letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I love you’- 90: You can tell me anything

Hello! Many apologies for being away for so long - I've been a bit ill and low on energy to write, read or post. I had this written before I actually fell ill, so I'm so glad I can post it now. I hope you all enjoy it. It's by far the longest piece I've written so far. Please let me know what you think :)

This was requested by @queseraone. I've kinda set it based on the comment in the season 5 premiere about Jay hitting a fellow cop for harassing Erin (because c'mon; how hot is that?!).

Thank you to my wonderful beta @justkillingtimewhileiwait !

As always - if you have any prompts off this list you’d like me to write, just message me! (That list is also a master post for all the prompts I’ve so far :))

It started innocently, or at least, that was what Erin made herself believe. She had no idea who he was when she met him at the crime scene Hank had called her out to in the middle of the night, dragging her away from her warm bed and even warmer boyfriend. Though all things considered, she couldn't complain when she wasn't the poor woman lying dead in her kitchen surrounded by three friends.

"Gruesome, huh?" Officer Malley, according to the name tag on his vest, commented as he led her through the house. He had looked familiar enough; tall, muscular, blonde, green eyes, but she hadn't been able to place him, and if she really thought about it, she knew she wouldn't. There were too many officers in the Chicago Police Department, and she barely knew the ones who worked out of the 21st let alone the rest of the districts.

"Not the worst I've seen," Erin sighed, taking in the modestly sized room and the multiple pools of blood on the tiled floor.

"Really?" the officer asked in surprise, and she shifted slightly to look at him questioningly when intrigue took over his features. "What's the wors-?"

Erin knew what the question was going to be when Hank cut him off by calling for her, but she merely offered a small, apologetic smile before following her boss' voice. By the time they had returned to the kitchen, Malley was gone, and she hadn't spared him another thought.

…

The case had dragged for over three days until Intelligence had caught the break they needed, apprehending the perpetrator not five miles from the crime scene itself. They had slept the bare minimum, just enough to function, as frustration ate at them all for not closing the case.

It was because of the lack of sleep, Erin reasoned to both herself and Jay when she had asked if he had wanted something from the vending machine downstairs, why she was turning to sugar in the form of Skittles in addition to her usual coffee. Since Jay had moved in, her dependency on candy for a sugar high had pretty much disappeared mostly due to the fact he did the grocery shopping more often than not and candy was never on his list. Even if she had snuck it on at the beginning, and received dried fruit packets instead.

"It's nature's candy," he had told her with a brilliant smile that had her wondering whether asking him to move in really was a great idea. Eight months later and she couldn't deny she was just as addicted to the healthy snack as she once was to her candy.

Though she had to admit, she never felt the same joy as she did when standing in front of a vending machine, deciding which variety of Skittles to get.

"Detective Lindsay," a voice called out from down the hallway just as Erin had selected the sour mix, knowing none of the boys but Antonio would touch it. She could share with Antonio.

Feeding the required dollar into the vending machine, she pursed her lips as her colleague approached. He was familiar and she knew she had met him before, but she simply couldn't place him. "Officer," she drawled slowly, hoping he didn't realise that she had forgotten his name as she roamed his uniform for a hint. Unfortunately, his jacket covered his up his vest and therefore his nametag.

"I heard you caught the person who murdered that poor woman and her friends," he commented with a hint of excitement and a whole lot of familiarity she could not reciprocate.

Malley, she remembered suddenly, mentally returning to the scene where he had met her at the door and guided her through to the kitchen. Though she hadn't recognised him on the night, Erin put it down to the fact that he was probably new to the precinct.

Realising the patrolman was waiting for her response, she put on a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, yeah we did. It was a spiteful old friend."

"I hope she goes away for a while," Malley stated, his words catching her off guard. Never once had she stated the shooter had been female, and Erin knew the news couldn't have spread that quickly. But before she could open her mouth, he was already carrying on with a smile. "You know we never finished that conversation from the crime scene."

"Conversation?" Erin asked, brow furrowing as she failed to recall any meaningful conversation they had shared. She couldn't help the way her muscles tensed in his presence; the way she stood rigid, ready to escape if needed to. There was something about his own overly confident attitude that had her on edge.

"About the worst crime scene you've seen," he reminded her with a shake of the head that she would have called affectionate if they had known each other for longer than approximately five minutes in total.

Erin frowned at his words, taking a carefully administered step back after noticing their close proximity that had only drifted smaller throughout the short exchange and reached for the candy she had yet to retrieve from the machine. "Oh, right! That's not a great conversation, actually," she told him offhandedly, snack now in hand and with every intention of returning back to her desk.

"Maybe a few drinks would make it more interesting? You go to Molly's, right? It's a pub nearby. Most of the first responders around here do," Malley informed her, his smile still in place with hopefulness shining brightly on his features.

"Yeah, no, It's pretty popular. We go there often," she told him with a light laugh, deducing for once and for all that he really was new to the 21st district if he hadn't noticed her at Molly's before, especially if he was asking her out for a drink. Deciding to let him down gently, yet put an obvious end to his attempted flirting, she softened her posture and offered him a quirk of her lips. "Listen, thank you for the offer but I'm in a relationship so I don't think that's really a good idea."

His features fell at her revelation, but before she could try and smooth things over, Malley smiled once again and shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright, well I'll be seeing you around then."

"Sure," she replied flippantly, gripping her candy in her hand and heading back towards the stairs to take her to Intelligence.

The feeling of someone watching her burnt hot against the back of her head as she willed herself to not turn around, and only waiting until she knew she was well out of sight before stopping. Though Erin hadn't immediately recognised him, she knew for certain Malley hadn't been one of the officers working on the case apart from the night of murder itself. They had kept any and all information about the suspect within the small group out so not to scare her off, which was why she found it suspicious that Malley knew it was a woman. Especially when statistics and experience showed that most of the murderers they caught were men.

Shaking her head, Erin pushed her thoughts aside and warned herself about overthinking things when running on fumes, coffee and sugar. If he really was a new cop, then of course he would follow up on one of his first crime scenes. There were plenty of ways of getting the information, even if Intelligence had run it in the dark for as long as they could. The idea he was following her was far too narcissistic.

…

Three weeks later, Erin wasn't sure it had been a narcissistic thought after all. Perhaps she had been jumping the gun back then, but not anymore. Not when she could see the other officer by the perimeter of the building Intelligence had just raided, and found nothing, helping others to seal it off. It was pretty late, the sun having set hours earlier, giving the secluded area they were in a much more eerie feeling even though it was lit up bright with lampposts and police squad cars.

