Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ashley had just been assigned to a Firehouse in New York after passing the needed requirements to become a firefighter. Her friends and family all told her that it was impossible for a woman to get a job in this field of work, but she wanted to prove them wrong.

She had always wanted to help and save people. She could have become a police officer, a doctor, but something about running in a burning building interested her. She did like to live life on the edge.

Ashley was at the top of her class in the Fire Academy. She passed the written test with a perfect score and the physical ability test was an easy pass. She had always been so athletic.

When she received the letter in the mail for her placement at a Firehouse, she was beyond excited. She could barely sleep the night before her first shift.

The following morning, Ashley changed into her uniform. She slipped on her FDNY Candidate t-shirt, tucking it beneath the waistband of her navy-blue pants. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and grabbed her duffle bag with a change of clothes. Ashley left her apartment and headed towards the Firehouse that would soon become her second home.

It was fifteen-minute drive to the Firehouse. When she pulled up to the curb, she immediately smiled. Ashley climbed out of the car and draped the duffle bag across her body. Hesitantly, she stepped inside and noticed the male-dominant Firehouse. She looked around the main area, taking note of the elongated table to the left of her. To the right of her, she noticed the two small couches facing a small flat screen television following the large opened kitchen towards the back.

It was nice and she was more than excited.

“You must be Ashley Wright,” one man grinned, standing from the table.

“Yep. That’s me. Hi,” she grinned.

“I’m Larry.” he returned the smile, resting a hand on her shoulder and extending his other arm to motion to the entire room.

“Guys, meet the new candidate.”

“Hello everyone…” Ashley smiled nervously.

“You’d probably want to meet the Chief. He’s down the hall, take a left and you’ll see his office. Don’t forget to knock,” Larry advised.

“Great! Thank you.”

Ashley smiled to herself. She was already receiving a warm welcome by her fellow firefighters.

Once at the Chief’s office, she quietly knocked. The man behind the desk smiled politely and motioned her inside. She stepped into his office and shut the door, taking a seat.

“Miss Ashley Wright… It’s a first time we’ve got a woman firefighter in this Firehouse. It’s a bit of a breakthrough. I’m Chief Hudson.” he said, “Here at Firehouse 51, we’re a family. We’re a close-knit group. I’m sure you’ll fit right in, Ashley.”

“Thank you so much, sir. I’m so excited to be here. I’m ready to get to work,” she said excitedly.

“That’s great. As you know, you’re here on a probationary period. For the first six months, you are a candidate until your lieutenant thinks you are ready to become official. Now, I’m going to warn you. Just because you are a woman doesn’t mean that we will take it easy on you,” he warned.

“No, no of course not. I didn’t think you would. I would rather you didn’t, actually. I want to be treated as equally as everyone else. I don’t want my gender to be the reason why I get special treatment,” Ashley responded confidently.

“Well, that’s a relief. When we get a new candidate, the guys around here tend to get carried away. You’ll be under Lieutenant Sullivan on Truck 81. How about you go ahead and get yourself a locker and then come back to the office so you two can meet?” Chief Hudson suggested.

“Oh, okay. That sounds great. Thank you.”

Ashley left the office and followed the signs that led to the lockers. She noticed many names plastered onto the lockers with tape and when she found a vacant one near the end, she opened it up and smiled. It was now official.

She set her things into the locker and shut it close, grabbing a strip of tape and writing her last name onto it. After she taped it to her locker, she pocketed her hands and walked in the direction of the Chief’s office before a taller, much bigger man bumped into her.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, her hands resting absently on his shoulders.

“Gotta be careful around here, little lady,” he smiled.

Ashley looked up at him, biting her lower lip. She never did indulge in workplace romance, but this man was absolutely beautiful. His sparkly eyes, his dimples, and his deep New York accent made her blush.

“Sorry. Still new around here,” Ashley replied.

“Oh. You. You’re Ashley Wright, aren’t you?”

“I am, yes…”

“Well, I’m Lieutenant Sullivan. You’re the new candidate for Truck 81.”

Well, fuck me. Why did he have to be the one in charge? Goddammit. He’s staring at me. He’s still smiling, too. I’m in so much fucking trouble because all I want to do is push him against the wall and – No, Ashley. Get it together.

It took her a moment before she decided to respond, “Oh. Nice to meet you, Lieutenant Sullivan. Like I told Chief Hudson, I don’t want any special treatment because I’m a woman.”

“I’d watch what I’d say if I were you,” he winked.

Fuck.

“What does that mean?”

“How about I introduce you to the guys?” Patrick grinned, extending a hand out towards the main room. She stepped forward and noticed the eyes that turned onto her. She bit her lower lip in slight embarrassment.

“Now, we all know Miss Wright here.” Patrick began.

“New candidate!”

“Fresh meat!”

Ashley heard the laughter coming from the men. She had heard stories about how being a candidate was the worse, but everyone had to start somewhere.

“She doesn’t want to have any special treatment, boys. So, we’re going to treat her like any other new candidate here. Right?”

Larry grinned, walking towards Patrick and Ashley. “If that’s the case, get to it, Ashley. We’re starving and we haven’t had breakfast yet.”

Ashley widened her eyes. She was not expecting to cook for the entire Firehouse. She looked up at Patrick with her big, brown eyes.

“You said to treat you equally, right? That’s what we will do. Max, over there, likes his eggs over easy. I like mine scrambled.”

Ashley narrowed her eyes. Just because she was new didn’t mean that she was going to let these men step over her. She was going to stand her ground.

“You’ll all get whatever I cook. If you’re going to thrust the job of being a cook onto me, then you will eat whatever I make,” she replied, turning on her heel to walk to the opened kitchen.

Ashley looked through the cupboards and drawers for the needed items. The men, specifically, Patrick, had an amused look on his face and slowly, his lips turned into a smile.

“You’re going to fit just right in here with us, Ashley. Welcome to Firehouse 51,” he grinned.

Ashley looked up to see him walk away to the group of guys surrounding the table. She sighed and began cooking breakfast.

There was no turning back. This was it now. She was a firefighter.

And she was more than ready to take on whatever may be thrown at her.

Chapter Text

The following shift, Ashley wasn’t expecting to be overworked by many of her fellow firefighters. She was constantly being given the dirty work including cleaning the bathrooms, cooking the meals, and even doing their laundry. 

It was unfair, but she forced herself to not get too riled up. Besides, all of the candidates had to go through this. Her gender didn’t play a role in her treatment.

“What’s cookin’, good lookin’?” one of the firefighters asked, grinning at her from behind the counter.

“Eggs,” she replied. 

“Again?” 

“If you want something else, then get me more ingredients to make something other than eggs and bacon.” 

He chuckled, “I knew you were such a firecracker, but damn. I guess you’re right. Eggs will suffice.” 

Aside from her poor treatment and lack of firsthand experience on the job, Ashley actually enjoyed the dynamic that this firehouse seemed to have. They were all family. She had seen countless of firehouses where it was always one man for themselves. 

Suddenly, Patrick walked into the main room wearing his blue pants, NYFD t-shirt and boots. Ashley immediately bit her lower lip at the sight of him and dropped her eyes to continue cooking lunch for the rest of her coworkers.  

“Hey, Lieutenant. Ashley says we need more ingredients. We’re having eggs. Again.”

Patrick looked up, grinning in your direction. “You allowing the candidate to tell you what we need and what we don’t, Luke?” 

“What? No!” 

“He totally is,” Ashley interrupted.

Luke narrowed his eyes, “shut it, Candidate!” 

Ashley immediately quieted. It was her second day and already, she was acting like she belonged. She needed to remember that she was still new. The fellow firefighters didn’t want someone who knew it all.

“Sorry…” Ashley sighed, placing the cooked eggs onto the plate. She set the eggs and bacon onto the counter and turned the stove off, turning around to wash her hands.

She noticed the many firefighters grab a plate and begin to put food onto it. Not one offered her to join them, so instead, she retreated to the back room where there were many beds laid out for rest.

Ashley lied down and stared up at the ceiling, sighing. She heard laughter coming from the main room and she wanted nothing more than to tune out the sound. Sooner or later, Ashley knew she would be part of the family, but for now, she would have to be patient.

However, she was so focused on the laughter that she didn’t realize Patrick had walked in with an extra plate of food. He sat at the edge of her bed and gently nudged her ankle.

“Hey,” he said.

Ashley lifted her head to look up at him. Great. Now it was her hot lieutenant giving her food that she made.

“Hi…”

“You didn’t grab a plate.” 

“I didn’t.” 

“Why?”

“I guess I wanted you all to eat first,” she shrugged.

“Well, that’s awfully nice of you. Though, the guys here don’t know how to share sometimes, especially when it comes to food. So, next time, cook a little extra for yourself.”

Ashley nodded. She was too focused on his accent, his dimples, and his sparkly eyes to even register what he was really saying. 

“How long do I have to do these tasks? I know I’m a candidate and all, but I just don’t get it.” 

Patrick chuckled, taking a forkful of his scrambled eggs. “Until I see fit.” 

“Until you see fit? What does that mean?”

“It means exactly what it means, Ashley.” 

“So, I’m doing all of this because you’re allowing it?”

He grinned, “that’s right. Think of it as a little initiation.”

“Do you know how childish that actually sounds?” Ashley replied, beginning to eat her food.

“Don’t worry. No special treatment. This is how every candidate is welcomed to the house. Don’t take it too serious.”

“I’m not. I’m just tired of cleaning and cooking and –”

“Sounds to me like you are taking it seriously,” he interrupted.

Ashley narrowed her eyes. “Sounds to me like you’re wrong.”

Patrick looked amused. “You know, you talking back the way you are will just make your treatment that much worse.”

“Is that a threat?” 

“Take it however you’d like,” he winked.

“You know what? Bring it.” Ashley said, finishing her food and standing from the bed. 

“You sure?” Patrick stood as well, looking down at her. 

He was much taller than she was and she would be lying if she said she didn’t find it a bit attractive. She always loved when a man towered over her.

“I’ve dealt with much worse. I’m ready to prove to you and the rest of the firefighters here that I am capable of being with the big dogs,” she quipped.

Patrick grinned, flashing her his dimples. “I don’t doubt it for a second. You know why, Ash?” 

She shook her head.

“Because you’ve got passion and you’ve got drive. Give it a few months and you’ll be one of us in no time,” he added, stepping forward.

Ashley cleared her throat, looking up at him. She felt the small nightstand hit her lower back and Patrick maintained that charming smile. He reached down to grab her plate, his face inches from hers and pulled back slowly with a knowing grin.

“I’ll save you the trouble of throwing your own trash. Though, I’m sure the dishes will be waiting for you,” he said, taking a step back and beginning to walk towards the main room.

Ashley sighed, rubbing her forehead. She took a few deep breaths and walked back out to the main room to see that the sink was filled with the dirty dishes. As she was walking back to the kitchen, she made eye contact with Patrick who was sitting at the table with his fellow firefighters.

He winked, causing Ashley to bite the inside of her cheek. She continued walking and began cleaning the dishes. 

At the end of her shift, Patrick decided it was best to run some drills to keep her prepared. Though, she was a tad bit slower than the rest of the firefighters on Truck 81. Since she was slow, Patrick made sure to work them harder than they were used to.

“Come on, Patrick. Our shift ends in fifteen minutes… Give us a break,” Luke panted.

Patrick arched a brow, glancing over at Ashley who hadn’t complained throughout the one hour session of drills.

“All right. On one condition… Candidate, get your ass over here.” 

Ashley quickly ran to him, focusing on her breathing so it didn’t seem like she was panting like the rest of them. “Y – Yes?” 

“If you can climb up the ladder, grab the dummy, then come back down in less than a minute and a half, then you are all free to go home.” 

She bit her lower lip. “I – Okay… I’ll do it. I can do it.” 

Luke removed his heavy jacket, holding it over his arm. “You can do this, Candidate!” 

Ashley smiled, looking over at her fellow firefighters. Maybe her second day on the job would finally look up.

“All right. Hoist yourself up onto that ladder and I’ll start time,” Patrick said. 

Ashley nodded, climbing onto the ladder. She flashed him a thumbs up and when he yelled for her to start, she immediately began climbing carefully to retrieve the dummy. She could hear the quiet cheers coming from the firefighters who had enough of the drills.

She wanted nothing more than to impress all of them.

Ashley finally made it to the top, retrieving the dummy and carefully descending the ladder. 

“You’ve got forty-five seconds left!” Patrick said loudly.

Ashley took a deep breath and continued to climb down the ladder. Once she finally made it to the ground, she set the dummy onto the pavement and looked up at Patrick with heavy breaths.

“So… How did I do?” she asked.

Patrick arched a brow, looking down at her. “Not bad. Not bad at all. You had ten seconds left to spare.”

Ashley smiled, removing the helmet and running her hand through her locks. She looked up at him and nodded. Patrick arched a brow, watching as the wind slowly breezed past her. He watched as her hair moved with the wind, biting his lower lip absently.

“All right. I will hold up my end of the deal. It’s time to go home.” 

Ashley smiled, feeling a few pat on the backs from the firefighters before she walked into the locker rooms. She grabbed a change of undergarments, a towel, and her necessities and walked to the showers at the end of the room. 

She had to share showers with every firefighter, but she didn’t mind. Ashley wanted to be like one of the guys anyway. 

Once she stepped into the warm water, she shut her eyes and allowed herself to relax. Ashley wanted nothing more than to just fall asleep. She was interrupted by the sound of laughter, but just as it distracted her, it slowly disappeared once they left the room.

After twenty minutes, Ashley changed into her undergarments and wrapped the towel around her body. She stepped out of the shower and began walking to her locker, bumping into someone on the way due to her eyes focusing on the ground.

The man instantly rested his strong hands onto her hips. He looked down at her and arched a brow, watching as the droplets of water slowly dripped down her soft skin.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, quickly walking to her locker. 

“You’re clumsy, too?” Patrick teased.

She narrowed her eyes, looking over at him. Hesitantly, Ashley removed her towel to wrap around her wet hair. She was clad in matching dark grey cotton underwear and bra. She looked over her shoulder at Patrick, catching the way his eyes lingered on her exposed body.

“Not clumsy. Just distracted.” Ashley responded, grabbing a pair of leggings and an oversized flannel. 

Patrick wasn’t used to sharing the locker room and showers with a woman. In fact, it had also been a long time since he saw a woman half-naked as she was. Though, he knew it was dangerous territory to even think about getting with a fellow firefighter.

“I’d say you’re clumsy,” he retaliated. 

Ashley arched her brow, bending down to pull on her leggings. Patrick quickly peeked, watching as her backside pushed outwards into his direction. 

“You just like picking on me, don’t you?” Ashley replied, pulling the leggings on all the way. She turned to face him, slipping the flannel on and beginning to button it to cover her body.

“You’re the candidate. It’s my job.” 

“Uh huh. I’m sure it’s also your job to stare, isn’t it?” 

Patrick narrowed his eyes, “And you’re going to act like you didn’t want me to look?”

Ashley laughed quietly, pulling her duffle bag over her shoulder. She looked around and made sure that they were alone before she walked towards him, gently patting his chest. 

“Good night, Lieutenant.” 

Patrick cleared his throat and smiled, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Good job today.”

Ashley nodded, biting her lower lip. She knew it was wrong to think of her lieutenant in such an erotic way, but she wanted him to take advantage of her and take her against these lockers. Though, she knew that was simply wishful thinking.

She had to remind herself that she was here to save lives. Ashley didn’t need a man to distract her from that sole purpose.

Chapter Text

The following day after the incident in the locker room with Patrick, Ashley tried to make it normal and casual whenever she was around him. There was no denying that there was an attraction between the both of them, but she knew she couldn’t act on it. Patrick was her lieutenant and it wouldn’t give her a good reputation if she slept with him a week into her arrival at the firehouse.

As she was sitting at the table in the main room, the siren suddenly went off. It was the first time she would attend a call and while she was excited, she was also nervous.

Standing from the table, Ashley quickly walked outside and slipped on her boots, coat and helmet, stepping into the firetruck after the rest of her fellow firefighters were already inside.

“You ready, Candidate?!” Larry asked, grinning over at her.

