A/N: Thank you all so so much for all your kind words last chapter! Some fun things are coming and I really hope you enjoy them. Talk soon!
Hailey woke feeling warm and cozy. At first, she thought it was the heat outside, but she wasn't uncomfortable at all. She was happy. She felt…she didn't know what the word was; she just knew she liked it.
It didn't go away.
Not when Vanessa asked her why she was smiling into her cereal or when she put makeup on after her shower. Not when she took out the trash or wrote her grocery list. The smile and her happiness couldn't fade away no matter what she did.
It made her want to see Jay.
Maybe he was smiling too.
They'd spent so long right up against each other the day before whispering and trailing fingers over warm skin. It had been comforting. It had to have left an impact on him. She knew it.
When she ran into him in the hallway later that day, he also had a smile on his face that just grew when he saw her. She hadn't realized before how green his eyes were, but then she was mere inches away from them and it was all she could notice now. Just like the three freckles on his lips and the way his hair curled right above his forehead. He looked really, really attractive in the florescent lights of their apartment building, and it felt incredibly unfair. She'd seen herself in florescent lights, and it always made her skin look washed out. Maybe by some grace of the landlord, she didn't look washed out today and her tan was present. She could only hope.
"Hey, you," he said softly.
"Hi," she breathed.
Jay smiled and swung his hand forward to brush against her wrist. "How's that tattoo?" he asked.
"Oh," Hailey hummed and glanced down at it, "It's good. Ness is hurting though. Life advice: don't get an ass tattoo."
Jay laughed and shook his head. "Trust me, I won't ever get any sort of tattoo," he said.
Hailey shrugged and looked down at her arm. "I thought the same thing," she said, "But then I realized I needed it."
Jay nodded, but still said, "Bet you didn't get all hot and pass out though."
Hailey glanced up and raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Excuse me?"
Jay nodded again and rubbed his arm. "I don't do needles," he explained, "Flu shots are a bitch."
Hailey bit her lip over a smile and said, "Oh, really?"
"Yeah, it's real funny," Jay said dryly.
Hailey laughed softly and added, "I just wouldn't expect a doctor to hate needles."
"I'm not a doctor," Jay reminded her, "I'll be a physical therapist. It's different."
"I know, I know," Hailey said, "So what you're saying is that I'll need to hold your hand come November when we go get our shots?"
Jay cracked a smile and said, "If you'd like." His hand again swung forward so that his fingers could drag down the back of her arm and brush along her knuckles.
Her stomach flipped around again and she took a step closer to him. She wanted to say something, but absolutely nothing came out of her mouth. All she could do was stare at him and work on memorizing every freckle on his face. She'd gotten pretty close yesterday to doing it.
"Hey," he repeated quietly, his right hand coming to rest on her waist as his left grabbed her fingers.
She smiled and breathed, "Yes?"
Jay chuckled and tugged her even closer to him. "You look really pretty today," he said softly.
"You call me pretty a lot," she whispered.
"Because it's the truth," Jay said and tilted his head down.
He was going to kiss her. She knew it. It wasn't going to be next to her mouth or on her wrist, but actually on her lips, and it was going to feel so good.
Only he didn't.
Instead, his apartment door swung open and hit his back so that he jerked forward and banged his forehead against hers.
She gasped and stepped backwards quickly, rubbing her hand over what she knew was going to be a bruise.
"The hell are you two doing out here?" Mouse asked.
"Talking," Jay said through gritted teeth as he began rubbing at his forehead as well.
Mouse glanced between the two of them then chuckled. "Sure," he said before holding up the bag of trash in his hand, "Are you going to finish your chores, Halstead, or did you see the pretty girl and forget what you needed to do? No allowance since I have to take the garbage out now."
Jay rolled his eyes and shoved Mouse's arm as he passed them. "You can shut up," he called out.
"Kindly," Mouse replied and headed downstairs.
"Sorry," Jay mumbled.
Hailey shook her head and dropped her hand back to her side. "It's okay," she said, "Are you good?"
"Yeah, I guess," Jay answered. He put his hand on the side of her face and tilted her head up gently. "I don't think you'll get a bump, but we'll see," he said.
"Playing my doctor again?" she lightly teased.
Jay smirked and shook his head. He kissed her forehead, keeping his lips to her skin for a second longer than expected, then said, "If I don't empty the dishwasher, he's going to be convinced we slept together."
