"Sooooo?" her voice echoed through his hands-free. "How did it go?"

He groaned, hoping he'd have longer to think of his answer before she called. "Do you really want to know?"

"Of course I want to know! I want details, tell me!" She was laughing. "And don't leave out the good stuff!"

He was laughing too. "Alright, you asked for it." He swerved the car around the corner. "So it was great at first. I took her to that pizza place-"

"What pizza place?"

"The one on fifth. Anyway, we ordered our food and everything was sweet-"

"Oh God, what did you do?"

"If you don't stop interrupting me Linds, I'm not going to tell you. And I didn't do anything, thanks." He wished he could see the face she was pulling. "While we were waiting for the food she was talking about herself. Her school, her college whatever." He swerved around another corner, nearing his apartment block. "She never once asked about me,"

She sighed. "You had a bad date because she was only talking about herself? You can't base it on that-"

"Oh, I'm not finished Er."

"Ooh, I'm listening."

"So after we ate, she wanted dessert. I thought she'd want to make more conversation, you know, ask me questions and stuff. But then she started to go deep. She started talking about how she wanted a family and she wanted to be married by this time next year-"

He didn't hear anything except hysterical laughter from the other end of the cell phone. "You're joking, right? She actually said that?"

He nodded, before realizing she couldn't see him. "She actually said that."

"And, let me guess, you freaked?"

"You bet your ass I freaked! What was I supposed to do?!"

"Oh I wish I had been there to see that! What did you do?"

"I told her I'd have a nice evening and paid, but then I ran to the car. What else was I supposed to do?"

She was still laughing.

"I'm glad you find this funny, Erin. I thought this was gonna be a good one for a change,"

She noticed his tone so stopped with the giggles. "I'm sorry. Do you need cheering up then? We could go Molly's if you want?"

He tapped the steering wheel as he neared home. "No, it's okay. I just wanna be alone for a bit. You go out and enjoy your night."

He reached the driveway and pulled the car in. It was dark, and he failed to notice the other car parked next to his.

The apartment block was eerily quiet. Jay climbed the block of stairs to reach his own door.

He froze. His door was on the latch. He could have sworn on everything that it was locked when he had left.

"Shit," he said aloud, as he stepped through the doorframe.

He immediately reached down to his pockets, forgetting he had been out on a date. He didn't have his gun.

"Hello?" He tried to improvise, reaching for the lamp he left by the telephone in the hallway. "Hello?"

He heard a noise coming from the lounge, almost sounding like footsteps. He edged closer to the room armed with the lamp.

She sprung round the corner in such a rush that it made him jump backwards.

Her eyes went wide and she laughed at him. "W-what is this?" She pointed towards his make-shift weapon. "Were you planning on attacking me or something?"

His eyes darted from the lamp to look at her. Then he shook his head. "I- I thought you'd broke in!" He put the lamp on the floor and followed her into the room. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged and flopped onto the couch. "I know you said you wanted to just come home. But I figured you didn't want to be alone. I used the spare key," She pointed towards the coffee table, it was laden down with beers and she'd clearly had take-out.

He grinned at her. "And just how long have you been in my apartment?" He made his way to the coffee table to see if there was leftover take-out. There was. His meal out had been nice, but there wasn't a sufficient amount of it. He'd take Chinese food over it any day. He picked up a beer and sat with her on the couch.

"About a half hour. I figured you'd had a shit time when I called you. Which is why," she raised her own beer to his so they clashed. "I thought I'd be here when you got home. It's not like you to turn down Molly's."

It was his turn to shrug. He stopped shovelling the noodles in his mouth to speak to her. "I guess I just wasn't feeling it tonight."

"Yeah I can't imagine Ruzek or Atwater being too sympathetic to you," she tried to lighten his mood, he seemed cut up a little that his date went so bad.

He laughed. "Oh, you got that right." He set the take-out box down in the floor, moving to get more comfortable on his couch. He kicked off his shoes and loosened one of the buttons on his dress shirt.

He saw she'd already made herself comfortable. Her feet were tucked under her legs on the couch, and she'd picked some trash to watch on the TV.

"What are you watching?"

"Actually I was just flicking until you got home. Because The Godfather is on at 10." She looked at him and smirked. She knew how much he loved that movie. And it would hopefully put him in a better mood.

"Alright cool," He sank further into the couch, his free hand resting along the back of the couch while the other held his beer.

