Work Text
The fire started without a warning.You stand with your eyes closed, letting the warm water trickle down your face and pass over your slightly parted lips. Your hands glide up and down your arms as you spread your body wash. The heat gradually loosens up your muscles after spending a long day hauling boxes out of the apartment to the moving truck parked downstairs.This was your last night in the apartment that had caused you so many problems over the past two years. From paper thin walls broadcasting all of your neighbors' marital problems, to the shoddy construction that made your oven door come off its hinge and towel rack fall off the wall, you were just done with this place. You've saved up enough to buy a tiny house with a fenced in yard for you and your adorable mutt Roxy. You'd pinched pennies and put up with this cheap nonsense for long enough, you can't wait to be out of here.After a few more minutes getting lost in your thoughts you lean your head back rinsing out your shampoo. Blindly reaching over your hand fumbles trying not to knock over the arrangement of containers resting on the molded shelf of the shower. Eventually you locate the conditioner and run it through your hair, stirring in a flowery scent.The sound of your dog barking suddenly catches your attention causing you to pause momentarily. She sometimes barked while she looked out the window, usually if there was someone else taking their dog for a walk, so you just brush it off and rinse out your hair one more time. After a slightly long period of silence you begin to relax thinking she had stopped, but then the abrupt sound of her scratching the bathroom door with anxious barks has you shut off the water and fling back the shower curtain, your mind already starting to run through dozens of scenarios assuming the worst has happened.The thin robe clings to your dripping skin as you hastily tie it closed. Just as soon as you've finished you grab the door to yank it open, as soon as she could fit her nose between the gap Roxy barges in. She moves almost too quickly to see with her tail curled under her as she yelps circling the bathroom. "What's wrong girl?" You ask trying to hold her still and check for any injuries she might've gotten. Suddenly you notice the smell of smoke and look up into the hallway. A grey haze was starting to spread out across the ceiling coming towards you, the cloud heavier leading from your living room.Darting up from your squat you run to the end of the hall almost slipping from all the water running off of your body. Your heart pounds as you turn the corner and see smoke pouring in through your apartment door at an alarming speed. The sound of people yelling and running away down the building corridors is audible now since you don't have the shower drowning it out. You can make out what sounds like someone pounding on every door they pass, now getting farther away.You find yourself frozen for a minute wondering what to do, trying to think of the protocol for fire drills but your mind was blank. You start cursing at yourself to move but even then can't seem to snap out of it. The smoke moved at an alarming rate, way more dense and heavy than when you'd burn something on the stove. What usually had the density of steam was now thick and dark, it was like comparing a kitten to a Jaguar. It seems like forever before Roxy's yelping makes you whip your head around and race back to the bathroom. You see her cowering in the corner trying to wedge herself between the toilet and the wall."It's ok baby, it's ok," you stammer reaching around her middle and dragging her towards you. She wriggles in your grasp as you struggle to pick her up, relying heavily upon the adrenaline now pumping in your veins to heft the 50 pound girl onto your hip like a child. You grunt as your limbs strain back to a standing position, thankfully she gave in and clung to you with her front legs over your shoulders and her head wrapped behind your neck. You run as fast as possible to your front door and reach your arm out to touch the back of your hand to the handle. You can remember learning in school to check the temperature before opening and if it's hot that there is probably a fire on the other side. The slight warmth of the metal causes you to hesitate before the arm holding Roxy up starts shaking from strain leaving no other choice than to quickly unlock and pull the door open.Your eyes and throat sting immediately at the heavy smoke but you bury your nose and mouth into Roxy's fur to try blocking it from your lungs. The corridor is darkened with the black haze as you duck as low as possible jogging towards the stairs. The building is eerily quiet aside from the thudding of your bare feet and a low rumble down the staircase. You can feel your furry baby heaving from the smoke as you descend from the 4th floor into the hazy staircase. Her weight doesn't allow you to be able to look down the gap between the levels so you settle for going down one flight at a time only being able to see what is directly in front of you.The concrete stairs echo loudly against their iron railing as you bound heavily down each step, the smoke and extra weight slows you down monumentally for fear of tripping or missing a step. You cough violently as you approach the second floor landing, the smoke pushes past in a heavy black wave. Right before turning down the last set of steps you feel the blazing heat hit you like a wall. The orange glow against the staircase wall reflects the fire below.You turn away from the opening, glancing down the second floor corridor to see the staircase on the other side of the building. You heft Roxy higher on your hip and run down the hall, skin still somewhat damp and ashy now from the heat. You somewhat stumble along as the floor shifts with each heavy step, creaking unsteadily beneath you. You finally reach the stairs opening and begin descending the first half before stopping abruptly.You can feel tears running down your face once you see the broken rafters collapsed into the hall. You start shaking in fear wondering if you will actually die in here. Fate seems to be playing some cruel joke on you as you'll die the day before moving out. Your legs tremble and collapse so you end up sitting on the stone stairs cradling Roxy in your lap. You can feel yourself starting to get faint from the smoke."PLEASE!" You scream into the corridor, "SOMEONE HELP! I'M STILL IN HERE"A loud cracking sound follows your shout right as a support beam breaks from the ceiling onto the stairs in front of you making you scream and cover yours and Roxy's heads.The end of the solid wood lands heavily forcing several steps to break and fall from their frame so the beam gets stuck in the open gap of the staircase. You jerk your legs back when the embers fall off of it to chase your feet as if mocking you for trying. You cough roughly and try to hold Roxy closer while your limbs begin weakening. You feebly push back the last few feet of the landing hoping the stone will keep the flames at bay and lean back against the wall in exhaustion. You hear her whimpering weakly and tuck your chin into her neck starting to weep as you listen to the cracking and rumbling of the building.So this is it.There's a small flicker behind your eyelids, you curl more around Roxy thinking it is the flames closing in. Then you hear a voice."WE GOT A BODY!"Your eyes flutter open seeing a team of firefighters making their way down the corridor, one holding a hose near the end and two more making their way towards you. "She's concious!" A gruff voice exclaims making you straighten up as much as your weak body can. There's a splintering sound above you just before they reach the stairs that makes them step back. You scream as the last part of the broken frame from the ceiling collapses in front of them, the wooden beams sticking up at an angle that traps all from passing. One of the men takes an axe off his back an starts going to town hacking through the wood.The other man throws away pieces as they're weakened and pulls against a connected beam loosening the screws connecting them. You start feeling hopeful about getting out as they break a bigger gap. You start to scoot forward as one finally makes a passage to step through. "Can you move?" The man asks, his words more muffled through his mask now than when he yelled, and you notice his brown eyes assessing you as he gets closer. He climbs the first few steps cautiously keeping one hand against the wall, then tests the stability of the landing you sit on before climbing that too. He reaches out to help you down but you stop him and shift Roxy away from you, her form going lax and breathing shallow. You gasp in fear, coughing right after and push her towards him."Take her first please, she can't breath anymore smoke," you whimper begging him with your eyes. He looks back seeing the other man standing across the divide right behind him who nods back. He quickly grabs her and turns around to lower her into the arms of his counterpart who then turns tail and makes his way out. You try shifting to stand but feel too weak to move, then suddenly a pair of solid arms snake under your back and your knees, just barely keeping the bottom your robe closed as you're lifted effortlessly. You look up again to see the axe wielding firefighter looking at you, his expression determined as he stands to carry you bridal style past the smoldering wood.He moves purposefully leaping heavily down the broken stairs as you wrap your arms tightly around his neck burying your face into his uniform. He skirts around the loose ceiling debris quickly tightening his arms on you. Your blood pumps stronger at the feeling of safety and protection held to his solid muscles, you turn your head resting you cheek on his shoulder to look up at his eyes protected by the mask. He glances down briefly into your big shining eyes as he approaches the building's entrance and his eyes crinkle slightly with what you think is a smile."Don't worry sweetheart, almost there" his chest rumbling from his voice.You feel the temperature drop significantly as you finally emerge outside, you take a deep shaky breath and begin to tremble harder as you are overwhelmed with emotions. The man jogs you over to a waiting ambulance stretcher and tries to set you down only to have you tighten your grip on him, afraid to let go.Maybe it was the lack of oxygen speaking but you suddenly felt unable to cope without the man's protection. Letting go was directly linked with danger in your muddled instinct driven mind. You could feel who you knew were EMTs trying to pull you off of him but you only whimpered resisting."Please, I.. I can't.." you murmured into his neck, hoping they would relent. The man reached up to pull off his hat and with it his mask."Alright give her a minute," he told them, his voice low and soothing. You felt him rub your back and you slightly loosened your grip to look up at his face. He was way more handsome than you'd anticipated, his salt and pepper hair and scruff showing his age and accented by his smile lines around his eyes. He looks down at you with patience and gently sets you down so you're mostly sitting on the stretcher. He glances back to someone behind you calling someone named 'Sam' before he takes a wet towel with one hand while still supporting your back."Can I clean some of this soot off?" He asks gently raising the wipe to your cheek. You just barely nod and he smiles warmly cleaning your face while you close your eyes. The cool feeling makes you release a raspy sigh and he finishes quickly. When you open your eyes again you see him staring down at you, scanning your face.A startled cough escapes your lungs making you heave against him , he reaches out for an oxygen mask quickly covering your face. You breath in deeply still staring up at him in amazement. He holds it for you for a couple minutes while still rubbing your back and gazing down with a soft smile. The red lights of the emergency vehicles flash along the side of his face, highlighting him against the dark night sky. Another firefighter jogs over telling him they have an all clear inside so they're evacuating to hose the rest of the building. He nods excusing him and stays back since he isn't immediately needed."What's your name sweetheart?" He asks pulling the oxygen away briefly. "It's (y/n)... what's yours?" You ask causing him to chuckle."My name's John, how are you feeling?" You ponder the question for a moment, staring off into his eyes. He continues rubbing circles on your back as he raises an eyebrow waiting."I think I'm ok," it comes out more like a question as you lower your arms to his chest, letting him pull back and look you over. He looks down your body pursing his lips at the sight of the tattered robe slipping off your shoulder and falling open around your thighs, leaving him with a pretty provocative image. Calling Sam for a blanket he hesitantly pulls it closed and replaces the oxygen over your face. The EMT from before rushes over wrapping you up and adjusting you to lean back on the stretcher so he may begin checking your vitals.John stands to the side as you sit back breathing in deeply still clutching his arm for stability. "Hi (y/n) can you tell me if you're hurt anywhere?" The man named 'Sam' asks leaning in to check your eyes, he has slightly long brown hair and big brown eyes full of warmth. Shaking your head he begins checking your torso while another dark haired man appears by your feet and starts checking for injuries as well. They speak lowly to each other deciding to take you in for a full checkup. Your eyes dart around taking in the sight of the ambulances and firetrucks, the vehicles blocking the crowd of people on the street from getting closer. Then a sudden realization hits you."ROXY!" You exclaim jolting up ripping off your mask and frantically looking around, "WHERE IS SHE?"The EMTs grab onto your arms and legs as you struggle while John holds your shoulders to prevent you from falling."Calm down, your dog is ok she is just resting." The shorter one points over to your right where you see her laying wrapped in a blanket with an oddly shaped mask over her muzzle. You feel a relieved smile working itself across your lips as she raises her head to watch you. "I'll help her into the back after they lift your stretcher up," John reassures you wrapping his arms around you cradling your neck as they adjust you to laying flat on your back.Your mouth opens and closes a couple of times before you feel tears building up. John pulls you closer almost as if he was prepared for when you grab him by his collar and curl your face into his neck."Thank you so much," you whisper squeezing your eyes shut to hold back your tears.
"I don't think I can ever repay you for saving me."After a slight hitch he raises a hand to comb through your somewhat damp hair. His beard scratches against your cheek as he curls in closer pressing his nose into your locks, inhaling deeply."It's my pleasure sweetheart, don't worry about it," he chuckles pulling your face away with a smile. You shiver at the pet name feeling a flutter in your stomach. You let him go once again so he can fully stand up and beam up at him in return, he jerks his head to the sound of Sam clearing his throat. Alright Sam, Cas, do your thing," John says backing up with one last electrifying drag of his fingers through your hair. Cas jumped into the back of the ambulance grabbing the stretcher while Sam lifts it from the other side folding the wheels up under it. You watch John step back while they move you until your hands reluctantly slip from his uniform.Once they get you secure John jumps up holding Roxy under his arm. You reach out towards them helping him settle her down against your side where she nuzzles into your neck."It's ok, we're safe now sweet baby girl." You coo curling your hands into her sooty fur. Looking up you watch as John hops down to the ground grabbing both doors and starting to close them. You give him a teary smile goodbye just as he flashes you a charming grin that crinkles his eyes."Take care sweetheart."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The neighborhood was peacefully quiet save for the echo of your footsteps off the sidewalk. You breath in slowly, savoring the fresh air. It was a beautiful spring day in your neighborhood, perfect for finally making the decision to visit the local firehouse. You'd spent the day preparing a small assortment of meals to give to the firefighters (if they even allowed you to do so) and finally left the house carrying the filled tote bag in one hand and Roxy's leash in the other.It had been almost two months since the fire. After you spent a couple days in the hospital and at the vet you recovered remarkably fast. You were glad you had almost everything out of the apartment before the fire, you didn't want to set foot in that building again. The move to your house felt very freeing in comparison to the apartment that almost killed you, and you loved it even more now. But you did perform a thorough check on all the smoke alarms. While before moving you were a bit bothered about hearing the frequent sirens, now you find their presence rather reassuring for your safety. Finally you arrive in front of the brick building, the garage doors opened wide showing the empty room waiting to receive the firetrucks whenever they return. Making your way past the garage you approach the side building where you hoped to find someone that can help you out. You tie Roxy's leash to the bike rack in the shade outside and slip the rawhide out of your pocket to give her. "You just wait here girl, I won't be too long," she looked up at you absentmindedly as she lay down to start chewing her treat. Like mother like pet, or so they say. Turning back towards the building you take a breath and walk up to the door, finally pushing to go inside. The building looked a lot more simple inside than you pictured, kind of like a small office with a regular front desk and some desks set up farther back. You see the woman at the front desk look up at you as you approached timidly, she gave off a very strong vibe that intimidated you a bit."Can I help you?" she asks crossing her arms as she leans forward on the desk. You notice the name plate on the raised part of the desk labeled Ellen Harvelle."Hi um.. I was wondering if a John works here? He's tall and has dark hair and a beard, kind of greying " you stutter trying to push down your nerves. She gives you a once over letting her eyes linger on the tote bag
dangling from your hands before squinting suspiciously."That depends.." she trails off. You wait in silence for her to finish speaking but she only raises an eyebrow at you."OH! Depends on why i'm here?" you straighten up slightly, pointing to yourself in confusion. Like most others that witness your occasional ditzy moments she let's a small chuckle slip past her lips. Thankfully she seems to loosen up a little after that."Yeah, did you have a meeting scheduled?" She asks with a small grin and turns to open the planner on her desk."Oh, no I didn't have one scheduled," you respond feeling a little guilty and a lot unprepared. "Are you with an organization?" She asks looking up again."No I'm just a citizen, my name's (y/n)" you chuckle shuffling your feet. You feel kind of silly just waltzing in here with no notice, you didn't even know if you were allowed to get information like this unless you worked for the government or something."Well nice to meet you (y/n) I'm Ellen, now what brought you here today? Why do you want to see John?" She asks casually, leaning forward slowly. Her eyebrows raise bemused when she sees you duck your head avoiding her gaze. "Well it's kind of embarrassing but he was one of the firefighters that responded to a building fire I was in. He.. well... he saved my life, I guess that's what I'd say it was," you can feel your cheeks heating up as you explain yourself. "But yeah, he was really nice and understanding when I was in shock afterwards and I just wanted to thank him." "So you brought him a little thank you gift huh? Well I'm sure that old man will feel pretty special getting presents from a young lady." Your cheeks burn even hotter seeing her knowing grin. "Oh, I mean I brought enough food for a bunch of people!" You try explaining only to have her chuckle again. It would seem your face is a lot more readable than you realized. Ellen obviously saw straight through you and found your nerves quite entertaining. She stood slowly walking around the desk to check a shift board on the wall."Here follow me sweetie, I'll bring you back and we'll see if he's in at the moment," your eyebrows shot up in surprise as she strode past you. Adjusting the bag in your hands you quickly follow behind as she led you across the office towards a windowed metal door. Your stomach fluttering nervously as she pushed it open revealing the garage. She held it open so you both step out onto a sort of cement platform in the back of the garage with steps leading down to spots they park the trucks in. Several tables and chairs were scattered around, some with playing cards and poker chips strewn across them like they were abandoned mid-game. You even saw a small kitchenette towards the back wall, but no one was around to use any of it.
Motioning with her hand Ellen led you to the island counter in the cooking area. You set down the bag to begin sorting out the food."Geez, how much did you make?" She laughs watching you pull seemingly endless containers out and spreading them to cover the whole surface. You chuckle a little at your own overindulgence, but too much was better than too little after all."I wasn't sure what he would like," you admit, only realizing afterwards what you said. "I mean- I thought there would be a lot of people so I made enough so they all find something they like."Ellen gives you a look that you know means she knows everything already, not fooled in the least when you try correcting yourself. You could tell just from your short interaction that she was a very perceptive woman, the type to be able to read a situation no matter how subtle. Also the type to know everyone's business, but also keeps it quiet when need be. Overall she gave you an oddly familiar maternal vibe much like most of your female relatives, all of whom tended to fuss over you since you'd always been the wide-eyed youth of the family."So John huh? Not one of the younger guys?" she asks as you both start unwrapping the dishes, you falter at the blatantly obvious suggestion. She had a lot more boldness than you expected to hear so soon after meeting."I guess so, he was very compassionate when I needed it. Not to mention a rather handsome rescuer," you admit waggling your eyebrow at the insinuation, making her chuckle at you. "He won't be creeped out by me showing up here will he?""Creeped out? No sweetie I'm willing to bet he'll be rather pleased." Ellen laughs squeezing your shoulder lightly, you bite your lip to hold back a pleased smile. The sound of an engine interrupted the moment causing both of you to turn towards the fire truck now pulling into the far end of the garage. You can't help but scan the windows searching for that certain face, then quickly realizing it was pointless and easier to wait until they unload. "Damn college needs to issue a 'No Body Spray' rule, stupid stuff sets off alarms way too easy." One of the men exclaims as he jumps out first, immediately going to shed his uniform. A small group comprised of several men and a couple women follow his lead after turning the engine off. They clearly haven't noticed the both of you standing in the back and go about hanging up their gear and stripping to their uniform t-shirt and pants with suspenders combo. Finally they turn to make their way up to the rest area, the first couple guys giving a surprised look as they notice you. You fight the urge to hide behind Ellen at their attention and soon let your eyes dart past them trying to find John in the group."Uh.. what's up ladies?" A blonde man says as he makes his way up the stairs, his giant body blocking your sight. He steps off the small staircase and begins peeking at the food spread beside you. His eyes light up as he realizes what it is, he slaps the arm of an older man climbing up behind him before they both head straight to the counter beside you. You felt a chuckle escape at the eagerness but it quickly morphed to a quiet gasp as you see the broad shoulders and silver laced hair reach the top of the steps. He turns his body towards you in what seems like slow motion until finally his eyes meet yours. His whole body freezes as he stares blankly. His brain takes a few milliseconds to recognize you before his eyes show surprise and his lips part releasing an airy chuckle and soft smile that crinkles his eyes just how you remembered."Well hey sweetheart, didn't expect to see you here." Your heart bounces wildly with happiness hearing that he remembered you after almost 2 months passed. You can feel the stupid grin slipping on your face as he slowly approaches, both unaware of the baffled looks the first pair of men share at the term of endearment. "Hi John," you say finding yourself almost breathless in his presence. You feel relieved that the bubble of warmth in your stomach returned after not seeing him for so long. You had worried idly that your feelings of awe and fondness were brought upon solely due to the intense situation for your first meeting. But now you realize that even then you had an immediate attraction completely separate from your gratefulness to him."What're you doing here?" He asks only breaking eye contact for a fraction of a second to look at the food before he returns his focus to you. His full, undivided attention to you left you both overjoyed as well as restless."I.. I brought lunch for you,well all of you i guess, as a small thank you for before." He looked slightly surprised but still held his pleased smile before walking up to the counter beside you. You kept your gaze locked on his profile, now only a foot away, as he finally looks away to see the arrangement of various appetizers, sandwiches, pasta and dessert. Your eyes stayed glued looking up at him as if you were in a trance, up close you could see all the streaks of grey in his beard and the previously unnoticed dimple on his cheek next to the lines formed by his smile. Only when Ellen nudges you do you remember the group standing idly waiting for permission to eat."Oh my gosh! I'm sorry go ahead and help yourselves," you blabber in embarrassment at getting distracted. Thankfully they had found plates while waiting and wasted no time shoveling food for themselves. Thankfully, all the dishes kept their preferred temperature from when you packed them until now. You watch in amusement as they bicker with one another, one even stuffing his mouth full before filling up his plate. "Dean slow down," John grumbles taking a pair of tongs from his hands to prevent him from taking any more cocktail wieners. You hide a chuckle at the shock on Dean's face."Wait your turn Dad," he grumbles back. Your eyes widen at the word, caught off guard. Your gaze darts back and forth between the two of them, noting the resemblance you hadn't picked up on. Ellen chuckles when you turn to her in bewilderment, she pulls you aside letting the group crowd the table.
