Definitely a bit M-rated chapter ahead!

Chapter Title "Head And Heart On Fire" by LÉON

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Chicago PD, Fire or Med characters, only my OCs!

"Cool, I just got an email stating my loan request went through!"

Jay popped a piece of gum in his mouth and held his fist up high while he was still looking at the text on his phone. He felt his knuckles instantly met by Rianne's. She leaned closer to him to see what he was looking at exactly.

"Wow, that's good news! So we can get serious about house hunting now!"

"Yeah, definitely!"

In fact Matt Casey had already let them know that he wanted to show them something he discovered once they got back, maybe even as soon as tomorrow. Things were definitely moving along.

Going through their phones, back to full amount of data and reception instead of the spotty service over in Argentina, was a welcome distraction while the two of them were still waiting for their baggage to arrive at Chicago O'Hare at now almost 11 a.m. this Saturday morning.

If Jay was being honest he had lost any sense of time altogether, being asleep and awake simultaneously during their long flight, recounting the whirlwind of emotions, moments, new impressions and everything that had and hadn't been on his mind over the last 12 days. He felt so bizarrely out of his usual world that it would be difficult to get settled in quickly enough to be able to get back to work first thing Monday morning.
As their flight had taken off close to midnight Buenos Aires time on January 3rd they had had almost a full day left. It had been ideal for wandering around the city, quickly getting in some of the sightseeing they had yet to do and picking up souvenirs to bring back home. Nevertheless Jay had had to hurry Rianne along more than once. She had a tendency to get distracted by all the small shops, the flee-markets, the colorful things that simply fascinated her.

Whenever Jay caught himself just staring at her he feared that every minute longer in this intimacy bubble would turn his brain into complete mush. He wasn't sure how he should be getting back to business when all he could think about was how precious these days with her had been and how he found himself fascinated with every little thing about his fellow human being. It didn't really matter what Rianne did: She could be flossing or making that funny face when she applied her mascara, high concentration as if performing major surgery. He'd fallen for her tendency to spill or drop things and get annoyed with herself for her clumsiness or that sometimes she could not wait until she'd finished chewing because she had to get her opinion on whatever they were talking about out right that moment. That lady didn't care that she might be talking through a piece of churro if she was passionate about the topic.
Even right now he found his heart contracting almost painfully at the sight of her going through her phone with that unique 'completely lost in the task' look on her face:

"Pepe already posted that video of your jet ski stunt on Instagram. Says to say 'hi' and that you should get on social media already, so he can share all his favorite videos with you!"

"He knows I can't do that, but say 'hi' back! He can however send them to my phone still!"

Pepe and Danilo had been raging on about their favorite youtube stars pretty much for the last couple of days, making Jay feel really old, because he had never heard of any of them. Tiktok and Instagram accounts had also been a really popular choice of conversation between them young folks.

"I think he was really sad we had to leave when we did! This hashtag says something like 'coolest police dude I ever met' …but my Portuguese isn't that good… it could really mean anything else…"

Jay laughed at that and watched over Rianne's shoulder as she played the video for him again, smiling along with her at the silly water fun that it showed. She was sighing a little wistfully at the reminder that the ocean wasn't in front of them anymore, merely a memory now.
It was probably one of many her teenage cousins had captured with their go-pro cameras though while engaging in different sports activities throughout that holiday. And Jay had been an eager participant from time to time, being the sucker for adrenaline and fair competition that he was. Rianne had warned him multiple times that she would laugh really hard, if he managed to injure himself during leisure time as well.

"God, we're so terrible. Addicted to our phones instantly…" Rianne called them both out, closed her Instagram account and wanted to put her phone away, but Jay snatched it out of her hand, having caught on to something new on it:

"Is that a picture of us on your background screen?" He was almost sure that behind her apps were the outlines of her and him after their race on the beach, kissing while she was still clinging to his sandy back.

Rianne blushed a little and tried to get her device back. He held it too high for her to get, a teasing smile on his lips. It was rather cute that she was shy about this.

"Give that back to me!"

