bippot

[bippot]

Summary: Thanks to his attempt at total domination over the population of Evergreen spectacularly failing, Jeffrey was forced to be confined in his room. The only interaction he gets is annoying David whenever he brings his meals in.

That is until another face appears. A familiar face. A face of someone he presumed had perished in the apocalypse.

Additional Tags: Pinching, Handcuffs, Eventual Smut, Love at First Sight, Post-Apocalypse, Isolation, Post-Canon

Full Masterlist - here

(I have no idea whether people are interested in Jeffrey or not but this has been in my drafts since I listened to Hidden Signal: Evergreen and I thought why not finish it?)

Fin Gorale didn't like to be wrong. He built his career on the belief that he was five steps ahead of everyone else and only paid attention to the data that proved his case. He knew the world was going to end. He'd tracked the asteroid that wiped out most of the earth for an entire decade and didn't tell anyone because he wanted that information in his back pocket, and only his back pocket.

But he was wrong. Because Fin forgot that he might've been one of the richest men in the entire world but there were other rich men that were just as neurotic and focused on an apocalyptic future as he was. The above ground panic rooms of the elite had been wiped out in an instant. Underground bunkers, on the other hand, had a much higher success rate.

Y/N was alive thanks to pure luck. She'd been at a party at her manager's house in Hawaii and was ushered into his doomsday prepped bunker as soon as the sky turned dark. One minute they were sipping on cocktails, the next everyone was huddled as bangs and crashes sounded over their heads. Civilisation was coming to a very violent and scorchingly hot end, and all Y/N could do was listen.

They found out how truly warm the earth was when one unlucky and very stupid socialite that shall go unnamed climbed up out of the exit hatch in search of a phone signal. Her skin melted off her bone structure with every step she took, revealing the flesh beneath it in all its gruesome glory. Her scream rang through the thick metal as the nearest person slammed the door shut. There was no way to save her. She was a goner the second she went out there. They needed to preserve themselves and doing idiotic shit like that wouldn't help.

While Fin had collected some of the most intelligent and capable people from across the globe, the bunker squad was mostly filled with people from the entertainment business. They were mostly actors rather than survivalists and scientists, so they may have pretended to have a useful job once upon a time yet didn't have the actual knowledge and experience to actually be useful.

As time went on, their numbers did decrease. People sustained injuries that they didn't have the proper equipment to care for. Some gave up. There had been 3 purposeful fatalities, and 8 accidental. It came to the point when there were only 4 people left standing - Y/N, married country singers named Betsy and Jon-Bon, and a mechanic called Cal who'd come to fix the hot tub all those weeks ago.

Whenever someone died, they were thrown out of the hatch and, thanks to that, they deduced that the temperature of the outside world had decreased after a few months since there was no more melt-y-ness. The bodies stayed intact until they decomposed normally. But by then the survivors were too tired or hungry or traumatised to give them actual funerals and so, they simply left them there in rotting piles.

On the bright side, all the flies in existence had been burnt to a crisp so that disgusting visual was nowhere to be seen, and would probably never be seen again.

Food was running out and the water filtration system was on its last legs. They'd made their way through the shelves of canned produce. Although it was easier now there were less people to share with, the amount available was dwindling quickly and no amount of rationing would save them. Something needed to be done fast before their supplies ran dry. If Y/N's predictions were correct, they had less than two weeks.

Though it took some convincing, the squad decided to venture upstairs. Where else did they have to go? What else did they have to do? It wasn't as if they had any other options. It was either die in the bunker, die on the surface like the rest of the world had, or somehow survive on the surface and attempt to keep the human race going for as long as they could.

Cal was first out of the bunker. He looked around frantically for something - anything - that could be perceived. That's how low his expectations were. He just wanted something (other than the skeletons of his friends) to look at, and there wasn't much. Sand. The occasional tumbleweed that floated past. Nothing to indicate that this place once had a bustling life.

He held his hand out to Y/N and helped her out. She was clammy and sweaty and clearly concerned about the state of the planet they were trying to preserve, but he knew that if they kept their cool, they had a higher chance of making it through. Jon and Betsy followed out after him while Y/N brought up the rear.

Two shotguns had been locked away in a glass case for the entire time they'd been trapped down there and of course they were going to break into it to have some protection. Cal had one. Y/N had the other. What if there were mutated bugs? Or maybe this had been an alien invasion? Had others survived? And did they form Mad Max-eque tribes that were out to kill each other? What if there were zombies out there? They needed some anchor of safety in order to feel sane, and as redneck as it sounds, a weapon was the only thing that could do that.

Luckily, Cortex was back online and functional at that time. Jeffrey had programmed it to scan for signs of life and notify them when any popped up on the surface, and despite the fact he'd been handcuffed to his bed thanks to his mutiny attempt, Hannah had kept that procedure going. In an instant, the switchboard lit up like a Christmas tree. 4 life forms were detected in the Hawaii area and a retrieval team was sent out within the hour.

It was weird. After so long of seeing the same faces, Y/N thought she'd be relieved to come across people she knew or heard of. Their saviours were some of the richest and most influential people of the modern world.

Jeffrey Steinberg and Fin Gorale were both responsible for so many of the biggest developments in technology, artificial intelligence to be precise, in the last twenty years and they'd been down every business avenue possible.

Axel Garcia was competing with Bear Grylls for the Survivalist top spot, though Bear was far more focused on his TV persona than Axel was. Plus, Axel's breathing technique was frequently used as a grounding method by anyone with anxiety so everyone who'd ever been to a therapist knew of his work. It was rather odd seeing him hobbling around and holding his chest every few steps so something must've given him a good shock.

Niko Ishikawa had been plastered all over the news thanks to her experiments. Everyone knew what she did. And Y/N would later come to know that those experiments are what got her killed.

David Yeung had been featured on one of his patient's Tik Tok's - unknowingly - and the Internet had banded together to crown him the hottest doctor alive.

Ida and Dagney managed to stay out of the public eye for the most part, yet you can tell just by looking at them that they were the masters in their field. There was a confidence about each of their movements that screamed 'I survived for a reason.' Y/N and her squad of survivors didn't have a reason. They were just lucky, or unlucky depending on your opinion.

"Oh my lord, look at this place!" Jon-Bon said, gaping at the view that they were presented with.

Evergreen was beautiful, even with all of its flaws that the new arrivals had no idea about. It was sleek and clean, full of light and air and fresh plants. Their bunker had been expensive, that was obvious, but Evergreen exorbitantly more lavish. It was a 10 million vs 1 trillion difference.

No wonder more of them survived. They had everything they could ever want right here. And everything they didn't want, too. Weird clones. Billionaires in comas. A robot's vengeance. An arrogant prick playing dictator. Betas. Their surroundings may have been cushier but their experience had been far more eventful.

After being checked and prodded and examined for any irregularities, the other survivors were allowed to cohabitate. There was still a sense of distrust between the 2 groups - hell, most of the Evergreen squad still didn't trust each other - but it was getting better. Slowly, but surely, things were settling down.

Thanks to his actions, Jeffrey wasn't allowed out of his room. He had no idea that there were new arrivals until one of them entered his room. David usually came in to give him his meals and engage in surface level chatter. Other than that, he didn't have anything to do and spent his time reading books or drawing random doodles onto scraps of paper. This particular day had been slow - most were these days - and his head whipped to the door as soon as it opened.

"I've officially lost the plot," he mumbled to himself. "Am I in V-man?"

"Nope," Y/N replied, leaning against his door frame. Her eyes scanned through his room. It was similar to hers, albeit with more stuff in it, and there was a desk pushed in near the window where he'd scattered a bunch of loose papers. There was an open journal on the nightstand that was covered with scribbles.

He eyed her carefully, completely confused but not willing to show that.

"You're not real," he concluded with a shrug.

Obviously, she knew it was a lot to comprehend if he hadn't been told there were more survivors. As far as everyone else was concerned, messing with Jeffrey was something that would bring immense satisfaction so Y/N had been encouraged to do so. He made their lives hell for so long, why not return the favour?

"I'm not real?"

"You can't be."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself. Though, that's on brand for you."

The corner of Jeffrey's lips twitched upward slightly. "Well, of course, I know you're a hallucination because my mind is so bored that it's creating you to give me a little bit of excitement." He laughed bitterly. "Of course it would be you."

"I didn't know I made you excited, Steinberg."

"That's a lie, L/N. You were very aware of that fact."

Listening in, Hannah and Dagney made eye contact. Y/N hadn't disclosed that she knew Jeffrey Steinberg, or rather, that Jeffrey Steinberg knew her. Because everyone and their mother knew of the tech billionaire. Y/N was a famous actress but she was B list, known for indie movies, and as far as Hannah could remember, she used to stay as far away from social media and paparazzi as she possibly could.

"I'm aware you liked throwing money in my direction," Y/N countered.

In an instant, Jeffrey's mind went back years ago. Before he was confined to his room. Before he tried to be a dictator. Before the apocalypse. Back when he was at the top of the food chain. He'd been convinced by one of his pals that he should go to this charity gala, not because the prospect of giving a helping hand to those in need filled him with joy but because a number of hot actresses and models were auctioning off their time.

Pay $10,000 for a dinner date with that girl from that fantasy show. $20,000 to go to an art class with a playboy bunny. $50,000 and a renowned singer will feature you in his next video. Hell, $100,000 and the first lady will spit in your face and you'll like it, you filthy capitalist pig.

At the time, none of these offers seemed enticing enough to Jeffrey. He'd been on enough dates with models and even had a total of 3 songs written about him that he didn't consider raising his paddle. All these beautiful people were dressed to the 9's and looking good enough to eat, so why wasn't he hungry?

Was it because his fellow rich people were only willing to help the less fortunate if there was an incentive for them to take advantage of? That old guy in the corner who'd made his fortune in polluting the earth could pay for someone to pretend to find him interesting and attractive for an entire afternoon, and if some kid was given an insecticide-treated bed net because of that, so be it. Helping was an afterthought to most of these assholes.

Betting was an entirely self-serving action - they'd get the prize, be able to boast about how charitable they'd been, and could pay less income tax thanks to that donation - and, in this moment, Jeffrey hated himself and everything he'd gained.

He'd come into the industry to help. He'd come up with tech to reduce carbon emissions. He'd funded the development of bioplastics. Invested in a countless amount of startups to create clean energy. To more effectively manage landfill waste. To implement smart irrigation systems. He'd tried so hard to help, and people still liked Fin Gorale better.

Fin was at that gala. He bid a quarter of a million so that the unnamed socialite that would end up having her skin melted away in Y/N's bunker would cook him a steak dinner. Whether she did make it herself or if she ordered it in through postmates, it's still unknown.

Consumed by disdain for his fellow rich man, Jeffrey found himself walking out of the main hall to get a moment's peace. He arrived at a quiet balcony and let out a sigh as he leant on the balustrade, completely unaware that he wasn't the only one who decided to step outside. He was just about to take a sip of his champagne when a voice asked, "Tough night, Mr Steinberg?" and his drink slipped through his fingers as he jolted.

The glass plummeted towards the garden below and Jeffrey watched as it shattered when it hit the ground. "Shit," he cursed under his breath. He turned around, ready to give whoever had startled him a good telling off, but stopped as soon as he saw the source of the voice. "Miss L/N, hello."

Lounging back with her heels up on the chair opposite her and a cigarette between her lips, Y/N L/N looked nothing short of divine. She wore a tight red dress that clung to every curve that would ever grace her body and the low scoop neckline exposed enough of her cleavage to make a eunuch tight in the trousers. She smiled and blew smoke towards the balcony, watching as it billowed upwards to meet the warm, summer evening air.

"Let's pretend that was someone else." He pointed to the shattered remains of his drink. "If anyone asks, blame it on Musk. Everyone hates that bastard."

She huffed out a laugh, mumbled, "Yeah, he's a cunt," and held her cigarette out to him, which he accepted. Though, if he was honest, he had no idea why he did. He didn't smoke. He thought it was gross. The body is a temple so why would you pollute it with tar? Not to mention, it tasted awful. But, hey, if a pretty girl offers you a ciggy, you're going to take it. And besides, it was a small price to pay for some company.

Thankfully, he managed not to cough up a lung and handed it back to her like it was no big deal.

"This not your scene?" she questioned after taking another drag. Jeffrey shrugged and crossed his arms, leaning on the wall beside the balcony and staring at the stars twinkling above them.

It was a nice night. The stars were bright and the city lights cast a soft glow over his surroundings. It was almost peaceful, apart from the occasional cheer from the party inside, and it gave him a sense of calmness that he sorely lacked at that point. He was exhausted, stressed and fed up. There was barely any time to breathe during work, and work was a 24/7 thing these days.

Tonight technically was a networking event. It may have been disguised as a charity fundraiser but it was a chance to meet with potential investors and keep up his social profile. This was work. And he hated it.

"I don't really care for charity."

"Oh?" she replied, her curiosity overpowering any disgust she should've been feeling.

"It doesn't solve the problem. It just makes the problem more cushy, y'know?" He glanced at the side and noted a faint smile tugging at her lips as she raised her brow for him to carry on his explanation. "You can throw thousands of dollars to buy food for kids in Africa but that will soon be depleted and we'll be having another one of these in 2 years time. Throw money at creating modified crops that can withstand drought and flooding, that will last forever."

He watched as she snuffed out her cigarette and let out a hum. He didn't know whether she agreed with him or not but he continued nonetheless. "Invest in the future, not the now, that's what I always say."

"You always say?" she repeated, a hint of teasing lacing her tone. He rolled his eyes but couldn't deny the smile that appeared upon his lips at the sound of her playful voice.

"I do always say," he laughed. Jeffrey placed his palms on the underside of her ankles as he lifted her feet up and sat in the chair opposite her, and let the tip of her stiletto rest against his thigh.

Was he aware that she was only a few inches away from spearing her very pointy shoe into his prized jewels if she wanted to? Yeah. Did that turn him on? Also yeah. He enjoyed being a human footstool for her.

"Are you prostituting yourself for charity?" he joked while gently rubbing circles on her ankle with his thumb, and when she gave him a look, he felt the need to rephrase that. "Are you offering up your company in exchange for payment tonight?"

"Why? You planning to bet on me?"

"I might throw a few thousand down."

"Only a few?"

"Well," he started as he ran his hand along her bare calf and lightly grazed his fingertips against the smooth expanse of the back of her knee, "Maybe more than that. It all depends if I'm in a giving mood or not."

"And what, pray tell, do you plan to get out of this sudden act of generosity if I might ask?" Y/N replied with mock innocence, placing her chin in her palm and staring straight ahead at him as if she expected him to spill his guts right then and there.

As much as he loved to brag about being a womaniser and a ladies' man, he had never been all that focused on actually picking girls up. He could simply point to his fancy car or how he'd been on the Forbes 30 under 30 list when he was merely 20 years old or bring them to his mansion, and those would do the leg work for him. In lack of better terms, Jeffrey's flirting game was a little rusty.

So, yeah, he gulped rather thickly. His mouth went dry and he cleared his throat as a way to regain control of himself.

"Your company."

"You want to pay for something I'm willingly giving you for free right now?"

Huh. That was something to think about.

"Think of those hungry kids in Africa, Y/N. Let me waste my money for them."

"Oh, I'm a waste now, huh?"

"Wow, typical woman just twisting my words."

Just as he was about to lean forward to add more drama to whatever sarcastic thing he was going to say next, her foot came up to his chest and she pushed him backward in the chair. "So you hate charity and have misogynist tendencies? You're a catch, Mr Steinberg," Y/N said, letting out a chuckle at how obviously he took a big staggered breath.

This woman was going either going to fuck him or kill him and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. And he honestly didn't mind. After all, she was beautiful and witty and knew exactly what buttons to push to drive a man absolutely insane.

If the world ended tomorrow, she'd still have him hooked, he thought at the time and would've been surprised by how right he actually was.

They stared at each other for a moment. Jeffrey's neatly pressed incredibly expensive suit was in direct opposition to how messy he felt. His hair was slightly dishevelled due to running his hands through it too many times before coming outside and he'd undone the first few buttons of his shirt, revealing an appropriate amount of chest hair.

"Well, you seem to like me," he stated finally. "That has to count for something, right?"

"What makes you think that I like you?"

Before Jeffrey could answer, Y/N's agent rushed onto the balcony, immediately warned, "Darling," and stomped over to slap Y/N's foot off Jeffrey's chest. "I told you to play nice, remember?"

"I'm playing nice."

"She's playing very nice," Jeffrey agreed and accepted the way the agent began to swipe away any dust on his chest, ignoring how he heard the older woman scoff under her breath.

"If you'll excuse us, Mr Steinberg, it's Y/N's turn on stage." The agent nodded her head towards the door to gesture for Y/N to follow her, though it seemed Y/N was reluctant to get up and go. "We've already delayed your turn twice already, come on."

Y/N sighed dejectedly and reluctantly got to her feet and followed her agent, shooting Jeffrey a quick grin over her shoulder and mouthed, "I think I hate charity too." He responded by winking at her and followed at a leisurely pace.

Yeah, he did bid on her. And, yeah, he did win 'Y/N L/N will walk your dog for you' despite the fact he didn't own a dog. Thanks to the apocalypse, they never had the chance to take his imaginary dog on a very overpriced walk.

"I hear you've been a bad boy, Mr Steinberg," current day Y/N teased as she sat on the corner of his bed.

"I'm ambitious and it's the apocalypse, hey, why wouldn't I try to become supreme leader?" Jeffrey remarked. He leaned back against the headboard and crossed his legs at the ankles to really try to sell that he was so casual about this whole thing.

Sure, he did think he was hallucinating her. And no, he wasn't going to let Hannah and the others that were watching know that maybe it was affecting him more than he ever wanted it to.

"Why wouldn't you?" she repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she eyed his dark circles underneath his eyes. Her face was painted with concern but the smile was present throughout. "Is your failed totalitarian regime why you're not getting any sleep?"

The man let out a short laugh, shaking his head as he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. Yes, he was tired, okay? Tired of constantly thinking that he was going to wake up one day and the other survivors were going to push him out into the barren unknown. It was exhausting. Hell, it was terrifying even.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. And now, well, I'm going to spend most of my night trying to preserve whatever sanity I have left."

"There can't be much left, can there?"

"If you're here, I guess not."

It was about time to reveal the truth to him, Y/N thought. He'd been messed with enough. She held her hand out, palm outstretched towards him, and gestured for him to touch her to make sure she was real. He was reluctant at first but eventually complied when he saw the pleading look in her eyes.

His eyes widened in disbelief when his fingers gently touched her skin. "What? How is this possible?" he whispered to himself. Jeffrey clutched her hand tightly in his grasp and brought it closer until it was right in front of his face, studying it closely, almost afraid that his eyesight might fail him at some point and he would somehow be fooled by his own imagination.

An impossibly wide smile came upon his face and, without even realising what he was doing, he raised his other hand and traced the outline of Y/N's face. With careful and slow movements, he brushed along her right cheekbone down the curve of her jaw.

"Holy shit! Wait, are you a -"

"I'm not one of Niko's clones."

"This is crazy."

"You think I'm real now?" she asked, chuckling softly.

Instead of verbally answering, he did something he wanted to do since he met her. There was a reason why he bet on her. A reason why he invested in whatever movie he knew she was attached to after they met. A reason why he sent her an enormous bouquet of flowers every time he had to push back their 'dog' walking 'date' because he was tied up at work.

With far too much gusto, Jeffrey caught Y/N totally off guard with a big smooch to her lips. As soon as she realised what he'd done, she reciprocated it with just as much vigour. Her palms came to rest on his cheeks, cupping his face while he wrapped his arms around her shoulders to pull her body against him.

After what felt like eternity, he broke away for breath and rested his forehead on hers, still holding her in place. "How are you here? How are you alive?" he asked, sounding genuinely stunned and yet also quite relieved at the same time.

"Rich man's bunker."

"Oh, me too." Jeffrey smirked as he leant back in for another kiss, only to murmur "See, I knew you liked me" against her mouth.

"Don't say that too loud, I don't want to be ostracised by my new friends."

"I think the cat is out of the bag, darling," he said, once again tempting her into yet another kiss. It seemed that once he'd started, he couldn't stop.

Yet, Hannah clearly had other plans. A klaxon sounded inside of the room and they both broke apart suddenly at the noise. Cortex opened the door and waited expectantly in the frame.

"Y/N, Hannah would like to see you. If you'd follow me?" it informed in its monotone voice.

"Definitely out of the bag," Jeffrey joked as she stood up from the bed and turned to give him one last peck on the lips. Then, just before the door slid closed behind her, Y/N peered over her shoulder and winked at him with a knowing 'I'm about to get yelled at' smile on her face.

And get yelled at, she was. For the next 20 minutes, Hannah decided to tell Y/N exactly what she thought of what went down. Their relationship should've been disclosed. Jeffrey was a bad man and she should have higher standards than that. It was going to be very hard to trust her now that they knew she was in cahoots with the guy who tried to be a dictator.

That was all true. But in Y/N's defence, she had only met him once before. It had been a very important and impactful meeting for the both of them, but it still had only been 1 conversation months ago. Was that really worth bringing up?

The punishment was that Y/N had to wait an entire 2 weeks until they allowed her to see Jeffrey again and, after hearing her reasoning, Hannah reluctantly accepted to reduce it to 10 days. Once they were up, Y/N was taking over David's dinner role once again and was let into Jeffrey's room.

She was told that they were under strict surveillance and therefore should keep things PG for everyone's sake.

"Long time, Mr Steinberg."

He perked up as soon as he heard her voice and replied, "You can call me Jeffrey, you know? I think we're way past that point" as he crossed the room to stand before her.

"Maybe I will."

"Good."

"Good."

His hands found themselves on either side of Y/N's hips as he scanned her appearance with curious eyes, noticing every little detail he missed the last few days. "You don't really suit this shade of blue," he commented with a playful grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "I prefer you in red."

"I plan on wearing more blue then."

"You're insufferable."

"I aim to please."

Jeffrey snorted and placed a chaste kiss on Y/N's lips. "I'm bored. Entertain me," he whined, grabbing her hand to drag her to his bed so she would sit down beside him. His hand moved slowly over her back, caressing her spine and drawing circles on it with his thumb. "Say something horrible."

To her credit, it took her a minute or so to come up with something. She wasn't a complete asshole. Her mind had to be racked a few times for something horrible to stand out.

"Your dog is probably dead."

"My what?"

"The dog you paid so much money for me to walk?"

Another snort left Jeffrey's mouth, he couldn't help himself and burst out laughing. "I didn't own a dog, I just wanted to fuck you," he admitted shamelessly, earning a half hearted slap across his chest from her. "Hey! You're a moron if you thought I actually had a dog. I spent most of my time in the office so it would've been fucked up if I had a pet and left it alone 18 hours a day, just barking and shitting on my very expensive carpet from dust till dawn. No thank you."

He paused for a second, clearly considering whether to divulge something or not, and before he added, "I always wanted a dog when I was a kid."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm, I wanted a Jack Russell."

"They're yappy, you're yappy, it makes sense."

An incredulous look came across his face. "I am not yappy!" She gave him a pointed look. "I am not!" he repeated in a yappy sort of way.

They continued to make fun of each other for as long as they were allowed to before the solitary part of Jeffrey's solitary confinement kicked back into gear, and this arrangement happened every other day for the next couple of weeks. Jeffrey, as much as he hated to admit it out loud, eagerly awaited her visit and would start to brainstorm ideas about what they would talk about as soon as she exited in preparation for her return.

Then, she didn't turn up for one. Then another. And another. He was beginning to get worried. Not only did he miss her terribly, but he also began to grow very anxious. What if something really bad happened to her? What if she never returned? The possibility of losing the only person close to him, the only person he gave a shit about, was very scary indeed. It was the apocalypse, and maybe Y/N had been its newest victim.

David didn't quell his concerns either. The doctor was very tight-lipped about everything that was going on in Evergreen.

It got to the point Jeffrey didn't even look up when his door opened anymore.

"Why so glum?"

"Jesus fucking christ, never do that to me again!"

With two large steps, he bounded towards her, grabbed her and brought her flush against his broad chest. His arms encircled her waist tightly, keeping her in place and preventing her from getting away from him any time soon. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and let out a long suffering sigh.

Needless to say, Y/N was surprised. Her hands hovered in the air for a short moment before they finally settled at the small of his back to hug him in return. She nuzzled her nose against his hair before pressing her lips to his temple briefly and muttering, "Good to see you too, Jeffrey" against his skin.

For several long seconds, neither one of them moved; they just held onto each other for dear life and savoured the feeling of being near one another again. When he eventually pulled away, he looked directly into her eyes and demanded, "I deserve an explanation."

"Straight onto business, huh?" she teased as she gently stroked the back of his neck with her thumb.

"Spill."

"There was a minor issue with Cortex and they didn't want you to know because you'd try to leverage your skills for freedom or something -"

He nodded. "I would do that."

"They knew I'd tell you and you'd be super annoying about it." She laughed as he made a mock offended face, then shook her head. "Hannah tried to fix it. She couldn't. If anything, she made it worse."

Spitefully, he let out a laugh at Hannah's expense. "They now need you to convince me to save the day?" he asked so, so smugly. His eyes shone with mischief as they flicked down to her lips and lingered there for a while before moving back up to meet her gaze. "What's my prize if I get Cortex up and running again?"

"That's for you and your ex-subjects to argue about."

"What if you're impacted by the prize I have in mind? Would you argue with me?"

"I think you'd really enjoy arguing with me, Mr Steinberg," Y/N stated in a husky tone, smiling cheekily at him when she saw his eyes widen and a pleased smirk spread across his face. "But I think you should be smart. Use your boon selfishly. Don't waste it on something I will willingly give you."

The smirk vanished immediately, leaving behind only a frown upon his lips instead as he studied her reaction, trying to understand why exactly that sentence confounded him so much. So, she explained.

"Instead of asking me on a date that I would've said yes to, you - in your own words - 'wasted' 100 thousand dollars for me to walk your imaginary dog."

"I didn't know you'd say yes."

"You did. There was a very obvious vibe."

She smiled sweetly at him as he stared at her for a whole five seconds without saying anything, completely lost as to how to react. Her foot came out to nudge him in the knee and he seemed to snap out of whatever reverie he was having.

"I...uh..." He cleared his throat and quickly looked everywhere else but in her direction and uttered, "It does sound fucking ridiculous when you say it like that."

"You are an idiot," she whispered, her taunt making him chuckle.

If anyone else had doubted his intelligence, he would've been far more offended than amused but since it came from Y/N, it didn't really register in his brain as an insult. Instead, he was just glad that she was here, that she was alive, and that she had decided to interact with him. He didn't need a 'prize', if he was honest. Just her presence made the apocalypse a little easier to handle.

"Yeah, Hannah is the one who fucked up Cortex but I'm the idiot? Sure, let us go with that."

Y/N cackled before leaning forward to capture his lips with hers once more, kissing him passionately while placing her hands on either side of his face and tangling her fingers through his soft curls. A hand slipped under her shirt, tracing a line directly up her spine with his palm until the fabric covering her back was collected at his wrist. He pulled away and breathed heavily, a content smile forming on his lips.

"Be a good boy and fix Cortex," Y/N urged.

"Tell me how much you need my help and I'll do it."

"Jeffrey Steinberg, we really need your help."

"Nu-uh," he tutted. "Not what I asked. I don't care about 'we'."

Scoffing, Y/N shook her head and tried to hide her amused smirk. He was arrogant and demanding and stubborn and difficult and had an ego as big as the Empire State Building and yet somehow, despite all these, she couldn't deny the fact that she liked him for those exact reasons. Because, damn it all, he was the only person who'd ever matched her energy.

His wit and humour, although sometimes sarcastic and crude, were incredibly intelligent and could cut through bullshit like butter. He had an incredible eye for detail, a need to share information whenever he possibly could, and he had an unparalleled passion and curiosity for knowledge. Even though he could be frustratingly overbearing at times, he had a knack for seeing things that others couldn't, or rather wouldn't.

So, she gave him what he wanted.

"I really need your help."

"One more time? Tell me again."

Like she always did when he was around, she rolled her eyes affectionately then repeated herself and was rewarded with his adorable, lopsided grin.

"I'll go let everyone know -"

"No, no, no, they can wait," he interjected hastily. "Don't leave so soon." He placed a kiss on her jawline. "Please stay."

"I didn't know please was in your vocabulary, darling."

With that, Y/N lay back against his pillow and got comfy, watching him as he took the opportunity to climb beside her until they were nose to nose. Jeffrey reached for a lock of her hair and twirled it between his fingers lazily as he spoke what was on his mind. He talked and talked and talked until the others decided that they'd had enough.

For the first time in months, Jeffrey Steinberg was allowed out of his room. The others were less than ecstatic when he walked around the compound waving like he was the goddamned Queen of England with his one hand. His other hand though, well wrist to be specific, was handcuffed to David as a security measure.

David wasn't happy with this at all. They knew if he had been attached to Y/N, she would've let Jeffrey run amuck for her own entertainment so David was there purely so no shenanigans could take place. And as much as Jeffrey could whine and complain, those handcuffs weren't coming off any time soon and David was determined to make sure Jeffrey understood that.

Cortex took around 6 hours to fully fix and, as expected, despite the fact he'd helped them out, the majority of Evergreen's population was counting down the minutes till he was back in his cell.

"What did he do again?" Betsy inquired, holding her palm to her stomach.

As of 2 months ago, the population of Evergreen was destined to rise by two in the coming months. Having a child was always a dangerous game but having one after the collapse of civilization? That kid was coming into a strange new world, yet, Evergreen was cushy and had the best doctor in the entire world - not that there was much competition these days - to watch their every move so maybe it wasn't as bad as it sounds on paper. Dagney and Betsy were a top priority whenever David did his rounds.

"I hear he reprogrammed that fancy robot thingamajig to try and kill everybody." Jon-Bon got a hold of his wife's hand and brought it to his lips. "That's why he's coming nowhere near you or our little one, my sweet."

"Jesus, Y/N, you really know how to pick em'," Cal vexed, shaking his head as he folded his arms across his chest disapprovingly. He clearly didn't get the response he wanted when Y/N merely shrugged since he stomped away in a huff.

Betsy sighed and rested her head against Jon-Bon's shoulder. "Go say sorry, Y/N," she instructed as if Y/N had done anything. Did Cal need an apology? For what? Y/N hadn't uttered a single word and the only gesture she'd given was a simple nonchalant shrug because why would his opinion matter?

What say did he have in her love life? Why did he care? And why should she care that he cared?

"Yeah, I'm not doing that."

"No, no, go apologise."

"You're bossy today," Y/N chuckled, kicking her feet up on the coffee table and taking a sip from her tea. "I wish I had a cigarette right about now."

Jon-Bon decided to unnecessarily weigh in too. "Cal's a good lad. He's sweet on you, ya know?"

"...So?"

"He'd be good for you, much better than that evil robot boy of yours that we hear about from the others. It would be nice to see the godparents of our scamp together, don't you think?"

Y/N cackled heartily, making a mental note to call Jeffrey an 'evil robot boy' later on just so she could see the look on his face at the new nickname that had been bestowed upon him. She didn't bother responding to that question, though. If she was honest, she didn't want to be a godparent. She didn't necessarily like these people, but she had put up with them to survive.

Almost as if they'd summoned a devil, a bouncy Jeffrey appeared around a corner with an exhausted looking David attached to him like a child barely keeping their grip on an energetic puppy on a leash. The second he saw Y/N in his peripheral vision, he was bounding towards her.

"Here comes my evil robot boy," Y/N sang merrily with her head tilted to the side and a teasing sparkle in her eyes as Jeffrey skidded to a halt right in front of her. "And look who's finally free from prison."

Jeffrey raised his handcuffed hand. "Handcuffs today. Ankle monitor tomorrow," he announced proudly and, after checking his watch, added, "It's almost dinner and I'm going to be super grumpy if my favourite delivery girl isn't going to show. You following?"

"Can I at least finish my tea?"

He snatched her cup out of her hand and downed what was left in one good swig.

"Asshole."

"Yep, that's me. Come on."

Once the mug had been carefully placed on the coffee table, Jeffrey wiggled his fingers towards Y/N in the universal sign of invitation and she stood up, smiling widely and linking arms with him without hesitation.

They were back in his room in no time. David was allowed to separate from the evil robot boy and let out a sigh of relief that he was finally free of the man's grip. Jeffrey parted from his 'other half' with a flirtatious wave and a "See you tomorrow, Davey!"

"Please don't call me that."

"Whatever, Davey! I'll be awake bright and early for my fitting."

"It won't be me. Axel volunteered for that."

Axel had been recovering when Jeffrey was first confined to his room. Everyone else had made a party out of it. They had found Finn's stash of champagne and toasted to Jeffrey's defeat, but Axel and Finn were stuck in comas in the med bay so they couldn't participate. Now, Finn was still slipping between consciousness and coma every other day, but Axel was up and walking and more than prepared for the next stage of Jeffrey's punishment.

An ankle monitor that tracked his every move and shocked him every time he was somewhere he shouldn't (or whenever whoever held the remote wanted to, really) was the compromise that Jeffrey had come to. He'd get the majority of his freedom back for the low low price of an ugly device around his ankle. That was a pretty good deal. Honestly, he had no idea why the other survivors agreed to this proposal.

Now they were alone and he was free to be as whiny as he wanted to, Jeffrey rubbed at his wrist. The skin was red and obviously sore thanks to the cuffs, and he was quick to point it out to Y/N as she placed their meals down on the nearest surface.

"Look!"

"Aw, you poor baby." Despite her mocking tone, she gently massaged his wrist in order to alleviate some of the discomfort. "Who would've thought that you'd face the repercussions of your actions?"

"I certainly didn't."

He liked being fussed over and pampered but he didn't enjoy being treated like a normal kind hearted person, which is why he liked Y/N so much. Her actions and her words were very different. She was always prepared to put him in his place and remind him that, yeah, he was a little bitch, yet she obviously cared for him in a way nobody else ever had before, and he appreciated that greatly.

Maybe he loved Y/N? Who knows? He never used to have time for feelings, and now that he did, was he going overboard? It was definitely something he was wondering about, even more so now that he was going to be allowed out of his room and interact with the other inhabitants of Evergreen more casually. But, as far as he was concerned, nobody in Evergreen was as fun or interesting to hang around as Y/N and he doubted anyone else would come close to her either.

"Stop staring into space and let's eat. Our food is getting cold," Y/N urged, her voice snapping him back to attention. She grabbed her plate from the table and moved towards the desk that they'd pushed to the middle of the room to use as a dinner table.

The chair on the one side was a lazy boy armchair that was far too heavy for what it was that Y/N always sat in. Opposite that was a gamer chair that had once looked pristine but Jeffrey had scratched away at the armrests until the leather was all ripped up, and it had an accompanying footstool that he often kicked around when he was annoyed.

Dagney had managed to grow an impressive array of produce this season so the survivors had been eating well. Jeffrey pushed his food around the plate with his fork in thought and watched Y/N while she ate.

"Spit it out, what's wrong?" Y/N asked without lifting her gaze from her plate.

"Nothing," Jeffrey replied with a grin and turned back to his food, finally getting some potato on his fork to eat.

"Uh huh, sure," Y/N retorted, unconvinced.

A beat. Then another. A third. That's all it took. "Is your bed a single or a double?" He blurted out suddenly, causing her to stop chewing.

"It's a queen. Exactly the same as yours."

"Ah," Jeffrey concluded like some big revelation had been revealed to him while taking another bite of his dinner. "Well then, you'll be as accustomed to my bed as yours."

"Who says I want to sleep in your bed?"

"Oh baby, you've been trying to get in my bed for weeks now."

She narrowed her eyes playfully at him and rested her head on her palm, elbow propped up on the dining table. "Are you suggesting that you want me to stay the night?"

"I wouldn't be opposed to it."

That was a vast understatement; he would be absolutely overjoyed if she stayed the night after pining for so long. Not that he was going to tell her anything about that. That would certainly lead to his feelings being spilled and he wasn't ready for that just yet. His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Y/N gave him a knowing smile.

"Are you under surveillance tonight?"

"Nope. Thanks to my 'selfish boon', my Truman Show treatment is no more. I'm free for the night, and every night from now on."

"Aw, I wanted an audience," she joked, earning a chuckle from Jeffrey before he took another bite.

His hand reached across the table, his palm facing up, and he wiggled his fingers expectantly, beckoning for Y/N to hold it and give it a squeeze. But Y/N didn't take it. She glanced down at it and pointed out, "I need my hand to hold cutlery. To eat."

"Just use your fork. Y'know, like I'm doing."

"Satiating my hunger or letting you kidnap my hand with yours? I think you're overestimating your importance."

With a playful glare, he opened his mouth in shock and widened his eyes. As soon as he began to pout, Y/N's resolve crumbled and, instantly, she intertwined their fingers together. Jeffrey grinned at his victory. He always liked winning, even the small battles like this one. He felt oh so smug as he brought her knuckle to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

"The couple you were with earlier, the baby, is it a boy or a girl?" he inquired.

"Betsy says it's a boy."

"How many months along?"

"Three."

He nodded slowly in approval.

"It's a good idea."

"What?"

"Raising the population."

"...Right."

"How's Dagney coming along? The baby must be popping out soon."

Y/N's brow furrowed as she stared curiously at Jeffrey. He could see the wheels turning in her head as her mind tried to comprehend why he was bringing this up.

"Dagney is due in 5 weeks," she answered.

"Great."

"Jeffrey..."

"Hmm...?"

"Slow your plans down, okay? We'll get there eventually."

Ah, she'd figured it out. He was preoccupied with the pregnancy going on and there was a reason for that. Obviously, the apocalypse accelerated a lot of emotions and processes with the goal of survival in mind.

"We should make a little army," Jeffrey suggested with a grin.

"Sure, if you figure out a way so that you can push them out instead of me, be my guest."

His smile widened impossibly further at her response and she huffed in amusement, shaking her head with a small smirk on her face.

"What's your limit? 7 babies? 15?" Jeffrey asked eagerly.

"4, if you're lucky," Y/N said with a laugh.

"Only 4? That's not an army."

"Suck it up."

They continued talking, discussing random topics, until their meal was all done and they were both ready to go nurse their food babies and lie on his bed in peace.

Instead of lying the same way, Jeffrey decided that he wanted to use her stomach as a pillow rather than his actual pillow, so Y/N took the opportunity to rest her head against his thigh when he curled his leg underneath her. Jeffrey lifted her knee up so he could hook his arm across her butt and hold her securely in place.

"You are so needy," Y/N remarked.

"You love me," he teased right back.

"I tolerate you, I suppose."

"I know that you love me."

"You're delusional," Y/N insisted, her smile never leaving her lips as she twirled one of his curls around her finger, playing with it idly.

"Not really. Just stating fact."

Silence followed as the two of them gazed lovingly at each other, not saying a word but merely allowing themselves to feel content in each others' presence and bask in the warmth and comfort of one another's company. They knew they were in love. They weren't idiots. They understood the gravity of their relationship but there wasn't a need to get all soppy about it, at least not yet.

"I like your little mole, have I told you that before, Jeff?" Y/N complimented, her forefinger tracing over his cheekbone and circling the mole with such care that it was almost as though he was fragile.

"You, uh, you haven't."

"Maybe I shouldn't have divulged that. It will inflate your ego. It's already big enough as it is."

Jeffrey couldn't help himself from cracking a sly smile, flirting, "It's not the only big thing about me," and manoeuvred himself into a sitting position against the headboard. He patted his thighs and motioned for her to sit on his lap. She didn't. Y/N tilted her head to the side and just studied him carefully for a few seconds.

"Undo your belt," she ordered in a low and sultry voice. He obeyed silently and eagerly, watching as she slipped onto her stomach and positioned herself between his thighs. She was aware that he was power-hungry - hell, everyone was very aware of that - but did it extend to other areas of life as well?

Judging by the shiver he got when she praised, "Good boy," she got her answer.

"I realised that I didn't get a say when your punishment was changed," she stated nonchalantly while her finger found the button and zipper of his trousers and slowly started undoing them. "Maybe I should come up with my own then."

Y/N nudged his shirt up with her nose and began to press her lips on the area right below his navel before sucking on the skin there and licking at the mark she'd left behind. His hands gripped at her shoulders tightly as his head dropped backwards onto his headboard because how the fuck did she guess that the skin of his stomach was sensitive? How did she know?

He whipped his shirt off to allow her to access wherever she wanted and let out a moan when she licked up his abs. "Fuck," he breathed, biting his bottom lip, and tugging at the strands of hair at the nape of her neck. He was attacked with more smooches as they drifted up his chest, over his collarbone and along his neck towards his jawline, leaving goosebumps in her wake. "How are you doing this to me?"

Tantalisingly, Y/N pulled back just enough to catch his eye. "I have you wrapped around my pinkie, that's how." She placed a kiss right on the edge of his lip, lingering for just a split second longer before she returned her attention to his neck, trailing her palm between them until her fingertips came into contact with his hardening cock through his underwear. Her nails scratched lightly against the fabric and he whimpered.

Actually whimpered.

"What was that sound, baby?"

"I didn't - What sound? That wasn't me," Jeffrey lied quickly. He hadn't meant to whine, but he had to admit it felt quite nice to have someone do all the thinking for him. He was a control freak most of the time, but when it was just him and Y/N, he liked letting her take the reins. He could just enjoy himself and forget all his responsibilities.

"Well, it wasn't me. Must've been an invisible third party that's perving on us. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my hand is on your cock?"

"Nah, maybe Hannah pressed the mic on the CCTV system." Jeffrey snorted at his own joke but his laughter was soon replaced by another whine as Y/N wrapped her hand around his cock and squeezed lightly, causing Jeffrey to bite down on his lower lip and arch up in pleasure. "It was me, it was me! Fuck!"

If only the rest of the world could see him now, see him turned into a subby mess with one touch to his cock. Admittedly, Y/N had riled him up and it had been a lifetime since he last got some action that wasn't his own hand so it wasn't that unbelievable that he was being pathetic.

"I bet if the others knew a hand job would make you compliant, you wouldn't have been such a bad boy, huh?" she cooed teasingly, continuing to move her hand around the length of his cock and rubbing it slowly. Jeffrey let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes at the sensation, trying not to cry out too loudly, lest she'd stop.

His brows scrunched together as he stared up at her, his eyes wide and pleading. Y/N chuckled softly and leaned in closer, pressing her lips against his ear to whisper, "Don't worry, baby. I'm here to put you in your place."

"Shit, I can't think straight with you doing this to me," he panted, his hands reaching to grab onto any part of Y/N he could get a hold off. The sensations were overwhelming, and he was completely lost in the moment.

"Relax, baby," she murmured, biting the lobe of his ear. "I'm just getting started."

As soon as he seemed to be close - his legs shaking, a bead of sweat dripping down his brow, and his hips bucking - she stopped before he felt any sort of release. She left him panting and frustrated.

'WHY? Uh...why? Noooo," he whined, his body tensing up as Y/N pulled away from him. He whined out her name, begging for an explanation as she stood up from the bed. But she didn't give him any sort of answer.

All Y/N did was begin to undress herself, button by agonising buttons, until she was left in a lace bra and panties. She walked towards Jeffrey, her hips swaying seductively, and knelt between his legs.

"What was that for?"

"Punishment." Y/N's voice was low and husky as she leaned in to kiss him deeply. "And it's not over yet."

Jeffrey's eyes widened.

"How many edges do you think you'll be able to withstand without crying?" Her palms rubbed up and down his thighs. "3? I don't think you'll be able to manage 2 without bawling like a baby."

She mimicked him as he went to protest. "I'll let you cum if you're a good boy for me," she purred, leaning down to press a kiss to the tip of his cock. "Will you be a good boy for me, Mr Steinberg?"

At this point, he was far too gone to pretend to be the cold, logistical leader he was pretending to be. "I'll try," he gasped out, his voice barely above a whisper, and when Y/N's face indicated that she was dissatisfied with that answer, he corrected himself, "I will. I'll be good. So good. So, so good."

So, she got to it. He was edged again and again and again and again and again, the pleasure and pain mixing to make a perfect storm in his body. He was lost in the moment, completely under Y/N's control. He was sobbing, he knew that and didn't care in the slightest. The sensations were too intense to process, and he was so far gone that he didn't even care if anyone could hear him be her little bitch.

Surely, he would in the morning. Just not right now.

"Darling, I have a question for you," Y/N asked once she'd removed her mouth from his cock with a satisfying pop.

"Yes, yes, whatever you want. What, Holy fuck, yes," he said, trying to get his breath and mind back.

"How would you prefer to cum?" Y/N leaned in closer, her breath hot against his ear as she whispered the question. "I mean, if you were to choose between hand, mouth or pussy, which would it be?."

"Pussy. Pussy, please," Jeffrey replied, his voice a hoarse whisper.

He was wrecked, completely and utterly wrecked. His hair was a mess. He had a furious shade of pink spread out on his cheeks, ears, and chest. His lips were bitten and his eyes were teary as he watched Y/N's every move with anticipation.

"Yeah? Good choice," she purred, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "I think you've earned it."

A whole apocalypse had happened. He'd wanted to fuck her since he met her. Then, abandoned all hope when he presumed she was dead. Then, they met once again but couldn't do anything that wasn't PG 13 because all of his movements were being monitored by a slew of people that he'd tried to force into subjugation. He'd waited a really fucking long time.

After realising that he'd just been given what he wanted on a silver, no, platinum platter, Jeffrey was hurrying to take the opportunity to completely undress and prep Y/N so the inevitable moment where found his way inside of her was as soon as he could possibly manage. There was no point waiting.

The thought of waiting even 5 seconds longer was unbearable, so it wasn't long before he was buried deep within Y/N, both bodies coming together in a blissful union of flesh.

"Stay there for a bit. Jesus, Y/N, give me a second. I’m so close already, fuck."

Her hand was clamped on his chin as she forced him to look directly in her eyes. "Oh baby, you're so fucking eager," Y/N teased, smirking at his obvious lust filled gaze. Jeffrey gripped her hip tightly and yanked her in closer as their hips moved in sync to each other. "If you cum, I'll just keep going. I bet that will make you so, so whiney. Won't that be fun?"

"Don't say shit like that right now. I'm so close already."

Jeffrey clenched his jaw and groaned, gripping her waist harder as she continued to grind against him. He couldn't contain the moans or or the sounds of ecstasy emitting from his mouth with every thrust.

They fell into rhythm perfectly with the speed of their movements and soon, Jeffrey's mind became nothing more than white noise, completely devoid of any thought, any feeling, and simply focused solely on Y/N. His climax hit him hard, making him arch up as he came with a shout and his arms wrapped tighter and tighter around Y/N.

Y/N felt every inch of the shuddering man in front of her, every tremble of his muscles, every moan echoing through her veins and pulling her right to the edge because of how hot it was. All she heard was the sound of her own laboured breathing and the pounding of her heart in her ears; all she smelled was sex and sweat and blood as her body began to respond to what was happening inside her, pushing harder and faster until finally, she too reached her sweet release and her nails dug themselves deeper into Jeffrey's skin.

Afterward, they both lay still and panting on top of the bed, staring up at the ceiling with heavy hearts. Both of them were covered in sweat, with strands of hair clinging to their foreheads and falling onto their faces. It took both of them a while to calm down enough for either one to speak.

When they finally did talk, Jeffrey spoke first. "Fuck... I am so fucked." He turned onto his side to face her. "You've ruined other women for me, you know?" He gave her a soft smile, letting out a chuckle at the end, before continuing. "But, fuck you, you are something else."

"Aww, I think you've gone soft, Mr Steinberg," she giggled, pinching his shoulder teasingly. "Let's clean ourselves up."

Once they no longer smelt of sweat and sex, the pair were back in bed, curled up together beneath the covers. Neither one of them felt any desire to sleep at the moment, too occupied by the conversation they were having, but eventually, both succumbed to exhaustion and were awoken in the morning by Axel.

With his new ankle monitor, Jeffrey would be able to be a menace to everyone in Evergreen once again, yet this time he had someone to tug on the metaphorical dog leash whenever he was getting a little too out of control or too rowdy. The only person who could stop that idiot was Y/N, because she always seemed to find a way to snap out of those moods Jeffrey had, and for the rest of his life, he never had to go back into solitary confinement ever again.

There had been a couple of almosts, but as soon as his girlfriend told him to "quit it", he was done with the game, for the time being anyway.

#evergreen #hidden signal #Jeffrey Steinberg #Jeffrey Steinberg x reader #hidden signal evergreen

[bippot]

Summary: How many times does Vigilante need to get injured before Harcourt finally gives in and hires a medic to help out with the squad's injuries? Far too many times, that's how many.

When it's uncovered that a fancy hotel is linked to, not only what's left of the legion of butterflies, but also a string of weird deaths and missing persons reports, the only two for the job are lovesick Adrian and the newbie.

Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Gun Violence, Blood and Injury, Undercover as a Couple, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Summer Vacation, Butterflies, Alien Invasion, Stitches, Weird Biology, Creep in a Bathroom, Aphrodisiacs, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Drugging, Peeping, general weirdness, Human Experimentation, Eventual Smut, p in v, Human Farming

Peacemaker, Adrian Chase Masterlist - here

Previous chapter: Afterglow

Was it a leap for Y/N to get to the conclusion that humans used as the butterflies' cows? She'd been debriefed about previous missions that had gone down before she'd joined and had noted that the butterflies kept trying to take over mammals that are commonly known to lactate. Their food supply had been cut off, and they desperately needed another. They'd tried actual cows.

Yaks. Goats. Buffaloes. Camels. They'd even attempted a reindeer. Yet, it didn't have the desired response. Those animals could be milked, yes, but it was regular milk and not the amber goo that they needed to survive. So, they were incompatible. Butterflies had greater access to humans. They were literally using humans as meat puppets. Why not use it to their advantage? Why not make them compatible?

Y/N was unravelling in her mind as she paced around their hotel room aimlessly, mumbling incoherent things under her breath, thinking about everything that she had learned in recent days. Adrian was sitting opposite her, looking completely clueless.

"What am I missing here?" she cried out exasperatedly, throwing her hands into the air and dropping them onto her hips in frustration. "How? How are they changing us? Is it in the food? The drink?"

"Could be the weird gross stuff we have to drink every day."

Her attention snapped towards him as she gaped, completely in awe by his statement, "Seriously, how are you so good at this? You're amazing." He shrugged casually as if he'd done nothing special. But she saw the way his lips curled up just at the corners, as if he was happy to earn her praise.

"Milkweed! How did I not see that? Milkweed is a poison that caterpillars eat so when they turn into a butterfly their wings turn orange. Obviously, there is something else mixed in with it, but maybe when we drink it in large amounts, it turns our milk into that amber stuff."

Adrian stared at her open mouthed. There were so many theories flying around in his head that he didn't even have time to comprehend them all before she spoke again.

"Okay, okay... things are coming together. These perverts are so much weirder than we thought, aren't they?" she sighed. Adrian nodded his agreement, though confused about a lot of stuff that he knew that was important, but still, he was supportive. "We don't have any proof of this. This is just a lot of speculation and gut feelings so far."

"I could not swallow the poison and we could put it in, like, a tub or a plastic cup or a shoe, I don't know. Then, John could do tests on it, or send it away for some science nerds - that would probably be better - and they can figure out what it is," he posed, scratching his head and furrowing his brows. "Or... I could kill everyone?"

It wasn't the best idea in the world. But it was the only one they had. Later on that day, they'd try it out. And it went well for the first minute. Adrian held the milkweed in the side of his cheek like a hamster, but as soon as he went to say something, he forgot that it was there and spat it all over Y/N's face. She gasped in shock and wiped her face clean with the back of her hand as they started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Thanks babe," she said sarcastically as she shook her head and laughed harder.

"Yeah, sorry," he smiled sheepishly, wiping the rest of it away with his sleeve. "Guess that didn't work."

"We will explain our theory to everyone tomorrow and try again."

Just as Y/N said that, Sparrow made an announcement. "Hello everyone! It's unfortunate but the trips into the inner city tomorrow are cancelled because something has gone wrong with a few of the cars - I haven't got the foggiest about cars so I don't actually know what but I've been told that they are not in working order - and the weather report indicates that it may rain," he declared in a slightly disappointed voice.

The Bardots shared a glance. Obviously, that wasn't the reason why the outings were closed. They were aware of that. They'd have to wait until the following Wednesday to get their team up to speed.

"We'll resume it next week, not to worry. You'll soon be able to shop to your heart's desire and experience all of what Dubai has to offer."

Everyone else returned to their drinking and dancing and socialising, completely content with this arrangement. They'd expected a few grumbles and complaints to be heard from their fellow vacationers about having to stay behind, but they weren't prepared for the brainless acceptance they were seeing.

"We can't be the first to go back to our rooms, okay? Just be calm and casual," Y/N instructed in a low tone. Her fingers tightened around her glass as she looked through the crowd, her eyes sweeping across the room and waiting for a few couples to peel off from the group and leave.

"Wanna dance? That would be a normal thing to do, yeah?" Adrian whispered in her ear, placing his hands on her waist. His hands lingered there for a moment before squidging on her hips playfully so she'd cracked a smile and took his initiative.