"Oh." Hailey felt a bright blush spread across her face as she again took another step backwards.
"Talk soon?" Jay asked.
Hailey nodded and waved before he could disappear back into his apartment. Sighing, she returned to her own and walked straight to the freezer where she grabbed out an icepack.
"All right, I'm off to- what the hell?"
Hailey looked over at Vanessa coming out of her bedroom.
"Did you get hurt?" Vanessa asked.
Hailey's mouth gaped for a moment before she admitted, "Jay and I bumped heads. It's fine. Nothing some ice won't fix."
Vanessa seemed frozen for a minute before smirking. "I see," she said.
"Yeah," Hailey sighed, "I thought…I thought…you know."
"You thought he was going to kiss you?" Vanessa asked.
Hailey nodded and placed the icepack to her forehead.
"Damn, I'm sorry," Vanessa said, "Want to talk about it over some wine tonight?"
"What's there to talk about?" Hailey asked.
Vanessa shrugged and walked over to grab her lunch-bag off the counter. "Your feelings for Jay that are growing fast, kind of like that bump on your forehead," she said.
Hailey rolled her eyes as she dropped into a kitchen chair. "Thanks," she mumbled.
Vanessa blew her a kiss and said, "Have a good day. You're going into the lab, right?"
"Yeah, I don't need to be there for another two hours," Hailey said.
"Bump will be gone by then," Vanessa replied before winking and yelling out, "Bye, enjoy all the bacteria," as she left their apartment.
Hailey groaned and tipped her head back. Her forehead throbbed, but it felt like nothing compared to the warmth in her belly that had mixed with the butterflies when Jay was near her.
She figured it was time to admit she had a crush on him.
She liked Jay Halstead.
And she didn't know if she was going to be able to ever ignore it until she acted on it.
It was like dating without dating.
The only time they were ever really alone was in the laundry room, but their time together was really, really nice.
Hailey found herself wandering across the hall more often than not to see what Jay was doing, and he seemed to be waiting for her to come home from work to do the same. They spent their time talking about college and jobs and growing up. They debated the best dogs to have and whether or not bananas should be put in smoothies. It was easy and rather relaxing...even if their roommates and friends were always nearby.
Not once did they kiss.
Jay's fingers would still twirl her hair around, and every once in a while he'd kiss her wrist, but he never kissed her lips.
She wanted it to happen. She knew she could be the one to make the move, but there was this small part of her brain telling her something would go wrong if she tried. Just like it had been every time before. It had been like the universe was telling them not to make any real moves.
So she stuck to swirling her fingers over his arm and kissing his cheek at night. She was just too nervous to cross that line. Yes, those butterflies were still there and she desperately wanted to feel his lips on hers, but she didn't want to lose him for who he was.
Her friend.
His hugs were comforting, and his jokes made her laugh. He was a good person who loved a cool glass of whiskey and had a grudge against kit-kat bars. Every part of him was cute and warmed her heart. He was addicting in the best way.
If they kissed for real and it ended badly, she was going to lose a friend, and that was painful. She couldn't lose him.
And if he didn't kiss her for real, maybe that meant he felt the same way. Maybe he saw her as too good of a friend to kiss. It was a bummer, but she accepted it. They were good together.
She had a feeling they'd be a good couple too, but that was going to be a different chapter in a different story. For now, they were supportive of each other and cuddled on the couch.
A lot.
Everyone else seemed to just accept that they had this new thing between the two of them. There were looks and snickering when Jay would steal Hailey's drink while they all hung out, but no one outwardly said anything until a rainy day in the girls' apartment.
"So it's been like six days, right?" Mouse announced to the room, "When are we gonna get an explanation?"
"Explanation to what?" Kim asked as she dug into the dinner Kevin had made for them all.
"Jay and Hailey dating," Mouse said.
Hailey coughed on her orange chicken and sat up from where she was leaning against Jay. "We are not dating," she choked out.
Jay lightly pat her back and asked, "You good?"
"Yeah, I-" She coughed again and waved her hand. "We're not dating," she repeated.
Vanessa raised an eyebrow and said, "Hailey, come on."
"We're not," she said again. Looking at Jay, she said, "We're…we're just friends."
He smiled back at her and nodded. His hand slowly shifted from patting her back to rubbing circles along her spine.
Hailey blushed bright and glanced around at Kevin, Vanessa, Kim, and Mouse staring intently at the two of them.
"I don't think they had sex," Kim finally announced, "We would have heard about it."
