#he’s so upset really liking Bobby this go around

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Love That Burns ~ 30

LOVE THAT BURNS MASTERLIST

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Word Count: 1,855ish

Summary: You and Logan still struggle with your relationship. The two of you make a decision to help ease the struggles.

Warnings: Emotional, Angst, Injuries

Notes: crossing my fingers that you guys will be okay with this chapter...

Reminder: I DO NOT do taglists. Please don’t ask. Please follow and interact! I appreciate any reblogs, likes, comments, and asks! 

“So, how are you and Logan doing?” Ororo asked one morning at breakfast.

“Fine,” you responded with a shrug. ���We have a lot of work to do, but we’re working through it.”

“He does seem a little more on edge around the kids, as do you.”

You sighed. “I’ve actually been thinking… I think Logan and I should go away for a while.”

“Wait, you two want to leave?”

“I haven’t brought it up to Logan yet, and it wouldn’t be forever… we just need a space where we can focus on just the two of us. We’re constantly thrown every which way with classes, missions, and world-ending scenarios. Logan and I need to simply be us for a while and figure out what that means.”

“I… do whatever you have to do.” Ororo stood up. “I’ve got a class to teach.”

“Ororo, please stay and talk.” 

But she slipped out of the room. You sighed, hiding your head in your hands. That was the position Logan found you in. He quietly came up behind you and rested your hands on your shoulders. He leaned down and kissed the back of your neck.

“What’s wrong?” He whispered against your neck.

You leaned back into him, looking up at him. “I made Ororo upset.”

“What did you do?” You sighed, looking back down. “Hey.” He sat down beside you. “I thought we were doing better with the talking shit.” He hooked a finger under your chin and guided your face to look at him. “Tell me.”

“I told Ororo about something I was going to talk to you about.”

“And that was…?”

“About leaving.”

“Leaving?”

“I was thinking that we need some time to ourselves. To figure things out and just be us.”

“But this is your home. Would you really be okay leaving it?”

“Logan, you’re my home. And you were long before this was.”

Logan studied your gaze and could see that you were telling the truth, but he worried that after a while, he wouldn’t be enough. You at least had people here, other mutants, to lean on when the two of you were struggling. If it’s just you and him? Then you’d have no one. Logan was okay with that for himself but not for you.

“I thought that we’ve been doing well here,” Logan said, trying to see if he could get you to change your mind. 

His words took you back. “You want to stay? You’re constantly trying to run.”

“I just want you to really think about it, sweetheart. I don’t want you to leave and then regret it.”

“You think that I’d regret being with you?”

“That’s not what I said—“

You pulled away, standing up. “But it’s what you meant, right?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth.” He stood up as well, growing angry. 

“Do you not want this long-term, Logan? Am I just your person until a new, better one comes along?”

“Hey! That’s not fair!”

“Morning! Oh—“ Bobby stopped in the doorway. “I can see that this is not a good time, so I—“

“No, Bobby, we’re done here,” you told him, rushing off.

“Y/N!” Logan yelled after you, hurrying to follow you. He followed you into the gardens. “Now, who’s running?!”

“Oh, please,” you spun around. “You’ve wanted to run since the moment you got here!”

“Yes, but I stayed for you!”

“Oh, I feel so honored.”

“You know what, maybe I should go. Since it’s clear that I’m unable to hit the high expectations you have set for me.”

“You are the reason for those high expectations.”

“Ugh! I’m not that person anymore! And I’m sick and tired of feeling like shit all the time about that!”

Logan’s hand flew out as he was talking, his claws accidentally unsheathing. Before either of you knew it, the claws were cutting against your cheek. You gasped, stumbling back as your hand came up to hold your cheek.

“Oh my God,” he sputtered. He hid his claws before reaching for you. “Sweetheart—“ You stepped back, breaking both of your hearts. Logan’s fingers were tingling. If you didn’t let him try to fix this—if you didn’t let him touch you, Logan would never trust himself to touch someone again. “Please let me—“

“No,” you shook your head, tears falling down your cheeks. “Just… leave me alone.”

You rushed off back into the mansion. You knew that Logan didn’t mean to hurt you, but you needed time and space. 

Logan was frozen in his spot. The high emotions had gotten the best of both of you, but especially his claws. He had hurt you, and he was fully conscious for it. This was different than him having a nightmare. This was much worse.

~~~

You had sat in front of the mirror, watching the three cuts along your cheek heal into scars. Tears streamed down your face the entire time while you thought of Logan. Both of you were in the wrong here, and this was a complete accident. You were thinking about what to say to Logan when you started to hear drawers slamming in Logan’s room. Rushing out of your room, you looked into his room to see him stuffing his clothes into a bag.

“What are you doing?” You whispered.

Logan spun to face you. Slowly, his hand reached out to brush against the scars on your cheek, but he didn’t let his hand actually make contact.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” his voice was completely broken, tears lining his eyes. “I never wanted to be the one to hurt you… yet I keep doing it.” He shook his head and got back to packing. “I have to go.”

“What?”

“I can’t keep hurting you. I can’t be the person you need… The person I was before…”

“And this will make it better? I’ve messed up in this relationship, too. This is not just on you. I’m sorry for making it seem like I’m forcing you to be that person again. I know that you’ve changed, so I have, and that’s okay. I still love you.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Stop that.” You slipped in between him and the dresser. He kept his head down, not willing to make eye contact. “Fine. Tell me you don't love me, and I’ll let you walk away. But you have to look me in the eye and be honest with me.”

You nibbled your bottom lip as you waited for Logan to make the next move. You could tell that there was a war waging in his mind. His eyes suddenly snapped to yours.

“I… I can’t do that,” he murmured. “I love you.”

You quickly pulled him by his shirt to kiss him. He dropped his bag and slid his hands to the small of your back.

“If you really want to leave,” you whispered against his lips, “then you have to take me with you.”

“Okay,” he replied. 

~~~

“It’s not forever,” you said as you hugged Ororo. “We’ll stay in contact and visit. Logan and I just need to figure things out.”

“I’ll miss you,” Ororo responded, pulling back. “I’ll miss the both of you.”

“You ready?” Logan asked, coming up from the truck he had just packed. 

He had already said goodbye to Marie and Bobby before packing the truck, knowing that you would need some time with Ororo.

“I think so,” you responded. “See you later, Ororo.”

“See you,” she replied.

You took Logan’s hand, and he led you to the truck. He opened the door and helped you in before going around to the driver’s seat. You turned back and watched as the mansion grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Logan placed a hand on your knee, giving it a slight squeeze.

“Are you okay?” He asked, clearly concerned. “We can turn back around.”

You laced your fingers through his and scooted closer to Logan, very thankful for the bench seat. “I’m okay,” you told him. You kissed his shoulder. “Where are we headed?”

“I have a place in mind.”

“Care to tell?”

“Not yet. Why don’t you get some rest?”

“You sure?”

He leaned over and kissed your head. “I’m sure.”

