Summary: In the shadows of Hell’s Kitchen, Bullseye finds himself obsessed with Paris . A sharp-tongued librarian with a dark mind of her own. What begins as stalking quickly spirals into something far more dangerous when Dex realizes Paris isn’t afraid of his violence… she understands it. As their twisted fixation turns into devotion, the two descend into a toxic, obsessive romance where love feels less like salvation and more like possession.
Warnings: warnings/tags: dark romance, obsessive behavior, mutual stalking, toxic relationship dynamics, possessiveness, morally grey characters, violence, blood/injury, corruption
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This wasn’t suppose to happen. Not like this.
Dex told himself that every single morning now.
He told himself that while cleaning blood from beneath his fingernails. While sitting in dark apartments that didn't belong to him. While taking jobs he barely remembered afterward. He told himself that while staring at the ceiling at three in the morning with her voice trapped inside his skull like a bullet ricocheting around metal.
The library in the third district of Hell's Kitchen was too bright for him.
Glass paneled walls let sunlight pour across polished floors. Outside sat a carefully maintained garden with painted concrete tiles made by neighborhood kids. Handprints. Chalk flowers. Smiling suns. The kind of place that tried very hard to convince people the world wasn't cruel.
Dex looked like violence standing in the middle of it.
Black jacket. Heavy boots. Scar cutting across his face. Broad shoulders that moved like he was constantly preparing for impact.
A mother pulled her toddler a little closer. An old man lowered his newspaper. A teenager stopped typing mid-sentence.
His printer had broken at his apartment, and he needed hard copies for wire transfers before six. Simple. In and out.
He stared at the screen with growing irritation. Clicking harder than necessary. The machine beeped back at him like it was mocking him. "Come on," he muttered.
Error again. His jaw tightened. "Shit."
The voice wasn't sharp. Worse. Like whoever it was, was amused by his frustration. Dex looked up. And the world narrowed.
She stood behind the circulation desk holding a stack of returned books against her hip. Beautiful wasn't enough of a word for her. Beautiful sounded soft. Temporary.
Curly hair slicked back into a bun with stubborn waves escaping near her ears. Edges precise enough to look artistic. Gold hoops catching the sunlight every time she moved. An oversized NYU shirt tucked into jeans that fit like they'd been tailored specifically to ruin somebody's self-control.
Her smile hit him first. Not flirtatious. Observant. Like she already knew exactly what kind of man he was and found it mildly entertaining.
"You are," she continued, nodding toward the corner behind him, "standing directly beside the mommy-and-me reading circle.
He slowly turned his head.
Tiny children sat on colorful rugs while exhausted mothers stared back at him with varying levels of concern. One toddler looked genuinely terrified.
He looked back at her. She grinned wider.
"And while it'd be hilarious for their first word to be shit," she said, lowering her voice confidentially, "I don't think the mommies would be too thrilled."
Something unfamiliar twisted in his chest.
Not lust…not yet at least. Something worse.
Interest. Real interest. The kind he knew he was doomed to be fascinated with for however long she is able to.
Dex stepped closer to the desk. "Printer's broken."
"No," she replied easily. "You just don't know how to use it."
That should've irritated him. Instead, his mouth almost twitched. Almost.
She set the books down and walked around the counter. Up close, she smelled faintly like vanilla and old paper. Comforting things. Human things.
Dangerous things. She reached past him toward the keyboard and paused. Not fear. Assessment. A tiny shift in her eyes toward the blade hidden beneath his jacket. The unnatural stance. The weight distribution in his feet. Military families noticed things. Survival taught people patterns.
Interesting. Very interesting.
But she simply leaned closer to the screen. "You skipped the authentication step." She said swiping her key card. “But I’m gonna assume you ain’t the library type, so you can use mine for now.” She said signing in.
Dex watched her fingers move over the keyboard. Efficient. Steady. No wasted motion."You always this angry at office equipment?" she asked with a tease tone.
"Only when it deserves it."
A soft laugh escaped her. Jesus Christ. That sound. He felt it under his skin. In his bones. Even in his DNA.The printer suddenly whirred to life.
"There." She stepped back with a satisfied nod. "Crisis averted. The library survives another day. So do my printer. Don’t let me catch you doing it again or it’s going to be a problem.”
Dex stared at her longer than socially acceptable. She noticed. Of course she noticed. But instead of shrinking under it, she tilted her head slightly.
Curious. Like she was studying him too. "What? You tryna make it a problem?" she asked.
