#911 ficlet

[diazsdimples]

HC: Tommy has a cat who doesn't like many people, but she always demands cuddles from Buck.

Anon, you sparked a Thing™️

Tommy tells Buck he has a cat fairly early on in their relationship. She's his baby, as he calls her. He's had her since he came out to L.A, having adopted her from a shelter a few months into him working with the 118.

One of the first selfies Buck receives is of Tommy lying on his bed, and the cat curled up protectively on his chest. She's a tabby with a dusting of white around her nose that makes Buck wonder about her age. The way Tommy talks about her makes her sound like a kitten, fresh from the womb, but Buck suspects she's probably around 13-14 years old.

When Buck goes to Tommy's apartment for the first time, he warns him about her. Buck can tell Tommy's a little nervous with the way he keeps glancing back at the lounge as he talks, as if he's expecting the cat to give him some big lecture about bringing a boy home without her express permission.

"Now, don't take it personally if Luna ignores you. She hates pretty much everyone," Tommy says as he kisses Buck's cheek and drags him inside the apartment.

It's a nice place, pretty much exactly what Buck expected from his boyfriend (is that what they are now? Boyfriends?). It's full of trinkets from Tommy's life, but it isn't cluttered - a perfect mixture of clean and chaotic, exactly like Tommy himself.

Tommy keeps his hand on the small of Buck's back as he guides him through to the lounge. Buck likes the way Tommy touches him. It makes him feel safe, grounded, as though Tommy could catch him if he falls.

Tommy' s got a couch not too dissimilar to Eddie's, but a deep maroon rather than blue. And there, right in the middle and nestled among a mess of blankets that Tommy has clearly set up for her, lies the person (creature?) in Tommy's life that Buck has been the most anxious to meet.

Tommy makes a chirping noise with his lips and Luna's ears perk up. Slowly, as though her very bones are creaking, she untangles herself from the blankets and hops down from the couch with a quiet "brrrpp". She stretches deeply, ears flattening against her head and eyes screwing shut, and the look of pure bliss that crosses her face is enough to capture Buck's entire heart.

Buck looks at Tommy for guidance as Luna gingerly walks over to him and looks up at him with big, beseeching eyes.

"Go on," Tommy prompts, giving Buck a small nudge with his elbow. "Let her sniff your hand."

Buck crouches and stretches out his hand towards Luna, offering her the backs of his fingers.

"Hi Luna," he almost whispers as she eyes him suspiciously. "I'm Buck, your dad's - uh - friend."

Tommy scoffs from behind him. "I think we're well past the friend stage, Evan."

"I didn't know - I'm sorry - I'm your dad's boyfriend," he corrects, looking back up at Tommy with a raised eyebrow.

Tommy nods, looking pleased. "Much better."

Buck just about leaps out of his skin when a wet nose touches his hand, and he turns back to see that Luna's moved closer, and is sniffing his fingers with interest. He holds stock still, remembering Tommy's words about her crotchety temperament and not wanting to frighten her, lest she bite him, or worse, run away.

Luna continues her sniffing, tiny pink nose moving minutely as she inhales, and then, much to Buck's shock, she rubs her whole face against his hand, with what can only be described as a smug purr.

"I-" Buck begins, looking back at Tommy with wide eyes. Tommy himself looks a little stunned, clearly thrown by his cat's rare display of affection.

"Huh," he says, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at Buck and Luna with a deeply fond expression. "She's never done that before!"

Luna sits back on her haunches and gives a loud, croaky yowl, as though she's been a chain-smoker for most of her life. She nudges her head against Buck's hand and meows once again.

"I think she wants you to sit down," Tommy says, barely concealing his laughter at Buck's bewildered face. He takes Buck gently by the arm and gives him a quick kiss before directing him to the couch.

"I thought you said she hates everyone?" Buck questions, almost numbly as he allows Tommy to push him onto the plush cushions. The moment his ass has touched the couch, Luna leaps up beside him with a pleased chirp and climbs into his lap.

"She does," Tommy grins as he pulls out his phone, taking a quick snap of his extremely confused boyfriend and even more contented cat. "Clearly she has good taste."

Luna's purring is reaching volumes previously unknown to man, drowning out all other noise in the room as she begins to make biscuits against Buck's thigh. Her claws are sharp and needle-like, pricking into Buck's skin but he's too stunned to do anything more than mutely pet her silky fur.

"Wh-what do I do now?" Buck asks, looking at Tommy for guidance. He'd been expecting to possibly see a streak of Luna's fur as she raced across the apartment to hide under Tommy's bed - her favourite place apparently - but now here he is with a whole ass cat on his lap, one who apparently loves him and hates every other guest Tommy's ever had over, and Buck really has no clue where to go from here.

Tommy chuckles and reaches over to scratch behind Luna's ears before leaning forward and capturing Buck's lips in a soft kiss, his fingers gently caressing Buck's chin.

"Stay there, I'll go get us a beer," he says as he pulls away, and leaves Buck in the lounge with Luna. She's curled up completely in his lap now, tail tucked over her paws, and every so often she tilts her head up towards him, demanding scritches that he is more than happy to provide her with.

Tommy returns with two beers and hands one to Buck before flopping next to him on the couch, looping an arm around Buck's shoulders.

"I guess you've gotta stay forever now, Luna's not gonna let you leave," he jokes, and something twists in Buck's stomach, making him a little giddy.

He really likes Tommy - hell, he might even love the guy - but receiving the seal of approval from his cat is probably the biggest step in their relationship to date. Well, it really isn't but is sure feels like that. Like he's being welcomed into the family.

