A/N: Hello! I am so sorry on the wait on this update. Ryan and I both have had a lot going on, but we are excited for you all to get to read this one!

Thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter, y'all are the besT! If you have a minute, we would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, so, please drop a review! I hope you are all staying safe! Enjoy!

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So, You Brought Out The Best Of Me; A Part Of Me I've Never Seen

Chapter Fourteen:

Gabby pushes her hair behind her ear as she looks into the mirror on her locker door, making any attempt to calm down her unruly curls. Shaking her head she looks back into her backpack for a scrunchy, ultimately deciding this to be her best course of action.

She slips the scrunchy on her wrist before hanging her backpack up and grabbing for her English book, tucking it under her arm she goes to close her locker door but pauses, jumping slightly as her eyes lock with blue ones through her mirror. A smile soon filling her face as she quickly realizes who it is, the blue eyes she knew by heart a dead give away.

"Matt, hey." She turns around slowly, meeting his timid smile.

The two of them having not spent as much time together over the weekend as they normally would, Gabby well aware it likely had to do with the date Matt had overheard her making on Friday afternoon. While they had text regularly throughout Saturday and Sunday, they made no mention of her date, the two of them carrying on with their normal conversation, but it was not lost on her that Matt had spent at least one day of the weekend with her for nearly two months now. The two of them becoming inseparable since the school year began, but even more so over the past few months. She would be lying if she said she had not missed him the past couple of days.

"Hey, Gabs." He says softly, matching her own smile. She watches as he shifts nervously, and her brow quirks up in interest. "How was your weekend?" He finally asks and she bites back a smirk at how clearly uncomfortable he was right now.

"It was fine. Nothing much… My dad asked where you were though." She laughs lightly, "I think he missed his hockey buddy." She jokes.

Matt smirks, "Well, I did miss Ramon too." He jokes back, earning an unimpressed look from the short brunette as she scoffs at his words. A beat of silence passes between them and Matt finally asks the question that had been on the tip of his tongue since he saw her. "So, uh… how was your date?"

He tries his best to ask casually, but he is fighting off his own eye-roll at the way it comes out, already regretting the question and ready to take it back when Gabby shrugs.

"It was fine. Nothing special." She says simply.

Matt's eyes widen, and he swallows thickly, trying to calm the hope that floods his system. "Oh?" He questions, unable to form any other coherent thought.

Gabby nods, shrugging once more. "I mean, Adam is great, but we are better as friends." She continues. Matt nodding along at her words, biting back the smile that so desperately wants to come through. His mind had been left racing all weekend, fully anticipating to see Gabby today and have her telling him she had a new boyfriend, his worst fear. The relief that is coursing through him at her words being the exact opposite is one he can't quite comprehend.

"I, uh, I'm sorry Gabby." He finally responds.

She is quickly shaking her head, "It's fine. Really, I'm good, Casey." She tells him, the two of them sharing a quick smile as they lean up against the lockers. "So, how are you feeling? Big Homecoming game on Friday, hotshot." She teases, a full-blown grin filling Matt's features.

"I'm ready. First homecoming as starting quarterback and we are going to be kicking South Central's ass on Friday night." He gloats, Gabby matching his grin.

"Well, you better. You know, my whole job on Friday night's being good or bad completely rides on your shoulders." She tells him, her face serious, "No pressure." She finishes, sending him a wink.

Matt runs his tongue along his teeth, smirking as he shakes his head. "Good to know you will be holding every loss this season against me." He jokes back.

Shrugging Gabby smiles, "Sorry, Case. I mean, if you keep it up like you have been then we should be good."

Casey shakes his head at her antics, "Well then if for no other reason then to make your job easier, I will do my best to win it for you, Ms. Dawson."

The brunette struggles to bite back a smirk, the two of them grinning brightly at each other as a beat of silence passes between them.

Matt shifts nervously as he works up the nerve to ask her something he had planned to ask her last Friday, but the news of her date had stopped him. He had given up hope over the weekend, but Gabby's words this morning had given him the confidence once more.

"So, uh... I was thinking… or wondering, really…" Gabby raises a brow as she watches him struggle to get out his words, shifting nervously on his feet. "I uh, was wondering if you'd want to wear my jersey on Friday?" He finally questions.

Gabby does her best to hide the near giddiness that courses through her. The cheerleaders wearing the guys' away jerseys for homecoming is a long-standing tradition. The guys normally ask the cheerleaders to wear theirs as a sign of support throughout the homecoming activities on Friday, as well as during the game. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been hoping Matt would ask her.

Matt's eyes widen as he watches her stand there, unsure of where her head is at until she is smiling brightly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before she finds her words. "Yeah, uh. Yes. Of course." She finally stutters out, taking a calming breath before she continues. "I'd love to, Matt."

