He lifts his weight off her and kisses her forehead a final time before rolling off of her with a satisfied little sigh that has her laughing to herself.
"What?" he asked.
"Relieved Kell?" She says giving him appraising side glance.
"I still got it." He brags pulling her against him.
"You never lost it… I just got it back is all." She corrects.
"Whatever. Cuddle me."
"We don't have time. "She complains even as she's settling down across him.
"After glow woman…after glow with me." He mumbles.
She's listening to Kelly's heartbeat floating on the line between wakefulness and sleep when a screaming cry splits the air. She's in Kelly's tee shirt, transfers into her chair and is at their door by the time Kelly has his jeans on. She's out the door and down the hall into Klaire's room. He's two steps behind her. Klaire stands in her crib crying there's yellowish puss oozing out her left ear.
"It's okay sweet baby." Liv soothes going to pick her up.
"Mama..." Klaire whines her lip quivering and the whole nine yards.
"I know baby…" Liv wipes the huge tears dripping down the baby's face.
"Mama." She whimpered again clinging to Liv. Then there's the sound and smell of a full on diaper blow out.
Kelly just stands dumb struck. "What the fuck happened to her ear."
"Ear infection most likely. I'm going to clean her up and take her in to my ER." She said wheeling to the changing table one handed as Klaire refused to sit her lap preferring to stand latched on to Liv's neck. Knotting her little hands into her hair for added assurance.
"Can you handle A, Shay for me?"
"I got brother if you've got her. Anything in particular he needs to wear?" Kelly answered handing Liv a clean diaper and wipes.
"No just feed him a bottle and dress him warm. Drop him off at the daycare."
"Ok I can do that. I got it." He steps up and kisses Klaire.
"Daddy… owie…" She looks up at him imploringly big brown eyes shining as he blocks a grab for her ear.
He kissed the top of her head again. "I know baby Mama is better at the owie fixing."
"Kelly how'd I miss this?"
"She's not a crier she never whined or pulled at her ears. You didn't miss the signs because there were none." He answered kissing the top of Liv's head.
Kelly gets everything he needs to done very quickly. He has Aaron dressed and his car seat in no time. He can hear Liv singing to Klaire. "You've got that James Dean day dream look in your eye, I've got good girl faith and tight little skirt…this is not an appropriate song to sing to you!"
Kelly laughs she has skipped a few lyrics but he won't mention it. He has Aaron and is almost out the door. "Goodbye ladies we collectively love you. Feel better Klairey Girl."
He is halfway to the car before he realizes he hasn't kissed Liv good bye or let her say be careful.
He really doesn't have time to turn back. He'll kiss her if he goes into her ER today. He promises himself. He wads a blanket up and balances Aaron's bottle on it. His phone buzzes and he reads a text message. "I will keep you updated but she's going to be fine. We love you too and be careful for me would you? There's a lip print and a heart emoji following up the words.
He texts her back quickly. "I can do that. I'll try to bring you coffee. I know Klaire will be fine because you're taking care of her."
Kelly drops Aaron off at the hospitals daycare and heads in. He's only twenty minutes late.
"Sorry chief, sick baby at home." He says as he passes him to put his stuff away. He shoots a text off. "Aaron is at daycare. He dislikes Metallica. I guess he got your music snobbery Haha! How's Klaire."
"Bite me Severide. She's clean but trying to kill me with sicky eyes."
"Only if you say please and she's not actively trying to kill you."
Sometime later he receives a face time call. He answers. All he can see is the top portion of Klaire's head and she's looking at him skeptically trying to figure out how she did this. "Mama gave you her phone didn't she bug?"
She shrieks happily "Daddy!" then she precedes to pauses him "Daddy Bye byes?"
"Liv! Babe she paused me."
Liv unpaused him. Liv smiled brightly at him. "I have no clue how she did this. She has an ear infection and upset tummy but some medicine and she'll be fine."
"Good." The fire tone dings. "That's my cue girls. Love you."
-/-
The call is for chemical processing plant explosion. All of the victims require emergent care as they have inhaled some Hydrocholorical something or other. He passes Liv at the entrance as she's leaving. She's on her phone. "Hey baby any kids headed my way?"
"No. all adults."
"Good. Not good."
