anna | a spot for one chicago reader! fics 18+ | ON HIATUS | @seatsbythepit is my main blog, might see me reply from there. guidelines: sheetsonfire.tumblr.com/pairingsandprompts
This list will be continuously updated, happy reading!
Soccer Practice | Â Halstead!Sibling | Jay picks up his sister after soccer practice, but things donât go as planned.
You Called The Police Before You Called Me? | Halstead!Sibling | The Halsteads are victims of a robbery.
When The Fever Breaks Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 | Halstead!Sibling | Y/N, sibling of Jay and Will has been struggling with their mental health, and itâs all coming to a pressure point.
Firefight | Jay Halstead x Reader | Jay and Y/N are in a firefight.
Hostage Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 | Kelly Severide x Reader | Y/N is a Firefighter at Firehouse 51, they get taken hostage inside the Firehouse with Caseyâs niece, Violet.
Pony | 18+ | Jay Halstead x Reader | Jay is put in an unusual undercover position, Y/N is on the front lines of it, and the rest of Intelligence gets to watch it.
The Academy | Kelly Severide x Platonic!Reader | Y/N and Firehouse 51 respond to a call at the CFDâs Fire Academy. Itâs a bad day, with good friends to see you through.
Valentine | Will Halstead x Reader | Youâre a chef and Will drops in at the end of your shift on Valentineâs Day.
The Waiting Room | Kevin Atwater x Reader (Platonic or pre-romance) | As the team wait for news on Kim, the reader experiences some troubles of their own.
She'd Have Liked You | Kelly Severide x Platonic!Reader | Y/N finds herself caught in the moment of Ritter and Eric being harassed at Mollyâs. [Lesbian!Reader]
Gossip | 18+ | Will Halstead x Reader | Some trouble with Dr Archer and crossed wires gets Will into trouble with the reader. How will it be resolved?
A Minute To Win It | Severide!Sibling | The Severide siblings are arguing again, Herrmann wants to know why.
Ears and Tears | Severide!Sibling | Time-rewind. A moment in the past where Kelly takes care of his little sister, Y/N, when sheâs feeling unwell.
Jealousy, Jealousy | Jay Halstead x Reader | Readerâs ex is Kelly Severide and Jay is jealous but the reader kind of laughs it off/teases him for it.
The Bullpen | Matt Casey x Reader | Reader works admin at the firehouse and Matt keeps interrupting her because heâs in a playful mood.
Heartbreaker | Jay Halstead x Reader | Reader joins Intelligence and has a reputation for breaking hearts. The reader tries to warn Jay that she may not be the best relationship person.
Fooling | Kelly Severide x Reader | People think that you and Kelly have something going on when in reality you only hooked up once, and now youâre just super close friends.
Call It Love | 18+ | Jay Halstead x Reader | Reader and Jay have to share a hotel room for a case but she forgets to bring pyjamas, so Jay offers his shirt.
Dead and Waiting | 18+ | Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9 (FINAL PART), EPILOGUE | Jay Halstead x Reader | Reader gets caught up in an undercover case, and she's forced into faking her death.
We'll Always Need Each Other Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 | Halstead!Sibling | Jay and the reader have a big fight, and then the reader gets kidnapped.
Hard Day's Night | 18+ | Connor Rhodes x Reader | Connor and Reader are trying to spend more time together.
The Third Halstead Part 1 | Part 2 Part 3| Rhodes/Halstead!Sibling | The new doctor at Med is Connor Rhodes' sister, or is she?
I'll Take You Home Part 1 | Part 2 | Hank Voight x Reader | Intelligence goes out for drinks, Hank helps a drunk reader get home safely.
Home To You | Jay Halstead x Reader | Reader returns home from service, she finally has the courage to face the one person she's been avoiding. (TBC)
The Thunder Rolls | Jay Halstead x Reader | Jay and Reader get caught in a thunderstorm.
Second Chances Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 | Connor Rhodes x Reader | Reader is in a car accident.
Moonlight Flit | 18+ | Connor Rhodes x Reader | Reader has a new job, she meets a stranger the night before her first day.
Best Friends | Jay Halstead x Platonic!Reader | The reader is having an anxious day, and Jay is there to comfort them.
Fri-yay | Jay Halstead x Reader | Reader has a bad day, but luckily Jay Halstead is the remedy.
Intruder | Will Halstead x Reader | Y/N gets caught up in a home invasion.
Rose | Will Halstead x Reader | Y/N and Will with their newborn daughter.
Team Severide | Severide!Sibling | Y/N is trapped in an elevator.
Lucky | Atwater!Sister | Kevin gets hurt on the job.
Believe Me | Severide!Sister | Kelly has a new girlfriend, it doesn't go well for the reader.
In Pursuit | Will Halstead x Reader / Jay Halstead x Platonic!Reader | Jay and Reader are partners, the Reader gets hurt on a case, and Will and Reader confess their feelings.
I'm With You | Antonio Dawson x Reader | Reader gets a cancer scare, and Antonio is by their side.
First Date | Hank Voight x Reader | Reader invites Hank on a first date, to a wedding.
Wrapped In Lace | 18+ | Will Halstead x Reader | Reader has new underwear to show Will, she gets creative with it.
Old Flames Can Still Burn You | Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3 | 18+ | Jay Halstead x Reader | Ava Bekker is from Reader's past, now together with Jay, they must face the return of everything Reader wanted to escape from.
The Escape King | Jay gets into some trouble fighting an offender, Reader is there to help. Jay!Whump - Chicago PD S1 E11
In The Morning | Brian Zvonecek x Reader | Brian comes home from a shift, fluffy one-shot.
Your Hand In Mine | Jay Halstead x Fem Reader | Jay and Reader get some life-changing news. Pregnancy!Fic.
Counting Breaths | Halstead!Sibling | Reader has an asthma attack in the middle of the night, Jay's there to help.
Restless | Jay Halstead x Reader | Sometimes it's hard to sleep.
Dead On Your Feet | Jay Halstead x Platonic!Reader | The reader tries to save Hank Voight, but there are misunderstandings and regrets for all involved. Can things be healed?
Interstate Intimacy | 18+ | Jay Halstead x Reader | Sequel to Call It Love, The Reader and Jay make the trip back to Chicago, with a detour.
The Wrong Door | Jay Halstead x Reader | The reader opens the wrong door after a night out, but it turns out it actually might be exactly the one they should have opened.
Thinning Of The Veil | Jay Halstead x Reader | The Reader has a gift and it's not a welcome one.
Five Times and A Date | Matt Casey x Reader | Five times Matt Casey and the reader meet, and one time they go on a date.
I Only Want To Be With You | Jay Halstead x Reader | The reader is turning 30, and nobody seems to have remembered.
The Red Strokes | Jay Halstead x Reader | Wires are crossed and assumptions are made, can the reader and Jay resolve what has been left unsaid?
In Sickness and In Health | Kelly Severide x Reader | The reader is having an asthma flare, and their husband Kelly Severide is there for them.
Suspects and Surprises | Jay Halstead x Reader | Jay chooses a unique moment to propose.
Free Will | Will Halstead x Reader | Will makes a decision that throws everything the reader thought they knew into question. Where will the road take them?
Chasing Shadows Away | Jay Halstead x Reader | The reader dreams of their worst fears, and Jay is there to chase them away.
Figures | Halstead!Sister | The reader has a rough day of seizures, they are reluctant to go to Med until they have no choice. - but things are always easier with two big brothers by your side.
Beware Your Elders | Adam Ruzek x Reader | When Adam gets assigned to patrol for the day, he is reunited with an academy classmate and friend.
Thank you so much to everyone who has followed, supported, liked, reblogged and commented, it's so very appreciated!
Summary: The reader dreams of their worst fears, and Jay is there to chase them away.
A/N: This is part of @resanoona's #resa.3kfiestabingo! I'm using this fic to fill the "Hurt/Comfort" square!
My dreams are nothing if not good for writing fuel, ha!
-
[Dream]Â
Youâre trailing behind Jay in the crowd, receiving stares as you pierce your way through the waves of bodies with hollers of his name. You canât seem to keep up, his hand having been disconnected from yours, which happened several clusters of people ago.
Thereâs jostling and a frenetic blur of conversations, some of which youâre sure are about you and the commotion youâre making. You donât care, however, the only thing on your mind is to keep tabs on the black [POLICE] vest on Jayâs back.
Anxiety coils around your stomach like a python, squeezing the more you try and free yourself of the sensation. To your dismay, your hand is met with thin air as you reach for your radio on your own vest.Â
Where the hell had your radio gone?
Fuck.
Paranoia in your line of work was generally a good thing, it kept you alert and tuned in to your surroundings. However, as you meet the eyes of judging civilians, who seem to move toward you in a silent threatening waltz, it does nothing but make your hairs stand on end.
You didnât know why you felt so scared and so out of control, but you donât know how to tame it anymore.
All the while your eyes havenât left the back of Jayâs head for longer than a second, anger fizzing out of you as you watch your boyfriend and partner take a left and head for the elevator. You would surely lose him by the time you made up the distance between you.
You had no evidence for your next thought but as true as the sky is blue you know in your soul that to lose Jay to the elevator would mean disaster. Whether that disaster was for you or for him, you couldnât be sure.Â
âJay! For godâs sake!â You holler with abandon, with no concern about the scene youâre making.
A gap opens up in the shifting bodies ahead of you and you break into a sprint, thwacking shoulder to shoulder with faceless silhouettes as you keep moving.
Itâs too late, however, the elevator doors begin to close just as you round the corner and you watch the back of Jay disappear.
You stand there breathless, the hum of activity behind you makes you grab at the back of your neck, trying to find some feeling of safety and security. The elevator ascends into the heights of the arched building, bright lights and a glass ceiling loom overhead, making you feel small.
Why wasnât the team here? Why did Jay never look back for you?
You scrub your hands at your face, trying to collect your thoughts. You lift your eyes to the panel above the elevator entrance, there should be numbers there to tell you where Jay was going but there was nothing. Yet another jab at your gut.
With little option but to climb the stairs and go looking for signs of trouble thatâs exactly what you start doing. Youâre taking the stairs with speed as you make it to the first floor, another floor that seems to be full of people whose dark eyes are drawn to you, you felt that you were most certainly an unwelcome intrusion. Though you were used to that when on duty.
This time the floor is littered with couches, red plush velvet upholstery with canoodling couples and threesomes dressed in opulent gowns and suits, indulging in platters of food and flowing taps of alcohol. The air is thick with a pleasant-smelling smoke, it almost has an orange haze to it. You knew this place was somewhere for the rich and the elite, unsurprisingly insidious and almost cult-like in nature.
It feels as though youâve fallen into an alternate dimension as you whip your head around, looking for glimpses of Jay. Youâre avoiding the gaze of the watchers as best you can, inching forward to the next stairwell whilst keeping a distance from the silent pandemonium around you.
Suddenly in front of you, a sour-faced individual appears, feminine in appearance they align themselves with you, stopping you from moving further ahead. There are eyes are vividly green, serpent-like, their lips blood red. Those same lips are pursed as they point sharply in the direction of a small glass balcony that hung over the edge of the floor you were on, looking down onto the ground floor concourse.
For some reason, there are no words exchanged, and you canât even bring yourself to ask for clarification, itâs like you instantly know that Jay is in that direction. There is no other choice but to go over there and see what awaits.
You nod at the strange figure, watching as they turn on their heels and strut away - catching briefly the couch-dwellers staring at you again. You could feel the inky black of their eyes, only pinpoints of white in their pupils.
The sooner you could get Jay and get the fuck out of here, the better.
Mindful of the fact that you didnât know what was on the other side of the thick, long, velvet curtains that concealed the balcony, you keep a hand close to your weapon but your heart feels increasingly close to your vest, pounding relentlessly.
You couldnât afford to act in a rash panic to get to Jay.
Inching forward you try and keep an ear out for signs of movement or voices, the crowd behind you seems to fade out as a sharp ringing tone pierces your ears, and you wince at the sensation. It felt as though youâd been caught in an explosion, something you had experienced on multiple occasions.
Of course, this was different, you knew that. You were certain you were actually in the undercurrent of a panic attack. Heart pounding, a sickly feeling in your throat, you feel the cold of your anxiety ripple through your adrenaline.
Still, no sound or movement in front of you as you come to a standstill in front of the curtains, balancing your posture to not fidget or jostle your vest too much.
Youâre still processing how to handle what comes next when you hear the unmistakable metal whistle of a blade being unsheathed. Your heart leaps into your mouth, a shaking hand grasping the fabric of the curtain as you pry them open just a fraction, trying to see what the hell was happening.
âOh my god.â You breathe out, and the sight in front of you is incomprehensible.Â
Jay is now stripped of his clothes, and his weapon and vest are discarded along with everything else. Tears and sweat stain his cheeks, mixing in with the blood that drips from his nose, drying into a rusty colour on his mouth. Angry red marks litter his skin, marks which look to be made with a blunt object. You suspected that blunt object was one of the many candelabras sitting at various heights on the ledge of the balcony.
Your boyfriendâs face is stoic, his nostrils flare in defiant anger, but you can see the fine tremor in his muscles as he tries to remain still, trying not to provoke more of what they'd already done to him.
They.
They were hooded figures, in black robes with gold trim, and black gloves to conceal anything that might show you who they were.
Your blood is rushing in your ears, the confined space of the balcony left you without a vantage point to attack from another angle or use the element of surprise.
âTime.â A deep voice utters, taking you by surprise. It doesnât sound as though it came from any individual at all, but rather an omniscient presence from above, ethereal and intangible, surrounding you completely.
Between that last thought and your next breath, the sickening sound of metal slicing into flesh brings the world rushing back to burn you.
A stunned gasp escapes Jay's mouth, a grunt of unregistered agony as his brain fights to protect his pain reception.
The dagger in the gloved leather hand is pressed to its hilt in Jayâs abdomen, seated beneath his chest.
You watch in horror as Jayâs glassy eyes meet yours, weak hands trying to push away the strangerâs hands, youâre trying to move forward, your voice screaming hoarsely with no sound to speak of. The curtains move no further, unrelenting as they hold together with some unseen force.
Your boyfriendâs life fades in front of you, trapped in his glass prison as concealed robed heads turn to watch you, unrepentant as they make you watch your love slip away.
Your fists pound against the barrier, screaming Jayâs name in disbelief, willing him to keep his eyes open and look at you.
[Dream jump]Â
âDetective, this came for you.â One of Plattâs officers hands you a reasonably large box as you thank them and let them leave.
Itâs a black box with no label or card attached, suddenly youâre confused as to how the officer knew it was for you. Realistically you knew you shouldnât open it, it could have very well been something dangerous, but your feel compelled as you move on instinct, undoing the large gold ribbon wrapped around it.
The more you undo the knot in the ribbon, the worse the trembling in your hands gets, it was as though you already knew what was inside without seeing.
Lifting the lid may as well have been lifting a solid block of stone, discarding the top onto the floor as you peel away black sheets of paper.
The sight makes you gag.
Without hesitation, you knew that the pristinely cleaned and catalogued skeletal remains were Jayâs, returned from that incomprehensible and soulless place where they had taken his life in front of your eyes.
In your terror, your anger and your despair there is nothing left to do except scream, or at least try to. Throat-shredding gasps and squeaks tear at your vocal cords as you try and release your grief, fists clenched untilâ
[End of dream sequence]
You wake up still screaming, scrambling upright in the bed, thrashing around as that chasm of darkness swipes its claws at your consciousness, trying to pull you back in.
A warm hand on your bare shoulder makes you flinch, pulling away from it until you're almost falling off the edge of the bed. You whip your head around to the hand's source.
Concerned green eyes meet your wide, panicked, ones.
âHey, hey, Y/N, itâs me. Itâs Jay. Youâre awake, everything is okay, and youâre safe with me. Breathe for me, honey.â Jay keeps his grip on you, gentle to not alarm you further but secure enough to prevent you from hurting yourself.
The longer the heat of his palm and fingers seeps into your skin, the easier it gets to breathe, the familiarity of his touch, the cadence in his voice, the smell of his aftershave, the quiet of your bedroom - it all grounds you.
That bliss of recognition relaxes your muscles, your eyes blinking against the sting of sleep and fear, tears that brim fall down in silent tracks on your cheeks. You know youâre safe, but the sensation of powerlessness and loss makes you feel like youâre dropping from a height, your stomach still giving involuntary flips of anxiousness.
âJay.â Itâs a broken whisper that makes your boyfriendâs heart ache, opening his arms up as you scramble back towards him, practically settling yourself into his lap as you wrap yourself tightly around him.
You kiss his neck, inhaling him as you steady your breathing further, slow and deliberate as you follow his guiding rhythm. Squeezing your eyes shut to get away from the tortured images, only to open them again as you see your greatest fears in that darkness.
Hands moving on instinct to feel every bit of him, stroking through his bed head, pulling back so you can look at him. His eyes search yours, trying to understand what you need, but itâs clear as you begin to trace the features on his face. His expression softens, nuzzling into your hand as you caress his jaw, chasing your hand to kiss your palm.
You study him again, cupping his face to press a slow kiss to his lips, he feels you shivering in his arms, the adrenaline and the chill of the room rattling your very being.Â
Wordlessly he lifts the duvet up and over your shoulders, cocooning you between him and the weighted, warm, material.Â
Itâs not hard to guess what the nightmare was about, the way you watch him like he would disappear at any moment makes it all too clear. He takes your face in his hands like you had with him, reassuring you with certainty.Â
âI got you. You got me. Iâm okay, Iâm not leaving and nobody is taking me. Alright?â He murmurs, pressing a kiss to your forehead, to your cheeks, then back to your lips - he takes your focus away from the âWhat ifâ, letting you hear, feel and see him from second to second.
You simply nod, resting your head back on his shoulder as he holds you, gently rocking you as you sigh. Your heart races still, but not in the gallop that it had been. You feel fingertips tenderly massaging at your scalp, trailing over your neck to rub your back.
Focusing on the heat of Jayâs skin, the softness of his breaths, and listening to his gentle words as he occasionally encourages and soothes.
After a while you feel yourself truly come out of the alarmed stupor, croaking out a âThank you.â with your dry throat.
