- 'Gear room.'

The room was empty, the door slightly ajar. Rigo stood by the bench, arms crossed over his chest as he waited for her. When she entered, he immediately pushed off the wall and closed the distance between them, pressing a quick but deep kiss to her lips before taking the bag from her hands.

“Took you long enough,” he teased, setting the bag down on the metal bench. His hands found her waist instantly, pulling her against him. “I’ve been starving”

He backed her up against the metal cubbie that had his turnout gear. The kiss deepened instantly from sweet to devouring. His hands slid down to grip her hips, anchoring her there as his tongue swept against hers. It was reckless - it was his work place, surrounded by people and frankly, he didn't give a damn. “Estás tan bueno” Rigo murmured against her mouth, kissing a trail along her jaw.

Her head tipped back automatically, surrendering to the attention. It was terrifying how addicted she’d become to him - how easily he unraveled her. He swallowed her soft whimper, grinding gently against her, reminding her exactly what he did to her in that storage closet weeks ago.

His teeth grazed the sensitive spot just below her ear, sending a violent shiver down her spine. Her hands betrayed her by tangling in his hair to hold him closer instead of pushing him away.

“¿Sabes cuántas ganas tengo de follarte duro ahora mismo?” he growled against her skin, one hand sliding down to squeeze her ass.

Y/n pulled away to catch her breath. Her forehead pressed against his as a casual smirk formed across her lips. “I have no idea what you're saying” she chuckled softly.

He laughed low in his throat, pressing his hips forward to let her feel exactly what she did to him. “I said...” he dropped his voice to a rough whisper against her lips. “I want to fuck you so hard right now”

He pulled back just enough to smirk down at her, dark eyes dancing with mischief. “Maybe I should teach you some spanish, cariña”

“maybe you should,” she grins, her fingers brushing against the scruff on his jaw. “You sound pretty sexy when you do that”

His smirk turned into a full-blown grin, showing off his white teeth. He leaned in, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss that stole her breath as his hand squeezed her ass.

Just then their moment was cut off suddenly. “Seriously?” Jack’s voice cut through the room like a slammed door.

They broke apart like teenagers caught by a parent, Rigo stepping back instantly but not releasing her waist. Jack stood in the doorway, arms crossed, jaw tight. His eyes bounced between them - Rigo's rumpled shirt, Y/n's swollen lips, their flushed faces. In two large steps, Jack shoved Rigo away from his sister, making him stumble back. “I told you to stay away from her”

Rigo regained his footing, his jaw tightening as he stepped right back into Jack’s personal space. The playful demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by that terrifyingly calm intensity he usually reserved for a fire. “Back the hell up, Gibson”

“Oh, I get it,” Jack stepped between them again. “I fucked your wife, so now you're going after my sister... I get it”

Rigo's face turned red with anger, his hands balling into fists at his sides. He was taller than Jack, broader - a dangerous combination when he was pissed. “Fuck you, Gibson” he snarled, not backing down an inch. “If you think I'm sleeping with her as some kinda revenge you're fucking mistaken”

“both of you need to calm down” y/n said, trying to step in but both ignored her.

“You know what?” Jack pushed Rigo hard in the chest, making him stumble back. “You probably are. You're probably using her just to get back at me” He was shouting now, face red with anger.

Rigo's expression darkened dangerously. “She’s not some damn pawn in this game between us, asshole. I actually give a fuck about her”

“I said stop” she said. Her voice was harsher this time, tugging Jack away.

Jack and Rigo both froze, looking at her. For a second, it looked like Jack was going to say something else, but one look at his sister's face made him stop. He let out a harsh laugh instead. “You're kidding me, right? You're actually falling for this guy? After everything?”

The question hung in the air like smoke.

“yes” she said - no hesitation.

Jack stared at her like she'd grown two heads. Rigo stood completely still behind him, barely breathing as he waited for her brother's reaction. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Finally, Jack shook his head in disbelief. “You're dating?”