"I got you Liv." He grinned at her.
"We're going to shuffle some people around." she says into the phone.
"I'll catch you after Babe." He called out moving into the man ER.
"Count on it McFireballs. Check on Klaire if I'm busy please." She shouts back.
"Gotcha covered." He returns and disappears from view.
-/-/-
Liv has cleared her urgent care section as best as she can and is going with Hannah to oversee the people switch out. She hears a rather horrendous sounding explosion and then feels it beneath her wheels. She shoves Hannah out of the way just as the new guy Hallstead is locking down the doors. "Let me in! You need the extra hands. My husbands in there!"
"The assailant could possibly be biological agent carrier. I can't let you in."
"Fuck!" Liv growled out/
"She's right you need the hands I'm a trauma surgeon." Hannah says from behind her. She shoves Liv back.
"Just tell me if my husband is okay."
"He should have been black tagged but one of his men was insistent. We'll see what Hannah can pull off." Halstead answers callously.
"You Black Tag him and I will kill you!" She threatens fully meaning it.
The guys go a bit soft on her. "I wanna be wrong Severide! Stay put, even if I were to let you in you can't navigate the damage in the chair." He pries open the door to let Hannah in.
"Hannah? Promise me you won't give in until…Until there's no choices left." She said suddenly fighting off panic and tears. "Halstead Get me Matt Casey please."
"You got it Sev. Sides I know He's a tough SOB to make it with you." Hannah said with a reassuring grin and then was gone.
And the doors close and she's there trapped in the space between the front entrance and the ER doors. Tears well in her eyes but she shoves them down as Casey approaches. "What'd my stupidly brave man do now huh?"
He shoved April Sexton out of the path of the grenade." Matt said plainly.
"Grenades? Really a grenade? Of course." She laughed a bit manically. "Damn it Kelly! Shrapnel then?"
"I think so yeah."
"Okay. I know you need to work just um…keep me in the loop?"
"Of course."
-/-/=
She grows bored quickly; Liv is not made for stillness amidst crisis. She is made for organization and quick thinking she's made to work in crisis.
She counts the ceiling tiles. There are 12 of them an even dozen. One for each of the Grayne children. She laughs "Jesus Fuck, What is wrong with me." She mutters scrubbing her hands down her face. She takes a breath and let it out.
Her thoughts go in circles. She goes every detail of the morning. The warm pressure of his lips on her neck his deep satisfied chuckle at her shiver at the scrape of his teeth, the feel of his hands shoving her thighs further apart. The way his breathing matched her own, the unfaltering sound of his heart beneath her ear. The exact pitch of his voice as he said "I love you." The gravel in the words. The tenseness of his body and the comforting weight he provided.
She cannot breathe.
Her sister's words haunt her. "I never really thought the last time would be the last time you know? But then I guess that's what makes the lasts so important." Vivi confessed drunkenly.
"Last words, Last kisses, Last breaths, last I love yous. Last heartbeats." She explained when Liv looked at her intently.
"I'm not ready for lasts. I never will be." She said to herself into the air.
She sits and stares at the walls because if she listens to chaos around her knowing family and friends are in the middle of it and she's helpless to change any of it she will lose her damn mind. She stares and stares then stares more. When she can form Bart Simpson's Face in the whorls of the faded plaster if she tilts her head to the right and squints.
Yep she's definitely losing it.
_/-/-
She closes her eyes and waits, for what she is too afraid to ponder.
As she sits at the kitchenette in their old place opposite Shay she knows she's asleep but can't force herself to wake.
"When you fell in love with him the second time do you remember what you said to me? What you asked?" Shay asked leaning onto the table
Liv glances down into her coffee for a moment. "Aristotle said everything in life takes some measure of courage. I guess that includes loving Kelly." Liv smiles at Shay. "Are you real?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes, it does." Suddenly for reasons unknown to her it is vitally important to her Shay be some semblance of alive in this instantance.
"I am as real as you need me to be."
Liv hummed at that. "Do you remember what else you said?"
"That I wasn't sure how I made peace with dangers of his job the first time round but the second had been no picnic, would you please watch out for him for me."
It's shay's turn to nod. "And I am doing that. I've got him. It's okay to breathe Liv."
"Okay, we named Aaron after you." She replied through the tears suddenly choking her.