"I would have heard it," Vanessa said.
"Or me," Mouse agreed.
"You're all nasty," Kevin said.
"We didn't have sex," Jay said, "So please…stop."
Hailey shook her head, but slowly sat back into Jay's side.
"You're saying you've never heard her and Adam?" Mouse asked while nodding toward Kim.
She gasped and hissed, "He has not."
"Couple times," Kevin answered causing Kim's eyes to widen, "But it's not like I sit around and wait for it to happen."
"That would be nasty," Jay said, pointing his fork for emphasis.
"If it helps, Hailey and I have heard each other," Vanessa said.
"How would that help?" Kim asked through a sigh.
"Just lessen your own embarrassment," Vanessa replied and shrugged.
Kim rolled her eyes and said, "I feel violated."
"Sorry," Kevin said, "I thought you knew. I've told Adam to keep it down or put a sock on the door."
"Wonderful," Kim breathed.
"When's he coming home anyways?" Hailey asked, "We could make him a plate."
"I have some hot stuff still in the pan too," Kevin added.
"Um, I don't know," Kim said, glancing at her phone, "I actually thought he'd be home by now. Is that a bad thing?"
"Probably just got held up," Jay answered, "No worries. Cops have weird schedules anyways."
"Where'd you get that from?" Mouse asked.
"My ass," Jay chuckled, "It's just a guess."
"Well, it's not working," Kim said over everyone else's laughter.
"He's fine," Vanessa said and grabbed her pop off the coffee table. Taking a long sip of it, she asked, "Anyone want to go to the beach on Saturday?"
"I'm down," Kevin answered.
Mouse held up a finger as he chewed his dinner.
Hailey nodded and said, "I want to go."
"Um, actually," Jay said, clearing his throat, "I…I can't." He slipped his hand up Hailey's back and lightly scratched the back of her head.
She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "What're you doing?" she asked.
"Talk later?" he whispered.
She slowly nodded and put a hand on his leg. "Is everything-"
"Oh, finally," Kim said loudly. She finished eating a piece of chicken then stood up with her phone. "Babe, you're late for-"
Her whole face changed in an instant.
Everyone stopped their own side conversations to turn toward her in time for her to drop her phone and gasp for breath.
"Hey, hey," Mouse said quickly and stood to grab her arm before she could fall.
"Kim?" Vanessa asked.
"Get her water," Jay said as he followed Mouse to the chair he put Kim in.
Kevin glanced over at Jay checking Kim's pulse before picking up her phone. He furrowed his brow at it and showed Hailey her blank screen.
Vanessa ran back to the living room with a cold glass of water that she helped Kim drink.
"Kim, what's going on?" Hailey asked softly as she walked over to her.
Kim choked out a noise and shook her head.
"Was it Adam?" Kevin asked while trying to open her phone.
Kim squeezed her eyes shut and nodded.
"Keep breathing, kid, you're freaking us out," Mouse said quietly.
Kim shook her head again and gripped onto the glass in her hand.
"Hey, slow down," Vanessa whispered, running her hand over Kim's hair.
Jay straightened up and met Hailey's eyes. Shaking his head, he squeezed Kim's wrist then took a deep breath.
Hailey bit her lip and set a hand on his back.
"Kim?" Vanessa asked, "Honey…"
"Shot," Kim finally breathed, "He was shot."
Jay volunteered to drive to the hospital. Hailey and Vanessa got Kim to climb into his backseat and held her hands as Jay flew through the streets of Chicago. Mouse and Kevin were squished up front next to Jay, but neither complained. There was no question that they'd all join her in waiting to hear how Adam was doing. They were a family.
It'd only been a handful of weeks since they'd all met, but they were each other's everything. Hailey couldn't picture being anywhere else than in the back of Jay's truck in that moment.
Kim's hands were sweating, but she was able to breathe again. She didn't know anything about what had happened. All she'd heard on the other end of the call was that Adam had been shot and his partner was calling her because she was his first contact.
Kevin would have been his second followed by his dad and then Jay. It just confirmed to Hailey that they were all connected. They might tease each other about sex or girlfriends or crazy food combinations, but they stepped up every single time.
It carried over into the hospital. Kevin and Vanessa walked with Kim up to the nurses' station while Jay, Mouse, and Hailey found them all a corner of the waiting room that was slowly starting to fill up with other police officers.
