#and of course ~buck sleeping on eddie's couch~

[buckleyseddie]

all i can say is, i was enchanted to meet you .・。.・゜✭ [1] [2] [3]

happy birthday @cowboy-buck ♡

[the-fools-prince]

Looking forward to when eddie comes back to LA and he and buck argue who gets the bed

[bybobbysbeard]

Let’s look at this from Tommy’s perspective.

He regrets the breakup. He admits to wanting to reach out, and even driving past the loft. Buck doesn’t say he missed him too, but he does invite him home. They reconnect (passionately) and Tommy must wake up feeling hopeful. He goes grocery shopping, cooks breakfast, buy champagne. Maybe they’ll celebrate, or at least have mimosas.

Buck wakes up, and the first thing he says is: “I thought you left.” Ouch. Shortly followed by: “Last night doesn’t change anything.” Rough start.

But Tommy’s been missing him, so he makes the leap. Asks Buck out again. Buck says “You want to try again?” Doesn’t say if that’s what he wants too. Instead, he says “You’re not scared any more?” So Tommy reveals an insecurity, couched in a joke, like always. He’s jealous of the family Buck has, and he’s worried about his place in it. Eddie and Buck are so close, and Buck is obviously missing him, holding onto whatever part he can. Tommy’s threatened by the “unattainable straight friend”, and yeah maybe that’s shitty, but fears aren’t always rational.

Buck calls him on it. Pushes. Tommy backtracks. Buck gets mad. Says: “I don’t have to sleep with everyone I have feelings for, and I don’t have feelings for everyone I sleep with.”

The audience has been watching Buck spiral for months. We’ve seen the baking, the obsessive phone checking, the constant name-dropping. In a few scenes, we’ll see Buck confirm to Maddie that he is not in love with Eddie, that he misses him, but doesn’t want him that way.

Tommy doesn’t see any of that.

Of course he ran.

[buckadoodledoo]

and well the thing about buddie roommates is that crucially of course they are sharing the bed. because eddie refused to kick buck out of the bedroom after he SUBLETTED HIS HOUSE FOR HIM to get chris back and buck refused to let eddie sleep on the couch because it's STILL HIS HOUSE. so they are sharing the bed. and they are waking up every morning with limbs tangled and both trying so so so hard not to think -> i wish it could be like this forever (it Can you idiots). but also the first couple of nights. before they start sharing the bed. they fall asleep on the couch together. because they're both being annoying and stubborn about trying to give each other the bed. eddie's like, i'm not kicking you out of your bed. and buck's like, this is YOUR HOUSE eddie (chuckle. throwback to THIS ISN'T HIS HOUSE. HE'S A RENTER) you're not sleeping on the couch. and eddie's like, well i guess we're at an impasse. and buck's like, yeah. i guess we are. and eddie's like, okay! 😊 and makes himself comfy on the couch. and buck's like, okay! 😁 and makes himself comfy right next to him. and they fall asleep half on top of each other on the couch. this happens again the next night before they're both like, okay this is stupid, probably we should just both sleep in the bed.

[butchdiaz]

can't stop thinking about the morning after the breakdown right now. eddie slept on the couch. his room was a mess. his bed had glass in it so he slept on the couch. but buck slept over too. where did he sleep? on the floor next to eddie? did he sleep at all? or did he just lay there listening to eddie's breathing, watching the rise and fall of his chest, thanking god that he's here and he's safe with every little sniffle and snore? maybe he saw the sun start to creep through the curtains and eased himself up with cracking knees, holding his breath until eddie snored again, sound asleep. and he reached over and adjusted the blanket to cover him a little better and just watched him for a moment, looking so peaceful in sleep. so different to the pain on every line of his face the night before. then buck wakes chris up, a gentle hand on his shoulder. says Hey Bud. Time to get ready for school. We have to be Quiet though. Your Dad's still sleeping on the couch. chris whispers Okay Buck. and buck knows it's usually cereal on school days but he whips up pancakes with chocolate chips because. well. it was a hard night. chris slowly opens the kitchen door to avoid it creaking and sits down, still in his pjs, crutches left behind in his bedroom. and they eat in silence. there's a million questions on chris's tongue and most of them are Is Dad Okay? but he doesn't ask, because it's a stupid question. because he peeked into the bedroom while buck was making breakfast and saw the holes in the wall. buck steps outside while chris is finishing up and dials. Good Morning Buck, bobby says. Hey Bobby. Um. Could you come over to Eddie's house? He kind of. Uh. Lost it. Last night. And I Have to take chris to school soon and I just. Don't want him to be alone. When he wakes up. theres a little pause then. Of Course. Be there in 20. buck does the dishes, checks on chris, checks on eddie. hears the car pull up and opens the door. bobby gives him one look before pulling him into a hug and buck has to fight back sudden tears. and eddie makes a noise in his sleep like he's distressed and they both look over. and bobby whispers What Happened Buck? and buck tells him. He destroyed his room. Went at it with a baseball bat. Chris was so scared. I was...Fuck. Everyone he saved is dead, Bobby. and bobby understands, more than buck ever will and says, I'll have a cup of coffee waiting for him. buck drives chris to school and chris finally asks Is Dad gonna be okay? feeling like he's five years old. and buck says, Yeah. He just needs a little help right now. chris voice Are you gonna help him? buck voice Yeah buddy. I'm gonna try. and he vows to stay glued to eddie's side. just until he feels better. or maybe forever.

[burnthatbridge]

if you love him let him go (if you love him let him know) 

pre-buddie, bucktommy | T | 3k | angst, pining tommy needs to tell eddie something not on ao3 atm because i can't figure out if this is done or if i'm continuing it - please let me know your thoughts! now on ao3 because i hate not having all my fic in one place

“Can I get you another beer, man?”

Eddie checks his watch. It’s only a little after nine thirty. He’s kind of hoping to get home before Chris goes to sleep, but he’ll not be heading to bed any time soon, will likely stay up later than Eddie. Friday night means he disregards his supposed bedtime — not that he sticks to it that well on school nights, now he’s sixteen. “Sure, thanks.”

Tommy nods, disappears into the kitchen, returns a moment later with a can of IPA in one hand, a bottle of lager in the other. They’ve already finished the six-pack Eddie brought over, but trust Buck — well, Buck and Tommy — to have Eddie’s favorite beer in their fridge. Tommy hands over the can, already cracked open, and Eddie takes a sip as Tommy settles down at the opposite end of the couch. He doesn’t turn to face the TV, sits twisted towards Eddie instead, but he does pick up the remote and turn down the volume, the post-fight commentary rendered nearly unintelligible. 

“I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Eddie twists towards Tommy himself, something not-quite-anxious-but-almost flaring in his chest. Over the years they have been friends, he and Tommy have spoken about lots of things, including those not so easy to discuss: their respective experiences in the army, Tommy’s tough childhood, Eddie’s difficult parents, the hard aspects of the job. But they’ve all been topics that have come up naturally, raised organically. Tommy has never led into anything with such a pointed opener before.

Eddie studies him. He has one knee pulled up on the couch cushion, foot poking out off the end, the other foot planted on the floor, nearly parallel to the base of the couch. One arm is up on the backrest, the other relaxed, beer bottle in that hand, resting on his thigh, dripping condensation painting a charcoal ring on his — probably Buck’s, in fact, given how tight the fabric is stretched over the muscle of his leg — grey sweats. He’s not tense, but he’s not smiling, and there’s something about his expression that Eddie can’t place. It’s not that he hasn’t seen this look before, because he’s pretty sure he has, witnessed it in flickers across numerous occasions over the years, there and then gone, present for but a heartbeat. But he’d never known what it meant any of those times and he certainly doesn’t now.

“'Course,” Eddie says, when Tommy doesn’t go on, seems to be waiting for some kind of sign. Then adds, feeling like it’s necessary given the gravity he can feel pulling this lightsome evening down to something more serious.  “Anything.”

Tommy sighs, bites his lip like he doesn’t want to speak, even though he’s the one who said he wanted to talk, then shakes his head and takes a pull of his beer.

“Is everything okay?” Eddie’s starting to feel worried now. He mentally scans back over the past few weeks, trying to remember if Tommy has mentioned anything about work that could be a problem. He saw him at basketball last week, and nothing had seemed off. Plus, Buck hasn’t said anything. Not that he’d necessarily tell Eddie about an issue Tommy was having, not if Tommy wanted it kept private, but Eddie can usually tell when Buck’s concerned about someone, and he hasn’t picked up on anything, not at all. 

But maybe this isn’t about a problem Tommy is having. Maybe this is a Buck problem, something Buck has kept from Eddie. It would make sense why Tommy would bring it up with him; sometimes a concerted, multi-person effort is the only way to get through to Buck. And Tommy’s more likely to bring in Eddie first, and then expand the team to include Maddie, Chim, more, as needed. 

