#brettsey imagine

[moonyied]

INFOS ABOUT O'CHILDREN

• I will put all trigger warmings in every chapter, but since now i can tell you that will be some angst, violence, action and drama all over it, just like the series itself.

• OG Halstead sister center fic, but i will include some other og related to other characters from One Chicago.

• I will change some stuff from canon, like couples and characters that have left:

- this fic will have Rhodestead, Upstead, Burzek, Stellaride, Brettsey and more.

- this will NOT have dawsey or manstead.

(also letting clear that i will not turn Natalie, Gabby or Erin into villans, they gonna show up some moments of course but i will not write too much about them)

- Jay and Antonio will not leave PD.

- Matt and Mills will not leave Fire. Gabby will leave earlier tho.

- and obviously Connor will not leave Med.

• My first language is not english! am a brazilian writer with low experience in writing in another language but i will try my best.

[justoneofthoseghosts]

One part of me is sad that the writers decided to write off Sylvie, mostly because I think there's more stories to tell and so much more that the character can bring to the show but at the same time, I'm glad she (and Casey) got the happy ending. It seemed after Casey left, they didn't know what to do with Sylvie anymore. Better to quit while they're ahead, I guess.

In my opinion, it's probably the most satisfying character exit on the show - being married to the love of her life and riding off into the sunset with their family, off to a new adventure in Portland. I'd imagine them being incredibly happy, putting down roots and building their beautiful family.

Also, wanted to say I'll miss all my Brettsey friends - we've been clowns together, been in the trenches together but no more!!! Thank you to everyone who's made this fandom so enjoyable - gif makers, fic writers, etc - all of you are a gift 🤍 I'll really, really miss all the clowning. I might check in on the show from time to time but pretty sure I won't be tuning in regularly anymore.

[sarah-cam]

there’s no way chenford don’t get back together by the finale. and even if they don’t, i know they will by next season. i’ve lived through worse with my other ships. caskett, stellaride, brettsey. i could go on and on with ships but i won’t. all i know is a ship comes back better after a break up.

could you imagine if we get a a chenford version of when severide told stella “you deserve a better man then me, so i decide, im going to be the man you deserve”. like i still eat that line up every time i rewatch that episode. so if i get a bradford version of this, ill eat both of those lines up.

y’all are panicking but i’m relaxed af.

i would love that!!! that's one of my favorite lines from severide and showed so much growth after putting stella through the ringer. like just imagine tim saying that he decided that he wants to be deserving of the incredible person she is because that's what it comes down to, he's having a crisis of faith in himself and truly believes he isn't worthy of the love she is giving 😭

i survived the angst of olicity so i'm pretty sure i'm stronger than any US marine 🫡

[sylvie-brett-two-ts]

Is it true that Jesse sold his home in Chicago and won’t be returning as Matt anymore because of it?

Hi Anon! Jesse put his Chicago loft up for sale (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2023/04/27/actor-jesse-spencer-who-starred-on-chicago-fire-lists-fulton-market-loft-for-18m/) and moved to Boston in May 2023 when his wife got a job at Boston Children’s Hospital (https://x.com/drkaligator/status/1661887453026742272?s=46&t=oTBzZeUqh3t8ER-XPR4Spw).

He still came back in February of this year for the Brettsey wedding and Kara’s last episode, so he could still guest star on the show. However, I doubt he will be back any time soon, even though they had Matt say that he’d be back soon and him and Sylvie will always come back to Chicago in the episode. My best bet is that we see them again in the series finale, whenever that ends up being. I’ve always pictured Matt taking over as Battalion Chief at 51 at the end of the show, and since they’re now married, I’d imagine we’d see Sylvie too. As a Sylvie stan, I’d love for her to be an ambulance commander or paramedic field chief depending on how long it is, especially after they gave her zero advancement or recognition before she left 😩.

[torreshalstead]

Someday feels a hell of a lot closer now

Summary - Returning from a call, Matt Casey was the last person Sylvie expected to see at the firehouse. She had always imagined a reunion, him calling to say he was coming back, that he loved her and they could be together.

But he hasn’t called.

Maybe he had moved on. She had after all, well she had tried to. But do you ever really move on from the love of your life?

Notes - I’m not sure what 11x18 is going to bring in terms of Brettsey (and I’m currently spiralling at the promo pics) but in my mind they are still very much in love so I had to write a little something. AO3 Link

He was the last person she expected to see when they returned from their call that morning. It hadn’t been a particularly dramatic or traumatising call however Sylvie had barely slept the night before, her mind unable to shut off and allow her to find the rest she needed, so she was running on fumes. And now he was standing in front of her. She had imagined his return before, had seen herself running and jumping into his arms, letting him hold her tightly, refusing to be separated again. But she had always anticipated she wouldn’t be caught out, that he’d call her, tell her he was coming back, that he loved her and they could be together. She knew it was probably wishful thinking, she herself had moved on after all. Well she had tried to move on, but do you ever truly move on from the love of your life?

‘Casey!’ Violet said, the surprise evident in her tone. With a quick glance to her partner who was still rooted to the spot, she walked towards him and embraced him in a quick hug.

‘Hey Violet,’ he said, clearly happy to see her but his gaze was fixed firmly on the blonde still standing in the entrance to the room. Her arms had come up around herself, acting as a shield to stop herself doing something, although Casey wasn’t sure what. Throwing herself into his arms, slapping him across the face, turning tail and running, a combination of all the above. But she did nothing, just stood there.

