Chapter Text
Sylvie sped toward the locker room, Stella hot on her heels. It had been a busy, stormy day and she just wanted to change her damp shirt before the bells inevitably went off again. With Foster officially burning her last paid furlough before medical school, Violet's transfer wouldn't go through for another week and Stella was filling in on Ambulance 51. Sylvie missed Foster, Foster understood that some discussions stayed in the ambo, that when Sylvie left the cab, the discussion was over, or at least on hold. On the other hand, when Stella had her mind on something, she wouldn't let it go.
"I took his number for you, just give me your phone, I'll send the text. I know how to be breezy." Stella said reaching for Sylvie's pocket
"Stop! You don't even know him, I don't even know him! I'm not going to text every guy that gives me his number." Sylvie said turning to face her.
"That's why you get drinks! To get to know each other! And you don't have to text EVERY guy that gives you his number, you'd get carpal tunnel! C'mon Sylvie, this guy is 100% your type, he looks like Captain America and he has an adorable niece, give it a shot." Stella pressed on.
Sylvie sighed. Stella was right, what was she waiting for? "Fine." she said, still facing Stella and heading into the bank of lockers backwards. She pulled her phone from her pants pocket and held it out "You can send him 1 text."
Suddenly a locker slammed behind her causing her to simultaneously drop her phone and spin around, only to be met by the firmly clenched jaw of one Matt Casey.
"Oh, hey Captain, didn't know you were in here." Stella said lamely from behind Sylvie. Seeing the sharp look in her boss's eyes, Stella put her hands up and retreated out of the room. "I think I'll go towel off in Kelly's quarters."
Sylvie ducked her head and found her cell phone under a bench. As she crouched down to get it she felt Matt's eyes bore into her. A wave of guilt hit her in the belly. Then a wave of anger colored her cheeks. Why should she feel guilty? They were friends. They were just friends. She'd been telling herself that for months. And Stella was right, she would never get to know anyone else if she didn't put herself out there. Steeling herself, she looked up to find Matt with his arms crossed, leaning against the lockers.
"Sounds like it was a productive call." He said with a smirk.
"Yes, it was, no break, no sprain, but that little girl probably won't be on a two-wheeler in the rain again." She replied, feigning ignorance.
"It would seem to me that whomever was caring for her was pretty irresponsible to let her ride in the rain." Matt sneered.
"They were at the park and got caught in the storm." Sylvie bit back, voice raising a bit.
Matt pushed off the locker, took a step forward, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Again, a responsible party would have checked the weather report before taking a child to the park with no other transportation."
Sylvie turned toward her locker, barely able to concentrate with Matt standing behind her. "I didn't get into the specifics but I'm sure the intentions were pure."
"Oh yes, pure intentions, that sounds like this guys M.O." Matt replied moving around her and back into her line of sight.
Pulling out her new shirt, Sylvie slammed her locker. She was now fuming. Rather than backing down she stepped into his space. "What is your problem?!" she practically yelled, she could feel the heat and the tension radiating through him.
"You really don't know?" His eyes searched hers and found confusion. Matt sighed deeply "Sylvie, you are too smart and too clever and too genuine to mess around with me here." Matt put his hands up, shook his head and began to walk away.
"Matt!" Sylvie was now yelling. She reached out and grabbed his elbow, turning him to her.
Matt closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sylvie, somewhere in the middle of all this I fell in love with you." He opened his eyes and looked into hers sincerely
Just then the bells went off. "Ambulance 51, person unresponsive..."
Sylvie squeezed her eyes shut. "I have to go" she whispered, turning away.
"I'm saying I love you. I'm saying it out loud." It was Matt's turn to reach for Sylvie's arm.
The bells continued to go off, Sylvie opened her eyes, now filled with tears.
Matt looked into her eyes intently, "Don't say we're not right for each other, because the way I see it, we may not be right for anybody else."
"Brett!" Stella shouted as she ran into the locker room.
