Your New Rogue Fancast

“We have to go back through their message history first,” Ads says, on the phone with John. “Figure out what their code words might mean. They’re not stupid enough to just talk about cocaine dealing outright. Dev might get suspicious if something sounds off.”

“No full sentences,” John notes. “Lots of straight up dates, times, meeting locations without any other context. Occasionally a follow-up to explain. Like this one—got the good stuff in yesterday.”

“What should we say?” Ads asks, staring at the blinking cursor in the message thread. Her thumbs hover, ready to type.

“We can lure him in with the promise of a job?” Chris suggests. “Say Eli knows a guy who has work for him?”

“Eli?” Adrian asks.

“The drug dealer you killed last night,” Chris deadpans. “He had a name.”

“Oh, right.”

“That’s risky,” you point out, and Adrian straightens at the sound of your voice. He hasn’t realized you were on the other end of the line with John. 

“Morning, baby,” he says, unable to help his smile.

“Hi Ade,” you say, and he can hear the smile in your voice. “What if Eli didn’t know Dev is a mercenary? We can’t assume that. Whatever message you send, it has to be drug related.”

“Good point,” John muses.

“Well, Adrian just saw him buy drugs last night,” Chris says. “He’s probably not gonna need more for a little while, at least. So what’s the move here?”

“I worked in the drug trafficking unit of the DEA for a while,” Emilia says. Adrian’s smile falters a bit when he realizes she’s there too. He wonders how close you’re standing to her, then kicks himself for even having the thought. He grits his teeth and clears his throat to stop the growl that threatens to escape. Chris gives him a weird look.

“You need some water, Vig?”

“I’m good,” Adrian says, looking away, clenching his fists. 

“One time we lured a guy by fabricating a supply chain issue,” Emilia continues. “Made it out like the dealer was running low and might not be able to restock for a while due to local gang activity. If he thinks his source is drying up, Dev might buy some extra.”

“Still not a guarantee that he would show, but I think that’s a better option,” you agree. 

“Even if he doesn’t show—now that I have his number, I’ve coded a program to scan and trace calls coming from his phone. It just might take a little longer,” John says. 

“Either way, we’re on to him. We know he’s in the city, we got the bar right that he frequents. We’re in a good spot,” Ads says. “I say we go for it. What should I say?”

“Pick a location where they’ve met before, if you can find one in the message history,” Emilia says. “Give him an address and a time. No frills. Then send a follow up. Running low. Supplier problem. Meet here if you want an emergency restock.”

“Misspell a couple words,” Adrian notes, reading the thread over Ads’s shoulder as she searches for an address. “This guy is fucking illiterate and apparently doesn’t use autocorrect.”

Your laugh rings out over the phone speaker, and it makes Adrian feel a little lighter.

“Keep us in the loop,” Emilia says. 

“Be careful,” you add. “I don’t want to hear about any bullet wounds or broken bones.”

“I’ll keep him in line,” Chris says, and Adrian only half-resents the implication that he’s like an animal in need of leash training.

“Love you,” he says, ignoring the dig.

“I’m not saying I love you too, that’s fucking weird,” John says.

“He wasn’t talking to you, you fucking moron,” Emilia groans.

“Love you too, Ade,” you call back with a giggle, over the sound of Emilia smacking John upside the head.

“You ready, Vig?” Chris asks. “I can see Mason coming this way.”

“I’m ready, all right,” Adrian says, a slight growl to his voice.

“Please remember that you cannot kill him right away,” Ads says, exasperated.

Ads is set up in the van a block away from the established meeting spot, while Chris keeps a careful eye on it from a rooftop across the street. Luckily, Dev Mason took the bait, and Adrian has been waiting for him to show for the last twenty minutes, hands shoved deep in the pockets of another jacket borrowed from Chris, because apparently his own clothes aren’t cool enough and Dev will be suspicious if he sees a dork in a dad outfit.

You’d giggled when Adrian had called you to complain about it. Really, he’d just wanted to talk to you one last time before meeting up with Dev tonight. It was late now, nearly 2 a.m., and he wouldn’t get to talk to you again until tomorrow.

“They’ve got a point,” you said sympathetically. “Maybe we need to get you some undercover outfits. Your Vigilante suit is intimidating. The rest of your wardrobe, not so much.”

“I thought you liked my wardrobe!”

“I do love your wardrobe, because you are the one wearing it. But you have to admit that you don’t dress like the average black ops agent.”

“Fine,” Adrian grumbled.

“Hey. I love you, baby, ” you remind him. “Be careful tonight.”

“I will,” he said softly. “I love you too.”

Adrian thinks about that conversation now, eyes closing briefly as he remembers the sound of your voice, reminding him that you love him, calling him baby. Even still, his nose wrinkles with irritation. The memory isn’t enough to erase Chris’s strong Alpha scent that’s leached into the fabric of the jacket. 

Normally, Chris’s scent doesn’t bother him, but it’s one thing to be crammed into the van with him. It’s another thing entirely to be wearing his clothes. It’s putting him on edge, even more than he has been the rest of this week. It’s making his stomach hurt, it’s making his head hurt, it’s just plain pissing him off. He wants to rip all his clothes off and wrap himself in the picnic blanket, the one still barely holding on to traces of your scent after five days away from you.

“Dev rounding the corner in thirty seconds,” Chris reports, his voice ringing in the mic in Adrian’s ear. Adrian refocuses. He’s got a job to do. 

“Remember,” Chris says. “No small talk. You’re bad at it. But you are probably stronger than him. He’s only a Beta, and he’s pretty wiry. Just grab him and drag him into the alley. I’m already on my way down to meet you so you have backup.”

Not ten seconds later, Dev Mason rounds the corner and nods at Adrian.

“You Eli’s guy?”

Adrian grits his teeth and forces down the wave of rage he feels just at the sight of this asshole, so casually nodding at him, like they’re fucking buddies. Like he’s not on Adrian’s shit list, right in the top ten. Adrian can’t even bring himself to speak, he just schools his expression and nods, waiting for Dev to walk closer, intending to pass off some money in return for drugs and make a deal.

The second he’s within reach, Adrian wrenches Dev’s arm behind his back, kicks him in the groin, and punches him right in the neck. A sickly satisfied smile crosses Adrian’s face. He delights in the way that the man’s eyes go wide with surprise, the wind knocked out of him, mouth gaping as he tries to speak, to yell for help, anything, all for naught. 

Adrian drags him off the street and out of sight. The Checkmate team had gone through Dev and Eli’s previous meeting spots and carefully selected the location for this specifically—the dark, filthy alley with the giant dumpsters. Adrian shoves Dev behind one of them, right into the wall, his head making a cracking noise as it hits the stone wall of the building.

Dev finally manages to take a deep breath, but right before he’s about to shout, Adrian’s hands close around his throat to hold him in place.

Chris enters the alley behind them just a few seconds later. Dev hears his footsteps and starts struggling, thinking someone might have come to save him.

“Help,” Dev manages to squeak out, his voice hoarse and tight, Adrian’s grip cutting off his air supply just enough to keep him under control, but not enough to kill him.

“He’s not here to help you,” Adrian hisses. “He’s here to help me, you fucking dickbag.”

He sees the moment when Dev catches a real glimpse of Chris and a flash of terrified recognition crosses his face. 

“Peacemaker,” he rasps. His struggle intensifies as he looks back at Adrian. “And you—you’re Vigilante?”

One hand grips desperately at Adrian’s around his throat, trying to pry his fingers away. He looks left and right for an exit route that is nowhere to be found.

“Okay,” he says, panicked. “Okay, okay! Tell me what you want! I’ll—I’ll give you whatever you want. Money? Information?”

Chris shakes his head and scoffs with disgust at how easily he’s surrendered.

“No shit, we want information,” he says. “We know what you’re doing. You and Leon and the others.” He walks closer and pulls a gun, cocking it at Dev’s head. “Members of my pack got hurt because of you.”

“Not because of me!” Dev insists desperately. “I’m not—I’m not the decisions guy! I just do the tech work! I worked in the same department as John Economos at ARGUS, we just—we just do the computer shit!”

“Computer shit,” Chris says. “What kind of computer shit?”

“I book the jobs! Manage the finances, manage everyone’s schedules! That’s it! I don’t—I don’t do field work! I’ve never killed anybody!”

“Pussy,” Adrian mutters.

“If he manages the schedules,” Ads says over the comms, “then he should know where they all are right now. Ask him.”

“You know where they are?” Chris says. “The rest of your team?”

“Y-yes, I do!!” Dev sputters. “I’ve got—I’ve got it all on my laptop, on a spreadsheet. It’s at my apartment! I can take you there!”

Chris cocks his head as he considers. The guy seems about five seconds away from pissing himself. He lowers his gun.

“Put him down, Vig.”

“What?” Adrian cries, outraged.

“Look at him. His knees are fucking shaking. He’s about to piss himself. He’s not a threat.”

Adrian gives Chris a hard look. His hands clench tighter around Dev’s throat as he hisses a breath through his teeth. Chris is on your side, he reminds himself. Chris is your best friend. You promised you wouldn’t have any problems taking orders from him in the field.

Adrian lets go of Dev with a shove, pushing all his anger into the piece of shit in front of him even as his heart is screaming at him to grab on again. To squeeze tighter around Dev’s neck until his face is turning red, until he can’t breathe, until he’s fucking dead, just like he deserves for everything that he and his team have done to his pack. To you.

Dev swallows and looks between Chris and Adrian nervously. “I—”

“What?” Chris demands.

“I’ll take one of you,” he says, seemingly working up a scrap of courage when he realizes Chris might be willing to show him a bit of mercy. “I’ll take Peacemaker.”

“I think fucking not,” Adrian says at the same time that Chris says, “Okay. Deal.”

“Are you fucking insane, Chris?” Adrian says.

“He’s right, Chris. You’re not going anywhere with this guy by yourself. It might be a trap,” Ads says.

“And what, you think I can’t handle myself?” Chris snaps. “Might I remind you, I am the pack Alpha. I am more than capable of making a call like this, especially with this wimpy asshole—”

He cuts off at the sound of thundering footsteps. He and Adrian turn in the direction of the sound to see Dev’s retreating form, bolting as fast as he can out of the alley and down the street.

“Fuck!” Chris says.

“This is why I didn’t want to let go of him, dude!” Adrian shouts, taking off to chase after him.

Dev looks back with wide, panicked eyes when he realizes the two Alphas have stopped arguing and started pursuing him. He fumbles a bit, yanking his shirt out of his pants as he runs and nearly tripping over a sidewalk curb as he reaches into his waistband behind him to pull a gun.

“He’s got a gun!” Adrian yells, just as Dev manages to fire a shot. It flies wide. So fucking wide it’s laughable. And Adrian, in fact, starts cracking up.

“Holy shit,” he says as he pulls his own gun from the deep pocket of Chris’s jacket. “You’re fucking kidding. Your aim is shit! How do you work black ops, Mason? Jesus Christ.”

“Maybe stop criticizing the aim of the guy trying to kill you, Adrian!” Ads cries over comms.

Dev keeps firing erratically, and Adrian cries out when one of them manages to hit him. It doesn’t stick—it’s only a graze—but it hurts like a bitch because he’s not wearing his Vigilante suit. He doesn’t have any armor on.

“Fuck!” he hisses. “You fucking dickhead!”

Adrian lifts his gun and shoots. And his aim is anything but laughable. The bullet hits dead center at the back of Dev’s head, and he hits the ground instantly. Adrian keeps running until he gets to the body, kicks the gun out of his hand, but when he looks down, he sees it wasn’t necessary.

“He’s dead,” Adrian reports, holding his ear.

“Fuck, Adrian,” Chris says. “He could have still been useful!”

“Fuck you! He shot me! Was I supposed to not shoot him back?”

“You’re hit?” Ads says urgently. “Fuck. I’m coming around with the van. Put pressure on it. Try not to bleed everywhere and leave evidence, please?”

Adrian does as she asks, putting his gun away and covering the wound on his shoulder with his hand. He frowns and huffs.

“Fuck. I told her I wouldn’t get shot,” Adrian grumbles. “She’s gonna kill me.”

Chris and Adrian tense at the sound of a vehicle pulling around the corner, but relax when they realize it’s just Ads. She pulls up right beside them and rolls down the window, taking in the scene with an unamused sigh.

“Alright,” she says. “Let’s get this cleaned up.”

“Do we take the body?” Adrian muses, ready to reach down and pick it up.

“No,” Chris says. “We take all his shit, like we did to Eli. The cops will think they’ve got a mugger on the loose who keeps killing people.”

“No,” Ads says. “Even if we take all his shit—we have to break into his apartment, too. That’s where he said his laptop was, isn’t it? With all the information we need? We won’t be able to do that if the cops are swarming the place, investigating his murder. Adrian’s right. We take the body.”

Adrian tries not to feel too smug that Ads is taking his side, for once.

“Okay,” Chris says. “We take the body. Break into his apartment and grab the laptop. Bring it home to John to dig through all the files. And dump him somewhere random on the way back home?”

Adrian and Ads nod.

“Alright,” Chris sighs. “Let’s do this. I wanna go to fucking sleep.”

Adrian doesn’t wake up until nearly 2 p.m. the next day.

He panics when he checks his phone and sees a dozen message notifications. Did he miss something important from you? Did your heat start? Does he need to go home?

But ten of the messages are just from Chris and Ads, saying they’ll regroup for dinner, taking it easy after the chaotic events of the previous night.

Ads: What time are we meeting today?

Peacemaker: It’s too fucking early. I’m going back to sleep.

Ads: It’s noon, Chris.

Peacemaker: I don’t give a shit. I spent two hours last night scrubbing blood off the sidewalk. I do not want to deal with the body in the van yet.

Apparently Adrian is not the only one feeling tired today. He, especially, needed the extra sleep, his body healing from the bullet wound on his arm. He unravels the bandages Ads had wrapped last night to find smooth skin. 

Still, he’d broken a promise to you and gotten hurt. He was impulsive last night, chasing after Dev like that. He wasn’t even wearing his suit, no plates of armor to protect him. If that bullet had hit a foot to the right, it could have done some serious damage. Damage that his body might not have been able to repair. And then you would have been left alone. His stomach clenches with guilt.

He has to tell you. He knows he does. He just really, really, doesn’t want to do that right now. He clenches his jaw and turns back to the group chat.

Ads: Alright, fine. Go back to sleep, Sleeping Beauty. I’ll update the team back in Evergreen.

Ads: Don’t worry Adrian. I won’t tell her you got shot. I’ll let you have that conversation 😬

Ads: I’ll pick up pizza for dinner. Let me know what you want.

Peacemaker: You know me Ads. Meat lovers all the way.

Ads: Meat lover, huh? Maybe you really are an ally, Chris

Peacemaker: It’s not gay to like pepperoni Ads!!!!!!

Adrian rolls his eyes and types out a quick response.

Sorry guys. Just woke up. Pizza sounds great. Meet in an hour? Can’t really do anything until it’s dark anyway.

Just moments later, Ads likes his message. Then he closes out the chat and opens his message thread with you.

Omega 🩵: Morning, baby. I know you had a late night, considering I didn’t get a goodnight text until 5 a.m. I assume you’re still sleeping. I miss you! Call me later.

For the first time ever, he hesitates about pressing the call button next to your name. He doesn’t want to worry you. Not when you’re already in a sensitive state, not when you’re already wanting him and worrying about him. He can tell you about the injury later. It’s already healed up anyway.

“I don’t have to tell her right now,” he says to himself with finality, and he calls you.

It only rings once.

“I would say a regular hello, but something tells me I should be saying good morning,” you tease with no preamble. He smiles.

“I did, in fact, just wake up. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, baby,” you say softly. “I want you to be well-rested. Especially out in the field. You’re less likely to get hurt.”

Adrian winces and changes the subject. “How are things back at the office? Ads says she updated you?”

“She did,” you say. “Dev is dead?”

“Yeah,” Adrian says. “One down. Five to go.”

“Good,” you say firmly, a sharp note in your voice. “I’m glad you killed him.”

“And he spilled a lot of information before I did,” Adrian adds. “Hopefully we’ll find even more at his apartment tonight. But first, Chris and I have to dump the body. It’s just…sitting in the van right now.”