And so, they found themselves dancing with each other yet again. They swayed to the music, keeping their bodies pressed close, as they tried to enjoy the moment without any worries of the impending alien takeover hanging above their heads.

"Can we do this when we get back to, you know, the 'real' world?" he asked softly, his eyes staring intently into hers as he searched for approval. "It's like long hugging. I like it. It's comfortable but in a dancy upbeat kind of way," he added with a small shrug of his shoulders and caused her to chuckle at that.

"Yeah, we can do this when we get back," she replied, nodding her head slowly to show her sincerity. His lips stretched upwards in a broad grin before he leaned in and kissed her briefly, just a brush of his lips against hers before pulling away and resting his cheek on the top of her head.

When 2 or 3 of the other couples finally gave up socialising and left the marquee, they disentangled and retreated back to their room. As soon as they got through the door, Adrian got to his knees right in front of Y/N. He guided her foot onto his thigh and unclipped the clasp of her heels before slipping them off. His thumb brushed over her ankle and he pressed a kiss to her knee as he placed the shoe onto the carpet beside him, never taking his gaze off of her. He did the same with the other shoe.

Then he got to his feet and moved around the room like he hadn't just done something incredibly hot and sweet while Y/N watched him with a blush growing steadily on her cheeks. He had a habit of doing stuff like that. Stuff that he did to help her out - even just a little bit, even just taking her shoes off for her - without acknowledging that he'd done anything.

And she loved it. More than anything. It was cute.

Thanks to today, it was probably going to be a while before her brain stopped whirring and allowed her to sleep, no matter how tired she was.

"C'mere," she cooed, "C'mere, champ."

He came, of course, and stood before her, his eyes going buggy as her fingers hooked around his belt loops and pulled him close. Y/N brought her hand to the back of Adrian's neck and tugged him down as she pressed her lips against his firmly, almost feverishly. The kiss deepened instantly as they began moving languidly across the room in the general direction of the bed.

Their movements were both slow and languid; as if they were trying to make sure their lips were never leaving each other. "Want you to fuck me," she murmured seductively against his mouth as her hand wandered along his chest and began to undo the buttons on his shirt.

"You do?"

Once his shirt was open, her fingers moved to his belt to unbuckle it, undressing him. Her lips never stopped roaming his neck as she worked his trousers open and dropped them on the floor beside his discarded shirt.

"Yeah, is that okay with you?"

"So okay. So, so okay."

Y/N held her hair out of the way as he reached around to unzip her dress, pushing it down her body gently until it was off completely, then she settled down against the pillows on the bed and waited for him to crawl over to her.

"Hi," he smiled, looming over her with a soft look on his face and his eyes half lidded. Y/N rolled her eyes, unable to contain the smirk forming on her face at his adorable nature. She sat up on her elbows to be tall enough to smooch him, though it soon became difficult to kiss when she was panting breathlessly against his lips thanks to how deftly his hand went into her underwear.

The squelching sound of wetness was loud and unmistakable in the mostly silent room, making Adrian chuckle at how obscene it felt. "We could've been doing this for months," he said, attaching his lips to her neck. "Imagine that, without Emilia messing things up, I could've been worshipping you for weeks. Every night, every single one of those times that I came to see you after patrol just so I could get a one more look at your pretty face before I turned in for the night... We could've been getting it on, baby. Could've kept it a secret from your sister."

"You could've kept a secret from Emilia?"

"Nope. Would've tried, though."

"She's gonna kick our asses," Y/N laughed, her hand tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Probably. Don't care, though. You're worth it."

Adrian leaned down and kissed her softly as he slipped his hands under her thighs, lifting them so he could slot between her legs. He was quick to pull his boxers down and slip inside of her, groaning loudly as he found himself filling her up completely. She moaned in reply as she gripped a handful of the sheets with her one hand, the other gripping his shoulder and holding herself steady as they began to rock into each other with a rhythm that only intensified as he continued.

Obviously, they'd had sex before.

Yesterday.

But that had been in order to fix his fuckup, this was purely because they wanted to. There was no explanation needed and there would be none. Just pure pleasure and ecstasy. They were lost in a world of nothingness - that place where time itself stood still and everything around them was drowned out by bliss - that was filled just by them.

This was the Bardots. This was where they belonged. With each other.

They collapsed against the pillows, sweaty and out of breath and utterly content. The only sound remaining in the room was that of their heavy breathing and their own heartbeat pounding against their ears. After a few minutes passed, Y/N shifted her head so she could rest her cheek against Adrian's chest.

She listened to his heartbeat as his palm moved up and down her spine soothingly, tracing lazy circles on her skin before bringing the gentlest of fingertips across the scar on her back. "You never did finish your story about this," he thought out loud as he traced the knife wound.

"Do you wanna know?"

"Only if you want me to know. If you don't feel ready to talk about it, then that's cool too."

Overcome with tenderness, she peppered his shoulder and neck with kisses and caresses before turning her head so she could look up at him. She lifted herself and rested her folded arms on his pecs before speaking, "Jack and I were on the same beat: The Creeper. He'd always wanted to be an investigative journalist - that's what he went to school for - and when we caught the same trail, we thought it would be best if we put our brains together."

"That's a smart idea," Adrian agreed, his thumb brushing along her cheekbone.

"That's what I thought too. Maybe I wasn't smart enough to figure it out, or maybe I was blinded cause we were sleeping together - "

"Hmmm...?" he interrupted, not really meaning to tease her, only to see her smile at the wordless question.

Was he a little jealous of a guy he'd never met and knew didn't have a chance with her now? Yes. Yes, he was. But that was on the back burner because he was pissed for her. This guy, this Jack Ryder had used Y/N for her body and brain, then fucking stabbed her. That's not fucking cool! You don't do that to people! You don't stick your dick in someone then stick a knife in them the next day.

That's fucked up!

"Are you going to be weird about that?"

"He's an asshole," he growled lowly. "An asshole! And you deserve better!" He lowered his voice a notch but couldn't keep his anger from leaking through. "You deserve someone who would cherish and love you. Not that fucking creep!"

Her expression softened, and she leant forward so she could press gentle kisses all over his cheek. "I have that." She cupped his face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his. "I've got you now, champ." He let his eyes drift closed as he melted under her touch and took deep breaths to calm down. "It's okay, babe. Breathe."

Eventually, his anger subsided to a dull buzz beneath his skin and his breathing returned to normal, so she carried on with her story and ran a hand through his hair as she explained, "Jack, uh, his show wasn't doing so well and he was always secretive - as long as I knew him, I didn't really know him, you know what I mean? - so, looking back, I guess, he was just keeping an eye on someone getting too close to the truth."

A pause happened, and her brows furrowed slightly, a small frown etched onto her face. "Then, I got far too close when I caught him and Yatz. They were mid-experiment, or mid transformation is probably the best way to explain it, and so I didn't blow their cover, Yatz got The Creeper to drive his razor sharp claw into my back."

"You said it was a knife?"

"I know, and I'm sorry for misleading you. It's a lot easier to say you got stabbed with a knife than your fuckbuddy's really pointy finger," she joked bitterly as she stroked his cheeks, the memory causing the pain to flare up for the first time in years and make her wince. He instantly tried his best to soothe the area, his palm gently rubbing up and down the line of her spine.

The memories resurfaced, flooding her mind like the river that washed away all feelings of safety and security. In an instant, she was back on that cold concrete floor that was damp with her own blood. The pain was hot, almost as if the Creeper's claws were coated in poison, but it wasn't intense enough that she blacked out thanks to the burn, which wasn't ideal.

Y/N had been awake and aware as the minutes ticked down. She couldn't move, couldn't think past the pain and the smell of blood and sweat, not really registering anything except the searing pain. And since she wasn't a threat in this state, Yatz and The Creeper moved at a leisurely pace to gather up their top secret documents and saunter out of their hideout.

She had no idea that she'd be bleeding out on the floor for 5 whole minutes before Jack came back. He was himself and not his beastly nightmare version, and ran to her side, phone squished between his shoulder and cheek as he called the emergency services.

If they'd been on the scene 60 seconds later, she would've been another casualty of Dr Yatz.

"I'm gonna kill that motherfucker!" Adrian cursed as he tightened his grip on his lover. "Unless you wanna do it. I'll never take your kill, I swear," he added sincerely, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

"I gave up on getting revenge years ago. Tell you what, whoever gets the opportunity first, takes the shot."

"Deal."

With that out in the open, Adrian felt the need to share something that he was hiding. Well, not necessarily hiding. If he knew the question he wanted her to ask, he would've answered in a heartbeat.

"My family was hit off the road by a drunk driver when I was a kid. Mom and dad were killed in the accident, my brother died in the ambulance, and I... I should've too. But, I've got this healing shit going on, you know? So, I survived and ended up living with my nana," he commented lightly, trying to brush off his emotions, "When I found out who the guy was, I, uh, killed him. I was 17. I don't regret it."

It felt strange to finally tell somebody about that part of his life after so many years keeping it under wraps.

"And I don't think you'll regret killing Ryder. Or Yatz. They had it fucking coming, that's what I think."

"Maybe you're right," Y/N replied. "I had a hunch you were a nana's boy. The knitting was a dead giveaway."

After everything, she was finally tired. The exhaustion of yesterday and the eventfulness of today had caught up with her. She let her head rest on his chest, wrapping him up in such a tight hug that he felt like he was being lovingly held captive. He didn't mind that. He wanted to be her captive for all eternity, if that was her wish.

As she felt herself drifting off, Y/N was sure to say, "I love you. Nighty night, champ." She smiled lazily to herself as she felt his lips press against her forehead and then fell asleep.

He whispered, "I'm going to kill them for hurting you, baby" into her hair. He kissed her hairline one last time before drifting off to sleep himself, letting the comfort of her touch and the sound of her soft snores lull him to sleep.

They stayed as inconspicuous as possible for days, waiting for Wednesday to come around so they could get their team's input. And after a handful of attempts, they'd finally managed to swipe some milkweed when Y/N pretended to need the bathroom whilst holding it in her mouth. She spat it out into a travel sided conditioner bottle and hid it in her bra.

It was safe to say that the rest of the 11th Street Kids were disturbed. It made sense, though. The butterflies couldn't find a food supply so they were making one. From humans. The very race that had taken away their food supply. It was ironic, really.

Adebayo began cautiously, "I hate to ask this, but we need to take some, uh... samples to make sure your claims are substantiated."

"Samples?" Adrian inquired.

"We need you to piss in a cup," Harcourt interrupted, speaking plainly. Emilia handed Y/N a bottle of water. "Drink up, squish."

Once samples had been taken and pots pissed in, Economos unlocked a fortified box and unpacked its contents, which were two smaller fortified boxes. Y/N expected even smaller boxes to be inside them, but, in actuality, there was a bag of silver circles that were the size of chia seeds. He got one of the gizmos between his thumb and finger, held it out to the couple, and announced what the hell they were looking out.

"These are mini forcefield implants. This is a - " He held it closer to his eye to see what marking was on it. "This is a left side one, right ones are in the other box. They go either side of your, of your, um, your orifices and, though they've not be tested for long term side effects, it is designed so the wave can come into contact with your body, but as soon as something 'other' passes it, it will disintegrate whatever that 'other' is."

Hell yeah! That ensured that no butterflies could fly up their ass and ride them like a pony. However, that wasn't the first thing on Adrian's mind. "When you say 'other', do you mean like alien stuff? What if someone had like a body part that they enjoyed and daily put in -"

"I don't want to hear this," Emilia dismissed as she walked into a back room. "I'm going to call Peace to check up on his mission."

"You two are free to keep on fucking." Adebayo made a 'bleurgh' sound but carried on. "Yeah, we know. His face says it all. Also, if your follow up question was about food, that was a problem with the initial prototype but has been ironed out now."

Adrian always looked at Y/N with those puppy love eyes but since he walked in the HQ door that afternoon, he'd been staring at her as if he was going to devour her the second he thought nobody was watching him. Y/N would be lying if she said she didn't look back at him with a similar intensity.

"Since you're so... familiar... with each other, you can attach these. Remove the black plastic and stick one - left on left, right on right - just inside the orifice." John shoved the bag with the forcefield gizmos into Y/N's hands and motioned towards the bathroom that they'd just been in to collect the samples.

Even though they'd been intimate, it still was a little awkward. Yet, it was something to laugh about. And yeah, it did protect them so it wasn't that much of a chore to install.

"Is it weird that I kinda wanna fuck you with everyone else in the other room?" Adrian flirted, his cheek still flushed thanks to what they'd just done as Y/N pulled up her trousers.

"You're lucky Meeley didn't kill you. She's become tame in recent years, I see."

"I wonder how tame she'd be if she heard me defiling her little sister."

His palm connected with her ass, the sound of the smack ringing in the quiet bathroom. Their coworkers on the other side of the door must've heard it, and that fact ensured that Adrian had a cheeky little smile on his face. Y/N rolled her eyes as she was pulled towards him, his lips meeting hers with an eagerness she couldn't help but return.

A small sigh escaped her throat as she melted against him once more, her arms wrapping around his neck while his went round her waist tightly, pulling her flush against his chest as he deepened the kiss.

"Don't push your luck," Y/N teased breathlessly once she broke apart from him. She rested her hand on his cheeks and stared at him fondly. "Or mine."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it."

"Mmmm, I don't believe you."

Once again, he enticed her into a kiss, and yet again, she returned it immediately, smiling against his lips as her fingers tangled themselves in his hair. Before they could get carried away, however, a loud bang on the door rang out and Emilia's voice on the other side yelled, "Y/N L/N, I need to talk to you."

"Ooooh, you're in trouble," Adrian jeered, sounding like a little schoolboy telling the teacher on one of his friends. Y/N groaned and buried her face in his shoulder as she sighed defeatedly. He was right. She was in the doghouse.

Emilia dragged her sister away as soon as she exited the bathroom, and they headed straight for the back room, which was known as 'the freak out room' by the 11th Street Kids because it was unofficially used for private conversations, spiralling, and a way to get away from each other for five minutes. It had come to the point that there was an unofficial schedule of whose turn it was in the freak out room.

"Are you fucking stupid? Wait, you don't need to answer that cause I can do it for you: yes. Yes, you're so fucking stupid!" Emilia scolded, pointing her finger directly at her sister's nose. "What were you thinking, Y/N?"

Y/N sighed, and that was an answer in itself.

"Don't say it. Don't you even think about saying shit like that!" Harcourt warned despite the fact Y/N hadn't said anything verbally. Harcourt knew, though.

Sisters have a way of communicating that goes beyond language sometimes; it isn't even telepathy or empathy - it's just knowing the person so well that you're able to predict things based on the wealth of information and experience you have with them. So, Emilia was fully aware that the 'Bardot newlyweds' was more of an actuality than they had been before the mission began. The couple were married in everything but the eyes of the law.

"I -"

Interrupting any kind of reasoning or excuse or explanation that came from Y/N's mouth, Emilia flicked her sister hard on the nose with a gaze as stern as steel. On instinct, Y/N shot her hand out to wack Harcourt, and though she hadn't intended to, her fist came into direct contact with Emila's boob.

"Tit punching? Really, Y/N?"

Emilia got the older sibling look in her eyes. The one that Y/N usually saw and ran away from, screaming for their father to step in. Before she could make it back with the other members of A.R.G.U.S., Emilia slapped her across the face and got her into a headlock. This was so infuriating. Y/N could be so infuriating. She wanted to punch her sister so hard straight in the throat that she'd be unable to flirt with men who she thought weren't good enough for her.

To get out of the hold, Y/N tilted her head downwards and bit Emilia's arm. "OWW! No biting! No fucking biting! What the fuck is wrong with you?" Emilia let her sister go immediately and rubbed her arm, feeling the sting.

Surely their teammates heard that commotion. They had to. But this was family business and they knew to not interfere.

"...He's not going to stab me."

"He could!" Emila snapped back, glaring at her. She was mad and disappointed, yes, but she genuinely didn't think that Adrian would ever intentionally hurt Y/N.

Unintentionally, on the other hand, that's a maybe.

Their breaths slowed, and the fuzzy rage feeling in their heads settled down. They both stood, facing each other as they collected themselves. When Emilia spoke, the tone in which she was speaking was much calmer than when she entered.

"You can be normal. He can't."

"I tried being normal. It sucks. And I'd prefer to be fucked up with him than suck by myself," Y/N simply responded. Her older sibling raised her eyebrows in surprise but said nothing. Emilia didn't understand why Vigilante of all people, but for the first time, she accepted the fact that this was a fact.

Adrian and Y/N were a pair, a couple, and there was nothing she could do to stop that. Trying was useless. Trying would cause Y/N distress. Trying would fracture their sibling relationship. So, Emilia finally stopped trying.

"This doesn't mean that I'm going to be nice to him."

"Are you nice to anyone?"

A laugh was shared and then, acting as if they hadn't just fought, the pair walked back into the main room to find everyone else staring at them. John's eyes wandered down to Harcourt's arm.

"Why have you got a bite mark?"

"I bit her," Y/N announced, a weird sense of pride in her voice.

Taglist: @sarahskywalker-amidala , @she-wolf09231982 , @afraidofshrimp (Wanna be added to the taglist? Just message me or leave a comment :p)

#adrian chase #vigilante #vigilante x reader #adrian chase x female reader #peacemaker #adrian chase x reader

[bippot]

Oooo an idea came to me!!

If it’s okay, can I please request an Adrian Chase x fem!innocent civilian!reader where Adrian finds out a girl has been kidnapped, and he goes to find and save her during his Vigilante rounds. He barges into where she’s being held, kills every single person in the room besides a terrified and shaking Y/n, and then he frees her and is just like, (gleefully) “Okay! You’re free to go!!😊😊”, and honestly Y/n is still terrified and in shock, and is just clinging to him with wide eyes. I think he wouldn’t fully understand what’s wrong with her, not understanding why she’s so shaken up and isn’t all excited about him saving her (poor girl is too much in shock from what happened to her and also it was traumatic seeing Vig taking out all the bad guys😅), so he brings her to the 11th Street Kids HQ, carrying her in like, “Hey guys!! I saved this girl and she’s all frozen and I don’t know why??” John would probably be like, “Dude?? She’s in shock” and he’d be like, “Oh🤔”. Anyways, the team take care of her wounds, and let her stay and heal. Adrian takes the most care of her, much to the surprise of the team, and he’s just super gentle with her and she feels super safe with him🥺

Summary: Had Vigilante intended to find the missing Mayor's daughter? No, but he wasn't going to admit that. He'd completed the 11th Street Kids' mission entirely by himself and found himself caring for the kidnapped girl.

Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Kidnapping, Caretaking, Fluff, Sleepovers, First Meetings, Minor Injuries

(Peacemaker taglist: @kpopgirlbtssvt , @adriansboyfriend)

Peacemaker, Adrian Chase Masterlist - here

Y/N had no idea where she was. She didn't know how she got here. Nor what day it was. She was just somewhere, completely alone and still in her work clothes - surely that meant she was taken either on her way to her job or coming from there - and she couldn't remember anything relating to how or why she was kidnapped.

There was a blip. An unnatural one. Why didn't she have that in her memory? Was it traumatic and her brain was protecting her by drawing a blank, and would probing further cause some sort of breakdown that she'd never return from? Or had she come into contact with someone or some sort of gas or drugs that had the ability to wipe her brain?

Had she been kidnapped by Will Smith and the rest of the Men in Black? She had no way of knowing.

It was cold and dark and quiet. Nobody had come to check if she was still alive or provided food. All Y/N could do was huddle with her knees tucked into her chest and hope that something was going to happen, even the slightest noise that would help piece something - anything, anything at all - together.

Who knows how she waited, how long she shivered until a noise happened. A loud bang rang out then something or someone hit the ground. Then it happened again. And again. And again. Each time louder, more solid, closer.

A loud screeching sound came next as a door swung open and finally let some light in through the narrow doorway. It was enough for Y/N to make out one figure moving through the door frame. It was a faceless man, though she only assumed that it was a man by the grunt he let out when his toe caught a patch of uneven ground, and he held out his hand to her.

"Jesus fuck! You okay? You look seriously not okay. What's up?" He asked, his voice far too casual for the situation they were in. Y/N took his hand without thinking and let him haul her upwards.

Her body trembled and every joint hurt when she stood but she didn't complain, because right now he seemed willing to help her - whether that was a good thing or not remained to be seen.

"My name is - " she started, but the man interrupted before she could say any more.

"Wait, hold on," he said, grabbing one arm while he used his other hand to fumble around in his pockets. After what felt like forever, his hands pulled out a lighter, lit it, and threw it onto a pile of documents that was lying in a bundle next to a nearby table. "Use that for warmth. You're fucking freezing, dude."

The fire was warm, as fire tends to be, so she did as he said and crouched down in front of it, trying to keep her teeth from chattering with extreme effort.

"I know who you are, bt-dubz." The man said with an amused tone, sitting down on the table, his legs swinging like a child. "Mayor's daughter, right?"

She nodded silently.

"Nice to meet you, Y/N. I'm Vigilante. I'm here to help."

Vigilante. Yeah, she'd heard of him. Surely everyone in the Washington area had heard of this guy.

With her hands a little warmer, Y/N finally looked around and saw that she'd been held hostage in a small shipping container that clearly had a camera somewhere in the corner because a live feed was playing on a screen on the other side of the room. There were also multiple dead bodies strewn about, presumably these were the guys who kidnapped her, and puddles of blood all over the place.

"Are they all dead?" She croaked out eventually, looking back at Vigilante with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Yep."

"Oh."

Almost as a stroke of irony, a pair of bad guys that had managed to hide from the original onslaught came into the room with their guns pointed directly at the scared, shivering girl. Y/N moved as fast as her trembling muscles allowed and hid behind Vigilante, pressing herself against him so hard that he grunted in surprise.

After giving them a playful wave, Vigilante shot them just as the more confident of the two guys was about to speak up. They tumbled to the ground in a heap before they'd even had a chance to defend themselves. Vigilante turned and gave Y/N a thumbs up like this was a totally normal thing to do and witness, and was a little surprised that she'd buried her face in the back of his armour and hadn't seen his awesome gun skills.

"No need to get scared." He said gently. "You've got me to protect you now and I'm super cool."

She lifted her head just enough to catch sight of his concerned eyes before burying her face in the back of his armour once again. He turned to face her and was immediately engulfed in a hug as Y/N clung onto him. His arms wrapped around her almost reflexively in response to her action, though he wasn't even sure he really understood why she was hugging him. But he wasn't about to protest.

It was nice. Comforting, in fact. In some weird way, being held like this made him feel far more heroic than beating the bad guys up ever could have. It made him feel like a true superhero.

Did Superman feel like this?

"Let's get you out of here, huh? Me and my pals have been looking all over for you," Vigilante told her as they walked out of the shipping container, his arm around her waist to help her walk. She'd been sitting for at least a week straight. She was tired, starving, freezing, weak, bruised and had no recollection of exactly what had happened to her so any help she was offered, Y/N was going to take.

They got back to his car in no time. Vigilante opened the door for her, held her hand until she was securely inside the Vigilante-mobile, and secured her seat belt for her. "I don't know if that was patronising of me? Was it?" he mumbled sheepishly as he slid into the driver's seat.

"No. No. Thank you for helping me," Y/N said softly.

As he was backing out of where he was parked, his palm rested on the back of her headrest and he peered out the rear view window, and in doing so, he caught a glimpse of the meatball sub and bag of Lays that he'd packed for his late night patrol meal and left on his backseat. Once the driving manoeuvre had been completed, he was reaching for this meal and handing it to the hungry girl.

"Do you like meatballs?"

"I'm a vegetarian but I'm so hungry that I don't actually give a shit right now."

"Fuckin eat up, then," he laughed as Y/N dug into the package and devoured it. She wanted to be polite and have manners, just as she'd been taught to have all of her life, but she was so hungry, she forgot every single rule and etiquette lesson, and simply went for it. Vigilante didn't seem to mind, he just watched her with a smile on his face.

"I'm so sorry," she said between bites, taking another bite before speaking. "I don't usually eat like a pig, I swear!" She continued, swallowing quickly. Her hands flew up to her mouth to cover up the last bit of her chewing and he smiled at her in amusement.

"It's kinda hot actually. Is that weird? That sounds weird, right?" He joked and she smiled shyly at him, shaking her head and laughing despite herself. He was funny and cute in a slightly goofy kind of way, yet Y/N found herself feeling a little more at ease. Not completely. It would take more than a few jokes and a hasty meal for her to feel completely safe, but maybe having him around would make it a little easier.

Harcourt and the rest of the 11th Street Kids weren't expecting Vigilante to arrive with the girl they had all been tasked to save for the past week at 10pm on a Monday. But, he had. Obviously, they didn't know that the girl clinging to Vigilante's arm as he walked in was the Mayor's daughter and not some random civilian that he was bringing into their super secret HQ. Adebayo, Economos and Harcourt all stared in disbelief.

"Who the fuck is that?" Harcourt barked, her hands on her hips and annoyance in every line of her body. Thanks to how aggressive she sounded, Y/N hid behind Vigilante's shoulder.

"This is my boss, no need to worry," he soothed, looking back at her before turning towards his friends again. "Hi guys, this is Y/N, you know, the girl we're looking for. I found her!"

The others looked sceptical at first. Then Y/N raised her head enough that they got a look at her face and gave them a little wave, and there was no doubt - none at all - that this was the rich kid they'd been tasked to find. They'd seen pictures of her. In all of those, though, her hair was styled and not like a bird's nest, she had make up on her face and there weren't splotches of dirt and bruises everywhere, she wore fashionable outfits rather than a ragged painter's overalls.

"Where's Peace?" Adrian asked, scanning the room for his buddy while everyone else tried to digest the information he'd provided them with. He whispered to Y/N over his shoulder, "Peacemaker is really cool. I think you'd like him, not as much as you like me of course, but he's, like, the coolest dude out there," and she just nodded along, still hiding in a daze.

"Let me get this straight - "

Leota couldn't help it. She joked, "Ew, straights."

"Adebayo, please." Leota put her hands up in surrender even though she thought it was funny. "You found the Mayor's daughter -"

"Her name is Y/N," he interrupted.

"I fucking know her name is Y/N, Adrian! We've been searching for her for days and had literally no leads, yet you just found her -" Harcourt clicked her fingers. "Just like that?!"

A sense of cockiness entered his brain. Had it been an accident that he came across a bunch of sketchy looking guys that happened to have the exact person he was supposed to be looking for? Maybe... Yes. It definitely was. Was he going to admit to that? Hell no.

"Just like that," he cheered back smugly, ignoring Harcourt's outburst altogether and putting his hand on the small of Y/N's back to steer her in front of him. He noticed that she was still shaking like a leaf, and brushed his hand up and down her arm in an attempt to warm her up. "You cold? I'm sure I've got a sweater here somewhere."

"No, I'm not cold."

"You're shaking?"

"She's in shock, asshole," Economos pointed out from one side of the room while slouched against his desk and messaged Waller about this new development on his laptop.

Adrian scanned his brain to figure out what the hell to do when someone is in shock. He knew about physical shock - lay the person down, elevate the legs and feet slightly and keep them as still as possible - but, yeah, emotional stuff had never been his forte.

"Do you wanna another hug?" he offered quietly, truly only loud enough for Y/N to hear him. Y/N didn't reply verbally, she just attached herself to his side instantly and allowed him to wrap an arm around her waist, holding her close to his chest.

Everyone else in the room was stunned once again. Adrian had shocked them twice that night. He'd completed their mission all by himself and now he was acting softly towards a woman he'd met hours before. It was surreal, to say the least.

"You're going to be fine," Vigilante reassured Y/N, who seemed to visibly relax at these words from her saviour. "We'll be able to get you home and all cleaned up soon. You're gonna be just fine. Everything's gonna be okay," he repeated in her ear, and Y/N believed him wholeheartedly.

She would be fine. If he thought she would be, she would be.

John cleared his throat to get their attention. "Waller has instructed us to keep you here tonight, under watch because the forgetfulness gas they dosed her with is known to have side effects, so we can ensure your safety before your father gets here from Baltimore tomorrow morning," he informed the pair standing in front of him.

Y/N swallowed hard. Baltimore was around an hour away. That wasn't that long of a drive. It was doable, especially cause the roads were quiet this time of night. No, Y/N's father thought that this wasn't that big of a deal, clearly, which shouldn't have been as surprising as it was to her.

Dance recitals. Parent teacher meetings. Kidnappings. She'd been by herself for all of them. Well, Vigilante had been there to help her out with one of those.

"Is there a shower here?" Y/N asked as she glanced around the room nervously.

"No, there isn't," Harcourt told her. "Sorry."

"Oh, okay."

The poor girl sounded so defeated. She'd been through so much already and she was stuck in gross, dirty clothes in a room with people she didn't know. Of course Vigilante took pity on her.

"My apartment is five minutes away. I have a shower and I'll give you some clothes. That's okay, right, Harcourt?" He looked over at Harcourt hopefully. "Just so Y/N can clean up a bit?"

Harcourt sighed loudly. What she was about to offer wasn't out of the goodness of her heart. Vigilante was obviously enamoured by Y/N and would be really annoying if anyone took over her care, Emilia knew that with 100% certainty, so why not let him do everything and get a few hours of sleep. It was a win win.

"I'll do you one better: if you keep an eye on her, she can stay at your apartment till morning. Sound good?"

"Sounds really good to me. What do you think, Y/N?"

"Uh... Yeah, thank you so much! I don't want to impose-"

"Fuckin too polite, that's what you are," Vigilante fondly teased, his palm rubbing circles on Y/N's lower back. "It's settled! We're having a slumber party!"

The corners of Y/N lips turned up into a little smile. A slumber party with a masked hero? Why not? Life is short and he was nice to be around. It was a perfect idea.

After a week of solitary confinement and sensory deprivation, yeah, she deserved a night of fun.

So, once Vigilante had promised that he'd have her back by 9 am, they were making the 5 minute journey to his apartment. The place itself was a weird mix of 'I'm a typical single guy living alone so I have an xbox, a TV, gym equipment, a microwave, a broken bed, and a beat up couch that I bought of Craigslist' with a few family photos and a display case of childhood trophies that were clearly from two very different children - one was mostly for creative writing and a fair few participation ones while the other was every sport under the sun.

Y/N was guided into the bathroom, which was surprisingly neat - well, it's hard not to be when you have not much stuff - and was shown where everything was. Towels. The 5 litre jug of 2 in 1 hair and body wash. He'd gotten a packaged toothbrush and placed it right next to his thoroughly squished and twisted toothpaste. He'd plonked down the tube of Arnica for her bruises, and even offered to rub the cream in for her after her shower if she needed him to.

Did she need him to? Physically, no. Mentally, yes. It was a sweet moment of being cared for. There was no way it could last forever, but it felt pretty damn nice. So Y/N said yes.

Wrapped in nothing but a towel, Y/N watched as Vigilante - who still kept his mask on despite the fact she'd seen his family photos and could pick him out of a line up based on them - was so gentle as he thumbed the Arnica into a bruise on her cheek.

"I don't get to do this often."

"Hmm...?"

"Patch someone else up. I'm usually using this stuff on myself. It's nice - I mean, not the fact that you've got these bruises, that's not nice. That's not nice at all - but, I don't know, I know it sucks having to do this for yourself and I didn't want you to have to go through that on your own. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," she murmured. "Thank you. For caring. About me."

He chuckled, "It's easy to," and had no idea that he'd said something incredibly sweet. Y/N's eyes became a little misty, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. She sniffled and wiped them away as he moved to get her some pj's.

They stayed silent for the longest time after that and the atmosphere between them had shifted. It wasn't awkward or tense, per say. But it felt intimate in a way that was foreign to the both of them. Adrian felt delirious from how happy he was, how excited he was to have Y/N around him, and felt reckless. So, he did something totally out of character for him.

"Do you think it would be weird if I took my mask off?" he inquired, his voice taking on a rather shy tone. "Like, would that freak you out? I thought we could watch a movie and I usually eat popcorn and... y'know."

"If you're comfortable with it, yeah. I mean, I know what you look like already."

"You do!?"

She gestured to one of the family pictures on the wall. "The one in teal, right?" Y/N pointed to the younger boy in the image - a goofy, gangly looking teenager with a power ranger on his shirt - and even if he had tried to lie, his face gave it away.

His fingers found the edge of his mask and he pulled it off without a second thought, revealing his face for Y/N to actually see properly. His hair was a mess but it was cute messy and he had this huge grin plastered across his face, looking absolutely manic but so endearing.

"What movie do you wanna watch?"

Stunned, Y/N didn't answer. She couldn't. He was too pretty. Way too pretty. Her mouth went dry and all thoughts left her brain. She stared at him and he just looked at her, waiting for an answer, his cheeks tinged with colour as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. She hated his mask now, she decided, because it was a crime to cover such beauty.

"Are you going back into shock?"

"No, you're just pretty," Y/N admitted quietly, a nervous smile gracing her features.

"Me?"

It was like electricity passed between them as the words slipped from his lips and it caused Y/N's chest to tighten.

"Yeah."

Bashfulness overtook him as he averted his gaze to the floor sheepishly. "Thanks, I guess." He paused for a brief second before returning his gaze to hers. "You're pretty too."

Really badly.

He wanted to kiss her but knew he shouldn't. Not right now, that wasn't appropriate. Maybe later. Who knows? But he definitely wanted to kiss her.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This isn't... you're in a vulnerable state, I shouldn't be flirting with you."

Like, super bad.

Oh, wait. Superbad. That would be a great, easygoing movie to watch.

"Let me go get changed and get my laptop. I'll be right back," he quickly excused himself.

While Y/N waited for him, she got into the pj's he'd provided and ventured into his bedroom. There weren't many personal items inside. A lot of comic books, a couple of CDs and figurines, some posters - she recognised the obvious (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman) but there were some hand drawn ones that were superheroes that he'd come up with - and an old Teddy bear.

Picking up the bear, Y/N smiled. It was small and brown and missing an eye but had clearly been very loved. She ran her thumb along the worn fabric of the fur, a warm feeling spreading throughout her chest, and sat on his bed with it on her lap.

Vigilante re-entered the room wearing some sweatpants with a tank top. Once he saw Y/N sitting down and holding his bear, his face contorted into one of surprise. He opened his mouth to say something, probably a dumb ass comment, but closed it once Y/N looked up at him so softly and innocently that whatever he was going to say was wiped from his mind.

"What's their name?" Y/N nodded towards the bear.

"His name is Bagel."

"Bagel?" she repeated, amusement coating every letter.

"Yeah, cause he's the same shade of brown as a bagel, duh."

"Duh!" Y/N laughed quietly, clutching Bagel close to her as Adrian sat beside her and started scrolling through Netflix to find the movie he wanted.

Soon, they were shoulder to shoulder watching the movie together whilst Y/N snuggled up closely against Adrian's side, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder as she cuddled both his arm and the Teddy to her chest. Adrian rested his head lightly on top of hers, enjoying the comfort he received from her presence and the warmth of her body pressed against his.

In that moment, all of his worries and problems were wiped away, and was replaced with complete contentment.

None of the side effects of the forgetfulness gas had made an appearance, which was lucky, and they both fell asleep before the movie ended. Neither woke up until morning rolled around. They slept soundly and peacefully through the night, wrapped tightly in each other's arms with Bagel lying snugly between them.

9 am arrived and they were prepared for everything - they had a solid 8 hours, breakfast, brushed their teeth, a fresh outfit on, every step in their normal morning routine - but the one thing they hadn't accounted for was leaving each other.

They'd only known each other for around 12 hours but it definitely had made an impression on them. Their interactions had been casual yet deep, meaningful yet lighthearted, and extremely tender. They had a connection that was different than they had expected, different than any relationship they had ever had before. It was strange and new and wonderful, and they didn't want it to end.

"Can I, uh, can I see your phone?" Y/N asked, a hesitant lilt to her voice.

"Yeah, the password is 1981."

Within seconds, Y/N was putting her number into his phone and sending herself a text message before handing it back to him. "We could have another slumber party if you'd like? Text me when you're free.”

"That'd be cool. I mean, I'd love that," Adrian responded, still staring down at where their fingertips touched. He glanced up, meeting Y/N's gaze for a moment before looking back down at his phone, a shy smile curling his lips upwards.

Before he second guessed himself, he moved in to press a sweet kiss on her cheek.

It may have been goodbye for now, but that was only temporary.

They'd have many more slumber parties in the future, many more nights spent curled up against each other with soft smiles playing on their lips. Eventually, many more kisses, many more hugs, many more of less PG things, many more of everything.

#adrian chase #vigilante #vigilante x reader #adrian chase x female reader #peacemaker #adrian chase x y/n #adrian chase x reader

[bippot]

*Sorry it took soo long! The big doc that I had all my plans on got corrupted and I had to re-do the plot of the last few chapters cause I couldn't remember what I'd originally thought was gonna happen!*

Summary: How many times does Vigilante need to get injured before Harcourt finally gives in and hires a medic to help out with the squad's injuries? Far too many times, that's how many.

When it's uncovered that a fancy hotel is linked to, not only what's left of the legion of butterflies, but also a string of weird deaths and missing persons reports, the only two for the job are lovesick Adrian and the newbie.

Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Gun Violence, Blood and Injury, Undercover as a Couple, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Summer Vacation, Butterflies, Alien Invasion, Stitches, Weird Biology, Creep in a Bathroom, Aphrodisiacs, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Drugging, Peeping, general weirdness, Human Experimentation, Eventual Smut, p in v, Human Farming

Peacemaker, Adrian Chase Masterlist - here

Previous chapter: Raw

Y/N stayed awake all night. She couldn't sleep no matter how much she wanted to. The worry that Adrian would suddenly choke on his tongue or go into shock in his sleep was far too prevalent in her mind for it to shut off for a few hours. He seemed fine on the outside. As far as she could see, the aphrodisiacs were out of his system. They'd been fucked out. But, there was no way of knowing if there were any side effects that might be brought about. For all she knew, there could be an effect that wasn't visible until hours later and she needed to be alert for that.

Around 7 in the morning, he began to wake up. Y/N let out a sigh of relief as she watched him open his eyes and blink at her owlishly, a small frown marring his brows before it was replaced with a smile.

"Morning."

"Good morning," she replied in a whisper, smiling softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." He shifted on top of her, causing her to raise a brow, and hummed in response before pressing a kiss on her shoulder. A mischievous look flashed across his beautiful emerald green eyes. "We had sex last night."

"Yep."

"Like, a lot of times."

"Uh-huh."

"And you enjoyed it?"

"I did. Did you?"

"That's an insane question to ask. Yes! Of course I fucking enjoyed it!" he barked playfully as he propped his chin up with his hand. An eyelash had fallen onto his cheek so Y/N gently brushed it away and his brain couldn't handle it. Adrian was closing the gap between their lips in a second flat, crashing his mouth onto hers in a passionate, desperate manner.

Would he ever find someone else who was so sweet to him? Someone who understood him so well? Someone who cared enough to take care of him despite his rough edges? Someone who wouldn't run scared after hearing a word he said, or look at him like he had gone completely crazy?

"When we get back to Evergreen, I'm going to challenge Harcourt to a duel."

"...What?"

"I'm challenging her to a duel and totally gonna win it," he continued, ignoring the incredulous look that crossed her features, "For you."

"Why?!"

A smile spread across his handsome face. "Yeah, she's the reason that we're not together in real life, right? Cause she's got this claim on you or whatever - " he began but was interrupted by Y/N laughing at him. Adrian blinked at her.

"Emilia is my sister," Y/N explained, not at all hiding her amusement about his completely misguided view on the siblings' relationship. "Technically half sister."

"SISTER?" He repeated, dumbfounded as he stared at her. "How long has that been a thing?"

"Um...since I was born. I guess."

HOLY FUCK! His mind was blown. This was vital information that nobody had told him. Did everyone else just assume he picked up on that? Or did they all band together and purposely not tell him so he'd look like an idiot when he asked?

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I assumed you were told."

All of his body weight suddenly was on top of her, pinning her beneath his body as he pressed a kiss directly on her jawline. "I fucking wasn't," he muttered gruffly in her ear as he nuzzled it affectionately, making her giggle, "I wish I'd known earlier because I would've put the moves on you so hard!"

"Yeah? What's your best move, huh?"

Honestly, Adrian didn't have any moves. None. He wasn't good with women. Other than his nana - RIP - and Dolores, he hadn't had many women in his life that actually liked him. Those two were elderly women that saw him as a child to be coddled than a 'man'. Men should have moves. He's a man to Y/N. Yeah, he could have moves if he tried.

"The only move I have is being so fucking surprised that you actually like me! You! A total babe from the hottest planet of absolute babes. Like me? That's literally insane!" he babbled as he kissed up her neck. His hands worked their way under her shirt, cupping one of her breasts as his tongue flicked against her sensitive skin. "If we ever get married and you want kids, I'll happily give you as many as you want. We'll have an entire litter of the little shits and they'll be so fucking cute because they'll have your genes. Or if you don't want kids, we could have cats. Or dogs. Or maybe a few ferrets. I think having a ferret would be cool."

Yeah, his move worked. There's nothing more attractive than earnestness. And the promise of commitment with a guy who you desperately want commitment with. Y/N was sold. She'd already been sold. She was sold the moment she'd met the guy - 'the idiot named Vigilante' - that she'd been told to patch up.

"Is it a good move?"

"I adore you. So much."

His expression turned so bashful as he gazed upon her, admiring the beauty in his eyes as he ran his fingertips lightly over her bare midriff. She bit her lip, her smile growing brighter as her fingers threaded through the strands of his hair, playing with them absentmindedly. "I'm in love with you," he blurted out, unable to stop himself.

"I know." She whispered in reply, smiling warmly up at him. Her heart was bursting with happiness as she looked up into his gorgeous green eyes, taking in his breathtakingly handsome face before leaning forward and capturing his mouth in a searing kiss. "I'm in love with you too, champ."

Adrian smiled against her lips, pure relief and joy flooding his veins as he kissed her back eagerly. This was the best day ever! Nothing could ruin it!

Their smooch came to an abrupt halt when Y/N yawned right up against him. "Sorry. I'm sorry. Just tired," she apologised, yawning once again when her sentence ended.

"You didn't sleep?"

"I was in a worry."

"About me?" Y/N nodded. "You were worried about me. Wow, thank you. Nobody has really done that for me since my Nana passed. Yeah, uh, thank you. Kinda makes me feel special, actually."

Slightly awkwardly, he chuckled after his admission - despite the fact he'd just professed his love for her - before giving her a peck on the tip of her nose. "Go back to sleep. We've still got an hour or so before breakfast and I'll do some gay bee reconnaissance while you're out so it looks like we're working really hard instead of all the fucking and sleeping that we actually do."

That was a good plan, one that Y/N was so prepared to carry out. She let Adrian peel himself out of their embrace so he could retrieve the remote controlled bee from its case but as soon as he was back with her, she was falling asleep with her head on his chest. At first, Adrian completely forgot that he was supposed to be spying and just watched Y/N sleep. He realised that he did that a lot. There was this giddiness inside his heart whenever she proved that she trusted him enough to go unconscious in his presence.

Maybe it wasn't as much as a big deal for her, but for Adrian, it was almost impossible for him to allow himself to become vulnerable with anyone else in the room. There was one mission before Y/N joined the squad where they had to share hotel rooms. Vigilante, as much as it excites him to be around Peacemaker, didn't trust the guy not to fuck with him or draw a dick on his head or anything like that, so he stayed awake the entire night to ensure Chris didn't pull anything.

For five, maybe ten minutes, he brushed his fingers through her hair and watched as she drifted further and further off with a content smile etched upon her face. She was snuggled close to him, arms wrapped securely around his waist and face buried within his chest. Just looking down at her made him unbelievably happy.

Then he remembered 'shit, I'm supposed to be spying right now' and got to that. Auggie's gay bee was buzzing out of their hotel room and further into the hotel in no time. At first, there wasn't anything that really stood out. Staff did their jobs. Other vacationers were awake and got to their breakfast buffet as it opened. Sparrow greeted each and every one of them with the smile that Adrian had come to hate. It was so forced. Obviously, there's a certain type of politeness that you need to have if you work in the service industry - and if you have to fake that, fair enough - but there was a smarmy-ness to Sparrow that accelerated any dislike Adrian had for the guy.

Just when Adrian was going to give up - nothing interesting at all had happened in the five minutes since he started and his attention was already falling off - Sam and Steve from next door ushered Sparrow into a quiet corner. "We have some good news," Sam began, her hushed voice barely covering her excitement.

Sparrow narrowed his eyes and glanced around to make eye contact with a nearby server, who nodded and hurried away to one of the staff areas. "Do tell," he urged, his hand making it to the small of Sam's back as he guided them further away from everyone else and out of the dining hall.

"All the massages and medication must've worked." Steve placed his palm on his wife's stomach. "Little O'Donnell has finally made an appearance."

Weird. Adrian had some idea that his pals - well, they were people who forcefully inserted themselves into most conversations the 'Bardot's' had without asking - were trying to have children. In fact, most of the couples, if not all that they'd spoken to, were in the process of attempting to conceive.

Guiding the O'Donnells through parts of the hotel Adrian had never gone down before, Sparrow congratulated the pair and asked so many follow up questions about the tot. Although, he didn't seem all that interested in the answers. He would say the question and then zone out for the entire time it was being answered, his head bobbing as if he was paying attention but his eyes making it very clear that he was disassociating.

The gay bee followed the trio further and further into the hotel - if he'd been watching when Y/N did reconnaissance yesterday, he would've noticed the familiar surroundings - until they entered a doctor's consulting room. Why was this down a random corridor in an alien hotel?

Sam and Steve were escorted inside and introduced to a doctor who called himself "Dr Yatz" who checked Sam's vitals, her blood pressure, took samples, and other various things that Adrian had no idea what the hell was happening. The guy seemed like he was a real doctor, but there was also something that seemed off about him.

Dr Yatz was an intense guy, Adrian decided. He was observant. It was like he was studying everyone around him to see if they knew shit that they didn't. And, he'd caught sight of the bee hovering and didn't even swat at it. He just glared at the little robot. Did he know?

Then, after to coming to the conclusion that, yes, Sam O'Donnell was experiencing symptoms of pregnancy, Dr Yatz pressed a button right next to the examination table to open a dumbwaiter on the other side of the room and Adrian knew that whatever was going to happen next wasn't going to be good.

He shook Y/N as fast as he could and through tired, half lidded eyes, saw as a beautiful blue rodent sized butterfly catapulted itself into Sam's throat and lodged itself inside her body. Sam spasmed for a few seconds, blood dripping from the corner of her lips, as her husband shrieked, then she fell into limp silence.

Y/N was awake in an instant. "What -!?" she exclaimed frantically, looking down at Sam's prone form.

Steve backed up into the nearest cabinet with wide, panicked eyes as Dr Yatz turned around swiftly. "Stay still," he said coldly, his tone low and intimidating as his eyes darted across Sam's features, assessing the situation.

"She's dying!" Steve yelled, panic laced in his words as he reached towards Sam.

"She's being reborn." Yatz's tone was firm, unwavering. His gaze snapped over to the bee and slapped it into the wall harshly. It hit the concrete floor with a dull thud and the video feed went out, static overtaking the display screen.

Back in the comfort of their hotel room, the duo were dumbfounded as they tried to make sense of what just happened. Sam was a butterfly now. Steve's fate was presumably the same. Dr Yatz was in the same building as them.

"I can figure this out," Y/N murmured breathlessly, more to herself than Adrian, as her hand came to rest upon the scar on the small of her back unconsciously. "Need to figure this out."

"Yeah, course you can, babe. You're, like, the smartest person I know."

“Let's get ready for breakfast. Other than fuck chocolate, you haven't eaten since yesterday lunchtime," she told him, whipping the duvet away from them and get up. They had to make an appearance at breakfast. That was obvious. Anyone who acted the slightest bit withdrawn or out of the ordinary was going to be scrutinised. "Gonna need our strength."

"I'm sure the fuck chocolate had some nutritional value."

"Well, I'm hungry so get outta bed cause I want food."

Within a second, he was out of bed and throwing his clothes on to do exactly as she said and make her happy. He made sure that he got her approval on his outfit before they left the room, then they were out the door and ready to exploit the all-you-can-eat breakfast at their disposal. Because, yeah, he was hungry. And if he was hungry, he had no idea how ravenous Y/N was. He had his stomach full of chocolate and his dick surrounded by pussy. He had truly been sated last night. Y/N, however, had been used and underfed and had only about 25 minutes of sleep and had been rudely awakened by the sight of an alien murder. If she thought it was best to get to breakfast, he was going to ensure they got breakfast.

"Fill your plate, baby. I literally going to have a mountain of waffles if Spencer over there hurries the fuck up," he joked as he placed a hand around Y/N's waist and tugged her close to his side while he grabbed two plates off of the buffet table with the other. As soon as he was done piling his plate high with eggs, sausage, pancakes, bacon, hash browns, French toast, sausages, and biscuits, they were sitting at their usual table and eying everyone as they walked in.

As expected, the O'Donnells didn't show. Presumably, they were dead and being used like puppets at this point.

For the rest of the day, Y/N tried to figure out what the hell was happening. Though they wanted nothing more than to lock themselves away in their room and get a conspiracy board going, they still had to pretend to be one of the regular vacationers.

Other than the obvious, the day itself had been rather uneventful.

Breakfast was normal. Lunch was. The daily affirmation session. The massages too. It was a lovely sunny day and guests were encouraged to hang out by the pool to soak in some vitamin D and indulge in some non-alcoholic beverages. The couple had to pretend that everything was swell and normal and they weren't freaking out.

As she was chatting to the other ladies, Y/N casually brought up pregnancy to them. She used the stereotypical 'now the wedding is done, onto kids' excuse and found out that every single woman she spoke to, was trying to have a baby. Every single one. Without fail. No matter if they already had a little one or this was their first go, they all had the goal of pregnancy. That had to be a piece of the puzzle.

With all this new information and the lack of sleep, Y/N was still exhausted. So, when she allowed herself to get out of the pool and join back up with her husband, Y/N was crawling onto the lounger and resting directly on top of Adrian, her back leaning against his front.

"Any news?"

"I think I might have some info. Tell you later."

Economos had packed Adrian a book for some reason. Just a normal Steven King book. He'd never even thought to look at it but he was bored and didn't want to get his hair wet so he sat under an umbrella and read a book. He looked like he'd been ripped directly from a travel agency advert with his khaki shorts, open Hawaiian shirt, ray bans on his forehead and his bikini clad wife sitting in the gap between his legs. He would've got his Nintendo Switch out but he'd forgotten to charge it and he had to entertain himself the old fashioned way.

They'd done a pretty good job at keeping their panic below the surface, although there were times where they both let a bit of fear slip into their voices while talking with each other. They were tense, that was for sure.

Adrian put his arm around Y/N to pull her in even closer, his nose burying into the crook of her neck as he read over her shoulder. He pressed a small kiss into her skin and smiled as he felt her relax a little.

"We're okay," he muttered softly, closing his eyes as he nuzzled his head closer to hers. "I'll kick anyone's ass who even looks at you funny. I'll get some Raid roach spray and just torch these motherfuckers. Burn this whole place down. Just say the word and I'll pop off, okay?"

She turned over to be chest to chest with him and ran the backs of her fingers along his jawline, smiling when he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "No popping off just yet. For now, we've gotta stick to the charade until we can meet up with the others in town," she sighed softly, pressing her lips to his ear as she said, "And then, we can burn this down together."

The promise of future violence caused Adrian to crack an eye open to shoot Y/N an amused grin. He leaned forward to capture her lips in a kiss that surely got some disapproving looks sent their way, but they ignored them completely in favour of continuing to explore each other's mouths for a little while longer.

Hey, they were horny newlyweds! It was appropriate. Who knows how much longer the mission would go on for? They'd have to indulge in the fantasy while they still could.

Y/N let her kisses trail along his cheek and down his neck as she whispered, "Is it weird that I think I'm going to miss it here? It's such a strange place but, I don't know, it's nice to just be you and me, to be married and have a perfect, like, by the book life. Don't you think?"

He hummed softly in agreement, his hands moving up her back to tangle in her curls at the base of her skull as he scratched idly at her scalp, causing her to moan and slump against his shoulder. "Yeah, I guess this feels right," he replied softly, his head resting on top of hers, "I feel at home whenever I'm with you so I think it's the person rather than the place that makes it feel better. But, yeah, being not married to you is going to kill me when we get back."

"You're a sap."

"You love it," he laughed as he reached around for the towel he knew Y/N had brought. As soon as his hand touched it, Adrian was delicately placing it over Y/N's lower half as if it were a blanket. It wasn't much coverage but it would stop Sparrow's wandering gaze and, hopefully, avoid anyone else checking out his wife's ass.

They chatted amongst themselves for a while longer, the sun beating down heavily upon the pool and bathing everyone within sight in its heavenly warmth. Their conversation was mainly surface level stuff. Some trivial things, random things, just simple things to fill their time without getting too deep into actual topics that would put a neon sign above their heads of 'hey, we're spies! please kill us, you alien bastards!'.

