But then he started asking you if raccoons could get diabetes. Started saving you the last granola bar. Started looking at you like you mattered, like he couldn’t believe you were real either.

And somewhere between stitching up his side and dodging his dick jokes, something switched inside of you. You didn’t mean to. But God, you’re in it now. Because Adrian is your favorite. Unfiltered. Unafraid. Reckless, ridiculous, and so endearingly his own type of chaos. And the way you feel about him? It’s not a crush anymore. It’s a problem.

You’re in love with a man who hums the DuckTales theme while bleeding out, who gets excited about vending machines, who asks if you want to “practice CPR just in case.”

Adebayo watches you both from across the room.

She doesn’t say anything at first. Just sips her tea. Lets the music fill the silence.

And then, softly “So. When are you gonna stop pretending?”

You glance up, startled. “What?”

“You heard me.”

You look down. “It’s not…I mean, there’s nothing to pretend.”

“That’s bullshit.”

You bite your lip.

She leans forward, elbows on her knees. “Look. I’m not trying to push you. I get it. He’s a lot. He’s loud. He says the most unhinged shit I’ve ever heard come out of a man who’s technically not institutionalized.”

You smile weakly. “But he looks at you like you’re his gravity, girl. Like you’re the one thing holding him to the goddamn planet.”

Your breath catches. “And you look at him like you’re scared of what would happen if he ever stopped looking back.”

You say nothing. You can’t. Your throat’s too tight. “This world we live in? It doesn’t make sense. It’s violent. It’s random. You could lose everything tomorrow and never see it coming.”

She sets her tea down. “So if you’ve got something good in front of you, even if it’s messy, even if it’s scary, you take it. You don’t wait until it’s gone. You don’t wait until you’re sitting here with bloody gloves and a bunch of regrets.”

You let out a shaky breath. Her words hit harder than you want to admit.

She stands, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. “You deserve good things, sunshine. Stop convincing yourself you don’t.”

She walks out of the room.

You sit there for a long moment, the rain tapping softly on the windows, music humming low and emotional in the background. You look over at Adrian.

Still asleep. Still frowning in his sleep like he’s dreaming of a fight. But when you shift to sit beside him, he stirs, just slightly and without opening his eyes, he mumbles “Can you stay?”

You freeze.

“I wanna be near you.”

Then he shifts again and lays his head in your lap, face turned into your stomach, sighing like he’s finally safe.

You’re trembling again. But this time, it’s not fear. It’s too many feelings crammed into one fragile moment.

You hesitate, then slowly, ever so gently, thread your fingers through his soft curls.

He hums in his sleep. Presses closer. And for the first time all night, he looks peaceful.

The next song starts playing a love song with aching guitar and lyrics about wanting more time.

You stare down at him, cheeks burning, hand in his hair.

And just when you think he’s fully asleep “You’re doing it again,” he murmurs, voice gravelly.

You jump slightly. “Doing what?”

He doesn’t open his eyes. But his smile is soft. Sleepy. A little sad.

“Pretending you don’t feel what you feel.”

You swallow. “You’re not supposed to be awake.”

“Can’t sleep. You smell too good.” He hums pressing his face closer to your lower abdomen. “And I’m too excited to go to sleep now.”

“Adrian.”

“I mean it,” he whispers. “Every time I get hurt, I think, cool, maybe now she’ll finally kiss me.”

You laugh, wet and quiet. “That’s terrible logic.”

“It’s working, isn’t it?”

You sigh, looking down at him, his lashes brushing his cheeks, his lips parted, his voice barely holding steady.

And then he says, quieter “I’m scared too. I act like I’m not, but I am.”

You say nothing. Just trace your fingers through his hair again.

“But I know this if I died tomorrow and didn’t tell you how I feel, I’d come back just to haunt you. Probably in the shower.”

You giggle, wiping at your eyes. “I like you,” he murmurs, barely audible now. “So much it’s stupid.”

Your heart’s hammering.

“I like you too,” you whisper.

He opens his eyes, soft and hazy and all Adrian.

“Yeah?” You nod.

“Good,” he says. “Now kiss me before someone walks in and ruins it.” You let out a breathless laugh before bending down to plant a gentle kiss on his soft lips. You feel the kiss everywhere like something awakening inside of you. You pull back slightly and see the biggest grin on his face.

“I knew it’d be magical,” he says before He kisses you again, slow, careful, as if he’s afraid to shatter the moment. But when he pulls back, he keeps one hand cradling your cheek, thumb brushing over your skin like he doesn’t quite believe this is real.

