#and!!!!!! this is after a whole week spent JUST on bobby!

[thelaurenshippen]

911 really is such a good reminder of the particularly kind of joy that is weekly, seasons-long shows with many episodes per season. every character gets a moment to shine even in a truncated season. the satisfaction of seeing characters grapple with stuff that happened YEARS ago. having multi-episode arcs and one-off arcs that are equally enjoyable. beach episodes (metaphorical). I know we're all saying this all the time but why can't more tv be like this

[magniloquent-raven]

Day 4: Supportive Boyfriends

and for my next (LATE, SO LATE) @bucktommypositivityweek contribution. KITTEN FIC.

(read on ao3)

**

The 118 doesn't have a baby box.

In fact there aren't any in the state of California at all. Buck looked it up, after Maddie's postpartum episode. When half his family was missing and there wasn't much he could do besides wait and... think about things.

So he thought about safe haven laws. Read up on the training seminars for first responders who want to be better equipped to deal with hand-offs. Read a bunch of other stuff he sort of wishes he hadn't. Spent the next week haunted by articles about abandoned children.

He considered talking to Bobby about it. Only partly to ask him if they should get a box for the firehouse. Partly because Buck wasn't sure how he felt about the whole thing, and Bobby always seemed to have answers. But he never worked up the nerve to broach the subject.

And now. Bobby's not captain anymore, and Buck really can't imagine Gerrard giving a shit about any of this.

So, they don't have a box. But.

Well, this isn't a human baby. It's not like the same rules apply.

Buck has to wonder if wires got crossed somewhere, because. Someone left a kitten. Outside the firehouse.

Buck was just going to grab something—he can't remember what—from his Jeep, when he spotted an unlabelled cardboard box on the pavement, up against the side of the building. His first thought was bomb.

Until it meowed at him. A tiny, high-pitched peep of a meow.

Kind of scared the shit out of him, if he's being honest.

There's only one. All alone in the box. A poofy grey thing wriggling around half buried in an off-white towel. Like a very ambitious dust bunny with big round blue eyes and skinny legs. It wobbles slowly over a fold in the towel with all the effort of someone scaling a mountain.

Buck crouches next to the box, and pokes a finger inside.

"Hey, buddy," he murmurs, holding very still while the kitten inches towards his hand and squeaks. It's unclear whether there are teeth in that little maw. That means it's really young, right? Too young to be left alone for very long.

Shit, how is he going to explain this to Gerrard? He's still got, like, 12 hours left on his shift, but someone has to feed this thing. How long can kittens go without food?

Oh, it does have teeth. Really teeny ones. They're ineffectively poking his knuckle.

Buck fishes his phone out of his jacket—with the hand that isn't currently being drooled on—intending to go to Google for answers. How to figure out how old a kitten is. How often do kittens need to be fed. Do cats get separation anxiety. He has a million questions.

Only he doesn't pull up his browser. He calls Tommy.

It's a whim. Barely a seed of an idea. But when he unlocked his phone the first thing he saw was their text history (he'd been complaining about Gerrard off-and-on all morning, and Tommy had been sending random updates about all the chores he'd been getting done—his last message was a picture of a mop with no context) and he just thought... Tommy will know what to do. Not in so many words, more a feeling. Comfort and certainty, just from seeing Tommy's picture in a little bubble at the top of his screen.

"Evan?" Tommy answers almost immediately, and there's a subtle undercurrent of worry in his tone. Buck winces. Right, calling out of the blue while he's at work would look. Bad.

"I'm okay!" He says quickly, all in one breath. Then pauses. The kitten squints up at him, meowing again, long and loud. Its whole fluffy face scrunches with the effort.

"...What was that?"

"Uh. That would be why I called, actually."

—

Gerrard is less of an obstacle than Buck feared he'd be. Because he's holed up in his office doing paperwork when Buck sneaks in with the kitten, and Buck's decided he has no intention of letting him know the cat was ever here.

Tommy promised he'd come get her.

Buck didn't even really ask, and wasn't planning on asking. Didn't have any plan whatsoever, in fact. He just wanted to know if Tommy knew anything about taking care of kittens, and suddenly Tommy's voluntarily sacrificing the rest of his day off to scope out vets and pet supply stores and whatever else Buck's helpless little friend might need.

He hung up hours ago and his insides still feel warm and goopy about it. He can't stop thinking about the gentle fondness that softened Tommy's voice after Buck explained the situation. Buck would wrap himself up in it like a blanket if he could.

Tommy's getting so kissed when he shows up.

In the meantime, Buck's sitting upstairs, working his way through the dozen or so tabs he opened up after googling kitten care.

He thinks the one he found might be around three weeks old (ears not quite unfurled, can't sheathe claws yet, legs unsteady but mobile). And possibly a girl. She did not care for being picked up and turned over, and the indignant squirming made it difficult to tell what's going on down there. But he's almost certain he's right.

She was shrieking up a storm about it, and he was worried if he took any longer she'd alert Gerrard. (She didn't. She did, however, draw the attention of about half the firehouse.)

"You are disgustingly cute," Chimney coos, scratching under her chin with the tip of one finger. She's lifted her head as high as she can and her eyes are squinted happily. Buck can hear her purring from across the room. "Yes you are. Hen, can you get a picture of this?"

Hen pulls out her phone. "Sure... why?" She asks, leaning over his shoulder to snap a picture and eye him with mild suspicion.

"Jee. She'll wanna see when I tell her about my day."

Her expression softens to a smile. "I'll text it to you." She taps her screen a couple times. "Just had to make sure you weren't planning on calendar campaigning again."

Chimney grins. "Nah, my calendar days are behind me. The only person who gets shirtless pictures of me now is my wife."

"Gross," Buck says without conviction. He narrows his eyes at the site he's scrolling through, swiping away a Join Our Mailing List! popup. "You guys don't think she's cold do you? Are her ears warm? It's only, like, 70 today and we don't know how long she was out there."

Hen and Chim exchange glances, and then, disturbingly in sync, look from the cat to Buck. Chim gives her ear a perfunctory poke, which she does not appreciate as much as chin scritches, "She's fine, man."

Hen waves a hand at Buck when he opens his mouth again, "We're medical professionals. And in my medically professional opinion. She's fine."

"Okay, but—"

"Hey guys, look who stopped b—uhhh. Is that a cat?" Eddie slows to a stop at the top of the stairs, blinking at the kitten on the couch. "When did we get a cat?"

"Couple hours ago," Buck says, still frowning at Hen and Chimney. "Where have you been?"

"I found him polishing the engine."

Buck shoots out of his seat. "Tommy!"

He only half-hears Eddie muttering, "Favouritism," as he scuttles around the chair to meet Tommy halfway between the stairs and the sitting area. Tommy has just enough time to smile—and it warms Buck, like it always does, with a spark caught in his chest for safekeeping—and say hi before Buck's on him, palms clapped on either side of his face, smushing their lips together.

He makes a bit of a show of it, dramatically swooping in, because he knows the big smacking MWAH will make Tommy laugh, and he likes the way that feels rumbling against his chest.

Buck taps their noses together. "Hey," he says, savouring the mirth sparkling in Tommy's eyes for a second before kissing him again, properly this time.

His brain goes sort of fuzzy when Tommy's palm cups the back of his neck.

Someone in the distance wolf-whistles.

When they finally come up for air Tommy asks, "What was that for?" a little breathlessly, which is doing things to Buck.

"Mmn...y'know. For being you."

Tommy raises his eyebrows, kiss-reddened lips curling fondly. "Okay."

"Hey, Tommy. Good to see you," Chim calls in a very pointed way.

Right, public setting. Workplace. Friends watching. Buck exhales slowly, and tries to think about anything other than how much he wants to bite that bit of clavicle peeking out of the collar of Tommy's shirt. Like the fact that Tommy's hands are warm, and he's sort of rubbing his fingertips over the short stubbly bits of hair on the back of Buck's head, and Buck's lips are still tingling a little, and—no wait, not that either.

Tommy pulls away first, which is probably for the best, but also very sad. The corner of his mouth twitches like he can see Buck thinking it. He curls his index finger and gently taps Buck's chin with the knuckle before he turns to the group.

"Howie," he says, not even pretending to be contrite in the face of Chim's mock-judgement. "Hen."

"Tommy." Hen fails to contain her smirk.

Some time during all the kissing, Eddie moved over to the couch. He's sat next to the kitten, watching her attempt to groom her paw with all the grace of a toddler who's only a little bit sure they know how to hold a brush. She keeps starting and stopping at random intervals, sometimes licking the cushion beside her, sometimes sticking her tongue out at thin air.

She's so cute it makes Buck's chest hurt. It's a little much while he's still loopy from making out with his boyfriend.

Then Tommy goes and crouches next to the couch so he can get eye-level with the kitten while she sniffs his hand, talking to her all calm and soft with smile-lines crinkling his cheeks, and. Buck might need to lie down for a bit. Like, on top of Tommy, preferably.

The kitten seems to like him too, and he really can't blame her when she crawls up Tommy's sleeve to perch on his shoulder.

She looks so much smaller cuddled up on Tommy. He reaches up to steady her, and she's almost entirely obscured by his hand.

God, is it wrong that he's getting a little hot under the collar about that? He just looks so strong and competent and at the same time, like, gentle. Buck knows how it feels to be touched tenderly by those hands, and apparently just seeing it happen does not affect him any less. In fact it's only added dimensions to his desires.

"I should probably get going," Tommy says, bringing Buck back down to Earth with a resounding splat.

He opens his mouth to protest, then closes it. He's right. The last thing Buck wants is for Tommy to have another run-in with Gerrard, and they don't know how long the old bastard's gonna be occupied.

"Mhm, run while you still can," Chimney pipes up. "Before our dear old captain smells an opportunity to ruin someone's day."

"He does seem to have a sixth sense for that," Eddie adds sullenly. Buck makes a note to ask him what that was about. Later.

"I'll walk you out," Buck says, trying not to sound like a pouting child. He's fairly certain he fails, because Tommy laces their fingers together and gives his hand a comforting squeeze.

He says his goodbyes, the whole time being careful not to dislodge the kitten while she crawls across his shoulders.

Buck goes through the list of kitten care basics he memorized as they make their way to the parking lot. It's...more than he thought it was, honestly. It starts to feel overwhelming as he goes on, and on, and on. He's running out of time to get it all out, and he feels like it's just now sinking in his huge this responsibility that he's dumping in Tommy's lap is.

"You're sure you don't mind taking her?" The question bursts out of Buck before they make it to Tommy's car. "W-we didn't really, I mean. We talked about it over the phone, but..."

"Yeah, now that I've seen her she does seem like a real handful."

The kitten yawns, and curls up into a tiny grey ball in the crook of Tommy's neck.

Well. Alright.

"It's just, t-they need a lot of attention when they're that young, and I kinda just, just dropped this on you."

"Evan." Tommy gives him a look. "Are you worried that you baby-trapped me?"

Okay, when he puts it like that. Maybe a little bit. But also now he's having complicated yearning feelings that he really should not be having this early in the relationship.

Buck's pretty sure he looks like a deer in the headlights right now, because Tommy's doing his damnedest to pretend he isn't laughing at him.

He tugs Buck's hand, leading him the rest of the way to his car.

The backseat is full of cat stuff. Containers of milk-replacement powders, and a shiny plastic litter box, and toys, so many toys, baggies of fake mice and feathery things, just. So much stuff. Piles of it.

"I called up a friend who used to foster kittens. She had a lot of advice. And then I got a little carried away."

"I, uh. See that," Buck laughs breathlessly.

"Over the phone, you sounded like this meant a lot to you? And I think I got really attached to the idea of...this. Taking care of her for you. With you." He sounds hesitant, like he's trying not to say too much, and Buck can't stand it—

"I love you so much," he says in a rush.

"Well, good," Tommy purses his lips around a smile, eyes bright and crinkled at the corners. He reaches up to his shoulder, like he's absent-mindedly checking to see if the kitten's still there. "Wouldn't want her to grow up in a broken home."

Buck huffs a laugh.

"And I love you too."

[majordemonblockparty]

that one line from bobby's hunting guide or whatever, about how john picked up dean one night on the side of the road after dean had gone out looking for him... in my gut I know john was a "get out of the car; you're hoofin' it from here" kind of parent. a "quit that right now or you're walking home; hope you can find you way" kind of parent.

so I need sam waiting on tenterhooks in the motel room of the week, up way past midnight waiting for john and dean to get back from a hunt. for him to breathe deeply for the first time in what feels like days when he hears the rumble of the loudest car in the universe rolling into the lot, and for john to give the special knock at the door and sam's so relieved to let them in, equilibrium resettling, all three of them together under one roof.

only dean's not with john.

he's not out under the weak light of the parking lot sodium lamps. he's not crouched over the back seat of the impala, rifling through the footwell. he's not unpacking gear from the trunk or coming back from the bank of vending machines with condensation-wet cans of squirt jammed in his pockets or leaning bloody and spent against dad's shoulder.

he's not. fucking anywhere.

I need sam losing his absolute shit, zero to feral in six-point-three seconds flat. screaming and scrabbling at john, "where is he where is he where the fuck is he?!" I need sam just sobbing with his whole chest because it finally happened, this is his nightmare, his literal worst fear realized because dean's dead out there somewhere and knowing dad, he's probably already salted dean down and soaked him in gasoline and lit him up, a tragedy with no loose ends.

I need sam just wailing, can't catch his breath crying, the ugly snotty gagging kind of crying as john finally just manhandles him back into the room and tries to tell him, "jesus, sammy. he's fine. thought it'd be a good idea to run that smartass mouth of his on the way back, so he's taking a little time to himself and walking the last stretch here."

I need sam who looks at john with more disgust and visceral loathing than a twelve year old should be able to manage. who grabs his coat off the bed and his knife from under the pillow and is out the door into the night before john can get a hand on him. I need sam sprinting down the busted concrete drive to the main road and taking off along the sloping gravel shoulder in the oh-dark-thirty blue-blackness, still crying but trying to get his breath back so he can holler for dean.

(I need dean trudging along in the pre-dawn dark, pulling up short when he hears the slip-slide of running feet on gravel headed towards him and his name screamed into the dark. dean who takes off at a dead run because sammy sammy sammy sammy shit-fuck sammy what's the matter)

(I need sam who launches himself bodily at dean when he finally gets close enough. who lets his heart pound rabbit-quick against dean's chest through their jackets. who's probably too big to be picked up and held like this, really, but who can't won't let go once he's got dean wrapped up in his arms. who slides around to dean's back and pulls dean's collar aside so he can put his ear to dean's pulsepoint as he's piggybacked the rest of the way back.)

anyways... john pretends to be asleep when they make it back to the motel. they know he's awake, he knows they know he's awake, but no way is he gonna look at sam's face again without at least five hours of sleep under his belt.

(nobody says a word about it when they pack up and check out in the morning. nobody says a word about it, ever.)

[firewasabeast]

Bucktommy prompt idea for you:

Tommy going to Bobby, NOT to ask for his blessing on proposing to Buck, but thinking that Bobby will talk him out of it as it's too soon (Tommy needs someone to be rational with him and he thinks Bobby is levelheaded, especially when it comes to Buck).

He's unaware that Bobby and Athena basically speedran their way down the aisle, and Bobby gives him his blessing AND practically helps him plan the proposal/wedding instead.

This was ridiculous.

They'd only been together for four months.

Sure, Tommy could easily say they had been the best four months of his life, but still... four months.

You don't buy a ring for someone after only four months.

At least Tommy didn't. He wasn't that type. He was levelheaded, thought things through.

Even when he flew that helicopter straight through a hurricane, he thought that through. Knew he could do it. Knew to trust Howie and Hen and their instincts.

But this was all on him.

He was standing outside of a jewelry store, ring in one hand, receipt in the other, wondering what the hell just happened to him? Was he drugged? Possessed? What would possibly make him think this was a wise option? Why could he already envision Buck standing across from him in front of a room full of people as they spoke their vows to one another?

Tommy stuffed the ring and the receipt into his pockets. He practically marched to his car. There was only one person he could think to go to. One person who could talk some sense into him.

*****

“That's amazing, Tommy!” Bobby exclaimed, pulling Tommy in for a hug.

This was... not what he expected.

“Amazing?” he questioned once Bobby pulled back. “Bobby, it's insane.”

“What's insane about it?”

“We've only been together four months. He moved in a week ago, and we both joked about how crazy that even was.”

“And how's that week been?” Bobby asked, leading them over to the couch.

“It's... It's been great. Fantastic, really, but it's new. It'll wear off.”

“Doesn't have to.”

“Bobby, I- I thought I'd be coming here today for you to talk me out of this, not for me to talk me out of it while you talk me into it.”

Bobby smiled. “You love him?” he asked.

“Of course.”

“He loves you?”

“Yeah, he does,” Tommy replied, softer as he thought about the many times they'd said those words to each other over the last three months.

“You like spending time together?”

“We haven't spent a night apart since we started dating, work excluded.”

“You see a future with him?”

Tommy nodded. “We both want kids. He's gonna be such a great dad, too. He doubts himself sometimes, but I don't doubt him. We'd have to buy a bigger place someday, but we've got enough space for three where we are now.” Tommy's eyes were focused off in the distance, like he was imagining their whole lives together. “I haven't traveled much, outside of my time in the army, but we've made plans to do a roadtrip so he can show me all the places he's been. And he's so smart. He knows something about everything and I love that because he's always right. I don't even have to double check.” He stopped abruptly when he realized he was rambling. That's what got him into this mess in the first place. He got to thinking about Evan, and then he couldn't stop thinking about Evan, and then he was driving to a jewelry store.

Bobby shrugged. “I don't see a problem here, Tommy. Athena and I got engaged in less than a year, and I couldn't imagine it any other way.” He reached out, giving Tommy a pat on the leg. “You're a good guy, Tommy. Buck is just as much in this relationship as you are, believe me. You ask, he'll say yes.”

Somehow a wave of relief, along with a surge of anxiety, washed over Tommy at the same time. “Are you sure?”

“I'm sure.”

*****

Tommy stayed a bit longer, catching up with Bobby and discussing what plans he had for a proposal. When it was time to leave, Bobby walked him to the door. He reached for a handshake that turned into a hug.

“Thanks, Bobby,” Tommy said with a final pat on the back before he headed out.

“Anytime, kid. Hey, you have Buck call me after he says yes!”

Tommy smiled, giving Bobby a final wave before he got into his car.

Bobby wasn't surprised when his phone began to ring a few hours later, Buck's name lighting up the screen.

[ereardon]

Before I Knew [Jake Seresin x Reader] Chapter Twelve

A Jake Seresin unexpected pregnancy fic

Overview: On your first night after moving to San Diego to spend more time with your brother Bob, you unknowingly have a one night stand with his teammate Jake Seresin. For the first time in his whole life, Bob has a closely knit friend group and you’re desperate not to rock the boat. But an unexpected and unplanned pregnancy upends your world, forcing you and Jake closer together, against Bob’s wishes. What will happen when you find yourself actually falling for the father of your unborn child? 

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader; Bob Floyd x Sister!Reader 

Warnings: Pregnancy, cursing, eventual smut, angst

Chapter summary: Ducky and Jake tiptoe around each other; Bob attends Ducky's 20 week scan

WC: 1.3K

Masterlist here; previous chapter here

The apartment was empty when you returned. Just a note on the counter. 

Staying at Bradshaw’s for the night

– J

You sighed and put your purse down. It was what you had wanted. So why didn’t it feel good to win? 

***

Jake spent half of the night pacing Bradley’s house, a small bungalow near the beach. At around three in the morning, Bradley emerged in a pair of boxers and no shirt, rubbing his eyes. “Hangman?” 

