thanks for checking out my story! just a one-shot on how kelly/lacey got together, hope you like it :)

Our Little Secret

"What the hell are you doing?" Kelly laughed, walking up on the sidewalk in front of Lacey's building.

Lacey Darden, younger sister to his lifelong best friend Andy, had herself planted on a couch in the middle of the sidewalk in front of her building. Her long legs stretched out in front of her, she was laying back against the arm of it, shading her eyes from the sun with her hands as he walked up to her and was leaning over the back of the couch. Andy had intended on helping her move her new furniture into her place as she had just come back to the city. He had mixed up the days though, having his sons' soccer game that afternoon, calling Kelly for back up since he didn't want to leave Lacey helpless.

"So, the furniture moving guys," Lacey was saying in an annoyed tone. "Drop off my couch this morning. And I asked if they could just take it up to my apartment, because I'm only on the third floor. Apparently they don't do walk ups." She motioned to Kelly. "Hence..."

"Me," Kelly nodded. "Well, that's ok." He reached over and nudged her leg as if to tell her to get off the couch. "C'mon." Kelly felt immediately awkward at touching her leg.

What was with him these days? Anytime he saw Lacey it was weird and he wasn't sure why. He had known her since she was born, going to see her at the hospital with Andy when they were both five years old. Ever since she had gone off to college though, he looked at her differently. She wasn't just Andy's kid sister, going through that awkward phase everyone did when they were in high school.

No, the girl standing on the opposite end of the couch from him in the black tank top and cut off shorts for summer wasn't really a girl anymore. She was a woman, a beautiful one at that, anyone could tell. If he met her in a bar, no question would he hit on her. That was what made it weird. He was so insanely attracted to someone that he had known for as long as he could remember, his best friend's sister no less. All he could think of now was that he had just touched Andy's sister's leg. Was that inappropriate?

"Hey," Lacey got his attention now, nodding at the couch. "You wanna help or keep staring at me like I have three heads?" she laughed now, Kelly shook his head at her, shaking his thoughts from it as well.

"You're a pain in my ass Darden," Kelly told her jokingly, lifting up his end of the couch.

"And you're a pain in mine," Lacey said back as they made their way to the stoop of her building.

"Oh yeah?" Kelly laughed now, having gone up first. "I could just..." He acted like he was going to let go of the couch.

"No, no, no, no," Lacey was giggling, holding onto the couch tighter, though she knew he wouldn't actually drop it on her.

Lacey had grown up tagging along after her big brother and his best friend. They taught her everything, from riding a bike to climbing a tree. She knew Kelly as long as she had known Andy. And she had always had a crush on him, at least as long as she was old enough to know what a crush was. Why wouldn't she?

Kelly Severide was her big brother's friend, he was older and good looking. They hung out all the time and she got to see him for real, laughing and just having fun. Having secretly liked him all this time, she naturally took notice to how any time she had visited home since she had gone to college that Kelly was trying his hardest to not blatantly check her out. It was exciting. It was certainly flattering. But, it was also confusing. Now that she had gotten his attention after all this time, she wasn't sure what to do with it. It wasn't just some guy checking her out, it was Andy's best friend.

"So," Lacey said as they took to the first flight of stairs, two flights separating each floor of the apartment building. "I assume you're not still dating Darcy what's-her-face from New Year's?"

"Ah, nope," Kelly shook his head. Lacey was always giving him a tough time on his dating record. Why was she so interested?

"Well, it's June," Lacey continued as they got to the landing. "So, I'm guessing you're three girls removed from her?"

"Ouch!" Kelly said in fake offense, laughing as he said it. "And who are you going out with these days?"

"None of your business," Lacey told him teasingly. They tried to turn to go up the second flight of stairs, but the couch was too wide.

"Ok, hold on," Kelly said, adjusting his grip on the couch. "All right, turn." He tried turning himself but got no where. "Lace, I-"

"If I turn anymore, I'm going to be part of this brick wall," Lacey informed him, trying to joke but she was awkwardly pinned between the couch and wall.

