Forbidden (Kelly Severide)

Chapter 12

As the sun rose over Chicago, Firehouse 51 was already buzzing with activity. The team was prepping for another day, but the air was charged with something different—something Ivy Casey could sense the moment she and Kelly Severide walked through the doors together.

From the way the others kept glancing their way, Ivy had a sinking feeling that news had spread faster than she anticipated. It didn't help that Cruz, the one who caught them in their heated moment in the turnout gear room the day before, was nowhere to be seen. He must have been the first to arrive, likely spreading the word like wildfire.

Ivy gave Kelly a sideways glance as they walked into the common room. He seemed calm, but she could see the slight tension in his shoulders, the way he held himself just a little too carefully. This wasn't going to be easy, especially since they had only just started figuring things out between them.

As they entered the room, everyone's attention seemed to snap to them. Matt Casey, Mouch, Herrmann, and the others were gathered around the table, and there was a suspicious silence before someone finally broke it.

"So..." Herrmann began, his voice dripping with curiosity. "How's it going, you two?"

Ivy felt her face flush instantly. "Uh, good?" she replied, though it came out more like a question.

Matt, who had been sipping his coffee, nearly choked as he tried to keep a straight face. "Yeah? That's good to hear."

Ivy shot him a look, but Matt simply smirked. "You seem awfully chipper this morning, Ivy. Anything special happen last night?"

Mouch snickered, adding, "Or in the turnout gear room yesterday?"

Ivy's eyes widened, and Kelly sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Seriously, guys?" he muttered, clearly unamused by the teasing.

But that only seemed to egg them on.

"Oh, come on, Severide," Cruz said, finally making an appearance with a smug grin plastered on his face. "You two were practically eating each other's faces off. How are we supposed to ignore that?"

Ivy groaned inwardly, wishing she could disappear. "Cruz, really?" she protested, her face burning with embarrassment. "Do you have to bring that up?"

Cruz shrugged, still grinning. "Hey, I didn't say anything to anyone else. They figured it out on their own."

"Yeah, because you've been walking around with that 'I-know-a-secret' smile since yesterday," Herrmann chimed in, crossing his arms as he looked between Ivy and Kelly. "But seriously, how's it feel? Dating the Lieutenant?"

Kelly rolled his eyes, but there was a small smile playing on his lips. "You guys really need to get out more."

"Come on, Kelly, we're just curious," Matt said, leaning back in his chair. "You two have been giving each other those eyes for weeks now."

Ivy felt like her face might permanently stay red at this rate. She looked at Kelly, silently pleading for him to do something—anything—to get them out of this.

Kelly finally took pity on her and cleared his throat. "Look, we're still figuring things out," he said, his tone firm but not unkind. "So if you guys could give us a little space, that'd be great."

But before anyone could respond, Boden's voice echoed through the room, bringing a halt to the teasing. "Alright, enough with the gossip. We've got a job to do."

Everyone quickly straightened up, the mood shifting as Boden's commanding presence took over. But the teasing looks and smirks didn't completely disappear. Ivy could still feel them on her as they all headed to the apparatus floor to get ready for their next call.