#andi ramirez

Playlist ~ Aesthetics

Just A Taste

A Violet Streak

With A Heavy Heart

Romeo & Juliet Syndrome

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

The Madness of Men

Did You Miss Me?

These Are The Lies

Acting Like That*

Ho, Ho, The Mistletoe

Andi With An “I”

New Year, Same Trauma*

Girl’s Night

Sick Little Games*

Creatures of Comfort*

In The Eye of The Storm

Keep Your Head Up

A Vision In White

Under The Sun

Back To Reality*

A Change In Scenery

In The Summer Time

As The Leaves Change

A Fireproof Love

Until Forever Falls Apart*

To Live A Life

Pink Lines

Firehouse Family

A World of Our Own

To Grow As We Go

Extra Content:

OC Profile

The Proposal - Headcanons

Sick Day - Severide Family Mini-Fic

Headcanons - General/Domestic, NSFW and Angst

After I Do - Headcanons

Baby Makes Three - Headcanons

Names In The Sand - Headcanons

Baby Pomegranate - KUWTS

Funhouse 51 - KUWTS

One Tough Cookie - KUWTS

Date Night - KUWTS [18+]

The Hardest Goodbye - KUWTS

Slipping Through Our Fingers - KUWTS

Instagram Posts

Instagram II

Warning(s):

Canon-typical gore/trauma - minor character deaths - descriptions of panic and anxiety - past abuse/trauma - reappearance of a toxic ex - stalking and threatening behaviour towards main character - accidental one-night stand - lowkey enemies-to-lovers - descriptions of physical injuries - mentions of restraining orders - mild to strong language - sexual themes - explicit content

Tags:

Taglist is closed!

                                              -/-/-

“Truck Eighty-One, Ambulance Sixty-One, Rescue Squad Three. High-rise fire -” Everyone jumped to action and they rolled out in a matter of seconds. Andi had abandoned her cup of coffee on the common room counter and regretted the choice as she pulled her jacket on and secured it around her.

“Okay, I wanna hit the ground running on this one. Otis, you’re on elevators, Cruz, Mills and Ramirez evac the floors closest to the fire. Herrmann and Mouch tackle the lower levels and direct civilians out of the way,” Casey explained as they neared the scene, alarms and sirens going off non-stop.

“Yes, Lieutenant,” they echoed back.

When they arrived, there was no hesitation in disembarking from the rigs and masking up. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Squad set up and wait for instruction. Joe and Peter were ready to go, so the three of them headed inside.

Everything was hot and dark as they ventured further up the building. The lights sparked and crackled overhead as they pushed on. Every person they passed, they directed towards the stairwells until they reached the target floor.

“I’ll go left, you go right?” Cruz questioned above the noise and Andi gave him a thumbs up. They split ways to start evacuating any people left behind. Andi made so many runs from the stairwell to the apartments that her legs began to ache.

As she hoisted one of the last residents over her shoulder, she grimaced and took a moment to steady herself under the strain before she headed to the stairwell. The smoke filled the stairwell and made it almost impossible to see where she was going, but as she finally broke free into the fresh air and handed the casualty over, Andi could relax.

Whilst Shay and Gabby tended to the victim, Andi made herself busy by helping set up the water lines into the building. Rescue Squad needed to exit the building before they could open them up and Andi kept listening to the radio on her shoulder.

“Chief - Severide’s down and it’s not looking good! We’re bringing him out now,” Capp informed them over the radio and Andi’s heart jumped into her throat. As she handed over the last of the water lines to be carried into the building, Rescue Squad appeared, carrying Kelly between them.

“What happened?” She rushed over to the ambulance with them. Since Shay and gabby were indisposed, he had to be taken by a different ambulance rig.

“We’re not sure. One minute he’s barking out instructions, the next… The ceiling caved in and he caught the brunt of it. We have no idea what shape he’s in,” Capp filled her in and for a split second, panic rose in Andi’s chest whilst she watched the Paramedics open up his turn out gear and began assessing him.

“I can ride along,” she assure the two paramedics she wasn’t familiar with. The one gave her the side-eye and the other refused to acknowledge what she’d said.

“I can help! I’m EMT trained. Let me ride along,” Andi insisted and they conceded. As they pushed the gurney into the back of the Ambulance, she was right beside him.

                                                     -/-/-

On the ride over to Med, he’d crashed when they were seconds away and Andi had shed her turnout jacket to help with compressions as they wheeled the gurney into the ER.

Whilst the paramedics relayed all the information about Kelly’s situation to Will, tears rolled down Andi’s cheeks as they rushed to set him up in a trauma bay. April directed her to the waiting room and eventually she calmed down enough to take a seat.

Eventually, the rest of 51 arrived. Sweaty, soot-covered and still reeling from the call, they took up most of the chairs in the waiting room. Andi was too worried to think about anything else as the minutes ticked by. Eventually, Will reappeared with an unreadable expression on his face. Andi was the first to stand up and everyone else gathered around to hear the news.

“Kelly’s injuries were fairly extensive. However, they’re all in the process of being treated accordingly. It’ll be a while before he’ll be up and around, so we’re keeping him mildly sedated for now in the hopes that the rest will allow the injuries to heal unhindered.”

“He’s gonna be okay?” Andi’s question was slightly teary and when Will nodded his head with a smile, she let out a sigh of relief.

“Yes. He won’t be able to return to work immediately, but the outlook is positive.” As he left them to churn over the good news, they got another call-out over the radios.

“You guys go ahead, I’ll stay for a while and keep you all updated,” she assured them and the rest of the company took off towards the doors. With her turnout jacket over her arm, she made her way through to the room he was in.

Tough didn’t even begin to describe how it felt to see him so still and washed out under the fluorescent lights. The heart monitor beeped rhythmically, which offered some reassurance. The chair nearest the door was filled with his discarded uniform, so Andi took the seat closest to his bed.

“I, uh… I don’t know how much of this you’re gonna hear, but… I’ve never been so scared. Seeing you, in the Ambo like that -” Tears welled again and she drew in a deep breath to keep calm.

“Even when those guys came into the Firehouse and put a gun to my head. I wasn’t half as scared then as I was today…” Andi reached for his hand and squeezed gently.

“I love you. And the thought of losing you so soon after we’ve finally started working through things… Terrifies me.”

She stayed for a little while longer before Boden requested her presence back at the Firehouse. Begrudgingly, Andi left the hospital, but not before insisting that they keep her updated. Shay and Gabby swung by in the ambulance to pick her up and there was an unsettled, sombre mood between them all.

“He’s gonna be okay,” Shay stated simply as they returned to 51.

“I know… That doesn’t make this any easier, though.” They disembarked and headed up to the briefing room. Andi was nothing short of exhausted as she dropped down into one of the plastic chairs. Boden stood front and centre, his hands on his waist.

“I’m sure you’re all deeply concerned about Lieutenant Severide’s current condition. However, this can’t take away from your attention to the job. Keep an eye out for one another. Lean on your brothers and sisters in this house. Dismissed.”

They dispersed throughout the Firehouse and made themselves busy. Andi took a shower and cleaned herself up. Whilst her hair dried, she made her way through to Matt’s office. She knocked once. Twice.

“Come in,” he called out, Andi pushed the door open.

“Hey, have you got a minute?” Matt turned in his desk chair and greeted her with a slightly tense smile.

“For you, I have several. Take a seat.” She sat down on the edge of his bed and it took all her strength not to cry.

“You’re worried about him,” he observed quietly and Andi nodded.

“Yeah - that’s putting it lightly.”

“Look, Andi, I’ve known Severide for a long time. He’ll pull through.” Andi ran a hand through her hair and straightened up slightly.

“I know… Doesn’t make it any less scary, though…” Matt stood up and gestured for Andi to do the same. She did and he pulled her in for a hug. It was a comforting gesture and Andi appreciated it.

“He’s gonna be just fine. Trust me.”

                                                     -/-/-

True to his word, Will kept in touch and updated them all on Kelly’s condition for the rest of the shift. By the time it came to clocking out, everyone had figured out when they were going to visit.

Andi got into her car and made the drive back to her apartment. A light breakfast and hot shower made her feel better, but only marginally. It felt strange, finishing the shift without Kelly by her side. She’d become so accustomed to his presence that him not being there in the apartment unnerved her.

When Andi made it back to the hospital, she was wearing her comfiest sweats, a faded t-shirt and a hoodie tied around her waist. She signed in the visitor’s book and when she got to Kelly’s room, she was surprised to see him awake.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” His voice was hoarse and his eyes were barely open as she took the seat next to his bed.

“I’ve been worried about you all day and the first thing you do when you wake up is crack jokes? Why am I not surprised?”

“M’sorry that you were worried about me… I didn’t see it coming,” he stated as she took his hand in hers.

“I was with you in the ambulance. You crashed, Kelly, I was doing chest compressions on you as they wheeled you in…” Andi explained as new tears welled in her eyes and threatened to roll down her cheeks. Kelly didn’t say anything, just let her hold his hand and be there with him.

“Look, I uh, I know this isn’t like, the ideal time… But whilst I was under, I saw some things,” he began quietly. Kelly took in the deepest breath he could manage before he continued.

“I want you to move in… With me - and Shay.” Andi looked at him, brows creased in a frown before she realised he was serious.

“Wait - for real?”

“Yeah. I mean, you basically already live with me, why not make it official?”

“And Shay’s okay with that?”

“Oh, please, she adores you. It’s probably the last thing you wanna think about right now, but I want you to know that I’m serious… About us.” There was an overwhelming swell of emotions as Andi contemplated Kelly’s offer.

“Yeah, I will. I’ll move in with you.”

“Really?”

“All or nothing. You’re stuck with me now,” she joked with a smile before leaning in to press a kiss to his forehead.

“I’m not complaining.”

-/-/-

                                                  -/-/-

Another week had been washed out by the sporadic bad weather. However, as Andi turned up for her next shift, the weather seemed to be on the up. She was a few minutes early, so once she’d changed and put her belongings into her locker, she made herself a cup of coffee and headed down to the apparatus floor. Near the open bay door, Andi got herself comfortable in a collapsable chair to enjoy her coffee.

“Hey, look at you! Early bird gets the worm, huh?” Herrmann greeted her with a toothy grin and a firm handshake.

“Hardly,” she stated with half a laugh as the rest of the Firehouse arrived in drips and drabs. The guys from Rescue Squad were some of the last to turn up, and as Kelly entered the apparatus floor, Andi bounded over to him and all but tackled him into a hug.

