#I mean I also want to see buck Eddie and Tommy hanging out when Buck and Tommy are dating because I need to see that go down

[wannabanauthor]

I want a slow burn BuckTommy fanfic.

And I mean slow burn.

I want them hanging out, grabbing a beer, going to the movies, and spending time with Eddie.

Then one day, Eddie asks Buck if he can drop something off to him at Tommy’s house. Buck knocks on the door when he gets there and is greeted by a shirtless Tommy.

Tommy says they’re sparring in Muay Thai, and Buck’s like “can I watch?” And then spends the entire time salivating over Tommy without knowing what he was feeling.

Buck convinces himself that he’s only admiring Tommy’s body because Buck is also a fitness enthusiast.

Then Eddie leaves, and Buck barely notices because he’s staring at Tommy.

Tommy is not an idiot. He knows when another guy is checking him out, but he thinks it’s better to let Buck figure it out on his own.

Buck has different plans though. He takes off his shirt and is like “teach me Muay Thai”.

Now Tommy is the one staring. Maybe he starts asking Buck about his tattoos and even touched one and asks if it hurt to get them, meanwhile Buck has to restrain a moan in his throat.

Tommy just raises an eyebrow and continues asking about the tattoos. Then they do some light Muay Thai training, and Buck takes a cold shower when he gets home.

He has a wet dream about Tommy that night, and he still doesn’t know what to do because he’s not into men, right? Everyone makes a strangled sound when a hot guy with a great body touches them, right? He also finds himself with an erection that refuses to go away. So he gets himself off, and near the end Tommy pops into his mind, and he comes harder than he ever has in his life.

A few days later, Buck’s leg starts acting up, so Eddie asks Tommy to check on Buck and see if he needs anything while Eddie has to work.

Tommy comes over with food and entertainment to take Buck’s mind off the pain. Buck is happy and grateful, and is also a spoiled princess and puts his legs on Tommy’s lap, and Tommy gives him a leg massage. To both legs. Maybe it turns into a full body massage to help Buck relax.

Buck is practically in love but doesn’t know how to deal with or even properly acknowledge his feelings.

Later on during a shift, Tommy and Buck get called to the same accident site. They work really well together, and the people they save tell Buck that his boyfriend is very good at his job, and he’s like “my what now?”

Tommy pretends not to hear anything, but he’s quickly losing control of patience and willpower. He wants to make a move so badly, but he doesn’t want to freak Buck out.

So one night, Buck is elbow deep in Tommy’s social media profile and comes across an old post of Tommy kissing another man and referring to him as boyfriend. When I say elbow deep, I mean he’s 3 years into Tommy’s post history.

Seeing Tommy with another guy makes Buck feel angry, but he refuses to acknowledge why. Until he sees Tommy and accidentally confronts him.

Like maybe they’re sitting on a couch, Tommy takes a swig of his favorite craft beer that Buck bought him, and Buck just blurts out “are you gay?”

Tommy doesn’t even choke in surprise. He just says yep nonchalantly.

And then…stay tuned for the next update. This might be a summary fic (my term for a fanfic that’s more an in depth summary rather than actual fleshed out fic).

I want to see how long I can go on without having them kiss. I want longing and yearning and sleepless nights. Wait, omg, what if there’s only one bed in their hotel room in Vegas. What if they get drunk and accidentally get married? They try to get it annulled, but Buck’s like “wait a minute, we get a tax break” and Tommy has to be like “I think that’s called fraud.”

There are so many ways I can drag this out.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

I actually need a buck Tommy and Chris interaction - I need them to be together in a scene hanging out and Chris having the best time

[elliethefroggy]

Buck doesn’t let his jealousy get the better of him, doesn’t body check Eddie at the basket ball match, Tommy doesn’t go over to his apartment, there is no kiss, Tommy does not ask Buck out on a date.

What happens instead is this:

Tommy becomes an honorary 118 member, starts hanging out more and more with everyone from 118. By extension, Tommy starts spending more and more time around Buck. Tommy finds it very inconvenient when he starts crushing on a supposedly straight Buck (Tommy tries to resist but that resistance crumbles every time Buck smiles at him).

Queue Tommy secretly pining over Buck, and sighing longingly whenever he catches a glimpse of Buck.

Now in my mind, Tommy and Chimney remained pretty close after Tommy left, close enough for Tommy to drop everything the moment Chim calls to steal a helicopter. Chim also undoubtebly knows about Tommy’s sexuality.

This means that Chim is witness to Tommy’s pathetic pining. This also means that Chim is there to catch Tommy spending far too much time looking longingly at Buck’s various assets.

“Buck’s going to remain straight no matter how long you stare at his ass,” Chim reminds Tommy. This is not the first time Chim has had to remind Tommy of this.

Tommy sighs despondently, “I know. Doesn’t mean I can’t admire the view.”

“This wouldn’t be nearly as difficult if Evan didn’t have both gorgeous looks and gorgeous personality,” Tommy says one night at a bar. Being a good friend, Chim has started taking Tommy out whenever Buck’s straightness becomes too much for Tommy to bear.

“He’s just so adorable,” Tommy continues.

“I know, buddy,” Chim says, patting Tommy on the back (Chim has also had to pat Tommy on the back a lot as of late).

“Are we sure Evan’s straight?” Tommy asks after the first beer.

Chim, with absolute certainty, says “Yes, now get over yourself, you sad, sad man.” And then Chim buys Tommy another beer because he’s a good friend.

And because Chim is such an amazing friend, Chim can’t help but pay attention whenever Buck and Tommy interact, mostly to make sure Tommy doesn’t make too much of a fool of himself.

Which means he’s also watching Buck, and he’s watching Buck watch Tommy.

And that’s when the doubt creeps in.

Chim’s known Buck for a few years now, has seen what Buck is like around women he’s attracted to, knows what Buck’s pining face looks like.

And he’s seeing that face now whenever Buck looks over at Tommy.

At first Chim doesn’t believe his eyes, figuring that listening to Tommy compliment every single aspect of Buck from his eyelashes to his laugh has corrupted Chim’s brain, making Chim see things that aren’t there.

Because Buck’s straight.

Right?

The more Chim watches, the less he’s sure. Because there’s Buck being somehow both endearingly awkward and seamlessly smooth around Tommy. There’s Buck spending way to long gazing into Tommy’s eyes, and staring at Tommy whenever Tommy’s not looking. There’s Buck zeroing in on Tommy every time Tommy enters the room; There’s Buck holding onto every word coming out Tommy’s mouth. There’s Buck laughing at every one of Tommy’s jokes (and, sure, Tommy’s a funny guy with a real dry sense of humour, but he’s not that funny).

If Chimney didn’t know any better, he would say that Tommy’s not the only one who’s got a crush.

All signs are pointing to Buck wanting to hold Tommy’s hand, go on romantic walks along the beach with Tommy, as well as do more than PG13 things to Tommy.