“Is Buck okay?” Eddie asks, something like panic constricting his throat, making the words come out a little strangled. 

Tommy actually laughs at that, a small, choked thing, an exhale of sound and air. He shakes his head again, but not a no. More like an extension of the laugh, a motion to accompany it, to better convey the disbelief — not humor — contained in it. “He’s fine.”

It’s a relief to hear. Buck had seemed physically okay, when Eddie had seen him briefly before he left the house, since he’d maybe purposefully waited to order his Uber until Buck pulled up in his jeep outside, despite Christopher’s insistence he didn’t need to wait for Buck to arrive, despite the fact that his kid is more than old enough to be left in the house alone for the twenty minutes it would have taken Buck to drive over, while Eddie was ferried the opposite way. But there could still have been something, Buck could have been fighting through pain, much better at hiding any hurt of his body than he is at masking his emotional distress. 

“But,” Tommy says, and that one word is enough to have Eddie’s muscles tightening once more, “It is Evan I wanted to talk about.”

Again, Tommy doesn’t follow it up with anything. Eddie has found, in their time as friends, that Tommy is not often a man lost for words. Quite the opposite, in fact. He usually says what he means, means what he says, and is an expert at listening and delivering sage advice. This reticence– it doesn’t feel like it bodes well, has the hair on the back of Eddie’s neck prickling.

“Alright,” Eddie says, a feeble prompt. “So, Buck?”

Tommy nods, like he’s gearing himself up for something, to face a challenge, to take a punch. Eddie is expecting something bad, so the words he says catch him even more off guard than they would have. “I want to ask Evan to marry me.”

Maybe if Tommy had seemed eager, excited, when he turned to him, Eddie could have anticipated the blow, could have felt a creeping suspicion this is where Tommy was headed, could have been provided with enough of a heads-up to brace himself. As it is, he doesn’t see the hit coming, takes it full force to the chest, so hard it steals his breath, knocks the wind from him. His mouth goes slack, and he feels his fingers slide against the slippery sides of his beer can, almost spills it over Tommy and Buck’s lounge carpet before he gets a hold on it, on himself. He forces himself to smile. “That’s– that’s great,” he makes himself say, only faintly aware that Tommy isn’t smiling back, like this moment should call for. “Did you–” he swallows around the bile climbing his esophagus, “Do you want help planning the proposal?” He wishes he could take the words back the second they’re out. Because this — just hearing that Tommy wants to ask Buck — is torture enough. To be involved with it, to help enable it, Eddie will be lucky if it doesn’t kill him. Maybe not his body, but certainly his soul. 

“No.” Tommy shakes his head. “No, I want to ask him to marry me. But I’m not going to. At least, not now.”

Eddie squints at him. The news that Tommy wants to marry Buck might hurt Eddie, but it’s not exactly surprising. Eddie’s seen how much Tommy cares for him in the years they’ve been together, has seen the way he looks at him, the way they look at each other. Has felt the way it burns him, the scorching heat of flame, the searing cold of ice. He doesn’t understand what Tommy is saying, doesn’t understand why this proclamation seems not to be a happy one. “Why not?” Eddie asks, almost grateful for the opportunity to present confusion, curiosity, rather than forced pleasure at the thought of one of his closest friends and his– best friend marrying each other. “You guys are serious. I mean, you live together.”

Tommy huffs another laugh, still more disbelief than humor, really the opposite of humor. “His lease was up.”

“Right. But he chose not to renew it. He chose to move in with you,” Eddie says, slow, struggling to understand, the pounding of his pulse not helping him think clearly, see through the puzzle that is everything Tommy has said so far and the way he has said it. 

“He was never going to renew it,” Tommy tells him.

And that’s– that’s something Eddie didn’t know. He hates it when he learns information about Buck from Tommy, always has, even though he fights with everything in him not to feel like that. Tommy is Buck’s boyfriend, of course he’s going to know things about him that Eddie doesn’t, know him in a way that Eddie doesn’t. 

“We hadn’t spoken about living together,” Tommy says, eyes on Eddie. “But he’d said he thought the loft was too expensive and he was spending nearly every night at mine by that point. When he wasn’t on shift. Or at yours.” Eddie pulls his eyes away, takes a sip from his beer for something to do, even though the bitter taste is turning his stomach. “He said he wasn’t going to renew it, that he’d look for somewhere new, cheaper. But this was too close to the end of his lease to find a place before he had to move out. I asked where he was going to stay in the meantime.”

“And he said with you,” Eddie guesses, more a statement than a question.

But Tommy shakes his head. A smile curls his lips but his eyes– his eyes don’t match. “He said he’d crash on your couch, actually.”

Eddie takes another mouthful of beer, holds it there, on the back of his tongue. He didn’t know any of this. Buck would, of course, have been more than welcome. Likely why he hadn’t asked in advance, why he planned for it without seeking permission. 

“I said he could stay with me, instead. That he’d be able to sleep in a bed here.” Eddie swallows, the beer somehow thick and cloying in a way that it shouldn’t be. “And then when he started making noises about looking for a new place, I told him he should stay.”

While it’s not how Eddie had, unwillingly, pictured it in his head — Tommy and Buck mutually agreeing that Buck shouldn’t renew his lease, deciding they wanted to live together — it still doesn’t explain what Tommy has said. “And he did stay,” Eddie says. “So, why aren’t– Does Buck not want to get married?” But that can’t be it, that can’t be right. Eddie is certain Buck does want to be married, only he’d tried hard not to think of Buck wanting that with Tommy, with anyone. Anyone else. 

“No, he does,” Tommy confirms it. He leans over and deposits his beer on the coffee table. Then sits back, still turned to Eddie, but arms crossed over his chest, like a protection of himself. “We’ve spoken about it, discussed it. And he’s told me he’s always wanted that, to get married, to be part of a family.” Tommy pops one hand out of the fold of his arms to hold it up, out, quelling, like Eddie has protested. He hasn’t, but his heart is doing something approximating a riot at the idea of Tommy being Buck’s family. “And I know he has a family. He knows he does. In you and Chris, in Maddie and Jee, in the 118. But–” Tommy breaks off, tips his head to the side, gaze boring into Eddie’s face so strong that Eddie wishes he could turn away, duck and run. “You know how much he’s always wanted to belong somewhere.”

He does, Eddie thinks, the thought almost violent in its intensity. He belongs with me. Except, he doesn’t. Not really, not how Eddie wants, not the way he does with Tommy.

“And I want that for him,” Tommy goes on, tucking his hand back in, squeezing his arms tighter about himself. Eddie’s never seen him like this, hunched in on himself, curled small. Tommy is usually so open, larger than life. “I want to be the one to give that to him.”

Eddie wants to be the one to give that to him. Desires it desperately, a secret need he’s tucked as far inside himself as he can. He can feel it now, raging to be let out, to be set free. But he can’t, he won’t. Buck is with Tommy, he’s happy with Tommy. Tommy who is so warm and kind and good, Tommy who is better than Eddie in every conceivable way, who brings so much to Buck’s life, who gives all of himself to Buck. Who wants to give him even more. Wants to, but apparently won’t.

Eddie doesn’t understand. “Then, if you want to, why won’t you ask him?” he questions, trying to. 

“If I ask him now, he’ll say no.” Tommy states it like indisputable fact, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world that Buck would refuse him. 

Eddie shakes his head, understanding even less. “But he loves you.”

Tommy smiles again, then, larger than he had before, but as devoid of happiness, as empty of cheer. This smile hurts to see, reflects the way Eddie felt inside when Tommy had said I want to ask Evan to marry me. “I know he does.” Tommy’s tone is sure, but wistful. “But he loves you more.”

It’s like– It’s like nothing Eddie has ever felt. Or maybe it’s like everything he’s ever felt. The shock of a residual lightning bolt, the joy of being a part of the 118, the pain of a bullet ripping through his shoulder, the awe of holding his son for the first time. Eddie wants Tommy’s words to be true maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything. But he also cannot believe them, has no trust that they are true. Because they can’t be. Buck loves Tommy. Not Eddie. 

“We’re friends. Best friends,” Eddie points out. “Of course, he– he loves me. But not more. Not like he loves you. He’s in love with you.”

Tommy sighs, arms uncrossing, palms coming to rest on his thighs, body taking on a posture Eddie is familiar with, the one he falls into when he’s talking someone through something, the one he adopted when Eddie came out to him some six months ago. “Eddie, he’s in love with you.”

Eddie shakes his head. It’s everything he’s ever wanted to hear, but coming from the wrong lips. Spoken by not by Buck himself but by Buck’s boyfriend, oh god. “He isn’t. Tommy, he can’t be.” 