“Hey - everything alright?”

“Yeah!” she assured him as they eventually stepped apart “I’m really good, actually.” The smiles they shared were contagious and it obviously made a difference to Kelly to see Andi happy again.

“Well, that’s awesome. Seeing you happy, makes me happy.”

“So, I have a question,” Andi began when they’d both got fresh coffee and were stood by the open bay doors of the apparatus floor.

“Shoot,” Kelly prompted as he adjusted the beanie on his head.

“My sister’s wedding. It’s a few weeks away and if I don’t have someone to go with I’ll be the sad, lonely girl the whole weekend who gets sat at the single table with the boring middle-aged women -” Kelly couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the way she rambled to the main point but offered an apologetic look after.

“Sorry, sorry. You were saying?”

“Will you be my plus-one? To the wedding?” There was a beat of silence and Andi immediately tried to back-peddle.

“Y’know what, it’s totally fine, I can ask someone else -”

“Yes. I’ll go with you,” Kelly interjected before she could get too ahead of herself. Andi did a double-take and looked at him with nothing short of confusion.

“You- You will? Seriously?”

“Yeah, absolutely. Just send me the date,” he assured her with a smile as Boden came down to the app floor. Everyone else who’d been in the Common Room filed out behind him and gathered around.

“Good morning, Fifty-One. Last night, Firehouse Nineteen had an emergency hazmat incident and for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours, they will be out of service. For now, some of the men and women will be joining us until their house is cleared again,” their Battalion Chief explained right as the CFD minibus arrived and pulled up on the forecourt.

“Play nicely and give them a warm Fifty-One welcome.” Echoes of agreement rippled through the company as the transfers piled out and made their way onto the apparatus floor. Before names could be exchanged, the alarm went off overhead.

“Truck Eighty-One, Rescue Squad Three, Ambulance Sixty-One. High-rise fire -”

Everyone got into their respective rigs and with the temporary new additions, the ride over was somewhat crowded and bordering on uncomfortable for most of them. Thankfully, the scene wasn’t too far away so as soon as the vehicle stopped, everyone piled out.

As expected, the scene was a nightmare. The few who’d made it out first were immediately seen to by the paramedics and everyone on Truck turned to Casey for instructions.

“Okay, this is strictly evac. Anyone, you find that can walk, send ‘em out -” He began pairing people off with more specific instructions and Andi wound up paired with Herrmann.

                                                    -/-/-

Hours and several call-outs later, everyone was trying to get some rest in the bunk room. Andi lay on her bed, wide awake. Unable to shut off. With her mind running a mile a minute, she sat up and moved over to Kelly’s office. Andi knocked gently once, then twice.

“Come in.” She opened the door and found him sat at the desk, paperwork spread out across the surface like it was going out of fashion.

“Hey? I can go if you’re busy… I’m just having a hard time getting any sleep.”

“Anything I can do to help?” He turned in the desk chair to face Andi fully and gestured for her to come closer. Loosely, Kelly reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. He pulled Andi in and let her sit in his lap.

“I don’t know. I just can’t seem to stop thinking, y’know?” Andi got comfortable and rested her head on Kelly’s shoulder, her face buried in the crook of his neck. Kelly brought a hand up to curl around the nape of Andi’s neck, his thumb moved back and forth across the warm skin.

“Thinking about what?” His voice was a lulling whisper in her ear as he shifted slightly to accommodate Andi.

“My sister,” she admitted with a sigh, her hand resting on his polo shirt-clad chest.

“What about her?”

“Everything. The wedding. The baby. She’s almost twenty-three, I shouldn’t be worrying so much. It’s just… Our whole lives we’ve always been at odds,” she explained quietly whilst fiddling with the chain around his neck, “Now I look like the bitter older sister because she’s the one getting married and having a baby - I’m almost thirty and have done neither of those things.” Kelly chuckled and the sound reverberated in his chest.

“You’re not bitter and FYI, thirty’s not old. Thirty’s dirty,” he assured her and Andi sat up to swat at his arm whilst trying to disguise the smile that wanted to break out.

“You’re walking a fine line, Lieutenant Severide,” she warned playfully as she ran a hand through his hair and tugged ever so gently.

“Am I?”

“Yeah, and you know it. Don’t act so coy,” Andi teased in return. A quick, messy string of kisses followed, muffling the laughter that escaped the two of them. Before anything could escalate further, the alarm went off overhead.

“Ambulance Sixty-One, Rescue Squad Three, Truck Eighty-One. House fire -” With reluctant sighs, the two of them parted and stood up.

“You wanna come over after shift? I have zero intentions of leaving my bed,” Andi offered as they made their way down to the apparatus floor.

“Sure, I’ll be there.”

                                                          -/-/-

As everyone shed their turn-out gear upon returning to 51, there was no ignoring the sombre mood that settled on everyone. Andi noticed it in the way that no one said anything as they gravitated back to the Common and Bunk rooms, or in Rescue Squad’s case, hit the showers and returned to their table on the app floor.

They’d all heard the conversation over the radio. Rescue Squad had gone in to retrieve anyone that might’ve been missed. Kelly found a little girl trapped under a partially collapsed ceiling and managed to get her out. He was the last firefighter to leave the burning building before it flashed over. Andi remembered how the sound of the flashover had hit her in the chest and they’d all ducked to avoid any glass that might’ve been blown their way.

Kelly had come out and handed the little girl over to Shay and Gabby. Even from her position near Truck 81, Andi could see she was lifeless and after fifteen minutes, they called it. Both women pulled Kelly in for a hug to console him. Then, after putting out the fire they were finally able to pack up and get back to the Firehouse.

Now showered and cleaned up, Andi poured herself a cup of coffee and an extra one for Kelly. Whilst everyone was occupied with sleeping, reading or watching the TV in the common room, she made her way down to the app floor in search of the aforementioned Lieutenant.

“Ramirez?” Capp nodded in acknowledgement as the brunette approached the Squad table.

“Hey, any of you know where Kelly’s at?” They all looked behind her and she spotted him. Sat in a chair in front of the open bay doors.

“Thanks.” Andi headed over and stopped when she was level with the chair he was sat in. She recognised the thousand-mile stare that he’d taken on and didn’t even flinch when she offered him the cup of coffee in her hand.

“I know it’s probably stupid to ask, but how are you?” Kelly accepted the coffee and stayed quiet for a minute more as he blew the steam away from the rim and took a sip. Not caring about the floor being slightly damp, Andi sat down on the concrete next to his chair.

“She couldn’t have been older than eight… Or nine,” he eventually forced out, nothing more than hoarse words that caught in his throat.

“I’m sure you did everything you could,” Andi assured him, gentle in her approach to such a sensitive matter.

“She was so small…” She reached out to put a hand on his arm as a sign of solidarity, only for him to get up and hurry off inside the Firehouse. Confused and honestly a little hurt, Andi stood up and brushed herself off. Offered awkward smiles to the Squad table as she passed them to enter the main house.

“Hey -” One of the guys from Firehouse 19 greeted her in the corridor. Andi offered a half-smile in reply.

“We haven’t properly met yet, I’m Cameron,” he stated and held out a hand for Andi to shake.

“Hi, Cameron, I’m Andi. Welcome to Fifty-One.” She remained polite and courteous, though it was apparent that he wanted more from her.

“I don’t know if you’re seeing anyone at all or anything like that, but I was wondering if you maybe wanted to get drinks after shift?”

“Oh, actually, I’m...” Andi began and then realised that she and Kelly hadn’t ever expressed exclusivity.

“I know a really cool place not too far from here -”

“That’s really sweet of you, Cameron, but I’m kinda already spoken for. Thank you, though! I really appreciate the thought,” she let him down gently and he seemed to understand.

“Alright, no problem. You were really kick-ass out there, earlier, by the way,” he commented as they began to part ways.

“Thanks! You too.” They split and Andi continued through to the bunk room to try and take a nap.

                                                       -/-/-

When their shift was finally over, Andi received a text from Kelly explaining that he’d meet her at her apartment. Largely unphased, Andi made her way home. She was all too pleased to get out of her clothes and into the shower. When she was done, Andi donned her favourite flannel pyjama bottoms and her well-loved UCLA sweatshirt. Damp curls hung around her face, neck and shoulders as she made herself a cup of coffee.

A knock at the door diverted her attention from the morning news that played on the TV. Andi made herself comfortable on the sofa and called out that it was open. Kelly walked in and out of habit, shrugged his jacket off and hung it up, followed by toeing off his shoes to join her on the sofa.

“Hey,” Andi greeted softly as he sunk into the sofa cushions. Kelly didn’t reply. His eyes were glassy and every time he opened his mouth to speak, his bottom lip trembled.

“Kelly? Are you alright? I’m worried -” She stopped talking when she noticed the tears that trailed down his cheeks and dripped off his chin. Andi reached over to the coffee table for a box of tissues.

“Oh, come here,” she prompted and that was all he needed to drape himself over her. Truthfully, it scared her to see him so upset. Broke her heart. But to her credit, Andi didn’t run and she definitely didn’t try and talk around the situation. She just let him cry into her shoulder whilst she rubbed soothing circles into his back.

Eventually, they shuffled around enough so that Kelly was lay on top of her on the sofa, tearstained and clearly exhausted. Without much thought, she let her nails scratch gently at his scalp.

“It’s okay,” Andi assured him quietly, “Get some rest. I’ll still be here, I promise.”

-/-/-

                                                -/-/-

The wedding weekend had been nothing short of amazing and by the time they’d left, there was a completely different dynamic between Andi and Kelly. Of course, when they’d gotten back to Kelly’s place, Shay had so many questions.

“What was it like? Did you guys have a good time?”

“Yeah - well, it was a wedding. It was about as exciting as it could get.”

“Something happened,” she declared and they’d looked at each with knowing smirks. A minute passed and then the penny seemed to drop.

“No! Shut up! Oh my God!” She’d rushed forward and hugged them both, beyond excited, despite the fact that they hadn’t actually confirmed or denied the fact that they were exclusive.

Currently, they were on shift, it was Andi’s birthday and she’d been completely rushed off her feet. She’d neglected to tell the rest of the Firehouse, for the sole reason of not making a big deal out of it. Andi knew that the moment she landed in Kalithea, the birthday celebrations and traditions wouldn’t end.

“Morning, Andi,” Gabby greeted her as she strode into the Common Room in search of a cup of coffee.

“Hey,” she chirped back as she found a mug and moved to the coffee machine.

