#also can you tell that I really like Tommy and buck together and want them to be endgame?

[lover-of-mine]

I agree that they would never do permanent unrequited Buddie (basically Buck realizes he has feelings for Eddie and Eddie doesn't return them). Now I have seen a lot of people speculate that they would do a temporarily unrequited Buddie. Like, Buck thinks Eddie wouldn't return his feelings so he doesn't confess. Or, Buck confesses but Eddie is still in denial/confused about his sexuality, rejects him gently, and then struggles with it and realizes later that he does love him.

Out of the two scenarios, I would really hate the second one if it stretches more than one episode. Literally one is all I could handle 😂 Can you imagine how toxic and demoralizing it would be in fandom?? Think about how people misinterpret the very obvious queer-coded 'I'm straight' line in 8x06. I also think the GA would get whiplash if Eddie is like, 'Sorry, I'm straight!' then a few episodes later is like, 'Wait...' I just think it would be tricky to tell that kind of a storyline, and I'm not sure the show can do it well enough. I ordinarily would have more faith, but I think there are a lot of factors that could make it risky.

What are your thoughts? Would you accept a temporary situation where Buck realizes first and then either decides to keep it himself or tell him and potentially face short-lived rejection?

Imma be honest with you, either of those 2 possibilities would piss me the fuck OFF. None of the main pairings of the show were put as unrequited for any amount of time, honestly, there isn't a pairing that was put as unrequited, just as not suited for the long run, the closest you can get to "unrequited" is Buck looking upset when Taylor called him a friend, even Tommy dumping Buck the first time was resolved within the same episode. The idea that they would torture Buck like that is drama for the sake of drama. Buddie has consistently been written as fully in sync and to place them in a space where they seem impossible, temporarily or not, is stupid. "Oh bUt i wAnT PiNiNg" bestie, we can still get pining if Buck figures it out after Eddie comes out. We can still get pining if they figure it out in parallel. I'm not saying make them figure it out and immediately confess, I'm just saying the audience needs to at least be aware that Eddie is queer before Buck figures it out, or else it's just cruel. Painting them as impossible for the audience is cruel. It's why I keep saying give me a parallel thing, because you can have the characters thinking is unrequited, having the audience think that too would suck.

Also, Eddie's arc is about finding joy, I don't know where the fuck the idea that Eddie is drowning in internalized homophobia and would reject Buck comes from, but it doesn't come from canon. Also, buddie needs to be different from every other relationship Buck had before, if Eddie chases him away and then they eventually get together, you have Buck ending up with someone who rejected him once again, hello hamster wheel. I understand the apprehension about Eddie queer arc, but they got Buck out in one episode, they can build up to Eddie figuring it out. Will it be a 160k word fanfic arc? No, but they can just talk about how he didn't realize it. Eddie doesn't know he's queer and he's gonna be put in a position to figure that out and then we can go from there.

[spidermans-l-o-v-e-r]

P.S I Love You, 2007

Pairing: Eddie Diaz x Reader

Word count: 4.3k

Notes: Haha surprise I wrote two, ngl this one is a LIL phoned in… anyway in other news my guy THIS MOVE MADE ME CRY SO HARD I was also on my period BUT I SOBBED

You can feel the blush blooming across your cheeks when his smooth voice comes from the phone. You jump a little, not really expecting him to answer which is stupid considering he answers all your calls

“Hey Y/N”

It’s literally so innocent like he’s just saying hello, but his voice drops an octave and you can just hear the smirk that asshole has.

“Hi Eddie, is Buck around?”

“Hmm lemme check” You can hear his feet shuffle as he does a little spin to look around…he’s not really trying and you know it’s because he’s lazy but you’re also like slightly delulu and what if he just wants to keep you to himself on the phone? What if like he wants to keep talking to you?

“No he’s not up here. Did you try calling him?”

No.

“Yeah! But he didn’t pick up… so you know, I called you”

“Mhm. He seems to not be answering a lot lately”

Whoops

“Maybe it’s the signal in the firehouse?” You try “or like maybe it’s just a his phone thing you know? Maybe he has it on silent”

“His phone is never on silent. As badly as we all would like it to be, he literally has that thing up full blast”

“God I know, and it’s just to mess with everyone else!”

“How he ended up with a sister as sweet as you I’ll never know”

Your heart completely just exits your chest, there’s no other way to explain the way it slams right out of you.

“Or as pretty”

You stare at the cookie dough in front of you, blinking slowly and trying your hardest not to flail and scream and melt and like probably throw this scooper right out the window. You continue to short circuit, hand frozen in the air and he chuckles

“You good over there Baby girl? Did you need help with something?”

“Huh” you sound dumb and you know you do and that makes him laugh again and suddenly the phone seems closer to him and his voice is smooth and just downright sexy

“I said, do you need help with something? Why did you call?”

“Cookies”

“Mhm… what about them? Use your words, Princess”

Window meet scooper. Jesus he’s laying it on thick. You fan yourself a little and adjust the phone in your hand

“I- Jesus I’m making cookies, I just- I wanted to know if everyone came in so I’d know how many to make you know?” You finally get out and take a deep breath. Seriously is it hot in here??

“Yeah everyone came in, why are you bringing cookies in?”

“It’s Valentine’s Day! I just thought it would be nice since you guys are all working”

“Huh, it is, isn’t it? I’d completely forgotten about it. Which you know… explains all the hearts and shit Buck has put up around the station”

“And the little bags of candy he made me help him set up last night? Did he pass those out?”

“He did, he did”

You roll your eyes at the phone and set it on the counter, putting it on speaker.

“You’re teasing me, you know exactly what day it is!”

“Just a bit” He laughs and you squeeze your thighs together dramatically “What about you huh? You got somethin’ set up for Valentine’s Day?”

You sigh and let the scooper drop into the bowl, you pull the parchment paper from the cabinet and pull off a piece

“No, I’m probably just gonna go to dinner with Buck or something, I think that’s what he wanted to do, Tommy told him he was busy”

“Oh” You hear Eddie suck in a breath through his teeth

“What??”

“He’s not busy, he’s gonna surprise him. We set the whole thing up”

“Oh! That’s really cute! That’s- that’s nice for them. He’s gonna love it, you’ll have to tell me about it”

The sentence is like okay a little rushed and you’re fighting to hide the disappointment in your voice because….there goes those plans but you know it’s still slightly there.

“You know…. I don’t have anything planned”

You perk up embarrassingly fast and clear your throat awkwardly

“Oh?” You say nonchalantly while you smooth down the parchment paper

“Mhmmm…”

He lets it trail off and you’re glued to your phone immediately. You put the phone back to your ear, while you watch your heart flop around on the floor.

“Okay,” you say awkwardly and he snorts

“You sound closer. You pick your phone back up?”

You roll your eyes and look up at the ceiling

“You know I’m just able to do that now, it had nothing to do with you”

“Yeah okay. It’s fine, I like it when you’re close anyway”

You get the scooper ready to launch into your second window when he clears his throat

“So if you’re not busy, and I’m not busy… maybe we can be not busy together? I figure everything is probably like booked so why don’t we get some takeout and you can home with me when you bring the cookies in?”

“Eddie are you-“

“Asking you to be my Valentine? I sure am Sugar”

You melt into a little puddle on the floor, like in cartoons and nod into the phone

“Okay, sure I’ll be your Valentine… what about Buck?”

“What about him? I’m just helping him out by taking care of his sister, he’d be so worried about you being alone. You know I expect a cute little card too right?”

You giggle and shake your head “You want me to make you a Valentine?”

“Oh a hundred percent, if we’re gonna do this we’re gonna do it right. I’ll make you one too”

“So…. Valentine’s Day with your best friend’s sister and staying in huh? Sounds pretty boring to me” You tease, and he huffs

“Sounds like a damn good time to me, wear somethin’ cute for me okay?”

You nod fast, unable to say anything even though he can’t see you, and you can hear the smile in his voice because he knows what you’re doing

“Good girl. I’ll see you later, gorgeous”

Eddie had been sweating that entire phone call.

It was so much easier to make you blush when you couldn’t see him flailing around and cringing at every single sentence that came out of his mouth

“Wear something cute for me?”

Hen looks at Eddie and he crumples onto the couch, slapping his hands over his face

“Shut up. God, please shut up”

“You did great! I told you she’d be your Valentine”

“Buck is going to kill me”

“I’m pretty sure he’s going to be way too occupied with Tommy to even think about what you two are busy doing”

“What if I fuck this entire thing up? Like what if she thinks I’m weird or something?”

“I highly doubt she’s gonna think that, she was eating up every word Eddie, it’s gonna be okay! Just remember what we practiced”

Eddie didn’t normally have anxiety, he doesn’t freak out. He’s always calm and level and thinks things through.

Except when it came to you. Because other freaking parts of his body wanted a say in things when it came to you and not just his heart, which he also frequently ignored.

He spends the next part of the afternoon lying on the couch with his head in Hen’s lap, where she pats his head and tries to reassure him and when it’s her turn to fill up the truck, Chimney replaces her and tells him about all the smooth ways he got Maddie’s attention. He also helps him make his Valentine for you, it's two poorly drawn stick figures with hearts around them in puffy paint. He wasn’t even aware they had those in the cabinets.

Is it… embarrassing when he knows the minute you’ve arrived at the station? He knows the sound of your shoes, his favorite shoes, it’s not weird, it’s not. Because Technically everyone around here has the same shoes so you know, someone with a different pair totally would make a different noise… especially if they were those shiny pink platform heels with the big pink bows on the ankle

He didn’t expect you to dress up when coming to the station and he’s not sure why, but now that he’s coming down the stairs to all the buzzing he can just see the top of your head and the cute new pink beret he’d gotten you for Christmas and his knees feel weak.

He sticks his hands in his pocket and walks over slowly. Remember, calm, cool and controlled, just like he’d practiced with Hen.

Buck finally lets you go and Eddie has to stop in his tracks to keep from freaking jumping you.

“What’s got you all dressed up?” Buck pinches the cropped pink cardigan you’re wearing while Bobby takes the tray of cookies from your hands and you glare up at Buck

“It’s Valentine’s Day! I just… I wanted to dress up, you know? Look cute…” Your eyes wander to Eddie when you say that and he bites his lip, looking away from you.

“You don’t think the mini skirt is overboard? Or this??” He tugs at the straps of your satin cami and you blush darker, pushing at his chest

“I’m a grown woman Buck. I can look cute okay? Especially for today”

“Okay but this- this is overly cute. I’m your older brother! Your flesh and blood! It’s my job to protect you”

“I’m adopted”

“I’m your older brother! It’s my job to protect you! Eddie go get my coat”

Eddie, who’s been staring at the way your thick curves fill out that tiny skirt and the way those little bows on your tights all face perfectly straight, you’d paid attention to every last detail and he wonders just how mad you’d be if he ripped them apart…

“Hello?? Earth to Eddie?? I need my backup here” Buck literally has his arms around you now, squishing you to his chest so no one can see you

“Buck!!” You squeak trying to push him away and Eddie rolls his eyes

“One coat, coming up”

He goes over to the racks, stopping in front of Buck’s before his eyes wander over to his own…

“Fresh from the cleaners” He tosses the coat at Buck, forces your arms into it and squeezes it closed over your chest and you groan loudly.

“Buck this is stupid!”

“No it isn’t! Eddie tell her it isn’t!!”

“It’s not stupid” He agrees, and your mouth drops open, “I think you look good in my coat”

You stop fighting Buck, who’s adjusting it on you to keep your bare skin covered and stare at Eddie. His tongue comes out to wet his lips and you hide your face in Buck’s shoulder

“See! There we go all nice and cov-“

Buck is interrupted by a call from Tommy, and Eddie comes over, taking your hand and tugging you away from him

“You want me to come outside?? Awwww can’t spend the day without seeing me huh?” It really doesn’t take much to distract Buck and he’s heading out of the station to go find his surprise, forgetting about you and your virtue.

“You know, I don’t normally agree with his fashion choices… but this?” Eddie’s hands snake around your waist, squeezing lightly and pulling you closer to him

“I think I like you in my jacket”

“I think I like being in it” You respond quietly and he grins and gives you a little kiss on the nose

“My shift is over in 10 minutes if you wanna go upstairs and wait for me”

You nod and he watches you walk off, his coat hangs from your shoulders and he can feel his pants tightening with every step you take.

Tonight was going to be interesting.

To say you look good in Eddie’s front seat is probably the biggest understatement of the century. After talking things over with Buck who literally shoved you into Eddie’s arms and hastily whispered for a rain check on Valentine’s Day and begged Eddie to hang out with you, you both eagerly sent him on his way.

