Don't freak out, don't freak out. Holy Shit.
Adrian's body went completely rigid, unsure if what was happening was actually going down or if he was imagining it. Jenna hugged at his side, the chill from her body penetrating his suit as his warmth fed into her. Maybe that was it, she was just cold? You know what, he didn't care. Adrian would take all of his fucking clothes off if she wanted him to. Well, except for his mask. He wasn't sure if it was his cool superhero bravado or the fact that she was a little chilled. The reasoning didn't matter. He was just so pumped that Jenna was this physically close to him.
Her fingers pressed into his and abruptly he rationalized that maybe it wasn't just the autumn air. Maybe it wasn't a coincidence that she was cold and he was warm. Was this a platonic hug? He wasn't sure what the protocol was here, so he stayed steady and calm. Allowing her to walk with him, hand-in-hand, body against body. He had saved her, stalked her, but in like a totally friendly way, and tried to protect her. Maybe she just trusted him.
Vigilante's brows furrowed as his mind raced. What was trust though? He trusted others. He trusted Chris, he trusted his team, his D&D crew. But, none of them made him feel the way he was feeling right now. No this wasn't just familiarity, it was something else. He hoped.
Jenna's head leaned into his shoulder as they walked side by side. Comfortably she let her cheek rest against the rough material of his suit. Adrian glanced at his side and admired her. For once, he wished he was himself. He wished he was Adrian Chase, a busboy, not Vigilante, a trained killer. His nerves balled, and his stomach crept up his throat. He looked down at her blonde hair and the way her grip tightened against him. He pictured himself in civilian clothes doing this. Jenna's skin pressed into his, their fingers interlaced without the material of his suit between them. He wanted that so fucking bad right now.
Her steps wavered and Jenna almost fell. Luckily, Adrian caught her without hesitation. She swallowed hard, her grip and his nearly immovable as she looked up at him startled.
" Must have slipped. "
Jenna's response was quiet and breathless. She didn't even look at all shocked that she'd nearly kissed the concrete sidewalk.
" I can carry you if you want on my back. "
Adrian jumped in with the most logical answer he could muster, turning and motioning to his back as he looked back at her. Jenna's brows rose and she bit her bottom lip, concealing a smirk.
" You want me to ride you? "
Jenna's words caused Adrian's hands to fall to his side, his expression dropping completely (not that she could see), and his body froze. Her question nearly caused him to topple over. He knew she was kidding, but could he be honest? Because yeah, that would be amazing.
" You waited too long to answer, let's go. "
Jenna playfully took a few steps, crossing her arms, silently inviting him to join her on their walk. Adrian sighed and let out a choppy laugh, trying to play it cool. They walked side-by-side again, and without a word, Adrian anxiously opened up his body, offering his arm to her again. Hoping maybe it wasn't an accident that she'd held him and they'd walked together. Thankfully, the moment he extended the offer, she accepted. And for the next ten minutes, they huddled close. Walking together under the flickering street lights with the cool, slightly sharp autumn air, to keep them company.
__
Selfishly, Adrian hoped their walk would last longer. Maybe they'd accidentally take a wrong turn and spend the rest of the night arm-in-arm. He took short glances at her, mostly anytime they'd walk under a street light, or she'd suddenly grip his arm from getting a chill. Her hot breath formed little clouds as they walked, and in between the bouts of silence, Jenna would ask him open-ended questions. He'd answered all of them honestly, trying his best to not give too many details about himself. In return he'd tried to do the same to her, asking why she'd moved to Evergreen and if she'd ever want to become an assassin for hire, like him.
Unfortunately, they arrived at her home shortly after, and Adrian dreaded what was going to come next.
Jenna's hands released from his, and her arm relaxed its grip as she padded her pocket, reassuring herself she still had her phone and keys. It was still cold, still dark, and the air was still sweet smelling with the end of summer upon them. Adrian glanced at the house, and porch light behind her. Knowing this was ending, he didn't say anything too brave or brazen. No, his new role now would be to leave. She'd gotten home safe, that was why she'd asked him to walk her home, right? Adrian would like to imagine that the close proximity they shared was because she thought he was rad and wanted to make out later, but really, maybe, she just needed a friend. If that's all he could be right now, or even forever, he'd take it.
