Hello there, everyone. I'm back with the next chapter for you guys! Your all's response to the last one was incredible, I'm so glad you all liked it and you're happy with the proposal. We're gonna see more of that storyline in this one, so get ready for that.

Also, you seemed to rather enjoy the M-Rated section in the last chapter, so I added another little one in here for you. I hope you like it!

Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you have a great rest of your week and I'll see you all next time!

NINETY SEVEN

Casey's head hung underneath the streaming water as he stood in the shower, his hands braced against the tile wall in front of him while he let the combination of the steam and almost blistering hot water relax his muscles. His eyes had been closed for a few minutes, Matt still trying to shake a bit of the lingering exhaustion still present in his system while he prepared for the day ahead.

It wasn't terribly early, maybe a little after ten, but Casey had only been awake for a few minutes before he got up and started to get ready, as it had been a late night for the couple. They'd spent their entire evening, and some of the early morning, out with Shay and Severide, before coming back home and spending some more intimate time together in bed. And while it had been a fun night for the both of them, they hadn't fallen asleep until well after three in the morning, which resulted in sort of a lazy start to the day for them as Gabby was still fast asleep in bed.

And while Matt would've loved to still be in there with her, his plans for today kept him from lounging around with his girl, Casey releasing a content sigh before he continued on with his shower.

But as he was washing his body, he felt a sudden rush of cold air from behind him, Matt shivering instantly at the change in temperature as he heard the door open and shut before there were suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around him. A soft smile graced his lips when he realized someone had come to join him getting ready, the familiar hands moving over his stomach causing his muscles to tighten as he felt her bare body press into his back.

"Good morning." Gabby murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to his shoulder blade while her hand continued to rub over his waist, Matt drawing in an easy breath as his eyes slowly closed once more, wanting to relish in this moment for as long as he could.

"Morning baby." He greeted, his hand moving down to rest over hers. "I didn't expect you to be awake yet."

"Yeah, my alarm went off. I have that appointment with Adrian, remember?" She told him, his eyes slowly opening as that realization washed over him when he recalled the conversation they'd had about her therapist a few days ago.

"Oh yeah, yeah, I remember." He replied, Gabby smiling softly before pressing another kiss to his back.

Though Gabby was doing well, she'd decided that continuing to go to therapy was something she wanted to do. Which truthfully, that caught Casey a bit off guard as once the smoke cleared from everything with Bryan, he hadn't really expected her to want to keep going. But she did.

Her sessions weren't as frequent as they used to be, solely because it wasn't needed anymore, but every so often she would go to see her therapist. Whether it was on the rare occasion that she was having a hard day, or she just wanted to go see him to talk through some things going on in her life, Gabby would go and visit him whenever she felt compelled to. And today just happened to be one of those days.

And even though he'd been a bit surprised by her desire to continue going to therapy, he was glad she'd made this decision for herself, Matt supporting her with this completely as he knew it would only help her in the long run.

"I have about an hour before I have to be over there." She continued on after a moment, neither of them making an effort to move from this position as he felt her chest move against his back with each breath she took. "That's why I'm up… Though I've gotta say, I was a bit surprised to see you awake already." She commented, her light tone bringing a smile to his face. "I figured after last night, you'd still be asleep. Where are you headed off to so early?"

Her fingers tracing lightly over his lower stomach made it a bit hard for him to focus, but after clearing his throat he finally answered her. "I'm gonna go over to Severide's, here in a little bit."

Gabby nodded against him before pressing her cheek into his back, the two basking in this moment together as she thought over his words. "You aren't sick of him after last night?" She questioned, though her words were rhetorical as he heard the joking tone in her voice.

"Yeah, you'd think." He replied back just as lightheartedly. "But no, we're just hanging out for a bit… We'd planned this before he tagged along with us and Shay last night, but I think we're just gonna be at their apartment. Though I know they've got a few drawers over there that need fixing, so Shay will probably force me into some manual labor." He continued to joke, Gabby's smile widening as she felt him pat the top of her hand.

