Laser Tag - Adam Stanheight / Dominant Reader

Laser Tag - Adam Stanheight / Dominant Reader

A/N There was an online prompt that inspired this. I wanted to write two, one where there was a sub reader, and one where there was a dom reader. I posted the sub one yesterday. Thank you, please enjoy.

The sun was shining outside, slanting through the oval windows at the top of the walls. You felt relaxed, and totally in control as you thought about HOW you got into these circumstances. Earlier, you and your boyfriend had been out swimming in the nearby lake. It was on your long walk back with Faulkner, that you passed the laser tag sign in bright letters, inviting you to it’s doors. You couldn’t stop yourself from checking it out.

You dragged Adam with you, a playful look in your eyes. You had an idea as soon as you saw the sign. Stanheight didn’t like to go too far out of his comfort zone, which was something you could empathize with; you’d been like that too at one point in your life. But this wasn’t about getting him out of his comfort zone. It was about using his comfort zone against him. He’d have to step out of it, if he wanted to win. Not to mention, he was really adorable when he got all… ‘warmed up’...

You loved seeing Adam Stanheight get flustered. It was really cute! It tended to happen when he was under some kind of stress, which usually came from being out of his comfort zone. This was a good way to get him agitated, not to mention it would just be a great way to spend the day.

However, playing had been harder to do because you needed a team of fourteen people; seven on each team. You weren’t really sure how you’d done it. All it took was some mention of extra money for a private game, and the owner was all about that. He allowed you inside very, very, rapidly.

Thinking about it now, you had realized that Adam did seem slightly reluctant to step inside, but he kept his composure. He was really good at doing that. You were trying to get him to be more open with you. You wanted him to talk to you about his feelings. It had yet to happen, unfortunately. But hope never ran out.

Now though, you couldn’t wait to begin. The game had started a few minutes ago, and you were sure that Adam was probably overthinking, and trying to strategize. For being an overthinker, he was pretty skilled at strategy games. You crept into the laser tag arena, your eyes stretched wide, scanning for any kind of movement. It was hard to see in here due to the lack of light, but that was the point, wasn’t it?

Around your wrist was a watch, displaying all of your lives to you, and on your head was a band displaying the same thing to the other players. A laser gun was supplied for a weapon, of course.

You felt secure that you could win this. Most likely you would, seeing as how well you could keep your cool under pressure. The same could not be said for your boyfriend.

You turned a sharp right corner into a dark hallway and followed it around in a long twisty loop until you found yourself on the other side of the arena. The arena itself was in the middle of the branching hallways. This whole place was made to hold ten or fourteen people, so finding anyone in here would be difficult with only two. But you liked a challenge.

The floors and walls were black and shiny, reflecting the sunlight that shone through the high windows. From your place inside the hallway, you could make out the arena. It was a large circular space in the middle of the room, surrounded by half walls all the way around. Platforms were scattered all about, none of them were connected to each other. You could climb on some of them with ladders, and others with stairs, but all of them were above the main arena in some way. There were half walls on the platforms as well, to suffice as some kind of shelter.

You considered your options. Higher ground seemed like an iffy course of action, even if you could hide behind the walls. Your opponent wouldn’t be ABLE to find you, at least that was the hope, but then again there was only one way down. And if you found yourself trapped with the opponent, you’d be easy prey, especially if they were blocking the escape route. You decided it was best to stay on the floor, where your mobility wouldn’t be limited; there could always come a time when running became the better choice.

Now was the tricky part. Did you present yourself or not? You were safe right now under the cover of the hallway, but you couldn’t stay here forever. Someone had to win this game of laser tag. You lifted your laser gun up, clutching it firmly in your hands, and then boldly stalked into the open.

As you did, you spotted exactly who you were looking for in the darkness of one of the hallways. “Oh, Adam,” you called out amiably. “Why don’t we fight face to face?”

Adam took his shot, much to your disappointment. Your headband buzzed and your watch flashed wildly. You were slightly amused that Adam managed to get a shot on you.

“I’m impressed,” you said sweetly, stepping behind one of the half walls. “I wasn’t expecting you to get the first shot on me.”

Adam mumbled something back, but it was too quiet for you to hear.

That was my fault, you admitted. I was practically asking to be shot… But this isn’t over. I won’t let him win this. But cockiness doesn’t get you anywhere either. You reminded yourself calmly. I’ll have to be more careful. This shouldn’t be hard. Adam will slip up soon anyway.

You sunk back into the shadows, and wound around the long way. If you could come up behind Adam, you’d have the element of surprise.

Crawling on your hands and knees, you fumbled through the dark corridor. At the end of it was Adam Faulkner. You could see him from this angle. He had his back to you, clutching the laser gun to his chest.

You smirked to yourself. Adam could be scatterbrained, and obviously he could be a little clumsy too, but you loved him all the same. You stopped moving and took in the sight before. It wouldn’t take long for Adam to see you, but he wouldn’t notice you for a couple of minutes.

Adam’s lithe body pressing against the wall was enticing. His body language told you that he was just slightly uneasy, but not uncomfortable. His hair was still damp from swimming in the lake earlier, which made it look fluffy. There were… many ideas going through your mind of what you could do to him while he was pushed so closely to the wall, and none of them were winning laser tag. You tried not to get excited.

Focusing, you raised the gun into the air. You aimed for the band on his head, and took a shot. Two, actually. The two red lights flashed and you leaned back as they blinked out. You smiled proudly at Adam when he turned around, looking flustered. “Y/N!” He exclaimed. “I… I didn’t know you were there.”

Your gaze flashed down his body, taking in every single detail. How his white shirt hung loosely on his body, and his black flannel hung open. The way he pointed the laser gun at you even though he was nervous. How he pretended to be confident when he was actually fairly agitated. You could see it all in his movements, and his expressions.

He shot at you, but his nerves made him edgy. He missed. You couldn’t help feeling slightly attracted to that. “Relax…” you murmured. “You can’t perform anything under pressure.”

You brought up the gun, but Adam laughed. “Yeah. We’ll see.” He made a run for the opposing hallway that was on the other side of the arena. You let him get away. You could take your time with this.

Two to one… I think we know who’s winning.

You followed him out, quickly. This led to a rushed game of laser tag. Stanheight tried to stay behind the cover of the half walls, and you tried to stand back and keep track of him. You both ran around each other for a good five minutes. Sometimes one of you would round a corner and find yourselves way too close to the other, and then go bolting in the other direction. Adam was smiling by this time. There was a glint of happiness in his eyes, and his cheeks were red from running around. You liked that - a lot.

At one point a shooting fit erupted from both of you. Neither of you made a shot, though Adam nearly got you several times. The laser beams sliced the air back and forth and spiraled into walls, but never quite touched the assigned target. It unsatisfied you, but now that Adam was warming up, he wasn’t that much of an easy target. You regretted underestimating him.

“Y/N,” Adam said at last. “Let me win so we can go home.”

You cocked your head to the side, suspiciously. “What are you saying? You aren’t having any fun? Come on, you look like you're having a blast. Your body language says it.”

Adam shuffled his feet awkwardly. “No. That’s not what I meant. I-I was trying to make a joke.”

His timidness made you giddy. You laughed. “Oh, I see. You want me to let you win.”

Adam chuckled nervously. “Uh… Yeah, I guess.”

You lunged for him, but Adam dove backwards, slamming into the entrance doors with a thud. You could hear the painful clash as Adam’s back was thrown into the doorknobs. You flinched for him. “Shit. That hurt,” Adam mumbled.

“Are you okay?” You asked hesitantly.

“I think.”

“Good.” You lifted yourself up so that you were looking down at Adam, and whispered, “Having a good day?”

“Y-Yeah,” stammered your boyfriend.