Then, gently “C’mere. Lay down with me.”

You don’t hesitate.

You curl into his side, warm and breathless, draping a leg over his hips. And that’s when you feel him. Hard against your clothed heat.

You freeze for just a second, flushed, breath catching and then you look up at him, wide-eyed, something wild and unspoken flaring behind your lashes.

Adrian raises a brow, smirking just slightly. “Sorry you’re just so hot. I swear I was hard before you kissed me. Shit…does it make you uncomfortable?” you shake your head slowly, lips parting as a quiet, needy sound escapes your throat, one you didn’t know you could make.

“No,” you whisper. “God, no. I just… didn’t realize you’d be that…fuck.”

His grin falters. Not in a bad way. Like he’s trying to process the fact that you’re the one unraveling now.

You shift your hips without thinking, pressing yourself into him just enough to feel the heat between you spark and catch. His breath hitches. His eyes darken.

“Careful, baby,” he murmurs, voice rough. “You keep moving like that, and I’m gonna forget how exist or be gentle.”

Your fingers trail down his chest, slow and reverent, but your voice is different now, breathy, unsteady, feral.

“I don’t want gentle.” That surprises you, even as it leaves your mouth. Adrian blinks. You lean in, lips grazing his ear, and whisper “I want you to fuck me.”

He groans, full-body groan, like the words physically hit him.

“Oh shit.”

You bite your lip, eyes hooded, emboldened now by the way he’s looking at you, like you’re the last thing he’ll ever believe in.

“I’ve wanted you since the first time you opened that big, stupid mouth and made me laugh while bleeding.” You confess.

“You mean the time I got stabbed and told you I was allergic to hot people?”

“Exactly that one.”

He grins, breathless, his fingers curling around your thigh. He leans in to kiss you again slipping his tongue inside effortlessly. “Say it again.” He says against your lips.

You tilt your head, innocent smile hiding something deeper. “That I want you?”

“No,” he rasps. “That you want me to fuck you.”

You exhale shakily. “I want you to fuck me, Adrian.”

He loses it.

Suddenly he’s flipping you onto your back, careful but desperate, lips crashing against yours as his body settles between your thighs.

His voice is strained, reverent. “Tell me if it’s too much.” He groans into your mouth.

“It’s not enough.”

“Fuck, okay, okay. Just, don’t say shit like that unless you’re ready, because I am one second away from completely losing my mind over you.”

“Then lose it,” you whisper, hands dragging down his back. “Lose it for me.” He sits back and pulls your shirt off leaving you bare.

“Holy shit.” His eyes are wide behind his glasses as he looks down at you. His hands come up to caress your exposed skin “I knew these would be perfect,” he whispers almost to himself making you smile. The sound of his voice, low, awed, slightly wrecked, makes your stomach flip.

He leans in and presses kisses down your throat, across your chest, lips brushing everywhere except where you want them.

You arch into him, breath catching. “Adrian…” And then his mouth wraps around your nipple, hot, wet, and devoted his tongue flicking expertly while his free hand comes up to tease the other, fingers pinching lightly.

“Oh my God—” you gasp, back arching harder. “That feels so good.”

“Yeah?” he mumbles against your skin, his voice vibrating against you. “You’re so fucking responsive… it’s gonna drive me insane.”

He kisses his way back up your body, every press of his mouth getting slower, sloppier, until he reaches your lips again and kisses you with a hunger you feel down to your toes.

You moan into him and he moans right back, like he needs it just as much.

He moves down to your neck, biting softly, tongue soothing over every mark he leaves behind. It tickles just enough to make you giggle.

Adrian pulls back instantly, eyes wide and panicked.“Shit.. am I doing something wrong?”

You shake your head, laughing breathlessly. “No, no. Your hair tickled me a little.”

His shoulders sag in relief. “Jesus, don’t scare me like that,” he breathes out, then flashes you a crooked smile. “I thought I bit you weird or said something way too specific.”

You laugh harder, and he grins like he’s completely drunk on it. “Okay, cool. Ticklish giggle I can handle.” He kisses you once, sweet and slow. “Anything else? Would’ve killed me.” He reaches down to pull his pants off and slides your shorts off before he dives back in, mouth hot and claiming against your neck, fingers skimming lower, and you’re both so far gone it’s a miracle either of you remembers how breathing works. He’s grinding against you now, desperately rubbing his hard-on against your core, panting like every movement is costing him restraint. His hips roll like he’s begging for relief, completely lost in the feeling.

You slide your hand down and palm him through the thin fabric of his briefs, and his whole body shudders.

