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“ Shit, shit, shit.”
Curses and smoke spilled from the small apartment kitchen like a storm cloud as Dani darted frantically from counter to counter. Her curls bounced wildly with every movement, sweat beading along her hairline as she grabbed the nearest bowl, filled it with tap water, and flung it at the flames licking up from the frying pan.
The fire roared back angrily, doubling in size.
“Motherfucker! Why are you bigger now?!” Dani’s voice cracked as she stumbled backward, coughing into her sleeve.The commotion drew a groggy Manon from her bedroom.
“Dani? What the fuck is going on?” she asked, voice still raspy with sleep until her eyes landed on the chaos. Then they widened in horror.
“I was just trying to cook the leftover chicken from the freezer—AHH!” Dani squealed as the flames popped and hissed, singeing the edge of a towel hanging nearby.
Manon’s jaw dropped.
“Water?! You’re throwing water on a grease fire?!” She rushed forward, grabbing Dani’s arm before she could refill the bowl.
“Nope. Stop. You’re going to make us both explode!”
“What do we do?!” Dani shrieked, voice shrill, her hands flapping uselessly in the air. She was frozen between fight and flight, leaning more toward the latter.
Manon didn’t waste time answering. She bolted back to her room, returning with her phone already pressed to her ear. Grabbing Dani’s trembling hand, she yanked her out the front door. Smoke followed them into the hallway like an uninvited guest.
By the time they hit the street, several neighbors were gathered outside in pajamas and coats, whispering and pointing toward the rising smoke above the building. Dani sank onto the cold sidewalk, hugging her knees like a child caught with matches.
Manon, keeping her eyes on their window, spoke steadily into her phone: “Hi, there’s a fire at 5433 Weyburn Street, unit six. Kitchen fire. It’s spreading fast.” Her voice only wavered when she saw the black smoke curling through their window cracks.
Dani buried her face deeper into her arms, groaning,
“This is why I don’t cook.”
The sound of approaching sirens cut through the growing chatter of the crowd.
Manon snorted despite herself, smacking Dani’s shoulder. “Remind me to never let you near raw chicken again.”
♥ - ♥
“Please stay behind the yellow tape, everyone,” who Dani assumed is Lieutenant, barked as another firefighter unfurled caution tape to corral the residents.
Dani jumped up, wringing her hands. “Please, please save our apartment. If the whole place goes up because of me, I’ll never recover.”
The Lieutenant, Sugihara, his name stitched neatly across his uniform, smiled kindly despite the chaos. “Don’t worry, ma’am. My crew is the best in this city and they’re already on it.”
“What? Already?!” Dani gasped. She glanced toward the building, expecting to see a dramatic entrance. “I didn’t even see them go in!”
“You were too busy apologizing to Mrs. Gonzalez for scaring her cats,” Manon teased from beside her with a smirk. “But honestly? They’re ho- wait that’s not really appropriate to say right now.”
Dani frowned in confusion, “What? Just say what you were gonna say.”
Manon shrugged, “They’re hot. I mean… the firefighters.”
“Really, Man? Puns? Now?” Dani groaned, but Manon’s mischievous grin didn’t falter.
“I’m serious” Manon insisted with a defensive tone, but the giggle that escaped her didn’t help her case.
Before Dani could spiral further, Sugihara interrupted. “Can I confirm who made the emergency call? We’ll need statements from both of you after the situation is under control.”
Manon lifted her hand. “That was me.”
“Good. Stay nearby. I’ll send someone over once we’ve cleared it.” Sugihara gave them a nod before jogging toward the building.
Dani, overwhelmed, drifted toward a tree a little further from the crowd and collapsed into a plastic chair. Her hands were still shaking.
“Hey, don’t disappear,” Manon warned, eyeing her closely.
“I’m not,” Dani promised, managing a weak smile. “Just… need air.”
Manon sighed but relented.
From her seat, Dani pulled her knees up to her chest, watching the smoke curl lazily from their window. She was so lost in her guilt that she almost didn’t notice when someone plopped down beside her.
“Hey,” Yoonchae greeted casually, brushing back her straight hair.
“Yoonchie,” Dani muttered, offering a limp wave. Yoonchae was their neighbor, though at this point she felt more like family than anything else. She had moved into the apartment across the hall only six months ago, the youngest of the bunch by a few years, fresh out of college and figuring out her own independence. Somehow, without anyone really noticing when it happened, she’d become a permanent fixture in Dani and Manon’s daily lives.
