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bippot · 1 year

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Summary: When the new government issued 11th Street Kid arrives, the team soon finds out why Waller picked her. They don't really know how Adrian pissed off their boss so much, but he sure isn't happy with their new colleague.

Additional Tags: Manipulation, Past Relationship(s), Co-workers, Angst, Secrets, Canon-Typical Violence, Broken Engagement, Double Agents, Emotional Hurt, Betrayal, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Family Drama

Music Recommendation: I Knew You When by Marianas Trench

Peacemaker, Adrian Chase Masterlist - here

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Chapter 1

Economos, Peacemaker and Vigilante were too male. Harcourt too thin. Leota too curvy. So, that left Y/N. It was literally her job description. Why would've it been anyone else?

Henry Blaghart was rich enough that the butterflies had been after him for a while. He'd also always been a sucker for a pretty woman who'd go along with his every whim without complaint. After hearing through the rumour mill that he was the next target to be 'flied', the squad soon found out everything about him.

There was a fancy bar that he frequented every Friday night and that's when they would strike.

"Ade, can you zip me up please?" Y/N asked as she managed to catch him as he passed the room where she was getting changed into her dress.

"Still looks so good on you."

His fingers found the zipper of the only fancy enough dress she owned - the green one he'd bought her when they were younger - and slowly tugged it up.

The fabric felt so smooth against her skin as his rough fingers brushed against hers, making goose bumps form. He grinned mischievously as he caught her eye in the mirror before them and leaned down to press his lips to the bare skin of her shoulder.

"I'm surprised it still fits," she breathed, pinching at her tummy self consciously, as he started to stroke circles on her hips. "I've put on a few pounds since the last time I wore it."

"That only means there's more of you to love."

With that, he continued to brush the pads of his fingertips against her curves as he nuzzled his face in her hair, taking in her fragrance once more. It took all of her willpower not to melt under his attention. And if she let her mind wander a little farther than usual, well, they would never get this mission completed, would they?

Their eyes met in the mirror and she gave him a soft smile, letting his actions and words wash over her like a wave, washing away any worries she might have. He grinned back sweetly, pressing a light kiss against her cheek before turning to face the door.

"Alright. Let's go kill this guy," he mumbled, walking towards the door.

"We're not killing him yet."

"I hope Harcourt knows that if he touches you in a way you're not comfortable with, I'll shoot his dick off."

Y/N burst out laughing as she followed him out of the room and closed the door behind her. She shook her head fondly at him, grinning as he linked her arm with his. They walked side by side in silence, their hearts heavy but somehow filled with determination.

If he was forced to observe her flirt with another guy, Adrian made it his personal mission to have her attention until they had to part ways. If they were going to do their job, he had to wait in the wings whilst she performed, and if she needed him, he would step in to execute the target in a covert and calm manner. For her safety.

Because he didn't want anything to happen to her because of some dumb, racist (probably) sexist asshole who was only involved in this shit since he was born rich.

"Your tie is wonky." Her hands came up to fix it for him, but soon realised that he'd managed to do it completely wrong yet, somehow, it looked fine from the outside. She undid it and re-tied it properly before she glanced up, catching sight of the smirk that curved his lips. "You look very handsome tonight."

Decked out in the only suit he owned - which, sadly, was the one he'd originally bought for their wedding - Adrian looked suave and debonair. His hair had been nearly styled into an elegant and sophisticated style and his deep green eyes shone brightly against his pale complexion. He had the most dazzling grin that made Y/N swoon internally whenever she thought about him.

"Not half as good as you, angel."

"Nonsense. Maybe ol' Henry will take one look at this absolute stud and realise he'd like to try sodomy."

He laughed as she wrapped her arm around his waist, playfully nudging his side as she spoke. A flicker of annoyance flashed through his eyes, but it disappeared as he smiled down at her in adoration. The rest of the drive to the bar was taken in companionable silence, the car ride punctuated only by music that played faintly through the speakers.

Neither wanted it to end. But, alas, they had a job to do. Y/N was quick to exit the vehicle, bidding her partner goodbye with a smile as he watched her walk away before following after a considerable enough gap. The night air nipped at the skin of his cheeks as he made his way inside, his eyes scanning the crowd eagerly for any sign of Blaghart.

Y/N was at the bar waiting patiently for their target to order a drink, her hands resting lightly on the cool surface. When she saw him appear from the direction of the dance floor, she gave him a faux coy glance over her shoulder before turning her attention back to the bartender, her eyes glued to her drink.

A couple of moments later she heard him approach her, sitting in the bar stool beside her with a loud thud as he rested his arms on the table. He gazed up at her through half lidded eyes, a cocky grin playing upon his lips.

"What are you drinking, doll?"

She smirked and leaned forward, whispering to him in a husky tone, "Whatever you buy me."

"Oh, that's bold."

She shrugged, reaching forward to grab her glass and holding it close to her lips. Her eyes met his as she tipped the glass and took a sip, feeling the alcohol coat her tongue as it slid across her bottom lip. When she looked back up at him, Blaghart's eyes were locked firmly onto her mouth and she couldn't help but smirk wider at how blatantly lustful they appeared.

The thing about seduction is that you have to alter the approach depending on the target. Someone like Adrian would need to be eased over time to appease him because he was hard to know, hard to categorise. It would take a while to gain his affection truly. Lust was fleeting for him, yet often entirely superficial. Deep down, he sought companionship.

A target like Henry Blaghart was entirely non-committal. He wanted the prettiest toy he could find in his life but no further than that. He would fall prey to any girl in an instant, especially since Y/N already possessed the best attributes to lure someone into becoming entranced by her - a willingness to say what they wanted to hear.

"Are you gonna order something?" She asked him as the corners of her lips turned upwards ever so slightly into the faintest of smiles.

Henry hummed thoughtfully as he tapped the edge of the counter, "Let's see..." He pulled out his wallet and dug through it for a moment before he settled on a card and slid it towards the bartender. "Get us two bottles of whatever's strongest that you've got here."

"On it."

As soon as he heard the sound of the cash register chime, Y/N turned to meet his gaze again and raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to impress me...sir?" she questioned him teasingly.

"Is it working?"

"It is now."

Adrian watched from the sidelines with his jaw clenched tightly, his chest tightening when Blaghart suddenly leaned forward to whisper something to Y/N, who giggled in response. He could feel the blood running through him like fire as he tried to keep himself from throttling the target right there and then. Instead, Adrian narrowed his eyes as he stared back at the man with pure hatred radiating from each pore on his skin.

How quickly she guided Henry to suggest they should go to his hotel room was a testament of how good Y/N was at her job. Less than twenty minutes of flirting was all it took for the pair to get up off their barstools and make their way out into the hotel next door. As she stood, Y/N subtly caught Adrian's eye and gave him a wink to show that everything was going according to plan, before slipping out of the room in pursuit of Henry.

He was sticking to the shadows when following the pair, giving Harcourt updates through comms when needed.

Once they made it to Henry's room, Y/N waited until the door was fully closed behind her before she reached into her bra and retrieved the nanosecond electrical pulse device (which is basically an optimised taser but Economos hated when someone called his invention that). While Henry had his back turned, Y/N jabbed the device against his neck and he fell unconscious in the blink of an eye.

"Target is unconscious. Vigilante can enter now."

"Outside the door, Angel."

Y/N opened the door, put on the gloves Vigilante handed her from his jacket pocket and the pair hoisted the unconscious dude onto the bed before they ransacked his belongings in search of any information possible about the butterflies. They found a folder which contained some documents and maps that told them exactly where they were going to relocate the water buffalo that they'd managed to 'fly' after the previous mission was cut short.

"Please let me put a bullet in his head."

"Siren, under no circumstances should Vigilante shoot the target," Harcourt warned sternly. "This is too important to jeopardise."

"Please, baby."

"No. We've got the documents, let's go."

She gently pushed Vigilante towards the door, but as soon as he went to turn the handle, there was someone standing directly on the other side of the wood. Fuck, they had to come up with a distraction.

"Oh fuck, Henry!" Y/N moaned loudly, making a show of doing the most pornographic noise she could make. "Right there, baby!"

"What are you doing?"

"Just go with it."

So, he did. Two grown adults were making sex noises at each other, both of them getting whinier as time went on. The man outside the door got the memo that whoever was inside clearly needed some privacy and they no longer could see the soles of his shoes at the bottom of the door.

"Thank god for that."

"Is it weird that I'm hard?"

"Do we need to wait a minute for you to calm down?"

Unknowingly, their little performance had caused the once unconscious man on the floor to not be that anymore. He was awake and managed to swipe the taser from Y/N before she even had a chance to face him. His hand swiftly grabbed her wrist and tugged it so he'd have the perfect line of sight on her neck, zapping her and letting her body fall without a second thought.

Vigilante rushed to catch her once he'd snapped out of his boner daze, placing her gently on the ground before he dealt with her attacker. "That was a big mistake, dummy," he taunted as he approached Henry, glaring daggers at him. Usually, his menacing stare was covered by his visor, but today, this victim was going to see every movement on Adrian's face as he killed him.

The man didn't answer, instead opting to stand his ground, his eyes locked on Vigilante in defiance. "My name is Adrian, by the way... actually, I'm better known as Vigilante so that's probably more appropriate in this situation," he introduced himself with faux politeness, his voice dripping with venom.

"V-Vigilante?" the man stammered, staring wide eyed as he realised how deep of shit he was in. Adrian smiled, enjoying watching the fear grow within the stranger's eyes as he slowly backed away, trying to flee the scene in hopes of being successful, only for Vigilante to reach forward and wrap his fingers around his throat just before he got out of Adrian's threatened area. The guy gasped for air and clutched at his throat, trying to pull free but to no avail.

Adrian continued to chuckle darkly as he squeezed his grip tighter around Henry's neck, watching him struggle to breathe. "Knife, taser or choking, how would you like to die?" he mocked. "Any preference?"

Henry couldn't answer. His hands had moved to claw uselessly at Adrian's wrists, trying desperately to pull his hands away from his windpipe. His feet scrambled against the carpeted floor trying to locate something to use to defend himself but found nothing. He had nowhere to run to and he was utterly terrified and completely unable to speak a single word.

It seemed as if Adrian was forced to choose for himself. He was in a choking mood; his mind was set on killing the man, and he wasn't about to be denied his satisfaction. With rough squeezes of his hand, Adrian made sure Henry Blaghart could never be the butterfly's puppet anymore.

As soon as that horrid business was done, Adrian rushed to take Y/N into his arms and get the fuck out of there with all the documents.

Now, carrying an unconscious woman out of a hotel looks sketchy and suspicious, but tried to look as nonchalant as possible when they emerged from the elevator into the lobby. He held her tightly as they headed for the doors, ignoring the stares of people as they passed them.

Honestly, if he wasn't stopped, his faith in people would drop even more.

Unluckily for them (but luckily for society), the bouncer at the door held out their hand, palm up for Adrian to stop walking. He did as he wanted him to.

"My wife has had far too many drinks," Adrian lied, keeping a straight face but his voice got significantly higher pitched as he said the word 'wife'.

The guard narrowed his eyes at the couple. "Your wife?" he repeated sceptically, looking down at the woman being carried bridal style.

"Ma wife."

"Was that a Borat reference?"

"Yes it was, sir."

At that moment, Y/N began to come to. She groaned softly as she woke up to a very soft pillow beneath her. Opening one of her eyes to check what was happening around her, and even in her dazed state, Y/N could tell that she needed to play her part.

With a yawn, Y/N rubbed her eye lazily with the palm of her hand, cooing, "Hey, baby. We going home?" Adrian looked down at Y/N, nodding and smiling warmly at her, before turning his attention back to the guard, who still eyed the pair suspiciously for another second before he shrugged his shoulders in acceptance and allowed them to pass.

Once they were safely out of the hotel, Adrian took the opportunity to put her down on her feet. "Can you walk?" He asked, concerned as she blinked up at him.

