So this is my first published story. I have written a few others, but was never really happy with them. I love linstead, and really do hope something happens between them in 2x11. I don't own any of the characters, and the story is not a prediction more like a fantasyish sort of thing. Enjoy!
In the 21st district, more specifically the intelligence unit, there Jay Halstead sat, actually more like sulked in his usual desk. Across from him he could hear the loud clanging of his partner packing up her belongings. He continued to fiddle around with things on his desk, pretending to be busy, but really he was waiting for a time where he could say goodbye. A proper goodbye without the rest of the unit, particularly, Voight breathing down their necks. He deserved that much, didn't he? He was saying goodbye to his partner, his favorite partner. He was saying goodbye to his friend, his best friend. Sure there would be nights at Molly's where he could see her again, but he knew it wasn't the same. He would never again have those car rides where he was forced to take shotgun or chase downs where they take town Chicago's toughest criminals with the knowledge that they would have each other's backs no matter what. Everything was changing.
"You need any help with those?" Jay asked gesturing to the packed up boxes.
"Jay, for the last time, I got it. I'm a big girl." Erin replied with a taste of her signature sarcasm. God, he was gonna miss that.
"Sure, okay." He said savoring the playful banter he'd miss dearly. He made his way toward her, in between their two desks. "Erin… You shouldn't be worried."
"I'm not," she said convincingly, but he knew better. He could look into her familiar eyes, and see right through the walls she put up. Maybe that would be the thing he would miss the most, her amazingly unique green eyes.
"Yes you are. I know you, but you have no reason to be. You're the smartest, toughest cop I know, hell you're the strongest person I know."
She looked up at him smiling. No, he was wrong, he'd miss her beautiful smile the most.
"Thank you, Jay. I'm glad we were partners. I'm going to miss making you into my house husband every day."
"I certainly mastered the craft of house husbandry thanks to you."
"Oh, okay." She managed to say in between laughs.
"At least now you can boss around the people in your task force and not just me." She shot him a look. "Come on we both know you're going to be that boss your employees think is a total bitch." She shot him another look along with a slap on the shoulder. "In a good way. I mean you learned from the best."
"Voight?"
"Duh, when I first got here he scared the shit out of me."
"Yeah, he seems to have that effect on people."
After a few moments of laughter followed by comfortable silence, she finally uttered, "So, I guess this is goodbye, huh?" The sour taste of sadness in her voice surprised her. Though she would miss Jay the most, she'd never admit it, maybe not even to herself.
"Yeah, I uh guess it is."
Moving in closer their bodies could feel the heat grow hotter as their distance became smaller. As if all the undeniable tension and attraction built up to this moment; a moment when uncertainty was at its peak. There was no "see you tomorrow." Jay would be back at his desk unable to look up and see her. She was starting a chapter in her career – a new chapter in her life. A chapter where, Jay Halstead, her partner was now nonexistent. The heat radiating from their bodies didn't overpower their skeptics. In fact it never really did, their chemistry they had both felt, but never truly acknowledged, never led to anything more than a hand hold or frequent meaningful gazes. This time was no different instead of following their hearts and attraction they ignored it as per usual. Once they were mere centimeters apart a goodbye hug transpired. Even this was a step up from their professional advances. It felt good though, it felt final. Closure and goodbye was all they had left.
Their intertwined arms remained locked as they held each other in the middle of 'intelligence unit.' After the long moment, they released. Erin was silently holding back tears. For her, this was unexpected, but yet so was her friendship with Jay. When Antonio brought him up she never would have expected to find a person she could trust with her life, the truth, everything. She was going to miss his goofy personality or his talent to make her laugh no matter what. It was nice to find a friendship that lightened the dark weight that this job and life itself entails.
Erin grabbed her final box, and turned away from him avoiding eye contact hiding her glassy eyes, and with that she was gone. She headed down the steps for the last time, Jay stood frozen in his place. A part of his life, of him, was gone. It was like a part of himself was painfully ripped away. As the he heard the gate slam shut, 'what could have been' came flooding through his mind. The memories of "let's keep it professional," the "keep it in your pants" the "maybe one day," clouded his head. He cared for her no doubt, but something was always stopping him, but what now? What was in his way at this very moment? Maybe this their 'one day?' Could it be?
Jay yanked off this hoodie and leather jacket from his chair, and took off. Running down the steps, skipping one or two each time in hopes he wasn't too late. The cold Chicago wind violently whisked at his body, but he didn't care, he only had one thing on his mind, and this time nothing was getting in his way.
Erin had just finished packing up her last box in trunk desperate to get into her heated front seat when suddenly Jay approached her panting, resting his hands on his knees for recovery.
"Jay, what are you doing?" She was confused, but she'd by lying if she said she wasn't glad to see him again.
"We… don't work together… anymore." Jay managed to say trying to catch his breath.
"Wow, I knew you were one smart cookie, but I had no idea you were such a genius," she sneeringly lauded.
Jay recovered, looking softly into Erin's eyes, with a sense he finally met his destination. He stepped toward her pressing his lips to hers. She stood there rock solid, for only a moment. Her lips moved against his melting at the taste. It felt good, it felt anything but final. Her arms wrapped around his neck, grasping his short chestnut hair begging for more. He lifted her body off the ground as she wrapped her legs around at his waist. Their kiss didn't break for a long time, neither came up for air. The freezing air sharply surrounded them, but neither cared to realized. They ignored feelings for their jobs they loved and people they cared for. Pushing away the truth, so much that they wrongly fell into the arms of other people. But not anymore. Finally after pushing their lungs to the limit humanly possible their lips parted away from each other.
"We don't work together anymore." She answered back looking down into his sea green eyes, excited; finally true to herself and her heart.
Hope y'all enjoyed. Favorite or follow if you choose. I want to start writing and publishing more, maybe even a multi-chapter linstead fic. Write me a review if you liked it, thanks!