Most nights, she could be found sprawled across their couch with a blanket burritoed around her shoulders, watching K-dramas with Manon until way too late. Other times, she’d show up at Dani’s door to steal snacks, roll her eyes at Dani’s questionable life choices, or lecture them both about “adulting” despite being the baby of the group. She had the blunt honesty of a little sister, the kind who pointed out every embarrassing detail, but she also had the kind of loyalty that meant she was always there when they needed her.
“You okay?”
“Define ‘okay,’” Dani groaned. “I set the kitchen on fire and dragged the whole building outside in the middle of the night. Sophia’s gonna love this story.”
At the mention of her roommate’s name, Yoonchae smirked. “She’s still at the theater. Some after-school event with the kids. Lucky for you, she’ll come home too late to see the actual disaster in action.”
Sophia wasn’t just Yoonchae’s roommate, she was just as much a part of Dani and Manon’s lives as Yoonchae was. Whenever Yoonchae wandered into their apartment to sprawl on the couch for K-dramas with Manon, Sophia usually followed not long after, carrying snacks or tea in hand. Where Yoonchae teased and poked like a mischievous younger sibling, Sophia balanced it with her steady, older-sister energy.
Dani gave a pitiful laugh, then sighed. “She’s going to kill me when she finds out. Sophia’s the responsible one. She’s like… our neighborhood saint.”
“That’s because she is, ” Yoonchae said, leaning back in her chair. “She spends more time chatting with Mrs. Gonzalez or the parents on the first floor with that one weird kid. She’ll probably come back with cookies someone’s grandma forced her to take on her way back home.”
“She’s gonna have a field day with this one,” Yoonchae teased, watching Dani’s face twist with guilt. “I can already hear Sophia saying, ‘Dani, why didn’t you just order takeout like a normal human being? ’”
Manon, who had walked towards them to join, snorted at the impression, having caught the end of it, though her ears pinked at the sound of Sophia’s name.
“She’s not wrong though,” she muttered.
Dani’s head tilted suspiciously. “You get all flustered every time we bring up Sophia.”
“I do not,” Manon snapped a little too quickly.
Yoonchae’s lips curved into a sly grin. “You totally do. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
Manon’s jaw clenched as she looked away, but her silence was as good as a confession. Dani narrowed her eyes knowingly. Everyone had noticed, actually.
“Whatever,” Manon muttered, waving the topic away. “We should be focusing on the fire, not Sophia.” But her glance flicked upward toward the building again, her brows knit tight, as though she were already imagining Sophia’s reaction.
Dani and Yoonchae exchanged a look, grinning despite the situation.
“Relax,” Yoonchae said dryly, “your girlfriend will forgive your useless roommate’s kitchen crimes.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Manon hissed, though her cheeks betrayed her with color.
“Hey!” Dani protested at the same time but couldn’t prevent the smile that found its way on her face at seeing her roommate’s flustered state. It almost made her forget about the fire disaster she had caused…key word almost .
The sound of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd causing the three girls to turn their attention towards the apartment building. Dani’s head tilted back as the first firefighter emerged from the building, tugging off their helmet before heading over to Sugihara at the caution line. Their movements were efficient, purposeful, practiced, and just that alone sent Dani’s nerves buzzing.
Manon nudged her elbow. “Come on. Let’s head back before officer Sugihara notices that we’re both gone.”
Dani hummed in reluctant agreement, pushing herself up from the chair. Yoonchae followed, her hands stuffed in her pockets as if she were just along for the entertainment.
As they drew closer to the gathered crowd, the rest of the fire crew began exiting the building one by one, pulling off masks, shaking off soot, and adjusting their gear. Dani’s eyes widened.
“Oh my god,” she whispered, almost reverently. “Manon… you weren’t lying. They are hot.”
Manon smirked knowingly.
The first woman Dani noticed was dark-skinned female, her braid sticking damply to the back of her neck as she removed her helmet. Even covered in ash streaks and exhaustion, she looked like she’d walked straight off a Vogue runway. Her name tag read Raj, and her striking confidence made her stand out even more.
But then Dani’s gaze snagged on the next figure stepping out of the smoke.
