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.

Delirious - Adam Stanheight / Reader

Adam Faulkner sat up frantically, his body rigid and his mind reeling, his hands grasping uselessly at the edge of his confines, his hair plastered to his face, and his mouth filled with grimy water. He spluttered, trying to breath without getting water in his lungs, and his fingers fumbled inconveniently all along the edge of his restraints. Coughing, Adam hauled himself out of the tub. He was weak and fatigued, but most of all he was scared. In a few frightening moments, that seemed entirely too long, he tried pounding on the walls; first slowly then gradually getting faster with every passing second. Through the darkness, Adam could feel the freezing tile on his fingers, and the sharp sting as he slapped his palms against it. When this proved futile, Adam backed away hesitantly, spinning 'round and 'round as if trying to find something that wasn't there, and then resorted to screaming. His attempts at being heard were unavailing, but he kept at it anyway mostly for the sake of his very own sanity; if he remained silent he was sure to lose his goddamn mind.

"No one can hear you," came a sudden voice from the darkness. It sounded so dismissive; in fact it almost pissed Adam off how apathetic it appeared. "Just calm down. Are you hurt?"

Adam's mind struggled to form a single coherent thought. Between his confusion and his fear, thinking was made difficult. He stuttered over his words for a couple short seconds. "I-I-I-I don't- don't know." He looked over himself, even though he couldn't see anything. "Yeah?"

There was a faint sound of stumbling around, and then a high-pitched buzz filled the room. In an abrupt flicker the darkness was replaced with a bright yellow light. The ceiling lights had come on, and Adam groaned, shielding his eyes away from the brightness. "I couldn't find them before..." The man apologized.

When Adam could see clearly again, he glanced over at the object to his right. Immediately upon seeing the results, he wished he had been a little more thoughtful on that prospect, for keeping him grounded was a metal chain connecting him to a metal pipe protruding from the tile walls. What calmness he had left evaporated all together and once again he found himself panicking. Adam yanked and tugged but it didn't matter, he wasn't going anywhere. "Holy shit. You did this, didn't you!?"

His companion pressed himself against the wall in alarm. "I haven't done anything!" He exclaimed defensively. "But we're going to have to trust each other if we want to get out of this. I mean, clearly someone didn't want us going very far."

Adam huffed. "But what the hell did I do?"

"Apparently you did something, or you wouldn't be here. Now, what's your name?"

That's a personal question, Adam thought. Why does he want to know?

Looking the man up and down suspiciously, Faulkner muttered carefully, "My name is very fucking confused... What's YOUR name...?"

"Lawrence Gordon," Gordon answered practically.

Adam laughed. "Sounds like a doctor's name," he whispered wryly.

"I AM a doctor," Doctor Lawrence snapped.

Adam stared at him awkwardly. Neither of them spoke a word to each other for a couple of never-ending minutes, then Lawrence stood up. "Here, let me try the door."

"Why didn't you?" Adam retorted, not expecting a reply. He was aware of the fact that, with the lights off, it was impossible to see your surroundings. Lawrence ignored him, but did cast him an annoyed look, as if echoing Adam's exact thoughts. He got to his feet.

Adam watched Lawrence stretch himself along the wall, reaching for the door. It was locked, but even if wasn't, Lawrence's chain didn't stretch far enough to get him to the handle. "Well fuck," Adam uttered hopelessly.

Lawrence gave him an apologetic look, but didn't say anything to reassure him. It was then that Adam's eyes found the chainsaw resting right next to Lawrence's feet, and that's when everything changed. He started freaking out. In flashbacks he saw THAT moment replaying over and over again in his head, and he reacted violently, twisting his body and lashing out against his restraint.

The pictures burned his eyes, at least it felt like they did. With each passing second the flashbacks became more clear. He could almost feel Lawrence's pain when he cut through his flesh. Adam screamed. Agony ripped through his temples and he doubled over.

Lawrence's longing and flustered exclamations were lost on poor Adam as he writhed miserably on the tile floor in capable of regaining himself, his tormented mind struggling to cope with the memories. "Hey! I think I've found something! Pass me that tape."

Adam kicked, and flailed, but didn't hear Lawrence.

"What's wrong? Will you at least tell me your name?"

Still, Adam couldn't get the vision out of his eyes. It lingered there like a bloodstain on a white dress. It refused to put him at ease.

"Adam!" Lawrence threw his wallet at him. "Adam!" His voice was starting to blend into the buzz of the lights. "Goddamn it, Adam! What's happening?"

Faulkner tossed and turned. His heart was beating so fast in his chest he was sure it would pop at any given moment. His temperature was so high it was like he was in an oven that was set to self-destruct. His shirt and flannel were drenched in so much sweat, he could have easily been rolling around in the wet grass before arriving.

"Adam!" Lawrence threw something else at him. Was it the package of cigarettes? "Sit up! Sit up!"

Adam tried to latch onto what Lawrence was telling him, but he felt fried. His mind was so exhausted...

"Adam!" Gordon's voice was gone completely now, as well as the images that he had been seeing before. Adam was plunged straight back into darkness, and then THAT voice reached his ears. The melodic voice of his significant other.

In a frenzy, hastily and dazedly, Adam Faulkner exploded from the covers, his face burning up with fever. He was hotter than he had ever felt in his entire life. He gasped, paranoia engulfing him. His eyes darted around the room, taking in his surroundings quickly, fearfully. He was not where he expected to find himself. He was not with the person he was expecting to be with. Adrenaline pumped through him, making him fidgety, but finally he brought his attention to his partner. You were leaning over him, terror in your bright eyes.

