Chapter 14: Hide and Seek

A/N: Just popping in to say that I celebrated my birthday this weekend while I wrote this chapter and I feel pretty great about that. I don't know what this chapter is supposed to be other than a little info dump on John and how our girl has him wrapped around his finger. I'm also experimenting with adding time stamps so that's something. The next chapter will be over 10k, I just need to get this school shit out of the way first.


November, 5th - 4:34pm:

The harvest month of October has smoothly transitioned into a florid November. The dull colors of orange and brown amongst the leaves have started to fade and disappear from the trees altogether, rendering them naked and narrow without the covering the foliage offered them. The diminutive leftover green patches of grass were dying off with the steady dropping temperatures. The sky maintained a grey, dreary like appearance as the sun mostly stayed hidden behind the murky clouds. Winter was on its way and by the feel of the air - it was going to be a very cold one.

Sweetface, not wasting any time, practically jumped you the second he caught sight of you coming through the door behind his owner. He might be the most excited that you were back out of the three of you.

Since reconciling you and John have had sex every single day. All it took was a single look in the other's direction to initiate a steamy session that always left you fiending for more. It was like you both couldn't get enough of each other. Perhaps it was to make up for the time spent apart. Which brings you to the matter of your unexpected bodily reaction days prior. Simply put, your body has never done anything like that before and you had no control over it. You probably should've been embarrassed but it felt entirely too good at the moment.

For John to be an older man, he certainly still possessed the vigor of a much younger man. As far as you were concerned, he still was in his prime physically. Many women who have older lovers or boyfriends often at some point worry about being able to keep up with them during intimacy. Fortunately, that wasn't a concern with John as he had no problem keeping up with your young, slightly irresponsible ass.

He's way more mature than you in a lot of aspects. His life experiences and your life experiences are worlds apart. With him you feel more stable in life than you could ever remember being and can't overlook the simple truth of it. Being with him consistently fills your heart with warmth.

From your point of view, there's not much else he can do to make you fall deeper in love with him than you already are. It's ludicrous to pretend like you both aren't cucu for cocoa puffs for each other. He followed you while you both were supposed to be on a break, he made you mess up your bedsheets, he called you beautiful. In addition to that, you're acting a damn fool and wanting to knock another woman's hairline back for him. You don't even care at this point, you'll be a beautiful little fool for him.

You were learning more and more about John as time passed - seeing layers of him that you never thought he'd allow. As you already expected, John Wick is a remarkably funny, polite man that enjoys the few moments of normality he gets to have when not working. He's so chill about everything it's almost hilarious. Nothing about him and his life is simple but he makes an effort to make it so regardless. Just to amuse yourself, you'd taken to tossing random objects in his direction whenever he walks into a room just to see how he'll react. Some of it out of sheer boredom and some from curiosity. John's reflexes are godlike. He never says anything about it, merely regarding you with mild confusion each time. In other words, he indulges you whenever you present him with the opportunity. That just means that he's placed inherent trust in you that's rarely given to others. It's logical given since you both had literally shared the same bed wrapped in each other's arms for months. People don't do things like that with people they don't trust.

Although just having someone like him placing trust in you is fundamental. Nevertheless, you try not to take more than he's willing to give you.

You were spending more time at his place than your own and it wasn't a problem for either of you. The both of you have magically fallen into a deeper mode of comfortability with one another. Existing within each other's space has become a valuable pastime that isn't taken for granted. To think that you're more content in the comfort of John's minimalistic home than your own personalized apartment is something you'd never imagined would happen.

Just being near him is enough. Seeing him in his element doing normal things felt like a privilege over anything else. You watched him eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast the other day and it mesmerized you. Seeing him do regular things around his house put you in a strange state of wonder and amusement. It's only now that you realize that you've never actually looked at him as a normal man capable of doing normal things. The realization is truly eye opening and you shouldn't have to remind yourself that he's human just like you are. You don't have to know everything about him, just the things that truly matter. Point is - every aspect about John Wick left you wandering.