Jay began texting his brother whereas Mouse pulled chairs into a small circle. They worked quietly and efficiently the entire time Kim talked to the nurse.
When she returned, Hailey took her phone and began calling Kim and Adam's parents and anyone else Kim wanted to be notified. Vanessa tried helping Kim get comfortable while Kevin and Mouse went to go get snacks from the vending machine. Jay left to look for Will in an attempt to get answers because they still, ultimately, knew nothing.
Soon enough, the six of them were back together in their small corner. There was a pile of chocolate, snacks, water, and pop on the side table, but no one even moved to touch it; they were all listening to Jay whisper what he had been able to find out.
"It's lodged next to his femur-"
"Real people speak," Mouse mumbled.
Jay rolled his eyes and said, "Thigh bone. The bullet went in his thigh, but didn't go all the way through. He's in surgery to get it out. They don't think it hit any major veins though, so he's probably not going to be paralyzed or anything like that."
Kim quietly squeaked and put her head in her hands.
"It's a good thing," Hailey whispered to her as she rubbed her back.
Jay nodded and said, "Will said everyone sounded hopeful. He was cursing up a storm when they brought him in, too, so you know he was fine then."
Kevin chuckled and shook his head. "He loves to cuss everyone out," he murmured.
Vanessa smiled as she said, "Strong personality."
"He'll be okay," Hailey said softly in Kim's ear before looking up to meet Jay's eyes. "He'll be okay," she repeated.
He nodded and shot her a small smile.
"I hope so," Kim breathed.
Hailey hugged her to her side then kissed the top of her head.
"We're not going anywhere," Vanessa said, "We'll all stay here with you."
Kim sniffled and sat up. "Thank you," she said. Wiping her eyes, she took a deep breath then reached around Hailey for a pack of oreos. "We're stress eating tonight," she mumbled.
Mouse laughed softly and lightly kicked his foot forward to nudge her leg. "If that's the case, pass the funyons."
Kim smiled slightly and tossed him the yellow bag.
Despite the food they'd all had back at the apartment, they all grabbed the vending machine food and began eating. No one talked for a while – it was as if they'd done enough verbal worrying earlier for the night. What it was, though, was a lot of reassuring smiles and touches as they shifted around to get comfortable.
When Adam's family arrived, Kim couldn't find it in herself to get sucked into his parents' world, especially when his dad started yelling about 'wanting justice' and 'talking to the detective who put his rookie son in this situation,' so they all happily helped shield her from them.
It meant Hailey was sitting right against Jay for the first time since they arrived as Kim hid behind the two of them with Kevin.
Jay lightly nudged Hailey's shoulder with his own and whispered, "Doing okay?"
She tried to smile and just shrugged.
She didn't know how she felt. Now that they'd all essentially calmed down and were just playing the waiting game, she was getting restless. She wanted to make sure Adam was okay no matter what Jay relayed to them from Will. She also wanted to comfort Kim and keep her away from the drama surrounding Adam's dad. And then there was the lingering memory of what Jay had told her about his mom, and wondering what was going through his own mind right then. It was almost like she was being pulled in a million different directions. She just wanted to make sure everyone was okay.
Jay nodded at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Tugging her closer to him, he turned his head and whispered in her ear, "Want to take a walk?"
She glanced back at Kim and said, "Um…"
Kim felt her eyes on her and looked up from playing hangman with Kevin. She slowly looked between Jay's forehead nearly pressed to Hailey's head and his arm around her shoulders before raising an eyebrow and tilting her head to the side.
Hailey shook her head the slightest amount and took a deep breath.
"Do you need water?" Kim asked softly.
"What?" Hailey whispered back.
"Go get some more water with Jay," Kim explained, "I'll be okay. They're too busy talking with the sergeant."
Hailey looked over Jay's shoulder at Adam's parents talking to an older man wearing a cap and nodded. She squeezed Jay's knee and stood up.
He smiled up at her before following her out the opposite entrance into a separate hallway. Once they were a significant distance away, he stopped her with a tug against her hand and pulled her against his chest. With his chin resting on the top of her head, he mumbled, "Tell me how you really are."
Hailey sighed and wrapped her arms around him. Closing her eyes and pressing her face into his shirt, she shook her head.
"I want to listen," he whispered.
"I know," she murmured and gripped his t-shirt, "But can you just…"
"Course," he said and tightened his hold on her.
They stood in silence together unbothered by anyone. It was their own personal hiding space.
It made Hailey feel safe.