Putting him under pressure was cute. You loved how it made him react. “Yeah?” Adam nodded, but didn't say anything. You kissed him gently on the lips, then pulled away slightly. Adam looked at you longingly. “Good. That’s very good. I’m glad. Today was supposed to help you feel better. Is it working?”

Adam sank into the door, and gazed at you like a lost puppy. “Yes…”

You smirked at him. Adam had practically melted into your arms. He had a look of desperation on his face. “I love you,” you told him.

Adam groaned. “I love you, too, baby.”

“Hmmm,” you hummed out, satisfied. “I’ll bet you do.”

You kissed him again, and Adam deepened it immediately. He was trying to get every piece of you, but you didn’t allow that. You only gave him a little bit of what he wanted. Adam struggled on the door for a couple seconds but you pushed him down. “Comfortable?” You purred in his ear.

Adam moaned into your mouth. “Y/N… Please…”

“Now’re you ready to go home?” You asked teasingly.

“Uh… W-What would we do at home?”

You raised a smug eyebrow. “Well, I know what I would be doing.”

“What?”

You only licked your upper lip. The answer was standing right in front of you. Your gaze flashed down Adam’s body. Then you leaned down for a third time, and connected your lips to his lips.

It was a passionate kiss that lasted for a long time. Beneath you, you could feel your boyfriend wriggling frantically, attempting to get closer to you, attempting to provoke a more furious reaction from you. You weren’t giving him your all, and he knew that. You wouldn’t take this seriously until you were at home. This was just to work poor Adam up.

In the midst of your making-out, you very promptly raised the laser gun into the air. In one swift motion you pushed the gun to Adam’s headband, and won the game.

There was an announcer on the headband, and it’s words resounded around the room chaotically. “headshot!”

You stepped back gently, leaving Adam’s mouth lonely. His band was flashing, as was his watch.

Adam glanced at you miserably. “Wait.”

“Game over…” you remarked wittily, and bit your lower lip flirtatiously.

Adam rolled his head back onto the door. You could tell that he had gotten carried away in the moment, and recovering was going to be hard.

The door was pulled back randomly, and you grabbed Adam’s wrist and yanked him towards you so that he was leaning on you for support; you didn’t want him to fall over. He leaned into you dizzily, trying to regain his composure. Somehow he got more attractive when he looked like that. You had to grit your teeth, to keep yourself from doing anything you’d regret. You handed your laser tag gear to the security guard.

“You’re the first,” the security guard growled. “I will never allow my boss to accept private games again.”

“Thanks,” you said smartly. “We enjoyed it. Didn’t we, Adam, baby?”

Adam stumbled after you. He had taken off his laser tag gear as well. “Huh? Oh, yeah. We did.”

You said gracefully, “You look like you need some taking care of. Are you ready to go home?”

Adam nodded instantly. “Yeah.”

You nodded back. That didn’t surprise you in the slightest. Adam was staring at you with a look of utter passion on his face. “You want something?” You asked seductively.

Adam nodded again.

“Can you wait ‘till we get home?” You inquired softly.

Faulkner let out a long sigh. “Okay.”

You smiled proudly to yourself. Your boyfriend was long gone by now. He had fallen into your trap a long time ago. “Get in the car,” you instructed. Adam trudged off, and you followed behind him, checking him out along the way.

The ride home was short, though you were pretty sure Adam couldn’t agree with that statement. Poor Adam, he was struggling at the moment, but that look on his face… The one where he stared at you like you were the only good thing in the damn world. That gave you power, you ate it up. Once you made it to the apartment a flurry of hurried actions occurred. The following events were… unsuitable to describe to the outside world, but one thing was obvious: Adam was definitely the one being dominated, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tease - Adam Stanheight / Reader

It was midnight, in the middle of July. Long, dark, shadows stretched across the living room floor and into the kitchen. The atmosphere had a somber feeling to it, as everything around you was shrouded in mystery and blackness. You trudged delicately over the rug and wood, found yourself standing outside the apartment and stared around in awe. Your neighbors were all asleep, not one of them was making a peep. But outside, on the staircase, you could see the golden shine of the porch light, and the chilly mist swirling 'round and 'round; you knew that there was someone else awake. It was dark out here, but the little light you had from the porch was enough to guide your way. Down the hall, down the stairs, to the door... outside.

It was cool but not cold; summer was like that sometimes. The wind was icy, and the clouds carried the scent of rain. You shivered on the doorstep, you were only in thin pajama shorts and tank top; it didn't do much to cover you from the chill. Next to you was Adam. He was sitting on the last step, looking up at the sky. Of course, you were not surprised to see, the cigarette in the corner of his mouth. You took in his loose, white T-shirt, and blue jeans, as well as his dark hair, and the way the light reflected off it mildly. You stared at him for a long time, feeling content. You wondered how he could look so good without having to try. Adam though, would disagree with you in that regard.

You joined him on the bottom step and gazed up into the sky. You had been planning on keeping the silence, but Adam didn't take the hint. He looked at you and smiled, “Aren't you cold?”

You shrugged back, and hummed a quiet ‘Yes’.

Adam lifted his flannel up from his lap, and hung it around your shoulders. You put your arms through the sleeves gladly, and pulled it closer to you. It was slightly too big, but you liked the looseness of it. Adam wrapped an arm around your waist as you asked, “Aren’t you?”

Your boyfriend took a drag on his cigarette and then blew the smoke back out into the sky. “I think it feels nice. I’m actually kinda hot.”

You smirked, realizing the circumstances of your boyfriend. “You don’t need to convince me,” you replied hastily and leaned in. You pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, and then returned your gaze to the night sky.

The stars twinkled - white and shiny - and accompanied the navy blue atmosphere. You could make out some of the constellations and you admired them with Adam for a long time until a low rumble rolled through the clouds. You brought your eyes back over to the grey clouds on the horizon and you narrowed your eyes at them. “Hmmm,” you muttered. “Thunderstorm?”

Adam leaned back on the stairs, adjusting his cigarette with his teeth. “Well damn. It’s such a perfect night.”

You gazed at him happily. You didn’t know how something as contagious as a cigarette could make someone look so much more attractive. You studied him for a long time, a finger messaging your lips and your other palm holding up your chin. Adam kept his face forward, the light shining on him magnificently, casually smoking from his cigarette. After a while, you couldn’t contain yourself. Adam was so perfect, so… kissable…

You kissed him promptly on the lips, and Adam fumbled with his cigarette clumsily as he tried not to interrupt you. You closed your eyes, to get a better experience. Adam took a final, quick, drag on his cigarette, and blew the smoke into your mouth. It was your fault of course, because you had kissed him when he least expected it, but still, he could have been a little more considerate.

Gagging, you pulled away, the taste of smoke filling you up and stinging the back of your throat. You swallowed a couple of times, trying to get the flavor out of your mouth. “Thanks…” You muttered sarcastically. “You should try putting the cigarette down sometimes.”

Adam inhaled on his cigarette a couple more times. “Hang on, baby… I need this.”

You sat back and watched him. By now it was probably three in the morning. Three hours had never flown by so fast ever before in your life. The clouds were still far off, but they had been steadily moving closer. The thunder had started picking up slowly, but it still wasn’t close enough to be bothersome.

“I’m sorry,” Adam choked. You could hear the effect of his smoking coming out in his voice and you shook your head in disapproval. “I couldn’t go to sleep.”

“Why?” You asked him. Adam looked at you, revealing his pale face. “Something’s wrong.”

Adam snuggled up against you. “Anxious.”

You put your chin on his head, and slid your arms under his own, and wrapped them around his stomach. “Don’t worry. I’m right here.”

Adam leaned onto you and you both continued to watch the sky. A long time passed before Adam eventually stubbed out his cigarette on the cement stairs. You rolled your eyes playfully - not that it mattered, Adam couldn’t see you anyway - and remarked sarcastically, “I get the sense you have more affection for your bad habit than you do for me.”

