#coupled with black leggings and usually black/white shoes? bam

[justanotherloveaffair]

I Trust You (Part 5/8)  - Chadwick x Reader

Link to Part 4                                                                                 Link to Part 6

Summary:  The time has come to confront Cole, with Chadwick for support.

Warnings: Angst, language

Word Count:  2,961

Author’s Note: I want to shoutout to all of you amazing people who have been so enthusiastic about this story! I LOVE YOU ALL.

I had written such a long ass chapter that I had to split it up into two parts - next one will be up very soon! My disclaimer stands - I don’t have the time to make this good because of NaNoWriMo. Wish I had more time to edit.

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The decision to go and pack up your life left you little time to dwell on what you would bring with you and what you would leave behind.

As Chadwick drove to your apartment for the second time, you prepared yourself to make some hard decisions. Other than the necessities, most of what you owned in that apartment could stay in it, like books you never read, kitchen stuff, DVDs that had been following you around for years in thick black media sleeves.

There was only one thing that you couldn’t imagine leaving behind and that was Dodger.

He was your dog. You may have been with Cole when you adopted him, but all three of you knew who Dodger loved best. It was your lap he migrated to, and your bed he slept on. When Cole couldn’t convince him to get up for his walk, it was you who got called in to cajole the little animal who practically did backflips at the sound of your high-pitched doggie voice.

The more you thought about it during the half an hour drive over, the more determined you became that Dodger was coming with you and if your new roommate didn’t approve, you’d live with your dog on the street.

Your apartment building came into view and as Chadwick slowed, you scanned for Cole’s motorcycle, then sighed with relief to find it missing from his usual spot. You shared this with Chadwick whose shoulders visibly relaxed.

Even knowing it was unlikely Cole was around, you noticed Chadwick was on guard the moment you both stepped out of the car. He flanked you like a bodyguard, his posture stiff and tall as he escorted you up the steps, taking in the surroundings with darting eyes that were assessing all threats. There was nothing of note but the usual. Older couples still in their church clothes, young boys shooting the shit on their balconies, smaller kids running around on the grass enjoying the Sunday afternoon.

You watched Chadwick take it all in. The slow elevator, the peeling wallpaper, the outdated lobby. He kept his expression impassive.

“So where’s this place you’re moving to?” He turned to you in the elevator, his hands in his hoodie pockets.

“It’s a one bedroom in Vermont Square.”

He paused. “Wait…. one bedroom? I thought you said you had a roommate.”

“One bedroom plus den,” you corrected yourself. “I’m taking the den.”

Chadwick crossed his arms over his broad chest, regarding you with a long look. He quickly reigned in his incredulous expression, returning to a poker face. “Oh. Right.”

Answering his unspoken question just as the elevator door opened, you shrugged a shoulder. “Could be worse.”

He followed you into the hallway, and before you even had a chance to open the door, you heard Dodger whining on the other side and felt your heart break into a thousand pieces. You unlocked and threw open the door without ceremony and ran inside to scoop him up. He was a wiggling, shuddering, licking, yelping being made of white marshmallow fluff and you ached with love.

“Dodger! Dodger, stop,” you let out a giggle at his wet cheek kisses, and turned with him in your arms towards an amused looking Chadwick.

“This is Dodger. Dodger, this is Chadwick.” Right on cue, Dodger barked and rushed out of your arms to make friends with Chadwick’s legs. Smiling, he bent down and reached out with his giant hand to pet the curly fluff on Dodger’s head after the customary sniff of his knuckles.

“No Cole,” you observed, “but he could be back soon so I’ll be as quick as I can.”

Dodger followed you into your room, immediately jumped on the bed, circled exactly three times, and laid down peering at you under his furry brows.

Chadwick remained half in, half out of the doorway with an ear towards the front door while you busied yourself packing the suitcase from your closet, a giant duffel bag and your backpack.

You thought it would be easy, but now that you were surrounded by your things, there was more you wanted to keep than you realized and you struggled with some difficult choices as you carefully rationed your space.

Only your favourite clothes went into the suitcase, and in the duffel bag and backpack, you only had room for necessities, like your laptop. An entire bag of flavoured chapsticks had to be left behind, and it was just one of many heartbreaks.

You stuffed the bags full, then unzipped the expandable fabric of your suitcase to squeeze in a few more pairs of shoes.

“Okay, I’m done.” You announced, wiping sweat off your forehead.

Chadwick, who had abandoned his post in the doorway in favour of lounging next to Dodger, obediently stood and began to load up your belongings and carry them out.

You put a hand on his arm. “Hey, do you mind if I have just a minute in here?”

His eyes softened. “Of course.”

You wished there was more time. You didn’t think of yourself as sentimental, but you found your eyes filling with tears saying goodbye to the part of your life this room represented, and the memories you had here. Hours spent watching that tiny television, or sleeping next to Dodger on your bed. Everything was about to change, and you didn’t feel prepared.

“Psst,” you heard through the door.

“What – “ You pushed the bedroom door open, and Dodger jumping down from the bed and running to the door confirmed it.

