#square fill

           “It’s pretty cool, I guess,” Eddie agreed, sitting down on the couch and setting the bowl and beers on the table in front of him.  

             “Don’t you like him?” Buck asked, looking over at Eddie, who raised an eyebrow in question.  “You said he was “cool” twice in that bored voice,” Buck reminded him, laughing softly.

             “Oh.  I don’t know, I haven’t really been paying attention to the news,” Eddie shrugged.  He patted the couch beside him, beckoning Buck to come closer.  “Come on, let’s watch the movie before it gets too late.”

             “Why do you care if it’s too late?  Isn’t Christopher at abuela’s tonight?”  Buck asked, though he moved from where he’d been perched on the edge of the coffee table and joined Eddie on the couch, pulling the popcorn bowl into his lap.

             “Yeah, but I’m tired after my shift earlier, I need some sleep,” Eddie said offhandedly, switching channels to the movie streaming service and picking the film they wanted.   Buck shot him a playfully pouty look but accepted the answer, leaning against him and tossing some popcorn into his mouth as the movie began.

             In a twist of fate, Buck fell asleep before the movie had even ended, leaning back against Eddie’s chest, Eddie’s arms around him.  Buck was at the height of his firefighter training at the academy and Eddie knew the days were grueling, so he wasn’t really surprised.  Eddie pressed a kiss to the top of Buck’s head, smiling at the sound of his soft snores, wishing he could stay the night and curl up with Buck in bed, but Eddie had a different job to do.

             “Eddie, we have a potential bank robbery in progress.  I’ll send you coordinates if you accept.”

             Eddie started as the communicator in his ear went off, glancing down at Buck’s dozing form, glad that he was so sleepy.  It would make this easier.  Eddie grabbed the remote and shut off the movie, then shook Buck awake.

             “Buck, I gotta go,” Eddie said, gently moving Buck aside and standing up.  Buck looked up at him, groggy and confused, frowning.

             “What? Why?” Buck asked, rubbing his eyes and peering at Eddie.  “What’s wrong?”

             “Chris just called me, he isn’t feeling well and wants me to go pick him up,” Eddie told him, grabbing his keys and wallet from the table and leaning down towards the still-confused Buck.  Eddie kissed him, his hand lingering on Buck’s cheek for as long as he dared, before straightening up and hurrying towards the door.

             “I can come with you, if you wan--”

             “Nah it’s okay, it’s getting late.  Text me when you wake up in the morning!” Eddie called, and Buck, his heart flip-flopping after the kiss, nodded. 

             “Okay.  Bye…?”  Buck called after him, still a little stunned at how quickly he was leaving, but Eddie didn’t stick around to see his expression change.  

             “Send me the coordinates,” Eddie said into his communicator as he activated it, and within seconds he’d received them.  As he pulled on his mask and activated his suit, Eddie took off into the night, jets propelling him high into the air as he shot towards the bank in question.

             Fifteen minutes later, Eddie was taking to the air again as cops swarmed the bank, finding the two armed robbers tied together back to back in the lobby, guns snapped in half and useless.

             “Another success, great job,” said the voice in his ear, and Eddie smiled as he shot towards a very tall condo building that would be his lookout for the night and landed softly on the roof, looking down over the city.  

             “All in a day’s work,” he responded, amusement in his eyes as his communication officer laughed.

             “Does Buck suspect anything yet?” she asked, and Eddie smiled to himself as he thought of Buck, probably lying on the couch in his apartment, wondering if Chris was okay.

             “No, and let’s hope it stays that way.  I’m not ready for him to know about this,”  Eddie said, and by the silence on the other end, he knew she was hesitating.

             “Just like you don’t want your parents to know what your new job is,” Eddie said pointedly and she laughed.

             “Okay, fair.  Though my mom is a cop, so it’s kind of a huge deal for me.”

             “I’m the one doing the illegal stunts, May.  You’d be alright,” Eddie laughed, scanning the streets below him as they spoke.  

             “Not if my mother found out,” May said in an undertone, and Eddie snorted.  Athena was a force to be reckoned with, that was for sure.  

             “I just got a report of a mugging only three blocks southwest of you,” May reported quickly, her voice suddenly all business once more. 

             “On it,” Eddie confirmed, leaping from the building and shooting towards the scene of the crime, determined to save as many people as he possibly could before the sun rose in the morning.

                                * * 2 Weeks Later * *

             “Eds, the guy stopped another bank robbery last night,” Buck said, shaking his head as they got back to his apartment, carrying a couple of take-out bags of food.  “How can you still be so uninterested?”

             “I don’t know, I guess I was just never into superheroes as a kid?” Eddie said with a shrug, tossing his keys on the table as they went into the kitchen and began unloading the food.  

             “This isn’t like Superman or Spiderman or something,” Buck commented, shaking his head as he checked the food for mushrooms, passing the one without to Eddie.  “This guy is the real deal, I’ve seen every video people have gotten of him.  He must have access to all kinds of crazy technology to be able to fly like that.”

             “Mmm,” Eddie agreed, humouring him.  He really wished Buck wasn’t so enthusiastic about this whole thing;  ever since Eddie had gotten caught on video a month or so prior, the media had been having an absolute field day, and more people than ever had been trying to get footage of him.  It made his job harder, because the last thing he wanted was for people to figure out who he was.  If clearer shots of him started getting out, Eddie was worried it would only be a matter of time until Buck figured out who he was.   He’d added a hood to the outfit he wore each night, hoping it would help obscure more of his face.

             “People would say that firefighters are everyday superheroes,” Eddie pointed out, bumping Buck’s hip with his own and trying to divert the conversation, grinning as Buck rolled his eyes at him with an indulgent smile.

             “Yes babe, you’re absolutely a hero,” Buck agreed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Eddie’s lips as they moved over to the table and sat down.  “But can you fly?”

             Eddie bit back a snort and forced himself to shake his head, then listened to Buck continue to  go on about the mysterious vigilante for a while, feeling both amused affection and exasperation in equal measure as Buck eventually tired himself out.  It seemed to Eddie that Buck was one of his alter ego’s biggest fans, which Eddie thought was absolutely adorable, but it also made him nervous.  Sooner or later, Buck was going to suspect him.  

            Eddie knew he should try and divert Buck’s attention, but he was hesitant to throw a wrench into his boyfriend’s excitement, knowing that so many times in the past people had mocked Buck for his enthusiasm when it came to things he was interested in.  Eddie refused to be the person who stomped out that excitement and so he sighed, resigning himself to simply hoping that Buck never figured it out.  Eddie would tell him, eventually.  Just… not yet.

             They spent the evening relatively uneventfully, enjoying their food and several raucous rounds of video games, ending it with another movie, snuggled up together on the couch.  They were both dozing, heads resting against each other, when May’s voice sounded in Eddie’s ear once more, startling him out of his light sleep.  Making another excuse to a very sleepy Buck, Eddie hurried out of Buck’s apartment and shot off towards the call, chastising himself for not having a better method of getting away.  Even if Buck didn’t end up recognizing him, he was sure to start getting suspicious of all of Eddie’s quick departures.  Eddie tried to decide on a better method the entire night, but by morning, he still hadn’t thought of anything.

             To Buck’s utter surprise, Eddie turned up on his doorstep early the next morning, just as he was getting ready to eat breakfast before heading to the academy. 

             “What are you doing here?” Buck asked, shocked but pleased to see him.

             “I thought I’d take you out to breakfast.  You have an exam today, right?  You need a good hearty breakfast to get you through.”

             “You’re so thoughtful,” Buck purred, wrapping himself around Eddie as the other man smiled and held out his arms, embracing him.

