Chapter Text
"Hey Case."
Matt's elbow slipped off the desk and he swore, jumping in his seat at the quiet greeting.
"Severide. You nearly gave me a heart attack." Kelly slipped into his quarters with a soft chuckle. He was in his quilted Squad jacket and a thick blanket was wrapped tight around his neck and shoulders. "What time is it?"
"2 am or thereabouts," he said, perching on the end of Matt's bunk.
Casey groaned and scrubbed a hand across his face, his eyes felt gritty and he knew he should have tried to get some sleep hours ago.
"I was going to hit the sack earlier but when you guys got back I figured I might as well wait for it to quiet down again." Squad had been called out on a rescue earlier somewhere down on the marina. Casey had heard Capp swearing about winter water rescues as they'd left. "Guess I got distracted."
"Surprised that didn't put you to sleep," Severide said, nodding at the paperwork covering Casey's desk.
Matt huffed out a laugh and looked at Kelly curiously, the house had gone quiet again a while ago.
"Why are you still up?"
"Can't get warm." Now that he was looking he could see subtle shivers running through Severide's body and the death grip he had on the blanket. "You know where Brett keeps her hot water bottle?"
"Water rescue, right? Suit not cutting it?"
Squad used dry suits this time of year but Lake Michigan was no joke in any season.
"Got a minor tear from some debris when we were pulling out. Big enough though."
Casey sucked in a sympathetic breath, he could hardly imagine how cold that would have been.
"Shit. Well, you're out of luck on the hot water bottle, Cruz stood on it last week, it's busted."
"Damn," Severide said with real feeling. "Guess I'll have to work something else out."
He stood up and stepped towards the door.
"Long as you don't start a fire," Matt said flippantly and Kelly snorted in amusement.
Casey closed the file he'd been working on and tucked it away but when he looked up again Severide was still shifting uncomfortably in the doorway. Matt was about to tell him to stop hovering when he spoke again.
"Remember that camping trip with Darden?"
Casey blinked and then grinned. That felt like a million years ago, they'd all been dumb candidates with stars in their eyes, thrilled to be part of the CFD.
"God, yes. He was so useless."
Kelly laughed.
"We all were, didn't know a tent from a paper bag."
"Might as well have been a paper bag for all the good it did us."
It had been far too small for the three of them and they'd learnt all about how pressing up against cheap tent walls meant they didn't stay waterproof for long. Darden had bought the thing for a romantic getaway and then persuaded them to come along instead when he'd been unceremoniously dumped. It had been the first time they'd all gone away together and cemented them as lifelong friends. Some of those lives were just lasting longer than others. Casey shook off the old grief and refocused on the looming Severide.
"What made you think of that?"
"Honestly?" Kelly paused for a moment. "Because I remember you two being like space heaters in that tiny thing."
Casey frowned as he puzzled through that, smirking as a suspicion coalesced.
"Severide, are you after my body heat?"
"Next best thing to a hot water bottle," Severide said with a winning smile.
"I'm flattered," Matt said sarcastically, covering his surprise. "You're serious?"
Severide sighed, and his weight thudded gently against the door frame as he leaned back.
"Case, I would climb into bed with Boden right now if I thought it would warm me up. I'm serious."
He looked it as well, behind the smiles his eyes were tired and he was uncharacteristically pale. Casey eyed the white knuckles gripping the blanket and sighed, the answer was inevitable.
"Fine. Get in the bunk, you look like some orphan from the Great Depression."
Kelly smiled one of his blinding smiles that always made Casey's heart lurch and immediately strode over to throw back the covers.
"You're the best."
"Don't you forget it." Matt stood and pulled his jacket off and toed off his boots. He glanced out over the dimly lit bunk room and the outlines of all the others in the bunks and grimaced. "But actually please do, we'd get so much shit for this." He glared at Kelly. "And I would pin all the blame on you."
"Our secret," said Kelly, giving him another wicked grin before turning on his side and leaving the other half of the tiny bunk open for Matt. Casey rolled his eyes, trust Kelly to lean into the awkward.
"Don't make it weird."
He flicked the desk lamp off and climbed into the bunk still fully clothed, as they always did on shift. It was fine on nights like this when the temperature plummeted, it was the summer that tested their ability to stay dressed and ready to roll out at a moment's notice. He put his back to Severide pressing against him and hoping some of the heat would sink through as he dragged the covers up and over them both.
