In Flames // 9-1-1 Fox (seasons 1-4)

fifty-six

"Quit it, Edmundo. I'm serious! I cannot believe you right now," Mariana hissed. She pulled away from Eddie and moved to the other side of the hose rack. "I ask for your help with one thing and you sit here and act like a petulant child."

"I'm not sitting," he retorted.

She shot him her most unimpressed glare and he smirked in response. The brunette rolled her eyes and shook her head as she fought to keep the smile off of her face.

"I can't tell which one is the child, you or Chris," she muttered.

Eddie caught the hose end she threw at him and raised an eyebrow in response. She stuck her tongue out, mirth dancing in her eyes. He tossed the hose over the top bar and dashed around the rack, wrapping his arms around her waist as she began to bolt.

"No PDA at work!" she whined, settling back against his chest.

"This isn't PDA," he reminded her. "I'm just making sure a coworker stops being so annoying. This is PDA."

Eddie punctuated his statement with a quick kiss to her cheek. She rolled her eyes but he could see the smile threatening to break across her face.

"Firefighter Diaz, do you copy?" Bobby's voice crackled over their radios.

"Five by five, Cap. Over."

"Ramirez, come in."

"10-4, Cap. Your favorite child is online."

Eddie's fingers dug into her sides and she squirmed out of his grip, a murderous look in her eyes. He and Buck loved the fact that they had a solid few inches on her and that she was extremely ticklish. It was their favorite way to torment her.

"Do that again and you're sleeping on the couch. No. Wait. Christopher and I will have a movie marathon in our bed and you can sleep in his bed," she threatened, making her way back towards the firehouse. As she rounded the corner, she spotted Carla which meant Christopher was here too. She pulled ahead of Eddie and grinned at the sight of her favorite guy.

"Dad! Mari!" Christopher shouted.

"Pollito!" Mariana exclaimed, kneeling down so she could pull him into a hug. She pulled back with a frown and smoothed down his hair before looking up at Carla.

"Hey guys," Eddie greeted as he joined them.

"Five alarm school emergency," Carla explained. "He's supposed to tell Ms Flores today what he's presenting for show and tell on Friday."

"And so he suckered you into stopping here on the way," Eddie sighed. "Mari is a bad influence on you, little man."

His girlfriend narrowed her eyes at him and stood back up so she could plant her hands on her hips and stare him down. Christopher laughed at their antics, making the three adults smile.

"You know I can't resist a cute face," Carla chuckled.

"Okay. Show and tell. I thought you were bringing in your new hamster!"

"Henrietta the hamster is very cool," Mari added.

"That's because you and Buck were the ones that snuck her into the house."

"And we have no shame."

"The new hamster is old news," Carla interrupted the couple. She held out a box to Eddie. "Someone's been snooping in your closet."

"Hey, Christopher, that's not cool," Mariana warned. "Next time, ask. Alright?"

He nodded and she ruffled his hair, glancing up at Eddie who had fallen silent. Mari leaned over to see what was in the box and she immediately pressed her hand against his back as a silent but steady reminder that he was here in LA with her and Christopher and the crew. He wasn't back in Afghanistan.