âYou donât have to thank me, sweetheart. This is what Iâm here for.â He gently encourages you to look at him, making sure you see his sincerity.
You smile, rubbing your thumb over the bridge of his nose.
âWant to talk about it?â He tests, running his hands up and down your arms.Â
You think about the question, not sure if you were ready to relive the moments of losing him just yet. Perhaps it would be a morning thing, where the sun could shine on both of you over breakfast and keep those shadows away, only existing in the story you would tell.
You shake your head, smiling weakly. âIn the morning?â You suggest, to which your boyfriend nods without hesitation. âOf course.â
You glance at the clock, it reads 2am and you hum in thought. Sometimes, you and Jay would go to the kitchen to make a hot chocolate, then settle on the couch to watch something mindless and relaxing on the tv - it was a ritual that usually worked if either one of you was struggling, but you didnât want to keep Jay awake. Despite the day off both of you had ahead of you, it was late and the case youâd been on this past week had been an energy wipeout.
In the silent weighing of your thoughts, Jayâs voice brings you back, you notice heâs got that knowing smile on his face, hands settled on your waist. âHot chocolate and whateverâs on tv?â He asks, but really he knows itâs a sure thing.
You let out a small laugh, kissing his cheek. âIf thatâs okay? I donât want you to lose sleep over this.â You frown, still not sure if you should just lay back down and try to sleep.
Jay shakes his head, âBabe, when do we ever just cut this short and force ourselves back to sleep when weâre not ready? I wouldnât be able to sleep knowing youâre not feeling totally safe and totally relaxed. You wouldnât want that for me either, would you?â
You of course shake your head too, there would be no way youâd let Jay just suck it up and not do everything you could to help him wind back down. You had countless nights of dealing with his nightmares and helping him calm down to show for it, and you wouldnât trade it for anything.Â
Jay kisses your forehead, âThatâs settled then. Gimme a second.â
In a swift motion, he extricates himself from the warmth of you, rooting around in a drawer for one of your sleep shirts, some fluffy socks and the fluffy dressing gown that hung on the back of the door.
Then he returns to you and begins to put the shirt over your head, helping you get your arms in before pulling your legs carefully to the edge of the bed, making you laugh at the military-like execution of this routine.
âCosy?â He asks, and you nod, shimmying off the bed to stand. âCosy.â You confirm, immediately putting your arms through your gown as he holds it open for you, trying the belt securely as the soft material instantly eases the tension in your body.
You watch as Jay grabs his own shirt, some sweatpants and some socks, patiently waiting for him to get dressed too. Then youâre reaching for the hand he holds out to you as you both wander down the hall to the kitchen and lounge.
-
The sound of the simmering milk on the stove and the smell of the cocoa being stirred in has become one of your most cherished things with Jay, watching him put everything together and take such care of you only ever makes your heart grow fonder.Â
It was times like this that unquestionably reaffirm that you wanted him to be your husband one day, hopefully, one not too far away.
The lights are dimmed low, the curtains are drawn and the air is warm, you feel safe in your world with Jay, and your nightmare is all but forgotten for now.
With a pour of some caramel and a sprinkle of marshmallows onto the swirl of cream, Jay brings two steaming mugs over and hands one to you, holding the hot bottom of the mug to make sure you can take the cool handle.
âThank you, honey.â You smile, making sure heâs got room to settle next to you - using your free hand to hold the blanket up so he can climb under.
Settled against Jayâs side, you sip at your hot chocolate, the ever-present weight of his arm around your shoulder lulls you into serenity as you watch the opening scenes of Our Great National Parks.
You lift your head, looking up at Jay, âThis is how it should be forever.â, you muse, following up with words that you want him to hear as many times as you can say it. âI love you.âÂ
Jay leans in, knocking his head gently against yours, âY/N, this can be forever, you donât have to doubt that. I love you too.â
-
Taking the last sips of your drink, you set the empty mug on the coffee table, pulling your legs back up to remain in the heat under the comforter, slipping your arms around Jay as you pillow yourself back against him, feeling the vibrations of his gentle laughter - he loved how assertive you could be about your cuddling.
âGood?â He asks, checking in with you one last time.
âGood.â You confirm as stretches of beach and forest are shown in rich colour and wondrous sound - letting your mind wander unafraid, secure in the knowledge that Jay is right where heâs meant to be.
Chapter Summary: Y/N gets the brunt of the tensions in the aftermath of her meeting with the client, only to be surprised when things take a different turn.
Word Count: 2.7K+
Warnings: toxic workplace/workplace bullying, allusions/slight mentions of sexual harassment (non-graphic)
A/N: hi guys, sorry for delaying last week! Things have been a little crazy, but wanted to get this out today regardless! I hope you guys will enjoy this update!
SERIES MASTERLISTÂ ||Â JAY HALSTEAD MASTERLIST
Chapter 2 || Chapter 4
Youâd thought Jay sounded a different than usual when heâd called you but the moment you opened his office door you knew it was nothing good.
âYou wanted to see me?â
You didnât like the look on Jayâs face.
âYou want to explain to me why Triumph Systems is pulling their business?â Jay asked quietly, looking up at you with his arms crossed.
Your eyes widened a little. You hadnât seen that coming.
âTheyâre pulling their business?â You asked, even before you could stop yourself.
Jay didnât answer you immediately, but the look in his eyes was piercing, almost as if he was looking right through you. âYou met him.â
It wasnât a question and you nodded, wanting to explain more but Jay didnât seem to want to hear it.
âWhy were you even meeting a client? I donât believe thatâs part of your job scope. Are you even trained for this?â Jayâs voice was rising with each question that came flying out towards you.
âIâŠâ
Jay didnât even let you get a word in. âDo you know how much this contract is worth? Are you going to take responsibility for the losses we potentially face because of this?â
You opened your mouth to argue, the rational part of your brain saying that you had to find some way to defend yourself. However, other than the fact that it was so difficult to just get a word in sideways, the reality and futility of the situation hit you like a ton of bricks.
What would be the point in trying to defend yourself? It wasnât for lack of trying that you found yourself in this position once again. You could hear your old bossâ voice in your head. âThereâs a reason why theyâre reacting to you this way.â
Trying to defend yourself was just futile. Everything would once again be your fault.
So you chose not to say anything.
âThis is your mess. So, you come up with a solution. But everything comes through me.â Jay snapped.
You were at least proud of the fact that youâd managed to hold your tears back until you made it to the washroom.
The tears of frustration mixed with the feelings of disgust swirling in you. You could almost feel that creep's hand on yours again. That just made you feel like throwing up or screaming, maybe both.
But by the time you made it back out to your desk, youâd regained your composure, almost perfectly. If no one knew, theyâd think it was just another day in the office.
There were only two ways you could solve this - talk to a higher up in Triumph Systems to override that asshole, or pull another client that could give the same amount of money or more for an advertising contract.
You put your head in your hands. It was easy thinking of a solution that was so up in the air. But actually getting either of these plans to work was way out of your comfort zone.
You spent the next couple of hours clearing the outstanding work that you had, and by the time you were ready to clear your brain for this crisis, it was already the end of the day. You could already hear the bustle of people leaving.
Whatever, it wasnât like you were going anywhere.
You reached out for your headphones, slipping them over your ears since it was officially the end of the day and you didnât have to listen out for people calling for your attention.
The good thing was that you were pretty good at blocking everything out, your entire focus and energy being pulled into whatever was in front of you.
The next time you looked up, the sky was already dark, and so was the office, save for your desk light. Youâd barely even blinked when someone had turned off all the lights in the office. That was typical. You pulled your earphones off your head, glancing up as you heard footsteps.
Jay paused on his way out of the office, your eyes meeting briefly before he looked away.
You rolled your eyes and glanced back at your laptop. It had been kind of productive. You didnât let on to anyone else, but you did have some experience in sales and marketing. It just hadnât been something you had wanted to delve into when youâd joined, so youâd kept this piece of information to yourself. At least there was something you could do with these skills.
And for tonight, you were done, ready to get started on your plan tomorrow.
You glanced up at the building, letting out a sigh that seemed to be filled with puffs of anxiety.
It had sounded like a brilliant plan in your head when youâd sent out an email to Life Construction to ask for a meeting. Youâd turned it over in your head as you sourced around for companies that had a similar financial standing as Triumph. Life Construction was one of your top choices, but youâd also sent emails to other companies. Surprisingly, it was Life Construction that had replied to you first thing in the morning, so youâd dropped Jay an email to take the morning away from the office and made the trip across town to get here.
Swallowing down the waves of anxiety, you approached the counter, letting them know you had a meeting with Anthony Riley.
The guy at the reception counter nodded with a smile, picking up the phone before putting it down after all of two minutes to let you know that heâd be down in a bit.
You tapped your foot anxiously, glancing up and pausing as a familiar figure crossed your peripheral vision.
At the same time, he paused and turned, both of you looking at each other at almost the same time.
âY/N?â
âMatt?â You couldnât help the surprise in your voice.
You hadnât seen Matthew Casey in ages and honestly this was the last place youâd expected to see him.
Matt let out a chuckle before changing his course and heading for you, pulling you into a hug.
âWhat are you doing here?â Both of you asked the question at the same time, making you smile. You noted that this was the first time in a long while youâd felt so at ease. After all, you were finally seeing a friendly face.
Matt echoed your smile. âI was supposed to meet a friend. He wanted my help withâŠâ His voice trailed off as his eyes looked over your shoulder. âAndrew!â Matt called across the lobby.
âMatt, listen. Iâm sorry.â You heard the voice before turning to look at guy decked out in a suit. âI have to meet someone from an ad company. Can you wait?â
Matt nodded before you blinked. âMr. Riley?â You spoke.
Both Matt and Anthony turned to you at the same time, and you gave a sheepish smile. âIâm from Blossom Advertising.â
Anthony blinked back at you before turning his head to look at Matt. âYou know each other?â
Matt smiled and nodded. âYeah, Iâll be her character witness.â He joked.
Jay sighed as he locked his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. Maybe heâd been too harsh on you yesterday, which had prompted you to take the morning off.
Making a mental note to himself not to get overly on your case today, he headed to the first floor to grab a coffee.
The previous day's events still weighing heavily on his mind, Jay ordered a coffee before standing off to the side to wait for his order, turning it over in his head.
Do I handle the people first or the problem at hand? The rational part of his brain knew that he should handle the pending business issue, but he couldnât get the look on your face out of his mind, which concerned yet also irritated him.
It was only as he was in the middle of these thoughts that he picked up on the conversation happening behind the coffee machine.
ââŠthe 4th floor?â
âYeah, Y/N.â
Without even meaning to, Jayâs attention spiked up at your name.
ââŠlooked like a meeting with some guy. He was all handsy with her, and she bolted out of here. I couldnât even be annoyed by the mess of spilled coffee left behind.â
âHandsy? Gross. Whatâs wrong with men seriously?â
The feeling that lay in Jayâs gut now was guilt. Putting aside the reason why youâd been having a meeting with a client, heâd torn into you for losing a client that was probably only pulling out of the project because youâd spurned his advances.
The barista was right. Gross.
âBlack for Jay Halstead.â The barista called, and Jay stepped forward to take his coffee.
âThanks.â Jay paused as he took the coffee from her, and she raised her eyebrows a little.
Against his better judgment, he addressed her directly. âSorry, I couldnât help but overhear. He got handsy with her?â
The barista paused like she wasnât sure about him.
âSorry, rude of me huh? Iâm Jay. Executive Director up at Blossom on 4th. If someone tried to take advantage of one of my people, I need to know. Promise Iâm not a creep.â Jayâs lips tilted up in a polite smile.
She glanced at her friend before she nodded.
âYeah, he took her hand a few times. If anything else happened, I donât know.â She said quietly.
Jay ground his teeth quietly. âThanks.â
He hadnât been expecting that when he had stopped for morning coffee. He felt the guilt make its way around his chest and gut once again but more than that, his brain started working.
Things had gone way smoother than youâd expected.
You were pretty sure things had gone better after Andrew had found out that you and Matt were friends. As it turned out, Life Construction had met a wall when working with an advertising company and were in the midst of finding another company with such services when your cold email had hit them.
It made sense why theyâd replied you so quickly then.
Thanks to your experience in the early years at Blossom, you could work out a general gist plan with Andrew, and heâd agreed to come down to your office the next day to work out more kinks with the team.
Shaking his hand, Andrew smiled. âSounds good. If Matt trusts you, Iâm sure weâll work well together.â
âThank you Mr. Riley.â You said, smiling.
He nodded. âCall me Andrew. Iâll see you tomorrow.â
Matt put a gentle hand on your shoulder. âLetâs catch up soon.â
So it was with a much lighter heart that youâd stepped through the doors of your office building after lunch, ready to face your new boss.
But something felt kind of different, especially after you walked into Jayâs office.
You werenât ecstatic to see Edward already there, a look on his face that looked almost triumphant like he was waiting to see Jay chew you a new one.
Taking an additional breath to steady yourself, you closed the door behind you, turning to look at Jay who had an unreadable look on his face.
Alright, bring it.
âI just wanted to get some facts in about what happened yesterday,â Jay spoke, his voice considerably calmer compared to yesterday.
You could see Edward glance at you from your peripheral but you chose to ignore him.
âWhy was Y/N meeting a client?â
You felt the jolt of confusion before you realized he wasnât talking to you, Jayâs eyes flicking towards Edward now.
You could feel the air freeze in the room.
This was new.
âI donâtâŠâ
You didnât say anything, merely looking down at the ground.
âWhy donât you just assume I already know. That would save us a lot of time.â Jay said, his voice firm, but he didnât raise his voice this time.
Edward didnât answer immediately. The awkwardness of the pause felt familiar yet different, especially since now it wasnât you that needed to fill the silence for once.
âI had an urgent meeting to attend to with the rest of my team.â
Jay exhaled softly. âAnd you neglected to mention this information to me when I asked you yesterday, after you brought me the news that Triumph was pulling out.â
It wasnât a question.
âThis doesnât happen again,â Jay said quietly. âYou can go.â
You looked up but Jay shook his head. âY/N, you stay.â
Now what?
You swallowed the anxiety you felt bubbling up inside you, reminding yourself that even if he tore you a new one, maybe the good news about Life Construction might relieve it some.
Jay didnât speak immediately, but there was a knock on his door. When the door opened, in walked⊠that creep from yesterday.
Damn it.
Instinctively, you put another two steps between the both of you, an action that Jay didnât miss.
âMr. Halstead, I agreed to come down only because you asked, but Iâm not changing my mind. This employee of yours is extremely rude and I will notâŠâ
âIâm not trying to change your mind,â Jay said, his voice icier now. âWe will not take any of Triumphâs projects as long as you are the project manager.â
Your eyes flicked towards Jayâs in surprise. This was a 180 change in attitude.
âWould you like to make this a legal issue?â Jay asked, raising his eyebrows.
Declan Fisher blinked back at Jay, surprised. âWe havenât signed the contract yet. Thereâs nothing stopping me fromâŠâ
âYeah yeah. Thereâs nothing we can do about the contract. Sexual harassment on the other hand is a whole different ball game.â Jay snapped.
Your eyes widened as Fisher glanced at you furiously.
âDonât look at her.â Jay growled.
You blinked.
âThis is ridiculous,â Fisher said as he turned to leave.
âFisher.â Jay stopped him in his tracks. âYou come anywhere near this building or her again, weâll have a problem.â
Declan Fisher narrowed his eyes before he stormed out of the office.
You didnât know what to do. This was completely new to you. So you just kept quiet.
âWhy didnât you tell me what had happened?â Jay asked, his voice considerably calmer and softer as he pointed to the chair in front of his desk.
You shrugged. âI didnât⊠Because you were right, I shouldnât have been the one going to meet him.â
Jay sighed, looking you in the eye. âIâm sorry.â
You raised your eyebrows in surprise.
âI shouldnât have jumped to conclusions about what happened, and I shouldnât have lost my temper,â Jay said, his voice gentle.
You felt a weird sort of warmth that youâd never felt here before.
When you didnât say anything, Jay continued. âI know somethingâs off here, but I could use some help. Iâm not the enemy.â
You looked up quietly at him before you nodded.
âWe good?â Jay asked with a small smile, sticking his hand out.
You nodded and smiled back at him, returning the handshake.
âIf thereâs nothing elseâŠâ
âOh, wait.â You interrupted him, pushing the file you had towards him. âI went to see Life Construction today with this. I made it clear that this was just a proposal, but their director will be here tomorrow for a meeting. I told him you would join us.â
Jay glanced down. âYou met with Life Construction?â
You gave him a sheepish look. âYou told me to solve the problem.â
There was a hint of a smile on Jayâs face before he nodded. âAlright, Iâll take a look at this.â
âDo you need me to loop Edward in?â You asked, expecting a positive answer since Edward was supposed to take such meetings in the first place.
Jay shook his head. âJust you and me.â
You paused but nodded.
Jay nodded back, which was your cue to go.
âY/N.â
You turned back towards him.
âIf anything like this ever happens again, you come to me. With the full truth.â Jay said, his voice firm but gentle.
You nodded. âThanks, boss.â
The last thing you saw before you closed his office door behind you was Jayâs warm smile directed at you.
THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!
Series Summary: As Y/N struggles to find a way out of a toxic work environment, a new CEO arrives to turn her world upside down. Just as she thinks things are taking a turn for the worst, she finds herself surprised by the changes Jay brings with him both personally and professionally.
Chapter Summary: Change descends on Blossom Advertising just as Y/N was deciding on her next steps.
Word Count: 1.2K+
Warnings: toxic workplace/workplace bullying
A/N: Hi everyone, dropping the first chapter! I took so long for this but decided new year, new fic! Or before @halsteadlover actually hunts me down haha! This is going to be a self-indulgent fic but I hope you guys will enjoy the ride!
SERIES MASTERLISTÂ ||Â JAY HALSTEAD MASTERLIST
Chapter 2
You felt the familiar pit of fire in your stomach, anger mixed with disbelief, as the directorâs raised voice floated out towards you from the open office door.
Regretting leaving your headphones at home, you tried to focus on your computer screen, but her voice was so piercing you could hear words drift back out at you. You figured it was more the words she used than her voice that had always struck a chord with you.
