Chapter Text
Rachel stumbled through the forest, clothes soaked from the rain as another flash of lightning lit up the sky. She couldn’t hear her heartbeat over the loud crash of thunder that followed, but it was pounding like a drum in her chest. It was hard to make out the form of Adam in front of her, eyes stinging from the rain, but she desperately tried to keep up with him.
A gasp tore from her throat as her foot suddenly caught on a tree root, dragging her towards the incoming ground. A strong arm wrapped around her waist at the last second, easily placing her back on her own two feet. Adam's eyes ran over her face briefly, checking her for injuries, before he whirled on his heels and strode forward once more.
“We need to move,” he called out to her, voice barely audible over the storm. “The safe house is just ahead.”
She didn’t even bother to respond, lungs screaming for air as she forced herself forward. Finally, after what felt like hours of running, they broke through the line of trees into a clearing. A small cabin lay just beyond, tucked behind a large oak tree. Adam scanned the area warily, entire body stiff with tension. A long moment passed before he gestured for her to move forward.
She didn’t know if they were still being chased, but blood was still pumping fast through her veins like they were. When they reached the cabin, Adam quickly punched a code into a covertly hidden keypad, the door sliding open a few moments later. He all but pushed Rachel inside and quickly locked the door behind them.
They were instantly shrouded in darkness. The relief from the rain was instant and she pushed away the drenched strands of hair clinging to her face and neck as she caught her breath. She couldn’t make out Adam’s form in the dark, even with him standing so close. She could feel him, though; his heat radiating into her and offering the first comfort she had felt all night.
It was a long while before he finally moved away from the door and further into the cabin. Rachel assumed that he had determined their pursuers had given up and they were relatively safe for the time being. A few moments later and the cabin was illuminated with light, almost blinding her in the process.
There wasn’t much to the space; a large room with simple decor and a color palette that reminded her of the facility. There was a small kitchenette, a sitting room with a fireplace, and a large bed pushed off into the corner. The dust that lightly coated all the furniture made it obvious that they were the first visitors in quite a while.
She squinted at Adam as he made his way around the small, open space. He only turned on enough lights to provide a dim glow and she knew even that was for her sake only. She watched him examine the space, take stock of their supplies and current situation. Her breath caught in her throat when those icy green eyes suddenly met hers, almost glaring in their intensity.
“Are you injured?” He demanded, suddenly three steps away from her when he had been across the room half a second ago. She was getting used to the supernatural agility the team had, yet she couldn’t stop herself from jumping slightly at the suddenness of his movement. “Did they hurt you?”
Rachel swallowed hard, unable to hold his gaze as her heart picked up its pace once more. “I’m fine,” she muttered, hating how shaky her voice sounded. “They didn’t touch me.”
Adam relaxed at that, shoulders easing if only slightly. His gaze softened and she hesitantly looked up to meet it. “What about you?” Rachel murmured, fingers twitching with the sudden need to reach out for him. “Are you alright?”
His mouth set into a firm line, but he still did not look away from her. “Do not concern yourself with my wellbeing, Detective,” he replied, eyes scanning her face as if searching for something. “You should remain focused on your own safety.”
Rachel’s lips pursed, a flash of annoyance overtaking her features. They had had several variances of this same conversation; she shouldn’t have been surprised by his response. “You didn’t answer the question,” she shot back, arms crossing over her chest.
Adam returned her narrowed glare, neither of them willing to be the first to look away. “I am fine,” he answered finally, through gritted teeth.
Her disbelief must have been evident on her face, eyes flickering to the torn sleeve of his shirt. Adam immediately shifted to block her view. “Are you sure? I thought I saw-”
“I am fine,” he repeated in that stubborn tone of his that left no room for arguments. Rachel just sighed as he turned away from her and began to pace the length of the room.
She wrapped her arms around herself for warmth, feeling a chill start to overtake her as she dripped rain water onto the hardwood floors. Nate would be chasing her around with a towel while scolding her had he been there. A small smile flickered across her lips at the thought, before it was immediately replaced by a frown.
“Do you think the others made it out alright?”
Adam came to a halt at the question, though his expression remained unreadable. “I am sure of it,” he replied, though the small twitch to his lips gave away the true depths of his concern. “This was hardly the most dangerous mission we have taken on.”
The bloodthirsty harpies shrieking at them from the sky as they were doggedly pursued for four miles made Rachel want to question just what other missions the others had been on, but she smartly decided against posing that question.
“Likewise,” Adam continued, drawing her attention back to him. “We were their focus, not the others. The creatures would have had no reason to pursue them.”
Actually, she had been their focus. The second the harpies had gotten a whiff of her blood, they had swooped down on her with their claws raised and teeth bared. Only Adam had been there to take the hit for her, blocking Rachel from their assault and ordering her to flee into the woods.