Jake turned, bags starting to form under his eyes. 

“You OK man?” Bradley asked, standing in the doorway to the living room. 

Jake shook his head. “Yeah, sorry, didn’t realize I was being loud.” 

Bradley sagged against the wood frame. “It’s Y/N isn’t it?” 

He nodded. “Always.” 

“When are you gonna admit you’re into her?” 

Jake stopped dead in his tracks. “What?” 

“We all talk about it all the time,” Bradley said, crossing his arms. “You like her. She liked you enough to sleep with you. And now here you are kissing random girls in the bar and she’s running off crying.” 

“She cried?” 

“No, she peed on the sand, but same thing.” 

Jake frowned. “What? How is that the same?” 

“It just is, OK.” Bradley shook his head. 

Jake squinted. “You guys don’t actually talk about us, do you?” 

“Come on,” Bradley said. “I know you’re more self absorbed than that.” 

“She doesn’t want me,” he said quietly. “She told me to go out and see other people.” Jake paused. “She said she would, too, if it didn’t look so weird, with the baby and all.” 

Bradley rolled his eyes and turned to go. “You two are so fucking stupid, I swear.” 

***

Bob picked up on the second ring. “Hello?” 

“Bobby,” you said into the phone. “Will you come to my appointment with me today?” 

“I, uh, what time is it at?” 

“Four.” 

“OK, yeah, I can do that. Pick you up at 3:30 from work?” 

“Yes, please.” 

There was a moment of silence where you both knew what the other was thinking. He wanted to know why you had asked him. You didn’t want him to tell Jake. 

“See you soon, Duck,” he said, hanging up the phone and you let out a sigh of relief. 

That afternoon, you sat in a paper gown on the medical table as Bob sat in the chair near the door, bouncing his leg in his green flight suit. “You smell like gasoline,” you complained. “It’s making me want to throw up.” 

“I didn’t have time to change,” he replied, leg still bouncing. 

“Stop jiggling, you’re making me nauseous.” 

“Will you stop complaining when the baby comes?” 

“No, it’ll just be a new set of complaints.” 

“Lucky me.” 

There was a knock and then the door opened. “Y/N? How are you?” 

“Doing OK,” you replied, shifting your weight from one hip. “This is my brother, Bob.” 

“Ma’am,” he said, standing up and holding out a hand. She took it and smiled. 

“Dr. Whitman. Nice to meet you.” She walked over to the sink and washed her hands before pulling on a pair of gloves. “So, twenty weeks. Halfway there.” 

“Thank God,” you muttered. 

The doctor laughed. “Any trouble sleeping or heartburn or indigestion.” 

“Whatever you name, I’ve got it.” 

She smiled. “Well, I can give you a prescription for some heartburn medication. If you want to just pull your shirt up, we can take a look to see how baby is doing.” 

You inched the edge of your paper dress up, the roundness of your stomach shocking every time you caught a glimpse. The jelly was cold, as always, and you found yourself holding your breath as she moved the wand around until you heard it. 

The steady beat of your baby’s heart. 

“Strong heartbeat,” the doctor said. “Baby is about seven inches.” She turned to you. “Do you want to know the gender?” 

You looked over at Bob, who had climbed out of his seat and was standing next to the table, one of his hands on your shoulder. “Bobby?” 

“I’m here.” 

You sucked in a deep breath. “Yes, I’d like to know.” 

“It’s a girl.” 

You closed your eyes. It was overwhelming. You couldn’t put into words how you felt. 

And then you felt a tear fall on your shoulder. But it wasn’t yours. When you opened your eyes, Bob was crying. 

He pressed his lips to your temple, arms wrapped around your shoulders. “A girl,” he whispered, tears and laughter caught in his throat all at once. 

You placed your hands on either side of your belly button and closed your eyes. 

***

When you got home, you taped the sonogram to the fridge. Jake had returned from Bradley’s, but the two of you had been frosty. A simple hello or excuse me as you passed each other in the living room. It was like living with a complete stranger. 

You didn’t want to freeze him out. But whenever you went to talk to him, the image of him with the girl in the bar came to mind and you felt bile rising in your throat. There was a part of you, somewhere buried, that wanted Jake Seresin for yourself. 

For your daughter. 

At twenty weeks, you already had trouble sleeping. After an hour of tossing and turning, you got up and eased open the door, rubbing your eyes as you headed for the kitchen in a skimpy nightgown. 

As you rounded the corner into the kitchen, Jake stood facing the fridge, completely still. He barely moved when you entered, stopping short the minute you saw him. 

“Oh.” It fell out of your mouth before you could even stop it. 

Jake turned, slowly. There were bags beneath his eyes. His normally golden skin looked sallow. His hair, always so perfectly tousled, had lost some of its luster. “When was the appointment?” he asked. 

“Yesterday.” 

“You didn’t want me there.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. There was pain laced in every word. 

“I didn’t think you’d want to be there.” 

Jake’s face hardened. You watched in real time. The way his green eyes went dark and the hands at his sides flexed into fists. “Don’t you understand, Y/N, that it my child you’re carrying. Mine. Of course I wanted to be there. But you wouldn’t let me. Because you’re punishing me.” 

“I’m not punishing you.” 

“Yes you are!” It came out as a roar. You stepped back, one hand over your stomach. Jake’s eyes dropped to your hand. “I’m sorry.” It was a plea. Soft and gravely and depressed. “I fucked up, OK. This is so fucked up.” 

“My next appointment is in a month,” you replied softly. “Do you want to come with?” 

Jake lifted his eyes to yours. “Yes.” 

“OK,” you replied. “Can I?” You motioned to the fridge and Jake nodded, stepping aside as you grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the door filter. 

“Goodnight,” Jake said, backing out of the kitchen as you closed the fridge door, the slice of light growing thinner and thinner until it disappeared and the two of you were bathed in darkness, just the diagonal strip of moonlight shining from the window above the sink. 

“Jake?” 

“Yeah?” 

You smiled. “It’s a girl.” 

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[anonymous-dentist]

Day Seven - Soulmates

-

Soulmates, as everyone knows, share each other's pain. Bruises, scrapes, broken bones. Fevers, infections. Anything, everything. Nothing physical is left behind, just. Pain.

Roier kinda thinks it's all bullshit. There's all sorts of philosophy attached to it, like the idea that sharing pain is supposed to bring you and your soulmate together, but that idea doesn't really matter when you don't even know who your soulmate is. It's just pain for the sake of pain, and it's absolutely ridiculous, and he kinda hates it.

...But maybe Roier is biased, just a little. His soulmate, whoever they are, is either the most accident-prone person on the planet, or they've been a soldier since Roier was still in middle school. After years and years of constant aches and pains and bruises and fucking stab wounds right through the stomach and gunshots fired through the shoulder and the throat, Roier's tired.

Roier doesn't hate his soulmate. He probably loves them, actually; he started working out in middle school just so he could grow up into a strong enough man to be able to protect his soulmate the way they deserved. He just also thinks it's kind of bullshit that he and his soulmate have to share this much without not knowing who each other is.

"It's just kind of ridiculous, you know?" he asks.

"I guess," Cellbit hesitantly agrees.

Cellbit, unlike Roier, seems pretty into the whole soulmate thing. He doesn't think he has one, but he likes the idea of people being able to find someone special just for them that they can love and who will love them back. Sharing pain, to Cellbit, is the same as sharing a warm cup of coffee on a cold winter's morning: it's just something that people who love each other do.

Roier sighs, but he doesn't say anything else, mostly because he's decided he kinda likes Cellbit and he doesn't want to lose him before he can work up the nerve to ask him over for, like. Dinner. Or sex.

Tonight, they're side-by-side in sleeping bags on the deck of their newly-claimed Base Guapita. The kids are asleep inside, and Cellbit's hands are rough and red from an afternoon spent putting up the communications tower. He's half asleep, but Roier is wide awake and staring at the stars and trying to connect them into something meaningful.

Cellbit is... nice. He's nice. Him and Roier got off on the wrong foot, and he kinda super needs to shower more often, but he's sweet, and he has a cute smile when he deigns to show it. His eyes are breathtaking. His hands are big. His arms are covered in too many scars to count, and so is what little of his chest and neck he shows beneath his button-up and vest.

(Roier remembers waking up screaming a week or so ago and immediately checking his arms to make sure he wasn't the one getting fucking shredded with- with something. Bobby ran downstairs to check on him, and he got to the bottom floor just in time to watch Roier pass out as his soulmate died and had to respawn.

The day after that, Roier idly watched as Cellbit and Felps argued in the corner of his garden. He couldn't catch much of what they were saying, but the scars on Cellbit's arms were new, maybe.

Maybe...)

In the end, it's Cellbit who continues the conversation:

"If I do have a soulmate," he murmurs, voice slurred from exhaustion and muffled slightly by his pillow, "I kind of feel bad for them."

"Mm?"

Absently, Cellbit rolls onto his back, his arms falling on top of the sleeping bag's outer layer. One hand brushes along the largest of the opposite arm's scars.

Ah.

"Nah, it's probably fine," Roier says. He adjusts himself so that he's laying on his side facing Cellbit with his hand propping his head up. "Aren't you the guy who thinks sharing pain is romantic and stuff?"

"It isn't romantic," Cellbit scoffs. "It's pain. Nobody should have to go through it."

"Or maybe nobody should have to go through it alone. Isn't that what all this soulmate shit is about?"

Cellbit glances at him out of the corner of his eye. "I thought you didn't believe in soulmates."

"What?" Roier gasps, dramatically offended. "No! Of course I do! I just don't get all that philosophical stuff. Like, what's the point of sharing pain if you don't know who you're sharing with, you know?"

"Because it's what people who love each other do."

Roier snaps with a grin. "There you go! You and your soulmate love each other, so you want to share each other's pain. Right?"

Cellbit hums, "Or maybe he just wants to stop it."

Oh. "'He'? Do you-"

Cellbit cuts him off with a shake of the head: "No, I don't. I just know he would be a he. I'm not, ah..."

Oh, shit.

Roier knows Cellbit well enough by now to know when he doesn't want to elaborate on something, so he offers a cheerful, "Cool!", before going quiet again.

Then:

"I hope you find him, man," Roier says. He sits up and pats Cellbit on the shoulder with a smaller, more genuine smile. "I know he's out there."

Cellbit watches him warily. "I'm not even sure if he exists."

"Nah, he does. And I'd better get to be your best man, okay? If not, I'm stealing your husband."

Cellbit snorts quietly, lips quirking up into a half-smile. "Of course, guapito."

"Good." Roier nods, and he settles back into his sleeping bag. His bones, as usual, are aching. His hands burn, and he doesn't know what the hell his soulmate has been up to today, but he's going to make them start wearing gloves when he finds them.

He flops onto his opposite side, and then he screeches as his arm impales itself on the pointy end of an exposed screw.

"Chinga su madre-" he swears, scrambling out of his sleeping bag to dig up the hammer he and Cellbit were using earlier when they were renovating the airship.

Cellbit sits up, eyes wide. "Guapito? What happened?"

Roier slams his hammer into the screw in response with an irritated, pained, "Fucking nail got me in the arm, what the fuck?"

He turns his attention back to the floorboards, turning his sleeping bag over to inspect the rest of the floor for any loose nails.

(He does not notice Cellbit's face pale as he raises a shaky hand to his own arm, right where the screw had hit Roier. He looks from Roier's bleeding arm to his own, and a faint, excited, surprised, terrified smile crosses his face, and a blush paints itself across his nose and cheeks, and he has to cover his mouth to keep himself from letting out the happiest little squeal possible.)

[newobsessionweekly]

Things take time

Main masterlist | 9-1-1 masterlist

Dreams series

Part 1

Part 2

Evan “Buck” Buckley x fem!reader

Fandom: 911

Summary: You and Buck try for a baby, but life is not always fair and easy.

Angst | Fluff

A/N: I know, I KNOW it's been ages since part 1, but hey, i'm back! Hope u enjoy it and stay put for the next parts. Maybe life isn't really fair and easy! Thank you for your support and kindness. Have a wonderful day, bubs! Lots of love ✨

@krokietino i thought maybe you'll like the second part of what u requested ❤️

Requested: yes

Words: 2.2k

Requests currently closed!

GIF not mine, credits to the owner!

In the hushed quiet of your home, you and Buck found yourselves enveloped in the soft glow of morning. Buck was quietly pulling up his uniform, taking a few sips of his coffee. You on the other hand had a long morning today, lingering a bit longer in your pijama.

You watched your fiancé with a dump smile and a heavy heart as he buckled his shoes, preparing for a new day as a firefighter. Every shift you couldn't help but feel the whole world's pressure on your shoulders, worrying a little too much about his safety, despite he came home safe and sound every time.

As you sat on the edge of the bed, your fingers were trembling as you held yet another negative test in your hands, a heavy sigh escaped your lips. For months, you've been trying for a baby, thinking "how hard it must be", your hearts brimming with hope with each pregnancy test, only to be met with disappointment time and time again.

Buck's expression etched with concern, wrapped his arms around you in a comforting embrace, trying to give you a bit of his hope, his heart aching at the sight of your crestfallen face.

"I'm sorry, babe," you murmured, your voice thick with unshed tears. "I thought... I thought this might be it."

Buck's heart twisted with love as he gently wiped away your tears, his own emotions swirling with a mixture of frustration and longing. "It's okay, sweetheart," he whispered, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. "We'll keep trying."

As much as he wanted a family with you, in this moment if possible, he knew this things take time. You can't rush life, every little thing has its own moment. He could understand your frustration, motherhood is something almost every woman look forward and being this close to fulfil your dream, it's painful to see weeks turn into months, each day holding a negative pregnancy test between your fingers.

"Be safe out there and don't be a stranger!" you shouted after Buck placed the sweetest kisses all over your face and told you how much he loved you over and over before leaving for work that morning.

Buck tried to man up himself and wash away negative thoughts. He told himself it's not something he can control, it's out of your hands and there's nothing more you can do. Or at least he's trying to do that.

You, on the other hand, can't help but feel like you're letting Buck down. You know how much he wants a family with you, something he can feel like he belongs to, an anchor to keep him floating at the surface in this chaos.

For yourself, bringing a life in this world is a step in your relationship with Buck that seems about right and it's the perfect time to meet your dreams come true. Only that your dreams are not in a hurry to take part of this conversation just yet.

It's been six months since that last barbecue at Bobby and Athena's house, months you've spent daydreaming of a small version of Buck playing around, filling your silent home with laughter, irradiating joy and love, lightning your lives.

Days passed the same: work, home, Buck and repeat. Monotony installing into your bones and mind, you started to lose hope little by little with every negative test you threw away every morning. Your characteristic smile started to be missed by your family and friends, even people from work started questioning you every shift.

You ok, hun?

Something happened?

You know, if you need to talk...

The disappointment was so strong planted in yourself that one morning you didn't even notice the glow you irradiated and the small smile being brought back to your lips. You somehow felt the world differently, you didn't even realise you stepped out of monotony. Instead of having lunch break at your workplace, your footsteps surprised you in front of the fire station, unknowingly missing Buck and the joy of the 118.

"Y/N!" everyone cheered happily at the sight of you, rushing down the stairs to greet you and hug you. It's been months since your last lunch at the station and since you last saw your friends.

Bobby took your purse as you and Hen walked to the dining area, the smile growing beautifully as you were catching up with everyone's lives. You were so focused on one thing that could change your life that you forgot how happy you were before. You thought you needed that change to be happening as soon as possible, thinking it will make you happy and fulfilled, that you missed the part where your life was perfect as it was.

"Hey stranger!" Eddie greeted you before you could take a sit at the table, giving you a big, tight hug. "It's so nice to have you around! We missed you!"

"Ah, you know, busy life!" you tried to laugh the world's weight off of your shoulders, hugging Eddie back.

As the lunch unfolded without any surprises, sitting right next to Buck at the table, holding his hand, laughing from the bottom of your heart at the last incidents Chim and Hen detailed, you could feel the hope installing in your bones again.

"Well isn't that a beautiful face I didn't have the pleasure to see at this table for a long time now!" Athena made her way up the stairs, greeting you. "Nice to see you, child!"

Since you left home, Athena and Bobby were the closest thing to the parental figures you missed in the last years. You greeted her with the biggest smile, and after you all finished the delicious lunch Bobby had made, you checked the time. You still had a half an hour before you needed to be back for work.

You enjoyed your time spent with Buck and your friends at the station before the alarm started to replace your laughter. You kissed your fiancé goodbye, reminding him to be safe.

As you gathered your things, ready to return to your work place, Athena placed a hand on your shoulder "You ready? Imma give you a ride."

As you quietly sat in the police car, listening to the dispatch calling out for different situations, assigning cars, Athena broke the silence.

"I can see that look in your eyes. You're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, aren't you?"

"Oh-uh, I just—" you stopped, weighting the words before giving life to your thoughts. "I feel like I'm letting Buck down."

Those words surprised you too, as you didn't realised you really meant that before it came out of your mouth. Your voice barely above a whisper, you continued "He wants this so badly, and I can't give it to him. I don't know what to do."

Athena's hand found yours, a gesture of solidarity amidst the turmoil of your emotions. "You're not letting him down, honey," she reassured, her voice filled with unwavering conviction. "Sometimes, these things take time. But you're not alone in this. There are specialists who can help, if you're willing to take that step."

Few days passed, the untouched pregnancy tests surprising both you and Buck. "I thought maybe worrying less and going with the flow might help." you giggled, as you and Buck cuddled a bit more before getting the day started. It wasn't necessarily a lie, not a bad one at least.

It felt nice, not having to worry about every single thing in your life for a few days, but as Athena's words echoed in your mind, you couldn't help it.

You found yourself standing outside the office of a specialist, your heart fluttering with a mixture of hope and trepidation. But as you stepped inside and faced the prospect of yet another round of tests and examinations, a glimmer of hope flickered within your soul. You had to make sure nothing is wrong. If the specialist would tell you everything is fine, that there's nothing you should worry about, then indeed you'd be ready to worry less and leave the life do the things at its own pace.

Weeks passed as usual, happier and tender than before. Each night Buck loved you more and more, some more intense, showering you with his sincere passion and affection, some gentle and romantic. Your love for each other grew stronger than ever and you were at the point where you didn't even think you could love Buck more.

But today felt different. It was something inside that guided you to that specific bathroom drawer you didn't open for weeks, trying to keep under control the obsession you've developed. Today you felt the need to open it.

In the quiet stillness of the morning, as the first light of dawn cast its golden rays upon your home, you found yourself clutching a pregnancy test in trembling hands once more. As the seconds ticked by with agonizing slowness, your heart pounded in your chest, your breath catching in your throat.

Something felt different, you couldn't explain it. As the two pink lines appeared in a silent testament to your hopes and dreams, a wave of overwhelming joy washed over you, tears streaming down your cheeks, tears filled with happiness, hope, and the purest form of love.

Buck noticed something has changed lately, as if the very air was charged with an electric energy. He put it on the fact that you finally got the power to turn off the worrying shadows that's been darkening your mind this past few months.

You checked your phone, rereading Buck's message over and over again, fidgeting with your fingers nervously. Doctor confirmed your pregnancy and today is the day. You knew Buck will be so excited to hear the news but... maybe, just maybe, you thought after all this months of trying, he would've changed his mind.

Sabotaging yourself with this kind of thoughts, your body shuddered at the sound of your fiancé's voice.

"It was a stupid, boring day!" Buck placed his bag on the floor with frustration. Boring is something Buck hates more than anything. He likes action, fire, running around like crazy from one call to another. He might've changed over time, but deep down he's still the reckless boy that once opened for the first time the station's doors.