Diverting your attention to the floor your brain buzzes with dozens of thoughts. Namely how John was obviously older than you'd realized with a son who looked like he would have been in high school while you were still playing on the monkey bars. That left you rather troubled at the possibilities, or lack thereof, for any chance getting closer to John. Something you now realize you want very badly. But while the age gap doesn't offend you, you're left to wonder if John would feel the same. "You ok sweetie?" Ellen asks quietly to not draw attention. You nod your head slightly but still keep your attention removed while you continue pondering. How is it that after such brief encounters John is able to capture all of your attention. The realization of how abruptly he appeared in your life makes it even more astounding to how he was able to immediately force himself into your heart. No one has made you feel like this before, even some of your closest friends were still held back by the silent boundaries you've built up. The moment you see him your barriers dissolve until you're left vulnerable before him, and the thought tingles on your defenseless nerves. Soon enough the kitchen cleared and the group set their plates aside heading to sit down, you quietly walk towards the back counter where you left your bag and the item you'd hidden inside. You uncover the cloth around it to lift it carefully before moving to turn back around, only to instantly jolt when you recognize the broad chest blocking your path. In your daze you must have not noticed him approaching, but here he stood looking right back at your startled face."Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he apologizes immediately raising his hands to your upper arms in case you stumble. His palms are tough and calloused against your skin, the careful weight he applies makes you curious how strong he is. All of the worrisome thoughts fade into the background as you focus on fighting the urge to let your mind wander into the massive subject of his muscles."No you didn't, just slightly surprised." You smile softly holding back the urge to say he could never scare you. His face while already relaxed seems to soften even more before he hesitates pulling his hands away."What do you have now?" He asks looking down to your hands. You raise the cherry pie towards him enthusiastically."I know I already brought lunch for all of you but I wanted to give you something special, it's a family recipe," you pause holding it out for him. The anticipation you feel waiting for his reaction is akin to that when you were in high school and handed in an assignment you spent countless hours perfecting to your favorite art teacher. After a few seconds pass you notice his mood shift to hesitation, debating if he should accept the gift. He looks up with a shade of distress and you can feel your excitement noticeably evaporating."You know (y/n), I was just doing my job," he holds your gaze as he says it with an apologetic tone, your body sort of curls inward in response. You begin to theorize perhaps he only accommodated you before to be nice, and now felt the need to shut you down as you were coming on too strong. You didn't want his pity though, or his hesitation if it was because you seemed too young. "I know, I just wanted to thank you anyway, especially for putting up with me when I was upset," you can't help feeling dejected and disappointed as you explain yourself, but nevertheless force yourself to meet his eyes in order to do it. "I know you could have pawned me off on someone else but you didn't... and I really admire that."John seems to mull the words over in his head while you stand waiting, pie still in hand. His eyes drag up and down evaluating you, while you hope to look more confident than you feel, but eventually his stone composure dwindles back to compliance. Honestly you're surprised that your hands aren't shaking when finally he reaches out to take the pan from you. The ease with which he ceded to your wants felt much easier than you'd expected based on his initial reaction. His fingers brush along yours long enough to note the visible difference in size as well as texture. You clasp your hands in front of you meekly as he leans forward with closed eyes inhaling the pie's scent, the picture making your own mouth salivate."Cherry... How'd you know that's my favorite?" He looks up with a cheeky grin, clearly an attempt at flattery. But flattery always felt nice, especially now. "Lucky guess," you remark with a relieved grin, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders.
"Hey how'd you get a pie?" Dean appears looming beside both of you. The older man steers it away as he gets closer, resulting in a frown from the younger before he directs his attention to you. "I saved your dog, doesn't that deserve a pie?""That was you? I'm sorry I didn't realize, I didn't bring another." You look around hopelessly, searching for a gift that you know doesn't exist. Then you remember something that you hope will make up for it. They both draw back as you suddenly snap your fingers in realization and proceed to walk off towards Ellen. "Hey are dogs allowed in here?" you whisper leaning in to keep quiet. She barely finishes nodding her head before you jog out the open garage doors leaving them all confused without any explanation. Making your way around the building you spot Roxy dozing off in the shade where you left her, as you approach she opens her eyes and begins wagging her tail. You coo curling your fingers in her neck scruff to pet her until she's standing up. She pants happily while watching you untie the leash and begin leading her down the sidewalk back towards the garage. You hold her back before poking your head around to make sure the coast is clear before sneaking past the truck up to the stairs. "Someone came with me to thank you," you announce capturing the attention of the group before they all notice the furry bundle of happiness beside you. What follows is a bit of a blur as she's swept up in a cloud of giggles and belly rubs. Though Dean receives such an excited reaction her whole body squirms in sync with her tail, you're sure she remembers him as she flounders happily in his grasp. You spend the next few minutes learning the names of the squad and receiving enough compliments on your food to make you bashful. Come to find out it's very uncommon for them to hear from people they rescue afterwards.You eventually break away from the group while they occupy Roxy and grab a seat.Looking over you see John idly watching the younger group as he and the older man you now recognize as Bobby are sitting off to the side having a quiet conversation. Your eyes roll over his body where he turned his chair sideways facing you. Your focus drifts up along his legs with his knees spread wide apart casually then up his torso that you remember being rock solid when you were held against it escaping the fire. Then slightly higher were his amazingly broad shoulders and muscular arms, your eyes linger on the bulge of his bicep as his elbow is propped on the table beside him with his fist curled to rest under his jaw. You can feel the warmth spreading in the bottom of your stomach when you finally get to his face, taking in the slightly mussed hair and trimmed beard accentuating his jawline before noting every smile line and crinkle around his slightly hooded eyes. That you belatedly realize were staring back at you the entire time. You assume a deer in headlights look while you feel the blood coloring from your chest all the way to your cheeks. He stays focused on you with an unreadable expression until you avert your gaze off to the side blinking rapidly while biting your lip nervously. You couldn't help it if you found yourself drawn to him, including finding him unfairly attractive. But you do your best to compose yourself, the last thing you'd want is for him to see you as childish. If you wanted him to consider you as a potential partner despite your age, then you can't give him any more reason to push you away. "Hey," you turn to see John stopped in front of your table. "Mind if I take a seat?" "You can, but I'd prefer if you sat down instead," He chuckles at your pun while sitting next to you, giving you the perfect view of his charming smile. You just sat in peace for a moment as you looked at each other, John's gaze comforting as he leans towards you."I meant to ask you before..How have you been?" he asks, his timbre getting deeper as he keeps his voice down, reminding you that you'd always found deep voices sexy. "I know it's been a while since you were in the fire, but are you recovering alright?""I bounced back pretty quick actually," you mention with optimism. "No real harm was done.""Maybe not physically, but are you sure you feel ok?" He asks again, his gaze switching back and forth between your eyes. You can see the space between his brows crease in concern, making his mature features stand out."Well, if I still lived in that building I would probably be wreck. But I did a very thorough fire alarm test when I moved." You try to jest with him but he seems confused. "You moved?" he casually inquires."Yeah funny thing is the fire was on the last day of my lease." he raises his brows at the humorous tone you use but leaves it be. "It's quite a coincidence actually, I bought a house just a couple streets over from here."John seems to find it amusing too when he mirrors your giggle with a lighthearted chuckle of his own. Without realizing it you perk up, reinvigorated by the amiable atmosphere. "Well guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other then huh?" he teases with a gleam of anticipation in his eyes. You can feel the inevitable look of hope clawing it's way up your face, thankfully this time around John doesn't lead it up with rejection. While you can't be sure he'll remain unworried in the future, you'll readily accept any more moments just like this one even if they only lead to disappointment later on. You were trapped. But that felt great too."I'm counting on it," You remark sheepishly. He gulps when your eyes shine up at him hopefully, the chemistry feels tangible around both of you making it near impossible to break apart.But then the Station alarm screeches above you. You jolt in surprise at the sound before John leaps up from his chair. He grasps your hand at the same moment you instinctively reach for him, then effortlessly pulls you up from your seat to stand in front of him. Before you even have a chance to marvel at the synchronicity he is gone again, leading Roxy to you before hopping down the stairs with the others to put their gear on. You watch them start loading into the Firetruck as you stand frozen at the top of the stairs, befuddled at the quick turn of events. Just before they pull out onto the street you see John turn around and jog back to the bottom of the staircase in front of, giving you a sense of deja vu seeing him in full gear. He stares intently at you for a moment before grinning as you tilt your head in confusion. "Make sure to bring me something homemade again next time to visit," He smirks before jumping in the truck as it accelerates out of sight.How does he always leave you wanting more...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was another ordinary call, or at least it started out that way.The squad had gotten a call for an apartment building fire and sent several trucks due to the size of the complex. John's truck was the second on site so when they arrived John was quick to scout out the side of the building that hadn't been surrounded. Then as they came to a stop he was quick to call out orders being the Chief in charge."Alright Bobby, Ruby, start unloading the hose and get it at the entrance. Bela I want you in the lift to check upper floors for anyone still inside. Dean I want you to circle the left side and get that exit open while I go right and check with the other crew." They all split up after that as John paced along the side until he reached the other fire squad."Hey what's the status?" He called out to the captain of the other truck. The men talk quickly about possible cause and source while the others rush around doing their jobs. The EMT's arrive meanwhile and hold back the crowd while checking for injured persons. They work out a plan to put out the fire once the crowd is at a safe distance and part ways so John could head back to his squad and update them."Alright according to the landlord and a rough count on the tenants it's likely everyone has gotten out. So, let's set up for -" His words cut off at the sound of a woman pleading for help, barely audible through the exit where Dean had just pulled the door off its hinges. He barely has time to put his mask back on before he hears the building creaking and something collapse inside. The terrified scream that follows makes his stomach sink in a way that hasn't happened in years, he doesn't even notice himself cursing the landlord for forgetting someone.
He grabs an axe off the truck before calling Dean to run inside with him, they flip on their helmet lights at the entrance looking down the corridor for the source of the sound. They move cautiously keeping an eye on the ceiling while still avoiding the still flaming areas. It's about halfway down the corridor that they see the rubble from the collapse, the main support beam seeming to have taken out the stairs as it fell. He checks around the bottom where the smoke is less dense as they approach, hoping not to see any limbs sticking out from underneath. "WE GOT A BODY," He looks up to where Dean's light is directed and feels a sense of dread. The body of a woman leans slumped against the wall clutching at the animal her arms, both unmoving and coated in a heavy layer of grey. After what seems like minutes he see's her weakly looking up as the helmet lights seep through her eyelids and feels a sense of relief."She's conscious!" He shouts in surprise. They barely make it down the rest of the hall before the ceiling starts to crumble again, making them freeze. He can only watch as the girl screams in fear, unselfishly trying to shield the creature in her care. Once it all settles he sets out to clear the way so he can grab her, he isn't sure why he feels so especially urgent this time around. Every few chops at the wood he glances up and sees her waiting anxiously, the part of her face not buried in the dog's fur glances back and forth between the swinging axe and Dean throwing debris off to the side. He grunts forcing the last few hits to finish splitting a gap before forcing himself through the divide."Can you move?" He asks watching her struggle to scoot towards the ledge. The search and rescue procedure he's done a thousand times before feels a bit more nerve wracking this time around as he finally sees you reveal your face, even in these circumstances he takes notice of your striking looks. He fights to steady himself while perilously climbing up the wreckage and hauling himself onto the landing, almost immediately as he reaches to lift you up he is faced with the dog as she pushes it towards him."Take her first please, she can't breath anymore smoke," he looks at your devastating pout and he feels too sympathetic and weak to your eyes to deny you before arranging Dean to grab her as he takes her from your arms. He wastes no time scooping you up and turning to leave as you rush to latch onto him, he tries to ignore the alluring sensation of your body squeezed against him while descending the broken stairs. He goes as quick as he can rushing towards Bobby who is holding the hose at the exit. He stays focused until he feels you look up at him and then suddenly he's melting, but from you, not the heat of the fire."Don't worry sweetheart, almost there," He doesn't pay the phrase any mind as the instinct to protect and reassure you rushes over him. Finally he passes Bobby on the way outside, giving him the go ahead to start hosing down. Sam waves him over as he and Cas set out a gurney next to the dog already strapped into an animal Oxygen Mask, he moves to set your shaking form down but is shocked when you wind your arms tighter around him. He finds himself almost... relieved that you won't let them pull you away, instead giving muffled protests into the crook of his neck. He finally pulls off the breathing mask and helmet to address the boys."Alright give her a minute," he told them, taking in a breath of fresh air. Ok so he knows he should be getting back to the squad but in the back of his mind he can't stand to just leave you anxious and panic stricken with a couple strangers. In his heart however, he knows the bigger reason is he can't fathom walking away and never seeing you again.
He rubs into your back feeling the muscles relax under his touch, the thin silky material allowing him to feel the firm muscles and curve of your spine. After a while he feels you pulling back and takes the opportunity to set you down so he's not supporting all your weight. While he reaches out for supplies from Sam he doesn't notice you turn your head to face him, so he's slightly surprised when he turns back.
Up close he can see every feature combining perfectly to make up your face, the ashy coating doing nothing to deter his heart pounding when you look up at him in awe. He can't help the grin slipping free while you stare back at him,he can see Sam and Cas out of the corner of his eye giving him odd looks, but he's too captivated by you to care. "Can I clean some of this soot off?" He waits for your dazed nod before gently going about clearing your skin, admiring the smoothness and flush of your cheeks. Once he finishes your face he watches your eyes flutter open and is stunned at how young you really look. At first he feels put off from the realization but is still captivated by your magnetism and look of innocence.
He snaps out of it when your start coughing and quickly reverts to care for you. He takes his time watching over you, not allowing himself to think too deeply about the reason for doing so because he knows he'll find fault in it. Bobby jogs up grabbing his attention with the all clear and passes him a questioning look when he dismisses him only to stay huddled around the much younger woman. John pays it no mind and returns to you in hopes of pulling you from your daze."What's your name sweetheart?" He asks pulling the oxygen away and tucking your hair back."It's (y/n)... what's yours?" He chuckles at the response, almost too innocent to bear."My name's John, how are you feeling?" He waits patiently as your brain processes the question. "I think I'm ok," he watches your mind whirring as you pull away to collect yourself. When he goes to look you over for cuts or breaks he did not expect the amount of skin now presented to him. He breathes in harshly at the almost seductive pose you sat in, legs bent and hands grasping his chest with the thin robe just barely hanging on. He rips his eyes away long enough to call for a blanket and shudders trying to fix your robe while scolding himself for the sudden rush of blood towards his pelvis. He works quickly with Sam and Cas to cover you, hoping to shield your modesty from their eyes though he knows it's irrational.
The men go through the motions checking you over as he covers your hand gripping his arm with his own palm. He feels oddly content when you don't let go of him, even glancing at him for reassurance when Cas places the oxygen back over your face. But while he watches you his mind wanders down a more concerning path, conjuring similarities between now and doctors visits when the boys were younger. Your actions similar to a frightened child reaching for their father, and it makes him sick with realization of his attraction to such a young woman. A woman that looks young enough to be his daughter, noticeably younger than his youngest son who is standing above you. He's wracked with guilt longing for a woman that he's at least 20 years too old for. He's startled by your body darting up and loses his train of thought while gently holding your shoulders to keep you safe from falling. Once Cas points out that the dog you're yelling for is safe and sound he feels you go lax in his arms, happy when you won't let go even after calming down. His heart twitches seeing the relieved smile slipping from you."I'll help her into the back after they lift your stretcher up," He assures you softly. He lowers you carefully to lay down but notices the emotions finally bubbling up to the surface, a gut feeling has him pull you closer as if anticipating when you embrace him. "Thank you so much," he feels you whisper into his collar
"I don't think I can ever repay you for saving me." He is stunned for a moment as he feels sense of belonging and natural attraction like never before. He pushes all doubts aside relishing what he's sure will be the last moment he ever sees you. He can't resist running his fingers through your hair breathing in your scent before finally letting go."It's my pleasure sweetheart, don't worry about it," He pulls away reluctantly, finding it even harder to do so when you unleash a bright eyed smile towards him. The sound of Sam clearing his throat has him acknowledge his surroundings, telling them to carry on as his fingers guide through your hair one last time. He feels your hands finally being dragged away as they lift you into the ambulance, he shoves down the bitterness so he can gently lift your dog and climb up to settle her in your arms where she belongs. He listens with a soft heart as you coo to her, trying to steel himself before hopping down and going to close the doors. The teary smile filled with gratitude is the best reward he could ask for and makes him dread saying goodbye. "Take care sweetheart." He says softly finally closing the doors. He makes a note to himself to check with Sam on her recovery, if only for peace of mind.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
He can't stop thinking about you. He feels foolish and immature but the longing still remains. After so many weeks have passed he expected, or rather hoped, that he'd forget the whole encounter. But here he is... listless and most likely forgotten. He is well aware that the others have noticed him being more distant than usual, though only Bobby seems to realize the reason after a recent conversation with Sam. The younger son had apparently gone to Bobby full of shock and slightly grossed out soon after the incident, looking to talk to someone about his dad's sudden change of character. After spending almost all his life being gruff and closed off from everyone, the softness he'd shown to a strange woman was certainly unusual. John pays them no attention though, like always. He definitely wasn't going to admit he was shook up over some girl, he's a grown man after all not some teenager. Which only reminds him it's probably better if he doesn't see you again, at least he could try moving on from this slip in composure. But as reasonable as he tries to be, once in a while he let's his mind drift back and secretly wishes to see you. The days seemed to be moving way too slow lately, each call rather unremarkable and each night after work monotonous. It's harder to tell the days apart anymore. It's not like he was unhappy though, just more aware of how bored he's become. Most days he just felt as if he was waiting for something to happen. Today was another boring day, not many calls out and the one they just left being a false alarm. He took over the drive back to the station while the younger squad members complained about the college they just left. He turns into the garage slowly, keeping his eyes forward to line it up correctly in the paring space. He stays seated waiting for everyone else to get out before turning the engine off and hopping out to hang up his gear with everyone else. The sound of Dean chatting with someone hardly drew his attention, though he did note a soft feminine sound as he climbed the stairs that drew his attention. He paused at the top when he hears a small gasp, slowly drawing his attention towards the woman near the back. Those beautiful eyes... it's almost hard to believe they are right there staring back at him. For once it seemed fate was on his side, it felt like a blessing to have you back in his presence after weeks of running your encounter over and over again in his mind. Obviously he never thought he'd have a chance to see you again and can't help when he automatically gravitates towards you with a happy chuckle. "Well hey sweetheart, didn't expect to see you here." the blinding smile you give him sends an almost painful jolt of electricity to his chest. Without proper time to compose himself he is powerless to the natural way you draw him in. "Hi John," your soft voice is music to his ears, and he can't help the need to step forward until he's standing close enough that you have to look up him. "What're you doing here?" He asks almost finding it hard to believe you were actually here. His attention struggled to break away to see the assortment of foods spread out over the kitchen counter before snapping back instinctively into your open, emotion filled expression. "I.. I brought lunch for you,well all of you i guess, as a small thank you for before." He finds himself happily surprised at the gratitude and generosity you show before he finally walks up to the counter beside you. He can feel your gaze still locked onto him but refrains from returning it as he looks over the feast before him, then eventually looks up to find a group of eyes all observing the two of you with shock. After a moment he remembers how, when you first met, you had given him the same amount of attention and finds himself wondering if you are still blinded with gratitude. Now it seems harder to look back as he remembers the promise he made himself to refrain from falling victim to you once again. After a few seconds he is somewhat relieved when Ellen draws your attention away from him. "Oh my gosh! I'm sorry go ahead and help yourselves," John smiles to himself at how charming you are when flustered and doesn't hesitate to grab a plate himself. He's not so secretly excited to try something made specially by you, but if the others have any say he won't have much to choose from since they got a head start. His son in particular is trying his hardest to gobble up everything within reach. "Dean slow down," John grumbles taking a pair of tongs from his hands with a scowl, absently turning his head to catch the sound of your warm giggling. "Wait your turn Dad," he grumbles back. John notices your eyes widen at the word, evidently surprised at him being Dean's father. Your gaze darts back and forth between the two of them while he keeps his eyes diverted. as he begins to feel ashamed at the obvious age difference, not only between you and him but also how much younger you look compared to his own son. Ellen chuckles as she pulls you aside letting the group crowd the table. The way you furrow your brow only makes him think you are uneasy, and he can't blame you as he internally berates himself for being attracted to a woman who's a junior to his youngest son. He settles in to eat with the others but keeps his eye on where you're frozen beside Ellen. While eating what is probably the best homemade meal he's had in years, he notices how your face seems to broadcast every emotion and train of thought. What started as apprehension morphed into contemplation, he can only assume you are still pondering over his age. He also noticed Ellen giving him a knowing look when she caught his gaze closely examining you that confirmed his hunch. He's thrown off at the light blush you develop, perhaps not as repulsed as he'd assumed, that only makes it harder to restrain his own guilty desire. He is just finishing eating when you head towards your bag, he feels almost dejected that you're leaving so suddenly but also relieved that he won't have to dissuade you should you keep looking up to him like before. Picking up his empty plate he sets it in the sink before he makes his way towards you. He intended to thank you and see you off, albeit sadly, but he falters once he stands behind you. He can see you fishing through your bag, obviously not realizing he's there. You almost drop the object when you turn around and he can't help reaching out to catch you. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he apologizes, just barely grazing his thumb over the softness of your skin"No you didn't, just slightly surprised." You smile softly and give him the same awe-struck feeling. He's slow to remove his hands when he realizes that he's still holding you."What do you have now?" He asks looking down to your hands. You raise the cherry pie towards him enthusiastically."I know I already brought lunch for all of you but I wanted to give you something special, it's a family recipe," you pause holding out a pie for him. A puppy couldn't compete against that big hopeful grin. By now he's noticed your fixation on him hasn't diminished, starts to wonder if you are still blinded by a sense of obligation, or perhaps caught up in reverence of him being your savior. But he feels like he is obligated to put a stop to this before it turns into anything more than a schoolgirl crush for you. He looks up with a shade of distress and his heart almost breaks at how disappointed you become."You know (y/n), I was just doing my job," he holds your gaze as he says it with an apologetic tone, frowning as you deflate in response."I know, I just wanted to thank you anyway, especially for putting up with me when I was upset. I know you could have pawned me off on someone else but you didn't... and I really admire that."He definitely doesn't want to admit he did it more out of want than honor. From when he first saw you to this very moment he feels the overwhelming urge to take care of you, even if it means hurting himself in turn. And in keeping his feelings a secret from you, he supposed, no doubt, that he was only saving you from future regret. You seemed much more vulnerable to him than anyone else here and he wonders once again if it's just a hero complex or perhaps the same weakness he feels for you. But you reassure him with your confidence and maturity and feels his resolve crumble before you once again. His fingers brush along yours long enough to note the visible difference in size as well as texture. He leans forward with closed eyes inhaling the pie's scent, the sweetness matched you perfectly and based off your cooking he could only imagine how delicious it would be."Cherry... How'd you know that's my favorite?" He looks up with a cheeky grin, clearly an attempt at flattery. But flattery always felt nice, especially now."Lucky guess," you remark with a relieved grin, visibly cheering up again. He was about to make another comment before Dean wandered up."Hey how'd you get a pie?" Dean asks but, as John has had many years to practice, he steers it away as he gets closer, resulting in a frown from the younger before he directs his attention to you. "I saved your dog, doesn't that deserve a pie?""That was you? I'm sorry I didn't realize, I didn't bring another." You look around hopelessly, obviously not noting the flirty tone Dean uses. The older Winchester narrows his eyes at his son, not that the he noticed while watching you with a smirk. They both draw back as you suddenly snap your fingers in realization and proceed to walk off towards Ellen, whispering something before darting out of the building. He goes to take a seat, carefully setting the pie down while wondering where you disappeared to this time. He ponders over his inability to commit to brushing you off, when he knows he will never be able to be with you. Out of peripheral he sees you sneak in when you thought no one noticed you, this time with a familiar critter following close behind. He can't help watching you with the others and notes you're a lot more mature and respectful than they expected. You aren't nearly as shy around them as with him, you actually seemed rather self-assured. Bobby notices his distraction and takes the opportunity to sit down with him."You better be careful around that girl," he cautions, basically putting to words what they're both already thinking. John gives a heavy sigh in response, leaning his elbows on the table as he roughly drags his hands over his face in distress."I'm tryin' Bobby, believe me." he remarks stiffly. "I don't know what's gotten into me.""Well it's not just you, judging by that look on her face when she saw you. A bit young though isn't she?" Bobby replies with a mix of reassurance and cheek, John nods rubbing his beard in thought. After years of knowing each other they've gained the ability to surmise a whole conversation from a few sentences. John can't help but agree she is sweet but can't get involved because she's too young and vulnerable to have anything to do with him. It feels awkward even having to talk about it but he agrees. But even if he knows it's the smart option, he still feels disappointed, almost like his chest is empty at the thought of not having you. He wants so badly to accept but is reminded of the remarkable age difference and feels like he has to stop this in order to save you from burden or a life of less than you deserve. Even glancing over he can clearly see how kind and charming you were with the rest of the team, staying humble at their praise and even being considerately asking them about themselves. After a while you seem to drift away, content to sit back and watch just as he was. He notices your attention drifting aimlessly, gaze dragging slowly over his body in obvious appraisal of him. Initially, he feels worried to have your attention again but ends up more flattered seeing the wanton look in your eyes. He wasn't completely oblivious, he knew he was good-looking from the various encounters with women over the years and he had plenty of confidence to boot. Most of the women he got involved with were of the same type, head-strong and seasoned, not to mention much closer to his age. But it still provides a boost to his ego how a stunning younger woman finds him attractive at his age. Only once you finish lingering on his lips do you reach his eyes, making you notice he's caught you ogling him and whip your head away, blushing furiously. However, he was not embarrassed; it took a great deal to embarrass him. Of all the reactions you show to him, this flustered one was the most enticing. At that moment he was too elated, too self-satisfied to notice anything or second guess. Just one look and he forgets everything, finally going over to check on you, but subconsciously just wants to be near you. "Hey," you turn as John stops in front of your table. "Mind if I take a seat?""You can, but I'd prefer if you sat down instead," He chuckles taking a seat, the blush is fading from your face only to be replaced by your smile. You just sit in peace for a moment before he leans towards you."I meant to ask you before..How have you been?" he asks, feeling guilty for not checking on you any earlier. "I know it's been a while since you were in the fire, but are you recovering alright?""I bounced back pretty quick actually," you mention with optimism. "No real harm was done.""Maybe not physically, but are you sure you feel ok?" He asks again furrowing his brows in concern. He hoped you weren't trying to repress anything"Well, if I still lived in that building I would probably be wreck. But I did a very thorough fire alarm test when I moved." "You moved?" he casually inquires."Yeah funny thing is the fire was on the last day of my lease." he raises his brows at the humorous tone you use but leaves it be. "It's quite a coincidence actually, I bought a house just a couple streets over from here."John softens at the positivity you have maintained through such a traumatic event. Also, pleasantly surprised to find out you live so close by."Well guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other then huh?" he teases with a gleam of anticipation in his eyes, trying not to broadcast just how much he want's you to visit. Or even how blessed he feels from such a short interaction with you."I'm counting on it," You remark sheepishly. You both stay seated just looking at each other, he can feel the chemistry bubbling up and bond you together. After everything else he's seen, it comes as no surprise that he fall for your personality as well as the positive energy you exude. But then the Station alarm screeches above you cutting the peace. You jolt in surprise at the sound before John leaps up from his chair. He grasps your hand at the same moment you instinctively reach for him, then effortlessly pulls you up from your seat to stand in front of him. He feels how you automatically draw together before he needs to go. Dashing off, he wastes no time getting back in his gear and running to the truck freezing as he passes by the stairs. He stares intently at you for a moment before grinning as you tilt your head in confusion. He just can't resist saying goodbye and trying to pull one of those beautiful blushes from you."Make sure to bring me something homemade again next time to visit," He smirks before jumping in the truck watching you as they drive away. But as time passes he finds himself getting more worried at how he'll be able to resist you, because he obviously could not this time.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
So before you guys get nervous, this is NOT a hiatus announcement! I would never do that to my precious readers, you mean the world to me :')However, while I am working on the next chapter I wanted to get some feedback. (I know, I know... I hate these chapters too)First: POVSo in the previous chapters I was doing Reader POV first and John POV separately after. This way is a bit difficult to write without feeling like I'm repeating myself but I will continue if you prefer. So would you all prefer:A. Continue separate chapters POVB. Provide both in one chapter, alternating throughout the sceneC. Just get rid of John POVSecond: CharacterI've been trying to keep the Reader character a bit ambiguous so everyone could relate more but, I was going to be mentioning work and family situations a little more specifically. I was hoping to make the family small, close/loving, older(already briefly mentioned in previous chapter) and also live somewhat far away. Please let me know if you prefer interaction with any family in the story or if I should not mention them.For work I was going to keep it shady but I thought certain jobs could inspire more options for the story. Some of the options would be good for certain cliche's if you want them (I can always do them separate from the story/plot)... But I'm not making 'student' an option since the character owns a house and is vaguely mid-twenties.So would you all prefer:A. Bakery/Flower/Antique shop workerB. Freelance painter/musicianC. Teacher/Animal shelter D. Office worker/otherE. Keep it vague and only do certain jobs as spin offs/separate from the storyThird: Plot LinesI know some of you mentioned wanting more and hoping for a long story... but, at the moment I only have about 5 chapters left (not including separate POV's). So if you have any twists or interactions you are hoping to see PLEASE TELL ME!!! If you want John to pine over you for more than 3 chapters then I'll need ideas to stretch it out. Alternately, if you want a lot of chapters where you are in a relationship, I'll have to add more to the end of the story. But I NEED TO KNOW or else this story isn't gonna be as long as you want.OK that's it... sorry to get all demanding I just want to make this the way YOU want. So please comment, or message me if you want it to be a private request. I'll continue to write until then...Love you!!! <3
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Roxy lays on the couch lazily, head following your every move as you prepare to head out. You put in your ear buds and lace up your sneakers waving goodbye to her before leaving the house. You jog down the sidewalk trying to keep an eye out as you near the fire station parking lot. It's been a few days since your last visit and you've been debating when to finally cave and drop in again. You didn't want to appear too eager by showing up so soon but also found it hard to resist. After countless arguments with yourself you'd decided to wait at least a week in hopes that John wouldn't find your attention too overwhelming. You drift back to awareness when you hear your name being called out and slow down, pulling out an earbud to look for the voice."Hey cherry, over here," you furrow your brow in confusion as you notice Ruby leaning against the side of a car with the door open. You give a friendly smile as you approach her."Hey, Ruby right?" You ask causing her to nod. "And you know my name is (y/n) right? Not cherry.""Yeah I'm aware, just a little nickname around the station." She smirks going to shut the door. You take a look at the leather jacket and dark jeans only now noting the tough appearance she has. You begin to wonder if the rough and tumble person was a job requirement."I have a nickname?" You ask a little surprised since you haven't known any of them all that long."Oh yeah. Dean came up with it, for the pie." She scoffed while taking off the jacket and throwing it over her shoulder."Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about that." you respond with a bit of cheek making her chuckle."So, you coming in today?" she asks nodding her head towards the garage. With a long look at the side of the building you wonder idly if John would be there."I wasn't planning on it, but maybe I will once I finish my jog." You respond."Well you can let yourself in if you do, I'm just on my way out." She says going to open the car door once again."Are you sure it's ok?" You can't help but feel like that's breaking some rules walking into a government building without a pass or even checking in."Sure, I'm certain John won't mind." She shoots you a smirk making you blush but walk away giving her a wave as she gets in her car. Her car pulls out of the parking lot before you return to your jog, adjusting your earbuds so the music accompanies you with every pace.The peaceful neighborhood puts your mind at ease after a long day at work. You feel much safer going out alone here than you ever had at your apartment closer to the city center. Even the sidewalks here were smoother without all the cracks and weeds that tried to trip you. It was a beautiful day as well, the spring temperatures comfortable and flowers in full bloom, perfect for an afternoon jog. You make good time on your jog, keeping your feet in time with the music always gave you something to focus on when you went for long distances like today. The slight burn in your thighs only stressed how long it had been since you went further than a couple blocks, but you power on until you reach a busier intersection on the outskirts of the neighborhood. You stop for a moment to catch your breath, thankful that you had chosen the running crop top and tights instead of something heavier. After a minute of rest you turn to jog back, not willing to push too hard and get all sweaty before you visit the station. Finally after another long trip back the station is in sight, causing you to slow to a walk and collect yourself. You take your earbuds out as you approach the side of the garage, opting to use the door near the parking lot. You go up the concrete steps to the metal door, taking a deep breath before pulling it open as quietly as possible. Inside you could see a group of people surrounding a table covered in playing cards while a few others linger in the kitchen. You frown when you can't spot John around any of them but raise your hand to announce your presence anyway."Knock knock," you say rapping your knuckles on the open door before stepping inside. Your voice was only loud enough for a few of them take notice but Bela and Dean shoot you smiles when they recognize you."Hey sweetheart," You turn quickly when you hear the gravelly voice beside you. John grins up at you from where he stands down by the trucks, you can only smile back dumbly before walking up to lean on the platform railing."Hi John, I was hoping you'd be here," you greet him sweetly as he walks closer. He seems taken aback for a moment, almost too briefly for you to have noticed. "Oh really?" He asks with pseudo surprise, "It must be my lucky day." A giggle sneaks past your lips without you realizing, a side effect of his charm hitting you point blank."I hope you don't mind me dropping in, I ran into Ruby on my jog and she said it would be ok," you explain to him, watching as he goes about looking over the truck equipment while keeping an eye on you."Nah, 'course I don't mind. I'm sure no one else does either," he says in a reassuring tone. You lean back to glance at the table seeing them all absorbed in their game. By the time you turn back you almost miss how he leers at you, only now noticing the form fitting attire or more specifically your exposed midriff. He's quick to avert his eyes and you're almost glad that he does, at least he won't notice the blush crawling up your neck."I notice you didn't bring me another pie." He continues, sounding almost as if he's scolding you, while going over to check the hoses on the truck. "I guess you're not that lucky after all," you tease. He barks out a laugh that makes the butterflies in your stomach go crazy, it's so genuine and warm."I'd say I'm just lucky enough," he says when he looks back at you. His eyes filled with emotion and smile filling his face, just like yours. You spend a moment like that until his attention seems too overwhelming and you look away bashful. The feeling of him staring continues, eventually you look up from under your lashes and find him ogling you again. His mood shifting the longer he stares and with it his gaze darkens roving over your body. His eyes glide up your legs, your leggings doing nothing but cling to your curves. Then he glosses over your waist to reach your chest which, with you leaning forward on the railing, offers a decent amount of cleavage (no doubt a bit rosy now from the attention). Before either of you can do anything else a van pulls into the garage drawing both of your attention. You watch the fire department ambulance park before a familiar pair steps out."Oh my gosh! Sam, Cas!" you call out waving to them. The pair look over and wave when they see you, slowly making their way up the platform to approach you. You had formed a friendly acquaintanceship with the two EMT's during your brief medical stay, offering company and input when police came to take your statement on the fire. "Hey (y/n), how've you been?" Cas asks with a smile."Better since I last saw you guys," you say joining him in a chuckle."Well that's not saying much," Sam remarks laughing at the mock-hurt look you give him. John chuckles when you look back at him, shaking his head as he keeps himself occupied with his work."Hey leave Cherry alone," Dean says coming up behind Sam to clap him on the shoulder. You raise an eyebrow at the nickname, as the three other men looked back at him in confusion."Hey Dean. Ruby told me you came up with a nickname," you smile crossing your arms in front of you. Dean gives you that charming smirk as he stands next to you."Really? Cherry? That's the best you could think of?" Sam taunts. "Hey I tried, what did you come up with Sammy?" Dean accuses. From then on the two of them bickered back and forth, almost in their own little world."Hey, they always act like this?" You ask Cas quietly standing off to the side. "Yeah, the whole family is like that," he grins and you laugh before the realization actually sinks in. "Wait a second..." you murmur to yourself. Another son? Well, at least this time you aren't quite as surprised. While the resemblance is not as obvious you still see similar traits between the brothers, more noticeably is how large all the men in the family are. Also, as you look closer, you see the familiar dimpled smile the younger has in common with John. But still, even if Sam was only a few years older than you and slightly larger than his father, you still couldn't find the same attraction you had towards John. When you look over the brothers you note with relief that Sam was younger than Dean, hopefully a small reassurance to John. In your mind it should be at least a tiny bit easier for him to accept than if his sons were both a decade older than you. You could tell from your previous encounter that he was reluctant to accept your affection, due to what you were sure is your age. You glance back to the man swamping your mind seeing him fidget with his clipboard as he seemed caught up in his own thoughts. Your heart sinks thinking about him building up the same barrier as when you found out about Dean. Hopefully he will ignore his doubts as easily as last time, at least long enough to give you a chance to cajole him. "You like it don't you Cherry," Dean says, drawing your attention to see him looking at you to affirm his assumptions with a smile. You pull a face, wondering if you should just walk away before he pulls you into their bickering."I'm not quite sure how I feel about it," you admit."Well I think it fits you. You're both sweet and look good enough to eat," he states with a smirk. You barely have a second to gape at him before the others intervene."DEAN." John huffs drawing the line, the youngest Winchester sends him a suspicious look before looking between you and Dean. Sam mutters annoyed, dragging Dean away from you in spite of his huffy protests, while John watches on with disapproval. Bobby chuckles as they pass while keeping an eye on his cards.You stand there awkwardly, not sure how to react in the situation. Looking down again you see John scowling while returning to his work, he grunts pulling the hoses from the truck cabinet and throwing the loops on the ground. Pursing your lips, you watch his rigid movements with worry. Quietly you make your way around to the stairs stopping halfway down to avoid stepping on the equipment. "Hey, what are you doing?" you ask trying to keep your tone calm. He looks up with a rigid expression while uncoiling the largest hose."Just an equipment check." He answers a bit cold. You hum in response looking over the various tubes and nozzles, John looks back up when he notices your hesitation stepping over them. His expression shifts to that of compassion as he settles the hose over one shoulder to approach you."Here sweetheart, let me help you," he mutters reaching out to help you down. You smile extending your hand for assistance while he plants one foot on the same step and the other outside straddling the tangled mess. But your hand is ignored only to have him wrap his free arm around your waist and pick you up, using the hose on his other shoulder to balance your weight as he spins you to clear ground. You marvel at his strength, while you already know he can carry you it is twice as enticing to feel how he can use one arm. His muscular arm squeezes around your lower back, pressing your chest against his side and feeling his fingers clutching your hip."Be careful," he advises softly setting you down. You only nod in response unable to say anything intelligent. Only when you look up to him do you notice how intensely he's focused on you with an expression you have trouble understanding. His hold lingers longer than you'd anticipated and you can feel a heat spreading over your body from his touch, not just your cheeks but somewhere lower in your belly too. You clear your throat before trying to speak, hoping your voice won't crack."So... can you tell me how all this stuff works?" You gesture towards the equipment. "You actually want to know?" John pulls back with a skeptical look."I love to learn," you reaffirm looking up at him with a smile. John chuckles and finally removes his grip on you to take the hose off his shoulder."Well right now I'm checking the hoses for damage, this one is the primary hose we use." He explains."Is it heavy?" You ask curiously. He chuckles holding it out with both hands for you to take."Oh my gosh," you huff trying to lift it from his open palms without success. His own biceps flex as he takes it back, the uniform t-shirt drawn taught over his muscles."Easy tiger don't hurt yourself," he teases turning to set it down with a cheeky smirk. Taking the chance to retaliate you bump your shoulder into his side with mock offense, though he hardly budges. "Alright what else can you show me?" The two of you spend the next half hour touring the garage and various equipment rooms around the station. He leads you with a hand on your lower back, too engrossed in your constant conversation to pull away. You drink in every word, rapt in attention to his surly voice, not to mention taking the time to admire his rugged looks. Between explanations you begin to stray to more friendly topics, discussing some of the people around the station and eventually revealing your job at a bakery nearby. Every so often someone else chimes in, telling stories about each other or begging for free pastries, you revel in the friendly atmosphere. Before you know it the sun is setting and, like all good things must end, you must leave."I really hate to say it, but I gotta go," you inform John regretfully. He nods with an understanding smile, the kind that crinkles his eyes and sets your heart on overdrive."I'll walk you out," He says, his hand gravitates to its place on your back motioning you to walk ahead of him."What, you not gonna walk her home too?" Dean remarks behind you, his tone seems sarcastic but you notice John send him a piercing scowl over your head."I think I'll manage," you laugh trying to play it off. John turns back to follow you towards the exit, even reaching around to hold it open before you can push against it. "See you later guys," the sound of goodbyes echos back to you as you step outside with John. He lets the door swing closed behind him while you linger on the stoop together. A gust of wind makes you shiver wishing you'd brought a jacket when you first left the house. John raises his hand, brushing back a loose strand that fell from your ponytail. Gently, his fingers smooth it behind your ear before ghosting down your neck. With a pensive gaze he lingers on the noticeable blush heating your cheeks, you stare back in awe of the tender moment."Hurry home sweetheart, it's getting cold." He advises drawing back his hand while you look up at him with wide eyes."Bye John," you mutter still a bit dazed as you turn to descend the stairs. Once you reach the bottom you look back up with a shy smile, his own adoring smile watching over you as you walk out of sight.After the short walk home you unlock the door and greet Roxy before setting her food out. You make quick work getting showered and changed before letting the pup out in the yard. Once everything is settled and quiet you retreat to your room, flopping down on the bed with a huge smile. 'Finally,' you think, 'progress!'
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Over the past weeks you've become closer with the team. You've spent many afternoons hanging around the station with Roxy and talking to anyone not busy putting out fires. Some days you would bring snacks treats to them and some you show up empty handed, just stopping by to say hello. The few women at the station accepted you to their inner circle rather quickly, finding common ground as well as pleasant conversation much easier between them as opposed to many of the more quarrelsome men around. Not that you didn't enjoy talking to the guys as well, but while talking to Dean and Sam was fun they also tend to get into arguments fairly often which is when you'd drift back to Bela, Ruby and sometimes Ellen. The subject of your infatuation was eventually brought up, much to your embarrassment, as the group collectively acknowledged how smitten you are. Apparently the longing glances and lingering goodbyes are not in the least bit subtle (surprise surprise). So, with nothing better to talk about, and much to their delight, you two were the main topic of conversation from then on. They did a good job keeping the topic private from the guys at the station, for what you assumed was preventing further embarrassment, but in truth the rest were well aware of the controversy surrounding your unorthodox relationship. But as the guys are more judging, the women are more intrigued at the mutual attraction despite of the various differences between you and John. From then on, they take every chance to tease you and inquire about the situation, but only when John was gone or preoccupied. You were led to wonder however, if John was picking up some of the gossip without them realizing. For the most part the two of you remained absorbed in each other's presence, but every now and then you could feel the hesitation he had when you first approached him. You could see the resistance in his eyes and tension in his movements while you tried to subtly take down his defenses, or sneak past them without him noticing. Over time it was becoming easier, but his uncertainty was starting to make you worry if he would ever truly let himself do more than watch over you. You were having trouble getting the courage to push any further without fear of rejection. And that's when you had an idea which, if successful, will disprove most of his doubts and bring you one step closer to him.You'd mentioned him to your older brother and sisters when they came to see you in the hospital after your initial fiery introduction. But as your parents and other close relatives started showing up and crowding around your hospital bed you had lost your train of thought, too overwhelmed by their worrying and relieved crying. Only later on when you mentioned your re-connection with John did your siblings take note of your infatuation. You brought him up fairly often in your weekly video chats as the four of you liked to stay up to date with each other. The three of them were initially entertained to hear how their baby sister fawned over some rugged fireman, but also grew a bit worried as the weeks passed and they realized you were harboring some serious feelings towards him. So in your chat last week you were only half surprised when they mentioned wanting to meet the man who saved you. They claimed it was to thank him and show their appreciation, and while that wasn't totally a lie you could still tell it wasn't the whole reason. After spending your whole life being babied by them you've grown used to them scoping out your 'potential suitors' (as they so annoyingly called it). Now, as they must have decided in a separate conversation, they are sending your brother, the second oldest, who wants to meet John. Initially you had protested, trying to point out to them once again that you were a grown adult woman well out of your teens, but like usual they guilt tripped you with their concern. But then you realized this might be a good idea. Perhaps if John met your brother and they got along really well then he wouldn't be scared of offending your family. He might also see that he didn't have to worry that you were only using him, as an older man, to spite them. Maybe, if all went well, he could push aside his manufactured fears that got in the way of seeing you as a romantic partner. The main thing that worries you about this plan is how your brother will react to meeting him. You only hope you can convince him how amazing John is, because you are afraid he might get mad about his age and tell your parents, burning any bridges before John could cross them. So here you are, standing in your bedroom, with your brother Nick waiting in the living room for you to finish changing so you can leave. You smooth your hands over the front of the summery dress you picked out, adjusting how it drapes over your body. Smiling at the flattering reflection, you turn to make your way to the living room where your brother now sat petting Roxy on the couch. "Finally, can we leave now Ducky?" Nick sighed as you entered the room, the childhood nickname slipping out effortlessly no matter that he was in his thirties. You nod going to grab Roxy's leash while he gets up to meet you by the front door. He takes a long drink of his beer before throwing out the bottle, you hope since he's been hanging out with you all day that the drinks you had together might make him more friendly than usual. You are still nervous about how the afternoon will end up. "Ok so before I take you to meet him, I need you to promise not to be too harsh on him," you say nervously, he gives you a weird side glance detecting the hesitation in your voice. One of his strengths was being able to read people, hence one of the reasons he makes such an exceptional lawyer. "Why are you so worried I won't like him?" He bends down to pull his shoes on while you bite your lip, dreading his reaction when he realizes what you mean. You haven't exactly told your siblings all the details involving John, scared that they would lecture you. "Just... he's a bit older than me ok? But seriously, you need to take time to get to know him, he's amazing." you send him your biggest puppy dog eyes in hopes that he will soften up a bit from his typical intimidating persona. "Alright, if you say so," he brushes you off pretending your pout doesn't phase him. With a quick motion he takes the leash from you and hooks it to Roxy's collar, moving towards the front door. You follow after him happily, the nonchalant response as close to a promise as you would get from him."Awesome! Now let's go before I vomit from nerves," you both chuckle as you leave the house. Almost immediately after opening the door you are glad you were in a light dress; it is scorching outside and you two were barely starting to sweat already. You were at least relieved you convinced Nick to trade his button up shirt and pants for his workout clothes, at least he won't get heat stroke. You walk down the sidewalk together slowly, taking the time to catch up and stopping periodically to let Roxy sniff around. He and his fiancé Amy are getting ready for their upcoming wedding while she's simultaneously going back to school for a doctorate in law, they are really a go-getter couple. Meanwhile, your oldest sister Carmen is about to send her second child off to first grade and continues to work full time. And of course, your second older sister Rebecca, only a few years your senior, is moving in with her longtime girlfriend. The amalgamation of all their major life events still amazes you, even if you've heard every little detail over your facetime chats it all seems so much bigger when condensed by your brother. "Man... I'm starting to feel a bit left behind," you joke as Nick clicks his tongue at you. "Don't worry about it, you're still so young you have plenty of time to settle down later on." He remarks patting you on the back with his free hand. "Yeah you must feel pretty old in comparison," you snicker. Nick scoffs even pushing you playfully in offense, but just enough to make you stumble. Grinning, you notice the Fire Station up ahead with the garage doors open wide and some of the squad lingering around outside. "Hey this is it, please be nice," you mutter to him as you approach. Now you can see some of the squad standing around in just their pants and tank tops, trying to stay in the shade where it's cool while watching you approach. You smile at Ruby and Sam as you finally get close enough to talk, Nick stands slightly behind you waiting to be introduced."Hey cherry, see you brought someone along this time." Ruby greets without looking at you. She crosses her arms as she looks skeptically at your brother while Sam stands by looking concerned, for a reason you don't really know. You ignore Nick's query about the nickname in favor of answering them. "Hey guys this is my brother Nick," you say gesturing towards him. They both look at each other with unsettling synchronicity as they make understanding noises. Pushing past the confusing exchange you ask them "Hey, where is John?""Hey Cherry, who's this?" Dean calls out from behind you; you turn to see him sitting in the open Firetruck with a scowling John standing at its side. You hardly take the time to question the reason for his mood, too nervous and anxious about getting this introduction out of the way. But in the back of your mind it does make you slightly uncomfortable, just like every other time someone riles him up or intentionally bothers him and makes you eager to sooth him. With a hand on your brothers arm you pull him and Roxy towards the pair previously hidden in the shadowed garage. " Oh there you are! This is my-"
"You must be John, I've heard a lot about you, (y/n) practically hasn't shut up about you." Nick cuts you off reaching out to shake Dean's hand. With a gasp you slap his arm in humiliation, almost crumbling from his embarrassing statement.
