#in my head buck is just someone for tommy to have some fun with. which. good for him!!

[hearteyesdiaz]

seeing people defend tommy by saying ‘he was on call! he couldn’t dress up! he was tired!’ cracks me up because he’s not real!! he was WRITTEN to be on call! they could have easily written him to be NOT on call, but instead they CHOSE to make him leave. they CHOSE to have him not dress up when all he really needed to do was wear a jacket that he could take off quickly. they CHOSE to have him be yawning bored (whether it’s because he was ‘working’ or not) while someone else was trying to make the most of it. he’s not a real person!! every single thing he says and does is specifically written and directed that way, why can’t people understand that 😂

Lol you nailed it nonny

[rcmclachlan]

7x09 deleted scene coda

For the anon who requested it! Hope this is as fun to read as it was to write.

When Buck sighs, it sounds despondent, even to his own ears, which is insane considering he’s finally got a medal and isn’t being court martialed for his involvement in the theft of municipal property. There’s no reason to feel this put out.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Maddie asks, her patented kindness warring with incredulity bordering on annoyance. She used to sound like that whenever he’d get caught skipping school to go hang out at Swatara Creek.

He sighs again. "No."

"Because you’ve been staring at the dessert table for, like, four whole minutes," she says. 

"It's a free country, Mads," he reminds her without looking away from the golden idol he’s just now decided to start worshiping. It totally goes against the Ten Commandments, but according to Eddie, breaking one of those means you can just repent twice as hard. Or something like that. It’s becoming very apparent that Eddie’s whole thing with religion is kind of screwy. "I can stare at a platter of cannolis if I want. Because of freedom." 

"You know you can't absorb sugar molecules through osmosis, right? You're basically just torturing yourself." 

With one last longing look at the chocolate chips dotting the ricotta cream, he turns to her and sticks his tongue between his teeth to be a brat. "Yeah, but my Adonis belt lines can cut glass, so who’s really losing here?" 

The look she gives him is flat as a board. "Still you."

"I… don’t have a comeback for that right now, but I’m working on it," he promises, ignoring her eye roll in favor of searching for something else to focus his attention on. It usually helps to take his mind off the ketonic headache he’s been rocking for the last week. 

His gaze locks on his target with an almost audible click, and he watches Captain Vincent Gerrard stop to take a photo with some dark-haired woman and then make a face behind her back as soon as she walks away. 

That "heard you got your wings" comment has been bouncing off the walls of his mind like a DVD player screensaver for the last half hour, and hot on its heels is the memory of the muscle jumping in Tommy’s jaw in the pause that followed. Normally, Tommy would’ve stuffed that silence with at least two comments so dry and hilarious it would take a minute for anyone to realize they were the shiny wrappers around devastating insults. But he didn’t. It was like his jaw was wired shut, and it physically pained Buck to see it. Thank god Chim was there with a killer response at the ready. 

Tommy’s told him a little about his time under Gerrard and while he hasn’t exactly painted a picture he’s definitely drawn the outline of a paint-by-numbers image that Buck can easily color in. 

There are very few people Buck can say he truly hates, especially when he doesn’t actually know them himself. But he hates Gerrard. He hates him for the way he made and still makes Tommy feel like he has to be someone else, someone so incredibly different than the man Buck has come to know and utterly adore. He hates him for stealing the grin off Chimney’s face today. He hates Gerrard for getting into Buck’s own head and pulling his focus in the first place, for casting a shadow on what should’ve been a perfect day. 

Buck may not be eating sugar these days, but there are about sixty Domino packets in his pockets that will be getting up close and personal with Gerrard’s gas tank before the day’s through.

"Huh. Wonder what that’s about."

Blinking away the red haze from his vision, Buck gives Gerrard’s back a little sneer before he turns his head to see what Maddie’s talking about. He follows her gaze across the room to where Hen and Karen are standing in front of Tommy, shoulder to shoulder like they’re presenting a united front. It’s amazing how they make someone of Tommy’s height and build look small. Whatever it is they’re discussing, it looks grave. Maybe the pall of Gerrard’s presence is affecting more than just Tommy. Maybe it’s opened up old wounds from the days when Tommy was—by Tommy’s own admission—an asshole.

He starts getting to his feet to go over and assess the situation, but suddenly Tommy breaks away from Hen and Karen, and the second he’s beyond their line of sight, the corners of his mouth curve up. By the time Tommy makes it back to their table, plate of cake in hand, he’s beaming.

"Everything… okay?" 

"Everything’s great." Tommy pulls out the seat next to him and wiggles a little as he sits. Buck’s never really understood the phrase "pleased as punch," but he’s starting to get an inkling. 

Buck looks at Maddie, who widens her eyes and shrugs. "Uh, what were you talking about? It looked pretty serious."

Taking a practically pornographic bite of the cake—which is just plain mean—Tommy holds up a finger, smiling while he chews, before he swallows. He presses his knee to Buck's and says cheerfully, "I just got the shovel talk."

"The what?"

Across the table, Maddie rolls her eyes fondly and says, "You know what a shovel talk is, Evan. It's the verbal equivalent of a dad cleaning his shotgun on the porch when his daughter's prom date shows up."

Tommy nods in agreement. "You know: 'if you break his heart, I'll break your knees.'"

It feels like Buck's eyebrows are trying to make a daring escape from his face via his hairline. "Hen threatened to break your knees?"

"Not in so many words, but it was heavily implied." Tommy sounds positively thrilled about it. "They wanted to know if my intentions toward you were honorable. Although I think Karen was just fishing for details, to be honest." 

Maddie's eyes are bright when she leans forward, like this is the juiciest bit of gossip she's ever heard. Buck crumbles up his napkin and throws it at her. She peaceably lets it bounce off her head. "And? What'd you say?"

"That we're taking it slow."

His jaw drops, which only serves to remind him that it's still aching from this morning. "So you lied?"

"I did not," Tommy says primly, knocking his knee against Buck's. "But I also did some heavy implying of my own." 

The wink he tosses Buck's way is downright filthy, and when he takes another bite of his cake he rumbles so deeply with pleasure that the table practically vibrates.

Squirming a little in his chair, with the familiar heat that blossoms any time he's within ten feet of Tommy making its way down his chest and into his belly, Buck scans the room to see if there's an empty coat closet somewhere nearby. The reception's loud enough that no one would hear a thing. Probably. Buck's starting to gain a reputation for being a bit of a screamer.

A fork taps his knuckles lightly, bringing his attention back, and Tommy gives him one of those knowing looks that always leave Buck feeling breathless and exposed on an atomic level. 

"No." The corner of Tommy's mouth curls up, and he nods at Evan's plate of chicken wings. "Eat your protein."

It's truly terrible, incredible timing that Chimney comes back to the table from wherever he went just in time to hear Buck say, voice full of sleaze, "Between our shower this morning and the buffet, I've hit my protein quota for the day."

Without a word, Chimney turns around and walks in the opposite direction.

Maddie collapses into her folded arms, cackling, and Buck can't help but join in. Tommy drops his head into his hands, shoulders shaking. 

"Timing is everything," Maddie practically cries.

"Well, I'm definitely getting kicked out of the group chat," Tommy says through his laughter. "Worth it."

Snickering, Buck nudges him with an elbow. It should feel like hitting the side of a mountain, but Tommy obligingly lets himself be moved, and Buck's rib cage feels like it's both expanding and shrinking at an exponential rate. His bones are going to vibrate to dust and his heart is going to be on display for everyone to see.

Swallowing around the sudden lump in his throat, he says, "Hey, most people aren't usually this happy to be threatened with grievous bodily harm, you know. Is this a rom-com thing?"

Still chuckling a little, Tommy takes a thoughtful bite of his cake and shrugs. "I'm allowed to be happy about it."

"Are you?"

"Absolutely," Tommy says, with his signature decisiveness. He slides his fork down through layers of cake and delicately cuts himself a corner with a frosting flower. "This is the first time anyone's ever cared enough to threaten me about someone I'm with. It means this is real to them."

He punctuates that by gesturing with his fork, the flower drawing a sugary line in the space between them, and then brings it to his mouth with a pleased hum. 

Buck has seen at least twenty documentaries about nuclear bombs, with enough footage that Buck could describe in great, gory detail what blast, fire, and radiation can do to someone, to a city. 

J. Robert Oppenheimer's famous quote, used in at least half of those documentaries—if the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky—suddenly comes to mind, damn near taking Buck out at the knees, and he stares dumbly as Tommy chews his cake like he didn't just devastate the entire landscape.

Maddie lifts her head from her arms and catches Buck's eye. There's something gentle and sweet lurking in her gaze, and he ducks his head a little with a smile, feeling caught out, even though he's not the one courting mayhem this time.

The knee pressed to his knocks against it again, and Buck blinks, startled out of his daze, to find a tiny dollop of white frosting held out to him on Tommy's fork. He looks just beyond it to where Tommy's smiling at him, like he knows exactly what he was doing when he said that, and is even happier about it than he was about his kneecaps being on the line.

"It's yours if you want it," Tommy says easily. It sounds like he's offering something else.

