S9 E1. Rattle Second City.
Covid has changed a lot of ways of working, and Boden applauded Stella's persistence in persuading head office to let her run her GOF classes again..
Stella responded by telling him her persistence also resulted in Severide watching The Bachelor with her.
So, how did that come about?
For Zoe..❤️
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Covid. Both Kelly and Stella had contracted it, with Stella testing positive first, followed by Kelly a week later, and although Stella had barely suffered any symptoms, Kelly was worse off with a throat sore and a fever that seemed to come and go over a few days.
Her boyfriend was grouchy. Pouring boiling water into the cup of honey and lemon, Stella carried it over to the couch where the miserable patient was lying under a blanket.
In the background, the t.v was on, with another football game, the latest in successive reruns of sport Kelly had been playing for the three days he had been lying suffering on the couch. And as they were having to isolate and were confined to the apartment, as much as Stella liked watching sport, this was driving her insane.
"Here, drink this. Honey, and lemon. It'll soothe your throat."
"I hate honey.. you know that..." He grumbled, staring at her outstretched hand petulantly, not making a move to take it from her and pulling the blanket closer under his chin, making a point of shivering.
Stella debated how much pity he deserved even if she did love the bones off the man in question, biting back a smirk. He really was feeling sorry for himself!
"It's medicinal, babe. You're not supposed to like it. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects." Stella had adopted her best bedside manner, putting her hand on his forehead.
"You're still a bit hot. Maybe some advil? And the honey will be good for your sore throat." She coaxed, leaning over him, pretending to fix his blanket.
Kelly regarded the cup suspiciously but reluctantly took it, earning him an encouraging smile from his girlfriend. His eyes were heavy lidded and tired, his cheeks a little flushed from a fever, and his lips looked dry and chapped.
"I've made you some chicken soup for lunch..." She kissed his forehead. "......And maybe we could watch something other than sport?"
He held the cup to his mouth and took a sip, pulling a face as the liquid. "I like watching sport." His voice was croaky and defensive.
"Yeah, but we're watching reruns of reruns. Its kinda repetitive." Stella perched herself on the side of the couch next to him and ran a hand over his chin. He had several days of stubble growth, adding a ruggedness to his features, which she adored, and she asked herself if you were supposed to want to jump your boyfriend's bones when he was ill? Silently, she shrugged to herself. Either she was oversexed or he was more than averagely fuckable...even on a bad day.
"What are you smiling at?" Kelly was watching her suspiciously.
"Nothing..... You need some balm. Your lips are dry. " Stella ran a finger tip over his mouth but he stopped her, holding onto her hand.
"No thanks..I'm ill not soft!"
"Don't go all alpha male on me, Kelly Severide...I won't want you to kiss me anymore if you chafe my sensitive skin....." She threatened, but at the same time running her free hand through his hair affectionately.
"We'll see about that.." He grumbled, keeping her hand in his. He was tired and listless from lack of sleep, lacking energy. "Anyway, you don't normally complain."
He had been feeling rough for a few days even before he had tested positive for the Covid virus, and was irritable with the longevity of being cooped up, and she had been more than patient with him so deserved a little less of his petulance.
"That is very true." Stella leaned forward and planted an affectionate kiss on those dry lips. "And luckily, I've just had this virus, otherwise we'd be sleeping in separate bedrooms!" She teased in mock horror.
"I hated sleeping in the other room when you had it." Catching a loose curl that had drifted out of the loose bun on the top of her head, he wrapped it around his finger. "Not that it did me any good. I still picked it up."
There was a brooding look about him.
She knew he was restless, feeling ill and forced to stay locked up, was alien to everyone, but to someone like Kelly who loved the outdoors, it was purgatory.
Feeling bad for being the reason why he was sick, she stroked his cheek.
"I'll get you some of that chicken soup I made...Mr Ramos at the deli is sharing his recipes on instagram, and he said it's perfect for giving you some sustenance."
Kelly still looked sceptical however surprisingly when she heated it up, he ate it all, which made her happy.
Whilst she took care of some laundry, Kelly had dozed off, and Stella took the opportunity to grab the remote and change the channel. She had wanted to catch up with the last series of the bachelor, which she'd been saving and ordinarily, she would have watched it with Sylvie because they both loved it, but socialising wasn't going to happen any time soon for any of them, so watching solo was the new normal. Or watching it with who you lived with. And with Kelly's point blank refusal to watch any reality show, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon either.
Grabbing a bowl of chips and settling herself on the opposite end to Kelly, she snuggled down under his blanket.
"I can't believe you watch this rubbish." Kelly was looking at the screen in disgust.
Surprised, to see him awake, she sniggered. "It's sooooo good, Kelly!"
But he wasn't about to be convinced and put the blanket over his head in protest, and Stella laughed, patting his legs. "It's addictive! EVERYBODY watches it!" She put a handful of chips into her mouth and munched on them.
"That's not strictly true. I don't watch it."
'That's because you see it as a blot on your masculinity!" Stella retorted.
"It is total horse shit... only a dick of a man would sign up for it." Kelly was dismissive.
"How would you know?! You've never even watched it!"
"I don't need to watch it to know that."
Anyway... What's happened to my Bears game?" The blanket had been lowered again, and the petulant teen look was back.
"You've seen that dozen's of times before..."
"It's one of the best games in our history....January 26, 1986. Superbowl XX." He told her, outraged at her dismissing a game of such historic importance!
"1986?! Jeez Kelly, that was about a hundred years ago! You need to get into the 21st century and watch reality t.v. It's compulsive viewing."
"It was 34 years ago, actually.." He defended. " And I'll pass, thanks.."
"I guarantee you, give it a chance, and you will be addicted."
"Not going to happen."
"Humor me."