Both the Winchesters' look surprised at the admission, though Dean seemed more entertained while John stiffens momentarily before he tries to catch your eye with a questioning gaze. "No, that's Dean," you murmur pointing them out to Nick, "this is John."Nick looks back at you slightly confused before glancing John up and down who stood stoically. You feel a bit of tension between them as they size each other up. Nick turns his head back again, looking at you with some displeasure. You avert your gaze, aware of how he's caught off guard by the salt and pepper man of your dreams, and how he hates being mislead. "Alright, well John, I have to thank you for everything you've done for (y/n). Our whole family wanted to thank you actually." He says placing a hand on your shoulder; you nod in agreement before looking back to John. Confused, you note just how distraught he looks clenching his jaw and blankly staring at your brother."Your family?" He asks quietly looking back to you. "Oh I never introduced him! John this is my brother Nick." You say placing your hand on John's elbow while motioning towards your brother who smiled politely extending his hand to shake. John's eyes flash with realization before returning his gesture with a firm grip. His cold demeanor melts almost instantly, being replaced with a more hospitable calmness. "Well it's a pleasure to meet anyone related to (y/n). And no need to thank me, she's given us all enough food to return it tenfold." He chuckles sending a crinkly eyed little grin towards you, you only barely return the look with a flustered smile as your brother notes your reaction. "Oh has she?" Nick quirks a brow at the other detail you've left out."Did I not mention that?" You say, feeling like a guilty child being caught in a lie. "She's been overwhelmingly generous with the station," Bela chimes in, surprising you from where she stood behind you. "I wouldn't go that far, you've all been really nice by letting me visit." you try to wave them off. "Don't discredit yourself Ducky," Nick chimes in with the same blank face he always wears. To most he seems robotic but anyone close to him can read past the facade, like now he's softly scolding you. "She's always been awful at accepting praise." "Don't call me that in front of people!" you whisper shout, all too familiar with being embarrassed by your older siblings. Dean's snicker tells you they've already heard what you didn't want them to know. "Ducky?" Sam asks, eyebrows raised with that all too entertained expression. "It's just a nickname from when I was little, nothing important." You try to brush it off only to have them complain, even turning to your brother with sneaky grins. "Well, if you didn't already know, (y/n) is the youngest of four. Our parents had her pretty late in life so she was always the 'little kid' hanging around the rest of us. When she was little she would always follow us around like a duckling, really curious and easily entertained by anything we did. Sometimes we would get annoyed or tell her to leave us alone and she would, but no matter if we apologized or not she'd always run back. She was always quick to forgive, like water off a duck's back." There is a mix of laughs and 'awws' passed around as he finishes talking, you push off Nick's hand in embarrassment when he reaches out to ruffle your hair. Habitually, you turn towards John, curling your fingers lightly around his bicep as you shy away from the teasing. John chuckles before he brings his hand to your waist rubbing circles with his thumb while you curl into his side, neither of you giving it a second thought or noticing how your brother analyzes the embrace. "No need to be embarrassed, it's a sweet story." John grins down at you with mirth in his eyes, you take a second to admire his mussed hair and bearded dimples from the close proximity. You know you should refrain from showing too much affection in front of your brother, but you can't stop your body from leaning into him. "So tell us about yourself Nick, are you a baker like (y/n)?" You turn back towards the others when you hear Sam introducing himself and politely asking Nick questions about himself. "He's a lawyer!" You can't help but boast with excitement, always proud to announce how smart and successful your older siblings are in their own lives. "Guilty," he responds with just a hint of a grin at his own pun. You just barely roll you eyes before you suggest moving inside where it's cooler, John agrees easily and leads you into the shade. You can feel Nick watching the two of you as he follows with Roxy, scrutinizing every interaction and lingering touch on your waist or John's arm. The minutes fly by as Nick chats with the group, questions go back and forth mainly pertaining to each other's careers. After some time people start filtering out leaving just John and Nick sitting on either side of you at a table, it feels pretty intentional on everyone else's part as Nick focuses solely on questioning the older man. John doesn't flinch though, just as you expect from the mature and strong-willed man. You feel rather relieved as the conversation goes on, your brother not mentioning anything more in reference to both of your relationship and barely seems fazed when he finds out Sam and Dean are his sons. After a little while you excuse yourself to walk Roxy around since she was getting antsy sitting still. You walk around the station pointing out different things to her so she could sniff everything, and take her outside to quickly go potty. Once back in the garage you take a quick detour to let her play with Dean and use the break to fan yourself off from the heat out in the sun. "I think it's time to leave," Nick announces once you make your way back to them at the table, he and John rise from their seats and you belatedly notice the time on the clock hanging behind them. "Yeah I guess we have been here a while, Amy probably wants you back soon." Nick smiles at the mention of his fiancé and moves to take Roxy's leash from your grasp. Together, the three of you make your way down from the platform, John automatically offering to see you off. You start to exchange goodbyes only to be interrupted when the alarm sounds overhead, you pull Nick and the startled Roxy off to the side to get out of the way. At this point you're used to the commotion and just stand back and watch the team jump to action. Right before they leave though, John makes a detour on his way to the firetruck and jogs back over to you. "It was nice to meet you Nick," he says reaching out and shaking his hand once as Nick returns the pleasantry, then he gives you one of those handsome eye wrinkling smiles that make your legs weak. You reach out belatedly to stop him, just managing to catch his hand as he walks away. He turns back quickly, eyes darting to where your soft fingers hold his own before looking up in question. "Be careful," you insist as you squeeze his hand. He gives a low chuckle melting your heart as he gazes fondly at you. "Of course sweetheart." He gives your hand a soft squeeze of his own, the roughness of his fingers leave tingles in their wake when he slowly pulls away.You and Nick watch them load into the giant vehicle in silence, then in a matter of seconds they are gone. The two of you slowly walk out of the garage to head back to your house, neither of you mentioning what you just did. You let your mind wander as time passes slowly, the silence drags on until you're about half way home when Nick finally speaks up. "Are you Serious about him (y/n)?" Nick asks continuing to walk without looking at you. You ponder the question for a moment, thinking about John. About his smile when he listens to you talk, about his charm and how naturally you get along, about the tender moments between just the two of you that you wish could last forever. "I am," you take a deep breath before continuing.
"I think I'm in love with him."Nick stops in his tracks. He looks down at you thoughtfully and you stare back, for once feeling confident in your words. "Alright," He nods slowly. "I hope it works out then."You smile softly, satisfied for now with his acceptance. Perhaps one day you can introduce John to the rest of your family and it'll all work out this smoothly. But for now you're happy. The next day you head in to work full of hope. After your brother went home he had caught your sisters up on all the new information he found out (never trust a sibling to keep anything a secret). Their initial reaction was shock, quickly followed by disbelief. But, after a long night of calming them down and much reassurance, they had come to accept it. You suspect Nick was giving them all the little details he got watching you and John together because they text you this morning to offer you their support. So now you spent the day in a happy daze, cupcakes and cakes taking on more cheerful decorations than usual. "Hey (y/n), there's a guy here asking for you." You look up from your decorating to see the cashier halfway in the kitchen, one hand holding the swinging metal door open behind her. Putting down your icing bag you furrow your brows in confusion and make your way towards her. You look out the small window on the door together while you wipe your hands on your apron, only stopping when you see the familiar profile standing in front of the cash register. "Is that your Dad?" she asks looking back at you. "Definitely not," you chuckle leaving her confused as you push open the door.Walking out to the front counter you felt your excitement rise with every step. John stood tall in front of the register, a picture of confidence with his shoulders back and chin lifted looking up at the menu. He's dressed in what you assume are his casual clothes, a neat grey henley shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and fitting dark jeans. His hair is even somewhat combed back compared to how messy it gets from taking his fireman helmet off all the time. Overall... what a hunk o' man, you are almost drooling by the time you get in front of him. "Can I help you Sir?" You ask, leaning on the counter in front of him with a smile. His eyes fall from the menu to land on you, giving you the perfect view when his handsome features shift from a neutral expression to a warm smile."Hey sweetheart, wasn't sure I had the right place." His deep voice trails off with relief."I can't believe you actually remembered where I work, I only mentioned it once or twice." You feel almost overwhelmed thinking about how devoted he is to remembering every little detail about you. "Hope you don't mind me stopping by," he almost sounds unsure but his demeanor reflects no sign of regret, only contentment. "You should know by now that I'm always happy to see you," you can't stop the loving tone as it leaves your mouth. John's eyes crinkle in amusement. "The feeling's mutual sweetheart," You both smile fondly, completely oblivious to the customers idling around the bakery and your coworker walking around you to help them at the other register. "So did you have a reason for visiting me," you drawl as you circle the counter between you to stand right in front of him, "Or was it just to see me?" John quirks up the corner of him mouth in amusement, his head tilts down slightly as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handkerchief. You watch on curiously as he unfolds it, only to reveal a very familiar necklace. "You left this at the station, I didn't know when you'd be back so I thought I oughta' return it." He places it in your hand slowly, his fingers leaving a trail of warmth where they brush against your palm. "Thank you John, I hadn't even realized I lost it," you admit looking at the glint of the pendant before clasping it around your neck. You notice his gaze linger on the slope of your neck and exposed collarbone as you secure it. He gives you another smile as he idly runs a hand through his hair then looks away towards the few new customers talking to your coworker. "No problem sweetheart. I should get going now before I get you in trouble at work," he says reluctantly turning to to walk away. You feel a pang of unease seeing him try to play this all off as something casual when you know it feels like much more. Before he can take more than a couple of steps away you reach out. "John." The second he turns back you waste no time before throwing your arms up over his shoulders. He catches your hips in surprise before he freezes, looking shocked while you raise up on your toes and curl your arms around his neck. You bury your face into his neck reveling in the manly scent as his beard rubs your cheek. His grip tightens on you as you press closer, slowly he moves his arms to wrap around you and pull you into a tight embrace. The feeling of his chest expanding reminds you of your first meeting and how safe he always makes you feel. You smile to yourself when you feel him drag a hand up to cup the back of your neck tenderly then bury his face in your hair and breathe in deeply. After lingering for a while you both loosen your grasp enough to pull back and look at each other, you seem to hold a whole unspoken conversation until the cash register drawer shuts loudly and makes you jump. "I'll come visit tomorrow," you whisper, shyly pulling away until your hands only rest on his sturdy chest. John smiles down at you and leans forward until his forehead presses against yours, he closes his eyes for a second taking a deep breath and (once again) making your heart pound violently against your ribs. When he opens his eyes you're gazing directly at them, frozen in awe while he draws back. "I'll see you later then sweetheart." He gently cups your cheek before pulling away. You watch in a daze as he walks away, waving goodbye with a smile and leaving the bakery. Until tomorrow, you'll just have to wait.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
John would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy having you around. To be honest, he thought you would have moved on by now and finds it surprising when you visit him again. It continues to puzzle him how such a happy, clever, gorgeous girl seems to linger on his every word. It is as if you could see the resistance in his eyes and are trying to subtly take down his defenses with every smile.One day while he's going over equipment he's once again blessed by your presence, happily claiming your attention while the others are otherwise engaged. He loves how much you've warmed up to everyone, now freely joking and teasing anyone you want. But somehow he feels, when it's directed at him, that it's more than humor in your words. He's seen the coy looks you give him, how your eyelashes flutter when you glance up to gauge his reactions. He'd have to be blind to not see that you obviously still have a crush, no matter how mind boggling it seems.When he says he's lucky, he means it. He wants you to know without him having to tell you, because putting all that he feels into words would be too much. Against his better judgment he's still holding out, hoping if he doesn't say anything more out loud that it won't get too hard to handle. That step would be too risky because if he told you all that he feels, then he can't pretend anymore. He'd need to be with you. But that's no good.He takes the chance to joke with you but is suddenly sidetracked when you look away. Your body captures his gaze, still glowing and glistening from your jog, your spandex running clothes hug you so well. For a moment you seem much older than you look, but when you look back and start blushing... the thought is gone as quickly as it appeared. He's a bit relieved when the EMTs pull into the garage, the younger guys arrival seems to distract you from catching him leering. When you catch up with the boys he's only half listening, amused to hear all of you joking around. But then, his mood falls when you seem to just now realize Sam is also his son. That just releases all of his self deprecating thoughts once again, so he tries to distract himself with his work. Then, when he hears Dean try to flirt with you, he just... snaps. It's not really Dean's fault, and he's sure you could have dealt with him if you didn't appreciate it. He just doesn't want that interaction to go any further. He wants you but also feels guilty about wanting you. He thinks you should see someone younger, but gets jealous when they try. He's ashamed of how he just can't get over this. Thankfully Sam takes Dean aside and tries to discourage him, leaving you shocked while John returns to his equipment. He wants to ignore everything until he calms down, but he can feel you watching him. With more hostility than intended he tries to brush you off, heatedly working on the fire hoses until he sees you trying to get closer to him.John can't hold it against you, especially with how calming you are and intuitively seeking him out to silence his addled mind. He picks you up carefully, his irritation melting away like every other time he sees you. You still stun him just like the first time he saw you and make him never want to let go. Initially put off by your random questions he entertains you nonetheless, happy to guide you around and show you this part of his life. Even if you don't become part of it. Meanwhile;
Sam takes the opportunity to confide in Dean and tells him all about his suspicions. The way you unconsciously linger around their father, and how John dotes over you in a way they've never seen him act before. Dean is skeptical at the start, but as he watches you and John interact he starts to notice just how close you seem. The first emotion he recognizes is shock, closely followed by disgust. His own father... he never thought he would go after a woman so young. His father was not naturally a sweet or affectionate man, but had fallen victim to you so suddenly that Dean was finding it hard not to be judgmental. After some time has passed and conversation has died down, you reluctantly agree to part ways. Now in higher spirits, John reluctantly shows you out. He is stopped midway when his oldest son makes a suggestive remark. And like most Winchesters he gets defensive when someone else gets hostile. He isn't given much time to linger on it as you draw him outside with you. He watches, enraptured by you in the sunset, eyes glowing in the golden light and hair flowing with the breeze. Unknowingly his wanting heart takes control of his hand as it reaches out to you. The softness of your cheek just as devastating as the big doe eyes that look up at him. Sweetly and unwillingly you both say goodbye. He watches your back with a protective tenderness until you disappear from his sight.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Hey girls, I have a question for you!”The sound of the metal door clanging against the wall loudly announces your entrance to all the startled Firefighters inside. You continue your jog at the same quick pace you used since you left your house, not bothering to stop and quietly shut the door before running up to the two women playing poker.“First of all, Hello.” Ruby responds with a hint of snark, turning back to her cards as you come to an abrupt stop behind her chair.“Yeah yeah, hello and all that," you mutter, waving a hand dismissively while leaning over to catch your breath."Did you just run all the way here?" Bela asks, then briefly laughs when you only manage a nod from your hunched over position."Are you both off on Friday night?" You breathe out, finally standing up straight to look at them and set down your bag on the table while still fighting for air."This Friday?" Bela questions putting her cards down and pulling out her phone. You nod in affirmation and watch as she swipes her screen a few times. "Yeah, looks like we're both off.""Great! Then would you both want to go out with me and a few of my friends?" Clasping your hands together in front of your chest, you give them both a pleading look. Ruby glances towards you then back at Bela with a shrug."What did you have in mind?""Well we were planning on going to a new bar in the city, then a club to dance the night away," you give them a little preview wiggle in hopes that it will entice them."Hey wait, why aren't we invited?" Dean cuts in as he looks around the table that held Sam and Cas as well."It's kind of supposed to be a girls night," you murmur feeling a little bad that you couldn't extend the invite. "It would just be us and a few old friends of mine.""Well it might be nice to have some guys around to keep the creeps away" Dean alludes trying to convince you."I suppose I can't stop you if you happen to show up to the same bar," you concede with an amused eye-roll. "But I also don't have to tell you where that is.""Oh that's selfish," Dean tuts going back to his cards. You huff out a sigh and reach into your bag, hopefully a small treat would appease the boys."Here you go you ding-dong, maybe you'll forgive me once you eat."Dean grins in his creepy, food obsessed way at the sight of the small single serving pie, the plans all but forgotten once he pulls open the container. You chuckle and swiftly set out the rest of the desserts for everyone to enjoy. All but one cherry pie."Where is John by the way, I have a kind of time sensitive question for him too," you ask the scavenging crew while looking around for the older man."In the office," Sam acknowledges while keeping his eyes glued to his cards. You thank him briefly before passing by, heading towards the swinging metal door that connects the garage and office space."Hey Ellen, have you seen John?" You ask stopping by her desk. She looks up from her paperwork briefly and points you down the hall towards what you assume is his office. With a small thank you, you trek quietly to the end of the hall. The beige walls seem so oddly out of place from the brick garage you've come to know, but maybe it's just unfamiliarity since you've never had a chance to visit John while he's inside.You pause in front of the last door, fiddling with your bag while you debate if you might be overstepping some boundaries by walking into his office. After visiting the station so frequently you begin to wonder if you're crossing the line between his casual and professional work space, maybe making him seem unprofessional. But, then Ellen probably would have stopped you if you were. The bronze plaque glued to the door stares back at you as you raise your fist to knock, your heart starts pounding all of the sudden as you read the familiar name. The memory of your last encounter is still fresh in your mind and you can't tell if it's nervousness or excitement making you feel so jumpy. You take a deep calming breath to ground yourself and finally rap your knuckles on the door. Silence greets you immediately after, making you move to start pacing until a deep voice calls out from inside sounding rather irritated.“Either get in here or find something better to do!” John’s raised voice carries through the wood and stops you in your tracks. You cautiously step up to turn the handle, hoping he won't be too upset at the intrusion, but the second after you open the door, he speaks again.“What is it now?” He growls not looking up from the computer. He must have had a rough day so far based on his impatience, and you could probably guess who was pushing his buttons. "John?" You call out, trying to keep your voice down in the much quieter environment. John looks up from his computer to see you poking your head in the room. "Are you busy?"“If you were anyone else I’d say yes, but for you, it can wait.” He seemingly does a complete 180 as he comes to realize it’s you. His scowl cracks once you catch his attention and morphs into a grin. The atmosphere quickly dissipates until it feels monumentally lighter, simultaneously erasing the irritation he seems to have let build up for far too long.“Are you sure? I can come back later,” you ask while still halfway behind the door."No come on in, just sit down for a sec while I finish this up." John gives you a small smile as he motions towards a chair and quickly goes back to his work.You close the door quietly behind you and make your way to the only open seat, a little flustered when you notice it's pulled around the side of the small desk and not across from him. The way it's arranged leaves you just a foot or so away facing directly at him without the desk's surface separating you. If you wanted, you could even reach out and turn his swivel chair to face you. You cross your legs once you sit down and try in vain not to fidget while you watch him, no matter how much your body wants to scoot closer and lean your head on his shoulder. Another minute of this gives you plenty of time to admire his profile, the scruff of his beard a little longer than usual and the way his eyes seem to crinkle more and more the longer you stare.“You alright there, Sweetheart?” John interrupts your daydreaming with a sideways glance. Just now making you realize how obvious you were by staring and squirming nervously.“Oh, yeah I’m fine,” you say snapping your eyes away with embarrassment. For another minute or so you try to occupy yourself looking around the small office."Alright, all done." John sighs as he closes out of the program on his computer, he twists his neck and rolls his shoulders back letting his joints give a loud pop in relief. You start to wonder how often he actually spends his time in this cramped little room. Perhaps all those times you visited without seeing him he was just busy doing paperwork inside, well not every time, at least a few days he must have been in the field as well.With a minute head shake you try to recollect your thoughts. You send an awkward smile in his direction once he turns his attention away from the screen and directly towards you."So, what can I do for you today sweetheart?" John rumbles pushing away from the desk and rolling up to you, his motions smooth and relaxed compared to how tense he seemed while working. He trains his sights on you once he gets situated directly in front of you. The button up uniform that you've only just noticed contributes to the professional and commanding aura, of which you're currently falling victim to. But the form flattering cut and several buttons casually undone below his neck were testing your willpower to stay focused."Um, I can't remember if I told you about the summer camp I volunteer at." You manage to force out, trying to get to your request out as quickly as possible while he leans himself forward in front of you."No I don't think you mentioned it." John shakes his head, brows furrowing briefly as he tries to recall the unfamiliar information."Well, it's for kids aged 4 to 6 and it's mostly just learning to be careful on their bikes and with animals and what to do in emergencies..." you trail off a little feeling awkward to ask him for the favor."Alright..." he murmurs. His warm eyes focusing patiently on your timid expressions while waiting for you to continue."Well, we usually have guest police and animal trainers... but one of our volunteers cancelled at the last minute. So we were thinking we should invite the fire department to teach them fire safety...""Ah I see," he smiles catching on."So I mentioned I know you -the fire chief I mean! And the organizers asked me to see if you would be free, or interested I guess, to teach on Thursday..." you twiddle your fingers looking up from under your eyelashes, "feel free to say no, I know it's last minute.""Sure."Your head jerks up at the quick response, totally expecting questions or at least a calendar check before he decided."Wha- that seemed too easy" you blink. John chuckles at the stunned look you shoot him. You can only lean forward in confusion to ask,"don't you need to check?""Well I am the chief sweetheart, I know what our schedule looks like." He sounds almost teasing before he rolls away and pulls out a calendar."I'm sorry I didn't mean- I just didn't expect this to go so smooth." You huff a relieved laugh."Well, let's get into the details then." He grins. You give him a happy smile of your own, rolling up next to him to set up your plans.