"Just give me a few moments to regain my bearings."

Adrian nodded in agreement and helped Y/N to lean against the building wall beside her for support, holding her up as if she weighed less than a feather. After taking a couple of shaky breaths, the two of them were ready to get the fuck back to HQ and report to Harcourt.

"How many times did we tell you not to kill the target?" Harcourt yelled when he saw Y/N and Adrian walking through the front door of the headquarters.

"You killed Blaghart?" Y/N asked Adrian before turning her attention back to Harcourt.

"He saw our faces."

Harcourt sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "Also, why did you go fucking radio silent as soon as you found the documents?" she added, folding her arms across her chest in annoyance.

"Siren was unconscious and we needed to look as normal as possible when leaving. Talking to myself and carrying a sleeping woman out of a hotel isn't a good combo, boss lady."

He had a point. But now that the danger was over and everything was fine again, Harcourt couldn't really blame Adrian for reacting in such a way. So, instead of yelling at him, she simply shook her head in defeat.

The documents were handed over and the pair were sent home. The mission was mostly a success, so Y/N nudged Adrian and offered, "I was planning on buying a bottle of wine to drink and watch Will Ferrel movies till I pass out, want to join me?"

"As long as I get a whole bottle to myself."

"Looks like I'm buying two bottles then."

"Are you supposed to drink alcohol after being tasered?"

"Probably not."

Y/N winked at him before she started off towards the liquor store. A small smirk appeared on Adrian's lips as he followed her, his heart warming as he caught a glimpse of her in the dim light of the streetlamps, swaying her hips and swinging her hands as she walked, all signs of worry and stress gone from her face.

They were back in her cold hotel room and opening two large bottles of cheap wine whilst laughing loudly at Stepbrothers in no time flat. Now that was like old times.

Half a bottle in and Adrian couldn't help but tuck his head against her shoulder and wrap his arm around her waist. Y/N leaned her cheek atop his head as she ran her fingers through his hair in slow, soothing strokes. It felt nice to forget for a brief moment everything else surrounding them...

Until the phone rang. Y/N jumped at the sudden noise as she pulled away from Adrian, looking frantically in search of her phone. Her fingers finally grasped onto her phone and she saw the caller ID. "I, uh, I'll just be a second-" she said hastily, hurrying into the bathroom before he'd even had a chance to respond.

Yet, she hadn't managed to close the door quick enough and he heard as she greeted, "Hey mush. How are you doing, baby?"

His eyes widened before narrowing dangerously at the sound of her words. Who was this person? Questions raced around his head as he watched the bathroom door click shut and tried to work out exactly what that meant. Was she talking to some other guy?

All Adrian could do was listen.

"I know, I know. I've got a surprise for you. It will arrive on Monday." The person on the other line spoke for a bit. "Well, telling you would ruin it, wouldn't it?"

Adrian slid off the bed and creeped closer to eavesdrop further. This new conversation intrigued him. He wanted to know who she was talking to and who this mystery person was. He felt a little uneasy with how friendly they sounded.

Maybe it was another guy...

"No, I refuse. No hints. I want it to be a total surprise. You have to trust me, mush," she laughed, sounding so happy.

Another pause followed, causing Adrian to tense in anticipation as he waited to hear more.

"I love you, baby."

Just like that, his heart broke in two again.

"This is where you say it back, you know."

Oh no...he thought in utter shock as the realisation struck him like a brick. She loves this person...and they're not him. What kind of twisted game was this woman playing? She didn't love him. Not any more at least. Not like she used to.

Someone had taken his place. Someone had taken his love away from him. Again.

Suddenly, without warning, the bathroom door swung open suddenly. Adrian jumped as Y/N stepped through, a shocked expression plastered on her face as she almost walked straight into his chest. For a moment, neither one dared move or breathe.

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough." He didn't bother hiding his disdain, his eyes staring daggers at the girl who had once loved him.

The hurt that crossed her features almost tore him apart. Almost. A bitter smile curled on Y/N's lips as she raised an eyebrow at him, challenging his glare. His gaze dropped to her lips for a split second and he just went for it, crashing his lips onto hers. He tasted bitterness and something sweet at the same time, and he immediately became distracted by the feeling of Y/N pressing herself to him with a sigh, her hands moving to hold his cheeks as she kissed him back fiercely.

It felt different, though. Before, there had been heat and passion, but now there was something completely different. There was hate there.

Pulling back, he trapped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced her to look into his eyes. She refused to meet his gaze, however, only letting out a small whimper when he pressed harder against her jaw.

"Gonna tell your boyfriend about how you've been leading me on for the past couple of months?" he sneered.

Boyfriend? Well, that was easier than the truth. She could work with that.

"I wasn't planning to."

It wasn't a lie. Why did it feel like one?

A frown etched itself onto his forehead, making him furrow his brows even more tightly together. The silence that followed gave Adrian ample time to search her face once again, looking for any trace of a lie in her eyes, yet finding none.

"Tell me that you still love me," he demanded, his voice coming out hoarse as his emotions overwhelmed him, and he began to panic slightly when he realised that she didn't seem to have his best interests at heart anymore.

Forcing the corners of her mouth into a wicked smile, Y/N slowly removed his hands from her with ease - he could easily overpower her, yet he didn't even try - and cradled his face in her hands to lean in for a kiss. Like always, he was at her mercy. Like always, she knew exactly what buttons to press.

Getting closer to his ear, she whispered, "I mean this with one hundred percent certainty, I wish I had never met you," and pulled away as soon as her sentence was over. Adrian stared at her in horror, his lips trembling slightly as he attempted to form a single coherent word, his mind struggling to make sense of the situation.

The tears that pricked the corner of his eyes threatened to spill over as Y/N leant back against the headboard and grabbed her bottle, taking a long swig of the amber liquid inside as if it could cure the pain that was currently radiating through her entire body. She hated having to say those things to him.

"You...you don't mean that. You love me..." he croaked, barely able to form complete sentences. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he tried to convince himself otherwise.

It took everything in her to retort, "Why'd I leave you then?"

And before Adrian even knew what hit him, his cheeks were wet. Hot angry tears fell down his face, burning his skin as they dripped down. His throat tightened, closing up his airways for a few seconds before he let out a sob as he wrapped his arm protectively around himself.

"I don't fucking know why you left!" he screamed in frustration, tears blurring his vision. Everything was starting to fall apart again. He had just come to terms with her being back, but now that he was finally starting to accept it, reality was beginning to sink in once again.

He was still stuck in a world of darkness; nothing could change and he might as well accept the fact that he was destined to be alone forever. Even if he did have Y/N back in his life, it wasn't as simple as it seemed.

"Why'd you give me up, huh?!" he continued, ignoring the way he was shaking, and instead raising his voice and slamming his fists down on the mattress. "I never stopped loving you! Every day, every night, every hour, every second, I love you...and you just..."

Y/N gulped down the contents of her bottle as silence enveloped them once again. They stared at each other, unable to speak because all that was left to fill the space between them was the deafening silence. Neither had anything to add to this, both too lost for words. Both were too scared to admit it. But the fear had already won out.

And with that loss came another wave of anguish as Y/N remembered that there was no longer any hope. Nothing would ever go back to the way they used to be. Nothing would ever be the same. And yet, despite the painful ache within her chest, she once again forced a smile onto her face.

Pitifully, he got to his knees by the side of the bed and reached a hand towards her, hoping that, somehow, he could persuade her to open up to him. To talk to him. Just to see if she still loved him, to find any hint of a spark that still resided inside her heart. Maybe then she'd be willing to come home.

"Baby please...please tell me you love me." He begged quietly, desperately reaching forward with one shaking finger, hoping it would be enough to prove to her that he really was worth her affection.

Y/N blinked in shock as she gazed into his sad eyes, her lips pursing into a thin line. It was true. Her heart still belonged to him. However, she pushed all that down.

"I can't."

Adrian's hand instantly fell back to his lap with a thud and he let out another heavy sob before bolting out of the room. The door slammed behind him and Y/N finally broke. With a loud cry, she buried her face into her pillow, pulling the covers up over herself, blocking out the rest of the world, including the tears streaming down her face, staining the white cloth underneath her.

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Weekly, Adrian made sure to visit Chris' house. When Peacemaker was in prison, he still did it. Saturday. 12pm. One sweep around the perimeter before a swift knock on the door.

And, it was his time to check up on his buddy.

Y/N knew that too and made sure she arrived at Peacemaker's at 11.40 am. She ubered so it wasn't obvious that she was there and roughly knocked on the door. When Chris opened the door, his bright smile immediately faded, morphing into a worried frown as he took in the sight of her.

"Got booze in there, pissmaker?"

She didn't wait for his response and walked inside quickly before Chris could protest. The door shut closed behind her and she heard Chris curse loudly as he followed her.

Chris frowned once more and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's midday," he pointed out as they stood in the kitchen area.

"That's never stopped you before."

He snorted. "Well that's true."

Silence settled over them. Y/N leaned casually against the counter top and watched Chris walk slowly towards the fridge, rummaging through it until he found two beers. He opened them and handed one over to her, eyeing her sceptically as she took a sip.

"You know, Chris, I want to thank you," she started suddenly, turning to glance at him. His lips twitched upwards but he didn't reply. He simply tilted his head curiously waiting for her to continue. "Did you know that you're part of the moment I realised I had more than friendly feelings for Adrian?"

His expression softened, though he couldn't help the amused smirk appearing on his face. "Oh yeah?"

The corners of Y/N's lips turned downwards into a frown. "Remember our prom?"

Why would he remember their prom?

Well, because he'd ruined it.

Adrian had been so excited to have one night where he wasn't Adrian Chase: the nerd. He was the guy who finally got a girl to go to a school dance with him, and to make it even better, he got the girl he'd been drooling over since he'd met her to go with him.

So, he was all dressed up in his fancy clothes. His father had helped him pick out a suit that was so nice and made his confidence had a little spike, which was a rare thing at that time of his life. And his mother had guided him on what flower Y/N would like. He was on cloud fucking nine and, as he parked up on Y/N's driveway, he thought nothing could dampen his mood.

Then Gut and Chris ruined it like they always did. Adrian's mix of bad eyesight and focus on meeting Y/N's father completely blindsided whilst walking up to her door as he was shot with paintballs. His lovely suit was splattered in an array of colours before he'd even registered what had happened.

Plus, they had shot him at a close enough range that he'd definitely have deep purple bruises appearing across his skin in no time.

"Your face, dude!" Chris teased, pointing a thick finger straight at Adrian's cheek, not trying to hold back a laugh.

"Good luck with your date, loser," Gut joined in with a mocking grin on his face, and he slapped Adrian on the back.

When he reached back, Gut's hand was covered in paint, so to make it even more difficult to get out, he rubbed his hand all through Adrian's hair.

All the noise had alerted Y/N and she opened her front door wide. Her eyes widened as they fell on Adrian's dishevelled form, her mouth agape as she gaped at him in disbelief.

As she saw Chris out of the corner of her eye, she called back inside, "Dad, get the gun: the White Dragon's son is on the driveway!" and smiled as Chris and Gut ran away.

Her eyes softened. "Let's get you cleaned up, mush," she cooed gently, taking a hold of his hand to lead him inside.

Mrs L/N immediately rushed up with a thousand and one questions for Adrian, but Y/N quelled them by asking, "Mom, do we have some spare clothes?" The woman nodded before rushing off to fetch something while Y/N led Adrian to the bathroom.

"They came out of the bushes," Adrian mumbled as he sat on the edge of the bathtub and peeled off his jacket and shirt, tossing it carelessly over the toilet seat. He was starting to feel nauseous just looking at himself.

Gut was right. He was a loser.

Y/N could see the self doubt forming in Adrian's eyes, and she sighed softly, making her way over to him and kneeling between his legs.

