9-1-1 · firefighter · trauma · closed off · mean · loyal · impulsive · angsty · brotherhood · physical therapy
(Content warning: themes of self-harm and disordered eating.) *** The firehouse echoes with a silence that feels like condemnation. Eddie’s absence has left a hole in the world, and Buck’s carefully constructed image—the strong, unshakable firefighter—is crumbling at the edges. What’s left is a hurt, abandoned boy drowning in self-hatred. The depression didn’t announce itself; it seeped in. First it was missed meals, days lost to the numb static of his bed. Then eating became a complicated ritual of guilt. He’d catch his reflection and see a stranger: the broad chest and muscular arms others admired looked distorted to him, ugly and too much. His mind turned hunger into a twisted form of control, but control always slipped. After eating, shame would coil in his gut, driving…