---That Thursday morning you woke with an excited tremor at the idea of the field trip, your anticipation for the day almost rivaling the kids. However, while the kids excitement consists mostly of seeing the Firetrucks and using the hose, yours is centered on spending the day with the older man who has almost certainly stolen your heart. You'd even dolled up a bit and put on a new sundress in preparation for the beautiful day and equally beautiful man who's leading the presentation at the station. Your hopes for the day are to get even closer with John, hopefully convince him of your maturity as well. By your own logic, once he sees how you can handle and take care of children, he might be convinced that you’re not too young for him. Perhaps he’d even find himself thinking of how you would make a great mother. Wait... That’s probably thinking too far into this. Before your thoughts could derail anymore you focused on getting ready and preparing all the children for the day.Now here you are, walking down the sidewalk leading a group of color coordinated kindergartens with the help of a couple other volunteers. You smile watching the kids, their yellow hats almost make them look like little ducklings as they toddle along behind you. You had started camp at the community center like usual but once daily activities and snacks were finished you all started the walk to the firehouse."Alright, we're almost there. Now everyone remember to be on your best behavior ok? These firefighters are being extra nice by letting us visit." You advise the kids in your group once you see the station come into view. Their distracted chattering leaves you to wonder if they even heard you."Miss (y/n) I'm tired, no more walking," one of your smaller group members named Freddy whines while he lags along."You think you can make it just up to that building?" You ask pointing to the station, he pouts but nods anyway while dropping his head in defeat. You take pity and fall back to take his tiny hand before he gets too far behind. "If you're still tired once we get there I'll pick you up ok?"The little boy nods glumly, still dragging his feet. You chuckle to yourself at the cute pout and continue down the sidewalk until you see a fire engine parked outside with a couple familiar figures loitering around it. Only a minute later you call out to get the men's attention and let the group know you've arrived."We're here! Everyone, can you say hi to fireman Dean and chief John?" You announce looking down to the kids with a grin as they scream hello. While the men give their introductions you feel Freddy pull your hand and ask to be lifted with a tired frown. You bend down and hoist the 5 year old onto your hip with practiced ease, he settles down but still pouts tiredly into your shoulder."Hi guys," you smile at the men once you're situated holding the worn out toddler. Dean gestures back casually while John seems to admire you as a whole with a soft smile."Alright now who wants to learn about firemen? You might even get to sit in the truck!""YEAH!" Rang out a chorus of tiny voices, some more screams than actual words."Good! So here are some basic fire safety tips," John starts. The duo launch into a practised monologue about basic safety while the kids settle down on the grass. It’s apparent that they give these types of demonstrations fairly often, not only by the smooth delivery of their instructions but by the way they keep the kids engaged. As they talk about prevention and precautions they bring out an assortment of props for examples, the smoke detector test standing out slightly from the way it made the kids scream and laugh at the loudness. You settle in with the other volunteers behind the group of kids once Freddy decides he wants down to get a closer look. You stretch your tired arms and stand beside the bench the others squeezed into, politely refusing when they offer you their seat. The few adults converse quietly while their groups are being entertained, you chime in once in a while as the topics stray from small talk to funny stories about things the kids have done. Once the fire hose is brought out one of the women makes a vague retort about the younger fireman that sets the rest of you off trying to stifle your laughter. You glance back towards the front hoping you hadn’t interrupted the presentation only to be surprised by John sneaking around the kids while Dean keeps them distracted. He carries over a folding chair, no doubt noticing you shifting your weight from foot to foot, and places it down for you. You give him a quiet thank you and bite your lip as he shoots you a wink before walking away. Only once he’s back at the front do you notice the sly looks from the other chaperones, you try to divert your attention in hopes that they will not poke their noses into your complicated relationship.After some time has passed John and Dean conclude the teaching portion of the day and start to hand out plastic fireman hats to all the children while they ask them questions. "Fire-man, have you seen a big fire?" "Do you have a domino dog?"“My mommy says I’m not allowed to light the fire when we go camping.”"Do you drive the big truck?"You chuckle at the silly questions the kids come up with while they swarm the men for their hats. While the two are busy coming up with answers some of the younger ones come back towards their chaperones for familiar company. Little Freddy rushes up to you with his friend Carlos in tow and proudly shows off their helmets, you put on an impressed face as they babble about some things they just learned. “Looks like it’s time to try the hose!” The kids simultaneously run towards the voice in the grassy field next to the station where Dean had quickly hooked the hose to a hydrant. Belatedly, you notice a little wooden house cut-out with fake fire in the windows that could be knocked over with the spray from the hose. No doubt the kids were going to enjoy this.Getting up slowly the rest of you follow behind, watching how Dean holds the hose and explains how to use the handle. Once they got in a semblance of a line, each child takes their turn stepping up and aiming the water at the wooden fire while Dean holds the hose still. A few dedicated kids volunteer to put the fires back in the windows while the firefighter arches the water to rain down on them. You laugh at the cute scene and try not to think about the lack of towels on hand.“Did you enjoy the presentation?” You turn quickly at the simultaneous baritone and familiar hand that comes to rest on your back. A pair of crinkled eyes look down at you once he comes to stand by your side, his hand only lingers for a moment before clasping behind his back as if the affection was meant to be kept secret from anyone watching. You smile noticing that despite his intentions he still couldn't help lingering as close to your side as possible."Mhmm, very informative." You hum while leaning in to playfully bump your shoulder to his. The two of you keep talking as you watch the children play. Conversation flows just as easily as ever and seems to tune out the sounds around you, even the nosy adults not too far away as they comment on your display. You so desperately wish he'd wrap his arm around you like you've become accustomed to, standing so close with just minimal contact was almost making you uneasy. Thankfully, before long the kids finish up with the water and walk back to where you started."Do we need a break, or do we want to go check out the truck?" John asks once the group gathers nearby. A chorus of tiny voices affirms their desire to see more. John chuckles and steps away to lead everyone towards the parked fire engine, some lag behind a little from getting worn out. Freddy appears at your side with a tug on your hand, once again guilting you into carrying him. The toddler rests his cheek on your shoulder and follows along with his eyes as you keep up with the group. After showing all the cool tools and equipment John opens the doors for the kids to see inside. The adults help each of them individually get up into the cabin to look around and sit in the driver's seat. They keep up their questions as they look around full of wonder and curiosity. A little while later you ask Freddy if he wants to go up and receive a timid nod."Don't worry, I'll help you," you reassure the boy and step forward to be next in line. John smiles at both of you when you get up to the side of the firetruck and helps you climb up the first step. You shift Freddy trying to lift him so he can climb up into the cabin but almost lose your balance. John is on you in an instant steadily holding your hips to ensure you're safe. You smile down to him briefly and use the leverage to hoist the little boy into the cabin. Once settled, you move to climb into the cabin yourself with John carefully supporting you. You sit in the driver's seat while the toddler looks around the interior and John stands below the open door ready to assist you back down. You barely notice the staring chaperones when you take the older man's hand to help you exit the vehicle, even less so when he supports your waist as you grab the kid and finally get down.You all settle down after that, kids plopping down in the grass as the chaperone in charge of snacks hands out fruits and juice. The firemen take the chance to chat some more with the group, answering questions and telling some light hearted stories. Eventually some kids get up and start playing nearby even looking over the tools and firetruck once again. Others however started telling stories of their own."Miss (y/n) said that she- that um- that a firefighter um took her from a fire? Why- um what did you do?" Drew, one of the more talkative kids, rambles from where he is half hanging on the truck while looking at Dean. You can see the man trying to decipher what the kid is asking before you try to explain."I told the kids on the walk over here that a firefighter saved me once," you mention feeling your cheeks heating up. Freddy wouldn't let you get off easy though if he could help it."Miss (y/n) is red!" He laughs crawling over and trying to smoosh your cheeks while you chuckle trying to keep hold of his squirmy little body. But that just makes a couple other little girls giggle and try teasing you."Yeah she said he was strong! He could pick her up just like my daddy picks me up!" Gushes little Rosie as she reaches her arms up to show Dean what she means."Oh is that all she said?" Dean asks looking out to the mischievous little group."Yes! That's all!" You interject, setting Freddy down to escape his grabby hands. "Did you know that? Did you see it?" Drew asks curiously while inspecting John's reflective striped pants."Yeah I saw, I was there." John chuckles."Did you carry miss (y/n)?" Rosie asks with a giggle."I sure did," he laughs, shooting you a grin as the girl squeals. You blush and move to stand up and start collecting trash to throw away. The other adults perk up to ask what happened, surprised and intrigued since you didn't mention that to them. You try to casually recount your story."Basically I guess I was trapped in a fire and John and Dean forced their way in to get me and my dog out, then John carried me out to safety." You summarize trying not to include any scary parts for the children to hear. The others look surprised and glance between you and John, who watches you carefully."Wow, pick her up! I wanna see!" One of the kids shouts. Another couple join in agreement and bounce excitedly. You start to stammer an excuse not to before you're interrupted."John?!" You squeak out when you are suddenly, and quite literally, swept off your feet. You grasp his shoulders in surprise and get a sense of familiarity at the way he settles you in his arms. You check with a flustered gasp to make sure your dress hasn't revealed anything to the cheering crowd. "John, what are you-" "Just humoring the kids," John chuckles. You blink somewhat dazed and make no move to resist. Little arms reach up excitedly making John turn around and jog away from the hoard of kids. You giggle while he makes a game out of carrying you around and dodging every child in his path. His grip never falters but you still feel the urge to tightly wrap your arms around him. Only once someone grabs his leg does he give up, dramatically falling to his knees and slowly loosening his grasp until you're sitting on the grass in front of him. You keep laughing even as the kids pull you away and try to continue the game. About an hour later everyone is gathered to get ready to leave. The camp had arranged for parents to pick up their kids in the buildings parking lot so they didn't have to walk back when the kids are tired. You tell them to thank the firefighters for a great day and see them off to their parents. The sun is setting by the time the last child is being driven home, the other volunteers gather to walk back to get their cars but you opt to stay behind a while longer.Hours later you're still hanging out in the garage talking to John while watching him put away equipment. Even after a long day you can't get enough of him, each moment you spend together feels so natural that you feel like you're missing something when you leave. Once he's done you lounge at a table together while he halfheartedly goes over a checklist. It seems like every time you catch his attention you're drawn closer, thankfully you sit in the farthest corner from the crew so you're not disturbed. "It's getting late, I should probably go home," you mutter checking the time.John nods standing to help you up."I'll walk you out." You smile feeling the familiar warmth of his hand on the small of your back where he guides you away from the table. The two of you walk slowly, savoring each second before you depart. He reaches ahead to hold open the door to the parking lot when you both halt."Oh, I didn't realize it started raining." You muse holding out your hand to feel the drops and wonder how you'll get home. You turn to John and notice how he looks to you with thought."Why don't I give you a lift home sweetheart?" You look up at him with surprise. You know you'd made progress today but you did not expect him to readily offer to take you home."Are you allowed to leave during your shift?" you ask him in confusion."My shift has been over for a while," he grumbles turning away from your examining gaze."What? Why are you still here?" you ask, he ignores your question while you can see his jaw clenching under his stubble. Deciding it best not to push him to admit something he's not given into, you hurry to accept. "um, then yes please, I'd like a ride home.""I'll pull the truck up, wait here," before you have a chance to follow, he's jogging down the steps and into the rain. You blush when he pulls up in front of the exit, even going as far as jumping out of the truck to open the passenger door. Rushing down the steps you thank him as he extends his hand to help you climb into the truck. You watch him jog back around to jump into the driver’s seat, you admire his profile when he combs back his now dripping hair."Where to?" His gravelly voice jars you enough to stutter out your address. You drive in a comfortable silence, him watching the road while you look around his truck noticing the slight clutter. The road is fairly empty at this time of night with the street lights reflecting off of the wet surface and the full sound of falling rain creating a peaceful atmosphere. You draw your focus away from the droplets on the window and watch John drive quietly. His features aren't as clear in the dark but you can still make out his charming crows feet that make your cheeks tug up into a serene smile. You could spend countless nights watching him drive, entranced by the ease and comfort he shows holding the wheel while resting one elbow on the door. Once you pull onto your street you point out your house, he pulls up to the curb and parks about to hop out again when you call out his name to stop him"I just remembered I have a pie I meant to give you! Would you come inside for a little while?" His hand remains on the door handle while you turn towards him. He looks at you for a moment before turning off the car and getting out, you move to open your door but he already beat you to it. He jogs around to open it for you and take your hand to help you hop down. You hurry across the lawn together and quickly huddle under the awning while you unlock the door. His large frame hovers behind you nearly pressing you against the door until you hear the deadbolt turn over."Welcome to my humble abode," you step inside first in order to hold the door open as a gesture for him to come in. He wipes his feet on the doormat while looking around, Roxy can be heard scrambling out of your bedroom to come to greet you. You spend a minute saying hello to her before she pounces on John, he takes a knee scratching behind her ears while you watch on. Belatedly you realize he's still dripping wet and you run to get a towel before he can deny it, he gives a soft smile when he takes the fluffy blue fabric. For a few long seconds you admire his form, arms flexing as he roughly towel dries his hair and torso outlined by the wet black t-shirt."Let me go find that pie," you squeak. Making your way to the kitchen you take deep breaths to calm yourself, the fact that John is standing in your living room is almost too surreal to believe."What the-?!" you yelp stopping abruptly in front of the refrigerator where a giant puddle has formed on the hardwood floor. Only a split-second later John is beside you, having run in at your alarmed shout. He puts his hands on your shoulders glancing around for a threat. He visibly relaxes once he follows your eyes to see the puddle. "Here, let me take a look," he mumbles lowering his hands to approach the fridge. "Oh no John you don't have to! I'll call a repairman." You watch on as he yanks it little by little away from the wall, the small grunts and wet shirt pasted to his flexing shoulders gave you plenty of distraction from the problem at hand."Don't worry about that, I'll help you out free of charge." He chuckles once he pulls it back enough to see behind."Looks like its actually coming from the sink and just ran under the cabinets to the fridge." He muses pulling away and opening the cabinets under the sink. "Do you have any plumbers tape?" "I do actually!" You exclaim running off to fetch it and grab more towels. Once you're back you spread the towels out to soak up the puddle and hand him the tape. He leans under the sink and makes quick work covering the leak."There, works like new, just without the leak." He smiles standing back up in front of you. You bend down and take a look at the repair, just another simple thing John does to make your life a little bit better. Slowly, you straighten up and reflect your appreciation with a smile. "Thank you John... I don't know how I ever lived without you."You'd meant to say it teasingly, but as you gazed up at the older man's warm eyes and stubble covered cheeks surrounding his smile, you just couldn't help how genuinely reverent the words came out. You stare at each other for a prolonged period, eyes carrying a heavy sentiment.Then, all at once, you lean towards each other. Lips meeting halfway and pressing tenderly together. Your fingers curl into his shirt right above his abs, feeling the taut muscle against your knuckles as you desperately pull him closer. His own hands snake around your waist and curl into your hair, grip tight and possessive as he drags you impossibly closer.His lips move ardently against your own, want and pent up longing fuel wave after wave of passion. You surge with each kiss, bodies pulsing back and forth wanting to get closer somehow while already glued together. You slide your hands up along his chest until they snake over his shoulders. You press up against him eagerly and bask in the total protection and comfort his arms surround you with.Your lips part to let out a breathy gasp between kisses, the sound stirring him up as he dives back in to capture the taste of your plump lips. He spreads his fingers to grope the tender flesh of your hip, palms desperately wanting more as he presses you harder against his body. The next gasp you make is rewarded with a pant of his own, then a deep kiss before he slowly pulls away.You blink somewhat dazed and stare back at his burning gaze. Your body still feels hot and both of you are still desperately trying to catch your breath."Oh sweetheart," he groans, pulling your grasp away from him to hold your hands in his own. "What have you done to me?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
John’s lips feel like Heaven. It’s hard to tell how long the kiss has been going on now for you’re so lost in the moment. The feeling of John’s hands running up and down your body and the taste of him on your tongue leaves your mind foggy. He tilts your head back into his hand and gathers your body closer, curling over you and chasing the addictive feeling of your touch. Your parted lips meet over and over as he seems to try drawing every breath up and out of you. After what seems like a long barrage of kisses, but was really only one, he draws back with a barely audible grunt.“Oh sweetheart.”Your eyes lazily flutter open at the feeling of his hand leaving the back of your neck, his rough palm curls around to cup your jaw while he swipes his thumb along your bottom lip. His eyes glaze over as he pours over every detail of your face, touch lingering on the feel of your kiss bitten lips. You lean into his warmth, eager to lap up as much of his attention as possible while your heart tries breaking free of your chest.“What have you done to me,” he seems to ponder to himself. Bringing up his free hand he gently takes hold of the wrist resting on his shoulder and slowly pulls it down until your open palm is resting over his heart. Once your hand is still he spreads his much larger hand to cover yours and hold it to his chest. You stare back in a daze and admire the older man whose hooded eyes bore into you while his heart pounds under your touch. With a thoughtful look he slides the hand on your cheek to caress your hair, then smoothly brushes it back over your opposite shoulder until your neck is exposed.He leans back in and ghosts his lips over the corner of your mouth before placing a trail of teasing kisses along your cheek and down the hinge of your jaw. You shiver as his facial hair brushes against your cheek and grazes the nerves still hypersensitive from his lips. The hot tingle reminds you of how it feels to run a finger over a fresh burn, even such a light touch is almost overwhelming.It doesn’t surprise you that John can make you feel this way, just being in his presence always made you feel so open and exposed. But now, with your whole body held against his, each press of his lips is bordering on sensory overload. Each kiss feels more urgent once he gets to your neck, his mouth seems to press harder and become slightly breathy the more he touches you. The hand on your neck lowers once more as John wraps it around the small of your back, restlessly pressing until you arch into his touch as you both get carried away. You release a shaky breath as his body surrounds you once again. He tightens his grip on your hand as your fingers desperately try gripping his chest, and presses it almost painfully to keep your palm flat over his pounding heart. Your free hand curls behind his shoulders as you try to steady yourself, not that you could actually collapse with Johns steel grip on you, but after so much time dreaming about this you want to hold on as tight as you possibly can.His mouth wanders along your collarbone once you let your head lull back, every kiss more intense than the last. It feels as if he’s losing control of himself with every hot breath that escapes his lips. You shiver at the feeling of his teeth grazing your skin, your shoulders try to raise reflexively only for John to then trail his lips along the column of your throat once again. By this point you have no control of the tiny whimpers escaping your lips, or the shallow panting you’re doing against his ear. He doesn’t seem to mind either as he starts kissing further back… and that’s when he finds that sensitive spot behind your ear. You bite your lip trying to hold back a moan while the rest of your body squirms against him. His hands squeeze in response giving no chance of escape as he doubles down on that spot."Ah-" you feel a strained noise escape you as he brushes his lips behind your ear. You can feel yourself starting to tremble in his arms from sensitivity before he starts placing kisses around the same spot. You whimper desperately, hands clutching his shirt almost as tight as his grip is on you. Then, when you think he's about to pull away, he blows into your ear."John!" His name comes out in a half moan half whimper before you can stop it. Meanwhile John's hold on you freezes as you squirm against him once more. After a moment, you realize he has pulled away, his lips no longer anywhere to be found on your skin. It takes another second to drag your eyes open and focus before you notice him staring down at you. Shock is clearly written on his face and, much to your chagrin, is quickly followed by panic."John?" You murmur worrying he’ll jolt at his name. His eyes briefly dart down to watch your lips before blinking at you. All of the sudden you feel like you'll collapse as his body retracts from you, stumbling back a step until he bumps into the kitchen counter."Damn it." The curse comes out short and harsh, and his voice a lot more guttural than you’re used to. John leans back on the counter to recover himself as he runs a heavy hand over his face. You can practically see the gears in his head turning while you hover in front of him with an air of uncertainty. "We can't do this," he trails off while trying to turn away. "What? Why not? What's wrong?" Your mind struggles to catch up as your heart makes you go to check if he’s alright. He clenches his jaw, turning his head away when you try reaching after him. You blink in surprise at his rejection and pull your hands back to tuck them into your chest."Do you...is it…” you pause mulling over the correct words, “Do you not want me?" You wonder in a tiny fearful voice and uncertain in how to ask. "You should know that's opposite the truth," he retorts barely a second later and eases some of your worry."Then what's the problem? I know you could tell I feel the same." Stepping forward you lay a reassuring hand on the fist he has clenched around the counter’s edge. "You can't just say stuff like that." He rumbles, turning to tower over you with a fiery gaze and rigid demeanor, but not removing his hand from yours. You can’t help thinking, if he wasn’t so unsure, he would have been more gruff about it.“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.” You reassure him with a steady voice, finally glad that you can admit out loud everything you’ve been feeling for him. His eyes dart down to your hand and back up with apprehension staining his features, the crinkles around his eyes that you’ve come to love are replaced with a worry line between his brows. Raising your other hand, you slowly reach out, hoping he doesn’t turn away this time. You tenderly cup his cheek, trying to transmit how much he means to you with your eyes.
