Kelly placed the jewelry box on the coffee table next to the photo albums and smiled.  She's going to be surprised, he thought to himself.  Happy too, he hoped.  He knew she had felt devastated that she had lost so much in the fire, and he was going to help her with that.  For starters, he was going to let her use his credit cards to buy herself a new wardrobe.  Yes, she had her own money, but he wanted her to know that he was willing to help out.  But it was the stuff on the coffee table that was the most important.  The photo albums detailed her life before coming to Tierney and the jewelry box held her favorite pieces of jewelry, including a couple of sets that had belonged to her mother. 

The sound of padding feet caused him to turn and he smiled when he saw the young pit bull puppy, which was a light brown with a strip of white down its fur.  
"Come here, Bruno," he coaxed and the dog headed for him.  "Such a good boy," he said, ruffling the fur on top of the pup's head.  She always wanted a dog and I know she has a thing for pitties, he thought to himself.  So hopefully, she'd like the surprise he had come up for her.  He then grinned and chuckled as Bruno jumped up on him, licking him vigorously.   "Yeah, such a happy baby, aren't you?" he asked, ruffling his fur.  To be completely truthful, his heart had melted when he had seen the pup, especially when he heard that it had already been passed up a dozen times for other dogs simply because it was a pit bull.  So yeah, they now had a pit bull, and he was hoping that the surprise he had set up would take some of the sting out of losing her stuff.  Not that it would completely erase the devastation that had occurred, but hopefully, it would help.

OOC
Camille's jewelry box: cdn.nickpic.host/images/IJ9W42.jpg

Camille's jewelry set #1: cdn.nickpic.host/images/IJ9ZPQ.jpg

Camille's jewelry set #2: cdn.nickpic.host/images/IJ9yax.jpg

Pit bull: cdn.nickpic.host/images/IJeGiN.jpg

Erin was in tears. She was home from the hospital and it had been a really rough week. Everything she had was gone. She could buy more clothes but there was some things she would never get back from the fire. She'd been eyeing a pit bull puppy in the pet store for a while. She had made up her mind it was worth a disagreement with Kelly over the pooch. She was going to get the puppy. Right now she could use the companionship when Kelly or Hank couldn't be around. That was until the puppy wasn't in the window. Her heart fell. She'd been talking to Kelly about the puppy for weeks. Erin had started calling him Bruno just because "the puppy" was so very much a part of the conversations between them since their arrival in Tierney. That was when Erin wanted companionship in an empty apartment.

Shoving her keys in the door. She unlocked the door to Kelly's apartment and then tossed them on the counter. Everything came rushing to her all at once. Taking a few deep breathes she stuck her head between her hands and pushed against the counter. Except the puppy came wandering over and stuck his nose on her leg, then decisively sat right down on her foot. "Bruno go away" she grumbled. Wait what? No, she had to be hallucinating again. It was bad enough but the puppy whimpered for her attention so she picked him up and started ruffling with his fur. "You gotta watch out for Kelly, he's a puppy napper."

She shifted the puppy into her right arm and reached out to Kelly to kiss him affectionately. "I hate you" she mumbled in between her kisses. That wasn't really true she was in love with him and she adored him but that was playing lowball right there. Though she broke out in a small smile, one she hadn't had much since the fire. Erin was battling with depression and her own guilt over the situation. Now her dad was moving out here and everything was up in the air. Erin wrapped her arm around Kelly's waist and buried her head as the dog licked Kelly's face.

Tag: Lt. Kelly Severide

Kelly watched as Erin walked in, crying. Damn...hate that her week's been so tough, he thought to himself. She had lost her house, but thankfully, none of the things that mattered. He had grabbed all the jewelry that had meant something to her, the photo albums, and her favorite outfits. So glad I had decided to move some of her stuff into the apartment already, he thought to himself. He just hoped that she didn't go off on him for moving her into his place without her permission. It was a typical guy move, he knew this, but at the same time, there was a part of him that was glad he had done it because Camille's things were now in the house.

He then quirked an eyebrow and smirked as she scolded the dog, telling it to go away before she realized what she was saying and picked him up, ruffling his fur, telling the dog to look out for him because he was a puppy-napper.
"Well, what can I say? He was too cute to pass up," he stated. Plus I knew it'd make you smile, he thought to himself. He hated it when she cried. Mostly because he had no idea what to do. He wasn't good with feelings and all that jazz.