He should've looked away. Normal people would've looked away. Instead, he said, "You talk to everybody like this?"
"No." She folded her arms. "Only the ones that look like they might fight our newly bought printer." For the first time in days, maybe weeks, Dex laughed. A real one.
Not like the ones he forced with Matt or Frank. Or the ones with his neighbors when he decides to feed the stray kitty.
Short. Rough. Surprised even him.
Her eyebrows lifted slightly like she hadn't expected that reaction. Neither had he.
"What's your name?" he asked.
“Paris.” Of course it was. Something elegant. Something dangerous dressed as beautiful. "Yours?"
There was a pause. He almost lied.
"Dex." Paris nodded once like she was filing the name away somewhere important. And maybe she was.
"You new around here, Dex?"
"You always lurk like a Batman villain, or is today special?" She tilted her head with a smile.
That earned another near-smile. This woman was either fearless or insane. His pulse said he didn't care which. She glanced at the papers printing behind him. "Wire transfers?"
His eyes sharpened instantly. Too observant. But she only shrugged casually.
"You've got routing numbers on the screen. Relax." Her grin returned. "I read books for a living. Context clues are kind of my thing."
Dex studied her carefully now. Most people got uncomfortable under his stare. Paris held it effortlessly.
Steady breathing with relaxed shoulders. No fear scent. No nervous twitching. Interesting.
Interesting. The printer finished. He grabbed the papers. He should leave.
Instead, he heard himself ask, "How do I get a library card?"
Paris blinked. Then she smiled slowly like she knew exactly what he was doing. "Oh," she murmured. "You're committing now."
Dex frowned slightly. "What?"
"Nobody gets a library card anymore unless they're planning to become emotionally attached to the building."
There it was again. That feeling. Like his ribs were too tight around his lungs.
Paris walked back behind the counter and slid paperwork toward him. Dex took the pen.
He hesitated. She noticed that too. Everything about her noticed things. Finally, she leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice.
"You don't have to look so suspicious," she said softly. She sneakily grabbed her phone. "If I wanted to rob you, I'd wait until you left the building."
Dex stared at her. And somewhere deep inside him, something old and broken tilted toward her completely.
Not fascination. Not anymore. Something far more violent. Devotion. Across the desk, Paris smiled pleasantly while stamping due dates into returned books.
But underneath the counter, hidden from his view, she recorded him repeating his address and number back to her.
That same night, he paced his living room. It was dark and the only light was the hue of the orange street lights outside.
He rubbed his chin, the hairs roughing his finger tips. He wanted to see her, needed to see her. He didn’t want to come off too strong. He could go back there to get some books. Start a new hobby in the name of love.
Love. Paris. Love. Paris. Paris. Paris.
Paris sat in her shared apartment with her friend/cousin, in her own room at her computer desk. She twisted side to side as she played with the lighter in her hand as she stared at the video of him. Attacking multiple AVTF members like it was breathing to him.
Known vigilante . Worked with King Pin. Against Daredevil. Than against King Pin. Barely seen in public, due to him getting some please deal but who gives a fuck.
Does he have trouble with loyalty? She could fix that. She would fix that.
Her door opened as she quickly turned it off. What showed on her screen was her shopping for some new shoes. Her roommate, Janae walked in.
“So, you remember Devon from the movie night the other night?”
“Maybe. Why?” She leaned back in her chair.
“Well… he wants to take you on a date.” She smirked at Paris. Paris face dropped instantly when she said it. “Awe c’mon. He’s a good guy. He’s an accountant and makes good money. He even volonteers at the nursing home.”
“That is sweet,..” She lied, hopefully to get her out of the room. She needed to see more information on her Benjamin.
“Sorry girl. Just not interested.”
Plus, he’ll be cutting into time that could be time for Dex. “Okay, whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t forget you’re helping me pack my room.” Janae pointed at him.
“I swear,” She crossed her heart in promise. “I’m being paid in free Chinese and Don Julio. I’m there.”
Janae smiled before she exited the room. Paris smiled in content. Not at the free food and liquor. (Depends on who you might ask)
She gets to watch move videos of her Benjamin.
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Dex walked into the library, a little more effort in his appearance. All black still but a bit more put together. A black T-Shirt that hugged his biceps. Dark colored jeans with black and white old skool vans. His hair was styled, sort of. Just a bit more effort than the last time he came in about week ago.
