Chapter 49: You and me, always.
I do not own Chicago PD or any of the characters.
Jay/Hailey. Set after series 7. At Kim and Adam's wedding, Jay and Hailey finally confessed their feelings and spent the night together and now they are back in Chicago and hiding their relationship from their friends.
The proposal! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review if you like it :).
It had been a week since Hailey and Kim had been to the courthouse and Hailey had been so glad that Jay hadn't reacted badly to Kim's interference. She had tried to push it to the back of her mind, but, for those seconds when she had returned home, she had wanted to tell Jay that she did want to get married. It had been a fleeting second, but Hailey had told herself to be realistic. She and Jay had both said that neither of them were ready for marriage or engaged, so she accepted that. If it was meant to be, it would happen, when they were both ready. Meanwhile, Jay had spent the past week trying to find the right moment to ask Hailey the most important question he would ever ask her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and he wanted to ask her. Jay wanted it to be just right. Hailey was the one for him and, unknown to each other, they had both been thinking about marriage in the moment.
Their shift was a very busy one. Adam was back at work now, but Kim was still on maternity leave. It was a case with a high number of deaths, so they were all glad when the case was over and, because Kim was out, Jay was in the field, acting as Kevin's partner. When their shift was finally over, Jay left his office at the same time as Hailey and they drove home together, both having showers and changing out of their clothes from work.
Hailey was wearing a pair of Jay's sweatpants and one of his old jumpers and her hair was up. She sat on the sofa, ordered a pizza and watched something on the TV, waiting for Jay to be out of the shower. Over the past week, Hailey had noticed that Jay had seemed slightly nervous and she smiled to herself. She thought she knew what it was about and, if her mouth had worked before her brain, she would have told him she wanted to get married a week ago, but it had passed. When she and Jay were ready, they would take that step, together. Hailey wanted to marry him, but she was willing to wait until they were both ready.
The pizza arrived and Jay was still changing after his shower. He shook his head and told himself not to be nervous. It wasn't a big event. It would be just right. It was Jay and Hailey. His partner, his best friend and the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
As soon as he was changed, Jay joined Hailey on the sofa and they rested their arms around each other, holding each other close. Hailey closed her eyes and murmured, "Jay, there's something I want to ask you." She shifted her head so that she could look into his eyes. "When I said about I want to have a new chapter together, it made me think about things."
With a smile, Jay asked, "Hailey, can I say something first? It's just- I think I know what you're going to say. I'd like to say it first." Hailey laughed and frowned, nodding. She bit back a smile as she looked into Jay's green eyes. Without saying another word, Jay stood up and took hold of Hailey's hands and she stood up, too and he squeezed her hands. In a very soft voice, he began, "Hailes, I love you. I'm the luckiest man alive. I fell in love with my partner, my best friend. I can't imagine my life without you. And the thing is, you make me happier than I ever thought I could be, and I want to spend the rest of my life making you feel the same way." Jay paused and smiled before he went down onto one knee and looked up at Hailey, smiling. "Going to Kim and Adam's wedding is the best thing I've ever done, but I knew before that. I've known for years. I want it to be you and me. Always." He moved her hands in his before he asked, "Hailey Anne, will you marry me?"
Tears of happiness were brimming in Hailey's eyes and they started to fall. She was looking at Jay, down on his knee. He was asking her to marry him. Her partner, her best friend and so much more. With a smile, Hailey whispered back, "Yes! Yes, I will." Jay rose from his knee and their lips embraced in a passionate kiss and he wiped away Hailey's tears as she wrapped his arms around his shoulders and he put his arms around her waist as they held each other close. As their kiss broke, Hailey rested her head against Jay's forehead and told him, "I've known for years, too. I can't imagine being without you. You're the one for me, Jay Halstead." She chuckled as she titled her head and remarked, "It's fitting you're the one you asked first."
"I'm a man of action." Jay joked, before his face turned serious. "This is the beginning of our new chapter."
Green eyes met blue, just as they had done in that hotel room on the night of Kim and Adam's wedding, and their lips met in another passionate kiss. It was their time and they were the happiest they had ever been. They were going to spend the rest of their lives together and, as they were kissing, Hailey kept repeating, between their kisses, with a smile, "Yes, I'll marry you, Jay."
That night, they held each other close and slept, sharing their future together. Their new chapter. Jay had told Hailey the next chapter of his life was with her. They were the best they could ever be, when they were together. Always.