She checked her cell for the time. They still had a half hour before the movie. She didn't know how to talk about the subject: how his night had been. She decided to go for an optimistic approach. "So Sarah is a no-go then, huh?"

He downed the last of his beer. "Absolutely not. A. chance." He didn't have an intention to drink tonight, but now it was all he wanted to do. "I guess I'll lay off the dating for a while." He got up to get another drink, flicking the cap as he made his way back to the couch.

She slapped his arm. "Hey," she got another beer herself. "Not the attitude to have, it'll happen." She had a playful tone to her voice, but she was also serious. Her hand lingered around his upper arm muscles after she'd slapped him.

He turned to face her a little, his body turning to look at her. "But why do the girls I go on dates with always end up being psychos? Or being obsessed with their exes? Or just being plain weird?"

She smiled, not wanting to laugh at his misfortune. But he was right, he had had a string of bad dates lately. It just didn't seem to be happening for him. "I told you, it'll happen." She emphasized the last 'n' sound before turning her attention back to the TV.

He turned his body back too, but left his free hand in the space between them on the couch. He paid attention to a couple of the commercials before he spoke again. "You know, we wouldn't have this problem if you would just date me."

Erin gulped the beer that was in her mouth. She hadn't been expecting the statement, it was a matter they hadn't discussed in a while. "What did you just say?"

"You know what I said," His voice was little more than a whisper this time, perhaps he was scared himself of the worlds coming out of his mouth.

They'd been through this so many times she didn't find it awkward, she would just laugh it off. But tonight he somehow seemed more serious, and she didn't know what to say.

"Jay, I-"

"I know I know, you don't like me like that. I get it, we're partners. But I guess you just bring out the vulnerability in me," He was talking to her, but still staring intently at the TV. Almost as though he couldn't bring himself to look at her reaction.

She'd never heard him speak like this before, and she couldn't just blame it on the fact he'd had a rough afternoon. That was surely a factor, but she felt there was something more to it. "I'm sorry," it was all she could manage. She wasn't even sure what she was apologizing for.

It wasn't that she didn't feel the same way, it was just she'd never allowed herself to feel the same way. Jay Halstead was her partner, and they needed to be there for each other through everything. Hence why she'd came round earlier, to be here when he got back. She knew Jay Halstead and she knew he wouldn't really want to be alone when he was feeling down.

If she really thought about it, she couldn't deny how attractive he really was. He had got the good genes. But they were professional partners, and that came first.

He noticed her silence as she said sorry and looked down at her knees. "Erin," he started. "You don't need to apologize, I can't make you feel the way I do. It's my problem, not yours." He gripped her knee protectively, and smiled at her. "Let's watch the movie."

She nodded her agreement, not failing to notice his touch on her body sent shivers down her nerve system. She tried to shake the feeling from her body and focus on the TV.

Jay reached for two more beers for them before the movie started. Erin still had some of her previous one, so he sat with both in his hands until she was finished. While she was putting the empty bottle on the floor, her body shifted slightly. Closing the gap between the two of them.

Jay's arm was still balancing on the back of the couch so she reached across to grab the beer from his hand. The warmth of his skin slightly touched against her own. They sat quietly as the movie began to play.

She stole a few glances at him. He always looked in awe when he watched The Godfather. He was so engrossed in what was happening on the TV that he barely made conversation. Not that Erin minded, they had plenty of time to talk.

The amount of alcohol she was drinking went straight through her. She was a slender person anyway, and it didn't take a lot to get her drunk.

It seemed like Jay was passing her a new drink during each commercial break.

They finally made conversation half way through the movie.

"Are you trying to get me drunk or something?"

He chuckled. "What, no!" His hand dropped to where hers was so it came to rest over it. "I just I had a bad afternoon and I wanted a few beers. I didn't even think," He motioned to all of the empty bottles surrounding them on the floor. "I forgot you probably haven't had a bad day, I guess you didn't want to drink as much."

She elbowed him in the chest, and he was temporarily shocked before she said anything. "Hey, your day can't be that bad if you're ending it with me," she laughed playfully.

His thumb traced a pattern on the back of her hand. "Yes, that's true." He looked back at the television screen, not saying anything more. But still letting his fingers dance around hers.

She didn't think anything of the gesture, she was happy for him to continue if it brought him comfort. And comfort is probably what he needed right now.

