Kim stared at the rain covered streets from her apartment window, watching as the streetlights reflected off the puddles. Chicago in October was dreary, days getting shorter but no snow yet, making it a little bit easier. Makayla was at a sleepover, and her phone buzzed with a text from Adam. She opened it, smiling at the photo.

We're at Molly's, c'mon!

It was a photo of Adam and Kevin, grins on both their faces. They were off work tomorrow and the two men knew Makayla was at a sleepover, so it took about a minute for Kim to decide to join her friends. It didn't take much time for her to change out of her work jeans and sweater and into one of her favourite dresses, putting lipstick and mascara on. She got a cab to the bar, waving at Herrmann who was serving drinks. He had a jack and coke waiting for her that Adam had ordered, so she took the drink and went over to their table.

"Hey, having a good night?" She asked, sitting on the chair beside Adam. Kevin lit up seeing her there.

"All good now you're here! How's my favourite niece doing?" Kim just laughed.

"She's your only niece, you know that, right? We're good. One of the women at the salon is giving me lessons on how to braid her hair properly, which is something. I'm awful at it, but they claim I'm getting better." Kim took a sip of her drink, pulling out her phone to show the photos of her test braids on a mannequin head. Adam laughed, but Kevin nodded.

"Better than I can do, and I've a decade of practice. You got this, Momma." Kim smiled at the praise, and then had a bigger grin on her face.

"Well that'll be official next week." The two men looked at her, confused for a moment. "The adoption is being approved. The last thing was if Makayla wanted to be adopted, and she agreed she does. It's official from Tuesday, she'll become Makayla Ward Burgess." Adam whooped beside her, raising his arms in a cheer, while Kevin's soft smile became a grin.

"That girl is lucky to have you in her life, Burgess. You're an excellent Mom, even without it being official."

They sat and chatted, Adam moving to water after his second beer. Eventually it was almost closing time, and they hugged goodbye. Kevin only lived a couple of blocks away and began to walk home, while Kim pulled out her phone to get a cab.

"C'mon. I'll drive you home, no point in you paying for a cab when I'll be going past yours anyway." She linked arms with Adam, walking through the quiet parking lot to his jeep. It was quiet and calm, the smell of ozone in the air from the rainstorm that had hit Chicago that day. All Kim wanted to do was dance with him, but she kept quiet as they walked. She missed the relationship they'd had, that she'd ruined, and all she wanted to do was wander around the lot with him, dancing to the songs they used to dance to back when they were happy.

Instead she got into the car, her eyes on Adam's hands as he pulled out smoothly, driving down the street. She tried to stop staring at him, at his long fingers and the few scars she saw that she'd never noticed before, shining silver in the yellow lights. He raised his hand, running it through the long pieces of hair at the front of his head before turning to her.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the road.

"You're just quiet, that's all. Drunk Kim is normally talking a million miles a minute." She smiled at that, at the playful tone of his voice.

"I'm fine. Just tired and sobering up. Thanks for this, it's a lot better than an Uber."

"You're welcome, Kim. You know I'm always gonna be there for you, regardless of whatever's gone on between us." And that was a knife through the heart. She still couldn't tell him how she felt, too afraid of the idea that he'd reject her and leave her alone. But it was Adam. He wouldn't do that deliberately. Except he'd been actively trying to move on and she had to let him if he was going to be happy.

They made it to her apartment building, and Adam pulled into a parking place outside. Kim swallowed and looked over at him.

"Do you want to come up for a beer? I've some of those IPAs you like, and I'm not a fan, so you're doing me a favour really." She was rambling and they both knew it. She wanted to delay them separating, so she sat there watching until Adam nodded.

"Yeah, sounds good." They both got out of the car, and their hands naturally gravitated towards each other until they were intertwined in the elevator. Kim got the front door open, pulling out two beers from her fridge and handing Adam one. She put music on low, and they sat on the couch, drinking and lost in their own world.

One of her favourite songs came on and she stood, putting her bottle on the coffee table. "C'mon, dance with me!" She held out her hand and Adam stood, the two of them swaying to the beat in her living room. It was intimate and she felt the heat of him around her, his heartbeat thumping as she laid her ear against his chest. Adam was here and he was alive and how could she ever let him go?

When the song ended they separated, and Adam picked up his jacket to leave. Kim walked him to the door, and he turned in the doorway to say goodnight. Without thinking, she pulled him into her by his lapel, her mouth reaching for his. Their lips joined and Kim felt the familiar fireworks, and how could she ever live without kissing Adam Ruzek on a regular basis again? It was flawless, a perfect kiss, and all she wanted was more and more. They made out standing there until they separated for oxygen and she looked up into his eyes, seeing warring emotions there and not fully sure what he wanted.

"Kim…I've got to go." He took his hands from her hips and walked away, not even waiting for the elevator but running down the stairs instead. Kim stood in her doorway and watched as he left, before closing the front door and locking it. She ran to the other side of the apartment, looking out her window as she saw him speed walk towards his jeep and drive away without even looking up at her.

She sat on the couch, staring at the two bottles on the coffee table. What had she done? They'd finally hit a friendship that was working for them, after all of the words and accusations had been shared on both sides. And she'd ruined it. The one thing she promised she wouldn't do was kiss him, was destroy their friendship and potentially ruin the one man in Makayla's life constantly, but she'd done it. And now she had to live with it.