"You feel better?" Kidd asked with a shitty grin as soon as Brett returned and picked up her disregarded drink.

"What do you mean?" Brett asked, although she was pretty sure she knew what her friend meant and eyed her surroundings nervously.

"You said it was hot in here and you needed some air but you look even more hot now," Kidd chuckled at her own joke, watching as Severide, Foster and Herrmann made small talk at the bar, safely out of earshot.

"Why, thank you," Brett winked and pretended that Kidd had simply complimented her, ignoring the innuendo. She laughed at herself because when Kidd said it, it was clearly a joke but when Foster said it she worried that everyone knew they were dating.

"Oh my god, did you have sex?!" Kidd asked suddenly, excitedly, but the bar was still loud with karaoke and anyone that knew them wasn't paying attention.

"Stella, we were outside for like, FIVE minutes!" Brett argued as nonchalantly as possible despite the blush growing upon her face.

"Sometimes five minutes is all it takes," Kidd wagged her eyebrows and clinked glasses with her friend.

"Maybe for you," Brett shot back, looking away quickly as Severide and Foster approached them in the crowd.

"Dick..." Kidd playfully insulted her friend, knowing that unfortunately they had to cut the conversation short with company near.

"Exactly," Brett made her own innuendo, causing Stella to laugh loudly and choke on her drink.

"We're missin' all the fun again," Foster told Severide, assuming that Brett and Kidd were just discussing something Sylvily related but knowing she couldn't admit that.

"Sports or sex?" Severide asked without missing a beat, causing Brett and Kidd to widen their eyes in surprise while Foster just looked lost.

"Sex."

Brett's answer was instant and shocking to all three of her friends. All were immediately intrigued by her sudden boldness.

"Oh yeah? How's that?" Severide asked, instinctively stepping closer to Stella as he spoke. "You got a new guy?"

"Oh, definitely not," Brett shook her head, taking a swig of her whisky. "I was talking about you and Kidd."

crickets

Not one of them, not even Stella, had a response for that. Kelly coughed into his drink. Foster grinned at Brett's spontaneity, knowing that was certainly not what was actually being discussed between the two women. Kidd stared at her in shock (and insult?) because this time Brett actually stepped it up.

"Brett, you know we're just friends now," Severide said calmly, though he took a giant swig of Jack immediately after responding.

"For how long?" Brett asked with a smirk on her face and a wink to boot.

"Jesus," Kelly murmured, rolling his eyes and taking a few steps away, uncomfortably.

"Dude?!" Stella called Brett out loudly; loudly enough that anyone in the vincinity could hear.

"Don't 'Dude' me, Kidd. You've been ragging on me about Emily all night and I owe you," Brett said, not yet angry but beginning to get irritated.

"What?!" Kelly said, back into the conversation in a second after hearing it's reasoning.

"What?" Brett asked weakly, turning red and burning up again but not in a good way.

"I have ears, you know? And I also keep my mouth shut," Kelly told Sylvie, calm despite his embarrassment.

Foster touched Brett's elbow gently, hoping to get her attention for a second long enough for the woman to look her in the eyes; they were currently locked on Kelly and full of fear. Brett turned to Foster for a millisecond, but it was a millisecond long enough for her to realise.

"Hey," Foster said in a mere whisper. "Look at me."

Brett looked into Foster's eyes but away quickly. The sheer panic and terror she felt in that moment trumped any that she had felt at the scene of an accident.

"It's okay..." Foster told her gently, touching her forearm and running it down to her hand (which remained clasped into a fist). "It's just Kelly. The way him and Kidd have been lookin' at each other, she probably already told him."

Okay, so... probably not the best thing to say to Brett at that moment. But Jack brought out honesty from Foster the same way it did from Brett. (And everyone else on the planet, whether they like it or not.)

When Brett turned to her friends, Kelly was already staring. Not in a creepy way, not in a weird way, just clearly lost and slightly inebriated.

"Fuck it."

It was so sudden that Foster (and Kidd) didn't know how to react. Brett took a deep breath, a swig of whisky, and turned to Severide.

"Foster and I are together and it's really new and I would really like to keep it, so could you please keep your mouth shut?" Brett said all in one breath, again shocking all three of them.

"Damn..." Kelly responded, shocked and taking a swig of his drink. "That's awesome."

"Perv!" Stella said, smacking Kelly hard on the chest, insulted for her friends.

"No! Not like that," Kelly insisted and Brett knew he meant it. "I mean it's awesome if they're happy. And you know I won't tell anyone."

Brett smiled because she believed him. Foster frowned because she didn't.

"I just... I don't even want Herrmann to know, even though I trust him with my life," Brett explained with Foster shaking by her side. "I would really like this to just BE, without the firehouse drama."

"You really mean that?" Foster asked in awe and admiration of the girl she was beginning to fall for.

"Completely," Brett smiled, taking Foster's hand subtly.

"Well I'm all in, and not in a perv way," Kelly told them, draping his arm across Stella's shoulders naturally. "I'm totally happy for you and no one needs to know until you want them to."

"Thanks, Kelly. It means a lot," Brett told him, feeling happy tears welling up in her eyes.

"It does. Thanks," Foster nodded, pulling Brett's hand into her own.

"Wait!" Kelly said suddenly as though he had some revelation. "That's why she had the bite mark on her neck!"

Foster chuckled, wide-eyed. Brett just blushed.

XXX

"You okay?" Foster asked softly as they exited Molly's, approaching Brett's car (which she knew she shouldn't be driving).

"Yeah, why?" Brett snapped out too quickly, leaning against her vehicle and looking lost.

"I'm sure outing us to Severide wasn't really in your plans for tonight," she smiled, brushing her fingers over Brett's knuckles subtly.

"It definitely wasn't," Brett side, turning to look at Foster. "But it's over now and honestly, I'm kind of relieved," she smiled, entwining her fingers with Foster's and pulling the woman nearer to her.

"Really?" Foster beamed, bumping Brett's shoulder in order to keep herself from kissing her. "That's so great. You know I don't want to pressure you into anything, but if you think Severide's gonna keep is mouth shut, then I trust him."

Brett shrugged, discomfort evident. Foster raised an eyebrow, silently asking her to divulge.

"You're not upset, right? About us hiding?" Brett asked sadly, watching the array of emotions cross Foster's features. "I don't want you to think I'm embarrassed, or that I need to keep this a secret forever. There's just… a lot, you know?" Foster nodded and allowed Brett to continue. "Last week I didn't even know I liked woman and I just kept telling myself that my attraction to you was fleeting. And now…"

"Sylvie, I totally get it. This really is a lot. That's why I don't want to pressure you. Everyone already knows that I date women so it's easy for me to not care what they think. This is all brand new to you and I respect you needing some time to figure it out," she smiled, brushing the hair away from Brett's face and allowing her hand to linger there.

"I can't believe how understanding you are," Brett smiled in relief. "You're amazing," she said, pulling Foster to her and kissing her softly.

Foster grinned into the kiss and pulled Brett against her, holding her near and taking in the wonder of their time together. Sure, she had dated a lot, but she knew that she had never felt the way she did with Sylvie Brett.

Herrmann locked the door to Molly's and noticed some kids making out against a car on the street. He was about to yell 'get a room!' or something equally obnoxious when he realised that it was Brett's car. And then he realised it was Brett. And Foster.

He walked away, eyes wide and head spinning.