Tall, Dark, and Anxious (An Adam Driver fanfic)

27:

I open the door and realize that I'm too eager, he hasn't even knocked yet. He's standing there with his fist up like he was about too, but was surprised that I was already standing there. I awkwardly laugh it off.

He chuckles.

"Hey," he says, hugging me.

"Hey."

When we pull apart, I look up into his eyes.

"Now, I need you to listen to me carefully," I say.

"Okay?"

"This is your chance to go. Run away, quickly, and don't look back."

He chuckles again.

"What are you talking about?" he asks.

"My mom is the one who texted you. We don't have much time, I'm trying to save you."

He smiles and moves a strand of hair out of my face.

"And what if I don't want you to save me?" he asks in a low voice.

My mouth runs dry.

"I-"

"Mr. Driver!" mama calls out as she approaches.

I swallow hard.

He walks over to mama. She takes off her dirty gardening gloves to shake his hand.

"Please, call me Adam."

"Chyler Jackson," she introduces herself.

"Nice to meet you."

"You too, sir. My, you're real tall!" she says, throwing up her hands and placing one on his arm.

She chuckles.

"And muscular!"

"Mama," I groan.

Adam laughs.

"Thank you."

"Let's all go inside," she says.

We file inside and sit awkwardly for a few moments.

"So, I heard you're an ex-marine. What was that like?"

"Mama, interviewers always ask him that stuff. I'm sure he's tired of always saying the same thing."

"Oh, no, it's fine."

He spends the next few minutes sharing his experiences. Mama's mouth is hanging open.

"Mama, you're gonna catch flies!"

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to gawk. It's just so interesting!" She apologizes.

"Eh, that's not how I would describe my life."

"Then how would ya?" She asks.

"Mediocre? Maybe?"

She swats her hand in the air.

"So modest," she says.

Adam chuckles.

"Imma make us up some food."

She gets up and goes to the kitchen just a few feet away. I whisper to Adam, who's sitting next to me and stealing my breath away,

"How do you feel?"

"Fine, why?"

"I know she's a lot," I say, sheepishly.

"I like her."

"Hailey, would you come help me in here?" Mama asks.

"Comin', mama."

Adam stood up too.

"Could I help?" he asks.

"Well, sure. You're a guest, though, so you don't have to."

"It's no problem," he says, smiling.

The three of us start cookin' up a storm in the cramped kitchen, as the news plays on the tv in the background.

"Hailey, could ya grab me a better knife?"

"Sure."

I turn around, and I'm only about two inches from Adam, who's blocking the drawer. I chuckle.

"Excuse me."

"Oops, sorry," he says, starting to awkwardly side step out of the way.

Before he gets the chance, mama bumps into me, knocking me into him. My face grows hot, I blush.

"Whoops," mama says.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah."

We all sit down to eat, and mama decides to whip out my worst memories.

"Mama, nooo," I groan as she pulls out my baby videos.

She pulls out the video of me shirtless in my front yard when I was three, singing, along with bath time videos, and an old birthday one. I want to explode. Adam holds my hand.

"You were adorable."

"This is so embarrassing," I reply, hiding my face.

"Well, I'm having a great time."

"I'm sure you are," I laugh.

Just then, the power goes out.

"Uh-oh," mama says.

"Shit," I say, getting tense. "You think it could be that twister that the news was warnin' us about earlier?"

Mama looks worried.

"Maybe you should go home, Adam. Don't want you gattin' caught up in this."

Just as she says that, the tornado sirens go off.