Happy St. Patricks Day - so don't forget to wear something green. I chose not to post this story on Saturday. You see, my calendar says St. Patricks Day is on March 17 - even though the water of the Chicago River was already green on Saturday.

Green lace for St. Patrick's Day

For a short time, Kim hesitated as she stood in front of the dresser in Voight's bedroom on this particular morning. Although it had already become THEIR bedroom. In fact, her apartment was just the place where she got her mail delivered. Technically, she was already living with Hank. Just not officially yet. Hank was her home, now.

Slowly her fingers slid over the bras in her underwear drawer. Today was St. Patrick's Day and maybe she should. . . . . Kim hesitated before closing the drawer and walking over to the closet.

A few days ago she had deposited a bag there from her last shopping trip. It was exactly what she needed for today. Oh, it was perfect. And she hoped the evening would be, too. Kim had one small wish for tonight, but she wasn't sure if Voight would grant it.

When she joined Voight in the kitchen a little later, he had just poured the coffee into two mugs and handed one of the mugs to Kim.

"Good morning," she smiled at him, gave him a kiss on the cheek and took the mug from him.

"Good morning."

Kim regarded him for a moment. A question was on her mind. A question that concerned tonight. She had made her plans a few weeks ago, but had not talked to him about it until now. Well, this was the time to put her wish into words and ask him.

"Hank," she began hesitantly.

He looked at Kim questioningly.

" Today, tonight, so . . . The team and I-" Kim hesitated, maybe it was like a Band-Aid you just have to rip it off, "We all want to go to Molly's tonight. Will you come with us? Please."

No was already on the tip of his tongue, but seeing Kim like that, he couldn't utter the word. I mean, she was looking at him so full of hope, and he didn't want to take that hope away. Well, not right away.

"I'll think about it," he said then.

" Thank you."

Technically, he never went to Molly's. Not ever. Oh, yeah, he avoided that place like a plague. There were simply too many firefighters there for his liking. Plus Matt Casey. I mean, he usually avoided the firefighter. Since the thing with Justin.

But in the evening he was standing in front of Molly's, because Kim really wanted to celebrate St. Patrick's Day here with the rest of the team.

Initially, Voight had wanted to let her go on her own. And then he had seen her. Just after her shift ended, she had come out of the locker room wearing a tight black leather skirt and a green shirt. Green for St. Patrick's Day. Voight couldn't get that sight out of his mind. It had literally driven him crazy. That tight skirt. Oh, and he'd felt something else looking at her.

Voight had sat alone in his office for a while longer. At some point, he had reached for his cell phone. Actually, he had just wanted to order dinner through the app for the delivery service as he had opened the folder of photos on his phone without really thinking much about it. So for a moment, he'd looked at the photos. Pics of Kim. Of Kim and himself. Pics that showed the last few months or so in his life. There were happy moments. Holidays. Special days.

Except this one today, he failed to spend with her.

Then again, why not? I mean, why wasn't he with her at Molly's? Why weren't they drinking green beer together? Oh, and why weren't they dancing together? In fact, why weren't they spending the evening together?

Voight didn't know the answer. Yet here he was. Here at Molly's.

Briefly he had hesitated outside the door whether it was really a good idea to be here today. Because Voight wasn't sure what would happen tonight. Kim and himself. In public. Drinking alcohol. Her in that stunning outfit. Voight wasn't sure he would be able to control himself. About whether he'd be able to hold himself back. Or if he even wanted to anymore.

Voight had already picked up his phone and considered texting Kim that he would be waiting for her at home. Home. More and more, home had become his house for them both. Kim was barely in her apartment anymore. Maybe he should ask her. Well, maybe Voight should ask her if she wanted to move in with him altogether. Still, that was a question for another day. Right now, he wanted to spend the evening with her.

Heck, they might even do it for the first time officially as a couple. Well, maybe tonight could be the night the team learned about them. Then again, maybe it wasn't.

Voight took another deep breath before entering Mollys. Among all the patrons, he had a little trouble spotting his team at first. A few moments later, though, he saw his team and slowly walked toward the table where they were all seated.

"Hello Sarge. Ah, you here?", Adam looked at him in surprise as he stepped up to them.