He doesn't bother to hide his growing smile as he nods. "Great." He settles on the two of them sharing one more smile before the bell is ringing and they are walking to their first class together. Both of them riding on a newfound high.

Stella and Kelly walk into the lunchroom with their hands linked, laughing about the science class they had just shared, both of them teasing each other to no end about the many mess-ups they'd had while trying to do dissections.

"Make room for the lovebirds!" Shay shouts as they approach.

"Oh please."

"Shut it."

The couple speaks in unison, bringing light laughter to the table. Stella and Kelly both taking a seat at the table. They are the last to arrive and stay in their own world a little longer before joining the conversation.

"Okay, important question," Stella says to the group. They all look at her attentively. "What exactly is...homecoming?" Her voice trails off towards the end of her query, as everyone's eyes collectively widen.

"Please tell me you're kidding," Shay responds.

Stella opens her mouth.

"You've never been to homecoming?" Casey asks curiously.

"Well-" she starts.

"How is that possible?" Kelly questions her.

"I didn't realize…" Gabby says with newfound clarity.

Stella laughs at the confusion she's caused.

"Lakewood is an all-girls school. Which means no football team. Which means-"

"No homecoming," April finishes, connecting the dots.

An "Ohhhh" resounds throughout the table.

"Lakewood?" Matt whispers to Gabby. As the only one unaware of Stella's past incident, he'd never heard the name.

"El's old school. Real shithole." She answers with a twinge of annoyance toward the school that had given her best friend so many bad memories.

"Got it."

"So besides some football game, what is it?" Stella asks again.

"Well first off it's not some football game." Kelly begins, slightly offended.

"It's one of the biggest games of the year." Gabby finishes.

"This year we're going up against the Warriors." Kelly taps the table rapidly in anticipation of the night.

"Are they any good?"

"Any good? They're insane. One of the best high school teams in the state." Gabby says, revved up as well.

"We can take 'em though," he adds.

"I never said you couldn't." Dawson offers a smile to him, and for the first time in a long time, she sees the old Kelly in the way his eyes light up. The one she called a best friend. The one she's missed more than she cares to admit.

A moment passes as she realizes this, and Kelly hopes he's interpreting her face correctly. Finally, they're making progress.

"I think I liked it better when you two hated each other." Shay's face is serious when she says this but her tone is light. The sincerity of the moment is certainly not lost on her. Kelly and Gabby both roll their eyes at their blonde best friend.

"Les." April rolls her eyes. Shay simply shrugs. "It's really fun to cheer for too, Stella, the energy from the crowd makes it really exciting."

"Sounds fun!"

"Oh, that's not all," Casey mentions.

"No?"

"God no. One of the best parties of the entire year is on homecoming night," Gabby continues his statement.

"After the game?" Stella questions incredulously. "Isn't everyone tired?"

"Are you kidding? That's when the fun really starts." Shay smiles widely, clearly reliving some great memories.

"I'm assuming I don't have a choice in attending this party?"

"Absolutely not." Dawson and Severide say at the same time, earning a laugh from everyone.

"How nice do I have to dress?" Stella whines, already dreading forcing herself into another tight skirt after her cheer one.

"Actually most of the cheerleaders wear a jersey from one of the guys," April explains, her girlfriend rolling her eyes this time around.

"A disgustingly heteronormative tradition if you ask me."

"Good thing no one did." Before Shay can fire back, Kelly continues. "I was, uh, I was gonna ask if you wanted to wear mine?"

He turns to where Stella sits beside him, nervousness tainting his voice. She puts her hand over his, stopping him from cracking another knuckle in nerves.

"I'd love to."

Severide smiles brightly, both with excitement and at the way Stella scrunches her nose at him. It's so cute he can't help but peck her on the lips.

Leslie makes an obnoxiously loud gagging noise.

April, seeing an opportunity she can't possibly pass up, uses two fingers of her left hand to turn Shay's chin towards her and copies Kelly's actions. Of course this time a far different reaction occurs. The blonde visibly melts the second they connect and deflates when they disconnect moments later.

April smirks.

"You're gonna pay for that." The tomato red tinting Leslie's cheeks soften the effect of her words.

Before the brunette can dish out a response embarrassing them both Shay speaks again, desperately needing to divert the attention off of herself.

"Well Dawson, now I gotta know."

Gabby raises her eyebrows curiously, tuning back in after completely checking out from the lovebirds sitting on the other side of the bench from her and Matt.

"Which football player begged at your feet for you to wear their jersey now that Jay no longer has the privilege?" She watches with satisfaction as her best friend gets slightly flustered, already having anticipated the answer to her question.

"I'm wearing Matt's jersey this year," she answers briskly and looks over at the boy in question in hopes it was fine to mention. His soft smile and the pride behind his crystal eyes is all the answer she needs.

And when Stella kicks her shin under the table with concealed joy for her and Shay snickers at her expense, she barely notices, too wrapped up in the blond boy beside her and the soft smile on his face that was reserved for only her.

