#soft Ravi is best ravi

[effervescentwolf]

"No one believes me," Buck complains when Eddie picks up the phone, "when I say that I'm not in love with you."

Eddie's heart drops. Then, like his stomach isn't still in his throat, like he doesn't feel out of his body for no reason at all, "Hey, Buck." He gestures, imagines Buck's hands waving around as he talks. "Hi, Eddie. How's the house?" Then, back to himself, "Finally unpacked most of my stuff. How's your unpacking going?"

"I don't get it," Buck continues morosely like he didn't even hear Eddie. He sounds a little like a kicked puppy, and there's a fond little feeling tugging at Eddie's chest. It feels good to feel that again, even though it hasn't been that long yet.

Yet.

But it still feels like something familiar in this unfamiliar house, familiar in a way all of Eddie's worldly possessions don't either. The closest he got to comfort were Christopher's things, and then the things Buck has bought him over the years. The rest felt—impersonal.

"You told them I'm straight?" Eddie says, and there's that other feeling again, the one that makes him feel like he's missed a step when walking, like his feet are being swept right out from under him.

"That's what I said," Buck says, glum. "Even Tommy—"

"Tommy?" Eddie repeats, brows drawing together, warmth in his chest snapping shut, like turning a key in a lock, like there's something closing up.

"Yeah, I—" Buck starts and stops. "I—I ran into him the other night when I was out with Ravi, and—"

"You were out with Ravi? Didn't think you two had much in common," Eddie says, not sure why he asks or why he says it, not sure what he wants to know. Buck didn't tell him that though, and it feels almost like panic for a second, except Eddie doesn't panic, and Buck isn't—Buck is his best friend. Buck just... hadn't told him yet.

"Yeah, Maddie said I needed to make friends so—" Buck groans. "Why is this so hard?"

He's whining. Eddie smiles despite himself, fiddles with the hem of his shirt. "Never really needed to," he says absently.

"I know! And I'm fine being alone—uh, not that I'm alone," Buck immediately backtracks, still doing that thing of stepping around Eddie to protect him.

"Buck," is all Eddie has to say.

"But I can't sleep in your house and pretend," Buck says, and now it's an outpour, "It doesn't feel like my house. Even when I—I hooked up with Tommy here, and—"

"What?" Eddie says, and he thinks the only thing keeping him standing is the way he's about to shatter his phone with his grip, so tight it hurts, fingers numb, mouth dry, heart pounding. "Buck, why would you—"

"I know, I know," Buck replies hastily, "I won't do it again. I thought it was—I mean I didn't want to be alone, but he asked me—he thought I was in love with you," he rounds out, sounding small, and Eddie has to swallow two times before he can even say anything. Buck beats him to it, still on a roll. "I guess he was... jealous? I get it, I guess."

Eddie's lips are numb now. He still feels a flicker of something vindictive, a little bit of satisfaction. That's what he gets for breaking Buck's heart, he thinks. Should've stayed away in the first place. "You get it," he repeats anyway.

"Yeah, I mean—you know," Buck says, hesitant, and Eddie can see him so clearly it hurts, see the way his face scrunches up, the way he shrugs and turns his shoulders inward like he's trying to hide, just a little. "We're—close. We're—you know. You and me."

"Yeah," Eddie says. He's not choked up, not really, but he's so grateful for everything he has, and he's just—he's glad he has Buck. He misses him, and he's glad for him. If he has to blink back tears, there's no one to witness it. "Me and you."

Buck doesn't respond for an eternity. "I just miss you," he says eventually, soft.

"Not in love with me, though?" Eddie has to ask, and he doesn't know why.

Buck laughs a little, sheepish. "Not in love with you," he says, and what he should sound is relieved, but he sounds nervous, mostly.

What Eddie should be is relieved. But it takes him another eternity to realize he's not that, and he's not breathing either, and then he inhales and the world keeps going, and Buck is still on the other end of the phone, and he thinks there's a very tiny part of him, something hidden away in a corner, something that he hasn't dared touch, that wonders what it would have been like in another world and another conversation where he wasn't the tiniest bit, guiltily, disappointed.

[alchemistc]

He'd had a dream about this, once. Sweat still cooling, sheets tangled at his feet, a view of Eddie Diaz's bedroom ceiling.

Sue him - Tommy's not the first guy who ever had a raunchy dream about a straight friend. For a few weeks there, both Diaz and Evan Buckley had featured heavily in his rotation. And then Evan had tried to murder his best friend and Tommy had kissed him about it and now...

Tommy shifts his weight. Slides his hand across the sheets - Evan's sheets, still familiar even if the location has changed. Christ, why had Eddie never scraped the popcorn off his ceiling? It's an easy job, really, even if it is painfully boring and time consuming, he could -

The hand that curls around his neck, just under his jaw, is light, careful, still possibly covered in Tommy's cum.

"I missed you," Evan says, and Tommy feels the panic bubbling under his skin, a miasma of humming thrumming reminders that this had been a bad idea from the start. That "randomly" running into his ex three shots deep at the bar had been one of his shittier plans, fueled by his own tipsy jealousy at seeing Evan's drinking partner grinning at him for a good hour while Tommy got progressively worse at pool.

He opens his mouth to let Evan down. He can't do this There's no world where this changes anything. For Christ's sake, he'd only done it because the possessive monster inside of him had heard Evan introduce him to Ravi Panikkar as 'my... Tommy' and the rest of his brain had left the fucking building.

"Everything is so screwed, Tommy. Eddie, and Maddie, and - I just. I want to work on this. I want - I know I didn't say it right before, but everything went to shit that day and if we could just..."

He's always done this. Fucked Tommy to the brink of brainlessness and then proceeded to talk a mile a minute like the sex they'd had was inspirational and energizing. Tommy'd been endeared by it from the start. He still is.

He fucking hates that.

"I can - we can go slow. You set the pace, Tommy, I promise."

"Buck," he starts, and everything in Evan shuts down all at once.

He's done a poor job of keeping that line drawn in his own head - all these months later and he still thinks too much about him, still thinks of him as Evan, and it's a shitty thing to do when they're both fully aware that it's something of a treat for both of them - that name that's been mostly Tommy's since the day Buck found himself at the academy with three Evan's and grinned his way through a nicknaming process.

Evan's hand unfurls from its spot, fingers slipping from where they'd been working at his earlobe. He's gone from soft and pliant glued to Tommy's side, to stiff as he rolls away, sheets travelling with him, and Tommy doesn't fight it when they shift free of him, leaving him bare as the day he was born.

At least he's got his trusty fucking walls. Those at least will keep Evan from glancing up and seeing him break his own heart in two twice over.

Evan rolls to a sit, heaves his legs over the bed. In the soft light Tommy can map out the constellation of moles on his curved back as he drops his head into his hands.

The silence is deafening.

"I, uh ... I think you should go?"

Tommy's certain he doesn't mean for it to sound like a question. He's also certain Evan Buckley has never once in his life been anything but a novice at hiding emotion in his face, body language, voice.

He's pretty sure they could do this a hundred times and Evan might just let him.

Tommy doesn't speak as he gathers his clothes. Doesn't speak as he steals furtive glances around the hem of his T-shirt, doesn't speak as he realizes he didn't even make time for cleanup so he's definitely driving home with the evidence of this night still fucking on him.

Evan's still cradling his head in his hands when Tommy shoves his foot into a boot, not bothering with laces because maybe he'll just fucking trip on the curb and fall into oncoming traffic. It might be the better option.

"I'm -."

"Don't," Evan says, just loud enough for Tommy to know he's barking around a phlegmy throat. "This is worse, just so you know. It was already bad, Tommy..."

Tommy expects there to be more, but there isn't anything. Evan's shoulders heave, and Tommy grabs his keys and phone off the side table, and he blinks and he's somehow out the door, eyes stinging and blood rushing in his ears and he honestly shouldn't be driving but he's not gonna leave his fucking truck here.

He's not entirely sure how he makes it home. He comes back to himself with scalding hot water washing away the evidence of his fuck-up, throat sore and jaw tight and his phone blowing up on the bathroom countertop.

He shouldn't feel the vindication he does that at least this time he milked enough emotion out of Evan to make him send fourteen - his phone buzzes again - fifteen texts in a row.

He feels it anyway, and just to dig the knife deeper into his own chest he shuts his phone off for the night the moment he's towelled himself dry.

Tomorrow. He'll figure it out tomorrow.

He's been telling himself that for five months - a year - his whole fucking life. Maybe one day he'll be telling the truth.

[loucifersbitch]

Buck walks through the automatic doors on autopilot and freezes. It hits him then that the last time he stood here, he was meeting Tommy for Maddie and Chim’s wedding. He had stood almost in this very spot and kissed his boyfriend who was covered in soot after fighting a wildfire all night and most of the day.

Now his boyfriend is somewhere else in the hospital, and Buck can’t kiss him or touch him, and his hands are shaking, and he thinks he’s going to be sick.

He turns toward the nearest bathroom and makes it into the stall just in time. He hasn’t eaten yet today, so he’s only throwing up bile mixed with panic and regret, but it’s just as bad.

It’s Hen who finds him, which -

“Why are you in the men’s room?” he asks, his voice weak and still creaky.

“I thought you might need a medical professional.” When Buck just looks at her, she continues with a sigh, “We could hear you in the waiting room. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Oh.” That’s a little embarrassing. “Sorry. And thanks.”

He gratefully accepts the wet paper towel she hands him to wipe his face.

“Any news yet?”

“Not yet. They took him back for surgery, and it’ll probably be a few more hours before we hear. Bobby and Eddie are in the waiting room if there’s an update. Chim went to pick up Jee from daycare, but he’ll be back later with Maddie.”

Then she produces a water bottle from somewhere behind her.

“How long have I been in here?” Buck asks. Hen seems way too prepared for it to have been just a few minutes.

“About half an hour,” she says. “Actually closer to 45 minutes now.”

“Right.”

So time is still moving awkwardly. He can’t get his bearings. He feels untethered, like he’ll never be on solid ground again.

“Why don’t we get you up and out to a chair?” Hen asks gently. She’s not treating him with kid gloves, but she is being more careful than necessary.

He decides to accept it for the time being. Maybe he does need the softness in her voice and the kindness in her eyes right now.

“Yeah - yeah, that’s a good idea. Thanks, Hen.”

She smiles with something like relief and then stands, offering Buck a hand up.

The waiting room is blessedly empty save for their morose party. Buck tries to sit down, but before he can, Hen is pulling at his turnout coat, trying to yank it off his shoulders. She manhandles the coat off and tosses it to Eddie who adds it to the growing pile of coats on an unused chair in the corner. He’s too tired to fight it or question it, plus it was getting heavy with all of the rain still soaked into the fabric. 

After that, Hen leaves to call Karen, and Ravi goes to get food for them all at a little cafe just up the road that they’ve come to know well. 

Buck sits between Bobby and Eddie, almost a mockery of them standing at the crash site, holding him up. Best not to think about it.

Eddie holds a phone in his hands that Buck recognizes, but it’s not Eddie’s phone. The screen is cracked at the upper corner, spider-webbing its way diagonally down the length of the glass.

“Is that -?” He can’t even bring himself to ask.

“It’s Tommy’s, yeah. A nurse brought out the personal items he had on him a while ago. I was going to see if he has any family in his contacts, but I don’t know his passcode.”

“Oh,” Buck swallows roughly, “it’s um - it’s my birthday. But,” he continues before Eddie types the digits, “he doesn’t have any family in his contacts. At least, not anyone he would want here.”

“Ah,” is all Eddie says before handing the phone over to Buck. He pockets it and tries to think about anything other than his boyfriend a few rooms away getting his arm put back together.

He spends the next few minutes staring off into space thinking of nothing other than his boyfriend a few rooms away getting his arm put back together.

“He’s gonna be okay, Buck,” Eddie says into the heavy silence.

“Eddie’s right,” Bobby adds. “His arm will be fine, and the cuts and scrapes will heal. He’ll be back up in the sky before you know it.”

Buck feels his stomach churn threateningly at the thought, but he does his best to nod and smile. 

When Ravi returns with food, Buck can’t handle the smell, let alone eating anything. But he tries. He can hear Tommy’s low voice in his head warning, “Evan, you need to eat something,” and that convinces him more than Eddie’s prodding.

When Karen shows up along with Chimney and Maddie, Buck feels the need to pull her and his sister off to the side.

He tries to keep his voice steady as he says, “I didn’t get it. Before, I mean. I didn’t get what it felt like to be on this side.” He’s oddly proud his voice only cracked once.

Maddie grabs his hand. “Buck, you’ve been on this side a lot of times. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the 118 isn’t very good at staying out of the hospital.”