It was strange to have the company and only got stranger as the minutes crept past. They were all used to getting up close and personal on calls and during drills but that was always in motion not this quiet.
Despite the thin covers and layers between them Casey could still feel the shivers running through Severide's body and frowned. When he heard teeth clacking he rolled his eyes and flipped over fumbling for Severide's wrist only to find it cold and clammy in his grip.
"Shit, Sev, you really are freezing."
"Yeah."
Casey rubbed a rough hand up and down his arm suddenly much more concerned about hypothermia than any awkwardness. He frowned, picking at the sleeve of the padded jacket.
"Take this off."
"Subtle. You're such a charmer." Kelly joked, his voice unsteady as his teeth tried to chatter while he sat up and stripped off the jacket.
"Don't be a dick." Matt said as he watched. "You know you'll warm up faster."
Severide grunted in agreement, yanked the covers back up and curled tighter in on himself as he lost its warmth. Casey wrapped an arm around his waist and fitted himself as close as possible along Severide's cold back.
Kelly sighed in relief at the feeling and gripped Casey's forearm tight to his chest. After a few long moments Matt felt Severide's feet edging back trying to wedge themselves under his leg and moved to accommodate, clamping one between his calves. Casey resisted the urge to pull away or start shivering himself, it was like putting his arms around a block of ice.
He stared unseeing at the back of Severide's head in the darkness as the short hairs brushed against his nose. He smelled like shower gel and cold water.
For a while his shivers got more violent and Matt had to remind himself that was a good sign, Severide wasn't hiding them anymore and people who were too cold to shiver were the ones in danger. And yet he still wanted to ream Kelly out for whatever risks he'd taken getting to this point, justified or not.
"How long were you like that? You could have got hypothermia. Why didn't you come to me sooner?"
"Well it's a bit fucking awkward," Kelly grumbled. "Sorry Captain but I can't take the cold. Can I crawl into bed with you?"
Matt felt a grin spread across his face at Kelly's tone.
"Not comfortable asking your Captain to spoon you?"
Kelly growled and sent a sharp elbow his way. Matt gripped him tighter to stop him getting the right angle and muffled laughter in his shoulder.
"Ass."
Casey snickered again and managed to get himself under control.
"I thought you were looking for Brett's hot water bottle."
"I was," he paused. "But this had crossed my mind as a plan B."
"And I was the only one awake?"
"The only one who wouldn't laugh me out of the room."
"Aw, there's no one I'd rather crawl into bed with either."
That was actually true. The women at 51 did seem to be invariably gorgeous but he didn't know them like he did Severide. If their positions had been reversed he would have known Kelly would have welcomed him with open arms. Plus a lot of teasing but that was a given.
They lay there in silence for a while and the violent shivers grew further apart. Casey started to feel less like he was having all the heat sucked out of him and breathed a sigh.
"Warming up?"
"Yeah, so much better." Severide sounded devoutly relieved. "I'd forgotten what it was like to get that cold."
"I'm surprised the way you walk around in that leather jacket all winter."
"I'm just tougher than you, Case."
"Uhuh," Casey deadpanned. "Bad time to play that card."
He lifted up a corner of the blanket teasingly and Severide jerked his hand down again.
"Don't you fucking dare."
Casey muffled his laughter in Severide's collar, registering the faint scent of some cologne that he'd always associate with the man. Kelly grumbled and tucked Matt's wrist back against his chest. He was starting to radiate warmth back towards Matt and it was surprisingly cosy. It wasn't long before Casey felt Severide's breaths deepened in a way he thought might indicate sleep and his own eyes began to drift shut.
He came awake very slowly, only aware of being warm. He hadn't even begun to register whether he was at home or the station when a nose rubbed against his and breath whispered over his mouth. Must be at home then. He shifted enough to catch the lips in a kiss and it was only when he felt stubble prickle that his brain sluggishly started to kick into gear. Before he could wonder any further the kiss was returned and a tongue darted out to meet his. He became aware of a warm body pressed all along his own and heat ran through him making him shift closer. He responded automatically until the rasp of stubble on stubble broke the spell.
He opened his eyes to meet Severide's blue ones growing wider by the second.
"Er…," his voice croaked with disuse.
"Yeah," Kelly's voice wasn't much better. Matt expected him to pull away but he didn't move, just blinked sleepily.