“Any exciting news you wanna share with the class?” Andi stopped what she was doing and turned to face the other woman with a wide-eyed expression.

“Uh, n-no? No. Did Shay tell you something?” The two of them moved through to the bunk room and Andi waited for Gabby to explain.

“I didn’t wanna make a big song and dance about it, but why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well… Well, we’re still keeping a low profile and Shay only knows because she figured it out -”

“Wait, wait - what are you talking about?” There was a moment of panic and then Andi realised that Gabby was talking about something completely different.

“What are you talking about?” she echoed back and Gabby crossed her arms over her chest and cocked an eyebrow.

“Your birthday, Andi. Why didn’t you say that it was today!”

“Oh - Oh! Right! It was nothing personal, I swear but I’m kind of saving the birthday celebrations for when I get to Greece. Since I don’t have a name day, they tend to go all-out with the birthdays,” she explained, though mentally she was screaming about how close a call that was.

“I see. It’s just, birthdays are kind of a big thing in the Firehouse, so can we at least get you a cake and some candles?”

“You don’t have to -”

“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re a part of the Firehouse and it’s what we do,” Gabby insisted and Andi wasn’t about to start an argument about it so she conceded and let the subject matter go.

“Alright, you win this time, Dawson.” With good-natured hugs, the two of them split and Andi went in search of Shay.

“Oh, hey! My favourite lady firefighter, what brings you to me?” the blonde paramedic greeted as Andi reached the apparatus floor. Shay was in the process of taking inventory on the rig but seemed more than happy to put the clipboard down for a moment.

“You haven’t told anyone, have you?”

“About?”

“Shay… C’mon. You know I’m talking about… Me and Kelly,” she whispered the last part and Shay let out a bemused laugh.

“Why would I do that? It’s not my place and although he is my best friend, your relationship is none of my business. You’re both consenting adults. Your secret is safe with me, I promise,” she assured Andi as the Squad guys came down from getting their coffee refills and snacks to eat.

“Okay, I just wanted to check. We haven’t brought it up with Chief Boden yet, but we’re not gonna tell anyone until we do.”

“I can respect that. Speaking of…” Shay trailed off and Andi followed her gaze over her shoulder to the Squad table. They were in a heated, animated conversation about something and blissfully unaware of the conversation taking place between the two women.

“Thanks.” Andi turned on her heel to head back inside when the alarm went off overhead.

“Truck Eighty-One, Rescue Squad Three, Ambulance Sixty-One. Car crash -” With a heavy sigh, she turned back around and got ready to roll out.

Thankfully it was only three cars that had collided and no other vehicles or pedestrians were involved, just the drivers and passengers. Andi was tasked with helping extract the victims that had been trapped inside the car that had flipped.

“Hey, Herrmann, hold my helmet.” Andi didn’t give him time to respond as she took it off and handed it to him. She shrugged off her turn-out jacket and once the back door had been wrenched open, she laid the article down to crawl in amongst the broken glass and debris.

“Alright - hey, hey my name is Andi I need you to stay calm for me, okay?” she greeted the preteen that was crying and was pinned behind the front passenger seat.

“Andy? Isn’t that a boys name?”

“It’s Andi with an I. My full name is Andromeda. What’s yours?” Andi tried to keep him talking to distract him from the position he was in.

“R-Ricky… My leg really hurts! Are you going to get me out?”

“Yeah, Ricky I promise I’m gonna get you outta here, alright?” she assured him whilst pushing her way closer through the upturned car.

“Where are my parents?” he questioned when he noticed their absence from the front seats. Andi took a moment to look out of the other shattered window and caught a glimpse of them being treated.

“Your folks are fine, they’re in great hands. Now, I need you to stay really still for me whilst I put this around your neck, can you do that for me?” A C-Collar was handed to her and she waited for Ricky to agree before she clipped it into place.

“I’m gonna be okay, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, absolutely. Can you do me one last favour?”

“Sure -” The conversation was halted by frantic shouts and squealing tires. Before Andi could get Ricky down, the car was hit and sent spinning violently from the impact. She got a little bruised and there was a small cut on her cheek, but Andi was relieved to be unscathed.

“Ricky, are you alright?”

“Yeah! I’m fine!” Andi called for a backboard and didn’t waste any more time in getting him out and onto a gurney. When she slid her way back out of the wreck and picked up her turn-out jacket, she was immediately rushed over to a second ambulance that had arrived on the scene.

“I’m fine! Seriously, I’m fine,” she tried to assure them but it was no use. Off to the side, aggravated shouts and sounds of conflict caught her attention. Kelly had pulled the newest reckless driver from the car and was three seconds from punching his face in had it not been for Capp, Mills and Cruz.

“Hey! Severide!” Andi yelled and he got out of Capp’s grasp to hurry over and check on her.

“Are you hurt? How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” she stated and he gestured to the cut on her cheek.

“You’re bleeding.”

“Kelly, I’m fine,” Andi insisted and let the backup paramedic clean her cheek and chin where the blood had dried. Mercifully, it wasn’t deep or serious, and with a couple of adhesive butterfly stitches, she was good to go.

When they were done and had packed the rigs away, Andi was grateful to be back in the Firehouse. She took her time taking her turn-out gear off and subsequently, she was the last person to make it back to the common room.

“Uh, hello? Why are the lights out?” she called out and was met with hushed words and shuffling around. Then a flickering orange glow appeared at the back of the room. When she realised that it was a cake with candles, Andi relaxed. Everyone started to sing happy birthday to her and she wasn’t sure what to do with herself.

“Blow the candles out!” Herrmann cheered and when Andi blew out the candles, she was met with claps on the back and tight group hugs.

“Happy birthday Andi!” The cake was split and Andi accepted a slice with a hug from Mills. When the group had dissipated, Andi took an extra slice of cake down to the apparatus floor and lingered around the Squad table.

“Hey, Lieutenant. Got somethin’ for you,” she stated cooly as Kelly turned to face her in his chair.

“Oh - thanks! What’s the occasion?”

“It’s my birthday. Gabby and Shay insisted on getting me a cake,” Andi explained and then nodded towards the bay doors.

“Can we talk for a moment, over there?”

“Sure,” he was quick to follow after her and they moved out of sight of the rest of the Squad guys.

“So, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you it was my birthday, first of all -”

“Nah, don’t sweat it. Happy birthday, though.”

“Thanks! Anyway, I have something to ask you - and you totally have every right to say no, but if I don’t ask then it’ll eat me alive,” she continued and finished another mouthful of cake.

“Okay, what’s on your mind?”

“I’m going to Greece for my birthday. I go every year, however, this time I was kinda hoping that maybe… You’d come with me?” The question hung in the air between them. There was an awkward silence and then Kelly cleared his throat.

“Y’know what? Hell yeah. I’ll come to Greece with you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! Are you staying at a hotel, or -?”

“Well, no. But I’ll be staying at the family villa. It’s technically my Aunt and Uncle’s place but they tend to stay with my grandparents so I’ll have the whole place to myself,” Andi explained and the more she told Kelly, the more he seemed to warm up to the idea.

“Awesome. I’m totally down to go to Greece with you,” Kelly assured her with a smile and they shared a warm hug before parting ways.

“Sweet, I’ll get you a plane ticket and send you the dates.”

                                                   -/-/-

True to his word, Kelly accompanied Andi to Greece. The 12-hour flight from Chicago O’Hare to Rhodes Diagoras International was filled with giddy conversations between the two of them, plenty of sleep and a layover in Zurich. But when they finally arrived, there was no greater joy to Andi than the feeling of the warm air against her skin.

When they’d found her Aunt and Uncle at the arrivals gate, enthusiastic greetings had been exchanged. It was obvious to Andi that Kelly was taking it all in his stride but the interactions were clearly a lot for him to handle after the long journey.

“It’s gonna be like, twenty minutes and then we’ll be there. You alright?” Andi checked as they loaded their cases into the robust 4x4.

“Yeah! Sounds great,” he assured her as they climbed in and buckled up. Andi spoke animatedly to her Aunt and Uncle the entire ride over in sporadic Greek and English fragments. Despite the fact that it had only been a year, there was a lot to catch up on.

“- So you must be the boyfriend, huh?” her Aunt questioned over her shoulder and Kelly fumbled slightly in his response, still not accustomed to being known as Andi’s boyfriend.

“That’s me. It’s lovely to meet you, Andi’s told me a lot about this place and how much you guys mean to her.”

“Well, you’re a part of this family now too, son, whether you planned to be or not,” the older woman joked and Andi scolded her in Greek before hiding her face in her hands out of embarrassment.

Thankfully, the car ride was over and the awkward conversations came to a close. Kelly helped get the cases inside and Andi went ahead to open the windows and let in the last of the daylight.

“You’re coming to Yia-Yia’s tomorrow, right?” her Uncle questioned as they handed over the bunch of keys for the villa.

“Naí, of course. Thank you for picking us up! We’ll see you tomorrow!” They waved them off from the doorway and as soon as the car was out of sight, they shut the door and Andi led Kelly through the open-plan villa by the hand.

“I’ve been waiting all year to come back,” she sighed as she dropped back onto the absurdly large bed. The linen sheets rippled at the disturbance and her sun-kissed complexion looked even darker against the white covers and pillows.

“If you love it here so much, why didn’t you just move back after you graduated high school?” Kelly took his shoes off and joined her on the bed.

“Because,” she sighed and rested her hands against her stomach, “I’d miss my parents too much? I know it sounds crazy but travelling back here once or twice a year is far more appealing than doing it the other way around.”

“Uh-huh. Makes sense, I suppose,” Kelly agreed with a hum as he watched Andi stretch her arms above her head. The floaty, light skirt she’d chosen bunched up around her waist. It was enticing, the way her complexion seemed to glow and the expanse of exposed, inked skin beckoned him closer.

“What?”

“You’re gorgeous,” he stated with a simple shrug.

“If I wasn’t so tired, I would’ve jumped you already,” Andi joked as she stifled a yawn into the crook of her elbow.

“Well, I can do something about that.”

“Oh, really?” she questioned and partially sat up.

“Yeah. There’s a shower in this villa calling our names. Why don’t we shower off and then turn in for an early night?” The look she gave him was picture-worthy, but there was a playful light in her eyes as she watched him stand up and begin to undress.

“I like your thinking, Lieutenant. And, I think I might need some assistance getting out of these clothes,” Andi remarked in reply as he helped her stand up. She led the way to the en suite bathroom and let her hair down as Kelly shut the door behind him.

“What time are we expected to meet your grandparents?”

