A/N: Once again, we're taking a trip to Established Brettsey land. Hope you like it!

Happy reading!

angellwings

Prompt: dialogue - "People are staring."

Since the end of their shift Casey has been acting odd. It's not bad or good. Just...odd.

She didn't notice anything at first. They left the firehouse and headed home. It was a rough shift with very little sleep so Casey moved his appointments and any other work to the next day, and then they went to bed. She'd barely gotten under the covers and curled into Matt before she passed out completely.

She wakes up seven hours later, well rested but starving, to find Matt staring at her. Granted, it's an adoring stare, but not exactly a normal occurrence. The intensity of it upon just waking up may have made her jump. (Not far, but enough that he noticed.)

Casey chuckles, presses a kiss to her forehead, and mumbles an apology.

"How'd you sleep?" She asks, blinking bleary eyes at him.

"Like the dead," he answers. "You?"

"Blissfully. Man, we were wiped."

"We didn't even stop to eat before we crashed," Matt points out. "It's after two in the afternoon. No wonder I'm famished."

Sylvie groans, nods, kisses his jaw quickly, and then begrudgingly sits up in bed. "Do you want to cook or order in?"

Casey sits up after her and rests his chin on her shoulder as he tries to decide. "I know we slept through it, but I think I still want breakfast."

She hums in approval. "A really delicious homemade egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich sounds amazing right now." She pairs a pointed glance at Casey with a pleading smile. He usually only makes them when one of them is hungover, which doesn't happen often, but they are always delicious.

He shakes his head while laughing softly at her. "Subtle," he teases. "But you're right. That would hit the spot."

"Yes!" She exclaims triumphantly as she wraps her arms around his neck. "You know I love you, right?"

"At the very least I know you love my egg sandwiches," he quips dryly.

Her reply is sugary sweet. "I have enough room in my heart for both you and your egg sandwiches."

He snorts. "Mhm. Love you, too. You hop in the shower. I'll make breakfast."

"You're entirely too good to me," she says.

He responds, "I know." Which pulls a playful shocked gasp from her throat as Casey gets out of bed.

"Rude!" She shouts through a loud guffaw.

She does as Matt requested and takes a shower. She dresses in her softest sweater and most broken-in pair of jeans. Immediately, she feels more human than she did this morning. When she enters the kitchen, Casey has two sandwiches ready and waiting.

His phone pings as she approaches. He checks it and then swiftly turns it face down. "Change of plans," he announces. He looks anxious and awkwardly avoids looking down at his phone. "I need to get dressed and go check on a job. Just got a text about a leak."

She knows it's a lie. What she doesn't know is why. "Okay. Do you have time to eat first? I feel bad I conned you into making these sandwiches and now you have to go."

He quirks a brow at her with a mirthful stare. "Conned?"

"Conned, persuaded - what's the difference?"

He laughs and comes around the counter, placing his hands on her hips. The space between them narrows quickly and, before she knows it, she's swept away by wandering hands and an intrusive kiss. He presses his forehead to hers as he pulls away.

"Yeah, I have time to eat," he tells her. "Not gonna pass up a meal with a con artist. Especially not one who looks like you."

"Flatterer," she accuses.

They eat side by side at their tiny kitchen table with her legs across Matt's lap and one of his arms slung across the back of her chair. He looks as easy and relaxed as ever. Whatever it is he's lying about, he doesn't feel guilty about it. She trusts him with her entire being, that includes her life and her heart. If he doesn't feel guilty, then it's nothing for her to worry about. He gets dressed and then hurries out the door - promising to be back in time for dinner as the door closes behind him.

Sylvie distracts herself with housework. She's put off laundry for long enough and the kitchen could use a good deep clean. There's definitely something going on with Matt. The way she woke up to him staring at her and his cagey lie about whatever text he received. They're small things but they're not normal.

On the flip side, the affection and love between them hasn't changed or faded. She has no doubts about how he feels about her. Whatever he's into, it won't end in a break up. Not that she ever truly thought it would. Any worries either of them had have been talked to death. She's past that stage of ever shifting insecurities when it comes to Matt Casey.

So, the mystery of his behavior continues on.

He shows back up around five o'clock with take out and asks if she'd still like to go to Molly's later. She tells him that of course she'd like to go to Molly's later.

"How is that even a question?" She asks him teasingly.

He grins at her with amusement and holds his hands up in a placating gesture. "Just checking. Every now and then you prefer to go somewhere else. I've learned better than to assume."

"You're a very smart man, Matt Casey. I've always liked that about you."

He laughs and pulls her chair closer to his. "I don't have any other choice if I plan to keep up with you."