“John, I’ve wanted to be with you for so--”He doesn't let you finish the thought before he has captured your lips one more time. His self-restraint was great, but he had reached his limit. This time was more gentle but also unsure. You kiss him back with relief and waste no time before raising your arms to wrap around his neck and run your fingers through his mussed hair. His beard scratches your chin a little until he tilts slightly for a better angle.Letting go of the counter he steps up to you, his grip is still somewhat rigid when he grabs your hips and turns your back to the counter. You can feel his hesitation holding him back while he presses his lips lightly to yours. It might have felt romantic if he didn’t seem so tense. His hands stiffly hold you in place as he pulls away from the kiss, then he rests his forehead against yours with a distressed sigh.“Please,” you murmur. Your fingers comb through his salt and pepper hair one more time before you kiss lightly up his jaw. “Say you’ll be with me.”He backs up suddenly, pulling your hands off of him with a firm grip, and scowls.“Stop it (y/n).” He holds your wrists away from him, body full of tension, while you gape at the acidity he gave your name. Your heart drops at the rejection you had always worried about, and at the loss of comfort he’s always provided you.“You can't keep playing around like this, It's not a game!" He scolds with a glance of the temper you’ve only seen him lose with the other Winchester boys. Taking a step back, he lets your arms go, clearly hoping to end this quickly."Playing? I'm not trying to... you should know that by now. You know I want you. I don't want anyone but you.” You stare pleadingly into his eyes, which, at your admission, were swimming with conflict. "Why can't you just accept that we want the same thing...""We don't.” He bristles looking away. You start to realise, even while trying to be reassuring, that he has made his choice. Resorting to distancing himself from you in hopes that you’ll change your mind.“I know that’s not true,” you state matter of factly. “Just tell me the real reason John. What is the problem that’s stopping you from being with me?”“It wouldn’t work out,” he grumbles bitterly. You frown at the vague response, noticing that once again he's skirting the topic. With a heavy heart and overstressed nerves, you collect up all the courage you can manage to ask the question you suspect is on his mind.“Is it the age difference?” You feel so defeated having to ask what you already assumed. He doesn’t actually say anything for a minute after, he just looks down. The heavy silence and the badly concealed look of defeat is all you need.“Now you listen to me, I’ve thought about this long and hard and I would never say all this if I was uncertain.” You mutter tiredly. “I don’t care about the age difference, all I want is you. Just you, John.” Even after admitting your feelings he is still quiet. You feel a growing sense of dread as he keeps pushing himself to be detached. It's like you have lost your whole dynamic with him, and you don’t know how to deal with that. You start to tear up, hoping for any kind of response, and feel your desperation build up rapidly.“Please tell me that you feel the same about me,” you whimper. After you ask, there is a heavy silence. You start wondering if he really cares that much about the age, or if he just didn't care as much about you as you had hoped. The thought of not being near him, or seeing him, or even hearing his warm rumbling voice anymore has you panicking. You back away, almost fearfully, to quietly try one last time."John?" He looks back with a closed off expression and you feel your tears spilling over.
He turns away, cold as ice, and quietly leaves the room. You stand staring blankly after him in shock. The heavy sound of his shoes heading towards the front door makes you reluctantly shuffle into the hall. You spot him holding his keys in one hand with the other on the doorknob. "No…wait...don't leave like this," the sight makes you defeatedly murmur. John turns his head just barely at your voice. He casts you a contrite look and hesitates before turning the doorknob. For a moment you think he’s going to say something, but then he looks away, opens the door, and trudges back out into the rain. --------That Friday night you are sitting at home, curled up on the couch with Roxy in your arms while waiting for your friends to arrive. You absentmindedly watch the sitcom playing on tv
but have trouble paying attention as your mind keeps drifting back to the other night. Sleep hasn’t come easy, and without visiting the firestation your days have been a lot more grey. Even work seemed almost too much to bear, you were relieved to have the day off after that stressful night.Roxy looks up with a huff once she feels your fingers still in her fur, you shake the thoughts away for a moment and resume scratching under her chin. The happy panting and toothy grin are a welcome distraction, and have been the biggest comfort during your heartbreak.
Knock Knock
You sit up at the rapid knocking while Roxy races to see who is outside, then once you open the door, jumping happily into the familiar persons arms.“Hi Roxy!” Your friend Charlie squeals crouching to hug the squirming dog. “Hey (y/n)” Dorothy greets casually.“Well hello ladies,” you drawl out with the best playboy impression you can manage. “Would you like to come inside?”“Gross, move you creep.” Dorothy scoffs with a grin, pushing past you to set down bags full of clothes and bottles of liquor. Charlie raises up to hug you before following after her girlfriend while you shut the door. The three of you go to unpack everything in the kitchen before actually starting the pregaming for the night.“I already mentioned that I invited a couple girls I know along right?” You check while pulling out shot glasses from a cabinet.“Yeah, you did. But how do you know them?” Charlie asks, absently sorting out the bag of clothes.“I thought we were your only friends,” Dorothy teases making you glare at her.“They are firefighters I met a while back. It’s kind of a long story,” you mumble. Charlie looks up in confusion.“Wait, from your apartment fire? I only remember you mentioning a fireMAN,” the redhead teases. You try to avoid her eyes at the mention of John, hoping she won’t see the sadness it causes.“Yeah you wouldn’t shut up about him, did you guys bang or what?” Dorothy grins until she notices you keeping quiet. “Uh oh, did something happen?”You heave a sigh and set the glasses in a neat row on the counter. Of course you realize you would spill the beans at some point tonight, but you hadn't expected it to be brought up so quickly (or while you are still sober)."Yeah, something bad happened," you admit, "but I haven't had enough to drink to say anything yet."Dorothy raises and eyebrow at you but otherwise agrees while dutifully opening a bottle of tequila and pouring a row of shots. Once all of you are ready, you count to three and toss back the burning liquid. Once you've taken a couple shots and feel the fuzzy warmth setting in, you begin to open up. Starting with the very surprising visit he paid you at your work, you recount every interaction with John, all the way up until your painful last encounter. Charlie chimes in every so often with little commentary while Dorothy seems annoyed by the ending."You know he doesn't deserve you, seriously," Charlie rambles with intensity, starting to get tipsy if you had to guess. You muster up a thank you while tracing a finger along the rim of your glass. On one hand you can’t help but agree, remembering how great your disappointment was when he refused anything to do with you and even left you crying in the kitchen. On the other hand though, you still feel like he is the best man you could ever want, no matter how pitiful it makes you feel to admit it.“I know I’ve said it before, but you really do need to meet him in order to know he’s a great guy.” You mumble in his defense, finding it hard to badmouth him despite the way the two of you left things. Rolling your head forward, you groan into the marble counter. “Ugh.. I can’t believe I’m endorsing him right now.”“That’s it.” Dorothy says with a clipped tone, ushering you away from the kitchen,“Let’s go, time to get ready. You are going to party your little butt off tonight until you forget about Mr. Grouch.”Dorothy takes you by the shoulders and marches you towards the bedroom, her pace is much quicker and less wobbly than your own inebriated stumbling. Charlie shows up close behind with an armful of dresses and helps you sit down at your vanity where you pull out your makeup. After an hour of primping, and quickly taking Roxy out to go potty, they finally manage to convince you to wear a risque dress you had hidden in the back of your closet. You look yourself over in the bathroom mirror, a little flustered to be wearing something so much more revealing than your usual attire. You had been convinced by the sneaky girls to show off your “assets” and “let him know what he’s missing out on”, and now, while adjusting the hem of the dress on your upper thighs, you are glad to have had something to drink. The thought of John seeing you in this figure-highlighting dress(while it is unlikely) does give you a bit of courage, and with a satisfied spin you give your reflection a thumbs up. You return to Charlie and Dorothy who have gotten ready by now as well and collect your things to leave, then giving your dog a treat and walking outside to get in your Uber. The three of you joke around until you reach the club everyone is meeting at, then catching up on little things and family gossip until you’re let inside by the bouncer. Once on the inside you are greeted with low lighting and thudding bass notes, both accentuated with pulses of red flashing strobes keeping time with the music. You keep hold of Charlie’s dress as you squeeze through the crowd, trying not to get separated while searching for the other girls. Between flashes of color you catch sight of Bela where she looks disinterested in the conversation she's having with a man standing beside her at the bar. You tug on Charlie’s skirt, motioning for her and Dorothy to follow as you make your way towards the others.“Bela!” You shout over the music and raise a hand to capture the girls attention. Bela glances over and waves once she catches sight of you, saying something over her shoulder to the man beside her before weaving through the crowd.“Hey, we got a table,” she greets nodding her head for you to follow. You tug your presence on Charlie one more time to make sure the group won't get split up as you make your way across the body flooded dance floor. Once you get there you notice an unfamiliar girl between her and Ruby.“These are my friends Dorothy and Charlie,” you lean in pointing to each of them as you shout over the music.“WHAT?” Ruby shouts back. You motion them to follow you and, once again, hike back through the crowd to get to the bar.“This is Jo.” Ruby states, pulling over the girl you noticed before as she simultaneously flags down the bartender. “Shots please. Fireball Whisky.”You laugh to yourself. “Fireball? A firefighter drinks Fireball?”“Shut up, introduce your friends,” Ruby scoffs halfheartedly. You chuckle and point them out once again before turning back to Jo.“So, how do you guys know each other?” You take a shot glass filled with amber liquid and peer over the rim at the younger blonde woman.“I guess I know the whole station, my family works there.” Jo shrugs grabbing a shot for herself and throwing it back with the rest of you after Dorothy counts down from three. Once you put down your own empty glass you squint your eyes at her.“You’re not another Winchester are you? I swear if there is one more of them…” you trail off with a slur in your speech, hardly noticing how Bela and Ruby give you confused glances.“HA! No way, those guys are the worst.” She scoffs humorlessly and you can’t help the drunken acknowledgement that escapes as a laugh.“You don’t need to tell ME that,” you laugh grabbing another drink before Dorothy can grab it from your hand.Ruby and Bela send each other suspicious looks before directing their gazes at you. In your drunken state you hardly remember that you had intended to keep everything that happened with John in the dark. “Did something happen?” Bela arches an eyebrow and you let out an exasperated sigh.“Jus’ getting my heart broken by the man I spent all summer chasin’ after,” you pout leaning into Charlie for affection. Ruby looks surprised at your admission.“Don’t tell me, was it Dean?” Jo asks cynically with tense shoulders.“Nooo, puh-lease. Like I’d ever invite a ‘Dean’ back to my house.” Ruby nearly chokes on the drink she’s sipping.“Wait, John took you home? Then rejected you?!” Bela shrieks, affronted.“You like JOHN?” Jo exclaims in surprise.You shrink into yourself at the disbelief they shout at you. With a resigned sigh you make the drunken decision to tell all and lament the lost love you’ve incurred. After the summary of what happened that night the girls shoot you pitying glances.“I’m sorry girls, I guess I’m still pretty upset. I didn't mean to ruin everyone's night out.” You mumble sadly, tracing a line on the bar counter to avoid their condoling eyes."HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S MISSING"
"MEN ARE SO STUPID I SWEAR"
"YOU DESERVE BETTER GIRL, FORGET HIM"You are thrown off by the inebriated shouts they start belting out. After recovering from your shock, you then feel your eyes welling up with tears of appreciation. Bela and Ruby break character, no doubt due to the abundance of whisky in their systems, and surround you with a hug from both sides. You catch a glance of their mirrored concern before brushing it off and loosening up with a smile. It’s been hard enough on you by now that you just want to forget everything to do with men, and that’s what you’ve decided to do.“Enough sappy stuff, let’s dance already!” You laugh and grab the two closest to you before dragging them all to the dance floor with the others laughing and following close behind.The next couple of hours pass quickly, between dancing and pausing for drinks you’ve all but forgotten the reason for your upset. Throughout the night the only annoyance has been the persistent flirting from a group of guys in the club. Despite turning down their drinks you’ve begun to worry they won’t give up. At one point Ruby had to step in between the you and the man when he insisted you should give him a chance.“Hey guys, can we go somewhere else? This guy won’t take no for an answer.” You ask once you’re back in the safety of your group. Charlie goes to hug you as she notices the tipsy slur and pout on your face.“Definitely, let’s regroup and head to a bar a couple streets over.” Ruby gathers her bag and corrals your stumbling group towards the exit.Once you’ve all stepped out into the coolness of the street, you can feel the fresh air clearing up some of the drunken haze that has consumed you all night. Only slightly more sober and aware now, you still don’t register the men following behind you.You come to a stop as Jo pulls you to the edge of the sidewalk so she can retie the laces of her boots. Once you wave the others ahead not to wait, you notice the group of men crossing the street and heading quickly in your direction. You take a wobbly step in front of the crouching and unaware Jo, steeling yourself while the figures get closer, then, you gasp."SAM??? DEAN?? AHH, CAS!! OH MY GOSH HI!” You squeal noticing the familiar faces drawing closer. The men’s faces flash with surprise before you take the opportunity to jump up and crowd them in a wide armed hug. You once again fail to notice the group of men that were approaching take a sudden turn down a side street, diverting their path towards you.“(Y/n)??” You hear the sound of heels pounding the cement behind you and let go of the awkward group hug to see the rest of your group running back, most likely because they heard your excited screaming.“You guys look who it is! Oh my gosh Cas come here you cutie.” Castiel gives Dean a confused and wide eyed stare as you pull his arm to snuggle against the adorable man’s shoulder. Dean releases a cackle as you begin pinching his cheeks and cooing about how much of a ‘good boy’ he always is. “Jo? What are you doing here?” Sam asks as Jo returns to her feet.“I’m out with the girls, I should be asking you guys that, especially with how you snuck up on us.” Jo crosses her arms with a suspicious glare all while you wrap your arms around Cas in drunken glee.“WE saw a bunch of angry looking guys following you and intercepted before something happened. What did you think you were doing not staying together?” Dean retorts and only receives a glare in return. You, meanwhile, have settled into a bear hug around Cas, much to his chagrin. “Ah forget all that! Let me look at you Casiebear, you cutie patootie!” You interrupt the lecture to reach up and plop a messy kiss on the brunette’s cheek, revealing to everyone that you’re a little bit more than a hugger when you’re drunk, much to the men's surprise and the ladies’ amusement. Sam steps forward as Dean resumes his laughing and takes hold of you around the waist in order to pull you off of the helpless and confused Castiel that is giving him 'save me' eyes. You try to pull away with a whine, refusing to let go of your Casiebear but Sam just picks you up in a fireman’s carry and sets you down away from Cas. You pout up at the tallest Winchester as Charlie pops up under your shoulder, and you settle for being an octopus on her for the time being."Why can't you Winchesters let me have any happiness?" You cry out from Charlie’s shoulder."YEAH what’s with you guys?!" Jo chimes in, Dean’s eyes grow wide at her as his laughter stops. Sam frowns at your overreaction getting confused, you know if he actually bothered to read into your words it wouldn’t take him long to figure them out. He’s been putting up with John and Dean for a long time after all and should know why you’d single them out. And now the brothers are giving each other looks; That damn silent communication they all use.“I doubt John would like seeing your lipstick all over Cas,” Dean insinuates with a frown at you. You notice Dorothy shaking her head vigorously signaling him to shut up while you glare at the older man.“I doubt he’d care what I do anymore.” You scowl with a trace of pout sneaking into your voice. Charlie pulls you off to the side while Ruby steps up to ask the guys what they’ve been up to all night, obviously trying to change the subject. But Cas doesn’t seem to catch on that easy.“I don’t understand, why do you assume John wouldn’t care about you?” Cas asks tilting his head at the scorn in your statement. “Uh Cas, maybe drop the subject.” Sam interrupts pulling the confused man away from you once again. You catch the obvious glint of recognition in Sam’s eye, and watch discreetly as he pulls out his phone.“Now wait a second, I’m also curious why you’d say that.” Dean butts in, holding his hands up as if trying to halt the conversation.“Because Winchester’s are notorious for not giving a shit about anyone but their own blood.” Jo storms up to confront Dean, and you are not sure whether it is in defense of you or rather some vendetta against Dean after all.“What the- What are you talking about?” Dean sputters at the righteous fury the drunken Jo lays on him.“Maybe we should all just take a step back,” Cas tries to interject, only to be pointed at by Jo.“Don’t pretend like you don’t notice Castiel! Just because you’re in their ‘clan’ now doesn’t mean you can’t see how they treat people.” The blonde rants on causing Cas to back up with his hands up in surrender.“Geez I didn’t mean to make you upset,” He practically whimpers.“Jo calm down,” Dean tries to appease the fuming drunk with a calm tone.“Hey back off! She has a right to be mad at you!” Bela suddenly pipes up as she steps between the blondes.Your attention drifts from the squabble towards the tallest brother who looks on the argument then back towards his phone. He stares at the screen in contemplation for a minute before seeming to decide something in his head and dial. You tap Charlie on the arm as you notice he steps aside to make a call, not paid any mind as the rest of the group huddles together in petty, slurred debate. While eavesdropping with your inebriated cohort you sneak a little closer along the sidewalk and listen in, managing to overhear snippets of a conversation.You feel a creeping suspicion of who is on the other line as Sam asks the other person what happened, then scowling into the phone.“Where are you… oh really, I bet I can guess. I’ll be there in a minute.” Sam hangs up with frustration clear on his face. He steps back over to Dean and whispers something in his ear, the older brother looks surprised before nodding and turning back towards the group.You watch as Sam sneaks away from the huddle, only noticed by you as you hide behind Charlie for stealth.“Should we follow him?” Charlie asks you with a big excited smile. You feel the adrenaline of a covert spy light up your nerves as you nod eagerly back, Charlie pumps her first in delight and sneaks over to whisper the plan in Dorothy’s ear. The taller woman leans in to listen with a poorly masked expression of curiosity, then slowly backs away from the preoccupied group and meets you with the excuse that she’s tagging along to make sure you don’t get mugged.You three stumble along after the shrinking image of Sam down the sidewalk, all the while Charlie is humming the Mission Impossible theme song. In your mind it does seem like a super covert operation, trying to stay in the shadows of the streetlights while in reality you are just three drunks chasing down the son of one of your love interests. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” The three of you jolt at the sound of Dean running up behind you, obviously having no trouble tracking you down since you’ve only walked in a (mostly) straight line. You look at each other in surprise and follow hurriedly to the last place you saw Sam’s form, then lean against the outside of building in faux casual form.The crowd converges outside what you know realize is another bar, Charlie gives you a wink and ducks behind Dorothy to peek in the window trying to spot Sam. You look through the glass into what looks like an old whisky bar, the dark wood and low lighting providing enough cover that you almost can’t see anything besides shadows. Just as you hear Dean calling out to ask what you are up to, you spot Sam. You find him standing beside John, who is hunched over at the bar nursing whatever drink is clenched between his hands.“I see him... John… he’s there with Sam,” You whisper to Charlie pointing out the younger man who looks confused and frustrated as he settles onto the bar stool beside John. Your heart lurches when the older Winchester turns his head towards his son and allows you the view of his disheveled hair and dark eyes. You start to feel sad from seeing him so obviously down in the dumps, but then, you remember what he did to cause it, and you can’t help but get annoyed all over again.Before you even realize what you are doing, you get up from your hunched over position behind Dorothy and start fixing yourself up. Charlie drunkenly cheers you on as she sees you adjusting your dress with a determined glare and pushes the door open for you so you can storm into the bar.“Wait- NO!” Ruby and Dean shout simultaneously when they catch the drift of your intentions. Before the door closes behind you you’re able to see Jo stepping in front of Dean defensively while Dorothy blocks the door, you make a mental note to thank them later.Once you hear the door close you realize you haven’t planned this through. You stand still momentarily and stare off into space trying to think of what to say now that you’re here. Then you glance over to where Sam is sitting on the other side of john. The salt and pepper hair pulls your attention back after a second and you narrow your eyes in determination. Sam manages to startle when he sees you coming, and only when your a few steps away do you notice him discreetly shaking his head and motioning for you to freeze. You bite your tongue just long enough to notice Castiel has snuck in behind you, and now has a hand on your shoulder trying to hold you back from the still oblivious John.“What happened Dad? I’m sure you can tell me that much, because ‘she deserves better’ is not really an answer.” Sam asks John while darting his eyes back and forth between the two of you. John sighs tiredly keeping his gaze on the whisky glass in his hands. You fight against Castiel's guiding hand, determined to hear an explanation."I didn't plan on any of that happening... ‘couldn't even look at her," John grumbles with a noticeable slur, "but this was the less painful option, I hate hurting her.""What do you mean?" Sam asks, turning back to him in surprise."I just wan’ her to be happy, and I'm not the answer to that." He drawls taking another sip of his whiskey before forcing out, "she shouldn' waste her time on an old man.""YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE FOR ME!" You yell, unable to contain your exasperation another second. John’s shoulders visibly tense at the sound of your voice behind him, and a hush falls over the bar for a second, sensing an argument is about to occur. The older man finishes off his glass before turning to Sam with a growl."Damn it Sam, why didn't you say somethin’." John slams his glass down and turns to glance at you with a cold expression. People resume their conversations quietly as the bartender approaches John with concern. “Everything alright here, John?” The middle aged man asks quietly. John pulls his attention away from you to glance his way with clear discomfort.“Yeah, it’s fine.” John grunts standing up with a slight wobble and rooting through his wallet for a stack of bills to toss on the counter before turning back to you. “(Y/n) what are you doin’ here?”“This is (Y/n)?” You don’t get a chance to respond before the barman reacts with obvious familiarity and shock. John clenches his jaw at the surprise before moving to guide you outside and avoid the question. You can guess that the age difference is rather obvious tonight with you being dressed the way you are, and you start to respond when you feel John’s hand brush your wrist.“We aren’t doing this here, come on.” You frown but follow along as John leads you to the exit, the hand on your back is less comforting than you’ve ever felt before. You stay silent the whole time because you know if you open your mouth you will end up making a scene, and you’d rather not do this in public.When he pushes the door open you’re reminded about the rest of the group, John clenches his jaw as he is forced to stop due to the crowd blocking the door. Dean manages to herd them off to one side just long enough for you to pass through.“Ooh is this John? Silver fox indeed!” Charlie singsongs into your ear as you pass by, you manage a blush before you feel John slipping his hand around your waist to pull you from the small crowd.“What are you doin’ here,” John slurs looking you up and down with a frown. His eyes freeze only minutely on your exposed skin before returning to your face.“I was out with my friends.” You remark feeling as if you need to defend yourself since you snuck up on him. John spares a glance over your shoulder to see the throng of young adults pretending not to eavesdrop on your conversation.“How much have you had to drink?” He frowns noticing you wobble in place.“I could ask you the same question,” you retort earning a sigh in return.“Well, how were you planning on getting home,” John asks with a hint of concern.“I WAS going to get an Uber home with Charlie and Dorothy,” you sass crossing your arms to fend off the cold. “No one drove here?” He asks then when you shake your head he sighs.“I already called you an Uber (Y/n), thought John might want to see you get home or talk or something.” Sam chimes in trying to keep a distance while making the suggestion. He holds up his phone screen to show both of you the app, “It'll be a couple minutes.”