➣ [ COMFORT ] ➣

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IF YOU WOULD'VE told Arya Warner that within a few months after returning from the Dreams she would've been in a different universe where the archangel, Michael was after her and her soulmate (who happened to be Lucifer's kid) and was trying to eradicate mankind, she would've laughed and called you insane.

Funny thing though, that's exactly where she was. In a world where the leader of the angels wanted to poison her then use her soulmate as a can opener to get to her world where he would "remake it in his image". Fun right?

Arya sighed as she walked through camp. She had just finished yet another meeting with some of the heads of the camp. Only four were present: her, Mary, and two others since Jack, Noah, and Bobby were on a rescue mission.

This was the second within the past three weeks so she hadn't gotten the chance to really talk to Jack at all and it was starting to get to her. It was like he was her center and without him she had become more and more tired, not to mention more irritable. She truly missed him, but she pushed through it. These people needed Jack and Arya: the nephilims who would save them from the asshole in the sky.

"Arya!" The brunette turned toward the voice to see Mary jogging towards her.

"What's wrong?" Arya asked.

"Jack is back."

Those three words were all it took for Mary to lead Arya to the boy. It was a short walk through the woods to where Jack had appeared. When they got there, they saw Jack talking to Joseph who had been walking around the border when Jack had come back. Relief settled on her when she saw he was completely unharmed. As if sensing her there, Jack turned and his smile widened. Arya quickly made her way to the boy and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him. He returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I missed you," Arya said just loud enough for him to hear.

"I missed you too." Jack placed a chaste kiss on her temple.

They released each other and turned to Mary and Joseph.

"Been a while," Joseph told Arya. It had been a few weeks since she'd had a real conversation with the man. They'd both been busy with other matters, but they'd been able to greet each other every now and then.

"Feels like forever," she said.

Joseph chuckled, adjusting his gun strap that rested on his shoulder. "Always does."

"I'm flattered, truly." Arya placed a hand over her heart.

They both laughed quietly at the dramatic gesture. It felt good to laugh. With all the bad cards they'd all been dealt, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

"It's good to see you, Jack." Mary rested a hand on Jack's arm in a motherly fashion, smiling gently at him.

"You too," Jack returned it.

"Hey, Jack?" Arya asked, bringing his attention back to her as Mary and Joseph started talking about

"Yeah?"

"How are Bobby and Noah?"

For a millisecond, a frown made an appearance on Jack's lips just before he wiped it away and replaced it with a tight smile.

Though it was true that Arya and Noah made it clear that they would never be anything but friends, this didn't settle Jack's newfound gut feeling whenever he thought about it. He was new to emotions and how to handle them so when a guy that looked exactly like his soulmate's once-dead boyfriend it was bound to frustrate him. He knew Arya wouldn't go back to Noah, she'd moved on and was now with him, it was Noah he didn't trust. Of course, he'd never brought this up to the girl.

"They're fine," Jack started. "Before Bobby told me to go ahead and get back I saw him talking to the leader of their group and Noah was helping some medics."

His shift in expression was almost too quick for Arya to notice, but she managed to pick up on it just as he covered it. She knew he was struggling with his emotions and she wanted to help him, however, she also knew that he needed time to come to her on his own. Thus, she decided on small, soothing actions until he was ready.

"Thank you," Arya said with a smile before placing a kiss on his cheek.

Jack's smile grew as a faint blush adorned his face and Arya couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped her lips.

"I missed you so much," Jack repeated, taking her hand in his.

If you would've looked at them now you could've sworn you saw a sort of barrier around them. It would be a strange glowing light that surrounded them as they smiled at each other. You would've never guessed that they were in a dangerous world that threatened their lives. You would only see two people who truly cared for each other. Two people that only wished to be happy together.

➣

"Jack was just updating me on how the mission went," Joseph said as they began walking back. Jack led them back with Arya and Mary behind him, then Joseph in the back.

"Balthazar's army attacked, but we were ready." Jack glanced back at the group. "And then I...I killed him."

Arya had been on a few rescue missions of her own. The last one she'd gone on was a week ago. Jack was very against her going since Michael still had a hefty supply of Dreamroot, but Arya told him that she could take care of herself, insisting that he stay at the camp to help protect it. Extremely reluctant, Jack had agreed and stayed while she went.

"And Bobby?" Mary asked as she stepped over a fallen tree.

They had been in Apocalypse World long enough that word of them being here had gotten a lot of attention from humans and angels alike. Within their time of being here. Arya and Jack had managed to kill more than a few angels on missions. On some of those missions they had gone together, but recently they had decided that it would be better if one stayed behind just in case.

"Well, he'll be back in a few days with the people we saved."

"How many?" Arya asked.

"Thirty at least," Jack smiled at her.

Arya couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips, but it quickly disappeared when she realized what thirty new people meant. She and Mary glanced at each other and Arya pursed her lips. Jack noticed Arya's expression change as well as the exchange between the women.

"You're not happy?" He stopped, bringing the group to a halt. "This is the third battle in a row that we've won."

