Day Two of Upstead Week! Today's prompt was "It's you, it always has been."

Title is from "I Know Places" by Taylor Swift

"Okay, so truth or dare."

"Hailey," Jay rolls his eyes. "Really?"

"Yes, really," she says, setting down her beer and peering over at him from her spot on the couch. "I'm bored, so we're playing truth or dare."

"What are we, twelve?" Jay chuckles, shaking his head as he sets down his own drink. "Also, if you're bored, you can just leave."

She makes a face, one that screams you're ridiculous, screams that his words are a weightless suggestion. Even if she's supposedly bored, she'd rather be bored with him than bored alone.

Although, something tells her he would rather be bored with her too.

And maybe a game of truth or dare is a little silly, especially for two elite detectives. But she's bored and he's her best friend. So, if she can make him laugh and learn something new about him, she thinks it will be a night well spent.

It's a normal Tuesday night, much like most others, where she comes over to his place after a case and they drink a few beers and try to forget about the chaos that is their jobs. This thing of theirs, the thing that makes them better cops and partners and friends, it started so simply, a way to decompress after the hard cases, but now it has become a staple in their relationship.

And while she does not exactly know what that relationship might be, the lines becoming more and more blurred with each passing day, she does know about their thing. It's clear, simple, and easy.

"Okay," Jay sighs, clearly realizing it's pointless to even try to fight with her. "Truth or dare."

"I asked you first," she reminds him, turning on the couch to face him and tucking her legs underneath her. "So, Jay, truth or dare."

He rolls his eyes, and the way he is pretending to be annoyed despite them both knowing he could never really be annoyed at her makes something in her stomach flip.

"Truth."

"Lame," Hailey says. 'Um...worst date you've ever been on?"

He thinks for a moment, and she bites her lip, trying to suppress a smile. It's not lost on her the way his eyes glance back over at her every few seconds and she wonders if he is having as much trouble focusing right now as she is.

"Um, probably my sophomore year homecoming," he tells her. "I didn't even want to go, but my mom practically forced me. I asked this girl Cara, but then she ditched me halfway through for a football player."

"Oh," Hailey pouts sympathetically. "That's sad. Why would you tell me that?"

"You asked the question!" Jay chuckles, raising his beer back to his lips.

"Yeah, well," she mumbles nervously. "I thought you were gonna tell me something awkward, not how some girl broke your heart in high school."

"I wouldn't say that she broke my heart-"

"Still," Hailey laughs. "Don't worry, if I was there, I wouldn't have ditched you."

As soon as she hears the words out loud, Hailey knows they sound much more unpartner-like than she intended. He laughs, and she can feel her cheeks burning red, her eyes immediately glancing down at her lap as she tries to think of a follow-up to her little confession that might steer them back to the safe side of the line they are balancing on.

"You would have gone to homecoming with me, eh?" He teases playfully. The comment is a little bold for partners and it almost feels like he is trying to do the opposite of her, steer them right to the other side of the line, the side that changes things.

"Mainly just to make fun of you in a suit," she bites back with a smile, watching as he rolls his eyes exaggeratedly.

"Have I told you I hate you recently?" He quips, and she is about to fight back, leaning forward on the couch, but he is quicker. "Truth or dare."

Hailey hums, bringing her pointer finger to her face and tapping it against her chin as she pretends to think. "Truth."

"Lame," he copies her teasing, earning him a less than amused look as she scrunches up her face and sticks her tongue out at him. "Um...have you ever lied to me?"

"No," her answer is quick, almost too quick, and it makes Jay chuckle.

"Hailey-"

"I've never lied to you," she argues. "I trust you. You know that."

The question is just part of a game, and while she knows there is no part of him that does not trust her, she needs to take a moment away from the laughing and teasing to make sure he really knows.

"I know you trust me," he says. "I'm not talking about anything big. You sure there's no white lies you've told me during the course of our partnership?"

"White lie?" She thinks to herself. "Jay, I honestly can't think of anything. If I don't like something, I'm gonna tell you."

"Don't I know it," he murmurs softly under his breath, just loud enough that she can hear it from across the couch, and she kicks his leg playfully in protest.

"You love that I shoot straight with you. Don't even pretend like you don't."

"You're right," he laughs out. "Should've known better with that question I guess."

"Want another one?" She asks, feeling slightly bad that he didn't get a better answer, but he shakes his head.

"No, I like the answer you gave me," he says, a little too sweetly, causing Hailey to blush. "Your turn."

It takes a moment for her thoughts to catch up with her, his words still swirling around in her head, but he shoots her a knowing, impatient look, and eventually, she coughs out "Truth or dare?"

It continues in much the same pattern, them taking turns asking the infamous question, but with each round, it feels like maybe they're getting bolder. Like they're throwing caution to the wind and they're finally tired of towing that line and are allowing themselves to get caught up in the moment.

"Tell me something no one knows about you?"

"You already know everything. You're the only one who does."

"Favorite memory in Intelligence?"

"Anything with you."

"Biggest regret?"

"When I got shot, I knew you were going through hell. That's my biggest regret."

"Mines New York. Not helping Vanessa, because I love her. But I regret leaving. I didn't like leaving you."

"But you came back , didn't you?"

"Truth or dare?" Hailey asks, immediately rolling her eyes when Jay says truth yet again. She's only gotten him on a few dares, and she thinks maybe it's his way of playing it safe, of not looking like a fool in front of her.

Not that she would care.

"Favorite person?" Hailey asks, tilting her head to the side to wait for his answer. But his response is instantaneous, and it feels like he didn't think about it at all.

Because maybe he didn't have to.

"You," he breathes out.

It surprises Hailey and maybe, it surprises Jay too. He seems nervous about his answer, like it's going too far and she's going to recoil. Her questioning face turns soft, and she lets out a low breath, looking at him in surprise.

"Really?" She asks before she can stop herself.

He nods. "It's you, it always has been. You're my best friend and my partner and…"

He lets his voice trail off, purposely, and she can tell by the look in his eye that he wants to go on, but he is nervous she isn't ready to hear his words, worried his answer is going to change things in the wrong way.

But maybe she wants him to say it. Maybe, definitely, she is ready for things to change.

"And?" She prompts him.

"And…" he continues, hesitantly at first, but soon, he finds his bearing. "And you've saved me more times than I can count, and you make me a better person. You believe in me, and you fight for me and you support me. So, you're my favorite person."

Jay pauses as if testing the waters, but when she sends him a small, hopeful smile urging him on, he finally adds "You're always gonna be."

It's hard to suppress the smile that's growing, hard to not leap across the couch and tackle him on the spot, but Hailey uses up any last bit of self-control and whispers "Truth or dare."

"What?" He questions, confused by her response to his confession. "Hailey, it's not even your turn-"

"Truth or dare."

"Truth?" He answers questioningly, but Hailey just shakes her head.

"Truth or dare," She repeats. By this point, his face is scrunched up in pure confusion, head cocked to the side as he watches her before he hesitantly answers.

"Dare?"

She smiles again, larger this time, and when his smile starts to match hers, she thinks that maybe he knows what's about to happen.

"I dare you to kiss me."

It's the first dare of the game that he happily takes.

See you tomorrow for Day 3!