Chapter Text
Adrian always felt safe when she was with her husband. She knew he would do anything to protect her. All her life, she had been shy and apprehensive of her environment, taking it in and assessing the people around her. Did they like her? Did they think she was boring? Was she pretty enough? When she'd become a teenager, her Mother had warned her about men and about how she needed to protect herself. How to hide herself, how to keep her head down and keep walking even as perverts yelled disgusting remarks at her. Her Mother had said, in places like this, women live in survival mode. When she worked nights at the pet shop, she said a prayer every time she made it safely home with the lock secured behind her. Like Rocky had said the first night he ever offered to walk her home, there was a creep on every block. Drunk men fresh out of the bar would call to her, whistling and cat calling as she kept her head down and hurried on. If she saw a group of them ahead, she would cross the street to avoid their path. Once, a man had followed her for a block and it was the most terrified she'd ever been. Oh, how she used to wish her brother was sober enough and cared enough on those nights to escort her home.
Everything changed the moment she began dating Rocky. He was always there 5 minutes before the pet shop closed, waiting to take her home. When she moved into his apartment and they later bought their house, they would go home together. Adrian thought there was no greater feeling, no sweeter act of love or sense of security. As she and Rocky walked down the street together, hand in hand, on those dark nights, she not only felt safe, but knew she was completely protected. Drunk men didn't try to get her attention or comment on the way she looked. When she was with her husband, other men barely looked at her and she liked it that way, felt comfortable that way. When you're married to a fighter, the heavy weight champion of the world, men with any sense of self-preservation know to keep their distance and shut their mouths. At least, that's what Adrian had believed about men for a long time now.
That night, a few months after Rocky's third title defense, they were attending some sort of party. Or was it a gala? Adrian wasn't sure the correct name, but just that it was a black-tie dinner for an outreach charity for low income families in the city. While she liked supporting a good cause, she was mostly excited because it meant she got to see her husband in a tux. Rocky could pull off a tux.
She waited until Mick and Paulie were further away from them, her brother already on his way to the bar. "You look wonderful," Adrian whispered into Rocky's ear as they entered the room together. "Very sexy."
"Me? You look unreal in that dress." He whispered back, smiling against her ear. "The most beautiful woman in the room." His hand rested on her lower back, making her feel warm inside.
It was a tight, red lace dress with thin straps that hugged her curves before flowing outward at the bottom. She'd picked it purely because she knew her husband liked the way she looked in red. She smiled and took in the room. It was a busy party filled with people laughing, talking, dancing, and, of course, drinking as the music played.
"You want something to drink?" Rocky asked, focused on her and not the crowd.
"A glass of wine, if it's not too much trouble." She didn't drink often, but tonight was sort of like a date night for them. She would call and check on Rocky Jr. soon.
"Yo, Adrian, you're drinking tonight?" Rocky laughed, sounding excited. He said that she sounded cute when she was tipsy. He kissed her cheek. "I'll be right back," he promised her.
"Take your time, I'll be here." Adrian said, stepping off to the side and watching his tall figure push towards the bar with a smile. She liked the spot she had chosen, slightly off to the side where she could have some space, but not too far from others she couldn't socialize if she found someone to chat with. Adrian took in the room, admiring all the different dresses. She knew Rocky would be a bit just because so many people would want the chance to talk to him and he would happily oblige those who supported him. She adored that about him, that he always stayed humble and appreciative. A waiter offered her some sort of appetizer and Adrian accepted it, though, in general, she found rich people food to be fairly disappointing.
Some time passed and then a young man, probably a few years younger than her, approached her. He was clearly drunk. That was when the whole mess started.
****
"Who is that?" Brian, a man too rich for his own good, asked his best friend in amazement as he knocked back his fourth or fifth drink of the night.
His friend, Jack, turned in the direction of the woman his buddy was admiring. She had dark hair and eyes. She wore a gorgeous red dress that showcased every curve of her body. There was something very familiar about her, but, several beers in, Jack couldn't immediately place where he'd seen her face before. "Don't know, but she looks hot, even with the small tits."
