Original Prompt: Rafferty decides she wants to pursue Shay, she doesn't want to talk to Severide about it so she asks Clarke for advice.
a/n: The second part of this is based on mine and Maxi's headcanon that Rafferty loves old blues and jazz. The specific songs and album referenced here are from Billie Holiday's "Stormy Blues".
25 isn't all that different from the other firehouses in which you've worked, but walking into it now, it's strangely terrifying. Your fear though, has nothing to do with work - since you're not here for business - and everything to do with what you're about to admit.
It's been several months since your suspension was lifted and you started back at 51 and it's given you and Shay plenty of time to build on the weird but comfortable friendship you'd started to develop. What you hadn't expected though, was for that friendship to develop further, and to find yourself wondering night after night what it would be like to feel her lips on yours. So you decide to ask for advice and drive all the way out to 25 to get it. Dawson still isn't all that fond of you and Severide is terrible with this sort of thing so you figure Clarke is your best bet, despite the fact you barely see him around anymore.
He eyes you wearily as you walk into the common area and acknowledges you with a nod as he stands.
"Rafferty, right," he asks, directing you back towards his office.
You nod in confirmation but follow him silently, thankful when he shuts the door behind you.
"So, uh, what brings you by 25?"
A part of you wants to blurt it out, to rip off the awkwardness like a bandaid, but the rest of you is too terrified so you settle for easing into it.
"I, um, I need some advice," It comes out sounding like a question but you soldier on anyway in spite of your nervousness. "About Shay. I know you guys were, are, friends so I thought…"
You trail off, hoping Clarke doesn't need more justification than that.
"Yeah," he offers. "Why not? What's up? Is she okay?"
"Oh, yeah," you reply. "She's great. I'm seeing her tonight, actually."
"You guys friends now," he asks, a small smile on his face. "I heard you were back at 51."
You nod. "Mmhmm. We hang out. Listen to records, watch Netflix. Drink."
You can't stop nodding. Clarke notices.
"Are you alright, um-"
He's searching for your first name so you give it to him, "Allison."
"Allison," He parrots it back to you. "Are you okay?"
You open your mouth to reply but after a long bout of nothing all that comes out is a sad little laugh.
"It's funny, actually, I uh," you pause, thankful you finally managed any words at all. "I have… feelings, for Shay."
You leave it at that and look everywhere but Clarke's face, terrified he's going to laugh in yours. But he doesn't. He just grins and shakes his head.
"And you want to know how to tell her," he finishes for you.
You nod again and rub your temples, chuckling softly at the absurdity of the situation.
"So," he begins. "What'd you say you're doing tonight?"
You're both stretched across your couch, feet poking playfully at each other, and you think everything is going well so far. Dinner had been simple, steak and wine, and you'd listened to records while making small talk just like you usually do when you don't have a shift the next day. But now you've got two songs left before you have to make your move and your nerves are starting to get to you. Shay can tell something is up but she knows you well enough not to say anything and for that you are very grateful.
You clear your throat and stand under the guise of going to the kitchen for more wine, but what you're really doing is taking a second to breathe and gather yourself one more time. Your timing is perfect when you return to the living room, the A side of the record you'd been playing coming to an end, so you walk over and flip it, grinning as the first notes of "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" fill the air.
You start bopping to the beat, wine still in hand, and make faces at Shay as you do. It earns you a smile and you return it with ease.
"I feel like dancing," you say, and round the couch to set your glass down on the coffee table before extending your hand to Shay. "Care to join me?"
She laughs at first, and shakes her head, but takes your hand anyway and lets you pull her up. Thankfully, the song is upbeat enough that you can just kind of spin each other around the room laughing and pretending you know how to swing until the song ends, at which point you kind of just fall into each other laughing and out of breath. It's kind of perfect actually, because it lets you keep her close when the next song starts. You worry she might pull away when she realizes what song it is, but she just rolls her eyes and drapes her arms around your neck as you start swaying to "It had to be you".
It doesn't take long before the space between you disappears. Shay tucks herself into you, head resting gingerly on your shoulder, and you know this is your moment. You start softly, singing along to one of the verses as you keep swaying together and steadily your confidence grows. You move your mouth closer to her ear, lightly grazing your nose against her neck before singing directly to her, "Some others I've seen, might never be mean, might never be cross, or try to be boss, but they wouldn't do…"
You can feel her chuckle against your skin and you fight the smile threatening your lips, knowing it's going to take all you have to finish the next line.
"For nobody else, gave me a thrill, with all your faults I love you still, it had to be you, wonderful you, it had to be you."
You feel her move against you as the song continues on, though your part is finished, but before you can say a word her lips are on yours.
Her kiss is soft and it's sweet and it's knowing, and you wonder how long she's been waiting for you to find your courage. You don't dwell on it long though, letting yourself get lost in the press of her body and the taste of her mouth. It's not until she pulls away that you realize you never stopped dancing.
"You could've just told me, you know," she breathes, resting her forehead against yours.
"Yeah, well, Clarke said to make it romantic."
The laugh that leaves Shay's mouth is loud and jovial, "You asked Clarke for advice?"
You swat at her arm and tell her to shut it, but she just tugs you closer.
"No, hey. Come here."
She wraps her arms around you again and pecks your lips, "It's just that Clarke is kinda terrible with women and when he asked me for help a few months back I pretty much just told him to be romantic and he'd be fine."
You make the connection quickly in your own head and find yourself suddenly laughing about it too.
"So I got advice on how to tell you, from you, is what you're-"
She cuts you off with another kiss. "Yup."
"It's pretty good advice then," you mumble, lips still on hers.
She chuckles breathily.
"Damn right it is."