Not wanting to cause a scene, he turned back around to converse with the other members of the house, the ones more obvious in their joy of his return. Sylvie slipped out of the room quietly, needing some time to process without the eyes of her housemates judging her every action.

Stella watched from her position at the back of the room, noticing how the colour had drained from her friend's face when she had seen her old flame in the break room. When Stella had invited Casey here to help her on a special task force, she had assumed he would speak to Brett, send her a text at least, let her know he was visiting. But judging by the look on her face, that hadn’t occurred and she had been blindsided.

She found Sylvie just a few moments later pacing back and forth in her office, teeth worrying her bottom lip, one hand continually running through her hair.

‘He’s here? What’s he doing here Stella?’ Sylvie said, not slowing her pacing as she questioned her friend.

‘Why don’t you sit down-’ Stella started before Sylvie shook her head.

‘I can’t, he’s here.’ Her voice broke when she said again, ‘he’s here.’

Realising she was unlikely to be able to calm her down enough to break the news, Stella just bit the bullet, ‘I invited him.’ Sylvie’s head shot up as she halted immediately at Stella’s words.

‘What?’

‘You know this task force the CFD asked me to assist on?’ Sylvie nodded her head slowly in response. ‘Well I called Casey and asked for his help, I’m well out of my comfort zone here and Kelly said Casey had been through this before so would probably be able to help. I thought he’d tell you Sylvie, I really did. I thought it would be better coming from him, but that clearly didn’t happen. I’m so sorry Vie,’ she said realising that the anger she had felt from Sylvie when she entered the room at being blindsided had ebbed away. Her friend sank onto the bed, her shoulders slumping forwards, all the fight draining from her.

‘He didn’t,’ she muttered. ‘I didn’t matter enough for him to let me know.’ She was speaking so quietly that Stella could barely hear her, her words clearly more for herself than for anyone else.

‘I’m sure that’s not the case Sylvie,’ Stella said as she took a seat next to her.

‘It would have taken a second to text me, to say he was coming back, so I wouldn’t feel like this,’ she gestured to herself as a few tears started to make their way down her cheeks. ‘Like someone has a hold of my heart and won’t let go. Does he not feel like this too? Like he can’t breathe.’ She dropped her head into her hands. ‘I thought I was over this,’ she mumbled, her voice distorted by the pressure of her hands against her face.

Stella just let her friend talk, she had no words that would provide any comfort. She was sure that there was a reason that Matt hadn’t reached out to let Sylvie know he was coming back, but until she knew what it was, she’s sure her soothing words would be of no use. Everyone knew how Sylvie felt about Matt, they had all seen how broken she was when he left, even though she supported his decision. They all knew about Matt’s feelings for Sylvie too, the truck crew especially, they had seen him jump out of a moving vehicle when the paramedic's life was in danger. The whole house had rejoiced when the pair finally made the move and got together, had been entertained at their attempts to keep it under wraps, had seen how much happier they had been together when their relationship finally moved from the will they won't they to the they definitely will status.

A gentle knock on the door shocked them both, and Sylvie jumped to her feet and turned around quickly so her back was facing the figure of the man who was causing the anguish she was currently feeling.

‘Sorry to disturb,’ Casey said, the apology evident in his tone. ‘We’re needed in the conference room Kidd.’

‘Yep, okay then,’ Stella said as she got to her feet, glancing back over her shoulder to where Sylvie was still standing with her back to them. She completely understood - Brett didn’t want Casey to see the effect his return had had on her.

‘I’ll meet you there,’ he said to her quietly, nodding towards Sylvie as he spoke. Stella shot him a wary look, a warning. ‘Just a moment,’ he said, reassuring her so she nodded and left the two alone.

‘Sylvie,’ he started, hoping that she would turn around but when it was evident she wouldn’t, he continued. ‘I’m sorry. I should have told you, but every time I tried, I just didn’t know what to say. I’d really like to talk later, if you want to. Just call me after shift and I’ll meet you wherever.’ He received no response to his words, so he turned to follow Stella. On almost a second guess, he turned around again. ‘I understand if you don’t want to, but really, I am sorry.’

Leaving Sylvie alone to silently cry in Stella’s office, the dam had broken at his final words. Hearing his voice again, the voice that had told her that he was in love with her and no one else, the one that had whispered words of love into her ear whilst simultaneously making her feel things no one had ever made her feel before. The same voice that had haunted her dreams for months after she had made that dreaded phone call.

——————————————————————————

She thought about it for the entirety of the remainder of their shift, about sending him a text, about giving him a call. The pros and cons constantly waging a war inside her head, each side winning and losing at equal rates. Her head was starting to throb with the continued back and forth.

He and Stella had been kept out of the firehouse all day dealing with their task force and when Stella had returned just after dark, Casey hadn’t been with her.

‘He’s staying at the loft so has headed back there,’ Stella had said to the unanswered question when she had sat next to Sylvie on the break room couch.

‘Should I call him?’ Sylvie asked quietly. ‘If you were me, would you call him?’ She added, sensing Stella’s apprehension.

‘If I was you, I’d want to know his reasons. Matt Casey doesn’t do anything without a reason, we both know that. But I can also understand if you want to close the door on that completely.’

Sylvie nodded, pulling her legs up onto the couch to wrap her arms around them. ‘He said he was sorry,’ she mumbled, resting a cheek on her knee as she looked across at Stella.

