Hello hello everyone. Here's the next chapter for you guys, I hope you all enjoy it!
There is a small little M-rated section to this chapter, just so you know. Happy reading!
TWENTY EIGHT
Herrmann watched on curiously as Antonio slipped out of the firehouse, offering nothing more than a quick goodbye before he was out the door. Glancing around, no one else seemed intrigued by the detective's behavior, let alone his appearance in the firehouse, wanting to speak to his sister alone. No one else seemed curious as to what was going on, or if they were, they weren't acting like it.
The older firefighter waited a few moments, wanting to see if Dawson, and now Casey, would appear any time soon. But when neither of them had, he turned his attention back to the room.
"So, are we just gonna ignore the elephant in the room?" Herrmann spoke loudly, everyone stopping their individual conversations to look at him. He was getting a few curious stares, but he knew everyone was aware of what he was referring to. When he got no answer, he looked right at Severide and Shay, the two sitting next to one another at the long table. "What did Walker do to Dawson?"
Herrmann saw Shay tense momentarily, while Kelly's face remained blank.
"Cut it out." Severide spoke firmly, glancing back down to his phone, the older man shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, but clearly he did something." Herrmann pressed, watching as Kelly sighed heavily. "Between the way Gabby's been acting, and her having all these talks with Boden, and now Casey.. Then Antonio showing up here today needing to talk to her... what did he do?" He asked again, seeing the paramedic and squad Lieutenant glance towards one another. "I'm guessing you know too, Shay."
"It's none of your business, Herrmann." The paramedic spoke up, Herrmann blowing out a sigh.
"But he did do something." He responded, reading between the lines of her sentence, Shay running her hand over her mouth. "Look, if he did something, I just wanna know Dawson's okay. She's been through enough because of him lately."
"...What are we talking about?" Jenkins asked cautiously, most of the people in the room glancing towards her. No one said anything at first, unsure of how much to reveal to this woman who wouldn't be around very long, but Herrmann eventually spoke up.
"Bryan Walker, the guy you're covering for, he was suspended and I wanna know why."
"He did something to the other paramedic? Dawson?" She questioned, trying to understand, Herrmann shrugging before looking back towards Shay.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out."
"It doesn't matter, Herrmann." Severide replied frustratedly, shaking his head. "You heard Boden, you all don't need to know what happened. It's been handled, it's taken care of, you don't need to know any more than that. Now drop it." He spoke roughly, Herrmann releasing a deep breath before giving in, knowing he was pushing Severide to his limit.
"Fine." He responded reluctantly, Severide giving him a sharp nod before looking away from the man, Herrmann going back to watching TV.
A thick silence had covered the room, everyone unsure of what to say, so they said nothing at all, the firehouse sitting their uncomfortably as they gradually went back to their previous conversations.
Taking a deep breath, Shay cleared her throat, turning towards the newest addition to the firehouse. "So, uh, Jenkins, do you want me to show you around?" The blonde paramedic offered, seeing a bright smile form over the woman's face, Allison nodding.
"I would love that, yeah."
Shay responded with a soft smile of her own, pushing herself up from her chair. As she walked around Kelly, she ran her hand along his shoulder, giving him a gentle pat before his soft voice stopped her.
"I'm not sure where Dawson is, but…"
"I'll make sure she's good." Shay answered his silent thought, Kelly giving her a slow nod, squeezing the hand she had on his shoulder before Shay led Jenkins out of the room, beginning to walk down the hall.
"So, you and Lieutenant Severide are cute." Jenkins spoke up first, the paramedic glancing towards her with an amused grin. "How long have you been together?"
Shaking her head, Shay lead her around the corner. "No, uh, Kelly and I aren't dating." She clarified. "He's my best friend, well aside from Dawson, and Casey on his good days, but no, him and I aren't together. I'm gay, so he doesn't really do it for me." Shay explained, Jenkins' cheeks turning read.
"Oh, I'm so sorry I just assumed." She replied softly.
"Nothing to apologize for, it happens a lot. Kelly's like my brother, I love him, and we live together, but yeah, we're not dating." Shay spoke as they walked into the bunk room, the paramedic slowing her steps when she saw Casey and Dawson in his office, Jenkins soon seeing the same thing she was.
"Uh… I don't want to make the same mistake again, but are the Lieutenant and Dawson together?" She asked with wide eyes, seeing the two in the midst of a tight embrace in his office, neither having noticed their presence from across the room.
"No, they're not." Shay responded quickly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She saw the look of doubt that flashed in Jenkins' eyes, the paramedic continuing. "I know you heard Herrmann questioning Severide and I out there… Dawson, she's- she's been going through a lot lately, a lot of personal things." Shay spoke vaguely, seeing a soft frown from over Jenkins' face. "And her and Casey are just really good friends, kind of like Severide and I." Shay inwardly grimaced at the comparison, but she needed Jenkins to believe her.
"I'm sorry to hear that… About Dawson, I mean." She replied. "I don't mean to pry, but I'm guessing it's about that Walker guy everyone's been talking about?" She asked, see Shay wince slightly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"No, it's fine, it's just… It's a lot." Shay spoke, Jenkins nodding in understanding, not wanting to press any further. "We should probably…" Shay nodded towards the entrance that lead to the locker room, not wanting to intrude on Dawson and Casey's moment more than they already had, Jenkins nodding as they began to quickly move through the bunk room.
As they passed the office, Matt caught a glimpse of them through the glass, Shay flashing him a small smile. Casey nodded slowly when he saw the look of concern in the paramedic's eyes, silently reassuring her that he had Dawson taken care of, Shay giving him a nod before her and Jenkins disappeared around the corner.
"Obviously, that was the bunk room. And this is the locker room, we have a few empty lockers you can choose from to use while you're here." Shay spoke, Jenkins nodding in response as Shay pointed out a few of the empty ones, Allison picking the first one she saw.
