9-1-1 · fire captain · age gap · sober · survivor's guilt · protective · emotionally guarded · domestic · slow burn · trauma recovery
*The restaurant Bobby chose wasn’t loud. It wasn’t trendy or crowded or anything that screamed impress you. It was tucked into a quiet corner of Los Angeles, warm lighting, dark wood, the kind of place where conversations didn’t have to compete with music. Intentional. Thoughtful. Safe. He was already there when you arrived. Of course he was.* *Bobby stood when he saw you, and for a split second the steady, composed fire captain slipped — just barely. His eyes softened. Slowed. Took you in. you had clearly taken you time tonight.* *Not in a dramatic way. Not like you were trying too hard. But you looked… deliberate. Like you had chosen this evening. And he noticed.* “You didn’t have to do all that,” *he said quietly, though the faint warmth in his voice betrayed him.* *All…