“Not until lunchtime, at the earliest,” she assured him as she reached into the shower to turn the water on.

“Good, you’ll need the lie-in,” Kelly countered with a boyish grin as he helped her out of her clothes, an item at a time.

“Is that a promise or a threat, Lieutenant?” Andi teased as she took her turn to undress him piece by piece as steam filled the bathroom.

“Both if you keep using my rank against me.”

“Oh, don’t threaten me with a good time.”

-/-/-

                                               -/-/-

“Are you going to swim at all this week? Or just perv on me from the sand?” Andi teased as she rejoined Kelly after half an hour spent in the sea. Kelly lifted his sunglasses up to get a look at Andi as she reached for her towel to dry off.

“Well… I’m kinda liking the second option…” he replied with a coy smile and she batted his leg with the towel before dropping down next to him.

“I’m serious! I haven’t seen you so much as stand in a rock pool let alone go for a swim,” Andi stated as she reapplied the coconut-scented tanning oil she’d been using since they’d arrived. Her complexion had darkened several noticeable shades but her tattoos seemed to stand out more against her sunned skin.

“I’ve been perfectly happy just letting you do your thing whilst I sit here and soak up the sun.” Andi gave him a pointed look over the rim of her glasses and stood up with a sigh.

“Excuse me for getting a little metaphorical, but you can’t spend your whole life sitting in the sand, waiting.” Kelly laughed and lay back on his towel, content to stay in the sun.

“I just prefer to sail, not swim.”

“Fine. But I’ll change your mind. We have twenty-four hours left of this trip and so help me, I’m gonna get you in the water before we go home,” she bargained before getting up and making her way over to the beach bar not too far away.

In the week they’d been on the Mediterranean coast, Kelly had been introduced to so many members of Andi’s extended family and consumed enough Greek wine to take down four grown men. But they had all been more than welcoming and it had been a week in the sun he didn’t know he needed until he arrived.

Andi returned with a bright smile and condensation-covered bottles of local beer. There was a beat of silence as they both took a few mouthfuls and then Kelly watched as Andi turned to face him on her towel.

“So, I was thinking -”

“Uh-oh?” She shoved his shoulder with her hand.

“First of all, how rude. Secondly, I was thinking that we head back to the Villa a little earlier tonight…”

“Yeah?” Kelly piqued an eyebrow and tipped his bottle up again. Andi set her bottle down in the sand and leant in to whisper in his ear.

“Because if we leave it any longer to go back, we’re going to be massively late for dinner,” she stated before nibbling on his earlobe.

“Then what are we waiting for?” In a fit of giddy laughter, the two of them hurried to gather their things. Kelly watched as Andi fumbled with her sandals and sundress before she scooped her bag onto her shoulder. He followed after her with a dizzy feeling in his head and butterflies in his stomach.

                                                     -/-/-

They all but crashed through the door of the villa in a fit of tipsy and sun-drunk giggles. Kelly couldn’t get enough of her lips against his and the way she leaned into his body. The way she giggled against his lips was enough to make his head spin.

“Kelly -” A yelp of surprise escaped Andi as they tripped over the rug in the hallway and the two of them tumbled to the floor.

“Oh my God,” the two of them exclaimed in almost perfect unison as a round of laughter passed between them.

“C’mon, we’re not doing this on the floor -” Kelly tried to get up but Andi shook her head and pulled him in for another kiss.

“You didn’t complain the last time…” she countered and wrapped her arms around him to hold him as close as possible.

“Yeah and I still have the carpet burn on my knee from when I slipped, trying to -” Another kiss and Andi was pulling at his boardshorts to push them below his ass. Just enough for what she wanted from him.

With a slightly shaky hand, Kelly reached under the hem of her sundress and pulled her bikini bottoms off in a surprisingly fluid motion. His fingers tested and teased the heat between her thighs and he couldn’t get enough of the sounds he drew from her parted lips.

“No teasing, not right now,” she bargained breathlessly as she clenched her thighs around his waist. No matter how many times they conceded to their sex drives, it never failed to make his heart stutter at the sight of Andi pinned beneath him.

“Since you asked so nicely,” Kelly remarked as he dipped his fingers back into her core. Experimentally, he pressed the tip of his middle finger to her entrance and the drawn-out whine that threatened to fall from Andi’s mouth was all the motivation he needed.

It was a matter of minutes before Andi was a moaning, breathless mess beneath him. He marvelled at how Andi rocked her hips against his fingers ever so slightly and took pride in the way her features all seemed to scrunch up and soften consecutively as she neared her release.

Right when it seemed that Andi was going to let go, Kelly stopped. A gasp-turn-moan escaped the brunette’s mouth as he pulled his fingers out and licked them clean, all the while maintaining eye contact with Andi.

“Fuck you for making that look so hot,” she sighed as Kelly settled between her thighs properly and rocked forward. With their foreheads pressed together, their drawn-out moans and sighs mingled between hot breaths.

“Shit…” Kelly gasped as he started to build a steady rhythm, rolling his hips against the backs of Andi’s illustrated thighs.

Though he struggled to keep his footing on the rug beneath them, that didn’t stop Kelly from hitching one of Andi’s legs higher around his waist for a better angle. There was a new kind of buzz that settled under his skin and pushed him to leave Andi a shaking mess beneath him.

Kelly managed to achieve his goal and it was a sound to behold. The way she moaned his name, dug her nails into his bicep and clenched around him almost uncontrollably was enough to tip him over the edge.

“I - Oh, shit…” He half-collapsed on top of her as he tried to catch his breath. The sounds of their heavy breathing filled the space around them and when Kelly regained the ability to form a coherent sentence he couldn’t help the words that left his mouth.

“I love you.”

She didn’t try and cover his mouth or pretend she didn’t hear him. Kelly waited, still very much inside her, for Andi’s response.

“You - You do?” There was a slightly confused frown on her flushed features as she shifted beneath him slightly.

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“I don’t know… Say it again.”

“I love you,” he repeated without hesitation and she pulled him in for a messy kiss. When she pulled away, Kelly half-expected her to change the subject.

“I love you too.” The rush that followed hearing those words echoed back to him was enough to make his eyes gloss over and his breath catch in his throat.

                                                         -/-/-

“Ah! You two took your time,” Andi’s uncle greeted them both as they arrived at her grandparents for their last evening meal of the week.

“We lost track of time, Theíos. Kelly’s taken a shine to the Greek way of life,” Andi mused in reply as they followed him inside. Conversation was lively and the aromas that filled the house were mouthwatering.

“Oh, look at the two of you! Éna tóso ómorfo zevgári,” her cousin - Maria - cooed and Andi made a tutting noise as they took their seats. Kelly took the seat next to Andi and let a hand rest on her thigh.

Whilst he listened to what Ilena had to say about the day she’d had, Kelly couldn’t help but overhear Andi whispering an embarrassed string of Greek at her grandmother before she tried to hide the flush in her cheeks.

“So, Kéli, have you enjoyed your time over here?” her grandfather questioned as he helped bring out the last few dishes of food.

“Yes! Absolutely. Thank you so much, for hosting, letting us stay -”

“Pah! Nonsense. You’re Oikogéneia, now. You’ll always have a seat and a plate at this table,” he assured Kelly and there was an overwhelming sense of belonging that washed over him as glasses were filled.

“Thank you. That really means a lot.”

“Stin ygeiá sas!” her grandparents toasted and everyone echoed the words back, except for Kelly, who struggled to get his teeth around the syllables of the words. As he tipped his glass against Andi’s, there was a moment of eye contact that electrified his senses.

                                                   -/-/-

“I can’t believe they let me smash a plate!” Kelly exclaimed as they walked along the beach. It was well after dark and there was no one around.

“Yeah, well if it’s any consolation, they were all steaming drunk,” Andi stated with a laugh as the waves rolled in, gentle and almost lazy.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Kelly spoke up after a long silence between them. Andi slowed to a stop at a wooden jetty.

“We’re going skinny dipping,” she declared and Kelly thought his eyes were going to fall out of his head.

“What?”

“Oh, you heard me. C’mon, Lieutenant. Or are you too chicken?” Kelly refused to be baited out like that and ordinarily he would’ve put up more of a fight. But at that moment, he was running on one too many glasses of Greek Red and couldn’t find it in him to care.

“You’re on.” With an excited clap of her hands, Andi began to shed her dress and underwear. Kelly followed close behind and almost tripped over his own feet. He took off after her towards the water and was pleasantly surprised that the water was warm. Though she tried to keep quiet, Andi’s tipsy giggles mixed with the sound of the waves.

“We could get in so much trouble if someone catches us,” he stated before she splashed him. Saltwater sprayed up his chest and into his face.

“Do I look like I care about that right now?” she countered and swam closer, her curls dripping wet and clinging to her temples and cheekbones.

“No, you just look naked.”

They swam around for ten minutes more before deciding that they were probably better off not getting caught naked on the beach on their last night. As they got dressed under the jetty, Andi couldn’t keep her hands off of him. It was a wonder they made it back to the villa without getting stopped.

                                                          -/-/-

Even after they’d made it back to Chicago, the two of them found it hard not to be in the same space as one another. However, they’d both agreed on the flight back to O’Hare that Boden had to know as soon as possible.

“Hi! Oh my God look at the two of you!” Shay exclaimed as they arrived for work.

“Hey.” They shared hugs and cheek kisses before heading inside for coffee and an early morning snack. As they entered the Common Room, everyone else looked up to see who it was. Whistles and guffaws rippled through the room at the sight of the two of them together. Kelly tried not to grin like an idiot as everyone bombarded them with questions.

“Ah, look at you! Practically glowing from all that Mediterranean sun!” Herrmann exclaimed as he caught sight of them both. Andi beamed at the compliment as she finished making the two cups of coffee. Before anyone else could ask any more questions, the two of them headed off to Boden’s office.

“Come in!” he’d called out after Kelly had knocked. To say Kelly was nervous would’ve been an understatement. He considered Boden a surrogate father at this point and the last thing he wanted was to jeopardise that relationship in favour of another.

“Lieutenant Severide, Miss Ramirez. What can I do for the two of you?” Andi opened her mouth to speak, but when no words came out, Kelly took half a step forward.

“Chief, Andi and I have been talking and we thought it would be in our best interests to tell you… We’re together.” Kelly’s words hung in the air and Boden stood up. He rounded his desk and lent up against it with his arms folded across his barrel chest.

“I see. It’s a serious relationship?”

“Yes, sir,” Andi assured him and took Kelly’s hand in her own in an attempt to solidify her point.