Buck sighs happily and rests his head against Tommy's shoulder, a small shiver rushing through him as Tommy noses his hairline, his lips brushing ever so gently against Buck's temple.

"Yeah, I guess I do."

[chronicowboy]

Buck doesn't know how long they sit there in that café just talking. He's never had that before. The last time he'd done this, sat across from Natalia in the midday sun, he'd been excruciatingly aware of every passing minute as he tried to be fascinating to her, spun yarns of deaths and near-deaths and deathly comas. Here, now, Buck just exists and that seems to be more than enough for Tommy.

Tommy who hangs on his every word like Buck is the next Shakespeare even as he's rambling about rainbow emojis and allyship. Tommy whose smile is so big and wide that it carves the most beautiful caverns into his face that Buck kind of wants to live in. Tommy who grimaces every time he sips the coffee Buck bought him but dutifully drinks the whole thing over the course of their date even when Buck tells him he doesn't have to. Tommy who keeps muffling yawns into his fist every five minutes having just gotten off a twenty-four hour shift like he'd stay in that uncomfortable metal seat forever if he could.

It's the best second date of his life, so when Buck tells him to go home and get some sleep, he doesn't resist the urge to prolong the date for the few moments it takes him to walk Tommy to his car. With anyone else, so soon into whatever this might turn out to be, Buck would worry that it's too much too soon. But Tommy has been so loud in his affection even with how gentle he's made sure to stay. Buck wants to be as free in his wanting as Tommy as is, so he reaches out and slips his fingers between Tommy's, damn near euphoric when they begin to swing between them as they walk.

It takes a moment to drag his eyes up to Tommy's face, caught up in the feeling of a hand in his. It's not the first time he's held a hand, far from it. Not even the first time he's held a man's hand. But this isn't Eddie letting him squeeze his fingers as he screams in pain. This isn't Taylor indulging him every now and then. This is Tommy smiling softly down at their hands like he's as mesmerised by it as Buck is, the tips of his ears growing pink and sending a giddy thrill of satisfaction through him.

"Can I ask you something?" Tommy says, giving Buck's hand a happy little squeeze.

"Don't think there's a limit on second date questions," Buck replies.

"Evan." And, Jesus, there's something about the way Tommy says his name. Even when it's that chiding little tone that should remind him of his parents, all he feels is an overwhelming warmth, all he can hear is fondness.

"Of course you can." Buck grins and watches Tommy's smile crinkle his face all over again like he just can't help it.

"Why'd you choose that abomination of a coffee for me?" And Buck groans just to hear Tommy laugh. "Really? What even was that?"

"Black coffee four sugars," Buck mumbles, kicking a stone across the sidewalk sheepishly.

"Jesus, Evan." Tommy's laugh is something special, loud and unrestrained and the sound of sunshine maybe. "Why?"

"I-I don't know, I panicked!" Buck doesn't realise he's drifting away from Tommy until the man pulls him back in by their joined hands, and Buck lets the bump of their shoulders calm him. "Just thought, you know..." Buck turns towards Tommy's car, but Tommy drags him gently towards the Jeep, leaning against the door when they reach it.

"You just thought..."

"I don't know." He shrugs, heat rising to his cheeks under the weight of Tommy's bright-eyed attention, lowers his voice all the way. "It reminded me of you."

"What was that?" Tommy grins, using the excuse to move in a little closer.

"It reminded me of you," Buck repeats, clearer this time, more confident. "You know, bit foreboding on the outside, but all sweet on the inside."

"Christ, you really are adorable," Tommy breathes, sounding as effected as Buck feels.

A kaleidoscope of butterflies swarms in his stomach, delightfully unfamiliar to him but already intoxicating, almost addicting.

It's not two men stood on a busy sidewalk in the middle of the day then. It's just Buck and someone he really fucking likes, someone he hasn't been able to stop thinking about for a week, someone he's only kissed once somehow. And suddenly that's a fact that absolutely should be rectified.

Buck steps forward, leaning up just ever so slightly on his toes, and kisses Tommy right there in the middle of LA. And it just feels right. Overwhelming in the best of ways. It's a quick press of lips, something more suited to the schoolboy he feels than the very adult man he is, not the kiss he wants but the kiss they both need. Chaste and lovely. A hello again. A beginning.

Tommy's free hand ghosts against his jaw, a flutter of a touch as Buck falls back onto his heels and takes a breath. It takes Tommy a few moments to open his eyes which means Buck gets to watch them flutter open, dazed and delighted.

"Get some sleep, Tommy," Buck tells him, finally letting go of his hand with a squeeze. "Text me when you wake up."

"Yessir," Tommy murmurs.

And Buck can't resist another kiss then, just as quick and chaste, anything else dangerous to Buck's self-restraint, before he unlocks the Jeep and climbs in. Tommy waves him off, and Buck glances back just in time to see Tommy's hand falling down to his lips as if to chase Buck's touch.