“Dismember and burn?”

“Yeah. We’ll have to drive out of the city for that. Not sure where yet.”

“I can help with that,” you say. “I’m sitting at my computer right now. Let me bring up a map—”

“You don’t have to—”

“Let me fucking help, please,” you interrupt. “I’ve been feeling absolutely useless the last couple days. Just sitting around waiting for you to come back.”

“You’re not useless,” Adrian immediately argues. “You’re—you’re—everything. You’re my reason.” He pauses and swallows. “I think about you all day. And then I get back to this shitty motel and I think about you all night. And the only thing that’s keeping me from running home right now is the fact that everything I’m doing here is to—keep you safe.”

“I want to keep you safe,” you remind him, your voice thick with emotion. “I told you before you left. Before you even went on this mission. I can help too. I am more than capable. And I am trying really hard to be mad at you right now for being all overprotective. I don’t want to have this conversation again. But you’re such a sap and you just—say all the right things sometimes. You’re gonna make me cry.”

“Don’t cry,” he says hoarsely. “I never want you to cry. Not ever. I want you to be happy and safe and—mine.”

“I am.”

That evening, Ads rents a car to keep watch outside Dev’s apartment while Adrian and Chris go dump his body in a river thirty minutes outside the city.

“Just in case,” she says. “If he has a roommate or something, we need to be prepared.”

“Good point,” Chris says. “But be careful, Ads. We’ll be half an hour out if you need anything.”

“I’m not worried about me,” Ads says. She looks pointedly between Chris and Adrian. “I’m worried about you two and your bickering. Don’t kill each other.”

“We won’t,” Adrian says.

In fact, you had told him the exact same thing. Ads had told you that he and Chris were terse with each other this week.

“He’s your best friend,” you had reminded him. “Think before you snap. I know it’s not easy.”

It turns out, though, that everything is fine. Chris and Adrian have dumped dozens, maybe hundreds of dead bodies together. They fall into the old rhythm of it quietly, carrying Dev’s dead weight out into the middle of the woods, finding a good spot where the river water rushes by. It’s quick and efficient and—well, not quite fun. Chris grumbles a bit about the fact that they’re even out there dumping a body at all, and Adrian feels a little guilty for jumping the gun and killing the guy so quickly when they might have been able to get more information out of him. But there’s almost something nostalgic about it that brings him back to the days before Chris even knew his secret identity.

It’s the time in the car on the way back when things start to feel a little more…tense. Adrian starts to get almost carsick as he sits in the passenger seat and every breath he inhales feels hot and thick with Chris’s scent from the seat right beside him. He cracks the window open.

They’ve been sitting in silence for ten minutes when Adrian can’t take it anymore.

“I’m sorry,” he says, just barely audible over the sound of the radio that Chris has cranked up, playing his usual hair metal songs.

Chris pauses and glances over. “What the fuck are you sorry for?”

“Being annoying,” Adrian says. “All week. I know I’ve been on edge, and it’s making you on edge. And I’ve been more impulsive than usual.”

“I would be the same,” Chris admits, “if I was in your shoes.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know what it’s like. I keep thinking about what I act like when Emilia is in pre-rut. How agitated I get about protecting her. She threatens to kick my ass when her rut comes around twice a year and yells at me that she doesn’t need my protection,” Chris huffs a laugh. “She’s right. She doesn’t. It’s one of the reasons Alphas don’t mate with Alphas, a lot of the time. They butt heads too much. Like we’ve been doing this week.”

“Oh,” Adrian says. He’s never even noticed.

“I give you props for even being able to come on a mission at all,” Chris continues. “Leaving her behind can’t have been easy. But we needed you, and you’re doing great. Even if you’re a little more…high-strung than usual. You just gotta learn to channel that energy and anxiety into the work, instead of bottling it up, you know?”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“Okay. I think we’ve had enough sappy conversations in the last several weeks to last a lifetime,” Chris mutters. “Let’s cut that shit out.”

“It’s healthy to be in touch with your emotions,” Adrian says. “Being able to be vulnerable with me is an important outlet, especially since you don’t see a therapist or anything—”

“Shut the fuck up, Adrian.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“You don’t see a therapist either.”

“I am already in touch with my emotions, I don’t need therapy.”

Chris looks at him sideways. “You need therapy more than any other person I’ve ever known.”

Adrian put on his Vigilante suit tonight before breaking into Dev’s apartment, the address listed on his ID. Chris and Ads had tried to talk him out of it, saying he’d draw more attention and look suspicious, but he’d insisted.

He’s still feeling guilty for getting shot last night. For breaking his promise to you. It’s put him on edge, made him nervous about tonight. He doesn’t want to risk getting hurt again, not because he’s afraid of the pain. Yeah, pain sucks, but he’s been literally tortured before. He knows he can take it.

He just doesn’t want to hurt you. And he knows that you’ll take on his hurt like your own. So he dons the suit, even though it’s a hot, steamy summer night, and his visor fogs up every time he exhales. And he waits until dark, when no one will see him sneaking up the building’s fire escape.

It’s a shitty part of town, anyway, nothing but moonlight guiding his way because all the street lamps are shitty and broken. The window itself is shitty, too. The lock on the frame breaks away under his gloved hands with ease, and he clambers into the dark, messy apartment. He makes a face.

“This place is a fucking mess,” he mutters into his comm. He broke a sweat scaling up the building, and he goes to wipe off his face before remembering he’s got the suit on, and does nothing more than hit himself in the face. “Fuck. It’s hot in here. Does he not have any air conditioning? Jesus.”

“Just make sure it’s clear, and then come open the door for us,” Ads says. “I don’t care if he’s got literal garbage piling up. Somewhere in there, he’s got something we need.”

Adrian makes his way through every room of the tiny apartment—the bedroom, where he came in through the window, a tiny living room and kitchen, a bathroom. That’s it. No office, no second bedroom. It’s so small Adrian almost feels claustrophobic, especially when he’s stepping around piles of dirty laundry and old takeout containers.

“It’s clear,” he confirms.

Two minutes later, he opens the front door for Chris and Ads, who wrinkle their noses when they step inside.

“You weren’t kidding,” Ads says. “This is just as bad as Chris’s trailer when he first got out of prison.”

“Hey! That was not my fault. The fucking cops raided my shit.”

“That was totally not cool of them,” Adrian agrees.

“Forget it!” Ads says. “We’re looking for his laptop. Any technology, really. Stuff we can bring back to John to look for.”

“There’s no office. This place is just as tiny as it is messy,” Adrian says, gaze swinging around the room. “God. I’m sweating like crazy right now.”

“It’s not that bad,” Ads says, confused.

But Adrian exhales again, red visor steaming up with his breath, and he starts to feel like he’s choking on it. Chris notices the way he’s tensed up, maybe even smells the change in his scent, the way he gets a little panicky.

“Take the mask off, Adrian,” he says. “There’s no one here.”

Adrian does what he says with trembling hands, inhaling sharply.

“Are you feeling okay?” Ads asks, concerned. “You’re really flushed right now.”

“Just—hot,” Adrian says, strained. He looks down at himself. He wants to take the entire fucking suit off, actually. It suddenly feels too tight, too scratchy, too much. He swallows it down.

“Drink some water,” Chris says, digging through Dev’s kitchen cupboards for a glass. “You really don’t look good, man.” He fills up the cup from the sink tap, and Adrian scowls.

“I’m not drinking his nasty sink water,” he says. “I’d rather die of dehydration. What if he—puts cocaine in it?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Drug addicts do weird things! Addiction is a mental illness!”

“Are you sick?” Ads asks him. “How was your wound when you woke up this morning? Did I not clean it out well enough? Is it infected? Do you have a fever?”

“No, his healing factor would have taken care of that too,” Chris says, shaking his head. “It’s been a long week. It’s probably just stress. He’s been away from his Omega for almost a week, and her heat—”

“I’m okay,” Adrian insists, through his shallow breathing and shaking hands. He clutches at his mask to hide it. “Just—let’s find this fucking laptop and get the hell out of here. I want to go home.”

And that is what he wants, he realizes, more than anything right now. He wants to feel your gentle hands on his hot forehead, he wants to curl up in your lap, he wants to be laying in the cool grass with you outside in the Checkmate courtyard. No. Not in the courtyard—in bed. In the nest you’ve been fidgeting with all week. He wants to slot himself inside it like the missing piece he is, and feel you next to him and all around him, and go home. 

Because for the first time ever, home doesn’t mean back to his mom’s house, or an empty safe house. It means your apartment. It means you.

“Right. Adrian and I will start out here in the living room, Ads, you can tackle the bedroom.”

It takes less than ten minutes for Ads to turn something up. She comes out of the bedroom holding a high-end laptop in her hand, maybe the newest and most expensive thing in the entire apartment.

“Found this under the bed,” she says. “Next to some unspeakable things that I do not want to talk about.”

“A man has needs, Ads,” Chris says, and she rolls her eyes.

“There was more stuff under there too,” she says. “But I thought we should try to crack this first.”

“I’ll keep looking in there,” Chris says. “You and Vig are better with computers than me.”

Ads cracks open the laptop and goes to turn it on, but Adrian stops her. 

“Cover the camera,” he says. “He might have some spyware installed, or some shit.”

“Good point,” she says.

Ads powers on the computer expecting it to bring up a password screen, but it just—opens. To all of the files sitting on the desktop, just as messy and disorganized as the apartment they’re sitting in.

“You’re kidding,” Ads says. “He doesn’t even have a fucking password on his shit.”

“This guy is the shittiest black ops agent in the history of the universe,” Adrian comments.

Ads clicks around on some files. Everything appears to be names with a series of random numbers and letters, maybe a code that means something to Dev, but nothing that means anything to them. And while the computer isn’t password protected, it appears that a lot of the documents are.

“We’ll have to bring it to John,” Ads says. “Damn. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to, in case there’s some tracking bug on here or something.”

“Hold that thought,” Chris says, exiting the bedroom with a black notebook held in the air. “Password book.”

“You’re kidding,” Ads says. Adrian reaches for the book and cracks it open.

“It’s all right here,” he says, disbelieving. “File A75FBT2. Password: b00b5.” He and Chris cackle.

“Real mature,” Ads deadpans, but she types in the password, and—it works. They all stare at the screen for a moment, waiting for the gotcha moment. For the computer to crash, for the laptop to lock up. But nothing happens.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe that worked,” Chris says. “This is their tech guy? And he used to work for ARGUS?”

“I’m sure John will have stories,” Ads says. She takes a hard drive out of her pocket. “I’ll copy all the files over onto the drive. We’ll take the notebook.”

“Guys,” Adrian says, because while they’ve been chatting, he’s been reading the file that they just unlocked with wide eyes. “Take a look at this.”

It’s a schedule. A breakdown for the entire team. Job assignments, what the job whether it’s stealing or killing or protection, how much they’re being paid. But most importantly—names. Dates. Times. Locations.

“Holy shit,” Chris says. “This is it. This is—”

“Exactly what we came for,” Adrian finishes.

Adrian is itching to go right now. To burst in, guns blazing, and just fucking take them all out. They’ve got all the information they need. Names, times, and locations of their mission assignments. They could go down the list one by one. Starting with that dick Leon Sullivan.

Only some of the information is encrypted—who hired them. And they could easily work without that. Anyone hiring a mercenary to kill someone is gonna be bad news; no matter what, they’d need to be on guard.

The sooner these assholes are dead, the sooner the entire pack is safe. The sooner you are safe. And selfishly, he thinks, if he can take care of this before the rest of the group has to even get involved, he doesn’t have to worry about you putting yourself at risk, in the line of fire. Not for a while, anyway.

And he’s not the only one thinking about it. Taking immediate action. He can tell Chris is thinking it too. In the van on the way back to the motel, the air in the vehicle is heavy with tension.

“We could go.” Adrian says the quiet part out loud. “We could go now. And kill them. Take care of it.”

Chris hesitates, exchanging a loaded glance with his friend. “I know.”

Chris is stressed, Adrian knows. Maybe even more stressed than he is. Adrian is worried about you. It’s his job to keep you safe. But Chris—he’s the pack Alpha. He’s got everyone’s safety in mind. He’s got the final call.

Ads, in the backseat, finally speaks up. “We should go home. Regroup.” She says it firmly. “This isn’t something we should rush into. Remember what happened last time. When we thought we were prepared. We got ambushed. We should give the hard drive to John. Let him unlock the encrypted shit. So we’re not caught off guard. No surprises.”

Adrian goes tense immediately. Chris meets Adebayo’s eyes in the rearview mirror and nods.

“You’re right,” he says quietly. “We go home. We’ll regroup.”

Before, Adrian might have fought him on it. Part of him wants to, even now. But he’s got a new perspective. There’s a new level of shared life experience that he and Chris have, now, and it helps him understand, a little bit more, the weight that his best friend carries. The lengths that he’s willing to go to in order to protect his pack. If that means being patient—Adrian can do the same. He is determinedly on the same page as his friend: whatever it takes, the pack stays safe, which means you stay safe, and that’s the only thing that matters.

Chris looks over at him, and Adrian realizes he’s waiting for his agreement. That his opinion matters, here. It’s a new feeling. A good one. He swallows and nods.

“We go home,” he echoes, with a little bit of relief. Because he really does just—want you, after days apart.

You’re going to need him soon, anyway, he thinks, and you are more important than anything else.

By the time they pull into the Checkmate parking lot, Adrian is the one driving the van. 

He was thrilled when Chris tossed him the keys. He never gets to drive. But Chris and Ads seemed exhausted, and Adrian was wired with nerves and excitement about going home to you, so he happily took over while his teammates napped in the back seat.

“Home!” he says cheerfully, and Adebayo winces awake, rubbing her neck. Chris continues snoring in the passenger seat until Adrian kicks his foot.

“What?” he grumbles.

“We’re back!” Adrian says. He doesn’t wait any longer for the other two to get their shit together. He glances at the clock. 3 p.m. Everyone is still at the office. You’re right inside. His smile grows.

He should probably stop and bring some bags inside. There’s all kinds of shit they need to unpack. Med kits, weapons, his own duffle bags with clothes and personal items. But he doesn’t give a shit.

Adrian just tosses the keys at Chris, still half-awake. They hit him in the face, but Adrian is already outside, the van door slamming shut behind him as he runs inside.

Fleury is the first person he sees. He nearly runs into him, actually, in his rush to get inside.

“What the fuck!” Fleury exclaims. “When did you—”

“Literally right now,” Adrian interrupts. “Chris and Ads are in the van still. Where is she?”

Fleury’s eyebrows furrow. “She didn’t—”

“She’s not here,” says John, and Adrian jerks his head to look at his friend as he exits the break room. “She went home early. She said she wasn’t feeling well.”

“She’s sick?” Adrian says worriedly.

Emilia steps out from behind John. She gives Adrian a pointed look, and his eyes widen.

“Oh,” he says. “Oh, I need to—I need to go—”

He immediately reaches for his phone to call you, hands trembling, ready to fret over you. He realizes then that you’d texted him two hours into the drive.

Hey. I am NOT in heat yet. But I’m reaching the point where I’m cramping a lot and I just want to go home and nest, so I’m leaving early. Don’t rush. I’m only telling you because I don’t want you to worry when you get back to the office and I’m not there. Love you.

“Yeah, no kidding, you have to go,” Emilia says. “I can fucking smell it on you.”

“What—what do you mean?” Adrian says, caught off guard. “Smell what? That she’s in heat?” 

He tries really, really hard not to get all pissy about the fact that another Alpha can scent it, the same way that he can. He grits his teeth in an effort not to growl.

Emilia looks at him like he’s a fucking moron.

“Not her. You,” she says, like it’s obvious. She looks at Chris and Ads, who have finally followed him in the front door, carrying in some of their travel bags. “Chris, you’ve been with him for a week straight. It’s a miracle you haven’t killed one another.”

“What?” Chris says, just as confused. “I mean. Yeah, it fucking is, he’s been unbearable all week, but—”

“No shit!” Emilia says. “He’s in fucking pre-rut!”

