Work Text:
24 hours :)
Jay Halstead, have you started a countdown?
Maybe...
Interesting.
You must really miss me then.
He does as he has for 22 days now since she left the Windy City to temporarily work for the FBI in New York. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone though, especially not her. He is nowhere near as brave as she had been a couple days ago when she told him she missed the wind, and him.
You wish, Upton
Just counting down the hours until I have to deal with your annoying face again.
What’s wrong with my face?
Eh, it’s alright I guess
Maybe I should extend my trip a few days then...
Don’t you dare!!
Hmm. Still not missing me I see.
Shut up!
Hailey is so tempted to send “Make me” in return but deletes the words as quickly as she types them out. Their texts may have become much more flirty during her time in New York, but this feels like new territory entirely and Hailey isn't sure she is willing to cross that line in the sand when they're still 800 miles apart.
So instead of sending the message she wishes she could, the blonde types a safer reply:
See you tomorrow, Jay.
23 hours and 51 minutes
…
Okay, maybe I’ve missed you.
You happy now?
Very.
Now go back to work, Jay.
Now come back home, Hailey.
11.5 hours
Still not counting down, I see?
Nope
Go to bed, Jay
Good night, Hailey
The next day, Jay texts Hailey as soon as he wakes up. Today is the day they’d both been waiting for for over three weeks. He took the afternoon off, so that he could be the one to pick her up from the airport. A bright smile creeps onto the detective’s face as he realizes he’ll be hugging his partner in less than four hours.
He immediately grabs his phone from the docking station on his nightstand and fires off a text to Hailey:
Good morning.
On your way home yet?
Almost.
We’re boarding in 15 minutes
Cool. See you in a few hours then :)
When his phone buzzes again after a few minutes, he expects to read a message from Hailey saying she’s on the plane now. But his heart sinks when he opens the text and her words register in his brain:
Actually scratch that. My flight got canceled. In line to talk to the ground attendant now to see if they can get me on another flight out of here.
Keep me updated please?
Always.
His phone rings 30 minutes later, and he cannot stop the grin overtaking his face when he sees her name on the display.
“Halstead.” He says plainly out of habit.
“Ouch, a girl leaves the timezone for 23 days, and she is back to the last name greeting treatment?” Hailey points out.
“Who is counting down now?” Jay teases back.
“Oh hush, Halstead .” The blonde stretches out his last name, almost mocking him.
An awkward pause grows between the partners, neither one of them speaking.
“So, I guess I shouldn’t have made that joke about extending my trip.” She breaks their silence defeatedly.
He didn’t know it was possible for his heart to feel this heavy in his chest as he struggles to get more words out. “They really keeping you for an extra day?”
“Not a full day, but the first flight they could put me on leaves at three.”
Jay checks his watch: that’s eight hours from now.
“Shit.”
“Yeah, it’s a real bummer. Airport lounges aren’t as comfortable as they make them out to be. Or at least this one isn’t. And they are very, very boring.”
“I’m sorry, Hails.” The nickname slips out so easily, even if this is the first time he has said it aloud. It feels so natural, like he has used it a hundred times already; yet he still feels his heart rate pick up when she stays quiet for a moment longer. This truly is new territory that’s probably dangerous to enter, especially under these circumstances.
“It will be fine. What’s a few more hours, right?” The voice on the other end offers.
“Right.” Jay agrees.
“I’m sorry you wasted your RDO on this.” The blonde apologizes.
“Nah, it’s okay. These things happen. Should have known better than to fly with American Airlines.”
“Ha-ha-ha, very funny.” Hailey acknowledges sarcastically.
“I guess I’ll go to work today after all then. Save my time off for later.” The 'when you're here' goes unsaid.
“Okay. Again, I’m truly very sorry, Jay.”
“It’s fine, Hailey. We’re in the middle of a big drug bust anyways. Voight is probably happy to have all hands on deck. Well, almost all hands.” He explains, referring to the fact that the unit is still down one elite detective.
“Gosh, I can’t wait to be back.”
“Yeah? Missing those Chicago criminals? Did those fancy FBI suits not do it for you?”
“You’re just mad you didn’t get to see me in a suit.” She bites back.
And she is not wrong. He wouldn’t mind seeing her in a suit every day, and he's confident she can pull them off just fine. Although he does believe she looks just as beautiful in her regular plaids and sweaters, if not better.
“Maybe. You know Voight doesn’t have anything against you wearing those fancy suits on the job here.”
“Yeah. Keep dreaming, Halstead.”
“Maybe I will.”
He can hear her intake of breath over the phone, but otherwise the line stays silent.
“I should probably head into work.” Jay breaks through after glancing at the time again. “You land around six now, right?”
“Yeah, give or take.”
“Okay, I’ll be there.”
“If it’s too much trouble, I can take a cab.” The blonde suggests.
“And pay those ridiculous airport fees? Nah, I’ll be there. Six o’clock.”
