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Adrian didn’t usually struggle with separating his personal life and his crime fighting life. Vigilante had one goal: kill the bad guy. His mind was usually clear as he did so. He sharpened it like his blades, making his mind and body just as deadly a weapon as his Honshu or grenades. He was razor focused on the task at hand, leaving his own injuries to a minimum in the process.
But tonight was different.
Your words rang out in his head, banging around like they came from a gong.
“Adrian Chase, I’m in love with you.”
It was in the van right before the mission which was terribly timing on your part. It wasn’t like you were trying to distract. He wasn’t actually totally sure why you decided that that was the right moment to confess your feelings, but the interaction refused to leave his brain, clouding his judgment.
“And this is my favorite gun,” he said, holding out his revolver. “It’s a Single Colt Action Army. It holds six bullets total.” He spun the cylinder that the bullets went in. “They were big in the Wild West with cowboys. I fucking love cowboys.”
“Cowboys are pretty great,” you agreed.
“Dude, when you went as a cowboy for Halloween a few months ago I nearly busted a nut just looking at you. I bet you were a gunslinger in a past life like you are now,” he said as he pointed the gun at you and pretended to shoot. Your face darkened with blush and Peacemaker snorted. Adrian didn’t know why either of those things happened. He was just stating a fact of what happened. Cowboys were hot and you were hot, so as a cowboy you were double hot.
“Thanks man,” you said.
“Anytime bro,” Adrian said, punching you on the shoulder.
“Overcompensating much?” Adebayo muttered, making Peacemaker chuckle. Harcourt and Economos were in the front of the dog grooming van so they couldn’t add anything to the conversation.
“I’m not overcompensating for anything. I’m perfectly compensated as is,” Adrian said, patting his crotch. Your face flushed further. He decided to ignore it, since most people found it rude when you pointed things out to them that could be considered ‘embarrassing’, like crying or blushing or farting. He continued showing you his weapons instead. “Anyway, here’s my Walther P99. It’s not as cool as my revolver, but pistols are quicker to reload so they’re more effective in a fight. I know you know that, sorry, I didn’t mean to mansplain. Can I mansplain to another man?”
“You can, and you just did,” you said. You nudged him with your shoulder. “But I don’t mind.”
“You don’t?”
“No. I like hearing you talk about what you’re passionate about.”
A warm feeling filled Adrian’s chest. He didn’t understand the feeling, but he liked it. It was one you gave him a lot.
The van came to stop before he could think of an adequate response. Peacemaker opened the side door while Vigilante holstered his gun and put his mask on. Adebayo climbed out after Peacemaker while you waited beside Adrian.
“There’s something I have to tell you,” you said, a slight shake in your voice.
“Right now? We’re about to take out a bunch of butterflies.”
“I need to get this off my chest. It’s been weighing me down for months and… shit, man, I can’t keep it in anymore,” you said. He was pretty sure you were panicking judging by your shaking hands, bouncing leg, and nervous tambour. He put his hand over yours and squeezed.
“Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
You took a deep breath and blurted out, “Adrian Chase, I’m in love with you.”
Adrian stared at you blankly. You stared back, your eyes darting around his mask as if it would somehow give you an answer. Adrian stayed quiet. You loved him. You, the most incredible, most handsome, most fearless, most badass man on the entire planet loved him.
No one loved him. He was unlovable. That’s what his mom had said. That’s what his brother had said. That’s what his dad had said. He was a cold, heartless machine of a man that could neither feel nor receive love.
But you loved him.
“Oh, okay,” Adrian said. He patted you on the shoulder before standing up. “Good to know, bud. Now let’s go kill some butterflies.”
“That’s it?” you asked. “Just ‘okay’?”
“Yeah,” Adrian said.
“Hey, you two, let’s go!” Harcourt called from outside the van.
You sighed and pulled out your pistol. “Alright, let’s go.”
The encounter played on repeat in Adrian’s mind as he stalked through the halls of an empty factory. He wasn’t totally sure what the team was doing there, but he never really was. As long as he got to kill, he didn’t care.
He made his way to what looked like an office space with three people inside. Harcourt had given the all clear to kill anyone inside, so he didn’t waste time.
Vigilante unsheathed his Honshu blade from its holster on his back. He twirled the hilt of the blade, making the sword swing through the air next to him, before charging his opponents. The three butterflies had no idea what they were up against. He incapacitated the first one with ease, slicing it’s head off as the other two shrieked indignantly. They came at him weaponless. The first punched at him, but Vigilante swung his sword, slicing the butterfly’s hand off. It screamed and dropped to its knees, clutching the blood splattering stump. Vigilante made an attempt to slice its head off, before the third butterfly charged at him. He kicked it in the stomach with his sword arched down towards the other’s neck, but the butterfly caught his leg. It swung him in a circle like a ragdoll and tossed him through the air, sending him into the wall.
