Since finals week is about to begin, and i currently have 1 5 page paper, and 1 23 page paper due with in the next two weeks i decided to procrastinate to the extreme and write this! Drop a review in the review box or send me a DM with a prompt. After this semester's over i plan on sitting on the couch in front of the tv for a month and writing, because why not! Let me know what you think of this one.
After a 19 hour day at work all Erin wanted to do was lay down on her bed. She opened her apartment door, dropped her keys in the bowl in the hallway, and hung her coat in the closet. She took the 10 steps to her bedroom stripping off layers of clothing and dropping them on the floor, first the sweater, than the jeans, than the tank top, until she reached her dresser. She put on her oversized T-shirt and peeled off her bra. She lay on her bed, bringing the covers up to her chin. Phone placed on her nightstand and eyes drifting close, she finally felt content.
Suddenly she heard a loud noise. The sound of god knows what from the apartment behind her wall. Great, she thought to herself, just what I need after this long ass day. She stood, put on her jeans, and walked to the door of the apartment with the noise. She pounded her fist on the door, and stood waiting for someone to answer. After a couple of seconds she heard a laugh, and a man answered the door. Face turned away shouting at some friend sitting on the couch. She peaked her head in and looked at the TV. Cars, they were watching the freaking cartoon Cars. That is where the noise is coming from.
"Yeah? Can I help you?" the man asked.
She finally got a look at the guy. Short brown hair, blue eyes to die for, and muscular like she'd ever seen. "Um, do you mind turning down your cartoon? Some people do need to sleep, because they have jobs that they need to get to in the morning," she looked him in the eye. Eyebrow raised, head tilted, stern look, she was intimidating when she had no sleep.
"It's not just any cartoon, its Cars, you know the racecar movie?" He smiled down at her.
This cocky son of a bitch, she thought. "Yeah, whatever. Just turn it down," she said as she began to turn back to her apartment.
"I mean I would, because you seem like you haven't slept in days, but my nephew needs the movie at this volume to sleep," he called after her.
"Listen, turn that freaking movie down, or I will come in there and do it for you."
"Okay, fine. But, if you hear crying that's your fault."
"Whatever," she sighed as she walked back into her apartment and closed the door. She fell onto her bed, which was now situated in a quiet room and quickly let sleep over come her.
XXX
Erin woke up peacefully with the sun streaming in her room she looked at the clock. It was weird; she normally never woke up before her alarm. The clock read 8:00. She was supposed to be at work at 8:00. She was never late for work. She rolled out of bed, showered, and dressed all within fifteen minutes, a new record. She grabbed a slice of cold pizza she had sitting in the fridge and ran out the door. She took a bite of the pizza as she locked the door. She turned, and slammed into a rock hard body.
"Geeze, watch where you're going," the body said.
She looked up; it was that damn guy from the apartment next door. Her bad morning just got worse. "Look, I don't have time for you b.s. right now. I'm late for work," she began her descent down the stairs. She looked behind her and he was following. "Why are you following me?"
"You're not the only one who has work in the morning," he responded.
She let out an exasperated sigh, and walked out to her car. Thankfully he didn't follow her. She scarfed down the rest of her pizza and left for work.
XXX
She returned to her apartment 11 hours later a large pizza in hand. Hair in a rough bun, and makeup smudged from the hard day at work. She unlocked her door and as she was about to step in that neighbor walked out of his.
"Do you ever eat anything other than pizza?" He laughed.
"When you work 11 hours a day, pizza is the only thing you feel like eating," she retorted as she turned around.
"Woah, feisty. It was just that I've seen you 2 days in a row and both times you've had pizza in your hand," he laughed. "You want a beer?" He handed her the unopened one in his hand.
"Did you grab a beer when you heard I was out here to make up for the cartoon last night?" She eyed him curiously.
"I actually meant to say sorry about that. My nephew's not here tonight. I watch him when my brother and his wife are both on the night shift at Chicago Med," he smiled.