"Will you shut up a minute." Matt held his free hand out as if to block Stella. Turning back to Sylvie he looked deep into her eyes. "It can't be any harder to stay together than it was to stay apart."
"Casey you have to let her go, we have a call" Kidd said looking between them with equal parts urgency and concern.
"Will you wait a minute!" He snapped back.
Looking deep into her eyes he pleaded, "Sylvie. I need you. I need you."
"Why is the Ambulance still here?!" they heard Boden shout from the bullpen "The bells have been going off for a full minute! This is unacceptable."
Breaking away Sylvie whispered "I won't text him." Then she turned and ran for the ambulance bay.
*************
Sylvie was on autopilot the entire call, she and Stella worked wordlessly to treat a man in his 60's that had managed to knock himself out when he didn't realize his wife's ceramic bowls were nesting and jumped to pull one off a high shelf. By the time he arrived he was awake and talking. He showed no signs of concussion and declined further care.
As they exited the house Stella turned to Sylvie and suggested "why don't we take the ambo to fill up on gas, looks like we're right at half a tank."
Wordlessly Sylvie nodded and handed her the keys.
"You want to talk about it?" Stella asked, trying not to press.
"I don't know what to say" Sylvie replied. "I've been telling myself for months, hell for almost a year at this point that this was impossible. He has Gabby. He loves Gabby. I love Gabby. I can't do this to her. I can't do this to myself. She's his miracle. How do I compete with a miracle?"
"I'm not trying to get too philosophical here but I gotta tell you, miracles come from heaven. Miracles are fleeting. What you and Matt have, that's rooted in the earth. That's taken patience, and care, and nourishment, and as of today a whole lot of water." Stella advised sagely.
"Wow, Stella, that was deep. Might have been what my dad would call "a boot full of horseshit," but it was deep none the less" Sylvie said thoughtfully.
Stella glanced over at her wryly. "I'm just saying... ok try this one. Do you know the Love Languages?"
"The Love Languages?" Sylvie cracked a smile for the first time since this morning.
"Yes, don't laugh, it really helped me figure out a lot about Kelly." Stella continued, pulling into the gas station. "Basically there are 5 ways people show love: Physical Touch, Giving and Receiving of Gifts, Quality Time, Acts of Service, and Words of Affirmation. You, my friend, are Words of Affirmation, well you are probably all 5 actually but I would say you like to be told how people are feeling. Captain Matthew Casey, he's Acts of Service and Quality Time through and through. He goes with you to find a lost cat? He drives you to Rockford? He shows up every time you call him and he checks in on you when you don't. Acts of Service, Quality Time."
Stella exited the truck and backed up. "That man is in love with you and has been trying his damnedest to show you for a long time. You just weren't speaking the same language."
Contemplating this, Sylvie sat quietly. When Stella re-entered the cab she was much calmer. Out of curiosity Sylvie asked, "Hey, what's Severide? I mean his Love Language"
Stella wiggled her eyebrows. "Physical Touch"
***************
Sylvie worried her bottom lip as the ambulance pulled into the bay, she noted that Truck and Engine were both on a call. With only an hour left on shift she probably wouldn't see Matt before quitting time.
"It took a lot for him to say all that, didn't it?" She whispered.
"Everyone's a mix of the Love Languages." Stella said with a slow nod. "But Matt Casey? He's the strong silent type. Words of Affirmation is probably pretty low on his list of priorities. That took a hell of a lot of guts, and I say that as someone, and to someone, who knows exactly what that man does for a living."
Sylvie nodded. She looked across to the squad table and back at Stella. "Can I ask you a favor?"
*****************
Matt Casey slowly trudged up the stairs to his loft. His heart feeling heavier with every step. 5 hours ago he had finally poured his heart out to Sylvie and she had just run away.
That wasn't fair. She'd had a call. Staying with him could have cost someone their life. He knew that in his mind but his heart wasn't listening.
Then he'd been called to grease fire in a 2-flat. Then there was clean up and paperwork and now here he was, finally home 2.5 hours later than planned.
