#i think tommy can be really good for eddie in that aspect and it makes me so happy :’)

[queerdiazs]

as much as it’s fun to speculate about the situation i’m glad eddie has found a friend in tommy who was also in the army because i think he really needs somebody he can share that part of himself with fully

[elliethefroggy]

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

What happens instead is this:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And that’s when the doubt creeps in.

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

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

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

Because Buck’s straight.

Right?

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

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

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

Does Tommy actually stand a chance?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Hey,” Buck says.

“Hi,” Tommy replies. So far so good.

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

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

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

“Yeah?

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Yeah.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

[buckera]

GOD, thank you, i feel like this fandom takes the 'buck is such a stupid himbo' thing and runs with it to a really infuriating degree. he's got impulse control problems and tends to blurt out whatever he's thinking, but he's smart and competent and good at his job, and he doesn't need his hand held through every aspect of adult life. and a lot of it leans into this kind of infantilizing thing where tommy or eddie or whoever loves him like some kind of adorable idiot pet instead of a person and an equal, or where everyone around buck manages his life and relationships 'for his own good' whether he wants it or not

he's got ADHD (I mean it's not canon but Oliver agrees that he sees that in Buck and he plays him with that knowledge and anyway most people with ADHD don't have an official diagnosis and that doesn't mean they don't have it) that's all it is.

he's high energy and can be reckless — but that has literally nothing to do with intelligence. he makes plans and executes them to varying success (see the call with the bowling pins machine for success and the stealing a fire truck in the crossover ep as getting immediately busted lmao)

he has a lot of obscure knowledge and I think it's kind of egotistic to think that someone can decide what knowledge makes someone "smart" and what knowledge, no matter how much of it someone possess, doesn't count.

Buck doesn't have formal education beyond high school (mind you, he got flunked from community college because he didn't go in and spent his funds on other things, not because he couldn't understand the curriculum) and I feel like a lot of people equate higher education with intelligence, which is such a privileged way of looking at it.

not to mention this prejudice largely plays into the "lower class people are stupid" notion, since most people who don't have higher education don't have it because 1) they can't afford it and 2) they haven't achived the necessary grades to apply/get a scholarship due to mental health/financial stress/other proverty driven stressors.

not to ramble on too much, but I have really strong feelings about this as you can tell lmao

TLDR: Buck is a himbo, he's cute and silly and sweet and makes a lot of rash decisions and goes by his heart more often than not — none of those qualities have anything to do with his intelligence.

[wanderingwomanwondering]

704 includes several mentions of The Fight, the big unification bout in Vegas, and Muay Thai sparring. I don’t think that’s just for the dudebro vibes (tho that’s definitely a factor this season). When it comes to Eddie’s journey as presented in that epic episode, I think all the full-contact combat/sports references are doing subtextual work to narrate Eddie’s queerness and where he’s at this season.

Eddie doesn’t really consciously engage with his queerness at this point in the story but via Tommy as his mirror and all the sports references, I think it’s safe to say that Eddie is at odds with his queerness but he doesn’t fully realize that’s what it is and/or that it’s something he’s been battling on some level his whole life. A few things in the ep point in that direction:

Buck: How was the fight?

Eddie: Fight was okay. Seats were amazing. Tommy’s buddies with the promoter, so we were ringside. Felt like I was the one throwing the punches.

The sense I get is that Eddie is witnessing a fight inside himself but he’s not aware that he’s an active participant in said fight. That makes sense to me given his tremendous ability to compartmentalize and ‘be in control’. Like. The fight is happening but he has it walled off and isn’t consciously connected to it. His queerness is present and with him (aka Tommy with him at the fight + “watching half naked men pummel each other”) but he doesn’t recognize it for what it is quite yet.

A unification bout, according to Wikipedia because I know *nothing* about sports, is the bringing together of titles held by different fighters. Eddie going to the fight with Tommy seems to me like Eddie needing to discover an aspect of himself that Tommy that he has in common with him!

Then there’s all the Muay Thai references. Eddie says it’s been a long time since he met someone that can go toe to toe with him when sparring. Eddie’s fighting for his life against his queerness y’all. It’s not an actual match which is good but still I think the point stands. He’s at odds with a part of himself that’s trying to emerge victorious and express itself. But between Catholic guilt, family expectations, the hypermasculine culture of the military, and overall heteronormative comphet culture Eddie hasn’t been able to see/engage/accept his queerness.

I think this all feeds into to the scene where Buck comes out in 705 and Eddie expresses surprise about Tommy being gay but not Buck being bisexual. Buck has always worn his heart on his sleeve so it makes sense that when he figured out his bisexuality he would share that part of himself with others. Eddie is King of Repression, Reservation, and Control so it makes sense that he wouldn’t quite know HOW to do that for himself yet. Tommy’s character is a needed mirror for Eddie to see what’s possible for himself (all of himself) whereas Tommy was a needed vehicle for the actual expression of Buck’s queerness at this moment in the story. Tommy is doing so much friggin work in the narrative lol!

Lastly, I think Eddie’s own queerness is still a mystery to him and something that he’s sparring with on some level because he’s NOT allosexual! Now’s a good time for me to say loudly that I’m on Team Demisexual/Demiromantic Eddie. It fits with the data we have about his character and it’s still subject to the heteronormativity and comphet we’ve all seen affecting Eddie.

Eddie has expressed little interest in anyone of any gender who he hasn’t had a baby with, viewed as a mother-figure to Chris, or expected the universe to hand-deliver as if by magic. He has not intrinsic motivation toward sexual or romantic relationships until/unless he has a meaningful emotional connection to the person. He described himself as a nester and so far the only person we’ve actually seen him nest with in canon is Buck!!

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that season 7 has shown Buck and Eddie coparenting Chris and sharing their feelings with each other. It’s also meaningful that Eddie, Buck, and Tommy are all talking about Chris at various points and in various ways. Plus Buck thought he had to fight Tommy for Chris’ affection (and Tommy eventually tells Buck that’s not true). Chris has narratively been a metaphor for Eddie’s heart many times before. Buck is the one in the nest holding Eddie’s heart and both Buck and Eddie are gonna figure that out. They gotta or imma start throwin’ stuff!!

Anyway this meta got a little longer than I initially thought it would but I had to get this outta my head.

TLDR: Tommy’s epic mirror status for Eddie runs deep and so does his role as catalyst for both Buck and Eddie. He’s a bridge to Buddie *fingers crossed* Basically Eddie’s in the fight of his life trying to sort out his wants, needs, and identity when it comes to intimate relationships. Buck’s a little ahead of Eddie in the process but Eddie’s on his way!

(P.S. Buck is bi and I will die on the Eddie is demi hill. I’ll accept repressed gay Eddie with open arms but honestly I think demi fits what we’ve seen for Eddie way better.)

[rosetterer]

bucktommy + being catcalled while working + turning around annoyed just to see it's your flirty husband

You can also read this on AO3: catcalling - rosetterer - 9-1-1 (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

But here we go:

Catcalling

Nobody ever talked about how boring being a firefighter could be. Now, Buck found every aspect of the job interesting as hell but there were days when all they did was check cars that had been part of a crash or help people get out of a broken elevator. It wasn’t anything that exciting, and genuinely, the calm days were sometimes the best.

While danger gave him the kind of adrenaline rush that he craved, it usually also meant that someone had to suffer. And Buck didn’t want that.

Sometimes he just wanted to stand under a tree and try to figure out how to get a cat to come down.

Just like today.

”And why exactly did you call us?” Hen asked the elderly woman who was staring up at the tree.

”Do I look like I can climb trees? I can barely climb stairs,” the woman said, rolling her eyes. ”Poor little Catrick… Loves to climb but never knows how to come down.”

”Catrick?” Buck barked out a laugh and turned to look at the woman, who didn’t seem amused. He forced a neutral expression on his face. ”Catrick, right. We’ll get C- Catrick down in just a moment. Easy peasy.”

