Summary: When you love someone, you worry about them. It’s part of the deal (AKA missing scenes from 8x06 and 8x07 where Hailey worries about Jay)
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AN: We are one week away from One Chicago being back so it seemed like a great time to post this missing scene from 8x06! Big thanks to the anon on Tumblr who prompted this fic! I got a similar request for a missing scene from 8x07, so this fic will be a two-parter and part 2 will be posted in a few days! The title comes from the song “Rely” by flor. Enjoy my friends!
i cannot get over the fact that hailey was in TEARS as she finally admitted that she saw jay as more than a partner. i cannot get over the fact that jay responded to her by kissing her without any hesitation. i cannot get over the fact that they both just melt into each other, into the kiss, because they both knew it was a long time coming, because this was something they’ve both been silently after for so long. and it’s finally happened. that kiss felt so natural, just like them. i’ll never stop crying about it.
Your fanfictions are simply some of my favourites!! I thoroughly enjoyed Love Drunk as well as Go Forth Slowly. The First and Morning After are also some that I constantly go back to :) keep up the amazing work!! 💕💕
Happy almost Valentine’s Day! Here’s a long, annoyingly fluffy Upstead one-shot inspired by the song Afterglow by Ed Sheeran. Written for the “Upstead Valentine's Love Songs Challenge” on @upsteadofficial. Enjoy!
Hailey slumped back in her chair, rubbing at her face and never feeling so thankful that it was a Friday. The past week had been long to say the least and Intelligence had been hammered with case after case. But finally their work week was over and she was about to go home. She glanced over to Jay’s desk, only to find him already looking her way with a soft smile spread across his mouth.
“What?”
She mouthed quietly, squinting her eyes at him when his smile increased. He shrugged and shook his head before shutting down his computer and standing to stretch. They made their way into the locker room and found Kim and Adam exchanging a playful banter over the fact it was Valentine’s Day this weekend. Hailey rolled her eyes, laughing when Adam made a comment about the discount candy he’d be buying on Monday. Every time she looked Jay’s way she caught him looking at her, an almost mischievous look behind his eyes.
Finally they made it out to his truck, Hailey jogging to get out of the freezing wind and letting out a sigh of relief when she was tucked into the warmth of his cab. Jay climbed into the drivers side, sending her another grin as he pulled them out of the lot.
“You’re up to something.”
She stated, eyes boring into him. He shrugged again, reaching to adjust the heat and giving her a wink.
“Can you make sure my bag is back there?”
Jay asked, motioning towards the back seat. It wasn’t an odd request, seeing as they usually packed a bag to stay at the others house on the weekends. But when Hailey turned to look into the back seat she spotted not only Jay’s but hers as well. She shifted back around and stared at the side of his face.
“It is. And it would appear mine is as well.”
She watched his mouth creep up into a grin again and he sent her another wink.
“Huh...weird.”
He shrugged again and she playfully smacked his shoulder.
“Why is my bag in the back Jay?”
She pushed when he wasn’t going to answer.
“Well, it’s your overnight bag.”
He stated simply, turning them into the parking lot of Portillo’s to grab them some dinner.
“Yes, thank you. But why do I need it?”
She tried to sound annoyed but really her tone was light and held a hint of excitement.
“Because you’re staying somewhere overnight.”
He grinned her way once more before pulling up and ordering their usual.
“Somewhere? So not your place?”
Hailey angled in her seat to fully face him now, becoming more curious by the second as to what he might have planned.
“Not my apartment…”
Jay paid and passed the bag of food her way, then pulled into a spot for them to eat.
“So where?”
Hailey asked, handing out the meals. Jay chuckled her way and she rolled her eyes in response.
“You ask a lot of questions, you know that?”
It was Hailey’s turn to chuckle as she shook her head at him.
“Just trying to catch up.”
She shrugged, opening her sandwich wrapper.
“How about… you just enjoy the surprise.”
He kissed her mid sentence and she smiled into him before he pulled away. Hailey gave him a hesitant nod and they settled into eating. Once Jay was done he pulled them back out of the lot and pointed them in the direction of the expressway, only peaking Hailey’s curiosity more but she did her best to keep quiet. Jay turned on the radio after a while and Hailey settled back into her seat, letting the soft lyrics of Ed Sheeran fill her ears as the lights of the city began to fade from view. After a while she felt her eyes getting heavy and rested her head on her hand, propping it up against the window. Jay’s hand reached over and took her free one, tracing lazy circles over the back of her hand and the gentle touch lulled her to sleep.
