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Maya hadn’t expected to put out any fires today.
Not on her day off.
Not on their wedding anniversary.
She should have been in their kitchen, standing next to Carina, both of them wearing the bare minimum, taking a break from their bedroom—just long enough to throw dinner together. There should have been kisses pressed against exposed shoulders, the teasing brush of lips over collarbones, wandering hands that they would wash again—only to let them wander again.
She can’t complain too much, because she isn’t stuck in a four alarm.
And she is in her underwear in someone’s kitchen.
Technically, it’s still their kitchen. But Maya lost her claim to it ten minutes ago—the moment she dared suggest cutting the chicken into strips instead of cubes, which, according to Carina, was an unforgivable offense.
That was ten minutes before Carina, stubborn and dramatic, declared she would handle it herself.
And ten minutes before she managed to set their dinner—and the entire pan—on fire.
The second Maya sees the flames leap up, instinct takes over. She doesn’t hesitate. Doesn’t think. In one swift motion, she pulls Carina back, flicks the stove off, grabs the fire extinguisher, and douses the fire before their anniversary turns into a call to Station 19.
By the time the chaos settles, the kitchen is filled with a cloud of white, the extinguisher still in Maya’s grip. She exhales, heart still racing, and turns to find Carina standing a few feet away—wide-eyed, but not exactly horrified.
No, Maya recognizes that look.
Admiration.
Desire.
The blonde sets the extinguisher down, arching an eyebrow. “You’re staring.”
Carina’s lips curve, a slow, appreciative smirk forming. "I mean…" She steps forward, eyes shamelessly dragging over Maya’s body. "How could I not? My sexy, heroic, firefighting wife, saving the day in nothing but her underwear."
Maya rolls her eyes, but her cheeks warm all the same. "You’re unbelievable," she mutters, already reaching for the cleaning supplies to take care of the mess it had created.
"So are you," Carina counters, moving in closer, wrapping her arms around her firefighter’s waist from behind. She presses a kiss to the back of her wife’s shoulder, her lips warm, soft. "I don’t even realize what’s happening, and you already have it handled."
“Well, that’s what I do,” Maya murmurs, leaning into her, voice soft but sure. “Whether it’s a fire in our kitchen, a leaking pipe, or your Italian chocolate cravings—I’ve got you.”
Just last week, the kitchen pipe had started leaking. Maya, ever the problem solver, had rushed to fix it—only to get completely soaked after forgetting to shut off the water first. But even drenched and cursing under her breath, she had still managed to repair it without Carina ever needing to ask.
Just like now. Carina hadn’t had to say a word before the blonde was already pulling her away from the fire, reacting before she had even fully processed what was happening.
The OB laughs, shaking her head against Maya’s shoulder. “You really don’t have to go across the city just to get me that chocolate, you know.”
Every month, without fail, Maya would bring her chocolate from a tiny Italian shop all the way across Seattle—always a few days before her period. The first time, Carina had told her it was unnecessary. But the firefighter had just shrugged, utterly unconcerned.
“I know another brand would be fine,” she had said, eyes twinkling. “But I also know you prefer this one. So why wouldn’t I get it for you when your uterus is trying to see how much pain you can handle?”
Carina had laughed then, shaking her head at Maya’s logic, but secretly, she had been touched. And when the chocolate had turned out to be exactly what she’d needed, she had begrudgingly agreed to let it happen again.
Maya shifts, turning fully in her wife’s arms, her hands settling on Carina’s hips, fingers brushing soft circles against her skin.
“I know,” Maya says, a slow smile playing on her lips. “But you love it.” She leans in, pressing a kiss to Carina’s cheek, then another to the corner of her mouth. “And I love you."
The brunette sighs, dramatic and fond, pressing a lingering kiss to Maya’s lips. "I do love you," she murmurs, forehead resting against Maya’s. "Even if you nearly got into a fight for me that one time."
The blonde grins, tilting her head. "He had it coming."
"Maya," Carina scolds, but there’s no real fire behind it. Just amusement, just love.