“Alright. I can’t say I’m surprised. But there are rules - codes of conduct. I have to have your personal assurance that no matter what goes on in your relationship that you will not - under any circumstances - bring it into work.”

“Absolutely, Chief,” Kelly agreed with a nod.

“What the two of you do outside of work is nobody’s business but your own, but I - nor anyone else - needs to be involved in your personal dramas. For our sakes and your own.”

“That’s fair,” Andi stated, seemingly pleased with the outcome.

“Now, I know you’ve been soaking up the sun for the last week, but morning brief starts in five. Get yourselves over to the briefing room and let everyone else know,” Boden instructed and as they turned to leave, Kelly felt a weight fall off his shoulders.

“I can’t believe he seemed so… Calm about it all,” Andi mused as they made their way back to the common room to tell everyone about the morning brief.

“I’m not complaining. All things considered, that could’ve gone a lot worse.”

-/-/-

                                                   -/-/-

From the moment she woke up, Andi had an unsettled feeling in her chest and as she drove through the torrential downpour to the Firehouse, it wouldn’t leave her be. The rain was coming down so hard she could barely see the road through the heavy spray that bounced back at the force of the rainfall.

Andi waited ten minutes in the driver’s seat when she pulled up to the Firehouse. The rain, wind and thunder didn’t stop or even falter. She counted to ten before opening the door and braving the run across the forecourt in the pouring rain. With her bag bouncing against her hip and her jacket held overhead, Andi ran to the apparatus floor door. Once safely inside, she lowered her jacket and shook the ran off of her body and out of her hair. A bemused chuckle off tot he side caught her attention.

“Morning,” Kelly greeted with a cup of coffee grasped loosely in his hand. It must’ve been cold because he was wearing his quilted bomber jacket with SQUAD embroidered on the back.

“Hey. Some weather, huh?”

“Yeah, bet Greece is looking real good right about now, huh?” he teased as she passed by and flicked rainwater at him in contempt. Together, they moved up to the lockerrooms and Kelly waited outside whilst Andi got changed into her uniform. When she emerged, wrapped in her own CFD fleece and with a beanie pulled down over her curls, Kelly chuckled and slung an arm over her shoulders as they walked through to the common room.

“So, I was thinking, maybe we could get some drinks tonight, at Molly’s, or anywhere, really. If you’re up for it of course?” For as much as she wanted to agree to the plans, Andi still couldn’t shake the discomfort that had followed her from the apartment.

“Ah… Y’know what? I’m really not feeling the best and I don’t want to be a party-pooper -”

“Oh, no sweat. Don’t worry about it, let me know if you change your mind though, yeah?”

“Absolutely. Thank you.” Kelly pressed a kiss to her cheek and headed back to the apparatus floor. Andi stopped in the corridor. Stunned.

Did that just happen?

“Hey, mornin’ Andi!” Gabby chirped as she entered the common room. Andi tried to present a genuine smile, though she wasn’t sure how well it passed. She went straight for the coffee pot and poured herself a mug, if nothing else it’d be a good hand warmer.

“Everything alright?” Shay questioned as she scooted onto the counter next to the machine.

“Yeah. I’m good. You?”

“Can’t complain. Make the most of the peace, we’re going to be spending most of this shift slammed with calls. It’s inevitable.”

“Thank you, Captain Sunshine,” Andi mused in reply before dumping two sachets of sugar into her drink and stirring it with a spoon.

Everyone was pretty much the same; wrapped up in their fleece jackets, desperate to preserve their body heat. As the storm raged on outside, a crack of thunder was followed by the flickering of the lights. Threatened to go out. Everyone shared the same concerned look before going back to eating, drinking and reading.

“Good morning, Fifty-One -” Chief Boden appeared in the doorway, hands on his hips in his trademark pose “- I wanna see you all in the Briefing Room in five.” Murmurs of understanding rippled through the firefighters that lounged in the Common Room. The despondent mood Andi found herself in dug itself into the back of her head. As everyone began to move out, she followed along at the back. Everything seemed sluggish and even the simple task of opening the door became an over-exertion of energy.

As she sunk into one of the nearest plastic seats, she made eye contact with Kelly, who had taken up a position leaning against the wall at the back of the room with Matt almost shoulder-to-shoulder with him. Kelly offered a slight smile and Andi tried to reciprocate, though it was blatantly half-assed.

                                                      -/-/-

Three hours into the shift and Shay had been right. Firehouse 51 had barely spent more than fifteen minutes in-house between calls. Andi was already starting to lag and she hated herself for it. The last call they’d come back from had left them all dripping wet and at their wit’s ends.

Andi wrung out her hair for the fifth time in as many minutes after she’d hung up her turn-out gear. Once she’d put it back in a low ponytail and secured her beanie on top again, Andi started to make her way to the Common Room. As she passed the Squad table, Kelly got up and began to walk over to her, a question on the tip of his tongue, when the alarm went off overhead again.

“All Companies. Housing collapse due to fallen tree -” With a frustrated sigh, Andi turned on her heel and jogged back to the turn-out room.

The ride was quiet. No one was in the mood for conversation as they rolled out of the bay doors and onto the drenched streets of Chicago. Mercifully, the rain was starting to ease off, but the wind had picked up considerably.

When they arrived, the situation they were facing looked beyond dire. A tree had fully been blown over and it had decided to land in the middle of the house’s roof. Everything looked one strong gust away from caving in completely. Matt began delegating jobs for everyone to undertake, though he was aware of how precarious the situation was.

“- Ramirez, Cruz, evac on as many floors as you can get to -”

“Yes, Lieutenant!” they barked in reply as they hefted their gear and headed towards the house. The ground floor was easy enough, there was a young-ish girl that Joe helped to the door and a cat that Andi ushered out with her boot, but no one was injured. Thank God.

“Fire Department! Call out!” Andi yelled as they reached the top of the stairs. Rescue Squad had also descended and were in the process of removing debris around the house to gain access to the basement.

“I’ll go left,” Cruz stated, but before he could walk away, Andi caught him by the arm.

“Be careful.”

“You too.” They parted ways briefly and Andi found the room the tree had made itself home in. Branches and leaves all over the place, water came in through the torn open roof in a miniature waterfall.

“Fire Department! Call out!” she repeated as she pushed further into the used-to-be bedroom. Below, she heard the sounds of Rescue Squad entering the building and doing a secondary survey. Kelly barked some orders and gave instructions to the rest of his Squad before he ventured upstairs.

“Ramirez! Is anyone up there?”

“Not in here! Cruz is across the hall!” she called back as she steadied herself against the tree. Andi had managed to get herself wedged between the tree and the wall. She was stuck.

“How’s everything looking up there, Ramirez?”

“All good, Lieutenant. No one else is up here. Cruz and I’ll double back ASAP,” she assured Matt over the radios and went back to figuring out how to get herself out of the room.

“Everything alright?” Kelly reappeared in the doorway and Andi tried to shrug it off.

“Totally -” The floorboards creaked and groaned. The tree dropped further and more water poured in from the roof. Andi got a faceful of rainwater and even more stuck than she was before. Her leg had become pinned between a side unit and a hefty branch.

“Andi, take my hand,” Kelly instructed as he shuffled closer, cautious.

“It’s fine! I’ve got this -”

“Now’s not the time to play hero, Ramirez! Take my damn hand!” he protested and extended his arm to her. The tree had her thoroughly pinned and Andi hated getting into this kind of a mess.

“Fine!” She reached, but there was still an inch or two of clearance between them. Andi strained to reach for Kelly’s hand. He shuffled closer to her but the floor threatened to give way and take them both with it.

“The floor’s gonna give - get outta here!” Andi exclaimed after failing to successfully grab ahold of his hand.

“No way!” The tree dropped again and shifted. Andi didn’t doubt the fact that there’d be a sizeable bruise left behind on her thigh when she got out.

If.

“Alright - alright, I think it’s coming loose I can get out of it,” she verbalised as she regained the ability to move her foot.

“Okay, on three, you’re gonna come to me, yeah?”

“Yeah.” As another round of creaks and groans sounded, the sharp cracks of splintering wood joined in. More rain came in through the opened roof above them. Shivering and with rainwater running down the back of her neck off the rim of her helmet, Andi readied herself. She twisted her leg around slightly to get her boot out from the mangled mess of branches.

“I’ve got it! On three!” Andi confirmed with a nod of her head.

“One… Two… Three!” She jumped towards him and for lack of a better option as the rest of the floor gave way, let the momentum take her straight into Kelly. The two of them fell in a heap on the floor as the tree gouge out the rest of the house. Slightly dazed and breathless, Andi looked down and Kelly was looking right back at her.

“Thanks.” There was a long pause. Neither one of them could look away.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Let’s get outta here,” she assured him and they pushed themselves to their feet and headed back out of the house.

                                                     -/-/-

Another six hours of community aid call-outs and the whole Firehouse was starting to feel the strain. Andi had been given the okay to continue working, but the black-ish purple bruise that stained her thigh ached and twinged if she moved too fast.

Currently, it was mid-afternoon, but the storm had yet to fully disappear. Winds and sporadic rain still battered the streets. As a result, the neighbourhood surrounding the Firehouse had experienced a series of blackouts. Andi was making her rounds with Gabby and Shay. Most of the neighbourhood was seeking refuge in 51 and things were beginning to get cosy.

Whilst handing out blankets and warm drinks, Andi’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She halted her efforts momentarily to check it. The notification had come from a text, from Jay.

On the app floor. Can’t stay long but need to talk - J.H

Andi made her way down to the apparatus floor, her hands pushed into her pockets to keep them warm.

“Hey, stranger,” she greeted as he came into view.

“Hey. You busy?”

“It’s been nonstop since this morning. We’re completely slammed right now. So what’s up?” Jay shifted his weight slightly foot-to-foot before he cleared his throat and spoke up.

“I just stopped by to give you a heads up that there’s been a bit of an uptick in looting and gang-related crimes since the storms hit. There haven’t been any incidents near the Firehouse, but you might just wanna keep an eye out, alright?”

“Absolutely. Thanks for the tip. Stay safe out there.” Andi pulled him in for a hug and Jay eventually turned to leave.

“And you. Keep in touch, yeah?”

“For sure.” He left with a wave over his shoulder and disappeared back into the rain and wind. Andi returned upstairs and relayed the information to Boden. Grateful for the information, he dismissed her with a smile. She made her way to the bunk room with the intention of getting some sleep. As she sat down on her bed and lay back, the alarm went off overhead.

