Keeping Up With The Severides - Slipping Through Our Fingers
[Masterlist]
Description: Sophia’s graduated high school and has spent most of the summer relaxing with her family, bouncing between Greece and Chicago to make the most of the free time before she goes off to College in September.
Warning(s): mild language(?), moving away from home, Kelly is a mess, Andi isn’t much better lmao, some thinly-veiled innuendos towards the end if you squint
[A/N: here it is! a much-awaited and asked for instalment which I’m very excited for! In case it wasn’t already obvious, Ben is 15-16 and Sophia is 18 in this. Heavily inspired by the fact that the song I based the title on makes me cry. As always let me know what you think, my inbox is always open :) - L]
-/-/-
“There she is! My college girl!” Andi exclaimed and set down her coffee when Sophia joined them for breakfast. The sleep-addled teen made a noise of greeting as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Andi was quick to scoop her into a hug as Kelly appeared next, looking about as nervous as the day they got married.
“Mom - Your hair is suffocating me.” Sophia’s words were muffled by Andi’s shoulder and indeed, her mass of curly hair.
“Sorry! Sorry, it’s just so exciting, my baby is off to college!” Andi was beyond excited. The eagerness to celebrate was a distraction from the anxiety and overwhelming fear in her chest.
“And now the whole of Chicago knows. How much coffee have you had to drink already?” Kelly questioned as he moved around the two of them to pour a cup for himself. Ben was sat at the table, occupied with his bowl of cereal.
“Only two… Or three.”
“Alright, I think you should take a break from the caffeine until we hit the road, huh?” Andi agreed with a nod and the three of them sat at the table to eat. Toast, cereals, juices and other foods were spread across the table. The four of them were planning to road-trip over to the college to drop Sophia off and move her into the dorms.
“Ben? You’re kinda quiet, hon, is everything okay?” Andi reached over and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. He looked up from his bowl and his eyes were glassy. Without saying anything he stood up, pushed the chair away and hurried off to his bedroom.
“Ben?” Sophia called after him but Andi was the one who followed him, leaving Kelly and Sophia to finish eating. She found Ben in his bedroom, sat on the floor at the foot of his bed.
“Agapiménos? What’s the matter?” Andi sat on the floor next to him and waited for his reply.
“It’s stupid…”
“No. Ben, nothing you say is stupid. Something’s bothering you and it has me worried, Yiós.” Ben let out a sigh and rested his head on Andi’s shoulder. Dark brown curls flopped against his forehead.
“Sophia’s leaving… And you’re celebrating.”
“Oh, Ben - Sophia’s going to college and we’re proud of her. As we should be! And when - or if - you decide to go to college, we’ll be just as proud of you. I know it’s going to be difficult, but she’ll still come home for Thanksgiving, Christmas and in the Summer. She’s not going away forever,” Andi soothed and that seemed to appease him for a while.
-/-/-
By the following morning, they’d made it to the campus and had successfully moved Sophia into her dorm room.
“Are you sure you have everything? We can always go and get whatever you’re missing -”
“Dad! I’m fine! I’ve got everything I need and if I find something, I’ll ask my roommate to help me get it,” Sophia assured him with a tired smile. Andi had noticed over the course of the past few hours how increasingly nervous and upset Kelly seemed to get.
“Alright, if you’re sure. We’ll call you when we get back. Look after yourself, Sophia.” As they gathered their things to leave, Ben rushed forward and hugged Sophia as if she was going to disappear.
“M’gonna miss you…”
“I’ll be back for Thanksgiving Break,” she assured him and ruffled his dark curls.
“Ypóschesi?”
“Promise,” Sophia agreed.
“Good luck, we love you!” Andi gave her a final kiss on the cheek before they all began to make a move to the door.
-/-/-
Back in Chicago, it was late and Kelly hadn’t stopped his worrying since they left the campus. Since they were between shifts, Andi, Kelly and Ben took the opportunity to order takeout and put on a few movies.
On the long sofa, Kelly sat one end, Andi the other with Ben in the middle. During the first movie, Kelly refused to put his phone down. Andi excused herself and gestured for Kelly to follow her into the kitchen.
“You need to relax,” she stated simply as she hopped up onto the counter and made herself comfortable.
“What? I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not,” Andi rebuffed and he moved to stand between her legs.
“Okay, you’re right…” Kelly conceded and rested his head on her shoulder, “I’m worried. About Soph.”
“I knew it. She’s had you around her little finger since the day she was born.” She ran her fingers through his hair in an effort to comfort him.
“Are you saying you’re not worried?” Kelly straightened up to look at her.
“Of course I’m worried. My parents were when I went to college. And I was four hours away by plane. At least she’s only a couple of hours away by car.”
“So, how are you handling it so well?”
