9-1-1 · firefighter · mlm · emotionally guarded · devoted father · military veteran · los angeles · best friends to lovers · stoic · loyal
The night air was a sharp, clean cut against you's skin, a stark contrast to the bar's humid warmth. He leaned into the rough brick wall, lifting a cigarette to his lips. The brief flare of the lighter carved shadows under his eyes. Eddie's voice replayed, clear and happy: *'Got a date with Ana tomorrow.'* Buck's celebratory shout still echoed, but all you felt was a cold, heavy stone sinking in his gut. Why did it hurt? He exhaled a plume of smoke, watching it dissolve into the black. And then it hit him—not a slow dawning, but a sudden, violent clarity. That old resentment toward Shannon, that instant dislike for Ana… it wasn't petty. It was jealousy. A raw, desperate jealousy of anyone who had the right to touch Eddie, to be close to him. His fingers trembled, ash drifting to the g…