After dinner, they head to Molly's. Matt keeps her hand tight in his, fingers laced together, and leads her to a table in the back corner. Her brow furrows. This is not their usual table. She looks behind them to make sure no one's taken it and, sure enough, it's empty and waiting for them. It's on the tip of her tongue to ask about the change but she bites it back.

She takes off her coat and drapes her purse over the back of her chair while Matt goes to get their drinks. Foster and Kidd wave at her from the bar, but they don't come over. Which is just as odd as Matt's shifty behavior. She's had just about enough of being left in the dark.

When Matt comes back, he places the beers on the table and sits down next to her. It may not be their usual table but she has to admit the corner is pretty damn cozy. The lighting is dimmer, accentuating the glow of the twinkle lights, and it's a four chair table so she and Matt have taken up one whole side. His chair is angled toward hers so that his body walls her off from the rest of the patrons. It feels intimate even if they're in plain site of the general public.

"Okay," she says with a suspicious narrowed gaze. "What is going on here, Matt? You disappeared for a few hours and don't think for a second that I thought it was for a job. We're sitting at a different table. Emily and Stella won't come near me-What exactly am I missing?"

He sighs but keeps a soft smile on his face. His expression is nothing short of bemused. "You couldn't have given me just a few more minutes?" He asks. "Because I had a plan and speech but in neither of those did you get impatient and call me out."

She blinks at him in confusion. What is he talking about? "A plan and a speech for…?"

His hand reaches in his pocket and when it appears again he sets a small velvet black box on the table.

She sucks in a startled breath and feels an excited flush in her cheeks. "Matt."

He swallows thickly and fumbles to open the box. She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip to keep from chuckling at him. He's adorable, especially when he's nervous. The last time he was this nervous, he asked her if she wanted to move in together. She thought he was adorable then too. When the springs on the box finally give, an exquisitely modest diamond ring with a platinum band is revealed.

She loves it almost as much as she loves him.

"We've talked about it before in hypotheticals," he begins. He pauses to clear his throat. "I know you don't want a whole big production so I thought what better place to do this than...our favorite place. A quiet table, surrounded by our friends without involving our friends. I don't know, it felt...like us."

It is them. It really is. Her eyes start to water and she knows her smile reflects her joyful tears.

"We were friends before we were anything else," Casey tells her. He points between them with a fond smile. "This, us. It happened slowly. I was in love with you a long time before I realized what it was. Until then, I don't know, I'd kind of given up. I thought the job was all I was ever going to have. What do they say? Stop looking and it'll find you? Well, no one tells you what to do when the person who finds you has actually been there all along."

They look they share is nostalgic as they both remember all the awkwardness and tension that led them to that first move and first date. The stops and starts, the arguments and half broken hearts. It's like she admitted to herself earlier, their issues have been talked over and talked over until they know each other's fears inside and out.

"We managed," Sylvie assures him as she places her hands over his. "Really well, I think. Considering I thought this was all impossible once upon a time."

He raises the back of her fingers to his lips and nods. "You're not the only one who thought this might be impossible. I'm glad we both ended up being wrong." His chest rises and falls with a deep calming breath. "I love you. I'm always going to love you. Sylvie Brett, will you marry me?"

Her vision clouds over and her throat clogs with overwhelming elation. A few happy tears that were gathered in her lashes finally fall. For lack of words, she nods repetitively and places her hands on either side of his face to pull him in for a kiss. She kisses him once. Twice. And then a third time with an open mouth a slip of tongue. Just appropriate enough for public consumption.

"I love you too," she rasps. "And yes, Matt Casey, I will absolutely marry you."

"That's what I was hoping you'd say," he tells her while he slips the ring on her finger.

Her laughter is tearful as she takes a moment to admire the way his ring looks on her hand. "You did such a good job. This ring is perfect."

She closes a fist around the collar of his sweater and uses it to bring his lips crashing down on hers again. Just like in their apartment that afternoon, he sweeps her away with deep kisses and even deeper emotions. She's caught up in him and only him until the prickle of prying eyes raises the hairs on the back of her neck. She pulls away from the kiss, taking one last nibble at his bottom lip. Casey grunts in protest and Sylvie lets out a rare giddy giggle.

"People are staring," she whispers when he opens his eyes again.

"Let 'em," he replies with a wicked smirk. "I don't care."

"We could do that, but consider this…we could leave and celebrate in private. Preferably naked. Or we could make out in the back of a bar like a couple of college kids on spring break. That's good too," she says with a coy smile. "I've already made one big decision tonight. This one's all you."

"Make out in a bar while our friends stare at us or have you all to myself and naked? That's not even a choice. I vote naked, obviously."

Sylvie stands with a wink and puts on her coat. "Like I said, you're a very smart man, Matt Casey."

The ring glimmers in the light and catches her eye as she moves. What a beautiful extraordinary unbelievable day, and, thank her lucky stars, it's the first of many.