She's been trying her absolute best to hate it, or at least dislike it a little bit, yet Stella stands in the mirror absolutely obsessed with the way she looks. The quick spin she does reveals the large, shining, navy blue 23 on the back of her boyfriend's jersey. Unbridled giddiness races through her system at an almost scary pace. She'd never pegged herself as possessive, or even really jealous, but there's something about being able to silently flaunt that her boyfriend is a star football player that's quite alluring to the young girl. It's really just a warm manifestation of pride for him. And if she makes a couple of girls wish they were her, then so be it. She bites her lip and that fluttery feeling makes its way through her chest once more. Suddenly the urge to wear this top for the rest of her life becomes overwhelming.

It had taken three intense washes to return the jersey to its original pearly white color. Despite Kelly's best intentions, even the most deep-set grass, sweat, blood, and dirt stains eventually came out. He'd complained about this over FaceTime last night, claiming the grime brought him his constant success. But after a bit of welcome praise towards his "natural athletic prowess" from his girlfriend, Severide conceded. She'd put an insane amount of elbow grease and enough detergent and fabric softener to completely launder a decently sized wardrobe into the process, and it had truly paid off.

She throws her head dramatically over her shoulder, back still turned to the mirror, and grins with satisfaction when her ponytail bounces high in response.

"You've never looked better," she comments, blowing her reflection a kiss.

"You know they can send you away for that."

The brunette in the doorway barely gets a flinch from her friend despite her sudden joke about the extremely common habit Stella has of talking to herself. Both of them are well accustomed to visits without prior announcement, especially on school mornings.

"You're late," is Stella's only reply.

"You're vain," Gabby shoots back with a smirk.

"I think the word you're looking for is hot."

She scoffs, refusing to give in to the undoubtedly true suggestion.

"Nah, I don't think so."

Kidd rolls her eyes. "Fine, then I'll simply keep my opinions on you wearing Casey's jersey to myself.

Dawson considers this. "That'd be great, actually, thanks!"

She'd been very pleasantly surprised at the aforementioned boy's earlier request. Of course, she'd secretly been hoping to be able to walk around school with Matt Casey's number on her back, but considering she has no idea where he really stands with her, the likelihood of that fantasy becoming a reality had seemed incredibly slim. Yet here she is somehow both one step closer and farther from being exactly who she wants to be to Matt. Even so, so much of their relationship is unclear that something as concrete as wearing his jersey feels like a breath of fresh air. A tiny spark of hope she's still deciding if she should accept. It's undeniable, though, that Gabby feels on top of the world wearing the very item of clothing she'd spent countless moments stealing glances at.

"And I'll keep my eyeliner too." Stella snaps her out of her thoughts.

"Hey! Not fair."

The taller girl giggles and squints at her, initiating a challenge before darting to her bathroom. Gabby catches on quickly but the longer legs win and the overpriced Estée Lauder liner is being held high in the air.

She reaches up as high as she can and even jumps once, but to no avail, Stella watches on in amusement. With crossed arms and a hand on her hip, Dawson waits.

"You're being a brat." She pouts.

Stella shrugs, unbothered.

"We're gonna be late," Gabby speaks again.

"Not if you admit it." Stella smiles knowingly.

"Admit what?"

"That you did the same thing I just did in the mirror before you left your house. That you're excited to wear Casey's jersey in front of the entire school today."

"Never in a million-"

"I wonder if tardy cheerleaders are allowed to cheer at football games," she ponders aloud, arm still in the air. "I mean, I assume they'd make some exception for homecoming, right? Or maybe that makes the rules even stricter."

The shorter girl groans loudly, somehow just annoyed enough to fall victim to the trivial mind games.

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Fine, I internally screamed when Matt asked me to wear his jersey and I may or may not have been envisioning that moment since freshman year and it's possible that I am definitely looking forward to rubbing it in everyone's face that he chose me over every other girl at school. I suppose someone could also assume that I performed the entirety of tonight's halftime routine in my mirror this morning just so I could see how amazing I'll look tonight with Matt Casey's number on my back. Happy?"

Stella's smile is impossibly wide.

"Ecstatic."

She hands over the small tube with satisfaction.

"Evil," Gabby mumbles under her breath as she moves in front of the mirror.

"Save the sweet talk for Matt." Stella laughs loudly at her own genius before bolting out of the bathroom to avoid objects flying at her head.

Matt continuously taps his pencil against the paper in front of him, staring down at the stark white sheet of paper with disdain as he tries to think of what to write down.

"You know you can stare at it all you want, but that paragraph isn't going to write itself." Gabby's soft teasing voice pulls his attention and he looks up with a smirk, finding her head still cast down as she reads from her English book.