‘I think he is, he’s not quite been himself for the rest of the day. I think it’s been on his mind. But it’s your decision girl, I’ll support you no matter what.’ She scooted closer to her friend, wrapping an arm around her and holding her close. ‘It’s up to you,’ she whispered and felt Sylvie nod in response.

After a few minutes of Sylvie finding comfort in her best friend’s arms, she voiced the decision she had been fighting over all day. ‘I’m going to text him.’ She felt Stella’s arms tighten around her. ‘I need to know.’

‘Okay,’ Stella said quietly, hoping that this wouldn’t end in heartbreak. She had had to pick up the pieces last time that had happened, and she prayed she wouldn’t have to again.

——————————————————————————

Matt had hoped with everything he had that Sylvie would reach out after he had left 51 but a part of him was still shocked when her text came through asking him to meet her at her apartment after shift the following morning.

He would lie if anyone asked about it but he had spent a little longer on his hair that morning and had tried on 3 different shirts before deciding on a plain blue button down before heading over to Sylvie’s.

He wasn’t sure what to expect behind her apartment door, so took a moment to compose himself. He couldn’t blame her if she was angry, if she was upset or even if she was numb to his words. But she deserved an explanation, deserved to hear it from him directly, she was too important to him to hear it from anywhere else.

He knocked gently and waited. It wasn’t that long ago that he would just let himself in, her apartment had quickly become a second home to him, providing them a place to be themselves together without an audience. The door had protected them from the outside world, but now it was acting as a barrier between him and the life she now led without him.

Sylvie opened the door and he was once again floored by her beauty. Her hair was longer than it had been when he had left, now flowing past her shoulders, the light reflecting off it in a glow of a halo. Her pink jumper looked soft and warm, and he had to stop himself from running his hand over the arm of it. The blue eyes that used to look at him with nothing but affection, were now filled with sadness. And he had to swallow at the thought that he was the cause of such an emotion. Eyes that gorgeous should never be sad.

‘Hey,’ she said quietly, opening the door wide enough for him to walk through without needing to side step her.

‘Hey,’ he echoed, unsure of what else to say. ‘Thanks for texting.’ She nodded in response with a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

‘Do you want something to drink?’ She offered, ever the hostess.

‘Umm, just a coffee thanks,’ he said, remaining awkwardly just inside the doorway as she headed into the kitchen to make him his requested beverage. Glancing around the room, he noticed very little had changed. The couch they had spent many nights on, both before and after they had gotten together, still the main feature in the room. The shelves that he had helped put up when Sylvie had caved and asked for his help were filled with various knick knacks that he knew she loved. The frame that used to hold a picture of them that Stella had taken at Molly’s was missing from its spot on the fireplace and he was sure if he ventured into her room, the drawers that used to house some of his clothes would be refilled with her own belongings.

It was odd to feel like a stranger in a place that had once brought him the most comfort.

‘Shall we sit?’ Sylvie said as she returned into the living room, her hands clutching two steaming cups of coffee. Her tone wasn’t cold but wasn’t as welcoming as he was used to, but he couldn’t blame her for that. He nodded and took a seat next to her on the couch.

‘I’m sorry,’ he started, knowing that he had already said it but wanted to solidify that he meant it.

Sylvie nodded, all her focus on the mug that she had her hands wrapped around.

‘I know I should have told you I was coming, it wasn’t fair to blindside you like that at the house.’

‘No, it wasn’t’, she said softly, there was no malice in her voice, just sadness.

‘I tried to text you multiple times, drafted and redrafted what I wanted to say, but nothing sounded right. So I thought I’d call but I wasn’t sure you’d have picked up,’ he said quickly, the words spilling out of him faster than he had intended.

‘I would have,’ Sylvie muttered, her gaze still on the cup.

‘I know,’ he said quietly, letting his head fall slightly. Of course she would have answered, if it had been her that called him he would have picked up in an instant. ‘I guess I just thought if I heard your voice then I’d lose all sense of self and wouldn’t have told you anyway.’ He chuckled softly and thought he might have noticed Sylvie’s shoulders loosen, if only for a fraction of a second.

‘When Stella called, I knew I had to come back and help. It was only after I agreed that I realised I should have spoken to you first, warned you, asked your permission.’

‘Matt,’ Sylvie said as she turned to look at him. It was the first time she had said his name since he had returned, and it was such a welcome sound. ‘You never need to ask my permission to come back. Chicago is your home’.

‘It’s your home too and I didn’t want you to think I was encroaching on your space, invading your life or something,’ he said almost bashfully. He hadn’t ever said any of this out loud but somehow being around her again, all his walls were crumbling down.

‘I don’t think that,’ she said quietly.

‘But there’s something more,’ Matt said and allowed himself a moment to get lost in her eyes again like he had done many times before.

‘Something more?’ Sylvie asked curiously.

‘I’m thinking of coming back,’ he said quietly, not allowing himself to remove his gaze from her face, desperately searching for any reaction to his statement. ‘Permanently’, he added in case his intent was not clear.

‘Oh,’ she said, quickly looking away from him and back down to her hands, her coffee remaining untouched.

‘Griffin’s due to start at the CFD academy in the fall and Ben’s applied to colleges on the East Coast, I think he wants a fresh start,’ Matt said, trying to conceal his upset that Sylvie wasn’t more excited at the prospect of him returning to the city.

