General Pov.
Sylvie Brett might seem like a nice person and all, but is she? Well, this is why I ask. As we all know, Kidd and Brett are close, and now so is Mack. The three of them are sitting in the common room talking about life and their futures and all things girl, but the topic that has come up the most is how to get under Casesy and Severide skin. After all, there is no fun in a romance if you can't be a little mean. You see, there has been a lot happening around 51, so there might be a need for a quick summary; first, Brett and Casey were not on talking terms, but now they are talking again. Severide and Stella and not living together because Sev is being a dumbass about everything lately. Kidd needs someone who will support her while she is training for the lieutenant test. The love between them is still there, and yes, if you were wondering, they still kiss each other now and again. And there might be something happening between Gallo and Mack, but that is something for another time.
Mack pov.
I have an idea. What if you two ignore the boys for a few days and stay at my place? That would piss them off bad, and when they come to kiss you or just want to tell you they love you guys, you walk away. Don't get me wrong, it might get to be too much, so watch out, but it might be fun to see what happens?
"that might actually work; I mean, you are right; it is mean, but I need that right now I need something to make me have a little bit of a laugh."
" God, you too are just too much. I can't do that. I just got back to talking with Casey. I can't just throw that all away just to have a laugh."
" Brett, yes, you can. we can help you, I promise."
General pov.
So with that, the girls split their ways. Mack and Brett went one way, and Stella went the other, knowing what they were going to do. But they only got halfway to where they needed to go when a call came for an office fire for the whole house, so all of them ran to the trucks and ambo and drove off. Once they got there, it was about the fire. There was no time to look around and make a game plan anymore. Just do what you do best and help as much as you can. That is all the three of them could think about but, as the fire roared and Sev, Casey, and Kidd fought the fire. Brett, however, was wondering how she was going to be mean to Casey. She and Casey did live together, and all but that would be the whole day, and then she would have to start the need to start this means game now was the key so that she know she was doing it right. And just like that, her thoughts were interrupted by a bang. Bodin made the call that they had to move and fast before the building came down or something, so the team worked hard and fast to clear the scene. Once it was all said and done, Casey came out of the building and called the all-clear. He was just about to get in the truck when he collapsed on the ground.
Sylvie Pov.
I had just looked up from buckling in when I saw what had just happened. Kelly was already out and kneeling next to Matt, and I looked across to Kidd to see if we were still playing the game of ignoring, but I could not wait for her to give me an answering look. I jumped out and ran to Casey to see what had happened to him. I know I would keep my distance, but I had to help; it was my job, after all. Once I got there, I told Severide to take off Casey's equipment and move him to the sidewalk. I bent down and heard him breathing, which was good. Still, it seemed too shallow for my comfort. Like he had breathed in a lot of smoke or something while in the building. I turned to Mack and told her to get me some water from the ambo, we moved fast since I wanted to get back to 51 to really get a look at what was happening here, and for the game that was not happening anymore, I had to help, and that was what I was going to do the game could wait for some other time. We managed to get Matt in the back of the ambo, but I decided that he did not need to go to Med. I could fix whatever it was back at the station, so that is what we did; we road back in silence, with the optional word from Severide if Casey was really going to be okay. And to be completely honest, I did not know, at least not for now. I had to get him out of all the equipment and into some comfortable clothes first to get a real look at him and also run some small tests to really decide what had happened at the scene. You see, Matt and I were back to talking like we once had before we had a fight and had to take a break from one another, but we were not really a couple as of now. We had a falling out be we were working on getting back on our feet. But don't get me wrong, I still love him, and I want to say he loves me back, but that is not the point right now.
We are a family here at 51, and it wouldn't matter who was in the back on the ambo. I would treat them all the same however my feeling for Matt just was seeping in again. Once we got to 51, Severide and Gallo helped lay Matt in his quarters, and I followed. I closed the door and slowly took his shirt off, and checked his breathing again to see if anything had changed since the drive back, but no, it was fine. It actually had gotten a little better, I got my thermometer out too just to check if he had a fever or something, and there is where I found our problem Matt had a fever of 101. It is not that bad. Still, it is a fever, so I had to write it up and tell Bodin before doing anything else.
Leaving Casey's room was hard for some reason, I guess since I had not been that close to him in some time, but I knew I had to. I walked over to where Bodin was and told him what I found. He immediately told me to take Matt home and ask him to take it at least a few days off and for me to do the same since that was something he and I never did since we were somewhat senior to everyone here. Once I got to Matt, I found Kelly was there. I asked if he was fine. Shaking his head, he said, " Matt is like a brother to me he always has been, and when I saw him like that, I got so scared you know I thought I would lose him or something, but then I saw you, and I was fine, look I know I haven't been the best the Stella and I am working on that but know this you are the best thing that has happened to Matt in a long time, he is not the type of person to tell you that so I am, he loves you and I mean he really does, you have seen how he can sometimes get when someone tries to cross a line with you, so I guess what I am trying to say is just take care of him and yourself that is all I ask." I know what Casey meant to Severide and had to agree he was somewhat overprotective about me at times. I asked Severide to help me get Matt in my car and drop his truck off at some point. And he said he would do that right after the shift was over. I drove home like I always did in silence, but this time it was a comfortable silence. I could hear Matt breathing next to me. For some weird reason, it made me feel safe. I pulled into a parking spot at my apartment complex, and that was when I realized I might have a problem; you see, I had to get Matt to the fourth floor. I walked around to the other side of the car, gently opened the door, and tapped him on the shoulder. He let out a moan. I tapped again " Matt can you wake up for a few minutes so we can get to my apartment, please?" he slowly. Open his bright blue eyes and smiled that all too familiar smile. Getting up slowly, we walked to the door, barely making it to the elevator. I managed to get him into the apartment and closed the door taking his cost off and leading him to my bedroom. He had no shirt on, so that was good since it would be easier to monitor him in this state. Once I got him in bed, I went to get some water for him and a trash can just in case some cold water and a few clean dishcloths for some cold compress and a chair for me.