Cole was home.

“Fuck.”

Chadwick glanced behind you, tension furrowing his brow before turning back around, squaring his shoulders and standing tall in anticipation.

Where you were standing, you had the pleasure and the curse of seeing the look on Cole’s face when he opened the door to find you, Chadwick, and most of your packed things littering the space between you.

The range of emotions on his face was spectacular.

First, there was surprise. Eyebrows lifted, his cheeks a little more gaunt than usual as his jaw dropped open. Then, noticing the suitcases, his eyes moistened with sadness for the briefest of moments. Then… betrayal. An ice-cold glare thrown like a spear between your eyes. How could you do this? he bellowed silently. Finally, anger. Fuming, red hot, anger. First at you, and then the full force of his sneering, nostril flaring fury landed squarely on Chadwick.

“Y/N, want to explain what the fuck is going on?”  Still in the doorway, ignoring Dodger sniffing at his ankles, he was addressing you but glaring at Chadwick.

You only had a view of his back, but you saw the tension in him coiling, his hands becoming tight fists, body at full height and in a posture that said he was ready to throw down. 

Emboldened by the wall of solid muscle currently bristling between you and Cole, you snapped, “What do you think is going on? I’m moving out. Like I said I would.”

Cole moved from the door, taking two steps towards you with a threatening gait that made Chadwick take one step forward and cross his arms, his biceps bulging. 

You watched Cole size him up. Chadwick was bigger, with an imposing energy made even more menacing with his simmering silence, but Cole had the confidence and inferiority complex of a chihuahua. Knowing this about him, you could have written the script he would follow, beat by beat, and he didn’t disappoint.

Cole walked forward to get right up in Chadwick’s face, who didn’t flinch.

“You must be Chadwick.” Cole smirked.

Though he was facing away from you and spoke low, you heard Chadwick’s words in your chest, each enunciated syllable heavy with warning.

“Let her leave.”

“Let her speak for herself, asshole.”

Cole pushed Chadwick’s shoulder, finding it granite and barely swaying more than a few inches before returning to its square, solid foundation.

You began to creep towards the two, hoping to break things up but all of Cole’s focus was on his antagonist, and he shoved him again, this time with both hands on each shoulder and all of his weight behind it.

Chadwick snapped. Faster than you could comprehend, you heard the ka-bam as Cole’s body collided with the wall and was kept pinned there by Chadwick’s forearm, tight enough on his clavicle to cause the cords in Cole’s neck to stand out and the veins to pop in his face.

Chadwick leaned forward to speak into Cole’s ear at a volume that robbed you of hearing his words, and as he did, out of all of the emotions you’d seen in Cole’s face over the years, you saw something new. Fear. Though you strained to hear what was causing it, all you caught was the low, growling timbre of Chadwick’s voice, and Cole’s harsh, throaty choking sounds accompanying each rough press of Chadwick’s forearm into his chest.

You watched, stunned, as the fight went out of Cole’s eyes and he slumped.

Chadwick retracted his arm and, leaving Cole to his coughing fit, he turned around to face you. That fierce, intense look in his eyes, making his pupils nearly black was familiar. You kept your focus on Cole behind him, in case he was planning a dirty play and intended to pounce on Chadwick with his back turned.

It would have been a Cole thing to do. But he didn’t.

“You got everything?” Chadwick asked, ignoring the third person in the room. Your eyes moved to his and for a flash, an intense gaze connected you together. He was making sure you were alright. You blinked and nodded, answering him.

Cole observed in your periphery, but didn’t move forward.

“There is one more thing.” You had a brief, sick moment of remorse for the thing you were about to do, before you bent down to your knees and called out, “Dodger! Come here boy!”

The dog had kept his distance during the tense standoff, so he was far under your bed when you called. He came trotting out of the bedroom towards your voice but stopped and shook with frightened surprise when Cole yelled in an outburst of emotion, “No!”

“He’s my dog, Cole,” you rationalized with a shaky voice as Dodger ran to your legs. “You can have everything else but Dodger comes with me.”

You trembled as you scooped up the dog, wishing there was some other way. Cole’s crumpled, angry, heartbroken face would haunt you with guilt forever.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered into Dodger’s fur, your growing tears blurring Cole’s image.

His eyes narrowed, and his lips pursed so tight they disappeared into a line. “You walk out that door with him, I will fucking find you -”

Cole took one step and was blocked by a Chadwick-shaped wall of stone. “Ah,” he warned, his palm outstretched towards Cole’s chest who reacted with a murderous look of rage. “Remember what I said,” Chadwick chided, a hint of smugness in his voice.

With Chadwick’s strategic placement between you both, there was no way Cole was getting near you or Dodger on your way out. Angry as he was, you saw that resignation in Cole’s eyes, and it was your signal to begin moving your things into the hall while Chadwick stood watch.

You returned to the doorway holding Dodger, who was relaxed, but alert in your arms as you stood there for one last look at Cole.