Adam turned a disgusted look on you, and raised his cigarette up to pretend to flick it at you. “That’s not true, you know that. I love you more than anything. Without you, I don’t think I would have made it this far.”

You raised your hands up to Adam’s face and combed your fingers through his hair. “I love you, too, baby.”

Adam kissed you unexpectedly. He was gentle but also assertive. You smiled against his lips, gasping, and tried to kiss back. Your lips would not match with Adam’s roughness though, and eventually he took dominance.

You relaxed into him, and clasped your hands with his hands. Adam’s flannel began to slip from your shoulder but you liked the way it felt. It caused the cool air to hit it constantly and sent chills up your arm all the way to your neck. You felt Adam’s warm hand slip from yours and go straight to your cheek, where it lingered for a long time. His hand was soft as it calmly caressed you. It left after a while to comb your hair, stroke your arm, and then pull his flannel back over your shoulder, never once taking his lips off of yours.

You let out a contented sigh in the middle, and grabbed his hands tighter. Adam pulled away and bit his lower lip nervously, seemingly satisfied with himself. Your lips still held a strange tingling from Adam’s kissing, and you struggled to keep yourself from pulling him in and kissing him again. You tried to look like you were okay with this.

Adam stood up and said softly, “I’m going to get rid of this,” he twisted the cigarette between his thumb and pointer finger. He patted you on the head, and disappeared inside.

You gritted your teeth frustratedly and stared after him miserably, somehow feeling like you hadn’t accomplished anything from that make-out session. Ruffled, you got to your feet, your clothes feeling extra tight. You huffed, and looked one last time out at the sky.

Dawn was breaking. Streaks of silver and rose-pink were starting to color the sky and cover up the gleaming stars. You wished the night wouldn’t end yet, but you knew that time would always move on and there was no point in dawdling.

As you climbed the stairs to your shared apartment with Adam, your body was still feeling the result of Adam’s kissing. You wished Adam hadn’t left so suddenly and that you both were still outside making-out.

Adam was waiting for you when you walked in, he had a knowing smile on his face, and he said smugly, “Took you long enough, especially for what I’ve done to you. Come on, I know you want me.”

You frowned at him in annoyance. “Damn you.”

Adam tipped his head. “What? Can’t handle the heat?” There was an underlying flirtiness to his voice. It excited you.

“You know all the right things to say,” you whimpered unhappily.

Adam gestured you over with his pointer finger. You approached willingly. “That’s better,” he said quietly as he dropped his mouth to yours. You lifted your head up to his, trying to close the gap between your mouths. Adam turned his head away. “Eager?”

You let out a huff. “No,” you lied. “Go on. Do what you will.” You were planning on NOT embarrassing yourself the next time.

Of course, Adam knew exactly what to do. He pushed you down to the couch and straddled you. “That was a lie,” he said authoritatively. “And yes. I will, thank you.” He kissed you, and you greeted him vehemently. You wanted more of this. This was perfect…

By now the room was entirely dark, no lights were there to cast shadows inside. The previous somber feeling was replaced with a fearful vibe, like some horror show might be lurking behind any corner, but for you there was another atmosphere - and you were enjoying it, definitely.

The night was nearly over, five forty-five, and the early-rising sun scared away any remaining stars in the world. The light was slowly becoming stronger and outside there were birds singing, but even so, night wouldn’t be over for a good long while yet.

A/N I apologize for the mistakes in the last one. This one will be done more carefully. I wrote this one on my phone, btw, so the layout is different. Anyway, enjoy.

The orange tabby cat purred loudly on the couch. He weighed about seventeen pounds, but despite anybody’s best efforts, he just wouldn’t lose it. Most of the time he lazed around, much like his human owners, but his favorite task to do was eat.

You never realized how fat your cat was until he would jump up on your lap. His heaviness pressed you to the couch and kept you there, and often times the pressure would start to hurt your thighs. But you loved him all the same, and really, you didn’t mind the pain you had to endure just in order for your cat to lay on your lap.

Today was no different. You had, just like yesterday, sat upon the couch with the cat. It was three fifteen in the afternoon. Adam Stanheight would be home soon. He went out to a client’s house to help them with taking photographs.

You waited for him everyday at this time. He didn’t always have to go out to work, but this week he’d been extra busy. And as of recently, he hardly had time to produce the photos that he was taking. But nevertheless you would still happily wait for him.

It had been nearly three years since the incident had occurred, but Adam was struggling along fairly well. The only reason he was taking therapy was because you had convinced him to, though he would have much preferred to manage on his own. A year had shown you that Adam was not really good at supporting himself yet; the therapy was definitely needed. And it was certainly helping him drastically, no matter what Adam told you.

Papaya purred proudly as he playfully batted at the strings hanging off your jacket. You didn’t try to stop him, even though you didn’t want him to pull your jacket apart either. Mostly, you didn’t want to make him leave, you were enjoying his company.

Your loneliness was eating you up. Because of your boyfriend’s absence as of late, you hadn’t gotten much time to talk with him. Your short intervals together were precious and very important to you, but it didn’t feel like enough. You missed the time you used to spend together. However, you were glad to see Adam working again as well, as it was a sign of his recovery.

Then, to your disappointment, the cat stretched and padded off your lap. He leapt onto the coffee table and began to bathe. The empty space on your lap left your legs cold.

“Awe, Papaya,” you complained out loud. “I just need some sort of social interaction and comfort. Don’t leave me!”

Papaya jumped off the table and nonchalantly strode up to the front door. He meowed loudly as the door opened up. Adam was behind it, holding his camera in his hands and clutching a grocery bag to his chest.

You hopped up and ran to help. You didn’t need to worry about Papaya because he was a fraidy cat and would stay inside.

Taking the bag from Adam, you greeted him cheerfully and asked him about his day. You were happy to finally have some human company again. All day had been pretty quiet and lonesome.

Adam could see the exhaustion on your face. In one swoop he wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you in close. His camera had been placed on the counter right next to the door, where you had dropped the grocery bag.

He kept his eyes fixed solely on yours.

Adam loved those deep, adoring, eyes.

The ones that were always there for him.

The ones that never hurt him or neglected him.

The ones that hadn’t betrayed him.

The ones he could trust.

In a single rapid breath he told you about everything. Never once did he stop to breathe. His words were rushed and slurred together, but you could understand them. You listened willingly. Adam’s enthusiasm gave you energy. You craved that.

Lived off it.

He started briskly, with eagerness in his voice, “I had the best day!”

You couldn’t believe how happy he looked right now. It warmed you up inside.

“It was… different, (Y/N). I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun before… I mean before the incident. I forgot what it was like, you know? To actually enjoy doing what I’m doing.” He gasped. “I feel…” he seemed embarrassed to have to admit it. “I feel good.”

“Yeah,” you whispered. Leaning back, you smiled in amusement. You had been working at your job for five years. You loved the way it made you feel, so you could understand what he was feeling. But seeing the way your boyfriend’s face lit up when talking about it, made your heart happy.

Adam lifted you off the ground with both arms and nuzzled his nose against yours. You kicked your feet back and forth with force. He sighed. “I’m so tired now.”

You tried to get down, but Adam wouldn’t allow it. “Why don’t we sit down then?” You questioned.

“Uh…” he considered your words halfheartedly. “I’d prefer to stay here.”

“Then why are you c-“

Adam didn’t let you finish. He promptly kissed you on the mouth, excusing any kind of relations to the previous conversation.

You groaned in surprise, but Adam didn’t want you to leave. He gently set you down on the counter top and proceeded to aggressively make out with you.

Your cat was completely forgotten about by now. In fact, Papaya had meandered somewhere back into the bedroom to take a nap. Apparently, his job now was done. He’d stayed with Y/N all evening so that you wouldn’t get lonely, and once the other human had arrived home he had helpfully announced Adam’s presence. Now it was time for a long nap. Besides, the things that were going down in the kitchen were a bit unpleasant for a cat. And he wanted NOTHING to do with THAT.