It was because of the light she could see Malley as he occasionally, almost casually, kept looking back over at her. She tried to ignore it, squinting to force her eyes away from any direct light in his direction, but she couldn't help it. Ever since their initial meeting, she had spotted him at almost every single crime scene she had gone to yet never at the 21st again. If he had been, Erin knew Platt would have caught on quicker than the detective. But Malley's Sargent clearly didn't care about his whereabouts, or who he was riding with.

She could see the exact moment he decided to head her way. It was the same moment she turned her back to him and took steady, careful steps back to the Sierra where her partner was currently depositing his gun. Malley had tried talking to her a couple of times whilst at a scene, mostly about what was going on, but she made sure to shut it down once he turned it personal so not to give him any false ideas. Their relationship was professional, if even that.

Joining Jay at the back of their work car, she let out a small sigh when she noticed Malley turn back to securing the scene, yellow tape in hand. She had yet to tell anyone about the officer and his tendencies; at first not wanting to make it into a bigger deal than it was, and now not wanting to have the stigma of her calling out a male officer on harassment without any solid proof. Though she knew her team would believe her without a second thought, she worked for the city and the Chicago Police Department as a whole. Her career meant a lot to her, and being a detective in one of the most elite units in the city was not where she planned on stopping. If she could make it go away without any official paperwork to follow her, then she would do her best to make it happen.

However, at the same time, she knew ignoring him couldn't go on forever. Giving herself a six-week deadline, she had resolved with herself that if he hadn't gotten bored with her lack of interaction or response by then, she would tell Jay. It made her feel better about not opening up to him about it yet, even if she justified it by reminding herself that he would not take it lightly at all and probably mar his own professional career. It was for all their benefits, and her peace of mind, knowing she had Jay in her corner if she needed him no matter what.

As if realising her train of thoughts were currently about him, though it could have been her sigh that drew his attention too, Jay turned to face her after safely replacing his long gun in the back where hers had remained. He rested a hand on the top of the trunk door, keeping them slightly off to the side and away from most of the prying eyes as she stepped up to him and into his personal space.

Lifting her hand, she gently skimmed the pads of her fingers over his name on his vest, feeling each and every stitch of fabric which had meticulously formed Halstead, sitting perfectly over his right pectoral. She couldn't look away, not even as she felt Jay's free hand lay softly on her other arm, caressing her bicep with his thumb and the same tenderness she was giving his name tag.

"You alright?" he questioned, and she knew by his anxious tone if they hadn't just walked out of an empty building where not a single bullet had been fired, he'd have been checking her over for wounds already.

"Yeah," she murmured, dragging her eyes away from his name tag and seeing concern reflect in his own. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"I'm always going to worry, Er," he told her, a frown fixing itself onto his mouth as she tried to offer him a smile.

"I know," she breathed, glancing off to the side quickly to see Malley was still in the nearby vicinity and the reason why she could feel her head start to ache. Turning back to her partner, she pushed herself onto her toes and lightly brushed her lips against his. It was quick and daring, but she needed it to ground herself.

"Erin," Jay began when she fell back onto her feet and took a step back. His brow was furrowed and confusion was etched so clearly onto his features at her out-of-character show of affection whilst at work, there was no need for words to ask what had happened. At her shake of the head, he swallowed and pursed his lips momentarily. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know," she repeated, assuring him with a smile that stretched much more naturally across her lips and pressing her hand flat against his chest in a thankful gesture.

"Whenever you're ready, I'm here," he promised her, and Erin could only offer him a nod in response lest she spilt her secret there and then at his loving words.

Dropping her hand from his body, she peered away from the gathering crowds and back towards the building they had come to raid. Their night was far from over, but the sooner they got back to the district, the sooner they could all go home. "We should get going. I don't think there's anything left to do here."

Jay nodded and closed the trunk door, peering over the roof of their car towards where their Sargent was standing, beckoning over whoever he can see of his team. "Let's go see what Voight wants first, though."

"Relax," Erin laughed when they started to make their way over, Jay making it more than obvious he was keeping a fair bit of distance between them. She had no doubt it was because of the kiss and her partner's fear of their boss seeing whilst on the clock, but she had to admit that it did push away all of her anxiety and worries at the sight of it. "He didn't see."

"Yeah, well, if he did," he began, pausing as they passed under the tape to approach their team. "I'll be the one to hear about it later, I'm sure."

"Aw, poor baby," she teased, bumping her shoulder into his as she purposely kept close to him. "I'll make it up to you."

Her remark earned her a smirk and a raised brow. "Don't you always?" Jay retorted with no need of a suggestive tone for them both to know what he meant.

Allowing a smile to play on Erin's lips, she took a small step away from him as they approached the rest of the team gathered around their boss and his car. She hadn't meant to but somehow, even with her consciously willing herself not to, she looked over casually towards where Malley had last been standing.

Something that felt like relief washed over her immediately when she failed to find it, but it was short-lived. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him closer than he had gotten since their conversation at the precinct, talking to another detective helping them on the case. He managed to keep looking at her, brow creased with his mouth pulled downwards into a frown. There was no doubt he had seen her kiss Jay, or them joking around a moment earlier. She had hoped it would send a message about how serious she was about being with someone, but something told her it wasn't going to be enough to deter him.

Trying her best to push those thoughts away before someone caught on to her turmoil, Erin willed herself to pay attention to Hank and his instructions, though it was rather hard to do when she could feel eyes continuously bore into the side of her head.

...

They closed the case two days later following another raid, this time successful. Unfortunately, it had resulted in the deaths of several members of the gang they were after, with both Jay and Antonio firing the fatal shots. Which meant the two of them were stuck with the paperwork that the Ivory Tower demanded to secure an ironclad case, leaving the rest of the team to not-so-guiltily retreat for a drink.

In Erin's defence, she had given Jay a half-hearted offer of a helping hand. He had thankfully seen through it and sent her to Molly's with the rest of the team, commenting it would only take him another hour or so and would grab a ride with Antonio to the pub. She hadn't offered twice, instead squeezing his shoulder and telling him she would see him soon before following Ruzak, Atwater and Burgess down the stairs.

Of course, she had beaten them all their destination. Deciding against waiting for them, she made her way towards the familiar pub, knowing there would be at least one person inside she knew to keep her company for the time being.

She had barely made it to the street corner when she regretted her decision. "Hello, Detective," the bane of her existence greeted her as he stepped in front of her and effectively blocking her way to the entrance of Molly's.

"Officer Malley," Erin replied dryly, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets though the late summer evening was still warm. "Can I get inside, please?"