"Most likely." She agreed, her nose scrunching up slightly. "But I'm sure that'll be fun, I hope you have a nice time." She added, earning a nod from Matt before things went quiet between them for a moment.

They both knew they needed to finish getting ready, but still neither of them moved, the pair content to stay right where they were as they stood with nothing in between them, the hot air and water around them helping to keep them both warm while Gabby held onto his waist. It wasn't until he felt her hand start to travel past his hips that Casey's eyes opened once more, the man being pulled from his relaxed state as he felt her teasing her fingers along his skin.

"Gabby…" He breathed out, feeling her smirk softly before trailing her lips along his back, Gabby pressing soft kisses against his body before gently grabbing ahold of him.

His breath caught in his throat once he was in her grasp, Gabby getting a firm grip on him before she slowly started to move her hand up and down. "...Yes?" She asked, before trailing her teeth over his skin, Matt releasing a soft sigh while she gradually worked him up.

"How much time do we have?" He asked after a second, the feeling of her hand on him almost too good as his hips moved into her slightly. While continuing on with her arm's steady motion, Gabby pulled her head back slightly at his words, an intense warmth starting to course through her as she could only imagine what thoughts were roaming around in his mind.

But, whatever they were, she wanted to find out.

"Long enough." She murmured, Matt shuddering when she began to focus her movements on the end of his length. When her fist brushed over that most sensitive spot, she heard a low groan escape his lips, Gabby beginning to speed up her movements gradually while paying close attention to that one area in particular. She could feel him hardening quickly underneath her touch, the water falling down onto his chest helping to aid her movements while she stroked him at a steady pace.

"...Depending on what you have in mind." She added on, Casey's throat tightening as the blood in his body continued moving south.

"Oh, I think you're gonna like it." He got out, Matt forcing another deep breath before he gently moved his hand down to stop her movements.

"Babe-" She started, but he shook his head as she let go of him, Gabby having done her job well as he was completely ready for what was about to happen inside this shower.

"Let me look at you." He cut her off, Gabby feeling heat begin to rise to her cheeks as he carefully turned around, Matt adjusting their position so the water was hitting her.

The second they were settled, he couldn't help but trace his eyes over her bare form, Matt taking in every inch of her he could see as she stood in front of him. Even though he had her entire body memorized, it was like he could never get enough of her. He could never get enough of seeing her, and being with her. He was just so completely and utterly in love with this woman, it nearly drove him crazy.

But he wouldn't want it any other way.

While Matt took her in, her hands reaching out to move over her skin, Gabby gave him a few seconds to stare before she leaned past him for her soap, another slight groan escaping the back of Casey's throat when her bare chest brushed against him. But neither of them said anything, Gabby keeping her eyes on him as she began to lather soap all over her body.

Her hands were moving slowly as she knew he was watching her, Matt's throat tightening when her palms slid across her stomach before moving up to her chest, Gabby keeping her eyes on him the entire time. The air between them was thick, Casey having to force himself to breathe while her hands continued gliding across her wet skin, his entire body on alert when he caught her quickly glance down to his waist.

Her head tilted to the side slightly as Matt stood in front of her, the man unable to keep himself from reaching out to touch her, his hands moving in a similar path that hers had been as the water fell down on them.

"Turn around for me, baby." He spoke, his rough voice hitting her ears before they finally locked gazes once more.

"I thought you said you wanted to look at me?" She challenged, the sly smirk that appeared over his face causing a chill to run through her spine before he pressed his fingers into her hip.

"Oh, I do." He said in a low tone, her stomach tightening at his words before she let him turn her around. His movements were gentle and slow, Matt mindful of their location as he didn't want her to fall, but there was a determination in his actions nonetheless, Gabby's body nearly trembling in anticipation before he gently pressed her body against the glass wall.

She gasped softly at the change in temperature, the abrupt feeling of cold glass against her bare skin like a shock to the system, every one of her senses heightened as she heard him moving around behind her before he carefully used his knee to push her legs further apart.

"Matt…" She panted, the pure want and desire in her voice impossible for him to miss as he settled himself behind her. "Please."

