Trying to get back into the swing of things with writing so it's a bit rusty. Please be gentle.

It was the first time she witnessed his truculent behaviour, that she knew she was fucked.

Jay Halstead was confident.

Some may describe him as cocky or arrogant, but he knew his limits—he knew how to dance with the fine line of being an asshole and being self-assured.

All his life he had a bit of that fire in his eyes, but it never really got unleashed until after he had graduated high school.

In the military, he had to be tough. Any sign of weakness could mean he wasn't ready to be deployed overseas—ready to see the horrors of war. His service shaped him into the man he was and he wouldn't have it any other way.

As a cop, dealing with belligerent people on an almost daily basis meant that he had a resilient exterior. He was almost unphased by them now.

He isn't always aggressive or truculent. Jay Halstead had a softness to him which was often reserved. There was a handful of times while Jay and Erin were out on patrol and came across kids while responding. The way he would distract them from what was going on—showing them the inside of the police car—while other units dealt with the situation warmed Erin up. The light in his eyes and the grin on his face was permanently etched into her memory ever since she first saw it.

Erin knew Jay was one of a kind. He was sassy, sarcastic, and assertive but also kind, empathic, and softhearted. He stood up for what he believed in and those he loved and cared about.

But after the first time she witnessed his truculent behaviour, she knew she was fucked.

It was still early on in their partnership. The sexual tension was heavy; the bantering unrestricted; and the knowing looks plentiful.

As a female cop, she was already used to the harassment she faced everyday—from people on the street; suspects; and sadly, male coworkers in the past. But she had never had someone stick up for her.

The three pairs of eyes on her body felt unnerving, but she kept moving forward to the convenience store to question the owner. Jay followed a step behind her, and his words "watch yourself" gave her a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. She did well hiding the smile on her face—well aware of her task at hand—but she knew she'd be thinking about that moment later that night.

On their way out of the convenience store, she wasn't expecting the men to do anything, but boy was she wrong. She tried to play it off with an eye roll, but when she noticed Jay's straighten his posture, she was intrigued to see what would unfold.

It's not that Jay was necessarily eager to fight. He wanted to defend and protect his partner. Nobody would mess with Erin Lindsay for as long as he lived.

He didn't feel any sympathy for breaking the dude's nose. Maybe next time he'd think ahead before catcalling another woman.

Throughout the day, Erin couldn't stop thinking about the fight. It was a mixture of marvelling at the way Jay's muscles moved with him and the feeling of pride that he had stuck up for her. She sarcastically told him he was her hero and ended the conversation by walking towards the driver's side of the 300. She would never admit it to his face but he really was her hero.

It happened again when he chased a perp through the snow into an old lady's house. Even though he lost that fight the sight of his bloody face gave her enough of an idea of what ensued. His anger and annoyance after letting the guy get away was strikingly attractive to her. Erin knew it was the wrong time to be thinking about his behaviour, so she shrugged it off with a pat on his shoulder and some reassurance.

And it happened again when he was kidnapped by the "retired" hitman. His clothes, face and hair were full of dirt from wrestling the man and when he joined the unit again to arrest Shawstack, Erin couldn't ignore the way his butt looked in those jeans.

There was something about the way he protected himself and others that made her want to jump him.

Erin saw the way his body and muscles moved when he was running after a suspect, and then consequently, arresting them. There were times when he would stand so close that she was tempted to run her fingers over his biceps or his back, but would have to refrain from doing so because of where they were. Even when they were alone she couldn't bring herself to do so.

They needed to keep it professional.

She didn't dare admit that half of the reason why she joined the FBI was so that they could have a chance. She wasn't surprised that he had the same idea. Fucking Lang for interrupting the moment.

She thought about his bright eyes and the excitement on his face from his innuendo for the rest of the day. It was hard to not think about it when she had been sweating from him being so close to her—so close that she could smell his cologne and body wash.

When she stopped by Molly's later that night and realized he wasn't there, she went to his apartment and hesitantly knocked on the door. She knew that if she went in there, there was no going back.

He looked comfy in his sweats and t shirt when he opened the door. When he let her in and closed the door behind them, she couldn't believe how small the room felt. He stood with his hands comfortably in his pockets as he made a statement about the press conference.

But all Erin could focus on was the way he looked at her with that soft look on his face—the one she doesn't often get to see at work.

When he had her pinned up against his wall and looked into her eyes again—confirming that she wanted it—she was sure she fell in love with him.

He was gentle and caring. He made sure everything he did was okay. It was a stark contrast to his truculent behaviour, but honestly Erin wouldn't have it any other way.

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