He lets out a wet laugh.

“I think he means on the worried partner side of things,” Karen says. “You’ve never had someone you’re in a relationship with get injured like this before. Is that right?”

“Y-yeah.” He chuckles sardonically. “When I saw the helicopter - and his - his hand hanging out the window - I thought - he wasn’t moving, y’know? It took us so long to find him. We were too late. I thought -”

“You thought you’d lost him,” Maddie supplies. He can only nod. “Yep, welcome to the Worried Partners Club.”

“It sucks, but it’s worth it,” Karen adds.

Later, when Athena gets off shift, she arrives at the hospital bearing coffee for everyone. Buck nods gratefully when she hands him one, and the understanding look in her eyes nearly sets him off again. Although, he thinks he might be too dehydrated for tears by now.

“Family of Thomas Kinard?” a voice calls from the doors leading to the OR.

Everyone looks up, but Buck is on his feet before the nurse finishes saying Tommy’s name. He feels people behind him, and the nurse’s eyes widen a bit at everyone gathering around, but Buck’s glad for them.

“He’s out of surgery. Everything went well. He’ll be in recovery for about an hour, but as soon as we get him in a room, you can see him.” 

The last part is directed toward Buck. Maybe he now looks like he’s part of the Worried Partners Club, but that’s fine. He’ll see Tommy soon. That’s what matters.

He catches the end of the nurse’s spiel as he says, “...still be under some sedation, so don’t expect much conversation.”

Buck nods, and the nurse leaves, and then Maddie is dragging him back to their chairs, handing him his coffee, and plopping down next to him to wait until they can see Tommy.

“He’s going to be insufferable,” Eddie says suddenly. He looks at Buck and says, “Remember that time he sprained his ankle while we were sparring? God, he was the worst patient.”

Buck genuinely laughs for the first time since they got the call. “He’s so stubborn, he wouldn’t even let me open doors for him. He just struggled to balance on his crutches so he could do it himself. He almost fell into the bushes twice outside the physical therapist’s office.”

Then everyone is laughing, a sense of lightness settling over Buck. He still doesn’t feel grounded or right necessarily, but laughing with his family helps.

They keep telling stories after that. Most of them are about Tommy, but some are stories or updates about kids or parents or a new recipe gone wrong. They all avoid the topic of work.

“Family of Thomas Kinard?” It’s a different nurse this time, but she doesn’t blink an eye at the number of family Tommy has. “He’s resting in his room. You can go back to see him, but we ask that you keep it to 4 or 5 people at a time. He’s still pretty groggy and probably won’t remember what happened right away, so keep conversation simple.” Then she turns and starts walking down the hallway, not waiting or looking back to see if anyone follows.

Buck grabs Chim and Eddie and gestures at Bobby to come, too. At the last second he grabs Hen’s hand, and the five of them hurry to catch up with the nurse together.

“Breathe, Buck,” Hen whispers.

He can’t. Not yet.

part 1

part 2

part 4

[eddiazx]

bucked up - evan buckley x reader

You might be dying. 

That might sound like an exaggeration, but with countless shots of fireball and tequila (don’t mix your alcohol, folks), you’re pretty sure this is what being at death’s door would be like. 

Buck had the brilliant plan of throwing Chim a do-over bachelor party, even though Chim was no longer considered a bachelor. This time, Buck reasoned, everyone should be invited; the 118, their respective families, as well as people from Dispatch, including of course, Maddie. The party went well, a certified success compared to the first attempt. You remember Maddie and Chim dancing and being in love. You can also vaguely recall Josh and Eddie singing a duet on top of the bar, while you and Buck cheered them on boisterously.

The endless supply of shots were courtesy of Ravi and Lucy, both of whom you have already murdered in your mind. You would follow through with it if you could actually feel your limbs and get out of bed. 

Speaking of the bed though, you realize belatedly that it was an extremely nice, pillowy soft one. It was the kind of beds that luxury hotels would have. It was definitely not yours. 

You smooth your fingers over the thousand-thread count duvet cover, and you’re met with a sparkling glint of a diamond on your ring finger. You stare at it puzzled, before you take notice that you were entirely naked under the sheets. 

Before you can continue your scary revelations, you’re interrupted by a grunt and an arm thrown across your waist over the sheets. The person who grunted buries their face into your (naked) chest, still completely out cold.

You look down to see a band that matches yours on the person’s finger. When you push gently on their forehead with your index finger to see their face, you make a noise that probably resembles that of a dying whale. 

Because, in your drunken haze, you seem to have married your best friend and coworker last night. You married Buck. 

What the fuck.

“Buck. Buck!” You whisper harshly, trying to wake up your friend/apparent husband. 

“Huh?” Buck mumbles incoherently and sleepily, his mouth open against the the top of your breast. If your body reacted to that by tingling, no it didn’t.

He blearily opens his eyes. His eyes take a moment to focus on you, before he gives you a bright, dopey smile. “Hey, Y/N.” 

Buck then takes inventory of the room and the state of undress on both your parts. “Oh. What the fuck?” 

“Yeah, my thoughts exactly.” You sigh, rubbing your eyes with the heels of your palms. Buck notices the ring on your finger from your actions, and then glances down to see that he has a similar one.

“Holy shit. What the fuck!”

“We covered that already.” You say bleakly, sliding the sheets up to shield your chest. You’re not sure why though, it seems that the two of you had seen each other quite intimately last night, and you had been quite… active, if the trash can full of condom wrappers were anything to go by. At least you practiced safe sex. Safe, married sex. Jesus Christ. 

“What the hell happened?!” 

“I don’t know, but I’ve already thought of 30 different ways to torture Ravi and Lucy.” 

Buck laughs, a hearty, booming cackle. The corners of your lips lift up involuntarily at the sound, like they always do when you were around Buck. He eventually gets up from the bed, and starts to move around the nice hotel room, trying to find evidence of last night. He goes to the dresser, where he picks up a paper, one that looks like a marriage certificate. 

“It’s definitely legal.” He shows you, both of your full names written clear as day. 

You were absolutely looking at the certificate and not Buck’s butt. Or the thing hanging between his legs. You don’t think he realizes he is naked, or if he did, he doesn't care. 

You reach onto the nightstand where your phone is and check if you had any new messages. You don't, but you stumble across nearly 100 pictures taken last night, along with some videos. 

“Buck, look.” You gesture at your phone, and he comes back to join you back on the bed as you scroll through. The two of you watch your past selves smiling brightly while putting rings on each other’s fingers. You go on to watch a video of Buck dipping you low, before he presses his lips on yours as your first married kiss. The video makes you feel so many things, and you weren’t sure what to do with yourself. 

“I guess we should… get this annulled?” You propose, even though the words taste wrong in your mouth. 

“What if we didn’t?” Buck counters softly, avoiding your eyes. 

“What?” 

“You saw how genuine we are in those pictures and videos. What’s that saying, drunk words are sober thoughts? What if we stayed married?”

“Buck, we weren’t even dating before yesterday. How do we go from 0 to 100?” 

“I know, but.. something about this, being married to you, just seems right, don’t you find?”

“Yeah.” You agree honestly. 

“I think I’ve had feelings for you since day one." Buck admits. "You're my best friend, so who cares if we do things a little out of order?"

You smile at Buck, because the situation might be crazy, but you loved this man regardless of what title he wore; best friend or husband. You rest your hand on his, and say, "okay Buck. Let's stay married."

Buck cradles your face, kissing you properly and soberly. If you had thought the video of last night's kiss was sweet, that was nothing compared to this one.

"I do have a plan for the rest of our day though," Buck says, pulling away slightly. "I think we should consummate our marriage again," he continues, smirking and waggling his eyebrows at you.

"I think that's an excellent idea, husband." You giggle, as you move to straddle Buck.

[theclaravoyant]

AN ~ short bucktommy angst/whump with a happy ending, coz i love torturing my boys. 8x07 spoilers and verrrrrry loosely insp by a still from 8x08

typing

Why would he type type type and not send anything?

The alarms blare and Buck throws his baking back in the oven and sprints downstairs, but his mind is elsewhere. This? This is all muscle memory at this point. His mind occupies itself with other things, wondering what exactly Tommy might have wanted to say.

Evan. No. Buck. God, he still hates it that he called him Buck.

Can we talk? Tommy always was a man of few words. Or maybe Buck is just a man of many. But what does 'can we talk' even mean? He'd be spiralling just as hard as with the silent disappearing bubble. It's better this way.

MARRIAGE, EVAN??

God, he's an idiot. A pathetic, clingy idiot. Even now he would kill for a second round, just to dig that knife in deeper. At least then maybe, he'd be able to pick up what he'd missed before; where exactly that big dimpled grin and soft eyes had turned to hard words and hidden pain. At least then, he'd be able to fix it.

Hen watches him with a knowing eye.

“Stay strong, Buck,” she reminds him as they pull up to the scene. “Head in the game.”

Buck nods. He drops his phone on the seat and packs it away to the back of his mind, as best he can. Maybe he'll get to whip out the jaws of life. They always make him feel better. Shake it off, Buckley, let's go.

He's the last one out of the engine, and he hits the ground already triaging the scene. His senses expand, cataloguing the vehicles, the passers-by, the direction and nature of the accident. Eddie and Bobby are getting a run-down from a uniformed police officer on scene and it happens a splt second before Buck's mind catches up.

“A silver-” he overhears - “oh-”

He can see it in his minds eye, almost feel it even as his own heart sinks; the way recognition sets into Eddie's face. And then horror. He looks further down the road, to a sight that's partially obstructed from Buck's view. Partially, but not so much that he doesn't start running toward it because he has a feeling he knows, he knows, he knows who it is.

Why would he type type type and not send anything?

“Buck-” Hen warns, reaching to grab him but she's already missed.

Buck knows he should be helping but his world is caving in. Bobby's barking commands but all he hears is a wordless echo. Ravi hustles the balloons and the jaws up to the worst hit of the vehicles and Chimney is already there; medkit tossed over the worst of the shattered glass as he kneels by the dangerously crushed window and tries to make contact with the person inside.

“Buck.” It's Eddie this time, blocking with his body as much as he can – and he can, even with the full force of Buck throwing himself forward - but even he can't stop the terrible, terrible knowing.

“TOMMY!”

The name rips out of his lungs, because it's the truck: it's Tommy's pride and joy. It's singing along in the passenger seat and Tommy's smiling – sometimes he joins in, even though he wouldn't otherwise care for Buck's taste. It's Tommy slinging a greasy towel over his shoulder and hitching himinto the truck bed and making out until they both can't breathe. It's spilling the salt from hot chips in there; it's shoulder to shoulder at the drive-ins; it's getting fucked into the seats; it's polishing and vacuuming just last week because he can't help with the engine for shit. He'd put a little thing of jellybeans in the cup holder after - like his old detailer used to do, just to be cute - and it hits him that that's what those little coloured smudges are, intermingled with the crushed glass littered across the road.

What if he's in trouble and he needs my help?

“Oh, God, Tommy.”

The howling turns to hopeless. Breathless. The fight evaporates right out of him and he collapses forward into Eddie's arms. Eddie's embrace is firm and steadying as he lowers them both as gently as he can manage to the curb. Buck closes his eyes, sapped of the strength to watch any more but cursed by the knowledge of what's still got to be happening. Hen and Chim will be extracting Tommy's bruised and broken body onto a backboard right about now, and then lifting him onto a gurney. They'll be doing CPR if he's lucky – and they are, he can hear it, so at least there's that.

Then it stops.

For a few, horrible seconds all he can hear is his own hammering heart. Eddie's ragged breathing. Footsteps. Bobby.

“Buck.”

It takes a second, for him to gather the courage to open his eyes and look up. Bobby's demeanour is solemn and serious, but there's a softness Buck recognises well. A lightness that promises things might just be okay, as he offers a hand to pull Buck up from the roadside.

“He's asking for you in the ambulance,” Bobby says, and there's just a flicker, just an iota of a smile as he urges - “Go.”

