#wade oc

Missy gave an irritated huff.

"I forgot to pay the bill, ok?" she snapped, before she could stop herself.

Why was she even having to explain herself to him anyway?

Emily looked behind her, obviously wondering who Missy was talking to, her green eyes staring suddenly up at Wade.

"Hiya Em," he said his voice sweet. "It's kinda dark in here, huh?"

The tiny girl gave a nod and waved at him suddenly with her chubby hand.

Wade beamed.

Missy gave a sigh, spinning around on the spot, checking the space around her for the bills. But beneath the piles of cardboard boxes and Emily's toys it was impossible to see anything.

"I've got a flashlight, if you want to borrow one?" offered Wade.

She could from his tone that he was smirking.

Missy gritted her teeth.

"No thanks!" she said in a high-pitched voice. "I'm fine, I-"

But before she could utter another word, Missy had tripped over a pile of boxes and come crashing down onto the hardwood floor with a bump.

Emily let out a squeak of fright.

In a flash, Wade had strode across the room, closing the gap between them, clutching a hand beneath her arm.

"Up you get, Ms Clumsy," he said in a mocking tone, which Missy did not appreciate one little bit.

She snatched her arm away from him.

"I can get up myself, thank you very much," she snarled, clambering to her feet with great difficulty on her sky-high-heels.

She heard Wade at her side let out a chuckle, as he walked back over to where Emily was still stood, just a couple of feet inside the room.

He crouched down in front of the little girl, smiling.

"Now your mommy is an independent lady," said Wade with a nod. "…and you know what? That's my favourite kind of lady…"

Emily just gaped at him for a long moment, before looking down at the floor shyly and turning around on the spot.

"She's shy…" offered Missy, suddenly gazing over at them. "She doesn't really interact with others all that well."

Wade looked around at Missy.

"She interacts with you…" he said blinking.

Missy glanced down at the floor momentarily before looking up at Wade once again.

"That's because I know how to talk to her…a lot of people, they find out that she's hard of hearing, and they just yell at her, thinking that will solve all the problems…but it just makes things worse…she hates loud noises.." Missy gave an inward sigh. "She's fine if you just talk slowly to her and make eye contact…like you should with any normal child…"

Wade paused for a second, his brown eyes roving over Missy's face.

"Noted…" he uttered simply.

Suddenly at his side, Emily let out a shiver.

It was bitterly cold in the apartment and right now Missy regretted not keeping on top of things better.

What on earth was she going to do if Emily got sick…she couldn't afford to take time off…not now…imagine what the popele ta work would say about that?

Not to mention Emily's health…the little girl struggled as it was…

Missy worried at her lip, fretting.

"Listen," said Wade suddenly, snapping Missy out of her trance. "You wanna come over to my place?"

His voice was genuine and soft.

He turned to Emily.

"I've got hot chocolate with little marshmallows.." he said in a tempting voice, causing the little girl to look up at him wide-eyed.

But Missy gave a frown.

This probably wasn't a good idea….she barely even knew this guy…

"Hot chwocolat?" repeated Emily in what was barely a whisper.

Wade smiled down at her with gentle brown eyes.

"And it sure is a bit warmer than this place is…" he said glancing back over at Missy. "In fact I think a house made of ice vodka luges would be warmer than this…"

Missy gave a gulp.

"I-I don't know…" she murmured biting at her lip, worriedly, and shifting her weight from foot to foot.

But Wade gave an easy shrug, getting to his feet as Emily watched him.

"Look it's just an offer…" he said with a chuckle. "But I do have wifi if you need to get in touch with the electricity company that way…and besides my hot cholate is pretty infamous…"

He turned to Emily.

"…The secret is lots of marshmallows!" he said in a loud whisper behind his hand, causing Emily to blink her eyes up at him curiously.

Perhaps going over to Wade's for a minute or two would be a better option, Missy thought to herself. Instead of rooting around in the dark for a missing paper bill she might have thrown out anyway.

She stared up at her neighbour warily.

There he was, in his usual sheepskin jacket and black tee, looking every inch a guy she would normally cross the street to avoid.

But it was Emily, who let out another silent shiver, who made up Missy's mind for her.

"Ok…" Missy uttered in a quiet tone. "Just until I manage to get this bill paid and get the power back on…"

Wade instantly clapped his hands together, happily, causing Emily to wince slightly, backing away from him in fright.

The blonde man looked suddenly shamefaced at the little girl's reaction.

But Missy merely walked across the room, taking Emily's hand in her own and stroking her cheek.

"Shhh, it's ok baby, it was just Wade…" she said in a soft voice.