             “So how was your abuela last night?  Was she okay?” Buck asked as they left his building and hopped into Eddie’s truck.   Eddie, exhausted from the night’s exploits, was momentarily confused.

             “Huh?  Oh, right.  Yeah, yeah she was okay once I gave her some medicine and got her into bed.  We didn’t have to go to the hospital after all.”  Eddie said, making it up as he spoke, glancing sideways at Buck before staring straight ahead at the road.  

             “Uh huh…” Buck’s eyebrows knit together slightly and he peered at Eddie.  He could tell Eddie wasn’t telling him the whole truth, and he was wondering why, wondering what he could be keeping from him.  “Is everything okay?”

             “What?  Yeah, of course,” Eddie said, glancing at Buck before looking back at the road.  “Why?”

             “You look like you haven’t slept and you don’t sound quite like yourself,” Buck said, watching his expression, and Eddie cringed inwardly.  Buck was far too observant for his own good, and Eddie would have been impressed if it hadn’t sent a worried chill through him.

             “Oh, I’m fine.  Rough night,” Eddie shrugged.  “Couldn’t sleep, you know how it is.”

             “Right,” Buck said slowly, frowning slightly as he looked out his window, mind racing.  They got to a great little breakfast cafe and sat down, ordering almost at once.  

             Buck was frowning, deep in thought.  Eddie had been more distant lately, and he seemed more tired and stressed out than usual.  Half the time in the evenings they spent together Eddie had to suddenly leave, his excuses ranging from a family member being sick, to being called into work, to realizing that Chris had homework he needed help with.

             “What’s wrong?” Eddie asked, pulling him out of his thoughts as he reached across the table and squeezed Buck’s hand.  

             “Nothing,” Buck said automatically, threading his fingers through Eddie’s.  He peered at Eddie with a frown, rethinking.  “Actually… there is something wrong.”

             “What is it?” Eddie asked, feeling dread licking at his insides.  Was this it? Was Buck going to accuse him of being the vigilante?

             “I don’t know, exactly,” Buck admitted, his brows creasing.  “But I feel like something is going on with you that you’re not telling me.  I can feel it.”

             “Buck… I promise there isn’t,” Eddie told him, trying to be reassuring.  He broke off as the waitress returned with their coffee, thanking her before looking over at Buck again, who was still staring at him.

             “I don’t know.  You’ve left so abruptly so many nights the last few weeks… and all the excuses… I don’t want to accuse you of lying,  but I was texting with Chris yesterday and asked him if he was feeling better, but he said he hadn’t been sick at all.”

             Eddie swallowed hard.  He’d known using Christopher as an excuse was a little dangerous considering he and Buck often talked and spent time together, but when he’d thrown out the “Chris is sick, I gotta go” the other night, he’d been rushed and not thinking clearly.  Eddie was desperately trying to think of a reason that he’d lie, when Buck’s face fell.

             “Do you… just not want to be with me so much?” Buck asked, his voice quiet.  “I know I’ve been inviting you over a lot, but… you can say no, I won’t be offended.” 

             “Buck, no, goddammit -” Eddie swore out of frustration, hating the look in Buck’s eyes.  He looked crushed, like Eddie had kicked him when he was down.  He looked even more forlorn at Eddie’s words and Eddie hastened to correct himself, desperate to change Buck’s perspective.

             “Okay look, there is something going on with me, but I can’t tell you right now, not until I figure it out.  But I promise you, it has nothing to do with you or our relationship.”  Eddie gripped Buck’s hand tightly, trying to assure him, trying to put his emotions into the gesture.  “And I promise I will tell you what’s going on.  I just… need to figure a few things out first.”

             Buck was still not overly happy, but he was somewhat mollified by Eddie’s words.  Eddie seemed very sincere, sincere enough that Buck believed him.  The memory of all the abrupt exits just still smarted more than he’d like to admit.  And he was very curious about what was happening, but he wanted to respect Eddie’s privacy at the same time.

             “Okay.  Are you sure I can’t help with anything?”  Buck asked, squeezing Eddie’s hand.  

             “I’m sure.  And I swear, I will tell you.  Just give me a bit of time?”  Eddie’s voice carried more than a note of pleading and Buck’s expression softened as he nodded.

             The waitress returned then, distracting Buck with the food, and Eddie swiftly changed the topic to Buck’s upcoming exam.  As Buck eagerly dove into the subject headfirst, grilling Eddie about what might be on said exam, Eddie let out a slow breath of relief.  He was safe, for now;  he knew he was going to have to tell Buck about this sooner rather than later, but at least he was safe for the day.

                                * * 10 Days Later * *

             Buck squinted at his phone as the bus bounced over an uneven stretch of road, trying to read the replies to the post he’d left on an LA subreddit, asking if anyone had had an encounter with the mysterious vigilante man.  Many of the replies were mocking or rude, but some shared experiences where they’d been in some sort of peril and a tall man in a dark green and black suit had saved them.

             There were theories as to his identity but no one actually knew; it was all purely speculation.  Buck sided with the few people who were suspecting a first responder; perhaps he was biased because of his future career and Eddie’s current one, but Buck figured if someone wanted to save lives so badly they’d probably do it for their day job, too.  But there were thousands upon thousands of first responders in LA and the surrounding area and Buck had no idea how to narrow them down, besides the fact that the masked hero was a tall man - though so were most of the male paramedics and firefighters.

             Buck was dying to know who he was, but he didn’t think he’d ever get to see the man up close, not unless he was in dire straits, and Buck had enough problems to worry about without being in danger. Still, Buck thought about the man a lot, admiring his gumption and his skills; if the news was telling the truth, then he’d single handedly saved more people in the last month than a whole firehouse did in the same amount of time.  

             Buck glanced around as the bus pulled out onto a bridge, noting that they were just outside the city limits.  Buck hadn’t really been paying attention to his surroundings;  he’d been away for a few days on a brief trip visiting friends in the next state over, and he’d opted to take a bus instead of his jeep because it needed repairs he couldn’t afford at the moment.  Buck had just finished texting Eddie that he was nearly home, feeling tired and eager to see his boyfriend again, when someone near the front of the bus screamed.

             Buck’s head snapped up as other voices joined the first and he looked around wildly, trying to figure out what was happening.  He didn’t have a moment to wonder; before he could even sit up straighter, a swerving semi truck slammed into the front of their bus at a sharp angle.  There was a deafening crashing sound and then the horrible shrieking of metal on metal as the bus and the truck were briefly locked together, skidding along. 

             Buck’s yells of panic joined everyone else’s as the bus started to spin out of control, hit the guardrail on the edge of the bridge and flipped, toppling towards the river below.  They were airborne for several seconds as the bus plummeted through the air, and then Buck’s head slammed against the metal rail above the seat in front of him so hard the world around him instantly went dark as the nose of the bus hit the water.  Knocked unconscious, Buck crumpled and fell between his seat and the seats in front of him as chaos erupted around him.

             He groaned and woke a minute or two later to the vigorous shaking of his shoulder by the person who had been seated next to him.  Agony throbbed through his head and he felt sick to his stomach; he tried to open his eyes and found his vision blurred.  Dazed, he put a hand to his forehead where it burned with pain and found a large lump and a gash there that was leaking blood down the side of his face.

             “Dude!  You gotta get up!  The bus is sinking!”

             The other passenger’s voice was frantic and Buck struggled to get himself upright with the man’s help, gasping as he swayed dangerously the moment he was on his feet.  Buck fought a powerful wave of nausea and dizziness but managed to stay standing, nodding weakly at the man.

             “Thanks, I’ll be okay,” Buck choked, waving him on.  “Go, go!  I’m good.”