“Oh fuck, that’s amazing,” he groans, his voice cracking like it physically hurts to hold back. He kisses you again, hard, almost messy, before dragging your hand lower, guiding your fingers beneath the waistband.

“Please,” he murmurs, actually begging now. “Touch me please. I need you to touch me, I’m losing my fucking mind”

You wrap your hand around him, stroking a few times, slow and deliberate. His head drops to your shoulder with a broken moan. You tug his briefs down, letting his cock spring free, thick, flushed, aching and you don’t miss the way he twitches in your hand when you squeeze.

“Jesus,” he whimpers. “I knew your hands were magic before but holy shit.”

While you’re still stroking him, his hand moves fast, urgent, a little shaky, pulling your soaked panties to the side, fingers sliding through your wetness like he’s checking just to make sure.

“Oh my God,” he rasps, eyes wide, face completely undone. “You’re, fuck, baby, you’re dripping. That’s…holy shit, that’s so fucking good. Is all that for me?”

You nod, breathless. He kisses you again, more like a gasp than a kiss while his fingers run up and down your slit, careful and obsessed.

“I can feel how bad you want it,” he groans. “You’re so wet it’s making me lightheaded.” Then, barely a whisper “Can I eat you out? Please? I need…just let me…please.”

“Yes,” you breathe, eyes gleaming. “Show me what that mouth knows other than weird animal facts.”

He laughs, the sound full-bodied, delighted like he’s been waiting for this challenge.

“You got it,” he grins, sitting up on his knees. “But you gotta sit on my face.”

You blink. Hard.

“Wait, what?”

“Sit. On. My. Face,” he repeats, already lying back on the couch like this is a completely normal Tuesday activity.

You hesitate, hovering slightly over his lap.

“I… I’ve never done that before.”

His whole body jolts upright like you just told him the sky is fake.

“WHAT?! With those thighs?” He gestures emphatically like you’ve committed some kind of war crime. “Are you kidding me?”

You nod, cheeks burning. He blinks up at you, stunned. Then he softens, that dorky, adoring smile creeping onto his face.

“Okay, we’re fixing that right now.”

He reaches out, palm warm as he guides you forward.

“C’mere. I got you.”

You let him help you straddle his chest, your breath catching as you slide up, hovering, uncertain.

“This position?” he says, eyes glinting, “Top tier. A personal favorite. You can pull my hair, ride my nose, use me like a human slip-n-slide, whatever feels right for you, princess. Use me”

You let out a nervous laugh, glancing down at him.

He just looks up at you like you’re a work of art, hands wrapping around your thighs as he gently, very purposefully, pulls you down to his mouth.

And then, his tongue drags a slow, wet stripe through your folds and your thighs shudder instantly, your hips bucking slightly as the breath whooshes from your lungs.

“Holy shit,” you gasp.

His hands tighten around you, keeping you steady as he groans into you, deep and satisfied like he’s been craving this forever and is finally being fed.

He groans into you, loud and muffled, like he likes that your legs are shaking. Like he wants more. “You taste so fucking good,” he moans between licks, hands gripping your thighs tighter, keeping you steady. “This is the best day of my entire fucking life.”

You try to lift off him, just slightly, too flustered, but he yanks you right back down.

“Nope. Stay. You’re not going anywhere.”

His tongue flicks against your clit and you cry out, hand flying to the back of his head, fingers tangling in his hair.

“Fuck, Adrian…” you whimper.

“That’s it,” he growls. “Pull my hair. Use me, baby.”

You’re panting now, grinding down without thinking, chasing the pressure. His hands are guiding you slowly, then fast, then back to slow like he’s memorizing you.

“I knew it,” he mutters, voice reverent and ruined. “Knew that sweet little mouth was hiding something filthy. Look at you now. Fucking dripping for me.”

You whimper something unintelligible. He chuckles, delirious.

“Can’t talk?” he teases, pausing just long enough to kiss your thigh. “That’s okay. I’ll do all the talking for both of us.”

And he does.

“You’re gonna come on my face, aren’t you? Gonna soak me like a goddamn waterfall. Shit, I hope I drown.”

You moan loud and high and desperate, stars exploding behind your eyes. You’re so close it’s not even funny.

“That’s it, sunshine,” he whispers, licking deeper, dirtier. “Give it to me. Ruin me. Be selfish. You deserve to feel this good every single fucking day.” Your release comes crashing down, the immediate relief and wave of pleasure washing over you makes you a little lightheaded.

“I’ll quiz you on every animal in the world if you do this every day,” you sigh, breathless, still trembling, looking down at him.