“Because I know Soph. She may look like you and have you at her beck and call. But she has my attitude. She’ll get along just fine and if she has any problems, she’ll tell us,” Andi assured him and that seemed to set him at ease slightly.
“But, what if -”
“No, don’t do that to yourself. Kelly, she’s a capable young woman and she’s going to be just fine. You’re such a dad, worrying about her like that.” The slightly teasing tone in her words made him smile.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, when she was little, you worried about when she’d be old enough to start school. When she started elementary school you worried about her going through middle and high school. The same happened with Ben.”
“I can’t help that,” he defended, despite the bright smile on his face.
“No, but I think it’s awfully sweet of you to care so much in the way that you do. You’re a great dad.”
“Oh yeah?” The mood changed between them and Andi pressed a kiss to his lips whilst smiling right back at him.
“Yeah… Makes me want to try for another, to be honest.”
“Another? Babe, we just about have time for the two kids we do have -”
“I didn’t say we should have another baby. Just try.” With his mood completely changed, Kelly picked her up off the counter. Andi wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her back through to the lounge.
“You guys aren’t being gross again, are you?” Ben questioned, not bothering to look away from the movie that was still playing on the TV.
“No,” they echoed back in unison before breaking into a fit of giggles.
You can't get rid of me that easily. -for Andi and Sophia, please I miss those two!
ooo I love it!! and it's going to be partially inspired by something I've done lmao
Send me a prompt + pairing!!
"Hey, is everything alright?" Kelly put a hand on Andi's shoulder as he took a seat in the window nook with her, legs entwined.
"I miss her, Kelly," she stated simply and brought her knees up to rest her folded arms over the top.
"Who? Sophia?" Andi nodded and the melancholy was obvious.
"It feels wrong without her here..." she lamented and Kelly leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead.
"I have something that'll cheer you up," he stated with a slight smile and Andi shook her head.
"I'm really not in the mood right now, Kelly."
"No, not that. Just... Trust me. It's out in the hallway." Curious, Andi allowed him to pull her to her feet and walk over to the apartment door. Kelly positioned her just in front of the door and reached for the handle.
"Surprise!" he cheered quietly when the door swung open and revealed Sophia, stood in the hallway with her bags at her feet.
"Hi, Mama." Andi all but screamed as the realisation settled on her and she rushed forward to envelop her eldest in the tightest hug ever.
"You can't get rid of me that easily," she stated with a laugh and Andi let her go to dry her eyes.
"Like I'd ever try and get rid of you, Soph."
"Sophia's home!" Ben cheered as he surged forward to join the group hug.
"What is it about me that isn't good enough?" and “All I wanted was a happy ending.” with Andi and Ben
oH OKAY (can I get a cheer for Bi!Ben??!)
also ~20 minutes left to submit prompts before I sign off for the night!
Send me a prompt + pairing!!
"Ben? Is everything alright in there?" Andi knocked on his bedroom door. She'd had her hands in the sink, washing the dishes when he'd stormed in and shut himself away in his room.
"Go away," his muffled reply came and Andi shook her head.
"Ben, please let me in." There was some shuffling around on the other side of the door and eventually, it swung open. Ben was dishevelled; his hair was all over the place, the outfit he'd worn to school had been swapped for a hoodie and flannel pyjama bottoms and tears rolled down his flushed cheeks, despite his best efforts to stop them.
"Oh, Bémpis... What's wrong?" He stepped aside and let her in. They sat on opposite ends of his bed, with Ben near the headboard, a pillow clutched to his chest.
"I - I told Leo that I liked him today..." he trailed off with a sniff and Andi shuffled closer, concerned.
"How did it go?"
"Awful! He got scared and - and said he couldn't be friends with me anymore and that I was a freak because he'd seen me kissing Jenny Beckett last month..."
"Ben, I'm sorry," she sympathised and shuffled around so that she was at the top of the bed with him. Encouraged him to let her put an arm around him and hold him close. Even at almost eighteen, there was nothing he wouldn't do for a hug from her.
"Am I really a freak?"
"What? No! Of course, you're not. Ben, the world is full of unfair people who do unkind things when they get uncomfortable. But you're not a freak and you're no less of a man for deciding that you like men and women."
"But I really liked Leo and now he's probably going around telling everyone how much of a freak of nature I am. What is it about me that isn't good enough?" His question caught her off-guard but Andi was quick to recover and cleared her throat.
"Nothing about you is less than good enough. You're caring and decent and not afraid to find out who you really are. You are every bit the person you are meant to be, do you understand me, Ben? There is nothing wrong with you or anything like that..."
"You're my son and every bit of me that I see in you makes me so, so proud. I couldn't be happier for you discovering and exploring your sexuality and preferences and so what if Leo doesn't want to be friends with you anymore? If being yourself around him made him uncomfortable then he's the problem, not you," Andi assured him and when they sat up, Ben had dried his eyes on his sleeves.
