Chapter Text
"Chim! I swear to god if you were the one who stole my sour patches again..."
It was a slow day for the 118, but everyone knew the peace wasn't going to last. They'd all seen the news of the wildfires approaching the city. Additional units from as far as Chicago had been called in. They would be sent in to the fire soon enough, but their station was one of the firehouses playing host to the out of city crews, so they had been put on standby till backup arrived. The 118 would be hosting the 126 out of Austin, and a couple of additional officers out of Chicago.
Buck was just glad he was going to see TK again soon. He'd gotten news through the grapevine that the Chicago firefighters were a captain and a lieutenant, but that they were both some of the youngest officers in the CFD. Firefighter prodigies. Eddie just hoped they weren't stuck up assholes who looked down upon everyone else.
The two best friends were drawn out of their thoughts by the spectacle taking place in front of them.
Chimney, in the process of eating said sour patches, froze, going pale. Eddie and Buck tried valiantly to hide their giggles from their position on the couch.
Hen was on the warpath and Bobby wisely stepped out of her way. He was not getting in the middle of that.
Chimney looked up, a frightened smile on his face while fruitlessly trying to hide the candy behind his back. "Chimney, I am on day 2 of my 5 monthly days of hell, and unless you want me to demonstrate on you how much pain I am currently in, you will hand over my candy. Now."
Buck couldn't control his laughter at the last statement, and the moment he started laughing Eddie was gone too. The scene was hilarious enough that even Bobby couldn't help letting out a couple of chuckles.
Chimney, meanwhile, looked like he was facing down an angry goddess, which wasnt very far from the truth. He put his hands up after he delivered the half empty packet of sour patches into Hen's waiting hands.
"Howard Han, the next time—"
The alarms blared.
Chimney wilted like he was a puppet who's strings had just been cut. Hen poked Chim's chest with a solitary finger.
"This isn't over Han."
Chimney was back to making an excellent impression of a a deer in headlights.
_______________________________
"Dad! Come in here for a second!" TK's shout echoed around the house. He had his head buried in his closet, so he missed the way Owen came running in, half afraid something bad had happened.
He turned around the moment his father skidded to a halt and gave him a sheepish smile. Owen just shook his head.
'What am I going to do with that boy?'
"Which shirt looks better?" TK held up 2 equally garrish floral shirts. "I have a date with Carlos and I want to look good,"
"If you two are finally, after months of being together, going on a proper date to an actual restaurant, neither of those 2 are going to cut it,"
"Wait, how do you know where we're going?" Owen couldn't believe he'd let that slip.
"Carlos may have texted me for advice?"
TK burst out laughing. Owen couldn't help but feel mildly offended at that reaction. "Hey! I'm not completely terrible at the whole dating thing! I managed to snag your mother!"
"No, no, I am glad that you two are close enough for him to come to you for advice. I'm just imagining both of you trying to find a vegan restaurant in this city I haven't already been to that isn't terrible!"
"Yeah, that was a challenge. Actually Marjan was the one that finally came up with a place,"
"Hold up, Marjan? Since when is the rest of the firehouse part of this conversation?"
"Since me and Carlos couldn't come up with anything? He sort of gave up finding something with my help and then he texted Judd, who is clueless at all of this, then Paul, who refuses to eat at vegan restaurants after all the food at the firehouse, and then finally Marjan, who was the only helpfull one. I don't understand why he didn't text her first. She's clearly the only sane one out of all of you,"
"Hey! Don't exclude yourself from that group. The day any of us make more sense than Marjan, the world is gonna end,"
"Eh, you're probably right,"
"I think it's sweet that he cared enough to subject himself to all of your ribbing to find a place that I hadn't tried yet,"
"Yeah, yeah, we all know how sweet and amazing and hot and sexy your boyfriend is. I know more about your love life than any father should. I've seen more things than any father should..."
"Dad!" TK's voice had a distinct whine to it. Owen looked up from the floor to check, and yup, the boy was even pouting. How did a grown man make those kind of expressions, he didn't understand.
"Anyway, back to the original point of this conversation. If not either of these shirts, what should I wear?"
Owen dove into TK's closet instead of replying. He came out with a deep bottle green shirt.
"This one. It makes your eyes pop,"
"Thanks dad. You're the best,"
"Before I forget, don't stay out too late tonight. There's a wildfire approaching LA, and I don't know for sure but we might get deployed,"
TK grabbed his keys before walking out the bedroom door ahead of his father.
"Will do, dad,"
"And use protection!"
TK didn't grace that with a response.
_______________________________
"Casey! Casey! Casey!" Severide banged on his roommate's door 3 times before each shout of his name. Matt regretted introducing him to The Big Bang theory.
"It's too early for this! Shift doesn't start for another hour and half!" Casey shouted from where his face was buried in his pillow. If his friend didn't have a good reason to disturb his scarce hours of sleep... He wondered if Jay Halstead could help him hide a body.
Severide entered the room anyway, and Matt groaned. The man just didn't know when to take a hint.
"What?"
"Stella wants pancakes for breakfast, so I'm going to that place on ninth. You want anything?"
"I swear to fucking god Kelly Severide, if thats the only reason you woke me up..."
"Does that mean you don't want anything?"
"No," Matt gave up. "Get me my regular waffle order. And you're paying!"
"Sure, bud. Oh, also Boden called. There's wildfire heading straight for LA. We're being deployed. Plane leaves in 2 hours," Kelly spoke before leaving the room and closing the door.
"Next time lead with that, asshole!"
Casey wondered why he put up with Severide. Kelly's laughter followed him out the door.