#feat chimney buck and bobby

[outrunningthedark]

“Stacey’s writing sucks” If you take the excessive TayKay content out of Ghost Stories (which sounded like it wasn’t the original plan) and the fact that Stacey was tasked with writing the first episode for the sperm donor arc - an arc her boss thought people would enjoy - we’ve gotten: Mavid + Bobby spying on the neighbor (feat. exasperated Athena) // Hen + Toni reconnecting Karen confessing her fears that Hen might one day leave her for Eva (”All the people I love the most belonged to you first.”) // Chimney in Boston with Eli. The one Chimney sighting post-5x04 until Maddie was back. Buck with Eddie before Eddie went to Texas, wanting to make sure Eddie wasn’t inviting unnecessary stress that could lead to another panic attack (”Are you sure this is a good idea?”) // Evil!Jonah that led to Hen & Chim being the besties we know and love as well as the end of BT // Eddie reconciling with his father Eddie talking to his dad about Chris skipping Science Club and not being honest with him // Eddie and Chris coming to an understanding about Chris deserving independence // The introduction of Hoover the dog If you hate ALL of that...you hate the show and none of us can help you nor want to hear what you have to say. Kbye. <3

[adhuc-spero]

"Okay, okay, I know I messed it up the last two times, but— third time's the charm, right? And I really think I nailed it with this one."

Cooking was…a journey for Buck. He'd gone from someone whose greatest culinary feat was scrambled eggs to the lasagna expert that stood before them today in an apron— he'd been genuinely delighted to receive it as a gift from Bobby— with a smear of heavy cream drying along his jawline.

"Just one bite, come on, I need to know if I added enough garlic."

And he didn't seem to be intent on taking no for an answer. Yes, his last two disastrous attempts at this chicken tetrazzini casserole had yielded noses wrinkled in disgust and even a dramatic gag from Chimney, but he felt confident this time.

He stared impatiently at the other, fork poised to feed them and eyebrows quirked expectantly.

[frysquint]

Buck/Eddie, Buck & Bobby, Buck & Athena, Buck & Chimney feat. 118 family feels 8,181 words | one-shot | Teen Spoilers for season 5

To his right, he sees the familiar railing of his loft; to his left, the staircase appears. Eddie sucks at the pulse point just under Buck’s jaw, and Buck shivers as his eyes trail somewhat hazily over the rest of his bedroom furniture. But then he realizes his TV is gone. Why the hell is his TV gone? Buck opens his mouth to ask Eddie if he knows, and—

—he wakes up—

—to a rain shower over his bed.

[Buck is sick. His family takes care of him.]

For Day 7 of @evanbuckleyweek 2022: Free Choice

[lonely-writer]

Eddie to Buck: you feel pretty warm....

Hi anon! I’m so sorry it took me nearly 4 months to get this done but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! 

Title: Burn For Me

Pairing: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz

Warnings: Discusses mental health/therapy

Tags: Feelings realization, Oblivious Evan “Buck” Buckley, Fire fam is concerned, for all the wrong reasons, Burn out, Discussions of mental health/therapy, Bobby Nash is Evan “Buck” Buckley’s father

Buck is sick.

Just not in the coughing and sneezing way, no believe it or not he's actually sick of work. Maybe the daily routine he followed was catching up to him, weighing on him with every call they responded to as the burden of the 118's job continued to gnaw at him- his therapist suggested he was burned out but Buck refuted the idea nearly immediately, him burnt out? Impossible. He'd signed up to save lives, to experience death defying feats and every day he risked his life by running straight into fire- how did someone become burnt out from that? The more he thinks about it though the more he comes around to the idea that he's tired of being in a routine that refuses to change- something has to or he fears he'll grow restless and move on to new adventures where he won't be happy. It's not helping that recently every call is mundane; there's a cat stuck in a tree here or a car accident there- on the occasions there's a fire it's nothing serious, usually someone left a candle unattended and the curtains caught fire or the oven timer went off.

Buck hates himself for even thinking this but he'd kill for another natural disaster to hit the city, at least then he wouldn't be so bored all the time. To combat this boredom he's started reading whatever can catch his attention, a sight that the rest of the 118 joke and jab at first but ultimately become concerned about- the last time he picked up a book he was in a slump with his now ex-girlfriend Taylor, at first they brush it off- after all maybe he's just looking to pick up a new, healthy hobby for once but by the third shift he shows up with another sappy romance novel the crew grows concerned.