"So.. it seems like a really close group here." Jenkins spoke as she put her things away, Shay giving her a nod. Allison had seen the exchange between Shay and Casey as they were leaving the bunk room, Jenkins able to feel the concern not only from Shay, but from Casey; concern for the paramedic he was holding onto. She wasn't even sure he noticed her presence when they walked past, the man only silently assuring Shay before focusing back on the woman he was comforting.
"Yeah, we are… We all look out for each other, it's a great group." Shay responded, Jenkins nodding as she shut her locker.
"Ready to see the rest of the house?" Shay asked, Allison nodding as they headed for the bathroom, Shay showing her the location of the showers before they went back towards the hallway.
"So, how long has Lieutenant Casey been here?" Jenkins asked, Shay shoving her hands in her pockets as they continued out towards the garage.
"Around four months." Shay answered, seeing a slightly surprised look covering Allison's face.
"Wow.. so I guess he's found a place here." She responded, Shay's eyes narrowing slightly, confused by her statement. "When I worked with him, he was more of a floater. Just a little surprised he settled down, I guess." She added, Shay nodding skeptically.
"Yeah, well, this is his home." The paramedic replied. "I know he had some trouble in the past about finding a place that would stick, but he's here for the long haul. This is his house, that's his truck… 51's his home."
"Good, I'm happy for him." Jenkins said, looking at the rig, Shay keeping her eyes on the new firefighter.
"I'm not really equipped to show you around the rig, we can get one of the guys to do that, or Casey when he's free." Shay spoke, Allison walking closer towards the rig.
"The Lieutenant seemed a little busy, I can ask… Herrmann? I think." She spoke unsurely, Shay nodding to tell her she'd gotten the name right. "I don't want to bother Casey when he has his hands full."
Shay's eyebrows furrowed slightly, the paramedic crossing her arms over her chest while Allison had her back to her. "So, uh… how well do you and Casey know each other?"
Jenkins shrugged as she turned back towards Shay, surprised to see the woman watching her so intently. "Um, not that well, really. We didn't work together very long." She replied vaguely, wearing the same smile she'd had since she arrived, Shay picking up the nervous tone to her voice. "He's a great Lieutenant, though. I'm excited to work with him again… even if it is just for a few shifts."
Shay gave a nod, opening her mouth to respond until she saw Jenkins straighten her spine, the girl automatically becoming tense and nervous, the paramedic unsure of what had caused her sudden change in behavior.
"Hey Shay."
She understood Allison's reaction the second she heard Matt's voice, the blonde paramedic turning to see Casey walking towards them.
"Jenkins, sorry I haven't been able to give you the proper tour, I was taking care of something, but I take it Shay showed you around?" Casey asked as he came to a stop beside the paramedic, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, she did Lieutenant." She responded, Matt nodding as he squeezed Shay's shoulder, the blonde placing her hand on top of his, watching how Jenkins' eyes flickered towards their contact before she looked back to her boss. "But I haven't been shown around the rig yet."
"Ah, well I can definitely do that." He responded with a soft smile, dropping his hand from Shay's shoulder as he began walking towards her.
"Wait, Casey-" Shay's voice stopped him, Matt turning back around to face her. "Can we talk for a second?" She asked, the firefighter nodding before facing Jenkins, finding her watching them closely.
"Can you give us a minute? I'll be over in a second." Casey told her, Allison nodding before walking towards the other side of the rig, Shay waiting until she was out of sight until refocusing on her friend.
"Is Gabby alright?" She asked softly, Matt giving her a slow nod.
"She is, she's okay." He responded just as quietly, Shay releasing a soft sigh.
"Good, good. She seemed alright while you guys were gone, but then I wasn't sure what Antonio was here for…"
"I think he was just talking to her about Walker, but she's okay. She's still in my office right now, I told her to stay there as long as she needed, but as far as I can tell she's fine." Matt spoke, Shay nodding softly. "I'm gonna talk to her more about it, just not here, you know." He added, lowering his voice even more, Shay giving him an understanding look.
"Yeah, no that's a good choice." She responded, catching a glimpse of Jenkins peeking out from behind the rig, clearly watching them. "Uh, you're little shadow is waiting for you, so I'm gonna let you go." Shay spoke, Matt furrowing his eyebrows in confusion before following the paramedic's gaze, finding Jenkins watching them. When her stares had been caught, she immediately tried to make herself look busy, Matt blowing out a sigh before taking a step away from Shay.
"Yeah, I'm gonna go finish this, if you could check in on Gabby again when you get the chance?"
"Where do you think I'm going, Casey?" She asked, Matt scoffing lightly as he took a few more steps away, putting his hands up in defense.
"Right, of course, that was a dumb question." He replied, earning a chuckle from his friend. "Well, thank you Shay." He replied, the paramedic giving him a salute before heading towards the firehouse, leaving Casey to finish showing around the new firefighter.
Expertly moving through the hallways, Shay made her way to Casey's office in no time, seeing Gabby the second she walked into the bunk room. Her friend was sitting on Casey's bed, Shay noticing her staring straight ahead as she got closer, the PIC clenching her hands in her lap as she sat at the head of the bunk.
"Hey there." Shay spoke softly as she came into the doorway, Gabby glancing over to her, flashing her friend a soft smile.
"Hi Shay."
"Casey wanted me to come check in on you, see if you were still good." Shay told her, Gabby leaning into the wall.
"I'm fine, I promise... And he knows that." She replied lightly, Shay shrugging as she stepped further inside.
"Yes, well, lover boy is worried about you." Shay responded, Gabby rolling her eyes, unable to stop the slight smile tugging on her lips, knowing her friend's words held a lot of truth. "We all are."
"I know, but you don't need to be. Trust me, I'm alright… I don't know how many more times I can say it, but I'm fine." Dawson breathed out, Shay giving her a nod as she leaned her body against the wall, her fingers tapping the concrete.
"You can't blame everyone for being concerned." Shay countered, Gabby blowing out a sharp breath. "I mean, even though they don't know what happened, they know something did. That Walker did something to you that got him suspended… They're gonna be worried."
