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inawickedlittletown · 15 days ago

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One Year - BuckTommy - 8x06 fix it

Summary: This is my fix-it because I for one can't take that break up being the end. So, it takes a while, but they belong together. Words: 6k Read on Ao3

The first time he saw Evan again, it was from afar. It had been a couple of weeks. They were at the same call, Tommy somehow winding up on the ground. He spotted Evan walking next to Eddie with Howie and Hen just ahead of them, heard their voices despite how loud everything was. He kept his distance, and only once ran into someone from the 118. Ravi, who gave him a smile and nod.

The next time, it was at one of the badge and ladder bars. Lucy had forced him to go. Had she not been holding his arm, he would have turned and fled. Instead he saw Evan throw back a shot and then walk over to some guy whose physique told Tommy he had to be a firefighter. He saw as Evan said something that made the other guy laugh and then they were getting drinks together and…and Lucy took him out the door while he tried to catch a breath.

Tommy wasn’t new to a break up…it was just that this one was hitting harder than any before.

Before Evan, there had been three boyfriends. Before and in between were hookups and one-night stands and even some friends with benefits that popped in and out of his life. He’d come out when he was in his early thirties, around the same age as Evan. Of course, for Tommy it had been different. He’d been hiding it from everyone and even from himself.

In the army, he and some other guys had had a bit of fun. Masturbating together and pretending it was all fine and heterosexual because they weren’t touching each other. He’d exchanged one or two blowjobs here or there like an exchange of favors with guys that had girlfriends waiting for them back home. He lied and told them he had a girl too. Pretended he didn’t like giving as much as he liked receiving.

Things were much the same when he was at the 118, except that pretending he had a girlfriend was harder. He even tried to date women. Abby…he’d met Abby when the 118 went to a call about her mother. She’d almost burnt down her whole house by forgetting to turn off a stove and looking back that had definitely been an early sign of her dementia. Abby was nice and Tommy couldn’t deny that he got along with her and it helped that she understood how busy his job kept him and what his hours were like.

Dating Abby was the first time he felt like maybe he could do it. Marry the girl. Have some kids. Lie to himself and the world forever. As unfair as it was to Abby, it just…Tommy could tell that it might work. It was why they got engaged. It was why he was so sure about getting married but then there were guys he met on calls or that he checked out from time to time and he didn’t think he would ever be able to put that away. Instead, he would wind up cheating on Abby and making the hurt worse. So, he broke it off and felt horrible when he realized that Abby had gotten the blow of her mom’s dementia diagnosis.

After Abby, Tommy went a little wild. He slept around. Found out more about himself. Knew that he could never do what he did to Abby to any other woman. He heard at some point about Abby taking up with a younger guy. In what universe could Tommy have expected that years later he would date the same guy.

One night, he ran into Karen at a Target of all places. Tommy was there to pick up detergent and he was just deciding between brand name or the store brand and also trying his hardest to not buy the brand he knew that Evan used, when a cart bumped into his.

“I’m so sorry,” Karen said.

He looked up slowly.

“Tommy,” Karen said warmly. “Hi.”

Behind her came Denny and Mara. Mara he’d only met a handful of times and he knew her to be a little shy. Denny smiled at him.

“Hi, Tommy.”

“Oh. Hi,” Tommy said. “You got your cast off.”

Denny nodded. “A little while ago.”

He remembered sitting in that hospital waiting room and how he’d tagged along to Denny’s room and hadn’t expected that Denny would want him to sign his cast seeing as he was all but a stranger, but Denny did offer him the marker and Tommy did sign.

Despite wanting to, he didn’t ask about Evan. He hardly managed to ask about Hen.

“She’s good,” Karen said and then, “hey, listen, you don’t have to be a stranger.”

He offered her a tight smile.

“I’m serious. Hey, how about dinner soon?”

He shrugged and Karen insisted, pulling out her phone and throwing dates at him until he agreed.

Before she left, Karen grabbed his arm. “I don’t know what happened, no one really does, Hen says he doesn’t want to talk about it. You don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to, but that doesn’t mean you’re not our friend still, Alright? That doesn’t just go for Hen and I, either.”

Eddie had reached out the day after. The day after that too. And the one after that one. Then it was weekly. Then it was bi-weekly. Then came a final message. A voicemail. Tommy almost didn’t listen to it.

“Hey, man,” Eddie said. “I guess you decided to cut all ties. I get it. Kind of. And look, Buck is my friend, but you are too and I don’t drop my friends. I know you’re hurting too, so don’t be afraid to reach out. I’m here for whenever you’re ready.”

Tommy never called him. He thought about it. Almost texted him several times. He missed Eddie.

He missed their easy friendship and the way that Eddie had welcomed him so wholly. He just couldn’t face him because Eddie would give it all away about how Evan was doing and Tommy wouldn’t be able to keep his own feelings in. It would burst out and then Eddie would know just how horrible Tommy really felt and how regretful too.

He did regret it.

He hated himself.

Tommy went to dinner with Hen and Karen. It was good. Fun, even. Neither of them asked and Tommy didn’t offer any information. Instead, he got to hear about Mara’s adoption going through finally and about how Maddie was pregnant and doing really well. He tried not to think about Evan becoming an uncle for the second time and how excited he had to be over it. They exchanged Lucy stories and then stories from way back when Tommy was in the 118. Tommy promised they would do dinner again.

The next time he ran into Evan, it had been more time than they had even been together. Tommy shouldn’t still be mourning the end of the relationship and yet…of course he was. Of course he still missed Evan desperately. So much for waylaying a heartbreak, there hadn’t been stopping that apparently and seeing Evan was like having someone reach right into his chest and squeeze.

The first guy that he ever called boyfriend was a guy named Ivan. Ivan was a little older…okay, much older, and Tommy thought he was in love. Figured that was it and that he and Ivan could be forever. When Ivan broke it off because he met someone else, Tommy was devastated.

“Tommy, I’m your first boyfriend, of course this wasn’t going to last. I always thought we were on the same page and that this was a bit of fun.”

A month or so later, Tommy realized that Ivan was right. He wasn’t torn up and he hadn’t been in love as much as wanting the security of the relationship because it meant he didn’t need to keep looking for love. He’d gotten comfortable with Ivan, but what they hadn’t wasn’t something that would last no matter how much Tommy had thought it was what he wanted.

The second guy came a year or so later. Paul was younger and Tommy met him while they were on a call. When Paul came by with muffins a few days later they got talking and Paul admitted that he was nervous but he’d wanted to see Tommy again. They had a few dates and then Tommy was rushing in with Paul. They spent every moment together and then moved in together too.

When they broke up right before their one year anniversary, it was because Paul admitted that he never thought his first real relationship with a guy could be his last and that he had more options to explore.

“Tommy, you were amazing. You will always be so important to me, but I’m not in love with you.”

Somehow, that still hurt less than Evan and Tommy only had himself to blame for that.

He saw Evan at a farmer’s market. He was with Jee-Yun who skipped ahead of him laughing. Evan was smiling after her. Tommy didn’t mean to follow, but he did keep his distance. Saw Evan buy a few things and smile at the girl that sold them to him, saw him stop at a stand selling apple cider, the man behind the counter blond and tall and bulky. Hot. His eyes were hazel and he was smiling at Evan and ignoring anyone else that approached. Evan was smiling back and doing that thing where he ducked his head bashfully before looking up through his eyelashes. Tommy’s heart ached.

Tommy walked away from that. He turned and he walked until he was back at his car and then he sat there in his truck and let his mind wander because what if Evan asked that guy out? Or the girl? What if one of them wasn’t dumb like Tommy and stuck around and refused to let Evan go. What if Tommy never got a chance to…but he’d already blown his chance with Evan and he doubted there would ever be another.

When he got to his shift later, Lucy took one look at him.

“Hey, you okay?”

“I don’t think I’ve been okay for months.”

Lucy hugged him. “Are you ever going to tell me what happened?” she asked.

He shook his head.

It was hard to even admit to himself how much he’d screwed up and how much he’d allowed his fear to color how he faced Evan wanting more than what they already had. He’d been unprepared when Evan brought it up and then it had been the Abby of it all and the way that Tommy knew he couldn’t expect for Evan to settle for him. That just wasn’t how it worked. He was the first, but not the last. Tommy just wasn’t good enough to be Evan’s last and it was something that Evan would figure out sooner or later. So why wait for their whole lives to get even more entwined and for everything to be so much harder when it all fell apart.

One night, when Lucy showed up at his house to hang out, she had tried to bad-talk Evan as if that would help. It was the night she dropped information that Tommy hadn’t known and wasn’t it wild how much he and Evan had inadvertently not shared. Six months and they hadn’t talked about anything at all, apparently.

Lucy and Evan had kissed once while drunk at a bar.

The jealousy that hit him was…Tommy wasn’t usually a jealous guy and yet the very idea made him cringe and maybe he downed two shots back to back.

“I kissed him,” Lucy said. “He didn’t push me away and I had no idea that he had a girlfriend at the time.”

It didn’t make him think badly of Evan, not the way that Lucy maybe intended. It just…it made Tommy wonder about how it would have gone if he was right. Would Evan have cheated on him once he realized he wanted more than what Tommy was willing to offer. But no…no, that wasn’t Evan was it? No, Evan would have stuck it out even when he got miserable and didn’t want to anymore and then Tommy would have had to say something and end it.

“What happened after that?” Tommy had asked.

“Between me and Buck? Nothing. I’m just saying, he isn’t this perfect guy either.”

As if Tommy didn’t know that, as if Tommy hadn’t seen exactly who Evan was from the get go. He was a mess, he was jealous, impulsive, he believed in curses, got pouty when he didn’t get his way. Evan was far from perfect, but Tommy had loved him because of it. He saw how much of the bad was still good or maybe not even bad at all.