The two friends sitting together at the far back table after setting up camp in the library for their 5th-period study hall that they had together. Matt shakes his head at her words, scoffing lightly before looking back down at the paper in front of him, still unsure what he was wanting to write. After another few beats of silence where no new thoughts come to mind on his assignment, he is looking back up, his eyes falling on the girl beside him.

Matt can't help but get lost in her. Her hair was down and straight, her makeup already done up for the game tonight, a sparkly blue and gold tattoo resting proudly on her cheek with the school's name and mascot. Her lip tucked between her teeth as she concentrates on the words in front of her. The two of them had spent most of the week joined at the hip, both enjoying all the fun homecoming festivities that went on at Lincoln Park in the lead up to their big game tonight, more often than not teaming up during the activities that were going on. Gabby nearly jumped for joy this afternoon when they won the junior classes water balloon toss together, winning the class a free pizza lunch, and while it may not have seemed like much it was well worth it to see the megawatt smile that had filled her features.

He pushes that from his thoughts and keeps his stare locked on her, taking in the sight of her with his jersey covering her upper body, the large material practically hanging off her as she tucked the ends into her cheer skirt. His number proudly displayed on her chest bringing an intense warmth to him that he would never tire of. He can't help but think about how he could get used to this site. Or stop himself from thinking about how she would look in all of his clothes.

"Dammit." Matt snaps himself out of his thoughts, looking back up to see Gabby staring at her cell phone, his brows furrow.

"What's up?"

"Shay's sister can't drop us all off at the party tonight. Something came up." She tells him, barely taking her eyes off her phone as she starts to type out a reply. Matt's brows only cross further as he shakes his head.

"Gabby, I can drive us all, instead." He quickly tells her, her typing stopping as she meets his blue eyes, uncertainty in her stare. "Really, I don't mind, Gabs. I didn't plan on drinking anyways."

Gabby hesitates a moment longer, ensuring there is no deception in his words. "You sure?"

Matt nods, offering her a relaxing smile. "A hundred percent. Tell Shay I'm driving." He urges.

The brunette flashes him one last warm smile before typing out a quick reply and setting her phone back down the two of them settling back into their work… but there is something on Gabby's mind, something stopping her from letting Matt's words go.

Her mind is suddenly full of thoughts from the last party they all attended. Her fight with Matt. His comments about not drinking. It wasn't something she had thought more on back then, in fact, it wasn't something she had thought any more of the situation since it happened, but now she can't get it out of her head. Matt's insistence that he didn't drink, the way he snapped at her, the way he closed himself off when she tried to talk to him… it hadn't made sense then, but suddenly it is all clicking in her head. All the puzzle pieces lining up as realization settles over her, making her heart heavy.

"He's why…" she says suddenly, her voice quiet. Matt looks up from the paper he had finally started writing on, giving her a confused look.

"What?"

"Your dad." She says softly, emotions already clouding her voice as she thinks about it more, the ache in her chest only deepening "He's why you don't drink." She states her words more a statement than a question at this point.

Her words hit him like a freight train and Matt looks down, avoiding her gaze before he nods gently, his eyes still trained on the paper in front of him for a few moments before he finally meets her glassy eyes.

"Yeah." He finally tells her, "Alcoholics, they normally run in a family, and I…" Matt stops, emotion clouding his own voice as he swallows thickly. "...that's not something I ever want to chance." He says, his voice carrying the same emotions that are displayed across Gabby's face.

"I never want to be him," Matt continues, his words leaving her breathless as more tears filled her eyes. The pain that he tried so desperately to never show shining through in these quiet moments, the same as it had many times in the last few weeks, every single time it did breaking her in two.

She pushes the lump building in her throat down as she reaches out, squeezing his hand in hers, his blue eyes boring into her.

"You'll never be him, Matt… you are nothing like him." She forces out, her voice shaking with emotions she has tried to not let come out, but to no avail are there.

Matt smiles softly, squeezing her hand, but not offering anything back, her words enough for him as they both go back to their homework, letting the silence fill the space around them as it always did when they were together, the comfort the other offered just by being there more than enough for them.

Gabby sends Stella a bright grin as her eyes fall over the cheerleader standing next to her, the girl's hands resting proudly on their hips as they stand in formation. The final seconds of the game ticking by, though the game was already over, and had been for some time now. The Lincoln Park Lions gained the lead in the first quarter and never gave it up. Matt Casey most definitely kept his word on giving Dawson an easy night. The boys in perfect form tonight making the cheerleaders work a lot of fun.

Dawson nods her head to Stella, the two turning around in sync as the rest of the girls follow. Gabby leads them in one final cheer as the clock winds down to zero. The Lion's winning with a 45 to 14 lead over the South Central Warriors.

The sidelines erupt in chaos as the game ends, the entirety of the crowd cheering wildly as the homecoming game completes. Half the students in the crowd rushing off to finish getting ready for the homecoming dance that started in just an hour while the other half rushed off in the other direction. The ones that would be skipping the dance to attend the annual homecoming party.