"I know, and I don't blame them." She responded, pushing herself up from Matt's bunk. "Walker, I blame. But them? No… Though I guess me hiding out hasn't really helped convince everyone I'm fine."
Shay shrugged, Gabby coming to a stop in front of her friend as they stood in Casey's office. "If that's what you need, then do it. Don't worry about what everyone else is thinking, just do what you need to do… for yourself." She responded softly, rubbing Gabby's arm, a devilish smile forming over Shay's face after Gabby gave her a nod. "Although I'm not sure it's so much you getting some alone time as it is you getting some alone time with Casey." She teased, Gabby ducking her head slightly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Shay…" Dawson started, but the blonde held her hands up in defense.
"All I'm gonna say is I'm glad you two have each other." She continued, Gabby tilting her head to the side, Shay taking a deep breath before elaborating. "I know things with you two are… undefined." She prefaced, Dawson pursing her lips together, "but you guys are so good for each other... You care about each other, he cares about you. No matter what's going on with you two, there's no denying how much you mean to him."
Gabby's bottom lip fell between her teeth, Shay giving her a soft smile.
"And you deserve that. You both do." She added, Gabby's eyes falling to the ground. "You've both been through hell lately, you've both been betrayed by people you thought you could trust… You two deserve something good. You deserve each other."
Gabby hesitantly looked back up towards her friend, seeing Shay watching her closely, Dawson drawing in a deep breath. "I feel like you've given me this speech before." She replied, Shay smirking widely.
"Well, I guess I'm just hoping one of these days it'll stick." Shay responded quickly, Gabby shaking her head as she began walking out the office, the blonde following close behind. "Speaking of your boyfriend, I wonder if he's still showing the puppy around."
"Puppy?"
"Jenkins." Shay clarified, Gabby shaking her head as they walked out of the bunkroom.
"Shay, I thought I told you to be nice." Dawson scolded, the blonde rolling her eyes. "Casey said she's good, and she seems sweet."
"I'm plenty nice." Shay defended as they moved down the hallway, Shay following Dawson's lead. "I just think it's funny."
"What's funny?" Gabby questioned as they walked out into the garage, seeing Casey and Jenkins standing by the rig, the woman laughing at something he was saying.
"How she has a huge crush on the Lieutenant." She responded softly, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as she lightly hit Shay's side. "You should go over there, mark your territory so she backs off a bit."
"I'm not gonna mark anything." Dawson replied with a chuckle, beginning the walk towards the ambulance, Shay moving in step with her.
"Why? You've done it before... Everyone's seen those marks on his neck from time to time, although not everyone knows you're the one who gave them to him." She teased, Gabby elbowing her ribs as they walked past Casey and Jenkins, Matt eyeing her curiously as an amused expression covered his face. Gabby responded with a bright smile of her own, Casey giving her a wink before turning back towards Jenkins, the two continuing their conversation as Dawson and Shay walked towards the ambulance. "What are we doing out here, anyway?" Shay questioned as Gabby moved towards the rig.
"Inventory." She replied without missing a beat, the blonde groaning as Gabby climbed into the back of the rig, Shay reluctantly following. "But, in all seriousness, whether she has a crush on him or not, it doesn't matter."
"It doesn't?" She asked, but it wasn't so much a question, Dawson seeing the unimpressed look covering her friend's face.
"It doesn't." Dawson responded with a shrug, Shay narrowing her eyes.
"So if they slept together, you wouldn't care." She questioned, Gabby cocking her head to the side.
"How is that in any way the same thing?" Dawson asked exasperatedly, the blonde paramedic shaking her head.
"No, not them sleeping together now. If he had slept with her back when they worked together." She clarified, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "All I know is she worked with him post-Hallie, which, as I've heard a little from you, was kind of his bar-slut phase…" Gabby chuckling at the terminology.
"Are you calling me a slut, Shay?"
"Yes." She responded without hesitation, Gabby rolling her eyes as the blonde continued. "But anyway, she got all weird when I was asking her about Casey. Like something had happened there. So I'll ask you again, does that bother you?"
"Why would it?" She asked, ignoring the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I didn't even know him, in fact I was engaged when it would've happened, why would I care?" She questioned rhetorically, Shay giving her a shrug.
Dawson meant what she said, she didn't care if Matt had slept with her in the past. That didn't bother her. But what left her feeling a bit unsettled was what that would mean now. If Shay was right, and this woman had feelings for him, Gabby didn't care so much about that. But if they had slept together, that changed things. It meant Matt had, at some point, felt something for her, too. Even if it was purely lust, it was still something, and she couldn't help but feel a little weird about it.
"If you say so." Shay spoke up, pulling Gabby from her thoughts as they began doing inventory. "Although I bet if you acted like it bothered you, you'd get some good between-the-sheets action out of it." She said with a raised eyebrow, Gabby shaking her head.
"Shay…"
"What? He'd definitely show you that you had no reason to worry if you played it up a little bit. Although, knowing you two, you don't need sheets to get all down and dirty."
"Oh my God." Gabby breathed out, rubbing her hand over the side of her face.
"What? Don't get all shy on me now, I remember finding the aftermath of you and Casey doing the deed in here, don't think I forgot about that."
"Forgot about what?"
The blonde turned around to see Casey standing outside the back of the ambulance, his hands shoved into his pockets as he watched them both with a raised eyebrow. Peeking her head out slightly, Shay looked around, trying to see if Matt was alone.
"Where's the puppy?"
"Puppy?" Casey's voice mimicked the same confusion Gabby had earlier when she had asked the same question.
"Jenkins." Gabby spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows as he looked back to Shay.
"She went inside, what were you guys talking about?"
"Oh nothing, just the time you banged Dawson so hard in here that it looked like a tornado came through." She replied with a smug grin, Casey's eyes widening at Shay's bluntness, still not quite used to it even after all these months.