She smiled softly. "Tell Vivi I see her just fine where I'm at. She makes for the best view in the house." And then she fades from view the room drops away.
She jerks awake to someone tapping on the automatic doors safety glass. She wipes at her wet cheeks before looking over.
She turns to see April. She straightens. "How is he?"
"I just thought you might wanna know he saved me." There's an odd pride in her tone.
"Yes he saved you. Yay you! How is he? Liv retorted dryly getting down to facts.
Aprils snarls out an answer. "They're digging shrapnel from his chest cavity how the fuck do you think he is? He flat lined!"
Anger lit in Liv like wildfire and she unloaded on the other woman "Girl you best hit your knees in thanks to every deity you can think of that this glass is between us. Because if there weren't you'd find out how cripples can whip ass too. "She smiled when April looks shocked. "How dare you act like I'm out of line! He's my husband, how dare you say he flat lined as if I am the dumb bitch he had to push out of the way. He is my husband and I'm stuck here in this Goddamn cock sucking box so don't even!"
"Liv…" April started again
Liv gave a sardonic sharply edged smile. "Do not say you love him. What he did? It wasn't done from love but from duty. He'd of shoved anyone standing there away because he was doing what he was born to do and that's save people do not confuse his sense of duty with love."
April took a breath. "Make yourself useful and get out of my face, Nurse Sexton." Liv dismissed the other woman coolly
-/-/-
Liv can feel herself starting to spin out. She's steadies her breathing pulls out her script pad for lack of anything better to write on and she does as her therapist tells her. She writes down what she feels.
I am scared. What happens if you die and I don't get a goodbye? What if you die thirty feet from me? You could be taking your last breath and I am helpless. I am terrified. I am completely useless yet perfectly capable.
I wonder when life stopped being fair then I remember it never was because as Shay would say life is a total bitch.
I keep thinking of your hands and how I know the lines in your palms better than I know how to do a mattress stitch. I can do them in my sleep. I probably have done them in my sleep. My point Kell, I know your life line is longer than mine. It used to bring me comfort knowing that as I ran my thumb down it as you slept. Now, I'm scared it was a lie.
I know that I don't want to be lonely again and life without you will be unbelievably lonely and entirely dim. I'm afraid of going home without you and trying to explain to Klaire no matter how hard she looks you won't be there. Please don't make me do that.
They have forgotten by now that I'm in here but that's okay. I want to be angry at you. Angry would be easier because the pride I feel… it makes me want to cry. I want…
She stops writing because she's stopped breathing as sobbing over powers her body.
-/-/-
"Chief… I know it's not the most important thing but you know Liv is stuck in the entry way right?" Cruz says.
"Your point Cruz?"
"My point is she's been alone in there for hours and she's finally breaking. If we leave her like this Severide will kill us I mean it Chief. Sobbing and hyperventilating.
Jay who is standing there interviewing someone over heard. He reaches for Bowden's Radio. "Keep her calm as best you can and I'll get Erin here as soon as possible."
"Dude I just shouted her name and it's like I don't even exists. "
"She's having a panic attack Joe… just try." Chief advised.
-/-
She has no idea how long she sat there sobbing but she hears insistent banging on the hospital entrance door. "Livvy!" her name is shouted firmly.
"Erin…" She sniffled trying to suck it all in.
"Do you have your meds on you?" Erin asked as she watched her friend rock back forth crying.
"He's going to die… he's going to die in an exam ten yards from me. He's going to die and they won't let me in… He'll die and I won't be able to touch him. Or kiss him goodbye." She rambled
"No He's not." Erin said tears brimming. "Take the medicine. It'll take off the edge."
"I'm not fucking crazy Erin!" Liv snarled.
"Liv, honey come on you know I don't think that. Just look at me and we'll breathe. We'll breathe together." Erin puts her hand up on the glass. Liv turns and mirrors the motion even as her body is still shaking. "In slow….hold….out slow…."
Liv repeats the process half a dozen times.
Once she is settled and not sobbing she asked the obvious question. "Why're you here?"
"Jay is working the human –virus-bomb –case."
"Shit someone saw me didn't they?" Liv said looking embarrassed. "I'm getting under control you know? The depression I'm beating it back….I just this is extreme and…it's my guy this time E. It's my guy."