Adam's breath slowed down audibly, once he realized where he was. You pushed him to the pillow again. You had tears on your cheeks but Adam wasn't in the mental state to be concerned about that right now. He let you adjust him on the bed, as you whispered, "You're so hot, baby. I tried to stop the fever, but... it just kept rising, and... You scared me, I thought for sure... Never mind. You were kicking and sleep talking. I don't what you said, though."

Adam stared ahead, grabbing hold of your hand. He held it so tightly you whimpered. You had to use all your strength to rip your hand out of his grasp. "What time is it?" He choked.

"Twelve AM. It's hasn't even been two hours yet."

"I... I can't go back to sleep. I need a walk." But Adam knew it was a lie. And he knew what you would say.

You stared into his face. His eyes had dark circles under them, they were bloodshot already themselves, and his skin was ghostly white. You frowned at him in dismay. Lately, he had stopped sleeping. His trauma was getting to him again, and you knew that was the only reason for it; his dreams were haunting him too much. "No, Adam," You said firmly this time. You weren't going to allow him to do this again.

Adam shook his head. "Let me. It helps."

"You are going to kill yourself one of these days," You growled, and gently held him down. You didn't want to cause him to feel trapped, that would only make things worse, but you didn't want him to get up. "You need to sleep, baby. You have a fever tonight."

"Maybe that's good?" Adam asked halfheartedly. He hadn't meant to alarm you.

You felt sick. "No." You combed your fingers through his hair. "Relax, Adam. You're going to be just fine. I know it, you know it."

Adam relaxed under his partner's soothing strokes. "I feel so cold..."

You gazed at him sadly. "A hundred and one degrees, Adam."

"Me?"

"No, the cat," You snapped sarcastically.

"Oh..."

Adam could feel himself losing himself to sleep. He was afraid of what would happen next in his dreams, but he trusted you to take care of him. Your careful caress was enough to put him back under. And as he wandered through a blurry haze of darkness, he heard your soft voice one last time. "I love you." A kiss was planted on his lips and when he started dreaming again, it was with you.

You in your favorite attire.

You with your prettiest smile.

You with your pleasant laugh.

And he leaned right into that beloved and charming kiss. All the while you stayed awake in the night, protecting him, keeping him away from his fears, and allowing your precious boyfriend to gather up on his much desired sleep.

Coffee Date - Adam Stanheight / Reader

A/N this story was inspired by the song Here With Me by Marshmello. Lol I know I'm old school...

It had been a year since the tragic events of Jigsaw. Adam Faulkner Stanheight was recovering decently, at least it appeared. There were less nightmares occurring, and almost no more mental breaks. But this didn’t make life any easier. Your feelings for each other were one of the biggest problems to be resolved, if only one of you could start the conversation.

It was a quiet, misty, Saturday morning, as you waited in the cafe for Adam. He had agreed to meet for coffee at eleven. You were on time, and it didn’t surprise you to see that Adam was late. What did surprise you was how late Adam wasn’t. He could have been ten minutes late, or maybe even five, but not today. He was only one minute late, and that didn’t seem like it was that bad to you, though it was a first.

Adam walked through the double doors smoothly, the wind blowing his flannel back and whipping his hair into his eyes. The sunlight was behind him at an angle, casting shadow over the entire front of his body.

You shifted in your seat to gaze at him. He went striding confidently over to the counter, put his elbow on it casually, and ordered something quietly, then looked around the room.

His dark, searching eyes found yours and he pushed himself away from the counter, to you.

You spun your stool around to face him. You looked up into Adam’s face timidly. Adam was a very nice guy, who didn’t give a fuck about opinions or whatever you were like on the inside, but some how you got all shy around him anyway.

Adam’s air of boldness seemed very natural, like he didn’t have to think about it at all. But his demeanor always changed whenever he was near you. You weren’t sure the reason for it… or perhaps you didn’t want to be sure.

The barista called his name, and he went to retrieve his coffee. You hadn’t ordered anything; all you wanted was some quality time with Adam.

Faulkner sat across from you, and tipped his coffee to you. “Greetings,” he said formally.

Heart beating and lungs collapsing, you felt an adrenaline rush. Just hearing his voice made you enlightened. You felt like ANYTHING was possible!

You nodded respectfully back. “Greetings.”

He gazed out the window. “It’s a beautiful day for a walk.”

You shuddered. “No. Too cold.”

Adam fixed his eyes on you. “So, how’s the morning going for you? I heard there was traffic on the way.”

“Oh yeah,” you huffed. “Road work. How ‘bout you?”

“Tired. Was up ‘til three producing pictures. I think they turned out pretty good.”

There was delight on his face, as he thought about last night. That smile on his face was perfect. You loved seeing it. Sighing happily, you put your cheek in your hand. “I’m sorry it’s been so long. Family business got in the way. But I’m glad we could see each other today,” you informed him.

“Ah, the damn family!” Adam exclaimed sarcastically. “You gotta watch out for them.” He bopped your nose.

You laughed, Adam seemed thrilled by that. He smiled at you in amusement. “But I do suppose they aren’t that bad,” he added, and took a sip of his coffee.

He examined you while you gazed out the foggy window. You were aware of his gaze traveling down you, but you WANTED him to do it. You lifted up your arms a little bit so that he could get a really good view of your side profile. It was working.

“Sooo,” you drawled slowly. “Any exciting plans for next week?”

Adam stirred his coffee gently, and said, “I was thinking about getting coffee on Saturday.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. “That’s specific. Why are you planning things a week in advance?”

“I want to go with someone.” He looked directly into your eyes.

“Oh…” Your heart sank into your stomach. “Do I know them?”

“I’d hope so,” Adam replied wittily. “It’d be pretty hard to do anything if you didn’t know them.”

“Who are you talking about? My guardian angel?” You shot back.

Adam smirked. “Not your guardian angel. Mine.”

“Huh?” You asked dumbly.

