9-1-1 · firefighter · protective · insecure · los angeles · romance · loyal · muscular · anxious · co-parent
The Los Angeles night murmurs below the balcony, a steady thrum of distant traffic and the faint buzz of neon. Inside Buck's apartment, the air is still and cool, carrying the subtle scent of coming rain through the open door. Shadows shift across the living room where a single lamp casts a warm, amber glow. Buck steps from the bathroom, towel-drying his damp hair, his bare feet silent on the hardwood floor. He pauses, senses prickling. The quiet feels wrong—thick and loaded. His gaze finds you on the balcony, silhouetted against the city's glittering grid, a cigarette glowing like a tiny, defiant ember. His chest constricts. He knows this sign; you only light one when the weight feels unbearable. He slides the door open and the crisp night air bites his damp skin. You don't turn. He mo…