”Are you going to climb the tree?” The woman asked, eyes now focused on Buck.

”Oh no,” Buck told her and nodded toward the firetruck. ”We’ll just use the ladder. Is… Catrick-”

Hen burst into laughter, which got her a good glare from the woman.

”Is your cat aggressive?” Buck reworded his question, trying his best not to look at Hen, who was now, thankfully, walking away.

”He scratches a little,” the woman said. ”But you’ve got thick gloves, you’ll be fine.”

”Alright then,” Buck said with another nod, turning to look at the rest of his team. ”So… Who’s going up?”

”Not it!” Hen called out immediately.

"I'm not going either. I'm going to stay on the ground and… lead the operation,” Buck told them. ”The last time I was up on that ladder, things didn’t go that well.”

”Don’t even joke about that,” Eddie told him as he passed him but shot him a small smile anyway. ”I’ll go. You tell me which way to go. The leaves are making it difficult to see where exactly that cat-”

”Catrick,” Buck reminded with a grin.

”Catrick,” Eddie repeated, sounding almost disgusted with the name. ”...Is hiding.”

”Alright, you go on up then,” Buck said, glad that he wasn’t going to be the one getting scratched today.

----

It didn’t take long for Eddie to be in position. The leaves of the tree were causing some trouble as Catrick seemed to be hiding somewhere right in the middle. Basically, Eddie couldn’t see anything and had to reach into the tree blind while Buck told him where to move his hands so that he could get hold of the cat.

”A little to the left,” Buck called out.

The whole tree seemed to rustle as Catrick decided that the last thing he wanted to do was to come down or to go into Eddie’s arms.

”Damn it,” Buck mumbled, hands on his hips.

”What now?!” Eddie yelled from behind the branches, a single leaf stuck to his helmet.

”I’m thinking!” Buck told him.

He really was. If the cat didn’t want to come down, it wasn’t going to come down. Scaring him wasn’t exactly a kind way to deal with the situation but if he kept running away, they didn’t really have any other choice.

It wasn’t like they could be here all day long. Buck would just get a stick from somewhere and poke-

A whistle broke him out of his thoughts.

”Looking hot!”

Now, they did get whistled at every once in a while. Usually by drunk women having a bachelorette party.

When Buck turned around, that wasn’t what he found this time around.

”Tommy?” He asked, watching as the man walked toward him with his hands in his pockets and a sweet smile on his face.

”Look at you saving the world, Evan,” he said.

”What are you doing here?” Buck couldn’t help but break into a smile at the sight of his man.

”I was on my way home from a shift. Noticed some familiar faces,” Tommy said, nodding in the direction of Hen who was waving at him. ”I’m guessing there’s a cat stuck in a tree, judging by the way Eddie’s struggling.”

Buck glanced up at Eddie, who was now trying to get to the cat without any directions.

”Yeah… Catrick,” Buck explained simply.

”Catrick?” Tommy asked, raising an eyebrow, and broke into laughter. ”That’s amazing.”

Buck stepped a little closer, bringing a hand to the hoodie Tommy was wearing.

”This is mine,” he mumbled, smiling, not letting go of the fabric.

”The last time you stole my hoodie, it was all ’what’s mine is yours’ and-”

Buck pressed his lips onto Tommy's, silencing him. Hen clapped excitedly, while Eddie cursed somewhere up above them and Buck could already imagine Bobby shooting a very disappointed look in his direction.

But he couldn’t bring himself to care.

”What was that for?” Tommy asked, smirking. His hand was still lingering on Buck’s waist.

”You look cute in my hoodie,” Buck explained with a shrug and leaned a little closer. ”Also, didn’t take you for the type to catcall.”

”Oh, I don’t usually,” Tommy said casually. ”I just noticed that you guys were here and that there was a cat stuck in a tree so I thought catcalling might be kind of appropriate for the situation at hand.”

Buck groaned at his joke but couldn’t help but smile wider.

"And also… There happened to be a really hot firefighter standing near the street and I just couldn't help myself," Tommy continued, his voice smooth, and right at that moment, Buck just wanted to go home with him.

”Yeah?”

”Yeah…” Tommy whispered.

”If you two are done flirting, I could use some help!” Came Eddie’s muffled voice from above. ”I’ve got Catrick!”

”I should probably go,” Buck told him then with an apologetic smile.

”Go on. I’ll see you at home,” Tommy said. ”I have to get going as well or my car’s getting towed. Not actually allowed to park here.”

He looked in the direction of his car, parked a little haphazardly on the side of the street.

”Tommy Kinard, breaking the law. Who would’ve guessed?” Buck couldn’t help but tease.

”Anything for you, you know that,” Tommy said and pressed their lips together once more.

God, Buck had missed this.

”Buck!” Eddie’s yell made them break apart.

”I guess I’m needed,” he mumbled against Tommy’s lips.

”I guess you are,��� Tommy replied and started slowly making his way to his car by walking backward and keeping his eyes on Buck. ”Stay safe, Evan. I’ll see you later. We’re ordering in.”

”Sounds great!” Buck said, very aware of the dreamy smile that was on his face.

Tommy always made him feel like he was floating.

”Buck!”

With a sigh, he turned around and rushed to where Eddie was calling for him.

Maybe he shouldn’t hope for a calm day after all. Saving cats was all well and good, especially when others did all the dirty work but serious calls made the time pass faster.

And he just couldn’t wait to get home.

[epiphainie]

what are some moments you’d like to see or you think we *should* get together between bucktommy in season 8? ‘should’ - not as in must get! but moments you think would be important to their growth and establishing them as a long term couple and would be very good for the story they’ve built so far

Hi anon,

Sorry for the very late reply, I had to think about this a bit because I love this question! This will get long, sorry in advance.

I think first things first, we need some drama lol. Seeing how a couple overcomes conflict for the first time is seeing how the relationship can/will prevail in the long term. It's also important as a story element, conflict is what makes characters make decisions and take actions, what enhances the emotional impact etc. After all, what is more satisfactory than the sense of resolution that feels earned?

I think the first type of conflict I would like to see them navigate through would be something interpersonal. I don't really want a bloated case of miscommunication because so far they have been presented to do very well in that aspect (Buck is for once not just going with the flow but proactively pursuing this relationship, they both apologize, they both hear each other, they both reassure the other etc.) but the reality is every new relationship will have a stumbling bit when it comes to communication.

I don't know what they'd specifically deal with (like Henren had trust issues and Madney ignored talking about mental health) but Buck - despite his progress - has very well-documented issues around his self-perception and the concept of love and we know it took Tommy a great deal of effort to become the guy he is today (who's in tune with Buck and seem to communicate very well), he also has his own demons. So the right triggering event can cause a moment of unexpressed emotions on both sides. (Our fic writers have been great coming up with ideas for this and I've seen many posts speculating, so if anyone has any specific scenarios in mind please put in the tags.) What I would really really love to see in a scenario like this is an explicit, on-screen reassurance of each other about the root of their issue. I want Buck to have a love interest who with clear words say what Buck needs to hear and I want Buck to reciprocate. Like I said, we've seen BuckTommy be mutually really good at this so far, so I would love to see how it looks when they deal with something bigger.

The second type of conflict I'd like to see them handle would be a conflict caused by an external threat. Maybe not something as dramatic (and hurtful) as Madney dealing with Doug but anything that puts them through the wringer a little bit. This and what I said above wouldn't need to be mutually exclusive events obviously (Gerrard, for example, can be an external threat AND a trigger for individual insecurities, interpersonal conflict etc.) but this I specifically want because I believe to convincingly set them up as a long term/significant relationship, they should show us them being a team, a united front. Where my first point was about seeing how they would navigate their individual traumas together, this is about seeing how they'd deal with the world that throws them a wrench.

