitation you took him down too, a bullet to the cranium, that jettisoned into a scarlet swathe of confetti.

But I will always love you I will always love you...

The song continued on, your movements were so graceful, pirouettes in sync to the resounding thunderous clap of applause from the stage. 

In the front row was your father, dressed as White Dragon and your brother, dressed as Peacemaker. Keith was there too, a teenager as you remembered him. 

"Focus!" Peacemaker yelled.

"Precision!" White Dragon jeered. 

"Control!" Keith shouted.

A red closing curtain draped you in a sheet of blood across the stage.

Then their faces morphed into a more friendly familial one.

"Amazing work girl!" Auggie smiled.

"Great job lil sis!" Chris cheered.

"You make us so proud, Strawberry!" Keith called out.

Those evenings you woke up in strange places, unsure of how you got there. The only familiar thing tying you to these locations was blood.

None of it was ever yours. But no bodies were ever to be seen.

You had long since stopped trying to figure it out, most likely this was sleep walking and your homicidal tendencies went on a rampage in your unconsciousness. 

Thankfully you always cleaned up after yourself though.

Tonight was one of those nights. 

"Where the fuck am I this time?" Standing up you saw that it was a pitcher's mound.

The baseball field's green lawn was riddled  with patches of fresh blood. Swathes of crimson painted your Precision combat suit, near warm to the touch. 

It had been a long time since one of these spells took ahold of you like this, disorientating and lethargic you stumbled out of the bright lights of the field and into the comforting darkness. 

Sprinting towards the nearest exit, you needed to get out of here before you got caught with whatever killing spree crime you'd just committed.

"Wow, like a killer Stepford wife." Rick laughed, watching you flee from the top of the stands. Checking his stopwatch he added, "incredible. M16 should take a page out of your book Mr. Smith." 

"Auggie." Was the only gruff reply he got.

"Well Auggie this has been very valuable information that will serve your country well. The money will be wired to the account within the hour." 

"Alright." Auggie grunted in reply and unceremoniously hung up.

"Must run in the family." Rick rolled his eyes and snapped the burner flip phone shut. Next to him was a PA system hooked up to a record player with the vinyl for Dolly Parton's 1974 hit I Will Always Love You. 

One, she was doing Kiera a favor and covering her this Saturday so she could go on a date with Economos. 

Two, they had to stay late for a recon mission just outside the city, and he wouldn’t be home till two in the morning. 

And three, Adrian left his lunch from her in the fridge after waking up late. Normally on Fridays they would wake up together, but she had morning plans, and Adrian forgot to set his own alarm and ended up sleeping well past what he should. The only good thing about that happening now that he works at Checkmate is for now most of the start-up money had come from him - so he didn’t have to worry about getting fired. 

Plus he’d like to think Harcourt wouldn’t do that to him. 

Maybe. 

It felt like the world was out to get him as he just stared at one of his many pictures of them on his desk, feeling like he had failed her. He knew she’d probably be bummed he left it, but when she realized it was still in the fridge and she no longer had to cook dinner before crashing she would be delighted by his mistake. 

Even that fact didn’t make Adrian feel better because he wanted her cooking, he wanted to feel like she was with him especially considering how long he had to go without seeing her (yes he knew 15 hours wasn’t that bad, yes he still missed her like it was six months apart). 

It was around 11:30 that Adrian overheard Chris and Rip debating where they wanted to order lunch for the day, a tradition they had that Adrian hated to not be included in, but it did give him an idea. 

He was quick to pull out his phone and open up Doordash, scrolling, pretending that he was even weighing any other option of any restaurant.

The only bad thing about ordering from Doordash was he couldn’t ask her to surprise him or even give her the creative freedom he loved to see whenever she was in the kitchen. Still he picked a few different items - definitely way more than he needed but he wasn’t sure what station she was on so he had to make sure he got something that she touched. 

It was only once he spent over $50 on his lunch that he finally closed the app and turned back to his computer, pretending to work while he anxiously waited. 

He didn’t have to wait long as Adrian frowned once his phone started ringing. She was in the middle of the lunch rush and there was no time for her to be calling him - unless there was an emergency. 

“Hi baby, are you okay?” he asked immediately in one breath.

“Did you just order the restaurant on doordash?” she asked, Adrian could practically picture the way she had her phone propped between her shoulder and ear as she kept cooking. Adrian sighed and leaned back picturing her all sweaty in the kitchen.

“Fuck, I should’ve waited till after rush shouldn’t I? I’m sorry I just - working at a desk is boring and all I’ve been thinking about is the lunch you made me that I stupidly left in our fridge and I was looking forward to having your cooking today and then I remembered! ‘Hey Adrian! She works in a kitchen!’ So I thought I’d order some food so I could still…I don’t know, have a part of you with me,” he rambled, getting quiet near the end and he listened to her sigh.

“Adrian, next time just wait till after the rush and I can run you over something on my break, you don’t need to pay a crazy amount for Doordash,” she said and Adrian smiled, taking a deep breath. 

“I didn’t want to be a bother,” he whispered, almost feeling shy.

“Don’t, I’ll throw in a bunch of freebies with your order - does anyone else in the office want anything? Do you want dessert or something?” she asked, sounding angry, but Adrian couldn’t help the huge grin that took over his features. God, he loved her so much, the way she cared about everyone and him sent him reeling. He had never had that before her, and she tried so hard to play it off all tough and uncaring, but Adrian saw through it all. 

He knew who she was. 

“If you want to throw in some breadsticks or an appetizer I can put it in the breakroom pretty easily. I’m sure everyone would appreciate it - I would appreciate it,” he clarified. 