[becausebuckley]

michelle's buddie fic recs: week 3!

happy sunday! hope you all enjoy these wonderful fics <3 if you're looking for more recs, here's another rec list i made this week!

this is a mix of fics with all ratings, so some include NSFW content. please take a look at both the ratings and the fic tags before reading! some might also contain spoilers for season 8.

if you come across something you like in this list, remember to show some love to the author by leaving kudos and a comment!

a guide to playing matchmaker for your boyfriend | sammyunhinged/@sammyunhinged | 52.9k | M

When Ravi incidentally finds out that Buck is questioning his sexuality, he offers him support, being the only person in Buck’s life that understands the particular intricacies of realizing you’re bisexual. In the process, Ravi learns that Buck just wants to date a guy, some relationship where he could discover himself and get comfortable in sexuality. Something short-term and casual. Ravi thinks he might be the perfect option. i've been on a ravi kick this past week (started before anirudh's video so like i'm not saying i manifested it but i'm also not not saying that lmao) and this fic was one of the highlights for sure!! wonderful writing and such great characterisation of ravi, but also such fun buddie <3

all my atoms | extasiswings/@extasiswings | 3.9k | T

There are three things every child learns about daemons: Don’t ask questions or talk about another person’s daemon—it’s rude. Don’t put too much distance between yourself and your daemon—it’ll hurt. Under no circumstances should you ever touch someone else’s daemon. Simple. Straightforward. Easy to remember, easier to follow. That’s what Eddie thinks of the rules. buck and eddie's daemons are so lovely and i love how this fic weaves daemons into a canon compliant setting!!

buck buckley hours on the diaz couch | sunlight/@justonebigbee | 5.8k | T

“Did you see me come over the back of the couch earlier?” Eddie asks. It’s such a non-sequitur that it makes Buck laugh a little. “Yes, I did. Very cool, man.” He’s only half-teasing. Eddie could make anything look cool. He just also happens to look silly most of the time too. Like now, for example. Lounging over top of Buck on his couch in this ridiculous get up. “I’ll go get us a snack, and—and, I’m probably going to do it again.” Eddie whispers the second part, like it's a big secret. i love this fic's combination of flirty buddie and non-sexual intimacy and the birthmarks and the couch!!

evan buckley and the art of crafts | beezethe/@evanpercy | 26.3k | T

Five times Buck gives Eddie a handmade gift out of love, and one time he actually means it. (or: the craft fic) crafty buck has my whole heart <3 this fic does such a good job capturing buck and his new projects and the firefam relationships!

he touched me, so i live to know | kejfeblintz/@kejfeblintz | 4.1k | T

5 times Buck and Eddie touched, and one time they really touched. so soft so cute so them <3 just a delight!!

life is just the way you hold me | allyasavedtheday/@littlespoonevan | 10.1k | T

Some people, when they go online shopping at night, buy things they don’t need. Like a Fitbit or a novelty t-shirt. Eddie… Eddie buys a professional cuddler. this was a reread, and a lovely one at that <3 soft and cozy and just wonderful. the fic equivalent of a warm hug!

next to your heartbeat, where i should be | rainbow_nerds/@rainbow-nerdss | 11.4k | E

Eddie’s not a complete idiot. He knows this isn’t normal. He stands in front of a mirror in his underwear, the tightest pair he owns, and he poses for a picture at an angle he’s learned flatters his ass and the curve of his thigh, to send to his best friend. ohh man something about buddie being Platonic Best Bros TM and engaging in decidedly non-Platonic Best Bro behaviour gets me every time. this is hot and fun and such a delightful read <3

rouge my neck | notathingtoseehere | 4.1k | M

Eddie is definitely not jealous at all, and has a completely normal reaction to strangers talking to Buck. they're idiots, they're in love, what more could a girl (me) want? nothing, the answer is nothing, because this fic is everything!!

take the bitter with the sweet | fruitsdoesnotknow/@fruitsdontknow | 5.2k | T

No one thought to brief Ravi on the Buckley-Diaz situation when he finally joins the 118. Spoiler: it goes about as well as a car crash. ravi struggling to figure out what on earth is going on with buddie is one of my favourite things in fics <3 this one also has brilliant firefam dynamics!!

the cost of doing business | pretentiousswanqueen/@hotcinnamonsunset | 5.4k | T

Ravi's landlord status makes him privy to some confidential information about the 118's finest. another one in a string of really lovely ravi fics <3 fluff and humour and such wonderful ravi narration!!

there's one thing (it's the weight of our wish) | atlasblue85/@atlasblue85 | 3.6k | GA

“I just don’t get it,” he says to Buck over the phone one day in mid-February, a couple months into the relo. “Last time they were because I was dating someone I shouldn’t have been dating. I’ve been single for nearly a year now, this shouldn’t be happening.” Buck hums across the line and Eddie rolls his eyes, tracking a flock of birds heading west. “Okay, you clearly have thoughts. Out with it.” “It’s just…” Buck starts. “Is that really why your panic attacks were happening? Because you were dating the wrong person?” the structure of this fic is so cool, and i love the buddie phone call at the start <3

TRUST! | pairofraggedclaws/@pairofraggedclaws | 7.8k | E

“I get used to it, I guess. Kind of. After a while,” Eddie says. Then, very quietly, “I’m just, uh, sensitive.” “Oh,” Buck says. Eddie's just sensitive. Eddie, his best friend, who he has now seen when he comes. Who comes in under a minute if he isn’t getting some on the regs. This is – this is – interesting. yeah buck interesting sure is a word you could use lmao. THIS FIC. this absolute gem of a fic <3 so hot and soft and just a delight!!

winner winner chicken dinner | lecornergirl/@clusterbuck | 1.9k | T

He’d rolled his eyes when Linda had sent him the recipe, the brightly coloured letters at the top of the page spelling out MARRY ME CHICKEN. She’d told him to make it for Buck some time and he’d sent back every unimpressed emoji he could find, but— It wasn’t supposed to work. He hadn’t made it because he’d thought it would do anything, only because the creamy chicken with sun-dried tomatoes actually sounded really good.  sweet and funny and fluffy! this fic makes me crave chicken. i did in fact bookmark the recipe <3

worth it | tabbytabbytabby/@tabbytabbytabby | 1.6k | T

When Buck gets a cold, Eddie takes care of him. buddie taking care of each other, my absolute beloved <3 based on the tags, this is right up my alley, and the tags were right! one of my favourites for sure!

[buddierecs]

outsider pov buddie fics

these fics have a mixture of outsider pov, most from the 118 family tho all of these are general audience, teen and up or not rated (no smut) make sure to kudos/comment on these amazing works :)

paralytic narcolepsy guy hates buckley & diaz by: eightpackdiaz "paralytic narcolepsy guy is forced to listen to buckley and diaz talk to and about each other in his unconscious presence over the years. he insists he fucking hates them. but then he also accidentally helps them get engaged." word count: 5.4k important tags: 5+1 things, idiots in love, getting together good luck, babe by: hattalove "sometimes, when you've had a bad week, all you want is a romantic evening out with your wife over terrible pizza, and what you get instead is some kind of intricate gay ritual happening two tables away from you." word count: 2.1k important tags: crack, social media, jealous!eddie diaz jeep talking by: daisies_and_briars "a ride in the backseat of buck's Jeep with buck and eddie in the front gives chim new perspective on his brother-in-law's strange dynamic with his so-called "best friend.' and chim is sick of them being so oblivious." word count: 2.2k important tags: chimney han pov, oblivious!chimney han the sincerest form of flattery by: canadadry "in which brad torrence only almost passes out, and observes the aftermath." word count: 1.7k important tags: brad torrence pov, bobby nash is evan buckley's parent, 8.03 fic

actually, truly by: milenadaniels "helena (and ramon) tries to find a way back into eddie's life and doesn't know what to make of finding buck around every corner she turns." word count: 14k important tags: helena diaz pov, post season 4, homophobia, pre-relationship, hurt!eddie diaz, therapy i'll call you mine by: coupe_de_foudre "5 times ravi witnesses eddie and buck fake a relationship, and the one time he realises they were married all along" word count: 9.1k important tags: 5+1 things, ravi panikkar pov, fake dating, fluff, misunderstandings, idiots in love does your firehouse know? by: allyasavedtheday "after chimney accidentally discovers buck and eddie are together they ask him to keep it a secret for a few weeks while they settle into their relationship. It goes about as well as expected." word count: 7.5k important tags: chimney han pov, secret relationship, crack a simple kind of love by: woodchoc_magnum "in which christopher watches as eddie and buck slowly fall in love." word count: 15k important tags: christopher diaz pov, pre-relationship, getting together, buckley-diaz family maybe it's the way you lean on his shoulder by: allyasavedtheday "in which naddie realises there might be more to buck and eddie's relationship than she'd originally thought." word count: 4.1k important tags: maddie han pov, feelings realisation, domestic fluff another man's child by: georges1982_96 "a 5+1 fic of chim realizing buck is chris's dad and buck gradually stumbling on the same realization" word count: 18k important tags: chimney han pov, 5+1 things, ptsd, medial trauma, homophobia, ableism, soft!buddie, protective!evan buckley don't need to be related to relate (don't need to share genes or a surname) by: champagne_for_breakfast "the one where bobby realizes he is somehow buck's father, eddie's father-in-law and christopher's grandfather all at the same time. and he may just be one conversation away from calling eddie out and making him kiss buck." word count: 10k important tags: bobby nash pov, idiots in love, getting together, bobby nash is evan buckley's parent shapes and spaces by: prettyunhinged "five times christopher calls buck his dad to other people, and the one time he finally gets to say it to buck." word count: 14k important tags: 5+1 things, christopher diaz has two dads, oblivious!buddie, getting together, team as family, fluff

[whump-imagines]

Meeting the Firefam

Eddie x reader

~1600 words

Warnings: epileptic reader. Hopefully accurately portrayed.

You parked in front of the station and turned off the ignition. Taking one final deep breath, you pushed the door open and stepped out. You didn't know why you were so nervous. Meeting Eddie’s coworkers shouldn't seem so frightening.

What if they hated you? What if they told him to break up with you? You knew they were more like family to him than just coworkers. Their opinions mattered a lot. You had only been dating him a little over a month but you had fallen hard. You really couldn't imagine your life without him and Chris and even Carla.

You needed them to like you.

Making your way inside, you quickly spotted Eddie as he approached. You greeted him with a kiss before he pulled you into a hug.

“Hey, you. How was traffic?” He asked.

You shrugged. “Normal. Slow.” Eddie knew it was your least favorite part about LA.

“I think lunch is almost ready. You ready to meet everyone?”

“No.” You wrapped your hands around his bicep as he started walking toward the trucks.

He leaned over and kissed your temple. “I told you they’re going to love you. You have nothing to worry about.” He pulled you along with him towards Buck and another firefighter beside the truck.

Buck smiled when he spotted you. “Hey, Y/N. Glad you finally decided to come have lunch with us.”

“Hi, Buck. Someone has been persistent.” You looked at Eddie just in time to catch his shrug.

“Y/N, this is Ravi.” Eddie introduced.

Ravi lifted his hand for you to shake. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“You too.”

Eddie pulled you away towards the stairs that led to the loft. You couldn't help but look around at everything. “This is a beautiful building.”

Eddie nodded. “I agree. It's my favorite station in the city.”

You had barely made it to the top of the stairs before you were being engulfed in hugs. “Oh, uh, hi.”

Eddie chuckled. “This is Hen and Chimney.”

“We are so excited to finally meet you. Eddie here won't shut up about you,” Chimney said.

You glanced at Eddie, catching him trying to hide his blush. “I don't talk about her that much,” he argued.

“Constantly,” Hen mouthed at you with a grin.

Next, Eddie led you over to the kitchen. “And this is Cap.”

The man in front of the stove wiped his hands on a dish towel before reaching out for a handshake. “It's Bobby.”

“Nice to meet you. It smells amazing in here.”

Bobby smiled. “Well, thank you. This will be done in a few minutes. Eddie, can you grab everyone down stairs?”

“On it.” Eddie pointed to the couches. “You can make yourself comfortable over there.”

Within ten minutes, everyone was getting settled at the table. Eddie took your hand to pull you up from the couch. As he pulled out a chair for you, you suddenly felt your left arm go numb.

“Oh no.” You mumbled. You reached out towards Eddie as your knees buckled and the world around you disappeared.

Eddie was quick to catch you before you could hit the ground. “Woah. Y/N?” When you didn't open your eyes he slowly lowered you to the floor. Seconds later you were convulsing violently. Eddie couldn't help but to just stare at you in shock.

Chim was on the floor beside Eddie a second later. “Eddie, we got her.”

“I'll grab a med kit,” Hen announced as she ran for the stairs.

Chimney kept you rolled on your side. Bobby stepped closer to pull Eddie away. “They need room to work.”

Eddie tried to resist. “I should help.”

Buck stepped beside his best friend to keep him out of the way.

Bobby stepped towards you and grabbed your foot, pulling off your shoe. “Medical alert. Epilepsy.” He pointed at the shoelace tag as he looked towards Eddie.

Eddie shook his head. “I didn't know. Why didn't she tell me?”

