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I took one last look at myself in the mirror as I straightened the Emberford Fire Department standard issue jacket. I grabbed the hand towel off the hanger by the sink and dabbed at the sweat pooling around my hairline.

“Relax, it’s going to be fine,”

I whispered. “He’s gonna like you.”

I had waited years for this moment. I’d come close to revealing myself to him so many times, but it had never worked out. There was no turning back now—everything was in place. I walked into the garage and clicked the fob in my hand, making the Toyota Highlander’s headlights flash and the alarm chirp. It was black, with black leather interior. It was brand new, and I’d only driven it from the dealership straight to the garage.

I wanted there to be no chance he’d ever seen my car before. I kept the other one as well. I’d parked it in a storage unit a few miles away in case I needed it again. I picked up the four industrial fire extinguishers from the corner of the garage and loaded them into the back.

The order had called for six extinguishers total, but I had purposely only gotten four off Amazon. I knew I couldn't validate a certificate, so the plan was to show up with the incorrect amount and tell Alex more were on their way, and that the office was constantly messing things up. Then, when the real firefighters came in to drop off the extinguishers they’d actually ordered, Alex would simply tell them they only needed two more, and the fire department would believe it was a simple bureaucratic misunderstanding. They’d install the final two and be grateful to have only done a quarter of the work on the order.

That’s what I was hoping, anyway. I really had no choice—the firefighter thing was just too perfect. Like I said, it was the subtle and exquisite hand of Fate giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. I wanted to be everything Alex had ever desired. He fantasized about a hunky fireman, and, by God, I was gonna give him one.

I looked over the altered work-order I’d printed out about the placement of the extinguishers in Westing House. Satisfied with my work, I tossed the clipboard in the passenger’s seat and opened the garage door. I could feel my heart throbbing in my throat like it was something I would choke on. My pulse felt thready, and my breathing was shallow. Were these the physical manifestations of desire? Did true love hurt?

There was only one way to find out.

Here we go…

***

I pulled into Westing House’s circular driveway. The gate was always left open during the day while the crew and Alex were coming in and out, so that was a non issue. I backed the SUV up and parked next to one of the work trucks.

The front door was standing open as two guys carried out an old roll of carpeting on their shoulders. I popped the back hatch and got out of the car. I took an extinguisher in each hand and walked them up the steps, nodding a friendly “how ya doing”

to one of the workers as I passed him. I set them down inside the entryway, but off to the side so no one would trip, before doubling back and grabbing the last two extinguishers.

As I walked back through the door, Robert, the foreman, came around the corner, seeing me for the first time. Robert was on the shorter side, and had a massive beard. He was comfortably plump as well. All those things combined to make him look somewhat like one of Snow White’s dwarfs. He was a jolly fellow, and always treated Alex kindly.

“Mornin’,”

Robert said, a friendly smile spreading across his face.

“Good morning,”

I replied in kind. I set one of the extinguishers down and took the clipboard from underneath my arm. “I’m looking for…”

I hesitated, pretending to scan the document. “...Someone named Alex? I’m here to install the extinguishers.”

Once I was finished speaking, I lowered the clipboard and met his eye.

“Oh, I didn’t think you guys were gonna be here until next week, but even better! I’ll go get Alex.”

My heart was beating in my throat. I felt like I was going to vomit all over the entryway. My future. Robert was about to deliver me my future.

Relax, relax, relax. Passing out is the opposite of sexy.

Any second now, Alex was going to come around that corner, and we were going to stare each other in the face for the first time in three-and-a-half years. The second time ever.

Despite the chill in the open foyer, my hands were starting to sweat inside my gloves. I worried dimly about the extinguishers slipping out of my hands. Maybe I should just set them down… fuck.

I moved to set the extinguishers next to the others when I heard a soft “hello,”

spoken from the lips of an angel.

I filled my lungs with air and turned around to face him. As my eyes met his, a shiver ran down my back and I could feel the hair on my arms standing up inside my shirt as goosebumps erupted over my entire body.

Everything seemed to stop. The shrieking of the whirling saws behind me, the labored sound of the overworked furnace, the cramping pain in my weary fingers from clinging to these goddamn fire extinguishers.