“More than ready,” she nodded, looking out the window.

Finally pulling up to the burning building, she climbed out of the truck and awaited instruction from Patrick.

“All right, Ashley, you’re with me. Do a quick sweep and make sure to call out for anyone who may be trapped,” he ordered, pulling on his mask and motioning for Ashley to do the same.

“We’re going in, Chief,” he said over the walkie-talkie, nodding and going into the building.

Ashley was following quickly behind him, the fire causing an intense heat that surrounded her. She looked up at Patrick, noticing that he was strategically moving in different areas to test if it was safe or not.

“Fire department, call out!” Patrick yelled, sweeping the first room.

Ashley followed his lead, calling out for any other victims. As they approached the hallway of the burning complex, she widened her eyes at the size of the burning flames. She stood, frozen and unaware of her surroundings. In that moment, Ashley was stuck.

“Ashley!” Patrick yelled.

She didn’t answer, simply staring at the flame as if she was mesmerized. She chose this life and that meant dealing with fires as big as the one she was currently staring at.

“Patrick, get out of there. You’ve got a minute before this entire building collapses.” The chief said over the walkie-talkie.

Patrick tried to call Ashley’s name and without another response, he picked her up and led her out of the building. When they were finally outside, Ashley came to her senses and gently pushed Patrick so that she could stand on her own. She looked up at him with a confused expression and he simply shook his head and walked away, removing his mask.

“Patrick…” she called. “Lieutenant…”

He continued walking away, ignoring her completely.

Ashley sighed, turning to look at the building as the rest of the firefighters began to contain the fire. She shut her eyes, removing her mask and thinking back to what just happened. She didn’t know what had gotten into her, but she was sure that she was going to get an earful of it from Patrick.

---

The entire ride back to the firehouse was quiet. She kept to herself, but she could feel Patrick’s anger lingering in the air. She knew it was directed towards her, so she tried to think of a variety of ways to explain herself.

Pulling into the firehouse, the truck stopped and she climbed out, removing her boots and her coat. Once she was walking into the house, Patrick tugged on her arm and led her to his office in the back, motioning for her to sit on the small bed.

“Sit down,” he said.

“But –”

“No. You do not get to talk right now, Ashley. You are going to listen to me.”

Ashley nodded.

“I need for you to answer me one question. What the hell happened back there?” he asked.

“I don’t know… It was my first call and –”

“You could have gotten us both killed! You could have hurt yourself! Do you realize that?”

“I do, and I’m sorry… I panicked.” she explained.

“If this isn’t cut out for you, then quit. You jeopardized your life, mine, and the rest of my crew. You are lucky that the people in that complex are all safe and alive.”

Ashley dropped her eyes, staring down at her lap as she listened to everything he said. Patrick was right. She was stupid to have let the size of that fire get to her. Standing up, she looked up at him and tightened her jaw, “I understand. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not or I will have the chief relocate you,” he threatened.

“I get it! It won’t happen again, Lieutenant. It was my first call and I was overwhelmed. I promise. I’ll do better…”

Patrick sighed, looking down at her. His eyes softened, looking into her eyes. “I can see how much this job means to you and I understand that it was your first shift, Ashley. I’m giving you one more chance. You blow it and you’re done.”

Ashley nodded, holding the eye contact. She felt the same attraction and tension that she felt the other day in the locker room. So, after confirming that she was going to do better, she quickly left his office before he followed after.

“Wait, wait,” he said. “You’re running drills. Outside in fifteen.”

Ashley sighed, walking out of the living quarters and into the main room where the other firefighters looked at her. They were aware of what happened, but they didn’t dare speak about it. Instead, they offered her a sympathetic, understanding look.

Larry, however, stood up and clasped her shoulder. “First call… Don’t sweat it. You’ll get better. You’ll get used to the fires,” he advised.

Ashley smiled, looking up at him. “Thank you. Lieutenant’s got me running drills.”

He winced, “Good luck. It’s going to be a long shift for you.”

“I guess so.”

“Patrick sees potential in you, okay? Remember that. You’re the candidate but you won’t be forever.”

“Thanks, Larry.”

---

Outside of the firehouse, Patrick was waiting with a stopwatch in hand and her gear on the floor. Ashley stepped to him, looking up at him with an innocent look on her face. She tried not to notice how handsome he was looking today, so she decided to avert her gaze to the pavement.

“First drill… Put your gear on in under sixty seconds.”

“Okay,” she nodded, walking to where her gear was laid out.

“Go,” he ordered.

Ashley quickly placed her feet into the boots and pulled on her pants, pulling the straps over her shoulders. Afterwards, she grabbed the large coat and placed it around herself, zipping it up. Then, she placed the breathing mask over her head and lastly the helmet. She stumbled a few times, but she was sure she had made it under a minute.

“Again,” Patrick said.

“What?!”

“One minute and three seconds. Again.”

Ashley tightened her jaw, removing the gear and placing it on the pavement once more. She kept her eyes focused on Patrick, awaiting his instruction to begin. When he nodded, Ashley’s determination skyrocketed and she slipped on the gear with ten seconds to spare.

Patrick nodded in approval. “Good.” He grabbed the dummy and dragged it on the opposite end of where they were standing. “Drag the victim carefully back to me. Keep the gear on. Go.”

Ashley nodded, running across the driveway and squatting down to grab the dummy by its harness. As she tugged, she realized the weight was heavier than she was used to. With a deep breath, Ashley held onto the harness and began pulling the dummy backwards, glancing over her shoulder to look at Patrick.

“Come on! Let’s go! There’s a fire burning and your victim has lost consciousness. Move it,” he ordered.

Ashley dragged the dummy carefully, keeping herself in a squatted position. Finally reaching Patrick, she set the dummy down and looked up at him, sweat trickling down her temple from beneath the mask.

“All right. Now move it back,” he instructed.

Ashley didn’t want to argue anymore. Instead, she kept her head held high and did as he said. The drills were meant as a lesson, but she decided to think of it as extra training. She set the dummy down on the opposite end and then quickly ran back to Patrick, focusing on maintaining an even breath despite her panting.

Patrick looked at her, trying to find any hint of anger or annoyance in her features. He smiled to himself when he didn’t find a glimpse of irritation in her face. “Okay, remove the gear. We’re heading to the gym inside.”

Ashley nodded, removing her gear carefully. She didn’t realize how much she was sweating underneath all the heavy equipment that she had to wear. She set her things back where it belonged and followed him back inside the house where she welcomed the air conditioning.

At the small gym, Patrick grabbed a weighted vest and handed to her. She looked up at him, placing her arms through the holes and trying to remain standing straight. It had to be at least fifty pounds that she was now carrying.

“Fifteen minutes on the Stairmaster, then, we can call it a day.”

“Okay, Lieutenant.” she replied, stepping up to the Stairmaster and gripping the handles as he clicked begin.

Patrick leaned against the wall, watching her carefully. “So, what do you like to do for fun?” he asked.

Ashley looked over at him, narrowing her eyes as she focused on her breathing. “I like sports.”

He arched a brow, “What kind?”

“Basketball. Soccer. Baseball. All,” she said quickly, gripping the handles as she focused on each step of the Stairmaster.

“Didn’t take you for a girl who liked sports.”

“You don’t know me,” she replied.

“I’d like to.”

Ashley glanced at him and smiled, arching a brow before focusing on the workout. The added weight had finally taken its toll and she decided to slow it down with Patrick’s approval. “You’re not married or have a girlfriend?”

Patrick shook his head. “Was engaged. She called it off, but it’s okay. I rushed that relationship anyway.”

She wanted to giggle, but she was panting and sweat was running down her temples. “I see…”

“Are you single?” he asked.

Ashley nodded, “And more than ready to mingle.”

Patrick chuckled, eyeing her carefully before he put a stop to the Stairmaster. Once Ashley climbed off the machine, he stood in front of her and removed the vest, enjoying the close proximity. Despite today’s incidents, Patrick was still attracted to her and wanted nothing more than to take her out. However, he didn’t want to indulge in work relationships, so he decided to keep his distance.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah… I know you mean well with all of these drills and I am still sorry for what I did today.”

“I see a great firefighter in you, Ashley. Don’t prove me wrong.”

“I won’t. It won’t happen again. I promise,” she nodded.

Patrick nodded, placing the vest on the shelf where it belonged. Ashley couldn’t help but allow her eyes to deviate to his muscles along his arms. She cleared her throat and looked away, beginning to walk out of the gym with him following behind.

At the main room, Patrick sat at the table and Ashley decided to grab a bottle of water. She removed the hair tie from her hair and ran her fingers through her locks. When she took a sip of her water, she looked at Patrick and instantly made eye contact with him.

Larry was the one who had taken her out of her trance, turning her attention to him. “Okay. We’re all off tomorrow. So, how about you join us at the bar tomorrow night?” he asked.

Ashley bit her lower lip, “Oh, I don’t know…”

“Come on. You survived the week. Let’s celebrate.”

She glanced at Patrick once more then back at Larry. “Okay, fine. I’m in need of a night out anyway.”

“Great. Tomorrow night at Molly’s.”

She smiled, “I’ll be there.”

Chapter Text

Ashley slept in during her day off. She was sore and tired, but the thought of spending time with the rest of the firefighters outside of work excited her. She was going to see Patrick in a normal setting rather than the firehouse or a burning building. So, throughout her day, she cleaned around her apartment, waiting for nighttime to arrive.

She didn’t know what she was supposed to wear, but it was a bar. More than likely, she would share a few drinks with her colleagues and she highly doubted that there would be a dance floor at this particular bar. Besides, Ashley was aware of Molly’s. It was the home for many first responders varying from firefighters to paramedics to police officers. Ashley felt as if she was being welcomed into this prestigious club.

The day went by quickly and as the sun set and the moon rose in the night sky, her phone buzzed from the nightstand. It was Larry, making sure that she was still going.

She quickly sent a reply that she would be there soon and wrapped her towel around her dampened hair. Ashley knew she wasn’t supposed to impress anyone, but the thought of seeing Patrick made her want to look good for him, and only him.

Ashley slid into a matching pair of black lace panties and bra. She had her outfit laid on her mattress, but she decided to lounge in her lacy undergarments as she applied lotion onto her body. She walked back into the bathroom and applied a light amount of make-up. Ashley was becoming increasingly excited to spend time with the people that she would soon call her family.

Afterwards, Ashley walked back into her room and slid into the black denim, frayed shorts and a light beige deep v-neck knit sweater that she tucked in the front. She pulled the sleeves up to her elbows and walked into her closet to pull on her sandals.

She pulled the towel from her locks and ran her fingers through it, leaving her closet to drape her towel on the rack in the bathroom. After brushing her hair, she took a deep breath and looked herself over. It was casual and it didn’t look like she was trying too hard, so she left her bathroom, grabbed her phone and purse and left her apartment.

The cab ride to Molly’s was short lived. Ashley could hear the laughter and chatter from inside as her heart raced nervously. She didn’t know what to expect, but she figured that she had to stick with her word to Larry. With a grasp on the handle of the large door, she opened it and stepped inside.

Ashley looked around, smiling to herself at the atmosphere the bar set. There were string lights hung above the ceiling and two pool tables in the back where she noticed Larry and Patrick were currently playing. There were small tables along the wall and the counter of the bar stretched from one end down to the other.

“Hey!” the man from the bar said, grinning. “You, new girl, come on in!”

Ashley looked up at the older man, biting her lower lip as she sat at the vacant seat at the bar. Her eyes scanned the room once more and she felt as if every stranger in the bar was staring directly at her.

“You must be the new candidate at Firehouse 51,” the man said, smiling down at her.

“That would be me, yes.”

“Well then, candidate, welcome to the club.” he sets down a small shot glass in front of her and fills it with vodka, smiling. “Shots for the new girl!”

Patrick looked up, his eyes catching Ashley. Most importantly, however, what she was wearing. He wasn’t used to seeing her in regular clothes; in fact, he had gotten used to seeing her in navy blue pants and a FDNY t-shirt tucked in. He was surprised to see that she had a beautiful body hidden behind the baggy clothes.

Ashley lifted the glass, downing the shot and allowing the alcohol to burn her throat. She smiled, looking up at the man behind the bar.

“Thank you,” she mumbled.

“I’m Christopher. You’re welcome anytime at this bar, kid,” he grinned. “Ashley, right?”

“Mhm. Ashley’s correct.”

“Well, I hope to be seeing you around then. Is there anything else you’d like to drink?”

“Maybe just a beer,” Ashley blushed, watching as the older man grabbed a bottle and opened it easily. “Thank you.”

She took the bottle and looked over her shoulder, meeting Patrick’s gaze. She smiled at him and he instantly returned it, setting the pool stick down and walking over to her.

“Hey,” he smiled.

“Hi.”

“You look great,” Patrick complimented.

“You’ve seen my almost every day for the past week. I look the same.”

He shook his head, “Well, you look great then, but I mean, you really look great, Ashley.”

She blushed, hiding it by taking a swig of her beer. “Thank you.”

“You want to play a game with us?” he asked.

Ashley peered over her shoulder, nodding. She didn’t know how to play, but she simply wanted to spend more time with Patrick and the rest of the firefighters. At the pool table, she set her bag down onto a chair and smiled, looking around the group that gathered around the table.

“Hey, the candidate made it,” Larry grinned. “How are you liking Molly’s?”

“It feels like home for some reason,” she admitted.

Patrick grinned, “That’s how we all feel too. All right, fellas. Ashley’s going to play a game with us. Do you all mind?”

“I’m kind of eager to see just you two go against each other. I’m sure it’d be entertaining to watch,” Larry chuckled, slyly winking over at Patrick.

Ashley didn’t notice, looking down at the pool table. “I may need some help, but I’m fine with playing.” she walked to the various pool sticks and chose one out of random, holding it in her hands as she looked up to see Patrick and Larry racking up the balls at the top of the table.

“Ladies first,” Patrick smiled.

“Right. Okay.” Ashley quickly downed the rest of her beer, licking her lips afterwards. She walked to the end of the pool table and bent at the hips, leaning over the edge as she brought the pool stick in her other hand.

Patrick couldn’t help but let his eyes run over her backside. Her shorts were riding up, revealing her toned legs and he wanted nothing more than to have them wrapped around his waist. He quickly shook his head, ordering himself and the rest of the crew another round of beers.

He turned his head at the sound of the cue ball hitting the others, watching two striped balls enter the pocket.

“You need help?” he asked. “You lyin’ to me?”

Ashley smiled, stepping up to him and resting a hand on his chest lightly. “I guess we’ll find out. Want to bet on this game?”

Larry grinned, “Ooh, she’s taunting to you, Patrick.”

Patrick looked down at her. The close proximity between one another made it difficult to keep his resolve. Instead, he stepped forward, deciding to play her game. “I say we make a bet, candidate.”

Ashley cleared her throat. He was in her personal space now and the upper hand she just held was now disappearing. “Loser buys a round for the entire bar?” she suggested.

Patrick arched a brow, “And has to dance on the counter of Christopher’s bar.”

She smirked, leaning up to whisper into his ear quietly so that he was the only one who could hear her. “Are you sure you don’t want to do that particular part in private?”

Patrick narrowed his eyes, pulling back to look down at her. “Tease.”

“Thank you,” she winked.

Larry grabbed the drinks and set it on the table nearby before Ashley took another turn after the break. She was in the lead and when she missed the ball from hitting the pocket, Patrick grinned and prepared himself.

“I hope you brought a lot of money with you, Ashley. I also hope you’re ready to make a fool out of yourself when dancing on his bar,” he winked.

“We’ll see. You’re all talk, Patrick. Go and make your move.”

Patrick smiled, expertly hitting the solid pool balls into the pockets that were lined up. She was losing, but she knew what she was getting into when she placed the bet. Ashley couldn’t complain, but deep down, she was excited to lose.

After Patrick missed the ball, Ashley took her turn once more. She concentrated, remembering the basics that her father taught her. Surprisingly, they both had one ball left with the added eight ball that would determine their win.