Hen returned with a monitor and med kit and Chim filled her in. “Epilepsy. Let's just give it a minute.”

Eddie pushes past Buck and sat down on the ground by your head. He whispered soft reassurances in case you could hear him.

Chim pulled a pulse ox monitor out of the med kit and clipped it on your finger.

“She's barely breathing,” Eddie pointed out. He knew that was common with seizures but still couldn't help the mild panic he felt.

“That's normal,” Hen reminded him. She started to attach an oxygen mask to the tank she’d carried upstairs just in case.

Next, Chim started to attach cardiac leads to your chest. Once he'd finished, they waited for the seizure to stop.

“That's five minutes,” Bobby pointed out.

Hen and Chim sighed as they locked eyes with each other. “Alright, let's push Ativan,” Chim said.

“I'll start an IV,” Hen announced. “Eddie can you hold her arm?” He did as asked, trying to hold your arm as still as possible without hurting you. “I'm in.”

Chim pushed the meds he'd drawn up as soon as IV was secured. It took about another twenty seconds for the seizure to finally stop.

Everyone let out a relieved breath. Eddie pushed some hair back behind your ear.

“Let's get her loaded up and to the hospital,” Chimney broke the momentary silence.

Hen nodded. “I'll go radio dispatch and get ready.”

Within five minutes you were loaded into the ambulance with Eddie and Chim beside you as Hen shifted into drive.

“Ugh.” You groaned a few minutes later. “N-no hospital,” you mumbled out fighting your grogginess.

Eddie ran his hand over your head. “Yes, hospital.”

You huffed, frustrated you can't get the words out to explain. “E-epi–”

“We know about your epilepsy, we found your alert tag,” Eddie interrupted. “Sweetheart, your seizure lasted almost six minutes. Hen and Chim had to push meds to stop it. You have to go in.”

Your eyebrows rose in surprise. Suddenly you were glad you'd been with them for lunch and not alone at home. You knew he was right and allowed yourself to relax. “Tired.”

Eddie pressed a kiss to your knuckles. “That's the medicine. You can sleep.”

You nodded as your eyes drifted closed. You weren't sure you could have stayed awake even if you'd tried.

A few hours later, you were finally settled into a room after being poked and prodded. They had run all kinds of tests trying to figure out what might have caused the long seizure.

“Anything I can get for you?” the nurse asked.

You shook your head as you shifted in an attempt to find a comfortable position. Every muscle was sore.

“Okay. I'll let your visitors know they can come in now, if that's alright with you,” the nurse says as she walks toward the door.

“Visitors? Plural?” You ask surprised.

“You have a whole herd of firefighters waiting out there for you,” she explains.

“Oh, wow. Could you just send Eddie in for now?”

She smiles kindly. “Of course, honey.”

Eddie pushes the door open not five minutes later. He pulls up a chair and takes your hand in his, careful to avoid your IV line.

“Hi,” you greeted

“Hi. How ya feeling?” He asked.

“Kinda like someone put me through a blender.”

He chuckled and nodded. “You scared me. I'm just glad Bobby noticed your medical alert tag.”

“I'm sorry,” you sighed. “This is definitely not how I planned to tell you about my epilepsy.”

He locks eyes with you. “So you were planning to tell me.” He looks annoyed or maybe hurt that you hadn't already told him.

“Eventually.” You drop your gaze to the bed. “It's not exactly an easy conversation. It's caused a few break ups over the years.”

“What do you mean?” He looks genuinely confused.

“I'm too much to deal with. No one wants to deal with seizures,” you try to explain. “And you already have to deal with sick people all day at work. I'm sure the last thing you want to do is deal with the same at home.” You sniffle. “I'll understand if you want out now.”

“Y/N,” Eddie said, placing a finger under your chin to make you look at him. “I love you. This could never change that. Any guy who dumped you because of this is an asshole.”

Tears rolled down your face before you were suddenly sobbing, relief washing over you in waves.

Eddie moved quickly to sit beside you on the bed. Pulling you into his side and shishing you softly.

You had been so worried about telling him for so long. “I-I'm sorry. I should have told you.” You sniffled harshly. “I should have known you'd accept this part of me.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. I know now. That's all that matters.”

Eventually you calmed down but you were beyond exhausted. “Hey, isn't everyone still out there waiting?”

“Yeah.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I'll text them that you're okay and let them know they can head home.”

Placing a hand over his screen, you shook your head. “No. I want to see them.”

“You need to rest,” he argued. “They can come back tomorrow or we can go to the station if you're discharged.”

“Just a quick visit. Please? Fifteen minutes.”

Sighing, he stood from where he was still perched on the bed. “Ten.”

“Deal.”

[spidermans-l-o-v-e-r]

Busy Bees

Pairing: Eddie Diaz x Reader

Word count: 3.7k

Notes: If I extended my closed requests deadline would you guys be mad 💀💀💀

P.S I’m dying my hair soon I’m so excited I could cry

P.P.S I miss my italics but they take so long to do

“Ohhh my god these were the best brownies I’ve ever tasted in my entire life” Buck moans exaggeratedly as he lets his arm hang from the table. 

You’re just coming up from the bathroom as Chimney is finishing off the last one.

“Hey!! Did you even save me one??” You point at the empty pan and they all look at each other 

“Ummmm” Buck starts looking around through the pile of baked goods as you tap your foot. You cross your arms over your chest and he holds his hand up. 

“It’s fine, it’s fine!! Look!” He holds up a small pan, more of a personal one, and takes the plastic off 

“See? Made by the same person! Therefore equally as delicious” he hands it off to you and you stick your tongue out at him before accepting it. 

“Alright… I guess you can live… for now” You give him a little I’m watching you gesture and go to pop it in the toaster oven. 

“Hey, Buck? You have that brownie you wanted to give me earlier?” Eddie comes up the stairs next and Buck looks over at you with wide eyes. You roll your eyes and sigh, waving your fork at Eddie. 

“You wanna share with me? It’s definitely enough for two. Never trust Buck with brownies” You pull it from the oven and he shrugs, grabbing a fork from the drawer and following you to the table. 

“Don’t mind if I do” 

A couple of hours later, Buck is lying on top of the engine… and Ravi is trying to keep Hen from jumping off the balcony to land on the truck. 

“Buck! Get down from there!” Athena had brought you all back to the station to figure out what the hell had happened. You jump up and down trying to reach for him like it’s going to work at all. 

“Come on Buck! Here Bucky Bucky! I have more brownies!” You try to convince him to come down but he’s not budging. 

“What are we going to do” you groan as you lean against the truck and Eddie shrugs as he walks over. 

“Honestly we should probably just let Athena handle this…” he wipes the sweat from his brow and you stop, putting your hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey? Are you okay??” 

You stand next to him, your hand on his arm. You’d started to get hot and the buttons on your work shirt were starting to come undone easier and easier. The top of your breasts are exposed to the air, just try to keep yourself cool as best you can.

Eddie's eyes flicker down to your chest, and he can't help but let out a soft growl. His body is begging for some strange release, and you’re the only one who can provide it. He swallows thickly, trying to regain control. 

"I'm... I'm fine, Y/N. Just a bit... warm."

He can't meet your gaze, instead, his eyes dart around the room, searching for something, anything, to distract him from the heat building up between his legs. His hand shakily reaches up to brush a strand of hair off your forehead, his fingers lingering on your skin for a moment longer than necessary.

You feel a familiar jolt of electricity and bite your lip, he still can’t really look at you, even if he’s trying, you can feel the shakiness in his hands and that gets your attention for a moment. 

“Eddie, you’re really burning up, maybe we should go sit down…”

He shifts his weight, trying to get more comfortable, but his hard cock is not making it easy. He can't help but let his eyes linger on your chest again. His mind is racing with the idea of tearing off your top, burying his face between your breasts, and feeling your nipples harden under his tongue.

Yeah because that was so normal… okay well- hear him out. 

“Uh-“ He clears his throat, trying to regain control, but his voice comes out a bit huskier than usual.

“M-maybe just some fresh air? Let’s step outside” 

“Of course”

You smile worriedly, helping him outside. You lead him over to the side of the station, letting him rest against the cool brick wall. He closes his eyes for a moment, breathing calmly.

Something about the way he does that, the way his chest expands slowly. He’s unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and you can see his hot, glowy, skin peeking through. You wet your lips slowly, wanting to just jump him right there. 

Hold on a second. What? 

“C-Can I get you anything?” You fan yourself a bit, maybe being outside is even worse, despite being in the shade with a nice breeze blowing 

Eddie nods, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes for a moment, trying to get a grip on his racing thoughts.

“Some water I guess?”

He opens his eyes, his gaze meeting yours once more, and he can't help but notice how your breasts rise and fall with each breath, staring at you the same way you had been with him earlier. His cock throbs, and he shifts again, trying to alleviate the pressure. 

He swallows hard, his voice still a bit hoarse

“And maybe... maybe you could stay close. Just in case”

“Of course, Eddie. I’m here for you, okay? I’ll be right back!” 

“Okayyy… water… water” You bend down to look through the fridge for Eddie’s metal bottle and huff out a breath. It was starting to get hot, you shifted a little, just to get any kind of relief from the ocean that your panties had turned into and it wasn’t working in the least. 

You grab the bottle and spin on your heel to go back to him and completely collide with the table in front of you. 

“Ow! Fuck that-“ 

You freeze for a second… staring at the rounded edge. Your heart pounds in your chest as you look around slowly, you know there’s not a camera that can reach this corner… and no one’s around.

You set the bottle down gingerly, just… just a little relief. Anything to distract you from the way your body is aching for a release. You look around one more time before you step closer to the table and lean over it a little, the second you feel your pussy come into contact with the hard, smooth surface it’s over. Your eyes roll back as you grind against the table, gasping softly and letting your head fall forward. 

“O-oh my god” You whisper, your body shaking as you grind faster, trying not to make any noise. You pull the collar of your shirt down more, letting the cool air hit your chest as you lean over the table more and roll your hips. 

“Hey? Y/N? I’m sorry I got wo-“

Eddie freezes in his spot and stares at your exposed chest, gulping quietly. His cock twitches at your sweet sun-kissed skin and no tan lines. You look down at him and that’s when you notice how hard he is. It’s straining against his pants and you can see the way he keeps shifting, like he’s trying to put pressure on it. 

You’ve been caught, completely caught and there’s no way around it. Your cheeks burn and no matter what you do, you can’t stop your hips from moving against the table. His eyes lock with yours, you can see the deep primal desires in his blown pupils… and you know you look exactly the same. 

“I think- I think something is wrong,” You say quietly and he blinks slowly. 

“Oh? You think?” 

You don’t even have the time to sass back at him before he’s lunging for you and knocking you both down to the floor. He puts his hand behind your head before it collides with the title beneath you and presses his body down against you. 

“Jesus fucki-“ 

His lips smash into yours and you greedily yank him down closer, moaning as his tongue tangles with yours. His hips grind fast circles into yours and you wrap your legs around his waist, pushing him harder against you. 

Damn, are you both glad Bobby runs a tight ship and Buck has just mopped the floors. 

“Let me take you home, please fuck l-let me take you h-home” He begs, biting at your neck and kissing the bruises he leaves. 

“Let’s go” You nod fast, letting your hands run through his hair and tugging it back. He groans frustratedly as he keeps grinding on you, you giggle at the obvious tent in his pants and reach down between you two and tease the tip with your fingers. 

“D-don’t do that!” He slaps at your hand, his head falling against your shoulder as he whimpers into your shoulder. Your mouth drops as you feel the wetness in your hand, his sticky cum between your fingertips. 

“Still think it’s funny?” He takes your hand and smirks as he puts it up to your lips. You wrap your pouty lips around your fingers and suck them clean, groaning quietly as you taste him. He thoroughly enjoys watching you do that, nearly melting again as he ruts his hips into yours. Even though he’d just come, he’s still hard as a rock… and maybe that’s not so much of an issue right now. 

“Come on” 

He pulls you off the floor with him and down the stairs, he’s moving so fast you have to practically jog to keep up with him. He goes to his locker and grabs his wallet and keys before pulling you out to his truck. He lifts your hips practically tossing you into the cab and gets in. 

You pounce on him as soon as he shuts the door and pin him to it, kissing him breathless and tearing open his shirt. The buttons go flying and you stop for a second 

“I’ll get you a new one” 

He snorts and puts his hands on your hips, squeezing them 

“You really think I give a fuck?” 

“I don’t think we’re gonna make it” You pant as you start to pull off your shirt and he smirks.

“I have an idea” He helps you take it off, putting his hands on your tits immediately and squeezing them in his hands, you unhook your bra and grin sweetly when his jaw drops slowly. 