As if my soul had temporarily separated from my body, all at once it slammed back into me and I realized I was just standing there gawking at him. I cleared my throat, smiled, and said the only thing I could think of.

“Fire department,”

I announced like a fucking dweeb. To add insult to injury, I held the fire extinguishers up in the air as if he might not know what the words fire department meant.

Christ, get it together! You’re blowing it already!

“C-can I see some id-identification?”

I stood frozen at his question. I had a phony ID in my wallet, but it wasn’t great if he was already suspicious.

But my God, his voice… I’ve never heard it so clearly. And those eyes… the pictures don’t even come close. He’s looking at you. At you! Oh, my god. Oh, my actual god.

I sighed in relief as he simpered.

He’s playing with you… is he flirting?

I could feel myself blushing, and I chose that moment to set the extinguishers down, pull my gloves off, and extend my hand for a shake. I wanted to touch him; to know what his skin felt like against mine. “I’m Gabe. I have the pleasure of doing your installation today.”

Alex shifted the papers he was carrying into his other arm and shook my hand. His hand was so soft and fit perfectly into mine. I always knew it would. Sparks hot as fire seemed to radiate from his palm into mine, and I felt like my entire body was aflame. There it was again—Fate working its magic. The very air seemed to crackle with energy. Did he feel it as well? He had to, right?

“Alex,”

he said as his cheeks started to turn pink, and he dropped my hand.

We stood there and stared at each other for a long moment before he smiled at me and nodded towards the extinguishers. “Um, d-do you have m-m-more of those?”

“Huh?”

I asked, my brain not ready to be done just staring at him this closely. “Oh yeah, sorry. I’ve got all four that were delivered on your behalf.”

Alex shook his head, chestnut spiral curls tumbling across his forehead so perfectly I would swear God himself placed each and every single strand of hair on that boy's head. “There s-should be s-six.”

I frowned and glanced down at them like I didn’t know exactly how many there were, and why. “Damn.”

I looked back at him and grinned, not because I wanted to, but because that’s all my face was capable of doing, being this close and actually talking to Alex.

Talking to Alex! ALL CAPS!

It was difficult to fake being upset at a ‘mistake’ as I stood there grinning like the fucking Cheshire cat. I tried to school my features into subordination.

“The office is constantly messing these things up,”

I told him, just as I’d rehearsed. “Want me to get these installed today, and then I can see about getting the last two over here?”

Alex nodded and silence fell between us again as we just… looked at each other. He was so beautiful. When Alex’s entire face and neck were the color of a fire engine, he looked away.

He’s smitten…

“So, where would you like the first ones installed,”

I asked conversationally, hoping he would show me.

“Oh,”

he mused, handing me a copy of the installation plans. I’d already memorized them, but I took the sheet from him and looked it over.

“Okay. Looks like they want one in the kitchen, one in the hall, one in the utility room by the breaker box, two upstairs in each bedroom, and one in the attic. Sound right?”

“Yep,”

he replied after a moment, nodding his head to give me one more look at those bouncing curls. Instead of telling me which ones he’d prefer be installed first, he simply turned around and scurried away.

I chuckled softly and picked up the extinguishers to get to work. I figured I would start upstairs and give Alex a few minutes to collect himself.

Besides, I’d been dying to see his room. I decided to start with the spare room and get it out of the way quickly, so I could spend more time in Alex’s room. I followed the plans and installed the bracket on the wall, six inches from the door frame. Easy-peasy. The whole thing took perhaps four minutes.

If I wasn’t already financially sound, I would pursue a career hanging these things. The amount of money the city was paying for the install was astronomical. When I first saw the invoice come through Alex’s email, I was gobsmacked. Almost $350 for six brackets! The worst part was just lugging the heavy things around all over the place.

I walked back into the hallway, closing the bedroom door behind me as I approached Alex’s door. There was no one in the hallway, and I couldn’t hear anyone coming up the stairs, so I took my time. I’d been in the room before Alex had moved in, but I hadn’t seen it since he’d started making Westing House his home. After giving myself a moment to luxuriate in the anticipation, I turned the handle, and let the door swing open on its own, old brass hinges giving off a creaky protest.