“All Companies. Several car pile-up -” A frustrated sigh left Andi’s lips as she forced herself to her feet and followed everyone else down to the apparatus floor.

The ride out to the scene was nothing short of miserable. Morale was practically in the gutter and Andi began to wonder why she was feeling so horribly run down and despondent.

“Lieutenant?”

“Yeah?” Matt called back over his shoulder.

“What’s the date today?”

“The seventeenth. Why?” The realisation made Andi’s stomach twist with nausea.

“No reason, don’t sweat it,” she assured him as she swallowed bile and took a deep breath. They continued on to the scene and Andi couldn’t stop the tremble that took over her hands and fingers. The discomfort that gripped her turned into a stomach-churning, nauseating sensation. Her hands became clammy with sweat and as they rolled to a stop at the scene, she kept to the back of the group and rounded the end of the Truck.

Andi doubled over and threw up what little she’d managed to consume at the Firehouse. She narrowly missed her boots and could only spit the taste out of her mouth when she finished heaving.

“Andi?” She was quick to straighten up and rather unceremoniously wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. When she turned around, Kelly was stood just a few paces away, a concerned frown on his rain-soaked features.

“I’m fine,” she insisted and made her way past him to get back to Matt.

                                                   -/-/-

Eventually, the storm seemed to burn out and break. As their shift came to an end, Andi was all too pleased to leave the Firehouse. In the 24 hours she’d been on shift, Andi had barely said anything to Kelly. They’d been too busy to make idle conversation and after the - literally - sickening realisation of what the date was, she wasn’t in the right frame of mind.

“Take care, Andi, alright?” Herrmann called after her as she headed to the door, bag slung over her shoulder and her curls up in a loose and messy bun.

The drive back to her apartment was quiet. There was no music on the stereo, just the sounds of the rain outside. Thankfully, when Andi got into her apartment, the neighbours were quiet and the rain had stopped completely. The longest 24 hours were finally over.

Andi showered and changed into comfortable clothes. Music from her phone played moderately through her Bluetooth speaker as she made herself a simple breakfast of toast and orange juice.

The hours melted away and she found various ways to fill them. Sleeping, eating and refuelling. As the afternoon came around, there was still an unease in Andi’s stomach as she tried so desperately to distract herself. As she cleared away her lunch things, someone knocked on the door.

“Hey -” She swung the door open and was greeted by Kelly, in his leather jacket, with a paper bag in his arms.

“Hi, so I know you said you didn’t want to go out tonight, but I wasn’t sure what your situation was. I brought beer if you were up for drinking and ice cream in case you weren’t -” Andi stepped aside and let him in.

“You really didn’t have to.” Kelly softened with a sigh and set the bag down on the kitchen counter.

“Look, we haven’t seen a whole lot of each other today and amongst everything with the storm, all the call-outs, I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. I couldn’t go home without checking first.”

“That’s very noble of you, Kelly, but I’m fine. Really,” Andi assured him weakly but he wasn’t going to concede that easily.

“Something’s up. You can tell me.” Kelly shrugged off his jacket and moved to hang it up by the door before he returned to the kitchen.

“You sure? The last thing I want is to be that girl who just burdens everyone with her shitty trauma and even shittier coping mechanisms -”

“No, no, hey - Andi, listen. If there is something bothering you, without a doubt, you can tell me. No matter what it is.” Andi let out a sigh and wrung her hands together.

“Yesterday. The seventeenth. It was Josslyn’s birthday. I didn’t even realise and I’d been feeling shitty all shift and then Matt told me it was the seventeenth and I guess it kind of threw me,” she explained as she crossed her arms over her chest and let out a drawn-out breath.

“Right. You don’t have to tell me any more than that if you don’t want to - I completely get it.” Andi stepped forward and pressed a kiss to his slightly stubbly cheek. She rested her head against his shoulder and took a moment to compose herself.

“Huh - I never noticed that before,” he commented softly after Andi stepped away.

“What are you talking about?”

“This -” Kelly lifted a hand and brushed his thumb over the arch of her right eyebrow. Andi knew exactly what he was talking about the second she felt the pad of his thumb make contact. There was a slightly sparse patch on the arch of her eyebrow that seemed to split it in two.

“What happened?”

“Oh - a few years ago, I was getting ready for a party off-campus. I was at… her place and when I refused to change my outfit, she pushed me into the doorframe. I split the corner of my face open on it and had to get stitches. It hasn’t grown back right since,” Andi explained with a slight shrug and tried to fight off the lump that formed in her throat at the memory.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, it’s a thing of the past and I’m done caring about the scars she left me with. Most of them are covered with tattoos now anyway.” A brief pause in the conversation followed.

“Do you wanna stay? I was just gonna watch a few movies and order some food from my parent’s restaurant. Unless you have plans, that’s totally cool -”

“Yeah, I’ll stay. I’d hate to think of such a pretty girl spending a night off all by herself.”

“You’re just saying that,” Andi rebuffed, though a rosy tint had taken over her cheeks, neck and ears at his words.

“Not at all.” With a beer each and the ice cream in the freezer, Kelly and Andi moved through to the living room to get comfortable in front of the TV. Kelly sat with his legs outstretched against the coffee table, with Andi curled into his side, her legs draped across his lap.

“Thank you, for checking on me.”

“I was worried. Had to know you were okay,” Kelly stated simply as Andi flicked through the channels to find something interesting. There was nothing that took their fancy so she switched over to Netflix.

-/-/-

                                                 -/-/-

There was something about weddings that always put Andi in a certain mood. She’d attended her fair share of weddings during her childhood, where she was forced to wear a ridiculously puffy and unflattering dress with flowers braided into her hair. But now that it was her own sister getting married, there was something different about the whole affair.

Nonetheless, the two of them made good time to the hotel and checked in to get ready. The entire way up to their room, Kelly’s hand never left hers. The room was well-lit and spacious enough for the two of them to move around one another without collision.

“So, this is really happening, huh? We’re at my sister’s wedding…” Andi sighed as she dropped back onto the plush bed. Her curls splayed out against the soft sheets. Kelly took the slightly more gentle approach and shuffled across the bed to lie next to her.

“Yeah. It’s exciting though, right? Weddings are -”

“My idea of hell,” she half-joked as she stared up at the ceiling. There was a nervous feeling brewing in the pit of her stomach, she couldn’t imagine how Chelsea was feeling.

“Well then aren’t you lucky it’s not your big day?”

“God, don’t - I can’t handle that kind of stress. Just thinking about getting married is enough to put me on edge.” Kelly leaned in and put a hand on her waist to pull her in. His breath was hot against the side of her face and brought her out in goosebumps.

“You need to relax,” he stated quietly and Andi huffed out a laugh.

“Have you met my sister? She carries enough stress to kill ten full-grown men. This is why I’m grateful she didn’t force me to be her Maid of Honour.” There was a heated silence between them. A moment. Andi couldn’t help but stare at Kelly’s lips and to her joy, he closed the gap and kissed her.

“This isn’t getting ready,” she sighed against his lips as they shuffled around slightly so she was pinned to the bed underneath him.

“Are you complaining?” Kelly countered with a growing smile as she threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged gently.

“No, just stating a fact.” Hot hands roamed beneath t-shirts and pulled on belt loops to bring them even closer together. Amidst the trail of messy kisses and mild groping, someone knocked on the hotel door. Confused, they got up and straightened themselves out before Andi unlocked the door. Her parents were stood in the corridor, beaming ear-to-ear smiles.

“Mitéra? Bampás?” They pulled her in for bone-crushing hugs and enthusiastic kisses on the cheek.

“Oh, Androméda poios eínai aftós o ómorfos nearós?” Who is this handsome young man? Her mother questioned with a nod to Kelly over Andi’s shoulder.

“This is Kelly Severide, my… Boyfriend.” The word seemed foreign on her tongue. She’d never imagined she’d get the chance to say it but there was no taking it back now.

“Fílos? Ah! Brávo, Androméda.” Her mother’s words were coy and slightly teasing. Andi flushed pink with embarrassment and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Arina and Hank Ramirez, it’s good to meet you, Son,” her father stuck a hand out for Kelly to shake. Andi held her breath as he smiled and accepted the gesture. All the while her mother kept looking at Andi with an unreadable yet still smug expression. The kind of look only mothers know how to do.

“Andi, sweetheart, your mother’s going to Chelsea’s room to help her get ready, why don’t you tag along?” her father suggested and Andi was left with no choice but to agree.

“Sure. I’ll get my dress on and meet you at Chelsea’s room.”

“Great, that’ll give Kelly and me some time to talk, man-to-man.”

“Oh God,” she exclaimed under her breath. Kelly seemed to take it all in good humour and agreed to the plan. Her parents left with big smiles and knowing looks. Andi shut the door with a heavy sigh and immediately moved to retrieve her dress bag and shoes.

“Hey - Hey, look at me,” Kelly instructed calmly as he caught her arm. She turned to him, her face creased with worry.

“Yeah?”

“Everything’s going to be okay. Relax. Take a few deep breaths.” Andi took a moment to follow his words and felt marginally better after the fact.

“I’ll be back soon, I hope,” she assured him when she’d calmed down and the door clicked shut behind her. Chelsea’s room was at the end of the corridor and when she reached the door, Andi hesitated. Voices and laughter sounded from behind the door. 

Andi knocked and waited. Moments later the door swung open and Chelsea was stood in the doorway. Her hair was up in a towel and the robe she was wearing emphasised her baby bump.

“Andi! Come in!” The rest of the bridal party cheered at her entrance as she set her dress bag down on the bed. All the other bridesmaids were fussing over their makeup and helping each other out with their hair.

“We were just about to start on Chelsea’s hair and makeup, come and join us!” Andi was ushered through to the vanity table where two other girls were applying mascara and helping each other out.

“You look amazing already,” Andi commented and Chelsea beamed with pride.

“Thank you - Oh!” She was quick to grab Andi’s hand and direct it to her bump. Beneath the palm of her hand, the baby kicked and moved. It was a strange sensation to witness, Andi couldn’t imagine what it felt like for Chelsea.

“Oh, my God - that’s amazing!” Slightly emotional, the two of them shared a hug and then set about getting ready for the ceremony.

                                                         -/-/-

The hour had come. As guests filed into the venue and last-minute adjustments were made, the rest of the bridal party got ready to enter the church. It’d been a few hours since Kelly and Andi had split and now that she was in her bridesmaid dress, she was slightly nervous to see him.