“Yeah I’ll see what I can do, stupid Doordash drivers always bitching if the wait is too long, you know how it is,” she complained and Adrian chuckled - it was true he did. 

“Don’t get in trouble, not for me, never-”

“Never for you, ya ya, Ade. I know your little speech,” she said and Adrian heard a loud clang in the background. “I’ll send extras, love you, I know you love me, bye,” she said all in one breath before hanging up on him. 

He smiled and shook his head leaning back in his chair. Even while he waited, and after, nothing seemed to wipe the smile on his face. 

A smile that grew when he saw all the extras she threw in and the small little doodle of Raptor she had included. 

Maybe, just maybe, leaving his lunch wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

___

"what?" he almost chokes on his own spit when he asks

"its fucking pouring out here dex, theres no way i'm letting you drive under these conditions!"

it really wasn't this abysmal when he had first parked in front of your apartment complex, but of course he stalled for as long as he could, prompting and asking trivial questions to keep you on the passenger seat if only for a few minutes longer before you left him to sulk without your presence

"its not that bad" he answers, masking his nerves with a quirk of his mouth and a dismissive shake of his head, attempting to sound convincing while the downpour is hitting hilariously loud against the windshield of his car

"i can brew you some tea, y'know as a thank you for driving me home!" you crack a shy little smile, softening your features, something you have no idea makes dex's insides go molten

mostly everything you do has that effect on him now, the infatuation nearly consumes him whole on most days, at night he stares at the white of his ceiling counting the torturous minutes until he gets to see you again, sometimes he allows himself to play around with fantasies just to make the time passing more bearable

and its ironic how many of those fantasies began with something just like this, a cheeky invitation, a killer smile, being offered to tag along with you, a chance for him to finally step through the front door of your apartment, to have you beneath him in the same bed he's watched you sleep in (from a distance) countless times by now

but reality is quite different from his fantasies, in reality theres one huge and fucking pestering detail that would constantly foil his imagined scenarios from coming true the way he wants them to anyways...

"you can meet my rommate adrian! remember i told you about him?" you say, eyes lighting up the way they always do whenever you bring him up in conversation

dex fucking loathes to witness it, he seethes at the knowledge that the guy can make you smile like that even when he's not around

"that doesn't sound like a good idea" he near spits, the jealousy seeping from his words

"god, you say that about everything lately sourpuss" you answer, giggling when you see how dex gawks at your tone

you've always loved calling him names and pushing his buttons knowing all he ever does is give into you in the end

theres a beat of silence, a moment of you and dex staring at each other with quirking mouths, waiting in charged silence to see who pounces next

but then your phone buzzes-

"its him!" you say, a little bit concerned "he's asking me if i'm gonna be home anytime soon-"

dex cant fight the satisfied tug upwards of his mouth knowing he's managed to keep you from going back to adrian for this long

"oh no!" you exclaim, something high pitched that makes dex immediately snap his head towards you "i totally forgot today was keanu reeves movie night!" you whine with a little pout, texting adrian back frantically "damn it, i'm late!"

"sounds like a big deal" dex retorts with a mocking quirk of his brow, an unimpressed look on his face as he stares you down while you tap at your phone

"oh shut up dex!" you answer with a laugh that bursts naturally from you, heat evidently rising to your cheeks at his teasing

hes relishing in the way you playfully rolled your eyes at him before he can process you're already shoving your phone away and stepping out of the vehicle and into the downpour outside "just get outta the car already! you can wait out the rain upstairs-"

dex freezes in place for a few seconds, mouth hanging agape, eyes blinking a couple times in astonishment

he cant fucking stand that you left him alone without saying a proper goodbye or goodnight, he cant find it in himself to disobey your direct command either

dex steps out of the car in fear of disappointing you

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎

adrian is practically fuming as he stares at his phone screen, he keeps re-reading your texts over and over again

you: sorry! just got here, car broke down so dex drove me here

you: he's coming up by the way, play nice!

"are you fucking kidding me?" he whines out loud, a petulant sound no one is around to hear him make

dex, basically his nemesis, the person you spend almost every waking hour with ever since he got paired with you at work, the person who is supposedly just a coworker but you somehow can't shut up about when you talk about your shift at the end of every day

the person he's tried to convince you countless times is actually a fucking creep because you keep telling him he constantly remembers details about your life the way no one ever has before, that he pops out outta nowhere in places where he most definitely should't be in the first place

it all sounds far too familiar to adrian, who used to pull the same stunts with you back before your friendship ever solidified into the suffocatingly codependent arrangement that it is now

its funny how things worked out so beautifully for him all things considered

so of course it makes him furious, that it only took dex just a couple of months to infiltrate your lives so profusely

now he wants to steal movie nights too, he thinks

adrian's jaw twitches in anger, he breathes in and out slowly, trying to calm himself down before the elevator brings you both to the floor of your shared apartment

he jumps to his feet immediately when he hears your keys jingling and turning at the lock, not unlike a dog does when it hears it's owner come back after a long day

theres not even a few seconds between opening the door and you flinging yourself inside to wrap your arms around adrian's neck, hugging him with a chirpy and syrupy "hey ade!" that immediately makes his insides flutter with satisfaction

adrian hugs you back, wrapping both arms around your waist tightly, lifting you up until you squeal in protest and giggle the way you only do with him

he wants to make a statement, that much is clear, his face lifts from its place at the side of your neck to make eye contact with the tall and broad man standing at threshold of your home

adrian grins smugly at him while dex only cocks a challenging brow in response

"what happened to your car?" adrian asks, still hugging you, still holding suspicious eye contact with dex "why didn't you just call me?" he asks, more like complains, his voice going high at the end

