Summary: Phoebe struggles with her feelings for Adam and his repression. Mason is her comfort and shoulder, but will he grow to become more than that?
pairing: Adam x Phoebe x Mason
words: ~1.5k
warning: spoilers for Book 3 Chapter 1
Taglist: @smalltowndetective (thank you for beta-reading this for me, you're amazing ❤️) @pearlsandsteel @swampwitched @amlovelies @freckles-spangledvampire @agentnolastname @sosolenoo @snesdudes [tell me if anyone wants to be added or removed (especially, I understand if you've lost interest over the year gone)!]
Whew, it's been a long time! I know I posted the first two parts about a year ago, so I surmise most of you lost hope of me continuing it... I almost did too, but I'm still in love with the story and characters, so I'm here now with the third part. It reuses several dialogue lines from the Book 3 demo, but there's still a decent chunk of original stuff in there :D
This past year has been... a lot. I'm not going to unload my life story on here, but I have been far from a writing mood at times.
Also, I've started development on an IF project, found over at @powered-if. Do feel free to check that out!
Fic under the cut!
———
Three days later, she could conclude that she’d been right to worry. Were the werewolves really gone? She anxiously checked behind her for several seconds before turning back to what had to be the others approaching.
Nate and Felix stepped forward, but they only held her gaze for a second before it locked with Adam's. He looked… relieved? Before she could comprehend the motion, he was right in front of her, a hand raised to her cheek. She hoped. She hoped and she wished and… he pulled away. Instead, he drew his hand to his mouth and whispered, “You’re all right…”
No, I'm not. I'm breaking and hoping and being disappointed and I don’t know if you’ll ever bring your walls down… I don’t even know if they’re walls anymore.
Yes, you do. Memories flood her, of Adam lying in a bed, half delirious with painkillers. Tu omnia. You are everything.
So what? That doesn’t mean anything. He was barely conscious. He could have said “ba be doo ba”, and you wouldn't be treating that as immovable truth, would you?
She realised he was still staring at her and cleared her throat. Then cleared it again. Opened her mouth, then closed it. Because really, what was one supposed to say when she didn’t even know how to be around him?
Felix snorted. “Well, one of you is going to have to say something. There’s so much tension around you two I can barely breathe.”
Nate frowned and said something to him, but his remark was effective in making her refocus. “Yeah, I—”
Adam cut her off. “It’s good to find you unharmed.”
She raised her eyebrows, voice croaking slightly. “Uh, thanks?” Stop it. He would say that to any team member who was recently in danger. But somehow she didn’t think he would have that… look in his eye, almost vulnerable as he gazed at her from an insurmountable distance.
Felix just rolled his eyes. “Well, that was pathetic.”
Everyone began to move away, going to talk about the mission, and she was just about to join them when Adam stepped closer to her side again. Startled, she looked up at him. His green eyes seemed to search her for something none of them understood, and her breath caught when his lips parted as if to speak, to tell her that… what? That he loves you? Don’t be ridiculous.
Then he was gone with a groan and feet already stomping in the direction of the others. She blinked, feeling tears behind her eyelids and willing them back because this really wasn’t the right situation for that.
Finally following the others, she slipped into place beside Mason, trying hard not to look at the infuriating blond who insisted on making her logical thinking turn upside down and inside out.
A hesitant hand on her back snapped her focus back to grey eyes at her side, watching her curiously. “It's fine,” she mumbled, and he dropped his hand with a nod. Then her gaze fell onto the metallic orb emanating the earlier scent. “What’s that?”
“Fritillaria imperialis.” The words would’ve sounded overly pretentious in any other mouth but Nate's.
She furrowed her eyebrows for a moment before it clicked. “The crown imperial plant?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Mason groaned. “Oh good, another Nate. One is bad enough.” He didn’t sound nearly as annoyed as he tried to, though, giving her a possibly unintentional fond smile.
Nate scratched his neck. “It's not just the plant but also a few other magical herbs to help make the musky scent extremely potent.”
“Incredibly useful at deterring away certain types of supernaturals,” Adam added. She tensed, refusing to react to the sound of his voice.
“Such as werewolves.” Nate concluded.
Adam said something about returning to the warehouse, but she was lost in thought. Why were they immediately so hostile? You did something, her insecurities said, you ruined it. Why did you volunteer yourself?
She didn't even notice that the others had drawn away until Adam addressed her directly. “Something troubles you.”
Yeah, myself. My feelings. You. Life. She pushed all of that away and veered around the question not phrased as such. “Maybe. I… can’t figure out what happened here.”
