A Spark of Hope (Chicago Fire)

Chapter Six

The feeling of Severide's lips on mine was different than any kiss I'd had in the past. This kiss was soothing, sweet, and I felt like it was rushing through my body, healing everything it touched.

He pulled away and looked at me apologetically. I saw him open his mouth to say something, but I pulled him to me and kissed him. We kissed until we couldn't breathe. And once we'd caught our breaths, we kissed again.

"Sleep in here tonight," he whispered, pulling me down onto the bed with me.

"Make me," I teased.

He wrapped me in his arms and cradled me against his chest before pulling the comforter over us. I fell into a light sleep pretty quickly, and felt Severide get out of bed a few hours later. I fell back asleep, assuming he had just gotten up to go to the bathroom. A nightmare clouded my dreams, wrenching me from sleep.

"Kelly!" I yelled, sitting bolt upright, tears streaming down my cheeks.

He ran into the bedroom, panic clear in his features. When he saw what was happening, he wrapped me in his arms, rubbing soothing circles on my back. I matched my breathing to his and felt my heartbeat start to slow.

"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked.

I nodded against his chest.

"I'm sorry, baby. I should have been here."

"Where were you?" I asked.

"I went downstairs to get water and then a friend called so I was talking to them for a bit. I was coming back up when I heard you screaming," he explained.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Sweetheart, you have nothing to be sorry for."

We both fell back asleep, tangled up in each other, a mess of arms and legs. When I woke up in the morning, he was still asleep. I watched his chest rise and fall with each breath. Eventually, the need to pee became overwhelming so I tried to get out of bed.

"Nooooooo," Severide groaned, tightening his arm around my waist.

"Let me go or I'll pee on you," I said.

He let me go immediately and I laughed. I peed and brushed my teeth, getting rid of my morning breath. When I got back to the bedroom, Severide was sitting against the headboard, a mug of coffee in his hand and another on the bedside table.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Good," I said, snuggling up next to him.

"Did you have anymore nightmares?" he asked.

"Not after the initial one. You really do have the magic touch, Kelly Severide," I joked.

"We have the day off. What do you want to do?" he asked.

"Well, I definitely want to go for a run or hit the gym. I also need to go shopping for a dress for that gala tomorrow night."

"There's a gala tomorrow?" he asked.

"It's not for the CFD. It's for this charity that I help out with for people who have been personally affected by fires."

"I never knew you helped out with a charity," he said.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Kelly," I replied.

"Why is that? We've been best friends for almost six years but there's still so much that we don't know about each other," he said.