You hummed in content as you rested your head on his shoulder and let yourself relax. Logan’s lifted up in a barely-there smile as you tried your best to cuddle into him. 

~~~

You didn’t bother to ask Logan where the two of you were headed again. You kept yourself occupied with books and naps when you weren’t talking to Logan. It was already proving to be worth it, as the farther the two of you drove from the mansion, the less tension there was. Logan insisted on driving the whole way, and so far you’ve had to beg him to stop to sleep in motels for the three nights you’ve been on the road so far.

It didn’t shock you when the two of you crossed over into Canada. You figured that Logan would always feel a call back there. The shock factor was later as the two of you drove up an old, familiar road in the Canadian Rockies.

“Logan, where—“

“Just patience, okay?” He cut you off. “I’ll explain soon.”

You simply nodded, focusing on the trees you were passing out the window. Your heart started pounding the closer you got to the top. Before you knew it, the small house appeared and Logan was pulling up to it. It looked just how you remembered it. You were too busy staring that you didn’t realize Logan had gotten out of the truck and walked around to your side. He opened the door and took your hand.

“Come on,” he urged, tugging you out of the truck. “Let’s go inside.”

“Inside?” You repeated. “It’s probably a disaster. We—“ Your eyes widened as Logan pulled you inside. The place was clean, updated, and furnished. “What? How?”

“Charles. We had a conversation about when Jean died, and I got part of my memories back. He knew that we would need a place to start over and found where we used to live. Before I could stop it, he had people here fixing it up.”

You let go of his hand and began slowly walking around the house. Your hands gently trailed against the walls and updated pieces of furniture. 

“You and Charles…” you breathed out. “You did all this?”

“Is it okay?” Logan was clearly nervous. “We can go somewhere else. I just know that this was the—“ You shut him up with a kiss.

“This is perfect. Thank you. But know that I don't expect you to be the same person as before. Time has changed both of us… are you okay with being here?”

“Yes. I even already got a job as a lumberjack.”

“Oh, got the old job back?”

Logan chuckled. “Somethin’ like that. I start in a week.”

“So I have a week of you all to myself?”

“A whole week.” He pulled you closer, pressing a kiss to your lips. 

“Can we try out the new bed?”

A devious smirk formed over Logan’s lips. “I thought you’d never ask.”

[devotionthatcorrupts]

bobby loves dean like his own son and barely tolerates sam in some of the most enjoyable display of blatant favoritism

[megalony]

It's Bubba- Part 2

Its taken a while, but here is the requested second part of my Evan Buckley imagine and I'm hoping to do a third part soon. I hope you will all like it.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyjen @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @stefansalvatoresgf @kyky9103 @wutheringhearts2275 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra8484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @shelbygeek @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

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@ashdoctor @an-aliens-ghost @lunaroserites @houseoftwistedspirits @itshamleth @callsignwidow @winterreader-nowwriter @reneinii

Evan Buckley Masterlist

Part 1

Summary: When Evan's parents come into town, they aren't happy to find their grandson prefers Bobby over them. And they take their frustrations out on (Y/n).

Enjoy.

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Evan slouched his back against the wall, crossing one arm over his chest while his other hand ran down his face, rubbing at the stubble starting to grow around his chin and jaw.

He crossed one leg over the other and slowly lifted his head to look to the left where his parents were waiting.

They had stayed, despite being told to go. Clearly they felt bad for everything that had happened, and Evan was glad. He would be riled up if they still thought they were blameless for what had happened today. (Y/n) was only in the hospital because of them.

"Is she okay?"

Evan wasn't sure whether his mum was being sincere or whether she was just trying to make conversation and try to seem interested to make amends. Not that it really mattered. Maddie was inside with (Y/n) and James, Evan had called Bobby who was going to come down after his shift and see (Y/n). He was not impressed that barely two hours after he left (Y/n), her in-laws had stressed her into having contractions. If Evan's parents were still here when Bobby arrived, there would be another argument.

"Contractions have stopped, she's on twenty-four hour observation before I can take her home."

"Oh, that's good." The way Margaret pressed her hand to her chest made Evan believe she had been a little bit worried, and that was good. If she hadn't then he would of been angry.

He wanted things to be different. When he told his parents (Y/n) was pregnant the first time, they had been excited. They had talked to him more than they had in years, they took an interest. It was the first time they actually seemed proud of him.

And when they came down to visit James for that first time, they had smiled so brightly and they had been so interested and happy and in tears. Evan thought in that moment that they would make amends for his broken childhood through James. He thought they would be proper grandparents.

But he was wrong. Not that he was exactly upset, per say, not when he had Bobby. Bobby who had seen all the scan photos, who had helped them get prepared for James's arrival and who had been there and stayed with (Y/n) when she needed him if Evan wasn't around. Bobby had been in the hospital waiting while James was born and he had held him that very first day.

Evan knew James could always rely on Bobby and Athena if he couldn't rely on the Buckley grandparents.

"Evan, we really didn't want to cause problems. James is our grandson, we want him to see us as his grandparents."

"Then you have to put the effort in with him." He kept his chin tilted down and his arms folded over his chest, but he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his dad. "When he was born, you promised me you'd do better, for him. You made all those shitty remarks about coming down at least once a month, wanting to take him out on trips and have him stay with you, and you didn't keep any of them. Why do you think he's so attached to Bobby? Because Bobby and Athena did all of that with him, they stepped in when you didn't."

"Let us try again, we promise-"

"No. I don't want promises you'll probably break. If you really wanna try, then come to our birthday party next month. And when the twins are here, come down and take James out for the day. If you can stick to it, then we'll see."

Evan wasn't interested in hollow promises that were never intended to be kept and were easily broken.

He wanted to see his parents putting in the effort without having to promise to do anything. He wanted them to come and celebrate at the party, to see how Evan already had a close-knit family around him who loved and doted on his wife and son. They would see how everyone cared for each other, they would see what they were missing out on.

And when the twins were born, if they could commit to James, to taking him out or just coming to show him some love and attention, then Evan would talk about making it more permanent.

Bobby and Athena were already excited to babysit the twins when needed, and they had said they want to keep taking James on day trips so he didn't feel left out and so (Y/n) could focus on the twins. Even Eddie had chipped in saying he and Chris would love to have James round more for playdates and trips out to help.

Evan's parents needed to commit like that, they needed to interact and be around James without having to be told to do it.

If they turned up at the party next month, Evan would be more inclined to let them take James out and let them into their lives. Because if this was just more hollow promises, Evan would cut them out of James's life to save him the pain and rejection Evan felt all his life.

He wouldn't have his son feeling like that, not when he already had so much love and family in his life right now.

"Where are we going?" James picked his head up off Evan's shoulder and leaned back so he could look at his dad properly.

His arms were looped around his dad's neck, his feet were happily bashing into Evan's lower back and he was vibrating like he was a rocket about to launch into the sky. His red lips curved into a smile when Evan leaned in to kiss his cheek as he continued to walk slowly so he didn't leave (Y/n) behind.

She wasn't walking very fast these days.

"I don't know, buddy, no one's told me. Aunt Maddie has a surprise for us." Evan was partially telling the truth. He knew the building which they were going to, but beyond that, he had no clue what had been planned or what would be hidden behind those doors.

It was their birthday.

They had been bowling this morning, just Evan, (Y/n) and James and then they went out for dinner. James had been a little upset that no one had been round to the house. He was used to having little parties at home for birthdays where family would come round to see them and have cake and music. But he had been told that they were having the morning out together and then they had a surprise later on.

Turning his head to the right, Evan smiled down at (Y/n) and tightened his hand around hers. She had her free hand on her stomach and her cheek pressed against Evan's bicep.

"Okay?" He murmured softly against her hair to which (Y/n) nodded.

She hadn't been best pleased these last three weeks that she had practically been put on light duties that verged on bed rest. No heavy lifting, no strenuous activity, no straining or overdoing anything. (Y/n) felt like she was reduced to sleeping and cooking and even then, if Evan was home he always wanted to cook.

But it seemed to be working. She'd had extra midwife appointments to make sure she wasn't losing any fluid and that everything was okay and for the last three weeks, there had been no problems. No more contractions, and no more stress since Evan's parents went back home.

She was relieved, (Y/n) had worried that she might go into early labour and they would have to postpone the party or have the party while the twins were either in hospital or had to be brought along.

Being thirty-four weeks pregnant at the party was preferable to having the twins prematurely. (Y/n) would gladly look swollen and large in the pictures tonight and refrain from the dance floor if it kept the twins safe and secure.

"I'm gonna look great in the photos." (Y/n) kept her voice quiet so James wouldn't catch on and she twisted her head to look at her two boys as they headed into the venue Maddie had booked out for the night.

Evan looked very dapper and handsome in his tight black jeans and a starched white button up shirt that had golden circles sewn across that sparkled and reflected the lights like sequins. The sleeves were short and they seemed to imbed in his biceps like the shirt was a size too small for him. And his curls had been ruffled with gel and looked fluffy like cotton.

And then there was James. The four year old had a pair of black trousers on- because he wanted to match Evan in some way since it was their joint day- and he had a dusty blue shirt on with the Mickey Mouse silhouette dotted all around. And it was matched with a small red bowtie.

"You look beautiful." Evan's tone was one not to be messed with and it made (Y/n)'s nerves turn to mush and had adrenaline sparking through her system.

She felt him press a kiss to her forehead before he opened the door for her, letting her walk through first before he followed swiftly behind and rested his hand on (Y/n)'s lower back.

This was as far as Evan knew where to go. Maddie had told him that he was having a big party because it was his thirtieth and James was four, but that was all he knew. He didn't know the theme, the look of the room, the cake, who was invited, nothing. He hadn't even known where or what time it was until (Y/n) told him this afternoon.

His eyes danced down to his wife when she tried to stifle a groan and he noticed her hand move down to cradle the underside of her stomach.

"Okay?"

"Hm, just getting kicked." She knew her excitement had probably woken the twins up, but she hoped they would settle down. The last thing they needed during the party was (Y/n) feeling uncomfortable or needing to sit down every five minutes. "This way," (Y/n) ticked her head to the right and trudged down the hall towards the large double grey doors at the end.

She hadn't been here to set up since she had been with the boys all day, but both Maddie and Hen had been sending her discrete pictures all morning of the decorations and the room layout.

"What we doing here?" James tightened his arms around Evan's neck and looked over his shoulder back down the corridor. He had no clue where they were and there was no one else around. This wasn't like the cinema or the auditorium, James had no idea what was going on.

He turned his head again and looked at his mum curiously when she tapped on the door three times before looking up at him.

"I think there's someone in here." (Y/n)'s lips curved up into a grin and she took a step back so Evan could walk through first.

"Shall we take a look?" He murmured softly into James's ear, sucking in a deep breath before he opened the door with apprehension.

Evan hadn't had too many birthday parties in his life. His friends at college had thrown him a party in their local pub when he turned eighteen. And Maddie had done a little home party when he was twenty one and invited his college friends. That was Evan's first party with (Y/n).

Other than that, they usually went out on birthdays and had the days together or on holiday. His twenty-fifth had been a good holiday, they had gone to France. But parties weren't something Evan was used to, not until now. They had a good home party when James was one, and they usually took him out on their birthday and had family over in the afternoons.

But for the last two years, Maddie and (Y/n) had been telling Evan that he was getting a party for this special birthday and he had no choice in it. And he was secretly thrilled and overwhelmed all at once.

Evan wasn't sure what he would be walking into once he opened the door and he was slightly surprised to step into the function room and realise that it was pitch black. So that was why (Y/n) had knocked on the door when they got here.

He felt James gasp into his neck when he realised how dark it was, but before he could try and ask what was going on, bright lights dazzled them from all angles.

A loud symphony of "Happy Birthday!" was sung from all around the room causing poor James to tremble in Evan's arms from shock. His arms tightened around Evan's neck and he shuddered, eyes blown wide as he gasped when he looked around the room.

Everyone was here.

Both Evan's arms tightened around James and he cupped the back of his neck to pull him closer so he could kiss his temple.

The room looked great. In the left corner of the room, Evan saw two large 30 helium balloons made from silver foil. Then on the opposite side of the room, there was a large red 4 helium balloon. There were 'thirty' banners on the left, ranging in colour and font and size and a lot of silver balloons were scattered on the floor and stuck to the walls.

And on the right there was a dinosaur balloon and a lot of red and green balloons on the floor like confetti.

Their presents were placed neatly next to the balloon, clearly separated so they knew which ones were for who and towards the middle of the room near the back, there was a large buffet table. Evan couldn't see the cake from over here, but he already knew it would be good. He and James always had a joint cake on their birthday.

"Surprise." (Y/n) looped her arms up around Evan's shoulders and pulled him down a little so she could kiss his cheek before she leaned over to do the same to James.

She could see her little boy's eyes scanning the room, taking in who was here just like Evan was. All of the team were here, Hen and Karen had brought Denny, Eddie had brought Chris, Bobby and Athena had brought May along with them. A few of Evan's old friends from college had turned up which was a surprise.

He could see his parents stood to one side and he tried not to focus too much on them, but his eyes soon flitted over to (Y/n)'s parents who were stood near Bobby and Athena. He got along much better with (Y/n)'s parents, they had taken him in as one of their own almost immediately.

"A party," James was practically shaking with excitement and he squealed when he noticed Maddie hurrying over to them.

"There are my birthday boys!" Maddie looped her arms around them both and pulled Evan down to her level, pressing a sloppy kiss to each of their cheeks. And she was more than happy to let James wriggle down into her arms to give her a proper cuddle.

"Aunt Maddie!"

"Hi gorgeous, look what I found for you." Dipping into her back pocket, Maddie revealed the large circular badge she had scouted round the shops for. It was dark blue with silver flecks sparkled around and a large silver 4 in the centre.

She loved the way James squealed when she pinned it on his shirt and when she looked up at her little brother, she grinned.

"And for you," she pulled out the matching badgeg with 30 in the centre, cackling when Evan tossed his head back with a quiet groan. She was trying to make him feel old. "You have to wear that all night." She added once it was securely pinned to the left side of his chest. "Thank you, this all looks perfect." Evan kissed her cheek while he did his best to fight off tears.

He took another scan around the room when someone turned the speakers on and a pop song blasted through the room. He loved the way James started to wriggle in Maddie's arms like he was charging up, ready to set off like a wind up toy being released.

"Wanna go say hi?" Maddie kissed James's temple again and leaned over to set him down so he could take a wander around the room and see everybody. He was a little social butterfly once he got going and all his favourite people were here tonight.

James scanned his eyes around the room and looked like he was about to go to the right near where Eddie and Hen were stood with their phones out taking pictures. But once he looked towards the middle of the room, he was off like a shot.

"Bubba!"

His arms stretched out in front of him and his shoes squeaked against the waxed floor when he set his sights on the one other person he had been dying to see all day.

An illuminating smile lit up Bobby's face and he quickly turned to set his drink down on the table behind him so his arms were free to pick up his grandson. He crouched down just in time for James to fly into his arms, almost crashing him back into the table which caused a round of laughter to flood the air.

"Happy birthday, little man." Bobby let James cling to his chest and he pushed up to his feet, lifting James up with him.

"Missed you." James whispered while he nuzzled his nose against Bobby's cheek and tightened his arms around his neck. "And nanny." He added softly when he felt Athena's hand on his back and her lips pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"We missed you too. Oh, look how grown up you look today."

They both turned when they heard Eddie muttering "Smile," and giant grins spread across all their faces when he snapped a few photos of them.

A sugary sweet grin pulled at Evan's lips as he watched the three of them pose for the photo. He felt Maddie pat his shoulder before she headed over, presumably to go and see if James wanted to open his presents yet.

But Evan's head turned to the right to look down at (Y/n) when her hand tangled with his and gave a little tug. He could feel her squeezing his hand rather tight so her nails were scratching into the back of his hand and when he looked at her, his smile started to dampen. She was leaning forward, arching her back out while her other hand was on her stomach like she was in pain.

"Baby, what's the matter?" He gently eased his hand from her grip so he could take her hand in his left one instead. Allowing him to wrap his right arm around her back and keep her pressed into his side.

He could feel his heart picking up speed causing a light sheen of sweat to glisten on his skin, but when (Y/n) tilted her head back to look up at him, her smile calmed one of his many nerves.

"My back hurts a bit, I- I think I'm gonna be sitting the majority of the night." She straightened up before anyone noticed she was doubled over and thought something was wrong. (Y/n) didn't want any unnecessary attention. She wanted tonight to go well, she wanted her boys to have the best birthday party and to see them smiling and dancing and cutting their cake. Not have them fawning and worrying over her when it was just a bit of back pain.

