Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys. I really think you're gonna enjoy this one.
Happy reading!
NINETEEN
Gabby shut Casey's front door behind her, turning the lock in place before stepping into the apartment, glancing over to see Matt sitting on the couch, perched in the same place she had left him moments before.
"Where do you want this?" Gabby asked, holding up his shift bag in her hand.
"In the bedroom is fine." He responded, Gabby nodding before heading back towards his room, stepping inside. She caught a glimpse of her two bags that she'd sat on his bed earlier, Gabby having just dropped them off in here when she ran in before going to pick up his truck. She knew she'd need to move her things somewhere else, but it wasn't a priority at the moment as Gabby dropped his shift bag at the end of the bed before heading back for the hallway.
"Do you need anything? A drink, or something to eat?" She offered as she stopped at the end of the hallway, looking at Matt across the room.
"Uh… I guess some water. I'm not really hungry." He replied, Gabby nodding before turning to go into the kitchen, Matt watching her until she was out of sight. She was gone for maybe a minute before she reappeared, holding one glass of water and one glass of what Matt assumed to be apple juice in her hands, Casey raising his eyebrows at her as she got closer.
"Sorry, I saw the juice in there and it sounded good." She spoke sheepishly, Matt chuckling as he took his glass of water. "Is that okay? I know I didn't ask or anything, but-"
"Gabby." He cut her off, Dawson stopping her rambling as she looked to him, Matt patting the couch beside him, prompting her to sit down. "You don't need to ask me if you want juice, you don't need to ask me if you want anything here." He spoke, Gabby relaxing into the cushions. "As far as I'm concerned, while you're here helping me out, you can just think of this as your place, too." He told her, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly. "I don't want you walking around on eggshells here, especially seeing as how you're giving up your time to help me."
"Okay." She responded, Matt flashing her a smile.
"I know this is kind of a big change from what we're used to. I mean, yeah you've spent a lot of time here, but it's mostly been in my room. Although we've had some fun out here too, and that one time in the kitchen…" He said with a chuckle, Gabby feeling heat spread through her body at the memory. "And you've been spending the night a lot, all of which I've thoroughly enjoyed." He spoke, Gabby scoffing lightly as she shook her head.
"Yeah, I've noticed." She responded, a shade of red tinting his cheeks before he continued.
"But, the point is, us being together pretty much all the time is gonna be different, so I want you to feel comfortable here. I'm serious, do whatever you want to make yourself at home." He told her, Gabby nodding before taking a sip of her juice.
"Okay, I will." She replied, Matt nodding, bringing his drink up to his lips. "Thank you, Casey."
"I'm not the one who deserves any thanks here, that's all you." He spoke, Gabby eyeing him carefully. "Really, you being here to help me means a lot. I know I could've asked Severide, but other than that, I don't really have anyone else that I could've asked…" He trailed off, his eyes moving to the ground as Gabby kept her gaze on him, Dawson swallowing the lump in her throat. "It just means a lot that you agreed to do this." He said, Gabby placing her hand on his thigh, getting him to look at her.
"I'm happy to help." She replied with a soft smile. "Really, I don't mind being here at all. I'm glad you trust me to help you with this." Matt nodded with a grin, his eyebrows raising as he saw the gleam in her eyes. "...And I think I'll be able to make you needing help in the shower much more enjoyable than Severide could." She spoke lightly, Matt chuckling as he placed his hand on top of hers.
"Yeah, I don't doubt that." He responded, squeezing her hand, the teasing look leaving her eyes.
"But, in all seriousness, you don't need to keep thanking me. I don't mind being here, I want to be here." She spoke, Matt unable to stop the soft grin that fell onto his face, but her next words caused it to soon disappear. "...You really scared me yesterday, so this is as much for me as it is for you. I like being able to keep an eye on you, if gives me some peace of mind if I'm being honest." She admitted, missing the slight frown that pulled at his lips, hating that he had her so worried. "And we all saw what happened when I left you alone yesterday, you had to go and pull your stitches open." Her voice turned less serious, Gabby trying to lift some of the heaviness around them.
"Yeah, I'm not entirely sure Hallie's presence wasn't the cause for that." He muttered as he shook his head, Gabby giving his thigh a comforting squeeze. The way he said it, she knew he was trying to play it off as a joke, but that didn't mean there wasn't some truth behind it.
"Do you want to talk about that?" She asked cautiously, Matt's tongue running over his bottom lip. "I know she's why you were upset at the hospital earlier today… And we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I'm here if you do." She reminded him, Matt nodding slowly.
"Yeah, I guess I kind of keep forgetting that." He murmured, Gabby moving her hand up to his neck, running her fingers lightly over the skin there, knowing the action calmed him. She had found out by accident, having done it as a source of comfort when he first told her about Hallie, but she soon discovered it was one of the easiest ways to quickly console him.
"What do you mean?"
"I keep forgetting that I have someone I can talk to now." He clarified, Matt shaking his head as he saw the frown forming on her lips. "Oh, come on, I don't need you to feel sorry for me, I've had enough of that lately." He responded with a chuckle, Gabby moving her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck, knowing he was deflecting.
"Matt…" She responded, Casey releasing a sigh, leaning into her touch before replying.
"It's just that after everything with Hallie, I kind of lost the people I could count on." He admitted, Gabby biting the inside of her cheek. "Looking back on it, I know it wasn't the most healthy thing in the world, but Hallie was kind of the only family I had. And the way that all went down, when I got kicked out of my firehouse I lost every relationship I had there too, especially cause I could tell they all kind of believed what was said about me. They would act like it didn't affect things those few shifts I was still there, but when headquarters made the decision to move me, and they didn't have to see me all the time, none of them ever reached out to me again." He breathed out, Gabby leaning forward to place her glass on the coffee table before sitting back, curling her legs up onto the couch, her body facing his. "And then everywhere I was at in between that house and 51, no one really made much of an effort with me, especially once they heard the rumors... I was pretty isolated." Matt spoke, shrugging softly as he placed his hand on her knee, rubbing up and down over her leg. "I'm not trying to sound pathetic or anything, I'm fine, but it's just kind of weird, to actually have someone I can talk to, who I know isn't doing it to pretend to be nice, or doing it to try and gain something out of it. I don't know, I just haven't had that in a while…" He trailed off, meeting her eyes, seeing her clearly thinking over her next words carefully, Gabby's lips pursed together.