"Well hello my favourite man! My fearless firefighter. My love. My world." you giggled as you kissed him, placing your lips on his skin after every word.

"Stop lying to me." he laughed, hugging you so tight, spinning around with you on his arms. Secretly he thanked the heavens for that boring day, keeping him safe, in one piece so that he could come back home to you. The most beautiful and precious woman in his life. "What smells so good?"

"Dinner. Got off early today and thought maybe I should do something special. Your favourite." you lied to him again, but it was for his own good. Today was your doctor's appointment so you took the day off.

"Oh, I missed your dinners!" he smiled, placing a kiss on your cheek.

"Go wash your hands and you can tell me how much you love me after!" you joke, motioning Buck to the bathroom.

As you arranged the table, serving Buck with his favourite meal, you laughed at his frustration with the stupid kids pulling pranks and getting stuck in weird places.

"How was your day?" your fiancé asked, mouth full of the magic food, as he couldn't help but name it every time.

"Oh, you know. Same thing every day, nothing special there." you caressed his hand. "That reminds me..." you left the words hanging in the air as you rushed to your bedroom, grabbing a box. A mischievous glint in your eye and a mysterious package cradled in your arms. Buck's curiosity piqued, he watched with bated breath as you approached, your smile radiant and infectious.You placed it next to Buck, excitedly waiting for him to open it.

"What's this?" he asked, whipping his hands. You didn't respond, as if you didn't hear a word he said.

His fingers trembling as he unwrapped it with care. And then, as the contents were revealed, his breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening in disbelief. Nestled within the confines of the package was a uniform, its tiny size a stark contrast to the enormity of the moment it represented. But it was the words emblazoned upon the fabric that stole Buck's breath away: "Daddy's Little Firefighter."

Tears welled in Buck's eyes as he looked up at you, his heart overflowing with emotion. "Are you... Are we...?" he stammered, his voice choked with emotion.

In that moment, beneath the canopy of stars, amidst the quiet stillness of the night, your hearts were soaring with the promise of a future filled with love and laughter.

You nodded, your eyes shining with unshed tears of joy. "Yeah, Buck," you whispered, "You're going to be a dad!" your voice trembling with emotion. "We're going to be parents."

[thiswaytwoinfinity]

color up my skies – bob floyd x fem!reader

Bob Floyd is always beautiful. But there’s something about the way the sunset makes his skin glow and the way that Montana drawl makes your toes curl that means you need to have him … even if you’re on the side of the road.

a/n: finally my entry for IBFFM is complete! This is the first fic I have actually written in months and it feels fitting that it would be for Bob, who stole my heart and introduced me to the TGM fandom. I love it here, y’all. I hope you enjoy my offering.

warnings: smut (18+ only) oral (m receiving), fingering, grinding, unprotected piv (in my mind she’s on bc), praise and breeding kink if you squint, truck sex so kind of public?

tagging @attapullman as a thank you for founding the hottest holiday ever 😉 and a h/t to @withahappyrefrain whose post about bob babbling when he gets close rewired something in my brain

Bob Floyd was always beautiful.

You could list a million instances when you felt stunned by him — when he was bobbing his head along to the music at the Hard Deck, observing his fellow Daggers; rumpled and bleary-eyed in the morning, waiting for his ancient coffee maker to hurry up; standing on your front porch and staring at you in awe, despite the fact that you’ve been together for over a year; flushed and panting with fogged up glasses as he lifts his head up from between your thighs — and still think of more.

But right now, with the pink and orange rays of the fading sunlight illuminating his beautiful cheekbones, the wind ruffling the longer bits of hair that peek out from his beat-up ball cap and those beautiful dimples peeking out, Bob Floyd is downright breathtaking.

“Penny for your thoughts?” the WSO asks, taking a sip from the bottle of soda in his hand. He grins softly as he looks over at you, reclined back on your elbows in the bed of his beloved truck. “You’ve been quiet for a while over there.”

You bite your lip, face heating up a bit as you confess, “You’re just so gorgeous, Bobby.” The tips of his ears turn pink at the praise and he takes his cap off and runs his fingers through his hair before replacing it.

“I was just thinking the same thing about you, darlin’,” he drawls, his accent stronger than ever thanks to the week you two have spent back in his home town.

You had been a little nervous when Bob asked you to come with him on a trip back to Montana after the birth of his nephew. Meeting each others’ parents during their brief trips to San Diego was one thing, but spending two and a half weeks in his childhood home? There were so many ways that could test your relationship.

But eight days into your trip, you were getting to know a whole different side of your beautiful Bob.

“I mean it. Montana looks good on you,” you tell him, reaching out to caress his face with your hand. “I like this whole ‘country boy’ vibe you have going on.”

Bob chuckles, warm and deep, as he gently turns his cheek into your palm. Your thumb gently rubs over one of his dimples, a sign that he’s relaxed and happy. “If I had known that taking you to watch the sunset in my truck would earn me all of these compliments, I woulda done it a lot sooner,” he murmurs.

“Guess you should’ve. Maybe you could have wooed me properly.”

You’re teasing of course; Bob is a complete romantic, surprising you with flowers and picnics on the beach and candlelit dinners at home. “Was this how you impressed all the girls in high school? You’d take them for a ride in your truck?”

He wraps his fingers around your wrist and kisses your knuckles before gently entwining your hands together and lowering them to his lap.

“I think you’re overestimating how many girls were interested in me back then,” Bob laughs. You roll your eyes — you’ve seen pictures of your boyfriend in high school, all gangly limbs and round glasses, and you can imagine falling for him back then too. “‘Sides, they all grew up here too. These big fields aren’t all that impressive when you see them every day.”

He leans over and presses one, two kisses to your neck, right above your collar bone. A shiver runs through your body that has nothing to do with the early evening breeze.

“That’s why I saved it for my favorite city girl,” Bob adds, his lips still pressed against your skin. You can feel the smirk on his mouth and it makes you feel a little dizzy.

Bob loved to make fun of you for being a “city girl,” joking about how you were lulled to sleep at night by the sound of sirens instead of crickets and laughing at your refusal to learn how to drive until after college. (Okay, but Bobby, you don’t need a license when you have public transport!) He secretly loved it, though. It gave him a thrill to think about how your vastly different lives converged the day you met at Payback’s engagement party.

Bob’s not sure he believes in fate, but he’s endlessly thankful for whatever forces brought you into his life.

You giggle a little as he continues to kiss and nuzzle his face against your quickly warming skin, hand ghosting up his arm to wrap around Bob’s shoulders and pull him impossibly closer. “Bobby …” you breathe, feeling his teeth gently nip at your collarbone. “Bobby, behave. We’re out in the open.”

Your handsome Navy man just smiles and proceeds to work on sucking a bruise into your neck that will make it very obvious what the two of you got up to when you return to his parents’ house.

“Bob —“ you start again, giving the hair at the nape of his neck a quick tug to try and catch his attention, but all you get in response is a deep groan pressed into your skin. With a smirk of your own, you slide your free hand onto one of Bob’s denim-clad thighs, before giving his hair another, sharper tug. The WSO freezes in place.

“Now, darlin’ …” he drawls, his voice low and rumbly in a way that shoots directly into your core. Bob lifts his head up slowly, his eyes hooded and his beautiful pink mouth shiny and puffy from exertion. “If you want me to start behavin’, you’re gonna need to stop pulling on my hair like that.”

“How come?”

Bob’s big hands come up to cup your jaw, tilting your head so that your eyes are locked on his. Your chest is heaving as you watch your boyfriend’s eyes darken, that beautiful sky blue turning to a seductive sapphire as his pupils dilate.

“Because if you keep goin’, I’m gonna have no choice but to take you right here,” Bob explains. “And I don’t know if I’ll be able to take my time with you out here. Make you fall apart the way I like …”

You let out an involuntary whimper at his words, your eyes fluttering closed as a rush of heat floods through you.

“Or is that something you want, huh?” Bob teases, his lips hovering over yours as he pulls you closer.

“Please, Bobby …” Your voice is breathy, more air than sound as you press your mouth against his. Bob’s thumbs gently caress your cheeks as he kisses you, his tongue sliding against yours as you let out a soft groan. No matter how long it’s been, Bob always kisses you like he’s just gotten back from a months-long deployment and it makes your head swim with delight.

(It also happens to have been a few days since you’ve had the chance to properly make out, which does nothing to calm the desire pulsing in your veins.)

“Missed you,” you sigh in between kisses and you feel more than hear Bob’s chuckle.

“C’mere baby,” he mutters, sliding one hand under one of your thighs and tugging, manhandling you to straddle his lap with ease.

You let out a little squeak before settling down, pressing your crotch down to feel where he’s already growing hard in his worn-out jeans. Bob curses lowly and wraps those delicious arms around your waist to pull you closer, his hips pushing up into yours unconsciously as his mouth trails from yours to your neck, down, down until he’s peppering kisses across your chest and the top of your cleavage. You can feel the edges of his signature BCGs dig into your soft flesh as Bob works his mouth along the neckline of your sundress.

“Did I ever tell you how gorgeous you look in this dress?” Bob asks after running his teeth lightly along your décolletage. “Drives me crazy when you wear it, just wanna pull it up and bend you over, doesn’t matter where we are.”

“Bobby!” you gasp, your nails scratching lightly up and down his biceps. Though he was a perfect gentleman on your first few dates — he even waited for you to kiss him first, blushing deeply when you tugged his face towards yours at the end of your third date — it didn’t take long for Bob to learn how much you liked it when he voiced all of the dirty thoughts running through his head.

It still takes you by surprise sometimes, the way your mild-mannered boyfriend can get you wet with just a few filthy comments.

And fuck are you already wet, rolling your hips against Bob’s as his talented fingers slide the straps of your dress down your shoulders so he can have better access to your chest. “Need you, need you so bad,” you keen, arching your back to push your breasts closer to your boyfriend’s mouth. “Bobby, please.”

“Okay, okay,” he mutters, pulling back from your chest with a luck of reluctance obvious on his beautiful face. “Shhh, it’s okay, baby,” he adds, stilling your hips in his lap. You only realize you let out a whine because of the way he’s rubbing his big hands up and down your sides, trying to soothe you. “Just wanna get you somewhere a little more private. I’m the only one who gets to see you like this.”

You nod almost frantically, your bottom lip between your teeth to try and hold back your moans. Letting out a deep breath, you slide off Bob’s lap and hop down out of the truck bed, your thighs squeezing together when you watch the way his biceps flex as he lifts the tailgate back into place after following.

He holds his hand out to you and you grab it, practically running around to the front of the truck and yanking the door open. Bob holds back a moment, waiting for you to climb in, but instead, you turn him by his hips and push him back into the cab so that he’s sprawled across the bench seat.

“‘M I not moving fast enough for you?” he asks with a laugh, planting one leg on the floor of the car and swinging the other up onto the creaky leather as he slides towards the driver’s side.

In response, you simply grin, before climbing in after him and pulling the door closed behind you.

But instead of laying yourself on top of Bob — which he’s clearly expecting you to do, the way his arms are hanging open to make room for you — you crouch down in the footwell and reach for his belt.

“Wait, baby, you don’t have to —“ he starts, before cutting himself off with a jolt when you cup his blue through the front of his pants.

“I want to,” you insist, fingers quickly working to open his belt and his jeans. “Want you. Want you so bad, Bobby. Next time we’re not staying at your parents’ house. I can’t go this long without touching you, it’s all I can think about.”

Bob tosses his head back with a moan, his hips lifting up as he helps you tug his pants and boxers down enough to free his hard cock. It slaps up against the bottom of his stomach, flushed and already wet at the tip, twitching slightly when you reach out to wrap your hand around the base. You wait a beat for him to lock eyes with you before you lean in and wrap your mouth around the tip, swirling your tongue around it to gather up the bit of precome pooling there.

“Oh, darlin’,” Bob practically growls, the deep timbre of his voice making you moan as you start to bob your head up and down. “Such a perfect fuckin’ mouth. You’re so good to me, baby. So g-good.”

You pull off and give him a long lick from base to tip before attempting to swallow down as much as you can at once. It took a while for you to be able to deep throat Bob like this — he’s so much bigger than anyone you’ve ever been with before, thick and long and just slightly curved in a way that makes you feel so deliciously full — but Bob was patient and understanding and now you like to show off for him whenever you can.

You pull off to catch your breath, a thin line of spit connecting your mouth to him, before leaning back in working your mouth down to his base, his public hair tickling your nose. You swallow around him and the feeling of your throat closing around his cock makes Bob jump and swear, a fist coming up to hit the roof. The quick buck of his hips makes you cough and sputter and he lifts your head off of him for a second to check in.

“Sorry, sorry. I just wasn’t expecting that, felt so damn good I lost my mind for a second,” he rambles, chuckling softly, his thumb rubbing at the corner of your smiling mouth. “You okay there?”

Instead of replying, you just giggle and nod, nipping at the tip of Bob’s thumb before you get back to what you were doing, sucking and licking at his cock while stroking whatever wasn’t in your mouth. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Bob’s stomach flex as he pants and moans above you, words of praise falling from his lips in a dazed ramble.

“So beautiful, you’re so beautiful like this, my gorgeous girl.” A loud moan interrupts his declarations, those big hands sweeping up to hold your hair back out of your face in a makeshift ponytail as you swallow him down again. “Yeahhhhh, just like that baby, good girl. God, you’re so good to me, love it when I can feel myself all the way in your throat, shit.”

You pull off to breathe before swallowing him down again, fingers cupping and caressing his balls as you hold him there, tip brushing against the back of your throat, enjoying the way Bob’s thighs shake and his hands tighten in your hair.

You repeat the action a few more times, tears staring to run down your cheeks before he suddenly tugs your head up and away from his cock.

“Don’t wan’ come down your throat, darlin’, need to come inside you,” he rambles, petting the sides of you head absently, his eyes fixed on your chest as the straps of your dress slide further down and reveal the soft satin of your bra underneath. “Please, baby, please let me fuck you, gonna fuck you so full ...”

The edge of desperation in Bob’s voice makes you surge up from the floor, climbing into his lap as you kiss him, all tongue and teeth and desire.

“Yes, Bobby, yeah,” you say against his mouth, tugging at his white tee shirt until he pulls it up and over his head. The sight of his broad, defined chest makes you rub yourself against him, sticky wet panties brushing against the hot ridge of his hard cock.

As you roll your hips again and again, the lace catches against your clit, making you moan loudly as Bob lifts his hips into yours.

“You’re so wet, darlin,’ I can feel it, I can feel how you soaked right through your panties,” he says, eyes closing briefly at the sensation, before they fly open and he finishes tugging the bodice of your dress down to your waist. He gives your breasts a quick squeeze, letting out a soft grunt before teasing and pinching at your nipples through the thin fabric. “Such a sweet girl, my good girl, and you get so fuckin’ wet just from sucking my cock.”

“Bobby, please, fuck me,” you moan, hips working more frantically against his, chasing your high as he whispers naughty encouragement to you.

“I will, baby, I will,” he promises, voice soothing despite his movements bringing your closer and closer to the edge. He sits up properly in the seat, grabbing you by the hips and moving your body against his. “Wanna see you come like this first, watch you fall apart in my lap, love it when you get desperate like this.”

Bob drops one hand to your lap, working it up the skirt of your dress to meet your soaked panties.

With a low curse, he slides his hand into them, pressing his thumb against your clit and rubbing in steady circles while you throw your head back and moan at the feeling of his hands on you.

“Fuck, Bob, right t-there, I’m so close baby,” you babble, hips continuing to swivel as you grind against his hand, his cock, edging further and further to your peak, nails scraping down Bob’s torso. His murmured little “c’mon, come for me,” helps push you over with a shout, your body shaking and trembling in his arms as he works you through your orgasm.

“Juuuust like that, so gorgeous baby, so good for me,” Bob says, his thumb slowing down against your clit as you come down from your high. When your eyes flutter open and you take him in, cheeks flushed and glasses slightly fogged from all of the exertion. He barely gives you a moment to catch your breath before he pulls your panties to the side and begins sliding his cock into you.

You give a shout that turns into a high-pitched whine as you feel the head of him press inside you. “Bobby, Bobby, Bobby,” you babble, walls still fluttering a little as you go to slide all the way down his cock, needing him inside you as quickly as possible.

“Uh-uh, darlin’, slow,” he chastises, grabbing your hips to still you about halfway down his cock. “Don’t wanna hurt you, just take your time, you’re doing so well for me.”

It feels like time slows down as the two of you work to get every inch of him inside, tiny little movements of your hips helping you to take more and more until your hips meet.

You take a moment to reach behind you and unhook your bra, tossing it to the side before snatching Bob’s hat and doing the same. He doesn’t even seem to register your decision to rid him of his hat, already fixated on your bare chest, moving to suck one of your peaked nipples into his mouth with a moan.

“Love these tits, baby,” he mutters against you and you card your fingers through his hair in response. It’s a little sweaty from hiding under his hat in the heat all day, but you can’t get enough of the way Bob groans and whines as you tug at the longer strands and scratch your nails against his scalp. “Gotta move, darlin’, gotta fuck you now.”

“Yes, yes,” you say, lifting your hips until just his the tip of his cock is still inside you and sliding back down.

“Shit, baby, jus’ like that,” he encourages, words already beginning to slur together as he gets drunk on pleasure. You repeat the motion and he smirks, before tugging one nipple between his teeth to make you keen. “You wanna show me you know how to ride? Huh? C’mon city girl, ride me.”

Bob’s voice gets a little breathy towards the end of his taunt and your moans get louder as you feel him press against that spongey spot within you on each downstroke.

For a while, the only thing you can hear is the sound of skin slapping together, punctuated by groans and growls and the occasional whine when Bob pinches or tugs at your nipples with his teeth, the tiny spark of pain making the pleasure more delicious. He’s so tuned into you that he can sense that you’re getting tired almost before you do, wrapping his arms around you and adjusting so that both of his feet are planted against the floor of his truck and he begins thrusting up into you, giving your burning thighs a break.

His hips move quickly, punching little “unhs” out of you with each thrust, tip bullying your g-spot relentlessly. Your walls begin to tighten and flutter against him and Bob frees a hand to rub two fingers against your clit in a slow, steady motion that contrasts beautifully with the speed of his thrusts.

“Oh my g— fuck, Bob, feels so good. You feel so g-good, love you so much.” You’re not even aware of what you’re saying, words spilling out of your mouth mindlessly as you let Bob bring you closer and closer to your orgasm. “Need to come, Bobby, I’m so close, wanna come for you, please, please,” you beg, peppering kisses all over his forehead, his cheeks, his nose, anywhere your lips can reach.

Bob’s fingers speed up, his mouth dropping open to let out a low groan, his face flushed and eyes glassy.

“Yes, good girl, just like that,” he encourages, the bottom of his glasses starting to fog up as a result of his exertion. You moan loudly at the sight, tossing your head back and losing yourself in the feeling of Bob’s talented fingers, his cock, the tension inside you building, building. “Come for me, beautiful, please. Let go for me, so perfect, so good to me, can’t believe you’re mine – shit.”

Your boyfriend’s praise tips you over the edge and you feel that band inside you snap, your vision whiting out at the edges as your walls clamp down on Bob’s cock. You’re shaking and moaning in his arms, gushing around him as he murmurs and works you through it. “Love you, love you, yes, yes, love you baby,” pressed into your clammy skin as Bob can’t bring himself to lift his mouth up from your chest, shoulders, neck long enough to speak clearly.