Well, no one here had expected to see Sergeant Voight. Well, other than maybe Kim, who had hoped to spend the evening with him. To spend the evening here. Together. As they had spent Valentine's Day. New Year's Eve. Christmas. And all the other days in between.

"Hello," Voight murmured only as a greeting. All the while, his eyes were on Kim, who smiled at him.

Voight took a seat across from Kim at the table. He looked at Kim and for a moment their gazes carried on a silent conversation. Their eyes said the words that wouldn't cross their lips here. I mean, not here, anyway. At least not as long as the team didn't know how close the two of them really were.

Jay Halstead, who had just gotten a round of drinks for everyone, placed a Green Beer on the table in front of him, interrupting the moment between Kim and Voight.

"Green beer, sarge," he said as he placed the beer down.

"Thanks," he muttered, taking a sip.

Maybe the evening wouldn't be as bad as he'd feared after all. The mood around the table was boisterous, despite Voight's presence. Normally, the team was a bit stiff when Voight and Al were around. Just not today, though.

" So, Sarge, do you think the faint green stripes on your shirt count? As something green?" asked Kim suddenly.

Voight looked down at himself. This morning, when he had grabbed his shirt from the closet, he hadn't thought about what he was wearing. Whether it was green. Whether it matched St. Patrick's Day.

"It's green," was all he said.

Then Kim leaned slightly forward. Voight could see a bit of lace peeking out at the edge of her cleavage.

" Fortunately, I know you're wearing something else in green," she whispered softly, smirking at him suggestively. She slid her gaze over his body once before looking back into his eyes.

Voight returned the smile and for a moment the two forgot everything around them. Just as he was about to reach out, to touch Kim, the sound of someone clearing his throat entered his consciousness.

Al, who was also sitting at the table, had alerted him to his surroundings with his throat clearing. To the people who were sitting at the table with them. To his team, who knew nothing about Kim and himself.

Caught off guard, he lowered his eyes and took another sip of his beer. Maybe coming here hadn't been such a good idea after all? Just then, he felt a touch on his shin. It was a foot moving up his shin. Kim's foot.

By no means was it easy for Voight to keep his self-control today. There was the tight skirt, the plunging neckline, and now the touch.

Moving his stool, Voight moved a bit away from the table. Better that way.

Kim looked at him questioningly.

"Not here," he mouthed silently.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, Kim nodded. Oh, yes, she might have just taken it a little too far. But, by God, she loved this man and at times she didn't give things a second thought. As she had just done. Also, the alcohol didn't help her maintain her composure. So maybe she should also back down a little bit. Sort of.

"I feel like dancing," Kim then declared and stood up.

She looked at her team, both inviting and demanding at the same time. Almost everyone followed Kim to the dance floor, with only Voight and Al staying behind.

" Both of you are playing with fire today," Alvin then said to Voight.

" A- I know," Voight replied without taking his eyes off Kim, who was currently dancing.

" You might want to," Alvin began, however what could he say to him. It was not as if he really knew what the deal was between Voight and Burgess. I mean, Voight had never talked to him about it, so he could only make some guesses.

" Yea, well maybe we should," Voight replied to him.

His gaze lingered on Kim. Oh, he was happy with her. So maybe it really was a good time for him to talk about his happiness. To make their relationship public. Just he didn't want to do it here, while having some beer at Molly's.

No, he wanted to control the moment. So to speak.

And Voight wanted to say the right words when he talked to his team about the fact that Kim and he were a couple, that Kim Burgess was the woman who made his heart beat faster. Ah, you know, to say that he loved her.

" I guess not today, though," he said, reaching for his jacket. There was something else that was on his mind, at least at that moment.

Determined, he walked across the dance floor.

" Let's go," he whispered in Kim's ear as he walked past her toward the exit.

For about ten minutes, Voight waited for Kim in the alley behind the Mollys. Leaning back against the wall, his hands buried in his pants pockets, Voight smiled at her.

"I kind of told the others I was getting a headache," Kim commented.

" Oh, so, a headache it is," Voight reached out to her, and Kim grabbed his hand. He drew her to him, into his arms. Stroking his fingertips along the edge of her cleavage.

"Green lace?" he asked then. He had caught a glimpse of the lace earlier.

"It's St. Patrick's Day."

A grin crept onto his lips.

"Come on, let's go," she whispered in his ear, and then grabbed his hand.

Time to go home.

THE END