"Babe, it's that guy from...y'know," Adrian said, his eye catching sight of someone standing off to the side and watching all of the couples. "The doctor man."

Everything in her wanted to crane her neck back to get a glimpse of Dr Yatz in the flesh. He hadn't changed much. She'd only gotten a brief look at him on the gay bee feed before it cut out but he seemed exactly as she remembered him. An old, wrinkly man with a thick indiscriminate accent that he tried to hide with varying degrees of success.

No. He'd definitely recognise her face. And the injury she'd got because of him.

"Is my scar visible?" she asked, her voice barely audible since she hid her face in the gap between his neck and the lounger. He tugged the towel to fully conceal her scar from view without question. "He can't see me, can he?"

"Don't think so."

"Has he still got a limp?"

"Doesn't seem like it."

"That bastard."

Her voice sounded venomous. Even Y/N could hear it dripping off her tongue and coating the words that left her mouth. Her heart rate increased as her mind flashed back to the last time she saw him. The blood. The pain. The "leave her behind" that, thankfully, wasn't listened to.

"He's gone, babe," Adrian announced, reaching out and holding onto her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You okay?"

It took her a moment to compose herself enough to answer, "Of course. Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Concern in every pore in his body, he frowned and tilted his head as he stared at her. His eyes scanned her face. She wasn't okay. That much he could tell. His thumb brushed the bottom edge of her bottom lip gently as he looked into her eyes. "Talk to me," he urged.

"When we get back to our room."

That answer seemed to satisfy him for now. He gave her a soft peck on her forehead and wrapped his arms around her again to snuggle into her as much as possible. They remained there until it became clear that everybody else was beginning to disperse and that was their cue.

Once they were back in their room, Y/N did a sweep with the IP scanner just in case the maid had added a sneaky camera whilst they were gone. What she was going to say was classified information that the butterflies might know - Yatz was working for them or one of them so they probably knew some details about his experiments - but there could've been parts of her side of the story that they had no idea about.

Then, when she confirmed that they were secure, she sat down on the bed and tried to gather her thoughts and gather her wits. Adrian, meanwhile, got to his knees between her legs and rested his forearms on her thighs, leaning forward slightly to stare at her intensely through those beautiful eyes of his, waiting patiently to see what was going to come out of her mouth next.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she cleared her throat. "Dr Yatz," she started slowly, taking a deep breath, "Was my last mission at the DEO so my brain is kinda struggling to deal with the fact that history is repeating itself. I mean, I guess it makes sense..."

A sigh fell past her lips. "Have you ever heard of Jack Ryder?"

"The host of that gameshow 'You Don't Know Jack!'?"

They made a TV show off a Jackbox game. No, it wasn't any good. It was a bunch of people who thought they were a lot funnier than they actually were and was an insufferable watch.

"Yeah, that guy."

"I remember that show. It fucking sucked," Adrian admitted, making her laugh at his bluntness

"Have you heard of The Creeper?"

Gotham has a bunch of freaks running around. Some good, like Batman. Some bad, like the Joker. Others are somewhere in between, like The Creeper. Adrian had heard about this anti-hero - he kept tabs on all the superpeople he possibly could because they're sick as fuck but he might need to know their weaknesses one day to kill them - and, honestly, he hadn't been convinced that The Creeper was real until now.

He'd seen images of the guy. Would you believe that a guy with yellowy green skin, red claws, and malachite spiked hair who went around in dirty tighty whities and a cape is real? In this world of metahumans and Batman villains, he should've assumed that this freak was really a thing that existed out there somewhere.

"Uh-huh."

"Well, they're the same guy. Jack got into a lot of debt and when Yatz offered him some money to be a test subject, he couldn't refuse," Y/N explained and waited for him to acknowledge that he understood before she carried on. "The doctor was working for the Joker at the time, primarily on his perfecting the formula on his Venom -"

"Like his laughing gas?"

"Exactly."

"So, is that like those vials in that examination room?"

Y/N tilted her head as she thought. The weird examination room that they'd seen both times of the bee's camera had a huge cupboard of different coloured liquid that were all named after emotions. After all, Joker's Venom was green and induced severe gleefulness. Maybe Yatz had branched out from laughing gas.

"When did you get so smart?" she cooed in awe as she cupped his cheeks with both of her hands. "Okay, yeah. So, he's created laughing gas and fuck gas now - oh shit - that's the fucking roofies in the affirmation session!"

Things were beginning to unravel in her mind and she needed to take control of them before anything got away from her, and she needed to do it quickly. Because there was one last piece of the puzzle to add to everything she was piecing together.

"They want us to fuck. Why do they want us to fuck?"

"Cause you're hot?" he suggested, knowing full well how stupid that was the second it came out of his mouth. "The camera in the gift basket? I don't know. I'm not good at this shit."

"You're doing so good. Throw some more ideas at me."

"Maybe they want authentic couple porn and get off at being voyeuristic creeps?"

Smiling, she tried to hide her laugh by biting her lip, which only furthered his desire to quit while he was ahead. He'd sniffed out one clue and maybe that was enough for the day. He let out a groan and let his forehead rest against her breast in defeat.

"Your boobs feel bigger," he stated matter of factly and pulled up his head to look at her in the eye. She laughed out loud this time, not even trying to restrain herself, then abruptly stopped.

That was it! Boobs! Other than being jiggly, there was one other common feature of breasts.

"Fucking breastfeeding! They're milking us like cows!”

Next Chapter: Farmville

Taglist: @sarahskywalker-amidala , @she-wolf09231982 , @afraidofshrimp (Wanna be added to the taglist? Just message me or leave a comment :p)

#adrian chase #vigilante #vigilante x reader #adrian chase x female reader #adrian chase x reader #adrian chase x y/n #peacemaker

[bippot]

Summary: A crime writer moves to Evergreen and Vigilante is more than willing to help her settle in. He's not sure why. Maybe it's because she's nice to him. Her family, on the other hand, aren't at all what they seem.

Entire Story Tags: Autism Spectrum, Dungeons & Dragons References, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Gun Violence, Idiots in Love, Eventual Smut, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Family Drama, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Children, Canon-Typical Violence, Grief/Mourning, Marriage Proposal, Married Life, Hospitals, Injury, Blood, Gore, Animal Attack, DC Comics References, Mutual Pining, Love Confessions, Bisexual Christopher Smith | Peacemaker, Fluff and Smut, Domestic Fluff, Organized Crime, Crime Fighting, Crime Scenes, Kidnapping, Mommy Issues

(Peacemaker taglist: @kpopgirlbtssvt, @adriansboyfriend)

Peacemaker, Adrian Chase Masterlist - here

Previous Chapters 1-5, 6-10

11. Oath of Vengeance

Their first few weeks as a couple breezed by. It wasn't as if they had to get to know each other. They'd spent every day together since she arrived and knew just about everything about each other by this point. Now, they were best friends with added bonus of intimacy, which was easy. As easy as breathing to them.

Though, their first few dates didn't go as planned. They didn't go badly, not at all, but the pair had intended to leave the comfort of Y/N's home and never managed to get out the front door.

The first time, they'd planned to go on a nice, casual coffee date - though, Adrian doubted he would get coffee because he didn't want to have a caffeine high and annoy her so much she breaks up with him half an hour into their first official outing as a couple. He'd swapped a mid-day shift with Taylor just to give himself an hour beforehand to freak out (in a good way) and prepare some pick up lines he thought were cool in the mirror.

So, with his brain swimming with flirty things to say and sweaty hands holding a wrapped gift behind his back, Adrian knocked his knuckles on her door. He rarely ever knocked these days. Usually, he just used his key and walked in, no warning. But, he thought it would be appropriate this time.

Y/N opened the door and her face was immediately taken over by a smile. "Hey pookie," she whispered, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. When she pulled back, her hand was drifting up to his hair, giving him a loving pet and mumbling, "Your hair looks so fluffy today."

"I, uh, I washed it. For this, for you."

"Thank you for having basic hygiene," Y/N teased, yet after thinking for a moment, she added, "Actually I've been on a few dates with guys and I wondered whether they even knew what a shower was."

"Gross."

"Yeah."

She opened the door wider and stepped back, tugging on his bicep so he'd come inside. He shuffled through the door with a nervous smile on his face, not quite used to the whole going on a date thing. He'd been on a few before - a handful at most - and he liked those girls, sure, but they hadn't been Y/N, so it was a little different. A lot different.

A lot more serious. That's why he stuttered out, "I-I, uh, I got you t-this," and shoved the gift in his hands before her. He wasn't the best wrapper but he'd chosen paper covered in a bunch of swear words so he thought that would distract her enough that she wouldn't pay attention to how badly it was presented.

When she grabbed the gift from him, she let out a soft noise - a cute, carefree sound that made his heart flutter - and sat down where she was standing to unwrap it comfortably. The box was square with a little bow on top and Y/N looked up at him with wide, excited eyes. She tore through the paper without caring at all about his shoddy work.

"So pretty!" she exclaimed, pulling out the box of Lego flowers and immediately opening it to get a better look at what was inside.

All his nervousness faded. This was Y/N, after all. She was his literal favourite person in the world (please don't tell Peacemaker) and he knew he was hers too. This could never go badly. Because they were so good together and knew each other's boundaries and held each other in such high regard, yeah, he had no need to worry.

He sat down on the carpet beside her and that's where they stayed until the flowers were built, both of them completely forgetting that they were supposed to be on a date. Although doing Lego together is a great date, it just wasn't the one they planned.

And because they hadn't gone on that date, they arranged to go on a fancy dinner date that they had to put a deposit down beforehand for. They'd gotten all dressed up - which was the major reason for their failure - with Adrian in his best duds. He didn't own many options of dress wear suitable for an expensive restaurant and had to settle for the suit he wore to funerals since he figured it was the best he had.

"I'll be out in two minutes!" Y/N called from her room, busy adding the final touches to her hair.

Adrian leaned back against her couch and waited. He checked his phone for the time every three seconds and when she finally emerged, his phone slipped through his fingers and dropped to the floor without him noticing. She smiled at him in response, and that was all it took.

"Holy shit!" he breathed, staring at her in awe. "You look, um -" Adrian swallowed. " - Really pretty. Super pretty. Super mega pretty. Like, how? How are you my girlfriend?"

Blushing, Y/N wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You don't look half bad either, handsome," she flirted, before taking his chin between her thumb and forefinger to force his eyes to look at her face rather than them trailing all over her body. "You clean up well, pookie."

"I wore this suit to my parents' funeral."

A beat passed. He didn't mean to say that. And she didn't know what to say back.

"Not that you needed to know that," he quickly added, his palms caressing up and down her sides. "I mean, I want to tell you everything. Maybe not everything. You definitely don't need to know that I had to jerk off twice before coming here because I thought about how hot you were going to look and, fuck, my imagination was nowhere near this good."

"Yeah? Do you jerk off to the thought of me often?" Her voice got a sultry tone to it that stopped the movement of his hands and he gripped onto the fabric of her dress.

There was no conceivable way they were going to make it to the restaurant. Not now. Not after he tugged her to press against his chest, grabbing a handful of her ass as he lifted her into his arms to carry her into the bedroom. Y/N was more than happy to lose the deposit.

They didn't manage to get there on their third try either. Despite the fact that they both really wanted to see the movie they'd pre-paid to see in the cinema, they got caught up lounging on the couch, completely unaware they'd missed it. They'd scheduled it at midday so they could spend the afternoon in town. They'd even settled in at the Chase residence because it was far less 'at home' for the both of them.

Still, Adrian lay with his head resting on Y/N's thigh, her hand playing with his hair, the other placed on her stomach so he could fiddle with her fingers as they watched a rerun of Jersey Shore that they'd both seen before.

"We're late for the movie," Adrian mumbled once he'd taken a look at the clock.

"Oh shit."

"Honestly, I'm so comfy that I don't care."

He pushed his face further into the skin of her thigh, the tip of nose nudging the edge of her shorts up. That's when he remembered - not that he really forgot, just re-remembered - that he was between her legs. Her thigh was so soft and warm and plush that it was begging him to pay attention to it just by existing.

So, he did. It started off as slow open-mouthed presses of his lips against her inner thigh, just a light touch at first, but it didn't take long before he was pleading up at her with manipulative Puss in Boots-esque eyes. His fingers found the waistband of her shorts and gave it a small tug.

"Lemme eat you out? Please? Just wanna taste you."

For a second, she was a little bewildered. None of the guys she'd ever been with never wanted 'just' that. It had always been a transaction and, honestly, she didn’t want a sore throat that afternoon. As that argument was about to fall from her lips, he clarified, "I'll probably cum in pants before you even finish cause your moans sound so hot." He tried best impression of Y/N. "Oh, Adrian, right there! Right there! You're such a good boy for me!"

A laugh bubbled up from her throat.

"Is that a no?" he asked cheekily. He knew what her answer was by the way she bit down on her bottom lip, the lust evident in her stare. His smile widened and he had to gaze up at the ceiling for a second to keep himself from squealing like an idiot.

The elderly woman who lived next door to Adrian was unfortunate enough to innocently look into his living room window whilst on her way to deliver a parcel for Adrian that had been put on her doorstep to find Y/N's legs over his shoulders and his face deep in her pussy, groaning into her as his hips rocked against the cushion beneath him.

Mrs Thomas let out a loud yelp. The couple's heads immediately whipped up to see what the noise was.

"Ade, stop," Y/N ordered, pulling at his hair when he tried to get back to it without a single care in the world that his sweatpants had a wet patch and a woman he'd known since he was in nappies was shell-shocked on the other side of the window.

Wiping the corner of his mouth, he stood, waved at the old lady, closed the curtains, then immediately returned to his spot between her legs. "That was close," he said curtly as he began to make out with her clit again. "Almost as close as you."

"She definitely saw us."

"This, for sure, is going into Mrs. Thomas' wank bank then."

To rectify their mistakes, they called their everyday duties 'dates'. Doing the laundry together, that was a date if they wanted it to be. Catching up on the Real Housewives, that's a date. Going grocery shopping was one too, and during their first trip to the shop, she found out that his diet when he wasn't at her house mostly consisted of gummy bears, creatine, packet noodles, and, strangely, a gourmet bag of jalapeno poppers. When she asked why he bought the more expensive version, he shrugged and mumbled, "They are the ones my brother used to like."

Huh, that was weirdly sentimental for him.

They even had their first fight - only a small one - and Vigilante was the problem.

"What the hell are you even saying, motherfucker?"

Y/N sipped her drink, unperturbed by him swearing at her, and retorted, "He's a fucking paladin, babe."

"A paladin?!"

If Adrian was being honest, he didn't really give a shit. A rush of adrenaline zinged through his veins from hearing her talk about Vigilante. Y/N, on the other hand, enjoyed poking the bear. He was awful at hiding his secret identity from her. She was surprised it had taken her as long as it had to figure him out.

"You see a cool guy in a cool costume and you say he's a paladin. Yeah, right?"

"Paladin's are sick."

"Are you serious?"

"Uh-huh."

"They're religious dickwipes with their little channel divinity abilities! You've got to be kidding me," Adrian exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air and bringing them down to rest on the counter on either side of her hips. "He's a fighter, babygirl."

"Never call me that ever again."

Looking up at her, all his faux anger faded away and he was simply flirting when he inquired, "Never?" grinning at her in such a way that caused her to swoon.

"Nope."

His nose teasingly bumped into hers. "You sure about that?" A weird indiscriminate accent flew from his mouth as he said, "Because you're my babygorl," and they vaulted into manic laughter that had them doubling over, his forehead colliding with her cleavage.

"Pervert," she gasped, playfully pushing his head away.

"I'd prefer to be a pervert than a paladin."

She snorted and shook her head. "All I'm saying is that Vigilante is an Oath of Vengeance bitch - it's all about murdering those who go around committing sins with brutal force - and that may make him a pervert too. Who's to say?"

"Vengeance? That's Batman's thing, not Vigilante's."

"Could be both of their things," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'd bet my right nut that Vigilante gets, like, so much pussy that he doesn't have the time for vengeance," Adrian murmured, although she could tell he wasn't confident in his lie. The last few words were almost whispered because he faltered for a second before making a show of clearing his throat then loudly announcing, "Why are you so interested in Vigilante, babe?"

Should she fuck with him? Probably not. Did she?

"He's cute."

Fuck. Was he getting jealous of himself? She had kissed Vigilante. Who did she prefer, Adrian or Vigilante? It would kill him if she picked him (Vigilante) over him (Adrian) in a battle for her heart.

"He's got a really great costume," she said, making it as flirty as she could. "It's tight."

Is it possible for his brain to feel warm? The rest of his body was on fire, why should his thoughts be any different? At one point, he vowed to murder Vigilante. Wait. He is Vigilante. He wouldn't kill himself. That would be fuckin stupid.

"Do you even know who this Vigilante guy is? What's his name?" He defensively prompted, smoothing his palms against her thighs, the texture of her jeans calming him down a smidge. He added a quick, "Or her name. He could be a woman, you never know. Or a non binary dude - wait, what's the casual way to refer to non binary people? I doubt it's 'it' because that sounds offensive, can't be that. Whatever they're called... oh right, they, that makes sense - he could be a they."

Throughout his rambling about pronouns, she was just beaming at him because he was an idiot. A pretty idiot. No, her pretty idiot. And as he finally stopped speaking, Y/N found herself leaning in and pressing her lips to his with a newfound hunger. His arms wound around her and held her close as he kissed her back, and for a moment, who the hell was Vigilante? He'd never heard of the dude before.

But she couldn't let him completely win. Her hand came to the nape of his neck and tugged at his hair. He moaned as she leaned back and said, "Maybe I'll ask when I see him next."

Damn right was jealous of himself. Vigilante better watch out for Adrian Chase.

"Or they!" he exclaimed, his hands slipping down to her ass and pulling her body flush with his.

"Or them," she corrected.

After that, she only mentioned Vigilante whenever she wanted to annoy him. He'd get all confused and flustered and cute, and she'd just laugh at his responses. Before going to one of her weekly DnD sessions, she'd almost reduced him to a mess of babbling excuses about why she'd never seen Adrian and Vigilante in the same room, leaving him in a state of complete and utter bewilderment as she left for her dungeon master's place.

Although she was waiting for him to tell her his secret, that doesn't mean shouldn't have a bit of fun without it. He was adorable when he was all frazzled.

Once her party had fought a red dragon, almost had a TPK, and ended the session with everyone getting drunk in a tavern, she was bidding goodbye to her friends and on her way home. It was the most stereotypical session but, hey, it was still fun. So fun that Y/N couldn't wait to tell Vigilante all about it when he walked her home.

Yet, the masked hero was nowhere to be seen. Adrian must not want her to interact with his counterpart any more. That made sense. In his mind, the less she interacted with Vigilante, the less likely she was going to find out it was him.

Too late for that, unfortunately.

If that was the case, she'd have to walk home alone. At night. In the dark. By herself.

Well, she had to get home at some point. Why not start walking? It would be fine. She had her childhood kickboxing skills and some pepper spray in her bag. Y/N plugged her ears with headphones and began her journey, vibing out whatever random song came on shuffle.

What she didn't expect, however, was her music to completely drown out the ruckus in the alleyway she turned down. Unknowingly, she came across three men - one huge one with bulging muscles and three hairs on his head, a tall weasel looking guy, and a dude covered in tattoos who was shaking like a leaf.

Shakin Stevens was the first to notice Y/N and rushed up to her, holding a shiny silver knife at her throat. "D-don't make a noise, sweetheart," he threatened, his greasy hair covering half his face.

"HUH? I'M WEARING HEADPHONES. I CAN'T HEAR YOU."

Whoever this man was, he was quickly losing his cool. He pushed the tip of the blade under one earbud and yanked it out of her ear, but he must've overestimated the amount of pressure needed and ended up cutting her cheek. A thin slash appeared and oozed blood down her face and dripped onto her jaw.

The headphone fell straight into the puddle below them. Y/N complained, "Ow, I was listening to that."

"I said shut it, bitch!"

"Put the knife down, Bobby. We don't want theft and murder charges," said the more muscular man "Besides, it doesn't matter what our charges are if Vigilante murders us."

Oh, they were scared of Vigilante. Figures.

12. Sterilised Sweetness

Bobby was an unlucky man. Vigilante had been a little late to their usual meeting place and tried to catch up with her. He got there just in time as the criminal cut his girlfriend's face. Oh, boy was that a big mistake! Her right cheek was a bloody mess so he had to fuck these guys up, that was the gentlemanly way.

How dare they touch a single hair on her head? How fucking dare they cause her pain? That was the worst thing he could think of anyone doing to his girl. They deserved whatever fate he dished out.

A shot rang out and the guy who had yet to speak dropped to the ground, dead. The two remaining criminals and Y/N jumped at the sudden noise, all momentarily stuck in place for enough time for Vigilante to enter their field of view.

Immediately, Vigilante punched Bobby straight in the throat, attempting to crush his windpipe, then threw him to the ground. He kicked him when he was down just for good measure, too.

As Vigilante was doing that, the muscular man tried to make a break for it, but in doing so, he'd have to get past Y/N. Why not? She was a civilian who probably was just as scared of the serial murderer that was frequently on the news as he was.

"Run," he yelled to the girl as he got closer to her.

That might have worked if she were afraid of being shot by Vigilante. She wasn't.

Muscle man never would've expected that she wouldn't try to get out of there too. And he definitely wouldn't have expected her to whip her arm out so he couldn't get by, causing him to momentarily trip on a piece of uneven concrete and give her the perfect opportunity to bring her fist up to roughly connect with the side of his head. He stumbled backwards and fell straight into a puddle on his ass.

Vigilante stared in awe over his shoulder as she shook the pain out of her hand. He had planned to shoot these guys and then hurry away before she could ask him any questions...but now?

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" He yelled, completely forgetting that he usually disguised his voice whenever Vigilante spoke to her. He was smacking his fist into Bobby's face over and over. The criminal had been knocked unconscious a few punches ago but vengeance, y'know.

Y/N could fight like that!? If he wasn't already head over heels, that would've fucking done it! He should've fucking known she was badass too. That's so hot.

Ignoring his question, she asked her own, "Are you a paladin or a fighter?"

"I'll be whatever you want me to be."

Without warning, a wide smile stretched across her face as soon as she realised he probably got that dopey, lovesick look on his face that he wore so often whenever she did something that turned him on.

The remaining awake guy got to his knees shakily. He never got to his feet since Vigilante instantly put a bullet in him without looking to aim. Then did the same to Bobby. All three of the criminal's were dead.

Morbid curiosity took over her entire being. The bullet had gone through his forehead, and there was a thick trail of blood running down his nose bridge that stopped at his chin. The hole was around 6 cm long and was circled with jagged, mutilated flesh and congealing blood. It was downright gross to look at. His blood was mixing with the puddle below and created some gross water to blood gradient.

She'd seen this before. Obviously, not this exact scenario but there was something so familiar about the way the red spilled further and further to the edges, tainting the somewhat murky rainwater with its violence.

Vigilante put his hand on her shoulder to try and guide her away from the gruesome scene. He softly said, "Hey, you don't want any more nightmares, do you?"

Yeah, this would definitely be added to her collection.

"Let's get you home. The police tend to take six and a half minutes, and you've been staring at this guy for two," he informed and pulled her along. She was more than willing to follow him as they rushed back to her house.

On their way, it was dangerously quiet. Vigilante wanted to say something, to crack a joke or make a fool of himself so she'd laugh, but he couldn't. He was too worried about the way her hands were shaking, and the way she was staring off into the distance with a confused expression.

A few streets away from her home, a barrage of sirens and lights could be heard getting closer and closer and closer until Vigilante had to push Y/N against a nearby van so they could hide from sight. He squished his chest against hers, his forearms resting on either side of her head as he tried to be as gentle as possible so he didn't set off the car alarm.

And in that position, he couldn't help but glance down and found Y/N staring up at him, her beautiful eyes wide and innocent. "Hey there," he whispered before he swiped away a drop of blood that was about to drip off her chin.

"Hi."

Seeing him murder those men didn't lessen her attraction to him. Maybe, just maybe, it somehow made him even hotter. That's not how it should go, and she knew that.

They made it to her house without any more hassle. He pushed her through her front door, his hand on the small of her back as he guided her towards the kitchen.

"I'm going to clean you up, okay?" He lifted her by the hips up on the counter and started rifling through her cupboards for bandaids and antiseptic wipes, biting his gloves off as he searched. "This is going to hurt, baby. Just squeeze the shit out of my shoulder or bite me or do whatever you need to do."

His hand was so steady as he cleaned her wound because he'd been doing this type of thing for years, yet he'd never been this gentle when patching himself up. His one hand held her cheek, not only because it felt nice to cradle her face like that, but because he needed to keep her head still so he could sterilise the area properly.

Y/N had gone so deep within her head that she made very little reactions to the stinging of the antiseptic. Her father taught her how to be caring and compassionate, so why wasn't it working? Was it because she didn't know these men? Most likely. But that doesn't mean their lives were any less valuable. And if she felt nothing, did that make her a bad person?

Does Vigilante feel anything when he hurts people?

He cleaned the wound as best as he could, and when he was done he placed a large band-aid across it. She winced a bit and her eyes finally focused on what was before her.

"I hope it doesn't scar, but if it does you'll look fucking sick," he complimented, his thumb caressing along the bandage a few times before he rolled his mask up enough to place his lips directly on the middle of her cut.

Tenderly, he pushed her hair back from her face and got serious. Physically, he had fixed her issue. Emotionally? He wasn't sure if he could do that but he'd fucking try. He shifted uncomfortably and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

Part of him was thankful. Emotions had never been his forte. Yet, if something was troubling her, he wanted to know. He would solve it. Or kill it. Whichever was easier.

"Do you want me to go?"

"Please stay."

In the quiet, his fingers ran through her hair in an attempt to soothe her, but after the evening she had, it was quite knotty. His fingers got stuck and pulled her head back slightly. It wasn't forceful. It was enough for the tears, that she had no idea had begun to form, to retreat.

"Oh, fuck, I'm sorry. My bad," Adrian apologised and removed himself from her entirely.

"Kiss me and I might forgive you."

"You sure?"

"Just kiss me."

Never could he decline that request. His heart was beating so fast but his lips were hesitant at first, as if he wasn't sure what to do. Her hands roamed his back, almost feeling the contours of his body beneath his padding, and was encouraging him to get more passionate.

Shit. Shit. Shit. He had to calm her down or else she would feel awful about it in the morning. He couldn't let her think she was cheating on Adrian.

"Watch the sword," he warned, using that as an excuse to break away and go to move away from her. He reached to unclip the strap with his sword, then his utility belt, then the gun holster, then the ammo pouch. He even crouched to remove the hidden knife from his ankle strap.

Without all the bulk attached to him, he looked more like Adrian to her. He still had the mask on but now he had the general shape of her boyfriend.

Rather abruptly, Y/N got to her knees on the ground. She looked up at him, her eyes large and pleading. Despite the fact they had been in this position before - he'd been dressed a little different that time - he didn't know how to behave.

Yeah, he wanted a blowjob. Sue him. He's a horny guy who is being offered a blowie by his very pretty girlfriend. It took every piece of his self control to say the words "We shouldn't" out loud.

"Do you not want to?"

"No, no, I... I want to." He had to avert his gaze for a second. "I don't want to complicate your life, I just..."

There was no turning back for either of them. He was a dangerous criminal, but hey, it's better than being a cop. She was all in on both sides of his coin.

"You've already complicated my life," she said, running her fingers along the side of his thigh. "Why not enjoy the complication while we still have the chance?"

Words failed him. He was rendered speechless, and for a second, she thought he might just pick up his stuff and leave. He didn't. His eyes squeezed shut for a moment before he opened them, caught her by the wrist and placed her palm directly on his crotch.

"Y/N, are you sure? Your boyfri-"

"I want you to fuck my throat."

If that's what his girl wanted, that was what his girl was going to get. He hooked his fingers underneath the waistband of his underwear and pushed down his layers to reveal himself.

Y/N spat into her hand and brought it to his cock, circling her palm around his shaft and giving him a few pumps. "What got you so hard?" She asked, her voice a seductive whisper, her eyes looking up at him from under her eyelashes.

"That punch was so fucking sexy."

"Do you get like this every time you watch a girl fight?"

"Only when the girl is as pretty as you are," he said breathlessly, the slow slide of her fist making his breath hitch. "You're so hot... so so pretty. Prettiest girl in the world."

The furrow between her brows that had been there since she'd seen three people killed in front of her disappeared. The corner of her mouth curled up in a half-smile and her cheeks flushed.

One batch of compliments wasn't going to fix everything, but it was sweet enough that it gave her a reprieve from her doubts.

Watching her with an insane amount of focus, he whimpered when she opened her mouth wide and tapped the tip of his cock against her tongue. "You gonna put it in? Please put me in your mouth," he begged, the breathlessness in his voice turning to impatience.

"Yeah?" Her tongue licked its way up his shaft, base to head, and her lips closed around him for only a second in an effort to tease him further.

"Ah, fuck!" he yelped. "Please, babe. Please!"

Vigilante - the great hero of Evergreen - was begging for her, that made her feel special.

Her one hand braced herself against his thigh as the other guided his cock into her lips, her movements slow and sensual but deliberate and firm. The sounds he was making were borderline pornographic, gasping and whimpering. He clutched handfuls of her hair and wrapped it around his hand, keeping it out of the way because he doubted she'd want saliva and cum in her hair.

At first, he was attempting to restrain himself and not buck wildly, but once she gripped onto his hip and began to rock him in time with her bobbing, it was hard for him not to thrust himself further into her mouth.

When he looked to be nearing his breaking point, she fully removed herself and stopped stimulating him. Y/N got to her feet and decided to search her fridge for something to drink. Edging him was her punishment for how lethal he'd been. She soon realised that her anger for him had not subsided and this was her special way of chastising him.

"Want a beer?" She nonchalantly asked, pretending to be unaffected by how frazzled and desperate the whine he made sounded. She handed him a beer and he drank it as if it was the only thing he could think of doing.

The entire time he stood there and tried to shake off how horny he was, he looked as if he didn't have a clue and maybe had never had one. His chest was still heaving and his eyes were losing how glassy they had been. Why did she stop? Had he done something wrong?

Finally, he let out an amused laugh and commented, "You are the most insufferable woman I've ever met."

"I have been told that before."

They stayed silent for a while. He was gazing at her whilst she drank, frantically trying to figure her out. It was long enough for his boner to die down. Blue balls are a bitch, but he'd have to sort it out later.

Hey, at least he had a new thing to add to his wank bank.

Weakly, he managed to say, "Please don't turn me into the police," because that was a serious concern. He'd technically made her an accomplice in his crimes.

The idea of turning him into the police was repulsive to her. Hell, the idea of the police was repulsive to her.

"I wouldn't do that."

For some strange reason, he felt the need to bring her into his arms and gently sway from side to side. It was awkward at first but he hummed some indecipherable slow song for them to keep time to. It didn't sound good but it was comforting. It felt normal. This was a thing that couples do, he'd seen it in movies. They were a couple. Why not?

Even if one of them was dressed in hockey pads and a mask on in a feeble attempt to hide his identity from the other, it was still the most romantic thing that had ever happened in his life so far.

13. Hardboiled Bastard

Weeks passed without much trouble. The couple found that it was best for now to ignore the Vigilante side of their relationship. There was always this bittersweet taste in his mouth whenever Adrian interacted with her while he had his mask on, but chose to push that down until he told her about his secret identity and they'd have to cross that conversation bridge when they got there.

They were lounging on the couch one evening, Y/N's nose pressed into the crook of Adrian's neck as she snoozed against him, and everything was peaceful. Adrian was switching his focus from watching TV and the way he was twiddling Y/N's hair between his fingers, his arm around her shoulders to keep her pressed against his warmth.

This was the most content he'd ever felt. This was love. He'd never felt it so casually before. She wasn't doing anything - just merely breathing - and he was fascinated.

His eyes slumped down a smidge, then a bit more, then a bit more, and then they were closed.

I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world

Life in plastic, it's fantastic

The abrupt sounds of Aqua caused them both to jerk awake and groan. He rubbed his eye with the palm of his hand and fumbled for his phone with the other. Harcourt was calling. Ignoring his boss' call probably wasn't the smartest of ideas but they could go without him for one night, right?

Of course, Vigilante was an effective member of the team. Yes, he did like shooting people and making things go boom... but he was comfy. And warm. And had his very pretty girlfriend in his arms. Was it so outlandish that he wanted to stay right where he was for as long as life allowed him to be?

He settled back down, clutching tighter at Y/N's jumper. Well, his jumper that his girlfriend had stolen cause it was far warmer than hers - or, at least that's what she told him.

"Important?" Y/N grumbled, eyes still heavy from her nap.

"Don't know. Don't care."

Adrian clicked the power button on the tv remote and prepared himself to fall asleep in the darkness of the living room. He wiggled a little to get comfortable and when he did so, he kissed Y/N on the temple to say his goodbye for the night, even though he was under the belief at that point he'd be her pillow until she woke in the morning. Just as he was drifting off again...

I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world

Life in plastic, it's fantastic

"Oh, fuck off!" Filled with so much annoyance, Adrian almost screamed down the phone, "Hello! Why are you calling?!"

"Vigilante," Harcourt warned in that way she always said his name right before she was about to yell at him. He was about to get verbally assaulted, he knew that. He braced himself for whatever was to come. But, she didn't.

All she did was sigh. It had been a long night for her. "Get to HQ."

"But-"

"Mission time."

"Urgh." His voice got all whiny as it often did whenever he was feeling the slightest bit of negative emotion as he complained, "Can't you get Chris to do this one? I did the last one!"

"Both of you are needed."

Glancing down at his girlfriend, who had the sleepiest, softest look on her face as she moved to sit up - if his ringtone hadn't already woken her up, his whining certainly would've. Adrian smoothed down her hair as he debated whether to continue arguing or not. It was a losing battle, especially against Harcourt.

"Fuckin' fine! I'll be there!" He hung up before his boss could respond.

Y/N raised an eyebrow at him, looking like she was about to ask a question but he cut her off by kissing her, pressing his lips to hers in a soft, slow, lingering kiss.

"Pookie, go do whatever you need to go and do," Y/N mumbled against his lips. She pushed at his chest so he would pull back and start getting ready for his mission, but he wasn't getting the memo and grabbed both sides of her face to pull her into a sleepy makeout session. It was supposed to be quick but he got too into it and backed her down onto the couch, his body squishing hers into the cushion.

At first, Y/N melted into it and let him distract himself by kissing her. She was okay with his tardiness when it came to his job as a busboy, not as a civilian saving vigilante - which obviously that was what the call was about, what restaurant is in desperate need of their busboy at 10pm - so, once she regained some of her bearings, she was doing her best to put him on the right track.

"Baby, baby, baby," she pleaded, trying to remain firm as he moved his affection down her neck and to her chest, "You've just said to your friend that you're going to go help. Go help."

Why was she so understanding? She didn't know what he was going off to do. For all she knew, he could be off with a chick on the side, not that he had or wanted one. That was a thought that had never even crossed his mind. He was a one gal man, and she was that one gal. His gal.

"I don't wanna go. Too tired."

"So you just lied to your friend when you said you'll be there? That's not very nice, Ade."

"I want to want to help, it's... you're so pretty and you smell so good and I don't wanna leave you right now."

Y/N's entire being softened and as a last resort, she managed to slide out from under him and stand up. As soon as she stood, he did too.

"Go get ready."

"Noooo..." he whined like a little child, holding his arms out for her to step into. Y/N resisted the urge. "Babe, come here."

When Y/N didn't give in to his demands, he huffed, "Fine, I'll have to just squeeze the life out of you," and surged forward with far too much energy to pull Y/N into his arms. Surprisingly, she dodged out of the way since she could tell what he was planning. He tried again. And again. And again. But Y/N kept darting out of the way before he could entrap her in a hug.

"I'm gonna get you!"

"Yeah, you better try."

It really woke them both up and it wasn't long before Y/N was on one side of the sofa, watching and waiting for Adrian to suddenly run at her from the other side. He faked going left, then faked going right, then jumped on the arm of the sofa and darted across the cushions to volt directly at her chest. Y/N caught him, her hands under his knees and their chests bumping together with a little too much force, and said, "Looks like you're awake enough to go now."

Adrian's groan was so loud. He couldn't say that he wasn't proud of her for besting him in this way, though. He had been tricked into getting his blood pumping and filled with that oh so addicting adrenaline. Guess he'd have to go to work. That sucks. At least this job would suck less than his busboy one. Maybe it would be fun, although he knew it would be infinitely more fun if he could bring Y/N along.

"You're so sneaky," he complimented as he leaned in for a kiss that was pushed away with her palm.

"I'll be right here when you get back," Y/N said with a wink, before shoving him towards the front door. And before he left, she pecked him on the cheek (knowing that if she kissed him anywhere else they would never have to go through this dance all over again and he'd never leave), and reminded him, "My parents are coming tomorrow afternoon, so... be aware of that."

"I am aware of that." (He wasn't)

Once again, he tried to give her a smooch but she placed her hand over his mouth and pushed him outside, shaking her head with happy disbelief that this guy - her guy - was so fucking whipped for her. He gave her one last longing look, big eyes and an ever bigger pout, then got into his car to drive away.

Peacemaker wasn't too happy that Adrian had been so late to pick him up in the Vigilante-mobile. 20 whole minutes! Now they were going to be 20 minutes late to HQ and Harcourt was going to yell at them. That wasn't a good way to impress her and, y'know, get her to like you enough to go out on a date the next time you ask her. How was Peace ever going to get Harcourt to look at him now?!

They were still arguing as they walked into HQ. With everyone in attendance, it was time to be debriefed by Economos. He had created a downright confusing PowerPoint that, honestly, left them with a lot of questions.

One question Adrian had was "So, we're fighting an egg?" and he'd asked as if it were a completely normal thing to be said. In this context, maybe it was.

"A man-egg," Chris clarified, as he looked smugly towards Harcourt, hoping that she would notice that he was paying attention to the presentation well enough that he knew that.

Ignoring the look, Harcourt rolled forward in her wheelchair, her legs still not fully operational, and said, "This is classified information, but I guess it's important for you to know, Egg Fu is a robotic egg-man."

Adebayo kicked her feet up on her desk and tapped a pen against the wood, clearly bored because she'd read the mission synopsis that was literally printed out in front of them, and had barely been paying attention to the information to Economos. There was one thing that hadn't been brought up yet.

"What's this guy's weakness? How do we go about subduing him?" Leota asked.

"That is still under development," Harcourt replied and, yeah, that essentially meant 'we have no fucking clue, good luck finding out'. Yet, she added, "Most of the information we have about Egg Fu is about his past criminal activity and Economos did manage to find a document about his self-inflicted experiments, but no images of what he looks like."

"Isn't that kind of racist?"

Everyone's head turned to stare at Vigilante in confusion. Peacemaker was the first to speak up. "Is what racist?"

"His name! Did this guy name himself Egg Fu? Or did someone see that he was Asian and say 'oh yeah, I'm a big racist and I know the perfect moniker for this dude'? Cause if it's the second option, that's fucked as hell!"

"You make a good point, dude!"

Harcourt let her head drop into her hands. At times, she wondered why she bothered with these guys. They were great fighters, but, boy, were they fucking stupid and had a tendency to focus on the wrong things. It was irritating, sure, but it had to be dealt with. What really got to her was that she knew they could be so much better, so why did they act like such children?

"Yes, it is, but that is the name that Chang Tzu calls himself. He also kills anyone who calls him anything different," Harcourt explained, but even as she did, she was thinking 'I'm going to blow my own brains out. Why did I ever piss Waller off? I hate my life. I hate these people - actually, Leota is pretty cool - I hate everyone but Leota.'

Economos had been feeling left out of the conversation decided to chime in with, "He kidnapped around 25 scientists, and we've been tasked with sorting this out."

"So, we're going in to kill the egg-man and all the scientists?" Adrian inquired, loading a magazine into his pistol casually. The other took a step back whenever he got too careless with his weapons because there was a high chance that something was going to go severely wrong.

"What is wrong with you?" Leota exclaimed. She never knew what the fuck went on in Vigilante's head, but she knew that it was best to not pry because if he did have something going on in his noggin, it was surely so scrambled and fast paced that it would make her dizzy.

The mission was to retrieve the scientists and the information about whatever they were working on. Totally do-able. All they needed to do now was to drive an hour away to Egg Fu's hideout and scramble the bitch.

For the entire drive, Vigilante rested his head on Peacemaker's beefy shoulder to get the nap that had been ripped from his gloved fingertips earlier that night. It would've been a lot comfier if it was Y/N he'd fallen asleep on, but Chris was second in the running. And Peacemaker had been kinda nice to Vigilante recently. Ever since Chris met Y/N, really. He had forgotten what having an older brother felt like, but this was his best guess.

"You three are going in. Scout out where the scientists are being held. John and I will stay in the truck on coms." Harcourt instructed. "Do not notify Egg Fu that you are there."

"What do we do when we find the egg-man?" Peacemaker asked.

Pulling his mask over his head, Vigilante responded, "We kill him, duh."

The trio crept into the lair of the mad scientist without a real concrete plan in mind. The lab was a relatively large one, with at least ten different rooms set up with all sorts of contraptions and machines. The only signs of life were the sounds of their footsteps against the clinically clean tiles and the quiet hum of the various machines that they had no clue what they were used for.

Through the comms, John directed them to the main hall that was slap bang in the middle of the building. There hadn't been any guards or armoured thugs pop out yet to greet them, which wasn't a good sign.

Then, as they made it closer and closer to another door, there was a ticking noise that appeared all of a sudden. The idiots stopped and listened to it, ignoring the way Adebayo was tugging at their arm to get them away from the very obvious bomb.

"Move, dumbasses! It's a bomb!" she yelled at them, deciding that their safety outweighed being sneaky.

Seconds later, the door exploded with an ear-shattering bang, showering the three of them with bits of metal and concrete. The force of the blast sent them flying to the ground but had been localised on the wall. The force of the impact had however caused the left half of the wall caving in and sending chunks of debris their way, while the right had the most bizarre looking robot ploughing through it like a mechanic kool aid man.

This robot had blood splattered blunt swords for legs, a clawed arm on the right side, and had the most fucked up face the trio had ever seen. It was a huge hard boiled egg with a pair of glasses wrapped around the circumference of its head and was welded into an egg cup looking seat. Its eyes were a weird shade of yellow, and they bulged outwards as if they were about to pop out of its head.

"Jesus fuck, what the fuck is that?" Adrian uttered, getting up to his feet in a daze.

They'd fought aliens. They'd never fought an egg before.

"Watch your tongue, human, I might just cut it off," Egg Fu threatened, one of his legs striking out towards Peacemaker's face in a reflex attack. Peacemaker was faster than that and managed to barrel roll away, whipping his gun out and shooting as he got back on his feet.

It didn't do a thing.

"Oh, that's just fucking great."

Adebayo backed up, unloading her gun into the creature's head as she screamed. Screaming wasn't the missing element. However, she did manage to send a bullet flying directly into Egg Fu's mouth. A glob of yellow gunge spat out of his mouth. Was that its yolk?

"Missy, you're going to regret that!" The egg menacingly shouted at Leota, scampering towards her with insane speed. Adebayo's eyes went wide in fear. She was about to turn and run when the egg-man grabbed her, lifted her into the air by her armpits, and trailed his blade down her nose. The tip barely pierced the skin, but thanks to the way she thrashed about in his grasp, it went deeper and began pilling blood over his hand.

Before any more damage could be done, Vigilante snuck up closer to the egg body and took his knife and jabbed it into the shell. The creature hissed in pain as his shell cracked even more, and he dropped Leota.

Now Egg Fu's focus was on Vigilante. The monster dug his sword deep into Vigilante's calf, causing Adrian to yelp in pain, "Ow, fuck, why?" and if anything, it hurt more when the sword was ripped out than when it entered. The egg swiped his leg sword at Adrian's face, which he raised his arm to block, causing a big gash to appear on his forearm, and when he paused to react, another slash appeared against his chest.

"Fuck, that's not good," he breathed, crawling backwards away from the monster.

"What's going on?" Harcourt shrieked, wishing that she could be in there helping out.

Chris rushed over to Leota to help her to her feet and explained, "That egg-bitch just stabbed Vigilante in the leg, man. Not cool."

"It winced when I shot it in the mouth. Is this helpful information?" Adebayo added, scanning their opponent for weaknesses. It had to be the egg part and not the metal part. Surely the shell was the point of weakness.

Eggs are gooey on the inside. A light bulb appeared over Economos' head.

"Put a fucking bomb in its mouth I wanna hear this egg scramble."

Vigilante's shoulder hit the wall so he had nowhere left to backup, blood dripping under him. "Fuck. Fuckity fuck fuck," he exclaimed, adding a fuck every time he threw one of his knives.

The egg-man glared down at him, looming over him and filling his vision. "Big mistake little man. If I were to slice you up, would anyone miss you?" Egg Fu sneered as he brought his sword against Vigilante's throat.

Huh, that was something to think about. Before this year, he would've had a very disappointing answer to that question. Peacemaker probably would think of him occasionally if something fatal did happen, but it was doubtful that Chris would miss him. Y/N definitely would miss him. He knew that. That was a nice feeling - he wasn't quite sure exactly what that feeling was - and it let a thought appear that hadn't appeared in a really long time.

'Better get home safely.'

Luckily, Vigilante was saved by Peacemaker running in between the Vigilante and the villain to and pulled its lips open, widening the sides of the egg's open orifice and smashing the corners of mouth with his immense strength.

"Let's see that yolk of yours explode," Leota jeered as she placed the bomb directly on what she presumed was its tongue and ran the fuck away. Chris yanked Adrian as far away as they could possibly get before Boom!

Yolk exploded outwards in a great, gooey mess and swords showered the area. Egg Fu was no more, but it seemed their last hail Mary, was an onslaught of his legs, which sent the trio into a mess as they tried to dodge and roll out of the way. The blast covered all three of them in hot, wet yellow gunge. It was like the Kid's Choice Awards, but buttercup coloured.

Chris managed to dodge out of the way of the first sword coming towards him, but not the second. It slammed down hard - luckily on the handle side - on his already injured shoulder. The pain was excruciating, but he refused to make anything other than a staggered grunt. Adebayo wiped the gunk from her eyes and knelt beside Chris, helping him sit up. "You okay, buddy?"

"Yeah, I'm good, I'm good, just a little achy." He gave her a thumbs up and got to his feet, moving over to Adrian and pulling him up to his feet. "You're okay, jackass," he assured the whining idiot, as he slung Vigilante's arm around his uninjured shoulder and helped him to his feet.

"I'm bleeding," Vigilante pouted.

"I know, Vij. I know."

Together, the trio leant hobbled their way around the building to find the missing scientists. And they found them. Though, they probably wished they hadn't.

The smell of death was overwhelming, and it seemed to pervade the surrounding area. The centre of the stink was at the outermost laboratory. There was this metallic rottenness to it that was just... wrong.

"Oh, I'm gonna puke!" Adebayo exclaimed, leaning against the wall and throwing up what she had for dinner.

All of the scientists were mutilated beyond belief. Limbs strewn everywhere. Blood drenched the walls and counters and streaked across the floor. Some were missing their heads, completely. Some just nearly headless. It was all just too much to handle.

Harcourt sighed, "Mission failed, gang."

Since Harcourt had let her head fall into her hands and was yet to give any orders, Economos instructed, "One final sweep in case you've missed anything, then get back to the van."

"Hey, that's my job."

"Snooze, you lose, Emilia."

"I regret telling you my name."

14. Tiger’s Fucktoy

Dragging Vigilante, who could limp but just liked being carried by his BFF, Peacemaker and Adebayo scanned the rest of the building and found a wad of whatever they were researching. None of them had the mental capacity at that moment to find out what the hell those documents were about and left that job for another time.

Adrian tried making some awful egg puns to cheer his comrades up, but, alas, his attempts (just like the mission) failed miserably. Economos drove them back to Evergreen, allowing Adrian to sing along to Carly Rae Jepsen on the way home as Adebayo tried to patch him up. They were tired and didn't give a shit what he wanted to do.

And Leota had tried to be as careful as she could whilst cleaning and dressing the wound, but he still passed out from the pain. He transitioned from singing along to Call Me Maybe into limp silence in less than a minute.

"Don't you think he looks quite innocent when he's asleep?" Leota noted, as she continued bandaging his injured leg.

Chris chuckles, "Got a crush, Adebayo?"

"Dude, I'm a lesbian."

Oh yeah, he forgot that.

"Ah, yes, a fellow muff diver." Leota scoffed, yet Chris still continued, "Anyway, even if you weren't, he's got a hot girlfriend, so you've got no chance."

John, who was sitting in the drivers' seat, whipped his head to look at them and said, "How the fuck did Vigilante get a girlfriend before I did?"

Harcourt couldn't believe her ears either. "Are you serious? I seriously doubt any girl would be delusional enough to want to date Adrian."

Shrugging, Chris defended his buddy, "I've met Y/N.. Don't know how he hoodwinked her. She's good for him. The other day he saw some guys vandalising a fountain and didn't kill them," He paused, "I mean, he beat them up. It's an improvement."

"Is he any good for her, though?" Adebayo asked just as Adrian regained consciousness.

Strangely, he had a feeling his teammates were talking about him since the conversation awkwardly halted when he sat up. He rubbed his eyes and complained, "Ugh, what the fuck? I feel like I've been used as a tiger's fucktoy."

Evergreen was a happy sight. After the night they had had, A.R.G.U.S was more than happy to return to the dingy, busted video shop that they had been assigned to work out of. The moment they entered, they all sighed in relief. They had failed, but they were home.

Thanks to his injuries, Adrian was in immense pain. And he was exhausted. His arm and chest hurt. That was not even close to as bad as the pain in his left calf. The cut was deep but managed to miss the bone so it wasn't anything too serious, but it would take a while for the wound to heal. Adebayo bandaged it up and gave him some painkillers before essentially saying 'bye now. I've reached the limit of my care'.

"Dude, can you drop me off at my girl's house?" Adrian asked his best buddy as soon as they were allowed to leave, holding the keys to the Vigilante-mobile out to Chris. "Please? Pretty please with so many cherries on top that you'll be drowning in them? I'll pick it up in the morning. Please, buddy, please?"

"Stop whining like a bitch and get in the car."

Peace did as he was asked with minimal grumbling, although he did have this nagging thought in the back of his head. What Leota had said stayed in some part of Chris' consciousness. Y/N was nice, so in Chris' head, she deserved a nice life too. And he knew Adrian would never intentionally hurt her, but his stupidity might. His job might. His violence might.

They reached Y/N's place and Adrian was quick to jump out of the car. Far too quick, actually. He mumbled a pained little, "Ow, that really hurt," and took a second to breathe before Peacemaker made fun of him.

"Dumbass."

"You're really mean to me sometimes," Adrian admitted with a completely straight face. Chris just stared, open mouthed. The air around the pair became thick with tension.

It was a true statement. They both knew it couldn't be denied, it just had never really been a problem before. Or rather, had never been a spoken about problem.

"I'm, uh, I'm going to go see my girlfriend now."

"Yeah... tell Y/N I say hi."

"Will do."

And with that, he was off, only to find out that her spare key was not in the gnome's butt like it usually was, and he limped right back to the window to ask, "Can you give me a boost over her fence?"

"Yeah, dude. Sure thing."

Going around the back, Chris knelt down and locked his fingers together so Adrian could stand on them and scramble over her fence. If he was uninjured, he could do this - no sweat - but he was injured, and it was slow going.

When he finally made it over the fence, he took a moment to give his friend a thumbs up between the slats of the fence before Chris left for his own home.

Y/N always left her back door unlocked. It wasn't safe, but she still did it even though he told her that it was asking for someone to break in - just like he was doing - and steal from her. What if he wasn't there and something bad happened?

Still dressed as Vigilante, Adrian crept into Y/N's home. His steps were more heavy footed than he intended thanks to his injured calf and made far too much noise. If Y/N hadn't already been awake, she would've thanks to his ruckus.

She crept silently, keeping her back to the wall, and waited outside the kitchen door for whoever it was to turn the corner. When they did, she slammed her forearm along their throat and pinned them up right next to a big art deco painting she'd hung up to make the hallway seem less boring.

"I don't have much blood left in me, but it's currently all moving to my dick."

"Oh, baby, what happened to you?" Y/N cooed, immediately noticing his bloodied, yolky suit and the way he flopped forward as soon as she released her hold on him. He was so weak that he began leaning on her for support. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and helped him into the kitchen to prop his body against the counter.

Instinctively, she looked over his body for anything that she might have to fix up. His dishevelled suit had holes in it and Y/N could see stretchy cotton bandages between the gaps. They seemed as if they'd been taken care of.

His head was soon cradled between her hands. "Are you okay?" she asked him, worry coating every syllable.

"Imma little dizzy," he replied, looking pale. "And I'm thirsty."

"Lemme get you a drink, pookie."

In his haze, he didn't realise she'd called Vigilante by Adrian's nickname. He just kept feeling sorry for himself.

