Set Fire to the Rain | Eddie Diaz

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She heard her alarm go off, she slammed down on the button and hummed. "Well let's see what adventure happens today." Salem mumbled as she sat up in her bed.

Salem put light makeup on then put her hair in a tight bun. Then she put her tank top then she froze as she saw the scar on her shoulder that her ex gave her. "You got this Salem." She mumbled as she finished putting on her uniform.

She grabbed a banana then her bag and headed out. She headed to her jeep and hopped in, she set her bag in the passenger seat.

.................

Salem walked into the station, Addison and Hen looked over. "There's our Salem." Addison said. "Yeah, how's the morning going?" Salem asked as she hung her bag up. "Going well actually." Hen said. Then they heard a cheery Bobby. 

"You are Cheery." Both Salem and Addison said as he approached the three women. "Why shouldn't I be?" Bobby asked. "I don't know maybe because you've been like this for weeks and it's starting to get on my nerves. What's going on with you?" Hen asked.

"I got another DXA scan and guess who dropped another half percent." Buck said as he approached the group. "What?" Hen questioned. "A DXA scan, it measures your body fat, you can see your percentage in every part of your body." Buck explained.

"Oh yeah, does it measure the fat in your head?" Chimney asked. "Oh see that would be funny but we're about a week away from submissions being due for the hot hey smoldering knights men of the lafd wall calendar and I'm already at my goal weight so seems like my head is clearly  working perfectly." Buck explains, Addison groaned "Do you really need to use that whole title? You could just say the idiotic reductive sexist calendar that insults the dignity of this organization and further submit that all are firefighters are male." Hen said. "Or they like underestimate us women." Salem added in, Hen and Addison nodded, agreeing. "Yeah that's not any of this words."  Buck said.

 "Ladies, come on, it's for charity."  Bobby said. "Bobby?" Addison questioned. "Not you too?" Both Hen and Salem questioned. "Why not, they say a man is at his sexist when he reaches 50." Bobby said. "Is that what they say?" Hen questioned.

"Okay you're both wrong all right, see I think sorority houses all across this great nation are ready for a new Asian sex symbol, it's our time." Chimney replied. "I think it's great, you know I like that you're both going up for it." Buck said. Salem's eyes wondered, she caught sight of a beautiful man. "Oh because you don't think that we have a chance." Bobby said "Whoa did I say that, no I  mean sure let's be real they are only picking  one candidate from each station." Buck said. "Damn." Salem said. Chimney saw where she was looking. "Ok, that is a beautiful man." Chimney said. "Hot damn." Salem said. "Where's the lie, I like girls." Hen said. Addison saw her best friend, starstruck, she smiled, It beautiful man was putting on a shirt.

"Who the hell is that?" Buck questioned. "Eddie Diaz, new recruit. graduated top of his class just this week. Guys over at station six we're dying to have him but I convinced him to join us." Bobby explained. "What do we need him for?" Buck questioned Addison chuckled. "What's funny West?" Buck asked. "You got some competition in your eyes." Addison replied. Salem made eye contact with Eddie, he smiled at her while she smiled back. "Um he served multiple tours in Afghanistan as an army medic, guy's got a silver star. it's not like he's wet behind the ears. Come on i'll introduce to him, he like to be called apac." Bobby said. "Wow sliver star." Hen said. Then she saw Salem, "You heart struck over there, Ortega?" She asked. "Maybe." Salem said. Addison and Hen chuckled. "Better drop some more body fat there pudge." Chimney said as he patted Buck on the stomach.

Everyone introduced their selves to Eddie, then Salem looked at him. "Now that I get to tell you not only you have great smile, but the most gorgeous brown eyes, Salem Ortega." Salem said with a smile. "She's our Georgia Peach." Addison said with a smile. "Eddie Diaz, it's great to meet you... your from Georgia?" Eddie asked. "Savannah to be exact." Salem replied. "I think this a great start to something great." Salem said. "Yeah." Eddie agreed. Then the alarms in the station went off.

.........