"I know it is." She sank to the ground. "I'm going to sit with you ok?"
"Actually, Klaire has an ear infection and I haven't checked on Aaron all day."
"I'm on it." Erin hopped up giving her thumbs up.
As Erin's leaving the guys remaining outside come in through the doors carrying extinguishers. "What's happening?" Liv asked looking up at Mouch.
"Ceiling and wirings on fire." He said and kept walking and she trapped again.
Sometime Later.
The door to her left is opening. "ER's Open. " Halstead says.
"And Kelly?" She rolls through the door only to be stopped by debris.
"Never been more glad to be wrong Mrs. Severide."
Hermann steps over and around all of the debris to gather her into a hug. She stifles a sob. "Where is he can I go around to get to him or-"She stops speaking as Hermann wordlessly picks her up bridal style and carries her over everything to Kelly. Mills grabs a chair from the lobby and puts it as close as he can to Kelly. "There ya go Livvy." Hermann says smiling and she feels like crying,
"Thank you."
Hannah smiles at her. "He fought for you. I told him I promised you I'd try but he had to try too. He had to fight. He fought when he needed too."
"Do you need a hand?"
"Just be his wife. That's your only job right now."
"Thank you for jumping in and saving him. You could have stayed in that entrance and been safe." She said taking Kelly's hand and threading their fingers the action anchors her in place.
"Sev."
"Yeah."
"Don't thank me for doing my job. The same job you would have done given that he wasn't the center of your world."
"You noticed that huh?" Liv smirked.
"Most of the hospital has."
"Would you mind not telling him? He already thinks he's hot shit."
Hannah laughed. "Married long enough the novelty has worn off but not the love."
"It has nothing to do with that. The man flirted with me minutes after saving my life. He is a confident man."
-/-/=
Liv sits with her family in the ICU waiting room counting the allotted amount of time before she can go in to see him.
"I thought today might be the day. I really did."
"It wasn't. Don't be defeatist Sis." Owen said as Liv leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I'm glad to be wrong." She whispered back watching Klaire drop her unwanted jelly beans in Cole's palm saying. "Daddy can has…." After each drop.
"Should we crush her giving spirit now and tell her everyone hates licorice jellybeans, including her Dad-dee." Owen asked mimicking the way Klaire said the words.
"No, because he'll eat them just to make her happy." Liv looked at her phone's time display anxiously waiting for her fifteen minute interval to see Kelly. "This waiting shit is for the birds I'm starting to feel like I'm living in a Jodi Picoult novel."
"I hear that." Vivi said from the seat opposite Liv.
"I dreamt of her…of Shay. She said she had him and to tell you that you made for the best view from where she was."
"So the gays get into heaven then?" Vivi joked to hide the ache the thought of Leslie sometimes still brought on.
"They do in my idea of paradise." Liv said with a smile. "I'm about to pull the I work here card."
"Looks like someone already did." Liam whispered from the chair closest to the door. Liv looks up in time to see April exiting his room.
"If I wasn't so goddamn tired I'd go full white trash hood rat crazy Irish bitch on her ass."
"I thought you were friends?" Her father said glancing back at her.
"I was trying for Kelly but given her attitude today I'm done trying." She takes a breath and shakes the stiffness of being still too long from her body. "Watch Klaire would you Daddy?"
"Sure sweetheart." He poured the jelly beans into her palm. "Don't forget Klaire's present."
"Aaron should be fine I just changed him."
"I've got A. Shay. Go warn Kelly before we all converge on him." Vivi said pulling Aaron out of the carrier at Owen's feet.
-/-
Kelly seemed to be turned over resting. "Hey… I can come back if you want."
He turned back over with a grunt. Liv sat close enough to touch her face half lit by the monitors. "You're gorgeous but who are you again?" He asks utterly serious.
Her eyes grow big and teary. "Joking baby I know exactly who you are…" He giggled at her sudden angry expression.
"You asshole!" She said stopping herself before playfully swatting at him like usual.
"Couldn't resist. Don't hit me, laughter hurts enough as it is."
"Promise me something?" she asked growing serious.
"Anything?" He held out his hand for her to hold.
"No more grenades please." She said concretely.