Does Tommy actually stand a chance?

Chim doesn’t want to get Tommy’s hopes up straight away. He needs to make sure that his hunch is correct. He needs to gather more data.

So Chim starts inviting Buck and Tommy everywhere he can think of, and then pretends to take a really long time in the bathroom so that Buck and Tommy can have some alone time while Chim is hiding behind a bush or a potted plant depending on the location, spying on them.

Tommy, because he’s a very observant person, notices Chim in the bush with binoculars pointed at where Tommy and Buck are seated, and confronts Chimney after Buck has gone home.

And Chim can’t keep a secret for shit, so of course he tells Tommy about his doubtS even though he really doesn't want to disappoint Tommy if it turns out that his hunch is wrong.

“I’ll keep investigating,” Chimney says, once again patting Tommy on the back, watching hope bloom on Tommy’s face.

Chim continues inviting Tommy and Buck to hang out, sometimes inviting others as well to avoid suspicion (Buck isn’t suspicious at all, but Hen has start narrowing her eyes at Chimney).

Tommy calls it torture, Chim call it science. Oblivious Buck is just concerned about the amount of time Chim spends in the bathroom. He asks Chimney if Chim’s having any any bowel problems. Chimney insists he doesn’t, but Buck figures Chim’s either putting on a brave face or is too embarrassed. Buck doesn’t bring it up again, but he does leaves some pamplets regarding bowel problems and their causes in Chim’s locker as well as sends Chim links to various medical websites.

Chim is mortified. Tommy finds it hilarious. Chim decides to attempt a different approach.

To try and throw Hen off the sent and to further advance his research, he gets Karen to drag them all to a gay bar to see how Buck reacts around other queer men (Karen is very amiable once Chim tells her of his suspicions; she always enjoys gossip).

Chim and Karen sit opposite Tommy and Buck, the better to observe them. Eddie, poor confused Eddie had to be discretely elbowed aside when he tried to sit next to Buck, and has been dragged next to Karen, supposedly so that Karen can arrange a play-date between Christoper, Denny and Mara. Though Karen is paying much more attention to Buck’s every micro-expressions than any word coming out of Eddie’s mouth.

Unfortunately, the gay club is a bust because Buck’s too busy learning about monster trucks from Tommy to pay attention to any other attractive man at in the bar. It’s hard to tell if Buck’s attention is due to an attraction to Tommy or if he’s just really interested in soaking up new information in that spongy brain of his.

Chim starts leaving queer memoirs scattered around the fire station (Karen gives excellent book recommendations).

Chim starts commenting on attractive men they see on the tele when it’s a particularly slow day at the station. He does this to such an extent that some of the members of B shift are wondering if Chim’s the one with a case of latent bisexuality. That thought is strengthened in their minds when Chimney starts bringing some those magazines with the romance quizzes in them: ‘Best guy for you’; ‘Your ideal guy’; ‘What your celebrity crushes say about your love life’; ‘Take this quiz to reveal your partner’s star sign’; etc.

Then Chim very loudly goes on about how gay and single Tommy is whenever Buck is in earshot (and now some of B shift think Chim’s planning on leaving Maddie for Tommy).

The first time Chim brings up how gay and single Tommy is, Tommy takes him aside to ask him what the hell that was about.

Chim says in response, “Listen, if Buck isn’t 100% straight, he needs to be aware that you’re on the market so that he doesn’t go check out all the other male fish in the sea.”

Buck doesn’t make a big deal out of Tommy being gay, acts his usual self. Though he does manage to slip into conversation that he’s an ally. And when Buck does that, Tommy feel his hope to one day hold Buck’s hand during a romantic sunset walk along the beach shrivels up a little inside him. Chim gives Tommy yet another commiserating pat on the back, and takes Tommy to a bar later that night so that Tommy can drink his problems away.

Meanwhile, Buck knows that Tommy being gay isn’t a big deal, but for some reason Buck can’t stop thinking about it.

It’s not like he’s ever had a problem with anyone’s sexuality before, so what is it about Tommy?

And representation really does matter. Here Buck is, being confronted with a Man, a big, muscular man like himself, who enjoys going to the gym like himself, who’s in a similar profession to him. And this man is gay.

And that’s going to cause something in his mind to shift. Maybe he doesn’t notice that shift at first, maybe it’s only subconsciously.

Maybe he’s going to start picking up a few of those memoirs that Chim’s been leaving around; Buck’s always been fond of non-fiction after all.

Maybe he’s going to ask Hen and Karen about their experiences figuring out their sexuality, their coming out stories (during this conversation, Karen will be staring intently at Buck, looking for any signs of the queer thoughts Buck may or may not be having).

(Chim is very happy with this because pointedly asking Hen and Karen about their queer experience was next on his game plan.)

Buck doesn’t ask Tommy about his sexuality though, not yet at least. Buck can’t seem to bring himself to ask Tommy. Though he doesn’t know why.

Then Buck does as Buck does best and goes on a research binge about all the different sexualities, but more specifically bisexuality (I imagine there is at least one sexuality quiz during that research binge).

And, at the end of that research binge, the results are conclusive. Buck is bisexual. Maybe he says that out loud in his empty apartment “I am bisexual” and it feels right and it feels so very exciting.

Once he realises that he’s bisexual, a lot of things start making sense. Including Tommy’s ass. Tommy’s very fine ass that Buck can’t help but stare at. And Tommy’s eyes. And Tommy’s hands as well. And Tommy’s laugh; And definitely Tommy’s smile. Basically all of Tommy.

Buck keeps his newly discovered sexuality to himself for a bit, wanting some time to himself to live in this new reality of his, basking in this new part of himself.

Also so that he can spend a few days staring at attractive guys without any knowing looks from his loved ones.

Turns out he spends most of those few days staring at Tommy which, again, makes sense.

Because he is such an open book, it doesn’t take Buck long to come out.

He decides to tell everyone at the next get-together. They’re all outside, having another barbecue at Bobby’s and Athena’s. Tommy is also present for this.

Everyone is of course supportive and happy for Buck. Chim is forcing himself to stay still, even though he really wants to jump up and down, high-five Karen, high-five Tommy, and then shove Tommy in Buck’s lap.

Meanwhile, Tommy is in his chair, having a deer-in-the headlights moment, staring up at Buck, wide-eyed, slightly pale, a forkful of potato salad halfway to his mouth. Tommy is so frozen that Chim has to nudge him so that his fork continues its journey to his mouth.

Tommy chews on the potatoes mechanically, no longer paying attention to the delicious taste that he’d been previously enjoying, too busy trying to act normal and trying to rein in his growing hope. By Chim’s side-eyes, Tommy isn’t doing a great job.

As the night goes on, Tommy forces himself to not approach Buck no matter how much he wants to, mostly because has forgotten how to act like a normal human being.

