Summary: They grew up in each other’s orbit, woven into late-night talks, lingering looks, and the comfort of always knowing who’d be there.
Looking back, it was always there, the love—in every laugh, every silence, every goodbye that never really meant goodbye.
They didn’t fall all at once—it happened in the space between.
A/N: Woah, it's so weird being back but it's a good kind of weird?
If you know me already, then you know the title of this fic ain't nothing unfamiliar but, as Bryson Tiller sings, I'm back and I'm (hopefully) better - hopefully I did get better at writing Upstead; I missed doing it SO EFFING MUCH!!!
I wanna be honest with you, I've been gone for so long that I didn't want to overwhelm myself with something longer, hence why this will be a short-fic. IDK the amount of chapters yet but it'll definitely be less than 10.
That being said, I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter (which is more of a prologue) and the story in general! <3
Summary: Hailey couldn't stop staring. She'd seen him almost from the moment she'd walked in. He was alone, clearly trying to go unnoticed. As if such a thing was possible. As if the impossible sight of him, even in the dark, wouldn’t draw in her eyes as surely as if he was seated right below a spotlight. He looked exactly like she remembered, but at the same time different. That was odd. All the other times she’d picture him in her head or dreamed of him, he always looked the same. Exactly like the last time she’d seen him. With those beautiful green eyes full of love and that smile she liked to call her smile and a promise to “be back before she knew it” (the only promise he ever broke).
inspired by a chenford/upstead social media au post by @notxalways on twitter (note: this is my first one shot fic in like almost 6 months, pls be nice)
Prompt: Kim and Hailey have girls night (because we need this friendship) and Jay text Hailey about waiting at home when kim saw and get all excited and ask for details (@vechnyy100714)
Hailey walked out of her bathroom, dressed in black leather pants and a blue cropped top, and walked towards her bed where Jay sat. He was busy on his phone but when he heard the footsteps, he looked up and his jaw fell to the floor. Hailey noticed this and gave a little twirl, giggling at his expression.
"Man, my girlfriend is hot!" Jay stood up and hollered, eyeing her.
Hailey just rolled her eyes and went to get her phone and her clutch, but Jay had other plans. He hugged her from behind, placing his hands on her waist and whispered in her ear.
"You wanna rethink this night out with Burgess so you can stay with your hot boyfriend?"
She turned around, still in his arms, and playfully hit him on the shoulder. "Jay!"
"What?" His playful grin on full display, just for her. Another eye roll from Hailey and she wriggled out of his grasp.
"Kim and I haven't had a girls night since Vanessa left. It's not going to be the same without V forcing us to throw down shots but we agreed to hang out more to get away from all the testosterone in this unit."
Their banter continued all the way out to the living room, where Hailey was putting on her heels, something that she doesn't wear often but Jay finds it extremely attractive. Helping Hailey put on her leather jacket, he said "you sure you don't need a ride?"
"Yes babe" she placed a light kiss on his lips. "My uber's almost here."
"I thought I was your personal uber?" Jay made a pouty face and kissed Hailey once more. The both chuckled and Hailey's phone vibrated in her hand, signaling that her ride was here.
"I gotta go, love you." She smiled.
"Love you too, babe. Be safe and call if you need me." One last hug and Hailey was out the door.
~
Kim and Hailey met at the same bar that they always went to for girls night with Vanessa.
"It's weird isn't it? To not have Rojas here?" Kim asked, sipping her cocktail.
"Yea. She was always the one forcing us to do shots and dance on the dance floor." Hailey sighed and followed suit, sipping her own cocktail. "I miss her."
"Me too. I'm sure she's doing well undercover. That girl can really act." The two women laughed at the memory of Vanessa acting as if she was getting married to get free shots at this very bar.
Not long after, Hailey's phone buzzed again and Kim rolled her eyes. "You're not gonna check your phone? That's the fourth time it buzzed within five minutes."
Hailey shrugged, knowing that it was Jay. Without warning, kim grabbed her clutch and took out her phone, much to Hailey's disapproval. "Kim!"
"Care to explain why is Halstead texting you that he's waiting for you? At home?! Hailey Upton!" Hailey's eyed widened as kim read out the messages that Jay sent her. Thankfully none that were inappropriate, she made a mental note.
"Uhhhhh well, Jay sort of um... We're living together." The blonde blurted the last part of her statement before her brain could process what she was saying. The look on the Burgess's face was priceless and Hailey could not help the wide smile forming on her face.
"You and Jay what? Oh my gosh that's why you guys ride in together ever damn day now! I though it was because Halstead was clingy!" Kim exclaimed and they both broke down laughing. The bartender stared at the two, sliding a tray of shots over. "On the house."
Kim quickly realised that the bartender thought that they were going through something and took full advantage of free shots.
"To Vanessa and her introducing us to this amazing bar!" She raised her shot glass and Hailey did the same. "To Vanessa."
Kim immediately picked up another glass and yelled "to Hailey and Jay finally getting their shit together!"
~
Stumbling out of their shared uber, Hailey bid farewell to her friend and walked towards her building. Their uber driver was Vanessa's friend and he was always the one who got the girls home safely, which was why Hailey was fine with Kim, who was way more drunk that herself, going home alone with him.
Hailey reached her apartment door and leaned against it, searching for her keys. Without warning, the door opened.
"Jay? Hi babe!" He caught her before she fell to the ground.
"Hi Hails. It seems to me like you had a lot of fun with Kim." He helped his girl inside, locking the door behind them, and they sat in the couch. Drunk Hailey gave a brief rundown of how her night went before saying that she was tired and wanting to go to bed. Her boyfriend knew that future Hailey would regret not taking a shower so he offered to help her.