Lucy did leave him thinking about how they had never discussed exes until Abby and how maybe they should have. He wondered if Evan would have even brought up the Lucy of it all. He wondered how he would have taken Tommy’s own exes…Ivan and Paul and…and Henry.

Henry was the last boyfriend before Evan. Gorgeous Henry who began as a friend and then started to get a bit flirty and who kissed Tommy for the first time at a New Years Eve party and then freaked out because Tommy was a guy.

Weeks of not talking and Tommy not being able to stop thinking about him to an obsessive degree. How on Valentine’s day, he was surprised when red roses and chocolate was delivered to Harbor from Henry to Tommy and a simple note asking him out. He’d gotten so much shit for that, but Tommy had secretly loved it. The romance of it all, the sweetness. Henry had been so sweet.

Henry who told Tommy that he was sorry but he had no idea guys were an option for him and how he couldn’t deny how much he wanted Tommy. They had long conversations about it and Tommy took it so slow that they didn’t even have sex for the first two months.

Tommy didn’t realize that their feelings were different. Tommy had been crushing on Henry even before the kiss and then he had him. Henry had been mystified by Tommy and his attraction to him, but it wasn’t long before his eyes started to wander. Tommy had bought his house right before they started dating and when Henry’s roommate situation got a bit difficult he welcomed him right in. It had felt like the start of the rest of their lives. That had been a mistake.

Tommy had been so blind. Looking back, the red flags had been evident. He’d been blinded by love and friendship and daydreams about a future he thought was within his grasp. Then, one night, when he managed to sprain an ankle, Tommy was first taken to the hospital and then sent home a whole thirteen hours earlier than expected. Henry hadn’t answered his calls, so Tommy got back home on his own. He found Henry in bed with a woman.

The last time he saw Henry, it was when Henry picked up the last of his things and when Henry made his apologies and excuses it felt like Ivan and Paul before him.

Tommy was never enough. Not enough. Always the placeholder for something or someone better.

“Why not just break up with me?” Tommy remembered asking.

“I didn’t know how. You were so…I’m sorry, Tommy. I guess I’m not done trying to figure out what I want.”

The one thing Henry had figured out was that Tommy was not what he wanted.

He did cry after Henry and then he threw himself into work and downloaded an app or two and didn’t try to date seriously. He had friends to call on lonely nights and then he could hit up a bar and find someone that way. Tommy had all but convinced him that it was all he’d ever have, until he met a firefighter with a cute birthmark who Tommy kissed without having planned to and who he almost wrote off after the first date and was so glad he didn’t. Breaking up with Evan was hitting harder than anyone that came before.

Evan was different. He had burrowed deep in his heart and there was no getting him out. Tommy didn’t think he wanted him out.

A few weeks later, he saw Eddie at the mall and with him was Christopher. He looked taller than the last time Tommy had seen him, and he was in LA. Eddie looked happy. Of course, he was happy. Tommy hated that he didn’t know when Chris had returned or how Eddie had won him over again.

“Tommy,” Eddie said.

“Tommy,” Christopher said.

Had it been just Eddie, Tommy might have ignored them. Instead, he turned around.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hey,” Eddie said with a smile.

“Hi, Tommy,” Christopher said.

“Hey, kid, nice to see you back in LA.”

Chris gave him a rundown of his time in Texas. He talked about the friends he made and his cousins and grandparents, but how Eddie had gone to see him and then Chris decided to come back with him.

It was nice to talk to Chris and then to follow Eddie and Chris into one of the stores. Chris got distracted then, and Eddie turned to Tommy.

“How are you really?”

“It’s been months,” Tommy said.

“I know. You never called me back. You should have,” Eddie said.

“I couldn’t,” Tommy said. “You’re…how is he, Eddie?”

Eddie took in a breath. “Look, I don’t think I should answer that. Buck is coping. He’s doing…what did he call it, he’s exploring. Apparently, it’s what you told him he needed to do.” Eddie’s look was pointed. Full of judgment.

Tommy had to look away, he had to hope that his eyes wouldn’t fill up with tears. That night, right after he left Evan’s place, Tommy didn’t even remember how he got home. He did remember that he’d gone for his usual comforts. A shot of whiskey, a case of beer, and he’d tried to watch a movie and failed miserably. Hadn’t been able to watch romantic comedies since. Documentaries were out too.

“Dad,” Christopher called.

“I — I’ll leave you to it,” Tommy said.

Eddie grabbed his shoulder. “Wait. No. Just…let’s hang out. You can come over or I can come over. We could sparr or get a drink. We’re still friends, Tommy. I’m serious.”

“Okay.”

Eddie called him that night and Tommy couldn’t say no to having Eddie come over to his place. They didn’t talk about Evan the whole time, not until Eddie was getting ready to leave.

“I want to say something because I’m your friend and Buck’s friend. What you did was really stupid and I never thought you were stupid. If this was the way you always saw it going, why did you waste his time? Why did you let him fall for you? And I know you hurt yourself too, Tommy, I can see it all over you. So why? Just…answer that.”

Eddie didn’t even let him reply before he left.

Why did Tommy do that? Because even a minute of knowing Evan was worth it. Ending it early was just…he’d expected it to help because he had control and he was making the call and then he wouldn’t be devastated. It was a little late for it, apparently, at least on his end.

“He’s exploring,” he said out loud. Eddie’s words.

What had Tommy expected. God, he really was an idiot.

A week later he was at a call that the 118 was present for as well. He tried to stay well clear of them, but he couldn’t help but look for Evan. It was like being a moth drawn to light and of course Evan was his light.

He’d overheard Lucy and Melton talking on his first shift after his talk with Eddie and Melton had said everyone had a regret in love, that everyone had someone they let go of or who let them go that always left what ifs. Evan wasn’t a regret, Tommy would never regret him. What he regretted was that Tommy had allowed fear and his own baggage to cloud things and destroy what he and Evan had.

Of course, a part of him did still wonder if he had been right. Every relationship came with risk, and Evan having just realized he was into men as much as women, it wasn’t farfetched to think that one day he might think that he’d settled into something with Tommy far too quickly without really knowing for sure it was what he wanted. Evan hadn’t denied that either, he hadn’t tried to stop Tommy leaving. He hadn’t reached out. He hadn’t even asked for any of his things back — granted neither had Tommy.

Tommy had everything that Evan had ever left as his house in the drawer that had been Evan’s. Or hanging on his coat rack. In his bathroom. In his kitchen. He hadn’t had the heart to remove any of it and sometimes when he was really tired or when he’d hit the booze a little hard with Lucy, he could even convince himself that it was there waiting for Evan.

The call rang long, the fire blazing for a while and worse people stuck inside on the higher floors. Tommy was helping on the ground on a hose, he knew the 118 was helping with evacuation along with the 133 and somehow they did manage to get everyone out and they did manage to get the flames put out. Tommy wouldn’t admit it, but he spent most of the call with his heart in his throat hoping that Evan stayed safe and that nothing went wrong.

They were just getting back to the truck when he saw Evan a little soot covered, but smiling. He was talking to a reporter. Red hair, pale skin, skinny and pretty. He kept talking to her even after the camera man brought the camera down.

“That’s Taylor Kelly,” Lucy said and she pushed him to keep moving.

Taylor Kelly the reporter. Taylor Kelly who was Evan’s ex. Taylor who Evan had cheated on with Lucy. When he turned back to look once more they were no longer talking.

“I don’t get why you haven’t reached out to him,” Lucy said.

“He’s a coward,” Melton said.

“It’s been how many months now and you’re not over him. Do you want me to find out if he’s seeing anyone? Maybe you still have a shot. We’ve never seen you like this before and at first it was I guess normal. Now it’s a bit depressing. What happened, Tommy?”

“What happened is Melton is right and I am a coward,” Tommy said and then he climbed into the truck and looked away from them, glad when they didn’t talk to him the whole way back to Harbor.

He heard about Maddie giving birth from Hen. It was a passing comment one night when he went over for dinner and Tommy found himself mourning that he hadn’t been there for Evan through all of it, especially because as Karen told it, Maddie had had a hard labor.

He was shown pictures from Hen’s phone. The baby was tiny and already had a tuft of dark hair. He scrolled through pictures and then there he was. Evan holding the baby in his arms, the baby looking even smaller tucked right into the crook of Evan’s elbow and Evan smiling down with so much awe and love. It hurt to look at him, but Tommy couldn’t stop.

So maybe there had been times when Tommy allowed himself to think about a future where he and Evan stayed together, one where they were married and decided they should be parents too. He’d seen Evan around kids too often, knew Evan would want to be a dad. Tommy had never longed for that or anything, but with Evan he would have wanted it. That was all gone now.

“Oh,” Karen said. “Sorry. I forgot…”

Tommy forced himself to flip to the next picture. Another shot of Evan, this time he was looking up with the bluest glassiest eyes. He missed him. He missed him so damn much and it wasn’t fair how much.

“Tommy,” Karen said. “Hey, are you alright?”

“I miss him,” Tommy said.

“I’m pretty sure he misses you too,” Hen said. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Do you have anything stronger?”

Hen didn’t mince words. She told him point blank about how after the break up, Evan had tried to act like he was alright. Then, he’d just started to do anything he could in order to keep busy.

“He started baking,” Hen said. “Then he started doing yoga. He started rock climbing. I think he even took an art class. Anyway, it was hard to watch but I guess it was better than if he sat at home wallowing.”

“Like I did,” Tommy said.

Karen grasped his wrist. “You were both hurting. What happened, Tommy?”

“He asked me to move in and I said no.”

