IT HAD BEEN A FEW WEEKS SINCE CORA HAD a secret birthday celebration with everyone and since then Buck and Cora had stayed the same. Nothing had changed, for better or for worse and so Cora was happy with that.
She lay awake in her bed already awake before alarm, she looked at the ceiling her chest deflated and her shoulders heavy, "You alive?" Lacey asked opening her door.
"No." Cora mumbled wiping her face with her hands. Lacey smiled and walked over the pile of unwashed clothes and got in Cora bed making the woman grown, "What are you doing?" She asked slightly agitated.
"Dying with you," She smiles lying down next to her. They sit in silence for a moment, "So how are you and Buck?" She asked turning her head to look at her best friend who gave her a dirty look.
"How are you and your girlfriend?" Cora asked deflecting the question, something she always did, and Lacey shrugged her shoulder.
"Y'know, I can't handle commitment," She joked and Cora rolled her eyes.
"Maybe you should get a fish," She sighs before getting up out of her bed leaving Lacey lying there. "I like the necklace," Cora can hear the smirk on Lacey's face without even having to look at her and so she didn't turn around. Her fingers touched the jewel but quickly picked up the pile of clothes and she left Lacey alone in her bedroom.
While leaning over the sink applying mascara ever so delicately her phone pings more then once gaining her attention.
She picks it up and she reads it;
Chimney: Theres a new guy coming today- heard he's a looker, you still single ;)
Cora lets out a laugh as she reads the message and responds;
I think ill leave him for you ;)
✦
Cora threw her car door shut and put her bag on her shoulder and quickly walked down the street to the fire department. Secretly she was excited to see the new guy who joined the department so she left slightly earlier then usual.
The unbearable heat scorched her skin as she walked into the fire department, Bobby was cheery- the usual mood he had been in for the past few weeks.
"You're in a good mood," Cora smiles standing next to Hen while talking to Bobby.
The man smiles and places his hands on his hips, "Why shouldn't I be?" He questions.
"Cause it's getting on my nerves," Hen says while no change in her facial expressions making Cora unsure of whether she was joking or not. Cora and Hen had worked together for a while yet anytime Hen told a joke the woman just couldn't seem to understand whether it was a joke or not.
"Whats going on with you Cap?" Cora asks, her hands holding the strap of her bag while she looks at him.
Buck interrupts the conversation by quickly walking over to them with a smile on his face and his phone in his hand, "Guess who dropped another half percent of body fat," He says amused and satisfied with himself.
Cora rolls her eyes, "Don't tell me this is for that firefighter calendar thing?" She raises her eyebrows questioning him.
Chimney joins the conversation, "And I'll be the one on that calendar," He smirks crossing his arms over his chest and standing next to Bobby. Buck gave him a questionable look.
Cora sighed, "The whole thing's ridiculous," She looks at Buck and then Chimney while her eyebrows arch but none of them agree.
"And it suggests that all firefighters a male," Hen adds and Cora nods her head in approval.
"Come on- it's for charity," Bobby backs up the men surprising Hen and Cora which turns their heads.
"Not you too," Hen sighs and Cora shakes her head looking towards the floor for a second.
"They say a man is sexiest when he's at his fifties," He shrugs and Cora nods slowly. "Is that what they say?" Hen mocks.
"Well this year I think they're gonna want an Asian sex symbol," Chimney smiles his thumbs eagerly pointing to himself. Hen rolled her eyes.
Cora zones out of the conversation for a moment and her eyes drifted of to the locker room just straight from her. A tall brunette man takes of his shirt and suddenly Cora is zoning back in, "Now that is a beautiful man," Chimney adds.
"Wheres the lie?" Hen mumbles.
Cora smirks, "Im glad I came in today," She watches the new recruit and her eyes drift down to the toned chiseled six pack.