Not needing any more instruction, Casey gave her exactly what she was asking for as he grabbed ahold of himself and slowly slid into her, a low whine escaping her lips as the one hand he had on her hips dug into her skin, Matt pulling her back to meet him while her face stayed up against the glass.

Their pace started slow, Matt giving her time to adjust to him as he moved in and out of her. But when she was ready he started to move quicker, the two finding that rhythm they'd perfected long ago while Gabby's hands were pressed into the glass as he thrust into her. The running water around them did little to drown out their cries and moans of pleasure while he gave her exactly what she wanted, Matt using his hold on her to keep them both balanced as they made the most of what little time they had before having to go their separate ways for the day.

Casey huffed out a soft breath while he made his way down the familiar street, the man shoving his hands into his pockets as the cold March air around him was assaulting his skin, Matt hurrying towards his destination in an effort to escape the weather. And thankfully, he got there rather quickly, Casey reaching up to knock on the door before waiting for Severide to come let him in.

From the few text messages they'd exchanged over the last hour, he knew Kelly was home. That after their long night out, Severide hadn't even attempted to get anything done before Casey got here, which was something Matt couldn't blame him for. But now that it was practically the afternoon, he knew Kelly should be up and ready to go as they had big plans ahead for today.

Plans that were a little different than what he'd told Gabby.

He was coming to see Severide, that part was true. But where he'd misled her a bit was when he said what they were doing, as his and Kelly's plans were a lot more than just hanging around the apartment.

Because today was the day they were going to, hopefully, find the perfect ring for Gabby.

It had been a little over a week since Casey first told Kelly of his plans to propose, but up until now they hadn't found the chance to go out and search for one. Either they were both too busy, or Matt wasn't able to find a good enough reason to be away for most of the day; whatever it was, they just hadn't been able to get this done. But today, that had all changed, as they were both able to clear their schedules to where they could go and take the time to properly choose the perfect ring for his girl.

And Casey couldn't be more excited.

He was so beyond ready to do this, so ready to go and look for an engagement ring and move forward in his and Gabby's life together. To show her how committed he was to her, and them, and to symbolize the promise he'd always made to her that he loved her more than anything else in this world, and he always would.

He was just so excited for all of it, and he couldn't wait to take this next step in ensuring that he and Gabby were together forever.

Blowing out a nervous sigh, Matt knocked once more when Severide had yet to come to the door, Casey hearing some rumblings from inside the apartment before the door was suddenly pulled open by someone he wasn't expecting. But a soft smile formed over his face nonetheless when he saw Shay standing in the doorway, the blonde crossing her arms over her chest before taking a slight step backwards.

"Yeah, Severide said you were on your way over here." She told him, Matt releasing a soft chuckle before he walked into the apartment. "He's getting out of the shower, he should be down in a few minutes."

"That's fine." Matt answered as she shut the door behind him, the two walking a bit further into the apartment. "It's always nice to see you again, anyway." He added on playfully, Shay shaking her head lightly before she responded.

"Yeah, I was a bit surprised when Kelly told me your plans, I didn't realize you'd be coming over today, Casey." She said, Matt glancing back at her before he nodded.

"Yeah, yeah Kelly and I have some stuff to do today." He commented vaguely, Shay pausing for a moment before she nodded back at him. Though by the look in her eye alone he could tell she was a bit skeptical of his words, he just wasn't sure why. "But we're going out for a bit, so you don't need to worry, I won't be around to annoy you." He added on jokingly, his words not getting the response out of her that he was expecting as she merely cocked her head to the side.

"That's funny." She replied, though her tone indicated anything but humor as she eyed him closely. "Because from the text I got from Dawson a little bit ago, she told me that you and Severide would be hanging around here today." She told him, Casey's eyebrows raising slightly as he tried to mask the fact that he knew he'd gotten caught in his lie.

Though from her demeanor as soon as he got here, it became clear to him that she knew before he even said anything that he hadn't told Gabby the complete truth.