He walked further in, only to see an older white lady at the desk, instantly getting annoyed. He went to roll his eyes but the sliding doors opened from the other entrance. “Sorry, I’m late. Traffic was horrible.” She came in with a purse in one hand and a reusable shopping back. She looked up before smiling.
“Dex. Hi. Funny seeing you back,” She said placing her stuff behind the counter. He was going to answer but the old lady spoke up.
“Aren’t you off today, Paris?”
Realization hit her face before she squinted her eyes and scrunched her nose. “Shit,” She muttered.
Should I joke? Should I make a reference to…
“Language,” he joke. She looked at him before smiling.
“Funny. I’m copy righting my joke.” She playfully rolled her eyes. He should have really left her alone. But he couldn’t. “Well I’m here. Maybe I can work for some overtime?”
Overtime? Was she struggling financially? Was she living check to check? Did she needed help?
“Sorry hun. No can do. And take a break. You need it.” She hopped off the seat going somewhere to the back.
“Dang it.” She muttered before looking over at him. “What are you doing here?” She asked looking over at him.
“Wanted a few books. Mind helping me?” He asked her.
“Sir, I’m not on the clock. I wished this pretty face got paid.” She chuckled.
It could. He’d be the main and only customer,
He closed his eyes before muttering. “Right. Right. Sorry.”
She stared at him before smirking. “What genre are you looking for?” She asked.
“Umm… true crime?” He sounded unsure. She raised an eyebrow.
“Big head? My head isn’t big.”
“Take it as a compliment. Big head means lots of knowledge.” She chuckled walking through the library. He follows behind her. His eyes slowly dropped down her figure. Then his mind wondered.
What would it be like to have her bent over these desks? Pressed against the shelves? Knees digging into this dirty carpets?
They walked along the veins off the library, before stopping in one of the sections. “The books on the platforms are always new releases. Which means their due date is a lot sooner. So—”
“What books do you read?” He interrupted her. He swore if she could blush, she would be. The way her lips tucked back into her mouth. Her avoiding contact, it wasn’t like her normal confident person.
“Trust me. You wouldn’t be interested.”
A few days had passed. Paris had officially had his scedhule memorized. She followed him quietly after night time when she was sure he was sure she was in for the night. The gorgeous purple and black suit. His daring eyes. That cocky ass smile. And that walk.
She didn’t need to see that it hang as heavy as his presence. Adjusting himself. He walked like it was the heaviest weapon he had.
She even noticed that he took a few hours out of his day to prioritize his own need of wanting to watch her.
So when he didn’t visit the library that early afternoon, she was worried.
But she didn’t need to be. He was right where he wanted to be. Right outside of her window, on her fire escape. She kept the window open for some reason. But he didn’t mind it. Not when no one would come this close with him now here.
He slid open the window upward before stepping in. He processed every detail about her room. A nice PC set up that she loved to game on. A book she was currently reading on her night stand with multiple half open water bottles. Clothes all over the floor like she was trying to find a cute outfit.
“Well aren’t you messy.” He smirked to himself. “We’ll fix that.” He whispered before looking over to the back of the room.
He was more astounded by how many books filled the floor to ceiling bookshelves. His hands traced the spines of the book, noticing colorful sticky notes tabs in all of them. Curiosity got the best of him as he pulled one off the shelf. He opened the book.
“Are the ropes too tight, my love?” Tony asked Vanessa as she shook her head. The fear in her eyes didn’t match the wetness that spread across her pussy lips. Only comparison was the wetness.
Not even when she moaned when he slightly patted her sensitive nub. “Fuck…you’re so fucking gorgeous all tied up for me. Gonna let me use you like a good slut for you are for me…right?”
She nodded her head rapidly. She couldn’t talk, not with his undershirt being used as a gag. The smell of his cologne and his natural filling her nostrils making it even more intense than it should be. He smirked rapidly at her before slipping in two strong folders as she moaned.
“You’re so wet for this shit, it’s pathetic,”
He chuckled before placing the book back. Grabbed another one, and read. And that went like that for twenty minutes.
Paris—his Paris was twisted. Dark romance, sex scenes that would make the devil gasp. And the fact she had them saved.
He looked around the room. There is no way she knew about his sick behavior.
There was no way she knew.
Dex convinced himself of that while standing in the center of her room with one of her books still open in his hand.
The apartment smelled like her. Vanilla. Laundry detergent. Something warmer underneath it all that settled into his bloodstream like a drug.
His eyes dragged slowly around the room again. The carelessness of it fascinated him. Paris looked composed in public. Sharp. Controlled. But her bedroom looked lived in. Hoodies hanging halfway off the desk chair. Jewelry tossed beside empty water bottles.