"I don't know what it's like to feel isolated like that, I mean not really. There were times it kind of felt like that at 51, when things with Bryan were bad, but I know it's nothing compared to what you went through. But I do know what it feels like to be cheated on by someone you thought you could trust." She spoke, Matt's face softening at her words. "And even though I might not always be able to understand what you've gone through from my own experiences, you can still come to me, with whatever it is. Even if you just need to blow off some steam,"
"I believe we've found some better ways to blow off steam than just talking." He cut in with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes.
"Here I am trying to be supportive and you're making this about sex."
"Sorry, sorry, you're right." He responded with a chuckle, Gabby unable to hide her grin before she continued.
"Anyway, the point of all this is that I'm here. I never realized how bad it was, with you feeling like you didn't have people. But that's not the case now, and I need to make sure you know that. You've got an entire firehouse of people who love you and support you, who would drop anything to help you. And you've got me." She spoke with a soft grin, Matt's eyes locking with hers. "With whatever it is, whether you need to talk, or you don't want to talk, if you just want some company, whatever it may be, I'm your girl."
"I know you are." He responded, squeezing her leg as his eyes flickered away from hers, Matt focusing his gaze in between them. Gabby felt those all too familiar flutters rise up in her stomach while they sat here, but she did her best to ignore them. Right now she needed to focus on Matt.
"Which means if you need to talk about whatever Hallie said that's clearly been bothering you, we can." She spoke pointedly, Matt glancing back up to her. "You've been angry, since you spoke to her yesterday. I know we haven't really talked about her much, but every time she even vaguely comes up, you get upset… And I don't blame you, you have every right to feel whatever you need to about this, but I don't want you to be consumed by it. If you feel like you can talk about it, I'm all ears. But if you can't, that's fine too. Just tell me to shut up, and I will."
"I'd never tell you to shut up." He cut in, Gabby cocking her head to the side. "Be quiet, maybe. But never shut up." He joked, Gabby scratching the back of his neck as she shook her head in amusement. "But, uh… the thing with Hallie," He cleared his throat, the air around them shifting as Gabby waited patiently, giving him all the time he needed to feel comfortable. "She's just always had this affect on me, and she knows it. She knows that I don't want to be around her, or even see her. And even after I repeatedly told her I wanted her out, she wouldn't leave… She just kept saying she needed to make sure I was okay, but she didn't need to be in my room for that. If she was really so concerned, she could've just asked my doctor and left it at that, but she did what she always does, she makes it about her." He had started rambling, Gabby seeing his clear frustration at the situation, but she said nothing, knowing Casey needed to get this out. "She was only there as some kind of way to clear her conscious, to try and reason with what she did, and it just- it made me so mad… She kept excusing it by talking about how we weren't happy anymore, how we both knew it wouldn't work, but I didn't know that. I thought everything was good, I thought we were doing well but it was just all a lie. And then she came in there trying to excuse it."
Gabby could see him getting worked up, the paramedic beginning to scratch lightly over the back of his head, hoping the movement would calm him down.
"But I just… she went there for her, not for me. I got hurt, and she was only there for herself. To give herself a pat on the back and pretend she cares, when I know she doesn't." His voice had dropped to a whisper, Gabby frowning. She could tell he still held onto a lot of the pain and anger he felt towards Hallie and what she did, but it made her stomach sink to see him so upset. "I just wish she would've listened to you and left me alone. I hate that she still has this affect on me, that even just seeing her still upsets me this much. I wish it wasn't like this, that I could see her and not care, but…"
"She broke your heart." Gabby said, Matt glancing to her. "And not only did she break your heart, she pretty much tore your entire life apart. That's not an easy thing to get over, there's no timetable on how to deal with something like that." Gabby paused for a moment, giving her words a second to resonate in his head. "You're allowed to still be hurt by it, and not want to have to see her. You don't need to feel ashamed of this still affecting you. Believe me, there's nothing wrong with still being upset over the person you loved betraying you." Gabby breathed out, Matt nodding as he thought over his next words.
He wasn't sure if he should ask the question on the tip of his tongue, Matt not wanting to upset her. He knew they didn't do this, they didn't talk about him. Aside from that one time at her brother's apartment a while back, Matt had never tried to talk to her about what he did to her. But he wanted to know.
"How do you handle it?" He asked before he could overthink it any longer, Gabby raising her eyebrows curiously. "How do you handle seeing Walker all the time, after what he did?"
Gabby bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes moving forward as she thought over his question, Matt waiting patiently. From the look on her face, he almost wished he'd never asked. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable, or bring up unpleasant memories, but she was the only person who had any idea of what he was going through with this, and he was curious to know how she dealt with it all.
"I guess… I guess I just accepted that he never really loved me." She spoke up after nearly a full minute of silence, a slight frown forming over his lips, Gabby intaking a deep breath. "There was other stuff going on with us, aside from the cheating, but I didn't know for sure he'd been cheating on me until after he ended things. But, I don't know, to do what he did to me, there's no way he ever loved me. At least he hadn't for a very long time. And I had to come to terms with that." She spoke, Matt's chest tightening as he listened to her words. "In some ways I think all of it made me stronger, because I won't let myself go through anything like that ever again. But, truthfully, I still feel weak when I'm around him." Matt's frown deepened as he heard her admission. "I don't like to be alone with him if I can help it, because I hate the person I am with him. But I'm trying to move on from everything, it's not easy though." She breathed out, Matt giving her leg a comforting squeeze. "So I guess to answer your question, I don't really handle it all that well. I think everyone thinks I'm dealing with it better than I actually am. I'm like you in how I don't want to see him, or talk to him, but I don't really have a choice."
