Chapter Text
“For the hundredth time, I am NOT cheating on you Erica!” Chris roared, throwing his hands up in the air as his frustration and anger glowed on his face.
This is the same fight the two of you have been having all month and it was starting to take its toll on you. Each day, he spent less and less time with you and instead headed out with friends; and you had no idea where he was half the time. He was being secretive it felt like, distant and it worried you to no end.
There was a tightness in your chest as you looked at him. His teeth were clenched as it was apparent from the way his jaw bone jutted out. Not being able to face him anymore, you turned your back to face the kitchen. The stainless steel appliances gleamed in the sunlight from all the time you spent cleaning the damn place. It was a method you liked to do to help you relax, to calm yourself down when Chris went out with his friends. There was still a faint smell of the chocolate chip cookies you baked earlier, still untouched and in a container next to the stove.
Spotting your black leather handbag on kitchen island, you snatched it up along with your phone and marched towards the front door. You slipped on your purple ballet flats, Chris’ voice making you pause as you touched the door handle.
“Where are you going?” Chris stammered with worry.
“Out,” you snapped back, not even bothering to glance in his direction. Slamming the door shut, you got into your black Range Rover, your own personal gift to yourself last year for your birthday, and pulled out of the garage and onto the neighborhood road.
It was a rather normal day for springtime in Los Angeles and you rolled your window down. Your dark brunette hair whipped around your face as you drove down the street, not even knowing where you were headed to. You just needed to get out of the house, away from Chris and to collect your memories.
Things had been going so good for you both. A little over two years of dating and your naïve self still thought you would be in your ‘honeymoon’ phase. But you were wrong, and it made you feel uneasy. Naturally your first choice of thought was to think he was cheating on you as he never really wanted to spend much time with you over the last month. He had just got done filming two Avengers movies back to back and you missed him terribly while he was gone.
You pulled into the parking lot of a park, one that you had never been to before. Tears began to well in your eyes at the thought of possibly loosing Chris. Between him being
distant from you and all the fighting, you couldn’t hold back anymore and began to weep. Your vision blurred and your throat felt scratchy
Once your sobbing had finally ebbed, you used your light gray sweatshirt to wipe your face. Catching a glimpse of yourself in the rearview mirror, you groaned. Your eyes were red and puffy from crying and your mascara was splotched all over your cheeks. Pulling your phone from your purse that sat on the passenger seat, you knew just who to call.
It was only two rings before the familiar voice broke through the speaker. “Hey Erica,” Sebastian spoke from the other end; an evident smile could be heard in his voice.
You and Sebastian dated for a little over four years before breaking up. It was your decision, something you liked to not dwell on, but you two were not only amicable, you remained very close friends. Sebastian even helped you get to where you are today with your career. Knowing at a young age that you wanted to work on movie sets, your mom encouraged you to follow your dream. After working your ass off in college, you met Sebastian on a movie he was in while you were interning and from there, he helped you get in contact with Marvel as he just signed his own movie deal with them.
From there, you had worked on the first and second Avengers movies as a set designer, along with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War. After working on Spiderman: Homecoming, you had decided to take a little break and forgo working on the set of Avengers 3 and 4.
“H-hi Sebby,” you sniffled out, hoping to be strong but your voice was anything but.
“Sweetheart what’s wrong?” Sebastian instantly felt on edge, never liking when you were distraught; especially when he couldn’t be there to comfort you. No matter how long the two of you had been broken up for, you knew Sebastian would always be there for you; always have your back.
Your breathing was coming in short spurts as you tried to calm yourself enough to talk. “We-we had another fight. I ju-just don’t kno-know what to do anymore Sebby.” It was always a relief to talk to Sebastian because you knew you could trust him, and trust was something very difficult to come by nowadays.
Sebastian sighed on the other end and you could just picture him with his brows crinkled; his hand on his forehead thinking of what to say to you. “Do you love him?”
“Of course I love him Sebby,” you accused rather harshly, wincing at yourself for sounding like a bitch. “I’m sorry Seb, I-I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’ve just been really stressed
lately with all the fighting, and I’m just at my breaking point.”
His deep chuckle echoed throughout your ear, calming you quickly. There was a sudden emptiness of silence, but that was one great thing about Seb; it wasn’t awkward silence.
As you sat in your car, Sebastian began to hum to one of your favorite songs, instantly making you smile; a soft chuckle escaping your hoarse throat.
Instantly your mind began to drift to thoughts of Chris, and how you just might have overreacted by storming out of the house. With a sigh, you pinched the bridge of your nose, knowing that you should call him.