“Your idea?” You purr playfully and he rubs his thumbs over your nipples, watching them pebble 

“Suck my cock while I’m driving,” He says rather bluntly, all of his attention on the dark little nubs in front of him, the carnal urge to suck on them sending jolts of pleasure straight down to his rock-hard cock. 

“I think that’s the hottest thing you’ve ever said to me” You whisper, your eyes wide and your mouth watering. 

“Oh baby” He chuckles darkly “I haven’t even gotten started” 

He starts the truck and you finally unzip his pants, freeing his erection 

“Ho-ly shit” You mutter and Eddie grins, taking your hand and wrapping it around his weeping cock. You stroke it slowly, your fingers not even meeting as you ogle it, his precum dripping down your fingers. 

 You keep stroking, feeling how he responds to your touch, his head lays against the headrest as he starts up the truck, the deep rumble of the engine causes your toes to curl and you gasp a little feeling it deep in your core. 

Oh, something is totally off. 

You look at him, his long neck exposed to you and he looks at you for a second his eyes are half-lidded as he reaches out, cupping the back of your head and pushing you down gently. 

“Open up for me baby” He guides your face to his cock and you eagerly wrap your lips around him, tasting him and rolling your eyes back.

“Fuuuck” He sighs, running his hand over your hair as your tongue traces his cock. He thrusts a little now his toes curling when he hears your little choking noise. 

“Relax your throat” You feel him start to speed up and you’re absolutely sure he’s over the speed limit as his hand traces down your side and moves between your legs. You feel his fingers sink into you slowly and you groan around his cock, moving your hips on his fingers and fucking yourself slowly as you bob your head up and down. 

“I’ve been so selfish, this is probably affecting you just as badly” he pulls you off of him by your hair and smiles deviously at your blissed-out face, pecking your lips. 

“Take off your pants pretty girl, wanna see how wet you are”

You sit up, eagerly sliding your pants down and opening your legs for him. The sensual smell of your arousal fills his lungs as he breathes deeply. He reaches over and strokes your thigh, making a whimpering noise as he looks at the wetness covering your panties completely. He rubs his thumb over the front and you moan sweetly, melting at his touch. 

He keeps one hand on you and the other in a death grip on the wheel, his fingers push your panties to the side, inserting two fingers into your wetness. He pumps them in and out, his thumb rubbing your clit in sync with his fingers.

You melt against the door, and this entire situation definitely isn’t safe but neither of you care as Eddie screeches to a halt in front of his garage. He rips off his seatbelt and gets on his knees, lifting your hips up to his mouth and sucking your clit into his mouth. 

He adds a third finger now, stretching you even more, his tongue never leaving your clit as he spells his name between your legs like he owns you. He wants you to come apart, to lose yourself in the pleasure he's giving you. 

Your back arches off the seat as you fuck yourself against his mouth desperately 

“F-faster, your tongue, please” You gasp out, stuttering over your sentence and he looks up at you, his eyes locking with yours as he bites your clit. You jolt and cry out his name, tugging at his hair before his tongue speeds up. He pulls your hips even closer as you try to get away from him and slaps your thigh. 

“Stay still” He growls and you whimper, closing your legs around his head as your hips roll against his mouth. You can see the way he’s got one knee on the floor so he can grind his cock into the seat. You roll your eyes back and shut them as you cum on his face, spreading your legs wide as his fingers work your body. 

“Eddie! Oh god- fuck yes oh my god” You babble as he keeps sucking at your clit until he’s satisfied that you are. You weakly try to shove his head away and he finally pulls away, kisses your mound, and nuzzling his nose against your sensitive clit 

“Should’ve drowned me” He mumbles, kissing your folds and you rub his hair gently, mussing it up. 

“I’ve never actually done that before” You shrug and he looks up quickly 

“You’ve never what??” 

Your cheeks flush and you shrug, “I mean. It’s just never really happened for me you know? Like sure I’d like to know what it’s like but-“

“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard” He shakes his head as he sits up, both of your bodies are still burning but at least you can think a little now. 

“Oh shut up” You throw his shirt at him and he catches it. You squeak when he grabs your wrist and yanks you to him. 

“I think by now we know what we gotta do,” He says as he starts putting it on you, you look up at him as he puts your arms through and starts to button it back up as best he can 

“Are you okay with that?” He stops, looking into your eyes and you smirk 

“It’s a little late to ask you know”

“Oh teehee” he slaps your thigh and you giggle, putting on your boots. 

“This is all you’re going to get me in” You look at him as he pulls his pants back up and leaves them unbuttoned and grabs his spare tank top from the back, putting that on too. He doesn’t want to give his older neighbors a heart attack. 

“That’s perfectly fine. Makes it easier to take off” 

He gets out of the truck and comes around to your side, opening the door for you. You hop out and take his hand, yanking him down to your height and connecting your lips 

He snickers against your mouth, his hands going to your waist as he guides you backward all the way to the front door, even lifting you up the step so you don’t have to part. Your fingers stay tangled in his luscious locks as he fumbles with the door for a second before it swings open 

As soon as you’re both inside he kicks the door shut and it’s your turn to guide him. You push him down on the sofa and grin as you straddle him and start to yank his clothes off, kissing him passionately as you go 

He falls back onto the sofa, his eyes never leaving yours as you start to strip him. He helps you, pulling off his shirt and pouting when you get up to tug off his pants, revealing his rock-hard cock once again. He can't help but let out a low, needy groan as you finish undressing him. He's eager to get to you, to feel your naked skin against his. 

He reaches for you again, pulling you onto his lap, his hands gripping your ass as he starts to kiss your neck, nibbling and sucking on your skin, leaving hickeys in his wake.

He lifts you up, positioning you over his cock. He looks into your eyes, they mirror the heated desperation in his own as he slowly pushes into you.

He groans as he feels your tight heat enveloping him, his hands gripping your hips as he starts to thrust, this is what he’s been dreaming about all afternoon and you’re just as good as he always knew you would be

His voice is thick with lust as you both moan together deeply “Fuck you feel so damn good” He pants, feeling the primal urge to pound your pussy and you want it just as bad, you put your hands over his as he squeezes your hips tighter. 

“H-harder? Please?” You say it so deliciously sweet, giving him a pretty little pout and wetting your lashes that he can’t help but give you exactly what you want 

Eddie's thrusts grow more aggressive, bouncing you on his cock faster. He can't get enough of the way you feel around him, the way you moan, and the way your body moves against his. He leans back, pulling you down for a deep, hungry kiss as he continues to thrust up into you.

He breaks the kiss, his voice thick with lust

“Fuck, you're so tight. I can't get enough of you”

He reaches up, pinching your nipples as he thrusts, his hips slamming into you, his cock hitting your g-spot with each thrust. 

You slap your hands on his chest, curling your nails into it as you let your head fall forward. 

“That’s it baby oh my g-god that’s it” you sob praises, as sweat drips down both your brows. 

His thrusts become more urgent, more desperate as he loses himself in the rhythm, his cock sliding in and out of you with a wet, slapping sound. 

“I-I’m gonna c-cum, fuck Eddie!”

He reaches his hand down, rubbing your clit in fast circles and you squirt for the first time in your life, your juices splashing over his pelvis and soaking the couch beneath you two.  

He moans loudly, feeling your tight pussy clenching around him as you come. It's enough to send him over the edge. He thrusts one last time, burying himself deep inside you, and lets out a loud groan as he comes, filling you with his hot cum. 

You collapse on his chest, panting heavily and letting your body rest against his. He lets his arms fall to the sides, panting just as harshly. 

“That was fucking amazing” He giddily covers his face with his hands, shaking his head “Jesus Christ that was the best I’ve ever had” 

You giggle, completely agreeing with him as you adjust yourself on his cock, making sure he stays inside you. 

“I can’t believe you seriously made me do that” 

“Was there any doubt I wouldn’t?” He scoffs, bringing his hands up to cup your sweet face 

“And that was just the first time…as soon as we can move we’re going into my bedroom and-“ 

“Oh my god” You stop, remembering just where you are “Oh god Eddie!! Your couch!” 

He blinks and then squeezes your cheeks together. 

“I just made you squirt all over me… and you think I’m worried about my couch?” 

“I can buy you a new one!! I promise I’ll-“

Eddie covers your mouth, smirking when he feels your pussy clench around him lightly. 

“All I want to hear from you is “Yes Daddy” you understand me?” He uncovers your mouth and you gape slightly before nodding slowly 

“Y-yes Daddy.” 

“Good girl. Now, you and I will go couch shopping whenever you’d like” He runs his thumb over your lip  “You will not be paying for it…” 

Before you can even whine in protest his hand comes down on your ass and you yelp. 

“Hey!! That was-“ His fingers wrap around your throat and he sighs 

“And here I thought you could take direction. May I finish my train of thought?” 

He can feel you gulp, which just makes him grin widely, deviously 

“Yes Daddy” you mumble and he gives you a little pat on the cheek 

“Anyway. You can pick any damn couch you want… because if you think for one minute I’m ever letting you out of my sight again and that you’re not officially mine?” He nuzzles your nose 

“I didn’t fuck you nearly as hard as I should have” 

[blackcoldcrackedheart]

Tw/spoilers: major character death and grief

"He hasn't cried or gotten angry or anything. He's just quiet." Eddie sighed into his hand as he continued to look at Buck, they had just gotten back from the service and were at the station for the reception.

"I tried talking to him, but he kept saying he's fine. Maddie is trying to talk to him, but he just keeps shutting her down." Chimney looked over at where Athena, May, Harry, Michael, and David were standing, being surrounded by Bobby's mother and brother, Ann and Charlie, and the fire chief. What ever the chief was saying was a lot for Athena and Ann.

"I'm surprised he hasn't opened up to you about all this." Chimney admitted, eyeing Eddie as though he was keeping a secret. "Usually Buck tells you everything."

Eddie's eyes turned somber, he looked uncomfortable and cleared his throat. "Usually, not this time."

Eddie had tried. He knew how much Bobby meant to Buck, Buck never hid the fact that Bobby was like a dad to him and Bobby never hid the fact that he had a soft spot for Buck.

He figured Buck would open up to him.

But....

"It's not about me."

It was said with no emotion. Devoid of anything. Just cool with such a flat affect that Eddie was truly worried that his best friend would explode.

He looked to find Buck standing with Tommy, Hen, and Karen. Karen was consoling Hen, wiping away Hen's tears as they talked amongst themselves. And Tommy?

Tommy was standing close to Buck. Not touching each other, like Hen and Karen, but standing closer than most would.

"You think he talked to Tommy about losing Bobby? I know they're not da-"

Chimney snorted, "Oh wow, you're seriously out of the loop."

Eddie frowned, looking at Chimney and then at Tommy and Buck. "They're back together?"

"I don't have to run past everything by you."

Chimney let out a soft hum. "Pretty sure they are. Tommy's been by Buck's side since we lost Bobby."

-

Things were wrapping at Hen and Karen's house, the couple had decided to invite the group to dinner at their home. A small gathering to unwind after today. They had been up since 7 am for the mass and the wake.

The mood was somber, numb. Despite ordering food for the group, hardly anyone ate.

"Hey, have you seen Buck?" Maddie asked, hitching up a sleeping Jee on her hip. Chimney was quick to take Jee in his arms, "He's not here?"

"No."

Chimeny frowned and looked around to see Ravi talking to May. "Hey Rav, have you seen Buck?"

Ravi looked around, clearly confused and surprised at somehow missing Buck. "Actually, I don't think I've seen him for over an hour now."

"He left?" Eddie suddenly asked, Chimney tried not to jump.

"Wait, you haven't seen him?" Maddie asked, her worry palpable now as she peered at Eddie as though this was his fault.

Eddie shook his head "No", "I tried talking to him, but he brushed me off. Said he was exhausted and walked off."

Chimney felt his brows reach his hairline at that. "Ooookay." He caught Karen's attention. "Hey, did you see Buck leave?"

Karen turned to Hen, ready to say or ask something, but Athena beat her to the punch. "He left."

"Wait, what? He didn't even tell us or say goodbye?" Maddie asked incredulously. She pulled out her phone, pouting as her call to Buck just led to his voice mail. "You dont think he's going to do something stupid, right?" She turned to Eddie, "Did he tell you if he was going to go home or anything?"

Eddie looked pensive, scrubbing his face to save some time in answering.

"I don't think Buck is in the mood to talk to Eddie or any of us right now." Chimney explained as he looked at Eddie, knowing there was more there than Eddie was willing to admit.

Athena shook her head, her lips pulled up in a shadow of a smile. "Notice there's someone else missing too?"