He then chuckled lightly as she went to kiss him, saying that she hated him.
"Love you too," he stated. "I've got you, Erin. Always," he assured, her going to wrap his arms around her, being careful not to squish Bruno. Glad I could make her smile a little, he thought to himself.

Erin snuggled up in Kelly’s arms with the pit puppy and found herself taking in a deep breath. It was setting in how incredibly lucky she was. Getting through things wasn’t easy but Kelly had gone out of his way to take her mind off things. She smirked when he mentioned Bruno being too cute to pass up. “Mine, Mine, Mine” she teased in the seagull voice from Finding Nemo. Though she was speaking about both the dog AND Kelly.

Erin smiled wider. “I know and it means so much to me.” So much more than he could ever realize. She set the puppy on the ground. “What are you up to Kelly Severide?” She knew that look. The look when he was trying to do something sweet. Her eyes lingered over him. She was lucky to have someone like him.

Though she caught sight of the jewelry box off the table. She buried her head further into Kelly’s neck. “Do you always think of everything?” She mumbled trying to find something more than a gasp. Erin hadn’t even thought about anything sentimental. She hugged Kelly tighter as Bruno went over and decided to jump on the couch making himself comfortable.

Tag: Lt. Kelly Severide

Kelly then chuckled as Erin repeated the word "mine" three times, imitating the gulls from Finding Nemo.
"Yours, yours, yours," he shot back, going to give her a kiss before they were interrupted by the dog who stretched himself up, trying to snuggle with them. Seeing this, he reached over and petted the dog. "Such a good boy," he stated affectionately. So glad I adopted him, he thought to himself. Bruno really was the perfect fit for them. And okay, so sixty-five bucks was a little pricey, but Bruno had been worth it. Okay, maybe that was just the little boy in him talking. He had never had a dog before and he had been excited about adopting one.

He smiled at her as she said that she knew that he always had her back and that it meant a lot to her.
"Good," he said. "I mean---that you know. Not that it means a lot. I---" he started stammering. Great Kelly. Way to sound completely arrogant, he berated himself. When she asked him what he was up to, he shrugged. "What makes you think i'm up to something?" he asked. Okay, so he had filched her stuff and put it in his apartment, including some of her clothes, but she didn't need to know that. At least not right now. Right now, she just needed some time to process things. And he was going to give her that. It was what she needed.

His smile then grew as she caught sight of the jewelry box and then hugged him, asking if he always thought of everything.
"Not always," he replied. "To be completely honest, I've been slowly moving you in. I grabbed your photo albums and Camille's jewelry box first. And then some of the outfits I've seen you wear on a regular basis. As well as some of my own personal favorites," he admitted. "If you need anything else, feel free to grab some of my shirts and we can always go shopping for more clothes and things you might need," he told her.

Erin shook her head as Kelly tried to mock her mocking the seagulls. “I think you missed that Aussie accent.” She teased him lightly as the dog made his presence known. Then he started stammering about something. Erin smirked and just kissed him to stop his stammering. “Kelly Severide.” She gave him a mock glare. “Just shut up.” She replied going back to kissing him.

Quirking a brow at his question was a no brainer. Did he really just ask that? Everything pointed to him being up to something. Erin wasn’t going to give up on getting it out of him. If it was one thing that always won out against Kelly it was persistence. Plus trying to figure out what he was up to kept her thoughts off of everything that had happened.

Moving her in? She did spend a fair amount of time at his place, probably more than her own so she could understand clothing migrating over here but her mom’s jewelry box? No, now she was just dreaming and wishful thinking. Was she even awake?

Tag: Lt. Kelly Severide

Kelly smirked as Erin said that he had missed the Australian accent.
"Yeah I suck at accents. We both know this. It's why I don't usually do 'em," he retorted with a grin. He just hadn't been able to resist this time around. What could he say? He was a goof sometimes. Not that he let this show very often. After all, he had an image to maintain in the fire department. He was with a new crew that was still getting used to him and he had to show them that he was serious enough to lead them.

He then chuckled as she told him to shut up.
"Yes, Ma'am," he responded in a teasing tone, knowing that it would most likely annoy her. That was okay though. He just wanted to keep her mind off of what had happened. And if that meant ducking a flew blows from his girl, so be it. He'd do anything to keep her from breaking down. Anything.

When she remained silent, he bit his lip. Had he screwed up by starting to move her in?
"I know...we didn't discuss living together, and maybe I shouldn't have taken your stuff, but I thought that---maybe if---if the stuff that meant the most to you was here---" he stammered. What was I thinking? I just made the decision for her, he thought to himself. Of course she would get pissed.