Without saying a word, she began untying his shoelaces and removed his shoes as she went along. Adrian didn't say anything as he watched her, allowing her to take control of his clothes and actions. She could only imagine how uncomfortable he felt in those clothes.

After undoing his tie, she pulled the buttons undone and left him in his undershirt. "Prom wasn't our scene anyway," she said simply as she grabbed a washcloth and started running it under warm water to wipe away any paint from his face and glasses.

Not so subtly, he glanced down at his hands as she continued wiping at his face. They were shaking slightly. He tried to suppress his nerves. And, like usual, she noticed. Her non-dominant hand conjoined with one of his as she continued cleaning his face.

"I'm sorry," he murmured quietly as he looked down at their hands. His breathing was coming out heavily. He tried to calm his heart rate, hoping she wouldn't see how much it had thrown him.

"No need to apologise. You don't have anything to be sorry about," she replied, standing and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Wasn't your fault. Far from it."

Slowly, Y/N assessed his hair; his curls were tangled and messy, his dark brown hair sticking everywhere and globbed together with clumpy paint. "Should wash away, I think. I'll bring you a towel and some dry clothes, okay?"

With that, she got up and moved out of the bathroom. A few moments passed and Adrian stared blankly at her bathroom wall. His gaze eventually travelled to his hands, now resting limply on his lap.

How pathetic.

"Hey there, handsome." He jolted as he saw Y/N's familiar smile appear next to his head. She held a pair of grey sweatpants, a plain black t-shirt and a towel in her hand, smiling kindly at him as she handed them over. "Here. Take a shower."

A shower sounded good. It sounded better than sitting around feeling awkward in a ruined tux. As soon as his head hit the cool, soothing spray, he felt some tension leave his shoulders and he let out a soft sigh. He needed this. He stayed in the shower for longer than necessary and when he dried himself off, he noticed all the bruises once he looked into the mirror.

His lip trembled slightly as he looked at his battered reflection, a look of pain crossing his features. What a horrible night he'd had. All because...?

Gut and his friend didn't want him to have one fun night? Why would they do that? Was it really such a big deal? Or were they trying to humiliate him or push him into freaking out? Or maybe they wanted him to cry? He sighed again as he looked into his own tired eyes and brushed back his wet, unruly curls as he thought about the fact that he would never, ever have a chance with her now.

Not after this, that is.

There was no point in him trying.

Not anymore.

"You changed, mush?" Y/N called out from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Just a moment."

For some reason, he took that as his cue to scramble his clothes on, attempt to tame his hair and get out of the bathroom as fast as he could. She was waiting patiently outside the door when he emerged, her expression softening as she caught sight of his appearance.

"You've changed too?" he asked curiously as she guided them to her room. "You could've gone without me, angel."

"I could've, but it would've been so fucking boring without you."

Back in those days, she always knew what to say to make him feel better.

"Besides, I've got a new plan. Wanna hear it?" He nodded. "You. Me. Your dad's car. We buy overpriced takeout for the fun of it. We drive to the lookout and completely stuff our faces and talk and hang out till twenty minutes past our curfew when we realise 'Oh shit, we should be back by now' and we get in a little bit of trouble but it's quickly blown over."

She took a breath. "What do you think?"

He couldn't help a chuckle slipping out. "Sounds pretty cool."

That's what they did that night.

Taking a sip of his beer, Chris chuckled, "Oh, you had to see his face. Fucking priceless," and Y/N's jaw clenched. That wasn't the response she wanted, but it had been the one she was expecting.

Her expression was one of pure anger as she glared daggers at Peacemaker and his lack of remorse at the situation. If looks could kill, he'd have been burnt to a crisp already.

Though, she kept her voice steady as she explained, "Years later he told me that he'd been trying to gather the courage to ask me for weeks. Every day when he thought he'd finally worked up the nerve, he'd try and somehow you or Gut would do something that made him rethink everything."

Chris grinned. "That does sound like us alright."

"Eventually, he did. To his and only his surprise, I said yes. He was so excited. You know how he gets," Y/N sighed fondly and shook her head, musing out loud, "The same happened after our engagement but multiply it by ten. He would've been insufferably excited after the wedding."

"He would've been," he agreed. "You know when he gets so overwhelmed that he starts vibrating? I swear he would've internally combusted as you walked down the aisle."

Y/N let out a dry laugh as she sipped her drink, nodding in bitter agreement as she thought about the possibility of that day.

That day could've been the happiest day of her life if it weren't for Gut.

"Anyway," she continued, shaking herself free from these memories as she refocused her attention onto their surroundings, "My, um, reminiscing has a point. I want to thank you, which is a sentence I never thought I'd say. Thank you for - somewhat - looking after Adrian while I was gone."

Both of them knew for a fact that Chris had barely tried. If anything, he urged Adrian to go deeper into the whole Vigilante side of his life. She had been so mad, so furious when she found out about all of the crimes Vigilante had committed when she was allowed back into society.

"He's going to need you again, just to let you know."

It sounded like a threat.

That's because it was.

A familiar sounding Sebring could be heard pulling up on Chris's drive. He was five minutes early. Y/N noticed. Chris did not.

She moved closer to Peacemaker. "I want you to actually care for him this time, and to be honest I'm worried that he might not be able to bounce back from this one," she confessed, lowering her voice. Chris remained silent as he gave her a confused expression. He didn't understand but he soon would.

Seeing Adrian out of the corner of her eye, Y/N slid her hand to the side of Chris's face in a faux loving manner and placed her lips against his. He stood still, shocked at first, but because he was actually getting some action and he was never one for turning that down, Chris kissed back almost instantly.

Adrian watched as the two people he loved most in the world shared a kiss and it left him speechless.

No words came to mind as he glared at the love of his life and his best friend. The people who had broken his heart and had stolen away his happiness for years and years. The people who hurt him more than anyone else ever did.

Without another word, Adrian stormed back to the Vigilante-mobile, climbed inside and slammed the door behind him, glaring out the window and gritting his teeth. He was seething. He was so, so mad. The mere idea of that person touching his Y/N again angered him so deeply that he felt tears forming in his eyes.

This wasn't fair. This wasn't right.

Had it always been Chris? Of course it had been. If someone had to pick between cool, muscly Chris Smith and nerdy, weak Adrian Chase, there was an obvious winner.

Shit. How long had it been going on? Maybe years? Who knows? Did this start when they were still together? Did Adrian ever hold Y/N's heart?

Or had she always preferred Chris?

Chris must've been the man on the phone the night before.

Pulling back from the smooch, Y/N let a tear fall down her cheek. "Thanks for help, pissmaker. I hope we never see each other again," she muttered sadly, wiping the tear away with her sleeve as she turned around. "Please, just make sure he doesn't blow his brains out. I'm not worth it."

Still, Chris was beyond confused.

"Y/N, what the fuck? You can't just say shit like that," he yelled angrily, grabbing her wrist in an attempt to keep her from leaving. Y/N struggled to break free but gave up almost instantly. Pulling a frustrated sigh from her lips she turned around once more, staring straight into Chris's eyes.

"I thought you guys would have put it together by now. I disappear and Gut is found dead the next day. Hardly seems like a coincidence."

Silence.

Chris's breathing became heavier as he tried to process what he'd just heard.

"Wha...?" he mumbled, unable to speak clearly due to the shock of hearing all of this.

"Did you know he was dealing? I didn't... until I happened to kick a criminal a little too hard and send him flying into a brick wall."

Her face contorted into a grimace as she recalled how Gut had screamed out in pain upon impact as his client bolted in the opposite direction. She laughed sadly under her breath.

"The ambulance couldn't save him in time."

The atmosphere grew heavy after her statement. Neither spoke for a long, painful moment as Chris processed everything Y/N had just dumped on him. Y/N's words reverberated around his skull as he let her go. She left silently as he tried to figure out how to respond to what she'd just told him.

What was he supposed to do with any of that information?

All this time, Y/N had been the one who killed Gut. Why she left made sense now.

Who knows how much time passed before he was startled by Harcourt's icon appearing on his phone and Chris hesitantly answered the call. "What have you done? Where is Y/N?" She exclaimed on the other line. His brows furrowed as he sat down on the floor.

"Y/N? She-" his voice trailed off as he glanced up at the clock. 12:24.

Adrian hadn't arrived yet...

There was silence from the end of the phone before she spoke again, her voice filled with rage and concern all mixed together. "Why has Vigilante just insisted that we never contact him again?"

Chris swallowed hard, feeling the dread rising in the pit of his stomach. Only then he understood why Y/N had come to see him today.

"Fuck."

As Y/N drove to the only place she knew would help her calm down, her mind continued the rest of the story she'd told Chris. It was hard to drive with tears in her eyes but despite all that, she managed.

Sat shoulder to shoulder on the hood of Adrian's fathers car, the teenagers shared a huge pizza that there was no way they were going to be able to eat it all. The car radio could faintly be heard as they gazed out into the night sky. The stars above seemed incredibly bright compared to the city lights below.

Despite the day he'd had, young Adrian was happy to spend his night with a regular clothed Y/N. "You looked really pretty in your dress, by the way. Sorry I didn't say it earlier," he admitted nervously, scratching at his neck with a grin spread across his face.

"I did?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! You look great. I mean, you're beautiful, y'know. You always look pretty, but that dress was, like, bam!" He paused. "You're the prettiest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Y/N smiled softly before turning back towards the starry night, her cheeks flushing pink. Adrian let out an embarrassed chuckle as he leaned back on the hood, stretching himself out as he did so. The wind whipped through his hair as he let out a sigh.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Adrian hummed in response, shrugging lightly as he turned his head towards her.

"Honestly? Yeah. I'm okay," he answered, his gaze falling downward as he stared at the ground, fidgeting slightly. His hands reached up unconsciously, running them through his hair in nervousness.

After a few moments of comfortable quiet between the two teenagers, Adrian broke the tension. "They did a shitty thing, I know that. It's not gonna change if I get angry or something, though. But..." He took a deep breath, finally raising his eyes to meet Y/N's once more. "Thank you, by the way. For taking care of me."

"Oh mush, I'll always take care of you."

"No! I don't want it to be like that anymore!" he protested. "I... I mean I appreciate it but I wanna help you out in return! Y'know?" Y/N smiled softly at Adrian and nodded her understanding.

There was a minute of silence, then Adrian reached over and grabbed Y/N's hand with his, lacing their fingers together. It was a bold move in his head but for some reason, Adrian felt confident that it would work. Her cheeks flushed pink as she shyly raised her eyes toward his as well, giving him a tiny smile and squeezing his fingers gently.

And he felt comfortable enough to say, "All I wanted was to have one, like, movie prom night. Somebody spikes the punch. The one weird girl - maybe Stephie Andrews or one of her friends - catches the eye of one of the jocks. Two of the teachers spark up a romance.... I don't know, maybe... the nerd finally gets the balls to ask the girl he likes to dance."

At least, that was his plan.

"I knew it wouldn't be perfect. Nothing ever is. I... I just wanted to be a guy. One night where I'm a normal dude and not some idiot that people laugh at."

When he finished his confession, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't dare to look at Y/N for fear that she'd think that he was just being ridiculous. Instead, he focused on their intertwined hands instead. The longer he stared, the more he began to blush and his heart rate skyrocketed.

His body tingled and buzzed with excitement and butterflies danced in his stomach, making him feel giddy. It wasn't often that he felt such overwhelming emotions and the thought of confessing his love and getting rejected made him extremely sad.

However, with Y/N there, he felt safe and happy. As long as he was with her, he'd never feel alone again.

Then, she let go of his hand and he was preparing himself for the worst. But no, she hopped off the hood of the car and rushed to turn the radio up.

"Adrian Allen Chase, I've been dying to dance with you all night - would you do me the honour?" she begged with a wide smile. He grinned widely before hopping off the hood as well.