“You’re really trying to send me home just to avoid talking to me?” You ask not intending to reveal how hurt this makes you feel. John runs a hand over his face with frustration.“There is nothin’ left to talk about,” he grumbles. You bite your tongue as you see a car pull up and wonder if it would be smarter to just walk away.“Uber for Sam?” a man calls out towards your crowd, you raise a hand stepping towards the car before John gently grabs your hand to hold you back.“Wait a minute, some stranger was gonna drive you home?” John scowls, looking down at you then over to the smiling driver.“That’s how Uber works John, and I was going to be going with my friends until now. Now I won’t be alone unless you don’t come with me.” You reassure him quickly squeezing his palm.“Well I’m not about to make you go alone,” he groans looking back over to the guy waiting to drive you home. You feel a tiny smile emerge at his protective nature, especially at how he helps you into the back seat after you say goodbye to everyone.You cast him a glance as he settles in the seat beside you still glowering as the car pulls away from the curb. Your hands fiddle with the hem of your dress, wondering if you should break the silence now or just wait until you get to your house. It still feels wrong that he’s keeping his distance from you, and looking over at his hands fidgeting in his lap it seems he’s still not used to keeping his hands to himself when you’re near. “Let me guess… Girl’s night out, right?” You lift your head at the surprise question from the drivers seat. A pair of eyes bore into you from the rear-view mirror making you feel the urge to put on a sweatshirt and jeans as he glances over you.“Oh, yeah,” you mumble trying to come across as aloof so he’ll mind his business. “Bummer, Dad came to spoil the party.” The man laughs to himself and you feel yourself bristle. His grin turns flirty as he continues. “You looked like you were having fun too.”“Why don’t you keep your eyes on the road.” Johns growly voice advises him from beside you. You turn to see him practically seething as he glares into the rear-view mirror, his hand fidgets on the seat between you. You realize he’s tempted to pull you closer but he would be sending mixed signals if he showed physical affection, not to mention going against his plans of distancing himself from you.“He’s not my dad..” you mumble once again.“Must be hard then, old man making you leave early so he doesn’t break a hip,” You can tell he’s trying to joke around, albeit rudely, but you still can’t stand hearing anyone talk about John so poorly.John bristles next to you. You know what he’s thinking without having to ask, you know it’s the same thing everyone so far has thought when they see the two of you together. And you feel as if you’re about to lash out if you have to explain what seems so obvious to you. If only everyone else could just see past the age difference and see the man you see.“You obviously don’t know him, how can you say that just by looking at him?” You fume, taking a risk by grabbing onto John’s hand in a moment of reassurance. He doesn’t move, even after you stop ranting. Perhaps he’s only putting up with you to spite the driver who raises an eyebrow at the gesture.“I mean, not to be rude but I can tell he’s a man past his prime just by looking at him.” The driver chuckles rudely. You scoff in disagreement, fed up with this conversation by now."You wish you were half the man he is.... even if he is being an ass." You glare back through the mirror while scooting closer to John, then mumble the last part so only he could hear.You can see the jealousy built up in his face, bitter that someone else is looking at you and making these suggestions all while you sit right beside him. He indulges your hand while you lay it over his, maybe a streak of possessiveness is the culprit for him divulging in your long missed touch. The warmth feels nice. And all too sudden you are pulling up towards the sidewalk in front of your house.John catches the Uber driver eyes and disentangles his hand from yours. Without waiting you open your side and climb out, you are too unsure if he would open the door for you to risk the let down if he didn’t. As you round the car you hear John asking for the cost, you mentally make a note to thank Sam for paying for the Uber.“Sam already paid,” you mention leaning in towards John while he pulls out his wallet. He hesitates a moment then tosses a few bills in the passenger seat telling him to wait. The driver puffs, warning him he won’t wait all night, and John glares turning to walk you to your door. You roll your eyes heading towards your house. As you root through your purse for keys you suddenly realize this might be your last chance to talk to him.You freeze in front of the porch steps and turn to look at John. He motions for you to continue but you stick out your chin and cross your arms in defiance.“I’m not going inside until you talk to me, John.” You state matter-of-factly. The older man sighs for the umpteenth time that night and stands his ground in hopes you’ll back down and he can leave. But you refuse to go in until you talk to him.“If you want to leave before the sun comes up, you'll have to talk to me or drag me through that front door John,” you state not loud but grumpily. John scrubs a hand down his face, annoyance clouding his features. “I'm not about to do either of those things.” He crosses his arms to mirror yours and waits until you don’t respond before continuing. “Seems like we’ve been through all that needs said.”“Oh yeah?" You say moving down your stairs to plant your butt firmly on the bottom step "Well I don't think so.”He gives a tired sigh and gestures at the Uber to leave. You can hear the driver cursing from the porch and look back up at John who remains standing."You're going to kill Sam's Uber rating by acting like that." You grumble looking away from him and belatedly hoping he doesn’t point out your own outburst on the ride over."I couldn't give a damn about his stupid rating right now." He sighs exasperated at your attitude even though he is the cause for it."What a surprise, not caring about how anyone else feels when you hurt them." You retort as coldly as you can manage while you sit shivering on the porch step. John starts to glare in the way you’ve only seen directed at Dean when he's talking back."Well I'M not surprised you're acting like a bratty kid. Not like you're old enough to know better."Your breath catches in your throat at the acidity with which he directs the jab at you. You drop your gaze in defeat and try to collect yourself while John is still standing with his arms crossed in front of you."What, so you can dish it out but you can't take it?” He asks snidely, you can’t help the sniffle that escapes your lungs. You can see his form freeze from the corner of your eye and try to keep your face shielded from him, feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed."Do you really only see me as some clueless child?" You croak out the question, hopelessly wishing he’d refute it. Once again, John is at a loss for words. "I'm not an idiot John, I know you have feelings for me."John stays silent, but he seems to tense up from where he stands before you.“I just want you to be able to say it, is that really so difficult for you?" You sigh feeling a knot growing in your throat at his lack of response. “What's the worst thing that could happen if you admit it? Have you even admitted your feelings to yourself?"He continues to refrain from answering your questions. It's like speaking to a brick wall, a handsome wall but a wall nonetheless. You huff wiping away your tears and stand up to look him in the eye."Damn it John! I tell you I want to be with you and you just brush me off like it's nothing." You all but yell into his face, letting out your thoughts in the easiest way you can manage."You don't want me." He finally speaks looking straight back at you.“You say that but it has yet to change my mind." You retort placing your hands on your hips in defiance."You'll change your mind soon enough." He answers aloofly. You can’t help but roll your eyes at his stubbornness. "What is that supposed to mean?" You grit your teeth in exasperation and feel more tears of irritation building from his vague answers. John looks back at you for a second in thought, so carefully trying to seem distant you almost miss the tiniest hint of worry."You're still young... it won't be hard to get over an old man. Then you can find a nice guy your own age and settle down whenever you're ready."Your heart deflates hearing how ready he is to let you go, how he is willing to give up his chance to be with you in order for you to find someone he thinks is better than him."John... I told you, I don't want anyone else." You begin to plead hoping he’ll listen to reason,
"And it would be hard to get over you. I've been falling for you since I first met you and it's only gotten stronger as time went by.""It wouldn't work. You deserve so much more than I could give you." John sadly closes his eyes and sighs- “It’s time to let this go (Y/n).”“Will nothing I say change your mind?” You ask feeling the dread from before building up again. The answering frown is all the answer you need. You slowly sit back down, looking at your hands through salty tears as you murmur to yourself. “This is it then… It’s over. I don’t have any chance at all.”“I’m sorry.” You shake your head sadly at his whispered words. A minute passes with you staring at your hands. The sound of a car door slamming and your name being called out surprise you. You look up to see Dean walking up, you barely have enough time to wipe your eyes before John leaves you where you sit on your front porch step, sad and alone. Charlie rushes past Dean with Dorothy hot on her tail, the two bolting from the back of Dean’s Impala when they notice you trembling outside. You muster up as much of a smile as you can before forcing yourself to stand and dig out your house keys. Charlies arms wrap around your shoulders comfortingly as you struggle to unlock the door, eventually Dorothy takes the key from your grasp and tries to guide you inside.You look back one more time before stepping in the house. John already sits in the passenger seat of the car while Dean pulls his own keys back out, you glance back between the two and feel a sob finally escape your lips. The cries shake your body, only overpowered by the guidance of your two closest friends as they close the door behind you.------It’s been ten days since you’ve seen John. You’ve been doing your very best to stay distracted at work, and have not visited the station since the field trip. There is no way you’re going near that place anymore, not since your humiliating and obviously heartbreaking rejection by the station chief.Charlie and Dorothy had provided all the support and comfort you could ask for that night when John left a gaping hole in your heart. You have cried more than you ever thought you’d cry over a boy. But then again, you’d never felt the way you did for John with any other guy. It’s not just the physical things you think, but how he makes you feel warm, and safe, and how when you babble on about uninteresting things he just listens with a knowing smile.Reflecting on all that's happened you ponder if this is really the end. If that night you closed your front door, you closed the door on your relationship. No, that wasn’t on you, you’ve run through that night in your head hundreds of times and not once was it you throwing in the towel. Your heart feels like it’s been sinking in your unshed tears, a heavy weight on your chest.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
You whirl around snapping out of your self pity party to see smoke rolling out of the back of the bakeries industrial oven. The new hire you had tasked with baking the pie for the afternoon looks back at you with wide eyes, clearly not knowing what went wrong. You grab the nearest oven mitt and wrench open the oven door, smoke pours out through the space and envelopes the both of you. It’s almost impossible to see into the oven but you just make out the burnt-on remains of the pie filling splattered all over the inside of the door. With a round of coughs and the smoke alarm sounding overhead you pull your coworker along through the front of the bakery where everyone else has started evacuating.Your coworkers round out the herd as everyone shuffles outside, honestly you can’t believe how much smoke the oven is giving off as even the air of the sidewalk in front of the bakery starts to look a little hazy. Your boss comes jogging out after a minute coughing while he waves the smoke away from his face.“Looks like it’s just smoke, everyone. But the alarm automatically calls the fire department so until they get here and do a walk through we need to stay outside.”You want to laugh, seems accidental fires have a thing for you. But then you start thinking back reminded of the apartment fire all those months ago, only now no one needed to save you. And now you’re feel anxiety building up wondering if the man you met then will be here in only a matter of seconds. Before you realize it you are slowing walking away, trying to isolate yourself from the crowd in hopes that you won’t be noticed by any familiar faces.
WEEEEEWOOOOO WEEEEWOOOO
Cue the sound of sirens approaching and you turn to see a giant fire truck driving up the street. You are torn with whether to watch it arrive or find a proper hiding place. The choice is made for you a second later while the truck gets closer, and before it even stops an overeager fireman jumps out and looks around. He yanks off the hand of another uniformed colleague who tries to pull him back into formation and, to your own shock, shouts your name.You see his hulking form barging through the sparse crowd, broad shoulders pivoted to pass as quickly as capable as he scans the crowd. Straightening up, you can’t help the surge of hope rushing through your body. It’s almost as if the second your gazes meet you are frozen, not unlike how you felt during most meetings before. His unnaturally panicked eyes halt once they land upon your form, never departing or even blinking as he forces his way on a straight route to you. As he draws nearer you feel the veil of ambiguity the two of you have built up slowly deteriorating, his presence naturally pulling your feelings out from their hiding place."Sweetheart" he sighs in relief as he approaches. Against your better assumptions you are surprised when he makes no motion to slow or halt before his arms are surrounding you. "Oh thank God you're alright."His muscles flex against your body, desperately grasping you until you are completely enveloped in his presence. A shaky exhale tickles behind your ear as he curls around you burying his face in your nape. A shaky gasp fills your lungs when you belatedly grasp his uniform covered back, the realization settled in that he is very much real and holding you at long last."Woah sweetheart, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" He pulls back with panicked eyes raising a hand to hold your cheek and thumb away the start of tears amounting on your lashes. You try to take a deep breath but feel it puff out once again as your chest heaves irregularly. Before anything builds up further you try to force your thoughts out at last."I- I'm just so relieved you came," you manage to admit before a sob escapes and reveals a tearful smile. The feeling of relief washes over you as you realize the full gravity of his presence here, perhaps dangerously absent of doubt that he'll leave once again.John's expression hardens into a steely resolve as he pulls back just enough to capture your hands in his firm grasp. "I'll always come for you,” he assures you without a trace of doubt.You can feel the tears slip down your cheeks when you break out into a wide smile. Your
relieved giggle mixing in with your hiccups gains an affectionate smile from John. He brings his hand back up to wipe the wet tracks away and hold your blushing cheek so he can place a tender kiss on your forehead. You stand together for a little while, oblivious to the people around until someone calls his name to ask a question. He quietly motions to someone that he's gonna need a minute and to carry on without him. While the rest of the crew goes inside to check the alarm he guides you just a little ways down the sidewalk. He turns into an alley where there is a tiny park/dining area secluded from the city street, guiding you with his arm around your waist until you get to a bench. He holds your hand as he helps you sit down, then takes a knee in front of you. "John what are you doing?" You wonder assuming he was going to sit beside you."I'm apologizing, for everything." He responds leveling you with a steely resolve. You nod in understanding while he takes both of your hands in reverence.“I’m sorry sweetheart, for all of it. I never should have hurt you like I did.” His eyes lock with yours showing his sincerity. “I wish I could undo everything I did wrong.”Your lips twitch into a pout. "We could have avoided all this you know," You laugh, sadly. He purses his lips in regret and nods.“I know, I’m sorry.”"Why did you back off so much? What’s changed?" You implore him to answer the thoughts that have been swarming your brain like a parasite.“I thought I was doing the right thing.” He sighs and moves to sit beside you, your fingers lock together as you face one another. “You caught me off guard that first night and I couldn’t think straight.”He sighs again and traces patterns over the back of your hand in contemplation.“You're smart and beautiful and you love what you do, plus you’re so generous and kind. You have your head on right, and I didn't want to step in and mess up what you have going for you.”“John…” you gasp softly. Your heart flutters in that way only John could cause.“I just want what's best for you, sweetheart. And for the time I was convinced I couldn’t give you that. I should’ve listened to you, but I couldn’t believe that you actually want this.” He laughs softly to himself in disbelief. You squeeze his hands urging him to continue, “I can’t help thinking you could have so much more if you wanted it. But I should’ve known that you made up your mind, I’m sorry.”With a finger to his lips, you halt the spiel of self reflection. Your cheeks are flaming at this point and your head is swimming with all the devotion he’s showing so suddenly. All you can think about is throwing your arms around him and kissing every last doubt from his mind, but you press pause on that train of thought to say your piece.“Look, at the end of the day, I just want you to know that you're the one I want. And all that matters is that you're here now, and I don't want that to change.” You state with a smile, finally feeling the weight in your heart lifting.“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” He smiles back at you showcasing those adorable dimples you’ve missed so much. You lift a hand to smooth your thumb over the dimple on his right cheek, something you can’t believe you haven’t done before. John’s eyes crinkle with warmth and he pulls back your hand softly, only to place a kiss on the inside of your palm.“You have no idea what you mean to me sweetheart…” He whispers leaning towards you with a serene smile. You mimic the expression and release his hands to wind your arms around his neck, pulling him until your foreheads rest against each other.“Say you’ll be with me John.” you breathe, lips already ghosting over his own.“Sweetheart, there’s nothing I want more.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The smell of nutmeg wafts up from the styrofoam cup in your hands, slightly shadowed by the underlying scent of smoke stuck to your work shirt. You shiver slightly as the heat of the warm beverage seeps into your cold hands.“Do you want my jacket?”You look up from the foam art in your cup to meet the eyes of the man sitting across from you. John lifts an eyebrow at your huddled form and you chuckle shaking your head.“No, I’m okay. I always shiver after drinking something hot, just a weird reflex I think.” You smile, glancing down to the cup of black coffee in his own hand. Sitting together like this, it’s hard to fathom the drama that has transpired over the past couple of weeks. Now, here you are, taking refuge in a tiny cafe while John apologises over a cup of coffee for his irrational behavior. His yellow uniform jacket hangs off the back of his chair collecting idle looks from the other patrons. Your own apron was left behind, handed off to your boss with a subtle smile and permission for you to take off early while the bakery airs out. John had taken your hand and dismissed himself from the rest of his crew, then led you away towards the cafe he asked you to go to while still sitting on the park bench. A smile tugs at the end of your lips while you think about the looks people gave you walking inside the cafe, him still in uniform and you wearing flour covered clothes. John was quick to shed his coat after he lead you to a secluded corner table, not that it helps with him still wearing the bright yellow pants. He had smiled at the waitress when she asked if he should be putting out the fire down the street, smoothly reassuring her that it was well under control while he pulled out a chair for you.Reaching across the table with your left hand, you curl your fingers carefully around John’s. It still comes as a surprise when his own larger hand reacts accordingly, pulling you closer to hold on assuredly, almost as if awaiting your move. You look up shyly, only now noticing the softness of his smile and you find it impossible to not mimic it with a smile of your own.“I’ve missed you,” You admit quietly, feeling yourself blush. “Even when I saw you the other night. Even when we were talking. It wasn’t the same as before.”A look of pain flickers across John’s face at your recollection, he could probably understand you meant that you missed being close to him. “I’m sorry sweetheart, I was an ass to you.” He looks you in the eyes apologetically while his thumb draws circles on the back of your hand. You shake your head and give him a soft squeeze, willing him to stop frowning.“I already told you that I forgive you, just as long as you never push me away again.”“I can promise that,” He smiles, making the butterflies in your gut return after what feels like months without them.“So...” you start, trying to remain casual before asking, “does that mean you’d be willing to have dinner together?”John looks startled for a moment and you squeeze his hand to make sure he doesn’t pull away like you fear he still may. A second passes before he squeezes back.“You know what, I’d love to sweetheart.” He smiles. “But only if it’s your cooking.”You chuckle remembering all the times you’ve cooked for him and the squad before. Now it seems to hold a different meaning. Instead of a sign of lighthearted affection and respect shared with the crew, you’re now going to make a meal solely for him with nothing except romantic intentions.“I’d love to, when were you thinking?” You ask before taking a sip of your drink. He thinks it over for a second while he keeps his eyes on you, you wonder idly if you look as flushed as you feel.“How’s tonight?”You almost choke as he asks, surprised and nervous at the prospect of you getting a first date so soon.“Tonight?” You calmly set aside your drink but your heart leaps when he nods. “We can pick up groceries after I stop by the station if you need anything.” He suggests with a look of cool confidence.“You’d want to go pick up groceries with me?” You ask a bit flustered and delighted that he would accompany you, hopefully for no other reason than to spend time with you.“Of course,” he states matter of factly. “Well we better get going then, we have a lot to do before dinner time,” you laugh standing up after noticing the time. John follows picking up his jacket before escorting you outside. Taking another chance, you slip your hand around his bicep. He smiles down at you, making your stomach churn pleasantly as you start walking back. You savor the feeling as you walk quietly together back towards your work. Only when you get closer to the bakery do you notice the firetruck is nowhere to be found. They must have been called to another fire while the two of you were gone.“I guess I should give you a ride huh?” you chuckle looking up to see the older man purse his lips.“If you wouldn’t mind.” He smiles already following you towards the parking lot behind your work.You continue your short walk until you arrive at your car where you reluctantly unhand him so he can get in the passenger side. Once settled in he directs you to head to the fire station so he can change. The ride is silent for the most part, comfortably so. You find yourself focusing on the road in order to not sneak looks at John where he sits casually in your passenger seat.When you finally pull into the station parking lot John hops out before you. You round the car to walk beside him while you head to the side door.Once you get inside you both notice the truck is gone, John notes they must be on another call before telling you to wait while he changes quickly.You sit idly in the small kitchenette of the fire station scrolling through your phone as you wait for John to return. The sound of a truck approaching catches your attention and you look up to see the squad pulling into the garage.“Oh hey Cherry,” Dean nearly shouts from the window of the truck. You grin in return and watch the rest of them file out to hang up their jackets and gear. “Hey,” Bela greets jogging up the stairs with Sam on her tail. “Did everything go ok between you two?”“Yeah, we’re talking things through over dinner” You can feel your cheeks heating at the admission as well as the childish oohing of Dean who must have overheard.With a scathing look, Ruby darts her foot out as Dean starts climbing the stairs. The Winchester’s eyes go wide before comically tripping forward. “Smooth move Winchester,” she remarks walking ahead while he gets up.“What the hell Ruby?!” Dean all but shouts after regaining his balance with a hand on the floor. He’s barely up again when he confronts the woman with a look of long held contempt.“Easy Dean,” Sam approaches with a hand raised in a calming motion. “It was just a joke.”“No! I’m sick of her attitude, she doesn’t give a damn about anyone but herself!” Dean says gruffly while jabbing a finger at the woman in question.You watch on with wide eyes at the fight that seemed to come out of nowhere. Sitting still with your hand idly holding up your phone, you aren’t sure what to do in the face of this petty sibling-like squabble.“Says the almighty Dean, who thinks so highly of himself I'm surprised you didn’t hand out autographs at the last call,” Ruby sneers glaring at Dean. The two devolve into a petty argument next, bickering and name calling while Sam and Bela try to separate them. You only watch uncomfortably until they are interrupted.“Hey- HEY!” A deeper voice shouts out, cutting through the two’s squabbling. You turn your attention towards John as he emerges out of nowhere to barge between the bodies still poking fingers at each other. “You two better quit acting like a couple kids.”“She’s the one who-” Dean starts.“I don’t care who did what, I’m sure she started it but you escalated it.” John scolds both of them in a gruff and domineering tone, you can’t help but feel intimidated just watching it play out. “Now both of you get a grip before I have to suspend you.”Silence lingers over the station as the threat sinks in. You watch Dean huff and Ruby stewing in her own anger while the others separate from between them.“Fine,” Dean grudgingly concedes reaching out a hand for Ruby to shake. “Whatever” Ruby sighs before reluctantly shaking his hand.John turns to you with a sigh of relief, shaking his head at the younger two. You can see the fatherly instincts he posesses coming to light, easily imagining how he must have split up his fair share of fighting having raised two boys. For a brief moment you wonder what it would be like to have a child with him, but you push that thought aside. You two had only just made up, now was not the time to think of such serious things.