Adam gave you a disbelieving glance, as if to say ‘are you shitting me?’

In a nicer tone, he asked blatantly, with a hint of sarcasm, “Will you get coffee with me on Saturday, dumbass?”

Your eyes stretched wide as the breath was knocked from your body. You gaped at him. “W-What? You’re not serious.”

“Hey,” Adam suddenly changed the subject.

Fuck, you realized miserably. My chance is gone! I should have just said yes! Now how do I tell him I want to go? It’s his time, so it’d look inconsiderate, if I asked to JOIN him during his weekend.

But then on the other hand, if I don’t bring it up he might think I’m not interested. Maybe he’ll ask SOMEONE ELSE!? But what do I do?

Adam nudged you in the ribs softly with his elbow. “ ‘Can I tell you somethin’ just between you and me’,” he sang clumsily.

You chuckled, confused. “Marshmello?”

Adam shrugged, and pointed to the ceiling. “What? I’m not the radio station.”

You realized then that it was the song playing above. “Oh. Yeah, I guess I’m not really observant,” you mocked yourself self-consciously.

Adam didn’t like that. “Not funny. You are observant. And smart. And beautiful. And that’s why this song is PERFECT for us.”

You stared at him. Adam had a good voice for singing, but he always dismissed it self-consciously. “How so?”

“ ‘When I hear your voice I know I’m finally free’,” Adam said with a smile. Slowly, he got up from the chair he was sitting in, and made his way over to you. “ ‘Every single word is perfect as it can be. And I need you here with me’.” He straddled you, and you leaned into the chairback.

You pushed Adam back embarrassedly. “Stop,” you grumbled.

“Come on, sing the next part.”

“No. Not with everybody here.”

“Hurry up. You’ll miss the line!” He insisted.

Before you knew it, you had the words out of your mouth in an instant. “ ‘When you lift me up, I know that I’ll never fall’.”

Adam brushed a hand through your hair. You loved the tingles it gave you. “A-Adam-”

“-What? Does that feel good?” Stanheight interrupted. “I know it does.”

Alarmed, you asked, “Wait, but…How-”

“-Didn’t have to know. I just… knew you liked it.” You blinked at him in astonishment, but before you could say anything, he added, “I’m way too cool, you can say it.”

“ ‘I can speak to you by sayin’ nothing at all’.” You thought it was appropriate to finish the lyrics. “ ‘Every single time I find it harder to breathe. ‘Cause I need you here with me. Everyday’…”

Adam leaned in, and started singing along with you. “ ‘You’re saying the words that I want you to say. There’s a pain in my heart and it won’t go away. Now I know I’m fallin’ in deep. ‘Cause I need you here with me’.”

You grinned at him. “What are you doing?” You asked him eventually.

“What do you mean? I’m falling in love. That’s what I'm doing.”

“ ‘F-Falling in love’? With who?” You stammered incapably. You were unable to believe your ears.

“With you,” Adam told you softly.

You narrowed your eyes. “What are you on about?”

Adam only tilted his head at you in disbelief. “ ‘I think I see your face in every place that I go’.” He winked at you. “ ‘I try to hide it but I know that it’s gonna show’.” He gave you a worried glance and an apathetic shrug. “ ‘Every single night I find it harder to sleep. ‘Cause I need you here with me’.” He lifted your hand up to his lips, and looked at you over your knuckles. You got goosebumps. “ ‘Everyday’.”

Extreme embarrassment flooded you, you didn’t know where to look except for back into Adam’s eyes. You forced yourself to sing with him, but it was only out of nervousness more than anything else. “ ‘You’re sayin’ the words that I want you to say. There’s a pain in my heart and it won’t go away. Now I know I’m fallin’ in deep.‘Cause I need you here with me’.”

“There you go,” Adam whispered quietly, a small smile of approval on his face. “Now you’re getting it.”

You gritted your teeth and glanced at your lap. You laughed awkwardly. “I’m just… singing ‘cause you are… It’s not like… I would be usually, or anything…”

“I like it.” Adam cast a glance at your lips briefly, and you felt your heart start up. Excitement sparked in your stomach, and rushed through your brain as Adam leaned in close. He pulled his fingers through your fingers.

The cool air coming from an open window helped you to concentrate on the situation. You were burning up from the blood rush. You focused on the smells of chocolate and coffee in the background, and tried not to think about how close you were to Adam Stanheight.

Adam brushed his thumb across the back of your hand slowly. You gasped and looked back at him. “What were you thinking of, off in dream land? Whatever it was, it got you really far from here… From me.”

“S-Sorry,” you mumbled.

Adam only leaned back, and said calmly, “ ‘Can I tell you somethin’ just between you and me’?” His voice was low and seductive. “Can I? Would you allow that of me?”

You squirmed underneath him. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I’m really, really… fond of you…” His warm breath slunk past your sensitive lips.

You squeaked. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Woah,” you breathed. “W-What do I even-”

Adam continued on as if nothing had happened, interrupting you casually, but not rudely. “ ‘When I hear your voice, I know I’m finally free. Every single word is perfect as it can be’.”

“ ‘And I need you here with me’,” you finished his sentence carefully.

“What about that date?” Adam asked you after a little while of silence.

Excitement rushed you. You couldn’t believe he was asking again! “Yes!” You blurted; you were not about to lose this opportunity. You put all the emotion you could into your voice. “I’ll be there!”

Adam stood up then, leaving you feeling sweaty and nervous. And not to mention, a cold place on your thighs. “So,” he said. “You have a friend coming over tonight?”

“Uh…” you stared at the table. “I was supposed to but they canceled at the last second. How did you know that?”

“I overheard,” Adam shrugged. “But I was hoping you’d come over to my place tonight.”

“I don’t think I should. I don’t want to bother you, you know…” you stumbled over your words hastily.