"All right," Kelly agreed, having an idea now. "Here, lift it up like this," he instructed, lifting his end higher to show her.

"Ok," Lacey said, struggling but managing to lift her end up higher. "Not all of us...are on rescue squad, all right?"

"We'll break at the next landing," Kelly promised her as they finished turning, lowering the couch again as they made their way up the stairs now.

Eventually, they made it to her apartment, not actually stopping to take any breaks as Lacey had just wanted to get it over with. Kelly could appreciate that, hating this task more and more with each flight of stairs. What was this couch made out of?

"Did you buy the couch with a cement base or something?" Kelly asked now as they were stopped in front of Lacey's door. They had to turn so she could back up to the door first, since she had the keys. As Kelly adjusted his grip on the couch, he silently cursed her for not leaving the door unlocked to begin with.

"Oh, wait, that was my car key," Lacey was saying as she had struggled to get the last key into the lock, all of them looking the same to her as she only had one hand.

"Lacey," Kelly complained.

"All right, all right," Lacey said, managing to push the door open and they backed into the apartment quickly, dropping the couch right in front of the tv, not even debating on where to put it or what position it should face it they were tired from moving it. Lacey rolled over the back of the couch, letting herself collapse on it.

"Thanks Kelly," Lacey told him appreciatively, knowing he certainly had better things to do on his day off.

"No problem," Kelly nodded.

"You want a beer?" Lacey offered.

"Sure," Kelly nodded, offering a hand to help her up. As he helped her up, Lacey felt herself getting pulled into him. Maybe part of it was Kelly, maybe part of it was her letting herself get brought that close. Being that close gave her stomach butterflies.

"So, beer," Lacey said quickly, walking around Kelly to go to her tiny kitchen. She could feel him watching her, the way he had been all day, or really in recent years. It was driving her crazy. What was so wrong about it? She wasn't Andy's kid sister, she was twenty four years old! They were both adults and if they had some kind of feelings towards each other they should be allowed to act on it. If this awkwardness was ever going to stop though, one of them had to say something.

"Kelly-" Lacey turned around now as she heard him following her to the kitchen, but he just pulled her in and kissed her, surprising Lacey completely. She knew her face probably reflect shock as he let her go after.

"Sorry," Kelly immediately apologized. That wasn't the right way to go about it, he knew that, but they hardly ever hung out just the two of them. It was try now or never he told himself and that was the first thing that came to mind. "I just...wanted to try that?" he offered.

"We should probably try again," Lacey was saying now, kissing him again, feeling Kelly picking her up to set her on the counter.

Kelly and Lacey laid in her room for awhile after, Lacey resting her head on Kelly's chest while he ran his hand over her hair. Never in a million years did either of them think that this would happen, not that they weren't glad that it did. It had been amazing, both of them openly confessing that, and they knew that this wasn't just going to be a one time thing; it was bound to happen again. And while they were both happy that this had happened for them, they weren't quite sure what to do about her brother, thinking about him for the first time as Lacey's cell phone went off with a call from him. She looked at Kelly and bit her lip, and he just shrugged in response.

"Hey Andy," Lacey answered. "What's up?" She listened. "Oh yeah, sure," she nodded. "Yeah, I'll get the cupcakes for Sean's party." Tonight was her nephew's birthday party, which both her and Kelly were supposed to go to. "Yep, see ya then, bye," she hung up quickly, dropping her phone and laying back against the pillows, Kelly turning onto his side and propping up on an elbow.

"So," Kelly said taking her hand.

"So," Lacey agreed, observing their intertwined fingers.

"I'll talk to him," Kelly promised her and Lacey looked at him in confusion.

"We should both talk to him," Lacey offered.

"I should've talked to him before," Kelly shrugged, smiling at her as he was saying it. "Just didn't want to wait anymore." Lacey giggled, feeling herself blush as he kissed her hand. "I'll just...ask if it's ok if I ask you out," Kelly said and Lacey gave him a look again.