"Maybe he's lovesick?" Hen suggests in the kitchen, her voice a quiet whisper glancing over to where Buck sits on the couch flipping the page of his book agonizingly slow, "He hasn't been on a date since Taylor and he's walking around like a wounded puppy, same way he was when Abby left him." She points out, it's a logical guess but not the right answer as the rest of the group hums in disagreement.

"No, no he's not lovesick- or else he wouldn't be reading romance novels. Buck doesn't read when he's upset, he just mopes around until he finds someone else to chase after, Chim, has Maddie said anything about their parents lately? Have they been doing therapy together?" Bobby asks though there's a tone of annoyance to his voice- he wants Buck to have a good relationship with his parents but the distaste for how they treated their children for years is still strong in him.

"Not really, they've been around a bit more because of Jee-Yun but they talk about her and not Buck. You think he's upset because of that?" Chimney answers with a shrug.

"Maybe, but he hasn't mentioned them at all lately...no news is good news at times." Hen counters, though not outright stated she shared in their captain's disdain for the Buckley sibling's parents. "He doesn't talk much about his therapy sessions a lot though- which I'm not saying is bad or wrong, he's entitled to that privacy, but sometimes I wish he'd just tell us what's on his mind." She huffed lightly.

"Any of you consider maybe he's just actually sick and not telling us because he can 'handle it.'?" Eddie offered his gaze completely trained on Buck, there's another bout of silence between the four in the kitchen as they mull over the suggestion. It would explain the slump in his attitude, the sudden change in his demeanor, the books he brings to distract from his illness- everything made sense.

"If he's sick then why doesn't he just go home and rest? We'll be fine without him." Chimney states to which Hen jabs him in the arm lightly, "Ouch! What was that for?" He grumbles rubbing his arm.

"Since when has Buck ever enjoyed being alone? Never. If he's not hanging out with one of us then he's with his girlfriend- which he doesn't have right now, so if he's sick he'd be alone. I promise you after his breakup being alone is the last thing he wants, sick or not." Hen mutters as Buck flips yet another page.

"Well...someone needs to make sure he's alright, and no offense but it's not going to be me. I am not bringing home anything that could get Jee sick." Chimney remarks as he puts his hands up in defense, which is a fair point between the four, the last thing you'd want to do is bring home a sickness to your own child. Before anyone else can make some kind of argument against casually checking in on Buck, Eddie rounds the corner of the island to check on the other, the rest of the crew immediately begin to do their best to act as nonchalant as possible- though it's almost painfully obvious they're all listening to the conversation.

"Hey Buck." Eddie greets and before the blond can even respond he's asking the question of the day, "Are you feeling alright?" This catches the other off-guard, was he alright? Was he alright? Did he not seem alright? Was he disturbing the rest of the 118? Or was this all just some kind of joke because he was reading? Something he didn't quite often do.

"Uh..yeah? Why?" Buck asked in confusion though the answer wasn't deemed acceptable by Eddie as suddenly there was a hand pressed against his forehead, he feels flushed and embarrassed- but he doesn't know why exactly. Is he sick? No, so why is he blushing? And why is his heart racing now? Plenty of people have checked his temperature like this before and yet he's never reacted this way.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright? You feel pretty warm..." Eddie states cautiously his hand never leaving Buck's forehead.Of course he's warm- he's flustered! But why? Why is he so flustered? Why is it that when Eddie specifically puts his hand against his forehead he suddenly can't think coherently and his throat becomes dry- why is it he wants to lean further into the gentle touch? Why is it that his heart begins to race- oh.

Oh.

"Yeah..yeah. I'm good." Buck says with surprising ease for someone who just came to the earth-shattering realization that he was falling in love, if not completely in love already with his best friend.

Yeah, he's just great.

[the-artof-starting-over]

I found myself in all the blood I lost Chapter one

.................

pairing: Buck and Eddie

warnings: mentions of blood, some anxiety

Words:1764

title: thank you - PVRIS (feat. RAYE)

read on A03 if you like

.................

Eddie’s heart stuttered as he caught sight of Buck, the all too familiar pattern of blood splattered across his face staining it with memories. The crowd of people faded away until all that he could see was the dark red on pale skin as he clumsily rushed back to the scene. All he could focus on was Buck and getting to him, helping him, saving him. The sound of his blood rushing through his veins overrode anything else. Pain radiates from his shoulder as he stumbles forward. Getting to Buck is the only important thing, everything else can wait, there's so much blood. He just needs to power forward, he can take care of everything else later, getting to Buck is all that matters.