Pink hair clung in damp strands to her forehead, plastered against flushed cheeks as she ripped her mask away with one hand. She looked younger than the rest of her crew but carried herself with the same fierce precision. Her jaw was sharp, her eyes steady as she scanned the crowd, making sure everyone was clear. Her turnout gear hung slightly loose at the shoulders, giving her a rugged silhouette, and as she adjusted the heavy straps, muscles flexed beneath layers of soot-stained fabric.
Dani’s throat went dry.
She couldn’t look away.
“Dani? Dani? Hellooooo, Earth to Dani.”
A sharp clap sounded right in front of her face, and she jolted so hard she almost tripped over her own feet. Yoonchae gave a satisfied shrug. “It worked.”
“What worked?” Dani demanded, flustered.
“Getting your attention back.”
Manon’s grin was sly, her eyes tracking Dani’s line of sight with ease. “Something caught your attention?”
“Or someone,” Yoonchae corrected wickedly.
Dani’s jaw worked uselessly, her brain short-circuiting.
“So,” Manon said with mock curiosity, “which one do you think she’s drooling over? My bet is the one standing to the right of the officer. The one on the left. Her uniform says Raj.”
Yoonchae shook her head, almost smug. “No way. It’s definitely the one with the pink hair. I heard Dani gasp when she flexed.”
“I did not gasp!” Dani snapped, but her voice cracked halfway through.
Both Manon and Yoonchae burst out laughing, and Dani wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
But it didn’t matter because pink-haired firefighter Megan had just looked up, her sharp eyes scanning the gathered tenants. And for a split second, Dani could’ve sworn those eyes lingered on her.
Her stomach flipped violently.
“Hey, Dani?”
“I’m not drooling.” Dani blinked rapidly, swiping her hand across her mouth in case she actually was. Her pulse thundered in her ears, and she tried (unsuccessfully) to focus on anything other than the firefighter peeling off her gloves a few feet away.
“That’s funny,” Yoonchae piped up with a grin, “because hot pink-haired firefighter is walking this way, and you look about two seconds from fainting.”
“What?!” Dani’s head snapped up, and her heart nearly stopped.
Sure enough, she was. Pink hair damp with sweat, helmet tucked under her arm, boots scuffing against the pavement, the firefighter was heading straight for them. Her eyes were sharp, unreadable, and somehow locked directly on Dani.
“Hello,” the girl greeted smoothly, voice low and confident.
Dani forgot how to speak English. Or any language at all, really. Her jaw opened, then closed, then opened again. A pathetic little noise squeaked out that could maybe pass for “hello” in some alternate universe.
“Dani, breathe,” Manon whispered, grinning like a devil. The girls spotted the patch on the firefighter’s uniform providing them with the firefighter’s last name.
Skiendiel
Skiendiel’s gaze lingered on Dani for a beat before she shifted into professional mode. “I’m here to take a statement. Which one of you made the emergency call?”
“That’d be me,” Manon said, raising her hand casually. “But Dani was the one in the kitchen.”
“Yep. Dani started the whole fire,” Yoonchae added far too cheerfully, earning herself a withering glare from Dani.
“Oh my god, ustedes son imposibles,” Dani muttered, dragging her hands down her face. The next words slipped out faster, softer, almost like a thought she hadn’t meant to voice. “Dios mío… tan guapo” ( My god… so handsome. )
Yoonchae nearly doubled over with laughter, clapping a hand over her mouth. Manon wasn’t any better, her eyes lighting up like fireworks. “Oh my god, did you just—”
“Shut up!” Dani hissed, realizing too late. Her cheeks burned hot enough to start a second fire.
“Don’t shut up,” Yoonchae wheezed, still laughing. “Keep going please. This is better than any K-drama I’ve ever watched”
Dani’s face went scarlet. “I will kill you both.”
Through it all, Skiendiel didn’t flinch. She remained perfectly composed, scribbling something in her notepad, not a single crack in her professional mask. If anything, there was the faintest twitch at the corner of her lips, like she’d caught it but chose not to say anything.
Manon caught it instantly. “Wait… oh my god. She understood you.”
Dani froze as she loudly whispers. “No. Nope. No way.”
“Absolutely. She so did.” Yoonchae nodded with mock solemnity.
