Jay felt nervous all day, and he hoped that no one could notice. He and Erin had been together going on 2 years, and ever since he lay his eyes on her, he knew that he had to have her as his one day. Well, after working together as partners for close to a year, that one day finally came and they had been together ever since. Granted they tried their hardest to keep it a secret from the unit, and mostly Voight, but they finally were caught and after a long, long screaming match between Voight and Erin, he finally agreed to let them be together, but not be partners anymore. And the number one rule. Not to be intimate around him. It wasn't until Erin was shot that Hank finally realized how much Jay loved his 'daughter' that he was officially okay with the two of them.
But the reason why Jay was so nervous, was because he had spent the last couple weeks picking out an engagement ring for Erin, and trying to figure out the best way to propose to her. Every time he thought it was the 'right time' something happened and he chickened out. If it wasn't his nerves getting to him, it was Kelly Severide randomly showing up and ruining the moment for him, making conversation with the two of them. It had gotten to be where he carried the ring around with him everywhere, just waiting.
He sat down at his desk after a fairly easy bust and leaned back, his mind leaving him. Should we go to dinner? A walk in the night? Something not too cheesy. Something nice. He was brought back when he caught sight of his girl walking past his desk and into the break room. He smiled at her and got up, following her in there. "Good bust, huh?" he said, reaching over and grabbing a cup. She simply nodded. He looked at her sideways. "You okay babe?" he asked.
She looked up at him. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He raised his eyebrow at her and grabbed the coffee pot her handed to her. He looked over to the Blackhawks calender that hung across the room, and sighed. It was Jules' birthday. She looked up at him and gave him a sad smile, and went back to her coffee, doctoring it up like she liked. "You remember when we first met? Me and Jules were standing right here when you came walking in, that stupid ladies man haircut." he chuckled at her. "After you left, Jules told me that I should go out with you. I told her that was crazy cause I had found out that morning that you were gonna be my partner."
"Do you know what I remember about being in here with you?" Jay finally said. Erin gave him a confused look as she continued to stir her coffee. "I remember when you were telling me that you weren't gonna set me up with any of your friends again cause I wasn't interested in Caitlyn like that." Erin laughed. "You told me that I didn't know a good thing when I saw it." Erin smiled up at him as he took one step forward, closer to her. "But I did. I was looking right at it." Erin gave him a shy smirk. It was the first time she really felt happy all day.
Losing Jules was hard for her, being right there when she died, telling her family the news. It was a tough day. But there was something about the man she loved standing with her in the breakroom at their work that was one of the best parts of her day. "We've had quite a few good times in this breakroom me and you." Jay said, bringing her out of her thoughts. She nodded, her mind going to their talk after the night they hooked up for the first time. She was working for that task force at the time and she walked in there with him and he told her that even if she did go to Bolivia, he would willingly wait for her to come back. It was the moment she truly fell for him. Whole-heartedly.
Meanwhile, his mind went back to the moment they were caught by Voight. They were in this very room. He was furious. He smiled at the thought. They really did have some good times here. Not only in this room, but in the district in general. This was where they spent most of their time together the first two years they knew each other. He looked at Erin who was sipping her coffee as she looked out the window at people walking around. It was a beautiful fall day in Chicago. All he could think of was how beautiful she looked.
Suddenly, and without thinking, he touched his pocket where the ring was. He hesitated, still wanting to think of the perfect was to do this. This is the perfect way. This is the only was I wanna do it. "Erin." she turned to him. He grabbed her cup from her hand and set both his and hers on the counter. She looked at him confused.
"You know me well enough now to know that I always plan everything out. Even what to say. But I can hardly think of a single word to say right now. To express how much I love you. We've been through a lot and you're still the one that I want. And I'm only doing this one time in my life, and it's for you." He stopped talking and looked down at her. She had a slight hint of tears in her eyes. He took a deep breath. Grabbed her hand and slowly lowered himself down to one knee.
Her heart leaped into her throat and her hand came up to cover her mouth, preventing the large gasp to come out.
"I can't promise you a lot of money. I can't promise you a lot of things. But I can promise you me. Forever. I love you, Erin Lindsay."
He reached into his pocket and got out the little black box that had been itching to come out of his pocket all day. Tears started to stream down Erin's face and neither of them noticed that the unit had gathered around the door to the breakroom, watching the whole thing.
"So that being said." He opened the box and that gasp finally left Erin's mouth. "Erin Lindsay. Would you do me the absolute honor of spending the rest of your life with me? And will you marry me?"
Erin didn't even try to hold back any tears. "Yes, of course." she said, her voice soft, but that's all he needed to hear. A large smile came to his face and he took the ring out of it's holding, and slid it perfectly on her finger. "It's beautiful." she said. "Yeah?" he asked and watched her nod. He stood and wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her. He tasted the salt in her tears and decided to not hold his own back any longer either. They broke apart and looked at each other, both in tears.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise behind them. The rest of the unit decided that that was there part to start clapping, Ruzek and Atwater hollering as loud as they could. They piled into the room and hugged and congratulated the newly engaged couple. Erin turned and say Voight standing in the doorway. She wiped the tears off her face and made her way to him. When she got to him, he smiled and embraced her. She was almost shocked, but let her arms wrap around him as wall.
"You're okay with this?" she asked and he let go. He simply nodded. "I have been for a while." she gave him a confused look. "Halstead came to me and asked me a couple weeks ago." She felt new tears coming to her eyes. "I wouldn't want anyone else taking you away from me, Erin. I'm proud of you. And I'm so, so happy for you two." She hugged him once more and turned, looking at the guys picking and poking fun at Jay.
He escaped them, laughing as he walked towards her, Voight making his way back into his office. "So." he said. "So." she repeated. "Do you take it back now?" he asked, a smirk coming to his face. "Take what back?" she asked. "Take back that I don't know a good thing when I see it?" they laughed. "Well you got me, didn't you." she joked. He laughed and gave her one more passionate kiss.