"Hey I gotta give em' time to rebuild right?" He said playfully.
Tears glaze her eyes. "Don't joke. You flat lined and I have literally never been more scared in my life."
"I'm sorry baby, I know that you know I never mean to worry you." He replied lowly. He took her hand.
"I'm not mad that you did what you did. I know who I married I'm not stupid. You wouldn't be any good at your job if you were selfish but I need you to promise…I don't know exactly what I need you to promise but I know that I love you and you really scared me today."
"I love you too. More than you can ever know." He kissed the back of the hand he was holding. "Did you bring me a present?" He nods to her other hand.
"Daddy can has… from Klairey." She pours the candy into his palm.
"Ooh I love the licorice ones." He deadpans.
"Liar…just hide them under your pillow."
They hear a shrill scream followed by sob filled words. "I go Paw Paw! My mama go! I go."
"And Klaire is tapped for the day. You should head home baby. She's sick." Kelly said with a sad little smirk.
"She wants to see you."
"I'll prop up and try to not to look dead. If you'll carry her over and hold up to that window." He bargains.
"Then you'll go back to sleep?"
"Yes if you kiss me first." He grins up at her widely all dimples and shiny eyes and her heart stutters.
She gets a close as the bed will allow and affixes the chair to standing position. She leans over careful to not put any of her weight over on to him. She kisses him soft and slow and even as he is kissing her back she can tell he's feeling some pain because he makes no play for control. "I love you. Be ready because Klaire has waited all day for Daddy time." She says as the break apart and she returns to seated position.
-/-
When Liv lifts her up to the window and Klaire smiles upon seeing him a lump rises in his throat. "Daddy!" he hears her say.
"Hi Baby. You feel better?" She leans over and kisses the glass of the window.
He blows her kisses back even as the action hurts. Tears leak down his face. Today had been a close one. He smiles as Liv gestures to the button by his head. "Pain meds!"
-/-/-
He is sidelined by the injury for a solid nonnegotiable six weeks. Liv and the department both having put their collective feet down. By week three despite being with the kids more he is desperate to go back.
He loves his kids. He really truly does they're some incredible little shits and yet…. "It's the Mickey Mouse Club House! Come inside its fun inside. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E." He sings because it has been stuck in his head for three days. "What in the fuck have you done to me K-L-A-I-R-E-Y." He needs out!
He rubs a hand down his face and returns to loading the dishwasher for Liv.
"Daddy!" Klaire says with a manic little laugh at the end. Its sends ice down his spine. He takes a beat before turning.
"Where…did…the… chocolate… come…from?" he asked looking at his child covered in the treat from head to foot.
"Good!" She grins up at him.
"One.. two…three. Four…five… six…seven…eight…nine…ten."
"Daddy can has!" She extends her hand palm up to reveal a half squished Hershey's kiss.
He fights a laugh. Laughing will not help. "Please tell me you didn't touch the white couches. This is my fault because I left the damn bag within your determined little reach but…you need to ask me first okay baby? From now on we ask." He looks down at her trying to project stern reproach with his hands on his hips. He fails she just smiles. She's got him totally wrapped around her tiny pinky.
"Ask?" she cocked her head at him in utter confusion.
He bites the bullet and picks her up. "Bath time!"
"Baths okay." She agrees and he jerks his face out of big smacking kiss range.
She wraps him into a grubby hug instead and he can feel the chocolate transfer on to him. "I should have been nicer to my mother. I'm clearly paying for something."
-/-/-
Liv laughs at a text and Erin asks. "What?" from across the table where they're having a mid-work day coffee.
"Kelly just texted I miss you with the sobbing emoticon. This doesn't actually mean he misses me it means the spawn are testing him.
-/-
They decide to have a "for no reason at all romantic dinner" before Kelly goes back on shift. He is mostly ready just waiting on Liv. Liv is upstairs with Erin getting ready. "I don't have the body to pull this off anymore Erin. I look like a slut."
"Then you should definitely wear whatever that is." He shouts up to her.
While he's waiting on Liv. He shares a root beer with Klaire and watches clips from last night's game with Aaron sleeping on his chest.
The doorbell rings and he props Aaron in the couch corner and goes to answer it with Klaire and her sippy cup hot his trail until the baby gate stops her.