Skiendiel finally looked up from her notes, calm and steady as ever, acting as if she wasn’t two feet away from the trio.
“If you’re ready,” she said, addressing Dani directly, “we can step aside so you can tell me what happened.”
Dani’s stomach dropped to the floor. She could barely string together sentences in English, how was she supposed to survive this?
Behind her, Manon stage-whispered, “Don’t forget to tell her she’s handsome again.”
Yoonchae cackled, and Dani seriously considered bolting.
Skiendiel led Dani a few steps away from the chaos, clipboard in hand, her helmet now tucked under her arm. Dani followed stiffly, praying her legs wouldn’t give out.
“Alright,” Skiendiel said in that maddeningly calm voice, “walk me through what happened. Start to finish.”
Dani tried to focus, she really did. But the way the firelight reflected faintly in Skiendiel’s pink strands made her brain static. “Um… so I was cooking. Totally fine, normal dinner. Nothing special.”
“Uh-huh,” Skiendiel prompted, jotting something down.
“And then the oil caught fire. Which wasn’t my fault, obviously, the stove is cursed. But, uh… then the flames kind of… spread. And maybe I panicked? But like, in a totally average way. Normal panic.”
Skiendiel didn’t even look up, but Dani swore she saw the corner of her lips twitch. “Kitchen fire. Normal panic. Got it.”
“Exactly,” Dani said, too fast, nodding as if she was a bobble head.
“Mm alright. And Miss?”
“Avanzini,” Dani quickly responded
“Miss Avanzini,” Skiendiel crouched then, setting her clipboard on her knee as she pulled something from her pocket. “Is this yours?”
Dani blinked and her stomach dropped. It was her phone. Skiendiel held it delicately, screen still glowing despite the smoke and water damage. The display was frozen on a YouTube video titled: ‘How To Cook Frozen Chicken Without Setting Off the Smoke Alarm (Beginner Friendly!!!)’
“Oh my god,” Dani whispered, heat rushing to her ears. She grabbed for the phone, but Skiendiel pulled it back just slightly, raising a brow.
“You sure you’re a ‘professional’ in the kitchen?” Skiendiel asked, voice low with just enough humor to make Dani want to vanish.
“I-okay, listen, everyone Googles things!” Dani sputtered. “It’s research. Totally normal!”
Skiendiel finally handed the phone over, her fingers brushing Dani’s for a split second that felt illegal. “Research,” she echoed. “Mm. You’ve got a nice smile when you’re flustered, you know that?”
Dani short-circuited. Completely. Her brain screamed in Spanish before her mouth could catch up. “Ay Dios mío… es tan guapa.”
Skiendiel’s brows lifted but her face stayed perfectly professional. She flipped her clipboard closed, rising to her full height.
“That’ll be all, Dani,” she said smoothly, eyes glinting in a way Dani couldn’t decode. “Try not to burn down the kitchen again. It’d be a shame if I had to come back just to save your… recipes.”
With that, she turned on her heel, starting back toward her crew. Dani blinked after her, looking down at the firefighter’s embroidered patch across her chest: Skiendiel
She frowned, blurting before she could stop herself. “Wait!”
Skiendiel raised her eyebrow, Dani blushed in response but boldly asked, “Can I know your name?”
The firefighter paused mid-step and glanced back. That same smirk tugged at her lips, but her eyes softened just enough to make Dani’s stomach somersault.
“Megan,” she supplied, voice low and steady before walking away.
Dani stood frozen, gripping her humiliated phone like a lifeline, her pulse thundering in her ears.
Megan Skiendiel
From behind came the inevitable snickering.
“Guapa, huh?” Yoonchae sing-songed.
“So busted,” Manon added, practically doubled over. “She totally heard you.”
Dani groaned, covering her face. “Please. Just let the fire take me next time.”
♥ - ♥
The flashing lights still painted the building in streaks of red and white when Sophia came hurrying down the sidewalk, hair still pinned back neatly from the event, tote bag swinging at her side. Her eyes darted frantically from the taped-off entryway to the cluster of girls standing in the glow of the fire truck.
“ Dani! ” she called, rushing the last few steps.