A hand on his shoulder pressing right into the pain caused him to come to an abrupt stop as it held on stopping him from his mission, the sounds of the busy street rushing back to him. The sound of the passing cars, muffled music playing from inside one of the stores, the sounds of so many overlapping voices all rushing back to him at once. One voice overpowering the rest is saying his name.

“Eddie, Can you hear me, Eddie?” Bobby. It was Bobby, his hand holding him back from letting him get to Buck. 

“I… Buck, let me go Bobby” his voice sounding strained, pushing past the lump in his throat as Bobby manoeuvres himself into his view, stopping him from continuing to stare at the blood staining his best friend's skin. 

“He isn't hurt” he hears the words but they don’t sink in, the image still clearly playing in front of his eyes even as he looks at Bobby.  “That’s not his blood Eddie, it’s not his blood, Buck is okay.” Bobby’s face comes into focus then, worry clearly etched into his expression. If Buck is okay why does Bobby look like that? Why is he holding him back, blocking his view, why can't he just let him get to him? He needed to get to him, there was so much blood. 

“Eddie, it’s the patient's blood, Buck is okay” Bobby repeats and Eddie wants to believe him, wants to let the words settle into his bones and calm the fierce panic overtaking him. 

The voice in the back of his head is telling him he needs to get his act together, he’s here to do a job, Bobby wouldn’t be stopping him from getting to Buck if he really was hurt, Bobby would be right there next to him and they would both be doing everything they could to make sure Buck was going to be okay. He still needed to see him though, still needed to see for himself that he really was okay. He forced a nod, hoping it would be enough to make Bobby let go of the iron grip he had on him. 

Bobby was seemingly satisfied that Eddie was no longer about to sprint away, released his grip and sidestepped just a little so that Eddie could see Buck once more. Taking in the view in front of him, he forced himself to look everywhere but Buck's blood-splattered face. He trailed his gaze down his arms until he reached the sight of buck’s hands pressing against a wound. Blood stained his fingers. More hands came into view, Chimney’s, along with white gauze that quickly turned crimson as it was pressed against the wound. Moving his gaze away from the wound he found his way back up to Buck's face, still stained in blood, and he felt a shaky breath leave him as he watched Buck turn his gaze from the patient's wound over to Hen who was shining a light into the patient's eyes. Eddie watches as Buck's mouth moved, not being able to hear any of the words he was saying, but reassurance flooded him as he took in Buck's expression. It wasn't relaxed by any means, but he didn’t look like he was in any pain. He has come to be able to easily read buck over the years and so not seeing any pain in his expression allows Eddie to finally breathe. 

“Are you all good?” Bobby’s voice came through much clearer than it had when Eddie first stumbled over. 

“Yeah, I’m good” 

“Did you find anything?” Eddie's eyebrows raise in confusion at the question as he spares a glance over to his captain before it all comes rushing back. He had been sent to check down for any signs of any more victims who might have wandered off but he had come up empty leading him to head back to the scene and that was when he spotted Buck over the crowd of onlookers. 

“No, I didn't see any signs of anyone cap” guilt spiralled in his gut at losing himself so much from the job at hand, but it was Buck, how was he meant to focus when it was Buck?

“That’s good” he could feel the weight of Bobby's stare as he made himself take in the whole scene as a way to keep grounded. He’s at work, people need him to be focused. Lives depend on it. 

“Yeah, I’m gonna…” his words drift off as he pointed over to where the others were working and started to make his way over. If he could just throw himself into the job at hand he could ignore the phantom pain still blossoming from his shoulder, he could ignore all of the ways he felt as if he was the one bleeding out on the concrete and he could ignore the way his heart had shattered at the thought that Buck was the one that was hurt once again. 

“Cap we are ready to go” Hen’s voice rings out loud and determined over the chaos of the scene as Eddie reaches them, realising belatedly that Bobby had followed right behind. 

“Load her up, the rest of us will meet you back at the station” he instructs. 

Eddie tries his best to follow the rest of Bobby's instructions without letting himself fade back into the pain of thinking Buck had been hurt. Which means avoiding looking at him with the blood still splattered across his face. He busies himself with collecting their tools and making sure everything is right where it's meant to be. 