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

You can't help but think of him each and every long intense night shift at the emergency department and try to catch a glimpse of your beloved in action again. 

Vigilante.

Adrian Allen Chase. 

Brunette curly hair parted with a fine tooth comb. Prescription glasses of -6.25 vision for severe myopia, or near sightedness.

His visor must have the corrective lenses incorporated into it. Standing at 5’11, 183 lbs. Blood type: AB positive. Universal donor of plasma straight to your heart. Born 30 June 1991 at Evergreen General Hospital. 

The very same hospital you had also been born in and now worked as an emergency department nurse practitioner.

And the very same hospital where you and your soul mate Adrian first met.

Funny how the red string ties you together, coiled around the neck like barbed wire.

Clearly it's destiny for you to be together right? Why even try to fight it? It would be futile, useless to even consider. 

'Time to patrol the streets, keep Evergreen safe.' His thoughts are yours along with the whistle of Aqua’s Barbie Girl under his breath.

Right on time Adrian strolls out of the Fennel Fields backdoor, his shift as a bus boy over. Tearing off the little hat and combing through the mess it's made of his curls. It's like clockwork the way he operates, with a preciseness you see employed by surgeons.

Except instead of saving lives, he's taking them. 

There's a look hidden for only you to observe, behind the mask he wears at work and with friends. The one he doesn't want anyone else to see. In that beautiful moment before he pulls down the helmet and goes on patrol as Vigilante, a tenseness locks in his jaw, knuckles whitening as he grips the ring of keys, his right eye twitches. 

He needs to kill someone.

It's written in the veins spider webbing up his well defined forearms.

Adrian needs to take the life of another criminal. Like he'd done to protect you last year. He was so beautiful that fateful night you'd met, combat suit caked in blood. 

Most of it not his own. 

You weren't one to judge, no matter what their pasts, your job was to help the sick and injured when they needed it most, it was life and death in the ER, no time to run a mortality test. 

At first you didn't even realize he was your soulmate, there was a commotion. A group covered in blood first presented a woman, Emilia Harcourt, in their party who'd been shot multiple times. 

You assisted in getting her to surgery and when back attending the waiting room, another member, John Economos admitted he'd impaled his leg on a wooden post nail.

Another nurse practitioner took him to triage while you worked through another slew of patients. After you took another call, staring at the strange group, the masked man in combat gear began to sway, you noticed his hand was gripping at the lower back of his suit. 

A patch of darkening crimson pooled through the black military grade nylon.

“Sir, are you injured?” You called out from the front desk. 

“No, no, I'm fine!” He insisted, waving you off, words starting to slur a little.

Another man who provided his name as Christopher Smith or Peacemaker for Emilia's contact, shook his head. “Dude you're shot. You've gotta be a little bit…” Chris was similarly waved off.

"I'm fine seriously…all I need is a good nap.” The man proceeded to crash to the ground with the grace of a sack of potatoes.

You dashed over into action, calling over two other nurses for a gurney. “All right, we've got him from here. Martinez and Dalton, help me lift. On three. One, two, three!” 

While you got him onto the bed, he suddenly woke up from his fainting spell, gripped the handrails and started to panic.

“Don't let them unmask me!” He begged, turning back to his friends. 

“It'll be okay Ad…Vig. They'll take good care of you! We need to go see how Em’s doing.” Adebayo tried to reassure him but that only seemed to make matters worse.

“P. Let me out of here, I can't be examined. They'll reveal my secret identity!” He tried with the other friend, but Peacemaker was preoccupied with the woman being taken to ICU. 

“I get that you're just doing your job but I'm scared, nobody can find out who Vigilante is!” He was beginning to spiral into fully blown panic mode when his friends turned and walked in the opposite direction.

“This can't be happening…” Vigilante repeated, and while you couldn't see his eyes through the red visor, you knew they were likely dilated and fear stricken.

Given how he began to seize up you knew this was no act. Vigilante was having an anxiety induced panic attack, the mask inhibiting his ability to breathe but he smacked away any attempts to pull it up. 

“Don't touch the mask, sir we won't remove it and will respect your wishes.” You reassured him and told your staff to back up.

"Really? You're not just saying that?” Vigilante calmed down slightly, but his heart rate was still much too high. "I can't let anyone know!" 

You followed protocol for dealing with these mental health cases as per the usual. “I'd like to administer IV fluids and something to calm your nerves. This will sedate you, sorry sir but you've been shot and we need to help you. I promise nobody will unmask you while you're under.” 

“O-okay.” Vigilante nodded, rolling his sleeve up, breathing out nice and slow as you administered the needle. “I don't know why but I trust you. Maybe it's because of your cool pin…” 

“The capybara?” You grinned, showing him the cute pin of a capybara drinking a boba attached to your work pass.

He nodded again, laying back on the pillow. “Yeah I feel like only a good person would have that, did you know that capybaras are basically the rodent equivalent of submarines?” Vigilante asked and you hummed pleasantly at that, pushing the gurney into a spare, quieter room. 

“Really, how about you tell me a little more about capybaras?” You suggested, watching him significantly calm down.

"They can hold their breath underwater for five minutes and sleep submerged with their nose at the waterline!” He continued, heartbeat going down on the monitor. “Just like rabbits their teeth never stop growing, and they practice coprophagy.” 

“Why is it that all the cutest animals eat their own poop?” You chuckled and Vigilante laughed loudly along, starting to get a little groggy as the sedative did its magic.

"I know right! Funny how it's nutrient absorption from grass and beneficial bacteria. If I ate my own poop it'd mostly be chicken mcnuggets…” He yawned, head heavily tilting to the side. 

“Did you know that the Pope once classified capybaras as fish and allowed the locals in South America to eat them during Lent?” That insane fact delivered him into an adorable fit of giggles, drifting him to sleep.

"Could you imagine a capybara wearing a little Pope hat? Aw nature's ottoman is so cute…” Was the last thing he murmured before going off to dreamland.

“Nighty night.” You tucked him in and after tending to the wound best you could, left the ward for the next emergency.

For a couple hours it was the basics of sprained ankles, broken femurs and household burns. Then you got another gunshot victim.

“We've got an attempted convenience store robbery gone wrong. The owner was quicker to draw. This is Oscar Lewitt.” The paramedics informed you, shoving out another gurney.

It was a Friday night, incredibly busy for your line of work. “Okay we'll take it from here.” You nodded, walking with them and noting the restraints keeping your newest patient strapped to the bed.

There weren't any other rooms available so you pushed him into the same room as the last gunshot wound patient.

"Sir, I need to hook up the IV drip to help with the blood loss.” Getting out the bag and getting closer, suddenly you were trapped.

"Just patch up the damn bullet hole, stitch it right now before the cops get here or I'll put one through your head.” Oscar had you in a headlock and worse the metallic smell of gun, barrel cold, pressed against your cheek. 

Shit he'd been hiding that and the loose restrains well. Waiting until the paramedics left you two alone.

In the next bed across was another man who had to be restrained and sedated, now sitting up much earlier than you'd anticipated.

"Hello nurse lady! Did you know that capybaras are the world's largest rodent?” Vigilante continued the conversation as if he hadn't fallen unconscious.

When he assessed the situation properly, his tone severed.

“Hey you stupid fucking asshole, can't you read?” Vigilante impatiently tapped the laminated sign on the wall with a gloved hand. “At the Evergreen Emergency Department, harassment of our valued medical staff we have a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY!” 

The way he snapped at the end suggested that the suited man was more angry around the blatant rule breaking happening in front of him more than anything else. 

“So the fuck what you lunatic? You think I care? This bitch is my ticket out of here.” Oscar wasn't backing down, gun still pressed at your temple.

"So fucking let go of her or I'll stick you with a few needles of my own.” He brandished a set of military grade throwing knives, sharp and deadly. 

Without any further warning, Vigilante struck the gun out of his hand before aiming another square at the man's jugular and between the eyes.

It was a fluid motion, like water through a sieve. Effortless and beautiful. The gun clattered to the ground, blood cascaded down ruby red into the crisp white hospital sheets.

Oscar was dead. 

Your heart pounded in that moment, more than it ever had before. A feeling you wanted to pursue, some new chemical pumping pure ecstasy into your brain. Better than any drug. 

When the orderlies ran to the radio call you'd secretly given out, you told them to take the body to the coroner. His death was a terrible suicide, you'd witnessed it yourself. 

“Thank you…” You whispered, unsure if the words even formed properly. “You're a hero? That's what your costume is all about right?” 

Startled, Vigilante gave a rather pleased high-pitched sound, barely covered with a cough at being called a hero. 

“Yes, I'm the crime fighter Vigilante! How wonderfully observant of you nurse lady.” He struck out a gallant pose, hands on his hips, best he could with an obvious gun shot wound to the rear. 

“Thanks for saving me Vigilante.” You said, louder this time. 

The red visor seemed trained at your curves for a moment, eyeing off the scrubs as if analyzing you head to toe. Becoming especially distracted by the capybara pin at your work pass again with a keen interest, before flickering back up. 

“Ahem! D-don’t worry about it. Nurses save peoples lives everyday even though you have to put up with total dickwads like that guy.” Vigilante laughed loudly, still in high spirits despite nearly passing out from blood loss. 

“I think you're the real hero here.” He announced and that made your heart melt somehow even warmer.

This was destiny, it had to be. What else could explain how you felt right now? You'd never had a deep connection with anyone, but this man was tethered to you in ways unexplainable.

“I'm sorry Vigilante, but I will have to take the mask off to check for head injuries.” You informed him gently, hands raised as if not to spook him like a wild animal.He lurched right back.

“But you promised, look I can't expose my secret identity or I'll have to kill you!” He argued. “And I'd really prefer to not.” Folding his arms you were left at an impasse. 

“Have you met me before tonight?” You asked. 

“No I haven't.” Vigilante said slowly, you could tell he was squinting a little under the visor by his hunched shoulders to make certain.

“Then we're perfect strangers aren't we? I can't figure out who you are, mask on or off unless you tell me your name.” You offered him a truce, holding out your pinkie. “Pinky swear?” 

There was clearly a series of mental gymnastics running around in his mind before laying back down.

“That…makes sense.” He admitted eventually under mumbled breath. "But I don't want anyone else seeing me.” 

“Promise!” You nodded.

Then a gloved hand took your pinky delicately and shook on it.

After a few shaky breaths, when he finally took off the mask you were left speechless.

Outside of stunningly beautiful green, his eyes were also unfocused and blurry, hand pawing at an inner breast pocket until the man found a pair of thick rimmed glasses. Silver aviator style looking fresh out of the 1970s.

He was also incredibly handsome, cheek dimples, curly brown hair and a prominent nose. “Can you please put on the hospital garb?” You somehow managed to mouth out coherently enough for him to understand.

“I'll assist you.” You quickly added when he struggled to stand and get his belt off.

“M’sorry…” Vigilante blushed beet red when you helped to pull his pants down. 

It felt strangely intimate undoing his belt and the zips, kneeling down to help him shimmy out of the combat pants.

Once they were off, he could finish stripping the suit off on his own and you turned to give him some privacy. 

“It's okay, lie down on your belly. Get nice and comfortable for me.” Vigilante nodded and now in the hospital dress looked somewhat meek, submissive even, entirely different from before.

The contrast was mystifying.

"How's it feel?” You asked after administrating the numbing cream.

"Numb.” He replied flatly 

“That's good, now if you won't be seen by anyone else. I have to check a few things okay?” You explained, “which may change your mind to not wanting to have the doctors look at you.” 

He made a huffing noise like it was a ridiculous notion and you bit back the giggle rising in your chest at how adorable he was being.

"Right so first things first, the bullet is lodged in your gluteal muscle. The mortality rate is very low, only two percent.” 

"Awesome!” He pumped the air with his fists.

"Yes, but we can't allow the area to get infected. That means wound care is very important.” You told him and Vigilante shrugged.

That was the simple part. 

"This is where it might get uncomfortable. Portions of the bullet's shrapnel may have gotten into other areas, namely the bladder or rectum. Usually I'd send you up to surgery to check with the machines but since that's not an option. Have you had a urinary catheter inserted before? Or had a prostate exam?”

He shook his head, eyes widening in alarm at the prospect of either. 

“I'll have to perform both of those invasive procedures if you don't wish to seek treatment upstairs. To ensure there's no chance for internal abdominal or rectal damage.” There was no use in sugar coating it for him.

“Okay I understand.” He nodded sadly.This was the time you expected him to give up and accept treatment with the doctors. 

Instead he asked, “Which one do we do first?” 

“I uh, the rectal exam first then the catheter would be more comfortable? But it's much of a muchness really.” You supposed, bewildered that he seemed nonplussed.

"Thanks for doing this for me!” He grinned, bending over on the bed and sticking his peach ass up. 

“I mean you did save my life, I'd like to return the favor and make sure you don't die from an infection.” You snapped on a glove and applied the petroleum jelly. “Okay let's do a quick trauma handshake.” 

“A what?” He turned to give you a confused tilt of that gorgeous face.

"Slang for checking for a digital rectal examination.” You clarified and went about assessing him for any spinal or bowel injuries.

The lovely whimper as he bit down on the pillow for you wouldn't leave your mind for days. “Good news, no perforation.” You noted, snapping off the glove. 

"T-thats good news…” He said shyly, face bright pink when you got on another pair of gloves. You couldn't help but notice a slight bulge under his hospital gown.

“Time to place a urinary catheter, turn on the side like that. We do this to see if there's any internal damage by seeing if there's any blood in the urine. Which is a major red flag that the bullet has struck the bladder or urethra.” You placed a blanket down to help him cover up and showed him where to shuffle on the bed.

“Pissing blood is a pretty big red flag, I agree.” He chuckled slightly nervously as you got the tube out. You giggled along with him at that and noticed his gaze shift uncomfortably when your hands  approached closer.

“It's uh, my buddy Peacemaker calls me Thimble but it can get bigger. Just not when you're about to stick a tube in it. And I don't know why earlier it kinda..." 

"Don't worry I'm not judging or thinking anything about your body outside of making sure you're going to recover okay?” You smiled down at him, inserting the tube and he nodded, tears eyelashing out. 

"You don't think I'm gross for getting a little hard?" He grimaced at his body's reaction again to your hands touching his shaft. 

"No it's natural, happens to a lot of guys." You reassured him.

Wow he looked so pretty like this. You couldn't help but be entranced.

However you had to keep working and after confirming he didn't have any blood in the bed pan, you had to go back to the floor. 

"Try to get some rest." While he slept you helped other patients throughout the night and got caught up until a woman from earlier stopped you. 

“Sorry but where is our friend Adrian’s room?” Adebayo asked.

"Who?” You couldn't recall an Adrian being admitted tonight.“Vigilante?” Adebayo tried again and your eyes widened in shock.

His name was Adrian? What a beautiful name. But why was his friend revealing it to you?

“He's resting in the room third down the hall on the right, I treated his injuries myself so nobody would reveal who Vigilante is.” You motioned towards it, currently swamped with other patients.

"Thanks, that must've been a total pain.” She replied, heading down the hall. 

"Not at all.” You said brightly. It truly hadn't been.

And when you got the chance to go see him, Adrian, again you were overjoyed to see him awake.

"Can I have another pudding cup?” Adrian asked politely, scraping out the last spoonful of the current cup.

"Of course you can! Would you like another jello too?” You offered. 

"Yes please!” He beamed, calling out as you dashed off to fetch them, “Can it be red please?” 

“Coming right up!” You grinned.

But when you got back he was gone. The television was playing a news report exonerating Vigilante. Searching around there was no blood to be found by the open windowsill.

His wound had healed so quickly, too fast, he must be a meta-human. Just like yourself.

Truly this was fate, you two were obviously meant to be together. 

Your ability was different though, you could make yourself invisible. It took a lot of concentration but a small field went translucent capturing your clothes and anything directly on your person. 

For a little while you thought that you'd lost him, Adrian, the love of your life. But fate had other plans. Not many places were open at 2am to serve dinner when you finished your night shift, but Fennel Fields was an all night diner.

And there he was, Adrian, his name badge confirmed it. Following him with your powers of concealment made it quite simple. You watched on as he donned the Vigilante gear, undressing in the Sebring, before springing out raring to go. 