After getting him a glass of water and handing it over, she took another look at whatever was covering his outfit. He downed that cup and soon asked for another, which obviously she got for him.

"It's egg."

"What?"

"I got into a fight with an egg man."

"You fought Dr. Robotnik?"

Her voice couldn't hide that hint of excitement she felt. There was a chance that a really fast humanoid blue hedgehog existed. There had been a starfish as big as a building. A man with swooshy hair and laser eyes. Pretty bugs that fly up your butt and take you over. Was a talking erinaceidae really that unbelievable in this world?

"What?"

"From Sonic? Dr. Eggman?"

Adrian thought for a second.

"I doubt this man had a doctorate."

A mass amount of smelly, body temperature old eggs covered her pointer finger as she brushed down the fabric and came to the conclusion, "Shall we clean you up? Let's get you out of that suit."

It took a few minutes, but they managed to pry off his sticky clothes. He soon was in his underwear with all of his recent injuries on show, watching while she placed piece by piece (except for his mask) of his get up gently in the sink beside her, then proceeded to wet a cloth and delicately clean his body.

He was so compliant as she worked, that she wondered if she he'd fallen asleep standing. She was sure that he hadn't when her finger accidentally got too close to one of his wound's edges and he let out a pained yelp.

"Adrian, baby, I'm so sorry. I didn't me-"

"YOU KNOW?!"

Oops. The cat was out of the bag.

"I'm not stupid, Adrian," Y/N confirmed, letting his hands find hers and move them to the edge of his mask.

Adrian gestured for her to take it off him, and once she did, all his apprehension faded. The moment his eyes met his partners, a feeling of immense love and happiness washed over him. And, he couldn't help but smile as she carefully slid his visor off and placed it with the rest of his suit.

"There's my pretty baby," she commented, running her fingers through his hair. "You okay with this?"

"I'm... yeah, I'm okay with this."

Originally, he thought he would be angry if she found out, but now he was beyond relieved. He didn't have to lie to her anymore. Or pretend that Fennel Fields was forcing him to work so much overtime. This was a good development. A really good one.

"Which one of these pockets has your glasses in?"

"Last on the left, I think."

Y/N dug around until she found them, then took a moment to clean the lenses before sliding them onto his nose.

"How's that?"

"Better," he acknowledged, feeling a bit more like his civilian self. "I can actually see your pretty face now. And see exactly where your lips are so I can do this..."

As he closed the distance between them, he grabbed a handful of her ass. What? He'd had a hell of a night that only touching her butt could soothe! While Y/N wasn't exactly shocked, she was a little surprised that he had enough energy to do it.

Since he was so tired, the kiss was sloppy and sluggish. Despite this, it was still full of passion and a soft sprinkling of lust. The taste of her, the feel of her, the smell of her. He could have lost his mind with just one more kiss, one more touch, one more sensation, but this was all he needed right now.

Well, Y/N and sleep. That's what he needed.

"Is your suit machine washable?" she asked him, interrupting their smooch when the thought popped into her head.

"Everything but my mask, yeah. Don't worry, baby, I'll do it tomorrow."

Ignoring that, Y/N stuffed his clothes into her washing machine and started the cycle. "You need to sleep. Come on, lean on me. I'll carry you," she insisted, picking him up his arm and draping it around her shoulders.

She didn't have to tell him twice. He let her guide him into the bedroom, and he was collapsing onto the soft sheets as soon as it was in sight. Y/N laid down next to him, taking care not to jostle his sore spots.

"How long have you known?"

Her fingers brushed through his hair, gently pushing his curls out of his eyes.

"I thought that Vigilante smelt an awful lot like the garlic parsley pesto dish at Fennel Fields when we first met -"

"THE FIRST NIGHT?" He repeated, trying to sit up but he moved too fast and had to flop back down as he groaned in pain.

Chuckling, she carried on, "I guess I didn't fully accept it until that night when we hid out from the police."

"The night you blue balled me?"

"No. The first time."

Shit. That was a while ago. Like, more than half a year ago. While he'd been keeping his secret from her, she'd known and been keeping the secret that she knew from him. He was so impressed.

"You're so smart. My girlfriend is so, so smart," he mumbled. It was barely coherent, but she got the gist. "I'm super relieved you know my secret now, though. I was so worried you were gonna find out and freak out."

"I know. Go off to sleep now, handsome. I'll be here when you wake up," she told him.

And, yeah, his eyes felt heavy so why not throw in the towel for the night? He'd been meaning to ask her all about what was happening the next day with her parents but that could wait. He needed to rest and repair. So, in order to do that, he lay on the side of his body that hurt the least and wrapped her arm around his waist so she'd be in the perfect position to be his big spoon.

Looking at him lying there, a little bit sweaty and very relaxed, she smiled and comfortingly scratched small circles into his hip. He looked cute. Obviously, he was always cute, but he was especially cute when he was exhausted and needy like this.

When she was sure he'd nodded off, Y/N kissed the back of his shoulder. "Love you, pookie," she whispered before giving in to the sleep overtaking her.

15. The Vigilante-mobile

9 am arrived. Like it always did, Adrian's 'get your butt up for work' alarm went off and the snooze button was immediately hit so it would shut the fuck up. He'd chosen the foghorn sound and set it to be so loud that it ensured that the couple always had a rude awakening whenever he had morning shifts.

After turning off his alarm, Adrian shifted back around to shove his face into the crook of Y/N's neck to hide from the sunlight shining through the gap in the curtains. Y/N groaned as she curled her fingers into his hair.

"I don't wanna go to work."

"You're not going," she stated, her tone indicating that this was a non negotiable. He'd been stabbed the night before! He wasn't going to work! That would be insane.

"I gotta."

"Pookie, no." A stern but caring look came upon Y/N's face as she instructed her boyfriend to, "Gimme your phone."

Obviously, he did it without question. He watched with big, confused, sleepy eyes as Y/N put in his passcode - hey, she knew her own birthday - called someone and held the phone between her shoulder and cheek.

"Hey. Julia, right? Yeah, hi, I'm Adrian's girlfriend. He's come down with this stomach bug and is seriously messed up," she lied, keeping her voice as flat as possible and her hand brushing up and down his spine. "We've been up all night and it has not been pretty."

Yeah, technically, she could've told the truth about how he was injured and limping and exhausted because that can happen to regular people. Adrian wasn't a regular person, however. He needed to keep his secret identity a secret. Any mention of an act of violence, whether as a perpetrator or victim, would be a hint.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," he heard his manager say on the other line. "That sounds awful. I'll, um, I'll ask around for people to cover him for the next couple of days."

"Thank you so much."

"No worries, how long do you think the bug will go on for?"

"I don't know. It's pretty bad, maybe a week?"

Julia hummed sympathetically before agreeing because "I'm surprised because he tends to show up even if he looks like shit. I mean, last week he said he got mugged and still was, like, 5 minutes early."

"Hmm... he does work himself to death and I think it has caught up to him." Y/N gave Adrian a wink and a smile before she said her goodbyes to Julia, ending the call with a parting "Yeah, of course. Of course, I'll tell him when he wakes back up. Thank you, thank you so much."

As soon as the call ended, Y/N diverted all of her attention back to Adrian and, although he'd buried his face back so far into her skin that she couldn't see his expression, she could feel that he was trying to regulate his breathing.

"Baby. Hey baby, what's going on?" She asked

"Nothing. Just thinking about all I have to do today."

"Yeah? What have you got to do?"

Against her, he mumbled, "Need to clean my suit."

"I put it in the wash last night."

"Oh."

That had been the only thing on the front of his mind so he tried his hardest to come up with something else to make it look as if he had a full day planned and that he had stuff to do so he couldn't stay in bed and rest. Taking the day off? That was absurd. Being injured had never stopped his to-do list before.

"I have to get the Vigilante-mobile from Peacemaker's place."

"Okay. I'll do that for you."

His head reared back a bit to look up at her. "Nah, I'll do it," he dismissed, totally expecting that she would just drop it and let him hobble across town to Chris'. Would he be able to drive with his leg all fucked up like that? Well, he would try.

Y/N placed a sweet kiss on his forehead. "...Pookie, you need to rest," she cooed, brushing his hair back from his forehead with a soft palm. "No arguments, okay? I want to do this for you. Let me do this for you?"

He was taken aback at how easy she seemed to care for him. He was tired. And in pain. Oh yeah, and her parents were coming over later so there was a subconscious part of his brain that was waiting for the anxiety to kick in over that fact. So many emotions were swirling in him that it was insane.

So, yeah, he hid his face once more and began to cry. He wasn't a crier. This wasn't a regular thing. His breath work from before had failed him as his shoulders shook, snot poured down from his nose, and a waterfall clouded his vision. It was a gross outpouring of bodily fluids that he was ashamed of himself for doing.

Because he was crying. Like a blubbering little baby, too. His girlfriend was kind to him in a moment of fatigue and he completely lost any sense of keeping it together as he wept in her arms. Some part of his mind was concerned with seeming 'unmanly' in front of her - like, what if the rug was pulled from below his feet and she suddenly didn't like him after this? - but the desire to just cry was overwhelming.

"I-I'm sorry," he choked out, his voice more wobble than actual words. "I'm acting like a little bitch. Shit, I've got snot all over your shirt."

It was actually his shirt that she was wearing. It had the McDonald's M on the right side so it read 'McFucking it' across her chest with a picture of McLoving from Superbad with his thumb up underneath. As Adrian tried to swipe away some of his gunk, he caught sight of the decal and did a very snotty snort.

"It's a little tear." Wrong, it was a very big patch of tears. "It'll dry."

She let out a little laugh at how red his cheeks had become and wiped any remaining tears away with her thumb. His eyes were just as red, if not more red than his cheeks, and brimmed with tears.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay," he confirmed. For the first time in what seemed like a very long and lonely period of his life, he was perfectly okay. Sure, he had cuts and bruises and aches but it had someone to lean on who'd kiss any injury better.

Once his breathing returned to normal, Adrian slumped down into the pillow behind his head and smiled up at the ceiling. He repeated, "I'm okay. I'm really okay." He tilted his heat to look across at her. "Are you okay?"

"Uh-huh. I'm a little concerned because of your injuries. Other than that, I'm so good, baby."

The knuckles on her right hand brushed along his cheek so tenderly that he couldn't stop himself - and didn't even want to - from pressing his lips to her fingers. It was a simple act of affection but caused Y/N to compliment, "You're adorable."

"Stop..."

"Never."

To go along with her words, Y/N attacked his face with an uncountable amount of sloppy, loving smooches until he was giggling and squirming. She was careful not to get him too riled up so it didn't aggravate his injuries and cause him unnecessary pain.

Eventually, the kisses got slower as she could see him getting tired again. "Get some sleep," Y/N suggested as she tugged the duvet up to cover his biceps. "Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep?"

"Please."

Thanks to the excitement of last night and how late they went to bed, he drifted off in no time. Y/N stayed until he was completely asleep then she gradually - limb by limb - disentangled herself, tiptoed to her closet to grab a random outfit, and got ready in her bathroom so she didn't disturb him.

Peacemaker's house had already been added into Y/N's phone since Adrian had gotten drunk at Chris' house and needed to be picked up a few times, so Y/N knew her way. She started the journey blasting music through her headphones and ignoring everything but her tunes.

Knocking on Peacemaker's trailer door in the rhythm of whatever song she was listening to, Y/N waited until she was told to come in. Chris didn't... technically.

"It's open, Adrian!"

"I'm not Adrian."

Chris rushed to the door and swung it open. "Y/N? What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised. At the sound of Adrian's girlfriend's name, Adebayo got up from the couch to get a glimpse of her as if she was a rare Pokemon.

"I'm here for the Vigilante-mobile."

"The Vigil - Oh! You know now! That's fucking great! Thimble has been stressing about this for so long that I thought he was gonna go bald! Like, pubes and all."

Over Chris' shoulder, Adebayo was stunned. Adrian's girlfriend - which was two words that she was astounded went together - seemed perfectly normal from the outside. She didn't have an extra head. And bright purple. And, as far as Leota could see, didn't have a forked tail or tongue. Weird. Vigilante had managed to convince a human woman to date his ass.

"Oh, this is Adebayo," Chris introduced the women as he stood back from the door so Y/N could come inside.

2 friends in Peacemaker's trailer at the same time! That barely ever happened. Usually, it was just Adrian who visited (and the occasional police officer after one of Chris' drunken nights out), but ever since this 11th Street Kids thing, Leota came over every now and then. John would come whenever he didn't want to be alone, yet he would leave after 1 or 2 drinks because dealing with a drunken superhero is not what Economos wants to spend his time doing. Harcourt also comes over whenever she's feeling lonely - a different sort of lonely, though - and is at rock bottom.

"You're Vigilante's girlfriend?!"

"Yeah."

"Huh. You guys are an actual thing? Like, a real, committed, stable relationship?"

A thing? What they had seemed more like a 'thing' but Y/N didn't really want to explain how profound she found her relationship to be with a random stranger, so she simply repeated, "Yeah," once more.

And, was that an insult? Y/N couldn't tell so she looked at Chris to see his reaction - he was too busy searching for the keys to the Sebring for it to be helpful in any way - and there was a stretch of silence as the girls seemed to stare at each other uncomfortably.

Adebayo could feel the tension thickening the air. Shit. Had she just insulted Vigilante's girlfriend? That wouldn't be ideal. Not at all. He would definitely be the type to be protective in that 'I'll put a bullet in your brain just for looking at her weirdly.'

"It's just that Adrian is, you know, a little different. A bit nuts, uh, so I thought you'd be too. Because you two..." Leota rambled, gesturing with her hands so much. "Because he's so 'ahh'," She motioned gun firing and punching actions, her tongue sticking out and her eyes crazy. "And you seem kind of relaxed. And chill. And you clearly like music. I heard some Gaga through your headphones and, yeah, great choice."

"Adrian likes Gaga, too," Y/N stated. She responded to that part and only that part because how could she even begin to unravel that without sitting down and really analysing it, word by word.

Did Adebayo - who she'd heard Adrian speak of a few times in passing but didn't know much about - think that her boyfriend was violent and insane? Obviously, some part of him must be. To go out armed and put wrongdoers in hospital means that something in his brain was different. He was violent in the general sense. Just not to her. Never to her.

Insane? That was too far. What made him insane? His enthusiasm. His commitment. The way his bumbling nature can fall into the background sometimes whenever he needs to be heroic. Adrian had never been insane. He felt things far too much and had very little restraint when showing it, like a puppy wagging its tail, and some people aren't used to that.

"Cool, cool. Super cool. How is he holding up? He was pretty banged up after the fight."

"Sleepy."

"Hmm... makes sense."

"Didn't you say you need to change Adrian's bandages too?" Chris butted in, dropping the car keys into Y/N's hand before gesturing to the first aid kit that was perched on his kitchen counter.

Leota nodded. "I stopped by his house on the way here but he wasn't in. I guess he's at yours, right?"

"He spends more time at my house than his own these days."

Once again, Leota was baffled. It was a serious relationship. Almost moved in together serious. Adrian Chase - the same guy she'd watched throw a toaster at (butterflied) mailman's head because he wanted a throwable weapon and forgot he had throwing knives on his belt - spent most of his free time being in love and doing couple shit. Economos wasn't going to believe this. And Harcourt would profess she was lying again.

You lie one time and plant a diary, and now all of a sudden your friends trust you a little bit less whenever you tell them gossip. Madness!

"Since you're going in the same direction, why don't you go together?" Chris posed and let his huge hand slap down to Leota's shoulder. It accidentally made her jump a little bit. Clearly, she was still feeling awkward.

They agreed that was the best course of action so the two women got into the Vigilante-mobile - honestly, this was the only time the Vigilante-mobile had ever passed the Bechdel test - and made conversation about whatever song was playing over the radio. It was civil. Not necessarily unfriendly but they could tell that they were just two people filling up the silence by talking.

That was until a certain song came on. The first few chords of 'The Wild One' by Suzie Quatro rang out before Y/N was turning the volume up.

"I love this song!" Adebayo cheered.

"Me too!"

For the rest of the song, the pair sang their hearts out. Through their shared love of the badass bass player, they came to an understanding of each other. They both began rocking out, and, in the blink of an eye, they had arrived at their destination.

Once they reached Y/N's house, the pair were rambling about their favourite albums. Beyonce was mentioned. The Mamma Mia soundtrack. Maybe Y/N brought up Pharrel's Despicable Me 3 album and got a weird look from her new friend. Both agreed that An Evening with Silk Sonic was the best album of 2021. Y/N knew that if her boyfriend had joined the conversation the Fearless re-recording would've been gushed about.

In the meantime, Adrian had limped out of bed and was in the process of getting himself some cereal as the women walked in through the front door. He'd already broken one bowl and had to carefully tip toe around the smashed ceramic so he could try to reach another without the same happening again.

"You should've waited," Y/N reprimanded softly as she came upon the scene, her voice making him jump and the new bowl slipping through his fingertips. It landed directly on top of the other one and added to the pile of shards.

"I'm a grown man, babe, I can handle cereal."

"My sudden decrease of crack free bowls says otherwise."

Adrian hadn't noticed Leota yet. He leant forward to grip onto Y/N's hips and tug her into a tight hug, his cheek landing on her hair as he swayed them side to side. As he went to place a smooch on her lips, Y/N nodded in the direction of the front door so he'd see Adebayo standing there awkwardly watching the display with fascination.

It was strange seeing Adrian act so lovingly towards another person. Who knew he was capable of that? He didn't seem the touchy feely kind of guy, but then again, Adebayo always assumed he'd become obsessive if he ever found someone. He was obsessive with Peacemaker and they were just pals, so it must be ten times as extreme with his actual girlfriend.

His eyes went wide. He stood a little straighter and tried clearing his throat. "H... Hey, good morning!" Adrian greeted, a little red from getting caught being all soppy.

"Hi Vij, I'm here to change your bandages," Adebayo said in a rush and turned to face the other girl in turn. "Where should we go?"

"You wanna show Leota to the couch, pookie? I'll make you some pancakes and bring them in once you're done?"

Far too fast, Adrian nodded back at Y/N, practically tripping over himself to get to the living room. In his mind, the faster he was bandaged up, the faster he got pancakes! Pancakes! He was so hungry, he wanted a pancake more than anything at that moment. Well, pancakes and for Y/N to kiss everything better for him and take away the pain. But still! Pancakes.

To distract him from the pain, Adebayo asked Vigilante all about his girlfriend. How they met. How they got together. Was it going well? Had he met her parents yet? - he clammed up a little at that one but explained the situation nonetheless. Everything came tumbling out of his mouth and was often interrupted by pained swears or whimpers.

And when Y/N brought in his breakfast as Leota was patching up the sword hole in his calf, he couldn't stop smiling at Y/N's tender smile, her fingers playing with the tuft of hair at the nape of his neck, or the sound of her laugh that echoed throughout the entire house when he got too distracted trying to wink at her and ended up getting syrup down his chin.

Fuck. He was so in love. No question. He was a goner, for sure.

#adrian chase #vigilante #vigilante x reader #adrian chase x female reader #peacemaker #adrian chase x reader #adrian chase x y/n

[bippot]

Hiya all, I'm making a tag list. I'm not sure if one big one is best or maybe one for each character I write for would be preferable because then you don't get notified about characters you're not really into. Honestly, I'm happy to do either! It'll come down to the amount of names, I guess.

So, yeah, if you're interested either message me or comment, and I'll add your name down.

Top Gun taglist: @kpopgirlbtssvt, @adriansboyfriend

Peacemaker taglist: @kpopgirlbtssvt, @adriansboyfriend

Criminal Minds taglist:

[bippot]

Summary: Jake is preppy and charismatic and dumb and talk, which is the complete opposite of Beth's niece. Why do they work so well together then?

Additional Tags: Opposites Attract, Dorks in Love, Love at First Sight, Fluff, Shyness

The Crew, Jake Martin Masterlist - here

Jake was a generally happy go lucky guy. People often told him he was like the human version of a golden retriever but he'd grown up with one and, in his experience, Starsky was a really intelligent and well behaved pup so he didn't think of himself that way.

The dog he felt that suited his personality the best was a beagle. He was fast and friendly and, though he wasn't traditionally smart, he was really skilled in one particular area - hunting for beagles, and racing for Jake - and who doesn't want to have the same personality as Snoopy?

He had an awesome life. He was living his childhood dream. He was a god damn NASCAR driver! He lived in a really nice apartment. He had enough money to make sure his family lived comfortably, and had plenty left over to spend on useless little trinkets that had no purpose other than making him smile. Like, his collection of Hot Wheels would make any little boy jump with joy and that's so sick!

And as of five months ago, he had a girlfriend. That was a big change for him. None of his other romances had ever lasted that long. It was a change, that was for sure, but a good one. If Jake was honest, he'd always be more sad and self-pitying than he let people see whenever his previous relationships fell apart.

For as long as he could remember, he wanted someone to share the good life with. And after so many false starts, he was so surprised when Y/N stuck around. He was planning to keep her around as long as humanly possible, if she was willing to.

They'd met when Beth gave her niece a tour around Bobby Spencer Racing one day. Y/N had just moved to the area and her aunt was forcing her to spend as much time together as possible. Beth hadn't let Jake know that someone was accompanying her that day, so he had not been prepared for the most intimidatingly beautiful woman he'd ever seen to be introduced to him on one random work day.

Y/N walked right in with a leather jacket and completely stoic face, her combat boots making a slight echo in the garage as she strode across the concrete floor, and Jake was drooling. He'd always had a big boner for two fictional characters - Trinity from The Matrix and Belle from Beauty and the Beast - and he'd soon come to find out that Y/N was a mix of the two.

On the outside, she was Trinity. Lots of black. Leather. Tiny sunglasses perched on the top of her head. She looked like she owned clothes with a lot of straps and corsets and safety pins. But on the inside, she was a lot softer. She was quiet, not because she was rude or uncouth but because she was shy, and was far more likely to be found in a reading nook than out at a goth rave.

If Jake was like a dog, Y/N definitely was like a cat. She even owned a British shorthair and he could see the similarities between pet and owner.

"Am I dreaming?" He mumbled to himself but said it far too loud and both women picked up on it. Beth nudged him and pointedly shook her head to discourage him from whatever flirting was about to fall from his lips so he settled for a happy "Hi, I'm Jake."

"I'm Y/N."

Everyone else had only received a wave. Jake had gotten two whole words out of her. Beth was astonished. Y/N sometimes would still be all quiet around members of her family that she'd known since she was born, yet she'd chosen to speak to a famous pro athlete within seconds of meeting him. With Y/N's disposition and Jake's fame, Beth never would've expected that.

And she never would've expected that her niece continued to speak to him either. At lunch, Beth left Y/N for two minutes to yell at Kevin for something stupid he'd done and she came back to find the pair chatting away. Well, Jake was mostly doing the chatting but Y/N contributed the occasional hum or laugh or affirmative comment.

Why not give them some alone time? Beth retreated back into Kevin's office and watched through his blinds at what was unfolding before her.

What Beth didn't know, however, was that Jake had charmed Y/N enough that she gave him her phone number. He immediately added it into his phone and started a text chat. Then, they began calling each other every chance they got. One date was arranged. That went well. Then a second. A third. Fourth. Fifth... on and on. They soon got to the point where Jake spent more time at her home than his own.

His coworkers didn't know the extent of his relationship with Y/N, but Jake had been acting like such a lovesick idiot - more of an idiot than usual - that they assumed that things were going well. Beth frequently grilled her pal with so many questions, yet he stayed tight-lipped because he knew Y/N was a private person and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

As a teen, Jake had been a jock who was prom king, captain of the soccer team, and spent his weekends at whatever party he could find. Y/N had been one of the emo kids who had her nose in a book and earphones glued into her head.

Even the way they dressed was so vastly different. Jake liked yellow and baseball caps and workout gear. Y/N was more accustomed to messy eyeliner and leather jackets with patches on them and combat boots. She thought he looked adorable. He thought she looked badass.

It was Taylor Swift with a side of Metallica. Cars. The Evil Dead. Arthur the Aardvark. Are You Afraid of the Dark? They were very different people. So, how the hell did they end up together? And why were they still going strong?

As soon as Jake used his key and walked into her house, he knew Y/N was around somewhere. Her shoes were neatly placed in the foyer and her jacket hung up on a hook. It was no surprise when he found her on the couch, sitting criss-cross applesauce with her nose in the book she'd been reading in bed the night before.

"Hey, pretty girl," he greeted, walking to the back of the couch and leaning down to kiss her temple. She smiled up at him, the light in her eyes bright and kind. He felt his throat tighten at the sight of her.

"Hiya, Jakey," she replied. "Did you have a good day?"

"It's better now I'm with you."

Yes, it was one of his lines. It was cheesy. And he'd said it to women before, but those times he'd been trying to charm the pants off them. With Y/N, it was true. Her cheeks still got a shade or two pinker, though, and that was the desired reaction.

Sitting in the corner of the couch, he opened his arms wide and waited for her to crawl in and nestle her head on his shoulder. Like always, it didn't take long. Her head fit against his collarbone as if they were sculpted to perfectly go together.

Ozzy, Y/N's cat, was joining the embrace in no time. It had taken him a while to grow to like Jake. Hell, the first time Jake came into contact with the sour puss, Ozzy scratched a few shallow cuts into Jake's cheek. After so long, now they'd come to a truce.

"Hey, Oz. How you doing, buddy?" Jake cooed, stroking behind the cat's ear until he began to purr. "You miss me?"

The cat's reply was a little nip on the hand. "I'm going to take that as a yes."

Presumably as an apology, Ozzy licked at the two little tooth holes he'd just made - or maybe he was savouring the drip of Jake's blood - and hit Jake in the face with his tail before jumping to the floor and running under the kitchen table.

"Ozzy might not have, but did you miss me, baby?" He asked, brushing some hair off Y/N's forehead with gentle fingertips.

"Always do," she replied, closing her book and placing it off to the side so he'd get her full attention. He leaned in, closing the tiny gap between them into an even tinier gap, and nudged his nose into hers affectionately.

"How much did you miss me?" He asked, his voice a little deeper than usual.

Whenever he sounded like that, it made her pulse do funny things. Especially when he let his hand rest on the side of her neck, his thumb rubbing back and forth over her jaw line.

"A lot," she admitted, her voice getting a bit breathier than intended.

"Yeah?" He let out a huff of air. "Then where is my 'welcome home, Jake, I missed you so much' kiss? The one I'm dying for?"

Y/N tilted her head up so she could place a sweet peck on his cheek. Clearly, that quick press wasn't enough since Jake got a hold of her chin and held her in place so she could shy away from the big, sloppy smooch he planted on her lips.

"I missed you too, baby," he said before going back in for another kiss that Y/N gladly reciprocated. She melted against him, her body soft and pliant for hands to roam over, his fingers finding their way underneath her t-shirt to rest on her bare skin.

After a few minutes of being pressed up against him, she pulled back and broke the kiss. "Are you going out tonight?" Y/N asked, her voice muffled by the way he was chasing her lips with his.

"Kev did say that some of the crew were meeting at The Pit Stop later on. But, I wanna spend my night with you."

"I'd like that, but are you sure you don't-"

He stopped her before she could go on. "I'm sure, beautiful," he said, leaning in to kiss her again. "I wanna be glued to you all night long."

That sounded nice. Yet, she knew he was an extrovert. He used to go out clubbing and hang out with his buddies and do all kinds of things. Ever since he'd met her, they'd spent a lot of their time at home, just with each other for company.

"What if I came with you?"

"To The Pit Stop?"

"Yeah, would you like that?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," he beamed, his entire face lighting up. "Are you sure you want to go with me? You don't have to-"

"I want to go."

With Y/N on his arm, Jake spent the evening getting a beer or two with his coworkers and Beth would come to realise how the couple worked as she watched them interact.

Throughout the evening, Y/N spoke a bit more. And then a bit more. She kept tucked into Jake's side as his coworkers asked her so many questions but she answered them all without cowering away or clamming up. If anyone happened to take a peek under the table, they'd see Jake's thumb rubbing comforting circles in Y/N's palm any time she was pulled into a conversation.

Then, the moment some of the crew went up for refills and less eyes were on them, Jake was giving Y/N a soft kiss on the temple and whispering, "You're doing so good," against her skin.

"You think?" Y/N asked, her voice hushed.

"I know, sweetheart."

Her cheeks reddened and she tried to push his head away, but Jake wasn't having it. He got a hold of her waist and tugged her into a hug, attacking her cheek with a bout of mushy kisses until she was a giggly mess.

"Stop it, Jakey. Stoooop," she whined, although it was half-hearted and she was smiling through it. He stopped so he didn't make her uncomfortable with all the PDA, but couldn't help the way his fingers were itching to gently tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

So, he did exactly that and was rewarded with the sight of Y/N's big, round lovesick eyes looking right at him. "Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?"

"For making this less scary."

"Anytime, baby," he replied, giving her another quick kiss on the temple.

From the bar, Kevin nudged Beth at the display and muttered, "That's disgusting."

"Disgustingly cute!" Beth giggled and punched Kevin in the bicep. "Y/N always was a lonely kid, this is a nice change."

"Yeah, at least we don't have to worry about getting him STD checked every other month now," Kevin joked, getting another hit for that comment. "Ow! Ow, watch how hard you hit me with those man hands of yours! I have sensitive skin, you know!"

Y/N nodded her head in the direction of her aunt. "Are they a thing?" She asked Jake, having noticed the pair huddled together.

"No. Not yet."

"But they will be?"

"Yeah, once Kevin gets the balls to fess up."

Eventually, the group outing fizzled out for the night and everyone went home. Their confusion about whatever was going on in Jake's personal life completely figured out as they'd endured how content and relaxed he looked in Y/N's presence.

Despite how different they were, it was impossible now to see them as sole beings. They were a pair, and it was clear that Jake had been waiting for a day like this to come to fruition. A day where he'd finally found someone to exist in the metaphorical passenger's seat in the vehicle that is called life.

#jake martin x reader #jake martin #the crew

[bippot]

Summary: After being independent all his life, Spencer needs someone to lean on. He finds out how to when a pipe in his apartment burst and he needs to move in within his old pal. She's been waiting for the chance to pamper and treat him the way he deserves.

Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Caretaking, Idiots in Love, Baking, Domestic Fluff, Smut, Hand Jobs, Spencer Reid Needs a Hug, Eventual Romance, Facial Shaving, Drunkenness, Drunken Confessions, Love Confessions, Headaches & Migraines

Criminal Minds, Dr Spencer Reid Masterlist - here

For two or so weeks, the team was sure something was going on with Spencer. He went through a period of being so frantic and tense then, all of sudden, that behaviour stopped. They had literally no idea what it could be. It seemed as if he had a million things to do and nowhere to go. And every time they asked if he needed help or anything, Spencer would shrug them off.

Things had been a little weird for him ever since he got out of prison and nobody expected him to revert back to normal once he got out. He seemed to acclimatise after a few weeks but maybe that was just for show and he was better at pretending that he still wasn't in prison mode.

If it had been something to do with Diana, he would've been more sad than anything. They'd seen that situation before and this definitely wasn't that.

Maxine left him a while ago after she couldn't really let go of the whole Cat thing. She acted way too chill about it on the day because of the adrenaline and then realised a week or so later that it was too big of a deal for her to wrap her head around. There would have been a sense of grief around Reid if that had been the case.

The catalyst of this change was that a pipe burst in his apartment and, thanks to that pipe, Spencer needed to find a new place to stay for a couple of weeks while it was fixed. Reid knew his coworkers would help but they had other things going on in their lives that he didn't want to intrude upon.

Morgan would be busy with his family, Simmons with his, and JJ with hers. And it would be weird constantly being around JJ and Will after she confessed - seriously, why did she do that? - so it would cause him a lot less emotional stress if he just skipped out on that.

Garcia was going through a period of serial dating and he didn't want to be there to witness that because she was like a sister to him and he'd definitely weird out her dates.

Whatever Rossi was going through with ex-wife number whatever, he didn't want to get in between. It hadn't been long since they got married, but with David's track record, everyone wasn't entirely under the belief that the newlywed bliss would last long.

Alvez and Prentiss were still getting to grips with their new relationships and, as well as he got along with them, Spencer knew he would never be comfortable encroaching on their couple's private space. He didn't want to walk in on something he definitely wouldn't want to see.

This left Y/N. She was an old neighbour that he kept in touch with even though she'd moved into a new apartment a few streets over. She was always friendly, always happy to see him, and had forced him to stay in her spare room all those years ago when he broke his knee so she could take care of him. He didn't speak to her as much as he used to but Spencer was sure that if there was a chance to help, she would.

Yeah, it was an adjustment. Reid had been independent for just about all of his life, but this was something he really wanted to adjust to. The comfort she provided was intoxicating - day by day, his walls were coming down - and he soon found out that coming home to find someone else there was really nice. He hadn't really had that (other than with his mother) since Maeve died, and Cat managed to scare Maxine away before he ever got to that stage with either of them. It was a no-brainer who he wanted to stay with from the get-go, if he was honest.

Y/N owned a bakery and that meant that he got fresh baked goodies whenever she came home from work, or if he made the journey downstairs to her shop and snatched a croissant from the display whenever she wasn't looking. Spencer Reid stealing croissants from his friend? Prison had changed him. She'd also told him he could, but he didn't like constantly asking for them, so he used his sneakery to get around that.

He hadn't told anyone about this new arrangement yet. He knew that if any of his coworkers heard he'd gained a roommate, and an attractive female roommate at that, they'd have a reason to ask him intrusive questions that he didn't want to answer. He didn't want to jinx anything. If he was being really truthful, he probably wouldn't be able to keep the coy smile off his face whenever Y/N was mentioned. He always thought she was pretty and, back in the day, he was far too nervous to ever act on it so they stayed as friends from that point on.

After a particularly long and depressing case - child murder is never a fun time - Spencer was drained and grumpy when he got home. All he wanted was to slump headfirst into the couch and not get up until the next morning. That's how it would go down when he lived alone. Yet, he couldn't do that because Y/N was lying on the living room couch. She was dressed in a sweater - one that was designed to be oversized and she'd also bought two or three sizes up for maximum comfort - her cheek squished on a cushion as she watched some cheesy reality show.

"Hey," she greeted, her voice so sleepy that it came out barely as a whisper. He grunted his greeting.

Could he spread out on the sofa like he wanted to while she was still there? It had been a while since he'd been embraced by anyone. And he knew Y/N would indulge him. Why not? Two birds, one stone. He was a lot more confident these days so, yeah, why fucking not?

To test the waters, he lifted her feet and sat in their place, letting her rest the bottom half of her person against his thighs. He let his palms gently slide up and down her shins as he looked at the TV - he wasn't watching it, his eyes were just in that general direction - and he came to the conclusion that this touching another person thing was nice when the person was Y/N.

"You're back late. How was the flight? I can see you didn't get any sleep," she asked, rubbing at her eye with the back of her hand.

The bags under his eyes were getting heavier. He hadn't slept well for a while now. Prision does that to you, she'd heard. And his job took so much out of him. She had no idea how he did it, how he was still functioning. But he was. He was managing.

"I had so many cups of coffee just to get through it."

As he said that, he let all of his weight fall to the side, and he flopped his head onto her chest. Y/N was shocked into momentary quiet, her mouth opening in surprise, but once she got a hold of herself, she softly asked, "Hey, you okay? Was the case... bad? I mean, more bad than usual?"

"...A kid."

It was only two words, but they told her everything she needed to know. "Oh" was all she could possibly think of saying. It encapsulated everything she could about the subject. It was a surprise. It was sad. And she was sure there wasn't anything she could say to make it better.

He snaked his arm around her stomach in an effort to bring her closer to him, to bring him even more of the comfort he desperately needed right now. Her hands hovered an inch away from his shoulders for just a moment, taking a second to consider whether touching him any further would cause him discomfort, before she made her mind up and began stroking his back with long soothing circular strokes.

Pastry. Jam. Honey. And a hint of mint from her toothpaste that she'd accidentally dropped onto her jumper. She smelt so delicious that he wondered if she would actually taste as good as she smelled. His stomach growled as that thought popped into his head.

"You hungry? I've got some leftover pasta if you want me to warm it up for you."

"Just wanna stay here. You're warm."

If it was warmth he wanted, it was warmth he was going to get. Y/N shimmied the edge of her jumper from beneath Spencer and lifted it over him, entrapping them both in the comfort of her sweatshirt. He shifted upwards to poke his head out of the neck opening and rested his cheek on top of her collarbone.

"This kinda feels like I'm a kangaroo with my little baby joey in my pouch," she teased, drawing squiggles between his shoulder blades.

"Did you know that 95% of kangaroos are left-handed?"

"I didn't know that."

"If a kangaroo gets pregnant again while nursing their previous joey, a phenomenon called embryonic diapause occurs, which is when an embryo stops growing to keep itself in a sort of stasis. It has to wait 235 days before it can be born," Spencer rambled, letting himself sink further into Y/N.

Being bombarded with facts about just about everything was one of Y/N's favourite new past times. She always let out a hum of acknowledgement, even though she sometimes didn't understand half of the stuff he was talking about. She was just happy that he was talking to her at all.

"I like you like this, Spence," Y/N cooed, brushing a curl away before it fell in front of his eyes with a tentative fingertip. "All wrapped up and cute like a little joey. You're like my little baby - a tall baby - but still my little big baby."

A snort came out of his nose and he pressed his lips into a thin line. "I'm not a baby, Y/N."

"I know that, dumbass," she laughed, squeezing him a little tighter. "I'm just saying that I like babying you, I guess."

"I'm a grown man. I don't need to be babied."

Her fingers found the crown of his hair as she scratched his scalp. He let out a weak hum, almost like a quiet purr, as he closed his eyes and surrendered to the sensation.

"I know," she smiled, "But just because you don't need to be taken care of doesn't mean you shouldn't be."

Lifting himself onto his forearms, Spencer peered down at Y/N, and even though he didn't realise it, his big brown eyes were brimming with tears. Y/N was quick to thumb away the wetness that was about to fall down his cheek. She didn't know why she felt the need to confess her thoughts. Maybe it was to make Spencer feel better. Maybe she was just tired of seeing him lose himself to the void.

"I want to look after you," Y/N stated, tilting his chin up with her forefinger so their eyes met, "If you'll let me."

There was a wealth of emotion behind his eyes. Even Y/N, who knew him better than most, didn't feel like she understood all of them. Was it fear? Was it sadness? Was it some kind of guilt? Motormouth and serial rambler Spencer Reid had no idea how to internalise that and what to say to that. He was speechless. He was silent for so long, Y/N thought he might've gone into shock. She expected him to bolt from her like a wild horse freed from a rider's grip. But he didn't.

"Let you?" he eventually choked out. "Yeah, I'll let you. I'll admit there are certain things that I have to do in a very specific way or I won't be able to function properly but - overall - that sounds really nice, Y/N. Thank you."

Y/N felt her lips twitch into a smile. "We can talk about it more tomorrow, yeah?" He nodded so she went back to scratching his head until he settled down into the crook of her neck and let himself get closer and closer to the edge of sleep. He was cocooned in a bubble of physical and emotional warmth that enveloped him with ease.

Spencer really could get used to this.

Tomorrow came and the pair had a very open conversation where Spencer admitted that he would like to be, for lack of a better word, pampered. It was a relatively new concept to him, and the brief insight he got of it was really relaxing. But, he didn't want to feel incompetent. Tasks that take a certain amount of concentration and brain power were fine for Y/N to do for him, yet he didn't want to take her kindness for granted and turn her into his maid. That was a step too far.

He also confessed, with a few word stumbles along the way, that he had felt the need for this to be reciprocal in some way. Yes, Y/N had been the one to bring up the subject and had expressed the desire to take care of him, but that created an imbalance between the two of them - Spencer getting whatever he wanted done for him, and Y/N getting jack shit (and presumably tired from doing everything) - and their friendship wouldn't last like that.

To pay her back, he'd help out in her bakery. He could help out on the financial side of things since was so much faster than her at the admin and accounting work - maths to Spencer Reid is like breathing - and (he's never really told anyone before) he would really like to know how to make doughnuts and croissants and all the sweet treats that he craves so much. Awesome FBI profiler by day. Mediocre maker of jam tarts by night. That was the dream.

Ever since he was a kid, he always felt a little weird whenever he was in someone else's personal space. For some people, it was their home. Or their office. Or the bathroom that they have breakdowns in. Personally, Spencer's was the poetry section at the library he frequented. Y/N's was her patisserie kitchen. And, bizarrely, Spencer didn't mind hanging out in Y/N's patisserie kitchen. Maybe it was because it was filled with sweet treats. Or maybe it was because of what always happened if Spencer managed to get home before Y/N had decided that her work day was over.

As quiet as a mouse, he'd creep down the stairs from their apartment - he means her, her apartment - to the kitchen of her bakery, and he'd stand in the doorway watching. Just watching. Watching as she hummed to herself while she worked. Watching as she moved about with confidence and ease. Watching as she reached for the measuring cups and jugs of ingredients. Watching as she stirred, whisked, mixed, and kneaded whatever needed to be prepared for tomorrow.

If one of her employees was still hanging around, they'd look at him knowingly so he always hoped she was alone to save himself the embarrassment.

Spencer's eyes would drink in every single part of her - the way she moved and the way she held herself, the way her white apron hung loosely around her, the way her messy hair looked tied back with a yellow ribbon - and at first, he wouldn't want to disturb her. But, over time, he'd realise that he was being a bit of a creep.

And then he'd get up the courage to walk right in, do his best to pretend that he hadn't been ogling her from afar for who knows how long, and give her a big grin as he entered her space. She'd jump out of her skin every time his presence became suddenly known - every single one - and lightly hit him on the shoulder.

Tonight was no different. It happened step by step as it always did until she asked, "Do you want me to show you how to make Chelsea buns?"

"Yeah, I would like that."

"Put an apron on then," she urged, pointing to the set of hooks with her employees' aprons on, and he did exactly as she said straight away. "Let's make our dough first."

She walked him through the process, told him about all the ingredient amounts, mixed it for him, and didn't stop talking for the entire time. It was cute. It always is whenever you get someone talking about something they're passionate about, and Y/N seemed to know exactly how to reel him in.

Despite the fact that her instructions were very clear and he was a smart guy, he couldn't seem to get a grasp on how to knead the dough. Y/N had shown him what to do, let him fumble for a few minutes, then said, "Can I move your hand for you until you get the hang of it?"

"Be my guest."

So, she did. Y/N placed her palm on the back of his hand and guided him how to properly knead the dough, and he did it, and he did it properly. Yet, when she went to let him do it by himself, he pulled her hand back on his, mumbling an unconvincing, "I don't think I'm quite there yet."

Y/N didn't quite believe him. She still indulged him, though. They essentially recreated that scene from Ghost but with baking instead of pottery. She didn't laugh or push him away. She just smiled.

"I think that's enough. Now we should wait at least 2 hours so the yeast rises and it doubles in size."

"What? I can't wait that long."

"Well, it's a good thing I made some earlier then."

Pulling the same move that TV cooks use, Y/N retrieved her previously made risen dough so he could flatten it out, sprinkle on the cinnamon and spice and everything nice, and roll it up into a cute - albeit a bit wonky - swirl of tastiness.

The buns cooked for 25 minutes, and during that time, Spencer asked all about Y/N's day and if she had any customers from hell recently. Y/N urged him to tell her about his day at work - but only the parts he felt comfortable about saying, like usual - and he was lucky that he'd mostly been doing paperwork. It was boring to talk about and even more boring to fill out, but it wasn't traumatic, so that was good.

By the time they had to come out of the oven, the pair were so deep in a conversation that they forgot they were baking and were rudely interrupted by the timer Y/N had set. She was quick to hand Spencer a set of oven gloves so he could behold his masterpieces.

"These smell so good," he hummed as he took a deep whiff of the warm buns, the scent filling him with a sense of accomplishment. Just after he placed the hot tray on the side, Spencer attempted to pick up a bun to eat. "HOT! HOT! VERY HOT!"

"You literally just got it out of the oven!"

Through her chuckle, Y/N caught his wrist and lifted to see if accidentally touched the scorching hot baking tray and burnt the tips of his finger. He hadn't, luckily, but she still rubbed the pain away with her thumb.

"That was a silly thing to do. I thought you were supposed to be a genius," she reprimanded playfully

"I am a genius."

"Are you though? Are you really?"

"Yes. I am."

"Hmmm...I don't believe it."

He frowned, then he realised she was just messing with him and reached to give her hips a quick squidge, which was an affectionate gesture that should've felt foreign, but it didn't. Y/N giggled and let herself fall back against his chest, his arms wrapping around her like second nature.

If there was one thing Y/N had learned these past few weeks, it was that Spencer Walter Reid was one touchy guy. And she was probably the only person other than his mother that knew that. He'd been touch starved for all of his life, so it wasn't much of a surprise that he was a bit greedy when it came to physical contact, but it was adorable regardless.

"You still have to glaze the buns. Or do you want me to do it instead."

"Can you do it please?" He mumbled, pushing his face into the fabric of her shoulder.

"It won't take long."

As she moved to quickly make some sugar water and brush it onto the buns, she had a cling on. Wherever Y/N moved, Spencer was attached to her back like a sloth on a branch with his lazy, heavy limbs. It was cute but a little awkward when she needed to lean or walk. He was really putting the cling in clingy.

"I'm almost done, lovely. What do you want for dinner?"

"We're going to order."

"We are, are we?"

"Uh-huh, you deserve a break from kitchens so you're going to let me buy us a bunch of Chinese food that will keep us fed for the next two to three days," he informed her, his voice making it very clear that this was non negotiable.

To appease her even more, he rubbed his cheek against the side of her jaw, nuzzling against her face like a cat. His stubble was rough and scratchy, so she gently pushed his head away.

"You need a shave."

"I don't wanna," he whined. "Don't you think I look more manly like this?"

Y/N chuckled, "Oh yes, very manly." She finished what she was doing and turned in his arms, her fingers coming up to feel the coarseness of his 5 o'clock shadow. "I could shave your face for you if you'd like."

"You would?"

"Well, I mean I could try. If you'd like?"

"Please?"

His eagerness made her giggle, and she felt an overwhelming desire to please him, if only to get rid of his five o'clock shadow.

"Let's go upstairs then, Spence."

"Can you use that fancy moisturiser that you have on me?" He asked on the way up the stairs. "It smells nice and always makes your skin really soft."

Sharing skincare? Surely that was asking for an uncountable number of germs to be passing between them. For some reason, Spencer was completely fine with that.

Soon, Y/N was perched on the bathroom sink with Spencer standing between her legs as she covered his face with shaving cream. With one hand, she held his face ever so gently, and the other was focused on moving the razor so slowly to ensure that she didn't accidentally cut him. It was a very tender moment, one that she could've spent hours doing.

"What are you going to order?"

"Hmm..." He hummed. "Maybe a Chicken Biryani."

"I thought you wanted Chinese tonight."

"I changed my mind. I want Indian food now."

"So indecisive." She turned his chin to the side. "Why don't we order before you change your mind again?"

"Okay, okay."

She finished up the shave as he used her phone to order through an app - his phone didn't have the option for downloading apps. He may be a Luddite but any way around calling the restaurant and placing the order that way, he'd do.

"There we go! You've got the bareface of a prepubescent kid," she teased as she finished up.

"Moisturise me!"

With such a light touch, she did whatever skincare treatments he wanted her to do. His skin had a healthy glow to it that it hadn't had before and there was no stubble, just smooth, sexy, soft skin. The final touch was to slide her chapstick against his lips, his chin resting between her thumb and forefinger.

"So pretty," she whispered, running her hand along his jaw.

Something more could've happened if the doorbell hadn't gone off.

"Go sit down, I'll get our food," she urged, quickly pecking him on the cheek on the way out of the bathroom and towards the front door. Pink took over his whole face and it was impossible to hide his coy little smile.

From that day on, Spencer knew what had once been a crush turned into something deeper. It had a while ago, but this was his confirmation. It was as if there was a large neon sign right in front of her face saying 'Spencer, you're in love with me,' and he didn't need an eidetic memory to remember that forever.

That achy feeling in his heart got worse when Matt's kids accidentally gave Spencer lice. He'd gotten home from a get-together at the Simmons residence, and after entertaining all the young ones with a magic show, his head was surprisingly itchy.

"Do I have a cobweb or something in my hair?" He asked Y/N, scratching at his scalp.

Y/N couldn't keep her face neutral as she got to her knees on the couch and peered at the top of his head. She grimaced and visibly shuddered at the sight of the little bugs.

"You might want to tell your friend that his kids have lice."

"LICE!?"

Spencer freaked out, his eyes bugging out of his head and his body stiffening. "I'm going to shave my head!" He squealed, flinging his hands up in the air. "I'm going to! All my hair!"

"It's okay, lovely. I'll go down to the corner store, pick up some Nix, and be back in a little over 5 minutes," Y/N soothed, trying to get his mind off of his potential baldness.

"Please hurry!"

8 minutes later, Y/N returned from the store and Spencer stared at her expectantly.

"There's nothing to worry about. Come on, bathroom time."

Once Y/N had so lovingly shampooed his hair and followed the instructions step by step, she was brushing his hair and getting rid of any pesky nits that had stuck around. On the inside, his mind was circling - it would go from 'gross, lice' to 'Y/N's taking care of me' to 'Y/N's taking care of me because of gross lice' and would repeat over and over again - but on the outside, he was beaming up at her with puppy dog eyes and a little pout.

"What would I do without you?"

"Shave your head, apparently."

"I'm going to miss you, Y/N," he admitted. "When my apartment is fixed."

Luckily for him, Spencer's landlord had messed up. The burst pipe spewed water everywhere. That water splashed into a plug socket. So, that needed to be replaced and rewired, and Mr Landlord thought his buddy who'd offered to do it at a heavily discounted price had the skill set to do it correctly. They did not. A completely different electrician had to come in and redo everything.

"I'll just force you to stay here forever."

"You don't have to force that on me. I'll stay, willingly."

"Okay then, move in."

She said it so casually, like it was nothing and not the life changing decision that it was. It was an enticing offer. A life with her. Her support. In constant domesticity. And with a steady flow of baked goods. It was too good to refuse.

"You're serious?"

"Uh-huh." He could see it in her eyes that she was. Despite how she was still brushing through his hair, he knew her focus had shifted. "You've already got your room set up, why not?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. I'd like to move in."

All of his stuff was moved in within the week. His landlord had been told and if the guy made a fuss, Spencer had informed him that he was prepared to sue for damages - a hefty portion of his books had been drowned in the flood - and he did work for the FBI so he had a wealth of really good lawyers that he could talk to and hire. He was released from his tenancy agreement after that.

Every day was a sleepover. Well, every day when Spencer wasn't on a case where he'd have to be on the other side of the country for a week or so.

Life with Y/N was easy, blissfully so. They were happy and content, and he was so, so in love. And that was the only problem really: love. He didn't want to be too obvious about it because if she caught on and didn't feel the same, it would get really awkward, and he'd probably move out as soon as he could. Yet, he wanted to express it. He wanted to make her feel loved and special.

Because she was loved and special.

Spring came around and was weirdly warm - that's climate change for you - and Y/N had ditched the oversized hoodies and sweatpants for something less fabricy. T-shirts and shorts, tank tops and skirts, there was a lot more skin on show, and it was, in a word, distracting.

So, Spencer had also decided to start spending a portion of his downtime in his bedroom. Whenever he wanted to look at casefiles or plan his lectures, he needed to not have Y/N anywhere in his field of vision. If she was, he'd get absolutely nothing done.

A gentle knock on his bedroom door interrupted him mid thought, and he called out, "Come in."

Y/N poked just her head in and smiled "Would you like a coffee?"

"Yes, please."

"Good, cause I've already made you one."

Armed with his drink and a cookie on a plate, Y/N made her way into his room and set it down on his desk. He looked up at her in mild curiosity.

"Why is that cookie bright blue?"

"I intended to slightly turn it blue but I added too much food colouring."

Sipping coffee, he leaned back in his chair and began watching her with a slight frown on his face. The frown wasn't at her, specifically. He had a headache. The last case had been incredibly drawn out and took them far too long to solve. One of his best students had decided to drop out because they were busy looking after their sickly mother, and that was a loss of such potential. And he'd generally just gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

"A few customers have complained that they wrongly bought blueberries instead of chocolate muffins, cookies, whatever so, I thought, why don't I turn them blue to make it obvious," Y/N explained, her eyes scanning all over his room.

His room was a mess. Books everywhere. His duvet was crumpled in a heap on the floor right next to a splattering of clothes. There was yesterday's towel draped on the bed. The curtains were still closed. And there was a general stale-ness in the air.

No hesitation whatsoever, Y/N grabbed his laundry bag and began to tidy up.

"I'll do that later, Y/N."

"It's okay. You're busy, lemme do this for you."

"I'm not a child, Y/N! I can clean my own room!"

In all of their time as friends, he'd never raised his voice at her, and they were both shocked that he just did. Y/N froze as she was mid-push of putting the duvet back into place and looked at him in genuine confusion. He sighed and got up from his chair, moving over to wrap himself around her and slump them both down on his bed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I had a shitty day and my shitty day is not your shitty day, I know that. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad, I promise, just a little surprised." Y/N laughed, "You've never yelled at me before. We can tick that experience off our friendship to-do list. If anything, it was a little weird that we've been friends for so long, and that hasn't happened before."