Gabby took a second to breathe after she finished talking, a sense of light shock settling over her at the fact she had just shared all that with him. They didn't do this, at least not with her. If they ever talked about anything past surface level emotions, it was about him, not her. She wasn't sure why she admitted all that to him, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a little bit better.
"I guess that doesn't really help you much, does it?" She asked, trying to deflect away from focusing on everything she'd just said to him. Glancing up, she saw him staring at her with a look of sadness shining in her eyes, Gabby sighing softly. "Okay, you said I couldn't feel sorry for you, I don't want you feeling sorry for me."
"I don't feel sorry for you." He clarified, her eyes locked on his. "But I do admire you." Gabby's eyebrows furrowed, confusion covering her face.
"Admire me for what?"
"I can't imagine how I would handle it, having to see Hallie all the time, and having to work with her. The few times I've seen her in the past day was more than I ever wanted to see her again, yet you're able to deal with Walker three times a week." He spoke, Gabby biting on her bottom lip. "I know you think you didn't really have a choice, but you actually did. You could've left 51, you could've gone to another house and never had to deal with him again, but you didn't." He told her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath. "I don't know the extent of what all happened with you two, or what all you've gone through, but, at least from where I'm standing, you've dealt with it a lot better than you think you have. That's pretty admirable, if you ask me."
Gabby was stunned by his words, not expecting to hear them, let alone him say them with such conviction, the paramedic unsure of how to respond.
"And the same goes for you, you know." Matt spoke again after a few moments, Gabby catching his longing gaze. "If you need to talk, about him or anything, you can talk to me. I don't want you feeling like you can't." Matt said, flashing her a soft smile. "I know I've told you this before, but you can come to me even if it's about him. Yeah, I'm his boss, but you're my friend, Gabby. If I'm being honest, you might be my best friend." Her face softened at his words, Gabby not taking her eyes off of him. "The point is, I don't want you thinking that you can't talk to me, just because it's about Walker. I'm here for you, with whatever."
Gabby drew in a deep breath, her tongue poking out between her teeth, running over her bottom lip before she nodded, Matt grinning softly. "Okay… I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Casey."
Matt gave her a nod, grabbing his water and taking another sip before putting on the end table, glancing back towards her, Gabby noticing him shifting slightly. "And, uh, I'm sorry to ruin the moment, but could you help me to the bathroom?" He asked, Gabby nodding as she stood up, almost grateful for the shift in conversation.
"Come on." She spoke, Gabby leaning over to let him wrap his arm around her shoulders, Gabby putting her hand on his upper back, being mindful of his injured side as she carefully helped him up. Matt kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked to his guest bathroom, the two moving slowly.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, Matt blowing out a breath.
"Sore, but not too bad. Although I know I need to start taking my pills here soon." He responded.
"I can get them for you." She replied, Matt nodding as Gabby pushed the door open, Matt unhooking his arm from her body, slowly beginning to walk into the bathroom, Gabby watching as he limped slightly. "Is your leg alright?" She questioned, Matt nodding.
"It's fine, my shin hurts a bit but I think that was just from being trapped under part of a building." He responded, Gabby's eyes flickering down to the back of his leg before nodding.
"Alright, if you say so. I'm gonna get your pills, just yell when you're done." She told him, Matt nodding as she shut the door, leaving it slightly ajar against the frame before Gabby moved towards the kitchen, needing to get his medication.
Gabby blew out a sigh as she flipped through Matt's dresser, searching for a pair of pajama pants for him to wear, feeling Matt's eyes on her as he sat on the edge of the bed. It was only a little after nine, but Casey was exhausted and more than ready for bed, and Gabby knew he needed as much rest as possible.
He had gotten some sleep this afternoon, but he only slept for about an hour before he woke up with a pain in his side, Matt having to get up and move around to help alleviate the cramp. After that, he hadn't been able to fall back asleep, and the two spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening watching a movie. For dinner, Gabby had settled on making sandwiches, that really being her only option because Casey had next to nothing in terms of groceries, and she knew it would be easier on his stomach.
Pretty soon after they ate, she could tell Matt was beginning to fade, but he needed to stay up long enough to take another pain pill before going to bed, something he wasn't too excited about.
But overall, the day had gone well, and Matt had done a good job of asking for help when he needed it, and Gabby had gotten good at stepping back and letting him do as much as he could. It was a delicate balance they had silently agreed upon, Gabby knowing the mental aspect of Matt relinquishing control was harder than he led on, so she tried to let him do as much as he could. They had fallen into a good rhythm together, and she hoped the rest of his recovery would continue just as smoothly.
"Do you want a t-shirt or no?" She asked, turning around to see him shake his head, Gabby giving him a nod as she grabbed a pair of thin, flannel pants, before walking towards the bed. "Lift your arms." She she said, Matt scoffing before slowly lifting them above his head, grimacing at the movement.
"I feel like a five year old." He muttered, Gabby shaking her head as she carefully pulled the shirt from his body, tossing it onto the bed beside him. Glancing to him quickly, her eyes ran over his battered body, seeing multiple deep bruises and scratches covering his skin, along with the significant bandage across his side.
"Better that than your pulling your stitches. Now up." She ordered, Matt using her for support as he stood up, Gabby squatting down to change him out of his sweatpants, Matt sitting back down once the pants were past his waist.
"Just so you know, I plan on making this up to you once I'm back in fighting shape." He breathed out while Gabby helped him get into his pajamas, her eyebrows raising as she glanced up to him, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Yeah, and how are you gonna do that exactly?" She challenged, helping him up again, Matt adjusting his pajamas before meeting her eyes, Gabby suddenly realizing how close they were standing, their faces inches apart.