[loserdiaz]

no but i can't stop about eddie finding queering the map and being overwhelmed by the amount of stories that resonate with him.

it starts with buck, because of course it does.

buck comes into the station one day, rambling about this site he found online. he's still figuring out bisexuality for himself and has been going down a rabbit hole ever since, reading endless articles and reddit stories and experiences told from so many people.

and something about it, about this particular site, catches eddie's attention. he really can't stop thinking about it, wondering if people from el paso would have any of those pins. if anyone from the place he grew up in, was raised in, ever felt like him.

he can't stop wondering if maybe he was never as alone as he thought he was.

when he gets home, he decides to look for himself— it takes him a while. there's too many black pins and he doesn't quite know how to navigate the huge map on his screen. it takes him a few minutes to get the hang of it.

but when he does— oh, when he does.

right there in el paso, people from the same streets he once rode his bike in, are sharing his experiences. fellow soldiers in the same base eddie trained at.

eddie reads these sacred, secret little messages and feels his heart expand more and more with every each one of them.

some of them makes him laugh and chuckle, teary eyed but amused, like "even the army has gays," and "from one gay cowboy to another."

others, nake him falter. make his bretah hitch inside his chest. make something beautiful and fragile and orecious uncurl from the deepest depths of his soul. make him feel seen in a way he isn't sure he's quite ready to.

messages like— "you're not the only one," and "you'll be okay." "the heaven the people from this town speak of, is not a heaven i wanna be sent to." "i should've told him when i had the chance." "stuck in a warzone, thinking about how i wasted so much time and now i might not make it home to him."

messages that hit a little too close to home. from soldiers still in the closet, struggling to accept themselves and living a lie.

messages from dumb teenagers, scared of the future— just like eddie had been once.

messages from people braver than he ever could be, sharing the stories of how they came out to their families and moved across the country to be able to live their truest selves.

eddie spends hours and hours just reading post after post, goingbthrough as many lins as he can and drinking them in as a dying, thirsting man in the middle of the driest desert. he reads until the light from the comouter makes his head hurt and his eyes burn everytime he blinks.

at the end, before closing the tab, he decides to put on his own note.

📍not sure if I'll ever be ready to say it out loud, but I love him. i'm too late. I've lost my chance. this changes nothing, my heart is still in his hands.

he clicks on add and feels the tiniest amount of weight lifting from his shoulders.

[kenneth-black]

SO IT IS CANON THAT CHRIS AND HIS BUCK BAKES COOKIES AND STUFF FOR SCHOOL EVENTS!!?!! AGHHJJJKKHHJGHJ 🫠🫠🫠

Also Chris is now canonically Buck’s sous-chef 🥹🥹🥹

[exhuastedpigeon]

Buck kind of feels like he’s spent his entire life not realizing he was wearing chains around his ankles that were slowing him down, but now they’re off. When Tommy left his apartment he'd just stood in his kitchen with a goofy ass smile on his face because that happened right? He’d just been kissed by Tommy Kinard? That wasn’t a really vivid hallucination?

It feels like he’d spent all week swimming through a tsunami of confusion and frustration and jealousy and now he’s finally broken through the surface and he can breathe. It’s like the first gulp of fresh air after stepping out of a burning building. It’s like - it’s like someone put glasses on him for the first time when he didn’t realize he needed a prescription. 

His first instinct is to call Eddie. He has his phone halfway to his face when he remembers that he probably can’t call Eddie about this, not right now. He needs to apologize, maybe grovel a little bit, before he can talk to Eddie again and he isn’t sure he’s ready to do that. 

It’s not that he isn’t sorry. He’s maybe never been more sorry in his life, actually. It’s that - well. He doesn’t actually know. There’s something weird and vaguely Eddie shaped that’s been tickling at the back of his head since he first saw how fucking giddy Eddie had been at the airfield with Tommy that he doesn’t think he’s ready to look at yet. 

Instead he does what he does best, he pulls out his phone and starts researching. Googling ‘Kissed a man for the first time’ isn’t that helpful, but it does lead him to r/bisexual. He feels another wave of relief when he sees how many people have felt similarly to him. To see there are thousands of people out there figuring it out too. 

He’s not too old to be figuring it out. There's no such thing as too old.

There’s a post from a man in his 50s talking about getting his first boyfriend a few years after his wife passed away. The man responded to hundreds of questions asking how he figured it out - his kid came out and explained what bisexuality was and it felt like putting on a jacket that fit just right. Asking what it felt like to realize what he was - like slipping into a bath that’s the perfect temperature. Asking if he regretted not figuring it out sooner - not really, because he loved his wife and he wouldn’t trade their decades together for anything. 

There’s another one from a woman in her 60s who realized she was in love with her best friend and that’s what helped her figure out her sexuality. He scrolls past that one pretty quickly after reading the initial post for no reason at all.

By the time he falls into bed a few hours later he feels like bisexual fits him. It’s like he’d been a trapped animal scratching at his cage and now it’s open and he can come and go as he pleases. It feels liberating. 

[honestlydarkprincess]

to be okay

6x12 coda || word count: 646 || read on ao3

Every morning is the same. Buck wakes up, and doesn’t fully breathe until his phone is in his hand and the message thread with Bobby is open.

morning bobby

Buck can’t breathe, his chest feels tight and his hands shake ever so slightly.

Good morning, Buck

And Buck can breathe again. Bobby is okay. He’s alive and well, probably enjoying a cup of coffee with Athena like Buck knows they do every morning that they can. The knot in his chest unfurls and Buck can move, can start to get ready for the day.

He gets a few steps towards the bathroom, intending to shower, when he doubles back and grabs his phone. Opening his text thread with Eddie, Buck types out a message and presses send.

hey

While Buck waits for a response from Eddie, he opens the next thread in his phone.

morning buddy! i hope you have a great day at school is sent to Christopher and Buck isn’t surprised that Chris is the one who responds immediately.

thanks, buck! can you help me with my science assignment tonight?

of course, bud

Buck is grinning, looking forward to tonight. Normally he, Eddie, and Christopher have dinner on Fridays and watch a movie but since Buck is still on medical leave right now, they’ve been able to have them more frequently. Tonight Buck had promised Chris homemade pizza and he mentally went through his shopping list while he waited for Eddie to respond.

