It only took an hour to get all of the patients from the car crash through the emergency room and either out or admitted to the hospital, but to Sophia, it felt a lot longer. Everything was pretty much back up and running, but with barely any time to properly get set up and absolutely no time to clean and reset as they went along, the E.R. was as chaotic as Sophia had ever seen it.

"I think I'm going to die." May slumped over on the nurses' station next to Sophia when she finally came back in. "I'm so tired."

Sophia rubbed sleep out of her eyes, feeling the darkness of exhaustion pressing in on the edges of her brain. "Tell me about it."

Just at that moment, Rocky came up to them. "You two. Go home," she ordered. "Mateo and Irene just got here."

The two women groaned in relief. "Thank God," May said. "It felt like this day would never end."

Fifteen minutes later, Sophia was changed and finally heading out the door, a mediocre cup of coffee from the break room in her hands. It wouldn't take her that long to get home, but given the day's record when it came to traffic accidents, she didn't want to take any chances of causing another one.

"Hey, did they leave?" Sophia asked May as they walked out together. "The firefighters?"

"You mean Dean?" But even May's teasing was half-hearted, her eyelids blinking wildly to keep them open.

Sophia just nodded.

"Yeah, they left when I came back in," May said. "He didn't have time to go back in and say goodbye."

Sophia shrugged. Just as she had a job to do, so did he.

"Hey." May paused at her car. "I know this thing between you guys is new, but if you ask me, he looked pretty serious about it. Trust me, I wish I had someone who looked at me the way he looked at you."

Sophia blinked at her words and soundlessly watched May get into her car. She hadn't even noticed Dean looking at her when he had been at the hospital. She had just assumed he had been getting on with his own job.

After getting home, Sophia walked into her apartment, flipped on the light switch, and...nothing.

"Fuck."

Apparently, power hadn't been restored to the entire city, and instead of coming back to a comfortable apartment to sleep in, Sophia was now trapped in what was essentially an oven.

"Fantastic." Hoping against hope that the power would come back on soon, Sophia dragged herself to her dark bathroom and took a shower, letting the cool water wash off the sweat and grime of the day. Shivering slightly, she got out, changed into shorts and a t-shirt, and still nothing.

Sophia flopped onto her couch, but she could already feel herself starting to sweat again.

"Alright, screw it."

She grabbed her phone, scrolled to Dean's contact, and pressed call. She wanted to see him, anyway, and this just gave her an excuse.

He picked up on the second ring. "Hey," he answered. Sophia could tell he was tired, but she was also beginning to learn what his voice sounded like when he had a smile on his face. And he had one right now.

"Hey, do you have power?" Sophia was too tired to beat around the bush.

"Yeah, wait, do you?" The concern was immediate in his words.

"Nope."

"Come over?"

Sophia let out a sigh of relief. "That would be amazing."

She had only been to Dean's house once, when she had driven for one of their dates. But it was like the path there was ingrained into her memory, and even just making the drive made a small bubble of joy inflate in her chest.

"I see you're just using me for my air conditioning," Dean teased when he opened the door.

"Oh, absolutely." Sophia stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into his chest. A moment later, she felt his arms go around her, his head resting on top of hers.

"Rough day." His chest vibrated with his words.

Sophia nodded against him. "Shitty day." She pulled away from him. "I needed that."

Dean kissed her forehead. "Go sit down. I'll be there in a sec."

Sophia watched him walk into his kitchen before heading to his couch. He had cleaned up as well, and was in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. Except, there was nothing simple about it. His shirt stretched across his chest and clung to his biceps, and the sweatpants hung tantalizingly low on his hips. It was enough for a small jolt of energy to race through Sophia's body. Every time she saw him, the attraction she felt toward him inched farther and farther past anything she had experienced before.

"Soda or water?" Dean had two bottles of each balanced on a pizza box when he came back in.

"Both."

Grinning, Dean handed her a bottle of water and a can of coke before placing the pizza box down on the coffee table. "It's cold," he said, nodding to the pizza as he sat down next to her. "Sorry about that."

"It's perfect." Sophia grabbed a slice and then leaned back into Dean, whose arm curled around her shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You know, I saw you working today." After eating about half the pizza in comfortable silence, Dean spoke.

Sophia sat up slightly to look at him. "I mean, I assume so."

Dean chuckled. "I meant when I was helping get the other beds ready, I saw you with the patients as they came in. And I mean, as previously stated I've always known you're a badass, but you really are a badass."