You knew it was useless as the words dripping with sarcasm made their way back to you again.
âGive it to her. Sheâs got the most time.â
Her.
You held back the temptation to retort that you had a name, glancing at the line of to-do flags in the corner of your screen, and letting out a quiet exhale.
Youâd wondered more than once what the mistake that youâd made was. Was it applying for a job in a general department? Was it more to do with the fact that youâd joined the company when it was still really small? Or was it just your luck?
Maybe it was just you.
âY/N.â
You glanced up at her voice. Victoria gave you a small smile, âLaura asked me to hand this to you.â
You held back a sigh and nodded, taking the document from Victoria and putting it down next to you.
Youâd joined Blossom Advertisingâs operations team when it was starting, and each team had only been made up of one to two people back then. So, it had made sense back then for you to juggle multiple roles and functions, helping out with procurement or other ad-hoc duties that technically didnât belong to you.
But, as the business grew and the teams expanded, nothing much seemed to have changed. For you, at least.
What made it worse was the sarcasm, the screaming voices that echoed down the hallway when a mistake was made, and all the other things that seemed like nothing on their own, but all contributed to making this place as toxic as it was.
It hadnât been that bad at first, especially when Laura had only been the head of Finance. Youâd get screamed at or be the butt of her insults once in a while, but her attention was always needed elsewhere. Then, sheâd gotten a promotion and hired Victoria as her assistant.
Things had gone steadily downhill as Laura had just gotten meaner and meaner. Rationally, you knew that it was just insecurity and that you shouldnât take her seriously, but it was really tiring feeling like you were back in high school all over again. You were supposed to be done with that phase of life and maturity level.
Honestly, things were a mess, and the current CEO was no help, choosing to ignore and avoid conflict rather than face the obvious problems the company was facing.
Youâd been playing with the idea of leaving this place when the news had hit the ground - he was handing everything over to a new CEO.
You didnât really know how you felt about that.
Change just stirred your anxiety up the wrong way. However, at the same time, maybe new leadership was exactly what this place needed. So youâd decided to hang in there for a while more and wait to see if anything changed for the better.
It was just as things quietened down in the office that he arrived, the beep from the access pass making you look up.
Damn.
Maybe it was the fact that you were expecting a middle-aged man to walk through the door that caused the jolt of surprise to rip through your body when you laid eyes on him. His short brown hair was pulled back as he quietly took his sunglasses off his face while looking around the office. The dark blue suit he had on fit his shoulders very nicely, almost snugly, since they probably were tailor-made. Although his expression barely changed, you could feel a weird kind of aura, sternness mixed with something else.
âJay, great timing.â Your current bossâ voice interrupted the silence as he stepped next to the new arrival, before turning to address everyone else. âEveryone, Jay will be taking over from me officially today.â
Jay looked around the office with a small smile before he nodded at everyone. âJay Halstead. I look forward to working with all of you.â
Change had always been hard for you. Especially when it involved so many unknown variables.
You told yourself that you had to give it some time. New management always came with teething issues, and being in the corporate office meant you felt every change firsthand.
You glanced at the clock, noting that the meeting was about to begin. You never looked forward to these meetings since youâd always come out of them with twice the amount of work you had, and maybe a side order of some blame for something not moving along.
Even so, you pulled yourself out of your chair, taking your laptop and the other files you needed into your arms before heading for the meeting room, ignoring the turn of anxiety in your stomach.
As expected, the meeting had been a replay of literally every meeting that youâd had ever since the only other person in your department had quit a few months ago. No one cared about the potential burnout you were facing. All they wanted was to get things off their plate, and you had a feeling they wanted you out of the way as well.
Even as you tried explaining yourself in the meeting, you knew it was futile as you watched the frown deepen on your new bossâs face, his arms crossed in front of him as he watched what was happening in the meeting.
You should have known things wouldnât change. The only things that changed were a new face, maybe some new rules, but at the end of the day, nothing substantial was going to change.
You kept your eyes down as you silently left the meeting room. You didnât notice the eyes that were watching you, even though someone else was still talking to him.
Jay was listening as someone else filled him in on one of the projects they were working on, but that didnât stop him from watching the minute body language cues that you probably had no idea you were letting out.
He hadnât missed all the cues in the meeting. The sideways glances people gave each other, the way things had naturally slid over to this vague âoperationsâ department. And above all, heâd picked up on the look on your face when youâd looked up at him as he had frowned in confusion.
He knew that look.
It wasnât even stricken or worried, more⊠resigned.
Jay reminded himself that he didnât know anything other than the official operations and business of this place. He didnât know anyone or the dynamics, so he couldnât jump to judgments. But he sure as hell was going to find out.
There was something brewing under the surface in this place, something that was bugging him, and if he didnât get to the bottom of it, he wasnât Jay Halstead.
THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!
Summary: When Kellyâs daughter is faced with a new confrontation that she canât handle on her own, Y/N steps in, changing the dynamic for all three of them.
Word Count: 2.3K+
Tags/Warnings: Dad!Kelly, mentions of anxiety, feelings of being unwanted, single parent
A/N: Hiii, just one of those ideas that got away from me. Also in my Kelly feels so here's a Kelly fic after a long time!!
KELLY SEVERIDE MASTERLIST
You picked up your phone on the second ring, just as you were about to open your car door.
âHey, shift over?â You asked.
You heard Kelly let out a little chuckle. âSoon. I need a favor.â
âShoot,â You answered, propping your phone between your ear and shoulder as you climbed into your car.
âEllie left one of her school files at my place, and she needs it today. Sheâs freaking out about getting in trouble. Can you swing by and get it, then come meet us at our usual breakfast spot?"
Without any trace of hesitation, you immediately agreed. âSure, I can be there in 15.â
âThanks, babe. I think it should be on the kitchen counter. See you soon.â
You hung up and made the all too familiar drive to Kellyâs place.
Youâd known Kelly had a 12-year-old daughter even before youâd started dating. Kelly shared custody with his ex-girlfriend, and Ellie was given pretty free reign to decide when she wanted to sleep over at Kellyâs, as long as he wasnât on shift.
You had a pretty cordial relationship with Ellie even though things had been a little awkward at first. You could tell that Ellie had tried her best to accept your presence in her fatherâs life, so youâd also done your best to give Ellie the space she needed while also making sure she knew you were happy to spend time with her and Kelly.
You made the quick trip to Kellyâs place and sure enough, 15 minutes later, youâd pushed open the diner door, spotting Kelly with his daughter in her usual favorite booth seat.
âHere you go.â You said with a smile, handing her file to her across the table.
Ellie smiled back at you. âThank you. Sorry for the trouble.â
You smiled back. âNo trouble. So, what are we having today? Pancakes?â
Ellie stuffed a forkful of pancakes into her mouth. âDad wanted to order that for you but I told him he should just order the sausage platter instead."
âEl, you better eat if you want to make it to school on time.â Kelly said, a tinge of a smile playing on his lips.
Ellie had just made a face at her father when your breakfast arrived at the table, a plate with a generous serving of sausages, hash browns and eggs.
âYou know me much better.â You said, as Ellie smiled.
Kelly smiled as the both of you joked at his expense, but he was just happy that Ellie seemed much more at ease recently. There was still a tinge of awkwardness once in a while, but youâd reminded him it was to be expected and that you were fine and didnât mind.
Ellie sat across from her motherâs boyfriend, Jake, feeling her stomach flip over and over.
âSo, Ellie, I know youâve been living with your mother for many years. Maybe itâs time for you to go live with your father.â
Ellie glanced up, feeling the pit in her stomach grow larger.
âDonât you think this is too much for me? Iâm barely in middle school. Why are you talking to me?â Ellie asked.
Jake gave Ellie a small smile. âBecause it should come from you. You should tell your mother that you want to live with your dad. That would put your mom at ease.â
When Ellie didnât say anything, Jake continued. âListen, Ellie. Your mom hasnât gotten around to telling you this but sheâs pregnant. Weâre having a baby.â
The words seemed to thunder through Ellieâs brain almost like they were going to swallow her whole.
This was the part sheâd always been afraid of - her mother moving on, her father moving on. She could feel her body start to tremble just slightly.
âSo, you see? Itâll be hard for all of us to keep staying together, right? Your mom has taken care of you all these years so donât you think the baby should get some of that love, too? Besides, it'll be too much of a squeeze, don't you think?â
Ellie tugged at the hem of the sweatshirt she was wearing before she spoke again, her voice trembling slightly. âDoes Mom know about this?â
âEllie, Jake talked to me about it.â Almost as if on cue, Ellie heard her motherâs voice but it didnât make her feel better or safe. "Come on, don't make things more difficult than they need to be."
Her mother had known. In fact, she was on Jakeâs side.
"Ellie, you understand, don't you?" Her mother pressed again.
Then, another voice pierced through the fog that seemed to be about to engulf Ellie.
âWhat the hell do you think youâre doing?â
Ellieâs head snapped up just as you reached the table. You stood close to Ellie but still angled in a protective stance right next to the table they were seated at.
Youâd been seated two tables away and the voices had traveled toward you. Youâd hesitated about getting involved. After all, you werenât sure how Ellie fit into all of this and honestly, you were in no place to talk to Ellieâs mother about her own daughter.
However, it had hit a nerve and you couldnât sit back any longer. Before you knew it, you were already standing in front of Ellie.
âSheâs a kid.â You said. Then, you turned toward Ellieâs mother. âSheâs your kid.â
âYou stay out of this.â Her mother snapped. "I don't need Kelly's new piece telling me how to take care of my daughter."
âI canât. Not if youâre going to make Ellie feel like sheâs an inconvenience. I wonât stand by and let her feel like sheâs being dismissed. YouâŠâ
You were interrupted as you felt Ellieâs hand close around a couple of your fingers.
You turned to glance at her in surprise, half wondering if Ellie wasnât too happy about you getting involved.
âY/N, I wanna go.â Ellieâs voice was soft but firm.
This was also the first time sheâd directly told you what she needed.
You nodded. âShall we go see your dad?â
Ellie glanced up again. âCould we?â
âYeah, come on. Iâll take you to the firehouse. Get your stuff.â You told Ellie before you led her out of the restaurant without another word.
Youâd driven all the way to the firehouse in mostly silence, only breaking the silence once to apologize to Ellie for getting involved.
Ellie had just shook her head without saying anything.
Youâd always known that Ellieâs mom wasnât the greatest at decision making. She cared about Ellie in her own way but ultimately, she put her interests first. It drove Kelly crazy but at the same time, Kelly wasnât keen on making too many big changes for Ellieâs sake, so he left it alone as long as Ellie was safe and relatively happy.
But today, things had gotten a little out of hand.
âCome on.â You said, as you killed the engine and got out of the car, leading the way in.
Kellyâs usual chair was empty, so you figured he was in his office.
âHey Joe. Kelly around?â You asked, as the firefighters who were outside greeted Ellie enthusiastically.
âHey, you guys! Yeah, heâs in his office. You want me to get him?â Cruz answered, flicking a concerned look at Ellie who seemed quieter than usual.
You shook your head. âNo, weâll go in.â
Cruz nodded and you led Ellie through the firehouse, waving at the rest of the guys in the common room, heading straight for Kellyâs office.
He spotted you just as you were approaching the office and he frowned.
âHey, whatâsâŠâ
Kelly caught the look on Ellieâs face. âEl?â
Ellie didnât say anything, just walked straight into her fatherâs arms, burying her face into him.
Kelly was caught off-guard but still put his arms right around her. âWhatâs wrong?â
Ellie didnât say anything but glanced at you.
âHey El, why don't you go right in. I'll talk to Y/N for a bit then I'll come in, alright?â Kelly said, patting his daughter gently on the back of her head.
Ellie nodded, closing Kellyâs office door behind her.
Kelly took another glance at his daughter before he turned toward you.
âYou good? Whatâs going on?â Kelly asked.
Honestly, you should have asked Ellie how much she wanted you to tell her father. Instead, here you were, stuck wondering how much you should tell Kelly.
Ultimately, you knew Kelly had to know everything, so you condensed it as much as possible, telling him everything you heard and saw.
You saw the emotions flicker across Kellyâs face - worry, disappointment, anger, and then worry again.
âLook, Kelly. Iâm sorry.â You said.
Kelly frowned now. âWhat are you sorry for?â
âI know I shouldnât have gotten involved. I justâŠâ You paused. âI couldnât let her sit there thinking she was unwanted. I know what itâs like. Hell, I was Ellie. Except, I didnât have a father I could count on.â
Kelly leaned in to press you into a hug. âThank you, Y/N.â He whispered, after a short beat.
âHmm?â You hummed, even as you welcomed the hug.
âFor being there for her.â Kelly said in a low voice.
You pulled away just slightly to look at him. âLook, I gotta run to a meeting but listen⊠you should do whatâs right for her, alright? Weâll adapt around her. Whatever you decide, Iâm good. Promise. Talk tomorrow?â
An unreadable look crossed Kellyâs eyes but he nodded. âYeah, weâll talk. Go do your thing.â
Kelly reached over to press a kiss against your lips.
âBe safe.â You said, before you turned to leave with a final wave to Ellie.
Kelly watched you go before he turned back around to glance at his daughter who was sitting perched on his bed.
With a small sigh, Kelly headed toward her.
Ellie looked up when Kelly came back in. âDad, IâŠâ
Kelly sat himself next to her. âY/N told me some of what happened.â
Ellie just nodded, looking down.
âWhy donât you tell me what happened?â Kelly pushed gently.
Ellie exhaled before she looked up at her father again. âMomâs pregnant.â She paused. âSo, he told me to go stay with you.â
Kelly already knew this, yet he couldnât help the way his body stiffened.
âMom didnât even argue.â Ellie shrugged.
Kelly exhaled slowly. âEl, listenâŠâ
âBut Y/N did.â Ellie said, getting the words out quickly as if she was afraid she wouldnât say it again if she lost this opportunity.
Kelly fell silent again.
âY/N⊠she⊠no one other than you has ever done that for me.â Ellie said quietly. âNot even Mom.â
Kelly leaned toward Ellie, pulling her gently into his arms.
âEl, what do you want?â Kelly asked.
Ellie looked up at her father.
âEl, I told you before. You can stay with me whenever you want. So, what do you want to do?"
Ellie hesitated. âDad, can I come live with you? I promise I won't get in your way."
âI would love to have you with me.â Kelly said quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of Ellieâs head. "You don't have to earn your right to be with me. You were born with that right."
Ellie just quietly buried her face into Kellyâs embrace.
When you arrived at the loft the next day, it was empty.
You figured Kelly and Ellie would be here soon. Kelly had dropped you a text to let you know that Ellie was staying with him at the firehouse that night and theyâd be home once his shift was over. You didnât need Kelly to tell you anything else.
You knew.
Ellie had been an unplanned pregnancy. In fact, Kelly had only found out after theyâd broken up but Kelly had always been involved in Ellieâs life. So, it was a given that Kelly would choose the best for his daughter, and if that meant living with him, you knew Kelly would do it.
So, you headed into Kellyâs bedroom, clearing out some of your stuff that youâd left there before heading to the second bedroom and cleaning it up a little.
You figured Ellie would be feeling a little raw and vulnerable, so you didnât want her to feel like this wasnât her home.
Youâd just straightened up most of the room when you heard the main door open.
âHey.â Kelly greeted, heading toward you and giving you a quick kiss.
âHey, good morning Lieutenant.â You said, before turning toward Ellie.
âHey Ellie.â You greeted.
Ellie smiled at you as Kelly put Ellieâs bag on the ground.
âSo, listen. I spoke to Ellieâs mom. We decided that Ellie would stay here. I think a change of pace will be good for her anyway.â Kelly said.
You nodded and smiled. âThat sounds like a good plan.â
There was a small silence and Kellyâs eyes flicked to the small bag by the couch.
âY/N?â Kelly asked, an eyebrow raised.
You smiled at Kelly. âListen⊠I figured you guys might need some space⊠So, I can come around less for a bit. At least until things settle.â
Kelly frowned. âWhatâŠâ
âYou donât have to go.â Ellie interrupted.
Both you and Kelly glanced at her.
Ellie was already settled into the couch, looking at the both of you.
âI⊠I want you here.â Ellie said quietly.
âYou sure about this, Ellie?â You said. âIâm not⊠Iâm not really leaving. Iâll just come around here less. We can still have breakfast andâŠâ
Ellie shook her head. âNo, I want you to stay. Please?â
You paused, your eyes scanning Ellieâs face.
âYeah, of course.â You paused. âThank you, Ellie. And if you need anything, you know you can come to me. I love hanging out with you. At least I have someone on my side when your dadâs being difficult.â
Ellie cracked a smile and Kellyâs hand closed around yours.
âThank you, Y/N.â Ellie said quietly.
You smiled. âIâll always be on your side, Ellie. Even against your dad.â
Ellie smiled, but after a beat she spoke again. âAnd, itâs El.â
You paused. Ellie usually only let her dad call her that.
You echoed her smile as it sunk in. âEl, it is.â
THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!
A/N: @outlawdaydream gave me this idea a long time ago and I finally got it written! Also special thanks to my bestie and beta queen @seatsbythepit And yes, hi, it's me!!!
HALSTEAD!SISTER MASTERLIST
âSarah, you called me over to study, remember?â You tilted your head toward her, raising your eyebrows.
Sarah glanced up at you from where she was undoubtedly doomscrolling and grinned. âYouâre studying.â
You smiled and shook your head.
âBesides, your brothers probably only agreed because I said weâre studying,â Sarah said. You could hear the playful note in your friendâs voice, and you shook your head again.
âAs you pointed out, I am studying.â You retorted, turning your eyes back to the book in front of you.
Sarah laughed. âHonestly, youâre in college. I donât get why your brothers are so protective. Iâm glad I donât have older brothers.â
You didnât say anything and just smiled to yourself.
It wasnât the first time someone had said something like this to you. Sometimes, they were serious, and other times, they were half joking, like Sarah was right now.
It didnât really matter though, because no one would be able to convince you that having two older brothers wasnât the greatest thing in the world.
Sure, they were protective, and sometimes overprotective, in the case of your oldest brother, but you knew that no matter what happened, even if the whole world turned upside down, the two of them would always have your back.