It's not lost on you that you were denied the chance to express your feelings to him a few days ago - in fact it's not something you could be allowed to forget. Even now it's been on your mind for days - waiting on the tip of your tongue whenever there's a quiet moment between them. You'd been quietly biding your time, actively awaiting the perfect opportunity to come clean. If that was not bad enough, John seemed to be aware of your anxiousness around him during those times. His prescient gaze would make note of your pinched eyebrows and tense shoulders - things that gave you away since he knew how confident you usually tended to be on a regular basis.

Realistically, telling someone how you feel should be a piece of cake. That's never something you shied away from. But this is different. Way different from being angry and telling someone that you'd put your foot up their ass if they kept trying you. Too much weighed on this - you had everything to lose and everything to gain. To top it off, something deep inside of you was both afraid and excited at the prospect of revealing your complicated feelings to your lover with the complicated life. And thus the whole situation left you far too stressed.

In some cases, the man would remain silent for long moments almost as if he were waiting for you to say something and did not want to hinder your efforts of speaking first. That put even more pressure on you and made you more uneasy if that was possible at this stage. He obviously knew that there was something on your mind but he wanted you to reveal it of your own accord when you felt comfortable doing so. You know better than to think he'd try and coax it out of you. Only problem with that was that you had not fucking idea how to do it. As a matter of fact, you didn't know what results your confession would yield.

Sexual attraction and a few intimate moments doesn't automatically equate to love. Honestly, you're terrified of it being one-sided so you find that you're somewhat okay with not knowing than having that premise confirmed. You're stupidly fallen fully into the cusp of love and adoration not knowing if the feelings are mutual on his end. What's worse - you're not sure if it's the stupidest thing you've ever done or not. And you've done a lot of stupid shit in your life.

When you finally build up the courage to tell him it needed to be when you didn't feel like you were going to have an aneurism on the spot. For now, you're just content to preserve the blissful interval you both had fallen into. It's the easier, less complicated option.

On one of the days he decided to stay home instead of going out, you discovered that John had a huge collection of old books in what you assume to be his basement. Many of which looked like they were decades old antiques. He would spend time down there working on those leather bound books and restoring them at his work desk. You would sneak halfway down the stairs to watch him in action and it turns out he was extremely proficient in his somewhat secret/comfort hobby.

Finding out that John Wick is a bibliophile is astounding. Who would've guessed? Certainly not you. Come to think of it, that's something you both have in common - a love of literature. Though he probably was on a higher level than you, as book restoration is a skill you didn't think you could ever master. Obviously if someone dedicates a portion of their time and energy on something then, they have to enjoy doing it.

He's always purely focused on whatever task he's doing at the time. So immersed in his own world down there and you were loath to bother him. You have too much respect for him to do that so you just watch silently, eyes trained on each movement of his hands.

From the angle of the stairs, there was only so much you could see - you wanted to see his actions up close. Truth be told, you had no clue if he wanted you in the basement in the first place and you didn't feel inclined to ask his permission. Some people liked their privacy and alone time - yourself included. Time alone is what every person needs whenever they feel it's necessary. Besides, you were sick and tired of having to run up the stairs as quietly as you could whenever he looked like he might get up from his chair or turn his head. Just having to do that made you feel like a bad ass kid with silver teeth doing something they have no business doing.

"How long are you going to watch this time?" The man asks evenly, placing a newly finished book in an open space on the bookshelf over his work station. You almost fell over.

Having been caught, you decided that it was now pointless to maintain the current position. With an edge of nervousness, you descended the rest of the stairs, moving to stand sheepishly next to him with baited breath. "Did you restore all these books?"

It's stupid, rhetorical question but you have to ask it anyway since it sounds more fun than falling deep into the bottomless void that is your thoughts.

"Yes."

Once again, he could've chosen to rebuff you but instead he does the opposite.

"I'm assuming that this is a hobby for you...it's what you like to do for fun?" You murmur.

He blinks. "I guess you could say that."

A moment of silence passes between you and contemplated whether to ask the dumb question that's been bouncing around in your mind for about two days.

"Um...have you ever played hide and seek?"

One of his elegant brows hitches upward as he silently considers your arbitrary question. If anything, he seemed a little amused by the question rather than annoyed.

You're worried that you might be a little too childish for him, that is until he rotates the seat around to look at you, letting you know that you now have his full attention. A response from him in the first place is shocking but this is an opportunity you can't afford to pass up.