Heart pounding, Buck leans forward and wraps his lips around the edges of the tines, taking that small offering onto his tongue where it hits with the intensity of a thermonuclear explosion.

Buck doesn't know what his face is doing, but it makes Tommy's gaze go dark with want. 

A throat clears, and Buck reluctantly looks away to where Maddie is sitting. She's staring at Tommy with an odd smile on her face, one he doesn't think he's ever seen before. It's beautiful, of course, because all her smiles are, but there's an odd promise in it that makes Buck sit up a little straighter.

"Maddie?" 

She doesn't even spare him a glance. "You break his heart? There's no helicopter in the world that will help you escape from me."

Tommy's eyes go wide, and Buck opens his mouth to tell him that she's kidding, that she would never, but he closes it because it feels like it would be a lie to say it.

But a grin breaks over Tommy's face like a sunrise, and the tilled-field lines at the corners of his eyes threaten to become trenches. "Good to know."

It sounds like he's never been so happy in his entire life.

Read on AO3

[bodyintheabyssy]

Josh & Maddie Drabble

Josh’s reaction post Madney Wedding & Tevan kiss:

Josh smiles at Maddie.”You are glowing ! How is married life? Is Chimney doing better?”

“It is the same but different I guess,” She smiles and shrugs, “Howie is much better.”

“Good.” He smiles then drops it to a frown quickly.

Maddie gives him a confused look.

“Wait, I am mad at you.”

“Why?” She laughs.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Buck was part of the community!”

“I wasn’t going to out him.” Maddie says seriously.

“Ok, fair. But you could have given us some hints.” Josh smirks.

“Why? Would you set him up with a friend?” Maddie asks.

“Girl, I am the friend.”

Maddie tilts her head , “You like Buck? Is he even your type?”

He sighs, “Maddie, he is half of LA’s type. I would have actually considered you setting us up though.”

“Buck is sweet but you wouldn’t be good as a couple. He is so impulsive and jealous and has a lot of emotions he is working out.” Maddie says, shaking her head.

“I wasn’t planning on going steady with him, maybe a date or two and spending a few nights with him.”

Maddie grimaces, “Don’t make me think about Buck’s sex life.”

“Oh , it is well documented. The stories I have heard.” Josh chuckles.

“Well sorry for not knowing my brother would have a bisexual awakening in his 30s.” She shrugs.

“I am just saying many people would enjoy it if he hit the market earlier.” Josh shrugs as he sips his coffee.

“Like who? Does he get hit on by guys and not notice?” Maddie questions.

“Maddie, everyone thirsts over him on social media.”

“What?”

“I had to specifically tell Eddie to block any thirsty replies to the LAFD accounts.” Josh shakes his head.

“Isn’t that just all social media? They have hot firefighter calendars.” Maddie says simply.

“Eddie had to report like 5 accounts for pervy direct messages asking for Buck . Only 2 were women and I am not sure if the ladies' messages or guys' pictures were worse.” He makes a disgusted face, “And other gross ones in general being creepy about the firefighters.”

“Maybe it is good that Buck didn’t come out sooner, or at least not online.” Maddie says concerned.

“Actually, Buck is too sensitive for the gay scene. They would tear him apart.” Josh shutters.

“Is it worse than straight dating? Outside of apps even?”

Josh sighs, “Oh, Maddie. The stereotype of gay men being mean, and vain is not based on nothing. Some just care about hookups & a hot body. Which- you do you- but be safe and make your expectations clear.”

Maddie shakes her head , “That could have been a train wreck for young Buck.”

“Oh yea. It would be much harder to break away from Buck 1.0, Most of WeHo is still in their 1.Hoe phase.” Josh rolls his eyes and Maddie snorts.

“At least he found Tommy then.He seems good for Buck . Very grounded and he gets the job!” Maddie says.

Josh groans.

“What?” Maddie asks.

“I am trying to be mature Josh and not jealous Josh.”

Maddie puts a hand on his shoulder.

“I am just saying! Buck gets a hunk accidently a few weeks after coming out and I haven’t had a stable relationship since Carson? Why I am cursed? Buck definitely has grown , but it all comes so easy to him. He has a natural boyish charm and he has that firefighter body. I have a dispath body and a face for telephone. ” Josh crosses his arms,

Maddie laughs, “Josh , no! You are a handsome man! You should ask him about their first date. It was so bad he called me over and accidentally came out while venting.”

“Really? I need to get that story.” Josh gasps.

“We got to invite them over to a dinner together with you. I think it could be fun.” Maddie suggests.

“So i can be the 5th wheel?”

“Oh Josh! Don’t give up hope. You are so cute , and caring! Maybe Howie should set you up with someone?” Maddie laughs.

“Why?” Josh asks, confused.

“He called Tommy to help with the cruise ship rescue, and before that he saved Tommy’s life. So he indirectly brought them together.”

“Wow.” Josh says.

“Oh, and he set Hen and Karen up. And allegedly got them back together after a break up.” She smiles.

“He did?!? Maybe I should ask Chimney. I deserve a post disaster make-out session with a hot guy.”

“Absolutely!” Maddie chuckles.

[theotherbuckley]

I wanted to spread some good vibes in the fandom, so what are five cute headcanons you have about BuckTommy or Tommy? 🥰 And if you want to, send an ask like this to someone else.

This is such a sweet way to send positivity thank you for the ask 💜💜💜

They’re both very tactile and always cuddle together after a hard shift. Buck is an octopus in bed but Tommy doesn’t mind except when they both get too hot because they’re both giant men and LA gets warm but they don’t wanna let go of each other.

Tommy always makes an effort to show up for Buck and Buck always makes sure to remind Tommy how loved he is and how he has a family with him and the entire 118. One time at the first bbq when Bobby is back at the 118 he takes Tommy aside and he worries he’s getting a shovel talk but instead he just gets a big fatherly hug and Bobby tells him welcome to the family. Tommy cries.

Tommy always calls Buck cute and adorable and variations of that because it never fails to make Buck blush (and he finds that super adorable) because Buck isn’t used to hearing those compliments like he’s always been told his hot etc but these are different.

Tommy asks him if he should call him Buck and Buck is shaking his head so fast because no he’s Tommy’s Evan. Buck talks to him about the issues he’s had with his name and how Tommy makes him feel seen as Evan. In turn Tommy shares more about his dad and the reason he doesn’t like Thomas.

Buck can’t shut up about Tommy at work. It’s always “my boyfriend this my boyfriend that” but also Tommy shares so much about Buck at work which is team finds so cute. Tommy starts sharing all of Buck’s fun facts at work and that’s how Lucy finds out that Evan and Buck are the same person when she comments on it.

[lover-of-mine]

Top 5 most hilarious, ridiculous BT theories? 😂

I'm gonna give you my favorites in no particular order.

Ryliver is sleeping together. Why did this make the list? Well, 3 weeks ago I had people in my inbox telling me that Oliver and Lou are in love and Oliver is only going along to protect him from the buddie crazies, and that's why they're hiding Lou. Now Oliver is sleeping with Ryan and they are forcing the network to do what they want and conspiring to get Lou out. So like, which one is it? Is he with Ryan or Lou? Is he protecting him or trying to force him out? Can they pick a struggle? Probably not.

The what if episode without Eddie that's just buddie highlights with Eddie removed. The way they think that putting Buck in the same situations he's been with Eddie with an explicit love interest and having Buck have the same reaction helps them is hysterical. That would literally just further the idea that Buck is in love with Eddie, because if he has these reactions with someone he's romantically involved, then he has romantic feelings for Eddie. It's a very simple parallel they don't seem to understand. They also seemed to have forgotten that Tommy left the 118 before Buck joined so even without Eddie, it would not lead to bt. Also got me thinking "so you agree that buddie is romantic?" I would laugh if Tommy got shot tho, but don't you dare break the sanctity of the shooting.

That leads us to the "Tim only wrote Eddie so that he could bring Tommy in during season 7 and have him replace him." Somehow they think that they would write Eddie in to give his personality to some random character 6 seasons later because somehow, Tommy has been in the show longer in their heads, even though Hen Begins is 9 episodes after Eddie was introduced (I think they think that the begins episodes being earlier in the timeline means something it does not), so the spot was always meant to be Tommy's, Eddie was just a placeholder for Buck to kinda fall for but then choose Tommy so they then they could remove Eddie seamlessly. Doesn't make sense at all. I like that they admit that Buck is "kinda" in love with Eddie. Just a reminder that Ryan didn't audition, was brought in as a lead, and Eddie was written for him.

The Tommy is getting a spinoff week was also fun. I was legit rolling around on the floor with how much I was laughing. They had potential names. Plots. Buck was going to leave the 118. They were sending posters to Tim. They had the whole thing locked and loaded. And they kept talking about it like it was a sure thing for whatever reason. Highly entertaining. Was convinced they were rage baiting me until the spies confirmed they were in fact talking about a spinoff as if it was a done deal.

And boring but the invisible string thing. They somehow missed the way that Eddie was the one who restarted Buck's heart. That and the way that multiple people are on record saying that Lou was a last minute decision. And that he was brought in for Eddie. But sure, they absolutely took the time to pretend the relationship has been planned since season 2 when they changed it from Eddie to Buck mid filming the cruise. Totally happened.

