Chapter 45

"Hey" Emma's voice is heard as soon as she returns to the parking lot and finds Jay alone leaning his back on his car. 

"Hey," he says sadly and still looks at the floor. 

"Let's go home," she tells him, giving him a little push to move from his place. 

Home, Jay thinks and grimaces as soon as he realizes that at the end of the day they were going to a different building, something that he didn't like. Little did he know that Emma was thinking the same thing. 

"I told Will we were going to get him some food and maybe we'd watch a movie," she says as soon as they get in the car, and Jay looks at her surprised that after everything that's happened, she's still willing to go with him to Will's house. 

"I think I'd need the distraction," he admits and focuses on the road. 

"Then I think we should first stop to get some pizza," she suggests, and Jay agrees.

"So, do you want to talk about something before we go inside?" she asks him as soon as they park outside Will's house, and Jay sighs. 

"I screwed up," he admits upset with himself. He rests his head back on the seat, closing his eyes, while Emma stretches slightly to touch his hand. 

"Just when he was starting to trust me again. I should have listened to you and let him handle everything," he manages to put his thoughts into words, knowing that Emma is willing to listen to him. 

"Jay, if it's on you then it's on me too. Voight's angry, but it will pass. A lot is going on these days and he doesn't know how to handle them... But you did what you thought was right, Jay... There's nothing wrong with that," she tells him and feels him squeezing her hand. 

"As for Antonio things may not be good at the moment but they will be. He's strong," Jay sighs as soon as he hears his friend's name and turns to look at her with guiltiness written all over his face. 

"He brought me to Intelligence," he reveals, and Emma understands Jay's love for Antonio.

"There was nothing you could have done to change the situation, Jay. Just be there for him if he needs you. This applies to all of us" 

"I don't know how to thank you for all these days," he tells her sweetly after a few minutes of silence and Emma moves in her seat. 

"You don't have to thank me" she answers and then an idea pops up in her mind. Maybe she knows one more way beyond the movie to cheer him up. 

"But if you insist on thanking me, I might have an idea," she says with a smirk and kisses him on the edge of his lips. 

"Emms..." 

"Yes, Jay?" she continues to tease him, and this time she kisses the other side of his face. 

"We have to go inside," he reminds her in a hoarse voice as he knows that if they continue like this he won't hold himself and probably he will get ahead and take her at his place. She looks him in the eyes and then kisses him right in the mouth. Their kiss is gentle full of love and slowly fills with passion. But as soon as Jay finds access and is ready to use his tongue, Emma pulls back. 

"You're right, Will's waiting," she says, exiting the car smiling, while Jay groans.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Will says later, taking a handful of popcorn from the large bowl on the couch between him and Jay. 

"I warned you, but you didn't listen to me. The last time I let her pick a movie, we saw Finding Nemo," Jay says, making his brother laugh. 

"Disney movies are the best, you can't change my mind," Emma defends her choice supposedly upset with their behavior and after getting a few popcorns in her hand, she focuses again on Rapunzel on TV. 

"Eugene is so handsome," she comments after a few minutes of silence, and Jay rolls his eyes while Will laughs. The mood of both brothers has improved a lot in the last few hours thanks to Emma. 

"You can't be serious. It's a cartoon," Jay complains and points to the television. 

"You know Jay, I agree with Emma. Eugene is hot," Will says, and Emma turns excitedly towards him. 

"You're officially my favorite Halstead" 

"Hey!" Jay yells as soon as he hears her and without warning pinches her side making her giggle. 

"Jay, don't you dare!" she shouts through her laughter, but he doesn't stop. 

The smile on his face is the same as the one on his brother's face, who quickly grabs his phone and starts taking pictures of them. Photographing them in their cute moments when they don't know it has become his new occupation. 

"Okay, okay. Will's not my favorite Halstead," she admits defeated, and finally, Jay stops tickling her. Proud that he made her confess, he sits on the couch again pretending to watch the movie when Emma gets up to go to the kitchen. 

"Kohl's my favorite!" she yells as she walks away, and Will bursts laughing at Jay's reaction. 

"Oh man, she's really a sunshine," Will admits as soon as he realizes how much she made them feel better in just a few hours. 

"You're telling me," Jay agrees, shaking his head and takes a sip from his beer bottle.