But then Buck is right there, in front of him.

“Hey,” Buck says.

“Hi,” Tommy replies. So far so good.

Buck is looking at him, and Tommy is trying to remember what he’s meant to do with his hands.

“Congratulations,” Tommy forces out because congratulations are definitely in order, “How are you feeling?” He asks, genuinely curious.

“Good,” Buck says in that sincere way that comes so naturally to him.

“Yeah?

“Yeah, great. I feel, I don’t know, lighter I guess. I mean, I’m still me, but now I know why I spend so much time staring at men’s asses.”

Tommy snorts, “Yeah, I know the feeling.”

There’s a pause. Buck’s staring at Tommy, and Tommy’s staring at Buck, and neither want to look away.

“Hey,” Buck finally says, “tell me if I’m completely off base, but there’s this little Italian restaurant I’ve been meaning to try, and I was wondering if you’d want to come with me.” Buck stops, swallows. Tommy watches his adam’s apple move. Buck continues “Like, as a date.”

Tommy forces his eyes back up away from Buck’s neck.

“A date?” Tommy repeats, the hope inside him soaring.

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” Tommy says, smiling, not sure if he can believe what he’s hearing.

“Okay,” Buck says, smiling back. It’s a smile so soft that Tommy wants to trace it with his fingers, but they’re definitely not there yet and Tommy’s trying to act normal.

“Okay,” Buck repeats a little breathlessly, that soft smile still in place.

(During this whole interaction, Chimney is hiding in a bush, binoculars in hand. Karen is at his side, asking him what they’re saying.

“I can’t read lips!” Chim says, though he tries anyway with mixed results.

But then, Hen comes along and puts a stop to it, dragging Chim and Karen out of the bush and confiscating Chim’s binoculars.)

[azaharinflames]

Sorry I need to rant for a tiny, little bit, because...

You know what I find particularly funny?

Their version of Buddie simply does not exist.

And I am not talking about how it is not canon, that is a given. But their version of it. The things they've claimed they do, or feel about each other, or think of each other.

(Disclaimer: I have my own opinion of their friendship and I do believe there are way better friendships within the show, including for Buck. But I do acknowledge they do love each other as friends and deeply care about one another. And that Chris is important for Buck. That is not up to discussion here. Okay, we can go on)

They have this whole "Buckley-Diaz is a family" that consists of Buck spending 99% of his free time at the Diaz house, of them having weekly movie nights, and of Buck taking Chris to school almost as much as Eddie does. And this is simply not true.

We do see Buck spending time at the Diaz house, of course. When he's hanging out with the Diazes (something that, might I point out, has not really happened since Season 4, as the few scenes we got of them hanging out since have been at Buck's loft - correct me if I'm wrong), helping Eddie out, in a group setting, and hiding from his sister and her helicopter babysitting. Movie nights- when is it even mentioned this is something they do weekly? Not once. And please correct me if I am wrong. Buck does not take Chris to school almost daily, not because he did after Eddie's breakdown does it mean this is a normal and usual occurrence. It doesn't mean it isn't, to be fair, but nothing in canon tells us otherwise. I will give them the zoo, however, because in canon we do have Eddie saying Buck takes Chris there all of the time.

What we got, however, was scenes showing how Buck has his own independent life. He has lots of scenes in his loft, as much as Buddies hate it, as we have never gotten an off-handed comment on how little he's spending there because he's at the Diazes all the time. We've gotten scenes of Buck reaching out to people who are not Eddie for help. And oh, of course - we have gotten scenes of his family (whether you like the Buckleys or not) having a family dinner. And guess who was not invited? Oh, right.

(We have, also, gotten enough scenes with Tommy that we know post-going official, they spend most of their free time with each other. Thank you to Bobby for also confirming this. We love you, king)

With the Diazes, we got scenes that showed how Eddie and Chris exist on their own, without needing Buck there to complete their family. We got a whole ep where Eddie was dealing with Chris's new crush, and instead of making that be a Buckley-Diaz 'family' storyline, Carla was the one accompanying Eddie and being the other adult in the situation. We can say whatever we want about the dating debacle at the end of Season 6 (I also think it was a mess, but for the way they rushed it), but Eddie did not say: oh, Chris and I are fine, we have Buck. And he did not say it because it simply would not have made sense.

And oh, I could go on and on on how the Eddie they have in Fanon is also not the one we have, but this is way too long already. Do let me know if anyone wants to hear it though. Although I will probably write it down whenever I am bored enough.

Short story very long: Buck and Eddie are good friends. They respect each other and clearly enjoy each other's company. And the show has definitely played with the concept of family for them (looking directly at the elf from season 2 here), but never too serious. Never in canon. Outside of the 118 being a family (which I am not denying), at least for me, it has always been obvious how Eddie and Chris were very valued by Buck, but his close-knit family (nuclear family, if you will) is and has always been Maddie (now extended to Jee-Yun and Chim as well), and Bobby (something he's admitted in canon, before someone comes at me for this).

Now, thankfully, we have Tommy to join in in there as well ☺️

[fromxxthexxashes]

One thing I learned in my screenwriting class is that things and details put into film/TV are intentional. Leave aside misplaced coffee cups, boom mics, and sneakers, everything that ends up in the final cut is important. As we learned with 7x06, time is an incredibly limited commodity, and sometimes things get cut. That means that whatever shots/scenes/moments end up being in the final edit are there for a reason. With that being said, I think it’s incredibly interesting that Eddie is being included - narratively, blocking, and camera framing-wise - in Buck’s journey with discovering his sexuality and his relationship with Tommy.

For one, why choose Eddie to befriend Tommy? They could have easily had Chimney hang out with Tommy, seeing as they already knew each other. But they choose Eddie, and they choose to have Buck spend the entire episode talking about Eddie. Why include confusion regarding whose attention Buck was really trying to get? Why show Buck coming to this conclusion that he was trying to get Tommy’s attention, but also show Buck talking about Eddie and peacocking in front of Eddie so consistently in 7x04? Why choose Eddie to be the one to interrupt the BuckTommy date? Why have Buck spend all of 7x05 more worried about lying to Eddie than about his failed date with Tommy? Why put so much time and emphasis on Buck’s coming out to Eddie? Why insert Eddie so obviously into Buck’s sexuality storyline, when they could be giving that precious screen time to Tommy?

In 7x06, Eddie comes in, proudly dressed up in the matching costume he suggested he and Buck wear. Right after Eddie comes in, Tommy enters wearing the most boring clothes anyone can wear to a party. Not only that, but Buck told him that there was an 80s theme, and he put in no effort to adhere to said theme. He was even dismissive about it, and Buck was clearly a little disappointed about it.

