FIND ME, jay halstead

009. cariño

009.
Cariño

AGENT ALVAREZ - AGENT HALSTEAD

Jay bolted upright in bed, gasping for air. This was the the fifth night in a row. His dreams have be occupied by images of gunfire, blood, and the faces of people he couldn't save. His once happy dreams were now clouded by the darkness Chicago brought him. He pressed his palms to his eyes, trying to banish the painful memories. His body was drenched in sweat which made him leave out a tired sigh. His thoughts were broken down by the smell of food that wafted through the air, grounding him back to reality.

As he looked around, he realized Atalia wasn't beside him. Despite the lingering effects from his nightmare, a small smile tugged at his lips. He got out of bed, the cold floors helping to wake him fully.

Jay quickly changed out of his drenched shirt and followed the sounds of soft humming and the clatter of kitchen utensils and once he reached the doorway to the kitchen, he just watched. Atalia stood at the stove, her back to him, swaying and dancing to the music playing on the vinyl. She moved with an effortless grace, the morning light casting a golden glow over her. Her hair bouncing with every movement.

Jay leaned against the doorframe, watching her with affection for a minute before he made his presence known. "Can't remember you being this happy in the morning, or is it just my lucky day?" He teased knowing that she never liked waking up early.

Atalia jumped, heart racing and her agent instincts kicked in. She spun around, spatula raised high like a gun, and dropped into a defensive stance. Her hazy eyes were wide and scanning the kitchen.

"Freeze! Drop your weapon!" she barked in an authoritative voice, before realizing she was aiming a spatula at a chuckling Jay.

Jay doubled over with laughter, holding his sides. "Whoa there, I surrender! Just have some mercy on me and drop your gun." he managed to gasp out between fits of laughter.

Atalia blinked repeatedly, then lowered her spatula, her face flushing with a mix of embarrassment and relief. "Jay! You idiot! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she scolded, though a smile was creeping onto her lips.

Jay who was still laughing, wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry, couldn't resist and maybe, we should keep the crime fighting out of our apartment, huh honey? Before you accidentally kill me?"

To which, Atalia just rolled her eyes and swatted at him playfully with the spatula.

Jay chuckled, his grin widening but as he stepped closer, Atalia's laughter faded, replaced by a look of concern. She noticed the tightness around his eyes, the way his shoulders were tense. "You okay? You look troubled."