You laced your fingers with Adam’s encouragingly, which only tempted him more. With his other hand he stroked your cheek and tilted your head back.

Heart beating excitedly and stomach swimming nervously, you could sense the passion. Heat was pulsing from your cheeks, and longing crisped your lips. You kissed him harder, and tightened your hand on his.

Adam pushed you onto the counter so that you were on your back. You gasped as he pinned your hands to the counter surface.

You smiled timidly up at Adam. “Well, well. What inspired the dominance?”

Adam’s eyes flashed down your body, and then came back up to yours. You felt your body tingle all over while he examined you closely.

“A-Adam…” You whispered.

Adam leaned his head down to your ear. “I love you,” he purred.

You relaxed against the counter, as he started to kiss you again. You had no idea what had gotten him so hyped, but you were all for it.

Your boyfriend backed away after a long time to look at you. “I’d get comfortable.” His voice was soft and flirty. It excited you.

The moment was heated now. You were expecting things to escalate, but you would be just fine if they didn’t. Either way, you eagerly awaited the upcoming events. You pulled him back down, and kissed his cheek. Swiftly, you answered him back with a snarky remark. Your tone held all of your wittiness. “Good luck, baby. We’ll see how long you can dominate.”

Midnight - Adam Stanheight / Reader

You woke up, hot and hungry. Your dinner last night was small, and you were regretting eating so little. At first it was just an assumption that, maybe you’d be okay until morning, but now you weren’t so sure. You reached for the lamp on the bedside table, but it didn’t turn on. Miserably, you turned the switch several more times, to no avail. You decided that the lamp was broken and lazily searched for your mobile phone. It should have been in the drawer, but alas, you found it empty. It was then that you realized you would have to get up. That should have been given from the beginning however, seeing as you did not have your fridge in your bedroom. Reluctantly you left the warmth of the bed, and the comfort of your boyfriend.

The air was chilly, because you and Adam had left the windows open after nearly burning the eggs from dinner. Now you wished you hadn’t done that. You stumbled through the laundry mess and over to the door, where you stretched out an arm fearlessly. Your fingers fumbled with the light switch, which was sticky, and finally forced it up. The lights remained off, much to your disapproval.

Frowning, you thought about your situation. The lamp and the ceiling lights weren’t working, there was a raging thunderstorm outside as well. The rain pounded on the rooftop, and sent raindrops spiraling into the living room, probably drenching the couch and the rug by now. Perhaps, the power had gone out?

You headed into the kitchen, not wanting to deal with the wet furniture by the window, and ate a quick snack which consisted of (favorite crackers) and a glass of water. When you came back, you heard Adam ask, “Did your lamp turn on?”

“No,” you answered flatly, not even registering the fact that Adam was awake right now.

“What were you doing?”

“Eating,” you said sincerely. “I think the power’s out,” you added dishearteningly.

“Well,” Adam grumbled. “It was probably the storm. Oh shit, the windows are open!”

“Yeah,” you replied desolately. “Everything’s drenched.”

“Great.” Adam stretched out an arm towards you but you couldn’t see it. “Come’re.”

You tried to look for him in the darkness, but didn’t succeed in the slightest. You reached for the light switch automatically. The lights did not turn on. “Okay.”

You stumbled through the room blindly, arms outstretched and head ducked down so as to not hit it against anything. This proved difficult because now you couldn’t see where you were going. But this wouldn’t have mattered anyway, even if you’d had your head up; you couldn’t see in the darkness either.

After some shuffling around aimlessly, you found the bottom of the bed, and hauled yourself onto it. Crawling over to the pillows, you tried to find Adam with your hands. Your attempts were futile, so you just focused on going up; straight to the headboard. This was an easy task, it was afterwards that was hard.

“I can’t see you, baby,” you pointed out in annoyance. You weren’t annoyed at Adam, but rather the situation.

“Here,” Adam said from somewhere to the left of you. He reached out, seemingly confident that he could find you, and was extremely disappointed. “Okay. Fair enough.”

But this did not satisfy you. You wouldn’t give up that easily. You leaned to the right stiffly, your arms straight out like sticks. You waved them around recklessly, until one of your hands flew into the headboard with a thwack. It hurt more than it should have, and you flinched, sucking in a sharp breath. You pulled your arms to your sides, and clutched your left hand to your chest.

“Are you okay?” Adam asked you in alarm. He was sitting up now, but you, unfortunately, couldn’t see him. “Y/N? What happened?”

“Nothing,” you muttered, your hand throbbing painfully. Maybe you had hit it a little harder than you’d first thought. “Where are you?”

“I’m over here,” Answered Adam.

“Over where?”

“On the right.”

“Well, that doesn’t help me. Are you IN the bed?”

Adam laughed. “Of course I’m IN it. Why would I be out in the cold?”

Sliding over, you crashed into your boyfriend. “Oh!” You exclaimed. “F-Found you.”

Adam tried to wrap an arm around your shoulders, but only ended up hitting you over the head with his elbow. You grunted, and a million little apologies erupted from Adam instantaneously. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry, oh god, did I hurt you?”

“No,” you assured him vehemently. “It’s fine.”

You snuggled up against Adam clumsily, and after a couple of seconds you managed to rest your head on his shoulder. You helped him find your waist, and he put his arm around it gently. “I love you,” Adam said into the darkness suddenly.

It didn’t surprise you to hear that; he always tried to express himself as much as possible. The only thing that surprised you was that he was choosing now to do it. Either way, of course, you would never pass up the opportunity to reply to that. “I love you, too, Adam,” you whispered happily.

“What time is it?” He inquired. “It looks like it’s two AM.”

“I don’t know,” you responded irritatedly. “I can’t find my goddamn phone.”

“No worries,” Adam said and pulled away from you, making your entire right side cold. He went rummaging around in his drawer for a couple of seconds, then cursed. “Mine’s not here either.”

“Well, sh-”

“Wait a minute,” he interrupted. “I can’t find you anymore…”

Your hopes had been crushed. For a moment, you’d thought Adam had found something related to the time, but he wasn’t even thinking about that anymore. You sighed. “Who’s fault is that?”

Adam only tried to kiss you in response. You figured this out when he asked, “Where’s your head?”

“Uhh.” You couldn’t think of a way to answer that. “I don’t know. Where’s YOUR head?”

“Right here,” Adam’s voice sounded right in front of you, making you flinch in surprise. You hadn’t been expecting him to be so close.

“Oh… I didn’t see you there.”

“Wow,” Adam whispered wryly. “It’s almost like… the lights are off.”

You chuckled halfheartedly. “Can… Can I go back to sleep now?” You wondered tiredly. You had work in the morning, and you would have loved to get some beauty sleep before then.

“Awe,” Adam sighed disappointedly. “You want to leave me in the darkness?”

“I want to go to sleep,” you retorted.

Adam stared at you - well in the general direction of you. “But I don’t want you to go…” he whispered.

“I’m not going anywhere. But you’ll have all the time in the world to talk to me tomorrow.”

“Wait,” Adam insisted.

“You should get some rest, too, you know,” you added.

“I’ll go back to sleep,” Adam assured you unconvincingly. “There’s something I want to do first…”

“What?”

“Come here,” Adam told you firmly.

Scoffing, you asked annoyedly, “How? How do you expect me to find you when I can barely see my hands in front of my own eyes?”

“Like this,” Adam leaned forward, using your voice to guide him, and then satisfyingly started kissing you - or was it so satisfying?

His mouth had NEARLY made it to yours, but it hadn’t overall. He had managed to find the corner of your mouth, but mostly your left cheek. You turned your head to the left, connecting your lips to his. You were finding this situation quite comedic, despite it being almost embarrassing.

