"Chimney." Ollie barked as she stepped into the locker room, the glass door shutting behind her as she stared daggers at the man currently pulling on his shirt.

    "Bloom." He cautiously responded, eyes darting for a way out of the conversation before sighing at the realization that there wasn't one. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the lockers. "How can I help you?"

    She stepped forward slowly, finger pointing accusingly. "I know what you did, Han."

    Despite her venom-laced words, he stayed calm, hands moving to his hips. "You don't know anything."

    A strangled gasp left her lips at the audacity, before she shook her head. "I told you explicitly what to do. I yelled at you. Everyone heard it but you. Why did you not hear it, Chimney?"

    After a moment, he finally broke, sighing as he flopped back into the lockers behind him. "Ollie, you cannot just expect me to smell Bobby's cooking and not eat it. It was an omelet!"

    "The omelet I asked everyone to save while I showered because I smelled like ash!" She snapped back, groaning. "I have been back for a week. A week! And you are already ruining my life!" Her finger jabbed at the air in front of him again. "Maddie will be hearing about this, you squirrelly man!"

    With that final stroke of indignation, Ollie stormed out of the locker room, her hair flying behind her at the quick pace she was moving at. Her work boots banged on her ground as she practically ran up the stairs, falling on the couch in the lounge face-first with a groan.

    From where he was sitting near her, Eddie chuckled. "Bad day, Oliver?" He hummed, pulling his phone into his lap just as she rolled over to glance at him. "Is this because Chimney ate the last omelet? You know that guy is like a dog, he'll eat anything if you leave it out."

    Her brow furrowed in frustration as she glared at him. "You should've defended it for me, scare the vultures away from my meal. I thought we were friends, Eddie. I thought we would help and defend each other as much as possible! I thought you cared about me."

    The man groaned, sitting up and leaning his elbows against his knees as he leaned closer to her. "You are so much more dramatic when you're hungry. I will cook you food, Olivia." He stood up before she could even answer, a hand reaching out to pat her head.

    Ollie gripped his hand with a dramatic 'thank you' until he got farther enough away, flopping down on her back on the couch as she grinned up at the ceiling. Since returning to the 118 after a few weeks healing her ankle, things had been nonstop. Getting back into shape, watching every step she took, getting used to the exhausting schedule again – all of it had taken up most of her time. Even on her days off, she was always on the move, whether it was helping Eddie with Christopher or gossiping with Maddie about her feelings for Chimney. They were huge, by the way.

    Unexpectedly, her time off hadn't been a break away from the 118, but instead a force that drove them closer. Eddie had pulled her into his orbit again, Buck and her were ... whatever they were, Maddie was driving Chimney into Ollie's life before she even realized it. She had gone to see Maddie twice since she had told her to chase after Chimney, and each time, he was there, with no warning.

    What was even more unexpected was the fact that she was enjoying it. Every time she ended up at home without anyone there, she found herself missing the presence of her friends. Not even a talking presence, just a breathing one – someone to enjoy her precious space with. Usually, that's when she would send a text to Buck.

    He was always over, right away.

    Nothing had happened since he had shoved her against her front door, surprisingly. They usually just ended up lounging on her couch at a respectful distance, nursing one glass of whatever liquor Buck brought over as a random movie played on her TV. Usually, he'd scroll on his phone while she read, but sometimes they'd just talk. It brought her right back into his room when they were teenagers, feet propped up on his lap as she rambled on about English class stuff that he would never actually retain.

    Ollie jumped out of her thoughts as Eddie placed a plate on her stomach. "Sit up while you eat so you don't choke." He instructed, sitting down on the couch beside her once she had straightened up.

    "You're not my dad." She muttered, cutting a bite off of the omelet and sticking it into her mouth before sighing. "But I am so glad you're a dad. Your cooking has gotten better over the years, Diaz."

    Eddie's face contorted into one of mock hurt, shaking his head. "You've always complimented it."

    A smile pulled at her lips as she looked over at him. "I'm a really great liar." She confessed, laughing when he nudged her in the shoulder. "Speaking of, what are you and Chris doing for Christmas?"

    He shrugged, putting his arm over the back of his couch as he leaned away from her. "Normal child-on-Christmas stuff. Make him write a Christmas card, lay his presents out when he sleeps, wake up way too early so that he can open his presents. What about you?"

    Finishing her omelet, she set the plate down on the coffee table before leaning back herself. "Nothing, as of now. But do not invite me to hang out with you and Christopher. I don't have a present for him." She sighed, pressing into her eyes with her fingers.

