She keeps getting her hair tangled these days. Summer has been kind on her skin tone, washing away the pale winter shade she had all winter, but her hair has been driving her crazy. She almost can't wait for autumn to get to Chicago.
Adam is the only one with the patience enough to help her disentangle her hair late at night. If it were up to her, she would simply let it be, but he is there every night, caressing her back with one hand and pushing his fingers through her locks with the other.
Hailey has her eyes closed and she can feel him watching her, but she cannot for the life of her find the will to open her eyes.
He will have to talk to break the spell.
And he doesn't take long.
-Your hair is longer. – he says with his usual raspy voice without stopping his movements.
She hums as a response but doesn't open her eyes.
-I like it. – he adds in a whisper which makes her smile.
Those are their moments and she treasures them in her heart and in her mind. She has the feeling this thing, this relationship with them won't last long.
Hailey doesn't have many rules, but she doesn't take much bullshit from anyone around her, and he seems to have a magnet for disaster situations.
And even though she can't see Kim looking at him with anything resembling desire or anything like that, she knows the other woman doesn't know that she and Adam are involved.
It was her idea to keep things on the downlow, but he has never disagreed with her on that subject.
(She also doesn't miss the way Adam sometimes looks at Kim).
They have a particular bad case that day and she ends up on the hospital, having to be checked by Jay's brother.
-I feel fine. – she tells the good doctor one more time. She can almost see Jay roll his eyes on the corner of the room.
-So you tell me. – Will says while he reads her chart. – How's your arm? –
April put a bandage on her arm where the bullet brazed it. There was some blood but not that much considering it could have gone right through her arm.
-Good. -she assures Will, trying to look the part of a person ready to go home. She has a few bruises on her neck and stomach where the criminal hit her when they were fighting for the control of the situation, but she feels fine. A scotch and her bed are all she needs.
-Can you drive her home? -Will asks his brother and Jay nods, putting his phone away before standing up.
They insist on a wheelchair to the entrance and Will's the boss there, so she doesn't have much of a choice.
-I could stay and we could order something, like a pizza, I don't know. – Jay says as he pulls up in front of her door.
-Jay, really, I'm fine. You've seen me in worst shape. – she says trying to lighten the mood but she knows it only serves to remind her partner of her bruised face when she faced Booth. – I am fine. I will eat something so the meds don't ruin my stomach and get to shower and bed. – she assures him before he can speak again. – You'll pick me up tomorrow right? – she asks him as she opens the door.
-Yeah. – Jay assures her. – Call me if you need anything, for real. – he says as she steps out of the car.
Hailey smiles at her partner, closing the door. – Thanks, man. – she says walking towards her house.
Jay is a good friend to her; sure, he has his own share of issues but who doesn't? She has learned to trust him and she appreciates his presence in her life.
He was kind enough to worry about her and get her to the hospital.
(Unlike her supposed boyfriend who hasn't even bothered to call her.)
She grabs a glass from the counter to pour herself some water, while she checks her messages.
She ignores a text from one of her brothers, while she opens the message Adam has sent her.
"You're not coming to Molly's?"
She shakes her head once, trying to come up with a response but her brain is blank, so she blocks her cellphone screen again before grabbing the bottle of scotch and pouring herself a drink.
She tries not to think about the fact that it takes her much longer to fall asleep that night.
-Hey, how's your arm? – Kim asks her the following morning as they are both getting some coffee at the station.
-It's fine. It was nothing. – Hailey assures her, as she pours coffee in Kim's cup and then on her own.
-We missed you at Molly's last night. – Kevin says as he walks into the room, Adam behind him.
-Yeah, even Sergeant Voight went to have a drink with us. – Kim says smiling while she shrugs her shoulder, leaning back against the counter.
-That's a shocker. – Hailey says as she shares a look with Kevin, trying to avoid Adam's eyes on her.
Antonio calls for Kim from the office, and she runs towards the bullpen, leaving her mug on the counter.
-Can I have your cup? – Adam asks her while she walks by him.
-Sure! – she yells already near her desk to talk to Antonio.
Kevin finishes pouring some coffee on his own mug and heads towards his desk, leaving Adam alone with Hailey.
Ruzek walks towards the counter, now only a couple of feet away from her, to grab Kim's mug.
She drinks some of her coffee, while he sips his own.
-You didn't text me back last night. – he says, trying to keep his voice quiet. She is leaned back against the counter, and he is facing her side. He knows if Kevin looks up from his desk, he will see them.
-I fell asleep. I was tired. -she lies, looking at her feet.
-I was going to stop by your house, but… -
She interrupts him before he can finish. – The party at Molly's got too fun? – she jokes, looking up at him.
Her light blue eyes never fail to amaze him. He loves her eyes.
Not that she knows that, of course.
Knowing Hailey, she would run away before he can even begin to say that sentence.
-Can I stop by tonight? – he asks, changing the subject.
She nods, knowing she's a sucker for relationships that are meant to go to hell, but hey, why not have some fun before everything blows in their faces?