For one, why have Eddie show up first? They could have given that time to Tommy to enter first and develop that relationship if they really wanted the audience to root for them. Instead, they highlighted, once again this season, the relationship and effortless dynamic between Buck and Eddie. For another, why make such a big deal of Tommy being the odd one out, while vocally addressing the fact that Buck and Eddie are literally wearing matching costumes? They didn’t have to be matching, they could have worn any 80s costume. But they choose to dress these two in the attire of two characters in a TV show who are queer-coded partners and best friends.

Why show Eddie being arguably petty and jealous, with Tommy in that scene? Why frame him in the middle of them, why focus on Eddie’s reactions to Buck and Tommy? They could have focused and Buck and Tommy together and individually, but they chose to show Eddie right there in the middle and in the background.

And after Tommy leaves, do you know who stays? Do you know who is the only one that stays? Oh, yeah, it’s Eddie. It’s Eddie who easily goes along with Buck’s shenanigans. It’s Eddie that Buck clings to all night at the bachelor party. It’s Eddie that Buck shares most of his screen time with. They had to cut out 30 minutes of content for 7x06, yet they purposely included Eddie’s reaction to Buck coming out, when we already had his reaction. They could have included any number of people who we hadn’t seen react, but they chose to pan from Buck to Eddie.

They could give screen time to both Buck and Eddie’s current respective romantic partners, but they chose to give screen time to Buck and Eddie, consistently. Why keep making these choices to include Eddie in this storyline, and give precious screen time to that inclusion, if there is no intention to take it somewhere?

It’s all intentional, how they’re including Eddie. It’s all intentional how they keep showing us the relationship between Buck and Eddie. They’re subtly weaving in these moments, shots, comments, and scenes with Eddie and with Buck with the purpose of leading somewhere with Buddie as something more. It’s the same thing they did with Buck’s bisexuality. Now we look back at all the subtext and the little nods, and think “We were right” or “Oh, that makes sense”. They’re doing it with Buddie, too, and I think they have been for a while. They’re doing it so they can introduce this long-term friendship-to-romance arc in a way that is well-built and developed. They’re doing it so we could look back, and think “Oh, yeah, this has been developing this whole time”. They’re doing it so casual fans can be gradually warmed up and conditioned for Buddie, and for the more dedicated fans to notice, pick apart, and cling to. If they didn’t want us to root for Buck and Eddie they wouldn’t keep intentionally choosing to frame them as two people with an incredibly close bond that continuously overshadows their respective relationships. They’re writing and filming in this way so they can have these little, and sometimes not so little, moments to build on when they finally go somewhere romantic with Buck and Eddie.

[apartmentsmoke]

A Breakdown of BuckTommy's Storyline Going Into Season 8 - Part II (Their Relationship)

Part I here.

With part II, I want to dive into what we know about their relationship going into Season 8, how their relationship is going, and how it might affect the other characters in the show.

The first explicit mention of Buck and Tommy's relationship's was in TVLine's preview. Tim Minear mentioned that Buck and Tommy are "still getting to know each other a little better" and the article mentions they are "going strong." Their relationship is mentioned positively in contrast to Buck's relationship with Gerrard, which is a negative relationship for him.

The TVLine article also mentions that Buck will have someone to complain to. We've already seen that Buck feels comfortable with opening up to Tommy about his emotions (the coffee date in 7.05 and dinner scene in 7.10), and that Tommy knows Buck enough to tell when he is uncomfortable and might want to talk about something. While they are still learning about each other, they've both demonstrated that they're treating their relationship seriously, and, going into Season 8, they are "a couple."

Tim Minear also mentioned that they are comfortable with each other, which builds from a Season 7 interview where he stated that Buck "feels safe" with Tommy. While they have some minor troubles, the foundation of their relationship is strong going into Season 8.

In the EW article, Tim Minear mentions that they also feel comfortable hanging out with Eddie. Eddie is Buck's best friend and Tommy's friend. I suspect this means that we will see at least one scene, and possibly more, with all three of them. We haven't seen the three of them interacting without other people there before, so I look forward to what that dynamic will be like. I think the three of them will have an easy dynamic, since the emotions from 7.04 have been worked out - Buck realized the source of his jealousy, he and Tommy are now dating, and Eddie has no issue with his friends' sexualities. If there is any tension, I think it will be because Eddie is third wheeling on a new couple who are still learning about each other and there is an inherent awkwardness in that, especially when it's two of your friends and you're trying to figure out that new dynamic.

The next thing Tim Minear mentioned was that "when you couple up with somebody, it takes up some of your time...Buck doesn't have as much free time as he did before." The way I interpret this to mean is that Buck will be spending quite a bit of time with Tommy. We knew he already was - Bobby clocks that he's going to spend the night with him, and Buck goes home to have dinner with Tommy - but it's further confirmation that we will be getting more scenes of them as a couple in Season 8.

The part I elided said that Eddie will be "a little bit out in the cold," which I interpret to mean that we may see fewer Buck and Eddie scenes in Season 8. The two are best friends, so I am positive they will have some scenes together, but Eddie will have to find someone else for support. He usually leans heavily on Buck - something that Ryan Guzman has said is a pattern for Eddie that "doesn't offer maturity" and that Eddie should be "self-reflective" and realize that he has to deal with difficult conversations alone. Tim Minear also mentions that "everything was stripped away from Eddie" and it's "time for him to figure out who the hell he is."

A pre-occupied Buck also offers Eddie chances to interact more with other characters. Ryan Guzman has said that Eddie "might be seeking out Cap in a way that he never has before." He has also stated he wants scenes with Maddie, Karen, and Athena. Not being as tied to Buck allows Eddie a chance to grow as a character and develop new relationships.

I expect to see Buck and Tommy's relationship growing - and the audience seeing that through their scenes together. It also provides opportunities for the writers to explore new dynamics for other characters who often spend time with Buck. We saw in the deleted scene that Hen and Karen were curious about their relationship, and Hen comments on them when they walk into the hospital room together.

In short, their relationship adds new dimensions to the show. Buck enters a relationship with a man and navigates the 118's past. Tommy is recontextualized, and provides a support for Buck while also having his past with the 118 explored. Even though the season is just beginning, their relationship is already woven into the show, and isn't shoved off into its own space. It's ripe for exploration, and I am excited for what comes next for them.

[emilybahu]

Ok, seriously…

Buck looks so dejected!

Like I know his feelings aren’t going to be completely rational, because obviously just because Eddie makes a new friend doesn’t mean he’s leaving Buck behind.

But in this picture he looks so sad and betrayed, like someone who was left out of a hang out with their friends then sees everyone having fun without them.

I think I see why the episode is called “Buck, Bothered and Bewildered” now.

He’s bothered that Eddie is finding a new friend in Tommy. Buck’s also bothered by the fact that it’s possibly happening quickly as it did with he and Eddie, because he believes perhaps this is a special part of their friendship. He doesn’t like feeling abandoned (obviously no one does, but we all know Buck has abandonment issues), and it’s bothering him, perhaps because he feels like he’ll sound ridiculous if he shares this with Eddie.