"Hey April." He says as he opens the door wide.
"So I was wondering if I could take up on the offer to go out after all? I mean I'm mostly done packing."
"If that's your packing outfit you must do it differently than I do."
"I was trying things on as I went. You like?"
"It holds appeal sure. Are you drunk?" He asked with a smile.
"Nope." She said going to steal his drink only to realize it's a soft drink. "Really? Root beer?"
"It's the only drink at this point in time that I can have with Klaire."
"Right Klaire…"She said if she was annoyed.
"What're you doing here April? For real? I would have taken you to dinner as a sendoff but something tells me you want something more than that." He said doesn't hear the elevator landing on the second floor.
Liv and Erin stand at the landing while Klaire awaits Daddy's return at the baby gate. "Do you remember when we'd go Steph Hillers house to sit on the roof during the lighting storms and I'd hold on to you any time they got close."
"Yeah what's your point?"
"It was all a front. To be close to you. Be in your arms."
"April…" Kelly hedged and Erin made a disgruntled noise.
"I want him to do something worthy of your ire first Erin." Liv whispered to her.
"I'd always wondered what'd be like to be with you."
Kelly sighed and scratched his neck in what Liv knew was a nervous tick. "Some questions have go unanswered April I am married. Happily so."
"She's all wrong for you… no way you're happy like this. With that-"She gestured aimlessly.
"With that What?" Erin asked.
"Baby I didn't I promise… I would never when I said it was the last time I'd make that kind of mistake I meant it." Kelly said eyes automatically going to Liv who is picking up Klaire.
"I was going to say prudish bitch but…I've heard rumors about how the prude part ain't true so I guess we'll go with out of her league bitch." April said meanly.
"Toss out all the names you want honey. He turned you down. Why don't you save face and walk away now before this just gets sad?" Liv snarled back.
"He's only with you out of some weird misplaced pity."
"Leave." Kelly said coldly.
"Kelly…" April began to back pedal.
"Don't even speak my name again. I used to be shitty person but now just you are. Apologize to my wife and leave before I have you charged with harassment and slander."
"But-"
"Let me make myself crystal clear for you. Yes, I might have found you attractive up until about thirty seconds ago and I might have even lead you to believe something might happen but I don't and it won't ever happen and not just because I'm married but because there are a lot of things I feel for Liv but pity has never been one of them. The fact that you think I can love out of pity and nothing more makes me sick I feel unbelievably sorry for you. Please leave. I will not ask you again." Kelly replied in his own unflinchingly honest way.
"That was better than mean girls." Erin comments once the door is closed.
"Almost ready baby… have you seen my hair spray? We are still going right?" Liv asked like nothing had happened.
"Oh hell yeah. Gotta let you wear the dress a bit before it hits the floor." He answered with a grin that made her stomach flip.
"Well wait second … are you getting short of breath or chest pains?"
"The only thing taking my breath away right now is you. Go finish your hair Bridgette Bardot so we can go already." He ordered.
"You knew what I was going for! That makes me happy." She said as Kelly came the stairs and stopped before her.
"I happy!" Klaire announces.
Kelly chuckles at her. "I'm happy that you're happy baby." He said as he lifted Klaire from her lap. He watched Liv roll off. "Can you sleep late for me Klaire?"
"Not seeps not seeps." She shook her head while twisting the hair at the nape of his neck.
"Great!"
-/-
Erin awakes to a crashing sound and hurries into the living room gun aloft. When she flips on the light she sees Kelly standing front of Liv sitting on the banquet table. Skirt hiked up around her thighs as she giggles drunkenly as Kelly tries to unzip her. "Don't tear it…shhh. We're going to wake them up. Wait! Kelly the lights are on!"
He mutters into the side of her neck as his kisses move downward. "Maybe that's because you opened you're eyes. You're the most talkative sex partner I have had you know that?"
"Erin has her gun pointed at you….wait!" she laughed uproariously. "I haven't woken her up with sex noise since college. That's awesome." Liv said swaying a little and Kelly steadied her while looking over his shoulder.
"Continue on but if you wake your babies they're your problem." Erin said with a wave of her gun and left.
