Fandom Town Firehouse | Saturday Afternoon

[pursuedthestars]

There weren't any fires to fight and that left Jim bored. He was a glutton for a danger so when things weren't dangerous, when he wasn't heading into the gaping maw of a fire, his mind started working in overdrive.

And that....that only meant bad things. He started thinking about the past, about the broken family and the ravaged town he'd left behind. About how he'd failed as a police officer and had to settle for something that he didn't want. About how the bodies that burned behind his closed eyes every time he went to sleep.

It was all too much. He'd come to this place to escape that past, to start anew. He'd taken on a new name, stolen someone else's identity just to forge ahead and to try and put everything else behind him. No one knew him here. No one knew of his criminal dealings and his felonious past.

Here, he was just a shirtless fireman, washing the trucks and waiting for that bell to ring. Here, he was just someone that no one would notice unless they liked the shirtless type with hard, taut muscles and chiseled faces.

Here, he was someone better.

[Every soap opera town needs a good fireman who is rarely seen doing ANYTHING but looking pretty. Open, of course.]

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[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

After Sia's visit this morning, Jessica had spent some time checking things out around town and confirming that, yes, she was the only sane person around. Hell, she might even be able to throw out the actual facts of her life without anyone batting an eyelash.

That somehow hadn't prepared her for Jim Kirk the Fireman. "You realize you're out of uniform, right?" Jessica couldn't resist calling out.

[pursuedthestars]

"There a fire I'm missing?" Jim asked, possibly affecting some weird Southern drawl because that's where he was from.

Originally.

"Ain't no fires here, ma'am. Just me."

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Don't tell me, you're supposed to be hot stuff or some other fire pun?" Jessica asked.

[pursuedthestars]

"I'm just a lowly firefighter, trying to make a living in this tough world," he said, shrugging a shoulder. "Trucks gotta be cleaned and I wouldn't wanna get my uniform all wet."

Or maybe he would. Hmm. "There something I can help you with? Don't think we've met before. I'm always willing to help."

That was so strange to say especially when he'd been so cruel to those trying to help him in the past.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Apparently we haven't, no," Jessica said. "Jessica Drew. Plucky journalist for the Times of Fandom. I'm doing a series of human interest stories about the people who make this town tick, at least until the print newspaper business dies or I get kidnapped by some villain or spree arsonist or something. Have you led an interesting life that could be part of my series?"

Playing along was fun.

[pursuedthestars]

"Nope. I'm just plain boring."

That was a lie. It was a huge one and the lie burned at his heart because he so wished it was true.

"I just put out fires."

And clean trucks. Shirtless.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"You don't happen to start fires first so you can then put them out?" Jessica asked. "Anything?"

[pursuedthestars]

"You calling me an arsonist?" Well, he'd been one in the past? And only the rapid movements of his eyes and the slight perspiration on his brow alluded to the secrets he was keeping.

"Kinda assumptive there," he said, keeping his voice calm. "You looking to make up news or something?"

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"I was seriously just spitballing possibilities. But if you actually are a secret arsonist, I'm getting out of here before you try setting me on fire," Jessica said.

[pursuedthestars]

"Firemen don't set fires, they put them out," Jim said, raising an eyebrow at Jessica. "You're not...slow, are you?"

She seemed a little slow and since he could be a little slow himself, he knew slow.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Slow as a fox," Jessica said. "A fox on a motorcycle, who is also kind of bored because apparently foxes aren't interested in motorcycles. I know, it's surprising to me too."

[pursuedthestars]

Jim frowned at her, trying to figure that one. Look, former criminals with dark and terrible pasts weren't always intelligent. They had their downfalls too.

"I'm Jim," he said, just deciding to ignore that bit of babbling. He was just going to go with her being a little slow. "Pleasure's yours, I'm sure."

He still had some of his usual cockiness.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"I don't know if I'd say 'pleasure.' The high entertainment value is definitely all mine, though, and before you get too full of yourself it's not because of your abs, buddy," Jessica said. "You'll understand better after the weekend, I'm sure."

[pursuedthestars]

Jim's brow furrowed at what he thought was a cryptic sort of statement. "You know something I don't know? It's not nice to keep secrets. Very impolite."

And a little nerve wracking if you were him.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"I know plenty of things you don't, Jimbo. But like I said, it'll make sense soon enough," Jessica said. "Try not to worry about it too much."