A/N: I just finished writing chapter 29 so now you guys get to read chapter 25! Yay! I'm getting closer to the end! I hope you guys like what I have in mind for it! Also, NEW CF THIS WEEK. YAY!
Happy reading!
angellwings
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: One Day At a Time
Sylvie finally has a car.
She decided it was time that morning when they woke up. The case was almost wrapped up and soon she'd be back in her own place so first priority, in her opinion, should be to be able to get herself where she needed to go. She dragged him down to another dealership and a decision was made before lunch.
Matt laughs softly as Sylvie stands proudly next to her new car.
"I can't believe that after all that test driving we did, you chose yet another silver sedan," he says as he watches her twirl the keys around one of her fingers.
She shrugs and smiles sheepishly. "If it's not broke, don't fix it."
He steps into her space and places his hands on her hips, drawing her closer. "How about we go back to the loft, drop off my truck, and then you drive us to lunch to celebrate. I'll treat."
"Really? You want me to drive?" She asks in disbelief.
He nods and gives her hips a playful squeeze. "You're the one with the new shiny car. I assume you want to show it off."
She beams at him and gives him a quick pecking kiss. "You assume correctly. I love this plan."
Nearly an hour later, they're sitting down at a table and ordering drinks. Sylvie glances down at the menu and immediately decides on a mixed berry salad. Not surprising at all considering her well known sweet tooth. He orders a club sandwich. The booth is tight enough that their knees bump under the table. She throws her new fob for her car - it's one of those fancy press to start cars so there's no key - into her purse and then rests her chin in her hand with a soft contented smile.
"Thank you for coming with me today, Matt," she tells him.
"Wouldn't have missed it," he replies, reaching across the table to take her hand.
"You're the sweetest," Sylvie tells him with a grateful look. "You've been so great through all of this. I don't know how I could ever repay you and Severide."
He shakes his head and narrows his eyes at her. "Stop. There's nothing to repay, Sylvie. You'd do the same for either one of us."
"I'm glad you know that," she says as she squeezes his hand. "Because it's true, I would."
He lifts her hand from the table and kisses her knuckles. "As much as I've loved having you around, I'm relieved that guy's not still out there looking for you. Having you at the loft with us has been great but I'd rather have you safe."
"I know Atwater said it's basically a done deal, but I'm holding my breath until someone calls with the official word," Sylvie admits as she nervously bites her bottom lip. "I don't want to get my hopes up and then be severely disappointed."
"Hey, come on," he says with an encouraging glance. "It's okay to let yourself believe it. Think about this, if they called right now, what would you do?"
She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip, thoughtfully, and after a moment answers him. "Deep clean my poor abandoned apartment. It's been sitting vacant for so long, I can't imagine how much dust is covering that place right now. Oh god, maybe even a few cobwebs-" she cuts herself off and shudders. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to take care of that before Cruz or I even start to move back in."
The conversation is halted by the arrival of their food. He's glad for it because he hates to admit it, but the idea of her leaving the loft has been bumming him out more and more. It's less about the two of them living together and more about scaling back his access to her. It's been all day every day lately and he's enjoyed the hell out of it. He's gotten a little spoiled.
After lunch they head home, but before he can even manage to reach for the car door Sylvie pulls him in for an intrusive series of heated kisses. They're a moment away from taking it too far in a public parking lot when she releases him and then nods toward the door to the building.
"We should take this inside."
Okay, a lot spoiled.
"Hell yes, we should," he agrees.
They shut themselves up in his bedroom and stay there until Severide and Stella get home. He'd have been happy to stay there a lot longer, but Stella comes knocking on his door — yelling for Sylvie.
"One—one second!" Sylvie calls back as she practically breaks her neck trying to scramble out of bed. She blindly grabs the first clothing items she can find and ends up in his boxers and her oversized cardigan and little else.
He sits back in bed and watches the show. There's not a thing wrong with appreciating the view of a naked Sylvie shimmying into his underwear. No matter how exasperated of a glare she gives him. He, personally, has no problem with Stella seeing him in bed in his bedroom. The sheet covers him. It's not a big deal.
Sylvie pulls her cardigan around her tightly and folds her arms across her chest in a flurry of panicked movements. She opens the door ever so slightly, leaving just enough room for her to poke her head out.
"Hi! Hey! What's up?" She asks, her voice pitched up several octaves.
He bites back a laugh and shakes his head at her. She's acting like a teacher caught them behind the bleachers. He honestly doubts Stella would give a shit. Especially considering the way she and Severide persist in having their hands all over each other almost every moment they're off shift.
