I was going to post this as part of Come Back to Me, but it took on a life of its own. It's a little (okay a helluva a lot) crazy. Hope you enjoy!
To hell with Boden. To hell with the new Captain. To hell with 51. To hell with it all.
Kelly tried to convince himself that he didn't give a shit about any of it. That he wasn't hanging onto his job by a thread. That said job was the only thing he had in his life that amounted to anything.
Shay was still dead. Casey was struggling. Dawson was pregnant. Benny was MIA. And Katie was in Colorado, maybe permanently.
Kelly Severide was lost, not liking the familiar feel of spiraling the drain. He hoped he wouldn't get swallowed into it this time.
"You have got to be shittin' me!" Severide yelled, running his hand through his hair roughly.
The demotion was one thing, but all the ass kissing to get his lieutenant's rank back was bordering on the absurd.
"I ain't doin' it!" Kelly affirmed loudly, too loudly as he slammed Chief's door, heading to the kitchen, wishing he could toss back a cold one. Or two. Or a six-pack.
"What's going on?" Casey asked, rising from the old couch in the common room.
"Boden has me signed up for some bullshit class," Kelly fumed, searching for something stronger than orange juice. "Said I ain't gettin' my job back if I don't go."
"Well, maybe if it means you can put this whole thing behind you…" attempted Matt slowly, cautiously.
"So you think I should go?" asked Kelly in disbelief. "You think I should just bend over and …"
"If it means you get to be lieutenant again, then yeah. Your guys need you," Casey continued, knowing his friend's Achilles heel was thinking someone needed him. That hero complex ran deep in Severide. Matt hoped his pride wouldn't trip him up.
Kelly's actions were always more Gorilla than Gandhi, but on this day he took a deep breath, nodded his head and gave into his truck counterpart. Despite all his protests, Severide knew he wasn't going anywhere. If he searched his heart long and hard enough, he would've realized that he needed 51 as much as the house needed him.
"Best Practices: How to Lead from Behind"
Kelly chuckled as he signed himself in, shaking his head at the ridiculous title of the class. "Lead from behind," he mumbled, "that'd go over great." Guys would love me trailing in after 'em, he thought shaking his head.
"Lead from behind," he heard whispered behind him. "What a crock of …" Kelly heard the grumbling continue.
He turned around, finding himself eye to eye with a blonde beauty dressed for the boardroom not classroom.
"Hi," she said meeting those piercing blue eyes staring at her. "Nicole Meyer." She stuck out a hand assertively.
She was bossy and probably way above his pay grade, but Severide decided there was something in her eyes that said she wanted to be there less than him. Misery does love company, he decided holding out his hand.
"Kelly Severide. You ready to lead from behind?" he asked, gesturing for her to go in ahead of him.
She let out a loud, throaty laugh filling the room. "No, after you," she insisted, waving her hand in a grand gesture that told the fireman to move it.
This might not be all bad, Kelly decided walking in front of the woman, the gorgeous, tall woman who was checking out his ass as he sauntered to an open seat.
A tumble of hair cascaded down onto Kelly's shoulder, kissing the muscles as they tensed and relaxed. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, needing this. Not a care in the world, just the woman making animal noises on top of him.
The morning came and with it a new day that looked a bit brighter. The sun was shining and the smell of bacon was dancing through Kelly's new place, motivating him to finally drag himself out of bed.
"Hi Superman," Nicole greeted, wearing her bra, panties, and high heels. She skipped over to the fireman, kissing him on the cheek.
"Interesting getup," he commented, trying to wipe the sleep out of his eyes.
"You like?" she asked, flipping her long hair over seductively.
"I ain't complaining," he said, grabbing a piece of bacon.
"I needed that," Nicole admitted. "Really, really needed that."
"Me too," Kelly agreed.
"You want to do that again. Sometime?" she asked, tilting her head so her blonde mane swept to one side.
"Sure," the fireman replied.
"Like now?"
He nodded his head, mischievous grin spreading across his face. "After you," he said gesturing for her to lead the way.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" Casey asked. "I know it's not that management class."
Kelly didn't say much, kissing and telling not his style. Around noon, a shiny, black Mercedes rolled up to 51. A blonde in a tight skirt walked to the front aware of the many eyes on her, liking the feel of those stares. She had all the confidence of a woman who was used to getting what she wanted. Right now she had her eye on a fireman.
"Hi Superman," Nicole said to Kelly who greeted her outside the house.
"Uh, hey. What's goin' on? Everything okay?" Severide was surprised to see the woman here. They'd left it as casual, non-committal, definitely not show up unexpectedly at work.
"I wanted to see you. When do you get off?" Nicole asked arching her blonde brows.
"Two days. And I got some things to take care of," Kelly replied a little too shortly.
"Can't I be one of those things," the woman asked, sticking out her bottom lip.
Kelly laughed, taking her hands in his. "Thought we said we wanted to keep it casual," he reminded, softening his tone.
Nicole dropped her hands out of his. "Sure thing," she answered flatly, her mouth forming a straight line. She was far more accustomed to getting everything she wanted. Everyone she wanted.