Hailey woke when the truck came to a halt. Rubbing her eyes she glanced at the clock on the dash and felt disoriented when it read just after 10pm. Jay’s hand squeezed hers and she looked his way before letting her eyes finally take in the sight before them. They were parked in front of a cabin, seemingly in the middle of the woods, with a string of white Christmas lights illuminating a covered porch. Her gaze drifted back to Jays and she smiled back at him when she saw him grinning her way.
“Come on…”
He nodded and jumped out of the truck. Hailey climbed out of her side and met him at the front of the truck. Jay came to stand behind her as she took in the small house, unable to contain her smile at the almost magical sight before her. His hands rested on her hips and he placed a kiss on top of her head. Hailey leaned back into his touch, placing her hands over his as they wrapped around to her abdomen.
“Jay…”
She couldn’t finish, still in awe over his surprise. She assumed this was his family's cabin, something she had heard about once but never seen.
“I know it’s kinda cheesy, but I wanted to do something nice for you for Valentine’s Day and you don’t seem like the candy and teddy bear type.”
She laughed against him, squeezing his hands in hers. She definitely wasn’t that type. But this? This was perfect.
“Are we here all weekend?”
Hailey turned in his arms to face him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she spoke.
“If that’s okay with you.”
He smiled, looking relieved that she was appearing to like his surprise.
“The whole weekend, just us...no interruptions?”
Her voice dipped lower as she spoke and his eyes darkened in response. Hailey stretched up onto her tiptoes to give him a kiss and his arms pulled her in tighter to deepen it. They stayed locked together for a moment, letting their lips dance together in a slow pace, before Hailey pulled back to look up at him.
“Can I see the inside?”
She bit her lower lip, grinning when he moaned a little at the sight. He took her hand in his and led her up to the steps of the cabin. Snow was starting to fall around them and the sight of it under the glow of the string lights was beautiful.
Inside the cabin, Hailey found herself awestruck once again at the beautiful simplicity laid out before her. Worn down furniture, an old handmade quilt draped over the back of the couch and a brick fireplace that was screaming to hold a crackling fire. She turned to face Jay and pulled him into another slow kiss. When they separated, he pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes beaming with happiness.
“Thank you.”
She whispered against his lips before placing a quick kiss against them and then pulling away.
“For what?”
He asked, following after her as she trailed around the small room.
“For this surprise. It’s perfect.”
She grinned his way as she went on to explore the tiny kitchen, just enough room to cook a meal and perfect for her and Jay.
“You’re perfect.”
He sent her a cheesy grin when she rolled her eyes at him. Jay stepped back out to grab their bags from the truck and tossed them onto the dining table when he returned.
“How about you take these to the bedroom and then take a hot shower and I’ll start a fire.”
Hailey quirked an eyebrow at him, trying to picture Jay bent over the fireplace. It was almost something she wanted to stay and witness but instead she gave him a nod and took the bags down the hall. For such a small, simple cabin Hailey was surprised when she stepped into the bathroom to find it completely remodeled, huge walk in shower and a soaker tub big enough for two included. She located some towels stacked in a closet and then turned the water of the shower on, quickly undressing and then stepping into the hot stream. Her body began to melt instantly and she was pretty sure she could happily stay in here for the rest of the weekend.
She half expected Jay to join her but when he hadn’t appeared by the time she was done, she shut the water off and wrapped a towel around herself. Padding into the bedroom, Hailey smiled when she noticed what appeared to be another handmade quilt laid over the bed. She rummaged through her bag in search of pajamas but came up empty handed.
“Hey Jay, did you pack me some of my sleep clothes?”
She called, jumping slightly when his response came from the doorway of the room.
“No.”
He smiled, making his way across the room and digging into his own bag.
“I packed you mine.”
Hailey couldn’t help but grin up at him because it was usually his shirts she was sleeping in anyway. Once dressed, she followed him back out into the living room and they settled onto the couch together. Jay leaned back into one corner and Hailey tucked herself into the side of his body, letting his arm pull her in closer. They stayed silent for a while, just enjoying the crackle of the fire.
“I gotta be honest, fire starting isn’t a skill I pictured you having.”
Hailey teased, dancing her fingers up and down his chest. He scoffed underneath her, causing her to chuckle.
“I’ll have you know, starting fires is something I’m very good at. It being in the fireplace is just an added bonus.”
Hailey laughed against him, resting her head against his chest and letting her eyes flutter close when he kissed the top of her head.
“This really is perfect.”
She said after a while, feeling herself completely relaxed now.
“We’ll have to run into town in the morning for some groceries. I didn’t want to wake you up until we got here. But the town is kinda cool so we can walk around a bit if you want.”
Hailey tilted her head up to look at him, smirking when he met her eyes.
“Building fires and grocery shopping. I’m learning all sorts of things about you now.”
He scoffed again and rolled his eyes down at her.
