Before Jay knows it, the end of the week approaches quickly and the game is here. They had bought tickets to a Hawks/Red Wings game, a bitter rivalry between the two teams, so they were always the most fun. When he had suggested that they still go, he was hoping it could be just Hailey and him, but she quickly put a stop to that. Almost oddly, as if she was fearing being alone with him. It's not that he wasn't excited for his brother to join in and spend time with him too, but there is a small part of him that hopes the more personal time he gets with Hailey, the more he maybe can convince her she's in the wrong relationship too. He's aware it may be a little selfish on his part, especially since he actually likes Nathan, but he feels it in his bones that Hailey belongs with him. It's as if they were destined… or as close as it came to him believing in that kind of thing.
Being the kind gentleman he was, he offered to pick everyone up to save on parking. Will had brought his friend from high school, Liz, who was already at Will's apartment, so it was still just the two stops including Hailey. As if his brother could read his mind, when they got to Hailey's Will hopped out of the front and got in the back with Liz.
"You don't have to do that, I'll sit in the back!" Hailey tried to insist.
"No, no. You ride with him all the time so you're probably best to keep his 'heavy foot' in line. I'd like to make it to the arena in one piece. No more medical emergencies for today, please!" Will joked.
"Haha, fair enough!" Hailey laughed as Jay rolled his eyes at his brother.
There was a good amount of traffic, considering it was rush hour in Chicago and heading towards a popular sporting event, but the time went by quick. After the introductions of Liz to Hailey were made, the majority of the ride was hearing the crazy antics of Will in high school. Jay was having a blast watching Hailey laugh, getting to hear some old stories he didn't know about, and grateful nothing from his youth was being brought up. The four of them had so much fun they hardly noticed the traffic.
When they arrived they got to their seats rather quickly. Since the two girls had hit it off, Will went into their row first, followed by Liz, then Hailey, and lastly Jay. The game started off intense, so they were all fully focused on it in the beginning. It had been a quick scoring tie, 2-2 by the end of the 1st period. But soon into the 2nd, the Red Wings started to really pull away with it. Somehow the score got to 5-2 and while the group was depressed, it did give them more opportunity to talk.
"Damn, Jay, thanks for inviting me to this crap. I swear every time I come to a game with my brother the Hawks lay an egg. I think you're a jinx." Will yelled past the girls.
"ME? Did you ever think maybe it's you? Hailey and I have gone to a bunch of games and they're never as bad as when you're around." Jay defends.
"Yeah, yeah!" Will chuckles.
"Hey now boys, no fighting. I think this just gives you guys the perfect opportunity to buy Liz and I some food!" Hailey smiles wide while Liz nods along in agreement.
Jay, rarely being able to refuse her, obliged and they all followed suit up the aisle. Will ended up paying for all of them since Jay and Hailey had provided the tickets and before they knew it, they were back in their seats. The score unfortunately still the same, but content with their food. Hailey was happily biting into her corn dog topped with chili while Jay watched her in secret awe. A grin sneaking up his face.
"Uhfff, I can't believe you eat that crap!" he said to her, always amazed at the amount of food Hailey could fit into her small, toned body. No wonder she worked out like a fiend.
"What? I'm hungry! And it's not like there's a lot of options in this section. Shutup and enjoy your boring turkey burger!" she teased right back, her smile peaking through even though she feigned annoyance.
He noticed a little bit of the chili sauce had gotten stuck to the corner of her mouth. "You know, you got a little something…" he started to say as he reached his hand towards her mouth.
"Do Not!" she slapped his hand away laughing and brought up her napkin to clean it herself.
He grinned even wider at her until he realized Will had noticed their exchange and was giving him his questioning brow. Jay quickly shook his head at his brother as nonchalantly as he could, silently begging him not to start. Will gave him a know-it-all-smirk and quickly turned back to the game. After that exchange, Jay felt he needed a little air. If others could notice their flirty banter then he was definitely in trouble.
"I'm gonna go grab us some more beer before last call." Jay explained as he got up.
"I'll come with." Will said. "They only allow two drinks per person. This way I know Liz and I will get one before you give the only other you're allowed to buy to Hailey."
The girls laughed even though Jay gave him the look of death. As the two brothers walked away, Hailey and Liz finally chatted amongst themselves.
"So, you and Jay, huh? That's great!" Liz said.
"What? Oh no. We're just friends. I have a boyfriend, he's on a business trip, which is why we had the extra tickets." Hailey blushed and tried to rapidly explain.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Will said you guys were partners, but then you seemed so close I just assumed you were more."
Hailey waved her hand, trying to dismiss Liz' embarrassment. "We are close. It's fine. Happens all the time. We just have such a bond from working with each other so much."
"Oh yeah, totally. I get it. Will and I have been friends forever. Although there was that one drunken night when he was home from college…" Liz starts and Hailey's eyes go wide, grinning, while Liz laughs before stopping. "I mean, anyway, I shouldn't go there. My point being, I've known Jay a long time. He was a great kid. Went through a lot. I'm glad he has someone he's so close with now."
"Yeah, Jay is great! Honestly, he's the best partner I've ever had. Best friend, we spend so much time together and I still love him to death…" Hailey can feel the blush again and quickly catches herself. "So I'm glad that him and Nathan, my boyfriend, get along."
"That's great. I'm sorry he couldn't make tonight, but I'm really glad I got to meet you. We definitely have to hang out more!"
"Yes, we do! I don't have a lot of girl friends in my line of work, so I'd love that." Hailey exclaimed.
"Then I can give you all the blackmail dirt on the Halstead's" Liz winked right before the guys got back with the beers.