-

The station was of course opened, the firefighters that were scheduled for overnight were mostly from other stations covering for those who attended services.

They didn't say much to Buck, except their condolences for losing Bobby.

He took a deep breath in and out as he stood on the roof. The night was cool, a slight breeze present that usually would have Buck shivering.

But he had been his formal uniform all day and he was starting to feel warm now. He pressed his hand against his forehead, feeling the sweat and warm skin.

"I have the perfect stew to make you feel better than. Old family secret, so don't try to cheat like last time."

"I know the family secret, Bobby. It's ginger and star annise." Buck chuckled, "You told me last year after I got the flu."

Bobby rolled his eyes, "True, but I like to pretend I have some cooking secrets left to share." He joked. "You know I love coming up here. It's probably one of the few places in the city where you can just hear yourself think."

"Yeah." Buck loosened his tie and unbuttoned his coat. "I know. I figured it's what I needed, after today. Today felt like a nightmare."

Bobby hummed softly. "You know what I like to do during days like that?"

Buck arched a brow, waiting for a reply.

"I like to pray."

Buck scoffed, he hated how his voice broke as he admitted, "Not really in a praying mode, Bobby." He sniffed, "That was always your thing more than mine."

Bobby laughed, crossing his arms, "Yeah, I know. Usually I say something that I know would make you feel better." He pressed his lips together, "I don't know if there's anything i can say to you now that will make you accept that there was nothing you could have done, Buck."

Buck's vision became blurry with tears, he felt his face grow warm, "I-I could have tried. I-I should have broken down the door or something. I should have stayed with you."

"So you could die too?" Bobby asked, sounding annoyed. "Listen to me Buck," he stepped closer to Buck till they were face to face. "You're an important person in my life, Buck, one of the most important. I wouldn't have wanted you down there with me if it meant we both die. You mean too much to me for that."

Buck's lower lip wobbled, he wiped his nose with his sleeve. "Bobby, I-I don't know if I can- how do I-"

Maybe it's the cool air.

Maybe it's just Buck running a fever or something.

But he feels Bobby's hands on his face. "You're gonna have to. Not because the others need you to be strong, but because you need to be able to live." He patted Buck's cheek, "You worked too hard to not be happy, Buck. I've had the pleasure and honor of watching you grow up into this amazing and capable adult and I'll continue to watch you grow."

"You promise?"

"Evan?"

Buck turned to see Tommy standing behind him. He looked worried, his eyes searching for something. "Are you okay?"

Buck sniffed, wiping his nose against. "Yeah, I was just talking to -" He turned around.

To nothing.

No one.

No Bobby.

"Evan?"

It wasn't about him.

Bobby had a family. He had Athena and the kids. He had his mom and brother.

It wasn't about him.

That's what Buck had told himself.

"I've got you. I got you." Tommy murmured into his curls, Buck was gripping Tommy like he was a life saver as he broke down. Sobbing loudly into Tommy's shoulder, three days worth of despair and anguish. "I've got you." Tommy repeated. He pressed kisses into Buck's hair, "I'm so sorry, Evan."

[dangerpronebuddie]

Tease Tidbit Tuesday!!

Tagged by @diazsdimples who shared AMAZING words that hit like a punch in the chest (in the best way) 🩷🩷

I can't even remember the last time I did one of these y'all. This semester really took it out of me holy cow. But! With only three finals remaining, I might get a chance to actually post some words! (And answer the make me write asks I haven't done yet 😅). Anyhoo, I have... started another wip! Danger Prone Diaz in fact! So, have a little calm before the storm:

“I just don't understand why every time I leave, Ravi's here, and every time I come back, he's gone,” Eddie comments, spraying cleaner on the glass of the locker room. He'd been excited to get to work with Ravi again. It was always fun watching his horrified expressions whenever the team got a little too personal, and he fit in seamlessly with A shift. But the day Eddie announced he was coming back, also the day they all discovered Bobby was alive, Ravi filed a transfer request. Buck ducks his head with a bashful smile and a soft laugh. He gives Eddie that squinty lopsided grin that always makes his heart skip and shrugs as he focuses on cleaning the glass. “Well, that… might be my fault.” Eddie raises an eyebrow. “Might? What'd you do, chase him around with another chainsaw?” Buck shoves at his shoulder. “I did not. I just… don't think he likes you, that's all.” Eddie pouts. He's not too proud to deny it. He thought he and Ravi were friends! “No, no, it's not you,” Buck rushes to correct, but it really doesn't help much. “It's… Well, while you were gone, I might've… talked about you. A- a bit.” Eddie raises both eyebrows now, his chin tilted down as if to ask de veras? Because really. De veras? Ravi doesn't like Eddie because Buck talked about Eddie? “Talked about me how?” He sprays the next section and taps the glass, because Buck has abandoned their task in favor of yapping, which Eddie loves, but they really need to get their chores done at the same time. Buck turns to the glass, mutters something Eddie can't hear over the squeak of the squeegee in Buck's hand. Eddie grabs his wrist to stop his movement. “I'm sorry, what was that?”

(Tags under the cut! If y'all want to be added/ removed, let me know!)

@lover-of-mine @tizniz @daffi-990 @kitteneddiediaz

@ronordmann @steadfastsaturnsrings @inell @exhuastedpigeon

@thekristen999 @monsterrae1 @diazheartsbuckley @wildlife4life @misshiss727 @rainbow-nerdss @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove

@spotsandsocks @tidesreach @disasterbuck @lonelychicago @epicbuddieficrecs

@lunarspark-cos @idealuk @slowlyfoggydestiny @mourningeddiesfagstache @playinginthunderstorms @elvensorceress

@lin27 @jshadow01 @sofa-king-lame @thegeekcompanion @emilybahu @lemotmo @awolfnamed-nyx @maraskywalkers @joannte

@kaseysgirl86-blog @darkrose6578 @totallynotagoraphobic @dandelioncasey @bibuckbuckgoose @whatsgoodinthehood22 @icebergeddie

@lady-elaine @buckley-diaz-rules @buddiedaydreamer911 @monroemary @pirate-hunter @snowviolettwhite @hermoineindisguise @laurenttheninth

@nonspeakingkiku @eddiedisasterdiaz @drunkandsupportiveeddie @gnoeltop @keynb @cassi-brooks @-syrup-sue @punkrock00 @shannonhutchins @aroqueerfandoms @unlifeira @marissaleec @kissyboytroye

@lyricfulloflight @charlzie-ghost @hypersensitivitywitch @kindlingtotheflames @wallywise @zerokrox-blog @hawaiianlove808 @retromodgirl @allygateobeanz @savlikesbluengreen @penpatronuswhump @lecturedetachee and anyone else who wants to!! 🥰🩷

[magniloquent-raven]

I'm getting distracted from my current projects by someone else's post again someone tell me to stop going on tumblr while I have WIPs lmfao

@rosetterer this isn't EXACTLY what you posted about but it does get there in the end

**

Twenty-four hours has never seemed like such an insurmountably long time.

Buck's had long shifts before, the boring ones when he'd stare at the alarms on the wall, willing them to go off—he can picture Maddie's disappointed scowl if she ever found out about that, but he swears he was only hoping for something small and harmless to break up the monotony—and the busy ones. Ones that leave his ears ringing with phantom sirens by the end. Those days only ever seem long in retrospect, when he's bone-tired and trying to remember all the names he asked for.

But now every shift seems to find new and shittier ways to be gruelling. Eddie's miserable and trying to act like he isn't. There's this weird, uncomfortable tension brewing between Hen and Chim. Ravi got himself transferred to B shift—probably to get away from Gerrard, and Buck can't exactly blame him, but he sort of does anyway and their new probie is terrible, and... then there's Gerrard.

Like, Buck already knew he was a piece of work, but. Knowing and experiencing are two very different things. He could barely stand keeping his mouth shut at the medal ceremony when he met the man for five seconds, and now he has to put up with him making smug, belittling comments towards all his friends, all the time. Constantly needing to remind himself he doesn't want to get fired is actually killing him.

It doesn't help that every so often he'll remember Tommy's offhand Captain Gerrard was like having the dad I already had, with a pang as he wonders what exactly Tommy grew up with. What parts of Gerrard's condescending tyranny were familiar to him. Phillip Buckley may not have been father of the year, but maybe never being looked directly at was better than being raised neck deep in toxic waste.

Every time he remembers he gets the urge to pull out his phone and call Tommy up just to... he doesn't even know. Just to hear his voice, maybe. Know if he's doing okay.

Another reason work days seem so long now, if he's being honest. He's always counting down the hours until he can see Tommy again. Like a kid on the last day of school, watching the clock tick closer and closer to summer vacation.

So, of course, right near the end of a particularly busy shift, Gerrard gets them all lined up for a lecture about how sloppy that last save was. Everyone did something wrong, and everyone needs to hear about all the ways they could have gotten someone killed, like they don't all know how risky the job is already.

By the time he's finished telling Chim it's a miracle he managed to convince anyone to let him out on calls, Buck is clenching his jaw hard enough to make his teeth ache.

"I'm sure Captain Soft-Touch loved telling you all it was okay to be mediocre, and that you were trying your best," Gerrard sneers at them all, waving a dismissive hand at very idea of Bobby's captaincy. "But the coddling ended when he retired. Sparing your feelings is going to get people killed. Diaz!" He shouts, abrupt, turning on his heel towards Eddie. Eddie doesn't flinch, but Buck does.

"Yes, sir?" He's coolly polite, and his face is carefully blank, but his posture is tense.

"If I ever catch you checking your phone at a scene again, I'll make sure you're mopping floors for the rest of your life."

Eddie's expression hardens. It was a fender-bender and Eddie didn't even touch his phone until everyone was accounted for and packed into the ambulance. "It was a text from my son. Sir." His tone veers a little to the left of polite.

"I don't care if it was from the goddamn Pope, when you're in the field your focus stays on scene. Next time your brat needs something tell him to go cry to his mother about it."

This time when Buck flinches, everyone else in line does too. Hen bites down on a grimace. Chim hisses quietly through his teeth.

"I can't do that," Eddie says flatly. "What with her being dead and all."

The firehouse is silent for a long, horrible moment. That might've taken the wind out of any decent person's sails, Buck thinks. At the very least most people would've retreated into awkwardness and ended the lecture entirely.

Gerrard's brow pinches angrily. "Don't get smart with me, Diaz."

Buck's not sure it's possible to hate someone more than he hates their new captain right now.

"I don't care about your little sob story excuses, I care that you're sloppy and distracted. If you can't handle the job and the kid, drop one of them."

Oh, he was wrong.

He hates this man so much he's choking on it, it's clogging his throat like bile and he's running out of strength to care that he shouldn't spit it out, spew it everywhere and ruin everything just for the chance of hurting this man in the process. He feels like his skin is bursting at the seams.

Eddie's biting the inside of his cheek, rage and sorrow warring silently on his face.

And Buck breaks. Bursts. "Hey, Captain, that's—"

"Can it, Buckley," Gerrard cuts him off before he can even start. It's not angry, it's not anything, he brushes Buck off like he's an annoying fly buzzing in his ear, barely worth glancing at for the two seconds it takes to tell him he doesn't care. "You're all dismissed. Get out of my sight."

Some of them flee, scurrying to their lockers, the kitchen, anywhere but here. A couple of people throw backwards glances before they walk away. Hen and Chim exchange grim looks. Eddie disappears out the back door in an angry haze. And Buck...

Buck feels. Empty. Small. Like he cut himself open trying to relieve the pressure and now there's just nothing left. No one to patch up the wound, and no reason for any of it, he didn't make an impact, he didn't help anyone, he stood there listening to his friends get degraded, and now—now he's feeling sorry for himself?

It's stupid. He's stupid. He feels like shit because, what, because he didn't get yelled at? Because his piece of shit captain took a break from implying he's a disgusting pervert?

He thinks himself in circles about it his whole way home, the pit in his stomach getting a little deeper every time he tries to will it away.

He's wallowed himself halfway through a six-pack, staring sightlessly at his TV, by the time his front door opens.

"Evan?"

One of the knots in his chest loosens. "Yeah," he calls out, not bothering to sound less pathetic than he is. "In here."

"Hey." Tommy's stopped next to the stairs, eyeing him. His gaze is assessing, but his tone is soft. He's always so careful with Buck. "Bad day?"

Buck takes another sip of his beer. Shrugs.

"Ah, one of those."

The couch cushions dip as Tommy takes a seat next to him. He's close enough that Buck doesn't have to look at him to know he's there. There's warmth radiating off him. The woodsy scent of his aftershave. Buck presses their knees together, and exhales properly for the first time in hours.