"ugh! dont know! i couldn't get it to start but-" you answer, separating from adrian just enough to look back at dex who instantly meets your eyes with an encouraging raise of his brows and an easy smile "i was so lucky dex was still hanging around late after work, y'know with the rain and all, we can call the mechanic tomorrow-"

oh sure! real lucky, adrian thinks

adrian sees himself in dex immediately, and it really pisses him off

it only takes your dear roommate a few seconds of eye contact to figure out that dex was the one to ruin your car today, that the only reason he stayed behind at work was because he wanted to be the only one you could ask for help

y'know- exactly the kind of thing he would have done not so long ago

dex knows that adrian is growing suspicious, but all he does is stand upright and unmoving, a relaxed look on his face even though inside he's plotting violent acts

you cant sense it but theres a competitive antagonistic edge that emanates from their beings, their jealous and deranged fixation on you so fucking palpable to each other it makes the air feel dense and flammable

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎

dex knows something about your dear roomie that you most certainly dont 

he's known it from the very first week of him setting up a place in one of the top floors of the building just across the street from yours, the optimal high spot to spy on you through your window as often as he pleases

the third or fourth time he'd peered from his monocular and into your room to try to catch a glimpse of you getting ready for a friday night, thats when dex saw him

your roommate, tugging at himself with utter abandon on your very bed, face pressed down against your pillow

dex knows that adrian barges into your room sometimes when you're not there to stop him, that he makes himself at home amongst your things, that he grabs at any piece of clothing that you left on the floor and stuffs it right against his face to inhale your smell while his other hand slips inside his boxers, that he jerks himself off and smears his spent all over the piece of fabric, tosses it in your laundry basket and waits for you to come home only for you not to notice a single fucking thing

he also knows adrian's bugged one of your teddy bears with a small camera, that the thing has recorded and streamed up close the same scenes dex has only been able to watch from a distance

scenes of you, writhing in bed, a hand roughly placed over your mouth, stifling down your moans as you use your fingers to please yourself until you're arching up the bed, shaking and panting at the ceiling, blissfuly (and naively) unaware of the spectacle you're giving away to two very invested spectators

two spectators with right hands shoved down their underwear, mouth hanging completely open in awe at the sight of you, one watching from his computer, the other from across the street

and lucky for dex, almost as if it were a prize for him remaining at a distance at night-

he gets to have you all for himself for roughly 8 to 10 hours per day, the recent memories of his stalking still vividly playing inside his head as you and him carry on with your lived in routine of coworkers

and the thing is, recently, the lines between professional and friendly are starting to blur alarmingly fast

he could sense the shift in you when he started showing up on nights out with your friends (unexpected and uninvited) and you never even questioned it once

smiling so big at the sight of him, like it was only natural for him to be joined at your hip after spending so much time together on weekdays

always quick to drunkenly introduce him as "my partner, dex!" proceeding to needlessly correct yourself with "well- my work partner, my- cowork- ugh, y'know what i mean!"

he teased about it every single time "i think i like the sound of partner way better, makes it sound like i'm your boyf-" a giddy grin and an evil glint in his eyes when you could only push at his chest with a nervous laugh and a high pitched "stop it, this is so fucking inappropriate dex!"

he thrives in knowing the so called boundaries you had once set up for him at the beginning of your work relationship are slowly starting to crumble before his very eyes

dex relishes in knowing you've grown weak willed when it comes to denying him your attention and time outside of work too

now he gets to stand in your living room, a placed he never imagined he would be in so quickly, now he gets to square up and compete with the last person that stands in the way of you and him being together 24/7

and thats your damn pervert of a roommate

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎

"i know what you're doing by the way" adrian comments, his voice far too casual and conversational for the threatening edge it carries with it

he does it as soon as you're out of earshot, soon after you excused yourself to go take a quick shower and change before starting with the movie night

"what i'm doing?" dex retorts, a sly quirk of his mouth at the irony, eyes closed while shaking the towel you gave him over his dampened hair, smelling you all over it too, feeling his heart race knowing its gonna linger on him for a bit

"uh huh, i'm on to you-" adrian shoots back, his voice going tight and considerably deeper than how it sounded when he was talking to you just moments ago "they might not be able to tell that you're a fucking creep dude, but i can!"

dex scoffs, the nerve of this fucking guy, he thinks as his eyes instinctively scan around the room for possible murder weapons, but he already knows that if he were to throw or stab anything at adrian, that still wouldn't be nearly enough to be rid of him

dex has watched you both long enough to know that adrian is a metahuman, a hard to kill metahuman at that

so no, even if he would very much like to, murdering adrian is not an option (yet)

so they just stand there, fuming at each other, while adrian is a fiery wave of feelings, dex remains a tense but ticking time bomb

dex cracks his neck once before he asks with a deceivingly calm tone of voice and a self assured cock of his head "what about what you're doing buddy?", he smirks at the way adrian's eyes go huge for a single fleeting moment

"huh?! i- im not doing anything! the fuck are you talking about?" adrian retaliates, the nervous quickness of his words painfully giving him away already

"you're kidding right?" dex retorts simply, with a quirk of his mouth and a challenging knowing glint in his eyes "the teddy bear?"

in an instant, adrian realizes that dex is far more stealthy and far more deranged than he ever gave him credit for

now, the consequences are here to bite him in the ass

if dex is going down, he is damn sure gonna take adrian with him

adrian huffs, his jaw goes taut, his fingers flex over where he would regularly have his sheathed knife, but then-