Tonight it was a liquor store robbery, not too far, trailing behind him, camera in hand you made sure to get the perfect shot for your shrine. It was a mural dedicated to Vigilante, your love, your reason for being, your savior and so much more. 

When Vigilante pulled the trigger and the robber's cranium combusted into a showering of blood across the alleyway brick less than a foot away from where you were hiding, you felt feverish, deliriously excited. It connected you with him, feeling a fraction of the release he likely did.

But tonight that was the only criminal Vigilante could find and stowing away in his back seat, his finger tapped anxiously at the steering wheel. 

Signal that he didn't get enough action tonight, still taut and tense like a bow string.

Now you were back in his house again, following him silently up the stairs to his bedroom. You weren't proud of that but it'd been at least a fortnight of holding back and you were desperate to see the aftermath again.

After patrol, he got an intense adrenaline rush and had to relieve himself. 

“Fuck, fuck, fucking…” Adrian grunted, he always looked so angry to be dealing with his desires as if it was a chore. At times he'd keep the suit on and hump himself against the mattress, but tonight he stripped off, a laptop out with headphones in.

“Hurry up!” He cursed at himself, pumping the bottle of lube before his shaft again. You really wished that you could reveal yourself, stroll out of the wardrobe and offer to help him. 

“It's not working…it's not enough, damn it I need something else, where's that thing?” He murmured to himself and stood up, storming over to your hiding place. 

Tearing open the panelled door, Adrian started rifling through the top cupboard above where you were crouched next to his sleeping bag. He was so close right now, thighs parallel with your eye line, more importantly what was between them still up at attention was so tantalizingly close. If you so much as exhaled, the air would softly blow and caress the tip. 

The very thought made your mouth water. Taking down a shoe box, he sadly turned and shut the door back on you. But then he opened it and got out a toy, one of those pocket pussy things.

"So glad P told me about these, feels way better than my hand!” He sighed, starting to mount the silicone toy into the mattress, both hands wrapped around it. 

It tore you apart inside how much you wanted to replace that stupid piece of plastic. Every snapping thrust, guttural moan torn away that should've been yours. If only he knew that the love of his life was right here!

Adrian grunted, getting more impatient and you were also, waiting on the final thing that got him there, which made him release without fail.

Opening his bedside table there was a small tub of petroleum jelly and a box of surgical gloves. After performing the procedure you gave him, a little trauma handshake that was enough to have his thighs quivering, bucking over into a loud, hot and heavy climax.

You were the same way, hardly even needing to touch yourself to finish alongside him. How much you wanted to exit and tell him just how much of a good boy he was, how beautiful he looked right now spent laying flat on his back.

But it was too soon for him to fully understand. So instead after he went to sleep you took another small token for yourself.

A devotion to the shrine, this time a little silver paint brush he used for painting Warhammer miniatures. Silently stepping up to him, you watched Adrian sleep for a moment. He looked so angelic.

The impulse to kiss his forehead was difficult to fight but you barely managed it. Instead you silently snapped a photo of him to add to the others.

Getting home you were filled with regret and a disgusting shame flooded you, despite promising yourself you'd stop stalking him, you'd done it all over again.

But was making sure your beloved was safe, was that really so terrible? 

Unable to sleep, you were sick of your job at the hospital, getting abused every shift.Spat on, hit, shoved around, verbally abused, sexually harassed.

Every time it happened you prayed that your protector, Vigilante would appear again and take care of them for you. 

The cycle was a dangerous one, that you continued for a couple months until suddenly one night at 11:59 pm Adrian didn't show up on time in the alleyway.

Something was wrong, you went to scope out Fennel Fields, but it seems like he quit.

Later you spotted his mother's house had a moving truck out the front.At a loss for what to do, your routine was ruined and it felt like your entire life was in disarray.

Adrian was gone, vanished until you saw one late night eating a depressing Fennel Fields special, a local promotional ad for Checkmate with him in the background. 

Checkmate, making the world a better place. You went to see if you could watch him from there but it was an impressive office building with heightened security.

Definitely run by ex government covert agents. So for a while you were left without him, your love, unsure where he'd moved to or what he was doing at work.

His routine had completely changed and never aligned with yours, at times you found Vigilante on patrol but kept your distance. 

Sitting up late on the computer again you were scrolling for jobs, not that you ever applied, it was just a force of habit now after a lousy shift. 

Then an job ad caught your eye and you stopped scrolling. 

Trained medic wanted- looking for an individual who works well under pressure, organized and discreet. - advertised by Leota Adebayo for Checkmate Ltd. Applications from emergency department workers are advantageous. 

That settled it, destiny and the power of true love was obviously on your side. 

-------

Adrian was the only consistent support in your life, but you were starting to see less and less of him. You had given up the glorious life of management at Fennel Fields to work in a job that was actually in your field. You’d worked hard for your degree and you’d intended to use it, that is until you met a certain busboy. Fennel Fields was only ever supposed to be temporary, but you hated change and you convinced yourself for too long that it wasn’t that bad. The best part of working with Adrian was being able to look over at him across the room and ground yourself. Suddenly your rock was gone and your ship was floating off to sea.

Now you were working more of a classic 9-5 and after seeing your boyfriend practically everyday for over a year you were reduced to seeing Adrian only a couple times a week if that. Typically Adrian slept late, worked the dinner shift at Fennel Fields, and then patrolled the streets until the early hours of the morning. You would never ask him to give that up. You knew he was trying his best and so were you. You just needed different things right now, but most of all you needed him, so you would make it work. You’d been through worse together and made it out.

Adrian knew you missed him. He missed you too. Lately you’d been waking up to his warm body climbing into your bed in the middle of the night. It started last week. He hadn’t wanted to risk waking you up when he knew you had to be up early, but you had been complaining about nightmares, likely stress induced. You both knew you slept better in his arms.

You woke up in a cold sweat, hyperventilating. A few tears run down your cheeks. You look at your clock and realize your alarm was about to go off anyway. You let out a sob, thinking about going to work. Adrian’s not here. He didn’t come last night. You start to cry harder. He must have had a good reason. Maybe he’s still out? Maybe Chris needed him for something? You pull out your phone ready to call him.

“I’ll say hello, but if you think I’m saying my name on this thing you’re crazy.’

‘How will they know if they got the right voicemail?’

‘Duh! The sound of my voice!’

‘What if they don’t know you like that?’

‘If they don’t know me, why are they calling me?’

You giggle in the background.

‘Just leave him a message! Beep!”

Adrian’s voicemail played over your sobs. Your alarm went off. Time to face another day.

———————————————————————

After work you broke down as soon as you left the building. It was all too much to process. As soon as you walked through the door you slumped onto your couch and continued to cry until you heard the door open.

“Are you okay? Is this emotional crying or pain crying?” You hear your boyfriend’s voice.

“Adrian, what are you doing here?!” Your crying slows. You don’t retract from your ball under the blanket. He can barely see you.

“I-I’m sorry I can leave.”

“No! I just meant- I- I thought you had work.” You hiccup.

“Well I’m not at work, so why are you crying? Do I have to go back out again or call Economos? He’s better at stitching people up than I am and if you’re hurt I want you to have the best care.”

“I’m not hurt, well physically. It’s nothing.” You try to hold back your sobs.

“Okay so emotional…” He pauses. “You need to get your shit together and stop crying like a little bitch.” He says bluntly.

“What?” Your voice deflates. You knew he could be oblivious, but it wasn’t like him to be outright mean to you.

“Oh, sorry.” He speaks again and this time he continues louder, “I said you need to get your shit together and stop crying like a little bitch!”

“No, I heard you, but why would you say that?” You ask, your body trembling, trying to hold another sob in.

“Because you told me to. You told me a couple weeks ago and I quote ‘If I’m crying over NOTHING then tell me to get my shit together and stop crying like a little bitch.” he reminds you using air quotes for emphasis. “Did I do a good job?” He asks innocently. You can’t help, but let out a small laugh.

“Did it work?” You can hear a smile growing in his voice.

“I don’t think I was being serious.”

“I thought you were being very serious.“

“I still had a really bad day.” You finally look at him, your lip quivering. You get a good look at him. He looks off. “Why don’t you have work?” You asked.

“I called out sick. I got shot last night-“

“ADRIAN!” You cut him off. “Why didn’t you lead with that?!” You jump off the couch running to him.

“It’s no big deal. You know me, I just sleep it off and I’m fine. This isn’t about me.” He shrugs.

“To hell this isn’t about you. It’s about you now.” You rush him to sit on the couch.

“Can’t it be about both of us?” He asks. “I wanna hear about your bad day so I can decided if I need to pay these fuckwads a visit.”

“No, Adrian you don’t. They’re not doing anything illegal. They’re just dicks.” You laugh. “Now where were you shot?” You ask.

He takes off his shirt to reveal a bandage on his shoulder. “It barely skimmed me, but I was bleeding and last time I tracked blood through your apartment it stressed you out, so I just went back to my place.”

“That’s why you didn’t come over last night?” You ask. He nods.

“Adrian, I need you to tell me these things. Plus I promise you as stressed out as I get about the blood I’d rather know you’re safe than wonder if you’d bleeding out somewhere else.” You’re near tears again.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

“No, you were thinking. We were in the same book, just on different pages.” You give him a kiss on the cheek, laying your head on his chest. His warmth, heartbeat, and breathing automatically calm you. You sigh. “It’s sweet that you cared about the blood. I don’t have to know where you are all the time. I just want to know where you end up at the end of the night, so I know you’re home safe.”

“I’ve made it out of worse.” Adrian brushes it off.

“I know and I know you’re not scared of death, but if I lost you that would be worse than death to me.”

The room is quiet for a moment. Usually Adrian never shuts up, but right now he has nothing to say.

“Losing you would be worse than death to me too. I never thought of it that way. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel sorry, Adrian, and I would never ask you to stop being Vigilante. You do a lot of good things for a lot of people who can’t fight for themselves. I’m proud of you and I take the risk of being with you willingly. It just quiets down some of the anxiety knowing that you’re home safe at the end of the night.” You kiss him again.

“I can’t always text you updates.” Adrian stands, walking to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

You follow behind him. “I know that-“

“Are you sure you don’t have a problem with the blood?” He cuts you off.

“I mean I don’t love it, but I’m very understanding.” You tell him realistically.

“One of the big reasons I still live at my mom’s is for the storage. Basements and Garages aren’t affordable on a restaurant salary in today’s economy and you know ARGUS doesn’t pay nearly enough when I happen to pick up the odd job from them. Plus my mom is actually like super needy sometimes.” He laughs. “But you don’t live that far. I could probably just leave all that stuff there and keep my regularly used equipment here if that’s alright with you.” He seemed to be thinking out loud, pacing the room.

“What are you talking about?” You ask.

“I’m just trying to figure out the logistics of moving in together.” He says bluntly, turning to you.

“Oh! I-“

“You said you wanted to see me more. I wanna see you more. Ads says it’s a natural next step in our relationship. But I could be totally wrong I mean she’s on her way to a divorce now and I don’t wanna marry and divorce you right now.” He rambles.

“I don’t wanna get married and divorced this second either. Actually I’d go as far as to say if we ever got married one day I would hope we never get divorced.” You joke with a serious color to your voice.

He sighs, letting go of all the pressure he held tight in his shoulders. He shifts on his feet, with that big goofy smile of his. Flustered. Drunk with love. “Good.”

There’s a warm silence for a moment.

“Speaking of blood, I think I still have blood in places there shouldn’t be blood. Do you wanna meet me in the shower?” He asks.

“How did you know I was gonna ask you to shower?” You ask.

“You always love to shower when you’re stressed out or upset.” He says so matter of factly.

“And I love your pattern recognition.” You smile.

“Okay, let’s go to OUR bathroom.” You blush.

“Okay, but before we use OUR shower I have to use OUR toilet.” He proclaims.

“Okay we stop saying our now. I think it’s implied.” You laugh.

“Wait, but is it our soap or your soap?” He asks.

“Adrian, I love you, but if you use all my body wash I’ll kill you. I don’t mind sharing, but if you use it all you buy more.”

“Oh now it’s all yours! This is so confusing!” He argues.

You both laugh. No matter if your mental health was in the gutter or Adrian had just been shot, you always knew how to make each other laugh.

“Just hurry up and go to the bathroom. I’m waiting.” You push him towards the door.

“I was shot! Don’t push me!” He gives you a look.

“I thought you said it was nothing.”

“Actually I think I said it was no big deal, but it’s still a small deal! And I still don’t like being pushed!” He goes into the bathroom and shuts the door. You could be together until you die and he’ll still hate peeing in front of you and he’ll never be able to pee with clothes touching his butt.

You lean against the wall and sigh. This isn’t how you planned it, but you and Adrian never did things to the status quo and you wouldn’t ask for it any other way.

"So I'll get to meet that infamous boyfriend of yours Adrian huh?" Garth said with a lopsided grin, handing you a feed bag for the rabbits.

"Yep that's right! He's going to be so excited to see the manta rays I can't wait." You beamed back. 

"Your boyfriend doesn't really come around here much does he?" Garth said a little pointedly.

"Oh well no he doesn't but Adrian works late nights at that restaurant Fennel Fields as a bus boy so he's usually sleeping during the day." You explained, tossing some feed out for the bunnies. 

"We catch up when I go to his place or he goes to mine though!" 

"You guys still don't live together?" Garth asked looking shocked. 

"Not yet no. I'm still at the Overton Loft Suites with my roommate Ads." You replied cheerfully.

"Doesn't seem like that serious of a relationship then." Garth suddenly said and that made you stop in your tracks.

"Uh what?" You felt dumbfounded by that statement.

"I mean if I was seeing anyone for as long as you've been going out I'd have moved in with them already is all." Garth responded with a playful shrug.

"Adrian hasn't lived on his out of home before, he's with his mom and I don't want to push him. We'll be ready when we're ready." You replied firmly to get him to drop the subject.

"Wait wait...he still lives with his mother? Yikes red flag much?" Garth laughed and then stopped when he saw you frown. 

"Sorry I'm only messing around don't get mad." He said quickly looking anxious.

"That's all right, sorry I'm a bit touchy it's just been a rough time at the moment." You admitted, rubbing the back of your neck.

"Damn anything I can do to help?" Garth asked. "Maybe I could give you a neck and shoulder massage to help ease some tension?" He offered. 

"Oh, that's very kind of you but that's not necessary." You replied, going back to checking on the other cages for animals staying the night. 

"Are you sure? I'm great with my hands, I've been told I've got the magic touch..." Garth tried again, putting on his best princely smoulder for you.

"No thanks I'm okay." You said, continuing to put sheets up over the cages.

Garth pouted at that but got back to work helping close up.

One of your biggest flaws was noticing when someone was actively flirting with you or trying to hint that they were interested in that way. You had after all somehow missed or actively hid away from the obvious neon sign flashing in your face everyday for years that Adrian was in love with you.

And at the moment that particular personality trait of yours was driving Garth Curry, or the Tempest wild. Usually the Atlantean heartthrob had women and men falling to his feet madly in love from the first sentence out of his mouth but you were different. 

"How's your marine biology thesis going by the way?" You asked him with that adorable smile.

You actually cared about the words uttered from his devastatingly handsome lips. You listened.

"It's going well thanks! I've been looking into deep sea sharks and porcelain crabs as my next research topic so I might have to go to Western Australia pretty soon..." Garth said with a sigh. 

"Wow that sounds amazing! Why do you seem a little bummed out?" You asked.

"Well it means that I'll have to leave here and won't get to see you anymore." Garth explained with a longing look but to you it just seemed like awkwardly intense eye contact. 

Something you were completely immune to feeling the effects of knowing the true world staring champion your boyfriend Adrian. 

"That'll be a shame I enjoy working with you too but what a cool opportunity!" You replied with a sweet grin.

"Yeah, you're right I guess." Garth said with a slight frown as you finished up the night shift. 

"It would be way more of a fun adventure with someone by my side though." He suggested suavely leaning up against the lockers as you got your bag. 

"Yeah having a partner is nice." You nodded cheerfully slinging your satchel on your back. "Do you have anyone you're interested in?" You asked.