He knows he could talk about whatever he wants and Tommy would let him. He's waiting for Buck to take the lead here. Buck could avoid the issue entirely and decide to talk about anything. The fact that he can't really tell the difference between the fancy beer Tommy insists is better than the crap Buck's drinking right now. The documentary about bees he's pretending to watch. The goddamn weather.

What comes out of his mouth is a quiet, "I feel like an idiot."

Tommy pulls the beer bottle out of Buck's loose grip, puts it down next to the couch, and then takes Buck's hand in both of his. "Why?"

Buck scrubs at his eyes. "I..." He catalogues the tiny scars on Tommy's knuckles. Two, three, little dots on his index finger. A lopsided vee on his thumb. "Something happened at work."

"Did Gerrard say something to you?" There's an edge to Tommy's question, something sharp and flinty. It makes Buck's heart do dumb little somersaults.

"No." He stops, shame burning his cheeks. "Not. Not to me. That's... He was lecturing everybody, and I..."

"Evan." Tommy grips his chin, firmly, gently, guiding Buck's face until he looks him in the eye. There's a sympathetic twist to his mouth. "Tell me."

He does. As best he can when it feels like what's didn't happen is more important, and he can barely put into words why that is. But trying helps, a little. Trying to whittle it down into an explanation forces him to look at the whole of it, and realize it's not looming over him anymore.

Maybe it's just Tommy's hands on him, soothing the hurt away.

"I dunno. Feels like I could have done something differently, maybe"

Tommy hums, tilting his head in acknowledgement. "You could've."

Buck winces.

"But it wouldn't have turned out any better."

Oh.

A flower blooms on the TV, purple and white petals reaching for the sun. Buck toys with Tommy's fingers, and shifts his leg closer, hooking their ankles together.

"It felt so shitty," he mutters.

"I know."

He would, wouldn't he. Buck gets that pang in his chest again, and he pushes the rest of the way into Tommy's space. Tommy wraps his arms around him, and drops a kiss into his curls, seemingly content to let Buck situate himself however he wants.

He kind of wishes Tommy wasn't still wearing jeans, but asking him to take his pants off might send the wrong message.

"You don't think I'm, like...a bad friend, right?" He cringes his way through the question.

"No." Tommy responds matter-of-factly and without hesitation. Then the corner of his mouth twitches. "I think you're a very good boy."

Buck's entire head feels like it's on fire. A grin starts to creep across his face. It might be the first time he's smiled all day. "Oh, yeah?"

"Mhm."

Maybe he should ask Tommy to take his jeans off after all.

[livielll]

"I'm glad i work here"

tsukishima x femreader -> teacher! ||

timeskip.

|| summary; a museum worker that barely has feelings falls inlove with a teacher. ||

contains agggtm book characters HAHA (love agggtm 💗)

"kids, pack your things again! were about to arrive at the museum!!"

you yelled, but not a —loud, angry one. perhaps a soft one. but you still yelled anyways. these kids are kindergarten kids, those ones who barely listen. but some do listen and you live for those types of kids.

you got out of your seat and went to a particular seat ;; a seat where 2 kids were fighting about what show was better. of course they didn't listen, so you took matters into your own hands and seperated them both.

"hey hey, stanley, ravi. quit that." you said sternly but immediately felt bad when you saw tears forming on little stanley's face. "okay, how about you sit with me now stanley?" you asked, carefully. not wanting to hurt his soul again. he nodded, and reached out for your hand.

you held his small hand in yours, the other one holding his bag as you guys walked through the small gap between the seats and walked over yours.

It was not long until the bus arrived at the museum. the teachers went out first, obviously, leading the kids, making sure none of them ran away or got left behind.

they did a head count and by the time they were done, the bus left and parked somewhere. you exhaled in relief, that the journey going here wasn't that bad as the past field trip journeys you experienced.

you were leading your little group, about 15 kids? ah, 16. but one of them tried to catch your attention.

"miss..miss..." she mumbled. it was pip. holding onto the hem of your shirt tightly.

you bent over a bit, trying to look at her in the eye. "yes?"

"I don't like crowded places..." she said. and held tighter. "I'm scared."

your eyes soften as you hear the frightened pip. "its gonna be okay. you wanna walk next to me?" you suggested and patted her head to assure her it was alright.

"yes.." she said and walked next to you.

it wasn't unusual or not normal for kids to come here for field trips. it happened frequently. kei, tsukishima kei, the museum worker saw the amount of kids, the group of kids that stood and chatted in the lobby. he sighed deeply, not wanting to do this. he'd rather just be the tourist and not the person who has to yell "welcome to the sendai museum!!!!" but he was assigned to anyways.

"alright, attention everyone! welcome to the sendai-" he got cut off, by looking at the teacher, you. damn. his eyes followed your every move, where you stood in front of the kids, when you tried to tell them to be quiet and listen.

"tsukishima.." a nearby worker hissed and he regained his focus, but not fully as his gaze still lingered on you.

"right..yes..are there anymore questions??" tsukishima asked. for no more.

"oh oh i do!!" a kid raised his hand. and tsukishima quietly groaned to himself. he had been answering these questions for almost 4 minutes.

"why are the dinosaurs extinct now? couldn't they just exist? like why didn't they just eat??" he asked curiously, scratching his chin.

"well.." tsukishima tried to make it interesting. "they randomly disappeared one night. no one knows where they went." he wiggles his fingers, some kids got the spook and some laughed. but his attention was caught by you, shaking your head and chuckling.

he smiled to himself as he saw you, he didn't even get to know you better, but at least he gets to see you smile. a smile that made the cold tsukishima melt. and thats the best part of this torture of his.

i actually don't know if i wanna make this longer

m.list here!

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly Recap | December 16th-22nd 2024

So close to Christmas guys!!! I can't wait to spend the break reading fic and making recs for you guys!!

(By the time I post this (late), it's gonna be December 24th so Merry Christmas and happy holidays to those who celebrate!)

Complete

i'll be home for christmas by lecornergirl/ @clusterbuck (Post-S8A, Christopher comes home, Christmas | 1,5K | General): Christopher had messaged, two weeks ago, and said he didn’t want to spend Christmas in Texas. He’d said his grandmother doesn’t decorate the house right, that she won’t let him put popcorn garlands on the tree, that she’s trying to tell him snickerdoodles aren’t Christmas cookies. He’d said he wants to come home. Or— What he’d said was, can i come and spend christmas with you?

you gotta walk before you crawl by Wildehack (tyleet) / @wildehacked (Future fic | 1,5K | Teen): “Hey,” Buck says, nudging Eddie with his socked foot, Danny Ocean monologuing on the tv. “Why don’t we ever go to poker night anymore?” 

until we're grey and old by lecornergirl/ @clusterbuck (Established Buddie | 1,5K | Teen): Or—he had been good at it. He had been able to go weeks without questioning Eddie’s presence at his side. And then Eddie had kissed him, soft and out of nowhere in the warm glow of his kitchen. The dishwasher beeped, startling them apart, and on Eddie’s face, a blush and a grin competed for purchase. Buck blinked, and Eddie raised his eyebrows in question, and Buck kissed him again in response. Eddie leaned into him, and Buck— Buck can’t stop thinking about the fact that everyone always leaves.

All I Want For Christmas... by Tizniz/ @tizniz (Christmas, Post-S8A, Eddie goes to Texas, Getting Together | 3K | General): “So…I don’t think we’re gonna make it back for Christmas.” Buck closes his eyes and takes a breath, letting the full impact of Eddie’s words hit him for a second. “Y-yeah, man. Of course. I totally get it.” He swallows, “Your family is there, anyways.”

Last First Kiss by songbvrd/ @songbvrd (Post-S8A, Getting Together | 3K | General): Buck tries to say goodbye. Eddie isn't ready.

I took a little journey to the unknown by 42hrb/ @exhuastedpigeon (Hurt Eddie, Getting Together | 4K | Teen): Eddie groans, his tongue feels too big for his mouth and his thoughts are moving slowly, like they’re trying to wade through pudding and getting stuck on the way to his mouth. “I-it’s okay, you don’t have to talk,” Buck says and the comforting warmth is back on Eddie’s hand. The only thought that rings clearly through his head is that Buck’s hand is safe. Buck is going to keep him safe. “Just - can you squeeze my hand if you’re awake?” That feels nearly impossible, his body feels like lead, heavy and useless, but for Buck he can try. He focuses and squeezes as tightly as he can - it’s not very tight, but that doesn’t seem to matter when Buck lets out a long breath and then a choked sob.

It's a mystery (that I would pick you 10 out of 9 times) by paleredheadinascifi (Online Dating, Getting Together | 4K | Teen): Tex: Can you overshare something to make this less embarrassing? Firehose : Absolutely. I’m telling people I downloaded this app to get over my ex but really I realized I have feelings for my straight best friend Or, Eddie downloads a gay dating app and hits it off with a suspiciously familiar mystery man (it's Buck).

🔥Light, Dark, Light Again by fruitsdoesnotknow/ @tayf-ghost (Getting Together | 5K | Teen): “Anyway, it’s not a big deal; it happens to everyone at some time or another here. Like Ravi with Buck. Or like Bobby with me,” Bobby shrugs his shoulders at the group while Buck gapes at him. “Or Buck with Eddie when he first started,” Chimney nods at the final pair, inhaling another slice of pizza into his huge mouth, unaware that five sets of eyes were now locked onto him. He opens his eyes and pauses. “What?” It takes a moment, but it finally clicks in Chimney’s head. “Oh, fuck,” he flashes his eyes to Buck in terror, wide-eyed, and Buck truly loves the guy, loves him like a brother, but sometimes he wishes Chimney wasn’t his actual brother because Maddie has clearly shared this little Buck fact with Chimney Can’t-Keep-A-Secret-To-Save-His-Life Han, and it’s not like Buck can kill Chimney because he’s Jee’s dad and it’s just – Great. This is great. *** Or Buck fell first, Eddie fell harder, and it makes them both look stupid.

Buck, Bothered and Bewitched by bellabrady (Animal Transformation, Getting Together | 6K | Not Rated): Eddie looks back down at the dog. “Buck?” he asks slowly, feeling slightly insane. Immediately, the dog barks again, more enthusiastically this time, like he’s voicing his agreement to Eddie’s question. The dog — Buck — starts wagging his tail as he tries to walk in Eddie’s direction, but he’s so uncoordinated due to not being used to having four legs that he somehow ends up forgetting to move his front legs and stumbling over them, leading to a very inelegant fall that has him almost faceplanting onto the floor. “Yeah,” Hen says with a small huff. “That dog is Buck, alright.”

emails i can't send by heartbeatdiaz/ @lonelychicago (Post-S8A, Getting Together | 6K | Teen): “Jee, what have you done?” Buck groans, trying to unsend the emails that are— used to be in his drafts. The emails that he's written to Eddie and that were never supposed to see the light of day. The emails Jee somehow managed to send while Buck wasn't looking. No, no, no. or; buck should've known better than to let his email account open and then give his computer to a toddler to play with.

The Twelve Days of Buckmas by paleredheadinascifi (Post-S8A, Eddie goes to Texas, Christmas | 6K | Teen): 12 days. 12 gifts. 12 letters. 12 times Buck delivers a Christmas miracle all the way to El Paso. Or, two giant boxes turn up at Eddie's new front door. Buck isn't going to let a few states stop him from spoiling his favourite Diazs.

(we tried) we said we'd keep in touch by withmeornotatall/ @chronicowboy (Post-S8A, Christmas, Getting Together | 7k | Teen): "Yeah, they were pretty pissed about the Christmas arrangements I made for me and Chris, but it was his idea, so..." And Buck can practically see the smile curving onto Eddie's face, can perfectly conjure up the exact tilt to his mouth, the stretch of his lips, the joy alighting in his eyes, could even pick out the exact HEX code of pink in his cheeks from a colour picker. "That's great, Eddie." A matching smile creeps across his face. As selfish as Buck may be, he answered the phone after every breakthrough with Chris, every blowout with his parents, every time Christopher turned him away. This is why Eddie had to leave. At least, somebody's having a happy Christmas. "What are you up to?" "Nothing much. Missing you," Eddie says, and he says it like it's all they've been doing. Buck almost believes him.

🔥 housed by your warmth by hispolestar (Post-S8E8: Wannabes, Getting Together | 10K | Explicit): Buck’s never been wanted, not really. That’s the truth of his existence, at the end of the day. Born as a saviour only to fail. Neglected by his parents, left by his sister, the only person to make life worth it back then. When he finally, finally decided enough was enough and ran away from home, he thought, stupidly, that being the one to do the leaving might mean that he’d stop being doomed. It doesn’t. Because now Eddie’s leaving. And it’s worse. It’s so much worse, infinitely worse, in ways Buck can’t quite comprehend. If Tommy leaving was a blow to his self esteem, Eddie leaving – it’s nothing short of an atomic bomb, leaving nothing but dead plants, rotting carcasses and devastation in its wake.

