training wheels. // evan 'buck' buckley

xxxvii. fire marshal buck

the sun had barely crept over the horizon, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange as the 118 stood in formation outside the towering 35-story office building. it was drill day, a grueling test that everyone had prepared for, but not without a bit of dread. they had done drills before, but today was different.

buck, now officially the new fire marshal, was running the show. and from the way he walked around, clipboard in hand, his button up impeccably pressed, and that smug little grin he couldn’t seem to wipe off his face - i could see he was having the time of his life.

i leaned against a wall, arms crossed, watching the team go through their motions. i had come for "moral support"—or so i said to myself - but truthfully, the sight of buck in his fire marshal role was a little too enticing to miss. the way he commanded the scene, the way he was just effortlessly in charge, and the way his perfectly ironed shirt hugged his frame - it all made for quite the distraction.

hen sidled up next to me, catching my lingering stare and smirking. “you’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

i scoffed, but a small grin tugged at my lips. “maybe a little,” i admitted, unable to take my eyes off buck as he barked orders at bobby, eddie, and chimney. “ge’s just…you know.”

“yeah, i know,” hen chuckled, nudging my shoulder.

buck glanced our way, catching my eyes, and his grin widened. there was that cocky spark again, the one that said he knew exactly what he was doing, and not just with the drill. i gave him a mock salute, raising an eyebrow. he shook his head, amused, before turning back to his clipboard.

the fire alarm blared, and the drill officially began. office employees started filing into the stairwells, their shoes clattering on the concrete steps as they descended, following procedure. bobby and the rest of the 118 crew moved inside the building, ensuring everything was in order.

from my vantage point outside, i kept my gaze on the building, my attention occasionally drifting back to buck. he was pacing the sidewalk, eyes scanning the building’s entry as if he were waiting for something to go wrong. his focus was sharp, his authority unwavering, and i could barely contain my grin.

i took a few steps closer to him, my voice light with playful sarcasm. “having fun, fire marshal buck?”

buck looked up, the grin still in place as he leaned on his clipboard. “you know me. i thrive on making them suffer.”

“oh, i’m sure bobby and eddie appreciate that,” i teased, my eyes sparkling as i stepped a little closer, lowering my voice just enough so it was only for him. “you look good, by the way.”

buck chuckled, shaking his head but not denying it. “well, someone’s got to keep things professional.”

i rolled my eyes. “right, because this is the definition of professional.”

“i’m setting an example,” buck replied with mock seriousness, but the smirk playing on his lips gave him away.

i was about to retort when we were interrupted by the sound of a scuffle inside the building. my attention snapped back to the stairwell entrance, where employees were still steadily exiting. among them was alan - the guy with the sunglasses from earlier - who was moving noticeably slower than everyone else. his aloof, almost dismissive attitude had irked me the moment i saw him, but now something seemed off.

as alan reached down to retrieve his sunglasses that had fallen to the ground, his body jerked suddenly. my eyes widened as he slumped forward, his arm swinging out and unintentionally knocking into the person next to him. it was a domino effect - a handful of employees stumbled, falling one by one, but thankfully, none of them were hurt as they reached the bottom.