"Well, it'll be a little something like yesterday morning." He spoke softly, a smirk tugging on his lips as she felt heat rise to her cheeks. "But maybe a little more focused on you."
"I don't know…" She whispered, her mind going back to the image of him hiding underneath the sheets, the memory causing her stomach to flip. "I think you seemed pretty focused on me already."
Her words brought a grin to his face, Matt bringing his hand up to brush her hair behind her ear, his thumb stroking over her cheek. "Yeah, I suppose. But I think there's more I can do to show you just how much your help is… appreciated." He told her, Gabby's bottom lip tucking in between her teeth.
"I'm looking forward to it." She spoke softly, Matt leaning forward without warning, pressing his lips into hers. The action took her by surprise, it taking her brain a few seconds to catch up before she began reciprocating his movements, her hands coming up to rest against his neck, holding him to her.
Their movements were soft and gentle, Gabby not wanting to hurt him as they kissed, the two only pulling back when Matt began coughing, worry covering her features.
"You okay?" She asked, taking a deep breath as Matt nodded, clearing his throat.
"I am." He responded, coughing again before shaking his head, flashing her an assuring smile. "Guess we'll need to put a pause on everything, at least for a few days." He told her, Gabby grinning as she rubbed her thumb over his neck, leaning forward to place a quick, chaste kiss to his lips, feeling him grin against her. "Actually, you know what, a little cough is worth it." Matt muttered before he kissed her again, Gabby smiling against his lips before pulling away.
"Easy there, buddy." She spoke, her eyes tracing over his face, trying not to linger on the bruises and cuts marring his skin. "We're not gonna have you going into a coughing fit just because you can't seem to keep your lips to yourself."
"I don't recall you ever complaining about that before…" He spoke with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes, taking a step away from him.
"Right now, we just need to focus on you recovering. The fun stuff can wait." She told him, Matt nodding reluctantly as he watched her walk back towards his dresser before he slowly sat down onto the bed. His eyes followed her as she pulled out one of his t-shirts, Matt raising his eyebrows as she turned back to face him, shrugging softly. "You said I could make myself at home."
Matt chuckled, a grin forming across his lips as he nodded. "Yes, I did." Gabby placed the shirt on the top of his dresser before heading for the door, silently leaving his room, Matt waiting patiently for her return. When Gabby walked back into the room a few minutes later, he realized what she'd gone after, seeing her holding a new bandage for him. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot." He breathed out, Gabby shooting him a sympathetic smile before crouching down in front of him, Matt slowly angling his body to give her as much access as he could.
Pulling as gently as possible, Gabby rid him of the bandage, a grimace covering her face as she got her first look at the stitches across his skin, her head shaking back and forth. It was a deeper wound than she remembered, the jagged edges sewn back together, his skin red and angry around the gash. Although she couldn't be sure, it wouldn't surprise her if this injury left him with yet another scar on his body from the job.
"How ugly is it?" Matt asked, snapping Gabby from her thoughts as she looked up to him, seeing his eyes on her intently.
"Considering how you got it, it's not too bad." She told him honestly, giving him a warm smile before beginning the process of applying his new bandage, making sure to cover his wound completely. "Alright, I'm all done with you." She spoke, Matt nodding as he moved his arm down to his side.
"Thank you." He murmured, Gabby flashing him a grin before she moved back to the dresser.
"It was nothing." She assured him, grabbing ahold of his t-shirt she pulled out before turning around. "I'm gonna shower real quick, do you need anything else?" She asked, moving to her duffle bag she'd placed on the end of the bed, pulling out everything she'd need.
"I'm okay, I'll just be lying here, being jealous of your ability to bathe." He spoke, Gabby grinning in amusement.
"Tomorrow. Just one more day and we can get you all clean and not smelling like a hospital." She reminded him, Matt nodding as he slowly began maneuvering himself to lie down on his back. Although she let him do it by himself, she did make herself busy moving things around her bag, wanting to stay until he was settled, just in case.
Though they hadn't had any conflicts throughout the day, Gabby could tell Matt was having a hard time letting himself rely on her. From what he'd told her, she knew he had been taking care of himself for a long time, she could only imagine how hard it was to relinquish that mentality and allow someone to take care of him. Being vulnerable like that wasn't easy regardless, let alone with everything Hallie put him through. And on top of his own personal experiences, he was a firefighter; and if there was one thing Gabby knew about firefighters it was that they hated to give up their control. In less than the day that she'd been helping to take care of him, she had seen flashes of him fighting his instincts to just do everything on his own. This wasn't easy for him. But, to his credit, he'd asked her for help every time he needed it.
Once he was settled, Gabby grabbed the sheets from the edge of the bed, pulling them up until he could reach them, Matt bringing them to rest across his waist.
"I'll be back in a few minutes." She told him, turning off the lights before making her way to the bathroom, Gabby leaving the door ajar as she went to shower.
She was gone for about twenty minutes, Gabby hanging up her towel before she came out into the room, clad in his t-shirt and a pair of shorts, seeing him sound asleep in bed. She could hear his soft snores, Gabby knowing he'd probably been asleep most of the time she was gone, which she was thankful for. Above everything, he needed rest.
Flipping the light off in the bathroom, Gabby blindly made her way to her side of the bed. As soon as they got into the bedroom earlier, they quickly realized they'd have to switch which side they sleep on for at least the next week or so. If they didn't, Gabby would've been sleeping on his injured side, and she didn't want to do that, the paramedic not willing to risk her accidentally bumping into him and hurting him.
Sliding into bed as quietly as she could, Gabby kept some distance between them, turning to look at him as he slept, seeing his head leaned towards her and his arm resting on the mattress in between them. Biting down on her bottom lip, she carefully adjusted her body, leaning over him to place a soft kiss to the side of his head, pulling back just as quickly as she moved to him before snuggling down into his bed.
"Goodnight Gabby." He whispered, Gabby looking at him, not realizing he'd woken up. But his soft words brought a smile to her face.