She could hear Jay's heart thumping against her cheek, and, even though she briefly wondered if Adam's heart was thumping this strong in his operation room, she found solace in the steady sound.
Eventually, it gave her the strength to whisper, "I'm really worried."
Jay nodded and stepped back to meet her eyes. His hand slid down her arm until their fingers were intertwined and nodded toward a nearby bench.
She nodded back and walked over to it with him.
Once he sat down, Jay squeezed her hand and asked, "About what?"
"Everything," Hailey sighed, "Adam, of course, but also Kim, his parents, Kevin…you."
Jay raised an eyebrow and asked, "Me?"
Hailey swallowed and nodded.
"Why're you worried about me?" Jay countered.
Hailey hesitated before quietly admitting, "If this is bringing up thoughts about your mom."
Jay breathed in slowly then nodded. He glanced around the hallway then said, "It is. I've been in waiting rooms a couple times as she's had surgery or radiation. It doesn't get easier, but I've learned how to deal with it. Snacks like we got helps. Being with all of you makes it even better. I like that we're all together and not fighting about what could happen or taking our anger out at each other. Can't say the same about Disco Bob, but our little corner is nice."
Hailey smiled slightly and squeezed his hand.
"I'm okay, though, promise," Jay said softly, "Thank you for checking."
Hailey nodded and whispered, "Always."
"Come here," Jay murmured before pulling her back into a hug. "I also trust Will in situations like this," he said, "He's not freaking out like he always does when my mom's involved. Adam's going to be okay. Plus…I have you, and you help. I like watching you help Kim out. You're a really good friend."
"I love Kim," Hailey said simply and rubbed her hands over his back, "I'd do anything for her."
Jay nodded and sat back.
Hailey reached up to brush her fingers along his jaw. She let out a breath then added, "I'd do anything for you too."
Jay's lips tipped up and he squeezed her knee. "Even go to a wedding with me?" he asked.
Hailey froze and asked, "What?"
Jay chuckled and looked down at their feet before explaining, "Earlier I said I can't go to the beach Saturday, and that's because I'm going to a wedding. I wanted to ask you to go with me, then we got kind of distracted."
"A wedding?" Hailey repeated, "You want me to go to a wedding with you?"
Jay finally gave her a wide smile and said, "Yes. I really do."
Hailey bit her lip and stared at him with wide eyes. A wedding was a big deal. First of all, she'd never even been to one. Then there was the fact that she most likely wouldn't know anyone else there. Maybe his family would be there. The two of them would probably end up dancing together. They'd have to get dressed up. It was a wedding.
A lot could go wrong.
Then again…she'd be spending time with him without their friends. She could learn more about him while one-on-one. He could hold her in his arms as they danced. She'd see him dressed up. Weddings were romantic.
A lot could go right.
"Okay."
The word slipped from her lips before she could stop herself. It was like her heart knew something her mind was too scared to admit. She really had been wanting to go on a date with him, so maybe this was the right move. She needed to trust her heart right now.
Jay's face lit up even more and he squeezed her hand. "Yeah?" he asked softly.
Hailey nodded and bit her lip over a smile.
Jay chuckled and hugged her quickly again. Pulling back, he said, "It'll be fun. Allie's been planning this wedding forever; I'm expecting a lot."
Hailey softly laughed and asked, "Is she your cousin?"
Jay blushed and hesitated, his smile frozen on his face. "Um," he said and coughed slightly. Scratching the back of his neck, he explained, "No. She…uh, she's a girl I grew up with. Technically, she's my ex – we dated in high school – but that's long been over with. Her family is good friends with mine. We were neighbors."
"Oh," Hailey said slowly, "Okay."
Jay's face was still rather red, and she could tell hers was a similar shade. Maybe she should have turned him down, but how was she supposed to know he was inviting her to an ex-girlfriend's wedding? It wasn't something she expected at all.
It was something Jay wanted her to go to, though. He'd been thinking about it for days – probably since before she even got her tattoo – so he had to have thought it all through. She needed to trust him. She'd already decided that he wasn't someone who would hurt her, so she needed to lean into that. She needed to trust him.
So she took a deep breath then wet her lips. Slowly, she nodded and rubbed her hands over her knees. She cleared her throat and said, "It's cool. Promise."
Jay raised an eyebrow and asked, "You sure? If you don't want to go-"
"I do," she interrupted, "I want to spend time with you. It'll be fun like you said."