They began dancing slowly, both smiling widely and laughing as they held each other close. They swayed awkwardly back and forth, giggling like children as their bodies brushed against each other. Their hearts thudded loudly in their chest as their eyes locked onto each other.

The dancing itself was as awkward as two teens who had never done it before had expected, but they didn't mind in the slightest. There was nothing wrong with stumbling around like fools and holding each other.

All that mattered was that they were together.

"So...you asked the girl you liked to the dance, huh?" she teased gently, causing him to groan and roll his eyes.

"You picked up on that?"

Before Adrian could reply, Y/N raised her hand to his cheek and gave him a kiss on the other one, which caused his mouth to open in astonishment. He blushed furiously as she rested her head against his shoulder and looked up at him with a twinkle in her eyes, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

"Hey, it seems like our feelings are mutual."

He couldn't contain the giggle that escaped him when he realised what she meant. With an astounded shake of his head, he closed the distance between them and went in for a kiss.

On the first try, he was too excited and bumped their foreheads together.

The second try, she forgot to turn her head and their noses squished against each other.

They finally got it right in their third try.

Slowly, the pair pressed their lips against each other for the first time after years of waiting. It was experimental at first - the need to take things slowly with each other overwhelming both of them - but quickly grew more confident as they lost themselves within it. It didn't matter where or how they touched each other; their entire being was consumed by pure adoration.

As the passion increased, Adrian had no idea what came over him as he walked Y/N back over to the car and pressed her up against the bumper. Her soft gasp of surprise was all he needed to hear to know that he'd done something she liked. He kissed down her jawline and across her exposed collar bones. He could feel himself growing more aroused and desperate to taste her skin, to breathe her scent.

It was all too much - the hunger he was feeling, the desperation, the warmth, the pressure.

All of the feelings coursed through him. He wanted her, needed her. Adrian didn't know whether he should break the kiss to pull away or continue kissing down her neck and collarbones - his hands wandering everywhere as he explored her body.

"Sorry! Sorry, got carried away. Should've asked," he mumbled apologetically, resting his forehead against hers. Y/N shook her head slowly, her breathing still heavy as she tried to catch her breath.

"I liked it." He looked up at her with shock on his face as a faint blush crept up his cheeks.

"What? You did? Really?"

Y/N couldn't help but laugh softly as she leaned up on her toes to press another gentle kiss to his lips.

Adrian felt like his brain was short circuiting. He was sure that this had to be the happiest moment of his life. He wrapped his arms tightly around Y/N, pulling her closer to him as he peppered her face with kisses.

"Oh angel, you're never going to be able to get rid of me now, you do know that, right?" he asked quietly, nuzzling into the side of her neck gently.

"Wouldn't want to."

More and more smooches were given and received. It didn't take long before the couple found themselves in the back seats and giving and receiving other things too. Prom night things. Things neither of them were entirely sure about how to do, but tried their best at nonetheless.

└─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────┘

Parking up in the same spot from her memory, Y/N let her gaze fall on the horizon, which looked a lot less vibrant and hopeful now she'd grown up. It was almost scary seeing the familiar landscape that she had come to rely on to comfort her now seemed bleak and empty.

She bit her lip as the sobs started in her shoulders, tears streaming down her face as she struggled not to cry harder. She wiped the tears off her face harshly as she sniffled and blinked rapidly to keep herself composed. Her vision was blurry as her breaths hitched painfully. Her chest tightened and her throat burned as she fought to choke down the lump that had begun to form. She didn't want to be here anymore, she didn't want to be thinking about everything that she'd gone through. Everything that she'd sacrificed. She had to get out of here.

"Hey Mom, can you put Eowyn on the phone for me?" Y/N pleaded as her mother picked up her call, her voice slightly shaky. Her mother was quick to oblige and handed the phone off.

Though it was quiet at first, Y/N heard her breathing before she said anything. Then came the excited "Hi mommy!"

"Hi baby. How are you, my lovely?"

The little girl replied by talking about everything she had been doing and asking her mother all sorts of questions. After a while of hearing Eowyn talk about what fun she was having, Y/N managed to compose herself and stop crying.

Even though she couldn't see her daughter, she smiled fondly at the image of how she always spoke with her hands. How'd she pushed her glasses up, but very frequently missed and poked herself in the eye. How her green eyes sparkled whenever she spoke about what toys she played with that day. She always made Y/N proud.

That was what mattered most. Even if she wasn't there physically, Y/N was always thinking about her, looking forward to spending time with her and talking with her.

Everything Y/N did, she did to ensure her little girl never found herself in Waller's clutches. To prevent her from losing any of her innocence. To make one hundred percent sure that she never followed her parents' illegal ways.

"Are you ready to start school soon, mush?" Y/N questioned, getting out of the car and sitting down on the dirt with her back resting against the bumper of her car.

"I'm ready for you to come home," her daughter pouted cutely, causing Y/N to roll her eyes playfully despite the fact that Eowyn couldn't actually see her. "I miss you," the girl added in a quieter tone, causing Y/N to feel her heart swell with affection.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll be home sooner than you think," she promised her daughter before adding softly, "I'm ready for me to come home too."

Once again, the sound of a familiar sounding Sebring was getting closer and closer to the viewpoint. Recklessly, Adrian pulled his car next to Y/N's - not even realising she was there - and slammed his car door. He mirrored his ex-lover and sat against his car.

"Hey little one, I better go. Okay? I'll see you soon," she cooed into the phone lovingly.

"Okay momma, I love you lots. Bye bye!"

"Love you too. Tell Nana that she'll hear from me soon."

With that, Y/N ended the call. She sighed quietly, staring down at her knees while she listened to the sounds of the music drifting towards her ears once more. She didn't move at all, didn't speak. She knew this conversation wouldn't go anywhere.

Looking up, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she saw Adrian had decided to come over and sit next to her. Though his expression remained stoic and distant, she could tell that he was nervous as hell. His leg was bouncing underneath him and his knuckles were white as he gripped onto his cardigan.

"Why?"

Now that was the question that had been swimming around his head since the night before.

Letting out a deep huff, Y/N simply said, "I need to get out of my contract with Waller." Her face scrunched up in distaste as she thought back to how she found herself at Waller's beck and call.

As much as she hated being indebted to someone like Waller, it had to be done. Pregnancy and prison don't go together, even if you are a crime fighting vigilante. Y/N made that decision to ensure her daughter would be born in the comfort of Y/N's mother's home, without the presence of shady doctors that could do tests on the newborn or the menacing glares of her fellow inmates.

What Y/N never could've guessed was the sneaky clause Waller added in the small print. "Amanda Waller owns my body and anything that it produces. I didn't know that when I signed."

There was no hesitation in her tone and no fear that she might have upset him by saying this. If anyone deserved to know the truth, it was Adrian. After all, they'd gone through hell together and she wanted nothing more than to give the puzzle pieces to why she'd messed his brain up. She owed him at least that much after what she'd put him though.

A heavy sigh escaped from his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. This was one conversation he really wasn't looking forward to having but there was no avoiding it now. At first, he came to the look out to be alone yet, clearly, they both had the same idea. That thought gave him a small amount of hope; maybe things could work out.

"Anything that it produces," he repeated her words. The phrase sent a shiver down his spine because he knew exactly what those four words meant. Releasing a deep groan, Adrian buried his head in his hands as he cracked the case.

Chris wasn't who she spoke to on the phone. She'd never spoken softly to him before, never in her entire lifetime. Once Adrian realised, 'Oh shit, Y/N has been manipulating me', he knew that Peacemaker was just a buff pawn of hers. A stupid pawn at that.

Weirdly, it felt like his world was coming together, slowly but surely. The clues he'd picked up on and thought, 'huh, weird', made sense. Every time the pair got too close and things seemed too real for Y/N's liking, she'd either tell him it was getting late and he should get home or she'd hurry into the next room where he could hear her muttering to herself about breathing exercises.

Every time she was reluctant to kiss him.

Or hug him.

Or talk about her personal life over the past five years.

Or that time she was inconsolable for days when the team was instructed to assassinate a flied four year old girl with green eyes and pigtails.

"You have a kid." He pointed out, breaking the silence. His eyes were trained on hers, watching for any hint of a lie, any sign of deceitfulness. But the way she looked away and fidgeted with her fingers told him everything he needed to know.

Her eyes fell to the floor, her cheeks flushed pink as she murmured, "Yes." She looked so vulnerable right now, almost afraid. And that scared him.

For a second, he actually wondered whether he could love another woman. Whether he could love anyone else but Y/N because that would be a whole lot easier. Then reality hit him square in the gut and he realised just how ridiculous such thoughts were. Y/N was Y/N and he loved her, always will love her.

No matter what kind of baggage she carried with her, or if she was under the thumb of an evil mastermind like Waller, she was still Y/N underneath it all. Despite how many masks she wore, her heart was still there to remind Adrian that she was still the same girl who cleaned him up on prom night, the same hero that he fought beside, and the same woman he'd proposed to.

In the end, no matter what Waller tried to pull, he wasn't letting that bitch win.

"How old?"

"Wynnie will be five on Monday."

Strange. Five. It may have been a coincidence but Y/N and Adrian had been together around the same time as the conception...wait a minute.

It took every bit of willpower not to reach over and hold her hand; to pull her closer and wrap her in his arms. Instead, he kept his arms folded across his chest, refusing to let anything show in front of her. Even then, his hands twitched slightly, wanting desperately to feel her soft skin beneath his own.

"Her full name is Eowyn Grace L/N."

Oh, how he could start sobbing and never stop. "G-Grace? Like my mom?"

"Your mother was a very nice lady."

Tears brimmed the corners of his eyes as he stared intently at Y/N, but he sniffed and blinked them away, forcing himself to stay stoic. He wouldn't show weakness in front of her, not when she could so easily use it against him.

Before he could ask the question on the tip of his tongue, Waller decided to do her daily report with her employee early. Y/N shot up her finger to stop him from speaking before answering.

"Mission achieved, my little Siren. Vigilante has officially been kicked off the team."

The words felt like a dagger going straight through Adrian's stomach. Especially the phrase 'my little Siren' as Waller seemed to take pride in her acquisition of Y/N's being. In that moment, he couldn't bear to watch anymore as Y/N's gaze met his. Her beautiful eyes were glassy, rimmed red with dried tears as the pain etched itself upon her face. Adrian couldn't stand seeing her like that.

Still, Y/N held her forefinger to her lips and placed the phone down, putting it on speakerphone to be completely transparent.

"I did as you wanted me to."

"Yes you did."

"Now I've fulfilled all my requirements, have I not?"

Waller laughed. She actually laughed. And not only did that make Adrian's blood boil but he couldn't help the anger that welled up inside him. "Well, there was this mission in Arizona that I put your name down for, but after that? I'll think about it," Waller explained, her voice oozing with smugness.

"I was told that this would be my last mission," Y/N protested, trying hard not to stutter as she clutched tightly onto her shirt.

"By who?"

"By you."

"Oh, did you get it in writing?"

Y/N's bottom lip quivered as she shook her head and closed her eyes, feeling her shoulders sag. How could she've been so stupid. Of course Waller wouldn't let her leave. In anguish, Y/N hit her head against the bumper behind her causing her hair to fall into her face. She quickly brushed it away as she heard Waller chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Without any physical evidence, it's your word against mine." Y/N let out a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose as she stared out into nothing. Waller spitefully added, "You know, I distinctly remember you agreeing to let young Eowyn join our minor unit during our last talk."

Amanda could practically be seen smirking, knowing full well Y/N was just seconds away from snapping and punching her through the phone line. It took all her effort to stay calm.

But Waller wasn't done yet. "Or did I put you down for two missions? Could've been five for all I know. Maybe you'll be booked up for the next year."

Swallowed thickly, Y/N was fighting hard against the urge to slam her fist through something. She hated the smug bitch, she hated what she stood for and the power Waller held. But more than anything, she hated the way she treated those who she felt owed her, especially Y/N. The feeling of resentment towards someone like Waller who used them as tools to achieve her own goals was one that would ever go away.

