Chapter Text
Elias Reed hated his life.
Well at least that's what he always said after a 34 hour shift in general. Perhaps he’s over exaggerating, perhaps not. What could he say? He's stuck in a crappy apartment in Brooklyn where his neighbours can’t stop arguing and teenagers won’t stop blasting music at 1AM. To add to his shame? Well, money's tight. He can’t afford anything because forget the fucking surgeries he’d wanted as a teenager because in his early thirites he can barely afford basic necessities. Like why on earth is cheese five dollars? He has no love life, hardly a social life outside his co-workers from the station. Unless the taco guy on 36th street counted.
He stared down at his pancakes like they held something precious to him. His pride? His dignity? He doesn’t know. The 1950’s retro diner they're in was meek, though the prices were decent and the food was good so he wasn't complaining.
Alessandro however was busily stuffing his face across from him in the booth. He never understood Alessandro. The man who was financially stable and surprisingly had a lot of money to spare. It wasn't like he was rich or anything, it was because he was a whore (Elias’ words that he said in his mind because he has common decency and won’t say it to Alessandro's face as the man was still some sort of friend to him. duh). Alessandro was the type of guy to go out after work and worm his way into some fancy event, seduce some granny or grandpa. It could be long term or just a one night stand but he'd do something to get his grubby hands on money. He’d always say the same phrase “I’m telling you Elias, if you wanna get money, you gotta go up” and Elias has somehow managed to never sucker punch him, although at times he’s really considering it.
Elias’ face scrunched up “Up? How many times do I have to tell you I'm not selling my body like some whore.” Elias also noted that Alessandro did not care that Elias was his captain and made sure to flick a fry at his face to send a message.
Alessandro chuckled and brushed the fry off his arm “you don't have to sell your body, man. You can just flirt and maybe start dating one of them y’know? Though that takes longer in my opinion, sex is faster. You're able to make money overnight.”
Elias gave him a deadpan stare “Don’t you have any hobbies?”
Alessandro rolled his eyes “don’t you have no money?”
“I have money. Just enough to keep me alive,” Elias retorted as he stabbed his pancakes and stuffed them into his mouth. Gosh, that tasted good.
Alessandro groaned “come on Elias! Just try it one time, no sex, just start dating some rich dude and if you don't like it then finish it with him and just say you’re not interested. It’s not like you have anyone after all those first dates you’ve been on”
“First of all. Rude” Elias said after swallowing his food, “second of all, No. It's a waste of time.”
That had been what Elias had said before the waitress came back and he had to kick Alessandro’s shin to not mention it again.
Yet of course Alessandro couldn’t shut up for long and was persistent and kept rambling to Elias when they were walking back to the fire station which at that point Elias had just began speedwalking away from him.