He was hungry, he was tired, and he was just plain hurt. He could taste the words in the back of his throat like a ball of flame. He can't believe he had just sprung that on her. He was so mad at himself. At least maybe now he could move on, start to heal.
As he approached the loft he could smell something cooking. Kidd and Severide must have ordered in, God knows neither of them knew their way around anything but a grill. He also heard muffled music that sounded oddly like an 80's pop power-ballad.
Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Sylvie Brett standing barefoot in his kitchen in a soft blue mid-length wrap dress covered by an apron, swaying along to Pat Benatar's "We Belong" as she did the dishes. It was punch to the gut that made him drop his bag. Startled, Sylvie whipped around, wooden spoon still held like a microphone in front of her face.
"Oh hi!" she blushed, pushing her hair behind her ear.
"What are you doing here?" Matt asked, shutting the door, a sudden wave of energy washing over him, he approached her.
"Um, I thought I would make you dinner. Or a late lunch rather. It's Shrimp Risotto, my Grandma's recipe. I know how tired you get after a long shift and I thought maybe I could do something to make it a little easier" She said backing toward the sink.
Matt continued his approach in what could now only be called a prowl. When he stood in front of her he raised an eyebrow and asked again "but, why are you here?"
Sylvie swallowed thickly as her hand moved to adjust the watchband at her wrist "Well Stella said that she and Kelly hadn't taken a spontaneous trip to the cabin in while so they are going to be away and I knew you'd be by yourself and I thought you might like some company and" she stopped abruptly when Matt ran the outside of his knuckles down her bare arm.
"Sylvie, why are you here?" Matt said hoarsely, his eyes searing into her.
"Because you said everything I've been thinking and I didn't think a text message saying "ditto" would have been good enough." She sighed "You said the words Matt, and I'm making the gesture."
Sylvie stood on her tip toes as if to land a kiss on his cheek but Matt turned his head at the last minute and captured her lips in a kiss that left her clinging to him for support. His arms went around her, one of his hands dragged up her back to find purchase at the nape of her neck, the other wrapped around her waist. Her own hands moved under the arms of his shirt, lightly dragging her nails against his triceps.
Matt groaned and tore his lips from her mouth as he moved them over her cheekbone and to her ear. Biting lightly at the shell of her ear and making her gasp, he began to reach for the strings of her wrap dress.
"Matt, wait." she whispered.
He pulled back immediately, his warm hand stilling on her hip. "I'm sorry, too fast?" he asked.
"No, I've still got this damn apron on" she said disengaging her hands from his arms and reaching behind her.
"Please allow me," he said turning her. Once the untied apron fell to the floor he stepped into her again. Pressing himself to her back, he wrapped an arm around her waist, the strong hand on her abdomen pushed her flush against him. His other hand moved her hair and he pressed soft kisses to the tender spot where her neck and shoulder met, he began to walk her around the kitchen island, she was soft and pliable in his arms.
"Where are we going?" she asked breathlessly, feeling him reaching again to loosen the ties of her wrap dress.
"Severide and Kidd may not be home all night but I'd still like to see you in my bed" he said pulling her dress from her shoulder and attacking the spot he had just revealed with an open mouthed kiss.
"Mmmmm, that sounds amazing" she said turning in his arms and reaching up to kiss him properly on the mouth.
Frustrated with the lack of forward movement, his body thrumming with arousal, Matt crouched down and picked her up with one arm, she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. They both groaned at the contact.
"Matt" she broke away from the bruising kiss, he chased her mouth but became distracted by the column of her throat, "before we go in that room I really need to say something"
Matt furrowed his brow and pulled back from his ministrations, "OK" he said with a serious look.
Sylvie giggled slightly at the sight of her beautiful captain, who she was quite literally wrapped around, looking at her so studiously. She cupped his cheek and said earnestly "I love you."
Matt's grin split his face as he leaned forward to kiss her through their smiles. "Just remember who said it first."
-The End-