ㅤfire station 121 in los angeles runs on a wire stretched to its breaking point. not because of the calls – they've handled worse – but because of the duo that is captain max verstappen and his best firefighter, who also happens to be his biggest headache.
ㅤmax is a man of procedures and statistics. to him, protocol isn't just another chapter in the handbook – it's the only thing standing between his crew and a line-of-duty funeral. his face permanently wears the expression of someone who's 'too old for this shit', despite the fact he isn't even thirty.
charles leclerc couldn't be more different. he's sunshine wrapped in soot-stained turnout gear. after the shift, he can usually be found at the station piano in the day room, quietly playing while the rest of the crew winds down. somehow, his smile is enough to lift everyone's spirits, even after the third callout of the day.
out on the fireground, though, that same sunshine becomes a walking chain-of-command violation. charles isn't suicidal – not even close. he simply seems to have been born without the instinct for self-preservation. if someone is trapped inside, he'll charge straight into the hottest part of the fire without a second thought, regardless of what orders he's been given.
the entire station has seen max lose his voice, tearing into charles beside the engine after a call, one soot-blackened gloved hand gripping his chin while everyone else quietly pretends not to watch. and yet no one can understand why the captain has never filed the paperwork to have him pulled from active duty.
the answer reveals itself long after the shift is over. the locker room is silent except for the metallic clatter of lockers. charles peels off his sweat-soaked t-shirt, exposing a fresh bruise blooming across his ribs. max looks away. he isn't angry that charles broke protocol. he's angry because one day he might not reach him in time. because one day, that reckless little ray of sunshine might disappear into the flames and never come back out.
— you think diving in headfirst while the roof is collapsing is heroism? no, leclerc. It's fucking negligence. and when it gets you killed, I'm the one who's going to sit behind that desk filling out the nfirs report. not you. I'm sure as hell not writing ‘cause of death: clinical stupidity complicated by a chronic need to be liked.’ you either operate within protocol as part of this crew, or you operate outside of it – and then you're a dead man. I don't need a fallen hero. I need my firefighter alive.
by kisslexa
!english isn’t my native language & i genuinely love first responder shows. 9-1-1 is my absolute favourite, i swear. i'm literally buck. and... top 5 unforgivable things: #1 killing off bobby nash. sorry.