"Jesus Christ." He muttered, Gabby biting back a laugh, knowing that no matter how crass her friend's words might've been, she wasn't wrong.
"You both are so easy to mess with, it's not even fun." Shay breathed out, climbing down from the rig.
"Where are you going? We have to finish this." Gabby called out, Shay shaking her head as she began to walk past Casey.
"I'm hungry, and the good, ole Lieutenant can help you until I get back." She replied with a wave, the paramedic soon disappearing from view.
"Yeah, she's not coming back." Gabby muttered, picking back up where she'd left off as Casey climbed into the back of the ambulance, sitting down next to her on the stretcher, Gabby raising her eyebrows as he sat closer than he needed to. "Hi." She spoke softly, Matt flashing her a wide smile.
"Hello." He replied, leaning his shoulder into hers.
"Can I help you?" She asked, Matt's eyes flickering to her lips before he quickly leaned forward, kissing her swiftly, pulling away nearly as soon as he got there.
His action brought a smile to her face, Casey glad to see her looking a little more relaxed than she had this morning as he placed his hand on her leg, rubbing gently over her thigh.
"Just taking advantage of the moment alone." He responded, Gabby grinning as she copied his previous actions, giving him a quick, firm kiss.
"I like the way you think." She murmured against his lips, kissing him again before pulling back, Matt brushing her hair behind her ear.
"So… I have a proposition for you." Matt spoke, stroking his thumb across her cheek before dropping his hand, Gabby tilting her head to the side.
"Oh yeah?" She questioned, Matt giving her a nod. "Anything I'd like?"
"I think so. I was thinking it'd be nice if you and I went out for breakfast tomorrow after shift." He suggested, seeing a soft smile cover her face. "I figured we could go to that diner over by your brother's place, the one with those huge pancakes. I know how much you like it."
"Yeah, I do." She responded softly, Matt flashing her a wide grin.
"Yeah." He spoke, Gabby placing her hand over his. "I thought it would be nice for us to go and have breakfast, if you want. Give us a change of scenery, since we're usually only eating at my place."
"I'd like that." Gabby murmured, feeling Matt's thumb move against her thigh.
"Good. Me too." He replied, the sound of the bells ringing throughout the house pulling them from their intimate conversation, both listening as truck and squad got called out, Matt pulling away from Gabby as he climbed down from the rig.
She expected him to go straight to the truck, but he didn't, Casey stopping to turn and face her, Gabby watching him smile softly.
"It's a date." He spoke, repeating the same words he used when they decided to go look at her apartment, Gabby's bottom lip falling in between her teeth, Matt's smile widening when he saw her reaction to his words.
"It's a date." She repeated, Casey nodding before disappearing around the ambulance, Gabby leaning forward, resting her head in her hands as she took a deep breath, unable to stop the butterflies filling her stomach from her conversation with the man she was falling more and more in love with everyday.
Casey held the door open for Dawson as they walked into the cozy diner, the atmosphere welcoming as Gabby walked up to the counter, Matt following behind her.
"Just two?" The older lady asked, Gabby nodding as the woman grabbed two menus, leading them towards a table about halfway back.
"Thank you." Gabby spoke, the woman flashing them both warm smiles, placing their menus down before walking away. Sliding down into the booth, Gabby and Matt sat opposite one another, Casey handing her a menu before grabbing the other for himself, the pair beginning to look through their options.
"So, I already know you're getting pancakes," Matt spoke up, Gabby glancing up from the menu to see Matt intently staring at his, "but what else are you wanting?"
"Oh, so I can get more than just pancakes?" She questioned lightly, Matt chuckling as he finally looked up at her, his smile widening when they locked eyes.
"You can get whatever you want." He told her, Gabby nodding before tearing her eyes away from his piercing gaze, gnawing on her bottom lip as she continued looking over her food choices, feeling Casey's eyes stay on her for a few more seconds before he looked away.
Within ten minutes, they got their food ordered and their drinks brought to them, Matt and Gabby both fixing their coffee to their liking as they sat in the homey diner, keeping conversation light.
"So, how do you think Jenkins first shift went?" Gabby questioned, taking a small sip of her coffee to test the taste, the woman satisfied with her drink as she took another.
"It went well. She's a bit eager, always was, but I think she fits in well with everyone." He replied, taking a long drink of his beverage, watching Gabby nod in response. "What about you, how do you think it went?" He questioned, Gabby raising her eyebrow.
"I didn't think the opinions of paramedics mattered when it came to truck personnel." She responded lightly, Matt shrugging with a soft smile.
"It matters to me." He replied, Gabby blinking quickly as she moved her finger against the outside of her coffee mug, Matt's smile growing when he saw a grin appear on her face.
"Well, in that case, I think she fits in really well. She's really sweet, and all the guys seemed to love her." Gabby responded, Matt giving her a nod. "And that chicken she made for dinner was fantastic." She added, Casey chuckling as he nodded once more.
"Yeah, it was pretty good. I'm happy that everyone liked her. When I found out it was her who was filling in, I knew she'd be a good asset." Gabby gave him a nod, biting her tongue as she tried to refrain from prying more into his past with the firefighter. She didn't care, she truly didn't care if they had slept together, but ever since Shay had brought it up, she couldn't get the thought of her head. And she wanted to know.
"Here you all go." Their waitress spoke, Gabby looking up to see the woman suddenly standing there with arms full of food. "I hope you all enjoy." She added once she placed all the plates down, Matt adjusting his in front of him.
"I'm sure we will, thank you." Matt responded, the waitress nodding before walking away, leaving them to enjoy their meal.
The conversation shifted after the food got there, the two more focused on enjoying their delicious meal than going back to their ended conversation about the newest addition to 51.
"...Can I have some of your pancakes?" Casey asked with a sheepish grin on his face just as Gabby had taken a bite, the woman narrowing her eyes while she chewed, earning a chuckle from the man across from her. He waited patiently while as she swallowed her food, her glare never lifting.
