", he's so hot." Minho mumbles on his own but since s have been standing here beside him , of course they heard him loud and clear.

He was referring to the man above them steadying the helicopter while  they sprinkle water on the middle part of the roof where it's burning the most. Since the only Engine house which has this cool flying thing called helicopter, was Engine 1, they tend the burning building now. They're already at it when Engine 9 has arrived, because yes they're fashionably late again. Chan swore they didn't mean it like this. Well then, since they have arrived, they just been standing there on the side since Engine 1's been very good at putting the fire out first as always, so they just stay put and wait for anyone that will need assistance. 

"Ask him out already." Hyunjin who's standing just beside Minho murmurs back, they are still looking up onto the floating helicopter above the building. It's an apartment building this time but it's not that high, it only have 10 floors and only it's roof and the top floor that had caught fire.

"You think that's so easy? He hates my guts." Minho clicks his tongue, dejected. It was Seungmin and Woojin who were flying their cool thing, Seungmin steadying it while the captain is steadying the rope that's holding the big pale full of water.

Chan himself isn't surprise anymore, Woojin is a pilot and he had mentioned (before when they're still both in good terms) that one of s had received training in handling and flying a helicopter, that must be Seungmin then.

"Ey, Capt. Should we wait longer or..? They don't need our help anymore, let's just go home. I'm hungry." Jisung seems to have a different concern, it's always like that though, Jisung and food are always together. 

Chan scans his sight to the situation above them and it seems clear already, they couldn't really see the entire roof per se but there's no fire anymore that's need to be put out, only random black smoke.

"I guess, we're not needed in here anymore. Let's go." Chan leads his crew back to their firetruck, they ditched lunch for this by the way but guess, it's the nature of their job. They didn't see the other team's captain's eyes were trained on their backs, a sigh leaving out of his lips. 

"Oh, by the way, Lixie seemed to be in a hurry earlier, he forgot his lunchbox." Minho says suddenly as he is about to open the door of the driver seat.

Chan blinks at that information, wow he really needs to make an effort of making time for Felix. Chan sighs, "thanks, Minho. Let's hurry back."

Then he calls Changbin, "Bin, can you fetch Felix for me? I'll call him now to tell him you'll fetch him for lunch." He wants to go and fetch his son himself but some overdue paper works and reports are filling up in his office. He needs to get them done before the department heads would cut his head off. 

"Uhm, yeah, like right now?" Changbin just got his planted on his seat but if Chan needs him to do some stuff especially if it's about his son, he would never say no. Fetching Felix means he can drive Chan's motorcycle, apparently he's the only one who can drive Chan's motorcycle for some reason. 

"Someone's excited, of course when we get home, Binnie, how will you get Chan's bike?" Minho says a matter of factly with that teasing smirk onto his face.

"Oh. Yeah, of course. Aye, Capt. Understood!"

Chan just shakes his head in amusement, then gets his phone to call his son and inform him about picking him up for lunch.

__
For the past days, Chan abandons his theory map, he doesn't understand it anymore and the more he looks at it, the more that it stresses him. Maybe it's just his grieving heart talking when he started recording fire incidents since the day he lost his brother. He thinks that he needs to let it go and fully accepts that some things happen in an unexpected way and just focuses on the present like... they need to pack their things up— he sighs for the hundredth time today. He doesn't tell the bad news to his team yet, but he suspects that they kind of know it already, he can't bear to see their heart broken if he will say it out loud.

He marks a big blue X on the drawing of District 6's apartment building, unlike the other fire incidents which Chan marked with red X, that incident a few days ago was different because it didn't burn the whole building down, it was just the top floors and its rooftop. He scans the map with his eyes for the last time, marks of X's there made him dizzy, then he puts it along with some photos and some stuff he got from the area where fire occured, he puts them all in one of his working table's drawers. Maybe it's time for him to let go and move on.

"Daaaaaad! Can I come in?" Chan sits straight and relaxes himself as he smiles at his son's voice, he'll just have to bond with Felix and forget everything for a moment. He clears his throat before replying. 

"The door's unlock, darling. You can come in."

When the door is finally opening, reveals Felix excitedly leaping his way inside, "I didn't see you in like dayssss, I miss you."

"Aww. I miss my little chick too. Come here," Chan smiles wide as he stands up to approach his son with his arms wide open for a welcome hug.

Felix scrunches his face at what he hears, "on the second thought, I don't miss you at all. No, Dad, don't call me that!" Felix whines. 

"What? Why?" Chan hugs his son anyway, so tight that Felix grunts a little.

"em' not a chick!" His whines are muffled by his Dad's chest.

