A/N: I started writing this a long time ago but I never finished it. I don't really like it to be honest, but I was convinced to post it by chicagopdbabes so here we are. Review, please! Ooh, it's also my birthday, let's not forget that. Okay, bye bye.
Erin and Jay were currently in his half-empty apartment, packing up the last few boxes that will contain pictures and the few clothes he left in his closet.
Erin was on picture duty but she was taking longer than she needed to, looking at each photo of her, and Jay, and the unit and thinking about where they were when they took it. Not only where they were physically, but where they were romantically.
She picks up the first photo and she remembers the night vividly. This was taken the night half the unit had a big sleepover at Antonio's house, watching movies and staying up all night because they had the next day off. She and Jay hadn't been dating here, though, everyone knew their feelings for each other. They were those best friends that liked each other but wouldn't tell the other.
"Alright, gang, we have a selection of movies, popcorn in the kitchen, blankets in the closet down the hall, and liquor in the cabinet over there. Any questions?" Everyone shakes their heads at Antonio's question and stands up.
"I got the blankets," Erin says as she stands and heads to the hallway to get blankets for everyone.
"Er?" She turns around at the nickname, "Licorice and whiskey?"
She winks with a smile and nod and turns around again.
Everyone gathers their snacks and drinks of choice and get comfortable on the floor and couches, getting ready to watch Die Hard.
Antonio is splayed across one couch, Jay on the loveseat, and Kevin and Adam are on the floor that's padded by the air mattress.
Erin walks back into the living room with the blankets, tossing two to Atwater and Ruzek, laying Antonio's over his body, and throwing Jay's at his face. She laughs and wraps hers around her body.
"Move," she pushes his legs off of the other half of the loveseat. He scoffs and turns his whole body so he's sitting upright on the couch and propping his legs up on the coffee table, laying the blanket over them. She sits down, moving over and laying down so she could put her head on Jay's lap. She hears him suck in a breath.
"Get comfortable, I guess." She chuckles at his comment and does exactly what he says. She burrows her face into his blanket-clad leg and focuses on the movie.
His hand eventually finds its way into her hair, finger-combing it throughout the movie. Erin falls asleep to his ministrations and he follows not long after that, them being the first ones gone.
"Aw, look at them," Ruzek gushes dramatically. He pulls his phone out and turns the flash on, snapping a quick photo and sitting back down again.
"Show that to Voight," Antonio jokes. The conscious group laughs and they choose a new movie.
Erin looks at the photo of them now, looking at his hand that's buried in her hair, thinking about how much they've grown together.
She places the photo in the previously empty box and looks at the next one. Her favorite photo ever. This one was taken not too long ago at Molly's when they were bidding farewell to Antonio. Hermann took this one, standing on the other side of the bar. Jay's arms were wrapped around her waist from behind and her right hand was reached back, grasping his neck. She thinks of the night with a small smile.
"Hermann, can you...?" Her question trails off as she hands him her phone. He nods and grabs the phone as she turns and beckons Jay over to her.
"I want a photo," she says and watches his eyebrows raise. She's not one to request a photo, she's more often than not forced into one.
He walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her, pecking her cheek and feeling a smile spread across her face.
He hums into her ear, "I love you."
His chin drops to her shoulder and then nuzzles into the crook of her neck while her hand comes to rest on the back of his neck. The smile on her face is contagious and the flash goes off, signaling the snapping of the photo.
"Thanks, Hermann," she says as she takes her phone back. He nods and she hears a faint, "Young love," as he's walking away, causing her to smile wider and turn in his arms.
Erin's not big on PDA, so when she pulls him in for a kiss with a hand on his neck he's more than surprised. They move their lips together for a short moment before she pulls away, "I love you too."
He smiles and pecks her lips once more.
"Hey, lovebirds! This is my party, remember? Get your asses over here and spend some time with me."
Erin laughs at a tipsy Antonio and pulls away from Jay, walking hand in hand to the table that their unit is crowded around, Jay with his arm wrapped around her.
She smiles at her family. He's her family.
She looks at the last photo and her eyes start to water. The photo of her, Nadia, and Jay warming her heart and breaking it all at the same time. Her and Nadia are squeezing each other tight and Jay's arms are wrapped around them, all of them have the biggest smiles on their faces. This was the day Nadia was officially one year sober. They spent the day together and had a sleepover, celebrating the memorable moment. She remembers their laughs and smiles they shared that day.
Nadia was one of her best friends. She missed her so much. The tears fell from her eyes and onto the glass of the frame.
"Okay, you ready?" His step falters when he sees her face, "Hey, what's wrong?" His question is answered when he looks down at the photo in her hands. He sighs and brings his hand to her shoulder, pulling her into him and wrapping his arms around her. She sobs into his chest.
"We were SO happy that day," she cries into him.
"I know, I know." She pulls away and wipes her eyes with a small smile, remembering the fun day.
"God, I miss her," she says while looking at the photo. She gives a tear-filled smile when she feels his lips graze her forehead.
"Me too. Let's go home," Jay says. She smiles.
Home. Their home.
She nods and they exit the building, leaving a million memories behind and ready to make a million more.