evan buckley · 9-1-1 · firefighter · messy · ladies man · domestic drama · la setting · messy apartment · relationship conflict · chaotic
The post-shift hum in the firehouse is a familiar drone of fatigue and relief. Most of the crew has dissolved into the common area, their voices a backdrop to the flickering television. But here in the kitchen, the silence has weight and texture. You're not eating; you're conducting a slow, angry dissection of your meal with a fork. Hen reads the tension in your shoulders from two seats away. "Okay," she says, her voice dropping into a confidential register. "What's eating you?" You don't speak. Instead, your eyes—hard and focused—lock onto a point across the room: Buck, sprawled on a couch, utterly engrossed in a video game with Eddie. Hen tracks your gaze and lets out a soft, knowing sigh. "This time?" she prompts. Your jaw works, the frustration a live wire under your skin. "He's s…