"Why? I wanna see for myself that Mrs. CoolAndCollected has resorted to having a cheesy picture of her kissing her boyfriend on the beach for the whole wide world to see…"

"So what? It's a nice candid shot! Esme forwarded it to me after she took it! And it's not for the whole wide world to see, because, you know it's rather rude to look at people's phones," she huffed, still sporting adorably red cheeks under her tan.

It really was a rather flattering shot. Romantic, intimate, carefree. He was just surprised because Rianne normally wasn't one for those 'teen romantic gestures' as she called it. She managed to grab her phone back once he lowered his arm.

Jay couldn't leave well enough alone, feeling spirited and lighthearted in the face of her flustered state:

"God you're freaking in love with me aren't you?"

"Shut up you arrogant ba…!"

"Watch your mouth young lady!" he caught her bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger, making her shut up, knowing exactly what expletive she had been about to use:

"If I remember correctly you were practically pudding in the hands of that very bastard you're talking about only hours ago…"

After a hug-some and overall dramatic goodbye-ceremony with her family-members at Mar Azul, Jay and Rianne had driven back to Buenos Aires the day after New Year's. As sad as they were that their time away was coming to an end, they had reveled in the prospect of having the last days to themselves, alone.
Begrudgingly parting with their fancy ride at a rental agency in the city, they booked a hotel room for their last night, Jay taking Rianne out for her second day birthday celebration dinner at a little place in La Boca.
There was something quite magical and cleansing, energetic even, about the starting of a new year. A year that was only on its second day. It somehow felt like anything could happen, anything was possible.
To everyone around them they were just two normal people, two strangers, two tourists, having a giddy romantic dinner. Jay liked that thought a lot. It was what had made him feel lighter and lighter during this trip. As if there really was a chance to leave some things behind, at least for a while.

"So… would you say you enjoyed your stay in Argentina, Mr. Halstead?" Rianne asked over the rim of her glass of deep red Malbec, eyes glinting in the dim light of the table lamp between them.

Her simple yellow linen dress showing just the tiniest bit of naked skin under her breasts, where it was knotted together, a definite teaser.

"No, I've had absolutely no fun at all! Sorry Miss!"

"Real shame, because I think it was the best time I've had over here in a long time!"

"Alright, so let's take a vacation together at least once a year, just for me to hate it!"

"You serious?"

"I'm serious! Besides it's still your birthday week, so anything that makes you happy: consider it done!"

As Rianne had been complaining from time to time that her birthday was rather never just her day as it fell onto January 1st and therefore always of course New Year's Day, Jay had promised he would be telling her "Happy birthday" everyday for a week straight to make up for that fact. He had even prepared seven presents, from real gifts to special treats and little surprises. As Rianne could get extremely excited about the smallest things and was rather the grateful type he found he could make up for letting her down in the beginning. All in all he just liked to see her smile at him like she did now.
It was a heady combination of great food, wine and music, silly conversations, tango show-dancers in the streets. Their hands and legs brushing under the restaurant table throughout dinner making it almost impossible not to ravish each other before they got back to their hotel room.
Finally able to be as loud and vocal as they wanted to be, because there were no family members to consider, a marathon of kissing, touching, cherishing each other's bodies ensued the moment they slammed their room door shut behind them.
It was something worthy of a last night on foreign grounds. A little desperate and greedy, eager and a little insatiable:

"Fuck babe, I'm going to explode!" Jay gritted his teeth.

He really couldn't hold out anymore, although he wanted this perfect bliss of being buried deep inside of her to last forever. How her body fitted his so well, how she felt so incredibly to him, he was blown away by it every single time.
But it was getting harder and downright impossible to bear the tension that had been building inside of him, especially when she looked up at him like that: All wanton, lips positively swollen and chasing his climax with him:

"Yes, Jay, please… I can't… oh shhhhhhit…" Rianne's nails dug into his waist hard, while her other arm covered her mouth to muffle her own scream, heated eyes opening wide as if in shock.