He gave you the biggest hug and dramatically kissed Eddie’s cheek before running off to whatever his boyfriend had planned for them.

“So I ordered ahead, so it would just be a quick pick up” His throat feels dry when he speaks, and he clears it before reaching over and taking your hand in his, you gladly latch onto it and put your head on his shoulder

“Okay yeah, that sounds fine… oh! Wait!” You let go long enough to search through your bag and pull out a small card, there’s a glittery heart in the center that says his name in the middle and his heart slams into his chest

“You made that for me Sugar?” His voice is so sweet and you bite your lip, looking at it in your hands

“You told me to make you one so I did”

“You listen so well” He cups your chin and you melt into his hand, leaning into it he strokes your cheek with his thumb before pulling away

“Did you make me one?” Your eyes don’t meet his and he grins at your shyness, squeezing your hand

“Mhm, I did… I hope you like it”

He nods to the glovebox and you open it, giggling when you pull the card out

“Oh my god, I love it!!” You squeal and hold it to your chest “Eddie! This is cute!”

“You really think so?” He can’t keep the nervous edge from his voice and you turn to him and nod happily excited to reassure him

“It’s perfect Eddie! I love it” You look at the card in your hands and absolutely melt all over it again and he blushes even deeper

“I’m glad you like it, even if it’s a little silly I wanted to do it for you” He pulls into the Chinese restaurant and parks, he doesn’t get out yet, just watches you enjoying yourself and it makes his heart race

“Do you wanna come in with me?”

“Okay!” He helps you out of the truck and takes your hand again as you walk in together. The place is understandably busy and Eddie pulls you over to a little corner to wait, a girl comes up and asks for his name for the order and leaves again to go grab it.

“So how was your day?”

He pulls you into his chest and wraps his arms around you, you put your chin on his chest and he runs his hand over your hair

“It was good, I really enjoyed the cookie part” You giggle and Eddie nods along, listening to you talk about how you had to go to three stores for the specific new pan you needed, and that you almost ate it in the parking lot

He snickers and you whack his chest and roll your eyes

“Any freaking way… what about you?”

You settle into his arms and he just wants to throw you on the seat next to you and spread your legs. He wonders what you taste like… what kinds of sounds you’d make...

“Eddie?”

“Hm?” He mumbles and you stand on your toes and give him a chaste kiss on the cheek

“I said, how was your day?”

“Uh-it- it was”

Thank god the girl from earlier keeps him from sounding like a complete idiot. She hands him the bag and wishes them a happy Valentine’s Day

“Your girlfriend looks so cute I added in the chocolate fortune cookies!” she says with a wave and your cheeks light on fire

“Oh! I’m-“

“She does look pretty cute, doesn’t she?? Makes me want to get home even faster. Have a good night!”

He pulls you out with him and you hide your face in your hands and jog all the way to the car. Eddie laughs and follows after you

“Baby I don’t think that’s exactly safe”

“No. No, you let the car hit me! You take me out with it right now!”

His head falls back with a sharp laugh and he gets to the truck and opens your door for you

“You’re literally so dramatic”

“Your mom is so dramatic” You stick your tongue out and he steps into the truck and grabs your chin, pressing his lips to yours. You short-circuit and he pulls away with a smirk, letting his hand fall around your neck.

“Anything else?”

You shake your head and he kisses your forehead

“Good girl”

If you told Eddie that his day would end in having you on top of him on his couch and making out like a couple of teenagers he’d probably laugh in your face.

But here he is, running his hands over your sides and pulling you against him while you’re whimpering above him and slowly grinding your hips into his.

After dinner, he’d turned the lights down low for the movie, made sure you were nice and pressed against his side.

And then he put on a horror movie.

He saw how uneasy you were when he started flipping through the horror section and he knew he was on the right track

“You ever seen Friday the 13th?” He looks down at you and your slightly paled expression

“Uhhh no? No I haven’t…”

He can hear the nervousness in your voice and he grins wickedly before hitting play

“Oh cool, you’re gonna love it”

You most certainly do not love it. You’re about 45 minutes in and you haven’t come out of your hiding place in Eddie’s arms once. You can hear the gore on the screen and you jump every time it splatters

“Are you okay?” Eddie chuckles and you finally look up at him. His heart immediately tanks and he almost feels guilty when he sees your panic-stricken face

“Oh me? Oh, I’m good! Don’t worry!!”

God, you sound cute when you’re scared.

“You sure honey? You look a little…freaked out” He runs a finger over your cheek and you lean into it

“I’m fine!! Really! W-we can keep watching”

“If you’re sure…”

He pulls away again and turns on the movie and he knows you try so hard to be brave but the second Jason comes back on screen you shriek and hide right back in his shoulder. He laughs and pauses the movie again, feeling your body trembling against him

“Awwww Y/N” He turns to you and pulls away a little and you stay in your ball “Come on baby look at me”

You look up at him with little tears in his eyes and he can’t help but coo over you, he laughs a little and cups your face, kissing your eyelids

“You could have asked me to turn it off,” He tells you, running his thumbs over your cheeks and wiping away your tears

“No, no it’s okay I-“

You can’t even finish the sentence and he grins before kissing your forehead and nuzzling his nose against yours

“We can shut it off if you want to baby, if it’s too much for you” His hands slide from your face to your waist and he manages to pull you into his lap.

“I’m not a baby” You roll your eyes and he leans back against the armrest, appreciating the way you look on top of him

“I know you’re not”

“Okay so! I can… finish the movie”

He reaches forward and you lay on his chest, snuggling into him and he hits play again. His fingers trail down your spine and he’s actually a little worried you might make it to the end of the movie…

Until he looks down at you and your eyes are shut tight. He chuckles and pauses the movie again

“Hey…look at me Sugar”

You look into his eyes and he smirks, settling his hand on your lower back. He rubs your back soothingly, and you seem to relax against him

“You know… we seriously don’t have to watch this movie anymore. I can think of other things that could entertain us”

“Other things huh?” You say quietly and he cups your cheek

“Mhmmm…” he drags his thumb over your bottom lip and you blush

“Interesting proposal…” He feels your thighs spread as you settle on top of him and he bites back a groan

“I just really want to get your mind off of things… since you’re so scared”

“How noble”

He holds your hips and pushes you up a little higher so you’re fully face-to-face. You lean down and brush your nose against his and he growls and nips at your ear. You giggle and pull away again before leaning back down and kissing his nose

“It doesn’t have to be all the way… I’m not that promiscuous… but you know-“ He rubs your back again and you nod along with him

“Maybe we just make out?” You offer and he smiles oh so innocently, like this was all entirely your idea

“If you’d like…” He shrugs and you shake your head

“I would like, very much so”

And that was what brought him to now, completely spaced out in a world of your bliss and thoroughly enjoying the seductive way you tangled your tongue with his. How you dragged your tongue along his teeth, exploring every inch of his mouth while he eagerly did the same.

He keeps his hands splayed across your lower back, urging you to keep grinding on him. He nearly had a heart attack when you let him pull your skirt up around your hips so he could feel your tiny panties grinding against the front of his jeans. He moans quietly and that seems to spur you on, you reach between the two of you and shyly start to unbuckle his pants

“Whatcha doin’ there cutie?” He presses hot kisses down your throat and you shiver

“Just kinda wanna feel a little more of you I guess” You moan his name breathily and he reaches down with you, helping you get him out of his jeans. He unzips the side of your skirt and you let him push it down over your hips. He snickers and you blush, looking down.

“What??”

“These are cute as hell” he snaps the band on your g-string with the open heart on the front and pointedly ignores the fact that you’d apparently taken great care with your Valentine’s preparations.

“Is that all that’s cute?” You sit up, change the angle of your hips and let out a shuddering breath. He shoves his boxers down his hips and fists his cock, pulling it out of his pants and stroking it slowly. Your eyes nearly pop out of your head and he grins, rubbing his thumb over the tip and smearing his pre-cum over it.

“You looked so pretty today, coming into the station… you wore that just for me? Those fucking heels were just for me?” He’s panting as you both get off together, you grinding on his thigh and him jerking off to your bouncing tits

“It was all for you,” You say breathlessly and start to inch your way up his body. You place your palm on his chest and pull your panties to the side and he watches with eager curiosity.

It’s embarrassing the way he literally almost bursts right there, while you drag your clit over his tip and between your folds, and he can tell from the high-pitched gasp that you feel exactly the same way.

Your head falls forward and you moan in unison. He grabs your hips and helps you move on his cock, both of you panting and gasping, his cock catches on your hole with each thrust and you squeeze your thighs together and try not to let him sink deep inside you.

You scratch at his chest and he yanks you down against him, holding you to his chest. You squeak and let him crush you to his chest with each thrust of his hips, you cry into his shoulder and bite down and he growls into your ear

“I’m so close, fuck Eddie I’m so close” You cry for him and he plants his feet on the couch and pistons his hips against yours, you can feel his tip poking in and out of you each time and if you went any longer you’d lose your damn mind and put it inside you

Your orgasm hits you like a wave, crashing over you and sending you spiraling backward. You moan his name loudly and he’s got you locked into his chest as he growls out your name and finishes between the two of you. Your hips slip and stutter against his as he just keeps coming and coming and you’re left a soaked mess.

You blink back the stars in your eyes as you come down slowly. He rubs your back again, more so patting it as he floats back down to earth with you.

“Holy shit” You pant into his neck and he nods with you

“You can say that again…” He smacks his hands on your ass and you yelp “fuck could you say that again” He grinds your hips into his and you whimper, your thighs shaking.

“Holy shit” You whisper in his ear and he smirks, suddenly getting up and you squeak and scramble to hold onto him. He pulls away just enough for you to see the fire in his eyes, that dark cloudy stare that lets you know this was only the beginning.

“How does round two in my bedroom sound?”

[nephilimeq]

Nobody Knows Me Like You

Prompt: Valentine's Day

@bucktommyfluffebruary

A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62721625/chapters/161567005

“Okay, this is getting ridiculous,” Howie muttered as Tommy swept past him to put his phone in front of Maddie, showing her the blender he’d found, saying, “So this is what I was thinking about, but I’m still not sure if Evan will like it,” feeling a flicker of apprehension as he tried to figure out what to buy for his boyfriend for Valentine’s Day.

Oddly enough, it was their first one. They had been together for six months and then had broken up for a few months—during which had been over Christmas and Valentine’s—which meant that they were celebrating together for the first time, and he had never been more nervous in his life. He had to find Evan something perfect. It needed to say that he knew him, loved him, and wanted to show him that he was planning on keeping him in his life for as long as he could…

…but without buying him a ring.

At least, not yet.

“It’s…nice,” Maddie said, sipping at her tea, and Tommy groaned and dropped his head to the counter with his arms out in front of him, holding onto his phone rather pathetically.

“Ugh, I’m gonna end up not getting anything for him at this rate,” he muttered. “Valentine’s day is in four days, and I still don’t have anything for him! Flowers and chocolate are too cliche. Jewelry is too much, a stuffed animal is too childish,” he began to list. “Clothes are too impersonal, a mixed tape or cd is too juvenile, fixing his car is something I would do anyway, and something handmade from me is like a 911 call just waiting to happen.”

At that, Howie laughed and interjected, “God, you’re pathetic! Look, you wanna know what to get him? I’ll tell you, but you’ll owe me…”

Tommy looked at his friend and simply let out a long sigh.

“You know what, I don’t care what I have to owe you, just help me…please.”

He knew he looked and sounded pathetic, but the airman no longer cared about saving face—all he cared about was getting Evan something that would make him happy. And if that meant owing one of his best friends an unknown favor, then so be it.

Howie then gave him an unnerving grin and said, “You’re gonna love this…”

--

Buck was scrambling. It was only three days before his first time celebrating Valentine’s Day with his boyfriend and he was terrified he was about to fuck it all up.

“I’m telling you, Eddie, I don’t know what to do!” he whined, and his friend rolled his eyes and said, “It’s just Valentine’s, man! It’s a commercialized holiday! I mean, sure, I’m a romantic at heart, but I’m also a pragmatist, and so is Tommy. He won’t take it personally if you don’t get him the ‘perfect’ gift, you know.”

He stared at his friend, trying to figure out why Eddie was being so blasé about the entire thing.

Buck was at his wit’s end trying to figure out what to get Tommy.

Helping Eddie with the hose, he explained, “Look, you need to understand that the two of us are celebrating our first Valentine’s Day together, despite us already living together, so it feels really different, you know? Instead of the low stakes of a first Valentine’s like most couples get to have, it’s more than that because we’ve been through so much already and we’re living together!” He tugged the last bit of the hose with a bit more force than necessary to emphasize his point. “Do you get that?”