Adam put his arms over his chest, and looked at you condescendingly, with one eyebrow raised and glint in his eyes. “I need you here with me,” he repeated seriously.

You scrambled to your feet. “Alright. I’ll go. I’m excited.”

Adam took your hips and pulled you close. His breath was drifting past you, making you fidgety. Ominously, and very enticingly, he whispered into your ready ear, “Oh, I’d sure hope so, Y/N.”

Stained - Adam Stanheight / Reader

A/N I had inspiration from Staind's songs, Something to Remind You and Right Here. So, the songs might not be about what I wrote, but this is what I had thought every time I heard them. I hope you enjoy it. (lol, I know naming the story after the artist is cliche and pathetic but I didn't know what else.)

You had a fever of one hundred and six degrees. You could barely feel or see anything. All of it was just a blur, the noise was muffled in the background, and the lights over head gave you something to concentrate on. You were exhausted, and hot. No, blistering was a better word. You felt like you were literally on fire, but you doubted that was the case. If you were on fire, you would be in a lot more pain than you were in now, and not to mention you'd probably be dead.

People moved around you, voices spoke above you, and things flashed in front of your eyes. You couldn't keep track of it all, so you eventually rolled your head to the side and closed your eyes. Your whole body was hot, you were getting hot flashes and chills, you were sweating profusely. You had wet cloths on your skin. Pretty much every part of your body that wasn't covered by the hospital gown, was covered in a wet cloth. The cloths were slightly cold to the touch and you tried to shrink away from them, but someone held it there for you.

Shivering, you tried to sit up only to be shoved back down. Uneasily and a little bit scared, you stared dizzily at the ceiling as yellow, fluorescent, lights flashed past you. Horror filled you as you tried to breath. You thrashed and kicked trying to free yourself, but you only exhausted yourself out greatly. In a matter of seconds heat flashed over you and you passed out.

Adam paced back and forth anxiously. He was desperate to see his significant other wake up, but so far it wasn't like that would be happening any time soon. There was a doctor in the room, watching over Y/N to make sure everything went as planned. He had a grave expression on his face.

"How are they?" Adam demanded for the fourth time.

The doctor stared at him over the rim of his glasses, and said in a clipped tone, "We are working on it."

"Well, clearly you're not doing enough! You can't just let them die! They needs more help!"

The doctor's calm voice answered directly; he was not taking anyone's bullshit. "What Y/N needs is rest. We are trying our best to keep their fever down, but it... Well..." The doctor trailed off, then said, as delicately as possible, "The patient's condition is declining rapidly, you see. Our best efforts may not be enough to help. Y/N might have to fight this on their own."

Adam was thrown off his guard at this. He shook his head repeatedly, as if he was trying to shake honey out of his hair. "You must be dull," he said at last. His tone was cool. "MY partner won't be going ANYWHERE."

"The body won't..." Adam heard the doctor mutter to himself, shuffling through some papers and moving across the room.

Adam was disconcerted now, not to mention a little bit angry. Who was this doctor, thinking he could stroll in here and act like he owned the place? Y/N wasn't going to die! It was quite inconsiderate of him to pretend that they were. Adam wanted to do something, but nothing would come to his mind. As he started pacing again, the doctor said from the corner, "If you've nothing better to do, I suggest you go for a walk."

Adam glared at the doctor. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

"I'm the person keeping you lover alive, I think I would know a thing or two about health. And staying in here, isn't going to help yours."

Adam stared at the man in reluctance. He felt slightly offended, but also embarrassed. Of course the doctor would want to help EVERYONE he could, which would include Adam himself. The audacity he had to tell Adam to leave while his partner died on a hospital bed was more or less insensitive, but the doctor just wanted to help. That's why he took this job, right? So, really, all in all, how cruel was he being?

It still doesn't matter, Adam thought to himself. He still told me to leave Y/N all alone while they died. That's so overpowering, I think it was just rude at this point.

"No," Adam said quietly, taking a seat next to you. "I'm not going to LEAVE them."

The doctor nodded curtly. "Suit yourself then."

You were in a deep sleep. The covers were all put away, due to the fact that you didn't need to be hotter. You were hyped up on medication all the time, Adam wasn't sure what it was they were using. A towel was on your forehead, you were dressed in pretty cool clothes, but you did have a thin blanket over your lithe body. Your temperature was... wavering, in all honestly. It looked like your fever wasn't even beginning to die down. Adam's heart sank into his stomach miserably.

But unbeknownst to Adam, or even the hostile companion that was the doctor, you were no longer asleep. You had overheard their conversation, but had been unable to speak up. You were tired and weak, but now that you were awake you didn't want to go back to sleep. In fact, you wanted to see Adam one more time before falling asleep again. You feared it would be the last time you would get to.

You started humming to yourself a little bit. You were unsure why that was your first response, but you thought it would be the best way to grab your boyfriend's attention. Subconsciously, you started singing the song that had been playing on your first date with Faulkner. Now that you thought about it, this choice was actually very depressing. In fact, having the song play on your first date had been a little ironic, seeing as a first date was happy and the supposed song was not so much.

The song you were humming was by the artist Staind. You had listened to their songs before, but it wasn't like you deliberately sought them out. This one had a place in your heart because it was the one on the radio during your first date with Adam. Your boyfriend still hadn't heard you singing, but that was alright. The windows were open, so the traffic was loud.

As you kept humming though, you started to have enough strength to say the words. Very carefully, you raised your voice. It was steady and brave, though sickness was evidently present. It dampened your ability to sing, and gave off an eerie feeling to the room, but you couldn't bring yourself to stop; Adam should hear this, you weren't sure how long you had left. "When the day comes... the sun won't touch my face. Tell the ones who cared enough... That I finally left this place-"

"-Y/N!?" Adam exclaimed, looking at you in alarm. His eyes were wide with horror. "Shh! D-Don't say anything, you'll hurt yourself."