You come down from your high with one last shudder, walls fluttering around him and making him moan against you. You lean back to take a look at his face - pink and sweaty, a smile on his puffy lips and looking more beautiful than you think you’ve ever seen him before - before cupping it between your hands and kissing him.

You’re not sure how long the two of you just sit there and kiss, could be seconds, could be minutes, but you’re too lost in each other to care.

Eventually, though, your hips start rolling again in his lap, causing Bob to let out little whimpers and moans against your mouth. He lets his teeth tug at your bottom lip before pulling back and pressing his forehead against yours. “God, you feel so good, honey,” he says, eyes locked on yours as you begin to ride him properly once again.

“Wanna make you feel good, Bobby,” you coo, one hand threading through his damp hair and the other caressing his jaw.

“You a-always do, so good to me, so good baby,” he rambles, breath hitching every time you squeeze around him. “Don’t know how I g-got so l-lucky, can’t believe you’re mine, dar-darlin’.”

Bob’s hips begin thrusting up jerkily to meet yours, his eyes starting to get glassy behind those big frames. Knowing he’s getting close, you gently tug on his hair, short little bursts of pain that drive him crazy and get his hips moving faster.

“Jusss like that, god, you’re taking me so well, doing so well,” he says before grabbing onto your hips and holding you in place and thrusting up into you almost frantically. “Wanna be with you all the t-time, wanna fuck you every day, every night, keep you - yeah, do that again baby, pull my hair like that - keep you full of me.”

You moan at the idea, loving the thought of Bob just taking you whenever he pleases.

“Yeah? T-that what you want? I’ll do it for you, do any-anything for you, gonna fuck a baby into you one d-day and make our own little fa - I’m so close - family,” he cuts himself off with a few more high-pitched moans, eyes slipping shut as if he’s picturing your future together.

The idea of being with Bob, having kids with him, settling down and spending your lives together, hits you like a freight train. You don’t think anything has ever sounded better to you.

“Want that, Bobby, want to be with you forever, wanna have your babies, please, Bobby,” you babble, hands running all over his hands and shoulders to pull him closer, hold him tighter.

“Fuck, fuck, yes, anything you want darlin’, oh my -“ he comes with a shout, eyes squeezing tightly shut and fingers holding onto you so hard that you will probably have bruises on your hips later. (You hope you do, you always wear all of the marks Bob leaves on you with pride.) You feel him twitch inside you, liquid heat making you feel impossibly full. He gives one, two little half thrusts as he finishes, before loosening his grip on your skin.

Fully panting, Bob takes a moment try and catch his breath before opening his eyes slowly. The look of pure adoration on his face almost knocks the wind out of you.

“Well,” he starts with a chuckle, pressing a few chaste kisses to your shoulder. “Nothing like that ever happened to me in high school.”

You bark out a surprised laugh, giggles spilling out as you watch Bob grin and then duck his head. The sun has almost fully set by now, pinks and oranges fading into purples and blues as the two of you laugh in Bob’s truck, faces flushed and glowing in the dusk.

In a minute, Bob will clean you up and help you get dressed, gently kissing you with each item of clothing you wrangle back on.

He’ll give you a look of confusion and then surprise when he realizes that his hat is somewhere underneath the seat and he’ll run his fingers through your hair to help you tame it before settling into the driver’s seat. He’ll rest one of those big, warm palms on your thigh as he drives you both back home, looking over to smile at you at every stop sign and red light.

You’ll both giggle, cheeks warm and eyes downcast when Bob’s mom asks about your afternoon over dinner and he’ll mentally start picking out engagement rings when he watches you bounce his nephew on your knee when the family gathers in the living room afterward.

Later that night, after you’ve both shyly admitted that you were serious about the promises you made to one another in the truck, Bob will smile as he watches the moonlight illuminate your sleeping face.

But for now, you two just enjoy this perfect moment, wrapped in one another as the crickets begin chirping outside. And neither you nor Bob think you’ve ever seen the other look more beautiful.

.

(Are we still doing readmore sacrifices?) Either way, please reblog or comment if you enjoyed!

[marvelfanfn2187a113]

Reunion part 2

Dean Winchester x little sister!reader

Requested by Anonymous

Synopsis: you become tired of all the moving around, and confront Dean in a way he can’t ignore.

Set one month after part 1

Dean could tell that your energy level was fading fast. After spending eight months at Bobby’s place, moving around every few days was wearing you out quick.

You never had been very good at sleeping in the car, and lately that had been the only place to sleep. The lack of rest was coming out in unpleasant ways, and you’d been snippy the past week. Sam, who also wasn’t sleeping well lately, had been clashing with you more and more as the days dragged on. Most of the time, it was all Dean could do to keep the two of you from strangling each other.

On this night however, things were a little different.

Sam had just left in the Impala to get some food to pacify the tense atmosphere, and Dean was doing some research about a possible hunt nearby. They’d just finished up a hunt, and he was hoping not to have to travel far for the next one.

“Hey, how do you feel about a couple hours’ drive tomorrow?” He asked you.

“Gee, I don’t know, how to you feel about driving Baby off a cliff?” You snapped.

“Wow, ok grumpy,” Dean frowned.

“Screw you,” you scoffed.

“Alright easy tiger,” Dean stared at you. He knew you were tired, but some behavior was just unacceptable.

“Why don’t you just leave me be?” You demanded, turning your chair so your back was to him. He reached out and grabbed the arm of your seat, spinning it around so you were facing him again.

“Hey, look, I know it’s been a long few weeks, but this-“

“Oh don’t start this crap, it’s not like we’re all in the same boat here. It’s only been a long few weeks because we’re moving around so much, and we’re not doing that because of me, Dean. That’s all on you.”

Dean stood, “Hey, drop the tone alright? I’m getting really sick of you griping all the time, you were raised better and I expect better, understand?”

You rolled your eyes dramatically, standing and brushing past Dean, heading for the bathroom.

Dean grabbed your arm, halting your movement.

“I said; understand?”

You shoved his arm, twisting out of his grasp and storming into the bathroom, slamming the door behind you.

Dean bit back a groan.

Well, that went well.

…

The second the door slammed shut behind you, you felt tears prick at the back of your eyes.

Why had you said all that crap to Dean? Sure, you’d been tired and irritable lately, but were things really that bad?

You felt horrible for every word you’d said, but at the same time, the whole situation of the past month, the past year really, was draining you. You didn’t know where to begin to apologize to your brother, but you really were sorry.

Things were just so complicated now. John had been gone for so long, and even after a month of searching you hadn’t found him. You also missed Bobby, having spent eight months getting closed to him.

But at the same time, you wanted nothing more than to be close to your brothers.

Fat chance of that now. You’d been arguing a lot with Sam the past week, and after what just happened with Dean…

You made a decision just then. Family was too important to leave things the way they were.

You took a deep breath, grabbing the door handle and hesitating only a moment before turning it.

“Dean?”

Dean remained silent as you stepped out of the bathroom and over to where he was hunched over the computer.

“Dean, I’m really sorry.”

Dean hummed, still not looking up.

You felt the tears return despite your attempt to blink them back. You felt stupid, crying through your own apology as if you were the one who should be upset instead of Dean.

“Would you say something?”

At this, Dean looked up.

“Are…are you crying?”

You mistook his worried tone for a mocking one, and at this you could no longer hold back. The tears flowed unbidden, and you buried your head in your hands so you wouldn’t have to face your big brother.

To your surprise, you heard the scrape of a chair and then felt his arms encircle your small frame.

“Hey, baby it’s ok. I’m not mad, really.”

“You’re not?” You sniffed.

“No, no it’s ok, really.”

You still felt the need to explain your outburst.

“I didn’t mean it, really, I-I just,” you bit back the sob that threatened to bubble over. “I’m so tired, Dean. We keep moving around and I’m so tired of it. I don’t understand why-why we can’t just get a home.”

You felt your feet lift off the ground as Dean carried you over to your bed. He sat you down on it and knelt in front of you, his green eyes piercing.

“I know you don’t understand, and I wish I could explain in.”

“Why can’t you?” Your lip quivered.

“We’ve talked about this. You know enough already, probably too much.” Dean brushed a stray tear off your cheek, and gave you a feeble smile. “Can you trust me about this? Please?”

You nodded silently, and then-

“Dean?”

Dean hummed.

“Are we ever gonna stop?”

Dean pulled you into his arms, and his desperate hold made you wonder if he wanted to know that, too.

“I don’t know, baby,” Dean confided. “Maybe someday.” He pulled away. “But for now, you got me, Sammy, and soon dad, too. Can…can that just be enough for now.”

You smiled and pulled him back so his arms were around you once more.

“That’s enough forever.”

[dodger-chan]

Look we all have to write the steddie flirting through DnD scene don't we?

Consider this a Christmas gift if you celebrate and something to do while everything's closed if you don't.

“How touchable are my boobs in this?”

“I think I’m falling in love with Eddie.” Steve replied. He had not meant to say that. He’d been helping Robin pick out clothes for her date with Vickie that night, and the thought had just hit him. Steve tried again. “Your boobs look great. Vickie will definitely want to slip her hands under that shirt.”

“Perfect.” Robin threw herself down on her bed next to Steve. “Let's go back a few seconds. Why do you think you’re falling for Eddie?”

“I stole one of Dustin’s old DnD manuals and I’ve been looking through it to figure out how their nerd game works. I bought my own copy of Sacred Heart. And I'm trying to read The Hobbit for the third time.”

He was forty-eight pages in, the farthest he’d made it yet. He might make it through the whole book this time, now that he’d decided he could skip the songs. 

“Oh, it’s like when you studied for the SATs with Nancy!”

“Even though I’d already taken the exam. Exactly.” Steve sighed. “It’s been going on for weeks. How did I not notice until now?”

“Because you’ve spent most of your life purposefully ignoring it when you liked a guy.” Robin ruffled his hair. “Hey, at least finding him hot isn’t news, right?”

“Yay for small victories, I guess.” Steve fixed the mess Robin had made. “But what do I do about it?”

----------

A part of Steve had wanted to show up in his rattiest t-shirt and jeans, to do his best to blend in with the rest of the club. But it wasn’t like the other guys didn’t know who he was. And Steve wanted to find out if Eddie might like him, not some nerd that looked like him. So Steve wore a polo shirt and his best jeans. The only way he could have looked less like he belonged was if he’d pulled his letterman out from the back of his closet.

“Are you playing with us Harrington?” Eddie asked when Steve sat down at the table.

“Um, is that okay? Bobbie had a thing come up and she asked me to sub in for her.” Robin’s thing had been a second date with Vickie. At his house, so the girls could kiss without worrying about getting caught. Steve needing to spend four hours in the Wheeler basement gave them plenty of alone time, too. “I might need some help with the math, but Robs gave me a character sheet and some basic instructions.”

Eddie and his friends exchanged looks. Steve really hoped they weren’t going to tell him to get lost.

“Steve? You’re playing?” Dustin practically threw himself down the stairs when he saw Steve. “How did we finally convince you? Was it Robin? Where is she?”

“Robin’s busy. I’m her sub. If Munson’s cool with it?”

Faced with Dustin’s pleading eyes, Eddie didn’t stand a chance.

----------

Steve mostly kept quiet at first, observing how Eddie ran the game, what strategies the kids preferred to use. Mostly he let them make the decisions and when they were in combat he hit the biggest enemy with his morningstar until it stopped moving.

It felt kind of familiar, but way less painful.

After a little while, Steve thought he had the hang of it enough to try Robin’s plan.

“Wait a second,” he stopped Mike before they attacked the mysterious cloaked figure. “Isn’t everybody’s health kind of low?”

“We don’t have time to rest and heal, Steve.” Mike was being weirdly patient with him. “The enemy has already seen us.”

“Yeah, but I could try charming him instead of fighting. Robin said her character was supposed to be charming.” She’d had this long explanation about charisma that Steve hadn’t followed but she’d summed it up as flirt with the NPCs. “If I flirt with him, maybe he’ll let us by without a fight.”

“He’s a guy, Steve,” Dustin pointed out. “Robin’s character is also a guy.”

“Gay people exist.” One of the older Hellfire members, Steve thought his name was Gareth, spoke up. He hadn’t expected any of Eddie’s friends to help him out with this. The three of them had their eyes on Eddie.

Eddie wasn’t saying anything.

“He’s seduced at least one girl in every town we’ve passed through,” Lucas explained. “Usually two or three.”

“It’s kind of a running joke,” Will added.

“He could like both.” Steve said it with a casualness he did not feel. “Some people do.”

“Buckley’s not going to be upset you made her character a little gay?” Eddie asked him.

“Nah, she won’t mind.”

“Then roll for seduction.”

Right as he rolled, another of Eddie’s friends - Steve had missed his name during introductions - bumped into the table. The dice fell onto the floor and one rolled under the sofa.

This was apparently a catastrophe.

“We won’t be able to get the die without moving it! We’ll never know what you rolled!” Dustin whined.

“Couldn’t I just roll it again?” This was, for some reason, the worst question he could have asked, as it sparked a lecture on the sacred and inviolable nature of the dice rolls.

“Have him role play it,” Jeff suggested. Eddie shot his friend a dirty look.

Steve briefly wondered if Robin had been talking with the older members of Hellfire, but that didn’t seem likely. They wouldn’t have any reason to help him out. 

“I don’t mind.”

“If that’s what you want.” Eddie shrugged. “Show us you can be as charming as your character.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m exactly as charming as Sir Dingus des Cheveux.” Steve wasn’t sure if he should be flattered or disturbed by how much Robin’s character was based on him. Though it certainly made playing him easier. “Tell me what I see.”

“I already did. Cloaked figure, no obvious weapon.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’d notice if I was looking for a fight. Can I see his hair? His face? His eyes?”

“Um, his hood is up, so no.” Right. Eddie was going to make this difficult.

“Okay so I step forward and I stand, uh, shit. It’s hard to describe.” Steve could be just as difficult. “Can we act it out?”

“Act it out?”

“I mean the NPCs are all you, right? So if you could stand in for this guy?” A lot of flirting was physical and, for Steve, automatic. He didn’t know exactly what he was doing until he was doing it. 

“Do it, Eddie.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve always wanted to see The Hair at work.”

Eddie’s friends egged him on. Lucas nodded along with them. Dustin had grabbed a blank sheet of paper and seemed prepared to take notes. Will seemed somewhere between uncomfortable and fascinated. Only Mike looked unhappy about it, but that was just how Mike was. 

Date a guy’s sister for a year and not even saving his life could make him smile at you.

Eddie rose from his seat.

“Okay, Harrington. Charm me.”

Steve stepped forward, until he was almost close enough to touch Eddie.

“Hi,” he said, tilting his head to one side. He smiled a slightly goofy smile that he knew invited teasing. “What’s a nice boy like you doing in a dungeon like this?”

Eddie burst out laughing.

“Seriously? That’s what you’re starting with?”

“Is that you or the character laughing?” Steve asked.

“Both.”

“You have a beautiful laugh.” Steve spoke in character. Eddie stopped laughing, surprised. “I bet your face is just as lovely.”

“He pushes his hood back to reveal the face of a drow. The face is not lovely, but scarred. One particularly nasty scar on his right cheek creates the illusion of a smile. He says, You lose.”

“I don't know about that.” Steve stepped a little closer and lifted his hand. “May I?”

Eddie nodded.

Steve pushed Eddie's hair away from his face, lightly brushing Eddie's scars. Taking care that the back of his thumb caressed the most prominent one, the one that tugged down the corner of Eddie's lip and gave his smile a permanent look of irony.

“You have the most expressive eyes I've ever seen,” Steve murmured. Eddie pulled back.

Shit. That wasn't in character. Steve tried again.

“I think I won, but I wouldn’t want to contradict anyone with such enchanting eyes.” He dropped the smile but kept the teasing tone. “What do I lose?”

“Your life,” Eddie replied, but his heart clearly wasn't in it.

“You don't want to kill me.” Steve’s smile widened. He'd won this round as soon as Eddie had laughed. “If you’re having trouble thinking up a forfeit, can I suggest a kiss?”

“Okay, okay,” Eddie said with another laugh. “You have successfully seduced the drow. He does not attack your party, or summon reinforcements. Your one night stand allows for a long rest. Because the drow is a cleric of Loviatar, you only recover half your health.”

“Worth it.” He winked at Eddie before sitting back down at the table. “Sir Dingus had an excellent time. Is there a fantasy version of asking for a guy’s number? In case I have to sub in for Rob again?”

He didn’t want to saddle Robin’s character with a boyfriend when Robin had been using him to flirt with girls, but he didn’t want to leave Eddie with the impression that Steve moved on from people as quickly as Sir Dingus did.

“The life of an adventurer is hardly conducive to long term relationships.” That did not answer Steve’s question. “But, he tells you his name is Ghauntel Kenduis and should he see you again, he will remember yours.”

--------

Dungeons and Dragons was not the worst way to spend an afternoon. The combat was kind of boring, and the bickering over what the party was going to do next made Steve sympathize with the guys who’d stuffed nerds into lockers. 

Okay, DnD was not his thing at all and the only thing he really enjoyed about it was getting to flirt with Eddie.

Steve slid his hand over the scars on Eddie's neck. Slowly, carefully, he brought their lips together for a kiss.

Well, Eddie’s characters, which wasn’t exactly the same thing. And after that first time, he hadn’t had to do nearly as much roleplaying. But it was still fun.

“You kept breaking character,” Eddie commented when the game was finished for the day. 

“What do you mean?” The kids had, unsurprisingly, vanished upstairs as soon as it was time to clean up. A little more surprising was that the rest of Hellfire had also cleared out, leaving Steve and Eddie alone.

“When you would flirt. You kept losing the characters. You’ve never played before, so flirting with me instead of my NPCs would be an easy mistake to make. Or…” Eddie trailed off. “Nah, you’re just bad at the game.”

“I mean, I am. And breaking character wasn’t something I tried to do on purpose.” Steve stepped close to Eddie again. Close enough to reach out and touch him. “But I kept doing it because I wanted to flirt with you.”

“Why?” Eddie asked. “I'm a freak and kind of an asshole a lot of the time. And I’m not exactly a pretty face these days.”

“Well, it turns out that weird and passionate nerds are kinda my type.” And Steve was sick of dating girls who weren't his type. “May I?”

Wordlessly, Eddie nodded.

Again, Steve pushed Eddie's hair back, tucking it behind his ear. Eddie leaned into Steve's touch.

“You really do have the most expressive eyes. I wish you didn't feel like you have to hide them.” 

[jbbarnesdeservesmore]

Rewatching the lead up to the lawsuit is so frustrating because Bobby used his own trauma and fear over his son as an excuse to further isolate Buck.

Like Buck spent 5 months in physical therapy and the fire academy working to get recertified and then he faced one health setback and Bobby took it upon himself to decide that Buck would never be a full fire fighter again. Then when Buck got rightfully upset about that and spent a whole week alone and sulking in his apartment, no one from the 118 went to visit him.

Like Buck was upset because he thought that without working at the 118, he wouldn’t have his 118 family, and the team’s actions in that week only reaffirmed his fears. It took Hen stating it plainly for all of them to realize that Buck didn’t have anyone outside of them. And it was only after that conversation that Eddie took Chris to go visit Buck and cheer him up. Everyone except Hen wanted Buck to just suck it up and pick a new career.

I know that suing was an extreme reaction, but Bobby and the whole team (excluding Hen) completely disregarded Buck’s feelings about how much he wanted to get back to work and just decided for him that he should go on and pick something else.