Dani barely had time to drop her hands from her face before Sophia was in front of her, cupping her cheeks and scanning her up and down like she expected burns to bloom across her skin any second. “Are you hurt? Did you breathe in smoke? Did they check your oxygen? Dani, look at me— ”
“I’m fine, Soph,” Dani insisted weakly, though her cheeks were still pink for an entirely different reason. “It was just… just the kitchen. I’m fine.”
Sophia exhaled a shaky breath, eyes softening only slightly.
“You scared me half to death.”
“Aw, Sophia, I’m fine too, thanks for asking,” Manon piped up from the side, hand pressed dramatically to her chest.
Sophia’s sharp gaze snapped to her. “And you-did you inhale smoke? Any dizziness? Headache?” Without waiting for permission, she reached out, pressing her palm against Manon’s forehead, brushing her thumb along her temple as though checking for fever. Her other hand landed firmly on Manon’s shoulder, squeezing.
Manon froze, mouth opening then immediately shutting when her face betrayed her by going scarlet. “Uh. N-nope. Totally good. Nothing to worry about. Perfectly healthy.”
The corners of Sophia’s mouth softened into the faintest smirk, though her tone stayed serious. “Good. I’d rather not have you collapsing on me later.” Her hand lingered just a little too long before she finally let go.
Yoonchae snorted under her breath, muttering just loud enough for Dani to hear, “And Dani thought she was the only one blushing tonight.”
Dani elbowed her sharply.
But Sophia wasn’t finished. She straightened, folding her arms with a look that brokered no argument. “Alright. None of you are going back inside. Not tonight. The kitchen’s gone, and the building smells like smoke. You’ll all stay with us.”
Manon blinked. “ All of us?”
“Yes.” Sophia’s tone left no room for debate. “We’ve got space. Couch, futon, spare blankets, whatever it takes. No one is sleeping in a hotel or trying to sneak back in there.” She turned to Yoonchae, who only nodded, grinning at the chance to back her up.
“See?” Yoonchae added. “We’ve got a whole slumber party situation waiting for you. Consider it, uh, fire victim’s luxury housing.”
Manon tried to look nonchalant but still sneaked a glance at Sophia, who was already fussing with Dani’s hair again. After Sophia had finished her motherly duties, making sure Dani was okay, she read the giggles and smirks the two were sending towards a grumbling Dani and had to ask.
“Okay,” she said slowly, scanning Dani’s flushed face, Yoonchae’s wicked grin, and Manon nearly on the ground laughing. “What else did I miss?”
“Only Dani falling head over heels in five seconds flat,” Manon teased, straightening up and tossing her hair.
Sophia arched her brow. “For who? For a firefighter?”
“Not just a firefighter,” Yoonchae corrected gleefully. “The hot one. Pink hair. Big arms.”
Sophia turned her attention towards the firefighters, lucky enough for them, the pink-haired firefighter was facing their way. She was talking to the other woman in the crew, oblivious to the group of girls staring at her from afar.
“Ohhh,” Sophia drawled, amused. “No, yeah. I get it. She is sexy.”
“Sophia!” Manon gaped, both jealousy and shock flooding her face at how blunt Sophia was. “You can’t just say that!”
“I didn’t—!” Dani dropped her hands, face burning brighter than the fire had.
“ Stop staring!” she snapped, though it was unclear if she was yelling at Sophia or at herself for being so obvious.
Yoonchae cackled, delighted. “Oh my god. This is better than TV.”
Manon crossed her arms and scowled but cleared her expression when she felt Sophia looking at her.
♥ - ♥
After what felt like hours to the girls, everyone got the go ahead to head back to their apartments except for Dani and Manon. Yoonchae and Sophia stayed for support as the Lieutenant finalized next steps with the girls.
A few feet away were the two women chattering with each other, the pink-haired woman had peeled off her bulky fire jacket, tossing it casually over the hood of the truck. Without all that gear, she suddenly looked impossibly human…and impossibly distracting. The navy pants of her uniform were fitted but practical, but it was the snug black shirt beneath that made Dani’s head go dizzy. The fabric stretched across broad shoulders and clung to her arms just enough to make the definition there impossible to ignore. Dani’s brain simply… stopped functioning. She was sure her jaw had actually dropped.
Don’t stare, don’t stare, don’t stare.
Sophia, sharp as ever, followed the invisible line of Dani’s gaze. The tiniest twitch of amusement pulled at her lips, like she was filing the evidence away for later use. Dani was definitely not listening but that’s why she and Manon were there.