"Okay," Jay said softly and visibly relaxed, "Thank you."
Hailey felt her heart flip and reached over to give his arm a soft, reassuring squeeze. "I mean it," she said.
Jay nodded and brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. "You'll know Will," he said, "And he's bringing a girl too – Natalie, she's pretty nice. My parents will be at our table too. My mom's been wanting to meet you."
"Really?" Hailey asked.
Jay weakly laughed and nodded again. "Yeah," he said, "I guess I've seemed happier lately, and she wanted to meet the girl behind it."
The blush returned to Hailey's cheeks as she quietly countered, "I've made you happier?"
"Yeah," Jay said, again squeezing her hand. His thumb brushed over her tattoo like he'd done several times over the course of the last week and he smiled at her.
She smiled back and felt herself relax because he had a point. She'd also been a lot happier since getting to know Jay more. She liked spending time with him, so she completely understood where he was coming from. Admittedly, if she was invited to a wedding and asked to bring a plus one, she'd invite him too. Anything to spend more one-on-one time with him.
Turns out, they were on the same page of the same chapter of the same book, and it felt really good.
"You make me happier too," she said.
If possible, Jay's smile widened, and he lifted her hand to kiss her wrist softly. She lightly laughed because she knew he knew she liked when he did that. It always sent butterflies straight to her stomach.
As he returned her hand to rest on her leg, he leaned forward and brushed his fingers on the side of her thigh. Anticipating his lips on hers, she closed her eyes just for him to kiss her forehead.
"Come on," he whispered and slipped his hand behind her neck to gently brush through her hair for a moment. "We should get back out there with them and wait for more news," he added.
Hailey blushed and stood with him as his hand rubbed down her back.
She wasn't mad with the forehead kiss, she just wanted more. Though he was going to take her on a date this coming weekend, so maybe she could hold out a little longer.
She had a feeling he was going to be worth it.
When they rounded the corner, the man wearing the cap was sitting with their friends listening to his every word. It took them one second to realize Kim wasn't with them.
"Hey," Jay said as they walked up, "Everything okay?"
"This is Al," Kevin explained, "He's the detective Adam's been partnered with."
"And?" Hailey asked, sitting next to Vanessa.
"And he's going to be fine," Al said, "Wanted to see his girlfriend right away. He kept telling me in the ambulance that she was going to be really worried."
"Of course," Vanessa murmured and wiped her eyes.
"She's with his parents right now," Mouse told Jay and Hailey, "She said we could leave, but-"
"No, yeah, we're staying," Jay said and sat across from Al, "I want to see him."
Everyone nodded in agreement causing the tiniest of smiles to cross Al's face. "You're all as good as he says," he said before standing up. Clasping Kevin's shoulder lightly, he nodded at them and walked over to a group of police officers.
Vanessa let out a sigh of relief and said, "So he's awake and okay. That's great."
Kevin nodded and took a deep breath. "Now we just hope Kim doesn't kill him," he said.
"Kim or Kim's parents?" Mouse countered.
"Oh, they're done for," Hailey breathed.
Jay shook his head and leaned back in his chair so that his shirt slipped up. Hailey smiled slightly at him then ran a hand through her hair, keeping her eyes locked on him. After talking with him, she trusted that he'd bring anything up if it was bothering him, yet it didn't stop her from continuing to worry about him. She briefly wondered if he was worrying about her as well, and then he met her eyes and nodded her over, stopping her thoughts in their tracks.
She raised an eyebrow, but pushed off her chair to move to the one next to him.
"Doing okay?" he whispered and tossed an arm over her shoulder.
"Yeah," she said softly, "You?"
"Just glad he's okay," he replied and slipped his fingers through her hair, "I don't know what I would have done if I lost him."
Hailey shook her head before rolling it against his arm to look up at him. "You won't," she whispered, "None of us are leaving anytime soon."
Jay chuckled then lightly scratched the back of her head. "Good," he breathed.
Hailey smiled and scooted closer to him. She yawned then looked over at Vanessa who just held back a laugh and looked up at the ceiling. In turn, she smirked and waited for Vanessa to look back at her. Once they met their eyes, Vanessa slyly pointed toward Jay while Hailey nodded toward Kevin whose hand was resting right next to hers on the armrest.
"Oh, psh," Vanessa whispered.
Hailey laughed softly and shook her head again.
"It's nothing," Vanessa hissed.
Hailey shrugged, but still rested her head back on Jay's arm.