" Thank you, " Jenna smiled up at him, her head tilting slightly, " for saving me, and walking me home, and everything else. " Her expression caught a tinge of confusion as her brows furrowed and she reminisced how fortunate she was.
Vigilante cleared his throat, shrugged, and waved his hands a little, indicating it wasn't that big of a deal.
" Saving pretty girls is a perk of my job, so. "
Jenna's indecision dissolved, she grinned and gave him a silent nod, willing to receive his sarcasm instead of something earnest. Still, she lingered for a moment. A few quiet seconds passed, and, all at once, she stepped up and forward. Her palms rested flat against the chest plate of his suit, and her body pressed fully up against his. Gently she kissed the side of his mask, particularly the side that had the broken visor piece. His eyes followed her fiercely, and without thinking his hands had come up, each gently holding her upper arms.
As Jenna rested back down from her tippy-toes, Adrian's grasp moved with her. The rough, worn fingers of his gloves pressed into her skin, his body hunched slightly as he leaned in to hold her. Adrian froze like that for a while. His heart drummed out of his chest, beating so fiercely he was sure Jenna could see it through his suit. Adrenaline flushed his skin and nearly caused his hands to shake. He'd been shot, stabbed, and tortured, but none of those things had caused him to feel this fucking unnerved. In those few seconds, he imagined himself bravely pulling off his mask, he'd toss it aside and she'd gasp in surprise, " Wow, it's the busboy from the diner! " She'd exclaim on the spot before definitely swooning over him. They'd share a really romantic kiss, maybe he'd get an invite inside?
Instead, he froze. Not one for restraint, Adrian was so hesitant to reveal his real self to her. He still wasn't one hundred percent sure why. Jenna smiled at him a bit longer, and the more seconds that passed by the more he realized he was in love with her. His fingers softly brushed against the skin on her arms, and the longing look in her eyes made him practically crawl out of his suit. His lips lingered open, a million little things on the tip of his tongue, but within seconds of trying to get the resolve to admit anything to her, Jenna gently turned and walked into her house. Adrian was in a blur, he remembered his arms falling heavily to his side, and quietly wishing her a goodnight.
__
It was almost four p.m. when she realized the sun had risen and was on its way to setting.
Fuck, she'd nearly slept all day.
Jenna had walked from Vigilante and into her home early this morning. Tired, still a little frightened from the evening, and honestly sad to see him go, she quietly closed the door behind her and watched him leave from her window. What a fucking night. She didn't bother turning on any lights, she undressed, tossing her discarded items onto a kitchen chair before jumping into the shower. Jenna sat on her couch in her towel, hair still sopping wet and tangled, she clutched her phone tightly at her side, contemplating in the darkness of her house, what the fuck was going to happen. What the fuck was a Butterfly, did she actually have to help this group of strangers? Was she really in love with this big idiot, who she had suspicions wasn't in fact an idiot at all? She'd been drowning in enough grief with the anniversary of her fuck up approaching, and now all of this? Evergreen was supposed to be a small city, practically a big town, this kind of fucked up shit shouldn't have been happening here.
She fell asleep on the couch contemplating every decision she'd made. Naked and sore, she woke up with a hard thud, rolling from the couch and onto her living room floor, Jenna coughed. She cleared her throat and was relieved to see sunlight peeking through her curtains. She, however, was not thrilled when she noticed what time it was. Fucking four-o'clock? She groaned and rubbed roughly at her neck, jaw, and eyes. She was still fucking exhausted.
Jenna noticed three missed calls from her sister and one voicemail. If she didn't message her back soon she'd put out a missing persons report. She called her sister as she got ready, putting her on speakerphone as she dressed and did her hair.
" You still haven't told me what that means, " Jenna's sister nagged at her in an annoyed tone, not appreciating her sister's ambiguity.
" Never mind, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you. "
" Listen, I wanted to just catch up, see how you were holding up this week with the anniversary being in a few days. Life can be such a shit show Jen, I just want to make sure you know you have people who love you. "
Jenna snorted at the comment, taking a few seconds to laugh into the bathroom mirror as she finished getting ready.