"Let me buy you that drink we talked about," he insisted with a winning smile that probably would have worked plenty of other women but did nothing to convince her.

"I'm good, thanks," she replied, staring him down to watch as his smile faltered and his brow pinched together.

"Erin-," he began, but she shook her head and cut him off before she heard his attempt at striking up a conversation once again.

"Don't," Erin simply said, making sure her tone was authoritative and keeping her words simple so they couldn't be misconstrued. "Don't talk to me, don't pretend you know me. I'm here with my friends, so let's leave it at that and go our separate ways."

"I only want to talk. You never talk to me," Malley stated softly in a way that almost sounded like a whine when she was taken aback with hurt lacing his words.

Shaking her head, she refused to feel sympathy for the man who had been practically stalking her for the past three-odd weeks and stood her ground instead. "I don't know you, and I don't want to either. I don't want to be friends, we don't work together and I already have a boyfriend."

"Wait-," he tried again as she started to walk past him after she had said her part, grabbing her by the arm as she did so and turning her back to face him.

"Don't touch me," Erin warned him, dropping her arms by her sides after forcefully shaking off his hold. It had taken her a second to get over the shock of his sudden movement, having initially assumed he wasn't a physical threat to her. Now, she was no longer sure and was more than keen to head inside away from him.

Malley reached out once again, gripping onto her wrist with a tighter hold than earlier. "Let's just talk, okay?"

"No. Now let go of my wrist and walk away," she gritted out between her teeth, in both anger and frustration at his perseverance. "I said, let go!"

"You alright, Linds?" Malley finally retracted his hand and took a small step back a second before Erin had heard Ruzak's voice, knowing the other cop had seen him approach. Erin twisted slightly to look at her friend, watching as he took in the patrolman with discriminating eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

When Malley refused to answer, she sighed and shook her head. "He's no-one. Let's go inside," she told Ruzak, happy for the company that now allowed her to walk peacefully into Molly's.

She refused to look back at Malley or to see whether he followed, heading straight to the bar instead knowing her colleague was not a step behind her with a thousand questions. Though she wasn't sure exactly what Ruzak had seen, it was clear he had caught the tail end of the confrontation.

"What was that about?" he eventually asked when they approached the bar, leaning against it to face her.

Erin peered up at him, taking in his worried eyes and the frown playing on his features. Sighing, she shrugged as lightly as she could. "Nothing. How far are Atwater and Burgess?"

"Kev said they're around the corner," Ruzak replied before bringing the subject back to what they had been talking about. "Who was that guy?"

"No-one, Adam. Should we get some food?" she deflected, turning towards where she could see Otis at the other end of the bar serving some people from Med. When she failed to gain the firefighter's attention, or garner a response from her friend, Erin let out a deep breath and shifted so she was able to talk to Ruzak without facing him head-on. Lowering her voice, she pursed her lips every so slightly, "Just drop it, alright?"

"No, not alright. That guy was harassing you, and I'm pretty sure I've seen him around before," he rebuked, his voice matching her own with a sharp edge to his words. Erin noticed him peer over his shoulder towards the main door, scanning the distance in between too, for the other cop. Fortunately for her, he was nowhere to be seen.

"He's a cop. You've probably seen him at work," she offered just as she spotted Atwater and Burgess walk in. Laying a hand on Ruzak's arm, she offered him a small smile before telling him tersely, "Everything's fine, so you can leave it alone. Let's just enjoy our very rare evening off."

Ruzak nodded absentmindedly at her suggestion, and if she had bought him a couple of extra drinks to thank him for being a good friend without saying the words, no one commented on it. Especially not when he ended up being the first one drunk, before even Jay and Antonio had joined them, and giving them all something to laugh about after a hard few days.

…

Jay couldn't help but keep glancing over at his partner every few minutes as they worked the crime scene of the new case Intelligence had just caught. A triple murder in a shady underground nightclub which doubled as a gambling ring, and who knew what else. There weren't many witnesses, and the few that were still there being interviewed by Antonio, Burgess and a couple patrolmen were mostly useless due to their inebriated state.

Even as Erin carefully took in the scene, pointing out certain facts whilst asking questions or answering others', he couldn't help but notice her tense body. The way she meticulously carried out her job whilst shooting him a curious glance when he noticed her doing everything she could to avoid looking in the direction towards the bar where two patrolmen from another district stood waiting for further orders from Voight. Especially when he saw her falter slightly when canvassing the room, going out of her way to avoid the corridor that led to the backroom area where the officers stood.

If there was one thing Jay knew about his partner, it was that it took a lot to make her falter. Mix that with her recent constant exhaustion, which he had accepted her excuse of being overworked, and what Ruzek had recently told him about the confrontation he had seen at Molly's two nights previously, Jay could feel the familiar red-hot anger boil inside him as he put it all together.

Casually peeling off his black latex gloves, he approached Ruzak and made sure to angle his body away from the rest of the team. "Is that him?" he asked in a low tone, nodding towards the lone patrolman who was watching the rest of the scene with more intent than his partner.

"Yeah," Ruzek replied, though Jay had barely waited for his confirmation to unholster his gun and press it into his teammate's unexpecting hands, making sure he was unarmed as he approached the officer who had apparently been harassing his partner, his girlfriend. "No, wait. J-!" he could hear Ruzak call from behind him, as well as feel the rest of the team watch as he finally called out to their female teammate. "Erin!"

Any other day in any other situation, he knew he would probably have stopped when Erin asked him to. It was why Ruzak had directed her attention towards him. "Jay, don't," she pleaded, but her voice was far back behind him though he could still hear the tiredness in her voice that almost made the words sound half-hearted. It only drew to encourage him further.

Grabbing the officer by his shoulder to turn him away from where he was still staring out towards Erin, Jay made sure his entire attention was on him, the dark green eyes that stared back into his at equal height could see him fully, before giving him a rough shove that made him waver back a step. There was no way he was going to do this without the other man knowing exactly who he was dealing with. Without everyone knowing exactly who they would have to deal with for messing with Erin.

"You stay away from my partner, you hear me?" Jay warned the officer fiercely, finally getting out all of the rage, concern and need to simply act he had built up since finding out about someone harassing Erin. When the other cop had the nerve to simply raise an eyebrow at his words, Jay considered it to be justifiable provocation as he swung at him without a second though. The punch landed perfectly on the side of his face, causing him to stumble back in shock. Two strong hands gripped Jay's upper arms, holding him back from attacking again. "Otherwise, I swear, next time-"

"Alright, back up, bro," Antonio cut him off with a sharp tug back and turning him away from the patrolman now sporting a reddening shiner. Jay would have smirked at his good throw if he hadn't had his friend reminding him in his ear, "Don't go making threats in public; you know how that'll end."

