It was supposed to be a relaxing day off.
You and Kelly had planned to spend the entire afternoon together, away from the chaos of Firehouse 51. A few hours on the road, grabbing lunch at your favorite diner, and just enjoying each other's company. The kind of day where nothing was supposed to go wrong.
But of course, life had other plans.
You and Kelly were cruising down a back road just outside of Chicago, the music playing softly in the background. He had his hand resting on the gearshift, his thumb absently rubbing the smooth surface as you sat back in your seat, a content smile on your face. It was the kind of peace you both desperately needed after weeks of long shifts and stress at the firehouse.
"So," Kelly started, glancing over at you with a playful smirk, "what do you think of taking a weekend trip next month? Just the two of us, somewhere far away from the firehouse. Maybe the mountains or a cabin by a lake?"
You raised an eyebrow, laughing softly. "A cabin, huh? Sounds like you're planning to trap me in the middle of nowhere," you teased, nudging him with your shoulder.
"Well, you know," he replied, his smile widening, "I kind of like having you all to myself."
You rolled your eyes playfully, but before you could say anything else, there was a sudden screech of tires, and everything went completely out of control.
A car, out of nowhere, swerved into your lane. Kelly barely had time to react, swerving to the side, but it was too late. The car collided with yours, sending both vehicles spinning out of control. The screech of metal against metal filled the air, your heart racing as the world seemed to slow down in those few moments.
The crash was deafening, and everything went dark.
---
When you came to, the first thing you felt was the searing pain in your chest and legs. Everything was hazy, and the faint smell of smoke began to fill the air, dragging you out of the fog. You blinked, trying to focus, but the weight of the situation began to settle over you.
"Kelly?" you whispered hoarsely, your throat dry and scratchy.
You turned your head slowly, groaning in pain, and saw Kelly, his face pale and covered in cuts, his eyes dazed but wide open. He was struggling to move, his left arm pinned under the steering wheel, blood dripping from a gash on his forehead.
"Y/N," he breathed, his voice weak. "Are you okay?"
You nodded, though the pain was nearly unbearable. "I'm... I'm fine," you managed to say, trying to sit up, but everything around you seemed to spin.
Kelly immediately reached for you, his good arm pulling you close. "No, don't move," he said urgently, his face full of concern. "We need to stay still, alright?"
But as he tried to free himself from the wheel, a terrifying realization dawned on both of you.
The car was slowly filling with smoke.
"Kelly," you whispered, panic rising in your chest. "The car's on fire."
His eyes widened as he turned his head and saw the faint orange glow near the engine. He tried to push the door open, but it was jammed, and his attempts only made the smoke thicker.
"Shit," Kelly cursed, the frustration and fear evident in his voice. "We need to get out of here, now."
Your heart hammered in your chest as you saw the fire begin to spread, the heat growing more intense by the second. You reached for your seatbelt with shaky hands, trying to unbuckle it, but it wouldn't budge. Kelly, realizing what you were doing, reached for your seatbelt, using all his strength to unclip it.
"Come on, come on!" Kelly shouted, his voice hoarse with panic.
You felt the air around you getting warmer, the smoke more suffocating. The fire was getting closer, and you were running out of time. Kelly managed to open his door just enough to get his head out and yell for help.
You could hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance, and you prayed it was Firehouse 51. But it felt like they would never get there in time.
"Stay with me, Y/N," Kelly said through gritted teeth, still trying to free himself. His hand grasped yours tightly, his eyes never leaving yours. "Just stay with me."
You were fighting against the pain in your body, but it was getting harder to stay awake. The smoke was thick, and the air was growing heavy. Kelly's face was blurred in front of you, but his voice was still there, pulling you back from the edge.
"Y/N, please," Kelly begged, his voice breaking. "Please, don't close your eyes."
Tears welled in your eyes as you tried to focus on him. "I'm... I'm scared, Kelly," you admitted, your voice barely a whisper. "I don't want to die like this."
"You're not going to die, okay?" Kelly's words were firm, even though you could see the panic in his eyes. "You're not going anywhere. I'm right here."
It felt like hours before you finally heard the sound of Firehouse 51's trucks screeching to a halt beside the wreckage. And then, the familiar faces of Matt Casey, Severide's best friend and your brother, burst onto the scene. His eyes immediately locked onto Kelly, and he wasted no time running over, calling out orders.
"Matt! We need help over here!" Kelly's voice cracked as he called out, but the fire was starting to roar now, drowning out his words.
"Kelly! Y/N!" Matt shouted, his voice full of worry. "We're going to get you out of there, alright? Hang in there!"
Kelly's eyes never left yours, even as Matt and the team worked quickly to get to you. Your brother immediately went to Kelly, pulling the door open just enough to reach him. "You're going to be okay, man. Stay with her. We've got this."
The firefighters worked in a blur, carefully getting Kelly out of the wreckage first before they turned their attention to you. You were feeling lightheaded, your vision dimming.
When they finally pulled you out of the car and laid you on the ground, the first thing you saw was Kelly, kneeling beside you, his face a mask of worry.
"You're going to be alright," Kelly whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I've got you, Y/N. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
You smiled weakly, tears streaking your cheeks as you reached up to touch his face. "I know you won't," you whispered back, your voice shaking. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Kelly said, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'm not going anywhere."
---
The ride to Med was a blur, but when you finally got to the hospital, Kelly didn't leave your side for a single second. He was there, every step of the way, holding your hand, making sure you knew you weren't alone.
And as the doctors worked on patching you up, you realized just how lucky you were—because no matter what, Kelly Severide would always be there, right beside you, through the flames.