"m'kay! im ready" you say, extra cheery, wringing a towel around your hair, freshly changed into your comfy shorts and a shirt that most definitely belongs to adrian

despite their growing tension, they both turn to you like a pack of wolves waiting to ambush their prey, pupils going wide at the sight of you

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎

adrian is clearly feeling insufferably smug when you're sitting on the couch between them both but your head is resting against his shoulder the way it's always done on movie nights with him

he leans his head over yours, a tight lip smile on his face when he hears the way dex sniffs out a frustrated sound

"i think i should head back now" dex's voice is wound tight as he lifts up abruptly from his side of the couch

truth is, he cant really stand another second of having to share you

"wait, no!" you say, grabbing at his hand instantly, something that makes dex's eyes open wide, his face to go red and adrian to seethe "the movies almost over, dont you wanna see how it ends?"

"i've seen it before" he lies, and he can tell you can tell, but that doesn't deter him at all, his nostrils continue to flair in anger, his hand remains clenched tightly around yours, like he's one bad move away from forcefully tugging you upwards with him

when he doesn't relent or doesn't move an inch backwards thats when you groan out "okay, fine! let me walk you out at least"

"i can come with-" adrian blurts out, eagerly and pathetically so-

"oh dont be silly ade, i'll be right back!"

dex practically has to rein himself in from not chuckling at the distraught look on adrian's face in response to your dismissive comment

he's also subtly smug about it, already planning on how he's gonna steal away precious minutes with you downstairs, maybe he'll have you in his car again when you least expect it

but then, your phone buzzes again

"oop one sec!" you get up from your place on the couch, walking towards the kitchen to answer a call that immediately leaves both adrian and dex befuddled and frozen in their spots

they both listen in on your conversation of course, like the fucking creeps they are

"yeah okay, perfect, ill see you then!" you say, right before hanging up

"uh- who was that?" adrian asks, a knot forming in his throat at the flirty tone of voice you were using on the phone

"oh just this guy i met at the bar the other day, gonna meet up with him tomorrow" you smile and shrug innocently, going to grab at your keys without even sparing them a glance

you're far too busy putting on some shoes with the purpose of walking dex out to notice your coworker and roomie staring at each other, a shared panic in their eyes, they were both so worried with themselves they failed to take into consideration something like this could happen

its a shame you can't see how their antagonistic flare silently reaches an understanding, the acknowledgment of a shared interest now being at risk

you, going out with some guy that isn't either of them (the two possessive weirdos who basically own your days an nights)?

stupid of you to think that could ever happen

as truly fucking selfish adrian and dex are, it's clear that they would rather coexist being freaks about you than not have access to you at all, and after your little phone call? they evidently would rather cooperate than have to see you get involved with anyone that isn't them

“Last time you did that, you yelled at a random guy who approached me.” You roll your eyes, “Yeah, a guy who approached you. How is he supposed to know you have meee??” He said back, finally pulling away with a pout. Crossing his arms, hoping that you’ll have some sort of pity on him.

“Adrian,” you point at your gold necklace ‘Adrian’ written in cursive. A rather possessive gift he gave you under influence of Chris. “Oh. Right.” He murmured, sheepishly. “But still! I have every right to watch my babe.” He pouted, blinking at you, knowing in no time he could get you under his spell.

“Nope, and thats final. I want one night, alone. You literally have my location.” You roll your eyes, giving his cheek a soft caress. He softened for a moment, thinking you’ll give in, leaning into your hand. That was when you pulled away, walking out of the bathroom with him trailing behind like a puppy. Murmuring a little ‘i thought i had her’

You walked into the bedroom, and Adrian as if on cue sat on the bed next to the asleep cat. You opened the closet, deciding on some heels before choosing to pick some strapped gold heels to match your dress. You sat down on the chaise by the window, taking the heels out of the box.

“Wait.. at least let me..” he murmured, trying his best to not chat that much so he could be maybe like one of those orange cats that are so quiet and cutesy until they guarantee their place in the family and turn into a menace. So maybe now if he acted all sweet and quiet, and physically hold himself back he could have you back.

He kneeled infront of you, that sad puppy look in his eyes as he took the shoe box. He gently slid on the first heel, kissing your calf and gently going up. He mentally was ready to celebrate his victory when your hands slid into his hair. “No, nuh uh.” You said, holding his face away from his hair.

“I know that look, it wont work on me.” You reminded him, giving him your other foot to slid the heel on. “Fine!” He huffed, putting on the other heel. “I guess i’ll die of heartbreak like swans do when their partner dies!” He got high, getting up and crossing his arms.

“Thats not- im not abandoning you.” You said, raising from the chaise, taking couple steps closer to rest on his cheek. He turns his head away, and to admit your heart broke a little. “I promised my friends, i wont be late. Yeah?” You murmured, tilting his face to face yours.

“Fine.. can i atleast text or something?” He grumbled, not making eye contact. “Yes, baby.. as many memes as you want. Just not a video of you jerking off like last time.” He imediately got defective, his chest puffing. “You said you liked it!” He said, giving that one specific look he gives with wide eyes.

Harcourt suddenly slammed her hands on the wheel. “Fucking stupid Chris!”

“Actually we're talking about fucking stupid Adrian.” Adebayo retorted.

“No it's my big dummy calling her big dummy and playing chicken around the three ways. Chris said something to me about it, that he was trying to get Adrian to admit he liked you properly.” Harcourt sighed, starting to speed again around corners to get to your hotel. 

