This was supposed to be part of the Maya Birthday special but... lol
hope y'all aren't tired of newborn Maya

hold me in your arms

There was a haze of newborn bliss surrounding the Severides. Their daughter wasn't even 12 hours old, yet their entire world, their entire being, now revolved around this 8-pound 5-ounce tiny human.

In the calm of their hospital room, with the sun long having set outside, Stella was getting some well-deserved sleep after feeding the baby again, leaving Kelly alone with the newborn. He sat quietly in the chair in the corner of the room with Maya on his chest.

He'd ditched his shirt, choosing to take advantage of the moment for some skin-to-skin. This wasn't his first time holding Maya that day, far from it as the newborn had barely been out of her parents' arms since she'd arrived, but it was still just as special. The newness, the awe, hadn't worn off yet and Kelly wasn't sure it ever would.

Stella had playfully teased him about becoming a softie when he'd told her something similar earlier in the day, but he couldn't help it. Every moment of their little girl's life so far had felt monumental.

Maya startled in her sleep on his chest, a consequence of no longer being swaddled, and Kelly rubbed her back. He whispered softly to her as he readjusted her position, moving her so her head was directly over his heart. She settled instantly, bringing a smile to Kelly's face.

There was no hiding it, Kelly Severide was absolutely, undeniably, irrevocably obsessed with his little girl.

As he watched Maya fall back asleep Kelly let his own mind wander over the past few hours.

This moment right here, holding his daughter for the first time, was something Kelly Severide would never forget. Maya was just a few hours old and the new family of three had just gotten settled into their new room. The newborn had been cleaned, weighed, and measured and was now peacefully drowsy in her father's arms while the nurses helped Stella get cleaned up.

Kelly had held babies before, even helped deliver a few as a firefighter, but none of those experiences compared to this one – holding his own baby.

He slowly carried Maya over to the big window. The mid-afternoon sun streaming in was unseasonably warm for early October in Chicago but the heat that accompanied it was comforting. Kelly basked in the sunlight, some of the tension melting from his body as his muscles began to relax. Maya seemed to enjoy it as well; her movements slowed as she was lulled back to sleep.

Kelly swayed back and forth, gently rocking Maya in his arms. He didn't know how long he stayed there, in his own little moment with his daughter before a pair of arms gently wrapped around his waist.

He looked from the baby in his arms to his wife. Despite knowing how exhausted she must be, Kelly thought Stella had never been more beautiful. She was every bit a radiant new mom. He wrapped an arm around her and carefully pulled her around, hugging her to his side.

Kelly placed a kiss on Stella's forehead, receiving a peaceful hum and tired smile in response, and they shared a smile before the enamored new parents turned their attention back to their sleeping baby.

A dopey smile came to Kelly's face. He never thought he'd love someone as much as he loved Stella, and the difficult relationship he had with his father had him nervous about becoming a father, but all his doubts and fears went out the window the moment Maya entered the world. His heart had doubled in size, allowing enough room for Stella and Maya, and he knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for either of them.

If asked, he'd deny it but tears came to Kelly's eyes as he thought about it more. He'd been a father for only a few hours, but he was already ready and willing to die for his daughter—the thought of ever leaving her and Stella behind like Benny did to him was unimaginable.

A small huff from the baby on his chest brought Kelly out of his thoughts. He ran a hand gently up and down one of the soft little arms sprawled on his chest but stopped suddenly when Maya's little hand wrapped around one of his fingers. She held on tight, her grip barely loosening as she fully fell asleep, and Kelly's smile grew.

He craned his neck down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. With a whispered "I love you so much" in the newborn's ear, Kelly leaned back in the chair and drifted off to sleep as well.

A/N: Sorry it's so short but I haven't been firing on all cylinders over here. I'm not in the best place mentally and my anxiety is raging so finding the focus and motivation to write has been difficult.