🔥 Promising Light by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Post-S8E8: Wannabes, Time Travel | 20K | Mature): Buck and Eddie fall asleep drunk and in separate rooms after the night of Buck and Tommy's breakup. They wake up seven years later, in an unfamiliar future, only to find out that they're married.

🔥 take what the water gave me by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, Mermaid Buck, Trans Eddie, S2-3 | 20K | Mature): New transfer to the 118, Eddie Diaz, has a secret. And upon getting to know his coworker, Buck, who is also hiding something, he begins to suspect their secret is the same. He's wrong.

🔥should we talk about the weather by trysetmeonfire/ @try-set-me-on-fire (Drift Compatible Buddie, S5-6 | 20K | Mature): And then, in Los Angeles, 2018, Eddie had met Buck. Then, huddled over a man with a bomb in his leg, Eddie had needed gauze and Buck’s hand had moved. Then, in the parking lot bathed in the light of an ambulance on fire, Buck had inhaled and Eddie's lungs expanded. And, well, that was that.

🔥 can’t fight the moonlight by coldbam/ @coldbam (Werewolf Buck, Canon Divergent | 21K | Explicit): “Apparently I stole his very special mug,” Eddie says, not bothering to hide the sarcasm. “I know you guys keep saying he’s all bark, Buck’s a real sweetheart, but I'm starting to worry you all just have terrible judge of character,” Eddie half-jokes. He sighs, rubbing at his eyes. “What the hell is his problem?” “Full moon tonight,” Chimney says with a smirk, chewing his gum like he’s proud of himself for that joke. * Or, everyone works at a wolf sanctuary and Buck is a werewolf.

🔥Risky Business series by taegyungie (Post-S8E6: Confessions, Getting Together | 2 works | Complete | Explicit):

Cure for Martyrdom (PWP | 4K | Explicit): "Simple pleasures, right?" "Right." Or, Eddie and Buck have a couple beers on the couch.

Lament for the Living (Eddie Sexuality Crisis, Near Death Experience | 23K | Explicit): Eddie's shadow dwarfs him by a long shot, so he swings upward and keeps on boxing. Eggshells, headstones, shipwrecks - Eddie fights for the things he loves.

WIP

🔥 Finding Mr Christmas by JJK/@trenchcoatsandtimetravel (Canon Divergent, Reality TV, Christmas | 7/10 | 40K | Teen): "Welcome to Finding Mr Christmas! You’re all here chasing the same dream, to star in a Hallmark Christmas movie, and over the next few weeks we’re going to be putting you through your paces to see which of you has the most star quality and that ‘it’ factor that makes you shine above the rest." 🎄🎄🎄 An AU where Buck and Eddie meet as contestants on Hallmark's Finding Mr Christmas competition (and fall for each other).

[lihhelsing]

Buck's head is still going fast when he finally finds a place to sit down. It'll be just for a minute, but he needs it badly. 

He keeps recalling the past hours of his life. The way the fucking door slid in front of him before he even knew what was happening. The way it trapped his team–his family– inside that fucking lab. Away from safety. Away from where he could get to them. 

The door sentenced Buck to his worst nightmare; There was absolutely nothing he could do right now, but sit and wait. 

Athena was handling it. Maddie was trying something on her side. And Buck, whose only real skill was the fact that he didn't think before throwing himself in danger's way if it meant he could save someone he loved, had his hands tied. 

He shut his eyes tightly. He could feel the pain flaring up behind his eyes the way it always did on hard shifts like this one. But it was ok. He was ok. 

He had to be ok because Hen, and Bobby, and Chim, and Ravi still needed him. And if he had to break things and tear down that whole building, he would get to them. He would find a way to get to them. 

But he just needed a minute. 

When he opens his eyes back up, the migraine is fully on its way and there isn't much he can do to prevent it now. He'll ask for a painkiller and chug some water down, but the adrenaline will dampen the pain. 

He will keep going through the pain until everyone is back where they belong. Safe and sound. 

Buck fishes his phone to see if Maddie has messaged him, but when no notifications pop up he knows it's time to go back out there. To see if someone can tell him what to do. How to help. 

But then his fingers hover over his contact list and he stops and stares. For just a second. 

Just seeing Eddie's name in there, on the top of his favorites list, makes him feel better. 

Eddie who isn't here with him but he's always with him. 

Buck doesn't even realize he pressed his contact until the phone is ringing in his hands. 

He puts it to his ear even though he's pretty sure Eddie's not going to answer it. It's the middle of the day and Eddie's probably working. But still, Buck lets it ring. Even the mechanic beep sound manages to make him feel a little better with the idea that Eddie might be far away but at least he's safe this time. 

At least this once, Eddie isn't in any danger. 

That thought alone would be able to carry Buck to the end of the world. He misses him with his whole being and it sucks that Eddie couldn't get a firefighter job in Texas, but Buck would be lying if he said he loved the idea of Eddie running into burning buildings three states away from him. Too far for him to reach. Too far for Buck to save him. 

Far enough that maybe Buck wouldn't need to admit what his feelings for Eddie really were. 

"Hey," Eddie's voice breaks through the fog in his brain. Clear and steady. A softness that Buck knows it's only reserved for him. 

"Eddie, hey," he says, the total opposite. A shaky mess due to fear, and stress and tiredness. 

"Everything ok?" Eddie asks, and he knows. Buck doesn't even need to say anything and Eddie knows something is wrong. "Who is it?" 

It doesn't matter what happened, just who it happened to. Just who's in the face of danger right now. 

"It's, um, everyone? Chimney, mostly. Right now. But everyone. I... there was an explosion. In a lab. And–" 

"He's going to be fine," Eddie says, not an ounce of doubt in his voice. "They're all going to be fine." 

"You don't know that," Buck says, and surprises himself with how vulnerable he sounds right now. It's easier to let the fear get the best of him when he had Eddie on the other side, ready to tell him he's wrong. 

"I don't," Eddie says, still calm. "But they've beaten the odd time and time again. We've beaten the odds time and time again, Buck. And we'll do it again." 

Buck sighs on his side and closes his eyes. When he does that, he can almost picture Eddie right there, standing next to him instead of miles and miles away. Buck wants to ask Eddie to come back even if he knows it's selfish. 

Eddie is where he's supposed to be. Buck just wishes he weren't feeling so ripped in two about it. 

"I miss you," he says into the void and he can hear Eddie's breath fastening on the other side. 

"I miss you too, Buck," Eddie says as easy as breathing. "But you know I..." 

Buck nods even though Eddie can't see him. "I know." 

Eddie hasn't left him. He went back to where he belonged, and that's with Christopher. Buck wants to be an adult about that, but it's hard to do that when things get so complicated. Everyone he loves is trapped inside a fucking lab, getting infected by a virus and Buck's worried his best friend will stop talking to him if he tells him his feelings towards him have taken a complicated turn lately. 

He knows Eddie's not like this. He wouldn't push him away because Buck was dumb enough to catch feelings for him but he's so scared right now he can't even risk it. 

"I should get back," Buck says, and Eddie sounds a little disappointed on the other side. They were always pretty co-dependent but it seems that the distance has made them even worse. Last week Eddie called Buck because he wasn't sure which color of underwear he should put on for his meeting with the Captain. 

"Keep me posted?" Eddie says. "Even if it's in the middle of the night. I'll be waiting to hear from you." 

"Yeah, you got it." 

Buck sighs, clutching his phone in his hands. He has no idea how he's going to untangle himself from this messy situation with Eddie. He expected the feelings to quiet down now that they were apart, but Buck finds himself craving Eddie even more now that he doesn't even get to have him platonically. 

He's too scared to look into his past to try and figure out when the feelings developed into something more than platonic. And he's too scared to risk that right now. He can't get through life without Eddie, even when he's miles and miles away. 

The fear he feels when he thinks about his feelings for Eddie actually makes him braver about everything else. Now that his heart has skipped countless beats just from hearing his voice, Buck feels energized to go back out there and fix this. 

Eddie is right. They're getting through this. Buck's getting them out of there if it's the last thing he'll do.  

[harmonic-intervention]

Tell me where the good men go

“You can see me!”

“Yes, I can see you because you’re in my head!”

“I’m not."

Welcome to the dumbest thing I have ever written. Bobby death fix-it based off on Just Like Heaven with a sprinkle of bucktommy fix it. Because who gives a shit.

Word count: 19,023 - canon divergence, ghosts, mcd, major character come back to life, getting back together

Excerpt:

The first time Buck saw him, he wasn’t surprised in the slightest. He should have expected it, sort of did expect it. He’d never had to deal with this sort of grief, but he’d heard from others that they dreamed of or hallucinated their lost loved ones. So, why not?

Bobby was in the kitchen of the station next to Buck, still in his messed up turnouts. He was looking over his shoulder, watching him make food for the others. Captain Gerrard was out with a stomach bug or something, Buck would be honest and admit that he didn’t really care. The atmosphere in the firehouse was heavy and bleak these days, but it seemed just a little lighter without Gerrard around.

Buck found Bobby standing by the counter when he came up the stairs to start cooking. The others were spread out over the couches, downtrodden. Buck was trying his best to keep them going, keep them fed and safe. They were going through the motions, all of them were, but life went on. He couldn’t lose his mind now, so he refused to look in the direction of the apparition of the man who might very well be his father. It’d be there, and it’d be gone soon, too. It was just Buck’s brain coping with it.

The hallucination didn’t speak, thank God, but when Buck set the table for the others and called them to eat, it sat down at the head of the table, the place Buck still set for Bobby, and watched them eat. Which was a little bit creepy. Whenever Buck looked at the head of the table, he made sure to keep his eyes down, looking at the plate instead of the apparition. He wasn’t doing this.

He had things to do. People to protect and hold up. He checked in with Chim, Hen, and Ravi. With Eddie. With Athena, May, and Harry. He spoke with Maddie, he helped with the kids, he on and off texted with Tommy with whom things were at a shaky sort of truce for the moment. He didn’t have time to waste on hallucinations.

Thankfully, it did not follow him home. Buck did look at it at shift change when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that its back was turned to him. He looked, saw it watch them leave, looking forlorn and lost. He set his eyes forward, shouldered his bag, and left, hoping that when he came back for his next shift, it’d be gone. Hoped that he wouldn’t find it in his house.

He didn’t find it in his house. And it wasn’t gone when he came back to the station. Every time he came back to the firehouse for the next two weeks, the figure of Bobby Nash was there. In the kitchen, on the couch, in the rig, on calls. At first, it just observed them. Walked with them, hovered over them.

Then, a couple of days ago, it started talking. The first time it did, it was just a soft encouragement to Chimney who was working on a patient, but Buck felt like he’d gotten struck by lightning again. His head was a cruel place. He’d heard of people who lost loved ones talking about forgetting, about not remembering what their voices sounded like, but at this rate, Buck would never be able to forget.

Bobby’s apparition became more vocal by the day, jumping in on conversations at the station, commenting on Buck’s recipes and Buck tried his best to ignore the tips it gave. He knew what he was doing. Bobby had taught him. He didn’t need some shadow trying to tell him what to do.

Then, it started berating Gerrard and Buck accepted that it probably was just a manifestation of his inner voice, like back in his coma dream when he’d come face to face with his own evil doctor self. It made sense. Well, the way this sort of thing could even make sense.

And then-

Well, then things changed. They were out on a call. A routine one when it came down to it, a house fire, probably electrical or something. They were doing a headcount – father, mother, grandparents, the baby, and the oldest child. The middle one was missing.

Gerrard was refusing to send someone back in to find the kid, even though there was still time and the structure was sound enough. He wasn’t listening to anything they had to say, bulldozing over them, reasoning that they had no clue where the child could be.

Buck couldn’t believe he was back. And they were all so crippled with grief that Hen was having trouble even thinking of stepping up and taking over. This was supposed to be her station now. But Buck couldn’t blame her one bit. Bobby was supposed to be there when she took over.

“Don’t turn your back on that house!” the apparition was currently yelling at Gerrard. “The child is in the bathroom by the front door which you would know if you took a moment to listen!”

What a strange thing for a hallucination to say. Buck felt electrified. He stopped, almost holding his breath, and did what it had said – listen. And- there! A cough, coming from the open window next to the front door which was probably the bathroom.

[continue on ao3]