"I don't even know who I thought you were."
A smirk crept onto Severide's face and his eyes sparkled.
"Getting around a bit at the moment?"
"No!" Casey kicked at him half heartedly, the movement only highlighting how firmly they were tangled together and flustering him further. "Uh, this is all your fault."
Severide grinned.
"Hey, you kissed me."
"You're in my bed!"
Severide gave a tiny, unconcerned shrug of acknowledgement.
"True." He paused for a moment, blinking slowly, eyelids clearly heavy. "Do we need to have some big panic about this?"
Casey had been seriously considering it but Kelly's question, and the fact he didn't seem that bothered, took the wind out of his sails. In fact, Severide still looked more than half asleep; he never had been much of a morning person.
"Guess not."
"Good." Kelly yawned and turned over, shoving a hand under the pillow, Matt's arm still around his waist. "I'm going back to sleep."
Casey glared at the back of his head for a minute, he was tempted to literally kick him out of bed. But if Severide was going to act like this was no big deal that was easier on...well everything. And he was warm. The Station was always freezing at whatever time this was. 4 or 5 maybe?
Giving in to the soporific sound of Kelly's breaths Casey relaxed and tucked his face down, nose brushing against the collar of Kelly's shirt. They had a while longer before everyone else would be up, panicking could wait a while.
Boden walked through the dim station and took a deep breath letting the quiet sink into his bones. He liked to be the first up so that he could enjoy moments like this. No calls, no new paperwork, no arguments to referee. And, most importantly, all his people were safe, cradled between the thick walls of the station house as they slept.
He checked his watch and considered letting Casey sleep for a while longer. It was only half five but often enough Casey was up by now, hunting for coffee and spending a couple of hours on paperwork before the shift finished. Unlike Severide he was more of a morning person than most and his construction jobs often started as early as they did at the Station so he never fell out of the habit.
Padding through the halls like a ghost he tapped lightly at the Captain's quarters before pushing open the door. He glanced down at the paperwork he was holding as he did so and when he looked up he was surprised to find the quarters still in darkness. The light from the hallway fell over the bunk and he felt his eyebrows work their way up what felt like several inches past his hairline.
Casey lay on his back still sleeping and Severide was half draped across him, nose pressed to Casey's jaw. Boden's first instinct was to slam the door and ream them out for inappropriate workplace behaviour. But as he looked closer it didn't seem quite that simple. They were both fully clothed and there was an extra blanket tossed over the bunk on top of the usual covers. It hardly spoke of debauchery.
But it didn't look all that platonic either. There had been a few years over Boden's career the heating had gone on the fritz in a house during a storm and some members had chosen to bunk up together for warmth, sleeping back to back. Perhaps Matt and Kelly's masculinity was just less fragile but there was something undeniably intimate about the way Kelly's nose brushed Casey's jaw and Matt's head tilted back toward him, responding to his proximity even as he slept.
Sending a tired look heavenwards Boden decided it was too early to deal with cuddling officers and walked out. He could chase Casey for that report at a less ungodly hour.
Severide's body slumped down against Casey.
Shit," he murmured.
"Who was that?"
Casey had only stirred when Severide had dug a warning finger in his side as the door to his quarters opened, he hadn't seen who it was looking in on them.
"Boden."
Matt groaned and squeezed his eyes shut again. Was Boden better or worse than Otis or Capp? They wouldn't get any public ribbing but they might get a lecture. But what about? Casey wasn't even sure if they'd been breaking any rules. He shook off the thoughts and prodded a finger into Severide's ribs.
"You'd better get out before anyone else wanders in."
Kelly groaned, levering himself up and pulling on his jacket.
"Not going to walk me to the door?"
Casey put a foot to his butt and gave him a shove. Kelly stood up before he fell, huffing out a laugh and bent low over the bunk putting a hand on Matt's chest.
"No goodbye kiss?"
Matt caught his bright laughing eyes in the suddenly very close face and choked. Kelly looked adorably ruffled and so much more alive than he had halfway to hypothermia in the early hours of the morning. Casey felt a sudden wave of sympathy for every woman who'd ever been drawn in by the promise in those eyes.
Severide held his confused gaze for a long second, then wiggled his eyebrows and yanked the blanket he'd arrived with off Matt and made for the door. Moment broken Casey swore and threw the pillow they'd been sharing at his retreating back.
"Asshole!"