“Wait really?” You didn't want to get your hopes up only to be hurt again but damn it that goofy man and your heart.

“Yeah really, sorry for how moronic they are.” Harcourt said solemnly, halting to a snapping stop at the mid-tier hotel you were all staying at. Not run down, but not swanky either, more business or upscale call girl’s haunt type vibes.

“Hm nice, decent, not too swanky.” Adebayo appraised the place as the three of you checked in.

“Right?” You agreed, slipping the pass card into your wallet. 

Watching the Devil Wears Prada in anticipation of the sequel was obviously in order, collagen facemasks, snacks, pizza delivery and the mini fridge bar were on the menu.

“How the fuck is 2006 twenty years ago? That's just rude.” Harcourt snapped, crunching on a mouthful of chocolate dipped pretzels.

“So rude, I was a kid when this movie came out.” You wondered where the time had gone and were met with Adebayo and Harcourt's mutual frown.

“Shut up.” The elder millennials ordered you to be silent.

After a movie-thon it was time to sleep in your respective queen suite rooms.

“See you in the morning girls!” Harcourt bid you goodnight.

“Night night!” You called out to them and went to take a shower. Near the end of your relaxing, there was a sharp knock at the door.

Did one of them forget their key card while getting ice or something? You quickly wrapped a towel around yourself and padded out towards the door

“Hey, what's up you need anything…” You paused when you weren't at eye level with whoever was in front of you. 

Looking up there was a very red faced Adrian Allen Chase standing there.

“What the fuck?!” You cried out, slamming the door. 

“Sorry!” Adrian cried back.

“Just wait out there while I get changed!” You cursed trying to cobble something together to wear.

“Okay outside and I didn't see anything! Well the faint outline of your nipples and hip dips through the damp towel but I'm totally not thinking about that right now…” Adrian tried to reassure you but trailed off rather suspiciously.

You couldn't find wherever your bra was so after tossing a sleep shirt on you wrapped yourself up into a fluffy bath robe. When you opened the door Adrian still had his hands over his eyes to protect against seeing anything indecent.

“You can look now, get in here already.” You said gruffly, pulling him inside to shut the door.

“Oh cute shirt.” Adrian said about your old beloved Blinky Bill T-shirt with the faded koala cartoon character.

“Thanks. Now what are you doing here?” You asked with a deep set frown. “And who's looking after Henry?” 

“Chris and John.” Adrian said quickly, whetting his lips. “Don't worry he's totally safe with them!” 

Meanwhile Henry was having the best time. At first Eagly was scary, but after John rocked up with bags of crazy flavoured chips he fed them to both birds who bonded over how surprisingly good the sweet n sour pork crisps were. That was all it took with rocking out to 80s hair metal to seal their friendship.

“Uh-huh. And what are you doing here?” Your frown slightly lifted but he wasn't totally off the hook yet.

“Because I did something dumb. I'm really sorry and you're mad with me, I get why you want us to stop calling each other work spouses too.” Adrian gazed into your eyes, searching for something unspoken that you were looking for in his.

“You do?” That surprised you, making your heart hammer away.

“Yeah because I feel the same way. I see you as more than a work wifey.” He said, gently caressing your cheek. "And I don't want you to move away."

“Really?” You felt dumbstruck by the revelation, tears prickling as he leant in. 

“Yeah. Can I please kiss you now?” He asked so politely it made you snort.

“Yes you may.” You giggled, Adrian taking no more time to lean right in and give you a big smooch on the lips.

It was a sweet, slightly funny kiss, tentative like he was trying to figure out the right amount of pressure to use along with a loud hum. 

Then his hands went to cup the back of your head but Adrian froze, snapping out of the kiss. 

“Your hair is so damp!” Adrian made a face at the sensation of his hands making contact with the drenched strands.

“I only just got out of the shower.” You rolled your eyes playfully. Getting a towel you wrapped it up and laid down on the bed. “Come join me!” You patted the mattress and watched his eyes nearly bug out of his skull looney toons style.

“Let's watch some trashy cable TV.” You clarified and Adrian nodded with a small gulp. Shifting beside you, he laid down robotically, at first much too far away.

“Scooch closer” You insisted until he was in snuggling range. “Perfect.” Laying back on him, you moved his limp arm around your shoulder.

“Y-yeah totally the word I'd use…” Adrian's cheeks were bright pink when you peered up at him. “Perfect.” He gently squeezed your shoulder. 

Falling asleep to a horrible TLC show, Adrian woke up with you still in his arms but upon checking the time he had to sadly go.

“I should get back to your place and look after Henry.” Adrian whispered and you sadly groaned back making him chuckle.

“Thanks for taking care of him, you're a great bird sitter. And a really great guy.” You mumbled in your half-sleep state, Adrian grinning at the amazing compliment before he slipped away.

Waking up the next morning you nearly thought it was a dream had Adrian not left you a helpful reminder note to next time check the peephole before opening doors. 

“Thanks Vigilante.” You laughed. 

By the time the seminar was over, you had some annual leave to take while Adrian was bored in the office during your absence. Still he was glad that he had time to organize a special surprise.

"Hey everybody, come check out this awesome package I've got!" Adrian declared as he strolled into the office.

"For the last time just say you got mail Adrian, Jesus Christ..." John grimaced at his poor word choice. 

"Bird dad and bird mom?" Chris scoffed at the t-shirts. "Dude that makes it sound like you guys are dating." 

"Well yeah because we are!" Adrian scoffed back and the whole office turned to stare at him bewildered. 

"You are?" Adebayo frowned, that was news to her. 