Sophia snorted. "Oh really?"

He gave her a surprised look. "Yes, really," he said. "You were calm and collected and efficient and just so damn good at what you were doing." His eyes searched her face, something heated in his eyes. "And honestly? It was sexy as hell."

Sophia gaped at him. "So that's what you were thinking about in the middle of an emergency?" she needled him, deflecting the compliment that only served to send more energy through her body, enough for her to notice that it was accumulating between her legs.

Dean groaned and put his head back. "I know, I know. Not exactly professional. But I can't help thinking things that are just objectively true."

"Well, I wouldn't be too hard on yourself." Sophia had no idea how to respond to his comment, so she deflected again. "You're not the only one who had trouble keeping those kinds of thoughts away."

The grin was back and Dean shifted to face her. "Oh, yeah?" he asked. "And what type of thoughts would those be?"

"The type that come up when I saw you in uniform for the first time," Sophia told him. She was shamelessly flirting, something she wasn't used to doing but was beginning to realize was actually fun given how receptive Dean was to it. "It was, as you said, 'sexy as hell.'"

His eyes were alight with a fire that made Sophia's heart race. "Ah, so you're not just using me for my air condition, but also the uniform."

"I mean what else is there? It's amazing you were single when you have both of those."

Dean laughed, but he hesitated for a fraction of a second. Sophia had sensed his mood shifted in an instant.

"Hey." Sophia frowned and sat up straight. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Dean looked surprised, but then shook his head. "Nothing."

"Dean."

He hesitated for another moment. "Well, as you said, people like the uniform." He paused again. "They just don't always like what comes with the uniform."

Sophia pressed her lips together. "You've dated people who only like the idea of dating someone who likes the idea of you?" she guessed, her stomach twisting with revulsion. He deserved better than that. "The idea of the uniform?"

Dean shrugged in confirmation. "And then things go south when everything else gets in the way. Crazy schedules, the unpredictability of the job, the danger of the job...I haven't been in a lot of long-term relationships, but the few that I have, well, they've always ended because the other person thought I would give up a lot of the job for them."

Sophia took a deep breath. She knew what that felt like.

"And I can do some concessions, Sophia, that's how relationships work. But I'm not going to give up being a firefighter."

"And you shouldn't have to." She hated the shadow of dejection that sat across his features. "And I certainly would never ask you to," she said softly, bringing her hand to brush across his cheek.

The flicker of relief that crossed Dean's face was brief, but obvious, and he leaned into her hand.

"And it's not like I'm working a nine-to-five," Sophia pointed out. "And I know you would never ask me to quit because of the crazy hours or whatever stress it puts me under."

Dean shook his head. "Like I said, you're sexy as hell when you're doing your job," he murmured. "And a lot of that is because it's easy to see you care about it. How could anyone ever ask you to leave?"

Someone could. But that someone was nothing like Dean.

They both were relaxed back into the couch, Sophia's head turned towards Dean's, her eyes taking in his face, his mouth that slightly parted the longer she stared. The sides of their body were already pressed together, so it didn't take much movement for Dean to pull her closer still, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that was all heat.

The heat quickly turned up to ten, Dean's gripping Sophia's waist. They had made out like this before, and every time they did, every time Sophia even saw him, some of the walls she had around her heart for protection came down.

Sophia was more and more frequently making moves that shocked her, and in a half a moment, she moved from sitting next to him to having one leg on either side of his hips, straddling him without breaking the kiss.

Dean let out a small groan inside of her mouth, and it was one of the hottest things Sophia had ever heard. Her only body responded to his noise, but not in any way that would be obvious to the man underneath her.

His hands gripped her waist and pulled her against him as he moved his mouth from hers and worked his way down her neck.

Sophia's eyes widened. "What, I turn you on that much?" she breathed. As her body pressed to Dean's she could feel his arousal against her stomach, hot and straining.

Dean pulled back, his own eyes round. "Shit, sorry," he said. Then he swallowed hard. "But, honestly? Yeah. I meant what I said, Soph, you're sexy as hell, and not only when you're at work. So yeah, you turn me on that fucking much."

He had never called her that nickname before, but as it came out of his lips, it felt right. It felt intimate. And it made Sophia ache for him.

"But you're setting the pace, here," Dean continued, still slightly out of breath. "What do you want to do, Sophia?"