The last two months she had been crippled with aches and pains and today had been no different. She hadn't joined in bowling earlier because it didn't exactly coincide with the midwife's orders. She had enjoyed sitting and watching Evan help James aim the bowling ball and she took pictures to go in James's scrapbook.

Plus, they had done a lot of walking around today, they had been up and on the go since six this morning when James excitedly jumped in their bed to wake them up. He knew not to jump on (Y/n) though, it was drilled into him that he had to be careful with his mum and the twins. So he had clambered onto Evan's chest and sung happy birthday to him.

"I'd rather you sit down than overdo it on the dance floor." He grinned when (Y/n) hit her hand playfully into his chest. "Come on," He murmured into her hair as he turned and started guiding them over to one of the tables near the 'four' side of the room because they both knew James wouldn't wait long to open his presents.

***

Reaching out for the pair of glasses pushed up into his hair, Evan pulled them off and handed them over to Karen who was scouring over the table behind him.

The table was full of props, funky glasses, jazzy hats, feather boas, everything anyone could need for a fancy photo. This was where Evan had been for the last twenty minutes. He'd had thousands of photos taken, most of them with James, a few with (Y/n) before she went to sit down again and then lots with Eddie and Chris.

He would have enough pictures by the end of the night to last a lifetime. Evan loved photos, he found them so intriguing and capturing the moment was one of his favourite things to do.

Karen took the glasses with a cheesy grin and she took one of the hats too which she placed sideways on Chimney's head.

Evan moved out the way so they could start snapping some funny photos and as he side-stepped, his eyes locked on his parents.

They always looked so out of place at happy events like this.

His mum wouldn't smile, at least not genuinely, she looked around as if she was too good to be at a place like this. Her eyes watched everyone with vigor, scouting them out and assessing them. And his dad, though he tried to smile and blend in and act the part, he looked too stiff and tense. Neither of them would relax and enjoy themselves or smile and get into the music or just be happy to be here.

It was no wonder James hadn't gone anywhere near them all night. He didn't know what to say to them or how to act around them and if they weren't going to smile or join in the fun, he wasn't going to get close to them.

Evan dragged his fingers through his hair as a tender look fluttered across his face when his eyes locked on his wife.

She was sat with Athena at one of the tables, a mixture of sweets on the table between them and bright smiles on their faces. He made his way over to them, weaving through friends scattered about on the dance floor. But before he reached them, he turned back around at the sound of James's voice.

"Daddy! Look what bubba got me!" The four year old clapped his hands when Evan looked over at him with intrigue.

He watched his boy bolt over to him and point to the small yellow helmet on his head. It was a children's version of one of their fireman helmets, but Bobby had clearly modified the front and made it a carbon copy of his own helmet. It said Captain in big white letters in the red sticker on the front and 118 beneath it and along the bottom, it read Buckley.

"Wow, look at you. You can come work with me and bubba now, huh?" He had a feeling that it was going to be near impossible to get that helmet off of James once he put it on.

A cheesy smile spread across James's lips as he leaned his cheek on Evan's shoulder and cuddled into his chest. He seemed to be tiring only a little, despite time getting on and the night getting darker, James was still as live as a wire and feeding off of the energy in the room.

He let Evan nudge his helmet farther back on his head so Evan could kiss his cheek.

"Cake?"

"You want some more cake? Hm, we'd better ask aunt Maddie about that." Evan glanced his eyes around the room and found his sister in the corner, coincidently near the buffet table with the cake.

Evan had been very happy and overwhelmed when he saw the cake. He knew everyone on the team knew the best bakers in town and the best places to get fancy cakes from, and he had a feeling by the look on Hen's face that she had been the one to organise the cake.

It was two layers, the bigger one being made of chocolate since it was Evan's weakness and James's favourite. And on top there was a beautifully crafted fire truck made out of icing paste and iced flames decorated the edges of both layers of cake.

There was a 30 candle stuck into the bottom layer and a big 4 candle on top and Bobby had done the honours of recording the moment when everyone sung happy birthday again and the boys blew out the candles.

Half the cake seemed to have gone already, everybody had been given a slice although James was adamant they couldn't cut into the iced fire truck on top. Evan was sure his son had had at least two pieces by now but he knew another slice wouldn't hurt.

"Can we steal another slice?" Evan nudged his sister with his elbow and grinned down at her when James tucked up into his neck to hide away. He didn't like asking for things, even at a party like this.

"I suppose I can't refuse the birthday boys. Are you both having fun?"

She pushed her hips back into the table and held out a plate with a large portion so they could both share it.

"Best party ever."

"Well I'm glad to hear it." Maddie kissed James's cheek before she leaned to look behind them. When her eyes moved back to look up at Evan, she found him raising a brow, wondering what was going through her head. "I think mum and dad wanna see him."

Her voice was soft and quiet enough that James wouldn't take any notice of what she was saying. But she could see her parents getting closer and looking around with those tepid smiles and their hands clasped together in front of them. Silently begging for an audience, for a chance to talk to James and spend a bit of time with him.

Evan rolled his lips together and took a glance over his shoulder before he looked back at his sister. He had told his parents to come here tonight and to make the effort, the least he could do was let them see James and try to get along.

"Go with Mads buddy, you might get some more presents." He pressed a quick kiss to James's cheek before he eased his boy down into his sister's waiting arms. Making sure he had hold of his cake that he was still munching away on. "Stay with him please."

Evan was okay with his parents trying to make the effort, but he wasn't taking any chances. He didn't want them overstepping the mark or upsetting James today, not on his birthday. And he didn't want James to think he had to stay with them if he started getting anxious or nervous. As long as Maddie stayed with him, James would feel okay wandering off and if Evan's parents tried to start up a bad conversation, Maddie would be there to steer them in another direction.

He turned around to watch the pair of them trot over to his parents and it made something bubble up in his stomach. He wasn't sure whether it was anticipation of something going wrong or the unease of wondering what would happen next if it went right.

He wasn't counting on his parents making much effort with himself or with James, and he doubted when the twins were born if his parents would continue to make the effort. They weren't the type to be able to commit long-term, not even to their own family, but that was okay. No one was expecting them to at this point.

He picked at a few bits from the buffet table behind him as he started to drift off into thought. But he was brought back to reality by a gentle tap on his shoulder.

"Hey," He grinned softly when he looked over and saw Hen stood beside him, her hips pressed back into the table and one hand on her hip.

"Hey Buck. You having a good time?" She nudged her shoulder against his and took a moment to glance around. She took in the sight of Athena on the dance floor with May, and Bobby going round taking a few more pictures. There were Chris and Eddie in one corner messing around with the balloons and Denny heading over to them. And everyone else was floating around and taking the time to sit down and chat and sing to the music.

The atmosphere was electric and it made Hen happy. They had never had a party especially for Evan and she was glad to see him smiling so much and to see him having a good time with his family was so lovely to witness.

"It's great, and James is loving it."

"Well your missus said she's got another present for you." Hen patted his shoulder and gave him a gently nudge to the left so he was facing the direction of his wife.

The smile started to morph into a look of confusion and Evan glanced back at Hen, but all she did was hold her hands up. She didn't know what the present was, she had just been asked if she could get Evan and steer him in the right direction.

With a huff and narrowed eyes, Evan pushed off the table and made his way over to the table (Y/n) was now frequenting alone with Athena up on the dance floor.

He took in (Y/n)'s appearance, the way she had one arm slouched on the table to try and keep herself sitting upright and she was slouched forward in her seat. Evan knew all of her little quirks and stances and he knew she was sat like that because her back was giving her trouble. (Y/n) didn't like sitting down for too long at a time but she also couldn't be moving about and be on her feet for too long either.

She had been up to take photos and watch the boys cut their cake, she had taken lots of photos with her boys and had crouched down with James when he was opening his presents. But in between, she had to keep sitting down to ease the pain in her back and her general discomfort that she had been dealing with for the last three weeks.

But none of that wiped the endearing smile from her lips and it was something Evan loved about her.

"Hi baby," He leaned down, whispering the words against (Y/n)'s temple which he pressed a few fluttering kisses to before he sat down.

He perched down on the seat next to her and looped his left arm over the back of (Y/n)'s shoulders so he could tug her into his side. His lips meshed with the side of her head when he felt (Y/n) leaning into his chest with her cheek against his collar bone and her hand giving his thigh a firm squeeze.

"I thought I'd had all my presents."

Of course, James had opened his presents first, he had been bursting at the seams to open them. He got a lot of cars and trucks and a few themed presents like dinosaur toys and puzzles. And now he'd gotten his helmet from Bobby which was undoubtedly going to be his favourite present of them all.

Evan had opened his presents after James, although his boy had helped him unwrap them because he was so excited to see what his dad got.

He had been given a few mugs with 30 on or a few dirty jokes which had made him laugh. bobby had gotten him a few different cook books, he got some documentaries and fact books. He'd gotten some new clothes, some jeans and gym stuff.

He couldn't forget the present Athena and Bobby had given him, amongst a few novelty cups and little tid-bits. They gave him a canvas photo from last Christmas of him, Bobby and James at the station beneath the wreath.

But his main present from (Y/n) had been the best. She got him tickets to one of his favourite theatre shows for two months' time and she had already talked to Bobby and got Evan the two days off so they could stay overnight. And Maddie had signed herself up to watch James and the twins for them.

Evan hadn't been expecting any other presents from anyone, he was more than happy with all the gifts he had been lavished with today. He didn't need anything else.

He looked down when (Y/n) let go of his thigh in favour of taking his free hand in hers and squeezing so tightly she made his knuckles go deathly pale and bruised the palm of his hand.

"Babe, I thought I'd got all my presents?" He repeated gently while he leaned his head to one side to look down at (Y/n).

"So did I, but I- fuck… Evan I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What're you talking about baby?" A shiver crawled down Evan's spine and his lips dropped into a frown when (Y/n) didn't look up at him or give him any other explanation.

He let go of her hand in favour of cupping her chin between his fingers and he firmly tilted her head back so he could look at her. She had tears welling up in her eyes and her teeth were sunk down in her lower lip enough to cause droplets of blood to well around her teeth.

His thumb dipped over the crease in her chin and he rose a brow, tucking his chin into his neck to keep eye contact with his wife while he waited patiently for a response. She had to tell him what she was talking about or he wasn't going to be able to do anything or understand what was going on. He was clearly missing something here.

(Y/n) took another deep breath but it didn't help, if anything it made her feel worse and had her eyes rolling before coming back into focus. She tipped her head back into Evan's shoulder so she could stare up into those dark blue eyes that had her stomach pooling with adrenaline.

"I think- I think I'm in labour."

She watched the way Evan's jaw dropped and he sucked in a deep breath, glancing his eyes around them as if expecting someone to laugh and tell him it was just a joke, a prank.

When his eyes looped back round to look at her, (Y/n) could see tears welling up making his eyes look glazed and delectable. And she felt his fingers let go of her chin so he could cup the side of her cheek. The sudden kiss he planted on her lips stole her breath and had her squeaking into his mouth.

Pulling back, Evan pressed a sloppy kiss to her flushed temple before he glanced around the room. Once his eyes locked on Bobby, he grinned and waved the Captain over to them.

"You two having fun?" Bobby sounded out of breath and his hands clutched at his hips while he leaned to one side. He rose a brow and grinned down at them both.

"(Y/n)'s going into labour, we're gonna have to cut the party short."

"Oh." His eyes widened and his smile dropped in favour of a dazed expression that looked rather endearing. He seemed to take a step closer to them before he switched and looked around the room like he was formulating a plan. "If you two head to the hospital, me and Athena will take the birthday boy home, that's not an issue."

"Thanks."

Bobby and Athena had been looking after James since he was a newborn. Their spare room was practically James's second bedroom with his toys scattered around, pictures of them all on the walls and Fireman Sam bedding always on the bed for when he stayed over. So, naturally, they had a lot of James's clothes at their place for unexpected sleepovers and so he didn't have to always bring a bag with him when they had him stay over.

Neither of them had a problem taking their grandson home with them tonight and spending his birthday evening with him.

"I'm sorry," (Y/n) brushed her hand beneath her eyes to wipe away the stray tears starting to fall. "I knew s-something like this would happen."

For the last three weeks (Y/n) had been walking on egg shells. Every kick and twinge had her reaching out for Evan and they waited through each twinge and bolt of pain, wondering if it was the start of labour. The midwife said (Y/n) would be more susceptible to contractions now she'd had them before and they were never expecting to get to full term with twins.

But (Y/n) had been dreading going into labour before the party today. She prayed she wouldn't, she didn't want to have the twins early and have them stay in the hospital or have complications. And it wouldn't bode well to have a party while the twins were cooped up in the hospital, or indeed to spoil the party with newborns crying out every five minutes.

The couple had been more than overjoyed that (Y/n) got to the boy's birthdays and hadn't had any pains or further problems. But she just knew something wouldn't go according to plan. And it seemed that the pains and twinges she had been having all day were signs of labour.

For almost an hour, (Y/n) had been focusing on the pains that came and went, wondering if they were normal, if they were braxton hicks, real contractions or indications of a problem. But now she knew they were labour pains and the midwife said if contractions happened again, they wouldn't be likely to stop them like before and it would be dangerous to try and stop them again.

"Don't be silly," Evan tutted against her temple. "We've had a great day and a party, and now we go and have the twins. Nothing's ruined, sweetheart, and it's not as if you've done this on purpose."

(Y/n) hadn't planned for any of this. She hadn't decided to go into labour tonight and she hadn't forced her body into labour. This was natural and it wasn't a problem. They had had an amazing day with James, the boys had thoroughly loved their party, it was the best one they'd both ever had. And now, Evan got to end his birthday by welcoming his two other children into the world.

Just like four years ago when James had finally been born and they realised it was Evan's birthday. He spent the whole day in hospital cuddling his son, taking pictures and ringing round family to tell them what an amazing birthday gift he had been given.

It looked as if that was going to happen again this year.

"I'll go let everyone know you're leaving, we'll stay until the little man gets tired." There was no point everyone leaving, Bobby knew the team would wish Evan and (Y/n) well and make sure they got off safely. But they would all stay and keep James happy and then when he got tired, they could call it a night and pack up.

Bobby turned and jogged into the dance floor to grab Maddie and Athena, he would tell them and then they could spread the news. But no one was going to tell James yet, they would let him party and tell him that his parents had to disappear for a while. Then at the end of the party Athena and Bobby would take him to their home and explain what was happening.

(Y/n) watched Bobby go before she closed her eyes and breathed through a contraction. Her body shuddered and her nails punctured into Evan's hand, snatching it back so she could pin his arm against her chest and lean further into him to will away the pain.

But her brows furrowed and she looked up at him through breathless pants when she realised he was chuckling against her temple.

"What's so funny?"

"Just that you always give the best presents. I get to share my birthday with all three of my kids, how great is that?"

[sinnersweets]

DogDay x Reader part 2

A/N: Highly requested so here you guys go! Enjoy!

<----part 1 part 3---->

DogDay led me outside of the Playhouse and back outside into Playcare. A few feet in front of us was a chicken. A tall yellow chicken. Ah, that must have been KickinChicken. “Hiya KC!” DogDay was still holding my hand but with his other he waved extremely fast to KickinChicken. “Sup DD! Hey, finally got yourself a helper now huh? ‘Bout time dude.” KickinChicken then handed off the kids too, I’m assuming his helper. His helper also matched him as well. Guess that was the uniform for us working with these...tall animal mascots.  

Kickinchicken walked up to me and DogDay. “Names Kickinchicken, the cool member of the Smiling Critters.” DogDay laughed when he said that. “Go on Angel, introduce yourself.” I wasn’t used to seeing animals so tall, it scared me a little. I held out my free hand to KickenChicken and summoned some courage to talk.  

“Hello, I’m Y/N or Angel, doesn’t really matter what you call me. Nice to meet you.” KickenChicken then slapped my hand with his and started to make a handshake with me. I mirrored his movements to understand this new handshake I was given. “Haha, she’s pretty cool DD, you got yourself a rad helper.” He then looked at me up and down. “Not bad looking either.” KickenChicken smiled at me. I was going to comment on that, but DogDay beat me too it. “Look at the time! You better hurry along to your group now KC, don’t want our little friends upset now do we?” “Right, well nice meeting ya Y/N, we’ll chat later.” he spoke as he walked back to his group and helper. DogDay squeezed my hand a bit before leading us to the center of Playcare. “On with the tour!” 

--------------- 

DogDay first showed me the statue in the center. It was all the Smiling Critters. There were eight of them in total: DogDay the leader, Bobby Bearhug the loving one, KickenChicken was the cool one, Hoppy Hopscotch the energetic one, CraftyCorn was the artist in the group, Bubba Bubbaphant the smart one, PickyPiggy the foodie, and lastly there was CatNap, DogDays bestest friend. He supposably makes sure that everyone else gets a good night's rest every day to ensure that they are ready for the next day.  