“Thanks, Jay. I really appreciate it.”
“That’s what partners are for.” Even though they are both very aware that they’re so much more than just partners at this point.
Hailey’s response gets interrupted by his phone vibrating in his hand. He looks down at the screen and groans at the incoming text from Kevin.
“I gotta go, Hails,” There is that nickname again. “Kevin just texted the unit about a break in the case.”
“Okay, well take care. Be safe out there. Don’t get shot again, please!” She adds the last part for good measure.
“Maybe you should come back home, so you can make sure I don’t get shot again.” He teases in return.
“Trust me, I’m trying. But the universe has other plans, apparently.” She complains, referring to her canceled flight.
He can practically picture her running her hand through her hair in frustration.
“Talk soon.”
“Alright, bye.” She says softly, ending their call.
Before she even has the chance to put her phone down, it buzzes again in her hand. The signal of a new text from Jay causes her to smile at the display:
11 hours :)
She shakes her head and utters a soft “Idiot” out loud. He may be an idiot, but he is her idiot. And she cannot wait to go home to him.
Apparently things had really started to pick up at the 21st District in Chicago because Hailey’s plea of “Jay, I’m bored” from New York went unanswered for a good two hours. When her partner finally replies, Jay tells her that he and Kevin are going undercover to bust this drug ring, but he really hopes he’ll be out in time to pick her up from the airport.
She reminds him once more that she can always take a cab home and requests he and Kevin stay safe out there.
The hours Hailey spends at the airport are long and lonely. Even though she trusts Kevin and the rest of the team more than anything, she can't focus on anything but Jay’s safety during this undercover bust that she knows next to nothing about. She has always worried when she’s not the one watching her partner’s six, mostly since the guy has made an awful habit of getting shot whenever she’s not around after all.
Bored out of her mind and desperately needing the distraction, she passes the time by walking around the airport a bit before grabbing lunch, an overpriced sandwich that looked much better than it tasted. It actually feels like she sits around for a whole extra day until she is finally able to board her plane to Chicago.
She quickly finds her seat and takes out her phone to shoot off a message to Jay:
Hey, I know you probably won’t see this until later, but I just wanted to let you know that I actually made it on the plane this time. We should take off in a few minutes. See you soon, partner.
She holds her phone out and stares at it as long as she can, hoping that will make it light up with a reply. But the screen stays blank.
Soon the pilot starts speaking over the intercom, and Hailey has to switch her phone to airplane mode as the aircraft gets ready for takeoff.
Three hours and a short uncomfortable nap later, Hailey finds herself on the runway of O’Hare International Airport at last. They had just touched down, and the plane was being taxied towards the gate.
All around her, Hailey notices people are getting out their phones with a guy three rows in front of her already making a call. The blonde knows it is probably supposed to stay on airplane mode for a bit longer, but she figures there’s no real harm in turning one more device back on now that they have wheels on the ground.
Immediately, her phone starts flooding with notifications. She skims over the various messages and decides that the ones from OA and her mom can wait for now. She pauses scrolling through as her attention is grabbed by a text from Vanessa:
See ya soon roomie! Terminal 3 right?
She is happy to hear from her roommate, but she couldn’t shake the nervous feeling from wondering why Vanessa was asking at what terminal she would arrive at. Unless…
Hailey’s stomach is in knots as she clicks on Jay’s name and sees the unread messages that her partner has send her in the past hours:
Have a safe flight, Hails!
Her heart skips a beat as her eyes read over Jay’s new nickname for her.
I’m so sorry, can’t talk much. Undercover ran longer than expected, and Sarge has me and Kev typing up all the paperwork today so we can close this case. Can’t make it to the airport to pick you up. Sending Vanessa instead.
Guess you’ll have to wait a bit longer to see my lovely face again
Hailey feels like she can breathe again. At least he hadn’t been shot or otherwise injured, just stuck at the district finishing up paperwork. Still, the blonde can't help but feel slightly disappointed. She had really looked forward to seeing him again.
Before she has a chance to reply, she sees the three little dots appear at the bottom of her screen, indicating that her partner is typing another message. The blonde couldn’t help but notice the little flutter it created in her heart.
You home yet?
Hailey smiles at her phone but shakes her head. She may be back in Chicago, but it doesn’t feel like she’s home yet. So she opts for a simple response:
Almost. Still on the plane.
Thanks for sending V. But I told you I’d have been fine taking a cab.
Please, she was so excited when I asked her. I think she really missed you.
I missed her too
Good to know I was missed too
The blonde can’t help but roll her eyes. She knows it’s a poor attempt from Jay to have her say she missed him too. But she can’t really blame him. It had been a long 23 days for both of them.
I already told you I missed you. You’re the one that’s refusing to admit that you missed me!
Of course I missed you, Hails
It’s not the same without you here, stealing all of my pens.