‘Griffin will make an excellent firefighter, I’ll text him and let him know how proud I am of him, of both of them,’ she said softly.

‘I’m sure they’ll love to hear from you,’ Matt said and when Sylvie made no further comment he persisted. ‘It just makes no sense for me to stay in Portland if the reasons that I went there no longer exist.’

‘I guess not,’ Sylvie responded.

‘So I spoke to Boden whilst I was at the house, technically I am still on the books at the CFD so getting assigned back shouldn’t be too difficult. I don’t think it’ll be to 51 though, but it’ll be good to be back in the city and around friends again.’

‘I’m sure everyone will be excited to have you back.’

Matt decided to throw caution to the wind. ‘Would you be excited to have me back?’ But he regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth when Sylvie’s expression shifted.

‘You can’t ask me that Matt,’ Sylvie said and he could hear her throat constricting as she spoke.

‘I’m sorry, it’s not my place,’ he said, and in an attempt to reset the conversation, took his still full coffee cup into the kitchen, dumping it out into the sink. He didn’t think he could drink it now even if he tried.

‘We haven’t spoken in months Matt,’ he heard Sylvie’s voice behind him and startled slightly, unaware that she had followed him.

‘I know, we decided it was best.’

‘Best for who,’ Sylvie muttered, picking at her long sleeves that she’d pulled over her hands.

‘I thought we…’ Matt tailed off.

‘We did, but…’ Sylvie glanced up at him, her eyes, glistening with tears, were as bright a blue as he had ever seen.

‘I know,’ he said, understanding her unspoken words. They had both agreed that it was more difficult to keep in contact when the possibility of them being together again was so far out of reach, but as the lack of contact remained, so did the ache of missing each other.

The need to reach out and take her into his arms was too much, he walked towards her but as he reached her she stopped him, her hand warm against his chest.

‘I’m seeing someone,’ she whispered, her head dipped low avoiding his eyes.

Her words knocked the wind out of him. In reality he shouldn’t be shocked, Sylvie was a beautiful, intelligent, driven woman, any man would be lucky to have her. He was lucky to have called her his for even a short time.

‘Oh,’ was all he said but he didn’t make the first move to step out of her space, and she didn’t remove her hand from where it rested just over his heart. ‘Is it serious?’ He asked before adding, ‘I apologise, it’s none of my business.’

‘He’s very sweet,’ she said quietly, not removing her hand to sever their connection, ‘but he’s not…’ she tailed off as she raised her gaze to meet his. The ‘you’ in her sentence remained unsaid but it hung thick in the air around them both.

‘When,’ she started and then, seeming to realise the awkwardness of their position, took a step back and pushed a loose strand of her back behind her ear. ‘When are you hoping to come back?’ She said, her voice steady as she spoke.

Matt cleared his throat before speaking, not trusting his voice would be equally steady. ‘Towards the end of the summer. I want to get Ben settled at school first and then be here so I can be close if Griff needs anything.’ Sylvie nodded at his words.

‘Makes sense,’ she said.

‘If I overstepped Sylvie,’ Matt said, sensing her discomfort. But she shook her head to shut him down.

‘You didn’t Matt, I should have said something but I didn’t…’ she flustered looking for her next words. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Sorry for what?’ He asked, unsure where the conversation was heading but not wanting to close it down as it seemed like she had something she wanted to get off her chest.

‘For wanting what I can’t have,’ she whispered, barely audible in the already quiet room.

‘Who says you can’t have it?’ He asked, tentatively taking another small step forward, not quite back into her bubble but close enough he could smell the raspberry body wash he knew was her favourite emanating from her skin.

‘Well, I can’t have it at this exact moment anyway, it’s not right. Dylan doesn’t deserve that. He’s a good guy,’ she said, a little more assuredly, lifting her gaze from the ground and meeting his line of sight.

‘But maybe someday, it will be right,’ he wanted so desperately to take her into his arms in that second, to remind her of what they had but he settled for reaching out to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

‘I think it will be,’ she said with a small smile, looking down at their joined hands and returning his squeeze.

‘Come to Molly’s tonight? I leave early tomorrow morning but wanted to spend the evening with everyone before I go.’ It felt as though their conversation had reached its natural conclusion but he didn’t want to get on the plane the next morning without seeing her again. He had spent so long apart from her that the need to be back within the same breathing space as her was a necessity.

‘Okay,’ she smiled gently, not immediately removing her hand from his, so as he backed away to the door, their contact remained until the last possible moment when her hand dropped to her side.

‘And Sylvie’, he said as he reached the door and turned around, ‘when I come back. If you want it, my heart still belongs to you.’ He smiled, not needing an answer or possibly not wanting to hear it, turned and exited the apartment, leaving Sylvie rooted to the spot, her eyes wide but her heart was full.

——————————————————————————

The evening at Molly’s was lively, everyone excited to have Matt Casey back in their midst again. Sylvie was keeping her distance, not for the same reason she had the previous day, but because she wasn’t confident if she was in his space that she would be able to control her urge to reach out and touch him.

Matt smiled over at her on occasion, clearly having the same thought. They had separated earlier that morning with the promise of someday refreshed and alive in both their minds. Someday now felt like it was in reach and the thought of it was no longer an empty hope, but a tangible thing. The thought was proving to be a comfort to both of the pair.