He wasn’t too concerned, Eddie wasn’t known to be quick with replies on text, if you really needed to get a hold of him it was always best to call. But as the minutes ticked by and still no response, Buck began to get worried.

Shit, what if something happened? No, if something was wrong then Chris would have told him— but what if Chris didn’t know? What if something had happened to Eddie while he was sleeping or he slipped in the shower or—

Buck felt himself starting to panic, starting to spiral, and suddenly he was pressing Call on Eddie’s contact and shoving the phone against his ear, heart pounding in his throat.

“‘ello?” Eddie slurred, his voice heavy with sleep.

Buck let out a broken sound, an almost hysterical wave of relief crashing over him and making it so he couldn’t talk.

“Buck?” Eddie asked, now sounding alert. “What’s wrong? What happened?” Buck could hear the rustling of Eddie’s blankets, imagined they were being thrown off as Eddie rushed out of bed.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, sorry, I just— you weren’t answering and I panicked and I couldn’t breathe,” Buck rambled, sitting down on his bed and trying to calm his heart, calm his breathing.

“Hey, hey, I’m right here,” Eddie reassured him softly. “I’m okay. I’m at home with Christopher and both of us are okay. We’re okay.”

“Y-yeah?” Buck gasped out, his body finally starting to relax the more he listened to Eddie’s soothing voice.

“Yeah,” Eddie confirmed. “I promise.”

“Okay, that’s good, that’s— that’s real good,” Buck mumbled, closing his eyes.

They were quiet for a minute, just listening to each other breathe on the line, Buck’s heartbeat finally slowing down.

“Come over,” Eddie said. “We’ll take Christopher out for breakfast and get those stupidly expensive coffee latte frappuchinos you like.”

Buck laughed. “That is not even close to what they’re called.”

Buck could somehow hear Eddie’s smile. “Yeah, but I made you laugh, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” Buck sighed, affection clear in his voice. “I’ll be right over.”

“We’ll be here,” Eddie replied and Buck got the feeling he was talking about more than just right now.

Just before Buck got into the shower, his phone beeped again and when he checked it, there was another message from Bobby.

All good?

And Buck didn’t even have to think about it. All good! he sent back.

[devirnis]

brushing a strand of hair away for Buddie or Madney? :)

we could be corny

Rating: G Relationship: Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Maddie Buckley/Chimney Han Word count: 1.7k

“Eddie,” Buck whispers – or, well, Chimney thinks he’s trying to whisper, but Buck’s at that stage of tipsy where he’s lost control of his volume. “How come you never do that for me?” Eddie looks up from where he’s been scrutinizing his resource cards. “Do what for you?” he asks. “That.” Buck gesticulates wildly towards Chimney and Maddie, nearly knocking his wine over in the process; Eddie just manages to pull the glass to safety. “Brush my hair behind my ears.”

Or, Chim and Maddie have Buck and Eddie over for their first official couples’ game night.

(read on ao3)

[scottishaccentsareawesome]

Buck and Eddie have trouble getting engaged because Buck is going to Chimney for advice, and Eddie is going to Hen for advice. And Hen and Chimney (without consulting each other) tell them not to worry because Hen is 100% sure Buck is going to propose to Eddie, and Chimney is 100% sure Eddie is going to propose to Buck.

So it’s just this awkward standoff every day, where Eddie is waiting...and Buck is waiting...

And Hen and Chimney are in this endless cycle of “What do you know?”-”I don’t know anything! What do you know?”-”I don’t know anything either!”

And it finally gets so stressful that Ravi, being the World’s Best Middle Man, finally goes to Bobby about what he’s been observing (because as the Youngest Child, Ravi observes a lot).

And Bobby just says “I’ll take care of it.”

And he makes a call to Athena...who makes a call to Maddie...who makes a call to Karen.

(suffice to say, both Hen and Chimney gets smacks on the head by their significant others, and Athena invites Buck and Eddie over for dinner).

When Buck and Eddie arrive at the Grant-Nash household (with Christopher), they notice that the inside of house, and the patio, has been adorned with fairy lights, candles,  and flowers.

Athena, dressed much fancier than to be expected for a small dinner, approaches the three of them as they reach the bottom of the stairs and come into the living room.

“Eddie Diaz,” she begins, looking Eddie in the eye “ - do you want to get married?”

Eddie is SO confused. So is Buck.

“Uh, I mean...” he looks over at Buck “...yeah, yeah, I do.”

“You do?”!” Buck exclaims.

“Well, yeah - “

“Well, then why - ?”

“ - Evan Buckley,” Athena interrupts, now looking at Buck. “D you want to get married?”

Buck glances over at Eddie. “Yes,” he says, ”yes, I do.”

“Well, good, cuz we didn’t all get dressed up for nothin,” says Athena. “Out on the patio, all of you.”

Athena ushers all three of them (Buck and Eddie are still confused, but Chris is beaming) out onto the decked-out patio, where most of their loved ones are gathered.

Bobby, dressed to the nines in his formal Captain’s uniform, beckons them to come over to where he’s standing, at the head of the group.

“So, are we doin’ this?” he asks with a smile, as they walk over to stand in front of him.