But then comes the order to get in the truck and suddenly he is faced with Buck sitting right across from him. His eyes fell closed against the sight only to be greeted by an almost identical image but one that was much worse. One that came with the pain radiating from his shoulder in pulses. One that came with the inability to ask Buck if he was okay, not that he was able to find the words to do that now either but he could hold on to the fact that he was aware enough that he could see that he wasn't hurt. 

He felt Buck's knee knock into his own and he opened his eyes willing the sight before him to have changed. It hadn't, of course, it hadn't, but he let himself hope regardless. 

"You okay?" The words were quiet and Buck was covering his mic, which reminded Eddie he hadn't even put his own headset on. 

He forced a nod before reaching into his turnout pockets and grabbing the packet of anti-bacterial wipes he had taken from the truck's first aid kit as he was tidying up.  

He focused on his hands as he removed a wipe from the packet just now noticing that they were shaking. As he placed the packet back in his pocket he absentmindedly wondered how long they had been.

"Lean forward" he instructed, managing to control the shaking in his voice better than his hands. 

He watched as buck complied with his eyebrow raised in silent question. 

"You uh, you have some blood" Eddie begged his voice to stay neutral and not give away just how much he was fighting images of the past as he reached forward placing one hand on Buck's shoulder to steady himself and using the other to begin wiping away the blood that was staining his skin.

All that came from Buck was a sound of acknowledgement so Eddie kept going, working as carefully and quickly as he could. Allowing himself to bask in the comfort that this time he could get his hands on Buck and wipe away the blood and know it wasn't coming from him, it gave him a purpose. The last time he couldn't move, he thought Buck was hurt and he couldn't move, he couldn't help, but this time he could. This time he can wipe away the blood leaving behind Buck's pale skin only coloured by his birthmark and the pink in his cheeks. This time he could feel the warmth radiating from Buck's skin as he kept his hold on his shoulder even if he craved to bring his hand up to cradle Buck's face instead. He could feel him solid and alive under his touch and that was everything Eddie had been wanting, everything he had been craving the last time he had seen Buck covered in blood.

He could feel Buck's gaze heavy on his skin as he did his best to avoid making eye contact. Knowing it would be holding questions to which he didn't know the answers. Or at least he didn't know if he wanted to answer. For the moment anyway. Not in the back of the truck with others around. Not when the harsh light of the setting sun was shining directly on him leaving him feeling exposed. 

After wiping away the final bit of blood from Buck's neck, he leans back the now stained wipe remaining in his hands with nowhere to discard it. 

He is staring down at it when he hears a quiet "thank you" from Buck, a weight lifting off his chest when he looks back up at Buck and sees no blood. 

He offers him a smile, one that's maybe not quite real, and he's sure Buck can tell but he wasn't really going for real, he was going for thank you. Thank you for still being alive, thank you for not getting hurt. Thank you for letting me clean away the blood so I could convince myself you're okay. A lot of pressure to put on one smile but it's the best he can do for now.

Buck smiles back with a subtle nod and somehow Eddie knows that Buck understood. 

........................

thank you so much for reading! I have ideas for writing more of this story so hopefully ill manage to get that done, this just seemed like a good place to end a chapter. also hoping that by posting this ill get the motivation to actually continue writing this because it's been a while!

Chapter two here

[tenisperfection]

Chapter 4 of the Good emergencies series: Raspberries taste like love

A series of standalone fics about how Eddie learns and loves to cook, aided liberally by Buck, Chris, Bobby, and other friends. Read on ao3. 

Summary: Buck and Eddie make jam, cookies, and the good kind of mess on Valentine’s day. 

feat. ways you should definitely not be using jam. A getting together fic set during quarantine.

The jam is Eddie’s idea.

“We can keep it a secret!” Eddie says excitedly. “If we hide it behind your awful protein powders, I’m sure Chim and Hen won’t go looking.”

“Don’t insult the man who’s making you jam,” Buck retorts. He can sense Eddie’s eyeroll as he peers into the large copper pot on the stove. The apartment smells delicious, and they’re going to need to open every window if they have any hopes of keeping their jam making a secret.

“I’m the one who’s been stirring for forty minutes,” Eddie complains. “I can’t believe you own a copper pot.” Eddie pokes the nearly cooked raspberries with the wooden spatula. “This kitchen is so well stocked we didn’t even have to get anything except the jars.”

