twenty-three.

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-: .

╚═══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═══╝

When Maddie stepped through the threshold, it smelt like someone had been smoking. Surely enough, she had found the culprit. The sliding door that led to their little terrace was open slightly as Kelly blew another whiff of smoke from his cigar.

Disposing her house keys and bag on the couch, Maddie walked over to him. She encircled her arms around his neck as Kelly tilts his head upward to greet her and she captured his lips with hers.

"You're really putting those cigars to good use, huh?"

"Hello, babes."

She caught the tone of his voice: tight and troubled. "What's wrong?"

But all he said was: "Nothing."

"Kelly."

With her tone of voice and a pleading expression, he revealed his current dilemma. "I lost my lieutenant title to a complete stranger. Apparently, I have a record now about the guys that have been in and out of my Squad."

Maddie hugged him tighter and laid her head by the crook of his neck. "Oh, Kelly. That sucks."

"You bet it sucks."

Pulling him to a standing position, Maddie dragged Kelly to their bathroom──his cigars long forgotten.

Kelly observed how she turned the faucet on and the water slowly filled their bathtub, how her hands grabbed the different-colored bottles then poured them onto the tub. Soon enough, the tub is filled with bubbles and smelt like peppermint.

Maddie turned to him with her hands on her hips. "That's your bath, Mr. Severide."

"My bath?"

"Yep. Now, strip."

He did.

When his back hits the cold marble and most of his body is under the mass of pink bubbles, Kelly feels his muscles start to relax as he slides lower inside the tub.

Smiling, Maddie bent over and kissed him, hand on his cheek, and she was strutting out of the bathroom.

"You're not joining me?"

"No!" She answered from the bedroom, "I need to make dinner for a grumpy father-to-be!"

When Kelly headed downstairs after his relaxing bath (he had to thank Maddie for whatever she placed in the bathtub), the kitchen was booming with the smell of fresh herbs and spices. Maddie was behind the stove, lifting the spoon to her mouth to taste whatever soup she had made.

It was an unspoken routine of theirs to have Maddie cook while he would just simply watch her or maybe even answer the crossword puzzle on the newspaper if Kelly felt like it. If he was lucky, Maddie would let him get a taste of what she was cooking and ask for his opinion. 

"You'll still love me even if I'm not a lieutenant, right?" Kelly blurted out while Maddie was steering the pot. 

"What was that, mahal love?" He repeated the question and this time Maddie stopped what she was doing and met his eyes. "Of course! I'm not a badge bunny, Kelly."

"I know, babes. It just. . .it feels weird. I'm kinda bummed since I worked my ass of for that title. Did you know that I was──"

"──the youngest ever to make it to Squad. Yes, I'm aware." She sighed and placed the spoon down after setting the stove to low. Maddie made her way around the breakfast island and stood in front of her husband, "It doesn't mean you're any less of a firefighter just because you're not lieutenant anymore, Kelly. I know it's easier said than done but you'll get your title back. You got that with flying colors and I'm positive you'll do it again."

His eyes softened, thankful that at least someone had understood him. 

"Someone offered me a spot on Arson Investigation earlier."

Maddie quirked an eyebrow. "And?"  

"I'd take it, you know." He shrugged, "If. . .if it meant I'd get to come home to our family every night."

"O──oh. But. . .do want it? The job?"

Kelly shook his head. "It doesn't matter what I want now, Mads. This is our family we're talking about."

"I see." She nodded, "Okay, okay. Uh. . .let's wait until Baby Severide is born, yeah? No drastic decisions until he or she is here." 

"Right, right. One month at a time." Kelly snaked his hands around her waist, soothingly rubbing her back in an up and down motion. Eventually (and always), his hands would end up softly caressing her abdomen. "How are you, Maddie?"

Maddie rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm okay, Kelly." She answered, a blissful smile appearing on her lips. "We're going to be okay." 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

bABES BABES BABES 

oh my god

who got hurt 

is everyone okay 

did sylvie forget to take her vitamins?

everyone is fine!! 

sylvie takes vitamins??

it's woman stuff 

oh okay

dawson's pregnant!!!

holy shit that's great!!

i kNOW 

mine and matt's kids are going to be best friends AAAAAHHHHH 

that's an image i would likely want to see 

give gabby a hug for me please 

i think we should start telling we're pregnant, babes

not to everyone but to our best friends 

and even your co-workers so that they can help you feel more comfortable 

hmmm. . .i agree

my first trimester is almost up anyway 

so matt and sylvie first?

aren't you worried we'll get cruzd

cruzd?

yeah

you know 

when cruz told sylvie not to tell anyone about his zumba class but she ended up telling matt who told the whole firehouse which resulted to the entirety of 51 showing up at his said zumba class 

oh

weLL 

BLACKMAIL IT IS THEN!! 

we're going to blackmail our best friends?

you betcha

okay follow-up question

what specifically are we going to blackmail our friends with?

hmmMMM. . .

their positions as godparents?

sounds like a plan! 

i'll drop by the firehouse tomorrow around lunch 

oKAY OKAY I'M EXCITED 

i love you!

love you too! stay safe!!

season 4 here we go!!