You began by explaining the premise of the simple game. "If I'm able to make the base then I win. If you catch me before then, you win."

The rules of hide and seek are pretty basic - one person hides while the other tries to find them. "Home base can be..the front door."

Waiting to see if he'd have any questions or objections but there was none.

"Count to sixty while I hide. No cheating."

John simply tilts his head in recognition.

With that out of the way, you turned and shot back up the stairs like a bullet. In just a fraction, your anxiety level has shot up. Games like this and tag have always had an effect on you. Only this wouldn't be the usual game of hide and seek. More like pursuit and escape.

Time after time again, he's shown you how good he is at games, so you might be setting yourself up. You just can't help it. He was so fun to play with.

You almost stumble running up the winding stairs as fast as you could. With only a minute head start, you have to use every second to your advantage. The sudden rush of adrenaline has your heart speeding up. John's enormous horse provided a number of hiding places. Sadly, you can't afford to go exploring for the perfect one. You already don't know shit about hiding in plain sight so you're not gonna sabotage yourself even more.

Thinking back, you're not exactly sure if one minute is enough time for you to find a suitable place. In fact, it's too late to reconsider the time frame now. A lethal hunter would soon be pursuing you. Every single second counts. This felt every bit of a high stress situation. The main focus is finding a non findable spot Which turns out to be a closet in one of the spare rooms instead of the old tried and true classic of taking refuge under a bed. This certainly isn't the most superior hiding place in the world but it'll have to do. A smarter choice if you will.

From the closet, you listen intently for uninterrupted periods of movement that would tell you if he was close.

Out of everything else, you're mostly concerned with your ability to remain silent. Your heart is thundering loudly and you don't realize that you're holding your breath. You've stilled all your movements to amplify all your other senses to a sharp point - body more aware than it's ever been. Every movement is measured and controlled. Jesus Christ, you didn't know a game of hide and seek could be so daunting and you wonder if this is how his targets feel. Hell they probably never see him coming in the first place. Which now you actually think he might prefer it that way.

The idea of him using the same stealth and hunting methods he employs on his targets is so thrilling and terrifying at the same time. Exhilaration tears through you faster than you can comprehend. It would give you so much pleasure to beat him at his own game, or your own game so to speak. You're a complete novice in the art of concealment and that makes the stakes higher and the excitement is almost overwhelming.

Avoiding his detection presented quite the challenge so you couldn't afford to let the slightest noise give away your position. Not when you couldn't pinpoint his exact location in the house. Just feeling like he might be near makes you feel trapped in a sense. You'd be risking yourself since he already held an advantage over you. John Wick isn't an easy man to dupe not matter how much planning was put into it. Not to mention, that you're not a ninja with a multitude of sleath techniques to implicate.

Shit, why do you feel chased right now?

Prey running from predator.

After a period of time that felt like hours, you began to contemplate your next move. You can't spend too much time hiding in the spot for too long. Honestly, you didn't know if it was safe to go out or not and you weren't something you wanted to take a chance on with him likely roaming around looking for you. The opportunity is there for you to take should you wish. You decided to take the chance and go for it. Best case scenario, if you're spotted, the only thing you can do is out run him. Creeping with a pace that rivaled a snail, your feet made little noise against the floor and carpet as you snuck out of the closet.

The first thing you notice is that it's quiet. Too fucking quiet. John's house is designed so you don't have to worry about creaking floors or doorways. Still, you walk as close to the wall as you can as so to minimize the likelihood of you possibly being seen. After chancing a look in both directions in the hallway to ensure that it was empty, you slowly inch forward. Your mobility matters just as much as a good hideout place. You've slowed your breathing almost to a halt to keep your heart from beating really fast. Every muscle in your body tense and unyielding with no hope of relaxing until you felt like you were in the clear.

The house is unnaturally quiet. You gradually descend the stairs, toes feeling the cold, hard surface of each one. You're looking around like a scared mouse, overly cautious. Luckily John is nowhere in sight, however, that didn't mean he wasn't around. You crept into the kitchen where only a few lights were turned off. The door is just within reach and you know you've won. A hard band of muscle wraps itself around your waist and a scream traps itself in your throat. Something subdues you with a quickness and had you momentarily confused enough not to voluntarily use your deductive reasoning to escape.