“Alright, ladies, in position, please!” Their mother, who was at the front of the group, organised the bridesmaids and their accompanying chaperones. Andi was waiting closer to Chelsea and their father.

“Oh, my God… Andi -” She turned and was met with Kelly, in a suit and clean-shaven “- You look amazing.” Heat flushed her cheeks, neck and ears. Andi fussed over the skirt of her dress and looked up at him with a coy grin.

“Thank you. A three-piece suit looks good on you,” she replied and looped her arm through his. They got ready and the doors opened. The music began to play and they all started moving forward in a steady line.

“I can’t believe my baby sister’s getting married…” she whispered as they moved up to the front of the church and split into the pews on either side. The music echoed around the vast space and everyone stood up to see Chelsea enter the church. Brett, who’d been stood waiting, finally turned around and there were tears in his eyes at the sight of her.

                                                        -/-/-

The ceremony was beautiful, as Andi had anticipated it to be. When they’d finally said I do and kissed, she wasn’t ashamed to admit there were tears rolling freely down her face. Kelly held her hand the whole time and there was a strange, palpable tension between them as everyone followed the newlyweds out of the church and to the reception venue.

Everyone found their allocated seats and shed their jackets to hang on the back of their chairs. As an immediate family member, Andi and Kelly were seated at the front of the hall with Chelsea, their parents, Brett and the new in-laws and then everyone else was sat at circular tables around the dancefloor.

“I’m exhausted already,” Andi stated quietly as they got comfortable and she rested her head on Kelly’s shoulder. With a quiet laugh, he reached over and patted her cheek as the speeches began. Andi had written hers months ago and it was no grandiose monologue, but it was sentimental enough. The Maid of Honour went first, the redhead she’d met a few months ago on their night out together.

“I’ve known Chelsea since high school and she’s been such a light to have in my life -” Andi tried her hardest to pay attention but it proved difficult until she was handed the microphone.

“Hi, good evening. Anyone that knows my sister and me, knows that we haven’t always been the best of friends. There’s always been one reason or another for us not to get along. But today is one of those rare days, where I - with my hand on my heart - can wish my baby sister, Chelsea, all the best in this new avenue of her life,” she began and took a deep breath. Beside her, Kelly took Andi’s free hand in his own.

“She’s starting a new life with a great guy and they’re starting a family of their own. I couldn’t be happier for the two of them. Chelsea, Brett, congratulations and evlogíes se esás. To the happy couple,” Andi stated and raised her glass, everyone followed and echoed the words back to her.

Drinks and food were rolled out soon after. All the while, Kelly couldn’t seem to keep his hand off of her leg, under the table. It was both comforting and teasing. His fingers splayed over the soft chiffon of the skirt of her dress and Andi could feel the heat from his skin.

“Consider this a formal warning,” she whispered to him as he finished his drink and set the empty glass down on the table.

“A warning?”

“That if your hand ventures much further -” She began and leant in, letting her hand fall under the table to rest just next to his crotch “- I’m not responsible for what happens afterwards.”

“I- I see,” he stuttered and his face flushed slightly at the sensation of her breath fanning against his neck.

“Do you? I’m going out for some fresh air and when I get back, we’re either going to dance or go back to our room and do a different kind of dancing.” Andi excused herself and with the front of her dress bunched in her hands slightly, took off towards the balcony doors.

The fresh air was pleasant against her warm skin and the sunset was picturesque. There were a few moments where the noise of the party seemed to fade away. Andi tried to stop herself from pondering too much on the way things were between her and Kelly.

“Hey -” She straightened up and turned to see Kelly joining her on the balcony.

“Hi.” An awkward beat followed and then Kelly moved to stand in front of her, both hands on her waist, leaving her no choice but to look up at him.

“What are we doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Us. This thing between us?” Andi let out a soft sigh and let her hands roam to his hips, tugged playfully on his belt loops.

“I have no idea. But truthfully, I want it to be more. I don’t want to keep tip-toeing around this situationship and I want… To be with you. Officially,” Andi stated with a twist in her chest. Her confession seemed to take him by surprise.

“Wait - really?”

“Yeah. Kely, when I can’t sleep, all I can think of is what it would like to be with you. To have you sleeping next to me, sharing a space. If that’s not something you’re ready for yet, I completely understand and I’ll back off -”  Kelly cut her off with a tender kiss and she melted under his touch.

“If you think I’m going to let you go any time soon, you’re out of your mind,” he assured her when he pulled away. With teary eyes, Andi let out a slight laugh and kissed him again.

“So, that’s it? We’re really doing this? You and me?”

“Absolutely.”

                                                   -/-/-

They spent another hour at the reception party and when guests began to leave, they excused themselves for the night. When they made it to their room, Andi was all too happy to see the dress and heels go.

“Y’know, heels and a dress really suit you. It’s a good look,” Kelly stated as he loosened his tie and watched Andi step into the bathroom. She turned the shower on and waited for it to warm up. She removed all her jewellery save for the gold Christening band that permanently resided on her right wrist.

“Are you joining me or am I showering alone?” she called out to him and he appeared in the doorway, sans shirt with his belt undone around his waist.

“Well, since you’re inviting me…” he teased and poked at her side as he passed by her to step into the shower. Andi finished removing her jewellery and stepped out of her dress. Pulled the pins and clips from her hair to let the curls fall around her shoulders and face. When she joined him in the shower, the steam and hot water were welcomed. Even when Kelly backed her up against the cool tile wall with a boyish grin on his face and water streaming over his shoulders, chest and back.

-/-/-

                                                    -/-/-

Eventually, Andi fell asleep tucked into Kelly’s side. It was - surprisingly - one of the more peaceful moments of sleep she’d had since the incident. When she woke up, Andi was surprised to see that Kelly hadn’t moved either.

“Hey,” he greeted hoarsely and she hummed in reply.

“Is it too early for lunch yet?” Andi questioned as she rolled onto her back and stretched her arms above her head. Kelly let out a sleep-laced chuckle as he watched her through half-lidded eyes.

“A little. But I’m sure there are plenty of ways to pass the time,” Kelly stated with a grin as she settled back into his side.

“Oh yeah?” she challenged him with a teasing smile. Her fingers traced small circles on his chest before he rolled over to prop himself up on top of her.

“Yeah.” Neither one of them could get rid of the smiles on their faces. The warmth of their shared body heat was enough for them as the sheets fell to their waists and tangled around their legs. Andi reached up and let her fingers graze down Kelly’s cheek, the stubble on his skin tickled the pad of her fingers.

“What?” Kelly seemed to be confused by the tender touches and silent admiration from the woman beneath him, glowing in the mid-morning light that filtered through the window.

“Nothing, just enjoying the view,” she assured him in a hushed tone. Noses brushed against one another before they shared another kiss. Andi draped her arms around his neck and shoulders, pulled him in as close as physically possible.

“Says the woman who’s covered in literal art. I think I win that one.” Andi shook her head with a playful eyeroll and gently pushed Kelly so he lay back amongst the pillows.

“Lieutenant, I’m starting to think that you’ve got an unusual attraction to my tattoos. Care to comment?” she teased as she moved to straddle him. Inked skin in contrast to his own. Kelly held her by the waist, his fingers splayed across the entwined patterns and pictures.

“Which one did you get first?” Andi took a second to think about it but pointed to her left thigh. A pretty bunch of flowers was illustrated on her sandy-beige skin with some flecks of colour. The bouquet stood out nicely amongst the other black and white lines on her thigh.

“This one.”

“What are they for? If they mean anything, that is.”

“They’re birth flowers. For my parents and my sister -” she began and moved his hand to the tattoo and let his fingers graze over it “- A carnation for my Mitéra, a daisy for my Bampás, a marigold for Chelsea and mine’s a rose.” He made a noise of interest and ran his thumb back and forth over the lines and the shading.

“They’re really pretty. Which one’s your favourite?” Once again, Andi guided his hand to her upper arm, the Ares and Aphrodite tattoo that spanned across her bicep.

“The one you got for your parents,” he remembered and she broke into a bright smile.

“You remembered?”

“Of course I did. Tell me more about it. About them.” Andi moved to lie down next to him and when she was comfortable, Kelly ran his fingers across the design on her bicep and it brought her out in goosebumps.

“Alright, since you asked… In classic mythology, Áris and Afrodíti had an affair that lasted aeons. The entire duration of her marriage to Ífaistos. She even bore him five children,” Andi began to explain with a softness in her voice, “Éros, the God of passion and fertility, Ántros is the God of requited love, Deímos was the God of terror and dread, Fóvos was panic and flight, and Armonía, the Goddess of harmony and concord.”

“Go on,” he prompted with a grin and she obliged with a deep breath.

“Well, I thought it was the most fitting way to honour them, y’know? With my mom being Greek - and a total knock-out - and my dad being a veteran, it makes sense if you don’t read into it too much,” she finished and Kelly seemed enthralled by the information.

“Family’s a big thing for you, huh?” Kelly questioned in a hushed tone as he pulled her closer to him.

“Yeah. Especially back in Greece. Which is why I got so mad at Chelsea, I guess. Oikogéneia is the foundation of most things in Greek society,” Andi confessed with a slight sigh.

There was a beat of silence and when Andi looked up at Kelly, there was an unreadable expression on his face. Andi cocked an eyebrow and flicked a stray curl out of her face.

“What?”

“No - nothing… It’s nothing,” he tried to brush it off but Andi refused to let him get out of it that easily.

“There’s obviously something. You can tell me,” she assured him and drummed her ringed fingers against his chest.

“You’ll laugh.”

“I won’t, I promise.” Kelly sat up and Andi followed. She made herself comfortable in his lap and awaited his reply.

“I…” He let out a sigh before he cleared his throat and looked up at her “I really like listening to you speak Greek.” Of all the things Andi expected Kelly to say, that was the last on the list.

“Oh?” There was no harshness to her words and that seemed to surprise Kelly.

“You sound surprised?”

“Well, I mean, you’re probably the first person to say that me speaking my native language is kind of a turn on, so excuse me for not knowing what to say,” Andi responded with a fluttery feeling in her stomach.

“When you put it like that - “

“No! No, I’m flattered, I am! It’s just not what I expected you to say.” They both laughed and Andi pulled the sheets up around her waist.

“Could you teach me some phrases?”

“You want me… To teach you Greek?”

“Yeah! I mean, only if you want to -” Andi cut him off with a kiss and a bright smile.

“Trust me, Kelly it’s the most normal thing any guy has ever asked me to do. Of course, I’ll teach you,” she agreed and it made Kelly smile even more.