    A silence stretched over them before Eddie huffed. "You didn't get your favorite nephew a gift?"

    "One, calling him my nephew infers that you're my brother and that's illegal," she started, brushing off his laugh in response, "two, I did, but it's not coming in for a little bit, so I need to have a few days before I see him. You have to do me that favor. I'm his favorite pseudo-godmother."

    Eddie laughed again, shaking his head in amusement before the Klaxons started going off above them, signaling their conversation over. Ollie groaned, grabbing Eddie's hand when he offered it to her and pulling herself up to run after him.

—

    Ollie was just putting away the dishes from her and Ellis's dinner when her phone started buzzing on the counter. She picked it up, eyes rolling once she saw the name on the caller ID. "No," is what she answered the phone with, a sudsy hand reaching up to wipe against her shirt. "I'm blocking your number, I regret letting you have it."

    "You need to take Buck." Chimney deadpanned, although his voice was slightly whiny, revealing that he was pleading.

    "Oh, really? Definitely no." She stubbornly spat back, leaning against her counter as she sighed into the phone. "My house has two people in it. That's enough. You're a bachelor, you keep him."

    Chimney's annoyed groan blared through the speaker, causing her to recoil and pull her phone from her ear for a second. "He's a mess, Ollie. He leaves his stinky socks around, he opens the curtains way-too-early in the morning, and he sleeps with the window open."

    Ollie chuckled in response, watching as Ellis entered the kitchen again and moving out of her way when she went to grab a glass. "He's done all of that all of his life, Chim, he can't change just because he lives with you. Get over it, Evan is not getting anywhere near my apartment right now."

    Her roommate's head swung towards her in interest at the mention of Buck's name, eyes twinkling mischeviously. Before Ollie could even stick out an elbow to keep her away, her quick hands were wrapping around her phone, sabotaging her conversation with Chimney. "Hi! Whatever Buck needs over here, send him this way. Tell him to grab some vodka while you're at it, please, thank you, see him soon!" Ellis chirped, pressing the hang up button before handing Ollie her phone back.

    She snatched it back with a vengeance, groaning. "London Summer, I am a firefighter but that does not mean I will not burn this apartment while you sleep and skip off with insurance money." The threat hung in the air for a bit before she rubbed at her eyes, shaking her head. "Congratulations, Evan Buckley will now temporarily be our third roommate. Get the couch set up for him while I hide the knives so I don't stab you both in your sleep."

    Ellis, not even phased by Ollie's threats after a while of hearing them, squealed in delight. "Oh, this will be so fun, Ol! Cheer up! Hot men in the house!" She whooped, turning and skipping out of the kitchen. A moment later, her fingers gripped at the corner of the door frame as she peeked back in. "Does this mean Eddie will be coming over a lot more? 'Cause I'd never mind seeing him."

    "Get out of the kitchen and stop thirsting over my friend. Who is a father. He has a kid, Ellis!" Ollie yelled after her as Ellis disappeared into the living room again. After digging her fingers into the roots of her hair and giving it a sharp tug to ground herself, she turned around and disappeared into her own bedroom, ignoring the alarms ringing in her head.

    About half an hour later, she was opening the door to a sheepish Buck, who was absently staring down the hall. Once his eyes met hers, he sighed, hands moving despite the bags loaded into them. "Are you sure this is okay, Ollie? I know Ellis said so, but if you aren't, I will leave right now. Find somewhere else." He explained, looking clueless as she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

    "Where are you going to go, Buckaroo? Maddie's? Chim is over there more than his own house. Hen's? Doesn't she have a kid?" Ollie huffed. "And Eddie is definitely a dad. Him and Chris need their own space. Ellis is practically in love with you, and I can tolerate you, I guess, so just stay here. The couch is made. Buy mostly your own groceries. Don't wake me up, or else."

    Evan followed her into the living room, watching her hands as she gestured to the couch, which had a comfier pillow and their largest blankets laid out on it, along with a glass of water on the sidetable because Ellis could not help herself with being charitable. Just as she was about to leave him with a remark on settling in, his hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her to turn and look at him. "Thank you, Olivia."

    She smiled, reaching up to pat his cheek. "You're welcome, Buckley. But if you call me Olivia again, I will destroy that pretty face of yours." With a final push at his head, she turned around, walking towards her bedroom. "Goodnight!"