Next, we went into the Toy Store. DogDay was tall, so he had to walk on all fours. “This is where the children can come and buy some sweet toys of yours truly, and the others!” I smiled and looked around. Sure enough there were plushies of DogDay and the rest of the group. There were also some other toys like a blue limp doll, a dinosaur that matched the lamps outside, what looked like a cat and a bee mixed, and other toys. I picked up a smaller version of DogDay and looked at it. “You said the kids buy these?” “Uh-huh! We give them play money to use around here, that way when they get adopted, they’ll know about the real world and how to manage their expenses.” That was smart of them. I set the plushie back down and followed DogDay outside. 

We then looked at the consoler's office and school. DogDay told me that the consolers office was where the staff would put their belongings in and where parents would go to adopt a child. Only DogDay was allowed in the consoler's office, none of the other Smiling Critters could go in there. I’m not sure why but I didn’t question it. “The school is where the children spend most of their time. I’d take you inside so you could meet Miss Delight and her sisters, but I wouldn’t want to interrupt her teachings.” “That’s okay, I’m sure I’ll get to meet them one day.”  

--------------- 

It was now naptime for the children which meant that the Smiling Critters could step away and hang out all together and just relax. I was in the consolers office to check out my assigned office. Each helper had their own office to get away to when needed. Outside my door was a card that had ‘Welcome’ on the front. I picked it up and walked into my new office. I took a look around, nice office, however what stuck out to me was the big dog bed in the corner.  

I was about to walk over to it until I heard a knock at the door. I set down the card and opened the door, but no one was there. Suddenly DogDays head popped out from the side. “Hiya Angel!” “Ah-” I fell back in shock. As I laid on the floor DogDay hovered over me with a worried expression, his sun pendant laid against my chest. “Angel?! Oh gosh I’m so sorry! Are you okay??!” I did a double-blink and then slowly sat up. “Yeah, I’m fine, I just wasn’t expecting that at all.” DogDay then held out a paw towards me to help me to my feet. I took his paw into my hand and once my hand met his paw his tail started to wag. He pulled me up to my feet and got close to me.   I wasn't used to being this close to anyone, let alone a giant dog so I started to blush. This caught DogDays attention. “Angel your face is really red, are you sick?” I was starting to feel bad, not physically but mentally. I didn’t want him to be worried about me. “I-I’m fine! Really DogDay. So, um what brings you by?” I wanted to change the subject as fast as possible. DogDay then smiled and leaned away from me. “I wanted to see if you liked the card we made!” I went to my desk, picked up the card and opened it. ‘Welcome newest helper, we hope that this job brings you happiness and joy as we do to our children here. We look forward to working with you, signed everyone.’ I did like the letter. 

--------------- 

Me and DogDay started chatting for a while until out of nowhere, I yawned. “Oh my, sorry about that.” Guess I was starting to get a bit tired. “That’s okay Angel. There’s thirty minutes left of nap time; you should rest up!” A power nap did sound good. I nodded and told DogDay that he should go back to his friends, but he shook his head no and picked me up and walked over to the dog bed in the corner. Should’ve known it was his.  

“I’d rather spend my free time with you Angel, plus as your boss you have no say.” He stuck his tongue out and booped my nose with his paw. My face got warm again. He then laid down on his bed and laid me in between his front paws. “You can rest with me Angel; I’ve been told that I’m a very fluffy pillow.” He was very soft and the smell of vanilla on him was almost like a drug to put you to sleep, and it was working. I yawned once more and closed my eyes. DogDays head rested near me. “Rest well my Angel.” was the last thing I heard before drifting off to sleep.  

A/N: Thank you for reading!

[moonagedaydreamsofrhiannon]

IN DEFENSE OF TRAVIS MARTINEZ:

Because I’m sick and tired of seeing travis hate everywhere I go.

“Travis was sexist.”

Did he spout some sexist rhetoric in the beginning of the show? Sure. But it’s important to recognize that: A) he changed, and by season 2 he completely stopped, B) he was a teenage boy in the 1990s, and that kind of rhetoric was normal at the time, C) most of his sexist macho tough guy attitude was a complete act that he likely put on to compensate for his insecurity about his own masculinity, and internalized homophobia. (More on that later.)

(Also let’s be real, Travis is basically one of the girls anyway and I’m tired of pretending he’s not.)

2. “Travis didn’t care about Javi.”

Did we watch the same show??? Granted Travis may have had trouble expressing his feelings (also related to his insecurities about masculinity, likely learned from his father, as well as growing up in a patriarchal and homophobic society), but he cared deeply about Javi. In S1E4, Travis literally DUG UP HIS DAD’S GRAVE, through horror, tears, and vomit, in order to retrieve his ring to give to Javi. When Javi disappeared, Travis kept looking for him every day for months, and never gave up, even when logically it would have seemed impossible for him to still be alive. He comforted and reassured Javi when neither of them drew the card. He cradled Javi’s dead body and ate a bite of his raw heart (which was a metaphor for how much he loved him, and a parallel to Shauna eating Jackie’s raw ear.) Maybe Travis wasn’t always there for Javi in the way he needed, but he absolutely loved him, and it’s important to remember that Travis was also a traumatized, grieving, kid who just lost his dad.

3. “Travis slut-shamed Nat.”

As we are literally shown in the show, Travis was not trying to slut shame her, he asked how many times she had done it because he was embarrassed about the fact that he was a virgin, and worried that she would judge him, or that he wouldn’t measure up because he was more inexperienced than her. When she told him she hooked up with Bobby Farleigh, he did not get mad at her because she slept with another guy (he already knew about that, and was fine with it), he got mad because she hooked up with his bully, and then lied to him about it. I don’t blame Nat for this, she didn’t know about it at the time, and didn’t want him to get mad once she found out, but I also don’t blame Travis for being hurt and embarrassed and upset with her for lying about it.

4. “Travis was just kind of a dick.”

Sure, but so were all of them. He acted like kind of a jerk in the first season. So what? Shauna had an affair with her best friend’s boyfriend, lied to her about it for months, and refused to apologize. Misty tried to drug Coach Ben. Nat faked his brother’s death to him (yeah, she was trying to help him move on, but still not cool). All of them called him “Flex” (y’know, the nickname that was used to bully him for years). None of them are perfect or nice or likable all the time, and that’s ok; that’s the whole point. They’re realistic, complex, flawed, morally gray and sometimes unlikable people. They’ve all done bad things, but nothing Travis did is worse than what anyone else on that show has done. He was a traumatized teen whose dad literally just died. Also, me personally, if everyone around me was constantly calling me the mean nickname that was used to bully me since middle school, I would also probably act like a little bit of a dick.

5. “Travis is a straight man.”

Wrong. (Also not really a valid reason to hate someone… But most importantly, just wrong.)

Travis Martinez is clearly a bisexual.

So many of his issues: the insecurity, the bullying, the macho tough guy act, the whole weird complex about his masculinity, all of it stems (at least partly) from the fact that he’s bisexual and has internalized homophobia. The whole “Flex” thing is just thinly veiled homophobia. The main reason why he got bullied is because Bobby Farleigh spread a rumor about him getting back surgery to better suck his own dick. The unsaid implication there is that he’s a man who sucks dick, which is inherently queer, even if it is his own. If you look even slightly past the most surface level interpretation, it’s pretty obvious that Travis was bullied because of homophobia. His performance of stereotypical toxic masculinity was clearly over compensation for the fact that he doesn’t fit into the box of traditional straight masculinity, and was a reaction to the bullying from his peers, abuse from his dad, and internalized homophobia from growing up in a homophobic and patriarchal society. As the show progresses he starts to unlearn that toxic masculinity and internalized homophobia, and he allows himself to be more vulnerable, emotional, and feminine, and as a result, he becomes stronger, more confident, and more respectful of the people around him.

As for Travis being a man… Is he though???

In season 1, Travis is a man (narratively speaking); there is a clear distinction between Travis/Coach Ben and the girls. However, in season 2, we see a stark shift in how Travis is depicted. The separation between Travis and the girls pretty much ceases to exist. Narratively speaking, there is no distinction made between Travis and the other girls; they are one entity—one hive mind. Instead, the emphasis is now placed on the distinction between Coach Ben and the girls/Travis. When Coach Ben watches the Yellowjackets eat Jackie in horror and disbelief, Travis is right there with them, dressed in ancient greek robes along with the rest of them. In season 2, Coach Ben is the only real Man of the group (Travis has narratively become one of the girls, and Javi is just a boy, not a man) and he is shown staying separate from the rest of the group, and growing more and more uncomfortable with the cultish dynamics, while Travis, on the other hand, becomes more and more integrated with the group, as he falls deeper and deeper into cult beliefs, until he is a full-blown devout Lottie worshipper. Of the three males on the show, he is the only one who actually participates in cannibalism with the other Yellowjackets. Also he lost his virginity to a lesbian.

Whether or not you choose to believe that Travis is transfem (I do) you cannot deny that, at least narratively speaking, Travis is literally just a girl.

6. Travis is a victim.

I don’t know why nobody in this fandom seems to acknowledge this, but Travis is a sexual assault victim and I’m tired of people constantly overlooking and ignoring that fact. In Doomcoming, the girls (excluding Jackie, Nat, Tai, and Van) chased him down, sexually assaulted him, and then tried to kill him. That’s not something that’s up for debate or denial, that is literally canon. Stop pretending it didn’t happen. Stop pretending it wasn’t assault. Stop shaming him and making fun of him for struggling with sex, or not always being able to get it up. That’s a normal trauma response after being assaulted/raped. You guys are literally proving the point. This kind of treatment from society towards masculinity and male victims is just playing into the patriarchy and toxic masculinity, and is exactly what made him act the way he did in season 1 in the first place!

[redvelvetcupcakes21]

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

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

Everyone had celebrated at the news...

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

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

What came next was nothing.

At least nothing from Buck.

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

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

Too professional for Bobby's liking.

And it didn't go unnoticed by the team.

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

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

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

But it was just silence with Bobby.

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

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

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

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

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

"Is Buck here?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tommy nodded, twisting the glass between his hands.

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

Tommy nodded sagely. "I know."

"Can you tell me why?"

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

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

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

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

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

Tommy looked at him with an imploring expression.

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

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

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

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

Athena knew.

Hen knew.

May even knew.

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

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

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

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

"Tommy, I-Im so-"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It was the Captain that did it.

It was the final straw.

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

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

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

"Oh."

[rogueddie]

Nancys torn shirt was a poor excuse for a bandage and Steve should have changed it as soon as they got out of the Upside Down. He should have cleaned it, best he could, and rewrapped his sides in clean bandages.

But he didn't do that. He'd forgotten all about his injuries as soon as Nancys eyes rolled back in her head.

It didn't feel important after that. They had stopped hurting during the bike ride to Eddies. If the cloth tied around his waist wasn't covered in dry blood and rubbing uncomfortably against his skin anytime he moved, he would have forgotten all about the bites.

After losing Max... and Eddie... he couldn't bring himself to care. He was still on his feet. He still felt fine. He mostly felt guilty, still high on the adrenaline that always comes with a fight with the Upside Down.

It was Robin who told a nurse that Steve was also injured and needed seeing.

But the bites were... good. They were easy to clean and no where near as deep as Steve remembers them being.

"You're lucky here," the nurse told him. "You need to keep wounds clean, no matter how small. If these got infected, you could be in big trouble."

It was only a week later that he started to feel it. And he knew he should tell the others. Robin, Nancy, Will, anyone. He knows the signs. He knows what it could mean.

He feels cold.

There's a buzzing building in the back of his head.

The portals cutting through the town call to him.

He's hungry.

"I just don't feel well," he lies. "I'll sleep it off, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

He can hear Robin frowning through the phone. It almost makes him ache, knowing how much it must be upsetting her that he's drawing back.

"I'm sure," he says. "I'll call you, the second I feel better."

"Not good enough, Harrington. I want a call every single day, I don't care if you're too sick to talk. Breathe at me or something."

"I'll try." Another lie.

"I miss you, Stevie."

"Miss you too, Bobbie. So much."

He hangs up, and immediately wishes he hadn't.

There's a crack at the bottom of his pool. He can feel exactly where it leads and, without Robins voice in his ear tethering him, he can't think of a reason not to.

It's too tempting. Too easy.

Crawling into the Upside Down, all he feels is relief. It's like he can finally breathe again. The spores make his lungs finally feel clear.

"Wh- Steve?!" Someone yelps.

Sat at the edge of his pool, legs dangling off the edge and covered in blood-

"Eddie?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" He says, sliding down into the pool. The vines move to help him. "You gotta go back, man, you can't be here."

"You're alive?"

"Not really, but that's not important. Harrington, you have to leave. Whatever this hive shit wants you for, it's not good."

"Hive? What?"

"Yeah, the... Jesus, dude, what did you think was drawing you in here?"

"I don't know... I didn't really... I couldn't..."

"Hey, Steve, snap-"

Eddie steps forward, trying to scare Steve back by getting in his face, but he freezes mid sentence when they're barely a step apart.

Before Steve can ask, Eddie is pulling his head to the side by his hair, nose almost pressed to his neck. Sniffing him.

"What the hell?" Steve chokes out, once Eddie draws back.

He doesn't step back though, one hand still clutching his jacket and the other resting on the side of his neck. He looks scared.

"They weren't drawing you in. They were calling you home."

[aureum-cordis]

Lost & Found, Part 4

A/N: Hey! It’s been a short while since my last update, college got a little hectic for me. But I’ve gotta admit, this has been my favorite part to write so far. I really have to thank everyone for checking out this little fic and I appreciate all of the reblogs and follows, as well as the notes! Thank you all so much! Check out the other parts here: Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3

_________________________________________________

You were more than content to have an audience as you drew an amalgamation of little doodles on the page you were provided. CraftyCorn was offering you any crayon, marker, or pencil you even vaguely gestured to while Bobby BearHug rested her head on DogDay’s shoulder.

The dog was unbothered by this, especially since this was the happiest he had seen the other two in what felt like years. He was grateful for this little moment of peace, even if some nagging thought attempted to plague his mind with negativity. It wasn’t as if he would ignore the thought that this could be stripped away just as quickly as it came, but he refused to feed into it.

Even he was surprised by the way he felt fiercely protective over you and the others, not that it was a negative form of surprise at all. You, and that precious little smile on your face as you lifted the page to show the trio of Smiling Critters that you had drawn them, had caused the little amount of hope in his heart to flourish. If you had survived then it was possible that they all could, that this situation wasn’t impossible to walk away from.

He wrapped his arm around the bear that rested her head on his shoulder in a side hug of sorts, allowing his own head to gently press against hers. The two watched as you gestured for CraftyCorn to join you, to which they happily accepted.

You still sat cross-legged on the ground but the unicorn laid on her stomach to join you, taking a crayon between their hooves and helping you in drawing the scenery of your little drawing of the Smiling Critters as well as yourself.

DogDay and Bobby BearHug watched you and the unicorn as you both drew an adorable image of the strange yet endearing quartet they had formed through chance. You and CraftyCorn were passing crayons and markers of various colors between each other, a wordless understanding between the two of you.

The leader of what remained of the Smiling Critters was more than content to just rest against the bear of the group as he watched you enjoy yourself, even if your hands were now covered in various colors from your composition.

You were far from deterred nor were you upset from such a thing, even going as far as admiring the smear of vibrant colors that covered your palms and fingers.

It was something so small yet noticeable that the dog and the bear couldn’t help but laugh softly at the little display, even more so as CraftyCorn lifted her hooves to show you that their luck with the crafts wasn’t all that orderly either.

The unicorn muttered her praises, admiring the way you drew each of them as well as the background they had been helping you design. You shook your head, pointing at yourself and then the Smiling Critter that had joined you.

She paused for a moment, watching your gesture before it finally clicked what you had meant. “Oh, I didn’t contribute much, this was all you. I could never take credit for it.” They replied in an amused yet genuine tone, it wasn’t fair when you had done the majority of the artwork.

You shook your head again, more enthusiastic this time and bent down to point at the paper. One of your small fingers rested on the drawn unicorn on the page, before you pointed at the real one in front of you. CraftyCorn raised her hooves in a manner that bordered on compliant, yielding their stance on rejecting any credit.

The white furred member of the Smiling Critters shifted from the prone position they were in to a seated one as she spoke. “While I still think I didn’t do much, I appreciate that you let me join you. Together, we created something that easily beats anything I have ever drawn alone.” You were positively beaming as you heard the final agreement that left the artist of the quartet.

Slowly, you moved the papers and the art supplies out of the way as you stood up. CraftyCorn was about to speak when you suddenly wrapped your arms around her torso and squeezed her in a warm embrace.