"Foster texted. She wants to get drinks tonight. Just the girls. You free?" Stella asks. "Or are you...otherwise occupied?"
"Tonight?" She asks. "No, no plans. What time?"
"Leave here around seven?" Stella suggests.
"Sure, I'm in!" Sylvie agrees brightly.
"Great! And I'll let you two get back to it," Stella replies with audible amusement in her tone.
Sylvie closes the door, turns, and immediately checks the time on his alarm clock. "Oh god! It's later than I thought! It's 5:30! I have ninety minutes to get ready and I reek of sex."
"Not the worst odor, all things considered," he quips with a smirk and a snicker.
She playfully rolls her eyes at him, crosses the room to kiss him, and then grabs her shower kit. "I need to shower, do something with my hair, and pick out an outfit. Gotta cut this short for now."
"I'll shower with you," he offers as he wags his brows at her suggestively.
"Uh, no," she laughingly disagrees. "I need to take a quick shower and if you come with me it will not be quick. You stay here. That's an order."
"You're giving me an order?" He asks, grinning broadly.
"What? Like it's the first time I've ever done that?" She asks with a cheeky smile. She tosses a wink over her shoulder as she leaves his room and heads for the hall bathroom. He laughs lightly as he watches her go.
God, he loves her.
He freezes. That's the first time he's ever let himself think that. He's kept himself from using that four letter word, even in his head. But there's no use holding back now. He loves her.
He loves her like he's never loved anyone before.
And he's not scared. Or even shocked, really. Because it's Sylvie. Of course he loves Sylvie. He's thought it before and he'll keep thinking it. Everything that's happening with Sylvie just makes good goddamn sense. They fit. She's easy to talk to. He wants to see her happy more than he wants anything else in the world. Having her on his side makes him feel like he can overcome any odds, weather any storm. He wants her in his life on a permanent basis. He loves her. That's all there is to it. It's an irrefutable law of the universe now. As basic as gravity.
Sylvie comes back smelling like a tropical paradise with her hair blow dried and straightened but still only wearing a towel. They switch places. He showers while she changes clothes. As he's stepping out, he spots Stella standing in his bedroom doorway — looking into the room.
"I'm telling you," Stella says with a quirked brow. "Go with the wedges. I do not want to end up carrying your drunk ass which is what will happen if you choose the strappy stilettos."
"But the strappy ones make my legs look longer," Brett pouts.
"Girl, have you seen your legs? They're plenty long enough as it is," Stella tells her with a teasing eye roll.
"I second that," he adds, walking passed Stella into his room. "You don't need anything to make them look longer. They're pretty damn perfect."
Stella nods and smirks at him. "It's the spin classes."
"Never gonna try them myself but I gotta admit I have a brand new appreciation for them," he declares, winking at Brett as she looks up from her feet with a light blush on her cheeks.
"Alright, I'll go with the wedges," she agrees with a chuckle.
She glances down at her watch and frowns. "I still have to work on my face." She glares at Stella with feigned jealousy. "How are you already done and ready to go?"
Stella points to her hair pulled up and out of her face. "I didn't bother trying to straighten this nest. Cuts down on my prep time considerably."
"Okay, give me twenty minutes," Sylvie says as she shoos Stella from the room and shuts the door behind her. Once the door is closed, she spins on her one shoed foot and wraps both arms around him. "Well, hello, Freshly Showered Matt."
He laughs and presses her further against his bare chest by folding his arms around her waist. "Hello," he repeats with a broad smile.
"You smell really good right now. Like...I don't know-like the woods after a heavy rain or something. Ugh, I love it," she confesses as her fingers slip into his damp hair.
Christ, she's adorable. "The woods after a heavy rain, huh?"
"Mhmm," she says as her eyes roam hungrily over his face and his shoulders. "You should kiss me before I put on my lipstick."
"Aren't you in a hurry?" He asks with a smug grin.
"Please, it's Foster, she'll be at least twenty minutes late. We have time."
Well, she knows Foster better than he does. Who is he to argue with that?
It's nearly forty minutes later, twice what she promised Stella, when Brett emerges from his bedroom in a little black dress and matching black wedge heels. He understands she likes the stilettos better, but he prefers the wedges with the delicate strap around her ankle. It draws his attention to her well toned calf muscles - the ones she earned in those spin classes they talked about. She looks good - gorgeous, in fact - and he's almost tempted to invite himself along. Girls night or not.
