Prompt #25: "You think I'm dumb enough to fall for that stupid move?"
It was a couple days until Christmas and also what the Intelligence Unit was hoping was their last case before a few days off. For Jay the shift was now ending with a trip to the emergency room for him again, with a very angry Hailey by his side. They had been chasing two low-level drug handlers with Patrol in hot pursuit as well. Jay and Hailey had been the closest and gaining traction to them as the other officers had rolled up the one offender with the gun and were in the process of cornering the other. Jay, never known for his patience or back-down, wanted to make sure they didn't lose the second guy, so he leaped across to tackle him from the side alley. Which earned him a blade partially through his vest as the suspect tried to fight him off before Hailey and another officer came upon them. Luckily, the vest had protected him adequately, but the knife had still cut through enough that he was bleeding and needed the trip to the hospital to get stitched up. Once Hailey's worry had subsided at the scene after seeing he was overall okay, she became livid. She waited until Will assessed his brother's damage to lay it on Jay.
"What the hell were you thinking?" she softly seethed in the small, semi-open ER room, knowing a pulled curtain would do nothing to squelch the sound of an argument.
Jay looked at her cluelessly. "I was apprehending the suspect."
"Why? You knew Patrol had it covered, they called it out to us. Why couldn't you just wait?"
"I didn't want him to escape. I knew they caught the guy with the gun, how was I supposed to known this one had a blade on him ready to go? Or that it'd make it through my vest?"
"That's exactly the point. You didn't! You didn't know if he had a gun either. You didn't think, you just reacted. How many times do we have to do this?"
"Hailey, he just nicked me a little. Will even said it won't need stiches, just some glue. You can have my abdomen scar-free to stare at again in a few days." He tries to tease her.
"This isn't funny, Jay. Do you know what it's like for me to worry about you every time something like this happens? And now that we're together…" she closes her eyes and tries to fight back the emotions and tears. "…it's just too scary thinking about losing you so often."
He tries to reach for her hand. But she pulls back. He speaks softer to her now. "I know, I'm sorry. But it's part of the job."
"Not recklessness, Jay. That's not. You don't see the rest of us constantly having to be patched up."
She sighs in frustration and Jay is about to try again to calm her when Will comes back in. Sensing even more tension than before between the two, he eyes them back and forth.
"Sorry, did I interrupt something? I can wait to glue up this knucklehead." He tries to break the ice.
"No, now's great. I'm gonna go pull the car around." She smiles politely at Will as she walks away without even a look back to Jay.
"Ouch. Somebody's in trouble!" Will jokes.
"Shutup!" Jay says irritably as his brother starts to patch him up.
"I'm assuming she's not thrilled you earned yourself another trip to the hospital?"
Jay scoffs. "Your assumption would be correct."
"Well, she's not wrong." Will starts than raises his hands from his patchwork in defense when he sees the death glare Jay gives him. "I'm just saying, you have been injured a lot… maybe try being a little more careful. You have a lot to lose now, right?"
Jay nods his head slightly, biting his lip, catching Will's meaning. "I do."
"Plus, you need to fix this with Hailey and make her chipper again because she promised me she was making ham for dinner tomorrow. You know how much I love ham!" Will grins.
"You're such an idiot." Jay rolls his eyes at his brother, glad that he's just about done. Although at this point he's not sure what he'd rather deal with- his hatred of hospitals or his fear of Hailey's wraths.
The ride home is deathly silent. Jay doesn't even bother broaching the subject again because he knows Hailey well enough to know she has to simmer for a bit. To make matters worse, it's the annual Christmas Eve-Eve party at Molly's that they had already RSVP'd to. As well as the rest of their team and a bunch of their other friends. Thanks to the unexpected hospital run, they're already running slightly behind. Jay stays out of the way and leaves well enough alone to let Hailey get ready in the bedroom. He grabs a fresh button down once she's in the shower and freshens up in their spare bathroom before plopping on the couch and nursing a beer. This is not how he envisioned the start of their holidays going. A few minutes later he hears the shower turn off and soon after she comes out wearing a casual black dress with her red leather jacket draped over it and just enough makeup to be apparent. She looks gorgeous and he just wants to wrap her in his arms and spend the night at home getting in her good graces again. But he knows that's not possible with their stupid commitment to this party. She gives him a small smile at his awed look and he hopes maybe he's out of the doghouse.
"You look beautiful!" he tells her as he stands from the couch.
"Thanks." She quietly responds as she's putting her earrings in.
"Can we talk some more?" he asks.
"Jay, I don't want to get into this again before the party. We're already late." She sighs sadly.
He walks over to her and wraps his arms around her, pulling her back into his chest; pleased that she's at least not pulling away. "Okay. But you know I love you, right? I want to be with you for as long as I can, I promise."
"I know, I love you too. That's the problem." She gently pulls away from him. "Come on, we gotta go."
The ride over is amicable, filled with small talk to pass the time. Jay tells her how excited Will is for her ham tomorrow, which earns him a laugh at least. When they arrive, their coworkers are definitely already a few in. The bar is packed but they spot them in a back-corner table. Platt and Kim already look tipsy, while Adam and Kevin are goofing off as usual, and even Voight is nursing a drink in amusement in the corner.