“for almost a month now” Rigo answered for her, stepping forward slightly. His voice was steady, calm - a stark contrast to the heated argument moments ago. He looked at Jack with a challenging gaze, daring him to say something else.

Jack's jaw clenched. He glanced between them - the way Rigo positioned himself closer to y/n, the possessive tilt of his head. The pieces were all there: Rigo's late nights at their house, how attentive he'd been at the station, the way his sister's eyes softened whenever the latino's name came up.

A bitter laugh escaped him. “A fucking month” he shot Rigo one last glare before walking past them.

Jack slammed the gear room door hard behind him, making the metal walls vibrate and y/n flinch. Silence instantly settled over the room. Rigo dropped his head with a heavy exhale, running a hand through his hair. Y/n immediately stepped into him, pressing her forehead against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her without hesitation, burying his face in her neck.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured against her skin, his breath warm on her neck. His arms tightened around her, anchoring her to him as the adrenaline from the fight started to fade into a dull ache. “I didn’t want you dragged into the middle of our shit”

“It's okay” she murmured.

He pressed a lingering kiss to her temple, his hand rubbing soothingly up and down her spine. He pulled back slightly to look down at her, his dark eyes searching hers. “You sure about this?”

Y/n looked him in the eyes and without hesitation said. “I still want to be with you”

Rigo’s expression melted instantly. The arrogant firefighter, the man who fought Jack without hesitation, disappeared completely. He pulled her into a devastatingly soft kiss, cradling her face in both hands like she was something fragile. This was a man completely gone for a woman he wasn't supposed to fall for.

~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~

The bay doors rumbled shut behind Engine 19. It had been a brutal call - a warehouse fire with hours in heavy gear. Everyone was exhausted, sweaty, and running on fumes. To add to it the station was unusually quiet as everyone fell into the familiar rhythm of cleaning equipment and hanging turnout gear. Normally there'd be jokes - today there wasn't.

Jack and Rigo hadn't said more than the bare minimum to each other all shift - just enough to do their jobs without endangering themselves or the people around him. Of course everyone noticed, but no one commented. The tension between them was palpable, carrying the weight of a disastrous argument and an unresolved conflict. Rigo slammed his locker shut harder than he meant to. Across the room, Jack was stripping off his turnout coat.

The silence between them had become suffocating. Rigo had tried to stay out of it, he really had. He understood Jack was angry. Hell, he was angry, but he couldn't use the cheating wife card anymore - not when y/n made him happy enough to forget his anger.

For a week Rigo had been watching y/n stay at his place every night with red eyes because her own brother refused to speak to her. Was he just supposed to sit back and let it happen? it was hard to ignore.

Rigo finally broke the silence. “You gonna keep punishing her”

Jack froze mid-motion, dropping his helmet onto the bench. The rest of the Dean and Travis instantly pretended to be incredibly busy with their gear while Vic slowly backed out of the room, deciding staying in her turnout pants a little longer wouldn't be so bad.

Jack turned slowly, his jaw tight and eyes dangerous, but not gutful enough to look Rigo in the eyes. “I am not punishing anyone”

“Bullshit,” Rigo slammed his locker shut. “She hasn’t slept properly in a week because her brother won’t fucking look at her” The words hung in the air like smoke.

Jack continued putting away his gear. “it's none of your business”

“The hell it isn’t,” Rigo snapped, stepping around the bench to block Jack’s path. The exhaustion of the last twenty-four hours was fraying everyone's temper, but Rigo had been holding this back for a week. “I’m the one holding her while she cries at night because her own brother is icing her out”

Jack shoved past him, walking out of the locker room. “That's between me and her”

“fuck that,” Rigo shouted after him, causing the rest of the locker room to freeze completely. Jack stopped dead in the hallway, his back muscles going rigid under his tight t-shirt. He slowly turned around, his eyes lethal. “Because every night she goes home wondering what she did wrong”

Jack scoffed. “She knew what she was doing”

“She was falling for a man,” Rigo shot back, voice dropping lower, more dangerous. “Something you apparently forgot how to do when you were too busy sticking your dick in my wife” The words landed like a physical blow, and the rest of the crew collectively held their breath. Rigo never brought it up. Never. But he was done playing nice - he didn't get to pretend he's the only one who's ever been hurt.