She noticed, when she tried to focus on the movie, that the alcohol she was taking in was going straight to her head. She wasn't used to keeping up with Jay and his ability to drink so much damn beer.

The alcohol didn't affect what she was thinking. It just made her curious.

The movie finished and both Detectives had had a fair amount to drink. The wooden floor beneath them was littered with empty beer bottles, and they still had some left on the coffee table.

"What a movie," Jay sighed as the title credits appeared on the screen.

She nodded in agreement. She didn't like it as much as Jay but she couldn't deny it was a good movie. "Did you leave any take-out?"

He moved to look in the box that he had dropped on the floor, coming back to face her and pulling a face. "Oops, nope. I forgot you got hungry after you've had a drink." He laughed. "I could make you something in the kitchen?"

She didn't want to make him go to much of an effort, but she was hungry. "I could kill for a grilled cheese?"

"Should have known," he mumbled on his way to the kitchen. But she heard him laughing to himself, so he mustn't have been annoyed.

It didn't take him long and he came back into the lounge armed with two grilled cheese. He handed one to Erin. She glared at the plate and took hold of it immediately.

She wasted no time eating it. "This… is so good," she said, between bites.

He laughed, amused that she could be satisfied so easily.

She finished the food quickly and he took the plate back away from her. He headed into the kitchen and put them next to the sink. They could wait until the morning.

Jay walked back into the room. Erin was checking her cell, probably anxious for the time. He sank back down on the couch but didn't say anything.

"Hey," he heard her call. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, looking into her eyes. "Yeah. I'm just- thank you for being here tonight."

She furrowed her brow. "You've been there for me before."

"I know Er, but it's just… You know me. You knew I would be in a bad mood and you knew I wouldn't want to be alone. You knew beer and a movie would be the perfect thing to make me feel better. You just, you knew."

She let her eyes close and she smiled. She knew he had a way with words, but being acknowledged for what she'd done tonight made her feel something.

She ran both her hands through her hair as she listened to the soft tone of his voice. She knew she had to be careful, she couldn't blame her actions on being drunk if she regretted them. Because she knew how much that would hurt him.

She gently placed her palm on his cheek, his stubble tickling her fingers. With her other hand, she pushed her curls gently off her face.

"Of course I knew," she felt his face as he leaned into her hand.

Whether it was the alcohol or not, she knew she wanted nothing more in this moment than to be with him.

She willed her body forward, stopping her face inches away from his.

"Erin," he whispered, barely audible but she heard it. "I thought you said-"

"I know what I said," she pushed a finger forward onto his lips to silence him. "Shh," she said before taking her finger away and instead finding his lips with her own.

She felt him breathe in, but it took him seconds to respond. His hands rushed to the side of her hips and she moved to straddle over him, in a bid to feel closer to his body.

Her body was selfish, craving him more. Erin opened her mouth in a bid for him to do the same and he did, her tongue slowly sliding along his lower lip.

He let out a groan, unable to silence the desire to have her. Unbeknown to her, this was all he had craved since laying eyes on her. He had managed to play down his feelings but now this was happening, he was about to lose control.

She lowered herself on his lap, pausing the kissing enough for them both to take a breath. Her hands reached for the bottom of his shirt. She didn't have time to waste on all of the buttons, hastily pulling the material over his head. As soon as the item was disregarded, her hands travelled to his bare chest roaming for the perfect place to come to rest.

He couldn't keep his own hands to himself either, cupping her face in a bid to pull her even closer into him. One of his hands moved to the bottom of her shirt, finding the underneath and snaking its way up her bare back. He felt the tiny goose-bumps on her skin as he outlined patterns on her spine.

She parted their lips, breathing heavily and looking directly into his eyes.

"Take me to your bedroom," she whispered in his ear.

"W-w-what?" He struggled to even get a single word out, somewhat bewildered at what was currently happening.

He wanted nothing more than to take Erin to bed and make love to her, but knew she was intoxicated. He had to make sure he wasn't just taking advantage of his partner, he had to ensure she wanted this too.

"I said," her tone was dark and desiring. "Take me to your bedroom."

Jay didn't need to be told again, standing from the couch with Erin still wrapped around his front.

His awful afternoon was soon far in the back of his mind, the thought of having Erin finally in his bedroom now the predominant thing he was thinking about.

He knew there would be bridges to be crossed in the morning, but currently that was the last thing on his mind.

Because, right now, he was a moment of euphoria with Erin Lindsay, and he never thought this day would have come.

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