"I better get back to the office," she said shocked that he wasn't jumping at the chance for a repeat performance. That he wasn't jumping on her right now.
"Take care," Kelly said, kissing the blonde on the cheek, as he uttered the brush off words. No, this wasn't the time. Focus on your job, Sev, he told himself. And if he were being completely honest, this wasn't the woman.
He thought about Renee Royce, about Erin … they'd been take charge, confident, but also more. They both had a soft side, one that brought out his. They both knew how to love, how to care so deeply. Something told him this woman was missing that chip.
"You too, Superman." Nicole reluctantly turned to leave. Yes, it was understood that it was a fling. A one glorious night stand that gave them both what they needed. But she was changing her mind. She figured it was a woman's prerogative.
Nicole wanted another night, many other nights. She glanced back, her body shuddering at the memory of his. Goodbye for now, Superman, she thought.
I'll find your kryptonite, she vowed, stepping back into her car.
"Look who just walked in," Otis commented from behind the bar, sliding another beer in front of his squad brother.
Kelly shrugged, taking a long swig from the bottle. His body language said who gives a shit, but his eyes opened a little wider at the sight of the brunette detective. She was laughing brightly, a stark contrast to the bits and pieces he'd picked up about a Lindsay free fall. His eyes wandered to the woman every few minutes no matter how many times he willed them to stop. What the hell was Otis even yammering about now, he thought.
"Hey, you got some customers over there that need you," Kelly muttered, motioning his head to the far end of the bar. Otis took off recognizing one of those Sev moods settling in.
Kelly took it all in. The flirty way she tossed her hair, the slight touches on the hand, the arm. He couldn't help but think that could've been him.
Only it couldn't. Shay left him and took a part of his heart with her. Took a part of him, ripped it right out in a way that said he would never be really whole again. He wondered if a day would come when he didn't miss her.
Erin noticed the brooding figure in the leather jacket at the bar the second she stepped into Molly's. This wasn't her turf but it always felt like a comfortable fit. Cops and firefighters, like two sides of the same coin. They did seem to go together.
She wondered what the heck was wrong with him, by himself, exchanging a couple of words here and there with Otis. Everytime she thought about going over just to say hi or hey something kept her in her seat.
Kelly abandoned his self-imposed exile and his bar stool in favor of a table filled with squad guys, closer to the detective. The bar became smaller and smaller as the two found themselves moving toward each other. The PD group whittled away to just Antonio and Erin, Gabby and Matt joining their table. Kelly was abandoned by Cruz, finally sauntering over to the familiar faces.
"Severide!" Antonio greeted a little too boisterously, a little too loudly. He had another ten minutes left in him before he slumped in his chair done for the night. Gabby and Matt took leave to get the older Dawson home in bed.
"You two be good," Antonio slurred out with a wink as his sister and the fireman each took an arm.
Gabby shook her head. "Ignore him. He's a disgrace to every Dominican. We DO hold our liquor better than this." Antonio tried to protest but the words wouldn't form.
Kelly and Erin laughed as they watched the three leave Molly's.
The lively table wasn't as lively anymore. They drank their beers, nervous laughter filling the table.
"Well, I better head out," Erin said getting up to go.
"How you been, Erin?" Kelly asked and with those words a new invitation to stay.
Against her better judgement, the brunette sat back down.
How long could he possibly stay at this dump, thought Nicole parked across the street, trying to see what was going on inside.
The bar was almost empty, but she could see one table remaining. A man and a woman talking. No, more than talking, having some deep conversation. He was holding her hands in his. Oh, wait, now they're laughing, Oh, it's serious again.
Nicole left her car, high heels stomping across the street, body temperature so high she didn't feel the cold around her. The stomping continued as she reached Molly's front door. Closed, the sign said. Pulling on the handle, it opened.
She clickety clacked to the man and woman, her hips sashaying with such force they would've taken out the whole bar if it hadn't been empty.
Except for the couple at that damn table.
"Kelly," Nicole said accusingly, glaring at the woman smiling at him.
Erin was caught so completely off guard, she couldn't speak.
What the hell, thought Kelly as words refused to form in his mouth.
"Introduce me to your friend, Superman. Lois Lane, perhaps," Nicole spat out, plopping herself into a wooden chair at the table. The way she slid it closer had all the feel of nails on a chalkboard.
"Nicole, let's go outside and talk," Kelly tried, looking desperately at the retreating Erin. She was pulling away, and he couldn't let that happen. Not after they just reconnected on some small level, maybe planting a seed that could renew their friendship.
"No, here's good," the blonde said cheerily. "Introduce me," she demanded again, this time with all the niceties gone, her smile disappearing in an instant.
Nicole's hands were clenched below the table so tightly they hurt. Her thumbnail pushed into the fleshy part of her hand, digging at it, drawing a sliver of blood. She smiled again waiting.
Erin knew one thing. She wished she'd listened to that better judgement.
Let the games begin. What do you think?