He nodded. “Even with as much preparation as we do, there are things beyond our control. You can only do so much, Detective.”
Yeah, that’s right. He can’t even call you by name. “I guess.”
His hand suddenly resting on her arm made her forget about everything else. Her eyes found his easily, as if they had never left, and a thousand unspoken words passed between them.
The last time she was this close to him… she held his hand at the reopened carnival. He hadn’t drawn away then… but it was obvious he’d been avoiding her in the month that had went by, afterwards. Right now, he was looking at her with something that she didn’t know, but definitely was far from ignoration. “I… We…” he stammered, before he let go and stepped back… again.
“Right.” Because what else was there to say? Please don’t let go of me. Please hold me closer. Please love me. No, she was admittedly pathetic, but she wouldn’t sink that far. So she turned around and walked to her car, alone.
Mason caught her gaze just before opening her car door, and jerked his head towards the passenger seat. She shook her head, but formed a heart with her hands teasingly. He scoffed and turned away, lingering for only a moment longer before disappearing into the woods.
———
They were back at the warehouse, but the familiar walls blurred together as she stared at the print-out in her hands, her own face staring back at her as words circled her head.
“It’s a Trapper's bounty.” A bounty a bounty a bounty a bounty on your head they want your head they want you dead they—
Fingers moved over hers, Adam's, taking the paper and crumpling it, but she didn’t look up, feeling her hands shaking erratically and face heat up. Not now, not now… It was all that she could do to hold the tears back as she gasped for breath, unable to make use of the air around her.
There was a couple of faint footsteps, and then she was swept up in Felix's arms as he sat down on the sofa, right beside her. “Hey, Ebe, it's okay. They won’t take you.” She burrowed her face into his chest, staying there until the panic subsided enough to speak to the others. She tapped his shoulder three times and he scooted back, keeping just one arm around her shoulders.
Nate frowned. “I suppose this would explain why the meeting with the pack ended as it did.” They were going to take her. If it had only been her and Mason— Felix's hand rubbed circles across her back, keeping steady for the moment, though she knew she would crash more fully when she was alone in her room.
———
“Detective.” Not Phoebe.
She sighed, feeling tired more than anything else. “Yes?”
“This new information….” Adam's voice hitched, but he continued, “The bounty.” Please, Adam. I let you walk me to my room, because I can never seem to say no to you, and I'd answer any question for you, but please don’t talk to me about how I'm wanted, dead or alive. Maybe just alive? It's terrifying, in any case. “More precautions will need to be taken now to ensure your safety.”
“Are you worried about me?” Yeah, right. With that wording, like a coworker.
He frowned. “Of course I am. And I know you are, too.”
She grimaced. “I don’t know. It’s not like— I'm scared, Adam, I'm so freaking scared… but I know you’ll protect me, and I probably won't be taken, so I don't really worry, but— I don't know.”.
He regarded her with intensity, nodding only once after she trailed off. “I'll have to be the one who worries for you, then.”
Her eyes avoided his, not knowing what to say. Of course he would worry about his teammate, his boss's daughter, right? Expectation had never led her right, and it wouldn’t start now.
He clasped his hands awkwardly. “I should leave you to your business.” Then he was gone, striding down the hallway.
After a moment of shock, she locked herself into her room and flopped onto her bed. No progress, as always. If he really felt like me, he wouldn't always leave.
Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she paused on a message from Mason. “You better now?”
“You know the answer to that. Adam left again. I don't know why I keep on hoping he won’t.”
The reply arrived only minutes later. “Because you're a hopeless optimist.”
“Are you insulting me?”
“No. It’s what makes you Phoebe, sweetheart.”
She groaned. “Don't start.”
He started writing, then disappeared. Then came back. “The stars are bright tonight.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“Come out and double-check then.”
She thought about it, but a yawn made her decision for her. “Too tired. Some other time.”
“Goodnight.”
Only a few hours later, she’d have to jump into work again... but at least she had a friend in her corner. Even if he wasn’t who she wanted to be there.
Summary: Phoebe struggles with her feelings for Adam and his repression. Mason is her comfort and shoulder, but will he grow to become more than that?
pairing: Adam x Phoebe x Mason
words: ~900
Taglist: @smalltowndetective (thank you for beta-reading this for me :D) @pearlsandsteel @swampwitched @amlovelies @freckles-spangledvampire [tell me if anyone wants to be added or removed!]
This took a while, but it's here now! I hope you all like it :D
Fic under the cut!