Sarahâs room fell back into silence once more as she continued scrolling on her phone while you scribbled down notes on the papers you were poring over.
Youâd just flipped a page when the faint sound of voices seemed to drift into Sarahâs rooms.
The both of you looked up at the same time, exchanging a look.
âThose arenât happy voices,â You commented, sitting up.
Sarah frowned, like she was concentrating. The voices were clearer now, almost as if they were moving further into the house.
âItâs my sister,â Sarah said, sitting up slightly.
The voices continued carrying into the room.
âI think thatâs her ex. This is not good.â Sarah said, moving toward the door.
You didnât need Sarah to explain any further. You hadnât seen this guyâs face yet, but this whole situation gave you a bad hit. It felt like there was a huge knot in your stomach, as if you knew something would pop off at any minute.
You had barely finished that thought when there was a loud crash, like something had been thrown across the room. You frowned as both you and Sarah quietly climbed up and peered out the door.
You shook your head. âI donât like this.â
Sarah made a face at you. âWhat are we supposed to do?â
Sarahâs parents were out of town for the weekend, which was why Sarah had invited you over in the first place.
'It's not like we can call the police, right? If they're just arguing."
You were already dialing.
He picked up on the first ring. âHey, you need me to come get you?"
"Jay.â
He picked up on your voice immediately.
"Y/N? What's wrong?"
You could already hear him getting up.
"Jay, some guy is here arguing with Sarah's sister. Sarah says her sister used to date this guy. It kinda feels like things are going to pop off at any moment.â
You could hear Jay's movements seem to quicken, and you could almost picture the way he was moving through the district.
"Does he have a weapon?" Jay asked, his voice obviously strained.
You shook your head even though Jay couldn't see you. "I don't know. They're downstairs, we can't see them from here.â You paused, peering out slightly. "But I don't have a good feeling about this. Can you come?"
"I'm on my way. Stay put. And Y/N?â
"Yeah?"
Jay took a deep breath.
"No matter what you hear, don't come out of the room. Both of you. Not until it's me. You hear me?"
"Yeah, okay," You agreed, knowing that when it came to this, there was no way your brother was taking no for an answer anyway.
You hung up the phone and gave Sarah an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. My brotherâs on his way."
Sarah frowned like she was waiting for more context, but you didn't say anything more.
You weren't in the habit of oversharing about your brothers. It wasn't a huge secret or anything, but you didn't volunteer information. After all, usually once word got around that you had a brother who was a detective and a brother who was a doctor, it only led to more questions or people asking for favours.
You kept your books away, then glanced at Sarah.
Sarah sighed before she started telling you about Samantha's ex - how he'd been sweet, until he wasn't. It was all the classic signs of controlling behaviour bordering on emotional manipulation that your brothers had drilled into you early on.
You were about to say something when you paused. "You smell that?'
Sarah looked up, frowning, before she wrinkled her nose.
The both of you headed toward the door, but you had already noticed the bright orange light filtering in, even before you heard Sarah's sharp inhale of breath.
âCall 911.â You told her.
As Sarah fumbled with her phone, you peered out of the room, against your better judgment.
Smoke was thickening in the halls, and the fire had already danced its way up the staircase railings.
Even with the door now closed, it felt like the smoke was still somehow finding its way into your lungs. You headed straight for your bag, emptying out its contents almost in a frenzy, looking for your inhaler. You hadn't had an asthma attack in months, you'd been managing very well, but smoke from a fire was definitely not your friend. You could almost feel your lungs closing up.
âSarah⊠lowâŠ" You choked out, pulling Sarah to the ground with you.
âWhereâs your inhaler?â Sarah asked, but there wasnât enough air in your lungs for you to answer her.
You could only barely make out the sirens that seemed to be making their way through the fog of smoke.
And then, like a light at the end of the tunnel, a familiar voice.
âFire Department, call out!â
You barely had enough energy to nudge Sarah, who raised her voice to call for their attention.
The door burst open before you saw the familiar green eyes of the one other person you trusted as much as your brothers and heard the surprise in his voice, âY/N?â
âKelly⊠I canâtâŠâ
Kelly just nodded. âI got you, kiddo. Hang on.â
As Kelly lifted you into his arms, you saw another firefighter reach out for Sarah before Kelly moved off, and within a minute, the fresh air hit you.
Kelly gently laid you down onto the stretcher that seemed to be ready and waiting. âBrett, she has asthma.â
Sylvie nodded, and before you knew it, oxygen was once again flowing into your lungs as an oxygen mask was fitted gently on you.
âAll clear, Chief!â You heard Kellyâs radio crackle as he pulled off his mask and looked at you.
âYou alright?â Kelly turned toward you now.
You nodded, unable to speak just yet, but Kelly smiled and squeezed your hand before he looked up and nodded.
The next moment, Jay was right next to you. âHey, hey! You okay? Are you hurt?â
You blinked back up into Jayâs eyes and nodded, feeling stupid tears pool in your eyes for no apparent reason.
Jay smiled as you growled at yourself, as if trying to scare your own tears back.
âThanks, Kelly,â Jay said.
Kelly nodded, patting Jay on the arm before he reached out to pat your head gently. âWhen I said I hadnât seen you in a while, I meant drop by the firehouse. Not get stuck in a fire.â
You made a face at him, and Kelly chuckled.
âIâll drop by to see you later, alright?â
You nodded and with a final ruffle of your hair, Kelly jogged back toward the rest of his team.
Jay glanced up and nodded at Sylvie. âAlright, weâre going to Med.â
You gave him a look, and Jay returned it. âWe are not taking any chances.â
As expected, it was a big fuss when you were wheeled into Med.
Naturally, Will was told to stay outside while Connor worked on you, and then for the rest of the next day, Will couldnât, or wouldnât, leave you alone.
âIâm fine.â You stressed.
Will narrowed his eyes at you. âDo you know how dangerous smoke inhalation is for someone like you who has asthma?â
You grunted without saying anything because you knew he was right.
âWill, have you seen my friend? Sarah? And her sister? Are they okay?â You changed the topic since you knew you werenât going anywhere today.
Before you could finish your sentence, the door opened and Sarah almost dashed into the room. You spotted Jay following up behind her before Sarah practically leaped into your arms.
âYouâre crushing me, girl!â You sputtered as both your brothers wandered off to a corner of the room, talking to each other under their breath.
You were about to call out to them to ask them to spit it out when Sarah suddenly leaned in closer again and hissed, âYou didnât tell your brothers were soâŠâ
âWhat?â You asked, frowning.
âHot.â
You scrunched up your face. âEw, Sarah.â
âA policeman and a doctor?â Sarah said, stealing a glance at them.
âExcuse me. Detective.â You said, unable to keep the tone of pride out of your voice.
Sarah rolled her eyes. âShut up. You suck.â
You laughed, then felt a spike of annoyance that your brothers were still whispering in the corner.
âDid you catch him?â
Jay looked up as you raised your voice.
He glanced at Sarah and then shook his head. âPatrolâs doing a sweep of the entire neighborhood. Mouse is all up in his electronic business. Weâll get him.â
Jay paused again, then moved closer. âWhat more can you tell me?â
âYou first.â You glared at him. âYou promised.â
It was a promise from a long time ago, but you never forgot it. In fact, your brothers hadnât either. It was like yesterday, your two older brothers towering above you, your small pinky wrapped around theirs, sealing the pact between the three of you - no secrets. Even back then, youâd impressed on them that the worst betrayal was both of them keeping a secret from their only sister.
Jay glanced at Will, who nodded.
âKelly called. Looks like this guy brought kerosene to the house. We canât determine exactly how the fire was set yet, but itâs enough for me to haul his ass in.â Jay said, unable to keep his tone calm. Even Sarah could tell he was pissed, and she looked at you nervously.
âListen. Samantha⊠She⊠she didnât know we were home. I didnât tell her. And she has nothing to do withâŠâ
Jay smiled kindly at her. âDonât worry. Sheâs talking to someone from my team now. He was an uninvited guest who threatened her. Sheâs not in trouble. Only he is.â
Will nodded. âI checked your sister out myself. She wasnât in the house long. She got out before you guys did, so she didnât have much smoke inhalation. Sheâs fine.â
You shot Sarah a smile just as there was a knock on the door, and Samantha peeped in.
âHey.â You could hear the familiar tone of slight guilt from Samantha.
You turned to your brothers. âNow, the two of you. Go get some coffee or something and stop hovering around me. Iâm fine.â
Will didnât look convinced, but Jay caught the look on your face.
âAlright, letâs get out of her hair for a second,â Jay said, pushing Will out the door even as Will called back to you to let you know to call a nurse if you needed anything.
Youâd only met Sarahâs sister once, but Sarah talked about her at school so much you felt like you knew her well.
âIâm sorry I got you into this mess,â Samantha said quietly.
âSamantha, itâs not your fault.â You reassured her. âMy brother said you talked to the police. Donât worry, theyâll figure it out. Everythingâs going to be fine.â
You were saved from more talking when the door slid open again.
âHey, feeling better?â
You couldnât help the grin that slid onto your face as you saw Kelly walk in.
You introduced Kelly to the sisters briefly, ignoring Sarahâs wiggling eyebrows with a roll of your eyes.
âWhere are your brothers?â Kelly asked.
âHey! Are you here to see me, or them?â You asked with a tone of mock hurt.
Kelly chuckled. âYou, and since Iâm here, I need to talk to Jay.â
You smiled. âI kicked them out for being annoying.â
Kelly was just about to say something else when the door slammed open again.
You heard the catch in Samanthaâs breath as she pulled Sarah behind her.
The man standing in the doorway was unfamiliar to you, but you didnât need to hear his voice to know who he was. You reached for Kelly and gently squeezed, hoping he understood what you were trying to tell him.
Kelly glanced at you and nodded reassuringly, angling his body in a protective stance.
âWho is this?â The man spoke, his voice only confirming your suspicions.
Samanthaâs ex-boyfriend.
The new arrival looked from Kelly to Samantha before he raised his voice again. âIs it him? Is he the reason you refuse to work things out with me?â Then he twitched, and you saw it at the same time as Kelly - a gun.
âHey, Iâm gonna need you to calm down,â Kelly spoke now, taking half a step forward, before motioning toward you. âIâm herâŠâ
âBrother.â You finished his sentence for Kelly, turning to look at the guy standing in the doorway in your room, your eyes flicking toward his gun. âMy brotherâs just worried, alright?â
The guyâs eyes flicked back toward Samantha.
âDamien, stop this,â Samantha said now, making the effort to steel her voice.
Damien raised his gun now, and you could see Kellyâs shoulders stiffen. At the same time, the machine next to you started beeping, and you felt your chest tighten.
Kelly swivelled his head to glance at you. âY/N?â
Kelly turned back to Damien. âThatâs the sign of an asthma attack, alright? This room is going to be flooded with nurses and doctors soon. Turn around and leave.â
Damien looked like he was weighing his options, his head swinging back and forth.
You caught just a glimpse of Jay over Damienâs shoulder, and in the second that Damien lowered his gun in hesitation, Kelly shot Jay a look. Jay moved forward, pressing his gun to the back of Damienâs head.
"You so much as twitch that finger, I'll blow your brains out,â Jay said, his voice dangerously quiet. âPut it down. Now."
Kelly moved forward to kick the gun away from Damien as Will hurried in toward you.
"Okay, breathe." Will's voice was soft, yet firm and very reassuring as he fiddled with the oxygen.
Between the smoke inhalation and having a gunman in your hospital room, it was no wonder your asthma had started up again.
You felt more oxygen fill your lungs again, and your breathing steadied.
"Better?"
You nodded.
Will studied you for a while more before he said, âWe'll do one more round of medication, and if that stabilizes, we'll probably be able to wean you off.â
He paused, then added, "So, patience."
You raised an eyebrow. "I'm a Halstead too, you know. Patience doesn't run in our blood."
That earned you chuckles across the room.
Jay had returned from handing Damien off, just in time to catch your last statement.
You shot him a smile, just to put him a little more at ease.
You almost forgot Samantha and Sarah were still there, until Sarah spoke again.
"I thought you only had two brothers?"
Jay couldn't help himself, "Yeah, when did I have a second brother?'
You glanced at Kelly, who winked.
âDidn't you know? Kelly's an honorary Halstead. I can trust him with my life. "
Jay smiled, and Kelly winked at you.
"Don't you ever doubt it, Y/N.â
As you smiled at the three of them, Sarah leaned in and whispered," I take back what I said about older brothers."
You glanced at her in surprise, and she giggled. "A doctor, detective, and a firefighter? God, you're living the dream."
You rolled your eyes, but you didn't refute it.
After all, Sarah was right.
You wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.
THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!
Chapter Summary: As they close in on the coven, the group is surprised by the revelation of the demon behind these attacks. Dean is presented with a difficult decision.
Word Count: 2.6k
Warnings: canon-typical language, mentions of blood, death, gore.
A/N: I know Iâm the absolute worst when it comes to this! So many things have happened that prevented me from writing, both physically and mentally, but the good news is Iâve finally managed to move this story along! I am so sorry I disappeared at an unresolved point in the case, but Iâm finally ready for updates! If you enjoyed this, please leave a footprint! Thank you!
SERIES MASTERLISTÂ ||Â DEAN WINCHESTER MASTERLIST
Chapter 6 || Chapter 8
Sam had gone to the high school that the survivors had graduated from to see if he could glean any extra information, because as Dean put it, âTeachers like you moreâ.
Youâd just laughed as Sam rolled his eyes and climbed out of the Impala.
Dean and you sat in silence for a while before he glanced at you through the rearview mirror.
âYou holding up okay?â Dean asked after a prolonged silence.
You raised your head to look at him before you shrugged. âI guess.â
Dean turned now, angling his body more towards you, studying you. âIâm not gonna fall to pieces, Dean.â
He didnât respond immediately, his eyes seeming to bore right through you. âEven if you do, IâŠâ He paused, clearing his throat. âSam and I will be here.â
You felt the trickling warmth that spread through your veins. Dean wasnât usually this forward when he was showing concern. Youâd learned that pretty early on. So that in itself was something.
Smiling, you nodded. âThank you, Dean.â
The three of you ended up in a diner again, no surprises there.
Sam handed over the book heâd gotten from the school, flipping it open and showing you the page. âWhat do you see?â
You frowned, your eyes traveling across the page before you made a face. âPlease tell me they werenât mean girls.â
Dean glanced at you, a hint of a smile playing on his lips as he lifted the cheeseburger.
Your eyes met his and you gave him a look. âCome on, enough already. We literally justâŠâ
Dean nodded. âI know, but what do I always say? People are crazy.â
You made a face and took a sip of coffee before you turned your attention back to the book Sam was showing you.
It was obvious, you thought, as you looked back down, the photo of four girls in cheerleading outfits staring back at you.
But it didnât matter because nowâŠ
You pointed, glancing up at Dean.
Dean gave you a small proud smile, before he nodded, stuffing what was left of his burger into his mouth, dusting his hands off the remaining crumbs and glancing at Sam.
You gave Sam a small smile, as Sam barely paid any attention to the both of you, before he nodded. âGot it.â
Sam turned his laptop around to show you the address and you smiled. âExpected nothing less.â You answered.
The three of you got moving as soon as you could that night. You could feel where the gun was tucked securely by your side, already preloaded with witch-killing bullets, along with a couple of vials of holy water, just in case.
âSo whatâs the plan? We just gonna barge in there and tell her we need to search her house for a hex bag because a witch might kill her?â You asked.
Dean shot you a look through the mirror as he drove. âHow about you come up with the plan tonight?â
You made a face at him, before you turned your eyes towards the driveway. âDean?â
Dean gave a grunt to tell you he was listening.
âI donât think we need a plan anymore,â You told him, angling your head towards the house where someone was stumbling out right now.
Sam glanced up as Dean pulled the Impala to a stop.
âCome on," Sam said, pulling his gun out as he got out of the car. You were close behind him, as Dean brought up the rear.
Sam headed towards the man who was now coughing up blood on his own porch steps.
âI got this. Find the hex bag!â Sam yelled. You nodded, heading straight into the house, never mind that you were obviously trespassing.
âWeâre here to help!â You called as you saw the woman on her knees now, next to a boy that was about the age Seth was when heâŠ
You shook your head to clear out the thoughts. You couldnât afford to hesitate or stop now. So, you pushed your way in, stuffing your gun back into the holster that was attached to your waist, literally turning the room upside down.
It didnât help that you could hear the boy making agonized sounds as he was torn apart from the inside, probably melting like what Sam had described with the other victims. But you shut it out, as much as you could at least, both you and Dean pulling apart cushions and whatever furniture you could find.
âGot it!â Dean yelled and you spun around just in time to see Dean set it on fire.
Instantly, the yells of agony from the young boy stopped and things had quieted outside too.
âSammy?â Dean raised his voice, waiting for a second before Samâs voice traveled back.
âWeâre good out here!â
At least this time, you didnât have to explain about what goes bump in the dark to a woman whoâd lost her whole family.
Once theyâd calmed down considerably, the three of you had sat with the couple to talk and ask a few questions.
You pushed a copy of the photo from the yearbook and she looked up at you in surprise. âWhere did youâŠâ
You just gave her a small smile. âYou know what happened to your friends, donât you? Someone wants to hurt the four of you. So who would want to do that? Someone you guys went to school with?â
The woman, whoâd introduced herself earlier as Alicia Dixon, shook her head. âI donât know.â
You glanced at Sam, who sat forward a little more.
âThe only thing that connects the four of you is high school. Come on, some girl the four of you didnât like? Someone you guys fell out with?â
Alicia didnât answer and you saw the look on Deanâs face switch to one of annoyance, slight as it was.
âLook, weâre trying to help.â You could hear the tone in Deanâs voice. The tone that told you he was teetering on annoyance, which was pretty common in cases like these where you guys were trying to help while people lied to your faces. Most of the time that ended in someone dying.
You reached out discreetly, before he could open his mouth again and your fingers brushed over his. Dean looked up.
Okay, maybe you hadnât thought that through.
Sam took over the conversation almost immediately, which made you want to smile, like youâd reached a level of camaraderie with the brothers that no longer required words.
You focused on Samâs voice, pulling your fingers away slightly.