When she missed her last ball by an inch, she cursed under her breath and allowed Patrick to make his move. He bent down, aligning the stick with the cue ball. Ashley licked her lips, stepping up to him and pressing her front lightly against his side. He turned his head to look at her, taken aback by the close proximity since their lips were inches from one another.

“Can I help you?” he asked, forcing himself not to look at her lips.

“Good luck,” Ashley grinned, stepping away from him and the tension that thickened between the both of them.

Patrick turned his attention back to the game, trying to rid his mind of his close her lips were actually to his own. As he pulled the stick back to connect with the cue ball, he waited for his last ball to enter the pocket. When it stopped just inches short of it, he cursed and looked over at Ashley.

“You cheated.”

“What? How?” she smiled.

“You distracted me.”

“I just wished you good luck. How’d I distract you?” she lined up her shot and took it, watching her last ball enter the pocket with ease.

Patrick narrowed his eyes and watched her carefully, waiting for her to bend at the hips before he hovered behind her. He leaned forward, whispering into her ear. “Careful…”

Ashley narrowed her eyes, biting her lower lip and gently pushing him back with her backside, causing him to groan at the pressure.

“I hope you’ve got some good dance moves, Patrick.” As she took her shot, she waited for the eight ball to enter the pocket. Once it did, Ashley grinned and walked to the table where the rest of the crew were watching with arched brows. Though, they erupted in laughter when Ashley won the game, knowing that Patrick had to dance on the bar.

“Oh my god. This is great. This is going to be wonderful,” Larry laughed, walking to the music box and picking out a song.

Ashley smiled, winking over at Patrick. “Buy us all a drink after you give us a show, Lieutenant.”

Patrick narrowed his eyes, looking down at her. “Oh, you’re going to pay for this,” he threatened, a smile slowly creeping onto his lips.

“Uh huh. We can get rematch next time. Now, hop on and shake that ass.”

Patrick sighed, climbing onto the bar and looking over at Ashley directly. As the volume of them music increased, he began to bob his head and raise his hands in the air, pumping it awkwardly. The entire bar erupted in laughter and Ashley bit her lower lip, watching as he absently rolled his hips as if someone was dancing in front of him.

She cleared her throat, sitting at the chair and sipping on her beer. Ashley saw how awkwardly stiff he was when dancing, but the roll of his hips sent a clear message to her and she didn’t know what to make of it.

Christopher, however, stopped the music after the first song and gently smacked Patrick’s leg. “All right, all right. Off my bar.”

Patrick chuckled, climbing off and ordering a round for the entire bar. “On my tab, Christopher.”

“You lost that bad, huh?”

“Her idea,” he smiled, pointing over at Ashley who was talking and laughing amongst the rest of the firefighters.

Christopher and Patrick were alone, waiting for the other man to set his drinks on a tray to bring over to the table. “You like her, don’t you?”

Patrick arched a brow, quickly shaking his head. “No. What makes you think that? She’s my colleague, the candidate of the firehouse. I would never –”

“I see the way you’re looking at her and it’s certainly not the way a lieutenant looks at another firefighter,” Christopher laughed.

“Even if I did, I can’t act on it.”

“Who said that?”

“You know how strict the department is with in-house relationships. Plus, she’s new. If she gets with me, it’s going to look bad on her. Besides, I like her being at our firehouse. She fits in perfectly with all of us. If we get together, we’re going to have to be separated,” Patrick answered.

“Well, just a bit of advice, Patrick, if you wait too long, someone else is going to take your place and they may very well succeed.”

“Yeah? Like who?” he asked, defensively.

“Have you seen how beautiful she is? Not only that, but she’s also a goddamn firefighter. That woman’s the complete package, Patrick. I’ve already got various guys here asking who she is –”

“Tell her she’s taken,” Patrick interrupted.

“You and I both know she isn’t.”

“Well, for now, she’s with me,” he replied.

“For how long, though? She likes you too, Patrick, but speaking from a man who has been married for almost twenty-five years… Women don’t like to wait.”

He nodded, sighing to himself and taking the tray back to the table where Ashley was warming up to each and every firefighter. Patrick felt jealous, simply because everyone else knew how beautiful she was.

“Yay, you’re back. Thank you for the drinks,” Ashley smiled. “And that little show you put on. Very, very nice,” she teased.

Patrick laughed, grabbing his beer and looking down at her as she remained seated. “That’s never happening again, just so you know.”

“Not unless you lose again.”

“Mmm, you got luck,” he laughed.

“Sure, you can call it luck. I call it skill.”

“Or cheating,” Patrick grinned.

“Didn’t cheat.”

“You did.”

“I wished you good luck, that’s all…” she bit her lower lip.

Patrick smiled, resting a hand at the back of her chair as the rest of the guys began to play a game of pool, leaving the two alone with the tension hanging in the air. He leaned in, whispering quietly into her ear. “You know exactly what you did, Ashley.”

She shut her eyes, reveling in his deep voice. “You have no proof.”

He pulled back, looking down at her. “Next time, I expect you on that bar top dancing… For me.”

“For you, huh? I see many other people in this bar other than you,” she teased.

Before Patrick could reply, Larry’s laugh erupted loudly throughout the bar before he pointed at the two of them, causing their heads to pop up and look in his direction. Patrick moved away from her, deciding to lean against the wall to watch the game.

Larry smiled, “Ash, you’ve got to scrimmage with us tomorrow! We’re playing a few games tomorrow morning at eight! You’re more than welcome to join us.”

Ashley looked over at Patrick, catching his eye and nodding in agreement. “What sport?” she asked.

“Soccer,” Patrick responded, causing Larry to nod.

“Yup. Soccer,” he confirmed.

Ashley grinned to herself. This was another chance for her to show these men that she was capable of being one of them inside and outside of the firehouse. Plus, it gave her another opportunity to bond with them.

“Great. I’ll see you guys then.”

Chapter Text

After last night, Ashley couldn’t wait to spend more time with the guys of the firehouse. Most importantly, she was excited to see Patrick again that didn’t involve being at work. She felt the tension last night throughout the pool game, while he was dancing, and their brief talk. He had told her that the next time they played, Patrick wanted her to dance for him .

It was enough proof for Ashley to realize that the feeling was mutual. Though, she didn’t know if she could act on it and she wasn’t sure if she wanted Patrick to either. Her career was more important to her than some man that wasn’t a guarantee in her future. It sounded very naive, but Ashley wanted to establish herself as a firefighter first before jumping into a relationship with the Lieutenant .

The following morning, Ashley was quick to get ready and change into her workout gear. She always loved sports; she didn’t have a favorite. Her parents, specifically her father, had taught and given her a variety of skills for every sports imaginable.

At first glance, many would assume that Ashley was the girly-girl type who didn’t like to get her hands dirty and who would rather much shop and stay home than do anything physical. However, she was the complete opposite. It always surprised past boyfriends when she was just as knowledgeable and eager about sports games than they were.

Ashley slipped on a pair of workout leggings that sculpted her lower half. She grabbed a black sports bra and a FDNY t-shirt to cover herself. Afterwards, she pulled her hair into a neat and tight ponytail before sliding into her sneakers. She glanced at her phone and smiled when it was Patrick that texted her the address for the park. She couldn’t wait to see him again.

---

“Ashley coming?” Larry asked, stretching.

“Think so. I sent her the address,” Patrick shrugged, adjusting his shorts absently.

“You into her?”

“What?”

Larry chuckled, “You like her, right?”

“She’s the candidate, Larry. Do you know how much trouble I would get in? Or rather what that would look like on her reputation as a new firefighter?” Patrick defended. “She’s pretty, don’t get me wrong, but it isn’t right.”

“From a friend to another friend, just tell me the truth.” Larry said, unconvinced.

Patrick narrowed his eyes, glancing around the rest of the guys who were beginning to play on the field. Larry and Patrick were standing on the sidelines, talking to one another so there was a slim chance that someone could hear.

“Yes, okay? I like her.”

Larry grinned, patting Patrick’s shoulder. “She likes you too. I’m just saying, Patrick. If you’re into her, take the chance. You can always keep it a secret. Plus, she’s definitely into you.”

“How do you know that?”

“Are you kidding me? She was practically drooling at the sight of you dancing your ass last night. I mean, you can use a bit of work, but --”

Patrick rolled his eyes, gently pushing him away. “Ha ha. You’re funny.”

“All I’m saying is… Take a risk. You proposed after a few months to that one woman and look what happened then,” Larry pointed out.

“You do realize that you aren’t helping whatsoever, right?”

“Oh shit, you’re right. What I’m getting at is that you’ve always taken the risk. What makes this so different?”

“Larry, I see the potential in her. She’s going to be a great firefighter. I see the passion and heart that we all have. I don’t want to ruin that by dating her,” Patrick reasoned.

“Who knows, Patrick? She may be the one…”

“Okay, now you’re just busting my balls. Let’s go and join the guys.”

Larry laughed, jogging on the field before his eyes caught Ashley climbing out of her car. “Speaking of the candidate, she’s here.”

Patrick turned his gaze onto the woman in the parking lot, smiling to himself. “I’ll go get her.”

“Of course you will,” he winked playfully.

“Shut up, Larry!”

Patrick jogged to Ashley, looking down at her when their eyes met. He was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt with a long-sleeve underneath. He watched as she bit on her lower lip and he wanted nothing more than to do it for her.

“Morning,” he smiled.

“You’re very chipper this morning,” she teased.

“Maybe because this is another competition that you and I can partake in. Let me take you to the guys.”

“Are you sure you want to make a bet after what happened last night?” Ashley grinned.

“I have to redeem myself somehow, right?” he winked, his hand resting on her lower back to guide her onto the field.

Ashley smiled to herself, glancing up at him. Patrick was much taller than she was and she enjoyed the height difference. She could easily rest her cheek against his chest with his arms tightly wrapped around her, but she tried to keep her resolve from diminishing. She needed to focus on her career.

“I doubt you’d be able to redeem yourself after last night,” Ashley laughed quietly.

“That’s what you think. I’m very good at soccer,” he nodded.

“Like how you were very good at pool?”

Patrick narrowed his eyes down at her, forcing himself to keep a straight face. “You’re a smartass, aren’t you?”

“Happily proud to be,” she winked.

Approaching the rest of the guys, Ashley was welcomed by warm greetings and hugs. She felt like she was slowly being accepted. She saw each and every one of them as brothers, except Patrick. There was an attraction between the both of them that couldn’t go unnoticed.

“Shall we split the teams up?” Patrick asked.

The rest of the guys nodded. Ashley looked around and smiled to herself, pointing to the small track around the field.

“Do you mind if I warm up for a bit? I’ll just take a lap and then stretch, if that’s okay,” she asked.

“Yeah, go ahead.” Patrick nodded.

Ashley smiled, jogging to the track and focusing on her breathing. She could feel Patrick’s eyes on her, so when she glanced over her shoulder to look at him, she noticed that his eyes had fallen to her backside. Ashley blushed, meeting his eyes before he immediately looked away.

Patrick cleared his throat and turned his attention to the rest of the guys, looking at Larry who sported a knowing grin.

“Let’s settle with teams. Who wants the candidate on theirs?” Patrick asked.

“We’ll take her,” Larry said. “I’ve got a feeling she’s got something else hiding under her sleeve after last night.”

“You sure about that, Larry?”

“Positive. Are we betting this time?” he asked.

Patrick chuckled, “Whichever team loses has to pay for lunch. Sound good?”

They all nodded. “Sounds good.”

Ashley finished running and began stretching on the field, spreading her legs and bending down to touch the grass. She groaned as all her muscles were beginning to loosen and warm up. Afterwards, she jogged back to the rest of the guys and grinned.

“All set,” she smiled.

“You’re with Larry. Losing team buys lunch.” Patrick grinned.

“Perfect.”

---

As the game started, Ashley ran alongside Larry and the rest of her teammates. She was much faster than the men on the field, but she didn’t want to reveal too much. It would be a surprise when Patrick and the rest of the guys realize that she was just as athletic as they were.

She slowed down, allowing Larry to take the shot and when he did, she grinned when it went in. Larry smirked, pumping his fist in the air as the rest of her teammates crowd around him in celebration.

“Okay, okay. That was just one point,” Patrick laughed, thoroughly amused at the reaction.

Patrick had the ball, dribbling it between his feet expertly. She was distracted; not only was he a firefighter, but he also played sports. Ashley found herself stuck to the grass once he passed her, staring at him with such awe and amusement that she allowed him and his team to get a point.

“Ashley!” Larry exclaimed. “He ran right by you!”

“Sorry! I must have spaced out,” she sighed, looking down.

Patrick chuckled, running towards her and running his hand down her back lightly. “Distracted, Candidate ?”

Ashley narrowed her eyes. She needed to get herself together. “You can say that.”

“By my skill?” Patrick laughed.

“Hardly,” she rolled her eyes.

The goalie passed her the ball and she dribbled the ball between her feet, taking her time. Though, as she reached Patrick, she quickly moved the ball to her other foot and spun around, causing confusion to run through his mind as he tried to get the ball. Afterwards, she quickened her pace and ran to the end goal, bringing her foot back to kick the ball into the net.

Grinning, Ashley watched as the opponent goalie dove for the ball, but missed it completely.

“Yes! Holy shit!” Larry exclaimed, running to her and lifting her up. “Are you some sort of Wonder Woman? My god, Ashley!”

Ashley giggled, grinning to herself as her teammates praised her for not only getting another point but for also rushing past Patrick with ease.

“You literally had Patrick looking confused,” Larry laughed.

Patrick ran up to them, looking down at Ashley as he tilted his head. “Okay, I underestimated you.”

“I know you did.”

“What else are you hiding, Ashley?” Patrick smiled.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she winked, running away from the crowd to settle herself back in place on the field.

Larry smirked in Patrick’s direction, winking playfully before they continued to the game. After an hour of playing, Ashley and the rest of the guys were dripping with sweat. She sat at the bench and sighed, removing her hair tie from its confines, allowing her locks to sway past her shoulders.

“So, where are we eating?” she smiled, looking up at Patrick and the losing team.

“Man, Ashley, you’re a force to be reckoned with. I like it,” Larry pointed out.

“Well, I had a good team. What can I say?”

Patrick smiled, sitting down next to her. “What about that diner a couple of blocks away? It’s never usually busy and I’m in the mood for a burger and fries.”

“ You are paying, so I’m fine with that,” Ashley giggled, absently leaning into him.

“You guys just got lucky,” he said.

“Here we go with the luck card again,” Ashley teased, standing from the bench and extending a hand for him to take. “Wanna carpool?”

Patrick looked up at the guys who nodded in agreement. It was probably best to take the fewest cars possible. “Sounds good.”

He took her hand and stood up, smiling down at her. The rest of the guys packed themselves into their respective cars, leaving Patrick and Ashley together.

“We’ll see you two there,” Larry smirked.

As they drove away, Patrick looked down at Ashley and smiled to himself. “Honestly, though… What else are you hiding?”

“Like I said, you’ll have to find out,” she winked.

“Tease. You drivin’ or am I?”

“I can drive,” Ashley nodded, leading him to her car. However, Patrick stopped her and gently took a hold of her wrist to turn around her around. When their eyes met, Patrick took a step closer and looked into her eyes deeply.

“Can I take you out on a date?” he asked hesitantly.

Ashley cleared her throat. She wasn’t expecting him to ask and despite her previous thoughts of focusing on her career, there was something about Patrick that she wanted more of.

“Isn’t that a bit inappropriate, Lieutenant ?” she teased.

Patrick licked his lips, chuckling. “Probably, but I’m willing to take a risk.”

Ashley smiled, “Okay. I’ll go out on a date with you.”

He grinned broadly, flashing her his dimples. “Great. Now, let’s get to the diner. I’m hungry and I’m paying.”

“Damn right you are,” she laughed quietly.

Chapter Text

“Do I have to dress up any particular way?” Ashley asked through the phone, standing clad in her undergarments of lace. She was getting ready for her date with Patrick and she was beyond excited. The feelings were mutual and despite it being dangerous territory to date her superior, she couldn’t help it.

“Nope. Casual is fine,” he answered, pulling on a coat. Patrick was clad in denim jeans with a brown belt and a blue plaid button down that was tucked in. He wasn’t used to dressing up, so this was as far as he could go. Besides, Ashley seemed like the type of woman who didn’t need to go to a fancy restaurant to have a good time.