But Tommy is nodding, nodding like what he’s said is true, like he wants Eddie to believe it. 

“He’s not,” Eddie says, hears the denial, the disbelief spill from him. Buck doesn’t love him. He doesn’t. But Eddie– Eddie loves– “I’m sorry,” Eddie says, almost a gasp. “Tommy, I’m sorry, I–”

“It’s not your fault,” Tommy cuts him off. “I knew what I was getting into. When I started seeing Evan, I knew there were going to be three people in this relationship. I just–” Tommy sighs again, scrubs his palms along his thighs. “I didn’t expect it to get this far. I thought we’d just be a fun, easy thing. Something to ease Evan into his sexuality, that new part of himself. I didn’t expect it to go like this. I didn’t expect to feel like this.” Tommy closes his eyes, lashes falling to his cheeks. He breaths in and out, while Eddie’s own breath is caught in his chest. When Tommy opens his eyes, he says, “But I don’t have to tell you how easy it is to love him.”

Fuck. Tommy knows. Because Eddie does. He loves Buck, loves him so endlessly he doesn’t know where the feeling starts and where it ends. Doesn’t know when it started; doesn’t think it will ever end. “I’m sorry,” Eddie whispers, needing to say the words again, needing Tommy — his friend — to hear them. 

Tommy lifts one palm from his thigh, his wrist pressing into the muscle as he cuts his fingers to the side in a dismissal. “Don’t apologize for it. I’m certainly not going to. I’m never going to be sorry for loving him.” He drops his hand back down, pats his leg, emphasis of the point. “But it is a problem.” He smiles, rueful. “I thought I’d be able to break up with him, if he didn’t break up with me. I should have, ages ago. I certainly should have when you came out.” 

Eddie, selfishly, had hoped Buck would break up with Tommy then. But it had seemed like a farfetched fantasy. He had told Buck he was queer after Buck had already moved in with Tommy. He’d admitted it to himself, to Frank, before that, but hadn’t told anyone else for weeks. In hindsight, sometimes he figures he’d left it too late, but most of the time he didn’t think it would have made a difference at all. But now, with what Tommy has told him, maybe it would have. It’s a knife sliding between Eddie’s ribs to think maybe. Maybe.

“But I didn’t.” Tommy looks resigned, shoulders drooping. 

“Why are you telling me this?” Eddie needs to know. It seems like Tommy has known for years that Eddie has loved Buck. Loves Buck. I knew there were going to be three people in this relationship. So why is he only bringing it up now?

“Because I didn’t. Because I can’t. I can’t break up with him. But I want to move forward. And I want to do so with him, for us to further our life together. But if I ask him to marry me when he doesn’t know for sure that you’re not an option, he’ll say no.”

Fear freezes Eddie’s insides. “So, what– what are you asking me to do?” Because Tommy is asking something of Eddie, wants something. Something Eddie fears he will have to make himself give.

Tommy straightens up, shoulders rolling back. He’s serious, solemn but not demanding or pleading when he says it. A devastating request. “I’m asking you, as my friend, to let him go.”

Eddie could be sick, he thinks, could vomit up the three and a quarter beers and the half a dozen chicken wings he’s consumed since he got to Tommy and Buck’s place. Could spill the mess of his insides up all over himself, all over Tommy, all over their lives. Tommy is his friend, was his friend before he was ever Buck’s boyfriend. Eddie should do this thing for him. Should give Buck his blessing to marry Tommy, give Buck up, give him over, completely, to this man who has loved him so well for the past three years. Eddie should; in his gut he knows it would be the right thing to do. But his heart– his heart is in revolt. It’s Buck. He loves him. How can he ever let him go?

Tommy leans forward, places a hand on Eddie’s leg, squeezes his fingers around the ball of his kneecap, until Eddie lifts his gaze and meets his eyes. “Or,” he says, somehow even more serious, “I am telling you, as your friend, to go and get him.”

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Epic Buddie Fic Rec | February 17th-23rd 2025

I got braces put in last week - for the second time in my life mind you! - so it's been a pretty miserable week for me 🙃 so I started a 9-1-1 rewatch to cheer me up 😄 (and because I'm in 9-1-1 withdrawal, only 10 days to go!!!!)

I also want to rec a 9-1-1 rewatch podcast I've been listening to, Tales From the 118! They don't have a tumblr so I'll just link to their first episode. I've really been enjoying it!

Complete

love bite by Tizniz/ @tizniz (Werewolf Eddie, Established Buddie | 1,8K | Mature):

“It’s okay, Eddie.” Buck soothes, “This is okay. You’re allowed to give into these instincts. There’s nothing wrong with it. You can bite me all over if you want.”

just hold on until the sun comes up tomorrow by thelikesofus/ @thelikesofus (Post-S4E14: Survivors | 2K | Teen):

“Buck,” Eddie says Buck’s name like a promise, like a prayer. “You're having nightmares and I'm not sleeping. If we're both going to be awake all night we might as well be awake together.” OR Why should either of them have to face the darkness alone when they have each other?

Love Language by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Post-S8A, Getting Together | 4K | Teen):

When Eddie reluctantly reveals he can speak Swedish, Buck ends up learning a lot more about him than he bargained for.

i wanna feel you from the inside by shortndiaz (Vampire Buck, PWP, S3 | 4K | Explicit):

Starts with ‘wanna go for the title?’ and ends in some blood and sex

Eddie 2.0 by bellabrady (Eddie Moves to Texas | 5K | Not Rated):

Or: After Eddie moves to Texas, Buck adopts a stray cat and names it Eddie.

🔥 The Great Valentine's Day Debacle of 2025 by giselleslash/ @gigi-gigi (Valentine's Day, Getting Together | 5K | General):

Eddie books a couples Valentine’s Day weekend for him and Buck. Except they’re not together. Eddie is an idiot.

tell me that you'll never let me go by farfromthstars/ @farfromthstars (Eddie Goes To Texas, Getting Together | 5K | Teen):

From the apartment, he calls Buck, who picks up after two rings. “Hey, did you make it okay?” Eddie leans back against the pillows on his bed and closes his eyes, wishing he was at home on his couch with Buck next to him. Or that Buck was here with him, at least. “Yeah, just got back from my parents’, actually.” “How’d it go?” Buck asks. His voice is warm, even through the phone. “Did Chris talk to you?” “A little bit,” Eddie says, and allows himself a smile. “Buck, he– he hugged me and told me he missed me. Of course, then he remembered that he was mad at me, but for a minute–” “That’s– that’s awesome, Eddie,” Buck says. “Hey, uh, I gotta run, but keep me posted, okay?” “Sure,” Eddie says, confused at being cut off so quickly. “What are you d–” But Buck has hung up already. ~ Eddie goes to Texas. Buck is being weird. It only takes them both five days to crack.

this life that we make by farfromthstars/ @doeeyeseddie (Post-S8E8: Wannabes | 5K | Teen):

Eddie stares at his bottle of beer and grits his teeth. He has to go, he knows it’s the right thing. He’s going to go. Why does he want Buck to ask him to stay so badly? “Why did you never ask me to stay?” Buck makes a sound, a mix of a hiss and a hiccup, and when Eddie turns to look at him, he suddenly looks as if he’s in pain. “Eddie, I–,” Buck rubs his hands on his thighs. “Did you want me to?” “I want you to be honest with me,” Eddie says. “And I guess I hope you’re not actually this…unbothered by my leaving.”

🔥TRUST! by pairofraggedclaws (PWP, Quarantine | 8K | Explicit):

“I get used to it, I guess. Kind of. After a while,” Eddie says. Then, very quietly, “I’m just, uh, sensitive.” “Oh,” Buck says. Eddie's just sensitive. Eddie, his best friend, who he has now seen when he comes. Who comes in under a minute if he isn’t getting some on the regs. This is – this is – interesting. * Love and premature ejaculation.

Good Job! by pretty_boy_buckley (Post-S8A, Getting Together | 8K | Mature):

Buck begins giving Eddie little star stickers to encourage him, Eddie really loves them

I don't wanna miss you like this by rainbow_nerds/ @rainbow-nerdss (Eddie Moves To Texas, Love Letters | 9K | Teen):

Once he was home—or, as Chris puts it, back in his stupid, shitty apartment, he sat down, poured himself a drink—then another, once he downed the first—took out his laptop, and started to type. It was surprisingly easy, once the alcohol hit his bloodstream, to write it out. To put himself in the mindset of someone who loved Buck and couldn’t keep it inside anymore. Eddie Diaz was living in El Paso—miles away from his best friend who needed him, struggling to cross the invisible distance his son was keeping from him. There was no quick fix for either—but he was working on it. And in the meantime, he could do something to help Buck feel better from afar.