“And you broke up over that?” Hen asked, surprised.

Tommy shook his head. “No. Yes. In what world was this going to last? He only just discovered he likes men and yeah it was going well but it wasn’t forever. If we moved in together, it was going to be so much harder when we broke up.”

“That’s…that’s bullshit, Tommy,” Hen said. “So, you broke his heart and yours so it wouldn’t happen later on.”

“I didn’t break his—”

“You did,” Karen said.

“Well shouldn’t he get a chance to explore what his sexuality means? Shouldn’t he get to figure that out instead of settling for the first guy he dates?”

“And what if he wasn’t settling?”

That kept him up all of that night. He still remembered how the conversation had gone. Evan had brought up the Abby thing and Tommy had felt put on the spot because it was the last thing he expected and then Evan had started to explain about Abby being an important relationship to him and how Tommy was just as important, the most important since, and all at once Tommy’s fears and insecurities had rushed forward because Evan and Abby hadn’t made it and now that Tommy was this gay mentor or whatever of course it wouldn’t last either. He tried to explain that to Hen and Karen and they both looked at him like he was the one that didn’t get it.

“You need to talk to him,” Hen said. “For both your sakes.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Tommy admitted.

Exactly a year after it happened, he saw Evan again.

Tommy had gone out to a gay bar because he couldn’t stay home and wallow. Lucy had also told him that he needed to put himself out there again. That if he wasn’t going to talk to Evan, then he needed to talk to someone that might give him a reason to move on. He really didn’t want to, but at the same time his right hand was getting tired and maybe some release of a carnal nature was what Tommy needed. No one had said it, but they had all kind of implied that Evan had at least gotten out there.

He and Evan had gone to that bar once, gotten a drink and then danced a little before calling it a night and heading back to Evan’s, both of them eager to get up to Evan’s bedroom. He remembered seeing more than a few eyes looking at Evan with interest and how it had made something inside him churn because Tommy had known that if Evan was on the market again he wouldn’t have a hard time finding someone that was interested in him.

Finding himself a free spot at the bar, Tommy ordered a beer and he tried not to think about the first few times that Tommy had gone into a gay bar and how nervous he’d been to actually put himself out there like that.

“Hi, handsome,” a male voice said before Tommy had even gotten his beer.

Tommy turned. “Hello.”

The guy had floppy hair. He was lanky and thin, could probably be called a twink. He was also way too young for Tommy, probably not even in his mid-twenties.

“So,” the twink said, hand reaching to touch Tommy’s chest right where the V of his shirt ended. “Want to have some fun?” He wiggled his eyebrows and licked his lips and his hand climbed to Tommy’s neck.

“Sorry,” Tommy said. “That’s not why I’m here.”

“Boo,” the guy said, hand dropping away, “So why are you here?”

“A drink,” Tommy said decisively because he knew that even if someone age appropriate were to approach him, he wouldn’t have been interested. They weren’t Evan.

“Oh, well. It was worth trying. Though, I don’t usually get turned down twice in one night.”

“What’s your name?” Tommy asked.

“Owen.”

“Well, Owen, it looks to me like there are plenty of fishes in the sea. Third time might be the charm. To be honest, you’re way too young for me and I’m still…I’m hung up on my ex.”

Owen took a look around, but he turned back to Tommy. “Bad break up? Did he break your heart?”

“More like I broke his and mine. Such an idiot.”

“But, hey, you’re still hot. I could help you forget for a few hours.”

Tommy laughed.

Owen grinned. “Not ready for that. Must have been quite the guy.”

“Yeah.”

Owen wandered off and Tommy watched him strike up a conversation with another guy, someone a little closer to his age. They seemed to hit it off and next time he saw them they were out getting lost in the crowd of bodies on the dance floor.

Tommy finished his beer and was about to order another when he heard a familiar voice. Down the bar he found Evan. He was turned away from Tommy looking to one of the tables where a man was waving. Tommy couldn’t watch this. He couldn’t see Evan flirt with someone else. He couldn’t see Evan go home with that guy. He couldn’t look away.

Evan said something to the girl behind the bar and…wait, did he not accept the drink? Then, he saw Evan put some money down right before finishing his beer and moving to leave.

Tommy did the same and he followed.

Evan made it out the door just ahead of him and Tommy had to get around several people, but eventually he made it to the door and then out. Evan was just outside, arms crossed over his chest, waiting.

“Tommy,” he said.

His voice, the sound of his name, Tommy felt it all down to his bones.

“Hi, Evan,” he said and he knew his voice broke on Evan’s name.

“It’s been a year,” Evan said.

The door opened behind Tommy and Tommy had to step out of the way, his eyes never leaving Evan because maybe Evan would disappear.

“I know,” Tommy said.

“It’s felt like longer,” Evan said.

“I know.”

“I miss you,” Evan said.

“I miss you too.”

Evan was quiet for a beat and then, “then, why?”

It was high time he stopped being a coward, high time that he stopped getting in his own way or letting the past intrude on his present.

“Because I’m the biggest idiot,” Tommy said.

Evan snorted. “You’re not wrong.”

The door opened again bringing with it a wave of music. It was Owen, arms linked with the guy he’d been dancing with. He looked between them and laughed, shaking his head as he walked past them.

“Maybe we should take this conversation elsewhere,” Tommy suggested.

Tommy’s house was closer. It felt better than going to Evan’s loft, not that it stopped Tommy from remembering how it had all gone. How he’d let the door close behind him and he’d just thought that it was the right call.

Evan followed him inside.

“You know, it was so dumb of me to ask you to move in when you’re the one that owns his own place,” Evan said. “I was just…overcorrecting. Rushing. Trying to show you how much I wanted us to have a future.”

“And I got scared,” Tommy said and led Evan to the living room. “I was dumb too. I should never have broken up with you but, Evan, the way you were talking about Abby and me, it was like of course I was just here to be your next transformative relationship. The next thing that prepared you for…for whoever came next.”

Transformative. That word had stuck around for him, he realized. The comparison Evan had made about his relationship with Abby to their relationship. He and Evan sat down.

“Tommy, I’m—”

Tommy stood. “I’ll go get us some water.”

He didn’t wait for Evan to respond. As soon as he was out of the room he took a few breaths. What were they doing here? What were either of them hoping to accomplish? Did Evan want to get back together? Was that…was that the right move?

Twelve months. It had been double the amount of time that their relationship had lasted and Tommy ached for Evan. He longed for him. He still hadn’t gotten rid of any of the things that reminded him of Evan or the things that belonged to Evan either. Hell, he hadn’t even let anyone take over or make their own mark.

“Tommy?” Evan called you. “Do you want me to come to the kitchen?”

“I’ll be right back.”

He grabbed and filled glasses.

Evan had started pacing the floor. He looked distraught. Tommy wanted to grab his hands and hug him, instead he set down the water.

“We never talked about our exes,” Tommy said.

Evan’s gaze snapped towards him. “No, I guess we didn’t.”

“Come, sit,” Tommy said and motioned to the couch. “Evan, I think I let my past decide my future and clearly I was wrong and this last year has been miserable. I’ve missed you every day and I thought walking away was the right thing for you, but it was definitely the wrong thing for me and I just—”

He didn’t expect Evan to kiss him, but that’s what Evan did. It didn’t last long and Tommy wanted to pull him right into another kiss because it had been a year since the last time he kissed him — the last time he’d kissed anybody.

“Evan,” he said.

“I learned a year and a half ago that was one way of getting someone’s attention,” Evan said. “I’ve been miserable too. I hated this last year and I missed you and as much as I wanted to hate you I just love you too much.”

Then, they were kissing again and Tommy was pressed back against his couch, Evan practically crawling into his lap. His arms were around Evan again and he really hadn’t thought that he would ever have this again, but Evan was there and he smelled amazing and he felt amazing and their lips slotted together perfectly.

Tommy didn’t even realize he was crying until Evan pulled back and his hands were brushing away his tears and then kissing his cheeks. His nose.

“I love you,” Evan said. “I’m in love with you.”

His heart was soaring and he reached to cup Evan’s cheeks. “Good, because I love you too.”

Evan smiled wide at him, pecked his lips and then just hugged him. Held him. Tommy held him back.

“We’ll have to talk about it,” Tommy said. “I want to explain. I want—”

“Later,” Evan said. “Right now, I just want…I want to bask in this. In us.”

#bucktommy #bucktommy fic #tevan #tommy kinard #evan buckley #kinley #911 fic #911 abc

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katyobsesses · 7 months ago

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in the right place

@bucktommyweek Prompt: Alternate First Meeting

What if Tommy never left the 118?

word count: 985

AO3 LINK

The laughter around the table never failed to make Tommy smile as he ate.

These moments with the 118 had only just started to become the norm when he had applied for his transfer to Harbor. But, thankfully, that transfer had fallen through at the last minute and Bobby had agreed to keep him on for at least another year as he reapplied. And while becoming a pilot for the LAFD was Tommy’s dream, he was glad for the extra time spent with the 118 and its new dynamic.

The firehouse under Captain Gerrard was very much a thing of the past, now, and Tommy was glad that he was able to see the 118 become what it was today from the inside, rather than the outside looking in. It had become a family.

To which a new member was set to join today.

Everyone was in high spirits as they ate lunch, waiting for the new Probie to turn up.

Tommy spun his spaghetti onto his fork, humming in agreement to whatever Hen had just said as he ate it. He looked up from his plate as he chewed, and spotted a kid bounding his way across the walkway towards them.

He nudged Howie in the side with his elbow.

“Cap,” Howie relayed, his own mouth also still stuffed with pasta. Tommy rolled his eyes at him and Howie shot him a muffled What? before taking another bite with a smirk.

