Hi, I've read some of your fics and they're great, and I was sure I was following you, but I guess not, hehe. I'm following you now, though. 💙
I'd like to request a fanfic about Adrian Chase. It's about a girl who's blind and wears red glasses. She starts working at Checkmate. She's a good hacker, and Adrian thinks that because she's blind she's defenseless (I think that's something he would believe), so he protects her from everyone and everything. But one night at a bar, someone tries to mug her, and Adrian is about to intervene and protect her, but she proves to be a good fighter (kind of like Daredevil). Adrian is impressed and now he likes her even more. She might be cold and serious at first, but she's actually fun. She also likes Adrian, but she doesn't show it much. It could be a slow-burn story with a happy ending. I hope you understand my crazy idea. Thanks. 🌻🧜♂️
The Devil of Evergreen
Story Summary -> When the new hacker starts at Checkmate, Adrian makes it his duty to be her dog. Her guide dog, specifically, as the newbie happens to be blind and he uses everything he's learnt from movies and comics to make sure his damsel in distress is safe. Whether she actually is a damsel, well, that's another thing entirely.
Tags -> Blindness, Disabled Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Adrian Chase Being Adrian Chase, Protective Adrian Chase, daredevil!reader, Coworkers to Lovers, Clingy Adrian Chase
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Checkmate desperately needed a new hacker. John, as skilled as he was, could only do so much, and ever since the company had begun to take on multiple jobs at once, he needed to be in so many places at once. There were so many jobs. Crises were popping up all across the country - hell, the world - and someone needed to handle it. Someone like Checkmate.
That, however, was a problem. They were a small team. There was no way that 7 people could do all that, especially since most of their jobs involved a technical aspect and Economos could only be in one place at a time. He was always needed for something, always travelling from place to place, back and forth, until he was hanging by a thread and whining to anyone who would listen.
It was simply too much for Economos to handle.
And since he'd rather exhaust himself than admit his own limitations, Economos decided to reach out to an old buddy of his only after he'd had a very public breakdown where he called Harcourt "a dog fart in the shape of a human", ran away so she couldn't attack him, and collided with the side of his desk. He'd managed to hit his crotch on the corner, and that shocked him so hard that he released the loudest (non-dog) fart they'd ever heard.
Peacemaker still thought about it. He'd get all snuggled in bed and let his mind drift; every time, it returned to that moment. Chris would lie there and giggle to himself until he fell asleep.
But once Harcourt had gotten over that weird insult, she gave Economos the go-ahead to finally - fucking finally - find someone to help him carry the load.
He'd been rather tight-lipped about the whole thing. The team had concluded that this lack of communication about the new recruit stemmed from some insecurity within John, who thought he'd be teased about his need for help. There are a lot of things to make fun of John for; the fact that he's human was not one of them.
Shocking yourself mid-mental breakdown by ripping ass definitely was, though.
They came to realise that Economos may have kept his cards close to his chest for other reasons as soon as they met the new girl. The idiots on their team - Fleury, Peacemaker, and Vigilante (and Judomaster whenever he wanted to be a little shit) - would have been insufferable if they knew beforehand, and it would've been the only thing they spoke of.
Because they're idiots and get hung up on anything they find even remotely unorthodox or out of the norm, they would've gone crazy to find out that Y/N, the new girl, was blind. Adrian would be especially annoying as he would have so many questions, go home and do research, then come back to work with even more.
And John didn't know the answers. Of course he would have no idea. He didn't have the balls to ask her anything regarding her disability just in case he said something insensitive and she'd never want to help him ever again. It was easier to pretend that he wasn't curious about the whole thing.
To anyone who doesn't know much about blind people or hasn't been around many, there's this preconception of incompetence. It is usually not out of any kind of malice, usually the opposite, but they assume the person can't do things because they can't see, and surely you need to be able to see a screen to be a hacker.
1986. The IBM Screen Reader. Jim Thatcher.
He changed that. Without him, Y/N would never have got a job. It sounds simple, really. Create a system that reads what's on the display to you, but it was revolutionary, and at this point in her life, Y/N was a jedi master when it came down to it, especially if a braille terminal was involved. 450–600 words per minute without batting an eye.
