From the Ashes

Chapter 1

Okay, here we go! Welcome to my new fic! You might be asking yourself "what the f*ck is she up to now??" and to be honest with you, not even I know the answer to that. But first off, we all need to be clear on a few things in order for this to work:

a. I am not an expert on the profession of firefighting. I don't actually know what I'm talking about.

b. I do not claim to have all the correct facts about fire safety or everything there is to know about what firefighters do. My only resources are what I'm able to find online and the little knowledge I have from my father tell me about his work, as well as visiting him at the station while growing up.

c. At no point will I knowingly go against or beyond the laws of nature, but if something that I write ends up doing that anyway, please let me know in a constructive manner and I'll fix it to the best of my ability.

d. This is an AU. They're firefighters. I shouldn't have to tell you that there will be abundance of out of character-behavior here.

This is not going to be a fic where I can spew out chapters left and right, because I'll have to research while writing each part. Your patience will be much appreciated :) There will also be smut in this a bit later on, hence the rating.

But most importantly, those of you who know me and my writing also know that my main goal is for you to enjoy the story I'm about to tell you, so please do <3

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From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring

- J.R.R. Tolkien

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Glancing at the screen of his phone, Troye gulped as the clock turned 8:16, meaning he was exactly sixteen minutes late on his first day of work. He'd already pressed the buzzer by the door and could literally feel his rapid pulse sweeping nervous adrenaline through his veins as he waited for someone to let him in.

To the left of him, the long wall of the one story fire station was flanked by a narrow terrace with a few tables and chairs scattered across its surface. Beyond the railing of the terrace a small field spread out, bordering the freeway on one side and the stream that trickled and wove its way through town on the other. The field eventually ended abruptly in the stark buildings of the industrial neighborhood behind him, housing car dealerships and the laundry that handled the washing for the local hospital downtown. The contrasting tranquility of the tree-lined gurgling stream on one side and the concrete impingement of man on the other made the scenery give an indecisive impression, with the sound of chirping birds and the hum of passing cars mixing and fighting for attention.

It wasn't his first time at the station, having already been there several times for interviews with the deputy chief and various administrative personnel. He'd also received the grand tour as well as having his uniform and PPE gear fitted and placed in his room and out in the changing hall. Behind the corner on his right, Troye knew that big metal gates lined the high roofed engine hall that was attached to the main building. Hidden within were deep red vehicles all standing in a row, doors open and ready to go in case of a dispatch.

The shadow of movement could be seen through the glass planes of the door and brought Troye's attention to the outline of a short person in a dark blue uniform quickly moving closer. Moments later, the friendly face of a smiling blonde woman met his eyes through the glass while the lock clicked.

"Hi! You must be Troye," the girl chirped as she pushed the door open to let him in.

"Yes, hi," Troye answered with a hesitant smile as he stepped inside, noticing that he still sounded a bit out of breath from rushing all morning. "So sorry I'm late. Great first impression for someone who's supposed to be quick..."