Right that moment Jay felt his own release shoot through his body like a shockwave. He silenced his own ecstatic moan of relief by pressing his mouth to Rianne's sweaty neck, her agitated breathing going staccato near his ear, whole body underneath him trembling madly.
Jay propped himself up on his elbows, trying to catch his breath and realize what had just happened. In these immediate moments of the afterglow he always found his senses ridiculously heightened.
Like waking up from a distant dream he blinked his lids a few times and wiped his hot face against his shoulder before looking down at Rianne, eyes astonished:

"Did you… just come? Like again?"

Rianne seemed to be a little ashamed, hiding her face in her hands and shaking her head. She was panting heavily though, her walls still clenching around him, her still trembling lower half betraying her.

"Come on, you can't fake to fake it!"

"Okay, yes I did, happy now? Why do you say it like it's a bad thing though?" She all but yelled at him, cheeks heavily flushed, grabbing one of the light sheets they had crumpled underneath them and pulling it over her head, while pushing Jay off of her.

He winced a little at the abrupt segregation of their bodies:

"I didn't, I'm just surprised is all. That was like the third time? And we've already had sex this morning and A LOT in general... so… I didn't think it was possible!"

"I blame you for turning me on so much whenever you come! It's freaking devastating!"

Rianne slowly surfaced from under the sheet, watching him guardedly. Was she actually angry at him?
Jay tried hard not to laugh at her adorable indignation and wanted to reach out his hand to touch her shoulder and soothe her, but she wildly shook her head at him and made to get up:

"Don't!" she warned.

"Don't fucking touch me. I feel like I'm burning all over and you're not gonna make it better. And I have to pee!"

With a light chuckle at her scolding glance he let himself fall back into the lush pillows, trying to get his heartbeat back to normal. This was insane. How did they keep doing this? Every time he thought they'd sufficiently stilled their hunger for the other's body, for that connection, it only lasted so long. It was never enough.

Rianne took her sweet time in the ensuite. Finally Jay made his way over there, peeking through the half open door:

"May I come in?"

Rianne wasn't a big fan of taking a leak in front of each other, at least she didn't like to do it in front of him. He found that weird as she was so open about many other things, but somehow it was comforting she had her little quirks too.
She was already done and washing her face and hands, drying herself up, cheeks still very flushed. The rest of her skin dusted with a silver sheen of sweat. She turned into him and shortly buried her face in the middle of his chest. Then she placed a few soft kisses there and beamed up at him.

"What?" A grin caused by her girlishly blinking her lashes at him tugged at his lips.

"Nothing!" She left him to get himself washed off and cool down. He badly needed it.

When Jay came back Rianne was sprawled out on her stomach, head resting on her arms and eyes closed, breathing deeply, wild curls fanned out over her pillow.
Jay knew it wasn't impossible that she had fallen asleep in a matter of seconds. He should really try to catch a wink or two as well. Their travel day tomorrow would surely prove to be exhausting.
He couldn't help it though and propped himself up on his arm as he lay down next to her, chasing the lines of white skin her bikini top and bottom had left, then the ones of her tattoo in her neck, circling over her shoulder-blades and her vertebrae with his fingertips, touching soft delicate summer skin. Jay found his affection for her amplified after every exchange of physical intimacies.

"You're the devil!" he heard her mumble into her pillow, voice laced with traces of early stage slumber and physical exhaustion.

She kept her head turned away from him.

"Thought you were asleep!"

"No, I am not, because someone won't let me…"

Still he couldn't get his hands to keep from touching her, finding himself mesmerized by the shiver and the goosebumps his fingers were able to create on her skin.

"Jay, you're ruining me for every other man you know that right?"

"I guess that's the plan…" he smiled and without warning felt a slight punch in his gut at the sheer thought of her ever having another man than him do this with her.

Smile instantly freezing his fingers hovered over the by now familiar shape of her naked butt-cheeks.

"Jay I didn't mean that quite so literally. It was a compliment actually! You can stop your freak-out…" Rianne murmured reprimanding, still not looking at him.

"I…."

"I know you! Don't pretend!"