"You always do this." She groaned, beginning to get another bite of pancakes on her fork. "Why don't you ever just order these for yourself?"
"Because I just want a little bit… Please?" He asked, Gabby's glare softening slightly when she saw the playfully pleading look on his face.
"Quit pouting." She muttered, unable to stop the smile that grew on her lips as she held her fork full of pancakes out to him, Matt leaning over to accept the bite.
"Thank you." He responded, Gabby grimacing as he talked with his mouth full.
From that point on, as it so often did when they ate together, the two ended up splitting their meals, each taking bites of the other's food while they sat and talked. When it was all said and done, Gabby had what was left of Matt's omelet sitting in front of her, the woman having eaten more of that than her own food, while Casey had finished up her pancakes and nearly all of her hash browns and bacon. Both of them were completely stuffed by the time they finished eating, neither wanting to move from their seats.
"What's on the agenda now?" Gabby asked, watching on in amusement as Matt rubbed over his stomach.
"How about a nap?" He suggested, Gabby tilting her head to the side as she thought over his offer.
"A nap sounds perfect." She agreed, Matt nodding as he grabbed the check from the table, slowly standing up.
"My place?" He looked for confirmation, Gabby nodding as she stood up as well, Matt waiting until she was out of the booth before he began walking towards the exit. Gabby waited out of the way while Matt paid for their meal, Casey soon walking over to her as he slid his wallet back into his pocket, following her out of the diner.
When they got to the sidewalk, they walked side by side as they began the trek back towards his truck, Gabby biting down on her lip as she hesitantly reached for his hand, lacing her fingers through his. Matt glanced towards her with a grin, Gabby smiling but refusing to look his way as he laughed softly, giving her hand a squeeze.
"So, what should we do for dinner?" He asked, Gabby looking at him in disbelief as they waited to cross the street.
"You can't be serious, how are you even thinking of food right now?"
"I'm just trying to plan my evening." He responded with a shrug, Gabby shaking her head as they began crossing the street, Dawson reaching across her body to hold onto his arm with her free hand.
"Ask me in a few hours, because right now I don't think I'll ever be eating again." She groaned, Matt raising his eyebrows as they got to the other side walk.
"Nah, I don't think that'll be a problem." He teased, Gabby narrowing her eyes before she pinched his side, Matt shying away from her touch. "Ouch." He chuckled, Gabby pinching him again before returning her hand to his arm, both of them smiling wide.
"Casey?"
Matt and Gabby both stopped at the voice from behind them, coming from the man they'd just passed on the street, neither of them noticing him as they were focused on the other, but the second Casey heard that voice he froze, his body turning rigid in anger. Gabby instantly felt the tension radiating from Matt's body, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she glanced back, seeing an unfamiliar man standing a few feet from them, Matt having yet to turn around.
"It's been a while, man." The guy continued, Casey releasing a heavy breath before turning to face him, dropping Gabby's hand in the process, Dawson seeing Matt's face hardened in anger. "How have you been?"
"Fine." Casey replied shortly, Gabby instinctively grabbing Matt's hand once more, feeling his body relax slightly when he felt her presence by his side. Even though she was unsure of who this man was, it was clear Casey didn't want to have this conversation, and as far as Gabby could tell, the unnamed man wasn't surprised by Matt's hostility either.
Taking a cautious step forward, the man wrung his hands together, Casey involuntarily tensing up at the movement. "So I see you're still on the job." He spoke lightly, taking in Matt's shift uniform that he hadn't changed out of since they got off shift. "What house are you at now?"
"I'm at 51, downtown." He answered, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek. Even in the few words he'd spoken, Gabby wasn't sure if she had ever heard Matt sound so angry. His voice was dripping with venom, his face showing a rage she didn't even think he was capable of. She didn't know Casey was able to show such anger, but she wasn't scared of it, or of him; she just wanted to help him.
"Oh yeah, I've heard that's a great house. You been there long?"
"A few months."
Nodding slowly, the man glanced towards Dawson, flashing her a bright smile. When he turned his attention to her, she felt Matt's body tense up more, which she didn't realize was possible, Casey taking a slight step forward, almost like he was wanting to be in between her and this man.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." He spoke up, Gabby's gaze flickering towards Casey before she looked back to this man, Dawson straightening her spine.
"Gabby Dawson." She replied, earning a nod from him.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Blake Jacobs." Gabby's body went rigid when she heard the name, the paramedic soon understanding Matt's reaction to seeing this man, and now she felt like she needed to be the one to stand in between him and Matt. "I used to work with Casey."
"Yes, I know all about you." Gabby replied sharply, watching as his face faltered slightly, Jacobs putting some distance back between them.
"Look…" Jacobs started, glancing back towards Matt. "I'm really sorry, Casey. I wish things never went down the way they did, and I'm sorry for everything Hallie and I did… But I can't apologize for it happening, because I love her and I love our son." Matt's face remained neutral, Gabby not hiding her reaction nearly as well as her eyes narrowed. "But we should've never gone about it the way we did, we shouldn't have done that behind your back… You never deserved that. And I'm sorry for everything that happened afterwards, how it all played out-"
"Played out?" Casey asked in frustration, his eyes focused in anger. "It didn't just play out, you spread lies about me to the entire department. You made it impossible for me to keep a job, it almost ruined my entire life, all because you two couldn't face the choices you made." He spat, Gabby tightening her grip on his hand, doing what she could to keep him calm. But she realized he needed to do this, that he needed to get this off his chest. "You and Hallie are in love, fine. You didn't need to keep fucking my wife behind my back, you didn't need to lie to everyone about what actually happened. I don't care about your apologies, I don't care if you feel bad. That means nothing to me anymore." He spoke roughly, Jacobs standing there silently.
"Let's go, Matt." Gabby murmured after a few tense moments, squeezing his hand again as she stroked her thumb over the back of his hand, her soft voice gaining his attention, relaxing him instantly. Glancing towards her, Casey's face softened when he met her eyes, Matt nodding as he gave her a soft smile.