" If you're betting on me killing myself, maybe check in next week. I've got too much planned for the next couple of days. "
Jenna smiled into the mirror and glanced at the screen of her phone, her sister's silence showed she wasn't even a little amused. Oh well, her loss.
" No, I think I'll stick around a while. "
__
Knowing she looked like a sack of shit was the least of her issues. The perpetual dark circles under her eyes would have to wait, for now, she was actively fighting off a growing anxiety in her gut. Was it from the knowledge that there were aliens on their planet? Little fucked up insect-shaped aliens that were throat-fucking people to gain access to their bodies? Perhaps. But currently, her thoughts were clouded by one unorthodox, undeniably cute asshole. She remembered how it felt to be close to him, to feel his warmth soothe her chilled skin, and how being half naked with him in the back of her car was the closest she'd gotten laid in almost a year.
A fucking year.
She groaned to herself as she tore apart her apartment for her backup coat, and all the while tried to push Vigilante to the corners of her mind. It was, of course, no use. That tall fucker had gotten in and made himself at home. Was he a pain in the ass? Sure. A bit too theatrical for her taste and reckless, but the timing and care he had for her had sparked something deep. Something she hadn't felt in so long. He's protected her, saved her life, and watched over her. Jenna hated being waited on, or being treated like a damsel, but this was different. She could tell he respected her abilities but wanted to be there just in case, and that little bit of 'just in case' was enough to descend her into madness.
The way he held her last night played over and over, fingers firmly pressing into her arms as he leaned down to her. Her throat was in her stomach, and her nerves were on fire, as she recalled how it took all the control she had left to not ask him to follow her inside, pin her down, and fuck her. Jenna angrily tore into her closet where she finally found the coat, she needed to get some fresh air and something to eat. Maybe a crisp breeze and a hard drink would help clear her head. She practically darted from her rental, making sure to pull a blue winter hat over her still-damp hair, and shoved her phone into the pocket of her coat.
Twilight was cast over Evergreen, and with nighttime approaching, Jenna was drawn to the smell of food. Intent on getting to her car as fast as possible, she was immediately distracted as she passed Fennel Fields, and a nostalgic smirk crossed her face. The Italian food would be fine, the coffee too, but mostly, she was excited to see a familiar busboy.
Adrian Chase was an unlikely friend and someone Jenna had begun to enjoy the company of. Although a bit timid at first, he had opened up a bit about his personal life and living in Evergreen. She immediately looked for him as she entered, following the hostess and keeping her eyes peeled, she didn't see him at first. After her meal, however, his eye line caught hers and he approached her table.
" You need more coffee? " he asked clearing her table.
" When's your next break? " Jenna brushed his comment aside, getting right to the point.
Adrian's brows deepened as he thought over her question. He easily balanced a tray of dishes with one hand and held a hot pot of coffee in the other.
" Maybe, ten minutes. "
" Can you sit with me for a bit? "
The dishes on the tray shifted roughly, clinking against one another as he nearly dropped them.
" Y-yeah, cool. Sure. " Adrian spoke in an unbothered tone.
Jenna grinned and sat back, happy that today wouldn't be a complete waste.
__
Adrian was a good guy. Jenna was an excellent judge of character, and even though he was a bit goofy and inappropriate at times, he had a good heart. At least that's what she could tell from their short breaks and lunches at the restaurant.
His cute, short auburn hair was held down with a white Fennel Fields hat. She admired him for a few seconds as he returned to visit her for his break. Jenna noticed a few stray soft tufts of hair curled out along his face and neck, grabbing just enough of her attention to notice. Adrian pushed his glasses up his nose and met her grin with an equally warm one. She noticed tonight he had a small cut under his eye. She'd have to ask how that happened to make sure he was alright.
" Another late night tonight? "
Adrian sat tightly to her right, his forearms were pressed against the table and his full attention was on her. Normally, she would have her laptop with her. She'd answer emails or planned that night's gig, but tonight was a little bit different.
" I guess you could say that. " Jenna tucked her ashy blonde hair behind her ears and sipped at her coffee as Adrian's helpless expression sharpened some.
" No big affairs to bust or people to peep on? "
Jenna couldn't help but laugh at his comment, of course, Adrian loved to generalize her work with a peep show.