“They both said they want to get married. and I would assume that meant to each other,” Athena told him.

“ - It does!” Buck, Eddie, and everyone else shouts.

Bobby laughs.

“OK then - dearly beloved, we are gathered here today...”

[cowboysandpilots]

"I missed you." Buck smiles, that soft smile that makes his eyes shine, sitting up in his bed,"

"I only went downstairs to grab coffee," Tommy chuckles, holding out two mugs of coffee. "I can still miss you, can't I?" Buck asks, smile never leaving as he reaches out for one of the mugs when Tommy gets closer.

"Yeah, I guess that's alright," Tommy smirks back, teasing lightly as he places his mug on the bedside table and then climbs back into Buck's bed beside him.

He'd never had suspected that Buck could be the clingy type. He'd never suspected a lot of things about Buck, but he was excited to keep finding them out. —— Support me on ko-fi? It would help a lot 💕

[this-is-moony-lovegood]

Okay, picture this. It’s late in the season, Eddie has come to terms with his feelings for Buck but as been openly struggling with the fact that Buck and Tommy are dating. One evening, after a few beers he gets a little fed up and confesses these feelings. To whom you ask? Chimney.

Chimney tries telling him that this is great and he should tell Buck (because Chim has clocked this a along), but Eddie tells him that Buck is happy with Tommy and that he doesn’t want to ruin that for him. So, Eddie makes Chimney promise not to tell Buck about these feelings.

But now we see the problem: Chimney is the worst secret keeper imaginable. So he’s at the firehouse and he’s trying to keep this a secret, but he’s struggling - especially when he’s seeing Eddie pining over Buck. He clocks the longing glances when Buck mentions Tommy, and when Tommy swings by the firehouse with flowers and coffee for Buck. He sees the fondness on Eddie’s face when Buck laughs and smiles brightly, and blushes wildly. He feels like he’s going to burst being anywhere near Buck, so he chooses to avoid him. He doesn’t let Buck within 10 feet of him, only talks to him on calls - essentials only - and actively flees his presence so he doesn’t overshare.

The problem though is that Buck sees this happening, and remembers this kind of behavior from the last time Chimney his something from him (you know his secret dead brother). So, Buck hunts him down at his house to talk. Maddie lets him in, and he corners Chimney. Chimney tries to brush it off, but Buck keeps pushing and Chimney eventually says, “I can’t tell you, Buck. I promised him I wouldn’t.” But Buck latches onto that and keeps prying, trying to figure out who him is, and is growing worried with each guess. Its it Tommy, Bobby? Is something wrong with them? And then when he gets to Eddie and Chim freezes, Buck knows he’s hit the right one, and Buck is so worried that something is wrong with Eddie that Chimney bursts.

However, he technically doesn’t break the promise because “I promised Eddie I wouldn’t tell you, but I he never said anything about me telling Maddie.” So, tells Maddie everything (with Buck standing right there). He refers to Buck like he’s not even in the room, when Buck asks questions he makes Maddie ask them for Buck, and they do this song and dance until Chimney can breathe again while Buck is trying wrap his head around Eddie’s feelings, and his own.

[diazsdimples]

bucktommy + "To be fair, that wasn't the stupidest thing I could've done"

"To be fair, that wasn't the stupidest thing I could've done," Buck pants as he leans against the cool, brick wall. He pulls off his helmet and runs his fingers through his hair, knowing he's likely smeared soot all over his face. The building is still smouldering behind them, but Eddie and Ravi both have the hoses directed towards the flames. It's under control. Tommy looks like he could explode. His boyfriend is usually very calm and level headed, perfect traits for a first responder, but right now he looks set to rip Buck's head off. "Wasn't the stupidest - you could have - Evan, are you fucking kidding me?" Eddie and Ravi's heads turn towards the outburst and Buck winces, not wanting their first proper fight as a couple to be on full display for all their coworkers to witness. He grabs Tommy's arm and pulls him around the side of the building, away from any flapping ears. "Tommy, it's okay, I'm fine. She's fine. We're fine," he reassures Tommy as he reaches into the pocket of his turnout and pulls out the reason behind his sudden expedition into a burning building without a second's thought. The kitten is tiny in his hands, her fur rumpled and soot smudges over the beautiful, white coat. When the little girl he and Tommy had pulled from the building had said her kitten was still stuck inside the inferno, Buck hadn't hesitated before sprinting back into the building, not even with Bobby, Tommy and Eddie all yelling at him. He just hadn't anticipated Tommy to follow him back in. "Yeah but you could have been not fine! I agreed to help this shift as a favour to Bobby, not so I could get a front row seat to my boyfriend burning alive!" Buck swallows thickly and transfers the kitten into one hand so he can reach out to cup Tommy's face with the other. Tommy doesn't meet his eye, instead looking resolutely behind Buck. His jaw ticks as Buck strokes along his cheekbone with his thumb. "Tommy, I-I'm not going to burn alive. I was just gonna get her and come right back," he explains. Tommy's got to understand, right? Buck's a professional, he'd never do anything to put himself in any real danger. If he thought he couldn't get to the kitten before the building collapsed or got too hot then he would never have set foot in it. Tommy finally meets Buck's eyes then, and Buck is alarmed to see that his eyes are swimming behind a film of tears. Fuck, he's really fucked up here hasn't he? "Tommy, I-" "I can't lose you, Evan," Tommy cuts in, circling a hand around Buck's wrist and lowering his hand from Tommy's jaw. "Not like that." Buck swallows again, and he must tighten his grip on the kitten because she lets out a pitiful meow, her tiny tongue rasping against his glove as she licks at him. "I'm sorry," he whispers, hanging his head as the gravity of the situation washes over him. Tommy thought he was going to lose Buck. Tommy thought Buck was going to die. "I didn't mean to scare you." Tommy curls his fingers under Buck's chin and lifts his head, forcing eye contact. "I know you didn't, I just - baby, you mean so much to me," Tommy says, his voice raw and choked with emotion as he searches Buck's face, his eyes drinking in every inch of Buck as if he's worried it's the last time he'll be able to see him again. "Please, please don't ever do that again." "I won't, Tommy, I swear I won't," Buck promises, and he leans forwards to kiss Tommy softly. Tommy responds instantly, wrapping his arm around Buck's waist and pulling him close. Their lips move in tandem with one another, Tommy running his tongue along the seam of Buck's lips until he opens, and Buck licking back in apology. "Hey," Buck says as they pull away, resting their foreheads together. "I love you." Tommy huffs out a small laugh and kisses Buck again, lighter this time but no less emotionally charged. "I love you too."