“Bobby gave me some things as a gift when I moved in,” Buck answers, rifling through the refrigerator drawers for lemons. 

Eddie hums. “He gave me three cookbooks. Do those count as gifts?”

Buck laughs as he straightens up, lemons in hand. “It’s actually four, because he lets you use his NYT cooking subscription and fill it with nothing but brownie recipes.”

“Fuck you,” Eddie says mildly. “You know Christopher loves brownies. I think these are ready for the lemons, by the way.”

“Okay, I’m adding three tablespoons to start,” Buck announces, squeezing the lemons as fast as he can into a measuring cup. “Keep stirring.”

Buck’s adding the second tablespoon when Eddie’s phone rings loudly from the dining table, making them jump.

“Go,” Buck says. “It might be Chris.”

Eddie hands the spatula over to Buck as he walks away with a squeeze to Buck’s shoulder. As has been the case for the past several days, Buck’s face warms at the touch. Eddie’s been seeking Buck’s touch so much more lately, ever since they started quarantining together. Logically, Buck knows that he misses Christopher and his anxiety is way up, and the touches are a way for Eddie to feel grounded. Logically, Buck knows it’s not just him, because he’s seen Eddie hug Hen and Chimney so many more times that he usually would. But this is different. Buck is different, because Buck’s the one Eddie shares a bed with and Buck’s the one Eddie wakes up to, their bodies so much closer than they were when they went to bed. Even if he yearns for it, Buck’s never woken up to the two of them actually plastered to each other, but the soft brushes of their elbows as they move around the bed and the way Eddie sometimes squeezes Buck’s hand as it rests on his pillow might just kill him one of these days.

“Thanks Bobby, see you tomorrow,” Eddie says, and Buck realizes with a start that he’s somehow missed Eddie’s whole phone conversation.

“Fuck,” he mutters softly, glancing down at the jam, which is just on the edge of scorching the bottom of the pan. Buck stirs harder.

“Bobby told us to come in a few minutes earlier than usual tomorrow. Something about protocol changes,” Eddie sighs as he approaches Buck.

“Hey,” Buck says softly. “It might be good news.”

Eddie nods. “Maybe,” he says doubtfully. “Ten days already seem like too many.”

Buck nods as he keeps stirring. “I know. There’s nothing about this that doesn’t suck. I’m sad that all of you have to be away from your families, but at least we can make good use of this apartment.”

“You’re away from your family too,” Eddie says, grabbing the spatula from Buck’s hand. “From Maddie. From Chris. You know he misses you a lot. And I know you probably miss him as much as I do.”

Buck’s hand shakes a little as he zests a lemon directly over the pot of jam. His shoulders knock against Eddie’s with every grate, and the air smells like warm, delicious anticipation.

“I realized yesterday when we were talking to him that this is the longest I’ve gone without seeing him since we met,” Buck says quietly. 

Eddie says nothing. A second later, as Buck sets the grater and the zested lemon on the counter, he grabs Buck’s free hand with his own. Buck looks at him, heart pounding, but Eddie keeps stirring.

This is new, Buck thinks a little hysterically. Eddie’s hand is warm but a little sticky from the condensation on the spatula. Buck can’t imagine ever letting it go.

“Well, at least we’ll be brightening up some people’s Valentine’s days with this jam and some cookies,” Eddie exclaims. 

“We’ll be everyone’s favorites,” Buck agrees. “Speaking of, can you grab a spoon and cool a little bit of this down on a plate so we can see if it is done?”

As if he’s reluctant to let go as well, Eddie only untangles his fingers from Buck’s after a long moment.

***

The cookies were Buck’s idea.

Or rather, they were inspired by Chim and his moping self.

“I never took you for a Valentine’s day sort of guy,” Eddie had remarked as Chim complained for days on end about being away from Maddie on Valentine’s day. 

“I’m not,” Chim responded. “I just don’t want to be away from her when everyone’s talking about love and romance. It’s torture!”

Hen seemed to agree, and Buck, foolishly, had told Eddie that they should make them cookies as a gift, underestimating how much work that would entail.

“We can make them for everyone on the A shift, and Michael and David and Abuela and Pepa too,” Buck had said three days before Valentine’s day. “We can leave some outside their door! Something to cheer people up!”