Erin shook her head. “Can’t be good at everything, Superman” she replied poking him in the side. She liked it when he let loose and was himself. Though part of her understood why he was trying to keep up appearances.

Then he called her Ma’am and she shoved him down towards the couch. “Sit down while you are at it Clark Kent” she added rolling her eyes. So why was she using Superman references? Hell if she knew. She picked the puppy back up when he started trying to climb up her leg.

She looked up at Kelly who started babbling. Erin shot him a look. Given the circumstances… she was glad he’d done it. It may not have been the same if she’d found out about it. He could have just said something… but she wasn’t going to bring it up. “Kelly Severide. Shut up while you are ahead” she replied kissing him deeply. “Thanks” she replied finally once she got the brain cells to figure out what she wanted to say.

Tag: Lt. Kelly Severide

Kelly then grinned as Erin called him "Superman", telling him that he couldn't be good at everything.
"You're right. No one can. The exception being you, of course," he said. And he wasn't even teasing this time. She was good at everything she put her mind to. It was something that he had always envied. And yet he was constantly screwing up. Honestly, he didn't understand why she hadn't kicked him to the curb yet, but he was grateful that she hadn't. He would've been dead long ago if it hadn't been for her and Hank. He knew this. He owed them both so much. And the fact that she loved him back...it just boggled his mind. She was too good for him.

He then chuckled as she shoved him onto the couch, calling him "Clark Kent" and telling him to sit down.
"Bossy," he teased. Love it when she gets like this, he thought to himself. It was such a turn on. Whoa! Not the time! She was going through hell right now and didn't need him being a flirting jackass. No, what she needed at the moment was him being serious and just being a shoulder for her to lean on. And that's what he was going to be. He'd be her rock. He just hoped that he could help her just as she constantly helped him.

He fell silent as she told him to shut up while he was ahead, kissing him after she said this, causing him to moan. Damn, feels good, he thought to himself. When she thanked him, he smiled at her.
"You're welcome," he said. "I love you," he said softly, smiling at her. And he did. He loved her so damn much and he would never understand what she saw in him. He was just glad that she saw something worthwhile in him. And yes, he knew exactly how lucky he was to have that.

Erin just shook her head at Kelly. “Flatterer.” Her voice was pointed as she took a seat on the couch with the puppy who immediately jumped down to go exploring once more around the apartment. “But you are so good at it.” She admitted. Erin had almost forgotten to take her meds until her burns reminded her that pain killers were a must. She grabbed her medication bottle and fumbled with the lid.

After taking her meds, she laid across his lap. Erin was honestly exhausted. There was yawn, followed by a smile and she snuggled against him. Erin watched the new puppy play. Though she snuck another kiss and smiled back at him. “I love you too.” He was her best friend and she’d been head over heels for him.

Tag: Lt. Kelly Severide

Kelly smiled as Erin accused him of being a flatterer and that he was good at it.
"You love it," he responded. And at times, he couldn't believe how lucky he had gotten. Why would Erin---or anyone for that matter---waste their time with him? No, he couldn't think like that. That was the crap his mother tried to fill his head with. And yes, sometimes during a stressful week, her words would seep back into his thoughts. And this week was stressful as hell.  "So glad you're okay," he told her, going to place a soft kiss on her temple if she allowed it. He had been worried as hell when he had heard their destination. He had been so afraid that he was going to lose her.

His smile then grew as she responded that she loved him too.
"How'd I get so lucky?" he wondered. He really didn't deserve her and he knew it. And yet, she was with him. She can have any guy in the world and she chose me, he thought to himself. It was amazing. Why would she want him? He was way too damaged. But he wasn't going to say that out loud. No, tonight was all about her and what she needed and wanted. He wasn't going to draw focus onto himself.

Erin chuckled. “I love you. Flattery on the other hand… I just deal with it.” She teased him some she rolled over and closed her eyes. Her head was in his lap, she felt the soft kiss to her temple. Physically she was alright now, but mentally? She was sure it was going to be an uphill battle; but she had Kelly and her dad to get her out of the mess. She just needed distraction right now.

“You have always been here for me. There is no luck involved with that.” She reminded him. Sure it had taken them longer than she had wanted to get together; but it was worth it. Kelly was worth it. Erin closed her eyes again and pulled the blanket up over her. She was exhausted and wanted to sleep. Sleep came in spurts and either Kelly or Hank had to be in the room. It provided for little rest on top of work. She drifted of to sleep.

End Thread