“Come on, you gotta give me some credit…”
He tried to give her an annoyed look but it fell flat when she smiled up at him.
“I’m just saying, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go shopping. Any other hidden talents you want to share with me?”
Hailey’s voice lowered as she finished speaking and she watched as Jay’s eyes darkened, immediately picking up on her train of thought. Without saying another word he shifted them on the couch and then scooped her up, carrying her down the hall and into the bedroom as she squealed with the sudden movement.
****
When Hailey rolled over she noticed she was alone in the bed. After a quick stretch she climbed out of bed and pulled her discarded shirt on from the night before. She found Jay in the kitchen, standing over the small stove and cooking what smelled like bacon and eggs. She walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his bare torso and pressing a kiss into his shoulder blade.
“Morning.”
She whispered sleepily against him before going to perch herself on the counter by the kitchen window. Jay turned around, handing her a cup of coffee that she happily accepted. He stepped back towards the stove but his eyes were locked on her, watching as she sipped from the mug. Hailey felt her cheeks blush under his intense stare. He walked back over towards her, reaching up and tucking a loss strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes tracing all over her face.
“What?”
She questioned, darting her eyes down towards her mug, suddenly feeling self conscious. Jay placed his fingers under her chin, tilting her head back up to look at him.
“You’re beautiful.”
He gave her a quick kiss and then went back to finishing their breakfast. Once they ate, Hailey found herself staring out the window above the sink as she cleaned up the dishes. The sight of freshly fallen snow against the forest backdrop was truly breathtaking. Jay came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head against her shoulder. She grabbed the towel and dried her hands before turning in his embrace and sliding her arms up around his shoulders. They kissed slowly, both content with a lazy pace as they had no fear of being interrupted. Eventually though, Hailey trailed her hands down his bare chest and into the waistband of his grey sweatpants, escalating the moment into something more.
Sometime later, Hailey was once again laying in bed but this time Jay was with her. His fingers trailed patterns over her bare back and her eyes were closed, just enjoying the touch. Her stomach let out a tiny growl and she felt Jay laugh beside her.
“Hungry?”
Hailey grumbled into the crook of her arm before replying.
“A little. But we just ate…”
Jay laughed again and she picked her head up to shoot him a look.
“Well...in one context, yeah. But breakfast was a while ago.”
Hailey smacked his chest, shaking her head at him as she hauled herself out of the bed. She made her way over to where their bags were and pulled out some clothes.
“As fun as it would be to lay here all day and listen to your amazing jokes...I really am hungry. For food. And I believe I was promised a Jay Halstead shopping trip last night.”
She pulled on some jeans and a blue flannel button up as she watched him get out of bed and dig his own clothes out. Once they were both dressed and her hair was pulled into a ponytail, they made their way outside and scrambled into his truck.
The drive into town was surprisingly short. Hailey felt like they were in their own little world so to realize that they weren’t actually that far from civilization made her chuckle. The town itself was quaint to say the least, with a few stores littered here and there and only one stoplight hanging in the middle of it all. Jay pulled them into the parking lot and Hailey jumped out, eager to see what shopping with Jay was actually like. He picked up on her excitement, playfully rolling his eyes as they made their way into the building. She decided to let Jay push the cart and he followed along after her as she trailed up and down the isles. Hailey had made a loose mental shopping list on the way and plucked the things they needed off the shelves, tossing them into the cart as Jay pushed along behind her. She turned to add a few things to the cart and caught him picking up a box of fruit snacks, giving her a sheepish look before letting them fall in with the rest. They wandered up and down the rest of the isles before Hailey decided they had everything they needed. Jay took a quick detour down one of the isles and returned with a box of hot chocolate. She raised an eyebrow at him but he simply winked in return before they headed to checkout.
“So, was shopping with me everything you had hoped for and more?”
Jay teased once they were back in the truck. Hailey shook her head at him, letting out a chuckle and refusing to answer. The whole shopping trip had felt oddly domestic, something she wasn’t quite used to with him yet but something she had enjoyed every minute of. Jay drove them down the main street, pointing out the little shops here and there. He nodded towards a tiny diner, the only restaurant in town and his eyes shined with fondness.
“We’ll come get lunch here tomorrow before we leave. My mom used to take Will and I there every time we came up. They have the best pancakes.”
Hailey glanced at the diner before looking back at him, smiling at him inadvertently sharing something about his childhood. Fond memories weren’t something either of them seemed to have many of but she was happy he held onto some good things from his past.
“Pancakes for lunch?”
She teased, breaking the silence they had fallen into and pulling Jay back into the moment.
“Well, I have zero intentions of getting out of bed early tomorrow and they serve breakfast all day.”