Send me a ship and a sentence and I'll finish it!

(once again tagging @theotherbuckley)

[chronicowboy]

His breakup with Marisol is about as unremarkable as the rest of their relationship. There's no catastrophic muffin mess in his kitchen or divorce papers. Just a quiet I don't think this is working out, I'm sorry. Marisol hadn't even cried. She'd just nodded like she'd been waiting for it and left, didn't even need to grab anything from the house before she went and really that just reassured Eddie that this was the right choice.

So, his breakup with Marisol is unremarkable, except that it's not. It's pretty fucking remarkable when he thinks about it because it's not just that they weren't working out, not just that he really didn't care about spending time with her, not just the clench in his gut every time she touched him. No. It's pretty fucking remarkable because he realises he's in love with his best friend.

That's what pushes him over the edge, gives him the last kick he needs to actually break things off with her. Because Eddie may have sworn himself to secrecy about it the moment he realised, but he could never string someone along just because he couldn't have the real someone he wanted.

It's a fucking revelation once he has it. Not a ton of bricks, but the sun peeking out from behind the clouds on the greyest of days, bright and blinding. And the way Eddie has always thought of Buck in terms of sunshine maybe should have tipped him off sooner, but with the way Buck has been beaming over the past few weeks. Well. Eddie doesn't really think he can be blamed for only just taking his sunglasses off and daring to look directly at the light.

And, okay, so Eddie maybe makes it a full week before he decides his self-sworn secrecy absolutely is not a viable option when Buck walks through life now like a drop of sunshine in human form. It's after Buck leaves the Diaz house, walking out from a day of giggles and joy at the go-kart track they'd finally managed to convince Chris to be seen with them at, leaving behind a cosy heat like sun-warmed skin, that Eddie realises he cannot go another day without telling Buck that he's desperately, deeply in love with him.

And so, that's how Eddie finds himself at Buck's door on a random Sunday morning, knocking for the first time since Natalia waltzed out of the picture. Buck opens it a few moments later looking perfectly sleep-rumpled and soft and downright golden where he's backlit by the early morning sunlight pooling in the loft.

"Eddie," Buck breathes out, eyes darting up the stairs before refocusing on Eddie and what must be the most hopelessly lovesick expression painted across his face. "H-hey, what are you doing here?"

"I, um." Eddie takes a deep breath, suddenly nervous, and wipes his clammy palms on his jeans. "I wanted to talk to you about something. Now a good time?" And Buck must hear the slightly shaky steel in his voice because the surprise on his face morphs into a concern so quintessentially Buck that Eddie just wants to kiss it away.

"Y-yeah, of course, come on in." Buck holds the door open for him, and Eddie migrates to the fridge as Buck closes the door with the gentlest touch. "So, um, what's up?"

"I..." Eddie swallows against the heart in his throat, loses himself in the shining blue of Buck's eyes like an ocean he'd be more than happy to drown in. "I broke up with Marisol last week."

"Oh, Eddie." Buck slumps, and Eddie tries not to think that it looks a little like relief. "I'm so sorry, man. That sucks."

"No, no." Eddie waves him off with a laugh. "It's good. Was a long time coming actually." He shakes his head at himself. "I think I was dating her just to tick a box, you know? Realised you probably shouldn't be more excited about a phone call from your new buddy than one from your kinda long-term girlfriend. You definitely shouldn't be relieved when you see your best friend in the restaurant you're taking her to and disappointed when you realise he's just leaving."

And then, Buck blushes, ducks his head, does that little smile that could light up every house on South Bedford Street just like Eddie had been hoping for.

"Yeah." Buck looks up at him from under his lashes. "Probably not."

It bolsters Eddie. Buck's sunshine giving him that one last push he needs.

"There was something else I wanted to say," Eddie starts. And there isn't really any fear in him, knows they'll make it through this no matter what, just an overwhelming sense of peace to come. "I..." A deep breath, gathering all his love and devotion in his lungs so it's ready to pour out on his next inhale and—

A groan from upstairs has the words dying in his throat. A masculine groan. And then:

"Evan?"

"D-down here," Buck calls back.

Eddie can't take his eyes off the loft, stuck there like a car crash he can't look away from as a very shirtless Tommy Kinard appears at the top of the stairs and quickly blanches.

"Shit. Um..." He looks down at Buck in a panic.