And so, she bit back the retort that had formed on the tip of her tongue and instead opted to remain silent, hoping to avoid provoking her.

Silence hung heavy in the air, filling the space between the pair until finally Waller broke it by sighing dramatically, "Look, kid, you know your options. You. That brat of yours. Or that third option that I think your friend sat beside you would love to hear."

Shit. Of course Waller would track Adrian's phone and know that it was right next to hers. How stupid of them.

Almost comically, Adrian's eyes widened in shock. "What's the third option?" he asked, whether it was to Y/N or Amanda he had no idea.

"You want to tell him or do you want me to?" Waller questioned in an almost teasing manner. Adrian swallowed dryly, suddenly becoming anxious.

The words wouldn't come out of Y/N's mouth.

"Siren's taking too long. Option three is to blow your brains out, Chase."

Adrian visibly flinched. His mind went blank, unable to think of what to say. He wanted nothing more than to break the call off, he didn't want to hear anymore. He couldn't breathe. He felt trapped. Waller didn't seem to care, didn't care at all about anyone but herself.

Then, something overtook every rational thought that occupied his mind. "What about an option four?"

"Illuminate me with your idea, Vigilante."

"I serve the rest of Y/N's contract. Full contract. That's another five years, right?"

"Correct," Amanda confirmed, intrigued by what he was offering. Waller wasn't surprised, they could tell just by her tone. He gulped loudly, his breathing becoming quick as he prepared himself for the inevitable outcome of his decision.

"I'm an excellent marksman and fighter. Although I'm not as... socially experienced as Siren, I can kill and I can kill with ease."

Beside him, Y/N was furiously shaking her head. This was a bad idea. It was her sentence to complete, not his.

"Strange that you'd offer to serve in her place after what she did to get it in." Waller paused. "Did you ever tell him what you did, Y/N?"

"She killed my brother."

Over time Adrian had noticed that every time Gut had come up in conversation, Y/N would get quieter. Her eyes would begin to water slightly before she excused herself to the bathroom. He would always watch her leave, wishing to follow after her and comfort her, to hold her and hold her tight, but he knew that she would brush away his help.

The timing of her departure and Gut's death had always seemed off. The coroner had ruled his death accidental and, while the police claimed it was due to some form of drug deal gone south - which was sort of the truth - Adrian had always had his suspicions.

At his admission, Y/N's hands were trembling as she brought them to her face and covered her cheeks. Without hesitation, Adrian reached over and grasped her hands between his, rubbing soothing circles into her skin with his thumb. With her eyes still firmly shut, she leaned forward, resting her forehead against Adrian's shoulder, hiding her face once again.

"Five years and then we're both out," he spat down the phone. He could feel the blood running in hot torrents through his veins and the pounding of his heart in his ears. He could feel the weight of Waller's gaze from the other line. "I would like time to go over the contract once you send it."

"We have a deal. Good luck, Vigilante."

Click. Waller hung up.

After hanging up the call, Adrian huffed, "Wow, she's so scary!" He let himself smile for a brief second before it faltered again as he looked down at Y/N, worry etched across his features.

"Sorry. Sorry, I got snot all over your cardigan and I-"

Adrian lifted his hands to cup the side of Y/N's face and caressed her cheekbones, trying his best to distract himself as he watched as the colour drained from her face when his deal finally sunk in for her.

"You didn't have to do that," she whimpered, placing her hands on top of Adrian's. "I'm not worth it."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it doesn't matter. Let me look after you for once."

Y/N let her forehead drop onto Adrian's chest as a soft sob escaped her. Adrian wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his body as he kissed the top of her head. He rubbed small circles in Y/N's back, gently swaying side to side, comforting and consoling his girl in the very place they'd originally got together.

She opened her eyes to him, her expression blank as the memories of everything she had seen flashed across her mind. All the missions she'd gone on. All the horrid targets she had to seduce. All the nice people she'd tricked and manipulated on Waller's behalf.

"I'm so sorry. I've ruined your life."

"See that's the thing, without you? I don't really have a life. Not one that I want to lead," Adrian pointed out calmly, a slight smirk gracing his lips. "I'd much rather have you in my life and things be a bit rocky than to go without you and angrily jerk off into your underwear every night."

A snort left her throat as she pushed herself upright again and ran her fingers along Adrian's jawline as she stared into his eyes. There was a lightness to them now, almost mischievous even. "You kept some?"

"Yep, burned a few but I still have my favourites collection. You remember the ones with Garfield on? Yeah, let's just say he's skipped out on lasagna and had a healthy diet of my cum for way too long."

"Gross!" she laughed. A grin tugged at the corners of Adrian's mouth and his dimples reappeared. Y/N couldn't believe how easily her laugh was coming back to her. It was still so foreign to hear it again.

They remained in each other's arms for a long period of time before finally pulling apart, Y/N reluctantly breaking away. After clearing her throat softly, she tried her best to sound composed as she looked up at Adrian, "Would you like to come on a road trip with me? I promised to surprise Wynnie and it's a long drive. I understand if -"

"She's my daughter, isn't she?" Adrian's voice was soft, but she understood. There was a look in his eye that screamed of hurt and frustration at the fact he'd missed the first years of his kid's life. She reached forward, gently taking his fingers in hers and intertwining their hands together.

"Yes. Yes she is."

"Alright then."

Y/N's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "... Alright?"

"Well, obviously I would want to go with you. I want to meet her, obviously." Adrian smirked as he let out a breathy chuckle, running a hand through his hair. "What's she into? I want to get her a birthday present."

Like her father, the answer was "Dinosaurs."

"Oh, fucking sick!" Adrian yelled gleefully, startling Y/N a little as she jumped a little at the sudden outburst. He'd never liked being quiet. But now? Because, honestly, the fact that he got to see his daughter, to spend time with her, made him want to scream from the rooftops in delight.

The ride to Y/N's mother's house was long but the pair didn't waste a single moment. They spent the entire time going over everything. Y/N divulged everything that had happened during the past couple of years, giving detailed descriptions of Waller's treatment of her, her coercion, and even the times she'd threatened to hurt Eowyn.

Obviously, Adrian was outraged by the mere mention of it all. He swore revenge. He vowed to protect his child, and if anyone dared to lay a finger on her again, he'd end them. No doubt in the fact that Waller would pay dearly for insinuating that she'd hurt his child.

"I don't know if you want to know this -"

"I said to tell me everything, so tell me," Adrian cut Y/N off, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

"You were both my easiest and hardest target. It's easy to fake love if the love is real, but because I love you, every single move was like twisting the knife in even further." A bitter chuckle escaped her lips. "I can't apologise enough, especially for all those things I said that made you cry."

Honestly, he was still hung up on the mid part of her little speech. "Say it again," he demanded, his jaw set firmly and determination swimming through his eyes.

"Say what?" Y/N asked in confusion.

"That you love me."

For a split second, Y/N hesitated. The words felt heavy in her mouth. But there was no going back. If he didn't hear her say those words, she would never be able to let them go again. As far as she was concerned, they belonged to him. "I love you, Adrian," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper as she watched as a grin began to creep up on the corner of his lips. "So much that sometimes I can't stand it."

He chuckled slightly and squeezed Y/N's hand. "Then make sure you keep saying it every day, or else I might forget." He bent forward and planted a kiss to Y/N's temple. "I don't trust you at this moment, but I do love you."

That was fair. That was completely fair.

With a happy sigh, she turned her body towards him so she was completely facing him. "I love you." Her words were slow, careful. "I always have. I always will." She watched the light flicker on in his eyes before leaning over the gearstick to kiss his cheek and muttering the same words over and over again. "Love you so goddamn much."

One declaration of her love then a kiss. This action was repeated until a small smile appeared on his face. "Did I say you could stop?" he mumbled when she went to pull away and she gave a quick chuckle before resuming the cycle. It was so simple but it worked wonders as his smile grew wider and happier and the tension in his shoulders slowly eased away. He held onto her hand and placed a kiss on it, before forcing himself to focus solely on driving.

"Wake me up in an hour so we can switch," Y/N murmured drowsily before closing her eyes and letting sleep overcome her.

What would be considered a grateful grin rested on Adrian's lips as he watched Y/N fall asleep against the passenger seat window, the steady purr of the engine lulling her to rest. His heart swelled and ached at the sight of her; she truly was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Even if she had been a scheming little bitch recently, she was his scheming little bitch.

Once they'd switched, Adrian managed to get some sleep before they reached their destination. He wanted to be as prepared as possible for the biggest moment of his life. Making a good first impression on his daughter was paramount. And if he was being honest with himself, the idea of it was making him feel rather nervous.

In no time, he was being woken up to a gentle nudge on his shoulder. "We're here," she whispered, gently rubbing the nape of his neck to help soothe away the anxiety that was bubbling inside. It took him a while to collect himself.

"Baby, she's a miniature you. Seriously, you have nothing to worry about," Y/N reassured with a smile when she noticed the slightly apprehensive look on his face.

"Need a good luck kiss?"

A scoff slipped from her lips as she rolled her eyes, but leant in to place a soft peck on his lips nevertheless. Well, it initially was soft. As soon as their lips touched, Adrian quickly deepened the kiss. He pulled Y/N closer towards him as his hands travelled under her shirt and found themselves tracing up and down her spine as he moved their mouths together with renewed passion.

She moaned quietly at the contact, allowing herself to melt into his touch, her mind going numb for a moment as their kiss became more passionate and heated. It wasn't long before he broke the kiss. He looked down at Y/N as she blinked rapidly, looking somewhat dazed, though her cheeks were flushed red.

He was instantly transported to all their teenage rendezvous'. All of the times they'd kept their romance to the inside of whichever parent allowed them to use the car for the night. Mr L/N would be turning in his grave if he knew how many times the young couple defiled the backseats of his old car.

"Ade, I think you're trying to distract yourself," she mumbled between kisses, giggling when his hands squished her hips playfully in response. She ran her fingers through his messy brown curls, feeling how they stood on end beneath her palms. "And I think we should probably go inside before the neighbours start talking."

A mischievous smirk came across his face. "I don't really care about who sees us right now," he replied huskily, his hot breath fanning across her skin and sending shivers of pleasure throughout her body. "Let's give them a show, huh?"

"As fun as that sounds, the neighbours probably aren't too fond of loud noises," she smiled, her hand resting gently on his chest to push him away. Adrian pouted, but relented. He couldn't fault her reasoning - he was a loud boy. And while it wouldn't be terribly surprising if the whole neighbourhood heard them, he did not feel like dealing with that.

"Okay okay, fine. Let's go." Adrian sighed, reluctantly pulling himself away from her. The two got out of the vehicle and started walking towards the house.

Due to all of Waller's threats, the front door looked like a fortress. There was a keypad that Y/N showed him the password to and unlocked the door with ease, leaving them standing in the entrance hall where he turned and looked at her.

"You'll have to write the password down for me."

"Will do."

Usually, the sound of the door alerted the occupants that a certain someone had returned home. Since it was her birthday, Y/N guessed that Eowyn was too busy with her presents to hear it.

"Miss Wynnie, I think you have another gift at the door," Y/N's mother told the little girl who had suddenly stopped playing with her toys and looked up at her curiously.

Eowyn's excitement skyrocketed when she neared the door. "Mommy!" she exclaimed happily, jumping on her feet and running toward Y/N without hesitation. In a heartbeat, she ran straight at Y/N's legs with her arms extended outwards, gesturing that she wanted to be picked up.

Y/N grinned as she scooped Eowyn up into her arms. "Hey baby, did you miss me?" She pressed a kiss to her forehead and bounced her gently in her arms, her laughter escaping her lips at Eowyn's happy giggles.

As she looked up at Y/N with wide eyes and a huge grin plastered on her chubby face, the little girl suddenly froze. "Who are you?" she blurted out, her little face scrunching up in confusion as she saw the stranger standing beside her mother.