I lose my feet in my father's shoes by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Post-S8A, Chris Coming Home | 12K | Teen):

Just as Eddie is planning to move to El Paso, Chris gets into a fight at school, and Helena and Ramon decide they've had enough, sending Chris home.

The Pieces of You (I Carry With Me) by Kwills91/ @kwills91 (Post-S8E8: Wannabes, Getting Together | 12K | Teen):

Eddie makes Buck a baby box and chickens out of giving it to him, leaving it in his closet for years and trying his hardest to forget about it, and what it might mean. Until Buck is helping Eddie pack for his move to El Paso and happens to find it.

disappearing into the distance by bucksclipboard/ @endofthedaymp3 (Eddie Comes Back From Texas, Getting Together | 16K | Teen):

Eddie wasn’t sure why he and Maddie weren’t close. It was strange, considering her little brother was the most important person in his life. Still, when the door opened, tight hugs were exchanged and cheerful welcome homes rang in his ears. “Does Bobby know? I gotta call Bobby!”, Chimney yelled. “Could you wait a minute?”, Eddie interjected. His eyes darted between them for a moment and landed on Chim, deciding he was his best bet. “Maybe first explain to me why I went to see Buck and his loft was empty. Am I missing something? Did he move?” or: eddie comes back from texas – only to find that buck has left los angeles

WIP

🔥 Gentle On My Mind by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, Shannon Lives, Buck/Eddie/Shannon | 16/? | 96K | Explicit):

In which Shannon lives, tells a lie, and sends hers, Eddie's, and Buck's lives down a very different path

🔥 Doe & a Drop of Golden Sun by ohstars/ @oh-stars (Canon Divergent, Dad Buck | 13? | 58K | Teen):

Buck doesn't mean to keep secrets from everyone, but he also can't talk about the pain he experiences on a day to day basis. With his nine-year-old living across the country and his custody limited to one monthly visit, Buck doesn't know how to share this part of himself. How does he tell his team of six years that he's had a kid this whole time? How does he tell his sister? How does he tell his Edd-- best friend? It's fine. The universe isn't going to give him a choice in the matter when the worst thing imaginable becomes his reality.

Podfic

🔥 [Podfic] Paralytic Narcolepsy Guy Hates Buckley & Diaz by oRóisín (oKathleen) // fic by eightpackdiaz (Outsider POV, Canon, Getting Together | 30-45min | Teen):

Paralytic Narcolepsy Guy is forced to listen to Buckley and Diaz talk to and about each other in his unconscious presence over the years. He insists he fucking hates them. But then he also accidentally helps them get engaged.

[bucktommyyendgame]

fluff prompt: Tommy comes to the 118 to surprise Buck at work, and finds Buck asleep on the couch

Oooh Ellie, I love this so much. I hope you like it!

"How long as he been like this?" Tommy asks, looking at his boyfriend with a mixture of, what he's sure is, affection and exasperation.

"About an hour," Eddie admits as they both stand there. "We made him lay down to rest, but he was out within a few minutes. We thought we'd let him get the sleep before we called you to grab him."

Tommy sighs. "I told him to call out but he refused."

"Sounds right," Eddie answers. "He's all yours, man."

Tommy snorts a laugh as Eddie claps his shoulder and walks away.

Tommy makes his way over to a very clearly congested Evan, and leans down, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Baby," he says softly, he doesn't want to startle him. Luckily, it seems to work as Evan's eyes flutter open and he gives a very unattractive, loud, sniffle.

He's so gross and adorable. Not that he'll tell Evan the first part of course. He's never made that mistake, not even with the boils.

"Hi," he rasps and Tommy winces in sympathy. "What're you doing here?"

Tommy laughs a little at the absurdity of the question considering that Evan's cold has clearly gotten worse.

"I'm surprising you," Tommy says brightly. "With a trip home! Isn't that great?"

"No, but, I don't need to-" he's interrupted by a loud coughing fit. "-go home."

"Uh huh," Tommy says skeptically. He raises his head and hollers towards Bobby's office. "Bobby, want me to take Evan home with me?"

"For the love of God, yes," Bobby hollers back and Tommy looks at Evan pointedly, who promptly rolls his eyes.

"Fine," Tommy resists the urge to tell him that that sounded like 'find.' He's a good boyfriend like that.

"Come on, sweetheart," he says, grabbing Evan's hands and tugging him off the couch. "I already stopped and got you some meds so we can go straight home."

Evan sags against him. "Okay."

He gets Evan to his truck, tucking him inside before going around and getting in himself.

"Hey, Tommy?" Evan asks, really sounding miserable and Tommy feels for him. They hate it when the other is sick because they know there's not really that much they can do but be there for each other.

"Yeah?" he answers as he pulls out of the parking lot.

"Will you cuddle with me even though I'm all congested and gross?"

"You're not gross," Tommy says automatically and Evan snorts. "But yes, baby, I'll cuddle with you."

"Mmmk," Evan mutters as he lays his head against the window and promptly falls asleep again.

Adorable dork, Tommy thinks fondly as he drives them home. It's a good thing he's completely in love with him.

[becausebuckley]

michelle's buddie fic recs: week 42!

another lovely reading week! i really need to sort through my marked for later list though, it just keeps growing... a task for next week, perhaps?

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! note that unlike in previous weeks, this list contains some fics that are set during season 8, so be careful if you don't want spoilers!

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

drench yourself in words unspoken | foxwatson/@eddiediazes | 26.2k | T

the one where everything in canon is the same, except eddie diaz is secretly a bestselling romance author, and nobody knows. Yet. romance writer eddie is brilliant, the vision!! and this is so well-written <3

lazy sunday (lay with me) | thelikesofus/@thelikesofus | 1.3k | G

Buck wakes up to sleepy morning couch cuddles with his second favorite Diaz boy AKA Eddie is clingy in the morning. clingy eddie is so special to me <3 this captures that soft moning atmosphere perfectly!

line | the_one_that_fell/@buckvalentina | 4.4k | E

Eddie and Buck cross a line in an El Paso motel. okay but this fic. THIS FIC. they absolutely would do the in person phone sex no touching thing. it's so them i'm obsessed

please, i've been on my knees | playinginthunderstorms/@playinginthunderstorms | 11.6k | E

Buck discovers he has a kink. this is the most recent addition to the list, i only read it this morning! and wow what a way to wake up... a good day to be me. it's sweet and funny and hot and i loved research!buck <3

pumpkin spice and everything nice | PretentiousSwanQueen/@hotcinnamonsunset | 4k | M

Buck tries to get Eddie to accept one pumpkin spiced flavored something in his life and eventually finds success (in love and edibles). no but this fic is so right buck would love pumpkin spice and eddie wouldn't!! such a fun read!

songs and poems and promises | lesbianrobin/@lesbianrobin | 4.9k | E

“Stubble’s kinda crazy,” Buck says, “And it actually kinda drives me crazy. I didn’t think I’d be into that, you know? But it’s cool. Like, he’s a man, you know?” [...] “It’s just like, you know, even though it doesn’t feel as good, there are still all these new things that I didn’t expect I’d like so much.” in just a few lines this captures the firefam dynamics so well!! and the buddie is also brilliant of course. i had a great time with this one <3

stop waking me up in the middle of the night | reincrimination/@reincrimination | 2.3k | G

“Do you not like sleeping with me, Diaz?” Buck hazards, taking a swig of his nearly-empty bottle. [...] “If you would stop waking me up in the middle of the night, I might like it more,” Eddie sighs, half-genuine in his annoyance. “Buck kicks like a racehorse.” pandemic era buddie bed sharing fics hit so hard <3 this is lovely!!

sweetheart (you look a little tired) | EiraLloyd | 14.6k | T

five times Buck tried to cheer up Eddie with baked goods, and one time Eddie tried to cheer up Buck with baked goods. i love baking and i love buddie so basically this is perfect for me <3 had a lovely time reading through this earlier this week!!

the kiss that lingers | greenbergsays/@greenbergsays | 10.7k | E

5 times Eddie kisses Buck's birthmark & 1 time he doesn't. birthmark kisses my absolute beloved <3 soft and sweet and so them!!

too often the power of touch is underestimated | xjustlikeyou/@xjustlikeyou | 15.3k | T

Five times a touch knocked Eddie off his feet, and the one time he got to return the favor. buddie and eddiekaren bestieism what else could i possibly want <3 so good!!

the sincerest form of flattery | canadadry | 1.7k | NR

in which Brad Torrence only almost passes out, and observes the aftermath. brad torrence is the gift that keeps on giving <3 i loved his inner dialogue here!!

touching me, touching you | rainbow_nerds/@rainbow-nerdss | 7.1k | E

Buck and Eddie wake up one morning able to feel each other's touch. They make the most of it. i love the premise of this fic so so much, it's so cool?? and executed so well <3

what's your love language? | songbvrd/@songbvrd | 18.3k | E

After finding out that Eddie doesn't know what his love language is, Buck sets about finding out for him. He begins a five week experiment, one for each love language, to figure out which will make Eddie feel the most loved. this fic makes me go !!!! inside. i love the way buck goes all out to make eddie feel loved while also thinking it's the most normal thing in the world. and that ending!

you bring me comfort | thewolvesof1998/@thewolvesof1998 | 4.2k | T

Eddie is touched starved and just needs a hug instead, instead he has his sweater. i've read this so many times by now, it's an absolute favourite!! i'm a big fan of giving eddie comfort in whatever way he wants or needs <3

[rainbow-nerdss]

8x14 coda

It was a good morning.

