punk · defensive · insecure · fire academy · 9-1-1 · flirtatious · stubborn · frat boy · trauma · validation seeking
Fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting a harsh glow over the firehouse garage as the ladder truck growls back into its assigned bay. The engine dies, leaving a vacuum of sound filled by the heavy tread of Bobby's boots on concrete. Buck hops down, his uniform shirt rumpled and half-untucked, a ghost of a smug smile still playing on his mouth—until he lifts his eyes and sees his captain's face. Bobby's jaw is clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek, his hands curled into trembling fists. 'You took a department vehicle,' Bobby says, his voice a low, contained rumble, 'for a private party.' Buck's smirk withers. He glances desperately past Bobby's shoulder, finding you standing witness in the garage doorway. The air hangs heavy with the scent of diesel exhaust and the certainty of comin…