"Yes, you are. My little chick is so cute. Daddy misses you so much too." Chan continues to smoother his son with a tight hug and kisses on top of his crown. 

Maybe this is a good start to finally bond and make time with Felix—

Then the fire alarm came blaring throughout the house.

—or not?

Felix almost flinches at the loud alarm and Chan sighs, "I'm sorry, baby. Duty calls."

Felix pulls his face away from Chan's chest, grinning, "Dad, can I come?"

"Promise me-"

"I'll behave, I promise." Felix even raises his right hand as if he's taking an oath. Chan chuckles, "okay, okay."

"Fire at District 10! Let's go, guys!"

 

When they arrive at District 10, late again, it's a mine this time and there is a loud explosion from below. Some of the firetrucks were already there and teams from different engine houses have taken cared of putting out the fire outside the mine.

They saw one of Woojin's members, Jeongin, he's injured and is shaking violently.

"Hey, kid, what happened?"

"There was an explosion and some miners were trapped, we helped them out and made it outside but then there's another explosion that caused the collision. Woojin hyung and Seungmin hyung are still in there, they said-" the man's hicupping at the possibility of losing two members today but a hand clasps over his shoulder pulls him out of his thoughts.

"It's alright, Innie. Relax and let the medic take care of you for the mean time, okay? I'll find them." Chan reassures the kid before standing up facing his team's worried gaze. The ground they're standing on is shaking a bit that means the collision below is still going on.

"Dad? What are you doing? You can't go in there, it's dangerous!" Felix is also panicking, he can't bear the serious look that's been plastered onto his face after talking to Jeongin. He may have started with a bad term with his dad but he knew that look, when his Dad is set of wanting to do something, he would really do it no matter what.

"Baby, it's okay, stay here, hmm?" Chan kisses Felix's forehead, tone is final. Felix takes his silence, fidgeting, he is comforted by Changbin with hushed reassurances but Felix can't just stay calm when he knows his Dad is about to go inside the mine. 

Chan is about to wear a respirator mask when he sees Minho about to wear one too. 

"What are you doing?" Chan fixes him with a stern look.

"I'm going in with you. We'll find two people faster with me in there. The place is going to collapse soon." Minho says, also tone is final. Chan just sighs, if he's stubborn so is Minho. 

 

Inside the mine, Chan immediately finds Woojin's helmet which has the same color of his as captain of the team. And right then and there, he sees a hand peeking through the mountain of wooden and metal debris. They must be exiting the area when another collision happened since Woojin here almost made it to the entrance opening of the mine. Chan grabs the hand and he knows it is Woojin's.

Chan turns to look at Minho and pulls the mask off of his face, "it's Woojin. Find Seungmin and please be careful and hurry, we don't have much time, I hear creakings everywhere." Minho nods his head before going in further while Chan starts digging and pulling off debris to free the other captain. He could hear his heart beat so erratically, he doesn't have anything else in his mind right now but to get out of here alive. He digs up until Woojin's face down to his torso is showing, Chan breathes in relief, Woojin's chest is slowly moving up and down. It's a sign that Woojin is breathing and is alive. He then hurriedly gets rid of some other debris that are trapping the other male's legs. 

"Woojin? Can you hear me?"

Woojin weakly mumbles, calling for Chan. 

"Yes, it's me. Stay with me, okay?"

"S-Seung— min..."

"Minho will find him, just relax for me, please." Chan dusts off the other's face with his hands and then proceeds to put on the mask to Woojin instead.

"Breathe."

Just in time that Minho shouts from the distance about having found Seungmin, "I found Seungmin!"

"Okay! Just hurry so we can get out of here!"

"You both get out first, we'll follow you." Minho shouted back.

"Okay!"

Chan's worried of the place to totally collapse with them still inside, he slowly starts to lift Woojin's body in a bridal style.

"Do you hear that? Minho found Seungmin."

Woojin releases a stuttered and relieved breath, mumbling into the mask, "thank you, Chan."

"Don't talk, just breathe. We'll get you both out of here."

Woojin  is the reason why Chan's been miserable these days (apart from his stress and over all mixed emotions). Woojin made him realize that he's not what he thought he was. He made him realize that he likes men too.