‘You look cheery old friend,’ Hermann said as he handed over another beer to Casey from his side of the bar.

‘Just good to be back in Chicago,’ Matt said, smiling as he glanced over, Sylvie had laughed at something Violet had said from the corner at the other side of the room and his head had spun towards the sound without a second thought.

‘That just it, Captain?’ Hermann said with a grin, clearly digging for more information.

‘That’s it, Lieutenant,’ Matt said with a faux firmness, tipping his bottle in thanks before sidling off to continue his earlier conversation with Severide.

As the night drew to a close, Sylvie excused herself and made her goodbyes, hugging Violet tightly before turning to leave. Matt spotted her and hurried over.

‘Not leaving without saying goodbye, are you?’ he asked with a grin as she tugged on her jacket.

‘Figured it wasn’t goodbye this time,’ she said softly, smiling up at him.

Matt finally caved, he pulled her into him, wrapping his arms tightly around her and sighed when he felt her return the gesture, her small hands digging into his back.

‘Not this time,’ he whispered, quiet enough that only she could hear. He was sure if he took a moment to look around the bar, their friends would be giving them a few choice looks, but at this moment, he didn’t care. He had Sylvie back in his arms and the someday they had talked about felt a hell of a lot closer now than it ever had before. He tucked his face into her hair and let himself get lost in the possibility that the next time he held her like this, he wouldn’t have to go get on a plane, he wouldn’t have to let her walk out the bar alone, he wouldn’t have to let go at all.

[chicagofires]

I’m gonna be mean but it was so funny that brettsey fans tried to sell their ship as equals to Stellaride and yet cf writers didn’t agree with them 😂

We saw Casey proposing to Brett as a cliffhanger and the first scene of new season? Stellaride having sex in the shower 🔥

The only way they confirmed she said yes was this ridiculous scene with her ring stuck in locker 🤦🏼‍♀️

So yeah, we might be mad how they treat Stellaride but at least we got our big moments on screen 😎

yeah😭i sometimes feel bad for brettsey stan’s because can you IMAGINE waiting that long for your ship to become canon only for them to only be canon on-screen for less than 10 episodes like that’s so sad

[gins-potter]

🖊

Brettsey + tattoo

A quick and dirty one

.

There were certain unspoken rules about life in a firehouse; never mention the ‘q’ word, always put a fresh pot of coffee on, and keep your eyes to yourself in the locker room.

Living and working in the firehouse for twenty-four hours at a time already meant a distinct lack of privacy, even without taking into consideration the communal sleeping and shower areas.  So when changing out in the locker room you keep your eyes front, you don’t look sideways, and you make good friends with the locker door in front of you.

Which is why Casey will go to his grave saying his first glimpse of Brett’s tattoo was a total accident.

He’d been staring at his locker door at the end of the shift, trying his best to not think about their last call.  He wasn’t even sure what made him look over, if she made a noise, if he caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eyes; he wasn’t sure why he looked over because he hadn’t even realised there was anyone in the locker room with him.

But he did look over, doing so unthinkingly, and in doing so caught a glimpse of creamy skin, a strip of white lace, and a collection of clean, black lines inked into her skin, before he jerked his gaze up and met Sylvie’s wide eyes.

Spinning back around to face his locker, Casey coughed and shook his head, trying to wipe away the image of her long bare legs and that little tattoo on her hip bone for his own good.

“Sorry, I- I’m sorry.”

Sylvie gave a forced giggle, clearly trying to lighten the mood.  “It’s fine!  Not like you saw anything.  Not that you were-”

She broke off and Casey idly wondered which one of them was blushing a deeper red.

“I have to admit I hadn’t taken you for a tattoo kind of girl.”  Unthinkingly, Casey went to glance at her again before snapping his gaze back straight.

Sylvie laughed again.  “It’s fine, you’re safe to look.  And yeah, you’re not the first person to say that.”

Sensing a story there, Casey slowly turned to face her, trying not to notice the pretty pink fading from her cheeks.

At his questioning glance, Sylvie fiddled with her watch band, but explained.  “You remember my friend, Hope?  Well, right after we graduated high school she got it in her head that she wanted a tattoo.  She dragged me and my ex, Harrison, along when she got it done and they both kept making these jokes about how it was something I would never do.  And I guess- I guess I was young and wanted to prove them wrong.”

“So you got a tattoo,” Casey finished, smiling a bit at the thought of a younger Sylvie, that fierce look on her face, a few strands of hair escaping her bun, determination written all over her.  “What is it?  I didn’t quite-”

“Oh, it’s a cat,” she said, before carefully peeling down the band of her pants so he could see.  “Nothing too badass, I’m afraid but-”

“I like it,” Casey said, stepping closer.  The tattoo was made of a few clean, black lines, with a little heart for the nose.  So simply Sylvie, that he had to smile.  Without thinking he reached out to graze a thumb over it and told himself he wasn’t imagining peeling down the lace of her underwear and pressing a kiss to the skin there.

“I like it,” he said again, voice dropping an octave, and told himself that the shiver that passed through her had nothing to do with him.

[girlinlotsoffandoms]

In the last shot - when 51 giving brettsey their goodbye - we can see Stella and Sev hugging. Am I imagining things or did he hug her and then patted her butt?

https://x.com/shannonjohnnyy/status/1763164483466441109?s=46&t=fRpxVsF7UhydfXV9eIsyxg

there was definitely some booty tapping

[rainydayhues]

I think I might cry tears of anger or frustration if they have Matt tell Sylvie he's happy for her and Dylan. And because I don't trust the writers, I can just imagine them having Dylan walking in just as Matt and Sylvie are saying goodbye.

