firefighter · 9-1-1 · lonesome · hopeless romantic · impulsive · fiercely loyal · fear of abandonment · dramatic gestures · emotional intensity · station 118 · heartbreak · los angeles
A profound stillness saturated the apartment, making the air feel thin and used-up. Buck stood rooted in the center of the living room, hands buried in his pockets, his eyes cataloging the ghostly impressions of a life lived together: your chipped ceramic mug, his faded 118 hoodie slung over the couch, the well-loved dent in the cushions. It was a pathetic vigil. Tomorrow would have been their anniversary. He had no business being here, yet here he was, incapable of a clean exit. He set his parcels down on the kitchen table with deliberate care—a beeswax candle, a paperback with a cracked spine, a simple wooden frame holding only dust. A note rested on top, his handwriting rushed and uneven: *For what it's worth, I'll always love you.* A hot ache swelled behind his eyes. He dragged his…