[gabby297]

You Look So Pretty, Pretty Like The Sun - Chapter 10

Tommy parked the car farther up the street, on the opposite side from where Athena had pulled over, giving them a clear view of the house she had just entered. He killed the engine, leaving the two of them in silence as they waited. Buck’s eyes scanned the street, searching for anything out of place, but everything seemed still, almost too quiet.

He leaned his head against the cold window, the chill offering brief relief from the dull throb in his head. At least the sunglasses helped to keep the worst of the pain at bay.

“No sleeping,” Tommy reminded him gently, breaking the silence after a few moments.

“I’m not,” Buck mumbled, his voice low and tired. He reached out and gave Tommy’s hand a reassuring squeeze where it rested on his thigh. He wasn’t sure he could sleep even if he wanted to; the tension and worry gnawing at him were enough to keep him wide awake.

Buck sighed quietly, forcing his eyes open again, his mind still racing despite his body’s exhaustion. Beside him, Tommy shifted to stretch, his movements slow as he adjusted behind the wheel. They had been sitting there for the past half hour with no end in sight.

Out of the corner of his eye, Buck watched Tommy, a familiar pang of guilt tightening his chest. Tommy had just finished his shift before this whole mess unfolded, and though Buck couldn’t be sure how much time had passed between him grabbing the phone at the station and Tommy showing up at the hospital, he was certain the man had to be just as exhausted as he was. Maybe more.

And yet, Tommy didn’t complain. He hadn’t once brought up his own fatigue or the fact that Buck pulled him into a weird chase down the city with very little explanation. It wasn’t fair to Tommy, and Buck knew it. He hadn’t meant to make Tommy’s life harder, but somehow, it always seemed to end up that way.

Buck let out a soft breath, his hand twitching towards Tommy as if he wanted to say something, maybe apologize, but the words stuck in his throat. What could he say that would make it better?

Before Buck could find the right words, Tommy shifted lower in his seat and turned his head toward him. “I can hear you thinking from over here,” he said softly, a hint of a tired smile playing on his lips.

Buck swallowed, his gaze dropping to his hands as he fidgeted with his fingers. “I just… sorry for dragging you into this. Whatever this is.” He gestured weakly with his free hand, motioning vaguely toward the space around them, as if it could somehow explain the chaos that seemed to follow him everywhere.

It wasn’t just this night. It was everything. First, messing up their first date. The weeks where he kept messing up Tommy's coffee orders while trying to guess it rather than ask it like a normal person. Then dragging Tommy into that Bachelor party at the last minute, and Maddie’s wedding right after Tommy had spent all day fighting fires. Leaving him behind in order to check on Bobby. Then leaving him again to check on Eddie. Now this. Every time, Tommy had been there, steady and understanding, but Buck knew it wouldn't have been easy.

God, could he ever do something right? There had to be a line somewhere, a point where it all became too much. Right?

"Why are you sorry? I wasn't aware you were the mastermind behind all of this," Tommy kept his voice light as he mimicked Buck's gesture. "Knocking yourself out would have been a sloppy choice."

Buck let out a small, tired laugh despite himself, the weight on his chest lifting just a little at Tommy’s attempt to ease the tension. But underneath the humor, Buck still felt the guilt gnawing at him. "I mean… I didn’t even think to ask how you’re doing. You just came off a shift, and I dragged you into driving me all the way here."

Tommy raised an eyebrow suggestively, a smirk playing on his lips. "You do remember I have no problem throwing you around, right?" he teased. Letting go of Buck’s hand, he moved his hand to rest gently over the back of Buck’s neck, his fingers grazing lightly against the back of Buck's head. "Trust me, I'm exactly where I want to be. And for the record, I’m fine. Tired, sure, but looking forward to when Bobby wakes up and we can finally go home, order some greasy takeaway, and crash on the couch together."

"That sounds… really nice, actually," Buck admitted, a small smile tugging at his lips as he leaned slightly into Tommy’s hand. "I’ll hold you to that."

Before Tommy could respond, their moment was interrupted by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway of the house Athena had entered. Buck sat up straight, instinctively pulling off Tommy's sunglasses to get a clearer look at the driver stepping out.

"Wait, I know him," Buck muttered, more to himself than anyone else, his eyes narrowing as he tried to place the man.

Tommy glanced over, his curiosity piqued. “You do?”

"Yeah, that's Amir," Buck said, his voice low but certain. "Remember when Athena picked me up on her way to the hospital last time? When Bobby went to Jacumba. I definitely saw him at the hospital. Him and Bobby… they’ve got history.

Tommy’s brow furrowed, the tension in the car thickening. "So, Athena suspects he's behind last night's arson?"

Buck shrugged lightly, his mind racing. "I mean, it could be? I didn’t see anyone until it was too late. But if Amir’s involved… It's not a coincidence. He’s up to something, and Athena knows it."

They watched Amir grab his dry cleaning and headed in. Just as he shut the front door and disappeared into the house, Buck scrambled to undo his seatbelt, ready to follow. But Tommy's hand shot out, grabbing his arm and tugging him back.

"Ass in the seat, Evan. That was our deal," Tommy said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"She could be in danger," Buck tried to reason, his hand still hovering over the seatbelt.

Tommy’s grip tightened just slightly, his eyes locked on Buck. "She's a highly skilled sergeant, and you're a civilian who also happens to be injured and shouldn’t be here in the first place."

Buck’s jaw clenched, frustration bubbling up inside him. “I can’t just sit here, Tommy.”

Tommy didn't let go. “Being reckless won’t help her either, Buck. If anything, barging in might make the situation worse.”

Buck shook his head, the urge to jump out of the car and run after Athena still gnawing at him. He was sick of waiting, to not take action when someone he cared about could be in danger for the second time in the last 24 hours. “But what if she needs us? What if—”

Tommy cut him off. “Athena knows how to handle situations like this better than either of us. Rushing in without knowing what’s happening could end up putting her in even more danger. We need to trust her.”

“I hate this,” Buck muttered, his frustration still simmering just beneath the surface.

"You and me, both." Tommy sighed.

The screech of tires caught both of their attention as a heavy-duty pickup truck, covered in dust, made a sharp stop right outside the house. Buck couldn't do anything but watch as the doors of the truck slammed shut with a heavy thud. The truck, hulking and grimy, had its massive frame blocking any clear sight of who had exited.

It couldn't have been more than a minute before Amir emerged from the house, his hands raised in surrender. He didn’t resist, complying immediately with whoever was waiting for him. Muffled words drifted through the air, but from where they sat, Buck and Tommy couldn’t make out what was being said. Then, one of the men stepped momentarily into view.

Buck's breath caught in his throat, his pulse quickening as his eyes locked onto the unmistakable outline of a rifle, dangling loosely by the man's legs. The weapon swung casually as though it were an everyday object, but the sight of it sent a wave of cold dread through Buck.

Just as swiftly as they had arrived, the men piled back into the truck, and with a screech of tires, the vehicle tore away from the curb, disappearing down the street as fast as it had come.

“Well, shit,” Tommy muttered, shaking off the tension first, his voice the first to break the silence.

"What the hell was that?" Buck asked, his voice laced with disbelief as he looked up at Tommy.

Before Tommy could answer, a loud knock on the car window beside him, made Buck jump violently. His heart leapt into his throat as he whipped around toward the sound, adrenaline surging through him once more, every nerve on high alert.

When his eyes landed on Athena’s unimpressed face, standing just outside the car, it didn’t do much to calm his rising panic. He fumbled clumsily to roll down the window, hands shaking as he did.

"Okay, now... don't be mad," Buck forced a sheepish grin, his tone hopeful but unconvincing. This part—bracing for Athena’s stern, unimpressed stare—had become all too familiar over the years.

_________

Athena was, in fact, far from pleased, and she made sure her displeasure was crystal clear. It didn’t take long before both Buck and Tommy found themselves unceremoniously crammed into the back of her car while she drove off. Buck had insisted that they weren't going anywhere without her, and Athena had eventually given in, though not without making her irritation known. It was quite the sight: two grown men, normally full of bravado, now shrinking into their seats as Athena scolded them relentlessly.

"Come on, Athena," Buck half-whined, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of her reprimand. "What were we supposed to do? You needed backup!"

"Backup?" Athena's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, one eyebrow arched in disbelief. "You are concussed! Don't you even think, for a second, that I do not have eyes and ears everywhere." Her voice held the sharp edge of disbelief, as though the mere idea of Buck being useful in his current state was laughable.

"Barely," Buck muttered under his breath, trying to downplay it, though his hand instinctively moved to rub the sore spot on his head.

"Moderately," Tommy chimed in with an unhelpful grin. Buck shot him a mock glare, as if to say, Whose side are you on?

"And you," Athena's eyes turned to Tommy. "Don't think for a second you’re off the hook. I have no doubt only Buck here would come up with such idiocy. Yet here you are."

Tommy shifted in his seat, the weight of her disapproval pressing down on him. "Someone had to keep an eye on him," he mumbled, trying to sound casual but failing miserably under her scrutiny.

"That’s your defense?" Athena scoffed, her disbelief palpable. "You thought tagging along on his reckless stunt was somehow a smart move?"

Tommy straightened slightly, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "He was gonna go through with it no matter what. I caught him just as he was about to rush off on his own. I figured, better me there than letting him fly solo and end up in worse shape than just a concussion." He paused before adding, "And in my defense, I didn’t think it would lead to... this. I don’t even know what this is anymore."

Buck glanced nervously between the two, the tension in the air thick enough to cut. "Athena—" he started, but she silenced him with a look. The words died on his lips.

Athena’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes narrowing as she considered his words. "So instead of talking him out of it, you decided to jump headfirst with him?"

Tommy shifted again, clearly uncomfortable but not willing to back down completely. "Respectfully," he said, carefully choosing his words, "has anyone ever talked him out of anything?"

Athena’s eyes flashed, and for a moment, it seemed like her frustration might boil over, but then her lips twitched, just barely, in something resembling reluctant acknowledgment. "Fair point," she conceded, her voice softer but still firm.

"Guys, come on, I’m right here!" Buck finally interjected, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "And besides, is this really the main issue right now? Or are we just gonna ignore the part about the random men with guns?"

The random men with guns," she said, her voice dripping with a combination of sarcasm and frustration. “Are more or less Cartel, Buckaroo. So you might understand why I’m not exactly thrilled to find you two snooping around."

Oh.

"Not going to lie, I am so confused." Tommy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

With a sigh, Athena filled them in with the details that she knew about Bobby's trip to Jacumba, her suspicion about Amir being behind the attack and what he told her in his house. 

They ended up in an industrial park somewhere as the sun set, out of sight. Athena killed the engine and lights in one swift motion, plunging the car into darkness. The silence inside was palpable as she dialed 9-1-1, her focus sharp.

Without a word, the three of them surveyed the scene in front of them. They made it just in time to see at least three people bringing Amir inside. Their silhouettes were barely visible, but the outline of at least one rifle was clear as day.

Buck swallowed hard, his nerves creeping in as his gaze flicked toward Tommy. Quietly, he reached out for Tommy’s hand, and Tommy, sensing his tension, clasped it tightly, giving a reassuring squeeze.

The dispatcher’s voice came over the line. “9-1-1. What’s your emergency?”

Athena’s voice was low but steady, her professionalism cutting through. “This is off-duty Field Sergeant Athena Grant, badge number 1275. I’m at the industrial park on the 7,000 block of La Tuna Canyon Road. I have an abduction in progress.”

There was a brief pause as the dispatcher processed the information. “Can you describe the suspect or suspects, Sergeant?”

Athena’s eyes never left the figures patrolling the entry. “Three Hispanic males, mid to late 20s. The victim is a Black male, 40s. I’m requesting immediate backup.”

The reply came back quickly. “Units en route, Sergeant. ETA is approximately 14 minutes.”

A tense silence followed, broken only by the soft creaking of leather as Tommy shifted in his seat. He finally spoke, his voice low and resigned. “He doesn’t have 14 minutes, does he?”

Athena didn’t hesitate. “No, he doesn’t.” With a grim determination, she unbuckled her seatbelt, her movements deliberate and steady. “I’m going in.”

Tommy blinked, but the resolve in his eyes matched hers. “I’ll come too,” he said, his voice firm as he unlatched his seatbelt. “You never know—those army skills might actually come in handy for once.”

Buck's heart dropped into his stomach as the words sank in. Wait, what? They were seriously going in there? His pulse quickened as he moved to follow them.

But Tommy was quicker, shooting his hand out to stop him, gripping Buck’s arm tightly. “You’re staying here, Evan,” he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Buck’s eyes widened in disbelief, his voice rising in protest. “The hell I am!” He jerked his arm free, his heart pounding. “You think I’m just going to sit here while you go in there alone? Not happening.”

Tommy turned to face him fully, his expression both firm and pleading "Evan, you are injured. I don't have the time to help Athena and worry about you."

"But-" Buck started, his voice cracking, desperation creeping in.

Tommy cut him off, gripping Buck’s shoulder tightly. “Trust me, okay?” His voice was softer now, but no less resolute. “We need someone out here. And I need to know you’re safe. Please.”

Buck’s breath hitched, a whirlwind of frustration, fear, and helplessness battling inside him. His instincts screamed to go after them, to not just sit and watch, but the look in Tommy’s eyes made him pause. He hated this. Every fiber of his being rebelled against staying behind. Reluctantly, he gave a small nod, even though it felt like a betrayal to himself.

Tommy gave Buck’s shoulder a final squeeze, then stepped out with Athena. He sat there, jaw tight, hands gripping the edge of the seat until his knuckles whitened and watched them silently sneak inside.

______

For what it was worth, Buck lasted a grand total of five minutes in the car before his resolve crumbled. He muttered a frustrated "screw it" under his breath, throwing caution aside as he quietly slipped out of the car.

Best case scenario, he’d just sneak up, make sure they were okay, and then sneak right back without them ever knowing. Worst case scenario? Well, he'd have their backs and help. It was a win-win scenario in his eyes.

Entering the warehouse turned out to be easier than Buck imagined. All he had to do was stick to the shadows and not make noise. The building was old, with rusted steel beams, stacks of forgotten crates and metal shelving racks, offering plenty of cover. Voices echoed throughout the warehouse, at times getting louder. He consciously slowed his breathing, forcing himself to inhale and exhale as quietly as possible. Any sound, even a misplaced breath, might alert the wrong person. He couldn’t afford to be reckless now—not when Athena and Tommy were out here somewhere in the dark, too.

Buck moved forward, one step at a time, nerves on edge. He finally spotted Athena and Tommy further up ahead, seeming to quietly gesturing to form a plan. Buck paused, staying just out of sight, his heart pounding as he watched them. His instincts screamed to join them, to help, but he waited, watching what they were about to do. They were grabbing brightly red containers out of the shelves.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, something moved—a shadow flickered, barely perceptible but enough to catch his attention. His heart skipped a beat. A moment later, the faint shuffling of feet reached his ears, sending a spike of adrenaline through his veins.

Someone else was there. And they were coming closer.

Buck’s heart hammered in his chest as he glanced back at Athena and Tommy, hoping to see some sign that they’d noticed. But to his terror, they hadn’t. They were still focused on the red containers, oblivious to the approaching danger. His mind raced—there was no way he could alert them without exposing himself and drawing attention

The figure came closer, too close, and Buck's pulse spiked.

The man didn’t notice him, his focus elsewhere as he headed toward Athena and Tommy’s position. Buck’s breath hitched as he instinctively pressed himself further into the shadows.

He held his breath, willing himself to be invisible as the figure passed by, mere feet from where he was hiding Buck’s heart pounded in his ears, and for a split second, he was sure he’d be discovered. But by some miracle, the man didn’t turn. Instead, he walked past, exposing his back and giving Buck the perfect opportunity.

Instinct took over like a raging storm. Pure adrenaline surged through Buck's veins, and before his mind could catch up, his body moved. In a blur of motion, he launched himself from the shadows, muscles tense with raw energy. His hand shot out, clamping tightly over the man’s mouth before a full shout could escape. But a muffled cry did manage to break through, sending a jolt of panic through Buck.

He tightened his grip even further, his other arm locking around the man's torso, wrestling him back into the shadows. Buck didn’t dare glance around to see if anyone had heard. He couldn’t afford to. His focus was singular—disarm the target before anything else happened.

The man struggled, squirming violently, his breath coming in sharp, panicked bursts against Buck’s palm. Buck’s pulse hammered in his ears, but he held firm, shifting his weight to keep the upper hand.

It had been years—more than a decade—since he had trained for the Navy SEALs. He hadn't trained since then. That brief, grueling chapter in his life had faded into the background, buried beneath years of a career and life choices that led him away from the violence he had once trained for. He hadn’t kept up with the training, and hadn't wanted to. The thought of what that kind of training could lead to had unsettled him for too long. Over time, the exact stances and maneuvers had slipped from his conscious mind, filed away as distant memories. They were replaced by a different life, a different kind of service. The kind where he saved lives, not taking them if he ever completed the training.

Yet, in that moment, his body remembered. Muscle memory kicked in, the countless hours of drills and hand-to-hand combat training surging back to life. He didn’t have to think—his body knew exactly how to shift his weight, how to leverage his position for control—it all happened seamlessly, almost out of his conscious reach.

On autopilot, in a few seconds that blurred into one continuous motion, Buck had disarmed the man with ease. His grip on the man tightened just long enough for Buck to bring the butt of the gun down in one swift, controlled strike. The man crumpled to the floor, unconscious, his struggles ceasing as silence settled back into the air around them.

The rifle now sat heavy in Buck's hands, the cool metal against his skin feeling foreign, uncomfortable. His eyes flickered down to it, heart still pounding, as he stared at the weapon. He hadn’t held a gun like this in years, the weight of it felt wrong. For a moment, Buck stood there, gripping the rifle with steady hand.

But there was no time to reminisce. Buck snapped out of it, forcing himself to refocus on the present. He looked up, his breath still unsteady, and locked eyes with Athena and Tommy. Both stood frozen, their faces a mix of shock. Athena’s sharp gaze flicked from the unconscious man on the floor to the rifle in Buck’s hands, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words came out. Tommy’s expression, however, was different—no less stunned, but there was something in his eyes. A flicker of recognition. His brow furrowed, like he was trying to fit together the missing piece of a puzzle.

But before any of them could say another word, the sharp scrape of a chair echoed through the warehouse, snapping their attention back to the situation at hand.

The commotion from the center of the warehouse was escalating, voices rising. It was clear things were about to spiral out of control, and fast. Buck’s heart raced as he exchanged a quick glance with Athena, her eyes already scanning the room. They were running out of time.

Without hesitation, Athena made a bold decision. She shoved one of the nearby shelving racks with all her strength, sending the items on it crashing to the floor in a loud, chaotic clatter. The noise reverberated through the warehouse, instantly drawing everyone's attention away from Amir and onto the disturbance. As the clatter echoed, Buck caught a faint whiff of gasoline in the air.

The shadows played to their advantage, concealing them from view as the cartel members turned, weapons raised, to investigate. Tommy didn’t waste a second—he grabbed Buck’s arm and dragged him into another hiding spot, the sudden movement almost causing Buck to fumble the rifle in his grip. But Buck held on, his pulse racing as he steadied himself, watching the men fan out.

Athena, ever the strategist, seized the opportunity, slipping deeper into the shadows and out of sight. Their luck held as the two cartel goons separated, each moving in a different direction to cover more ground. It was a split-second opening, and they all knew it.

Without a word, they moved. Silent. Precise.

Moments later, Athena and Tommy were both in position, creeping up behind the two cartel men. In perfect synchrony, they struck—Athena wrapping her arm around her target’s neck, the cold steel of her gun pressed to his temple, while Tommy swiftly locked the other in a chokehold. The men struggled briefly, but it was futile. They had lost control of the situation.