He’s bewildered by his feelings through this, and he’s maybe confused by why his feelings about Eddie and Tommy becoming friends are so intense. Like Buck probably rationally knows that Eddie is allowed to have friends outside him and the 118. However, its hard sometimes to control how you feel. And it seems that Buck is feeling extremely jealous of Tommy and insecure because he feels as if no one really wants him around and that they’ll all eventually leave him (a very unfortunate part of his childhood trauma). In reality though the 118 and Eddie especially will likely never leave him!

Then there’s these pictures…

Clearly Buck has been isolating himself from Eddie because something happens between them and Buck feels like he’s put a rift between them. They’re usually very open with each other, so when Buck is bottling up his feelings, rather than talking with Eddie about it he starts pushing away.

Nonetheless, Eddie comes to the loft, probably because he could tell that Buck’s been feeling off. He knocks some sense into that hard head of Buck’s, and lets him know that no one could take Buck’s place in his life. They have a really deep and honest conversation about how important they are to one another and how much they value each other’s friendship.

Maybe they even share a beautiful, grounding hug and maybe the end of this conversation we’ll get the “I love you to the core” line that we all desperately want to hear Eddie say to Buck.

Whether or not there’s a realization of romantic feelings we know that this scene likely solidifies how deeply Buck and Eddie care about each other, and how much they love each other (platonically or otherwise).

Sorry this is so long, my brain finally came up with the words I was looking for to describe what I think about what may happen next week!

Thanks for reading this through if you got to the end! 😁🩷

[tevanbuckley]

Sorry this is out of nowhere I have no one to talk to about 911 and I think I'm going insane. Some of the takes that Tommy is boring, or uninteresting, and nobody likes him are honestly so funny bc literally the characters do not agree at all

Buck thinks Tommy is confident and cool. He was driving himself crazy for days trying to find roundabout ways to spent time with him he liked him so much. He kind of can't stop thinking about him.

Eddie loves hanging out with Tommy, they're going to see fights and fixing cars and sparring together. He's inviting him round to his house and to pick up basketball. They're bros! How can they think Tommy is boring when he and Eddie have the same interests lol.

Bobby saw Tommys development back when he was with the 118 and tells Buck unprompted that Tommy's a good person. He's good for Buck.

Chimney trusts Tommy enough to call him for help multiple times. He trusts him! He thinks he's canonically 'so cool!'

Maddie was so excited to hear her brother gush about the hot pilot! She wanted to meet him! It's implied she told Buck she was cool if he invited him to her wedding!

Way back in the begins episodes Hen liked Tommy enough to invite him out for drinks and was comfortable enough to shove his face in a cake. They're friends! They're teasing!

Everyone likes Tommy and people insisting they don't has honestly gone full circle and is now just funny

Like everything else these weirdos have come up with it's just insane levels of cope, like there is really nothing else to it.

If I had one big criticism of fandom as a concept it'd be that it can make it very difficult for people to just stop watching when they don't like the direction a show/piece of media is going. And on a certain level I get it, if a big chunk of your social group is wrapped up in this tv show you watch together, walking away from it also means (on some level) walking away from the community you've built around it.

So instead of just going, "damn, this sucks, guess I'll watch something else," they come up with weird border line conspiracy theories as to why actually, the show is going in exactly the direction they want and everyone else is stupid and wrong and media illiterate.

[peppermintquartz]

Some headcanons:

Buck hates Tommy's habit of leaving his mugs around the apartment/house. He's found mugs in the bedroom, the living room, the garage, next to the sofa, on top of the washing machine... This bad habit leads to their first fight, where Buck says something pretty cutting about Tommy not giving a shit about how he leaves messes for others to deal with

In the end Tommy has one single large mug with his name on it that he drinks out of at Buck's place, and he has to circulate the house before he sleeps to put away his mugs if Buck's staying over at his place

Tommy hates when Buck puts down one of Tommy's hobbies, even if Buck doesn't mean it at all. It feels patronizing when Buck's all "I think there are better ways to spend a weekend than see a bunch of sweaty guys in spandex pretend to fight" when Tommy asks if Buck wants to watch WrestleMania with him

Tommy ends up watching it with Eddie and happens to mention this when Eddie asks why Buck isn't there, and Eddie picks up on the underlying upset. He tells Buck that sometimes, what seems stupid to him is just Tommy's way of asking to spend time vegging out together, and that Buck should have at least given it a shot before shooting down the suggestion

They each get annoyed by the way they fold the laundry. Tommy does it army style, Buck does it Marie Kondo style, and to keep the peace they sort out the clothes into respective piles before folding them

Channel surfing. Tommy knows what he enjoys so he has just those few shows that he watches at specific times, and if there are MMA fights or NBA matches he wants to watch, he marks them out on his schedule. Buck's interested in lots of stuff and just surfs through all the channels until something catches his eye. Usually it doesn't bother Tommy much but this one occasion, Tommy's like "can't you pick something and stick with it?" And it's the critical tone that ticks Buck off, and that leads to their second fight, where Tommy snaps that Buck never seems to know what he wants

Maddie gets the brunt of Buck's rants (over the phone or in person), Eddie a close second, while Tommy works it out of his system by pummeling a heavy bag and then he calls Chimney (and later Bobby) to ask how to explain himself in a way that Buck would understand

They know exactly how they can hurt each other because they've learned a lot about each other. And they both give each other the cold shoulder after their arguments but they also can't bear not seeing each other on their days off

The good thing is, they're both mature enough and know the danger of their jobs enough not to hang on to their resentment for too long. Usually, they apologize a maximum of two shifts later

Makeup sex is fun, but they both agree that's only in small doses. Regular happy sex is better

[ganseybois]

tommy (at this point already casually dating buck) hanging out with eddie and calling him out on his feelings

alternatively eddie last minute helping maddie before the wedding and maddie calling him out on his feelings

or both

both? both. both is good :D i hope you enjoy it, it got a little long haha! if you want to send me a buddie prompt, click here!

Tommy is the first one to bring it up.

They're finishing up on the basketball court, and everyone has filed out by this point, leaving the two of them alone. Tommy is driving Eddie back anyhow, and today was an intense game, so they're taking their time.

Why Tommy chooses to bring it up before the car ride, Eddie doesn't know. But what a way to make it awkward.

"Hey, man I need to tell you something," he says as they return to the car. "So you're not blindsighted when it happens."

"Everything okay?" Eddie asks, clearly concerned.

"Well, not really." he lets out a tired laugh. "Uh...I'm going to be breaking up with Evan. I wanted to tell you so that, you know, you could do what you do and be there for him."

Shocked, Eddie steps in front of Tommy, "Wait, what? I thought things were going great with the two of you." he feels his gut twist uncomfortably - the last thing Eddie wants in the whole world is to see Buck hurt again. "Tommy, come on, Buck is great. He's amazing. There's not a thing about him to not like."