             The other passenger hesitated but then nodded and hurried off, leaving Buck to look around, blinking to clear his vision. The front of the bus was sinking rapidly and everyone was frantically moving towards the back.  It was deafeningly loud as people screamed and shouted, both in fear and in trying to help one another, and Buck quickly jumped into the fray.  Trying to ignore his head injury and how dizzy it made him, he pulled people towards the exit as they struggled to climb the steeply angled bus.  

             Only once he was sure that everyone below him was free and on their way upwards did he turn and start to make the climb himself.   The bus was almost vertical by then and Buck grunted and shouted with the effort of climbing the seats towards the rear of the bus, his strength waning quickly as the world continued to spin dizzyingly around him. Only a couple of people were left at the very top of the bus now and were shouting encouragement down at him, trying to figure out a way to help him, but the angle was so steep they were clearly too afraid to try lowering themselves.

             The water had caught up with Buck as he clawed his way upward;  it lapped around his ankles at first but quickly moved up his body.  By the time he was within reach of the last row of seats, the water had risen to the level of his chest and fear drove him ever upward.  He was finally within reach of the hands of the two people still left at the top and he reached out for them as they shouted to him.  He had just managed to grip the hand of the man who was clinging to the edge of the door and reaching as far as he could when the bus shifted violently.  Buck heard several screams as it suddenly plummeted and shifted its angle, and Buck felt the man’s hand wrench from his own as he was thrown from his position along with the woman who had been trying to help them.

             Panicking and alone, Buck threw himself upwards as the bus beneath him sank so fast that by the time he was level with the end, he was up to his shoulders in water.  Buck scrambled to get through the door but he felt himself jerked backwards, suddenly losing all forward momentum.   Buck looked around frantically and realized his jeans had gotten snagged on something in the doorway. Buck pulled hard, trying to rip them, but they wouldn’t give.

             Terrified, Buck clawed at the water, reached down, and yanked at his leg.  He gave a hoarse yell for help, but knew instinctively that everyone was too far away to help him now.  He had only a second to take as big a gulp of air as he could before he was dragged down under the surface.  Buck’s chest constricted as the cold water engulfed him but he fought through it and bent down, feeling along his pant leg, trying to figure out where he was stuck.  He found the snag and began yanking on it, but he was weak after all the energy he’d expended already and the fabric was badly snagged.

            Buck’s lungs burned from lack of oxygen and he tugged uselessly at the jeans, feeling himself growing weaker, his vision going darker with every second that passed.  He could only hold his breath so long and though he tried, he knew the time was up.  Buck choked as his body tried to gulp air and got water instead, feeling it filling his lungs. He knew that this was it; this was the end.

            As his world started to go dark once more, Buck thought of Eddie, Christopher, and Maddie, wishing he could see them again, and wishing futilely that the masked man was there to save him.   Another few seconds and Buck stopped struggling, his body going limp as he blacked out, dead to the world around him.

                                * * * * * 

            Unbeknownst to the drowning Buck, Eddie was there.  He had just arrived, thankfully having already been out and near the edge of the city limits when May had called him to the scene.  He was horrified as he swooped nearer, seeing all the panicked people floating in the water around the bus, but then he realized they were all shouting at him and pointing.  He could just barely see the form of someone in the doorway of the back of the submerged bus and immediately realized they were trying to direct him to a person who was stuck.

            Activating his breathing apparatus, Eddie shot toward the water and plunged beneath the surface. He came upon the man, already unconscious and limp in the water, and began to assess the scene, quickly discovering the badly snagged pants.  With a quick swipe of his knife the fabric broke free and Eddie grabbed the person around the middle, settling him over his shoulder, then shot upwards out of the river, water streaming off of them both as they broke the surface.

            Amid the cheers and whoops of joy from the others floating in the water, Eddie scanned the banks of the river for a flat, clean space and, finding one, shot towards it, away from the crowd.  He dropped to his feet and gently set the man down on the sand and pebble shore, his mouth falling open in surprise and dread when Buck’s familiar face came into view.

            “Buck?! No!”  Eddie gasped, pulling up his mask and staring down in horror at his unconscious boyfriend, at the blood streaking down the side of his face from a clear head injury.  Eddie knelt over him, reaching for his throat and feeling for a pulse.  An intense few seconds passed and he was unable to find one. Swearing in a frantic voice, Eddie immediately began doing chest compressions, wincing as he felt one of Buck’s ribs crack under the pressure.  Feeling guilty but thinking Buck was much better off sore than dead, Eddie paused compressions and gave Buck two deep breaths, then returned to his chest.  Another two breaths, and then compressions once more.

            “Come on,” Eddie groaned through gritted teeth.  “You can do this, Buck!  Breathe!”

              Eddie began compressing even harder, more frantically, but backed off immediately as he felt Buck twitch beneath him.  He waited just a beat, and then Buck’s back arched off the ground and he began to cough violently.   Feeling giddy with relief, Eddie rolled him onto his side and rubbed his back vigorously as Buck hacked and coughed up copious amounts of river water from his lungs.

            “There you go, get it all out,” Eddie encouraged as Buck spluttered and choked, his body convulsing as he fought to expel all of the water.  Eventually he stopped coughing and gasped for breath, and Eddie gently gripped his arm as his chest rose and fell at a rapid pace.  Buck was shaking like a leaf as he gulped in air and his eyes flickered open, looking around in a confused, frantic way.

            “I got you, you’re safe,” Eddie said gently, reaching out to stroke Buck’s cheek, momentarily forgetting he was supposed to be in superhero mode.

            “Eds?” Buck asked, his voice hoarse and weak, rolling onto his back and peering up at him.  “Is that you?”

            Eddie’s heart skipped several beats as he realized he’d pulled his mask off and he hadn’t replaced it;  his secret was out.  Heart pounding, both from the reveal and also the adrenaline of almost losing Buck, Eddie attempted a smile but it came out as more of a grimace.

            “Um, yeah.  It’s me,” Eddie agreed, and Buck looked stunned.  

            “I… you…” Buck couldn’t get the words out, gesturing at Eddie’s suit.  It was already dry, made of an extreme moisture-wicking material, whereas Buck’s clothes were still plastered to him and water was still dripping from his skin.

            “It’s a lot to process,” Eddie said gently.  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you soon— Buck!”

            Eddie interrupted himself as Buck’s eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out, his body going limp once more.  Immediately worried about his head injury, Eddie pulled his mask back on and scooped Buck into his arms.  He could hear ambulances approaching the bridge and took off into the sky, turning the unconscious Buck over to the first paramedic crew he could find.  He briefed them with as few words as possible while still telling them everything they needed to know, then took off as soon as they’d strapped Buck in.  He still had to protect his identity, even though it killed him to fly away while they loaded Buck into the ambulance.  

            “May! Find out what hospital unit 716 is headed to, please.”

            There was a pause, and Eddie knew she was checking the radio feeds.

            “First Presbyterian.  You okay?”

            “Yeah it’s not me, it’s Buck.  He was in the accident you sent me to,” Eddie explained, changing course at once and heading for the hospital.

            “Is he okay?” She asked, alarmed.  “Wait, was he on the bus?”

            “Yeah,” Eddie replied grimly.  “I’m sure he’ll be fine but I have to get to the hospital.  Thanks, May.”

            “No problem.  I hope he’s okay.”

            “Me too.”

            Eddie shot towards the hospital and landed on its roof.  After checking that no one was around to see him, Eddie deactivated his suit and hurried through a door, thankfully not meeting any staff on his way.  Eddie took the elevator to the main floor and hurried to the emergency department just as the paramedics pushing Buck’s stretcher reached the triage desk.  