“Uh… Hi!” The kid greeted with a nervous little wave as he came to a stop, “I’m Evan Buckley? New recruit. I was told to report to Captain Nash…”

The table fell silent as the prank they’d planned for this moment got underway.

Bobby tilted his head to the side in believable mock confusion at Evan’s words, before turning to everyone at the table. Tommy had to take another bite of food to stop himself from either speaking up in the kid’s defense, or laughing at his expense.

“You know a Captain Nash?” Bobby asked Howie, who, dramatically, shook his head, obviously trying not to laugh himself, “You?” Bobby asked Hen, who did a much more convincing head shake her face a mask of confusion.

“You?” Bobby finally asked Tommy. He swallowed his pasta, and his laughter, as he shook his head.

“Nope,” He answered with a shrug, lips threatening to quirk.

“Uh…” Evan started, his eyes widening and his fingers fidgeting with the strap of his bag. “Um…”

Finally Cap let him out of his misery with a smile, pulling the empty seat at his side out from the table.

“Take a seat, Evan,” He said, and finally Tommy could let his laugh free.

It came out louder than he expected, a full body laugh instead of the chuckle he’d been anticipating, but Evan had just looked so incredibly adorable with the dear in headlights look in his blue eyes, with the nervous fidgeting belied by a smile, with the way he jumped at the sound of Tommy’s laughter before laughing along with everyone else. A giant grin spread across Evan’s face, a flush gracing his cheeks and he ducked his head as he sat in the offered seat.

“Thanks,” Evan said before looking around at the plethora of plates on the table, then at everyone sitting around him. His blue eyes met Tommy’s and Tommy felt his heart literally skip a beat in his chest as that grin was turned in his direction.

“This is amazing,” Evan gushed, turning away from Tommy and beginning to load his plate, “Is it always like this?”

“Always,” Hen agreed, sharing a smile with Tommy and Howie. Tommy smiled back at her with a nod, while Howie swallowed his pasta.

“Well,” He added, “When Bobby’s in the Captain’s chair, anyway.”

Evan smiled, ducking his head again as if trying to hide the look of disbelief that flashed across his face.

“Think I might be in the right place,” He said, mostly to himself, and begun to dig into his plate of spaghetti.

Tommy diverted his eyes from Evan, finally, and spun his spaghetti onto his fork, willing his heart rate to even out. He could feel Hen’s eyes on him from across the table and he risked a glance towards her.

She was looking at him with contemplation in her eyes, the look eerily similar to the one she got when she had just figured out some confusing medical emergency. Tommy raised his eyebrows at her in the universal signal for what? and she looked between himself and Evan before raising her own in return. Tommy felt his cheeks start to heat, as he took another bite of pasta and broke eye contact with Hen.

Fuck.

He’d had a plan. He was going to leave the 118, start anew someplace else, and finally stop lying to everyone around him, the way he had finally stopped lying to himself. He had decided it would be easier to be open with new people who didn’t really know him before; someplace he didn’t have a history.

But then his transfer had fallen through, and he’d had to add an extra year or so onto the timeline he’d set himself.

But maybe this was the Universe’s way of making sure he stuck to that timeline, regardless. This kid’s adorable awkward confidence and Tommy’s apparent inability to mask his reaction to it was going to be the thing to out him. He could feel it in the flush of his cheeks and the beating of his heart, in the smile he couldn’t seem to drop as Evan began his next sentence with Did you know..?

He looked back up from his plate, and over to Evan again, letting his macho mask fall as Evan’s face lit into an excited smile at one of Chimney’s dramatized stories of their saves.

Tommy wondered if, maybe, he was in the right place too.

#bucktommyweek #bucktommyweekend #bucktommy #kinkley #tevan #kinley #whatever their shipname is #bucktommy fanfic #evan buckley #tommy kinard #911 #911 abc #911 fanfiction #katy writes #katywrites

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totallyjustabunchofhocuspocus · 2 months ago

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Fic: Something to Sink Your Teeth Into 12/?

Pairing: Buck/Tommy

Vampire/Witch!AU

CW for this chapter: animal death

“Missing? What do you mean he’s missing?”

“I mean he’s missing—Howie and someone else in their coven tried a locator spell?” Tommy shot a questioning look at Evan, who just nodded in understanding. “And it apparently couldn’t focus on him, whatever that means.” Evan didn’t look away from the road, but Tommy saw his eyes widen. “What?”

“It’s, ah, it might be nothing. There’s ways to block locator spells.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ in there somewhere,” Tommy said, wariness already creeping up the back of his neck.

“It’s hard,” Evan admitted. “Especially if you don’t know someone’s performing one. I mean…if Jon—Greenway was paranoid about his coven finding out what he was doing, he could’ve taken precautions.”

Tommy raised a silent eyebrow, waiting for the other shoe he could just sense hovering in the air. Evan’s shoulders slumped slightly.

“But, those kinds of spells take a lot of energy, and I can’t imagine his coven wouldn’t have noticed.”

“So, if he didn’t block the locator spell, then why wouldn’t it be finding him?” Tommy asked, and was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

“Either he’s already outside the radius of the spell—not likely, unless this Howie guy is, like, thirteen. Or, um, or there’s nothing to find.”

“Fuck,” Tommy muttered. “All right. Howie and Sergeant Grant are going to his house to see what they can find. He asked me to try and see if he’s at the temp agency offices he’s been volunteering with.”

Evan’s hands flexed on the steering wheel, and Tommy heard his heartrate kick up a little. Tommy rubbed his jaw, silently considering. As much as he hated how wary and mistrustful Evan still was—and he did, against all sense and reason, he really did hate that Evan didn’t trust him…it felt so wrong, somehow—he did understand it. Unfortunately, he knew the only thing that might actually prove he was being sincere was to let Evan go. And somehow, he hated the thought of the witch actually leaving hi—leaving just as much as the thought that he didn’t trust him. It was rapidly becoming obvious, though, that this situation was becoming more dangerous by the second. Reluctantly, he came to a decision.

“I can’t make you come with me,” he said, his voice quiet in the cab.

“Yes, you can,” Evan countered immediately, and Tommy dipped his head in acknowledgement, even if he wasn’t entirely sure it was true. He was still unsure if he’d have been able to put Evan under his thrall if the witch hadn’t been panicking and unable to concentrate properly.

“All right, I could,” he said. “But I’m not going to. Get me to the office, or at least close—” He trailed off a moment, trying to understand why it felt so difficult to say what he wanted to say, the sense of wrongness just increasing at the notion of letting Evan leave his sight. “Do that, and you can leave. It’s still going to be safer for you if you leave the city entirely. But I won’t stop you.

Evan frowned, that same puzzled look from before taking over his handsome face. “Just like that?” he asked cautiously.

“Just like that,” Tommy confirmed.

“Won’t you, uh, won’t you get in, in trouble or something?”

“Yes,” Tommy said bluntly. Then he chuckled, his smile shifting into something a little sharp. “But I am almost a thousand years old. There’s not actually much Alonzo can do to me.” He leaned back against the headrest, staring out onto the streets of LA. “I won’t lie, it would be helpful if you came with me. If I’m going in there, I wouldn’t mind having a witch at my back…and I know you’re a damn powerful one.”

Evan was silent for a long time, guiding the Jeep past the exit for the highway and turning onto a new route. Tommy didn’t question it, content to give Evan as much time as he needed to think about it. As they continued driving, he turned the situation over and over in his mind, trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together. If what Evan said about locator spells was true, he wasn’t holding out much hope that they would find Greenway alive. Still…

“A witch selling out other witches to vampire covens would have to be stupid not to have an escape plan,” Tommy mused out loud, tapping the screen of his phone with his thumb. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that Greenway had realized that whatever he intended to happen to Evan hadn’t happened and he immediately booked it. Especially if he’d known how Gerrard tended to…retaliate when things didn’t go his way. Except.

“Okay, now I’m sensing a ‘but’ at the end of that sentence,” Evan said tiredly.

“But,” Tommy acknowledged, “the more I think about it, the more I don’t think Gerrard realized you were there. That you’re a witch, I mean.”

“Huh?”

Tommy sighed and rolled his neck back and forth, the familiar tension flooding him at the mere thought of Gerrard. God, how he hated that asshole. “If Gerrard knew what you were, he would’ve had you chained up on display, not serving cocktails. He would’ve made a spectacle of it, would’ve made everyone watch while he drank from you. Even if he didn’t know which one of the workers was a witch for some reason, he wouldn’t have just let you wander around the party where anyone could claim you as soon as the—uh—the main event started.” They had pulled to a stop at a red light, and Evan turned horrified eyes on him. Tommy gave him a grim, humorless smile. “Evan, I get why you don’t trust me—I really do. But I wasn’t kidding when I said anything I offered was better than what would happen to you at that house.”

Evan’s mouth worked soundlessly for a moment, before he snapped his attention back to the road in front of them. “How…how do you even know this guy? If, if, if you’re so different, why do you know so much about him?”

Tommy chose to ignore the sarcasm dripping from the phrase so different.

“Vincent Gerrard—the coven master of that party—he’s one of the major players in LA. Has been for decades. His coven’s one of the most powerful in the state. He’s a fucking monster. Even for one of us, he’s…he’s awful. Always been awful. He and I were turned around the same time. By the same vampire. I had to share a coven with him for centuries.” His voice dropped, and knew that his face had gone stone cold blank.

“I didn’t think vampire coven bonds were like ours,” Evan said, an almost reluctant curiosity coloring his words. “I thought they were more like political alliances? Couldn’t you just leave?”