“Okay, yeah, I kinda see your side of this,” his friend conceded…but then he added, “But at the same time, is there even a real reason to worry all that much? I mean, because you’ve been through so much together, you know you love each other, and so anything you can think of will surely be enough…”

Ugh. He hated it when Eddie made a good point.

He rolled his eyes and followed him into the rig, the warehouse fire put out behind them—and then had to deal with Chim and Hen attempting to give him advice on the way back, and he regretted ever opening his mouth.

“If you wanna get him something special, you could always go for some new cleaning supplies for his car,” Hen suggested, and Buck glared at her and replied, “It’s Valentine’s Day, not a random Saturday afternoon, Hen. That’s really the best you can come up with?”, which earned him a hard glare and Chimney suggesting, “What about a gift certificate to one of his favorite restaurants?”, which wasn’t a bad idea, per se, but it also felt a bit cheap considering he could probably cook him a better meal at home.

Deciding to incur the ire of another friend, however, he said, “Eh, maybe,” and decided to drop it.

--

Tommy stared at the wall of chocolate in front of him, wondering what Evan would like the most, feeling a rush of insecurity as he tried to decide between four different types of dark chocolate, feeling like a cheapskate because he genuinely couldn’t think of anything else.

Howie had told him what to get Evan—and he’d bought it—but it still didn’t feel like enough.

Actually, he wondered if his friend was pulling his leg because what he’d bought him had been far too simple and easy (though not something he would have thought of on his own), and so there the airman stood in the middle of the aisle of some fancy chocolatier shop in downtown L.A. that he had heard about through Sal’s wife, Maria. He had complained enough to Sal, that he had apparently complained to his wife, and she had called him earlier that day while on shift and told him about the place.

He stared down at the 72% dark chocolate bars, the aisle split up by percentages, and debated which flavor Evan would like the best.

The ones with chile and lime definitely seemed like something he would like…but then there was the blood orange, the blackberry medley, and the chicory, too…

…and Tommy finally snapped and got one of each, wincing as he thought of how much it was going to cost him. Four chocolate bars from this place was the equivalent of almost three quarters of a tank of gas and seemed wasteful—but he knew that Evan would at least appreciate the gesture, if nothing else.

“This better be worth it,” he muttered under his breath as he made his way to the register.

A minute later he was done, and he let out a sigh of relief as he got back into his truck and then headed back home. It was odd to go out and do things without his boyfriend now that they lived together, and he felt a faint tugging in his chest at the thought that he now had someone to come home to—though not at the moment, as Evan was still on shift and wouldn’t be home for a couple of hours, which gave him just enough time to wrap the chocolate bars and hide them away.

The second he walked through the front door, however, his phone rang.

“Hello?” he said, tucking the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he locked the door behind him, and a voice said, “Hey, Tommy. Have you already bought Buck his Valentine’s Day present?”

Eddie.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he answered, “Yes, I have. Now, why are you really calling me?” as he shuffled the items around in his hands so he could talk to him without dropping anything, already moving towards the closet where he kept the gift wrapping, and his friend replied, “Your boyfriend is panicking. Doesn’t know what to get you, so he’s been asking all of us for ideas, and I think he’s still sorta…you know…freaking out in the way that only Buck can freak out…”

Of course, he was, he thought to himself, feeling a flicker of concern over his boyfriend’s state of mind, wishing he wouldn’t worry so much. Tommy honestly didn’t want anything, he just wanted to spend the day with Evan and enjoy the fact that they had each other.

“Of course, he is. What else would he be doing?” he said, putting a pink and red bag onto the counter and pulling out a random pile of white tissue paper, automatically wrapping as he continued to talk on the phone.

Eddie chuckled.

“Yeah, you know Buck—but at the same time, it’s kinda cute seeing him all worked up about what to get you. So, I’m biting the bullet and asking: what do you want?” he pressed, and Tommy could hear in his tone that he was being serious and was trying to do his friend a solid…and he felt rather useless as he admitted, “I just want to spend the day with him. Wrap him up in my arms and forget the world for a while, you know?”

There was a long pause, and he was suddenly afraid he had said too much.

…but then Eddie said, “Yeah, I get that, but still: what do you want?”

--

“Okay, you’re sure this is the right thing to get him?” Buck asked, shooting a glance at Eddie over his shoulder as they stood in front of the array of flowers in the flower shop, and his friend let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his head on his shoulders.

“For the hundredth time, yes! Now, will you just pick one so we can go? Also, why am I here for this?” he said as he reached out and looked closely at one of the tags on a bundle of roses, shaking his head.

Buck gave his friend a look.

“You’re here for this because you said you’d help me with Tommy’s gift. Now—roses or carnations?”

Eddie shook his head and said, “Neither. Both are overrated and Tommy would want something…different,” and Buck felt his irritation rise even further than before, the urge to turn around and punch him rising with every passing moment. “I mean, think about his favorite color—he goes for blue a lot, you know? So maybe something like…these,” he said, reaching for some blue flowers that shimmered enticingly, and Buck read the label, which said delphinium elatum.

“Blue? Really? But…it’s Valentine’s Day. I kinda feel like I should go for something pink or red, or even white, you know?” he hedged, still glancing over at the roses—and then was taken off guard when his friend suddenly bit out, “God, why are you so dense? He likes blue flowers because they remind him of your eyes! Fuck!”

Wait…what?

He felt an odd sensation on the back of his neck as he put things together, and he said, “Hold on, have you…Eddie, have you been talking with Tommy?” and his friend nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, I have, and can I just say that he has the patience of a saint putting up with you? I mean, my god! You have two days before Valentine’s Day and you’re freaking out over-over-over flowers, Buck!” he exclaimed, spreading his arms wide and causing a scene in the middle of the flower shop. “Do you have any idea how in love with you Tommy is? That man would be happy if you just showed up! I don’t think I’ve ever met someone so ridiculously in love as you two! You don’t need to do anything except show up!” he repeated, looking borderline pissed.

Buck shrunk in on himself slightly, once more feeling like the insecure eighteen-year-old who had run way from home, feeling equal parts chastened and grateful. While it hadn’t been the best way to say it, he could hear what Eddie was trying to tell him: that Tommy didn’t care what he got him because he loved him more than anything else.

“I think I’ll get the delphiniums,” he finally said with a grin, clapping Eddie on the shoulder.

“Oh, thank god. Can we go, now?”

Buck laughed and nodded and added, “Yeah, we can go. And thanks for putting up with me,” and Eddie snorted and shook his head and quipped, “Yeah, well, someone has to.”

--

It was Valentine’s Day and Tommy was putting the finishing touches on the present that he’d purchased, feeling a frisson of nerves at the thought of Evan not liking it—even though Howie had told him probably about a hundred times that his boyfriend would love it.

He stared at the ribbon that he’d tied around it, remembering the ribbon he’d put on the oven before he had surprised Evan with it.

“You’ve got this,” he muttered to himself in a pathetic attempt at a pep-talk. “You’ve got this…”

He moved over to the mirror and checked himself over, making sure he looked presentable as he listened to his boyfriend in the bathroom finishing getting ready. They were going out to dinner and so he had put on his black suit with a white button up underneath, not bothering with the tie. Evan had told him the last time that he had worn a suit that it had been the hottest thing he had ever seen, so he was indulging him and making sure that the evening would be a memorable one.

He had made reservations at a small place that he knew Evan had been wanting to try for a while.

…and just as he thought about possibly changing his jacket, Evan emerged from the bathroom fully dressed in his own charcoal suit with a deep red shirt that made his eyes pop, curls looking fresh, and he let out a low whistle and said, “Look at you, babe…damn. I can see that look in your eyes, don’t even think about changing! Those pants are awesome for your ass and that suit jacket makes you look good enough to eat…”

Tommy chuckled and turned and reached out to his boyfriend, pulling him in.

“Good to know. Speaking of eating, you ready to go?”

Evan nodded, his blue eyes sparkling, and the airman knew that it didn’t matter what he gave him, he was happy enough to have him in his life. Evan could give him the worst present in the world, and it wouldn’t have mattered—because he had him.

Smiling, he said, “Good, let’s go,” and quickly ushered him down the stairs and through the front door, present tucked inside his jacket.

His boyfriend had already greeted him with flowers when he’d come home, blue delphiniums that were the exact same shade as his eyes, and it was easily already the most romantic present that he’d ever been given, and he had told him that—and continued to tell him that as he drove them to the restaurant.

“Seriously, Evan. Those flowers are the most beautiful things I’ve ever received,” he repeated one last time as they dropped off the truck with the valet, and Evan rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, you’ve said that, like, ten times now.”

“So?”

He rolled his eyes a second time and drawled, “Sooo…can we please move past it? I just wanna have a romantic dinner with my boyfriend and talk about something stupid for the next couple of hours,” he said as he tugged at his hand, pulling him into the restaurant, and Tommy smiled indulgently at him and nodded and said, “Okay, sure. That sounds good to me,” and let him lead him into the restaurant, loving it when Evan took charge and said, “Two for Kinard,” and he felt his stomach flip at the thought of him having his last name one day.

Someday soon, he hoped.

--

Buck grinned as he made his way to their table, holding his boyfriend’s hand the entire way, feeling a giddiness about being out on Valentine’s Day with him. They had celebrated a few holidays as a couple, but Valentine’s Day was different from the rest—and they both knew it.

Actually, it was the first time he had ever been in a relationship during the holiday, and it made him feel an excitement he’d never felt before.

“And here’s your table,” the waiter said, and he nodded his thanks, and they sat down across from each other, a candle on the table.

Buck admired his boyfriend as he sat across from him, barely keeping himself in check. Tommy looked damn good every other day of the week, good enough that both men and women regularly hit on him…but right now?

Goddamn, he was barely keeping himself in check.

Tommy looked like pure sin sitting there in a pristine white button up that had the first few buttons undone, exposing the long column of his throat, and as he glanced down at the menu, Buck was completely distracted by the way the angle of the older man’s collar emphasized the sharp jut of his jawline and the exquisite cut of his cheekbones, his steel blue eyes glowing in the candlelight that lit the table between them, his black suit coat a stark contrast to his shirt.

Fuck, he wanted to jump him right then and there.

Marshalling what little control he had, he said, “So, uh…the appetizers look good, don’t they?” even though he hadn’t even glanced at the menu, the weight of it heavy in his hands as he kept on drinking in the sight of the man in front of him.

“Evan, you haven’t even looked at the menu,” Tommy said without even glancing up at him, and he nervously laughed.

“Yeah, yeah…good point.”

He looked down at the tiny font and pretended to scan it for a moment…but then looked back up and leaned in and whispered, “You look so damn good right now, I can barely concentrate, so is it alright if you just order for us?” and smiled when Tommy snorted and shook his head and said, “Oh, you are adorable…but, no,” and finally looked up at him. “If you let me order, I will purposely get you something you don’t like just to teach you a lesson, but I don’t want to do that because it’s Valentine’s Day, so please—please—just look at the damn menu.”

Buck slowly smiled and nodded and then actually took a good long look at the menu, his eyes alighting quickly on two things that he knew he would enjoy without having to deal with any unexpected surprises, and by the time the waitress came back to them, they both put in their meal orders, along with their drinks, and then he settled back in his chair and began to trace a finger around the edge of his water glass as he admired his boyfriend one more time.

“You really do look gorgeous tonight,” he said, thrilled when he saw a faint pink tinge in the other man’s cheeks.

“And you seem determined to make me make a fool of myself tonight. What about you, Mister Buckley?” he retorted, giving him an appreciative look over the edge of his water glass. “You are cutting a fine figure in that gray suit of yours…”

“It’s charcoal.”

Tommy arched an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, my bad.”

They shared a look…and then both broke out into giggles, and as they did, Buck felt Tommy’s real present burning a hole in his pocket and decided that he couldn’t wait until the end of the meal and quickly pulled it out and slid the slim box across the table and said, “I can’t wait until later. Here. This is for you.”

--

Tommy stared at the slim black box Evan had just pushed towards him, beautifully tied with a deep red ribbon into a slightly asymmetrical bow that felt delightfully ‘Evan’.

Curious enough to not ask him why he wanted to exchange gifts right at that moment, he simply nodded, and pulled the box towards him, gently tugging on one of the ribbons before lifting the lid…and then let out a soft gasp at the sight that greeted him.

Resting in a deep red velvet that matched the ribbon was a beautiful watch that he immediately recognized.

“Is that…Evan. How on earth did you…? How…?” was all he was able to get out as he gently removed it from its velvet cushion and brought it closer to the light of the candle so that he could admire the craftsmanship of it—as well as confirm that it was what he thought it was. “This…this is a Bell & Ross BR-03. This…is…it’s a work of art! How did you even afford this?” he found himself asking, hating that that was the first question he could think of, wincing at how it sounded.

