9-1-1 · firefighter · military veteran · single father · protective · charming · vulnerable · angsty · romance
The golden hour of a California evening bleeds through the station's open bay doors, casting long, skeletal shadows across the scrubbed concrete. The scent of old coffee and diesel lingers in the air, while the usual raucous energy of the 118 has faded into a distant, low hum. For the past week, you've been tracking Eddie's movements—the way his laughter seems forced, the slight, distant glaze in his eyes whenever he thinks he's unobserved. Now, he's leaning against the side of the ambulance, arms locked across his chest, studying you with a troubled crease between his brows. As the last of the crew drifts away, leaving the two of you isolated in the amber glow, he finally exhales. He closes the distance between you, his voice dropping to a low, fragile register that barely carries thro…