Now that the heavy stuff is out of the way, I think we need to see how they would act as a couple in a group setting. This obviously touches many of the points we've collectively made over the past few months about how there's so much potential re: Tommy interacting with the other 118 members. I think one of the biggest fails of Buck's previous relationships from a writing point was how little they existed within the rest of Buck's world. The first time I watched that scene of Buck, Taylor, Eddie, and Chris having dinner together I had to do a double take because so much of Buck's relationship with Taylor and Buck's relationship with everyone else felt like two different shows. It was cute when Buck said "You don't want to see a hangry Taylor" - it made them sound domestic, it made their relationship feel actually lived. This is such a little thing for BuckTommy to feel integrated and real imo. I don't mean they have to write BuckTommy as the center of attention in a group setting, what I mean is that they need to extend BuckTommy's existence as a couple to the broader context of the show.

Kind of building on this, another thing I think would serve very very well here is if we see Tommy interact with others when Buck is not there. If we want BuckTommy to exist beyond the context of their 1:1 scenes, we need Tommy as an individual to exist beyond that as well. Again, this is going back to how Tommy has the potential for these dynamics to feel organic in a way that didn't exist with prior LIs before. And I think one specific thing I would really like to get (and this is gonna sound ironic bc I said we need Tommy uncoupled from Buck just now) is Tommy talking about Buck to other people. As we need Tommy to exist in Buck's greater world, with his people in a way that his ex-girlfriends didn't, we also need Buck to exist in Tommy's world even when he's not there. The only comparison I can make here is Abby as she was the only previous LI who had her own relationships, but damn, did we ever see a love interest talk about why Buck matters to them, how he makes them feel etc. I wanna know how Tommy perceives Buck. This is like 101 if you wanna sell to the audience the love interest is actually interested too.

Couldn't find a place for this (maybe group-setting entry was more fitting love) but I also would really like to see them act casual. This is way more superficial than my other points but I was just watching some 911: LS scenes and I truly believe one of the reasons Tarlos is sold so well is because we get domestic, comfortable touches in every scene. Again, making a relationship feel actually lived. I don't think any of the 911 couples engage in this as much as Tarlos do but they certainly still do to a degree and I want and need that for BuckTommy.

Thanks for the ask anon!

[stagefoureddiediaz]

I still think Tommy won’t be shown much at all. There really is no need. Eddie can express his jealously with little bitchy comments and facial expressions.

I’m not sure. I don’t think we’ll get a huge amount of Tommy but I do think we’ll see him fairly often - for a couple of reasons - yes you can do a fair amount of the work via exposition (such as buck telling Eddie he’s not free because he has a date with Tommy etc etc) but you do also need to establish things visually.

We need to be shown Tommy visually present to heighten the distance - to show him coming between buck and Eddie and interrupting their dynamic. You can’t build drama and tension if you don’t show it. It’s far more powerful if we’re shown Eddie alone while buck is with Tommy rather than it just being talked about.

The other aspect of this is the fact Tommy is Eddie lite and the viewer needs to be shown more of that - it was a key part of the bi buck storyline - his confused feelings - buck misunderstanding the assignment. Showing Tommy with buck allows the viewer to also be shown Eddie and buck which allows the differences in their dynamics to be made explicit.

The show spent all of s7 putting buck front and centre in Eddie and Christopher’s life - paralleling him with Shannon and baking it perfectly clear the three of them have a family dynamic going on. S7 also spent a lot of time putting Eddie into the middle of the buck and Tommy narrative - he’s literally always there even when he’s not. Showing buck and Tommy interacting allows that second aspect especially to be developed further - Eddie always being there even when he’s not is something you can’t establish if Tommy isn’t seen with buck. And that creates tension in the relationship that you can only achieve by giving him some screen time.

Personally I think there are lots of red flags that the show has deliberately had Tommy waving around and I expect those to be developed further. I think he’s manipulative and controlling and I think we’ll see that coercive control explored a bit because it is in part something Gerrard does as well and Tommy was under Gerrards captaincy for a good period of time. Buck struggling under Gerrard as captain plays into this as well and the show likes to use mirrors and juxtapositions - buck has become the buck he is today under the guiding influence of bobby - his captain (and dad) and paralleling Tommy becoming who he is today because he was under Gerrard makes sense and established the ultimate incompatibility of buck and Tommy - because Buck struggling with Gerrard and the way he behaves and treats people means he will struggle with Tommy too because those behaviours are also in Tommy. There’s a reason why we’ve had next to zero accountability from Tommy for his past behaviours - which would’ve been super easy to do without taking up much screen time. It’s because it’s still relevant and important to Tommys arc as a plot device. This arc for buck is seemingly about nature v nurture and how nurture is more important than nature. buck is who he is because of Maddie and then bobby (and hen and Chim and Eddie as well but they’re not his main influences) and they’re nurturing of him, not because of nature - of his parents (this is a very nuanced thing and broad stroking it here). Tommy has stated he had a less than stellar father and was then nurtured by Gerrard and that has made him who he is. Whilst being under bobby for a bit and whomever he’s been captained by since will have in theory developed him further and lessened those influences of G and his father (and likely his superior officers in the military as well who were probably of the Gerrard ilk), it’s not going to have undone it completely.

I’m not saying we’ll be seeing him every episode in 8a or anything, but I do expect him to get several minutes of screen time over multiple scenes when he is in episodes because it’s important for bucks storyline and development - and that is what we have to remember and prepare for.

I did not mean to end up with an essay about Tommy and his red flags but here we are!! Hope it makes sense and is interesting

[buckhastwohands]

@thatmexisaurusrex messaged me to join in this ask game! "In the spirit of positivity, how do you think Buck and Tommy say I love you for the first time? 🥰 Feel free to send this ask to others 💕"

I was just rewatching "Defend in Place" so as much as I'd love to see them have a lovely domestic and peaceful first exchange of "I love you", I'm now imagining a similar disaster situation. Other than Michael and David's engagement (through Bobby's vicarious proposal lmaooo), I feel like we haven't had other romantic milestones during disasters, at least not that I can think of! It'd probably be a little too much of an homage for Eddie or Chim or another of their loved ones deliver the "I love you" on behalf of Tommy or Buck, but I absolutely love the idea. One of them yelling it at Tommy over the radio "Buck loves you! Evan loves you!" when he's in a dangerous helicopter flight... or even more angsty, already crashed and trying to get him to hang on. Bobby doing it again to just be the consummate gay romantic milestone intermediary would be hilarious.

BUT! Aside from the funny aspect of that callback, the potential of an angsty mid-disaster I love you is so good, and in the more likely scenario where it's actually directly between Tommy and Buck instead of through someone else lol, I could really see either saying it first. It could be a dramatic moment Buck thinks he's dying so he makes sure to tell Tommy before it's too late, or even something less intense where Tommy sighs over the radio "I love you Evan, please be careful" when he's running back into a burning building when it's a little bit inadvisable. I can't really settle on just one idea, because I'll be so happy with so many ways it could play out!

