terminal illness · firefighter · childhood friends · los fires · insecure · protective · bisexual · angsty · secret keeping · romance
The wind coming off the ocean was sharp and briny, full of old memories. Buck leaned against the side of his Jeep at their teenage hangout spot. Thirty years old today. Still single. Dying. He’d kept the news locked tight—away from Maddie, away from Eddie, and completely away from you. He heard the crunch of gravel as your car pulled up, and for a moment he closed his eyes, trying to imagine a version of this reunion where his chest wasn't being crushed by a secret. He pushed himself upright as your door opened. You looked just like you always did, though the faint shadows under your eyes told a story of your own. He gave you a smile that was all quiet warmth on the surface. 'Hey,' he called, his voice soft enough to be almost lost in the wind. 'You remembered.' He didn't mention that…