â⊠and theyâll probably try again. We want to help.â Samâs voice broke through your consciousness once again and you turned your attention back at Alicia, who glanced at you.
You nodded, confirming whatever Sam had said. âSomeone who would have a grudge against you, maybe. What havenât you told us?â
Alicia took a deep breath before she sighed. âThereâs one person.â
She told you the three of you at length about that girl - the girl who wanted to join them but the four of them had pushed her out. That no matter what she said or did, they never let her join them.
âHer nameâs Nancy. Nancy Hart.â
Nancy Hart looked like a normal girl-next-door.
That was the thought you had as you sat in their motel room, staring back at the laptop screen, Nancy Hart smiling back at you from her social media page.
âHow sure are we?â You asked, turning to glance at Dean and then at Sam.
Dean shrugged. âIt sounds about right. We should go check her out.â
âWhat are you going to do? Shoot first, ask questions later?â You asked, giving him a look.
Dean didnât respond, merely continuing to put his gun together.
The silence didnât last long, though. Your phone lit up, the ringtone bouncing off the walls of the motel.
âHello?â
âI need your help! Itâs happening, again. My husband. My son. Theyâre⊠weâreâŠâ
You pushed your chair backwards, shooting out of your seat so fast that the chair toppled behind you. âWhat?â
Her voice crackled again, you could hear the crack in her voice, feel the fear echo within you. Dean and Sam were watching you closely, waiting.
âWeâll take care of it.â
You looked up at the Winchesters. âLetâs go shoot that bitch.â
The three of you had split up.
Dean had been hesitant at first, but youâd been adamant. You were going to head to Aliciaâs house, while they went to deal with the witch. Youâd reminded Dean that youâd be safe because the hex bag affected only the target of the witchâs spell, so youâd be the safest among the three of you.
âI need to do this. If⊠Alicia needs someone there. And you know, just in caseâŠâ
Dean paused before he nodded, warning you to be safe before heâd sped off with Sam and you headed in the opposite direction towards Aliciaâs house, just hoping that between the three of you, thereâd be enough time.
Within minutes, Dean was pulling up in front of Nancy Hartâs door, Sam jumping out even before the Impala had grinded to a halt. He kicked the door in, bursting into the Hartâs living room with his gun.
"Stop the spell."
Sam's voice was low, the way it got when he was really pissed, as Dean stood behind him, his own gun raised.
Nancy stood up in alarm, her eyes betraying a fear that confused the brothers. "What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb. These are witch-killing bullets. One shot, that's all it takes." Sam said, still hoping he could find a way to talk her into voluntarily stopping the spell. "This isn't the first time we're dealing with a witch."
Nancy's brows furrowed together now, looking more annoyed than afraid now.
"They tortured me. High school was like hell for me. I'm just paying the karma back." Nancy argued, although her eyes flicked uneasily towards Sam's gun.
Sam narrowed his eyes, just as the woman next to Nancy stood up.
Dean trained his gun on her. "Watch it, lady."
"Hardly." She said, her voice steady, almost cold. Nancy glanced at her friend in surprise like it was the first time she'd heard her speaking like this, just as her eyes flashed a charcoal black and Dean growled.
"Of course," Dean said sarcastically, glancing at Sam, one hand reaching for the demon blade he kept within reach.
Just as Dean made to move, she flicked her wrist, sending the Winchesters flying backwards, crashing into furniture behind them, Sam tumbling over the couch with a thud, as Dean crashed into a row of shelves with a groan.
The demon stepped towards them but was interrupted by Nancy's now panicked voice. "You⊠What are you? You'reâŠ"
The demon rolled back her black eyes, rolling the eyes of whichever girl it was possessing. "Seriously, did you think all this was dumb luck? Or did you think you were special? Shut up for a second, the Winchesters are definitely more interesting than you are."
Dean groaned as he tried to get up, his instinct to make sure Sam was okay pushing towards the forefront as he tried to stand.
Sam nodded discreetly at his brother, Dean barely catching a glimpse of Sam's hand closing around an iron poker that the demon had literally launched him towards.
"You sure you want to be wasting time with me?" The demon drawled, a sickening smile playing on her lips.
Dean's frown deepened. "What, do you really think this is a coincidence? One of Corson's new experiments."
Dean's eyes flicked up. "What the hell did you just say?"
The demon's smile widened. "I'd go get our pretty little Y/N if I were you."
A growl left Dean's lips, as Sam got to his feet as well, the iron poker still pretty much hidden from sight from where he stood behind the toppled couch.
"So what, he's getting you to do his dirty work for him, now?" Dean asked, hoping to distract the demon while they figured out a way out of this situation. He felt the desperation to sprint out of there to get to you claw at him and he swallowed.
The demon took another step closer.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that the two of you will die here." The demon said.
Dean let his lips curl up into a smile as he pulled the vial he'd carried with him, spraying the holy water out in front of him. She hissed, stepping backwards as the holy water burned against her skin, and Sam headed forward with the iron poker now.
"Go Dean, I got this!" Sam yelled.
Dean hesitated. It was an impossible situation, leaving Sam here with a demon or leaving you with the possibility of another demon, or worse, Corson himself.
"Dean!" Sam yelled again as he pushed the demon back, diving towards where he'd dropped his blade earlier. "I got this! Go get Y/N!"
Dean nodded, turning tail and speeding back out of the room. This was the best decision he could make at this time. Sam was definitely better off on his own than you were.
Dean made it across the town in record time, muttering to himself about their luck when it came to splitting up.
Alicia's house seemed quiet as Dean killed Baby's engine, but it only served to make him more nervous.
Before heading in, Dean had swapped his gun for more demon-appropriate weapons. So now, as he held the blade close to him, Dean used his foot to push open the door.
"Y/N?"
There was no response, and Dean felt a strain in his gut. A strain he recognized as fear. The fear of losing someone else he loved.
Dean gritted his teeth, pushing down the emotion as he stepped further in.
"Y/N?" Dean tried again, entering the sitting room the three of you had just been in the day before, taking a sharp inhale.
Three bodies littered the floor, pools of blood staining the white marble floor and you sat in the middle, near Alicia, motionless with your back to Dean.
"Y/N?" Dean approached again, a little worried.
You glanced up now, as if you were just hearing him.
"Dean." Your voice was barely above a whisper.
Your hands were blood-stained, probably from where you'd been trying to help.
Dean just nodded. "Are you hurt?"
It took you a little longer to process the question before you shook your head.
Dean tucked the knife back into where he usually carried it, although he still looked around cautiously. Then he leaned forward, slipping your hand into his, despite the fact that your hands were still stained with blood.
"Come on."
You looked up at him. "Dean⊠I⊠There was nothing I could do."
"I know." Dean paused and looked at you. "Y/N, we need to get out of here alright? You know the drill."
You nodded, even though you felt tears well up in your eyes and Dean knew they were only half about Alicia.
Dean bent down further to pull you to your feet, not letting your hand go as he led you back out towards the main door.
The both of you had barely set foot into the yard when he appeared as if from nowhere. Maybe heâd been there the whole time, maybe heâd just appeared out of thin air, but he was standing in front of the both of you now.
Instinctively, Dean tugged you behind him, way before he saw the flash of charcoal black eyes, or before the demon opened his mouth. âLeaving so soon?â
The voice sent chills down your spine. Chills from that day heâd used your baby brotherâs body and voice to taunt you while Leah lay dying at his feet.
âCorson.â
THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!
Summary:Â Y/N struggles with demands from a friend, and Matt solidifies the fact he will always be in her corner.
Word Count:Â 2.6K+
Warnings/Tags: toxic friendships
A/N:Â something bugged me recently so hereâs a fic! This can be a bit of a controversial take based on the context but didnât want to go full on in the fic so anyway~ just needed to get this off my chest.
âBaby, IâmâŠâ Mattâs voice drifted off slightly before he completed his sentence, ââŠhome.â
You could only imagine being Matt and coming home to this sight.
You were seated in the middle of the living room in the apartment you shared with Matt, surrounded by yarn, bits of fluff stuck in your hair, sheets of sketched designs strewn across the floor.
You could feel the panic rise even more as you took in the look on Mattâs face. Especially since you couldnât read his emotions as the anxiety clouded your brain.
âMatt, IâŠâÂ
You couldnât continue as you felt your chest tighten just a little, the anxiety and panic clawing its way to the surface and rearing its ugly head at you.Â
This had all started with Amy.
Amy.
She was a friend youâd known for almost your entire life. Youâd laughed together, cried together, dreamed about the future together and talked about those dreams. Along the way, you both had stumbled, you saw less of each other, and Amy reached out less, sometimes forgetting to respond to your messages. Despite what everyone told you, you convinced yourself that it was just how life was and you made excuses for Amyâs growing absence in your life.
Then, sheâd reached out to tell you she was getting married.
You felt the excitement first, remembering it like it was yesterday, how you had both talked excitedly about how you would be each otherâs bridesmaids. It wasnât a conscious memory, but it was like your brain had pulled it up, triggered by the words Amy was saying.
You didnât even feel any apprehension when she asked if you would make the flowers for the bridesmaids. You werenât too confident because crocheted flowers werenât really your thing. In fact, youâd only tried it out once. So youâd told Amy youâd give it a shot, make a prototype and see how it went.
You could tell Matt hadnât been thrilled with the idea but he didnât say much, only offering opinions when you asked for them and keeping most of his comments focused on the task rather than Amy. Yet, you knew he was holding back. You knew Matt didnât feel great about Amy, mainly because of the things heâd witnessed, in particular, the way she blew back into your life when it was convenient for her.
But things had been going downhill ever since youâd made the first prototype. She kept changing what she wanted, and even you were getting a little frustrated, mixed with a desire not to disappoint her.
So, having Matt stand there with a surprised look on his face in the middle of an extremely messed up living room only added to your current panic.
You felt your breath quicken and very soon, Mattâs figure was clouded by the tears you didnât realize had pooled behind your eyes.
Without saying anything, Matt dropped whatever was in his arms, heading straight for you and folding you nice and tight into his arms.Â
âY/N, itâs okay. Itâs okay.â Matt whispered quietly, and you felt the rumble of his chest before your breathing slowly evened out once again.
Matt didnât move immediately, but his fingers brushed off the residual tears that were rolling down your cheeks.
âSorry, I donâtâŠâÂ
Matt just tightened his arms a little and pressed a kiss firmly to the top of your head.
âSorry,â You mumbled, scrubbing off the remnants of tears on your cheeks before glancing up at him.
Matt shook his head and leaned down for another kiss and you leaned into his embrace, temporarily forgetting about the mess in the living room.
By the time you woke up the next morning, there was barely a trace of the mess last night. The yarn was back in the boxes you had in the corner of the room and the half done flowers were laid out neatly on the kitchen counter.
No one else would have guessed what had happened the night before.Â
Matt was almost on his way out, draining the last sip of his coffee and smiling as you walked into the kitchen.
He didnât ask but just studied your face for a little longer than usual.
You smiled back at him and nodded. âGo on, Iâm fine.â You assured him, even though you stepped toward him and nuzzled your face into his shoulder.
Matt pressed you lightly against him and pressed a kiss to your temple.
âYou know where to find me if you need me.â Matt whispered gently into your ear.
You smiled into his shoulder with a small nod before both of you pulled away and you let Matt go before he was late for shift.
Even as the door closed behind Matt, you felt it rear to the surface. This time, the feeling was different. It wasnât even residual anxiety from the night before. You couldnât put your finger on it but it was bugging you.
Deciding that it might be good to have a change of pace, you grabbed the materials you needed, slung the tote bag over your shoulders and left the house, figuring youâd find a nice cafe to work out of.
So you did and you had been right. A change of environment had done wonders for you and you finally had a final prototype for the new flower idea Amy had had.
You snapped a photo and sent it to Amy, quoting as reasonable a price you could for the materials and stitches. You even gave her what she called a âfriend discountâ.Â
But for someone who sometimes took days to respond to you, her response was quick now.
Itâs a little out of my budget.
Thereafter, she proceeded to give you a price she was willing to pay that was such a lowball, you almost dropped your phone.
It took you a moment and another few breaths to register that feeling bubbling up in your chest now. You recognised it as a more intense version of what you had been feeling that morning. Now, you could indeed put your finger on it - Disappointment.
It was disappointment that raged within you. Especially when youâd always treated Amy like a sister.
You felt it swell as you thought about the effort youâd put in all these years, even just the effort in designing flowers she would want for her wedding, and then you remembered the many times sheâd blown you off, and when sheâd been dating that toxic ex of hers and had cut you out of her life for more than a year until the break up.
Resisting the urge to send her a scathing reply, you stuffed the rest of your belongings into your bag and headed out the cafe, only realizing where your legs had taken you when you looked up at the firehouse in front of you.
The trucks were all parked which meant everyone was around.Â
Now that you were here, you had second thoughts and you were about to retreat, thinking youâd talk to Matt during breakfast the next day when you heard an all too familiar voice call out to you.
âY/N?â
Of course today would be the day Kelly came to get something out of his car.
âHey, Kelly.â You greeted back, your voice sounding weird even to you.
Kelly either didnât notice or chose not to mention it. He just smiled and nodded. âCome on, Caseyâs in his office.â
You didnât protest, letting Kelly lead you in as if it was your first time visiting the firehouse.
Everyone called out toward you with smiles and you waved back at them as you made your way through the common room and toward Mattâs office.
âLook who I found,â Kelly called with a casual rap at Mattâs door.
Matt sat up, glancing at you before smiling. âThanks, Sev.â
Kelly winked, more at you than him, before leaving the both of you alone.
Matt got up to close his door and glanced at you. âEverything okay?â
After all, you rarely came to the firehouse without a call beforehand. Usually, you were worried about being in the way so you only came to bring them some food, especially when youâd heard it was a difficult shift.
You nodded. âNothing big, I justâŠâ
You held back a heavy sigh and just handed him your phone.
Mattâs eyes moved across your phone screen as he read the message and you could see the slight darkening of his expression, even though he was trying to keep it under control.
Matt looked back up at you and handed your phone back to you. âSo what are you thinking?â Matt asked.
You shouldnât have been shocked by Matthew Caseyâs complete focus on your feelings, but you couldnât help the little jolt of warmth that still filled you even though you and Matt had been dating for a long while.
You shrugged and Matt gave you a look, which just made you smile.
âFine, Iâm annoyed. Itâs like every single moment with her has been flashing in my head since I got that message and the annoyance has been piling. Thatâs why I havenât responded.â
âGo for it, babe.â Matt said, matter of factly.
You glanced at him with half a smile.
âYou deserve to be treated with respect and I think itâs high time someone told her. And if you donât want to do it, Iâd be happy to.â Matt said, his voice laced with a subtle protectiveness.
You pulled him toward you, just so you can lay your head against him and smiled. âThank you.â
The conversation had gone about as youâd expected.Â
You tried your best to keep your side as light as possible while remaining firm, and ultimately, the decision had been for you to try to do little flower wristlets for Amyâs flower girls, instead of a large order of flowers.
You werenât too thrilled to do it anymore, but a part of you felt obliged to, so youâd agreed.
It was only two days later that you had run into Amy when Matt had taken you out for dinner.
âHey, IâŠâ You greeted her even from a distance, trying to keep things as normal as possible.
But you didnât miss the look on her face as she turned away, as if she was pretending not to see you.
Instinctively, you glanced up at Matt, your expression one of disbelief.
Matt just squeezed your hand but you could see the strain lines on his face which were a clear telltale sign he was using all his effort to hold back.
Matt was trying to reassure you, but the only thing you felt now was anger.
There was no more second-guessing on your part about whether you had been too harsh or too mean. You knew the answer.Â
You were about to open a small side business for your crochet. All your friends, including Amy, knew that.
In fact, anyone who tried to ask you to make something for them had always offered you more than what you quoted, reminding you that friends didnât take each other for a ride.
Amy was the exact opposite and what really grinded at you was the fact that she thought she was well within her rights to be angry at you.
You were a little confused but the anger had swallowed it all up.
âYou want to go elsewhere?â Matt offered.
You glanced up at him.
If this had been anyone else, it might have made you avoid the situation altogether. But right now, the indignant feeling had turned into anger.
âWhy should we? You put in so much effort into trying to get a reservation here. Letâs just have a good dinner.â You answered.
 This felt like a huge breakthrough moment for you, even Matt felt it - you could do anything you had set your mind to.Â
You sat down with Matt in a corner of the restaurant, pretty sure that Matt had used one of his superpowers to get the both of you a great table and you turned your back on Amy, focusing all your energy and attention on the one person who was worth it.
Once the appetisers were served, youâd thrown Amy to the back of your mind, sinking into Mattâs company and enjoying the date night that both of you deserved.Â
It was just as the both of you had stepped out after paying the bill when someone grabbed your arm.Â
âFoodâs great here, isnât it?â
You blinked back in disbelief at Amy, who was smiling as if nothing had happened. Â
It would have been much better if you hadnât met her in front of the restaurant earlier. Now, you were just wondering what the hell she was doing.
Matt didnât say anything, just stood by your side and waited.
âWhat are you doing?â You asked, unable to hold it back any longer. There was a slight tremor in your voice that no one but Matt picked up on.Â
The saddest part was Amy used to be able to. Now, she just didnât care.
That realization hit you hard but also allowed you to look her straight in the eye.
Frustratingly, Amy was staring at you as if she was confused by your question.
When you didnât offer her any explanation, she swallowed and spoke, âCome on, Y/N. I told you I was on a budget. Youâre my friend, I didnât expect you to try and profit off my wedding.â
You glanced up at Matt just a little and he merely nodded in encouragement.
âProfit? Amy, you agreed to pay! You are literally the only person that has lowballed me for anything crochet related. Iâm not even asking you to pay me for the prototypes or the materials used for it. Have you looked up the prices online? Iâm profiting nothing.â You paused and looked her directly in the eye. âLook, I think this isnât a good idea. â
âWhat are you saying? You donât want to talk about it?â Amy asked, and you could hear the tone in her voice change slightly.
