Smoke and Mirrors

The next morning Alex is up exceptionally early despite his usual lack of sleep, scarfing down his bowl of cereal with enthusiasm, completely ready to go by mid morning, and his shift doesn't start until 2pm.

He finds himself imagining possible scenarios, from little things like saving cats from trees all the way up to being the hero of any given situation, connecting with his new team and being one of them, sharing inside jokes and saving lives in style.

In reality, it's a bit early to be thinking like he is because Alex barely knows these people, and they barely know him and he's bound to be everyones bitch on scene as well, earning his colours by connecting hoses and relaying gear and information like a pack mule. Still, he's pretty damn excited.

He arrives a whole three quarters of an hour early, spotting the Skyline in the lot again and making a mental note to ask whose baby it is because Alex likes to talk cars, and hopefully it'll be someone on his team so he can start trying to make friends.

Inside the station, it's rather quiet compared to the morning shift and Alex is greeted by Jack with a cheerful wave, the other man arguing with someone on the phone about a water cooler.

Alex decides to bypass the rec room and slip through another side door out to the garage, figures he'll spend his extra time admiring his new mode of transport.

It's quiet, and for a few minutes Alex is almost sure he's alone until there's a scuffing of feet and he jumps, spinning around to see well, he can't quite remember his name but he does know they're both on Alpha, which has to be a start right?

“Couldn't stay away, huh?” The guy says, and Alex catalogues his appearance, trying to come up with name. Nearly black hair, lip ring. Not Merrick, or Rian or Jack. Or Kirken-whoever. Flyzik is the only name that's left.

“I guess not” Alex mumbles, fully expecting Flyzik to laugh at him or something but he doesn't, just beckons for Alex to follow him around to the truck in the middle bay, nudges him towards a spare rag and a container of polish.

“You can help us give Constantine a once over then”

Alex raises an eyebrow. He knows that it's tradition to name each truck, but Constantine? He was hoping for something a little more well, manly.

Flyzik must notice his expression because a smile graces his features, “It's meaningful and also unisex, apparently”

Not that it matters because what does matter is Alex finally getting up close with his new ride, girly name or no.

“Where should I start?” He asks, doesn't want to make a fool of himself by polishing somewhere that's already been done, Constantine in her entirety already looks pretty freaking clean.

“You start at the back on the other side, and i'll start at the front and we'll meet in the middle, deal?

“Deal”

Alex grabs his rag and gets to work.

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After him and Flyzik have finished polishing they head to the kitchen, Alex making himself a cup of tea in a plain white mug he hopes nobody owns, hovering awkwardly by the counter while he surveys his seating options.

Flyzik's gone to join some of the guys from Delta in what appears to be no card game Alex has ever seen and Rian doesn't appear to have arrived yet so, Kirken-whoever and Merrick it is, who are sitting on the lounges again, both staring at their phones.

Alex slinks into an empty armchair. “Afternoon” He says quietly, not wanting to disturb his team-mates if they're busy. Or even if they're just playing games.

“Hey” Kirken-, Kirkendall, finally the name pops into Alex's head, says raising his head to shoot Alex a smile. Merrick doesn't acknowledge him at all beyond a perfunctory nod of the head to indicate he's heard.

Fuck. Alex has been here less than eight hours total and somehow his superior is already upset with him. Or alternatively, Merrick is just a jerk. As of right now, Alex is undecided. But if this is Merricks good side, he knows that he really, really doesn't want to see the bad side.

Thankfully, Alex is saved from having to make conversation or have another cup of tea by Rian arriving, friendly banter being thrown across the room the moment he enters and yes, Alex is definitely thankful that Rian is on his team.

By the time Alex has moved to wash out his mug, and returned to his armchair Rian's been coerced into the card game, so he returns to his armchair, drums his fingers along the armrest and wishes he'd thought to bring his phone with him.

Eventually the silence gets to him, and he has to break it.

“So uh, who owns that sweet Skyline out front?”

For the first time, Alex finds Merricks eyes trained on him.

“It's mine” He says in monotone, a clear indicator that he's not interested in discussing it.

But paying due attention to social cues has never been Alex's favourite thing, so he tries to continue on as if Merrick was open to having a friendly chat.

“Factory or custom paint?, Cause i've never seen one in that awesome shade of blue, what year is it?”

Merrick stares at him, and Alex resists the urge to shrink back into his chair.

“Custom, '97”

Alex hmms thoughtfully, loud enough to be heard, and then relegates himself to silence. It's obvious that Merrick is doing just enough to be considered polite.

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An hour later finds Alex immersed in the aforementioned card game, a bastardised version of Rummy mixed with Poker that somehow involves swearing like a sailor and flicking people with rubber bands. Very technical.

In the corner of his mind though, he's hoping that there's a fire sometime soon. Which sounds awful, but it's true. Alex wants to get to work.

It's another hour and a half before an automated female voice comes over the intercom demanding their attention, and then it's on.