The unicorn was stunned, unsure of what to do at that moment, and turned to look at DogDay and Bobby BearHug. The dog was about to speak when the bear at his side hugged him in an instant, whispering as she did so. “Hug them!” It was a hushed shout in anything but you seemed unphased, nuzzling into the soft fur that was the unicorn’s chest as they gently wrapped their arms around you in return.

The touch was featherlight, as if you would break should any force be applied. Regardless, you were more than happy to be held even if it was by an incredibly careful unicorn.

A tired yawn left your mouth, the sound still audible despite the fact that you hadn’t, or perhaps were unable, to speak a word. With a balled up first, you rubbed one of your eyes which grew teary from the drowsiness that overcame you.

DogDay knew that you would crash soon when he had found you, the bags under your eyes were more than a sign of the sleep deprivation you suffered from. CraftyCorn allowed her arms to fall to her sides as you broke the hug and backed up slightly. Still rubbing your eyes, you turned to look at the duo that were still close together.

Bobby BearHug hadn’t let go of DogDay since she had first hugged him and he was content enough to not stop her. He didn’t have the heart to do so, not when she had been so distant until you came along, and because he didn’t mind the contact. With a slow and sluggish gait, you walked over to the two of them.

The orange dog was a little puzzled as you approached, extending the arm that he didn’t have around the bear at his side to you. You grabbed his arm and used it to steady your wobbly steps before you promptly sat yourself down in his lap. The suddenness of your action caused some of the wind to be knocked from him, but not a word of protest left his mouth.

He watched as you curled up in his lap and gently pulled the arm you had been holding onto earlier closer to you. He was more than willing to allow you to do such a thing and if he were able to cry in that moment, he would’ve. You wrapped your little arms around his as his hand rested against your back, supporting you to keep you from falling should you stir in your sleep.

A tired smile rested on your face as you looked up at him, before nestling up against his leg and closing your eyes. Together, all three of the Smiling Critters watched as your little chest rose and fell, falling entirely silent to keep from disturbing you as you rested. Collectively, they could all see how exhausted you were, which was exactly why they were more than willing to let you sleep.

For several long moments, they all remained where they were, simply observing you as you clung to the leader’s arm as if they would vanish if you let go. Carefully, CraftyCorn slowly approached the trio and sat down on the side of DogDay that was unoccupied.

There, she rested their chin on his shoulder and looked down at you, nothing but sympathy and a warmth that would soothe anyone in her gaze. They shifted slightly, resting against the dog with her body to be closer to him and you. He was more than pleased with the action, a happiness that he hadn’t felt in a very long time came to the surface, warming his heart and bringing with it an unbridled sense of joy.

You had brought forth a side to himself and the others that he feared was long gone, yet in this very moment it returned. It wasn’t until he heard a steady and rythmic thumping against the ground did he realize what was happening. His tail was the cause of the sound, wagging openly as a display of his happiness and how overjoyed he was that the others had finally been able to find a beacon of hope in this otherwise grim situation.

None of those around him stirred at the disruption nor did they seem bothered by it in the slightest. DogDay himself was embarrassed by the physical reaction that displayed his elation, but it faded as Bobby BearHug continued to embrace him and CraftyCorn’s head now rested on his shoulder and their sides pressed against one another. They were just as content as he was and that only made the thumping of his tail increase in pace.

The only sounds that filled the room were the quiet inhales and exhales of your sleeping form and the sound of the orange dog’s tail as it met the floor as those most important to him were surrounding him. Despite the fact that they had all met you today, they all shared the same sentiment as their leader did. You were now a very dear member of what remained of the Smiling Critters.

[loulovingho]

Our Future

(a bucktommy mini(ish) fic)

ao3 link or read below

Summary: Buck gets a little reckless at work, and Tommy gets a lot upset.

It had started with the silent treatment when Buck first got home from work. Tommy was fixing dinner, forcefully plucking basil leaves from the stem and tossing them into the pot when Buck came in.

He knew something was wrong right away, especially when he was only greeted with a monotone, “Hello,” and no attempt to move away from the pot that did not actually need to be stirred at the moment.

Buck had walked over to him, giving him a kiss on the cheek before going to shower.

Once he was showered and dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, he came back out and sat down at the kitchen island, where Tommy was now aggressively chopping lettuce.

“So, how was your day?” Buck asked cautiously.

“Fine.”

“Do anything fun?”

“Not really.”

“Get some rest?”

“Tried to.”

Buck rested his hands on the counter, tapping his fingers a few times before asking his next question. “You didn't... Did you happen to catch the evening news?”

Instead of answering, Tommy stopped chopping the lettuce, put the knife down and went to the fridge to get a cucumber. A thick silence filled the space between them as Tommy washed the cucumber and returned to his cutting board. He picked back up the knife and resumed the harsh chopping.

“I will take that as a yes,” Buck mumbled. He sighed, briefly resting his head in his hands before continuing, “Say something, Tommy. You've got your grumpy face and everything; I know you're mad.”

“I'm not mad,” he answered, obviously mad. “And I do not have a grumpy face.”

“You very much do have a grumpy face.” He tried to meet Tommy's eyes from across the island, but Tommy was avoiding him. “Come on, Tom,” Buck said calmly, patiently, “Talk to me.”

Tommy put down the knife and, for the first time since Buck got home, he looked at him. His eyes were red. It almost looked like he'd been crying.

“I just don't get it, Evan. What would possess you to do that?”

“It's my job,” Buck defended. “It's our job. It's what we do.”

“No. No, what you did was way beyond the job. You know how I know it was beyond the job?” He asked rhetorically. “I know because, when I was watching the news, I could hear Bobby on the live feed yelling at you to not go back in.”

“I- I had to go back in though, Tommy. I had to save him. If I didn't go back in, he would have died.”

“He. Was. A. Hamster!” Tommy replied, emphasizing each word. “You risked your life, for a hamster.”

“Of course I did!” Buck said, as though it was crazy to think he wouldn't go back in. “Tommy, you didn't see that little girl crying. Sh- She just got Georgie a couple months ago for her birthday a- and she took such good care of him. She was freaking out. I didn't really think about it, I just went.”

“That's the problem!” Tommy exclaimed, motioning to Buck. “You didn't think about it. You never think about it. You go, and you run into the fire, and you become the hero, and you never once stop to think about you!”

“Hey, that's not fair-”

“What if the ceiling would have collapsed?” Tommy continued. “What if your exit had become blocked? Or the buildup of smoke got you lost? You never considered those things, did you?”

“I told you I didn't think about it,” Buck replied. His voice was quiet, reserved. He wasn't sure if what he was feeling was anger or shame. Either way, he hated it.

“Well, you should have.”

Okay, now Buck knew it was anger he was feeling. “Oh, thank you for those- those wise words. You've really changed my perspective. You should have,” he mocked, getting up from his seat. He went to head toward their bedroom, every intention to slam the door behind him, but instead he turned back around to face Tommy. “You know, we've been together for two years and never once have you made me feel bad for doing my job! In fact, most of the time, you seem to find it pretty hot.”

“When you're not being careless.”

“I was not being careless! I was saving an animal! I was helping that kid wh- who just lost everything she had.”

“Yeah, well what about us, Evan? What about everything you have? Our future? Our kids?”

All the retorts Buck had prepared suddenly disappeared. He stared at Tommy for a moment, dumbfounded, before uttering out, “Our... Our kids? Tommy, we don't have kids.”

Tommy put his hands on his hips, standing straighter. “No, not yet, but one day we will.”

“You think about that?”

“Of course I do,” Tommy replied as though it should be obvious. “We've talked about having kids someday, Ev.”

“Yeah, I- I know we talked about it I just didn't know you thought about it.” Any hint of anger in his voice had long fallen away.

“Don't you?”

Buck nodded. “Yeah. A lot.”

Tommy took a breath, rubbing his hands over his eyes to try and wipe away some of the exhaustion from the day. He moved around the island, taking a few steps closer to Buck. “I just worry,” he said, his voice faltering. “I worry that one day you're going to run into a burning building looking for a turtle, or a fish, and then I'm gonna have to explain that to our kids. I'm gonna be left,” he paused, “left alone, and I can't- I can't handle that.”

“But what if it's a person?” Buck asked. “How would that be any easier?”

“It wouldn't be easier,” Tommy admitted, “but at least I'd understand it then. Listen, Evan, I love animals as much as the next person but I love you a lot more. I'd like to know that when you're at work, you're there with the priority to come back home.”

Buck moved closer to Tommy. Close enough to reach out and grab his hand. “I can't promise you that I'll never run into a building looking for an animal again. That's just me, you know that. But I can promise you that surviving and coming home to you, and our future children, is always in the front of my mind. Always.”

Tommy nodded, blinking away tears. “Today was, um, it was the first time I was ever home, just sitting and watching the news and there you were. They had a special alert for the fire, and it was just live coverage of everything happening, and there you were,” he took in a shaky breath. “I couldn't do anything but watch and when you ran back in, I- I started counting. It was four minutes, twenty three seconds and I don't think I took a breath that entire time. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it kind of felt like my heart was breaking apart, piece by piece.”

Buck shook his head. “That's not ridiculous,” he said, squeezing Tommy's hand even tighter. He pulled Tommy closer, wrapping him in a hug. “I would've felt the same way if it was you. I'm sorry.”

Tommy rested his chin on Buck's shoulder, closing his eyes. “You don't need to be sorry.”

After they held each other for a moment, Tommy pulled back just enough to look at Buck. “Evan, I don't want you to change who you are. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Buck replied, and it was true. He knew Tommy loved him for exactly who he was, even if he was a little reckless sometimes.

“I just-”

Buck raised a hand to Tommy's cheek, stopping him. “I know,” he assured him. He leaned in, giving Tommy a soft kiss. Tommy sighed into it, the tenseness from the day leaving his body.

“I think we should order out,” Buck said once they parted. “Dinner's starting to smell a little charred.”

Tommy's eyes widened. “Oh God,” he said, rushing over to the burnt pot of food on the stove.

“So, did they say anything about me on the news?” Buck asked cheekily as Tommy turned off the stove and dumped the pot into the sink. “Come up with any good nicknames?”

“Oh, actually, yeah,” Tommy replied. “They were calling you the Rodent Rescuer.”

Buck's face fell. “You're kidding.”

Tommy smiled. “I'm not.” He walked back over to Buck, pressing another gentle kiss to his lips. “I prefer Hamster Hero,” he said, smacking Buck's ass playfully as he headed into the living room to get his phone and order some food.

Buck smiled. “I hate you,” he said, plopping down on the couch beside Tommy.

Tommy wrapped his arm around Buck, pulling him to his chest. He leaned down and kissed the top of his head, running his fingers through Buck's hair. “Yeah, I hate you too.”

[obsidianimagines]

Stay

After he and his brothers track down and kill the men who murdered their mother, Jack returns home to find you waiting in his room, and he doesn't want you to leave.

Jack Mercer x f!reader

Warnings: mentions of death/murder/trauma, a little homophobia (Bobby refers to reader as Jack's beard), smidge of angst, comfort/fluff 🥺, cursing, a little mention of sex so MINORS DNI

Notes: This is my first try at a Jack imagine. Hope you like it ☺️ and please ignore how bad I am at titles

Jack's childhood bedroom looked about as you'd expected.

An electric guitar and amp. A stereo with a collection of rock cd's. Band and car posters plastered on the wall. And, of course, a stack of VHS tapes that you probably didn't want to inspect too closely—he'd been a teenage boy the last time he lived there, after all.

You eventually grew tired of looking around and propped his pillow up so you could sit back against his headboard. His bed was a lot more comfortable than the one in the crappy hotel you'd been sleeping in, mostly because it was Jack's, and that meant safety. It meant home.

It was already pretty late when you first arrived at the Mercer home, so you were having a hard time staying awake to greet your boyfriend. Maybe you should've just waited until the morning, but something told you that you might be needed. That was why you'd driven to Detroit with him in the first place instead of making him go on his own. To be there for him during such a devastating time.

You yawned and decided to rest your eyes for just a few minutes, not hearing the sound of the front door, or Bobby speaking a little too loudly as three of the Mercers entered.

"Seriously, Jackie. How much are you paying her?"

"I'm not paying her anything, Bobby." Like always, his brother was just trying to get under his skin. Sometimes, it really fucking bothered him, but after seeing your car parked out front, he just wanted to find you.

He didn't see you in the living room, and just as he realized where you likely were, Sofi came down the stairs and confirmed it. "She's waiting in your room."

"Thanks." Jack took the steps two at a time, passing Sofi as she eagerly went to meet Angel at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey, she better not think she's staying here! We don't need another La Vida Loca!" Bobby called after Jack, which he ignored, chuckling as Sofi started cursing at the oldest Mercer in Spanish.

Jack opened his bedroom door, cracking a small smile the instant he noticed you dozing off on his bed. He'd had half a mind to have Jerry drop him off at your hotel, but it was late enough that he assumed you were already sound asleep. Now that he knew you weren't even there, he was glad he hadn't gone anyway because he wouldn't have heard the end of it from Bobby.

Your eyes fluttered open as Jack slipped off his leather jacket, tossing it on the chair while kicking off his boots. "Hi," you greeted with a relieved smile.

"Hey, gorgeous," he replied as he climbed into the bed with you.

Even though you'd only been together for about two and a half years, you could read Jack very well. It was clear when he was upset or thinking of painful things, showing right there in his eyes. At that moment, you saw not just the sadness and grief of the last several days, but something else that disturbed him.

You shimmied down the bed a bit and opened your arms, allowing him to practically lay on top of you and rest his head on your chest. "What happened, baby?" You gently embraced him, resting a hand at the nape of his neck.

Jack took a moment to relax in your arms, letting out a sigh as you began to run your fingers through his hair. It had taken some time and a lot of built trust for him to be fully comfortable with that kind of intimacy, and once that happened, he could never get enough. After everything that happened that day, he really fucking needed it.

"I–" He sniffled, blinking back the tears that stung at his eyes. "I saw the security footage. I saw my mom..."

"Oh..." Your heart clenched as you realized what he meant. "I'm so sorry you had to see that, Jack."

"We found the guys that killed her," he said quietly, his fingers toying with the fabric of your shirt. "Angel and Bobby took care of it, but I...I couldn't handle it. I'd never watched anyone die like that." Jack had done some dumbass shit as a kid, but he'd never gotten into some of the more extreme things his brothers—particularly Bobby—did. Not until his mom was taken from him.

The fact that he and his brothers had found and killed their mom's murderers was not a surprise to you. Jack already told you that was the plan, and he'd shared enough about his brothers in the past for you to know he wasn't just talking. While killing was wrong, you had nothing against them getting revenge for Evelyn as long as Jack still came home to you in the end.

"But it's done now, right? You don't have to see that again."

"Nah, it's not over yet. Someone hired them to kill her."

Your hand stopped moving. "What?" Random robbery to contract killing? A pit formed in your stomach at the thought of him getting mixed up with something like that. "Who would want to kill your mom? She was amazing." You'd only ever talked to Evelyn on the phone, but between the lovely conversations and everything Jack ever told you about her, you knew she was a special woman.

"We don't know yet. I'll have to stay a couple more days..." Though it was important to find the truth and get justice, part of him really just wanted to be back home in your little shared apartment. He wanted things to be back to normal—as normal as they could be without Evelyn Mercer in the world.

"I'll add a few days to my hotel," you said as your fingers resumed playing with his hair. The idea of an extended stay didn't bother you at all. You knew he wasn't leaving Detroit until his mom was avenged.

"You should check out and stay here with me." He looked up at you with those soft blue eyes, and you already knew you'd be doing just that with very little convincing. Jack was hard to resist. "I miss you."

"It's not like I'm back in New York." Even though you laughed, you understood exactly what he meant. The cold Michigan nights really made you appreciate sleeping with him. "I miss you, too, but I don't want to intrude on you and your family."

"You're not intruding. You're my family, too," he assured you with a smile, which you returned as you stroked his cheek. "Besides, Angel's busy with Sofi, and Bobby's gonna be annoyed by someone or something no matter what."

You'd only met his oldest brother very briefly, but based on Jack's warnings and Sofi's rant about him when she let you in the house, you didn't doubt that he was a prickly as they come.

Jack watched expectantly, hoping he wouldn't have to spend another night alone. He had a hard time getting rest without you already, but it got worse after finding out his mom died. And he couldn't help the worry that whoever he and his brothers were after could end up targeting those close to them. That you could be hurt or killed just for being in town and being his girl. You'd probably be safer at the Mercer home.

"Okay, I'll check out in the morning."

He let out the breath he'd been holding and moved up your body to place a kiss on your lips. As he pulled back, you gazed up at him with the sweetest eyes he'd ever seen, and he thought for the millionth time how lucky he was to meet you. That you'd happened to end up at one of his shows three years ago was nothing short of a fucking miracle. "I love you."

"Love you, too," you said back without hesitation.

Underneath the rock and roll look, Jack was soft and sweet. You had seen tiny hints of it when you first talked outside of the bar his band had just played in, and he slowly let you in to see the rest. He respected and cared for you in a way that no other guy ever had, he made you feel safe and loved. Knowing you did the same for him after everything he'd been through meant the world.

When he laid back down beside you and pulled the blanket up over your bodies, you quickly turned on your side and snuggled right up to him.

Jack kissed the top of your head and slowly rubbed his hand up and down your back, and that was the last thing you remembered before finally drifting off.

Waking up was not quite as peaceful as falling asleep had been. A loud banging on the door shocked you both awake just in time to hear, "Rise and shine, Princess! We got shit to do today!"

