A/N: Hey guys! Sorry about the upload before, something was messed up. It's fixed now, enjoy!
It was finally Friday, Hailey was on her way home to Chicago. She was anxiously awaiting her arrival in the Windy City, she dying to get home, eat famous Chicago food, and sleep in her bed; but more importantly she couldn't wait to see her partner, her best friend.
She looked out the window, and let her mind wander. Her time in New York had been good for her, she had found herself again, she made some friends in the FBI unit and she was able to work in a new territory and unit. As much as she liked her time in New York and working with Agent Zidan, she couldn't wait to get back to the Intelligence Unit, but mainly Jay.
Her and Jay talked almost everyday while she was gone, whether it was about work, small talk about what they did the previous night, or funny anecdotes about the team she still missed him. She didn't think it was possible, but her feelings for Jay grew even more while she was gone. They do say absence makes the heart grow fonder right? Hailey decided it was time to tell Jay how she felt about him, she was just hoping she could work up the courage to do it.
The pilot's voice boomed over the speakers in the plane, pulling Hailey out of her thoughts.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing in Chicago shortly, where the current time is 5:45 PM. On behalf of the captain and the crew it has been our pleasure looking after you today, we hope you enjoy your time in the Windy City and thank you for flying American Airlines. Have a great day!"
A small smile washed over Hailey's face, she was so close to getting home. A few minutes later she felt the plane hit the runway and she felt the butterflies start fluttering in her stomach again. She didn't know why she was getting like this, it was just Jay picking her up from the airport. Maybe she was nervous because she hadn't seen him in person for two weeks, either way she was a combination of nervous and excited.
The passengers filed off of the plane, bidding farewell to the pilot and walking out to the gate. Hailey was antsy to get her luggage and find Jay at the pickup location they agreed on. Hailey couldn't wait to get out of here.
Vanessa was originally going to pick up Hailey, but she was stuck at work finishing paperwork from a case the team had earlier today. Jay was able to get off early and swing by the airport to get the blonde detective. As much as she loved Vanessa, she was ecstatic that Jay was picking her up. She couldn't wait until Monday to see Jay. Voight had gave her both Saturday and Sunday off, so she'd be able to get ready to start back in Intelligence bright and early on Monday morning.
She was met with the brisk April air, Jay made it a point to tell his partner about the weather in Chicago while she was away. Her body shuttered at the wind, scanning the pickup area for Jay. She bit her lip nervously, she was seconds away from seeing her partner, the guy she loved.
"Hailey!" A man shouted, she smiled and looked to her left to see Jay leaning against the Dodge Ram smiling, with his hands in his pockets.
She walked (practically ran) over to him with the biggest smile on her face, she was home and back with the person she loved the most. His muscular arms wrapped her tiny body into a hug. She inhaled his scent as they stood there for a minute. The hug wasn't an odd thing for them, they've hugged before but something was different this time. It was different for Hailey and she wondered if it was different for Jay.
She pulled herself out of his arms and looked up at him with a cheeky smile. He took her suitcase and put it in the backseat of the truck.
"How are you? How was the flight?"
"Good, good. I'm starving." Hailey exasperated as Jay chuckled.
"Let's go get that Bartoli's, then I'll take you home." Hailey nodded at Jay's remark, remembering their phone conversation from a few days ago.
"It's pizza, it can't be that bad."
"It is, it's like a sheet of paper."
"Well deep dish is waiting, when you're back we'll hit Bartoli's."
"Deal."
She smiled at the thought, he knew Bartoli's was her favorite local pizza joint. He knew pretty much everything about her, from her coffee order and favorite restaurants to her family history. They weren't just partners, they were best friends.
They had made their way to the Chicago deep dish pizza joint, picked up their food and headed back to Hailey's place.
"You get the pizza, I'll get your bag." Jay said as he hopped out of the truck.
"Whatta guy." Hailey chuckled as she saw Jay flash her a grin and shut the door. Hailey set the pizza box down on the counter and went to change out of her jeans and sweater and into a t-shirt and leggings. They made their way into the kitchen and sat down at the table, digging into the pizza.
"So what did I miss?"