Eddie finally manages to drag his eyes away from the very chiselled curveball that just hit him at a hundred miles per hour and finds Buck's face. Small, scared, shaken. He knows the feeling. And because he loves Buck, because of just how deeply he loves Buck, it's the easiest thing in the world to lock that love away and let his face crack into the most genuine of grins. Because if Tommy's been the thing making Buck shine like every fucking star in the sky, well Eddie will absolutely not be getting between them.

"You've been so happy," Eddie chokes out, still smiling.

"I have," Buck whispers.

"And I'm so happy for you." Eddie covers the distance between them in three long strides and pulls Buck into a hug so tight and clinging he's sure it's a confession in and of itself, but Buck only buries in deeper, taking shaky little breaths in the crook of Eddie's neck.

"Thank you," Buck murmurs into his skin. Eddie squeezes his eyes shut against the sudden rush of tears.

"Sorry you didn't get to tell me on your own terms," he murmurs back, letting Buck pull away, but lingering with a hand on his hip, on his shoulder. He should maybe be worried about what this could look like to Tommy who had basically never heard anything apart from rambles about Buck, except when he glances up the stairs, Tommy is nowhere to be seen.

"I was going to tell you," Buck rushes out. "I-I just wasn't sure how."

"That's okay," Eddie says. It's okay. It's okay. "Well, I'll stop gate-crashing for the... Second time?" He raises an eyebrow, and Buck flushes a pink Eddie will never ever get to taste. "Yeah, okay. That makes sense." He remembers the pure fear on Buck's face, the indecision on Tommy's and the sudden tightening of his own chest despite his smile. "I'll leave you guys to it." He clears his throat. "Kinard, if you hurt him, they'll never find your body," he shouts up the stairs.

"Copy that, Diaz," Tommy shouts back.

"I'm really proud of you, Buck." Eddie wraps him in another hug then, a quick thing, just one last touch before Eddie seals every desire away for good.

"Thanks, Eddie." Buck walks him to the door, eyes glistening with unshed tears, and Eddie wants to hug him again. Wants so badly it hurts. But if he hugs Buck again, he doesn't think he'll ever let go. "See you at work tomorrow."

"See you at work." Eddie prays Buck is too distracted to hear the wobble in his voice.

"Wait, sorry, what did you want to talk about?"

Eddie freezes on the threshold, the stutter of his heart painful like he's back in a suit store, and he catches himself on the doorframe with a shaking hand.

"It can wait."

[loserdiaz]

hi!! idk what this is, it just came to me and i wanted to write it so... yeah.

"Buck," Eddie sighs and looks down at the blond, lying half-naked on his bed, so drunk that he has fallen asleep. At least he managed to get rid of his clothes, they’re all in a heap on Eddie's bedroom floor, and he’s only wearing his boxer briefs. In any other circumstances, Eddie would be over the moon.

Right now, though? He's just angry and sad. Angry at all the people who's made Buck feel like he's not enough and sad because – well, Buck is the sun. He's the best man Eddie knows and he deserves so much better than the shitty cards life has given him.

Eddie nudges him lightly, but Buck only snores in response.

"How is he?" Maddie asks, sticking his head through the open door. He looks like she’s about to leave.

"Out cold," Eddie mutters. "I've never seen him this drunk, to be honest."

"Yeah, he's taken the break-up pretty badly." Maddie sighs. "Do you need me to stay tonight?"

"No, it's okay. I got him."

And Eddie does. He'll notice if Buck wakes up or if he pukes in his sleep. Eddie will keep Buck safe. He has his back, he's always had.

He doesn’t sleep that night. Instead he tucks Buck in, checking that he isn’t too hot or too cold. When Buck slightly wakes up, his eyes fluttering open and squinting in the dimmed lit room, he turns to Eddie and mutters an "I'm sorry." that Eddie doesn't quite understand what is for.

Buck wakes up a little more later in the night and clings to Eddie, whispering to himself. Eddie manages to only get half of it. "I tried, I tried making it work." and "She'll wasn’t you. She never would be you."

Words that make Eddie's heart grow wings and at the same time shatter it entirely because he doesn't – he doesn't dare to hope. Buck is drunk and incoherent.

And then Eddie sits on the chair in the corner of his bedroom, making sure that Buck won’t suffocate on his own vomit, or something else. He doesn’t relax until Buck gets up around 5 AM, probably more asleep than awake, to go to the bathroom without even noticing Eddie sitting there. He pauses when he walks back in the room, though, and frowns at Eddie, like he's trying to determine if he's dreaning or if Eddie really is there.

"Eddie?" Buck whispers, his voice hoarse and cloaky.

"Yeah."

And maybe it's because the alcohol hasn't quite left Buck’s body yet, maybe it's because he's still in the drunk haze mixed in with the remainings of his sleep tired brain, but Buck reaches out for Eddie in the softest, most vulnerable way possible and asks: "Sleep with me?"

And Eddie can't seem to refuse. He doesn't think he'll ever be able to refuse Buck for anything. Not in this lifetime.

[kenneth-black]

Eddie, my man, you really aren’t being as subtle as you think 💀 Like does he ever not stare at Buck??? I bet the entire 118 is just so done with their bullshit 😭

[the-likesofus]

merry go 'round

9-1-1 on Fox | Pre-Buddie | 700 words | phone call, buck gets existenial about lounge furniture, taylor speaks in riddles, post s6

Buck is having an existential crisis over his life, his girlfriend, and his furniture. He calls Taylor for advice.