She kisses his cheek and then rubs the lipstick smudge off with her thumb. "I'll be back later."
He nods. "Call me if you need me. I'll be here."
When the door shuts behind Stella and Sylvie, Severide steps up beside him and holds out two cigars. "Looks like it's just us."
Matt smirks and takes one of the cigars from him. "Looks like it."
They head to the roof and sit in a couple of rickety old lawn chairs, bundled up in coats and hats. It's been a while since they'd had time to sit and smoke and talk. He's missed it, even if he'll never admit it outloud.
"So," Severide says with a grin. "Things with Brett seem to be going well."
"Yeah, they are," he says with a soft smile. "The case is almost wrapped up, she's a couple of shifts from being back on full duty - pretty soon she'll be back in her place with Cruz. Everything's getting back to normal."
His tone changed on the second half of that answer. He heard it but he couldn't prevent it. The more he thinks about Sylvie leaving the more he worries. He's gotten too attached too quickly. If this had happened without her living with them he doubts her going out for a night with Foster and Kidd would cause him to feel this out of sorts. Even now, he's tempted to text her and ask how it's going. They've barely been gone half an hour. He knows he'll be waiting eagerly for her to get home for the rest of the night - always half distracted from spending time with his own friend. That's not fair to anyone. Not himself, Brett, or even Severide.
"You don't sound like you're looking forward to 'normal'," Severide observes.
"I'm not. Which isn't fair to Sylvie," he admits. "I don't begrudge her getting her life or her independence back, but I just…"
"You want her around all the time?" Kelly asks with a knowing smirk. "So you can watch her back. If she goes out, you wanna go out - to keep an eye on her. To look out for her. Not to mention, you like yourself better when you're around her and you want to hold on to that. Am I right?"
Casey blinks at him in shock. "Yeah, that's exactly-" He shakes his head and then aims a furrowed brow at him. "How did you know that?"
He shrugs and leans back further in his chair. "Been there. Stella lived here before you did, remember?"
"I totally forgot about that," he says. "She moved out when you started dating, didn't she?" Severide nods, but doesn't offer any more information so Casey asks. "How did you deal with that?"
"One day at time," he answers. "I tried to find things to distract me. I kept myself busy so I didn't spend all my time crowding her space. First time in my life, I was ready for more before my partner." Kelly laughs at himself. "It figures that would happen with Stella, who's not in any particular rush. I had to choose to take a conscious step back to give her what she needed. It was hard as fuck. I hated it."
"But you did it," Casey says with a small grin.
He's always respected Kelly, but if possible he respects him even more now. He's put hard work into his relationship with Stella and it's paid off. He also realizes, like he hasn't before, that Severide has staked his entire future in Stella Kidd. He's glad for it. She's been good for him. She makes him happier than he's seen him with anyone else, and Severide deserves that.
"I did it," he says. "For Stella. Because there's no way in hell I'm ever letting her go. Whatever I need to do to keep her, I'll do it. No question about it."
"So, then your advice would be...what? Take it one day at a time?"
He nods. "Yeah, that and get back to work. I'm sure you have construction jobs you've been slacking on for her, right?" Matt doesn't speak or nod or move. He doesn't really want to admit to it. He's normally very responsible but Kelly's right. He's been slacking lately. Severide takes his nonresponse as a confirmation and scoffs through a dry chuckle. "I knew it. Stop slacking and start working. That oughta do the trick. Or I don't know - how long has it been since you saw Christie and Violet? Been to the gym? You know, the things you used to do all the time before the wreck. Do those things, get back to your old routine. If you do that then I'm pretty certain that'll give Brett time to get her normal routine back too. And, take it from me, don't wait till she's moved back to her place to start. It makes it worse."
Casey takes in a deep breath and nods slowly. "Thanks."
"Anytime," Kelly promises. "Besides, I like the two of you together. She gives just as much as you do. You need that. You need someone who invests in you the way you invest in them. And...you've been a totally different guy these last few weeks. Lighter, less brooding. It's been nice." Severide laughs when Matt tosses him a withering glare. "Yeah, man, face it. You brood."
"Maybe, I brood," Matt admits. "But you do too."
"That's fair," he replies with a snort.