Arya stood between Mary and Jack while Joseph stood beside Mary. The older male cast a knowing glance at Arya. Jack hadn't given Joseph the numbers but it was obvious that this mission was going to bring in more people than they could handle. Joseph turned his attention to watching the surrounding area while Arya and Mary the news.

Mary shook her head, "Jack, we know. It's just..."

"We're running out of space and supplies," Arya spoke up with her.

"And with all those new people, we just don't know how we're gonna take care of everybody," Mary finished.

There was a sudden rustling noise from the trees. Mary and Joseph pulled out their guns, aiming at the source while Arya brought out her dagger with Jack standing close to her.

"Sorry!" A voice called out. It was a man that had been on a few missions with herself and Jack. "Didn't mean to startle you."

The four relaxed as he made his way through the bushes to them.

"What is it, Jakob?" Mary put her gun away.

"Just got word from the eyes outside Michael's fortress."

"And?" Arya furrowed her brows.

"They're saying the angels," he took a breath, "they're leaving."

The group exchanged looks of surprise and confusion. Jack was the one to voice what they were all thinking.

"Why would they leave?"

➣

They had been walking for hours — not that it was bothering her. As soon as Jakob had given them the news they were quick to have a meeting to try and figure out what to do. In that meeting Jack and Arya managed to look inside and around Michael's base and were shocked to find it empty beside a few angels surrounding the perimeter. Mary had voiced her disapproval of going, but after Jack insisting that both he and Arya could easily protect the group with Arya backing him up, she had agreed.

So, with the decision made, they packed their things and headed towards Michael's base.

At first, Jack voiced when they were packing that he was worried about Arya going to Michael's base while the archangel still had Dreamroot. Arya had paused, smiled at him then kissed his cheek telling him that Michael would have to catch her first. From the corner of her eye, she saw him smile to himself with a small blush that he tried in vain to hide. Their interaction had assured him enough to not hover around her, but she could tell that he was on edge.

They had decided a max of eight would be enough to scout Michael's base while staying undetected. Plus, with not only one but two nephilims they would be able to defend themselves if something did happen. They had also decided that Bobby and Noah would meet them there to save time.

So with Arya, Jack, Joseph, Jakob, Mary, and three other men that Arya didn't know they began their trip. They had made sure to stay off the main paths, walking through the woods, and taking the smaller routes through the woods.

It would take a few days to reach Michael's fortress. The first started with them going through a nest of vampires that Arya and Jack fended off with ease, then continued into a long and uneventful walk through the woods, and ended with them making camp with Mary insisting to have Arya stay with her. Mary said she wanted to talk about what she knew about Dreamroot alone because she knew Jack would only become tenser about it if he heard and making the excuse for Arya to stay with her was a perfect setup.

Arya had told Mary that all she knew was that it was a plant originally from Africa that humans used as something to grant someone the ability to enter and control dreams. Then the angels somehow figured out that it was poisonous to her. She had only recently learned that it could be modified through a less than pleasant interaction, and she only knew about the cure because someone told her through the Dreams. When Mary had asked who, Arya had shrugged and said it sounded like a man.

After their talk, Arya brought up Sam and Dean. This lead to Mary telling Arya cute stories of when they were babies and Arya trying (and at times failing) to contain her laughter. It ended up being much later when Mary went to sleep while Arya reread a book that she had found at the camp since she didn't have to sleep as often as the woman.

The next morning, they packed up camp and continued down their path. As they walked, Jack and Arya hadn't separated unless necessary. Though they hadn't talked much, they held each other's hands and shared smiles every once and a while.

"Arya?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something personal?" The girl glanced over at him. He was facing forward with a small frown on his face. "I mean, you don't have to but I'm just curious."

Arya smiled a little at the last part. "Sure, Jack. Shoot."

Jack blinked, his face contorting further, "Why would I shoot?"

"It's an expression," Arya stifled a laugh. "It means go ahead."

Jack nodded, his expression changing for a moment as he took in the information before it changed back to a more somber one. "I remember you said once that you met your mother." Jack paused, trying to read the girl as she averted her eyes to the dirt beneath them. "Can you tell me what she was like?"

Arya bit her lip, trying to find words.

"You really don't have to if you don't want to, Arya," Jack said gently, squeezing her hand once. She nodded and collected her thoughts before speaking.

"My mother was an amazing woman," Arya started, a small smile tugging on her lips. "I only knew her for a few weeks but I found out pretty quickly that she was strong mentally and physically. I don't remember much from when I was still in my mother's womb, only that she was scared more often than a pregnant woman should be. I managed to help her through it, but most of the memories I have are images of stars and flashes of a man's face that was too blurry to see."

"Stars?"

"Yes, she would go outside almost every night and talk to me about the stars. She said she wanted to show me them when I got older." She paused, glancing over at Jack who was watching her with a sad smile. He nodded for her to continue.

"She went through birth with the only help being a woman giving her shelter in a run-down shack on her family's farm. I didn't realize at the time, but my mother was supposed to have died when I was born. Instead, she was sick and could barely move. To this day, I have no idea how she lived. Maybe it was because she was a dream walker—"

"Your mom was a dream walker?" Jack cut her off.