" No, something much quieter tonight. "
Their quick chat was brief and amusing. Adrian's handsome features were concealed beneath his goofiness and lack of situational awareness, and she loved how caught off guard he was when she gave him a compliment. He'd smile and shake his head, changing the subject and leaving her to sigh and continue on. She watched as his eyes lit up when he mentioned his D&D group, or when she asked how his workout routine was going. They'd talk for a little over fifteen minutes and Jenna would sip on a fresh cup of coffee. Adrian returned to work, but not before asking her what she had planned later.
" Normal detective shit. "
Jenna answered plainly, flashing him a smile as she tucked a tip under her empty coffee cup.
" Like, at home stuff? I heard things are getting a little unsafe at night around here. Might be a good night to stay in. "
Jenna discreetly smiled off his comment, not catching how Adrian's eyes caught a glint of concern.
" I'm a big girl, I'm sure I'll be fine. Night Adrian. "
Jenna smiled and playfully tapped his shoulder with the back of one of her hands. Leaving the diner, he watched her closely, knowing the minute his shift was over, he'd have to tail her to make sure she was safe.
___
Was it really ever too cold for ice cream? Jenna didn't think so, but the normally bustling lines outside Creamies Ice Cream shack were lacking, and soon, the shop would be closed for the season. She needed a sweet fix, and this would definitely hit the spot. She was looking over the specials when a tall man stood directly next to her, also looking over the fading menu lettering. Jenna made a sour look as she didn't appreciate the close proximity of a stranger, but her expression softened as she grinned at the man at her side.
Vigilante stood casually looking at the menu, ignoring Jenna's glare.
" The fuck are you doing here. "
Jenna giggled through her words, trying to contain herself as she glanced around to see if anyone had noticed them. Luckily the few people that were there were wrapped up in their own food and were too busy to care what Jenna and some masked weirdo were up to.
" You followed me. Again? " Jenna questioned, crossing her arms.
" What?! No, definitely not. Just here for an ice cream cone. " Vigilante cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably as he tried to fabricate an excuse. His shifting paused as he spoke honestly for a moment. She noticed that his visor had been repaired from the night before, or likely, he had a spare.
" You, have a problem with sugar. "
Jenna scoffed at his comment, not denying his claim. He wasn't wrong.
" You seem like a sprinkle guy, maybe with nuts? " Jenna changed the subject, prompting Vigilante to cross his arms and lean back a little, looking at the menu.
" I do like sprinkles. " He paused, tilting his head, " I bet you'll get, maybe coffee? "
Jenna had expected to get an evening treat by herself and retreat to her car. She had not expected to be on an impromptu, informal, maybe platonic, date with the man she'd been fantasizing about. Jenna's confused gaze met Vigilante's visor, and as she watched his mannerisms, a realization began to settle in. Even though she had a feeling, she pressed on.
" Why would you say that? "
" You literally have sixty coffee cups in your car, an easy hunch. "
Jenna nodded to his comment. He was right, it was a good guess. Maybe she was overthinking. But as the inkling nestled into her subconscious, she began to notice more and more.
" You're getting a cone. "
" What, no. I'm on duty. "
Jenna sent a hard l ook to her right, holding back a smile.
" If you're going to hang out with me, you have to get something. "
Vigilante grumbled but conceded, and together they sat. In the open grass behind the franchise, there was a weathered, sticky picnic table and Jenna sat in the chilled weather with her treat, enjoying her company. Vigilante had gotten a small pink ice cream and sat next to her. Jenna watched with anticipation, knowing that the little prick needed to lift his mask to eat. She was a little disappointed to watch him one-handedly maneuver his mask up his neck, rolling it so it sat just at the tip of his nose, revealing his bare neck, chin, mouth, and some of his nose. Vigilante was a man, obviously, she'd deduced that. He was 6"3, weighed roughly 200 lbs, and had a beige complexion in the fluorescent lighting of the back parking lot. Jenna's relaxed facade crumbled as her eyes seemed transfixed on the small details of his lower face and neck.
" Sprinkles fucking rock. " Vigilante spat out, quietly commemorating their moment together, unaware of her unwavering eyes.