Emerging from the shadows, Athena and Tommy dragged the subdued men into view, their guns firmly in place. They stepped into the dim light, approaching where an older man stood towering over Amir. The tension in the air was palpable as the older man glanced from Amir to Athena, his eyes narrowing as he realized what was happening.

Buck moved into position, his heart pounding, adrenaline coursing through him as he aimed the rifle squarely at the older man. His finger hovered near the trigger, ready for any sudden movement. His eyes darted briefly to the remaining men in the warehouse, sizing them up, assessing whether they posed an immediate threat.

"Who the hell are you?" The man walked a few steps towards them, with a glint of surprise in his eyes. He clearly hadn’t expected this—an ambush from the shadows, his men subdued, and strangers holding him at gunpoint.

"I'm Mrs. Bobby Nash." Athena declared, her voice steady and cold, In one swift motion, she flicked open a metal lighter, the small flame casting an eerie glow across her face for just a second before she tossed it to the ground.

For a second time in less than 24 hours Buck found himself in the middle of a fire.

The moment the flame hit the gasoline-soaked floor, chaos erupted. A roaring whoosh filled the air as the fire ignited, spreading with terrifying speed. Flames instantly tore through the warehouse, licking up the walls and engulfing everything in their path.

The room exploded in shouts as Athena and Tommy threw the men they held to the floor, the cartel stumbled to get out and smoke filled the room.

“Evan!” Tommy’s voice cut through the roaring fire and the chaos of panicked voices. His eyes locked on Buck, urgency flashing across his face. Without thinking, Tommy lunged forward, shoving Buck toward the exit.

The force of the motion sent Buck stumbling, his grip slipping, and the rifle flew from his hands, clattering somewhere out of sight as flames danced around them. Buck barely had a moment to register it before he felt Tommy’s hand gripping him tightly, yanking him away as a beam fell down behind them.

“Move!” Tommy barked, pulling Buck with him as they barreled toward the exit, the inferno raging behind them. Buck had no idea where Athena or Amir ended up in the commotion.

Flashing lights greeted them as they burst out of the warehouse, the cool night air hitting Buck like a shock after the oppressive heat of the fire. He stumbled forward, gasping for breath. The sound of roaring flames behind them was drowned out by the blaring sirens of fire trucks and the chaotic shouts of emergency responders.

A firefighter grabbed Buck by the arm, gently but firmly, trying to guide him further from the warehouse. Buck instinctively resisted, shaking off the touch, his mind still struggling to catch up with everything that had just happened. His grip tightened around Tommy's arm, panic bubbling just beneath the surface, as though if he let go, he would disappear.

“Hey, hey, Evan, I’m right here!” Tommy’s voice cut through the haze, “Look at me. I’m right here.”

Buck blinked, his breath still ragged as he met Tommy’s gaze. Buck nodded weakly and Tommy turned to the firefighter.

“Off duty, Kinard with the 217,” he explained quickly, "My partner here—Evan Buckley, off-duty firefighter with the 118—he needs to be checked out. He recently sustained a moderate concussion.”

“We’ll get him checked out immediately,” the firefighter responded , signaling over to the paramedics.

Buck tried to shake his head, still clinging to a need to push through, to stay on his feet. But Tommy’s hand on him tightened, steady and firm. “Evan, it’s okay,” he said softly, “Let them take care of you. Everything is okay."

“Athena—” Buck protested, his eyes darting back to the fire raging behind them.

Just then, the warehouse doors burst open with a loud slam. Athena emerged, guiding Amir out with her, both of them alive and unharmed. The sight of them made Buck’s breath hitch, relief flooding through him as his knees wobbled, weak for a moment under the weight of the tension draining from his body.

Tommy was there in an instant, his arm wrapping around Buck effortlessly, taking some of his weight as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Buck leaned into him for just a second, exhaling a long breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“See, baby? They’re fine,” Tommy murmured, pressing a soft kiss to Buck’s cheek. “Come on, let’s get you checked out.”

“I’m fine,” Buck sighed, still trying to brush it off, though the exhaustion was beginning to weigh on him.

“Humor me then,” Tommy replied with a small smile, his arm still firmly around Buck.

Buck muttered a quiet, defeated "fine," knowing there was no point in arguing. He let Tommy take the lead, as they moved toward one of the parked ambulances.

Tommy stayed right beside him as the paramedics assessed him. Buck sat there, half-listening as they checked his vitals, asked questions, and went through the motions. But for the most part, he zoned them out, choosing to focus on Tommy's warm hand resting on his shoulder. Without thinking, Buck reached up and placed his hand over Tommy’s, squeezing it gently. He tilted his head to meet Tommy’s eyes, offering a tired but genuine smile.

“Just keep an eye on him. Check on him every few hours for the next 24 hours to be safe.” he paramedics instructed Tommy before nodding and leaving them alone.

Tommy watched them go, then sat down on the bumper beside Buck, his hand slipping from Buck’s shoulder to take Buck's hand and bring it to his own lap, holding it gently. He gave Buck’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Hear that? Plenty of rest, doctor's orders,” he teased.

Buck let out a tired chuckle. “God, I could sleep for a week,” he mumbled, the exhaustion clear in his voice as he leaned over, resting his head on Tommy’s shoulder.

“Deal,” Tommy chuckled softly, his tone light but laced with affection. He planted a tender kiss on top of Buck’s head, lingering just a moment longer than usual.

Eventually, the soft crunch of footsteps drew their attention. Athena approached, her arms crossed and a knowing smile tugging at her lips as she took in the sight of them together.

“Well, don’t you two look cozy,” she teased, her voice light and playful.

Tommy glanced up at her with a small shrug, a smirk tugging at his mouth. “It’s been a long day,” he replied with mock casualness, as though the chaos of the last day was nothing more than a mild inconvenience

Buck gave a tired chuckle, not even bothering to move. “Understatement of the year,” he mumbled.

As the moment settled, another police officer approached. He smiled at Athena as he held out a phone. “There’s someone who’d like to speak with you.”

Athena raised an eyebrow, taking the phone cautiously. “This is Athena Grant,” she answered, her voice firm but curious as she held the phone to her ear.

Buck watched closely, noting how her expression remained carefully neutral as she listened. Whatever was being said, Athena wasn’t giving anything away, her focus entirely on the voice on the other end. The call was brief, and when she finally hung up, she took a quiet moment to glance down at the phone in her hands, as if processing the news she’d just received.

When she looked up, her face had transformed. A wide, relieved smile spread across her lips and she spoke the words that made Buck’s heart skip, possibly the best words he could’ve ever heard.

"Bobby's awake."

_________

The journey back to the hospital was uneventful. They had ended up quite far from the hospital, and somewhere along the drive, Buck managed to doze off, despite being cramped in the back seat. The rhythm of the car had lulled him into a light sleep, his head resting comfortably against Tommy’s shoulder.

He jerked awake when the car pulled into the hospital parking lot, blinking groggily as he lifted his head questioningly. Tommy gave him a light smile, his arm still resting around Buck as if he hadn’t moved the whole ride.

“How are you feeling?” Tommy asked softly as Athena killed the engine.

"Hmm, better," Buck mumbled, rubbing his eyes. His head wasn’t pounding anymore, which was a relief, but the bone-deep exhaustion still lingered. "Athena, you go. We’ll catch up.”

With a nod, Athena didn’t wait any longer. SSe passed the car keys to Tommy and slipped out of the car, heading inside with a determined stride.

Buck sighed and pushed open the car door, stepping out into the cool night air. He stood for a moment, stretching his arms above his head, feeling the satisfying pull of his muscles as he tried to shake off the stiffness from the cramped ride. Tommy joined him, and together they took their time heading inside. There was no rush now, not with Bobby awake. When the doors slid open to Bobby’s floor, they stepped out, walking slowly toward the room.

As they neared, they noticed everyone standing on the outskirts of Bobby’s room. Athena was inside, seated beside Bobby, holding his hand, the two of them locked in a private moment. Chimney and Eddie turned as Buck and Tommy caught up with them.

“Where the hell have you two been?” Chimney asked, his tone playful but edged with curiosity as he turned to face them. Tommy clapped Chimney’s shoulder in greeting, flashing him a tired but warm smile. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

Eddie gave Buck a nod, his expression softer. “Everything okay?” he asked.

Buck smiled, the exhaustion still clinging to him but his heart lighter now. “Yeah, everything’s good,” he said, glancing into the room where Bobby lay, his voice filled with quiet gratitude. “Better now.”

Tommy stretched his arms above his head and reached for his phone. “Speaking of better, I need to go grab my car,” he said, scrolling through his phone to check the time.

Eddie perked up. “Want a lift?” he asked. “I could use stretching my legs, and it’ll definitely be cheaper than Uber.”

Tommy chuckled, clearly appreciating the offer. “Sure, man. If it’s not too much trouble.”

Eddie waved him off with a grin. “No trouble at all. I’ve been cooped up here for too long anyway,” he said, already moving to grab his jacket.

Chimney leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching the exchange with a smile. “You two have fun. Don’t get lost on the way back," he teased.

Tommy laughed and gave Chimney a mock salute. “No promises,” he joked. He then turned to Buck, squeezing his shoulder. “You gonna be alright here?”

Buck nodded, giving Tommy a grateful smile. “Yeah, go. I’ll be fine,” he reassured him. “Thanks, Tommy.”

“I'll be back soon,” Tommy said softly. Leaning in, he placed a quick peck on Buck’s lips, before following Eddie as they headed toward the exit.

Buck watched them go with a smile, warmth settling in his chest. But as he turned back, his eyes caught Chimney leaning against the wall with a smug smirk plastered on his face. Without missing a beat, Buck rolled his eyes and playfully muttered, “Shut up.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, the thought of entering the hospital room didn’t fill Buck with dread. Bobby was awake, the order had been restored.

As Buck stepped inside, it felt almost surreal. His gaze lifted, and there, sitting up in the hospital bed, was Bobby—awake and smiling. It was like waking up from a long, heavy dream, one that had weighed on his chest.

For a moment, Buck just stood there, taking it in. The room felt brighter somehow, as though all the dark clouds they’d been living under had finally lifted. Their eyes met, and Buck couldn’t help but grin, the relief washing over him in waves. Bobby’s eyes crinkled at the edges, his smile just as warm and familiar as ever. It was like a weight had been lifted from Buck’s chest.

Athena, seated at the edge of Bobby’s bed, glanced over at Buck and waved him inside, her own smile soft and inviting. “There he is,” she said.

Buck stepped forward, his grin widening as he approached. “Hey, Bobby,”

Bobby smiled back, his eyes full of warmth and affection. “Hey, kid,” he said softly, his voice a little weaker than usual, but Buck would take that anyday over not hearing it.

That was all it took for Buck to close the remaining space between them. Without hesitation, he leaned over and wrapped his arms around Bobby, pulling him in probably too tight hug.

Bobby chuckled softly, patting Buck on the back. “Easy, kid,” he murmured, his voice still soft but full of warmth. Despite his words, Bobby’s own arms tightened slightly around Buck, as if he, too, needed this moment

________

By the time Tommy returned, the room had quieted. Most of the 118 had already left, each departing with promises to return later. Now, it was just Bobby, Athena, and Buck, who was lounging comfortably in one of the chairs by the bed, his legs stretched out on the corner of the bed.

A soft series of knocks interrupted their conversation, and Buck turned to see Tommy entering the room. He walked up to where Buck was lounging and offered a smile.

"Good to see you, Captain Nash," Tommy greeted, extending his hand as he approached Bobby.

Bobby smiled warmly, shaking Tommy’s hand with a relaxed ease. “Tommy, please, it’s just Bobby now,” he replied with a gentle chuckle.

Tommy nodded, his grin widening. “Alright, Bobby. Good to see you up and about,” he said. He glanced at Buck, who was still lounging comfortably in his chair, and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Buck gave Tommy a lazy grin, shifting slightly but not moving from his spot. “Took your time, huh?” he teased lightly.

Tommy just shook his head with a smirk. “Had to make sure your car was still in one piece. Did I miss anything?” he asked, his tone warm as he glanced back at Bobby and Athena, both of whom were watching the interaction with soft smiles.

Athena chuckled softly. “Just Buck here pretending he’s not ready to pass out,” she teased, raising an eyebrow at Buck’s slouched form.

Buck rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at his lips. “I’m perfectly fine,” he muttered, though the comfortable sprawl in the chair told a different story.

Tommy laughed and shook his head. “Yeah, sure you are." he teased, giving Buck a knowing look.

“Anyway, as I was asking…” Buck waved them off, the tone of his voice growing more serious. “What’s going to happen next? With the station, I mean?”

“The station has well-established contingency plans for emergencies like this,” Bobby explained “In situations where a station is damaged, we rely on neighboring stations to step in. One of them will share their space with us, depending on their capacity, until the damage at 118 is assessed and restored."

At least he would still have his job.

"The police will be taking statements later on," Athena added, looking at Buck.

“Me?” Buck asked, surprised. “I didn’t see anything. I went to the locker room to grab my phone, and the next thing I know, Bobby was grabbing me to get out. That’s not much of a statement.”

Locker room?” Bobby frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“Yeah,” Buck replied, his own expression puzzled.

But Bobby shook his head gently, his expression serious. “You were in the storage room when I pulled you out.”

Buck felt a chill run through him. His memory of that moment was hazy, but hearing Bobby’s words, it didn’t add up. He hadn’t gone to the storage room—why would he?

Tommy's grip on his shoulder tightened. "Bobby, what are you not saying?"

Bobby hesitated, his gaze flicking between Buck and Tommy, clearly weighing his words. “When I found you,” he began carefully, “it looked like the fire had started near the storage room.”

Buck’s stomach dropped, a sinking feeling settling deep inside him. “Wait… you’re saying the fire started in the storage room?” he asked, his voice quieter now, almost uncertain.

Bobby nodded slowly, his expression grim. “At least part of it. There was a blaze in the loading bay too, but realistically, it wouldn’t have had the time to spread to the storage room so quickly. I didn’t even know you were in the station until Anderson brought it to my attention."

The room fell into silence.

Buck tried to wrap his head around it. HHad someone really dragged him into the storage room and set a fire? The thought was jarring, surreal. It would mean that if Bobby hadn’t found him in time, he would have suffocated or burned alive. It didn’t feel real.

“Oh,” was all Buck managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.

He glanced up, his eyes landing on Tommy. Tommy wasn’t looking at him, though—he was staring off at some distant spot in the room, his jaw clenched tight, the tension in his body making him look unnervingly rigid. His usual calm, steady demeanor had vanished, replaced by something darker, something Buck wasn’t used to seeing in him. It didn’t look right.

Buck reached out and clasped his hand, wanting to fix it. Tommy blinked, his gaze snapping back to Buck. He softened, just a fraction, but the storm still brewed behind his eyes. He squeezed his hand in response.

Before either of them could speak, a soft series of knocks interrupted the silence, drawing their attention to the doorway. May and Harry appeared, their presence a welcome break from the heavy atmosphere.

“Hey,” May said gently, offering a small smile as she stepped inside with Harry. Her eyes scanned the room, catching on the look etched in everyone’s faces. “Is it a bad time?”

“Not at all, sweetheart,” Athena replied with a smile, waving them in. With May and Harry’s arrival, the mood in the room lightened just a bit, the tension giving way to something softer as everyone exchanged hellos. Tommy, introduced himself quickly, and the conversation soon flowed into lighter topics

After some time, Tommy leaned over, his voice gentle as he spoke quietly by Buck’s ear. “Ready to go home?”

He nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Yeah,” he murmured. “I think I am.”

________

Buck couldn't have been happier to see the driveway to Tommy's house. As the car rolled to a stop, Buck exhaled slowly, the tension in his body easing. It felt like forever since he last saw it.

Tommy glanced over, giving Buck a small, reassuring smile. “Home sweet home,” he said softly, turning off the engine.

As they approached the door, Tommy unlocked it with a fluid motion, pushing it open to let them inside. Buck followed Tommy in, closing the door behind them. The familiar scent of Tommy’s home wrapped around him, grounding him in a way that words couldn’t describe.

For a moment, Buck stood there, just soaking in the peace of it all. No alarms, no fires. Just the quiet hum of the house, and Tommy right beside him.

"You hungry? We could order something in, some place is probably still open." Tommy asked, watching him.

Buck shook his head slowly, his fingers reaching up to grab the lapels of his jacket, tugging at them absentmindedly. “Just bed,” he murmured, giving him a small smile. “Please?”

Tommy’s expression softened immediately, He nodded, stepping closer, his hand resting lightly on Buck’s arm. “Yeah,” he said quietly, his tone filled with reassurance. “Let’s get to bed.”

Without another word, Tommy guided Buck toward the bedroom, his arm resting around him. . It took only moments for them to strip out of their clothes, tossing them aside carelessly, the thought of a shower long forgotten—something to worry about tomorrow. The bed was waiting, warm and inviting, and when they fell into it, Buck let out a satisfying moan. HHe shifted further, moving instinctively until he was plastered against Tommy, his head resting on the man’s chest. The steady rhythm of Tommy’s heartbeat surrounded him.

Tommy’s arm wrapped around Buck, pulling him even closer.

After a moment, Tommy’s voice broke the silence, soft and gentle. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked quietly, his words barely above a whisper.

“About?” Buck mumbled, his voice heavy with exhaustion, though he already knew what Tommy meant.

“Anything,” Tommy responded, but there was more behind his words. Buck didn’t need to hear it all—he understood the unspoken meaning, the way Tommy was offering him a chance to let it all out if he wanted to.

“Tomorrow?” he finally whispered, his voice soft but sure, settling on the promise of another day to face the harder conversations.

Tommy’s grip tightened just slightly, a silent acknowledgment of Buck’s choice. “Tomorrow,” he agreed, his voice filled with understanding.

The silence returned and the last thing Buck felt threading through his hair before he finally surrendered to sleep.

[sadboi-writer]

Dear Jack (Series)

Chapter Six: Road to Wasabi

Summary: Jack doesn't have a present for Rudy's birthday, so he lies and says Bobby Wasabi is coming to visit. Rudy insults Bobby, which gets him fired. Now the kids have to break and enter to get Rudy's job back. Throw in some ninjas and good-old fashion movie plot.

Word Count: 4.2K

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, cursing

Masterlist ~ Chapter Five ~ Chapter Seven

Y/N felt like pulling out their hair. Everything had to be perfect, they had spent months planning this for Rudy. From decorations and food, to the guest list. This surprise party had to be perfect.

It already wasn't going well. The balloons were the wrong color, Jerry had picked up the wrong chips, and Jack was nowhere to be found.

Kim insisted Y/N go into the locker room to cool down. Because they were just running themself up the wall worrying like they were. After about ten minutes Kim sent Jerry to keep Y/N company since he was getting on her nerves.

Nearly an hour and half after he was supposed to be there, Jack finally strolled in.

"You're late," Kim grumbled

Jack quirked a brow, "For what?"

"Rudy's surprise birthday party, remember?" Eddie asked, "Y/N's been planning it forever. They've been freaking out since we got here."

"I thought Rudy knew about it?" Jack asked

"He does," Eddie confirmed, "He went over the details with Y/N two weeks ago when he found out."

"Shh, he's coming!" Rudy's own voice rang out

Rudy reached in and flicked out the lights. Before strolling and turning them on, as if he hadn't just turned them off.

"Surprise." The group said with no enthusiasm

Rudy placed a hand on his chest dramatically, "How did you know it was my birthday? Are you guys trying to kill me?"

He put on a cake hat.

"You better not have brought gifts!" He said, obviously expecting gifts, "But, if you did, now would be the time to load me up!"