"So what did you ladies talk about?" Will asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing! Just some old-fashioned gabbing!"
Hailey quickly said, not wanting it out there that Liz thought her and Jay were together. She could sense Jay silently questioning her in wonder, but luckily he didn't push. The rest of the night went without a hitch, the four just joking around and enjoying the energy. The Hawks ended up losing 6-3, but they were all still in good spirits. So much so they ended up going to a bar afterward and staying until closing. Even though Jay had picked up Will and Liz first, he didn't drop them off last to continue the order, instead getting them home and saving Hailey's as the final stop. When he pulled up at her house, they sat there for a long silencing moment, not moving. Jay didn't know what to say. It wasn't awkward, but there was definitely tension, and he certainly didn't want to force her out. He'd sit with her all night if she'd let him. Finally, it was Hailey who broke the silence.
"It's late. You wanna crash on the couch?" she smiled at him softly, a little unsure.
He stared back at her, but soon drifted into a memory in his head of the first time he had crashed on her couch…
They had been dealing with a rough case close to Hailey's past, trying to bust a meth dealer, Ronald Booth. Hailey had an undercover assignment in his crew years prior. Booth had been obsessed with her, almost raped her, most likely killed her partner at the time, Garrett, who rescued her. The whole case was under lock and key since they managed to get Booth thrown in jail on a distribution charge, but less than four years later he was out and up to no good again. Hailey insisted to both Voight and Jay to put her under again and let her see things through. Things had gotten extremely dicey. Jay kept having to pull Hailey back in a similar matter to how she had to with him and Camilla. Finally, it all came to a head with Hailey and Jay, again undercover, getting Booth to agree to making a drug deal with them, but it quickly turned sour. When Booth ran, him and Hailey got into a scuffle and when she got the upper hand on him, she stuck her gun in his face and wanted to pull the trigger. It was Jay who pulled her back. Now, it was them sitting on her couch because Jay knew she shouldn't be alone, Nathan again away on business, and she had refused to show at Molly's to celebrate with the rest of the team. The second she wasn't answering his texts, Jay went over uninvited and they were both glad he had.
"It's over Hailey, you got him!"
"Yeah, I know. It just doesn't feel as good as I thought it would. Stirred up too many ghosts, you know?"
"Garrett?" Jay questions, even though he's already sure of the answer.
"Yeah. He was the one that pulled Booth off me that night. He stopped him from… raping me… killing me." Hailey admitted, trying to hold in her emotion but failing.
"I'm sorry you lost him. He sounded like a great guy."
"Yeah, he was." She says, refusing to look at him.
"You loved him?" Jay studied her, again, more confirming what he already knew than questioning.
She nodded slightly, choking back tears. "Anyway, uh, thanks for coming by, but honestly I'm fine."
She stares at him sadly and he holds her gaze, knowing she's anything but. "I'm not going anywhere, Hailey."
He says while pulling her toward him, wrapping her in his arms and not giving her a choice to fight it. It's like a dam breaks within her and she cries into his chest as he holds her tightly. Neither know how long they stay like that, both mutually comforted by the embrace. Almost an hour must pass when Hailey seems to calm and level out, allowing someone to take care of her for once. When she pulls back slightly, Jay speaks again.
"Does Nathan know?" he asks gently.
She shakes her head. "No, no one does."
Her honesty breaks his heart, not only because she's held this in herself for so long, but because he was the first person she trusted to let it out. It does something to him. It's in this moment what he had been fearing gets confirmed: he's falling in love with her.
"Anyway, thank you for being here, Jay, it means a lot. It's late and we've both had a long day, we should probably sleep. You want to stay on the couch?" she asks, her vulnerability still showing even if she's back to trying to hide it.
He knows he shouldn't. He has a girlfriend now. And even though he knows nothing is going to happen between Hailey and him, he can't help but feel staying here would definitely cross another line. He doesn't think about it too long however, because there's no where else he'd rather be.
"I'd love to, thank you!" he states and she gives him her first genuine smile of the day.
"Great. I'll get you some blankets. And you're in for a treat, my machine makes a mean cup of coffee in the morning!"
"I can't wait!" he laughs at her attempt at lightness.
"Thank you, Jay!" she whispers again sincerely, both of them staring intently.
"Anytime!" he manages to choke out, intense emotion he tries to swallow down in his throat.
She gives him another smile, this one tinged with sadness… and maybe a hint of something else beneath the surface… then she's off to her room to get the blankets. He follows her with his eyes until he no longer can, and then lays his head back on the couch with a heavy sigh. He's never wanted to kill the timing of life more than he has right now. But what is it they say- "Good things come to those who wait!"
Hailey had been waiting expectantly, so when he didn't answer right away, she quickly continued. "I mean, I know you just drove all of us and you're capable… but now you'll be by yourself, so I just figured better to be safe than sorry you know?"
Jay snaps out of it. "No, you're right. It's late and we were drinking. You still making a mean cup of coffee?" he jokes.
"Of course!" she grins, knowing that means he's in.
"Then I'd love to. Last one awake buys the bagels!" he teases.
"Oh c'mon! You're always up early! It's like the Rangers indoctrinated you."
"Exactly why you should buy me breakfast!" he states matter-of-factly as they get out of the truck.
They bicker back and forth all the way inside and Jay thinks maybe the wait will one day be worth it…
[A/N: I actually wasn't going to write about their game "double-date," but some seemed so excited that here we are. Definitely wasn't a chapter fully planned, but I got some 5x18 in there like I wanted. Thank you for all of your kind reviews and continuing along. Here's hoping for some great Upstead in 8x11!]