Honorable mentions: the Chris has 3 dads and Tommy is somehow the better parent and the only one who can connect with him, and the Tommy is going to admit he was interested in Eddie, Eddie is going to admit he is interested in Tommy, Buck because he just loves them both so much is just going to accept being 50th choice.

[sugarpenchant]

Half of my heart

Buddietommy, E, 24,485 words

Falling in love with his boyfriend? Easy. Easier than breathing. Buck can do it in his sleep. Hold his beer, he's got this, more than someone his age probably should. Falling out of love with his best friend? Not so much.

Lucky for Buck, he finds two people who will love him anyway.

Photo edits by the inimitable @indibdraws

Chapter 1 below the cut

In the end, it was easy to fall in love with Tommy.

Buck knew that he had a tendency to fall hard, and fast, for women—for people—who didn’t always want him back. He’d stay, waiting for that someone to see him, to want him back, to just be good enough for them, and he’d try so hard to make himself into something they wanted. Inevitably it wouldn’t work and Buck would be left alone with another broken heart and more cracks in his soul.

Those first few weeks with Tommy, Buck barely slept, and not for any fun sexy bedroom reasons. Well, not for only fun sexy bedroom reasons. Thanks to therapy and ‘growing up’ and having people in his life who actually cared about him, Buck had developed a smidgen of self-esteem and was trying to protect his heart, just a little bit, against the tempting gravitational pull of Tommy. More often than not, Buck would lie awake in bed, staring at the ceiling or, for a change of scenery, the back of his eyelids, and let his head and heart wage war inside of him. Very ‘keep your distance and don’t scare him off or overinvest at the three week mark’ versus ‘no one has ever looked at you like that before and he laughs at every awful awkward joke you make’ sort of war. Occasionally his heart tried to gang up on his head by calling in the unfair reinforcements of his dick, who made a shallow yet still very compelling argument in favour of Tommy and everything the man could offer. (His hands were big and yes, so was the rest of him, and it turned out that that’s something Buck version whatever he’s up to, he’s lost track, is very into, thanks.)

It might have taken Buck a couple of weeks of unsuccessful worrying in a circle about himself before he decided if he was worth it—and if Tommy was worth it—then he’d need reinforcements outside of his own admittedly questionable perspective. Unravelling that involved some beers and some more therapy and poor Maddie learning way more than she probably ever needed to know about him, which then turned into long brunch catchups with Josh, much to Maddie’s relief.

In something very new for Buck, he even talked to Tommy about it. Some of it, anyway. He warned the guy (who was turning out to be an incredible guy) that he was damaged goods and brought enough baggage for a whole circus, and Tommy had given him a sad kind of smile and said to Buck You think I’m coming into this light as a feather?

It was enough to nudge Tommy off the pedestal Buck was building for him, and it was the best thing that ever happened. Tommy was better than some perfect being that Buck would throw himself off a roof for just to get some attention; Tommy was real. Beautiful and flawed and kind and imperfect, and didn’t hold Buck to any kind of impossible standards that Buck might have been putting on himself so that Tommy would stay. Buck was allowed to fall down sometimes because Tommy would be there to help him up. Much to Buck’s jaw-dropping surprise, Tommy fell down sometimes, too, and Buck was finding out what an incredible honour it was to be trusted to help someone get back up.

In the end, it was easy to fall in love with Tommy.

Buck thought it was perfectly logical that, like a seesaw, the more he loved Tommy like that, the less he’d think of Eddie like that.

Unfortunately for Buck, his heart didn’t seem to give a flying fuck about logic.

Read the rest on ao3

[lissa612]

A way to interpret the dinner scene as someone who really isn’t into daddy kink but really loves the dynamic between Buck and Tommy?

The “God, I hope so” was a joking reply to the obvious attempt to lighten the mood with some flirty talk.

But hey, why not try it out? Trying new things is always fun and being called daddy by someone you care about is probably different than hearing it out of the mouth of a hook up from a bar or Grindr who could totally be using it because they don’t remember your actual name.

Trying it out leads to laughter more than anything else which is cool because there’s nothing better than being able to laugh during sex (especially since it absolutely takes the stress out of experimentation).

So they both have a good time and get out of their heads with all of the craziness that has happened over the course of just 10 episodes because actor and writer strikes do throw wrenches in the best laid plans. (And I can take my time getting used to “daddy kink” becoming a standard tag on bucktommy fics 😂)

[do-androids-dream-ao3acc]

Prompt: Evan tells Tommy to “Get ready for a rigorous night” or “get ready to burn lots of calories and sweat” or something suggestive so Tommy thinks he’s getting lucky and it’s nice to see Buck take charge; but then when Evan comes over, whatever he was referring to/bringing was NOT Sex

Nonny, I had so much fun with this, thank you :) This is fluff and crack, I suppose. And I'm not sorry. Once more Tommy's POV. Have fun! Here's all 4 prompt fills on AO3 in case anybody wants to leave a keysmash :)

You're Mine

— I’m burning inside and we both know why —

"Get ready for a rigorous night!"

Tommy chokes on the coffee that Buck has shoved into his hand just a minute ago (he’s eager to buy coffee for Tommy since he’s finally learned his preferred method of preparation). And then, with that cheeky wide grin, the guy bursts out something like that, in the middle of the sidewalk, still within earshot of the fire station.

Buck pats him on the shoulders, around which he puts his arm a moment later and asks, "You all right?"

"This coffee is just hot. It’s a very hot coffee. Wh… what did you say?"

It’s not like Tommy to stutter, but Buck still has that sassy look on his pretty face.

"I've got plans for us tonight," Buck exclaims, gesticulating fiercely –is he just excited or is he already aroused? You never know with this man.

"Plans."

Tommy tries very hard to make a deadpan face, but how could anybody, talking to Buck?

"Oh yeah," Buck returns as he opens the driver's door of Tommy's car, "but my lips are sealed, prepare for a surprise."

Tommy is definitely surprised. And confused. He puts his coffee on the roof of the car to check his pockets for the keys, still wondering why Buck gets behind the wheel of his vehicle (and why he’s willing to give him the keys, should he finally find them).

He finds them, and yes, Buck drives Tommy’s car, that's as self-evident as how he slipped into Tommy's life in the first place or that they’re headed for the loft. During the ride, they talk about all sorts of things, which you have to give Buck credit for because usually, the man has a hard time keeping a secret. Tommy is only half listening, still processing the announcement of a „rigorous night“.

But they’re still in the middle of Buck's discovery process. Buck is no doubt eager when it comes to that topic, and his sexual experiences are, well, a subject of conversation in other fire stations, too. The rumors are hardly exaggerated, because Tommy also has already learned a lot about Buck so far. For example, that his bedroom voice is a whole octave lower, and that he’s exceptionally keen on (and good at) dirty talking in this voice. Or that he writes such unrestrained text messages that Tommy turns off his phone if there’s a risk that someone might accidentally glance at his display. He’s a good, no, a perfect kisser, he loves to touch and makes the cutest little noises when he’s touched.

And that’s about it.

Tommy wonders if this is his fault. Of course, their shifts often don't match, they don't see each other as often as they both would like, but maybe it's because he's holding back too much. If growing up in a toxic household has taught him one thing, it’s not to push somebody you like. And it happens he likes that man a lot. 

So far, he’s approached the whole matter kind of like a project you divide into steps and milestones, a project called „Introduce Evan Buckley Into Sex With a Man.“ He’s just taken baby steps so far, trying to give Buck his room, letting him decide when he’s ready. Maybe Buck has just decided that this time is now. And that’s actually pretty hot.

Tommy is quite distracted during their ride through a heavy evening rush hour. First of all, Buck drives like a maniac as soon as there is even the vaguest gap in the traffic, and Tommy is pretty attached to his car, his life and to Buck. And second, Tommy, who has made the first move in pretty much all of his past relationships – and has sometimes regretted it – imagines in somewhat too vivid colors what Buck might be up to.

"Oh, wait, I forgot something," Buck says, pulling across the lane at breakneck speed; Tommy clings to the door handle. No one should jump out of a moving car, but the impulse is definitely there. Tommy laments his squealing tires as the car stops, parked halfway straight.

"Be right back," Buck calls, and he's gone.

He virtually runs – you can't call it anything else, he doesn't walk normally – into a 7/11. Tommy looks at himself in the vanity mirror, runs his fingers through his hair and sniffs his shirt, and Buck’s back. He throws a brown paper bag onto the back seat.

"Can't miss this," he says.

That crooked grin and the slightly flushed cheeks are a bit of a giveaway. It's downright cute, he must have bought condoms. Tommy slides a little uneasily back and forth in his seat as Buck starts the engine again. This has maybe as much to do with the fact that the guy is already exceeding the speed limit when he starts off as with the condoms Tommy has been carrying in his pockets for weeks.

He wonders what he actually expected. Dating Buck has been a ride so far, for sure. It's not every day that you get invited to a wedding shortly after meeting someone. It's also not every day that you rescue people from a sinking ship together. In that sense, this is harmless. Buck is just enthusiastic, and since Tommy has discovered that he enjoys being attached to those sensual lips, that's fine. However, the tension is almost killing him.