Immediately chairs are scraping as everyone heads out to the garage, the whir of the huge roller doors rattling open and the thudding as 'house boots' are discarded and replaced with their work counterparts, coats sliding off wooden hooks and onto bodies, doors opening and slamming shut again.

Alex is preparing to follow Flyzik and climb into the back when Merrick grabs his shoulder.

“Pay attention, and don't do anything I don't tell you, understand?” He says in a low voice, hard line set in his jaw and Alex finds himself nodding like a bobblehead.

“Good” Merrick pushes him forward, and Alex clambers into the truck, finding himself wedged between Kirkendall and Flyzik, the least desirable seat but with the adrenaline in his veins, Alex could be wedged into the hose compartment and still be happy about it.

Constantine’s sirens ring in his head as Alex keeps his fingers clenched tight around his helmet, apprehensive as the reality of the situation sets in. His first fire. Or at least, he's hoping it's fire and not actually a cat stuck in a tree.

From his seat he's got a limited view out the window, just a tiny sliver of vision where he can see suburban Baltimore rushing by and all too soon does the truck pull to a stop and everyone jumps out, Alex jamming his helmet on and hoping someone will give him something to do other than be a glorified bystander.

It's a barbeque gone wrong, gas tank exploding and flames spreading into the large single level weatherboard home in front of it, as well as the garage of the home next door. There's people lined up all the street, and ambulance officers tending to a small group of people sitting in the gutter. Somewhere, there's a crying child and Alex just can't seem to move to do anything.

Merrick appears in front of him and Alex starts, taking a step backwards into Kirkendall, who's standing behind him.

“Intel is there's no one in the house but Rian will do a run through just to be sure, Kirk and Flyzik on the hoses – we want to minimise exterior damage and Gaskarth,” Merrick hands him a tiny black radio, “Run the water and listen out, I don't want to be calling you twice”

Alex manages to say a firm sounding yes before he heads to his position, helping Flyzik slide and click the hoses into position, standing by the control panel as the two men run them towards the blaze, waiting for the signal and the flicking the switches to send the water through, radio clipped to the front of his jacket in anticipation that he might be able to do more.

From his vantage point he can see Rian enter the house, fire still mostly in the back of it and though he knows it's reasonably safe, Alex breathes a sigh of relief when he appears out of the smoke again, hands raised in the universal sign for all clear, heading over to talk with Merrick and a police officer who just arrived on scene.

Ten minutes later, and the fire is gone, leaving nothing but the charred remains of the house and scent of smoke heavy in the air and it hits Alex hard that this had been someones home, and now it's practically gone bar the two front most rooms.
Everything else wiped out, turned to ash so easily.

He receives the signal to shut off the water, unclipping the hoses and the letting the excess run out as they're rolled back up, Merrick declaring that they're done, everyone climbing back inside.

Back at the station clothes and boots are shed, Rian coming over to him.

“First fire everything you'd dreamed it would be?”

Alex stifles a laugh, “Just missing the cat in the tree and it would've been perfect”

The five of them head back to the rec room, sliding bottles of water across the counter to each other and yelling insults at Delta, still thoroughly engrossed in their card game.

It feels like they've been gone longer than they actually have.

Alex settles himself back into the chair he's claimed as his own – no one's come to kick him out of it yet, anyway – twirls his water between his fingers, the thrill of the experience slowly waning into silence once again and Alex thinks it's not the worst first official fire experience he could've had. No one died, he didn't fuck anything up, and his team acknowledged his existence, even Merrick. He knows there's trainees out there who aren't getting the same. Running the water might not be the most exciting part of the job, but at least it's a part that he's been allowed to do.

When his shift ends at 8pm, they've not been called out again and Alex is sliding is keys into his car door when a door slams and the thudding of feet on asphalt can be heard.

“Hey, wait up!”

Alex looks up to see Rian jogging towards him.

“Hey,” Rian says again, “We have drinks on Tuesdays at the bar near the little league fields about 7, you should come, get to know everyone”

Alex promptly stands up straighter because this, this is an honour of sorts. Being invited out to drinks with your team is a rite of passage, a message of acceptance and a chance to do as Rian had said, get to know everyone outside of work. It's only his second shift ever, so Alex is pretty damned pleased with himself.

“I'll be there” He says, and Rian smiles at him, nodding as he turns to head back to the station.

“Oh,” He says, turning around once more, “You're welcome to bring your girlfriend or boyfriend or whatever”

“I'm uh, single” Alex mumbles, deliberately avoiding the whole boyfriend/girlfriend area of the question.

Rian's grin seems to get impossibly wider, “Have to see if we can do something about that but anyway, i'll see you then”

“I'll be there” Alex says again, trying not to let his sudden terror show on his face.

What if Rian's serious about trying to set him up with someone? He had said girlfriend or boyfriend, but Alex is sure it's a joke and damn it, he's in no way ready to come out to his team just yet. They seem to like him so far, and he doesn't want to jeopardise that. It's been a long time since Alex had to use his flirting prowess on a girl.