Eddie let himself sleep in—there had been a concert the night before, and he’d picked up a couple of late night fares. Chris was still in bed when he woke up, but he was there, in Eddie's house, right there on the other side of the bedroom door. He felt refreshed, at peace with himself and the world around him. 

It wasn't perfect, of course. Chris helped a lot, but no matter how much work he put in, the house still didn't quite feel like home. He knew what was missing. It was glaringly obvious.

Chris may have been the most important person in his life but he wasn’t Eddie's only family, and the absence of Buck and the rest of the 118 only felt more pronounced now Chris was back, and the gaping wound of his absence was beginning to heal. Like at the site of any incident, the most painful injuries always make themselves known only after the emergency is over. 

His vitals were stable, the life-or-death fight had been won, and he suddenly found himself without the use of his left arm.

He started breakfast, figuring the smell of bacon would be as good as any alarm clock to wake Christopher, and tapping Buck's contact as a matter of routine. 

There was no answer, and Eddie pushed aside his disappointment. It was later than they usually called. Buck was on shift already, might even be out on a call. 

Eddie sent him a text instead, replying to the good morning message that had been waiting in their chat when he woke up.

Chris sat at the table, inhaling his bacon and eggs as though he hasn't eaten in a week.

“What's on the agenda today?” he asked between bites.

“Chris, swallow, please,” Eddie laughed, pretending to wipe away a spit fleck from his face. “I thought I'd tackle the front yard?”

“Gardening? So you need my help, then.”

“I wouldn't say no,” Eddie admitted. “But only if you're done with your weekend homework.”

Chris dropped his head on the table with a dramatic sigh. “Ugh. Fine. I have to finish that English assignment, but I'm all yours after!”

Eddie checked his phone, then tucked it away. “Great! Abuela was telling me about a nursery she likes the other day—how about I pull some weeds while you finish your assignment, then we can drive out together and pick out some plants?”

“Deal.” Chris shoved the last bit of bacon in his mouth and reached for his crutches. Eddie let him get halfway to his room before calling after him. 

“Hey, have you heard from Buck today?”

“Not yet!” Chris’s bedroom door closed behind him, leaving Eddie on his own.

It was fine.

Everything was fine.

He waited an hour, weeded a decent patch of the yard, then tried calling again.

No answer.

He sent another text, then switched tactics, texting Chim to ask how their gender “reveal” had gone.

For good measure, he also texted Hen a picture of the patch he'd been working on with a complaint that she'd stolen Buck’s free labor from him.

He worked for twenty more minutes, then checked his phone again.

No answers. From anyone. 

Something was wrong.

Eddie made his way inside.

“Hey, ready to go?” Chris asked from his spot on the couch. “Finished my assignment—you can check it if you want.”

Eddie didn’t say anything. He just sat next to him, turning on the TV and switching channels until he found somewhere showing the news. It was a local channel, and Eddie grunted in frustration.

“What's wrong?” Chris asked, picking up on his mood. 

“I don't know,” Eddie managed to say through gritted teeth as he searched for something, anything that would tell him what was happening in LA right now. Finally, he remembered Google.

It didn't take long to find the breaking news story about the lab explosion, the quarantine, the virus. And there, beside the army tents and the news vans was a ladder truck, the familiar red with 118 emblazoned on it. Eddie's hands shook as he read the story, clicked the video, and heard the words firefighters trapped inside alongside potentially deadly contagion.

He felt completely useless, hundreds of miles away while his family was at risk. Chris leaned into his side. “Are they—”

The reporter interrupted. “We have received word that there are at least two firefighters in critical condition, with no sign of any relief incoming. Doctor, what can you tell us about the virus?” 

The camera cut away to a woman in a lab, who started explaining something, but Eddie didn't hear a word. 

He closed the news site and started texting everyone he could think of—Buck, Bobby, Hen, Chim, Ravi, Athena, Maddie, Karen, even Tommy, though he hated himself even as he sent it. Karen replied right away, though she didn't know much more than he did. Finally, Maddie was able to give him some information, and his heart broke as he read it. 

Chris comes back into the room, though Eddie hadn't even registered him leaving.

“Buck's okay. He got out, no sign of infection, he's working on getting them out, but…”

“The others?” Chris guessed.

“Hen,” Eddie confirms. “And Chim, they… he's infected, and she's… Bobby had to…”

They were down a medic, he remembered. If he had been there, he could have helped them, not made Bobby do the surgery. Sure, it had gone okay but with these things, even the tiniest error could…

Eddie’s breathing was coming short and fast, until Chris put a hand on his shoulder. “Dad. Breathe, Dad. You can't drive if you're panicking.”

“Drive?” He asked. It was then he noticed the bag in Christopher’s hand. 

“I know we have to come back. You bought the house, and I have school and… but I want to go back. I… please, dad? Can we go home?”

Eddie's phone pinged, the name he’d been longing to see all day flashing on the screen.

Buck: I'm safe, but it's. It’s bad, eddie.

Buck: Chim is

Buck: and Hen

Buck: fuck

Buck: so glad you're safe in Texas rn. I couldn't 

Buck: sorry

Eddie felt the tears begin to pour down his face. “Don't forget to pack your meds,” he said. “And snacks—we’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”

[allisonrw96]

Saw the episode. Ascended to a higher plane. Wrote a small Coda that is as messy as my brain is right now. Bone Apple Tea.

"Heyyyyyy Buck!" Eddie answers the phone with a drawn out salutation that proves Tommy was not lying about him being sent away from the hospital with the good drugs. Or, not lying about the prescription, but about Eddie actually taking them. It wasn't so long ago that Eddie would take enough medicine to avoid being in agony, but never quite enough to actually feel relief. He wouldn't do that for Tommy, however close they are. It's something that Eddie's doing for himself. Buck's stomach was a swarm of butterflies three seconds ago, but that and the floaty happy way Eddie still says his name, has him smiling again in his kitchen.

"Hey Eddie. I, um, I'm sorry to call so late. I just wanted to see how- how you were doing."

"Eh, I'll miss a shift or two. But Doc says I'll be ready to go for playoffs," Eddie answers.

Guilt twists through him, harsh and acidic and Buck says, "Well I'm glad to hear that. They say the team doesn't have a chance without you and your, um, sky dunk." Eddie laughs, giggles really, in reply and Buck says, "I'm sorry, Eddie. I don't know why I did that. I mean- I- I know why. I was jealous of you and- and Tommy-" Buck's heart flips as he says his name and he's afraid the kiss is going to come flying out of his mouth and down the phone line- "But I never wanted you to get hurt like that."

"You wanted me to get hurt different?" Eddie asks, still laughing, but Buck feels stricken.

"No! I- maybe. I don't know what I wanted. I lost my mind for a little bit."

"You were jealous," Eddie repeats.

"Yeah, I was."

A long sigh and Eddie says, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. I was the asshole. I could have- I knocked you out of your shoe."

"Do you have my shoe?" Eddie asks, more focused than he has been the rest of the conversation. Buck can hear him sitting up on the couch.

"Uh, no. No, I gave it to Chim. He's gonna give it to you when he sees you. And probably make about 50 Cinderella jokes."

"Right. He texted me. I remember."

"I'm sure he'll bring it by sooner if you need it. Or he could give it to Tommy." The flush is there again, hot down the back of his neck. Buck doesn't know how he's supposed to do this. Where is he supposed to keep all of this heat and possibility while he waits for Saturday.

"You don't like him."

"Who? Chim? He's growing on me."

"Tommy," Eddie answers in a tone that says duh. "You can't even say his name normal."

Of course Eddie can hear that. Of course he assumes that's the problem after the way Buck has acted since the moment they met the man. He thanks god that he decided to call instead of driving across town and checking on Eddie in person. His cheeks and his ears are burning like fire.

"He can tell, you know. We both can. He said he's going to come talk to you. Gave him your address. Wants to apologize." Eddie must have settled back down on the couch. He sounds sleepier, his sentences getting shorter and more breathy.

"He did. He um. He came by. We talked it out. I told him you guys didn't have anything to apologize for. I was the one who made it weird."