"Not much, Atwater went undercover with Doyle -"
"Wait, that patrolman, got rough with Kevin and shot Daryl?"
"Yep, that's the one, then Ruz caught an abduction of a girl who's father is one of the richest men in the city. Man the outcome of that case was intense." Jay said as he ran through the details for each case with her. She was interested in it all.
He finished telling her what the team had been up to, and she briefed him on her time in New York. They had talked a lot, but the conversations were short; so it was nice to have a long uninterrupted conversation with him.
They cleaned up their pizza mess and moved over to the couch with beers in hand. They talked more and hung out, eventually turning on Netflix. This was nice, Hailey enjoyed being in Jay's presence, it was calm and peaceful.
Vanessa had texted Hailey and let her know she'd see her tomorrow, she was going out to Molly's with Kevin and Kim after work. Hailey had sent her a quick text back and focused on the Netflix movie they were watching. Every so often, she'd steal a glance at Jay who was sitting next to her with his feet on the table and beer in hand. Hailey wanted to scoot closer to Jay, but didn't want it to be too awkward. She bit her lip out of nervousness as she reached for the remote.
Jay looked over at Hailey with questioning eyes as the movie paused. She shifted on the couch to make herself comfortable, turning to face Jay and bringing her leg up to her chest.
"Jay. I have to tell you something." Hailey choked out. She didn't think she'd be this nervous but apparently she was. It felt like his green eyes were burning into her as he waited for what she was going to say. Suddenly she felt her mouth get dry and she struggled to keep her composure.
"What's up Hails?" Jay answered innocently, taking a swig of his beer.
"For a while now I've felt something between us. Something more than just partners and friends. Over the last year or so, I've started developing feelings for you and while I was in New York, those feelings grew more. You might not feel the same and that's okay, but I just had to tell you, because -" Hailey was cut off mid sentence by Jay's lips on hers. She was shocked but also relieved at the same time. Her feelings for him were now out in the open, he knew how she felt. He knew even more about her now.
They shared a sweet yet passionate kiss. When they separated, Hailey opened her eyes to meet Jay's, the same soft smile that washed over her face when she landed in Chicago, and when she saw Jay appeared again. His lips curled into a smile too, and he leaned over to Hailey.
"Hailey…I feel the same way. I have for a while, I just wasn't sure if you felt it too though." Jay's fingers danced along his beer bottle nervously as he looked at Hailey. They were both nervous for some unknown reason and there was an awkward silence between them. Hailey scooted closer to Jay, feeling comfortable to do it now, and she rested her head on Jay's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. Nothing else really needed to be said, there was something about unspoken communication with them.
They continued the movie, staying in their same positions until the movie was over. Jay went to move his arm, when he noticed Hailey was asleep on his chest. He leaned up on the couch to move her to her bed, getting her more comfortable. She hummed at the feeling of him leaving her side.
"Shh, I'm still here Hails. C'mon lets get you in bed, you've had a long day." Hailey held her arms out, wanting Jay to carry her. He chuckled and picked her up bridal style, carrying her up the stairs to her bedroom. He gently set her on the bed, not knowing which side she laid on so he put her on the side closest to the door. He tucked her in, and kissed her forehead. "Sleep tight Hailey, I'll see you tomorrow." Jay whispered, figuring she was already asleep again.
He straightened his body to see her dig her head into the pillow and slightly shift her body, she hummed again. "Hmm, Jay?"
"I'm here Hailey."
"Stay here tonight."
"Okay, I'll be on the couch." Jay said not wanting to leave anyway.
"No, stay in here. Lay next to me." Hailey whispered. She slowly motioned for Jay to come back over to the bed, assuming he was on the other side of the room.
Jay chuckled softly, and nodded his head like he could see her. He walked over to the other side of the bed, and crawled in. Normally, he'd sleep in sweats if anything but since he didn't have any at Hailey's house, he left his jeans on and slept on the top of the comforter not wanting to break any barriers. He scooted close to Hailey, not wanting to get to close, but wanting to let her know he's there.
This was her new favorite place. She felt safe with him, she was comfortable with him. He was her safety net, her anchor. That would never change. He was her home, and she couldn't wait to wake up next to him tomorrow.