"Yeah." He responded, the smile leaving his lips the second he turned back to Jacobs, the man looking slightly unsure and a little nervous. Taking a deep breath, Matt gave Gabby's hand one last squeeze before speaking up. "Congratulations on your son." Matt replied, seeing the look of surprise flash over Jacobs face before he and Gabby turned to leave without another word, neither looking back as they continued down the sidewalk towards Matt's truck.
Gabby stayed silent through the rest of the walk, the pair slowing their steps as they got to his truck, Matt unlocking it before beginning to pull open her door. Gabby stopped his movements, placing a gentle hand over his wrist, causing Matt to look up at her. "Are you alright?" She asked quietly, surprised to see a little smile come to his lips.
"I'm good." He responded, Gabby's eyes tracing over his face skeptically. Seeing her look, a soft chuckle escaped his lips, Matt shaking his head as he leaned forward, pressing a firm kiss to her lips. "I promise." He murmured as he pulled back, Gabby giving him a reluctant nod.
"Okay… But it's okay if you're not." She responded, bringing her hand up to his cheek, gently stroking her thumb over his skin. "I know I've had a lot going on lately, but I don't want you pretending to be okay if you're not because of me. I'm here for you, if you need me."
"I know." He replied, placing his hand on her hip, pulling her closer to him. "But I promise, I'm okay. I don't love the fact that we ran into him, but it is what it is. I swear, I'm alright Gabby." He assured her, waiting for her to give him a nod in acceptance before he leaned forward, kissing her once more. This one was slow, and deliberate, Matt kissing her gently as they stood outside his truck.
"You taste like syrup." She whispered against his lips, Matt laughing before he kissed her again, feeling her smiling against him.
"Well, your pancakes were very good." He replied, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as he kissed her one last time, Matt reluctantly pulling away. "Alright, let's get you home before this goes any further." He told her, Gabby scoffing lightly as he pulled the door open for her.
"Let's go." She responded with a raised eyebrow, Matt recognizing that challenging look in her eye instantly, giving her a knowing look as he ushered her into the passenger seat.
"Yeah, we need to get out of here." He breathed out, Gabby laughing as he shut her door quickly, the man eager to get back to his apartment as soon as possible.
"Oh, God Matt." Gabby gasped as his hips thrust up into her, moving deeper inside of her as he held her down against him, his movements perfectly in sync as moans of pleasure escaped through her lips. With his hands digging into her waist, he kept her close to him while he continuously lifted his hips off the bed, Gabby's thighs straddling his body as she sat on top of him.
Her hands were resting against his bare chest, keeping her balanced as she rode him, the sheets bunched down at Matt's knees as they moved in the perfect rhythm they'd long ago found with one another.
With one particularly deep thrust, Gabby's head fell backwards, her legs beginning to shake as Matt continued moving in and out of her while he laid on the bed underneath her, doing what he could to keep his pace steady. He'd been doing this long enough to know her body's signs, and she was definitely close, Matt wanting to bring her all the way over the edge.
Gabby moaned as he gripped her hips tighter, no doubt leaving bruises behind as his movements picked up to an impossible pace, the sound of their skin slapping together the main noise in the room, sometimes accompanied by moans and groans from the both of them. Matt had his bottom lip tucked in between his teeth, releasing a low groan when he felt her body clench around him, her trembling legs making her body's grip that much tighter.
"Jesus, Gabby." He breathed out as he did his best to hold on, wanting to make sure she got all that she possibly could out of this, Gabby beginning to pant as he helped her bounce up and down. "That's it." He encouraged, one of his hands sliding up towards her chest, gripping ahold of her breast as he felt her start to come undone. Gabby's body trembled as sharp gasps escaped her lips, her legs clenching around his hips as her release hit her, Matt doing all he could to keep up his stride.
Her release was enough to set him off, Matt pumping deep into her as he finished, Gabby collapsing down to her elbows on his chest, her deep breaths hitting his skin as he gradually slowed down his thrusts.
When he was sure they were both done, he slowly pulled out of her, Gabby trying to catch her breath as Matt mimicked her actions, bringing his hand up to brush the hair from her face. He could feel her body still shaking slightly, her breaths shorter than usual as her heart rate slowly returned to normal.
"You good?" He asked, Gabby nodding with a lazy smile, pressing a kiss to his bare chest.
"I'm great." She responded, moving her arms down to the bed on either side of him, pressing her cheek into his chest. Matt began moving his hands lightly up and down over her bare back, feeling goosebumps rise to her skin because of his movements.
"We should probably take a shower…" Matt suggested, Gabby nodding against his chest, but she made no effort to get up.
"Yeah… in a minute." She murmured, Matt nodding in agreement as he continued moving his hands over her back.
After a few minutes of laying in his arms, Gabby reluctantly got up, Matt following her towards the bathroom, both knowing they needed to clean up after their late morning activities. But, to neither one's surprise, their shower soon turned into round two, Matt and Gabby spending nearly an hour together under the water, most of that time spent doing things other than showering.
But now that it was all said and done, Gabby was sitting up in the middle of Matt's bed, her legs crossed in front of her as she waited for him to come back, her body covered by a pair of his boxers and one of his old, faded CFD shirts, her damp hair leaving a few trails of water down the grey material.
"You sure you don't want anything?" Matt asked as he stepped in through the doorway, taking one of the pieces of apple he'd cut up for himself off his plate, Gabby shaking her head.
"No, I'm okay. I'm not feeling great right now." She responded, Matt frowning softly as he walked towards the bed, placing his plate down on the nightstand, leaning down into the mattress on one of his knees. He put the back of his hand up to her forehead, leaving it there for a few seconds before feeling her cheeks.
"You could've said something, the shower and everything could've waited." He spoke with a frown, Gabby shaking her head.
"It's alright, I had fun." She replied with a soft smile, but Casey was focused on feeling the temperature of her skin.