"Must be some hot stuff you've got planned for tonight," he remarks casually. 

"Absolutely," Buck exclaims with a broad grin, and Tommy regrets asking, because he starts gesticulating again, and he would prefer Buck to keep both hands on the wheel. "You won't regret it. It's about time someone showed you the ropes."

It's a remark that is as cheeky as it is quirky, but Tommy realizes that he finds it very stimulating. Perhaps he shouldn't take it too literally, after all, they've never talked about such preferences before, but the idea is certainly... inspiring. Buck is clearly in the right mood, and Tommy decides he can play along.

"I'm already looking forward to my snack," he returns.

Buck gives him a look – oh dear, watch the road, Evan – and laughs, asking, "Were you watching me in the store? Ah, wait, if you can already guess what I'm up to, don't say anything. I've been thinking about how to do it for days, so don't spoil it for me."

"Don't worry, if you like it mysterious, I'm your man," Tommy quips.

For the rest of the ride they exchange more jokey and, in Tommy’s view, slightly lewd remarks, and if Buck's intention was to tease him into being restless like a teenager before his first time, he's succeeded.

While in the elevator to the loft, they make out a bit, which definitely heightens the tension. It looks like a romantic evening in Buck's apartment. He definitely planned this, Tommy thinks, because Buck had a shift and must have set this up beforehand. The blinds on the windows in the corner with his sofa are already down. Buck, who like most firemen thinks candles in the apartment are the devil's work, switches on a couple of fake LED-candles with a remote control.

Then he gets two beers, drops onto the couch and says, "Well, I think it's time."

"O… kay?"

Tommy blinks, thinking that's a strange approach even for Buck, but who is he to complain?

"Sit down, I'm about to start," says Buck and tosses Tommy the bag he brought from the store.

"Oh," Tommy manages to utter, "that's ... I mean, if you say so…"

Surprised, he realizes that he is nervous. He knows Buck is a go-getter, even in bed, but this seems a bit too much like they both have planned a project. If he pulls out a clipboard, we need to talk, Tommy thinks. 

"So," Buck begins solemnly, "I set this out since Christopher told me... You're crushing the potato chips, Tommy."

"What?"

Tommy is still trying to understand how Christopher suddenly slipped into this conversation, pressing the bag to his chest a little too tightly out of sheer tension. Now he looks inside, and sure enough, he finds two bags of potato chips.

"I didn't know which one you liked. It took me almost a month to find your favorite coffee, so I thought I'd go with the two most popular varieties."

Buck starts babbling, which means he's nervous, but Tommy doesn't quite understand why. He rummages in the bag… there really aren't any condoms in it.

Oh. Oh, damn.

"Christopher," he says, and Buck looks at him with a frown that rumples his beautiful forehead, "Huh?"

"You said something about Eddie’s kid."

"Oh, right," Buck replies with a grin, and he starts gesticulating again, "He told me that you agreed with him on Revenge of the Sith. It being the best movie of the trilogies? Come on, I love him, but that kid has no idea. He never understood Return of the Jedi. I agree that you need to have seen both, but I figured you're a grown man, you need to form an informed opinion."

Buck takes a deep breath, and Tommy thinks that even now, in this fit of nerdiness, he's incredibly cute. This hits him a little unexpectedly, because actually, it should be a slightly embarrassing cold shower.

"This is about Star Wars?" he asks, and he can't stop himself from laughing.

"Yeah, sure... so you didn't guess it after all! Wait, what did you think it was about?"

Buck cocks his head, but right now, he so much resembles a puppy that Tommy couldn’t bear to pull the treat right out from under his nose.

"It's not that important," Tommy waves it off, sits down next to Buck and fleetingly kisses his flushed cheeks. "Revenge of the Sith is the cornerstone of order 66. You need to watch it to understand the clone’s motivation in The Bad Batch."

Then he looks at Buck, who launches into a long-winded explanation of why Return of the Jedi is the better movie in every case, but he doesn’t really listen, he’s already lost in those blue eyes again.

"Turn on the movie and we'll see," he says, but he thinks he won’t be able to focus at all. There’s a thought rising inside him, and it won’t let him go.

Good heavens. I love this idiot.

[babygirl-diaz]

Eliza's Third Dad

This is a sequel to Eddie's Magical Boo Boo Healing Powers

So I decided to repost this because oh well.

Summary: In which, Buck's daughter, Eliza, has another conversation with Eddie

***

"Papa's dating a new guy," Eliza told Eddie one day as he was cooking in his kitchen.

The three-year-old swung her tiny legs back and forth as she sat on the countertop. Buck was helping Christopher out with his Math homework and Eliza was bored so she hung out with Eddie in the kitchen instead.

Eddie stopped chopping up the cabbage for coleslaw and looked at her sympathetically. "And how do you feel about that, Lizi?"

Eliza tilted her head to the side and looked at Eddie with her big blue eyes, "What do you mean?"

Eddie pursed his lips together. "Hmmm..." he hummed and tapped his cheek with his index finger as he thought about how to phrase his question. "...Are you happy or are you sad your papa is dating someone else?"

"Oh! I'm happy! James is cool. He got me candies from some fancy place," Eliza told him.

Eddie smiled at that. It was so easy to win the 3-year-old over. He went back to chopping the cabbage and almost lost a finger at what Eliza asked next...

"Eddie, why don't you become my third dad?"

Eddie looked up at Eliza like she had grown a second head and she giggled.

"Eddie, you look like you saws a ghost!" She giggled even louder.

"Um... Lizi, where did this question even come from?" Eddie asked, surprised.

"My mouth," Eliza replied with a serious face.

"No, I mean-" Eddie sighed and grabbed onto the kitchen counter, "...why do you want me to be your third dad?"

"Because you're awesome, silly! I told Papa that I thought you were awesome and he said I should ask if you wanna be my third dad."

Eddie really needed to have a talk with Tommy about this.

Before Eddie could say anything though, thankfully, Buck and Christopher walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, fellas!" Eddie gave them an awkward smile. "All done with the Math homework?"

"Yeah," Christopher replied. "Pre-Calc sucks, but Buck makes it seem easy," the 18-year-old added.

Buck chuckled at that. "You're a smart kid, Chris. It's easy explaining stuff to you."

"Lizi, we can have our tea party now!" Christopher told Eliza.

"Okay!" Eliza said cheerfully and extended her arms. "Daddy, can you get me down?"

"Hold on, sweetie, let me wash these carrots first. Can you ask Eddie to get you down?" Buck asked.

"I was asking Eddie, silly!" Eliza replied.

Eddie felt his cheeks warm up at that.

"What?" Buck asked confused.

Eddie quickly got Eliza off the counter and put her down. "Off you two go. Have fun playing princess!"

"We're doing a tea party!" Eliza huffed.

Christopher gave Eddie a knowing look and smirked as Eliza took his hand. Eddie glared at him and Chris just chuckled as he left with Eliza.

"What was that all about?" Buck asked once they were alone.

"Nothing." Eddie gave Buck an awkward smile. "Did you know Tommy is dating someone named James?" He asked changing the subject.

"Yeah, I've met him! Seems like a cool guy," Buck replied.

"You're not jealous?" Eddie asked surprised.

"No, Tommy and I ended on amicable terms and we're still great friends. Why would I be jealous?" Buck asked. "Besides, I have my eyes on someone else." He added so softly that Eddie almost missed it.

Eddie didn't know why, but he felt his heart break at that and he pretended not to hear Buck.

"You want a beer?" Eddie asked, going over to the fridge instead. He opened it to hide the sadness that he was sure had fallen over his face.

"Sure," Buck replied. "By the way, I was talking to Chris earlier, and he seems really nervous about his college applications."

Eddie frowned and gave Buck his beer. "Really? He didn't tell me anything."

"Yeah, he's scared that he won't get into NYU," Buck told him.

"Him and me both," Eddie mumbled under his breath as he took a sip of his beer.

"Eddie..." Buck gave him a disapproving look. "You have to let him go sometime."

"L.A. has some of the best schools in the country! UCLA, USC, even Pepperdine. Hell, he can even go to UCSD. That's like 2 hours ago," Eddie told him. "I don't get why he wants to go all the way to New York."

"He's not trying to get away from you, if that's what you're thinking," Buck told him. "He just wants some independence."

"Then why does it seem like he's trying to get away from me?" Eddie asked and was well aware that he sounded like a petulant child.

Buck came over to him and put a hand on Eddie's shoulder while giving him a sincere look that almost melted Eddie's heart. "Eddie, Chris is YOUR son. You gotta trust that he will make the right choices."

"He is MY son and that's why I'm scared that he will make wrong choices," Eddie told him honestly. "Remember Kim?"

"I'd rather not. If you keep thinking about your greatest failures then you will never see your wins." Buck pulled his hand away and Eddie missed his touch. "You have made some great decisions in your life too, so trust that Chris will too. But Chris is also allowed to make mistakes too. You can't expect him to be perfect."

"Is that what he thinks? That I want him to be perfect?" Eddie asked worriedly. He never meant for Christ to feel that way.