"She asked me if I wanted to get a late lunch with her, after she went to see Adrian, since you and Sev were gonna be here." She continued on, her eyes focused on him as Matt released a soft sigh. "...So, you wanna tell me what you two are really doing today?" She pressed, her tone light despite the challenging look in her eye. "Cause it's not like you to lie to Dawson-"

"I'm not lying." He corrected her with a slight wince, seeing the unimpressed look that covered her face. "Okay- well, maybe I am. But it's for a good reason." He defended with a soft smile, the air around them light as even though Shay was curious as to what Casey and Severide were truly doing, she wasn't all that worried about his reasons for his deception.

"I'm listening." She replied, Matt drawing in another deep breath as he looked her way.

He knew he'd kind of backed himself into a corner here, that he really had no other choice but to tell her what was going on. But it was more than that, because as he stood here with her there was an overwhelming part of him that wanted her to know what he was doing.

He knew what he'd told Severide, that he was trying to keep as many people out of this as he could, but as he watched Shay it became clear to him that she was not someone who needed to be kept in the dark about this. This was Gabby's best friend, one of the most important people in her life, and he wanted her to be involved in this special moment for them. And more than that, knew Gabby would want her to be a part of this.

"Oh hey Casey."

Matt's head turned back when he heard Severide's voice, his friend stepping down off the last step and heading their way with a soft smile on his face.

"I didn't realize you'd be here already."

"Yeah, he just got here," Shay spoke, leaning her body weight back into the wall behind her. "And he was just about to tell me what's actually going on today." She added, Kelly's smile faltering slightly before he glanced back to Matt. But the man merely nodded, the grin on his face widening before he turned to Shay once more, finding that same expectant look written across her features.

"Alright Shay, if you really want to know. The reason I came over here today is because… I'm proposing to Gabby, and Kelly is gonna help me look for a ring."

The words came rushing out of his mouth quickly, like he wasn't sure what to expect from her reaction so he needed to just get it all out there, Severide and Matt both keeping their focus on her as they waited for any sort of response. But Shay just stood there, her eyes narrowing slightly while she looked back and forth between them, Casey and Severide sharing an uncertain look as this was one of the last things they expected.

But it was only seconds before her face softened, a huge smile forming over her lips as her gaze focused on Casey, the man matching her grin while she started walking towards him. "I knew it!" She all but shouted, shaking her head slightly while coming to stand in front of him. "I knew you were proposing, I fucking knew it!"

Shay practically launched herself into him when she wrapped her arms around him in a big hug, Matt moving a few steps backwards before he gained his footing, a hearty chuckle escaping the back of his throat as he hugged her back.

"What do you mean, you knew?" Matt asked her, rubbing his hand over her back before she pulled away, the smile on her face never diminishing as her obvious excitement made them both happy.

"I just had a feeling." She replied, Casey raising his eyebrows slightly as a soft huff left his lips.

"Yeah, and that feeling wouldn't have anything to do with Severide already knowing, would it?" He asked, looking between the two best friends as Kelly almost immediately put his hands up in defense.

"Hey, I told her nothing!" He said, Shay laughing softly as Matt shook his head. "It was hard as hell, but I didn't tell her, or give anything away to Dawson."

"Yeah, it wasn't him… Though I could tell something was going on." She spoke knowingly, Kelly's eyebrows raising slightly. "Oh please, you're not as subtle as you think… Just cause I didn't know what it was, doesn't mean I didn't pick up on something going on the other night at the bar." She continued on, Matt blowing out a heavy breath before he nodded. "But I just picked up on a few things, and had a feeling it was something like this."

"Do you know if… Gabby, she doesn't know, does she?" Casey asked suddenly, with an almost unsure tone to his voice as ever since Matt had broken the news to Severide, he'd worried that Gabby might find out.

It had been hard on him all week, and truthfully ever since he first decided he wanted to propose, to keep this from Gabby. Especially when Severide was around, as hiding something from her just made him feel so exposed; like she'd be able to pick up on the fact that something was going on. And now that he knew Shay had sensed something was going on, that made him even more nervous, as he wanted all of this to go perfectly. And part of that meant that this was a complete surprise.

"She hasn't mentioned anything to you about it?"

