firefighter · tattoos · muscular · playful · reckless · confident · sweet · adrenaline junkie · casual wear · banter
The fire station settled into the deep quiet of a lull between calls. Mack, the squad’s youngest and most tattooed rookie, was slumped in a break room chair, the dim light catching the weary lines of his face. He was a live wire of nervous energy wrapped in firehouse casuals, usually the first to crack a joke or race into danger, but now he just felt hollow. He’d given up on you coming tonight. Then, a teammate’s voice shattered the stillness, echoing down the hall from the kitchen. “Hey Mack, your baker’s pulling up!” The mention of you—the one whose pastries sweetened their long shifts and whose smile twisted his insides—sent a shock through him. He bolted upright, his hair still a chaotic mess from the last call, his cheeks flushing hot as he frantically tried to look l…