"So weird," Eddie agrees and Buck laughs. "You guys should be friends. He's awesome and you're awesome and we can all hang out together and it would be..."

"Awesome," Buck finishes. He thinks it might be.

"I forgot you don't know that."

"Know what?" Buck asks, when Eddie's mumble doesn't come with any additional clarification. "Eddie?"

"Hmm?"

"Never mind. Hey, you should get up and go to your bed. Sleeping on that couch is not going to help your ankle heal any faster."

"Tommy said that."

"Tommy's right. Come on."

Eddie groans as he sits up, cursing at Buck in what he thinks is under his breath, and asks, "You talked to Tommy?"

"Yeah, he just left."

"And we're okay? You like him now?"

Buck's blood roars through his ears and he wants to throw up and start laughing all at the same time. "Yeah, I think I do."

"Good."

He breathes through the sudden headrush as Eddie grumbles and hops his way off the couch and down the hall. Buck knows where he's finding his handholds by the echo off the walls and he winces when Eddie takes a misstep and swears again. He thinks for a second that he should be there, that he should help Eddie to bed, but Eddie would never let him. Buck wonders if Tommy would let him. He's wondering about so much now and he never did before.

"Hey, Eds?" The question is out before Buck realizes he's asking it, small and vulnerable, and he wants to claw it back and swallow it down before Eddie notices, but he doesn't have a chance.

"Yeah?"

Tommy kissed me. I want him to do it again.

"No, nothing. Just. I'm sorry. I was out of line."

"You were," Eddie answers. "And I forgive you."

Something settles in Buck then. A piece that had still been sitting off kilter and jamming painfully under his ribs. He takes a deep breath, and joy washes fully over him, calming and centering. He doesn't ask the question again though. He thinks he wants to keep this tiny, glowing treasure to himself. At least for a little while.

"Bring me my shoe back and we'll call it even."

Buck laughs, letting the sound ring out through his apartment and he can hear Eddie smiling on the other end of the phone.

[mythmagicetc]

when eddie and chris first move back, buck and eddie are taking turns between the bed and the couch, alternating every night. to eddie, it’s torture. no matter where he sleeps, the sheets, the pillows, the blankets, everything smells like buck. and it should be comforting, but honestly, it was easier in texas. buck is so close now, just barely out of reach. and buck suggested this in the first place, so of course eddie agreed; maybe buck needed it, the distance. maybe eddie needed to wait for his cue.

to buck, though, this is paradise. because, well. no matter where he sleeps, the sheets, the pillows, the blankets, everything smells like eddie.

he feels like he’s been bad, somehow. like he’s taking something that doesn’t belong to him. but it’s not buck’s fault, it’s not. this is the most of eddie he’ll ever get, okay? and someday, probably soon, he won’t even have this, so he savors it, burying his nose deep into the pillows, tossing and turning in the sheets until he feels eddie all around him. he needs this. he needs it. it’s all he has.

and one day, eddie finally finds the courage to say, “buck, we need to figure out the sleeping situation, man. i can’t—i can’t do this anymore.” and buck’s poor little heart snaps in two.

(eddie kisses him and says they should just share the bed. and buck’s poor little heart is healed up and working harder than ever.)

[eddiestightywhities]

Eddie stumbles from his tangled bedsheets to go take his nightly piss—alarm clock beaming its 4:03 AM display directly onto his sleep-wrecked retinas and etching it there for what will possibly be all of eternity—because being past the age of thirty is all fun and games. 

Bare feet padding quietly as an exhausted still half-asleep one hundred and seventy-five pounds not far off six-foot guy can manage, he's just about to pass the living room when he hears... something.  

He stops. Holds his breath. Listens. 

Buck is mumbling, talking in his sleep.

“And, man, I (something something) you. Because you always listen to me; never make me feel bad for (something something), always make me feel like I'm worth sticking around for, and I (something something) for that, Eddie.”

Buck is dreaming. Buck is dreaming about Eddie. Buck is dreaming about Eddie making Buck feel wanted. 

Eddie smiles—and before realising what he's doing he is in his living room, leaning over his couch, leaning over Buck, and pressing a soft kiss to Buck's birthmark as if he's done this a thousand times before. 

Buck wakes, blinks, smiles sleepily back at Eddie, cute as a bug, and is then craning his neck to peck his own soft kiss to the small mole underneath Eddie's left eye. 

With the speed of a gunshot or a lightning strike, Eddie suddenly doesn't know why the hell Buck is sleeping on his couch instead of in his bed, or why the hell he hasn't had the guts to tell Buck that he is so, so in love with him—especially after Buck split with Tommy a few weeks back and started testing the water with Eddie when Eddie grew a moustache and styled his hair a little differently and suggested they go to that gay club down on Burbank together to drink stupid amazing pink cocktails and dance the night away as if they didn't have a care in the world)—and then just as fast, he's thinking fuck it, and la vida es demasiado corta, deciding to remedy the latter (with the hope it might remedy the former) by saying, “It's ass o'clock in the morning, Buck, and I really fucking love you.” 

Eddie's best friend is at once wide a-fucking-wake, eyes the size of abuela’s best Talavera dinner plates, mouth doing a pretty great impression of a guppy as he gawps up at Eddie. 

There's a concerningly long moment of silence, before Buck says, “Oh.” 

Like a champ, Eddie chooses to ignore the way his heart plummets as it tries to relocate somewhere deep in his gut, because he's had to get pretty damn good at that, what with everything that has happened in his loco life. So he just smiles again, a little dimmer, a little more tight-lipped, while nodding his head and rolling his eyes in a yeah, silly ol’me, huh? sort of way, and is about to push himself upright with the hand gripping the top of the couch so that he can drag his sorry ass back to his bedroom and get a tension headache from not allowing himself to cry and getting zero sleep for what will probably be the rest his life and— 

That's when Buck reaches out, a big hand grabbing at Eddie's waist. 

Eddie's gaze tears itself away from those beautiful Talavera eyes that are shining brightly in the thick darkness of his sleeping house, settling where Buck's hand is holding him in place, where the contact blazes; not like fire but like the ever-burning candle flame that's lived behind Eddie's ribcage for the past seven or so years.

“Eds, I’m—I wasn't, like, awake enough to, uh, to, to, to process that? And the thing is—” 

“Hey, no, Buck, it's okay, you don't need to explain.” Eddie's heart is falling, falling, falling, right to the very soles of his feet. “I shouldn't have just blurted that out at you, without any preamble—

“Eddie.”

“—and I definitely shouldn't have bothered you while your were—”  

“Eddie." 

“—sleeping, I just—

“Eddie, will you shut up!”  

Eddie's teeth clack as he dutifully swallows the rest of his rambling. 

“Can you please just listen to me for a sec?” Buck pleads.  

“I—yeah, Buck, sure. I'm sorry, ‘course. Sorry.”

Buck takes a breath. “You don't gotta be sorry, Eds, I was just trying to say: The thing is, I have said a lot of dumb things in my life—like a lot—but me saying ‘oh’ to you telling me that you love me? Yeah, no, that has to top the bill. Dumbest fucking thing that's ever left these lips.” Eddie can't help it when his gaze flickers to the pretty culprits; it's an involuntary action by this point. “Because,” and Buck is now licking at them—tongue wet and lush against plush red—before he's honest to Dios batting those beautiful blonde eyelashes of his in Eddie's helpless direction, then breathing his next words right into Eddie's mouth as he leans up, pulling Eddie into him at the same time and fanning the flame in Eddie's chest by saying, “I really fucking love you too, Eds.”  

And then he's kissing Eddie again—only this time he's pressing his lips into Eddie's lips, and Eddie is right there with him, kissing Buck back as if they've done this a thousand times before. 

When Buck has to pull away, presumably to prevent a crick in his neck—Eddie cannot fathom even half of another good reason to stop—Eddie goes to follow him down, so eager after so long, wanting to cover the entirety of Buck's body with the entirety of his own. But Buck shakes his head and says says, “No, wait, Eddie.”  

Before Eddie's heart can start digging its way down through the carpet and floorboards and foundations and dirt to some place that resembles an old forgotten underground well, Buck is asking, “Can I come to bed with you?”  

Then Eddie gets whiplash from having to will his heart from beating right out of his chest with just how much happiness is bursting its way in there; with Buck bursting in with all of his love and sharing it with Eddie, just like everything else in their lives.  

Eddie feels his cheeks flush when he says, “That's, uh—honestly, Buck? You'd kinda be making my favourite recurring dream come true, if you did.”

“Well, you shot my recurring dream down in flames, Eds, by not listening to me for what must be the very first time in seven literal years and talking right over my heartfelt love confession—even if I did end up stealing your line,” Buck smiles. Then he frowns and tuts dramatically.“You're a monster, Eddie Diaz,” he adds, teasing.   