Managing to shake off Antonio's hold just as Voight joined them, Jay inadvertently caught Erin's eyes from the middle of the crime scene and couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty for airing her obvious secret. But when her pursed lips melted into the smallest, resigned quirk, he knew that wasn't the first thought on her mind. Especially as she simultaneously sighed in what seemed like relief, the tension in her posture leaving her body with one single breath to seem more relaxed than he had seen her for a while.

"What's going on here?" Voight's gruff voice brought Jay back to the small gathering of three men now around him. Voight looked towards him when he failed to answer. "Halstead?"

"Nothing, Sarge," Jay answered, words sharp but delivered with a fake sense of calm. He knew Voight didn't believe him, nor did he care as he turned to the other cop involved.

"Nothing, sir," the patrolman agreed, not speaking up even as he began to bruise up before their very eyes. No-one wanted to be on the other end of Voight's infamous glare, especially not when they were trying to create trouble with his detectives. As much as Jay hated it at times, the fact they were protected to a certain extent by Voight's reputation definitely paid off.

There were a few seconds where Voight stood in silence and even Jay worried his boss might decide to take action on the words he had threatened the other man with before hitting him. Erin was, for all intent and purpose, his daughter. Eventually, however, he nodded and dismissed them all, though not without a pat on Jay's shoulder which felt obscenely a lot like pride.

…

Erin found him in the locker room straddling a wooden bench with a first aid kit in front of him. They had returned to the district separately after Voight had insisted Jay chased up a lead with the head of security for the club whilst she remained at the scene until forensics were done with it. They hadn't exchanged another word nor look after he had disappeared into the back of the club with Antonio so she hadn't seen what his hand looked like after punching Officer Malley. If she were to guess based on the reddening of the patrolman's face and the power Jay possessed, it was most likely bruised.

"You shouldn't have done that," she commented, eying the way Jay tried to bandage up his hand as she leant against a locker.

He glanced up at her briefly and shook his head. "You're my partner. I have your back, no matter what," he stated rather too matter-of-factly for her liking.

Sighing, Erin approached the bench to sit opposite him, taking the bandage he was struggling with out of his hands and grasping his injured hand in her own to give it the once over. "Who told you?" she asked quietly, allowing his hand more attention than was needed as she avoided his gaze.

"Ruzak. Said some guy was harassing you at Molly's the other night," Jay informed her with a nonchalant shrug she knew he would be faking, and she wasn't sure right then if she was madder at his calmness or at Ruzek selling her out.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Erin asked, catching his eyes for the first time since she had entered.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he retorted, arching a brow. His eyes told her that he wasn't upset or hurt, but rather confused and she hated seeing the doubts that mixed with it. Not wanting to see it any longer, she focused once again on his hand instead, retrieving the ice pack from the first aid kit and putting all of her efforts into activating it. "You should have told me."

Erin crushed the ice pack between her hands numerous times until she felt it was cold enough to help numb his knuckles. Picking up his right hand, she held it flat before pressing the pack to the minor injury.

"I didn't know how to. Not without making it into a big deal and I really didn't want to make it into a big deal," she finally answered truthfully, offering him a rueful smile when she peered back up at him in hopes of placating him with a simple explanation of what her reasonings really had been.

She knew it hadn't worked the moment he frowned; lips turning down at the corners as his brow creased when he drew them together as he riled himself up once again. "It is a big deal, Erin! He was harassing you," Jay reiterated, and she could feel him tense up just by his hand in her own. If they were still at the scene, there was no doubt he would be splitting open a knuckle with another punch as his own words worked him up.

"I could handle it," she tried to assure him but he shook his head before she could even get the words out.

"You shouldn't have to. He was out of line and you shouldn't have had to deal with it, not alone at least," he said, tone softening out towards the end as his free hand came to rest upon her thigh and squeezed almost apologetically.

Erin blew out a breath and nodded in concession to show she understood what he was saying. Sitting in silence for a moment, she mulled over her thoughts before realising that it was Jay sat in front of her. She had never needed to plan what she was going to say to him before, and that was something that she hoped would never change. Instead of trying to think through with how to tell him everything that had gone through her mind ever since she had met Officer Malley, she decided to simply talk. He had never had an issue with keeping up with her before; it was what made them such great partners after all.

"I know I didn't have to but I wanted to. I needed to. I needed to show him that I was stronger than what he was doing. I didn't want to be another one of those female cops who loses their jobs or career prospects because of some bastard who can't handle being rejected. You know how it goes, Jay, regardless of who is in the wrong. So I hoped it would just kind of disappear. I thought if I didn't show any reaction, he'd get bored and leave me alone," she explained, hoping she was articulating her entire thought process from over the past month in a way so he could see it from her point of view. Watching as he swallowed thickly, she tightened her hold on his hand and shuffled a bit closer so she could pull their grasped hands in towards her stomach where the sharp cold of the ice pack contrasted dramatically with the heat of her body. Her knees pressed against his legs and she could feel every breath he took, hoping he could feel the meaning of her words too. "And I didn't want you jeopardizing your job over it, either. I knew how you'd react."

"I don't care about my job, Erin. I care about you. You come first, always. It's my job to protect you, both on and off the clock, and yes," Jay told her, cutting her off with a sharp word and a teasing smile when she tried to interrupt, proving once again how well he knew her when he continued, "I know you can look after yourself. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop. Ever."

"I know, and I love you so much for it," she replied, matching his smile with an adoring one. Leaning in, she met his lips with her own. She kept it sweet and simple, applying the minimal pressure to turn it into something more than a fleeting kiss but nothing more that could be confused for being completely inappropriate for work.

Jay pressed one final kiss to her lips before sitting back with a small sigh. Temporarily removing his grip off her leg, he rubbed his temple with the pads of his fingers in an action Erin knew was his tell for when he was trying to keep his emotions in check. "Okay, I understand where you're coming from. I'm so sorry that you went through this alone for over a month and I didn't even notice."

Erin shrugged again; accepting and dismissing his apology instantly. "I kept it quiet. Everything is so good with us right now so I focused on that. It made it easier to forget," she explained honestly, knowing that without the man in front of her, she would have gone a bit stir crazy and probably even acted out herself due to Malley's actions.