Tommy scoffs, "Believe me, Eddie, I know that."

"So then what's wrong?"

"Eddie, seriously?" Tommy rolls his eyes. "I can't keep dating him and ignore...whatever it is you two have going on. I like Buck, a lot, I do but, there is clearly something between the two of you."

Eddie lets out a small laugh of disbelief. "Tommy," he says, grinning, trying to find his footing in this conversation. The rug has been swept out from under him. Him? And Buck? No way. "He's my best friend. That's all."

"You know Eddie," Tommy rolls his eyes, walking past him now. "I know everyone is a bit of an idiot with love, but you're acting obtuse purposely."

Eddie turns around and follows, "Hey," he snaps. "I'm sorry if we're too close for you to handle, but I'm not going to apologize for being his best friend."

"I don't want you to Eddie, really, I don't. But you should both take your head out of your asses so that you can stop hurting other people." 

That stops Eddie from making a retort. 

Tommy picks up his pace as he walks over to unlock his door, as though he can escape Eddie and erase the fact that he is also driving Eddie home. That they are going to have to share a space for twenty minutes before Eddie can leave and be alone, and send Tommy on his way to break his best friend’s heart. 

Does Eddie love Buck? 

Of course. 

Buck is his best friend. Why wouldn’t he love him? How could he not? Buck is beautiful, and kind, takes care of his son, and has been there for Eddie since the day that they met. Buck is honest and hopeful, Buck is tender and funny, he is knowledgeable and earnest. He’s the best friend anyone could ever ask for. Eddie knows all this, and of course he loves him for it. 

But that doesn’t mean he’s in love with him…does it?

***

“Thank you so much for helping me Eddie,” Maddie sighs as they walk into her house, Eddie with boxes stacked in his arms. He doesn’t even know what’s inside them - Maddie needed help, so he agreed. 

“Sure thing,” he kicks the door shut and follows her to the kitchen, gently laying the boxes on the table. “Here’s okay?”

“Perfect,” she rubs his back. “Want some coffee? You’re welcome to stay for a while.”

“Coffee sounds great, thanks,” Eddie nods, watching her move around her kitchen. He feels a little awkward–he likes Maddie just fine, but really, he hasn’t spent too much time with her, so he isn’t sure where to strike conversation. They already spent an hour talking about kids in his truck, he feels like he’s used Christopher enough. 

“So,” she says, tone careful and light, prepping mugs. “Did Buck tell you about Tommy?” 

“Yeah, he did.” Eddie murmurs, Tommy and Buck broke up three days ago. Eddie listened to Buck tell the story, and hugged him tight. He gave him beer, ordered him food, and let Buck stay over for the night so he wouldn’t have to be alone. 

At least you’re always going to be here, Eddie, right?

Nowhere else I’d rather be, Buck. 

Eddie broke up with Marisol a day later. He has tried not to think too hard about why that is but…he has spent the last three days thinking about what Tommy has said. 

Eddie clears his throat. “It sucks, I thought this would work out for Buck for sure.”

Maddie sighs sadly, starting to prepare the coffee for them, before she turns around and gazes at him fondly. “I already knew it wouldn’t.” When Eddie just continues to look at her, she rolls her eyes and smiles. “Eddie, come on.”

“What?” he asks. 

“Seriously? You’re going to make me spell it out for you?”

He feels his heart skip a beat, understanding dawning on him. “Maddie,” he shakes his head with a small laugh, although what he wants is to run in the other fucking direction. “Listen-”

“All I do is listen, Eddie. I listen to my brother talk about you like you hung the sun in the sky. I listen to him complain when he can’t see you and Chris. I listen to him talk about everything you do for him, everything you say to him.”

“He’s my best friend,” Eddie says, feeling cornered. 

“I know that I really do. And maybe I’m wrong, maybe I don’t know you as well as I think I do but…I know my brother. It could have never worked with Tommy, because he was too busy being in love with you.”

“Maddie-”

“Hey, maybe I’m wrong,” she says, pouring their coffee. Why do these things never happen when he’s about to leave? “But look into his eyes Eddie, and you’ll see it. Promise me.”

Eddie doesn’t know what to do. 

A little part of him admits that he’s afraid to look. Afraid of what he’ll find. 

“Maddie,” he says softly. “He’s my best friend.”

“Eddie.” she sighs. “You look at Buck the way I look at Chimney. The way Karen looks at Hen. The way Bobby looks at Athena. This is so far beyond what you think it is. Promise me you’ll think about it.”

“I promise.”

***

Eddie thinks about it all the way to Buck’s house. 

He thinks about his life, about what makes sense, about his son, and what makes sense in his son’s life. He thinks about the obvious - is he happier when Buck is around? Yes. Did he like Marisol? Not really. Was that because of Buck? He doesn’t know. 

Does he miss Buck when he’s not there? Yes. 

Does he think Buck makes him a better person? Yes. 

Does he love Buck? Yes. 

Yes. 

Yes. 

He makes it to Buck’s apartment and knocks on the door. It opens a moment later. 

Look into his eyes, Eddie. 

Eddie looks. 

Buck smiles, bright as a thousand suns. Just because Eddie thought to come over, to just spend time with him. 

Buck’s eyes sparkle – there is love there, warmth, undying devotion.  

Eddie, finally, can see.  

“Can I come in?” Eddie asks. 

Buck steps aside, and Eddie takes the first step into the rest of his life.

[ethaniscool69]

I think that the fact that Buck and Eddie's ship name is Buddie is fucking hilarious.

I mean, on the one hand, we have this macho manly guy who sleeps with a different woman every second and the first ever time he sees Eddie, he's the only person that has to turn around to see him and as soon as he does, he sees a shirtless Eddie as the song "whatta man" starts playing.

Even Oliver Stark (the actor who plays Buck) commented on this and said that Buck was feeling something other than jealousy but decided to mask that feeling with jealousy.

Then we have this single father with a BUNCH of problems and so much guilt. Who tries everything to be a good father after (in his eyes) failing his kid, but also has a stressful job that keeps him away from his child most of the time.

Who comes in with help? Buck. Who does Eddie call when he has a problem? Buck. Who does Christopher, Eddie's child call when his father is in distress? Buck. And who shows us every. single. time? Buck.

Bonus: Who does the show choose to focus on when eddie got shot? BUCK.

There's also Christopher. They both care so much for that kid. For Eddie, I get it. It would be weird if he didn't care since it his child. But Buck cares so much. And we see that very clearly in the flood episodes. The way Buck frantically searched every nook and cranny for Christopher, ignoring his own injuries. Then it came time to break the news to Eddie that Chris had potentially died and that Buck (in his eyes) failed them both. The look in his eyes was heartbreaking. The amount of emotions in them are too much to count. And Eddie forgives him. In fact, he was never mad at him. Just grateful that Buck had tried his best to save and find his son.