Eddie pays back Buck's grin with added interest, because it's as infectious and unstoppable as the common cold.

“Firstly, you had just answered 'oh' when I told you that I loved you, and secondly, does this monster not get a pass seeing as we just got off a clusterfuck of a twenty-four and it's ass o'clock in the morning and I'd assumed you were trying to let me down gently?” 

“Absolutely not, Firefighter Diaz. One should never assume when it comes to a Buckley.” He follows the statement with a pointed look. “But I might think about letting you make it up to me,” and he's now grinning again, and this time it's a sort of sheepish, hopeful thing, “if you agree to being the teaspoon to my tablespoon in your big, comfortable bed. What do you say?” He bats those blonde lashes again, as if Eddie would need convincing. 

“I say yes sir, Firefighter Buckley,” Eddie agrees instantly, obviously, bending down to scoop a surprised Buck up and over his shoulder and into a very appropriate Evacuation Lift, Buck kind of squealing hilariously when Eddie sets off for his bedroom at what is a pretty impressive pace, if you were to ask Eddie. 

And after they've sunk their bodies beneath the tangled bedsheets at ass o'clock in the morning (4.12 AM to be precise), and as Buck wraps the entirety of his long self around the entirety of Eddie, in Eddie's bed—their bed, now, Eddie's hoping—Eddie breathes in a full breath for the first time all summer, allowing himself to love and be loved.  

His next big breath is a couple of weeks later, when Christopher comes home and rolls his eyes at Eddie and Buck after they tell him they're together, merely giving them a slightly obnoxious finally! in that patented teenage tone before heading to his room to set up his gaming station and settle back in, like he'd never even been away.  

Oh, and in case anyone were to wonder, Eddie would have to admit that he really, really loves being the little spoon—almost as much as he and Buck love each other. 

.

on ao3 HERE if you'd like to leave me a comment!

[lihhelsing]

For the first three nights after Eddie moved to El Paso, Buck slept on the living room couch. 

He didn't tell anyone, afraid of the pitying looks he knew he would get if he did, but he couldn't find it in himself to walk to Eddie's room and sleep in Eddie's bed. It felt too much like crossing a line. 

Sure, he had slept in Eddie's bed once or twice, but Eddie usually was there and Buck was scared shitless of the loneliness he would feel alone in it. 

Just him, and Eddie's old pillows that faintly smelled like him and the whole emptiness of the place. 

On the fourth night, Buck was too drunk to remember he didn't want to sleep alone. He went out that night, by himself, to try and hook up with someone, but no one had gotten his attention and Buck didn't do that kind of thing anymore. 

He didn't hook up with strangers to ignore his feelings, that is. 

What he did do, though, was drink until he couldn't walk straight and then head home with enough of a buzz that feelings weren't something he needed to think about. 

The problem was that  he'd struggled with his uber app, typing his old address instead of Eddie's house, and by the time he got home (back to Eddie's house, that is) Buck was slightly less buzzed. 

Enough to forget his decision to sleep on the couch. But not enough to avoid feelings once he walked inside Eddie's room and was assaulted by Eddie. 

Well, not Eddie himself, but Eddie's presence, in a way. 

Eddie's smell was the first thing. Still impregnated in the room. Then Eddie's sheets that Buck supposes he didn't want to take to El Paso for some reason. And finally... 

Buck walked to the side table, eyes locked in a picture frame he had seen countless times. 

In it, there was a photo of Eddie and Chris. One that Buck himself had taken a few years back. Buck knew that he kept that on his bedside, of course. Had seen it a million times, probably, which was exactly why it struck him as odd that Eddie had forgotten about it. 

Maybe Eddie had wanted to take it with him instead of put in the boxes, afraid that it would break, somehow, and then he simply ended up forgetting. 

But it was such an important picture. Wouldn't Eddie have missed it already? 

Eddie mentioned he had started going through his boxes, emptying them slowly as him and Chris settled up in El Paso. But if he had decided to take that out of a box, then Eddie must've missed it, right? 

Why hadn't he asked Buck about it yet? 

Buck fished his phone in his pocket and snapped a picture the picture frame, opening up Eddie's chat and starting to type. 

'Hey! I think you forgot this.' 

Buck's finger hovered over the green send button, but he couldn't find it in him to press it. He erased the message, biting his lip. 

Telling Eddie his precious picture with Chris wasn't lost was the right thing to do. But then again, how would Eddie get it anyway? It wasn't like he was about to make the drive back just for a photo right?

And sure, Buck could mail it to him, but that would be expensive. The best thing Buck could do was keep it safe for Eddie until he came to visit. Right? 

Buck put the picture back where it belonged and placed his phone right next to it, getting ready for bed, and for the first time ever since Eddie left, he fell asleep in Eddie's bed, with his favorite picture of him and Chris beside him. And for the first time ever since Eddie left, Buck didn't feel so alone.

[inawickedlittletown]

Dog Days (BuckTommy) - 1/3

Summary: While on a call Buck and Hen get turned into dogs. Words: 2.4k Read on Ao3

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Part One

What Tommy had learned over the years was that when Howie called, it was with a reason. Yes, sometimes that reason was asking him for a favor, but those favors were usually the type that lead to helping someone. When he was Evan's boyfriend, he'd seen and spoken to Howie a lot more than in the years between Tommy transferring to Harbor and the call to fly out to find a lost cruise ship. As expected, after the break up they didn't stop all communication, but it did slow. 

Eventually, Tommy figured it would stop altogether until Howie needed his help somehow and then at that point, Tommy would probably drop anything to be of aid. Howie had saved his life, after all, but — and this was perhaps even more important — Howie would never ask unless he really needed it.

When, a few months after he and Evan broke up and after a night and morning that kept playing over and over in his head, he got a call from Howie, Tommy didn't hesitate to answer.

“Hey, Tommy,” Howie said and he sounded just a little odd and was that barking in the background?

“Hi, Howie,” Tommy said.

“So I have a big favor to ask,” Howie said. “You, uh, you own your place, right?”

A fact that Evan had forgotten the night he decided to ask Tommy to move into his loft as if Tommy could ever fit any of his stuff there. Of course, Evan had since moved to Eddie’s house which was…well, Tommy still thought that maybe there was something to his concern that Evan had feelings for Eddie. 

“I do. What's going on?”

“I, uh, I have a dog that needs a place to stay.”

“Don't you also own your own house?” Tommy asked.

Definitely a dog barking in the background. 

“Yes and a pregnant wife who is still recovering,” Howie said. He sounded stressed.

“Recovering from…oh, wait I heard. How is she doing?” Tommy asked.

When Evan had mentioned it in passing, Tommy hadn’t put it together that he had heard about the whole thing. It was absolutely insane what had happened to Maddie and she was lucky to have survived it. 

“She’s doing fine, all things considered.” 

“Good. That’s good.” 

“Thanks,” Howie said. “And I know you don’t want to ask, but Buck is doing alright too. Although, he did spend a lot of time sleeping on my couch.” 

Did Howie not know about him and Evan reconnecting? It had often felt that there were never secrets between the members of the 118. 

“Anyway, I would ask anyone else but Bobby and Athena can't have animals at their rental. Karen and Hen have a full house. Eddie's in Texas.”

“Right,” Tommy said. Which left Evan. He didn’t live in the loft any longer. 

The dog barked. 

“Right, actually Eddie wouldn’t have been able to help anyway. It’s a rental and no pets allowed so that…that ruled out Buck.” 

Tommy didn’t think that Evan would have cared if that was the case, but there was something odd about the way that Howie said that. Maybe Evan still hadn’t unpacked. Or there was something that Howie didn’t want to tell Tommy about Evan and Evan’s place. 

“Right,” Tommy said. 

“So, can you take the dog?” 

“Sure I'll take the dog. How long is this going to be for?”

“Hopefully not very long. I'll bring him to you later today. Tommy, you are a lifesaver. Bu— Buddy will be glad to have a place to sleep tonight.”

The dog barked a few times and Howie laughed.

“Is he house trained?” Tommy asked, realizing belatedly that he should have asked that question earlier.

Howie laughed again. “Yes, Tommy. He's very well behaved, don't worry.”

The last thing he heard was another bark from the dog. 

Several Hours Earlier…

The call had been perfectly normal to start. A fire at a mostly abandoned strip mall where every other store was empty with "for rent" signs. There was no telling where the fire had started though dispatch via Josh suspected it was one of the restaurants. By the time they arrived, there was smoke and flames overtaking several stores empty and not. They all got to work and it was several hours of work, other crews joining them in aid, but it was still only mid-afternoon when the fire was declared out. 