She could process information like it was nobody's business, and since she had to have every bit of code memorised, she had the ability to find and exploit weaknesses in any given system with the precision of a scalpel. Y/N was the most qualified person for the job, but John was also subjecting her to... them. The idiots. He had intended to feel guilty about that later. Right now, he just needed help.
What he didn't expect, however, was Adrian. Economos thought Vigilante would be like a bouncy little terrier - loud and proud - when first being introduced to Y/N. He wasn't sure if he'd just gotten lucky or if there was something else at play, but Vigilante's initial reaction to Y/N was subdued. Polite, almost flustered.
It wasn't as if she were intimating in any way. Y/N L/N walked into HQ with red-tinted glasses perched on her nose, her cane tapping the floor in a steady rhythm, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Nothing about her screamed, 'hey, be afraid to talk to me,' and yet, Vigilante seemed at a loss for words. His eyes kept flicking between her face and his shoes, as if looking at her for too long was physically paining him.
Adebayo clocked it immediately. It wasn't uncommon for Adrian to have trouble processing new experiences, especially social ones, but he usually became brash and overly enthusiastic to compensate. This... this was new.
Emilia and John greeted the new arrival and soon whisked her away into the office to discuss the terms of her employment and fill her in on everything John had forgotten. Then, once they were out of the area, Leota nudged Adrian.
"Hey, you good?"
"Do I smell weird?" He replied.
Leota sniffed him. At this point, they had spent enough time together during some very weird missions that there was an unwanted but learned comfort with each other. If he wanted her to sniff him, she was so used to him that Leota knew that the path of least resistance (or whining, in Adrian's case) was the best course of action.
"Nah, you're good."
"Good. Good. I read that the blind have, like, super senses. There's this comic -"
"Oh no," Bordeaux sighed.
Adebayo incredulously asked, "Are you talking about fucking Daredevil?"
Adrian flinched, realising he'd made a faux pas. He'd thought bringing up a fictional blind person would make him seem more knowledgeable about the whole, but that was not the case. "I was just trying to educate myself," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
Fleury smiled, all teasing and strangely fond. "You are such a nerd."
"Eat a dick."
"Why would I do that? That doesn't seem appealing at all."
"I dunno, but there's a man walking around with no penis and it's your fault. Cause you gobbled it all up, and now you're full of dick."
Chris couldn't help himself and joined in on the argument. "Oh, like being full of dick is a bad thing? Some people enjoy it."
"Don't make this into a gay thing."
"Why not? What's wrong with gays?" Leota added, crossing her arms across her chest.
It devolved from there. Then, the office door opened, and everyone just stopped, stopped talking, stopped breathing mid-word. Their collective gazes snapped to the doorway where Y/N stood with a slightly raised eyebrow and a look that seemed to see straight through them. They scrambled to compose themselves and present themselves in a more professional manner.
"Don't stop on my account."
Ah, so she had heard.
Before Adrian could make a sound, Leota held her hand over his mouth and held it there.
One by one, Economos introduced the gang to Y/N, starting with Judomaster, then Fleury, then Adebayo, then Bordeaux, then Peacemaker, and finally Vigilante. Adrian was buzzing with energy and dying to release his awkwardness but being firmly held back by Leota's iron grip.
"What's the wriggling one's name?" Y/N asked, and she pointed her cane directly at Adrian. Leota reluctantly let go of his mouth and he quickly cleared his throat because now was not the time for his voice to fail him. He was so used to yapping his mouth off that being silenced - by his own brain - felt foreign.
Vigilante's brain felt frozen, and his mouth opened and closed several times before any sound actually came out.
"It's, uh, Adrian."
That got major side eyes from the rest of the team. Y/N didn't seem bothered by him, but she did catch a whiff of something that was not entirely unpleasant, just out of place.
"Someone smells a lot like oregano."
Adrian mumbled under his breath, "Fuckin' Fennel Fields."
Like the universe hated him, the only available desk was right next to Adrian - yeah, it was the universe's fault and not Adrian's supernatural ability to distract whoever was sitting near him just by looking at them. The moment she perched her cute lil' butt down and started to set up her workstation, Adrian was drawn to her. Like a moth to a flame, his eyes were fixed on her every movement. It wasn't in a leering way (well, not entirely); he genuinely seemed fascinated by her.
"You're staring, weirdo," Y/N pointed out dryly, not looking up from her screen reader.