He walked to the two drawer nightstand. He opened the first drawer. Bonnets, scarves, most strips, even a small bottle of Vic rub. He closed it before opening the second drawer. He noticed a plug connected to the inside.
A pretty rose toy that was plugged into the cord. A white dildo that looked about a good five inches. He laughed. This was nothing compared to his real thing. He grabbed it, thinking it would have a whiff of her but it smelled like clean soap. Even the rose toy. Clean.
He rolled his eyes but shrugged. At least she cleaned her toys if she wasn’t cleaning her room. He closed the drawer before he noticed something in the corner.
A pair of jeans crumpled near the foot of the bed.
Human. Intimate. Real. Dex crouched beside the jeans before he could stop himself. His fingers brushed the denim.
Then stilled. Black lace. His jaw tightened instantly.
The underwear had been tangled in the jeans like she'd kicked them off absentmindedly after work yesterday. The image hit him harder than it should've. Paris walking around this room tired and comfortable. Paris barefoot. Paris unaware.
His pulse throbbed violently in his throat. This was getting bad.
Because he should leave. Instead, he picked them up slowly. His breathing deepened.
Something ugly and possessive crawled beneath his skin. He stared at the fabric for a long moment before bringing them to his face and smelling. He moaned.
Smell so sweet and needy. Him shoving them into his jacket pocket with rough, guilty movements.
Then he crossed to her dresser. Opened the top drawer. Neatly folded pairs. Different colors. Different fabrics. Jesus Christ. Dex grabbed one pair almost automatically and shoved those into his pocket too. Blue thongs that looked like it barely hid anything.
His head tilted suddenly. Footsteps downstairs. Light. Measured.
Every instinct sharpened at once. Paris was home early. Dex moved instantly, silent as a ghost as he slipped toward the window. But before climbing out, his eyes swept the room one final time.
The bed. The books. The lingering scent of her in the air.
The thought came so naturally it almost disturbed him. Almost. Then he disappeared out onto the fire escape seconds before the apartment door unlocked.
Paris stepped inside quietly. The door clicked shut behind her. And she froze. Most people would've seen nothing wrong.
Everything looked untouched.
Normal. But Paris had spent her childhood around soldiers, liars, and dangerous men pretending not to be dangerous. You learned quickly how to feel when something had shifted.
The apartment felt...occupied.
Not physically. Recently. Her eyes moved slowly across the room. The window above her bed was open wider than she left it.
The air smelled different now. Colder. Masculine. Like leather and metal sneaking beneath her vanilla candles. A smile threatened at the corners of her mouth immediately.
"My Benjamin," she murmured softly. She tossed her bag onto the chair before walking deeper into the room.
Not afraid. Never afraid.
Her fingers brushed over her bookshelf. One book slightly out of line compared to the others. Another opened just enough to reveal bent pages.
He touched my things. Her pulse fluttered pleasantly. Then she noticed the jeans near the bed. Paris crouched slowly.
One glance. And there it was.
The realization settled over her like warm silk. Not stolen randomly.
Carefully chosen. Intimately. Her smile finally broke fully across her face.
Slow. Knowing. Twisted. She looked toward the open window. Toward the fire escape where she knew he had escaped only moments ago.
She could practically feel the ghost of him still lingering here. Watching. Breathing. Wanting. Most women would've been terrified. Paris only laughed softly beneath her breath. Then she stood, walking toward the window before resting against the frame.
Her eyes scanned the alley below like she might still catch him disappearing into Hell's Kitchen.
"You’re getting closer, baby," she whispered to herself. But the thing sitting heavy inside her chest wasn't fear.
It was excitement. Because she knew something Dex didn't.
She'd left the window unlocked on purpose.
Dex disappeared for twelve days. Paris counted every single one. Not intentionally at first.
Then by day four, she realized she was checking the library doors every twenty minutes like some lovesick idiot. By day seven, she was irritated.
By day ten, she started wondering if she'd pushed too far somehow. Maybe he realized she knew. Maybe he'd gotten bored. Maybe he'd finally recognized how dangerous this thing between them actually was.
She hated how much the possibility bothered her.
So when the front doors of the library opened that rainy Thursday afternoon and Dex walked in, Paris almost lost composure for the first time in years.
He looked exhausted. She felt bad. Was she the reason? Did she go to far?
Dark circles beneath his eyes. Black jacket damp from the rain. That same intense stare immediately landing on her like he'd been deprived of something vital.
