Scott was excited for Thanksgiving this year. He was going over to his parents as always but this year was his first time preparing the turkey. He had his grandmother's recipe that called for roasting the bird all night long on a bed of carrots, potatoes, onions and celery.

The blonde prepped all the veggies and cleaned the fowl before reading the rest of the instructions.

Preheat oven to 225o F.
Distribute vegetables evenly in the bottom of a roasting pan, coat with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
Rub turkey with a mixture of butter, herbs, salt, and pepper. Place in a grocery bag.
Place bird on vegetables and place in oven.
Cook for 8 hours or until juice is clear.

He followed the directions to a tee before retiring to his bed for the night. He set an alarm on his phone that would wake him up just before the time on the oven was to go off. Tomorrow was going to be fantastic.

Scott had been asleep for a few hours when he woke up to his studio apartment being slowly filled with smoke. Immediately he began to panic, he jumped from his bed and ran toward the kitchen where he saw giant flames spilling from the oven, lapping at the cabinets. He immediately ran to the door, trying to escape the apartment which was quickly being consumed by flames. He reached for the door knob but it wouldn't open causing him to freak out even more.

Scott dropped to his knees, somehow remembering that heat rises and it should be easier to breath if he crawled. However, his eyes were burning from the smoke and he was coughing uncontrollably. He managed to find his phone and dial 911 barely explaining the situation before he got choked on the smoke around him. The fit of coughs was enough to knock the man unconscious.

Mitch was asleep in his apartment. He'd worked a double shift and was excited to have a few days off to recuperate and enjoy the holidays. Sleeping at the fire station wasn't exactly the most comfortable. The bunks were small and it always smelled like sweat and dirt. But he loved his job and he loved his fellow firefighters. Still, nothing beat being alone in his comfy memory foam bed, with the smell of his favorite essential oils wafting through the room.

He was content. At least until the blaring of an alarm woke him up. He jumped from his bed and immediately ran to get his turnout gear before realizing he was at home not at work. And that there shouldn't be an alarm unless...

He sprang into action, grabbing a wet towel and holding it in front of his face to help filter the air, running from his apartment to access the scene he saw the smoke was coming from the apartment four doors down and across from his. He tried to remember who lived there but kept coming up blank.

He sprinted toward the door, passing neighbors that were frantically trying to exit the building. He got to the door of the flaming apartment and knew better than to try and touch the door handle. He pulled off his shirt leaving him in just pajama pants and used the piece of apparel to protect his hand while he quickly rammed his shoulder into the door, effectively opening it. He crouched down and began to crawl looking for signs of the tenet that lived there.

Soon he saw a heap lying close to the bed. He made his way over, still holding the rag to his face. He checked the pulse, thankfully it was there but it was stringy and light. He took his own homemade mask and tied it loosely around the man's head before lifting him up into his arms and beginning to make his way back out the door, coughing as he ran.

When Mitch emerged from the building the first responders were pulling in, cops, firemen, and EMTs were flooding the scene. Someone quickly took the blonde man from his savior and placed him on a gurney. Mitch was wheezing as he detailed the situation to the paramedic.

"Found him in the apartment that was on fire. Looked like it started in the oven or on the stove from what I saw."
"You okay Grassi?"
"Fine, just inhalation."
"Well, hope in, you're coming with us to the ER. You need medical treatment too."
"But..."
"No buts Mitch. Go with them." He heard a gruff voice from behind him.
"Captain..."
"I said go with them. If nothing else than to make sure that one is okay." He nodded his head toward the gurney that was being loaded into the ambulance.
Mitch looked at the man but knew that he would get to go back in the fire today, he'd already filled his lungs past their capacity and probably needed oxygen at lease. He nodded his head and stepped into the ambulance as well.

Several hours later Mitch was wandering the aisles of the emergency department looking for the blonde man that had caused the early morning diaster. Finally he asked a nurse who pointed him in the right direction.

The blonde man was sitting in a bed, wrapped in a hospital gown and blanket crying quietly.

"Hey, you okay?" Mitch asked stepping into the doorway but not entering the room completely.
"No, I--I'm missing Thanksgiving. A-and I don't even know if my parents know I'm here. A-and I-I burnt down my apartment. A-and..."
"Whoa-whoa, slow down... you're working yourself up. First you didn't burn down the whole building. The super said that the only real damage was to your apartment. Now, you were supposed to eat at your parent's house today?"
Scott nodded.
"Okay, here's my phone give them a call and let them know you're at St. Mary's."

Scott hestitantly took the phone and dialed, Mitch could hear a woman wailing on the other end and assumed it was the blonde's mother. He assured her he was fine just minor injuries. It was less than five minutes later when he handed the phone back.

"They're on their way. So just my apartment, huh? I guess that means I'm moving back home until I find a place."
"You could stay with me." Mitch asked, kicking himself in the ass for blurting that out to a practical stranger.
"I appreciate it but I don't really know you. I mean I know you live on my floor but that's really all."
"Well, I'm a firefighter, I kind of saved your life today so I think that counts as something."
"You pulled me out?"
Mitch nodded and before he knew it he was being engulfed in a hug by the smaller man.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Mitch chuckled, "what were you cooking anyway?"
"Roasted turkey for today. I followed the directions, veggies, plastic bag, turkey."
"Plastic?"
"Yup, it said grocery bag and that's what they gave me at the store."
"No," Mitch was doubled over in hysterics. "No, you're supposed to use paper."
"How was I supposed to know that?!"
"Because plastic melts..."
"Oh."