She rubbed the back of his head and gave him a small smile, joking, "I think it was about time you showed your 'grr, I'm an FBI agent. I carry a gun' side to me."

Rolling his eyes, he let out an amused groan. "I've never said 'grr' in my entire life."

"Well, you just did."

"Yeah, I did, but-"

He stopped before he'd start a meaningless argument over it and laughed instead. Spencer let himself squish Y/N into the mattress a little bit, smiling when all she did was pat his back in a soft consistent rhythm.

"I'm judging by the lack of light that you have a headache?"

"Don't profile me," he jeered lightheartedly.

"Too late."

Before he could decline, she was massaging his temples and trying to will away his headache. It was a losing battle, he knew it would be if he tried to pretend that he was okay, and just let her. Five minutes of her fingers moving on his forehead and the pressure was starting to subside.

"You're too good at this," he groaned.

"I don't know why, maybe I'm just naturally good at giving massages."

"You've got magic hands."

A huff came out of her nose. "Yeah, that's what my ex boyfriend said too," she muttered under her breath, talking more to herself than to him.

Jealousy spiked in him, just a little bit, but enough to make his stomach twist and his heart beat faster. He didn't want to care about that. But he did. The mere mention of an ex-boyfriend was enough to make his chest feel tight.

He cleared his throat and shifted under her hands. Her eyes flicked down to his, and he met them unflinchingly. They looked at each other for a few seconds, and a million thoughts ran through his head. A soft smile curved at the edges of his lips.

"Can I ask you something?" he finally said.

"Yeah, sure."

"It's kind of a random question."

"Go for it."

"Do you think... I mean, um, do you think we'd make a good couple?"

There was a long pause. The room was quiet, aside from the hum of the air conditioning and the muffled sound of traffic outside.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I think we would."

"Would you like to try to -"

"Are you asking me out?"

"I would've if you let me finish my sentence," he replied, his sass barely hiding how genuine he was. She laughed. It was a genuine, happy sound that made his chest feel lighter than air.

"I would like to try."

That was so much easier than he'd ever expected it to be. He let out a relieved sigh and very goofily did a little air punch that caused her to laugh some more.

"Follow up question."

"Hmm?"

Since he knew that she was willing to date him, based on that he assumed that she would have a positive reaction when he hinted, "Would there be kissing in this 'trying to be a good couple' situation?" and made it very clear where his eyeline was. His tongue came out to wet his bottom lip. "Would that be something you would be into?"

To answer, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. It was a chaste, almost awkward press of lips to lips. It wasn't long, but it left him yearning for more.

"You've got work to do, Doctor Reid."

Teasingly, Y/N got out from under him and gestured to the case file that he'd been reading when she arrived. Y/N crouched down to be eye level with him still on the bed and swiped some hair behind his ear as she added, "And I've got more bright blue blueberry cookies to make."

He made a face at her, but he knew she was right.

"Come find me when you're done," she told him, winking.

With that, she was gone. He heard her humming as she descended downstairs to her shop. He looked at the case file some more, his mind distracted for a completely different (but also kinda the same) reason now. Whatever bad mood he had been in was completely turned on its head.

He was still grinning the next morning when he went into work and told them all about the new insight he had on the case. Obviously, his coworkers were a little confused about why Spencer was in such a good mood but he was tight lipped. No matter how much he wanted to gush about Y/N and his new relationship, he kept his mouth shut.

The team would only know this new new development in the good doctor's life a few weeks down the line. They managed to convince him to actually attend an evening Rossi was hosting at his house. Spencer tended to only go to the cooking lessons and special occasions at Rossi's.

Once or twice a month, the members of the BAU would get absolutely pissed on expensive wine together. It was Emily's idea at first, but Rossi ran with it. And with the knowledge that he had someone at home willing to look after him if he got into a state, Spencer thought, why not? He deserved a night to let himself get all dizzy and stupid.

There were parts of his recent memory that he'd like to forget and drinking copious amounts of would remedy that for a while. There is not much chance that it would actually 'kill' those memory cells, but they would fade into the background for one night.

Was it any surprise that Y/N got a late night call to come and pick him up? No, she'd been expecting that. He had always been a lightweight primarily because he rarely ever touched alcohol in any way. Even if they were at a restaurant, he'd purposefully pick another dessert if he found out there was a smidgeon of booze in it. What Y/N wasn't expecting was a female voice to be on the other line when she picked up Spencer's call.

Penelope, who had a few too many as well, was giddy with delight when whoever this Y/N was that her buddy had been talking about all night answered the phone with "Hey baby, you okay?"

"I knew he had a girlfriend!" Penelope yelled to the team, her voice a squeal of excitement. "I knew it! Oh my god, hi! I'm Penelope. I work with your boyfriend."

"Hi, Penelope," Y/N said. "How's it going?"

"Reid is so drunk he can barely stand up," she informed Y/N. "Yoo hoo, Reid, drink that water Simmons gave you!"

That got a groan from him. He was slouched on Rossi's couch with his head in his hands.

"It's not my fault you tried to go drink for drink with Prentiss!"

Emily Prentiss has a glass of wine for breakfast. One at dinner. And one before bed. And that's only on her work days. She knows how to hold herself together while her blood has been replaced by red wine.

"If I text you the address, can you come and get him?"

"Of course I can."

"Good, I can't wait to meet you!" Before she pressed the button to hang up, Y/N heard Penelope playfully tease, "Spencer, your girlfriend that you've been hiding from us is coming to pick your drunk butt up."

With that, the call ended and Y/N was grabbing her car keys. The journey to Rossi's was fairly simple and quick, mostly because there were far fewer cars on the road at this time of night. She pulled up to the grand house - mansion, let's be fair - and the door was opened just as Y/N was about to knock.

"You're pretty!" Penelope greeted, her face pulled into a huge, stupid grin. One of the shoulders of Penelope's dress was hanging down her shoulder so Y/N slid it back into place for her. "Come on in, come in. Ha, look at me, acting as if I own the place!"

Thanks to the drunkenness of his coworkers, Rossi did what he always did at these types of gatherings and retreated to his backyard the moment JJ and Emily got all touchy feely with each other.

Currently, Spencer had moved from the couch and was now lying facedown on the living room floor with Luke and Matt throwing pens and pencils and anything lightweight enough to not hurt but be annoying at his head. It was a funny sight to see.

Y/N knelt on the rug beside her boyfriend and reached out to run her hands through his hair as she cooed, "Is the floor comfy enough for you, lovely?"

The sound of her voice immediately perked him up, and he was able to open his eyes and look at her, albeit with a confused look on his face, to ask, "Honey?"

"Hi, babe. Do you want to go? It's late."

"You came to get me."

"Of course I did, dumdum."

"187 means I-I'm not a dumdum dumdum," he mumbled and tried to sit up, but quickly gave up and rested his head in her lap. He huffed an annoyed, "I'm a drunk dumdum" and pouted. She stroked his hair and listened to the other two guys laughing at them.

Not attempting to hold it back, Y/N joined in on Matt and Luke's laughter. She didn't know these guys, but she assumed if Spencer was actually so drunk that it was a concern, they'd be taking this more seriously. He was fine. He was just a little more stupid and less conscious of where his limbs were than usual.

Eventually, she lifted his head up from her lap and held him upright with her palms on either of his cheeks. He looked at her with a dizzy, but happy, smile and her heart melted a little, but she tried to keep a serious expression on her face or they'd stay on his coworkers floor for the entire night.

"Are you ready to go home?"

"You s-so, so pretty," he slurred, leaning forward since he intended to press his lips to hers.

He missed. He actually managed to catch her jaw with nose and he was off balance enough that he fell forward and they ended up in a sloppy, drunken hug where Y/N was holding up all of Spencer's weight with her arms under his armpits and his face was buried in her hair.

"Wuv you," he whispered in her ear, his pronunciation a bit off, but she knew what he'd intended to say. It was obvious.

"I know," she whispered back. "I wuv you too."

A blush was very evident on Y/N's cheeks as she hauled Spencer into her car, and while his friends had no idea what he'd whispered, they knew it was something to gossip about. Her goodbyes were short and she'd given Penelope her number just in case this happened again and Spencer hadn't charged his phone, which happened so often despite the fact he had an eidetic memory and had to be contactable thanks to his job.

Spencer became more and more sober on the drive home. He'd been alternating between sipping from the water bottle Y/N had brought for him and babbling about a type of fox named Fennec foxes that there's been a rise of people keeping as pets, and while he was definitely a lot more coherent and more aware of his surroundings, he wasn't exactly acting like his normal self.

Then she realised he was avoiding any phrasing that could be misconstrued as romantic or sexual or the barest bit affectionate, even if it was the scientific terms for whatever processes he was explaining. He'd mumbled his way through the way people breed and raise the big eared pups before trailing off when he realised she knew exactly what he was doing.

"Lovely, it's okay. I can forget that you said - "

How could she phrase it? He hadn't exactly said those three words but it was close enough that his drunken slurring had the same implication. After consideration, Y/N came to the conclusion to keep it simple.

"I can try to forget that you said 'that' if you'd like me to."

"I don't want you to forget. I'm just trying to gather up the courage to say it coherently this time."

"Take as long as you need," she responded softly as she parked up.

It didn't take him long at all. He got himself out of the car with no trouble, no stumbling or swaying or dizziness. He had reverted back to a light buzz, a little happy tipsiness. They made it through her front door, and he decided that he didn't want to go to bed just yet, so he flopped on the couch and turned the TV instead.

"Let's watch something," he suggested, patting the space beside him on the couch.

The second Y/N was sitting down, Spencer was tugging her to lie down so he could use her boobs as pillows as he watched the random show he'd selected. Honestly, he'd just clicked on the first one that looked mildly interesting without even really thinking about it.

Halfway through a rather graphic sex scene began to play. During their relationship, they'd always been interrupted before things got spicy. A case. Spencer gets an update about his mum. Y/N's friend stops in to say hello. Lecture notes need to be written and papers graded. Employees phoned in sick. Or they were both just too tired and not in the mood.

There were no interruptions in sight tonight. And the show had made him imagine certain things. Spencer went from enjoying Y/N gentle caresses up and down his spine to feeling like they were going to make him catch a flame in seconds.

"Is something wrong?" she asked as he squirmed and flipped onto his back so she couldn't feel what was wrong pressing against her leg.

"I.." He couldn't even form a sentence. "...Nothing."

"Spencer?"

"Nothing wrong. I'm...I'm fine. No problems, honey."

"I can see the tent in your trousers."

It was obvious. Just in the way his breathing got shallower with every movement of the actors in the scene. The way he bit down on his lip as he watched. The way he tensed up and let out a staggered groan when a particularly explicit sex act was performed. And she was in the exact same position.

"Baby, you want a hand?" Y/N offered, fully intending the double entendre. She tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and placed a kiss upon his cheekbone. "I've got magic hands, remember?"

"Oh," Spencer breathed. "Yes, yeah please."

"Get comfy then, handsome."

After some wiggling and shifting, he let his weight rest against his girlfriend and relax his temple against her jaw. When he was ready, he looked over his shoulder to give her a little nod.

Y/N took her time to get him worked up. She kissed her way down his neck as her hand drifted under his shirt. She explored his ribcage and his sides, his stomach and his thighs, before she finally settled on the bulge in his trousers.

She let her lips rest on his ear and whispered to him, "This feel good?"

"Uh huh," he rasped out.

"You want more?"

"Oh god, yeah."

"Do me a favour and unzip your pants for me, will you?"

Spencer was quick to comply, pulling down his zipper with a solid clunk and pulling his trousers down his thighs, exposing his underwear to her. She teased her fingers along the stitching on his underwear before letting them dip beneath the elastic band and caressing the broad length of his cock.

But before she took him into her palm, Y/N was sweetly ordering, "Spit into my hand please." He did as he was told, spitting into her cupped palm and watching her face intently did the same. She closed her fingers around his cock, coating him in the saliva and making him slick for her.

Slowly, she began to pump her fist up and down his shaft. The friction made his hips buck up into the air, but her other hand came to push them back down. "Let me do all the work, baby," she cooed in his ear, her breath hot against his skin. "You're going to be good for me, aren't you?"

"Gonna be so good," he promised, eyes wide, watching her stroking his cock with her slickened hand. She pumped her hand up and down his shaft a little faster, making him whimper and his body twitch.

Then he started to get restless. His legs kept sliding and jolting so Y/N ended up pinning them down with her thighs and hooking her foot under his calf in the process. She began to pick up the pace along with him, his breath getting ragged and his entire body going into overdrive.

"Look at you, lovely." She smirked, enjoying the way he was squirming and squealing. "So pretty. So wonderful." She gave his cock a few final pumps before pausing to watch his face.

He was flushed, his eyes bright, his chest heaving, and his hair a mess of sweat -soaked curls. "Please keep going," he begged. "I'm almost there."

"I just wanted to take a mental picture of you like this," she whispered. "I'm so glad you let me take care of you."

Once she resumed, he was whining and pleading and begging for release. He was getting loud and messy, and Y/N loved every second of it but "Don't want to wake our neighbours. Can you be quieter for me, baby?"

Sluggishly, Spencer nodded. Y/N could see his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to get himself under control. It didn't work. He was soon making even more noise.

"Do you mind if I put my hand over your mouth, lovely?" Y/N asked him, settling a soft kiss upon his cheek. Spencer agreed with a loud hum, so she placed her palm over his mouth and held it there, watching his face as it contorted with pleasure. "Good boy, good boy, baby. That's it, feel good for me. Feel so good."

His whole body shook, and his eyes rolled back in his head. Y/N watched his every muscle and vein tense and release as he came. She kept her hand over his mouth until he went still, and his head slumped against hers.

When Y/N finally took her hand away from his mouth, he was completely spent and mumbling a totally fucked out, "I love you. I really love you, Jesus. I love you and your magic hands."

Y/N stroked his hair and kissed the side of his face. "I love you too, handsome. Let's clean you up then go to bed now, yeah?" She guided him to the bathroom for a quick shower while he mumbled incoherently about how much he loved her and how he was going to repay her in the morning.

Because she may have magic hands, but he'd been told by past flings that his mouth was legendary and he was prepared to show his thanks for as long as she'd let him.

#spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #doctor reid #criminal minds

[bippot]

Oooo I love you sooo much!!🙇‍♀️💜 Can I please request an Adrian Chase x fem!innocent!reader where a bad guy had taken her and being in a lot of danger, she ended up killing him in self defense, and Adrian (as Vigilante, while on his nightly searches for criminals to kill) happens upon a traumatized, covered in blood Y/n, shaking and crying with her head in her hands, muttering about not wanting to be a bad person and she’s just in shock of what happened to her and what she had to do. She’s the type of person who wouldn’t even hurt a fly, she has never even so much as held any type of weapon. Vig kneels down to her height and promises to “take care” of it, him attempting to comfort her in his own Vigilante way, also carrying her to his car and bringing her to his apartment. He would definitely be trying to assure her that she did nothing wrong in his eyes, he takes care of her injuries and takes care of her as she starts to pretty much live in his apartment, and what was supposed to be a few days, turns into months of her living with him, as neither one of them wanted her to leave. She feels safe with him and fell in love and he wants to protect her and is feeling in love for the first time 🥹

Bacon and Bloodshed

Patrol could get boring. As Vigilante became more well known for hunting in certain areas, criminals would stop being in those areas. Of course they would! Being out in the open doing in Evergreen and doing shady stuff guaranteed a bullet between the brows. Only someone from out of town would be so stupid to attempt to kidnap a woman when they were firmly in the 'Vigilante Zone'.

Dressed in a black hoodie and sweatpants, a thug who used to run around Gotham doing his misdeeds - and only left when he got on the bad side of Two Face and was lucky when a coin was flipped to see whether he got to flee or be shot in the eye - found himself in Evergreen. He lurked in the backseat of a completely dark car, waiting for the woman who owned it to finish her shift.

Fate was kind to some. A bitch to others. All of Adrian's life had been filled with hardship, maybe it was time for his luck to flip.

As soon as she sat down in the driver's seat, his hand came around the headrest to hold a knife against her throat. The criminal expected her to scream. To plead for her life. To cry. But she didn't. She was quiet in shock before she saw an opportunity as he was adjusting his position so he could hold the knife more comfortably and there was a brief moment of time when he moved his arm just enough away that she could bite down really hard into the fleshy part of his hand.

"You bitch!" He yelped in pain, dropping the knife into her lap and jerking his arm away.

Y/N picked it up and darted out of the car, running as fast as she could for the closest building that had a light on and people in. Most shops were closed. People were asleep. The corner store she'd had a late shift had its shutters down - she knew that, she did it - and the only option left was to dart down a dingy alleyway as the thug was hot on her heels.

She was going to die tonight, Y/N was sure of it at that moment. But not before she fought. She wasn't going down without kicking beforehand.

The alley was dark, the only light coming from a flickering red neon sign with a really disgusting logo for what she assumed was a tattoo studio. It was quite apart from the sound of the man's heavy footsteps echoing off the walls. She couldn't see him, but she could hear him breathing heavily and knew he was gaining on her.

And then he caught up to her. He was so close Y/N could smell him, see his shadow looming over her. So, she stopped and turned around, the knife held out in front of her like a sword. "You're not going to kill me, pretty lady." He laughed. "You don't have a chance in hell."

That wasn't true. She was a lot faster than him when he lunged for the knife, and while he was bigger than her and could easily wrestle it out of her hands as soon as he got the chance, he didn't get the chance. The thug was no match for a big cut across the neck she gave him, and he collapsed on the ground, gurgling blood.

Staring down at the man who had tried to kill her for no apparent reason, her hands shook and her knees felt weak. She stood over him as his arm raised, almost as if he was asking her to help in some way. "Oh no. No. No. No..."

In an instant, she dropped the knife and slumped to the ground, her palms pressing down on his wound to try and stop the bleeding. It was a futile effort, but it was all she could do. The man gurgled again, more blood dribbling out of his mouth and splattering all over her clothes and arms until he just stopped. No movement. No twitches. No rising and falling of his chest. Nothing.

Despite what she originally thought, Y/N was going to live. And was going to live with this for the rest of her life. A lump filled her throat and she began to cry, her hands wiping away tears and replacing them with streaks of blood. She stayed there for so long, her body shaking and racked with sobs that it felt like she couldn't stop no matter how hard she tried.

"Aw, I missed all the fun!"

Jolting to point the knife at whoever had just spoken, Y/N looked like she was about to puke. Her eyes were red, her nose runny, her face was covered in blood, and she was shaking like a leaf. Once she realised Vigilante was the one who spoke, she held her hands up in surrender and was babbling, "H-he, uh, he tried to kill me! He had a knife! I don't know - I really don't- I don't why! I don't know why he did it! It was all just a mistake! Please, I just, I j-just really want to go... Can I go?"

Slowly, so slowly so he didn't spook her, Vigilante got closer and lowered the weapon with the tip of his forefinger. He squatted down in front of her until their noses were practically touching - well, if he didn't have his mask on, they would've booped. "Miss, you okay?" he asked, his voice quiet.

"Y-yeah," she managed through her tears. "I-I just, I t-thought I was, uh, I was going to die."

He poked the dead guy with his boot to push the body fully onto his back and fully examine the damage. "You sliced this guy up, good job," he said, shaking his head and chuckling. "He was a big guy too. Damn, you're good with that knife. You really got him."

Adrian had intended to be a compliment, but Y/N's face scrunched and she began crying again. "Did I say something wrong? Please don't cry. I'm not good with that sort of thing. I'm sorry," he added, reaching out to touch her shoulder in the hopes it was comforting.

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" she asked, sniffling. "You're going to kill me 'cause I did that."

"Why would I do that?"

A small laugh escaped her mouth but it was dry and humourless. With a whimper, she wiped at her nose with the back of her wrist. "I'm a killer... oh my god, I'm a killer. I fucking killed that guy. Like, I knew that but - Jesus fuck! - I'm going to hell," she exclaimed, burying her face in her knees. "I don't even believe in hell!"

"Eh, it was self defence. No big deal."

Her crying continued unabated and he knew he needed to get here out of the alley before the police came. "Hey, hey, look, don't cry," he said, trying to get her to look at him with her wet, beautiful eyes that he wished he could see without the red glass of his visor obscuring what colour they were. "Look, you're just a girl who had a bad night. And, yeah, that bad night involved killing a guy... if there's one thing you should take away from this experience it's that you are a badass!"

"A badass?"

"Yeah, and since you're such a badass, I think we should get you away from this crime scene so you don't get put in jail," Vigilante explained, getting to his feet. "It's okay, I swear. I'll make it look like I killed him, no sweat."

Holding his hand out, he helped her to her feet. She hesitated for a moment before she placed her hand in his, her eyes darting around the scene again. Surely, her prints would be all over this place. Even if she fled, there'd be remnant DNA to place her at the scene.

"I can tell my boss that this guy had an alien in his head and she'll clean this up." He looked down at the body again. "Wait, hang on. Lemme just -" Vigilante unsheathed his gun and shot at the dead guy's head. "We really have to go now. Bring the knife with you."

Without another word, Y/N grabbed the bloody knife by the blade and followed him out of the alley, walking quickly to keep up with his long strides. She was shivering, scared out of her mind, and following a masked hero to his car that he called his 'Vigilante-mobile'. The second her butt hit the comfy seat of his Sebring, all the adrenaline that was barely keeping her together finally depleted and she passed out with her head against the car door, her body exhausted from her near-death experience.

When Y/N awoke, she was safe and sound and under a warm duvet. She wasn't in her house, that was clear. And she'd definitely never seen the jumper she was wearing. Whoever had put it on her (she assumed Vigilante but she couldn't be sure) hadn't removed her bloodstained shirt and, therefore, ruined his own clothes. Y/N tiptoed as silently as she could out of the bedroom, unsure of whose house she was sneaking around.

Maybe he thought he wouldn't fall asleep when he lay down on the couch for a breather. Or maybe he would wake before she did. Or maybe it was just that the mask was uncomfortable to sleep in. Because his face was out on display as he slept. Full display. His mouth open. His hair wild. And his gear at a pile by the leg of his sofa, just in case.

And she saw him in all of his handsome glory. Without a doubt, that was the awkward busboy from Fennel Fields. On the few times Y/N had been there, she always let her eyes linger on his bespectacled face despite how much her friends teased her about it. It felt weird knowing who Vigilante was, even if she didn't know his real name. When he woke up to realise she was gone and had gotten enough of a look at him to be able to point him out on a lineup, he would hunt her down. Y/N had decided she'd done enough running the previous night and, yeah, it would be harder to get away from Vigilante.

So, she didn't run. She gently tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey," she whispered, leaning over and poking him in the chest. "Hey, Vigilante."

Adrian startled awake, almost falling off the edge of his sofa as he scrambled around for his mask.

"There's no point. I know what you look like."

"Shit."

His search stopped. Then, he just stared at her as he tried to figure out what to do. He'd killed people for less. But it was his incompetence that caused this situation and she should have to die for something that was his fault. There was a secret other reason for why he didn't want to kill her. One that was superficial and totally not logical at all. His cock was the one who created that reason and this was not the time to be thinking with dick.

"Do you want breakfast?" He offered like they were pal's and this was a completely normal thing to happen between them. "I make a mean bacon sandwich."

She nodded slowly, unsure if she was going to be poisoned or have a nice meal with a crime fighting vigilante. It seemed it was the latter since he got to frying the bacon in no time, whistling an upbeat tune as he flitted about his kitchen. "What's your name?" Adrian asked, trying to get a read on her. Was she going to run? Would she try to attack him? Or would his ultimate dream play out and she'd totally be enamoured by his cool and super suave lady saving ways?

"Y/N. You're the cute busboy from Fennel Fields."

Most people on the FBI's watch list would focus on the fact that she knew an aspect of his life he hadn't told her. She could recognise him and that was potential information she could tell law enforcement. Adrian didn't focus on that, though. The goofiest smile she'd ever seen on anyone ever came over his face as he replied, "You think I'm cute?"

"...Yeah."

"YOU think I'M cute?"

"Whenever I eat there, I try to hype myself up to flirt with you but, I don't know, you're at work - I know I hate it when guys hit on me while I'm working - I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. Being hit on by strangers isn't part of your job description," Y/N explained, her voice a little quick and rambly like she was trying to get all her words out before he got weirded out.

Adrian's smile somehow widened even more. His eyes flitted over her body before he went back to looking at the bacon as he started pushing around the pan. "You think I'm cute," he repeated again, this time smugness replacing his initial doubt.

"I do."

"I think you're cute, too." He smiled a little bashfully to himself, then confirmed that, "If you wanted to hit on me, I wouldn't mind."

"Oh, okay then. Maybe I will."

Mirroring his, Y/N also got a huge smile on her face as she rested against the countertop and beamed up at him, inquiring, "What's your name?" while he tried not to keep all his focus on her. He didn't want to burn the bacon but it looked as if that was what 2as going to happen.

"Adrian."

"Adrian?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm... you do look like an Adrian."

"Is that a good thing?"

Y/N shrugged, a mischievous giggle tumbling from her lips. He rolled his eyes, but found himself laughing along with her. He'd never been particularly good at flirting, but somehow with Y/N, he was finding that he really wanted to try. "You look like a Y/N," he added, his voice lower, his eyes flitting up and down her form. "I've always thought Y/N was a name for someone pretty and you've proven me so right."

Her cheeks flushed at his compliment and she ducked her head to look at her shoes. Adrian couldn't grasp the fact that he'd successfully made her blush. It was a miracle. A jolt of pride went through him at this victory of making her blush, of getting a reaction out of her, of being more successful than ever before.

They ate their bacon baps, conversation bubbling up as they got to know each other. Bit by bit, Y/N revealed some details about herself and Adrian did the same. It was almost as if they had stumbled into an unexpected breakfast date. They were fairly similar - both living on the nerdier side of life and accustomed to being alone - but there was one glaring difference, Y/N was practically harmless (except from the night before).

She'd reprimanded Adrian for trying to kill a spider and ensured that it was safely placed outside with a glass and a discarded takeaway menu. When he told her all about his misdeeds in gruesome detail, she asked him to tone it down a bit. It was just too gross. And, even though they should've spoken about it just a little bit, Y/N changed the subject immediately when he brought up the thug from the night before. She didn't revel in her violence in the way he did. It was a momentary blip. An act of self defence. And it would be something she'd think about for the rest of her life.

Breakfast turned to lunch and they were still talking. Adrian discovered that it was nice to be listened to. Actually listened to. He was so used to being brushed off and dismissed, but Y/N didn't do that. She sat at the dining table, her head resting on her fist, and laughed at his jokes and encouragingly nodded and asked follow up questions. It was weird, but a good weird.

"Oh, is that the time?" Y/N finally noticed how long she'd been in his apartment for. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you had a bunch of stuff to do today and I just got in the way. I'll get out of your hair now."

"No!" He didn't intend to sound so eager. Adrian coughed. "I, uh, I mean... you could stay if you'd like to. I mean, if you don't have anything planned. You can stay in my hair, y'know, hold tight to those follicles if that's what you want."

More giggles came out of her thanks to his words and he found himself grinning and biting his tongue to not say something even more stupid. "Would you like me to stay?" Y/N asked, looking at him with her big, soft eyes.

"I mean, if you don't have plans or something."

"I'm free. For the whole day, if you'd like."

Adrian felt a grin spread over his face. "I would like that very much, yeah."

She leaned in close to him, her face only an inch from his, and whispered, "I can stay all night, if you're interested in that too?"

Those words shot through him with the speed of a bullet. The smile that had spread was now practically splitting his face in half. "I'm interested." He heard the squeakiness of his voice but couldn't do anything about it. "I'm very, very interested."

His hands found her waist and he pulled her closer to him, pressing his hips against her. He could feel the rise and fall of her breath, the tempo increasing the closer he got. Her hand slid up his arm and into his hair, fingers wrapping around the back of his head.

"Good," she let out, her lips so close to his that he could feel her breath on him. "Because I'm interested too."

"Can you stay forever?"

"I can try."

Their eyes locked, hers twinkling, his wide with laughter and something that looked very much like giddiness. He felt his heart thudding in his chest and his ears were filled with the beat. He wanted to close his eyes, to press his nose into the side of her neck, to bury his face into her hair, to kiss every inch of her, to cherish her company for however long fate allowed him.

#adrian chase #vigilante #vigilante x reader #adrian chase x female reader #adrian chase x reader #adrian chase x y/n #peacemaker

[bippot]

Your writing is AMAZING! The way you write Adrian is beautiful!! You have his character perfected!!

Thank you so very much! That's actually so sweet! Hell yeah!

[bippot]

Ooo can I please request an Adrian Chase/Vigilante x fem!innocent!reader where she is Peacemaker’s younger sister who’s in her early twenties. She hasn’t seen her brother since she was around 5 years old because her Mom took her far away from the horribleness that is Peacemaker’s Father, not wanting her to grow up around that awful environment that Peacemaker was forced to grow up in. Peacemaker wanted to find his baby sister after he was released, but he got wrapped up in Project Butterfly. The butterflies find out about Peacemaker’s sister and threaten to go after her, but Amanda Waller won’t let him leave to go make sure she’s safe, so he sends Vigilante to go get her before the butterflies can get to her and bring her back to the team so that she’ll be protected from the Butterflies. Vig showing up at her apartment, not even explaining who he is or why he’s there before just picking her up in his arms and throwing her in his car lmao (leave it to Vig not to explain why he’s basically abducting her), she’d be crying and hitting him, trying to get away and he’s just like, “Hey hey hey, I’m just saving your life!!”and attempting to calm her down, she eventually calms down and he (finally lmao) explains that her big brother sent him to keep her safe, because bad people are after her. They have to hide out for a while, so it takes them a few months to even get back to the 11th Street Kids HQ. In that time, the two of them get really close and start a romantic relationship (starting to fall in love), him protecting her along the way any time danger happens. When they get back to where the team is, Peacemaker and Y/n have a sweet reunion, and also he’s pretty angry at Vig when he catches the two of them kissing lol

Summary ~ Peacemaker's mother fled with her unborn child when Chris was a teenager. He'd always wanted to find his family again, but he was too slow. After annoying Waller, he must send his friends out to help save his family, and Adrian finds out that he is more than willing to throw himself into danger to ensure that Peace's sister is unharmed.

Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Post-Canon, Rescue Missions, On the Run, Enemies to Lovers, Fights, Car Chases, Car Accidents, Unexpected Visitors, Mild Sexual Content, Alien Invasion, Bad Parenting, Happy Ending, One Big Happy Family, Idiots in Love

Peacemaker, Adrian Chase Masterlist - here

August Smith had pretended to be a nice guy for the first couple of years that Annabelle had been married to him. He'd seemed like a gentleman when they first met. Yes, he held some old fashioned views but so did her father and he was a nice enough man, so Annabelle didn't have any worries about their relationship in the beginning.

It was when Keith was born when his rhetoric began to amp up. Back then Annabelle had chalked her husband's actions up to feeling misplaced because he'd been fired from his job and replaced by someone who was far better suited in that position - who happened to be born with black skin - and needed time to sort out his feelings. But, Chris was born a few years later and he was still spewing vitriol so she came to the realisation that this was who Auggie truly was.

The White Dragon appeared in Evergreen and anyone with a functioning brain cell knew who was behind the mask. There was one guy in town who was gathering a white evangelical cult and going to every protest or social issues discussion to act as abhorrent as they could. And Annabelle was married to that guy. At that point, she had her boys to think about. She wanted to leave her god awful husband in the dust, but didn't want her boys to take up his views and had to go along with what Auggie said or she'd be punished for it.

Keith and Chris were homeschooled for as long as Annabelle could convince Auggie to let her, which didn't take much arguing when she pretended that she was concerned with their boys coming into contact with 'unsavoury folk'. In all honesty, she knew that they deserved to be taught about right and wrong from their parents - Auggie taught them about wrong, so she would teach them about right - but eventually the cult got big enough that there were enough children to create a classroom.

Then, the curriculum was set by Auggie and Annabelle was replaced as the sole teacher by a racist radical. She still tried to guide her sons when they were at home - Keith, maybe due to his age, seemed more receptive to her preaching of kindness than Chris was - and had to make it very clear to her sons they should never repeat her lessons in front of their dad.

As the cult grew, so did the number of Auggie's wives. Annabelle no longer had to deal with whatever he wanted because he'd moved into a separate trailer where he'd be free to do whatever debauchery he pleased without being interrupted by his annoying sons.

When the boys were old enough, both of them preteens, Annabelle had decided to pack all their stuff and drive away with her children. Auggie must've caught wind of this or maybe it was just chance, but the date she'd set for their departure was the day Keith died. After that, all of her hope disappeared and she allowed herself to be trapped in the hellhole her husband had created.

Years passed. Chris became more violent. Auggie was building an army. Annabelle had given up on anything resembling a happy life outside their trailer. It was then that a glimmer of something appeared in her life - saying it was hope that appeared seemed too hopeful at the time - so Annabelle just referred to it as 'something'.

To give her one last shot at making him his heir, Auggie paid attention to Annabelle after ignoring her for so long - he'd been preoccupied with the other women of the cult who were younger and more radical for some time - but now, he was pretending to be the nice gentleman he'd been when they first met. She knew it wasn't true. He was manipulating her to get her pregnant. Yet, Annabelle was so tired and it was nice to live in that fantasy for a few months more, so there was a brief but blissful part of the late 90's in which August Smith didn't abuse his son or wife.

Obviously, once the White Dragon found out that the baby was a girl, he went back to being a piece of shit. Annabelle knew she was on thin ice. And she also knew that Auggie had killed people - so many people - before. She never would've guessed that he'd demand that their baby girl was to be 'discarded' as soon as she was born because he didn't want his followers to think his seed was weak enough to produce a girl and abortions were a sin (any good evangelical can tell you that). The second that came out of his mouth, she knew that this fire under her ass would cause her to flee.

And despite all of her pleading, Chris decided to stay with his father. He was almost 18 at that point, almost a man, and she knew there was no way he was going to be swayed at this point in time. Maybe when he grew up a bit would he finally realise that his father was an abusive, controlling bastard who needed to go to jail for the rest of his days.

14 weeks pregnant and completely alone, Annabelle took what little belongings she had, stole a bag of cash that she knew Auggie left under his bed, and hit the road, never to come back to Evergreen ever again. She changed her name, made her situation known to the police and witness protection services, kept off the Internet, stayed as low profile as possible and tried to give her daughter the life her son's deserved to get too.

Y/N knew all of that. Her mother had been very honest and up front about what the horror she'd escaped when Y/N was old enough, and the entire time, Y/N couldn't help but feel for her brother. He had to deal with that monster all alone and was turned into a weapon because of it. She had vowed that one day she'd meet him and offer a helping hand if he wanted one.

During the whole Butterfly thing, Peacemaker demanded that Economos needed to do him one small, tinsy winsy favour to get back in his good books. Because John had framed Auggie, John now had to discover where Annabelle Smith was as payment. Economos didn't find any paper trail on Annabelle's location, but he did find Y/N. She had school reports, college admission, job applications that all had been saved in a witness protection file that John certainly should not have had access to - obviously witness protection needed to up their security system - under the umbrella name of 'Dragon'.

The file had led him to another that had lots of information about Auggie and Chris that accompanied the two women. It was a simple deduction, but one that John felt really proud about. And just like Economos, the butterflies had people who were collecting data about Peacemaker. Since he'd become their downfall, they'd purposefully taken over a hacker that could get into witness protection just as quickly as John did. They had the same information to make deductions on.

There was a few Glan Tai like institution's around and as The 11th Street Kids made their way through another, Adebayo locked herself in a control room to escape from a horde and - later down the line - a bomb that Vigilante had stole from Peacemaker's belt because he wanted to see the huge jar the aliens kept their nectar in go boom. Whilst killing time, Leota had searched the room and found a file cabinet just under the computer desk that contained information about every member of their team and secrets the Butterflies had found out about them.

Weirdly - or not so weirdly because he rarely takes off his mask - Adrian's file was the shortest. It was a list of his crimes and, though it was a fairly long list, there wasn't a through line that could point to his identity.

Leota's was useless. The big secret they'd attributed to her was who her mother was and, yeah, she'd admitted that on national TV.

Economos had two restraining orders against him. He wasn't allowed to come 100 yards from both Joan Jett and Dolly Parton until they were lifted in 2012 and 2015 respectively.

Inside Harcourts were pictures of a very pretty, dainty young ballet dancer. It took Leota a few minutes to realise that the girl was Harcourt. These weren't damning on their own, but when they were paired with the paper clipping that said, 'The Sun. Ballet Bash - Young Immigrant Taken In For Questioning Over A String of 'Accidental' Deaths' and an article about many suspicious murders that had happened when Emila had been a student at The Royal Ballet School in Covent Gardens, London.

Peacemaker's file was a hefty one. There was so much documentation. About his prison time. About Corto Maltese. About the White Dragon. And the situation around the White Dragon's death. About the cult. About Keith. About what little they could find about Annabelle. About Y/N.

In the depths of her search, Adebayo didn't hear when the remaining butterflies were shot and Vigilante yelled on the other side of the door for her to come out. She had noticed that whoever had been on the computer last hadn't logged out and was getting video updates about where the girl from Peacemaker's file was. As clear as day, whoever this girl was, she was walking around a grocery store without a single clue that she was being watched by a bunch of aliens.

Another one of Peacemaker's bombs was detonated to blast through the control room door. Peace and Vigilante entered, guns drawn, and were prepared to save Adebayo from an alien weirdo. "Dude! You're not dying?" Vigilante called out after taking in the scene in front of him.

She ignored him and chose to ask, "Chris, who is this?" as she gestured to grocery shop girl. Both heroes rushed to catch a glimpse of what the hell Adebayo was pointing to.

"That's my sister." Chris held his finger up to his ear and clicked on the comms to declare, "Harcourt, tell Waller that I need a team to put my remaining family back in witness protection."

Waller wasn't one to be ordered around so was it any surprise that she declined the request for Y/N and Annabelle L/N to be found and placed in a safe house until further notice? And she forbade Peacemaker from making contact with his family to warn them in any way. The 11th Street Kids were ordered to do another sweep of the facility and head back to HQ as quickly as they could.

"Why are you freaking out?" Adrian questioned, bewildered that Peacemaker hadn't come to the same conclusion he had.

"I swear your head is filled with dogshit rather than actual functioning brain goo sometimes, asshole," Chris sighed, slumping against the van seats.

He'd always intended to make contact with his mother again. Chris had no idea whether she'd want that but it was worth a shot, right? Once Economos dug up the fact that he had a sister, Chris had promised himself that as soon as the butterflies were dealt with, he'd reintroduce himself to them. It seems that life has a way of messing with your plans.

"That's rude but I know you're going through some mental shit right now so I'm going pretend that you said something really complimentary to me, and for that, I thank you."

"Can you shut up for five fucking minutes? I need to think and your annoying bitchass voice is interrupting that!" Peacemaker stressed and let his head fall to his hands, his thumbs rubbing far too aggressive circles on his temples.

"Woah, all I was going to say was that Waller said you weren't allowed to go."

"Yeah, no shit, dumbass."

Adrian pulled off his visor and nudged his elbow into the meat of Chris' bicep, suggesting that, "She didn't say I couldn't go. Or Harcourt couldn't. Adebayo will probably get loads of shit from her mom if she did so she's out too. Economos is a pussy."

For once, the idiot had a good idea. "I get your sister. Harcourt gets your mummy. Badda bing, badda boom. You get what you want without disobeying Waller," he explained as if it should've been the first thing on everyone's minds. He looked at Chris expectantly with a smug expression plastered across his face.

Everyone was astonished. They were speechless until Harcourt confirmed from the passenger's seat, "That actually works."

"I'm a genius, yeah," Adrian preened, leaning back against the cool metal side of the van, only to jump away and complain, "Wow, that's really cold against the back of your head! It's not comfy at all!"

It was settled. Vigilante had come up with a plan and they were going to execute it. They'd get to HQ. Adebayo and Peacemaker would stay back and feed other Vigilante and Harcourt updates on the L/N's position so they could have plausible deniability if Waller looked into it as Economos set up the safe houses.

Darkness had arrived by the time everything was ready to go. Harcourt was very polite when she knocked on Peacemaker's mother's door at an ungodly hour and she explained the situation to Annabelle so swiftly that left her house without much fuss. Vigilante went down another route.

In the dead of night, he decided that the best course of action was to smash one of her windows in and climb through there. He stalked through her house in silence but took a misstep and caused the floorboard under his foot to squeak and reveal his position.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

A baseball bat came swinging around a corner and, if he didn't have such good reflexes, would've hit him in the head. He dodged it expertly and dropped his shoulder closer to the ground so he could rugby tackle her into the next room, which happened to be a bedroom. His shoulder connected with her collarbone, the momentum of the push sending them both plummeting onto her mattress with a bouncy thump.

"Sh...Shh...Don't yell at me!" He whined quietly as he tried to calm her down. It didn't work. She tried to wiggle her arm free from under him and take another swing, but he caught her by the wrist and disarmed her. "You're being so no cool right now."

"Get off me, you rapey motherfucker!"

He eased off her because, duh, he was a random man in a mask who'd broken into her house and tackled her onto a bed. He didn't think of the implications of that when he'd done it. "Oh shit, my bad."

"What are you doing in my house?" she demanded, pushing him off her and sitting herself up. Obviously, she didn't trust him one bit and had clocked where he'd thrown her bat and four other things in her room that could be used as impromptu weapons if need be.

"Hi, my name is Vigilante - no, that's not my real name."

"Yeah, no shit."

"Sorry about the, y'know, breaking and entering thing. I know a guy who can fix that window for you in no time. I'll give you his number when we're done with this whole thingamajig," he said so casually it made her even more suspicious.

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look that screamed, 'what the fuck are you talking about?' so he felt the need to do more explaining. "You're being watched, by the way. Just so you know. I saw on the cameras that you bought a bunch of pads and tampons at the store today so I know what's going on down there, don't you worry. I'll be gentle," he admitted and even winked at her in an attempt to assure her that everything would be okay. It didn't. Y/N was fully convinced that he was a creep about to kidnap her for nefarious purposes.

Just as she lunged for her alarm clock to smash over his head, he caught her by the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. No matter how much she punched and kicked him, he continued to march straight out the door and towards the Vigilante-mobile parked outside the house. None of her neighbours made any indication that they were aware something was going on, despite the fact a woman in pj's and fluffy socks was possibly being abducted right outside their windows.

"Put me down! Put me the fuck down!"

"Please stop making a scene! I'm trying to save your life and you're making that super difficult right now!"

Completely unfazed, he walked past the vehicle like nothing was happening, opened the back seat door and tossed Y/N inside before getting in the driver's seat. He turned to face her to warn, "You really should put your seatbelt on," and drove off to the coordinates John sent.

"Who is Economos?" she asked when John's caller ID popped up on Vigilante's phone in the car stand thingamabob. Vigilante pressed to answer the call and soon found out that it was a video call, the faces of Chris and Leota appearing on the screen.

"Is Y/N secure?" Chris greeted, his voice racked with worry.

"Yeah, she almost bludgeoned me with a baseball and kicked the shit out of me, but yeah. She's safe, I guess," Vigilante said, trying to sound nonchalant but failing. In the moment, he'd done a great job at pretending that her attacks hadn't hurt. They had. He'd definitely be littered in bruises tomorrow.

"Chris?" Y/N leant forward and got in between the gap in the front seats, her head emerging into view. "Hi, um, why did this masked guy just kidnap me?"

There was a brief moment where Chris just stared at the video call, his brain unable to process the fact his sister had just spoken to him for the first time in his entire life. Leota nudged him with her elbow, mouthing at him with wide eyes, obviously asking him if he was okay. "Hi?" Y/N repeated, waving at him and looking confused. "Can you guys hear me? Hello?"

"Hi sis," he managed to reply after a moment.

The smile tugging at the corners of his mouth made it apparent that despite everything, her brother must trust Vigilante enough that he knew she wasn't in any danger. Then, he realised that she was under the impression that she was being kidnapped and that smile faltered. Vig did say she tried to get away from him.

"Adrian, what the fuck did you do?"

"Dude, you know not to use my real name!"

"How did you approach Y/N's retrieval?" Adebayo cut in, preparing herself to calm Peacemaker down when he heard what Vigilante had done. She didn't know exactly - well, she had a guess - but she knew they hadn't had a quiet and peaceful introduction.

Y/N answered for Vigilante. "He smashed one of my windows in and I thought he was an intruder ready to assault me."

"Vij! I'm going to punch you in the dick when I see you next!"

"Hey, hey," Adrian interjected, "What did I do wrong?!"

"Speaking as a woman, that sounds really scary. I'm sorry he put you through that, Y/N," Leota apologised. "He means well but tends to not think things through. I doubt he intended it to happen in the way that it did. Still, Vig, you should really apologise."

Sheepishly, Vigilante rubbed the back of his neck. "Erm, yeah, sure, sorry. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to... That was an accident. Not intentional, I swear to God. I thought you'd be asleep and I'd carry you to my car without any fuss and, yeah, saying it loud makes me realise how fucked up it sounds," he thought out loud, his focus flitting between the road and what her reaction was.

When all she did was stare at him, unimpressed, he felt the need to continue speaking. He began to ramble, "I imagined it like falling asleep on the couch when you were a kid and then waking up in your bed because your dad carried you there, and like, you're not mad because there's this brief window of time where you thought you had teleportation powers. Who doesn't want superpowers? I know I do, man, but..."

His rant trailed off and a small silence fell between them as he struggled to find the words to express himself adequately. The only thing he could think of doing was repeating, "I really am sorry" again. This seemed to ease some of her worries. She crawled into the passenger's seat and crossed her legs underneath her in an attempt to get somewhat comfortable.

"Why is this happening?" she wondered aloud, grabbing the phone so she was in frame. Vigilante looked across at her as she reached across the console, his gaze lingering slightly longer than strictly necessary on the expanse of bare thighs that were visible thanks to her sleep shorts riding up. He coughed and averted his eyes, focusing instead on the street signs as the city lights flashed in front of them.

"Some alien assholes are trying to get revenge on me but they can't get to me, so the next best thing is to get to you and mom," Peacemaker responded bluntly, yet as the subject of Annabelle came up, his voice got quieter and a little smaller as he added, "How is mom? Well, I got Harcourt to bring her to a safe house so I know she's physically okay, but how is she, like, doing doing? Generally? I haven't had the chance to speak to her yet."

Not having the chance wasn't exactly right. He did have a window of opportunity to video call with Harcourt and his mother but had been nervously freaking out at the time. It had been years since he'd talked to his mom, and he was scared she'd be disappointed with who he'd become. Y/N had never known him when he was a nice, naive kid so she had no idea how unsatisfactory he'd grown to be.

"Mama's doing great actually. She got her doctorate in child psychology last month and she's been working on some new programs for the kids she helps out at the community centre and stuff. Our mommy is a doctor," Y/N told him, pride evident in her voice as she spoke about her mother.

Times had changed, it seemed, and Chris felt a pang in his chest that he hadn't witnessed Annabelle in all her doctoral glory. He didn't know her while she was the best version of herself, but he would eventually.

"Yeah, that's cool."

Their signal got all wobbly as they got further away from the city, the trees thickening as their surroundings grew increasingly wilder and more remote. "We're breaking up, Peace. I'll message you when we get to the house," Vigilante announced before hanging up abruptly, not bothering to ask for permission. He glanced at Y/N. "Me and Peacemaker are BFF's, by the way. I mean, yeah, sure if you ask him he'd definitely say that Eagly is his ultimate best friend - twin flame kinda shit - but I'm his human BFF who saved his ass a bunch of times."

Letting out a sigh, Y/N let out a hum as a response - because, honestly, that's all she had to give - and shifted in her seat to try and get comfortable. She tested out a few positions and found that taking off her cardigan to roll up as a pillow, demanding that Vigilante turn up the heating so she'd be toasty (he was absolutely sweating in his suit and mask but thought he better get on her good side), and resting against the door window with her legs bent at the knee resting on the cushion was the best option. Her foot occasionally dangled near enough the gearstick that Adrian had to swat at them every once in a while so he could change gear.

"Stop touching my feet, creep."

"Stop getting in the way then, weirdo."

A smile crept onto Adrian's face as she stretched to kick him in the thigh. He caught her ankle in his hand and held it there, unconsciously caressing her skin in slow back and forth motions with his thumb, causing her lips to quirk up ever so slightly. When he was sure she was comfortable with him touching her, he pulled her foot into his lap then reached to the same with the other.

"We've still an hour and a half to drive, get some shut eye. I promise I won't shatter any windows and wake you if you promise that you wont try to batter me with the headrest as I drive. Deal?"

Y/N nodded her agreement and settled down to sleep. In her head, Y/N thought over exactly what had happened to her in the past few hours as she drifted off. It was a lot to make sense of and even if she somehow figured out how to wrap her brain around the fact she'd been kidnapped by her brother's BFF on his orders because aliens that look like little beautiful bugs were trying to hunt her down, she would've been more vigilant, but strangely, she felt comfortable enough in her kidnapper's presence to kick her feet up and turn her consciousness off.

There might be a lot more to understand in the future but for now she was too tired to care.

Looking at her, you wouldn't be able to figure out that Y/N and Peacemaker were siblings just by their faces. They didn't look anything alike. Adrian thought that his buddy was a good looking dude, but he wasn't on Y/N's level of beauty. As she slept, Adrian had to refrain from staring at her so he'd focus on driving to, y'know, not make them into roadkill but it was like tearing your eyes away from a Van Gogh painting or a Greek statue made out of the most perfect marble ever created.

Although, she snored so loudly that he had to turn the radio up just a smidge so he would actually be able to hear the songs that were playing in the background.

They were almost at the safe house when whoever was behind them drove straight into the back of the Vigilante-mobile, which perked Y/N up in an instant and made Adrian yell so many profanities. "What the fuck is going on?!" Y/N snapped awake, any grogginess that she might have felt directly after waking was pushed aside by her sheer panic.

"They found us!" Vigilante said, his voice tight and tense as he fought to hold the car steady, "There's a gun in the glove compartment, do you know how to shoot?"

The car sped up to come up right beside the side of the Vigilante-mobile and veered to smash right into it, breaking the window in one bang. "My mother escaped a redneck cult headed by a super villain, so yeah, I know how to shoot," she quipped, opening the glove box to retrieve the gun. She clicked the safety off, aimed the gun towards the vehicle's tyres when squeezed the trigger with no trouble.

"Shoot the people! Shoot the fucking people, not the car! Shoot the fucking people!" screamed Vigilante frantically, his voice growing louder and higher with each word.

"I don't want to kill anyone!" she yelled, shooting another bullet into the back tyre. "Oh my god! Oh my god, I'm gonna die. We're gonna die. Holy sh-"

"Give me the gun, Y/N!"

Vigilante snatched the gun out of her hands roughly and fired at the driver without hesitation or mercy. The driver was killed instantly, causing its head to slump against the wheel and press his forehead against the horn. The butterfly in the passenger's seat made a move to grab the steering wheel, but Vigilante took another shot and put them down quickly.

With the car now unmanned, it continued on its path to collide with the Vigilante-mobile, swerved it off the road entirely and pushed it onto its side. The moment it came to a halt, Adrian was urging her out of the broken windscreen - yeah, he accidentally put his whole palm on her ass to push her in the right direction - and scrambled after her to escape the crash zone.

"Oh shit, my car!" Vigilante whined as he saw his precious Sebring destroyed beyond recognition in a matter of seconds, his heart racing and feeling extremely uneasy. "Fuck! RIP the Vigilante-mobile, you were the fucking best. I fingered Tracey from the Starbucks opposite the cinema twice in there!"

"Do cars blow up? Or is that just a movie thing?"

"Fuck, I don't know. We better run just in case. Shit shit shit!"

He picked Y/N up like he'd done previously that night, but unlike last time, she went willingly and didn't kick him at all this time. He started running as fast as they possibly could away from the scene of the ambush. Once he was a distance he believed was adequate away, he gently set Y/N down.

"You okay?" Vigilante asked worriedly.

She sighed and glanced down at herself. Some of the broken glass had cut parts of her skin that was showing, so anything under the sleeve of her t-shirt and below the hem of her shorts was littered with nicks of varying severities and sizes.

"I think this looks worse than it actually is," she suggested, holding her arms up to show the cuts on her forearms and making Adrian wince sympathetically. He tenderly placed his fingers on her elbow and turned her arm so he could examine them further.

"They hurt."

"Yeah."

"Okay, shit... lemme think for a minute."

Adrian rubbed his temple as he pondered over his options. He knew there was a first aid kit in the safe house, but where was it? He'd never been great with orienteering and getting places without Google maps, and he'd left his phone in the Vigilante-mobile. So, he could either lead Y/N through a forest even though he had literally no idea what direction to go in, or risk climbing back into the possible exploding car to have a guide.