Maya pulls her closer. "I’d do it again," she says softly, sincerity woven into every syllable. "Whatever it is, Carina—fire, leaks, bad days, stupid guys at bars—I’ve got your back."
Carina exhales, something warm and deep flickering in her gaze. "I know."
She kisses Maya again, slow and deep, hands sliding over her bare skin, the smell of extinguished flames still lingering in the air.
Dinner is ruined. The kitchen is a mess. Their anniversary plans have gone completely off the rails.
But Carina has her wife in her arms, and really—that’s all that matters.
If there's a fire in your kitchen
And when your roof just won't stop leaking
I got your back without you even asking
If I gotta whoop somebody's ass, I'ma do it with passion
The kitchen is clean, the scent of extinguished flames replaced by the warmth of takeout and something sweet. They had eaten dinner curled up on the couch, and now dessert has followed them to bed—ice cream melting lazily in its bowl, forgotten between kisses and laughter.
Carina is full, happy, relaxed in a way that only happens when she is here, wrapped in Maya’s arms.
Because Maya is always within reach.
If something is dangerous, if something is wrong, she never has to worry. Because her wife will be there.
She always is.
Maya shifts slightly, pressing a kiss to Carina’s shoulder before nuzzling into her neck. "Happy anniversary," she murmurs, her voice thick with contentment.
Carina hums in response, turning to press a kiss to her wife’s temple. "Happy anniversary, amore." Her fingers trace lazy patterns on Maya’s arm. "Even if we did try to burn down our kitchen."
Maya groans, hiding her face against tan skin. “We! I very distinctly remember being kicked out of the kitchen before that happened!"
Carina laughs. "You are the firefighter, you know. You should be able to handle a little fire."
"I can! I can absolutely handle a little fire," Maya says, grinning. "It just helps when I’m already there."
Carina shakes her head, smiling. "I know you do. You always are." She tightens her hold on Maya, pressing their foreheads together. "And that’s why I never have to worry."
And when it gets too dangerous
Know I'm never out of touch
After a few weeks of dating
Carina barely spares the smoke detector a glance at first, assuming it’s just another odd apartment noise. But then the beeping starts again. And again.
She sighs, staring up at it from the middle of her living room, hands on her hips. There’s no smoke. No fire. Honestly, she isn’t even sure if the thing has ever worked properly, which is something she has managed to avoid mentioning to her fire-safety-obsessed girlfriend.
And yet, now, of all times, it chooses to go off.
With a groan, she pulls out her phone and types out a quick text:
Carina: The smoke detector is beeping, but there’s no smoke. Can you take a look sometime soon?
Twenty seconds later, her phone buzzes.
Maya: On my way.
Carina blinks.
And then she rereads the message.
It’s only after staring at her phone for a good five seconds that she realizes she didn’t just ask her girlfriend to check on a stupid beeping detector.
She asked one of Seattle’s fire captains.
She groans again, flopping onto the couch. Why didn’t she just text Andrea?
It’s not that she doesn’t want Maya’s help—she does, really—it just feels a little… exaggerated. Dramatic, even.
But ten minutes later, Maya is walking through her front door, already scanning the room like she’s on duty. Her uniform is gone, but her focus is all the same. "Where is it?" she asks, blue eyes sharp, shoulders tense.
Carina tilts her head toward the hallway, watching as her girlfriend instantly springs into action.
Within minutes, she has the detector down, opening it up like it’s a puzzle she has solved a hundred times before. "Yeah, it's the battery," she mutters, half to herself. "But honestly, Carina, you should really have better detectors. These are outdated, and they fail all the time. You know what? I can just grab some right now. Yep, yes, let me go get them. I’ll be right back."
Maya is already halfway to the door when Carina catches her wrist.
"Maya," she says, gentle but firm. "It’s just a smoke detector."
The blonde exhales sharply. "I know. It’s just..." She hesitates, biting the inside of her cheek. "Some of the calls I go to, Carina… people don’t realize how important these things are until it’s too late."
The doctor softens at that, reading the worry etched into Maya’s features. The tightness in her jaw, the slight crease between her brows. The way she keeps glancing at the useless detector like it’s a time bomb.