You both shared a long kiss. Adam pushed you down so that you were on your back with your arms around his shoulders. “Are you SURE I can’t convince you to stay up with me?”

Instinctively you tilted your head back to look at the digital clock that was on your nightstand. It was blank, and you were reminded abruptly of the electricity being out. “Adam-”

Adam kissed you again, surprisingly getting on your lips this time. You could feel the smirk forming on his face. It made his kissing less aggressive but you enjoyed it. “Are you REALLY sure?”

Adam was starting to make you question your responsibility. You did have work in the morning, and sleep really would be beneficial for the both of you, but right now… you would easily stay awake with Adam… In other words, you weren’t sure you could not be convinced to stay awake with Adam. “Well,” you said sheepishly, a light blush covering your cheeks. It was invisible in the darkness. “I guess it won’t hurt this one time…”

Adam was thrilled with this revelation. He started kissing you again, but his lips were off centered. You laughed a little at this, and turned his head slightly to the right. “I’m HERE, baby.”

Faulkner grumbled, seemingly embarrassed. “Sorry. I can’t see what I’m doing.”

You put your hands in his hair. “No worries. I don’t mind.”

Adam slid his hands up your shirt, and you leaned further into the mattress, enjoying the feeling of his hands on your skin. You kissed him harder, deeper. You couldn’t even begin to express just how much you loved him - but damn it was certainly a lot.

The atmosphere had become heated by now. Your lips were moving fast, and your breathing was coming out in short intervals between kisses. When Adam spoke again, it was only to say, “I love you so much, Y/N.”

Your heart swelled happily at his words. You felt so warm every time he said them. “I love you so much, too,” you gasped back.

“How much later do you plan on staying up?”

You thought about it for a short moment. “Well, I should probably be going back to sl-”

Before the words had left your mouth, your phone started buzzing from somewhere beneath you. “What’s that?” Adam inquired.

“My alarm,” you muttered reluctantly. “Telling me I have work.” “Oh…” Adam sounded heartbroken. “You have to leave now?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that sucks.”

Adam sat up, releasing you from his firm grasp, and allowed you to move around. You got on the floor and began feeling around for your phone. You found it under the bed, with fourteen percent of the battery. “Fuck!”

You were glad to see, however, the time! It was six AM. You couldn’t believe four hours had passed since waking up.

Adam crawled over. “What happened?”

You sat up, and ran into him. “Oof!”

Adam tumbled back. “Ow.”

“I’m sorry!” You exclaimed, getting to your feet and attempting to find the bed. You gave up halfway, and turned on your phone flashlight.

Finally, light was poured into the room. In the dim light of your phone flashlight, you could see Adam on his back, his head furthest away from you, with his hands over his face. The entire room was mostly covered in blackness still but at least you could see what was in front of you now. “Are you okay?”

Adam sat up. “Yeah. I think so… Thanks for the smack…”

You wandered over to the light switch and gave it a shove. You did not know what you had been expecting, but the lights all remained turned off. “I’m going to work,” you called over your shoulder.

Adam chased after you. “Wait!” He grabbed his flannel from off the floor, and slung it over his shoulders. “Don’t leave without breakfast.”

“Baby. I have breakfast on the way, silly.”

Adam scowled at you. “Okay, well, at least give me a hug.”

You rolled your eyes, but you pulled your boyfriend into a loving embrace. “Love you.”

“I love you, too.”

You made for the door hastily, not really intending to be in any kind of hurry, and stepped out of the apartment. You enjoyed working at your job, but… you would much rather be at home with Adam, and you weren’t going to deny it: you were excited for the time when you had to come home.

One Day - Adam Stanheight / Reader

A/N I heard the song Gonna Love Ya - by Avicii on the radio and I thought of a story immediately. I know it’s an old song, idk what it was doing on the radio. Also this story is long!!

Winter was harsh this year. The snow was piling up outside the door, the wind was shaking the windows, and the thunder roared overhead violently. Your lights flashed and flickered every once in a while and the chill outside was seeping through your thin walls. You shivered, and clutched your blanket closer. Your hot chocolate was still sitting on the counter, where you had forgotten it a long time ago. It was probably cold by now.

Adam Stanheight was your roommate. He had left to get groceries about an hour and a half ago when the sky was still clear. You’d insisted on going with him, but he was determined to go by himself. You understood his need for alone time. He usually did the grocery shopping by himself.

But something was wrong. It never took him so long to get the groceries before. You were concerned. Shaking your head, you muttered something about being more firm with him.

Adam walked through the door at that exact moment. His arms were full of grocery bags, but that was the least of your concerns. Adam’s face was white, and his eyes were red. He was shaking from the cold as he dropped everything onto the counter, and slumped back against it.

You folded your lips nervously, as your heart started pounding a little. Leaning against the counter like that, giving you a side view, made Adam look so much more attractive than he already was. He huffed out in fatigue, and closed his eyes.

You had always had feelings for Adam, but you didn’t do anything about them. Mostly, you were too shy to make a move, but… you were also scared of ruining the good relationship you had with him right now. Hesitantly, you stood up and went to him. “Adam…” you whispered.

After the severe events of Jigsaw, you could understand his emotional issues, but it hurt every time you saw it happening. But Adam was recovering well from that due to the therapy and some extra precautions. You could guess that this was something else.

“Adam, what’s wrong?”

Adam didn’t look at you. Now that you were closer, you could smell the strong scent of smoke. He’d been smoking. That meant his life was really shitty right now.

“Would you like to talk about it?” You asked.

“What’s wrong with me?” He wondered miserably. “I thought the therapy would help?”

You looked at him up and down, stunned a little. “It is. It IS helping. You’re being helped.”

Adam looked into your eyes. “Then why do I feel like this? I’m not like you.”

His words hit you, and you frowned. “That doesn’t matter. If everyone was the same, life would be boring.”

“No,” Adam added instantly. “I’m not… normal… I’m not happy anymore. I was different before Kramer took me for his twisted game.”

You felt your heart break. Hastily, you replied, “You ARE normal. You’re just lost… Your therapist and I are trying to help redirect you.”

“ ‘Redirect’ me? You make it sound like a good thing.”

“That’s because it is a good thing. It’s okay to feel like this. You are okay.”

“No,” Adam insisted, glaring at the floor.

“Yes,” you assured Adam firmly. You grabbed his hands in yours.

“No.” Adam tried to get past you, but you blocked his way. “Why do you care?”

“Because…” Your mouth was dry, and your throat was tight. It surprised you how quickly the words, ‘I love you’ wanted to escape your lips. But… you weren’t even dating. That would be weird. “I care about you a lot…” you said vaguely.

Adam cast you a dubious look, and let out a scornful snort. “Yeah. Yeah, like I believe that.”

“It’s true,” you grumbled under your breath. Adam didn’t hear you, which was the point.

But this wasn’t about Jigsaw’s game, and you knew it. Adam was dealing with a difficult breakup at the moment. He had been with another woman, she hadn’t been one of the nicest people. She always tried to take advantage of Adam’s trauma instead of trying to help it. She’d lied to him all the time. She cheated on him.

That woman had never loved Adam and it had been painstakingly obvious to you, and to everyone else around you. Just not to Adam. She didn’t love him, not like you did.

“That’s not what’s bothering you,” you told him.

“How do you know?” Adam asked bitterly.

Because I study everything you do? Wait, that’s creepy! Not what I meant!

But it was partly true. Due to your little crush on Adam Stanheight, you had become very observant of him; you noticed things about him, and spotted patterns in his behavior. Not to mention, you’d been living with him for about two years now - things were bound to start calling out to you.

“Because,” you said quietly, unsteadily. “I know you.”

Adam sighed heavily, but didn’t answer your question.

“Is it about HER?” You pressed.

“Yeah,” Adam responded eventually.

“Want to talk about it? Have you talked about it with your therapist?”