---
It was infuriating, the way he stepped into the room and suddenly her focus could be nowhere else. The way he drew her gaze and kept it, while still coldly keeping her away.
"A pack of werewolves have reached out to the Agency for discussion of a treaty. They agreed that we should be the ones to meet up with them."
Adam made a pause, letting everyone process the task at hand. "The werewolves have requested a smaller group, so only two of us will talk to them, while the rest wait nearby. If anything goes wrong, they will step in and hopefully calm the situation."
Phoebe spoke up first with a worried tone. "Is there a high risk of this happening?" She gestured vaguely with her hand to indicate fighting.
"Most likely not. It's simply a precaution, to avoid anyone getting hurt."
Nate added, "Including them, of course." Though Adam didn't seem as adamant of that, he nodded.
Then Felix asked the question they were all probably thinking in some degree. "So who's going to do the diplomacy work? I would like to prematurely vote out myself, because I'm... not the best at handling these things." He laughed hesitantly, and then his gaze slid to her and Adam. "I'm pretty sure I can think of two people who would greatly enjoy it, though."
She groaned, but Adam either didn't notice or didn't care, which sent a tiny sting through her chest.
Taking a quick breath, she straightened in her seat and attempted to ignore it. "I'll be one of the two, if that's okay." She would've been lying if she said she wasn't hoping for exactly what Felix suggested.
However, it was futile. Adam simply nodded and continued, "Yes, that's fine." Surely she imagined the small crease between his eyebrows. "Considering the nature of the mission, I think N--"
"I'll go with her." Mason gave her a... not quite soft smile, but... something. His tone was sharper and left no room for argument.
She nodded gratefully and raised a brow at Adam, trying not to falter under his gaze. "I think we work good together." You and I could too, if you'd let us try. It's not too late to say you want to join me.
If he heard the double-meaning, he took no notice of it. "Fine. Then Nate, Felix and I will hold backup."
Fine. It's fine. She didn't bother looking back at him as she left the room with a quiet, "Then it's settled." The door closed behind her, leaving a blissful silence.
She wasn't sure where to go, being in the middle of the forest, but she felt the familiar urge of needing to do something. She should probably have taken up a hobby already, with how often it happened. In the meantime, she settled for pushing around the dirt with her shoe.
The simple motion helped calm her mind, and she didn't notice that Mason had come out until he was right beside her. "Hey."
She met his gaze with a hopefully neutral expression. "Hey, Mason." Then she added, almost having forgotten it, "Thank you. You didn't have to do that, in there."
He shrugged. "I wanted to." The casual words made a warm feeling bloom in her chest. Mason wasn't exactly someone who did overt caring gestures, and she'd gotten used to that. But it also meant that these small things meant much more.
"Well, I'm grateful anyway. Although I wish..." she trailed off, looking down at the forest floor.
He nodded. "You wanted to go with him. I know." She didn't stir, so he grabbed her chin with an unusually gentle grip. "Hey. I'm not gonna be cheesy like these guys, but if he doesn't get his shit together, he'll have to deal with me. That better?"
She nodded, and he added, "Besides, it's just a mission. He might've been thinking wholly tactically, in which case I'm sure you can agree he's not the best one to send for diplomacy."
That actually made her laugh. "Yeah, that's true."
He stepped away from her with a content smile. "There you go. It'll all work out great."
She snorted. "I think you've forgotten your own skill, or lack of it, in diplomacy. What if you accidentally make them eat me?"
He shrugged. "It's a risk you have to take." She couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but then he added, "I bet you taste delicious."
She groaned. "Really? You're such a menace."
"Are you complaining, sweetheart?"
"It's not exactly appropriate to flirt with a... whatever I am. Not single, at least."
"I thought I told you that I wasn't doing that."
"Yeah, and I thought that would mean less teasing."
He nodded with a surprisingly understanding look. "You want me to stop?"
She thought about it. "No, it's fine. Just... I'm curious about what it means."
He nodded. "It means I'm comfortable with you. I guess. It's not a big deal."
"Maybe not to you. I, personally, treasure my friends very much."
"Ugh."
"Is that such a bad word?"
He thought about it. "No, I guess not. Don't expect me to say it, though."
She smiled. "I won't. You're still safe in your 'aloof smoker man' aesthetic."
He chuckled, taking the joke in stride. "Good."
She checked her watch. "I have to go to the station, but I'll see you later?"
"Sure." She thought she felt his gaze bore into her back when she walked towards her car, but she decided to not tease him further if he did.
Either way, a smile had found its way onto her features that didn't leave until much later.