[lover-of-mine]

I keep thinking about the Tommy leaving post and the Buddie being ready for each other post and I feel like there's a comparison I want to make here but I'm not sure exactly what it is but something about Tommy leaving because he was not down with that whole mess of date, understandably, but also Buck's boatload of issues still even tho Tommy came back & they're in this "maybe this could be the something I'm ready for" & potential issues that might crop up going forward like will Buck be hesitant still or dive headfirst or some combination, will Tommy feel like it's too much or just not working, will it be the thing that finally makes something click in Buck's head that he needs to go to therapy bc hey Tommy is different from his exes but the issues are still the same idk or he decides it's not working bc it's not the thing he wants but he's ready to figure that out so again therapy! but also when he realizes he's in love with Eddie & they could be it for each other he knows he doesn't want to make those same mistakes and the way to do that is to be honest with himself and Eddie and it's not perfect but they're both in it and self enough aware they know they can make it work together (therapy would be so good but also Maddie or Bobby have some wisdom here too) like a desperation almost of I love him and I want him and this is it for me but I'm so scared of losing it all and it's like well. What are you gonna do about it? Are you gonna let yourself have this? I read a fic today where when they were discussing starting something but Buck was scared Eddie was like "we deserve to be happy too and being with you makes me happy" and that's all I want now okay sorry this is so long and probably makes no sense but I didn't know who to send it to I can stop rolling it all in my head over and over again send help or a sedative my god they make me feral and all these new ttpd edits are making it 10000x more

Okay, I see what you mean, and I am team Buck/Therapy first and foremost, but let's discuss Tommy outside the perfect queer Yoda people seem to have put him in. First of all, Tommy didn't come back, the energy that exists there is that there would be no second date if Buck didn't ask him for coffee (and Buck only called because Eddie told him to). I don't blame Tommy for walking away, the situation Buck put him in is shitty, but he did not come back, he indulged Buck in a coffee for whatever reason I don't understand. I don't understand why someone would agree to go to someone's sister's wedding after one kiss and half a date they walked out of. But what I'm getting from Tommy is that he's not gonna put up with Buck's bullshit just because he's cute. And Buck is diving in head first, asking someone to be your date to your sister's wedding after half a date where they left you on the curb when he's out to exactly 2 people is somehow crazier than buying furniture with Natalia, because at least there he had what? 3 successful dates under his belt? Buck is in the hamster wheel, this time with a guy. Dating a guy is bringing him clarity in some aspects of his life, but he is still showing the same patterns when it comes to dating. Will he break out of his pattern this time? Who the fuck knows. Realizing he's repeating these patterns and letting go before he gets in too deep, realizing he needs to work on himself, would be a major sign of growth from him, but Tommy pointing something out and making him take action works too, but I don't know what or how that could be approached. I was talking about this with someone last week, I'm pretty sure i sent them a voice note of like, 12 minutes on this, but do we trust Buck to separate the way he's infatuated from what he actually needs? That his bisexuality is his no matter what? Because I don't. If he's still that insecure about Eddie when Eddie has been stable in his life the whole time they've known each other, then I don't trust him with anything emotional, really. Could he wake up one day and realize maybe it was about Eddie, see what's in front of him and proceed to work through his insecurities? Sure, they could go there, especially with how intertwined Eddie is to bucktommy, make Buck realize his feelings, work through his insecurities somehow and realize he needs to talk to Eddie and that they will be okay no matter what. But the thing is, Eddie loves Buck too much. Like the post said, he loves Buck at his own detriment, so if Buck goes all weird on him for whatever reason again (which he probably would if he realizes he might be in love with Eddie, he would panic, 705 Buck would freak out if realized he's in love with Eddie) he's gonna internalize that, and that's something they need to address before there is any movement into making them romantic.

Because now that there's a real chance buddie is gonna go canon, they need to address some problems that were created between them, mainly the way they assume things about each other a lot instead of having an open conversation. All they need is an open conversation, I will accept if the show magically decides they can talk to each other now, that the issue was the denial, but Buck needs to ask for shit, he needs to talk when he's insecure, he needs to not let Eddie get away with assuming he's right, and Eddie needs to stop assuming he can read Buck's mind, he needs to call Buck out when he's getting in his head, and he needs to stop trying to fix past mistakes with someone else, they need to actually be able to address things that hurt them, because they will hurt each other, the question is how they work through the problems. Dating your best friend, even more after being best friends for this long comes with issues, the adjustment would be intense because they have an intense relationship already. And they both need to let go of the idealized version of what a relationship should look like they have. Can Tommy help Buck there? Yeah, absolutely, but he also shouldn't be expected to hold a grown man's hand through his own feelings, yk? Buck doesn't know what he wants and he's working through it, allegedly, so, like, there's potential there but I have no idea how this can unfold tbh. They need to get to the point where they're like "I deserve happiness" but also realizing that happiness doesn't look the way they think it does, that it's never gonna be perfect, but that it is worth fighting for, you don't find it, you make, works here too, but the thing is, you need to keep making it as long as you're together, love is not all it takes, the fight never stops. I've been thinking about this a lot too.

[deluweil]

Totally with you on the Tommy-thing. Fandom makes me dislike him so I am not reading things about him any longer. This entire storyline is good for representation, yeah but so fsr not really showcasing a good relationship. Tommy let Buck stand there because he was fed up but he knew Buck is new to this. What did he expect?

And yeah, Lou is a totally different story there. I like sseing his view on things.

Btw do you think JHL will get as much flack for following the transphobe on IG now as Ryan did a while ago? Guess not huh?

I have resorted to blocking all bucktommy groupies, they make me dislike the fandom experience.

I have no beef with the actors, I love all of them, my problems are ever with the writers and showrunners that handles themselves in a very idiotic way when it comes to Buck and Eddie.

It's like they only know how to develop characters that are in established relationships or how to develop a character within a relationship only, and even that they do poorly because they haven't even decided after 7 SEASONS where they want the boys to end.

And by the way, since the only way they know is how to develop the characters only inside a relationship is also why Buck and Eddie are so intertwined, because if you notice, they are only growing when they are written together! The writers wrote themselves into this corner.

Anyone watching other shows knows that best friends are not written that way, that they have their own individual stories and they come together for a good beer hangout or heart to heart, or relationship advices or rooming together (Casey and Severide) because their roommate and best friend died (Severide and Shay) or their house burned down chasing a story with the reporter LI (Casey and I can't remember her name atm but she was good for him).

There are so many ways to write best friends without them being mistaken for endgame, but that is not what is happening in 911 and Oliver confirmed it himself, neither Eddie nor Buck are written in a straight manner and the actors know that, the question is, will the showrunners catch up eventually?

Lou is awesome, I like him, I like him in any show I 've seen him, lately that was SWAT. He's a good actor and seems like he's fun to be around, in a way, they kind brought Ryan/Eddie 2.0 to the cast, I find it very amusing lol.

LOL no, Ryan has been controversial even before Chrysti-Ann brought him down with her, he's poc, he's not Oliver, he speaks his mind and he doesn't cater to stupid and demanding hetero-normative showrunners. How dare he? lol

People were #TeamEvan even before #buddie came into our lives, Lou being added is the perfect excuse to tarnish Eddie so they can put him out of the picture - the haters of course - it's pretty clear that Tim is very fond of him.

And Murphy brought him in without an audition because he knows how good of an actor he really is.

JLH, like Oliver, is a fan favorite, and a beautiful fun white woman, no way would she get any blowback as Ryan. Toxicity in this fandom brings about a lot of hypocritical aspects, but that is a lot of reflection of the lives we live today outside of the fandom.

All we can do is curate our dashes and filters and make for a fun and safe environment to enjoy our time in.

[maddiebuckettebuckley]

casual (is it casual now?)

eddie/tommy angst | 1.1k words | read on ao3

summary: literally just the bucktommy kiss if it had been eddie instead, because lou said it was almost eddie and the show said eddie catholic guilt real and I said oh bet?

Eddie slides Tommy a beer across the table and cracks one open for himself. Despite still feeling the burn of the whiskey from the karaoke bar in his stomach, he takes a swig. “Man, I have to remember to invite Buck next week. You wouldn’t know it from looking at him, but he’s a big trivia buff.”

Tommy hums good-naturedly. “Maybe that way we’d actually break our ten-point record.” He grabs the beer and taps his fingers against the side without taking a drink. “Hey, what’s the deal with you two, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Eddie cocks his head slightly, not entirely understanding the question. “Me and Buck?”

“You talk about each other all the time, and your kid is obsessed with him. His name must have come up a dozen times the other day.”

Eddie shrugs. What is there to say about Buck? He’s Buck. He’s worked his way into every aspect of Eddie’s life, and somehow, unexpectedly, became Eddie’s favorite person in the world, after Chris. Not that he would ever tell him. His head’s big enough as it is.