He had been your best friend, your boyfriend, a man you ruined friendships for. You took a breath, and let it out shakily as you whispered, meeting his eyes for the last time, “I’m sorry.”

You turned your back to him and stepped through the threshold into the hall, followed by Chadwick who gently closed the door.

Adrenaline helped you focus and ignore the avalanche of emotions. Getting Dodger and your things into Chadwick’s car was all that mattered.

In the elevator, you turned to Chadwick with narrowed eyes. “What did you say to him back there? The Cole I know would have tried to beat your ass,” your mouth twitched with a curious smile.

Chadwick was being intentionally mysterious with his shrug and reply, “I dunno.” He fought the tug of his lips while you rolled your eyes.

“Come on,” you whined.

He shrugged again just as the creaky elevator opened, leaving you with only a small hallway until you would be taking your last steps from this building forever.

Seeing outside and green grass, Dodger started to go wild in your arms. As you walked through the lobby, wearing your backpack while Chadwick wheeled your black suitcase and army print duffel bag over his broad shoulders, you had to struggle to keep Dodger still.

“I’m sorry, I just realized I didn’t ask if it was okay he stay at your place tonight.” You looked at him with a sudden anxious expression.

“It’s fine, no problem. Lots of room for him to run around. Hey,” he lifted his chin towards Dodger, “You like steak? I think I know what I’m making for dinner tonight,” he waggled his eyebrows and you laughed.

“Oh shit, he would love that,” you hugged Dodger tighter and glanced at Chadwick whose attention was turned on getting your suitcase through the door.

As you watched him, you felt a terrifying upward leap of your heart into your throat.

You followed through the door held open by his outstretched arm to the outside world. Dodger wanted to run and play, so you soothed him just enough to get him into the back seat of the car.

Once secure in the back, you placed your backpack next to him and took the passenger seat. As you did, you heard a few “ohh, dammmmmn!” comments coming from a group of guys walking past the car. Chadwick gave them an amicable nod, and started up the engine, which immediately began to purr quietly.

As soon as the car came to a stop behind the gates of Chadwick’s property, you opened the door for Dodger to jump down and run around to sniff and acquaint himself with Chadwick’s green space.

“I’ll follow him and make sure he doesn’t poop in your flowers,” you smiled apologetically. “He likes to do that.”

Chadwick laughed a loud, boisterous laugh and his smile buoyed you to the sun.

“Go ahead, I’ll bring these things in.”

You opened your car’s glove compartment for the spare doggie clean up bags, and followed your happy puppy around in the sunshine as he tumbled and played and sniffed the flowers, totally unaware of the drama that had unfolded around him that day.

Your feelings of relief deepened by the second. You were with your best friend Dodger, currently exploring the property of someone who genuinely cared about you. In the past few hours, you began to feel that in your bones.

You wandered back inside, depositing the plastic bag in the bin and smiled watching your puppy acquaint himself with Chadwick’s home before jumping up on the couch, and testing the softness before curling up.

Chadwick reappeared in the hallway.

“Is it okay if he’s on your couch?” You began rushing over to Dodger in case he needed to be quickly removed.

You noticed then that Chadwick had changed into a light grey hoodie and dark blue, thick sweats with pockets and a white stripe down the side. You also couldn’t help but notice, with a sudden light headed sensation, his faint bulge.

“’Course,” he answered, making his way over towards both of you in the living room. You had gravitated again to the uncomfortable, geometric chair while Chadwick settled his body into the back of the couch.

You were wondering how in the hell a man could look so good in sweats and a hoodie when you heard his soft voice beckon, “Come here.”

You looked up and your breath stopped. He was holding his arms out in a half circle, clearly intending for you to climb into them, and your heart began to melt into liquid slurry. Not even the coldest of hearts could resist that sight.

You stood from the chair, still looking at him questioningly, but he kept his arms open wide and twitched his fingers, the little smile growing and melting your hesitation.

As soon as you were close, he clasped his arms around you and before you knew it, he was sinking onto his back on the couch, and you were moving with him, shifting naturally into a position of warm comfort and bliss with all of your softness fitting into his hard grooves.

You chose not to question what was happening and snuggled into his sweatshirt, finding the company of his heart beat and comforting smell an unexpected and healing balm.

When you were settled, you felt the scratch of his bearded chin on your forehead where he placed a single, chaste, soft kiss and you felt his words through his chest, straight into yours.

“I’m proud of you, Y/N.”

You had that feeling again of being overwhelmed that left you speechless. In acknowledgment, you squeezed your arms around him, and his hands brought warmth to your back where they began to circle in soothing passes.

The lulling motions became mesmerizing and after a time, your eyelids closed. A few minutes later, you caught yourself breathing slower, the heavy magic of sleep starting to pull you under.

You mumbled, “I’m gonna fall asleep if you keep doing that.” Your words were muffled by his body to the point you were sure he couldn’t understand you, but he did.

“That’s the idea.” He chuckled and you went back to focusing on the spreading warmth from his hands and the softness of his sweatshirt against your cheek, soon drifting off to sleep with ease.

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