Adrian had no idea what to say. 'Hey, I'm your father. Sorry I haven't been around, but I had no idea that you existed until yesterday.' seemed far too blunt, and quite frankly, he couldn't think of anything better. But before he could say anything, Y/N beat him to it.

"Mush, you know the photo on the coffee table? The one of mommy and daddy?" Wynnie nodded. "Can you go get it for me?"

Without a single moment of hesitation, Eowyn took off running in the direction of the living room. Moments later, she returned holding the picture frame, her cheeks tinged pink due to exertion as she handed it over. "Thank you very much," Y/N smiled as she lifted the girl back in her arms so they could both look at the photo together.

Pointing to herself, Y/N asked, "Who's this, baby?"

"Mommy when she was younger."

Then she pointed to Adrian. "And this?"

"Daddy when he was younger."

To put the pieces together, Y/N held the photo next to Adrian. The little girl looked suspiciously between the photo and the real thing until she realised. Her eyebrows to knitted together in concentration, but as soon as the penny dropped, they relaxed and her eyes widened considerably. And to check, Eowyn looked back at her mother for confirmation that she didn't make a mistake. "Is that really Daddy?"

The question made Y/N smile. "Yes."

"Wow," was all the child said as she reached out to poke her finger at his nose, before moving to pinch his cheek. It was almost as if she was checking if he was real or not. If it wasn't for Adrian's chuckle, which made the little girl pause, Eowyn was just about to try and jab her finger under his glasses and into his eye.

Luckily enough, she decided against it, deciding instead to wrap her tiny arms around her mother's neck, burying her face into Y/N's shoulder. She sniffled quietly, clearly overwhelmed by the whole situation.

"Hey Eowyn?" Adrian spoke up, causing the little girl to lift her head up and glance back at him. "I've got this birthday present here, but I can't remember whose birthday it is."

"It's my birthday!"

"It is?" Adrian asked in faux surprise. Eowyn giggled and nodded enthusiastically, her momentary dip in energy forgotten by the promise of gifts. "Do you want this present then?" Adrian inquired, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

Bringing out the hastily wrapped present that he'd been hiding behind his back, Adrian held it out to his daughter. She let out a gasp in response and eagerly crawled out of Y/N's embrace to sit on the floor and unwrap it carefully; her big, green eyes never left the gift as she peeled away paper, revealing its contents.

"Oh! Ohhhh!" Eowyn yelled, showing off the dinosaur onesie that she received. "Fucking sick!"

For the past couple of months, one of the children's clothing shops in Evergreen had the green t-rex onesie in the window and every time Adrian passed it he thought, 'Wish I was small enough to fit in that.' And now, he had a reason to buy it. Sure, it wouldn't fit him, but it would be perfect for his little girl.

"Wynnie, what did I say about swearing?" Y/N's mother chastised as she came to see what all the fuss was about. Now, had she expected Adrian to be there? No. Was she surprised? Also, no.

"Sorry, grandma."

Eowyn couldn't help but giddily stare at her new clothes, hugging them tightly as her little heart swelled up from her happiness. Just as she'd done to Y/N, she barrelled herself at Adrian's legs and hugged him tightly, pressing her tiny cheek against his pant leg. He chuckled softly and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Happy birthday, pumpkin," he muttered as he bent down to lift her up in his arms, swinging her side to side slightly so she squeaked with delight, her smile reaching her ears as well. He placed a quick peck to the top of her head and rested his cheek against her hair.

There was no denying that he now understood one hundred percent of why Y/N had done what she'd done. If given the chance to protect Eowyn in any way, he'd throw himself into any danger he possibly could to keep her safe.

"Baby, why don't you go and put your onesie on while me and your dad go unpack the car?" Y/N cooed, smiling down at the little girl lovingly. Eowyn nodded enthusiastically and scampered off towards the bedroom, already looking forward to wearing her new outfit.

By the time the dinosaur outfit had been thrown on, Y/N and Adrian had brought their bags inside. The couple had just sat down on the couch when they heard a very cute "Rawrrr!" coming towards them followed by a pair of small footsteps.

"Hi princess."

"Not princess - I'm a vicious dinosaur." Eowyn replied matter of factly, staring at Adrian with narrowed eyes. Her words were met with a chuckle, which soon turned into a soft 'oof' as Adrian was hurled into the back of the sofa with the sounds of a battle cry in his ears.

Y/N, however, laughed out loud as she watched the scene in front of her unfold. When the little girl jumped onto Y/N and tried to get her in a headlock, Eowyn's smile didn't dim in the slightest.

"She was right about the vicious part. You are a ferocious beast, Eowyn," Adrian exclaimed, laughing like crazy while trying to catch his breath.

"She's definitely your kid, mush."

Before the adults knew what was happening, Y/N and Adrian found themselves tangled underneath Eowyn, with the little girl clinging onto each of them as though they were her jungle gym. The little girls hands tightened on their arms and chests as she buried her face into their stomachs and laughed loudly at their muffled grunts and groans.

"Rawrrrrr! Rrrrrrr!" the little girl shouted, shaking both her fists in the air excitedly. The sound of her childish voice resonated around the house. It echoed through the air and filled the atmosphere with a sense of warmth, laughter and joy. It felt so pure, so pure like nothing else Adrian had experienced.

Naturally, Adrian was completely captivated by Eowyn and her antics, loving every second of it. Every time she laughed, Adrian couldn't help but join in, feeling his cheeks heating up from the sheer happiness that flowed out of her.

"Ah, gotcha," he cheered when he managed to catch her in mid air as she was about to lunge at him again. He then proceeded to tickle her stomach relentlessly, making her laugh even more than she already was. His actions made the little girl giggle hysterically, squirming helplessly on his lap and struggling to escape his grasp, her little face beet red from laughing so hard.

As he finished tickling her, she began playing dead, her breathing heavy and her body still convulsing with laughter. Once her chest finally slowed to a steady pace once again, she opened her watery eyes, fixed her glasses and looked up at him with an expression of utter adoration. He stared down at the little girl as he gently tucked away some stray hairs behind her ear.

Looking at her, Adrian could see the parts of him she'd inherited. Her eyes and, therefore, poor eyesight. Her nose. Her excitable nature. He saw it everywhere. But, he couldn't deny the undeniable resemblance between Y/N and the little girl. Her hair was Y/N's. Lips. Cheekbones. Eyebrows.

"Daddyyy, you're crying."

Her little fingers touched her father's wet cheeks, but he tenderly pulled them away and wiped them away with the sleeve of his shirt. "I'm happy, my little monster," he assured her, cupping her delicate face in his palms and kissing her forehead. "That's all."

His statement seemed to satisfy her as she snuggled deeper into his chest, wrapping both arms around him and letting out a sigh that sounded half exhausted, half contented.

"Tired yourself out, huh?" Y/N asked as she brushed her hand through Eowyn's hair soothingly, knowing that the little girl was too tired to continue fighting anymore.

"No...I need cuddles."

Needy. Just like her father. But Adrian didn't mind. Not one bit. In fact, he could have happily stayed like this forever. For the rest of his life.

Father and daughter were glued at the hip for the rest of the day. When she'd decided that she'd had enough cuddles, Y/N could finally give her daughter the gifts she'd bought her - a bunch of school stuff that were dinosaur themed and a load of plushies that she knew would end up living on the end of Eowyn's bed as soon as they got upstairs.

Over time, Adrian ended up sitting on the floor, leaning back against the couch with Y/N's knees on either side of his head, and playing with the plastic figurines Eowyn had given him. She'd 'forced' him to come up with a bunch of different weird noises and voices for each figure. Y/N sat there and massaged Adrian's head as he made all these stupid sounds, giggling quietly in amusement when he did so, enjoying the sweet feeling of being able to relax after such a stressful couple of months.

For the first time, she had hope that they could be a regular, happy family. Admittedly, it wasn't as orthodox as most other families, but they would work at making Eowyn's upbringing as normal as possible.

"Bed time, Miss Wynnie," Y/N's mother said as she walked past the living room.

"Can Daddy stay over tonight? Please?" Eowyn asked. The pleading look on her little face told Y/N everything she needed to know. Of course, it wasn't a surprise.

"Up to him, baby."

Before Adrian had agreed - because it was a no brainer to him - Eowyn brought out the puppy dog eyes and Adrian knew why Y/N always used to give into him back in the day. They were so big and so sparkingly green - it was impossible not to succumb to the child's pout even if he wanted to. And he didn't want to. There was no resisting that adorable look of hers.

"I'd love to stay."

With a bright grin, Eowyn practically skipped towards the stairs, grabbing Adrian's arm and dragging him along with her. Y/N giggled before trailing after them, watching fondly as Eowyn threw herself onto the bed as quickly as she could and pulled the blanket up to her neck.

"I think you've forgotten to brush your teeth, stinker."

"Carry me to the bathroom?"

Adrian chuckled softly before picking up the little girl, carrying her towards the bathroom and depositing her on the counter top. He grabbed the toothbrush, squished some toothpaste on and initially went to hand it over. But then she opened her mouth and gestured for him to do it for her instead. He smiled and did as he was told, helping the girl brush her teeth.

Sneaky. Just like her mother.

"Eowyn Grace, you know you're capable of brushing your own teeth," Y/N pointed out as she placed a cup of water near the sink for the little girl.

"Well, dad wanted to do it for me," the little girl stated, grinning widely. Adrian just shook his head in response, chuckling slightly, before placing a kiss on his daughter's head.

Then it was onto the story time. Eowyn listened intently as her father read her a story, who was occasionally glancing to Y/N who would give him encouraging smiles or thumbs ups whenever he looked over at her.

"The end," he announced with a satisfied sigh as he closed the book and placed it aside. Eowyn's big eyes drooped as she yawned loudly. "Sleepy?"

She nodded her head, her eyes slowly drifting shut as she let the exhaustion settle in. After checking the little girl was fully asleep, Adrian turned back to Y/N with a soft smile on his face. "Come here, mush," she whispered before pushing off the doorframe she'd been leaning on and wrapping her arms around his torso as soon as he reached her. Adrian wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, hugging her close and planting a deep kiss on her temple.

"Thank you for coming," she mumbled quietly, tightening her grip on him. "It really means a lot to me. And to her." She glanced over at the sleeping little girl, her heart swelling at the sight of her peacefully resting in her onesie and clutching a pterodactyl plush to her chest.

"I'll always make time for my girls from now on."

Y/N melted at the sound of those words and stood up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. As usual, Adrian pulled her impossibly closer while wrapping his arms even tighter around her waist, lifting her off the ground and carrying her out of the view of their daughter. "Which bedroom is yours?" he asked teasingly, his lips hovering dangerously near her cheek as he spoke.

"Left."

With a chuckle, he walked in that direction and opened the door with ease, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. Y/N was pushed against the wall and kissed hungrily. She returned the kiss passionately, tangling her fingers through Adrian's thick hair and pulling slightly at the strands, smiling contently as he deepened the kiss with her.

"Want to make another kid?"

It was a lovely sentiment, but "Oh, I was advised to, uh, tie my tubes."

Shit. There was that idea out the window.

"Was it your choice?" Adrian questioned, his fingers running along her jawline before dropping to her collarbone.

A soft nod was her only response as she wrapped her leg around him, tugging him closer to her and pressing her lips firmly against his. "Yeah," she whispered against his lips, causing Adrian's breath to hitch in his throat, his hands gripping her hips tightly. "Only wanted you as my baby daddy, and back then I thought I'd ruined my chances."

Tenderly, Adrian nuzzled his nose gently against her, pressing kisses across her jawline and down her throat before moving on to her pulse point. A gasp slipped through her lips as he sucked on her skin, causing goosebumps to erupt all over her body and her stomach to flutter excitedly, a blush spreading all over her cheeks and down her neck.