He slumped to the ground with an indignant umph. His sword had been dislodged from his grasp while he was flying, and lay by the body of the first dead alien. His head, back and side stung with pain from the impact on the metal wall and concrete floor, but he got back up to his feet, determined to continue the fight. Now that he was in the midst of battle, he was able to separate his thoughts from you enough to fight, but your words were etched into his brain, tearing his focus away more than he could handle.
The butterflies charged him as he stood, getting to him faster than he could pull out another weapon. They grabbed his arms and pinned him to the wall, his feet dangling half a foot above the ground. One of the butterflies punched him in the stomach with a stronger force that any human could muster. Tears of pain brimmed under his mask. Another punch came, making him gasp for air.
Before a third could hit, Vigilante hoisted his legs up and wrapped them around the butterfly’s neck. He squeezed, suffocating the alien, and making its grip so limp on his arm. He twisted around, making the butterfly fall to the ground. The momentum caused the other butterfly to lose its grip. Vigilante didn’t waste time pulling out his pistol and pointing at its head, but before he could shoot, a bullet ripped through it, spraying him with blood. He released his legs from around the other butterfly’s neck and shot it point blank, its blood shooting out onto his helmet.
Vigilante got to his feet using the wall for support. He breathed heavily and wiped the blood off his visor. Red already colored his vision, but the blood added dark streaks deepening the shade. As he caught his breath, he saw the shooter that killed one of the butterflies attacking him. He lowered his gun and slumped back into the wall. His ears rang and his brain felt foggy, like he had one to many drinks.
“Fuck, Vig!” you shouted. You ran towards him as fast as you could. Vigilante breathed heavily as you sank down to your knees beside him. “Are you hurt?”
“Nah,” he said. He moved to stand again and winced in pain. His ribs felt like they had been snapped in half, glued back together, and snapped again.
“Let me help you,” you said. You took Adrian’s arm and put it over your shoulder, then helped him stand. Adrian leaned on you for both the support and the comfort. He liked how you felt against him and how he could smell your green apple shampoo. He pressed his face into the side of your head and sniffed. “Are you smelling me?”
“You smell so good,” he said.
“Did you hit your head?”
“Maybe a lil bit.”
“Let’s get you out of here,” you said.
“No! There are still butterflies to kill,” Adrian protested as you walked the two of them into the hallway. As he said that, another butterfly appeared, coming out of a neighboring room. You didn’t hesitate to raise your gun and shoot it in the head. “My hero! You really are a cowboy.”
“You’re concussed.”
“And you’re in love with me,” he sang. You stilled for a moment before continuing down the hall.
“I shouldn’t have told you that.”
“I’m glad you did,” he said. “I want you to love me. You make me feel… feel…” He couldn’t find the words to describe it. “You make me feel things. ”
“Things?” you asked.
“Good things,” he said. “Warm things. Happy, warm, good things.”
You smiled softly. “You make me feel happy, warm, good things too.”
“Is that how you know you love me?” Adrian asked.
“I guess so.”
“I guess I love you too, then,” he said.
“Tell me that again when you don’t have a concussion and I’ll believe you,” you said.
“Deal,” Adrian agreed.
- -
The first thing Adrian did when he was of sound mind was show up at your apartment. He didn’t wait to be discharged from the hospital. He just hopped out the window and made his way in his hospital gown to where you lived.
“Adrian! What the fuck?” you shouted as you opened the door. Your eyes were red and bloodshot and your cheeks were puffy.
“Have you been crying?” Adrian asked, walking into your apartment without asking.
“Yeah, man! You were in the hospital and Harcourt said that we couldn’t wait for you in the waiting room and to go home instead and I was losing my fucking mind! You were so fucking hurt. We got you out of your suit before we brought you to the hospital and you were covered in bruises. It was bad. It was so, so bad.”
“Hey, woah, calm down,” Adrian told you. He placed a hand on your shoulder, bringing the other to your cheek. You leaned into his touch. “I’m totally fine, just a concussion, two broken ribs, and a few bruises.”
Fresh tears appeared in your eyes. “That’s not totally fine! You got hurt, Ade. You never get that hurt. Is it my fault? Did telling you I love you distract you?”
“Yes,” he said honestly. That clearly wasn’t the right answer because you tried to pull away. Adrian stopped you, pulling you closer to him. “I love you too.”
“Adrian-”
“I love you,” he cut you off.
“I nearly got you killed.”
“I still love you,” Adrian said.
“I love you too,” you said.
Adrian glanced down at your lips. They looked warm and enticing and he wanted nothing more than to taste them.
“Kiss me,” you said, as if reading his mind.
Happily, he obliged.