Chapter Text
Jay woke up wrapped in a sense of absolute happiness. Without opening his eyes, he took a deep breath, savoring the faint, elusive scent of skin and hair from the person lying beside him.
Hailey was still fast asleep, her nose buried in the pillow. Jay was terrified to move even an inch, determined not to disturb her peace and let her sleep in on this rare day off. For two months now, he had caught himself thinking that he still couldn't entirely believe the reality of what was happening, subconsciously fearing the sheer fragility of every moment. For the last three years, Jay had kept his guard completely up; he had barred his heart from almost everyone, letting no one near his mangled soul.
But Hailey had broken through. With a stubborn yet gentle persistence, she had melted that years-old ice, managing to see the man he so meticulously hid from the rest of the world. Finding himself completely defenseless before her, Jay had finally released all the tightly coiled, long-buried emotions inside him... And now, he was simply losing himself in it.
After relaxing in the warm bed for a little longer, he very carefully—careful not to wake her—slid his arm out from under Hailey’s head and quietly slipped away into the kitchen. Generally speaking, Jay was a pretty decent cook, but during the workweek, time was a luxury he drastically lacked, and cooking just for himself felt flat-out pointless. But now, weekend mornings—and cooking itself—had taken on a completely different meaning.
He was just beginning to carefully ladle batter onto the piping hot skillet, planning to fry up a stack of pancakes, when a warm body pressed against his back. Hailey sleepily wrapped her arms around his chest, burying her face between his shoulder blades.
Jay set the spoon aside and turned around within her embrace, catching her by the waist.
"Did I wake you?" he asked softly, burying his nose in her messy blonde hair and kissing her bare shoulder.
"No... but I think I’m starving," she mumbled, returning the kiss while deftly snatching a finished pancake straight off the plate.
"Hey!" Jay protested in mock outrage. "You’re supposed to be in bed, waiting properly for breakfast, you little thief."
"I propose we swap roles today," Hailey offered with a playful smile, chewing her food. "Go hit the shower. I'll finish up here and bring everything to the bedroom."
Jay shot her a skeptical, under-the-brow look—his trademark gaze. He knew perfectly well that Hailey genuinely detested cooking, and her rare attempts at anything more complex than scrambled eggs usually culminated in a localized kitchen disaster.
"Come on, give me a chance!" she pleaded.
"Alright, alright," Jay raised his hands in mock surrender, stepping backward into the hallway. "I’m going to freshen up. Just so you know, the fire extinguisher is in the corner behind the door. Ow!" he yelped as Hailey playfully swatted his shoulder with a dish towel.
"One more word, Halstead, and I won't be held responsible for my actions!"
The warm water relaxed him instantly. The sheer morning comfort ruling the apartment duller his professional instincts. Jay was simply loving and being loved—what more could a man ask for? Wrapping a towel around his hips, he stepped into the bedroom and lazily stretched out on the bed.
Ten minutes later, Hailey marched triumphantly into the room, holding a tray before her.
"Here! See? I did it!"
Jay’s smile widened. On the plate rose a mound of crooked, misshapen pancakes of the strangest geometric forms.
"You did an amazing job," he praised without a hint of irony, pulling her toward him by the hand. "It looks like Animal Crackers. Every single one is different and unique."
"Just appreciate the taste," Hailey countered. Dipping the edge of a pancake into some jam, she brought it to his lips.
Jay obediently took a bite, then, catching her wrist, he gently took the tray and set it aside on the nightstand. The breakfast ultimately went cold, because neither of them cared about the food anymore. Having fully lose themselves in each other, they didn't migrate back to the kitchen until closer to noon, lazily sipping coffee reheated in the microwave.
Jay glanced at the clock and reluctantly stood up, preparing to head back to his place.
"Are you sure you can't stay?" Hailey looked up at him hopefully, her eyes shifting to the window. "Skip your run. It looks like rain out there."
"I need to swing by my apartment and change," Jay gently declined, pulling on his sweatpants and sliding his wireless earbuds into his pocket. "Besides, I really need a run right now. I need to clear my head; I can’t focus on a single thing today."
"And what exactly are you so desperately trying to focus on?" she teased, her eyes narrowing playfully.
"Well, for starters," Jay smiled, stepping into his sneakers, "not forgetting that I’m supposed to meet Will tonight. By the way, why don't you come with? It's about time he found out about us so he can stop badgering me with his constant theories."
"Alright, let's do it," Hailey agreed, leaning against the doorframe.
Jay walked over and gave her another deep kiss goodbye.
"I'll pick you up at four, then."
"I'll be counting down the minutes."
---
Driving out to the semi-deserted industrial area of Goose Island, Jay parked his car between the brick structures of the warehouses. It wasn't his usual running spot, but he preferred running in solitude, and this location was closer to Hailey's place. Stepping out of the vehicle, he did a quick warmup, threw a light windbreaker over his tank top, popped his earbuds in, and set off to crush his usual mileage.
The crisp air filled his lungs, and the impending rain, running felt surprisinglydespite effortless. In sync with the rhythmic music, his scattered thoughts gradually fell into place, mapping out a clear plan for the evening.
Halfway through his route, however, the weather violently turned. The sky darkened instantly, a storm-level gale kicked up, threatening to knock him off balance, and an icy rain began to fall in furious sheets, stinging his face. Deciding to cut through the industrial gray zone to avoid running directly against the fierce gusts coming off the river, Jay turned down a blind alley. He pressed close to the concrete wall of an old factory, moving in an entirely different direction than he had originally planned.
The favorite track in his ears muffled the sounds of the outside world. The girl in his thoughts kept him warm from the inside out.
Suddenly, the blank concrete wall ended, revealing a blind intersection.
As he rounded the corner of the building, Jay caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye—a massive, black silhouette charging right toward him.
In that exact microsecond, the air was ripped apart by the deafening shriek of slamming brakes.
The crushing impact of the bumper caught Jay squarely in his left side before he could even react, inflicting an otherworldly, blinding agony as his bones shattered. The sheer force of momentum effortlessly hurled his body onto the hard asphalt. He skidded for several meters, the unforgiving road tearing away clothing and leaving a trail of blood on the pavement.
Breathing instantly became impossible. A rising roar filled his ears, turning into a crashing ocean as his earbuds were knocked loose. His consciousness began to rapidly drain away. The absolute last image Jay managed to register before plunging entirely into the dark was the pale, terrified face of a teenager, leaning over him from above.