“No,” Adam answered blatantly. “I mean, no, I haven’t talked about it with my therapist. But yes, I would like to talk about it.”

“Well, go on. You know I’m here for you, right?”

Adam looked out the window sadly. “I just thought… we had something…” he stammered halfheartedly. “I thought she was who I thought she was. And you know… I feel like I deserve what she did to me.”

“You don’t deserve that!” You exclaimed defensively. “Nobody deserves that. You of all people! There’s no need to be so harsh on yourself.”

“Then why did she leave me?” Adam shot at you. “It must have been my fault she’s gone. Probably my trauma scared her away. I fucking hate that about myself.”

You stared at him helplessly. You didn’t like hearing Adam talk about himself that way, but there wasn’t anything else you could think of to say. “That’s not true,” you mustered. “She was using you. She didn’t sleep with you because she didn’t love you, not because she was disgusted by you. There’s a difference, you know. But there ARE people who care about you. Many people care about you. You just have to look around.”

“Who?” Adam asked bluntly. “And saying my therapist doesn’t count. My therapist is SUPPOSED to care about me.”

“And do they?” You questioned.

“Yeah. I guess,” Adam said begrudgingly.

You gazed at Adam, your cheeks hot and your mind numb. Standing so close to Adam was definitely not good for your mental state, but… you were holding his hands… That was pretty big!

“Well, let’s see. Your friends care about you. Your doctors care about you… You know, the barista at Starbucks cares about you because you guys are like friends now.”

Adam stared at you miserably. “Is that all?”

“Of course it’s not all. I’m sure your family cares about you.”

Adam didn’t seem satisfied with those answers. He raised an eyebrow. “What about you?”

You felt very self-conscious, but didn’t look away from Adam’s curious gaze. You didn’t know what to say to that. “I care about you,” you said slowly. “Of course I do, because you're my roommate. You’re my best friend.”

“Hmm,” Adam grunted. “Is that it?”

“I-I don’t know… I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

“You don’t want to talk about what you think of me? That must mean you don’t like me.”

“No,” you growled. “That’s not what it means. I just care about you, I don't have a reason.”

And Adam seemed to fill in the blanks. “Oh…” he mumbled. “Does this make things awkward between us?”

“If you think it does,” you said offhandedly.

It was dead silent in the room, and you stalked back over to the couch, and flipped on the TV. After some scrolling through the crappy shows and movies, you turned it off again. Adam was still standing by the counter, a distant look in his eyes. His face was still white, but at least his eyes looked normal now; not so much like he’d be crying.

You picked up your phone and turned on the pop radio. You didn’t know what it had in store. The first thing on the list was a song you didn’t recognize, but the heavy beat and the loud synthesizer were both very appealing.

Adam looked at you when he heard the music. “What’s this?”

“I dunno.”

He came to sit next to you, as the lyrics started, and you bit your lower lip nervously. This was the song that had to play, wasn’t it? This one. Among every song in the universe, this one was the coincidental song that decided to play? You listened to it anyway, letting the meaning resonate within you. It felt good. A little bit, anyway.

“I’m gonna love ya…”

You put your head in your hand, and looked the other way. Oh this is a love song…

“I know I could. I’m gonna love ya, like no one could.”

This song isn’t even that great… No… It’s alright… I suppose.

You were self-conscious of yourself suddenly. This wasn’t what you had been expecting. While the song wasn’t TERRIBLE it wasn’t AMAZING either, but what got you really feeling nervous was how much you related.

“Make your heart feel the way it should. I’m gonna hold ya, when no one would.”

Adam’s physical presence was making you uncomfortable. You could now feel him pressing against you. It was only lightly, but you’d been the one to start the cuddling thing between you both. You could remember that fateful day.

“ ‘Cause I swear you deserve so good.” That was the breaking point. You felt those words within you greatly, and you wished you didn’t. But Adam was wholesome, and didn’t deserve the things he’d been put through. You wanted the best for him entirely. You muttered aloud unintentionally, “Shit.”

Adam glanced over immediately. “What’s the matter?”

You didn’t answer though. The song was coming to a close, and you still felt very unsatisfied.

“I’m gonna love ya, I know I could. I’m gonna love ya, like he never could. ‘Cause I know you deserve so good.”

“Oh, shit…” You breathed, your mind feeling slightly overwhelmed with emotions and thoughts all colliding into each other all at once. It made it hard to concentrate.

It was like this song was MADE for this situation. It made you think of your relationship with Adam all the way. You did love Adam… or at least your feelings for him were strong enough to be love. And you believed that you were good for Adam, you hoped to be, you wanted to be; and you were certain you could love him much better than his ex did. And you also believed that he deserved a better life than he was living. He was worth so much more than this.

“What?” Adam asked, a smile on his face. “Are you okay? Are you going to tell me what’s up?”

You reached for your phone and stopped the music. That was enough. Your mind was fried now. “Y-Yeah. I think so. Why don’t we go to bed? We can do something fun tomorrow. I’m really sorry you had a difficult day.”

Adam nodded gloomily. “Yeah. I guess. But, you never answered my question-”

You shrugged him off of you. “-I am really tired. Sheesh.”

“You know we should put the groceries away, right?” Adam reminded you from behind.

You turned to look at the counter, and stared. “Uh… Oh yeah… Do you want me to help you with them?”

Adam sighed. “You want to go to bed, don’t you?”

“Do you want my help? I’ll help.”

Adam thought for a moment, then said, “No. It’s okay. You’re really tired, you should go to sleep. I don’t mind. It’s only one bag anyway.”

“Oh…” You wandered off to your bedroom, and closed the door behind you.

In a few quick sweeps and swooshes, you had a pair of your most comfortable pajamas on your body. You leaned back into the bed, feeling your heart beating heavily in your chest. It was slowly starting to calm down, but you still felt a little agitated from the earlier situation. You had leaned on your pillows and were getting ready to fall asleep, when Adam peeked inside. He appeared quiet and uncertain, with a look of worry on his face.

“Am I interrupting?” He inquired calmly.

You looked at him. “No. What’s up?”

He came to sit on the edge of the bed. “You never answered my question… I’m concerned about you, you know. You’ve seemed a little off lately.”

You listened thoughtfully, then said, “No. I’m okay. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“So, you’re allowed to pry into my life, but I’m not allowed to pry into yours?”

I never forced you to open up. You did that. I would have left it alone, if you said ‘no’. But you didn’t.”

“Well, talk to me anyway. I’m not the only one who needs support sometimes.”

You considered his words for a minute, then finally you mustered stiffly, “It hurts me to see you hurting. I like you a lot, Adam, and I want you to see that you deserve better than your ex. That’s why I’m acting different, because I don’t HOW to act.”

Adam’s expression was blank, which disconcerted you very much because you couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Was he going to judge you for your feelings? If he did, then would it be in a positive or negative light?

Your heart and nerves were starting to act up again. It didn’t help that Adam was sitting next to you. All you wanted was to cuddle up next to him, or hold him, just holding hands would be enough. But you didn’t know if you could handle the pressure.

“I understand,” Adam breathed somberly. His voice was quiet and empathetic.

You grit your teeth awkwardly. “So… what does that mean?”

Adam laid down next to you, so close to you that your bodies were touching. You let out a breath and closed your eyes. “You’re a really good person, Y/N. I’m glad you’re with me, but… I can’t be in a relationship right now. But maybe one day.”

You shuddered when you felt his words vibrate through your shoulders, but didn’t say anything. You didn’t know WHAT to say.

It got darker and darker in your small bedroom, as the light dipped away from your long window. Twilight had passed a long time ago, but everything was at peace. You didn’t feel hurried, or anxious. You didn’t feel worried or scared. You didn’t even feel happy or excited. You were just present.

For once you felt at ease. And for the first time the urge was being satisfied. The urge to be as close to Adam Faulkner Stanheight as possible was finally becoming true. But would it remain that way? That was the real question.