"You can keep your beer, I have a case of my own. Plus I don't even like Coor's light," she smiled and stepped into her apartment. "But if you want to watch the Blackhawks game and have a slice of pizza you're more than welcome to come in. its BYOB though," she winked.
He took a step forward and stuck out his free hand, "Jay."
"Erin," she smiled at those eyes. She felt him brush by her and into her apartment. He went straight for the couch and turned on the Blackhawks game.
"Make yourself at home, I guess," she laughed. She walked to the kitchen and grabbed a beer from her fridge. She continued her way to the living room and sat on her couch.
"Miller's lite? You like Miller's lite?" He laughed. "I can't believe this. But at least you like the Blackhawks," he countered as he grabbed a slice of pizza, the cheese and sauce dripping on his pants as he brought it to his mouth.
"That's disgusting," she pointed to his pants. "Have you ever thought of a plate?" She raised her hand containing the plates. "Or a napkin?" She held up her other hand as she placed the plates and napkins on the coffee table.
"It tastes better coming directly from the box," he winked at her.
"It tastes exactly the same whether it comes from the box to a plate or a box to your mouth," she laughed as she handed him a plate.
"You're getting pizza grease all over my couch," she whined as she took a sip of beer and encouraged him to take the plate.
"You going to eat?" Jay asked as he swallowed another mouthful. Erin took a slice of pizza and placed it on her plate, exaggerating each movement.
"I bought the pizza, you seriously don't think I'm going to eat it?" She snarled.
"I didn't know if you were one of those girls who don't eat in front of boys."
Erin laughed, "I eat, no matter where I am or who I'm with."
"Okay, just to let you know, me too," he winked again.
"Why do you keep winking?"
"I don't know, most girls like the wink," he smiled.
"This is good. This tells me a lot about you. You're a player. It's good to know," she nodded her head. "For future reference," she looked back to the game on the TV.
"A player? For future reference? What are you talking about?" Jay asked confused.
"Well you're a player, obviously. Between the 'most girls' and the 'girls don't eat in front of boys' comments, I conclude that you're a player. So when I hear a girl banging on your door at three in the morning I know to put my headphones in," she kept her eyes on the television.
"Why would you need to put your headphones in?"
"These walls are unbearably thin. Hence, our first encounter," she eyed Jay's reaction to their current topic of conversation. She saw the moment he realized what she was talking about. His eyes widened, mouth gaped open as he stared back at her.
"You hadn't had to do that since I moved in two weeks ago. If you have, it wasn't me," he smiled slightly.
"The other day was the first time I've been home at night for a couple of weeks," she admitted.
"Ohhh look at you, lecturing me about bringing girls in," he laughed.
"It's not like that," she looked away, back at the TV. "I was staying with my father type thing for a couple weeks."
"Father type thing?" He smiled.
"That is a story you haven't earned yet," she laughed as she took a bite of pizza.
"Is that why your place is ridiculously neat and clean?" Jay pointed out.
"It is not ridiculously neat and clean. My apartment is normal. It looks lived in, yet organized. I'd hate to see your apartment," Erin laughed smugly. "If it's anything like your eating habits, I don't think I'd be able to sit anywhere."
"Hey, my apartment is clean. It looks more lived in than this," he feigned offense.
"I'm sure," she laughed back. Erin placed the remaining half of her pizza slice on the table.
"You're not going to finish that?" Jay pointed out.
"I'm full," she said as she leaned back and finished her first beer. She got up to get another one. As she sat down she saw a second piece on his plate.
"I honestly can't believe you're full already," Jay said as he took another bite of his pizza.
"What do you mean you can't believe it? I'm full. End of story," Erin shot back. To tell the truth she hated eating this late. The pizza was only bought tonight so she could eat some of it for breakfast.
"It's like 10 o'clock at night. This is prime snack time," he shot back. "I'm starving."
"Okay, but don't eat it all. I need some breakfast tomorrow," she scolded as he once again took another piece.
"You eat this for breakfast?" He pointed to the pizza box with a mouth full of food.
"Usually, yes. Unless I have the day off," she responded.