"No, she hasn't." Shay answered, Matt pausing for a second before he nodded. "She's seemed the same to me, she hasn't said anything or even hinted at anything like this… So if she knows what you're planning, she hasn't said a word about it to me."

"Which means she doesn't know." Severide interjected, doing what he could to help alleviate his friend's concerns. "Because if Dawson knew, there's no way she wouldn't have gone to Shay." He added with a chuckle, Casey's face softening before he nodded.

"Yeah, I have a feeling she would've come to me about it. So I think you're good, Case." Shay told him, patting his shoulder gently as he gave them both a nod. "Well, you're good with Dawson at least, but me on the other hand… I can't believe you were going to do this and not tell me." She said, that slight glare returning to her face as she zeroed in on Casey.

"Shay-"

His words were cut off by a swift, yet light, smack to the back of the head, Severide doing his best to hold in his laugh as Shay pointed her finger at him. "You were going to go buy my best friend an engagement ring, and not invite me. After all we've been through?" She continued on, her teasing tone filling the room as both men could tell she was having a little bit too much fun messing with Matt.

Gently pushing her hand out of the way, Casey rolled his eyes before speaking up. "So I take it that means you want to go with us to pick out the ring?" He asked her, Shay unable to stop the scoff that left her lips before she reached down past him to grab her purse and jacket off the couch.

"Of course I do, what kind of question is that?" She huffed out, almost offended by his words as she took one quick glance around the room before looking back to Matt and Kelly. "Now let's go, we don't have all day." She ordered, the men sharing a look as she headed towards the door, Severide soon to follow after her while Casey came up behind them.

"Wait, wait guys." He said just as he got to the door, the two turning around to face him with questioning looks over their faces. "What about Gabby?" He asked, confusion soon covering Shay's face as she glanced towards Kelly.

"What?"

"Aren't you supposed to go out with her?" He asked, missing the look of realization that crossed Shay's features as he glanced down towards his watch. "Her session will probably be over here soon."

"Right, yeah… I can just text her, and tell her I can't make it." She responded with a shrug, Matt hesitating for a moment before he nodded. "We didn't really make any actual plans, she just said she'd let me know when she was done. But I'll just tell her something came up, and I'm busy."

"Alright, that sounds good." He replied, the three of them stepping out of the apartment before Severide moved to lock the door. "Though I might call Camila, and see if she can hang out with Gabby." He spoke with furrowed brows, Shay biting back a smile as she shoved her hands into her pockets. "That way she's not by herself all afternoon."

"Casey, you realize Dawson's a big girl, right?" Shay teased him, Matt waving her off as the three stepped down onto the sidewalk. "You don't need to make plans for her."

"No, I know that. But if she was expecting to spend the afternoon with you, I don't want her to be alone." He responded a bit sheepishly, Shay unable to stop the soft laugh that left her lips before she reached up to pinch his cheeks.

"God, you're so adorable, it's disgusting." She spoke, Matt pushing her hands away as they continued down the street. "Now let's go find you a ring, Mr. Gabby Dawson." She added, Casey rolling his eyes once more.

"You sound just like Severide."

"Yeah, yeah, I was the one who started that, he stole it from me." She reminded him, the two men sharing one last amused look as they got to the car, the three of them climbing in before heading off to their very special destination.

"Wow Casey, this place is pretty fancy, are you sure you can afford any of this?" Shay teased the second they walked through the door, Matt nudging his elbow into her side just as an associate walked up to them, the bright smile never leaving her face despite the fact she'd definitely seen their less than typical entrance.

"Hi, how can I help you today?" She asked, Matt taking a slight step forward as his hand lightly ran along the back of his neck.

"Hi, uh- I'm here to look for an engagement ring for my girlfriend." He spoke with a near giddy expression on his face, his excitement mixed with nervousness hard to miss as the woman gave him a soft nod.

"Well, I can definitely help you with that. My name is Peyton." She introduced, her easy demeanor helping to combat some of the nerves he was feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm Matt." He replied softly. "And then my- well hopefully my soon-to-be fiancée, her name is Gabby." He added on, his smile growing at just the mention of her while Peyton gave him an encouraging nod. "And these are our friends, they came to help me look."