"You don't feel warm, are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm good. I think I just ate too much at breakfast." She explained, Matt giving her a nod before sitting down on the bed.
"Do you need some medicine or anything?" He asked, grabbing another apple as she shook her head. Matt's phone buzzed on the nightstand right as he finished speaking, Matt reaching over to grab it, checking the message he'd just received.
Gabby watched as he typed out a response, her curiosity getting the better of her as she saw him put his phone back down once he was done. "Who was that?" She asked, Matt glancing back towards her.
"Jenkins." He answered, Gabby giving him a nod. "She wanted to know if I'd run through some drills with her next shift." Matt elaborated.
"Ahh." She responded, Casey tilting his head to the side, his eyebrows raised in amusement, Gabby catching the look on his face. "...What?"
"Is there something wrong with me talking to Jenkins?" He asked with a smug grin, Gabby narrowing her eyes.
"No. She's your firefighter, you can talk to her all you want." She replied, Matt running his tongue over his bottom lip, seeing her glare at him slightly. "Why are you making that face?" She asked in annoyance, Matt chuckling softly.
"Why don't you just tell me what's bothering you." He responded, Gabby's arms crossing over her chest.
"Nothing's bothering me."
"Gabby…" He pressed, earning a sigh from the woman sitting across from him.
"It's not… bothering me, I'm more just curious, I guess." She gave in, Matt raising his eyebrows.
"Okay, what are you curious about?" Matt questioned, Gabby pursing her lips together, her eyes moving down towards the bed. "Come on, Gabby." He spoke, pushing his leg against hers, getting her to look at him. "I can practically hear your thoughts running laps up there, what is it?"
"Did you sleep with her?"
Matt was immediately taken aback by the sudden question, watching Gabby bite down on her bottom lip nervously, waiting for his answer. He wasn't sure what he was expecting her to say, but that wasn't it, Matt caught off guard as they sat there. When the shock eventually cleared, a soft smile pulled at his lips, seeing Gabby confused, and a little annoyed, by his reaction.
"What?"
"Not this jealousy thing again…" He responded, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks as she ducked her head.
"I'm not jealous."
"Gabby-"
"I'm not, it's not that." She was quick to respond. "I'm just curious… I mean, I know you knew her after Hallie, and clearly she likes you, so I wasn't sure if anything happened there." She explained, Matt's face softening slightly, Gabby waving her hand in the air. "You know what, I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business."
"I didn't sleep with her." He cut in, Gabby meeting his eyes after the words left his lips, Casey not missing the look of relief that flashed over her face. "I know she has a crush on me, she had from when I worked with her the first time, but I never slept with her." Matt clarified, Gabby nodding.
"Alright." She responded, tapping her hand against her leg.
"...Would it have bothered you if I had?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head.
"No. I mean, we didn't even know each other, it doesn't matter, I was just curious… She looks at you like she wants to jump your bones, I wasn't sure if you ever took her up on the offer." Gabby replied lightly, Matt chuckling as he shook his head.
"She's a sweet girl, but no, I never thought about sleeping with her. I'm not sure how professional that would be, me sleeping with my firefighters."
"Yeah, probably not the best thing you could do." Gabby replied, scrunching her nose up, Matt smiling at the adorable look on her face. "Shay, she was, uh, really enjoying the fact that Jenkins likes you, she thought it was hilarious… kept telling me how I needed to go and mark my territory." She told him, earning a laugh from Casey.
"I mean, feel free to do so if you want, I won't object." He teased, moving his leg against hers. "But, you don't need to worry about that… I'm happy with what I've got."
Gabby's body filled entirely with warmth at his words, a soft smile tugging at her lips as they locked eyes. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, it is." Matt replied without missing a beat. "Very happy."
The smile on her face grew, Gabby reaching out to place her hand over his leg as it rested against her body. "Me too." She agreed, Matt nodding with a similar smile.
"But, uh, since we're already kind of discussing this… I've actually been wanting to talk to you about that, about us." Gabby's breath caught in her throat as he spoke, her body tensing as she waited for him to say more, unsure of where this was leading, and if she would like it. "I wasn't sure when the right moment to talk about this would be, with everything going on with Walker, but I feel like you and I need to talk, or at least I do."
"Alright…" She replied softly, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, it is- or, well I hope it is." He clarified, his words doing nothing to calm her nerves. "I want to talk about us, you and me… this thing we're doing."
"...Okay."
"I just…" Gabby held her breath, wincing slightly as she waited for his next words, having no idea what to expect. "How are you feeling about all this?" He asked suddenly, Gabby's tongue running over her bottom lip.
"What do you mean?" She questioned, not wanting to reveal too much until she knew what he was actually talking about.
"Are you still okay with everything? With this thing we're doing?" Confusion filled her features, Gabby unsure of what had caused him to doubt that as she gave him a strong nod. "You're not, like, feeling used by me or anything, right?" He saw the surprise cover her face, Gabby's eyes wide as his words sunk in. "Because if you are, please tell me. That's not what I want, at all. I know we're not together, but I don't want you feeling like I only spend time with you for sex, because that's not it. I mean, I guess we do spend a lot of our time sleeping together, but that's not why I like us hanging out." He rambled, Gabby doing what she could to keep up with him, even though she still felt a little dazed by this conversation. "I like being with you, spending time with you… I don't want you thinking otherwise, or feeling like I'm just using you." He breathed out, wincing slightly as he gave her a few seconds before speaking up again. He hadn't started this conversation nearly as eloquently as he planned, the words falling from his mouth before he could gather his thoughts coherently.
"I guess I just want to know how you're doing in all this, and where your head's at." He spoke up again, finding Gabby's gaze. "I mean, we haven't really talked about all of this since we started, and I just want to make sure we're still good. That you're good." He finished, releasing a heavy breath as he waited for her to speak up.