"When was the last day you had off?" Jay wondered.
"Um, 6 weeks ago I think," Erin tried to count back to the last work day she didn't work.
"Six weeks? Damn girl, what do you do for a living?" He was surprised. Usually people had the weekends off.
"I'm a detective for the Chicago Police Department," she admitted as she leaned back against the couch.
"Oh, that makes sense. You have tomorrow off?" He asked.
"Have to, it's the law," she smiled thinking of being able to sleep in past 7:30. "What do you do?" She wondered.
"I'm a lawyer," he admitted slowly. Most people hated lawyers, thinking they're all sleazy like the ones they see on TV.
"A lawyer, not what I expected. You got that 9 to 5 job," she laughed. "What a life that is," she smiled as he dropped his head. "It's not a bad thing, just different. The last guy I was talking to was a fire fighter. Also not a 9 to 5 job," she smiled at him.
"A cop, that's not what I expected from you either," he laughed.
"Really? What were you expecting? An assistant?" She laughed. She was anything but an assistant.
"No I thought maybe a nurse or a advertising company. I wasn't expecting a cop," he laughed.
"I don't think I'd be able to do either of those," she laughed. She finished her second beer and stood to get another one.
"You getting another beer?" He asked from his place on the couch. He watched her turn and nod her head. "Can you grab me another Coors?" He semi-yelled.
"Yeah, I guess I can grab you another beer," Erin grabbed another two beers from her fridge and returned to the couch just as the game was ending.
"So you're a cop, you've got a freakishly clean apartment, you work ungodly hours, and you haven't been home in a couple of weeks, what else don't I know about you Erin?" Jay questioned as he turned off the TV and faced her.
"That's pretty much it," Erin shrugged her shoulders. "That's all you need to know about me."
"That's it. You don't have a favorite color? You don't have a favorite food? If all you do is sleep and work, you're a very boring person," he laughed.
"I'm not a boring person. When my unit gets on a case we don't sleep much until it's solved," she reasoned. "So when I can, I sleep. Sometimes I even have a drink," she pointed to her beer.
"Or two," he laughed at her again.
"You have a nice laugh," she mentioned as she took another sip of her beer.
"You have a nice smile," he countered and leaned in closer. She felt the couch shift below her and watched as he inched closer and closer. Her breath became shallow as he rested his hand next to her thigh. "Do you want to go out for a real breakfast tomorrow," Jay smiled. "I'll buy, say 9:30?"
"9:30 sounds good, I'll be up," she smiled as he stood and let himself out of her door.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she heard Jay say right before she heard her door close. She smiled to herself and stood to clear the beer bottles and pizza box off of the coffee table. The pizza box was placed in the fridge and the empty beer bottles in her recycle bin below her sink. She walked to her room and began to get ready for bed. Since her plans of sleeping in were hindered by her breakfast plans with Jay, she should get as much sleep as she could.
XXX
The following day came all too early. Her alarm went off on her bedside table; she winced as her eyes adjusted to the bright light before her. She rolled out of bed and got in the shower. Washing away the dirt from wrapping up the case yesterday. After the shower she put on her only clean pair of jeans and threw on her favorite cozy sweater. Soon enough she heard a knock on her door. She looked at her clock and realized it was already 9:30. She walked over to the door and opened it. On the other side was Jay.
"Come in. I'll be ready in five minutes," she explained as she ushered him inside. She ran back towards her bedroom and applied some mascara and put on her boots. "Alright, I'm ready," she mentioned as she walked out of her bedroom and over to her closet to grab her coat.
"You ready?" He asked as he continued to linger by the door.
"Yeah, let's go," she followed him out the door. He walked two steps towards his apartment and opened the door.
"I thought we were going out," she asked confused.
"I thought I'd cook breakfast," he smiled as he led her to the kitchen and pulled out the barstool for her. "There's pancakes, bacon, eggs, and toast," he said as he placed the dishes of each item onto the counter before her. He handed her a plate and dropped a glass of orange juice and a coffee in front of her. "Dig in before it get's cold," he urged her as he took a seat next to her.