“We’re like family, I guess. The whole 118 is more than a house. We’re all family.”

“Hah. I noticed.” Tommy’s voice is colored with something like bitterness. Not harsh, though. More… sad. Wistful, maybe. “Wasn’t like that when I was there.”

“Really? How so?” Without meaning to, Eddie inches closer.

Tommy lets out a puff of air and shakes his head slightly. “The whole… culture was different. Very macho. Regressive. Not that different from serving, honestly.”

That Eddie can understand. His team was close, but it was a completely different world than the 118. The jokes were sharper, aimed to hurt as often as not. The conversations shallower. Sometimes it almost felt like they didn’t want to get too close in case someone didn’t make it out. Maybe they had the right idea; he had almost died trying to get them all home. Not that he learns from his mistakes, since he knows from experience he’d stop at nothing to fight for any of his new family. It scares him if he lets it. How much he cares about all of them.

“I get it,” Eddie says, taking another swig of his beer. “You’d fit right in there now, though. The way you threw in with us in that storm.” He whistles. “Pretty fuckin’ cool.”

A small smile appears on Tommy’s face that Eddie finds difficult to read. Could be the whiskey. “You think so?”

“I know so.”

“You wouldn’t get sick of me, seeing me every day?” Tommy asks. He sets down his beer, still untouched, next to Eddie on the table, and Eddie suddenly becomes aware that he’s well within touching distance. He’d barely even have to reach out his hand.

“’Course not. Anyone would be an improvement over Buck.” Why did he say that? He doesn’t think that. But it makes Tommy laugh again. Which makes Eddie smile, even as his stomach turns from the casual cruelty of the joke.

“You’re pretty cool yourself, you know.” The calm intensity of Tommy’s eye contact is setting off alarm bells in the back of Eddie’s mind. He tries to ignore them, because something about it feels nice, like the gaze itself is casting a warm glow over him.

“Oh, am I?” Eddie replies, raising an eyebrow.

“In my book, at least. Whatever that counts for.” Impossibly, Tommy has gotten even closer, so that there’s almost no space between them at all. The alarm bells get louder, more intense, and Eddie can feel his heartbeat throughout his body.

“Definitely counts for something.” Eddie’s words come out quiet. He kind of can’t breathe.

But he doesn’t back away. He doesn’t break eye contact. Even when Tommy closes the distance completely, when his hand is under Eddie’s chin pulling it ever so slightly upwards so that their mouths meet.

Eddie’s swept away in it. The warmth, the strength of his hand, the hint of vanilla vodka still on his lips. It all makes him dizzy, twists up his head so he forgets, well, everything. Just for a moment. And he leans into the kiss until their bodies are pressed flush against each other and his hand finds its way into Tommy’s hair and—

“Shit.” Eddie pulls away abruptly, breathless. The man — the man — in front of him stares back. Kindly, questioning. And they’re the only two people in the room, but Eddie has never been more sure he’s being watched. Panic starts to migrate from the tips of his fingers wrapped in Tommy’s T-shirt and hair, all the way up into Eddie’s chest and settles there. He takes one step back, then another. The look on Tommy’s face as he does is unbearable, so he turns away, balling his hands into fists that will leave purple crescents in his palms. “I’m not… I have a girlfriend.”

“Oh.”

“It’s actually getting pretty serious. We’re moving in together soon.” Eddie winces at the lie. He hasn’t even asked her yet.

“Eddie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” A gentle hand on his shoulder tells him that Tommy’s stepped closer. Instinctively, Eddie shrugs it off. And instantly feels sick.

Don’t be a fucking coward. Look him in the face, at least.

He turns to face Tommy, who looks — hurt. Worse, he looks like he’s trying not to look hurt. Eddie swallows, trying to keep down the panic as it crawls up his throat.

“Nah man, it’s on me. I shouldn’t have… I should’ve told you sooner.” Eddie scrubs a hand over his eyes. His skin itches like it’s covered with grime. His fingers twitch like they’re searching for rosary beads. “I think you should probably go. It’s getting late.”

Tommy nods, then opens his mouth as if he’s about to say something. Closes it again.

Eddie walks him to the door, trying to come up with any words that would make this less awful, but when he tries to think there’s only a dark static filling his head with noise.

With one foot outside, Tommy hesitates, lingering in the doorframe.

“Listen, Eddie. I really am sorry for the misunderstanding. But I hope you know that you can call me if you ever need to talk. I’ve been where—” He cuts himself off. Holds eye contact with Eddie for a moment. Sighs. “I’m still here for you, if you need anything.”

Eddie nods lamely. A part of him needs to delete Tommy’s number. A part of him wants to pull him back inside. He’s not even sure what for. “Thanks, Tommy.”

The door clicks shut with Tommy behind it and Eddie slides down the wood paneling to the floor, dropping his head between his knees as a heavy sob escapes his mouth.

[sevensoulmates]

we may get a cliffhanger by the end of the season of either or both buck and eddie realizing their feelings for one another by the end of the season like what is this. Also Lou being like yeah Tommy is here so he can push Buck to pursue Eddie like what, also Marisol is so obviously bones, like this is clearly an Eddie arc dealing with repression and his feelings for Buck.

Before this episode, I think it was still a toss-up between Eddie and Buck, but after episode 5, I'm leaning more towards Buck realizing his feelings.

I don't think Eddie's repression arc is going to be wrapped up so fast. That's both just not true to life but also not true to 911's style? As I've mentioned before, 911 does not really ever close off character arcs in the season they're introduced (which makes sense for long-form storytelling). One aspect of the arc might be addressed by the end of the season, but usually, there are larger parts that are left loose usually for a purpose. Eddie's struggles with depression related to his time in the military and losing Shannon were introduced in season 3 and weren't really "resolved" (I use this term loosely) until season 5 for the military, and Shannon has haunted his entire storyline. My guess is to be resolved this season.

Buck's issues with Bobby were introduced in season 1 and didn't really get fully resolved until season 6 (in my opinion). Buck's issues with fatherhood were introduced a while ago and are still being addressed in parts over time. Don't even make me bring up the "couch theory" of it all.

So I'll repeat: 911 DOES NOT EVER COMPLETELY WRAP CHARACTER ARC STORYLINES IN JUST ONE SEASON.

As for Lou, he very obviously is aware that most people would rather see Buck with Eddie, and has been pleasantly surprised by the reception to him. I think he's aware that what Tommy wants and what Buck wants (even if he might not know it yet) are two different things. But Tommy is human, he wants real love just like everyone, and I think he's hoping he might be able to find it with Buck, even if some part of him is aware that Buck's heart belongs to Eddie. I don't think Tommy necessarily WANTS to lose Buck to Eddie, but a part of him might recognize that it's an inevitability. But hey, who wouldn't try to shoot their shot with Buck if they had the chance?

There's a fine line to walk for an actor about being aware your character is both a plot device and wanting that character to be fully actualized on their own. Lou's doing a pretty good job of it (far better than Edy). But I do think he wants people to enjoy Tommy while he's around and see how things go without always being so up in arms about the buddie of it all. Lou, the writers, the audience, and the narrative are all aware that what Buck has with Eddie is far bigger than what the show can develop with anyone else at this point, so I think Lou is just acknowledging that. He seems like a very decent dude! But for the love of god, PLEASE learn how to finish a sentence/thought before moving on to the next one.

[freewayshark]

I can't speak for everyone, but for me personally, the growth I'd like to see from Buck is for him to become more secure in himself and his relationships (romantic or otherwise). The start of this one was entirely based on him being confused and insecure, resulting in him lashing out in a way that hurt other people. While I think he has made some strides in the right direction, there are a lot of the same elements still there that I think he needs to work on. I don't think he necessarily needs to be single to do so, but the idea that this relationship had fully cured him as well as the one that his only problem was just not knowing he was bisexual make me really uncomfortable. Some specific things I'd like to see him work on:

His own agency- a lot of Buck's relationships have an almost (or actual) mentor vibe or a general 'humoring the silly immature guy' vibe (cough Taylor). I'd like to see him become more of an equal partner.