She resisted the shudder that wanted to run through her as the memory of her fear came back to her. Not for her own life- but Adam’s. There had been one terrifying moment when he had not immediately followed her that she thought-
It didn’t matter. He was in front of her. Safe. Alive. That was all that mattered.
Rachel released a sigh, running a hand through her hair as she slumped against a nearby wall. “I suppose there’s no point in worrying about it now,” she conceded, earning a nod of agreement from Adam. “We can’t do anything until the morning anyway.”
Even if by some miracle they could get reception in the middle of nowhere, the storm would prevent any calls from being made. They could only trust that the others were able to take care of themselves and hope for the best.
“Agreed. We will stay here until the storm passes and then rejoin the rest of the unit.” He spoke with such confidence that Rachel felt herself relaxing just the slightest bit. She knew they would be safe here- any place was safe for her so long as Adam was there.
The thought startled her, a light blush covering her cheeks. Rachel cleared her throat, shifting slightly and hoping that Adam wouldn’t notice. Of course that was the moment his eyes narrowed in on her, piercing right to her heart.
“You’re shivering.” He somehow made his statement sound like an accusation; as if Rachel decided to be a cold, dripping mess just to spite him.
“I’m fine,” she replied in the same terse tone he had used earlier. Adam’s lips only thinned further, as if she was confirming his theory.
His eyes scanned over her shivering body, expression growing more irritated with every passing second. “There should be spare clothes here for you to change into. I will get a fire started.”
She rolled her eyes, barely withholding a scoff. “I told you I-”
“The last thing we need right now is for you to come down with an illness,” he interrupted, the glare on his face all but daring her to challenge him on this.
This time Rachel did scoff. “Fine,” she sighed, pushing off the wall and starting towards the closet that was tucked in next to the kitchenette. “You can be worse than Nate sometimes, you know.”
She thought she caught a hint of lips twitching out of the corner of her eye, but when she glanced back Adam was watching her with a stony expression, as if making sure she was following through with his orders.
The closet contained a stack of towels along with a sweatshirt four times her size. A faint mildewy scent wafted from the fabric, making her nose wrinkle. Rachel set to cleaning herself up, drying off her hair and wiping down her arms. She peeled off her t-shirt, leaving her in only a tank top that clung indecently to her chest.
A sharp intake of breath had her craning her neck to see Adam hastily glancing away, staring at the lit fireplace with intense focus like it was suddenly the most interesting thing in the room.
“Here,” she said, picking up an unused towel and tossing it to him.
He caught it with one hand, eyes never straying from the fire. “Thank you, Detective,” he said stiffly.
Rachel frowned at his odd reaction but returned to the task at hand. She pulled on the overly large sweatshirt, the hem of it falling past her knees, before gathering up the used towels and making a neat pile next to the bathroom door.
After pulling her damp hair into a messy ponytail, Rachel plopped down on the loveseat nearest the fireplace. She basked in the heat radiating from the crackling logs, already feeling better than she had minutes earlier. Adam stood with his back to her, looking lost in his own thoughts.
A comfortable silence fell over the both of them, one she was reluctant to break. Instead, Rachel allowed herself to settle into the surprisingly soft cushions. Her body ached from the strenuous activities of the day, and she finally relaxes for the first time since getting out of bed that morning.
Her eyes dragged over Adam’s form without her consent. His white shirt was almost translucent from the rain, revealing the taut muscles of his back that the fabric clung to. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she slowly looked over his strong figure.
She could spend hours just staring at him, admiring him, and not once grow bored. Not that she would ever, ever admit to that.
Her gaze eventually trailed down to his arms, appreciating those strong biceps. She imagined what it would feel like to touch them, to have them wrapped around her. A sudden warmth flooded her body, making her squirm slightly in her seat.
Before she was completely distracted however, her attention was caught by that tear in his sleeve, the one he had tried to hide from her earlier.
Rachel frowned, leaning forward in her seat as she examined that arm intently. The light of the fire revealed several long lacerations across his bicep. She inhaled sharply at the sight, concern morphing into anger that had her eyebrows furrowing.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Adam turned around with a frown of confusion on his face, but Rachel was already standing up and moving to his side. She reached out and grabbed his arm with one hand, pushing up his sleeve with the other before he could object.
It looked even worse up close. His pale skin was raised and red, the torn flesh just beginning to knit back together. She glared accusingly up at him, earning a scowl in return.
“It’s just a scratch,” he said shortly, attempting to tug his arm away. Her fingers wrapped more firmly around him, though her touch remained gentle.
“You’re not healing,” she stated, her voice full of surprise as the thought occurred to her. “Why aren’t you healing?”
He shook his head, lips pursed in annoyance, but he allowed her hand to remain. “Harpy venom slows our healing abilities,” he admitted finally, not meeting her gaze. “Blood negates that effect, but, as there is none here, I will have to wait until we return to the warehouse.”