I sat there with him for hours, whipping the sweat that was dripping from his temples and neck. I have to say I felt kind of bad for him. I had to wonder when was the last time someone had cared for him like this, you know, sat next to him when he was not feeling well? I can't remember what happened next since I might have fallen asleep or something because around 2:30 in the morning, I was woken by the sound of someone moving. " Sylvie what happened, to me?" " you have a fever, and you passed out, so I brought you home to take care of you." I said, getting up to get him some water and see if his temperature had come down. The temperature had come down, so it was time for me to give him some water. Once I finished, I sat down next to him "do you want some food since you have not eaten anything all day? " I am good, to be honest, but can I ask you something?" " sure, what is it?" " why did you bring me to your house? I mean, I could have gone back to Severide's place and taken care of myself there." And that is when that thought hit me again. He is so used to taking care of himself that saying he can take of himself comes so naturally to him that it hurt to hear it,as I looked at him it hit me like it had all thoese times before but this time it hit me some much hareder I loved and before I could stop myself I said it out loud, " I love you, Matt that's why and I know that I have said this a hundred times, but I mean it, I will always love you till the end, I want to grow old with you and everything, but I just don't know if I can, you have given me so many chances, and I have broken your heart a fewtoo times, but I am done with that Casey I love you, and that is why I brought you home so I could do what lovers do take care of each other, in their time of need." in all my time being Matt's frined I don't think I have seen him like this he was quite like I had hit something in him that had not been touched or looked at in a long time something that he wanted to feel agian but didn't know how, to his face was now covered in swet and I know that the fever was comeing back and so I tired to get up and get a cold cloth but he just grabbed my arm forcing me to set down takeing him all in. He placed his hand on the side of my face and said, " you saved me." He was not looking too good at this point, so I gave him another check, but I came up clean all it was, was exhaustion and fever, but I know it was more than that. It was also all the love he had for me trapped inside of him, all the "I love you's" he was too scared to say to me. It was all the kisses he had not given me all wrapped into one. And here he was, lying there staring at me, wanting me to open my heart to him, to give him one last chance to prove himself to me. But who am I to stop him? I lay him down and get the cloth, and put it over his forehead. I get another one and start wiping off the sweat dripping down his temples. He could barely keep his eyes open, so I placed my hand over his eyes like a shield and told him to sleep and that I would be there when he got up in the mornings. Hearing those words, he instantly fell asleep. And like I promised, I stayed with him.
The following morning I made him some toast and gave him some juice, so he had some fluids in his body. The fever was almost gone now, so that was a great sign, but as I had planned, we stayed in, taking it easy for a change. Our day was full of reading, talking, staring at each other in silence. Eventually, I had to say something, so I told Matt to take a shower since he had not taken one since the night before, or at least that is what I hoped. While he was in the shower, I got some of my brother's old clothes that he had given me to keep just if he came to visit me, which never happened, but I kept them anyway. I laid them out on the bed and sat down with some work on my laptop.
Matt Pov.
Brett was right; I did need to take a shower. I hoped in, and once I felt the warm water hit my body, I felt so relaxed. Part of me knows that I need to take a break and look after myself for a change. Still, I did not realize that I was going to get a fever if I did not do it right away, but I was not complaining at this point; it was kind of nice having someone look after me since I did not have someone like that in my life, at least not till Sylvie became such a big part of it. I know that I could take as long as I needed since I have taken showers here before; I was glad that we were on talking terms, and I knew that we had to be since we only really open up to each other and in this job you need someone to talk too if something is bothering you. But as of the talk that we had last night about how Sylvie loves me and wants to give this one last try, I am all for that, but I have to better too. I have to go slow and let her take the lead on this. It can't just be me that knows what I want. It has to be her too, or else this won't work, and I may lose her for good. I am done and feeling much more refreshed by this point, but I think that Sylvie knows that was the point. I wrapped a towel around my waist and walked out of the bathroom. As I walked into the bedroom, I saw that she was sitting on the bed with some clothes out that I know were not mine, but they obviously were not her's either, so I cleared my thought to make myself known, " hey are those for me?" " oh yes they are, actually they are my brothers but they are clean I hope they fit you."
I noted the whole time she was talking she was looking at my body and not my face, but I have kind of gotten used to girls doing that, as wired as that might sound, " uhm do you like what you see or should I put the shirt on?" " uhm" is all she could say, and I know that she wanted to t-shirt off, but I could not tell, so I grabbed the sweatpants and went back to the bathroom to put them on. Once I finished, I walked back and found Brett was standing next to her record player, and some old, slow song was playing. I walked closer to her and tapped her gently on the shoulder, and whispered," can I have this dance?" she smiled and nodded, and I took her hand in mine. For the first time in a while, I realized how soft they were, like clouds compared to mine, which was hard and rough from all these years of fighting fires and building things. I pulled her as close as I could so there was no space between us anymore. Her body was warm against mine. And I breathed in the beautiful sense of her body. I felt safe as we rocked back and forth in her room. It was a feeling that I am not sure I can describe. Once the song was finished, I looked down and Brett and saw her looking up at me, and that is when it hit me the night before. I never gave her an answer. I mean, not like there was a question to answer or anything, but I knew what I had to say "I am here always, and I am not going anywhere." I took one of my hands and brought it to her face lifting it just enough that I could give her one small soft kiss. We danced all night as lovers do, only stopping once in a while just to see how lucky I really was to have Sylvie Brett in life.