"Have you thought about telling her to move in with you?" Will asks suddenly, and Jay turns to look at him in surprise. He stays quiet, drinking some more of his beer and waiting for Will to say more. He doesn't need to hear any additional explanation, but something inside him is still frightened to admit that the idea of staying with her doesn't leave his mind. 

"Jay, you love each other and behave like a married couple almost since you met. Don't you think it's time to take the next step in your relationship?" 

"Isn't it too early? Won't I scare her if I suggest that? If she doesn't want to?" Jay rambles, expressing all his concerns, and Will looks at him shocked by this sudden change in his behavior. He is not used to seeing the sensitive side of his brother, the one on which he has torn all his walls down and expresses all his thoughts. His gaze softens and despite the sharp pain in his side he moves to see him better. He takes a deep breath and thinks carefully about his next words. Stupid Erin, he curses the woman inside him as he realizes once again the results of her departure to his brother. 

"Scare her? Brother, I don't think there's anything you can do to scare her... As for the early, are you serious? I mean, with what you've been through together, it's like you've already lived a whole life together. You're ready for this step," he tells his opinion honestly, and Jay smiles at him. 

"Besides, she loves you. Even though I don't know what she finds in you," he continues, in order to lighten the atmosphere, and Jay rolls his eyes. 

"So you're thinking about it?" Will teases him, and Jay blushes a little, something that he's also not used to doing unless it's about Emma. 

"Yeah..." he admits and Will smiles satisfied that he made him say it. 

"I'm happy for you... Don't be a knucklehead, and tell her," he advises him, and Jay leaves another slice of pizza on his brother's plate. No other words are needed. 

The silence as they watch the movie again is Emma's signal to return to the living room from where she was standing behind the wall, eavesdropping on everything the two Halstead were saying. With a huge grin and her heart pounding harder than ever, she goes and sits next to Jay resting her head on his shoulder while he rests his arm around her. Another chance for Will to take a photo of them.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" Jay asks as soon as they enter his apartment, and heads to the kitchen. Emma nodes and goes to the bedroom to change. 

The conversation between Will and Jay plays on her mind for the thousandth time and she sighs as she sits on the edge of the bed. Her knee bounces and she looks at the space around her. She has seen Jay's house and especially the bedroom countless times but only now she can actually notice the changes that have happened. In the clothes drawer, a drawer is filled only with her T-shirts and pants that she keeps for when she sleeps there at night, while in his closet there are empty hangers so she can hang her jacket when she returns with him from work. On the nightstand, on the side of the bed where she sleeps, there's a book of hers. While in the bed itself there is an extra blanket on her side since she always gets cold at night, unlike Jay who often lies shirtless. In the bathroom next to Jay's green toothbrush there is her pink one, while next to his shaving foam there are some of her cosmetics. Even in the cupboard under the sink, there is even a pack of pads, which Jay himself bought for her despite his supposedly grumpy comments. She smiles as soon as she realizes all these details and is sure that if she looks at her own apartment she will be able to see so many other changes. It's like they're already living together, she thinks, and goes fast to the kitchen without having any more patience.

"Just when I was going to call you, the tea is ready," Jay says as he hears her approaching him, but his eyebrows draw together when he turns to look at her. 

"I thought you were going to change," he says, pointing to the clothes she's still wearing. Emma shakes her head and takes a step closer to him. 

"I heard what you were saying with Will earlier," she announces without commenting on what he told her, and Jay needs a few seconds to figure out what she means. As soon as he does, his eyes growl and he stays frozen in place. 

"I heard everything you said... and I'm glad I did because I want to stay with you Jay Halstead," she tells him tenderly with her eyes shining and takes another step towards him. 

A silly smile forms on Jay's face as soon as he realizes what she told him, and without telling her anything, he closes the gap between them, by kissing her. They separate for a few seconds looking into each other's eyes and then they kiss again. This time their kiss is full of passion. Jay's hand rests on Emma's neck as hers passes between his hair and a moan escapes from his mouth. His hand moves gently in her waist and without stopping kissing they start to move to try to get to his room. A giggle escapes from both of them as soon as Emma stumbles over the armchair in the living room and within seconds they lie on Jay's bed. 

There are no words to express the love they feel, only actions.