If it weren’t for the pouring rain outside her apartment, perhaps y/n could fall asleep. But even if the storm had subsided, she doubts her current anxiety could let her succumb to slumber. Usually she’d be able to sleep when Diego is out patrolling, knowing he’d notify her if anything had ever gone south during one of is patrols. Tonight is different though, earlier in the day the two had a terrible fight about said patrols. A group of men had robbed a grocery store just a few days before, having killed three civilians in the process. Diego, having had wormed himself in on yet another police investigation, had discovered the group was suspected to be hitting another business sometime in the next week.
This wasn’t just any other two-man home invasion on her boyfriend’s usual radar. These men were strategic criminals, prepared to kill if they had to. Needless to say it was a heated argument, one in which y/n had become overwhelmingly upset. Overcome with the thought of Diego getting too in over his head and not making it home this time, she went off on him.
“Maybe if you still weren’t so caught up on your fragile ass ego you’d know when to leave this shit to the cops!”
She shuddered at the memory, willing it away with a quick shake of her head. It was a low blow, she knew it as soon as the words came out of her mouth. Considering his past with the police academy and Patch. At birth he was number two, constantly reminded he wasn’t good enough. Y/n was well aware of the fact that she was one of the only people that knew so much of her boyfriends messy past. Her heart wrenching at the thought of the pained look in his eyes as he snatched his harness and stormed out of their shared apartment without another word.
The kitchen clock read 2 am, taunting her pacing figure with each malicious tick. Diego’s patrols always had her nervous, but the thought of her last words to him being so cruel were eating her up inside. Knawing on her fingernails, she willed back tears in order to keep calm. He’s gonna come home...He has to.
The living room tv took her attention away from the clock, a “Breaking News” across the screen catching her eye as she practically dove towards it. Frantically turning up the volume, she watched as the anchor spoke about the recent robbing of local businesses. The six men had been caught and taken into police custody an hour ago, further details of the arrest would be released once the police gave the public an official statement. He did it.
As if on cue, the sound of keys jiggling outside had made her jump. Her eager pace allowing her to reach the front door as it opened and Diego stumbled inside. Effectively falling into his girlfriends arms as he groaned.
“Jesus Diego what the hell happened?”
“It’s nothing, just-mmph scrawny bastards had to tag team me.” He straightened up and limped towards the kitchen sink as he spoke, leaning against it with another groan as y/n hurriedly retrieved a first aid kit from the coat closet. No words were exchanged as he watched her place the kit on the counter and look to where his hands were holding his side. Smaller hands gently lifting the soaked fabric of his shirt, letting out a small gasp at the nasty gash on his side.
“B-bullet grazed me.” He explained through gritted teeth, her shorter figure slightly jumping as she held gauze to the wound to stop the bleeding.
“I’ll have to put some alcohol on it.” Her voice was soft as she spoke, avoiding his eyes as he nodded. Little words were exchanged as she worked, only small grunts or hisses of pain from Diego and mutters of apology from her.
He was still mad, understandably so. Y/n could tell by his stiff stance as she tended to his other wounds, his furrowed eyebrows as she dabbed the cuts on his face. The whole time avoiding her worried eyes. Y/n was well aware Diego was too stubborn to bring up, or perhaps too hurt to. Her heart wrenched at the thought, willing back tears as she worked.
Diego looked down to the girl below him, quietly huffing as the sleeves to her-his sweater repeatedly slid down her arms as she moved them, the fabric effectively swamping her hands before she rolled them up once more. He shuddered as her fingers brushed against his skin, silently willing his heart to slow at their proximity. Even after two years, he found himself affected by her presence. Sometimes, he wondered if she had powers of her own...Her damn eyes, he swore they were magic by the way they could read him. But they were distant now, much more focused on his wounds and her feet than him. Which reminded Diego why his hands were clutching the cold marble countertops instead of her.
He remembered her words, the way they slipped past her lips with such ferocity and emotion. Her features immediately filling with regret. Her mouth falling open, he assumed to apologize but he was out the door before she could even blink.
In truth, Diego hated nothing more than weakness. But anger didn’t exactly coincide with weakness, anger was easy. Anger is simple...You get pissed off, you punch something and move on. For as long as Diego could remeber he was mad. Whether it was his bastard of a father, his siblings, or his infuriating stutter. His entire life he was angry, until he met y/n.
The way she cared about him, the only person who ever truly had without having been programmed to. It was completely overwhelming, all of it. Her eyes, her smile, her laugh, her everything. She helped him tear down walls he hadn’t even known he’d built around himself. So what was he to do when the one person he went to with his feelings was the one that hurt them?
His internal dialogue was interrupted by a small sniffle, attention snapping to his girlfriend. Now hurriedly picking up miscellaneous band aid and gauze wrappers in her hands. (Actually, Diego Hargreeves hated nothing more than seeing y/n cry)
“H-hey, hey. D-don’t cr-cry.” His words were mumbled at first, before he cleared his throat and mentally pictured each letter to form the words he so desperately wanted to come out.
Y/n quickly wiped her sleeve across her face, brows furrowing in frustration at her tears.
“I-I’m so sorry.”
“It really, it really doesn’t hurt that bad bab-”
“No Diego. No, I mean I’m sorry about what I said to you. It-It was so, so terrible and I really didn’t mean any of it. It’s just, you’re so quick to go and save people and sometimes I think you forget what could happen to you. Y-you forget that I’m at home waiting for you. And I know, I know when we got together you warned me about what you do and I get it. You save people, I know that. But I’m always wondering if you’re okay and it’s s-so scary sometimes baby. And if something had happened to you tonight...After what I said I-I couldn’t live with myself Diego I-”
“Woah, woah. Hey, I’m n-not g-g-going anywher o-okay?” Diego interuppted he rambling with his own stuttered words. Trying desperately to calm her sobs whilst willing each syllable to come together. He was holding her in his lap now, somehow having shuffled the both of them to their befroom between her hiccuped cries.
“No, no Di you don-you don’t get it. I can’t lose you okay? Sometimes you’re too brave for you’re own good and it’s fucking terrifying. It doesn’t make what I said right, but I just don’t want to lose you.” Her arms around him tightened as she took a shaky breath from in between his neck and shoulder.
“I kn-know.”
“I’m so sorry Diego.”
“I know, it’s o-okay. I promise I’m n-not g-g-going to l-le-lea-” He grunted in frustration as the words escaped his mind, his mind moving too fast for his damn tongue to process.
Y/n lifted her head from his shoulder, gently grabbing his face so he could look at her. Her thumb softly wiping away the warm tears trailing down his cheeks.
“Calm down Di, let the words come to you. I hear you bab-” she was cut off by his lips against hers. Large hands coming up to cup her face in an effort to express what he was trying to say in a different way. She reciprocated just as passionately, hands holding each other as close as possible as if to seal the unspoken words in a communication only they would know.
Eventually, Diego reluctantly pulled away from her. Foreheads pressing together as he let out a soft chuckle.
“What?”
“I g-guess you were kinda right too. About the whole ‘fragile ass ego’ thing. Considering I almost bled out on the way here. But you should really see the other guys.”