Jack groaned and buried his face in your chest again. Even with Bobby's interruption, he really didn't want to move. After all, that was his second favorite spot to put his face. You were just about as eager to get up as he was, realizing just how much you'd needed this the last few days.

"What a charming wake up call," you said with a laugh, your voice rough from sleep. Considering how he'd referred to you as Jack's beard the first time you met, and at their own mother's funeral no less, a lack of tact seemed to be Bobby's thing.

"You get used to it," he mumbled into your t-shirt. "Unless you changed your mind about staying..."

"Nope." You reluctantly threw the blanket off and untangled yourself from him, taking a glance at your watch. "We've got plenty of time for breakfast, but I do need to be at the hotel by 9:30 to get my things."

Once you stretched and finally got out of bed, Jack sat up and scrubbed his hand over his face, his hair sticking up even more than usual. You went over to his jacket to fish his zippo and the pack of cigarettes out of the pocket and toss them over to him.

"Thanks," Jack said before placing a cigarette between his lips and lighting it up. He took a drag and watched amused as you slipped your shoes on and fixed yourself up a bit because, unlike him, you had a problem with looking like you'd just rolled out of bed.

Satisfied, you leaned down and tenderly cupped his jaw so you could press a kiss to his forehead. "See you downstairs, baby."

Jack's cheeks heated up at the sweet affection, and he blew out a cloud of smoke as you walked away with a sway of your hips.

Yeah, he was lucky as hell.

[lovecolibri]

Alright, gotta make a petty post so I can get it out of my brain. It got long, sorry.

It is baffling to me that people keep pushing this idea that Buck would be perfectly happy with another of his LIs if only Eddie weren't around. Especially after 8x05 I'm seeing the same shit I saw with BT 1.0 which is that they're just so cute and *sigh* if only Eddie weren't around, Buck could be happy with them but sooo unfortunately, Eddie is there and better for Buck.

And I just cannot imagine we are watching the same show. Buck would be perfectly happy with someone who shuts the lights off while he's talking? Someone who basically tells him to shut up? Who doesn't want to dress up for parties, and thinks because his bio dad is alive Buck shouldn't be so upset about Bobby almost dying? Someone who really hopes Buck has the kinds of insecurities related to a troubled relationships with his dad that makes people eager to please and easier to manipulate? In what word? In what universe is this a satisfying relationship for someone like Buck who just wants someone to love all of him for exactly who he is?

And I get what they're probably trying to do here because I've seen it a hundred times with other slow burn shows, where one or both of them are dating someone perfectly nice but it's just not quite a good fit. But that doesn't work here for numerous reasons.

One big one being that T is NOT a "perfectly nice" person. If they wanted that they could have invented someone new, not just AGAIN ignored the history a character had to use them for something else without ever taking a minute or two to address it, and by that note, not allowing the firefam to be able to truly talk to Buck about his relationships because they can't talk bad about the LI, so instead all these talks turn into why Buck is being bad at the relationship and needs to be better. (NGL I am absolutely dreading what that's going to look like in 8x06 now that we know it's not about T's racist, misogynistic past terrorizing Hen and Chim. 🙄The audience does not care about that man, why do we need to invent a reason for Buck to struggle with him when there is already one there that the audience already knows about! It sounds like a waste of screentime to invent something new instead of using what you already have which is the whole point of bringing back someone the audience already knows instead of inventing something wholecloth.)

The other glaring reasons this doesn't work for this show go hand-in-hand and that is a) it's been over 6 full seasons of this so b) we've already seen this relationship carousel SO many times and the audience is tired and c) that "slow burn", "pining but they're with someone else and now you go find someone else too, but then they break up with their person but you're already with someone who is nice and you don't want to hurt them" ONLY works when the audience knows they characters have feelings for each other. Oliver talked about longing and wanting the audience to feel that longing too and he's right, but it only works if the audience knows about the feelings. The audience has to be in on it, clearly and with no question, or the trope doesn't work. That's why 3rd party confessions are such a staple, because that other person becomes the vehicle for the audience to be let in on the inner workings of a character's mind without having to do an internal monologue or something. And I love the pining and delicious longing BUT again, that only works if we know the feelings are there but circumstances are keeping them apart.

And most shows do this EARLY. If it's a planned slow burn, you get it in the first season, if it's unplanned liken Chenford it can take a little longer but not much. And they're actually a great example because they did have other relationships that were perfectly fine! They dated nice people who had fun with them! But they were always just a little bland and the show made a point in scenes like that fabulous double date to show the audience which pair is better. BUT part of the angst and longing for the AUDIENCE comes from understanding the main character's desire to not hurt a perfectly nice person they are dating. Which does not work when that relationship is bad, whether the show is trying to portray it that way or not (see, RNM trying to pretend one character making snide remarks about a formerly homeless teen "smelling like a river" and being "house trained" was normal GF behavior and they were a cute couple).

But 9-1-1 is too far into the show to pull off a fully traditional "slow burn". The character have not admitted feelings yet and until they do, the "slow burn" can't really start for the audience! I do think they have an advantage in having put in the work to do this storyline ages ago in s4, so if they play it right and get a good montage of Buddie moments under a good song they can get the audience up to speed pretty quickly. But they can't really do the whole other relationships thing for too long, and playing BT as "so close but just not quite a good fit" doesn't ring true because whether the show has intended it or not, all of their scenes come across with T being a condescending dick to Buck and looking like he doesn't even like him that much.

IDK, I just love Buck so much and I am SO TIRED of this show putting him in these relationships with awful people and never addressing it, never allowing the firefam or Maddie to address it, and always making it out like BUCK is the problem for not trying hard enough instead of asking if he's even happy, or if THEY are trying hard enough to be what BUCK needs.

ANYWAY. I am not closing on Buddie, and I am prepared for it to take a bit to get together. But I think the show needs to recognize that this is not s2 of a show where they are starting up a 3 season slow burn arc, and that because of FOX interfering, and because of the choice in character and actor THEY chose to bring on for this, they are not going to be able to exactly follow the full typical slow burn playbook. I think they can still make it work and make it good and fun for the audience to be longing alongside the characters, but they are going to have to shift some things, and honestly they need to get rid of T as quickly as possible because they are only, once again, doing a disservice to Buck's character by having him date someone like that, and to the firefam/Maddie by not allowing them to call out a LIs shitty behavior and instead putting all the blame on Buck.

[inkandarsenic]

I had a dream last night that could have been a fic and I’m disappointed that it wasn’t.

It was Buck and Eddie like after the last episode after Eddie was like “this changes nothing between us” and at first, everything was fine and normal but then it became very apparent after like six months that something very much had changed between them, like Buck was still dating Tommy and Eddie was still dating Marisol and in the field they were as in sync as ever but then everywhere else there was this weird distance between them? Like they were still best friends but like fundamentally they were Buck and Eddie instead of BuckandEddie like they used to be and everyone else in the 118+ could see it and they couldn’t

And then suddenly they could see it, because Buck was at Eddie’s and something happened and he needed to change his shirt but he realized that for the first time in years, probably since Eddie got shot, Buck didn’t have anything of his at the Diaz house. A couple weeks later, Eddie was telling the 118 a story about Chris and Buck had no idea what’s going on in the story and they (Buck and Eddie) were talking about it and they realize that it’s been a while since Buck picked Chris up from school or just like had a day that was just the two of them. And then there was some gathering at Eddie’s house instead of Bobby and Athena’s, and Buck makes cookies at his loft and brings them and Maddie points it out, and Buck has a mini crisis as he realizes abruptly that he is a guest in Eddie’s house and he was looking around and the couch was new (Marisol had convinced Eddie to buy a new one) and he hadn’t even realized.

And then Eddie and Marisol and Buck and Tommy were going on a double date at Olive Garden of all places but Marisol couldn’t make it, so it was just Buck and Eddie and Tommy and it was awkward and Tommy was like “look i haven’t known you guys as long as everyone else around you but even I can tell that there is something not right here and you need to talk it out and fix it because you’re both not the same with your lives being almost completely separate, it’s like not natural for you two.”

And they start talking except it kinda devolves into grocery store fight 2.0, about Buck not being there for Chris and not being around except this time it’s kinda on both of them and it’s really no one’s fault but it’s kinda both their faults. And this argument makes its way into their work life where they’re just not as in sync in the field.

And then something happened on a call (unclear what) that wasn’t really anyone’s fault but Buck blamed himself and the current issues he’s having with Eddie, and asked Bobby to be put on B-Shift for awhile and it was just super awkward in the firehouse and Bobby was talking to Eddie and was like “I don’t know what’s going on but whatever it is you need to fix it” and Eddie was like “I dont know what’s going on either, Buck and I just aren’t the same since he started dating Tommy” and Bobby was like “maybe you need to evaluate that because that’s something that only seems to be affecting you.”

And then like a week later, Eddie and Marisol broke up, and Marisol was all “it’s because of Buck isn’t it, you love him more than me.” And Eddie did not work through that, he just went to Buck’s despite still sort of being in a fight and they got drunk on Buck’s couch and Eddie kissed Buck just kinda out of the blue and then was like “fuck I didn’t mean to do that” and left.

Buck told Tommy immediately the next time he saw him (because he learned his lesson from Taylor) and Tommy was pretty cool about it but he was also like “hey maybe you should think about that because you don’t actually seem all that upset by the fact that Eddie kissed you just that he kissed you while you’re dating me and I feel like that says something” because Tommy is a real one.

After like two weeks wherein Eddie goes to great lengths to avoid Buck outside of calls despite being on the same shift again, and Buck talking through it in therapy and with Maddie, Buck breaks up with Tommy (who again is very chill about all of it and is like “we can all still be friends just give me a little space for a while”) and then he drove to the Diaz house and Eddie saw him pulling up and met him outside and it was raining so they really should have gone inside but I digress. And Eddie was like “Buck it’s like midnight what are you doing here” and Buck was all “i broke up with Tommy because you kissed me” and Eddie was like “fuck I’m sorry I didn’t mean to do that I never meant to get in between you two” and is just sort of spiraling and Buck can’t get a word in so instead Buck kisses Eddie and Eddie is just like “Oh. So you aren’t mad.” And Buck laughed and was all “No I’m not mad I’m in love with you”

And then my neighbor’s kid started screaming and woke me up so I didn’t even get to see the ending and I’m kinda mad about it because I wanna see how everyone else reacted to all of this

[bucksboobs]

I ran across your post about how some theories could be good if people took off Tommy hate bias and I was curious on how you’d think 911 could handle a buck finds out how Tommy used to be and if actually goes south arc? It’s something I see bounced around but it’s also another theory that isn’t handled well at all by people who hate Tommy but I guess if they wanted to break them up I could see that causing an issue as well.

So I think for this hypothetical it would be triggered by Gerrard saying offhandedly that Tommy “used to be on his side” or something and Buck remembers the time Tommy said “I had Gerrard, which did not make me a better person.” Because both Buck and the audience are primed to know Tommy is ashamed of the guy he was under Gerrard it’s not going to be as simple as Buck (famously a man that refers to past versions of himself like “Buck 1.0”) decide to break it off then and there because Tommy was hostile to Chimney once upon a time —after all he knows they’re friends now.

So really the way I would see it “going South” would be Buck prying (like he always does with Eddie) and Tommy getting more and more defensive because he “doesn’t like to think about the man I used to be.” And Buck would push and Tommy would push back and Tommy would get upset and say something like “The man I was is dead. Let him stay that way Evan.” And Buck would leave it alone but bring it up to Eddie or Maddie or Bobby or Hen and they’d have hard conversation about past mistakes being difficult to talk about.

Of these people I think the best narrative choice would be Hen: she has things in her past she regrets (Eva being the big one) and she saw Tommy grow; she’d be the best one to say whether or not Tommy is still the man that didn’t stand up for her or if he’s the man that reported Gerrard on her behalf. If I was writing it I’d be sure to emphasize that Hen didn’t forgive Tommy right away but she grew to trust him from his actions. I’d have Hen say “I mean at first I didn’t think Gerrard leaving would change all that much. It was still a boys club there, but part of the reason that Captains didn’t stick around that long til Bobby was that if any of them had a problem with me, Chim, Sal, and Tommy would be right behind me every time. The Tommy I met wouldn’t have been going to bat for me like that so I can tell you he’s a different guy.” Then she’d bump Buck’s arm and say “The kind of guy I’m cool with one of my friends dating.” And Buck would say “but h-how do I get him to talk about it? I don’t want him to feel like he can’t talk to me.” And Hen would say “Sometimes it’s not easy to talk about the mistakes we made with the people we love. When’s the last time you told someone about you and Lucy?”

Ultimately I don’t think the show is going to have Tommy from 2010 be the reason they break up, because the show has had far too many examples of people with really shitty pasts learning and growing. Remember that just last season had an arc about Bobby reckoning with a man whose wife he killed and the complicated nature of forgiveness and healing. The show would much rather have Tommy acknowledge his past (the way he already has) and show how he has improved.

[megalony]

This Is Fate- Part 7

Thank you all for the lovely feedback on this Dark! Evan Buckley series, I'm very excited to post this next part.

Please let me know what you think.

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Evan Buckley Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Summary: Eddie is surprised when his little sister comes to LA, pregnant, and asks to stay with him. She needs a fresh start away from her ex, but things take a bad turn when she finds out her ex works with her brother. And he won't let her go so easily.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you enjoy winding me up?"

With a daring look over his shoulder, Eddie twisted on the spot and glared into his former friend until it felt like he was burning holes through Evan's skin. He could feel his hands balling up into fists at his sides and his head tilted to one side. His brow arched, impatient, impassive, waiting angrily for the response he just knew he wouldn't like.

The words fell past Eddie's lips before he could stop himself, but he didn't really want to stop. He wanted this. He wanted to air this out and find out if the man he thought he knew was a lie.

Eddie wanted to know whether Evan's persona, that caring, selfless man he'd worked with for the past few years was a façade and this was the real Evan. The possessive man who had to have everything go his own way or he would throw a catalyst into the situation. The man who latched onto (Y/n) and was ready to burn the world down in any way he could if it would get her to be back in his clutches again.

"What?"

"You heard me. Is this some sort of game for you, Buck? Are you enjoying ruining everything in your path and pissing me off in the process?"

A few months ago, Eddie would never have believed this. He would never have listened if someone tried to tell him how strange and broken Evan really was. He would have ignored anyone who told him that Evan was playing games and running rings around the whole team. Even when (Y/n) told him the truth, there was a miniscule, reserved part of Eddie's mind that just couldn't believe it.

He couldn't believe Evan would do something like this and cause so much mayhem and havoc.

Until that little stunt last week.

It was clever, Eddie had to admit. Evan got the jump on him, he set the ball rolling, telling Bobby that Eddie was the one with the problem and pretending to be frightened of him. But it just showed how devious Evan would become in order to get his own way. He had never been like this before, Eddie had never seen this side to him and it was frightening.

Evan brushed a hand beneath his nose while his stance changed. One hip cocked out to the side, one knee dropped forward and his hands fell to his hips. The way he tilted his head back and rolled his eyes around the locker room made him look upset, like he was being persecuted.

"You really think I enjoy my best friend turning against me?"

"I wouldn't of turned against you if you hadn't gone and screwed up my sister's life and tried to take control over her. If you got help-"

"She started this by running away."

They weren't getting anywhere. This wasn't helping either of them and Eddie couldn't seem to get the message through.

He didn't see how Evan thought he could still be in the right. Yes, (Y/n) shouldn't have run away like she did without telling anyone. Yes, trying to hide the baby from Evan wasn't a smart move and it wasn't exactly fair on him. But Evan drove her to it. He couldn't act like she was doing something wrong when she was only reacting to his actions and his demanour.

If Evan didn't get so controlling over (Y/n), she wouldn't have fled. If he didn't control who she tried to hang around with, if he didn't get so paranoid and follow her home from work or track her phone or try and alienate her from her friends. If he'd of calmed down and trusted that she loved him and wouldn't leave him, then (Y/n) would have been able to tell him about the baby and they may have been able to have the baby together as a couple.

Rather than whatever this strange situation was now.

"And you've made it worse." The pointed look on Eddie's face visibly made Evan shiver. "Why are you doing this?"

All he wanted was answers. If they talked this through, they might be able to find a way forward. But talking wasn't getting them very far recently. Eddie tried to lay down the rules the other week. He tried to tell Evan that he could only be around (Y/n) if someone else was with her. He couldn't pester her and call and text incessantly, he couldn't try and push her into doing what he wanted or get too crowding.

But now Eddie wasn't sure how to get it through to Evan that alienating Eddie at work wasn't going to help their situation. He was inevitably going to make things worse for both of them.

"Doing what?"

"Cut the crap, Buck. It's not just your word against mine; do you think (Y/n) will lie for you? She can tell Bobby the truth at any time, Chrissy can back her up. That possessive streak in you, that'll flare up soon enough and everyone will see what you're really like."

