#plus we gotta remember the sheer amount of trauma she has also been through thank you

[donationwayne]

Feelin Good (Could be Better) Chapter Four

Hello, just realized I never posted this over here. I posted chapter four of ten of my first ever chapter fic!! (completely written just posting as my irls beta it)

You can read the first, second, and third, and fourth chapter of my fic over on AO3 right here

This chapter, Buck has dinner with Chimney, Maddie, and his parents. (He gets a little drunk)

Summary

The Buckley parents come to town, turning Buck's already shaky mental status from precarious to worse. Despite avoiding a dreaded dinner at all costs, Buck consents to join Maddie, Chimney, and his parents for dinner. Buck is super fine thanks for asking, he'll just bake about it. And think about kissing Eddie, obviously. Secrets are revealed, leaving the 118 reeling.

snippet

“It's just that you were quiet on shift the rest of the day after Maddie stopped by, and you haven’t shown your face in the work group chat since. I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re spinning out a bit.” Buck laughs a little numbly. He occasionally forgot how perceptive Chimney could be. He was good at burying it under his goofball exterior. “What I’m trying to say is that if you need me to cover for you tonight, I can.” “I’ll be fine, Chim. It's just been… a really long time since I’ve seen my parents.” “You’ve never talked about them much,” Chimney considers. “When was the last time you saw them?” “When I dropped out of college, so maybe… when I was 19? We’ve had no contact since.” “Does Maddie know?” Chimney asks in concern. “Of course not. You know how she is… I just don’t want to worry her. She’s got enough to worry about. I don't want to be a burden. I’ll be fine tonight, Chim. Cross my heart.” Buck lies. “I can admit I’m being a little stubborn. I just need to get through dinner. It’ll be fine. Besides, it’ll be better for you if there’s a buffer.” Chimney procures a small bottle of rum from his jacket, offering it to Buck. “I figured this might work as a little liquid courage.” He grins when he spots the look of disbelief. “Listen, if I understand anything, it's complicated family dynamics.”