But before he could correct himself, Evan was grinning and saying, “I, uh, I found a widow in the area who was selling her husband’s watches—he used to be a pilot—and saw she had one that looked exactly like one of the ones you showed me a couple months ago that you were saving up for, so I…I haggled with her a bit and I got it. You…you really like it?”

He shot him a look.

“Evan, I love it. It’s perfect,” the airman declared as he slid up both the sleeve of his coat and his shirt to put the watch on immediately.

He kept on glancing down at it and then back up at Evan, trying to understand how he had gotten so damn lucky to have a boyfriend like him. The watch was literally the most perfect thing that anyone had ever gotten him—everything down to even the material of the wrist band was exactly what he wanted.

“Yeah, well…I hoped you’d like it,” his boyfriend added with a bashful smile. Fuck, he was perfect.

…and now Tommy couldn’t help but feel that his own gift paled in comparison (even though Howie had told him several times over already that it was perfect).

Still, he managed to marshal his courage and pulled out a similar box from his own suit jacket and cautiously slid it across the table, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched Evan carefully untie the pink ribbon he had used…

…and his heart stopped when he lifted the lid.

“Tommy…”

The silence stretched. Oh, god. Was that good? Or bad?

“You got me a behind-the-scenes tour of Aquarium of the Pacific?!” he practically shouted, and he watched as his boyfriend nearly stood from his chair—but then suddenly remember that they were in a public place and stayed sitting, his gaze glued to the tickets in his hand, eyes wide as he pulled out the folded piece of paper underneath it that explained what all he would be seeing and when it was taking place (in exactly one month).

He quickly scanned it and then said excitedly, “Oh my god, this isn’t just a tour, this-this-this is a full private showing with their head trainer and their head researcher that works with the National Wildlife Foundation! Oh my god, Tommy…” He lifted his eyes back to his, and for a brief moment he swore he could see twelve-year-old Evan Buckley sitting in front of him. “…this is literally the best gift that anyone has ever given me in my life. Ever,” he repeated emphatically, reaching across the table with his free hand to grab at his own, their fingers tightening almost painfully. “How...how did…how did you know?? I’ve, I’ve never told anyone…wait. You talked to Chimney, didn’t you?” he accused, and Tommy nodded.

“Yeah, I talked to Howie. And apparently I now owe him one. Or two. Honestly, I don’t know what I owe him at this point,” he said, shaking his head and reaching for his water with his free hand. “But apparently it was the right call…”

They exchanged a look.

And then his boyfriend said, “This is gonna be hard to top. What are we gonna do next year?”

Get married, he thought to himself…but out loud he said just as Evan took a sip of his water, “Hole up in a hotel for two days and fuck each other silly, of course,” grinning when the younger firefighter coughed and nearly choked on his water, thrilled that he’d managed to garner such a reaction.

“That…that’s not a bad idea.”

Tommy shrugged and said, “Yeah, I occasionally have good ones from time to time, it’s been known to happen,” and right as he said that, their food arrived and they shared a quick grin and began to eat, tangling their feet together under the table as they did so, and the airman relished the intimacy and closeness, feeling like he had finally found the person who knew him inside and out, in every sense of the word, and made the mental note to start looking for rings.

God, he couldn’t wait to be married to that man.

--

Buck noticed his boyfriend giving him a dopey smile and asked, “What’s that smile for?” and he just shook his head.

“Nothing. Just…thinking about how much I love you.”

He suspected that wasn’t the entire truth…but he was okay with not knowing what he was really thinking. Hell, this was probably the most perfect night that he had ever experienced in his life, and he didn’t want to ruin it by pushing anything too hard. Besides, Tommy would tell him if something was really on his mind.

They finished dinner fairly quickly—and then Buck was thrilled when Tommy ordered them both dessert in fluent French, something that sounded decadent and sinfully good.

“Fuck, it’s hot when you pull out the French,” he said, unable to help himself, curling his ankle around the back of his, and his boyfriend gave him a look.

“Hot, huh? Want me to start using it in the bedroom? I can start calling you mon petit garçon,” he said as he smirked at him, and Buck felt his stomach flip and he knew that his eyes had dilated, and he tried his best to glare at him.

“Don’t…don’t do that. Not here.”

Tommy chuckled, the sound low, warm, and promising, and he felt it as if his boyfriend had just run his stubbled jaw along the inside of his thighs, the tone of his voice having the same effect on him, even from a distance, and he shifted in his chair to try and hide the effect that it was having on him. As he moved, however, his boyfriend shot him a knowing look, and Buck knew that he knew the effect he was having on him.

Smug bastard, he thought to himself.

Still reeling from the present Tommy had given him, he said one last time, “Seriously, this gift, it’s really…it’s really the most amazing thing anyone has ever gotten me,” and reached out for his hand across the table, feeling a sense of relief when his boyfriend squeezed his fingers and gave him a soft smile.

“I’m really glad you like it, Ev.”

He looked like he was about to say something else—but then dessert arrived, and Buck stared at the chocolate concoction that was placed on the table between them with two spoons and he marveled at it for a moment before saying, “Okay, now this…this looks like the best thing I’ve never had. What is this?”

“It’s called gâteau royal,” Tommy explained as he dug his spoon into it. “It’s made from almond meringue, praline feuilletine, and the top layer is dark chocolate mousse. It’s also sometimes called a Trianon because it has three layers…”

Buck took a bit and moaned at the rich flavor that exploded across his tongue.

Tommy shot him a look, one eyebrow raised.

“Evan…save those sounds for later.”

He smirked.

Yeah, this was the best Valentine’s Day ever.

[bucksdaffy]

listen, maybe i'm just delusional. maybe i'm too optimistic for my own good. but i don't really care at the moment because i truly feel like tommy is meant to be it for buck.

like i find it so hard to believe tim and co would create such a compelling love interest for buck, someone so deeply interwoven into the fabric of this show, only to decide that buck actually needs someone else. and i find it especially hard to believe considering how they framed the breakup.

"i love you so much it scares me. because why on earth would you choose me? there are so many people better for you, and maybe you don't see it yet, but when you get to know the real me you'll know. and you'll run."

and after letting buck mope for a while, they'll push him to start dating again. they'll put him out there, and through trial and error, he'll figure himself out–but no one will compare to tommy. and when they finally bring them back together, hopefully in a life-or-death situation, they'll make buck prove tommy wrong.

he'll tell him that actually no–i've spent some time away from you, and all it's done is make me realize how much i want you by my side. i'm bisexual. kinsey scale 2. i'm generally more attracted to women, but since meeting you, i can't imagine ending up with one. because you are the only one that i want. and yes, you were my first, but i'm confident that we can make this work. you may not be my in-between, but i'm certain you are my last. please don't give up on us before we even try.

and tommy will take the chance. because they've shown already that tommy truly does love buck–boils and all. he's seen him at his worst, and he was still willing to choose him. he'll take it because he'll realize that buck might truly love him too. he'll see that while buck admires him, he also sees him for who he really is. he knows about his not-so-perfect past, but it doesn't matter, because the tommy he is now is not the tommy he once was. he knows he's not perfect, and that's okay, because buck isn't looking for perfection–he's looking for something real. and tommy checks all his boxes.

you see the potential, right? you can't tell me tim and co didn't strike gold with tommy as a love interest for buck, and you can't tell me they aren't aware of it. the choices they have made so far feel too deliberate to be coincidental. and i just find it so hard to believe they would throw it all away just like that. you don't throw it all away just like that. you'd have to be really fucking stupid to consciously get rid of such a compelling story.

[supercalime]

Just thought about sharing this frame right here

Do with it what you will

[becausebuckley]

michelle's buddie fic recs: week 5!

i won't lie folks, these rec lists are the only reason i know what week it is. but hey, every week brings us closer to the return of 911! in the meantime, enjoy these fics <3

this is a mix of fics with all ratings, so some include NSFW content. please take a look at both the ratings and the fic tags before reading! some might also contain spoilers for season 8.

if you come across something you like in this list, remember to show some love to the author by leaving kudos and a comment!

am i who you think about in bed? | rarakiplin/@hoediaz | 6.8k | M

eddie sleeps with men that aren't buck until, well, you know. eddie's hoe phase is something so very dear to me <3 i love how this fic captures him (and that phase lol) so much!! and That Moment in the bar... unmatched

and if someone asked me if i love you (i'd lie) | forgetmyname/@kingmieczyslaw | 10.3k | E

Eddie has a concussion. Suddenly he can't lie. It would be fine if he wasn't trying his best to not confess his undying love for Buck. this is such a fun fic <3 i love the firefam's reactions to eddie's predicament!!

and longingly i long | effervescentwolf/@effervescentwolf | 14k | M

Asking for what you want is asking too much of Buck, except it isn’t really. Not when it’s Eddie. i read this fic, immediately clicked the little back to the top button, and still have it open in a tab to reread asap, that's how good this is. the hurt/comfort hits so so hard, truly marvellous!!

bobby versus buddie | songbvrd/@songbvrd | 10.4k | M

Five times Bobby tried to gently hold Buddie's hands and tell them they were in love, and one time they got the picture. i adore how this fic captures bobby and athena and bobby's relationship with buck and eddie and also buddie <3 just a delight to read!!

buck, bothered and bewitched | bellabrady | 5.8k | not rated

Buck gets turned into a Golden Retriever. SUCH a fun fic. i really do think that animal transformation-esque fics are an untapped market... this is a brilliant example of just how good they can be!!

give me a call if you ever get lonely. | dylaesthetics | 7.7k | E

 Now that Eddie’s come out as gay, Buck helps him explore his kinks and fetishes. Not in the way you think. And later, exactly in the way you think. truly what a brilliant fic concept... hot and fun and cute <3

i just wanna tell you how i'm feeling | calvingseason | 7.7k | T

healing through shitty memes sure is cathartic. i do love a good crack treated seriously fic <3 eddie in this one genuinely had me laughing out loud!

if you say it with your hands | hammersmiths/@henwilsons | 9.9k | T

Eddie starts casually falling asleep against Buck, and Buck is very normal about it. oh the joy of the literal sleeping together tag!! this is soft and cute and just perfect <3 one of my favourites to reread!

leave the light on (i'll be coming home) | HMSLusitania/@hmslusitania | 44.4k | M

An accident on a call leaves Buck with custody of Chris after Eddie is... missing presumed. While they navigate their new family circumstances -- and fight to stay together, despite Eddie's parents' best efforts -- a John Doe wakes up in a coma ward with no memory of his own life beyond the knowledge he has a son named Christopher and, somehow, he needs to get home. i've been waiting to be in the right mood to read this one - since joining the fandom last year, it's probably the most recced fic i've seen! and, well, having read it, i totally get that. a wonderfully written fic, i loved the OCs but also adored buck and christopher here <3

let me know you (bedhead and morning breath) | burnthatbridge/@burnthatbridge | 6.2k | E

Buck hasn't gotten off since the lightning strike. Eddie watches him do something about it. THIS FIC. holy shit this fic. so good, so hot, so fun, so them!!

love me most | EiraLloyd/@unlifeira | 11.3k | T

Eddie’s not impressed that Buck and Tommy’s first date was supposed to be dinner and a movie. He thinks he can come up with something more creative, and he takes Buck on a date to prove his point. It’s a fake date, obviously. It’s not like he’s in love with Buck or anything.) i'm obsessed with eddie's behaviour in this fic <3 such a wonderful buddie dynamic!!

no takebacks | ever_yours/@ever-yours118 | 4.5k | M

In which Buck accidentally sends a confession to Eddie, lingers in the bargaining stage of grief, and maybe doesn’t end up regretting it so much, after all. love love love buck here, so true to character!! such a fun fic <3

PTA "coup d'état" | Bookworm0303/@insertlovelyperson | 26.5k | T

Buck attends some PTA meetings for Eddie. It goes about as well as you'd expect. this fic has so many funny moments, i can't even count how many times i had to put my phone down just to laugh. i especially loved ravi!! oh, the pta shenanigans... delightful fic!!

[god-i-hope-so]

Buck receives the call from Tommy's captain himself in the middle of the night, during his shift. He's Tommy's new emergency number, he's also been at the center of a recent discussion with Tommy's captain about it, after years of not having a real emergency number except his closest coworkers.

Buck arrives at the hospital, a little frantic, still in his uniform. He knows it's "not life threatening" but bad enough for Tommy to undergo emergency surgery. Captain Garcia meets him near the lobby, his left hand in a thick bandage, his arm in a sling.

"Firefighter Buckley? Evan Buckley? Captain Garcia. I wish we'd met under different circumstances."

"Captain."