Kelly waits until Erin has returned back upstairs to deposit Liv on the couch. "I don't really think it's good for your lungs if you overexert yourself maybe we should stop. For your health." She said dropping a kiss on to his mouth.
He said laying her on the couch. "I could tell you what I think of that opinion valid as it may be or I could just show you." He pulled down the shoulders of her dress.
"Right…I'm not your doctor I vote for show… so show me." She mumbles the last half of the sentence when he nips ah her breasts flowing up from the cups of her bra.
"We can play doctor next." He said grinning up at her.
"We can I have a medical license and everything." She quipped while pulling him by the shirt in for a messy kiss.
"You're so damn drunk it's cute." He comments.
"Maybe a little but I'll get the job done. " She gives him a sly smile while fumbling to unbutton his shirt. He just yanked it off and hiked her skirt up around her waist. He sits back in shock for a second.
"You didn't wear panties? The whole night you sat there all prim and proper with no panties on?"
"I can't in this dress you can see the lines. That's tacky." She said as she grabbed the front of his jeans to pull him closer. "So I'm practically naked and you have yet to make any serious moves. You don't want me to think she was right do you?" she asked and it is even said in a jovial tone but he takes it very seriously.
"I… love…you…" each would was punctuated by a long slow kiss that takes her breath away. She's trying to catch her breath when he shoves his jeans down and pushes into her firmly with no warning. She gave a short little squeak. "If anyone is out of their league?" He mumbled into her hair as he gave her a second to adjust. "It's me."
"Move… I'm not above begging." She said against his lips seconds before he kissed her soundly. The sex is different from the kind they'd had the morning of the accident. This is not slow and sweet it's frenzied and desperate.
It's fast and hard.
-/-/-
Afterward as they lay together and she saves Kelly from falling off the couch. "What's wrong?" she asked gently.
"I don't pity you." He said softly.
"I never thought you did. Not for a single second." She replied kissing the top of his head. "I think that when you shoved her out of the way she thought it was more than it was. Maybe the fear of missing out motivated her, I mean I do get it. You're handsome, brave, funny in the single most perverted way I can ever recall, you attract people like light attracts a moth. I don't blame her for trying but I will not endeavor to be her friend again."
"I don't expect you to…" He leaned up to kiss her. "I'm not even sure I want anything to do with her. At least not until she apologizes sincerely."
"Okay."
"Your slutty dress? I really liked it." He said grinning down at her and something about the look in his eye and the joy he gives off makes her burst out laughing.
-/-/-/-
When Liv enters the bar where they're having Mills' farewell party she finds Kelly brooding at the bar. Otis scoots the bar stool out of her way wordlessly so she can slide up next to Kelly. She makes the chair move into standing mode but Kelly doesn't look her way until she leans her elbows on the bar.
"Heya handsome, I know what you're thinking?" She offered up.
"You do?" He glances at her reading her shirt. "My coffee matches my heart black and icy." It read she smiled as swigged his beer the only thing black on the girl was her nail polish and even that was rare.
"Yep, the fact that Pete chose to follow another path doesn't mean you failed as his superior. It means you taught him well enough to know the fire fight isn't what speaks to his heart. He chose a different way and that's fine. What is it you always say?"
He groaned knowing exactly where she was headed. "When you know something is right you gotta jump in with both feet."
She nods. "Then do the same for him, tell him to jump in and wish him well. Then hug him and say goodbye." He kissed her and then got up.
"You're good at that you know?" Herrmann commented.
"At what?" She asked gifting him with a smile.
"Speaking to his heart. You understand him. Whatcha want Darlin?"
"An IBC, I'm the DD." She drummed her hands.
When Mills' gives his farewell toast Liv tears up. Kelly just hands a cocktail napkin and leans down to kiss her temple. "My tender hearted girl."
"You're fightin' it don't lie."
He just smiles at her. "Think we can slip out quietly."
"Race you the truck. Winner decides night time activities." And she's off weaving through people and out the door. He's hot on her heels knowing she'll make him watch Big Hero 6 again and he'd really rather have shower sex.
AN: I own nothing the April thing took a turn. I have no idea where the muse is headed on that front. The dress Liv is wearing for their dinner date is Erin's dress from the PD sex club eppy. If you enjoyed drop a line and tell me so thanks so much for reading and supporting it this far!-MM