            Eddie quickly identified himself as Buck’s partner and was told to wait as they assessed him.  Eddie dodged questions about how he’d gotten there so quickly and went to sit, leg bouncing anxiously until he was called in an hour or so later.  Buck was propped up in a bed, his upper body clad in a hospital gown, his legs hidden under a blanket.  Eddie took a seat at his bedside, his expression sad and concerned as he took in the bandage over the large wound on Buck’s head, the tubes and wires he was hooked up to. 

             Eddie had just taken Buck’s hand and was stroking the back of it with his thumb when Buck began to stir, moaning softly.  Feeling his heart leap, Eddie stood and leaned over Buck, pressing a kiss to his forehead, stroking a thumb across his cheek.

             “Hey,” Buck croaked a moment later as his eyes fluttered slowly open and he blinked, catching sight of Eddie.

             “Hey yourself,” Eddie said softly, squeezing his hand.  “How are you feeling?”

             “Loopy.  They gave me stuff for the pain,” Buck replied, his voice slow and groggy.

             “That’s good,” Eddie said, kissing the back of Buck’s hand as he sat down again, smiling at Buck.  Buck’s eyes closed and Eddie wondered if he had fallen asleep, but then Buck forced them open again.

             “Was anyone hurt?” Buck asked, squinting at Eddie.

             “Besides you, you mean?” Eddie countered, and Buck made a face at him.  “Not sure of the details of injuries, but at least no one died.”

             “That’s good,” Buck mumbled, clearly trying to focus on Eddie but having difficulty through the haze of the pain meds.

             “How… how much do you remember?” Eddie asked tentatively.  With Buck this loopy, Eddie was wondering if he would even remember seeing him there; maybe Buck wouldn’t recall anything after the crash.  

             The corners of Buck’s lips twitched like he was trying to smile, and Buck’s eyes fluttered open, peering at Eddie.

             “I think y-you mean, do I remember you saving me?” Buck asked, managing a cheeky tone in his voice despite how weak he was clearly feeling.  Eddie choked a little but let out a sheepish laugh as Buck peered at him, amusement in his glassy stare.

             “I… well, yeah,” Eddie admitted, and Buck let out a breathy laugh.

             “Now your sudden departures make sense,” Buck said, clearing his throat as his voice cracked.  “It’s because you had to go save people, right?”

             “Yeah,” Eddie agreed, gnawing on his lower lip.  “You’re not mad, are you?”

             Buck looked over at him, and though he was still so groggy and out of it, there was a real smile on his face.

             “Are you kidding me?  I’m dating a superhero.  That’s so cool.”

             Eddie let out a laugh as he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.  He’d been so worried about how he was going to tell Buck, and now he didn’t have to; and bonus, Buck was okay with it.

             “I just wish you hadn’t gotten hurt,” Eddie said, sobering a bit as Buck let out a soft groan as he shifted.  “I heard that you helped a bunch of people out, even with a head injury.”

             Buck shrugged.  “I’m gonna be a firefighter, I figured it was a good chance to practice.”

             Eddie shook his head but smiled.  It was a very Buck thing to do, though Eddie would be lying if he said he wouldn’t have done the same.  

             “You just get some rest, okay?” Eddie asked, standing again and leaning over, gently pressing his lips to Buck’s.  He felt Buck respond sluggishly, kissing him back.  Eddie pulled away and kissed his forehead, smiling at the peaceful look on Buck’s face as he absorbed the feeling of the kiss.

             “Can I ask you questions later?” Buck asked, his voice slowly fading as sleep tugged irresistibly at him.

             “Of course.  You can ask me a million questions,” Eddie told him, squeezing his hand.  

             “I’ll hold you to that.”

             Buck fell asleep barely a second after his last word came out and Eddie laughed softly.  He knew Buck was going to grill him for every detail of what he did and how he did it.  A few days ago, the thought of that was terrifying.  Now, he felt a warm sensation in his chest as he watched Buck sleep, knowing that he loved this man more than anything in the world, and he was grateful to be able to finally share his whole self with him.

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You laid your hands on his dirty face, gently moving it where you wanted as you studied his split lip and the cut above his eyebrow.

“I’m almost healed.” “Just hush.”

He did as you said, sitting in one of the chairs at the table as you grabbed the first aid kit you kept under the kitchen sink.

“It’s really not necessary—“ “Humor me.”

Steve sighed, grimacing as he tugged his T-shirt off. You winced when you saw the bruising to his rib cage, shaking your head as you wet a cotton ball with alcohol. He flinched when you pressed the cotton ball against the cut on his forehead, relaxing when you pursed your lips and gently blew on the sting. He closed his eyes, hands coming to your hips as you wiped the dirt from his face and “patched him up” as best you could. The serum had almost healed him completely before you were done.

When you closed the first aid kit, you sighed as Steve tugged at your hips. You climbed into his lap, resting your head against his neck. His thick arms came around you, wrapping you in warmth, and you gave a long exhale, murmuring against his skin.

“I love you.”

Steve smiled.

“I love you too. And I’m sorry.” “For what?” “Showing up like this and worrying you.”

You sighed, keeping your arms around his neck as you pulled back and looked into his gorgeous eyes. You shrugged your shoulders.

“Goes with the territory.”

A small smile came to his lips as you moved a hand to brush through his hair.

“Dating Captain America and all.” “Dating? Is that what we’re doing?”

You couldn’t stop the smile.

“Sneaking around?”

Steve rolled his eyes and you giggled.

“Hey, you’re the one who has a problem with it.” “Well, if your dad was anyone but the Secretary of State…” “And if a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his ass every time he jumped.”

You rolled your eyes, laughing when Steve pinched your side. He caught your lips in a kiss, resting his forehead against yours. You closed your eyes, smiling as you spoke softly.

“Sorry about the bad language.” “Oh, don’t you even start.”

You laughed, shifting in his lap and laying your hands on his face, tugging his head down and pressing your lips against his forehead. He shook his head, meeting your eyes again.

“Did Tony tell everyone that story?” “Maria.”

Steve shook his head and you smiled.

“It’s sweet. Reminds me just how old-fashioned you are.” “Emphasis on the ‘old?’” “You said it, not me.”

You squealed as he pinched your sides again, wiggling on his lap. You glared at him, and he smiled at you. You leaned in and kissed him, relaxing when his arms surrounded you, enclosing you in warmth. Steve moved his hands under your thighs, holding tightly as he stood up. You wrapped your legs around his waist, moving to kiss under his jaw as he walked down the hall to your bedroom.

You yawned as you blinked your eyes open, pulling the covers closer around you as you stretched and glanced around the room. You smiled a sleepy smile when you saw Steve standing in the bathroom doorway, leaning against it with a smile on his face and a towel wrapped around his waist. Water droplets glistened on his chest, dripping from his hair, slipping down his toned abdomen and disappearing into the towel. You reached out a hand for him and he smiled, walking to you and taking your hand as he climbed in the bed with you, hovering over you and kissing your lips.

You pushed a hand through his wet hair and smiled.

“You were supposed to wait on me.” “You looked so peaceful. I just couldn’t wake you.”

You smiled, closing your eyes as he kissed your chin and down your neck. The breath hitched in your throat and Steve smiled as he gently sucked a mark into your skin. You moved your hands to his face, pulling him up to where you could kiss his lips again. Your hands danced down to his hips, tugging the towel free, smiling when he grabbed hold of it and flung it towards the bathroom.

You laughed and he pulled back, raising an eyebrow at you. You shook your head, biting your bottom lip.

“I just had this vision of everything in my bathroom coming crashing down, mirror broken to bits.”