"Sometimes," Buck replied. "Maybe talk to him?"

"I will," Eddie assured him. "And Buck?"

"Yeah?"

Eddie gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Buck replied and took a sip of his beer. But then he abruptly pulled the bottle away and furrowed his eyebrows. "By the way, did Eliza call you Dad?"

[gaywatch]

hey, it's the 911 anon

i just wanted to thank you for actually reading that whole thing, I know it was a lot

and I really hope you know that I didn't mean it in any kind of negative way

I don't know how to explain it exactly, but the whole thing with that character/actor and his fans has been making me really upset, and I see you as sort of a comfort person and a big part of my fandom experience in general so I guess I just wanted to know you would be on my side

(I'm answering this one in particular because it's shorter+easier on people's dashes but I've read the other two, no worries.)

Pinch of salt because I haven't seen the show and I'm not part of the fandom, but it seems like this is the situation: Buck came out, Tommy came back to the show as Buck's romantic interest but has a history of behaving badly (and still isn't behaving too great), meanwhile Eddie has been Buck's friend from the beginning and there's even been a lowkey outside-the-show confirmation that he's getting his own queer arc while Tommy was never meant to be a regular--which most likely means Buck and Eddie are headed towards canon.

Around all of this is a pretty intense ship war with a lot of people on either side saying all kinds of ridiculous, sometimes even harmful, things and generally talking past each other while making bad faith/reductive arguments. (Not saying you were, this is what I've seen from other posts from my dash since I follow people from both camps.)

Shipping-wise, I don't know which one I'd go for but I see the appeal of both on paper. I'm down for a good Friends To Lovers, and I also have my fair share of ships where one (or both) of them has done or said harmful things in the past but could be great with their love interest after some redemption.

Fandom-wise, all I can say is: don't engage. There are unhinged people in every fandom, for every ship, even if some have more than others. Ridiculous, unfair, nonsensical opinions are everywhere online and it's not up to other people to fix them (I say after many years of thinking they might see reason if I explained will enough). If they're ruining the experience--fandom and shipping should be fun, full stop--then it's time to curate your experience and start blocking people/tags and following people who are on your wavelength. This even applies to people who should technically be on your side, I can't tell you how many time I've had to unfollow someone who likes the same character I do but in a really weird, distorted way I simply don't understand.

It sucks that you've got a lot of fandom drama going on around you, I've totally been there. I haven't seen it first hand but I've seen posts recounting it like your asks do and it's still exhausting me so I can only imagine what's like to be in it. When the drama gets to these levels of absurd it all becomes one big game of 'my toys are better than yours' and all you can do is hope they're like thirteen and will grow out of it while you're over in your corner being sane and having fun like the fandom gods intended.

[firefighterkinard]

Some 9-1-1 thoughts, based on the new description.

I think that Eddie's stache is going to be related to Chris' absence. Specifically the fact that Chris wasn't really communicating with Eddie when we last saw them together. I think Chris is refusing to talk to him and the stache is going to be shaved off when Chris either replies to his dad's message, or even reaches out to him first. I'll be surprised if Chris comes back before midseason, especially since

It sounds like Buck and Tommy could start off having a fairly chill season, which means that either the end of 8A or 8B is likely to be the bucktommy torture hour. I've seen some speculation over whether they could have their first fight over Gerrard but here's my take: Buck's going to want advice from Tommy on how to deal with Gerrard, and Tommy's not going to want to give it because there really is no winning. Answering Buck would mean either telling him to keep his head down and lie about who he is (which would hurt Buck) or telling him to be honest about himself and his relationship with Tommy which would put a target on him (and would also hurt Buck.)

I hope Gerrard does last longer than just a few episodes, because I do think it would be interesting to explore how different it is when characters like Eddie and Buck were never probies under him, compared to Hen who worked under him for a while, and then people like Chimney and Tommy (who, interestingly, were the ones he directly went after at the medal ceremony) who were not only probies but worked under him for up to six years.

I feel so bad that they made Bobby, a legacy firefighter, get a regular job. That poor man. He is going to be bored shitless but I also think it would be very fun if he ended up getting really into the show.

We don't really get a lot about Hen and Karen's arc, except that Ortiz will continue to be a nightmare for them as they try to get Mara back. I'm looking forward to this arc, especially as I think it's going to lead to some very interesting scenes between henren and madney, since their daughter is now part of someone else's family.

I have a controversial take on Maddie and Chimney possibly having another child: I really want them to adopt. I know that they could have a biological child but I would kind of like to see 9-1-1 have adoption be presented as a viable option for a couple who can conceive without the help of a third party.

Athena's arc tease really interests me. Because there are a few characters it could be that we, as viewers, know - one of her friends from law school, maybe even her mentor from when she first joined the police, or they could bring back Dennis, the man who shot Emmett.

I'm also really interested in what connects Gerrard and Ortiz. Like we already suspected, based on the image Tim shared last season, that they're in cahoots but the confirmation and tease that they're connected in many ways has my attention.

[emphasisonthehomo]

Hi! I would like the director's cut of the tommy & allen conversation, i loved all the famous couples references (ik they had been divorced for a long time but it would have been hilarious to mention brangelina too, given their age). also your favourite part to write! Really, just talk about whatever and i am an happy person. Thank you!

I am doing the director's commentary differently than I used to, so it's just the commentary without the fic included.

The fic in question.

Anyways YES. Allen!

I wanted to give Tommy a friend, because there's gotta be someone to give Tommy shit at air support. Also from a narrative perspective, I wanted Tommy to be In The Process of being more open and out. He's out as gay now, but he is closeted as trans. And as a result there needs to be someone he's close to that knows about him being transgender, the fact that said person is also someone he works with makes it even better.

Allen knows Tommy well enough to pick up when he's sulking and being a sad sack about the date not going well. He also knows Tommy well enough to be Aware that Tommy is looking for something serious, hence the tease about Tommy's search for a whirlwind romance, etc etc. Allen is 100% one of the guys that Tommy goes to Karaoke trivia night with. I think Tommy has quite a few friends, but not very many that he's super close and open with. Allen is one of those friends for him. Frankly, Allen is Tommy's emergency contact.

In my head Allen is played by John Boyega with a mustache and the most obnoxious Southern California accent you've ever heard. He goes rollerblading on his days off with his beautiful wife.

Anyways, I was trying to think of some well known couples that are relatively mainstream. But I'm also not dialed into the cultural zeitgeist, so I wound up going with some that aren't the It Couples of 2024. Whatever. I figure they're well known enough that the reader isn't going to have to google who is who.

~

As for the scene I enjoyed writing the most, I do think it might be the scene where Tommy comes out and the lead up to it. Because it's so fucking ridiculous. It's extremely awkward, while also being kinda horny, because the entire time Buck does have Tommy pushed up against the inside of the front door.

Re: the date itself, I don't Buck was necessarily expecting to get an invite to Tommy's place after. Howmever, I do think that Buck was over compensating a little bit during the date. He was trying to make sure that Tommy knew for sure that Buck was 'over' whatever hesitations he had for their first date. Buck speed ran his bisexual freak out. He's ready. So he was a little more forward than he would have been otherwise. He was certainly more forward with Tommy than he would have been with a woman.

But it all works out! Buck gets asked if he wants to go to Tommy's place! And the answer is yes, obviously. Evan's been thinking A Lot about sex with men, and A Lot about what Tommy might look like naked. Except Tommy wants to talk first. So Buck gets that whiplash of OH SHIT DID I MISREAD THIS SITUATION? oh oh good I didn't oH WAIT. WHAT?

Also re: Evan asking if Tommy's dick works like a "regular" dick. First of all that's the kind of question he'd ask. Also also once Buck realized that what he was feeling for Tommy was attraction, he of course did a deep internet porn dive. Which included watching a bunch of videos of dude's jorking it. And while he was browsing, one came up that was a post op trans dude having a fun time with a pump, which is why Buck brought it up. It's a recent thing he's seen, and he vaguely knows about it.

There may or may not be a Buck POV in the works. Shhhhhhhh.

[thedanceronthestreets]

Ok so, the new episode has evoked multiple trains of thought in my head and although they all are related to the buck/tommy/eddie situation, i think it makes sense to put them down in several categories here:

Overall feel of the show at abc: i'm gonna say that the show definitely feels a bit unsettled after the network change, they seem to have a hard time balancing personal relationship plots and actual firefighter stuff. I know a lot of the cases in previous seasons were silly but they were still believable. The whole cruise disaster thing was just so over the top and now in the last 2 episodes there has been next to no action. The promo for next week's episode looks kinda like absolute mayhem. I do believe the abc team will figure this out and that they just need a little time to get comfortable but it's defo noticeable.

Buck's character: completely removed from his new romantic relationship, i am soooo loving his coming out arc. They've shown 2 amazing coming out scenes and one (and a half) dates and yet the word bisexual didn't even need to be said!!! It just makes sense as a story on its own!! It feels so natural and buck seems so so happy and in love and settled and has gobsmacking chemistry with tommy. I love that we get to watch him make mistakes and get things right while figuring himself out, it just feels so close to real life and i think the writers (and actors) are doing a fantastic job here.