There's also the one scene where a lady thought that Chris was Buck and Eddie's child and said: "You two have an adorable son."

And Buck, instead of going: "Oh... oh no, hahaha, he's not.. we're not." He just smiled, understanding the situation, finding it a little funny, and said: "Thank you." I love that scene sm but that is a discussion for another day.

There's also one of the latest episodes, where Buck seems to be jealous of Eddie and Tommy's friendship.

Before I start talking about this, I want to say that I'm not trying to undermine Buck and Tommy's relationship. A win is a win.

We all know how buck was in that episode. Always trying to hang out with them. People around him (mostly maddie) noticing his jealousy and pointing out how he's feeling hurt that Eddie isn't hanging out with him rather than Tommy, and he doesn't correct them.

He's also worried that Christopher likes Tommy more than him.

During the actual literal confession (?) scene, when Buck says that it had been difficult to get Tommy's attention, Tommy literally says: "My attention?" thinking it was Eddie's attention Buck was seeking.

So, the fact that Buck and Eddie's ship name is "Buddie" is fucking hilarious to me.

[songbvrd]

ok but i've been thinking more about eddie cheating arc and it actually makes so much sense (aside from just being fucking hilarious that he's cheating on his ex-nun gf he already avoids for two men with the doppelganger of his dead wife)

but here's the thing. eddie has objectively dated women who he has no reason not to like. they're women who are objectively good for him and for his son. ana was a teacher, who christopher loved, who genuinely seemed good with him, and yet, at the prospect of it becoming too real, he abandoned ship (there's other stuff with her, but the show didn't acknowledge that from eddie's perspective, so i'm not referring to it either). with marisol, despite the actress being just objectively bad, there's no reason for him not to want to be with her. she has been cool w his hot and cold behaviour, she's clearly good with chris, and she clearly likes him. and yet, eddie clearly doesn't want to be with her (as evidenced by him constantly asking her to babysit so he can hang out with tommy or buck or kim lmao, literally anyone else).

like, in universe, these are two women who are beautiful, patient and care about his child.

and yet, eddie can't let go of shannon. because eddie doesn't feel the way he's supposed to feel about these women and there's an easy excuse to explain it. he never got over his son's mother. the problem, of course, being that he wasn't actually happy with her either. they were just kids themselves when shannon got pregnant, and for the majority of their relationship, they were avoiding each other. they were constantly fighting/disagreeing and their last encounter before her death was literally her leaving him again (not shannon bashing, i like her, but it's hard to deny that they were dysfunctional as hell, and not actually happy together, despite the fact that they did actually seem to love each other).

but for eddie, if you're trying to avoid reality, what better way to do it than to hide behind 'the one who got away'. a woman who can never prove his hypothesis wrong because she's gone. whilstever he can explain it away as 'it's because of shannon', he never has to confront the possibility that there's another reason why he doesn't feel what he thinks he should feel for these women.

so then he sees shannon (kim). and shannon is his scapegoat. shannon is the reason he can't make it work. so in theory, seeing her again, in his mind, it should "fix" him, right? except, it can't. because he was never actually happy with shannon, and regardless, this isn't shannon. he says he wants to nest, and i do believe that's true, but he also can't go through with something he doesn't really feel, clearly, so he sabotages it. so he's going to throw himself into it, sabotaging his relationship with marisol at the same time.

and when he tries again with kim, and it still isn't working, eddie's going to break down, because there's another reality he has to address. shannon isn't the reason it isn't working. it was an easy excuse to hide behind, but it isn't about her. eddie breaks down, pushes everyone away, struggles to deal with what tthat means for him.

but the truth is, it isn't working because it isn't what he wants. it's what he THINKS he should want. now, obviously, buddie is what i'm getting at here, but this conversation isn't even necessarily about buck. it's about eddie as a whole, and what he's hiding from.

wham bam, thank you ma'am, gay eddie realisation arc season 8.

[chaoticpositvty]

I'm sure this has all been discussed but I needed to type it out myself.

So Buck asked for a tour because he saw how much of a badass Tommy was, in his own words, he wanted to get to know him. As he gets the tour of Harbor he hangs on every word Tommy says. I mean, there's also the fact he was smiling like a fool. Tommy offers to give him flying lessons and Buck looks giddy. He was so brave to ask Tommy to get a beer but the look of absolute disappointment when Tommy turned down the invite was devastating (yeah, I'm being dramatic) If you pay attention you'll realize this episode was NEVER Buck being jealous of a Eddie in a romantic way but in the way that he was getting all of Tommy's attention and Buck wasn't. I mean, we obviously come full circle by the end of the episode and see Buck's realization but watching the journey is quite beautiful.

[notafragilething]

Late Night Buck & Tommy Rambles: Surprise, Bitches. I'm Back!

It has been a very long, chaotic summer but I'm back. Now that we've gotten more than some CGI bees and mustache jokes I'm emerging from hiatus and ready for season eight of 911 to consume far to much of my time.

We have several new quotes from Tim, some stills from the season premiere and my predictions for this season. This is going to be a long one but I hope you'll read and comment. I've missed y'all and need to ramble because I have thoughts!

So let's start with the interviews. There are two that dropped that have caught my attention because they confirm that Tommy will be back and that Buck & Tommy are still together.

So What's New? These Articles! (They include stills from the episode as well)

There is the TVLine interview here from the 9th that gave us the following quote: "On the bright side, Buck’s relationship with Tommy is going strong (“They’re still getting to know each other a little better”), so at least he’ll have someone to complain to after a long day of putting up with his racist, sexist, homophobic boss."

Second, today we got an EW interview here by Patrick Gomez. I bring up the interviewer because you might recognize him as the same one who did an article on the Tommy deleted scene over the summer (which I swear, PR or marketing had to be involved with).

The important Buck & Tommy bit from the EW interview: Minear says not much time has passed between the events of the season 7 finale and the season 8 premiere, so there haven't been many developments in Buck and Tommy's relationship. "But we see that they're more comfortable together," he explains. "We'd definitely call them a couple. Obviously they're comfortable hanging out with Eddie, but when you couple with somebody, it takes up some of your time, so that also leaves Eddie a little bit out in the cold. Well, not out in the cold, but Buck doesn't have as much free time as he did before, let's put it that way."

So what do I think this means? Let's get into my predictions!

I'm going to start out by saying this is 100% speculation. I may be right, I might be wrong. I don't have some secret inside source that is sneaking me information. I'm just going off what we've gotten so far and vibes.

But...I've had the feeling for a while now that the show was going to commit to Buck and Tommy going into season eight. This started with the joint interview, the release of the deleted scene and the following articles about it (which did seem to possibly be influenced by PR/Marketing) and the lack of Buddie we've been getting so far in bts stuff.