Same, anon, same.

I feel like I can already picture the moment, they're all at Molly's probably celebrating Cindy's great news and Casey and Brett hug, he says he's happy for her and she says the same. He walks out and then looks back at her and Dylan and walks away.

Beyond frustrating! Don't get me wrong - I'm so, so excited to see Matt Casey back and even to see him interact with Stella but if this is how it goes down, I just didn't need the Brettsey interaction at all.

SIGH. This show's been something else this season. 🙃

[alittlextrathatway]

I just wanted to say I saw your post about LiSM and a bad comment but please trust and believe you should NOT let this get to you.

Nothing justifies a negative comment on your work and I'm sure it's disheartening but I PROMISE there is an audience for this fic. I was devastated by JS leaving and what it would mean for Brettsey but I love imagining this world where they are making it work and getting to see those trials and tribulations which you write so beautifully! It's the nuance that show can't give us due to timing and just JS not being around but you've turned that into an incredible fic that is entirely plausible and romantic as hell. There are so many opportunities for the Brettsiest of moments we'll never get on the show but we are so lucky to get in your fic instead!

I can't say I know what its like to be on the other end of it but I just wanted to say as a reader, truly, I've enjoyed this fic just as much as your season 8/9 fics or Cruel Something. As long as I get Brettsey together in any way, shape or form, I'm good! Anyways, this is all to say, write what makes YOU happy and trust there are readers for it, I certainly am one of them!! 🌟💛

HOW DID I MISS THIS? I feel SO INCREDIBLY BAD.

Your encouragement on LiSM makes me so emotional still! I really felt passionate about that fic. It was a labor of love during a time in my life where my comfort show was no longer a comfort. I needed to imagine Brettsey would get through it even if the show tries to make me believe otherwise. I am so glad other people enjoyed it and felt it was in character and cathartic.

My favorite thing about fanfic is being able to write the little moments that make a ship feel real. The domesticity Tv shows can rarely give us due to the formula or make up of the show is such lovely fodder for fanfic. The white space is my favorite space, lol.

LiSM had complicated timing fandom wise. A lot of people didn’t want to think about Kara exiting or Jesse never coming back but then some people like myself really wanted to live in a world where Sylvie wouldn’t have to choose between a career she loved and the man she loved. I wanted so badly to help her find a path that gave her everything she wanted.

I still hope the show does that for her. Whether she goes to Portland or Matt moves back to Chicago, or they go somewhere else all together, I hope she gets to be head over heels for her man, a mom to Julia, and a badass leader of medics for happily ever after.

It’s what she wants so, as Matt says, that’s exactly what she deserves.

And thank you so much for reading my fics and stopping by the askbox to offer me some encouraging words! It means the WORLD to me. The fact that you love LiSM as much as my works from the PEAK Brettsey era is extremely moving to me.

And omg you mentioned Cruel Sometimes. The way that fic became one of my personal ALL TIME faves to write shocked me, to be honest. It was supposed to be a quick Sylvie-in-Danger whump and then ended up becoming this exploration of the Brettsey-Darden family and the Brettsey-Stellaride friendships along with an HEA for Brettsey. It was a surprise to me as I plotted it out but I am incredibly proud of the outcome.

And thank you 🥹 you’re right. I should just write what makes me happy. If it makes me happy, hopefully it makes other people happy too.

Gosh, this was such a beautiful surprise to find in my messages even if I feel INCREDIBLY guilty for letting it sit for FAR TOO LONG.

(😭 PLEASE FORGIVE ME. YOU ARE THE SWEETEST.)

[sab-carpenters]

Down in flames by AJ Mitchell during the angst\ worried danger stuff as another brettsey song

And walking the wire by imagine dragons

down in flames is such a good song for angsty!brettsey 😩

[justoneofthoseghosts]

“You flinched.” + Brettsey

This one is AU featuring firefighter Brett and doctor Casey!

Sylvie winces as she massages her shoulder. Based on her basic EMT training, she didn't think it was dislocated. She could still move it anyway without much discomfort or pain.

She sighs, leaning back against the cold, metal chair in the Med waiting room. All of 51 was there waiting for news on Otis. Poor guy had been shot in that call where Sylvie had ducked haphazardly to avoid the bullets flying around, landing on her left shoulder.

"You flinched."

She glances at Stella next to her, raising an eyebrow at her fellow firefighter.

"You flinched - just now. You should really get that shoulder checked out," she advises.

"Later - I want to know how Otis is doing first," Sylvie mumbles.

It had been an hour since he went in for surgery. She tries not to relive the whole thing. She knew growing up in Chicago was dangerous but she never expected something like that ever to happen during a call. She sends a prayer upward, hoping her friend would be okay. She and Otis had known each other since their days in the Academy. By some sheer luck, she got transferred onto truck 81 two years ago, almost the same time as Stella, and the three of them together with Joe had been thick as thieves ever since. She couldn't imagine a life without Otis.

The sliding doors open up, drawing everyone's attention. They glance as Connor Rhodes walks into view. They all stand up, walking towards the trauma surgeon.

"Otis is going to be fine," he announces, "it's going to be a long road to recovery but with rigorous physical therapy, he should be able to get back to work in a few months."