"Goodnight Matt." She responded, reaching for his hand on the bed and clasping it in hers, Gabby feeling him squeeze her palm tightly as she closed her eyes, the two soon falling asleep.
Matt groaned as he slowly slipped into consciousness, immediately feeling the soreness lingering in his body as he woke up. He reached over beside him, confused to feel his hand hit the cold sheets, Matt opening his eyes only to shut them immediately as light hit his eyes. It took a few seconds of blinking for him to adjust to the brightness in the room, Matt looking to find Gabby's side of the bed empty, his hand coming up to rub over the side of his face.
"Good morning."
"Jesus Christ." Casey nearly jumped out of his skin, a low groan escaping his lips as his sore body moved suddenly. Matt turned his head towards the unexpected voice, his eyebrows furrowing as he saw the blonde standing at the foot of his bed, a smirk covering her face. "Shay?" He asked, not entirely sure he wasn't somehow still asleep right now.
"Hello lover boy." She responded, Matt rubbing his eyes before slowly sitting up, his body hating the movement. "Dawson put your pain pill and some water beside the bed, she told me to make sure you took it as soon as you woke up." She explained, Matt merely nodding, still not really understanding what was happening. But he took the medication, slowly stretching his back as he sat on the edge of the bed. "So, this is where most of the Dawson-lovin' takes place, it's nice." She spoke lightly, Matt sighing heavily as he shook his head. "Notice how I said most of, not all, considering you two are gross and love to get down and dirty in a bunch of different places."
"Shay, what are you doing here?" He asked, ignoring her comments all together as the paramedic walked around towards him.
"I'm here to babysit." She responded, Matt grimacing at her terminology.
"Where's Gabby?"
"Don't worry, your girlfriend will be back soon." Shay spoke, Matt huffing out a breath. "She decided to go to the store, because apparently you have nothing to eat in this place. She's been gone for over an hour, though, so she shouldn't be out much longer." She explained, Casey glancing to the clock, seeing it a few minutes after ten. "Also, can I just say, I appreciate the fact that you sleep in pants. When I first came in here, I wasn't so sure you weren't naked, and I wasn't really looking forward to dealing with all that. I mean, I know Dawson likes it, but it's not really my thing." She teased, Matt raising his eyebrows.
"I'm clothed. Don't worry." He replied, slowly beginning to push himself up off the bed.
"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down Casey." Shay spoke, grabbing ahold of him to help him up.
"Shay, I have to try to do things on my own." He bit out, the blonde narrowing her eyes as he reluctantly put his arm around her shoulders, letting her help him.
"Yeah, I get that. But the last thing I'm gonna do is allow you to get hurt on my watch. Gabby will kill me, I was given strict instructions to look after you. So maybe wait to test your limits until she gets back." She responded, Matt sighing before giving her a nod. "Now, where were you off to?"
"The bathroom."
"Oh God." She muttered, changing their direction, the two walking towards his bathroom. "The both of you are gonna owe me big time."
"You just help me get there. Then you leave." He clarified, hearing her release a relieved breath.
"Thank God." She responded, Matt shaking his head in amusement. "I mean, no offense, but I don't really want to see your dick. Sorry, Casey."
"No apologies necessary, Shay." He spoke with a chuckle, the two continuing their short walk to the bathroom, Shay making sure he was alright before leaving him alone, taking the opportunity to look around his room while he was preoccupied.
Once he finished, Shay helped the firefighter out into the living room, being mindful of his injuries as she got him situated on the couch. "So, do you need anything?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she took a few steps back, watching as Matt shook his head.
"No, I'm okay. Thanks though." He told her, Shay nodding as a pensive look covered her face, something Casey picked up on instantly. "What is it?"
"Uh, well it may be nothing." She replied, Matt's head tilting to the side in confusion. "But I feel like you should know that I talked to Hallie."
Matt's body tensed slightly, Shay blowing out a breath as she came and sat on the coffee table in front of him, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat.
"When?"
"While you were in the hospital. It was after Dawson and I came back from our call, you and Gabby were sleeping and I went to check on you. Hallie was standing outside your room, watching you guys." She explained, Matt's tongue poking out between his teeth, running over his bottom lip. "I really didn't want to get into a fight with her, but I couldn't help it. She started talking about you guys and I just, I don't know, went into protective mode." She spoke sheepishly, Matt catching her gaze.
"What was she saying?"
"She was trying to get me to tell her what was going on with you two, then she started trying to excuse what she did to you, which really pissed me off." She breathed out. "But I basically just told her to leave you alone, that you didn't need her guilt or whatever she was trying to do. That she had no business even being around you. I can tell you everything, if you want-"
"No, it's okay." He cut her off. "I don't care what she was saying, it doesn't matter. But thank you… For doing that. I didn't even know she came back, but thank you for getting her to leave."
"Of course. That's what friends are for." She replied, patting his knee gently. "I know you didn't want to see her, and clearly she ignored Gabby's attempts to get her to leave you alone, so I guess she just needed the right person to tell her to take her self-pity bullshit somewhere else." Shay spoke lightly, Matt shaking his head with a chuckle.
Neither blonde was able to say anything else before they heard the front door open, both glancing towards the entryway in time to see Gabby appear around the corner, grocery bags filling her arms.
"There she is." Shay spoke, pushing herself up from the coffee table, walking towards her friend. "Do you need any help?"
"Yeah, there's a few more bags in my car." She responded, Shay nodding before heading out the door.
"Hey there." Matt spoke from his seat on the couch, Gabby flashing him a smile as she headed for the kitchen.
"Good morning. Glad to see you finally woke up." She replied, disappearing into the kitchen before coming back a few seconds later. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did, yeah. Although I woke up with Shay standing at the end of my bed, that was a little weird." He spoke, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head.
"Well, I can't say for sure, but I'm hoping she wasn't standing there the entire time. I thought about waking you before I left, but you were passed out and I wanted to let you rest."