Tommy's character: OBSESSED WITH HIM. HE'S SO FUNNY. And i think he's an excellent first male love interest for buck because he doesn't beat around the bush. He's comfortable in his own skin and is very aware that he doesn't have to give that up for buck despite crushing on him hardcore. I love that he gives buck the space to make mistakes and come to terms with his bi-ness, but not at the expense of himself. He is a great mature influence on buck and i think will eventually help him to become confident in his sexuality in a way buck may have taken way longer to do on his own. Which leads me to ...

The buck/tommy relationship: this is where things start to get complicated. My head says "let's microanalyse every scene in regards to buddie" but my heart says "enjoy how fucking cute buck and tommy are being on screen right now". I DON'T WANT THEM TO BREAK UP. AT ALL. THEY ARE CRAZY ABOUT EACH OTHER. WHIPPED, IN FACT!!! I do think buck/tommy isn't "endgame" per se but i do think they fit so well together, they should be given the opportunity to last a little while at least. Buck needs someone like tommy now who will hold him accountable while being entirely sympathetic. It's a great dynamic that i would be very sad to see go (and so would buck i think because i have never seen heart eyes that intense on that man before....)

Buck/eddie: look. I can't unsee it, just like everybody else. Doesn't matter how cute tommy and buck are, i hold my breath whenever buck and eddie share a scene now. There's some weird shit happening there. I think the writers have been very clever with the latest episode because it leaves buck and eddie on good terms without insinuating what exactly comes next. Buck is completely focused on tommy right now (which is good!) and eddie has his own stuff going on, so a rushed buddie arc would make zero sense right now. As a lot of people have already said, buddie is very much a long-haul game and while we can start to see seeds at this point, i'd hate to rush into it. Cause the slow burn is part of the fun right :D right ????

Eddie: eddie. My silly goose. I love what they're doing with him this season. He seems so much more able to let loose and enjoy himself. He's getting sillier and i love that for him. He also seems to have headspace for new things now.... such as recognising that he's limited by catholic guilt..... which is the number one symptom of being into hot godly women.... right ... right..... I'd probably kill a man to quiz the writers on how they came up with the concept of eddie/tommy. Because that means they've thought about how gay eddie would make sense. They will have discussed his motivations and experiences over the last few seasons and recontextualised them. And mould them into the life of a closeted gay man. Gnawing. Clawing, even.

Conclusion: buck/tommy slay. Hate to see them go. Would love to see eddie be gay and get his own independent coming out arc just like buck did. Want them to be gay buddies for a while. And then see what that makes of the situation.....

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for the season 4, eleventh episode "Double Trouble" which originally aired April 4, 2023. The episode was written by Jamie Kessler and directed by Bradley Buecker. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1: LONE STAR***

The future of Tommy, Nancy, and TK's jobs are on the line when Pearce Risher (Andy Favreau) makes his return to the show. Tommy's old nemesis is now working for Paragon, a private paramedic service that prioritizes profits over patients. When Paragon's cutting corners results in the near-death of Pearce and a patient, Tommy and her crew step in to save the day. Meanwhile, the 126 hosts a Stand Up to Cancer event at the firehouse. Owen hooks up with a very wealthy donor and receives a generous donation for his services. Or so he believes. 

Now that we're all caught up, let's discuss episode eleven - DOUBLE TROUBLE.

We begin the episode over at the Ryders'. Wyatt (Jackson Pace) is back and he is here to drop some major bombshells. He's brought his girlfriend, Leigh Ann (Jessi Case) to meet his dad and stepmom. Fun fact: Jessi Case and Julian Work, who plays Mateo, starred in an installment of the Hulu horror anthology series Into the Dark. Another thing I like to point out is I love Judd's good-natured teasing of Wyatt. I love how Judd has truly embraced being Wyatt's father and it's proof that it's never too late to have a relationship with someone as long as you're willing to put in the work.

Anywho, Grace asks to hear the story of how the two lovebirds met and we learn that Wyatt being sexiled (love that word) by his roommate resulted in him meeting Leigh Ann in the common room of his dorm. Leigh Ann says that she is an early education major and Wyatt points out that she has a 4.0 GPA. When Judd asks about his GPA, Wyatt drops his first bomb and says that he has dropped out of school. Judd is furious and Grace tries to calm him down. She reminds Wyatt that if his course load causing him to have second thoughts about school that he can just drop some of his classes. Wyatt assures her that it's not that; he says he doesn't need a degree for his new aspiration.- being a firefighter. He asks Judd if he would call the chief to put in a good word for him. Judd is clearly rattled by Wyatt's revelation and asks him what the real motivation is for wanting to become a first responder. We get bombshell #2 when Wyatt announces that he and Leigh Ann are having a baby! Lawd, have mercy! I was not expecting this. Not at all! Poor Judd! Just last season he learned he already had a kid, or rather another kid (can't forget baby Charley) and now he's discovering he's going to be a grandfather. Wowser!

Cue title card!

Marjan interrupts a game of Catan at the firehouse to share the chore list she created for her teammates. She is still on light duty after being shot a few episodes ago and much like Evan (Buck) Buckley (Oliver Stark), she is letting her new role go to her head a bit. Mateo gets a FaceTime call from his troublemaking cousin in LA. The last time we saw Marvin Chavez was during the earthquake episode of the OG series. Mateo introduces Marvin to the crew and they all think he's playing a practical joke on them since he and his cousin are practically identical a la The Patty Duke Show.

Paul: "Is that a real whole another person?" Mateo: "Yeah, this is my cousin from Cali, Marvin." TK: "That's your twin?" Mateo: "No, not twin. Identical cousin." Marjan: "That is not a real thing."

Mateo introduces Marvin to Nancy which I thought was super adorable. Marvin asks if he can speak to Mateo privately. Marvin informs him that he's currently incarcerated for grand theft auto, leaving the scene of an accident, and evading arrests and he needs bail money. When Mateo asks how much, Marvin tells him $25,000. Mateo tells him he doesn't have that kind of money but Marvin guilt-trips him. Mateo says he'll see what he can do. 

We next see an older woman named Marge Mooney (Gigi Bermingham) working in her backyard. Two brothers - Sampson (Aidan McGraw) and Tanner (Liam Risinger) are playing in their yard next door when they accidentally toss a baseball into Marge's yard, decapitating one of her creepy gnome figurines. The two boys apologize for the ball ending up in her yard and ask for it back. Marge refuses to give it back and Tanner calls her 'Mean Marge'. The two brothers climb up into their treehouse and they see Marge's stash of balls that she's collected from all the neighborhood children who have accidentally tossed them into her yard. Sampson and Tanner lament that it was their last ball in a moment very reminiscent of one of my all-time favorite movies - The Sandlot. Sampson says he has something better than a ball. He gets his dad's hunting bow and aims an arrow to hit one of Ms. Mooney's yard gnomes. At the last moment he is distracted by his dad and misfires the arrow. Cue 9-1-1 call.

Tommy, Nancy, and TK arrive on the scene where Carlos is already mediating between Marge and the boys' father, Zach (Mickey Casab). We see that Marge has an arrow going through the middle of her neck but surprisingly there's very little blood. Tommy does her assessment and asks Marge when she's last seen a doctor. Ms. Mooney says she doesn't do doctors. Tommy tells her there's a large lump in her neck, possibly cancerous, that prevented the arrow from hitting her carotid artery. Marge asks if she's going to die. Tommy tells her she needs to get it checked out and reminds her that the two boys' mischief has possibly saved her life. As Marge is being transported, she has a change of heart. She apologizes to Sampson and Tanner and asks Carlos to go into her backyard, open the large bin and return the boys' their belongings. She also asks that the next time the boys hit something in her yard to come over for a glass of juice. Sampson tells her that they can do that. What a sweet ending to a really horrific accident. 

Back at the station, Mateo goes to talk to Owen who is listening to Winston Churchill's "Finest Hour" speech as inspiration for the toast he will deliver at TK and Carlos' wedding. Mateo asks Owen if he can borrow $25,000 for Marvin's bail. Owen asks him what Marvin did and Mateo says that he "borrowed a Ferrari" ... again. Owen asks if Marvin asks Mateo for money a lot and we learn that Mateo's already bailed his cousin out at least five times. Yikes! Owen has such a good dad moment when he asks if Mateo's ever considered the reason Marvin is a repeat offender is because he has a safety net. Mateo tells Owen that he owes Marvin and his aunt and uncle for taking him in when he came to the United States from Mexico. He says that Marvin has always looked out for him. Owen tells him there's a difference between looking out for someone and enabling bad behavior. Owen would know since he's the parent of an addict. I love that he says 'addict' and not 'former addict' because no matter how long TK maintains his sobriety, being an addict is a chronic illness. Owen doesn't give Mateo the money because he says it wouldn't do him or Marvin any favors. Marvin Chavez needs to learn his lesson this time. Great advice, Captain Strand! 

