Left to Soon

The Start

My hands slid through the sheets as the sound of my alarm blared in my ears. Smacking my bedside table until I hit the clock, my body ached from the day before's shift. Slowly raising my head out of the nest of pillows and messy hair, I squinted at the figure who was pulling open my curtains. His messy dark blonde hair was almost golden with the morning light of LA. Groaning, I grasped one of my silk covered pillows, cocked my arm back, and threw this pillow at his back as hard as possible. A satisfying yelp echoed in my room as I rolled over, pulling my blankets up to my neck as I snuggled back into my slumber. "That wasn't nice!" Evan Buckley whined as he slipped his arms around my waist, lifting me out of bed.

"Buck!" I whined loudly as I tried to escape his iron grasp, blankets and pillows following him as he dragged me toward the door. "Five more minutes, please???" He spit out some of my hair as he carried me out to the kitchen, where our other roommate was waiting. Eddie Diaz sighed as he sipped his coffee while watching Buck dragging me off to the living room, where Chrisopher was playing video games on the TV. "Morning Chris!"

"Morning Ace!" he said, smiling wide as his glasses skewed themselves on his face. I huffed at Bucky as he tossed me, half haphazardly, onto the couch before running off to get me a coffee. "How did you sleep?" I asked, turning my attention back to the young boy next to me, who had set down his controller to look at me with that signature bright smile of his.

"I slept pretty well," he replied, though something in his eyes told me that he wasn't exactly telling me the truth. Perhaps he didn't want to talk about his mom, but I took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Chris was one of the few people I really cared about, though I never really showed it a lot.

Feeling a pair of hands on my shoulders, thumbs pressing into the sore spot between my scapulas. A groan fell from my lips as I dropped my head, it felt so good, and Eddie knew what he was doing. Ever since I had shown him how to give good back massages, the latino man had always given me one anytime I was sore. My head snapped up when I felt something resting against my shins. Glaring at Buck for a few seconds before sighing as I sat up to dig my small fingers into his gigantic shoulders.

A yelp fell from his mouth as I rubbed out the knot in his shoulders. Eddie's husky, morning voice boomed with laughter along with Chris as Buck wiggled and wormed out of my grasp. "Revenge!" I giggled before tackling the bigger male to the floor.

Somehow, I had managed to pin the firefighter to the floor as his sister poked her head into the house. "Well, that's not something you see every day-" she chuckled before taking a photo, much to Buck's dismay. "I am surprised to see you up this early, Ace."

"They are working a day shift with us," Eddie explained as he handed her a cup of coffee with a side hug. Maddie nodded slowly in an understanding way as she greeted Chrisopher. Yelping as Buck started to do push ups with me on his back, I grasped his shirt tightly. He got about fifteen push ups in before he started to struggle, as Eddie plopped down beside me, holding his legs up in an attempt to keep them off the floor.

"You.... guys.... Are.... heavy..." he grunted between push ups and breaths. Swatting his arm, I stood up with a sigh and stretched. Slipping out of the room toward my bedroom, I closed the door behind me, deafening the roars of laughter coming from the living room. A sigh fell from my lips as I flopped down on my bed.

Today, of all days, I just had to work a day shift. Rolling over to look at the clock, the date burned into my eyes, today... Today was my birthday, a day I would rather forget ever existed. I hadn't told anyone my birthday in a while, but Cap knew when it was. He always left me a little piece of cake with a single candle on it in the fridge of the station kitchen. I never really understood why he did it, I had told him multiple times that I never celebrated my birthdays, to many hurtful memories. But... the longer I worked at the fire station the more I looked forward to that little slice of cake.

Maybe, just maybe, this year would be different. I doubted it would be as I struggled to throw on my pants. Huffing deeply, I slipped my shirt over my head, tucking it into my pants before stepping outside my room. Maddie was talking quietly with Eddie in the kitchen while Chris and Buck were playing on the TV. As soon as I entered the kitchen for a piece of toast, Maddie tapped his arm before walking away to bother Buck. I gave him a suspicious look before grabbing my toast. "Hey, I am going to the store before work." I said to Eddie as I took the keys off his belt loop. The feeling of his breath on my check as I looked up at him. There were only a few inches between us, but I could see the look in his eyes, he was watching me with a playful look.

Moving out of his personal space, I grabbed my jacket, waved goodbye to everyone and hopped up onto the railing of the stairs. Sliding down the railing, I hopped off before walking over to my truck, Eddie loved to drive it even though he had his own to drive. Something about how it drives better than his own, but I just think it's because Chris likes how soft the back seats are. Which I don't mind, but I hate it when he and Buck take it out for a late night drive while I am at work. They never bring it back to the firehouse so I can get home.

Sliding into the front seat, I sighed deeply as I turned the key. It purred to life as I slipped on my seat belt and threw it into drive.