Relief hit her so hard it pissed her off.
Paris leaned back in her chair casually. "Look who decided libraries are important again."
Dex walked toward the counter slowly.
His eyes flicked over her face like he was reassuring himself she was real. "I've been busy."
"Liar." She chuckled. She knew he wasn’t lying. The life of a vigilante in the city of hell kitchen was a pretty taxing hobby.
The corner of his mouth twitched God, she'd missed that.
Paris closed the book she'd been shelving. "You vanish for almost two weeks and come back looking like you fought a raccoon in an alley."
His voice lowered. "You noticed I was gone?"
She smiled softly. Genuine."You're not subtle, Dex." Paris answered, inspecting a ruined book. “You’re handsome. And I like having conversations with you. I missed it.”
Something warm and dangerous flashed behind his eyes. Then came the silence. Not awkward. Heavy.
Like both of them were standing on the edge of something neither fully understood yet. Finally, Dex exhaled slowly.
"Come with me somewhere tonight."
Straight to it. No buildup. Paris felt excitement crawl up her spine instantly.
Dex stared at her for a second too long before answering. "Yeah."
The honesty of it caught her off guard. Not manipulation. Not a game. Just raw want. She smiled softly despite herself. "Where?"
Paris blinked. Of all things, she hadn't expected that.
“You wanna take me to carnival?”
His shoulders shifted slightly like he suddenly regretted asking. "Forget it."
"No." She stood quickly. "No, I wanna go." The relief he tried hiding almost made her chest ache.
"You free at seven?" he asked.
Paris tilted her head. "Missed me that bad?" Dex looked at her with an intensity that swallowed the joke whole.
Her stomach flipped violently. Jesus Christ.
"Seven's fine," she answered quietly.
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Paris stood in front of her mirror three hours later genuinely annoyed by how nervous she felt. It was ridiculous. She had stalked this man back. She knew he broke into her apartment.
Knew there was something deeply wrong with both of them.
And somehow, picking an outfit felt more intimate than any of it. Finally, she settled on dark flared jeans and a fitted long-sleeve top that hugged her body without trying too hard. Gold jewelry. Curly hair loose tonight instead of tied back.
Effortless. Deadly. Beautiful. When Dex saw her outside the carnival entrance, he stopped walking completely. The lights from the rides painted colors across her skin while music and distant laughter filled the pier.
Paris smirked immediately. "That bad?"
"You look..." Dex paused like words physically failed him. "Fuck." She laughed softly.
And somehow that only made him stare harder. The carnival itself was chaos. Children screaming on rides. Fried food smells thick in the air. Cheap prizes hanging from booths.
And for the first hour, it felt almost normal.
Paris stole bites of his funnel cake while claiming she didn't want one herself. Dex won her a stuffed bear within thirty seconds at some water gun game.
By the fourth stuffed animal, Paris was laughing openly. "Okay, this is getting ridiculous."
Dex glanced down at the oversized pink rabbit he'd just won her. "You said it was cute."
“It is cute. Just confused on how you never miss.”
He didn't. Not once. The basketball game. The dart game. The ring toss. Every movement Dex made was terrifyingly precise.
People around them started noticing. Some noticed exactly who he was but who was going to interfere and say this was technically cheating. A baseball to the head could kill them.
A worker at one booth narrowed his eyes suspiciously after Dex knocked over every bottle with one baseball throw. Paris noticed too.
And God help her, it did something horrible to her brain. Because now she could see it. The control. The terrifying stillness in him before he moved.
Like violence lived beneath his skin so naturally that accuracy was instinct. Dex picked up another baseball casually before handing it to her. "Try."
Paris rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna embarrass myself."
She stepped beside him anyway. The glass bottles clinked softly in the distance. Paris threw. Missed terribly.
Dex actually laughed. Not mocking. It sometimes slipped his mind that something that came so naturally for him wasn’t as natural to the regular human.
Warm. Real. "Oh shut up," she muttered. He stepped behind her before she could protest. Everything in her body instantly went alert.
His chest pressed lightly against her back. One hand wrapped around her wrist while the other settled against her waist.
Paris stopped breathing for half a second.
"Relax," Dex murmured near her ear. That was the problem. His hands adjusted her grip slowly. Gentle. The veins in his hand was up close, making her lick her bottom lip.
Way too gentle for a man like him. "You throw too fast," he said quietly. "Aim first. Then let go."