"Yo Jay, I heard they had to glue your abs shut, too bad it wasn't your mouth, amiright?" Adam yells jokingly once they spot them and walk closer.
"Yeah, you joke, Ruz, our boy already had abs of steel, now he'll have a scar, chicks dig scars. We need the single ladies digging on us. Never take your shirt off when we're around!" Kevin jokes and punches Jay's arm.
"I'll try to remember that." Jay manages to chuckle as Kim starts to squeal and run around the table.
"HAILEY!" she yells as she wraps her in a hug while Platt walks around too.
"Come on, Tweedledees, shots! You're behind!" Trudy says signaling for them to go up to the bar with her.
"Jay's good. He's the one driving tonight, but I'm all yours!" Hailey responds as she starts walking away with Trudy and Kim.
"She's still mad at you, huh?" Adam asks Jay.
"Oh yeah." Jay nods at the guys.
Voight shrugs at him and smiles. "You're not a cat, Jay. You don't have nine lives. The sooner you learn that the better."
"Yeah, thanks Sarge."
"Meowww!" Kevin jokes as he makes a paw motion with his hand. They all crack up.
Before the girls return, Adam tells Jay and Voight how he and Kevin brought some spare mistletoe with them in case they came across any flirty ladies.
"Christmas Party Move 101!" he grins.
Voight groins jokingly. "I think it's time for me to go."
The girls come back, Hailey returning with a beer for him and one for her, and her cheeks looking pleasantly rosier. Making it quite obvious they did at least a couple of shots in their time away. She seems in brighter spirits now that she's around their friends, but definitely still cold shouldering him a bit. They spend most of the time apart as she continues to hang with the girls and Jay stays back by the guys. At some point the girls start dancing, along with some of the girls from Firehouse 51, to remixed holiday classics. The whole scenario just quite hilarious in and of itself, and Jay really starts to miss not getting to spend this time with Hailey. Even though he's not much a dancer he signals to her with pleading eyes to move with him to where the couples had gathered to dance.
She eyes him suspiciously when she looks up and he notices what she honed in on. They're now conveniently standing just a foot away from where mistletoe is hanging.
"You think I'm dumb enough to fall for that stupid move? I'm not that drunk!" she folds her arms at him.
Hearing Hailey's stern, with a hint of teasing voice makes Adam and Kevin start paying attention to the couple. They turn to look at each other and then grin evilly, as if reading the other's mind.
"Halstead, check your pocket!" Adam yells. Jay looks at him odd, but sure enough reaches in his pocket to pull out one of Adam's mistletoe gadgets.
"Hey Hailey, Catch!" Kevin yells as he chucks another at Hailey and she rolls her eyes as it hits her dress and falls to the floor.
Jay smiles at his friends, happy for the assist. "No, but they clearly do. C'mon, you don't want to be a grinch and disappoint them, do you?" he puts his hands around her waist and gives her his puppy-dog eyes.
"I hate you all!"
She says it smiling, so Jay takes it as his cue to go for it. He pulls her closer and kisses her, putting every ounce of emotion and apology and yearning into the kiss. They're not normally ones for PDA's, but if this will get him out of the doghouse, he's going to put his all into it. It also helps that Hailey has consumed a bunch of alcohol at this point, so they both lose track of time and whereabouts. It's not until they hear the whistles that they pull apart. Now slightly embarrassed, he guides her more towards the side where it's quieter.
"This does not give you the all-clear to continue to be reckless and get shot or stabbed!" she reiterates her points from earlier once she catches her breath again.
"I know, I know. I promise I'll be more careful. I swear! Believe it or not you're not the only one who's lectured me today. I get it. And you had every right to be mad. I don't know what I'd do if the roles were reversed. I'd lose my mind with worry!" he assures her.
"I'm glad you understand."
"I do. But just to be extra safe, maybe we should start wrapping me in gift wrap. You know, extra cushion AND the perfect present." He grins and winks at her.
"Hmm, the 'perfect present,' huh? So who gets to unwrap you?" she twines her arms tighter around his neck.
"It better be you because I don't want Ruz or Kev anywhere near me!"
"I do love getting to open a gift early. Come on, let's go home!" she pulls back from him and grabs his hand to follow her before stopping short and whispering seductively in his ear. "And bring the mistletoe!"
She laughs at the reaction on his face she teasingly triggered and starts making her way out the door. Jay manages to finally close his mouth in time to turn around to the guys and give two thumbs up. He then runs to catch up with Hailey.
"See, I told ya chicks dig scars, bro!" Kevin shrugs to Adam as they make their way back to the bar to continue partying the rest of the night. Oh, what a Festivus it is.
[A/N: Just a quick Christmas faire prompt. Wasn't sure I'd have the motivation to write it in time, but glad I got something out. Wishing you all a Happy Holidays and tremendous New Year. Thanks for all of your kind reviews and reading, always.
* Prompts to request are at the end of the first chapter.]