Turning you around in one smooth motion, John gently took hold of your arms to calm you and let you know that he wasn't a threat. After he'd scared the living fuck out of you, you definitely needed some type reassurance.

After calming your erratic heartbeat, you meet his gaze evenly. "How did you know? How did you know where I was?"

"I knew you would take the route that is closest to the door. The kitchen."

"Did you ever even go upstairs?" You whispered.

"I did. I know that you hid in the upstairs closet on the right." He calmly affirms.

Though, you can't quite quell the embarrassment of getting caught. Five seconds ago, you were pretty damn sure you were home free. He pulled a 'sike you thought' just that quick and snatched a possible victory up out under you. Him catching you isn't really that much of a surprise, deep down you expected him to despite wanting to win. He probably knew that you would be bypassing into the kitchen and laid in wait. Contrary to what you know, you thought you had a good chance of successfully avoiding him...or so you thought. You clearly forgot that finding people who don't want to be found is one of his many specialities.

"If you knew I was hiding there why didn't you just come find me?" You asked, brows knitting in confusion.

"Instead of ending the game prematurely, I chose to give you more time to consider your options."

Basically he counted on you to leave the hiding spot and venture towards the kitchen. He really is an avid, experienced hunter to be capable of anticipating a person's movements like that. Had it been someone else, it might've scared you.

His actions were considerate but it still didn't negate the slight disappointment stinging within your chest.

"So...you knew where I was and what I was going to do the whole time?"

You gave a curt sigh - you really thought you had a solid chance. You chewed your bottom lip in contemplation.

Of course he got one over on you - which is starting to happen a lot lately. He's practically made it a sport at this point. One thing was made evidently clear, John's observational skills were off the fucking charts. Because of that, your survival instincts decided to kick in and do its job of preserving your life.

John merely took note of your pinched eyebrows and slightly annoyed expression. In an effort to recapture your attention, a finger perched itself under your chin and lifted it to his face. He laid a chaste kiss on your lips. Possibly to show that he still enjoyed the game despite how short it might've been. "You did well."

"Did I though? You still caught me before I reached home base."

"Of course but you demonstrated good critical thinking. Staying in one spot for too long can end up compromising your position."

You nodded in understanding.

His hands slide down to your sides and he purposely massages the muscles there near your rib cage. The result makes you laugh uncontrollably like a maniac in the space of the kitchen, wiggling to stop his ministrations.

"No! Stop!" You screamed between giggles, pushing at his chest.

His lips are soft and invading as he enveloped it with yours, roving it in all corners of your willing mouth. You can feel the kisses deep in your lower half. Hooking his hands under your thighs he easily lifts you unto the countertop still eager devouring each other's mouths. He smelled like old vintage books and mahogany teakwood.

A hand was soon coasting at your supple curves and you released a shuddering breath as he began his exploration of your body with his hands.

In one fluid motion, your breasts are carefully pulled from your bra and tank top. His touch is feather light as he delicately kneaded your chest. You don't know why you're feeling shy all of a sudden. He's seen your breasts on multiple occasions. But just having him stop and admire them like he's taking a mental snapshot made you a little reticent. The deep brown in his eyes looked as if it'd darkened completely to black with how he's regarding you.

He then leaned in to suck the soft mound of your breast into his mouth, tracing his wet tongue over your erect nipple. Your tits are arguably one of the most sensitive parts on your entire body and he's shown countless times that he loves to put his mouth on different parts of your body

The sensation honestly left you feeling quite dazed. In the back of your mind, you think you hear ringing but you push it back in favor of experiencing pleasure.

You released a sigh full of euphoria.

He reached down to cup your pussy while he ravished your tits, massaging it while it radiated heat. Fingers pressing against the swell of your cunt. The biggest surprise came in the form of a finger as John dug it slightly in the tight opening of your rear.

The feeling had you mewling. "John…"

That same ringing sound pulled you out from the cusp pleasure. You instantly recognized it as the doorbell. You were sure that John heard it as well but he was mainly focused on you.