"I'll be right back," he warned Y/N before he started heading back in the direction from which they came.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She followed after him, her gaze shifting nervously around the area as if she expected to be ambushed again any second.

"Gonna find my phone. It shouldn't take more than two minutes."

Like an idiot, he climbed back into the car to retrieve his phone, the gun, and the packet of Jolly Ranchers he usually kept in the cup holder but had flown to the dash when the car turned onto its side. He also wrestled with the boot in an effort to get it open because there was extra clothes and snacks stashed inside a gym bag in there, and eventually yanked it open out of pure brute force.

Once he got the goods, he was hurrying back to Y/N. "Do you want a Jolly Rancher?" he offered casually, brandishing the packet in front of him. The packet was squished in between them as she trapped him in a hug.

"What's going on here?" Adrian wondered as he peered down at her curiously. "Are you at the cryie, emotional stage of your period?"

"I'm not on my period. Women tend to buy sanitary products before their periods start. That is, unless they've still got some or forgot and left it too late so that's the instance when they buy them during."

"Ah," Adrian said, nodding in understanding although he didn't really understand. She hadn't explained why she was hugging him, but it still was nice of her to do so and gave him some kind of comfort after he'd risked his life for a mobile phone.

Oh! She thought the car was going to explode and that he was going to die in a big fiery bang while she stood helplessly by as her mind raced in circles, wondering if she was going to have to fend for herself.

"I'm okay," he reassured, patting her hair softly and a little awkwardly. This kind of concern was new to him, giving and receiving. His hand lingered near the back of her head as he stroked her locks in what he hoped was a soothing manner since he certainly noticed that she leaned forward until her head laid against his chest piece and was taking deep breaths to calm her nerves and relax herself in his embrace.

He didn't know whether to feel happy or scared that someone cared enough about him to worry about his well-being, so he settled for a mixture of both. "We should start walking to the cabin," he suggested quietly and cleared his throat as he pulled away to get enough space to rifle through the bag to pull out some warmer clothes for her to wear.

"It's getting cold and your clothes have shards of glass and blood on them and your shirt is a little ripped, so yeah, you should put these on. I'll, uh, I'll give you some space to do that." He walked backwards, putting a few steps between them as he turned away shyly. "Just tell me when you're all done."

If somebody had told her that she would be changing out of her bloodstained pj's and practically getting naked on the side of a remote road in the early hours of the morning, she would've laughed at them and gone on her merry way to buy tampons in preparation for next week when Aunty Flow arrived with an achy fury.

"Does that bag have any shoes in there?" she questioned once she was dressed and tapped him on the shoulder, signalling him to turn around.

"Uh, no. I guess not." They both diverted their gaze to her dirty fluffy socks and realised they'd be less than adequate when trekking through a patch of thorny forest and mud. "I could give you a piggyback?"

"You really jump at any opportunity you're given to carry me, huh?" she teased playfully. "I'll take it, thank you."

So, with Y/N on his back like Yoda on Luke, the pair delved deeper into the forest and followed the inconsistent Google maps directions until they finally reached the safe house. They made it to the front door to find it open and a police officer already standing outside, inspecting the scene.

"Is everything alright?" the man inquired, looking up at Adrian from underneath his brows.

Vigilante let Y/N's feet drop to the floor and pointed his gun at the officer. Why was he here? Why was he the only one here? This was supposed to be a top secret location, so why somebody here? Economos was the only other person who knew. Was this officer at the wrong place at the wrong time? Or had they been compromised? Shit, they'd been compromised. How else would the butterflies have known on what road their car was on?

The cop was dead before he reached for his gun. Adrian pulled the trigger, and he heard the satisfying click as it hit its mark, killing the butterfly instantly. The sound seemed to echo in the forest for a brief moment before stopping, leaving nothing behind but the dead body of the officer - which wasn't a great look, but hey, the pig had an alien in his head - lying lifeless on the ground.

Kicking the body out the way, he pulled her through the threshold. "We don't have much time. There should be a landline in here, I'll call. You find the first aid kit," he ordered. Y/N nodded and ran off towards the bathroom as she assumed that was where it would be while Adrian found the landline to make the call.

"Economos? Hello... hello! Are you there? Hello?!" Adrian squawked into the receiver, panicking when the call wasn't picked up. "Come on, dye beard! Come on, man, pick up the fucking phone!"

"I thought I told you guys to stop calling me that," John complained on the other line. "What's taken you guys so long?"

"We were hit off the road and our cabin had a butterfly waiting outside it."

John swore under his breath and could be heard calling for Harcourt to figure out what to do next but she wasn't there. She was at Annabelle's safe house - which actually was safe and there hadn't been any problems on their end at all - and would have to be called to get her opinion.

Peacemaker, who'd been asleep because he fully believed his family had been safe when he lay down on the couch, was startled awake at the sudden yelling and rushed to his feet to investigate the commotion. "What's going on?" he asked, rubbing at his eye with the back of his hand.

"Dude, Economos's safe house wasn't fucking safe at all!" Vigilante whined to his best buddy.

"Is my sister okay?"

"She's got some minor cuts and scrapes, but she's fine," Vigilante assured him before glancing over to see that Y/N had come out of the bathroom with a bright red suitcase that had a cross stitched in the corner in her hand. "We've got a bandages and stuff but our main problem right now is that the butterflies know where we are, so we need to get the fuck out of here. Any ideas, gang?"

Adebayo spoke up, "What about your car?"

"Totalled."

Some rustling outside caught their attention and Adrian was handing the receiver over to Y/N so he could go to check that out, taking his sword from his sheath as he walked. "Hi, Vigilante has gone to - I don't know - do something incredibly reckless, so hi, it's me talking to you now," Y/N greeted the others on the other line, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot whilst keeping one eye on the window as she listened carefully.

"Yeah, he does that often," a male voice said. She knew it wasn't her brother's cause she knew what he and Adebayo sounded like thanks to their previous call, so this must be the one Vigilante named Economos. "You two have limited options, okay? We can't ask for backup or any additional means of transportation, but there should be a wad of cash in the jewellery box in the bedroom."

Y/N went to find that immediately and opened the top drawer of the jewellery box, finding the money neatly tucked inside it. It was only at that point she noticed that this safe house only had one bedroom - which kinda made sense as it's supposed to be small and inconspicuous - but she was a little conflicted about the fact she wouldn't get a 'there's only one bed, we'll have to share' romance cliche was the masked idiot.

"Okay, got it. What now?"

"There's a gas station about four miles down the road. Gather what you need. Pay in cash. Steal a car if it's possible. If it's not, there's a junkyard another two miles east of there that will probably have a working rust bucket or -"

Two shots rang out and thudded into the front door, interrupting Economos and causing Y/N to flinch involuntarily. Five seconds after that the phone line cut off and Vigilante was running in, yelling, "We've got to go now!" He grabbed her hand and began yanking her away from the cabin.

One more body was sprawled by the door - though this one had obviously been decapitated rather than shot that time - and another would hit the deck as the pair went to go around the side of the cabin and come across another butterfly. Once again, Vigilante was quick to draw his gun and shot at it, shooting the damn thing dead and sending it tumbling into the bushes nearby while Y/N watched, dumbfounded.

"You're really good at this!" she exclaimed when the last of the visible bugs were killed. He shrugged (his brain was going fucking wild and he was trying not to show it) and held his free hand out to help her step over part of a fallen tree.

It took them the rest of the morning to find the petrol station and, despite the fact he kept offering, Y/N declined when he offered to carry her. They had a lot of walking to do. It would slow him down, and therefore them down, if she was lazy and continued to be carried around like some damsel in distress - which, yeah, she technically was. She would have to deal with soggy socks that had so many rips and holes in them that she may as well have taken them off to venture into the forest barefoot.

As soon as they reached the gas station, they were both beelining for the bathroom, but since he hadn't surveyed the place yet, when Y/N went to close the door behind her, Adrian was barging his way in. "Hey!" she said far too loudly, so Vigilante pushed her further into the loo with his hand over her mouth.

"Quiet!" he whispered harshly. "There are other people here that can hear you."

"I'm not the one being suspicious! You just shoved a woman into a bathroom dressed in hockey pads and a ski mask, dumbass!" she hissed, yanking his wrist away from her face so she could speak properly.

His eyes widened comically for a second. "Yeah, it would probably make it harder for the butterflies to spot us if I wasn't in uniform," he mumbled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck as he looked up at the ceiling. There was another set of clothes in the bag that he could use. "I'll clean your wounds and then I'll get changed, sound good?"

She made a face. What he said did sound good, but Y/N had some other things to take care of first. "I came in here because I need to pee."

"Okay, then pee." He turned away as he started to unzip the bag to pretend he was really thinking through his clothes choice - there was only one set of joggers and a black shirt, exactly the same as she'd gotten - and not watch her as she peed. He laughed to himself, "Go piss, girl."

Sat on the loo, Y/N reached out to swipe her hand under the automatic drier so the room wouldn't be filled with the sound of her pissing. Hey, everyone's gotta do it, but it's still awkward if that's the only sound bouncing off a gas station bathroom when you're stuck in there with a guy you met earlier that night. It wasn't her fault that his male anatomy meant that he was more than happy to take a break whilst they were in the woods to piss against a tree.

If she knew that hiking was on her agenda that night, she may have invested in a She-Wee.

"I'm, uh, I'm done," she squeaked once her bladder was dealt with. Her face scrunched slightly, but the embarrassment faded when she looked up to see the back of his head. The actual back of his head, showing off the hair that he'd been meaning to get cut because it was getting long enough that it was starting to curl again, and then he turned around slowly and she felt her heart rate spike.

They were staring straight into each other's eyes without any red pane in the way, neither backing down nor looking away, and Y/N couldn't help the smile that spread onto her lips as his lips parted and let out an involuntary breathy laugh.

"Um, hey."

"Hi." His voice seemed to crack, just a bit, and he cleared his throat before he tried again. "Hello."

"Hi," Y/N repeated quietly.

She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and for a second she wondered if maybe she was dreaming - a really weird and violent dream - because this guy was so fucking cute. And hot. Like, super hot. Not just hot, but dorky hot too, with his adorable messy hair, and big, green eyes, the kind of jawline that could cut glass, and those lips.

"What's your name?"

"Adrian."

"Nice to finally meet you, Adrian."

In an instant, his face lit up as he heard his name come out of her mouth and he grinned from ear to ear, looking so relieved that his shoulders dropped down a bit, and the tenseness he'd been feeling about her seeing his face had been building up dissipated.

"I should, uh, y'know, start on your..." He trailed off but gestured to her wounds so she knew what he was trying to say.

"I think the ones on my arms are okay. There's a few on - on my - on my thighs that are, yeah, they're painful," she started, biting her lip before smiling softly, almost shyly.

"Can I see them?" She nodded but stayed perfectly still. "You'll have to... and I don't want you to get the wrong idea here; you're really pretty and, yes, if we were in a totally normal situation and I told you to take your sweatpants off, it would definitely be because I want to eat your pussy, but we're not in a sexy situation so it's for a complete different reason... and that reason is that you'll have to pull your sweatpants down so I can give you medical aid."

Without his mask on, Adrian lost whatever filter he may have had as he stared at her, his eyes wide, his breathing shallow, and it was obvious he couldn't believe that he was saying the words that were coming out of his mouth. He didn't want to offend her - god knows he doesn't want to offend anyone really - but the way she was looking at him like he was some kind of prince that had saved her from distress really made him nervous. He wasn't a prince, he knew that. He was a trigger happy imbecile with no immediate family and no prospects in life.

"Is... is that... is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's okay."

Y/N pulled down her sweatpants slowly, her face growing warmer with every inch of exposed skin exposed to the light, and as she sat herself down on the toilet lid, she braced herself for the moment the hot superhero dude put his hands all over her. He knelt between her knees and ran his fingers gently across the worst injuries first, his face screwing up in concentration. He paused momentarily to look at her thighs before moving on, making sure that her cuts hadn't got infected during their journey out here. Luckily, they hadn't.

Adrian was so gentle with her. It took her all her will not to cry because, fuck, it hurt like hell when he pressed a little too hard or moved a certain way, but she couldn't help it as tears pricked at her eyes, blurring her vision as he worked. When it became apparent to him that she was crying silently, he stopped altogether.

"Hey... hey, I know it feels so bad but you're fucking killing it. You're doing so good." He brushed the back of his hand along her cheek to wipe away some stray tears, leaning towards her and brushing a strand of hair out of her face that had fallen forward to cover one eye. "Just a few more for me, yeah? It'll be over so soon now."

Sniffing, Y/N nodded, hastily wiped at her eye and dealt with it. It was difficult not to squirm underneath his touch, but she managed it. When he was satisfied and gave her a thumbs up that everything was bandaged and cared for, Y/N thanked Adrian by giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek, which earned her an even bigger grin.

Then, it was her turn to look away as he got changed and she resisted the temptation to take a quick glance. That would be rude. He didn't take a peek when she got changed... Did he? She spent her time transferring the first aid kit into the gym bag so they wouldn't have to 1) have two bags, and 2) answer unnecessary questions about why they were carrying a bulletproof suitcase filled with bandages.

Obviously, it's not immediately suspicious to carry around a first aid kit, but it comes with the assumption that they had medical knowledge - neither of them had did - and that ensured that people could ask them questions that they'd have no idea how to answer.

They managed to leave the bathroom at the exact right time to see a drunk driver barrel into the gas station, park up and leave the ignition on as he went inside to buy a four pack of beer, slamming the door shut and giving them a perfect opportunity to steal his pick up.

"We're actually doing a good thing," Adrian reasoned as he drove away. "That asshole was drunk as a fucking skunk and it's, what, 8 am. He could've got in a serious accident and killed an innocent family of Mexicans on their school run."

"Is the fact that they're Mexican relevant in any way?"

"No, I don't know why I added that detail," he shrugged.

He kept checking the rear view mirror every now and again to make sure they weren't being followed as they got back on the road and headed towards the nearest populated area, where they could hopefully find a cheap motel to rent a night or two.

"Do you wanna switch? You've been awake all night. I can drive if you want a rest," Y/N offered, knowing full well how tired he must be after a long, strenuous night of car crashes, gun fights, fireman carrying her, and hiking through nature. Y/N had only done two of those and was feeling the exhaustion.

"Nah. I'm good." He flashed her another bright smile and patted her leg in reassurance. "Thank you, though."

Eventually, they came across a grimy and Bates Motel looking place and, although Y/N wanted nothing more than to sleep, she decided it was best that they check if there's a peephole in the shower. They'd find out that there wasn't one, thankfully.

It was just as dingy inside as it had been outside with its faded yellow paintwork, stained carpet and cheap looking furniture that were probably older than their entire lives combined. The whole motel had a creepy vibe but it was cheap and the receptionist didn't bat an eye when they didn't sign the motel ledger when they checked in. It seemed that they had to swap out comfort for their anonymity.

"One bed," he pointed out as they opened the door and stepped inside.

Ah, her 'there's only one bed, we'll have to share' romance cliche was back in full swing! Y/N smiled, shook her head, and placed a do not disturb sign on the handle before heading in behind him and setting the bag down next to the mini fridge. They stood idly at the foot of the bed for a while, not exactly sure where to go from there. They'd managed to survive long enough to earn a rest and, now it had arrived, neither of them knew what to do with themselves.

"Do you want to use the shower first?" Y/N suggested after about three minutes of silence.

"Sure."

"Shall I order takeout? I saw some menus downstairs that I could grab to see if they do lunch deliveries. Or something."

"On your own?"

It wasn't supposed to sound so patronising but it did, which made him cringe. He meant it as a 'remember aliens that look like ordinary people are after you so going out in public probably isn't the best' but his tone was far too condescending. He looked away, ashamed, and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Shit, he didn't mean to sound that shitty.

"Fine! I'll sit down and - I dunno - read the fucking bible while you show off how competent you are! Wow, Adrian, do you want me to put in a good word for you with my brother? Maybe then he'll actually like you over his weird ass bird!" She stormed towards him and grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him towards her until they were eye to eye, staring each other straight in the eye. "Don't treat me like I'm a fucking child."

The look in her eyes was terrifying - he could tell exactly who her father was at that moment - and he couldn't help but feel intimidated. Adrian had a gun in the back of his trousers and she was completely unarmed, why did he feel so threatened? She was smaller, weaker, more defenceless than he was, and yet there she stood, staring him dead in the eye without blinking, with a look in her eyes that told him he better apologise.

But, he didn't. Words wouldn't form. His brain was running wild and somehow devoid of any coherent thoughts, his tongue felt heavy in his mouth, then his focus flitted down to her lips, just for a moment, and then back up again.

"Look, do whatever you want. Shower/don't shower, I don't give a shit. I'm hungry so I'm going to find some way to acquire food and if I get murdered by a bunch of bugs, well, at least you don't have to play babysitter anymore," she said before turning on her heel and attempting to storm out. She didn't get far however; Adrian reached out and grabbed her arm to pull her against him roughly, grabbing hold of her waist, holding her firmly against his body.

For a split second, she froze up, surprised by his sudden display of strength, then attacked him with a kiss that sent both of them tumbling backwards onto the wall. Adrian's back hit an awful picture of Elvis onto the floor as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, lifted her, and pinned her to the exact spot where Mr Presley had been hanging.

"You're so annoying," she snarled as his mouth moved along her neck and sucked on a particularly sensitive part of skin, causing her to gasp sharply and arch her back. Her hand automatically curled up against the back of his head, gripping onto his hair.

"You're a spoiled brat," he countered with a growl as he threw his glasses off and dragged his nose down her collarbone until it was firmly in her cleavage, inhaling deeply as he let a soft sigh escape him. It was intoxicating; she had gotten under his skin, taken control of his heart and made it pound erratically in his chest. If she asked, he would do anything she asked of him without hesitation. Anything.

It took a lot out of him to fight the desire, to keep his emotions in check because he knew it wasn't going to go down well with his BFF, but Adrian couldn't help himself. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in the warmth of her body. All he wanted was for the both of them to forget everything else, for them to live in this moment forever, with her clinging on to him desperately like her life depended on it and his hands travelling everywhere they wanted to.

There was no time for restraint anymore. There was only lust. A primal urge to taste and touch her, taste her and touch her in ways that left her breathless, touched her like it was forbidden, like it would destroy his sanity if it wasn't allowed to.

In 3 big steps, he carried her to the bed and laid her down. Their lips reconnected, their tongues tangling together hungrily, desperate sounds escaping as Y/N yanked Adrian down on top of her and pulled at his clothes to get rid of them as fast as possible. She mumbled, "Take everything off," into his mouth and he did just that.

Adrian stripped down to his boxers as quickly as he could, then did the same for her - although his touch was a lot less frantic and heavy-handed so he didn't press down into her injuries - and just stared at her chest, drinking in the sight of her naked body underneath him.

His attention was so consuming that it caught her off guard. The intensity of his stare was overwhelming and she had no idea how to react to such intense scrutiny. "Stop acting like such a virgin," she complained (half-heartedly) as she propped herself up on her elbows. Despite her words, he could tell she was enjoying his gaze immensely.

"Geez, you really need me that bad, huh? We only met yesterday and you're already so impatient," Adrian teased against the shell of her ear. He nibbled on her ear lobe gently before moving his lips behind her ear directly on her mastoid bone and perching his butt down on her thighs. She rolled her eyes, her cheeks burning, and she averted her gaze bashfully.

And when he added a cocky, "Either you really like me or you're desperate. Maybe it's both," she was tempted to smack the grin off his face, but she refrained from doing so because it was hot. So damn hot. Y/N bit down on her lip to stop herself from insulting him further.

Any and all of her sharp tonguedness vanished as the tips of fingers mapped the contours of her chest, caressing and teasing and leaving goosebumps wherever they went. "What's got you all quiet? Don't tell me you've turned shy, Y/N."

"You're so hot, oh my god," she breathed, saying exactly what was on her mind.

All of his life, Adrian never considered himself to be hot. He'd been a butt baby for most of his existence and had only noticed an increase of romantic interest in him in the past couple of years. Thanks to Vigilante, he knew he was more muscular and well built than he had been but he was still the same big ol' nerd who'd spent his formative years getting picked on and berated for being weak and small and lacking confidence.

One of the hottest people he'd ever seen considered him to be hot? Well, that surely meant that he was hot. It was a fact. And did he need an ego boost l? To those who didn't really know him, absolutely not. To anyone that made the decision to see past the bumbling asshole facade, they knew he needed it desperately.

"Why don't you show me how much you like me? Huh, babe?"

Peacemaker wouldn't be happy that Vigilante banged his sister but, hey, Peacemaker wasn't there. And he certainly didn't need to know that halfway through, the hotel cleaner clearly missed the do not disturb sign and walked right in to find a guy she didn't know with a girl she didn't know on his lap. Judging by her face and the monotone way she said, "I'll come back later," she'd definitely been through that situation so many times before.

They let out a bunch of giggles as the door shut behind the maid, both laughing away the awkward tension of the unexpected voyeuristic incident. Y/N let her sweaty forehead fall to his temple and let out a snort that sent them tumbling into another batch of giggles. It took a few minutes of catching their breaths until Adrian spoke up, his voice laced with amusement.

"I like your laugh. It's very cute."

"Shut up," she retorted a little shyly and hid her coy smile by kissing him. It wasn't an effective concealment, though, because Adrian could feel the way her mouth was upturned against his.

"You wanna start moving again, baby, or do you want me to take over? Cause I think you should cum again," Adrian taunted, gripping onto hips to begin rocking them both back and forth gently.

There wasn't any other interruption this time. They enjoyed each other slowly, unhurriedly, languidly, and it was wonderful to let themselves be held and worshipped and savoured like that, without any expectations or restrictions. And once they were done and satisfied, they simply lay there together.

Y/N glanced to the side, her breath starting to calm, and asked, "Are you a hugger?"

"Not usually." He mimicked her and turned his head to make eye contact. "Are you?"

"Sometimes."

He gripped onto her biceps and tugged her into a hug. She responded instantly, wrapping her arms tightly around him as her cheek pressed itself flush against his shoulder.

"Sorry that I was mean earlier. The stress finally got to me, I guess," Y/N apologised, her words coming out a little muffled because her face was squished against his skin.

"Don't worry about it," Adrian said. "It was super hot."

Another batch of giggles ensued and then, at some point, they just stopped and fell into a daze. It wasn't quite a nap but they weren't fully aware either. They were just quietly existing in the space that they'd created for themselves, content and comfortable.

Sure, actually getting some sleep would've been better. Or showering. Or finding something to eat. But they'd been moving and thinking and planning every single single moment for the past 15 hours and needed a moment to just be.

That was until Adrian's phone buzzed. It was at 7% and they were surprised it was still going strong. "Can you read this for me? I don't know where my glasses are," Adrian requested, handing Y/N his phone which had been resting on the nightstand beside him. He scooted slightly closer and watched as she took over reading it, a frown settling deep between her brows as she read the words aloud.

Unknown: HQ compromised. Stay on the road until further notice. JE will contact you with updates when we have them.

- LA

It took Adrian a while to remember who the initials related to - to make it easy, couldn't Leota have just said her and Economos' names? - and he could see Y/N working out what her life was going to be like for the next however long. She had a job, friends, and obligations she'd made time for that were being pushed to the side because of her brother that she'd never met before. She had no idea what was waiting ahead of her.

Hell, Y/N had no clue if Chris was still alive. What about her mother? How long would it be until they were reunited? Adrian could see the gears turning in her head as she tried to figure out all of the possible outcomes and he wished he could give her something to ease her pain. Even briefly.

"Hey, looks like you'll have to find a way to deal with me for a bit longer," he announced, looking at her mischievously as he started stroking his hand along her bare hip in slow circles.

"Oh no, how will I ever do that?" she replied sarcastically and gave him a fake frown.

"Looks like I'm just gonna have to find a way to keep you entertained," he continued, leaning down and brushing his lips against hers tenderly. Her eyes fluttered closed and she leaned into his touch, allowing him to deepen the kiss and deepen it even further until it became feverish and passionate yet sweet and caring all at once.

From that point, they were inseparable - partly for survival, partly for their need to constantly be touching each other - and spent the next couple of months bouncing from state to state, city to city, gas station to gas station.

Their first move was to get as much possible of their bank account in physical cash so they took the maximum allowed from ATM's whenever they could. Obviously they were leaving a trail of where they'd been but the wad Economos had left in the safe house wasn't enough to sustain them.

They'd used half of it to buy a banged up minivan that someone had turned into a camper, but they still needed food and clothes and fuel and a charging cable for Adrian's phone.

Neither of them had been particularly well off before this - Y/N was still living with her mother, who at the time of her kidnap had been away on a job interview in the neighbouring state, and Adrian was a busboy that spent a lot of money on weapons - so that money was running out too.

Life in the camper wasn't so bad. It was cramped and tiny, sure, but it was warm and comfy, and it was far easier to flee from suspected butterflies in a house on wheels than have to decide whether to leave all their stuff in some random hotel or take the risk to attempt to retrieve it.

Still, when another update came in, they were more than ready to read it and get back to 'normal' life.

"Darling, your phone just went off," Y/N called out from inside their van, heating up their food from the night before on a tabletop skillet. Adrian was by the creek they'd parked next to, washing blood and dirt from their clothes after their most recent run in with the butterflies, and the moment he heard her, he let a pair of his underwear accidentally drift downstream as he walked away.

On his way to read it, he mumbled, "Smells good, babe. I'm so hungry," and pressed a kiss to her forehead as he passed Y/N, who smiled up at him in a way that made him feel like the most loved man in the world, and was a little confused at first before he realised Economos had sent him coordinates.

He was pushing his hand in her field of vision as soon as he googled where the location was, interrupting her as she was about to give their noodles a mix. Y/N made a surprised face and grabbed the phone to make sure she was reading the screen correctly. "Evergreen? Do you think that means that this is all over?" she asked, a hint of excitement and nervousness in her voice.

Adrian smiled and wrapped his arms around her from behind, his nose poking into her cheek as he confirmed, "I think it means we should start the long drive home."

Y/N smiled and leaned her head back against his chest as she took a deep breath. "Let's eat then get moving," she concluded, laughing when he attacked her cheek with so many excited kisses.

They ate, they got ready, and then they drove. It took them a few days to get back to Washington and Economos' coordinates led them straight to Adrian's house. It seemed that Chris, Leota and Keeya, John, and Emilia had been using his home - without permission but he honestly didn't care - as a base for the past month or so because they'd run out of weapons and thought, 'Where would there be a bunch of unattended weapons that they could use without repercussions for stealing' and Chris remembered the time his buddy showed him his gun collection.

Harcourt and Annabelle had a relatively easy time. Their safe house hadn't been discovered at all in the mess and they only found out something was wrong when John called Emilia for advice about what to do. With the assurance that Annabelle would be fine on her own, Emilia joined her squad to come up with a plan that would wipe out the rest of the butterflies.

And then they managed to find out about a meeting of all of the remaining butterflies and planted a bomb. Completely wiping out an entire race didn't feel great, but they'd been a thorn in the 11th Street Kids side for long enough that that feeling was replaced by a sigh of relief. A 'thank fuck that's over' kind of deal.

Before Y/N had even gotten out of the car, her mother was running out of the Chase home. Annabelle pulled open the passenger's side door and yanked Y/N into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay, sweetpea! You are okay, aren't you?" she gushed, tears in her eyes as she examined Y/N's face.

"I'm okay, mama," Y/N said, laughing a little. "I've been so worried about you."

"I know, and I've been worried about you too. I whooped your brother and his friend's asses for taking so long to deal with those bug things!"

Peacemaker emerged from the house and Vigilante yelled out a very excited, "Peace! How are you, man?"

"Surprised that a dumbass like you survived!" Peacemaker responded, grinning from ear to ear as he looked at Vigilante. It was obviously still Adrian, but he'd grown his hair out a bit, had a five o'clock shadow, and looked the exact amount of tired you'd assume someone would be if they'd spent months sleeping in their car. "You look like shit, dude."

"Chris!" Both women complained. Annabelle reprimanded, "That is not a very nice thing to say to someone!" while Y/N chose to go with, "I think you look very handsome, babe!"

Then, both mother and son turned to face Y/N and exclaimed, "Babe?!" in shock. Chris was horrified. Annabelle, the opposite - she didn't know the guy but he was her good books for protecting Y/N as well as he had. This hadn't gone exactly the way Y/N thought it would. Honestly, she hadn't really planned anything about how she was going to casually bring up the fact that she'd started a relationship with Adrian, but it definitely wasn't going to be like this.

"Hi," Adrian said, awkwardly, as his BFF and his girlfriend's mother stared at him like he was an alien life form. "Uh... hello."

"Dude! Did I say you could date my sister?"

"No! But you didn't say I couldn't! There were no rules like that!" Adrian turned to Y/N so she'd know that he hadn't accidentally duped her into a 'forbidden' relationship and he repeated, "There were no rules!"

Closing the gap, Y/N comforted her boyfriend with a side hug, a soft "Yeah, I know," and a gentle pat on the chest. "Why don't you show me inside your home, Ade? We've been in the van for so long, I think I'd like to have one night in a normal bed." She then playfully added, "You've got that, don't you?"

Adrian grinned. "Yeah, I've got that."

The pair walked inside to find that his living room had been turned into a technology den of screens and drones and weapons - although those had been there before - and Adrian almost didn't recognise his childhood home. And he definitely didn't recognise the dogs that were running all over the place.

"You have chihuahuas?" Y/N asked, in some surprise.

"No, I'm more of a cat person."

"They're mine!" Adebayo announced as she came in from the kitchen, another dog under her arm. "Sorry! Sorry, I thought Keeya would've picked them up by now. We were all staying here together, me and my wife, John, Chris and Emilia, and -"

"You guys had a sleepover at my house without me being here? That's SO not cool!" Adrian whined.

1) His only friends hung out without him. That sucks. And 2) They did their group slumber party in the very place he owned and lived. That majorly sucks.

"You were literally on the run!" Economos retorted. "And we often thought you were dead!"

"So you decided to steal my house from me?!"

Harcourt gave Vigilante one look, just one, and he stopped whatever he was about to say next. Y/N saw how terrified he was of his boss and part of her was prepared to stand up for her man (despite the fact he was slightly overreacting), but yeah, Y/N had to admit that Harcourt was a little scary and she had mad respect for that.

Everything else that night was smooth sailing. As a big group, they let Annabelle make her signature baked Sausage and cheese rigatoni, and every member of the team ate until they were stuffed and only had enough movement in them to make it to the couch, where they crowded around the TV to watch a bad movie.

There weren't enough seats. Keeya sat on Leota. Y/N on Adrian. Annabelle and Economos a safe distance away from each other on the couch. Chris was sitting on a lazy boy off to the right with Emilia on the floor between his legs. And Peacemaker thought he was being so subtle and slick about playing with the ends of Harcourt's hair, running his fingers through the strands before glancing around every now and then to see if anyone had noticed.

As the movie played on, Y/N dozed off with her temple against Adrian's. She only began to stir when she felt the sensation of being lifted from the couch, and her eyes slowly opened to see that Adrian was making his way up the stairs.

"Are you carrying me to bed?"

"Uh-huh, like my pop used to do for me."

"You're so cute," she slurred, her voice so groggy she wondered how coherent it was to his ears. "You're so cute and so strong."

"Anything else about me that you like?" He urged, hoping that she'd reveal everything because of how sleepy she was.

"I like your smile. It's big."

"Yeah, anything else?"

"I like how you go out of your way to make me laugh."

"I do love your laugh."

"Yeah, well, I love you."

He froze mid-step, an overwhelming giddiness sweeping over him. He'd never expected to even be in this position. He had a girlfriend. And she just professed her love for him! This was better than winning the lottery. Better than finding a huge mob of criminals to shoot in the dick! He loved her too. He was so happy!

"I'll say it back when you're fully awake tomorrow," he whispered before letting Y/N slip onto the bed. She was tugging him down with her, trying to force his body on top of hers.

"Say it," she insisted, pouting like she did whenever she wanted him to give in to her. "Darling, I'd love to hear you say it. Pretty please. Don't tease - " She yawned again. "Don't tease me with this, baby."

"I love you," he said, rolling over and pinning her under him. Adrian grinned down at her, unable to stop the glee from pouring through every pore in his body.

Her forefinger came up to trace his mouth. "Big smile," Y/N yawned out, before moving to get under the covers. "Big bed too."

Adrian laughed as he stretched out beside her, propping himself up on one elbow to watch her as she fell back to sleep. "How'd I get so lucky, huh?" he mumbled to himself.

"When did you get so sappy, asshole?" Chris suddenly said from the bedroom door.

"Shh....she's sleeping."

"Oh my god, you're totally pussy whipped!"

"What are you even doing up here? You saw me coming up here?"

"Economos stunk up the first floor bathroom so I came up here to, y'know, not smell his shit."

"Jesus Christ."

In her sleep, Y/N shifted closer to Adrian, pressing against his chest. He stroked her hair, feeling her strands between his fingers, and he continued to watch her, his eyes tracing every line and curve of her face.

"This is so fucking gross to see," Chris muttered.

"Leave then!" At his raised voice, Y/N stirred. "Sorry. It's okay. It's okay, just go back to sleep," he said, stroking her hair some more.

Vigilante just asked Peacemaker to leave? In what crazy world had they jumped to? Before all this, Vig would do whatever he could to be around Peace for as long as he could. Now? Adrian's idolisation had dampened a little. He'd come to realise that there were other people out there, other people who were willing to be nice and kind and apologise to him, and that he didn't have to put up with all the insults Chris threw his way.

That wasn't a way to have any relationship, friendship or something more, and having Y/N in his life had given him a sense of 'yeah, I'm better than that' that he wasn't going to drop just because his BFF was back in the picture. Plus, he always had the 'I'm banging your sister' card in his back pocket to use whenever Chris got too vulgar.

"You two are really serious then?" Chris asked, his voice a little quieter so he didn't wake his sibling.

"I'd buy a ring if I had the money."

Chris' eyes widened. "You serious?"

"Yeah."

"Ew, I don't want you as my brother in law."

Coming up behind him, Annabelle placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "Hey pumpkin, let your sister sleep in peace, yeah?" She cooed and guided Chris away from the doorway.

Despite his muscles and big stature, Chris seemed to shrink back into a little kid when his mother interacted with him. It always amazed Adrian how much of a pushover he could be. In a small voice, Chris said, "Okay, mama. I will," and went back downstairs without arguing.

"Goodnight, Adrian. Watch over her for me?"

"Always will, Mrs L/N."

"I know you will."

Annabelle left the couple to snooze in peace. And they snoozed for longer than they had done in ages. There was no danger. No need to get up quick and flee. No knocking on the van windows to say 'you can't park here'. Nothing but peace and quiet and the quiet sounds of a house full of sleeping friends and family.

#adrian chase #vigilante #vigilante x reader #adrian chase x female reader #adrian chase x reader #adrian chase x y/n #peacemaker

[bippot]

Adrian is just so silly and so adorable sometimes I forget he’s basically an assassin lol

He's got the same vibe as giving a knife to an overactive toddler.

[bippot]

Hi again!! Can I please request (if it’s okay) an Adrian Chase x fem!innocent!civilian!reader where she’s in her 20s and she is Peacemaker’s daughter but she hasn’t seen her Dad since she was really little because of his life of crime and also his prison time, but she after hearing that her Dad is out of prison, she goes to find him to reconnect. The Butterflies find her right before she finds her Dad, but the Project Butterfly squad happened to hear the commotion and save her and her reunion with her Dad would be super emotional 🥺 Y/n being on strict lockdown and protection after that, due to her now being a target (because she could be used as leverage against them), so (much to Peacemaker’s dismay), Vigilante is assigned to basically be her bodyguard, and even though Peacemaker threatened him to not pursue his daughter romantically… He doesn’t listen lol, and Y/n and him start a secret romantic relationship until her Dad finds out lol

Of course you can! Suggest away! This is a great idea that I really enjoyed writing!

Summary: Peacemaker scrubbed all mention of his kid from his file. But when the butterflies find out about her, he must admit to his team that he needs their skills to find her.

Then, Chris really needs Adrian's help to keep her safe, but he's concerned that his buddy is going to get far too familiar with his daughter. And maybe those fears are warranted.

Additional Tags: Father-Daughter Relationship, Alien Invasion, Canon-Typical Violence, Post-Canon, Friends to Lovers, Secret Relationship, Family Drama

Peacemaker, Adrian Chase Masterlist - here

Peacemaker regretted a lot of things. He'd done a lot of stuff in his life and not all of them he was proud about. And although he would tell people that his worst misdeed was killing Rick Flag, he wasn't being entirely truthful. To Chris, the thing he regretted most was that he failed to make time for his daughter.

It was the mid nighties. He was young. It had been five years since Keith died and there was still this family shaped hole in Chris' chest. He was lonely and stupid and a horny teen boy, so was it any surprise that he managed to knock up one of his classmates? The mother's parents were heavily religious so an abortion was off the table, and so it was settled, Christopher Smith was going to be a father whether he wanted to or not. In all honesty, Chris didn't know if he wanted to be a dad.

Whatever logic he had at the time knew that he was unfit to care for a little baby, but then again, no matter how he tried to push the feeling away, he wanted a chance to show that he had enough love inside of him and was good enough to raise a kid. He'd be better than his father, he knew that much.

Auggie was coming nowhere near his kid, Chris vowed that to himself. And the moment the White Dragon showed even the slightest bit of interest in the child, Chris was pleading with the mother and her family to get as far away from Evergreen as they could.

If Chris would've waited a few months, the child would've been born and Auggie would've seen that the baby was a female. All of Auggies interest would've been snuffed out in one glance. His only grandkid was a girl? That was another reason why Chris was a useless piece of shit: he couldn't even produce an heir to one day take up the White Dragon mantle.

Every year on his daughter's birthday, Chris would send a gift and a handwritten card telling her a PG13 joke so she'd know that her ol' pa was 1) hilarious, and 2) still thinking about her.

Then, they stopped arriving. Y/N waited and waited by her doorstop in 2016 but nothing came. She'd been expecting something good because it was her 21st and he'd promised the year before that he'd try to make the trip to see her. Nothing. And then the year after that, nothing again.

When Y/N was told that her father was the infamous Peacemaker and the reason that he hadn't sent anything to her was because he was locked up for murder, she was conflicted. On the one hand, murder isn't great and that would definitely cause her family to argue and heavily discourage her from seeking him out. On the other hand, he wasn't ignoring her because he wanted to.

The cards hadn't stopped because he forgot. No, he literally couldn't get his hands on one. And that eased some of Y/N's despair.

While in prison, Waller came up to Chris and made a deal with him. A little one at first - she was testing the waters to see how agreeable he was - and had told him that if he got enough personal information about one of his fellow inmates, Slipknot, he'd gain enough of her trust that she'd allow him to send a gift (no matter what it was) of his choosing to his daughter. A note and a pistol with a dove of peace etched on the handle arrived in a delicately wrapped box at the front door of Y/N's childhood home.

Other than the note that read: 'For my peace, from Peace', there was indication that it was from Peacemaker. Still, Y/N was glad she'd opened her package once she'd got back to her apartment because her parents would've freaked out - serial murderer and inmate, Peacemaker, was sending weapons to the house of his baby mama - and that would've tarnished his name even more.

More and more Waller deals were made until the fateful Corto Maltese mission happened. As Peacemaker lay there, the wound in his neck from Bloodsport's bullet bleeding all over the concrete below him, hh was just thinking over the disappointment that had been his life as the ceiling above collapsed on top of him. He knew that only two people would miss him: his daughter who didn't really know him and had an idolised idea of what he was really like, and the idiot Vigilante who only liked the parts of Peacemaker that Chris hated.

One of those brought him comfort and the other certainly did not.

The rescue team that pulled him out of the rubble were shocked that he was still alive. Chris was too. He'd been given a second chance and had thought that his luck might finally start to turn. But - obviously - no, he was wrong. He was immediately forced to deal with a literal alien invasion the moment he was 'free'.

Y/N learnt that her father was out of prison when 'his diary' was plastered on every news channel and site in the Washington area. Though she didn't really know her father well enough to come to the conclusion that he would never write something like that, she ignored the warnings of her mother and decide that, yeah, once she'd racked up enough time off, she would make the effort to meet her father and begin to solidify their relationship into something more familial. Y/N and who she presumed to be her father - she had no way of knowing that any and all of Peacemaker's correspondents were being intercepted by an alien race who were now hellbent on revenge - were sending letters to arrange a meeting spot and time.

It was pure luck that Vigilante came across a butterfly that had a wad of letters addressed to his best buddy in the innermost pocket of their very fancy suit. "Dude, do you know anyone named Y/N?" Vigilante asked, his phone squished between his cheek and his shoulder as he read through some of the letters.

"...Yeah."

"Oh, you write her letters?"

"Sometimes."

"You don't write me letters," said Vigilante with a slight pout. "You barely even text me but you're writing letters to some chick?! Not cool, man." He got to the bottom of the letter and read out loud, "I'll see you soon, Dad. WHAT?! You have a daughter?! WHY IS THIS THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING ABOUT THIS? OH MY GOD, YOU HAVE A CHILD?!"

Chris sighed before he realised, oh shit, the butterflies knew about Y/N and his entire body felt as if he had touched a live wire all of a sudden. This was bad. So bad! He ordered Vigilante to "Get to HQ as quick as you can!", hurried out of his trailer dressed only in his tighty-whities to drive to Henenlotter Video and frantically called Harcourt so she could get the rest of the team together. He was yelling, "My kid is in danger! We need to find her!" and speeding so fast that she could hear a barrage of honks and yells from angry motorists that she knew some shit was going down.

The wait for everyone to get to HQ was probably the most nervous Chris had been in his entire life. He tried to calm himself down by playing the piano but that didn't work. His brain was buzzing so much that it was overpowering the sound of the keys and he kept losing his rhythm. The rest of the 11th Street Kids found him with his nose pressing down on a key and his fists slamming down on the keys on either side of his head in a frenzy.

They looked like they expected him to suddenly turn into a blubbering mess, but he didn't, so they waited a few patient minutes for Chris to regain control of his remaining braincells to tell them what the fuck was going on. It was only when Adebayo gently placed her hand on his shoulder did Chris realise that his team were gathered to help him out.

With the letters that Vigilante found, Chris declared, "I didn't write these. That's my handwriting but I didn't do this," and the search for Y/N commenced.

Economos tracked Y/N's phone and deduced that her phone had last pinged in a coffee shop in Evergreen at 10 am that day.

Adebayo's job was to sift through the letters and she could confirm that whoever had arranged to meet Y/N was the one who'd suggested that time and place.

Vigilante and Harcourt were having an argument about the fact he wasn't supposed to go out on his own and kill butterflies - especially because he technically was government property now and if anyone found out it would be her ass on the line - yet, he was more hung up on the fact that Peacemaker having a kid was completely concealed to him.

Well, it had been concealed to all of the squad.

Nowhere in Peacemaker's file did it mention anything about Y/N. That was purposeful. One of the many Waller deals he'd made, Chris had made sure to scrub any mention of his daughter from his record. He was a superhero so any mention of family other than Auggie - who was a very well known villain and very capable of protecting himself - would be a very obvious way to say, 'hey, I have a weak spot for anyone who dislikes me to use to their advantage!'

Waller knew what it was like to have a daughter that you want to keep out of the limelight, which may caused her to do the only good deed of her entire life, or maybe she had done it so that she would have something in her back pocket that she could use to manipulate him later on. Who knows what Waller's intentions really were?

Chris came clean to his buddies. He told them all about what had happened and urged Economos to find Y/N's mother's contact information so they could check up whether this had been all a big misunderstanding.

Like, did Y/N get cold feet once she got to the coffee shop and go straight home? Or was she in serious danger? Chris didn't really want to interact with his former lover (as Adebayo kept calling her) since calling Y/N's mother a lover seriously over exaggerated the nature of their relationship.

They'd been acquaintances that had gotten drunk at the same party in high school - Y/N's mother was looking to rebel against her religious parents and Chris was trying to find temporary love - and had both bitten off more than they could chew. Yet, if this would help find Y/N, Chris was willing to reconnect.

"Did you know he had a kid?" Adrian whispered to Emilia after he found out that his partner in crime was apparently keeping secrets from him.

The pair had stopped arguing to watch as Peacemaker paced around in a circle and had a hushed conversation on the phone. Neither of them had ever seen the big brute so jumpy. They'd seen him angry. They'd seen him sad. They'd watched him kill his own father. And potentially doom the human race. His family had always been a touchy subject - whether it was Keith, Auggie, or the disappearance of his mother - and Y/N was no different.

"Nope."

"Me neither. Do you think the kid would think of me as a cool uncle when we meet her?"

"She's 26, dumbass."

"Oh." He hadn't realised that when they were talking about Peacemaker's kid, they weren't talking about an actual kid.

With that mental barrier out of the way, he tried to imagine what Chris would look like as a chick around his age and couldn't stop himself before he mumbled, "Do you think she's going to be hot?" Harcourt rolled her eyes and went to help Leota out with her search, leaving his question unanswered.

Suddenly, Y/N's phone popped up on John's search again and Chris was sent a link to a video feed of Y/N sat on the floor in a locked cage, her hands concealing her mouth and thumbs taking it in turns to hold her nostrils shut to ensure an alien wouldn't burrow into her orifices, with a guard positioned to the left of the bars. She was in an abandoned warehouse 5 miles outside of Evergreen that obviously was set up to ambush Peacemaker but he was willing to take that risk.

He'd done stupider stuff before when his daughter's life wasn't on the line. So, he finally got dressed - luckily he'd left one of his spare costumes at HQ and didn't have to wear the backup clothes of one of his peers - and rushed to get to the warehouse, dragging Vigilante along with him.

As she sat on the cold concrete floor, Y/N tried to listen in to whatever her captors were planning but couldn't make anything out as they were in the room opposite. The guard was mostly silent but he did sniff every now and then. She had watched Adebayo's press conference and knew that Peacemaker had been dealing with some alien shenanigans so she'd just assumed - rightfully so - that whoever had been catfishing and later kidnapped her had done so as revenge.

At first, it was a total blindsight. If you've never been put in a situation where you are being used as a pawn in some alien scheme (as most people haven't), you don't jump to 'oh, I'm a political prisoner' and that was Y/N's initial reaction. Then, she remembered who her father was and what he'd just done. The pieces fit together once that entered her brain.

A bang echoed through the room, followed by some loud thuds as if bodies were hitting the ground repeatedly, and the guard hurried to unlock the cage door. Y/N was yanked to her feet and the barrel of a gun pressed to her throat in preparation for when Peacemaker burst through the door.

And when he did, the guard was calling out, "Stay there or I -'' but never finished his sentence because Y/N punched him in the nuts and ran to safety before the heroes littered him with bullets.

That nut punch was the first thing either men had witnessed Y/N do and that simple action enamoured them both - in vastly different ways - to her. She was a badass. A completely normal citizen with no defensive training's natural instinct when faced with an alien holding them at gunpoint was to nut tap them? Yeah, she'd gained their approval instantly. How could she not?

If there were two things the dorks loved it was women kicking ass and dick jokes, and she'd essentially done both of those in one swift movement.

Peacemaker had never been so focused on a mission before and he was a fucking killing machine that was immediately broken out of his tunnel vision when he realised that, holy fucking shit, someone with half of his DNA was real, had grown into a full living-breathing-thinking person, and was right in front of him.

"Hi," Chris greeted a little breathlessly, his gaze meeting his daughter's for the very first time in both of their lives. He reached for his helmet, pulled it off and let it drop to the ground to reveal his entire face to Y/N.

"Hi Dad." He smiled warmly at the girl, his eyes softening. As he opened his arms wide, she ran and threw herself onto him, clinging onto his waist for dear life and burying her head into his chest.

After the initial shock wore off, Chris wrapped his strong arm around her shoulders. Her hair tickled his neck and he leaned down let his nose rest against the top of her head and breathed in the scent of her shampoo - strawberry with a hint of vanilla - as they swayed back and forth on the floor. Y/N pulled away first and looked into Chris' eyes, repeating, "Hi Dad," like she couldn't believe that this was happening.

"Hi Y/N!"

Both Chris and Y/N's head whipped to Vigilante who was just about to try to join in with their family hug before Peacemaker held his hand out to stop it from happening.

"Dude..." Vigilante whined.

"Go wait outside."

"But -"

"Vig."

"Fucking fine!" Vigilante huffed and turned on his heel. Just before he left, he looked over his shoulder and - as an act of defiance - he admitted, "Your daughter is super hot by the way, Peace!"

Father and daughter stared at his retreating figure, mouths agape, before Y/N laughed. "Your friend is a little weird," she commented, pulling away to pick up his helmet and inspecting it. She wiped away some dust with her sleeve and held it out to her father. He took it and gently placed it on her head.

It was a little too big for her head because it was made specifically for his wide skull, but he adjusted it so it wasn't impeding her vision. Y/N smiled brightly up at him, her eyes filled with excitement, and he couldn't resist pulling her into another big bear hug. He could feel tears pricking the backs of his eyes.

This was his baby girl and she was safe. That's all that mattered to him.

"Let's get out of here."

The pair left the warehouse, both talking animatedly as they walked away. Chris was telling Y/N everything - every little detail - about how they found her. While he wasn't in ear shot of any of his teammates, he was hyping them up. Economos' computer skills. Adebayo's detective work. Harcourt's leadership. Vigilante's fighting ability. He wanted his daughter to know that she had a wealth of skilled people to turn to if she ever needed it.

Or, to know that if anything like this happened again (god forbid), her life was in good hands that were not his own.

There were still a few butterflies hiding around the perimeter that fled as soon as they saw the 11th Street Kids drive out of the gates.

After being introduced to everyone, Y/N settled down in the van next to her father, her knees tucked beneath her chin while she listened intently to all of the stories that were spilling from his mouth. She didn't say much, simply letting him ramble on and filling the silence. She felt safe in his presence and, although it may have sounded strange, her heart began fluttering happily inside of her chest as she thought that it might be okay now - that maybe, after so long of feeling unwanted by the family she was used to, she didn't have to be alone anymore. The smile that formed on her lips didn't seem to fade throughout the whole journey back to HQ.

"We have to live with the assumption that the butterflies will go after your family whenever they get the chance to," Harcourt interrupted their sweet moment with a harsh truth. "I will send some personnel to watch Mrs L/N's home but it would be best if you stayed in Evergreen for the time being, Y/N."

Y/N looked at her dad to see if he agreed with this conclusion, and he obviously did as he gave her a small reassuring nod. "Okay," she murmured.

Leota opened Henenlotter's door wide, suggesting, "You might want to call her just to let her know you're okay," so she could bring up a worry of hers to Peacemaker without Y/N being in the room and affecting his decision. Y/N agreed and went off into the back room to do just that.

Silently, Harcourt and Adebayo gave each other a look, having an argument about who was going to say the problem out loud with just their eyes. Like always, Emilia won.

"Chris, buddy, I hate to say it but Y/N being in your proximity while the butterflies are trying to get revenge on you specifically is putting her in danger. I know you're beginning to build your relationship...it's - I think that... What I'm trying to say is that... Harcourt, can you take over please? He's been looking at me really intensely since my mouth started saying words and now I don't want to say what... Can you? I don't know how to force myself to say what I need to," Adebayo rambled, her anxiety increasing with every word she spoke as she kept glancing sideways to Harcourt and hoping her friend would take pity on her.

Harcourt sighed. "When we put Y/N in protective custody, she can't stay with you because - thanks to you keeping Goff alive long enough that he fed information back to their people like an idiot - they know where you live," she explained bluntly and then gestured towards Adrian, who still hadn't taken his mask off despite the fact it was safe for him to do so. "The path I think is the most efficient to go down - and I hate that he is actually the best option for this - is for Vigilante to watch over her while we hunt the rest of them down."

Some grunt of disapproval came from Chris' throat.

"Despite the fact that Goff has seen Adrian's face, he has no information about his actual identity other than the fact he's mentally deficient - "

"Hey!" Adrian cried. "Not cool."

Shrugging off his protest, Harcourt continued, "They don't know where he lives and he has all the skills necessary to protect her if they do happen to find out."

"Yeah, that's what I was trying to say," Adebayo added, clapping her hands together as if she was saying, 'Glad we got through that, gang'.

Chris glanced between his friends, the realisation that, yeah, that was the best course of action sinking in. It wasn't perfect - far from it - but at least it was something. His one goal was to keep his daughter safe and if Adrian was the only way that was going to happen, well shit, he had to go along with it.

That didn't mean, however, that Chris didn't have some worries about his pal looking after his flesh and blood. Peacemaker gripped onto Vigilante's shoulders roughly, pressing his fingers are hard as he could into his pal's armour that he hoped he could feel it through the padding, and threatened, "If I find out that you've been weird and tried to make advances on my daughter, I will put you in the fucking ground and make sure that there's nothing left but ashes of what once was your body. Got it?"

"Gotcha!" Vigilante squeaked out, his voice breaking under the pressure.

Peacemaker backed up a little and let go, releasing his grip entirely so he could cross his arms over his chest. He glared at his friend with a fire burning behind his eyes as Y/N returned and was told about this new arrangement. She wasn't thrilled but understood.

