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As soon as the Impala pulled into the garage, (Y/N) was quick to jump out of the backseat and head for the front door of the bunker. A smile was plastered on his face and the excitement of returning home soared through him. Dean and Sam both stepped out of the car.
“Hey! Aren’t you going to grab your things?” Dean called out.
(Y/N) turned his head to look at him as he opened the bunker door. “I will in a minute!” He called back before he rushed inside.
(Y/N) barreled down the stairs and began to make his way down the hallway toward his bedroom. “Luna!” He called out, his voice echoing off the stone walls. “Daddy’s home! I brought a present for you!”
It didn’t take long before (Y/N) got to his room, the door slightly ajar, just as he had left it before he went on the hunt. As he peered into the room, he was able to see the pile of black fur that rested atop the comforter of his bed. His smile widened.
Luna had been (Y/N)’s traveling companion ever since he started hunting. He had found her on the side of the road as a kitten and nursed her back to health. She had been with him for years, hopping from motel to motel. It made hunting a little less lonely. When (Y/N) met the Winchester Brothers and the offer to move in with them was fronted, it took a lot of convincing for Dean to allow the pet he was allergic to in the same space as he was. Eventually, he caved, and Luna and (Y/N) moved into the Men of Letters Bunker.
As Luna got older, she didn’t do as much moving around as she used to, but after each hunt, (Y/N) always brought back a little present for her, whether it be a new toy or a new pet treat he knew that she would love. Although he didn’t see her nearly as often as he wanted to, (Y/N) knew that, with Luna being at the bunker, she was safe, and it made him feel overjoyed whenever he got home.
(Y/N) chuckled ever so slightly as he walked into the room. He kicked off his boots and tossed them to the side. “Hey, sleepy girl,” he said as he knelt beside the bed. “You remember how you hit your mouse toy under the fridge and we couldn’t get it back? Well, I got something that might be able to make you feel better,” he smirked as he reached into his pocket and brought out a small green and yellow mouse. “It’s not your old toy, but it's something,” he shrugged.
When (Y/N) looked down at Luna again, he noticed that she hadn’t lifted her head. She hadn’t even opened her eyes to acknowledge his presence. (Y/N) gave a small smile as he reached over, placed his hand on top of her head, and, using the pad of his thumb, lightly pet the bridge of her nose.
“Luna,” he cooed in a soft tone.
Even with the gentle touches, Luna was still. Cautiously, (Y/N) reached his thumb down and caressed her grayed muzzle, brushing her whiskers ever so slightly. Still, she lay unresponsive. The smile faded from his lips as he felt a lump begin to form in his throat.
“Luna?” His voice was quiet.
(Y/N) pulled his hand back from her face and placed it carefully onto her stomach. He waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And her stomach never moved.
Hesitantly, (Y/N) stood. He licked his lips as he crawled onto the bed, watching Luna as the bed dipped, yet all she did was lay there. When he got himself situated on the bed, legs crossed loosely, he reached over, placed one hand underneath her body, and picked her up, bringing her close to his chest. Her head lulled to the side as it lay limply against him.
(Y/N)’s eyes began to well up with tears as he brushed her fur out of her face. “Please,” he breathed as his bottom lip began to tremble. “Please wake up.”
Luna never woke up.
Soon, the dam broke. Tears began to stream down (Y/N)’s cheeks, leaving wet, red streaks as he pulled her even closer to him, nuzzling his cheek against hers, rocking himself back and forth ever so slightly on the bed. He sniffled as he let out small, pain-filled sobs. The emotions hit him like a truck. Luna was gone. His hunting companion was gone. His best friend was gone.
(Y/N) didn’t even hear the footsteps that came down the hallway and halted at his door, his cries and the breaking of his heart being the only thing that filled his ears. Dean peaked his head into the room, a concerned expression on his face. He placed his hand on the doorframe as he leaned against it.
“(Y/N)? You okay?” He asked, his voice laced with worry as he slowly stepped into the room.
As he got closer to the duo, he surveyed the scene in front of him. The way Luna’s body rested against (Y/N)’s chest, the wet spots on his cheeks, and the sound of (Y/N)’s cries. It didn’t take long for Dean to understand what was happening. He raised his brows as he looked down at Luna, his eyes immediately filling with sympathy as he walked over and placed a hand on (Y/N)’s shoulder.