Jenna noticed Vigilante's rigidly strong jawline, his prominent Adam's apple, and his handsome smile as he casually licked a bit of ice cream from his bottom lip. Her brilliant blue eyes widened some, as her mouth pursed. Her ice cream dripped down her hand as she seemed unable to look away from him. She was so close to him that she could nearly see his eyes through the red visor of his mask.
" What's up? Not gonna eat yours? "
Vigilante paused, glancing over to his left, noting Jenna's untouched cone. She simply snapped from her trance and used a napkin to clean her hand, nodding and quietly cleaning herself.
" Did you want to try some of mine? "
" What? "
Jenna's seriousness melted into a grin, unsure if he knew what he was saying.
" Share, like we share the same ice cream cone? "
Vigilante simply nodded, extending his half-consumed snack. Jenna couldn't pass up the offer.
She leaned over to him, their shoulders pressing as she gently took a small nip of the frozen treat, retreating slowly while holding in a small laugh.
" Fucking rocks, right? "
Jenna nodded at the comment, agreeing that the strawberry cheesecake flavor he'd chosen, did indeed, fucking rock.
" You too. " Vigilante nodded at her ice cream, indicating he wanted her to share.
" Oh, yeah sure. "
Jenna brought up her melting cone, and as he leaned over her lap, she brought up her hand, accidentally smacking him in the mouth. Coffee ice cream coated his lips and nose, and instantly he pulled back, bringing up his free hand.
" Dude! "
Jenna would have liked to apologize, and offer her napkin to him, but instead came out a laugh from the bottom of her stomach. She tried to refrain from giggling but it refused to quit.
Vigilante sat for a moment, nodding in silence as he accepted his dealt hand, before suddenly pulling up his own treat and trying to lace her face like his. Jenna blocked most of his attempts but had to flee the table, retreating with him close behind.
" No way, tit-for-tit. That's fair! " He spoke as he tried to cut her off from entering the sidewalk.
" You idiot, " Jenna spoke affectionately, laughing breathlessly. She paused before reaching the sidewalk. " It's tit-for-tat. Who says tit-for-tit? "
She tried to hold herself together while also still physically holding her ice cream. Vigilante lunged forward, this time narrowly missing her face with the ice cream and almost falling into the road. Jenna swerved, back-stepping toward the restaurant parking lot, and realized that he had composed himself and was pacing toward her.
" No, you're being immature, Vigilante. " Jenna grinned, backpedaling into the empty parking lot.
Dusk had passed, and more street lights had flooded the roads outside the shop. The two seemed at a stalemate, but with Vigilante's height advantage, she knew he'd eventually get one over on her. Jenna giggled while Vigilante seemed to be taking this much more seriously. Within a few seconds, the two came to a head.
Vigilante completely overshot his reach, losing his ice cream in the process. Leaving Jenna an opportunity to smush his face and take the win once and for all. Instantly his hands came up, palms flat as he tried to motion for her to back off, but breathless, Jenna stepped forward.
The ice cream fell from her hands in the most deflated way possible, falling without concern or sound, and she closed the gap between them. Instead of berating him with a frozen snack, she let her intrusive thoughts slide this time, and kissed his exposed lips.
The kiss was short, wet, and sweet. Their lips seemed to stick for just a few seconds. It could have been the condensation between their warm skin, or the sugar shared between them, but Jenna didn't think too much about it. She just wished it had lasted a bit longer.
___
No snappy comebacks, no crude remarks. Adrian was speechless for once in his life. Had he anticipated the two of them might get into some late-night trouble? Maybe. Had he expected the usual banter between them? Yes. He looked forward to it. But a kiss? Not even in the realm of fucking possibilities that might or could fucking happen. Not only that, she kissed him. Normally it was him putting himself out there and (almost always) getting rejected. Which was fine. He understood how he came off to women. He got the way other guys like his bff Chris could pull his tail, and he was normally still trying to decipher a conversation, nonetheless even thinking about becoming more intimate. So, for a few seconds, Adrian was shocked. He remained frozen and silent.
The look on Jenna's face was surreal. Soft ivory cheeks were tinted a gentle pink, and her rose lips were parted just slightly. Adrian was transfixed. His brain was screaming for him to move. Urging him to lunge forward, pick her up, and cart her away to where no one could see them. He suddenly realized he didn't want to wait that long.