They were on their way to the repair shop, Salem sat close to Hen while Addison sat across from Eddie. "So, Sliver star, huh?" Chimney asked Eddie, which Eddie nodded. "Did you save a platoon or something?' Chimney asked again. "No, no, nothing like that, uh just a convoy." Eddie responded. "Eddie uh, you heard about the hot firefighter calendar." Hen asked and Addison shook her head playfully. "Sorry the what?" Eddie questioned. "It's for Charity." Salem replied with a smile. Bobby and Hen chuckled at her enthusiasm.

Buck shook his head then looked over to Eddie. "So is your full name 'Eduardo'?" Buck asked. "No." Eddie responded. "People ever call you Diaz?" Buck then asked. "Not if they want me to respond." Eddie answered once more.

"Something's got to give. We got... we got Cap, Hen, Chimney, Buck, Sal and Addie, We can't just call you 'Eddie'" Buck said. "Can't tell if he's being serious or not." Eddie said looked over to Hen's and Salem's direction. "I like to always operate under the assumption that nothing he says is serious." Chimney tells Eddie. "Where's the lie at?" Salem questioned. "Whose side you on Ortega?" Buck asked. "Why does it matter?" Salem questioned with her brows rose.

............

Salem put her hair in loose ponytail, Addison threw her up in the loose bun. Salem walked over to the weights, "Hey Eddie." Salem said to him. "Salem, I just was looking for you." Eddie said. Buck looked at the duo, Addison looked at Buck. "Don't say a word." Addison mouthed. "I was wondering if you wanted to get coffee sometime, get to know each other, become better friends." Eddie said to her. "You know how to steal a woman's heart, I would love too." Salem said as she picked up a weight, He smiled at her. Then Buck picked up his phone and took a selfie, Eddie looked over.

"Your in the wrong light, man." Eddie told Buck. "Some of us don't need lighting to look good." Buck replied. "Okay." Addison said as she looked over at Salem. "Hey, Eddie, What did you mean by the wrong light?" Chimney asked him.

"The light in this room is flat and blue makes you look soft, if you want to look lean and muscles to pop, you need warm side light, I'll show you." Eddie said. 

Eddie then showed both Chimney and Salem the photos on his photo. "These are the ones I sent in for the calendar." Eddie said. "Whoa.." Chimney said. 

"It's uh kind of cheating, sending pictures by a professional photographer." Buck said. "The photographer is twelve, my niece, she's a master at the iPhone filters." Eddie said. "Your niece?" Chimney question and Eddie nodded. "You think she'd be willing to take my submission pics for me..." Salem blanked out. "Hey, you alright?" Addison asked. "Yeah... I just have some things on my mind." Salem said, Addison nodded. "You know Elise and I are here for you." Addison told her. "I know, I'm thankful for that."  Salem said with a smile.

"You know you really shouldn't get his hopes up like that, no offense Chim." Buck said. "No offense taken, Evan." Chim said. "This isn't like Buck." Addison said. "No, he's jealous of Eddie." Salem replied to Addison which made Addison rolled her eyes.

Salem didn't like the tension and Eddie took noticed of that. "What's your problem man?" Eddie asked Buck. "Ok, you." Buck said. Addison and Chimney looked at each other while Salem bit the inside of her cheek. "You're my problem, your comfort level, you're not supposed to just walk in here like you've been here for years, this month's meant to be uh getting to know you period, you're meant to respect your elders." Buck said to Eddie.

"You're not his Elder, Buck." Chim said. "Buck, don't be a jealous ass now." Salem said to him. 

"Look, I in no way meant to uh be too familiar or step on anybody's toes, I know you're going through some personal stuff right now." Eddie said. "What personal stuff?" Buck questioned. "I know your girlfriend recently broke up with you and you're coming to terms with that." Eddie said.

"I'm not and she didn't break up with me, who told you that?" Buck said as he looked over at Salem, Addison and Chimney. Emilia looked at Chimney. "21.." Chimney said. "Nice one Chim." Addison mumbled.

"I'm just saying, I hear you're a good guy and I'm sorry you're going through pain but you don't have to take it out on me or be threatened by me, we're on the same team." Eddie said. "Why would I be threatened by you?" Buck questioned. "Exactly, There's no need to be, we do the same thing, I've just done it while people are shooting at me is all." Eddie said. 

Salem looked at Buck, "Seriously, Buck he's part of this family, be a little nicer, please." Salem said before she stormed off before Buck could say anything to her. Addison sighed, then alarms go off.