Jack frantically chased after Milton, "Hey man, I don't have anything, can I get in on your gift?"

Milton shook his head, "Absolutely not! I put a lot of time, effort, and money into this thing!"

Milton handed the neatly wrapped gift to Rudy.

"This is from Jerry, Eddie, and Me." Milton told him

Rudy ripped it open, " Oh! Joke-a-day toilet paper! Get out! My cousin had this at his house. I literally laughed myself off the bowl! Thanks you guys!... Now, I don't want to turn this whole gift thing into a competition, but Kim, it's time to Top That Gift!"

Jack ran after her, "Kim, do you think I could get in on your--"

"Forget it, Jack," Kim cut him off, "I've got a winner right here. Just go ask your girlfriend."

Jack stood dumbfounded, fully realizing Y/N wasn't there for the first time.

"Unlike some people, I actually put a lot of thought into my gift. I hope you like it, Rudy." Kim said

Rudy ripped open the wrapping paper and gasped, "A signed picture of Bobby Wasabi? My hero, my idol, the man I patterned my life after? 'To whom it my concern, Bobby Wasabi'. That's me, I'm whom. I'm concerned! All right, Jack. Rock. My. World."

The group joined Rudy in crowding around Jack. Kim had a smug smirk on her face.

"Yeah, Jack,"Kim teased, "I'm sure Rudy saved the best for last."

Jack inhaled, trying to think quickly, "Well, you know, I was thinking... you know, everyone knows how much you love Bobby Wasabi. And I asked myself what could be better than a picture, right?"

"Only the man himself!" Rudy chimed, "Wait, wait, wait a minute. Are you saying what I think you're saying? You found a way to get Bobby Wasabi to come down here so I could meet him?"

"Yeah," Jack nodded hesitantly

Rudy bounced on his feet in excitement, "Wait, the founder of this dojo, an international movie star, someone who hasn't been seen in public in 20 years is coming to see me? I can't believe it!"

"None of us can believe it, Jack," Kim challenged

Milton spun around blindfolded with the piñata stick.

"Let's get this party started!" Milton cheered

His swings got out of control and he started moving sporadically around the dojo. Just as Y/N exited the locker room, now much calmer, and carrying a wrapped gift. Milton hit them with the stick and promptly tripped over them.

Once everyone had gotten Milton off of Y/N they each took their leave. Y/N was left alone with just Jack and Rudy. Y/N sat next to Rudy on the bench, handing him the wrapped box.

"What's this?" Rudy asked, genuinely surprised

"Your present,"Y/N explained," It's from Jack and I."

Jack's eyebrows shot up as Rudy looked between the two.

"Jack got me two gifts? That's so nice of him," Rudy said as he started to tear into the wrapping paper, "Seven tickets to the Light it Up Cinema?"

Y/N shrugged, "We rented out a theater for all day Saturday, we're having a Bobby Wasabi movie party!"

Rudy gave Y/N a quick hug before going and giving Jack one too.

"Best birthday, ever!" Rudy cheered as he went to his office

Jack looked at Y/N, "I didn't know you included me in your gift."

"Yeah, Kim said you'd forget so I just put your name on the card," They joked, "I didn't know you got him your own, I didn't mean to step on your toes there."

Jack shook his head, " I didn't. I panicked and told him Bobby Wasabi was coming to meet him."

"Jack, you didn't!" Y/N insisted

"I did!" He lamented

"Bobby Wasabi hasn't been seen in years, he'll never agree to come meet Rudy!"

Jack sighed, "I know!"

Y/N stood, "Let me brainstorm, we'll figure something out."

Y/N grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before leaving the dojo.

The next day at school Kim was still making fun of Jack for his lie.

"I cannot believe you told Rudy that Bobby Wasabi was coming." She teased

"I couldn't believe it either! Words just kept exploding out of me!" He replied, "It's like I had a case of liarrhea!"

"He's never gonna show, Jack." Kim continued, "And Rudy's gonna be crushed!"

"Bobby could show! I mean, my grandfather was his sensei! I found his number and left him a message. It was Y/N 's idea."

Kim frowned, "This could be bad. Remember how disappointed Rudy was when he lost the Name-the-Baby-Panda contest at the zoo?"

Jack shook his head at the memory, "Oh, I know. He put on his crying boots. I know what I said was wrong. But, I mean, who's crazy enough to believe that Bobby Wasabi is actually coming to our dojo?"

Of course, as he said it Jerry, Milton, and Eddie came running down the stairs.

"I can't believe Bobby Wasabi is actually coming to our dojo!" Jerry hollered

Y/N trailed down behind them, an amused smirk on their face.

Jerry hopped down the last couple steps, "Look, Jack! Bro, since Bobby's coming for Rudy's birthday, we've decided to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"We spent the whole night in Jerry's garage writing his comeback movie!" Eddie proudly showed off the script they had written

Jack glanced at Y/N, seeing the dark circle beneath their eyes. Of course Jerry had talked Y/N into helping them. Y/N gave Jack a tired smile and a small wave.

Kim took Jack by the shoulder and walked him a few paces away from the group.

"Wow, you hear all that, Jack?" She asked, "Our friends spent all night in a garage writing a comeback movie for Bobby Wasabi."

"What's bad about that?" Jack replied, "What if they wrote a really great movie?"

Milton chuckled, "Oh, It's better than great! It's epic! Bobby Wasabi is the biggest martial arts action star in history."

"An absolute hero!" Y/N chimed in

"But now he'll battle with the most diabolical force he's ever faced!" Eddie continued

"It's half piranha, half octopus!" Milton built up

"It's PIRANHAPUS!" The boys cheered together

"Eight arms!" Jerry demonstrated

"Nine mouths!" He continued

The four gnawed at the air.

"And one bad attitude!"

Jerry, Eddie, Milton, and Y/N lined up in a clearly rehearsed version of their ideal of Piranhapus. Flailing their arms and gnashing their teeth. All while Kim and Jack stared on.

After school, Eddie, Milton, Jerry, and Y/N sat together staring at the waste of money before them.

"We paid your cousin 50 bucks to make a model of Piranhapus,"Eddie grumbled, "And this is what we get?"

The model was a basketball with hose arms. It looked like shit to be completely frank. Y/N put their head in their hands, a headache forming over the boys bickering.

"You should be happy he gave us a deal." Jerry insisted, "I mean he took our vision and brought it to life!"

Y/N shook their head, "My little brother could have made this, Jerry!"

"Isn't he 4?"

"Exactly!" They snapped back

Eddie placed a hand on Y/N's shoulder, "Dude, we can't show this thing to Bobby Wasabi. It's a joke!"

"No, you know what's a joke?" Jerry snapped,"That tacky ending you wrote. Bro, you ruined our movie!"

"My ending is perfect!" Eddie defended, "No one could even see it coming!"

"Of course they can't see it coming!" Milton finally spoke, "How does a walrus operate a hang glider?"

"Guys, come on-" Y/N tried to intervene

"You know what? Well, here's what we think of your ending!" Jerry interrupted

He ripped out the last page of the script and ripped it into tiny pieces, throwing it across the table. It landed on Y/N's lap and a little bit in their hair. But, Y/N was more focused on the boys fighting in front of them.

Eddie stood, "That's it!"

Eddie lunged at Jerry and started smacking him. Milton jumped on Eddie's back and the three continued to fight as Y/N tried to pull them off of each other.

"Guys, stop it!" Y/N shouted, "Come on! This was supposed to be fun!"

Jack and Kim entered the food court and saw their friends fighting. Jack ran to them.

"Hey, guys, what are you doing?" He shouted, "Stop! Get away! Come on!"

He gently pulled Y/N back before roughly grabbing one of Eddie's shoulders as Kim grabbed the other. Once they were separated, Kim went to check on Y/N.

"What is going on?" Jack asked

"This Bobby Wasabi movie is tearing us apart!" Milton answered

Milton plopped down in a chair next to Y/N, allowing them to lay their head on his shoulder. Kim pushed Jack to the side.

"Jack this is crazy!" Kim whispered harshly, "Just tell them the truth.'

Jack sighed, "You're right."

He slowly approached his friends.

"Guys, you remember how I said that Bobby Wasabi was coming to our dojo?" Jack began

"Yeah," They answered in unison

"Well," Jack continued, "The truth is...-"

Before Jack could finish a man walked by and took one of Jerry;s falafels. Jerry stood angrily, pointing his fork.

"Hey, beef meats!" Jerry called, " Who do you think you are?"

The man turned around, flicking his hair out of his face. Y/N was on their feet in a second.

"Holy mackerel," Y/N whispered, "That's-"

"I am," The man said, throwing the falafel onto Jerry's fork," Bobby Wasabi."

Bobby turned and entered the dojo.

"Woah," The all awed

Y/N was quick to run inside after him. Y/N watched as Rudy left his office. Rudy looked in confusion at Bobby staring at their trophies.

"Uh, sorry ma'am, we're closed." Rudy said politely beginning to approach, "If you're looking for the Large and Loving It Dress shop, it's on the other side of the mall!"

Bobby turned to Rudy, "What was that?"

Finally, Jack and the rest of them sprinted inside.

"Rudy! Rudy!" Jack shouted, "Your birthday presents' here!"

Jack pointed at Bobby.

"It's Bobby Wasabi!"

"Yeah!" Jerry corroborated

"You wanna know why he's here?" Jack gloated, " Because when I say I can deliver, what happens? Oh, that's right, I deliver!"

Y/N chuckled anxiously at Jack's display.

Rudy laughed, "That's a great joke! You hire some big betty to squeeze into a dress and then wobble in here saying he's Bobby Wasabi! It's hilarious!"

Y/N sucked in a gasp, "No, Rudy, really-"

Bobby cut them off, "You don't think that I am Bobby Wasabi?"

He stood beside a cardboard cutout of himself. In all fairness to Rudy he did look quite different. Rudy gave him an unimpressed look.

"No ma'am or sir, I do not." Rudy agreed

Y/N barked out a chuckle. Bobby Wasabi and Jack shot them a look.

Bobby approached Rudy, "That is it!"

He began screeching and attacked Rudy. Rudy easily beat him, flipping him like it was nothing onto the mat.

The whole group was cringing. Y/N warily approached Bobby, offering him a hand up as Kim and Milton ran to do the same. Jack ran to Rudy.

"Rudy, this is no joke!" He insisted, "That really is Bobby Wasabi!"

Rudy finally seemed to believe Jack.

"Oh," He exhaled, stood next to Bobby, "Oh. OH!"

"Oh, Bobby, I'm sorry Mr.Wasabi!" Jack said as the group moved to help Y/N, Kim, and Milton in their effort to get him up

"Mr.Wasabi, I'm so sorry fro the misunderstanding." Rudy apologized, "Um, welcome to my dojo!"

Y/N could practically see the steam coming out of Bobby's ears with how angry he was.

"This is not your dojo," Bobby huffed, "This is my dojo, and you are fired!"

Bobby flipped his hair as he left the dojo. No one knew what to say, so they also left.

Y/N stayed back with Rudy, who was absolutely distraught.

"Everything will be okay, Rudy!" Y/N insisted, "I'm going to figure out how to let you keep your job

Rudy shook his head, "Go home, Y/N."

Y/N pulled him into a hug.

"I'm not giving up on you, Rudy," They told him, "Please don't give up on me."

Rudy gave a weak nod, and Y/N left him to his business.

The next day at school, Kim was still going after Jack for everything. They were all walking together, save for Y/N.

"Nice birthday present, Jack!" Kim exclaimed, "You got Rudy fired. Maybe next year you can give him a balloon and push him down the stairs!"

The five sat down near Jerry's locker, at the foot of the stairs.

"The worst part is, the Bobby Wasabi comeback movie is dead!" Milton complained, "Say goodbye to my Hollywood dream."

Y/N came down the stairs.

"What's Rudy gonna do without a job?" Kim asked

"He'll be fine! Guys like Rudy land on their feet!" Jack replied, " I wouldn't be surprised if he's already found a better job!"

"Not exactly better," Y/N cut in, "But, it's a job."

Jack quirked an eyebrow at them, "What do you mean?"

"Let me just show you guys."Y/N said as the final bell of the day rang

Y/N took the group to the mall, and into Reptile World of all places. As they walked in, Lonnie ran by wailing about a toothbrush. Y/N nodded toward Rudy in his new uniform.

"Hey guys!" Rudy greeted, "What are you guys doing here?"

Rudy's smile didn't quite meet his eyes.

"You know, we just came by to see how you're doing," Jack answered

Rudy waved him off, "Yeah, don't worry about me! I'm doing swell--swell, I tell you."

Rudy began to tear up, and Y/N stepped forward to gently pat his back. Then.Rudy ran off into the back room crying.Y/N watched a wave of guilt fall over Jack.

"Guys this is my fault." Jack admitted, "Rudy's a third degree black belt, and now he's scrubbing turtle butt!"

Jack paused to think. Y/N looked him in the eye, a glint of mischief in them.

"Bobby Wasabi took away his job, and Bobby Wasabi is gonna give it back." Y/N plotted

Jack gave them a high five.

That night they found Bobby Wasabi's mansion. They stood outside the gate as Eddie repeatedly pressed the buzzer.

"He's not answering!" Eddie complained, "How do we know he's even in there?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Well, someone just ordered a truckload of pastrami!"

They all backed away from the gate. Jack sighed.

"Guys, it took three busses to get here!" Jack said, "So we're just gonna have to break in!"

Y/N turned and saw Milton slip through the bars of the gate. He gestured for them to follow, they did with a bit more effort than he needed. but Y/N also got through.

"Not happening, man," Jerry said, as Y/N squeezed through, " Guys like Wasabi have million dollar security systems." Y/N pointed at a big red button for Milton to go press. When he did, the gate opened. The group entered while Jerry still meandered on about different security measures Wasabi would have.

Y/N grabbed Jerry by the collar and shoved him toward the front door with the others.

Once they got inside, the group stayed as quiet as they could. Peering around corners and trying to stay together. They came to a new hallway.

"Oh no," Kim warned, "That's not good."

She pointed to a "Ninja Xing" sign on the wall. Jerry scoffed.

"Oh come on, it's just one of those gag signs you buy at the car wash!" He insisted

As he finished his sentence four ninja's landed on the ground in front of the group.

"Oh, really, Jerry?" Y/N teased

"Jerry, I don't think it's a gag,"Milton whimpered, "NINJAS!"

The group all ran screaming, splitting up. Jack and Kim ran in one direction, Eddie and Milton in another, and Y/N and Jerry in the third.

Jerry and Y/N got to a dead end and started trying door handles. As they did one of the ninjas came up on them. Jerry paused as Y/N took a swing at the ninja.

"So, what's going on with you and Jack?" Jerry asked as he landed a kick

Y/N whipped their head to him, "What are you talking about?"

Y/N slung the Ninja over their shoulder and to the floor.

"You two are being weird around each other since Truman messed with us." Jerry replied

"We got into a fight," Y/N huffed, standing off of the unconscious ninja, " And I yelled at him that I have a crush on him. But, we're good now, we're ignoring it."

Jerry laughed, "No you're not."

"He is."

Before Jerry could reply, the ninja stood and struck Y/N on the back of the neck. Knocking them out. Jerry held his hands up in surrender.

The ninja picked up Y/N and carried them over his shoulder as they guided Jerry by the back of his neck. They were brought straight to Bobby Wasabi. Y/N was dumped unceremoniously on the ground in front of Milton and Eddy who had evidently also been caught.

"Show some respect!" Milton complained as Y/N hit the floor

"What did he do to them!" Eddie yelled

Bobby waved his hand to silence them, "You lot are in so much trouble. You broke into my house, which means when I call the police you are going to jail. Including Sleeping Beauty there."

They stood dumbfounded.

"Sausage me!" Bobby ordered

One of his ninjas threw two hot dogs into buns another ninja was holding, which were then handed to Bobby Wasabi.

"That's the most incredible thing I've ever seen!" Eddie said in awe, "Sausage me!"

The ninja moved to throw sausages to Eddie.

"Don't you dare sausage him, Evan!" Bobby interrupted, "Take them away! Leave the unconscious one."

Milton yelled, "Fine! Take us away! But when we leave, your big comeback movie leaves with us!"

"How's that now? What?" Bobby stood, "What?"

The ninjas let go. Jerry hautily approached.

"It just so happens we wrote the greatest movie of your career,"Jerry boasted

"A little something called Bobby Wasabi vs. Piranhapus!" Eddie continued

Milton got next to Bobby, "It's half piranha, half octopus!"

"So it's a little piranha with eight tentacles?" Bobby asked

Jerry jumped up on Bobby's other side, "Try a giant octopus with vicious piranha teeth at the end of each tentacle!"

Bobby chuckled, "Ohhhh! I want to fight that thing so bad! I can almost taste it!"

Bobby paused.

"No, that's a little sausage juice left in my mustache."

The boys proceeded to explain the plot to Bobby Wasabi, who listened adamantly. Milton and Eddie sat next to Bobby on the right, while Jerry sat on his left with the still unconscious Y/N in his lap.

"The End." Milton finished

Bobby broke into tears, " That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard!"

The alarm started blaring and Bobby was immediately on his feet. Jerry scooted away, holding Y/N closer.

"Either security's been breached or my pot pie's ready!" Bobby announced

The doors burst open, revealing Jack and Kim still being pursued by three ninjas. Jack faltered seeing Y/N unconscious.

"Hey, Bobby, I've been looking for you!" Jack announced

"Get them!" Bobby ordered

The rest of his ninjas went after Jack and Kim. Milton and Eddie helped Jerry move Y/N off to the side, out of danger. Y/N gently stirred to life just in time to see Jack tap Kim's hip for her to jump on him and kick three ninjas away.

Jerry pushed some hair out of Y/N's face.

"You're okay," He whispered

Y/N nodded and fell back asleep.

Kim and Jack made quick work of the ninjas. Leaving Bobby positively impressed.

The ninjas got up and moved to restrain Jack and Kim. Bobby stood.

"Hang on a second!"Bobby shouted, "That was the perfect Flying Dragon kick."

Jack stood proudly, "My grandfather taught it to me."

"Well, I can't think that your grandfather would approve of you breaking into my house." Bobby said

"No," Jack agreed, "But, he would approve of me standing up for my sensei."

"Your sensei called me a man lady." Bobby pointed out

"It was an honest mistake!" Jack countered, " You've got a ponytail and that thing you're wearing kind of looks like a dress."

"It's a kaftan! It's breathable, wrinkled-free, and great for those on-the-go days!"

"Mr.Wasabi," Jack replied," what was the one thing that all of your movies had?"

"Hot chicks, explosions, and a sassy orangutan sidekick." He answered with no hesitation

"Everyone loved Dr.Bananas!" Jack agreed

Everyone in the room agreed.

"But your movies also had you!" Jack continued, " A man that lived by the Wasabi code. That's the code Sensei Rudy still lives by."

Jack looked to his friends who joined him in the Wasabi code.

"We swear by the light of the dragon's eye," They all said

Bobby looked at them and finished the saying, "To be loyal, honest, and never say die."

"Wasabi." They all finished

"Bobby look, Rudy's far from perfect. But he's more than just a great sensei. He's our friend." Jack insisted, " Do the right thing. Give him his job back."

Y/N's eyes fluttered open, and Jerry gently helped them to their feet. As Bobby contemplated his options, disco music filled the air and a random man came in dancing dressed from the 70's. He grabbed a plunger and danced his way out.

"I hit my head harder than I thought," Y/N said

"Okay, who was that guy?" Kim asked

Bobby shrugged, " I have no idea. I'm just glad that you could see him too."