He took his hands away from her, even if it almost physically hurt him and turned around on his back, staring up at the ceiling fan. Jay sighed deeply and crossed his arms behind his head.
Suddenly there was her hand on his cheek, thumb brushing over his lower lip. Turning into her touch and kissing the tip of her finger he closed his eyes.
He heard a little shuffling on her side and the heat of her body next to him increasing, so she must've moved a little closer to him. When he opened his eyes he found her looking at him, deep in thought it seemed:

"Wanna tell me about your new year's resolutions?"

The tips of her nails were now softly scraping over his chest and nipples. Jay sharply drew in the air through his teeth. This was bound to turn him on again. Shit!

"I propose a little celibacy once we get home…" he said, trying to silence the newly awaking desire in his groin.

"As if…"

He stilled her hand by putting his own over it:

"Okay right, that's probably not gonna happen, because I've created a monster…"

As expected Rianne kicked his hip with her knee for that, making him grin lopsidedly. Jay thought about her question for a while then before he answered more seriously:

"I think I wanna remind myself a bit more often to live a little. Love hard, be less afraid, before it's too late."

"Don't say it like you're going to die anytime soon!"

He knew it was one of her biggest fears. The threat of something ever happening to her had become his too, but being in his line of work they knew it was a realistic peril. Squeezing her hand in his tighter he found himself wishing they'd exchange many more new years resolutions over time before his luck ran out:

"I promise I don't plan on that to happen any time soon!"

"Good!"

Rianne's lips found his very softly, her nose whispering over his cheek:

"Because I'm so crazy in love with you Jay I can't even tell you."

"I'm just messing with you!"

Thinking back to last night he almost felt a little bad for riling her up about the picture, so he pressed an apologetic kiss to her forehead.

"Yeah, I know. I just… I thought it would be nice to have a reminder of one of those perfect moments once that everyday world tries to take over again!"

"I get it! And it's a nice thought!"

He was one to talk when there were more than a dozen pictures of her and of them together cluttering up his phone. Even his profile pic for the messenger service on his private phone wasn't just of him alone any longer. A picture that had gotten him some unexpected reactions: Besides some annoying and teasing texts from his brother, that had almost made him take that picture down again (because: was he really that whipped?), there had also been one from Mouse reaching out. Jay knew his old army friend was living somewhere in Oregon since coming back from his last deployment a little over two years ago, but they hadn't had real contact in ages. Now suddenly he was wishing him a happy new year and stating:

'looks like you're doing well for yourself! Tell me about it sometime?'

And there was a still unanswered text from Erin:

"Have a very happy new year Jay! You somewhere warm and cozy? Am a little jealous! Can I give you a call next time I'm visiting? Would love to catch up!"

Would she have texted him a year ago he would have replied right away. Now he wasn't so sure. What good would it do to catch up after all this time? Besides why did she care now?
Jay believed in letting sleeping dogs lie, but is seemed that this didn't go for everyone.

"I'm gonna use the restrooms real quick!"

Kissing the top of Rianne's head he took a deep breath to make himself part company with her, calling himself a fool at the same time that this was even an issue. He should really practice to put some distance between them, otherwise Monday would turn into an emotional catastrophe! But seriously: how should he pull himself away from her for a whole day? Right now it felt impossible.

"Okay, but Jay?" Rianne grabbed his coat lapels, looking up at him in that intense way, suddenly adapting an over-the-top sweet tone:

"Get rid of that gum while you're at it will ya? Cause… multiple orgasms or not: It's the most off-putting look on you!"

The woman standing next to them at the conveyor belt made big embarrassed eyes in their direction and gave them a once over. She must have overheard as Rianne wasn't particularly talking in a low voice. His girlfriend of course found this amusing judging by the haughty smile playing on her lips, mischief gleaming in her eyes.
Rianne claimed he was the ugliest gum chewer she had ever seen, because he tended to do it quite open mouthed and excessively loud for her taste. No one had ever told him that before. Feeling pretty rogue himself and wanting to one up her, he pulled her to him, gripping her face tightly in his hands:

"Actually why don't you take care of that?"

