In Flames Extras

The Black Tank Top

Mariana Diaz was a light sleeper. It came with the territory of being a firefighter, a nurse, and a mom. She had to be ready to jump at a moment's notice and run to help someone.

So when she woke up to the sound of shouting and video game explosions, Mariana Diaz was not happy. She dug her elbow into her husband's stomach, eliciting a grunt from Eddie. Mariana rolled her eyes and nudged him again.

"What?" he groaned.

"One of your children is playing video games and it is eleven fucking p.m. so I know that shouldn't be happening."

Eddie shot up and Mariana hid her smirk in her pillow. He slid his hand along her waist as he pulled off the sheet and moved to the door. He paused, turning back to tuck the blanket around her again, and then stormed out to go lecture either Christopher or Diego. Considering Christopher was on a rebellious streak lately and should be currently grounded from electronics, she would put her money on him.

Mari tried to fall back asleep but being in her bed, not one of the firehouse cots, without the steady press of her husband against her made sleep much harder to come by. She sat up and fluffed her pillow before rolling over to face the door, inhaling the heady scent of Eddie that coated his side of the bed. She shut her eyes and counted sheep. No dice. She never had the patience for that.

Sitting up, she flipped on the light of her bedside lamp and fumbled for her reading glasses. If she was going to be awake, she might as well try and get some reading done for the next book club meeting with Athena, Travis, Karen, and Linda. It was some cheesy romance novel with some hunky male cowboy lead, but Mariana couldn't care less if he had a six or eight pack.

Because the bedroom door was creaking open again and her cowboy stood before her once more. Her gaze trailed over the tight black tank top and basketball shorts that clung to certain...assets. Mariana stuck her bookmark back between the pages and tossed the offending object on her nightstand.

"Everything good?" she asked. Eddie sighed and ran a hand over his face, but nodded. She moved to kneel on the bed and crawled to his side, her hands coming up to rest on his chest. Eddie raised an eyebrow at her cheeky grin and he reached up to pull her glasses off and set them on his nightstand.

"Have I ever mentioned that you're really hot?" she teased.

"It's come up once or twice."

She ran her hand over his chest and then along the muscular biceps. Goosebumps erupted across his flesh at her delicate touch. She paused at the tattoo that rested on his forearm. A little butterfly. He had surprised her with it a few weeks back and she couldn't stop looking at it. His veins ran along his forearm and she moved her ministrations to tracing along the small rivers.

"Eddie?" Her lips ghosted over his. He settled his free hand on her hip and pressed impossibly closer.

"Hmm?"

"Lock the door."

Mariana found herself sitting on the floor of her bathroom with her best friend pressed up against her. Buck checked his watch again and then laid his head back on the tub. He bumped his knee against hers.

"C'mon. Talk to me."

"I'm going to chop his dick off and throw it into the ocean."

"That's a bit overdramatic."

She turned her head from staring blankly at the speckled ceiling to glaring a burning hole into his face. Buck winced and muttered out a quiet apology. He checked his watch again.

"I mean it wouldn't be awful."

"I'll chop your dick off too. I'll make a whole production of it. We'll have a party. A castration celebration."

"I still have that photo of the time you were high from pain meds and fell asleep holding a picture of Eddie while crying."

"Scratch that. I'm just going to kill you. Feed you to the fishies and everything."

"Alright, go ahead. Who is going to help you bury Eddie's body?"

Mari pondered the question. Buck checked his watch.

"You can stay but you're on thin fucking ice, Buckley."

"That's fair."

Silence. Buck decided to switch the topic.

"Did you catch Beat Bobby Flay last night?"

"Nah, we've been watching Bar Rescue for some reason. I also have this, like, deep rooted hatred for Bobby Flay that I can't explain. Eddie said I need to bring it up with my therapist but it's not affecting my life, y'know? If I need a Bobby that makes fucking amazing BBQ, I'm just gonna ring up our Bobby."

"See, that's me and Alton Brown. There's just something about his vibe." He checked his watch.

"His vibe? What are you, twelve?" Mariana snorted out a laugh.

"I just know that you would make a twelve year old cry in the Call of Duty lobby."

"Oh my god, can time move any slower?"

Buck raised his hand and counted down slowly. Five. Four. Three. Two.

When he held up the final finger, they both leaned forward to stare at the three plastic strips that sat on the toilet lid. Buck glanced between the three objects and his best friend, studying her face.

Mariana didn't do anything at first. She just stared at the little screens. And then she clasped her hands together, bowed her head, and was silent. Buck gave her a moment and then he rested his hand on her shaking shoulder.

"Mari?" His voice was soft and quiet, as if he might scare her if he spoke too loudly. She let out a hiccuping cough and then raised her head, revealing her silvery tear-stained cheeks and the wide smile on her face.

"Holy shit," she breathed. He matched her grin and yanked her into a hug.

"Yeah, holy shit."

"Shit, Buck, I'm gonna have to give birth again."

He squeezed her in another hug and let out a watery laugh as they gazed down at the three positive pregnancy tests. "Please check yourself into the labor and delivery wing the second you hit thirty five weeks. I really don't want to deliver your second kid."

Eight months later, in the middle of a traffic jam on the LA freeway thanks to a massive crash that the 118 was assisting with, Mariana Ramirez-Diaz went into labor in the back of a taxi.

With both Hen and Chimney attending to victims of the crash, Bobby directing the team, and Eddie providing his wife with emotional support, Evan Buckley delivered Jessica Diaz into the world.

He would never let him know, but Buck was eternally grateful when Mariana asked Eddie to get a vasectomy. He loved his best friend/sister, but he really couldn't keep bringing Diaz kids into the world.

A/N: hi, how ya doing? Been a long time. I am not coming back to Wattpad anytime soon especially since I am much busier on other platforms. I write for DC nowadays (if you're over 18, you can read my stuff :)) and I'm a senior in college! Life is flying by and it's been really great. 

I was in a really, really bad place mentally in April through July, but I have genuinely improved so much and found a reason to live again. I welcome each day instead of dreading it. Mental health is so, so important and taking a break for self care is necessary. Take this from someone who's mind and body broke down due to how much stress I was putting on myself.

But yeah, probably not going to come back to Wattpad thanks to the fact that people keep stealing my stories for their poorly written works with cheap writing, crap grammar, and laughable characters. That's another thing I discovered while taking a break. I don't give a fuck anymore! I worked damn hard on my fics only to be bullied by a grown adult lmao.

So yeah. If you're 18+ and want to read my works in other places, let me know. Don't lie to me about your age. Stay a kid, folks. I might pop in and out of here but, in the meantime...

I love you.