“They are for the most part. I mean, we’re bound to our covens, but it’s a bond we choose to make between us and our coven master, something that can be broken on either side at any time. And yeah—now I could just leave my coven whenever I wanted to. Alonzo isn’t my maker. There’s a certain—connection between you and the vampire that made you. Depending on how strong your maker is, sometimes they can use that connection to keep their turns bound to them. Almost like our thrall. But the more turns you try it on, the harder it gets and the easier it is for them to break that connection. That’s why our covens are mostly alliances, especially these days. My maker kept his coven relatively small for a very long time, so I was…stuck.”

His memories of his days in the bastard’s coven had never faded the way his other memories had. They were still as sharp and clear as the day he’d experienced them, and he didn’t think he’d ever get over quite how unfair that was. Evan seemed to sense the darkness in the turn his thoughts had taken.

“There are kids in Jonah…er…Greenway’s coven, right?” he said suddenly. Tommy blinked at the non sequitur, and Evan clarified, “I saw them in that picture of Greenway your friend sent.”

“Ah. Yeah, at least a few, I think. Howie’s partner Henrietta Wilson has a son. Grant’s got a couple kids. And there’s a relatively new guy—Diego or Diaz or something. Howie’s mentioned he has a kid. Why?”

Evan just shook his head, a small furrow between his brows deepening. He pulled the Jeep onto the street in the address Howie had texted him right after they ended their call, a boulevard lined with office buildings. None of them were the towering skyscrapers of downtown LA, but they were tall enough that Tommy was pretty sure there would be enough shade on the street for him to stick to the sidewalks for the most part. To his surprise, though, Evan drove them to a public parking garage, taking the lane that would take them underground rather than the upper levels.

“We can get to an art gallery up top from this garage. It’s right next to Greenway’s building, and there’s a covered walkway between them,” Evan said, and Tommy looked up sharply.

“We?” he repeated. “So you’re—”

“I want to help,” Evan interrupted. He didn’t look over at Tommy, sitting up ramrod straight in his seat and clutching the steering wheel in both hands. “If—if LA is as close to coven war as it sounds like…I want to help.”

The relief that Tommy felt at Evan’s words was outsized. He knew that, and yet he couldn’t help feeling it. “Thank you,” he said, trying to push all of his relief and sincerity into the words.

Evan gave a short, sharp nod and climbed out of the Jeep, stepping into the shadowy, echoing garage. “So, so, so what are we looking for? What’s the plan?” he asked, pointing towards the building exit they needed to take and falling into step beside Tommy with only a slight hesitance.

“Right now, Grant just wants to know where the hell Greenway is. Assuming he’s still alive and just blocking Howie’s spell. If he’s here and trying to go on the run, I’ll stop him. But otherwise, we don’t need to engage. If it comes to a fight, you stay behind me. Cast whatever you need to cast, but I’d appreciate a heads up if you’re about to set anything on fire.”

He thought he saw Evan’s lips twitch at that, but couldn’t be sure. They made their way through the parking garage and up a flight of stairs, exiting into a brightly lit art gallery filled the kind of colorful, modern art and sculpture that Tommy had never really been able to get into. His only exposure to art of any kind had all been religious iconography for the longest time…he didn’t think he’d seen a painting or sculpture that didn’t feature Jesus, Mary, or some saint or angel until almost a century after he’d first met Sal. To his surprise, a couple of the gallery workers greeted Evan by name, their eyes flicking to Tommy curiously.

“Who’s your friend?” one of them, an older Hispanic woman with a thick braid of iron-gray hair hanging down her back, asked coyly. She looked Tommy up and down, her dark eyes sparkling with mirth.

Evan ducked his head, hiding his briefly panicked look, before shrugging one shoulder. “This is Kin—uh, T-Tommy. We’re just hanging out, Maria.”

Even stumbling over it, Tommy’s name sounded very nice in Evan’s mouth, he decided.

‘Maria’ looked Tommy up and down again and winked at Evan, who ducked again and hurried off with a quick wave, his cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink. As Tommy followed the witch, he heard Maria lean over to her co-worker and whisper in Spanish, “Damn it, I didn’t even realize my grandson might have a chance!”

Tommy caught up to Evan easily, amusement sparking through him despite the possibly dire situation they were walking into. “You’ve got a fan club,” he remarked, and Evan made a strangled little noise in the back of his throat.

“She’s been trying to fix me up with her neighbor’s daughter for like three months,” Evan mumbled, heading for a pair of glass doors that did, indeed, open up onto a covered walkway lined with potted topiary. “The temp agency’s closed on Sundays, but they share a floor with a nonprofit that usually has people in on the weekends,” he continued. Tommy nodded and followed him out into the warm LA afternoon.

As he always did whenever he was outside in the daytime, he looked out through the spaces between the potted trees at the sunlit streets—frustratingly close, and yet forever out of his reach. If he were to step out into the sunlight, he would no longer immediately burst into flames (a fact he’d discovered in about sixty of the most terrifying seconds of either of his lives sometime in the late 1800’s when a feral vampire he and Sal had been hunting down as a favor to a local coven had somehow gotten the drop on him in the barn they’d chased it into). But sunlight was no longer the kiss of golden warmth he could only barely remember if he closed his eyes and concentrated very, very hard. It wasn’t instant death for him at his age, but even the briefest seconds of exposure were agonizing. Like his skin was being burned by pure acid.

Tommy wasn’t even sure if his memories of the sunlight were true memories, or just constructs he’d made up from poems and stories he’d heard over the years. He just knew he missed it. Missed it like he missed his mother’s face and voice, missed it like he missed the satisfaction of a good meal after a hard day’s work, missed it like the touch of a lover. Missed it like hundreds and thousands of other things that he could no longer experience, but more intensely.

He tore his eyes away from the sun-drenched street and followed Evan into the building that housed the temp agency Jonah Greenway had apparently been volunteering at. The lobby was completely deserted, but if the nonprofit Evan had mentioned was the only business in the building currently open, that wasn’t entirely surprising. Temp agencies and nonprofits were not typically known to require (or be able to afford) 24/7 security and reception services.

He automatically shifted in front of Evan to take point, faintly surprised when Evan immediately allowed it, falling into step just behind him. He was even more surprised when he realized how comfortable he felt with the witch on his six (to use the modern terminology). It was no small thing—he had been particular about who he would trust at his back before he’d been turned, and the centuries had only heightened that tendency. There wasn’t even any good reason to trust Evan behind him. The witch said he wanted to help, that he would assist Tommy in preventing the coven war that was brewing over the city, but Tommy had no particular reason to believe him.

He did, though.

He believed Evan easily. Completely. The same way that letting Evan go off to fend for himself, letting him leave Tommy’s side and his sight felt wrong this…this felt right.

They avoided the elevators, taking the stairwell instead. “I don’t suppose there’s anything you can do about the security cameras?” Tommy asked as they made their way up several flights. Josh would be willing to get into the building’s system and erase any footage of him and Evan, but he’d make Tommy pay for it. Somehow, some way, he’d make Tommy pay.

“The stairwell and the lobby are blind—none of the leases want to pay for building-wide security, so everyone’s just responsible for their own floor. I’ve heard a bunch of employees talk about how they go up and smoke on the roof during their lunch breaks. I can fry the cameras on the temp agency’s floor, but it’ll probably trigger an alarm.”

“So hasty exit. Check.”

As they closed in on the sixth floor, though, Evan suddenly halted on the stairs. “Wait—” he said, and when Tommy turned back to him, the witch was staring up towards the door one flight above them.

“What is it?” Tommy asked, sniffing the air curiously and straining to hear anything. Evan shook his head.

“Magic,” he said. “Someone’s been using magic here.”

Before Tommy could voice the question that sprang to his lips, he caught a familiar scent on the air and stiffened. “And I smell blood,” he said grimly. Evan sighed.

“What do you want to bet we found J—Greenway?” he asked rhetorically.

“I don’t take sucker’s bets,” Tommy said. “Remember, stay behind me.”

They hurried up the remaining stairs, the coppery smell of freshly spilled blood growing thicker by the second, and soon Tommy could feel the staticky charge of magic in the air as well. He listened intently at the door leading onto the temp agency’s floor, narrowing his eyes when he picked up on the watery, rasping breath of someone bleeding out on the floor. Fuck. If Greenway was alive, but injured, things had just gotten even more complicated.

He heard Evan mutter the same word he’d screamed in Gerrard’s mansion, and when he looked back over his shoulder, a ball of fire was dancing in Evan’s palm, He gave a slow nod of approval, and threw open the door.

Jonah Greenway was very, very dead.

The witch was lying on the tiled floor of the bland, featureless hallway that the stairwell let out on, surrounded by a small pool of swiftly cooling blood. His throat, wrists, even his thighs were torn and bloodied, flesh shredded like hamburger meat, barely clinging to the bone in some places. His eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling, his face a rictus of pain and terror.

About ten feet down the hallway, near the bank of elevators, was the source of the ragged, gasping breaths.

Tommy knew that coyotes were not unheard of in the less populated areas of LA, out toward the hills and the desert. But he’d never expected to see one right in the middle of the city.

“Oh no,” Evan breathed out, his voice thin and shaky. There was a soft whump of air as the fireball in Evan’s hands dissipated, and—contrary to what Tommy had just fucking warned him about—the witch darted around Tommy and raced for the coyote, skidding to his knees on the floor beside it. “Hey, hey, what happened? What can I do?” he asked frantically.

Greenway’s familiar, Tommy realized with a start as he raced forward, coming to a halt just at Evan’s shoulder. Of course, this had to be Greenway’s familiar. The creature was dying; Tommy could see that at a glance. Its belly had been ripped clean open, blood and viscera spilling out across the floor as it panted and twitched. Its muzzle and paws were stained scarlet, defensive wounds all over its body—the thing had put up a hell of a fight.