Jay kissed her without warning, managing to slip the gum from his mouth into hers and ending his mission before she could react to it. Realizing what he had just done her eyes went wide in disbelief, meeting his own sly wink and teeth-flashing grin, before she started laughing. Deciding to leave with this win he turned and hurried towards the restrooms.

"You're a pig!" Rianne called after him, but secretly loved their banter and Jay's frisky manner.

Maybe things wouldn't be just the way they had left them here. She got rid of Jay's gum by wrapping it into a piece of paper and put it in her pocket. Rianne pulled her new jacket tighter around her. It was really too cold for Chicago temperatures and weather conditions and she knew at one point she had to put on her thick wool coat. At least when they'd leave the airport. But Rianne had been looking forward to putting this one on since her birthday and in Argentina it had absolutely been too hot.

Jay really was a sneaky person. She wondered how he'd been able to pull this off to this day. That man had gotten the rosé colored suede leather jacket, she'd only been going on and on about for weeks, from the right shop, in exactly the right size and kept it from her for as long as he had. In general she felt pretty special that he kept true to his word to celebrate her birthday for a whole week. Since three days now he was making this repdigit birthday of hers a real special one. If only she could fully believe that no one would swoop in now that they were back and pop her beautiful bubble.

While still waiting on their second suitcase to appear Rianne checked her emails and bank-account, her good mood momentarily waning when she saw that her father really didn't pay attention to anything she told him ever.
Having thought about what she wanted to do with his Christmas money until Alvaro had joined the family again for New Year's, she had then decided to give the cheque back to him. Not out of spite, but with the request, maybe even the plea, that she would much rather like it if he bought himself a plane ticket to Chicago with that money and put the rest up for safekeeping for her soon to be half-sibling:

"I really don't want your money. I would however want to spent time with you. Like really spent time together and for you to see our new home or whatever!"

He'd been all understanding and a little more sorry about the way he had let her know about her being a big sister by next summer and promised to do better. But as she checked the balance of her account now she saw that he had deposited the money after all. The realization that he seemed to have no regard for her wishes really stung like hell. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath clamping the lid on these upsetting feelings, she spotted Jay's suitcase when she opened them again. Glad for the distraction at hand she grunted under the weight of it when she heaved it from the conveyor belt, almost tripping herself up with it. Rianne wondered what was taking Jay so long. There was still no sight of him. By now she just wanted to get out of here, see if her truck was still waiting for them in longterm parking and get them home. She felt rather weighed down by several emotions.

Instead of Jay there suddenly were four security guards around her, standing really close. One of them had a dog with him that was barking madly at her suitcases. Rianne spun around, confused, trying to access the situation enfolding.

"Ma'm? We need you to come with us!"

Two of the security men were flanking her left and right, the other two going for the suitcases she had been keeping close to her side.

"Excuse me what? Why?"

Her puzzled looks were met with serious and straight faces. This must be a bad joke. She had done nothing wrong. The stern voice of the first guard, a big lump of a man told her otherwise. He sure wasn't kidding:

"We advise you to not kick up a fuss and follow us back there," he pointed at a gateway next to customs, which would lead to some kind of 'interrogation' room Rianne suspected.

The hell she would follow them without Jay present. Where the hell was he?

"I'm not leaving without my boyfriend. He was supposed to meet me here again!"

And he's a Chicago Police Detective, said the little-girl-voice in her head, but she wouldn't resort to try to scare them off by flashing Jay's rank in their faces. Not yet at least!

"You can give him a call once you've accompanied us to our office! Let him know where you are!"

When Rianne still didn't move and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly the officer reached for her elbow and gave her a scary scowl that emphasized he wasn't playing:

"If you prefer to be escorted out of here in cuffs we can make that happen too!"

"Jay?"

"Yeah, babe where are you? I'm looking everywhere for you!"

"Jay I've just been taken by airport security."

"What? Why?"

"They're saying there is something wrong with our luggage. They confiscated it, suspecting drugs inside of them? Where are you?"

"There was a line, I'm back at the baggage claim now."

"What's happening here Jay?"

"There must be a misunderstanding! Don't worry. I'm gonna figure this out!"