Now, I know some buddie shippers have taken the Eddie mention in that EW quote as proof it's happening but truthfully? That seems like a very, very bad sign for them. To me, this seemed like a gentle way of preparing the fanbase that Buck and Eddie weren't going to be spending as much time together in season eight as in the past.

This lines up with what we saw at the end of season eight with Eddie really depending far to much on Buck to handle his issues (something Ryan himself commented on). We saw that didn't work out in the finale when Buck couldn't and wouldn't attempt to make Christopher stay for Eddie. I think this season is going to make Eddie face and handle his own issues without Buck. I predict they'll still be friends but I wouldn't be shocked if the "family" dynamic started to fade away.

The fact that they're also saying Buck and Tommy are comfortable and getting to know each other makes me think that they want to show us their relationship building and getting serious. Which would make narrative sense if you were planning this relationship to be long term.

I'm intrigued to see if this pattern continues with future interviews and promotions that will be dropping over the next two weeks.

I do have a theory of what might play out in the first three episodes but that includes some spoilers (and I like to keep these mostly spoiler-free outside of what is in articles and official promo) so I'll be posting that in a little bit as a separate post.

With all that said. I'm pretty excited for this season and Buck's storyline. How are you all feeling? You getting the same vibes as me?

[lover-of-mine]

lets call it like it is the only reason people wanna wait till 9 for buddie is because they want to be able to have a full season exploring buck and tommy before they break up which who the hell cares. it's thier fault for being invested in a clear plot device and they're like lets dive more into tommy before we get to buddie. yeah no how about not he's boring as shit and the actor cannot act to save his life when it comes to emotional scenes of any kind. i'm with you buddie in s8 please.

No, here's the thing, no matter how long they spend developing Buck and Tommy, let's face it, it's a dead end relationship, so why are we developing it, exactly? The thing that Tommy is supposed to teach Buck, he already did. He gave Buck the bisexuality piece and that's great. But we sat through Shannon and Ali and Ana and Taylor and Natalia and Marisol and Kim and now they want me to sit through a whole season of Tommy when we all know it's gonna end and for what? Abby taught Buck monogamy, Ali taught him he needs someone who accepts who he is, Taylor taught him how to work through things and when to let go, Natalia taught him he can change his mind and leave when the relationship doesn't serve him anymore. The missing piece was knowing that he was attracted to men. What would a long term relationship with Tommy teach Buck, exactly? Because the rest he's already working through with Eddie. A relationship can continue to develop once they get together. No one expects Buck and Eddie to be perfect and healed and no longer messes once they figure out they're in love with each other. We just want to see them walk through life together because they already do for all intents and purposes and dragging out the actual getting together doesn't mean they're suddenly gonna be better together than if they figure out how to be a couple together. If Tommy had given Buck anything after they used him to make Buck come out to everyone, I would sit my ass down and see if they want to use Tommy for something else. But the dude has like 2 and half minutes of screentime that was about how bad Gerrard is. What is he bringing to the table that would warrant us being trapped watching Buck in another doomed relationship for another season? Not hanging on for the sake of hanging on is a lesson Buck allegedly learned from Taylor and he did let go of Natalia so he did learn. So why is he supposed to hang on to this guy just because he's a guy? For heaven's sake EDDIE IS ALSO A MAN. If that's the bar, Eddie is also there and it's a much more compelling relationship. Like, please. Be fucking for real. I can't keep watching Buck and Eddie in relationships that are going to go nowhere just because some of y'all think it's gonna be rushed if it takes them SEVEN FUCKING SEASONS TO GET TOGETHER. IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS. WHY DO YOU WANT TO WAIT TEN????????????

[diazsdimples]

I read a lot of fic in the fandom but I'm a longfic reader and my friend that I've just convinced to watch the show is very much not - do you have good oneshot/ <5k recs I can share with her? (all ships welcome)

Hi! I'm also a longfic reader but here's a collection of shorter fics that I love to death!

Pancakes, kisses, and a little bit of TLC - @theotherbuckley (Bucktommy, Teen, 4.5k)

"Buck wakes up with a chronic pain flare-up the morning after, and Tommy takes care of him" Extremely cute and fluffy and full of adorable Bucktommy feels. Purple writes chronic pain!Buck so well and Tommy is amazingly sweet and tender in this. Couldn't recommend more.

all in the Jee-tails - @hippolotamus (Buddie, Teen, 4.5k)

"There is a Princess, Knight, Dragon, Wizard and Damsel in Distress and there is nothing Uncle Buck won't do for his niece." UNCLE BUCK UNCLE BUCK UNCLE BUCK!!!! Just the cutest little fic of Buck, Eddie and Chris hanging out with Jee and playing make believe and it gives me ALL the dad!buck feels. So fucking cute. Do not skip.

And When You Speak, Angels Sing From Above - @neverevan (Buddie, General, 2.8k)

"Buck pops the question but before saying yes, Eddie needs to ask someone else first." I'm not exaggerating when I said this one made me cry a little bit. And by a little, I mean a lot. The perfect fic to introduce your friend to the beauty that is Eddie and Shannon's relationship and how important she is Eddie and Chris' lives. It's a masterpiece. Bring tissues.

turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you - @daffi-990 (Buddie, Unrated but I'm gonna say General/Teen, 3,8k)

"To protect his heart, Eddie pulls away from Buck when he starts dating Natalia. When he decides to move to B-shift, Buck finally confronts him and certain feelings finally come to light." So turns out the most devastating fics in this fandom involve graveyards (thank you s6) and Daffi knows how to drive a knife into your heart with feelings realisations. This is also a tissues one but I'd also suggest something to bite into cause fuuuuck

Drunk on Love - @jesuisici33 (Bucktommy, Explicit, 1.3k)

"“That reminds me…do you remember calling me during the bachelor party?” Buck’s fingers pause. “Uh…I called you?” Buck barely remembers texting Tommy a few times. Seeing the unintelligible texts he sent his boyfriend when Tommy texted him in the hospital filled him with mild embarrassment he quickly forgot about as he kissed him in front of everyone in the waiting room. Tommy nods in delight. “Oh yeah. I couldn’t answer so you left me a bunch of voicemails. You want to hear?”" The thought of Buck and Tommy listening to Buck's drunk voice messages makes me giggle every time, and then it's also just really hot? Highly recommend.

Sweet child of mine - @diazsdimples (Bucktommy, General, 3.4k)

"Buck and Tommy bring their daughter home from the hospital and enjoy their first few hours alone with a newborn baby." Shameless self-promo here. As some of my mutuals will know, Dad!Buck is my favourite thing in the world and this fic was just delightful to write cause BIG BOYS TINY BABY!!!!

There's about a million more but these are the ones that immediately come to mind. If any mutuals have any recs of their own please share with the class!! Hope this helps and happy reading!