Brian nodded in agreement, the alcohol making him feel very confident. "I'm gonna go talk to her. How much you want to bet I can get her into bed before the end of the night?"
"She looks Italian. Italian girls are easy, I hear," Jack said, giving his friend the final piece of encouragement he needed to go make a move. It was only when his friend was already across the room Jack's beer soaked brain finally placed the woman. "Ah, shit, that's Rocky Balboa's wife."
****
"Hello," the man said, extending his hand to Adrian and giving her his warmest, most charming smile. She could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Hello," Adrian replied, cautiously, and gave his hand a gentle shake. Had she met this man before? They'd met so many people since Rocky won the title that she could hardly remember them all. She didn't want to risk offending someone, but was somewhat confident she'd never seen this man before. "Have we met?"
He shook his head. "I'm Brian, and we haven't met before, unless of course I'm the man from all your dreams. Because I know you're the woman from mine." The words might have sounded smoother if they weren't slurred and soaked in liquor.
Adrian immediately felt uncomfortable. "I'm married," she told him. She held up her hand, showing the ring Rocky had bought her after he beat Apollo since they couldn't afford them when they first married.
Brian shrugged. "Never bothered me before," he replied, indifferently. "You want to grab a drink and go for a walk?" His tone was very suggestive.
"No, I'm not interested. Excuse me." Adrian said, firmly, and turned to walk away.
Instead, Brian grabbed her arm, tugging her back harder than necessary and giving her a smack on her behind. "C'mon, honey, don't be that way. I just want to get to know ya."
Just as Adrian went to slap Brian herself, he was suddenly shoved away from her and pinned to the closest wall. It was Rocky.
****
From the moment Rocky had met Adrian, he'd found himself wanting to protect her. This was true even in those early days, before he got his shot against Creed, when he was just an enforcer wanting to make the shy girl at the pet shop smile. The night of their first date, when they walked back to his apartment, he'd been so desperate for Adrian to trust him. He wanted her to know that she was safe with him, that he'd never do anything to hurt her. Then the craziest thing had happened: she trusted him and gave her heart to him.
For Rocky, Adrian was somehow his peace and the only thing that could make him crazy. His peace: she brought him happiness, comfort, a life he'd only ever dreamed of. She was his best friend and the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, the mother of his child. But in so many ways, she brought out crazy, uncontrollable emotions in him and not even on purpose.
She made him crazy with desire, in her cute little outfits with that beautiful smile. Sometimes he wanted her so badly he thought he would burst. To him, she was the most perfect thing in the world.
And even though Rocky knew she never saw other men but him and that her loyalty was limitless, he would occasionally find himself crazy with jealousy. When he saw other men admiring her body or looking at her a little too long, it made him feel red and hot all over. The thought of other men undressing his wife in their mind made him punchy, ready to use his fists. The only thing that could quell these thoughts was seeing how quickly they turned away, suddenly afraid, once they saw him staring them down. And Rocky would be lying if he said he never took immense pleasure in the fact that he was the only man she'd ever been with, the only man who'd ever touched her that way and heard her make the noises he loved. He only wished he could offer her the same of himself.
And she made him crazy with worry, with the need to protect and defend her. In many ways, Rocky was ready to fight at one wrong mention of her name. It was always Adrian who was the key to getting him riled up and he was aware of that weakness. He couldn't change it: she was his strength and his weakness at the same time. When he saw Adrian for the first time in her wedding dress, he knew he would give up everything, including himself, for her. One night, while she was pregnant with their son, Adrian fell asleep against his chest. Rocky vividly remembered watching her sleep and stroking her hair when a passionate, violent thought came to him: if anyone ever hurt Adrian, or their child for that matter, Rocky would kill them. When he'd saw Adrian laying in the hospital bed after having their son, he'd been devastated. To see her in such a state had sent him to his knees, stolen his strength. He'd pleaded with God to let him take her place if he had to. There was nothing Rocky wouldn't do for Adrian.