You sighed. âIâm saying I donât think I can make anything for your wedding, or be your bridesmaid. Iâve said everything that needs to be said.â
âY/N, you⊠What am I supposed to tell my family?â
You couldnât hold back the chuckle that escaped your lips. You shouldnât have expected anything else but the fact that she was more worried about having to explain what had happened to her family members who had always treated you as one of their own, spoke volumes.
âYou can tell them what happened, Amy. Just remember that if anyone calls me, Iâm telling the truth.â
Matt smiled and slung an arm around you, turning to lead you away before he paused.
He glanced back at Amy before he spoke, âShe cared. She really cared and you threw it back in her face. She deserves someone who treats her as a friend.â
You tugged at Mattâs arm and Matt sighed before taking you away with him.
The journey home had been pretty silent and Matt only broke it as he closed the door behind the both of you and hung both your jackets by the door.
âYou okay?â
You glanced up at him and nodded before you pulled back again and shrugged. âKind of, you know? Iâm upset but like it also feels lighter? If that makes sense.â
âIt just has to make sense to you. The only thing important to me is how you are feeling right now.â
You stepped into Mattâs embrace and smiled against him.Â
âWith you? Matthew Casey, Iâm on top of the freaking world.â
Matt smiled, leaning back enough to take a look at you before pressing his lips gently to yours in a deep kiss.
THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!
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Character taglists are open, hit me up if you would like to be added!
Summary: Five times you held back, and the one time you didnât have to
Word Count: 3K+
Warnings: not Natalie Manning friendly, not Manstead friendly
A/N: Got into my protect Will Halstead feelings and this is the result. Thanks to @seatsbythepit for being the angel she is and beta-ing for me! Also tagging @squadmuse because she wanted it! Anyway edited this at 1am so all mistakes are mine!
WILL HALSTEAD MASTERLIST
1
Today was it.
Youâd told yourself youâd do it. You would tell Will how you felt.
Youâd grown up with the Halsteads and the brothers had taken you under their wing. Youâd been almost inseparable since that first day, other than the time both Will and Jay had left Chicago for other pursuits. But that hadnât changed much of anything. Your bond with the Halsteads was a constant.
They were the older brothers you never had, the family you yearned for. Until the day you realized youâd fallen for Will. Youâd fallen so hard that there wasnât even a way out of it.
And only that idiot Will had absolutely no idea. Even Jay had picked up on it, but Will was clueless.
You needed to rip the band aid out, so youâd decided that it was better to get it over with.
Youâd headed straight down from the wards once youâd looked in on your patient, hoping to catch Will.
You stepped out of the doors, noticing Will and Natalie almost immediately. You were already heading for them when they stepped toward each other and you knew what was coming. But it was like being unable to tear your eyes away from a car wreck you knew was going to happen.
So you stood there, like a complete idiot, as you watched Natalie step up to Will, her head angled in what you knew was a kiss.
Next thing you knew, before it happened, someone had spun you around.
Jay stared back at you with concern only an older brother would have filling his eyes.
His eyes snapped back upwards for just a second before he gave a small smile. âCome on, letâs go.â
You didnât say anything, just let Jay lead you to your car. You sat in the passengerâs seat for a while and Jay glanced at you. âYou okay?â
You turned to give him a smile. âYeah, of course. Itâs not like Will and IâŠâ You let your voice trail off and you turned away.
Jay just started the car and drove off, leaving his older brother behind.
2
You knew this day would come. The day Will would sit you and Jay down and tell you he was engaged.
You always knew it.
But you hadnât expected to feel like youâd been stabbed in the middle of your chest.
Jay was no help because he hadnât even warned you, even though you knew for a fact that the ring sitting on Natalieâs finger now had been at Jayâs apartment a week ago.
Then, of all things, you had to overhear Natalie and Will talking about the wedding.
âA church wedding, a reception⊠Iâve done all that before.â
Youâd been staying out of their business but those words seemed to find you like a heat-seeking missile.
It was hard enough dealing with your overwhelming feelings for Will as he was planning a wedding with a girl he was head over heels in love with. But hearing such a comment really got under your skin.
You couldnât really believe your ears. Even if this was Natalieâs second marriage, you wondered why she hadnât considered that it was Willâs first. His excitement was almost contagious. At least it would have been if you werenât so overwhelmingly and stupidly in love with him.
You wanted to tell Natalie that she was being immensely selfish, that she had no idea how good she had it and a few other choice words but you swallowed them all down and turned away.
You smiled a little when you heard Will stand up for himself, just glad he wasnât going to give in, but you didnât turn around, merely walking away to join some of the other doctors in your department.
After all, there was nothing you could say.
3
You felt youâd handled everything great overall, especially after everything that had happened.
Every time you felt you could do this, Will would pull something crazy on you that made you need to take a step back. Be it his engagement, his wedding, his disappearance, or witness protection.
Even when heâd returned, youâd found out from Jay first because heâd naturally gone to Natalie.
You couldnât even be pissed because you were so relieved he was okay.
Then, he showed up at your door.
âWill?â
You glanced at the clock on the wall. âItâs the middle of the night. You okay?â
Will nodded. âLook, Jayâs on assignment. Can I crash here tonight?â
You frowned but stepped backward to let him in. âYeah, of course.â
Youâd gotten the couch ready for Will as best as you could before getting him a beer. âWhatâs up?â
âNatalie kicked me out.â Will said quietly.
You froze. âWhat?â
You thought youâd heard him wrongly. Because if you were Natalie, youâd put him in your arms immediately, youâd take in every moment you had with Will and youâd just be glad he was home, back in Chicago, safe and sound.
You swallowed, pushing the thoughts back down because you couldnât allow yourself to go there. Not now, because no matter what this was, it didnât change the fact he was still engaged to Natalie.
Youâd never particularly liked Natalie. You hadnât disliked her, you just didnât have much of an opinion. Until this moment.
You hadnât even been resentful when sheâd shown up with Will on the night youâd set aside for the Halsteads although Jay was a little irritated but you knew he was just being protective. You hadnât even felt much when she handed you the wedding invitation at work but tonight?
You felt it now, the annoyance that coursed through your veins as you looked back at Will sitting on your couch. You were glad to have him back of course, but he wasnât the Will that had left. Jay had reminded you it was to be expected, and you knew that but seeing the unfamiliar lines of anxiety across his face felt unsettling and you hated it.
The urge to tell Will everything you felt was pulsating through you, so you swallowed and patted his arm.
âGet some sleep.â
âThanks Y/N.â
You could only force a smile.
4
âWill?â
You felt it, the fear clawing at you when you saw him running in carrying Natalie, blood running down his face.
âOh God, WillâŠâ
âIâm fine!â Will snapped.
Youâd never shied away from a fight with Will, feelings or no feelings but this wasnât the first time heâd snapped at you since Natalie had broken things off and returned his motherâs ring to him.
You knew things had been hard for him. You werenât sure if it was worse being Will who had been dumped, or if it was worse to be you, forced to watch Will pine after Natalie even after it was clear sheâd moved on as easily as if they hadnât almost gotten married.
It was probably worse to be you, considering the only thing you could do was divert his attention and anyone who knew Will knew that it was like fighting a losing battle.
You wanted to tell him he deserved better. You wanted to tell him how youâd never make him feel the way he felt now. You were even down for a drinking and bitching session.
But Will wasnât ready for it.
So, you could only hang there quietly in the background, making sure Will knew you were there when he needed you.
But the fact heâd snapped at you right now, when he could barely stand straight, his face still stained with blood, unable to tear his eyes away from the room Natalie was in, just felt like it was adding insult to injury.
You felt the worry switch to hurt, then annoyance and borderline anger before you turned away. You motioned at one of the nurses, who nodded at you.
You didnât tell Will you were leaving but you left word at the nursesâ station for them to leave Connor a message. At least heâd have a harder time fighting Connor.
You left the hospital, making the turn toward a bar near your place. You didnât feel like going home to an empty apartment, but you didnât feel like going to Mollyâs where everyone knew you either.
You hadnât gone too far when Jay had called, asking if you heard about Will and if you could pick him up.
Holding back a sigh, you agreed and turned right back around to drive back to the hospital.
You found Will upstairs, standing over Natalie, right before Philip walked right up to Will. You couldnât hear exactly what you were saying but the argument was clear.
âGet out of my face.â Will growled, just as you slid yourself between them.
âBack off.â The two words slipped through your gritted teeth as you glared at Philip. This guy had always given you the creeps.
You turned back to look at Will. âBoth of you.â
Then, you gently pushed Will out of the room.
âY/NâŠâ
You didnât look directly at him. âIâm only here because Jay called. Come on, Iâll take you back.â
Ignoring the way his gaze lingered on Natalie, you stepped towards the lifts first, jamming your hands back into your pockets.
The only other thing you said to him that night was, âItâs not your fault.â
You didnât let Will answer before you closed Jayâs apartment door on him, turning to return back to yours.
5
You had come down to the ED since Will had asked you to wait for him so you could go for drinks, the awkwardness from the night of the accident long lifted. But heâd started without you, because youâd spotted them already drinking. However, before you could step into the lounge, Will burst out, running right past you.
âWill!â You yelled, but he didnât even hear you.
And you knew that wasnât a good sign.
You stopped just long enough to ask Crockett what had happened before you were tearing out after Will as well.
On a good day, Will couldnât keep his mouth shut to save his life.
It used to be a running joke with you and Halstead brothers that one day Jay would hold him down and you would sew his mouth shut. That way heâd stop getting himself into trouble.
And today was definitely not a good day.
Especially not that Willâs gut feeling had been proven right - Philip was lying to Natalie.
You made it out just in time to hear Will and Natalie talking, so you hesitated. This didnât seem like a conversation you should be involved in.
You were about to turn around and leave when the next words out of Natalieâs mouth made you freeze in your tracks.
âI can take care of myself! Just get out of my life!â
You spun around, pretty sure your mouth was agape.
You could see the hurt in Willâs eyes even from this distance and you felt the anger bubble up in your gut.
But you also knew you needed to prioritize.
You stepped right up to Will, not even aware if Natalie had already walked off and closed your hand around his wrist. âCome on, letâs go.â
Will didnât move for a second, like he was still processing.
You felt that urge bubble up to the surface once again, the one where you wanted to run to Natalie and shake some sense into her. Better yet, you wanted to tell her exactly what you thought of her and how she treated the people around her.
But there was a strange look in Willâs eyes that youâd never seen before. So, you didnât move, just waited, your hand still clasped tightly around his wrist.
And once again, you didnât say anything.
1
Things had been strangely quiet since that confrontation Will had had with Natalie.
They avoided eye contact in the ED, even though there were a few times you caught Will looking in her direction, like he was considering talking to her.
That had only lasted a few days, however.
It could have had something to do with the conversation you and Will had had about finally moving on, or the fact that Natalie still looked at him coldly as if Will was the one who had lied to her or hurt her.
But no matter what, Will did seem to be moving - in a direction opposite from Natalie.
It felt like youâd finally gotten your friend back.
Youâd been spending a lot of time together, that Jay had teased you about making it way too obvious that you only wanted to hang out with Will.
But there was something different.
You couldnât really pinpoint it - maybe it was the way he stood a little too close, or maybe it was the way he laughed, but something felt different, especially as he seemed to finally put her down.
Then, it came. One night, the both of you were standing on the roof, watching a video that one of Willâs patients had sent to him when you heard her call out to him.
âWill, can we talk?â
You felt your heart sink. Of course, the familiar taste of rejection that youâd almost learned to live with, but also the dread that this was happening once again.
You pulled back from Will a little, only just realizing how close the both of you were standing with each other.
You gave Will a small smile that didnât reach your eyes and said quietly, âIâll see you downstairs.â
To your surprise, Will reached out, his hand closing gently around your wrist.
You didnât miss Natalieâs eyes flicking toward his hand, but you were just as surprised so you glanced back at him.
Will didnât seem to know what to say then he gave you a small smile. âIt wonât take long.â
You nodded, turning to leave.
Natalie didnât even wait for you to be out of earshot before she began.
âI remember, Will. I remember the night of the accident. I was coming to tell you that I was wrong, that I was really unfair to you⊠and that I love you.â
It was an instinctive reaction as you froze, one foot in front of the other.
But you didnât stick around to hear Willâs answer, pushing yourself out the door by sheer willpower.
You decided you didnât really want to wait for Will. There was no point in sticking around just to have your heart broken anyway. But the universe seemed to have a problem with your decision and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion around you, even the lift was exceedingly slow today.
Fucking Murphy.
Youâd finally stepped toward the carpark, heading straight for your car when a hand closed over your wrist, pulling you back.
You looked back into Willâs eyes as you turned around, your heart sinking. You really didnât need this now.
Your eyes must have betrayed you because Willâs expression changed. âI need to tell you something.â
You pulled your arm gently out of his grasp and shook your head. âNot now, Will. I donât need to hear it now.â
âYes, you do.â Will said, his voice pressing a little firmly.
Swallowing down the urge to snap at him, you turned to face him. âLook, itâs not any of my business who you see. You donât have to tell me anything.â
A small frown crossed Willâs face and he took half a step back. Then, as if heâd made some sort of decision all on his own, he glanced back at you again.
âIt is your business if youâre that person.â Willâs voice was low but you swore it felt like the entire temperature outside had shifted. You doubted your own ears as you blinked back at him.
Will continued, âWhen Natalie told me to get out of her life, I did. And it was⊠not what I expected. That was the best decision I ever made, Y/N. I finally⊠I finally realized what I was missing.â
You blinked back stupidly at him.
âI promise this isnât some spur of the moment thing. Iâve been trying to find a way to tell you but I just⊠it sounded stupid or insincere everytime I tried so I kept waiting for the perfect opportunity..â Willâs voice faded a little, his eyes searching your face for some sort of indication.
When there was nothing, Will spoke again.
âY/N, say something.â
You didnât really know what to say because nothing seemed real.
You glanced up at Will again but you knew Will. He wouldnât fuck around with something like this. He was oblivious, that was clear. But ever since that mess with Nina, you also knew heâd never jump into something unless heâd sorted his own feelings out.
âWill, itâs always been⊠well, you.â You paused, taking a deep breath.
âYou have no idea how many times I had to hold back. All the things I wanted to tell you. How was I supposed to tell you how I felt when you werenât looking at me? How was I supposed to help you see that you deserved someone who loved and cared about you at least half as much as how you care about people around you? That you deserve to be protected too? But I couldnât. I told myself that even if I had to be your best friend or younger sister for the rest of your life, you deserved to have someone who would be there for you, no matter how much it hurtâŠâ
Will didnât let you keep rambling on. Instead, he stepped forward, pulling you gently to fit your body against his, in the middle of the open carpark, and pressed his lips against yours.
It was hesitant at first, but when you responded, you felt Will fall into it as well, the kiss going deeper.
âIâm sorry I was an idiot. A blind idiot.â Will said, his voice low as he gently pulled away again.
You just smiled. âBetter late than never right?â
Your teasing voice just made him smile and he circled his arms around you, pulling you tightly against him without saying anything else.
And you knew. You knew that you didnât need to hold back any longer.
THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!
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Character taglists are open, hit me up if you would like to be added!
A/N: Short one because I haven't released something for Jay in way too long! This has been sitting in my WIP drafts for the longest time so I finally got it written! An anon requested something similar for Will but since I had a half-written fic, I finished this and posting this instead! As always thanks to bestie @seatsbythepit for being my beta queen~!
JAY HALSTEAD MASTERLIST
You hadnât thought this through.
It sounded like an innocent enough date when Jay had asked if you wanted to go watch the game. You hadn't been dating for long, and every day felt a little unreal in a âI canât believe Jay Halstead wants to go out with meâ kind of way, and you appreciated every opportunity you got to spend with Jay especially since you never knew if he would have to go undercover or spend nights at the district trying to clear a case.
But now that the game was approaching, you were in a bit of a panic.
You enjoyed watching a game, but you didnât always know what you were watching or doing, and you werenât sure you were ready to let Jay see that side of you.
âY/N, everything okay?â Kellyâs voice interrupted your internalized panic and you glanced up.
âAh, I should have thought of you!â You proclaimed, earning yourself an eyebrow raise from the squad lieutenant. âI need your help.â
Kelly raised an eyebrow but chuckled before nodding toward his office.
You thanked all the stars that it was a quieter shift. After all, an entirely quiet shift didnât exist at Firehouse 51. But at least thatâs the way you liked it.
Kelly gave you a crash course, but not without reminding you that you owed him one. You spent the rest of the downtime studying it so that at least youâd have something smart to say, even though there were a few times you wondered what the hell you were doing.
Hard work indeed paid off.
You walked out of the game, feeling a little embarrassed as Jayâs friends gushed over you.
âJay, you got a good one. My girlfriend doesnât even want to come to games with me.â One of his buddies quipped.
Jay laughed, putting an arm around you and grinning. âHey, should I be worried? What if you guys just call her for the games instead?â
The laughter rumbled through the group as they all nodded, teasing Jay that theyâd rather call you instead of him in the future.
You really did owe Kelly one.
As his friends dispersed, calling that Jay had better bring you out for the next game, Jayâs phone rang.
You nodded at him, telling him heâd better take it, assuring him that you and Will wouldnât leave him behind.
Jay took the call from Voight, glancing toward where you and Will were talking as he nodded. âYeah, I got it. Iâll be right in.â
Jay could feel the dread in his gut, that felt just a little too much like guilt that he had to blow off again tonight even though heâd promised a nice after-game dinner and maybe some drinks and cuddling.
âThis is why you donât promise anything, Jay.â He mumbled to himself, before he walked back toward the both of you.
âHey, Y/N, IâŠâ
You glanced at the look on Jayâs face and just smiled. âGotcha.â
âSorry.â Jay couldnât even say anything more because everything else in his head sounded like an excuse.
âIâm not saying Iâm not disappointed, because I kinda am. But I get it. And if these were bells going off for the ambulance, Iâd do the same thing youâre doing now. So, go.â You paused. âBut you owe me a mind-blowing date.â
Jay laughed and nodded. âThat, I definitely do.â
You shot him a huge smile and headed off toward Jayâs truck to wait because you knew heâd at least take you home before heading back down to wherever he was supposed to go.
Will watched the exchange with a mix of amusement and awe before he glanced at his younger brother.
âJay?â Will called, before Jay and him headed off in different directions.