He sent her a wink and then pointed them back towards the cabin.
As Jay hauled their few bags of groceries in, Hailey found herself wandering around the back of the cabin looking around in awe at the scene laid out before her. It truly was a little piece of paradise, their own little corner of the world. She pictured a younger Jay and Will running around the yard playing and felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth. Lost in thought, Hailey jumped when Jay came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
“It’s pretty great, isn’t it..”
Jay stated, placing a gentle kiss on top of her head. She leaned back into his embrace, nodding against his chest.
“Did you come here a lot growing up?”
She felt Jay let out a slow breath behind her before he answered.
“Yeah, we’d come up a few times a year. I’ll bring you back in the summertime. There’s a little pond over there that’s perfect for fishing.”
Hailey smiled and turned in his arms to look up at him, her arms finding their place around his shoulders.
“You fish?”
Jay’s head fell back slightly as he chuckled and when he looked back down there was a playful glint in his eyes.
“I’m just full of surprises. It’s almost like you haven’t known me for all these years.”
His tone was teasing and Hailey smirked up at him before darting her eyes back down.
“Yeah well...this is kinda different.”
Jay tilted her head back up so she met his eyes, a quizzical look on his face.
“How so?”
Hailey played with the buttons of his shirt, feeling suddenly embarrassed by the conversation. Not that she really had reason too, but the last two days with Jay had her mind wandering to the future and it was something new for her and it left her a little uncomfortable.
“Just...us. I don’t know. We don’t get time alone like this, it’s nice.”
Jay dipped his head down to look at her, giving her a small smile.
“She says with uncertainty.”
He spoke in a light tone but she could tell there was some unvoiced worry under his words.
“I love you Jay.”
She wasn’t sure what made her say it so suddenly. It wasn’t the first time they had said it, but as the words left her mouth she felt something inside of her shift and she knew then that he was the one. The one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, to wake up every morning with and go to sleep next to every night. She glanced back out into the yard and suddenly it wasn’t a childhood version of Will and Jay running around but her own children, their children. The thought overwhelmed her and she felt tears gather in her eyes. Jay cupped her face between his hands, kissing her forehead and lingering there before pulling back to meet her eyes, letting her know he understood exactly what she was thinking and feeling without her needing to say another word.
“I love you too Hailey.”
Hailey pulled him down into a kiss, smiling against his mouth as his strong arms wrapped around her. They stood like that, frozen in time and completely lost in each other, until Hailey felt huge clumps of snow hitting her head. She pulled back, smiling up at him again as more snowflakes danced around them. Jay took her hand, leading her back towards the cabin. They made it about halfway before Hailey had an idea, dropping Jay’s hand and quickly bending to scoop up some snow. Jay sent her a warning look but was unable to control the smile from reaching his eyes when she chucked the ball of snow in his direction, hitting him squarely in the chest.
The only sound was their crunching boots in the snow, mixed with squeals and laughter as they battled it out, tossing snow back and forth until they were both soaked and freezing. Eventually Jay conceded, holding his hands up in surrender and making her send him a smug look. They hurried into the cabin, pulling their soaked clothes off and draping them by the fireplace. Hailey headed down the hall, intending to take a hot shower to warm up but Jay scooped her up from behind and raced her down the rest of the hall, tossing her onto the bed and immediately hovering over her as their lips melded together once again.
When Hailey and Jay re-emerged from the bedroom darkness was falling outside. Hailey glanced out the window and was surprised to see how much snow had accumulated over the last few hours. Jay was in the kitchen, turning the radio on and letting it play softly as he pulled out the stuff for dinner. Hailey joined him, working beside him to chop up the produce and then making her way to the stove. They worked around the kitchen like it was the most natural thing and Hailey found a smile on her face that seemed to be a permanent feature now. They leaned against the counter, waiting for dinner to finish cooking and Hailey heard a song playing on the radio she recognized as something by Iron & Wine. Jay came to stand before her, taking her hands and surprising her when he pulled her away from the counter and started moving them together in a slow rhythm.
“And now we’re dancing?”
Hailey grinned up at him, shaking her head playfully.
“And now we’re dancing.”
Jay replied, tucking her head under his chin. Hailey let her head rest against his chest and her eyes wandered to the kitchen window. She could see the snow coming down hard as they swayed back and forth. She listened to the soft music and the steady beating of his chest, feeling that no matter what was going on in the world around them that she would be okay as long as he was here with her. Whether they were tucked into this little nook of the world or back in Chicago, it didn’t matter as long as Jay was by her side. Jay was the reward for everything she had gone through in the past, the breath of fresh air when she felt like she was suffocating, the light at the end of the tunnel, and the safe place to come home to when nothing else was right. Jay was home.