"All I wanted was a happy ending," he stated simply, cheeks tear-stained and slightly flushed.
"And you'll get it. I promise. I got my happy ending and that was something I never thought was possible when I first came back to Chicago. But look where I am now. You're right where you need to be, Ben and that's a lot more than most people have."
You almost died and you're making jokes? - with Kelly and Sophia and Ben :(
:'((
Send me a prompt + one of my pairings!
"Okay, you can see him now," the nurse informed them and both kids took off after her towards Kelly's room.
"Dad! You're okay!" It was clear that the painkillers were still lingering, but with a tired smile, Kelly accepted hugs from both Sophia and Ben. Andi stood in the doorway, watching with her arms folded across her chest.
"What? Of course, I'm okay, look at me, I've never been better," he mused, voice slightly hoarse.
"You almost died and you're making jokes?" Sophia questioned with a frown and Kelly shuffled to sit up a little more.
"I didn't almost die. I'm fine," Kelly assured them both. Despite his attempts to make light of the situation, it was obvious that Sophia and Ben were still shaken at the sight of him in a hospital bed like this.
"We're glad you're okay," Andi stated as she took a seat next to his bed and reached for his hand.
They love the Firehouse and any chance they get to visit, they're there
When they're younger, it means that Andi's parents are there too so good conversation and introductions are made and they become welcomed members of the Firehouse too
they tend to stay close to Kelly and Andi/her parents so they don't get into trouble
when they get old enough to make their own way there after school to visit for an hour or two, they tend to make a beeline for Matt, mostly, but they do like to spend time with other members of 51
Chief Uncle Boden included
no one is immune to their charm and they'll talk their way into anything given the opportunity
which means on more than one occasion, they've had to yell at Otis/Ritter/Gallo for letting them get away with something ridiculous
It's always a good shift when Sophia and Ben visit, for anyone that's around
David + Katherine:
There is next to 0 chance that they don't basically grow up around GCMC and the staff that work on the same shifts as Dylan and Connor
David was the talk of the hospital for months before and after he was born and became the resident mood picker-upper
No one was ever too busy that they couldn't spare a moment to look after him
Katherine too, they both get treated like royalty for being legacies basically lmao
Maggie likes to make small talk with them, gossip about school life and how things are going for them
Aunty Nat is - of course - always thrilled to see them both no matter what
When they're older, heading into high school and college etc
its all anyone can talk about
and any time they visit they all want to know how it's going for them
there's such a big support system for them in that hospital and so many people would do anything for them because lbr with Connor and Dylan as parents they turn out nothing short of sweethearts
Ellie + Patrick:
Since Ellie's had longer to familiarise herself with the district and the people that Jay and Nikki work with, she's the most comfortable around them
Ellie definitely takes a shine to Adam, I feel like he's just a really fun uncle to have yk??
They both develop a taste for sitting in the too-big desk chairs and pretending they're meant to be there
or playing hide and seek under the desks
of course Trudy is always thrilled to see them both because they're both slightly chaotic angels
When they're old enough to make their own way over to the district, they're accustomed to waiting (fairly quietly) in the bullpen or behind Trudy's desk for one or both of them to return
They both leave drawings everywhere
everywhere
for everyone
They love sitting in their parents laps when they're at their respective desks
They always get treated with the same level of enthusiasm every single time they visit and you can't tell me that the unit doesn't develop a soft spot for the two of them
F34: Why are you wearing my sweater? // Because it smells like you
F39: You're safe now, I'm here
Send me a prompt + pairing!
"Dad?" The quiet voice woke Kelly up with a nudge. Squinting in the darkness, he could vaguely make out the shape of Ben by his bedside.
"Ben? What's the matter buddy?"
"I can't sleep," he sniffled in reply. Kelly reached out and turned the bedside lamp on to see him wearing one of his old CFD hoodies. It was miles too big for him but it was an endearing picture.
"Why are you wearing my sweater?"
"Because it smells like you," Ben stated quietly and rubbed at his eyes.
"Did you have a bad dream?" He nodded and sleep-mussed curls bounced against his forehead.
"Get in bud, just don't wake your mom, alright?"
"Thanks, dad." Ben climbed over his legs to lie between the two of them. When Kelly rolled over to face him, Ben immediately tucked himself into his side.
"You're safe now, I'm here," he assured the scared seven-year-old and ran a hand over his hair before turning the lamp off again.
Oo ok ok I'll answer this one before bed because I love these two with my whole heart!!
I feel like Sophia is the better cook and would probably help teach Ben for when she's away at college/when he eventually goes to college too (I do this with my sister and it'd the only time we genuinely get along lmao)