Sylvie breathes a sigh of relief as everyone around he rejoice at the good news. They were going to have to deal with a floater for a few months but Otis would be back in no time.

Stella pokes her in the shoulder.

"Ouch," she lets out unintentionally, shooting daggers at Stella.

"Time to see a doctor, Brett," Stella reminds her, "luckily we are in a hospital."

"I'll be fine," she tells Stella, brushing it off. She thinks it might just be a bruise forming. She'll ask one of the paramedics to check on it when they get back to the firehouse. Foster did still owe her for introducing her Lana, the lady that ran the mobile rig command center.

"Nope - you are coming with me."

Stella grabs her by her suspenders, walking purposefully towards the ED entrance.

"Hey!"

Stella doesn't relent. She asks Maggie, the charge nurse, if any doctors were available to check on Sylvie quickly. She explains the situation and the nurse nods, calling over a doctor Sylvie didn't recognize. He was tall, had broad shoulders, sandy blonde hair and warm, blue eyes.

Honestly, he was very handsome.

Objectively speaking of course.

"Dr. Casey, Brett here needs her shoulder checked," Maggie informs him, handing him an iPad.

He smiles at her, "sure - bay 3 free?"

"All yours."

As Stella bids Sylvie a quick goodbye, she nudges the blonde firefighter, "bet you're thanking me now, huh?"

She blushes, pushing Stella away, rolling her eyes when the other firefighter snickers in response.

Her cheeks redden even more when she realizes Dr. Casey observe the whole interaction.

"Sorry," she says, twisting her watch band absentmindedly.

He shakes his head, "nothing to be sorry about."

He leads her to a bay, asking her to take a seat on the bed as he closes the curtains.

"Can you tell me what happened?" He asks, glancing down at his iPad, pushing a few buttons before looking up once more, sending her a soft, encouraging smile.

She doesn't know what makes her spill her guts to the doctor. Somehow, he males her feel at ease immediately, a certain calmness washing over her at being in his presence. Maybe it was how he was looking at her, like he genuinely cared about what she was going to say.

Yeah, maybe it was the solemn yet attentive expression on his face.

Did she mention he was handsome? That look made him 10 times even more handsome.

Gosh. She really didn't need to thirst over the new doctor. He was just doing his job.

She recounts the whole ordeal, realizing it as the first time she was speaking it out loud since this morning. She tells him about how it was just a routine call - they were firefighters and were used to putting out fires only this time, there was a room that had guns in it that apparently were semi automatic and rigged to fire at random. She and Otis were in the room searching for victims. She managed to call a warning and duck behind the bed, causing the trouble with her shoulder, but Otis wasn't so lucky.

Unintentionally, she lets it slip how terrified she was for Otis, of potentially losing another person she loved in the line of duty, how she tried to remember what was taught at the Fire Academy about applying pressure to wounds while waiting for what felt like forever for the paramedics to show up, how she was glad that Otis would be alright.

"I'm really sorry," she tells him sheepishly, "you don't need to hear all this."

He shakes his head once more, eyes full of understanding, "don't apologize. You do need to talk about things like that. It can be heavy dealing with it alone. I get it."

She smiles softly at him. It was like she was talking to someone she had known for years. He was right too. Firefighters were often tough but Sylvie knew mental health and emotional well being should be their priorities too, especially with how hard their line of work could be - not all calls resulted in rescues. There were grim days when they became recoveries.

"Thank you, Dr. Casey," she says earnestly.

"Nah - no need to thank me."

He asks if it was okay for her to pull up her top so he could check on her shoulder more closely. She nods, thinking nothing of it until it dawns on her. She tries not to blush again because today she chose to wear the one lacy bra she had in her underwear drawer.

Hey, it was the only one left because laundry day isn't scheduled until tomorrow.

She pulls up her grey shirt carefully as the doctor slips on a pair of surgical gloves. She tries hard not to look at him. She's sure he's seen a lot of women in their undergarments.

Darn it. She didn't mean that.

She meant at the hospital, of course, while examining them - for medical purposes only.

He begins to slowly knead the portion of Sylvie's shoulder that she pointed was the place she thinks she landed on. He does it carefully, clinically like any good doctor would. Curiosity getting the better of her, she chances a glance at him, noticing how his own cheeks seem to have reddened. When their eyes meet, he averts his gaze, clearing his throat.

"Doesn't feel dislocated," he tells her lowly, "but there may be some bruising or swelling so I suggest icing it whenever you can so it'll heal faster."

"Got it," she says as she lowers her top, smoothing it out, "thanks doc."

He smiles at her, "in case you feel any pain after a week, feel free to swing by. I can check on you shoulder or write your script for some pain meds."

She nods, swinging her legs back and forth, "thank you again - not just for checking me out but for listening too."

Few people were good listeners in her option and Dr. Casey was definitely a good one, especially since she unloaded so much about the day to him.

"No worries," he states, one hand going to the back of his neck, awkwardly massaging it, like he was debating something internally.

She wonders briefly if the tiny hint of a connection she felt wasn't all in her head.

When doesn't speak, she swallows down a bit of her own disappointment.

"Right."

They stare at each other for a few seconds. She's unsure of what to do and he doesn't seem to know too.

She clears her throat, jumping off the bed, pointing towards the door, "I, uh, I should get back to everyone. Thank you again, Dr. Casey."

