It had been two days since Jay and Hailey's fateful incident. Since then, the good news is that Intelligence was able to put a stop to the illegal escort service. The bad news, the two of them have hardly spoken since the other day, both having no idea what to say. Tonight, the crew is celebrating the arrests at a local cop tavern. Jay and Kevin are sitting at the far right corner of the bar, followed by Antonio, Kim, Hailey, and Adam diagonally across from them at the front side of the bar. The mood is jubilant, with the exception of Jay and Hailey both seeming a bit out of it. The crew were all on headset to hear the "kissing fiasco," but no one dared to broach the subject with either of them. Everyone all well aware by now that the two partners are stubborn, and would have to work their unrequited feelings out for themselves.
"Come on guys, this night calls for a round of shots! Why does the old man have to be the one to say it?" Antonio bursts out while everyone is casually sipping their beers.
"You buying?" Keving asks.
"Of course, first ones on me!" Antonio flags the bartender over and orders.
The shots arrive and everyone in close proximity clinks their glasses together. Kevin, Jay, Adam, and Hailey lift theirs up in cheers to each other, being the furthest away. While doing so, Hailey and Jay share a nod and lock eyes quickly, before everyone pounds the liquor. The conversations carry on. Jay occasionally chimes in with his side of the bar, but overall is keeping to himself, slowly sipping his beer each time. Hailey is even quieter, staring into her drink mostly, while picking the paper off the bottle. Adam is having a joking conversation with Kim across Hailey's back. For a while, no one is paying attention that two of their buddies aren't as celebratory as the rest. It's when Adam catches Hailey give Jay a quick glance while he looks down at his beer and won't notice her looking, that he decides to say something.
Adam leans his head down and quietly asks her, "Hey, you alright? You're awfully quiet."
Hailey gives him a small smile, "Yea, I'm fine."
"That's really interesting, cause Jay's being awfully quiet as well."
"Well, I have no idea. Why don't you ask him? I'm not his keeper." she retorts.
Adam sits back and smirks. "You see, I would… but, normally at an outing like this, you guys would be right next to each other, but tonight he's oddly so far away."
"I wasn't aware we needed to have assigned seats, Adam."
"Gosh Hayley, y'know what I miss most about us sleeping together?... Your sarcasm." He winks down at her.
She chuckles back. "I'm sorry; I'm just not in the mood tonight."
"Listen Hailey, I wasn't going to say anything, but somebody has to knock some sense into you."
She stops peeling her bottle and looks over at him, slight confusion on her face, "I don't know what you mean?"
"I'm not stupid. I know you didn't end things with us because you were scared it was hurting Kim more than she let on… you were more concerned it was hurting someone else. Frankly, it's become blatantly obvious to everyone, BUT the two of you!"
She snaps her head back to look at her beer so he can't read her face. "I don't know what you're talking about. Kim's my friend; of course I didn't want to hurt her. As for Jay, why should he care who I'm sleeping with, he told me he was fine with us…" she pauses for a second, calculating her thoughts. "And what do you mean, 'it's become obvious?' What has?"
Adam shakes his head, clearly getting annoyed that she's so stubborn. While this is all going on, Jay has now noticed how close the two of them are talking from across the bar, and is staring intently, his jaw clenching. He brings the beer to his lips and takes a hard swallow.
Kevin halts his joking with Antonio and Kim as he senses Jay tense to his left.
"Hey man?… Hey?… Earth to Jay?" Kevin takes his bottle and clinks it to Jay's on the bar, trying to snap him out of it. Jay shakes his head, like he was in a trance and turns to Kevin.
"Huh? What? Sorry man, were you saying something?"
"Yea, just wanna know if everything is okay? You kinda drifted off there, and seem down tonight."
"What? Yea, nah man, I just spaced out for a second, sorry. What are you guys talking about?"
"We were just discussing how pissed Antonio was when you guys called him old the other night. So Kim pointed out how she's only a little over a decade older than Eva." Kevin addresses the four of them, laughing along with Kim and Antonio.
"Yea, I told them it was rough becoming a father at the age of 5, but someone has to make the World Record books!" Antonio jokes, and Kevin and Kim crack up. Jay chuckles along slightly, but is still looking over at Hailey and Adam, still engrossed in their conversation, from the corner of his eye.
Once he's certain Kevin has focused back on the group conversation, Jay turns back to his beer and starts to take gulp after gulp. He finishes and continues on looking across the way, rolling his eyes to himself. He's pissed he's getting this jealous, it's especially troubling him that he can't hide it that well anymore. He decides he needs to do the one thing he's good at with his emotions – bury them, and the easiest way to do so- out of sight, out of mind. He stands up and puts his hand on Kevin's shoulder.
"Yea, actually man, I'm not feeling so hot tonight. I think I'm gonna head home and rest." Kevin turns to face Jay as he says this and catches Jay looking over at Hailey again.
Kevin gives him a knowing nod. "Yea bro, alright. Feel better, we'll see you tomorrow!" he hesitates a second before speaking again, but thinks fuck it! "Y'know they're just friends now, right?"
Jay gives him a glaring, questioning look. "What?"
Kevin shakes his head. "Never mind bro, get some rest!" Jay just nods back.