Stella and Gabby head for their cheer bags tucked up against the front of the sidelines, both of them shouldering their bags before heading down the track to the opening of the football field.

"So, first homecoming week everything you thought it would be, El?" Gabby says lightly, looking to her best friend whose smile had yet to leave her face.

Stella nods enthusiastically. "Yes! God, you and Kelly made it sound like it was just some regular old football game. Not all of this." She emphasizes. Looking around at the done up football field that practically puked school spirit.

Gabby laughs lightly, her reply cut off when she and Stella come to an abrupt halt as the football team jogs back to the locker rooms in front of them. Their eyes falling immediately on their boys as they pass by. Kelly shoots his girlfriend a smug wink while Matt and Gabby both share bright smiles.

Dawson looks to her best friend as the group moves away, finding Stella's eyes still trained on their retreating forms. She rolls her eyes, linking her arm through her friends and forcing her to walk.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth, we have a party to get to." She jokes, Stella's cheeks turning a bright red as she ducks her head.

"Please, as if you have any room to talk." Kidd throws back, as they head off towards their own locker room to freshen up and wait for the guys.

Bass reverberates from the pavement of the Halsteads' driveway as the group pulls up in their cars. Strobe lights shine out into the street from the several large windows. People spill out from the side door, and it can only be assumed that the high-pitched screams barely heard over the music are a result of people being pushed into the pool in the back. The energy is vibrant, and everyone looks on in excitement, even Stella as Kelly reaches for her hand blindly.

Gabby walks up first, strutting confidently into the house. Matt of course follows closely behind, and then April and Shay followed by Kelly and Stella.

Not even ten minutes later most of the group floats freely through the large home with alcohol and excitement burning in their veins. The rush from the game had carried on into the party, as the house is filled to the brim with wild teenagers alive with untapped glee.

Severide's hand rests on his girlfriend's lower back as they roam.

"Y'know I didn't realize how huge this house is the last time we were here," she comments.

"Oh yeah, the Halstead's are loaded. Like doctor-rich."

"No wonder they're...the way they are. No offense."

Kelly chuckles. "None taken. They're not really my people anymore."

As usual, he says it with ease and Stella is left with the heavy warmth at his words.

"You drinking tonight?" he asks.

"Yeah, I deserve it." A small sense of pride fills her voice. For once, she's letting herself feel like a real teenager. The pressures from school, from others, from herself mainly, have been lifted temporarily as she rides the wave of carelessness. In this sea of people, she is invisible in the best way possible. As simplistic as it may sound, she is having fun. A rarity for the often anxious and overwhelmed teen.

They make their way to the keg where Kelly pours his own beer and Stella finds herself holding a cup of a nearly bright blue liquid. She stares inquisitively.

"And this is…"

"Try it!" Kelly suggests with an innocent smile. Knowing full well there are few things she can say no to when he asks her that way, Stella takes a hesitant sip.

Her eyes widened with joy and surprise.

"Holy shit this is delicious. How have I never had this before? Why haven't you given this to me?" She takes a much larger swig and sighs with satisfaction at the slight burn countered by the sickeningly sweet flavor.

He raises his eyebrows in response, taking in her excited reaction.

"Sorry?"

"Yeah, you should be. Let's dance!" She takes his free hand and leads him back into the larger crowd after filling her cup once more. He follows without question. Kelly can tell Stella is emboldened even before the drink has its proper effect. This liberation, this unbridled gladness that radiates from Stella is infectious and he wants to foster it as best as he can.

The nearly deafening music fades into the background as the two of them move together. Her arms hang loosely around his neck as she shakes her head along to the beat, shiny curls bouncing up and down with every movement. She'd released her hair from its high ponytail the moment they'd left the school, and now it falls freely. Stella smiles widely at the boy in front of her as she breathes him. His strong arms wrapped around her waist only motivates her next move.

Leaning in without any hesitation for what may very well be the first time in their relationship, she connects her lips to Kelly's. When he kisses back her free hand slides to the back of his hand. Intoxicating doesn't even begin to describe it. Body movements become lip ones as the couple practically stills. Feeling all boundaries slip away, Stella breaks it off with the excuse of downing more of her drink. Within moments, though, the nearly full cup is bone dry and provides the exact opposite of the intended effect.

"Slow down baby," Kelly comments with concern as she tosses the cup into a nearby trash can.

To which Stella quirks an eyebrow and thinks a moment before leaning into his ear and whispering, "Make me."

And then the magnetic pull between them grows tenfold and all Stella can process is the faint taste of beer on his tongue. Well, that and his fingers splayed out on her back. Automatically the space between them vanishes as moans are lost in the outside noise.