“All right. Will we be meeting –”

“I’m picking you up, so send me your address.”

“Will you stalk me?” Ashley teased.

Patrick laughed, “Don’t act like you wouldn’t want me to.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you soon?”

“In an hour.”

“Great.”

“See you then, Ashley.”

After he hung up, Ashley decided to pull on a pair of black jeans and ankle boots. As she stood in her closet looking for a top, her mind wandered to the possibility of how the night would end. She wondered if he would linger at the end of the date, hoping she would invite him in. Was she willing to give him a kiss goodbye? Pull him into her apartment for a night of endless fun? Ashley was at a loss and the date hadn’t even started yet.

Finally settling on a crème-colored v-neck knit sweater, she slid it over her head and tucked in the front. Ashley ran her fingers through her hair to loosen out the knots and took a deep breath. She felt confident and she felt pretty. Walking to her bathroom, Ashley made sure to spray a decent amount of perfume onto herself before making her way to the living room.

Patrick wasn’t supposed to come for another forty-five minutes, so she had enough time to waste. Instead, she brewed herself a cup of coffee and allowed the silence that loomed in her apartment to fill the air and make her mind wander.

She didn’t know if it was a good idea to go out on a date with her Lieutenant, but there was something about Patrick that she had been drawn to the first moment they met. She was sure it was his alluring ever-changing eyes, his charming smile that was accompanied by his deepened dimples, and his deep voice. Not only was he physically attractive, but his personality was too. He was funny and he was stern when need be, but outside of the workplace, Ashley found herself loving his presence in the short amount of time she spent with the rest of the crew.

As she was sipping on her cup of coffee, Ashley heard a knock on the door followed by a ring of a doorbell. Her heart was racing. She walked slowly to the door and with a deep breath, she unlocked the hinges and opened it carefully.

Her eyes caught sight of Patrick. He was looking around her doorstep, dressed differently from the clothes she was used to seeing him in. Though, when their eyes met, Ashley found herself blushing unintentionally at the sight of his dimples and his sparkling eyes.

“Hi,” he smiled.

Ashley bit her lower lip. “Hey. Do you want to come in?”

“The date hasn’t even started and you’re already inviting me in?” he teased.

Oh god. Ashley’s cheeks reddened and she shook her head, trying to take back what she said. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Uh huh. Well, I got you these…” Patrick smiled nervously, bringing his arm from his back to showcase the flowers he was holding. He held it out for her and Ashley smiled to herself, taking it slowly as their fingertips brushed against one another.

“In that case, you have to come in so I can set these in some water.” she kept the door open for him to step in and turned on her heel to retrieve a vase. Ashley inhaled the flowers and grinned, shutting her eyes as she placed the flowers on the counter of her kitchen.

Patrick stepped carefully into her apartment, shutting the door behind him. He glanced around quickly, not wanting to be too nosey. He spotted a few personal photos in frames around the living room and hung on the wall. Afterwards, Patrick followed her to the kitchen and smiled to himself at her reaction.

“I didn’t know flowers you liked so –”

“Don’t worry about it. These are beautiful. Thank you, Patrick.”

“I figured I’d show you a different side of me than what you’re used to.”

“Well, being a gentleman definitely wasn’t what I was expecting,” she teased.

Patrick chuckled, watching her carefully handle the flowers with such delicacy as she placed them in a vase filled with water. He followed her to the dining room, smiling proudly to himself when she placed it in the middle of the table.

“There. All set. I’m ready,” Ashley grinned.

Patrick smiled, nodding and extending an arm out. “After you.”

She giggled, grabbing her bag and keys and leading him to the door. Once she locked it behind her, Patrick led her towards his car. Almost immediately, he held the door open for her and smiled when he saw the look of surprise cross her features.

“My mother always told me to be the perfect gentleman, Ashley. Don’t be so surprised,” he winked.

“I’m just wondering what else you have hiding underneath that sleeve of yours.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he smirked, shutting the door.

Ashley had never felt so comfortable on a first date than she did at this moment. There was something about Patrick that made her feel at ease and so comfortable in her own skin. Once he slid into the driver’s seat, Patrick started the car and headed towards the restaurant.

“So, where are we headed?”

Patrick smiled, “I hope you like pizza.”

“I love pizza.”

He looked over at her and grinned. “Great.”

As Patrick pulled into the parking lot of the pizza shop, Ashley unbuckled her seatbelt and felt her stomach gurgle. He looked over at her and chuckled, “Hungry?”

“Famished.”

Patrick once again held the door open for her, stepping into the small pizza shop. Ashley smiled to herself, watching as the hostess led them to a booth towards the back of the restaurant. It was dimly lit, but she could still see the menu and Patrick clearly.

Once seated, Ashley pulled her hair into a messy pony tail and looked down at the menu, biting her lower lip as she decided what kinds of slices to get.

Patrick was watching her carefully. He knew it was a big risk to take her out on a date, but for some reason, he couldn’t fathom seeing her with another man. Christopher was right when he said if he didn’t take his chance, another person would. Ashley was gorgeous and she fit right at home with the rest of the guys back at the firehouse.

“I’m stuck,” Ashley pouted. “They all look so good.”

“Then let’s get a bit of each,” he answered.

“We won’t even finish it.”

“Then there’s leftovers,” Patrick smiled.

“No no. I can decide what I want.”

“Nope. We’re getting a slice of each pizza. Do you want anything to drink?”

“Root beer is fine.”

Patrick smiled, “Root beer?”

“Yes. I love Root beer,” she said matter of factly.

Patrick chuckled, “Root beer it is.” He flagged the waiter down and told the younger man their order which surprised him. Afterwards, he ordered a beer for himself and a Root beer for Ashley which he made sure to enunciate carefully. The waiter took the menus and smiled, leaving them to talk.

“All right. Tell me something about you,” Patrick started.

“I’m sure you and Chief –”

“Nothing that’s in your file. I want you to tell me something instead of me reading it.”

“Oh, okay. Well, I love professional wrestling.”

Patrick arched a brow. “What?”

“Professional wrestling… Like WWE. Raw. Smackdown. I love it,” she grinned.

“I just – That’s incredibly surprising.”

“Why? Can’t a woman like pro-wrestling, Patrick?” she asked. The waiter set down their drinks and she gently bit at the straw, taking a sip and staring directly into Patrick’s eyes.

“No, no. Of course they can. It’s just – Don’t get me wrong, okay? You’re really beautiful, Ashley and I thought you were those girly-girl types that loved make-up and shopping and –”

She laughed, shaking her head. “I’m going to stop that train of thought and say thank you.”

He blushed, “All right, since I’m not the only one with surprises tonight, what else do you like?”

“I cook and I also bake.”

Patrick grinned, “So next time, do you think you can cook for me? Just me?”

Ashley blushed, “That would entail a second date. Are you thinking that far ahead?”

He nodded immediately. “I’d love a second date if I’m being honest.”

“We’ll see how tonight goes,” she winked. “Now, tell me something about you.”

“All right. Well, I play soccer, as you know. My neighbors have quickly become kind of like my second family. I’ve been a firefighter for almost fifteen years now and it was something that I have always wanted to do when I was younger,” Patrick nodded.

“Favorite music?” she asked.

“I’m not partial to any genre. Music is music. I like all types. What about you?”

“Rock. I love rock music,” Ashley grinned.

“So, I’m assuming it wouldn’t be appropriate if I asked you to dance right now? I know they’re not technically playing rock, but –”

“Very funny, Patrick.”

Patrick laughed, standing from the booth to walk to the jukebox that the small pizza shop had. After putting the needed amount of money and playing a slow song, he walked over to the booth once more and extended a hand out for Ashley to take.

“Come on.”

“Patrick…” she protested.

“I’m going to pull you from that seat, Ashley. Take my hand.”

Ashley looked around the restaurant, noticing the lingering eyes from a few customers and workers. With a heavy sigh, she took his hand and looked up at him. His free hand rested on her lower back, bringing her flush against his chest as her hand rested against him. Their other hands were entwined with another and Patrick held it close to his chest, staring into her eyes.

Slowly, they swayed with another. Ashley was getting lost in his eyes and it was obvious that his dance moves from the other night were making its appearance again. He knew how to sway his hips and move correctly to the beat of the music. However, Ashley stiffened only briefly when he released her hand to rest both of his around her waist. Instinctively, her arms wrapped around his neck and stepped closer to him.

Patrick was in a trance.

Holding her in his arms felt so right and oddly comfortable. His eyes deviated multiple times to glance at her lips, but he was too enamored by her eyes to fully look away.

However, Ashley pulled away first when she saw the waiter begin to set their food on the table. It was a lot, but the way Patrick’s eyes lit up with excitement made her giggle. He took her hand and led her back to the booth, sliding across from her to sit down.

“This looks delicious,” she smiled.

“Thank you for the dance by the way,” Patrick added.

“Thank you for asking me to dance.”

Quickly, they began to scarf down their food without hesitation. Patrick was surprised to see that Ashley could hold her own. He had been with women who worried about eating in front of him, but Ashley certainly wasn’t ashamed. It made him smile.

There was a comfortable silence between the both of them that Ashley didn’t want to interrupt. While their mouths were occupied with chewing, she would occasionally glance in his direction to hold the gaze for a while longer. It seemed like their dance was continuing with the way they were staring at one another.

“Do you like animals?” Ashley finally asked, wiping her lips.

“Love animals. What about you?”

“Oh, me too. I’d probably end this date early if you said you didn’t,” she teased.

Patrick chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re somethin’ else, you know that?”

“I’m hoping that’s a compliment.”

“It definitely is,” he nodded.

Ashley finished eating after her fourth slice which was way more than what she was used to eating. They still had quite a lot left so Patrick decided to get a to-go box and put the leftovers away. Once he paid the bill, Ashley pouted.

“Why are you pouting?” he asked, taking her hand once more.

Ashley eagerly took his hand and bit her lower lip. “We could have split the bill.”

“I thought we established that I’m a gentleman? I asked you out to dinner. I’m going to pay for you.”

Patrick led her back to the car and held the door open for her again. Though, Ashley hesitated before climbing in, her hand dragging down his chest slowly before shutting the door once seated.

He bit his lower lip and slowly walked around the car to the driver’s side. Once the car started, Patrick hesitantly reached over for her hand and smiled to himself when she didn’t pull away. He was reading her correctly and all the hinted feelings were right. Ashley felt the same way.

At her apartment, Patrick walked her to her front door. He waited for her to unlock it before she turned around.

“I had a great time, Patrick.”

“Me too. Did you give any thought about our second date?” he smiled.

Ashley giggled, “I did.”

“And?”

“And I’d love to go out on a second date with you.”

He grinned. “Great. You can come over and cook dinner. Showcase those cooking skills,” Patrick winked.

“Oh, definitely.”

The pair lingered at her front door. Patrick didn’t want to make the first move, so instead he pointed to his car over his shoulder.

“I better get going.”

“Of course. Thank you for tonight, Patrick.”

“No problem, Ashley. I had fun.”

As he was walking away, Ashley bit her lower lip and gently tugged on his hand. Patrick turned around slowly and looked down at her, arching a brow in confusion.

Though, when he felt her soft lips press against his cheek, Patrick shut his eyes and rested his hand on her hip.

“Good night, Patrick…” she pulled away slowly.

“Good night, Ashley.” he grinned.

Chapter Text

Since their date, Ashley and Patrick had begun talking more and more with one another outside of work. They would constantly send each other text messages, talk on the phone – she felt like it was a beginning of a great relationship. Though, Ashley knew that once they were back at the Firehouse, they would have to act normally and unlike how they were during their first date.

At the start of her shift, Ashley had already begun cooking breakfast for the rest of the men. She was dressed in her navy pants, boots, and a fitted FDNY t-shirt that was tucked in. Her hair was neatly tied in a pony tail and she looked up every time someone entered the main room.

Larry walked to the coffee machine, pouring himself a cup of coffee as he watched Ashley cook.

“Morning, Candidate,” he smiled.

“Hey, Larry. Good morning.”

“Making anything new today?”

“I got bacon,” Ashley laughed quietly, looking up at him.

“Well, that’s exciting. I’ll save you a cup of coffee.”

“Thank you, Larry. I should be finished soon.”

Larry nodded, walking away from the counter of the kitchen to sit at the elongated table nearby. He opened the newspaper and began reading the news, sipping occasionally at his cup of coffee. Larry looked up when he noticed Patrick entering the Firehouse, quickly making his way to the coffee machine. He grinned to himself, noticing the way Patrick’s eyes lingered on Ashley.

Ashley bit her lower lip at the sight of Patrick. She dropped her eyes to the pan, using her spatula to scramble the eggs.

“Morning,” Patrick smiled.

“Good morning, Lieutenant.”

He walked around the counter, peering over her shoulder from behind to look at what she was making. His body heat hovered dangerously close from behind her and Ashley wanted nothing more than to press herself back against him.

“Looks good,” he replied, his voice deep and husky like usual.

“Thank you. I managed to convince Chief to let me get more ingredients to spice things up a bit,” Ashley nodded.

Patrick glanced around, clearing his throat. He leaned in, his lips dangerously close to her ear and whispered, “I had a nice time the other night.”

“Me too,” Ashley blushed, looking over at him. Their lips were mere inches apart and he quickly had to pull away when he caught sight of the Chief from his peripheral.

“Did you make the coffee?” Patrick asked casually.

“Yeah. Is it good?”

“Delicious,” he smiled, leaving her in the kitchen to set his things into his locker. The Chief nodded towards Patrick, walking to grab himself a cup of coffee as well.

“Hello, Ashley.”

“Chief,” she smiled. “Good morning.”

“How are you holding up here? Hopefully they’re not treating you too poorly,” he chuckled.

“They’ve welcomed me with open arms… And many chores to do,” she teased.

“That will all be done with soon. Patrick and the rest of the guys on Truck 81 have said that they love having you so far. That must be a good thing.”

Ashley grinned, looking up at the Chief. “Really?”

“Absolutely. The guys around here love when they see a passionate, dedicated firefighter in their midst. We need more like you, Candidate.”

“I chose this profession because I want to help people. I’m just glad that I’m slowly getting along with everyone here,” she sighed contentedly.

“Well, we’re happy to have you here with us, Ashley.” The Chief nodded and walked back into his office down the hall.

Ashley grinned to herself. She felt proud of herself that she was making a good impression on the men in this Firehouse. She just had to get over this probationary period and then she could truly be “one of the guys.”

Once she finished cooking, Ashley set the large plates onto the counter. She had made a variety of eggs – scrambled and sunny side up – bacon, sausages, and hash browns. Almost like clockwork, the rest of the firefighters walked into the main room and each grabbed a plate.

“Leave some for the Candidate!” Patrick told the men who seemed to be taking more than their fair share. “If she’s going to cook for us, the least we could do is leave her some.”

She turned to look over at him, smiling to herself. Ashley began washing the dishes, hearing the quiet sounds of utensils hitting the plates. Patrick walked over to her, gently resting a hand on her lower back.

“Leave those. Come and eat with us,” he suggested.

“Oh, okay…” Ashley dried her hands and grabbed herself a plate of food. She also poured herself a cup of coffee, smiling at Larry who saved her the last cup. Patrick led her to the table, sitting next to her as she looked around the table.

“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” Larry asked.

“Drills,” Patrick replied, taking a forkful of eggs. “Not too much though, but we’ve got a newbie on our hands and the more training we do, the better off she will be.”

Ashley looked around the table. She was expecting to see glares from the men, but instead, they simply nodded in understanding.

“It’s better than sitting on my ass waiting for a call,” Larry laughed, erupting a serious of chuckles amongst the group.

Ashley smiled, looking up at him. “I actually enjoy the drills. It’s a good workout.”

Patrick arched a brow, looking over at her. “I’d be careful what you wish for her, Candidate.”

“Oh no,” Larry widened his eyes playfully. “He’s just teasin’ you, Ash. Besides, I think you can take him… Like you did at the bar.”