Sophia swallowed hard. He had never been anything but respectful about her desire to take things slowly, but that respect only made her want to rip both of their clothes off more. "I want to touch you, Dean," she found herself saying. And she did. She was desperate to feel his skin underneath her fingers.

Dean's eyes flared, but then he nodded. "Anywhere you want," he whispered.

Sophia's eyes flickered down to where his shirt had ridden up slightly, exposing a small strip of skin. Her fingers brushed against it, and Dean sucked in a sharp breath.

"You can take it off, Sophia."

She didn't wait for another invitation. She worked her hands underneath the fabric and a second later, tossed Dean's shirt across the couch.

He was beautiful. There really wasn't another word for it. He wasn't overly chiseled like in the movies, but he clearly kept in shape, likely to keep up with the demands of his job. The muscle was hard, the skin hot, underneath Sophia's palms as she slid her hands down his chest to his stomach, her stomach flip-flopping as she noticed the small trail of dark hair that led down his waistband.

Her eyes went back to his to find him staring at her with wide, darker-than-usual eyes. His lips were parted and his face was flushed.

"Anywhere?" Sophia asked him, her voice low and just above his whisper.

Somehow, his eyes turned even darker. He nodded. "Soph," he whispered.

She pressed her lips to his, cutting him off and running her tongue along his lip. As she kissed him, her hand trailed back down to his waistband, her fingers working under the elastic.

Dean sucked in a sharp breath and broke the kiss. Sophia paused.

"God, I really, really want you to keep going," he managed to get out.

That's all she needed to hear. Sophia worked her hand under his clothing and then grasped his erection in her hand. Dean's head fell back against the couch and his mouth opened with a moan. "Fuck, Sophia, that feels so fucking good."

It was all Sophia could do to hold in a moan of her own. He felt good in her hand, the horny side of her going wild over how big he felt, her mind fantasizing about how it would feel to have him inside of her. She wasn't ready for that, but at that moment, she had no doubt that one day, she would be.

Sophia began to run her hand up and down Dean's length, starting with a featherlight touch and increasing pressure with every stroke. She watched as his chest rose and fell, his breaths becoming deeper and more jagged with every move.

She wasn't used to being with someone so vocal. It was oddly empowering to know that what she was doing was making someone else, someone she felt so strongly for, feel so good. And with every moan, groan, and sigh, Sophia felt herself getting wetter and wetter, the pressure between her legs growing almost unbearable. Her vibrator would be getting a workout tonight.

Sophia eased Dean's erection out of his pants, and then slowly dragged her hand away. He opened his eyes and stared at her in half wonder, half disbelief.

"Soph—"

But his words cut off as Sophia got off his lap and kneeled on the floor next to him.

"Sophia—"

And again, he lost the ability to speak as Sophia gripped his base with her hand and teased the head of his cock with her lips. If she thought he had been moaning in pleasure before, that was nothing compared to the noises he made now. Sophia kissed, licked, and sucked him, and practically got herself off just by how he reacted. Dean completely unraveled with her touch, and in a lot of ways, she had never felt sexier.

"Sophia, I swear to God, I'm not going to be able to last much longer," Dean gasped out. "I'm going to, fuck."

Sophia paused for a moment and made eye contact with him still in her mouth. She smirked and kept going.

Dean's hand twisted in her hair, the other gripping the arm of the couch. "Sophia, fuck, Sophia."

She pulled away right before his release, letting him keep things mostly clean with a well-placed tissue. She climbed back up onto the couch, falling down beside him and watching him as he came down from his climax.

His chest heaved, his face was flushed, and his eyes stayed closed. She had done that, and even though she hadn't been the one to come, it made her feel like she was floating on air.

Chuckling slightly, Sophia made to get up off the couch so she could rinse her mouth out, hoping that he wouldn't be too spent that they couldn't keep making out. But she barely made it two inches up before Dean's hands grabbed her waist and pulled her back down.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" he growled. He didn't give her a chance to reply before crushing his mouth over hers, clearly not caring about what she tasted like.

"You taste so fucking good," Dean groaned. "You feel so fucking good."

Sophia had never had anyone want her like this, and it was all she could do to just keep up with the kiss.

With considerable effort, Dean pulled away, his arms on either side of her bracing him over her. "I want to touch you too, Sophia," he said, his voice low and gravely. "God, I want to touch you so much. But only if you want me to."

Sophia's body ached for him. She didn't even notice as she arched into him until one of Dean's hands grabbed her waist, anchoring her to him. But there was still the fact that she wasn't ready for everything, yet.