It smelled like him in here.

Before I had even fully entered the room, I could smell him. I took a slow look around the space as I entered. The bed had been set up along the far wall, opposite the window. With the metal frame and taupe sheets, it was more utilitarian than sensual. He hadn’t put any curtains or blinds on the window yet, which had worked out well for me the last couple of nights.

The house across the street was abandoned, much like Westing House had been, and I wondered if the city would be wanting to renovate it next. For now, it served as a great spot to watch over Alex.

I could see him clearly from the other house's upper windows as long as he had his light on. Sometimes he liked to just lie in the dark and watch silly videos on TikTok before bed. I couldn’t see him when the room was dark like that. Alex was normally an early riser, so the sun coming in through the windows never seems to bother him.

I set the extinguisher down as I walked further into his space. He’d left his closet door open, and I moved closer to it. I hesitantly reached up towards a navy long-sleeved shirt with a small hole in the armpit. It was the shirt he had been wearing the first time I ever saw him, and I pinched the fabric between my fingers. The material was soft, and somehow seemed to vibrate with Alex’s energy.

I leaned over and inhaled the scent of the fabric.

“Can I help you with something?”

Every muscle in my body froze as I quickly turned around to see Mike framed in the doorway; his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl plastered across his face.

“Uh, yeah. I was just looking for the best place to hang this thing up,”

I said with a quick smile as I gestured towards the extinguisher. “Most people want them kept out of sight when possible, and I find closets are normally the best bet.”

I turned back towards the closet, pushed the hanging clothes to the side, and bent down.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a stud back here…”

I made a few bullshit taps with my knuckles.

“I’d think they would send you with a stud-finder,”

Mike replied gruffly, before narrowing his eyes at me as he turned around and walked down the hallway.

“Well, alrighty, then,”

I muttered under my breath before figuring out where I was actually going to install it. “Mind your own fuckin’ business, Mr. Fix It.”

I finished the install and took one last long look at Alex’s new sanctuary before closing his door and heading back downstairs. I hung the last hanger in the kitchen and walked back down the hallway towards the front entrance. I knew exactly where Alex’s office was, but no one else knew that, so I meandered along until I came face to face with Robert again and asked him where I would find Alex.

“Just ‘round the corner next to the kitchen,”

he answered, a genial grin spreading under his impressive salt-and-pepper mustache. Robert really was a genuinely nice guy, and I was relieved that Alex had such a stand-up man helping him with the project.

I made my way back towards the kitchen and put a big smile on my face as I poked my head around the corner into Alex’s office.

“All finished,”

I announced, “Well, with the four I had, anyway.”

I watched Alex bite his lip to stave off a nervous grin as he turned his head to the side.

Do it, you fucking coward!

“Um…”

I began, trying desperately to get my thoughts in line, “You know, I was thinking. Maybe I should give you my cell number? That way if you need…”

“Y-y… Yes,”

Alex agreed excitedly before rattling off the digits of his phone number. “S-six six f-f-four, f-f-five f-five f-five, t-t-two nine t-two nine.”

I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and repeated the number back to him as if I were entering it into my phone. Like I hadn’t already memorized his number years ago.

“That was six-six-four, five-five-five, two nine two…”

“Nine,”

Alex finished for me.

He was so adorable when he was being bashful, and that blush across his cheeks was enough to stop a Mack truck.

“Got it.”

I took one last long look at his beautiful face. “Have a great day, Alex.”

It was so difficult to turn and walk away from him. I wanted to stay right here and bask in his presence until the end of time.

Soon… I promised myself silently.

I walked down the hallway and out of Westing House, absolutely elated that I’d gotten to speak with him, and that he was comfortable enough to give me his phone number.

I don’t know what I had ever done to become so lucky.

Now I just had to do everything in my power to properly woo Alex, and make sure I gave him enough reasons to want to keep me forever.

I had my foot in the door.

I’d always thought the first day of the rest of your life was a trite, stupid turn of phrase, but I finally understood it.

Gabe & Alex.

Alex & Gabe. The sound of our names entwined filled my head in a singsong cadence as I made my way into the SUV and carefully backed out of the driveway.