"Well, it's nice to meet you… All of you." She said with a grin. "I can definitely help you out. I know you said you're looking for an engagement ring, which- congratulations by the way," She added softly, Matt offering her a small smile before she continued. "But are you looking for wedding bands as well? Or just a ring?"

"Just the ring today, I think." He answered as the group followed her over towards one of the display cases. "Gabby and I will probably come back to get the wedding bands together." He added on, watching as Peyton nodded before she pulled out a few different selections.

"Yeah, that's usually what a lot of our couples that come through here do." She replied, before glancing down to the rings placed out in front of them. "Now for the engagement ring, do you know what kind you want for her? Or would you like to see all our options, and go from there?"

"Definitely see some options." He spoke with a soft laugh, Peyton smiling back at him as she nodded. "Gabby, she's… I want to get her something special, but not too over the top, because that's just not her. But she deserves something nice, and I want to get something that represents her, that I think she'll like and… I'm sorry, I know I'm rambling." He cut himself off before a shy look crossed his face, Shay snickering behind him while Severide clasped him on the shoulder.

"You don't need to apologize for that at all." Peyton responded with that same bright smile. "It's nice, actually. To see how much you care about her." She told him, seeing the somewhat curious look that appeared over his face. "...You'd be surprised by how many men come in here, and don't really care about things like this." Peyton began to explain. "So it's nice to see that this is just as important to you. I can tell you really love her."

Those last few words caused his smile to reappear, Matt nodding before he spoke up. "I do… with everything I have." He replied genuinely, Severide tightening the hold he had on his shoulder before Peyton spoke up once more.

"Well, then I think we should find the perfect ring to symbolize that." She said with a soft smile, Casey nodding back at her once more before they started going through the rings.

Over the next half hour or so, Casey was shown an abundance of options for engagement rings for Gabby. Every type of ring they had in the store, whether it be gold or silver, small diamonds or little diamonds, whatever it was; Matt saw nearly all of them, as he tried to figure out which one would suit her best.

It was an important decision, one he didn't want to take lightly, but eventually he'd managed to narrow it down to three options. All three fairly similar rings, but different enough to where he wasn't sure if he could choose a favorite, as they all seemed like great options for Gabby. They were all rings he knew she would love, he just didn't know how to figure out which one was the one.

"And you're sure about these three? The others, you don't want?" Peyton asked him one more time as the man stood with his hands braced against the glass countertop, Matt nodding surely as his eyes stayed focused on the rings in front of him.

"I'm sure, it's between these, I just- I can't figure it out." He huffed out, Shay and Severide still standing on his either side.

"Matt, do you want some advice?" Shay spoke up after a moment, the firefighter glancing back towards her before he shrugged.

"I have a feeling that no matter what my answer is, you're gonna tell me anyway, so what's your advice, Shay?" He replied back, Severide biting back a laugh as the blonde narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Alright, this is a big day so I'm gonna let that comment slide, but my advice is that I think you're overthinking this." She told him, Casey sighing softly as his gaze moved back to the rings. "You know Gabby, you know which one she'd love… hell, she'd love a ring made out of paper, as long as you were the one to give it to her." Shay spoke, her words bringing a small smile to his face as he began to focus in on one ring in particular. The one in the middle, the silver band centering the modest, yet bright, diamond, beginning to stick out to him a little bit more than the rest.

"I know you want this to be perfect, but trust me when I tell you that you can't go wrong here. She's gonna be so happy, because all she'll care about is the fact that you're doing this. That you want to be married to her." She continued on softly. "So picture that… Picture you proposing to her, and you open that box and show her the ring. Which one is it? Which one do you want to give her?"

Her words rang throughout his head, Matt unable to keep his eyes off of that one ring in particular the entire time she spoke. Like he was compelled to it, like this was the ring Shay was talking about. The ring that was meant to sit on Gabby's finger, and symbolize their promises to one another.

This was the ring. Gabby's ring. And there was no doubt in his mind about it.