After chatting with several people excited to meet him, Rocky finally made his way to the bar and got their drinks. Wine for Adrian, water for himself. His 4th title defense would be here before he knew it. Gotta stay in shape, Rocky thought. He was looking forward to seeing Adrian get a little tipsy. Her voice was adorable and he found her behavior amusing.
When he crossed the room back to where he'd left his wife, that was when he saw the scene unfold in seconds.
He noticed immediately that Adrian looked uncomfortable. Disgusted. "No, I'm not interested. Excuse me." She turned to walk away from the man she'd been talking to.
The guy, whoever the hell he was, grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back towards him before giving her a smack on her behind. "C'mon, honey, don't be that way. I just want to get to know ya."
All Rocky saw was red, anger fueling his entire body forward. He heard the glasses break on the floor. He was across the room in seconds and grabbed the man, throwing him against the wall and pining him to it. "You wanna explain to me why you got your hands on my wife?"
The guy's eyes were wide, as if something had just clicked into place. He stammered out noises, clearly scared, and offered no explanation as he wiggled under Rocky's firm grip.
Adrian came to Rocky's side, touched his arm gently. "It's okay, Rocky. I'm fine."
Rocky turned toward her and searched her face, looking for any sign that wasn't true. But she seemed okay other than that, under the surface, she was as angry, too. Adrian was getting tougher by the day, he realized. He loosened his grip and let the guy go, stepping back. He noticed a small crowd had gathered and people were staring. Cameras flashed. The press were eating this up.
The guy was finally brave enough to speak and started rambling to excuse his poor behavior. "Yeah, I'm sorry, man, I had no idea she was your wife. I just saw a ridiculously hot woman who looked like she might give it up, that's all. Honest."
Enraged again by the bum talking dirty about his wife, Rocky turned and punched the guy. The blow sent him straight to the floor. Adrian gasped, grabbing his arm to keep him from hitting the guy again. Cameras flashed in all directions, but he didn't care.
"Let's go," Adrian said to him, managing to pull him away the guy and ever growing mob around them. They pushed their way through the crowd to the exit where Paulie and Mick found them. No one spoke until they were all back in the limo, away from prying ears. Rocky didn't regret what he'd done a bit.
"What were you thinking?" Mick asked Rocky in frustration, throwing his hands in the air. "You can't just go around hitting people outside of the ring! You'll look like a bully! And what if you get hurt?"
"Mick, I ain't some bum that's gonna let no drunk idiot talk dirty about my wife and put his hands on her! What kind of man would I be?!"
"Good for you, Rocko." Paulie said, sipping the beer he carried out with him.
The conversation was closed and Rocky knew now that Mick understood. Rocky, still picturing the loser in his mind, fumed the rest of the way home and tried to calm himself. Adrian squeezed his hand.
When they made it home, the couple checked on their son, who was fast asleep in his bed. They each gave him a kiss before closing the door and heading down the hallway.
"You mad?" Rocky finally asked when they were alone in their bedroom.
Adrian looked at him in surprise as she took out her earrings. "Of course not. You weren't the one who did anything wrong. You were just standing up for…"
He finished her sentence. "Someone I love very much." Rocky came to her and took her in his arms. He cupped her face in his hand, gently stroking her soft skin. He thought again how perfect she was and she smelt amazing. "Yo, I am sorry though for ruining our night out."
Adrian shook her head, looking at him in such an adoring way that it made his knees feel weak. "Never apologize for being you. Never apologize for being a man. Never apologize for defending your wife."
He kissed her then, long, deep, and passionate. "You do look amazing in that dress," he whispered, moving his lips to her neck. "But I think I wanna take it off now." He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to their bed, laying her down gently. He hovered above her, admiring her curves and fantasizing about the night to come.
She stared up at him through her eyelashes, her brown eyes warm and seductive. "Take it off me," she whispered to him. "Make love to me. I'm all yours."
"I'm all yours. Forever."