While he shampooed her blonde locks, Hailey muttered "Kim knows we're living together" and Jay laughed, realising that it was his texts that blew their cover. "You okay with that?"
"Hails, they all knew were together and they're bound to find out about me moving in sooner or later. So, I'm fine with Kim knowing."
Jay, being the best boyfriend anyone could ask for, got Hailey and himself ready for bed. He carried her to bed and tucked her in on her side of the bed, seeing as she was too tired to even walk without tripping. He got into his side and pulled Hailey close to him. She rested her head against his chest and he ran his fingers through her hair.
"Night, Jay."
"Sweet dreams, baby girl. I love you."
Hope you enjoyed this fic!! I had slot of fun writing this one. Feel free to drop nay prompts or ideas in my inbox! If you want to be added to my tag list, drop a comment :)
i ordered a pumpkin spice latte at starbucks and you made a heart with the foam and i decided to drink it here so i can smile at you some more
masterlist
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Jay Halstead normally wasn't one to be very adventurous when it came to his daily Starbucks order. He'd order the same thing every time without fail — a grande latte with two pumps of caramel. He'd sit at the same table by the same window on the same chair; it was safe to say that he was a creature of habit. Not only did he never change, but his Starbucks of choice never changed either.
Well, that was until one fall, a new (and in Jay's opinion, breathtakingly stunning) barista started there.
At first, she worked by the blending station. He'd watch as she made one frappuchino to another without ever looking up to take a break, her gaze fixed intently upon the project at hand. He was secretly glad that she was so focused on what she was doing — he was sure she'd think he was a creep if she ever caught him staring at her one day — but when he looked up from his mobile phone one morning in a rush only to find her staring up at him with a smile, ready to take his order, he could have sworn that the air his lungs had once possessed was snatched away from him.
"Welcome to Starbucks! What can I get for you?"
Jay had to fight against the urge to let his mouth drop open right then and there. The blonde waves that she had previously hidden away in a bun were now cascading down her shoulders while her blue eyes entranced the man without even meaning to — there was an endlessness to them that was simultaneously mesmerising yet terrifying all at the same time.
Jay was notorious for never changing his order; in fact, his friend Adam often would tease him for being so rigid when it came to his coffee orders. Despite this fact, he did have one single weakness — pumpkin spice. He was a sucker for it. Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin spice cookies, pumpkin spice candles — you name it, he had it. Nobody would ever understand why, but it was just the way things had been ever since he was a teenager. Jay was a year round pumpkin spice junkie.
"Did you need more time to think about it? We just launched our fall menu today if you'd like to —"
"I'm sorry, I just got – distracted. . . I'll take a latte with — wait — you said you just launched your fall menu?"
The woman behind the counter smiled lightly with a nod. "Yeah, we did. We practically have pumpkin spice everything."
"I'll take a pumpkin spice latte, thanks." Jay couldn't help but beam at the girl. "Grande."
It was only then that he took notice of the little nametag sitting on the strap of her apron, the name 'Hailey' written in cursive lettering. He smiled down at his feet as he mumbled her name, quiet enough for only him to hear as it rolled off of his tongue like butter. In a split second he had simply forgotten the fact that he had been running late to get to his job — he was a public defender — instead deciding to shoot his boss a message about some phoney accident on the road that he was stuck behind. He wanted to sit and smile at the woman again; the woman who now had a name.
Hailey made a special point to be the one to make this handsome stranger his coffee. Though their interaction was short ( if you asked her, too short), it had been long enough for her to put in the effort to flirt with the man through the foam atop his pumpkin spice latte.
She made sure she made his drink to perfection, pouring it into a black Starbucks mug before trying her hand at some foam art. Hailey contemplated what to do for a while, but ended up settling on a heart. It was subtle, but little did she know it would speak words to the man who had been admiring her from afar all this time. Hand delivering it to the table he was at, she shot the man a small smile and a wink before scurrying away — his good looks had overwhelmed any boldness she had been feeling.
Jay almost choked when he saw the heart staring up at him. He was in disbelief that the girl he had been (very secretly) crushing on for the last few weeks had done something so movie-like; all he could think was that "this is not real life." He sat and watched Hailey for a while longer, the two of them exchanging smiles and flirtatious glances from across the coffee shop. His coffee was almost heavenly, though he attributed most of that to the fluttering in his stomach every time the pair would lock eyes. All of a sudden his entire world was blurred; everything he had ever known about the things around him and himself had been thrown out the window. The only thing in sharp focus was her. It was Hailey.
Grabbing the serviette that had been bought over with his pumpkin spice latte, Jay quickly scribbled down his name and number and left it beside his now empty mug. Making eye contact with Hailey one last time, he grinned giddily before getting up and walking towards the door.
With one last look back, he saw Hailey standing there with the serviette in hand, a sheepish smile on her face as she gave him a nod that said more than words ever could.
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a/n: i know this is shorter than what i usually post, but i wanted to put up something for halloween/autumn/fall even if it’s not halloween or autumn or fall where i live anymore. i’m not sure how i feel about it but if you liked this let me know! i whipped it up super quick 😂
Hey, if anyone wants a sneak peek of my first AU-gust installment (Great Depression/Prohibition AU with Halstead Sister! and Upstead), just go to this link https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Kayela and after you’re done “buying me a coffee” (only $1 through paypal!) leave your tumblr username in the comments section thing and I will send a sneak peek your way! Love you guys!
PS. to any rude anons who come at me for this post, your message will be deleted. :)