Eddie hated to be so cruel and blunt with his words, but he wasn't being given any other option. Evan couldn't truly believe that he was going to get away with doing this.

It wasn't just their words against one another, it wasn't one-sided accusations. (Y/n) knew the truth. She could tell Bobby what had been going on, she could prove it with all the texts Evan had sent to her in the past. She could talk to people at her old work who had seen Evan waiting around for her after every shift. Or her colleague who Evan had punched for trying to harmlessly hit on (Y/n).

And then there was Chrissy, she had seen how panicked her sister had been and how it had crushed (Y/n) to become smothered by Evan. Their words would back Eddie up and stop Evan from playing the victim.

"You didn't." The beginning of a smirk started to toy around on Evan's lips as he dropped his hands from his hips to fold them over his chest instead. "You had no idea I was (Y/n)'s partner until she told you. You believed what was right in front of you."

Folding his arms over his chest, Evan reclined until his shoulders were against the lockers and he had one leg crossed over the other.

He wasn't sure what made Eddie so certain that everyone was going to be against Evan. They were on his side so far, and this was the measures Evan had been pushed to. He didn't want to be fighting Eddie. In an ideal world, he wanted (Y/n) to be living with him and Eddie to still be his best friend. He wanted them to work together like they used to, with banter and laughs and concern for each other.

He wanted that level of trust back and he wanted (Y/n) to be his girl again, just like she used to back in Texas. Evan wanted things to go the way they should, but nothing was working.

If he didn't play this to his advantage, Eddie was going to ruin his whole world. Eddie would turn Bobby against him and make the team look at him differently. Eddie was going to take Evan's girl from him and his daughter and he was going to ruin his life.

Evan wouldn't live in a world without (Y/n) and their daughter. It just wasn't possible.

Shaking his head, Eddie rattled his fingers through his hair before he pointed a finger at Evan. His lips curled into a grimace and he could feel himself on the point of snarling, he was so frustrated.

"You're derranged if you think (Y/n)'s gonna be putting your name on that birth certificate, or if you think you'll even be at the birth."

A sense of glee lit up Eddie's eyes when he noticed that he had finally rattled Evan's cage. That calm posture switched to tense and stern and Evan pushed off the lockers to take a few daring steps closer to Eddie. There was a flash of worry lighting up his eyes and it made Eddie's lips curve into a smirk. Now, he was going to listen. Finally.

"You're not the only one with power, and let me tell you that if you keep on doing this, I'm gonna help (Y/n) disappear. You won't see either of them again. Think you could live with that? Not having (Y/n) around? Or your daughter not knowing you exist."

The force of Evan's movements took Eddie by surprise and his eyes widened when Evan's hands latched around his shirt and pushed him back into the opposite lockers.

A groan burned at the back of Eddie's throat when his shoulders crashed harshly into the metal and created a horrid echo to vibrate around the room. But it was the look on Evan's face that made Eddie feel unnerved. That look was derranged. That grin was splintered. Those eyes were dark. His grip was tight enough to make his arms tremble with force.

"Your sister is mine."

The authority in Evan's voice was unlike anything Eddie had ever heard and the certainty in his voice was unnerving. It was like a commandment, set in stone that no one was going to be able to change until the end of time.

Evan's eyes narrowed as he looked down at his best friend, wishing he could transfer all his thoughts into Eddie's mind and get him to see things from his point of view. He wasn't going to let anyone keep (Y/n) or their daughter away from him, Eddie included.

And he didn't like how Eddie was threatening him. If Eddie thought he could make the rules and keep Evan out of his girl's life, then he was utterly wrong. Nothing would stop Evan from being at the birth, no one was going to stop him from being on the birth certificate and there was no way his daughter wasn't going to know who he was. He would be in her life from the very start, nothing would change that. It was set in stone.

"She can't stay away from me either, Eddie. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but she still loves me. Why else would she let me back in her bed the first time I went round to visit her at your place?" His voice verged on dangerous because even though his words were calculated, it was clear Evan was losing his cool right now.

"Very funny." Eddie's voice was guttural and held a razor sharp edge, warning Evan not to go down this path. "Enjoy having a daughter you're never gonna meet."

Both Eddie's hands balled into fists when Evan gave him a shove, knocking him on his back foot and sending his shoulder jolting into the lockers again. He was as riled up as Eddie was and they were both about to unleash their anger.

Those words touched a raw nerve.

Evan wouldn't be able to handle that. He wouldn't survive living each day not being able to see or be in his daughter's life. If he couldn't see her or be around her, he wouldn't want to live at all. Every time he thought about having kids, Evan's mind was made up. He would do right by his child, by any children he had. He would make sure they were loved and nurtured and had a better upbringing than he did.

How could he do that if he wasn't in his child's life? How would Eddie feel if someone told him that he could never be in Chris's life again? That he could never see his son. Would he sit down and let it happen, or would be put up a fight, just like Evan?

"Ask her. She wouldn't have fucked me if she was so afraid of me-"

The punch landed to his jaw made Evan's ears pop but even as he clicked his jaw back into place, his lips were forming a snarl and he was ready to retaliate.

But he didn't. Not when he caught sight of the figure looming in the doorway who he hadn't spotted two seconds ago.

He brought his hand up to hide his mouth, obscuring the smile hidden behind his palm and he made an effort to tense his shoulders up and force a cough past his lips which made him wheeze and sound out of breath. When Evan tilted his head to the right, his body followed the sense of direction and he stumbled until he slumped down onto the bench nearby.

"What the Hell are you two doing?" Bobby's demanding voice cut through the air like a knife and his presence in the doorway made tension build up in Eddie's gut.

He could feel his shoulders pulling up and his trembling hands stayed balled into fists at his sides as he looked between his Captain and Evan. But to his astonishment and horror, he realised Evan was shaking. He had been shaking with anger before Bobby walked in, but now, Eddie realised a second too late that Evan's riled up frame could be mistaken for him being terrified, not angered.

His face was bright red, blood rushing to his cheeks and tainting his neck that was there because he had been riled up, not because he had been punched. But this was working in Evan's favour. All he had to do was set those puppy dog eyes on Bobby, and the Captain thought he was now a victim to be protected.

He looked convincing. If Eddie walked in now, he would believe Evan was being persecuted and victimised, he wouldn't believe for a second that Evan was the one calling the shots.

One look between them told Bobby the situation that Evan wanted him to believe. It looked like Eddie had just attacked Evan for no reason, and Evan was sat there, trembling like the victim.

"Eddie, go home. Your shift ended five minutes ago." Eddie had never seen Bobby stare at him with such a steely, broken look before. And he could tell Bobby was finding it hard not to lash out in retaliation. He thought of Evan as his son, they were as close as relations. Seeing someone victimise Evan wasn't something that the Captain would stand for.

"It was my fault, Eddie I- I'm sorry-" Evan stuttered through the words and dropped his hands to his lap, running his fingers up and down his thighs to ward off the excess adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"Buck, head to my office, take a breather. You don't have to apologise."

He nodded his head, biting back a smile when he glanced over at Eddie who looked like he was going to burst into a ball of flames right then and there.

Evan made sure to hang his head down and watch his feet as he walked away, not believing his luck. What good timing that Bobby turned up right before Evan had been about to land a punch back at Eddie. If that happened, Evan might not have gotten away with the victim game.

But he would happily pretend he was being bullied by Eddie rather than tell the truth that they were both winding each other up.

Once he was skulking off into the corridor like a puppy with his tail between his legs, Eddie came to life. He hurried ahead over to Bobby, shaking to the point he looked like he was going to collapse.

"Bobby he's playing you!" The desperation in his voice was clear, but Eddie could see he wasn't going to get through to Bobby right now.

He would have to wait until Bobby calmed down. He would have to get (Y/n) to talk to him too and make everyone see how dark Evan truly was. They would all have to find out or Evan was going to have every single person wrapped around his finger and playing to his game. They couldn't carry on like this or Evan was going to destroy them all.

"You need to head home and you'd best hope Buck is still forgiving towards you because if he wants to take this further, he has every right. You were warned, you carry on like this and you'll be suspended."

Eddie had played right into Evan's hands. And something told him Evan was going to play this to his advantage.

***

A round of fireworks set off in Evan's stomach and sparked all the way up to his chest when he opened the apartment door. He leaned his hip against the door and held his breath to see if it would settle down the adrenaline that was shooting off in all directions throughout his body.

He hadn't expected (Y/n) to turn up today; and she was early. They had promised Chris last week that he could help them go out shopping for things for the baby, and they were going to take him out tomorrow after school. He had excitedly told Eddie, who didn't think it was such a bad idea because Chris could be a sort of chaperone for them without knowing it. Eddie knew Evan wouldn't step out of line with Chris being with them.

And since Maddie was coming round for lunch, Evan had invited (Y/n) round. They both knew he wouldn't do too much or say anything untoward with his sister present, and Maddie was going to give (Y/n) a lift to work afterwards. Since they were both on shift this afternoon at the call centre.

(Y/n) was early, she wasn't supposed to be here yet and it made Evan wonder why she had turned up. She wasn't simply going to change her mind and be around him, alone, knowing how he felt about her. She knew he wouldn't be able to resist pulling her into his arms or kissing her or trying his luck with her.

"Hey baby, everything okay?" He leaned against the door, watching (Y/n) as she stepped inside rather quickly without him needing to usher her inside.

But as she walked past him, Evan's enlightened smile faded into a look of worry when he took in her appearance. She looked like she had been crying, he could see tear tracks etched down her cheeks, and her eyes looked rather puffy. And when he noticed she was biting her lip and he looked down and noted that she had been biting her nails too- another anxious habit- he felt uneasy.

Was she here because something was wrong with the baby? Was she not well? Had something happened?

"Are you alright?" He didn't bother to hide the panic from his voice and when (Y/n) walked briskly towards the living room, Evan strode to keep up with her.

He reached out and moved his hands to hold her upper arms which made her shiver for a moment as if she didn't know who it was holding her. She didn't settle fully into his touch, something which irked him, but he tried to ignore it as he turned her around so she would stop striding away and look at him.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He didn't like the defiant look in her eyes or the way her jaw locked as she glared up at him.

Her arms writhed from side to side to shake off his touch and she took a step back to keep an air of space between them. Something which set off a fire within Evan. All he wanted was to be near her, he felt like an addict when he was around her and with how observant and pushy Eddie was, Evan barely got to touch (Y/n).

Here she was, in his home, just the two of them, and she wasn't letting him get close. She was taunting him without knowing it and he didn't like it.

"Eddie told me what you did, at the station." (Y/n) folded her arms over her chest, letting them rest on top of her bump that seemed to be getting bigger and heavier each day. She saw the way Evan dragged his eyes down to her stomach and she could see his hands curling into fists at his sides to restrain himself from reaching out for her.

Did he think Eddie wouldn't tell (Y/n) what happened?

He came home riled up and distressed, of course he told his sister what had happened, not that (Y/n) could believe it at first. She thought that with how much Evan told her he loved her, he wouldn't do anything to upset or hurt Eddie, knowing how close she was to her brother.

But Eddie couldn't afford for Evan to make this into a big situation. It wouldn't be fair for Eddie to be the outcast at work or feel like he couldn't work with the team who had become his family. And he couldn't have this on his file, what if he wanted to move stations or get another job? If he had a note on his file that he had punched a colleague it would make things ten times harder for him.

"You mean this?" Evan leaned down until he was level with (Y/n) and pointed to the cut on the corner of his lower lip. "I think you'll find your brother threw the punches, not me."

His brow rose like he was tempting her to argue with him and he could see her temper flaring up behind her eyes.

Her arms dropped from her bump and she huffed, moving her hands to hold her hips instead. And when Evan stepped closer, for once, (Y/n) didn't try and step away or let him back her into a corner. She had been in that situation far too often and with no one in the house, Evan could easily get his own way here.

She could feel her temper rising when Evan simply tilted his head to one side and continued to lean closer to her like he was aiming for a kiss. She wasn't going to let him worm out of this one. He had to explain. He had to make this right.

"Evan he could get suspended! You told Bobby he was harassing you, if Bobby gives him a written warning that stays on his file and if he's suspended he might lose his job. You can't do that."

The desperation in her voice made a flare spark in Evan's chest as he felt his heartbeat throbbing against his ribs like a drum.

Bobby hadn't spoken to Eddie yet, then.

This might work in Evan's favour. He had talked to Bobby after Eddie left the station the other day. He had told Bobby that they had just had an argument which got out of hand, and he came clean that he had started the argument and riled Eddie up too. He wouldn't blame Eddie for it, not when he knew the repercussions it could have.

As much as Evan was angry at his best friend for trying to cause problems with his relationship, he wasn't going to do anything to hurt Eddie. No when he knew it would in turn hurt (Y/n) too, and Evan would never hurt her.

He made it clear to Bobby that he wasn't going to make a complaint or do anything about this and they had agreed that for the time being, he and Eddie would be on opposite shifts. The matter was dealt with. Clearly, Bobby wanted to have a word with Eddie and speak to him about this before he told him the good news.

"Sit down." Evan murmured quietly as he moved his hand to (Y/n)'s elbow and he was relieved that she didn't pull out of his grasp.

He guided her towards the sofa and once she ws sat down, he perched down beside her, sitting on the edge of the seat. Their knees brushed together and their thighs were touching while Evan spread his knees so he could clasp his hands together between his thighs. He hung his head and looked to the right so he was looking over at her.

"Sweetheart, he hit me on shift, I've been playing nice at work. I don't wanna get him suspended, I wouldn't do that to Chris… but Bobby isn't happy. It's his choice-"

"Tell Bobby you don't want to make a complaint. Bobby can't suspend him if you don't put in the formal complaint, Evan please."

(Y/n) couldn't refrain from leaning into Evan and reaching her hand out to grasp his arm. Her grip was fiercely tight, almost pinching her nails through his skin to show how serious she was. She couldn't have Evan screwing Eddie's work life up like this. He had done enough damage dragging Eddie into their mess, (Y/n) wouldn't have her brother's life turned upside down again.

She felt responsible, if she hadn't of come here in the first place, Eddie would still have a brotherly relationship with Evan and they wouldn't have problems at home. They would be close friends, things would have continued as normal if (Y/n) hadn't of come down here.

She couldn't ruin Eddie's life any more than she already had, and she wouldn't have Evan making it worse either.

She watched the way Evan reeled back up to his proper height and clicked his spine into place. But it was the way he twisted to face her and started to run his hands up and down his thighs that made her uneasy. She wasn't sure what was running through his head and she didn't like how he pursed his lips and sighed.

Was he really going to upset her and go through with this? Did he think getting back at Eddie was worth upsetting (Y/n)?

"What's it worth, to you?"

"W-what?"

A shiver tore down (Y/n)'s spine as she inched back towards the arm rest. The end of her nose crinkled and her brows furrowed in confusion. What was he doing? Was he making some sort of bargain with her? Did Evan believe this was a game to play? (Y/n) knew he hated losing and she had no doubt he would bend the rules to his will to get his way.

"Say I tell Bobby to forget it, that me and Eddie have come up with a truce. What will you do for me?" Evan dragged his hand along his jaw and down the side of his neck like he was trying to scratch the adrenaline away.

He was. He was making a bargain with her.

A cold shiver passed down (Y/n)'s spine and she began to shrink in on herself. Her hand moved to cradle the side of her stomach where the baby started to kick up a fuss.

She didn't like where this was going. (Y/n) could sense that whatever Evan was going to ask for would be too high a price to agree to. He wouldn't settle for just anything and (Y/n) didn't want to agree to anything. She had been standing her ground with him, trying to let Eddie make the rules and get Evan to abide by them, but he wasn't listening.

He was taking liberties whenever and wherever he could, and this was certainly going to be pushing the boundaries.

She swallowed down the panic building up in her chest and pulled her sleeves down over her hands as she looked up at Evan through her lashes.

"What… what do you want?" (Y/n) tensed and stayed deadly still when Evan leaned across the small bridge of space between them.

She could feel his hand creeping over her thigh while his lips attached to the weak spot behind her ear at the top of her neck. It was as if he was a vampire, grazing his teeth over her pulse point like he was waiting to strike right into her beating veins.

She dreaded to think what he was going to ask. Whatever he wanted, it wouldn't be anything good. It never was. And (Y/n) knew it would be something substantial because he had the higher ground, he could theoretically ask for whatever he wanted and see where (Y/n) would draw the line.

"Move in with me."

His teeth bit at her neck just as (Y/n) leaned back and hurriedly shuffled up against the arm rest to get away from him.

He couldn't ask that! He couldn't make that demand of her. It wasn't fair! He was asking far too much.

The reason (Y/n) was still living with Eddie was because she hadn't found a place of her own yet. Moving in with Evan defeated the object of trying to get away from him. He was manipulative, he was controlling and he had a dark streak in him that frightened (Y/n). If she moved in with him she would be trapping herself in his net.

Evan would have that control over her that he had when they first started dating. He would have her in the palm of his hand, and the same went for their daughter.

"I can't!" (Y/n) shook her head rapidly, clutching her shaking hand around the arm rest to ground herself to something. Her other hand started to scratch up and down her thigh, she could feel her breaths running away without her.

But she almost gasped when Evan pulled away from her and retracted his hands to his own thighs like he was suddenly giving up.