He squeezed her leg to capture her full attention, making sure he held her eyes so she could see the earnest in them. "You can tell me anything, sweetheart. No matter what you think I'll do, it's important that you know you don't have to go through life alone. I'm sorry I made you feel like you couldn't come to me,"

"It's not on you, Jay. I was- I guess I was scared. Telling you would have made it so much more real," Erin admitted, shaking her head. Moving his injured hand away from her, she took off the ice pack to inspect the cold-reddened knuckles, happy to find there was no swelling. "Maybe if I had said something earlier, we could have avoided all this."

"I doubt it. Beating up guys who harass you is kinda my thing. I plan on doing it for a very long time," he lightly teased, eliciting a smile out of her even as became serious. "For the rest of our lives actually, if you'd let me."

Erin frowned in confusion at his elusive words, growing into fully blown uncertainty when he jumped up and headed towards his locker. Though she knew his right hand must have been aching, he didn't show it as he dug straight into the go bag she knew he kept in there and rifled through for a few seconds.

"Jay, what are you doing?" she eventually asked, scoffing in exasperation when he held up a finger to give him a minute. He returned back to the bench not a few seconds later with a small black box in hand, and she couldn't hold back the quiet gasp when she realised it was perfect to contain a ring.

"I've been wanting to do this for a while now, Erin. I love you and I always want to be the one you can turn to, who can protect you and beat up people for you. I'm a very possessive person, in case you haven't noticed," Jay said wryly as she nodded in agreement, her eyes torn between his own and the beautiful ring he revealed by opening the box. "Mostly, I just want to be with you, and I want to be able to call you my wife. Will you marry me?"

"You chose here, now?" Erin whispered with a watery laugh, causing him to shoot her his typical boyish grin.

"It felt right," he stated nonchalantly.

Shaking her head, she reached out to skim over the soft top of the ring box before gently laying it on his hand. "You have a bruised hand. I thought you'd be mad at me for not telling you. Not-" she faltered momentarily as she took in the ring and the man in front of her, still trying to wrap her head around the reality of the moment. "Not asking me to marry you."

"And I thought you'd mad at me for making a scene," Jay countered coolly.

Shrugging, she blew out a breath and smiled softly at him. "I can't be mad when you're proposing."

"Can you give me an answer then?"

"Yes, Jay. I want to be with you, too," Erin answered without another second's hesitation, and by the grin that curved on his lips at her words, she knew she would never have doubts about it either. "And have you call me your wife the next time you beat someone up for me."

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Are you still writing ? No pressure at all ! I'm just wondering because i love your fics and I've missed your writing. Hope to hear from you soon ❤❤

Hi Anon! I’m so sorry for taking so long to reply and that I’ve been MIA. I haven’t been well recently but I’m on the mend now. Yes, I do plan on writing more!! I actually have a prompt to post that was written before I fell ill. Hopefully, I’ll get it posted tomorrow. I hope to catch up on all the fics I’ve missed too!

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I love you’- 83: “Stay there. I’m coming to get you.”

Sorry for the delay - things just got a bit busy. But thank you all once again for the amazing feedback! Please let me know what you think  - I seriously love, love, love reading all your thoughts.).

@queseraone, @sophiaxjesse and @iamjustafollower, as well as an Anon, requested this prompt, so I hope this meets all of your expectations. As always, huge thanks to @justkillingtimewhileiwait for her amazing beta’ing help :)

As always - if you have any prompts off this list you’d like me to write, just message me! (That list is also a master post for all the prompts I’ve so far :))

Erin couldn’t help the smile that broke out on her face as she caught sight of herself again in the mirror in the corner of their bedroom. Dressing casually, her hair was still damp, having given up on blow drying it when she had noticed the time and realised Jay would be home from his support group meeting soon and she wouldn’t be ready.

He attended them weekly when they weren’t too busy with work, and every time he got home, she tried to do something for him to help him relax. To help provide a sanctuary where he was loved, supported and could decompress, regardless of what happened at the meeting. Whether it was simply ordering in his favourite takeout, making sure she recorded his team’s game or a documentary he would like, or sharing some gossip she had overheard and knew he’d find interesting. Tonight, she had a little mix of everything plus a little gift hidden away in the pocket of the hoodie she had swamped herself in.

Brushing back her hair with her fingers, Erin was broken out of her train of thoughts about how she planned that evening to go when her phone rang shrilly from where she had tossed it onto the bed before her shower. Jay’s name glared brightly back at her as she approached it, and a frown worked its way onto her lips when she noticed the time. By now, he should be home with the two of them cuddled up on the couch, usually with food.

“Hello?” Erin greeted cautiously, unsure of what was going on and willing herself not to thinking about the hundred different scenarios she had seen at work.

“Hey,” Jay replied, the single-worded answer tight and thick, as if he had forced it through several layers of emotions to simply get it out. After what she had learnt his support group meetings were like, she didn’t know if that wasn’t the case.

Realising he wasn’t going to offer her any more details as to why he was calling without her prompting, she asked him, “Where are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m still at the community hall. I can’t-” he broke off with a deep breath, and she guessed he was gathering his thoughts as he cleared his throat before carrying on. “Can you come pick me up? Please?”

“Um, yeah,” Erin said warily, torn between asking what happened and leaving to pick him up immediately. It only took a second for her to jump into action, realising she could and would find out what was going on after she saw him. “Of course. Just stay there, alright? I’m coming to get you.”

Rushing out of the bedroom, she slipped her bare feet into a pair of sneakers and swiped her keys off the table, barely registering the droning radio behind her she had left on as background noise over Jay bidding goodbye as she locked the front door and hurried down to her car.

…

There were only a handful of vehicles in the local community centre’s parking lot that evening so it didn’t take Erin long to pull up next to Jay’s. She had spotted him waiting by the side of the building, perched atop a brick wall which quartered off a rather large oak tree. Stepping out of her car and making her way towards him, it was clear that he hadn’t noticed her arrival at all, despite having phoned her nearly 20 minutes earlier.

“Jay,” she called out as she approached, watching as he raised his head to look at her. There was a forced smile on his features and a mixed look of frustration and relief on his face. When he didn’t reply to her, Erin stopped in front of him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Hey, babe. Wanna talk?” she asked softly.

“I think I’m all talked out,” he murmured, a self-deprecating smirk making its way to join his emotionally tired look and glazed eyes as he pulled out his hands from his pockets and held them between the two of them. They were shaking ever so slightly, and she could feel his muscles tense under her hand as he tried unsuccessfully to control it.

