Chapter Text
Summertime in Velaris was hot. Sweltering, humid, no relief to be found, hot.
This made it dangerous for the citizens of the city. It was common for our station to be called out on heat exhaustion emergencies. Construction workers, pool patrons, the elderly in their various homes, everyone was subject to the heat of the day.
I woke up ready for more calls to come through until my chief called me into his office.
Today it seemed, I had drawn the short straw and would be doing fire extinguisher inspections at an apartment building at the edge of town. I didn’t mind it too much if it meant that I wouldn’t have to run around answering calls. He gave me a clipboard with the checklist and sent me on my way with an address.
Even though it was just past eight in the morning, the sun was already forcing its heat into the air and ground, turning whatever dew gather overnight into steam. My hair started to curl and dampen in the humidity, sweat beaded on my forehead. I hustled to the subway system, hoping that it would be cool enough there to stave off the oncoming heat.
Two train rides and another sweaty walk later, I was standing outside of the building, double-checking the address. It looked to be about 10 stories high and its once white bricks were stained grey and black from the decades of city pollution. I pressed the button that indicated the landlord for the building and waited. And waited. And waited. I pressed it again, vaguely hoping that he didn’t answer, and I could go get myself a bubble tea from the shop I saw a few blocks away.
Then, through the crackling speakers came a gruff, slightly slurred voice. “Whaddaya want?”
“Hi, sir, I’m here to do the fire extinguisher inspections?” I said bringing out my most polite voice.
The man grumbled something that didn’t make it through the mic and a buzzer sounded, unlocking the door for me.
I pushed past the outer iron door and the interior door to find myself in a dimly lit hallway mostly filled by what I can only describe as a glob of a man. His white wife-beater was stained yellow and brown like he hardly washed it (or changed out of it). Funnily enough, the colors matched his teeth.
“Here’s the apart-burp-ments that need to be inspected,” he shoved a scrap of paper my way, the scrawl just legible.
I scanned the list, looks like only a dozen or so needed to be done. I flinched back as something silver flew at me, catching me in the shoulder and sliding into my hands.
“There are the keys, everyone is at work, no need to knock,” and then fixing me with a surprisingly intense, bloodshot stare, “Hurry up and get ‘em done, you’re cutting into my TV time.” How me taking the keys so he didn't have to accompany me cut into his TV time, I didn’t know but also didn’t argue with him as I set off to find the first apartment.
The first few were easy, the fire extinguishers either in plain sight or under the sink. I even got to pet a friendly cat which was curious as to what I was doing in their home.
The fifth one on my list changed my life forever.
Unlocking the door, I stepped into an apartment that was hot. Cutting a glance over to the window unit, I saw that it was off. Maybe the tenant was trying to save on electric while they were at work.
The second thing I noticed was that any free space in the place was taken up by paintings or painting supplies. Large and small, bright and dark, there were pieces everywhere. The few closest to me were of the big park in the middle of the city. I recognized the waterfall that I visited on my days off, it lovingly rendered by a careful hand.
Gorgeous paintings aside, I was resolved to get this one done as fast as possible because the heat in here was starting to get unbearable. Turning, I immediately banged into a table that I didn't see, sending some brushes clattering over each other. Whoops. I scooped them up and placed them in their original place before turning to the kitchen to find the fire extinguisher.
That’s when my life went sideways.
Literally.
One moment I was on my feet and the next I was on the ground with a bruise forming on my side and a battle cry echoing in my ears. Or maybe that was my own scream.
Twisting to see what the fuck just hit me, I froze, every thought in my head eddying out.
A woman just hit me.
A naked woman with wide blue eyes and a sword just hit me and knocked me on my ass.
“Fuck.” We both said.
She sounded absolutely mortified. At what, I didn’t know because she was beautiful. Her body was lithe but not skinny. Curves in all the right places but it was her face that was the true masterpiece.
Graceful cheekbones with adorable freckles sprinkled across. Blue eyes that could have been gray were stretched wide open along with a full mouth that was still parted in horror.
Oh, maybe she was mortified because she had just attacked someone with a sword while naked. And I was staring like a creep.