"Tired?" he asked quietly.
"Mhmm," she hummed.
"Take a nap," he said, "It might be a while before they let us back. I'll wake you up."
"I'd hope you would," she replied.
Jay chuckled and squeezed her close to him.
It was easy enough to relax that she practically fell asleep within minutes. As it was getting rather late, the waiting room became quiet. The police officers filed out of the room as the moonlight filled it. All she could feel was Jay's body against hers. While the armrest digging into her side wasn't the most comfortable, the warmth of Jay was still able to lull her into an easy doze.
She felt heavy like she couldn't move, but she could still hear everything around her as if it was coming through a heavy door. Vanessa and Kevin were whispering somewhere nearby – something about their best friends dating and how cute they were. Wondering who they were talking about, she sleepily smiled and rolled further into Jay's chest.
"She sleeping?"
"Hmm?"
"Hailey - she asleep?"
She stirred at her name coming from Mouse's lips, but her eyelids couldn't open.
"Yeah, I think so. Kind of want to join her."
"I know, it just passed eleven. We're in for a long night."
"Sleep. It's fine, really."
"I would, but I don't have a physical therapist to fall asleep on top of."
Her head bobbed as Jay's chest reverberated with a laugh. She groaned quietly then let out a long breath.
"Sorry, man. I'm sure there's some girl you can sleep on around here."
"I don't know if I'm into doctors."
There was a pause, and she thought maybe Mouse fell asleep too.
"Shut up."
He was awake.
"I didn't say anything."
"It was a one-time thing. Look at her with him. They look like you two."
"What's that mean?"
"That you two totally look like a couple."
"We're not a couple."
"Oh, okay. And Adam's back there just getting his appendix out."
"He'd probably be in more pain honestly. Will had appendicitis once, and-"
"You're avoiding the statement."
Jay sighed and tightened his hold on Hailey.
"I asked her to Allie's wedding."
"Finally. I was thinking you were going to ask her earlier."
"Well, got a bit distracted, huh?"
"You could say that."
"Hey, you guys want to come back before we leave?"
She shifted again at Kim's voice and tried opening her eyes, but then Jay sat her up slightly and brushed a piece of hair from her face.
"Hey," he whispered, "You up? Kim said we can go see him."
Hailey slowly blinked her eyes open and nodded. She glanced over where Vanessa was to see her also rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"There you are," Jay said and smiled at her. He stood and grabbed her hand. "Good nap?"
"Yeah," she breathed and stood with him, "Thanks for being a good pillow."
Jay chuckled and squeezed her hand before tugging her along so they could follow everyone else to Adam's room.
Mouse thought they looked like a couple. It made her smile. It really was like they were dating without dating. She liked it. It was completely different than how she'd done relationships in the past, but Jay was completely different.
He was good.
When they all filed into the small hospital room, Hailey was first grateful that Adam's parents were nowhere to be found. She briefly wondered when they'd escaped, but then she noticed Adam's leg being held up by a sling and her face fell.
He looked exhausted and slightly out-of-it, but he was smiling at all of them and waved slowly. "Hey, guys," he said quietly, "What's going on?"
"Hey, man," Kevin said and crossed the room quickly to pull Adam into a hug the best he could.
"Hey," Adam chuckled, "I'm alive. No worries."
"There are a lot of worries," Kim cut in.
Vanessa raised an eyebrow and rubbed her arm before going to hug Adam as well. "I'm glad you're okay," she said softly.
"Thanks," he replied and nodded at Mouse who'd gone over to clasp him on the shoulder.
"Slightly insulted I didn't make the emergency contacts list, man," Mouse teased.
Adam laughed again, wincing slightly, but then shook his head and said, "Sorry. Only four spots on the form. You'd be five, though, promise."
Mouse smirked and shook his head before giving him a hug as well.
"What'd it feel like?" Jay asked as he stepped around the bed to reach Adam.
"I thought I exploded," Adam said after pulling back from Jay's hug.
"Ouch," Hailey said while leaning down to hug him.
Adam smiled and shrugged. "Hurt like a bitch, but at least I had Al," he added, "I always figured I'd get shot at in the vest, so the fact that it actually went in me kind of freaked me out."
"Weren't you wearing your new pants too?" Kevin asked.
"Man, all of that stuff was new," Adam said with a sigh, "Really hoping I don't have to buy it all and that the department will step in. They've got to, right? I mean, I could have died."