The group laughed, causing you to blush and glance over at Patrick. He was narrowing his eyes, but deep down, you could see that he was just as amused.

“You guys underestimate me,” Ashley smiled.

“Well, looks are deceiving,” Larry chuckled.

“How so?” she asked.

Patrick glanced around the rest of his men, noticing how they were avoiding the question. Larry, however, decided to speak up. He was married, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t acknowledge a beautiful woman when he saw one.

“You’re pretty. We didn’t expect you to be really good at pool or soccer.”

Ashley smiled. It sounded very similar to what Patrick said about her interests during their date. “Didn’t your parents ever tell you to never judge a book by its cover?” she teased.

Patrick chuckled, glancing over at her. Ashley smiled to herself, holding the eye contact for a moment before looking away. “All Larry’s saying is that you’re the complete package.”

Ashley blushed. “Well, thank you, Lieutenant.”

Larry smirked knowingly, gently nudging Patrick. Ashley finished her food and looked around the group of men, standing from the table.

“You can set the dishes on the side of the counter and I’ll be more than happy to wash that for you,” she said, walking towards the kitchen.

Once she was out of earshot, Larry laughed and pointed at Patrick. “You asked her out, didn’t you?”

The rest of the group of men grinned, sipping their cups of coffee. “You’ve got a good one, Patrick. Don’t let that one go,” another man said. “Because if you do, I’ll take my chance,” he teased.

Patrick narrowed his eyes, gently punching the other man’s shoulder. “I like her. She likes me. It’s still too early to let Chief know about it.”

“You know how he is with in-house affairs, Patrick,” Larry said. “The sooner you tell him, the better.”

“I’m not even sure it’ll go anywhere,” Patrick shrugged.

The men laughed, shaking their heads. Larry spoke, looking over at Patrick with an arched brow. “From the way you’ve been looking at her, I’d say it’s going to go somewhere.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll let him know.”

---

Ashley was dripping with sweat and the rest of the men in her group were panting heavily. Patrick had overworked them and motioned for them to take a break. He didn’t want his firefighters tired and exhausted if there was a call that they needed to take.

She walked to the lockers, sitting at the bench with her own locker open. She removed her shirt and remained clad in a white tank-top that was also tucked into her navy blue pants. She ran a small towel along her neck, patting the dampened area.

Patrick watched her with a smile, walking quietly to her. He remained standing, leaning against the lockers with his hands in his pockets.

“Hey,” he grinned.

“That was brutal,” Ashley sighed.

“You said you enjoyed the drills. Did you not enjoy the ones we just did?”

She arched a brow. “Nope. I enjoyed it,” she lied.

Patrick chuckled, shaking his head. “What a trooper.” Moving, he sat next to her. His eyes raked over the newly exposed skin as he watched a droplet of sweat trickle its way down between the crevice of her breasts.

“You’re staring,” she commented, taking him out of his trance.

“Sorry,” he chuckled.

“I like it.” Ashley blushed, looking over at him.

“Yeah?”

“Definitely.”

Patrick chuckled, inching his way closer to her. “I was thinking we can tell the Chief about this… About us. I know it’s too early, but he doesn’t like things kept in secret.”

Ashley nodded, “Okay. Better to tell him now than for him to find out later.”

He was shocked. He hadn’t expected her to agree so quickly. “All right. You want to put a shirt on before we head into his office?”

“Why? Getting distracted?”

Patrick growled, leaning in so their lips were mere inches apart. “You’re teasing me, Candidate.”

“I like to see you all riled up, Lieutenant.”

“Do you kiss on the second date?” he blurted, his eyes darkening just slightly.

“What?”

“Do you kiss on the second date?” Patrick repeated. “We didn’t kiss on the first, so I’m just wondering if you kiss on the second.”

Ashley stood, pulling on a new t-shirt and tucking it in. She shut her locker and looked down at Patrick who remained seated on the bench. She bit her lower lip and gently ran her fingertips across his shoulder lightly. “I guess you’ll find out tomorrow, huh?”

He stood, shaking his head. “Such a tease.”

“That’s me,” she winked.

Patrick chuckled, resting his hand on her lower back. He led her to the Chief’s office and knocked quietly. When the Chief motioned them inside, Patrick allowed Ashley first and then shut the door behind him.

“Is everything all right?” The Chief asked.

Ashley bit her lower lip. She glanced up at Patrick and allowed him to take the lead.

“Well, Chief, I just wanted to let you know that–”

“You two are together?” The Chief answered.

“How did–”

“It’s really obvious, Patrick.”

“Oh…” he chuckled nervously, glancing over at Ashley.

“Plus, Christopher told me.”

“He’s the one that gave me the advice to ask her out.”

“I’d honestly tell you the same thing, Patrick. And Ashley?”

“Y – Yes, sir?” she answered, looking up.

“Do you like Patrick?”

“Yeah, I do…”

The Chief nodded, glancing between them. “Patrick, you know the rules.”

“I do, Chief, but–”

“If this continues, we’re going to have to relocate her to a different house. You both know that in-house affairs are not allowed.”

Ashley nodded, biting her lower lip. She had known that fact already. Despite wanting to say in this Firehouse, she didn’t want to jeopardize the potential relationship with Patrick. She felt something with him that she had never felt before and she wanted to explore it even more.

“For now, keep this under wraps. I’m assuming this relationship is new, still fresh. I want to be sure that this is serious before I relocate you, Ashley. If this doesn’t work out between you two–”

“It will,” Patrick interrupted confidently. “It will.”

“Well, give it a month or two. If you two are still going strong, I’ll have no choice but to relocate you, Ashley.”

“All right,” Ashley said. “That is fine with me.”

Patrick glanced at her, biting his lower lip. “Okay, Chief. Thank you.”

After they left his office, Patrick led her to his room that only the Lieutenants had. He shut the door and lowered the blinds. He looked down at her and took her hand, gently running his thumb across her knuckles.

“You sure about this?”

Ashley nodded. “We at least have to try, right?”

Patrick smiled. “So, tomorrow night? My house or yours?”

“You can come to mine. I’ll have dinner ready by the time you arrive.”

“Are you also baking dessert?”

Ashley smiled, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “You’ll find out.”

Chapter Text

Patrick had invited Ashley over to his apartment for their second date. He offered to pick her up, but Ashley insisted that she would drive there herself. He was enjoying their teasing banter with lingering stares between one another. She was becoming more and more of a woman that he wanted to settle down with—he was always known to fall in love too quickly. Though, Patrick knew that Ashley wasn’t like any other woman he had been with.

She was different, and he liked it.

At the end of their shift, Patrick and Ashley walked out of the Firehouse and to their parked cars.

“So, tonight?” he asked.

Ashley smiled, “Yeah. Any special requests on what I shall make for dinner?”

“Nope. Surprise me. You’re the cook. Plus, I’ll eat anything. I’m not picky,” Patrick grinned. “I also texted you my address, so don’t be late.”

“Me? Late? Please,” she teased.

Patrick walked her to her car, looking down at her. They had to keep their relationship a secret from the people in higher ranks, but everyone around the Firehouse was aware of their affair, and no one bothered to say a word.

Ashley opened her door and tossed her duffle bag into the passenger seat. She turned around afterwards to look up at Patrick, tilting her head as she stared into his eyes. They hadn’t kissed one another, but Ashley was sure that the thought was looming in his mind just as it was in hers.

“I’ll see you tonight, Ashley,” Patrick smiled.

“Yes you will.”

“Just bring the ingredients and you can cook at my place. I don’t mind learning.”

“Well, that sounds great to me. I’ll see you then.” Ashley nodded, climbing into the driver’s seat. She buckled the seatbelt and smiled up at Patrick before he shut the door behind her.

Patrick stepped away from the car and pocketed his hands, staring at her from the window and waving. “Drive safe.”

Ashley smiled, pulling onto the main road. She was more than excited for her second date with Patrick. It was unorthodox for her to go to his apartment and cook him dinner, but she liked how different this relationship was becoming. Not only did they have physical attraction, but she enjoyed how their banter had come so naturally.

Despite her growing relationship with Patrick, Ashley had grown close with the firefighters at the Firehouse. Many had begun to warm up to her and the way they treated her before was completely different than they were treating her now.

At first, the title of being a Candidate seemed like a curse, but now it was simply a joke that the rest of the guys liked to tease her about. It was like she had gotten the respect of her coworkers and since her incident with Patrick, Ashley was working twice as hard with the drills that he made her do. Her hard work was being recognized by her colleagues and it was the greatest feeling in the world. She was on the path to becoming a great firefighter like the rest of the firefighters.

Ashley finally made it to her apartment. She was in need of a shower before going to the grocery store to buy the needed ingredients for tonight’s dinner. Patrick hadn’t specified on a particular dress code, so she decided to wear a dress.

After parking her car in her designated parking spot, Ashley stepped out of her car with her duffle bag draped over her shoulder. Quickly, she walked to her front door and unlocked it. She made a mental note to have a cup of coffee before leaving since she was a bit tired from today’s shift.

Ashley shut the door behind her and locked it, walking to the kitchen to brew herself a cup of coffee. While she waited, she decided to take a shower. She didn’t mind drinking lukewarm coffee.

Setting her duffle bag on the floor of her bedroom, Ashley walked to her bathroom and turned the water on in the tub, allowing it to heat up. She stripped from her clothes and looked at herself in the mirror. Ashley had never felt as confident as she did now. She was seeing a man that she was thinking more and more about and her career was even better. Everything going on in her life made her content.

Finally stepping into the shower, she stepped underneath the water and allowed it to wet her skin. Ashley shut her eyes and allowed her mind to drift to Patrick.

Their first date was great. Everything about it was simple, but Ashley enjoyed every second of it. Its simplicity allowed her to gain a better understanding about Patrick. Instead of going to a high class restaurant, they decided on a small pizza shop downtown. All she could remember was dancing with him in the middle of the restaurant with quiet music in the background. It was spontaneous and sweet.

After applying shampoo and conditioner to her hair, Ashley washed her body thoroughly with her body wash that was scented with vanilla. Despite her thoughts about the first date, she wondered if she was going to allow him to kiss her tonight. Since breaking the boundary and going out with Patrick, Ashley wondered what his lips would feel like against hers.

Once the suds washed away from her body, Ashley stood underneath the water for a few moments. Afterwards, she shut the water off and stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her dripping body. Walking to her closet, she tucked the front of her towel to hold it against her body as she shifted through her clothes.

Finally, she found a white, short-sleeved dress with a floral print on it. Ashley grinned and brought it out with her, walking out of her closet and back into her bedroom. After setting the dress on her bed, Ashley removed her towel to wrap it around her wet hair. She applied a decent amount of lotion to every inch of her body and removed the dress from its hanger.

The white, floral dress was collared and buttoned down with a strings that matched the color and print of the dress. Sliding it over her head, Ashley buttoned it up a quarter of the way upwards. After tying the strings around her waist, it provided the tightness she needed to reveal her curves.

She removed the towel from her hair and allowed it to air dry, walking back to her closet to look for shoes that would match her dress. Settling with beige ankle strapped heels, Ashley picked it up from the rack and grinned. She was more than ready to show Patrick how good she looked.

Once she finished dressing up and her hair had dried and her make-up was put on, Ashley sent a quick text to Patrick saying she was going to the store. She quickly walked to the kitchen to drink her coffee as her mind drifted once more. Ashley wondered if this relationship with Patrick would lead anywhere, which also left her thinking about what the Chief had said. There was no way for Patrick and her to be in a relationship while working under the same Firehouse.

After she finished her coffee, Ashley set it in the sink and then left her apartment, walking to her car. As she climbed in, she set her purse in the passenger seat and shut her door, buckling her seatbelt.

Ashley knew what she was going to make. She decided on making Alfredo pasta with spinach and a side of garlic bread. So, as she drove to the nearest grocery store, the nerves began to pick up. She was getting slightly anxious to see Patrick again.

The trip to the store didn’t last long since Ashley went a time where it wasn’t as busy. After she bought the needed ingredients, she began driving to Patrick’s apartment. Her heart was beating rapidly and she could feel a drip of sweat trickle down her temple.

She pulled up along the curb and parked her car. Sending a quick text to Patrick, Ashley stepped out of her car and grabbed the groceries from the backseat. Though, she looked over her shoulder when she heard someone whistling from behind her. Ashley’s cheeks almost reddened at the sight of Patrick.

Though, once he made it to her car, Patrick took the bags from her and allowed his eyes to look at her from top to bottom. He cleared his throat. He wasn’t expecting her to dress up this nice.

“You look—”

“Different?” Ashley finished.

“Beautiful,” he corrected.

Ashley blushed further. Patrick laughed quietly, motioning to his apartment with a swift nod. “Thank you, Patrick.

“I have to let a woman know when she’s looking beautiful.”

Ashley followed him inside his building, biting her lower lip. She walked upstairs, smiling politely at the people who left their door wide open for her to see. She looked up at Patrick and noticed him grinning from ear to ear. Once they made it to his apartment, Patrick opened the door and allowed her inside first.

She stepped in, glancing around the unfamiliar space. It was small and compact, but she liked it.

“Kitchen’s this way,” he smiled.

Ashley set her purse down on the couch and followed him to the kitchen, pulling her hair up into a neat ponytail. Patrick had begun removing the items from the bag, setting it on the counter.

“Pasta?” he asked.

“Mhm, and garlic bread.” Ashley smiled.

“I like it. I’m ready to help out too.”

“Oh no, we’ll never get to eat if you help me,” she teased.

Patrick chuckled, looking over at her. “You think you’re funny, huh?”

“Hilarious, actually.”

He smiled, shaking his head. He grabbed the necessary pots and pans and set it on the stove. Ashley washed her hands thoroughly before walking around the small kitchen. She liked how everything was within arms reach.

“So, what’s first, Chef Ashley?”

“Chef Ashley? Really?”

“What? Don’t you think it has a nice ring to it?”

“No,” she laughed. “Not at all.”

“Well, at least I got you to laugh,” Patrick smiled, flashing her his dimples.

“That you did, Patrick… That you did.”

“Okay, seriously… What’s first?”

“Well, we’re going to go ahead and boil the water for the noodles to soften. While that’s happening, we can go ahead and make the sauce,” she smiled.

Patrick was trying to listen, but watching her maneuver around his kitchen made him grin lovingly. He was also surprised to see her wearing a dress. She looked just as beautiful as she did when she would wear her usual navy blue pants and FDNY t-shirt at work.

“Are you even listening?” Ashley asked.

“Honestly?”

She nodded.

“Nope. You’re distracting,” Patrick admitted.

“Oh, okay. Blame it on me,” she laughed, poking his abdomen.

“I will blame it on you because it’s your fault why I’m not paying attention.”

Ashley smiled, looking up at him. The water was boiling in the pot and she had begun on creating the sauce, but Patrick was a bit too close. She was peering up at him and his hands yearned to rest on her hips.

“Patrick?”

“Yes, Ashley?”

“Can you grab me some milk?” she blushed.

Patrick grinned, “Of course.”

Once he pulled away, Ashley took a deep breath and focused on cooking. Soon enough, the aroma of her cooking filtered throughout his apartment. She poured the milk into another pan and allowed the sauce to cook on a medium-low heat.

Patrick was watching carefully, getting closer and closer to her every chance he could. He opened a bottle of beer and handed one to her which Ashley took eagerly. He felt his stomach growl at the scent of her cooking, grinning to himself.

He could get used to this.

“All right. Sauce is done. Come here and try it,” Ashley smiled, setting her beer down. She grabbed the wooden spoon and stirred the contents, scooping a decent amount of sauce onto it. Patrick walked towards her, stepping into her personal space as he leaned down to taste her sauce.

“Wow,” he grinned, pulling back just a bit. “That’s delicious.”

“I haven’t even added the spinach yet,” she smiled.

“Well? Go on and add it.”

Ashley giggled, pouring the fresh spinach into the sauce and mixed it with the sauce. While it was bubbling, she turned the oven on and preheated it for the garlic bread. As she turned around, she bumped into Patrick and his hands immediately rested on her hips.

“Clumsy much?”

“Nope. Just not expecting you to stand right there.”

“Where else would I be?” he laughed.