"This looks good," she smiled at him. No one has ever gone through the trouble to cook breakfast. "You cooked all morning?" She wondered aloud.
"I'm an early riser, and I figured homemade is usually the best way to go," he said as he piled pancakes and bacon on his plate. "Honestly diner's are good and all, but nothing beats the homemade pancakes."
"I have to agree, these pancakes are really delicious," she stated as she put another bite of pancakes into her mouth.
"Thank you, it's my mother's recipe," Jay stated as he heard her phone ring."Is that your phone?"
"Oh, sorry," Erin said as she looked at the caller ID. "It's by boss, I have to take this," she gave him a sad smile.
"Voight?" She spoke into the phone. "I'm eating breakfast," she explained. "But I've been working for 2 weeks straight, I thought I had the day off," she took a sip of her coffee as her boss talked on the other side of the phone. "Yeah, I got it," Erin gave Jay another sad smile as she hung up the phone.
"Everything okay?" He asked.
"Um, my boss got another case," her smile dropped. "I have to head into work," she looked at Jay sadly. "Thanks for breakfast though. I was delicious," she stood from the barstool and put her phone in her pocket.
"Okay. Well, you're welcome. You wanna watch the Blackhawks tonight?" He asked wearily.
"If I'm home at a reasonable hour I'll knock on your door," she smiled sadly as she left his apartment.
Erin walked into work, the rest of her team already at their desks. Each one staring as she made her way to her desk. "Why is everyone staring?" She finally let out as she took her seat.
"You're smiling," her partner pointed out.
"What, is a girl not allowed to smile?" She countered.
"I don't think most of us have seen Erin Lindsay smile in a very long time," Antonio spoke from beside her.
"Haven't had much to smile about lately," she reasoned as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Who is it?" Ruzek asked from across the room. "Is the fire fighter back?"
"No man, it's definitely another cop in a different district," Atwater spoke.
"It's that doctor from the other day," her partner Russ stated.
"He's not a fire fighter, he's not a cop, and he's definitely not a doctor," Erin smiled as she remembered their conversation from the night before. She stood and walked over to the break room to grab another cup of coffee.
XXX
Erin walked up the stairs to the fifth floor of her apartment building. She checked her watch, 11:00pm, she walked past his door and took out her keys. She put her keys in the lock and turned.
"You weren't going to knock?" She heard a voice from behind her.
"It's 11, I hardly say that was a reasonable hour," she turned around to look at him. Sweat pants hanging low on his hips, his bare chest exposed to the cool air that lingered in the hallway.
"I'm awake, you're awake, you want to come inside?" He asked as he leaned against his doorway.
"Yeah, sure," she closed and locked her door as she followed him inside his apartment.
"Did you eat?" He questioned as he made his way to his kitchen to grab a couple of beers.
"Not yet, I was going to have some of the pizza from last night," she smiled guiltily as she gracefully accepted one of the beers.
"Well, I could heat something up really quick. I mean the Hawks game is over," he smiled.
"That sounds good," she sat at the bar where they ate breakfast that morning.
She smiled and watched him move around his kitchen gracefully. She sipped her beer as he popped something in his oven.
"I thought you said something quick?" She couldn't help but mention.
"It is quick, but you can't heat up rolls in the microwave, they become gross," he mentioned as he added food to the plate and pulled the rolls out of the oven. "See quick and easy," he placed the plate in front of her.
"Thank you," she said as she began to eat.
"How was your day?" He asked as he sipped his beer from across the counter.
"Exhausting. Our case turned out not to be so quick, I gotta be back there at 6," she mentioned as she finished her plate of food. Hunger finally settling.
"Do they not feed you at work?" He laughed.
"There's no time to eat at work. You're chasing down bad guys, that's really all that matters," she smiled.
"Is this going to become a thing? Me feeding you before and after you get home from work?" He laughed.
"I hope so, you're a much better cook than I am," she smiled as she finished her beer.
"Am I? You'll have to show me how much better I am," he mocked.