Paris could barely focus on the stupid bottles anymore. Not with him pressed against her like this. Not with his voice low in her ear. Not with the realization that this man—this violent, obsessive, terrifying man, was handling her like something precious.
Together, they threw the baseball. Crash. All the bottles shattered. The booth worker cursed under his breath. Paris turned her head slightly toward Dex.
And the look in his eyes nearly ruined her. Pure obsession. Unhidden now. No pretending anymore. Like he didn't know where he ended and she began. Her pulse throbbed dangerously.
"You're showing off," she whispered.
"For you," he answered immediately.
The Ferris wheel happened near the end of the night. Paris sat beside him with stuffed animals piled in her lap while the city glittered around them. High above Hell's Kitchen, everything suddenly felt quieter.
Smaller. Dex looked...peaceful. Which honestly unsettled her more than his violence ever could. His arm rested behind her shoulders while the Ferris wheel rocked gently.
"This is the most fun I've had in years," Paris admitted softly.
Dex looked over at her slowly. "Me too."
No hesitation, just them bathing in their own self truth.
Dex reached up automatically, brushing them aside with careful fingers. Paris watched him closely. "You're trying very hard not to scare me away," she murmured.
That look again. That devastating, hungry look. The Ferris wheel stopped near the top. And before either of them could overthink it, Paris grabbed the front of his jacket and kissed him.
Dex froze for one stunned second. Then he kissed her back like he was starving. With a deep possessive that made the Mariana Trench look like a shallow pond.
Years of restraint snapping violently all at once.
Paris melted into it instantly, fingers gripping his jacket tighter as the city lights blurred beneath them. When they finally pulled apart, both breathing unevenly, Dex rested his forehead against hers.
Something dangerous settled between them completely.
Not the ideas of infatuation obsession anymore. Something far worse. Something mutual.
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The city still smelled like blood when Dex climbed her fire escape.
Rain had started sometime after midnight, soft against the metal beneath his boots. His knuckles were bruised. There was a shallow cut near his jaw he hadn't bothered cleaning yet. Somewhere downtown, people were probably still talking about Bullseye.
But all he could think about was her kiss on the Ferris wheel.
The way Paris smiled against his mouth. The way she'd looked at him without fear. It was ruining him. Dex slipped through the window silently.
Her room was dark except for the warm glow of string lights hanging near her bookshelf. The faint hum of her fan filled the apartment.
And there she was. Asleep. His chest tightened painfully.
Paris slept like she lived and talked. Careless. Completely sprawled across the bed on top of the blankets like she'd collapsed there mid-thought. One leg bent slightly. The other stretched across the mattress. A huge T-shirt rode up just enough to show smooth brown skin against dim light. Even where he was standing he could see she had no bottoms on.
Dex stopped for a moment.
He'd watched her for months now. Seen her laughing. Reading. Angry. Teasing him. Existing.
But this felt different. This felt intimate. Too soft.
His pulse slowed as he stepped closer to the bed.
Paris shifted slightly in her sleep, brows furrowing before relaxing again. Completely unaware there was a killer standing beside her bed looking at her like she'd become religion.
Dex swallowed hard. This was bad. This was so much worse than obsession now. Because obsession implied distance. This felt like devotion. Like his entire nervous system had rewired itself around her existence.
Slowly, almost uncertainly, Dex pulled his gloves off. His hands flexed once at his sides. Then he reached toward her carefully. That voice pleaded with him.
The first touch nearly unraveled him. Her skin was unbelievably warm.
His fingertips brushed slowly along her calf, almost reverent. Like he was touching something sacred instead of human. Paris shifted again at the contact, a soft sleepy sound leaving her throat before she settled deeper into the mattress.
And she leaned into his hand. Dex closed his eyes briefly. Something cracked open inside his chest.Not even possessiveness. Something deeper and more dangerous.
The need to protect. To keep. To belong.
His thumb moved gently against her skin, feeling the softness there. Feeling real proof that she existed outside the fantasies he'd built around her.
"So perfect..." he whispered hoarsely. Paris breathed slowly beneath him, completely relaxed. Trusting without realizing it.
Dex stared at her for a long moment before his eyes drifted around the room again. The books. The clothes on the floor. The tiny life she'd unknowingly made space for him inside.
He knew this wasn't normal.
Knew normal people didn't stand in dark bedrooms after midnight just to touch someone for a few seconds.
But the terrifying part? He didn't want to stop because for the first time in his entire life, Dex felt calm. Not empty. Not violent. Just...here with her.