"I appreciate it, I needed the sleep. You didn't have to go to the store, though." He told her, Gabby scoffing as she moved towards the couch, standing in front of him.
"If you wanted to eat actual food, yes I did."
"Good Lord, Dawson, how much food did you get." Shay's groaning voice filtered into the room, Gabby turning to see her come around the corner, juggling the remaining grocery bags.
"You didn't have to get it all in one trip, I was gonna come help." Gabby responded, walking towards her friend.
"Yeah, well, I figured you'd be too preoccupied making sure I didn't hurt your boyfriend." She spoke with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes before taking the bags and heading for the kitchen, ignoring Casey's longing gaze on her.
"She's so easy to mess with, sometimes it's not even fun." Shay spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows as Shay shot him a proud grin before heading into the kitchen, finding Dawson putting away the food she bought.
"You've gotta stop calling him my boyfriend, Shay." She spoke quietly, the blonde cocking her head to the side.
"You're not actually mad at me, are you?"
"No, but you forget that Casey hasn't known you as long as I have, and sometimes it's hard to tell when you're joking." Gabby replied, putting away the last of the cold items before shutting the fridge, turning towards the blonde.
"Well, maybe it's not a joke." She countered, Gabby's eyes narrowing. "I wasn't kidding when I told you that you two act like a couple without the label. He's practically your boyfriend."
"Shay, stop." Gabby snapped, Shay's eyes widening slightly as she watched Gabby release a heavy breath, surprised by the harsh tone in her friend's voice. A thick silence fell over the best friends, Shay crossing her arms over her chest as she kept her eyes on Dawson, Gabby pressing her fingers together, pinching the bridge of her nose before looking back to her partner. "I'm sorry." She spoke, Shay shaking her head.
"It's okay, I didn't mean to upset you, I was just messing around." Shay said carefully, Gabby nodding.
"I know, I'm sorry. It's just been a long few days." Gabby replied, her eyes darting away before she turned around, going back to putting up the rest of the food. She could feel Shay's eyes on her as she moved through the small room, but the blonde said nothing until Gabby had finished, waiting until Dawson was looking at her to speak up.
"Are you doing okay, Gabby?" She asked, a look of concern playing across her face.
"I'm fine, I'm just tired." She responded quickly, Shay's eyes narrowing. "Has he eaten yet?" Gabby changed the subject, Shay taking a deep breath before shaking her head.
"No, he hasn't been up very long though. He's taken his pill, but that's about it."
"Alright, I'm gonna go see if he's hungry. Thanks for coming to look after him." Dawson spoke, sliding past her friend, heading towards the living room.
"It's no problem." Shay replied just as Gabby was out of sight, the blonde following after her, seeing Casey waiting for them where they'd left him, Shay unsure if he'd heard any of their conversation or not.
"Are you hungry at all?" Gabby asked as she walked towards him, Matt shrugging.
"A little, I guess, yeah."
"Alright, I'll go get started on something. You wanna stay for breakfast, Shay?"
"Oh no that's okay, I've got some things I gotta do today." She replied, Gabby nodding slowly before heading back for the kitchen. Shay's eyes fell on Casey, seeing the man staring towards the direction Gabby went, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Is she okay?" Matt asked, glancing towards the paramedic.
"I think she's just tired." Shay responded, Matt giving her a nod as the blonde walked towards him. "Well, I'm gonna get out of here. I'm glad you're doing alright, Casey." She spoke, leaning down to give him a gentle hug. "Call me or Sev if you two need anything."
"I will, thanks for being here, even though I had no idea you were coming."
"Anytime." She replied, flashing him a smile before heading to the front door, Matt hearing her leave.
He sat on the couch for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of Gabby banging around in the kitchen. He wasn't sure what she was trying to make for breakfast, but he just hoped it wasn't anything too complicated. Although based on how many bowls he'd heard against the countertop, he figured she was doing more than necessary.
Releasing a heavy sigh, Matt carefully shifted himself towards the edge of the couch, grimacing as he got into the position to stand up. He moved slowly, part of him feeling like his body was going to give out as he stood up. The movement was uncomfortable, his muscles screaming at him as he moved, but he felt a sense of accomplishment as he stood there, Matt knowing that even just last night, this was something he probably wouldn't have been able to do on his own.
Moving his foot forward, Casey began the slow walk towards the kitchen, feeling more and more confident with each step. His body was hurting a little, he was still sore and in some discomfort, but it wasn't anything unbearable. It wasn't anything that would stop him from getting to the kitchen.
In took him a few minutes, but he finally entered through the doorway, seeing Gabby standing at the counter, her back to him as her attention was focused on whatever she was preparing. He took a few more steps forward, making it to the table as he gripped the back of the chair.
"Hi."
His soft voice caused her to tense up, Gabby turning around quickly, clearly not expecting him to be there.
"God, you scared me." She breathed out, her shock soon morphing into concern, Gabby's eyes narrowing. "Please tell me you didn't walk all the way in here by yourself."
"I sure did." He spoke proudly, Gabby shaking her head as she moved towards him, nodding towards the seat.
"Sit down, before you hurt yourself." She ordered, Matt nodding before slowly pulling out the chair, placing his body into it.
"I'm basically fully mobile." He told her, Gabby shaking her head with a grin.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't push your luck." She replied, giving him a once over to make sure his little stunt hadn't caused him any harm.
"I don't know, I might not need you around here much longer." He spoke teasingly, Gabby's smile faltering slightly before she quickly recovered, but he caught it. "Are you okay?"
"I'm good, just glad to see you're feeling better." She responded, flashing him a smile before heading back to the counter. "I'm making some pancakes and bacon, I hope that's alright."
"That's more than alright, but you don't have to go through the trouble of all that. Anything would've been fine."
"I don't mind, it's easy. I also got some stuff to make this chicken and potato soup for dinner. It might sound a bit weird, but trust me, it's delicious." She told him as she went back to working on breakfast, Matt smiling softly as he watched her.