“Shit, that’s a lot of things to memorize,” he says, voice muffled and thoughtful, eyes wide behind his glasses. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get to all of them… but I’ll try. For science. And your thighs.”

You laugh, still flushed, still dizzy and scoot down, straddling his hips.

His lips are glistening with your slick. He watches you with pure amusement, then slowly licks them clean like it’s a goddamn delicacy.

“So… how was it?” he asks, cocky and boyish.

“Un-fucking-believable,” you whisper, leaning in to kiss him.

“Like a 10/10?” he grins against your mouth.

Instead of answering, you grind your soaked core over his cock, still thick and heavy against his stomach. His eyes snap shut like you’ve short-circuited him.

“Yes,” you finally whisper, dragging yourself over him again. His hips buck.

“Shit,” he gasps. “Okay. Okay. Wait—I don’t have any condoms.” He starts spiraling instantly. “Maybe Chris has one…Economos? No, that guy doesn’t fuck—”

He’s talking a mile a minute, eyebrows knitted in genuine panic as he tries to figure out how to stop this from becoming a PSA.

You reach down and grab his cock, slow and teasing, running it through your slick again. He chokes.

“Oh god.” His head falls back. “Do you have one? Please tell me you have one.”

You smile, sweet, innocent, a little too calm for how wrecked he is.

You roll your hips forward again and tease his swollen tip right against your entrance.

“No,” you whisper, watching his brain leave the chat.

“Oh fuck,” he groans, trembling under you. “Okay…okay…I can pull out. I mean, I’ll try—fuck—you feel really tight, and it’s been a while, and you’re kind of like…everything.”

“No,” you interrupt softly, lips brushing his ear. “I want you to come inside me.”

His whole body goes completely still.

“Wait—what?” His head jerks up, eyes wide behind his fogged-up glasses.

“I’m on birth control,” you add, a breath away from him, voice calm and quiet.

He stares at you, scandalized.

“Then why the fuck did you—why did you let me go on and on about condoms and pulling out like a fucking sex ed skit?!” He throws his hands up, exasperated. “I almost called Chris, dude!”

You bite your lip, still smiling.

“I just wanted to hear what you’d say.”

“You’re a sadist,” he groans, arms wrapping around you as he flips you underneath him. “You knew I’d spiral and you let it happen. You’re lucky I’m obsessed with you.”

He reaches down between you, his tip sliding through your wetness, and with one slow, aching push, he sinks into you. Both of you gasp, his eyes flutter shut like he’s been hit by divine intervention.

“Oh my God,” he chokes, hips stuttering forward. “You’re—fuck, you’re perfect. You were made to do this. Literally designed in a lab for me.”

Your nails dig into his shoulders as he starts to thrust, slow, desperate, and just a little sloppy from how close he already is.

“That’s it,” you moan. “Just like that, Adrian—”

“Yeah?” he pants, eyes wide and gleaming. “You like that? You wanted me to fuck you in this government-funded IKEA couch?”

“Don’t care,” you gasp. “Wanna feel all of you—” The door slams open.

“OH MY GOD,” Ads yells.

Adrian freezes mid-thrust. You both look up like deer caught in an emotional headlight.

She’s standing there, horrified, hand over her mouth. Her eyes are huge. You’re still wrapped around Adrian. Adrian is still in you.

“Are you—are you guys serious right now?!” She blurts.

“You told me to go for it!” You yell.

“Yeah but I meant like a kiss or hug or something, damn. This is the common room! There are cameras!”

Adrian turns to you, eyes wide. “Wait, you knew there were cameras?! Why didn’t you say something?! Now there’s footage of me balls deep in my coworker while a friendship monitor watches from the ceiling!”

Before you can even respond, there’s a beep, then Chris’s voice comes in loud and clear over the PA system “Fantastic job, team. You almost made it to completion. Real tenacity out there. Also I definitely have condoms. You could’ve asked.”

“I’m never showing my face again,” you mumble.

“Too late,” Adrian says cheerfully, still inside you. “My ass is already on file.”

“Adrian—”

“Look, all I’m saying is if we’re gonna be exhibitionists, I say we commit. Someone find a ring light.”

“Adrian,” you hiss, mortified.

Ads is still in the doorway, one hand shielding her eyes and the other trying to backtrack out of the room like she didn’t just see her coworkers mid-thrust.

“I cannot believe I’m saying this,” she mutters, “but I’m actually gonna go walk into traffic. That feels like the only logical next step.”