"Sorry, sorry." Adrian stammered and quickly looked away, but his eyes kept darting back to her. He cleared his throat again and attempted to strike up a conversation. "So, uh, do you need any help?"
"Why? Cause I'm blind?"
"No! I mean, yes, you are. And you know that."
"I do."
"Yeah, of course. Yeah, of course you do. I mean, not that you would need... Or couldn't... Fuck."
"Is the fact that I'm disabled a problem for you?"
"NO! No!" Adrian panicked, nearly toppling out of his chair. "I just wanted to help!"
A wicked grin overtook her face. "I'm fucking with you, Adrian. Relax."
She reached across the desk and tapped his arm reassuringly, but there was no denying the fact that she was openly laughing at him at his discomfort. The other team members were also struggling to contain their amusement, especially Rip, whose favourite pastime was fucking with Adrian. Which she soon found out was so easy to do, as he was earnestly clueless and easy to trick, and she had managed to pick the perfect victim to ragebait within an hour of meeting him.
Having a free source of entertainment at work was a blessing.
If she was honest, it was kind of cute. How he wore all his feelings on his sleeve, even though he refused to admit it. How he was so willing to be the punching bag because it meant that people were interacting with him and giving him attention. She'd never seen someone so furiously happy to be picked on, and something about that made her soften towards him.
And he was helpful; he'd decided that early on. It was his duty to protect her from any thug, uneven floor, or table corner because obviously she would need help. He was going to be her guide, her arm to hold, her eyes to see through, and all that patronising shit that he was too dense to understand was demeaning and unnecessary.
Despite Adrian's well-meaning but condescending intentions, he had another reason for offering himself as her protector: he hoped that by showing his good side, he could win over the prettiest girl he had ever seen and endear her to him.
Whatever.
It was a stupid idea anyway.
Yeah.
Unless?
His personality was an acquired taste, he knew that. In his adult life he'd been told that it had ruined the romantic vibe or lady boner or male boner or they/them boner or... well, you get the picture, but his face and body were perceived as attractive. He'd worked hard for these muscles and, yeah, maybe he still looked like a dweeb, but some people are into that, and that was what did most of the heavy lifting in his romantic life.
Admittedly, it was a very limited romantic life. Especially since he didn't consider himself to be romantic at all. Fuck no, he's too badass for that.
But Y/N wouldn't care about that. What he looked like wouldn't matter to her, so he was already starting the race with his shoelaces welded together and would have to try twice as hard to get her to like him. He had no idea if she had a guide dog at home, but soon there would be no need for it. Adrian was going to take its place and send that pooch straight back to the pound because Y/N wouldn't need it once he came into her life. He could do everything that dog could do and more. Why not get more bang for your buck?
All he wanted in payment was some head scratches and to occasionally be called a good boy - both in a reassuring and sexy way; is that too much to ask for?
Tell that imaginary labrador to fuck off!
So, his main method was helpfulness, and this was both a help and a hindrance. Adrian offered to get Y/N a coffee, to walk her to the bathroom, to hold the door open for her, to help carry her things. He tried so hard to be helpful that he was practically tripping over himself. He would run across the office to do little favours for her, like getting her a pen or finding a paperclip. Adrian was always ready to assist, even if it wasn't necessary or even if Y/N didn't want it.
"I can walk to the bathroom without help, Adrian. You don't need to escort me everywhere."
"But what if someone tries to take advantage of you while you're alone?"
"...Right. So, which one of our coworkers do you think is going to steal my cane while I take a piss?" She asked with a dry laugh, already knowing the answer to that. Adrian was clearly trying to be her knight in shining armour, but he was more like a clown in tinfoil.
Adrian's face reddened as he realised the absurdity of his comment. He opened his mouth to defend himself, then closed it again, struggling to find the right words. "I just thought..." he mumbled before he tried to play it off. "I was going this way anyway."
"Sure you were," Y/N sighed yet couldn't help but smile. He was so obvious in his affection that it was pitiful. "Go sit down."
His shoulders slumped as he trudged back to his desk, feeling deflated and defeated, and he knew that he would only be able to impress her if something dangerous happened. He could step in and save the day then; that was literally everything he'd ever trained for and she wouldn't see a threat coming.