Ashley didn’t respond. Instead, she took a step closer to him until their bodies were mere inches apart from one another. Patrick cleared his throat, bringing a hand to cup her cheek. She leaned into it, staring into his eyes.

“Ashley?”

“Yes?”

“May I kiss you?” he asked.

Ashley bit her lower lip, feeling his thumb brush against her jawline. This was it. All she had to do was nod and lean up on her toes to kiss him, to feel his lips.

The second trickled by slowly. Patrick was awaiting her answer patiently, but he couldn’t help but let his eyes deviate to her lips continuously.

Finally, she nodded. “Yes… You may.”

Patrick grinned, leaning down to press his lips against her own. His hand on her hip tightened and moved to wrap around her waist, bringing her flush against his chest. Ashley whimpered against him, the feel of his soft lips against her own managing to clear her mind of nothing but the feel of his lips.

Slowly, Patrick moved his lips against hers. She followed his lead eagerly. Though, at the sound of the loud beep, they pulled away and turned to look at the oven. It was ready for the garlic bread.

Patrick grinned, licking his lips and pulling away. He set the garlic bread into the oven carefully and put a timer on it before turning around to face Ashley once more.

“I enjoyed that,” he admitted.

“So did I…”

“I’d like to do it again.”

“Me too…”

Patrick grinned, opting to peck her lips instead. “After dinner.”

She nodded in agreement. “After dinner.”

The entire time she was cooking, Patrick lingered around her. He would rest a hand on her lower back or even drape his arm around her shoulders. Finally, when the oven beeped once more, he released her to take the garlic bread out of the oven to let it cool down on the countertop.

Ashley had drained the water from the noodles and mixed it in with the sauce and spinach. She smiled to herself, looking down at the dinner she made. She was more than ready to sit down and eat with Patrick.

She glanced over her shoulder, watching him carefully take out the tray of garlic bread with two oven mitts. Ashley giggled to herself—it was a funny sight to see Patrick wearing oven mitts. He seemed so manly that wearing a simply kitchen item made her smile.

“Want to help me set the table?” he asked.

Ashley nodded, turning the stove off and allowing the pasta to sit on the counter once she set it aside. “Of course.”

Patrick took her hand, lacing their fingers together as he reached for two plates with his free hand. He ran his thumb across the back of her own and smiled to himself, leading her to the dining room.

“Forks?” she asked.

Patrick nodded, setting the plates down across from one another. He led her back into the kitchen and opened a drawer to reveal the utensils, grabbing two forks and bringing her back into the dining room.

“Looks great,” he smiled.

Ashley looked up at him and used her free hand to cup his cheek, leaning on her toes to peck his lips lightly. She sighed happily once she pulled away, looking into his eyes with an innocent gaze.

“What was that for?” Patrick asked.

“I missed your lips.”

He grinned, watching her walk towards the kitchen to retrieve the food. However, Patrick tugged on her hand and turned her around. His free arm wrapped around her waist to bring her flush against his body and immediately, he leaned down to press his lips against her own. He sighed contentedly against her and dropped her hand to cup her cheek.

Ashley gasped, though, she relaxed immediately against him. Her hands went to rest on his chest and she slowly moved her lips against his own which he eagerly followed.

Patrick dropped his hand from her cheek to rest gently against the side of her neck as his thumb brushed against her throat. He smiled against her lips and slowly pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.

“We are definitely going to do more of that,” he smiled.

“Yeah?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Ashley giggled, kissing his cheek and gently pushing him away so that she could get the food in the kitchen. Patrick followed her, deciding to grab the pot of pasta and the tray of garlic bread. Ashley smiled to herself and wrapped her arms around him from behind, kissing the back of his shoulder.

“You’re being very touchy feely tonight,” he chuckled.

“Is that a problem? I can tone it down a bit if you’d like,” she giggled.

Patrick shook his head, setting the food onto the middle of the table. “Don’t tone it down. Not at all.”

He held her chair out for her and smiled, kissing her cheek once she sat down. Patrick pushed her chair in and smiled to himself, sitting across from her.

“Dinner is served,” she smiled.

Patrick laughed quietly, “This smells delicious, by the way. Thank you for making it, Ashley.”

“Now you just have to try it… I hope it meets your expectations,” she smiled.

Patrick took her plate and placed a decent amount of pasta onto hers before tending to his own. After her put a large amount onto his plate, Ashley grabbed two slices of garlic bread and placed one on her plate and the other on Patrick’s.

“I have dessert, just in case you were wondering,” he commented.

“Ooh, what dessert?”

“Ice cream,” he chuckled.

“My favorite,” Ashley smiled.

They began eating and she watched Patrick carefully. Once he took a forkful of his pasta, Patrick grinned and dabbed at his lips carefully. “Holy shit.”

Ashley grinned. “Good?”

“Amazing,” he corrected. “Wow. This is really good.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”

“I think I want you coming over every night to make dinner,” he teased.

“I wouldn’t mind just as long as you help,” Ashley replied.

Patrick continued to eat, taking forkfuls of his pasta and bites of his garlic bread. Being in Ashley’s presence made him happier than he had been and he didn’t know what it was, but there was something about her that lured him in.

“How are you liking the Firehouse?” Patrick asked.

“It’s hard not to like it,” she laughed. “I love everyone in it. They’re all so nice and welcoming. I definitely enjoy the fact that you guys don’t treat me like I’m a woman… You all treat me like I’m one of the guys. It’s nice.”

Patrick smiled, “Well, you didn’t want any special treatment so, we all decided it was best to listen to you.”

“I’m glad you and the Chief and everyone else have been so nice. I mean, the drills are tough, but I enjoy it.”

“You enjoy it?” he asked, arching a brow.

“Helps me become a better firefighter.”

Patrick grinned. “I knew from the first moment I met you that you’d have the passion and motivation to be great. Everyone at the Firehouse started like that and we’re all so lucky that we still have that same drive. Don’t lose sight of that.”

Ashley smiled, “I’m lucky to be part of a great group of guys.”

“And you’re dating your Lieutenant,” he chuckled.

“I did not plan that,” she giggled, blushing.

“Of course not,” he winked.

“Chief says that if this goes somewhere… I can’t be in the same Firehouse?” Ashley asked.

Patrick nodded, “Yeah. The department is strictly against having in-house relationships. It’s happened before and it just—it didn’t work out and it caused a rift between the firefighters.”

“That makes sense…”

“What’s on your mind then?”

“I know this is just the second date and I honestly don’t want to scare you—”

“But?” Patrick asked, arching a brow after taking a bite of his bread.

“Do you see us going anywhere?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yeah,” he answered immediately. “I don’t want to scare you either, but there’s just something about you that is just—you’re different, Ashley. I’d be stupid not to try and see where this takes us.”

She grinned, staring up at him. “Cool…”

“Cool?” Patrick laughed. “That’s all?”

“No, no. I meant—I’m glad you said that. I just never had any luck with dating and guys before, so this is kind of too good to be true, but I like you, Patrick.”

“Good because I like you too, Ashley.”

After their dinner, Patrick and Ashley both washed the dishes, bumping their hips with one another. She was enjoying her time with him and when his arms wrapped around her from behind, she stiffened only to relax when he pressed his lips against the side of her neck.

“Thank you for dinner,” he whispered.

Ashley smiled, shutting the water off once she finished with the dishes. “Thank you for inviting me over.”

“You can come over anytime you’d like,” Patrick winked. He turned her around and pecked her lips, grabbing two beers and leading her to the living room.

“Want to watch a movie?” he asked.

“I’d love to.” Ashley removed her heels and set them aside, bringing her legs onto the couch once she sat down. Patrick put in an old movie and when he sat next to her, he propped his feet onto the coffee table and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to bring her flush against him.

“Ghost, really?” she asked.

“What? I like this movie.” Patrick smiled, kissing her forehead.

As the movie started, she rested her cheek against his shoulder and sipped periodically at her beer. Ashley could get used to this: Coming home after a long shift at work to have dinner with Patrick and watch a movie afterwards. It was relaxing.

Halfway into the movie, Ashley had fallen asleep against Patrick. Apparently, the coffee she had before leaving her apartment didn’t work at all. He looked down at her and noticed that she was sleeping. With a smile, he set their beers down and picked her up, bringing her into his bedroom. Setting her down, Patrick lied next to her and wrapped his arm around her before allowing himself to fall asleep.

He could get used to falling asleep next to her.

Chapter Text

Ashley awoke the next morning with strong arms around her frame. As she turned to look over her shoulder, she found that the man she was sleeping next to was Patrick. Not only were his arms around her, but he was snoring very quietly against the pillow. His hair was a disheveled mess, but he looked peaceful nonetheless.

Slowly, Ashley turned to face him. Her hands rested on his chest, feeling it heave against her fingertips. She leaned in to kiss his cheek, snuggling in closer afterwards. His warmth was comforting and Ashley continued to cuddle closer until she heard a quiet grunt.

“You keep moving,” he mumbled sleepily.

Ashley bit her lower lip, burying her face against his neck. “I just want to get as close to you as possible, that’s why.”

Patrick chuckled, slowly opening his eyes. He looked down at her and grinned to himself, kissing the crown of her head as he tightened his hold on her. “Only one way to get close,” he teased, his voice deep and husky this early in the morning.

Ashley blushed, gently biting at his neck before she pulled away. Though, Patrick shook his head and tugged her back to him, running his nose along the side of her neck. “Patrick…”

He smiled, kissing her gently. “I just had a really great time last night, Ashley.”

“Me too…”

“Did you want breakfast? I can make us some,” he suggested, climbing out of his bed and taking her with him. Ashley smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her cheek against his chest.

“Sure, I’d love breakfast. Maybe even coffee.”

“Ooh, coffee. I like the way you think.”

Patrick led her out of his bedroom and towards the kitchen. On the way there, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. Ashley smiled to herself, leaning back against him as she walked slowly to the kitchen.

“Have any plans today since it’s our day off?” Patrick asked.

“I was just thinking of staying home, cleaning up a bit—”

He smiled, turning her around. “Go on a date with me.”

“Again?” she teased.

Patrick chuckled, “We can explore New York. We’ll be tourists in our own city.”

Ashley smiled, nodding immediately. “That sounds like a great idea. I’d love to, Patrick.”

“Good, because I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.” he laughed, pecking her lips.

---

Patrick and Ashley had finished breakfast and were now sitting on the couch. Ashley’s legs were draped over Patrick’s and his arm rested over it. He ran his fingers along her outer thigh as they watched the news. He found himself thinking of what their future would be like and this was exactly what he imagined. Patrick enjoyed how simple Ashley was and how she was more than satisfied to spend time with him watching the news rather than go out and do something fancy.

Slowly, he set his cup down onto the coffee table and turned his body. Patrick cupped her cheek and pressed his lips against hers, smiling immediately. He began to move his lips against her own, reveling in the softness of her lips as she followed his lead.

“Patrick,” she whimpered, resting a hand on his chest and slowly pushing away.

“Sorry, sorry. I just didn’t get the chance to kiss you this morning.”

Ashley blushed, pecking his lips. “Well, you’re going to get me all worked up.”

“I wouldn’t mind that.”

She laughed, playfully punching his arm. “I know you wouldn’t.”

“You can wait for me to get ready and then we can go to your place so that you can freshen up, too.” Patrick suggested.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Besides, it’ll give me a chance to snoop around,” he teased.

Ashley laughed quietly, pecking his lips repeatedly. “Yeah, yeah. Go on and clean yourself up.”

Patrick smiled, kissing along her jawline before standing from the couch. “I’ll be quick.”

He walked towards his bedroom and entered the connected bathroom. Patrick’s mind drifted to Ashley and how comfortable it was to have her in his home. It seemed so natural to see her lying in his bed, curled against him. Though, there was the lingering thought that if their relationship were to become more serious, Ashley would have to be relocated.

He stepped into the shower once the water was warm enough and shut his eyes, allowing the water to run over his body.

Ashley walked to the kitchen and began washing the dishes. She found herself thinking more and more about Patrick. She was willing to relocate if their relationship became more serious. She wanted to take a risk with him because she knew that one day, it would be worth it. There were other firehouses around New York that she could be at, but there was only one Patrick and Ashley wasn’t going to let him go anytime soon.

After Patrick finished his shower, he dressed in dark pants and a denim button up. Running a hand through his hair, Patrick walked back to the living room to catch a glimpse of Ashley putting away the plates. He smiled and instantly walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

“You’re doing too much around here,” he chuckled.

“It’s the least I could do,” Ashley smiled, pecking his lips. “You smell nice.”

“Thank you,” Patrick looked into her eyes and smiled. “Ready to head home?”

She nodded, “So ready to shower.”

­---

Patrick and Ashley drove separately to her apartment. When they arrived, Patrick quickly parked along the curb and followed her to her front door. He smiled to himself when she unlocked it, allowing him to step inside after her. His eyes swept the familiar living room before catching sight of the flowers he had gotten her on their first date.

“You still have the flowers,” Patrick smiled.

“They’re beautiful. Why wouldn’t I still have them?”

He shrugged, kissing her cheek. “Just stating the obvious. Go ahead and get ready. I’ll be waiting right here.”

Ashley smiled, pecking his lips. “I’ll be quick.”

She walked into her bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. Her mind drifted to Patrick in the living room and she wanted desperately to just bring him into her bedroom and take him on her bed. With a frustrated sigh, Ashley stepped under the water and shut her eyes, beginning to lather her body with the body wash.

Patrick patiently waited in the living room. He could hear the water running from the other room and he glanced down the hallway with a bite to his lower lip. Now that they had their first kiss, Patrick couldn’t stop the lingering thoughts of the next step in their relationship.

Ashley finished her shower in twenty minutes, stepping out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her frame. Deciding on wearing black jeans and a loose v-neck, she wrapped the towel around her wet hair and began changing into her clothes. After she dressed, Ashley removed the towel from her hair and combed through the tangles. Sliding into her sandals, she stepped out of her bedroom to walk towards Patrick.

He stood immediately, smiling at her.

“Hi.”

“Hey,” Ashley chuckled, walking to him. Her arms quickly wrapped around his neck and she kissed his cheek, staring into his eyes. “Ready?”

“Yep. You smell great, by the way.”

Ashley blushed, “So do you.”

---

“So, Central Park, huh?” Ashley smiled, walking along the pathway with Patrick. His hand dropped to hold hers, lacing their fingers immediately with one another.

“It’s a nice day,” he nodded. “Plus, this used to be one of my favorite places growing up. There’s just something soothing about it.”

“Kind of looks like a forest with all these trees.”

“That may be the reason why,” he chuckled.

Patrick released her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly against his side. Since meeting Ashley, he didn’t know that his Candidate would soon turn and become his girlfriend. Once he put a title on it, Patrick knew there was no going back. They had only gone on a few dates, but he was already feeling a strong connection with her.

Ashley looked up at him and smiled, kissing his cheek. Afterwards, she rested against his shoulder as her arm wrapped loosely around his lower back. In this moment, she found herself wishing for more like this. It was peaceful and Patrick had always made her feel special in her own way.

Suddenly, Ashley stopped walking to look up at him. “Want to go back to my place?”

Patrick arched a brow. “For?”

She bit her lower lip and gently tugged on his shirt, pulling him to her “Do I have to tell you or shall I demonstrate?”

His eyes darkened immediately. He leaned down to peck her lips, feeling her tug slightly on his lower lip once he pulled away. Patrick groaned, his hands dropping to her hips as he brought her flush against his chest.

“Let’s go to my place.” he suggested, taking her hand and bringing her to his car.

The entire ride back to his apartment was filled with tension and lust. Patrick could sense her eagerness and it was stirring something else awake. He felt his pants begin to tighten in pressure as he absently rested a hand down on his crotch, grunting lowly.

Ashley looked up at him, licking her lips slowly. She smiled and focused on the road, squeezing her legs absently together. The thought of finally having sex with Patrick made her excited and she felt a wetness pool between her legs at the anticipation.

Finally making it to his apartment, Patrick parked his car and led her into his building and up the stairs. Once inside, Patrick shut the door and leaned down to capture Ashley’s lips. He grinned, slowly moving their lips together as he picked her up by sweeping her legs underneath her. He held her close to his chest and led her into his bedroom, their kiss never breaking.