“Well… that could’ve been worse,” Adrian offers, somehow genuinely trying to comfort you. “At least it wasn’t”

“Hey guys, anyone seen my leftove…OH MY ACTUAL FUCK—”

Economos drops his lunch container. It explodes against the floor.

He stares. Jaw slack. Face pale.

“WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU—WHY ARE YOU STILL INSIDE HER?!” he screams.

“We are bonding!” Adrian yells back.

“WITH YOUR DICK?!”

“Emotionally and physically!”

“THERE ARE CAMERAS!”

Chris’s voice crackles in again “Economos, relax. Why don’t give him a high five instead? We thought he didn’t like sex this is major! Also, no one’s touching your little fucking leftover pad thai. Fuck.”

Economos is still frozen in the doorway, eyes haunted. Adrian finally grabs a blanket to pull over you.

“I’m gonna need therapy,” John whispers, backing out of the room like it’s cursed. “Like, so much therapy. Government-issued trauma leave.”

“Want me to write a note?” Adrian calls after him. “I have great handwriting!”

The door finally closes. Silence. You flop back on the couch, covering your face with the blanket.

"What are you doing here?" You asked Chris as he finally settled on a station. "You're supposed to be scoping out the property while we figure out how to get you inside."

Chris didn't turn to face you as he responded "I got tired." He called out your name exaggeratedly. "You know how tiring it is using the x-ray vision in this thing?" He knocked on his metal helmet before slouching further into his chair.

"Get your ass outside and tell us where the damn guards are!" Economos spoke loudly over the quiet atmosphere of the van. "We're not in here slouching over these keyboards so you can be fucking lazy." He let out a sigh as you continued to watch Chris, who began grumbling under his breath as he opened the door to the van and lazily slid out.

"Jeez, I'll be glad when this shit is over." Economos said as he went back to typing, looking over the schematics of the building for an in.

You shrugged beside him, eyes watching his computer screen as you stretch for the first time in nearly two hours. It was nearly midnight now according to the time on screen and your back was starting to do that thing it did when you sat hunched at a computer screen for too long. "That entrance might be good." You spoke, pointing to a spot on his screen.

"Nah that's no good. I can't crack the code for that passkey remotely and there's no way in hell I'm getting out of this van." He sighs, moving to another area.

"I can try it. I have a new software for remote malware and passkeys. I don't know if it'll work tho." Economos looks over at you as you speak, eyes flickering to your still computer screen. "Actually maybe you can look through the code to make sure it's good to use."

Economos lets out another sigh before leaning back on his chair. "Whatever gets us the hell out of here faster."

You click on your screen before typing in the password to access the software and turn the swiveling monitor his way. He leans back in and reads over your code carefully. "How'd you even think of doing this? This code is really complex for someone who's never taken a computer class."

"How do you know that?" You ask skeptically, watching as he adjusts a line of code.

"I actually read the dossiers for our team members. Yours wasn't anything special but your work is actually pretty impressive." He speaks as he continues scrolling through the code.

"Well I haven't taken any official classes, but the internet is free at McDonald's and YouTube has tutorials for basically everything." You explain hesitantly.

He paused his scrolling to address you fully. "You learned how to do this in a fucking McDonald's?!" Economos adjusts his glasses as he turns the monitor back towards you. "That's fucking insane. I mean I hacked into the CIA's database at fourteen but I was taking highschool level computer programming classes."

The earpiece in your ear crackles to life and Chris's voice filters through. "The office workers are leaving now escorted by a few guards, please tell me you guys found a way into this fucking building."

Economos speaks into his earpiece announcing your accomplishment. "We actually did find a way into the building thanks to her new software. The east entrance will be your in point. Let us know when you're all in position to enter."

Another voice crackles over the earpiece. "A new software? I knew about that already cause y/n and I are super close. Surprised she didn't tell you guys beforehand." Adrian speaks too quickly to be casual. The statement confuses you because you had yet to tell anyone about your new software. Especially Adrian due to his lack of knowledge and interest in anything tech related.

Economos rolls his eyes as he types on his keyboard quietly. The earpiece is quiet in your ear for several minutes as you prepare the software to breach the east entrance. A loud slam sounds from the back of the van to your right and both you and Economos startle at the noise.

Both of you turn to see Adrian hopping into the back of the van before closing the door behind him. "What the fuck man?" Economos screams.

"What?" Adrian responds, as he removes his mask.

"You came in here and slammed the fucking door like a murderer!"

"Well it's a good thing I wasn't a murderer because you two reacted very poorly." Adrian says with a laugh.