Buck looks at Cora before looking at the man Bobby called Edie Diaz, "What do we need him for exactly?" Buck asked with a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"He served multiple tours in Afghanistan as an Army medic. Guys got a silver star. Its not like he's wet behind the ears," Bobby says, "Come on i'll introduce you to him,"
They all follow Bobby but Buck stands behind for a second looking at Cora, "What's up with you?" She jokes with him although he doesn't seem to find it funny, "Afraid you'll no longer make the magazine?" She laughs a little but frowns when he still isn't amused.
She sighs nudging his arm slightly, "Come on Buckley," She says and walks ahead of him slowly.
Buck follows her, "Do you think he's attractive?" He asks and Cora turns her head to look at him with questioning eyes. "Why?" Cora questions and he shakes his head slowly. Cora couldn't help but admit in her mind that Eddie Diaz was attractive, very attractive. Yet letting Buck know what she thought about Eddie made her feel weird- as if something about it was wrong.
✦
Cora sits next to Buck in the truck as they head out to a scene, Eddie stares out of the window while Buck stares right at the man. If looks could kill Eddie would probably be dead.
"So Eddie," Cora spoke up gaining the mans attention, "You heard of the hot firefighter calendar?" She asks knowing the question would really irritate Buck.
Eddie's eyes look into hers with confusion, "I'm sorry, the what?" He asks making her laugh.
"It's for charity," Cora can feel the glares from Buck burning in the side of her face but she ignored it the best she could. Eddie laughed and Bobby laughed to knowing how the conversation was surely riling Buck up.
"So is your full name Eduardo?" Buck asks with anger in his tone.
"No." The heat from the sun which shined through the windows burning them in their clothes wasn't as suffocating as the uneasy tension in the truck between th all.
"People ever call you Diaz?" Buck asks another question.
"Not if they want me to respond," Eddie jokes and Cora smiles lightly, Eddie looks at her with a soft glance before looking back to Buck.
"Well everyone here has a nickname, Cap, Hen, Chim," He skips past Cora and her eyes look into his.
"Whats your nickname?" Eddie asks Cora which surprises her slightly and she smiles.
"I don't have a nickname- not much you can take from Cora Reyes," She shrugs her shoulders and he nods his head.
"I think i'm good," Eddie nods and finally after an agonising ride, for some, they had arrived at the car shop. The heat immediately hit them all as soon as they jumped out of the truck.
Cora squints at Buck who still looked as miserable as before instead he stood with a shimmer of sweat on his forehead, his eyes looking down on her but instead they were dark and sharp showing little emotion. Cora almost felt a sharp hit in her chest, as if she had betrayed her friend in some sort of way.
The look was quickly forgotten as they all rushed to help the man who was impaled on a pump and currently twice his size due to air. Cora suppressed a smile and knelt down at the feet of the man.
There were enough of them talking about medical problems and so Cora stood up walking over to the mans co-workers, "Do you know how this happened?" She asked pointing to the man and the tyre pump.
The man shrugged his shoulders, "I-I don't know, he was here on his own. He must of just tripped?" He suggests and Cora gives up the search, she looked down at her group where Buck and Eddie have a disagreement over the mans body, Eddie holding a needle to his chest.
"Let him do it Buck," Bobby says but it's more of an order in this situation. Buck hands over the needle with an unnecessary force which everyone caught onto. In a matter of seconds Eddie was piercing the needle in between the mans ribs.
He quickly starts to deflate and as he does so he begins to quietly pass gas making Cora smirk and so she throws her head to the ground.
While Bobby, Eddie, Chimney and Hen help the man into an ambulance Buck stands up and Cora walks up to him, "You're making the room tense," She whispers, looking up at him with soft eyes.
His eyes are sharp as he looks down at her but seeing her face almost softens his look, "I just feel as though he's breaking what's like a family," He whispers and Cora places a gentle hand on his arm.
"When you get to know him I'm sure you'll love him," She smiles softly and he nods his head despite the obvious disagreeing look on his face.
AUTHORS NOTES //
Hey everyone, sorry this isn't a complete and finished chapter but I've got my gcses coming up very soon and so i'm really focusing on revision at the moment. Im so sorry but I thought i would just publish this chapter because it's slightly long anyway but i'll try and publish again soon.