"Well there is this someone I know who is really smart and knowledgeable about animals and marine life but that's also funny, cheerful, brightens up every room..." Garth waited for the gears to turn in your mind. But you didn't get that he was describing you.

"Did you want me to set you up with someone? I know a lot of the nurses would love to go on a date with you. Marco is really sweet I think you'd hit it off!" You offered excited to play matchmaker.

"No thanks..." Garth said sounding disappointed.

"Do you not want to date a coworker? I get that it doesn't always work out well. But there's some great people at Adrian's and my old work I could ask! Taylor or Taylor's cousin Maria are both single and really hot!" You tried again.

"No I don't mind dating a coworker! It just has to be the right one..." Garth qualified it desperately hoping you'd get what he meant but instead you gave a shrug and swung your locker closed.

"Fair enough." You said cheerfully swinging your car keys around. Garth walked you to your car which was very kind of him.

"Goodnight Garth!" You waved him goodbye.

"Goodnight. See you at the field trip tomorrow." Garth waved back.

"Yes, I can't wait for you to meet Adrian!" You said brightly getting into your car.

"Yeah...I can't wait either." Garth replied under his breath with a scowl. 

He knew that Adrian was Vigilante, most of the Paws a Moment crew did because he once took some of the staff hostage but no one said anything to you about that because it was awkward.

You had no problem being with a superhero, not that Garth considered Vigilante to be a hero or super of any kind from what he had learned through observing him he was more of a masked lunatic...still the lifestyle was similar and you weren't phased. 

Garth could keep being the Tempest and you could be his Ariel. He was sure that his adoptive father Arthur Curry, Aquaman would leap at the chance to agree for you to become his bride back in Atlantis. 

"I'll make you see your true potential my precious pearl and then we can return to Atlantis to be properly joined." Garth promised watching your car leave.

With a sigh, he was determined to prove his worth to you getting onto his motorcycle. Garth would show you how much better suited he was for you than your pathetic boyfriend Adrian Allen Chase by comparison tomorrow.

Parking his lame motorcycle, Garth took off his stupid non combat helmet that didn't even have a sick prescription visor off and sighed.

"Man I really wish I could steal Vigilante's smoking hot babe of a girlfriend. But I'm too much of a snivelling pussy to even try and make an actual move..." Garth lamented when he got home to his apartment a couple blocks away. 

"Guess I'll have to jack off to weird octopus hentai again..." He sighed pathetically.

Getting out his house keys, Garth was about to insert them into the lock but a well-sharpened honshu blade shone right at neck height stopped him in his tracks.

"So you like flirting with death's lady in the pale moonlight?" Vigilante asked him. Crimson beads of blood dripped onto the blade and ran down its length to patter on the concrete. 

"Hey! You can't do this, I'm Tempura or Tempest or whatever the fuck and I'm the rightful heir to the Atlantic Ocean or was it Atlanta? Anyway! Just wait until my fishfucker daddy Aquaman finds out and he'll-" Garth began and Vigilante pressed the blade wringing some more blood from him.

"Oh please Vigilante don't kill me! I'll never go near your sexy as fuck girlfriend again! Just let me live please!" Garth begged for his life on his knees like a little sad loser. He also pissed his pants and it was super gross and hilarious.

"I'll give you whatever you want! You want underwater riches? Pirate treasure? I'll give you anything-" Garth tried to bargain.

But Vigilante didn't let him finish his sentence and beheaded the fucker. Garth's perfect princely head rolled across the pavement and into incoming traffic ran over by a freight truck shipment of fish sticks that made Vigilante cackle in laughter at the awesome irony as it exploded.

Then he hacked apart the body with his bone saw and rightfully dumped it piece by piece into the ocean to be devoured by sharks.

Sadly after that the murder day dream was over and Vigilante sprang out from his hiding spot. 

As Garth rode off on his motorcycle, Vigilante walked out from behind the dumpster and mused to himself at his new love rival and your new infatuated deepsea stalker. 

This so called 'Garth' wasn't good at following people, Adrian was immediately tipped off by the obvious disguise in Fennel Fields with the garish over sized shades and trucker hat on indoors. Plus who peeks over a menu to stare at the bus boy?

After confirming by asking Taylor's expert opinion that he probably didn't want to sleep with Adrian he knew that it was related to you somehow.

Besides Adrian had an extensive file on everyone at Paws a Moment to make sure nobody weird entered your inner circle. And this new guy was weird. Garth Curry, originally a lame sidekick nepo baby teen titan Aqua Lad and now the bozo went around calling himself Tempest. 

"Pfft Tempest! What a fucking lame stupid superhero name." Adrian laughed to himself. "Oh no a thunder storm I'm so scared! And he can talk to fish? So what? This dude probably gets super freaky with them just like Aquaman..." 

"Don't worry my honeybun, I'm not going to let some weird fish fucker steal you away all to Stargate Atlantis! Or the distant lands of Western Australia!" Adrian promised you, heading across the street to where he'd parked the Vigilante Mobile.

He had no doubt that you would ever cheat on him or pick anyone else but the pang of jealousy still plucked at his heart strings.

The insinuations that Garth had made about him not being a good boyfriend seeded a doubt inside himself and now Adrian was crippled with insecurity.

He wasn't able to take the next steps with you like moving out until Chris was back, he needed his best friends advice and support on this kind of thing. You said that you understood but he saw the frustration on your face earlier. What if you were getting tired of him? 

No that couldn't be possible, your sex life was amazing and you'd said yourself that you wanted to move out with Adrian when he was ready.

Still when Adrian drove over to your place he was determined to give you that massage and make you only think of him tonight. He was completely and utterly green with jealousy. 

When you got home you were affronted by a trail of rose petals that led from the front door all the way down the hallway towards your bedroom. 

"Oh hey Ads, how's it going?" You asked Adebayo who was sitting on the couch watching family feud. 

"I'm doing good, uh Adrian is in your room. Sorry I didn't realize it was date night." Adebayo replied.

"It's not...I'll go talk to him." You said sheepishly. 

When you opened your bedroom door the opening sexy saxophone riff of George Michael's Careless Whisper immediately greeted you.

Oh, whoa, whoa, oh..

Along with Adrian who was completely naked posed languidly on your bed, the Vigilante helmet still on.

I feel so unsure...

As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor...

He was holding a single red rose and plucked a petal letting it fall gracefully onto his strong thighs. 

"Adrian?" You asked eyes widening and jaw dropped.

As the music dies, something in your eyes...

Calls to mind a silver screen and all its sad goodbyes..

"How was your day at work my foxy lady?" Adrian asked, finger suggestively circling the duvet. 

"Need me to help...relieve any tension?" He was putting on a deeper voice for some reason. 

"Vigilante or Adrian can do that for you tonight, ladies choice." Adrian popped off the helmet keeping it at the nightstand and put his glasses on. 

I'm never gonna dance again...

Guilty feet have got no rhythm...

"Or we could do a bit of both..." He put the rose in between his teeth. "However you want me baby..." His green eyes watched yours intensely.

Though it's easy to pretend...

I know you're not a fool...

"Wow Adrian what's the special occasion?" You asked looking at all of the candles and rose petals.

"No occasion, just wanted to show my appreciation for my precious rose." Adrian grinned, taking the rose out of his teeth he handed it to you. 

I should have known better than to cheat a friend...

And waste the chance that I'd been given...

"Well I really appreciate that Adrian but Ads is home tonight and out in the living room watching TV. I don't want to disturb her." You said taking the rose and smelling it.

So I'm never gonna dance again...

The way I danced with you, oh...

"Well okay no sex then, no problem-o mama cita! But let me draw you a bath so you can have a good soak and I can give you a massage after." Adrian said quickly sitting up on the bed he went to shut off the music as the next sexy saxophone solo fired up.

"That does sound nice!" You agreed cheerfully.

Then your phone buzzed. So did Adrian's.

[Ads] : I'm going to get takeout what do we think about Thai food? 🔥

"Ooh yum!" Adrian agreed.

[You] : Yes please! Thanks Ads 💫

[Ads] : I'll get it from that place on the other side of town. It'll take exactly 1 hour 5 minutes. 😈

[Adrian] : Why not the Thai place near here? You could get it in 15 mins easy! 🤔

[Ads] : Sure if that's only how long you two would need... 😂

[You] : I prefer the other place. Thanks Ads! 🙏 

[Ads] : No worries 👍

[Adrian] : But it's literally the same chain of Thai restaurants??? 🧜‍♂️

You heard the front door close shut and grinned.

"What but why not..." Adrian began to argue but stopped when you stripped off your top and pressed play on the stereo. 

Tonight, the music seems so loud...

I wish that we could lose this crowd!

"Come on, we've got an hour to make sweet sweet love!" You giggled and Adrian nodded eagerly helping you out of your scrubs. 

"God that uniform is so hot..." He murmured kissing your neck. "How was work?" 

"It was great! Night shift went by smoothly and we didn't have any emergencies tonight so it was just me and Garth locking up..." You started but paused when Adrian gripped you tightly.

At the mention of that name Adrian sucked a rough hickey into crook of your neck making you groan. When you looked down at him his expression was innocent but his green eyes held something serious and intense within them.

"Adrian?" You asked. Was he mad about something?

"Sorry keep going." Adrian said gently kissing your neck again.

"Well anyway tomorrow is going to be super exciting because you know how I told you to keep your calendar free? That's because it's field trip day to the Evergreen Zoo and we can bring partners!" You announced excitedly.

While Adrian had listened in on the conversation you and that asshole Garth had, as soon as you mentioned a surprise for him he'd jammed his fingers into his ears so he wouldn't ruin it.

"Woah that's awesome my sugar plum! Who are you taking along?" Adrian asked, he wanted you to say it.

"You of course silly!" You giggled, swatting him on the shoulder.

"And who am I?" Adrian needed you to say it.

"You're my boyfriend of course!" You said a bit confused at his attitude tonight. "Honey bear what's wrong?" 

"Nothing, I just needed to hear you say that." Adrian admitted with a slight whimper. 

"Oh my hunky dreamboat!" You said soothingly, running your hands through his curly hair. "Of course I'm your girlfriend, I'm your love and your ride or die!" 

"Yeah...you're my girlfriend." Adrian firmly whispered into your ear. 

You nodded, kissing him on the forehead. 

"You're mine." Adrian said, shifting himself lower and gripped your thighs.

"Nobody elses." He parted them and sucked another hickey into your inner thigh making you gasp with a pleasured moan.

"Mine..." Adrian repeated, giving your other thigh the same treatment. 

"A-Adrian..." You said breathlessly, what had gotten into him tonight? 

"Say it. Say you're mine." Adrian plunged his fingers inside your core, his thumb caressing your clit, his other hand firmly grasping your hair so you were looking directly into his eyes.

"I-I'm yours Adrian." You told him shakily.

"Yeah baby...you're mine. All mine." Adrian nodded with a satisfied grunt. 

"This sweet pussy is all mine too isn't it?" He added another digit inside and began a punishing pace fucking you with them.

"Y-yes it is Adrian...oh god..." You cried out.

"I'm the only one that gets you off like this!" Adrian snapped. "Nobody else knows how you fucking like it...they could never give it to you this good." He told you in a harsh whisper, moving down to suck on your nipples.

"D-did something happen on patrol tonight?" You asked him in-between breathy moans.

His possessiveness was off the charts tonight.

"Guess you could say that." Adrian replied with a shrug and went back to swirling his tongue against your hardened pebbles kneading the other with his free hand. 

"It's no big deal though, just some stupid guy that thinks he can take something that isn't his." Adrian curled his knuckles just right how he knew you liked it and shuddered when you cried out for him.

"L-like a robbery?" You asked, gripping his curly hair tightly as he was making you become completely undone. 

"Did you stop him?" Your panting voice told Adrian that you were close. 

Adrian knew you loved hearing about his Vigilante heroics, you tightened around him so sweetly.

"Yeah...he ended up running away scared not trying anything in the end like a little scared bitch." Adrian said and enjoyed how you moaned at that trembling beneath him.

"But if I ever see that fucker again though I'll make sure that he knows he can't go around taking..." Adrian thrusted his fingers nice and deep coating them with your slickness.

"What's not his..." He grunted into your ear as he felt your incredible orgasm ripple through your core against his fingers and his name on your lips.

It was a sensation Adrian could never get enough of, he was addicted to how you looked underneath him like this.

Taking his fingers out of you he sucked them clean with a sweet moan. 

"Fuck you taste so good..." Adrian panted. "And only I get to taste you I'm the luckiest guy in the whole damn world." 

"Now how does my girl want me? I'll give it to you anyway you want." He asked leaning over you.

"Adrian I want you inside me." You groaned tilting your head back.

"Yeah...fuck yes you do. Because this cock is all yours baby!" Adrian grinned then his green eyes sparkled like they always did when he had an idea.

"I said I'd give you a massage so why don't you turn around for me?" He suggested, getting the massage oil he'd bought out. 

"Okay..." You agreed, excited at where this was going. Adrian put a pillow under your stomach and pressed you into the mattress. 

"I'm going to pour it onto your back now my beautiful starshine." Adrian cooed, tipping the bottle down your shoulders and back. 

You braced yourself for a cold liquid but it surprisingly felt warm and you sighed at how nice it was. The aroma was lovely too a heavenly lavender.

"You like that? I got this one that produces gentle heat to the skin, fascia, muscles and other soft tissue structures..." Adrian said soothingly, his large hands going to your shoulders rubbing it in deeply.

"Oh Adrian, I love it...and the lavender is so wonderful." You sighed dreamily at how good his hands felt.

"Yeah I selected lavender because it's super soothing and used for stress relief, sleep support and helps boost stamina and energy." Adrian kept listing off his facts while digging the flat of his palms into the small of your back. It felt amazing.

"Hmm it's so nice..." You hummed.

"Lavender is also considered to be soothing and balancing which means it helps the body adapt to what it needs..." Adrian finished his sentence by resting his erection flush against your back.

"Oh really does it now?" You asked teasingly.

"Yeah it helps stretch the muscles and releases tension, and the systematic muscle massage I'm giving you will help loosen up all of your joints and ligaments." Adrian went a bit too scientific again excited to share his facts with you.

But the point definitely still came across loud and clear with how the tip of his cock rubbed against the small of your back.

"I also got the self warming oil for it's penetrative qualities..." Adrian informed you, and you heard the unwrapping of a condom wrapper.

"Sounds like just what I need..." You said, turning back to give Adrian a wolfish grin which he returned with one of this own.

"Yeah you need it baby..." Adrian agreed and without any further teasing used a hand to guide himself inside you. 

My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard...

Your phone suddenly buzzed with a phonecall. 

"Oh shit is that Ads?" You asked him. "Maybe she's back early..." 

"Hold on I'll check." Adrian picked it up off the bedside table and saw that it was Garth calling. What the fuck did this asshole want? 

"Yeah hello?" Adrian answered your phone, still inside you. Your eyes went wide but Adrian smiled down at you the lust filled expression on his face melting away any real protests.

"Oh sorry who is this? I was trying to reach my colleague do I have the right number..." Garth replied politely. 

"No who is this? You're speaking with Adrian, her boyfriend." Adrian replied, starting to thrust inside you as he spoke. 

"Adrian!" You gasped at that and clamped your hands over your mouth to try and keep quiet.

"Ah, right. It's Garth Curry, I work at Paws a Moment. She left something of hers at work in the parking lot and I was hoping to drop it off at her place. I'm waiting outside the front door." Garth explained, holding a scarf that he'd actually noticed before you left for the night. 

But this was the perfect excuse to come see you.

Adrian saw red. This fucker knew where you lived?!

"How the hell do you know her address?" Adrian demanded and you stared up confused at first but then he began to move again harder this time and you concentrated on trying to be silent.

"Well I looked it up on the company computer. We have emergency contact info and it's meant to be cold tomorrow so I didn't want her to not have a scarf." Garth doubled down. 

"Sure that's not creepy at all. Well she's not available at the moment so how about you walk around to the side entrance? There's a balcony you can leave it on." Adrian told him still slowly rutting away, you had to bite down on the pillow to be quiet.