That mouth opened and closed, absolutely lost for words.
“Your landlord let me in so I could inspect your fire extinguisher.” Really? That’s the first thing you say? Not ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘holy shit you’re beautiful’ or LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE?????
“Ah,” was all she said in response before disappearing back into what was probably her bedroom.
I almost blurted ‘come back’ but bit down on my tongue to keep the words from escaping. This woman just went through a traumatic experience and didn’t need me acting like a pervert.
Shock still made my limbs numb. Walking into a burning building? No problem. Rescuing a cat from a tree? Easy. Being knocked to the ground by a gorgeous woman with a sword? My inner weeb took control of my body and rendered me useless.
Either seconds or hours later, I still hadn’t moved from the ground when she reappeared, a pale blue robe now covering her and sword nowhere to be seen.
“Sorry about that, my landlord failed to inform me that they would be doing inspections,” gods even her voice was—stop that!
“I’m sorry,” came out as an accidental whisper, so I tried again louder with, “He told me that no one was home. I should have knocked.” No shit, Sherlock.
The woman grimaced, her lovely mouth turning down. “Yeah, he does that sometimes.”
The words exchanged finally shook the rest of my body from its state of shock and I was finally able to stand up. I watched as she scanned my body, reading the look on her face that seemed to be a mixture of appreciation and disbelief.
I blushed at the frank assessment, those blue eyes stripping me down to my core, and turned away. I lifted my hand and scratched the back of my neck. A nervous tick my mother was never able to stop.
“At least take me to dinner first,” I mumbled nearly under my breath, unable to stop the teasing words in hope to lighten the situation.
“Um, sorry?”
Probably for the best she didn’t actually hear me say that. “Where do you keep your fire extinguisher?” That was much safer territory.
“Oh, under the sink,” she led me to her kitchen and bent over to open up the door. My eyes immediately dropped to where the hem of her robe started to rise up before I forced myself to look away and retrieve the clipboard I had dropped. She’s already been through enough and doesn’t need you staring at her.
I knelt down and took out the fire extinguisher, letting the familiar motions of inspecting it calm my mind and hands.
Tick tick tick my pen made checkmarks down the list. Everything was in order for her’s, so I finished and stood up.
She met my eyes again and held my gaze.
They were spectacular. Not just blue, but the gray I saw before were flecks of it with a tiny hint of green near the pupil. Incredible.
She looked away before I did. I was done and I should have left but something held me there.
“Um, you have a good swing,” trying again to lighten the mood. She was able to put me on my ass with it.
“What? For a girl?” she nearly snapped out. Shit.
“Oh! Uh, no-no,” I stuttered, cursing myself for the stupid comment. “Just like, in general.” I scratched the back of my neck again. Failed again at trying to be normal.
“Oh,” was all she said, still looking away.
“I’m Rhysand, by the way,” might as well try to be friendly then.
“Feyre. I’m sorry again for… before,” looks like we both were struggling with normalcy but after what happened that was to be expected, I guess.
“For bringing me down with spectacular sword moves?”
She jumped, “Um, yeah.”
“Well, I promise not to tell anyone if you promise not to tell the others at the station, they’d never let me live it down.” Truth. Cas and Az would laugh at me all day and into the night and then bring it up every day after.
She snapped her head to look at me, her gaze searching. After a moment, a small grin twisted her mouth into something pretty, “I think I can promise that.”
I offered a smile of my own, and then watched her eyes flicker to my mouth and then away. Interesting.
“Well, I have a few more inspections to do, but I doubt they’ll be as exciting as this one.”
She laughed at that, looking surprised as the chuckle slipped out. It sent me laughing as well.
“No, they probably won’t be,” humor tingeing her voice finally.
Something not of my own volition had me pulling my card from my pocket and saying, “If you ever have any problems with your fire extinguisher, give me a call. And if you don’t…” my eyes sweeping over her body again, praying that I had read her looks from earlier right, “Give me a call anyways.”
She took the card, our fingers brushing and sending tingles up my arm.
“I’ll be sure to do that.”
I gave her an unrestrained smile and was glad to see that she returned the same.
And that kids, is how I met your mother.