Chim was tired, but it was the good kind of tired. He'd just finished checking over a guy that had been inside one of the stores and was returning to where Buck and Hen were rolling up hoses when a frantic looking woman came running towards them. She looked, to Chim's eye, like a poor man's Stevie Nicks. Her greying hair was long and unruly and her dress was covered up by some sort of long scarf that fluttered in the wind.

“Hey, ma'am, are you okay?” Hen asked at once.

Chim turned ready to help.

“Can we help you?” Buck asked.

She grabbed at Buck's arm and pulled him babbling in a strange language that none of them could even pinpoint going by the confused glances they all shared. She said something else to Buck insistingle. 

“I don’t — what language is that maybe the translator app might help.” 

She just babbled again and then motioned for Buck to follow her before darting away. 

“Should we go with her?” Buck asked.

“Yeah,” Hen said. “Make sure she doesn't get herself into trouble.”

Chim was about to follow but Ravi called his name.

“We got this,” Hen assured him, grabbing a med bag, before she followed after Buck.

So, Chim went to Ravi who had a young woman with what looked to be some minor burns as well as a sprained ankle as well as an older man in dire need of oxygen for smoke inhalation.

They were there for a little while and Chim didn't think much of where Buck and Hen could have got to until they didn't reappear as they were finishing up. 

“Come on,” Chim said to Ravi, “I think they went that way.”

The fire touched buildings looked dark and the ground was puddles and soot. The whole strip mall would probably be torn down. Although, there was a portion that hadn't been touched by flames at all so maybe they would leave those parts alone. Chim doubted it. As they approached that part of it without a sign of either Buck or Hen, he started to actually get worried. 

“Buck! Hen!”

Nothing.

“This is really weird,” Ravi said. “Maybe we should—”

The door of a store tucked in between a nail salon and an empty space suddenly burst open and a huge dog burst out. Chim couldn't quite tell what breed it was, just that it was big with wavy to curly tan fur. It was wearing a turnout coat. 

He and Ravi shared a look as the dog ran towards them, barking and barking and barking.

“Hey,” Chim said, getting closer to the dog.

The dog wouldn't stop moving, but nevertheless, Chim caught sight of the name on the coat. Buckley.

Chim groaned. “What kind of joke is this? It's wearing Buck's coat.”

Another dog appeared then. That dog was definitely a chocolate labrador. It was wearing a turn out coat too and Chim expected it to be Hen's, but still didn’t fail to be a bit surprised about it when he saw that it was.  

“Is this is some prank, because it's kinda dumb,” Ravi said. “Buck has pulled more inventive stuff on me before.” 

“Not just Buck,” Chim said with a grin. 

Ravi rolled his eyes. 

Both dogs started barking, then.

“Maybe they're inside the store,” Chim said.

The dogs wouldn't let them pass, stepping in front of them to stop them, the bigger of the two even lunging at Ravi and hitting him on the chest with his front legs. As soon as he'd dropped back down to the ground, Ravi dropped to one knee to look at him closer. The dog let him. The dog seemed to be staring into Ravi's eyes.

“Uh, Chim,” Ravi said.

“What?”

“Blue eyes. Birthmark over the eyebrow. I'm not saying the dog is Buck, but—”

“Buck?” Chim asked the dog.

The dog barked, turning his face towards Chim. His eyes were the exact same shade of blue as Buck's and Ravi wasn't wrong about the mark over the eyebrow but that was…there was no way. Buck had just found a dog that had those features to mess with them. It was just that Hen would never go along with something like that. 

When he tried to go around them again to get to the building the smaller dog growled. The bigger barked again. 

Chim reached for his radio. “Uh, Cap, we may have a situation.”

Chim directed him to where they were. Bobby appeared a few minutes later. “What's happening?”

“We don't know where Buck and Hen are, but we found these dogs wearing their turn outs.”

And they hadn't taken them off, either. Most dogs would have shaken those coats right off. It was bizarre. The dog wearing Buck's coat got excited at seeing Bobby and even then managed to keep the coat on as he rubbed his face against Bobby's legs.

With that dog distracted, Chim tried to get to the building, but the lab got in front of him and pushed him hard. Growled and barked at him. Chim turned back to look at Bobby.

“There's also that,” Ravi said. “Won't let us go in there. They came from inside that store.”

Bobby pinched the bridge of his nose.

The door opened again and Chim almost expected to see Buck and Hen appear. Instead, it was the woman. She didn't hesitate to walk towards them. She spoke in her unidentified language again and pointed at the dogs.

The bigger dog whimpered. The smaller growled. The woman laughed.

A young woman appeared, then, running towards them. “Mama!” she called out and hugged the woman before pulling away to look her over. “Thank goodness you're okay. We were so worried.”

“Hi,” Bobby said. “Sorry to interrupt, but this is your mom? Do you know what she's saying about these dogs?”

The young woman turned to her mom and motioned to the dogs and asked her a question. She seemed to pale as she listened to her mom's reply, her eyes widening.

“What's happening?” Ravi asked, worried tone to his voice.

The young woman winced. “It's probably better if you see.”

Then, she pulled out her phone and after a few minutes motioned for them to join her. They crowded around her when she had pulled up footage from a camera presumably from inside the store. It was small, just a counter and shelves with just enough space to fit a few people. 

They watched as the older woman walked into the shop. Buck and Hen followed soon after and then after a little while she was pointing her finger at Buck. Hen stepped up to her and they didn't have sound so there was no knowing what they were saying until the woman reached behind the counter and brought out a small cloth bag that she reached into. She grabbed a fistful of powder and threw it. Hen tried to grab Buck out of the way, but instead they were both doused in it. 

It took less than thirty seconds for them to start changing into dogs. They went from two legs to four. Their clothes inexplicably left on the ground in a pool save for the coats that had flown off them and then fallen on their backs. 

“That cannot be real,” Ravi said. 

“I’m afraid it is,” the young woman said. “My mother, she says there’s something up with his aura and she just wanted to help. It wasn’t intended for the other firefighter. It’s a spell. It’s not permanent, but I’m not sure how long it will last.” 

Chim groaned. “Okay, where are the cameras? Buck? Hen? Come on out. This is not funny.”

“I don't think she's joking, Chim,” Bobby said.

“A spell?” Ravi asked.

The woman nodded. “Yes.”

“So then she can turn them back to normal,” Chim said.

The older woman shook her head and rambled for a bit.

“That doesn't sound like a yes,” Ravi said. 

The younger woman nodded. “Like I said, not permanent but it cannot be removed early. A few days. Week at the most. She only wanted to help. I’m sorry.” 

Bobby got her to send him the video, but after that she just gave them a tight smile before she walked away, leaving them with Buck and Hen as dogs. Chim had been through many strange calls in his time as a firefighter, but none that involved his fellow firefighters — his best friend and brother-in-law no less — winding up turned into dogs. It felt like something out of a dream. 

“What now?” Ravi asked. 

“Back to the station,” Bobby said. “Chim, you may want to call Karen and Maddie.” 

Karen hadn’t believed it for herself until she was at the station with Hen in front of her. She had even asked if this was Hen’s way of getting back at her for forgetting her birthday. 

Watching the video of what happened helped in convincing her, but even then she seemed to think they were playing a prank on her, until she really got a look at the dog and then she believed it. 

“And I’m supposed to just take her home and wait it out until she turns back to herself?” Karen asked. “Has this ever happened to anyone else?” 

“No idea,” Ravi said. “I’ve been trying to do some research.” 

“What about Buck? Where’s he going to go?”

Bobby was out. Eddie was gone. Ravi had shaken his head. Chim was his brother-in-law. Maddie would want to help him, but Maddie was also still recovering and pregnant. She was tired all the time and Jee-Yun was as energetic as ever. She had only recently gotten her voice back, too, and Chim didn’t know what telling her about Buck getting turned into a dog might bring out in her. But there was no other option…not unless…

“I think I know where Buck should go,” Chim said. 

“Where?” Ravi asked. Wary. 

“I’m going to see if Tommy’s available.” 

Ravi nodded immediately. “That’s perfect.” 

[muddiedfoxglove]

Eddie comes back from Texas Knowing but Not Saying. And he’s staying with Buck because of course he is, and they hem and haw about who is sleeping on the couch before one of them rolls theirs and says. We can share the bed it’s fine. So they are platonically sharing the bed, staying on their respective sides. And Buck is having his repressed head in the sand freak out because this is totally platonic and Eddie is straight and it’s normal to share a bed with your best friend stop being weird Buck. While Eddie is like smiling to himself and is thinking of how he will tell Buck once the grief has passed more, the moment isn’t right. But they fall asleep facing each other not able to stop whispering to one another. And in the morning, they wake up tangled in each other’s arms. Morning wood poking against each other. And for a brief moment they pause in shock and awe, their lips so close. Could it be the time? And then one of their phones rings. Bobby is alive. But more importantly he’s been buried alive.