Steve smiled, shaking his head.

“Give me some credit, babe. I’m not the Hulk.” “Shame.”

Your eyes widened and your mouth opened when he looked to you, a shocked expression on his face. You couldn’t keep up the charade, and you laughed, squealing when his fingers dug into your sides.

“I was kidding!” “You think you’re so funny.” “I give! I give, uncle, please!”

Steve leaned back, looking down at you. A half smile was on his lips, normally perfectly-coiffed hair disheveled, pieces hanging down on his forehead. You swallowed, blinking as he leaned down, looking into his eyes as he pressed his lips to yours. He deepened the kiss and your eyes drifted closed, hands coming to card through his still-damp hair before resting on his back.

You wrapped your robe around you, tying the belt and bending at the waist, twisting your wet hair into a towel. You walked to the sink and picked up your moisturizer, smiling when Steve stepped into the bathroom, yawning widely.

“Good morning, Cap.”

Steve grunted, making you laugh as he made his way to the sink. You leaned over and kissed his cheek, moving out of his way as he turned the water on and splashed his face. He yawned again and you rubbed the lotion over your face.

“Coffee should be ready soon.”

Steve nodded, propping his hands on the counter and hanging his head. You glanced to him and spoke softly.

“Honey? Are you okay?”

He lifted his head, looking into the mirror at his reflection before meeting your eyes.

“I just … I don’t know. I have this feeling.” “What kind of feeling?”

He shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

He held out an arm and you stepped over, wrapping your arms around his torso as he turned his head and kissed your temple.

“It’s okay, Steve.” “It’s like … deep in my gut. I don’t know, babe.” “Breathe.”

He did as you said, turning and wrapping you in a hug. You closed your eyes, holding him as tightly as he held you. After a few minutes, he spoke softly, keeping his arms around you.

“I’m going to call in.” “What?” “You can too, and we’ll just stay here.” “Steve.”

You pulled back enough to look at him.

“I can’t call in. I own the place.” “Doesn’t mean you can’t take a day off.” “Honey. A day off could close the shop.”

Steve huffed out a breath and you sighed. You stepped away from him, picking up your foundation and dabbing a little bit onto your hand. Steve crossed his arms over his chest and you let out a laugh as you rubbed the makeup onto your skin.

“Stop trying to intimidate me.” “I’m not.” “Then stop trying to bully me into doing what you want.” “I’m not doing that either.” “Bullshit.”

His blue eyes widened and you looked into the mirror, pointing at it, but towards him.

“You get all bowed up, tensing those mouthwatering muscles. Your eyes go sharp and everyone bows to Captain America. I know you. That doesn’t work on me.”

Steve clenched his jaw, then narrowed his eyes as he let his arms fall.

“My muscles are mouthwatering? Really?” “Oh, shut up.”

Steve laughed, moving to stand behind you, watching as you brushed powder onto your face.

“I don’t get why dames like you wear stuff like this. You’re beautiful without it.”

You met his eyes in the mirror, smiling when he winked at you. You reached back and tapped the brush against his nose, giggling when it wrinkled and his hand came up to brush the dreaded makeup away.

“You may think I’m beautiful, but society does not. I don’t want to scare any small children.”

Steve rolled his eyes.

“I’m going to go get some coffee. Cream and sugar in yours?” “There’s some hazelnut creamer in the fridge.”

He gave you a thumbs up and you picked up your eye shadow as he left the bathroom.

Steve stood up after he tied his shoes, blowing out a breath. He shook his head, still feeling the itch between his shoulder blades that he’d woken up with. You came into his vision, fastening your earrings, and he couldn’t help the smile that slid onto his lips as he held out a hand for you. You smiled as you laid your hand in his, laughing when he brought your hand to his lips.

He pulled you to him, kissing the top of your head. You sighed, looking up at him and waiting until he looked down at you. You went up on your tiptoes, pressing your lips to his, one hand resting against his freshly shaven cheek. Steve stared into your eyes, smiling as he murmured to you.

“Be careful today.”

You nodded, replying just as softly.

“You be careful.” “Always.” “Liar.”

Steve chuckled, taking your face in his hands and kissing you. He pulled back just enough to rest his forehead on yours, and you smiled, keeping your eyes closed, moving your hands up and down the thick muscles in his arms.

“I’ll see you later, Steve. Hey, how about I cook us something for supper?” “What?” “What do you want?”

Steve smiled.

“Surprise me.” “That could be a dangerous game, Cap.” “Well, I trust you.”

You smiled, your reply cut off by his lips pressing to yours again. You moved your hand to brush through the hair on the back of his head, sighing happily into the kiss.

“I love you.” “I love you, Steve.”

He kissed your lips once more, then pressed a kiss to your forehead. He took your hand and held it as the two of you walked to your garage, opening the door for you as you climbed into your car. He leaned over the window as you started the car, then stuck his head in once you rolled the window down.

“If you need me…” “I’ve got you on speed dial.”

Steve nodded and you reached over, laying your hand on his.

“I’m fine. I’ll keep an eye out today, and give you a full debriefing when I see you tonight.”

You leaned closer to him, giving him a lascivious wink.

“Pun intended.”

Steve groaned, leaning his head back, but smiling widely.

“You’re awful.” “I have my moments.”

He poked his head in the window, kissing you once more. He tapped the car door and you rolled the window up, backing the car out of the driveway. At the end of your street, you smiled as you heard the roar of his motorcycle, heading in the opposite direction.

You glanced up as the bell over the door rang, a smile coming to your face as your sister came into your sight.

“Betty!”

She smiled as she walked over, leaning over the counter to embrace you and giving you a kiss on the cheek. You held her at arm's length, shaking your head.

“When did you get back in town?” “An hour ago. I got off the plane, set my bags down at home and said ‘I need to take my little sister to lunch.’ Is it possible?” “Today? Absolutely. We’re so slow it’s not funny.”

The smile on Betty’s face lit up the shop. You locked the front door, flipping the “OPEN” sign around. Betty looped her arm through yours and the two of you walked down the street to a little cafe. The hostess sat you at a little table in the back of the cafe, and once you had a sip of water, you turned to your sister.

“So tell me about Paris.” “It’s gorgeous. It was a little rainy, but I didn’t mind. It fit.”

You sighed, smiling at the waitress as she walked up. You and Betty put your orders in, and when the waitress left, you spoke softly.

“Have you spoken to him?”

Betty shook her head, and you sighed. She lifted her eyes to yours and shrugged a shoulder.

“I spoke to him once while I was in Paris.”

You waited, watching her stare at the tabletop.

“And?” “And nothing. He’s in Marrakech or something, and he’s fine. I’m fine, and there’s nothing else to talk about.”

Betty lifted her head and smiled as the waitress refilled her water glass. When she walked away, you tilted your head at your sister. She shook her head, a smile on her lips as tears filled her eyes.

“Don’t. Don’t look at me like that.” “Like what?” “Like you pity me.” “I don’t pity you. I just … I know how you felt about him. How you feel. It can’t be easy.”

Betty let out a laugh, reaching for a napkin and dabbing at her eyes.

“Can we please talk about something else?”

You reached across the table and laid your hand on hers. You nodded and she cleared her throat as she dabbed the napkin at her eyes again.

“How are things with you?” “Good. The shop’s doing okay. Not too busy, but that’s okay.” “And aside from the shop?”

You shrugged your shoulders, glancing at the tabletop.

“Same old, same old.” “Hang on.”

You lifted your eyes and a smile spread over Betty’s plump lips.

“You’re hiding something.” “What?! I am not.” “Oh, you big fat liar.”

