#we are going to see buck setting himself free and eddie crumbling and building himself back up

[lovecolibri]

There with you on the middle child-middle of the road opinions lol. Like from the little that we know about B there are some parts I'm interested in and others that I'm dreading, like these new characters.

There was so much time in A to write an arc for Bobby who has been a glorified regular for the past couple of seasons or hen who got one and a half storylines and one was the woman she cheated on her wife with, and buck who was a boyfriend or eddie they could have foreshadowed the trauma a lot earlier, and then they elected to focus on random people? People that the audience is not at all interested in? Because this is a first responder show and not about reporters? Or that creepy r*pist?

And people are supposed to be excited for B? Not surprised at ALL some are done with this!

Please don't ask me how long I've sat on this ask (nearly a month) or how long it took me to find this post because Tumblr literally hates me searching for my own things.

On the bright side, we now have a *little* more information on 5b and it is....all shaping up to look pretty darn good (though anyone outside the firefam calling Bobby "cap" is an immediate Michael Scott "Nope! Don't Like That" reaction). I do think it's going to suffer a bit because people (even the general audience) had such a negative reaction to 5a, but I really feel like 5b is going to pull things together that felt broken because that feeling was intentional.

However, as I said in my original post, my issues with a lot of 5a are things that won't be fixed by 5b because they weren't about the isolated, dark feeling/tone (okay a little bit that, because this is my comfort show and even in stressful, darker times in other seasons we were given SOME comfort and saw characters supporting each other and 5a was missing some of that tonal balance), but were more to do with the balance of characters and how little we got to see of, as you pointed out, the actual first responders, doing the first responding. I mean, Ghost Stories?! What TF was that? We saw the first responders responding to an emergency and then spent the rest of the episode following the case?! And with side characters no less, not even Athena working the case! Because if they wanted to integrate the reporter into the firefam, having her and Athena working together would be a great way to go, and would allow them to maybe address her season 2 actions that they seem to want us to believe Athena has forgotten about and moved on from (which, false. That woman would never). But instead we have half an episode that does not contribute to the overarching storylines of the show in ANY capacity, plus, Lou solved the case entirely on his own anyway, and the reporter's ramblings in Buck's loft did not affect the outcome of the case or the way the actual detective pursued and solved the case.

I AM excited for 5b. I think the potential for us to get some truly amazing stories, especially for Eddie is incredibly high, and I am absolutely vibrating with excitement about all of it. But it won't change 5a still being full of episodes I have no desire to watch at all, or to watch in full because they were too focused on side characters (not you, Ravi, you're an angel and we are HAPPY to have you and hope to learn so much more about you! Muwah!), or played out like some creepy SVU or Criminal Minds episode (sorry not sorry, I can't watch shows like that. The world is horrid enough, I don't need my entertainment to revel in showing the worst, most disturbing things people are capable of).

All this to say, I can totally understand why some people might want to wait for 5b to come out in full, or until they see what others have to say. It wont' be me, I absolutely want to watch live because my brain is just Like That, and like I said, I am truly excited. And I even love most of the arcs other people don't seem to because I really enjoy how 911 tells these adult stories that are dramatic situations, but handled in human ways focusing on growth and healing instead of what the most extreme and dramatic response could be. I like that there are often situations that are hard, and the characters are hurting or unintentionally hurt each other, but the show doesn't paint one of them to be "the bad guy" because real life is like that, real people are like that! They make mistakes and have to apologize, and have to learn to communicate and 911 does it soooo well! 5a may have veered off course a little, but the stuff we DID get that was focused on the firefam was exceptional (Kenneth Choi Emmy when?! Give that man so many awards!), and has set up 5b to be some truly magical storytelling. I'm excited to see it, and hopeful that the backlash from the general audience about the focus on side characters has been noted and we are going to get to see more of our first responders doing their jobs, having cool and interesting rescues, and being a family. And if what Oliver Stark has said is any indication, it's going to be a wild and enjoyable ride!

[buckupbuttercup]

Because @ashavahishta made this post and what was I supposed to do once I pictured it?!