"Well then I can't help you, sweetheart."

"Evan!" (Y/n) couldn't help the seething tone in her voice and she all but slammed her fist down on her thigh in frustration.

When his expression didn't change, (Y/n) huffed and reached across for him, clearly taking him by surprise. She curled her hand around his and gripped tight, pulling his hand towards her as she clutched him like her life depended on it. And something within her told her that it did.

"Evan, you can't ask me that-"

"Why, isn't it the right thing to do? Everyone knows the baby's mine, you said it yourself, you can't bring her up still living with Eddie. And those conventional parents of yours surely aren't impressed you're having a baby before marriage. Living with the father would satisfy them too, wouldn't it?"

He was really trying to do this to her. He was trying to bribe and guilt-trip her into moving in with him, into getting back into his web where he would undoubtedly do everything in his power never to let her go again.

Could she really do this? Could (Y/n) really let herself get back into Evan's grasp like this?

What was the alternative?

Living alone with a newborn wasn't ideal, and she couldn't impose on Eddie and stay with him when she had the baby. Plus, if Evan was going to be involved, he would be round to see her and the baby almost every day anyway. So would it really be that different if she lived with him? Wouldn't having her own place yet having Evan round all the time feel like they were living together?

Wouldn't it be easier to stay with him and have some help? Now that Eddie knew what Evan was really like, he would keep a closer eye on him. Eddie would check in with (Y/n) daily, he would make sure she was alright and she was comfortable enough to be able to tell him if something was wrong or ask for help. Evan couldn't do anything controlling or untoward and keep it secret from Eddie or Maddie or the rest of the team.

"You're a bully."

She could see her words stung at him because his hand bristled on her thigh and he clenched his fingers into her skin tight enough to make her jump.

It was the truth, whether Evan wanted to hear it or not. He was using this to his advantage. (Y/n) knew that whether Eddie threw the first punch or not, Evan would of deserved it and he would of riled Eddie up and caused some problems to make Eddie lash out. He wouldn't punch someone so close to him for no reason.

She found herself leaning back into the arm rest again when Evan inched closer. His fingers unlatched from her thigh so he could glide his hand around to cup her hip and the way his head leaned to one side made him look almost angelic and innocent.

"I'm resourceful. Come on, (Y/n). I love you both to the end of the Earth, and I know you love me. I wanna bring my daughter up and be in her life, and this will be easier for you, we both know it will. I've barely been there for you during this pregnancy, if you stay with me it means I can look after you and her."

And it would make Eddie's threats futile. If she moved in with him, not only would Evan be calmer and much more enlightened to have his girls with him, but he wouldn't be panicking. He wouldn't worry that he would miss the birth or that Eddie would keep him away, because chances were that (Y/n) would go into labour when Evan was around if she lived with him. And if he was at the birth and subsequently brought (Y/n) and their girl home, there was no way (Y/n) could go and sign the birth certificate and leave his name off it.

(Y/n) could feel her mind starting to short-circuit at all the possibilities, the pros and cons of agreeing to this. How she would back out or change her mind if Evan did something disagreeable.

But all her thoughts came to a sudden halt when Evan's chest pressed down into her and his lips were connected with hers.

His hand slid up from her hip to cradle the side of her stomach, gliding his thumb over the tender spot where the baby had been kicking. She could feel his other hand resting near her shoulder, gripping the back of the sofa to keep his balance so he didn't crush her beneath him.

His lips tasted sweet, like cherry cola and (Y/n) couldn't help but react when he slid his tongue past her lips. She knew he would do something like this. She knew coming round early was a risk, but it was something she had to do. (Y/n) had to talk to him without Maddie here so they could be clear and honest.

And she wasn't that early. Half an hour at most. Evan could hardly lure her to bed or try too many moves on the sofa with Maddie's arrival imminent. Evan may be many things, but he would be embarrassed if his big sister caught them in a compromising position.

"I won't do anything you don't want me to." Each word was spoken in a whisper, peppered against her lips between hot kisses that made it harder and harder for (Y/n) to breathe.

Somehow, she didn't believe him. He was doing something she didn't like right now by bargaining with her. She didn't want him to bully her into moving back in with him, and yet here he was doing it.

When his lips finally left hers, Evan nudged his nose against hers and pecked the corner of her mouth.

"Eddie won't leave us alone, he'll be checking on you everyday… Mads will probably be round every other day once we have our girl, she wants to be involved and help you. What do you think I'm gonna do, hm? With all the team watching and knowing everything, from now on? Stay with me, baby."

As much as (Y/n) didn't want to admit it, he had a point. Eddie would blow a hole in the roof if (Y/n) agreed to this, but if she explained, he might come around to the idea. He would be checking in with (Y/n) every day, he would keep an eye on Evan when he could especially if their shift pattern eventually went back to normal at work.

Maddie would be round to help (Y/n) once the baby was born and when Evan went back to work, Maddie wanted to get involved. She wanted to help and be a big part of her niece's life.

The team knew there was tension between Eddie and Evan, they would keep an eye on both of them.

Evan couldn't do a lot with everyone watching and getting involved, (Y/n) was safe with a family community around her.

She tilted her head back, unable to fight off the groan that escaped her lips when Evan stole another feverish kiss from her and wormed his hand beneath her shirt to feel her bump. She could feel the intent, the desire and eagerness in the way he nudged her head back as he kissed her, taking all the air from her lungs and the sense from her mind.

Her heartbeat quickened when he dragged her lower lip between his teeth and pulled, obscuring his smirk while his pupils expanded into black holes. Totally and willingly consumed by (Y/n).

"All I want, is my girls with me. Please." The look in his eyes was real and the gritty tone to his voice was desperate. He was pleading with her. Evan was being honest, because all he could think about was (Y/n). All he wanted was to have her and their daughter here with him, back in his arms, in his sights, where he could look after them.

(Y/n) had to admit that staying away from Evan was clearly spiking his anxiety which was increasing his behaviour. Maybe if she stopped trying to run from him and stuck around him instead, he might calm down. If she stayed with him and he calmed down, they could try and have their baby properly without all the madness involved.

As long as being around Evan didn't make him try and tighten his control over her again. If he could keep that panic and jealousy at bay and control his raging thoughts, this might be okay.

(Y/n) pressed her hand into his chest and gave him a forceful nudge until he took the hint. He released her bruised lip from his teeth and leaned back to let her sit up properly again. Although his hand remained on her stomach and his face remained close enough that (Y/n) could feel each breath he took and every movement of his chest.

Her fingers began gliding over his chest, trying to keep him at bay long enough to talk without having him distracting her with kisses. She could tell her touch was starting to affect him, but she had to get him to listen to her.

"You promise me you won't do anything to Eddie anymore? You play nice, don't threaten his job again or wind him up. Promise me, Evan. And if you try checking my phone or hounding me and getting controlling again, then I'm gone."

"I promise." His response was instant, and sealed with a bruising kiss to her already swollen lips.

Evan would agree to anything if it meant (Y/n) moving in with him. If it meant they would be a proper family and he could have what he'd always wanted; someone he loved and children of his own. (Y/n) could tell him to go and commit murder and Evan would willingly, blindly do as she asked if it meant getting her to stay with him.

And having her stay with him willingly, without a fight or stress or him needing to take her phone like last time when she kept trying to walk out on him, this was better. This was much, much better.

And if Eddie tried to get involved, he would be dismayed to find out that (Y/n) was doing this- somewhat- willingly would halt Eddie's efforts to try and take Evan out of his daughter's life. Eddie couldn't do anything if (Y/n) told him she had agreed to this. Eddie couldn't pressure her into keeping Evan away from the birth or not putting his name on the certificate.

Evan could keep his girls in his life. He didn't have to lay awake at night anymore, envisioning (Y/n), dreaming of her. Desperate to wrap his arms around her and mould himself against her and have her in his arms. And he didn't have to punch the walls in frustration at the knowledge that he was missing out on the kicks and movements of their baby and actually feeling (Y/n)'s shape change.

Things were finally going his way.

[diazsdimples]

🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Please ignore that I'm doing this several months late 😬

🤠 - 24 for Ranch AU!

But that did leave him with an awful lot of time on his hands. Bobby and spare time have never been great friends – the last time he was left to his own devices for more than a day, he’d ended up knee deep in planning a lavish wedding that had ultimately been chucked out the door when he and Athena realised, they really didn’t need anything more than themselves and the kids. All that to say that it isn’t really surprising that Bobby downloads the Sims 4 onto his ancient laptop and creates a full-scale version of the ranch. He gets the dimensions off the listing, and with the help of a convenient floorplan and google earth, he manages to make a rather convincing version of the home. He does up the exterior to look just like the ranch house, complete with the large veranda and the ornate trims around the spandrels, and even manages to find a tile that looks exactly like the path leading to the front door. The interior is a different matter. Bobby doesn’t love the colour scheme either, and he can’t see himself coping with an oven as miniscule as the one that comes with the home, so he allows himself a little creative licence. It’s just a video game, after all. He’s not seriously planning it out. Several hours later, Bobby sits back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. Blessedly, Athena still has a job, which means Bobby hasn’t needed to worry about her finding out his momentary lapse in sanity, but it also means he hasn’t got anyone to show off his creation to – a thought that upsets him a little more than it should, were he being normal about the whole thing. He’s fiddling around with some of the furniture in the master bedroom when the front door bursts open and a furious looking Buck stalks over his threshold, followed by a harried Eddie. “What’s going –” “Bobby, you wouldn’t believe what that man made us do!” Buck explodes as he starts pacing the kitchen. Eddie leans against the countertop, running a hand over his face. “I know you said I shouldn’t let him get to me but I can’t, he’s just so –” Buck trails off, looking over at Bobby. His eyes flicker from Bobby’s patient expression to the open laptop, still displaying the Fake Ranch. “Are we… interrupting something?” “No.” Bobby goes to shut the laptop but Buck is quicker. “Is that the Sims?” Buck asks incredulously. “Man, you must be bored, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you play video games.”

❄️ - 24 for Frostpunk AU!

“You did it,” he repeats, praying his voice won’t betray him. “You’re safe.” At his words, Eddie’s eyes shut, and his brings his hands up to his face as he lets out a deep exhale. His fingers shake as he wipes a tear from his cheek. “I didn’t think we’d – I thought -” Eddie swallows thickly. He looks around the tent, eyes wet, and his gaze falls on a familiar mop of brown curls. “Is that – is that my son? Can I see him, please?” Buck squeezes Eddie’s shoulder again, offering him a smile. “Of course.” When Buck reaches Christopher’s bed, the kid looks up at him quizzically. It’s clear that he wasn’t as blissfully unaware of his father’s event as Buck had hoped, despite the small crowd of medics around him, all intent on distracting him. “Is everything okay with Dad?” he asks Buck, without preamble. Buck crouches down to Christopher’s level and brushes a loose curl out of his eyes. “Yeah bud, everything’s okay. Better than, actually – he’s awake.” Buck holds out his hand for Christopher. “Want to come see him? He’d like to see you.” Christopher throws himself into Buck’s arms, taking him by surprise. Buck catches him around the middle and hauls him up, carrying him to Eddie’s cot. The moment Christopher sees his father, sitting upright, awake and breathing, a great sob escapes his lips. Buck lowers him into Eddie’s waiting arms and pauses, not sure what to do as he watches father embrace son. Fat tears roll down Eddie’s cheeks as he holds Christopher as tight as he can, muscles shaking after weeks of no use.

[matan4il]

Buddie 617 meta

I’m gonna be honest here, this was one of the funniest 911 eps to me. I loved how this ep showed us both Buck and Eddie completely sucking at dating. It was very obvious in Buck’s case, what with each attempt to have quality time with Natalia being ruined by one of his past decisions, but then when he called out Eddie for also sucking at it, Buck wasn’t wrong. Eddie’s attempts seem half-hearted at best. First off, if he really wanted to date, then Tia Pepa’s help and dating apps are actually not that awful as options. Magic might happen there as well. The right person could even stand out more against a sea of not so great choices, turning the dreary experience into a colorful, magical one. But even when Eddie tries on his own, his attempts are LAME. Seriously, there are pastime activities that offer way more potential to start a conversation, and maybe a romance, than the ones Eddie chose. Not only that, these are not his actual hobbies, where he knows he’ll find someone who likes the same thing he does (the way he shares so much with one tall firefighter that we’re all thinking of right now. Eddie’s also being dumb about wanting it to “just happen” as if that’s not exactly what he got with buck. Also, just a friendly reminder that Buddie have been dating for almost 5 years, and they are GREAT at it when it’s with each other).

On top of that, we for real got a guy checking Eddie out (hi, hello, should I start a collection of him checking and being checked out by guys?) as well as him witnessing a woman he was looking at being embraced by another one. Why the hints at being surrounded by queer people? Your guess is as good as mine, but I’m here for it no matter what. ;D Now, I’ve talked before about the ongoing theme of Buddie’s dating life being intertwined in terms of when they start dating someone, or of why they break up, but now in addition to them dating at the same time, we also see them simultaneously sucking at it? Yeah, that takes the connectedness of their dating life up a notch. ~~

Which brings me to one line that grabbed my attention in this ep. THE line that offers the explicit resolution for the most important romantic plot here is the one from Gina, the insurance lady, to Chimney, about not regretting the attempt. Yes, even when the result is bad. That’s what Madney will embrace. One of the biggest obstacles to Buck and Eddie, besides their obliviousness, is the fear of ruining the good thing they have by attempting to take it to the next level. But here we have Chimney being reminded by Gina that it’s worth it, to try. Because the good thing you can have, if it works out? Is worth it. And you never have to live with the “what if” of it all. Now look at Buck and Eddie being once more adorable morons together on the job! Imagine the moment when they stop running around and let themselves try taking it to the next level, because they realize no matter what the result will be, they would never regret the attempt. ~~

Speaking of Buddie paralleling one of the canon couples on the show who were acting lovey dovey in this ep, the way Bobby described what made him and Athena happen reminded me of Buddie connecting. In both cases, there’s an intense and upsetting call, after which one of our first responders turns to find support (Buddie promising to have each other’s back) and comfort (Eddie wants to go grab something to eat together) in the other one. ~~

I did not miss Taylor Kelly, and true to form, she was back because she’s advancing her career by exploiting her personal connection to Buck and the exposure to the 118 it provided her. I’m pretty sure this basically buries any option of any showrunner ever trying to re-set these two as a romance, since it echoed and reinforced Buck’s decision to break up with her. It WAS funny to see her and Lucy cockblock Buck (I do think Lucy’s tone with which she spoke of their past also closes the door on anyone ever trying to set her and Buck up as a serious couple), but what I found to be funniest is that Buck tells Natalia he was trying to figure out the perfect place for their date, and then he took her to the bar where he kissed Lucy. A bar reminiscent of the one where he hooked up with Taylor. Possibly a spot where he hooked with other women during his Buck 1.0 stage based on how it’s THE hang out place for the 118 and we know Buck had no issues hooking up anywhere back then. Natalia, hon. This is not a good sign for your r/s with him. ~~

Speaking of which, there’s an ex who didn’t come back in this ep, but her spirit loomed large over Buck and Natalia IMO, and that is Ali. The reason why she and Buck broke up after 218 is because at the end of the day, she couldn’t accept the choices he had made in his professional life (hoping he would move on from firefighting). In the same way, Natalia revealed in this ep that she can’t accept Buck’s choices in his personal life. A small reminder the only partner we’ve ever witnessed truly seeing and accepting Buck, in every aspect of his life, has been Eddie. ~~

Another funny thing about this (911 is a comedy, y’all) is how Natalia flees the second she comes across Kameron. I mean, this is in addition to the hilarity of the death doula’s first name connecting her to birth and to all things natal, yet she flees the second that she sees a pregnant lady. Because if this is Natalia’s reaction when it comes to a bio kid that Buck explicitly said he is not going to raise, what would she do once she realizes he co-parents a fully grown kid? (and a very sassy one, too. LBR, Natalia doesn’t stand a chance in a show down with either Diaz boy) ~~

Much like Natalia doesn’t seem like the right fit for Buck based on this ep (or based on 616), neither does Marisol. Can I point out the fact that Eddie’s disapproval in the last ep of Buck dating Natalia applies here, too? They both met these women on calls. Second, Eddie wanted it to happen naturally, which is why it’s so lame he tried through all sorts of activities that he’s not ACTUALLY into and wouldn’t continue doing past the initial stage of meeting someone else. And that holds true for Marisol as well. We saw that her brother and her are very into DYI, which I guess was meant to lay the groundwork for Eddie running into her in a DYI shop. But the thing is, Eddie himself isn’t into this! Sure, he can do it, because as a single dad he’s had to, but it’s not something we’ve ever seen him being passionate about. He’s only at this store because of Christopher’s project. And then once more, just like he steps away from Pepa’s help, dating apps and chooses the wost places for a chance romantic connection, he walks away from Marisol even when the whole scene plays out as if she’s the climax of his search throughout this whole ep. This might all hint that despite initial appearances, just like the people he came across while golfing and hiking wouldn’t be the right fit, Marisol wouldn’t be either. Even more importantly, just like Ana at first appeared like she would be perfect for Eddie in 312, starting out in a “it just happened” sort of way and with supposedly being fated because she happened to guess correctly that Eddie stands for Edmundo, this thing with Marisol might look in the moment like it’s exactly what he was looking for, but it will fizzle out as well.

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