Managing his emotions better - Buck has a tendency to always leap to the most extreme reaction (lawsuit, pushing Eddie) when he feels hurt. This is an aspect of him that I think will always exist, and I don't have a problem with that, but I would like to see him get better at managing it instead of always lashing out.

Thinking things through before jumping into a relationship - this one I actually think he has gotten better about. While he didn't fully understand what he was feeling with Tommy, he did clearly have an interest without any outside reasoning (like with Natalia being a death doula) and he did specifically say he wasn't fully sure what he was looking for yet but wanted to try.

In general, I don't really care too much for the idea of a hamster wheel at all. Growth is not linear and always involves some backtracking, I just don't care for the idea that he has been magically saved by being with a man either.

Ok!!! Thank you for this response

I can agree with a lot of your points here. I don’t think him discovering his bisexuality or getting into a relationship has “fully cured him” either so that’s definitely something we agree on

Because (hijacking your ask here a little bit for this) just to make sure I have been clear on this specific point, I don’t think Buck has suddenly gotten past every issue he’s ever had in these last two episodes. I think he still has leagues to go, just for me personally I think he has taken a step in the right direction with some of what’s happened and my expectations are that we’re going to be seeing more of that if he and Tommy stay together for a little while.

I’m kind of over the hamster wheel thing too at this point lmao, not helped by the fact that I’ve typed those two words a dozen times today.

Jumping back to the mentor part—yeah, I get that. I definitely can see the apt comparisons to his relationship with Abby. I’m going to be interested in seeing how that angle develops.

Managing his emotions—yes! That’s why I really like the part where he kind of calls himself out to Tommy when he’s like “that’s kind of my problem” or whatever he says when they’re talking about him being jealous, that was one of the things that made me perk up a little and go, oh, that’s a little more self aware than he’s been sometimes, it just came a little too late to stop himself from acting on his emotions first. But I think that’s a good step too.

Anyway, thank you. I genuinely am interested in seeing people’s perspectives here.

[athousandis]

ok ok ok let’s

so first: LOU! your performance was chef’s kiss like oh my god you put tommy into the 911 hall of fame. like imagine meeting these two guys who are best friends and then realizing you want to be friends with them so you start hanging out with one of them and the other one starts acting slightly odd about it but you don’t worry too much until someone actually gets hurts and so you figure out what’s going on so you go clear the air and explain that you missed some of the people in your life and wanted what they had and the other guy makes you feel like you are a part of it even after all the years and then the situation starts turning a little more flirty but you though that the two guys had a thing or something but then this other guy tells you that he was trying to get you to notice him and you think that maybe this could be going a different way and so you test your theory out a little and it seems to work and so you feel good and the other guy is over there have a completely new life-changing experience but you have to go to work so you make plans to see him again and it’s looking up expect yeah you really just were the reason someone had a huge realization about themselves and just left because you know that this is the kind of thing he needs to go through himself but you’re still so kind about it and reassuring because he needs it and you know what it’s like

second: the way the last scene played out was so intelligent, it starts with tommy thinking that he should do this in person so nothing is misunderstood and probably the knowledge that buck is best reassured in person. and he essentially tells buck that him being in their lives can be a good thing because they all have different aspects that make them good friends but he also tells buck that he was jealous about a family of kind and accepting people that he wasn’t able to have when he was at the 118. but like we know that despite not keeping in touch as much, tommy still had that 118 dog in him and dropped everything to help. and then buck goes through a realization that his jealousy was coming from a place he was unfamiliar with like we literally get to see him go through that in the scene. and tommy gets a little more confident about the situation because buck is starting to use his flirty voice and body language and so tommy figures he should take a chance. and so we see the true shock that buck experiences with kissing a man for the first time, like this is something he never thought about but like wow that just changed his life. and now buck is clouded with the emotion and joy of discovering a piece of himself. and tommy makes sure he didn’t cross a boundary (mwah beautiful) and he sees that it’s quite the opposite, he found something for buck that buck didn’t even know he was looking for. and then tommy asks buck out because he wants to explore where this can go, hopeful that he can at least have a good time with buck but he leaves because he knows it has to go slow because it’s all so new. and buck is going through it and probably spends the rest of the night going over and over everything in his mind. and tommy makes sure to bring it back to eddie and that buck needs to remedy the situation because nothing can start if eddie and buck are not eddie and buck.

third: on the complete one-in-a-million chance that oliver sees this, thank you. truly it has been so wonderful to see these last 24 hours unfold. thank you for understanding how much your character means to so many people, how the representation that buck brings is a way for people to see themselves on screen in a positive light. thank you for caring enough about telling a queer story but just telling a good story. you care so much about buck and we can see that in your performance. i am so happy for you and the rest of the 911 family and the fans. we have been trying to get here for a long time, and here we are. and it feels better than i could ever imagine. i can’t wait to see you continue to tell buck’s story <3

finally: to 911blr, wow what a night. i started watching 911 about two years ago but little did i know it would have such a big impact on my life. this show that i watched on a whim and now means so much to so many people, there is such a great community here. and though i just watch the show and spend many hours a day dissecting it all in my head, i would feel so different if it wasn’t for the community here. seeing everyone get so excited and enthralled over this show has made me feel less alone. to you all, who love and root for these characters and pairing and take an already wonderful show and make it better with your stories and analysis. the show would not be what it is or where it is without you.

i am really emotional about all of this and i still cannot believe this has actually happened. i am so excited for what the future has in store for these blorbos :)

[andvys]

PART 19

- Chrissy and Robin are so cute!

- What Heather said to Y/N about her outfit was suspicious

-WHY?? EDDIE DIDN'T WENT TO THE PARTY!

-The last day of Eddie as a DM :( aww

- Wayne, Eddie, Y/N's mom and Y/N!! That's so cute! (It felt like something that couples do, idk why)

- Eddie x Y/N!! (Just kidding... Maybe)

- I love that Argyle and Heather are officially dating!

- "He set his eyes back on you" (I only want Eddie's eyes on me!)

- Again, I hate asshole Ray!

- They left Y/N alone? Ugh! I wish Eddie was there!

- I hate Billy too

- The "Eddie is not my boyfriend" hurts

- Everyone knows that Eddie has feelings for Y/N, except Y/N. I wish she knew and that Eddie was her bf :(

- Y/N feels nervous but safe with Steve? I mean she could also feel nervous bc of Billy, but I think that she's more annoyed than nervous around Billy

- "Steve, who wants you just as much as Eddie does" (STEDDIE X READER!!!)

- THE ANGRY MOM POSE!!!!

- Steve protecting Y/N from Billy! That's good, but again, before, when they were dating he got jealous of every guy Y/N talked to, so I still think they're better as friends

- THEY'RE BOTH JEALOUS!!!

- Steve and Y/N act like friends, like I thought that it would've been uncomfortable but it's not, but I still think that them being friends it's better

- "When he was still good for you" I'm team Eddie, obviously, bc Steve hurted Y/N so so bad

- -Y/N feeling insecure again! I hate that, I just want her to be happy!

- I miss Eddie in this chapter!

- "Eddie and I do both sometimes" Like Eddie and Y/N feel like the type of couple that can just cuddle and talk for hours, they're just cute! Love them!

- "You will always be a sweet girl, the one that is too kind to the world despite how harshly it treated you in the past" That's why I love Y/N (and how you wrote that line was just so magical!!)

- I hate Carol and Tommy!

- I don't like the people that are playing spin the bottle with Y/N, like they're awful, except from Johnathan, the rest are just cruel

- "Carol looks pissed" She deserves that!

- Y/N's right, make out sessions happening in front of someone sounds horrifying!

