It had been a long, grueling shift for the 118, and Buck was leaning against the kitchen counter, trying to catch his breath after the latest call. The adrenaline was still buzzing in his veins, but the station was quiet for the moment. As he poured himself a cup of coffee, his eyes landed on them across the room.

They were sitting at the table, her uniform slightly askew, scrolling through her phone with that familiar, stoic expression. They weren’t one to reveal much about herself, but Buck had always admired how they handled things with a quiet strength. Today, though, something felt different. Maybe it was the way the light from the overhead lamps hit their face, casting soft shadows, or the fact that they seemed even more distant than usual.

He couldn’t pinpoint when it started, but over the past few weeks, Buck had noticed he found himself paying attention to them more—more than he had with anyone else in the station. It wasn’t just their calm and competence that drew him in; there was something deeper, something unspoken between them that he couldn’t quite define.

"Hey," he called out, his voice a little softer than usual. He smiled, feeling a flutter in his chest that he hadn’t quite expected. It was just a simple exchange, but suddenly, it felt like something more. He knew he’d been drawn to them for a while, but in that quiet moment, it hit him—he wasn’t just admiring them anymore. He was feeling something for them. Something deeper.