"Great, I'll go do that then." Garth said, a little bit disappointed you weren't home but at least he could leave a little note with it. 

"Killer. Bye bye now!" Adrian hung up on him, putting your phone back. 

"What was that all about?" You asked with a huff, you supposed it was only fair given what you'd done to him with John that one time.

"Just some delivery or telemarketer bullshit, now where were we?" Adrian replied, gripping your hips he started to thrust an unforgiving pace and ensured the angle meant he was as deep inside you as possible.

Adrian knew his trigonometry and felt the efforts of his calculations when you moaned in utter untethered pleasure at the curve of him inside you.

"Scream my name out, I want to hear you say it." Adrian ordered you, rolling his hips with such vigor that you couldn't think straight. 

"Adrian!" You called out, your face leant up against the headboard as Adrian fucked you doggy style into the mattress. 

"That's it!" Adrian praised you. "Let everyone know it's me doing this to you!" Drilling deep inside you from behind Adrian leant back to get a nice vantage point of the glass balcony door.

Looking back with a big shit eating grin he saw Garth approaching the side entrance and cross over to the balcony with a small jump.

"Adrian...oh fuck Adrian!" You screamed for him.

Adrian enthusiastically waved hello to Garth as he dropped the scarf in horror at the insanely pornographic scene in front of him. 

"Yeah baby, that's a good girl! You're so tight for me..." Adrian spanked your ass and you groaned at how nice and rough he was being tonight.

"Who fucks you right?" He asked you fingers digging into your hips.

"Y-you do Adrian!" You relied needily in a loud moan that echoed off the walls. 

"Yeah I do baby! And who am I?" Adrian asked you with another loud slap, green eyes locked with Garth's purple. 

"Y-you're my b-boyfriend!" You cried out for him.

"Fuck yes I am..." Adrian agreed, grinning back at his pathetic rival as he pumped away. 

"And I'm your g-girlfriend..." You added, shaking your hips back making Adrian nearly blow his load right then and there.

"That's right baby...you're all mine." Adrian gave your back a loving kiss, smirking when he saw Garth turn tail and run.

Once he was gone, Adrian turned shuddering against you as he picked up the pace.

He'd shown that fucker who your man was.

Literally.

"Fuck...I'm your man!" Adrian shouted, slamming his hips into you. "I-I'm the one who gives it to you so good!" His forehead pressed up against your neck drenched in sweat.

"I'd fucking kill any other guy that tried it..." He whispered into your ear, making you moan clamping down tight around him.

It was so animalistic but fucking you in front of his so called 'rival' flipped a great big switch in his brain. Tomorrow at the zoo he'd show that asshole again if he needed the reminder. 

"I'm yours baby! Are you mine?" Adrian cried out in a desperate pant. "Please say you're mine...please please please!" He begged with you to keep saying it for him. Waves of jealousy were ridden out of him with every jolt of his hips.

Adrian felt so god damn close. 

"I'm yours Adrian!" You cried back.

And so were you.

Both of you finished together in a flurry of a loud chanting of eachothers names.

"Wow honey bear what's gotten into you tonight?" You asked him, turning to give him a loving kiss on the jaw. 

"Just felt like claiming you a little. Hope that was okay and not objectifying..." Adrian said anxiously.

"Last night you were unhinged. You were like some desperate, howling demon. You frightened me. Do it again." You quoted Morticia Addams with a laugh. 

"I would die for her. I would kill for her. Either way, what bliss..." Adrian replied with a grin smooching you on the lips. He'd be your Gomez anytime.

A little while later you had a bath together and got changed for some Thai food when Adebayo returned. Watching Jeopardy you and Adebayo giggled at Adrian trying to guess every answer and getting it wrong each time with a cute 'darn it!' then it was time to go to bed, Adrian sleeping over so you could get to the zoo early tomorrow.

"Huh that's weird..." You said the next morning over your coffee. 

"What is my sugar bear?" Adrian asked drinking his hot chocolate with six mini marshmallows. Three pink and three white. No other amount would do.

"I found my scarf that I wore last night on the balcony..." You picked it up and a slip of paper fell out. Adrian picked it up and unfolded it.

You may have won this round Vigilante. But the wars not over yet. -Tempest.

"What's it say?" You asked.

"Just some incel garbage." Adrian crumpled it up. 

You were a bit confused at that but shrugged and went back inside to finish getting ready.

"I can't wait to go to the zoo together!" Adrian said brightly when you both got into the Sebring. 

The Spice Girls Who Do You Think Are played on the CD player as Adrian started up the car.

The race is on to get out of the bottom...

The top is high so your roots are forgotten...

"Same here, it's been a while." You agreed. "Remember when we went back in middle school?" 

"Of course I do my honeybun! I'll impress you with my amazing animal facts all over again." Adrian proclaimed. 

"Guess what else? We also get to go to the aquarium." You told him and watched his expression light up. 

"That's amazing!" He was so pumped.

"That's not even the best part, I arranged for you to get to feed the manta rays!" You saw his expression completely light up into a brilliant smile.

"Holy shit! No way, that's so fucking awesome!" He fist pumped the air in pure joy. "Thank you my precious sunset I cannot fucking wait! I love manta rays!" The rest of the car trip Adrian told you some questionable manta ray facts.

Giving is good as long as you're getting...

What's driving you is ambition I'm betting..

While he was keeping up a goofy exterior Adrian was internally preparing for war today. Pulling up to the parking lot he could see that idiot Garth was arriving at the same time.

I said who do you think you are? 

I said who...

Some kind of superstar?

Garth Curry swung off his motorcycle and cast aside his helmet, perfect raven black hair bouncing against the sun as it rested by his broad shoulders.

You have got to...

Swing it shake it move it make it

Who do you think you are? 

Dressed in a midnight blue leather jacket that he shrugged off to reveal his toned arms and amazing physique in a purposefully tight Evergreen surfers club T-shirt, black jeans and polished royal blue doc martens Garth knew he looked irresistible.

Trust it use it prove it groove it...

Show me how good you are!

Swing it shake it move it make it...

His enchanting purple eyes scanned through the employees, most of whom were swooning over him or admiring how cool he was. 

Then he found the one person he really wanted to see that entrance who wasn't even paying attention, you.

You're swelling out in the wrong direction...

You've got the bug superstar you've been bitten...

Meanwhile Adrian was in his standard green and white striped collared jumper with high waisted faded belted mom jeans with bright white dad new balances. His unruly curly hair and wire framed glasses magnified his green eyes wider giving him a ridiculous expression.

Your trumpet's blowing for far too long

Climbing the snake up the ladder but you're wrong...

Yet for whatever reason you were staring at him like he was the prince and not even glancing in Garth's direction. It was infuriating, yet in all of his research Vigilante didn't appear to have any sort of mind control ability.

Chatting away with your lackluster peasant boyfriend whose green eyes stared a hole into Garth's head before Adrian dropped them to kiss you on the lips, hands wrapping around your waist and one cupped your backside which you gave him a playful shove for.

Garth blushed furiously getting reminded of the debaucherous sight he'd witnessed last night and covered it up with a polite cough. He didn't hold it against you of course, you didn't know any better than this brute. 

But Garth would show you how a true gentleman courted a lady. There would be no sex before marriage of course but Garth would bestow that honor onto you as soon as you agreed to be his underwater bride. 

He began to get lost envisioning your life together and him in the place of Adrian making love to you but on a royal bed fit for a queen and was suddenly interrupted by a shout of his name. 

"Garth! Hello, over here!" You called him over with a cute wave and he quickly accepted walking past the others trying to get his attention.

"Hi Andy right?" Garth said with an annoyingly dashing grin, putting his hand out.

"No, it's Adrian." Adrian corrected him politely taking his hand to shake it. "If you need to hear it again I'm sure she'll say my name plenty of times today for you to remember it." He added with an impish smirk. 

"Garth Curry, I'm a veterinarian surgeon and I specialize in marine animals. I'm also currently completing my doctorate in marine biology." Garth introduced himself with such a princely aura that a few passerbys swooned. 

"Cool. I work as a busboy at Fennel Fields. I'm also currently completing the high score on Ms. Pac-Man at the Evergreen arcade." Adrian said his credentials with the same gravitas.

"Garth likes D&D too!" You said excited to see the two bond.

Garth blushed at that looking embarrassed that you announced it so loudly. 

"Oh yeah what's your favourite campaign source book?" Adrian scoffed. There was no one on the planet more versed than him in D&D. 

"Well I've been playing Ghosts of the Salt marshes with some buddies of mine." Garth replied.

"5th edition?" Adrian rolled his eyes.

"Adrian!" You elbowed him to play nice.

"What? The best campaign setting sourcebook is obviously the AD&D 2nd edition genre-defying masterpiece Dark Sun. I can't help it if he just gave a stupid answer." Adrian replied haughty folding his arms. 

"Sorry about him." You said and Garth shone a dazzling set of pearly white teeth in your direction.

Adrian wanted to pull every single one of them out of his stupid handsome face and use them to decorate the tree at Christmas.

"No need, I'm more of a casual player. I like to focus on more active things such as surfing, swimming, water polo, scuba diving...that kind of thing." Garth made sure to flex his impressive arms as he held open the gate to the zoo for you both to enter.

"I can actually hold my breath underwater for a really really really long time..." He said suggestively at you with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Wow impressive!" You said walking past and not getting the double meaning.

"More like lame...I can be choked for a really really really long time." Adrian muttered under his breath following you in.

"I'll get us some drinks!" You said cheerfully heading to the concession stand, hoping to give them some time to get to know each other.

"What's your damage?" Adrian asked Garth when you were out of earshot. "You into watching me fucking my girlfriend? First times free but I'll have to start charging." 

"No need to worry, there won't be a next time. I'm sure she'll see to reason soon enough that I'm the superior choice. I'm the Prince of Atlantis and can offer her the life she deserves, while you're just some bus boy wannabe Batman holding her back. Nothing more than a pathetic childhood friend who latched onto her like a barnacle when her life was going down like the Titanic with her terrible husband. But I'll make her see her true worth which is at my side."  Garth replied, his voice like ice.

Adrian looked back at him shocked.

"That's right, she told me all about it. I'm a fantastic listener. Another great quality I have that you don't." Garth grinned at how stunned Adrian was.

"She's not only a beauty but a genius, I've been helping her go for her proper medical license and write a paper for the upcoming conference in Blüdhaven." Garth enjoyed seeing Adrian's frown at that. 

"Aww she didn't tell you? We find out if our papers got accepted this week. Then work will set us up in a hotel room together." Garth continued.

Adrian's heart sank. You had never kept this kind of stuff from him before. 

"I knew all about that! Shut up you fish fucker..." Adrian snapped as he saw you returning, drinks in hand.

"Hey here you go! What did you guys talk about while I was away?" You asked.

"Just work stuff." Adrian said bitterly.

"We were talking about you and your incredible achievements!" Garth said brightly.

"What do you mean?" You were confused.

"Studying for your license and the paper you've written silly!" Garth replied and you glared at him.

"Hey! I thought I told you I was going to let Adrian know about the paper on this trip today. Besides it hasn't even been accepted yet." You said annoyed the news had been spoiled like that.

Garth found your pouty face absolutely adorable.

"Well I read your paper and it's brilliant!" He exclaimed clapping his hands together.

"He read it?" Adrian looked devastated. "Why didn't you get me to read it my gorgeous sunflower?" 

"I never gave you my paper to read." You said pointedly feeling frustrated. 

"Sorry, it was up on the screen at work and I couldn't help myself...don't be mad!" Garth explained quickly. "We'll still be study buddies together for your license right? I can be your personal tutor..." He asked hopefully.

"Thanks for the offer but I study better on my own, I was just asking the other day about what textbooks you used." You explained politely and saw Garth's face fall. 

Meanwhile Adrian's face had lit right back up again victoriously. 

"What's your paper on my sweet pumpkin?" Adrian asked, linking your arm in his to start going around the zoo together.

"Oh it's about the saw-whet owl Duo that I helped nurse back to health and my theory that keeping the window open and letting its mate Lingo come in to see him helped the healing process..." You explained excited to share.

The day went by looking at the exhibits and Adrian telling you a mixture of some legitimate and questionable facts on the animals like any other trip to the zoo. 

Except this time he had an annoying fact checker third wheeling their zoo date. At the moment you were gushing over how cute the meerkats were. 

"Meerkats have those little dark rings around their eyes because they don't sleep enough and keep watch all the time." Adrian told you, his arm around your waist. 

"That's interesting!" He said it so confidently that you nodded along. Then a loud clearing of a throat made you both look behind you.

"I think you'll find those patches are actually there to help protect their eyes from the sun." Garth informed you both. 

"Huh, that's interesting too!" You said cheerfully. Adrian's grip tightened around your waist when you complimented Garth's fact.

"You're thinking of sunglasses. And yeah I'd love to see a meerkat in a pair who the fuck wouldn't but I don't see them wearing any do you?" Adrian challenged him. 

"Adrian, I think he's actually right about that one." You replied softly unsure why Adrian was so riled up today.

Adrian looked at you like you'd just slapped him, removing his arm from your waist.

"Well if prince Eric is so right why don't you go around the zoo with him instead then?" Adrian snapped. 

"Adrian, what's wrong?" You asked him.

"Maybe afterwards you guys can go fuck in your fancy conference hotel room!" Adrian continued tearing up his face flashed bright red before he stormed off. 

"I'm just dragging you down..." You heard him mutter and despite your efforts to flag him down he was lost in the crowd.

"Well that's settled then." Garth smiled down at you. "Let's head to the aquarium?" 

"What the hell did you say to Adrian?!" You roared at Garth who cringed back from your wrath.

"I uh..." Garth gulped heavily under the ire of your angry gaze. 

Meanwhile Adrian had fled to the aquarium and was hiding out next to the seahorse exhibit. He sadly watched a couple of seahorses in love drifting along, the male one pregnant being supported by it's lover. 

"I'll never experience love again or discover what motherhood feels like..." Adrian sobbed into his palms. "What's even the fucking point?" 

"Well I can probably only help you out with that first thing sorry." You called out to him and Adrian turned away arms folded, bottom lip stuck out.

"Come on don't be like that Adrian. As if I'd leave you for anyone else!" You took his hands into yours and they were trembling. His knees were shaking up and down.

"Why not? He's way cooler than me...plus he's a prince from Atlantis." Adrian said hiccuping with a sob he couldn't contain any longer.

"Uh no he's not cooler than you and I don't care about that kind of thing at all." You reassured him with a hug.

"You know already that he's a prince and stuff?" Adrian asked wiping his eyes.

"Yeah Garth told me he's like Aquaman's adopted son or something?" You said with a shrug. "He goes around calling himself Tempest but I mean whens the last time you saw him saving the world from the butterfly invasion?" 

"But what about the hotel room?" Adrian gave you a big sad puppy dog stare.

"The conference is offered online. I wasn't going to attend in person and I certainly wouldn't share a hotel room with a random guy." You said, standing up you offered a hand to Adrian.

"Now come on my pretty prince, the manta rays are hungry it's their lunch time!" You told him.

"Okay my precious princess, don't want to keep them waiting!" Adrian gladly took it and felt silly for getting upset. Of course you wouldn't leave him like that.

When you both got to the manta rays you saw that they were all sitting around the edge of the tank. 

"Sorry we can't seem to get them to come over here, they're all huddled around that man over there..." One of the zoo keepers explained, pointing to Garth who was sitting beside the tank crying.

"Oh geez..." You grimaced.

"What's his problem?" Adrian pointed right at him.

"I kinda...yelled at him earlier for saying those things and making you upset." You admitted feeling guilty 

"Haha yes my foxy lady that's fucking awesome!" Adrian scoffed. "Wish I had seen that! Can you do it again? I'll record it on my phone." 

"Adrian! That's not nice. Garth means well he's just a bit awkward and doesn't really get societal cues because he's from Atlantis and they do things differently there. Also he grew up as a prince so he's very sheltered and spoiled, used to getting what he wants." You explained and when Adrian looked at how sad Garth was his own face fell.

"Wow poor guy. That sounds really tough to deal with actually. I wonder what that'd be like to be the odd one out, awkward, sheltered and not even get obvious social cues..." Adrian mused, then he wandered over to him. 