Your eyes widened, mouth popping open, and you shook your head. Betty pursed her lips, nodding her head.

“You are shit at lying.” “I am not. Dad still thinks a rogue shopping cart at the supermarket put that dent into his car back when we were in high school.” “Okay, I’ll give you that one. But you are absolute shit at lying to me.”

You sighed, leaning back in your chair as the waitress brought your food to the table. Betty laced her fingers together, setting her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands. You sighed again, squeezing your eyes shut.

“Who is he?”

You opened your eyes, biting your lip. Betty’s eyes sparkled as she kept pushing.

“Do I know him?” “You know of him. Everyone knows of him.”

You muttered the last part under your breath, and Betty raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not like a celebrity, is it?”

You let out a breath.

“Kind of?” “‘Kind of?’ What do you mean by ‘kind of?’ He either is or he isn’t.”

You sighed.

“Betty--” “Give me a hint.” “No.”

You took a bite of your food and she raised an eyebrow at you.

“The way you’re acting, you’d think you were dating Jesus or something. Or Captain America, wouldn’t that be a hoot?”

Your eyes widened before you could stop yourself, and you shook your head slightly before looking up at her. Betty’s eyes were wide, and her mouth was open in a shocked “O.”

“What the fuck, Y/N?!” “Calm down.” “You’re dating--” “Hush, Betty.”

She blinked multiple times, sitting back in her chair.

“Are you serious?”

You nodded.

“How long?”

You made a face, and Betty’s eyes raged as she leaned forward.

“Tell me this is a new thing.” “Betty…” “Oh my god.”

She shook her head.

“How long?!” “Can you keep your voice down, please?”

She pressed her lips together, clearly waiting for your answer. You gave a shaky exhale, then spoke softly.

“It … started after the Battle of New York.” “The Battle of--Y/N. That was years ago!” “We took it slow. Very, very slow.”

She sat back in her chair, eyes wide as she slowly shook her head.

“I can’t believe you.”

You sighed.

“I didn’t plan it out. He came into the shop one day and … we talked. He kept coming in and we kept talking. A few months after that, he asked me to go for coffee with him.”

You shrugged.

“We became friends. I taught him how to text and now he won’t leave me alone.”

You smiled as you lifted your eyes from the tablecloth to your sister, your brows furrowing, smile disappearing when you saw the look on her face.

“Betty?”

She shook her head.

“You didn’t tell me.” “I didn’t tell anyone.” “But you didn’t tell me, Y/N. You tell me everything.”

You looked down at your hands, then met her eyes again.

“We thought it would be easier to just keep it to ourselves. You were so caught up in Bruce and trying to help him. I didn’t need you keeping my secret in the midst of that.”

Betty turned to look out the window and you sighed.

“He needed someone outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government that he could decompress with. I didn’t deliberately keep it from you. He asked me to just let him have time with me away from it all, and I couldn’t tell him no.”

You looked down at your hands again.

“Plus, we knew Dad would freak.” “That’s putting it lightly.”

You nodded, and Betty sighed.

“Y/N. Look at me.”

You shook your head and she sighed again, reaching across the table and holding out her hand. After a moment, you put your hand in hers and she spoke softly.

“I know you didn’t do it to hurt me.” “That’s the last thing I’d ever want to do.”

Betty sighed.

“It’s just … hard to hear that … someone’s taken my place as your best friend.”

You lifted your head and she gave you a soft smile.

“Even if that person is Captain America.” “Betty, you’re my best friend. You always have been.” “Honey, it’s okay.”

She gave your hand a squeeze.

“The person you love is supposed to be your best friend. It’s okay. It’s just … a lot.”

You nodded, sniffling as tears came to your eyes. Betty let out a laugh, shaking her head as she blinked back tears of her own.

“Jesus. Look at us. This is supposed to be a happy thing and we’re like a couple of babies.”

You gave a watery laugh, lifting your napkin to dab at your eyes. Betty shook her head, eyes still sparkling as she smiled at you.

“Tell me about him. Not what the public knows. Something only you know.”

You licked your lips as you thought, then smiled.

“He can’t work a toaster.” “What?”

You shook your head.

“It doesn’t matter if I load the bread into the slots. If he presses the lever down, whatever is inside will burn. I’ve tested this theory many times. The final time, with flames shooting out the thing was the best.”

Betty’s eyes were wide as you giggled.

“He had to throw his shield on top of it to put out the fire.”

Betty laughed at that.

“Oh my god.” “I take care of the cooking and he does everything else.” “Everything else?”

You nodded.

“He’s very old-fashioned. Obviously. He opens doors for me, pulls my chair out. Rubs my feet at night.”

Betty blinked.

“Has he … moved in with you?”

You nodded.

“More or less. And that was a long, long discussion. Months long. The old-fashioned thing. People didn’t live together without being married in his time. And he …”

You shrugged your shoulders, looking up at Betty.

“He’s afraid it would be too dangerous for us to get married. He thinks I’d be in danger if people knew I was his girl.” “Wow.”

Betty shook her head.

“This is more serious than I thought.”

You nodded, smiling as you looked down at your hands.

“Plus, he wants to ask Dad first and since Dad kind of hates him and the rest of the Avengers…” “Oh jeez.”

You nodded again, and Betty rolled her eyes.

“He’s got to get over that.” “Steve or Dad?” “Dad. And it’s so cute that you call him ‘Steve.’”

You rolled your eyes, then sighed.

“I better get back to the shop.”

Betty made a face, but nodded.

“I should probably go see Dad, let him know I’m back.”

You nodded, gathering your purse.

“Betty, I … I know this is unnecessary, but…” “I won’t say anything. As long as you promise me I can be there when you do tell the General. Those are some fireworks I would kill to witness.”

You rolled your eyes, but held out your hand, last finger extended. Betty laughed, then linked her pinky with yours.

“You’re the best, little sister.” “Yeah, whatever.”

Betty giggled, wrapping you up in her arms. You let out a sigh.

“I’m glad you’re back.” “Me too.” “Maybe I can get you over for dinner one night. Let you and Steve get properly acquainted.” “Make it happen.”

You snorted, giving her one more squeeze before you left the restaurant, making your way back to the shop.

You were in the back section of the shop, standing on your tiptoes, pushing a box onto a high shelf. Not for the first time, you wondered what it might look like to hire Steve—Captain America working at a local small business. Might boost his already-high morale, not to mention it would make the heavy lifting so much easier on you.

The bell over the door rang and you went back on your flat feet.

“I’ll be with you in just a second!”

You brushed your hands off, making your way to the front of the store, where a man stood with his back to you. By the way he was standing, you could tell he was or had been in the military. Growing up with General “Thunderbolt” Ross as your father gave you all sorts of insight. You smiled, wiping your hands on the apron you wore.

“Hi there. Can I help you find something?”

The man turned around, and your eyes widened, mouth falling open when you saw the half of his face that was puckered and scarred, clearly having been burned. He stepped forward and drew the blinds over the door, and you went still as heavy footsteps sounded behind you. The man turned back to you, a menacing smile on his grotesque face.

“Actually … I found exactly what I need.”

Steve hung his head as he dropped the phone onto the couch beside him. He ran his hands over his face, teeth clenched together. Y/N’s phone had gone to voicemail all three times he’d tried to call her.

He shook his head, pocketing the phone and walking back to the garage. He opened the door and walked his motorcycle out, firing it up and driving to her shop.

The shop was dark, blinds closed on the door. Steve parked the motorcycle and walked to the window, cupping his hands on it and trying to see inside. He huffed out a breath, putting his hands on his hips. He reached for the door, giving an experimental tug.

His blood ran cold when the door opened, the bell giving a weak jingle.