“Better now?” Sebastian’s cool voice broke through your thoughts.
“Much,” you chuckled, giving off a soft smile. “Thanks Sebby. I can always count on you to calm my nerves.”
“I’m always happy to help you sweetie. I’ll talk to you later alright?”
“Okay Sebby. Bye.”
“Bye Erica.”
You sat in your car for another five minutes, trying to figure out what to say to Chris when you called him; eventually giving up. Finding his contact in your phone, you pressed the
call button and waited on bated breath.
“Hi,” was all Chris said when he answered the phone; your heart panging in your chest from the hurt tone of his voice.
“Hey,” you responded, your voice brittle. Neither one of you continued with words; instead sitting there in silence. The once sunny day turned dour as dark rain clouds moved in, a strong gust of wind blowing your hair around. Rolling up the window, you finally broke the silence. “I’m sorry Chris…..for walking out. I was being a bitch and overreacting. We should have just sat down and talked and I shouldn’t have accused you of cheating.”
You heard him let out a sigh on the other end, hoping it was a relieved sigh and not one in frustration. “No babe, I’m sorry for yelling at you. I shouldn’t have raised my voice like that. I’m just….stressed with everything going on.” Your heart felt at ease listening to him talk. “Come home baby. Please.”
You smiled as you put your car into gear, pulling out of your parked spot as you began to make your way back home. “I’m coming home right now Chris.”
His smile was evident as you waited to take a left hand turn at a stoplight; neither one of you wanting to get off the phone. It seemed like it was ‘your thing’ you each did together; whenever the two of you fought, even if there were no words said, you each stayed on the phone until one of you made it home. Rain began to pelt on your window and you turned on the wipers.
The green left hand arrow shown on the stoplight and you stepped on the gas, wanting to get home to the love of your life. “I love you Erica,” Chris said on the other end and you smiled.
“I love….,” your words were cut off with a shriek as you watched in slow motion the car speeding straight for you, running a red light.
“Erica!!! ERICA!!! Baby are you alright??” you faintly heard Chris’ frantic voice coming from your phone before everything faded to black.
~~~
It was quiet, dark. Your head was pounding and there was a stabbing pain on your left side. You tried to open your eyes, but it was damn near impossible as they felt like pure concrete. Confusion began to sink into your body as you tried to lift your arm. What the hell your mind whispered out as your heart began to beat faster. Wait, what is that noise? you thought as you began to hear a steady beeping noise; the beeping becoming faster, almost as if it was matching your heart rate.
Ever so slowly you began to feel a tingled sensation in your fingers. With what felt like the strength of the world, you began to move them around. Faint voices began to speak but you couldn’t make out what they were saying. Although your eyes felt glued shut you managed to gradually open them before slamming them closed from the bright light, sending more pain to your throbbing head.
“Too bright,” you croaked out, your hand covering your sensitive eyes. You didn’t get a good glimpse of where you were, but you knew you weren’t at home. It smelt far too clean, like antiseptic and there was the floral scent of flowers everywhere.
“The lights are turned down,” the voice said. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but you couldn’t pinpoint just who it was.
Soon another voice spoke, this one more familiar. “Erica, open your eyes.”
Lowering your hand, you took a deep breath, wincing at the pain in your side; you opened your eyes. The room was much darker now as the beeping sound began calm. You were on a bed, and to be honest, it was nowhere near comfortable. Sure enough, you spotted a vast array of flowers lining the room. With your head pounding, as if someone was jackhammering right on your skull, you moved your head to see who the voices came from.
Chris was sitting to your left, Sebastian to your right. You furrowed your brows at Chris, immediately regretting it as the pain in your head started to throb tenfold. Looking around, realization hit when you saw that you were in a hospital room; the beeping noise was coming from your heart monitor.
The monitor began to beep quickly, matching your racing heart. You looked to Sebastian, holding out your hand to him as tears started to fall onto your face. Sebastian rose from his chair, taking in your tears and held you in his arms. “Oh Seb,” you cried into his shoulder as his arms wrapped around you delicately.
With your back turned to Chris, you couldn’t see the heartbreak that flashed in his eyes, or the guilt he was feeling because you were here, stuck in a hospital bed from getting hit by the truck; all because you two had a fight, again.
Your sobs did nothing but worsen the pain in your head and you pulled away from Sebastian. Wiping the tears from your face, you ponderously looked at Chris from the corner of your eye. “Seb, why is Chris here?”
In that moment, you could feel the tension throughout the room as Chris gasped from behind you.