Eddie agreed, and they landed on thumbprint cookies because they were Christopher’s favorite these days. Eddie, though, Eddie wanted to make the jam from scratch and then drop those off as gifts too, so here Buck is, sterilizing jars and trying not to burn his hand.

“That took forever,” Eddie complains. He stretches his arms above his head, and Buck shamelessly stares at the thin strip of skin exposed at his waist. Eddie catches him looking and then glances back at the eight jars of jam in front of them quickly.

“Um, the cookies?” Eddie starts. “The uncanned jam should be enough for those, right?”

“Yes,” Buck responds, even though they’ve talked about this twice before. “Do you want to get started?” 

The recipe for thumbprint cookies was fairly simple, which Buck guesses is the reason why Eddie seemed to be following it extremely loosely.

“I swear to god, Eddie, if you add one more spice to that thing, I’m dumping a jar of hot jam on you,” Buck complains as Eddie adds a smidgeon of powdered cloves to the bowl.

“I’m making it chai spiced,” Eddie announces. “You like chai.”

“I do,” Buck says. “But I also like it when my partner informs me of any changes to the recipe before he adds twelve new things to it.”

“You’re such a hypocrite,” Eddie complains, shoving Buck’s shoulder gently with a laugh. “No one asked you to add lemon zest to the jam either.”

“They complement raspberries,” Buck adds weakly.

“Let me taste it again,” Eddie says, reaching across Buck for the tupperware of jam they’d saved for the cookies.

“Don’t get crumbs in them,” Buck exclaims as he slaps Eddie’s hand away. Eddie squeaks, affronted.

“You give it to me, then,” Eddie says. There was a glint in his eyes that made Buck’s toes curl. “Put it in my mouth.”

Buck’s sure that he’s as pink as the jam in front of him as he takes out a spoonful. “Happy Valentine’s day to me,” he jokes as Eddie’s sinfully plump lips wrap around the spoon, eyes fixated on Buck.

Eddie’s eyes flutter closed as he swallows. Buck looks at his Adam’s apple and wishes he could put his mouth on it.

“That’s amazing,” Eddie breathes as he opens his eyes. “Good choice of fruit. What were you saying about Valentine’s day?”

Buck smiles a little. “You were, um, put it in my mouth? Give it to me? Come on, Eddie. I hope those are not pick up lines you actually use.”

Eddie, if possible, moves even closer to Buck at that, their chests barely a centimeter apart.

“You’ll know if I’m trying to pick you up,” Eddie says, the hint of promise in his voice traveling straight from Buck’s ear to his navel.

“Yeah?” Buck asks. Eddie inches closer until his chest is flush against Buck’s. His eyes are nearly black now, the brown irises swallowed by what Buck can now identify as desire. 

“Yeah,” Eddie says. Buck leans back just as Eddie starts to lean in.

“Prove it,” he says. 

Eddie looks like Buck spoke in an alien tongue.

“What? he asks incredulously.

“Prove it,” Buck repeats. The cookie dough lays forgotten between them, but Buck can’t bring himself to care. “Use a pickup line on me.”

Eddie blinks at him for a few seconds.

“Hey Buck,” Eddie asks. “Will you be my valentine this quarantine?”

Buck bursts into laughter and collapses against the counter.

“I hate you,” Eddie declares and turns back to the cookie dough. “I’m not going to kiss you like I’d planned.”

“We can’t have that,” Buck teases, grabbing the collar of Eddie’s t-shirt to pull him close. Eddie comes willingly, rolling his eyes. “Does valentine even rhyme with quarantine?”

“I’m a firefighter, not a poet,” Eddie claps back, and Buck leans in and kisses him before he can keep talking.

Eddie tastes like raspberries, sweet and tart under Buck’s tongue. Buck kind of wants to never stop kissing him. Eddie snakes his arms tightly around Buck until he’s got him pressed against the counter, his weight warm and solid against Buck.

“Just the quarantine?” Buck gasps as Eddie presses kisses down his jaw. “Do you not want me beyond that?”

“I want you forever, quarantine or not,” Eddie says. “I’ve kind of been in love with you for a year, if you haven’t noticed.”

“I wasn’t sure until you started saying sexy things to me just now,” Buck teases, and Eddie sucks a bite into Buck’s neck in retaliation. “I love you too. I’ve always loved you, Eddie.”

"Is it cliché that we’re doing this on Valentine’s day?” Eddie asks, running his hand through Buck’s curls. 