Jack's face went from pale to a deep, ugly red in seconds. For a moment he looked like he was about to snap something - or someone. His hands were clenched at his sides. Then his jaw shifted. “Don't”

“Don’t what?” Rigo took a step forward, his voice low and controlled. “Don’t remind you that you fucked my wife? Or don’t remind you that your sister is fucking me”

Jack lunged, his fist cut through the air. Rigo reacted on instinct and he shifted just enough for the punch to miss. He grabbed Jack's shoulder, and redirected his momentum. Jack stumbled against the wall with a loud thud. Before he could recover, Rigo planted his forearm across Jack's upper chest and shoulder, pinning him without throwing a punch.

Jack strained against him. “Get off me”

“I could've hit you,” Rigo growled, not backing down as Jack glared at him. Rigo's chest heaved from exhaustion and rage, forearm pressing harder against Jack's shoulder. “but I didn't”

His forearm eased slightly, enough that it was clear he wasn't trying to hurt Jack - only stop the fight before it got worse. Jack's fists opened at his sides, something breaking in his expression. Not defeat - something uglier as he stopped struggling. “The only reason I'm not swinging back,” Rigo said quietly, “is because you're y/n's brother, so think about that before you come at me again”

For a long moment, neither of them moved. Then Bishop's voice cut through the bay. “That's enough”

The captain stepped between them and Rigo immediately lowered his arm and took two steps back. Jack stayed where he was, still glaring. Bishop looked from one firefighter to the other. “My office. Now”

Rigo nodded once, jaw tight. Jack shoved off the wall and followed, neither man looking at the other. The station stayed frozen until they both disappeared behind Bishop's office door. She shut the office door with a firm click. The station suddenly felt eerily quiet. Jack and Rigo sat stiffly in the chairs in front of Maya Bishop's desk. Rigo's jaw was clenched tight, arms folded across his chest as he listened to Jack's uneven breathing. Rigo didn't need to look at him to know that there was a hard ass expression on Jack's face.

Bishop looked between them. “One of you start talking”

Jack stayed silent, staring stubbornly at the wall beside Bishop’s head. Rigo glanced at him, then shifted his gaze to the Captain. Neither firefighter volunteered. Bishop’s eyes sharpened, darting from Jack to Rigo. “I need to know that you two can work together. I have discretion here. This doesn't have to go to Sullivan or Dixon”

The implication hung heavy in the air - their personal feud threatening their careers. Rigo understood. If Bishop went to Sullivan, they'd both be transferred. Maybe even suspended. He leaned back in his chair, jaw tight. Jack remained stubbornly silent, staring at the wall like it held the secrets to his infuriated existence.

Bishop sighed, crossing her arms as she leaned against the desk. “I don't care who started it. I care that two firefighters almost turned my station into a fight club,” Neither answered. “You two are supposed to trust each other inside a burning building”

The words struck a nerve - trust was everything in this job. Rigo swallowed hard, thinking about all the times he'd had Jack's back on calls, and Jack had had his. The irony was sickening. He could still feel Jack's fist missing him, the heat of his rage. Jack remained stubbornly silent, staring at the wall.

Bishop's expression hardened. “I need an answer. Can you two work together or not?” She looked between them, her gaze sharp and unyielding. Rigo felt the weight of her question, knowing that a wrong answer could mean the end of their careers at this station.

Rigo looked at her, then glanced at the silent jack. He knew the answer for himself - pride be damned, he couldn't afford to lose his job. He took a deep breath. “Yes, ma'am” He said gruffly.

“Yes,” Jack said, practically forcing himself to do so.

Bishop's expression didn't soften, but she nodded slowly. “Good. Because I'm not running this station like a damn daycare. You two sort your shit out, and you sort it out now,” She pointed at both of them and they nodded stiffly. “dismissed”

They both rose from the chairs in unison, neither looking at the other. Jack shoved past Rigo to get to the door first. Rigo clenched his fists but forced himself to walk out calmly. The moment they cleared Bishop's office, the crew pretended like nothing happened. But Rigo could feel every eye on them.

~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~

The tones dropped through Station 19, cutting through the lingering tension that had settled over the house during the past week. 'Station 19, respond to reports of an aircraft explosion near Harbor Avenue. Multiple callers reporting fire and possible fuel leak'

Every firefighter moved at once. Turnout pants, suspenders, coats, air packs, helmets. The practiced routine took over, even for two men who still hadn't truly settled their differences. Jack climbed into the passenger side of the engine as Vic got behind the wheel and Rigo climbed into the back without looking at him.

No one spoke until the rig pulled out of the bay, sirens echoing through the Seattle streets.

Vic looked between the two of them. “You two better have your mess handled,” Neither answered.

She continued. “I'm serious - not gonna die today because you can't keep it in your turnouts”

They'd been warned by Bishop - if they messed up on calls, it was on them. An aircraft explosion meant massive scale, fuel leaks, potential casualties. Jack attempted damage control. “We're good - brothers. Right, Vasquez?”

Rigo kept his face neutral. “The city pays me. They say ride with you, I ride”

Rigo had no intention of abandoning a member of his team no matter how angry he was because that's what firefighters did. That's the oath he'd taken and whether Jack believed it or not, Rigo knew exactly what it would do to y/n if anything happened to her brother. She'd never forgive herself - and he'd never forgive himself if he didn't do everything he could.

The rig bounced through streets, sirens wailing. They approached the harbor - smoke rising from a downed aircraft near Harbor Avenue. The scene was chaos: fuel burning, people running, emergency services everywhere.

Bishop climbed out first, taking in the scene. “we have got to deal with this gasoline leak!” she ordered. “Set up a containment boom! Keep that gas out of the street!”

Everyone immediately split into assignments. Andy looked around. “Dispatch said aircraft explosion”

Bishop didn't look up. “Search and Rescue will handle the aircraft. We handle the pump”

Andy studied the wreckage uneasily. The scene had turned into a second disaster zone - two trucks fully engulfed, flame licking up metal sides, propane tanks popping like gunfire and black smoke twisted into the sky. “I don't think we know what we're dealing with”

Before anyone could respond a shower of sparks landed near the spreading fuel. Whoomph. Several small fires erupted at once, but quickly contained. The small explosions kept everyone on edge - each one a reminder that this wasn't a standard fire. This was volatile, unpredictable, and getting worse by the second.

Rigo and Jack were already circling the perimeter with extinguishers, moving fast and containing small fires that had broken out from scattered ignition points. Him and Jack worked in sync. They didn’t have to speak to understand each other or work like they've been wired to do - that made the tension worse. Jack jerked his head toward a burning pile of flames near a rolled car. “Contain that side!”

“I’m not blind, Gibson” Rigo clapped back as the extinguisher hissed as he sprayed foam onto the flames licking up the car's side.

“Then act like it” That snapped the silence - even the fire died at their feet with quite hiss.

Rigo straightened up, foam still dripping. He turned towards Jack. “You want to do this now?”

Jack didn’t hesitate. “We already did it at the station”

Rigo scoffed, turning back to the scene. The car was still burning - the foam was holding but not enough. “This isn't about her right now,” Rigo said sharply.

Jack snapped, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to be face to face. “everything is about her right now”

The fire crackled wildly around them, but the two men were locked in a standoff that had absolutely nothing to do with flames. Rigo slapped Jack's hand off his shoulder immediately, aggression matching aggression.

“Keep your voice down,” Rigo warned, his voice dangerously low as he stared at the man that was tethered to him only by one woman. “We are on a working scene. Drop it”

Across the street, Andy crouched near debris scattered near the food trucks. Something metallic and twisted - too clean-edged for wreckage. She frowned.

Elaine, one of the injured civilians sitting near triage, looked over. “What is that?”