He stepped inside, hand going to the light switch and flipping it on. His mouth dropped open, shoulders heaving with the painful breaths leaving his lungs. Panic settled in the middle of his chest and he closed his eyes, trying not to scream and ruin the store more than it already was. He flinched as something crashed in the back, and he made his way there, stepping over broken pieces of shelving and merchandise, only to find the high shelf he’d installed barely attached to the wall, a box on the ground.

He closed his eyes again, shaky hand pulling the phone from his pocket. He punched in a number, holding his other hand to the back of his head.

“Nat.”

His voice was strangled, and he couldn’t get any words out other than Natasha’s name. He stayed on the line anyway, knowing she’d ping his location and be there in less than five minutes.

Natasha slammed the car door, pulling the gun from her waistband and pointing it as she made her way into the shop. The bell rang as she pushed open the door, and her heart dropped when she saw Steve on his knees in the midst of complete destruction.

Natasha lowered her gun, slipping it back in its holster. Steve looked over to her, tears in his blue eyes. She blinked, shaking her head as she looked around, carefully stepping over broken board and beams, laying a hand on his shoulder.

“What happened?”

Steve shook his head. Natasha narrowed her eyes as she studied her surroundings.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was almost like …”

She swallowed, and Steve lowered his head. She shook her head.

“Bruce is in Marrakech, but this … it looks like the Hulk was here.”

Steve swallowed, closing his eyes as Natasha gave his shoulder a squeeze.

“Talk to me, Cap.”

Steve gave a shaky exhale.

“The owner of this shop.” “Y/N Ross?”

Steve looked up at her again, confusion in his eyes. Natasha gently went on.

“I researched on the way over here. Younger daughter of Thaddeus Ross, former Army General, current Secretary Of State. Younger sister of Dr. Elizabeth, “Betty,” Ross.”

Steve slowly nodded again.

“And my … I don’t know. ‘Girlfriend’ seems cheap compared to what she really is.” “I’m sorry, what?”

Steve ran a hand over his face, slowly getting to his feet. He glanced down, seeing the incredulous look on Natasha’s face.

“Y/N Ross is … my everything.” “Steve.” “And now she’s missing.”

With how hard your foot had been pushing on the gas pedal, it was a miracle the poor car you were driving was still in one piece, let alone containing enough gas to survive another hundred miles. Using your laptop, you had been able to track the last known location of your father’s cellphone, which was probably turned off right now.

You had tried calling him a couple of times, but it would immediately go to voicemail, a good sign that meant he was still using that number. Though he had warned you to stay away and not call him for this one hunting trip, you started having your suspicions about this case being like the others. So, you tracked his phone location down.

Sitting in the driver’s seat of the rental 4Runner you had borrowed, parked in front of a large, partially ramshackle warehouse complex, your fingers hovered over the keyboard of your laptop, your brows furrowed and (E/C) orbs staring intently at the computer screen before you. What you had on the screen were the recent newspaper articles on Erie, Colorado, not Kansas like your father had stated.

The last time your father had lied to you was to protect you from the life he had been exposed to. That was 14 years ago before you had seen and witnessed your first supernatural being: a ghost. Thankfully it wasn’t a serious case, just a child who was lost and unable to accept the fact that he had died.

Seeing no signs of any sort of supernatural being at work, you couldn’t see what was so special about this case that had pulled your father here. Actually, what case was there? None that you could see.

No irregular deaths, no strange hauntings, no disappearances, no abnormal weather pattern, nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Thirty minutes into searching everything about Erie, Colorado, and you still couldn’t figure out why your father would be here in the first place. Which meant one thing: he was keeping something from you. Something big.

But what?

You sighed angrily to yourself, aggressively running your fingers through your hair as you tried to think of every possible explanation for this. Of course, you kept drawing a blank, but you wanted to believe your dad had a really good reason for this. You trusted him with your life, and there was no reason to doubt him at all. What you were most worried about was whether he was in trouble.

“Dad… What’s going on?”

“We’re almost there, Bobby… Yeah, okay. Bye.” Sam hung up as he inhaled deeply before letting the breath out, staring down the road, Dean driving as fast as he dared. They knew the exact location of where you were, and that’s where they were headed.

“She’s gotta be somewhere around here. Keep your eyes open,” Dean warned Sam, as the two of them searched for the warehouse complex Bobby had mentioned.

The sun had begun to set, and nighttime was quickly approaching. The brothers were on edge, hoping they would reach you in time before you started exploring that complex.

Dean suddenly sped up. “There. There, you see that car?” Sam looked in the direction that Dean was pointing out, seeing a brown colored 4Runner parked in the forest, just a short walk away from the warehouse complex. Dean parked the Impala, and he and Sam got out, opening the trunk and loading up with their guns with witch-killing bullets instead of the usual salt ones.

The two of them headed towards your rental car, peering through the windows, only to see your laptop and bag inside. “Dammit,” Dean curse aloud as the two of them slowly made their way towards the warehouse.

The sound of your shallow breathing and the frantic beating of your heart were all you could hear as you leaned your back against a wall, peering out from the corner to see if anyone was around, a gun held tightly in your hands and your anti-possession necklace around your neck, your reading glasses long forgotten. (E/C) eyes gazed around as you slowly made your way down the hallway, pausing at each doorway to listen for any movement before continuing.

After passing a couple of rooms, you encountered a corridor that connected the next section of the complex to the one in which you stood. But as you slowly made your way through, you started hearing voices.

One you immediately recognized as your father’s, but the other voice, a female one, you didn’t recognize. At all.

Slowly leaning your back against the wall and sliding just a tad closer to the edge of the corridor so you could see and hear what was going on, you peeked out. Your heart stopped beating for a second; the woman’s features looked eerily similar to your own.

Her eye color was the same as yours, her nose the same shape; her facial structure and her stance as well. The way she stood facing your father reminded you of yourself. But what shocked you most was how this woman looked at your dad.

With love and affection.

There were two things that raced through your mind at this moment; either this woman was related to your father in some way or…

“Dear Eugene, I’ve missed you so much,” her voice purred out in a honey-sweet tone, much to your father’s discomfort. While she looked like she just met the love of her life, he looked at her as though seeing the vilest creature to ever walk the face of the planet.

“Do not address me as your dear. I’m not here to play games or make up with you.”

“Oh, but darling, I know exactly why you’re here…” The woman started to approach your father, and you were tempted to jump out and start firing rounds when the woman suddenly stopped, a sort of glowing energy covering her like a dome. She glared at your father who stood rooted to his spot with a stern expression.

“I doubt you’d expect me to come unprepared,” your father said aloud. “An ancient Greek spell used to trap nymphs and satyrs. It would seem it also works on witches.”

His tone was harsh as he emphasized the word witch, your father’s stern gaze locked on the woman, walking around her while keeping his hands in his leather jacket pockets.

“Your words hurt me, dear.”

“Not enough, it seems. You destroyed my life, my children… You took their lives from them.”

“I did this for them!”

“And did you EVER think about the consequences?! What you would do to (Y/N)? To me? You destroyed our lives! You took Connor’s life! He was only 6 months old!!”

Any and all rational thoughts that you had of this situation flew out the window as everything began to fall into place. This woman, this witch that your father was hunting, was none other than your birth mother.

You lost control, your emotions in a turmoil, as your hands lowered, loosening their grip on the gun. You walked forward, coming out of your hiding place, approaching your shocked father.

“(Y/N), what in god’s name are you doing here?”

“Is it true, dad? Mom killed Connor?”