Over in the workout area, Judd is going to town on a punching bag. Tommy joins him and asks if everything is okay at home. Judd says it's been better. Tommy says that having a toddler at home can be very stressful. Judd tells her that it's not Charley - it's his 19 year old toddler, Wyatt. He tells Tommy that Wyatt's got his girlfriend 'knocked up'. P.S. - I really hate this euphemism for a woman getting pregnant because it sounds super violent and sort of dehumanizing. Can we please retire the phrase? Anywho, Tommy is such a good friend in this scene. While Judd vents about Wyatt quitting school and thus ruining his life, she listens and doesn't pass judgment. Tommy tells him that Wyatt wanting to become a firefighter isn't at all surprising considering how much he idolizes his dad. She reminds Judd that he's a great role model but Judd doesn't see it that way. Judd laments that Wyatt wants to be the bum version of himself instead of going out into the world and doing something great. Judd says he doesn't want his son to make the same mistakes he made and Tommy reminds him that Wyatt's decisions are not up to him. Tommy asks him if he could change anything that happened in his life leading up to the day he met Grace.

Judd: "No, I don't reckon I would."

Tommy reminds Judd that if he is worried about Wyatt turning out just like him then he has nothing to worry about. Aww! Tommy, you're such a good friend!!! I love the Tommy and Judd friendship so much!

In the next scene, Wyatt visits the firehouse to ask Judd if he's had any more thoughts about what they talked about over dinner. Judd tells him he won't be making a call to the chief because he believes it would be a mistake. He tells Wyatt that he's been where he's been and Wyatt reminds him that's not true. Wyatt assures him that he plans on being there for his kid which sounded harsh at first but then he tempers it by saying that he knows Judd would've been there if he knew about Wyatt earlier. Wyatt assures Judd he will not make the same mistakes as he did. Judd says he does want to make up for lost time but he won't be making the call. He tells Wyatt he thinks he's too soft to be a firefighter. Wyatt is clearly hurt by hearing this and walks away. 

Meanwhile, Mateo is attempting to sell his Pokemon cards as a means of raising Marvin's bail money. When Nancy discovers what he's doing, she sends him the money he needs because she knows how much he loves his Pokemon card collection. Mateo tells her she's a good girlfriend.

Over at the Ryders' Judd is fixing the kitchen cabinets at God knows what time of the morning. Grace joins him in the kitchen and asks him what's going on. He tells her about Wyatt coming to the firehouse and how he called him soft. Grace asks him if he meant what he said and Judd tells her he did. He says he thinks the world of Wyatt but insists that not everyone is built to do what he does every day. Grace tells him that's something Wyatt needs to find out for himself. Judd insists that he's not stopping him but Grace points out that he's not helping him either. Judd says he can't go to the chief regarding something he doesn't believe in. Grace says that if that's the case then he needs to get to the point where he believes in Wyatt. If he truly believes Wyatt is not tough enough then it's his job to toughen him up. At the end of this scene, Judd points out that Grace is the wisest woman he's ever met and that she will make a great grandmother. Grace scoffs at this and he teases her by calling her granny and memaw. This scene was super sweet because I love how Judd has these two women in his life who can make him see reason when he's being stubborn. 

Back at the firehouse, Mateo receives a call from his cousin Daniela. He learns that as soon as Marvin was released from jail, he stole another vehicle and ended up in an accident. Marvin is dead. Mateo, of course, does not take the news well and I honestly felt really bad for him. He insists that Marvin's death is his fault and Owen assures him it's not. Mateo says he should've listened to Owen because even though Marvin would still be in custody, he would at least be alive. Owen reminds Mateo that it was Marvin's choice to steal that Porsche and that it was a bad choice to make. Owen tells Mateo that he should go home since his shift is over. Mateo asks him for money so he can go back to LA for the funeral. Owen tells him he will give him whatever he needs and Mateo says that was easy. He thanks Owen and leaves.

Nancy tries to console Mateo in the locker room and he tells her he wishes she hadn't given him the money for Marvin's bail. Nancy asks if he blames her and Mateo assures her he doesn't. He tells her he's mad at himself for taking the money and worries what his aunt and uncle will do once they find out he was the one who posted the bond. Marvin leaves to go home and Nancy suggests she can go with him. He tells her no and that he wants to be alone. Nancy is so understanding at this moment.

Mateo heads home and he starts to spiral. He takes several shots of whiskey, trips, and hits his head. He is knocked out cold. When he comes to, we see a bedroom with two twin beds decorated in an old school aesthetic.

What we get next is Mateo's backstory delivered in the style of a sitcom from the 1950's, i.e. The Patty Duke Show and Leave it to Beaver. We see two identical boys - Mateo and Marvin. We learn that it was Mateo who was the troublemaker while they were growing up and Marvin was the well-mannered one. Very Goofus and Gallant. We see Mateo coming in through the bedroom window. Marvin catches him and chastises him for sneaking out overnight. Mateo's hands are pink from tagging their school. Mateo attempts to wash the paint from his hands while Marvin tells him to hurry up and get dressed so they can both get to school. Mateo tells him there's no school left because burned down.

We then get a very classic television-inspired theme song featuring not only Mateo and Marvin, but cousin Daniela (Marjan), Aunt Marisol (Tommy), and Uncle O (Owen). I loved every moment of this because I grew up watching Nick at Nite with my grandmother. That's how I was introduced to shows like Mary Tyler Moore, I Love Lucy, Dragnet, and Bewitched.

Mateo and Marvin head downstairs for breakfast where there's some funny banter between the family. They are joined by Milkman Judd. You know, Jim Parrack in all white really did it for me. Milkman Judd asks if they heard about what happened at the middle school. He tells the Chavez family that the school burned down, soliciting some nervous looks exchanged between Mateo and Marvin. To make matters worse, Officer Reyes and his nincompoop sidekick (Carlos and TK) drop by to let the family know they found a can of spray paint at the scene of the crime and they have footage of Mateo at the school. Marvin steps in and confesses to the crime because he worries if Mateo gets in trouble he will be deported back to Mexico. Marvin is arrested by the officers and taken away. 

In the next scene we see Nancy cleaning the wound Mateo sustained when he tripped and failed. Owen asks Nancy if they should take him to the hospital but Mateo says he actually needs to go to the police station. When Nancy asks why, he tells her that he needs to report a crime. Owen asks him what crime and Mateo responds by saying vandalism and arson. The very first time Marvin got in trouble was because of something he did. Mateo confesses to burning down his middle school when he was thirteen years old. He thinks it's time that everyone knows the truth because when Marvin stepped in to take the heat for his crime, it set him on a path of destruction which ultimately led to his death. Mateo asks Owen to take him to the police station. Nancy says that if he does that, he could end up losing everything. Mateo says if that happens, he deserves it. He tells Owen he needs to make things right and Owen agrees to take him to the station.

Meanwhile, Judd invites Wyatt over to let him know that he and Grace are willing to help him and Leigh Ann out until he graduates from the fire academy. Wyatt is shocked by this news and reminds Judd that he called him soft. Judd doesn't take back what he said but instead tells him that he's going to help toughen him up. Wyatt tells him that he will be starting at the academy the following week. As it turns out, he went and got the job on his own accord rather than waiting for Judd to put in a good word for him. Judd is both surprised and proud. Wyatt asks him if he still thinks that he's soft and Judd says as a baby's belly but he's going to help him change that. He gives Wyatt some workout clothes and a plastic garbage bag. Judd tells him to get changed so they can get to work. The two of them hug and they're officially my second favorite father/son relationship of the show.

Owen does take Mateo to the station but it's not the police station. When they arrive at the firehouse, Owen tells him that if he truly wants to make things right, then this is where he needs to be. 

Owen: "You come here every day and you try to save someone. You do it because you couldn't save Marvin."

Owen reminds Mateo that the debt he so badly wants to take ownership of has already been paid. Owen asks him not to throw away Marvin's sacrifice because his work with the 126 is too important. He tells Mateo he is sorry he lost his cousin but he doesn't want to lose him. This is truly Owen Strand at his best. Owen has many faults but he is truly a good man underneath all the bravado and hair product. He is also a good captain and a good father figure to TK and Mateo. Mateo thanks him.

In our final scene, we see Wyatt running while Judd is driving alongside him in his truck. What a good episode for fathers and their sons.

So, let's talk about the episode as a whole! This episode ranks very high with me and I think both storylines were done well. I think Wyatt Harris was a great addition to the show and I think it's quite interesting to see Judd learning how to be a dad to both a toddler and a grown man. The news of Wyatt and his girlfriend, Leigh Ann, expecting a baby was quite shocking to me but it adds an interesting dynamic to the show. How fun will it be to see Judd and Grace navigating parenthood as well as being grandparents. Also, does this mean Wyatt will be joining the 126 at some point?

The Mateo plot was my favorite of the episode. We have watched Mateo grow so much during the course of this show but admittedly he's mostly taken a backseat for most of this season. I'm so glad we got to learn even more about the character and I think it was a nice twist learning that he was the delinquent. This show has always been about second chances and sometimes third and fourth chances. We have seen other characters have to start over after tragedy has befell them and Mateo is no different. His cousin taking the rap for a crime he committed was the wakeup call he needed to become the man he was meant to be all along. Unfortunately it was also the beginning of Marvin's downfall but ultimately when we become a certain age, our choices are our own and we can only blame so much on circumstances. I admire Marvin for protecting Mateo but everything that came afterwards could have been avoided.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Lone Star is knocking it out of the park this season. I have truly enjoyed every single episode and we still have seven more to go. I hope we continue to get more episodes like this sprinkled throughout the rest of this season. Until next time ...