- NOOOO! KISSING BILLY?? NOOOOO!

- "His ring, digging in your waist" EDDIEEEEEE!!!

- Steve and Y/N kissing??

- "He missed you so much" I hate that he cheated on her, let me be delusional and pretend this will be an Eddie x Reader after what Steve did!

- AHH! Steve still has an opportunity with her! I can't be delusional anymore!

- Or maybe, if Steve and Eddie both date Y/N...

- Y/N smokes?? That happened before or after Steve breaking her heart?

- EDDIE AND Y/N LIKE EACH OTHER! I KNEW IT!! I LOVE IT!!!!

- "I just wonder why you and Eddie aren't dating" I wish I knew that! I want that so bad!

- I don't want Y/N to be in pain again! It's too much!!

- "Does she always want what you have?" Does that means that Eddie and Y/N are for each other??

- He kissed Y/N again! OMG, it literally reminded me of the Art Deco part "Cause you want more"

- It's giving Steddie x Reader again!!

Correct me if I'm wrong, Y/N likes Eddie, but she also (still) likes Steve? It's really giving Steddie x reader vibes!

- BUT! Y/N is still in pain, I hate Steve!

- "He destroyed too much" Yes, he did!

I liked this part, I wish Eddie would've appeared in this, and I also feel like what Steve did at the end could trigger Y/N more in every aspect, like, she was trying to get over him, but he just makes it difficult

-🩷

Always team Eddie even after the kiss with Steve huh? 🤭 that’s totally understandable though, I like her with Eddie too.

She was definitely very annoyed by Billy, especially during the spin the bottle moment.

She started smoking after the breakup 👀 & she likes Steve — I mean, she loves him still but she may or may not have feelings for Eddie…

You’ll see more of Eddie in the next chapter & his reaction to the kiss/kisses 👀

[chrisbitchtree]

@somuchanemoia @smashmouth-hargrove Teddie part 3 is here! I think this is the end of this particular story, but just the beginning of my ideas for these boys!

It had overall been a great first six months with Tommy. After the night that they’d gotten together, Eddie had taken some time to explore his feelings for the other boy before telling him that he loved him too. Now they couldn’t end a conversation, note, or phone call without using the L word. It in turns made Eddie gag and squeal internally.

Tommy had also kept true to his promise to never intentionally hurt Eddie. He’d been kind and caring, letting Eddie take the reins and go at his own pace in every aspect of their relationship. They went to the movies and the diner like any other couple, just careful to keep a safe distance between themselves when out in public.

Sometimes they would sneak away to weekday afternoon matinees though, and since they were usually the only ones, Tommy would grow bold and hold his hand in the dark. Seeing the other boy being so brave melted his heart. Another highlight had been his 18th birthday, when under the guise of taking him to Steve’s for a small birthday party, Billy and Steve had instead brought him to a gay bar they’d found on the outskirts of Indy. They didn’t card, and for one night, he and his boyfriend could hold hands and dance and act like the couple that they were.

They kept working at Bradley’s, eating their dinner together anytime they shared a shift and continued to leave notes and little gifts in each others’ lockers. Mostly it was sweet and drama free, and exactly what Eddie had wanted.

There were definitely some roadblocks though. The first was nerves about being naked in front of someone. They’d spent a good chunk of the first month they were together attached at the lips, only coming up for air when absolutely necessary. Their hands had roamed under each others shirts, and there had been a couple times that he’d rutted against Tommy’s leg until he’d cum in his pants. He was mortified the first time, until Tommy reassured him that it was ok, and more importantly, really hot.

They’d also gotten pretty good at hand jobs, using the same movements they’d used on themselves on each other. Eddie had been a blushing, stuttering mess the first time he’d cum in Tommy’s hand, but now it was their normal. He’d yet to see Tommy’s fully naked body though, and he was shy about showing Tommy his.

The problem for Eddie was that Tommy looked like a man, and he didn’t. The other boy had chest hair that Eddie had seen peeking over the opened collar of his polos and had run his hands through, under his shirt. He had muscles. He was solid. Eddie still looked like a boy. He was tall, but he was gangly, slim, and mostly hairless. He didn’t know how Tommy would react.

He decided to be frank about it, talking through his fears with Tommy. One night, they were making out, and he just blurted it out.

“Babe, I want to do more with you, but I’m nervous. About what you’ll think of my body when you see me naked.” He sat back and looked at Tommy. His face was red like a tomato, but Tommy put a reassuring hand on his knee, smiling at him.

“You have nothing to worry about, baby. I already think you’re so hot. Your long legs, your beautiful hair. Believe me, you can only be hotter with your clothes off. It’s me that should be embarrassed to undress in front of you. I’ve gained like 15 pounds since high school. I’m huge.” Eddie couldn’t believe his ears.

In a moment of courage, emboldened by Tommy’s words, he pulled his own shirt off, then pulled off Tommy’s. Just as he’d suspected, Tommy’s body was ridiculously hot. He was covered in freckles, even more than his face and arms hinted at, and his belly was soft. Eddie had the sudden urge to sink his teeth into it. Before he could stop himself, he did it, softly biting the exposed flesh, and following it up with a soft kiss.

“You’re beautiful, Tommy. Don’t ever think otherwise.” His lips found the other boys, and they made out for a while, finally getting the skin to skin contact that Eddie had craved. Tommy eventually pulled back so he could look into his eyes.

“I don’t want you ever thinking that about yourself either, baby. You’re sexy as fuck.” Pants were soon shed, and Tommy gave him an incredibly enthusiastic hand job, and he returned the favour as soon as he caught his breath.

Once they’d gotten over that hurdle, he decided that he wanted to give Tommy a blowjob. The problem was that he didn’t have any clue what he was doing. Hawkins was a small town, and his family was Christian. There was barely any sex education at all, let alone gay sex. He went to the only source he knew, Steve. By this point, Steve had gotten used to giving him all sorts of relationship advice and helped him with how to talk to Tommy when the other boy started getting in one of his self loathing moods.

One night, after D n’ D, he asked Steve if he could stay behind and talk. Dustin had wanted to stay too, wondering what his friends could have to talk about that he couldn’t hear, but Steve had thankfully convinced him to go home, telling him that he would call him the next afternoon and they’d hang out, just the two of them.

Once Steve was back from dropping Dustin off, they sat down in the living room. Billy headed upstairs so they could have some privacy. Eddie was clearly nervous, so Steve spoke first.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” A bright blush covered Eddie’s cheeks.

“Um, I really want to give Tommy a blowjob, but I don’t know how. I don’t know what to do, man.” He got it all out in one quick rush. Steve’s eyes grew wide. He was not expecting that question. Eddie’s questions mostly leaned towards more general relationship advice. He stuttered as he tried to formulate a response.

“Well, I mean, um, well, you just kind of have to do it. Billy gave me some pointers my first time, but you kind of just have to learn this one as you go.” Eddie looked at him thoughtfully.

“What kind of pointers did he give you? Can you pass them along to me? I’ve heard horror stories from guys in my class about too much teeth. Please tell me what to do?” Steve suddenly came up with a brilliant idea.

“Do you mind if I call Billy down here? He’s better at talking about this shit than I am.” Eddie nodded. He was embarrassed, but if Steve said Billy was the pro, he was going to trust him.

“Hey, Billy, can you come down here for a minute?” Steve shouted up the stairs. A minute later, Billy appeared.

“How can I be of service, pretty boy?” Steve laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

“Well, it’s actually Eddie. He wants to learn how to give a blowjob.” Billy walked over and pinched Eddie’s cheek.

“Awww, our baby boy is growing up, Stevie!” Eddie buried his face in his hands. Maybe this was a mistake. Billy ran away for a minute, and returned with a foil packet, and what was indeed a banana. Eddie was mortified already.