"We were on a fire near the station, the structure collapsed, probably due to a weakness we couldn't see. A rebar went through his thigh, lots of bleeding, but he should be okay."

"Should?"

"I'm not a doctor, son, but I know when a man's dying. And he wasn't."

Captain Garcia is clear and to the point, and Buck appreciates it.

Waiting alone in the lobby of the hospital in the middle of the night wasn't on his plan for this shift. He could have called Maddie but it was 2 am when he got the call. He'll call her later.

Then a woman and two very sleepy young children sit not too far from him. While she settles the kids on the seats next to her, their head on her lap, her eyes land on Buck.

"You're Evan, right?" she asks in a low voice.

Buck is surprised, he doesn't know her, doesn't recognize her face.

"I'm Sophie, er, Dan's wife, Tommy's coworker. They were together when it happened. I know we never met but I've heard of you and Philip- Captain Garcia told me you were already here."

She looks at him with kind eyes behind her tired and worried expression.

"It's- It's nice to meet you, Sophie. I'm sorry, I- I don't-"

"It's alright, I know Tommy is a very private man." She sighs. "He and Dan have been working together for seven years now. Dan has always been the kind to easily befriend people but Tommy was quite the challenge when he was transferred at the station!"

Her smile is genuine. She's picking at her nails, her hands slightly shaking.

"Can I get you something warm to drink?" Buck proposes, already standing up. He needs to move, idly waiting has never been his thing.

"Oh, coffee? Thank you."

"No problem. Anything for them?" he looks at the sleeping children, realizing they're younger than he first thought.

"Water, for later maybe, I don't want to wake them up."

"Of course."

His smile feels stiff on his own face. He shouldn't be here, meeting the wife of Tommy's coworker on the cold plastic seats of the hospital. He should be with his team, sending bad jokes and flirty messages to Tommy who would indulge him.

When he comes back from the vending machine, Sophie is typing on her phone and doesn't see him.

"Here you go," he says softly, not wanting to startle her.

"Thank you." She tastes the coffee, makes a face and sighs. "At least you know the job," she says with a small smile.

"I guess I do. But..."

"I know. It's worse sometimes, because you know what really happens." She lowers her eyes on her coffee cup, swirling the dark liquid in it. Her loose braid slowly comes undone, letting strands frame her face. "Let's meet again around a meal, when our men are better, yes?"

Our men. Buck never thought about Tommy that way, as part of "our men". He nods.

"I'd love that. Thank you, Sophie."

He wonders if that's what if feels to be a "firefighter's wife", to be the partner of a first responder, meeting around unfortunate events and making plans for better days. Sophie shares stories about the station in hushed voice, telling Buck about the people there, the others wives and partners, the children, the parties and the solidarity. Of course, everything sounds very familiar to Buck, but it's like hearing stories from another family.

Then he hears Tommy's name being called and for a second, he feels dizzy. Sophie almost gets up with him then smiles at him. He realizes he didn't ask about Dan, but he'll make sure to stay in touch through Tommy.

The surgeon is in a hurry but takes a few minutes to explain what she did and what will happen next. Tommy will be fine, his leg will recover but the muscle has been badly damaged and it'll take him some time to go back to his daily routine. Even longer before being able to go back to work.

The room is quiet when he enters, safe for a regular and reassuring beep. Buck hesitates a second, seeing Tommy like that feels crushing, even if his sleeping face looks relaxed. His fingers slip into Tommy's hand before gently squeezing it. Feeling his warmth on his palm soothes his nerves.

"Hey, babe."

[blackcoldcrackedheart]

Listen, can we get recognition of the son and father relationship in s8 please.

"Huh." Hens eyes follow the back of Bucks retreating back as Bobby looks on as well. "I thought he would have a bigger reaction than that. He was so desperateto get rid off Gerrad." Hen pondered, looking at Bobby who had stepped in the station now fully back as Captain of the 118.

Everyone had celebrated at the news...

Except Buck, who was subdued at best when Bobby announced he was back at the helm of the station.

"Wonder what that's about." Bobby frowned, his stomach already churning at what was to come.

What came next was nothing.

At least nothing from Buck.

No chats, no hugs, no smiles, and no interest in cooking for the team or even helping Bobby cook.

Buck was fine when it came to communicating during calls. Ever the professional.

Too professional for Bobby's liking.

And it didn't go unnoticed by the team.

He had tried to approach Buck about before the end of the shift during his fourth day back but Buck had rebuffed his efforts to talk.

They hadn't talked since he came back, Buck wasn't even talking during team dinners.

Sure he would talk to Eddie, Hen, Ravi, and Chim- all smiles and laughter with the team.

But it was just silence with Bobby.

Bobby had it by day 7 of his return and vowed to actually confront Buck at home.

(Bobby refused to be upset about not realizing that Buck had moved in with Tommy at some point. How had Buck not told him that? That was a really big life changing decision and milestone)

(Of course Bobby had missed the irony of him being upset at Buck)

He drove the extra 40 minutes from DTLA to Silver Lake, he had thankfully been able to find Tommy's address through some old work emails.

"Bobby? What are you doing here?" Tommy asked once he opened the door.

"Is Buck here?"

Tommy's jaw ticked at that, "He's out for a run, should he back soon." He opened the door wide and stepped aside. "Come in."

Bobby nodded in thanks and came into the house. He had to admit to himself, he and Tommy weren't close. It always felt as though they both were keen on putting a wall between them, that line between being professional and overly friendly. Bobby knew why his own reason for doing so, it just took for Buck and Tommy to be dating for him to put together Tommy's reason for the wall as well.

He didn't know what to expect when stepping into Tommy's house. But it felt warm and lived in, it was neat but there were a few knickknacks here and there, pictures of random sites and people with Tommy (including a lovely framed photo of Tommy and Buck at the awards ceremony), and a lot of plants.

He also noticed a few familiar items that he was sure belonged to Buck.

"Can I get you something to drink? Juice? Tea? Water?" Tommy offered, leading them towards the kitchen.

"Waters fine, thanks." Bobby took a quick look around the kitchen, taking a seat at the kitchen nook table.

"So...any particular reason for the drop in visit?" Tommy asked, sounding blase as got three glasses of water, setting aside one on the kitchen island.

Bobby nodded and gave out a meek thank you as Tommy sat from across him.

"I-uh, I'm not sure." Bobby admitted, he looked up at Tommy quizzically. "Has Buck told you anything? I mean, has he been different recently?"

Tommy arched a brow at that. "Bobby, if you're asking if I know why Buck has been giving you the silent treatment at work, you can just ask outright."

Bobby's eyes widened and he knew his mouth was hanging open as well. "So you know the reason then?" He asked the other man cautiously.

Tommy nodded, twisting the glass between his hands.

"Can you tell me why? I've been trying to figure it out but he won't talk to me." Bobby pleaded, "He's acting weird around me. He doesnt want to talk, doesnt want to help me out with cooking duties. He doeant even call me Cap anymore."

Tommy nodded sagely. "I know."

"Can you tell me why?"

He watched as Tommy looked crestfallen at that and sighed before explaining to Bobby. "No, because it's not my place and Evan knows he can trust me. And as much as I respect you Bobby, I respect my boyfriend more."

Bobby pressed his lips together, mildly annoyed and impressed that Buck had found a partner that had his back like this.

Bobby rubbed his face tiredly, shoulders slumping in defeat as he mumbled. "Yeah."

"Safe to assume he's doing his job, right? Responding to calls and orders." Tommy leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. "He's talking and treating you the way he typically would with another captain. You put on the uniform, respond to calls, take orders, and go home."

That had Bobby sit up straight. He felt a weird sense of deja vu at the words- he was unsure if he had said the words before or if someone else had. It felt familiar and bitter all at once.

Tommy looked at him with an imploring expression.

"Because this is a job and not a family." Bobby finished hollowly....

He had said the same thing to Tommy and the rest of the 118 when he had started as Captain.

He said the same thing a few times to Buck too after Buck had started at the station, but it never stuck.

Buck had wormed his way into Bobby's life and heart. Despite trying for all the years to make sure he had never treated Buck differently, he knew he had a soft spot for him.

Athena knew.

Hen knew.

May even knew.

A part of him knew that Buck was aware of it too.

Which was why Bobby was at his ropes end in trying to figure out how his relationship with Buck was now at the step before first step.

It was though they had pressed the reset button on their relationship it this time, it was Buck making sure that they weren't a family.

"Exactly." Tommy pointed at him knowingly, a sad smile that had Bobby feeling more guilt ridden for their relationship.

"Tommy, I-Im so-"

"Y'know the one thing I admire about Evan? Is that he's selfless and resilient as hell, but he's not gonna force someone to love him and he's not gonna settle either. It's either all or nothing, which I definitely appreciate because I want it all with him." Tommy's smile was fond, "I know Evan cares for a lot for the people he considers to be his family, I just wish that they thought the same for him."

Bobby frowned at that, thinking hack to the times where he and the others had been there for Buck when he was hurt.

He was about to retort back when he heard Buck's voice and foot steps approaching them, "Hey baby, you wouldn't mind if we skip the movies toni-"

Buck froze on the spot, his demeanor switching quickly to something darker and moodier as he asked Tommy "What's the captain doing here?"

Both men stood up but only Tommy went to Buck's side.

"He wanted to talk to you." Tommy explained gently, he rubbed Buck's back in comfort. "I know you're pissed but it might help to talk to him. Even just to get closure." Tommy advised.

Bobby frowned at that, still unsure to what led to Buck essentially giving him the silent treatment.

He watched as Tommy whispered something into Buck's ear and saw how Buck's eyes widened and hardened again. His looked straight at Bobby with a disappointed frown.

"Just talk to him." Tommy pressed, "You might get some answers you've been wanting to get." He kissed Buck on the temple ans squeezed his hand, "I'll be in the living room if you need me, okay?"

Buck nodded, letting their hands linger and trace over their arms as they pulled away. "Okay, yeah."

Buck licked his lips, rubbing his face tiredly with the bottom of his shirt. "You really don't get why I'm so angry at you?" He asked Bobby, his voice heavy with confusion, hurt, and frustration.

"No," Bobby stressed, waving his arms out in frustration. "Honestly Buck? I don't get where any of this is coming from. I figured you of all people would be relieved that I would be coming back."

Buck nodded, not in agreement but just because as he slumped down in the seat that Tommy had vacated.

"Yeah," Buck sighed, "but that doesn't undo what you did, Captain."

It was the Captain that did it.

It was the final straw.

Bobby slammed his hands against the table. "Damn it, Buck. What the hell did I do in the first place? What exactly?!

Buck took a deep breath in, his blue eyes dark and wide but his voice was rough- on the verge of tears as he told Bobby "You were planning on leaving and you didn't even bother to tell me."

For all the bubbling anger that Bobby had felt, it only took Buck's shaky voice to break his demeanor.

"Oh."

[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.

[thegunslingerletmedrop]

Hi, I'm @thegunslingerletmedrop and welcome to my TommyTalk.

Guys, it's been great. The discourse is fun. We're all happy. We're all hopeful. We're all trash for Tommy Kinard.

This guy took Evan Buckley out. And you know what? Buck said "we picked a place" but I bet that was more Tommy laid out some safe options, guessing full well that Buck would choose the most out of the way spot. And he was cool with that. Like, he said oh I know why you went with this place but it's cool bc their food is great and that's what matters.

And then he doesn't want to choose the movie for them. He wants to go into this together, wants to know what Buck finds interesting. And so he gives Buck 18 screens with every type of genre so that 1) Buck has a good time and 2) Buck will be comfortable.

Then comes the Bucked moment and you can tell he's disappointed. He even tsks like he's marked a 'too bad' note next to Evan Buckley's crossed out name. But hey, no harm no foul. Better sooner than later.

And then he gets a call from Buck and he's not harboring bad feelings so he doesn't say no. Then he shows up and this guy. This guy, right here, doesn't make a move to sit down. Because they're in a super public spot probably not far off the beaten path and as far as he knows, this isn't a date. It's probably an apology meeting that he doesn't really need but figures Buck does.

He only sits when Buck motions for him too. And then he of course lets Buck know that he doesn't want to pressure him into anything. And then the tables turn and Evan is taking Eddie's advice and does a Buck. He goes all in. He asks the crazy question of going to Maddie's wedding with him.

And a beautiful thing happens. Tommy Kinard is stunned, and off balance, and very clearly tempering his expectations (which he will have to get used to if he sticks with Buck). But you also notice he hesitates. It's not a fast 'okay'. And part of it is not being sure if Evan really means it and another part is holding back because this feels a little reckless.