The group left, Bobby promised to meet them at the mall the next day to give Rudy his job back. Jerry kept his arm around Y/N to keep them steady.

At the mall they waited for their parents to pick them up. Jack checked over Y/N as soon as he could.

"Are you okay?" He asked

Y/N nodded, "Just a headache now."

"I was really worried about you."

"I'm okay, I promise."

Their voices weren't above a whisper. They looked into each others eyes. Jack started to lean in when a car horn honked. It was his mom. He turned around quickly.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He promised

Y/N nodded and left on their walk back home.

The next day Y/N pointed Bobby toward Reptile World. The group stayed outside waiting anxiously to see Rudy. After a few minutes, Bobby came out carrying Rudy like a bride. Eddie stood and started clapping prompting the rest of the food court to join in. Y/N went to the doors of the dojo and held it open for Rudy. As he entered the dojo Rudy pulled them into a bone-crushing hug.

"Thanks for everything," Rudy gratified

Friday after school they started filming Bobby Wasabi vs. Piranhapus.

"Bobby Wasabi vs. Piranhapus take one!" Jack announced clapping the slate'

Lonnie ran out of his shop yelling, "Help me! It's horrible!" A giant tentacle came out of the shop door ad wrapped around him, pulling him inside.

Bobby turned to the camera and recited his line,

"CUT!" Milton shouted

Milton approached Bobby.

"Bobby, baby, bubby!" Milton coaxed, " You're killing me! Where's the energy?"

Bobby nodded, "You're right, I phoned that one in!" Milton turned to Eddie on boom.

"Eddie, go in there and tell Jerry and Y/N to take it easy with that giant tentacle, they're going way too big!" Eddie nodded.

Jerry and Y/N jogged up bickering.

"It's totally your fault!" Y/N blamed

"Hush!" Jerry demanded, "Hey, guys, sorry we're late! They wouldn't let us on the bus with this thing!"

"They let us on the bus, but kicked us off when he smacked the driver with it!" Y/N clarified

"Wait a minute," Eddie said, " If you're here with this, then what was--"

As they looked at Reptile World, Lonnie slammed against the window covered in goop. They all quickly packed their things and ran.

Y/N ran into the dojo with Jack close behind. They looked at each other and burst into a fit of giggles.

[firewasabeast]

i'm pissed right now about a lot of personal things and I'm gonna take it out by talking about 911 shit and how people refuse to let tommy grow as a character but take up for literally all the other screw ups on the show. under a cut so you can avoid:

going on instagram is always a mistake but i went on there anyway and people are just being absolute pieces of shit. i do not know a single character on 911 that hasn't fucked up in some way but tommy is the only one not worthy of redemption. i know why, we all know why, but i do not understand why the dipshits that ship buddie so fiercely are so stupid as to not recognize that their little babies are fucked up too.

eddie left his wife and reenlisted because he couldn't handle being a dad, especially to a handicapped kid. then he got pissed when his wife asked for help, asked to go see her family. honestly, do not blame his parents one bit for wanting custody of christopher. they fucking raised him! eddie still relies on the people around him to take care of his needs. he had a one sided friendship with lena, asks buck to babysit more than hangout, was getting flights to vegas out of tommy, and used his girlfriends as glorified babysitters as well. also cheated on his girlfriend with a dead wife lookalike???

hen cheated on her wife for no fucking reason, then spent the next episode all smug when everyone else got their karma for being garbage, and they had karen take her back after like one episode apart?

bobby got his entire family killed.

athena regularly abuses her power as a police officer when it benefits her or her family.

chimney basically lied through the first relationship we ever saw him in, and was a horrible captain.

maddie doesn't know the meaning of staying in your lane and getting the fuck out of other peoples business. she should have been fired a few times over.

buck cheated on his girlfriend, asked her to move in instead of being honest with her, and basically trapped her with him. he also stole firetrucks to go have sex while at work, which he very much should have (permanently) been fired for.

they're all screw ups and that's the whole point!! that they're trying to be better and do better and learn from their past. Everyone gets a free pass but tommy. maybe it's because I relate to him so much, because I once was the old version of him (probably worse tbh) and I worked really fucking hard on myself to be better and do better. i guess it's personal for me because I honestly relate to him more than any of the other characters, but it's also really fucking stupid to be so hateful toward a fictional character and real live person because you want two specific characters (one of whom's actor has said REPEATEDLY is straight) to kiss.

and for all the assholes who want to claim that lou is racist or whatever the fuck you've decided he is this week, I seriously suggest you research a certain regular actor on the show a bit further before you come to me with that shit.

in conclusion, ship whoever you want, i don't give a shit, but stop pretending your character is an angel when in reality they all suck because all humans in general suck!

[ereardon]

Before I Knew [Jake Seresin x Reader] Chapter Two

A Jake Seresin unexpected pregnancy fic

Overview: On your first night after moving to San Diego to spend more time with your brother Bob, you unknowingly have a one night stand with his teammate Jake Seresin. For the first time in his whole life, Bob has a closely knit friend group and you’re desperate not to rock the boat. But an unexpected and unplanned pregnancy upends your world, forcing you and Jake closer together, against Bob’s wishes. What will happen when you find yourself actually falling for the father of your unborn child? 

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader; Bob Floyd x Sister!Reader 

Warnings: Pregnancy, cursing, eventual smut, alcohol

Chapter summary: Y/N tries to get her life together but finding a job proves to be difficult. So difficult that when Jake catches her in a weak spot at the Hard Deck the two reconnect behind closed doors; Y/N gets a massive surprise that threatens to change everything

Masterlist here; previous chapter here

You were late. 

Which was abnormal, because the only thing that was timely about you was the fact that you got your period on the same day every single month. It was the one thing you could count on in a world that was constantly in flux. 

This time, you were late. Three weeks late, to be exact. 

One Week Before

You weren’t sure what you had expected when you booked your flight to San Diego. The last time you and Bob had lived together you were just kids. Back then it had been fighting over the remote and who ate the last frozen waffle. 

Bob had always been quiet. Collected. He blended in with the background of things. Whereas you had preferred to be the center of attention, Bob was the wallflower. He carried your plastic pumpkin behind you while trick-or-treating and he was the one to help make scrapbooks for your high school graduation, taking a special weekend leave from the academy just for that. 

So it was surprising that almost every moment of Bob’s time was filled. If he wasn’t at North Island training, he was on a smaller mission, gone for a day or two at a time. Whenever he wasn’t flying, he was hanging out with the rest of the daggers. You often woke up and wandered out into the living room to find Bradley sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal, wearing the same clothes as the night before, smiling sheepishly about how he had crashed on the couch. 

“I’m sorry,” Bob said, his voice echoing on the phone as you filled a mug with coffee in the kitchen. “I won’t be home until late.” 

“You know when I moved here I thought we’d get to spend some time together,” you said. “Instead, I hear from you even less than when I was back home with mom.” 

“I’m sorry about that.” You could hear the jet engines roaring in the background. “This weekend. I promise, we can do something fun. The zoo?” 

You laughed. “I’m not five anymore, Bobby. You don’t have to plan a fun playdate for me. I just want to spend some quality time together.” 

“We will, I promise.” There was a pause. “Ducky, I gotta run, OK. I’ll see you when I get home.” The line went dead. You sighed, picking up your cup of coffee and walking into the living room. You needed to get a job. Pulling up your computer, you flicked over to the LinkedIn tab that was open. Back in Chattanooga, you had spent the year after college aimless. Bartending at night. Taking some classes and studying for the GMAT as you toyed with the idea of business school. But you weren’t really sure what you wanted to do. 

You still weren’t sure. That was the part that you had kept from Bob. He was the kind of person who needed a plan. An itinerary. He looked at menus before he even stepped foot in a restaurant. He refused to go somewhere if he didn’t know what the parking situation was. He was by the book. You were anything but. 

It was time you grew up a little. 

***

By the time Bob got home, the sound of the front door crashing open, you were in bed. Opening one eye, and then another, you waited for the soft footsteps of Bob entering the house. Instead, you heard a gaggle of voices, loud shushes and uncontrolled whispers. 

Cracking open the door, you peered down the hallway to where the light was on in the living room. “Bobby?” you called out, stepping onto the carpeted hallway. 

“Duck?” It was a slurred whisper. You frowned, rounding the corner into the living room to see Jake supporting Bob as he lowered him down onto the couch. 

You rushed over, eyes wide, not even realizing that the hem of your long shirt rode up as you kneeled down in front of the couch where Bob was laid horizontal, one arm hanging off and dragging on the cream carpet. You looked up at Jake accusatorial. “You got him drunk?” 

“It was Phoenix,” Jake said, hands in the air. “I swear. I’m just the DD.” 

You shook your head. “I’m getting him some water.” Bob started to sit up and you put one hand on his shoulder, shoving him down against the cushion. “Lie down.” 

“Bossy,” he groaned, fluttering his eyes closed. 

In the kitchen, you ran the tap, seething. Of course Jake had gotten Bob drunk. You barely knew him, but this just proved that you knew enough. His cockiness at the bar that first night had been charming. But you knew from your experience with men that cockiness never aged well. 

Jake entered the kitchen, one hand pressed against the doorframe. “Y/N.” 

You shook your head, pouring a glass of water. “You can leave.” 

“What if I came here to see you?” 

“Why the hell would you do that?” 

Jake inched closer. “Maybe I thought what we had the other night was pretty great.” 

“Weren’t you listening?” you asked, setting the cup down on the counter. “That’s never happening again. In fact, we promised to pretend it never happened. So in my mind, we met for the first time that day at the coffee shop when Bob invited me to meet his friends. That’s the story, Jake. Nothing else.” 

“You really think it’ll never happen again?” 

Jake was close, the warmth of his body practically heating you through your skin. You had to push away the memory of how his hands felt along your waist, in your hair, his lips on your throat. He was just a guy. There were plenty of other men you could sleep with or date who weren’t part of your brother’s friend group. You owed it to Bob not to get in the way any more than you already had. 

Even if Jake was standing in the kitchen looking at you like he wanted to consume you. Even if you felt your legs trembling at the thought of his tongue roaming over your core like it had that night. 

You straightened up and looked directly into Jake’s eyes, willing yourself to be difficult. Hard. “I don’t think so,” you whispered. “I know. Now if you don’t mind. I want to get this to Bobby before he pukes on the carpet like a cat.” 

You pushed past Jake, heart beating rapidly. A minute later, as you knelt down next to the couch, you heard the gentle clang of the door shutting closed, followed by a car engine roaring to life outside. 

Bob was asleep on the couch, glasses askew. You removed them, setting them on the nearby table along with the glass of water. Without thinking, you made your way to the window, peering out from behind the curtains. 

Jake was sitting in his truck in the driveway, lights on, but not moving. You pulled the drapes closed, shutting him out. 

***

You pressed your forehead against the steering wheel of Bob’s truck and groaned. This was your third interview that you had bombed in as many days. The first had been for a store manager of a women’s boutique on First Ave. The second had been for a barista job and the third for a bartending position on North Island. Bob had been pissed about that third one, but you needed money. 

“You have a degree,” Bob argued as you folded a pile of laundry on the floor of the living room. “From a good university. Put it to use, Y/N.” 

“Don’t you think I’m trying?” you asked, exasperated. “Nobody wants a fucking history major. It’s not like I’m going to go work for a Big Four or some land developer. These are the kinds of jobs that will hire me.” 

“You’re better than all of those,” Bob huffed, standing up and shaking his head. “I’ll find you something.” 

“You’re not responsible for me, Bobby,” you argued. “I can take care of myself.” 

“Can you?” 

His words clung in the air. Heavy, like fat raindrops. Those two words sucked all of the oxygen out of the room, out of your lungs. Just a black hole and you were falling. That’s all you seemed to do lately. Fall. Fail. Flail. 

And Bob knew it. 

***

“So you’re from Tennessee?” The guy you were talking to stepped in closer, one hand on the wooden bar behind you, practically boxing you in. But he was cute and when he smiled you felt like he was talking to only you. 

You nodded. “Moved here last month.” 

“So what do you do?” 

You hesitated. There was movement on your periphery and then Bob appeared on your right, face hard behind his wire frames. He took one look at Keith, the guy who had bought your last drink, and his lips practically disappeared into his face as they squeezed into such a tight line. “Fuck off,” Bob growled. Keith looked up, terrified. He spotted Bob’s uniform immediately. 

“Lieutenant Floyd,” Keith said, straightening. 

Bob stepped in closer. He wasn’t as tall as Bradley, or as built as Jake, but he carried a quiet presence that filled a room. It had run off more than one high school boyfriend. Keith looked like the next victim. “Leave,” Bob said and Keith grabbed his beer, scurrying away with nothing more than a grimace. 

You turned your gaze, hot, on Bob. “Seriously?” 

“A fucking ensign?” Bob asked. “No way. I didn’t bring you here so you could let some random Navy guy in your pants.” 

“You didn’t even want to bring me here!” you argued. Bob turned ashen. “I’m only here because you feel bad for me. Poor little Y/N. Has no life, no job, no aspirations. I’m your pathetic little sister. That’s all I’ll ever be to you, isn’t it?” 

“Ducky,” he said, face growing softer. “That’s not true.”

“What if it is?” you whispered, pushing yourself up and off of the bar. 

“Duck.” Bob’s hand shot out and you flung him off, eyes wide. 

Weaving around the bodies that crowded the bar, you skirted the edge of the room, headed for the bathroom. Inside, you put both hands on the sink, letting your head hang low. Just as the tears started to flow, the door opened and you spun around in shock. “Oh!” 

Jake stood in the doorway to the single bathroom. “Shit, sorry, the door wasn’t locked.” 

“It’s fine.” You turned back around, expecting him to leave. 

Instead, you heard the door shut softly, footsteps as Jake stepped near. “Are you OK?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“Because you’re crying in a dirty bar bathroom.” 

You wheeled around. Before you could think, you flung your arms around Jake’s neck, pulling him in close, smashing your lips against his, tasting the beer on his tongue as he walked you back until your hips hit the sink basin, his fingertips tight along your sides. You gasped into his mouth, feeling his lips close around yours, the heat of his hips drilling you back against the counter, his massive muscular arms winding around you, holding you close, the pine scent of his cologne filling your nose as one of his hands threaded into the hair at the back of your head. 

Finally, you pulled back, lips puffy and wet, Jake’s green eyes wide, his mouth pink from kissing. His eyes roamed over your face before he stepped back, his hands falling from your waist. 

“Shit,” you whispered. “I shouldn’t have done that.” 

“No, you definitely should have done that.” Jake grinned. 

“I have to go,” you murmured, grabbing your purse, trying to skirt around him. 

Jake’s hand reached out, stopping you. “Hey,” he whispered. “It’s OK.” 

You turned to look at him, eyes filling back with tears. “Nothing is OK,” you replied quietly, one hand on the door, yanking it open. “In case you didn’t realize, Jake, I’m a mess.” 

You scrambled out the door and back into the boisterous bar before Jake could say anything else. 

***

“Ducky?” Bob’s voice on the other side of the bathroom door was soft. He must have been in the kitchen or living room. “I’m leaving!” 

“OK!” you called back, voice too sharp. 

There was a pause. And then, “I’ll see you later?” 

“Yeah!” 

The sound of the front door closing rang out and you sank to the ground, cold tile pressed against your bare feet and the backs of your legs. You could feel your heartbeat thundering in your chest. 

You looked down at the pregnancy test grasped between your clammy fingers. 

And the pink plus sign staring back at you. 

Please follow my library page @ereardonlibrary as that will largely serve as my tag list. Anyone I previous promised to tag is here:

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[chronicowboy]

every atom of me was made for you | 3.6k

Eddie hates it when his and Buck's shifts don't line up. It's a rare occurrence these days, but every now and then the scheduling gods frown upon them. And, look, Eddie knows he and Buck might be a little co-dependent, but that's not the reason he hates being separated from his partner on the job. He can get through his own Buck-less shifts fine. Sure, he'd prefer having Buck at his back, never wavering in his trust for the person at the other end of the line, never having to look over his shoulder in a burning building, never waiting for more than a few seconds for the right tool to be pressed into his hand. But he can handle a shift with people he knows at a professional level. It's when Buck is the one at the firehouse with an alien crew that Eddie can't handle being apart.

B-shift is a few people down after a pretty bad three-alarm fire downtown took three firefighters out with varying levels of severity—Santiago got a concussion from a falling beam, George broke a few ribs when she fell through the floor, Kent's ankle is fractured from an unfortunately timed crumbling wall—so there's a scramble to cover the absences. Normally, Eddie would volunteer immediately, needing the extra money to pay for Christopher's camp this summer. But camp is a week away, and he only has a few more days to soak up his son before he leaves him for two whole weeks. So, he lets himself be selfish.

Buck, of course, does no such thing. Eddie shouldn't have expected it, but he'd kind of thought Buck would decline the offer too—after all, he's spent the past month complaining about Christopher's impending departure too. So, Buck volunteers to cover along with Hen who takes any opportunity for more money with her new little girl at home and Chimney who has a wedding looming on the horizon. And Eddie feels a little better about Buck having two very capable and trustworthy people with him.

But the uneasiness doesn't fade completely. It never does. Ever since the lightning—and realising he's madly, deeply in love with Evan Buckley—Eddie has had a difficult time settling whenever he can't see Buck. It's wholly irrational, and he's working through it with Frank, but it doesn't stop him from turning nauseous with worry every time it takes Buck more than a few seconds to reply to his texts or pick up the phone. It's ten times worse when Buck is at the firehouse without him. Eddie spends the whole shift waiting for Bobby's name to light up his phone screen with some terribly life-altering news. But that doesn't happen. Instead, it's Buck's name flashing on his screen above a text containing a random fact, or a call about the ridiculous scene they'd just wrapped up or a FaceTime to prove that Eddie does in fact own an extensive collection of DVDs in this day and age.

(Each time he sees Buck's name, there's still the lingering fear that it will be a goodbye of some sort; a hastily typed text, a voice message, a shaky phone call.)

He's getting better at handling it, but he doesn't think he'll ever be able to stop worrying about Buck like this. It's just part of loving someone so much. So, he does his best to keep himself distracted until Buck texts him at the end of his shift to let him know he got back to the loft—not home—safe. Except today, when Christopher is actually asleep in bed and not playing Zelda under his blanket, there's a knock on the door that has Eddie's hackles rising instantly.

It's a trembling breath that carries him to the front door, a thousand reasonable scenarios of what could be waiting for him on the other side forming in his head. And then, he finds a haggard Bobby stood on his porch, Captain's truck parked just behind his truck, and all reason flies out the fucking window.

"Bobby, what—"

"I'm sorry, I know it's late," he sighs apologetically, a furrow to his brows as his eyes drift off somewhere to his side.

"Bobby," Eddie pleads, heart contorting in his chest. "Bobby, Buck, is he—"

"Oh, Eddie, no." Bobby's face turns a little sheepish as he reaches off to the side. "He's fine." Bobby drags an unsteady Buck into the doorway, and Eddie takes in a gasping breath of ice cold relief. 

(OR: buck head injury fic #1 where eddie spends his day off worrying about buck and buck doesn't think that best friends worry about each other the way they do)

@danielsousa @binickmiller @jamietarts @shitouttabuck @butchdiaz @buddstiel @organizedstardust @theoneandonlypigeon @anatargmova @alyxmastershipper @buckley-diaz-rules @blazeturbo102 @panbuckley @slowlyfoggydestiny @thatnamewill-probably-change @compactdiscmp3 @batgrldes @scattered-winter @prince-buck-diaz @mysteriouslyyounggalaxy