Adrian stepped forward, his body rushing hers, and he let his lips press into Jenna's just as intensely as she'd kissed him. His gloved hands held tightly onto her upper arms, nudging her as close as possible. The brief lip-lock quickly escalated as Adrian felt Jenna's hands wrap up and around his exposed neck. The pressure of her chilled hands against his flaring skin caused him to bend further into her. Instinctively in unison, the two gave into one another, no more hesitations or pauses, Adrian picked Jenna up just as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Together they fell onto the grass just by the woods outside the ice cream shop.
" People are watching. "
Jenna pulled her mouth from his, and instead of wasting time on a well-thought-out answer, he nuzzled himself into her bare neck. The sensation of his warmth on her goosebumps skin caused her words to come out uneven and weak.
" Better give them a show then. "
Adrian spat out cooly, something he hadn't realized he'd done until he felt her quietly giggle beneath him. Had he even noticed that there were a handful of people outside the shop gawking from around the side of the building at them? Not a fucking chance.
Actually, if they wanted to watch, he didn't really care. Everything else melted around him. He didn't even notice his phone obnoxiously chirping in his back pocket or how the ice cream attendee announced over a loudspeaker that they were now closed. There was a beautiful, funny, fucking amazing woman, underneath him. Literally, everything else on the planet could and would fucking wait.
Adrian's flushed lips aggressively pressed into Jenna's jawline, just barely touching her neck. The impression caused her skin to ripple and for a soft whimper to escape her lips. Adrian nearly lost himself as he realized that she was as turned on as he was. It took everything in him, fucking everything, to not rip off his mask and suit, and fuck her in this very public spot. He couldn't reveal his true identity to her, not now especially. Vigilante the assassin, and asskicker, was so much cooler than Adrian the busboy. She would definitely be let down, and he didn't want to face that.
Jenna's hips met his as Adrian's body dipped into hers. Thrusting near rhythmically as they grabbed more at one another, kissed more intensely, and came close to, what he was sure of, almost fucking. His erection became more and more noticeable as the thin durable fabric of his suit failed to conceal him. Adrian shifted back and against her just right, as the two of them intertwined one another. Jenna gasped and faintly moaned into his ear, causing Adrian to shudder and groan as he tried his absolute best to hold in his orgasm to make this moment last just a bit longer.
" Hey-hey. "
Jenna's distended voice caught him off guard as she roughly padded his chest with an open hand, getting his attention
" Someone keeps calling you, " Jenna spoke again, and almost on cue, her own phone also began to vibrate.
" Fuck'em. "
Breathless, Adrian answered her and continued to kiss her. Literally, nothing else mattered right now. Jenna had his full attention.
" Vigilante. "
Jenna swallowed hard, trying to get his attention again as both of their phones continued to go off.
Maybe it was because he had secretly wished she'd called him by his real name, or maybe it was because this was everything he could have ever wished for, literally wished for, but it caused something in Adrian to boil over.
He silently sighed and nodded, acknowledging her request. He did however growl into the phone that had refused to quit, swiftly pulling it from his pocket and answering whoever had been so persistent with bothering them.
" Jesus fucking Christ, where have you been? We've been trying to get ahold of you for nearly ten minutes! "
A familiar female voice cued in, but instead of something snarky, Adrian snapped back.
" Yeah, well maybe I'm a little fucking busy? Ever think of that? "
" No, I did not think of that because you don't have a fucking life! " Harcourt's voice rang clearly through the phone and was loud enough for Jenna to hear.
" Listen jackass, we have to move up our departure time. We're rolling out now, we need your location to pick your ass up. "
Just his fucking luck.
Jenna was grinning at Vigilante, lying on the cold grass she stared unwaveringly at him as his eyes met hers through his visor.
" And have you seen the new girl? She's not answering her phone. "
Adrian pulled the phone from the side of his mask and laid it against his chest for a few seconds. He watched as Jenna shook her head, insinuating she didn't want to speak to the angry blonde on the other side of the phone.
" I'm right on top of her, we're at Creamies. "
Jenna scooched herself up and roughly slapped his leg. Her mouth was left ajar as she didn't approve of what he'd said over the phone.
" That rundown ice cream shop? Why are- you know what, never mind. We'll be there in ten. "
—