W—witch? I…I know…your…scent…

The animal didn’t speak. Tommy wasn’t entirely sure he heard the voice with his ears. And yet, it echoed around them, wheezy and full of pain.

“I’m Evan. I—I knew Jonah,” Evan said, gently laying his hand on the creature’s head. “I don’t…I’m not good at healing spells, but I can—”

Too late….too…late. N-nothing…nothing left…anyway. My witch…my witch betrayed…b-betrayed…I didn’t…didn’t real…realize. I thought…I thought…

“It’s okay,” Evan said, his voice soft and kind. “It’s okay, you didn’t know.”

Sh—should have…stupid…sh-should have k-known…too…late…

“Listen, Athena Grant sent us. You can still help make this right. What was Jonah doing here?” Evan asked urgently.

Athe…na? She…she knows… The coyote blinked hazily up at Evan. You—the w-witch my Jonah…sent…you lived… For a brief moment, the strange voice was filled with grateful relief. Jonah…he came for…h-hid the ev-evidence…here…get…Athena, get it…

“Whatever it is, I’ll make sure your coven leader gets it,” Evan promised. “What am I looking for?”

Hid it…th-they came for…I hid…the pl-planter…be-between… The coyote shuddered, a cluster of frothy, bloody bubbles spilling from its mouth. Evan pressed his lips together, gently stroking the creature’s head. Be…tween… the familiar’s voice whispered again.

Then it went still.

Tommy looked wildly around them, his eyes zeroing in on a set of decorative plastic ferns sitting in bronze-plated planters between each bank of elevators. “Is that what it was talking about? What are we looking for?” he demanded, standing up and stalking over to the nearest planter. He plunged his hand into the decorative gravel that lined the pot, sifting rapidly through it, only to find nothing. “Which one? Between what?”

“Not between something,” Evan said slowly, getting to his feet after gently closing the familiar’s eyes. “In the between.”

Tommy stared at him blankly. “What?”

Instead of answering, Evan walked over to the planters and stood in front of each one, peering straight forward before walking to the next one. After a moment, he paused by the next to last planter, and when Tommy followed the witch’s line of sight, he realized the planter was angled slightly so that its reflection appeared in the polished, stainless-steel doors of the elevator across the hallway from it. To his utter confusion, Evan started walking straight towards the elevators, keeping his body at the right angle so that his wavery, blurred reflection appeared in the elevator doors as well. As soon as he did, he paused, adjusting his position and holding out his hand so that it looked like it was hovering just over the planter in the reflection. Then he muttered a short phrase in the musical, lilting language of all his spells and closed his fist over empty air.

When he turned to face Tommy again, he held out his hand and opened his fingers to reveal a flash drive cupped in his palm.

Tommy couldn’t keep the surprise off his face. “Well. Never heard of that before. That’s handy.”

“Wonder what’s on it?” Evan said quietly. He handed it over to Tommy without protest, and Tommy tucked it safely into his front pocket.

“Something worth dying over, apparently,” Tommy said, and Evan flinched a little, turning to look sadly at Greenway’s body. “Come on, I don’t hear anyone else on this floor, but we should get out of here. Can you do your thing with the cam—what?”

Evan had frozen, his eyes going wide. “Jonah kept a silencing spell on his office. All the time,” he blurted out.

As if to emphasize the implications of that, Tommy became aware of footsteps. They seemed to appear mid-step, as if the person simply appeared out of thin air. Or stepped out of an office with magic fucking soundproofing. Several footsteps, all of them different in cadence and tone…several people. And Tommy wasn’t dumb enough to think they didn’t belong to a witch or a vampire. Without preamble, he grabbed Evan’s elbow and hustled him over to the nearest elevator, jabbing at the call button and hoping against hope that one of the cars was already on this floor.

No such luck. Because of fucking course.

The office door swung open, and an unfamiliar vampire stepped out of the temp agency’s lobby. Followed closely by at least two others. Even across the room, Tommy could feel the power rolling off them, the strength that only came from drinking witch blood. It appeared they had found Greenway’s killers.

The lead vampire, a tall white man with hair so pale his buzzcut almost made him look bald and the air of someone who had been used to violence long before he was turned, froze at the sight of them for a bare instant. Then his gaze sharpened, zeroing in on Evan. A nasty smirk twisted his lips.

“Well, well, well. Looks like this job just got even easier, boys. Someone brought our last loose end right to us, special delivery.”

#911 abc #911 tv show #mywriting #buck x tommy #evan buckley #evan buck buckley #tommy kinard #bucktommy #shameless self promotion #firepilot #firebeast #tevan #tevan fic #kinley #kinkley

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cal-daisies-and-briars · 6 months ago

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Tease Tidbit Tuesday

Thank you to @tizniz @theotherbuckley @diazsdimples @bidisasterevankinard for tagging me! And thank you EVERYONE who has tagged me over the past week. I had a weird week with my birthday, a funeral, and seeing a sibling I am no contact with, and just didn't have mental space for Tumblr. But i am BACK.

Here is a snippet of one of two upcoming one-shots I am planning on adding, as little treats to my Anywhere I Want, Just Not Home universe, as a direct sequel to my Grandpa!Bobby fic. I just couldn't stop thinking about Nicolas Robert Buckley-Diaz. So here ya go! This one, with a dose of Maddie.

---

Maddie, who is wiping down the tiled backsplash behind the oven, smiles to herself. She thinks it’s good for both of them, despite the five year age gap, to play and argue together. Nico doesn’t really get this with Christopher, given the age gap, and Nico is Jee’s only cousin. It’s healthy, she thinks. More like she was with Daniel then how she had to be with Evan. She wants that for them both; the most carefree, loving childhood they can have.

Howie is putting away groceries. He passes by her to slide something into a cupboard, passing to press a big, exaggerated kiss to the back of her skull.

“What was that for?” Maddie laughs.

“Oh, nothing,” he grins. “You just always get this warm, beautiful smile on your face when you listen to them, and I love it.”

They’ve been married for eight years now, together for longer, and he still has a way of saying things that make her melt.

“You’re a charmer,” she accuses him.

“Only for you,” he winks, reaching into a reusable grocery bag and pulling out a block of cheese.

---

No pressure tagging @pantsaretherealheroes @jeeyuns @exhuastedpigeon @aroeddiediaz

@steadfastsaturnsrings @mangacat201 @daughterofscotland @madneywedding

@evanbegins @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @wildlife4life @buckleybabyblues @adarkermiserablecrow

@epicbuddieficrecs @fortheloveofbuddie @watchyourbuck @buddieswhvre @your-catfish-friend

@l0v3t0hat3y0u @lyricfulloflight @kwills91

#daisies and briars writes #tease tidbit tuesday #911 fanfic #i hold it like a grudge fic

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do-androids-dream-ao3acc · 6 months ago

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In The Dark (BuckTommy Whump)

In The Dark (14,612 words) by NeverlandPoet Chapters: 9/9 Fandom: 9-1-1 (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Tommy Kinard Characters: Evan "Buck" Buckley, Tommy Kinard, Vincent Gerrard, Howie "Chimney" Han, Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Ravi Panikkar, Maddie Buckley Additional Tags: Whump, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Hurt Tommy Kinard, Internalized Homophobia, Racism, Canon-Typical Violence, Firefighter Evan "Buck" Buckley, Firefighters, set after season 7, Character Study, POV Evan "Buck" Buckley, Major Character Injury, Fire, Slurs, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Good Sibling Maddie Buckley

Summary: Working under Captain Gerrard again is a shock for the 118, especially as they are supposed to be present at this year's Pride Parade. Tommy is the only bright spot for Buck that day, but when they suddenly receive an assignment, he realizes that Tommy, of all people, is in the middle of it…

Finished! Chapter 1 is under the cut, full fic on AO3. Come say hi if you liked it ❤️

We will burn in the fire We will be branded in flames We will have to rise from the ashes From the fires of our own mistakes

Getting ready for shift, day 2 under Gerrard, who’s counting? You can do this.

Buck watches Ravi roll up the hoses. His fingers are itching to ever so slightly adjust the other’s angle of work, but with his distracted mind, the moment passes. Bobby will get his clearance soon. He will, he must.

“This is my first Pride,” says Ravi, “I mean, the parade. What to expect?”

Buck checks the equipment for the third time, but even the third time, everything is where it should be.

“Well, it's my first time too,” he replies with a shrug.

“Huh, were you off last year?”

“What? Oh, no.”

Buck slams the flap shut with a jerk. Sheepishly scratching his ear, he adds, “I mean, this year I’m... uh, this will be my first time as a... Anyway, Tommy and I have different shifts, we can't go, but there are still a lot of parties in the evening, maybe we can make it to one of those.”

“Keep the details about your fag lover where they belong – your underpants.”

Gerrard steps around the fire engine, smug grin on his face, provocatively running a finger through his moustache.

“Done checking? We can't wait forever for you guys.”

He looks at the two of them challengingly, but actually, Buck feels, Gerrard’s only looking at him. Ravi straightens up, he doesn't know the man, he’s just the current captain to him. Buck can't blame him, Ravi has learned that it pays to prove yourself, that it pays to make an effort. He’s learned that, like all of the 118, under Bobby. But Bobby’s not here.

“H... hold on, you can't say that.”

Even if the words dance on the tip of his tongue, Buck's gaze is firm. Gerrard stares at him, a gaze like a laser beam; but Buck is equipped with an invisible shield, and he returns the look.

“I can't tell you to do your job, Buckley? Really?”

“No,” Buck replies stubbornly, “I mean the other thing. The slur. You can’t say that, Gerrard.”

