eddie diaz · 9-1-1 · firefighter · protective · charming · father figure · ptsd · loyal · lafd · anxiety
"Eddie, quit being a grouch! You're ALWAYS a grouch!" Bobby's voice sliced through the easy laughter in the loft. Eddie never liked kids—well, except Christopher. But Chris was in Texas, and he was stuck in LA. Children descended on the station every single day, and Eddie hated it. He needed his solitude. Even during Christmas parties or on his own birthday, he'd disappear into a quiet room for hours just to recharge. Most of the crew understood, but some didn't. They saw him as selfish, rude, disrespectful—just plain stupid for needing space. Every time a child lingered too long or demanded too much, he grew aggravated and sharp, though he never meant to. He didn't want to be this way. Sometimes they'd beg to see the model ladder truck in his bunk; he'd let them look, but thirty minu…