Chapter Text
“So, any plans this weekend?” Mouch questions as they come in from an early morning call in the Truck. It’s a little different since Herrmann moved over to Engine as Lieutenant, so Casey knows he’s trying to fill a bit of a void. His buddy is gone, just like Casey had lost his buddy in Andy, and Otis had lost his in Cruz. It’s different and weird and Mouch is trying to make rides back more interesting.
“Severide and I are taking boys up to the cabin, kind of a last weekend before school starts, again, celebration,” Casey offers. “It’s become a tradition.”
“You guys missing next watch, then?”
“Yes, so you guys better behave for Henderson, who agreed to cover,” Casey states. He’s not too worried, after the summer with Davidson and the fact this has become a yearly trip, his team has gotten a bit better about having a different leader when he’s gone. Especially since he and Severide do take time off together usually.
“Wouldn’t it make sense for you to take them and Severide to stay or for Severide to take them since it’s his cabin?” Kidd asks, trying to sound curious, but he knows that she’s one of the few that just doesn’t get them being a family with the boys.
“Yeah, why do you always have to do things together?” Otis questions. “You could have a weekend off. Besides, isn’t that annoying always being together?”
“I don’t want a weekend off from my kids.” Casey rolls his eyes as he hears Otis mutter meant from Severide and promptly ignores it. “I think you don’t understand the concept of family vacation.”
“You’re not –”
“We are,” Casey states, harshly, now annoyed as Otis pulls onto the app floor. “We adopted the boys together – just because we’re not married or a normal family from outside views does not mean that we’re not a family.”
Thankfully, he doesn’t have to lie since they’re not married, but he’s now far more irritated than he’d been waking up for the call this morning.
But all of the irritation melts away when he hears two yells for “Dad!” as he gets out of the truck.
He turns after wiggling out of his gear and opens his arms just in time to catch the boys in a three-way hug. He’s not surprised that their excitement over their trip led to Donaldson (since they spent the night hanging out with the Donaldson girls) bringing them by the firehouse this morning rather than waiting for them to get picked up.
He can’t stop the smile that graces his face as he hugs them or the way that his stomach flutters when he sees Severide leaning in the doorway with a look of absolute adoration on his face. He’s seen that face before – Severide always has that look on his face when he sees Casey with the boys (including last year before this trip) – that he always thought was just supportive best friend and coparent, but now, he can see it as a man in love, happy to see his partner with their kids.
The butterflies are nearly distracting, but as he lets go of the boys, Ben’s already talking about how he plans to catch more fish than Griffin and Griffin’s suggesting that they team up against Ben and Severide to get the biggest fish because the size of the fish is a better win than the most.
Severide is smiling and shaking his head behind them, while Casey smiles down at them. “Why don’t we decide when we get up there?”
Rather than answer, Ben asks, “Can we make pancakes before we go?”
“I don’t know, is it Saturday?” he teases, and sees Severide laughing as he watches.
“It doesn’t have to be Saturday, dad,” Griffin retorts with a slight duh tone because they definitely have made pancakes on other days.
“Play nice or I’m making you French toast with raisins,” Casey replies.
“That sounds gross.”
“Exactly.”
Griffin huffs, but then, gives his best puppy dog eyes – the ones he’s clearly seen Severide use on him – which causes Casey to look up at Severide, whose smile has turned into a shit-eating-grin, pleased with the way he’s corrupted the boys a bit.
Casey shakes his head and laughs as Severide says, “How about we make the pancakes together while your dad finishes his paperwork before the end of watch?”
They yell, “Pancakes,” before running inside causing them both to laugh, but at least it buys Casey some time to finish up his reports.
He’d give Severide a kiss, but he can’t with Truck still present watching curiously, so he reaches out and squeezes his shoulder before heading to his office to get his paperwork and finish up quickly.
***
Severide hates cooking – except when it’s with the boys. Severide loves cooking with boys. The way that they always smile up at him and love getting teased about trying to sneak in funny ingredients… especially Ben.
