Thank you to those that reviewed! That means so much to me.

On with the story!

Italics= flashbacks

Disclaimer: I only own the plot, Ria and any other OC characters that might pop up.

Burning Flames

Chapter 2: Moving Fast

He didn't know how long he'd been staring at the ceiling but he couldn't do anything else to distract himself from the young woman lying next to him. Clasping his head in his hands he glanced down as movement caused the covers to slide even further down his waist. He sighed in aggravation at himself for being so stupid. Why did he take her home that night? What made her go with him so willingly? He watched her as she moved again, the covers being pulled to the left as she moved one leg up to a right angled degree. Frowning he found that he couldn't take his eyes off the bare back that was fully on view to him, his eyes skimmed the curvature of her spine before landing on her left hip; through the moonlight shining into his room he couldn't take his eyes off two glistening white scars that seemed to stretch down to her thigh. His breath hitched when he wondered what had happened to cause such a scarring. She moved again, this time turning her head towards him; he watched her face this time, just as her green eyes began fluttering open.

"Hey," her hoarse voice whispered into the silence. He smiled, his hand unconsciously stroking her hair from her face.

"Hey," he gulped unsure of what more he should say to her. She laughed sensing his hesitation.

"It's okay Kelly," she pulled the sheet up to her shoulders before placing her forearm on her pillows and placing her head in her hand. He inwardly questioned her. How could it be okay? They'd only known each other a few months. Sure they hung out most nights, but they were with Shay and Gabriella too, so he was just the fourth wheel right? But she'd just looked so...amazing that night, the way her hair fell down her back in those beachy waves, the tight fit of her short black dress and those red platform shoes that made her already long legs appear even longer. As soon as she walked into the bar he couldn't take his eyes off of her...

"Kelly? Another beer?" Kelly nodded his head at his closest friend Matt Casey. "Quite a shift eh?" Matt was a fellow lieutenant at firehouse 51.

"Aren't they all these days?" Kelly sighed as he thought back on the shifts very difficult save today. Matt gently patted Kelly on the back.

"That they are man." The two men held their beers out and clinked them together, silently thanking the other for their help through the day. "The girls are here," Matt nodded towards the door as he took a sip of his beer.

Kelly waved as he saw Shay walk towards him first, followed closely by Gabriella but it was the woman that followed them that really caught his attention. He'd never seen her in anything other than jeans and her EMT uniform. Her hair was loose around her face, the soft bleached waves dramatically contrasting with the skin tight black dress that clung to her womanly frame and on her feet sat the most dangerously high platform shoes he had ever seen. His eyes were glued to her, even when she had reached the group he couldn't turn his eyes away; nor could he stop the bubbling feeling that was rushing through him.

"Kelly, quit staring!" Shay's slap on the back of his head shook him from his daze. He blushed lightly and smiled at Ria's glowing face.

"You look good," he murmured, standing from the stool on which he sat and indicating to her to hop up onto it instead. Her red lips stretched into a smile as she gratefully sat down; placing the black clutch bag she carried on the bar in front of her.

"Thanks," her black eye lined eyes were trained on him, the green hues darkening as she too, took a moment to skim over the man in front of her. Kelly inwardly swore at Shay as she pulled Ria's attention away from him. He stood awkwardly at Ria's side as she became engrossed in a conversation with the others in the group. As he listened to their conversation he took the time to glance over her again, his breathing hitching in his throat as she crossed her left leg over her right causing the already short dress to rise to dangerous heights. He took a step closer, her shoulder a mere inch away from him, and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Can I get you drink?" His question made her jump slightly and a flush rose from her chest as she realised just how close to her he was. A smirk covered his face as he took notice of the sudden change in her breathing.

"Sure," she smiled causing him to grin back at her.

Thinking back on the night, he was sure it was that smile that caused him to want to take her back to his place that night. That smile never seemed to fade throughout the entire evening at Molly's and neither did his. They talked to each other all night, occasionally responding to any of the others with them but mainly, they focused on each other. And even when she'd come back from the ladies room with Shay and Dawson she didn't sit down on the stool, instead she stood between it and him, their bodies so dangerously close to one another's he could feel the heat emanating from her.

"Don't you think this was too fast?" He questioned, unable to hold it in anymore. A light smile covered her face.

"Are you regretting it?" Her eyes glanced away from his and he felt guilty for making her think that.

"Not at all. I just wondered whether you would." The laugh that came from her shocked and confused him.

"Kelly, I don't do anything I don't want to do," he smiled a small smile. "Besides, look at you." He was the one that laughed this time.