“Okay, okay. Something easy - how would I introduce myself?”

“Easy? Sure. Repeat after me - Geia sas, to ónomá mou eínai Kelly.” He tried to get his teeth around the sounds and syllables, but ultimately failed and burst into a fit of laughter.

“I’m gonna need you to run that one by me again.”

“Alright, slowly. Geia sas -”

“G-Geia sas,” he echoed. Andi pressed a kiss to his cheek as positive reinforcement.

“To ónomá -”

“To o-ónomá?” Another kiss, closer to his lips this time.

“Mou eínai, and then your name on the end,” she finished and ran a hand through her hair.

“Mou eínai, Kelly.” And when he repeated the sentence fully - albeit with a few fumbles - Andi kissed him properly.

“You learn fast, Omorfo agóri,” she teased and he pinched her sides. Made her gasp and giggle before collapsing onto him with a wave of uncontrollable laughter. It devolved into a tickle fight and when they both eventually ran out of energy to go on any further, they lay in a breathless mess of sheets and pillows.

“You want coffee?” Andi eventually questioned, still struggling to catch her breath. All Kelly could do in response was nod, so as he calmed down, she wrapped the sheets around her in a makeshift dress and headed to the door.

“Black with two sugars, please!” he called out as she stepped into the main space of the apartment.

“I see you’ve finally decided to come up for air,” Shay greeted from the kitchenette and made Andi jump.

“Shay! Hi - this, this isn’t what it looks like, I swear,” she began to ramble but the blonde dissolved into laughter as she poured herself another mug of coffee.

“Andi, relax before you hurt yourself. It’s fine.” Overcome with a sudden awkwardness, Andi leant against the counter and let out a slightly shaky breath.

“I just… I didn’t want you to think -”

“You’re sleeping with Kelly, not committing heinous war crimes. So long as you’re being safe and you keep it in the bedroom, do whatever the hell you want,” she assured Andi as she tidied up the few breakfast things she’d used.

“Thanks? Look, Shay, I really enjoy being friends with you and I don’t want whatever it is that’s going on between me and Kelly to get in the way of that. If you’d rather I kept my distance, I could respect that,” Andi tried to appease the blonde, feeling like it was necessary to make that clear to her.

“Just… Make sure you’re honest with him. He tends to go all-in when he’s into someone, so if that’s not something you can stomach, let him know before you get in too deep,” Shay replied with an earnest look on her face.

“Absolutely - I mean, I’m still trying to figure out what we are. But I understand.” With a smile and a slight nod of her head, Shay disappeared back into her room, leaving Andi to make coffee for her and Kelly.

Afternoon light filtered in through the kitchen blinds and cast a warm glow over everything. With two cups full of fresh coffee, Andi made her way back into Kelly’s bedroom. She kicked the door shut gently behind her before she moved to set the cups down on the bedside table.

“Everything alright?” Kelly questioned from his position at the top of the bed, propped up against the headboard.

“Yeah! Totally, but I think Shay just gave me the shovel talk,” she mused in reply as she handed Kelly his coffee and got comfortable on the bed next to him.

“Really? What did she say?”

“Don’t worry about it - just girl talk,” Andi assured him as they settled in next to one another again.

                                                       -/-/-

Hours later when it had started to get dark and the rainclouds had moved in, Shay, Kelly and Andi had made their way to Molly’s in favour of unwinding with a few drinks with the others. As they made the dash from their cars to the bar, the rain persisted in heavy, wind-blown sheets.

“Herrmann, what the hell did you do to the weather, huh?” Andi joked as she shrugged her jacket off and hung it up by the door. She shook out the rain that had fallen into her hair and took a seat with Kelly at the bar whilst Shay gravitated to Gabby for a while.

“Haha, very funny. What are you drinking, Ramirez?” Herrmann questioned in reply, not short on sarcasm.

“Lemonade, no vodka, please.”

“Is there something you’re not telling us, Andi?” he joked and Kelly looked at her with a flash of panic in his eyes.

“What? No! I’m almost thirty and I can’t keep drinking like a college student. It doesn’t agree with me,” she assured them both and pushed her hair over her shoulders. With a noise of acknowledgement, Herrmann went off to get their drinks. Kelly shuffled his barstool closer and rested his elbows on the varnished bar top.

“We don’t have to stay too long if you don’t want to -”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, I don’t wanna be too forward, but if you wanted to stay over tonight, you’re gonna need more than my bedsheet to wear in the morning,” he explained with a boyish grin. Andi stifled a laugh and shoulder-nudged him playfully.

“I don’t remember you complaining all that much,” Andi countered as their drinks were slid across the bar to them. The hours began to melt away and friendly conversation filled the air between them. Things seemed natural. Easy. Andi almost forgot that not even two months earlier, they’d been at each other’s throats and arguing practically nonstop.

“- Y’know, I used to work behind a bar whilst I was at College?”

“Really?” The music had since become louder and the two of them a lot more comfortable after several rounds of drinks.

“Yeah! It was this super cool, nineties bar that played nothing but West Coast music. It was an awesome job,” she explained, swaying slightly to the music that played overhead.

“Better than being a firefighter?” Kelly teased.

“No! No way, I love being a firefighter and it’s the best career decision I’ve ever made!” she exclaimed before she finished her drink and slid down off her chair. Andi shuffled closer to Kelly and leaned in to whisper something into his ear.

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom, then, I’m going to meet you back at your place. Sound good?”

“Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. I’ll meet you there.” True to her word, Andi disappeared into the bathrooms and when she was done, gave herself a once-over in the mirrors. Her face was fuller, there was a slight radiance that had returned to her complexion. She looked happier and the almost long-forgotten twinkle was shining in her eyes.

“Leaving so soon?” Cruz teased from the booth nearest the door as Andi reached for her jacket.

“Yeah, I’ve got a load of crap to go through with Chelsea and wedding plans - don’t think it’d look good if I turned up hungover, y’know?”

“Alright, take care!” he called after Andi as she ducked out into the night air. The rain had since eased off and there was just a slight mist in the air that was welcomed against her flush face. When she made it back to his apartment, the fresh air had helped her sober up slightly and prepare for Kelly’s arrival. Minutes later, he rolled to a stop curbside and climbed out.

“Hey -” She was cut off when he cupped her face and pulled her in for a heated kiss. Kelly backed her up to the brick wall next to the door. Andi’s hands dipped under his jacket and pulled him in by the belt loops on his jeans. With his hips pressed against hers and a hand lingering around her throat, Kelly kissed her like a man starved of oxygen breathing air for the first time.

“What was that for?” Andi questioned breathlessly when he finally pulled away. Pupils blown and lips parted, Kelly could only smile back at her giddily.

“Because I wanted to,” he stated and stepped away to unlock the main door. All too eager, Andi followed after him and they made their way up to his apartment.

The door barely clicked shut and they pounced on one another. Clothes were trailed from the door to his bedroom as they pulled and pushed and pawed at one another. By the time they were down to their underwear, Andi was an aching, needy mess. She landed amongst the fresh sheets on his bed and he was quick to pin her down beneath him.

“I believe I owe you one from earlier,” Kelly mused as he pressed a trail of hot kisses to the patch of skin that remained un-inked under her jaw.

“What makes you say that?” Andi let out a sigh as he pushed her underwear down and moved to settle between her thighs. The stubble on his cheeks and jaw tickled the tender skin of her inner thighs and prompted her to try and clench them shut, but Kelly was firm in making sure that didn’t happen.

“Well, you did that thing with your tongue, I figured I should return the favour.” Andi’s stomach flipped in anticipation.

“Oh, God,” she gasped at the realisation that he was deadly serious. Without giving Andi the chance to dissuade him, Kelly began to tease her with kisses along the apex of her thigh. Kissed every inch of inked skin around her hips and inner thighs. He took his sweet time in making his way to where she wanted him the most. Andi ached in anticipation and her skin flushed with heat as he finally delved in with his tongue and index finger.

Unused to the sensation, Andi’s hips bucked involuntarily and a sharp gasp left her mouth. Kelly’s muffled chuckle just about reached her ears as he continued to work her over. Her fingers threaded through his hair and tugged. Andi’s free hand grabbed a fistful of the sheets beneath her in an effort to release the overwhelming feelings that washed over her.

“Hey - hey, don’t be shy, I know you can make more noise than that,” he prompted before returning to the task at hand. Kelly pushed a second finger into her heat and couldn’t hide the laugh that resonated from his chest and vibrated against her core when she let out a drawn-out whine mixed with a moan.

“Fuck -” Andi became overwhelmed with the sensations that bombarded her and before long, she had a white-knuckle grip on the sheets and tears welled in her eyes. Not minutes later, euphoric tears rolled down her cheeks and she came undone against Kelly’s tongue. The tears continued to fall as she rode out the high and tried to catch her breath.

“Gamóto, Kelly,” she sighed and pushed a few errant curls away from her face.

“Hey, everything alright?” Kelly was quick to check when he moved back up to the top of the bed and pulled her into his side.

“Yeah - I’m fine, really,” Andi assured him shakily as she pressed a slightly trembling hand to his chest.

“But you’re crying?”

“Nothing get’s past you, huh? I’m fine, Kelly, I swear. I’m just not used to someone actually wanting to make me feel good, I guess,” she stated with a slight shrug. What she wanted to tell him was the truth about just how dire her relationship with Josslyn had been, but it didn’t quite seem like the time or place.

He deserves to know.

“Well, you deserve to know the truth,” Andi began and turned on to her side to look at him properly. Her inner thighs were starting to feel tender from the stubble burn.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. Andi, I’m not gonna force you to tell me something if you’re not ready. I’ll be patient and wait,” Kelly assured her and she took a deep breath.

“When I was with Josslyn… She never cared whether or not I got to finish and there was more than one occasion when I wasn’t in the mood and she, uh - well, she wore me down enough that I eventually said yes. None of the sex was good with her.” Kelly didn’t say anything, just let Andi continue to talk.

“The truth is until I started sleeping with you, I didn’t know sex could be this fun, let alone feel that good. Thank you, Kelly. For opening my eyes to a whole new perspective.”

“I really appreciate your honesty, Andi. It means a lot to know you trust me like that. And I promise, right here, right now, that tonight, I’m not stopping until you find it difficult to walk.”

“I’m so okay with that,” she conceded with a grin. The conversation had taken a weight off of Andi’s tattooed shoulders and the night lay ahead of them, full of possibilities.

-/-/-