Jay gives a wave to everyone and says, "Good Night," quickly walking out of the bar before anyone can question or stop him. Hailey watches him leave sadly, staring at the tavern door for long seconds before Adam interrupts her thoughts again.
"Goddamnit Hailey! If you don't leave and go talk to Jay right now, so help me I'm going to drag you and drive you myself!"
Hailey shakes her head somberly. "And say what exactly?"
"Tell him how you feel!"
She takes a deep sigh. "We're partners, Adam. There are just some lines that shouldn't be crossed."
"The high-horse attitude doesn't work anymore, Hailey. You slept with me for months, you can't play that card anymore… it's not lines you're scared to cross… it's your heart you're scared to lose. I'm too giving with mine, and you're too afraid to even let go of a sliver of yours. But you're also too stubborn to realize you already have... So is he! PLEASE, end this cycle."
Hailey sits there for a moment, digesting everything he's just said. She knows Adam's right, and she knows it's time to admit it. She inhales and lets out a heavy sigh, then stands up to put her jacket on.
"Adam, so help me, if you're wrong about this, just remember how many guns I own!" she smiles at him.
He leans back in his chair and puts up his arms in defense, just patiently smirking at her.
"Okay…" She finally makes up her mind wholly and nods her head at him in appreciation. With that, she walks out determined, waving goodbye to everyone on her way.
Kim turns to Adam and shares a look… he smiles at her in confirmation of what he knows she's thinking.
"OH MY GOD, FINALLY! I thought those two would never wake up!" Kim yells out triumphantly. The boys smile in relief with her and all cheers their beers. Antonio flags the bartender over again.
"Another round of shots, please!"
Jay has only been home for less than ten minutes when he hears a knock at his door. Totally clueless who it could be at this hour, he peers into the peephole and sees its Hailey. Confused, but heart bursting, he opens the door.
"Hailey, what are you doing here…"
Jay can barely get the words out as she storms past him and into the kitchen a couple feet away. He stares at her and follows, now more confused than ever. She knows she's going to need liquid courage to get through this, so she opens his fridge and pulls out two beers. With her jacket on, she turns around to hand him one, still not uttering a word. She twists her cap off and gulps down a few big sips. Jay raises his eyebrow at her and chuckles slightly to himself.
When she finally feels she's worked up her nerve enough she decides to talk and act. Thinking that saying and doing what got this ball rolling would bring it all full-circle. She puts her beer on the counter and finally looks up at Jay. She gives him one of her many only reserved for him hesitant looks and almost-formulated speech that stops-right-as-it-hits-her-tongue-second-guesses. Instead of stopping her thoughts completely this time and rethinking her jumbled thoughts that eclipse her moments with Jay, she goes all out.
"Kiss me!" she says so nonchalantly and simplistically, just like he did the other night.
It's now Jay's turn to look down at her in shock. "Whaaa…" he manages to get out saying before she grabs his neck and pulls him down to her level.
Hailey hesitates a second longer than he did two days ago, but quickly kisses him without much warning just as he did to her. Jay takes a beat to process what's happening, before he quickly puts his beer on the counter so he can wrap both arms around Hailey's waist. He's determined to kiss her properly this time, in case this is a fluke and his last chance to. Hailey's relieved once he's kissing her back and wraps her arms around his neck. The kiss goes on for longer than the one at the club, especially since there's no Antonio or wire tapping's this time to interrupt. It's only when they feel they've run out of air that they break apart. They both smile silently at each other for a long time, not wanting to destroy the moment.
Jay is the first to speak, starting with a joke, not knowing how far to test the waters. "So, did you see someone you recognized too, in the middle of my kitchen?"
Hailey laughs and pulls apart from him slightly. "I think it's time we talk about us…"
"Well, Upton, I think that's the understatement of the year at this point, but so us. Maybe you should take your jacket off first." He lets her go so she can unfasten the winter off of her.
"Don't get any ideas, Halstead!" she jokes with him as she shrugs the coat off her shoulders.
"Honestly, my heart is racing, no one has ever taken a coat off this erotically for me before!" he smiles with her.
"Oh, this is going to be a fun convo!"
"Yea, yes it is."
She turns to the counter to look at their beers and suddenly feels like the alcohol content won't be enough.
"Should we make drinks that are a little strong… "
Her words get cut off as Jay puts his hands on her face and kisses her again, he couldn't stop himself. Hmm, this is better than alcohol anyway, she thinks, and wraps her arms back around him. He slowly starts backing her down the hallway as they continue to kiss. She knows it's the hall that leads to his bedroom, and she actually feels utter relief and joy for once. While both of them are better opening up to each other about their feelings and emotions than they are with others, they're still not great at it, especially now that it involves them. She decides they can talk in the morning. As Jay maneuvers them into his room without breaking apart, his hands accidentally grazes under Hailey's shirt, and she shivers. Ok, the afternoon, they can talk in the afternoon… she has long plans for tonight…
[A/N: Wow, thanks so much for the positive response to this simple story. Here's an epilogue like I promised. It can definitely stand alone, but hopefully I'll add a 3rd chapter for a full-circle conclusion soon ;) Glad to share the Upstead love with all of you!]