Jay glanced up at Will and Will smiled. âYou better marry that girl.â
THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!
I know your recent update might not mean youâre back (take all the time you need/want. Not trying to sound rude or pushy) but I totally agree with the tags.
Youâre right, âgood job to youâ I canât express how much I love your writing. Iâm constantly rereading them because they bring me so much joy and comfort and itâs very obvious you put so much effort into them!!
Just thought Iâd stop by and say a little something
Donât forget to take care of yourself, Much love to you!! đ«¶
Ahhh, this is such a lovely message, thank you! I really did put a lot of time and effort into my work, and I guess it takes some distance from them to realise that they're worth more to me than I gave them credit for.
I really do want to write again, and I'm always imagining plots and stories, I just need to get into practice again. ;-;
I'm on Season 7 of a Chicago Fire rewatch, so who knows!
Much love to you too, thank you for stopping by!
Warnings: Trapped underground, brief descriptions of injury
Word Count: 5774
Summary: Five times Matt Casey and the reader meet, and one time they go on a date.
A/N: Part of @resanoona's #resa.3kfiestabingo! This fic fills the "5+1" square! It was going to be my Coffee Shop AU but it took on a different life of its own, haha.
-
The First Time
The first time you meet Matt Casey, heâs a total stranger.Â
Heâs approaching your spot on the sidewalk, you stand in front of a coffee shop, seemingly looking for a key to get in. Heâs about to go past without another thought, but he takes note of the way youâre rifling through your bag, purposeful and desperate. He can hear you muttering to yourself as you come to a terrible realisation.
You let out a disgruntled whine of frustration that was quickly escalating into anger with yourself. You knew this day was coming, and here it was. The loose clasp on your keychain that held all of your work keys had finally come untethered, separating the main door key from the rest of the herd. That key was now nowhere in sight, possibly stuck in your bedroom or by your own front door, or even riding around on the L Train next to someoneâs feet.
Now you were left locked outside the coffee shop as the shift opener, with another hour to go until someone else would or could show up. Instantly your brain begins to whir with thoughts of how delayed you and everyone else would be because you hadn't replaced the keychain sooner.
In the midst of your internal anger, you hear a quiet clearing of a throat, with hesitant footsteps approaching closer. You spin sharply to glare at the stranger who had intruded on your spot outside the shop, this morning of all mornings.
At first glance, your brain rather embarrassingly notes, perhaps too fast, how handsome the stranger is. Neatly kept hair, kind eyes and a disarming air about him, his hands already out in a placating kind of gesture.
âGood morning, uh, couldnât help but notice you seem stressed. Are you locked out?â He asks, and it feels like youâre talking to Captain America himself, heâs polite and apparently eager to help.
Of course, you canât know for a certainty that this stranger is any of the things your sleep-deprived and underpaid brain is telling you he is, especially in such a short space of time. You sigh, hesitating before you answer.
âI might be⊠Whoâs asking, and how do you know Iâm not trying to break in?â Youâre defensive and you donât know why, it was hardly the manâs fault you were in your major pickle. Besides, the soft smile and hint of amusement on his face really didnât scream ânuisanceâ.
The stranger scratches the back of his head, looking for an answer that would satisfy your scepticism.Â
âWell, uh, Iâm Matt Casey, Iâm a firefighter over at Firehouse 51, and I happen to work construction on the side - so I know a few things about locks like those.â He points to the door that remained firmly locked and shut, its lack of openness mocking you silently as you hoist your bag back up your shoulder, the rest of your keys clutched in your fist.Â
Matt, as you now know him, continues, âAs for how I know youâre not breaking in, well, no offence but if youâre a thief working in broad daylight, with no mask, walking around in hospitality clogs that arenât great for running, and youâre trying to break in with keys you apparently know wonât work? Thatâs kinda weird.â He shrugs, smiling in a slightly teasing fashion.
You roll your eyes, allowing yourself a noise of amusement. He had several points and you werenât going to deny the man any of them. The laughter bubbles out of you before you know it, covering your face with your palm in slight embarrassment. Your defensiveness had gotten the better of you, and you canât find it in yourself to keep giving this guy a hard time.
Matt seemed genuine, looking him up and down you could see that he was indeed in station gear, wearing what looked to be a CFD jacket with a goat on the emblem.
Youâre about to say something when he nods his head across the street, âThatâs my truck over there, it has my construction details on the sideâŠJust in case you wanted to take down the info. I appreciate being approached by a stranger whilst youâre alone at 6 am isnât exactly a comforting prospect.â He stops talking, and then, âSorry, now I feel like Iâm trying too hard to earn your trust, Iâll just-â He moves to walk away, giving you extra space.Â
Instantly you donât want him to go, thereâs some kind of pull in your mind that seems to mean more than the need for an emergency locksmith.Â
âMatt.â You blurt, stopping his worried ramble. âMatt, is it?â He nods, and you hold your hand up in apology.
âSorry, yeah, you caught me off guard but I can see youâre just trying to help, and Iâm so desperate to get into this godforsaken building, Iâll take whatever helpâs passing.â Your lips turn up into your own teasing smile, âBesides, thereâs like a bajillion cameras around here, and how could you have possibly known Iâd be here unless it was pure luck?â You stop, then, âGreat, now Iâm overtalking.âÂ
Thereâs a pause between you both, locking eyes with each other as you smile stupidly. Matt can feel his cheeks heat up ever so slightly at your scrutiny, he shakes his head with a chuckle, âStart over?âÂ
You share the laughter, shaking your head at the both of you. âStart over.â
Matt clears his throat, gesturing to the door behind you, âSo, I couldnât help but notice youâre locked out. Need help?â
Youâre enjoying this little charade, but then you feel a flurry of panic in your stomach, realising you donât have the cash to pay for the work. âI think Iâd really appreciate that, Matt, but Iâd have to figure out payment, so-â
Your new acquaintance very quickly protests, âHey, come on, who said anything about money? Now that would be an ass move, offering my help and presenting you with a bill after? Not my style.â He stops, realising he hasnât got your name in return. âWhatâs your name, if I can ask?â
âOh! Sorry, yeah, itâs uh, itâs Y/N.â You offer, realising that with every passing exchange youâre finding Matt extremely approachable.
âOkay, Y/N, nice to meet you. Let me just get my tool bag, alright? See what weâre working with.â He offers a reassuring smile now.
âNice to meet you, Matt. Thanks, that would be great.âÂ
You exhale, feeling excited that your problem was going to be over soon, folding your arms over your chest as you watch him move to the truck. Already deciding you would thank your saviour with hot coffee, a sweet treat and an invite to come back any time, on the house.
-
The Second Time
The second time you see Matt Casey is on the local news saving a kid from a high-rise building in a very daring rope rescue. Of course in his brief interview with the news crew, he is reluctant to take the applause or gratitude, drawing attention to his fellow firefighters and the joint effort all of their work requires.
You kick yourself for not getting Mattâs number after he had sorted out the lock, it wasnât as though you didnât have the chance when he was sitting at a table with you, drinking coffee and indulging in the raspberry and vanilla creme danish youâd given him.
You consider swinging by his Firehouse, but youâre not really sure what youâd say or do. You thought there had been some kind of rapport there when youâd first met, but your self-confidence had since dwindled, enough that you felt you couldn't justify the visit without feeling like a stalker.
You sigh as you taste the pasta sauce in your pan, checking for the right amount of flavour and seasoning. If the universe gave you another opportunity to see Matt Casey in the flesh, youâd get his number.
-
The Third Time
The third time you see him itâs in a way that had not even remotely been on your wheel of fortune. You were trapped in a derailed subway car, with no major injuries but pretty banged up. There's a sizeable lump on your forehead and a gash on your arm that wouldnât quit leaking blood. It was a less-than-ideal end to your shift.
âFire Department! Call out, and let us know where you are if you can!â At first, his voice is just a voice, youâre not totally focused on him in the haze of darkness and smoke, haphazardly thrown between two sets of seats, besides the smashed glass of a window.Â
The sound of peopleâs distress and the emergency alarms in the tunnel are a distraction. The lights on the firefighter helmets feel like alien beams coming down the subway car to take you back to the mothership.
âFire Department, call out!â There that voice is again, why did it make your stomach flip? Why did it make you feel safe?
Oh. Oh. Yeah. Heâs a firefighter, thatâs Matt!Â
âMatt?â You try calling out, realising you hadnât spoken since before the accident. Your voice crackles in the hubbub, making you inaudible. You try again.
âCasey, Iâm here! Matt?!â You cough in the smoke, wincing with a small groan as you knock your arm against one of the support poles, aggravating the swollen and stinging flesh.
Thereâs a beat of silence, only the sounds of machinery and boots stomping, and then, âY/N? Is that you? Y/N, call out!âÂ
âHere!â You try again, your voice is loud but strained.Â
The boot steps are moving faster now, until a frantically moving beam of light lands on your face, moving quickly out of your eye line when Matt realises he's burning your retinas.
His worried eyes look you over, noticing the grease and grime as well as the blood, the bruising on your face and forehead is apparent. He crouches in front of you, gentle gloved hands outstretched to assess quickly. âY/N, where else are you injured? Can you stand?â
Your voice shakes, the adrenaline of everything that had transpired firing your thoughts a mile a minute, the reality of the situation sinks in now that a familiar and caring face was in front of you. âUh, j-just my head and my arm, I think, theyâre the worst. I think I could stand.â
Matt nods, gently squeezing your shoulder. âListen, Y/N, I have to keep looking for people, but my buddy Otis is gonna help you get out of here and to safety, okay?â He nods over at another firefighter, the one you assume is Otis.
You wished Matt was coming with you, but you werenât so totally wrapped up in your desire to be close to him to protest or show your need. Whoever Matt trusted, you trusted.
Brian, or âOtisâ as he was apparently nicknamed, was fun to talk to, he had kept you distracted from looking at any of the horrors in the other subway cars or on the track. All in all, a very sweet guy who made sure you felt safe and supported the entire journey through the tunnel, eventually handing you off to the paramedics with minimal stress or jostling.
-
When youâre in your treatment room at Chicago Med you spot Matt talking to some of the nurses and doctors in the ED. You smile to yourself, your nerves somewhat ebbing away at the sight of him, he made you feel calm and protected without even trying.
As if he could sense your eyes on him, he happens to look up and right at you sitting on the bed with your arm now patched up. You were waiting for the results of your CT scan to come back. Dr Halstead had assured you it was probably nothing to worry about but he needed to be sure.
Before you know it Casey had made his way across the ED and was now standing in your treatment room, again checking you over with eyes full of worry.
âYou okay?â He asks, stepping in closer to you, almost on the verge of reaching to hold your hand.
His face is also smudged with smoke, he had stayed another hour after your rescue looking for victims and helping with debris, before being told to take a break and check in at Med.
You nod. Not really sure what to say, your lip wobbles. You were okay by all accounts, your arm had been stitched, and you were getting treatment for your head, but at the same time, it had been a pretty freaky experience.
The next thing you know youâre tucked in the embrace of Matt, your tears soaking into his jacket as your body trembles. The shock of everything escaping in one fell swoop. Heâs warm, a steady palm rubbing in soothing circles on your back, soft hushes âYouâre okay, itâs alright.â as you sniff.
âIâmâŠsorryâŠI donât know whatâs wrong with me.â You half laugh and half cry some more, looking up at him as he remains holding you, feeling silly for crying in front of him.
His face is serious, making sure you understand, âHey, you donât need to be sorry, it happens in situations like this, okay? You donât need to feel embarrassed, Y/N, trust me.â Offering you a reassuring smile as he squeezes your shoulders.
âI do.â You murmur, looking up at him.
âDo?â He asks, confused.
âTrust you.â You state with a weary smile, your heart lurching in your chest, not sure why you just let that out of your mouth. You could at least hopefully put it down to your scrambled brain.
His face breaks into his own smile now, eyes lighting up at the comment, heâs about to say something else to you when a man with a salt and pepper head of hair pops around the curtain, another firefighter. âCase, we gotta head back out, letâs roll.â The head disappears again and Matt turns back to you, apologising with a dismayed expression.
âIâm sorry, I-â
You smile through your still watery eyes, sniffing. âItâs okay, you go, Iâll be totally fine, thank you for everything, Matt. Seriously.â You reassure, giving him a gentle nudge in the direction of the exit.
âBe safe,â You instruct, giving him a stern look. He nods, amusement on his face at your bossy well-wishing as he leans in to give you a small kiss on your cheek.Â
He utters a soft, âSee you around, Y/N.â before leaving you sitting awestruck with goosebumps rushing across your skin.
Itâs when you get home in the early hours of the morning that you realise you still don't have Mattâs number.
-
The Fourth Time
The fourth time you and Matt cross paths is back at the coffee shop, it had been a few weeks since your subway incident. This time heâs in his construction gear, much like the station gear and the turnout gear he looked handsome and ready to help anyone in need.Â
This time, however, youâre not locked out, nor are you stuck underground. With all of your tasks up to date and a little in the way of custom, you arrive at the conclusion youâre bored out of your mind.
The sight of Matt in his slightly worn jeans, heavy tan boots, and a navy blue plaid shirt is already causing an uptick in your rating of today. His lighter tufts of blonde hair peeking out from his beanie, and the dark brown jacket with the borg collar altogether make him look like the cosiest lumberjack in the middle of Chicago. Something you would neither confirm nor deny finding extremely attractive.
He enters with purpose, already looking around for something or someone, and itâs beyond your control to not feel the butterflies scatter in your stomach when his eyes land on you. Not missing the way he smiles excitedly as he moves in your direction.
He eyes the few customers dotted around the space, noting they were already sipping from their respective mugs and cups. âHey! Youâre here, I was hoping to catch you. Howâs the arm and the head?â
You lean forward on the counter, helpless to not return the excited energy. You had been wondering when youâd see him again, if ever. You always expected the next time to maybe be the last time, just a fleeting stranger who made your heart race. You kicked yourself for not getting his number the first time and then again forgetting on the third time, this time was going to be the moment, the universe was clearly trying for you.
âHey! I am indeed here, and Iâm glad you caught me. The head and arm are good, nothing to complain about. Howâre you?â Your bruises are fainter now, your head only slightly discoloured from the swelling and bruising, but otherwise okay. Your arm was beginning to scab over.
Something about Matt Casey made you so inherently giddy, and you didnât mind in the least when he moves in closer to keep the conversation just between you.
âIâm just glad to see you're okay, and I'm good, Iâm just doing some work on a house around the corner. Thought Iâd visit my favourite personâŠâ Matt realises instantly how it comes out, trying to recover, âMy favourite person who makes coffee.â He laughs awkwardly, feeling the squeeze in his chest as he becomes a little self-conscious.
âOh, just your favourite coffee maker, huh? And here I thought, after what weâve been through, that we were ready to become good friends.â You know he didnât mean to let it come out so strangely, but thereâs still a slight pang of disappointment when he recovers. Yet, you still choose to tease him, deciding that was a more entertaining option.
âSorry, Y/N. Sometimes my mouth doesnât work. Of course, I was happy to see you, and to get coffee from you, two separate positives to my day.â He exhales, eyes rolling at himself in a comical manner. You let out a small snort, giggling.
âMatt, seriously, itâs okay. You donât have to explain yourself every time we talk. Youâre doing better than 90% of the people that interact with me on a daily basis. What can I get you?â
Matt grins, eyes twinkling, âIâll have a latte please, one pump vanilla if thatâs okay⊠and only 90%?â He quips.
You pretend to think about the question, âHm⊠okay, I can be pushed to 93%.â You grin as Matt chuckles, riding the confident wave you were on, slotting the handle beneath the grinder as you talk, âMight even be persuaded to 98% if you finally give me your number.â
Mattâs eyes widen, his smile permanently affixed to his face. Your smile drops, however, realising he may not want to give out that information, so now itâs you who hurriedly corrects yourself, âOnly if you want to of course.â You flatten down the grounds with the press, smoothing them off before putting the handle into the coffee machine itself, letting the shot pour into Mattâs cup. You move to steam the milk ready for the coffee.
This prompts Matt to snap out of his excited trance, âNo, no! Sorry, Y/N, of course, I want to give you my number, I was just surprised that youâd want it, is all.âÂ
âWhy is that so surprising?â You ask, raising an eyebrow inquisitively, adding the vanilla to the coffee before pouring the milk.
âWellâŠâ He hesitates, scratching at his neck subconsciously.Â
You let out a slight noise of amusement, Matt had never been so shy around you. âYou can say whatever it is.â You slide the cup towards him, ignoring his attempt to pay with a push of your hand against his, shaking your head. âGo on, say what you were gonna say.â You encourage, resuming giving him your attention as you lean forward with your arms resting on the counter.
âWell, most people we meet will come to find us if weâve made an impact on them. Whether we rescued them, a family member or otherwise, they, uh⊠they usually stop by the Firehouse. So I figured maybe I was picking up the wrong signals, I didnât want to presume that because I did you a favour that youâd want to see me again. Otherwise, youâd have had my number since the first time we met.âÂ
Your eyebrows go up in surprise. You thought you'd felt something there, but you never realised just how on your level Matt was.
âThe first time, huh?â You repeat.
âYep, the first time.â He answers, sincere with a glint of something mischievous in his eyes.
Youâre about to ask the question when the door opens and a group of 6 pile in towards the counter. You struggle to not sigh loudly and exasperatedly.
Really? Now? Come on.
Matt reaches out to press something in your hand, picking up his coffee cup with the other as he begins to depart from your company.Â
âSee you around, Y/N, let me know if youâre free later?â He shifts out of the way to let the group approach you, smiling apologetically as you give him a small wave. You quickly look down at the small business card Matt had pressed into your hand, it had his construction information on it.
More importantly, it had his number on the back.
-
The Fifth Time
The fifth time you meet Matt is outside his firehouse on an off-duty day, there were various cars and trucks parked along the street with a hubbub of chatter just to the side of the entrance.
Among the small crowd, you could see foam fingers in the shape of blue and orange bear faces, blue and orange balloons and a variety of jerseys and t-shirts sporting the Chicago Bears logo. This was the meeting point before travelling together to Soldier Field.