But you didn't care about hurting yourself. You simply smiled at him in a soft amusement as you continued, "That's been so cold. Look at my face, all the stories it will tell I can't erase..."

"Y/N, what? That's... the song we heard on the radio-"

You raised a weak hand up to his mouth, and hushed him with your finger. This was something you would never do, but today was different. You needed Adam to listen to you. You traced you thumb down his cheek. "The road is long... just one more song, a little something..."

Adam seemed to understand then what you were tying to tell him, and he got to his knees. He bowed his head on the bed, grasping both of your hands above his head. "You don't know what you're talking about. S-Stop... You're gonna be okay, just... go back to sleep."

You gazed wistfully at Adam's bowed head. "To remind you..."

"Stop it." Adam's voice cracked, and he looked up then. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. "Please."

"When..."

"Don't!" Desperation clawed into Adam's tone. "Don't say it."

"I'm..."

Adam looked at you in the eyes. They were red from crying, and his face was pale white from nerves. "Goddamn it, Y/N! Why are you singing this right now? Are you trying to hurt me?"

You stopped singing and gazed at him dolefully. "I love you, baby." Your voice trembled brokenly.

Adam frowned at you, seeming to come to the conclusion that there was no avoiding this. Not in the slightest. "No."

Smiling encouragingly at him, you felt the need to continue the song. It was only traditional. In a sweet voice you started to sing. You were able to grab some energy and put it into you voice and emotion. You were scared, but at peace, and you needed you Adam to understand that everything was okay; he was okay. The words came out purely, boldly, lovingly. You placed your hand on his face, and traced it weakly down his cheek. Calmly, you sang out, not once stopping, not once faltering, and kept your eyes solely on Adam's. "Something to remind you when I'm gone."

Adam gasped sharply at your words. "Fuck..." he murmured.

"Don't be afraid, Adam... I'll be with you... I promise."

Adam hung his head, as if unable to look at you while the life of his lover was deprived slowly out of their fragile body. You stared at him dishearteningly.

Reluctantly.

Miserably.

"I love you," you repeated.

Adam let out a choked sob. But the words were still mustered, "I love you, too."

You rolled your head to the side. You didn't want to leave him all alone, but there was nothing you could do. You wanted to stay with him and help him recover from this, but, you knew you couldn't do that either. You just had to sit it out, and it would be harder for him to accept your death than it would be for you to die. But the lights started to envelop your vision, they were bright and blinding, and the blistering temperature threatened to swallow you whole, while cold chills ran up and down your back and limbs. Your voice was sore, and your head throbbed painfully; You had to get out of here, it was too painful.

You forced yourself into the bed and tried not to thrash, your suffering ten times worse now. The light expanded and you were consumed entirely, leading you into a black well of dark. It was quiet here, and not so hot. Your cold flashes had stopped and you felt energized at last. As you gazed around the place you couldn't really see anything. However the song that was playing caught your attention. It was perfect, though, not the song you had been humming earlier. It was Staind again, and this song seemed to accompany the last one so well, it hurt. It was the ending of the song, and it just had to be this one that was playing. You listened closely, and realized the lyrics resonated within you strongly. You couldn't even believe how much you related to them. It was funny how once you had experienced the life lesson, how painstakingly obvious the truth hurt. You closed your eyes and listened. You knew this song as well.

But I always find a way, to keep you right here waiting.

I always find the words to say, to keep you right here waiting.

But you always find a way, to keep me right here waiting.

You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting.

If I chose to walk away, would you be right here waiting, searching for the things to say, to keep me right here waiting?

An emptiness filled you up. "I miss you already," you whispered aloud. It was cold - too cold - and you drifted back, feeling Adam's presence fading. Peace would find Adam eventually, even if it was only a phantom of a feeling; a stain of ruin splashed across the art. He would make it.

Yes, he would.

Day Out - Adam Stanheight / Reader

A/N So this veers from what I usually write. I don’t really know if there’s a plot to this, but anyway, please just enjoy the story. Thanks.

It was Adam’s idea, of course it was; YOU would never agree to hiking. You lumbered down the hill miserably, heat beating you into the pavement, and hot winds blowing into your face. You screwed your eyes shut, trying to block them from dust, but it was no use; you were crying already from the humid air. Adam was somehow ahead of you, leading you to your destination. You wondered how he braved the heat so well. For you, this situation couldn’t have been more torturous.

You couldn’t help wishing you’d been a little more adamant with Adam about taking the car. Your back was sweaty, and your legs were sore! Come on, this wasn’t fair! Even if your boyfriend DID trek around the city for a living, that DIDN’T mean YOU were any good at it. You gazed after Adam, and stopped completely. Bending over, you took in deep breaths, trying to steady your heartbeat. It didn’t work, of course, and when you looked back up, Adam was still marching ever onward.

How far was this place? You’d thought it was pretty close, but… now you weren’t so sure. Adam seemed to know EXACTLY where he was going.

Jesus Christ, You thought lamely. When will it end?

Your legs felt like they were burning. Was that normal? No, probably not.

Adam looked back at you, suddenly realizing that his companion was missing from his side. He raised an amused eyebrow at you, and waited. Once you were within earshot, he said, “Come on, slowpoke. Don’t you want a nice refreshing smoothie after this?”

You stared bleakly at him. “No,” you muttered in spite of him. The truth was, you did want the smoothie, and… walking all the way there was actually… a good idea…

But there was no way in hell you would ever, ever, ever, let Adam catch wind of that. Adam put an arm around your shoulder, trying to shield you from the sun. You enjoyed his presence, and being so close to him made you feel light and happy. “Fine,” you mumbled grumpily. “I can live with this…”

But ONLY because it’s for you, you added to yourself.

As you rounded the corner you finally saw the shop. You made a beeline for it. Even though ditching Adam wasn’t really your favorite thing to do, you were desperate to get out of the hot weather! Adam watched from behind, as you flung the door open and collapsed into a nearby chair.

The cool air hit your skin and relieved you of your supposedly dying molecules! You leaned your head over the headrest, and observed the restaurant from upside down. Adam came in, a smug look on his face, and shrugging off his flannel. An elderly couple followed more slowly, while ordering at the register was a young mother of four. The kids all seemed to be quadruplets, and they were running around hectically, while their poor mother tried to order a smoothie.

You had absentmindedly taken a booth-seat in your attempt to get out of the hot temperature. Now it proved useful, because Adam wanted to sit next to you. He chucked the flannel over your face, which made you squeal, and during your momentary shock he pushed you to the window.

You ripped the flannel from your face, and hurled it back at him, suddenly realizing that Adam had moved you, and now was sitting at your side. Adam’s flannel had been launched too far due to this, and it sailed over your boyfriend’s head and onto the black checkered floor, only for it to go skidding across the whole floor, before it finally came to stop by the farthest window.

Horror pulsed through you. Embarrassedly, you met eyes with Adam, but Adam had a smile on his lips. “Don’t worry,” he said dismissively. “I had to wash it, anyway.” He stood up and went to retrieve his flannel shirt.

Though Adam told you not to worry, you still felt the effect of your past actions like a strange sense of deja vu: it was there, lingering, and it would haunt you for the rest of the day.

Faulkner rejoined you at the table, seemingly unfazed by your carelessness, and handed you a smoothie menu. “Want something?”

You stared at the options for a long time before noticing your favorite flavor on the menu. You were disappointed to see it listed near the bottom. You thought that a drink so good as this one, obviously deserved to be placed higher on the list. But alas, this was not the case.

You pointed it out to Adam, almost self-consciously. “This one’s really good, you know…” Your voice came out quietly, like you were afraid of what Adam might think. But you should have known, he was YOUR boyfriend after all.

Adam only nodded, smiling at you in contentment. He never once looked to see what you had chosen, in fact he hadn’t even checked the menu at all. Confused, you assumed that either he already knew what you were getting, or he wanted to be surprised by it. And, from past traumatic events, you doubted it was the latter.

“You’re so pretty,” Adam murmured abruptly. There was no reason for this comment, in fact it was entirely off topic. But now that you realized it, he was staring at you and had been for the last five minutes.

“Oh…” Your cheeks flushed pink. “Um, thank you. So are you.”

Your attempt to return the kind favor only resulted in embarrassing yourself. Adam laughed, “No, I don’t think ‘pretty’ is the right word for me, baby.” There was a hint of mockery in his tone. “More like, ‘handsome’ or ‘fine’, maybe.”

“What about ‘hot’?” You blurted a little too loudly. A couple of people looked in your direction, and you squished yourself closer to Adam.

I seem to be screwing everything up today… You realized to your horror. How do I fix it? Wait, no! Don’t try to fix it, that will make it worse! Just roll with it… How the fuck do I do that?

Your order was called out, and you scrambled over Adam quickly. You headed for the barista, who smiled at you. You took it before you could have an awkward conversation, and then went right back to the table. When you arrived, Adam had moved across from you.

There was something definitely going on inside that mind of his right now, but… You couldn’t read it at all. He was leaving you completely in the dark, and you felt lost. “Hi,” you greeted. “What’s up with you?”

“My head,” Adam replied jokingly. “As with you.” You stared at him, sensing the joke but… not quite grasping it. Adam seemed to get your loss, and laughed. “Because it’s up… in the air… Never mind. It was a bad joke anyway. How’s the smoothie?”

You lifted the straw to your mouth. The drink was cold and refreshing, certainly something you needed for this dreadfully hot day. Sitting down in the booth, you place the drink on the table, which Adam seemed intrigued by. He added another straw into the top of the smoothie, and smiled at you. You realized then what he had in mind, and you liked it. “So, that’s what this mysterious behavior is all about,” you murmured.

Adam shrugged. “Took you long enough. I could have sworn I discussed it with you over dinner last night.”

You rolled your eyes. “Now did you?” You wondered aloud, but weren’t expecting an answer, Adam knew this too. You both stretched over the table to take a drink from the smoothie. Your noses were nearly touching the other’s, and your heartbeat fluttered a little at this. When he pulled away, it was with satisfaction. “Mm. That tastes really good.”

“That’s why I ordered it,” you said sassily.

Adam didn’t miss a beat. In an instant, the scandalous words had left his mouth. Muttered, so that no one else could hear them, but loud enough that you could feel them crawling on your skin. “But still not as good as you, baby.”

Taken aback and a little bit flustered, you drifted away from the drink, your heart rate increasing. “I… I don’t know what to say to that… Thanks?”

Adam’s eyes flicked down your body - or at least what wasn’t underneath the table. “Works for me.”

You took another sip of your smoothie cautiously, and after thoroughly checking you out, Adam joined you in doing so. Your lips were so close, you might as well have been kissing each other, only… you weren’t. Adam seemed to be disappointed by this aspect.

You continued to drink the smoothie in this fashion until only some of it was left. This caused a ‘you-no-you’ argument in which Adam - of course - won, and you ended up taking the last of it.

You leaned back into the booth, realizing now how late it was. The two of you had spent the better part of four hours in the shop. Neither of you regretted this, however, it was now five’o’clock, and you were getting tired. Now, you would have been hungry as well, but… the smoothie had just about filled you up. You stood up and stretched, well aware of Adam’s gaze on you.

You looked at him. “You want something, don’t you?”