"Yeah, she was very skilled in it and probably the most powerful ones of her time."

"Wow, that's so cool," Jack grinned.

Arya nodded, turning back to face the backs of Mary and Joseph in front of them.

"While she was sick I took care of her best I could until...until I couldn't. When the angels came, she was finally getting better. She told me to run and not look back." Arya sighed. "She managed to fight them off long enough for me to get out, but I...I looked back and..." Arya's throat closed up and her vision got foggy.

Jack, noticing this, stopped them, and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry."

Arya didn't respond and wrapped her arms around his torso. His embrace was warm and comforting — something she hadn't experienced since her mother and she welcomed it. She had her cheek pressed against his shoulder as he cradled the back of her head gently with his other arm wrapped around her waist.

"Thank you," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

"Of course," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I'm always going to be here for you."

Arya pulled away enough to look up at him and smile gently. He returned it and pulled away fully then taking her hand in his before speeding up to catch up with the group. They walked in silence for a while until Jack asked something else.

"So since you're mom was a dream walker, your dad is an angel right? Have you met him?"

Arya tensed at this and fixed her gaze on the ground. "He left my mother to fend for herself against all of Heaven because he was a coward," she spat. "I'd be glad if I never met him."

A tight squeeze of her hand was all Jack responded with. At least they had asshole dads in common even though she doubted being the daughter of a coward was at the same level as being the son of Lucifer, they were both assholes and had found a better family with the Winchesters and Castiel.

After that, they walked in a comfortable silence until they found a place to camp. That night Arya planned to sleep in her own tent, but somehow it had gotten ripped between packing and that night. She didn't want to bother Mary again, and she knew she could make a tent with the supplies they had. Arya sighed as she stared at the material with annoyance.

"You can stay with me," Jack spoke from behind her.

She turned with raised brows. Thankfully most of the group had taken up their places either on guard or in their tents.

"Are you sure?" Arya stared at him, waiting for him to laugh and say it was a joke.

Instead, he smiled his smile saying, "Of course!"

She blinked and stared at him. Jack was offering her a place to sleep next to him. As the question hit her, she blinked again and looked down at the ripped material. She could feel her face starting to heat up and thought of what Castiel would say.

"Arya?"

"Huh?" She looked up, trying to force the red from her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," she smiled at him.

"Are you sure?" Jack took a few steps forward looking concerned. Before she could stop him, he placed the back of his hand on her forehead. "You feel warm. They say when your temperature is high, you may be sick. Do you feel sick? Do I need to go get Mary?"

"No, no I'm okay. I feel fine," Arya reassured him, bringing his hand away from her forehead.

"Are you absolutely sure?" He asked.

Arya couldn't help but laugh, "Completely."

He seemed satisfied with her answer and nodded. Then, his lips curled into his usual smile when she was around.

"So, do you want to stay with me tonight?"

"I mean..." Arya looked behind him at all the setup tents then back to her's. "Sure, Jack. I'd love to."

"Great!" Jack beamed. "Why don't you get ready then meet me over there when you're done?"

"Okay," Arya laughed at his positive attitude.

He nodded and turned to leave, but stopped mid-step and turned back to her. She looked at him curiously as he still smiled at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Almost forgot," he smiled.

Arya went to speak again but was cut off when Jack leaned down and kissed her lips. It was so quick and light that she thought she'd imagined it.

She blinked.

She blinked again.

Jack's smile grew when he saw the red that was burning her cheeks.

"I'll see you soon," he said with a smile then left.

Arya stood there for another few seconds before she gathered herself and came to grips with what had just happened.

"Dammit..." she mumbled, tucking away the ripped tent that she planned on repairing before she went to sleep which was apparently now with Jack.

➣

It only took her a few minutes to gather her things before she headed over to Jack's tent. It's not like she had anything to change into. Out here, it was best to always be ready so for "nightwear" she settled on slipping off her jacket and putting on warmer socks.

"Hello?" She called in. "It's Arya."

"Come in," Jack's voice came from inside. With that, Arya walked inside.

It wasn't exactly a small space, but it wasn't very big either. There were two large poles on either end holding the tent up with one other smaller one in the middle. There was barely enough room for her to stand and even with that she had to lean her head down, so when Jack stood he was half bent down and had to tilt his head slightly up to look at her. Something she found quite adorable but would never tell him.

On the left side, there was a small flashlight pointed toward the roof making their shadows stretch like branches on a dead tree across the opposite wall. The light was accompanied by Jack's pack and now her own when Jack took it from her. On the right side there lay two fairly close thick blankets over the surprisingly grassy ground with another slightly thinner blanket to accompany each.

"Cozy," was her comment to which Jack nodded with a small smile.

"You can take whichever you're more comfortable with," Jack spoke referring to the cots. "I don't mind."

Arya returned the smile and chose the one closest to the edge of the tent. It would be cooler, but since she was staying in his tent she thought it'd be good manners. She sat and slid her