post 1x6 Octane. No warnings apply!
By the time Street gets an actual moment alone with Chris, it's the night after the night SWAT takes down Richter. Fatigue lines his bones, a ring of bruising glowing around his bicep, but the bar is loud and even Mumford's laugh is a familiar comfort instead of annoying. He watches from the corner of his eye as Chris slips outside, following a few minutes later.
"Hey," Street says, leaning against the brick wall next to Chris. She glances over and takes in how the neon light bounces off his features, and gives him a smile.
"Hey. They bleed you dry in there yet?"
Chuckling, Street shakes his head no.
"Limit one per customer on my tab. You can have two, though."
His smirk strikes a fire in Chris's core that she doesn't move to extinguish right away, playing along.
"The 'I saved your life' special?"
Street meets her eyes, and Chris raises her eyebrows in a mock challenge.
"Sure thing. Just don't tell Rocker."
At the mention of Rocker, Chris winces. It's tiny, barely noticeable, but Street's brows furrows and he turns to face her.
"What's wrong?"
Rolling her eyes, Chris brushes it off, says it's nothing. She looks through the window at the sea of men inside, crossing her arms.
"I know it's only been a few months, but it's not nothing. Talk to me."
Chris shrugs and keeps her gaze on the glass.
"Rocker and I did our climbing cadre together. I pulled his ass up, he passed. I didn't. Everyone passed, actually, except me."
Narrowing his eyes, Street's head shakes like he doesn't understand.
"That doesn't sound right. You talk to Hondo?"
Lips in a line, Chris sighs and turns back to Street.
"Hondo and Deacon did plenty without me talking to them about it. They're lucky I didn't kick their asses."
Her tone is sharp. Street does his best to understand her, but it's clear he isn't, and she swallows back the flare of anger that runs through her. His eyes search her face, so sincere, she can't help but keep talking.
"I know that eval is bullshit. But I don't need the big, strong men going to save me. It only makes more problems."
Nodding, Chris's words settle into Street and he grimaces.
"That sucks, Chris, I'm sorry."
She huffs a laugh, more comforted by that than anything anyone else did.
"Thank you. Whatever. He can 'protect the uniform' all he wants. I'm the one wearing it."
The second the words are out, Chris tilts her head and closes her eyes like she made a mistake. Cracking her eyes open when, surprisingly, nothing follows, Street's looking at her as innocent as ever.
"You saved my life. I'm not giving you a reason to end it." Street says, every comment that popped into his mind blowing away with the breeze. His smile is bright and grows when Chris relaxes.
"That kid's alive thanks to you. How's he holding up?"
"Okay," Street says, his hand coming to rub his arm subconsciously. "Hopefully they'll go easy on him. He's young, reckless, but he's a good kid."
"Can't imagine what that's like," Chris smirks. "Having to put your trust in a guy like that."
Feigning hurt, Street scoffs. He opens his mouth to counter, but Chris stops him with a nudge of her elbow.
"You've come a long way. You set me up for that shot."
"I knew you'd have it." Street says, immediately. "The second I saw you, I knew things would be okay."
A light blush rolls over Chris's cheeks. She glances at the concrete to hide it.
"Hondo's proud of you. Everyone is, but, you know."
Her words warm Street, but doubt fills him just as fast when he looks back at the bar.
"I'm pretty sure most everyone in there's still waiting for the other shoe to drop on me."
Street says it like it's the fact of the matter, and it needles Chris. She slides down to perch on the cool windowsill, waiting for Street to look at her and brushing a hand against his arm when he doesn't.
"You're a good cop, Street. Those guys know it, even if they give you a hard time. Just gotta keep doing the work."
Disbelief flashes across his face, and something spurs Chris not to let up.
"I trust you, Street, and I'm a harder sell than most of them. Don't let who you used to be get in the way of who you can be."
A new feeling washes over Street, lively as a flower blooming at the beginning of spring, and he wants to hold onto it. Biting back a smile, Street nods, makes a silent promise to do whatever he needs to do to keep Chris's trust in him.
"Where'd you pick that one up?" He asks, lightness back in his tone. Chris looks at him and shrugs.
"We've all got a history."
There's more to her words. Street wants to know every detail, but he relaxes back into the night air instead, sure they'll get there eventually. Checking her watch, Chris sighs and stands, throwing another glance inside where the party rages on.
"I'm gonna need a beer to deal with Mumford starting karaoke. Still time for me to cash that in?" She asks. Street laughs, says there sure is. He gets to the door first and holds it open, a silent battle of wills happening between them that Chris gives into first.
She's whisked back into the group, and Street hears her laugh over Luca's booming voice. Walking to the bar, he orders two bears and then leans on his elbow to take in the sight around him.
"What are you thinking about, Kid?" Hondo asks, smiling. Street turns to look at him, but keeps Chris in his periphery.
"The future."
hello! thank you so much for reading- i hope you enjoyed!
this one's a little shorter, but it also takes place way early in their relationship. i wanted to explore them more just as friends who are really starting to connect and trust one another. i also wanted to cover both chris dealing with cole and street's uc case, which was fun to intertwine them both having a major personal plot happening at the same time.
any comments/kudos/suggestions are welcomed and appreciated! i really love this series and it means a lot that you all like it too 3
all my best!
Xo, A