“Okay. That’s okay; that’s good,” Erin assured him, taking his hands into her own and pulling them into her body. She knew he often spent evenings sharing little to no information about himself and his past, only speaking up in the group when he felt like he needed to or could help others. But from what she could gather, it had been an intense evening for him, and she didn’t need him to explain where his mind was at or to know why he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to drive. Tugging lightly on his hands, she took a step back and urged him onto his feet. “Let’s go home.”

“I’m sorry,” Jay apologised as they made their way to her car, her arm wrapped around his waist as his slung over her shoulders. It was a short walk but she had no doubt the contact was beneficial for them both.

Shaking her head, Erin peered up at him. “You have nothing to apologise for,” she told him earnestly, hoping he would finally get the message this time, but knowing she would be there to reassure him over and over if it was needed.

“Thank you,” he finally whispered into her hair, his voice emotionally hoarse, and she squeezed his side tighter than she thought was possible. “For… everything.”

Reaching their cars, she pulled him to a stop and turned so she could look him straight in the eyes. “Always,” she promised him, brushing her lips against his to seal her vow.

...

Erin’s brow raised in surprise at the sight of Jay slouching in bed, playing around on his phone. After returning home, they had sat down in front of the TV and shared the three different containers of Chinese between them whilst commenting half-heartedly on the documentary about penguins. When Jay had insisted on having an early night, she had sent him with a wave of a hand to go shower whilst she took care of the small amount of dirty cutlery.

“I thought you’d be asleep,” she commented, closing the bedroom door gently behind her.

“Is that why you took so long washing up?” he teased without missing a beat, glancing up at her with a small smirk, the never-ending joke about her lack of domestic skills still entertaining to him.

“Shut up,” Erin scoffed as she climbed onto the bed next to him and curled her knees under her to face him. Reaching out a hand, she laid it on Jay’s bare arm and waited until he dropped his phone onto the covers he was under before asking,  “Are you okay?”

Shrugging, he replied, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Try again, and this time remember who you’re talking to,” she chided, meeting his wry smile with a soft one of hers.

“I will be fine,” Jay rectified with a sigh, sitting up a bit tensely and placing his phone onto his bedside table. Erin’s hand to drifted down to his, tangling their fingers together and giving him a light squeeze to urge him to carry on. “Tonight was just intense. I'm not used to voluntarily delving into some of those memories. I need to decompress or something, I don’t know,” he muttered with a shake of a head. “Alcohol would usually be involved right now if I didn’t know any better.”

“I’m glad you do,” Erin said empathetically, both of them understanding how big of a deal it always was for either one of them to consciously turn away from their crutch and handle their emotions openly instead. With a timorous smile on his face, she could see in his clear eyes that he was done talking for the night and instead decided to give him something else to focus on. “I have something for you, if that would help.”

“Please,” Jay quickly accepted, visibly relaxing into the pillows behind him as he had been before she had entered. “Anything to get my mind off everything.”

“Okay,” she said softly before digging her free hand into the pocket of the hoodie she had yet to take off from earlier. The confusion was clear on his features, and Erin couldn’t help but bite her lip in anticipation as his brow furrowed deeper when she handed him over the little white stick. “Surprise?”

“Is this-?” he began, turning it over and back again, eyes jumping from his hand to her eyes and back again, as he tried to comprehend what she was trying to tell him. What she had been wanting to tell him since before the phone call that evening. “It’s positive?”

Nodding, she brought their joined hands up to her lips to press against his knuckles; grinning as he looked at her expectantly. “It is. I’m pregnant, Jay.”

“We’re having a baby?” he asked in disbelief, and she could tell that the news was taking its time to sink in as he peered at the pregnancy test once again.

“We are,” she confirmed. An uncharacteristic squeal slipped through her lips when Jay practically lunged at her to kiss her, hard and rough, yet loving and tender all at the same time. Pushing a hand against his chest to back him away slightly, she laughed at his eagerness and couldn’t deny the relief she felt at his immediate and obvious elation. “Whoa, give a girl some warning next time.”

Jay laughed, practically collapsing against the headboard and running a hand through his hair. The pregnancy stick was still in his other hand, and he stared down at it with a shake of his head. “Sorry, sorry. I just- I can’t believe it.”

“Me neither, trust me,” Erin assured him as she carefully balanced herself on her knees with hands on his shoulders until she was straddling him and could sit in his lap. Placing the test on the table, he gripped her by the waist to slide her forwards until they were only inches apart. “I know it wasn’t planned but-”

“I love you,” he interrupted her before she could even tell him how happy she was, and couldn’t wait to face their new future together. Gliding her hands down to his chest, she let out a breath as she felt his heart beat far more regularly than hers was under her palms. “I want this, us, kids; a family. I love you.”

“I love you, too, and I never doubted you would,” she told him, meeting his adoring smile with her own as she kissed him chastely. “Did that help you decompress?”

Holding out his hands in the very little space separating them, they both looked at in amazement at the complete stillness of them before he laid them both carefully onto her stomach. “Just one more reason to keep working through it all.”

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

I dunno what to say except how much I loved this and wow! That pic is just amazing, but seriously, you took it to another level. I’m so glad you wrote this the way you planned to cause it was hot af! Plus all the cute fluffy stuff was jsut adorable. <3

Come Away With Me

Pairing: Linstead Timeline: 2018 Valentine’s Day Genre: Smut and fluff. Rating: M

A/N: Another Valentine’s Day is here, and with canon being so glum and heartbreaking, I present to you: FANON. Where everything is nice and fluffy. Enjoy this combination of smut and fluff, as Erin and Jay take some deserved time away from the chaos of the city at their favourite spot–Jay’s cabin in Wisconsin. Happy Valentine’s Day!

I want to thank Alejandra for helping me get inspired for the first part of this fic.

This is the NSFW picture that inspired this in a way: LINK. Proceed at your own discretion.

Keep reading

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Loved this! Their chemistry is just off the roof, and I love how they didn’t even bother to ignore the obvious.

‘Only she would be able to hug him from behind and press a kiss on his shoulder blade in her fantasy, like she has been dying to.’ --> This though <3

And their thoughts about ‘one day’! Great one shot! I totally miss season 1 Linstead now...

#28 Break Room

A/N: Posting for dear Sarah, so she doesn’t die of boredom.

I would set this sometime after  season 1, because it was winter then, so that is the only thing that makes sense.

I feel you guys are kind of getting fed up with me, so if that’s the case let me know.

Prompt #28: Break Room - If the walls could talk…

Word count: 1,947

Keep reading

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

No way! This amazingness is all you!! 😍😘

AFTERMATH CHAPTER 86

Been off work with the flu all weeks so I’ve had a chance to write a few more chapters. Hope you enjoy!