He looks like he wants to say no but when Buck is being earnest, there's something about Buck that is just so irresistible and sweet that even though he would say no to anyone else, he lets himself say yes in this moment. What the hell, right?

All this to say, I stan Tommy Kinard and want him to be happy. And if he ends up leaving I will clown for him forever.

[epiphainie]

I see and love all your tearjerker proposal ideas, but we don’t talk enough about the absolute hilarity that would ensue with an Evan Buckley Proposal™️. Like I’m imagining him being soooo excited about it in the most Buck way possible. He has this ten page speech about how much he loves Tommy and how they’re soulmates and the universe pulled a sick one by putting them on each other’s paths and he’s planning to tell Tommy all that before he pops the question and he’s preparing this big romantic night for it with the most romantic flowers and the most romantic music and the most romantic ring at the most romantic place in all of Los Angeles and he’s roped in everyone at the station to help him, threatened Chim with cold-blooded murder if he doesn’t keep his mouth shut, made Eddie reassure him about every step of his plans not twice but thrice, talked to Bobby with blushing cheeks and fidgeting hands till Bobby gave him his absolute blessing. Hen, Maddie, Athena, they’re all in on it. He’s Ready to do it The Right Way.

Then at like 2pm on a lazy Tuesday afternoon his poor brain that has been overworking on this for weeks gets overloaded and crashes. And suddenly he Needs To Ask Tommy Right Now. Like, just like that the entire plan is overridden, and he doesn’t even process what he’s doing before he sends Eddie a text that just says, “I think I will do it now” and ditches his phone and marches to the garage where Tommy has been working on his truck all day.

The next thing we know Eddie is opening his door to a Buck who has his arms wrapped around himself and his big blue eyes are filled with tears. He looks like a puppy kicked a thousand ways and before Eddie can even open his mouth he cries out, “He said no,” and drops face first on Eddie’s couch. Eddie is like ???? but also “Well, I can’t deal with this shit on my own,” so he calls Hen and Chimney and ten minutes later Buck is sitting on the couch being interrogated by his best friends.

They’re all obviously confused.

Hen, disbelieving, asks, “He said no?”

Buck makes the most pathetic pitiful sound known to the human kind and nods.

Chimney, not really helpful, murmurs, “Well, that doesn’t make any sense,” to himself because he knows how much Tommy loves Buck and would say yes to marrying him months, hell, years ago.

Hen, trying to make sense of it all asks, “What did he exactly say?” because Chim is right, it doesn’t make a lick of sense.

Buck, still looking like a wet cat, goes, “He said it wasn’t the right thing for us.” His voice hitches and he moans, “He said it wasn’t s-smart.”

Hen and Chim shoot a look at each other. Eddie at this point is getting angry because what the fuck? Which is exactly what he says and Hen, the only one trying to be actually somewhat helpful, shakes her head like, “No, Eddie,” and then to Buck with what she hopes is a reassuring voice says, “Maybe he just doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage?”

Buck looks even more miserable at that and buries his face in his hands as he bemoans “Noooo,” and shakes his head like he’s grieving. “We t-talked about it before. At the beginning of our relationship, we both agreed we’d do that if it felt like the right time.” He slumps back on the couch like his life has just ended. “I t-thought it was the right time.”

Eddie, totally pissed off now because how are you gonna be with a guy for years, move in together, buy a house together, be committed to each other fully, and then say no to his marriage proposal, goes, “Oh fuck him. Do you want me to beat some sense into him?” Because damn, this is his best friend who looks absolutely crushed and Eddie will kick Tommy’s ass, fuck the fact that he’s really good at Muay Thai, he hasn’t seen Eddie’s wrath before.

Hen, still the sound of logic and seeing how Buck gets sadder each passing moment, stops him again. “We’re not beating anyone up.” Then says, “Buck, I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding. Tommy loves you.” Because yeah he does in the most sickening teen boy with a puppy crush way, so none of this makes sense and Hen’s brain is whirring but she’s not sure what’s happening yet. “And you love Tommy.”

Buck, hands covering his face again moans into his palms, “I do.” Then his hands drop, and his face shot with panic and fear he goes, “Wait?! Does this mean we broke up?”

A pissed-off, disbelieving noise leaves Eddie; Chim shoots another look towards Hen’s way; Hen just gives an awkward unsure smile. “No. No.” She tries to reassure him. “Of course not.”

“I mean,” Chim says with a shrug. “I don’t see how a relationship comes back from that, you know?”

This gets Buck start crying again.

“You’re. Not. Being. Helpful. Chim.” Hen mutters.

Eddie jumps up, “Oh, I’m beating him up for you.”

Buck’s wails get louder.

It all devolves from there with Buck going between hollering and sniffling and Eddie dead-set on confronting Tommy and Hen trying to do damage control with “We’re just gonna talk to him,” and Chim continuing to be absolutely unhelpful with his comments about how Tommy is great, and so cool, and perfect, and he’d make a great brother-in-law, and this doesn’t make any sense.

So, the four of them somehow find themselves marching towards the Buckley-Kinard house with Eddie at the helm and Buck looking like a pathetic mess between them. They’ve barely entered the front yard when Tommy bursts out the front door with his phone in his hand and he goes, “Where have you been?! I’ve been calling you for hou—”

“I trusted you, man!” Eddie shouts, voice echoing through the street.

Tommy stops in his tracks. He takes in the sight of his friends who are all shooting him deadly (and confused) glares. Then he looks at his boyfriend and finds him avoiding his eyes, keeping his gaze at his feet like all the happiness has been sucked out of his entire universe. Brows furrowing in confusion, Tommy takes a step towards him. “Evan.” He tilts his chin up and sucks in a breath when he sees the tear tracks on Buck’s face. His own face crumbles, now in concern. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Eddie lets out a mirthless laugh. “Pretending you don’t know, huh?”

Tommy looks at him, at Chim, at Hen. “Don’t know what?”

“Oh, you’re a bigger asshole than I thought, Kinard.” Eddie spits in his face, his head shaking. “Acting like nothing’s wrong after saying no to a guy’s proposal so cruelly.”

Tommy freezes. His gaze snaps to Buck with a confused, “What?” but Buck is avoiding his eyes again. “What proposal?” Tommy asks. “Evan didn’t propose to me.”

At this point all tired and beaten Buck sighs, “It’s okay, Tommy.”

“No. No—” Tommy shakes his head. “What are you talking about?”

Buck shrugs. “We don’t have to talk about it now.”

“Evan.”

Sighing again, Buck finally looks up. “Look, I get it. We can talk about it later.” He chews at his lip. “Right?” Because he’s still not sure if they’re broken up or not and god he really wishes they’re not because marriage is a dumb institution rooted in patriarchy to maintain and reinforce traditional gender roles and they didn’t even let two men marry till a decade ago, so it’s not like they need anyone’s acknowledgement and all he needs is Tommy, but also he had the absolute perfect ring picked out and he doesn’t know if he can get a refund on it, and calling Tommy his husband would be so fucking nice, and maybe he has been dreaming about that for the past however many years.

At this point, he’s tearing up again, so Tommy cups his face and brushes away some of the tears, before saying with the biggest gentlest eyes, “We can talk about anything you want. But… Baby, what proposal?”

Buck sniffles. “Earlier. W-when I asked you in the garage.”

Tommy frowns harder because that doesn’t make any sense. “You didn’t ask me to marry you, Evan.”

“Yes, I did, Tommy,” Buck huffs.

“No, you asked me if I wanted to take a vacation.”

“I think I know what I asked.”

“You said you wanted to go on a trip!”

“That’s not what I said!”

“Okay, you didn’t say trip! You said, you said something like if I wanted to take a new journey with you! Embark on adventure or something. You said you wanted a travel companion for a voyage!”

“Lifelong voyage.” Buck murmurs, lips pursing and arms crossing together. “For our grand adventure together.”

No one says anything for a minute as Buck avoids their eyes and scuffs his feet in the dirt.

At last, as the person with any semblance of intelligence Hen says, “Buck. Did you use any word related to marriage? Like “husband” or “marry” or even “matrimony”?” Her eyebrows rises. “Anything that’s not a metaphor?”

Buck, face red up to the hairline now, just shrugs. “I had a-a speech, okay? I was n-nervous and it was long so I had to paraphrase.”

Finally, Hen sighs, not unkindly.

Chim chuckles, kinda unkindly.

Eddie looks almost as embarrassed as Buck and murmurs, “Sorry, man,” to Tommy as the realization hits it was just his best friend being a huge dumbass and Tommy actually didn’t do anything to deserve a beating.

Tommy, his entire focus on his boyfriend and not paying them any attention, pulls Buck’s arms down and lifts his face up again. He gives him a smile. “I said no because I thought you were asking to go on a trip, Evan,” he says softly. “And that we’ve just got a mortgage together and can’t afford one.” He shakes his head. “I was covered in grease, Pearl Jam was playing in the background, I wasn’t paying attention.”

Still looking abashed but at least not snotty anymore, Buck says, “N-no. No. It’s my fault. I’m sorry, Tommy,” he says with a shrug.

Tommy smiles again. “It’s okay, baby.” For a moment, he rubs his boyfriend’s arms up and down, then says, “Sooo…”

Buck, realizing the faint pink on his boyfriend’s face, looks at him with the roundest eyes. “You mean…?”

“Well…” Tommy shrugs. “Are you gonna ask me for real or what?”

The sun dawns on Buck’s face. His eyes go bright with fresh but happier tears. “Yea-yeah.” He nods frantically. “Tommy. W-will you marry me?”

“Yes,” Tommy says. Buck pounces on him with a kiss that gets a surprised moan from him as Hen, Chimney, and Eddie start clapping and Buck cries again and so does Tommy and later that night, Buck gives him the perfect ring he had picked out and come Saturday they actually go to the greatest restaurant in LA and Tommy listens as Buck explains every step of his original proposal and all the metaphors he’s curated carefully for his speech.

The end.

[kinardsevan]

I can't stop thinking about an alternative timeline where Buck and Tommy have an amazing first date (drinks, meal, movie etc), but it only goes so perfectly because Buck hasn't realised he'd asked Tommy out on a date!

As there's no pressure Buck's happily flirting and being himself, so excited as he's hanging out with this super cool guy, that he's had all of his attention so evening, right up until Tommy walks him to his front door and smooches him.

Then when he's alone, all dazed and giddy, he kind of traces back over the whole night and realises his much sense it all makes, and He Has A Boyfriend!

oh anon. I don't now if this was intended to be a prompt, but it became one 😂

It felt like the world had just dropped at his feet. The way Tommy’s lips brushed over his, tongue sliding along his bottom lip and then suddenly inside, with one hand curled under Evan’s chin and the other on his hip, pulling him in. And like… he hadn’t expected any of it. But the way everything inside his chest felt when Tommy’s lips were on his, so gentle and unexpecting, was as though all the water had been sucked out of the earth, leaving him standing on the ground floor of the ocean, entirely unaware of where he was, and yet so utterly fascinated by all that surrounded him. A world he’d never seen, let alone touched. 

But then Tommy pulls away and it almost feels like he’s lost something, which doesn’t really make sense because how can you lose something that doesn’t exist? Tommy steps back, his gaze moving from Evan’s to his lips and then back up, a small, warm smile on his own lips. 

“Goodnight, Evan,” he murmurs, and then he’s turning to walk away, and the blonde is just standing there, watching the other man retreat towards the elevator, enamored and a little breathless. 

He feels he’s trying to solve a crossword puzzle backward. Like someone gave him all the answers, but didn’t tell him any of the questions. He’d offered to buy Tommy a beer, and that had turned into dinner and a movie, both of which Tommy had paid for, and that…that was a date, he realizes. Which is kind of wild, because sure, he enjoys checking out a hot guy’s ass from time to time—he’s definitely noticed Tommy’s—but he’s never pieced two and two together, thought he could have something like this…

He whips his head over then, hears the familiar sound of the around the corner at the end of the hall, and takes off running, making it around the corner just as Tommy starts to step towards the open doors. 

“Wait,” he states, more breathless now. Tommy raises his eyebrows at him, curious. 

Evan stands there for a moment, questioning himself, the right next move. Is there a right next move? He’s not sure. 

Tommy lets out a knowing smile in his direction, and that flips the switch for him. He crosses the six feet between them and slides his hand across Tommy’s neck, pulling him back in, this time his tongue seeking the invitation. Tommy’s hand is on his back then, pressing their torsos together, leaning into the kiss. Evan moans softly into his mouth, feeling like someone just plugged him in like a Christmas tree because he’s suddenly lit up from head to toe. 

“Hmm,” Tommy hums softly, finally pulling away a beat later. He has that same smile on his face, and while one part of Evan just wants to inhale him whole in one fell swoop, he’s also not ready. 