Matt had invited you to a game with his friends, all of them from first responder backgrounds. There were plans for a pre-game meetup, a barbeque and then the game itself, complete with post-match drinks. A spare ticket had become available and you were his first point of call. Or rather, text.Â
You had been texting for the last week or so, discussing your days, your interests, things you had both been wanting to try or places you wanted to visit. It was going well, and it made you all the more optimistic when you got the game invite.
-
As you approach the party on the sidewalk, you hear his voice bright and excited. âHey, Y/N! You made it.â Matt jogs over to greet you as you wave, wearing an old Bears jersey youâd found at a thrift store, complete with a navy cap and sunglasses on a wonderfully sunny day in the city. He brings you in for a hug and you get a waft of his aftershave and sun-soaked skin, his embrace is secure and comfortable, and you smile into his shoulder as you give him a small squeeze.
You pull back with a grin, âHey, Matt. Itâs good to see you.âÂ
He winks, making your heart skitter, âItâs good to see you too. Iâm so glad youâre here. I want you to meet some people.â Youâre still reeling at how happy he seems to have you around, putting a gentle hand on your back as he guides you to the small crowd of laughing and joking people.
-
You rode with Matt in the front of his truck, he had all of the BBQ equipment and some chairs loaded onto the truck bed. Both of you discussed the day ahead, what your game predictions were, what you wanted to do after the game, and what you thought of Mattâs friends.
There were only positive things to say about the group, each of them had been so kind and welcoming already. Stella and Kelly had been especially sweet, but you really liked meeting Mattâs friends from the CPD. Hailey and Kim were practically making moves to adopt you as their companion for the day, instead of allowing Matt to keep your company.
-
Now you were hanging out with the others, nestled into their part of the parking lot.Â
You thanked Hailey as she passed you a sweetcorn tamale from Mama Garciaâs van, holding it in your mouth as you caught Jayâs throw of the football, passing the ball to Matt as you take a second to eat the tamale properly, laughing at Kellyâs disgruntlement as he watches everyone suddenly eating before his BBQ was ready.
Just as you receive another throw from Jay you hear a commotion coming from behind Matt, brows furrowed in confusion and worry as you start to hear screaming. Watching as everyone from your group downs tools go to investigate, following their instincts as responders. You can only watch with concern as you keep an eye on everyoneâs things, trying to figure out what was happening without getting in the way.
It takes a while for anything else to happen, feeling anxious at the crowd that had followed Matt towards the incident.
You started to hear a few people talk about âsome guyâ looking dead, and that he looked really sick before he fell to the floor. Watching with a gnawing feeling in your gut that something could be deeply wrong, especially as you started to see police, fire and ambulance services trying to move in on the crowd and disperse the congregation.
Eventually, you see Kevin heading back in your direction, jogging towards you.
âHey, uh, Y/N. Weâre really sorry but we got something serious going on. Casey said to make sure you could get a ride home, and he said heâd call you as soon as he could.â
âWhatâs happening, Kevin?â You ask, your fear carrying in your voice.
Kevin scrubs a hand at his beard, his eyes filled with an emotion that seemed to be his own trepidation that he was trying to keep under wraps. âWe donât know yet, Y/N, itâs not looking too good but I canât say much more than that. Are you good to get back home?âÂ
You nod, swallowing, âYeah, yeah, of course. I can find my way back, itâs not a problem. Just be safe out there, okay?â You reach out, squeezing your new friendâs arm.Â
He rests a hand on your shoulder, âStay safe, donât go near anybody that you think looks sick, just call 911 and let someone come. If thereâs anything you need, call Casey or me, alright?â
There was something on Kevinâs face that told you it had become all too real too fast, even for him and the others who were used to it. You could only confirm with an âOkay, Kevin, I will.â before he gets called back to the crowd of responders, disappearing from your view.
Matt is nowhere in sight and your stomach squeezes in anxiousness, you knew he would throw himself into danger if it meant helping others. You were worried for everyone caught up in whatever was going on, but you were particularly fearful for Mattâs safety. You hadnât realised just how much he already mattered to you until now.Â
-
Itâs almost a day and a half before you hear from Matt properly again. You had seen on the news about the serious bacteria affecting so many people in the city, about the labs that had suffered damage. You knew Matt, Fifty-One and everyone else would be on the front lines of dealing with whatever was rife in Chicago.
There had been little option other than to hunker down in your apartment and hope for the best. You had received a text from Matt the night before, reassuring you that he was alright. It had gone some way to alleviate your relentless pacing and sighing.
Now your phone buzzes again, and you feel another exhale of relief escape you.
{Matt}: Hey, I think weâre coming out the other side of this thing. The people responsible have been apprehended. Iâm sorry our date got ruined, letâs make plans soon if you want? Hope youâre okay, Y/N.
{You}: Hey! Thank you for letting me know youâre alright, Iâve been driving myself crazy. Iâm okay, just relieved this might finally be over. I want you to be safe, and I want your friends to be safe too. Of course, Iâd love to make plans. Maybe we can call later, to talk about ideas? No rush, wheneverâs good for you.
P.S. Didnât realise the game was a date. But Iâm so ready for a new date that has no infections involved, ha!
{Matt}: Well, it was meant to be a pre-date date, ha, didnât go to plan though. Glad to hear I havenât totally put you off with the chaos. Would love to call you later. Thank you for being so understanding, my friends all love you. Glad they can see what I see.
{You}: Put me off? After our already hectic start, our underground adventure and now the last few days? I think weâre good, cowboy. I know youâre out there being a brave and generous person, not much to hate about that. Iâm so relieved your friends like me, and I really like them. I can see why you all get on so well. Talk to you later, Lieutenant.
Youâre not surprised when Matt doesnât reply to your text, you knew he was still tying up loose ends. You simply potter around your apartment, occasionally re-reading the messages as you start to see the foundations between you and Matt cement themselves. It makes you crave it all the more, so keen to know all of him and keen to share yourself with him in return.
-
A Date
The sixth time you meet Matt Casey is at a restaurant by the river, itâs an official first date with him.Â
Heâs in a grey button-down and dark jeans, a black jacket and boots, ones that arenât steel-toed or covered in paint. His hair is neatly styled as always, and thereâs a glint in his eyes to match the warm, bright, smile he sends your way as you approach him outside the restaurant.
This time you move confidently in for the hug, squeezing him tight as you relish his warmth and presence, thankful he seemed to be healthy and in good spirits. As you stay in the embrace you feel yourself melt a little, almost happy to stay in it for the rest of the night.
âHi.â Matt greets, chuckling softly when you reach to kiss his cheek, finding himself reciprocating almost instantly.Â
âHi.â You breathe, your own amusement clear on your face. The giddiness was palpable.
âLetâs try this again shall we?â Matt inquires, offering his arm to link with yours.
âLetâs.â You nod, tucking yourself against Matt as you walk the steps to the front door of the restaurant.Â
-
Matt drinks beer, and you choose from an array of cocktails. Both of you find a merry buzz as you catch up on each otherâs lives from the past few days.
You shared your love of baking with him, regaling him of how youâd started stress-making brownies, cookies and cupcakes when youâd seen the news, now having entirely too much cake for one person. It led to a promise to bring some of your goods to the firehouse for the others.
Matt shares his interest in cooking, you can tell from the way he talks that food had become a way of inspiring camaraderie at the firehouse and at home. His enthusiasm told you of the love language that it was for him, something you made a mental note of.
You also get to hear about his adventures fishing with his Chief and Kelly, making you laugh at the times theyâd either caught something totally bizarre or tipped one another overboard.
He tells you of his upcoming construction projects, one of them being a community project that he had started up to help a victim that theyâd rescued on a call last month. You wasted no time in offering your services to help, whether that was going on coffee runs, fetching, carrying or painting, you were happy to be there.
The night flies by in a blur of free-flowing conversation, sincerity and intimacy, finding yourselves to be one of the last pairs in the restaurant before closing time.
As you walk hand in hand along the river, youâre drawn to sidle close to your date, enjoying how he wraps his arm around your shoulder and pulls you in. Bringing you to sit on a bench facing the river that reflects the twinkling lights of the city.
âIt goes without saying that I really enjoyed tonight, Y/N. Thank you for being here.â
You wrap yourself around Mattâs waist, it felt natural to be in his personal space and have him in yours. Resting your head on his shoulder, âYou donât need to thank me, Matt, this was the loveliest first date Iâve ever been on.â
Matt glances at you, a smug smile on his face. âOh yeah?âÂ
You shrug, already half laughing as you speak, âAbsolutely. Would recommend totally recommend on TripAdvisor.âÂ
It gets Matt chuckling, âIâm not sure my date services are for the public.âÂ
You lift your head, looking at him with something akin to being smitten, âWell, thatâs their loss, my gain.âÂ
Matt nods, confirming, âOh, itâs all yours, Y/N. If you want it to be, youâve got exclusive access.â
âI think Iâll take it.â You sigh happily, putting your head back on his shoulder.
Your stomach flutters when you feel his lips press to the top of your head, âSold.â
Between the back and forth of playful talk, thereâs that telltale moment for anyone about to kiss. The cold of the air shows the warmth of your breaths, both of you inching together on the bench as your thighs press to each other.
Matt glances at your mouth, and you at his. Dipping your heads to meet each otherâs lips in a slow, wanting, kiss. Finally allowing this time to be your time together, with no interruptions, no dramas, and no chaos.
As you break away, cupping Mattâs cold cheek with your warm hand, you think about your work key and the first time youâd met the man in front of you. Thanking the loose clasp on your keychain in the past, you move in for another kiss in the present, relishing the times youâd got to meet Matt Casey and hopeful of all the other times ahead.
writing fanfiction is just. iâm being so creative and original. iâm plagiarizing everyone by accident. iâm a genius. iâm cringe. iâm too angsty. iâm too cheesy. this is not in character. it doesnât matter that itâs not in character because these are my characters now. i love my hobby. this is the worst possible use of my time. iâm seeking validation. iâm projecting my own personal problems onto this story and iâm barely hiding it. i know so many words and iâm using all of them wrong. im on tumblr posting about it instead of writing it.
Summary: Jay notices something is wrong with Y/N's mood over the phone
Word Count: 1.5K+
Tags/Warnings: mentions of (workplace) harassment
A/N: I know I haven't written in months so starting off slow/small to see if maybe I haven't lost my touch... also @halsteadlover may have threatened me to post this.
JAY HALSTEAD MASTERLIST
You glanced at the last message Jay had sent you a few hours earlier and smiled.
You got this.
Three simple words that somehow warmed your heart even though you were miles away in another city.
You rarely had to travel for work even though youâd worked as a translator at this company for some time. You mostly dealt with inbound foreign clients who came to Chicago but this time, theyâd needed a translator for a conference outside Chicago and you were the only available one. Thankfully, it wasnât too far so you didnât even have to take a flight and the company had arranged for a car for you to get there.
Which was all too well, since Jay had also had his hands full and had to go undercover for a few days.
So it was even more heartwarming to see the message from Jay when you hadnât really been expecting a reply.
Even though you had only seen the message after the conference, it still felt comforting to feel the last dredges of work nerves and anxiety leave your system.
âY/N, come on.â One of your colleagues from another team called out to you and you stuffed your phone back into your pocket, before following her toward the private room of the restaurant where you were all supposed to be having dinner with a huge client.
You didnât even like having social dinners with people you werenât close with, not to mention dinners like this.
Dinner had barely started when you were proven right.
âThanks to your team, the conference went very well.â The client smiled, looking around. âOf course, we have to thank Y/N for ensuring all communication went smoothly.â
Youâd just smiled when you felt his hand slide onto yours from under the table and the smile froze on your face.
Instinctively, you pulled your hand away, bringing your hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear and grabbing your jacket from behind you and draping it around you, smiling.
âJust doing my job, Mr. Saunders.â
You saw the look on his face and knew heâd taken offense, ridiculous as it was.
You chose to ignore it, pretending like nothing had happened. After all, heâd probably have gotten the hint.
He hadnât.
The client made a few more passes at you - a hand on your knee, trying to take your hand again, and the most outrageous one was holding up food to feed you in front of everyone.
The action wasnât lost on everyone who was there but no one spoke up.
You swallowed. âIâll help myself.â
It was like something snapped in him and he glanced at you coldly and said, âGuess if youâre not hungry, you should go out and wait for everyone to finish.â
You glanced helplessly at your team manager who gave you a look to ask you not to make things worse than they already were.
You gritted your teeth but bit back any sort of response, getting up and leaving the room, a mix of anxiety, humiliation, self-doubt, and every other negative emotion swirling in the pit of your stomach.
Jay sighed, stretching as he sat up from the couch.
The apartment was uncharacteristically quiet since you were away for work.
Jay looked up at the clock. It was slightly past 10 which was weird because he hadnât heard back from you.
Getting up to get himself a glass of water, Jay glanced at his messages before he decided heâd try and call. Even if you were still with your colleagues, you could probably still answer the phone since the conference was over.
There were two rings before you answered.
âHey, still having fun with your colleagues?â
There was a slight pause before you answered.
âJay.â
Jay frowned, immediately picking up on the fact that something was wrong.
âY/N? Whatâs going on? You okay?â
Jayâs voice was gentle and so comforting, you felt the prick of tears again.
You cleared your throat. Honestly, crying on the street in the middle of the night was the last thing you wanted to do. âYeah, Iâm fine.â
âHave you eaten?â Jayâs worried voice sounded through the phone.
You smiled to yourself even as a tear escaped and slid down your cheek.
âYeah, told you there was good food waiting for me after the conference.â
âY/N, whatâs wrong?â Jay pressed.
You shook your head even though he couldnât see you. âIâm fine. I just⊠miss you.â You managed to keep your voice steady.
âIâll come and get you,â Jay answered.
âJay, itâs late and you probably havenât had enough sleep for the past few days. Iâll take the earliest bus out to Chicago tomorrow.â
You heard the reluctance in his voice even though he agreed and after reassuring him not to worry, you hung up.
The wind felt even colder now as you sat by the side of the road, your carrier bag sitting next to you.
Technically you had another night at the hotel but you hadnât felt like staying there for even a second longer. Other than the fact that the client knew exactly which room you were in, your team manager had left a message for you berating you for how youâd handled the situation which made you even more disgusted than you already were.
You didnât know how long you sat there but as you felt it turn colder you thought you should get up and maybe find somewhere else to sit for the night. You didnât care if you had to sit up all night at a 24-hour cafe but you werenât going back to the hotel.
Youâd barely gotten to your feet, reaching for your carrier when a familiar truck pulled up right before you.
You froze, as Jay appeared right before you like magic.
âJay⊠youâŠâ
Jayâs green eyes appeared even brighter than usual as he looked at you with a mix of exasperation and worry. âI came to take you home.â
Youâd clearly been sitting out here for longer than you thought, but it didn't matter because when Jay finished speaking you felt the tears well up in your eyes as the security that Jay always made you feel flooded through your entire body and finally gave you enough courage to cry.
Jay stepped forward, wordlessly enveloping you into his arms.
You dissolved into sobs as you felt his arms around you and he pressed you gently into his embrace, his hand over the back of your head protectively. Jay didnât say anything, just standing there quietly with you in his arms until your sobs gently died down.
"IâŠâ
Jay pressed his lips against your temple and whispered, âLetâs go home.â
Jay didnât ask you anything on the way home, and you must have fallen asleep because the next thing you knew Jay was pulling into the parking lot in front of your building and your stomach gave a tiny rumble as Jay killed the engine.
You glanced at him and Jay just let out a chuckle.
âCome on, Iâll order us a pizza and you can get comfortable.â
By the time you got out of the shower, the pizza was here and you got comfortable on the sofa as Jay handed you a slice and curled in next to you.
You didnât say anything and Jay didnât push you as you finished your first slice before you glanced up at him.
âIâm sorry.â You said in a low voice.
Jay raised an eyebrow.
âYou must be exhausted.â You added.
There was a silence which made you look up and you felt the rare surge of insecurity from not being able to read the look on Jayâs face.
âDid you think Iâd be able to go to sleep when I could hear how upset you were?â Jay said quietly. âY/N, listen. You donât have to worry about asking me to go out of my way for you. In fact, if it was possible, I hope youâd always do it. Iâd go to the moon and back for you if you needed me to.â
You felt the tears well up in your eyes again, this time from an overwhelming feeling of being loved by someone.
Jay just quietly pressed his lips against your temple.
You leaned into him, the rest of the pizza slices forgotten on the table.
âWill you tell me what happened?â
You bit your lip, sitting up a little before you recounted what had happened that night as vaguely as possible, with bare details.
Even so, you could literally hear Jay grinding his teeth beside you.
You glanced at him. âJay.â
âIâll kill him. I will literally break his hands.â
You snuggled back into his side. âNo, you wonât.â You mumbled. âBut I needed to hear that.â
Jay sighed and pulled you tighter against him. âYou did the right thing, you know that right? No matter what anyone says.â
You nodded without looking up and Jay patted the back of your head gently, ruffling your hair gently in the process.
You leaned deeper into Jayâs embrace before turning your head up gently to glance at him.
Jay smiled and leaned down to press his lips gently against yours. The negative feelings of the entire night were long gone because you were right where you belonged - home with Jay.
THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!
I have a problem when writing physical movement. It paints a clear picture, but not a very colorful description as to what they are currently doing. Usually it's something like "he stood from the chair and walked across the floor to the window". I constantly try to reword it but it always seems bland. Is this a normal description to movement, or can I improve and how? Love your blog by the way. It has helped me out multiple times.
Bland descriptions of bland moments are normal and necessary. The only thing you might grit your teeth over is not being basic enough. Iâm using your example real quick.
He stood from the chair and walked across the floor to the window.
Too wordy for such a simple action. Make it even simpler, like so,
He stood and walked to the window.
Same action, same understanding, saves the reader time. Also saves the hard creative thinking for the more captivating parts of your story.Â
If you have a gut feeling it should be more impactful than that, you can add a little emotion into it.
He stood and stalked to the window.
He got up and trudged to the window.
He rose and hurried to the window.
Itâs the same short, basic sentence just with a little more storytelling involved. Still, both dry sentences and emotional sentences are needed in the same book. Too much of either and you end up with a court testimony or a soap opera.Â
If itâs meant to be simple, keep it simple.
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