"Mm-hmm, Henry confirmed it for me." Adrian nodded. "He totally mimicked her voice saying oooh Adrian is so cute and wonderful I want him to be my boyfriend..." 

"But did you actually ask her out?" Harcourt asked.

"No, well I put my arm around her when we watched a movie together. Ironically how they do it in the movies." Adrian explained.

"You are always overly affectionate with her though." Harcourt argued. "Adrian, you need to ask the question and actually say the words out loud." She explained slowly for him.

"I do?" He didn’t realise he had to do that! 

"You do!" Everyone shouted back at him. 

"Fuck." His face fell. Adrian supposed he'd skipped that stage entirely then. 

Well honestly how was he supposed to know, on television and the movies, they just kissed and went fade to black, or his mother fast forwarded a bunch of scenes. 

Adrian was sweating bullets the next time you invited him over. In his satchel there was the etsy shirt he’d gotten you embedded with all of his hopes and dreams. 

"I took anything Henry disliked out to the local bird sanctuary." You called over your shoulder, fixing both of you some hot milos. 

Adrian loved milo now ever since you’d introduced him to it, and wanted to do a tim tam slam, usually with horrendous results. 

Today there were Kookas Country Biscuits choc raspberry flavor that you’d begged your friend to send you in a care package along with wagon wheels, Darrell Lee chocolate and rocky road, along with a massive box of favorites. 

“How do you guys function without cherry ripes?” You asked with a mouthful of the delicious bar. “Like seriously, I’m sorry but hershey’s tastes kinda like chalk.”

"Oooh that's super smart of you, you're like a genius hahahaha." Adrian felt himself getting anxious. Now that he knew you weren't actually properly dating, he was stressed that maybe you didn't actually like him as more than a friend.

But Henry wouldn't lie to him like that right? Wait he totally would! Adrian glared over at the bird cage where Henry was preening himself in the mirror. 

"Want to go sometime with me?" You offered.

"Sureweshouldgoandmakeitafirstdatebutonlyifyouwouldlikethatofcourse!" Adrian's words got mushed together as he tried to speed run asking you out. 

"Sorry I didn't quite catch that?" You admitted. 

"First date but only if you'd like of course!" His literal wingman Henry mimicked back with a loud squawk.

"Ohh I'd love that Adrian!" You grinned, handing him the steaming hot mug. 

Adrian sighed a sharp breath of relief. "Thank fucking God for that, I thought we were already dating for an entire week!"

"You did?" You had guessed it was likely, but Adrian never fully confirmed it. Just that he wanted you to stay, the kiss might've been an in the moment thing.

But it seemed like it had been the more you were hoping it was.

"Yeah Henry told me that you thought my butt was cute and wanted me to be your boyfriend. I think you were chatting to a friend from Australia, Kate over the phone?" Adrian added the bit about his butt, but you blushed suggesting it was true. 

"Oh my god, Henry!" You were so embarrassed. "What else did he say?"

"Nothing..." Adrian grinned back at you.

"Nothing!" Henry nodded enthusiastically with a loud squawk. 

Adrian handed you a gift wrapped box before you could question it.

Opening it you saw there was a cute shirt in your favourite colour with bird mom on it proudly in the cursive live laugh love font. It was so tacky and so very sweet. 

You loved it.

"I'll cherish you forever and please don't worry, I'll take my role as Henry's step father very seriously too!" Adrian unzipped his hoodie to reveal his matching teal shirt with bird dad. 

It was slightly too tight, a couple sizes small, and you enjoyed the brief view of his happy trail when he stripped the jumper off.

"What would you have done if I said no thanks to the date?" You giggled at how excited he was to flaunt the shirt, puffing out his chest like Henry did to preen. His biceps really did pop off in teal, it was the perfect color.

"Well I guess we'd have to get divorced. Because you're my work wifey? I'd give you half my beanie babies in the settlement, they are my main asset." Adrian cringed at the very thought and you quickly reassured him it wasn't the case by stripping off your shirt to wear the one he'd gotten you.

"Tits..." His jaw hung down stupidly to the ground at the flash of your bra you'd given.

"I think the bird is actually a cockatoo on the front." You teased him, pulling down the tee to point at the graphic.

Adrian laughed at that, his hands making a ridiculous flexing motion, "No I definitely spotted boobies. A really nice pair of them that I want to squish in my palms." It was like he was a cat kneading the air for biscuits. 

What a dork.

"I really liked seeing your bra too, it's all lacy with cute little flowers on it..." He murmured and you could see the tell-tale signs of him trying to readjust his slacks. 

“Uh-huh, well how about we put a blanket on Henry's cage, it's well past his bedtime, and we can play some Spiderbait on full volume so he doesn't repeat anything we happen to get up to?” You suggested, tossing the blanket over before Henry could attempt a complaint.

“Spiderbait?” Adrian wondered aloud, following you like a lost puppy into the bedroom after your giggles. 

“Please tell me you’ve heard this one?” You put Black Betty up at full volume, dancing around the room as you stripped off your Dr. Denim jeans. 

“You’ve put on a song?” Adrian couldn’t focus beyond how lovely your strong thighs looked. 

They were currently in a lacy black number, with the little flowers on it just like the bra he’d glimpsed earlier. 

All he could hear was the gorgeous sound of your laughter and the drum beat of his heart when you pulled him onto the bed. 

“Do you guys actually do bush doofs?” Adrian asked as he enthusiastically clambered on top of you.

“We do…why are you asking that?” You giggled, pulling your shirt off.

“It sounds like a sex thing. Is it?” He checked, stripping off his own.