They had a sweet affair once, it started with a one night stand. Chan at first, planned to mess up the other's life because since the start Woojin was his rival. But he saw more of Woojin, he felt something more for him and he got scared because the feeling's new to him, he's never been with a man before. So, he cut all the ties, told him that he just did things to him to mess with him. Woojin was furious and that's why they argue and fight every time they have a chance to bump into each other. It was always possible to bump into each other's way when both of their houses are the leading teams in the fire department. Even if Chan's still not the captain of Engine 9 before, they still see each other a lot. When Chan's brother died, his reputation had gone downhill. He lost interest, motivation and maybe inspiration to go on. From the top rank to the "losers" they have became now. It was then a good advantage for the other man to degrade him more, insult him and his crew, laugh at them. But Chan knew he was at fault, he dragged his team down with him, the honor of his brother's hardwork for their engine house was gone, he blamed it all to himself. He once wanted to talk to Woojin, to apologize, but then again he got scared and just let it all happen, accepting the other's insults thinking that he deserved it all. 

And he's a liar if he will say that he didn't miss the other. He still got those chills everytime he had the chance to stare and look at the other's eyes. Even those smug smiles he's been receiving from the man, he got chills from them too. And looking down at the weak body in his arms, he could tell and realize how much time he's been wasting instead of talking to the man and apologize. He wants Woojin to do the same too because even if he caused this all at the start, his team still didn't deserve to receive such insults from the other. 

When Chan got out of the mine carrying Woojin, medical team approached them immediately and he slowly put Woojin down in the sketcher and let them tend him. Chan waited for some seconds for Minho and Seungmin, he'll going in again if he have to.

"Dad, are you okay? You're not injured right? What about your arm?"

Chan smiles, ruffling Felix's hair, "I'm okay, baby." Chan says, hugging his son close to him.

 

Almost the same time Chan found Woojin was when Minho had also found Seungmin, the man that seems to be running all day and night in his mind, since the day he took notice of the younger male, he didn't leave his mind but Minho never complained. When he found the other, he was struggling to pull the wooden debris off of his leg. Minho then quickly ran towards the man and took his own helmet off and put it on the younger's head as well as the mask.

"I found Seungmin!" Minho quickly shouted to Chan from the distance, so his leader would not worry about Seungmin anymore and told him to leave first.

Seungmin's eyes were teary and wide when he looked up at Minho. He's panting hard almost hyperventilating, he had so many thoughts in his head but he needed to get out of here first. He was surprised when he saw the annoying man from the "loser" team almost hovering over him. 

"Please, breathe slowly in and out. Don't panic, try to relax. I've got you and Chan got your captain." He was even surprised at how soft Minho's voice was, it was very reassuring and calming. He swallowed hard in relief at what he just heard. He cannot form any coherent words so he just tried to breathe slowly in and out, just what the other had told him.

"You're doing good. Keep doing that." Minho smiled at him, Seungmin didn't know what to think when his heart started to race, he's just breathing so fine, nice and slow, he's calmed now but his heart wasn't. 

"I'll carry you now. Wrap your arms around my neck." Seungmin just did what he's being told and now their faces were so close to each other and realized that even if the only source of light present now was the other man's flashlight plastered on the sleeves of his uniform, he can still see that Minho is ethereal. Even his heart agrees, it beats so crazily. 

"What? Save the staring for the future, when we're out of here." Minho said teasingly. 

Seungmin weakly pulls the mask out of the way before retorting back. 

"And save your teasing for the future when we're not in this situation." It made the older smirk. 

"So you're suggesting we're having a future together?"

"That's not what I said." A weak scoff was followed by it, Minho just chuckled while putting back the oxygen mask on Seungmin. 

Same goes with Woojin when Minho came out with Seungmin in his arms, the medical team was on it to tend the younger. Chan releases a long sigh of relief seeing the two made it out so he turns back to the other captain who is now stable and been taking cared off, "hey, you okay now? Seungmin is okay, the medical team is on him."

"Yes, thank you. And I guess you deserve an apology from me. I'm truly sorry for all the insults I have thrown to you and your team. I know it was a move, I was just so angry and being a jerk to you seemed to be the only idea I have to get back at you."

"Well, I can't say that you didn't hurt me and my team with your insults but I also kind of know that I was the one who made you like that. I'm sorry too, I'm the jerk here, playing with your feelings like that was a move too so...I'm sorry."

"I guess, we're okay now, right?"

"You could say that."

Both of them are smiling so wide while looking at each other's eyes as if they have their own world right there, not minding all the commotion around them.

"I- thank you again, Chan and to Minho, for coming and saving me and Seungmin." It was Woojin who broke out the silence first, it's not awkward, he's just very aware that they're still in the middle of something, what he felt right now isn't the perfect time to enact on it. 

"Well," Chan says, releasing a long sigh, a quirky smile on the corner of his lips and eyes are shining with mischief, "I could use an advantage to this by asking you out on a date as a means of payment. After you get better, that is." Chan smirked, he didn't know where this confidence is coming from but goes with it anyway, he even said it as a joke but still couldn't help but smile when Woojin answered.

"Deal."