“Captain Gerrard,” the man corrects him in a deceptively soft voice. “You want to start with political correct language, do it in every respect. Pajeet here will agree with me, won't he?”

Gerrard shots a gaze at Ravi. Ravi's cheek muscles twitch, Buck knows he’s stifling a reply. He never thought about it, but how many times has Ravi heard things like these? How many times did he have to listen to bigoted, white men hurling insults at him? Buck clenches his fists. Anger is rising in him like an inextinguishable fire, and it's not wise, he knows this. He knows it, but there's Gerrard with his stupid grin, head slightly tilted as if to say, yeah, hit me boy, I'm waiting for it.

Hen appears at the truck, “There's plenty of bandages, Captain,” she says, as if she's read Gerrard's mind.

Gerrard wrinkles his nose as if Hen's appearance is some kind of stench that you just can't get rid of. But for now, he drops it. He slaps the fire engine; to Buck, this looks like he's slapping a woman's butt, and somehow, the analogy suits Gerrard. He's old school, as these guys like to say. They’re calling the vehicle baby, they’re joking about the hoses and involuntarily grab their crotches when a hydrant spurts out before the connection is made. None of this is unusual. A bit on the verge of extinction, and Buck can't exactly boast that he's never done anything like this. It's not great, but also not unusual. Gerrard, however… he’s a special sort of player.

They occupy the truck, and Buck just hopes his last glance at the interims captain is ice cold. Gerrard is sitting in front, now he can only pierce him with his eyes from behind. Hen looks kind of worried, so Buck nudges her.

“Hey, it'll be fine.”

“Huh?”

She adjusts her glasses, even though they’re absolutely straight. Following Buck’s gaze to Gerrard, she shakes her head.

“I don't know, just having a feeling,” she says.

Gerrard continues to stare ahead, but his ears are good for an old geezer, Buck thinks, as he interjects, “Feelings have no place in a fire truck.”

Hen ignores him, only giving Buck a warning glance as he frowns, clearly pondering about some fierce retort.

“Because of today’s job?” Ravi interjects.

“Oh, right,” says Buck, “Ravi was asking what to expect from the parade.”

He emphasizes Ravi and parade while carefully watching the back of Gerrard's head. This time, however, the man stays silent, and Hen turns to Ravi.

“It's not that wild,” she replies warmly, “people are generally rather peaceful. Sure, there’s the usual drunks falling into the shards of their own bottles. The odd brawl on the sidelines...”

“One year, a fire-eater accidentally set himself on fire,” Buck interjects, gesturing broadly. “Singed the eyebrows of three people who were standing a little too close.”

“Dumpster fires,” Chimney offers. He was the last to enter the truck, missing their earlier conversation with Gerrard, but he, too, seems kind of tense. They all are, actually. And it’s neither because of the parade nor because they’re missing Eddie, who has called in sick at short notice. Eddie isn't absent because of Gerrard, of course, but Buck wouldn't blame him if that were the reason. He himself had been feeling unwell this morning simply thinking about the captain, and thinking about what he’d done to Tommy. How he made him act. That guilt is still apparent on Tommy’s face, whenever Gerrard manages to creep into their topics.

“Hm,” Ravi replies with a frown, “nothing we couldn't be called in for, should it happen. Still not getting why we're ordered directly at the place, practically like a fire station for the day.”

“It's a madhouse, that's why.” Gerrard, of course.

“Statistics show that the presence of fire departments at the start of major events has a preventative effect,” says Hen, ignoring the captain. “Significant reduction of accidents, actually.”

“27 percent,” Buck throws in, and the other’s astonished looks bore into him. “What?”

“Less fire starters,” Hen nods. “One theory says people are more attentive because the presence of firefighters boosts their sense of community.”

For a moment, a discussion breaks out among Buck, Hen, Ravi and Chimney as everyone seems to have an opinion on this, but Gerrard's sharp voice interrupts them.

“Shut up, chicken coop. We're here for a job, not for your private bullshit.”

His gaze rests on Buck, and he feels his own fingernails clawing into his thigh. Bobby wouldn't want you to do anything rash. It’s his mantra for the rest of the ride.

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atimeofyourlife · 3 months ago

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I tried to hold back, but you drew me in

wc: 1787| rated: t| tw: referenced domestic violence, mentioned vomiting| read on AO3

Buck starts at the 118 before Tommy leaves. Tommy tries to keep his distance from Buck, but they eventually become friends and something more. Set pre- s1e1 First in a series of one shots of different times Buck and Tommy could have met.

Tommy wasn't surprised that they were getting a new probie, after all they'd been running a man down since Sal had been transferred out. He told himself he wouldn't get attached, they would only be working with each other for a few months, just until everything for Tommy's transfer to airops was finalized. He knew he wouldn't still be at the 118 to see the end of the probationary year.

But then he met the kid. Evan Buckley. 25 years old. Legs that went on forever, an ass that didn't quit, sparkling blue eyes, and a smile that lit up the room like sunshine on a rainy day. And that adorable birthmark that Tommy just wanted to kiss.

And sure, there was the cocky facade that so many young men had when they'd made it through the academy. Evan Buckley was hot, and he knew it, showing off and flirting with anything that moved. But under that facade was a heart of gold, a kid who would try to see the best in everyone, who would try to connect with everyone. Tommy was falling, and falling hard.

Tommy tried to push it away, to forget about it, but with every shift, Evan made that harder and harder. With how hot he was when harnessed up to do a rope rescue, or in his turnouts all covered in soot after a fire. With how gentle he was with kids, a unique ability to keep them calm no matter the scene ("I think it's because they know he's one of them." Hen had joked after a call to an injury at a playground, where Evan had efficiently distracted all the other kids from their injured friend.) How he would listen to the little old ladies that became frequent fliers due to falls or issues with their medications. His ability to comfort people, no matter how bad the scene had been.

But he was still determined to keep Evan at arms length. He wasn't being hostile, just cautious. Tommy did everything he had to as Evan's training partner, answering any and all questions he had about the job, wanting to set him up to be a good heavy rescue asset. During downtime at the station, he'd make friendly small talk, and talk to Evan as part of the group, but he kept it superficial. Never opening up for anything deeper.

The call that made him reach out more, extend an olive branch more, was a difficult one for anyone. A DV call where the wife was beaten so badly, she was barely recognizable. Evan managed to hold it together just long enough for the woman to be loaded into the back of the ambulance before he was turning to throw up in the bushes at the edge of the property. He really felt for the kid, because he'd had a similar reaction on his first DV call. Evan was quiet all the way back to the station, and disappeared off alone the moment the engine pulled in. Tommy left him, knowing that sometimes after a hard call being alone was needed.

But then he didn't reappear. He would come out when there was a call, but kept to himself on the way there and at the scene. Only speaking when necessary. Then keeping himself away from everyone else when they were back. When it was nearing the end of the shift, Tommy decided to do something about it. He extracted himself from where he was watching Howie and Hen trying to beat each other at whatever videogame they'd started playing, and went looking for Evan. It didn't take him long, finding him in the locker room, his back to the glass. Tommy pushed the door open quietly, not wanting to startle him.

"It's just. It reminded me of you. Can you please call me back or something, I just need to know that you're okay, that you're safe. I love you." Evan's voice was soft, but thick, as if he'd been crying.

"Evan? Are you okay?" Tommy asked softly as he entered, moving to sit next to Evan on the bench.

"I'm fine." Evan straightened up and wiped his face, putting his phone back into his pocket. "If you're here to make comments about what happened-"

"Any first responder that tries to claim that they have never lost their lunch, or at least been close to it, at a scene, or because of a scene, they're either lying or it's just not been their turn yet. I've been doing this job for over a decade, I've seen it happen to almost everyone I've worked with." Tommy replied.

"Ever happened to you?" Evan asked after a moment.

"More than once. First time was because of a scene a lot like the one we were on today." Tommy admitted. "I always find DV scenes difficult. Some people find them harder than others."

"It made me think-" Evan started, but cut himself off. Tommy wondered if it had anything to do with who he had been trying to call.

"DV calls are so hard for me because they remind me too much of my mom." Tommy said quickly, something he'd only told Howie and his therapist. "She was too scared to leave, she never got out. Is. Is there someone it made you think of?"

"My sister, Maddie." Evan said quietly. "I think her husband hurts her. He's always been a controlling asshole, and I think it's got worse. But I don't have proof. I haven't seen her since I was nineteen, she was supposed to leave Pennsylvania with me. I didn't realize it at the time, but I think he stopped her. Did something to her to keep her from leaving. I call her and leave voicemails, and I send postcards to the hospital where she works so she knows where I am and he can't get hold of them. But she stopped responding. I haven't heard from her in over two years. I don't even know if she's-"

Evan cut himself off, but Tommy knew what he was implying. He didn't know if his sister was alive, or if her husband had killed her.

"What about your parents? Surely they would let you know if anything had happened?" Tommy asked.

"I don't really have a relationship with them. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've spoken to them since I left home. And they pretty much abandoned Maddie when she married Doug."

"That's awful, Evan." Tommy said, unsure how else he was supposed to respond. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Tommy." Evan whispered, managing a small smile.

After that, Tommy found himself actually becoming friends with Evan. It was easy, chatting and joking around on shift, Tommy lookimg forward to when the team would go out for drinks after work. Wanting the opportunity to spend more time with Evan. And he knew he was going to miss Evan endlessly when his transfer came up. He hoped he could stay friends with Evan, and Hen and Howie, but he had seen, and knew from experience how hard it could be to keep in touch. Different shift schedules, and busy personal lives taking up too much time to have anything more than the occasional catch up text.