Even though Dean was less than happy at first to have a cat in the bunker, he found that he had grown rather close to Luna. Although she caused his allergies to act up substantially, he had learned to love the way that she would nuzzle on his lap when he was watching a movie or the way that she would sneak into his room at night sometimes to cuddle up to him. Even though there were days when he would have rather not been around a cat constantly, he could never imagine a day going by without her being there. He saw the way she made (Y/N) smile. How close they were. He could tell that Luna meant a lot to his friend, that she was his family.
And now she’s gone.
Dean said nothing as he wrapped an arm around (Y/N)’s shoulders, pulling him close. (Y/N) laid his head against Dean as he cried. His chest moved up and down rapidly with the increased rate of his breathing. His tears left a wet spot on Dean’s t-shirt, but Dean didn’t mind. Dean closed his eyes as he rubbed (Y/N)’s shoulder comfortingly.
After a couple of minutes, (Y/N)’s sobs began to diminish as he looked at Luna. “I should have been here for her,” he whispered, his voice shaky and broken. “I knew I shouldn’t have gone on that hunt. I-” he swallowed the lump in his throat. “I should have stayed with her…” (Y/N) shook his head. “She must’ve thought I left her.”
“Of course, she didn’t, (Y/N),” Dean said in a soft, reassuring voice. “She loved you. She would get so excited whenever you would come back from hunts.”
“Then why didn’t she wait?”
Dean opened his mouth to speak but closed it. He shook his head slightly. “She probably didn’t want you to see her like this.”
(Y/N) sniffled and paused for a moment. “She was always so stubborn.”
Dean let out a dry chuckle. “She always did like to remind us that she was in charge.”
The tears had stopped at that point as Dean and (Y/N) sat there in silence. Dean’s hand ran up and down (Y/N)’s shoulder while (Y/N) ran his fingers through Luna’s soft fur. It felt like an eternity before (Y/N) finally spoke.
“Dean?” He asked in a whisper.
“Yes?”
“Can you…” he hesitated. He sat in another minute of silence before he continued. “Can you help me give her a proper funeral? A hunter’s funeral? I…I know she’s just a cat, but-”
“Hey,” Dean interjected as he pulled back to look down at (Y/N)’s face. “She wasn’t just a cat. She was a hunter, just like you and me. She may not have killed monsters like us, but she was with you every step of the way. I’d say she deserves a hunter’s funeral.”
(Y/N)’s bottom lip began to wobble once more as he heard Dean’s words. He sniffled and reached up to wipe the fresh tears away from his eyes.
“Thank you.”
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The crisp night air felt heavier than it should have been. The stars twinkled bright that night as the quiet wind caressed (Y/N)’s face. Dean finished placing the wood together in the smaller, makeshift pyre he had constructed. (Y/N) sat and watched as he held Luna’s body, wrapped in cloth, close to him. Once Dean was finished, he stood up and backed away, his boots crunching against the leaves that rested on the ground. He turned and looked at his friend for a moment, giving him a small nod.
(Y/N) nodded in return as he walked up to the pyre. He looked down at the wrapped-up bundle in his arms and placed a loving kiss atop Luna’s head before he set her down on the wood. He reached into his pocket and took out the small toy mouse that he had gotten her. He stared at it, his fingers brushing over the fabric for a second before placing it on her body. He then backed up and stood next to Dean.
Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter. He held it out to (Y/N). (Y/N) glanced down at the lighter, seeing the silver finish gleam in the moonlight. Timidly, he reached over, grabbed it from Dean, and opened it. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, attempting to will away the tears that were starting to form in the corner of his eyes once again. It took a while for him to finally open his eyes and ignite the flame. He hesitated, watching as the flame danced on top of the hood, before tossing the lighter towards the pyre.
The wood burned agonizingly slow. (Y/N) watched as the fire began to spread, engulfing the remains of his best friend. He thought back to all the moments that they shared. The times when he would come back from a hunt, beaten and broken, but he would still have her to cuddle with to make him feel better. The times when he was trying to research and all she would do was plop down on his book or laptop and beg for his attention. The times when he would cry over the loss of his friends and she would bring him her favorite toy to try and comfort him. Even the times they got on each other’s nerves. Luna was still there for him, through the good, the bad, and the ugly.
And as he stood there, watching as the fiery embers drifted off into the night sky, he couldn’t believe that it had taken him so long to realize;
Luna had saved (Y/N), just like he had saved her.