The portal shimmered behind them as Jack and Maya stepped back into the bunker.

It was quiet—eerily so. Only the faint hum of the lights echoed through the long hallway. The smell of rain still clung to their clothes, and both of them looked like they'd gone three rounds with Mother Nature.

Maya had mud streaked across her cheek, leaves tangled in her messy bun, and her hoodie looked like it had been dragged through a swamp. Jack wasn’t much better—his shirt was torn at the shoulder, damp and wrinkled, and his golden hair clung to his forehead.

But they were smiling.

“Well,” Maya said, tugging her hoodie down and glancing around. “That escalated fast.”

Jack let out a breathy laugh, still catching his breath. “Yeah. So much for popcorn and board games.”

“I dunno,” she teased, glancing over her shoulder at him. “This was… kinda thrilling. I mean, minus the mud in my bra.”

Jack blinked. “There’s mud in your—?”

“Don’t ask,” she said quickly, laughing. “Let’s just… clean up first.”

Jack hesitated. “I can, uh, snap us clean if you want.”

Maya arched a brow. “Oh no. I earned this grime. I’m going to take the longest, hottest shower in human history.”

Jack smiled softly. “Fair.”

They parted briefly—Maya disappearing down one hallway to use the guest shower, Jack turning into another. But the air still hung thick between them, charged with everything that had nearly happened. Words unsaid. Heat unresolved. Touches interrupted.

Twenty minutes later, Maya emerged, dressed in clean clothes she borrowed from one of the bunker’s storage closets—black leggings, a loose white tee, and one of Jack’s old flannels she found hanging behind a door.

The sleeves were too long.

It smelled like him.

She didn’t care.

Jack was already waiting for her in the common room, damp hair tousled and now wearing a dark gray hoodie and sweatpants. He looked… human again. And tired. But in a beautiful, boyish way that made her heart flutter.

“Hey,” she said softly, padding in barefoot.

His eyes lifted. And when they met hers, something in them softened—deepened. He stood slowly.

“You found my shirt,” he said, smiling gently.

Maya tugged at the flannel sleeve. “It was lonely.”

They stared at each other for a beat too long.

Then Jack stepped forward, his hand reaching out to brush a damp strand of hair from her cheek.

“You were incredible tonight,” he said quietly.

Maya exhaled. “So were you. I mean, obviously. You moved mountains.”

“I meant it,” he added, voice lower now. “When I said I wanted you there with me. It’s not just because I care about you—which I do. It’s… when you’re near, I feel more grounded. Even when I’m doing things no one else can.”

She looked up at him, heart pounding. “You were glowing.”

He chuckled. “It happens.”

“No, I mean—glowing,” she said. “Like… every part of you was lit from the inside. It wasn’t just power. It was you.”

Jack swallowed. “That’s what you do to me, Maya.”

Her breath caught.

Neither moved.

Not until Jack slowly reached out and took her hand, lifting it to his chest. “You felt it too, didn’t you? Back there. When everything was crashing down. You didn’t panic. You felt something.”

Maya nodded slowly. “Yeah. Like I… knew where to go. What to do.”

They both took a breath. Then another. The silence between them turned dense, electric.

“I think I’m changing,” she whispered, voice barely audible. “And I don’t know what that means.”

Jack stepped closer. “I’ll be with you. Whatever happens. We’ll figure it out.”

Her hand slipped up to his cheek, cupping it gently. “You keep saying that.”

“Because I mean it.”

He leaned in slowly—giving her time, giving her space.

She didn’t need it.

Their lips met again, and this time there was no crash or divine emergency. No interruption. Just two hearts still beating too fast from adrenaline and not nearly fast enough from love.

The kiss deepened quickly. Maya slid her arms around his neck, pulling him close, pressing her body against his. Jack groaned softly into her mouth, hands settling firmly at her hips.

They stumbled slightly, lips never parting, until Maya’s back found the wall. She let out a sharp gasp as Jack’s lips moved down her neck, his breath hot and uneven.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he murmured, kissing along her jaw. “I didn’t want to stop.”

“Then don’t,” she breathed.

He paused, pulling back just enough to search her eyes. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I’m sure. I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

That was all it took.

Jack lifted her, strong arms gripping under her thighs as she wrapped around him instinctively. Their mouths crashed together again, hungrier this time, years of innocence unraveling into something raw and real.

They didn’t make it to a bedroom.

The couch in the corner would do.

He lowered her gently, careful even in his haste. They moved like a dance—shirts discarded, fingers exploring, kisses deepening. Her hands trembled as she ran them along his chest, his muscles tense beneath her touch.

“You’re perfect,” she whispered against his skin.

“No,” he breathed, kissing her collarbone. “Just… yours.”

That made her heart ache.

They kissed again, slower now. Lingering. Their bodies tangled on the couch, clothes half gone, breathless and hot—

Until a soft ahem echoed from the hallway.

They both froze.

Maya’s head turned first.

Dean.

Standing with a bowl of popcorn.

Looking horrified and impressed all at once.

Jack groaned loudly and buried his face in Maya’s shoulder.

Dean looked like he was trying not to laugh—and failing. “Really, guys? The couch?”

Maya covered her face, trying not to combust. “Are you serious right now?”

Dean popped a kernel in his mouth. “I live here too, you know.”

Jack sat up slowly, glaring. “Dean.”

“I mean I figured you two were getting handsy, but damn, kid. That escalated.”

“We were not—” Maya started, then realized the state of her clothes. “Okay. Fine. We were. Happy?”

Dean raised his hands. “No shame. Just, uh, maybe next time—your room, Jack. Or like… any room but the one with shared furniture.”

Jack muttered something ancient under his breath.

Dean waved and turned back down the hallway. “I’ll be in the garage. With bleach.”

Silence.

Then:

“I’m never making eye contact with him again,” Maya mumbled, flopping onto Jack’s lap.

He chuckled helplessly. “Welcome to the bunker.”

Maya sighed, her cheek resting against his chest. “That man is chaos incarnate.”

Jack kissed her hair. “And you’re the calm in mine.”

She tilted her head to look up at him. “You’re really cheesy when you’re flustered.”

“I’m always flustered around you.”

They both laughed then, soft and genuine, like the worst of the storm had passed.

And for now… it had.