For his last shift, he was expecting something. Likely something small, but at least a goodbye, maybe drinks after work. He wasn't expecting the house to be taken offline for the last hour of the shift, with Hen and Howie jumping out the back of the ambulance with balloons and streamers, or getting shoved face first into a cake. He didn't expect the cards and little gifts, the kind and friendly words. The tight hug from Evan as he said how much he would miss working with Tommy.

The evening out for drinks that lasted a lot longer than usual. People drifting out as they needed to get home for their responsibilities, wives, girlfriends, kids. Leaving Tommy and Evan alone together at the end of the night. They headed out at the same time, waiting outside the bar together for their Ubers. Evan kept up a stream of chatter as they waited.

"At first I thought you didn't like me much. Like, you did your job and taught me everything you needed to, and answered all of my questions about it, no matter how weird or repetitive they got. But other than that, you wrre almost cold." Evan said, and Tommy hated that he'd made Evan feel like that.

"I was worried about getting too attached, knowing I'd be leaving after a few months. I've had it too many times before when friends have moved on, we've said we'll keep up, still make time for each other, but life gets in the way. And soon, at the most it's texts at birthdays and Christmas. Maybe a check in if we've been on the same scene. I didn't want that to happen again." Tommy replied, baring himself to Evan. "But you're. You draw people in, Evan. You drew me in."

"I hope that doesn't happen to us. You're so easy to be around, Tommy. I feel like I can be myself around you, that I don't have to hide parts of me." Evan admitted.

Tommy saw his chance, the liquid courage pushing him to do something he never would sober. He tucked his fingers under Evan's chin, pulling him into a kiss. He could feel Evan's surprise, and nearly pulled back, hoping that he hadn't ruined their budding friendship. But after a moment, Evan kissed back. It was a little hesitant, but became more sure. Tommy kept his eyes closed for a moment after he pulled back, wanting to savor the moment. When he opened them, he could see the almost dazed look on his face. It was Tommy's first time seeing the other man speechless.

"Like that?" Tommy said softly. "You make me want to not hide this part of myself any more."

"I. Yeah. It works." Evan stumbled over his words.

"So that was okay?"

"Better than okay." Evan's smile widened, and Tommy wanted to see it everyday for the rest of his life.

"What are you doing Saturday?"

"Uh, Saturday?"

"I was thinking we could do something. You free?" Tommy asked as a car pulled up.

"Yes. I. I am free." Evan replied

"If you text me your addresss, I'll pick you up around eight?"

"Yeah. Eight's great."

"Great. I'll see you Saturday." Tommy climbed into the car, looking back at Evan.

"Yeah. Saturday." Evan replied, a soft smile still on his face as Tommy pulled the car door shut behind him.

#bucktommy #bucktommy fic #evan buckley #tommy kinard #911 fic #911 abc #the times we missed each other one shots #atimeofyourwrites

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tommykinard6 · 8 months ago

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Hello everyone and welcome to my notes and analysis on Tommy Kinard in the Season 2 episode of 9-1-1, “Chimney Begins”. My notes that I took while watching the episode will be first, then my analysis. If you want to skip straight to the analysis, it’ll be marked by three 🚨🚨🚨 emojis.

The areas where I see glaring signs of Tommy’s queer ass hiding in a closet? Marked by 🧯.

Let’s get to it!

And if you want to follow along my analysis of Tommy Kinard and his appearances, check out the tag these will be filed under: “Tommy Begins”

***

Tommy is the first one to notice Chimey’s arrival. He seems comfortable and at ease around the other firefighters and teases Eli about forgetting to tip the delivery guy when he sees Chimney.

Next time we see him, it’s after the crew is rolling back from what seems to have been a fire, where he says “you still here?” To Howie. It’s hard to make out what tone he’s using, tbh. Then it’s another time where he comes back from a call and says “what about that burger place?” To which Captain Gerrard says “Tommy, I hate that place”. This might be the first time Tommy’s name is mentioned, in fact I’m pretty sure it is.

THEN THIS GEM.

🧯Gerrard: hey wasn’t your girlfriend supposed to come and cook us dinner?”

Tommy: uh, next Tuesday

Gerrard: promise?

Tommy: uh, uh yes. Yeah I will promise… *stuttering a lot* 🧯

It’s also obviously an all white, all male firehouse. Seriously, it’s whiter than the Arctic in there and has more testosterone than a pharmacy. There’s one possible female firefighter that shows up in the floor collapse scene, but unsure if she’s 118. But I digress.

When Tommy enters the locker room and Chimney tries to start a friendship, he’s skittish. Looking away, not making eye contact, keeping busy. As Chim keeps talking, he’s slowly shaking his head and looking a bit annoyed. But when he turns around to reply to Chim, he doesn’t seem angry. He’s skittish, he’s nervous. He looks like he’s about to bolt. He’s got the look of someone who has too much on his mind, not just someone who’s mad. He says, “if I thought about you at all, honestly, I probably wouldn’t” in response to whether he likes Chim. I’ve got a lot of curiosity about this scene, but let’s move on.

We see Tommy being friendly with other firefighters throughout the episode.

Eli says that the crew is protecting themselves because in the job, friends die. That they “don’t want to name a puppy until they know it’s going to pull through”.

During the drive to the fire, Chimney is breathing heavily through the switching scenes. Tommy looks over at him several times. To me it looks almost like he’s keeping an eye on him.

During Kevin’s funeral, we open up on Eli and Tommy first. Tommy is standing outside of the line, but I’m not sure if that has a particular meaning. It’s very interesting because Tommy is just off to the side or behind Chim in most shots. We also see him glancing over at Chim several times. For someone who doesn’t seem to care much (or doesn’t want to seem that way), he’s certainly empathetic.

At the floor collapse, we see Tommy going in with a saw. We get a shot of O’Connor and Kinard entering the building. This is the last we see of Tommy before the explosion. Gerrard tries raising Tommy on the radio to tell him it’s all clear, but can’t reach him. I find it interesting that O’Connor never noticed Tommy didn’t follow him out, as he wasn’t actively moving so he’d probably been standing there at least a minute. Considering the time it takes for Chim to find Tommy though, he probably only collapsed shortly before the exit. Chimney carries out an unconscious Tommy just before the building explodes and we get a fade to black scene of them working on him.

All we really hear about him in the hospital scene is that he’s resting and according to Eli, “for a guy who huffed gas and got dragged out of a burning building, he looks better than [Chimney]”

Back at the station, Tommy slowly enters the locker room where Chimney is to say, “Love Actually, monster trucks, craft beer”, finally responding to Chimney’s earlier friendship attempt. He’s very earnest in his expression and in his words.

Chimney: “How’s that head of yours?”

Tommy: “Still fat, but clearer.” *slight pause before taking a step forward* “You saved my life. Thank you.” Lou’s delivery of this was amazing, very heartfelt and genuine for a macho character.

Chimney looks down to see Tommy offering him a handshake and he accepts it, then Tommy pulls him into a tight hug. Even after they pull away, their hands are still clasped for a moment, still shaking. Chimney says, “Thanks Tommy” and this man has the goofiest smile on his face.

When Chimney is talking to the new mom Kevin saved, Tommy asks Eli, “Paramedic?” And Eli replies with, “Damn good one”

And there we reach the end of Chimney Begins.

🚨🚨🚨

First of all, let’s do a round of applause for Lou Ferrigno Jr. The man took a minor character and acted his ass off. Thank you for your service.

Tommy goes through a whole arc and it’s not even an episode he’s centric to. I find it interesting. He’s in an all white, probably all male station. He’s comfortable and relaxed in the beginning of the episode. Then things are shaken up a bit by the arrival of Chim, another man but Asian, which changes the dynamic a bit. I think the focus of race is more closely examined in Hen Begins, but I think it’s worth mentioning here too. He was an outlier in more than being a probie. Tommy isn’t necessarily hostile, but he’s not friendly.

Then we have Gerrard, pressing Tommy about his “girlfriend”. Refer back to the 🧯 section. Hmm. Tommy is very elusive, clearly lying through his teeth, and nervous. This scene sorta made me wonder if Gerrard knew, the way he was pressing Tommy about it. I might be reading too much into it, but I wonder.

From there, Tommy is more nervous and skittish. He’s very weird towards Chimney, but honestly I’m not sure it was about Chim. To use an analogy that I just made up, it seemed like he was swatting at a fly that was distracting him from finding the hornet in his room. I just feel like if it was directed towards Chim as a person, he would’ve been more assertive about it. But the man looks ready to bolt. I feel like any ill treatment of Chim was in reaction to what ever is happening up in that brain.

Then Tommy almost dies and Chimney runs in to save him. The scene where they become friends is everything to me. Of course Tommy likes monster trucks and craft beer, but he also loves Love Actually. He pulls Chim in for a tight hug. He looks happier than he has for most of the episode.

This man had a whole arc.

I won’t stand here and say he didn’t act like an ass during a few moments (first locker room scene more notably). But upon examination, I think it was less so than I remembered from first watching the episodes. I also seriously wonder what was happening in the 118 that we didn’t see. Sal wasn’t even in this one, but Gerrard was and he certainly was…something.

I think Tommy has a lot of backstory I’d love to know. At this point in time, we still know very little about him. But my conclusion on Chimney Begins is that Tommy grew and I think in this episode only, he becomes at least a likeable character.

I have so many headcanons, but I tried to stick largely to what canon gave us to work with in this post. Should I do a post on headcanons?

Next up! Hen Begins! That’ll be a separate post and you can find it once it’s up under a shared tag of this: the “Tommy begins” tag.

@min-kit @thegunslingerletmedrop @thewriterscall tagging you guys because you expressed interest!

#Tommy Begins #911 season 7 #911 season 2 #911 spoilers #911 abc #911 show #911 speculation #tommy kinard #lou ferrigno jr

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