"If I get other detectors," Carina starts, "would that help?"
Maya nods immediately. "Optimally, you’d have detectors for other things too. Carbon monoxide is a big one—most people don’t realize how—"
"Bambina," Carina interrupts, squeezing the firefighters hand.
Maya blinks, snapping out of her fire-safety spiral. "Right. Sorry. Yeah, I—" She exhales. "I would feel better."
She doesn’t hesitate immediately tugging Maya toward the door, grabbing her purse along the way. "Then let’s go."
Maya stares at her. "Right now?"
"Si. Right now."
A beat passes. Then, a slow smile creeps across Maya’s face. "You’re kind of perfect, you know that?"
Carina smirks, leading them out the door. "I know."
“But we’re getting you a Carbon monoxide detector too, I can’t believe I haven’t gotten you one sooner.” And maybe Carina would have been annoyed by that, but she’s a doctor, she knows the risks so she just lets out a soft chuckle instead.
And maybe it should be ridiculous, how fast Maya showed up over a beeping alarm. How eager she is to drop everything, to fix something so small.
But as they walk hand-in-hand down the street, Carina finds herself smiling.
Because the truth is—nothing ever seems as urgent as she does to Maya.
Ain't gotta call 911, you can hit me up
Girl, you know I'm the one whenever you need something
An emergency, or when you just can't sleep
And I'll slide through for ya with that urgency
Anniversary night
Later, they settle into the living room, curled up against each other on the couch, watching an Italian show Carina is obsessed with. Maya had pretended not to care when she asked to watch it, but her eyes are locked onto the subtitles, her brow furrowed in concentration. She’s muttering under her breath, sounding out words she half-remembers from hearing her wife talk. She won’t admit she’s trying to learn, but Carina knows.
The main character is on the verge of doing something idiotic, a decision that will no doubt cause complete chaos. Just as the tension builds, the ads start. Carina groans, swearing in rapid Italian, and Maya lets out a frustrated sigh, mirroring her reaction before she can stop herself.
Carina laughs, turning to her. "I thought you didn’t care about this?"
"Well, I mean—no, they—they’re idiots, it’s reality TV, you know. But—"
"But? Don’t start shaking the train now, bella."
Maya squints. "Train..? Oh! Boat, rocking the boat. No, I might, but don’t panic." She shoots the brunette a playful wink, nudging her lightly with her knee. "There’s just something funny about watching this, I suppose."
Carina hums, tilting her head "Hmm. I’m glad you like it, bambina."
Maya goes quiet for a moment, her fingers idly tracing patterns on Carina’s thigh. Her expression shifts, like she’s lost in thought, and Carina waits, though the anticipation eats at her. She knows her wife, she knows her wife does this sometimes—thinks too much, overanalyzes, plans things out in her head before she speaks them into existence.
"Babe... do you—" but she trails off again.
Carina just watches, waiting for her to finish, even if patience has never been her strong suit.
"Do you think we could look into a trip to Italy soon? With the borders being open again and everything calming down. I just—I thought maybe you’d like to go home again, maybe show me around?"
Carina gasps, a smile already spreading across her face. "Oh, bambina, I would love that. But you know that—"
Maya chuckles, shaking her head. "I know it’s not home-home, that I’m your home. But that doesn’t take away from it."
Carina leans in, capturing Maya’s lips in a slow, lingering kiss, her hands sliding down to grab her the firefighters thighs and tug her forward until she’s straddling her lap.
Maya lets out a breathless laugh, bracing her hands against Carina’s shoulders. "Eager much?"
"Mmhmm," Carina murmurs against her lips, already pressing a line of kisses along Maya’s jaw. She doesn’t need to see her to know exactly where her hands belong, already trailing up Maya’s back, fingers slipping beneath the hem of her shirt, nails grazing warm skin.
The blonde leans back slightly, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Bedroom?"
She still can’t quite believe it sometimes—how she managed to marry this beautiful, stunning, tall, kind, thoughtful, and ridiculously smart Italian doctor.