“All I want is you,” Adam answered.

You smiled at Adam’s cheesy pickup line, but you went with it. “Okay,” you remarked sarcastically, putting all your wit and intelligence into your voice. “Lovesick lark. Get up.”

Adam did as he was told, and then scooped you up into his arms so that you were riding bridal-style. You shoved Adam away, but couldn’t get loose, and you realized that you were stuck here forever - which, come to think of it, wasn’t the worst thing ever.

“What are you doing!?” You squealed.

“I’m taking you home.”

“Oh fuck,” you grunted. If you were seen like THIS, that would be so awkward! It already was and you were only in the smoothie shop. “No,” you disagreed firmly. “Put me down. Can we take a cab?” Adam studied you for a moment then relented, but not before kissing you on the forehead.

He gave you a knowing look. “A cab, you say? Mmm, that can work out just fine.”

Disturbed, you questioned him. “What does that mean?” But Adam didn’t respond.

Finding a cab was not hard, though trying to get one to pull over was a different story. At least six drivers went past you, however you did notice that two of them had people in them, so… those ones didn’t really count. It was the seventh one that stopped and decided to take you home, much to your delight.

Adam couldn’t stop himself from commenting, “If you’d just let us walk, we would’ve been home by now.”

You glared at him. “You didn’t stop me,” you scoffed.

Adam leaned over you. “No. The driver has to make a stop on the way back… I definitely don’t mind spending this time with you.” There was a glint in his eyes.

“You’re up to something,” you said suspiciously.

Adam tilted his head to the side. “Perhaps. But all I want to do is kiss you.”

“You want to do more than that,” you guessed. By the look in Adam’s eyes, there was definitely more to it.

“Not necessarily,” Adam spoke faintly, just barely loud enough to hear, and you got the sense that was the intention.

Before you could reply though Adam’s lips were on yours in only a short matter of seconds, ending the conversation abruptly. During the intense make-out session happening in the back, the driver did as he was told. Adam had given him directions home - the long way.

Wishful Thinking- Adam Stanheight/Reader

A/N, okay like a warning. I write on my computer so this is gonna be a long one. IDK if that's what tumblr's for but... this is for anyone who wants it.

You hadn't slept in days. It had been rough with the loss of someone so close to you and you often had to think back to a time when life wasn't so hard. It was difficult, seeing as you had lost two precious people right after the other. The thing was, you couldn't seem to remember who it was you had lost. Could it have been your mother? Could it have been your father? Or was it a distant relative? A second cousin? A third cousin? Maybe an aunt or an uncle? In any case, the fact still remained, you couldn't recall who had passed away. It was almost like, you chose not to remember.

But why would someone like you want to forget the people who had passed? Wouldn't they be special to you? Didn't you have a relationship of some kind with the deceased? It shouldn't be so blurry. This was... nonsense! You weren't that heartless of a person. At least, you hoped you weren't... And you certainly didn't srive to be. But it didn't matter anymore. You were home, a pie was baking in the oven, and your significant other was working in his darkroom.

You had moved in with your boyfriend six months ago. He was nice, but... he had anxiety issues. Not like it was easy to recover from one of Jigsaw's games, but... it was a work in progress. His therapist said he was doing well. You sat down on the couch, the smell of cigarette smoke filled your nose. It was a relaxing scent; it made you think of HIM: Adam Faulkner Stanheight.

Speaking of which, out of nowhere Adam appeared around the corner. He was setting up some pictures in his darkroom. It was nearly eleven thirty, but you didn't mind, you liked staying up with Adam. Although, he had kept you out of the room this time, claiming that he was going to surprise you with this new set of photos. You were suspicious. Not that you didn't trust Adam, but... mostly, you were concerned about what embarrassing pictures Adam had taken of you behind your back. You weren't looking forward to finding out.

You gestured to the spot next to you all the same. It would take some time for the pictures to develop anyway, and Adam wasn't about to ruin the surprise. He had a grim look on his face. It worried you. "Is everything okay?"

Adam sat down next to you, and stared at the coffee table dully. His eyes were dark, and unseeing. After a long couple minutes, in which you started to wring your hands, he spoke at last. His words were slow and thoughtful, and his voice was hollow, but you could detect some kind of worry in it. "I just realized one day, you're gonna be gone. Then what will I do? Once you leave me and never come back, I don't think I'll be the same again."

You looked at Adam in alarm. What did he think was going to happen to you? You were completely fine and well. "Adam," you said soothingly, patting him on the shoulder. "Why are you worrying about that right now? I'm not going anywhere for a long time. I promise." You turned his head towards you, and he looked at you desolately. You leaned over and kissed him on the lips. You hadn't been expecting such a vehement reaction from Adam. Apparently he was eager to continue.

He lifted you from the couch and put you on his lap, never once removing his lips from yours. You started to smile at his affection, but Adam gave you no breathing time; he wanted more of you. So, you obliged.

Pushing him up against the couch, you kissed him harder, deeper, fiercer. You felt Adam sink into the couch willingly, tilting his head upwards in order to give you a better angle. You combed your fingers through his hair, tempting him to relax entirely.

There was no rush.

Everything was going to be fine.

You were right here.

Adam had his hands up your shirt in a matter of seconds, traveling up and down your body. You leaned into him, feeling him speed up the kiss. Your heartbeat was hammering, your cheeks were burning, and your head felt light. You loved the way Adam made you feel. But before anything could start, you pulled away. "I love you," you whispered.

"I love you more," Adam said softly and you chuckled.

"Undoubtedly," you agreed.

The oven blared loudly from behind you, and you stood up. "Hang on, baby. I don't want to burn the apartment down. Besides don't you want to try the blackberry pie?"

