ᴀʙsᴇɴᴛɪᴀ | ᴊᴀʏ ʜᴀʟsᴛᴇᴀᴅ

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚠𝚘.

✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*

Jay finishes pouring the whiskey, watching as the amber liquid sloshes against the glass. Setting the bottle onto the counter, he grabs a drink in each hand and heads into the living room, eyes landing on his partner already settled on the couch. He sits beside her, handing the glass over before taking a hefty sip of his own and leaning back against the cushions. Letting out a heavy sigh, Jay glances her way and shakes his head slightly, "This has been the craziest few days I've had in... a while."

Hailey snorts at the understatement of the century, taking a sip of her drink, "You can say that again. How pissed at us was Voight?"

Thinking back to the screaming match he'd gotten into with their boss earlier, he lets out another sigh, "He's pissed at me, not you. He knows I made the call." Jay shakes his head, furrowing his brows slightly as he thinks over his relationship with the older man, of everything they've been through together. The way they grieved together. "He'll get over it," he concludes after some time passes.

"If you say so," Hailey hums with an arched brow. She is fully aware of what Jay's endured with Voight, but she still has her doubts. The lack of complete trust on Jay's part is clearly evident, and she doesn't really blame him, knowing the things he's seen Voight do over the years and his opinions on the right way to police. Hailey can't really blame Voight, though, considering how she's bent the rules in the past. She can't even imagine what she would do if her best friend or family were involved.

"As screwed up as all this has been, I feel a little relieved that Kelton is gone," Jay confesses, taking another swig and reveling in the slight burn of the alcohol sliding down his throat. As guilty as he feels for admitting that, he knows that he can trust Hailey. That this is what they do. Their thing. A small ache tugs at his heart at the reminder that this used to be his thing with someone else. He shakes the thought away, not wanting to fall down that rabbit hole again, before continuing to explain himself, "I know Voight was handling things, but I was still worried for Intelligence. I really thought we were done for a minute there."

"Yeah," Hailey exhales, leaning her forearms on her legs and focusing on the glass in her hands, avoiding his gaze. "I was really scared, Jay. I can't imagine not being partners with you. Not seeing you every day, not having you in my life."

Brows furrowed, Jay sits forward on the couch, setting his drink on the coffee table and angling his body to face the blonde beside him. "Hey, that would never happen. Even if we weren't partners, Hailey, I'd still be here."

She lets out a small laugh, placing her own glass down and running both hands through her tangled hair. "When you said that whatever happened, you'd follow me... that you'd go where I go. It made me realize something." Taking a deep breath to gather the nerve, Hailey sits up straighter to face him, her breath hitching in her throat when she meets his eyes. Her gaze softens at the look on his face, open and waiting, and she knows she needs to tell him. She can't take it anymore.