“That was nice,” Tommy rasps, brushing a thumb over Evan’s bottom lip. Evan smiles back at him, lean back in and kisses him one more time, light and chaste. When he pulls away, he takes a moment before opening his eyes, relishing in it. 

“I really have to go now,” Tommy murmurs to him, taking a step towards the elevator. Evan’s hand slides off his neck, down his arm to his hand, squeezing gently before he lets it go. 

“Goodnight,” he says softly, just the slightest dusting of pink in his cheeks. 

Tommy smiles back at him. “Good night. I’ll call you tomorrow.” 

[sofa-king-lame]

“I’ll kick his ass if you want me to.” - Buddie

I very slightly tweaked the quote but it’s essentially the same.

Inspired by the ‘Company Picnic’ episode of The Office

—

Despite having been at the 118 for around eight years, the 2025 LAFD Annual Family Picnic was the first one Buck at ever attended. As a probie he had to stay behind with C-shift and got stuck with the weirdest calls of his career (a woman who tried to swallow her snake before it swallowed her first is a mental image he’s never quite been able to shake). Second year he was in a full-leg cast, and third year he hadn’t quite been able to bring himself to face any of the higher-ups after the lawsuit. Fourth year was right after Eddie got shot and he didn’t feel much like celebrating, and fifth year the picnic happened while Eddie was working at dispatch and Buck volunteered to work so he didn’t have to face the picnic without him. He was in a coma in his sixth year, and Tommy had been a bit weird about them going together so Tommy they decided not to go.

This year Buck is determined to go and enjoy himself. Who is he to turn down a free banquet that includes Bobby’s mac and cheese, Hen’s cheesecake bites, the utterly phenomenal mandu that Park from the 134 makes, and the LAFD famous turkey smash burgers? Oh, there’s also the added bonus of the fact that he’s with Eddie now and gets to walk into the picnic hand-in-hand with the hottest fucking guy on the west coast (on any coast, really).

Buck’s in line for burgers when he spots Tommy lounging on a picnic blanket with a guy Buck vaguely recognises from Harbour Station (Matthews? Marks?). Eddie must have seen him as well, because within seconds he’s by Buck’s side and sliding a hand into one of the back pockets of his jeans.

“Missed you,” Eddie murmurs into Buck’s ear, making him shiver despite the blazing midday LA sun.

“I’ve been gone less than five minutes,” Buck laughs, leaning into Eddie and slipping an arm around his waist. He’ll probably never get over the thrill of getting to touch Eddie like this, getting to show him off to everyone they work with.

“You should be away from me for zero minutes,” Eddie grumbles before casually kissing his cheek and temple. Buck hums contentedly and closes his eyes, allowing Eddie to guide him forward as the line moves.

“You know, I honestly would have thought it would be at least another year before the two of you got together,” comes a snort from somewhere to Buck’s left. He unfortunately immediately recognises the teasing tone - Tommy often used it when Buck tried to share whatever interesting fact he’d just read or heard about.

“Why’s that?” Buck sighs, not even opening his eyes. He’s not exactly surprised that Tommy suspected they’d end up together - Buck had immediately thought of Eddie when Tommy said he wasn’t Buck’s last.

“Eddie was way too repressed when you and I were dating. Would have figured at least another six months of therapy and then six months of freaking out,” Tommy laughs. Buck’s eyes snap open now and Eddie must feel him tense up because his hand leaves Buck’s back pocket and comes up to rest between his shoulder blades, gently applying pressure to where Buck carries his stress.

“Walk away, Kinard,” Eddie tells him through gritted teeth. Tommy snorts again and walks off shaking his head, re-joining…Michaels? Merls? Who-the-fuck-ever, on the picnic rug.

“Want me to kick his ass for you?” Buck asks in a low voice.

“I shouldn’t have to ask you to do things like that,” Eddie sighs. “You should just do it.”

“Okay,” Buck murmurs, kissing Eddie firmly. “Let’s eat first and then if I can still move after eating my body weight in mandu I’ll kick his ass.”

“Sounds good,” Eddie grins.

Buck doesn’t end up kicking Tommy’s ass. He gets too busy staring at Eddie’s ass when a game of volleyball kicks off, and “accidentally” grabbing it instead of the ball. Eddie doesn’t complain though, instead tackles Buck to the ground and kisses him right there, on the floor, in front of the Chief. They’re definitely coming back next year. If they’re not uninvited for public indecency first.

[aplaceinme]

For @leashybebes

Thank you so much for requesting this! I really hope you like it!! 💜💜

Song number 73 is “Wildfire” by SYML

“Tommy?” Buck asks, letting himself inside Tommy’s place. 

They had given each other’s keys about a month ago in case of emergencies. It is also a way for them to get inside, and get comfortable while waiting for the other to come home from a shift. After all, it’s quite common for one of them to be late due to a call taking too long. 

They weren’t supposed to meet tonight, but Buck is worried about Tommy. They have hardly texted today, which is weird for them since they are always exchanging texts during their shifts. Even if one of them is not working while the other is –a strange circumstance since they made sure to try to have the same shifts– they are still texting each other about random stuff. Except for today. That, together with the fact that yesterday Tommy canceled on him saying he had a migraine, has made Buck start spiralling with worry. 

Buck has been trying to control his insecurities, to stop thinking that everyone will walk away from him, and since dating Tommy he has gotten better at that. Tommy has an uncanny ability to reassure Buck in different ways. He does it in the way he looks at him, with fondness and adoration, and how he is always quick to compliment Buck about anything and everything. It’s in the way he always keeps in mind the things that Buck likes and dislikes. In the way he always tries to touch him, and not even in a sexual way –though there is plenty of that of course– but in a loving way: a hand on the small of his back, an arm wrapped around his waist when walking, holding his hand whenever possible, cuddling him when watching a movie and in bed, and hugging him any chance he gets. It’s also in the way he listens attentively to Buck’s rambling, asking questions, and later remembering all the details. His love is present in practically every single thing Tommy does and says around Buck. 

That’s why Buck’s sure that Tommy is not trying to ghost him, thinking of breaking up with him, needing a break from him, or anything like that. But something has happened, and Buck needs to know what so that he can help Tommy with whatever he might need. 

“Tommy?” He asks again after not receiving an answer. 

The entire place is quiet and dark. It’s such a contrast to how it usually is that Buck feels weird and his worry grows tenfold. 

Turning on his phone flashlight Buck looks in the living room, Tommy’s office, and then the garage. After not finding him in any of those places, Buck goes upstairs and calls his name again. 

As he nears the bedroom, he starts to hear some soft sniffling. Feeling his heart pounding in his chest and getting goosebumps all over, he carefully opens the bedroom door. 

Tommy is lying on his side, facing away from the door and he is crying softly. 

With his heart breaking into tiny pieces but also alarmed at what could be the cause of this, Buck approaches the bed, climbs into it and hugs Tommy from behind. 

“Evan?” Tommy asks, startled and with a hoarse voice.

Tommy sits up quickly, dislodging Buck’s arms from around him. “What are you doing here?” 

“I was worried about you,” Buck explains, carefully grabbing Tommy’s hands, which are aggressively wiping his tears away. 

“I’m fine,” Tommy says, even though tears keep slowly falling from his eyes.

Buck gently wipes the tears away, and then cups Tommy’s cheeks. “You’re not, love. What’s wrong? You can tell me.” 

Shaking his head, Tommy replies, “No, no, if I tell you I will start to ugly cry again and I can’t… I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m a mess, and I’m not supposed to- It’s too much… You shouldn’t see me like this!” Tommy gestures at his face and the state he is in.

After taking a deep breath, Buck grabs one of Tommy's hands and entwines their fingers, giving it a little squeeze.  “Listen closely to me, ok?” 

As his lips tremble and his breathing shudders, Tommy nods hesitantly.

“Do you remember when the 118 got the call about a trailer truck tipping over and falling over someone? How that accident made me have flashbacks of being trapped under the fire engine?” Buck asks in a soothing voice. 

Tommy opens his mouth to speak but Buck doesn’t let him say anything. 

“Do you remember how much of a mess I was? How that night I dreamt that I had lost my leg so I woke up screaming and sobbing?” 

Buck waits for Tommy to nod again before continuing, “And do you remember what you did? You comforted me. You hugged me while I sobbed, not caring that I was getting snot all over your shoulder and chest. And when I apologized and made the self-deprecating comment that I bet I looked like hell, you told me… do you remember what you told me?”

“That you looked beautiful,” Tommy whispers. 

“Yeah, that’s what you said. And it’s the truth for you, too. There’s nothing that would make me think you’re not the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.” Buck says softly. “You were my rock then, let me be your rock now.”

Tommy sucks in a shuddering breath and buries his face into Evan’s neck, hugging him tight. His body shakes as sobs begin to erupt from his throat. 

Buck swallows the lump in his throat and strokes Tommy’s back in soothing circles. 

Eventually, Tommy tells him that it’s the death anniversary of Alex, the only friend he made during his time in the Air Force. He confesses that he had almost forgotten about it, his mind not registering the date, and how guilty he feels about it. 

Buck holds him and lets him talk about his friend, not interrupting once. Tommy tells him about how Alex was also a closeted soldier, and how they understood each other from the start, becoming thick as thieves. In many ways, Alex had been like the brother Tommy never had. On that fateful day, Alex had requested to go on a dangerous mission instead of Tommy and that was the last time Tommy saw him alive.

When Tommy falls asleep in his arms, exhausted, Buck keeps holding onto him, and silently thanks Alex for saving Tommy’s life.

[matan4il]

911 ep 704 first watch reactions

IDK if anyone else will talk about this, but Josh and Maddie were a great comedic start to this ep! XD Also. Interesting choice to give Josh, the currently only openly gay male character on the show, more lines again. Is it a reminder he's there, so he can be a part of Buck's journey later on? *eyes emoji* We'll see.

All of these pretty women (I should also mention that as a non-American, all the gasped, "It's Joey!" "It's you!" "It's me!" are missing me by a kilometer. Whoever Joey is, he's not Madonna yet, if you want me to get excited about him, 911, you're gonna have to give me a bit more than a single name), hitting on Buck and Eddie, and the ease with which both men turn them down... Sure, this is a part of the set up regarding Buck, and Eddie technically has an excuse, but also. Most straight, taken men would at least be tempted. They'd at least bite their lips with frustration. Have some reaction. But not Eddie. And when you remember that he was distinctly not taken in ep 204, but still had the same reaction to pretty young women hitting on him and Buck... I know this ep is all about celebrating the 'oh' moment of another guy, but that's not gonna stop me from rooting for Eddie to have similar realizations eventually (and get together with that certain other guy *cough*).

LMAO So, Buck is meeting up with the guy who's gonna be his sexual awakening, a man who's good looking, gave him a thrill already, is an impressive fighter pilot, and the first thing he can think of to say, is blurt out Eddie's name? LMAO Oh, this boy really is down bad...

Man, that bit where Tommy tells Buck he can have it both ways, he can get certified and continue to serve with the 118. Thanks for the beautiful foreshadowing, 911. Buck saying he's keeping his options fluid... Holy shit, the show really wasn't holding any punches back.

OMG, why is Harry old enough to be making Bathena waffles (and then turn out to be involved in an altercation)? I swear, he was still on baby formula just a second ago. How did 7 seasons just fly by!?

Buck getting jealous over Eddie and Tommy sparring. Considering the fact that Buck was the one getting all hot and bothered over semi-naked Eddie in the gym in 201, and ready to jump into a boxing match with him, this is making me wanna punch a wall myself. The symbolism in this ep is NOT very veiled. Add to that Eddie mentioning how he and Tommy met and just... clicked. In the same conversation that reminds us of Buddie' in 201's first meeting, where they clicked? (even though they were both too dumb to realize in what way) 911, just let me catch my breath for a second challenge! Also, Eddie is dating Tommy more intensely than he is Marisol? Okay. Duly noted. These firefighters are both so freaking hetero, I'm sure that's exactly what every casual viewer was telling themselves at this point. And poor Buck, getting his hopes up that Eddie is asking him when he's free, so they can go on a date themselves, only to be let down. Poor baby boy. But this feels like it's spelling out the answer to whether Buck's jealous over Tommy or Eddie. So, yay for Tommy helping him with his bi awakening. But it's clear who's really occupying Buck's heart and mind, and whose time he wants. FOR SIX FREAKING SEASONS NOW.