Her wife, who is always dressed to the nines—except when she’s wearing Maya’s clothes, and even then, she somehow looks unfairly gorgeous.
She still can’t believe she’s the one who gets to be Carina’s wife.
As they move towards the bedroom, still tangled in each other, they bump against a dresser, knocking some items onto the floor. Carina almost stumbles, but Maya’s grip tightens instinctively, keeping her steady.
Brown eyes looks up at her, dark with something between amusement and desire. "Strong arms, quick reflexes... I knew marrying a firefighter was a good idea."
Maya smirks, brushing a strand of hair from Carina’s face. "Marrying you was the best idea I ever had."
Carina melts at the words, her breath hitching, her arms tightening around Maya’s shoulders.
"You are such a sap," she whispers, though her voice betrays how much she loves it.
Maya grins, nudging their noses together. "Only for you."
With another kiss, they disappear into their bedroom, laughter and warmth trailing behind them, the rest of the world melting away for just a little while longer.
Might rock the boat, but don't panic
Might take you home to Atlanta
Might be rushin' in, but goddamn
Wanna know you like the back of both my hands
MMMBop the mmm like I'm Hanson
You're tall, dark, and I'm handsome
Grab something new, but old-fashioned
Lucky me, I get to be your man
Things don't go as planned (oh, no, no)
But who gon' save you like I can?
After a few weeks of dating
Carina texts Maya in the middle of the night, and from the urgency in the message, it sounds like an emergency. So the firefighter doesn’t hesitate—she’s already throwing on the first clothes she can find, slipping on an old academy shirt, stained jogging pants, and a hoodie that has definitely seen better days. She barely even registers how tired she is as she grabs her keys and rushes out the door, her instincts kicking in before she can even think.
By the time she gets to Carina’s place, she’s still half-asleep but ready to jump into action. But when she steps inside, heart racing, expecting smoke or an intruder, she finds… nothing. Just her girlfriend, standing there in her pajamas, shifting from foot to foot, looking slightly guilty.
Maya blinks, trying to catch up. “Everything okay?” she asks, scanning the room for any hidden danger she might have missed.
Carina bites her lip, then admits sheepishly, “I just couldn’t sleep. And I wanted you.”
The blonde exhales a breathless laugh, running a hand through her hair. “Carina,” she says, shaking her head, but there’s no frustration, only fondness. She steps forward, tilting the brunette's chin up with a gentle finger. “You scared me.”
“I know,” Carina murmurs, eyes flickering with apology. “But you came.”
“Of course I did.” Maya pulls off her hoodie and tosses it aside before climbing into bed, opening her arms. “Alright, I’m here now. Let’s try to sleep, okay?”
Carina smiles, soft and relieved, and doesn’t hesitate before crawling into her girlfriends embrace, settling in like she belongs there. Because she does.
Ain't gotta call 911, you can hit me up (you can hit me up)
Girl, you know I'm the one whenever you need something (whenever you need something)
An emergency, or when you just can't sleep (you just can't sleep)
I'll slide through for ya with that urgency right away
right away
After a few months of dating
The night is supposed to be perfect, planned down to the last detail—romantic, effortless, just them. But of course, life doesn’t always work that way. Just as they’re about to settle in, the lights flicker once, then go out completely. A beat of silence follows, and on second look, it’s not just the lights. The entire apartment is dark, the faint hum of appliances gone.
Carina barely has time to react before Maya is already moving, instincts kicking in like muscle memory. No hesitation, no second-guessing.
“Maya, wait—”
Too late.
By the time Carina catches up, her girlfriend is already at the fuse box, flipping switches with practiced ease, jaw set in concentration. It takes seconds—maybe less. Then, just as quickly as it went out, the electricity surges back to life, casting the room in its usual warm glow.
When Maya turns back around, grinning like it was nothing, Carina can’t help but smile.
“I was going to handle it,” she teases, stepping closer, her hands finding their place around the firefighter’s waist.
“I know,” Maya says, dropping a quick kiss to her lips, barely a brush of warmth before pulling back with a smirk. “But I’m faster.”