The cherry on top was that they had a mission coming up. In Gotham. Vigilante. Adebayo. Y/N. Together, in Gotham. Y'know, the most fucked-up place ever, where you get shanked for sneezing twice in a row? There were a countless number of threats in Gotham - they do have the highest crime rates in the world but, hey, they're workin' on it. It was perfect! All they'd have to do was step out of the van and she'd immediately be a target.
She had a triple whammy.
If her cane was out, she had an obvious disability.
A pretty face.
And, as far as they knew, a lack of a guide dog that could help defend her. They had no idea that her dog was actually a serial killer with a hero complex and a love of The Muppets.
Yeah, Adrian figured his chance would finally come and that his heroic intervention would be just the thing to win her heart. He barely slept the night before they shipped off and instead crafted an elaborate fantasy where he would swoop in, shield her from a hail of bullets that he willingly took into his own body, and carry her to safety with the knowledge that he'd be completely fine after a quick 8hr nap.
In his mind, she would be so impressed that she'd fall into his arms, kiss him passionately, and declare her undying love for him.
As the van pulled up to Gotham City, Adrian was practically vibrating with energy. He positioned himself next to Y/N, ready to act at a moment's notice.
"Hey, uh, just wanted to let you know that I've got your back out there, okay?" He tried to sound casual but failed spectacularly.
"Right back at you, Vij."
He was so focused on protecting Y/N that he nearly tripped over a loose piece of concrete as soon as they stepped out. She caught a hold of his arm so he didn't fall on his ass.
Adebayo snorted.
"C'mon, at least one of us should be watching where we're going," she joked, the irony of her 'eyes and ears' failing at the first step not lost on her.
Then, just as he had expected, a passerby came running at them with visible malice. Adrian was far too busy thinking about his big moment to step in as the ruffian reached for Y/N's bag.
BANG!
Her cane connected with the thug's knee with devastating force.
"It's good to be home," she quipped as the would-be mugger fell to the ground, howling in pain. Adrian watched in stunned silence because she just handled it without fuss, without flinching, and without his help at all.
Surely, it was just a coincidence. If it happened again, he would be ready to swoop in and save the day.
"You're from Gotham?" He asked in shock, completely thrown off his game.
"Born and bred."
She casually shouldered her bag and started walking to their hotel, leaving him scurrying after her.
The mission was a dime a dozen. Vigilante storms his way into a crime den as Adebayo sniped any stragglers on their way out, he found their base of communications and inserted a device so Y/N could access it remotely and retrieve all the data necessary for their client, and boom, done. They executed it as such, and because it had been planned to perfection, they felt the need to celebrate.
"I need a drink," Adebayo said as she dissembled her gun.
"I second that motion," Y/N chimed in over comms as she gathered her things and planned to leave the cafe she'd been hijacking the Wi-Fi in. "Vigilante, you in?"
This was huge. Not only had she respected his wishes to call him by his alter ego whenever they were in earshot of the public, but his crush was asking him to do something outside of work. It was basically a date. Sure, Adebayo was there too, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. He couldn't refuse this opportunity.
"Fuckin' yeah! I'm in!" He replied with way too much enthusiasm.
The hotel bar was the best option. It wasn't the nicest. It didn't have welcoming company. There weren't any rave reviews on YELP. It was close by and it ensured that they weren't suddenly on mob turf. Every single bar or speakeasy or pub or even a bistro, nay, even a cafe was owned by a mob lord.
Black Mask and the Sionis Crime Family.
The Bertinelli Crime Family.
The Falcone Crime Family.
The Maroni Crime Family.
One of the few Triads.
Penguin's Gang.
Two Face.
Take your pick; you're on their turf.
It was dingy, lit by dim bulbs and smelt of spilt beer and desperation, and filled to the brim with Gotham's unsavoury denizens. They sat in a booth in the corner that had a clear view of both the back door and the bar itself for a safe exit and a direct route for more booze.
Leota did most of the talking and, like usual, Adrian did a really bad job at subtly being more interested in what Y/N's reaction was rather than the conversation itself. Y/N mostly just listened and drank her beer, occasionally nodding along or adding a comment here and there, but for the most part, let Leota do all the heavy lifting
From across the room, a "heels and handbag, goin' out back" from a gruff and gravelly voice drew Y/N's attention. It hadn't been a loud statement, just a comment between two people, but if you had particularly good hearing as Y/N did, then it was perfectly audible.