His hand slid away reluctantly before he stepped back toward the window again. But before leaving, he looked at her one last time.
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The sound of Dex collapsing against the fire escape railing echoed through the apartment hard enough to make Paris jolt upright in her gaming chair.
At first she thought it was part of the game.
Then came the second sound. A rough, broken inhale. Her stomach dropped instantly.
Paris tore her headset off and crossed the apartment fast, hand already sliding beneath the desk for the pistol taped there. Years of military training wrapped in muscle memory.
The second she shoved the window open, cold rain hit her face. And there he was.
Dex barely held himself upright against the metal stairs, one hand pressed hard against his side while blood soaked through his black shirt in thick streams. Rainwater mixed with it beneath him, dripping through the fire escape grates.
For the first time since she'd met him, he looked human. Breakable.
His eyes lifted toward her slowly yet till sharp. Still him. But exhausted in a way she'd never seen before.
"You shouldn't..." His voice cracked roughly. "Be out here."
Paris climbed onto the fire escape immediately.
“Shut up,” she walked over to him. Thankfully he instantly fell into her arms or he would be falling. Seven stories.
Paris caught him with both hands, grunting slightly beneath his weight. Jesus Christ, he was heavy. All hard muscle and dead weight and pain.
But he leaned into her instinctively. Like his body trusted hers before his mind could. That did something dangerous to her chest.
"Come on," she muttered. "Stay awake."
Dex's forehead brushed her temple accidentally as she dragged him toward the window. His breathing was uneven now. Wet. Painful.
"I didn't know where else to go," he admitted quietly.
The confession hit her harder than the blood. Not because it was romantic. Because it was honest. Someone like Dex didn't go anywhere vulnerable unless he needed it.
“It’s okay. I’m glad you came to me. I can help you.”
Paris managed to pull him inside just as his legs finally gave out completely. They hit the floor together hard.
"I'm fine. Just needed to come in."
"You're literally leaking on my carpet." A weak laugh escaped him before pain cut it short.
By the time she got him onto the bed, blood had already stained her purple comforter beyond saving. Dex tried forcing himself upright immediately despite the obvious agony twisting across his face.
Paris shoved him flat onto the mattress with a hand against his chest.
His eyes snapped to hers instantly at the contact. They stayed there.
Paris suddenly became very aware of how warm he felt beneath her palm. How broad he was stretched across her bed. How his breathing slowed slightly when she touched him.
"I said lie down, Benjamin." She glared at him. The use of his first name caught him off guard. Dex stared at her another second before finally relaxing back against the mattress.
Paris disappeared into the bathroom before returning with medical supplies. When she managed to figure out how to get to get it open, she had to hide her reaction.
Bruises bloomed violently across his ribs. Deep cuts lined his torso and shoulders. One knife wound sat angry and swollen near his side. She couldn’t even appreciate how beautiful he looked.
Someone had tried hard to kill him tonight. A cold rage settled low in her stomach at the thought. Dex watched her carefully as she cleaned the wound.
"You know what you're doing."
It wasn’t a question. Because he watched her every movement. She was an expertise.
"My father believed children should know how to survive battlefield injuries before middle school."
That earned the smallest twitch of his mouth.
Paris stitched him carefully while rain tapped softly against the windows behind them. The room smelled like blood and rubbing alcohol and Dex's cologne beneath it all.
He never looked away from her once.
Not even when the needle pierced skin. Not even when pain tightened his jaw hard enough to crack teeth.His eyes stayed on her.
Like she was the only thing anchoring him there. By the time she finished wrapping the bandages around his torso, Dex was fading fast.
Exhaustion dragged heavily at his features now. Paris adjusted the blankets over him carefully. Not to cover the wounds but to make him comfortable.
Because this was the closest she'd ever been to him. Really been. Without teasing. Without tension. Without performance.
Broken and bleeding in her bed because somehow, somewhere along the line, she'd become the place he ran to.
Her fingers brushed lightly across the hard planes of his stomach before she could stop herself. Dex inhaled shakily beneath the touch. Paris looked at him. Really looked at him.
The terrible loneliness carved into someone who'd probably never been held gently in his entire life.
Her fingertips slid slowly along his abs.
Respectful and careful. Dex's eyes fluttered half shut at the contact like it physically hurt him. But he loved it. Craved it.
“So…perfect.” She whispered. Her hands trailed between the valleys of his abs and pecs, biting her lips before she looked up at him.
His breathing caught. She knows.