Pulling back, you placed your fingers in his lips to halt the kissing, eyes giving him a concerned look as they flashed towards the hallway then back to him. His eyes softened at the look and he carefully scooped you up and placed you on your feet back on the floor before moving to leave the kitchen.

Given that you both were interrupted at such a crucial time - John might not be so welcoming to an unannounced visit to his place of residence.

Like a sneaky child, you peaked around the corner to where John opens his door to reveal the source of the interruption. It's a well-dressed man in a pressed suit.

He reminds you of Alec Trevelyn from the 007 games you used to play with your cousins on Nintendo 64. The man is accompanied by some henchmen, who are instructed to remain outside while their boss conducts business. It was at this moment that it dawned on you, the man was a crime lord. Predictably, he looked exactly how one would expect, dressed in unscrupulous clothing and polished shoes that tapped when it walked across the marble floors.

John doesn't tell you to stay in the kitchen out of sight, he doesn't have to. If the visitor were to catch sight of you, you understand how it could turn problematic for both you and John. You could easily become a target to use for collateral for John's enemies. No attention can be drawn to you. Luckily Sweetface decides to join you and keep you company while his owner talks with the company. You sip lightly on a glass of juice, somewhat tuning into the conversation like a Nigerian auntie.

Both men sit at a glass table overlooking John's patio. From the kitchen, you could only hear small snippets of the conversation, just enough to know why the man made a personal visit to John's house instead of calling. John clearly doesn't host many people at his house for obvious reasons.

Even though you were tempted to take a peek outside one of the windows to catch a glimpse at his underlings, you wisely stayed put. Plus listening to the men's conversation was much more interesting. Sweetface nudges your leg with his snout and you bend to give him a head rub.

"I apologize for dropping by so suddenly. The matter was of great importance and could not be offered over the phone."

You get it now, he's proposing a mission for John. This is how he secures contracts. There was no doubt in your mind that he planned to ask John to carry out some questionable deeds.

John maintained his perpetually stony façade. Admittedly, it was weird seeing him so composed in front of company when he was just about to fuck the life out of you in the kitchen.

"The contract is fully exclusive." The man drones on.

You stilled at the coldness of the words and there's a sudden uptick in your heart rate. Contract? What contract? What does he want John to do? Individuals like him hold no regard for how they affect others' lives. He runs a crime organization that was a catalyst for all kinds of atrocious activities. From human trafficking, money laundering, distributing drugs, and illegal arms dealing. Those acts of sin are committed under the guise of a covert operation.

For the sake of punctuality and straightforwardness, every statement is blatant and purpose driven. The man didn't speak in riddles or code - he laid everything out on the table for John about what he wanted and when he wanted it. Unknowingly providing you information on what it's like to thrive in an assassin's based economy. With the current situation, it's astonishing to think that being a part of the organized criminal underground that prompted crime lords to personally request your services is...a lot. John must be pretty damn good at his job if he has mobsters making unexpected trips to see him.

"I'm fully aware of what transpired with Viggo Tarasov and his lot. Quite unfortunate...but you won't have to worry about anything of the sort under my employ."

All whilst the man is speaking, John's face remains unchanged. He also hasn't spoken a single word - he's as serious as you thought he'd be while conducting business.

It's setting in now that you know nothing about the hidden world he operates in. Your previous assumption about him living by a strict code that he steadfastly maintains is proven true.

Listening in on this one conversation, you know you won't even scratch the surface when it comes to understanding the logistics of the underworld. Despite this, you still want to know more. When you questioned John about it, he spoke exclusively on his experience and remained mostly vague about other details surrounding his occupation and its inner workings.

So what you gather so far, 'business' can be conducted by phone or face to face.

Customarily, John had that quiet authority wrapped around him like a protective cloak. He maintained a calm expression, his impenetrable detachment reflecting in his features. You're so used to seeing it that the look doesn't give you pause like it did when you first met him. The level of mystic surrounding his character is displayed to those who don't have a personal relationship with him. The term 'personal relationship' is being used loosely in this case, as John Wick himself doesn't have that many personal relationships from what you've seen. Truth is, you don't really know if he maintains a close relationship with anyone aside from you. The thought makes you both happy and concerned. Happy that people don't get to know him like you knew him and concerned because the assumption implied that he was a very lonely man before he knew you.