“Mind if I stay?” Adam’s low tone was gentle, and echoed a little through the dim room, setting a kind of metallic air to the situation but not quite unsettling it.

You pressed yourself into the mattress, pushing into Adam, and sighed contentedly. Nothing could be better than this. You calmly responded, your voice soft and full of emotion, “No. Please.”

And that was all he needed. He relaxed into you, warming you with his own body heat, keeping you secure against his chest and lulling you sleep.

It was silent after that, all for good reason of course, and encouraged a perfect sleeping atmosphere, allowing an unconsciousness to sweep you both away.

When Nobody's Around - Adam Stanheight / Reader

A/N. There was a clip of the song 'Better' by Khalid on TikTok, and that inspired this story. Anyway, continue.

It was dark in the area, December twenty-fourth. The wind howled loudly as it whipped through the tree branches and sent snow spraying everywhere. The air was freezing cold, and the ground was icy. Even snow boots couldn't dull the slip from anyone who tried to walk on it. It was difficult not to tense up against the chill, or even not to zip up the jacket around one's shoulders, but no matter what you did you just couldn't get warm. You kept your head bent and plowed on through the snow. The coffee in your Starbucks cup made your palms hot, but you liked it that way; you didn't like the cold anyway. Adam Stanheight was following closely behind you, along with your best friend. You guys had a mixed friendship, or so it seemed. You knew what you had with your bff, you didn't need to question it. But your relationship with Adam was quite another thing entirely, it dissatisfied you, dismayed you. Often times he'd play off his flirting to be nothing more than jokes, and it hurt you a little. His mixed signals were confusing you. You clutched your tote bag closer and sped up your speed. Getting home was your biggest priority right now; you felt so flustered being around Adam. It made your heart beat faster and your stomach swim chaotically.

In your head you knew there was something there, or at least you wished there was, but you couldn't stop yourself from feeling it. You rounded the corner very urgently. You were in the lead, Adam and your friend had been talking earlier about politics, you didn't want to discuss that. But unfortunately for you, your friend called out to you. "What's your opinion?"

You, who had not been listening, turned around slowly and looked at them dumbly. You could not remember what they had been talking about before. "I wasn't paying attention," you admitted.

"Oh, come on. I was asking-"

"-No, no," you interrupted. "Right now I have other things to worry about than what side of the political spectrum you are on. I'd like to keep our friendship strong before Christmas, then we can ruin it."

"Fine. Then at least tell me this. What side of the 'romantic relationship' are you on? You know, with..." Your bff elbowed Adam in the ribs.

Adam made a face. " 'Romantic relationship'?" He repeated skeptically. "What the fuck are you on about?"

You turned back around and started to cross the street, your heart heavy. The light, which was blurred by the snowy fog, changed red suddenly, and you were pulled back by a strong force. It wasn't like you could have saved yourself, but you did appreciate the thoughtfulness. Not to mention, there weren't any moving vehicles out right now to plow you over, so it didn't really matter. "Thanks," you mumbled, and pulled your arm out of their grasp, you expected it to be your friend.

"Hey. Where are you going?" The voice sounded right behind you. It was quiet and soothing; it sent chills up your spine; like it always did. Apparently the political conversation was over now.

"A-Adam..." you gasped. "I... wasn't expecting you to be there."

"No?" Adam pressed up against your side. "You seem cold. Mind if I warm you up?"

You gagged, feeling embarrassed, and tried to get away, but Adam held you close. "Where are you going?" He asked again.

Your best friend came up to you. "Yeah. No romantic relationship here. What's up love-birds?"

Adam released you. "Tch," he scoffed. "What are you talking about? We're just friends. Can't I care for my friends?"

You stared at him miserably. "Christmas at my house?" You asked, changing the subject.

Your friends looked at you cluelessly. "Oh sure," your bff agreed. "I won't have to rearrange any plans if we go to your house."

"You live in the same place," you muttered.

"That's the point..." your friend grimaced.

Adam had fallen behind you both while you discussed this. He seemed quiet now, and lost in thought. You wondered what he was thinking about. You wished he was talking with you again. You wished he would try snuggling again.

The discussion wasn't a long one, and it ended right as you reached the other side of the road. "So, Adam," you hummed out quietly. "You need anyone to help with baking? I know you said you would like it if someone came over tomorrow morning."

"Only one someone..." Adam winked at you, and laughed. "In all honesty, I just want the company. It gets lonely over there."

"So... No baking?"

"What would you guys be baking?" (Bff's name) asked. "Not like Adam is having anyone over. Not like he CAN. Everyone would be falling on their asses."

Adam muttered something under his breath, then spoke up, "No, you're right. I... will do the baking myself." He chuckled. "That is, if I stop taking pictures of it first."

"You're not planning on doing any baking, are you?" You realized.

"I... was? Actually."

"Pffft." Your best friend sounded dubious.

You yourself were a little doubtful too, but you had the sense to shut up about it. You blew out a breath, which made your bangs fly into the air.

"You look kinda cute when you do that," Adam commented and held your hand lightly.

You blushed, waiting for his infamous 'jk' or stupid reasoning as to why he was 'pretending to flirt' with you, but it never came. You exchanged glances with you friend, but alas Adam caught it, and let go. "I should really stop doing that, shouldn't I?"

You huffed. "I... like it..." You said inaudibly.

Adam had heard you, but he chose not to respond. He started talking about the snow instead.

Fuck, you thought.

Faulkner walked you both to your condo, and held the door open. You were the first inside, but didn't get too far. Adam called you back as your best friend stalked past you to the stairs. You fell back and leaned against him. What was going to happen now? Adam got all cozy with you when you guys were alone, and now that your friend had left, you wondered what was going to happen. "Hey, Y/N?" He looked directly into your eyes. He never flinched or gazed away, but his body language said he was nervous.

You felt obliged to ease his stress. "Yeah? Are you cold, why don't you come in for a minute and warm up?"

"No," Adam said boldly. "I... just wanted to..." He looked away finally. Your heart nearly stopped in anticipation. "Well, you see... I've been thinking about this for a while. Ever since October."

You stared at him silently, hoping he wasn't psyching you up just to joke with you again. "What is it?" You asked in irritation. "Are you playing with me again?"

"What do you mean by that?" Adam didn't seem to understand that you were referring to his 'fake flirting.' Honestly, sometimes you thought that he was completely unaware that he did it. Or maybe he simply pretended to be innocent?

"I'm not kidding around right now, I'm being serious. Here's the deal. I-I wanted Christmas at my place, if that's alright with you. I don't mind if you bring

(Bff's name,) But... Yeah."

Your stomach felt hollow after hearing that. Whatever you had been expecting was entirely not up for debate. You were simply 'friend-zoned', at least it felt like it. You thought about his words for a short moment, then stared at him questioningly. "Will your apartment be clean enough?" It was a joke, but not really. Adam was notorious for have a messy living quarters.

"Haha," Adam said sarcastically. "I cleaned it yesterday... well enough, that is..."

You nodded halfheartedly, still feeling disappointed. "Sure. I'll tell (Bff's name,) the change of plans."

"Yeah," Adam agreed.

It was awkward after that. Adam stayed in the doorway, and you kept the door open. Neither of you knew what to say after that, but you didn't have the heart to close the door and leave him there. It was so intense that you could feel heat rising to face in the cold forty degree (Fahrenheit) weather. Snow was starting to fill up the inside. "I guess you should go?" You didn't want to be rude, but asking it instead of saying it didn't help the bluntness of the sentence.

"Um..." Adam shrugged. "I was wondering something else..."

You looked at Adam in disbelief. In the fifteen minutes standing in the cold, he didn't think to bring this up? "Well, alright then. Any time would be... perfect." You noticed for the first time, how fidgety he had become. You'd never seen him like that before. Something else was on his mind, you knew him well enough to know that. "Go on," you encouraged.