"Stella... "
"Watch it with me, and I'll go fishing with you......if we're ever allowed to go out again, that is." Stella faced him with a challenge.
"You serious?" Kelly croaked after a moment, leaning forward, a little more interested now. Ever since that aborted date on the Chief's boat when he'd faced the embarrassment of having to be towed back to shore he had been trying to talk her into going with him again, but each time, she had turned him down with a smirk.
" If you watch this....throughout... without complaining. I'll go fishing with you."
It was more than a fair trade. And one she knew she wouldn't have to pay up because Kelly would never get through the whole episode without complaining.
"You're on." Kelly leaned back again, wondering what he'd let himself in for as Stella clapped her hands together.
"You won't regret it!" She promised.
A few minutes later, he was regretting it already.
"Three hours?! You didn't tell me it's three hours! What the fuck do they do for three hours!" Kelly groaned.
"It's the premiere! And it's special because its Peter the pilot.."
"Who the hell is Peter the pilot?!"
"You dont know? Peter is just the most beautiful soul... Poor heart, he was on the bachelorette another time and thought he'd met the girl of his dreams but she...Hannah.... dumped him. " Stella shook her head with a sad face.."Everyone in the whole country was heartbroken for him! I'm so happy he's the one who gets to choose a girl this time.... And he's an airline pilot... what's not to love!" Stella took a mouth full of chips, filling him in all about the gorgeous but unfortunate, Peter.
" Peter is delicious!... right?"
Kelly bit back a snarky retort, rolling his eyes as Stella sat transfixed by the screen. Seriously...the dude came back a second time to do this? How did this qualify as entertainment t.v?" And so what if 'Peter' was a damn pilot? Everyone knew that once they took off, the planes more or less flew themselves!
"Oh my god! They bought back Hannah! Nooooo! Don't go with her again!...."
Kelly was bemused by how animated Stella was, all kinds of expressions lighting up her face. Who was Hannah?!
" Who would you choose?" Stella asked, oblivious to Kelly's pained expression at the dramatics unfolding on the screen. She was betting that his favorite would be one of the dark haired girls.
"That blonde.. or the other one next to her." Kelly replied immediately.
That surprised her.
"Peyton and Megan? Really? I thought you preferred brunettes."
"Nah... I have a thing for blondes." Kelly was watching the screen with interest now.
The two girls in question had barely anything on.
Stella's hand halted half way to the bowl of chips.
"Since when?!"
Since Maisey Lloyd in fourth grade."
Blondes? He had a thing for blondes? There was a little heat swimming around her blood at that. She wasn't jealous of course.......just a little piqued.
"Peyton is all make up...and Megan's pushy.... Peter's too nice for either of them." Stella huffed.
Kelly grinned to himself. He could always tell when she was jealous, and for the first time in days, he almost laughed. Maybe this might be fun after all.
But the ridiculous drama of the girls, cat fighting and crying over this punk got the better of him, and forgetting the promised fishing trip, he swore, shaking his head in disgust and got up to take some more advil for the pain now in his head thinking if only he didn't feel so shit, he'd lean over her and give her something else to think about than Peter the pilot!
"You lose! No fishing...!"
She was laughing, and he couldn't stop the upward curve of his mouth. Kelly imagined having to isolate on his own and acknowledged how much he'd hate it, if she wasn't here. In fact, selfishly he actually liked that if they had to isolate it was together because twenty four hours with her at work would feel like a long time. He loved living with her. He loved her period.
"None of them are a patch on you."
He said sitting back down with his bottle of water.
Stella turned from the t.v.
"What?"
"I don't have a thing for blondes.... I have a thing for you."
A huge smile spread across Stella's face.
"Awww babe.... " She crawled on top of him. "That's so sweet. And I think you're hotter than Peter the pilot."
This time Kelly laughed.
By the end of the third episode, Kelly knew every girls name and had his own thoughts on who would get the roses.
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"Shall we watch another episode?"
Kelly was lying on the couch reading a book on arson crimes. He gave an exaggerated sigh.
"What's in it for me this time?"
After he had no longer tested positive, they still had the mandatory isolation to negotiate, so keeping themselves entertained kept their imaginations challenged.
Stella leant over him on the couch and whispered in his ear, and he sucked in a breath, dropping the book.
"Done." His hand was on her ass, his balls already filling in anticipation, and Stella sniggered.
"Not until after the show, big boy." She patted the growing bulge in his sweats and pulled away.
And that was how 'The Bachelor,' became their pandemic game....with Stella awarding Kelly prizes to watch each episode and him forfeiting his prize if he complained or ctiticized the show. By the end of the 12 episodes and their isolation, Stella had ended up cleaning the broiler, ironing a basket full of laundry and a declutter of her wardrobe, all things she detested doing and always found an excuse not to do normally. But more positively there was a supercharged night involving a blindfold and on another night a game of strip questions where they had to answer questions about each others likes and dislikes with an item of clothing being removed each time they got an answer wrong. Much to Stella's surprise, Kelly won.
"I had no idea you even knew what my least favorite color is! Or my favorite subject at school!"
She was sitting on a stool at the counter, stark naked.
"But you didn't know my favorite pizza topping... I'm hurt, Stella Kidd." Kelly was on the other stool, barechested and in his pants.
"That's because you never eat Pizza!"
Stella complained, folding her arms over her boobs.
"Doesn't mean I don't have a favorite topping if I did."
"That's cheating!"
"All's fair in love and Covid, babe." Kelly shrugged, getting up off the stool and advancing on her, hooking his hands under her legs and carrying her to the bedroom.
A week later, as they left for their first shift back to work, Stella stopped Kelly at the Loft door.
"You know there are another twenty- three seasons available to stream...."
Kelly shook his head, laughing, opening the door, and throwing his arm around her. Stella Kidd. There really was no one like her.