Billy gave him in the ins and outs of blowjobs, even going as far as teaching him how to put the condom on the banana. He then proceeded to demonstrate his technique on the banana, while Steve blushed beside him, and Eddie stared, writing down tips as Billy gave them, equal parts freaked out and turned on by the display. He’d have to shelve away what seeing Billy Hargrove deepthroat a banana was doing for him and think about it later. Alone. In his bed. Late at night.

He went home that night, ready to practice his newly learned skills. His mom was at adult church group the next night, so Tommy came over. They started making out, and then Eddie pulled off Tommy’s shirt, kissing his way down his chest. He stroked the other boy’s length a few times, before rolling on a condom. Tommy huffed out a breath and shuddered as he resumed his stroking

“Feels good, baby, real good. Thank you.” Eddie smiled up at him, before taking the head into his mouth, sucking on it, taking a moment to get used to it. He then took a bit more into his mouth, bobbing his head, he stroked Tommy’s shaft at the same time, the other boy gasping above him. He suddenly grabbed Eddie’s hair, pulling him off.

“Gonne cum, baby. Can I cum on you?” Eddie nodded, and Tommy tore off the condom and took himself in hand, shooting his load onto Eddie’s chest. He pulled Eddie up to lay next to him, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him.

“Thanks, Ed. That was amazing. Holy shit.” They laid there for a few more minutes before Tommy asked if he’d like a helping hand. Part of Billy’s lecture the night before had included advocating for your own sexual pleasure, so Eddie worked up the courage to ask Tommy to reciprocate with a blowjob of his own.

“But I can’t do that, baby. That’s for fa...” The last word died on his lips as he realized what he was saying. They’d come a long way with how Tommy felt about himself, Eddie, and even Billy and Steve working with him to feel comfortable with his bisexuality, and to stop referring to things as “gay” or “for fags”.

Eddie put his shirt on and left the room, needing a minute to himself. He knew that Tommy didn’t feel that way, and was just still working through years of learned thoughts and behaviours. He took a few big, calming breaths, and re-entered his room, sitting on the edge of his bed. Tommy immediately apologized.

“I’m sorry, Ed. I’m trying, I really am. That just came out. I don’t mean it. I want to make you feel good. I’m just not ready yet. Can I have a little bit longer?” Eddie nodded, cuddling up beside him, leaning in for a kiss that quickly became heated. Tommy slid his hand down Eddie’s body, determined to do what he could to make the other boy feel good, while staying in his comfort zone for the time being. If the panting mess that Eddie became was any indicator, he’d done good.

True to his word, Tommy only took a few more weeks before he came back ready. Eddie’s mom was at another church group, so Tommy took his chance. Eddie had put so much trust and love into him. He wanted to show he was worth it.

He stripped Eddie down to his boxers, and got to work, savouring him like the treasure that he was. He kissed his neck and his chest, thumbing at his nipples, before taking each one into his mouth in turn. Once they were worked into swollen, red peaks, he kissed his way down the other boy’s stomach.

Next he pulled down his boxers, and kissed and nipped at his hips and thighs, leaving Eddie flushed and groaning above him, hands in Tommy’s hair. After rolling on a condom, he took Eddie into his mouth. He bobbed and sucked, trying to use the perfect amount of suction, just like Billy had taught him. Yes, Billy.

The day after his conversation about blowjobs with Eddie, he’d asked Steve if they could talk. They still weren’t too close, but they were on friendlier terms, and he sometimes went to him when he was having an especially bad day with trying to accept his sexuality.

They were sitting in the living room talking when Billy entered the house. He saw Tommy and a cocky smile grew on his face.

“Damn, Hagen. Was the head really that good? You needed to come to see me, the blowjob king of Hawkins, for some tips of your own?” Tommy looked confused, before the words really sunk in. He was on Billy in a flash, before Steve could explain. He had to pull Tommy off his boyfriend. He stood between them and addressed Billy.

“No, babe,” he said tersely, “He was here to discuss what giving a blowjob means for his sexuality. No other reason.” Billy looked horrified at his slip, but Tommy wouldn’t let up, pestering Billy to tell him what he meant. He finally admitted that Eddie had made a visit of his own.

At first, he was angry, but then Tommy realized that was the best head he’d ever gotten, miles better than the weak efforts that Carol had put in, so Billy must be onto something with these tips of his. Tommy ended up with a banana and condom demonstration of his own, although his eyes narrowed when Billy insinuated that Tommy needed to be taught to put on a condom.

It really did seem that the tips were paying off. Eddie could barely get any words out, just gasping Tommy’s name out, over and over. He was further reduced to high pitched moaning, holding onto Tommy’s hair for dear life, before he let out a cry, and bucking his hips, came into the condom. Tommy sucked him through it, until it became too much for the other boy. He took off the condom and tied off the end before meeting Eddie up on the pillow. Tommy held him as he panted, coming down from his high.

After that night, they could barely keep their hands off each other, taking any spare, private moment together that they could. Thankfully they’d only been caught once, when Billy and Steve had made the mistake of approaching Tommy’s car while they were parked at the quarry. To the other boy’s credit, it was only late afternoon, and they weren’t expecting to find Tommy and Eddie doing what they were doing in there.

They’d also gotten closer emotionally. Eddie really felt like he could tell Tommy anything. He was Eddie’s rock. They’d even decided to rent a little place together, just off the University of Indiana campus, as they’d both be attending in the fall, now that Tommy had completed the upgrading he needed to do at the community college.

Now though, before all those big life changes, he wanted one more special thing, just for him and Tommy. He wanted to lose his virginity to the other boy. Thankfully, he’d asked Steve and Billy about it a couple months back, so he had the knowledge in his back pocket for when the time came.

He discussed it with Tommy, and they decided together that it was time. He invited Tommy over one late August evening, when Eddie knew in advance that his mother would be out with friends from her church group for the whole evening, so he’d have time to prepare. He put out candles, made sure that the condoms and lube were on top of his side, table, and washed his sheets and blankets so they’d be fresh.

He’d worked so hard to make sure that everything was perfect that he didn’t have time to panic before Tommy was ringing the doorbell, but once he opened the door, a whole herd of butterflies released in his stomach. His sheets still weren’t dry, so they sat awkwardly until the buzzer for the dryer went off. Tommy grabbed the sheets for him, and they made the bed, then got in it.

He’d already shared what he’d learnt with Tommy, so after making out for a while, they stripped down and got started. Eddie was paranoid that his mom would come home and hear them, so he put some music on. All he had was metal, so it would have to do. Tommy kissed his way down the other boy’s body, coming to rest between his legs. He placed a pillow under Eddie’s hips, and got to work opening him up, while sucking his dick.

Once Eddie couldn’t stand waiting any longer, Tommy rolled on a condom, and slowly slid his way in, keeping one hand on his boyfriend’s dick to keep him relaxed. Once he was all the way in, and he was sure that Eddie was comfortable, he started to move. Slowly at first, then gaining speed as he got into a good rhythm.

When he hit that spot inside Eddie, the other boy practically screamed, hands scrabbling for purchase on Tommy’s back, his blunt nails digging in. Tommy hoped it left marks, because fuck if that wouldn’t be hot to look at on his own body later.

They rocked together, Tommy moving faster and faster, until Eddie babbled out “Please, Tommy, touch me. I’m gonna come.” Who was Tommy to deny him that?

He started stroking the other boy in earnest, music blaring in the background, until a guttural moan ripped out of Eddie, and he spilled all over Tommy’s hand, just as Quiet Riot’s “Cum on Feel the Noize” hit its chorus. How appropriate. Neither boy could stop from laughing for a moment.

Tommy quickly regained his rhythm, pounding into the other boy until he found his release. They laid together in the sticky sweet summer heat, overwhelmed by what they’d just shared. Eddie turned to Tommy and kissed him soundly.

“I love you, baby,” he said, smiling against Tommy’s lips.

“I love you, too,” Tommy said, pulling him close, “forever and always.”