Wade shook his head.

"Sorry," he said, looking between them.

And for the first time, Missy saw something in him…. something far removed from his usual cocky swagger. Something genuine, remorseful….honest…

"It's fine…" she said giving him a ghost of a smile, which Wade reciprocated, looking slightly relieved.

The woman sighed, as she too juggled with a large cardboard box, trying to fit a key into the door.

The apartment opposite Wade's had been empty for three months now. He knew that a couple of people had come to look around, but it was a pretty bad neighbourhood. Not the sort of place you'd usually come across a young family. Around here it was mainly drug dealers and pot smokers. Wade wasn't either of those things, but even he wasn't exactly a saint. But to see a woman like that around here, and with a kid too, was definitely a strange sight.

The woman before him gave a huff, shimmying the key inside the lock. She hadn't even noticed his presence, being too preoccupied.

"Come on, stupid door!" she said loudly, giving the dark wood a kick with her patent shoe.

Wade grinned.

"You know I think there might be a trick to it," he said suddenly, causing the woman to suddenly jump in fright and swing around.

It was then that he finally saw her…

She was tall and elegant…with dark green eyes and long hair like the sweetest caramel…and Wade knew he already liked the little frown line that lingered between her brows and already had a soft spot for the way she pursed her pale pink lips….

He grinned instantly, as his gaze swept over every inch of her.

She lowered one hand and pulled the little girl back behind her protectively, gazing over at him, a scowl forming over her delicate features.

But she didn't say anything, merely staring him down, eyes narrowed, like a lioness protecting her cub.

Wade pointed at the door behind her.

"I know the guy who used to live here before you, we called him Cactus Jack," said Wade wandering over to her slowly. "You might think he got his name from collecting cacti, you know the ones you sometimes get at Christmas with the little Santa hats glued onto them. No. Really everyone just called him that because he was a bit of a pric- "

Wade suddenly glanced down at the tiny girl at the woman's feet, stopping abruptly.

"Well what I mean to say is that Jack used to just-"

His hand hovered over the keys the woman held tightly in her hand.

"May I?"

The woman stared at him, that scowl still there, for what felt like the longest moment.

He could feel the fear and anger that emanated from her right now…and suddenly he backed off, taking a couple of steps away from her.

Wade knew he was tall, and despite his smile, knew that he could be intimidating. In some circumstances this could work to his advantage, but right now this wasn't how was trying to come across.

"I'm Wade…I live next door," he said trying to rectify this, his tone gentle, as he gripped his pizza box, holding out his free hand towards her.

She scrutinised him for a minute or two before looking down at the little girl peeking up at him from between her legs.

The tiny girl gaped up at him with green eyes, and a tuft of soft brown hair that was tied up with a small red bow. She couldn't have been more than two years old.

He gave a chuckle as the tiny toddler nibbled down onto her fingers, peering up at him shyly.

"I'm Missy," came the woman's sudden voice, causing Wade to stare up suddenly.

The woman's face had softened slightly, but there was still no smile there.

"..and this…" she continued, stroking the top of the little girl's head. "…is Emily."

At the contact Emily peered up at Missy, with wide eyes.

And Wade couldn't help but smile.

It wasn't often he came across anyone this tiny, or this innocent. Not in his line of work anyway. And even Missy, she wasn't the type of woman you saw in this neighbourhood, all long legs and high heels…

"Hey there Em," he said in light tone.

But the little girl didn't turn to him, or even acknowledge him at all in fact.

"She's deaf," said Missy suddenly, her tone sharp and defensive. "If she's not looking at you, she can't hear you."

And with that, before Wade could utter another word, Missy had turned her back on him, balancing the cardboard box on her hip and fiddling with the key once again.

He had obviously offended her, despite not even realising it.

Wade frowned momentarily before suddenly and without a word, leaning over her and giving the door a shove.

It swung open easily. That was his form of an apology.

Missy stood there frozen for a second or two, before turning around to face him. Behind her Emily had headed inside quietly.

Missy looked Wade up and down, her green eyes roving across his sheepskin coat and his white t-shirt with a photo of Martha Stewart on it, and even across to the pizza he held under his arm.

"Well, don't let us keep you," she said in a curt tone, her eyes flashing in a protective manner. "I'm sure your pizza's getting cold."

And with that, Missy headed inside the, now open apartment, before unceremoniously kicking the door closed behind her. Leaving Wade on the other side, alone.

The merc gaped, standing there…

…as a moment passed…

…then another…

Before his face finally broke into a warm smile.

As he turned, fishing out his keys from his pocket, he chuckled to himself as he pushed open his own door.