Shaking your head, you shifted out of your panties. “No, it's like a disco. You'd pull out the Nutbush dance or something.” 

“Nutbush isn't a sex thing either?” Adrian was seriously confused, kicking off his shoes. 

“No, it's a dance we all have to do in high school to the Tina Turner song Nutbush City Limits.” You explained, opening the night stand drawer for lube and condoms.

“Weird. What is a dirty word then?” He wondered, eyeing off the condoms with a solid gulp.

You thought about that for a little while, uncapping the bottle of lube. “Hm, rooting is a word we use for fucking.” 

“Rooting?” Adrian laughed. “So when I say I'm rooting for you…” He ground his desire for you against your hip bone. 

“Oh yeah, keep talking dirty to me baby.” Your hands went down to unbuckle his belt, his own frozen at your shoulders. 

“Time for me to finally go down under!” Adrian laughed like a maniac, you joining him as he sunk between your thighs. 

Slotting his mouth on your core, he lapped every sweet word he could out of you. “Fuck Adrian…” You sighed, he was perfect, so cute whimpering and moaning. 

“You're amazing!” He grinned up at you upon hearing that, clearly drowning in the pleading praise from your lips. 

“Can I root you now?” Adrian asked with a lopsided smile.

“Pfft, yeah let's shag.” You deftly opened the condom packet and the rest was history.

Adrian got it in the end, telling you excitedly as he snapped his hips, your headboard definitely making a dent in the wall. “Root, because I'm rooting you like a tree root in the earth right?” He grinned down at you, sweat flecking off his nose onto your neck.

“I uh oh god…I g-guess so?” You could hardly form the words but Adrian was a real yapper during sex. 

“Did you know that the only two mammals in the world that lay eggs to give birth are in Australia?” He asked while simultaneously giving you the best dicking down of your entire life.

Nodding desperately you said you knew and felt your toes curl. “Yeah ahh…the-” 

“Platypus and echidna!” Adrian finished for you, grinning ear to ear, slamming his hips forward, finding even more purchase. 

“And Emus are stay at home dads, the males incubate the eggs and raise the chicks for the first eighteen months!” He announced, speeding up, eyes locked with yours and hands gripping your waist tight.

“I'd totally be a stay at home dad for you! I'm a feminist and I know how much you care about your career.” Adrian kissed a passionate line up your neck to your forehead, moving a lock of hair off your forehead.

That seriously did it for you, this man was everything. “Oh fuck that's so sweet Adrian, I think I'm going to!” 

You clung to him with a loud cry, finishing in tandem as Adrian groaned at the sensation of your legs locking, heels digging into the small of his back.

“Damn that was way better than batting off.” You sighed, totally buggered in the best way possible.

“Batting off?” Adrian asked.

“Like jerking off.” You explained and he nodded sagely.

“Ohhh! Yes agreed, so much better.” 

You kissed him on the nose and ordered some takeout to laze around in the bed the rest of the day together.

At your first proper date at the Bird Sanctuary, Adrian brought you a cup of seeds and waved you down, taking you by the hand to come see a particular enclosure.

“There’s a lady cockatoo who needs a home, we can foster her and give Henry a friend!” Adrian exclaimed, pointing right at her, a little too close by her beak, so you lowered his hand.

There was a very pretty yellow-tailed black cockatoo preening herself in a mirrored bell, a little name tag at the cage read Morgan. 

“Aww together they are Henry Morgan like Red Dead Redemption…” You realised and Adrian gasped. 

“Oh my god you’re so right and so pretty and so amazing for that…I fucking love you!” He smooched you on cheeks and nose a hundred times over. 

Morgan settled in nicely to the fold, at first there was a war for dominance between her and Henry. 

“I mean, it's great but… are you going to roll me in bubble wrap next?”

“Can I?” An excited grin flashes across his face. “Wait, are you being sarcastic?”

“Yes, I'm being saracastic.” Shaking your head in wonderment you return to reading your book, and Adrian returns to staring at you from the other side of the couch with soft loving eyes.

What has gotten into him? Sure, Adrian is an amazing boyfriend, he's always been so attuned to your needs that it borders on obsessive. Actually, alright, you can admit it he is obsessive. Shrugging you ease back into the pillows and silently concede… the fluffy blanket is so much better.

Adrian's dancing around you in the kitchen wearing nothing but jeans and your ruffled apron that he bought you last Valentines Day that says “kiss the cook”. The muscles in his back flex and relax as he mixes the cookie dough.

“Did you find the chocolate chips, babe?” He tosses a curious glance over his shoulder. When he sees you've pulled a chair over to the pantry the spoon he was using clatters onto the counter.

“Hey, hey... what are you doing?” There's real concern in his eyes when he gently grasps your waist.

“I can't reach the rolling pin on the top shelf.” He gently pulls you away from the chair and curls you into his chest, kissing you gently. Your mind is buzzing. What is his problem?

“I'll get it, I don't want you climbing up there, babe.”

You watch, brows creased as he grabs the rolling pin and a huge glass jar of chocolate chips.

The cookie dough is mixed and you're in charge of scooping and rolling the dough into balls. The dough is soft and sweet smelling, you roll them as fast as you can, but your hands are still a sticky mess. When he loops his arms around you and kisses your neck, his hair brushes your cheek.

Then big hands slowly run down the front your body to rest on your lower belly. He drags his lips to your shoulder. You lean into him, giggling when his kisses start to tickle.

“I love you.” His whisper is so soft in your ear you wonder if you were meant to hear it.