I’m almost home.
Good.
Gotta go. Have to hide my pens before my partner returns.
Hailey cannot contain the chuckle that erupts from her mouth. Yeah, she’d missed him, alright.
It is so good to see Vanessa again as the younger officer talks Hailey’s ear off on the ride home, filling her in on everything she missed in Intelligence along with inquiring about her stint with the FBI.
When Hailey enters their condo 40 minutes after they left the airport, it should feel like she is officially home, but it doesn’t.
Even when she sinks down on their couch, exhausted from her long day of traveling, it still seems foreign. Like she is in the wrong place.
It’s only when her phone buzzes on the coffee table that Hailey realizes why she feels off:
Did you and V make it home okay?
Hailey notices the little jump in her heart. All day, Jay had been checking in on her, asking for updates about her journey home to him. And even now knowing she has landed back in Chicago safely, he is still texting her, making sure she made it home okay.
I’m on my couch. V wants to go to Molly’s, but I doubt I could get up again even if I wanted to.
How is it that traveling is so tiring when all you do is sit and wait?
Beats me.
You got room for one more on that couch?
Hailey nearly drops her phone. She wants nothing more than to see Jay tonight, but she figured he’d go to Molly’s with the rest of their team after a tough case. Not offer to stay in with her for the remainder of the evening.
He must take the absence of those little moving dots on his screen for a rejection from her because before she has a chance to find the right words, another message comes in:
If you’re too tired, that’s fine. I understand.
Her heart drops. The last thing she wants is for Jay to think that she does not want to see him, especially when his little countdown updates were what kept her going the past 32 hours.
I think I could make some room on this couch for you
I’m honored
I’ll be there in 10
Make it 20, so I can shower?
Want me to pick up Bartoli’s on my way? So you can officially forget about that horrid New York pizza
My hero <3
The blonde detective sends the texts before she has a chance to overthink it.
Hailey makes her way up the stairs towards her bathroom, ready to rinse the day away. Hoping that the streaming hot water will relax her muscles from sitting in uncomfortable chairs all day.
Unfortunately, her shower is anything but relaxing when all she can think about is that stupid little heart she added at the end of her last text.
Exactly 20 minutes later, a knock sounds at the door. Vanessa has since left to go to Molly’s, while Hailey had slipped on some comfy clothes after her shower, waiting for Jay to show up with their food.
As she reaches her front door, Hailey takes a deep breath. This is it. The moment they’d both really been waiting for for 23 days.
Suddenly the blonde becomes extremely self-aware, unsure of what will transpire between her and her partner once she opens the door that separates them.
Hailey scolds herself for her ridiculous behavior. This is Jay after all. The guy who has seen her at her worst and she nursed back to health after he got shot. The guy who knew the real reason why Voight sent her to New York. Her best friend and partner who always showed up at her front door and made her feel better, no matter how hard their day had been for years now.
So with one more conscious inhale, Hailey swings the door open revealing an also nervous Jay, holding a pizza box.
“Hi.” He greets anxiously.
“Hi.” She welcomes him inside, almost shy.
But that’s all they need; before she knows it, he is setting the pizza box down and sweeping her into his arms.
And instantly everything feels right in the world again.
Hailey nuzzles her face into his neck, and he happily lets her. Holding her as tight as he can, like he will never let her leave again.
They don’t hug often, and Hailey seriously wonders why they don’t do this more often. She has never felt safer than right here in his arms.
Their eyes connect when they pull apart after another minute, one that both Hailey and Jay so desperately wish lasted a little while longer, if not forever.
Jay watches in confusion as Hailey takes her phone out and types a seemingly short message.
Not a second later, his own phone buzzes in his pocket. His eyes find Hailey’s again, looking a bit sheepish and dare he say nervous in front of him. He reaches for the device, confirming his suspicion when he sees an incoming message from the short blonde, now sporting a soft and uneasy smile.
Jay opens the text; when he read the words on the glowing screen, he swears his heart skips a beat:
I’m home.
He reads the two words again for good measure. Letting his mind truly comprehend them: she’s actually home.
She didn’t text those two words when her plane touched down in Chicago or when she reunited with Vanessa at the airport. She even refused to say them when she had entered her own apartment. No, she chose to text them after his arms finally found their way around her petite body again. After they’d hugged.
Jay visibly swallows, realizing the full depth of her message.
“Yeah?” He asks with a shaky voice.
Hailey simply nods before crashing into his body again, wrapping her arms even tighter around him than she did before. He notices how her face fits perfectly in the crook of his neck, as if it belongs there like a missing puzzle piece. This feels right, like things are back to the way they are supposed to and always should be.
And with his best friend and partner back in his embrace, Jay can finally release the breath it feels like he has been holding for the past 23 days.
Jay places a gentle kiss in her hair, and Hailey almost misses the words he softly breathes against her temple:
“Welcome home , Hailey.”