Before Dani could fully combust, the two firefighters wandered towards their direction as the Lieutenant walked away. ‘Raj’ , which the girls learned her name was ‘Lara’, was grinning as she nudged Megan with her elbow.
“You know, you’re way too comfortable giving pep talks. I should start charging people for your little speeches.”
Megan smirked. “Jealous?”
“Always.” Lara rolled her eyes dramatically before turning to the girls as they stopped in front of the four girls. “She’s like this on every call. Cool, calm, all confident. Drives the rest of us nuts.”
“Because someone has to keep you from tripping over hoses,” Megan shot back.
“Once,” Lara muttered, crossing her arms. “One time.”
The girls giggled, and Sophia tilted her head curiously. “Wait—you two look our age. How old are you? You’re way too good at this to be, like, fresh out of training.”
“Twenty-three,” Megan answered easily, wiping a streak of soot off her arm.
“Twenty-four,” Lara added, stretching her shoulders. “We’ve been doing this for a few years now. It’s kind of… our whole world, really.”
Megan nodded in agreement, more serious for a moment. “We don’t usually, uh, hang around chatting like this. Not really part of the job. But…” She glanced at the group and back at Lara who continued for her. “You guys remind us of well..us. Similar ages, same kind of energy. Hard not to stand here and chat for a bit.”
That quiet confession softened something in the air. Yoonchae grinned and elbowed Manon, who pretended she wasn’t secretly flattered. Sophia, meanwhile, stored the moment away like treasure.
Megan clapped her hands together, businesslike once more. “Alright then.” Her eyes flicked back to Dani, lingering just a fraction too long. “Mind if I talk to you alone for a sec?”
Dani blinked. Twice. “M-me?” she squeaked. Her voice cracked on the single syllable. “Uh—yeah. Totally. Sure. Yes.”
Yoonchae’s grin spread like wildfire, but she mercifully held her tongue as Megan tilted her head, signaling for Dani to follow.
As Megan led Dani a few feet away, Lara stayed behind with the others, leaning casually against the truck. “So,” Lara said, folding her arms. “Which one of you was actually cooking? Because if it was a group effort, you all owe me a laugh.”
Manon groaned. “That would be Dani.”
“Of course it was,” Lara said with a grin. “She’s got that guilty look about her.”
“She always has that guilty look,” Yoonchae teased, and Sophia couldn’t hold back a laugh.
“Hey, don’t knock her too hard,” Lara said, surprising them with a bit of earnestness. “First time I cooked for Megan, I set a pan on fire. Almost took my eyebrows off.”
“True story,” Megan shouted, making Dani’s ears burn.
“You didn’t have to confirm it!” Lara shot back, rolling her eyes as the girls broke into laughter.
A few feet away from the chaos of the fire trucks and the lingering smell of smoke, Megan turned her sole attention to Dani, letting out a soft sigh and folded her arms, studying Dani with a steady, calm gaze.
“You… okay?” Megan asked, her voice low and genuine. “I mean, aside from, you know… nearly burning the building down.”
Dani blinked, caught off guard by how sincere Megan sounded. Her pulse was still hammering in her chest, and she fumbled with the card in her hand. “I… I think so. Just… mortified. I never get a day off at the studio, and I thought tonight I could finally… you know… make something for myself.”
Megan tilted her head, curiosity softening her expression. “Day off?”
Dani started spilling before she could stop herself, words tumbling out in a rush. “Yeah, I’m a choreographer and well, my clients are insane. One wants ballet in the middle of a warehouse. Another wants hip-hop in a swimming pool. And somehow I’m always the one organizing it, scheduling it, cleaning up after it… And tonight, I thought I’d finally have time to cook something nice, just for me. And then…” She groaned, pressing her hands to her face. “Then I set the stove on fire.”
Megan’s lips twitched, a faint smile creeping across her face. “I get that. Trust me… I’ve had my rookie disasters too. One time, during training, I almost served raw chicken to Lara.” She shook her head with mock horror, and Dani couldn’t help but laugh.
“Wait. You almost what?!” Dani sputtered, momentarily forgetting herself.