“I love you too, Adrian.” You set a dough ball down on the sheet pan and tilt your lips to his.

His arms tighten around you when you lean over to turn the sink tap on.

“Where do you think you're going?” He gently pulls you back against him.

“My hands are all gooey with cookie dough.” You show him your hands. Taking one hand off your belly he brings one of your fingers to his lips.

“Don't waste it…” He sucks on your finger, soft hot tongue curling around it. You bite your lip. “You can't have any though, you know… raw eggs.”

You and Adrian are cuddled on the couch, the evening news anchors are chattering away on TV. You're so warm and relaxed in his arms. One moment you're reading, savoring the rumble of his voice against your back as he complains about the most recent proposal for land development, and the next your heavy eyes are drifting closed.

When you wake up again, you're still tucked against him while he plays his Xbox.

Your brows crease and you blink up at him. He looks down at you smiling sweetly.

“Hi, sleepy head.” You watch his throat move as he talks. “You took a little nap and John came over…”

“Great cookies by the way, the addition of the flaky salt on top was a genius move.” John Economos grins at you from the arm chair, Xbox controller in hand.

“We're just playing a little Left 4 Dead…” Adrian croons.

“Adrian, I told you to put her in bed.” John says between bites of cookie.

“I didn't want her to wake up and be confused!” Adrian smoothes your hair back, you hum contentedly and lean into it. His voice vibrates against your back, sounding warbled and far off when he speaks again. “She's working really hard right now.”

He continues to run his fingertips across your scalp and you can't help but to close your eyes and let the exhaustion take over again.

“Adrian?” You try twisting the lid of the jar again, gritting your teeth. “Can you please come help me?”

“Are you kidding me! That's practically the whole reason for my existence!” He slides into the kitchen in his socks.

“Babe! That pickle jar is massive! You shouldn't be carrying that around. It's heavy.” His brows crease in worry and he takes the jar from you.

“Why do they even make jars of pickles this big?” He looks at you, concern shining in his green eyes. “And what kind of psycho buys them?”

“The pickle loving kind of psycho!” You bounce on your toes. “Please, hurry up. I want two… no three of them.”

Setting the jar on the counter he holds it steady in the crook of one arm and twists the lid with his hand.

“Weird cravings… check.” He mutters, knuckles turning white until the lid finally gives with a loud pop.

You wait patiently as he fishes three pickles out and sets them on your plate.

“One more.” You shove the plate closer.

“Too many pickles and you'll turn into one…” He chuckles. “How about this one?” He holds the pickle up with two fingers grinning.

“Yes, gimme…”

“Ah ah…” Grinning, he leans forward. “Time to collect the boyfriend tax…”

Setting the plate down you meet his lips with your own in a sweet kiss.

“Should I leave the jar out?” He smiles against your lips.

“You know it…” You kiss him again.

Adrian pulls you close, every line of his body pressed flush against your own, hands gently cupping your lower belly. He snuggles his face into the crook of your neck, whispering his usual sweet goodnights and I love you's, but this time they're so tender it's almost as if knows something you don't.

The next morning, Adrian holds your hair back in his fist and rubs gentle circles on your back as you heave over the toilet.

“It's okay, get it all out. I have some cold Gatorade in the fridge…”

“Adrian, I. don't. want. you. to. get. sick.” You say between wet shuddering breaths.

“I don't think I can catch what you have.” You watch him in the mirror as you rinse your mouth out and wash your face. “But if I could take it on for you, I totally would, I wouldn't even hesitate.”

“What?” Your brows knit over the idea.

“Babe, I think you're pregnant.” His voice quivers excitedly around the last word. Your gaze meets his bright eyes in the reflection.

“How could that…” Your voice trails off when you remember the couple of days you forgot to take your pill and squeeze your eyes closed.

“Your period is almost two weeks late.” He says softly. “I… I thought you realized that.”

Your stomach flutters again, but this time you aren't going to be sick. You place a trembling hand just below your navel and watch in the mirror as Adrian's warm hands slide over yours.

Pregnant?

Adrian insists on you being calm and comfortable before taking the test, so he helps you wash up and cleans the bathroom while you rest, drink gatorade, and eat saltines on the couch. He runs out to fetch a pregnancy test and comes back with five or six, just in case, “because the margin for error with these things is crazy!”

When it's time, Adrian waits outside the bathroom door, pacing as you pee on the stick, then another, just in case.

“Are you okay in there? I started the timer when I heard the toilet flush!” You can see the shadow of his feet under the door. You know he's anxious to be here for you so you unlock the door and let him in.

He sits on the edge of the tub, holding your hand as the seconds tick by. For the first time since you've known him, he lets the silence hang heavy in the air.

When his watch buzzes he stands and kisses you. “Are you going to see what they say?” He's buzzing with nerves... or excitement. It's hard to tell which.

Your tummy flutters. “No. Can you do it? Please?”

He gently picks up the test, scrunching his nose and straightening his glasses. He tilts the test in the bathroom light, scrutinizing the little result window.

“Did you throw the instructions away?” He glances at you, eyes wide.

“Adrian… what's it say?” You aren't sure you even want to know. Being pregnant with just anyone would be scary. But this is Adrian. He's your best friend, the love of your life, and would do anything to keep you happy and safe.

The instructions float down to the floor from his hands like tissue paper.

Adrian's eyes sparkle when he looks at you.

“Two lines.” He grins.

What'd you guys think? 🥰 Was it too mush? I feel like Adrian would be a major mush no matter how much he says he doesn't have feelings... are we really buying that? I'm not.

Love you all xxoo! M.

My master list has more Adrian fluff