"Matt…"

"That's the one." He spoke with a gentle grin, before pointing to the diamond ring in the middle. "That's it… That's Gabby's ring."

His face practically lit up as he spoke, Shay and Severide both sharing a knowing smile as Peyton nodded softly.

"You're sure?"

"I'm positive." He answered, the smile on his face starting to grow. "That's her ring."

"Atta boy." Shay spoke from behind him, Severide scoffing lightly before patting Matt on the back.

"Alright, well I'll start working on the paperwork you'll need to fill out. And you know her ring size and everything?"

"I do." Casey answered, Peyton giving him another smile before she grabbed the ring.

"Perfect. Let me go get that paperwork for you, and I'll be right back." She replied, Matt giving him a grateful nod and a soft thank you before she walked away, leaving the three over by the display case.

"...That was the ring I would've picked, you know." Shay chirped, Severide shoving her shoulder gently, Matt chuckling softly before he turned around to face her. "You chose well, Casey."

"Thank you, Shay." He replied, the woman smiling softly before her face turned a bit more serious, the air around the shifting as she spoke up once more.

"No, but really, you did… I mean it. You chose well. With everything." She told him, Matt's eyebrows furrowing slightly as his head tilted to the side. "I know that I… I kind of mess with you a lot, and you and Gabby, it's easy to get you two all riled up, but I just want you to know that I really am so glad you're doing this. Proposing to her… It's gonna make her so happy." She said sincerely, the soft smile on her face causing one to appear across his features as well.

"We all know Gabby hasn't had the easiest time, especially with stuff like this, but that's all in the past now. Because she's finally found someone who chooses her. Who always chooses her, and who is as committed to her as she is to them… She's found you."

Casey couldn't help the emotion that started welling in his throat, her words catching him off guard as his eyes began to get a little misty. Especially when he saw Shay starting to get emotional as well.

"And I know she hasn't always believed it, but she deserves the best."

"She does." He agreed simply, Shay matching his smile before she continued.

"She deserves a great man, who loves her and cares for her. And I know she has that with you. I know how much you love her, and how much she means to you, I've seen it for a long time now… And as her best friend, that's all I want for her. Is someone who makes her as happy as you do."

"Shay…" He started, having to clear his throat as his voice was a little shaky. But she didn't give him the chance to continue.

"You two deserve each other, Matt." She told him, squeezing his arm comfortingly as their eyes locked on each other. "You two deserve this, and I'm so happy for you two. I just want you to know that."

Shay could barely get the words out before he had wrapped her up in a tight hug, the paramedic smiling softly before she hugged him back, both of them standing there in their embrace for a second as it wasn't all that often they had moments like these. But it was something Matt knew he wouldn't be forgetting for a long time, the man taking every single word to heart as he was now feeling even more grateful for bringing Shay along on this special day.

"Thank you." He said quietly, Shay giving his body a squeeze before they slowly pulled apart, Severide watching his two friends with a small smile on his face. "Really, thank you for that… It means everything coming from you." He added on, Shay nodding with a gentle grin before she lifted her hand up to pat his cheek.

"I know it does." She replied, the woman's usual sarcastic demeanor shining through once more as a soft laugh escaped Kelly's lips. "And I meant every word… But that also means you better not break her heart, Casey." She warned him, though her tone was still light and teasing, Matt shaking his head with that same smile on his face before he spoke up.

"I never would." He assured her, Shay patting his cheek once more before she dropped her hand, the proud look on her face telling them all they needed to know.

"I know you wouldn't… But I still had to say it." She replied with a smirk, Matt chuckling softly just before Peyton came back with some paperwork in her hands, their conversation being put on hold as Matt began to fill out the papers in front of him. It didn't take him very long, in fact it was only a few more minutes before everything was all said and done, Matt finishing up the last few papers and giving Peyton some more information, before he was walking out of the door knowing that after some adjustments that ring would soon be his.

And that left him with a feeling he couldn't quite explain, Matt unable to wipe the smile from his face as he knew he was yet another step closer to the thing he wanted more than anything else in this entire world.

Because he was one step closer to being married to the love of his life.