"You're so damn beautiful," he murmured against her lips, his hands wandering up her sides as they pressed further into her chest, eliciting a moan from her lips. Adrian couldn't help the grin spreading across his face when he saw how flushed she was, how affected by him, and he pressed another kiss against her lips.

"You're so fucking gorgeous and sexy and..." he trailed off when he felt her legs wrap around his hips, her arms going around his neck. "I can't get enough of you."

The way he whispered those last few words sent a shiver down her spine. Her hands moved to the bottom hem of his shirt, fiddling with the edge to get it off. The moment the garment dropped to the ground, she dragged her lips away from Adrian's and gazed up at him, her pupils dilated as she stared deeply into his emerald pools.

"Bed?" she breathed, running her finger down his chest softly, causing an intake of breath from the man beneath her touch.

"Bed."

They wasted no more time in getting undressed, both of them stripping off every piece of clothing between them until they stood before each other naked and completely unable to keep themselves from kissing. Needy kisses devoured their lips hungrily as wrapped himself around Y/N from behind, grinding his pelvis against her butt feverishly.

"Fuck, you gotta tell me if you get uncomfortable at any point," he mumbled as he slid one hand under Y/N's panties, gently caressing her swollen clit in small circular motions. She moaned softly, letting her head fall back as she arched her back off the bed, allowing him better access to what he was doing to her.

"I trust you, Adrian. I'm good," she breathed out in response, her eyes falling shut with pleasure as she felt him slip two fingers into her, slowly beginning a rhythm that matched perfectly with the way her body moved.

His other hand was splayed across her neck, rubbing his thumb against the skin below her ear as he watched her reaction, admiring how she seemed to be in complete bliss. It was something he would never be able to get enough of; seeing Y/N looking utterly satisfied due to his actions. He could feel himself growing harder and harder as he watched her; his fingers pumping faster and deeper within her and sending her into an ecstasy she hadn't experienced in years.

"Look at me, sweetheart. Look at me." His voice was low, husky and commanding and Y/N complied, opening her eyes slowly and meeting his heated gaze, her eyes blown wide open and filled with lust, with desire and with need. She bit her lower lip to stop herself from moaning out loud - her mother and daughter still could hear, after all.

He smirked, his eyes trailing down her body. The sight alone was enough to send a rush of blood flowing through his veins, his cock throbbing painfully in its place. Her eyes were glued to his face and a small whimper managed to escape her and that diminished his final bit of patience.

"Suck on my thumb," he demanded and she obeyed instantly. Although, she did seductively drag her tongue up his digit before she took it into her mouth, sucking and swirling her tongue around it playfully.

"Such a slut..." He stopped. "Do you still like being called that? Is that okay?"

There was a slight pause as she thought about it, but she nodded.

"What about whore?"

That one was a little too far these day. Yeah, it had a different implication now. She shook her head.

"Got it."

Consent checked, they got back to the sexy times. "Be good and continue sucking, baby. Gonna need something to muffle you as I put it in," Adrian growled, sliding his hand under Y/N's thigh and lifting it so he had more room to slide his cock inside her wetness. He thrusted slowly at first, watching her facial expressions carefully to make sure she wasn't having second thoughts or anything.

But upon noticing how eager she seemed, he picked up the pace, thrusting harder and faster with each pass. A string of curses fell from his mouth and soon he was burying his face into the crook of her neck. His eyes screwed shut as he gritted his teeth together and grabbed at her breast roughly, pinching it between his long fingers as he fucked her with every inch of his cock.

"I've missed this pussy so much," he groaned between ragged breaths and deep throated huffs of air. His voice sounded gravelly as he pulled out of her quickly, making her yelp in surprise as he slammed back in.

They both panted harshly as he pounded, feeling the waves of pleasure roll through her body and pool in his cock. She let out a staggered breath at the feeling, her hands finding his head and holding onto his hair tightly as he pumped his hips into hers, feeling her clench around his cock repeatedly.

"So good, baby," he muttered against her ear.. "Just feel how good I am inside you, baby, just feel it and take it."

He pushed her so she was fully lying face down, propped a pillow under her stomach and crawled above her, placing kisses all over her shoulders and back before continuing to pound inside of her. Y/N was grasping at the pillow under herhead as he continued to fuck her like his life depended on it. His lips moved to her neck and shoulder, leaving tiny little marks there until he instructed, "Stick your tongue out for me."

Y/N obliged without a moment's hesitation, extending her tongue out so he could spit into her mouth. He chuckled lowly before giving her a big wet smooch. "You're mine, aren't you, angel?"

She nodded.

"Mine forever and always?"

Another nod.

"Say it for me."

"Always yours, Adrian," she uttered, her voice strained, a tear slipping down her cheek as she felt Adrian tighten his grip around her waist, driving into her harder than before. She cried out weakly as he continued to pump in and out, his head thrown back and breathing heavily in a mix of exhaustion and arousal as his hands tangled themselves into her hair tightly, desperately in order to stay connected to her.

"That's right, angel," he whispered, his lips crashing into hers in a heated kiss as he felt her orgasm ripple throughout her entire body.

A shudder ran through her body as she tightened around him, squeezing him hard before she came. He could feel it, his own orgasm rushing through his veins, making every nerve ending in his body buzz pleasantly as he spilled into her warm wetness. He collapsed onto her with heavy gasps, his fingers curling into the mattress beneath her and his forehead resting against hers as he fought to regain control of his breathing once again.

Then, a smug smile crept across his lips when he noticed the dazed expression on Y/N's face. "Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked teasingly and leaned forward, his nose nuzzling her cheek softly. He felt her giggle before he heard that familiar sound coming from her throat.

"For the first time in years, yes. Yes I did." He grinned widely. "Now get off, you're squishing my boobs."

Adrian rolled his eyes, chuckling quietly to himself as he removed himself from her, crawling off her back to lie next to her. They turned around to lie on their sides facing each other; their faces only inches apart, his head propped up by the palm of his hand while she laid on her side facing him. He ran his fingers down her arm lightly, enjoying the softness and smooth texture of her skin.

However, she didn't say anything, instead staring up at him in a dreamy sort of way, as if she had no idea what else to do or where to look. Her lips were parted slightly, just barely moving with each breathe she took and her beautiful eyes were clouded with emotion. She glanced around the bedroom before turning back to Adrian.

"I love seeing all this." She gestured to his naked body. "But, our daughter tends to lie about having a nightmare so she can sleep in the same bed as me for a night or two, so we better get some clothes on before we traumatise her."

"No problem," he said with a laugh, grabbing his discarded shirt to throw at her. She caught it before rolling off the bed with a playful glare. She slipped on the shirt, gave him a wink as she moved to find a pair of shorts and left for the bathroom.

This was the life, huh? It might not have been exactly what he had thought he'd end up. A year ago, if you'd asked Adrian where he'd be, he would've said 'Probably out killing bad guys and being sick as fuck'. But here he was, a father, happy as hell, and reunited with the love of his life.

As he scrambled to throw his pj's on, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he thought about everything that had happened. He'd come home to a completely new world full of life and happiness.

When Y/N returned, he let out a quiet wolf whistle at the sight that greeted his eyes. "Forgot what it feels like to see you in my clothes," he stated as she entered, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a quick kiss on his lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let's get some sleep while we still can."

"Yes ma'am."

A couple of hours later, the pair were awoken by the sound of a cute little voice asking, "Mommy? Mom? Mom...wake up!" Eowyn shook her mother awake gently, looking up at her with huge pleading eyes and a pouting bottom lip.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yup."

Y/N groggily patted Adrian on the hip so he'd move because she knew for a fact that Eowyn would position herself in the exact same way he was currently sleeping - head tucked under Y/N's chin and almost entirely sleeping on top of her. He sat up straight with a grunt, rubbing his eyes and yawning loudly as he stared at his daughter, whose bottom lip was now sticking out even further than before.

It was impossible to say no.

"Come here, lovely," Y/N cooed softly, holding her arms out to Eowyn as she crawled onto her chest and snuggled into her arms. "Baby, can you put your head on my other shoulder please? Daddy needs a pillow too."

Eowyn nodded and lifted her head up, leaning onto Y/N's other shoulder and letting out a sleepy whine. Y/N rubbed the child's back as she felt Adrian's head fall back down to its previous spot, his arm wrapping around the two of them protectively.

"Say goodnight to your father, mush."

"Night daddy. Love you," the little girl mumbled, closing her eyes and falling asleep in seconds.

"Love you too, princess."

Waller may have won the battle, but to him, Adrian won so much more than the war. He'd finally found happiness after going through so many ups and downs. And that victory meant far more to him than he cared to admit. As he watched his daughter's breathing ease into sleep, he closed his eyes and knew that it would all be worth it in the end.

For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or health, as long as his girls were by his side, nothing could ever keep them apart.

#Youtube

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thewatermelloncat · 4 years

Text

Glancing Over

Summary: On a mission and completely out of their depth, the Umbrella Academy realises that it isn’t just their powers that make them a formidable team. It only took them their most underestimated sibling to show them that.

Author’s Note: Inspired by an idea I posted about a while ago. I am so stoked to finally be posting this, let me know what you think.

Warnings: Swearing and violence (not graphic but still be warned).

Tag list:

@alive-and-afraid

@atrono

@candydancey

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If Klaus never heard that alarm again it would be too soon. Groaning dramatically, he rolls over in his tangle of sheets throwing a pillow over his ears. From the darkness outside his window he guesses it can’t be too far past midnight - and honestly, fuck that alarm for waking him up on one of the few nights he had been able to sleep with his insomnia.

Maybe he can fall back asleep, the edges of unconsciousness are still around him. Gripping the pillow tighter over his ears, he closes his eyes and wills himself to drift off again.

“Get up!” Diego calls out from his doorway, throwing a pair of bundled up socks at him.

Klaus growls dramatically turning over to face him, throwing him a glare that would be a lot more threatening if he weren’t still half asleep.

“Everyone’s almost ready to leave” Diego tells him, leaning against the door frame making it clear that he’s not moving.

“I didn’t know the thing still worked” he groans as he quite literally rolls out of his bed before stumbling around to find a change of clothes off his floor.

“We reactivated it after we agreed on doing missions again last week” Diego furrows his brow as Klaus shoves on a shirt – he thought he would have remembered that.

“Oh yeah, right” Klaus recalls, part of him now regretting agreeing to do missions again. “We don’t have to wear those stupid domino masks again, do we?”

Diego scoffs with a dismissive roll of his eyes. “Nah, you’ll never see me in one of those again.”

“What is it anyway?” Klaus asks after jumping his way into a pair of pants and grabbing a pair of boots off the floor.

“Some sort of heist. Luther’s going to brief us in the car” Diego tells him as they set off through the hallways.

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“They’ve boarded up all the entrances” Allison informs as she runs up to them. Her, Five and Vanya having got to the scene before them in their own car.

“We should really invest in a minivan” Klaus notes as the groups join up with each other, but his comment is ignored.

“There’s no other way inside?” Luther asks, looking over to the museum where he can just make out various objects positioned behind the glass doors.

“Not without causing a racket and giving away our position” she tells him.

“Can you jump us inside?” Luther turns to Five.

The smaller boy hums his answer and shrugs his shoulders before they all latch hands and are whisked away.

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“How do you do that all the time?” Diego swallows forcefully after the portal dissipates leaving them standing in the middle of a gallery. “Anyone else feel sick?”

In the corner of his vision he sees Klaus raise his hand but all further of his complaints cut off as Five stumbles next to him.

“You get used to it” Five pants as Diego reaches out to stabilise him. After a few seconds to get his bearings he pushes himself away.

“You would do amazing on rollercoasters” Klaus raises as he pushes himself off the exhibit case he leant against, the world finally stopping spinning.

In a perfect scenario they would have landed in a secluded area where they could analyse the situation and plan a response from the inside. They quickly find this is not the case when a yell sounds from the mezzanine floor behind them. Abruptly they all turn around to see a man dressed in black combat gear raising his gun.

