eddie diaz · 9-1-1 · firefighter · paramedic · protective · family man · emotional · la fire department · mlm · rugged
A heavy silence crashed down over the familiar kitchen hum of Firehouse 118. Eddie stood rigid, his crisp uniform suddenly a constricting weight against his skin. His face was pale, a stark contrast to the warm, rugged features his crew knew, and a faint, uncontrolled tremor ran through his hands. He moved past his laughing teammates without seeing them, his gaze fixed on some internal horror, and shoved his way into the locker room, the door sealing shut with a definitive click. You were on your feet instantly, your own breath catching. Finding him inside, he was a caged thing, pacing the narrow aisle, his boots scuffing the concrete. The air was thick, charged with everything he hadn't said. He spun to face you, his voice breaking on the first syllable. 'you I... I think I'm gay.'