As Patrick set her on the mattress, Ashley quickly removed her shirt and began to undo her pants. He smiled, running his rough fingertips down her exposed abdomen where he leaned down to kiss along her belly button.

“Slow down,” he chuckled. “I’m just as eager, but let’s take it slow.”

She blushed, leaning up on her elbows to kiss along his neck. “Okay…”

Patrick grunted, undoing the buttons of his shirt. He shrugged it off quickly and settled himself between her legs, bringing her to the middle of the bed. As he leaned back on his knees, Patrick tugged at her pants, removing it from her body. He tossed it to the floor and ran his hands up her soft, smooth legs.

“You’re beautiful, Ashley…”

She smiled, “Thank you, Patrick.

Her hands quickly undid the button of his pants, slowly unzipping the zipper as well. Patrick groaned as it relieved a bit of pressure. She leaned up and unclasped her bra, pulling it from her body. He leaned down and immediately wrapped his lips around her nipple, using his free hand to caress the unattended breast. “Fuck,” he mumbled against her.

Ashley arched her back, her eyes falling shut at the sudden sensation of pleasure. Everywhere he touched, she was sensitive. As his hand ran down her side to tug down her panties, she quickly wiggled free of them and Patrick pulled back to finally gaze upon her naked form.

“Goddamn,” he growled. “I need you now.”

“I am all yours,” Ashley said. “All yours, Patrick.”

Patrick groaned, kicking off his jeans and boxers. He leaned over the bed to grab a condom, tearing it open. He rolled down the contraceptive onto his throbbing cock, staring into Ashley’s eyes. He noticed the way she looked at him and he grinned, grasping himself to run his tip along her soaking heat.

“You’re wet, baby.”

“That’s all because of you…”

“We barely had any foreplay,” Patrick smirked.

“All I need are your kisses,” she admitted.

“Good to know,” he said. Patrick lowered himself so that their foreheads rested against one another and immediately, he pushed into her tight heat. He groaned, shutting his eyes as he placed both hands at either side of her head on the mattress for leverage.

“Patrick… Oh god!” she parted her legs, opening herself even further for him.

Patrick began a slow pace, moving his hips along her. He reveled in her tight walls clasping onto his member in a tight vice. He knew it was the right thing to wait, but this relationship wasn’t built on sex. It wasn’t built on waiting to have sex, either. Patrick liked her, and he could even see himself settling down with her.

Ashley tossed her head back slightly, her neck finally being exposed. Patrick groaned, gently nipping along her neck as his hips continued to move within her. Slowly, he picked up the pace, hearing his skin slap against her own.

Her walls were warm and tight and he wanted more. Patrick wanted to go deeper. He pulled back enough to look into her eyes, his hands grasping her hips. Slowly, Patrick pushed his hips further into her, feeling himself slide deeper within her depths.

“Oh god!” she moaned loudly, her hands reaching up to grasp onto his shoulders. “Patrick!” She had never had anyone try and go as deep as Patrick did. Oddly enough, it caused a bit of pressure, but she liked it nonetheless.

Patrick continued his movements, thrusting into her long and deep. He groaned, his fingertips digging into her hips. Her walls were slowly beginning to tighten and he looked down at her, watching as her face contorted into pleasure.

“Let go, Ashley… Let go for me, baby…” he whispered.

Suddenly, Ashley arched her back against his chest and felt her climax arrive. Her body shook with pleasure and her toes curled at the sudden sensation. Patrick groaned, reveling in her tightening walls. He quickly picked the pace, thrusting rapidly into her without any signs of stopping until he reached his own climax.

After a few more thrusts, he pulled out and released into the condom. Patrick shuddered, dropping his forehead against her chest as he tried to catch his breath. “Shit,” he chuckled.

Ashley smiled, running her fingertips along his back. She turned her head to kiss his temple and she shut her eyes, feeling his chest heave against her own. “That was great.”

Patrick grinned, standing from the bed to remove his condom. He tied a knot at the end of it and tossed it in the trash, quickly walking back to his bed where he collapsed next to her. He pulled her into his arms and smiled, burying his face against her neck.

“We are most definitely doing that again,” Patrick grinned.

“I’m ready for round two.”

Chapter Text

It was the first shift since Ashley and Patrick slept together, and yet, neither of them could get enough of one another. Now that they were at work, they kept their distance, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any lingering glances or subtle contact.

As Ashley was cooking lunch for the rest of the firefighters, her eyes caught sight of Patrick entering the main room. He smiled at her and she blushed, biting her lower lip as she looked down at the sandwiches that she was making. Larry looked between the two and smirked, walking over to Ashley.

“Hey, Candidate.”

“Hi, Larry.”

He chuckled, “So you and Lieutenant, huh?”

“What?”

“Everyone notices,” he grinned. “And also because I told him to ask you out.”

Ashley bit her lower lip, looking over at Larry. “Then I should probably thank you, right?”

“Would be nice.”

She laughed quietly, gently nudging her elbow against his side. “Well, thank you, Larry. He’s a good man.”

Larry nodded, smiling. “Haven’t seen him smile like that in a while. Whatever you did, continue doing it.”

A blush tainted her cheeks and she turned the stove off after she finished making sandwiches. Ashley set it on the counter and looked at Larry, gently patting his shoulder. “We have to keep this a secret for now. Chief advised us to see if this will go anywhere and if it does, I may have to be relocated.”

He nodded in understanding. “That’s usually how it goes. In-house relationships are tough, not only on the two parties involved, but the entire house itself. Causes strain against coworkers—something like that.”

“I understand. If this does go anywhere, I’m willing to relocate. Patrick’s one hell of a man.”

Larry smiled, “He sure is.”

Patrick and the rest of the firefighters stood from the table to grab a sandwich that Ashley made. He lingered closely, looking down at her and Larry.

“What’s up?” he asked.

Larry grinned, “Nothing much, lover boy.”

Patrick narrowed his eyes, reaching over to punch his shoulder. “Knock it off.”

Ashley blushed, looking up at Patrick. Her hand dropped to touch his, running her fingers along his own. “He is a great lover,” she added, causing Larry to widen her eyes. He certainly wasn’t expecting her to chime in.

Patrick laughed, watching his friend’s expression change. “She’s right.”

“Okay, okay! I get it. I’ll keep out of your business,” he smiled, grabbing a plate and taking a sandwich. “Thank you for lunch, Ashley.”

“No problem, Larry.”

Once he sat back down, Patrick and Ashley were left alone in the kitchen. He set his plate down to rest his free hand on her lower back, inching closer to her. “Hi.”

Ashley smiled, “Hello.”

“Will you spend the night with me?” Patrick asked.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Ashley smiled. She quickly glanced around before pecking his lips lightly. “I’d love to spend the night with you, Patrick.”

“Good, because I’d hate to show up on your doorstep if you said no.”

She laughed quietly, shaking her head. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s go and eat with the guys.”

---

During lunch, Ashley was sitting across from Patrick. She finished eating, but she was indulged in a conversation with the rest of the firefighters. Since coming to this Firehouse, she finally felt at home. She felt comfortable and more than ready to lay her life on the line for any of these men around her.

Before she could stand up to put her plate into the sink, the alarm went off and quickly, everyone stood and ran outside. Ashley followed, putting her gear on quickly and climbing into the firetruck without hesitation.

Larry sat next to her, grinning in her direction as he slid his helmet on. “Getting pretty fast at that.”

“All those drills that Lieutenant puts us through is paying off,” she grinned.

“And then some,” Larry winked.

Ashley blushed, shaking her head. They approached the scene within minutes and she could smell smoke and see the flames that engulfed the apartment building. Once the truck stopped, she climbed out with the rest of the firefighters and finally took a good look at the flames.

“All right, Ashley, you stick with me. Larry and the rest of the guys, make sure there are no one else in the building. Ashley and I will take the second floor. Everyone else take the first,” Patrick ordered, sliding on his mask.

Ashley nodded, following his direction and sliding her own mask over her head. She followed him inside, feeling the extreme heat of the flames against her gear.

“Fire department, call out!” Patrick yelled, searching the stairs as they slowly began to ascend it. Ashley followed, keeping her eye out for any survivors. As they passed a few rooms, Patrick managed to gather a few victims, leading them down the stairs and out the building.

The rest of the firefighters exited the building after they cleared the first floor. Ashley followed Patrick from behind, watching him take the victims out of the burning building.

“All right, get out of there, Patrick. Building’s coming down,” Chief said over the walkie.

“Heading out right now, Chief.” Once Patrick made it through the door, Ashley heard a small voice call for help.

She turned around, her eyes sweeping the darkening first floor.

“Patrick! I heard someone!” she yelled.

“Get out of there now, Ashley,” he ordered.

“Help! Please!” the voice called out, crying helplessly.

Just before Ashley could step out of the building, her instincts made her turn back around. She stepped back into the burning building, following the quiet cries.

“Fire department, call out! Where are you!?” she yelled, hearing the screams and cries more prominently as she followed the voice.

“Ashley, get the hell out of there now!” Patrick said through the walkie-talkie.

“Candidate, you do not have the right to disobey our orders. Get out of that building now!” The Chief yelled, tightening his jaw.

“We have to go back for her, Chief. She’s not—” Patrick began, his heart racing with worry and concern.

“No. I am not losing two people today, Patrick!”

“She’s going to die in there!” he screamed.

Just before the building collapsed, Ashley stepped out of the fire holding onto a smaller body in her arms. Her mask was gone and she was covered in smoke as she coughed loudly.

Ashley brought the small girl to the EMTs, setting her onto the gurney. “You’re okay, sweetie. You’re fine…”

The little girl was crying, wiping her eyes once the paramedics removed the mask from her face to replace it with an oxygen mask. Ashley was coughing too, turning her head away from the little girl.

“We have to get you checked too, Ashley,” the paramedic said.

“No, no. I’m fine. Just help her.” she said, looking down at the girl and wiping her tears. “You’ll be okay… These nice people will take care of you.”

“Don’t go…” the little girl begged, taking Ashley’s hand and holding it tightly.

“I promise I’ll see you later, all right? I’ve got to finish my work and then I’ll stop by and visit.”

The little girl hesitated before nodding. The paramedics set her into the back of the ambulance before driving away. She sighed, staring down at her feet. Her breathing was slightly ragged, but Ashley knew she needed to hydrate herself after what happened.

Suddenly, she was taken out of her thoughts when she heard Patrick’s voice.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” he yelled.

She turned around, widening her eyes. “Patrick—”

“No. You disobeyed my orders and also the Chief’s. Do you know what you just did? How dangerous it was? It could have cost you your life!”

“Patrick—” she tried.

“Get in the goddamn truck, Candidate.” he interrupted, walking away from her.

Ashley felt tears sting her eyes. She watched him before following. She didn’t know that what she did was a bad thing. She saved a little girl’s life and if not for her, this fire could have had casualties. Ashley did what she thought was right; she wasn’t going to listen to some order if she knew she was capable of making it.

Once in the truck, she felt the rest of the firefighters staring at her. The awkward tension filled the air and no one said a word, especially when Patrick climbed in. She sighed, staring out the window as she coughed quietly.

As they approached the Firehouse, Patrick was the first one to step out. He removed his gear and headed into the house with a slam of the doors. Ashley sighed, removing her boots and jacket, setting it on the hanger before setting her helmet aside.

Larry looked over at her, gently patting her shoulder. “It wasn’t the right call, Ashley.”

“Yes, it was. That little girl could have died if I didn’t go back.” she shrugged his hand away and walked into the firehouse where the Chief and Patrick were waiting at the counter of the kitchen.

“My office. Now.”

Ashley followed them quietly, keeping her head down. Once they were in his office, the Chief shut the door quietly and she watched Patrick sit down. She remained standing, clasping her hands in front of her.

“Ashley, do you know how dangerous that was?” the Chief calmly said.

“I know, but, I heard her. She’s alive, Chief…”

“You are the Candidate in this firehouse, Ashley. You are still on a probationary period. You can’t do what you just did back there. You put your life at risk,” he reasoned.

“I put my life at risk to save another. That is exactly why I signed up to become a firefighter, Chief. With all due respect to you and to my Lieutenant, but I did what I thought was right. She was screaming for help. I saved her because I knew that I could. I would have rather died trying than to live a life wondering if I could have saved hers,” she argued.

Patrick shook his head, tightening his jaw. “You’re not understanding where we’re coming from, Ashley.”

“No, Patrick. I understand perfectly clear. I went against your orders. Both of yours, but that little girl could have died if it weren’t for me!”

Patrick stood, gripping his chair tightly. “And you could have died too!”

She cleared her throat, taking a step back. The Chief looked between the couple and sighed, shaking his head.

“Take the rest of the day off, Ashley. What you did deserves some punishment and until I make a decision, you can’t be here,” the Chief ordered.

She tightened her jaw and nodded. Ashley didn’t bother to look at Patrick as she walked towards the closed door. Holding onto the handle, she turned her head to look over at the Chief and Patrick.

“Candidate or not, I made the right call. That little girl will be able to be see another day because of me. Fire me, relocate me… I don’t give a shit. I save her life and I will take full responsibility for it,” Ashley added, stepping out of the Chief’s office.

Chapter Text

Ashley was changing in the back room where the showers and lockers were. She had finished her shower and was changing into her jeans and v-neck. Her mind was swimming at the thought of Patrick being angry at her. A part of her wished he could understand, but at the same time, the more prominent side of herself wanted her to stand her ground. She believed she made the right choice despite what the Chief and Patrick told her to.

She slipped on her shoes when she heard someone clear their throat. Ashley turned around, looking at Patrick who was leaning against the lockers. He still looked upset, but behind the frustrated expression, she noticed the true concern lying beneath his orbs.

“What you did was stupid, uncalled for, and highly unprofessional,” he began, tightening his jaw.

Ashley ignored him, grabbing her duffle bag. She shut her locker and turned to face him completely, her eyes immediately finding his.

“I’m not apologizing for my decision, but I will apologize for hurting your goddamn ego,” she bit back.

“Excuse me?”

“Why are you really angry, Patrick?”

He tightened his jaw. “You went against my order. You went against Chief’s. You did not have the order to go back inside and save that little girl.”

“That little girl could have died if it weren’t for me, Patrick! Don’t talk to me like you’ve never went against Chief’s orders before. We all commit to this career of ours to save lives, right? It’s what I was doing here! I saved her!”

“You had no right!”

“I’m a goddamn firefighter, Patrick! I had every right to go back into that building to save her!” Ashley fought back, staring at him with narrowed eyes.

“Ashley, you need to understand where I’m coming from. You’re just the Candidate,” he reasoned.

“How else am I supposed to show you, and the rest of the guys here, that I’m capable of being a firefighter like the rest of you?!”

“You listen,” Patrick answered.

“I will not apologize for what I did, Patrick. I will not apologize to you, and I will not apologize to the Chief. I made the right goddamn call.”

He shook his head, punching the locker roughly as it caused a dent. Patrick was fuming and he stared at her with narrowed eyes.

Ashley flinched, staring at the dent that Patrick created. His hand was beginning to throb and bruise, but he decided to pocket it into his pants.

“Patrick—”

“We need a break,” he blurted. “I need a break.”

She stepped back, staring at him with teary eyes. “Really? Because of what I did?”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then help me understand your side!” she yelled.

Suddenly, the Chief entered the locker room and looked between Patrick and Ashley. He noticed the dent on the locker and sighed, walking to Ashley.

“I think you need to go home, Ashley.”

“Yeah. I think so too.” she slammed her locker shut and walked past Patrick, brushing her shoulder roughly against his own. He stumbled back a bit, but kept his eyes straight forward.

The Chief glanced at Patrick and pointed to the hand that was in his pocket. “Ice it, and then see me in my office.”

He sighed, catching a glimpse of Ashley before retrieving a pack of ice from the kitchen. Patrick watched her leave the Firehouse before shutting his eyes, leaning against the counter.

Larry walked towards him, staring at his friend. “She made the right call. You and the Chief both know it.”

“I know she did, but she’s the goddamn Candidate, Larry. She needs to know her place.”