"So, you're not regretting it?" She shook her head and bit her lip leaning forward towards him.

"Nope." She popped the 'p' and placed her lips against his in a sweet kiss. "And it's not too fast, we've known each other three months, we're both consenting adults and..." She bit her lip again and sighed, her eyes glancing down as she took a deep breath. "I like you Kelly."

Ria had always been reserved; even her closest friends from back home didn't know everything about her. But in Chicago, she seemed different, she'd told Shay and Gabi a lot of things without even realising she was saying it. Of course, there were some things she couldn't even unconsciously say.

And then there was Kelly.

A part of her worried about how quickly she was falling for him but then another part of her told her not to worry, that her job proved no one knew what would happen tomorrow. So she was embracing it...and him.

"Hey," she smiled as she leant against the fire engine he was sorting out equipment for. The smile he gave her in return caused those butterflies to start squirming again; something she was now used to. "Did you want to come over after shift?"

He stopped what he was doing and mimicked her stance, crossing his arms across his chest as he smirked down at her. "Depends, what's in it for me?"

"Ria in a naughty fire woman's outfit!" Kelly laughed as Shay called out from her position by the ambo. Ria flushed.

"I'd prefer a naughty nurse...just so you know," he caught her hand as it gently smacked him on the chest, lacing his fingers with her own.

"Kelly," she admonished the flush on her cheeks ever present. "Duly noted," she winked playfully causing a bellowing laugh to escape his lips. "I was thinking, pizza, beer, movie...maybe a bath," his eyes widened and his smirk quickly returned. "Then bed."

"And sex right?" She laughed at him this time. Leaning forward she pecked him lightly on the lips, ignoring the whooping from the fire fighters currently in their vicinity.

"Lots of sex," she whispered against his ear. Pulling away she smirked at him before heading across the lot to the ambo and Shay.

There was something about Chicago and Kelly that had changed her. She was never as flirty in public as she was with Kelly and she never would have kissed her boyfriend in front of those she worked with, especially if she and her boyfriend worked together in the first place. But Kelly made her feel free and she missed feeling that way. It had been a very long time since she felt that way.

"Ria!" Ria shook her head, knocking herself out of her daze. Shay laughed at her. "I asked you how you and Kelly were getting on?"

"Sorry. I'm surprised he hasn't spoken to you about it." She mentioned, grabbing the clipboard from Shay's hand and checking their supplies.

"Bits and bobs," Shay smirked as Ria rolled her eyes. "But I want to know about how you're feeling."

"Why? Has he said something?" Ria's eyebrow cocked accusingly. Shay put her hands up in mock surrender.

"Nothing much...is everything okay?" Shay questioned, slightly worried at Ria's defensiveness.

"Sorry, it's just..." she sighed, sitting in the back of the ambulance. She glanced towards where Kelly was laughing with Casey. "Are we moving too fast?" She turned to Shay with a shrug. "I'm not usually like this, all open and flirty. I'm usually so shy that I can't even talk to men." She paused collecting her thoughts, pleased to have a friend like Leslie. "We haven't even been on a proper date."

Shay smiled lightly. "Sounds to me like he's brought you out of your shell, and that's a good thing. As for moving too fast, no. You said yourself that you were both adults and so what you haven't been on a first date? Every time you're together you're technically on a date, the number doesn't matter." Ria smiled in gratitude. Shay was right; the number of dates they had or hadn't been on didn't matter. That didn't however; stop the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach. Shay seemed to pick up on her uneasiness. "You can talk to me you know," Shay watched as Ria placed a hand to her side, rubbing up and down slightly on her hip. "Is this about your scars...?" Ria's eyes widened at her friend, her hand coming to a halt.

"Did Kelly say something to you?" Her voice held an accusatory bite.

"All he said was you had some scars but hadn't talked about how you got them...I mean, I saw them anyway, in the locker room..." Ria's eyes glazed over and she looked down. "Hey, you don't have to talk about it..." Shay wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"Thanks," was all Ria could murmur in response.

"I'm serious, if you want to talk about it; I'm here, Gabi's here and Kelly's here. We're all here for you, no matter. You're family." Ria genuinely smiled.

"You sound like Kelly."

"It's because he learned it from me."

"Hey you okay? You've been quiet all night." Kelly looked down at Ria who had her head rested gently on his shoulder, his arm around her as they watched a movie.

Ria nodded and closed her eyes, inhaling his scent. "Just tired." She mumbled, sliding lower in her seat.