"Yeah that's something you don't really have any  experience in huh?" You said following Adrian along with a chuckle.

"Hey, did you want to feed the manta rays with us?" Adrian asked Garth who tried to hide away.

"Leave me alone! I know you both hate me now..." He sniffled. "The manta rays are my friends and we're chatting so go away." 

"Woah sick what are you guys talking about? Can I join?" Adrian sat down cross legged next to him and you also approached them.

"Sorry I yelled at you earlier Garth. But I don't hate you and I would really like to be friends still." You said earnestly and Garth mulled that over.

"Same here!" Adrian nodded.

"Well...okay I forgive you. Guess I won't actually order to execute either of these two when I return to Atlantis manta rays please rescind the message." Garth informed the manta rays who circled around in understanding.

"Uh...what?" You and Adrian said dumbfounded.

"I'm joking! We've been discussing Star Trek." Garth admitted sheepishly.

"Killer! Which series?" Adrian asked, green eyes lighting up at the mention of one of his big  hyperfixations.

"Well duh, Voyager. The best series obviously." Garth replied with a grin.

"Ugh yes. Captain Janeway...a man of culture I see!" Adrian nodded in complete understanding.

"Don't forget Seven of Nine!" Garth said.

"Nobody could ever forget Seven of Nine, Jeri Ryan is like every nerds sexual awakening." You agreed nodding along.

"So true..." Adrian and Garth said at the same time and then laughed.

"Hey these fellas are hungry shall we feed them?" Garth stood up with a big dopey grin on his face.

"Heck yes! Can you ask them if their favorite color is teal?" Adrian leapt up and got the bag of fish meal ready. 

"You're right teal is actually all of their favorite color because it reminds them of the pelagic zone that they live in!" Garth replied excitedly.

"Woah that's my favorite color too! That's so fucking cool..." Adrian grinned ear to ear.

Tossing the food into the tank the three of you watched on in awe as the manta rays majestically drifted near the surface to feed.

The afternoon was then unfortunately over and the zoo was set to close. Standing by the gates in the parking lot the three of you chatted about the X-Files until it got dark and it was time to go home.

Doctor Jones, Jones! Calling Doctor Jones, Doctor

Jones, Doctor Jones, get up now...

Garth's phone buzzed with the ring tone Doctor Jones by Aqua.

"Baller ringtone!" Adrian approved with a thumbs up.

"Hello who is this?" Garth asked. "Oh fantastic, yes I accept and see you then." He hung up and smiled back at you two. 

"I got my trip to Western Australia all approved! Oh and I'm betrothed to get married to Dolphin so I don't need to worry about finding a partner anymore. What a relief!" He laughed loudly and Adrian joined in the two of them sounding equally unhinged. 

"Congrats!" Adrian gave him a high five.

"Wow that's awesome, congratulations Garth!" You have him a friendly hug.

"Thanks so much for today the both of you! I learned a lot about what a relationship should be like from watching you two." Garth told you both with an endearing grin.

"Aww that's so sweet of you to say!" You smiled back and Adrian put his arm around your shoulder.

"Also I finally got to see what sex actually looks like last night so now I know how to perform it when the time is right!" Garth shouted as he rode off into the sunset, waving you both a fond goodbye. 

"What?!" You exclaimed turning to Adrian.

"I don't know what the fuck he is even talking about..."Adrian lied, suddenly unable to make eye contact with you. 

"Probably just a weird traditional Atlantean goodbye you know? I finally got to see what sex looks like bye bye my land dwelling friends back off to the ocean I go! Aquaman probably says the same thing to the Justice League after every mission..." He drifted off still staring in the opposite direction.

Clearly he has plans for you and he isn't going to let you leave without a fight. You just don't have it in you to hurt him. With one last glance back, you slide onto the seat. Adrian's fingers deftly loosen the rope from your wrists and he slips in front of you.

“Hang on tight.” You hear the smile in the tenor of his voice, a voice you know so well. Then the sound of the engine fills your ears and the bike shoots forward down the path and towards the darkening horizon.

Even though you're sure your head can't spin any faster, the landscape begins whizzing by at a dizzying speed

Leaning tight against his broad back, your arms tighten around his waist. As one gloved hand slides protectively over yours, you squeeze your eyes closed, hoping that the man you left behind can forgive you.

---

When Adrian shoulders his way into the safehouse, Ads, Chris, and Larry are sitting in one of the booths waiting for him.

He slams the knife down, skewering the table. The note floats down and Chris grabs it.

“I found that pinned to a fucking tree. The bastard knew we were following him and planned it out!”

Adrian thought he was going to pass out when he looked up after hanging up with Chris and didn't see you coming back. His knee jerk reaction was to wait just a moment longer, but when he realized the bike was gone he sprinted towards where it was parked last. He studied the tire groove in the ground where the bike had peeled off from for less than a breath before he started calling your name, searching frantically. What if you were lying somewhere hurt? He was close to the copse of trees you disappeared into, ready to start the search, when he saw the glint of a blade Vigilante had left in the tree. A note was skewered to the trunk.

He gripped the blade, knuckles turning white, as he read it. “She's safe. You'll understand why later. Meet at the coordinates below. Tomorrow at dusk.”

Without you, the drive back to the safe house was cold and quiet. He barely survived accepting that he lost you once. The fact that he wasn't there when you needed him, that he let you slip through his fingers a second time, tore at him like a feral animal trapped in his rib cage.

Ads makes a skeptical sound low in her throat, pulling him back into the present.

“I mean, he's you, you couldn't foresee this happening?”, she says softly, hands spread. “He lost her four years ago. What would you do if you were him?”

“Fuck!” Adrian tugs his curls. “I don't know, have a conversation? Not just … wisk her off on my fucking rad motorcycle.”

“Dude, it sounds like you'd totally do that.” Chris's lip curls and his brow raises. “It says right here when and where to meet them.”

Adrian's hands are knit, resting on the top of his head. He looks up at the dingy ceiling tiles, blinking back tears. “What if he hurts her?”

“Adrian, you would never hurt her!” Adebayo stands and lays a soothing hand on him. “Annoy her? Definitely. But never hurt her.”

A smile pulls at her lips. “The reality is, right now, he’s probably telling her all about how manta rays are born curled up like little burritos or that spiders can break dance.” Adebayo's eyes widen and she shoots a glance at Chris.

Chris stands abruptly. “Yeah man, it's okay. We're going to look up these coordinates he left and go get her. Don't worry.”

“Really?” Adrian studies his friend.

“Yeah, of course.” Chris smiles sadly. “We struck out tonight too. Didn't even get a glimpse of Emilia.” Chris clears his throat. “So, it looks like it's just us guys again.”

“And me, I'm here too.” Ads reminds him.

“Yeah, and Adebayo.” Chris says quickly. “But what I mean is our girls are gone and we're going to save them. This is some epic quest shit!”

“Technically, your girls are probably both with you, just the you's from the future...”

“Ads, can you just let us have our moment?” Chris says, pulling Adrian into a one armed hug.

Adrian glances at Larry who's laying on his back in a booth and tossing peanuts into his mouth. “Where's Rip?”

“I don't know what that little fucker gets up to.” Chris shrugs. “Probably had to go do some ninja shit for Flag.”

Larry sits up at this, gestures and chortles. Chris laughs. “Another banger man, where do you get this shit?”

“What’d he say?” Adrian asks, looking between the alien and Chris.

“He said we should go to the bar and have a few brewskis. It'll help us focus.” Chris grins and pulls Larry to his feet. He shoots a glance over his shoulder at Adrian. “You coming?”

The bar is packed. Luckily Adrian, Chris, Larry, and Adebayo squeeze into an empty table in the corner next to the old juke box machine and the dart board.

“What the hell, why is everyone and their grandmother here?” Chris complains. “Smells like a high-school locker room.”

“Chris, do you see many other places in town open?” Adebayo sits back in her seat shaking her head. “Pretty sure this is one of the last vestiges left of the dank crusty humanity that embodies our fair Evergreen.” She tips her beer bottle towards Larry. “Glad you're here to see it.”

“Cheers, fuckers!” Chris grins and raises his beer.

Adrian inclines his head and clinks his bottle with the others before taking a sip and setting it down.

Chris bumps his shoulder. “Before we get too deep into our cups, let's go over the plan for tomorrow.”

Adrian's head snaps up at this. “I looked up the coordinates, it's the abandoned subway system out near the lumber mill.”

“Oh, shit. I remember! Me and Gut always used to go down there to mess around with chicks and smoke the devil's lettuce.” Chris smiles nostalgically.

“What the hell! Is that why you guys never let me come with you?” Adrian’s nose scrunches.

“No way, dude.” Chris's voice shoots up an octave. “We totally wanted you to come.”

“Then why did you let Gut tie me to the flag pole outside your house when I asked?”

“We were doing you a favor.” Chris's eyes dart around the table before he leans forward and lowers his voice.

“Adrian, you were afraid of the basement at school because the radiator was loud."

“Everyone knew that evil clanking came from the pits of hell! Besides, your little stunt had everyone calling me Pole Boy my entire freshman year!”

Adebayo snorts. “Pole Boy? That's not even original.”

Grimacing Adrian takes a slug of his beer and sinks lower into his chair. “Somehow that made it worse.”

Chris drains his beer and rubs his hands together. “Anyways, you finally get to go now! It says dusk. Not really sure what that means…”

“Dusk is when twilight ends and true night begins.” Adebayo raises her brows.

“Okay so…”

“Just before ten o'clock…”

“I’m not waiting that long.” Adrian leans forward, elbows on the table. “We get there as early as we can and stake it out until they come.” He slices his hand down in a chopping motion, thudding it on the table. “We cut them off before they even know what's happening.”

“Adrian, listen to yourself…”

Chris holds a hand up to quiet her. “Ads I know you're trying to help, but I think it's the perfect plan. Adrian has it right. We get there early and fix this as soon as we can.”

“Thank you!” Adrian grins a wide bright smile.

“I got your back, bro.” Chris winks before his eyes widen. “Hey, I bet you can't beat me in a round of darts!” Then he stands and cracks his knuckles.

Adrian jumps out of his seat. “Oh, you're on!”

---

When the bike begins to slow, you untuck your face from Adrian's shoulder and blink against the misty rain. With the exception of the street lights reflecting off the wet road, and the few neon signs of businesses still open to patrons, Evergreen is dark.

Despite the windows and doors being blacked out and boarded up, you recognize The 11th Street Kids' old headquarters immediately.

Finger combing your tangled hair back from your face, you accept Adrian's hand when he offers to help you off the bike. Knees shaking, you slide off the seat and into his arms.

“You okay?” His strong grip holds you up by your elbows. No, you're really not okay. You're in another dimension, in another time, kidnapped by the love of your life's deranged future self.

You swallow back the truth. “Why are we here?” Of all places, he's brought you back to the beginning.

“It's off Flag's and Luthor's radar. It's safe, I promise.”

“But why did you bring me here?”

“You'll see.” When he pulls his mask off his brows are knit under his tuft of loose curls. “Trust me.”

“I'm trying Adrian, but this is all… it's all so crazy.” Tears spring to your eyes and the question you'd been denying yourself answers to tumbles from your lips. “What happened to us? To you?”

Adrian presses his lips together, eyes tracking the ripples of a nearby puddle as a gentle rain begins to fall around you. You blink up at him, rain drops and tears cling heavy to your lashes.

“I… I lost you. I trusted someone I shouldn't have.” His voice wobbles, eyes squeezing shut as if replaying what happened in his mind.

“Chris.”

“Peacemaker.” He corrects. His eyes finally meet yours. “I’m the one that's supposed to be buried in the ground. Not you.” Even with the darkness cloaking the street, his eyes are bright. “It was never supposed to be you.”

His gloved hand reaches up and cups your cheek. You lean into it, savoring the warmth and familiar touch as his thumb caresses away the rain and tears.

“I still can't believe you're here.” His voice is barely above a whisper as he leans in, lips brushing yours. Pushing away the desire to chase the sadness in his eyes away with a kiss, you turn your face and he presses his lips against your cheek.

“It's me…” He whispers, breath tickling your ear. You bite back the confusion flooding you. Is it him? He has his eyes, his face, his voice… his touch. But this Adrian is wholly separate from the one you left at the car. Either way, denying him the comfort of a kiss sits heavy in your chest.

When someone clears their throat you step back from him in surprise. His hands trail down your forearms and gently drop to his sides.

“I hate to break this moment up, but the Metas are going to be doing their rounds soon.” Judo Master says quietly from the open doorway, arms crossed. He closes the door gently, gaze lingering between the two of you.

Swiping at your tear stained face with your forearm, your eyes flick up to Adrian, who's unabashedly staring at you, chest rising and falling with steady deep breaths, raindrops clinging to his hair and glasses.

“Adrian, you're staring.” You sigh, feeling your cheeks flush.

“I can't help it.” He tries and fails to steady his voice. “For the first time in four years, I can feel my heart beating again.”

You find your hand reaching for his. Fingers laced tight, he opens the door, and you both step into headquarters.

The inside of headquarters is just as it was before you left. The same shelves and desks. Even the motivational poster Adebayo had tacked up on the wall behind the coffee bar survived the test of time and an interdimensional invasion.

Two men sit in computer chairs, backs to the door when you walk in.

“What is it now, Adrian? I thought I told you we needed more time to-”

“Economos?” You can't hide the shock from your voice.

John Economos spins in his chair, eyes widening behind his glasses. He looks the same, even though five years have passed.

“Holy shit, can I see ghosts now or are you actually here?” He stands awkwardly until you close the distance and give him a hug.

“Sorry to break it to you, but you don't have a sixth sense. I’m actually here.”

He pulls you into a bear hug, lifting you off your feet and spinning you. His eyes are sparkling and cheeks pink with mirth when he sets you down.

“Five years, three days, seventeen hours, six minutes, and twelve seconds.” Sydney Happersen mumbles, typing as he speaks. “Thats the exact linear coordinates between Sanctuary and home.”

You glance up at Economos. “He’s still alive?”

John pushes his glasses up. “I was going to kill him, but he grew on me. Like a tumor… not like something pleasant.”

“If something grows on you, it's parasitic in nature, therefore nothing that takes to growing on you would be pleasant.” Happersen says matter-of-factly.

“I could still change my mind!” John snaps, glaring over his shoulder at the chuckling Happersen.

For the first time in days, you feel like you can see a way out of this mess. Economos is alive and has Happersen, the mad scientist who built the worm hole that tore through this dimension and into countless others. Since his tech caused the rift between dimensions, he's the best chance at separating them again.

You're breathless with excitement. “Tell me everything that's happened.” You lean against Harcourt's old desk and glance at Adrian as he settles in next to you, shoulder brushing yours. “Then tell me how we fix it.”

Economos’ eyes flick between you and Adrian, then he checks his watch.

“Shouldn't we wait until everyone's here?”

Adrian's gaze roams your face when you look up at him. Without pulling his eyes from yours, he answers Economos. “She should be here any minute. You know her… never late.”

“Yeah, such a tight ass!” John's smile fades and he swallows. “Please, don’t tell her I said that. It sounds so wrong. What I meant is… she's always very punctual.”

“Who?” Your brows knit, trying to read the mind working behind those eyes. “Adrian, who's coming?” Your stomach twists when you see a shadow there.

Before you can take another breath the front door unlocks and swings open. Pulling the black hood from around her face, she stops and assesses the room.

“I thought we weren't going to tell them until tomorrow.” She's as stern as ever, but when a small smile pulls at her lips you can't help the tears that fill your eyes.

“Emilia?” You watch as she strolls into headquarters, just as she always does, like she has the biggest balls in the room.

“Don't go getting all soft on me now.” You don't miss the quiver in her voice or the electric green of her watering eyes. “We made it this far. Just a little further to go.”

When her gaze trails up to Adrian's face, there's a tenderness in her features that you've never seen before. “Let's go over the plan one more time.”

---

“Shit, dude.” Chris slides his boots across the pavement, stretching his legs out. Adrian sits next to him on the curb, hat pulled low to shade his eyes from his friends sight, paper bag rustling around the bottle clutched in his hand. Larry is on the other side of Chris, stretched out on the sidewalk with his hands pillowing his head.