Sparks Ignite

Buck/Eddie

888 words (angst, first kiss)

Eddie can only stare in shocked disbelief at the crumbling remains of the building in front of him. The roof has caved in on the west wall sending plumes of ashes and embers rising into the night sky. It’s only a matter of time before the rest of the roof gives way. Bobby had seen it coming, called off the search and pulled them out before they could get caught in the collapse. And they had. They’d retreated like ordered. Buck had been right behind him.

Until he wasn’t.

Now there’s a hollow ache in Eddie’s chest as the implication sinks in. Buck is still in there somewhere, near the west wall because that was their search quadrant. The west wall that is crumbling in front of their eyes, bricks giving way and crashing inward as the flames devour everything in its path.

Buck is still in there.

He only makes it one step before there are hands fisting in his turnout gear, aborting the movement. He wants to fight them, to beg them to let him go, but the air is sucked from his lungs as a dizzying thought hits him. How does he live without Buck? He’d done everything to make sure Chris, and Buck, would be taken care of should he die, but never once had he considered the alternative. He’d never thought he would be left trying to pick up the pieces. No more movie nights, no more late night beer chats, no more days at the park just the three of them, no falling asleep to Buck’s soft snores or waking up to the sounds of laughter and the smell of bacon. No future where they live happily ever after.

A small pained noise slips out of his throat as he watches more of the roof buckle inward. The attack lines from three different stations are blasting full force at the flames, but still it rages on. The hands on his gear try to tug him backwards, but Eddie can’t move. As much as it hurts, he can’t look away. Buck is still in there and Eddie swore that he’d always have his back, that he would never leave him.

It’s only keeping his eyes pinned to the orange glow emanating from the shattered windows and doorways that he sees it. Movement. A shadow shifting within the flames. He thinks his eyes are playing tricks on him, but it slowly coalesces into the form of a person.

Buck.

Eddie tears free of the hands holding him back, rushing forward in time to catch Buck as he stumbles. His hands latch onto Buck’s arm, bearing his weight for a moment as his equilibrium catches up with him. The moment he steadies his own weight, Eddie releases him in favor of stripping him of his gear, a buzzing inside him desperate to see Buck is okay. He pushes Buck’s helmet off with a quick nudge before he works the straps of Buck’s mask free and yanks the cowl down. And there he is. Skin flushed, hair matted down to his head with sweat, soot smeared around the creases of his face from his mask, panting with exertion as he sways in place. But when their eyes meet, they’re clear. No pain, just bright with fear.

He’s moving before he realizes it, hands cupping the sides of Buck’s face and pulling him down until their lips are crashing together. Buck makes a startled noise, but his hands, when they latch on to Eddie’s arms, pull him in closer. It’s rushed and desperate, but it fills up every empty space in Eddie’s chest so he’s bursting with love and happiness. Feeling Buck alive beneath his hands, beneath his lips, pours air back into his lungs and life back into his heart.

“I thought I lost you,” he whispers, resting their foreheads together. “Never do that again.”

Buck pulls back enough to look at him, wide-eyed. He ducks his head as a bashful smile starts to pull at the corners of his lips. When he looks back up, though, his grin is so bright it could rival the sun. The fear glimmering in his eyes disappears, replaced by love. He pulls Eddie back in, mumbling promises and reassurances against his lips. I’m okay, I’m here. Not going anywhere. I’m okay.

“Uh, guys?”

The sound of Chim’s voice pulls them back out of their bubble long enough to realize the rest of the team is standing there, staring at them.

“I’m good,” Buck tells them before turning his gaze back on Eddie. “I’m good.”

Someone awkwardly clears their throat trying to get their attention, but they can’t look away from each other.

“That’s great, Buck, but we still have a fire to put out.”

Realization dawns on them, a snort slipping free from Buck as they both laugh.

“Right. We can pick this up later.”

Eddie can’t help himself as he tips forward to steal one more kiss before he pulls away.

-----

The next morning, all across LA the same headline is plastered across newspapers.

“Spark Ignites at Abandoned Warehouse, More Than Building Set Ablaze”.

Instead of a picture of the burnt out shell of the warehouse, however, there’s a picture of two firefighters wrapped up in each other's arms, as their lips meet for the first time.