"Want me to run that bath for you? I promise I won't try and share it with you." He nudged her playfully, pleased when a laugh escaped her lips. She turned to look up at him, her green eyes twinkling.

"That would be amazing." He nodded and removed her from his side. She sighed as she heard him start running the bath water. She couldn't pretend she wasn't falling fast for him anymore but she was afraid of what he might do if she told him. Making her way towards her bathroom she used the elastic band that was constantly on her wrist to tie her hair on top of her head. She smiled watching him mix the bubble bath with the water. "You're quite domesticated aren't you?"

Her rhetorical question made him laugh, the muscles on his back rolling with the movement. "I try." He turned around and sat on the edge of the bath, watching as she removed his hoodie. He sighed. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She frowned, the fingers on her left hand rubbing against her right wrist. He watched her intently, she was anxious about something. "I'm fine." She smiled falsely, starting to remove her minimal makeup.

"You're a terrible liar," her eyes narrowed at him. "Don't look at me like that."

"How would you know if I'm terrible liar, you've only known me five minutes?" She huffed walking away from him and back into her sitting room.

He immediately followed her. "Seriously? We're back there again?"

"Kelly..." she mumbled her fingers rubbing harder at her wrist again.

"I know you more than you realise." Her eyebrow rose. "I'm serious Ria. I don't know what this is really about but it sure as hell isn't about how long we've been together. I know you. I know that you've been anxious since you asked me over here tonight. And how do I know that? Because of this," he grabbed at her right wrist, turning her hand over so her palm was facing upwards. He motioned towards the newly red wrist that was already forming into a bruise. "The only time you snap that damn band against your wrist is when you're anxious and you haven't done that in a long while. So why now? Why today?" He let her wrist drop, his blue green eyes dimming in the light.

"Kelly..."

"You don't have to tell me everything yet Ria. Not once have I forced you into telling me anything from your past and I'm not asking you now but I don't want you to start pushing me away. I want you to hold on now like I am, because...I don't want to lose you..." She melted at his words. "You think that I don't know you but I do...I don't know old facts but I know you." She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his torso. They stood like that for a few minutes before Kelly pushed her back gently. "I need to check on your bath." He smiled at her before heading back to the bathroom. She padded after him and stood in the doorway as he turned the taps off. "I've leave you to it." He placed his lips to her forehead as he headed back to the couch.

Closing the door gently she sighed looking down at the red skin at her wrist. Closing her eyes in annoyance at herself she removed her clothes, placing them in the hamper under the sink. Her eyes focused on the two white scars at her hip as she lightly traced each line with her fingers. Shaking her head and looking away she climbed into the bath, settling down so the water and bubbles almost ran over the edge. She smiled rubbing some bubbles up her arm as she realised he'd run it in just the way she liked. He was right, he did know her. "Kelly!" she called gently.

"Everything okay?" he questioned, lightly tapping on the door.

"Can you come here?" she asked her voice soft. Slowly opening the door he peered into the room, she laughed and used her hand to indicate a 'come here' signal. "Come on!" She giggled as he playfully covered his eyes.

"What?" he questioned, removing his hand and smiling down at her.

"Come talk to me," she whispered, her head tilting to the side. He shrugged and sat down next to the bath, twisting so he could face, he rested his right arm on the bath edge. "I need to tell you something." He grabbed her hand as it lightly splashed in the water. "Shay told me you mentioned to her that I had some scars on my side," she bit her lip as he eyed her intently.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," he shook his head clearly ashamed. She shushed him.

"It's okay; I think if I saw that you had something like that I'd probably question it. But that's not what I want to talk to you about right now." He looked confused and she smiled, taking a deep breath she said the words that had been on her mind all day. "I'm afraid Kelly. I'm insecure, because of...well, because of things," He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "I'm afraid that I'm falling in love with you too quickly." She shrugged, her eyes glazed over. "Because I am, I'm falling in love with you and that's what's been making me anxious and crazy." She shrugged again as embarrassment covered her face.

"That's it?" He questioned laughing lightly. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Laughing again, he turned so he was resting on both of his knees, leaning across the tub. "I thought you'd gone off me or something." She shook her head as she bit her lip shyly. "I'm falling in love with you too y'know?" Her eyes widened as her face covered in a grin. Laughing he leant over her and kissed her. He pulled away and winked playfully at her, his eyes dancing from the end of the tub towards her. "So can I get in now?"

Chapter two all complete. I don't like jumping around so I figured I'd throw the relationship straight in there. Let me know what you think (: