DEEP

send me ☽ for my muse to drunkenly confess feelings to yours

“Actually, Tim, I’m gunna call it a night.” Will managed to pull his wallet out of his pocket and pay the bartender for the good amount of drinks he had consumed tonight. It wasn’t often that Will let himself get this drunk, but after a particularly rough shift at the station, he felt he deserved it. He turned to leave the bar but just as he was about to walk out the door, he spotted a familiar brown head of hair in the far corner. Stumbling just a bit, Will made his way to the corner booth where Jordan’s friend had just gotten up from to go to the bathroom. He not so gracefully slid into the empty seat across from Jordan, immediately launching into something sober Will would kick himself over tomorrow. “Look, Wilson, I know- I know, I get on your case like I do all the other guys, but you’re not like all the other guys.” he paused for a second as he processed what he had just said. “You’re not a guy at all, obviously.” he added quickly, shaking his head before wiping his hand over his face in frustration. This wasn’t going how he had planned in the 2.5 seconds he had planned it out in his head. “You’re hot, okay? Like really hot. And not temperature wise, either. And uhh… when I tease you at work and stuff, I’m just trying to get your attention.” He finally managed to stop the word vomit and reached forward picking up her beer and downing it himself.

ft. william‌

Sipping on the Bloody Mary that she had after a hot second of persuasion managed to get William to whip up for her, she raised her gaze as he leaned over. Giving Will her very full attention as she listened eagerly to his words, him being one of the few who could capture her attention so fully and so instantly solely with their mere presence. It was almost as if a light switched on in the back of her irises as Will just mentioned the word dog. Opposed to many’s belief about the blonde, except for the people who truly knew her of course, Faye had always been very fond of nature, animals, and the environment. So at the thought of simply going to visit the shelter with William, instantly shone a light in her eyes. 

“First of all, you’re always going to be the town grump, so that ship has totally sailed” Faye teased playfully. “But, besides that” she continued. “Yes, I would love to come with you, are you kidding? I wouldn’t dare let you look at puppies without me ––  You definitely need to have a little dog in your life, and you know you’d see a lot more of me that way — not that you don’t see me a lot  already —but I am definitely coming over for all kinds of cuddles.” A proud smile decorated Faye’s features as she let her eyes rest on Will.

Will knew Faye well enough to notice the small, but still tell-tale signs of her excitement. He tried, and failed miserably, to keep a grin from coming to his lips, but that was the effect Faye Olsen had always had on him. It was practically physically impossible for him to not smile when she was excited about something. Her attitude was infectious, at least to Will, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Hazel hues rolled upwards at her teasing, though he had to admit it was probably true, but his smile continued to grow as she agreed to go with him. “Hey! That’s Mr. Grump to you.” he teased right back as he began to roll down his sleeves and signaled to one of his bartenders that he was leaving. “Is that a promise?” he asked as he walked around the bar so that he could stand beside her. “Cause if that’s what getting a dog means, then I’m all for it.” He stopped for a second, realizing he might have said too much, but decided to not make a big deal about it, figuring she would do the same as well. “You ready to go puppy window shopping?” he asked, offering his hand towards her to help her off the stool she was currently sitting on. 

“Oh, look at the shell breaking away to uncover the truth.” Jordan said on a laugh as she crossed her arms over her chest and eyed the male curiosity. “Well, we’re glad that you’re controlling the quality cause we wouldn’t know what to do without you doing that.” The brunette continued to tease, smirking at the other guys who just shook their head. It was probably obvious to everyone but them that they flirted a bit too much in their own way. Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but enjoy this banter with him — especially when he gave in and finally told her what she wanted to hear. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear, you’ve made my day. Though, I think we both know it’s this much.” Jordan as she stepped closer and began to pry his fingers apart slightly so the gap was a bit wider.

“Just doing my job.” he replied, unable to stop the grin that came to his lips as he shook his head. There was always this sort of unwritten line that he was never sure if he should cross when it came to his flirtation with Jordan. It was so hard to tell if anything she was saying went beyond the flirty banter. And Will wasn’t about to make things awkward by being the first to step past that line. He watched as she stepped closer and pried his fingers apart, chuckling a little. “Fine,” he conceded, “maybe that much, but don’t let it go to your pretty head too much, Wilson.” he added with a wink.

“Shit, shit, shit.” Waving the haphazardly folded kitchen towel above the pan of caramelized (burnt) butter, Calliope can’t help but let out the slightest laugh. Entirely directed at herself, of course, because she was pretty sure turning the damn stove off was the first thing she’d gone through on her mental checklist. Clearly she’d gotten too excited about the french toast. At least the smoke hadn’t gotten out of hand, she thought to herself just as a knock came to her door. “Coming!” Assessing the situation, the woman deemed it cleared enough and set down the towel before heading to answer. “Oh! Hey, Will.” Coming face to face with her neighbor as the door came open, suddenly she wondered how right she’d been about the amount of smoke. Looking back into her apartment for a quick second, Calli reassured herself–the window in the kitchen was open, and the rest of the apartment looked fine. “Did they leave my mail at your place again?” ( @willicmgibson )

Will had just reached his floor in the building when a familiar smell greeted him. It was not something he wanted to smell when he wasn’t at work. His brows crinkling as the smell grew stronger the further he walked down the hall, he wondered why a smoke alarm wasn’t going off. His concern grew when he reached Callie’s door and realized the smell of smoke was coming from her apartment. There wasn’t a lot of smoke, and upon further inspection, her door wasn’t hot to the touch which would have indicated the presence of a fire, but still the fact that he could smell the smoke was concerning. Will began to not so patiently knock on her door. 

When she finally opened it, and clearly wasn’t worried about said smoke, he did his best to keep himself from marching right past her and into the apartment so he could figure out what was causing the smoke. “No, they didn’t give me your mail.” he replied, trying to keep his tone measured. “I was just umm... wondering if you were planning on burning the whole building down today or not?” he teased, offering a grin and a shake of his head. Almost if on cue, a whiff of smoke was blown his way by the wind from her open windows. 

& WILLIAM‌:

        Henry leaned against the bar, watching Will open a beer bottle for him. The question was one he had expected, but he still took a moment to consider his answer. Shrugging his shoulders, he took a sip of the beer before putting the bottle down. “I think I’ve been pretty good. The dogs keep me going, and the work is going well, so I don’t think I have much to complain about.” There were the nightmares and his PTSD, but all in all, Henry had been worse in the past. “What about you? How are things?”

He watched his friend as he took a sip of his beer. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Henry, it was just the way Henry worded it. ‘I think I’ve been pretty good.’ ‘I don’t think I have much to complain about.’ He braced himself against the bar, pausing for a second before he replied. “You think so?” he asked, taking another sip before continuing. “I dunno if it’s just me getting antsy from being in one place for longer than I was used to in the army, or what, but I’m- I just kind of feel like I don’t know what I’m doing with my life anymore.” he admitted with a shrug. Will definitely wasn’t one to share about his feelings like this, but having served a couple tours with Henry, Will felt like he might just be the only person who understood. 

— WILLIAM.

         “Okay,” she breathes, and it’s only when she takes a step inside, hiding behind the wall as she leaned against it that she realised what she’d done. Invited in an old friend who likely had a lot of resentment towards her over their falling out. Without even giving the guy a chance to breathe, she’d coerced him into a coffee inside her home. Whilst he’s on the job — what the hell is wrong with you Nat?! That thought process soon came to a halt as she heard him approaching again, and managing to swallow hearing that name again. Like, they were back in eighth grade, the best of friends. “Come on in,” Natalia smiles, stepping aside to allow him through. Seriously, what the hell? “Sorry if I put you out or anything. I just felt so bad for making you come out all this way and—I should shut up now,” she states, laughter escaping her lips as she shakes her head and gestures for him to follow her toward the living area. “I’ve been good. I’m a wedding planner now, that keeps me busy.. and so does my daughter. She’s a teenager now, which scares the hell out of me every day, but yeah, I’ve been doing well. —How are you? I’ve seen you around town a few times, I just… never got the chance to say hello.” 

“Seriously, don’t worry about it. I’m glad it was just a false alarm and nothing more than that.” he chuckled, shrugging away her apology yet again, hoping that she wouldn’t continue feeling guilty throughout their entire interaction. He followed her further into the house and a strange awareness of just how much life had passed since they were kids growing up together stole over him. He had known Natalia Parker as a kid, but that was years, and years ago. The house, the pictures, the furniture, everything pointed to a life that Will was no longer familiar with. 

@willicmgibson

“Come on, man. Are you trying to turn work horror stories into a drinking game?” He joked easily, adjusting himself on the stool that he’d taken after entering the bar to join his friend. Being in two different high risk departments, he had no doubt they could keep it up all night with stories of their worst calls.

& WILLIAM‌:

         “Oh come on, man. I can’t drink for free all the time, it’s going to end up with me drinking too much,” Henry grinned. Crossing his arms over his chest as a sign that he didn’t intend to take back the money he put down on the bar. “Are you serious? You’re a bad influence,” he teased William, before pulling himself up onto one of the bar stools. “How about another one of those beers? They’re really good.”

“You’re welcome.” he replied with a chuckle, ignoring Henry’s protests. Having served together on a couple tours, there wasn’t anyone who deserved a free drink in Will’s eyes more than Henry. The man was dependable, a great soldier, and a great friend. And while it might not make him the best businessman, those qualities alone earned the eldest O’Hara free drinks anytime he stepped into Atomic Liquors. 

Will grabbed a beer and opened the bottle before handing it to Henry. “So, how’ve you been, man?” he asked as he opened his own bottle.

“What are you doing, O’Hara? You know you never pay for drinks here.” Will called as he spotted his friend and fellow veteran trying to pay one of his bartenders at Atomic Liquors for his drink. Will smiled at his employee, letting them know he’d take care of this and then moved to stand behind the bar, facing Henry. “In fact, since you just tried to pay, you’ll have to accept another drink. What can I get ya?”

          Winnie let out an amused snort at his response, one she probably could have easily predicted herself. She had known Will her entire life, and he was the closest thing to an older brother that she’d ever had. She knew that if it came down to it, he would help her out of pretty much any situation she found herself in. It gave her a lot of comfort knowing there was someone looking out for her. “He’s a pretty skinny guy, though by the sound of his feet you’d think there was a herd of elephants upstairs and not a real human person.” She replied, tearing her gaze away from the bottles of alcohol to look at him.

“I’m feeling a whiskey on the rocks tonight, by the way.” Winnie added, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. She matched Will’s mischievous grin with one of her own, letting out a soft chuckle. “I think that would be way more effective than my preferred method which has been banging on the ceiling with a broom.”

“Why is that always a thing?” he grumbled with a roll of his eyes. “Tiny people, somehow always make the most noise when they live above you.” Will had had his fair share of loud upstairs neighbors and sympathized with her frustration. He looked at her skeptically for a second, but quickly shook himself out of it as he moved to make her drink. Will had to remind himself that Winnie was definitely over the legal drinking age and had been for a few years now. It was just hard for him not to think of that little kid he used to watch out for and tuck into bed. But he was trying to do better about thinking of her that way. Winnie was an adult and needed to be treated as such... sometimes. 

“Well, well, well! Look who decided to make an appearance in the world of adults!” Will called as he noted Jakob entering Atomic Liquors. He’d been meaning to check in on his friend, but seeing Jakob, without his kids, out and about, was a good sign. Obviously, there was nothing wrong with spending a lot of time with his kids, but Will also knew that Jakob needed his own personal time. With a grin, Will tapped his bartender on the shoulder, signaling that he’d take care of his friend as he approached the bar. “What can I get ya? I’m afraid we don’t have apple juice.” he teased.

Jordan couldn’t help but laugh when the male began to pick at her. It often reminded her of those boys who threw sand at the girls they liked on the play ground, and just as he did so — she was always quick to return the taunts. “Oh, is that right? Might have been quicker but I’m sure it was a lot more boring.” She winked at him, folding her arms over her chest. “I can tell you that it was a lot more productive without you. The guys weren’t just standing there, huddled around the MVP, and watching her work.” She said on a laugh, hearing the guys behind her playfully make a fuss. As she leaned against the firetruck, the brunette watched him carefully. “We both know you missed me, just say it.”

“Okay, true.” he conceded. Shifts where he didn’t get to work with the brunette were definitely not as fun for Will. The flirty banter was definitely a high point of his day. “Hey, I’m just making sure everything goes smoothly, quality control and all that.” he explained, throwing his hands up in a show of innocence. He watched the guys shake their heads and roll their eyes at her insistence that she was the MVP, but they all knew it was true. Teasing and giving each other a hard time came with the territory, the more you were teased, the more people actually liked you. Turning to face her as she came to lean against the fire truck next to him, he considered her for a second, a smirk coming to his lips. “Okay, maybe I missed you a tiny bit.” he raised his hand and put his thumb and pointer finger together indicating just how a little. 

“Okay, so here’s the thing,” Will started as he leaned against the bar at Atomic Liquors, looking across at Faye, “I’m not saying that I’m necessarily going to get one, but would you want to come to Paw Rescue with me to just look at the dogs they have?” he asked, making sure to make it absolutely clear he wasn’t promising he’d leave the rescue center with an adopted puppy or something. 

Winnie, as Will’s not actually related little sister, had been on Will’s case since the beginning of time to get a dog. He was too ‘lonely’ with his big old apartment that he lived in by himself and could use something to soften him up a bit, in her words. And while Will liked having his own space, he had to admit that having some sort of companion might be nice. And there wasn’t anybody who he’d rather go dog window shopping with than Faye. She knew him better than most and wouldn’t get carried away and insist he go home with a poodle or any of that nonsense. He looked up to meet her gaze, “I’m not making any promises, but Winnie says if I don’t do something soon to soften me up a bit, my reputation as the town grump will become permanent.” he added with a chuckle. 

Closed starter ft. @willicmgibson​

Reversing the grand red truck — embellished with Northport fire department’s Fire Engine no 8′s emblem — into its perfectly fitted spot inside the station, Marcus hopped out from his seat, beginning to take his jacket and suit off after a job well done. No massive drama going on, just a collision between two vehicles on the highway just outside town, and with the Fire Engine’s first responder team they were sent out to check out the scope of the accident to see where their resources would be needed. Sending one of the victims to the hospital for some minor injuries and a bad case of whiplash, the rest of the fire crew was back at the station in no time. 

“So, pops” William wasn’t that much older to perhaps deserve a grandpa’ title to his nickname, but he was older ( and perhaps wiser but that wasn’t spoken about ) than Marcus so that’s the name he got. “Got any plans this weekend? Or are you trying to sit around here and wait for excitement to come to you?” 

Will hopped down from the truck with a contented sigh. Everything had gone well, a ride out that hadn’t included someone getting rushed to the hospital but fearing for the worst. Will would take a call like this one to end the day, every day of the week if he could. Finishing up your shift on a good note like this was always a plus. 

As he moved to hang up his suit, he heard the familiar nickname and let out a chuckle with a shake of his head. “Same old, same old.” he replied with a shrug. “You know excitement doesn’t really come knocking in a town like Northport, Marcus.” he added as he stepped out of his steel toed boots.