"Well neither of us are field trained, so we wouldn't be able to fight off anyone anyways." You say with a shrug, which spurs Adrian to take a seat on the bench diagonal to your chair.

"Oh cmon I could teach you how to fight off a murderer. Because I am an incredible fighter." He states matter-of-factly.

"You're not gonna offer to train me to fight?" Economos scoffs at him and Adrian responds with a shake of his head.

"You don't quiz me on animal facts like she does. I have nothing to lose if you die because you don't do that."

"Adrian" You scold half heartedly, knowing he would help Economos out if he actually needed it. "That's unprofessional."

"It's also unprofessional to tell Economos about a fancy new thingy you made before me." He says, nudging your foot with his own as you continue typing.

"That's actually completely untrue. You don't know anything about computers anyways." You defend, side eyeing him as you launch the program.

"He's just jealous that I learned something new about you before he did." Economos says as he watches your computer screen.

Silence fills the space between you three as Adrian makes no move to defend himself against the accusation. It makes you and Economos turn your attention away from the monitor in front of you to look at him. Adrian has his hands in his lap, fiddling with his gloves as he stares at you with a frown.

"Wait you're actually serious? You're fucking jealous over this?" Economos finally breaks the silence, laughing at his observation.

Adrian ignores him in favor of leaning forward and speaking to you. "Why didn't you tell me about your new project first?"

"I hadn't realized it was such a big deal. You don't really seem to be interested in this kind of stuff, so I didn't bother mentioning it." You say with a teasing smile as you lean forward against the corner of your desk to meet his gaze properly.

"It's a big deal to me if it's about you." He says honestly, which catches you off guard.

You give him a more reassuring smile before speaking. "Well I'll be sure to let you in on all of my ideas first from now on."

Adrian's frown turns into a grin as the two of you maintain comfortable eye contact. The moment is only broken by Economos' words.

"Now that you two are finished practicing healthy communication skills, Adrian needs to get the fuck out of the van and go do his job."

Adrian sighs longingly before moving off of the bench and towards the back doors of the van. He fastens his mask back into place before opening the door and leaving to join Chris, Leota, and Harcourt inside.

You watch him go with a smile, knowing furthermore just how much he cares for you. The thought makes your heart ram beneath your ribs; the need to finally tell him how you feel ever present.

He’s not really a self-conscious person. He doesn’t think lowly of himself, or even that he doesn’t deserve you. It’s just that…well, you’re you. You’re too perfect to be fucking real, and he can’t help the niggling anxiety that something might go wrong and take you away from him. It isn’t insecurity as much as it is an overwhelming, burning possessiveness. He got you. You’re his. The idea of anything separating you from his life makes him want to be sick and kill someone at the same time.

“Dude, I still don’t know how you did it.” Chris is beside him at the bar, drink in hand, and Adrian’s eyes are on you. Where you’re playing darts with Economos in the corner, the thirty or so feet between you and him feeling like a thousand miles. You laugh at something the other man says, and Adrian just wants the bartender to bring over the next round of drinks so he can get back to you and drown in the sound of it.

“Huh?” He doesn’t stop looking at you. Tries to listen to Chris.

“I mean, she’s a fuckin’ ten, man. No offense, but I’m still pretty sure you must have found a genie or some shit to get her to go for you.”

That…gets to him, a little. He’s never been too bothered by Chris’s bluntness. And he knows that you’re beautiful. That you’re amazing in every way. But…he’s right. Why did you go for Adrian, of all people? Was it really some cosmic miracle? Some kind of mistake in the universe that might be righted at any moment?

He’s about to open his mouth to respond, eyes still locked on you so intensely that it might look creepy to anyone watching, when a stranger saunters up to you and his entire brain short-circuits.

It’s not the first time. It’s actually probably the millionth time, especially now that he’s so much more aware of it. The guy is in a button-down shirt, hair slicked back, and he looks a lot more put-together than Adrian does in his jeans and sneakers. He has a good jawline. Adrian should really work on his face exercises.

You smile politely at him, turn back to Economos, and the guy touches your shoulder and tries to talk to you again.

He’s pretty sure this guy must have committed some kind of crime in the past, right? Killed a guy or hit someone’s car or jaywalked or-

You brush the man off, gesture in Adrian’s direction, and he feels something flutter in his chest when he sees you mouth the word ‘boyfriend’.

The guy turns around. Looks at Adrian, who just looks at you and waves. You smile and wave back at him.

Slicked Back Hair Guy raises his eyebrows, and whatever he says when he turns to you has your smile sharpening like a knife, eyes going hard. You say something else, something that seems biting, and dismissively turn back to Economos.

