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

five

WARNING: mentions of blood, death, alcohol, and addiction

"Ooo, fajita night!" Mariana exclaimed as she and Buck entered the kitchen. The younger man leaned over the counter and grabbed a pepper out of Hen's dish which earned a glare from the paramedic.

"Really? If you want some, just ask."

"Hen, could I please have some?" Mariana said in her sweetest voice. Hen nodded with a smirk on her lips and Mariana instantly shoved Buck away from her as she bounded around the island to grab a bowl.

"I'm good. I already ate," Buck replied, ignoring the two women.

"You still owe me twenty bucks, Buck. Don't think I'mma forget."

"For what?"

"For the cookie bouquet we delivered to Chimney," Mariana drawled out, passing Hen a bowl. "The one with the get well card that we personally watched you sign."

"He's doing it again." Buck ignored their frustrations, his gaze fixed on Bobby who was seated across the room. Mariana rolled her eyes as she dished some of the chicken and peppers over the rice Hen has already cooked.

"What? Eating dinner?" Hen snarked.

"It's something normal people do, Evan."

"Haha. No. Staring into that book," Buck whined. "Come on, you two must have a line on the gossip around here. What is it? Wh-why is he so obsessed with it?"

"Why are you so obsessed with yourself?" Mariana snapped.

"Down girl. All I'm gonna tell you about that book is to stay the hell away from it. Trust me. I made that mistake three months into working here," Hen warned.

"So you're saying no one here knows what he writes in it. Well, watch this."

Buck sauntered off to go bother Bobby as Hen and Mari took a seat at the dinner table. Mariana sat across from the older woman, a look of annoyance on her face.

"When he swings at you, make sure it hits the mark you've already got," Mariana snarked before she dug into her dinner. "Entitled brat."

Hen lightly kicked her under the table and gave her a pointed look. Mariana's harsh edge came from a well-meaning place. She was protective over her team and in doing so, sometimes came off as an aggressive attack dog. Hen knew there was an underlying reason for her snarkiness, bitterness, and aggression but Mariana never spoke of it. Instead, the team just tried to help her stay calm and manage situations peacefully.

They were still working on it.

Mariana angrily stabbed her fork into her dinner and chowed down, her jaw clenching as she turned her head to watch Buck bother Bobby.

"Bobby can look out for himself, y'know? I get that you two had a rocky relationship when he first came here and you feel like you have to make up for that, but he's a captain. He knows how to handle the likes of Buck," Hen said.

"It's not that. I...ugh, clearly I have issues letting people in. I don't know, Bobby's the first person who I've felt like I can be open with. He's the first captain I've been able to trust. He hasn't left."

Hen saw the chance to get the brunette to open up and took it. "Is that why you struggled with the other captains? They left so soon?"

Mariana shrugged, pushing her food around her bowl. "Guess so. I don't really have a great track record with people staying. Everyone leaves me at one point or another."

"Not us. We aren't leaving any time soon. Got it?"

A heavy thud drew their attention back towards Bobby and Buck and they found the younger man shoved up against the wall by a furious looking captain. Bobby stormed off which was perfect timing since the bell began to wail.