“You and every single one of us would have done what she did. Candidate or not,” he explained.

“Are you siding with her?”

“Honestly? Yeah, I am. You said you saw potential in her, that she’s capable of becoming a great firefighter. She proved that today, Patrick,” Larry replied. “I’m not saying that going against your order or the Chief’s was right, but that little girl is alive because of her spontaneous decision to follow her mind.”

Patrick tightened his jaw, shaking his head. “I’ll ask for your opinion when I want it, Larry. Other than that, keep to yourself.”

Larry narrowed his eyes. “You can be a real asshole when you want to be, you know that? You’re letting that girl go because you can’t open your goddamn eyes.”

Patrick walked away, leaving the kitchen to walk to the Chief’s office. He glanced over his shoulder and sighed. Patrick knew exactly what Larry was saying, but deep down, it was more than that.

Once the Chief let him inside, Patrick shut the door and sighed. He sat at the chair and looked at the Chief, biting the inside of his cheek.

“Your relationship with Ashley will cause a strain in this firehouse, Patrick.”

“I know that.”

“We’re going to have to relocate her—”

“I decided to take a break. Distance myself from her,” he replied, looking away.

“You broke it off with her simply because of what she just did today, Patrick?”

He nodded. “She went against your order.”

“Come on. You and I both have had our share of going against orders,” the Chief reasoned.

“She could have died, along with that little girl, Chief.”

“I think she understands that, Patrick. What you did back at the lockers were uncalled for. Do not bring in your personal relationship into this firehouse, that is why we don’t allow in-house affairs.”

“I understand, Chief,” Patrick sighed. “We took a break, and that’s final. Keep her here.”

“Sounds like you don’t want a break,” he commented.

“I don’t,” Patrick replied. “I don’t want a break.”

“Then I will relocate her. She will cause a problem here in this house if you are with her, Patrick. I can’t have that.”

“Chief—”

“You’re allowing your emotions to take over, Patrick. This is not the place to fix your problems. You lashed out on her, had a goddamn argument in the locker room where it is shared amongst other firefighters,” the Chief sighed. “Why don’t you come on out and say it?”

“Say what?” Patrick asked.

“Don’t lie to me, Patrick. Say it.”

Patrick sighed, rubbing his eyes with his good hand. “She wasn’t answering the walkie earlier. She went back in, even after she heard that it wasn’t safe to. I thought she wasn’t going to make it, Chief…”

He sighed, walking around his desk to sit next to Patrick. “You love her, don’t you?”

“I know it’s fast and I’ve only been on a couple of dates with her, but I look at her and I see my future…” he admitted, biting his lower lip. “I let my emotions mix in with my work, and now I let her go.”

“Well, my wife always says that when you know… You know, right?” the Chief smiled. “What Ashley did wasn’t right, but at the same time, she saved that little girl’s life because of her decision to go against our authority. It’s exactly what every single one of us would have done to save a life,” he sighed.

“I know… Goddammit, I know,” Patrick rubbed the back of his neck. “I love her, Chief, and she could have died today.”

“Every shift is never a guarantee, Patrick. You and I both know that. She signed up for this job knowing the dangers of it. Today she proved that she could become a great firefighter by going back into that burning building to save someone else’s life.” the Chief ranted.

“She belongs in this house, Chief.”

“I know she does, but I’m not going to allow in-house affairs. She will adapt to whichever house I place her in, but you better buck up and fix it. Go back to her.”

Patrick sighed, looking at the Chief. “What if she doesn’t want me back?”

“Trust me. She does.”

Chapter Text

After Ashley left the Firehouse, she quickly made her way to the hospital. She promised the little girl that she was going to visit, and she was going to stick by it. Her mind drifted to Patrick as she drove, tears filling her eyes. She had never seen him that angry and hearing him say that they needed a break tore at her heart. She knew that she was falling for him already, but the job came first. It always did.

Parking her car, Ashley stepped out her vehicle and headed to the front entrance. She pulled on her FDNY hoodie over her head, sighing quietly as she realized that the jacket she was wearing belonged to Patrick. She smiled at his scent, a tear falling from the corner of her eye as she remembered the past few times they spent with one another. It was impossible to fall in love with a man she just met, right?

As she walked into the hospital, Ashley walked directly to the nurse’s station to ask for the little girl.

“Lily Evans? She came in about a few hours ago with severe smoke inhalation?” she asked hopefully.

The nurse looked at the computer, searching for the name. When she found it, the nurse grinned and stood from her desk. “Of course. Got her right here. Are you a relative of hers?”

“Um, no. I was the firefighter that saved her… I promised that I’d visit,” Ashley replied.

The nurse grinned, “She’s been asking a lot about you. Follow me.”

Ashley smiled to herself. She followed the nurse down the hall and as they approached the door, she caught a glimpse of the little girl sitting on the bed with a book in her hands.

“Did her parents make it?” Ashley asked.

The nurse nodded, “They did. They were already out long before you saved Lily.”

She smiled, slowly stepping into the room. With a quiet knock on the door, the little girl looked up and grinned at the sight of her. Lily quickly set her book down and blinked rapidly in excitement.

“You’re the firefighter,” she grinned. “You saved me.”

Ashley glanced back at the nurse and nodded to herself before walking into the room. She sat at the edge of the bed and smiled at the young girl. “I heard you calling for help… It was my job to save you.”

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Ashley.”

“I’m Lily,” the young girl grinned. “The doctor says I’m okay. Thank you for saving me, Ashley.”

Ashley felt tears sting her eyes. Despite the lingering thoughts of Patrick and the Chief, she knew she had done the right thing by saving this little girl. “You don’t have to thank me, Lily…”

“Why are you crying?” she pouted.

“I just—I’m happy to see that you’re okay…”

Lily smiled, placing her hand over Ashley’s. Her tiny hand slightly grasped onto her and when Ashley looked up at the young girl, she was met with an appreciative smile.

“Because of you… I want to become a firefighter one day,” Lily declared. “You saved my life. A girl saved my life,” she giggled.

Ashley felt her heart leap at the thought of a young girl deciding that she wanted to be just like her. “It’s a dangerous job, Lily.”

“But I’ll get to save people every day. Just like you saved me, Ashley.”

Ashley smiled, leaning down to kiss the girl’s forehead. “You’re sweet, do you know that?”

“Can you lie with me and tell me all the stories about being a firefighter?” she grinned.

“Of course, sure. Are you in any pain?”

Lily shook her head. “I’m okay.”

Ashley squeezed herself to Lily’s side, looking down at her and biting her lower lip. She leaned back against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling as the little girl immediately snuggled closer to her side.

“How long have you been a firefighter?” Lily asked.

“Not long. I’m actually new. It’s been only a month.”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it. I get to save people like you,” Ashley smiled.

Lily giggled, resting her cheek against Ashley’s shoulder. “I want to be just like you. I don’t always see girl firefighters either. I want to be one too!”

Ashley sighed in contentment. She looked down at Lily and cupped her cheek gently, staring into her eyes. Just a few hours ago, this little girl was crying with fear flashing in her eyes. She thought she was going to die, but Ashley had saved her. She was the reason why Lily was still alive.

“You can do anything you put your mind to, remember that, okay?” Ashley said softly. “It’s a tough path to get to where I am, but I can assure you that everything will be worth it.”

“Do the boys tease you?” Lily smiled.

“They do, yes, but I stand my ground. Today, I saved you, and I will make that decision over and over again, Lily.”

“Thank you so much, Ashley…” Lily hugged her tightly and Ashley smiled, shutting her eyes and returning the kind gesture. However, she fluttered her eyes when she heard someone enter the room. Lifting her head, she noticed two people sitting in wheelchairs.

“Lily?” the woman called.

The young girl lifted her head and grinned at the sight of her parents. “Mom! Dad!”

Ashley slowly climbed off the bed and helped the nurse wheel one of her parents closer to Lily. She smiled to herself and noticed the tears in both their eyes as they quickly reached out for the young girl, holding onto her hands tightly.

“We thought we lost you, Lilybug,” the man said, crying quietly.

“I got scared… I’m sorry I let go,” she whispered, looking down.

“Don’t. It’s okay, sweetpea. I’m glad you’re okay.” the woman leaned over to kiss her forehead, sighing.

“Mom? Dad? This is Ashley… She’s the firefighter that saved me.”

Both parents looked in Ashley’s direction and immediately, she noticed the look of gratitude and relief flash before her eyes.

“Oh my goodness… Thank you so much for saving our little girl,” the woman cried, turning to pull Ashley into a tight hug. “Thank you so much…”

“Thank you, Ashley,” the man smiled, shaking her hand once the woman released her.

“I’m going to let you three get settled. I’ve got to get home. Lily?” Ashley called.

The young girl looked up, grinning. “Yes, Ashley?”

“Remember what I said, okay?”

Lily smiled, “I can do whatever I put my mind to. Thank you, Ashley.”

Ashley quietly left the hospital. Her mind was racing, but she couldn’t get the thoughts of Patrick out of her head. The girl was alive, and so were her parents, but everyone seemed to be happy except for her. She didn’t expect her relationship with Patrick to end so soon due to her going against his orders.

With a sigh, she climbed into her car and decided to go home. Ashley needed to relax and think to herself. The Chief was thinking of relocating her and after what happened today, she was more than okay with it. Patrick had decided that taking a break was necessary. At the time, she disagreed, but she knew it was the right thing to do. Relocating to another Firehouse would also benefit Patrick and the rest of the firefighters back at Firehouse 51.

As she made it to her apartment, Ashley grabbed her duffle bag from the passenger seat and climbed out of her car. She walked to her front door and unlocked it, dropping her bag near the door after shutting it behind her. Quickly, Ashley walked to the kitchen where her eyes caught sight of the flowers that Patrick had given her.

She sighed, running her fingertips along the petals when she heard a knock on the door following a ring of the doorbell. Ashley furrowed a brow and walked towards the door, slowly opening it to reveal Patrick standing on the other side with a box of pizza.

Patrick looked at her, taking note of her attire and most specifically, his sweater. “You’re wearing my jacket…”

“I’m sorry. Let me take it off,” Ashley replied, grabbing the end of the hoodie.

“No, no. Keep it. It looks nicer on you than it does me,” he admitted, laughing nervously. “Can we talk?”

“I think we did enough of that already,” Ashley sighed.

“Please?” Patrick pleaded, biting his lower lip. “I brought pizza…”

Ashley glanced down at the box he was holding, realizing it was from the same place they went to on their first date. With a sigh, she held the door open even further for him to step inside. Patrick nodded, walking into her apartment and turning around to watch her shut the door.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said,” Patrick began, setting the box of pizza down onto her coffee table. “I don’t want a break.”

“You can’t just take it back…”

“The way I reacted was uncalled for, Ashley. I realize that. But I—Goddammit, you could have died today…” he replied, dropping his eyes at the thought of the close call.

“That little girl would have died if I didn’t go back in there, Patrick.”

“I understand that. I would have easily done what you did.”

“Then why are you angry with me?” she asked.

“Because I could have lost you,” he admitted. “In that split second when I was yelling your name and you weren’t answering through the walkie, my heart dropped. I didn’t know what to do. Chief wouldn’t let me go back inside… I could have lost you, Ashley.”

“I signed up for this job knowing that I was risking my life every day, Patrick.”

He stepped closer, clearing his throat. “You’re not getting it.”

“Then help me understand.”

“I’m falling in love with you,” Patrick blurted. “We only went on a few dates together, but the first time you spent the night at my apartment… I knew it. I knew that you were the one, Ashley.”

She felt her cheeks heat up. She stared up at him, trying to understand if he was telling the truth or not. “Patrick…”

“Let me finish.”

Ashley nodded. “Okay…”

“Last night was just as great. I held you in my arms and when I woke up this morning with you there with me… I knew that I had to keep you. I look at you and I see the future that we could have together, Ashley. I know it’s fast, but dammit, when you know, you just know…” he reasoned.

“You’re falling in love with me…” she mumbled.

“I am, and seeing you run back into that building after Chief said it wasn’t safe reminded me just how dangerous this job is. You’re a firefighter, and a damn good one at that. Not every day is a guarantee, so I knew I had to tell you before something else got in the way,” Patrick sighed, reaching up to cup her cheek. “I see myself settling down and marrying you, Ashley.”

She felt her breath catch in her throat. Tears were now pooling at her eyes. Immediately, her arms wrapped around his neck and she leaned in to press her lips against his. Patrick was taken by surprise, but his hands dropped to her hips, holding her closer before he wrapped his own arms around her waist.

“I think I’m falling in love with you too,” Ashley mumbled, pulling away from the heated kiss with a slight pant.

Patrick grinned, picking her up and leading her to her bedroom. His mouth dripped to run along her neck, groaning quietly to himself. He set her down onto her bed and removed the sweater she was wearing, staring down at her with adoration in his eyes.

“I want you.” he mumbled, his hands dropping to her pants. Patrick undid the zipper and the button, pulling it down her legs as Ashley gripped the end of her shirt to pull over her head. Now clad in her panties and bra, she sat up and ran her hands underneath his shirt. She smiled to herself and lifted it up his abdomen as Patrick removed the shirt from his body.

Ashley dropped her hands to the waistband of his pants and undid the zipper after unbuttoning it, pulling his pants down slowly. Patrick kicked off his pants and boxers, his cock standing at attention. She cleared her throat, unclasping her bra and tossing it to the floor. Patrick removed her panties and smiled to himself, setting it aside.

“I need you, Patrick…” she pleaded.

Patrick looked into her eyes, cupping her cheek as his other hand slowly guided his tip into her depths. With a swift thrust of his hips, he felt her tight walls surround his throbbing cock. He groaned, burying his face against her neck as his hands moved down to grasp her buttocks.

Ashley moaned loudly, shutting her eyes as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. Patrick moved slowly, rolling his hips to allow her to feel every inch of his throbbing manhood within her walls. She felt his pulsating veins along her inner walls and she spread her legs even further to accommodate him.

At the spread of her legs, Patrick felt himself delve deeper into her depths, and he groaned. His fingertips dug into the flesh of her buttocks as he slowly picked up a rougher pace. He grunted, lifting his head to look down at her.

Ashley slowly fluttered her eyes open to stare into his eyes. The way his hips were moving were causing her to reach her climax far too quicker than she was used to. Patrick must have taken notice because the rough thrusts quickened in speed. He stared into her eyes and delivered a series of fast, pounding motions.

Ashley moaned his name aloud, hearing their skin slapping against one another as the headboard repeatedly hit against the wall. “Patrick!”

Patrick grunted, rolling his hips until he filled her to the hilt. He brought his hand to her clit and began circling it in time with his thrusts, watching her eyes fall shut and her mouth slowly agape as a string of moans escaped her lips.

“Oh god!”

“That’s right… Come for me, Ashley…” he groaned into her ear, his hips slamming against hers repeatedly.

Suddenly, Ashley’s back arched and her walls tightened around his manhood immediately. She dug her nails into his back, and felt her body shake with the intense amount of pleasure her climax put her through.

Patrick pulled out, stroking his cock rapidly. Ashley bit her lower lip, watching his hands move along his length and just as he released onto her abdomen, she looked up to see his face contort into a bliss of pleasure.

He tossed his head back and groaned loudly, his body shaking as he thrust into his hand. His white, sticky liquid coated her soft skin, and Patrick rolled to the side of her and tried to catch his breath.

Ashley smiled, standing for a moment on wobbly legs to clean herself up. Afterwards, she walked back to the bed and lied down with him, feeling Patrick immediately pull her to his chest.

“What do we do now?” she asked quietly.

“We have to relocate you,” Patrick said softly. “Is that okay?”

Ashley looked up at him, pecking his lips lightly. “As long as we’re together, I’m fine with it.”

“I’ll have Chief put you in a good Firehouse… You’ll be in good hands.”

“I’ll adapt. I’ll be fine,” Ashley nodded. “I’ll be okay.”

Patrick smiled, kissing her forehead lightly. “I know you will be. You’re going to a be a damn good firefighter, Candidate.”

Ashley smiled sleepily, “Thank you, Lieutenant…”

---

THE END