“Pumpkin, you shouldn’t be here-”

“WHY?” You screamed out, loading your gun and thumbing the safety off as you aimed it at her, knowing very well your silver bullets wouldn’t kill her, but it should hurt. “How could you?! You killed your own flesh and blood! My little brother! You murdered him, you cold-hearted bitch!”

You continued to scream, shrieking profanities and insults at her at the top of your lungs, your eyes filled with utter hatred. Your father had to restrain you from lunging at her. She couldn’t get out of the dome, but any normal human could move in and out of it easily, similar to a demon trap.

Your mother seemed unfazed by your words, instead giving you a scoff and roll of her eyes, which only further angered you. “You can call me heartless all you want, but I kept my end of the bargain, just as that demon did.”

The amount of struggling against your father lessened as you clenched your jaw tightly, both of you staring at her with narrowed gazes. “What are you talking about?” You demanded.

“I struck a deal with a demon 30 years ago, the same year I met and married your father.” The two of you listened attentively as she continued to speak and walk around the dome in which she was confined, not an ounce of guilt in her tone. “I was supposed to kill him but, well, what can I say? He was rather attractive, and I fell for him instantly… In exchange for sparing his life, I demanded the demon turn me into a witch, and that came at a price. I had to make a small… sacrifice.” Your eyes glared daggers at her, trying to take a step forward but your father held you back, his grip tightening in anger. “My first child, he told me. He came back when you were just 8 months old, but suddenly changed his mind, saying that he wanted the second child to be sacrificed. Said something about you and your destiny.”

“What damn destiny? The one where I fucking blow your brains out?” You screamed at her in rage, but she didn’t appreciate that at all. She flicked her wrist to the side, causing a large spiderwebbed crack to form on the dome. Once more she did it, and the dome shattered like glass. Walking forward with a newfound fury in her eyes, she directed her gaze at you as you stood your ground defiantly, your father warning you with a panicked look.

“(Y/N), get out of here, now.” You didn’t move, and when your mother was at an arm’s length, you struck her hard. Your hand stung from the slap; your mother’s face was turned to the side, her cheek reddening and starting to swell. She slowly turned to look at you, just as Sam and Dean appeared behind your father.

But you didn’t stop. “You left us for a damn demon! You broke my father’s heart! He spent years just trying to get over you and raise a child on his own while hunting supernatural beings! He protected me from all sorts of dangers and monsters, all because you were- no because you are a selfish bitch who wanted nothing more than power! You got so drunk on it that your dumb ass thought of nothing but your own selfish desires! You didn’t care that others got hurt in the process; you fucking sacrificed my baby brother for your own sake! And you still have the nerve to come face-to-face with us? After every damn thing, you made us go through because of you?”

Your mother looked about ready to explode, but she contained herself, allowing you to take out your anger on her. “I hate you. You’ll never be my mother, even if we’re related by blood. You should have died that night, not my baby brother.”

Within an instant, your mother snapped, her eyes wild as she chanted out a spell much too fast for the brothers or your father to stop. “Maledictere diabolo et oculis!”

In a sudden frenzy of shouting and movement that appeared as seemingly just a few seconds to you, though in reality, it lasted over three minutes, you suddenly found yourself on the ground, your upper body was being cradled by someone.

As consciousness returned to you, you felt a rawness, as if you had screamed your throat out, and your face felt scratched up. Something warm trickled down your cheeks from your eyes, too thick to feel like tears.

A voice called your name multiple times, your senses were reeling interminably before starting to clear when the person holding you began shaking your shoulders. “...-on!... -up!… Wake… gotta stay…. look... (Y/N).... Look at me!”

Your vision cleared up after a few moments, eyes wide as you realized how hard you were breathing, heart beating a rapid staccato in your chest. Sam’s face came into view as his thumbs wiped away whatever liquid was on your cheeks. “(Y/N), can you hear me?”

“What- Why are you shouting?” Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Sam helped you sit up as you wiped your cheeks. Smudges of red now streaked the back of your hand, and a sudden shift in your vision caused you to look at Sam, your expression filled with shock and uncertainty. Taking a quick glance around, you couldn’t see your father or mother anywhere. “What happened to me? Where- Where’s my dad?”

“(Y/N), just stay calm for a moment-”

“No, Sam! I won’t stay calm! Where’s my dad?!”

“Dean’s looking for him now. But-”

“What do you mean? He was right here a second ago!” Sam suddenly gripped both your shoulders firmly, forcing you to look directly at him.

“Listen to me. Your mother just cursed you, literally, and I don’t know what happened to you. It took a couple minutes for you to finally respond. Your mother took off with your father, and Dean’s been checking the entire warehouse complex, trying to find their location. I promise you we’ll find them.”

Once Sam was able to convince you to calm down, the two of you went in search of your father, running from one end of the complex to the other. After minutes of useless searching, and finally catching up with Dean, you were frustrated. “What if they’re not inside this complex at all?”

“I looked outside, but there wasn’t a trace of them anywhere,” Dean replied as the three of you suddenly heard the sound of a masculine shout from afar. All eyes shot toward the exit as you ran ahead of the boys, your gun long forgotten as you raced out of the complex, Dean hot on your tail with Sam only a step behind.

“(Y/N)! Don’t do anything stupid!” Dean warned as you raced through the thicket toward the direction from which you’d heard your father’s shout. You paid no heed to his warning, all sense of logic seemed to fly out the window. Alarms were going off in your head, screaming that your father was in danger.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” You shouted back, just as you stumbled out of the thicket and beheld a sight you knew you’d never forget for the rest of your life.

There was your mother, her hand prodding out from your father’s body where his heart was, her eyes gazing at him with a cold look. As she ripped her hand out of his chest, his body fell backward onto the ground, and you let out an inhuman scream that shook your mother’s bones down to the core. She glanced up at you before muttering something under her breath, vanishing in a sudden cloud of smoke.

Your body trembled as you ran to your fallen father, tears streaming down your face. You cradled his upper body in your arms and whimpered pitifully. “D-dad? Wa- wake up. Come on.” Your heart clenched as your lungs constricted, wheezing and struggling to take in air. Your eyesight blurred, burning as tears collected and streamed down your cheeks, your panic rising by the second.

“C-come on! Dad, please! Open your- open your eyes! L-look at me!” You pleaded between your choking sobs and hiccups, paying little attention to the brothers, who both had pained expressions on their faces at witnessing a sight that was all too familiar to them. “Dad, please! Please! Wake up! Stay with me! Dad!”

Dean couldn’t handle hearing your cries, every tear that streamed down your face and every plea for your father was a harsh reminder of his failure today. Your wails, as you cradled your father’s lifeless body in your arms, was like a sharp stab to his heart, his own father’s death coming to mind as a lump formed in his throat.

Sam knelt beside you with a look of pure sympathy and sadness on his face, his hand on your back, letting you cry out your pain.

The anguished cries that came from you were nothing less than a pained and panicked reaction, crying your heart out as your tears dropped onto your father’s pale skin, his half-opened, lifeless eyes staring ahead with your arms wrapped tightly around him. Your voice was getting hoarse, and your heart pounded painfully against your chest, the lump in your throat never getting smaller as it continued to swell the longer you held him.

Every part of you from your muscles to your heart, your brain, your bones all screamed out along with your vocal cries. Your lungs constricted, the oxygen deprivation didn’t stop the tears, the wails, the sobs. It only fueled it.

The man that raised you from childhood, all through your adolescence and up until now, the amazing friend that stuck by your side through every hardship you’ve ever faced, the parent that gave you advice when you needed it and a shoulder to cry on when you required it, the guardian that kept you safe from anything and everything the world threw at you, the person who made waking up in the mornings all worth it was gone.

He was gone, and no amount of pleading and begging would bring him back.

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