“I don’t know,” Andy turned it in her hand. It wasn’t burned like the rest of the wreckage and it definitely wasn't from a truck. Or from a building - not even close. “Is there a tech campus nearby?” Andy asked sharply.

Elaine nodded weakly. “Yeah. Couple blocks. Some… aerospace startup people. They’re always talking about Mars stuff”

Andy froze. “…Mars?”

Elaine nodded again. “Yeah. Billionaire project. Private launch testing. Something like that”

Andy’s blood ran cold. She lifted her radio again. “This isn’t from a plane,” Still nothing. “Jack, Vasquez, respond!”

Static.

The radio was just useless background noise to Rigo and Jack as their fight picked up faster than any fire around them. “Maybe stop making it about you” Rigo shot back.

Jack’s jaw ticked. “You don’t get to talk to me about her like you know her better than I do”

“maybe, but I get to learn about her everyday,” Rigo laughed bitterly, the sound harsh against the backdrop of the extinguisher hissing over open flames. “and like it or not were together”

Andy's voice cracked through the radio again. “Gibson, Vasquez!”

Jack stepped closer, voice rising.

“She’s my sister”

“And she’s my girlfriend!” Rigo snapped back, then immediately steadied his tone. “And right now she’s the one getting hurt the most by all of this”

Jack’s jaw flexed hard and before he could respond Andy’s voice crackled over the radio again, frantic.“Jack. Rigo. I need you both to respond. Now”

“we're fine, Herrera,” Jack finally responded. “we don't need a babysitter”

Jack had heard the urgency in Andy's voice, and Rigo was already moving before she could've corrected him. His jaw clenched at the delay.

Andy moved through the scene quickly, scanning debris, when she saw it. Another fragment -larger this time. Not metal, but aircraft-grade aluminum. She quickly rushed towards Rigo and Jack's direction. “Jack, it's not an airplane. It's a rocket! We need Hazmat”

Rigo saw it first. A pressurized leak venting from a ruptured cylindrical tank - gas hissing out in an unstable plume, igniting intermittently where it met open flame. His instincts took over and he grabbed an extinguisher and moved in.

Jack saw him break off instantly. “Rigo stop- !”

The explosion was not cinematic. It was violent, immediate, and consuming. A shockwave tore across the concrete. Rigo was thrown backward like he weighed nothing, slamming onto his back hard enough to crack the pavement sound in the air. Fire rolled outward and then snapped back into control lines. The world briefly became silent and hot.

Jack was already moving. “Rigo!”

He dropped to his knees immediately. Rigo was conscious - barely. Blood was already pooling fast, dark and too much, soaking into his turnout gear. A deep abdominal injury - too deep. Jack’s hands went to pressure instantly. “Just breathe, okay?”

Jack put pressure on the injury the best way he could. He quickly whipped his head towards the others. “Warren! Get Warren!”

Rigo's breaths came fast and shallow. He felt the pressure on his abdomen, saw Jack's face above him - terrified, white. Not angry anymore. Nothing between them mattered now.

“God, getting the knife-Mobil?” Rigo coughed, blood flecking his lips. “It's that bad, huh?”

“You're alright, you're gonna be okay. Just -” Blood was already pooling fast, dark and too much, soaking into his turnout gear. “just don't move”

“Don't fucking lie to me,” Rigo gasped weakly, and he was. His breaths were getting harder and harder to take, the pain spreading out through his torso like a wildfire. His hands gripped his stomach involuntarily, pressing against the injury like he could keep it inside. “How bad?”

Jack's breath hitched. His jaw ticked as his eyes flicked back to Rigo's. “it's bad”

Rigo's head fell back against the concrete, a low groan escaping him. His vision was tunneling at the edges, the scene around him dimming into a blur of smoke and flashing lights.

He reached up, fumbled weakly for Jack's arm. “I haven't told her I love her,” his voice cracked, fading. “Tell her -”

“You're gonna be fine,” Jack cut him off firmly. “And your gonna tell her yourself”

Rigo's lips moved, forming words that barely had sound. “I'll never apologize for loving her - not to you or anyone”