And it wasn't if she'd never see Peacemaker again. He was going to completely wipe out the butterflies and then return to her so they could do all the father-daughter bonding activities that she had envisioned since she was a kid. As long as it meant she was going to have the father figure that she'd always wanted, she could deal with whatever was going on with Vigilante for a few days.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" Chris said, wrapping his arms around Y/N as soon as he stepped out of the car and gave her an apologetic look. "Don't wander off, alright? And don't listen if Adrian says some shit - he's a weird dude - that you totally can ignore if you want to. I mean, if he tells you important shit like if you should hide because there are aliens trying to murder you and stuff like that, don't ignore that. But if he's talking about Star Wars or other nerd shit that you don't want to pay attention to, feel free to block that asshole out. That's what I always do."

"Okay, got it."

Some paternal instinct came over him and before he could think 'ew, that's cringe', Chris leant forward and pressed a chaste kiss on his daughter's forehead. They were both shocked at the action (and so were Chris' friends who were watching) but laughed off the initial awkwardness.

"Sorry, I don't know why I did that," he apologised a little sheepishly.

"No biggie, Dad."

A chuckle escaped Chris as the two pulled apart. "Promise me that you'll text me from Vij's when you reach his house?"

"Promise."

He took another quick look at his daughter to make sure that she was doing ok before finally letting her go and gave Vigilante a glare on his way out. Adebayo patted Chris' shoulder to comfort him as they watched the pair turn a corner and leave his field of vision.

Inside the Vigilante mobile, Adrian was deadly silent. He was hyper aware of every move he made because what if he accidentally did something to freak her out, she told Peacemaker, and then he got the wrong idea and Adrian ended up dead thanks to one wrong gesture or word.

"How long have you known my dad?" Y/N tried to start a conversation to break the ice which, admittedly, felt incredibly awkward and slightly suffocating that had Adrian wincing inwardly as he tried so desperately to be normal toward her.

"He, uh, he used to hang out with my older brother when he was still alive."

"Oh. I'm sorry for your loss."

Adrian nodded. "Thanks. So, uh - " he cleared his throat a couple of times and decided to stop stalling. "I'm going to put this out in the open because - oh, I definitely shouldn't say this but my mouth is moving now and if I don't come clean, I'm going to act so odd around you - but I find you very attractive and I told Peace that I wouldn't do anything about it. So yeah, please tell me if I do something wrong or make you uncomfortable so I can fix it so your dad doesn't shoot me in the dick over and over again till I bleed out through the penis."

Less than five minutes alone with her and Adrian had already said more than he ever should've.

"Um... thank you?" was all Y/N managed to get out as she turned red, staring at Adrian in slight shock. "And uh - I appreciate your concern?"

"Well... you're welcome."

They got to the Chase house in relative silence after that. He ushered her inside and busied himself with cleaning up all the cups and clothes and wrappers that he'd left out when he thought he wouldn't have anyone over for a while. As he was doing that, Y/N focused on the family photo placed on the mantelpiece.

"You're cute."

"Huh, what?"

She picked up the frame and pointed to the younger man in the picture. "This is you, right?" Y/N posed. "You said you had an older brother so the younger one is you."

"That's, yeah, that's me."

Placing the frame down, Y/N closed the distance between herself and Vigilante. He still had his mask on and she wanted to see how hot he was in person. Slowly, she lifted her hands towards the edge of his visor, asking, "Can I? ...Please?"

Vigilante bit his lip as he considered whether it was such a good idea or not. They'd have to be together for an extended period of time and she'd seen a picture of him, why not? He nodded silently in response, giving Y/N permission to remove the mask and place it aside.

Once it was no longer in the way, she let her gaze drift over his features for a moment. He looked young, just a few years older than her, and his green eyes seemed to twinkle when they met hers.

"You're very cute," she commented, running a hand gently across his cheek with an affectionate smile playing at her lips.

"Please don't tease me. I have very little self control and I don't want to actually be murdered by my best friend because I banged his daughter," he begged with an anxious chuckle.

Y/N suddenly got a mischievous grin on her face - one that was identical to the one he often saw on Peace whenever he was flirting with people in bars - and Adrian knew immediately that the this was going to be a very hard test to not give in to whatever advances she was planning to inflict on him.

"I'm going to have more fun than I expected."

Shit. From now on, she would try her very best to get him to crack and she would do it with such a gleeful expression that it was going to be a real feat of endurance for him to resist.

He survived the first night. He passed his phone over so she could message Peacemaker, provided her with food and pj's, let her sleep in his bed, and did his best to keep his eyes from wandering when she exited the bathroom in just a towel. That was longer than he ever suspected he'd be able to hold out for. Adrian was proud of himself.

Then the second went by. And the third. And fourth. Fifth. Sixth. A week. Two weeks. Three. Then a month had gone by. As more time went by, their relationship became paradoxical: they'd developed a friendship and were accustomed to being in each other's presence, yet because of this domesticity, Adrian didn't just find her attractive, he was pretty sure he was falling in love with her a little more each day.

There was a moment when they'd been sitting on the couch and Y/N reached across to take his glasses off his nose. She commented, "These are so dirty. How can you see out of them?" and wiped the grime off the lens with the bottom of her shirt before gently placing them back on his face. "All better now."

As much as he would've liked to reply, Adrian instead remained quiet and ignored the feeling bubbling up in his chest from the sound of her voice. He felt a warm tingle crawl up his spine as he smiled to himself and shook his head in bittersweet amusement.

"I'm getting tired, think I'm gonna go to sleep," she announced but didn't get up. No, she slumped her head down on Adrian's shoulder and rested a delicate hand on his arm, causing him to tense up immediately upon contact.

"Oh no… Uh, do you want me to carry you there? Is that what's happening here?"

"Wanna use you as a pillow."

His heart skipped a beat and, for a split second, he panicked as if he'd done something completely inappropriate (even though she was the one initiating this contact) and he almost got up, only to remember that he'd disturb her if he did that. He didn't want to do that. She looked comfortable and happy and content and, even though his mind was running wild with the implications of this, his body was relaxing a tiny bit. He slowly wrapped his arm around her waist and shifted a little so that she'd fit into the contours of his body.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Do that over and over again and you should be fine, Adrian.

"Is this comfy for you?" Y/N whispered against his collarbone as she nestled deeper into him.

"Kinda."

"Do you wanna -" Her sentence was interrupted by a yawn. "You're going to get a crick, do you wanna lie down?"

"...Yeah. I do."

They got into a spooning position with natural ease. Adrian's arms wound themselves around Y/N's frame like they belonged there and Adrian found comfort in holding her close to his body. After a little while, she settled in and Adrian couldn't help but chuckle as he watched her sleep peacefully while his lips tugged upward.

"I'm so dead."

The morning rolled around far too quickly, and Y/N woke to find that Adrian had fallen asleep with his chin resting on her shoulder and his temple pressed against hers. He was snoring right below her ear and she chuckled quietly, wiggling her arm just enough to release it from being squished under his so she could reach back to run her fingers through his hair. He was grunting and pleasurably groaning but didn't wake up as he snuggled further into her touch.

Eventually, Y/N's bicep began to cramp thanks to the awkward angle she was in and, to remedy that, she turned her whole body to face him. That movement woke Adrian up instantly and, even though he clearly wasn't expecting to see Y/N's face inches away from his, he froze with a goofy, sleepy smile.

"Good morning, Vigilante," Y/N greeted him teasingly, comfortably scratching at his scalp this time. He hummed in response, closing his eyes again as he enjoyed the sensation. "Feel nice?"

"Mhm."

"Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"How about I cook you breakfast? Would you like that?"

"Yeah, that'd be awesome."

Just as she was about to get up to start on breakfast, he caught her wrist. "Not yet? Please? You're so warm and soft..." He gave her a pleading look and added, "Don't leave yet. Stay. For a bit longer."

Y/N guided his head to the crook of her neck with one hand and the other resumed playing with his hair. He let out the biggest sigh she'd ever heard from anyone ever and curled himself tighter against her, nuzzling his face into her collarbone and inhaling deeply, trying to imprint every single detail of her scent onto his brain.

If he was honest, he wanted Peacemaker's mission to kill all the butterflies to go on forever and never end. Because then, Y/N would have to stay with him forever, and that was something he'd gladly accept, no matter what. He knew that she deserved someone who would treat her right and protect her and make sure nothing ever happened to her and that's exactly what he was offering her, and he could offer that forever if need be.

"Y/N?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you feel trapped here?"

"For the most part, no. It would be nice to be able to go outside once in a while, but I don't mind staying in with you." She pulled away slightly to meet Adrian's emerald eyes. "Why'd you ask?"

"Because...because I don't know. Maybe... I'm being stupid and weird - forget that I said anything," he admitted sheepishly, dropping his gaze to their entangled limbs and blushing slightly when he realised how intimate they had become.

Peacemaker may not kill him for this amount of affection, but he would beat him up for it. Any way he went about it, Adrian knew he was fucking screwed. And since it was an inevitable screwing, why not solidify it further?

Adrian leant back to survey the entirety of Y/N's face, which still held some traces of sleepiness, and ran his thumb along the curve of her jaw softly. In the softest voice she'd ever heard from him - no, that anyone had ever heard from him - he declared, "Peace is going to kick me in the nuts for this, but I'll pay that punishment any day of the week for you."

His lips were on hers before she'd fully registered what he'd said; his kiss was passionate, urgent, and desperate. He had been holding himself back long enough, and it was high time for him to let go and show her what exactly this thing between them really was. She responded eagerly to his onslaught and kissed him back, allowing herself to fall completely under his spell and lose herself in the sensations that filled her entire being.

And when he finally broke apart from her, panting and dazed, her hand instinctively rose to trace the line of his stubbly cheek before cupping it in her palm. "Well," she breathed, grinning at him, "I can definitely use the years of abandonment to guilt trip my father into letting you off the hook for this."

"Let's just keep us on the DL for now?"

"Can you keep a secret from Peacemaker?"

"No, but I'll try."

Try, he did. Taking down the butterflies took two and a half months, and as soon as the last one had a bullet through their brain, Chris was on his way back to Evergreen and racing to the Chase house, determined not to waste another second. As soon as he walked through the front door - he didn't even knock - he threw his bag onto the ground and stomped towards the kitchen, where Y/N and Adrian's voices could be heard.

Further in the house, Y/N was laughing as Adrian rambled on and on about a steakout he'd been on once where he'd drunk a whole litre of cold brew because he knew he'd be up the whole night but didn't realise it would make him need to pee constantly. He'd been relieving himself - trousers down, ass to the wind - at the exact moment that the mob boss he was waiting to kill appeared with his elderly mother since they were planning to go for a peaceful stroll.

"The old lady fainted from shock!" Adrian continued, his cheeks hurting from how long he'd been smiling.

"What about the mob dude?"

"I thought I'd be nice and let him live so he could carry her inside safely. I shot him in the ass when he came back out."

Chris stifled a laugh at the ridiculous story Adrian was telling and made his presence known by clearing his throat loudly, causing both of them to jump. Luckily, they'd just been leaning against the kitchen counter as they waited for their meal to cook and hadn't been doing anything scandalous.

"Dad!" Y/N called out cheerfully, rushing over to hug him when she saw him. Chris smiled and returned her embrace briefly before pulling away to inspect her. She looked like she'd been taken care of, which ensured that Adrian wouldn't be punched in the head.

"How are you?" He asked cautiously.

"I'm great. How are you? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"Not this time. Just some minor scrapes. Nothing bad enough to warrant a full body cast, thank god."

He grinned at her as he glanced over his daughter's shoulder, making direct eye contact with Adrian behind her. The idiot looked like his world was collapsing - the joy that Peace had witnessed when he walked in had completely vanished from Vigilante's face - and though he tried to smile, it didn't reach his eyes.

Forever had just ended for Adrian. He had no clue what was coming next. His entire body felt numb, his legs were jelly, and he honestly didn't think he could do much more than stare blankly ahead while staring at Y/N's back.

"Our enchiladas are almost done, you want one?" she asked, oblivious to Adrian's plight as he stayed quiet and just stood there.

"Yeah, I love a good enchilada, especially when they're made by my kickass daughter," Chris replied proudly.

Y/N laughed before walking past him to grab the oven mitts and hip bumping Adrian out of the way so she could get the food out of the oven. Chris took a few steps backwards to lean against the countertop to watch Y/N, smiling fondly because he'd never seen her in a normal situation before and loved every minute of it.

"Ade, can you get the plates out, please and thank you?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Adrian muttered and quickly moved to do so.

Suspiciously, Chris watched his buddy with narrowed eyes and crossed arms, wondering exactly what was going on. Adrian was acting weirder than normal today - normally he'd be jumping at his chance to start a conversation with Peacemaker or a joke about whatever dumb shit he'd gotten up to lately, but he seemed so unwilling to speak.

"What's up your ass, Vij?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"Nothing. What do you mean?" Adrian lied, his voice so high that it was obvious.

"Stop pretending, man."

He sighed heavily and looked at Chris with pleading eyes.

"Don't kill me."

There was a few seconds of tense silence before Chris scoffed, "There was one rule!" and grabbed Adrian by the collar. Y/N's eyes widened and she tried to wedge herself between the two of them, but it was useless. Chris wouldn't budge despite her struggles. He kept his grip around Adrian until his fingers started turning white with strain, ignoring her pleas for him to stop. "What did I say? What was the one fucking thing I said?"

"Don't make advances on Y/N!"

"What did you do?" Chris barked angrily, glaring daggers at his friend, who couldn't look him in the eyes. "You tell me, punk, and then maybe I might knock you unconscious before I chop your balls off."

Adrian swallowed hard, opened and closed his mouth several times, before answering, "...I love her," and caught Y/N's gaze out of the corner of his eye. He hadn't said it out loud before, but they both knew it was true.

"That's not funny-"

"It's not supposed to be a joke! Jesus fuck, Chris, I love her!"

Silence fell across the room again as Chris loosened his hold on Adrian's shirt. Adrian stumbled backwards a little before Y/N rushed to steady him, her hands gripping the sides of his arms tightly and pulling him into a hug.

"You crumbled in less than five minutes," she teased in his ear and was rewarded with a chuckle from her boyfriend.

Yeah, they had planned to keep their relationship a secret, but that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was keeping Adrian in one piece, so Y/N pushed him behind her, shielding him from Chris' wrath, as she turned to face her father.

"Uhh...Surprise?"

Chris stared her dead in the eye for a moment, assessing Y/N for a few moments longer than was necessary, but when nothing happened, he sighed in exasperation and shook his head. "Anyone but this dickhead, Y/N! Come on, you've got to have some sense in that head? He's a grade A moron. There's absolutely no way in hell he's worthy of you."

"You don't know me and what I'm worthy of. We've spent a total of four hours together in my entire life, Dad," Y/N explained pointedly, "You have no idea who I am, and you certainly have no say over who I choose to love - "

"Oh my god, you love me back," Adrian gushed. "I figured out that love was what I was feeling because duh, but - oh, I think I'm going to faint - you're a babe and you just said you love me and I'm gonna sit down now..."

With that, he sank unceremoniously to the floor, still wearing the huge grin on his face as he sat there in utter disbelief and excitement. Y/N rolled her eyes fondly when she felt Adrian reach to place his hands against her calf, trying to feel whether she was real or not. She was. She was 100% real.

"This guy, Y/N? Really? This fucking guy?"

"You're being mean," she said with a pout. "Why is it so unbelievable?"

"I know him! He's a fucking maniac! He's a murderer, he's insane, he's a goddamn psychopath! Are you fucking stupid, Y/N?"

The guy cuddling her leg like a teddy bear was incapable of emotion? The guy who'd go out of his way to make her smile? The guy who'd got so anxious about having feelings for his best pal's daughter that he blurted the truth out and risked a beating? That guy was a wall of stoicism? Wow. Who'd have thought?

"Yeah, I guess I am fucking stupid then," she conceded, beaming down at her boyfriend and running her fingers through his curls affectionately. "Dinner is getting cold, why don't we eat?"

She held her hands out to help Adrian to his feet, ignoring Chris' disapproving scowl that was directed at that gesture. Her dad stayed mostly quiet, knowing his opinion would only further anger her, and he wanted their first meal to be a civil one. That was the least he could do for his family after all the years they'd spent apart.

There was no denying that he could see the domesticity between the couple. They seemed happy - happier than he'd seen either of them be - and while he still wasn't convinced that this was a good thing, his daughter was right; he had no say in who she dated.

Going after the dumb, morally questionable hero clearly was in her blood. And if he had to take her happiness over his own, well...then he could live with that.

"I've been thinking and I'm going to move to Evergreen. Is that okay with you, dad?" Y/N asked all of sudden, completely pulling Chris from his thoughts. "There's an apartment down the road that is much cheaper than the one I currently rent and I'd like to be able to see my dad whenever I want to."

Chris blinked twice, unable to process her words. He hadn't expected such a sudden turn of events nor that he was a part of the reason she was uprooting her life. Nobody ever made an effort to move closer to him. That's the opposite of what usually happens.

"Really?" he finally choked out after a long pause, surprised and somewhat shocked that he'd gotten so emotional without realising it. He cleared his throat awkwardly and continued when he felt more composed, "Of course that's fine, Y/N. As long as you're happy."

"I am."

Finally, a smile appeared on Chris' face as he looked back and forth between his daughter and her boyfriend, a softness settling in his heart as he saw just how content they were. His family may be a little more unorthodox than he ever expected, but it was a family nonetheless, and despite everything, he couldn't let that slip away.

#adrian chase #vigilante #vigilante x reader #adrian chase x female reader #adrian chase x reader #adrian chase x y/n #peacemaker

[bippot]

Jake Martin thought here

He ironically quotes Fast and the furious movies “We’re family” line specifically but he doesn’t know it’s from tht movie

Ex.

Kevin: Great race today Jake!

Jake: Couldn’t do it without you guys, my family

Amir: isn’t that from Fast and the furious?

Jake: Fast and who now?

Summary: Jake has never watched the Fast and Furious films, so why can he quote them?

Additional Tags: Racing, Workplace, Fluff. Established Relationship, Comedy, Inspired by The Fast and the Furious

The Crew, Jake Martin Masterlist - here

As the end of the current Nascar season came to a close, the guys at Bobby Spencer Racing were elated. Jake had come 4th at the Phoenix Raceway, the final track that would decide how well he was going to do overall. Even Kev would have to admit now that he and Catherine had stopped wasting the team's time by fighting with each other at every chance they got, they were making some serious progress.

"5th! We got a top 5!" Kevin exclaimed, completely flabbergasted that they'd done so well. A year ago making the top 10 was a fuckin' pipe dream, but 5?

Getting a top 5, well, it was a god damned miracle.

Jake, as he always did, paid very little attention to all the cheering as he got out of the car and was zeroed in to find Y/N. She was around her somewhere, he knew that. His eyes scanned everything in his surroundings before landing on the woman he couldn't seem to stop thinking about, and who he was bounding towards with his arms open wide.

"You were so good, speed racer," she cooed, being engulfed in his arms. "I told you that you were going to ace it?" she continued once he leaned back to examine her face. He nodded distractedly, unable to tear his eyes away from hers or even gather the brainpower needed to form words.

He still needed to do press and interviews, and tell Chuck that he did a great job at making the car run, and complain to Kevin that he really should turn the microphone off if he was planning to eat a hot dog during the race, and ask someone to get him a bottle of water because his mouth felt like sandpaper, and did this mean that he was officially off Catherine's shit list? and how did Jessie do in her race?

Tenderly, she gave him a kiss on the cheek - just on the cheek for now - but it still made his knees go wobbly and caused butterflies to erupt in his stomach like it always did whenever she was sweet to him. "Go celebrate with your team, Jakey," she instructed gently, pulling back just a bit and nudging him towards the crowd of his coworkers - who'd become accustomed to Jake practically ignoring them whenever Y/N was around - so he'd begin to walk to where he was needed.

Whatever she'd heard about Jake Martin: The Womaniser had been forgotten about the moment she had met him. He was a flirt, yes, because it's nice to tell people what's on your mind. If he thought someone was pretty or cool or badass, his brain wouldn't be fast enough to stop his mouth saying the words out loud. At some point during his life, he realised that it was easier just to let the words flow and decided that it was better if he let his lack of filter live as it was. For anyone else that could've been a damning choice.

But, because Jake has sunshine coming out of his ass - Jessie often said that he was too stupid to have a mean bone in his body or be duplicitous in any way - it presented itself as Jake complimenting almost everyone he came across. He was one of those boys who appreciates a fine body regardless of the make. An old lady with dyed pink hair? He was telling her about how young he thought it made her look. Any guy that had an ounce of muscle, he was asking about his gym routine. Jake would always love to see kids with cartoon characters on their clothes and would make sure the little one knew that Nascar driver Jake Martin thought they were cool. And, for a while, the majority of people he came across in his life were pretty women that wanted to surround themselves with a pro athlete. Jake was more than happy to indulge them - he's just a man, after all - and that was how the man whoring rumours began to spread.

Yes, he was man whoring but he wasn't a player by any means. He was looking for temporary fun with a woman who was also looking for temporary fun, although it left him feeling a little hollow and used sometimes. Then along came Y/N. Temporary fun wasn't enough for him when Y/N arrived in his life. Not anymore.

At the time of meeting, Y/N had a boyfriend that wasn't Jake. She was a journalist who was commissioned to create the book 'The Trials and Tribulations of Catherine Spencer Racing - A New Age' (Catherine came up with the name) and had been hanging around the crew to get the inside scoop. The crew had their own Trent Crimm - The Independent, on their hands and was thrilled to have someone around to publicise their deeds. Obviously, once Jake heard that Y/N was off the market, he kept his flirting to a minimum. Yeah, he was bummed that the really hot chick who was nice to him at work couldn't be his, but hey, what are you going to do? Steal her away? No, no way! He knew the devastation that cheating can have - hell, he'd never forgive his father for exactly that reason - and Y/N didn't deserve that, even as an implication.

Three or so weeks into the job, they broke up. Jake couldn't say he was disappointed with that development. He waited an appropriate time - well, he waited twenty whole days and had planned to wait a whole month but he got far too impulsive one day - and just went for it. Originally, she said no. It's not professional to fuck one of the subjects of your story prior to the book the publication. That's a conflict of interest. And would seriously interfere with the integrity of her position. Once the book came out, however, that was a completely different story.

All she did was leave him a copy of her book - that was so fresh off the printers it may as well have been still warm - with a note that read 'Still up for that date?' and that was, what they call, history.

"Go, babe, you should go do your job," Y/N urged, barely hiding the smile on her face that came whenever he acted this dopey.

With another push, Y/N did manage to get Jake away from her. Only a little bit. Probably about two feet. He regained his balance and moved back towards her, smiling so goofily as his palms came up to her cheeks and his thumbs swiped against her cheekbone before he was kissing her like there was no tomorrow. She went to say something else but was silenced by another kiss. Then another, And another. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and her fingers tangled in his hair, curling her fist at the crown of his head.

Finally, she pulled back to rest her forehead against his, looking straight into his eyes as she whispered playfully, "Go before you get me in trouble."

"See you as soon as I'm done?" he asked hopefully. They both knew what the answer was going to be.

"Why don't you find out?" she suggested mischievously, enjoying the way he pouted for a fraction of a second before placing a gentle peck on the tip of her nose. Her face crinkled up in amusement and a giggle escaped her lips. She watched as Jake turned on the spot and jogged away in search of his coworkers, his hands stuffed in his pockets, and looked over his shoulder to give his girlfriend a wink just as he was going to turn the corner.

He did, in fact, find out that he would see her after all of his duties had been done. Kevin remarked that Jake seemed very excited - he's just got a really good race position so that was understandable but this was more than usual post driving hype that Jake felt - and had to tug him away by the sleeve so he didn't make a fool of himself aad say something wildly inappropriate on camera.

This shit was tiring! Driving and talking and being all professional takes a lot of energy, and by the time the couple were by each other's sides again, Jake was starting to feel sleepy. He managed to stay awake for an hour or so as the crew went out for celebratory drinks, but they called it quits as soon as his head slumped on Y/N's shoulder.

"You wanna go to bed, pretty baby?" she whispered softly to just him as everyone else around the table was engaged in their own conversations, stroking the soft curls that rested on the top of his head. This earned her a hum from him. "Okay, let's just say goodbye to Beth and Kevin and everyone, yeah?"

Sluggishly, he gave her a nod and allowed her to take the lead as they said their farewells to everyone. No matter how many pats on the back or loud congratulations he got, there was barely any energy left so all he could muster was a weak "Aw, yeah. Thanks, dude" and a floppy wave which everyone acknowledged with an understanding chuckle before letting the pair leave.

"You okay, hot wheels?" Y/N murmured as she led him through the crowd of people towards the exit of the bar, occasionally acknowledging people who were praising Jake for him so he didn't seem rude.

"I'm so tired, baby," he slurred.

"Our room isn't that far away."

She wasn't lying. Within 5 minutes, they were in their hotel's lift and Jake was pressing his nose in the crook of Y/N's neck to muffle the sound of constant yawning, his palm moving lazily along her forearm in a desperate attempt to not to fall asleep standing up. His eyelids started to flutter and close every few seconds; a deep sigh escaped from his lips as his head sank further into Y/N's shoulder.

"Just a few more steps, sweetie. Just a few more minutes and we're there," she reassured him quietly, running a hand gently down his chest and then wrapping her arm around his waist to pull him upright. The lift doors opened at the third floor and Y/N was dragging her boyfriend to their room.

Soon, it was comfortably quiet as Y/N helped Jake undress, chuckling at how soft he looked when he pouted and lifted his arms for her to take off his shirt. He flopped onto the bed as soon as he was in his underwear and waited until she crawled underneath the sheets and snuggled in to him like a cat, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him flush against her as she nestled her chin on his shoulder to watch whatever movie was available on the hotel tv/

Just before he drifted off, he repeated what he'd heard on the tv. "I don't have friends. I've got family," Jake mimicked, going so far as putting on a terrible Vin Diesel type voice that made Y/N laugh. She tried to keep the sound of her amusement to a minimum but couldn't help the shaking of her body.

The entire night was spent with Y/N stroking his hair as she watched a few of the Fast and Furious movies - she had no idea which ones and if she'd watched them in the right order - and soothed him whenever the sounds of the loud car chases started to wake him up. At some point, he even started repeating a few of the lines from the movie that he heard whenever he toed the line between awake and asleep. Parts of the script were subconsciously in his brain now, whether he knew it or not. He referenced it all the time. And he wouldn't find out that fact for a while.

Catherine had allowed him a few weeks off because the season was over and Jake spent as much of time glued to Y/N as possible. She'd begun to start doing her work on a Google Doc so she could use her phone instead of a clunky laptop just so her lap would be free for him to rest his head on.

"My new article is about that new Vin Diesel movie, you wanna come to the premiere with me, Jakey?"

"Yeah, love to."

"Thought you might," she said, leaning over to press a quick kiss to the end of his nose. "Apparently, Mr Diesel's head is supposed to be even shiner in person."

"Which one is Vin Diesel again?" he asked curiously.

There was a bunch of stuff that he said that left her bewildered - whenever he said something so wildly stupid, she was always left lovingly shocked that this doofus was somehow still alive and independent and functioning - but this was probably the most bewildered she'd ever been. Not only because Vin Diesel is a hugely popular actor that has been prevalent in pop culture for over two whole decades, but because he was in a franchise related to cars and racing, and Jake was all about that shit.

The Disney Cars franchise. Herbie. Speed Racer. Talladega Nights. Any Hot Wheels related stuff. That Dreamworks movie about the snail that's basically just Cars but with an anthropomorphic snail instead of a vehicle. Gran Turismo. Baby Driver. And the racing scene in the first Charlie's Angels movie (although she was sceptical if he liked that movie for the cars or how incredibly hot Drew Barrymore and Lucy Lu are). Each of these had a special place in Jake's heart.

"The Fast and Furious guy."

"Never seen it."

"Bald guy? Deep voice. He's always saying shit like 'Family...' and 'I live my life a quarter-mile at a time'."

Y/N blinked. Yet, it did make sense: if he saw those movies, he probably would talk about them every chance he got. No part of his face indicated that he had any idea what she was talking about.

"He's Groot in those Marvel films."

"Oh shit, I love Groot! Hell yeah! I didn't know that was a real guy!"

The most unflattering snort to ever snort came out of Y/N's nose as she laughed, trying desperately to stop herself before Jake thought she was laughing at him. She was. Although, she didn't mean it in a patronising 'haha, look at him, he's so stupid' kind of way, she adored Jake for being a himbo. Her eyes got all soft as she looked into his green eyes. He was smiling and watching her intently. "What's funny?" he asked shyly with a blush, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand.

"You. I love you."

His cheeks grew pinker, and Y/N swore she'd never seen anything so cute before. Yeah, he was ripped and classically handsome, but whenever he was all shy and bashful - something that rarely happened since confidence radiated out of him like a beacon - he looked positively angelic.

A small smirk crept its way across his lips. "So..." he began tentatively, his tone low yet suggestive, "You love me because I'm funny and I don't know this celebrity man?" That smile widened as Y/N rolled her eyes playfully.

"Yep."

"Good. Cause I love you too. Mostly for your boobs, though. They're nice to look at." He gave her an impish grin as he reached for the empty bowl on the coffee table. "And when you go get me another bowl of popcorn? My legs don't work anymore."

"Lazy boy," she teased, ruffling his hair as she did exactly as he asked.

When it was eventually time for Jake to get back to work, all of his coworkers were gathered for a meeting so Catherine could begin yapping on about what new sponsors she was trying to reach out to in front of what she assumed would be a captivated audience of her subordinates.

Kevin was rolling his eyes whenever her back was turned to him. Beth could see a reflection of herself in the back of Catherine's laptop and was trying to get one unruly curl back in its place. Chuck was busy eating a whole leg of BBQ chicken like he was King Henry VIII despite the fact it was 9.30 in the morning. Amir was trying to look as if he was paying attention but there was a bee buzzing around his head and he was allergic to their stings. Jessie and Jake were sitting down at the table and were poking and kicking each other at every chance they got. Nearing the end of Catherine's speech, Jessie managed to wobble the table enough to send Jake's water bottle flying off the table and directly at his dick.

"Oh my god," he groaned, clutching at his crotch and letting his forehead drop to the table. Everyone but Catherine had watched the collision and were all trying not to burst out in laughter.

"You okay, Jake?" Catherine asked. He regained his composure for a second before she added, "Did you want to say something?"

"Did I... Yeah, uh, yes I did," he said, surprising himself with the words coming out of his mouth. "I, uh, I wanted to say that... that it doesn’t matter whether we win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning and a top 5 was definitely a win. Let's do that again. Doing that again would be good."

They all looked at him with a sense of confusion for a minute. He'd strung together a fair competent inspirational sentiment. Weird. That had never happened before.

"We're family, you know? If we've got a problem, we deal with it together and... yeah, that's all a driver needs really."

Then, the penny dropped. "He's just saying lines from Fast and Furious!" Amir exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Jake like a drama queen.

"Oh, I didn't know that."

A groan went across the room because, in their minds, of course he would watch a movie like that. They would've bet so much money on the fact that he liked that franchise because duh. Fucking duh!

"You're telling me that you've never seen this very popular series of films that is literally car porn? I don't believe you," Kevin argued, raising an eyebrow sceptically at Jake who shrugged.

"I've never seen them!"

More and more arguments were raised between everyone. Jake had unexpectedly started a shit storm of his coworkers raising their many grievances with each other, and he hadn't really meant to. It was Jessie's favourite day ever - she's a messy bitch who lives for drama.

He got home that day and watched slumped down on the sofa, yelling out to Y/N who was somewhere in their apartment, "Babe, we're going to watch all the Fast and Furious' tonight."

Who would've guessed but he fucking loved em'.

#jake martin x reader #jake martin #the crew

[bippot]

Thanks for recommending my Bob fic!

FIC RECS: TOP GUN: MAVERICK

Look, there's a clear bias here for a certain ken-doll looking motherfucker. I love him, it can't be helped.

If I made a little comment about every single fic or series here, it would be inhumanely long, so I've refrained from doing so and have just put the summaries for each. This is split into two parts, TGM fics and everything else.

I hope that anyone who reads this list finds something that they love on it just as much as I do! If I missed you, I'm sorry, there was a lot to sort through!

SOME OF THESE ARE 18+, PLEASE HEED THE INDIVIDUAL WARNINGS!

JAKE SERESIN

5 times Hangman got older + 1 time he got wiser, too by @/folkloreslovechild (deactivated)

It’s about time Jake realised that what he feels for you is love.

Sidenote: this was the first fic I read in this fandom and probably the thing that kicked off the obsession.

Less Talk by @tongue-like-a-razor

Jake can't stand Bradley's best friend. What's more, he's probably in love with her, which really pisses him off.

Brother's Best Friend by @/tongue-like-a-razor

Brother's best friend!Jake and Bradshaw!reader.

Ex Appeal by @/tongue-like-a-razor

Jake Seresin gets a frightful visitor on Halloween.

bad habit by @seasonsbloom

the moment you meet hangman, you know you hate him. and then suddenly, you’re not so sure anymore.

Line of Sight by @top-hhun

You’re almost certain that Jake Seresin could care less about you, that is, until you’re in a tight spot and the one guy you assume will hang you out to dry, instead comes to your rescue.

How It's Done by @/top-hhun

“Like me? I didn’t even think you wanted me as a squadmate, let alone–” you stop speaking, but only because Hangman cuts his eyes sharply away from you to glare out at the ocean. “Well, I do.” He says kind of indignantly, all things considered, and eyes you almost sourly. “You can just say no if you don’t–” “–No, I do!” you quickly cut him off, because at the end of it all, you’re a little too much of a hopeless romantic to let this moment pass you by.

cruel summer by @roosterbruiser

In the midst of panic and in the wake of horror, friends turn on friends, lovers turn on lovers. And when the impossible just keeps happening--you emerge as a voice of reason. It's a cruel, cruel summer.

Fuck: The Universe by @/roosterbruiser

Who knew lemon-lime Gatorade and Plan B would be the start to your love story. Or enemies to fuck buddies to friends to lovers. Whichever you prefer!

Crash (Into Me) by @ladylibby

You and Hangman have always had a special spark. At first it was hatred, and then it was mutual respect, and then it was friendship, and now…well, you’re not so sure anymore. Especially when you both get called back to Top Gun for a mission that forces you both to reconcile what you really mean to one another. 

The Douchebag Jar by @jupitercomet

Jake Seresin is what his friends like to call “a douche bag”. His work friends were all dudebros, he spent more time in the gym than he did in his own kitchen, and the last time he’d been in a serious relationship was his junior year of college. And Jake had no problem being a douche bag, not even Bradley’s “Douche Bag Jar” could deter him from the lifestyle. In fact, he didn’t think there was a single person alive that would ever make him change. Enter an Elementary school teacher with an alarming amount of sock puppets and a never-ending supply of Starbursts. There is a very real possibility the “Douche Bag Jar” might put Jake into debt.

California King Bed by @halfway-happyyy

the one where jake seresin realizes his selfish tendencies could cost him everything.

North Star by @violentdelightsandviolentends

It's New Years Eve. Jake is tired of waiting.

Hey, Neighbor! by @sunlightmurdock

Jake’s been having a problem recently, and when the power goes out next door, everything quickly comes to a head.

Fake It by @waklman

a pair of best friends, one apartment, and one fake dating ploy to get jake’s ex girlfriend back, will end well right? wrong.

Flyboy by @kryptonitejelly

Jake gets called back to TOPGUN the same time you’ve been granted a sabbatical from work. He invites you, his purely platonic best friend of years, to live with him for 6 months and you accept. Just two best friends kicking it back for 6 months in San Diego, Fightertown USA, right?

And the truth of the matter is (I'll never let you go) by @fidogo

Jake Seresin hates you. Or is given no choice but to hate you after you decide to hate him first. Which sucks, because he dreams of dating you, marrying you, fucking you, the whole nine yards.

you left me no choice but to stay here forever (right where you left me) by @sunderlust

you and jake have been best friends for years and eventually he becomes the love of your life - which makes it that much harder to cope when he starts pulling away with no explanation.

I've Been Holdin' Out So Long by @steadfastconviction

You can’t stand Hangman, but your dreams lately say otherwise. He notices.

The Roommate Predicament by @witchwyfe

Jake your sweet roommate who always helps you when your friends bring you back after too many $1 beers from the bar down the street. Jake who knows just how you take your coffee—iced with soy milk and creamer—and makes it for you whenever you have early classes. Jake who’s planning on going into the Navy right after graduation so why bother with telling him your feelings when you don’t know where either of you will be a year from now.

Whatever This Is by @magnolia-among-the-stars

Penny Benjamin’s niece works at The Hard Deck, saving the money she earns to get out of the west coast and put herself through Graduate School. What happens when a pretty boy pilot ends up as her fake boyfriend?

How You Get the Girl by @/seresinsweetie

The story of how your best friend, Jake Seresin, finally admitted to having feelings for you, only to break your heart shortly after.

Everything by @madsnowstorm

jake loves weddings. you hate them. shared revelations might just change your opinion.

One More Night by @southpawbitch

a surprise wedding forces you and jake to pretend like everything is fine.

This Isn't What It Looks Like by @phoenixsbby

Hangman is totally, 100% over his ex … he just needs a fake girlfriend to prove it.

cross my heart by @almostgenerallyalways

On the eve of what may be the biggest mission in your naval career, the answer to your problem comes to you in the form of Lt. Jake Seresin.

Meet Me at the Sea by @sailor-aviator

a super unique mermaid au!

BRADLEY BRADSHAW

baby, i'm yours by @almightyellie

in which you and bradley are in the same major and you’re completely unaware of how much he adores you.

Like I Can by @sometimesanalice

After yet another bad date and tired of swiping on apps, the Dagger Squad steps in to help you out. Much to Rooster’s dismay.

Just Roommates by @risriswrites

a series of moments between bradley bradshaw and his roommate that prove they're a little more than "just roommates".

In Another Life by @/jupitercomet

You and Bradley have a talk about kids.

Little Cyclone by @seresinsweetie

This story gives you a glimpse of what it looks and feels like to spend a summer falling in love with Bradley Bradshaw, or in other words, a glimpse of all the kinds of trouble you’re able to get into with him – taking into consideration that your father is none other than Admiral Beau “Cyclone” Simpson.

Love to Lie by @ddejavvu

Your worst fear is recognized when Bradley’s jet goes down with him in it. You’re not sure why you’re still his emergency contact, you’d broken up two weeks ago, but when you rush into the hospital room, you discover that you have a chance to fix the mistake you’d been cursing yourself for. The only problem is, you have to lie to Bradley, and you discover that you love doing it if it means you get to be with him again.

warm blood by @notroosterbradshaw

a few drinks at everyone’s favourite bar. you’re home, it’s been a few very cold months at sea. but he warms you to your bones each time you see him. but it’s sadly just not meant to be. 

G.U.Y by @/notroosterbradshaw

But you’re not in love with him. It’s just the things he can do to your body, and the way he talks, or how he flits in and out of your life with no chance of any kind of commitment.

Bottoms Up by @wkndwlff

Nat only turns 33 once, but that doesn't mean your tolerance has changed. Luckily your best friend is there to take care of you after one too many shots…

BOB FLOYD

he's so pretty (when he goes down on me) by @/seasonsbloom

things between you and Bob are strictly business: he’s your backseater, and that’s all there is. Until he offers to help you let off some steam and you find out just how pretty he looks between your thighs…

Foggy by @sushiwriterhere

Perhaps most tantalizing of all were his glasses–their lenses were lightly fogged, but you could still almost see his wide eyes behind them.

Picture Perfect Porcelain by @coyotesamachado

Her arm curls around the door so it’s lined up along the edge of it, Bob thinks he sees a droplet of water track from her wrist back down to her elbow, but his glasses are back in his locker and he really wishes they weren’t right now. He swallows thickly, because it’s different when he knows she’s naked behind there as opposed to it being salt water after she had been thrown into the ocean by Coyote during dogfight football.

Robert From Next Door by @attapullman

You've lucked out with the perfect neighbor, a kind and overly helpful WSO. He puts up Christmas lights, lends his lawn mower, and grabs your morning paper. But what happens when he's out of peppermint tea one night?

Take On Me by @ficsilike-reblogged

What happens when the love of Bob’s life finally makes a move…the night before he deploys?

navy boy, country girl by @clints-lucky-arrow

Bob seeks out an old friend working upon his father’s ranch when home during his leave - one who he’s long held feelings for.

good 4 u by @bobgasm

in which bob’s been invited to his ex’s wedding and you volunteer to go as his date.

What Lovers Do by @wyn-n-tonic

awkward first time sex.

drummer!bob blurb by @/callsignbob (deactivated)

Robert Floyd, Man of the Sky by @bippot

When his old college pal inherits her grandmother's lake house, Bob is the first to nominate himself to help out. It gives him something to do and a chance to feel young, something that he only feels when he's in the sky.

girl in a coffee shop by @ohgodnotagainn

4 times bob recommended a drink + 1 time he recommended something else.

(bob x reader x jake)

Steer the Course by @chemicalalice

Bob never thought he would ever find himself sleeping with a friend's girlfriend. He can't figure out why Jake wants it.

JAVY MACHADO

bad liar by @inklore

hooking up with your brothers best friend is not a mistake you wish to repeat. watching each other get off seems like the only viable option to restrain yourselves.

Your Love is the Love I Need by @theharddeck

Cross and Javy are very good friends. Javy might’ve let it slip to his mother that they’re more. A little fake dating never hurt anyone, right?

post g-loc drabble by @/roosterbruiser

(javy x reader x jake)

it's not rotten work (not if it's you) by @/sushiwriterhere

Four times you, Jake, and Javy danced around the truth, and the one time you confronted it.

a little bit of fun by @/sushiwriterhere

a threesome drabble.

NATASHA TRACE

slumber party kissing by @laracrofted

after a bachelorette party, you and phoenix have a sleepover.

(natasha x reader x bob)

supernova by @/laracrofted

in a game of truth or dare, you reveal your dream threesome.

[bippot]

Hi! I love your writing. Do you have any ideas for an enemies to lovers w Spencer?

Ask and you shall recieve. Happy new year!!!

Summary: Spencer's mouth moves faster than his brain whenever he's around the Film Studies professor. She's smart. She's cool. And he's made a fool of himself in front of her.

So, to save him from heartbreak, he's decided he doesn't like her. It's a lie, and not a very good one.

Additional Tags: Enemies to Lovers, Idiots in Love, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Language of Flowers, Professor Spencer Reid, professor reader

Criminal Minds, Dr Spencer Reid Masterlist - here

Summary: Spencer's mouth moves faster than his brain whenever he's around the Film Studies professor. She's smart. She's cool. And he's made a fool of himself in front of her.

So, to save him from heartbreak, he's decided he doesn't like her. It's a lie, and not a very good one.

For all of his life, Spencer thought he was an easy person to get along with. He had friends who were happy to have him around despite the fact that he often lectured them about everything and anything. Diana had raised him to be polite and well behaved, so he never failed to answer anyones questions with an appropriate response without hesitation. He wasn't vulgar. Didn't swear. Never stolen anything in his entire life. He did not drink or smoke, and drugs were a touchy subject these days.

Then, he met Y/N. She was a fellow professor at Marbury University and was renowned across campus - if she wasn't teaching, she could be found either helping the drama club film videos or doing follow up tutorials and study sessions for whatever students needed it - and was loved for it.

And she was pretty. Like, really pretty. Whether it was her skill at lecturing or her face, Dr L/N held the unofficial record for the most audited class. Dr Reid was second place - and for once he didn't mind getting a silver medal - and it would take him a while to close the gap between their class sizes. He'd heard about her in the staff room. All good things. A real glowing report card. Everyone loved her and for good reason, apparently. Their paths were yet to cross.

That was until he realised her lecture was directly before his every Monday at 9 and decided to be early - a full two hours early - to check out if she was as good as everyone said she was. And there she was in all her glory, the Dr L/N he'd heard so much about sat back on her desk and waved everyone as they walked in, the occasional student getting a 'Like your new haircut, Bethany!', 'Ready for class, Joe?' or even 'Did you get the email I sent you about the Paramount internship you asked me about, Darla?'

Okay, she was kind too. Kind and pretty. Kind and pretty and obviously smart enough to get a doctorate. Admittedly, she did have a doctorate in Film Studies, and Spencer wasn't entirely sold on the idea that Film as a subject was something worth getting a doctorate in. He liked movies.

A particular favourite of his was 80's Soviet parallel cinema - well, he was a fan of most forms samizdat (rebellious ideals and ideologies presented through art in an attempt to be an act of defiance in the face of the Soviet Union) - because there was so much so much poignant commentary and emotional depth that it was impossible not to love.

But why would you devote your life to silly little movies rather than maths and science and the study of thought - like Psychology or Philosophy - that can literally help save lives? How was knowing about the French New Wave ever going to be useful in real life? In pub quizzes, yeah, but where else?

"Hello, hello, hello everybody!" She greeted cheerfully and stood up, waving her arms around for emphasis. "Welcome my lovelies to our first meeting of the semester."

The black skirt she was wearing was long and frilly and had a pattern that mostly consisted of crescent moons and, most important to Reid, swished whenever she took a step. For the first couple of minutes, he didn't hear a thing she was saying because the swishing was far too mesmerising. It wasn't like him to avoid learning and put all his focus on the aesthetics of a person rather than what they were teaching him. Yet, he was doing just that.

Y/N didn't look like a stereotypical lecturer. Her outfit was far from professional attire. The aforementioned skirt was paired with a graphic tee with Indianna Jones and the word 'DILF' across the chest - and even though he had no idea what DILF means, Spencer knew it was something risque by how one of her students covered their giggle with their hand as soon as they saw it - and worn out bright red cowboy boots. She had smudged eyeliner that looked messy enough that she may have slept in it. Her hair was fluffy and untamed, but in that way that is obviously styled to look like that.

Weirdly, even though he was conforming to the standard he'd seen among his fellow lecturers, right then in the room with her, he felt like he was the odd one out.

"I know when I was going through school, all my professors kept assigning movies that college kids don't really want to watch," she began, leaning against the podium casually, her hands resting on her hips like she owned the place and he was nothing but an honoured guest. "One of my professors - his name was Mr Lockley - he assigned my class the film 'The Cure for Insomnia'. Has anyone heard of it?"

Silence. Once Spencer realised that her students didn't know, he was raising his hand.

"Yes, Dr Reid?"

Oh, she noticed he'd snuck it. And she knew his name. Cool. They did work together so it wasn't that outlandish.

"The Cure for Insomnia is the longest film ever made. It's 5,220 minutes long - that's 87 hours, or 3 days and 15 hours - and has no plot. Instead, the filmmaker read his 4,080-page poem," Spencer answered, looking around the hall, waiting for someone to tell him to shut up. He was also aware that he probably sounded like a total nerd, but he couldn't help himself.

No one did tell him to shut up. That was the main thing he loved about lecturing, he got to ramble and was paid for it. His students got to learn extra details and it's not as if they were going to tell him to be quiet like his friends at the BAU did.

She smiled sweetly, confirmed, "That is correct, Dr Reid," then returned her focus to the class. It made sense. Why would she pay attention to him when she had a job to do? It made a little pang in his chest appear but he ignored it because that was beyond unprofessional.

What could he do? Stand on the desk and demand that they have a conversation that ends with her saying, 'Wow, Dr Reid, you're so smart. Would you like to get coffee some more so you can continue to impress me with the sheer amount of knowledge you have stored inside that adorable head of yours?'

Her explanation continued. "John Henry Timmis IV, whose name sounds fancy but this guy was an unsung rock god who created music that he called 'heavy glitter' or 'destructo-rock', and for his movie, apparently he got his poet buddy, Lee Groban, to recite his very long poem then spliced that together with porn clips and heavy metal," Y/N said, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she said the last sentence.

Instantly, a mumble went across the class, primarily because a teacher mentioned x-rated material, but she shushed them quickly by clapping her hands together. It was a casual movement, but one that got everyone looking at her once again.

"Can anyone hazard a guess what's weird about this movie, other than the run time?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a hand go up but she wasn't going to call on them, and so, Spencer was left with his palm facing towards the stage. Y/N amended her question, "Can any of my students take a guess? Dr Reid, I'd appreciate it if you'd give my class at least 2 minutes so they can Google the answer."

Once again, silence met her question until it was broken by a shy voice. A girl in the front row with curly blonde hair was looking at her expectantly. Y/N smiled encouragingly and nodded for her to speak up louder. "The film was lost?" The girl said hesitantly.

"Like always, Jennifer, you are correct!" Y/N exclaimed happily. Jennifer blushed, embarrassed by the attention and compliment but smiling nonetheless as Y/N moved on to another question. "The film was lost. The film was shown at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago Illinois, and it ran from January 31st to February 3rd. So when Mr Lockley set his essential viewing, he knew exactly who'd tried to do their homework based on their reaction when he asked what they thought of the film."

The lecture went on for another twenty minutes and for the entire time, Spencer was completely transfixed by Y/N. She spoke passionately and lit up as she explained things to her audience, and sometimes, when a particularly insightful answer came her way, Spencer was sure he could see the stars in her eyes. Her enthusiasm was infectious, it almost radiated off of her and filled up the classroom in an instant.

He couldn't help himself, Spencer found his eyes wandering over every part of her body, studying every inch of her before he'd had the chance to properly comprehend that he was being a creep. Appreciating beauty was one thing, leering at women he hadn't met before is another.

As her student piled out of the lecture hall, all chatting loudly as they walked out, Spencer waited. A group of girls surrounded Y/N and asked her a bunch of questions, and she answered them all like she was their cool older sister rather than someone who was paid to teach them things. Then they left too, and the pair were alone.

"Did you enjoy the class, Dr Reid?" she asked kindly, a smile tugging at her lips as she turned around slightly. She sat on top of the nearest desk and folded her legs under her, resting her elbow on her knee and her head on her fist.

"I've always thought of film studies as a throwaway field of study - if I were to study it, it would be more of a recreational degree than my other ones. But yes, you were very entertaining."

Shit. Her face fell. And he instantly regretted having said that. He hadn't meant to offend her. But he clearly did.

"You're a professor of...?"

"Psychology."

A second passed in which Y/N processed that. She blinked, looked at the floor and started fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.

"But I probably should've picked Mathematics, Chemistry or Engineering because that's what I have my PhD's in. I only have a Bachelors in psychology - along with my other Bachelors sociology and my most recent in philosophy - but I have a lot of field work in the general area of psychology (or more specifically, Criminology) so I didn't feel as if I was under qualified for the position," he rambled, knowing his words were coming out of his mouth incredibly fast, like he had just poured everything out at once, but he was unable to stop himself.

Spencer wanted to apologise for offending her but that was the one thing his mouth wouldn't let spill.

"Did you feel qualified for your position?" he inquired, intending it to be a genuine question but when he heard it out loud, oh no, it sounded far too much like he was questioning the legitimacy of her employment.

Her eyebrows raised for the briefest moment as she stared at him, searching for the reason behind his words and not finding one. Then, once she made her judgement, she stood up, brushed off her lap and gathered her bag. "I have to go," she said abruptly, "Good luck with your lecture: I can hear your class arriving. I hope you find it more worthwhile than mine."

With that, she left without sparing him another glance. The door closed with a thud and Spencer took a minute or two to stare blankly after her, the feeling of disappointment washing over him as he watched her leave. Well, he'd fucked that up.

They'd occasionally see each other in passing. If Spencer ever did sit in on her lectures (which he did quite a bit), he didn't engage. Any time he happened to see her at a staff event and she would be kind and laugh along with their peers, but would become quiet whenever he was pulled into the conversation. So, after a while, he stopped trying to interact with her. Why would he? She was judging him based on one interaction - yeah, he'd called her life's work worthless during it - but that was just a slip up. If she stopped being so childish and let him speak to her, they could be friends.

Months and months went on. What was hope turned into hate. Did Y/N really think her job was more important than his? He literally used his knowledge to catch serial killers! What did she do? Write lengthy books about the Marxist interpretation of the Shrek franchise. Or the feminist allegory of Jennifer's Body. Or whatever about some niche movie that nobody's heard from and probably never cared about. Could she save someone's life with that?

Once upon a time, he'd planned to apologise. Now? Fuck that. Would she apologise to him about being so dismissive to him? Probably not. It was better that way. He lived a hectic life and if they were ever friends - or something more than that - she'd be indirectly dragged into a part of that. Besides, he didn't need any more friends anyway. It wasn't worth it. She wasn't worth it.

Sure, it didn't help that he did the occasional thing here and there to annoy her.

If she was in her office with students (which conveniently to the right of his), he'd play his jazz records a smidge too loud.

Any time she'd offer to show one of the investors or a prospecting customer around the humanities buildings, he'd pop up and listen just in case she got a fact wrong so he could correct her right in front of her guests.

And there was this one time he'd heard her promote some of the safer movie pirating websites to her students. She'd said that there was no conceivable way that a student was going to be able to pay to watch all of the movies she'd put on the essential viewing because they were scattered across all of the streaming sites. Spencer agreed with that logic. He still wrote the Dean an email about it though. It is illegal.