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Another amazing chapter!! Sorry you’re ill (though it’s working out in our favour!)

AFTERMATH CHAPTER 86

Been off work with the flu all weeks so I’ve had a chance to write a few more chapters. Hope you enjoy!

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

This was amazing! Definitely something I needed today. I loved reading about the progression of their relationship, their thoughts and emotions. That ending was just 😍 Love it!

Do I Make You Wanna

Another something that kinda just happened? I think I needed these little random bursts of inspo to get me back into writing. School has been kicking my butt and most of my time is spent sleeping lol. 

This is another part that goes with Every Melody is a Memory.

Enjoy!

Girl when I come around tell me Do I make you wanna? Do I make you turn into somebody else? Do you feel like you can finally be yourself?

Do I Make You Wanna - Billy Currington

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[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Aww this was so cute and fluffy! Just what I needed 😘😘 Loved all the teasing and innuendos hehe.

Netflix And No Chill

Pairing: Linstead Timeline: After they moved in together. Genre: Fluff. Rating: G

A/N: I would like to thank everyone for their reassuring comments the other day. We all have our insecure moments, and I appreciate you for indulging me in mine.

I will say this, because I feel it needs to be said. As much as I strive to make my fics as good as I can, I write for fun. Between my master’s, work, home problems, writing is the one thing I go to when I need to relax. And as much as I’d love to improve and deliver a perfect thing, for now, I’m just not going to. So you can either accept an occasional error here and there (I am human above all), or you can simply not read it. But before you criticize my English, I’d like to ask you if you’re able to write a piece of art in a language that is not your native, and then we can speak more. I have given it a lot of thought, and I think I’m doing pretty well (and so does the 99% of people who messaged me). Now as much as I appreciate the constructive criticism, at this moment, I’m just not interested in it, especially if you’re questioning my choices. I know my writing can be better, but I just don’t have the time or energy right now. So it’s either this, or nothing. You decide.

And please, don’t let this stop you from leaving positive messages! I do love reading them so much. Honestly, every kind word means the world!

I appreciate the understanding, I apologize for this insanely long A/N and without further ado, this is something very fluffy, very light because we all need it.

“You didn’t start without me, did you?” He asks, when he spots her curled on the couch as soon as he comes in. He sets the keys down next to hers—a simple action he always enjoys—gets rid of his jacket, before walking forward to the kitchen area.

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[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Finally got the time to read this whole and amazing!! I can’t even tell you my fav bit because I loved it all ❤️❤️ I know this is all for this fic but thanks for leaving it with the possibility of more, because you know I’m gonna mentally fanfic this fanfic whenever I think of something cute and adorable to do with Linstead, Liam and two puppies!

Small Bump p. 4

A/N: Here it is! I’m sorry for the long wait, I just really wanted to make it perfect (and failed spectacularly, but judge for yourself). I was so close to saying to hell with it, and leaving it unfinished, but here you go: the last part.

No, I will not be continuing this fic. It was always supposed to be a 4-part, and it will stay that way. I will be happy if you check my other stories.

In the end I’d like to thank @valenna717 for proofreading this, @allenting for her support and ideas, @queseraone for her help with a thing that I will not say, as it is a spoiler. And of course all of you, who have set with me and Erin and Jay on this incredible journey to parenthood. I personally think they’ll be great at it.

Keep reading

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Hahaha omg this was so good! Smut, humour and bits of fluff - what more could I want?! Loved the couch getting a bit of action again. Good to see they put it to use often 😉

#27 Couch

A/N: I’m beyond sorry for this long hiatus I’ve put you all through. Life was just so busy. I hope maybe I can make up for it with some smut :)

Huge thanks to @valenna717 for volunteering to proofread this for me!!

Prompt #27: Couch - “Yup, the function is still great.”

Word count: 1,131

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[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Awww! This was as amazing as always. You know I love my fluff but some drama is always entertaining too. And these kids are just sooo cute! Loved that last bit!

Maybe One Day - Part 17

A collection of one-shots of Jay Halstead as a dad. Because we all need that in our lives. Co-written with @halsteadpd

Catch up here

Jay let out a sigh of relief as he pulled into the driveway. He had spent the last several days working in New York City alongside the SVU; a perp that started out in Chicago had popped up in New York City, so Lieutenant Benson had called Jay in to assist. It had been a particularly difficult case, so he was absolutely itching to get inside and see his family.

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[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Daddy Jay is hot af, but first time Daddy Jay is just adorkable! I love love love this. It’s so them! I can totally see Jay being all overprotective and cautious with his new bundle of joy. We all know how he is with Erin, so of course he’d be x100 more careful with the two of them together.

Loved it! Keep them coming guys 😘

Maybe One Day - Part 16

A collection of one-shots of Jay Halstead as a dad. Because we all need that in our lives. Co-written with @halsteadpd

Catch up here.

Jay was absolutely mesmerized as he watched Erin dress their newborn son in a small white onesie; the gentle way she cared for Benjamin Henry Halstead blew him away. Jay had never laid his eyes on something so perfect; he hadn’t been able to tear his gaze away from them for even a minute.

Keep reading

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Hahaha! You believe what you want to believe about that shower 😉 And c’mon, if you had a boyfriend like Jay Halstead ready for you in bed to cuddle or more, wouldn’t you take every opportunity to be there with him?!

Thanks for reading and the comments! It makes my day too 😘

One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I love you’ - 82 : “I was in the neighbourhood.”

Thank you all once again for the amazing feedback! Please let me know what you think  - I seriously love, love, love reading all your thoughts. It truly makes my day(s).

This prompt is from @queseraone (who also added ‘because before they feel an electric pull to each other and have to stop by each other’s places’ so I tried to keep that in mind) and @sophiaxjesse , and once again huge thanks to @justkillingtimewhileiwait for her amazing beta’ing help :)

As always - if you have any prompts off this list you’d like me to write, just message me! (That list is also a master post for all the prompts I’ve so far :))

A knock on at the door at near 9am was not how Erin had expected to start her day off. Lounging around on her couch with some coffee and a pile of Pop Tarts whilst dressed in the most comfiest clothes she owned, yes. Answering the door in said clothes and probably looking a mess, not really.

Peeking through the peephole in her door, she bit back a groan of frustration at the sight of Jay on the other side. Of course her partner had to be here to see her like that. Her partner who could be much more than just a partner if she allowed them to. Or rather, if her somewhat of a father figure did.