It was like he could read her mind. "I don't care about me right now," Dean said. "I just want to make you feel good."

With parted lips, Sophia nodded. "God, yes," she breathed. "Touch me, Dean."

A groan left Dean's mouth and then it was on hers again, his teeth dragging across her lower lip. His hand left her waist, letting her fall back to the couch, but then moved up under her tank top. He didn't try to take it off, but his slightly calloused fingers ran across her bare skin, up her stomach and along her waist, until he reached her bra. Sophia didn't stop him as he pushed up, and then her breast was exposed and massaged by Dean's wonderfully talented hand.

Sophia arched against him again as he rolled her nipple between two of his fingers. Her teeth tug into her lower lip, biting back a moan, as he kept going and going, her breasts and nipples both firm with arousal.

He pulled back, although not far. "You were going to moan," he said breathlessly, dragging his thumb over her lower lip that was now marked by her own teeth. "Why didn't you?"

Sophia couldn't answer, only gape up at him. She was used to being quiet in moments like this.

"I want to hear your pleasure, Sophia," Dean growled. "Be as loud as you fucking want."

His lips crashed back against hers and his hand continued moving, and when the next moan rose in Sophia's throat, she let it out into Dean's mouth, squirming in pleasure when he growled in response.

Sophia could have stayed like that forever, but Dean had other plans. He tore himself away from her and did what she did earlier, dropping down to the floor.

His hands went to her waistband, but then he stopped. "You okay with this?"

Sophia didn't really have an answer to that. She was in uncharted territory. But what she did know was that she was soaking wet and throbbing, and she was desperate to find release in any way possible.

"It's all for you, Sophia."

She met Dean's eyes and then nodded.

Dean dragged down her shorts and panties in one motion, and then lifted her leg so he could shift between them, her thighs resting on his shoulders. The anticipation alone was almost enough for Sophia to come.

Sophia sucked in a breath as she felt Dean's lips press against the inside of her leg, just above her knee. He slowly planted kisses up her leg, tracing his tongue over the sensitive skin of her thigh. Her heart raced in her chest and her entire body trembled with desire and anticipation. Just as he almost reached where Sophia desperately needed him, he switched to the other leg and did the same thing.

"God, Dean, please," Sophia moaned out. She had never begged before. She had never had any reason to.

Apparently, her words were all Dean needed because Sophia then found herself letting out a sound somewhere between a moan and a scream as Dean slipped his tongue inside of her, his hands gripping her hips and pulling her against him. Then he moved up slightly, licking and sucking her clit, and Sophia saw stars.

The pleasure was unparalleled. Dean worked his mouth and tongue in all the areas that made her moan and squirm. She let out another scream when he added two fingers inside of her, pumping in and out. "God, Sophia, you're so fucking wet," he groaned into her, the vibration from his voice shaking her core. "You're so goddamn sexy."

Sophia grinded herself into him and twisted her hand into his hair, needing him closer, needing him to keep going. She couldn't reply, the ability to speak had left her brain the moment Dean had put his mouth on her.

Her orgasm built in her lower body until her thighs began to shake. Dean moved his hand there from her hip and gripped tightly.

"Dean," Sophia choked out, "Dean."

And that was it. Her back arched and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Moans left her lips as Dean kept going despite her climax with moves that threaten to overwhelm her completely. Her whole body trembled with waves of pleasure, and she lost track of everything around her.

Finally, she relaxed back on the couch, her legs still over Dean's shoulders, her face and arms tingling. As she opened her eyes, Sophia found him staring up at her, a smug grin across his face.

"Fuck," was all she could get out.

The smirk grew, and Dean gently maneuvered around her so he could come back up to the couch with her. With her shorts still around her calves and her shirt and bra still pushed up, Sophia grabbed his bare shoulder and pulled him toward her, kissing him and tasting herself in his mouth.

Dean watched her as she pulled her shorts and panties back up, and then he pulled her so that her back was against him and he could wrap his arms around her chest. "Is it going too fast to ask you to stay over tonight?"

Sophia shifted in his embrace. "You're okay without doing anything else?" she asked, uncertainty at the edge of her voice.

Dean buried his face into her hair and inhaled. "Oh, baby, the memory of that is enough to keep me satisfied for a long time," he mumbled. "I just want to hold you."

Once again, the nickname was new, but it just felt right coming from Dean's lips. Sophia leaned her head back against his chest, closing her eyes. "I want you to hold me, too," she mumbled. "All night."