And shit, this guy is totally in love with you already, isn’t he? How could anyone not be when they see you smile? Especially when it’s that dangerous one you gave him a second ago? The one with the promise of violence glinting in your eyes?

Adrian makes his way back over to you, sets both of your drinks down on a nearby table, and leans in to speak casually in your ear over the music and chatter in the bar.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?”

And that’s how he gets you in the bathroom, on the counter by the sink, panting against your neck between sharp bites to your skin that he hopes leave marks for people like Slicked Back Hair Guy to see.

“Mine.” He doesn’t think he’s ever heard his own voice like this before. So low and hungry and demanding.

People have knocked. They’re complaining outside. He doesn’t care, and he’s busy making it his mission to ensure that you don’t care, either.

“Mine.” He says again, and your fingers are curled against the back of his jacket and your thighs are wrapped so tightly around his waist and this is what Nirvana must be like, isn’t it? You moaning his name in this tiny bar bathroom with his mouth on your skin and his hands on whatever part of your body he can reach and-

You try to cover your mouth with your hand, and his own whips out to catch it and press it against the mirror behind you, tangling his fingers with yours and swallowing the noises you make with his mouth instead. He wants to hear it. He wants everyone to hear you. To know that he’s the one making you feel like this.

When he finally gets you to scream his name, voice muffled as you bury your face in his shoulder and entire body trembling in that way he absolutely fucking loves, he grins against your throat, biting down one last time and whispering that word over and over like a prayer.

“Mine. Mine. Mine.”

-

“Oh, come on guys! You’re gonna get us banned from the bar.” Leota groans, as you try to fix your hair and Adrian smiles behind you like he just won a gold medal, arms around your waist as he shamelessly presses kisses to the side of your now-bruised neck.

“Sorry.” You don’t sound like you mean it, and he wonders if he might get away with taking you back to the bathroom for round two. Probably wouldn’t be appropriate, but when has he ever cared about anything like that? You’re still flushed. Your body is melting back against his. He thinks your legs might be shaking. He’ll make them shake more when he gets you back to your apartment, but he’s fighting the urge to do it now. He’s not exactly a patient man, especially when it comes to you. He doesn’t think he has it in him to wait.

He nuzzles into your neck. He can feel you smile as you press a kiss to the side of his head. That one word echoes through his mind again, nestling into his heart and solidifying itself as the absolute truth.

Mine.

-

It becomes a bit of a routine, after that.

You all go out to the bar again. Some guy in a very tight t-shirt tries to buy you a drink. Five minutes later, Adrian has you pressed up against the brick wall of the alley, your hands in his hair as he digs his nails and teeth into you like he can tattoo his name onto your skin if he just presses hard enough. Like he can get you to forget every other name you’ve ever heard if he can just make you scream his loud enough.

You go mini golfing. The employee offers to show you how to hit the ball with a flirtatious smile, and Adrian manages to get you beneath the windmill. This time, he does cover your mouth. Public sex is a crime, after all, even if his moral code when it comes to that particular law has become a little more loosey goosey over these past few months. Besides, if no one but him hears you, it’s not illegal. He’s pretty sure he read that somewhere. 

He stops for gas, the guy behind the counter smiles at you for a few seconds too long, and Adrian pulls over in an abandoned parking lot and nearly drags you over the center console, lips crashing against yours hard and desperate enough for your teeth to knock together.

He’s never really been into sex, so to speak. He never sought out hookups, never really felt the overwhelming need for that kind of release. Sure, he’s been in threesomes with Chris, and he’s slept with a handful of people, but he’s never really been into it.

But with you, it’s different. He wants you all the fucking time. Even when he isn’t feeling insecure or nervous about other people trying to take you away from him. There have been days where he’ll barely let you leave the bed. Nights when you come home and he can’t even make it to the bedroom before he’s pressing you against the wall and ripping your clothes off with reckless abandon. To him, sex is a connection, and he craves that connection with you like it’s the only way to keep himself breathing.

So his libido, with you, is high. Yours is too. There’s no problem there.

But you do catch on to this new pattern pretty quickly.

You call him out on a Saturday night, when the team is out at a bar again and one too many other guys ignored Adrian’s existence to shoot their shot with you. You dismissed them all, sure, but each attempt made that possessive fire in his stomach burn a little hotter until he couldn’t fucking take it anymore. He pulled you into the hall leading to the kitchen, and he wasted no time lifting you off of your feet and kissing you hard enough to pull a noise of surprise from your throat, blunt nails digging into the backs of your thighs as he tried to press as close to you as humanly possible.