[blueberrytwoberry]

Okay, well, I have a bunch of unformed half-thoughts about Eddie, and Buck, and potential relationships (not positive, for the record), and I thought, you know, why not write them all down on this Saturday morning when I’m up super early, because, I don’t know, at this point I feel less and less (and less) like them being together would actually be good for Eddie, and he’s my favorite so.

(I am putting all my many unpopular opinions under this cut)

It’s just… Well, let’s start with the end of the last episode. Where Eddie finally allows himself to experience joy, to dance around and just be free for once in his life. And in the midst of that joy, in that one moment of freedom, Buck shows up at his house in a thundercloud and just. Brings the whole mood down.

Which, you know. Would be one thing, except it also comes after episodes and episodes of Buck not being around when Eddie is clearly going through a lot of shit. Of a season where Eddie has shown up twice to help with Buck’s shit and is now getting pulled into helping with a third serving of crap, and it really just… paints the picture that Eddie is there (in Buck’s head) to take care of him. To help when Buck has a “problem” and to be put away up on a shelf when Buck has other things going on (a boyfriend).

(Note also that when Eddie is up on his shelf, Buck doesn’t want him getting down on his own and going to do other things, and will react violently if he tries, per 7.4. Because Buck may not have any use for Eddie at certain times but he doesn’t want anyone else stepping in, which….)

And you know what, all of that reinforces something I’ve felt about the two of them for a while. There are, for sure, people who date single parents because they’re hoping (either consciously or unconsciously) that they’ll get parented, too. They want parents, not partners. They want someone to do the work for them.

Which, well. I’ve been told over and over by fandom that’s what Buck wants and I didn’t agree and then I didn’t want to believe but, actually, based on his relationship with Tommy, sure. Sure, it seems so. Tons of people said Buck wants to be babied and coddled and hey he was ready to move in with the boyfriend who babied and coddled him in his thirties and he gives Abbie credit for making him grow up as a guy in his mid twenties, and Ali forced him to actually get a place to live as a guy in his late twenties, so, yeah, okay. Seems he does. Which. Fine. Not unrealistic. Like I said, some people are like that. If they find someone who wants to parent them, more power to them both.

But I absolutely do not believe Eddie wants to be a parent in his romantic relationships. He has, in fact, shown a preference to find people who will co-parent, regardless of his own attraction or desire for them on other levels. And I do appreciate that the show seems to confirm that, over and over.

Eddie wants and needs and deserves a chance to be joyful and human. To be free and happy without getting roped into parenting another adult. And if I’m really getting into it, taking everything that’s happened in canon, both distantly and especially recently, I think on some level he’s always known that he’d get stuck parenting Buck if they got too close.

Because I don’t know. Probably my most unpopular opinion (but you have so many, you say) is that Buck doesn’t actually co-parent Christopher and never has and doesn’t want to. Buck acts mostly like Chris’s older sibling. He’s nearly always there for fun time hangs, he puts the pressure of caring for his emotions on Christopher more than once (at the pier, after Eddie gets shot), and he’s the “I ran away to your house because dad was mean” choice, which has always been, in my experience, a sibling role.

I don’t know. This all ties into why I can’t buy the Buck-Wants-Kids thing, I think, because I don’t see it. He, for sure, likes kids. (Even loves kids!) But he likes kids in the… fun to play with and hang out with way. In the “fun uncle who takes you on crazy adventures” way. Him watching Jee was basically a masterclass in demonstrating this, IMO. He likes hanging out and being silly. Not the nitty-gritty “you’re going to have to deal with teething and potty training and refusing to do homework” way. He hangs out at the kids table during events and that’s fine for the cool uncle but as a parent it puts him into the “I’m not like other parents, I’m a cool parent” box and you know what, I’ll just say, not a great box to be in for the care and development and growth of your child.

Kids don’t need parents to be their playmates. Kids need parents to be their parents. Not to say parents shouldn’t play with their kids. But they have a bigger role beyond fun time buddy.

Anyway. I do have, I guess, the smallest smidgeon of hope that maybe things’ll happen on the show that can get me back on Buck’s side. The talk about him taking time to figure out what he likes encourages me a little, but, honestly, I mostly suspect he’ll discover he likes the same things he’s always sought out. Which, again, to be clear, is a FINE thing to want! People do! It’s chill as long as all involved parties are into it!

BUT! I hope if that is what he discovers that he stays away from Eddie, because I don’t know. Some people want to parent their partners. Seems Tommy did. But I absolutely believe Eddie doesn’t and I just want him to find more joy. Not subsume it to make someone else happy.

Anyway. Yeah, thanks if you read this far. It feels good to get this all out and I figure I’ve included something in here for most people to block me in the fandom but you know? I’ve got to live my truth, I guess. And my truth is I want better for Eddie. I want him to be happy. I’d like Buck to be happy, too! But, as of this moment, I truly don’t think their happiness is compatible. Also I have tried to tag this appropriately but if I’ve missed something, let me know.

[detectivereyes]

I don’t know if you watch 911 too but if you have, you know how the characters get ‘begins’ episodes? If they did that on lone star, which characters would you like to have ‘begins’ episodes and what would you want each episode to be about plot wise? I would love to see Judd & TK begins episodes and maybe even Carlos down the line at some point. I think it would be interesting to see each of them at a more vulnerable and different part of their lives when they were younger. Maybe Carlos gets a call where he gets injured and we get to see flashbacks of why he decided to be a cop and other things. Judd’s would be interesting because of the crossover episode they could touch on that more and what he was like before he met grace and all that. TK interests me the most because yeah we know him but I think it would be so interesting to see what he was like as a teen & how much his parents demanding jobs affected him & maybe how other life events led to him doing reckless things (he did say he’s done a lot of things in the past and his dad is still there for him)

tim minear / ryan murphy (or another showrunner idk) did confirm that we are getting begins episodes for lone star, so i’m assuming we’ll be getting one this season, and more should the show continue! (which it probably will be it’s one of the top shows ratings wise...) anyway yes i do watch 911 and i love those episodes!! personally, i don’t think the begins episode should be for judd, owen, or tk just because season 1 was so heavy with their storylines. i mean look how long it took for us to get buck begins for that reason (they said the reason they weren’t even planning on it was bc they saw s1 as his “begins” - which is wrong and i’m glad we’re getting the episode!!) but anyway, considering the first two 911 begins episodes were for chimney and hen, that gives me a lot of hope that the first lone star begins episode(s) will be one of the characters who have been pushed to the side a lot; someone like paul or marjan would be great! carlos would also be awesome but i think they would start with the firefighters first. as for what i would want to see...

for carlos, you said the magic word... i have been manifesting injured carlos since he first showed up on my screen (i’m a whump fan, it’s what i do) so if the begins episode fits that in, which if you look at the 911 begins episodes, there’s a good possibility... i would be very happy

for tk, i want to learn more about his addiction. i don’t really want him to relapse in the present (thought that would make sense for his begins...) i want answers. when did he start using? why? how many times did he od? rehab? was getting into the fire academy his motivation for getting clean? did he struggle with drugs and alcohol, or just drugs? all this to say, i just wanna know more about his addiction okay

for judd, we just found out that he was a troubled kid so... clearly there’s stuff to explore there! also max and i discovered that in the family pic judd looks at when his visits his father there appears to be 4 boys and the parents. but later in the episode, he asks his father where he ranks among favorite sons and stuart says judd is in “the top 3”... which begs the question what happen to the fourth sibling? disowned? dead? trans (so not a son)? max and i are personally manifesting judd has a trans sister 😌 in all honestly, it’s probably just a continuity error but it’s fun to speculate

for marjan, i want to know why she is such a daredevil. i also want to know more about her family. jillian wrote a great fic about her relationship with her parents so that’s been stuck in my head.

for paul, i want to know what his experience was like joining the academy. why did he decide to join? is that where he got his perceptive skills or was it something he got before? was he always planning on being a firefighter or was he on a different path?

for mateo, similar to marjan and paul i just want to know more about him in general. he mentions living with roommates... what about his family? honestly we know pretty much nothing about him so they could go in any direction. i’m wondering if his faith will come up, since in 2x02 when everyone else turned to someone else for comfort, mateo ran to a church.

for grace, i want to know about her life pre-judd... or at least pre-marriage. but i need the emphasis to be on her and not just her and judd... though i would like to know if she always planned to be 911 operator or if that was swayed by her relationship with judd... were they high school sweethearts? did they meet through their jobs? i wanna know

i don’t want an owen begins bc the entire show is owen begins sjbdkehdkd but i guess it would be about 9/11 and we could see little tk so that would be nice i guess..,. also i do want to know about his second wife. so there are things that would pull me in i guess

idk about tommy considering we’ve only had her for like 2.5 episodes but i think if they do a begins episode in a later season, it would be a great way to bring liv tyler back in since she was the one who trained michelle! other than that i’m not sure yet.

thanks for asking, this was a lot of fun to think about!