"It sounds great." He replied.
The two spent the next hour together in the kitchen, enjoying the breakfast Gabby made for them before she helped him back into the living room, both of them looking forward to their quiet day at Matt's apartment.
Gabby stuck her hand under the running water, checking to make sure the temperature was acceptable before turning around, seeing Matt leaned up against the counter.
"You ready?" She questioned, Matt nodding eagerly.
"Yes, I feel disgusting." He responded, Gabby chuckling softly.
It was a little after eight in the evening when they decided to go ahead and give Matt a shower, Gabby knowing he'd been more than ready to bathe since yesterday. She had originally planned on doing it this afternoon, but when Matt passed out around one, and didn't wake up until it was time for dinner, her plans had to be altered.
The two had enjoyed their dinner, sitting quietly together as they occasionally chatted about one thing or another, their conversation light and easy. After finishing the soup, Matt insisted on walking to the bedroom himself while Gabby cleaned up, the paramedic listening intently as he walked down the hallway, needing to make sure he got there safely. When she had met up with him in the bedroom, he was perched on the bed waiting for her, the man desperate for his shower.
"So, how much of this are you gonna let me do myself?" He asked with a raised brow, pulling her from her thoughts.
"You know, in any other circumstances I don't think you'd be complaining about me showering with you." She spoke teasingly, her words earning a smirk from him.
Throughout the day, there hadn't been as much teasing between them as normal, and he wasn't sure why. Gabby had been a little off all day, and it worried him. He noticed her change in behavior right before Shay had left, and he wasn't sure what caused it, but Matt was glad she was back to her old self, at least for right now. He could tell something had been bothering her, but, whatever it was, she didn't seem to want to talk about it. He just hoped their playful banter would help keep her in better spirits.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not complaining. But it's much more enjoyable when you choose to help me shower, as opposed to you having to."
"Who says this can't be just as fun?" She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper as she stepped closer to him, stopping right in front of him. She leaned her body gently against his, resting her palms on the counter on either side of his waist, her hands in between his hips and his arms. Her hips were pressed into his, his thin pajama pants not doing much of anything to hide the effect she had on him, Gabby smirking softly before she leaned forward, pressing a kiss against his neck. Matt gulped, willing himself to calm down as she delicately kissed his skin, a nearly inaudible groan escaping his lips as he felt her teeth graze his skin before she pulled back. "Well, you know, except for the doctor." She joked, chuckling softly before stepping away from him, moving back towards the shower, leaving him wide-eyed against the counter.
"God, you're such a tease." He breathed out frustratedly, hearing her laugh as she shook her head.
"You know we can't even do anything right now anyway, Casey." She spoke, Matt shaking his head despite her not being able to see him.
"I don't know, I think that might've just been a suggestion." He tried, Gabby glancing back to him, her nose scrunched up in amusement.
"Yeah, I don't think so." She replied, walking towards him. "Now, do you want to take your pants off or am I supposed to?"
"I wouldn't object to you doing it." He joked, Gabby rolling her eyes before leading him towards the shower, the two beginning to disrobe. It took Matt longer to remove just his pair of pants than it did Gabby to strip out of her entire outfit, but she wanted to let him do it himself unless he asked for help.
Once they were both bare, Gabby had him lift his arm, giving her room to remove his bandage, slowly peeling it from his body, giving her a look at his stitches. His healing had already started, Gabby seeing the slow progress of his injury. His skin was still red, but luckily there were no signs of infection or anything that would halt the healing process.
"Alright, when we get in there, I need you to stay away from the stream of water, we've gotta be careful with your side." She told him, Matt giving her a nod.
"But I will actually get to shower, right?"
"Yes, Casey." She responded with an annoyed grin, before the two got into his shower. Gabby stepped in first, placing herself directly under the water, giving him plenty of room to maneuver his sore body, Matt holding onto her forearms until he got settled.
It didn't take long for them to begin the process, Gabby letting him do what he could, reminding him to not touch his wound. She could see on his face almost instantly how much the shower was making him feel better.
They had only been in there for a few minutes when Gabby started cleaning his cut, not wanting to have him up on his feet for too long, Dawson able to sense his eyes on her while she worked.
"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" He broke their comfortable silence, Gabby's gaze flickering up to meet his before returning to the task at hand. "Do you trust me enough to go to shift?"
"I haven't entirely decided yet." She responded, Matt rolling his eyes playfully. "But no, originally I wasn't sure if I was gonna go or not, but you've made a lot of progress today. You're able to get around a lot better." She spoke, catching a glimpse of his proud smile. "So as long as you think you're okay, I'm probably gonna go in."
"I'm alright, Gabby." He assured her, grimacing as she cleaned his wound. "I mean, I know there's a lot I can't do and I'm still pretty sore. I'm not going to be running any marathons anytime soon, but I promise I'll be careful."
"Yeah, you better." She muttered.
"And plus, I don't want you missing work for me."
"I don't care about that-"
"But I do." He cut her off, Gabby looking up at him. "You've done plenty for me already, I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself tomorrow, especially seeing as how I'm gonna be sleeping most of the day. And plus, the doctor said it was really only the first day or so that I needed constant help. I mean, I don't think I can be completely left on my own yet, but I'm fine for you to go to shift."
"Okay, then I'll go." She replied, Matt grinning. "But, expect constant calls from me so I know you're alright. Which means you need to answer me, or I'm gonna be very upset with you."
"Like I'd ignore your calls." He responded, Gabby shaking her head with a soft smile.
"And, whenever we have time, Shay and I are gonna stop by. I'll have to come and change your dressing at some point anyway, but don't be surprised if we're here more than once."
"Yes ma'am." He spoke, knowing it was pointless to argue with her. "But, you do realize you worry too much, right?"