If there is anything left of Stella's self-awareness it disappears at the feeling of her hips pushed into his. Her skin burns everywhere they touch. And suddenly, there's a shift in intensity as the kiss turns hungry. Her grip on him grows tighter as her seemingly nonexistent inhibitions depart with every moment. Kelly senses this and pulls away slowly.

"Not here. Not like this," he mumbles.

Stella has no idea why he's saying the words he is, and to be frank she doesn't understand a lot of them. But "not" makes it through to her, and she knows to relax.

"More?" she asks, her eyes barely open as the music makes it way through her bones.

"Hm?"

"Drink!" she exclaims and then jumps at her own loudness. "More drink," she continues in a whisper.

"Absolutely not." Kelly laughs, shaking his head at her antics; their intense moment fading away as she pouts and he offers a kiss on the cheek in response, earning a warm smile back from his girlfriend before she is tucking herself into his side, Severide accepting the action with a happy smile and another kiss to the top of her head.

Gabby smirks wildly as she watches Shay and April dance, the two girls having no care in the world as they move together provocatively. Gabby shakes her head, leaning further back into the counter that she rested up against, taking a sip out of the water bottle she had in her hand.

"Well, they are definitely… enjoying themselves." Matt breathes out, his brows raised to his hairline as he watches their friends practically reenact Dirty Dancing in the middle of the makeshift dance floor.

Gabby laughs loudly, nodding in agreement at his words.

"Surprised you are not out there, showing off those famous Dawson moves." He jokes lightly.

The brunette sending him a playful glare. "Watch it, Casey."

"Dawson!" Gabby's head snaps up, finding a group of the football players as well as a few of the cheerleaders standing around the table that had become the bar, pouring what looked to be a dozen shots. Gabby raises her brow in acknowledgment, "Come have a shot!" Lyla calls her over.

Gabby shakes her head, waving her off, and Matt looks at her curiously. "You can go, Gabs. I'll be fine on my own." He tells her, not wanting his lack of drinking to bring her own down. The two of them not separating since walking through the front door. Mostly hanging back in their own little world as they talked and watched their friends enjoy themselves.

Warm brown eyes meet his and he watches as she shrugs. Taking another sip of her water before meeting his stare once more. "I know." She says simply. "But I'm good right here." The gentle smile that fills her lips has his heart rate picking up as warmth spreads through him. His own smile matching hers as he nods.

Despite wanting Gabby to enjoy herself, he would never complain about having her at his side.

"Hey! You two!" The brunette pulls her eyes away from the crystal blues she had been getting lost in to find Shay and April's attention directed on them. Gabby simply raises her brow at the two of them, an amused expression filling her features as she watches them hang on one another.

"Come dance!" Shay hollers. Gabby smirks, sharing a look with Casey, the blond football player looking less than impressed. Despite the very different situation she had felt the last time they were at a party dancing when she had been tipsy and feeling bold, this time when she grabs his hand and pulls him toward the dance floor with a bright smile on her face there is a comfort between them that was never there before. The two of them falling in sync with each other in a way that only comes from the bond they had built up stronger in the last few months.

The two of them dance along with their friends, their heads thrown back in laughter, both of them feeling on top of the world being in the others embrace.

At this point, Stella is so far gone from the world that if he weren't holding her, Kelly is sure she'd float off into the crowd. Speaking of, he sees a familiar blonde head rising above the others and makes his way over with a tight grip on the brunette's hand. The sight of Dawson and Matt dancing together brings a smile to his lips. He had never seen two people so completely in tune with each other, especially at their age. They move as one, but what else is new?

They approach the pair, Stella greeting Gabby with an enthusiastic, "Hi Ella!"

"Hey there." She detaches from Matt momentarily to get a closer look at her friend. Her cheeks are tinted red and a permanent smile lays on her face as she giggles at nothing in particular. "You been drinking, babe?" she asks rhetorically with a laugh.

Stella shakes her head dismissively. "Not many. Just a little of that pretty blue one!"

"Really?"

"Gabby it tastes like...like...what is it called?"

She raises her eyebrows.

"Good! It tastes good." Stella nods to herself, satisfied.

"Ah, I see." She directs her attention to Kelly. "You gave her-"

"Had no idea she would love it this much. Don't worry she's been with me the whole time."

"I figured."

Even though he'll likely never admit it, the phrase warms Kelly's heart. Her faith in him had increased so much; he just hopes it lasts. With this in mind, he pulls Stella's closer and whispers something in her ear. Gabby and Matt look at each other in confusion. But then, she nods excitedly at Kelly and he turns to Casey.

"Can I steal her for a minute?" he asks, gesturing to Gabby.

Matt doesn't hide the look of shock on his face at that. But the brunette in his arms offers him a smile of assurance before looking at Kelly. He passes Stella to Matt with a look very clearly saying take care of her. Casey nods and even lets out a chuckle when she says,

"Matt! I haven't seen you in forever. Have you had some blue?!"