"Of course we are." Gabby responded with zero hesitation, Matt's body visibly relaxing as the words left her lips. "I'm still good with all this, I know what we agreed on. I know you're not using me… Well, I guess, technically, we kind of are using each other, or that's how it started anyway, but I don't feel used, if that's what you're worried about." She added, Matt nodding as he listened to her words. "I know this isn't very conventional, what we're doing, but, I don't know, I can't really explain it… but I don't feel like you're using me just for sex. I've never felt like you were."
"Okay, good." Matt responded with a soft smile, Gabby giving him a weak one in return.
Dawson wasn't sure where this came from, why he was suddenly worried about how she felt about all this. As far as she was concerned, nothing had happened to make either of them doubt what they were doing, but clearly for Matt, something had. She hadn't been expecting him to be thinking about their situation much at all, let alone him being worried about what she was thinking.
When he first brought it up, her initial reaction was fear; fear that he didn't want to do this anymore, fear that he wanted to go back to being friends, regular friends. And that split second of panic made her stomach sink, and it made her realize that Shay was right. A part of her always knew she had been, but this only forced her to face it; she needed to tell Matt how she felt, and he had given her the perfect opening.
That quick moment where she thought he wanted to end things, her stomach turned and she nearly threw up her breakfast. The thought of not having this, of not having Matt like this, even though it was just for a second, it filled her with an unexplainable heaviness that she never wanted to feel again. Because every day she was beginning to realize more and more just how much she needed this… how much she needed him. And she couldn't stand the thought of losing it.
He made her happy, and helped her through the times she wasn't. He made her feel safe and secure, like nothing would keep him from protecting her if he thought the situation warranted it. But he also knew when to back off, he knew when she needed space and when she could handle things on her own. He just knew her. He understood her, more so than anyone else ever has, and she needed that.
She wanted that. She wanted him.
And he needed to know.
She couldn't keep tiptoeing around her feelings, even if he didn't feel the same way, she at least needed to put it out there. It was driving her crazy, hiding this from him. And she didn't want to do it anymore.
All she could do was hope he felt the same way, and that she wouldn't end up losing him because of this.
Because, deep down, she knew if she kept lying to him about how she felt, she didn't really have him anyway.
She'd heard what he said time and time again, about how this was just for fun, and how he didn't want a relationship. And she hadn't either, at first. But all that had changed for her, and it was because of him. She wanted a relationship and she wanted it with Matt... And she was hoping there was a chance things had changed for him, too.
"Gabby?"
Matt's soft voice broke her from her thoughts, her eyes snapping into focus as she found his worried gaze on her.
"You okay?"
Nodding slowly, she gave him a gentle smile, seeing some of his concern fall away. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good." She responded softly, fiddling her fingers together in her lap. "But," Her word prompted his ears to perk up, Matt watching her closely, "there is something I want to talk to you about."
She saw his hesitation and his slight worry as he nodded, leaning his body forward slightly. "Okay, what is it?"
Gabby took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to voice exactly what was going on in her head. She wanted to make sure she did this right, that she let him know what she was feeling, but she knew she could sit here and make herself put this off for a long time if she tried. She just needed to say it. She'd deal with the consequences once it was out in the open, but right now she only needed to get the words out.
"I… I've been thinking a lot lately, about you and me." She started slowly, trying to swallow the lump that seemed to keep forming in her throat, Matt keeping his eyes on her. "And, uh, I-" She cut herself off when she felt her stomach turn, a grimace covering her face when she felt an intense pressure rising in her throat.
"Gabby?" Casey asked, seeing the immediate shift in her demeanor, Gabby shaking her head as she gagged.
Before he could react, she covered her mouth with her hand, practically lunging over his legs to get off the bed, Gabby running towards the bathroom. Matt followed after her quickly, getting there just in time to see her empty the contents of her stomach in the toilet, Gabby barely making it there as her knees hit the ground.
Hurrying to her, Matt grabbed her hair, doing what he could to keep it out of the way while she threw up, Casey rubbing up and down over her back soothingly, feeling her body shaking underneath his touch.
"It's okay." He murmured, grimacing as another wave of nausea hit her, Matt not even sure how she still had anything left in her stomach.
But soon, the storm passed, Gabby breathing heavily before she slowly sat up, Matt dropping her hair and reaching for a piece of toilet paper, Gabby taking it from him.
"Thank you." She spoke, her voice raspy as she wiped her mouth off, tossing the small piece of paper into the toilet before flushing it, Matt taking a step back as she rested her weight on her heels.
"You okay?" He asked softly, his hand cradling to back of her head as she looked up at him, giving him a slight nod before slowly pushing herself up off the ground, Matt reaching out to help her.
"I'm fine." She responded, Matt resting his hand on her waist, using his other to brush her hair behind her ear, his eyes tracing over her face. "Guess eating so much at breakfast came back to bite me in the ass." She added, Matt giving her a weak smile as he placed the back of his hand against her forehead again, wanting to see if anything had changed since the last time he checked for a fever. "I'm okay, Matt." She spoke again when he had yet to say anything, seeing the worry shining in his eyes.
Nodding slowly, he ran his palm across her side, moving his other down to her cheek. "Good… How about you brush your teeth and I'll go and get you some ginger ale, I'm pretty sure I have some. Then we can take that nap we were talking about, yeah? Maybe that'll make you feel better." He suggested, earning a slow nod from her. "Good, alright I'll be right back." He said, placing a soft kiss to the side of her head before pulling away. She missed his warmth the second he was gone, Gabby staying in her spot until he was out of sight before she slowly walked towards the sink, drawing in a shallow breath as some lingering nausea hit her, knowing their conversation about her feelings for him would have to wait.
And there we have it, definitely a lot going on in this one. Gabby got so close to telling Matt how she was feeling, but obviously that didn't go as planned, and, knowing Gabby, who knows if she'll still have the courage to tell him or if she'll put it off again. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.
I'm so excited to hear your alls thoughts on this chapter, I love reading all your reviews, they help me so much and keep me motivated to continue this story, so really, thank you to everyone who keeps on supporting me and this story. It means so much to me.
Until next time.