“Why are you calling me, Buckley?” Taylor sounds groggy and vexed, which Buck supposes makes sense and in all honesty, he isn’t sure he has an answer but he’s been pacing his apartment for hours and the sun set without him noticing, and then it started rising again while he was still pacing.

“I don’t know.” He says eventually. 

Taylor sighs and he hears her shuffling around on the other end of the line. “You don’t know? Buck, it’s five am, on a Sunday. I was asleep.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” He really is sorry. It took a while for him and Taylor to get to where they are now but nine months on from their break up they’ve talked and reconciled a few sore spots between them and are friends again. Friends who catch up every couple of weeks, who go for coffee or to a bar for drinks. But not really friends who call each other at five o'clock in the morning in the middle of an existential crisis. 

“Why didn't you call Eddie?” She asks.

“Eddie’s asleep.”

“I was asleep, Buck.” She spits and then breathes heavily. “So, why didn’t you call Eddie? Or is this about Eddie?”

“It’s not,” Buck says as he sits on the barstool in his kitchen and looks out at his empty loft. His coffee table; is clear of books, puzzles, and remotes. His bookshelves; are tidy and decorated, but almost to the point of looking like they've been staged for a home magazine. His new couch, the new new one. Not the one his Mom brought, the one that Natalia helped him pick out. It looks nice in the same way that the bookcases do. It fits the space well, it's a good size, and the color ties in well with his other furniture. It’s decidedly more comfortable than the one his Mom brought. But like the bookcases, it looks—put on. 

All of my couches came with girlfriends.

“Am I going in circles?” He asks eventually and Taylor laughs. It’s light and polished on the edges just as it always was.

“Physically or metaphorically, because you sound like you’ve been pacing? Have you been pacing?”

“How do you know I’ve been pacing?”

“Because these questions sound like you’re overthinking, and when you overthink, you pace.” She says matter-a-factly. “It was quite annoying actually. You overthink a lot.”

“Duly noted, thanks.” He rolls his eyes and rubs the cuff of his sweatshirt back and forth between his fingers. “Seriously though, do you think I’m going in circles?” 

“In what context?” Research, facts. This is why he called Taylor.

“Life? Relationships?”

She sighs again, she does that a lot now. Like Buck is something to be pitied, or frown at, or maybe she just wishes he could see whatever she thinks is so obvious. He wants to, he just doesn’t know where to look. “I heard you got a new girlfriend.”

“It’s been almost a year since we broke up, Taylor.” 

“I’m not jealous, Buckley. I’m not fourteen and cursing your name in my diary while telling it every terrible, no good thing you ever did to me.” She scolds then her voice changes. It doesn’t soften, not really, but it evens out and loses its sharpness. “She seems nice from your pictures. Very pretty.”

“Yeah, she is nice.” Natalia is very nice, probably nicer than Buck deserves, particularly when he could put her in a lineup with his bookshelf and his couch and probably wouldn’t be able to pick the difference. 

“Buck, what makes you think you’re going in circles?” Taylor asks.

Considering it’s all he’s thought about for the last eight hours he’s been haunting his own home, he doesn’t have to think long on his answer but he pauses anyway. Maybe for dramatic effect, maybe just to breathe.

“I just–. I feel like every time I’m making progress, doing better, learning things, learning from things, and then finally feeling ready to step into a relationship again, it doesn’t feel like progress, it just feels like falling back into the same patterns.” He bites his lip and it stings. “Like I’m going in circles, like getting on and off the same Merry Go ‘Round.”

“Are you going in circles to find something or around something?”

She talking in riddles and Buck’s too tired and too stressed to decipher them. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Taylor is quiet for a moment. The breeze outside brushes the leaves of the palm on his balcony against the window. 

She shifts again. “Are you sure this isn’t about Eddie?”

Maybe it is. Maybe it should be.

[honestlydarkprincess]

Hiii I would love a buddie fic based on the "not what I came for" prompt :) love your fics so much

thank you sm! i hope you enjoy!

love is stored in the halloween decorations

buck x eddie || rated: t || wc: 1.2k

Buck hummed to himself happily as he walked into Target. He was picking up a few things for their weekly movie night, a Buckley-Diaz tradition that Buck loved more than anything. He was just about to go into the chip aisle when something caught his eye.

“Oooh,” Buck mumbled to himself, following the shiny thing that had caught his attention. He walked into the seasonal aisle and found himself amongst a whole bunch of Halloween decorations. Buck rubbed his hands together. “Oh, yes.”

Twenty minutes later, Buck’s phone rang and absentmindedly he answered it, still staring at a snow globe with a raven inside it. When he shook it, little bats flew around and he chuckled with childish glee.

“Buck?” Eddie’s voice came from his phone.

“Hi, yes, I’m here,” Buck tore his attention away from the snow globe and focused on the phone call. “What’s up?”

“Chris wanted me to make sure that you got gummy worms. They’re his choice of candy for this week,” Eddie said, fondness for his son clear in his voice.

“Yeah, I can get gummy worms,” Buck mumbled, getting distracted by a set of little ghost shaped salt and pepper shakers. “Hey, Eds, do you need salt and pepper shakers?”

“What?”

“Salt and pepper shakers. Y’know, for like, dinner and stuff.”

“Yes Buck, I’m aware of what to use salt and pepper for.” Eddie said, amused. “Why are you asking?”

“I just saw some really cool ones,” Buck admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I thought maybe you would want some for Halloween.”

Eddie was quiet for a minute. “You’re in the Halloween decorations aisle, aren’t you?”

continue on ao3