Gabby smiles up at Kelly.

"So what is this eighth grade all over again?" She moves to the music easily and shifts a bit closer to help the awkwardly wide gap.

"Very funny. I hope I'm at least smoother than I was then." He returns the action.

"Oh definitely. Middle school Kelly was just figuring girls out. He was terrified when he asked me to dance. Nothing like how suave you are now," she jokes.

"He was a lot nicer though, huh?" he prompts.

She shrugs.

"We've all changed. It's high school," she says after a moment of thought.

"That's-"

"I mean not all of us became insufferable cocky asshats but…"

"Ah, so close."

She laughs loudly.

"I'm joking. Kinda."

"Uh huh."

"I did miss you, Kelly, more than I realized," she admits with hesitation.

"Me too. Speaking of, I was wondering if we could maybe hang out? Some time? Just me and you, like we used to." His palms are sweaty as he sputters out the request that had been at the back of his mind.

Gabby's jaw drops as she feigns shock.

"Kelly Severide, you are a taken man! With my best friend might I add." She grins.

"Shut up. You know what I mean. We used to hang out all the time back then. But if you don't want to yet I get it. I know you need time-"

"Eh, I might as well. I mean you've become so pitiful without me."

He rolls his eyes.

"Yeah Kel, I'm down."

He smiles and pulls her into a hug. "Thanks, Dawson."

"Alright don't get all sappy on me."

They laugh together, both excited to strengthen their newfound friendship. The two of them separating and sharing soft smiles before they are heading back to their group of friends. Stella's quickly finding her way back into her boyfriend's arms while Gabby finds her way back to the blond man, the two of them molding together like puzzle pieces.

Matt raises his brow as his hands come to rest on her hips, their eyes meeting. "You good?"

Gabby nods, a smile resting on her face as she looks around at her friends, Shay and April snuggled together next to them and Stella and Kelly resting comfortably in each other's arms before looking back up into the blue eyes she could so easily get lost in.

"I'm perfect."

Stella lifts her head off her boyfriend's shoulder as the vehicle comes to a halt, looking around the familiar neighborhood through hazy eyes as she sits up, Kelly's hand on her lower back helping guide her tipsy movements.

The two of them shuffle from the back seat while Gabby pulls herself from the passenger seat, Matt cutting the engine of Stella's black Jeep before stepping out and locking the vehicle.

"We're home? Already?" Stella asks. Severide and Dawson sharing an amused smirk at her tired and slurred words.

"No, El, we're at Disneyland." Gabby throws back.

"We are!?" Stella practically yells, looking up quickly, and stumbling, Kelly's arms securely around her the only thing stopping her from falling.

The three of them chuckle at her expense, Gabby rolling her eyes. "Sure, El."

The long-haired girl sighs, "I'm ready for bed." She murmurs softly.

Kelly nods, his eyes moving to Dawson hesitantly. "Uh, do you?" He starts, looking up to Stella's house before meeting her eyes once more, vivid memories of the last party they went to swirling through his mind, Gabby practically ripping Stella from his arms to bring her home, not wanting him anywhere near her best friend. While Kelly knew a lot had changed since that party, he still was hesitant about overstepping when it came to the two of them and their close friendship.

Gabby shakes her head, "You're good, Kel." She says softly, the two of them sharing gentle smiles. "Her dad's out of town this weekend so you won't be met with any shotguns." She jokes. "Just get her home safe please."

Kelly nods, adjusting his grip on the tired girl tucked against his side. "Always," he reassures, Matt passing the keys off to Kelly as they all exchange goodbyes, Kelly leading Stella up her pathway to the front door.

Dawson chuckles lightly as she hears her best friend's tired voice before the couple heads inside. "So, I guess homecoming is kind of fun."

The brunette moves her eyes back to the boy next to her. "You crashing tonight or heading home?" She asks, nodding up to her own home. Matt passing out on their couch not becoming anything out of the normal lately. Whether it was on accident, or on purpose, the Dawson's home easily becoming his second home, Ramon and Camilia always more than happy to let him stay.

"I'm gonna head home," Matt says, nodding towards his truck parked out front. "I told my mom I'd be there in the morning to help her move a couple of things out of the garage." He explains.

Gabby nods, doing her best to hide any disappointment. She would never admit it, but coming downstairs and finding Matt still asleep on the couch or sitting at the kitchen table with her parents had become something she really looked forward to, the blond boy fitting seamlessly into their lives.

"But, we are still on for that hike tomorrow afternoon?" Matt asks, Gabby immediately perking up at his words, remembering the trail they had found outside the city and decided to go explore this weekend.

"Of course." She tells him, smiling gently. A beat of silence passes between them and Gabby nods towards his truck, the two of them walking slowly in its direction. "Let me know when you get home?" Gabby presses, and while it wasn't an uncommon request, he knows she asks it not only to make sure he gets home safe but to ensure nothing went wrong once he was home.