Rachel’s lips pursed, her mind a mix of fear, guilt, and anger at the lack of care he had for his own well being. “You knew that and you still jumped in front of me? They could have seriously hurt you, Adam!"
“An outcome I would gladly take over the alternative.”
She felt her heart skip a beat at his words, but refused to allow herself become distracted by them. “Don’t say that,” she snapped, finally letting her hand fall away from his arm.
“It is the truth, Detective,” Adam stated simply, looking away from her to stare into the fire. “Your life is the most- it is a very valuable thing. And I will do whatever I must to safeguard it.”
She glared at his back, his words only managing to incense her more. “I won’t let you put yourself at risk just to protect me.”
“It is my risk to make,” he replied firmly, a tone of finality to his words. As far as he was concerned, this was the end of their conversation.
“And if you died trying to keep me safe? Do you really think I could live with myself after that?”
Rachel shut her lips tightly to keep any more words from spilling out. She hadn’t meant to say that. She shouldn't have said that.
She whirled around on her heels to hide her face from him, feeling her cheeks grow warm from embarrassment. Her emotions always found a way to spill out of her without her permission whenever he was around. A very dangerous habit indeed.
She could feel Adam’s gaze on her, burning her. She didn’t dare turn around, though. She was sure she wouldn’t be able to handle what she saw if she did.
A large hand came to rest hesitantly on her shoulder, drawing her out of her thoughts. Rachel sighed as the touch instantly soothed her frayed nerves, her eyes falling shut of their own accord.
“I am… sorry. For upsetting you.” His voice was so quiet she could barely hear him over the sound of the rain drumming on the roof. “But you must trust that I am capable of protecting us both.”
Rachel swallowed hard, eyes opening once more. Slowly, she turned around to face him, her own hand coming to rest just below the wound on his arm. She focused on the rip in his sleeve rather than trying to meet his gaze.
“I do trust you,” she murmured, fingers stroking gently over his skin. She heard him inhale sharply at the touch, but still he didn’t pull away. “More than anyone else. But I…”
Finally, she glanced up and met Adam’s gaze. He was staring intently at her, hanging onto her every word. She was admitting far too much. She would regret this all later. But, right now, she couldn’t stop herself even if she wanted to.
“I can’t lose you, Adam.”
She wasn’t sure who started the kiss, who leaned in first and initiated it. Perhaps it had been both of them, giving in to the crushing weight of emotions between them at the exact same moment. All she knew was that once she started, she didn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t ever want to stop.
Rachel gasped against his mouth, hands coming up to brace herself against his chest. Adam had an arm wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping her pressed against him as his mouth worked over hers. His free hand tangled in her hair, angling her head upwards to meet his lips.
When she was forced to pull away, gasping for air as her lungs burned, Adam’s lips trailed down her jaw to mouth at her neck. This was all too much and not enough at the same time. Her mind was a blur as she tried to process what had happened, what was happening. Was this all a dream? Was she dreaming? Had the harpies gotten her after all and this was all a hallucination?
Adam moaned softly into her throat, fingers digging into her skin, and she was brought back to reality. This was her reality.
“Adam,” she gasped, eyes falling shut as she carded her fingers through his hair. He moaned again before grasping her by the jaw and dragging their mouths back together.
Adam’s kisses were a lot like the man himself; demanding, overwhelming, intoxicating in their intensity. She could not think nor focus on anything that wasn’t his taste or touch or scent. Rachel allowed herself to be taken away by it all. She’d live in this moment for the rest of her life if she could.
It was as if a dam had broken, unleashing a flood of emotions and unresolved tension between them. Rachel grasped at any part of him she could reach; his arms, his chest, his hair. The only time she broke away from his mouth was to gasp desperately for air.
Adam allowed her no respite, his grip on her hips almost bruising as he kept their bodies pressed tightly together. His lips claimed any exposed skin he could reach; her cheek, her jaw, her neck. His tongue traced the curve of her collarbone, pulling soft moans from Rachel that she couldn’t hope to contain.
She was barely aware when he scooped her up into his arms like she weighed nothing, lips still tracing a path down her neck. Her legs wrapped automatically around his waist, fingers grasping at the hair along the back of his neck. Rachel felt her back hit the bed as he laid her down; felt the delicious weight of his body on top of hers, making her sink further into the mattress. She wrapped her limbs around as much of him as she could; entangling him, keeping him bound to her.
His mouth pressed hot kisses down her chest, hands tugging the collar of her sweatshirt further down to reveal more skin. And then he was pulling her top off altogether, leaving her just in that wet tank top, still clinging to her skin.
“Adam,” she moaned again, eyes closing as he pulled more clothes off of her, revealed more skin. Her fingers tangled in his hair, desperate for something to hold on to.