"Oh, you don't want that to happen. Most things I end up making are inedible," she laughed. "That's why I end up with pizza most nights."
"I could see that happening. Anybody ever teach you to cook?" He asked.
"That's funny, you're funny," she laughed. "We're not talking about my past," she said as they heard commotion outside Jay's door and in their hallway.
"Erin!" They heard banging on the door down the hall. Erin looked towards Jay and shook her head. She opened Jay's door and peaked into the hallway.
"Hank?" She yelled down the hall.
"Erin?" Voight turned to look at her. "Why aren't you in your apartment?" He asked.
"Why are you knocking on my door?" She questioned.
"You didn't answer you phone. I though I let you go to early," Hank explained.
"I forgot to turn it off silent, it's in my coat in here," she pointed inside Jay's apartment.
"Again, why aren't you in your apartment? You have to be at work at 6," Voight reasoned. She felt Jay come up behind her, and noticed the presence of his shirt.
"Hank, this is Jay. Jay this is Hank," Erin introduced the two.
"Nice to meet you sir," Jay stuck out his hand. Voight accepted as he grunted.
"So this is why you were late the other day?" Voight questioned.
"I was late the other day because I'm over worked and exhausted and I didn't wake up to my alarm. Jay and I just watch the Blackhawks and have some beers," she reasoned with Hank again. He peaked into Jays apartment eyeing around what he could see and grunted.
"I just called to tell you Antonio and Atwater caught the guy just after you left. You can have your day off tomorrow."
"Thanks?" Erin questioned.
"See you later kid," Voight squeezed her shoulder and left.
"Was that your boss?" Jay asked confused as Erin shut the door.
"So much about not talking about my past," she smiled. "Boss, father figure, whatever you want to call him," she shrugged as she returned to the kitchen and grabbed another beer and leaned up against the counter. Jay followed her in and leaned against the doorway.
"So he's both your boss and your father figure? The guy you were living with for a couple weeks?" He asked confused again.
"We're not going to talk about Hank, or my past or whether he's my boss or father figure," she laughed. Jay opened the fridge and pulled out another beer for himself.
"Then what do you want to talk about?" He asked as he opened his beer.
"I'm not quite sure I want to talk," she stepped forward and placed her beer on the counter. She reached over and took his from his hand.
"You don't want to talk?" Jay smiled and raised his eyebrows.
"No, I don't want to talk," she closed the distance between them and leaned in closer. Her lips pressed against his. He turned and pressed her up against the refrigerator. His hands finding her hips as her arms rested above his shoulders and her hands played with the hairs at the bottom of his neck.
She opened her mouth and allowed him entrance. "Bedroom?" he asked and she nodded pushing him in the direction of the hallway.
XXX
"So you have the day off," Jay mentioned as he rubbed her bare arm that rested upon his chest.
"Yeah, hopefully today I don't get called in," she smiled against him.
"You live the life of a busy busy cop. I'm just some mediocre lawyer that gets the weekends off," he felt her laugh.
"Oh yeah, just some mediocre lawyer. What I would give to have an entire weekend off," she lifted her head and looked at him.
"You should take a weekend off. I have this place up in Wisconsin. It's beautiful in the winter," Jay tried to convince her.
"Wisconsin?" She questioned. "Why would I ever go to Wisconsin?"
"Because it's a weekend away, and it's beautiful and relaxing," he tried again. "I don't know, just think about it."
"Okay, I'll think about it. But just letting you know, if I do go the guys at work are going to want to meet you before it happens," she laughed. "I mean a bunch of cops protecting the only female in the unit," she kept going. "They're very protective. Just saying," she continued to laugh.
"I can take them," Jay stated as he puffed out his chest. That comment made Erin laugh even more.
"You were so scared talking to Hank tonight," she continued.
"He's a little intimidating," he mentioned.
"That's what makes him so effective in his job," she smiled and yawned.
"I think it's time for sleep," Jay laid back bringing Erin's head to his bare shoulder.
"That sounds like a good idea," she smiled.