BURNED - A Chicago Fire Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty Three

"Come on, hurry up, Zahra!" K'eon groaned from the living room. I finally exited my room and entered the living room, holding my arms out.

"Why are you rushing me?" I asked.

"You said the party started at six, it's ten till."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm a little sore today. It's probably because I finished a 10K with little sleep while you were snoring away at home."

"Hey, you could've stepped out at the half way mark."

"I was representing my firehouse, K'eon. If I dropped out early, I would've made us look bad. Besides, it was a charity event and you know how much I like running."

"Yeah yeah, a real Oscar Pistorius."

"Except I didn't murder my girlfriend."

"You can't anyways since you don't have one."

"Bite me," I laughed. I walked over to the coffee table and picked up a small box.

"What's that?"

"A birthday present for Mouch."

"I didn't know we had to bring any presents."

"You don't. I won this at the auction and thought he'd like it as a present. You, however, are bringing the food as a thank you for letting you come."

"And you're sure they won't mind?"

"Are you kidding? They liked you the moment you stepped into the firehouse. Besides, if they ask, you're my plus one." We finally left the house and made our way to downtown Chicago, following the GPS until we arrived at a bar called Molly's. It was a small bar, but quaint, something I rarely saw, if ever, in New York.

"It's cute," K'eon smiled. I parked the truck and helped K'eon carry the food inside. Quiet music was playing as everyone talked amongst themselves. As soon as the door shut, people turned and looked.

"Candidate's here!" Cruz announced. Herrmann instantly rolled his eyes and walked off to tend to the bar.

"Hey," I smiled as I made my way over to the bar. "You guys remember K'eon, right?"

"Of course," Casey shook his hand and smiled. "Welcome."

"Thank you," K'eon smiled back. "I brought some food for the party, I hope that was okay."

"It's more than okay," Herrmann nodded. "It's less cooking I have to do."

"What is it?" Dawson asked.

"Some recipes from my home country," K'eon smiled with pride. "I stuck with the easier on the palate dishes however, seeing that you all are not accustomed to it." K'eon removed the Saran Wrap from a large bowl and passed it down the bar. "That is Mizuzu, it's a sweet fried plantain."

"What are plantains, anyways?" Mouch asked. "I always wondered but no one could ever give me a straight answer."

"They're like bananas, but less sweet and better for cooking. I fried them and glazed them in honey." Mouch took a piece and popped it into his mouth.

"Wow, that is actually amazing," Mouch smiled.

"Thank you. They go really well with these." K'eon uncovered a plate, exposing a large pile of fried bread. "Mandazi, or African Donuts. They're not as sweet as American donuts, but when you mix them with Mizuzu, jelly, peanut butter, or powdered sugar, they are quite a snack, such as yours truly."

"K'eon," I playfully smacked his arm and placed a large glass bottle on the counter. "This is his specialty right here."

"Piss in a bottle?" Severide chuckled.