He loves the why they love this time spent with him (or Casey). They both love to learn from them and then tease them when he or Casey cooks something a little differently than the other one.
Teasing, “That’s not how dad does it,” which always gets, “Well, that’s how this dad does it,” and a suggestion for a competition.
Who’s got the better method – which is always a draw.
Neither of them want to claim that the other is truly better because they love them both the same.
Luckily, they’re both quite happy to switch off cooking duty and the boys do seem to enjoy cooking with either of them.
So, he smiles as he helps them cook their pancakes, spotting Casey sneaking glances at them with this dopey I’m so in love look on his face that sends butterflies through Severide’s stomach as he does his paperwork.
He could almost forget that they’re not at home if not for: “Hey, are those for everyone?”
Severide looks over at the hopeful looking Capp. “Not unless you’re helping,” he offers as he gives the boys their plates. They happily move to sit before the couch in front of the TV that’s playing cartoons.
He focuses on his and Casey’s pancakes.
Capp pouts and watches him as he puts the pancakes on two plates. “Who’s the second plate for?”
“The obvious?”
“Me?”
He gives him a face that probably reads you’re so fucking dumb as he places the one plate next to Casey’s paperwork and the other in front of the open chair across of him. He grabs them both some coffee and takes his seat as Capp frowns.
“It smells good in here…” Herrmann states but quickly sees that it’s not for everyone. “Where’s ours?”
“There’s the ingredients, why don’t you make your own?” Severide suggests, as he watches Casey absently eat his pancakes and glances at the boys laughing at the TV.
“Because the last time Herrmann cooked something he nearly burned the house down,” Casey offers, not taking his eyes off of his paperwork.
It’s actually kind of interesting to see him so focused. Sometimes, Severide finds himself noticing things about Casey that he never noticed before, like the way he wiggles his pen every time he lifts it, or the way that he furrows his brow as he tries to find the right word. It’s… cute. He likes it.
“Rude,” Herrmann huffs, jarring his attention back to him. “Either way you can’t cook and not share.”
“I did share.”
“The boys don’t count.”
“I shared with Casey,” Severide retorts even though he knows…
“He doesn’t count either!”
Casey huffs. “Guys, it doesn’t matter. Severide’s a lieutenant and he’s never cooked for the house since he was a candidate. So, if you want breakfast, ask your candidate.”
Herrmann gives him a look as he mutters, “Such a tease,” which causes Casey to chuckle because he probably doesn’t mean it that way, but his mind definitely went there considering the light flush.
Severide knows that his mind definitely did.
***
“As much as I love the open road, I’m looking forward to getting to the cabin and taking a nap,” Casey admits as he drives.
“You know the boys are going to want to go swimming as soon as we get there.”
“You could go swimming, and I can nap,” Casey teases, as if he’d ever nap without Severide. Even before they got together, Casey never wanted to nap without him. He just slept better cocooned in Severide’s arms, which is something he steadfastly refused to admit out loud until they started dating.
“You’re going to nap without me?” Severide pouts, and Casey brings their linked hands to his lips to kiss his hand. “Doesn’t seem fair.”
He takes a look in the mirror to see the boys napping in the back of the truck.
Casey laughs. “I’m just teasing … a little. Even before getting together, I always preferred sleeping with you.”
Severide grins in a not-exactly-family-friendly-way. “I love that you have preferred sleeping with me.”
He gives him a wink and Casey laughs, again. “You’re such a dumbass.”
“But now, I’m your dumbass.”
He’s smiling, brightly and so deeply in love that Casey feels a rush of affection for him that he kind of wants to pull over and take him. If only they didn’t have the boys with them…
So, he refocuses on the road just as Ben wakes. “Are we there yet?”
“Almost,” Severide offers. “Like ten minutes.”
“Awesome!”
His yell wakes up Griffin, who’s a little annoyed, but so happy that they’re almost at the cabin.
Vacation is about to start.