“Five” Luther says lowly.

Five nods his head, taking a step forward to disappear through a portal, though his path is blocked with the air unwilling to part for him. He growls in frustration, his hands clenching into fists and arms tensing as he tries again, only succeeding in turning the air around him blue. For a moment his arms fall limply to his sides as he tries to gather himself. Though before he can try for a third time Diego puts a hand on his shoulder and a knife wizzes past his ear, sinking into the chest of the man before he can pull the trigger.

Gratefully Five nods to him.

“You good?” Diego looks down at him.

“Tired” is all Five says as he rolls his shoulders.

Diego purses his lips and clasps a hand to his brother’s chest as Vanya speaks.

“You don’t think anyone else would have heard him yell?”

“Probably” Luther admits. “Klaus, can you summon the dead to scout the area?”

“I can’t” Klaus says.

“Why not? Have you even tried?”

“Well, Luther – of course I've tried” he quickly adds irritably when the last point registers. “I can’t say that the spirits are exactly happy about having the artefacts that they are connected to stolen.”

“But we’re trying to save them” Luther doesn’t quite understand.

“I’m not talking about the guys stealing them now, they’ve already been stolen” he gestures to the various cultural exhibits around them. “Besides, it’s not like they care that we weren’t the ones who took them.”

Luther draws a blank and goes quiet for a few seconds. “Just use Ben” he suddenly says like it’s obvious.

“I can’t reach him, there’s so many of them. Everything’s too loud.”

“Just settle down” Diego holds out a hand, playing peacemaker. He doesn’t want to imagine the amount of ghosts Klaus is seeing in a place like this, so he pushes for them to move on. “We’ll pair up and scout the surrounding area.”

Everyone falls silent and looks toward him.

“Purely recon, no engaging. Then meet back here in two minutes.”

“Well, anyone got a better idea?” Five asks after a few moments of silence. Habitually they all look to Luther.

“Nope” he shakes his head. “Pair up.”

If purely on habit they pair up in sequential order, moving to stand by their partner.

“Allison and Klaus, take the doors to the left. Five and Vanya, go up the mezzanine. Diego and I will take doors to the right” Luther assigns and they nod at their instructions. “If you run into any trouble yell out and meet back here.”

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It becomes clear as soon as they all separate that they are out of their depth. There are far more people than they thought and they are more heavily armed than anticipated. Each of the pairs barely make it 100 metres into their route before they are forced to turn back.

“There’s a group of about four coming this way” Allison pants as she and Klaus run to re-join the group already waiting back in the gallery. As soon as her words cut off, the offending party step into view behind them.

With a swift motion Diego releases a knife curving through the air, sending the bodies falling to the floor before their guns can be raised.

“We have to get out. This was a mistake” he turns back to the group after catching the knife back in his hand.

“And let them take everything?” Allison snaps at him.

“Better that than die” Diego scoffs.

“Where’s your superhero complex now?”

“Hate to break it to you but Diego’s right. Almost half of us are out of commission” Vanya points out, looking over at Five poking around the unconscious bodies, then at Klaus still standing amongst the group.

“The whole area is surrounded” Five’s voice draws their attention to him studying a screen he’d detached from someone’s belt. “There’s a squad of six heading for us. About 30 seconds.”

The rest of them look away from him then at each other fearfully.

“Did anyone find any exits?” Luther asks to which they all shake their heads. “Five, how many of us can you get out?”

“Maybe one or two” he says but he sounds unsure.

“No way” Diego shakes his head. “We’re not splitting up.”

“I just want to say, that I may not have been the easiest person to” – Klaus’ goodbye speech is cut off by Five calling out his name and a gun being thrown into his hands. Reflexively he catches it as Five picks up one for himself.

“We’re not dying” he says with a cock of his head and a raise of an eyebrow.

Habitually Klaus’ hands go about disarming the safety while Five turns to one of the large doorways, lifting his gun to hold at the ready.

The sound of Klaus’ safety latch clicking off is masked by the echoes of bullets flying around the room. A quick glance back at his siblings shows none of them are ducking for cover and all the bullets are from Five’s gun, the enemy being disastrously unprepared for an attack.

After a short ringing silence, a series of yells and thundering footsteps draws Klaus’ attention back to the doorway, more of their adversaries having been alerted of their presence. Following Five’s lead he finds cover behind an exhibit plinth, his eyes brushing over the bodies that already lie on the floor beneath the doorway. With a soldiering breath Klaus raises his own gun, the metal feels somewhat familiar in his hands but the weight feels heavy in his arms.

He almost feels sick with adrenaline as his finger pushes against the trigger. His eyes focusing on each target just before they collapse. Next to him Five moves positions to get closer to his targets and Klaus shifts to follow him only to freeze suddenly when a glass cabinet shatters to his right.

Spinning on his knees, still crouched on the floor he traces the trajectory of the bullet to the mezzanine behind him. Wasting no time in shooting down the man stationed above.

The limp body folds forward over the balustrade, falling to the floor with a sickening thud a few meters away from the group of huddled siblings. None of them startle, too mesmerised by their two remaining siblings working unexpectedly together.

“Shit!” Five curses throwing away an empty magazine, his ammo having run out.

Without sparing his brother a glance, Klaus finishes off the rest of the targets in the room before they both rise from their cover. No one speaks and the room falls into an uneasy silence as Klaus grabs a magazine from a fallen criminal and throws it to Five. Neither of them pays any mind to their siblings still frozen in shock.

“Any more coming?” Klaus asks Five.

“Try all of them, we’re not exactly being subtle” he quips, shoving the magazine into his gun before reaching to check the stolen screen he’d attached to his belt. “Two groups of about three coming in immediately.”

“What doors?” Klaus asks, staying on the spot making it clear that he’s waiting for Five to direct him.

“Both left and right. No time for anything special, just take cover.”

Klaus makes no argument and they both duck behind a set of shelves barely sparing enough time before bullets start raining over their heads. With their backs against the shelves and their eyes on their siblings they’re thankful to find that the bullets missing them are also missing their siblings – Vanya having thrown a shield up to protect them. Though no one else makes any attempt to do anything to help them, and for the moment neither Five nor Klaus think anything of it.

The short gap between the shooting only allows Five a second to pop up for quick survey of the area before the barrage starts again.

Sinking back behind the shelf Five looks to Klaus and moves his hand in the air like he’s drawing a square before holding up three fingers, not bothering to try and talk over the shots echoing around the gallery.

“What?” Klaus draws his head back, his eyebrows knitting in confusion. He doubts Five can hear him over the weapons firing, but he can lipread.

For a quick second it’s Five’s turn to look at Klaus confused, like he doesn’t know what wasn’t to understand about that. But he soon snaps out of it and repeats himself. “Window” he explains redrawing the square, “three people.”

Klaus can’t help but pick up on a slightly annoyed tone as Five holds up three fingers. Though he’s able to chalk it down to the intensity of the situation and not anything necessarily directed at him.

When the round of fire ends, they both rise from behind their cover and gun down the three men in front of the windows.

“The barriers are too high, we’ll never get a shot from here” Klaus observes after spotting the remaining three men who are spread throughout the room, sheltering behind some of the higher exhibition cases.

“I might be able to get the one on the left” Five says before he pivots away from their shelter. Creeping closer towards his new target he ducks behind new barriers every now and again although it’s unlikely that the men spot him with his small stature, too focused on remaining sheltered. Unfortunately, the man on left’s shelter wasn’t sufficient as Five delivers on his promise, the body finding its final resting place amongst a scatter of glass shards.

With the target down Five looks at the other two men and then back to Klaus before shaking his head, clear that he can’t get the shot. Klaus isn’t sure why, but he looks back after that and an idea pops into his head, seeing the mezzanine floor above him.

Quickly turning back to Five he brings all the fingers of one hand to the top of his head before lowering it again.

“What the fuck?!” Five mouths, throwing his hands in the air.

Klaus spares a moment to roll his eyes. Why did their tactical signals have to not be compatible?

“Cover me!” he clarifies in a language that he knows Five will understand. Part of him half expects Five ask him why or what his plan is, but he doesn’t. He just trusts him as he moves back closer to him so he can be his defence.

He doesn’t even bother to ask what direction Klaus plans to move in, just senses where he goes and moves along with him. None of his shots hit the remaining targets but he isn’t exactly aiming for them to. His round of fire purely meant to keep them hiding behind their shelter and unwilling to risk taking a hit. He continues to fire, ducking behind a display case near the base of the stairs as Klaus mounts them to get to the better vantage point on the mezzanine.

On the second level Klaus doesn’t bother to crouch behind the railing which has far too many gaps in it to be useful. Knowing that he will have to work quickly, he raises his gun and lines up the shots. The first target goes down without a hitch though he barely registers it as he immediately lines up the second.

His final shot seems to echo for eternity in the now silent room. If he allowed himself to, he could probably get lost in the moment of peace and quiet. Though that isn’t something he can allow himself to do quite yet. Instead he lowers his gun and pivots on his heel back to the staircase, descending the steps two at a time on the way back down to Five.

“Any more?”

“Can’t see any – unless they ran off” Five considers as he looks back down at the screen.

And now without an immediate threat Klaus can allow himself to catch his breath. Cool air fills his lungs as he draws in deep breaths, his heartrate slowing. Though before his thoughts can stray too far, he hears Five inhale suddenly like he finally decided on saying something.

“You’re not bad… just so you know” he doesn’t look at Klaus while he says it, choosing to take the magazine out of his gun and throw it across the room, but Klaus can see that he’s impressed from the way his lips are pursed.

He doesn’t know how to respond to that but before he can cover it up with awkward laughter, he sees his siblings step apart as Vanya’s shield comes down.

None of them say anything at first as they take in the sight around them. They are no strangers to a crime scene, the shattered glass and the bodies on the floor don’t phase them, yet they are frozen on their feet and at a loss for words.

“Whoa” Vanya eventually breaths out quietly, her mouth barely moving and her eyes wide.

She’d expected something like that from Five but Klaus had been a wildcard to her. She’s sure that the rest of her siblings could say the same. Apart from Five who had strangely known about their brother’s capabilities far better than the rest of them. In all honesty her brain isn’t working well enough to question that at the moment so she decides to shelve it for later as she steps away from the group.

At Vanya moving from his side Luther steps forward as well, mumbling something about going back to the car and the authorities dealing with the rest of it. None of his words come out making sense sounding like a child learning to speak for the first time, clear that he’s struggling believe what he just saw.

Allison tries to say something a couple of times but words fall short and she gives up. Letting out a breathless scoffing sound she shakes her head in disbelief, blinking a few times. A smile begins to play on the corners of her lips as goes over to join Luther and Vanya waiting for the rest of them.

Words also fail Diego as he walks forward to join the congregating siblings. Uncoordinatedly patting Klaus on the chest a couple of times before clasping a hand on Five’s shoulder as he moves past them.

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The ride home is near soundless aside from gravel under tyres and the occasional passing car. Without anyone willing to speak Klaus spends his time flicking his eyes between Luther taking up the whole front of the car and Diego sitting next to him, mostly staring out the window but sometimes flicking him quick glances when he thinks he’s not looking.

It isn’t until they get inside and Diego sits down next to him at the bar for celebratory drinks, that Klaus realises he hasn’t said anything since the museum. With Allison beginning to pour out the alcohol, Klaus draws in a breath and turns toward him, opening his mouth to say something.

Though as his chair stops spinning, he sees Diego turned to him fixing him with a sceptical gaze, already prepared to speak.

“You scare me.”

#tua #The Umbrella Academy #umbrella academy fanfiction #klaus hargreeves #the seancé #five hargreeves #the boy #luther hargreeves #Space boy #diego hargreeves #the kraken #allison hargreeves #the rumour #vanya hargreeves #the white violin

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