“Let’s get out of here,” he mumbles grumpily, although still kindly taking your hand to help you stand. You smile softly before nodding.“Oooh, someone made up I guess.” You hear Dean singsong behind you while John leads you outside. “Where are you two going together?”“Mind your business Dean,” John says over his shoulder, you think you notice a trace of a smile on his lips when he says it.Once outside John pulls out his keys from his jean pocket and you take a second to admire his casual clothes. A dark green henley and well fitting jeans make him look almost like a model to you. “I figured we outta take my truck so I can drive home after,” he advises clicking to unlock the doors. With a nod and the help of his offered hand you climb up into the passenger seat, relishing where this is heading.You spend the ride talking about trivial things: stick shift, your dog Roxy, and the weather until you arrive at the store. Then once parked, you head inside where John insists on driving the shopping cart.“Ok well I guess I can let you push if you think you can handle it,” you tease walking alongside him. He chuckles bumping your shoulder with his as you keep moving.You move lazily throughout the aisles, stopping for pasta and ingredients for sauce. After you have them you continue to mill about the store, just enjoying being together while John messes with you by adding every junk food he can find to the cart until you find it and put it back.“I told you, we don’t need Cheetos for spaghetti,” You laugh. John smiles cheekily, continuing his cart pushing duty while acting as if he did nothing.Eventually you end up in the alcohol section where you grab a bottle of wine for dinner.“Hey grab a six pack of that one for me please,”John motions to the beer next to you. You should’ve known he was a beer guy, you could totally imagine him kicking back watching a game while he sips out of the bottle.“Sure thing,” you smile, grabbing the pack of bottles and handing it to him to put in the cart.“Think that’s all we need?” He asks surveying the cart.“I think so, let’s go checkout,” you say.Making your way to the front of the store, you take the quiet opportunity to stray closer to the side of the older man. He smiles noticing your closeness but does nothing until you get in line at the checkout aisle. Once waiting in line, he takes the chance to take a hand off the cart, wrapping it around you to rest lightly on your hip in a show of affection. You smile to yourself and lean into his hold.Eventually the line moves forward allowing you to empty your cart.“Well aren’t you a lovely couple,” the old woman on the register comments.“Thank you ma'am,” John smiles, answering before you can respond. You blush looking up to him with a bashful smile. You bite your lip shyly when you see him looking down at you with affection. Full of happiness and relief, you are glad that he accepts the compliment. A week ago, he would have tried to distance himself at such a remark but now you’re thankful that he finally seems to embrace the idea of you together.Once you finish paying and have everything bagged, John takes all the bags in hand and you put the cart away. Before you know it you’re back at your house unloading groceries while Roxy runs around your legs. Once you’ve unloaded everything you take a minute to pamper her, kneeling on the floor to say hello.“Hey pretty girl, how are you?” You coo ruffling the fur behind her ears. She pants happily with a wagging tail as you then stand up to retreat to the kitchen. “I should be asking you that,”John quips as you enter the room. You smile coyly, bumping into his shoulder as you walk up to the counter to pull out the supplies for cooking.“I’m doing wonderful,” you answer quietly when he steps up beside you to help. “But I would be even better if you could chop some tomatoes for me.”John makes quick work taking the ingredients you give him and chopping them up. You take time mixing the ingredients in a pot and get the pasta started while he is preoccupied.“This is nice,” You mutter to yourself while watching him chop onions for you.John wipes his eyes with a clean towel before replying, “What, watching me do the work for you?”You can’t help but laugh watching him sniffle, so you walk up with a sympathetic hand to rub his back. John relaxes under your fingers, letting out a sigh while finishing up the onions and setting them in the pot.“Aw, you poor thing.” With a giggle you watch him wipe his eyes once again before he turns to roll his eyes at you. He doesn’t move from under your hand though until you walk around him to start mixing the sauce on the stove. While busy, you watch him grab a beer out of the corner of your eye. He returns to lean against the counter beside you, taking a sip while he watches you cook with a relaxed expression.You chat about everything, and nothing at the same time with a relaxed ease. You get to work on the pasta once the sauce is ready, taking time to let John try it out and give his seal of approval. The domestic scene causes a stir in you, wanting to be able to spend time like this with him always. But again you have to reign in your fantasies about playing house together.Just like you used to at the station, the two of you thrive in each others company. By the time the food is ready you and John have talked about almost every topic under the sun. With the synchronization of a married couple you settle down together at the table and begin to eat.“Man you’re a great cook,” John mumbles to himself. You smile flattered by the compliment and watch him eat with gusto.Some time passes as you both eat in silence before you break it with the question you’ve been burning to ask all afternoon. Setting aside your fork you take a breath.“John?” You ask softly. The older man looks up chewing a bite slowly.“What are we?” He coughs a little, caught off guard. Your eyes go wide watching him take a quick sip to wash it down before he can choke.“Do you mean…” he trails off probably hoping you’ll explain.“I mean, what kind of relationship is this now?” You put your hands in your lap to fiddle with your napkin. “I know things have been complicated between us, I guess I just want to know before anything else happens.”John takes a long pause thinking it over, he leans back to scrub a hand over his face making him appear tired all of a sudden. You bite your lip, wondering if perhaps it was too soon to be asking something like that, but you steel yourself thinking it’s better to be completely open with him from now on.“I want whatever you want,” comes his quiet reply. Your lips part in surprise, not expecting that answer. He looks at you evenly, gaze tranquil and fixed until you duck your head.“I don’t know,” you start out but rush to add when you notice his look of worry, “I mean, I’m not sure exactly what phrase to call us.”John hums before he replies, “Sweetheart, in my old age I’ve learned that sometimes it’s better not to label things, and just let them happen as they happen.”You tilt your head in thought, if it was anyone else you’d assume this was a tactic to avoid the subject. John’s answer calms your thoughts though, making you feel as if you don’t need to understand your status as long as you enjoy being with him. You didn’t feel the need to worry about him wanting only wanting something casual either, you knew he was in just as deep as you. “Alright,” you smile, “Sounds good to me.”You continue eating with light small talk, enjoying his presence until the last bite is eaten. Finally you take the plates to the sink, arguing lightly about John not needing to help you wash them because there are only two. While you pick them up, you sneak a kiss to his cheek and quickly walk away. You hear him laugh behind you as you walk up to the sink.While rinsing off the plates you hear the sound of footsteps walking up behind you. You almost jump at the feeling of his hands settling on your hips.“Payback time,” he whispers into your ear before kissing your cheek. You gasp at the feel of his breath on your ear, and he must notice when you feel his hands slide up to your waist. His lips wander back to settle a kiss behind your ear letting the scruff of his beard tickle you as he moves. Before you realize what happened, his lips are lowering down to press firm kisses onto your neck. The sensation sends a shiver up your spine which is also covered by his chest pressed behind you as he snakes his arms around you. You lower the dishes slowly before you feel his teeth nibble on your skin beneath your jaw. You can feel him getting carried away as one of his hands fiddles with the bottom of your shirt, but you can’t find the want to stop him anywhere in you.Once you’ve dropped the dishes in the sink you reach back one hand to run through John’s unruly hair, the other lowers to press over his own hand on your waist. You sink back into his hold, giving yourself to him for the moment as he sucks a mark into the sensitive flesh on your neck near your collarbone.“John!” You squeal, knowing there will be a hickey come morning, but he only hums into your skin as he trails kisses over every surface of skin his lips can find.You savor the feeling of his touch, glad that you are free to do so without fear of him pulling away. His warmth surrounds you in the most intoxicating way, making you feel safe and wanted in his arms. You begin to feel yourself heating up as well at his touch, growing lightheaded as your breath comes out harsher than usual. His fingers send up waves of electricity as they travel down to play under the bottom of your shirt, not moving to remove the clothing but sneaking under to feel the bare skin at your waist. You swallow a gulp as you feel his pinky finger playing under the waistband of your jeans, his curious touch making you flinch from pent up energy.With a final gasp caused by his lips, you reach back to pull his head away. Only a moment passes as you turn your head to meet his lips with your own, but you can’t seem to get there quick enough. Your kisses are desperate and hungry as you turn your body towards him, his hands pulling you closer all the while. Once your front is pressed against his your hands begin to roam the body you’ve so longed to touch. Trailing up his sides you feel the muscles shifting under your fingers, more defined than you’d thought they would be for a man his age. Of course the reality seems so much better than any of your fantasies, especially since this time you can really enjoy the feeling of him without worry.Feeling yourself getting flustered, you slow the kissing down. John follows your lead as if sensing how overwhelmed you are becoming, but not before his tongue sneaks out to lick across your bottom lip.As you pull away you take a deep breath, regretting the space between your lips and his. John lets out a long sigh through his nose before leaning his forehead against yours. His eyes stay locked with you once he opens them. His voice sounds gravelly when he finally speaks.“Thank you for dinner.”You smile, taking his jaw in your hand to press a kiss on his stubbled cheek. You delight at the way his eyes crinkle in happiness.“You are very welcome,” you say softly. “I’m just glad we finally got to do this.”John steps back slowly, keeping his hands on your hips.“Me too sweetheart,” he smiles with soft eyes. “But I should get going, I’ve got work tomorrow and I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”“As if,” you grin. You want to tell him not to go, how he could live here forever and you’d be content, but you restrain yourself not wanting to come on too strong. “Let me walk you out then.”John releases you from his hold, fingertips trailing where he releases your hips. You take his hand quickly with your own to lead him to the door. Once you reach the front door you turn back with reluctance. Watching him grab his jacket you debate asking him to stay longer.“It’s odd to think just this morning I thought you wanted nothing to do with me,” You ponder aloud. John looks up from tugging up the zipper of his brown carhartt and appears to think back on it with a nod.“Well, this morning I thought I knew what was best for you and turned out to be wrong,” he grins. You step aside as you open the front door, leaning back against the painted wood so John can get past. He pauses at the doorway, turning sideways to face you and say goodbye. “Come visit alright? We can plan something again,” he smiles warmly down at you and reaches out to squeeze your hand. You smile back and nod in agreement before he steps away. A second after he steps out onto the porch you call out.“John wait,” you step out with him as he turns back around. Not a second later do you grab him by the collar of his jacket and pull him down for a kiss goodbye. He responds quickly and wraps his arms around you as his lips press against yours happily. You pay no mind to the neighbors that might be watching as you relish every touch of his body against yours. Both of your lips move languidly in unison, not wanting to part because you know it means goodbye.“Sweetheart, I gotta go.” He whispers pulling away.“I know, I just wish you didn’t have to,” you pout up at him and lay your head on his shoulder.“We’d be rushing into things if I stayed,” he tries to rationalize, “I don’t want to mess things up by going too fast.”You nod in acknowledgment, wanting more than anything to start things right and not mess up your relationship by being impulsive. Pulling back, you look up at John and smile.“Alright, I'll see you soon okay?” “You better,” he smiles. You lower your hands from his jacket at the same time as he pulls away, letting him step back to turn around and walk down the driveway to his truck. You hug yourself as you watch him get in the truck, trying to retain the heat that he left with you.John waves as he starts to pull away from the curb and you return the gesture, already wishing that he would come back into your arms. You wait until his truck drives out of sight before heading back inside. Only then do you remember that you left your car at the station. Whoops.-----It’s a couple days before you return to the Firestation, busy with work and not wanting to appear too clingy you stayed away as long as you could. But now, here you are walking up to the side door that leads into the garage like you had many times before. You had come back for your car the day before, but you are pretty sure no one saw you.The door lets out a familiar clang as you enter the building. “Guess who’s back,” You all but announce as you see the Winchester brothers standing near the door. They look up from their conversation with big smiles, calling out your name in surprise.“Hey Cherry came back!” Dean approaches you with a pat on the shoulder while Sam approaches with open arms. You laugh as he swallows your body in a bear hug, shaking you back and forth with a laugh after not seeing you for so long. You hadn’t been there long enough last time to really say anything besides hello, the fight between Ruby and Dean squashing the opportunity to catch up before you had left again with John.“It’s been tense around here without you,” the giant smiling boy says as he releases you. “Too much testosterone I bet,” you tease looking up at the guys. “Have you two been fighting?”“Not more than usual,” Dean winks. “We weren’t sure you were ever coming back,” Sam admits.“Weren’t sure what would happen since you and John... you know,” Dean trails off awkwardly.“Since we what?” A deep voice interrupts. You turn to see John walking over with a smile directed at you. You can’t hold back the beaming smile that seeing him causes, and only barely contain yourself from running up to him. John eases your wanting as he comes up to place a hand on the small of your back, then smiles down at you in that soft way you love so much.“I guess you two sorted things out?” Dean infers looking between the two of you with a raised eyebrow. You nod your head before smiling back up at John, glad to be together again.“Anyway, I just popped in to say hello. Maybe chat for a bit,” You tell them.“Well we’re in the middle of equipment checks right now,” Sam starts to say but trails off. You pout in disappointment and look back to John.“That’s too bad, I wanted to talk to you,” you say trying to keep your voice somewhat quiet from the other two. “Aw come on, anything you can say to him you can say in front of us. Right Dad?” Dean teases the older man who only huffs in that familiar way.“Why don’t we talk in my office,” John suggests rubbing lightly on your back.The two of you make your way around the snickering brothers with John leading the way, holding the door even as you enter the building. You send Ellen a wave as you pass her desk and take note of the smirk she dawns seeing the two of you together. Now that you think about it, you are slightly nervous to be alone with John again. Not that you are worried, but remembering your parting last time you saw him you wonder how things might progress in the privacy of his office. Watching the older man open the office door, you notice the button up uniform he’s wearing today and recall the last time you were in his office he wore the same thing. You can’t help admiring how handsome he looks in uniform, while not as rugged as the yellow fireman outfit, it does make him look more important and defined.“Sit down sweetheart.” John’s voice interrupts your daydreaming as he closes the door behind you and makes his way behind his desk. You heed his suggestion and perch yourself on the other seat facing him.“So,” he sighs leaning back in his chair.“So?” You respond after a brief pause. John raises and eyebrow at you, waiting for something else. “You wanted to talk?” he reminds you with a grin. Your eyes light up in recollection, remembering what you wanted to ask before being distracted by the handsome man.“Yes! I wanted to ask when you’re free, or if you wanted to do anything in particular next time you are,” you babble nervously. You can feel your face heating and reluctance holding you back from using the word ‘date’, still unsure how to go about all of this.“For our next date,” he supplies smiling. Nodding you try to keep eye contact despite your nervous energy.“Well we could go fishing,” he suggests. You pause, taking in his suggestion. Furrowing your brows in stupefaction, you wonder if he is kidding. It does seem like something he would do, but you were hoping for something a little more special for a second date.“Well, I was thinking something more… romantic,” you drawl. “Ah I see, guess it’s been a while.” John diverts his eyes with a self deprecating chuckle. You watch as he runs a hand through his hair, betraying for once how flustered he is.“Yeah me too,” you chuckle trying to allay his nerves. “Maybe we could go to an Aquarium though, or even the Zoo might be fun!”Overcome with sudden excitement you jump up from you seat and walk behind John’s desk to stand beside him, leaning against the desk. “We could make a day of it going to the Zoo,” you suggest with a smile.“Sounds good to me,” John says. You smile at his acceptance, and after a second deliberating, scoot closer along the edge of his desk. John’s eyes follow your movement as you perch yourself on the desk in front of him then cross your legs. You remember seeing movies where the sexy secretary would sit on the desk in front of her boss and you try to emulate the poise they always showed.“I’m off tomorrow.” You suggest looking down at him with a raised eyebrow.John’s hand creeps across the desk slowly before settling over the hand you have placed beside you. You turn your palm up as he plays with your fingers, then replies coolly. “I’m off too.”Biting your lip, you watch with bated breath as his hand slides up the inside of your wrist sending tingles up your arm. Your eyes go wide as he stands up from his chair, now looming in front of you while you remain trapped sitting on his desk. His eyes linger on your mouth as he looks down at you, and you can’t seem to help the shaky inhale as he pulls up your hand to place a kiss on the inside of your wrist. Wishing his lips were elsewhere you use that hand to hook into his buttoned collar, aching to feel him closer. He leans in slowly with hooded eyes all the while caging you in with his hands planted on either side of you and making you feel surrounded by him. Just as you think he’s about to lean in for a kiss he diverts to breath over your ear.“It’s a date then.” He breathes, lips brushing the shell of your ear. You shiver at the feeling, clutching tighter at his uniform. Slowly he pulls back just enough to stare into your eyes, his own dilated pupils swim with desire.Before another second can pass the two of you close the gap between your lips hungrily tasting each other as if you might die otherwise. John’s expert movements leave you breathless once again as he dominates the kiss. Your heart pounds violently, almost making your whole body pulse with each thump and no doubt burning a brilliant red blush all the way down to your chest. You almost can’t keep up as John quickens each kiss, demanding everything your lips can give him.For just a second John pulls away, offering you a chance to catch your breath before he surprises you once again. His hands shift suddenly, uncrossing your legs and pulling you up against him by the back of your knees. You gasp feeling his hands plant themselves underneath you and grope your jean covered butt. The almost animalistic shift sends a heat racing downwards towards your pelvis as John’s own presses against it from between your thighs. Wrapping your arms around his neck for purchase you pull his lips back to yours absorbing the guttural grunt that escapes him. You can’t even feel yourself think as John’s mouth seeks your own, especially not when you feel his hands grabbing your butt in such a lewd way. Tiny moans escape your mouth as John slips his tongue past your lips. His technique leaves you reeling, no doubt at all that he knows what he’s doing. Your hand rakes through his hair as you continue to kiss, absentmindedly feeling everything that you can of the skilled man as he makes you feel things you have always longed for. Then, all of a sudden, you hear a knock at the office door.John pulls back quickly, breaking the kiss and yanking his hands out from under your bottom. You follow along, panicked eyes mirroring his own as you suddenly remember where you are, and jerk your arms away from his shoulders. “Ahem,” comes Ellen’s voice barely a second after John steps out from between your thighs. You turn to see the older woman opening the door, who based on her raised eyebrows knows exactly what was happening based on the look of you and John. She says nothing though besides her message, “Call waiting for you John.”“Alright, thanks.” John’s voice comes out in a gravelly, stunted affirmation. You turn back to him in embarrassment, wanting to hide your probably kiss bitten lips from Ellen. John stares at the doorway for a second until you hear a muted click of the door closing behind the older woman, then his gaze returns to you.You belatedly notice how disheveled he looks, hair mussed and shirt wrinkled from you tugging on it. If you had to guess, based off the way John is looking at you now, you’d say you look similar. You can’t help but appreciate the look on him knowing you were the cause for it.“Pick me up tomorrow at noon,” you tell him, hopping off the desk. It’s not like you can continue where you left off now that someone had walked in on you.“Sure thing sweetheart.” John responds with a soft smile. You return it in kind, and quickly reach up to place a soft peck on his lips. Even the short kiss sends your heart racing and as you pull away you try to play off your sudden coyness by smoothing out his shirt.With a flustered air you turn away, leaving him to answer his office phone. You shoot him one last grin as he goes to sit down before you start walking out of his office. You can make it until tomorrow. At least you think.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hello my darling lovely wonderful readers,I have some sad news...For those who don't want to read a long, drawn out, and sappy message I will summarize below;-----------Straight out of a Calendar will be going on hiatus for an indefinite amount of time.I.AM.NOT.ABANDONING.THIS.STORY.Personal reasons have sapped my creativity and I haven't been working on updating my writing like I would have liked to.I hope you understand and I am deeply, honestly sorry that I can't provide what you want. More info and explanations below.Trigger warning! I mention mental health issues.-----------If you are still reading I can only assume you are either curious or concerned why I'm telling you all this after months of radio silence. I want to share, not because I want to excuse myself for disappearing but because I want to be open and honest with those who care.If you are having some of the same troubles... I encourage you to reach out to someone. I would love to talk if you want to message me. I always want to meet people online to bond over mutual interests anyway, even if you just want to talk about how hot John is.Anyway... on to why i'm doing this.Basically, I've lost my motivation. My drive, my inspiration, my desire to create, they're all gone. I've tried tapping the well inside me and came up empty. I have had this problem before multiple times and it has fixed itself seemingly out of the blue, but it's taking a while this time around. My mental health has been at a low for a while now and it has impacted my life in every way. But, most importantly, my writing. I say 'most importantly' because my writing is the only thing affecting others and I can't begin to explain how disappointed I am that I can't give you all what you want, what you deserve, what you expect from me. You may be saying "it doesn't matter, your health is what's important" but I can't help but disagree. I started this story because I couldn't find what I wanted to read and decided to make it myself so others like me found the right story for them. And now I can't finish what I started. I can't stand it when people abandon their work so I am promising that I will be back, just not for a while. I'm sorry to leave you hanging.I had hoped that I would feel refreshed and inspired after working from home the past month, but much to my disappointment, I am worse now than when I was at work. While I do love staying home, I have come to realize that without going to work every day the stressors at home have built up an overwhelming amount. (maybe this is TMI but oh well) It's hard to find the motivation to write about happy, loving romance when your depression rears its ugly head. Combine that with massive anxiety from overbearing relatives living with you and nonexistent self-worth and a reappearance of an old eating disorder... well, it's hard to get out of bed let alone write about happy things. I am not giving up hope though. I owe it to you and I owe it to myself. I know things will get better, I have hope. I admit after a record low that I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I had almost given up, and I'm ashamed of what I almost did. But I toughed it out, I reached out to people I knew cared about me and received reassurance. I want to thank my best friend Alice most of all. She started out as my beta reader but went beyond the call of duty and became my friend. She told me she is always on my side when I felt I wasn't worthy. Thank you Alice, I owe you my life.I know this has turned into more than a hiatus announcement, and that's because I care more about you all and this story than I had realized. Maybe some of you will read this and maybe some will identify with it, as much as it pains me to think about anyone else feeling the way I do. Please don't feel abandoned because you aren't. I hope you have hope. If you don't, tell me, I want to give you reassurance because I owe you that much. While I can't give you what you expected I hope you can still look forward to the day I can.I don't know when, but I will be back.