Severide is absolutely right. Sylvie wants her life to get back to normal. She's made that clear. For her life to get back to normal then his does too. But he doesn't want to start weaning himself off of her out the blue. There's no telling how Sylvie would interpret that if he didn't talk to her about it first. He'll have to let her know what's going on in his head. His knee jerk reaction to that is to think she'll react badly and try to find a way to deal with it on his own. That's what he's used to. But Kelly was also right about something else…
He and Sylvie have invested equally in this relationship so far. They've been honest with each other, even when it was hard, and each time she's surprised him with care and understanding above all else. There's historically no reason for him to think she'll be anything less than supportive.
So, decision made, he'll talk to her when she gets home tonight.
He's sure it'll be awkward, but he knows this is what she needs from him right now - even if she hasn't asked for it yet.
Once they've had enough of the cold night air, he takes Severide's advice to heart and busies himself by finishing up a couple of bids for simple home renovations. Finding work in winter isn't easy so there's no reason he should be procrastinating on the two new jobs that have managed to come his way. It also keeps him from checking in on Sylvie and the girls. They're fine. Besides, they're all three extremely capable. If anything happens he knows they are more than able to take care of it.
He's finalizing the second bid when he hears the front door open. Two loud laughs break the silence and echo toward his room. He peeks his head out the door to find a flushed face Sylvie doubled over in a booming laugh. He chuckles, unable to resist at least a small laugh in light of hers, and leans against his doorframe.
"Have fun?" He asks them.
"So much!" Sylvie replies with bright wide eyes and a sunny smile.
"Foster drank this one asshole under the table and then stole his date," Stella informs him with a snicker. "It was epic."
"Guy never saw it coming!" Sylvie exclaims with a dramatic wave of her arm. Stella sways slightly to avoid being hit. "He also totally deserved it. He was a complete dick."
"Complete," Stella agrees with an emphatic nod.
"Foster drank someone under the table?" Kelly asks as he emerges from his room.
He and Casey share a knowing amused look.
Matt swallows back a laugh. "Either of you try to keep up?"
"I did!" Stella exclaims, raising her hand proudly. "My ass is drunk!"
"My ass is just tipsy," Sylvie offers with a giggle that rings. It reminds him of Christmas bells. "I have learned my lesson with Foster."
"Both of your asses need water," Kelly tells them with a muted chuckle. "And Stella's ass needs to sleep off the rest of it."
Sylvie suddenly lets out a blast or rolling laughter with an adorable snort to break up one peel of laughter from the next. She braces herself with an arm around Kidd as she speaks in between guffaws.
"We're using the word 'ass' a lot. Like a lot," she explains.
And just like that he knows tonight is not the night for a serious talk. She's not quite drunk, but she's too close for his liking. Kelly heads to the kitchen, grabs two bottles of water, and hands one to Stella and then Sylvie. Severide leads Kidd away into his room, leaving Matt and Sylvie alone in the living room.
"Are you really not drunk?" He asks her skeptically.
She opens the bottle of water easily and then holds the lid and the bottle in separate hands. She holds them out to him as if showing him proof.
"I am really not drunk," she assures him. "Couldn't have done that if I was drunk. Well, I could have but the water would not have stayed in the bottle."
He snorts and chuckles quietly. "Proof enough for me."
"It's a shame I'm not though. If I'm not drunk I can't accidentally trip and have you catch me, can I?" She asks with a coy smile.
"Maybe not, but you don't have to," Matt tells her, smiling widely. "If you want my arms around you then all you have to do is get over here."
"Excellent point," she replies, a moment before she sprints toward him.
He grunts as she collides against him and puffs out a hoarse laugh. Pressing her face into the curve of his neck while her arms wind around him tightly, she takes a big sniff with a happy hum.
"You still smell like the woods after a heavy rain, by the way. Even when not freshly showered."
"Good to know," he replies with a fond smile.
She pulls back to look at him and he knows what she's up to the minute her eyes linger too long on his lips. Her mouth finds his at the same time her hands dive under his sweater. She backs them into his room as she pulls the sweater up and over his head. He's gently shoved away while she takes a moment to shut and lock his bedroom door.
When she faces him again she's wearing a wolfish smirk. She turns to the side and brushes a hand down the side of her dress.
"I'm not too far gone to open a bottle of water, but I do seem to be having trouble finding my zipper." Her tongue peeks out and wets her lips before an enticing smile overtakes her face. "A little help?"
"Uh, yeah—yeah," he stammers as he clumsily reaches for the tiny dangling zipper tab. "Happy to."
Jesus, this is hardly the first time they've done this but she still makes his heart race and mouth go dry every fucking time.
He sincerely doubts that will change. Nor does he ever want it to.