For one suspended second, neither of them moved. Then exhaustion finally dragged him under completely.
[̲̅_][̲̅_][̲̅_][̲̅_][̲̅_][̲̅_][̲̅_][̲̅_]
When Dex woke the next night, the room was dim and warm. His body ached less now. The first thing he registered was touch. Soft fingers gliding carefully across his ribs while changing the bandages near his side.
Paris sat beside him wearing one of those oversized shirts again. Hair messy. Face bare. Beautiful enough to ruin him completely.
Dex stared at her silently. Paris noticed immediately. "You're alive. Thought I was going to have to call them folk for your body." She said, not looking at him. She cleaned his wounds thoroughly. Carefully.
"You drooled on my pillow." She gestured towards it.
His mouth almost twitched. She was hoping to see it.
She finished taping fresh gauze into place before her hand lingered unconsciously against his stomach. Dex looked down at it.
Then back at her. Something thick settled into the room. Dangerous. He caught her wrist gently before she could pull away.
Paris stilled instantly. This was the first time he'd touched her awake like this. Not teasing or accidental.
His hand was warm despite the injuries. Large around her wrist without squeezing. Just holding.
Like he needed proof she existed. Dex swallowed hard. "I need to leave."
Paris frowned slightly. "You're not even healed. Hell no.” She scoffed at him.
"They could've tracked me here." He said throwing his legs over the bed, wincing at the pain.
"You don't know that." He snapped at her.
She kept her calm. With a sigh she said. "I do."
His eyes narrowed. "Paris—"
"No." Her voice sharpened. "You don't get to decide for me."
A dangerous silence fell between them. She stood up out of the bed. Dex stood up despite the pain. Paris moved instinctively to steady him, hands landing against his chest.
Because the second her palms touched him, Dex's control visibly cracked. His eyes darkened immediately. His hands slid to her waist before he could stop himself.
Paris felt her pulse spike.
"You shouldn't want this." His voice sounded rough now. Fractured. "There's something wrong with me."
Paris laughed softly at that. Not mocking but sad.
"You think I haven't figured that out already?"
His grip tightened unconsciously.
"I break into your apartment."
"I left the window open for you."
"Thank you. It makes me feel safe."
"I stole your underwear."
"You stole my favorite one. The black lace? Keep the others but I want that one back.."
Each confession sounded uglier coming out loud. Why wasn’t she disgusted. Running. Dex looked genuinely disturbed now.
She slightly pushed his chest back on the bed as he sat. His infuriation grew, curious about what she had to offer.
But Paris only stepped closer between his knees.
"You wanna know what’s actually scary?" she whispered. His jaw tightened. "I liked—no loved—every second of it."
Dex stared at her like she'd struck him. Paris reached up slowly, fingers brushing the scar along his face. "You looked at me," she admitted softly, "and saw something worth obsessing over."
Her thumb dragged lightly across his jaw.
"And I looked at you and realized..." Her voice lowered. "Finally. Someone who understands me."
Something in Dex's expression cracked open completely then. Terrified at the admission yet wanting more.
Paris climbed into his lap slowly, careful of the injuries wrapped around his torso. Dex inhaled sharply the second her thighs settled around his waist.
Every muscle in his body tightened at once. His hands gripped her instinctively now. Sliding up her thighs. Around her waist. Touching her like he was starving and afraid simultaneously.
Not sexual but reverent. Like he couldn't believe she was real. "You should be afraid of me," he whispered.
Paris leaned forward until their foreheads touched. "But I'm not."
His hands trembled slightly against her body. That undid her more than confidence ever could.
The realization hit him all at once. The books. The teasing. The way she never feared him.
She'd been inviting the obsession closer.
Dex looked genuinely shaken now.
Not by danger. By acceptance. Paris kissed him softly once. Then again.
"You came to me bleeding," she whispered against his lips. "Out of every place in this city...you came here."
His hands tightened around her waist almost painfully. “Not Matt Murdock. Not Frank Castle. Me.”
"Because you're mine," he admitted before he could stop himself.
Paris smiled immediately. There it was. The truth. Not obsession anymore. Not stalking. Not fascination.
Something deeper. Belonging.
"And you're mine," she answered quietly.
The words destroyed whatever restraint Dex had left.
He kissed her hard enough to steal breath, hands sliding up her back like he needed to feel every inch of her at once. Paris melted into him instantly, fingers tangled in his hair while his forehead pressed against hers between kisses.
And somewhere underneath all the violence and obsession and twisted devotion—
They finally felt understood.