"You were shot in the leg, man, worst that could have happened would have been it getting amputated," Mouse joked.
"Oh my god," Kim breathed and sat in a chair with her head in her hands.
"Darling, it's a joke," Adam said and put his hand out, "Come here."
She looked up with red eyes and said, "It's not funny, and I don't like that you're going back. You were shot."
Hailey bit her lip then slipped from Jay's side to go kneel next to her. "Hey," she whispered, "You want some air?"
Kim sighed and shook her head. She stared at Adam for a moment before looking at Hailey and saying, "Thank god your boyfriend is a physical therapist."
The room erupted into questions and laughter as Hailey's face burned red. One glance at Jay and, while he wasn't blushing, she could tell he was embarrassed too – just like earlier before everything went to hell.
"Boyfriend?" Adam was asking loudly, "I got shot and Halstead finally grew some balls?"
"Oh, shut up," Jay said and punched his arm, "I know how these machines work. I'll gladly turn off your oxygen."
"Sorry," Kim whispered, "It was an easy way to get them to stop talking about what happened."
Hailey shook her head, but still rolled her eyes and pulled her into a hug. "The joke's getting old, but I'll forgive you. Like always," she said.
Vanessa came over with a smile. As she pulled a chair over to sit next to Kim, she raised an eyebrow then asked, "What'd you two talk about in that secret hallway?"
Hailey took a deep breath and glanced over at Jay now laughing with the guys about Adam's hazy retelling of what had happened. "He asked me on a date," she whispered, "To a wedding."
Kim's face quickly lit up as she straightened in her seat. "Are you serious?" she hissed.
Hailey nodded and bit her lip over a smile.
"No freaking way," Vanessa said, "Is that what he's doing on Saturday?"
Hailey nodded again and said, "So I can't go to the beach with you guys, sorry."
"Oh, hush, that's nothing," Kim said and waved her hand, "Whose is it? Are you going to meet his family?"
"That's huge for a first date, but I'm sure they'll love you," Vanessa said, "How could they not?"
Hailey again chewed her lip because this was exactly what she was worried about herself. Taking a deep breath, she said, "His ex."
"Ex?" Kim repeated, "He's going to his ex-girlfriend's wedding?"
Hailey nodded and glanced over at Jay still laughing at Adam.
"That's weird," Vanessa mumbled.
"I know, but he said they were neighbors, and his whole family's going. They dated in high school, so it's been over for a while," Hailey explained.
Kim and Vanessa exchanged a look before Kim said, "I'm sure it's fine. I think it's huge that he invited you."
Vanessa nodded quickly and added, "And it'll be fun. I've never been to a wedding, but I'm sure they're great. Is there an open bar?"
Hailey laughed softly and shook her head. "I don't know," she said, "You two really know everything I do. He can tell me more tomorrow once we all sleep and remember that Adam's alive."
Kim's smile faded slightly, but she didn't say anything and just squeezed Hailey's shoulder.
"I think this calls for shopping, though, right?" Vanessa asked, "We're definitely doing a girls' day too."
"If Kim wants to," Hailey said.
"I'm sure I can join," Kim said, turning her gaze back to Adam and the guys. She took a deep breath then said, "You're right: he's alive, but I still…I need to keep reminding myself that. I can't believe he wants to go back out there. I-"
"Hey, let's talk about that some other time," Hailey gently interrupted, "Let's not focus on work or what happened tonight. Just keep reminding yourself that he's okay because he is. Don't think about the negative stuff."
Kim looked skeptical, but nodded slowly and let out a long breath.
Vanessa rubbed her back and asked, "You want to stay the night at our place?"
"If you don't mind," Kim said, "I don't want to be alone, but I also don't want to go home and face my parents. Things have already been rough."
"You're always welcome," Hailey said, "We could all pile into the living room too and be nice and cozy."
Kim finally smiled again and said, "I'd really like that."
"Good," Hailey said and hugged her side quickly.
When she let go, she looked up to see Jay watching her. He smiled when they made eye contact and she happily returned it.
They were finally going to go on a date and their friend survived a gunshot.
She could wrap it up as a good day.
A/N: Ready for a wedding? :) I'll be going back to work next week, so updates will be coming a little closer to dinner time in the future, but they'll definitely still be coming. I have no plans on ending this story any time soon. Some fics are just too fun to give up on, and this one proved that it needed to be longer than summer. Can't wait to share more with you all!