“Okay, okay.” You say, breaking the kiss, but your voice is breathless and he made it that way and maybe if he just bites at that part of your neck that makes you-

“Adrian. Stop.”

He pulls back immediately, glasses askew on his face, and you reach up to fix them like it’s instinct.

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Is he holding you too hard? Should he put you down? Did he accidentally stab you with the knife in his pocket? Or his boner? Is that possible? He doesn’t-

“I’m okay. Breathe.” You kiss his cheek, and he leans helplessly back towards you, planning to kiss you again and finish what he started, but you raise your hand and cover his mouth with your palm.

“Dude, keep it in your pants.”

“Mmph.” He grunts against your hand, licking your palm until you remove it with a startled laugh.

“What’s wrong?” You ask, wiping your hand on his jacket sleeve with an affectionate, if not somewhat concerned, smile.

He frowns, genuinely confused by the question. “I wanna have sex, and you stopped me?”

You laugh again, shaking your head and wiggling a little until he sets you down. “Adrian, you’re trying to fuck me in a hallway. I can see people walking by like twenty feet away.”

“Do you wanna fuck in the bathroom?” He ducks his head back to your neck, kissing the spot below your ear that always makes you shiver. He would fuck you on the bar if you’d let him, but he’s pretty sure that would get you kicked out. Plus, it’s definitely illegal. He can’t exactly maneuver that law into a gray area.

“Adrian.”

“Mhm?”

“Is this because that guy hit on me a minute ago?”

That stops him. He finally pulls back, frowning. “No.”

“You suck at lying.”

“I’m not lying. I didn’t even notice that guy. If I had noticed him, I would say his shirt was stupid. But I didn’t notice him.”

“Adrian.”

“I mean, it’s not like you’d ever wanna be with anyone like that, right? Not someone with a shirt that dumb. Even though he had a better jawline than me and he definitely didn’t skip arm day. I think that’s why his shirt was so stupid. Cause the sleeves were too short. He doesn’t need to show off his muscles like that.”

“Babe.”

“I mean, I have muscles too. I just can’t show them off because if I did people might realize my secret identity. But-“

“Adrian.”

“Yeah?” He blinks at you, distracted.

“I don’t want that guy. Or any of the other guys. I want you.”

“Yeah, because we had sex right after they hit on you. I rewired your brain with my dick.”

You laugh. God, he loves that sound. But if he’s gonna keep you, he’s gotta get you to make the other sounds he loves. He leans down to kiss you again, and you lean back. “Have you been taking advice from Chris again?”

“Yeah? Why?”

“Do you think those guys would still want me if they knew I killed a guy with a broom handle last week?”

Oh man, why would you say that? Now he’s twice as turned on and three times as nervous about losing you. “Yes.”

“Okay, they wouldn’t.” You’re smiling. Why are you smiling? He can’t possibly be being ridiculous, here. In his mind, his fear is completely fucking rational. “And even if they did, I want you.”

He knows that. Of course he knows that. You’re with him. You chose him. You don’t lie to him. You never have. Still, he feels that knot of possessive need curl in his gut again, making his grip tighten a little on your waist like he can hold you there forever. “Promise?”

“I promise.” You lean up, kiss his nose. “And by the way, you’re way hotter than those guys. By a mile.”

“Even the-“

“Yeah. Even him.”

“You didn’t even let me say which one.”

“Don’t need to.”

He smiles, and this time you don’t stop him when he kisses you. This time, you melt into it until his hands are wandering again and his tongue is sweeping into your mouth.

“You wanna go home?” He asks after a moment, unable to take his gaze off the way your lips are swollen from his kiss and your eyes are clouded over with want.

You nod, and he grins from ear to ear as he reaches down to hoist you up over his shoulder, delighting in the noise of surprise that melts into laughter as you wiggle against his back.

He doesn’t even say goodbye to the rest of the group, but he thinks he might feel you offer an embarrassed wave in their direction as he makes his way through the bar and out the door. They’re all staring. Lots of people are staring. He couldn’t give less of a shit. In fact, he wants them to stare more. To know without a doubt that you’re leaving with him.

“You’re fucking crazy.” You laugh as he steps out onto the street, voice no longer drowned out by the noise of the bar.

“Crazy for you.”

“Nope, pretty sure you’re just crazy.”

His smile widens, and he jostles you a little as he adjusts his grip, squeezing the backs of your thighs and making you laugh again.

And when he takes you home, he repeats that word into your skin over and over and over again.