Two pairs of boots made their way to the back door.
"I think I'm gonna step outside for a breather." Y/N stood, her posture shifting from relaxed to tense in a microsecond as she pulled out her cane and assembled it. "I won't be long."
"Okay, girl, I'll get us another round," Leota said as she got up to head to the bar, leaving Adrian alone in the booth.
He wouldn't be alone for long, he reasoned. Sure, he was restraining himself; with every breath he was getting closer to following Y/N to the back. No. No. He could do this. He could give her the independence she wanted and needed, even if it made him feel useless.
It was just a back alley in Gotham, probably full of garbage and a few stray cats. It was probably fine. Gotham City, the most dangerous place in all America, where you could go from hero to victim in the span of a second. No. He was being silly. Y/N had shown more than once that she could handle herself.
A few minutes passed, and Adrian still felt restless. His brain was a whirlwind.
And then BANG!
Something heavy hit the back door and Adrian shot out of his seat and sprinted towards the exit, knocking over a few patrons in his rush to get outside. The alley was dark and reeked of garbage, and he saw two figures unconscious on the floor right by the exit with bruises as big as golf balls on their faces.
Further down the alley stood two women. One was shaking in her heels, her flimsy dress torn, and the other was wiping blood from her hands with a handkerchief
"Do you have money for a cab?" Y/N asked, completely unruffled and without a scratch on her.
"Yeah, uh... yeah," The woman replied with tears in her eyes as she fumbled with her purse, clearly shaken. "Thank you so much. I can't even... how did you - Thank you. Really. Thank you."
"Go home. Get some rest. This wasn't your fault, okay?"
"Y-yeah. Yeah, okay."
She stumbled away as fast as her high heels would allow and Y/N turned to Adrian, who had been standing there frozen, mouth agape. He seemed stunned for a moment before he slammed down onto his knees before her.
"You're so hot. You're so, so hot. Like the hottest." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I think you're my dream girl. You're so fucking cool, and I'm sorry for being, like, weird and all hovering, but holy shit, you're like catnip. Like my catnip, but in a sexy and earnest kind of way."
Y/N snorted.
"You're so weird."
His gaze dropped to the floor as a blush burnt on his face. Fuck, he'd ruined it now. Completely and utterly. He'd acted a fool in front of her and now he was going to die alone because nobody would ever come close.
Nobody would be as cool.
Nobody would be as hot.
Nobody would be as badass as her.
Then he felt fingers on top of his hair like she was petting him, almost affectionately. He tilted his head up to meet her gaze, still kneeling, and she smiled. Not a smirk or a smile that says, 'I'm about to tease you for this,' but a genuine, warm smile.
"Hey, c'mon, stand up. You'll get your jeans all dirty down there." Y/N gently tugged on his hand to help him up, which he took without hesitation.
There was no world where he'd decline holding her hand.
"I thought you were being attacked or something," Adrian said sheepishly.
"And what if I was?" Y/N asked. "Would you have swooped in and saved me?"
He scoffed. "Oh please, you don't need saving. I know that now."
She let go of his hand to gently cup his face, her thumb tracing his cheekbone and down to his chin. "I appreciate the thought, though."
"Are you doing that blind-touching-face thing? Cause -"
"I was going to kiss you but you just ruined the moment," Y/N commented with barely hidden mischief, and Adrian's face contorted comically as it went straight over his head.
"What?" He stammered. "But, but, but-"
His gaze dropped to her mouth, then back up to her eyes, then back down again. "You should totally, absolutely, 100% kiss me now. Right here. In this gross, smelly alley. Please... pretty please with, like, so many cherries on top and a tonne of cream."
"Buy me dinner and I'll think about it."
Within the hour, the pair had called it a night with Leota, ordered an obscene amount of food, and were settled in Y/N's hotel room. Adrian was counting down the minutes until the meal was over and she would make good on her offer.
After what felt like an eternity, Y/N wiped away her mouth with a napkin and beckoned him closer with just one finger. He practically leapt out of his chair and crossed the distance between them in a single bound, his mouth on hers before she could blink.
He poured every ounce of his pent-up longing into the kiss and would continue to do so for the rest of the night. Nay, the rest of his life.
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