Carina rolls her eyes, though the affection in them is impossible to miss. Her fingers trail slow, lazy patterns along the small of Maya’s back, grounding them both.
“You know,” she murmurs, tilting her head, “sometimes it’s okay to let me do things.”
The blonde hums, a quiet sound of consideration, before resting her forehead against the brunette’s, her hands slipping around to hold her closer. “I know,” she concedes, voice softer now. “But I like taking care of you.”
Carina exhales, something warm and weightless settling in her chest. She presses another kiss to Maya’s lips—slower this time, lingering.
“I know,” she whispers. “And I love you for it.”
After moving in together
One time, one of their neighbors needed help with a smoke alarm. Maya didn’t wait. She was already moving, already handling it before Carina even finished speaking.
By the time she returned, Carina was standing there, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised. “You really don’t know how to sit still, do you?”
Maya shrugged, looking smug. “Why would I wait when I can do it right now?”
The doctor let out a long-suffering sigh, shaking her head. “You know, I was going to do it.”
Maya only grinned, pressing a kiss to Carina’s temple. “I know. But I like knowing you don’t have to. And also- I’m a fire captain babe.”
Carina stared at her for a beat, something soft and exasperated all at once settling in her chest. Then, without another word, she wrapped her arms around her girlfriends neck, pulling her closer.
“You’re impossible.”
Maya smirked. “But you love me.”
Carina sighed dramatically, as if it were a real burden, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her. “I do.”
A few weeks after their wedding
Carina doesn’t understand why Maya is so insistent. It’s not urgent, not really.
“Maya, it’s fine,” she says, watching as her wife moves around with that determined look on her face—the one that usually means something is on fire, figuratively or literally.
The blonde doesn’t slow down. “It’ll just take a second,” she argues, already reaching for whatever it is she’s decided needs fixing. “Why wait?”
Carina exhales, crossing her arms. “Because it’s not a big deal. It can wait.”
Maya spins around, eyebrows raised like her wife has just suggested the most ridiculous thing she’s ever heard. “Why would we wait when we can do it right now?” She gestures wildly, exasperated. “It’s a two-minute fix, Carina.”
The OB tilts her head, watching her. The urgency in Maya’s voice, the way she can’t quite stand still, the determination in her features—it’s more than just wanting to get something done. It’s something deeper.
She steps closer, reaching out, her hand warm against Maya’s arm. “Why does it have to happen right away?”
Maya hesitates, looking down for half a second before meeting Carina’s gaze again with a small shrug. “Because if we wait, something else might come up. Or we might forget. Or—I don’t know, I just… I like taking care of things for you. Right away.”
Carina’s heart softens instantly. She recognizes the signs of a hard shift. One where her firefighter was confronted with the horrors of her job. She lets out a quiet breath, shaking her head, but there’s nothing but warmth behind it. A smile tugs at her lips as she cups Maya’s face, thumbs brushing over her cheekbones.
“Right away, yeah,” she murmurs, voice softer now.
Maya grins, triumphant, and before Carina can even blink, she’s already back to whatever task she was set on completing.
She watches her for a moment, huffing out a quiet laugh. Maybe it’s a little ridiculous. Maybe it’s unnecessary.
But maybe, just maybe, it’s also one of the many things she loves about Maya.
A few months after their wedding
When Carina came home that evening, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Maya’s shift had ended around the same time, and it was always a toss-up who would beat traffic first. But whatever she thought she’d find, it wasn’t this.
Maya, standing in their kitchen, brow furrowed in concentration as she worked on fixing a loose cabinet door.
She leaned against the doorway, watching her wife for a moment, amused. “You know, not everything has to be urgent.”
Maya glanced back, soft smile already forming. “No, but when it comes to you? I like to take care of things right away.”
Carina shook her head, letting out a small, affectionate sigh, but when Maya set her tools down and crossed the room, pulling her in for a kiss, she decided she didn’t mind at all.
She threaded her fingers through the blondes hair, pulling her in just a little closer, a silent way of saying thank you.
“You’re ridiculous,” she murmured against her lips.
Maya smirked. “And yet, here you are, kissing me anyway.”