Chris looks up at the night sky where the giant rift glows brighter than the moon, nearly washing the stars from view entirely.

Adrian finds it hard to believe it's the same sky he lay under weeks ago watching shooting stars with you, wishing you would give him a chance.

“How'd we ever get here?” Chris slurs.

“What do you mean? Get where?” Adrian drains his beer and sets it aside.

“Us. How did we get here?” Chris's brows knit.

“You know why.” Adrian says softly pushing a pebble across the pavement with the toe of his sneaker.

“But it wasn't just that, was it?” Chris glances over. “Doing that... killing her. It was the last straw.”

Adrian clenches his jaw. Chris looks away, sighing.

“I’ve always been a fuck up, but I never would have thought I’d do that. I know she's important to you.” Chris says softly.

“I love her.” Adrian corrects him sharply. “You realize I do have fucking feelings, right?”

“I know - ”

“I've only said otherwise because no one has ever cared. No one listens! No one has room in their busy lives for my stupid fucking feelings.”

“I'm sorry. I've always been too wrapped up in my own shit to be a better friend. I don't know why I did it. But… I'll do anything to make it right.” He belches. “Well, almost anything.”

Adrian doesn't want to know where Chris will draw the line at fixing what he's done. He wants to think the best of his friend, but doing that is why he's in this exact position.

Leaning forward, he rests his elbows on his knees and smooths his ring finger and thumb together. “I know I've never been your best friend. After Gut and then dad... I was completely alone. But you would meet up with me sometimes and we'd hang out fighting crime and destroying home appliances… ” Adrian swallows back the fact that Chris only knew him as Vigilante at that time.

“I was a jerk.” Chris murmurs, eyes cast down. Adrian breathes through the embarrassment settling in his chest.

“You're like a brother to me... the one I always wanted. I know I have a brother, but Gut hated how different I was. He wasn't a brother, or even a friend. He was just another bully.”

“Gut’s a total dick, dude. You can't help that deep down you're just a nerd.” Chris looks at him, then quickly away again, a muscle in his jaw feathering.

“You know, I… I never saw Gut the same after he gave you a bloody nose after the school talent show. Your magic tricks were actually cool as fuck. To this day, I still wonder how you made that rose float between your hands.”

Adrian nods. “Thanks.” He'd spent all summer practicing that trick alone in his room, hoping that Gut would be impressed. All that work reaped the opposite reaction.

“I'm sorry I was such a dick to you growing up.” Chris squeezes his eyes closed before he speaks next.

“I remember what it was like to be the little brother. I looked up to Keith like he hung the moon in the fucking sky.” He glances at Adrian, then back at the bottle he's twisting in his hands.

“I guess, I've always seen that piece of me in you. How you followed Gut around everywhere like he was some kind of hero. Fuck... it hurt so bad to be reminded of having an older brother. And once I found myself in the position of being even a little bit like one?” He shakes his head and tosses his beer bottle, it shatters against a nearby dumpster.

“I'm a fuck up. And I'm sure as hell not qualified to be looked at as having all the answers. When I found Keith on Earth X, for one sweet moment, I thought I had my brother back. It was always just him and me against the world, and our world was the one my fucked up Nazi scumbag of a father built around us. It was hell.” He wets his lips and looks out into the distance.

“We could have run. If we were a little older, I know we would have. But, that’s my fault too. I had to move on without him.” His voice shakes around the words.

“Well, I tried, but I didn't make it too far.” He pops the cap off of another beer.

Larry chortles, the noise low and craggy coming deep from his chest.

“Yeah dude. I'm totally wasted right now.” Chris shakes his head and sets the bottle down. “Guess no matter what fucking dimension I'm in, I deal with my bullshit the same as always.”

Adrian stares at his shoes for a long moment, head spinning, breath hot in his chest, before Chris bumps his shoulder.

“Let's go get some sleep.” He hiccups. “Important mission tomorrow, remember?”

---

There's an actual bed in Economo's old office and you could cry tears of joy when he offers it to you.

“I have a ton of numbers to run before I can even think about turning in for the night.” He glances at Adrian and Harcourt who are having a heated discussion in the hall.

“Are you sure?” You press your lips together against the instinct to tell him just how much you've missed him over the last few days when you thought he was gone.

He offers a soft grin. “I usually pass out at my desk lately anyways. Now that the plan is in motion, I can barely tear myself away from the keyboard.”

You sit back on the bed. “It's big enough for four, we could all squish in.” You laugh.

He shakes his head, chuckling. “Like a pile of puppies? I don't think Harcourt would go for that.” He pauses before turning towards the door.

“I missed you. When I heard about Peacemaker and what he did, I couldn't believe it.” A pink flush creeps in around his eyes. “Glad you're back.”

“I missed you, too.” You nod. When he slips out, his words linger.

What Peacemaker did.

Harcourt steps in the doorway, behind her a dark shadow with a familiar silhouette lingers in the hall.

“The clothes fit?”

“Yeah, thanks.” You almost feel like a brand new person after changing into clean clothes, brushing your teeth, and scrubbing the grime off of your face.

“Sorry we couldn't get you a proper shower.”

“It's okay.” You pause and study her face. It's changed in the last five years, her features have softened but her gaze is as sharper as ever. “Honestly, Emilia? What I'd really like are some answers about what happened to me four years ago.”

She stiffens at this and tilts her head towards the open doorway behind her. When she turns back to face you she studies you with narrowed eyes. “You'll get them from the only person who was actually there.”

Your heart sinks. You don't want to drag the truth out of Adrian. You don't think you'll be able to keep a clear head hearing what happened if it's coming from him. But maybe you owe him that much. You incline your head. “Fine.”

“Be ready in the morning or I'll be dragging your ass out of bed,” she says tersely before spinning on her heel and shouldering past Adrian. He doesn't turn to watch her leave, instead, his sad green eyes just drink you in until long after her footsteps have receded.

“She seems upset.” You say softly.

Sighing he steps closer. “She'll be fine.”

Then he gestures to the bed, a silent question.

You feel as if the breath has been pulled from you and only manage a nod. The tension melts from your shoulders when he sits beside you.

“Do you really have to know? Because, if you do, I can tell you. I can go over every detail, every moment.” He swallows hard. “I re-live it every day.” He adds softly before shuttering his eyes.

You study his profile as he looks down at his hands clenched in his lap. Your palm smooths over his jeans, then rests on top of his hands. He glances up at you, his chin dimpling slightly. “I'm sorry.”

“It's okay.” You whisper. When he pulls you into a hug, and buries his face in your neck you hold him closer. When you feel hot tears begin to dampen your shoulder, your hand drifts up his back and into his hair. As much as you want to know what happened, if tonight is one of the last nights here with him, why make him re-live it again right now, when your both feeling so broken?

When you go back... all of this has the potential to change. This moment won't exist. You don't want to waste it.

“Will you stay with me tonight?” You whisper against his temple, following the ache in your heart.

The bed really isn't big enough for four people. Just two.

You and Adrian study one another in the dim light. His fingers trace your lips, and yours linger on the scar running down his brow to the corner of his mouth.

“How'd you get this one?” your voice is barely a whisper.

“My red visor shattered. The night you…”

“Shhh.” You press your finger against his lips and he kisses it softly. “Tomorrow, he'll want to know. Tonight is ours.”

You trail your fingertips down his neck, across the scar encircling it. Snatches of that night flash across your mind's eye. That was one of the times you truly thought you were going to lose him and it nearly destroyed you. How much pain has he been carrying since your doppleganger died?

His lips part when your gaze flicks back to his eyes. You trail your nails softly down his chest stopping to rest your palm on a ragged scar directly over his heart. Biting back tears you press your lips to it, then rest your cheek on his chest to listen to the steady thumping of his heartbeat.

His arms pull you tightly against him and you melt into his embrace, knowing that tomorrow, the full truth of his suffering will be unveiled. When you finally let the tears fall, they slip down your cheeks and onto his chest. You fall asleep hoping that there really is a way to erase the scars from his heart.

… to be continued …

I've always felt Adrian's canon character has so many gaps and inconsistencies, leaving so much left to explore. In this chapter I wanted to dive into my thoughts on some of those unanswed questions we all have. I'm a true believer that Adrian's character deserves his own complex story, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter 💖 Don't hesitate to shoot me dm or ask if you wanna chat (just be kind) !

You let out a long drawn out sigh as you kicked off your shoes as soon as you got into the door. You nudged the door closed with your hip, locking it as soon as your shoes were off. You placed your purse on the kitchen counter as you passed it and made your way to the only bedroom in your apartment. 

Once inside, you shimmied out of your fancy dress, letting it pool around your feet. Out of the stifling garment, you allowed yourself to breathe. 

You stepped over the dress and over to your dresser. You pulled out one of your boyfriend’s old tee shirts and tugged it on. Usually, you would wear pajama pants due to the cold nights. Your apartment’s heater was on the fritz and it got extremely cold at night. 

However, you knew Adrian was going to be very upset tonight. You figured forgoing pants would make him feel better, even if marginally. 

The two of you were supposed to meet at a very fancy restaurant tonight to celebrate your two year anniversary. Adrian had made the reservations months ago. The two of you had been talking about what you would eat there for longer. It was the fanciest you could get in Evergreen. With Adrian’s new job paying him more than he got at Fennel Fields, the two of you could finally afford the luxury. 

But he hadn’t shown up.

You made your way to the bathroom to start taking off your makeup. You cleaned your face and began your nighttime routine, despite not having eaten dinner. If Adrian hadn’t showed, then you were sure that he also hadn’t eaten. You didn't feel right eating when he hadn’t, even if he did leave you to stand outside your apartment for the past hour. Waiting on him. 

You sighed. You knew his unique occupation came with challenges. You had known that going in that he would have to put his job before you sometimes. 

That knowledge didn’t ease the hurt, though. 

It was lonely when he left for another mission. He insisted that you never come or get involved with his job, but sometimes you wished he would let you in on that part of his life. You knew he killed people, and that he was currently on a very dangerous mission, but other than that you didn’t know much. 

When he came to you with his pinky toe almost severed last year, you didn’t ask questions. You just treated his wound and moved on. 

You finished cleaning yourself up and walked to the living room. You settled onto the couch and turned on the tv, letting it play as you reclined. 

You were on the verge of sleep when your phone began ringing. You opened your eyes and saw the personalized name you had for Adrian. A smile worked its way onto your face, happy he was calling. You answered quickly and placed the phone to your ear. 

“Baby, are you okay?”

The other end of the line was silent for a moment, before a woman’s voice came through. “Wow,” she scoffed.

You heard someone on the other end yell, muted because they weren’t next to the phone. “Is she real?”

“Yeah,” the woman on the other end of the phone answered. “You owe me 50.”

The other voice cursed and there was some shuffling. 

“Um, why do you have Adrian’s phone? Is he okay?” You had no idea what was going on, but you did know it was very weird for a woman to be calling you on Adrian’s phone. 

“I’m going to be honest with you,” the woman began. “No, he isn’t. He’s the worst I have ever seen him.”

“Oh my god,” you gasped and stumbled to your feet. “Where is he?”

“We are treating him at our headquarters-”

“Where?” You demanded. 

“Calm down,” she huffed. “One of ours is on her way to pick you up at your apartment.”

“Is he…” Your voice cut off, thinking the worst. 

“No,” she sighed. “He’ll be alright. But he keeps fighting treatment, insisting to see you. Something about a date? Either way he’s being annoying so hopefully you can calm him down.”

“I’ll be waiting outside.” You rushed to your bedroom and searched for pants. All you could find was a pair of Adrian’s discarded jeans, belt still looped through. You hopped and pulled them on, tightening the belt around your waist. 

All the while the woman described the woman who was going to pick you up - Adebayo - and her car. 

“Okay, thank you,” you said, out of breath from running around the apartment. You toed on your shoes and locked the apartment door behind you. 

“No, thank you. He’s being so difficult.”

The statement sent a flash of annoyance through you. Difficult? He was injured. 

“Tell him I’ll be there soon.” You took the steps from your apartment as fast as you could without tripping and dying. 

“Right, see you soon.” The woman ended the call after that and you pocketed your phone. As soon as you left the building, you saw the car the woman described. You ran over and slid into the passenger seat. 

She shot you a curious look. “You okay?”

“Well, seeing as I just got a call saying my boyfriend is half dead, no not really.”

“Oh,” Adebayo winced. “Sorry about that.”

“Not your fault,” you mumbled, staring out the window. It was dark, and late, so there were only a few other cars on the road. 

As if sensing your unease, Adebayo accelerated the car. 

“Don’t worry, Adrian is tough. He’ll be fine.”

You hummed a yes, but you didn’t believe it. You knew deep down, back at the restaurant, that something was very, very wrong. Adrian would never stand you up like that, not without saying anything. You knew something was wrong but you still went home like everything was okay. 

You were kicking yourself when the car pulled to a stop in front of a run down building. You shot a look at Adebayo. She was already unbuckling, so you did the same and got out of the car. You rushed inside after she unlocked the door. 

“He’s upstairs, in the back room,” Adebayo managed to get out before you rushed past the desks to get to the stairs. You took them as quickly as you could. As you climbed them, you could hear Adrian’s cries of pain. 

You stopped in the doorway of the back room. It reeked of blood, the metallic stench hanging thick in the air. Adrian was laying on an old couch, a man leaning over his bare chest, doing something you couldn’t see. 

Adrian’s head lolled to the side and your eyes met. Then the spell was broken. 

You rushed to the couch and slid onto it, pulling Adrian’s head onto your lap. 

“Hey baby,” you smiled and brushed his hair back from his head. His forehead was sweaty and hot, and it broke your heart. 

“Babe!” He croaked and lifted a bloodsoaked hand to your cheek. He only seemed to notice then that his hand was covered in blood and tried pulling it away. You quickly placed a hand over his to hold it to your cheek. 

Adrian frowned. “Stop, Imma get blood on you…”

“I don’t care,” you shook your head. You glanced up at his chest, which was a mess of gashes that this guy was working to close. Your face went pale at how much blood was leaking out of your boyfriend. 

“Hey,” Adrian mumbled and tilted your head down to meet his eyes. “I’ll be fine, lovely girl.”

“I-” Your voice cracked and you felt tears well in your eyes. 

“Damn, Chase, this your girl?” A new man strolled into the room without a care, like your boyfriend hadn’t lost what must be a ton of blood. 

“Shut up, Chris, don’t look at her,” Adrian pouted and tried to glare at the new guy. 

You looked up and recognized the guy immediately. He was wearing this ridiculous suit and metal helmet, but you recognized him from your childhood in Evergreen. 

“Hey, you’re Chris, right?” You asked him, even though you knew who he was. 

“Sure thing, sweetcheeks,” Chris flashed you a grin. 

You glared at him and lifted one hand from Adrian’s head to flip him off. 

“Hey, fuck you too!” He retorted quickly. 

“Aw, my two favorite people getting along,” Adrian said. You looked down to see him smiling dreamily. His eyes started fluttering, as if he were falling asleep. 

“Hey, Adrian, baby, don’t fall asleep on me,” you pleaded with him, shaking him slightly. You looked up at the man stitching Adrian up. “Can’t we take him to the hospital?”

“He’s been through worse,” he grunted. “Mostly surface shit anyways. He just needs to rest it off.”

You frowned. It certainly didn’t look good at all. Then again, you didn’t know much about these things. “Then why did you call me?”

“He was fighting treatment until we said we would call you. Annoying shit,” he said as he pulled another stitch closed. 

“Oh, I'm sorry Adrian is such an inconvenience for you.” You glared at the scruffy man until he acquiesced and mumbled an apology. 

“Isn't she so sexy when she's mad?” Adrian murmured. He moved his thumb so it could brush over your lips. 

You couldn’t help the heat that rose to your face. It still affected you, Adrian’s brazen compliments. 

“He will be fine,” the man tending to Adrian’s wounds huffed. 

And Adrian was fine, because you stayed next to him the entire night. And now they you had met the 11th street kids, this was just the beginning…