Oh, it's continuing, the show really is trying to kill me, having Buck complain to Maddie about how often Eddie has been seeing Tommy. The annoyance with how cool Tommy is, that's exactly Buck's reaction to Eddie in 201. So, if Buck and Tommy will then kiss, what does that say about what Buck didn't even realize he wanted to happen with Eddie back then, hmmm? I also love that Buck wants to be the cooler "dad's friend" in Christopher's eyes. That's his son, you can't take that away from him. And of course, Maddie was his first confidante about his feels for Eddie, she was the first one to call out his boy crush (in 204) and to hear Buck automatically think about Eddie, when he hears, "He's cute!" (in 206). It's so freaking right that she is now the witness to Buck's bi jealousy meltdown. I love her calling him out on it. "Is it circled with a heart around it?" Honestly, this is better than front row seats at the Bachelor mansion. I'm just disappointed in Chimney and his imaginary popcorn that he doesn't get to witness all of this firsthand and get what it means. Letting down all Bachelor fans out there, Chim. -_-

And then Buck's back in the gym, staring at Eddie, feathers ruffled. Am I going to make it to the end of this ep? Who cares? This is fantastic! XD He tries to catch Eddie's attention with the little weightlifting without a spotter stunt, and it's specifically him. Chim turned out to also be impressed by how cool Tommy is, but Buck is circling Eddie, like a clueless Jane Austen heroine, about to become a hit teen romance movie. Ravi falling for Buck's weightlifting attention trap is just getting in the way. Chim asking about Buck's weird basketball hugging session is nothing but a way to get to the ball game with Eddie. Okay, I'm at the point where I need to be chewing on imaginary popcorn.

Athena is one of the strongest characters on television, ever. Precisely because she's not just tough when she has to be, she has a heart, too. The scene where she told the woman she accidentally killed her own son was hard to just watch. IDK how she actually did that. I'm not sure if viewers who aren't moms get it, 'coz I didn't until I went with my sister through her pregnancy. Motherhood changes you forever. You feel your kid moving inside you. You bond with them in the most intimate way possible before they're even born. You go on a wild journey with them after, where every second counts, let alone every hour and every day, when they're hungry, when they're cold, when they struggle to sleep, when they finally do, when they take their first step, when they fail and fall... The love and protectiveness are something different to anything else in life. IDK how Athena, who gets all of this, managed to break the news to this mother, that she had unknowingly killed her own kid. I think to me, this has to be the most devastating scene in the entire history of the show. IDK if I'll be able to watch it again.

When basketball game scene starts, and Chimney knows something's up, I was already chuckling. But then Eddie sees them, and the first thing isn't expressing joy that his best friend is there, it's asking how did Chim talk him into this. "He always says no to me." They BOTH always talk about each other in romantic coded language, it's not just Buck, and in the same ep where we get bi Buck confirmed, that makes me froth at the mouth...

"So I'm your basketball beard. I feel so bonded." Not Chimney calling Buck out, while using the term for closeted gay guys using someone as a cover. I AM SCREAMING. Thank you, 911 gods!

That montage with Eddie and Tommy high fiving each other right in front of Buck's salad face, while their muscles glisten in the sun, and Top Gun-like music plays in the background, like the biggest nod to the volleyball scene from that gayest movie ever made, which we already had Buddie paraphrasing in 201. I am fine, this is fine. I love this burning kitchen I'm sitting in.

Buck causing Eddie's injury because of his jealousy (which again, is not about Tommy. He made an impression on Chim as well, who was screaming, "Buck, I'm open! I'm OPEN!") and not even getting to offer some help, because Tommy's already on it... I hope ABC is happy with their viewership dropping next week, because they've killed every Buddie shipper in the fandom.

"Well, I'm not a 14 year old girl..." Both Buck and Maddie together: "So stop acting like one." Love this scene, love these siblings, love that the reference with the two blonde Sarahs sounds platonic, but it's also from a past season on the Bachelor. 911 really wants you to know this is romantic, and Buck's going through a late sexual awakening in his 30's, instead of in his teens, even before he's able to see it.

So, the conclusion to Buck and Maddie's convo is that he needs to talk to Eddie, to make it better, yet the person he ends up talking to is Tommy, and that leads to the bi awakening kiss... It's a classic rom com switch, we hear a knock at the door, we expect it to be THE love interest, showing up at the right time, and it's someone else, making the protagonist's romantic journey so close, but about to get longer. It's further emphasized by a shot over Tommy's shoulder, in a way that he can easily be confused for Eddie, and which is reminiscent of moment when we saw Buck standing at Eddie's door, or both of them there toegther.

It was a nice talk, I loved Tommy saying he can't replace Buck, I def noticed how he went to talk about it in the context of Chris instead of Eddie (hmmm... I wonder why), but my fave part was how Buck glowed when he heard his son doesn't shut up about him. ^u^ He even took a second to look away from Tommy, to take it in with a huge grin. Then Buck and Tommy start warming up to each other, moving towards flirtation, and what comes out of Buck's mouth? "You don't have to tell me how great Eddie is." That's not how you flirt with a guy, Buck. I liked Tommy kissing him, and Buck not recoiling. Like he's always known on some level, but could never do anything about it. "That's better than fake mouth static." LOL The stuff that great romance is made of.

I'm SO happy Buck is getting this storyline of realization he's bi, I've thought it would be important and that the show has laid some groundwork for it since 107, and I don't mind that Tommy is the "romantic other" who helps him with it. I do believe this is important bi representation in and of itself, away from Buddie, and if nothing else ever comes of it, this is still beyond wonderful. In 2024, we still barely have any characters who start out presumed straight, and are allowed the freedom to figure out that maybe their sexual orientation is different than what they thought, despite the fact that in reality, human sexuality is complex and confusing and a mess. So this really matters to me, as a human being, and as a queer person. That said, I can't ignore the past 5 seasons, and the way this storyline played out, with Tommy kissing Buck, but the whole thing being emotionally centered around Buck's feelings for Eddie, it means that whether they go canon or not (and at this point, I find it hard to believe they'd make Buck canonically bi, taking this HUGE risk of homophobic backlash, and not go there with him and Eddie, but just in case they don't, I wanna say this), it'll always be Buddie for me.

Thank you for reading! If you're looking for more, you can find my s7 reactions tag here, and more of my Buddie meta and content in my pinned post. xoxox

[inawickedlittletown]

Meet Cute - Bucktommy one-shot

Summary: Buck and Tommy get asked to explain how they met when they run into the person behind the instagram, meet cutes LA. (Inspired by meetcutesnyc) Words: 1.3k Read on Ao3

-

They were just walking down the street, Buck a little more preoccupied with figuring out if they were headed in the right direction to where they were supposed to be meeting up with Maddie and Chim. He should have listened to Tommy and agreed on taking an Uber. Parking had been a bit of a nightmare, but it was nice enough out that he didn’t mind the walk, assuming they found the restaurant soon. 

So, he didn’t even notice the guy with the camera. Then again, in LA there were always guys — and girls — with cameras. He’d responded to enough calls to do with influencers doing something stupid for clout. 

It was Tommy that stopped first when the guy with the camera called out to them. “Hey, excuse me.” 

“Yeah?” Tommy asked. “Can we help you?” 

Buck had to backtrack a couple of paces, but he fitted his shoulder against Tommy’s and looked at the guy curiously. 

“You guys are a couple right?” 

Buck felt Tommy stiffen a little. He reached and grabbed for his hand, gave it a squeeze. 

“Yeah,” he said. 

The guy was young, probably early twenties. His hair was a little floppy on his forehead and his glasses hid brown eyes. Despite having approached them of his own volition, he looked a little nervous. It made Buck relax a little. 

“I’m Max. I uh, there’s this thing I do. Meet Cutes LA. You probably haven’t seen it but I post primarily on insta, but I’m on TikTok as well. I film real couples out in the wild and ask them to tell me how they met and got together. Would you guys be willing to tell me your story?” 

Buck shared a glance with Tommy and shrugged.

“I guess that’s alright,” Tommy said. 

Max brightened. “Cool. Alright. I like to get permission first, but I want it to look like I just approached you randomly, it’s my whole aesthetic. So if you could go back a few feet and start walking past me and then stop when I call you over?” 

“Is this going to take long?” Buck asked. “We have somewhere to be—”

“It won’t. Ten minutes tops. I promise.” 

Tommy nudged him. “Come on, Evan, don’t you like being the center of attention.” 

“Shut up,” Buck said. “You realize that no one’s going to believe how we met.” 

So they walked a bit back and then when Max had his camera up and had given them a thumbs up, they started walking forward again just like they had before.  

“Excuse me! I have a question for you.” 

“Alright,” Tommy said. 

“How did you two meet?” Max asked. 

Buck shared a look with Tommy. 

“We could have met a good six or seven times before we actually met. Actually, we share an ex. He took my spot at the firestation he still works at. We have so many mutual friends. But we still met in an unbelievable way. You tell it, Evan,” Tommy said. 

“He’s a firefighter pilot,” Buck offered. “Best pilot in the LAFD.”

Tommy rolled his eyes. 

“I’m also a firefighter,” Buck continued, “My Captain and his wife went on a cruise and there was a hurricane and pirates. Anyway, to keep things uncomplicated, we had to go rescue them and one of my coworkers who used to work with Tommy, called Tommy to fly us out into the hurricane.”

“Just like that,” Max said. “You just answered that call and said sure.” 

Tommy rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I owed Howie, but it was also the right thing to do. I mean, that’s kind of the job. Helping people.”

“Anyway, we flew out and he landed the helicopter on a capsized cruise ship. I thought he was so cool.” 

Tommy smiled at him. “I thought he was really cute…I also thought he was straight.” 

“I thought I was straight too,” Buck admitted. “Didn’t understand why I wanted to see him again after that night.” 

From behind the camera, Max’s eyebrows had shot up, it was clear that he hadn’t expected the story they were telling. No one ever really did. 

“So how did you get together?”

“He kissed me,” Buck said and he would never forget that kiss, surprising as it had been. 

That kiss had opened his eyes, it had changed everything for him. Looking at Tommy, he could tell that Tommy was remembering too. Tommy had taken a huge risk. 

“After the rescue?” Max asked. 

“A few weeks later. Evan has a bit of a possessive edge to him.” 

Buck glared at him. “I do not. I was misguided and upset because you were giving Eddie all of your attention.” 

“Who’s Eddie?” 

“My best friend who was monopolizing all of his time.” 

“So you maimed him,” Tommy said. 

Max’s eyes widened and he mouthed, ‘maimed’. 

“His ankle was fine two days later,” Buck countered. “I, uh, went to play basketball with them and—”

“And he hates basketball,” Tommy said. “Anyway, I went over to clear the air and I just took a chance. I thought he was mad I was taking up Eddie’s time. I didn’t realize it was my attention that he wanted all along.” 

“And I discovered that I’ve been a chaotic bisexual this whole time,” Buck said. “I had no idea why I was acting so insane and then he kissed me and it all made sense.” 

They shared another smile and Buck was tempted to lean over and kiss him, didn’t know if Tommy would appreciate that especially since they were being filmed and it would be posted somewhere for people to see it. 

“Wow. So, how long ago was that?” Max asked. 

“A little over two years,” Buck said. 

“So, you’ve been together ever since?” 

Buck shook his head. He didn’t like thinking about that period of time. The months of heartbreak and longing. The amount of baking he’d accomplished and how even that had stopped working after a while. 

 “There was a small blip of time, but we worked it out. Stronger than ever,” Tommy said and then he pulled away from Buck a little. “So strong that, there’s actually a question I’ve been wanting to ask. Now seems as good as any time.”

Buck froze. Tommy pulled his hand away and Buck watched Tommy kneel. Max let out an excited squeal and he was still filming as Tommy took a little box out of his pocket. Buck only had eyes for him, for his big hands that fumbled the box nervously.  

“Evan Buckley, I love you more than I could ever hope to express. I never once thought that I could find the person I’d want forever with, but I met you probably at the exact time that it was meant to happen, at a time when we were both ready for each other. And now, I think we’re ready for a different step. Do you want to take that step with me? Would you marry me?” 

Buck nodded eagerly. “Yes. Yes. Yes, of course.” 

A ring was slipped onto his finger and then Tommy’s lips were on his and several people were cheering, Max perhaps louder than anyone else. 

-

A few days later, Buck got a DM from @meetcutesla 

Meetcutesla: Hey. It’s Max. I’m going to be posting your meet cute story tomorrow. I just wanted to double check that you’re okay with me including the proposal. 

Buck touched the ring on his finger. It still felt, if he was being honest, foreign on his finger. But he loved it. 

Buckley118: Still good with that. Takes some of the pressure off of telling everyone ourselves. 

Meetcutesla: lmao. You guys are the best, I better get an invite to that wedding. 

What Buck was not expecting was for the video to blow up, not that he or Tommy really cared or minded. Buck for his part liked watching it, seeing their love displayed for the world.