Carina laughed, lips brushing over Maya’s once more before she whispered, “Shut up and come to bed.”
Maya grinned. “Right away.”
(Right, right, right away)
(Right now, right now) right away
(Right, right, right away) right away yeah
(Right, right, right away)
A few weeks ago
It’s been a long day, and Carina is exhausted. She leans against the counter, rubbing her temples. Maya takes one look at her and immediately steps in, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close.
“What do you need?” Maya asks, her voice gentle.
The brunette sighs. “Just… a minute.”
Maya nods, guiding her to the couch, settling her down before disappearing into the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returns with a cup of tea, setting it down before pressing a kiss to her wife’s forehead. She kneels down in front of her, hands resting on Carina’s knees.
“I’m right here,” Maya murmurs, tucking a stray curl of brown hair behind her ear, “whatever you need, I’m here for you.”
Carina looks down at her, warmth spreading through her chest. She cups Maya’s cheek, brushing her thumb softly over her skin. “Thank you.”
The blonde leans into her touch, pressing a kiss to her palm. “Always.”
She exhales, her shoulders relaxing for the first time all day. “You always know what I need.”
Her wife just grins. “That’s kind of my thing.”
Carina laughs softly, pulling Maya up and into her arms. “Come here, Firefighter Bishop.”
Maya melts into her, and for the rest of the night, there’s nothing but warmth.
When your back's against the wall
Baby, you know who to call
After a few weeks of dating
Carina barely has the energy to hold her phone to her ear. She sighs as she leans against the cool brick wall outside the hospital, exhaustion weighing heavy on her shoulders. The shift had been brutal—too many patients, too many hours, too many emotions tangled together in the pit of her stomach. She doesn’t even know what she needs, only that she doesn’t want to be alone.
The phone rings once, twice.
Then, Maya’s voice. “Hey, babe.” Warm, easy, familiar.
Her brown eyes closes, relief washing over “Hi.”
Something in her voice must give her away, because Maya’s tone shifts instantly. “What’s wrong?”
She hesitates. It’s late. Maya is probably already home, already winding down from her own long day. And yet… “I just—” She sighs again, pressing her fingers to her temple. “I had a hard day.”
There’s no pause, no hesitation. “Where are you?”
Carina blinks, surprised by how quickly Maya switches into action. “Outside the hospital.”
“I’m on my way.”
Carina’s heart tugs at the certainty in her voice. “Maya, you don’t have to—”
“Carina.” Her girlfriend’s voice is firm, but not impatient. Just steady. Sure. “Of course I do.”
By the time Maya pulls up, Carina has worked through at least five different ways to tell her she shouldn’t have come, but every single one of them disappears the second Maya steps out of the car. She’s dressed in sweatpants and an old hoodie, hair thrown up in a messy ponytail, and yet, she still looks like the safest place in the world.
Maya reaches for her immediately, hands sliding to Carina’s waist, pulling her in. “Hey,” she murmurs, soft but grounded.
Carina exhales, melting into her. “Hey.”
The blonde pulls back just enough to search her face. “You wanna come to mine?”
She nods, and Maya kisses her temple before leading her to the car, opening the door for her like it’s second nature. Once they’re on the road, the quiet hum of the engine filling the space between them, Carina lets out a breath and murmurs, “I’m sorry for bothering you.”
Maya scoffs, glancing at her like she just said the most ridiculous thing in the world. “You can always call me, Carina.”
“I know, but—”
“No ‘but.’” Maya shakes her head, reaching for the doctors hand, squeezing it between the gear shifts. “You don’t have to wait until it’s an emergency. If you need me, I’m there. Always.”
Carina stares at their joined hands, warmth blooming in her chest.
Maya squeezes again. “Got it?”
A soft smile tugs at Carina’s lips as she squeezes back. “Got it.”
“You’re my priority babe, I’m here for you, per sempre.”
Ain't gotta call 911, you can hit me up (you can hit me up)
Girl, you know I'm the one whenever you need something
An emergency, or when you just can't sleep (when you just can't sleep)
And I'II slide through for ya with that urgency
I'll slide