"Uh..." she said, looking at where they were.

"Well, I'm not coming clean about this," Kelly joked and she laughed.

"I guess a white lie never hurt anyone," Lacey smiled.

"Certainly won't be hurting me," Kelly agreed, leaning down to kiss her again.

"Aunt Lacey's here!" Sean and Jack were both saying as Lacey went over to her brother and sister in laws house for the family birthday party for Sean. Kelly would be coming by later on, both of them deciding not to go together, but to meet up after. They got up from the table to hug her.

"Hi guys!" Lacey laughed, setting the bakery box on the table so she could hug them back. "Are you just happy to see me because I have cake?"

"No." "Yes." They said at the same time.

"I love the honesty," she laughed as she stood back up, seeing Andy coming into the kitchen now, Heather and her parents setting up decorations in the living room still.

"Hey Lace," Andy smiled as he greeted his sister, hugging her. "You want anything? Beer?"

"Nah, I'm ok," Lacey waved him off, feeling a little edgy around him. Lacey was awful at keeping secrets, especially from her brother.

"Oh, I meant to ask you," Andy said as he got in the refrigerator to get himself a drink. "How did you and Kelly do?"

"Huh?" Lacey asked with a mix of surprise and confusion. Andy knew. How?!

"Moving the couch," Andy reminded her.

"Oh," Lacey laughed. "Ah, yeah, that was fine. Kelly's really nice." She pointed at the next room. "I'm gonna go help Heather with the stuff," she said quickly, leaving the room and Andy was completely confused, but shrugged to himself.

"Uncle Kelly!" Sean and Jack were saying now, greeting him like they had with Lacey.

"Hey guys," Kelly laughed as he said hi to them. "Here you go Sean," he handed him his birthday present.

"Thanks Uncle Kelly," Sean told him.

"Go put it on the table," Andy was telling his son. "And you guys see if your mom needs anything." The boys took off into the next room, leaving Kelly and Andy alone. "Thanks for coming man," Andy told Kelly.

"Of course," Kelly nodded.

"So, how's it going?" Andy asked, getting another beer for his friend.

"All right," Kelly shrugged, accepting the drink. "Ya know, same old."

"Yeah," Andy nodded. "And, hey, thanks for helping out my sister this afternoon. That was nice of you."

"Ah, yeah," Kelly shrugged. "Sure, no problem." He paused. "I actually wanted to talk to you about her."

"God, is it about that stuff Hadley was saying the other day?" Andy said in annoyance. "How he wanted to ask out Lacey when she moved back?" Kelly actually had no idea Hadley had said anything about Lacey moving back to town. "I mean, c'mon, we're friends," Andy was going on. "And she's my sister, ya know?"

"Yeah," Kelly scoffed in agreement. "Yeah, that's...not cool." There was no way he could ask Andy about Lacey now, not after he had just made a big deal about Hadley wanting to ask out Lacey. They weren't even that good of friends, what would he think about his best friend liking his sister? Kelly and Andy went into the next room with everyone else now, though Lacey said she was going to go get the cup cakes and asked Kelly to help her and he followed her back to the kitchen.

"So," she said quietly, arranging the cupcakes on two plates. "Did you talk to him?"

"...no," Kelly admitted.

"Why not?"

"Because he started making this big deal about Hadley wanting to ask you out-"

"Ew," Lacey stopped him and Kelly shook his head.

"I'll talk to him," Kelly promised. "Just, not tonight."

"Ok," Lacey agreed. Sean's birthday wasn't the best place she was sure and if Andy had just said something about someone else asking her out, it was definitely not the best idea. She left one of the plates for him, going to leave but stopped. "Wait, are you still coming over tonight?"

"Yeah," Kelly nodded, grabbing his own plate of cupcakes. "Absolutely."

thanks for reading! :) hope you liked it. might write one more chapter now about andy figuring it out. let me know what you thought! :)