"I will, Gabs," he assures. "I should be fine though, my Dad hasn't been around for a few weeks now." He tells her.

Her brows knit in confusion. "Really?" She questions, and though she was aware he had not had any new stories to tell about his father, she wasn't aware he simply had not been around at all.

Matt nods, shrugging. "Really. He just went off again."

Gabby looks at him skeptically. "So, just like that? He is gone again?" She presses.

Casey shrugs once more, the two of them stopping beside his truck. "Yup. It's his normal. Here wreaking havoc one week, gone the next. Who knows with him, but I'll take the peace and quiet while I can." He says simply.

Dawson nods at his words, feeling a relief settle through her bones. Before she can respond Matt is stepping off the sidewalk and to his driver side, climbing in and rolling the passenger side window down as Gabby steps up to it the two of them sharing soft smiles.

"I had a lot of fun tonight." Matt tells her before looking down, "All week, really." He confesses.

The brunette's smile widens. "Me too, Matt," She looks down at her jersey covered torso and laughs lightly. "I uh, I'll get this back to you on Monday."

Matt can't help but smile, despite knowing he needed it back for the upcoming away game next Friday, he wanted nothing more than for her to keep it. Seeing Gabby Dawson in his jersey all day today definitely a highlight for him.

"No worries." He tells her, Casey putting the keys in the ignition and looking over at her. "I'll see you around noon tomorrow?" He asks, "Or should I make it later?"

"Noon is fine, it's not like I'll be hungover." She jokes lightly.

Matt nods, but her words stick with him. It was something he had made note of all night. "Yeah, you didn't drink at all tonight."

Gabby looks down, shrugging. "It's no big deal." She plays off and Matt knows he could just leave it alone, but he doesn't want to. He knows Gabby loves to have fun, and she loves a good party. It's not lost on him that her lack of drinking tonight was for his benefit.

"Gabby." His voice pulls her attention, brown eyes meeting blue. "I appreciate what you did tonight, really, I do… more than you know." He says softly, "...but you don't have to change who you are on me. I like you just the way you are." He tells her sincerely, "...I love who you are, Gabs. You don't have to change."

Gabby simply nods, the thick lump forming in her throat making any words impossible. Matt smiles softly, taking her nonverbal action as enough of a response. "Goodnight, Gabby."

She takes a step back, waving him off. "Night, Matt." She finally responds, watching as he pulls away.

"Too many." Stella crosses her arms as Kelly locks the door behind them.

"What?"

"I'm sleepy." She looks up at the decently sized flight of stairs leading to the floor with her bedroom.

"Well you gotta go up there, monkey. You can't sleep on the couch. Come on." He offers his hand to her and she refuses.

"No."

"Seriously?"

Kelly isn't sure if this is because she's drunk, tired, spoiled, or all three, but it's most likely the latter. Either way she doesn't seem to be budging. He scratches his head in mild frustration.

"What do you want me to do, Stella?" His tiredness from the day's events finally catching up to him.

But then her eyes are watering and all of his annoyance melts away.

"No, don't- C'mere." He sighs and pulls her close and immediately she relaxes into his chest. This gives him an idea and wordlessly he lifts Stella off of the ground. Gratitude flowing through him when she wraps her legs around his hips, he makes his way up the steps with ease.

By the time he gently lays her down in her bed her breathing is so even and face so peaceful he's sure she's asleep. Kelly grins, his heart swelling at the sight of her and the thoughts of how free she'd felt tonight. He leans down and pushes her hair back to give her a kiss on her forehead. The brief consideration of helping her change out of her seemingly uncomfortable uniform crosses his mind, but he dismisses it quickly considering how incapacitated she is. Besides, he could get used to the look of his girlfriend wearing his football jersey.

"Night monkey," he says before heading to the doorway.

"Wait," she mumbles, eyes still closed.

"Hm?"

"Stay?"

Kelly wonders in which way she means this. Based on the night's previous events, it's likely the very way in which he wouldn't even consider when she's in this state.

"Stella-"

His tone must have made this evident because she cuts him off.

"No, not stay. Just stay, yeah?"

Her words are still slurring together but the difference in the words is clear. This, he has no issue with and within moments the light is off, his shoes are on the ground, and he's laying in the bed next to her.

"Too far," she mutters, reaching out for him. He grabs her moving hand and interlocks their fingers.

But that doesn't seem to be enough because in the darkness she rolls on top of him, laying her head heavily on his chest as her hand reaches up to settle in his hair. Severide wraps his arms around her and sleep threatens to overtake him. Stella sighs, clearly reveling in their closeness. Kelly certainly isn't complaining, though, as the weight is far more comfortable than he'd thought it would be. Seconds before they both drift off, she says with contentedness,

"I love homecoming."