“Yeah,” Megan said, leaning slightly closer, her voice lowering conspiratorially. “I didn’t notice it wasn’t fully cooked. We just finished 12 hours of training in our uniforms and I was exhausted. But I was hungry and so was Lara. Lara almost died laughing and I got a week of extra kitchen drills.” She grinned, shrugging. “You survived your first big disaster, though. That counts for something.”
Dani’s shoulders relaxed a fraction, her heartbeat finally slowing enough to notice Megan’s steady, calm presence. Then Megan’s grin softened, and she extended a hand, not just offering reassurance but something warmer.
“Look,” Megan said, her voice gentle, “if you ever have another cooking fiasco, find yourself trying to put out a fire, you can call me. Seriously. Text, call, whatever. I’ll help.” She handed a small slip of paper with digits written on it. “And I’ll wait. Hopefully not too long, depending on whether you ever get your phone to actually work again.”
Dani laughed softly, her nerves easing. “Yeah… my phone has a mind of its own.”
Megan smirked, arms crossing in a way that made her biceps catch the light just enough to make Dani’s heart skip. “Or, if you want… we could cook together. I could teach you. I promise I’m better than Lara in the kitchen.” She let the words hang, a teasing glint in her eyes.
Dani froze, pulse hammering. “Like a cooking lesson with you?”
“Sure,” Megan said, voice soft but teasing. “And yes, I will judge you if you burn anything again.”
Dani groaned, laughing nervously, holding the piece of paper like it was the most precious thing she’d ever received. “Y-yeah I’d like that. I’ll… I’ll try not to burn this.”
Megan’s grin softened, eyes warm in a way that made Dani feel seen in a way she hadn’t all night.
“Good. Then it’s a date.”
♥ - ♥
By the time they walked up to Yoonchae and Sophia’s apartment, Dani’s face was still flushed, her hoodie doing little to hide the bright red embarrassment radiating off her. She sank onto the couch, groaning, while Yoonchae and Manon flanked her like predatory sisters, grinning mischievously.
“Well, well,” Yoonchae said, leaning close, her voice teasing. “Someone’s redder than a firetruck. Spill it. What happened?”
Dani buried her face in her hands again, groaning. “I… I can’t… I—ugh, it’s mortifying.”
Manon’s brow arched as she smirked, stepping closer. “Come on, Dani. We’ve seen you survive worse. And from the sound of it, this isn’t just embarrassment. It’s something else.”
“I…she–Megan,” Dani finally muttered, voice cracking. “She asked me out. Like… on a date. I-” Her words tumbled out in a rush, her face heating even more.
Yoonchae’s eyes practically sparkled with delight. “No way! Our Dani got asked out by the hot pink-haired firefighter?! That is amazing!” She clapped her hands together, practically bouncing with excitement.
Manon’s smirk turned into a full grin as she glanced at Dani. “I mean… wow. That’s incredible. And, uh, we need all the details, now.”
Dani groaned, leaning back into the couch, muttering, “I don’t even know where to start…”
Yoonchae leaned over her shoulder, teasing. “Start from the part where she said she’s better than Lara in the kitchen. That’s crucial info!”
Manon rolled her eyes, but there was a soft chuckle hiding in her tone. “Yeah, yeah, Dani. We’ll drag it out of you. But first…” She gestured to the couch and the empty spaces around Dani.
“Comfort, blankets, snacks… and moral support while you relive every embarrassing second.”
Dani groaned again, but inside, she couldn’t help the tiny smile tugging at her lips. “Fine… but only because you two are relentless.”
Yoonchae clapped her hands, eyes sparkling. “Perfect. This is going to be so much fun. Now, spill it all, every detail about Megan.”
Dani peeked up at them, cheeks still bright red, and tried to steady her racing heart. “Okay… okay, but you have to promise not to yell at me for being a mess.”
Sophia, from the kitchen doorway, called out with a sly grin, “Oh, we’ll survive, Dani. But we’re definitely not letting you forget this night anytime soon.”
The three girls collapsed onto the couch together, Dani sandwiched between Yoonchae and Manon, still buzzing from the evening’s chaos. Outside, the fire trucks were long gone, the smoke dissipating into the night. Inside, laughter, teasing, and the beginnings of something much more exciting filled the apartment.
And somewhere, Dani’s mind couldn’t stop wandering back to the pink-haired firefighter and the promise of a date.
Her heart was a blaze, flickering wildly, and all she knew was that this was a fire she didn’t want to be contained.