Their latest case resembles the case of Kim's sister way too much, and Hailey can tell the police officer is having a hard time handling everything.
But they are team, with Hank at the top, and then Kevin with his loyalty, Jay and his quiet companion, Adam with his intense protection, Antonio trying to keep everyone sane, and Hailey and her constant push to keep her colleagues on the right path.
They are team, and they have faults, yes, but they take care of their own. Failing Al is something still heavy on their minds and hearts, and Hailey could swear they all have regrets regarding that.
Adam and Kim have always had a sort of understanding, but it's Kevin who's there for her at the end of the day, and Hailey is surprised to find Adam waiting for her at her desk.
-I thought you were going to take Kim home. – she says from her spot, a few feet away.
-I had a long talk with her and Kevin offered to give her a ride. – he says, getting up from the chair to walk up to her. He's towering over her, always does with his height, and he almost reaches out to touch her hand. – Want to get out of here? –
Hailey is pretty sure she has underestimated his feelings for her, but damn it, she does not want to get her hopes up. They are a recipe for disaster.
Adam finally reaches out to grab her hand and pulls her towards the stairs. – Come on. I kinda can't wait to get home. – he says removing his eyes from her to look at the front.
She knows he's talking about her house. Their little safe haven away from all the craziness of the world. Away from her abusive father and his sister who keeps screwing up, away from both of their past mistakes.
She half smiles while she follows him.
-Do you need some help with that? -he asks from the bathroom door.
Hailey looks up, knowing she must look like a mess right now. Her hair is tied up in a ponytail, she is only wearing a pair of jeans and her bra, her shirt on the floor. She is fighting with the bandage on her arm.
-Yeah. – she admits looking back at her reflection in the mirror.
Adam steps in the bathroom, moving to take of the bandage with care. He is silent, and she can't know what he's thinking.
-It doesn't hurt. – she says, trying to clear the air.
-I know. I called Med when you went there. I spoke to Will himself. – he says, moving the bandages away. The scar on her arm is there, but it will disappear with time.
-You did? – she asks surprised, keeping her eyes on his face.
He looks up, moving some locks away from her face.
-You thought I didn't care? – he asks her. He knows she wants to keep things on the downlow, but sooner or later he will have to find a way to make her see reason.
At the beginning, when they had started sleeping together, he would be lying if he said he imagined a future with her. He hoped, but he was aware of his faults and her rules, and they are almost always the two people in the team that disagree over a case.
But the time spent at her home or eating out or whatever they were doing together, has made him appreciate her more. He is pretty sure he's on his way to being head over heels for her, but he doesn't want to scare her.
As he looks at her eyes, he knows he is scared to lose her.
Adam does not want to fuck this up.
Hailey takes a step towards him, standing on her tiptoes as she kisses him.
She tastes like scotch and smells like that lavender thing she puts in her hair, and Adam swear he could die a happy man in her arms.
She smiles at him, ending the kiss, but bumping his nose with her.
(Yeah, he is so screwed.)
-Hailey. – someone says, and Hailey turns around to come face to face with Kevin Atwater.
-Kev… - she says, and she knows he can see the panic on her face.
-Don't worry, I know. – Kevin says, clicking his beer with her glass of scotch.
-What? –
-You guys aren't that good. – he says nodding once.
She takes a deep breath, and without Adam there, she knows he can't help her. – I just don't want to deal with Voight and HR forms and that stuff. – she says shrugging her shoulders.
-Oh, Voight knows. If I know, Voight knows. – Kevin says laughing. – Don't worry! – he says at seeing her frown. – And HR forms aren't that bad. – he tries do advise her before moving away to greet Adam's cousin, who's throwing the party.
A few minutes later, she is talking to a couple of girls at the place, when Adam approaches her. – So, I have some bad news. –
-Kevin's here. – she says smiling up at him.
-Oh, you know? I'm sorry, I didn't think my cousin would invite him, but… -
-It's ok. – she says, shaking her head.
-Really? -he asks confused, keeping his hands on his jean pockets.
-Yeah. – she says, nodding once. Maybe it was time, maybe she had to take a chance for once.
He smiles as if he just won the lottery, grabbing her by the waist and hugging her to him.
Hailey almost drops her glass on the floor when he picks her up, but she puts one arm around him anyway. – Adam! –
He drops her on the spot but doesn't let go of her waist. -I can start showing you of. – he says still smiling, and that simple sentence makes her smile even more.
Hailey is back in his arms, only this time, she's curled around him on her couch. He still has his hand on her hair, caressing it lightly.
She looks up from her spot on his chest and she smiles at him.
Has he always looked at her the way he is right now?
-What? – he asks, before kissing her forehead.
A kiss to her cheek. Kisses left along her jaw. One placed on her neck.
-Nothing. – she says smiling, before kissing his lips.
He stayed. And that's enough for her.
And not because it's her job, or his, or anything like that. It's their choice.