When the new academic year commenced, their disagreement with one another turned into a feud. It was over something so simple and easy to sort out that it was as if they were acting like children. It was a squabble for the sake of it.Both of them had been called to the Head of Humanities office the day before classes officially started to have a meeting about their new schedules and it had not gone well, mostly because Spencer had requested her usual time slot.

"I booked Taliesin Hall for 9-11 on Mondays like I've done every year since I started working here," Y/N argued, leaning back in her chair and throwing out her arms.

Why had he done it? To be a dick? Well, yes and no. He wanted to be a dick to her, but it was also because he'd moved apartments and his new place was further away. He didn't want the original time they'd given him for Monday mornings because he wasn't a morning guy and he'd have to get up early to make it on time.

Because Spencer was more accomplished and more people knew his name, he brought a lot of attention to the university just by being employed there. Therefore, if he wanted the hall at 9 on a Monday, he'd have the hall at 9 on a Monday. It didn't matter that Y/N had worked there for longer, or was more proactive about engaging with the uni's residents, or that she had more students than he did.

"Dr Reid, are you willing to change time slots with Dr L/N?" Dean Mitchell asked with a sigh. If he had hair to pull out, he would've at this point.

"No I am not."

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to deal with your current time, Dr L/N."

Spencer crossed his arms and leant back in his chair to mimic Y/N teasingly, unable to hide the smug smile from his face. This was a little different from their usual spats. They rarely ever argued. It was primarily Reid going out of his way to make her life just that bit more difficult and Y/N rolling her eyes but, ultimately, it didn't change much about her day.

On that day he managed to get a reaction. She let out a groan - one that was defeated and tired and almost seemed desperate - and tapped her foot a few times. Her hand came up to wipe the corner of her eye briefly as a couple of stray tears escaped. And it made him feel like shit.

"Thank you very much, Dr Reid," she replied sarcastically. He watched as she stormed down the corridor, muttering something about visitation times, and left the office.

Yeah, he'd won. He should've felt victorious. He didn't. There was something far too raw in her voice for him to truly think this was part of the fun little game he was playing on her. He felt awful. And guilty. And stupid for making her cry. This was something beyond just a schedule change, he knew that. And if he pretended not to care, eventually he wouldn't care.

"What was that about?" Mitchell queried, taking a sip from his tea and watching him intently as he put the cup down.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Technically, that was a lie. Spencer could use his profiling skills on Y/N to deduce as much as he could about her, but looking at her in a deeper way would mean that he would really have to look at her. He'd have to see that face for an extended period of time and not fall into her trap of thinking that she was the most interesting woman he'd ever met. Because she wasn't. How could she be? Y/N was just another person in a line of hundreds.

Instead of saying all that, Spencer shrugged nonchalantly and exited the room, waving his goodbye to Dean Mitchell as he left.

That night, he stayed up thinking and tossing and turning about what he said. He thought a thousand thoughts that night, but he kept coming back to one thing: he made her cry. He'd actually done that. Like a fucking asshole. What was he even trying to prove? That he was better than her? That she was missing out on him being in her life? Because, if anything, he'd purposely trying to fuck with her for months now and probably was better off before she met him.

He'd find out the reason why it had gotten to her so badly a few weeks later. It was time for the monthly staff meeting and there was one chair - that was usually occupied - unoccupied. Both of them were creatures of habit and always sat in the same spot so it was obvious when the chair in front of Spencer remained empty. He'd often kick the back of her foot - like an actual child instead of a fully grown adult man - to annoy her until she sat cross legged on the chair to prevent him from continuing. But, Y/N wasn't there. He was staring into space and not the back of her head.

Gordon Patel, one of the performing arts lecturers that Spencer had observed talking to Y/N often, leant across and whispered to him, "Y/N's not coming."

"Do you know why?"

"Her mother's getting worse."

Honestly, he had no clue what was going on with Y/N's mother and urged, "Yeah?"

"She's been bad for a while now." Gordon paused. "If I remember correctly, Y/N said she's in and out of the ICU. Y/N used to check up on her after work but 'somebody' messed that up."

A sick mom? A pang of empathy hit him hard at that comment. He could relate to that. And he'd made her life harder when she was in a situation like that, well, he felt like shit about it now. He nodded silently and tried to focus on his own discussion, though his mind was elsewhere entirely. If he thought he felt like shit before, he sure as hell felt ten times worse now. The whole thing with Y/N really was eating him up inside and he had no idea how to deal with it or where to go. He couldn't even talk to her without sounding like a complete idiot.

So, he didn't talk to her. Yet, Spencer was always watching - maybe it was a habit of being a profiler, or maybe it was because why would he pay attention to anything else if Y/N was there? - and he'd noticed that she was getting more withdrawn by the day. Even her smile wasn't genuine anymore. Eye bags were her new accessory.

Somehow, her passion remained. It was evident in her actions, even if they were short lived. She was still determined to teach and she didn't take no for an answer, especially when it came to her class. With everything going on behind the scenes, she'd arranged for her class to go on field trips if there was anything filming in the general area of the uni and was often seen out in the quad with a camera in her hands, aiding whichever student was deciding to make a film that week.

However, Spencer did allow himself to be a little kind to her. Every Monday right after her lecture she'd find a single daffodil on the desk in her office and was accompanied the first time with a post it note on top that read:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Although Wordsworth was talking about finding pleasure in the natural world - specifically a field of daffodils - to Reid, the natural world was filled to the brim with germs. There was no pleasure to him in dirt and trees and the flowers themselves. Replacing Y/N with daffodils was very doable. Just like the flower's meaning, he wanted to start over with her, to have a rebirth of their relationship.

There was still a lot of anger inside of him, all pent up because he'd been trying not to fall back into his routine of being a dick and it was becoming more tempting every time she ignored him.

Surprisingly enough, the one, the only, Penelope Garcia was the reason they spoke again. For New Years Eve, Penelope had gathered her nearest and dearest in her apartment. Emily had gone back to England. JJ was with Will and her kids at Will's mother's place. Hotch and Jack were with his sister in law and father in law. Tara, Luke, Derek and his family, Kate and hers, Spencer and a couple of Penelope's buddies that he'd never met before were all squished in her apartment, which definitely wasn't suited for that many people.

Spencer was sitting on the couch with Sergio pawing at his leg when the door opened, his brows furrowing as Penelope ushered Y/N inside with an excited, "You came! I missed you so much! Come in, come, come." Penelope was crushing Y/N into a hug at the very first opportunity she had. The pair stood in the doorway for a couple of minutes, slowly swaying in their embrace, until Penelope finally broke away with a big grin.

"Look at this dress! Look at you! You're so pretty that I might die!" Penelope cheered, pulling the other girl by the hips to inspect the leopard print cami dress she was wearing. Penelope even fiddled with the fabric right at the leg slit and Y/N smoothed her hands away before the whole party was unwillingly flashed with hot pink underwear. If that had happened, Spencer wouldn't have been all that disappointed.

"Me? Look at you, my lovely! Most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Y/N cooed, twirling her friend around once so her dress would swish around a little, then Penelope did the same for Y/N.

On anyone else, that dress may have looked tacky. Spencer knew that. He didn't know much about fashion but he knew that. On Y/N? Well, he thought it was gorgeous. His eyes raked over the rest of her as she hung her leather jacket up (that Spencer knew definitely wasn't warm enough for this time of year) and was pulled toward the kitchen by Garcia. Those legs. Her thighs, her hips, those breasts, those curves, those...

Spencer blinked. Like a teenage boy, he was ogling and it didn't matter if Penelope caught him or not.

From his seat on the couch, Spencer watched the two of them interact with curiosity. They clearly knew each other well. But how? When? Where? His brain was running through all possible circumstances that could explain Penelope knowing Y/N. He didn't even realise he was glaring in their direction until two strong hands clasped down on his shoulders. He was at a party with a fair few people, one of them was going to notice at some point.

"Pretty boy, did Penelope give away the last cookie? Is that why you're brooding over here?" Derek asked, shaking him lightly as if trying to jostle him from his thoughts.

"No."

"What's wrong with your face then?"

"Nothing."

Sighing dramatically and sitting himself down next to Spencer, Derek rolled his eyes and began playing with Sergio's ears. "What's Penelope done now?"

"She hasn't done anything."

If Penelope wasn't the issue...

"Oh, I get it." Morgan nodded, looking smug as he took his eyes away from Sergio for a split second. "You haven't been introduced to Y/N yet, and instead of doing it yourself and saying hi to a lady you obviously find attractive, you're here, sulking with poor ol' Sergio."

Right on the money. Spencer groaned loudly. Of course. Why was he surprised? Morgan was good at reading his mind. He'd learned long ago that there was nothing he could do to stop his buddy from finding out anything he wanted. Spencer turned and gave him a death glare.

"I'll introduce you to Y/N."

"I already know Dr L/N."

"Dr L/N, huh? Let me take a guess, you lecture at the same college?"

Derek knew he was right. Spencer's reaction told him everything he needed to know, but he still couldn't resist teasing him further. Spencer groaned, turning red in embarrassment as he ran a hand through his hair, avoiding eye contact completely and hoping to god that the conversation didn't carry any farther. If it did, he had to come clean.

But Derek had already begun laughing. "Come on, Pretty Boy." Derek teased, bumping him lightly. "Get up and talk to her."

Reluctantly, Spencer groaned louder this time but obliged and got up off the sofa with a deep sigh. It was time. He made his way into the kitchen and watched Penelope as she poured two glasses of wine, just lurking in the doorway until they noticed him.

"I made you some cookies," Penelope offered, hopping up on the counter and grinning at Y/N. "They're chocolate chip."

"My favourite."

"I know. Why do you think I made them?" Penelope reached for the tupperware of cookies and shoved them in front of Y/N. "Eat!"

Y/N said a quick, "Thank you, Penny. Love you, Penny," as she took a bite. Her eyes widened immediately at the sweet taste of the cookie, mumbling, "Soooooo good," through a mouthful of crumbs.

Just as Penelope was about to reach out to take a cookie, Spencer accidentally pressed his elbow into the light switch and plunged the whole kitchen into darkness, letting out a loud, "Ow!" because he'd hit himself right on the funny bone. He flipped the light back on. "Sorry, Pen."

"Spence! I have to introdu-"

"We know each other, Penny," Y/N cut in, placing her arm on Penelope in the hopes to calm her excitement down. The techie had been telling Y/N all about the Spencer she worked with and they'd often joked that Penelope's Spencer was miles better than the Spencer from Y/N's job. Weirdly, his last name had never come up. And alas, they were the same Spencer.

"You two know -" The penny dropped. "Oh. Oh! My dreams of the two of you becoming fast friends has been squashed flat." Penelope shook her head disapprovingly, sipping her wine and eyeing Spencer in disdain. She slapped him on the arm. "That is for being so rude all the time!"

Two more slaps on his arm soon came when all he did was whine in protest. After he got his own slaps for acting like a child, Penelope turned back to look at Y/N, who was hiding a little smirk behind her hand. "Spencer Walter Reid, you are going to be polite and kind to my very sexy friend or I will reveal your browser history to everyone at this party. Capeesh?" Penelope warned, looking like an angry pomeranian as she glared at him, a finger pointing between his eyes.

Spencer raised his hands in surrender. "Okay! Okay! Okay!"

"Say hi to Y/N. Nicely."

After a minute of silent awkwardness, Spencer cleared his throat and addressed Y/N. "So, uh, yeah. Hi."

"Hi?" Y/N repeated back with confusion written all over her face. She tilted her head to really look at him and that was it. He was suddenly even more self conscious and shifted uncomfortably on the spot under her gaze.

His eyes darted to Penelope's, who was looking between the two with a mischievous glint shining in her eyes. She wasn't a profiler but she'd known him long enough to read him like a book. The look on his face said it all. He was just a little boy pulling on the girl he liked pigtails.

"How, uh, how do you know each other?" he stuttered out to the girls, who immediately turned to catch each other's eye.

"You know I took you to the Dr Who watchalong at Noble's?"

Oh no, she likes Dr Who, too, he thought. That was another thing they had in common.

"Y/N here is a regular, just like me. We've been to how many Ren Faire's together now?" Penelope gushed, throwing her arms around Y/N and that action was very quickly reciprocated.

"Five."

"I swear it was six."

"We didn't go together the first time, we just happened to be at the same mead vendor and you didn't let me leave without forcing me to buy you a drink," Y/N reminded with amusement dancing in her eyes as she brushed Penelope's fringe out of her face with gentle fingers.

They were so affectionate to one another it was adorable. It was clear they had the kind of female friendship that was on the borders of lesbianism at times but most often was platonic. There was this yearning - not just for Y/N to act affectionately towards him - for himself to be open enough to be touched and petted and have hair lovingly stroked away from his face without retreating. He liked physical touch but there always was this barrier in the way that stopped him from allowing himself that joy.

So, yeah, he was a little jealous of Penelope. Who isn't? She's super cool and likeable?

"I count that time!"

"It's six then," Y/N conceded immediately, chuckling at Penelope's exaggerated pout.

From the other room, one of the party goers called out for their gracious host and Penelope rushed off to help, leaving the two professors to stew in the awkwardness of being alone together. Y/N looked to Reid and saw him looking nervously at his feet. He was biting on his bottom lip.

"Would you like a cookie?" she offered kindly, gesturing to the tupperware in her hands and holding them out to him when he nodded.

"...Thanks."

It was quiet again. Y/N shyly smiled in response as she handed it over to him and watched as he picked one out carefully and popped it in his mouth before making his way across the kitchen to lean against the counter opposite. They were both hesitant. It was only natural; neither of them wanted to make a scene at this party. Y/N didn't know what to say to him and Spencer seemed to notice.

"I've never been to a Ren Faire, what's it like?"

All the tension in her shoulders relaxed at once. She hadn't expected him to initiate a conversation but she was grateful for the chance to talk to him about something else. Anything else. So, she told him about her time at Ren Faire's, peppering funny stories about Penelope whenever it was a natural moment to do so, and was surprised when he listened to her.

Like, really listened with follow up questions and comments every once in a while. It was nice, she thought, to finally stop squabbling with Spencer after months of doing it nonstop.

"Maybe you can come with us next year?" Y/N offered, taking a sip from the glass of wine. She gave him a soft smile in return and then looked down at her glass, feeling a little bashful. The corners of Spencer's lips twitched into a small smile. "I'm sure Penelope wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, okay," He agreed. "I would love to try it out. Thanks for inviting me."

"And I understand if you have a case and need to go off halfway through. I'm used to it with Pen." Her fingers tapped against the counter. "I didn't know you worked for the FBI. Do you go by Dr or SSA?"

"Dr. I've worked in the BAU for so long now, but when I first started my mentor, Gideon, he made sure that everyone knew I was capable even if I was young and inexperienced." Spencer rubbed at his neck awkwardly, avoiding Y/N’s inquisitive stare. "He was a good man."

Was. She heard that loud and clear. It was a night of celebration, why would she delve deeper into the death of his mentor. One, she barely knew him. Two, it was a time to be happy. Three, they'd crawled their way from the awkwardness, she didn't want to accidently plunge them back in.

But, Spencer didn't think of that.

"How's your mother? Is she still sick?"

Y/N blinked, taken aback by the change of topic. In all honesty, she didn't think he knew her mother had been ill. Why would he know that? Why would he care? For some reason, it became difficult for her to speak, to breathe. A lump began to form in the back of her throat which forced her voice to crack in surprise. She cleared her throat and took another swig of wine in an attempt to steady herself.

“Oh, I don't want to talk about that right now.”

"Not good, huh?"

Why didn't he let the topic slip? Shit! Shit, shit, shit! She looked down, avoiding Spencer's curious gaze as she fiddled with her fingers and tried to figure out what to say. She'd never been comfortable talking about it with anyone and especially not Dr Reid.

Some innate need to comfort her came over Spencer. He was never good at this sort of thing but he'd try. He'd try so hard because he'd been such a super dick and maybe - just maybe - being a super nice and comforting guy would help ease his conscience. If not, well, that was fine too. Because at least she would get some peace of mind and the weight of everything that happened would lessen a little bit. He was determined to make amends and he needed to start somewhere, so why not start now?

His hand was reaching for hers before he could second guess his decision but he didn't pull back. Instead, he laced their fingers together, letting his thumb rub over the back of her hand gently, a gentle soothing action that felt nice. The warmth radiating from his skin and the strength of his grip on her hand made her feel safe, secure and protected in its grasp. The gesture brought her back to reality.

The sound of the party was still roaring on the other side of the wall, the noise reverberating throughout the apartment but that was just white noise for the moment. Right now she could concentrate solely on Reid.

Her eyes flicked down to their intertwined hands then up to meet his. They were warm. Comforting. A soft sigh escaped her lips. His thumb caressed the back of her hand ever so gently and his gaze was intense as they held onto each other. His eyes were filled with a certain sadness that Y/N couldn't decipher but she did know that whatever it was, it could be found in hers too.

"My mom is sick too - schizophrenia and Alzheimer's is not a great combination - our situations probably aren't entirely the same, I don't think, but I do understand and relate to it more than most." He swallowed thickly, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. His free hand gripped tightly around the edge of the countertop so it could keep him grounded. "I'm sorry you're going through this, I know the burden it is."

In a flash, her arms were around him, pulling him close to her. Spencer froze but soon melted into the embrace, wrapping his arms around her very, very slowly. He finally hugged her, his cheek resting atop her hair as he squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his throat constrict at the overwhelming amount of emotions threatening to spill over.

Holy shit. She was hugging him. Actually hugging him. Physical contact! And even better, physical contact that didn't spook him into pushing her away. Even though they both knew that this wasn't how they normally acted towards one another, it was okay. They were allowed to hug even if they weren't exactly friends.

Their bodies stayed pressed against one another not saying anything for a while and, in that peace, Spencer's hand ran along the length of her arm, softly stroking upwards, until he got to her shoulder, then drifted down to her wrist, then up again, then down again, repeating the motion over and over.

"I'm sorry, I know you don't like people touching you," Y/N whispered, pulling away just slightly so she could look up at him properly. There was a hint of regret in her tone and that broke his heart. He quickly shook his head to dispel those thoughts.

"No, no. You're good," he reassured her and wound his arms around her waist again, bringing her closer to him. He hesitated briefly, not wanting to push her boundaries. "You don't have to apologise-"

"I do."

"No, if anyone should be apologising, it's me for being...this." He released one arm from around her torso to gesture to himself. "For being an ass, I mean," he amended. Y/N sighed, leaning her forehead against his shoulder, and closed her eyes. She couldn't help but chuckle at his attempt at an apology.

Yeah, he had been an ass.

Awkwardly, they disentangled from each other, not really knowing where to stand next since none of them had known quite how to behave around each other before now. Spencer stood up straight, clearing his throat in a hurry to seem normal, and Y/N mirrored his actions.

"Listen, uh...about the way I've treat-" He started, not looking Y/N in the eye because if he did, there was no way he would be able to stop his cheeks from heating up.

Confessing now would be a good thing. It would explain why he was a dick - although, did it really? - and help her piece together his motive. And, he just really wanted it off his chest. Maybe if he let the words out into the world, they might manifest into something good.

"So someone finally introduced you to the famous Dr L/N!" Derek cheered, interrupting Spencer and effectively distracting the both of them from the conversation they were supposed to be having. Reid's head dropped in anguish.

"Chocolate Thunder, how lovely to see you again," Y/N replied in an equally cheery tone and turned around to face him, being enveloped in a bear hug as soon as Morgan reached her. He patted her back lightly, grinning brightly. "Is Hank here?"

"I swear you like my child more than me? That hurts, woman!" Derek chuckled, letting her go from his hold. "Yes, my baby boy is here but you'll have to pry him from Penelope's arms to say hello."

It made sense that Y/N would know Morgan if she hung out with Garcia a lot. Before Savannah, Derek and his babygirl were attached at the hip whenever they didn't have a case or were in the process of finding a significant other since it's hard to explain to potential romantic partners that you have a platonic twin flame that you spend 24/7 with in and out of work without them getting the wrong idea. If Y/N had been friends with her during that time - which she was judging by the fact that Garcia limited herself to only one renaissance faire per year because that makes it extra special when you do finally go - she'd definitely know Morgan.

From where he stood, Spencer shifted his weight from foot to foot, his eyes trained on his feet, his hands in his pockets, and his expression unreadable. Morgan noticed and furrowed his brows curiously. He nudged Y/N's arm, mumbling, "Why don't you attempt to convince Pen to take a break? I bet Hank can do with a breather from all the bright colours," and Y/N did as he said.

She did do something she'd never done before, however. On her way out of the kitchen, she craned her head over her shoulder to shoot Spencer a smile and uttered a quiet, "See you later, Dr Reid."

With that, she left the two men alone. Spencer watched her retreating form with mixed feelings; on the one hand, her smile warmed him inside out. On the other hand, his confession still only existed in his brain, the words ringing loudly in his head as he tried to ignore the ache that settled deep within his core.

"Oooooooh, Dr Reid, huh? There's got to be some sort of catnip in your bumbling genius deal because that woman was throwing herself into your arms. I saw it through the door." Derek teased. "And I'm glad she did but please, for Pete's sake, get a grip already! I've seen you pine over girls before and I've only witnessed this for less than 10 minutes but this is ridiculous!"

Spencer winced in embarrassment, cursing Morgan silently to Hell and wishing that the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

"I was going to then you interrupted me!"

"Oh sorry, player. My bad."

"...Morgan."

Morgan cackled at Spencer's scowl before getting back on track to ease his little brother, who seemed to be struggling even worse than before. "Hey bud, come with me, Tara has been arguing with me for the past hour and I need my encyclopaedia to kick her ass," he suggested with a grin, ruffling his hair in the process.

Time ticked on, and after what felt like forever - but was in reality just an hour or so - the countdown to the new year was about to begin. As everyone gathered around the tv, Derek and Penelope winked at each other.

5...

Garcia took Hank from Y/N's arms so they'd be free, ignoring her friend's confused complaint. Morgan guided Spencer by the shoulder until he was in pushing distance of Y/N, and then he proceeded to push the lanky man in her direction.

4...

Derek wrapped his arm around Savannah's waist directly afterwards, as if he hadn't just set things in motion.

3...

Y/N caught Spencer's forearms to steady him, and her fingers curled around the sleeves of his shirt, holding on tight so he didn't trip over his own feet and hurt himself on the way.

2...

Before it had reached the inevitable conclusion of the year, Spencer was ducking his head and capturing Y/N's lips between his. For the first few brief moments, she paused, startled at the sudden action, but soon returned the kiss nonetheless. Her hand slid under the collar of his, cupping the side of his neck as he tilted his head forward to deepen the kiss.

1...

It continued through to the new year. Although when the countdown did get to 0, there were other couples having a smooch. Garcia even gave Hank a big sloppy kiss on his cheek, causing his giggle fit to make everything even more hilarious. Morgan laughed out loud while watching their friends making fools of themselves - he'd given his wife a sweet smooch and pulled away to find that the two were still lip locking.

"Jesus, pretty boy, there are children around!" Derek joked, clapping his hands loudly.

The couple broke apart, blushed bright red in embarrassment and attempted to brush themselves off as inconspicuous as possible. Spencer cleared his throat, averting his gaze towards the floor for several seconds. When he raised it again, he realised that his friends were all giving him teasing thumbs ups and whoop-inducing cheers.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this," Spencer sighed, but his being was suddenly overcome with chuckles. Happy chuckles. 'Thank fuck I finally did that' chuckles. Because, thank fuck, he finally did it.

They were teased and good naturedly taunted as everyone began to leave, one by one. It was way beyond Hank's bedtime so Morgan and Savannah were the first to part, both being insufferably enthusiastic and encouraging towards Spencers. Kate and Co were next. Penelope's other friends all seemed to leave in one big herd.

Tara quietly slipped out the door so she didn't have to fifth wheel since Luke was lingering around, looking as if he was going to be staying the night.

"I better go," Y/N stated, reluctantly pulling away from Spencer's side since he'd been trapping her against him since midnight. It was a consensual trapping, and Y/N was allowed breaks to get another drink or use the bathroom, but it was clear that he wanted her attached to his hip whenever he could.

His coworkers were astonished. Jaw dropping stuff. JJ would be so pissed she missed it for more than one reason.

"I could walk you to your car?"

"Y/N got the train, didn't you, sexy?" Penelope informed him with a smug grin. "She doesn't like driving."

Another thing they had in common.

"I got the metro too, would you want to walk there together?"

"If you're happy with leaving now, yeah... yeah, I'd like that, Spencer."

She'd never called him by his name before. It felt weird and wonderful, and so right. His name was like the sweetest, most wonderful sound in the world when it came from her lips.

"Okay, yeah."

He was beaming, and as soon as his eyes met hers, his dimples making an appearance. Penelope gripped Luke's hand far too tightly to restrain herself from letting out a ear piercing squeal of joy, and she looked like she was on the verge of bursting into happy tears at any moment.

While Y/N was in the process of gathering her belongings and bidding Penelope goodbye, he didn't move. He was frozen in place, watching her with a huge grin, as if he was afraid that I'd he broke his gaze or something, he would wake up alone in a lumpy bed and have to get to work on another gruesome murder case as soon as his feet touched the gross hotel carpet.

Luke slapped Spencer on the shoulder, physically saying 'time to go, loverboy', and pushed him towards the open door. Spencer stumbled a little and looked like he was going to say something, but he just shook his head and waited for Penelope to stop whispering in Y/N's ear before they made their escape.

It was so quiet.

Without all the music and chattering of party guests, it was so quiet. The air was cool and refreshing, and the world was practically asleep or too drunk to bother walking home. They walked side by side, at a leisurely pace, and it was nice. There was a smidge of tension - obviously, you don't make out with your coworker in front of a bunch of people without there being some unsaid things still lingering in the air - but it wasn't unbearable. If anything, it felt... comforting, almost.

They'd got to their train with mere seconds left to spare. The automatic doors closed behind them, and they were seated in the carriage as soon as they spotted free seats. There were more people on the train than in the streets, though the pair would've been huddled together even if the carriage had been free. Mostly because it was really fucking cold out.

"Are you cold?" Spencer asked Y/N as she pulled her coat tighter around herself. "Do you want my jacket?"

"No, no, it's fine. I'm fine."

Spencer didn't listen - he could literally see her shivering in her boots - and was tugging his coat off his shoulders for her.

"Spencer-"

"I'm trying not to argue with you anymore but I will. Please? If you're cold, I can help you with that."

And this time, she didn't protest as he slid his coat over her shoulders. "Thanks," she said softly, and he felt a little giddy. Even though his jacket didn't really go with her outfit, it was the best thing he'd ever seen. Y/N was wearing his clothes. His! He didn't even know how that was possible, but it was before his eyes so it had to be. He didn't know why it made him feel so damn good, but it did.

"Any time."

He couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear.

Coincidentally, they had to get off at the same train stop and, without verbalising it to her, Spencer had decided to walk her home. He was a hardened FBI agent (that was allowed to skip the physical tests because his brain was too valuable to rule out, but hey) and could walk home without being scared by all the shadow monsters that come out in the dark of the night. Plus, his apartment was in the same general direction.

During their walk, one completely normal streetlamp - completely the same as the rest of the others on the street - happened to be shining its light directly on a store that Spencer was very familiar with. Y/N, however, was more familiar with the item on show in the middle of the shop window.

"...Daffodils."

Daffodils can be found in almost any florist across the world. But it was the fact that the florist was named 'Wordsworth's', that twigged Y/N's attention. That paired with the poem meant that it wasn't so outlandish to assume that whoever left her weekly flowers probably got them from this shop. Out of the two of them, Spencer was the profiler but he could tell he was made.

The case of the appearing daffodils had been solved.

"How much money have you wasted on me?" she asked, eyes still fixed on the price sign right next to the bouquet in the window.

Spencer continued to grin at Y/N as she ogled at the flowers in the window, standing under the spotlight. It was nice to see her still be so enamoured with something he frequently bought for her. "It wasn't a waste," he announced, and he meant it. "You're worth it."

"I am?" she asked, sounding surprised. "I guess I kind of assumed you hated me before tonight."

A huff was released from his nose and averted his gaze to his shoes for a brief moment before he looked back up at her. She tilted her head a little, curious as to why he seemed so put out. "I'm really bad at dealing with my emotions," he clarified.

"Okay," she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "You don't have to buy me flowers."

"I want to. I'll buy you whatever you want," he said without thinking.

Y/N laughed, the sound so light and carefree and getting closer to him until she was right before him, and for a moment, he didn't feel the chill in the air. Y/N seemed to think about it for a second, her expression flickering between amusement and nervousness, before she grabbed his face and kissed him.

It started out slow, lips barely touching lips, but it soon picked up pace until the kiss became frantic and Spencer lost his footing on a patch of icy pavement, causing them both to plummet to the floor. They hit the ground with an 'oof' and tumbled into a heap on the curb, Y/N falling on top of Spencer's chest.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, all of a sudden, they burst out laughing. Spencer leant on his elbows, grinning up at Y/N and feeling his heart rate increase at the sensation of her pressed up against him.

"Are you okay?"

"Shhhh... Just kiss me again."

So he did.

Eventually, they got up, cleaned their hands with the pocket squeezy sanitiser Spencer kept on him at all times and continued their walk home.

"Did you know that putting a bouquet in the fridge prolongs the lifespan of flowers?" Spencer began, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Really? That's not true."

"The daffodils I have in my refrigerator say otherwise."

"You don't have daffodils in your fridge."

"I do too."

Despite how earnest he sounded, she still didn't believe him. Was it really believable that he filled up his fridge for weeks with a bouquet of daffodils for her? Because he liked her so much? What did he do with his food? Did the flowers contaminate it? Or did he store them in containers? Why would he do that for her when he treated her like he had before tonight?

"I could prove it to you, if you want?"

Oh. He subtly just asked her to his place without thinking - which was good, overall - but his apartment was in no shape to host guests in. There were books everywhere. Laundry strewn on the couch. One or two half drunk coffee cups left out on the kitchen counter. It was a mess. A clean mess, but still.

"You want me to come over to check out your fridge?" she asked him.

He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, we could have a coffee and I have a tub of mango sorbet that we could share." He shrugged, pretending to be all calm and casual. "But only if you want to - no pressure - seriously, none. We can forget I ever asked if -"

"Show me your fridge, Dr Reid."

Being a homebody meant that Spencer was always excited to go home. He'd never been this excited before. They hoofed it to get out of the cold, and once they were indoors, they stood in front of an opened fridge to peer inside at the batch of flowers that took up an entire shelf. He didn’t have much else going on in there - why would he keep a lot of fresh produce when he is away for extended periods that they'd become rotten during? - but the daffodils was enough entertainment.

That night, the pair ate sorbet and talked. Really talked. Spencer apologised over and over for his behaviour, and though one night wouldn't erase multiple semester's worth of annoyance, it was a start.

And when the new term commenced, Y/N was expecting to see a single daffodil on her desk as she had the previous.

She didn’t. Not a single flower was in sight.

So, in her momentary disappointment, she reached into her drawer and pulled out her scrapbook to flick through all the flower pressings and post it note poems she'd glued in a fancy looking layout.

"I didn't know you kept them all."

Spencer's voice caused Y/N's head to shoot up from the page and found him in her office doorway with a whole bouquet of daffodils in his hand. Her eyes lit up and she beelined for him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"My train was late, petal."

"Excuses, excuses, Dr Reid."

"Oh, it's Dr Reid today?" he teased, leaning close enough to nudge his nose into hers. "Do you think sweet cheeks is too unprofessional, Dr L/N?"

"Maybe it is, sweet cheeks."

The flowers were gently placed on the nearest surface so Spencer could use both hands to cradle her cheeks and pull her in for a kiss. He smiled against her lips and the corners of his eyes crinkled in happiness. Because he'd done it. He'd actually done it. He'd gained her affection.

And now he had it, he was never going to let it wilt. It may have to go in the fridge for a moment or two, but it would always be brought back into the sunlight.

#spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #criminal minds

[bippot]

Summary: How many times does Vigilante need to get injured before Harcourt finally gives in and hires a medic to help out with the squad's injuries? Far too many times, that's how many.

When it's uncovered that a fancy hotel is linked to, not only what's left of the legion of butterflies, but also a string of weird deaths and missing persons reports, the only two for the job are lovesick Adrian and the newbie.

Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Gun Violence, Blood and Injury, Undercover as a Couple, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Summer Vacation, Butterflies, Alien Invasion, Stitches, Weird Biology, Creep in a Bathroom, Aphrodisiacs, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Drugging, Peeping, general weirdness, Human Experimentation

Peacemaker, Adrian Chase Masterlist - here

Previous chapter: The Bee’s Knees

Almost as if she was about to pet a wild animal, Y/N moved so slowly as she cupped the back of Adrian's neck, droplets from his wet hair falling onto her fingers and sliding down her wrist as she did so. His lips parted slightly in wonder, but then quickly he blinked them shut again and swallowed a big nervous gulp of air as he tried to regain control over himself. He was drooling and couldn’t seem to stop himself.

“Champ, you need to tell me if at any point you want to stop or things are too much, okay? If you do, we'll stop. If you want to take over, you can take over, I just...” she trailed off, trying to find words that would reassure him. It was a weird situation that she was still coming to terms with. "Promise me you will tell me, please."

He looked up at her through thick eyelashes, and even though the expression on his face didn't change, it felt like there was a whole other world behind those lids now. She could almost hear him thinking, 'thank god!' and that thought caused some of her anxiety to melt away just a little. He did give her a small nod of his head but it wasn't enough.

"Out loud, baby," Y/N urged gently, leaning forward to press her lips against his forehead. “Need you to say it for me.”

"Please! I consent to whatever you want to do to me... just help me!" Adrian choked out in one trembling breath, and then his hand came up to grip at Y/N's shirt, holding himself steady. Y/N could see how badly his hands were shaking, and she wanted nothing more than to wrap herself around him and never let go.

If Harcourt ever found out, she'd be in trouble. Yet, how could she just sit there and watch him double over in erotic pain?

No, she had to act. A tiny part of her brain whispered that this might not be the greatest idea in the long run, but once she finally used her grip on his neck to tug his lips towards hers, all thoughts of rationality disappeared.

Obviously, they'd kissed before. So many times before. An uncountable amount. This one was different. It felt deeper and dirtier, filled with promises of more - a lot more - to come.

Adrian couldn't go any longer without Y/N surrounding his every sense and yanked her by the hips onto his lap, pressing her entire body into his as if she was the only thing anchoring him to reality right now. She responded automatically, letting her thighs straddle his and wrapping her arms around his shoulders to make sure they were flush together with virtually no space between them, practically sandwiching each other as they kissed like their lives depended on it.

For a moment they seemed to fuse together seamlessly, the tension dissipating between them as they allowed themselves to forget everything but each other's mouths moving over and under and around each other in an endless, mindless rhythm. Until, eventually, they broke apart and Y/N pressed her lips to his cheek over and over again as her fingertips began moving down his chest, and down even further till they reached the top of the towel wrapped around his waist.

"Shall I take this off?"

"Fuckin' take it off," he growled, his own voice sounding gruff as he ran his hands over her back, pushing her shirt upwards. "Off me, off you. Just take everything off."

So, she did. She removed the top half of her clothes as quickly as she could with Adrian holding her waist tightly in his arms, his nose finding itself between her boobs as soon as they were revealed to him. His hands slid underneath the back of the waistband of her trousers, his palms sliding to grip her ass firmly as he pulled her closer, his thumb drawing patterns into her bare skin.

"Let me just -" Her hand slid between their bodies to tug the towel out of the way. "Oh baby, that looks so painful," she mumbled, wincing once she got a look at how uncomfortably aroused he was.

"Hurts so bad," he whimpered, biting his lip hard enough that Y/N was worried he was going to break the skin. She gently pulled at his bottom lip with her thumb to unhook it from his teeth.

Carefully moving off his lap to wiggle down her trousers, Y/N intended to get to her knees when she was undressed but was stopped. Adrian gripped onto her hips as though she was a delicate glass statue that he would accidentally break if he let go of it for even a millisecond and just stared at her with unblinking green eyes.

"Just taking a mental picture in case this never happens again."

It was a quiet, hesitant statement. It was as if he feared she might reject him or laugh in his face at what a dork he was being right now. But all Y/N did was laugh and roll her eyes fondly before she leaned forwards to kiss him again because how could she not? He was really fucking adorable.

Somehow, he got even more desperate this time - his hand ran up and down her sides as his mouth attacked hers roughly like she was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted. He felt so lightheaded when her hand began travelling up his knee, up his thigh, the tippy tops of her fingers slid along his shaft until she took him into her palm and gave his cock a gentle squeeze.

"Oh my gawd!" he moaned, throwing his head back, which bared his throat and gave her the perfect opportunity to suckle at the spot where his neck joined his shoulder.

The noises Adrian made were definitely hotter now they were up close and personal. They were primal and desperate, and they drove Y/N insane with lust as he writhed under her, his hips bucking wildly in an attempt to chase his release.

Kneeling between his legs, she pulled back and swiped away the string of saliva connecting them. He watched her with the biggest lovesick eyes she'd ever seen in her life, his pupils blown wide and dilated until they were mostly black. He looked like he was about to explode, his breathing uneven and rapid, the sweat trickling down his temples as he tried not to cry out.

"Please, Y/N, oh God, please. Please..." he begged, the words falling from his lips in broken spurts that made her heart ache. "I need to cum, I need... I need... Fuck!"

He clenched his jaw tight in frustration.

"I can't -" He groaned, his head dropping onto her shoulder with a heavy thud. A tear spilled down his cheek and Y/N caught sight of it in her peripheral vision.

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked anxiously. "Should I stop?"

"Don't stop, just... More...need more."

"Okay baby, I'll give you more."

Y/N stretched to kiss his sweaty hip once more before her tongue licked up the length of his shaft, circling and licking around the tip when she reached it. Adrian tensed when she took him into her mouth and started to bob her head in a steadily slow rhythm, he moaned and his body began to shake as the pleasure he'd been trying to release built up inside him.

"Mmm...can you take a bit.. a bit more...? Fuck!" he panted, clutching tightly at her shoulder when she did as he asked. "God, fuck, that's it. You’re so nice to let me fuck your throat like this -"

His sentence was interrupted since Y/N took him all the way into her throat and he couldn’t hold back another high-pitched whine. It was like his restraint snapped and was released all at once, and he fell backwards onto the couch in a boneless heap, gasping for air, his head falling heavily back onto the cushion, his legs spasming slightly as he lost control. He couldn’t contain the loud moan that left his lips nor the way he unloaded everything he'd pent up into her mouth.

Once she'd swallowed her mouthful, her palms were soothing his shaking thighs, rubbing circles to help calm him down.

"Feel better?"

"Better. Still not great but definitely better."

Hazarding a look at his junk, she could see that the situation was still in an upright position. At least he was significantly less bulbously red now. And he wasn't unconsciously drooling anymore, either.

That's good.

"Let's move to the bed, champ. Get you all comfy," Y/N muttered. Adrian nodded wordlessly as she helped him to his feet, held his hand as she guided to the bed and pushed his shoulders down so he'd sit. Like he did in every aspect of his life when it came to Y/N, he followed her as if she'd put a leash on him and he did it with the biggest, most lovesick eyes anyone had ever witnessed.

"I'm sorry I was so stupid about the chocolate. Wish this could've been, I dunno, more romantic." He shrugged and looked away all bashful. "I would've preferred if you actually wanted to have sex with me."

"I want to have sex with you," she reassured, reaching out for his cheek and caressing it lightly with her thumb. “Champ, I think about having sex with you so much that sometimes I think my brain might implode.”

Adrian snorted - an awkward disbelieving snort that softened her entire face - and he found himself pulling Y/N closer to press their foreheads together affectionately. The heat radiating from his body was almost scorching against hers, his skin warm and rough against her soft skin, and the scent of him intoxicating her, making her stomach flip and churn.

"Me too,” he admitted, “like, way too often.”

"I know you do. I can tell when all those dirty thoughts about me appear right here in this pretty head of yours.” Her smile widened mischievously and her forefinger tapped his temple for a moment, before resting against his lips. "You get this stupid grin, then you start to shift in your seat a bit, and whenever you do, your eyes widen and you just stare at me as if I'm the only woman in the room."

"Does it weird you out? I'll stop thinking about you all the time if you wan-"

"It doesn't weird me out, baby. It makes me feel... special. Makes me feel desired."

"I lied before. I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about you all the time."

She melted. There was no denying that.

An "Aww" almost slipped past her lips but she managed to catch it in time so she didn't end up embarrassing him at a vulnerable moment. Yet, he seemed to get the message when her eyes became as big as saucers and her breath hitched in shock, a flushed a bright pink shade adorning her cheeks.

"Oh."

"Yeah..." he chuckled nervously.

What if this confession just fucked everything up? What if this was a mistake and he'd regret saying anything because it had suddenly become so real? They were a great fake couple, but what if they were an awful real life match? Did he truly deserve her after all he'd done? Was he even worthy of being her real partner?

As soon as Adrian finished voicing all these thoughts to himself in his head, he could hear Y/N's giggle bubble up from inside of her chest and before she even had the chance to say a single word, he was being pulled into a deep kiss that filled the both of them with nothing but pure bliss. Adrian's arms wrapped securely around her waist and her hands gripped tight onto his shoulder as he tugged at her bottom lip with his teeth, coaxing her mouth open. She opened it willingly, her tongue brushing against his and tangling themselves together in a messy mess that made his head spin and his body tingle.

"Do you know if the weird sex hamper had condoms in it?"

"If I knew it was a weird sex hamper, we wouldn't be in this situation."

Fair point. Y/N attempted to go and check the gift basket but as soon as she'd taken a step away, he was whining, "Come back... please?" and reaching for her wrist to pull her back towards him. Her laugh vibrated through her whole frame.

"I'll be two seconds, ya big baby."

"Too long."

By the time she'd said, "Suck it up," she'd already found out that, no, the gift basket didn't contain condoms. It was filled to the brim with sex toys, though. The layer of chocolate on top had done an excellent job at hiding what was below.

There was three different kinds of flavoured lube, a dildo, a vibrator, two buttplugs, a lingerie set that was disturbingly in Y/N's exact size, rope, a flogger with the name and logo of the hotel on the handle and a little square packet that looked like a condom. It wasn't.

Y/N ripped open the foil to find that she'd just opened a hand wipe. Sanitary. Just not protection. Well, they'd have to risk it.

"You are one lucky son of a bitch."

"Am I?"

"No condoms."

"No?"

"Yep."

"...That's a shame." He let out another awkward chuckle to try and not show how much he was freaking out over the thought of having sex with her and being able to feel every single part of her without any barrier whatsoever. His eyes glazed over at the mere idea of it and it felt wrong and weird and so unbelievably good all at the same time. "I'll pull out."

Would he remember, though? She knew he'd be sensitive and there was no chance he would think to pull out once his head was overwhelmed with pleasure.

"Yeah, sure you will,” she teased.

So he corrected himself.

"I'll try to pull out."

"Baby, don't even worry about it. If anything happens, I'll sort it out when we get home. Just focus on enjoying yourself right now,” she murmured, pushing some hair from his forehead lovingly. "Go ahead and lay back, alright?"

Like always, he did as she said and was rewarded by Y/N crawling onto his lap, his erection nudging against her thigh as she pressed her lips against his. During this smooch, one of Y/N's hands travelled to her crotch and just as the tip of her finger was about to play with her clit, Adrian placed his hand on hers.

"Can I? I mean, I want to, obviously, is it okay if I take over?" he asked with his lips smushed against hers. He got his answer when she pushed his hand to the right spot on her mound and Y/N let out a soft gasp at the feeling. He smiled against her lips and began stroking her gently, building the tension within her belly until he pushed a finger inside and she let out a strangled moan. "You're so wet...oh my god."

He moved his finger inside, curling slowly, taking in the sight in front of him - her back arched into his chest, her boobs pressing against him, her thighs perched on top of his, and her pussy squeezing his index finger.

"You’re fucking dripping. Did blowing me turn you on?" he inquired huskily, his voice almost inaudible and full of awe. He took a quick peek down between her thighs at the rhythm of her hips bucking upward into his hand, and he couldn’t help but swallow thickly.

"Yeah. A lot," she panted, her volume increasing as another finger slipped into her entrance. He moved his fingers a little faster and she let out a short cry of excitement, clutching onto the side of his neck whilst her other hand ran through his soft hair, keeping it off his sweaty brow.

"You're so hot right now - well, all the time - but right now, holy shit! So sexy. Love those little whines you make. Makes me so fucking desperate." He kissed the corner of her mouth. "Fuck, Y/N, I need to be in you. Please. Please, I need to be inside you so badly, please, I-"

A loud knock on the door interrupted him and Adrian groaned, burying his face between her neck and her shoulder.

"Maybe they'll go away," he hoped aloud, trying and failing miserably to sound convincing since another bout of bangs happened just as his sentence ended. Y/N hastily grabbed one of Adrian's shirts and underwear off the floor to slip on before she opened the door, peering outside curiously.

Sparrow gave Y/N a quick once over and smiled.

"Mrs Bardot! Are you two alright in there? We've already had the first course but if you'd like I'd ask the cook to whip you something up quick," Sparrow announced, although he was obviously aware that the couple probably weren't going to leave their room for a while.

"Oh, that's very kind of you, but I think we're fine," Y/N replied sweetly, trying her best to keep her tone as neutral and keeping the door opened just a smidge - just enough for her to see Sparrow but not enough for him to see Adrian and his nakedness. "Thanks again, Sparrow, Marty and I will see you tomorrow."

In an instant, Sparrow grinned at her before turning on his heel and walking away. "See you lovebirds at breakfast!" He called behind his shoulder and walked away, leaving Y/N to close the door.

Once it was shut, she leaned against it and sighed in relief, turning to face Adrian who was staring at her intensely with a smug smile plastered across his lips. He quickly sat up straight and held his arms out to her. Y/N obliged with no hesitation, stripping off as she returned to her previous position, only this time she had a bottle of lube.

"Hello, there."

"Are you really pretending to be Obi Wan Kenobi right before I sit on your cock?" Y/N teased, running her fingers along his jawline and then up towards his cheekbones to rest her palm against his cheek.

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me?" He quoted Attack of the Clones in a monotonous voice but the smile that spread across his face as soon as the words left his mouth was a telltale sign that he felt very proud of himself.

That pride suddenly turned into something else when she gripped his wrists and pinned them down to the pillow beneath him and climbed on top of him. Adrian let out a surprised squeak. His eyes widening when she squished the bottle of lube until his cock was slick and smelling of artificial watermelon.

"It's over, Adrian. I have the high ground!"

"You are my dream girl. Did my brain make you up? Nah, not even my imagination is this good or this beautiful." He chuckled breathlessly as she started peppering his face and neck with kisses. "I can't believe that this is real."

"It's real, champ." She nipped lightly on his earlobe and lined the head of his cock with her entrance. "Does this feel real to you?"

With one last kiss to his nose, she slowly lowered herself down until he was halfway sheathed. They were both silent as she stared at his face, searching his expression for any signs of discomfort. She found none and relaxed slightly before closing her eyes, exhaling shakily.

" I-I’m really fucking you. I-I’m really inside of you right now…"

And then Y/N slid fully down on her 'husband’s' length, her palms resting on his pecs as she tried to control her movements. Every inch was still as stiff as steel, but eventually he began to ease up as her body adjusted to him. Adrian closed his eyes at the feeling and let out a quiet sigh, savouring every moment.

"Shit, that’s my girl."

Every touch, every caress sent shockwaves through his body which caused his breathing to become more ragged; every movement of her hips was like a drug to him, sending his mind into a frenzy of wanting, wanting more, and wanting even more than that.

"I love watching you bounce on top of me. Love watching my cock go in and out of that tight pussy," he moaned out, grabbing hold of Y/N's ass and rolling her hips against him, forcing her to increase speed and grind against his cock with more force.

She gasped when he hit a particularly sensitive spot causing her entire body to quake uncontrollably. "Is that the spot? It is, isn't it, beautiful?" he purred into her ear. "Fucking hell, baby." His grip on her ass tightened and she could hear his breaths get heavier and shallower.

Y/N pulled back a bit and stared down at him, her eyes darkening at the sight, loving how flushed and dazed he looked; the passion in his eyes was burning brighter and more intense each time she made eye contact with him, as if he could never look away from her. And when he did manage to avert his gaze from hers, it was to stare directly at her boobs, biting his bottom lip and swallowing heavily as a lewd moan escaped his throat at the way they bounced.

"Adrian, baby, feel good for me," she whispered in his ear, her voice deep and husky. She didn’t know what possessed her but it seemed like she was completely lost in her own world as she started to move her hips around, the friction of her clit against his pubic bone pushing herself closer and closer to the edge.

"You’re tensing up, are you gonna come? Oh shit, you are too tight! Oh, God, fuck!" He cried out loudly, his arms locking behind her back to pull her towards him, his bucking hips moving in sync with hers. He pressed his forehead against the crook of her neck, panting wildly as his release built steadily within him. "Y/N, I'm coming. I - oh my god."

He squeezed his eyes shut at the intensity of it all. A moment later, he felt Y/N tense up and her hands flew to his hair as she released her orgasm with a groan that echoed throughout the bedroom, her back arching against him and her legs clenching around his waist.

He was left gasping and panting after his climax, but it seemed the problem still hadn't been solved.

"Still feeling it?" she inquired with a grin, kissing the side of his mouth lightly. He rolled his neck, his eyes hazy with lust and his cheeks flushed red.

"Do you want me to tell the truth?" he asked, his voice still hoarse. He shook his head to clear the haze from his brain. "That felt legit the best but, yeah, still feel it."

"Okay. When you're ready, we can try it again."

"Really?" He leant forward eagerly, reaching up to cup the sides of her face. "We can have sex again? Right now?"

"Right now."

Flipping them over, Adrian pushed her onto her back so he could hover over her with his elbows on either side of her head. In one swift motion, he was hovering above her, his hips thrusting up into her core as she writhed underneath him, moaning loudly as his pace increased. Her nails dug deeply into his shoulders as he buried his face in her neck and sucked hard on her pulse point.

"Gonna mark you up real pretty. Sparrow definitely won't look at you the way he does now, make it obvious you're my little wifey. Would you like that?" He grunted roughly as he drove into her, making her squirm and gasp, and would continue to do so over and over and over again.

After almost two handfuls of rounds later, Y/N had tears streaming down her cheeks, face down with her pleasured cries being drowned out by her pillow. The sound of Adrian's grunts filled the room as he drove his hips into her from behind, his chest slick with sweat.

"You've been such a good girl for me. Thank you," he panted, burying his face in the curve of her neck. "You’re my favourite person in the world. I love you. So fucking much. More than anything. Always will. You’re my angel."

Y/N whimpered as he buried his teeth in her skin, biting just below her ear while she began clinging tightly to the sheets. Tears fell freely and her heart felt warm at the sweet sentiment behind his words. His love and devotion was so raw that it felt like a part of her soul had finally been put in its place.

Because he was truly fucked out, he had no idea that he'd said anything. The past few hours had been a mess of 'Fuck, you’re so pretty like this', 'Holy shit, how are you this perfect?', 'You like how I fuck my pretty wife's pussy, yeah?' and a bunch of other stuff he was too messy to say coherently.

The final wave of pleasure washed over his body as a silent scream ripped from his throat. His entire body convulsed violently and shook out the final remainder of the aphrodisiac in his system before he collapsed onto her, panting, sweaty and spent.

Trying to catch his breath, he lay there for some moments before he lifted himself back off of Y/N and rested his weight on his elbow, staring at her with an adoring smile. He reached out and stroked her cheek gently before placing a soft kiss on it.

"Are you okay? Did I -" He yawned sleepily, wiping away the stray drool from the corner of his mouth. "Are you sore? Do you need anything? Water? Food?"

"Hey. No, you did good babe. I'm...I'm fine. Just sweaty." She wiped her cheeks quickly, trying to calm herself, her hand running through his tousled brown locks.

"Let me carry you to the shower?" He offered sweetly, getting up on his knees and tugging her tired body to sit up. He placed her feet on the floor and helped steady her, brushing away the sweat from her brow and rubbing her back tenderly.

They showered and changed into their pjs and got into bed, admittedly Y/N's thighs were very shaky so she needed a helping hand getting her legs through her trousers but they eventually settled down for the night. Well, the very early morning.

Taglist: @sarahskywalker-amidala , @she-wolf09231982 , @afraidofshrimp

Despite how tired Y/N was, she couldn't help herself from looking at Adrian's sleeping face and watching over him so if he had any complications due to the mass amount of aphrodisiacs he'd ingested earlier, she would react as quickly as she could. Occasionally, she'd have to pinch herself to stay awake as she watched his chest rise and fall rhythmically with every breath he took.

Next chapter: Afterglow

(Wanna be added to the taglist? Just message me or leave a comment :p)

#adrian chase #vigilante #vigilante x reader #adrian chase x female reader #peacemaker #adrian chase x y/n #adrian chase x reader