Adam gazed at the oven distantly. Fear flashed across his face, but it was gone so quickly you had a hard time believing what you saw. "Are you okay if I leave to go get the pie?"

The oven beeped again.

Adam didn't look at her. He leaned forward. "Don't go," he whispered to himself over and over. "Don't go, don't go, don't go..."

"I'm just getting out the pie, Adam. Where do you think I'm gonna go?"

Adam looked at her, a realization seemed to have sunk in. He seemed calm now, but dispirited. "Y-Yeah," he stammered slowly. "I guess I can't keep you here forever. I... hate this part... I wish... Oh, never mind I'm not gonna say that. You'll see for yourself any moment now."

Adam's words disconcerted you to an exceedingly far amount. You threw him a fearful glance. "Uh, what?"

"No, don't worry about it." Adam smiled. "Come on, I'll go with you." He brushed past you hastily, and began to open the oven.

Hesitantly, you turned around and stared after him. He was setting the pie on the stove now, allowing it to cool, but something didn't seem right. You now had less motivation to walk over and help him. You wouldn't have, if it wasn't for the smile he shot you. Surely, Adam was just being anxious. You approached him, your feet feeling heavy like stones.

As you neared the kitchen you could see the look in Adam's eyes. There was sadness, and a little bit of reluctance, but he didn't stop you from going. Finally, as your feet reached the tile of the kitchen floor, there was a wave of blurriness and you collapsed onto the ground.

You awoke with a raging headache, wet eyes, and a dry throat. You coughed a couple times and then raised your head. You found yourself in a busy bar. The lights were blinding you in streaks and the music blasted your eardrums. You gazed around dazedly, shuddering at the ache in your neck. It had formed from sleeping over the counter for so long. There was a glass of something next to you. It appeared to contain some alcoholic beverage, but you couldn't remember what it was you ordered.

You felt alone suddenly. Coldness seeped into your body, as the harsh reality sunk in. You turned around, not wanting to believe it, and called for Adam, but you were alone. Utterly and miserably alone. And then you remembered.

It came back in a flash so overwhelming you nearly fell off the bar stool. Your boyfriend hadn't survived Jigsaw's game. Your heart was ripped in half as you realized this. You almost couldn't move, and you burst into tears. You had been dating him for a year and a half, your lives had been going smoothly, and then John Kramer took him from you. You screamed and ignored the people who looked at you, that wasn't really something you were concerned about right now.

Halfheartedly, you began to trudge over to the door. You needed to get home, and clean up. There was something you hadn't done yet. You had been too scared to do it at first, but now you felt brave enough. Though your dream had mostly been wishful thinking, there was something true behind it. The darkroom had been left unattended for a while now, and Adam had been working on something for you on the day he had died. It seemed that your dream had given you a revelation.

Through a haze, you drove back to Adam's apartment. After his death, you didn't move out. You wanted to stay in the apartment because it was the last thing you had of him. That and the rest of his belongings. You couldn't leave this place, the thought gave you extreme anxiety. You bundled yourself into the apartment, and looked around the room.

Instantly, you had flashbacks to your dream. You glanced at the couch, and your heart felt heavy. You could feel Adam's hands on your body, and feel his lips on your mouth. The smoke had long ago been filtered out, but you could still smell and taste the dry flavor. You swallowed, and looked back in the kitchen. There was no pie baking there now, it hurt you too much to acknowledge this.

You lightly crossed the wooden floor and glided over to the darkroom. It had been three months since you had gone in there.

Three months since you had talked to Adam.

Three months since you had been WITH Adam.

Three months since the DEATH of Adam.

You gasped as you put your hand on the cold and dusty doorknob. The door creaked sorrowfully, as it pitifully gave in to your demands. It was dark inside, which was ironic, seeing as the purpose of the room was to be lit up. And the name made it funny, it was a 'darkroom' after all.

Unenthusiastically, you stepped inside. Your hand trailed the wall, like it had done many times before, and flicked on the red lights above. They came on with a light buzz, they were older than you had expected them to be. Had Adam even changed them while he was still alive? You let your eyes fall upon the photos that were all strung up in a row. They had developed nicely, it seemed.

You plucked one off the line and held it up to the light. It was a picture of you, in all your glory. You were in your best outfit, sitting in a patch of sunlight on the couch. The setting sun captured your face and darkened everything else, highlighting only your face. The rest was in dim shadow, so you could still see it but nothing was drawing attention to it.

The other pictures were similar but not the same. The majority was of you, but there were still a good number that were of you and him together. They were taking from interesting angles, with different lighting. Sometimes he was posing and other times you were posing. You couldn't help biting your quivering lip. This was all too much! Why hadn't Adam been here to see your reaction? Why hadn't he given them to you from the beginning? Why hadn't you looked at these before now? Why, why, why, why?

Sadness tugged at your heart and you sat down on your knees, clutching the photographs to your chest. You wouldn't be giving these up. They were too precious for you. You couldn't think properly; your mind felt like it had lost all of its abilities. The only thing you knew how to do was cry. You missed him. You missed him so much. The world was lifeless and hopeless, nothing would ever be the same. All you wished was to be back in that moment within your dream, outside was too gruesome. But alas you could not go back to then, and you were trapped in this miserable hellhole. You wondered why your life was so unfortunate. What had you done to deserve this?

In your fit of sobs and whimpers, you lost yourself to the grief. A long time passed after that, and you spent it all on the floor, but as the light peaked over the horizon and spilled through the living room window, your crying was put to a stop, and you yourself were dragged down by something stronger, and certainly much more necessary; slumber held you close and refused to let you go but something more was there, hidden under the photos that were pressed firmly to your bosom. There was something familiar about the warmth though, almost like it was Adam's loving embrace. It wreathed around you, and in the darkness it soothed you into a fitful burrow of sleep from which you did not know if you would even awaken.