"Call me Matt," he blurts out before his eyes go wide, like he couldn't believe he just sad that.

She lets out a laugh, "call me Sylvie then."

He grins.

"I'll see you around, Matt," she states before turning around to leave.

She pulls back the curtain, taking a step out of the room when she hears him call out to her.

She turns back around, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Here's my card," he says, handing her a calling card, "feel free to call me if you want to schedule an appointment."

She takes the card from him, glancing at it before tucking it into her turnout pants pocket. She nods at him.

He seems to be debating something internally again.

"Or feel free to call if you need anyone to talk to - anytime."

She furrows her eyebrows at him, not quite sure what to make of it. Was he offering to be her therapist or something? It was sweet of him to offer but she already had a therapist she loved.

"Thanks," she says, "I'll keep that in mind."

He frowns, signaling for her to not walk away just yet.

"Jesus, this is coming out all wrong," he grumbles.

"What is?"

"I, uh, I was hoping to ask you out for a drink," he states before smiling shyly at her.

Her heart leaps to her throat at his words. Guess he felt it too.

She smiles, "there's a bar called Molly's. It's owned by a few firefighters from 51. I'm usually there off shift. I'll text you the address."

She sees his shoulder visibly relax, "great. I'll see you there."

He claps his hands awkwardly but it makes Sylvie laugh. She thinks about how adorable and completely dorky he was being, endearing himself further to Sylvie.

"I'll see you there," she confirms.

As she's walking back towards the rest of her house, she thinks that maybe she'll buy Stella a drink for pushing her to get checked out. Something tells her getting a date out of it with someone who seemed sweet and genuine was just the tip of the iceberg.

[sarah-cam]

All the CF ships just dropping like flies. I can't even begin to imagine what might happen if Taylor Kinney decides not to return.

i’m really hoping that taylor is okay and well enough mentally or physically to return, i know how passionate he is about the show but also understand if he ends up leaving for other opportunities like (both) jesse

that being said, if he does leave, i think the CF writers would be absolutely insane to ruin stellaride. at least with CPD there’s burzek but the other ships on CF are both done rn like stellaride is all that’s left that’s had so much time and energy put into it

CF writers at least still have been able to maintain a balance between characters and doing “centric” episodes without really being centric in my opinion, which CPD has struggled with

i’ve been pretty clear that i don’t ship brettsey and could really not care less about what happens with them aside from loving the characters individually (more so matt but that’s neither here nor there lol) and i honestly wish they would just be in or out. like either kara leaves, jesse comes back, or they get back together with jesse making appearances, just make up their mind cause it’s annoying and i know the shippers feel the same — either way, dawsey endgame lives in my mind rent free!!

so yeah basically my long way of saying that i have no idea what’s going through these writers minds and i just really hope that if taylor does leave, they decide to have more respect for their characters, relationships, and fans than they’ve shown at other times all across the shows 🤷🏻‍♀️

[sylvie-brett-two-ts]

This explains the one season renewal despite the news that they were negotiating a multi-year one. I wish they’d just make it the final season.

The budget cuts make me wonder if there might be some departures, like David, Christian, or Eamonn. It’s hard to imagine with budget cuts that they’d be able to afford having Jesse back on even a recurring basis unless there’s some departures. Maybe Taylor isn’t coming back? Or maybe it’s the case that this Brettsey stuff is happening because Kara is reducing her role or perhaps even leaving? It’ll be really interesting to see how everything plays out.

[torreshalstead]

Tonight’s Fire episode just shows how things can be seen so differently.

I took all the Brettsey mentions as proof that their love was real, it was more of a right person wrong time situation and echoed that if Casey was still there (and Jesse hadn’t left) that they would still be together.

I am not shocked that Severide hasn’t kept that good contact with Casey. It doesn’t invalidate their friendship to me, he literally said how much of an impact he had had on his life. I have friends I would still consider best friends that I don’t know when I last spoke to, they live thousands of miles away, across different time zones but I still love them and know they love me. I also imagine Severide is just crap at texting/calling back, they work different shifts, they both have busy lives.

Stella and Violet talking to Brett I also took more along the lines that they don’t want their friend to be hung up on someone who she decided to end it with. Again it doesn’t invalidate her feelings and they aren’t belittling them but they want her to be happy. It’s a difficult situation, Casey is in a different state, they were both struggling with it and sometimes things don’t work out, no matter how much you love someone.

Anyway that went on longer than I thought and probably makes zero sense as it’s gone 4am here. But I just had to try and get some thoughts out. And this episode more just reaffirmed my love for Brettsey and Sevasey than anything else (although don’t get me wrong, I can see why people viewed it differently, media is subjective after all) and I enjoyed every ounce of the Sylveride friendship they showed us.

[chicagofires]

Like this scene is a perfect example. This level of vulnerability & open honest communication. Stella was terrified she lost him AGAIN after that boat incident & she made it a point to verbalize to him that in spite of it all she couldn't imagine a life without him/ them together. I can't recall a conversation that had this level of true raw vulnerability from Dawsey which such because I think they had way more going for them than Brettsey.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3D-2JhKVVJ/?igsh=aDhlcmd2eXBqbnNm

yep! such a good, vulnerable scene. the 6x01 scene in dawsey’s apartment is very emotional and probably the most similar scene of there’s i can recall but there’s a level of vulnerability that’s missing in my opinion like they addressed that matt nearly died without actually discussing how it made either feel