There's a fine line between the two emotions and you can't decide which one makes you feel bad.

You tune back into the conversation to hear that the man is now speaking of a specific target he wanted dealt with.

"Now he's gone off the grid. I want you to locate him and eliminate him and his associates."

You were momentarily confused at the words, until the pieces started to slowly come together.

The guy, with his trimmed mustache and serious eyes continued clarifying. "I'm well aware of what happened with the Taravov Mob and I can assure you...there will be no such thing of the sort under my employ."

"I'm prepared to offer three million."

The statement almost made you choke on the juice you were in the process of swallowing. You had to resist the urge in order not to draw any attention to yourself. Sweetface shifted on his paws, looking slightly concerned while you tried not to suffocate. Shaky fingers spread across your chest to ease the ache.

Three million dollars? Just to kill one person? It's easily the wildest shit you've ever heard...and yet. For someone like John, it's right up their alley.

The man made it sound as if John was the only man on earth that could fulfill the requirements of the mission. He's respectful and cautious enough with his tone and approach to make it known that he's not forcing any demands on your lover.

Ideally, you were flat out expecting John to tell the man no upfront. For him not to have done it yet, John himself must be still considering the offer to some extent.

"Now we both know that an assassin cannot take a job they weren't hired for."

You balked at this. Another code of conduct being in place within the criminal underworld.

Once the conversation was done, the well dressed associate of your lover's decided it was time to take his leave, offering another apology to John as man bid John to strongly consider his proposition, he even went so far as to throw in an extra million with the original payout. That threw you for a loop. It's as if these people just shit out money and give it away without a single care in the world. With money like that, you'd buy so many bath and body works candles it wasn't even funny. Probably but the whole fucking store out.

The men shake hands as John leads him towards the door. "I thank you for your time John. I do hope we'll be in contact."

When you hear the door shut, you quickly run to the kitchen table and take a seat in one of the chairs, trying to act as if you weren't eavesdropping. John soon rejoins you in the kitchen, prepping the coffee machine near the sink.

You looked at him from over your cup. "Was he a friend of yours?" Knowing that likely wasn't the case at all.

John gave an inaudible sigh. "No."

A single one word answer. That was an entirely different matter altogether with different implications.

"Why don't you want to take the contract?" You eventually ask, not wanting to beat around the bush.

"Because…" The 'I don't want to', remained unspoken. He really didn't have to give an explanation.

Only now did it strike you that John might...not actually like what he does for a living - or at least want to take a break from doing it for a while. With a profession like his, it could very much take a toll after a while and that could quite possibly be the case in this circumstance. When you looked at him, he more or less had the same look in his eye that you used to get when it was time to go back to work after a day or two off. So it's easy to sympathize in that regard. The way the man spoke, it did sound like one of those missions that required him to travel, if so, you can totally understand his reluctance.

As much as you wanted to ask, you decided it was best to keep it to yourself.

That might explain why his exterior was so icy and why he wouldn't accept the proposition right away. You could sense an underlay of tension between the men throughout the conversation. Subtle nuances in his behavior conveyed that he clearly wasn't interested in taking the job.

"So you're really not gonna do it?" You softly query.

Silence.

He said nothing, but you can tell that he was listening to your every word and keeping his thoughts solely to himself.

Although, the prospect of John taking another mission so soon wasn't all that appealing to you or him. But the associate sounded extremely desperate and sincere in his request - like he had a lot to lose without John's help. He even wants to pay him handsomely with a very generous amount, and yet John still doesn't want any parts. To be fair, you get the feeling that your lover already does a fair bit of work so naturally he should feel entitled to take some kind of break.

You leaned back in the chair, watching as he poured coffee into a mug. "Well, I think you should take it."

John paused bringing the cup to his mouth. "For what reason?" John responded in a low, stoic voice letting nothing pierce his calm, collected countenance.

"So it can be your last overseas mission for a while." You smirked mischievously, your voice dropping to a low sultry octave. "And so I can give you something to look forward to when you come back."


A/N: Be sure to head over to tumblr after reading this. I have a very important question to ask everyone and I need honest feedback.

Tumblr: teejaywyatt1