"Well, you've given me plenty of reason to." She spoke softly, turning her attention back to cleaning his side, a slight frown pulling at his lips. "But, I need you to promise me you'll take it easy. There's plenty of things here for you to eat, and drink, and there's even some leftovers in there. But I need you to make sure you'll be careful. Don't do anything stupid like try and shower, or clean, or something like that."
"I won't, Gabby." He replied instantly, sensing her nerves.
"Thank you." She nearly whispered, looking back up at him. "All done." She spoke, her breath getting caught in her throat as she realized how close they were. Their faces were inches apart, Matt's eyes locking with hers almost instantly, Gabby feeling her heart begin to pound in her chest. His gaze flickered to her lips before meeting her eyes again, a soft grin forming over his face, her blood pumping through her ears as her stomach began to flutter under his stares. Her body immediately felt like it was burning up, but she wasn't able to look away.
Without a word, he leaned forward, pressing a soft, delicate kiss to her lips, Gabby relaxing into him instantly as she reciprocated the movement. Every move they made was slow, and deliberate, the two relishing in the gentle feeling of one another as Matt carefully brought his hands up to her waist, gripping her skin lightly.
There was a definite shift in the air around them, Gabby could feel it and it almost felt suffocating. Part of her wanted to pick up and run far away from everything going on inside this shower. But the much bigger part of her wanted to stay exactly where she was, Dawson focusing on the feeling of his soft lips moving against hers, their slow pace remaining steady.
This wasn't what they did. No matter how they started, their movements would always end up rough and wanting. She knew he physically wasn't able to put his all into it, but that wasn't what was making her feel this way. There was something different about this. It was something completely new, this was Matt conveying something to her, this was their dynamic shifting. It felt like everything between them was changing.
And she didn't know what to do, except to keep kissing him.
So she did.
Gabby stared blankly at the full coffee cup sitting in front of her in the common room, her mind elsewhere as she was surrounded by firefighters, the paramedic vaguely hearing all of their voices but she was barely registering what they were saying.
Shift had just started, everyone congregated in the common room, some still carrying their shift bags, not having yet gone to put their things away. But Gabby wasn't focused on anything they were saying. Not until she heard Matt's name.
"So, does anyone know how Casey's doing?" Cruz asked, Gabby snapping from her thoughts almost violently, missing the confused look Shay gave her.
"I talked to him a few times, he seemed to be doing alright. Said he had some family helping him out, I'm guessing it's his sister." Severide answered, Gabby swallowing thickly, turning to see Shay staring at her closely. "But I texted him this morning, he said he was feeling a lot better. He's not sure when he'll be back, though. So you might be filling in for awhile, Herrmann." Severide spoke, the older firefighter shaking his head.
"It's such a shame he got hurt, but at least he's feeling alright." Herrmann replied, clearing his throat. "Anyone gone to see him?"
Shay nudged Dawson's arm, the PIC raising her eyebrows, seeing Shay's gaze flicker to the group expectantly, clearly wanting her to say something. But Gabby shook her head, Shay releasing a sigh before looking at Herrmann.
"He's doing alright." Shay spoke, all the heads in the room turning towards her, Gabby's eyes widening.
"You've seen him, Shay?"
"Yeah, I went to visit him yesterday morning, he looked alright. He's still struggling to get around, but he has a lot of help." She told them room, her knowing gaze flashing to Gabby.
"Well, that's good to hear. Is he handling all of it okay? I know stuff like this can really affect a person."
"He's alright, as far as I can tell. Though I think once he gets a little more mobile, he'll start feeling better." She told the group, earning nods from a few of the firefighters.
Gabby started tuning them out again once the topic changed, her thoughts unable to stop from going back to Matt. She couldn't stop thinking about him; about how he looked at her, about how he kissed her, about how he made her feel. It was like her mind was completely consumed by him, and she didn't know why, or how to stop it. But it was overwhelming.
Blinking tightly, she slowly pushed herself up from her chair, silently leaving the room and heading for the garage, needing space to try and get ahold of her thoughts.
She didn't know why she was suddenly so focused on Casey. Why she couldn't seem to go a minute without thinking about him. It was like it came out of nowhere.
But, deep down, she knew that wasn't the case. If she was being honest with herself, she knew she had been feeling this way for awhile. She just didn't want to admit it, to him or to anyone.
"Dawson."
Gabby stopped her pacing, not even realizing she had gotten all the way to the ambulance as she turned around, seeing Shay following her, the blonde approaching her cautiously.
"You alright?" She asked apprehensively, Gabby's pacing continuing as Shay watched on, concern flooding her body.
"I… I just-" Her words turned into an incoherent mess, Shay's worry only growing as Gabby paced quickly back and forth, her arms crossed over her chest.
"What's going on, Gabby?" Shay asked after she had gone quiet once more, Dawson stopping as she looked towards her friend. Shay could see that whatever this was had rattled her, and she was obviously confused. "You were acting all weird at Casey's place yesterday, and you're acting even stranger now. What is it?"
Gabby sucked in a deep breath, her eyes cast down to the ground as she swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to figure out how to voice what was going on in her mind. Slowly, she lifted her head, finding Shay's expectant gaze waiting for her, Gabby blinking furiously before opening her mouth.
"I think I have feelings for Matt."
Well, it looks like things just got a lot more interesting. I know a lot of you were interested to see who would admit to their feelings first, are any of you surprised it was Gabby? We'll have to wait and see what happens now that she's come to terms with how she feels, if she's even come to terms with how she feels. Knowing Dawson, I'm sure you all can imagine it won't all be smooth sailing. Although all of you had clearly picked up on there being more to Dawsey's relationship, Gabby had been in some pretty deep denial for a while. So, yeah, she's definitely a little rattled.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I really liked writing it. I always enjoyed Shay and Casey's friendship on the show, I wish we saw more of it, so it's been really fun for me to get to write that in this story.
I'm so eager to hear your thoughts on everything, thank you all so much for reading! Your constant support means everything to me.