Sighing in resignation, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. On the one hand, it was always great to start her day seeing her partner. On the other, seeing him sweating through his t-shirt that probably wasn’t originally stuck to his body but now showed off his well-defined muscles was not helping her keep things professional.

“Hey,” Jay greeted her when she failed to say anything. She narrowed her eyes slightly at his wide grin, ignoring his heavy breathing as much as she could.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in reply, leaning against her doorjamb.

Shrugging, he flung a hand around to gesture between them and the building in general. “Well, I was in the neighbourhood and I thought we could grab breakfast or something,” he told her innocently.

Erin couldn’t help but be mesmerised by the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly, probably dry from his morning run. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she knew the most polite thing to do would be to offer him some water, but her brain couldn’t co-operate with her common sense when she was stood in front of a panting Jay Halstead.

Keep reading

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

😘 thanks for reading!

One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I love you’ - 82 : “I was in the neighbourhood.”

Thank you all once again for the amazing feedback! Please let me know what you think  - I seriously love, love, love reading all your thoughts. It truly makes my day(s).

This prompt is from @queseraone (who also added ‘because before they feel an electric pull to each other and have to stop by each other’s places’ so I tried to keep that in mind) and @sophiaxjesse , and once again huge thanks to @justkillingtimewhileiwait for her amazing beta’ing help :)

As always - if you have any prompts off this list you’d like me to write, just message me! (That list is also a master post for all the prompts I’ve so far :))

A knock on at the door at near 9am was not how Erin had expected to start her day off. Lounging around on her couch with some coffee and a pile of Pop Tarts whilst dressed in the most comfiest clothes she owned, yes. Answering the door in said clothes and probably looking a mess, not really.

Peeking through the peephole in her door, she bit back a groan of frustration at the sight of Jay on the other side. Of course her partner had to be here to see her like that. Her partner who could be much more than just a partner if she allowed them to. Or rather, if her somewhat of a father figure did.

Sighing in resignation, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. On the one hand, it was always great to start her day seeing her partner. On the other, seeing him sweating through his t-shirt that probably wasn’t originally stuck to his body but now showed off his well-defined muscles was not helping her keep things professional.

“Hey,” Jay greeted her when she failed to say anything. She narrowed her eyes slightly at his wide grin, ignoring his heavy breathing as much as she could.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in reply, leaning against her doorjamb.

Shrugging, he flung a hand around to gesture between them and the building in general. “Well, I was in the neighbourhood and I thought we could grab breakfast or something,” he told her innocently.

Erin couldn’t help but be mesmerised by the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly, probably dry from his morning run. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she knew the most polite thing to do would be to offer him some water, but her brain couldn’t co-operate with her common sense when she was stood in front of a panting Jay Halstead.

Keep reading

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Thank you for the perfect prompts! 😘

One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I love you’ - 82 : “I was in the neighbourhood.”

Thank you all once again for the amazing feedback! Please let me know what you think  - I seriously love, love, love reading all your thoughts. It truly makes my day(s).

This prompt is from @queseraone (who also added ‘because before they feel an electric pull to each other and have to stop by each other’s places’ so I tried to keep that in mind) and @sophiaxjesse , and once again huge thanks to @justkillingtimewhileiwait for her amazing beta’ing help :)

As always - if you have any prompts off this list you’d like me to write, just message me! (That list is also a master post for all the prompts I’ve so far :))

A knock on at the door at near 9am was not how Erin had expected to start her day off. Lounging around on her couch with some coffee and a pile of Pop Tarts whilst dressed in the most comfiest clothes she owned, yes. Answering the door in said clothes and probably looking a mess, not really.

Peeking through the peephole in her door, she bit back a groan of frustration at the sight of Jay on the other side. Of course her partner had to be here to see her like that. Her partner who could be much more than just a partner if she allowed them to. Or rather, if her somewhat of a father figure did.

Sighing in resignation, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. On the one hand, it was always great to start her day seeing her partner. On the other, seeing him sweating through his t-shirt that probably wasn’t originally stuck to his body but now showed off his well-defined muscles was not helping her keep things professional.

“Hey,” Jay greeted her when she failed to say anything. She narrowed her eyes slightly at his wide grin, ignoring his heavy breathing as much as she could.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in reply, leaning against her doorjamb.

Shrugging, he flung a hand around to gesture between them and the building in general. “Well, I was in the neighbourhood and I thought we could grab breakfast or something,” he told her innocently.

Erin couldn’t help but be mesmerised by the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly, probably dry from his morning run. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she knew the most polite thing to do would be to offer him some water, but her brain couldn’t co-operate with her common sense when she was stood in front of a panting Jay Halstead.

Keep reading

[letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego]

Thank you! I love writing these two being cute and adorable together! Glad you enjoyed it 😘

One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I love you’ - 82 : “I was in the neighbourhood.”

Thank you all once again for the amazing feedback! Please let me know what you think  - I seriously love, love, love reading all your thoughts. It truly makes my day(s).

This prompt is from @queseraone (who also added ‘because before they feel an electric pull to each other and have to stop by each other’s places’ so I tried to keep that in mind) and @sophiaxjesse , and once again huge thanks to @justkillingtimewhileiwait for her amazing beta’ing help :)

As always - if you have any prompts off this list you’d like me to write, just message me! (That list is also a master post for all the prompts I’ve so far :))

A knock on at the door at near 9am was not how Erin had expected to start her day off. Lounging around on her couch with some coffee and a pile of Pop Tarts whilst dressed in the most comfiest clothes she owned, yes. Answering the door in said clothes and probably looking a mess, not really.

Peeking through the peephole in her door, she bit back a groan of frustration at the sight of Jay on the other side. Of course her partner had to be here to see her like that. Her partner who could be much more than just a partner if she allowed them to. Or rather, if her somewhat of a father figure did.

Sighing in resignation, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. On the one hand, it was always great to start her day seeing her partner. On the other, seeing him sweating through his t-shirt that probably wasn’t originally stuck to his body but now showed off his well-defined muscles was not helping her keep things professional.

“Hey,” Jay greeted her when she failed to say anything. She narrowed her eyes slightly at his wide grin, ignoring his heavy breathing as much as she could.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in reply, leaning against her doorjamb.

Shrugging, he flung a hand around to gesture between them and the building in general. “Well, I was in the neighbourhood and I thought we could grab breakfast or something,” he told her innocently.

Erin couldn’t help but be mesmerised by the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly, probably dry from his morning run. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she knew the most polite thing to do would be to offer him some water, but her brain couldn’t co-operate with her common sense when she was stood in front of a panting Jay Halstead.

Keep reading