"Why don't you come to my place for the night?" Adam asked unexpectedly. He got straight to the point, you liked that. He added clumsily, "Unless... Uh, you're busy... in the morning? I understand, you know. Of course I understand. Um... Y-Yeah, I just- I wanted to make sure you knew the invitation was there."

You smiled shyly. Having Adam stumbled over his words was a little bit cute. And then you realized what he had actually asked you. Wait a minute!? This couldn't be real! Stay the night with Adam Faulkner Stanheight!? Who could turn THAT down? Not Y/N. Definitely not Y/N. "Okay," you agreed politely, suddenly feeling self-conscious. You ran your hands over your clothes quickly, trying to smooth them out. But Adam didn't care about the wrinkles in your shirt, he just wanted you with him. He pulled you outside again, the chill biting you immediately. You huddled up next to him, trying to get warm.

Maybe this time it would be different? Maybe he'd snuggle with you?

But Adam was not as observant to his surroundings. He led you to his car, which was parked beside the road.

"What's with the car, Adam? We live close enough, you know," you joked.

Your companion only scowled at you as he snapped, "I was at a client's house when you called. And I decided not to leave the car here on the way home."

You sat down in the passenger's seat happily. Adam, of course, took the driver's seat, and as he started up the car the radio blasted you guys unexpectedly, hollowing out each one of your ears. Instead of turning it off, Adam just turned it down. He seemed much more laid back now that it was just the two of you.

In the silence, however, you were able to pick up what song was currently playing. It was Better by Khalid, and this surprised you. You didn't usually listen to this artist very much, but the radio seemed to love playing this song in particular. You hadn't been expecting it to come on while you were in Adam's car though.

Due to the quietness you could hear the words now. You'd never really listened to them before, but now that you could hear them, you felt suspicious.

"Say we're just friends, but I swear, when nobody's around. You keep my hand around your neck, we connect, are you feeling it now?-"

Adam rolled down a window suddenly, cutting off the next part.

You raised an eyebrow, thinking to yourself. Why the hell am I relating to this song so much? No wait, an even better question is, why would it come on the radio when I'm in the car with Adam? It doesn't add up right.

Almost instinctually, you asked, "D-Did you do this on purpose?" You hadn't meant to blurt it out. In fact you usually were pretty good about thinking about what you were going to say or do before actually performing it. This was a rare scenario.

Humiliation engulfed you as soon as the words left your mouth. You rolled your window down hurriedly, trying to act like you hadn't spoken. It was all for naught.

"What?" Adam asked dully.

"I-uh..." you stammered for a minute, then quickly regained yourself. "Yeah. I was just wondering if you chose the song, or if it was the radio?"

"Why would I have chosen it?" Adam sounded confused. "There would be no reason for me to choose it."

"oh... You're right..." You stared out the window and let the wind blow into your face. It was cold but you didn't say it out loud. You did wonder though, how Stanheight managed to live through it. It was so cold it felt like it was burning your skin off. You closed the window again.

Adam pulled to a stop in front of his apartment. "Don't mind the neighbors," he warned. "They don't like newcomers."

"I know. We've had this discussion before."

"I know," Adam said regretfully. "But... I just... like to remind you."

As you both shuffled into Adam's apartment, you gazed at the floor. He told you he'd cleaned up yesterday, and it showed. The normal empty boxes, or bits of laundry, had been taken care of, as well as the large stacks of photographs laying around the place. Adam was nothing if not passionate about his job, and that made you happy. It still amazed you to be able to see the wooden floor beneath your feet, and you desperately tried not to notice the counter, on top of which was an ashtray, which was piled with cigarette ends. The scent of cigarette smoke was thick, definitely fresh, but... you didn't mind it really.

Well, that was a lie. You did mind it, a lot. But that was the thing, that smell reminded you of Adam, so... you didn't mind it THAT much. Come to think of it, having the scent of smoke remind you of someone was probably not a good thing. Not for you or Adam. In fact, Adam probably had it worse. Imagine hearing someone say that the scent of smoke reminded them of you. That didn't seem like a positive thing to hear.

You shuddered at the thought.

"Come sit down over here," Adam said from the couch. "Sorry about the... Everything... I did try to keep the windows open but... it was way too damn cold. And I guess I couldn't stop... If you know what I mean?"

You did. You could understand completely.

Gently, you sat next to Adam, crossing your legs over each other delicately. It was warm in here, or was it Adam's body heat? You were sitting so close to him it was hard to tell. "I'm glad you came over," he said nervously. "You know... It's kinda stupid, but I only said I wanted your help with baking 'cause I didn't know how to invite you."

You smiled at him. "That's sweet. I would have done the same thing," you reassured Adam.

Adam slowly wrapped an arm around your shoulders. In a low tone, he said, "I didn't get you anything for Christmas. I'm sorry, I... Well, I mostly didn't know what kind of things you liked and didn't like."

"It's okay," you said. "I wasn't planning on having Christmas here until my parents' flight got canceled."

"So, you didn't get me anything either?" Adam's voice held some relief.

"Well, no," you tried to disappoint gently. You knew how it felt when you realized you weren't the only one who had done something a certain way. It was very reassuring. Maybe a bit too reassuring. You didn't want to crush his bubble so violently, but there wasn't any way to say it softly. At least, not one that came to mind. "I actually did think of something."

"Oh?" Adam didn't seem bothered, that was good. "What is it?"

You scoffed. "Like I'd tell you. You have to wait."

You had baked everyone some cookies this morning. That's what you were going to give your friends for Christmas. It was the first thing that came to your mind last second.

Adam leaned away from you hesitantly. "Well, there might be something that I thought of, too, but... I don't know... I guess I got scared..." He glanced at a nearby clock, and shrugged. "Is one fifteen AM close enough to Christmas?"

"I don't know," you said honestly. "I'd say, at least six AM."

"Fuck that," Adam exclaimed. "I... don't think I can wait any longer." He laughed nervously. It lasted for so long that you started to wonder if you had missed the joke.

"I'm sorry," you sighed. "I don't think... I follow."

Adam stared at the floor. "No, I'm sorry, that was unnecessary. I just got... scared?"

You narrowed your eyebrows sympathetically. "What is it, Adam?"

"Well... Will you be my significant other? The time we spend together means a lot, not to mention I enjoy your company a lot, too. Our dates have been nice... I know I should have asked you long ago, but... I don't know... I couldn't get up the courage..."

You smiled, but it was only out of uncomfortableness rather than actual happiness. You had no idea if he was playing with you or being honest with you. "Uh... Heh. You're joking, aren't you?"

"No," Adam gasped. He looked flabbergasted. "Why... What makes you ask that? I wouldn't joke about something like this."

Oh, right, you thought dryly. Just everything else about our relationship.

Out loud you said quickly, "Nothing." You regretted doubting yourself. It just made this situation very embarrassing. You felt the need to clarify your answer now. You didn't want to leave Adam hanging after such a significant question. "Well, Adam. The answer to your question is yes! I thought you were never gonna ask me. Well, actually, I thought you were bullshitting me the entire time."

"I didn't go about it the right way," Adam admitted. "That's my fault." He pulled you down so that your head was on his lap, and started to comb his fingers through your hair. "Merry Christmas, Y/N," he murmured. "That's my gift to you."

You inhaled deeply, feeling a strong wave of affection flood you. You had no idea anyone could feel so much emotion at once. It awed you. Gazing at the ceiling you felt your heart swell up. It beat in your chest heavily, loudly, nervously, but you felt soothed at the same time. And in this exact moment, you had good feelings. Maybe it was too soon to tell, however something in your gut told you that you were going to have a long, successful, future with Adam. "Wow," you hummed out quietly. "Christmas is going to be a hell-of-a-lot different this year." Adam didn't stop brushing your hair. You yawned and smiled. "But I can't wait for it."