BURNED - A Chicago Fire Fanfiction

Chapter Five

"I can't believe we're doing this!" K'eon squealed as he packed up the last of our plates into a cardboard box.

"You can't believe it?" I playfully scoffed. "It was you who pushed for it."

"Only because I'm your best friend and won't let you make stupid decisions."

"And your sure the landlord is okay with the arrangement?"

"Are you kidding? He was practically drooling over the offer. We break our lease and he keeps our furniture to advertise it as a fully furnished apartment. He knows he can get more money out of it that way. Plus, he likes me."

"And me?"

"You're not his type, honey," K'eon playfully winked and I threw a balled up newspaper at him in amusement. "And you're sure you're okay with this?"

"No...but I need to be. Staying here, I don't know if it's what's keeping me from moving on or not, but I have to try. Plus, finding my biological parents has been a life-long dream of mine. I don't want to do this, but I need to."

"I'm proud of you, girl."

"Thanks. Did you let Fires of Hope know?"

"I did. They're sad to see us go, but are happy for us and will continue the program in our absence."

"That's good to hear," I softly smiled.

"Well, that's the last of our stuff. We should get some sleep. Bright and early, right?"

"Yep."

"Are you excited?"

"More nervous than anything."

"Hey, Chief Boden said he was excited to work with you, just relax."

"Yeah..."

"But you weren't talking about that, were you?"

"I just want them to like me, you know? Ladder 51, my biological parents."

"They are gonna love you, they'd be idiots not to. I mean, sure you sing in the shower, never return shopping carts to the cart return, and you don't always replace the toilet paper when it's empty—"

"Hey," I whined.

"But all those annoying habits is what makes you who you are. They'll love you for all your perfections and deal with you for all your imperfections."

"Thanks, asshole," I laughed.

"You know you love me."

"I do," I smiled. "Thank you K'eon. Not just for all this, but being there for me. You've always been there for me when I needed someone. After my parents' deaths, after Jamal's...it meant a lot to me...it still does."

"I'm always gonna be here for you, bitch. You should know that by now. Fuck, I'm moving out of state with you. If that ain't love, it's at least stalking."

"My first stalker, I'm so honored," I giggled.

"Yeah, and a gay one at that. At least you know I'm not watching you in the shower."

"No, you just complain how long I take."

"Have you seen the water bill? Yes, I complain."

"At least our water is included in this next place."

"Thank god for that," K'eon chuckled. "Man, I don't know if I can sleep or not."

"You better, it's a twelve hour drive."

"Why I let you convince me to let us drive is beyond me."

"It was your idea!"

"I stop you from having bad ideas, you can't help me out once in a while?"