She felt him nip at her collarbone, kiss back up her neck. “Look at me,” he murmured, voice so hoarse it was practically a growl. “Don’t close your eyes, Rachel. Look at me.”
Rachel swallowed hard around the emotion building up in her chest; nodded, used the back of his neck to drag his mouth back to hers. She felt on fire, burning away underneath the heat of his body.
She was consumed.
The rest of their clothes fell away until it was just them. Only them. And Adam was everywhere; mouthing at her breasts, kissing down her stomach to the space between her legs where she ached for him most. Rachel gasped, moaned, writhed underneath him as her pleasure ignited a fuse somewhere deep within her. Her hips jerked in his tight grasp; eager to meet his mouth, the gentle stroking of his tongue.
Before Rachel could find her release, Adam pulled away from her altogether. A cry of frustration built up in her throat; before it could escape, however, he was pressing into her, lighting up every nerve ending she had. Rachel keened as he stretched her open, peppered her skin with kisses. She cried out for him, digging her fingers into his shoulders as their mouths met again and again and again. Not once did her eyes stray from his as he took her apart, bit by bit.
Though it felt like she had been in his arms for all of eternity, It was not long until they were both shattering, falling apart while desperately clinging to each other. Rachel buried her face in his shoulder as she came, his name falling from her lips over and over again.
She had everything she had ever wanted wrapped up in her arms. It was all too much. Too much. It was everything.
He was everything.
The fire was just embers when Rachel woke up, leaving the cabin in almost complete darkness. The rain had stopped, leaving only silence in its wake. She sat up slowly, pulling the sheets tighter around her naked body as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.
A satisfied ache filled her bones, a small smile overtaking her lips as the events of a few hours ago came back to her. Adam.
They had kissed, finally kissed. And- much more than that. It had all happened so fast, it was practically a blur in her mind. How was this her reality? How could she ever be allowed to be this happy?
She turned to her side, expecting to find him tangled up in the sheets next to her. Instead, she found an empty space, still warm.
Rachel frowned and for the first time since their kiss, she felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. Her eyes desperately searched the dark room for him. Maybe this had been a dream after all. Maybe-
He was standing in front of the fireplace with his back to her, shirtless with only his pants slung low on his hips. She exhaled softly, glad at least that she hadn’t imagined it all. And yet she couldn’t help but feel that something was still terribly wrong.
“Adam?” She whispered, slowly sliding off the bed. She kept the sheet wrapped around her body, if only to protect against the chill that threatened to take her over.
He stiffened at the sound of her voice, every muscle in his back tensing. And that was when she knew that something definitely wasn’t right.
She approached him like one would a wild animal; slowly, no sudden movements. Her hand came to rest gently against his shoulder blade, but Adam flinched away from her touch like it burned him. Dread crawled up her spine, made it difficult to breathe.
“What’s wrong?” She murmured, letting her hand fall to her side.
He didn’t look at her. She had a feeling it was because he refused to. “We-” His voice was rough as gravel, full of many different emotions. He cut himself off to swallow hard, and when he spoke again his voice was cold. Indifferent. Like she was a stranger, not someone he had just made love to hours earlier.
“We should not have done that.”
Rachel half-expected him to say something like that and yet it still felt like he had struck her. She took a step backwards, fingers gripping the cotton sheet tightly until her knuckles turned white. “What?” She asked breathlessly, helplessly.
Adam took a long, deep breath before slowly turning around to face her. His face was the stoniest, coldest she had ever seen it; almost cruel in the way he regarded her so emotionlessly. “This was a mistake,” he said. “One that cannot happen again.”
She felt her eyes burn with unshed tears she quickly tried to blink away. She took a deep breath, trying to swallow around the lump stuck in her throat. “I- Why would you say that?” Had this night not meant everything to him like it had to her?
“Because it is the truth, Detective.” He looked away from her dismissively, glancing back once more. She thought she saw something flash in his eyes, but that- no, just stupid fucking hope that got her in this mess in the first place. “Our relationship must remain professional, for everyone’s sake.”
A tear rolled down her cheek before she could stop it and Rachel quickly turned her back on him. She choked on all the words that wanted to spill from her throat; all the accusations, the desperate pleas for answers. She gathered her clothes off the ground as fast as she could, swallowing back the tears that threatened to burst from her. She dressed quickly, feeling her composure slip with every second that passed.
Adam just watched her as she stumbled towards the door, not saying anything more. That was almost worse, because it meant the conversation was done, over with. The decision had been made and they could never- would never-
She couldn’t be there anymore. She couldn’t stand to be in the same room as him any longer.
Rachel pushed the door open and staggered out into the early morning. And Adam just watched her leave, like that was all he could do.
“It’s better this way.”
He whispered the words minutes after she had left, long after she’d be able to hear them.
They were mostly for his own sake.