Forbidden (Kelly Severide)

Chapter 21

It was a rare afternoon off for Ivy and Matt, and they were spending it at a small coffee shop not far from the firehouse. Ivy enjoyed these moments with her brother, moments where they could just be siblings, not firefighters. She leaned back in her chair, savoring the warmth of her drink.

"You doing okay?" Matt asked, noticing her pensive look. "It's been a hell of a few weeks."

Ivy sighed, taking a sip of her coffee. "Yeah, it's just... everything. Between work, the crap with Anderson, and, you know, Kelly and I finally going public." She glanced at Matt, half-expecting him to say something brotherly or protective, but he just nodded.

"Yeah, I noticed. You two seem happy though, so I'm not going to stand in the way. As long as he's good to you, that's all that matters."

Ivy smiled, grateful for his understanding. "Thanks, Matt."

Before they could continue, the bell above the door chimed, and a woman stormed into the coffee shop. She looked furious, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on Ivy and Matt. Without hesitation, she marched over, her voice rising above the quiet chatter of the café.

"You're Matt Casey, right? And you're his sister, Ivy?"

Matt blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, yeah. Can I help you?"

The woman crossed her arms, glaring at them both. "You can help me by telling your Lieutenant Kelly Severide to stay the hell away from women. He sexually assaulted a friend of mine, and I'm not going to let this go."

Ivy's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a wave of nausea rise in her chest. She immediately shook her head, her voice steady. "That didn't happen. Kelly would never do something like that."

"Oh, really?" the woman snapped. "You think you know him that well? Men like him, they hide it well. They're charming, but behind closed doors, it's a different story."

Matt stood up, his protective instincts kicking in. "Listen, I don't know what happened, but if you're going to accuse one of my team members of something that serious, you need proof. Don't come in here throwing accusations around without it."

The woman scowled but didn't back down. "There are a lot of things men think they can get away with. You'd be surprised."

Before the argument could escalate further, Shay walked into the café, her timing impeccable as usual. She raised an eyebrow, taking in the tense atmosphere. "What's going on here?"

The woman sneered. "Just telling your boy Severide to watch his back. I know what he did."

Shay crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "You know, there's a lot of people who throw that word around—'assault'—but not all of them know what it actually means. How about we all sit down and have a little lesson, huh?"

Matt shot Shay a look, but she ignored it, her focus entirely on the angry woman. "I mean, if we're going to talk about what's wrong and right, let's get it straight."

The woman scoffed, but before she could say anything else, Ivy cut in. "Kelly didn't do anything like that. I trust him with everything, and he would never harm someone that way. I think you're just trying to stir up trouble."

The woman's face twisted into a look of disdain, but Shay continued, her tone light but with an edge. "Look, if we're really talking about this, maybe you should be aware of what sexual assault entails—because it's serious, and throwing around false accusations undermines the people who've actually been through it."

As Shay talked, Ivy noticed Kelly walking into the café, his eyes locking onto the scene in front of him. He strode over, looking between Ivy, Matt, and the furious woman.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying a hint of tension.

Before anyone could answer, Shay chimed in again. "Oh, nothing, Lieutenant. Just clearing up some misconceptions about what sexual assault actually is."

Kelly's brow furrowed, clearly not in the mood for games. "And what's being said?"

The woman stepped forward, her face inches from Kelly's. "I said you assaulted a friend of mine. But you seem to think you're above the law."

Kelly didn't flinch. His voice was steady, but there was a fire behind his eyes. "That's not true. I didn't do anything to anyone, and I would never. If you want to bring this to the proper authorities, go ahead. But until you have something real, don't make baseless claims."

The woman opened her mouth to argue, but Shay quickly interrupted. "You know, people love to gossip, but none of us are here for that. If you've got nothing else to say, I suggest you leave before you embarrass yourself further."

Seeing that she was outnumbered and that no one was buying into her accusations, the woman huffed in frustration. "This isn't over," she muttered before storming out of the café.

There was a moment of silence before Shay grinned and clapped her hands together. "Well, that was fun."

Ivy turned to Kelly, still reeling from the encounter. "Did you... did you do it?" she asked quietly, even though she already knew the answer.

Kelly looked at her, his expression softening. "No, Ivy. I didn't. I would never."

She nodded, relief washing over her. She trusted him, but hearing it directly from him made her feel better. "I knew you didn't."

Back at the firehouse, the day continued like any other. The tension from the earlier encounter had faded, and the team was preparing for whatever the shift might bring.

Just before the end of the day, a fire call came in. It was a large structure fire, and Squad 3 was needed immediately. Ivy, Kelly, Matt, and the others geared up quickly, heading out to the scene.

When they arrived, the fire was roaring, engulfing an old building. People were trapped inside, and the team wasted no time jumping into action. Ivy, alongside Kelly and the rest of Squad 3, entered the building, their focus on getting everyone out safely.

The heat was intense, the flames dangerously close as they searched each room for survivors. Smoke filled the air, making it hard to see, but they worked together, communicating through the haze.

In one of the rooms, Ivy found a family huddled together, terrified. "We're here to get you out!" she shouted, grabbing hold of the mother and father while directing the children toward the exit.

Kelly appeared beside her, helping to guide the family out through the thick smoke. Just as they were about to leave, a section of the ceiling collapsed, narrowly missing Ivy.

"Watch it!" Kelly shouted, pulling her back just in time.

The team continued their work, saving everyone trapped inside. Eventually, after what felt like hours, the fire was under control, and everyone made it out safely. Ivy was exhausted but relieved that no one had been seriously hurt.

As they packed up to head back to the firehouse, Kelly glanced at Ivy, a proud smile on his face. "You did good today."

Ivy grinned, feeling the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. "You too, Lieutenant."

Back at the firehouse, the team celebrated their success, grateful for another day where everyone made it out alive. But Ivy couldn't shake the feeling that things were far from over with Kelly and their budding relationship. As the night wound down, they found themselves alone in the turnout gear room, where Kelly pulled her close.

"I love you," he whispered, his lips brushing against hers. "No matter what happens."

Ivy smiled, leaning into him as they shared a passionate kiss, their bond stronger than ever.