“I don’t care, I’ll take all the clichés if it’s you,” Buck responds.

Eddie kisses him some more at that.

***

They kind of forget the cookies for a long time after that, and Buck wants it on the record that Eddie is completely to blame.

“How is it my fault?” Eddie asks as they scoop jam into the baked cookies. They’re so late that Hen and Chim would be arriving any second now. Buck’s glad that they at least had time to hide the jam.

“You smeared jam on me so you can kiss it off and then bent me over the counter,” Buck snorts. “I think that makes it a little your fault.”

“You were the one who told me to put jam on your—” Eddie starts as the front door opens.

“What the hell is going on here?” Chimney inquires. Hen stands next to him, eyes taking in the disaster zone around them. They may have gotten jam on the counters while they were kissing. Buck makes a mental note to never tell Hen or Chim how they got together.

“Got a little messy baking cookies,” Eddie says breezily. “We’ll be done before you guys are done showering. Happy Valentine’s day.”

Hen and Chim figure it out, however, when they walk in on Buck and Eddie kissing in the kitchen two days later.

[icarusbuck]

8. “I’m not doing that again”

FOX! 911 | free fall

∞

Buck tipped his head back and shielded his eyes against the bright sunlight, looking up at the figure dangling beneath the partially constructed wind turbine.

"Think the ladder can reach it?" He asked, turning to look at Bobby.

Bobby shook his head. "Too high. We'll have to go at it from above." He looked over at them, his eyes tracking from Buck and landing on Eddie. "You up for a bit of rope work?"

"Aren't we always?" Eddie grinned, looking sideways; Buck met his eyes, the thrill of anticipation making him bounce on his toes.

"Alright. We don't know what kind of shape he's in, so first things first, you need to see if he's even alive. Be careful and watch for signs that he's coming around. If you can, you'll need to get him up to the top and we'll go from there."

"And what if that's not an option?" Buck asked; not arguing, just making sure he understood.

"Option two is to secure a third line and we'll use the thousand-foot rope to lower him down."

Eddie nodded his understanding. They turned in tandem toward the truck, but Bobby stopped them.

"Listen, if he starts to panic you get out of his reach, okay?"

"Okay," Buck said readily. He glanced at Eddie, and Eddie gave him a thumbs up.

They retrieved their harnesses and ropes from the side of the rig, taking care to grab ones that would reach the ground, and soon they were headed up the ladder on the inside of the wind turbine. The climb up only served to emphasize just how tall it was, how far out of reach of the ladder they would be.

Buck whooped from below as they neared the top, his voice echoing around them and down the length of the tube.

At the end of the ladder, Eddie pushed open a clear hatch and finally, they reached the roof. A hook on the guide rail signaled which direction they needed to rappel in, and the two of them worked quickly to anchor their lines, double and triple checking each other's knots.

"Ready?" Eddie shouted over the roar of the wind in his ears. Buck adjusted his goggles and grinned.

"Ready," he confirmed.

Eddie turned on his knees toward the side. Willing his body to ignore the screaming voice in his head, telling him to get away from the edge, telling him he'd die, that was the hard part. He took a deep breath and situated himself next to Buck, then together, they put their weight - and faith - on the ropes.

They descended carefully along the taught bungee cord anchoring the man below them. The wind pushed and pulled at them, so loud in his ears that Eddie could barely hear Buck singing from just a few feet away.

It only took a few minutes to reach the man, who hung limply from his harness. Eddie held him as still as he could, holding on to the harness while Buck searched for a pulse.

"He's alive," Buck yelled and started running his hands along the man's body in search of any injury. He looked up at Eddie when he was done and shook his head. "No injury, I think he just passed out."

"Brace?" Eddie yelled back. He situated himself behind the man and started fumbling with his line, hoping it would be an easy feat to hook the unconscious man to himself.

"Got it," Buck replied, swinging inches away as he released his hold and started to extract the neck brace Hen had attached to his kit.

The moment Buck swung back toward them, the man stirred to life. He jerked in Eddie's grasp, breaking it, and Eddie swung away from the two of them as the man started to scream.

"Sir, you're okay," Buck yelled, holding onto the neck brace with one hand while reaching toward the man with the other. He managed to grab the man's shoulder, even as the man clawed at Buck's chest and face.

The man continued screaming, and it wasn't words, just sound. Eddie couldn't imagine what it must be like to come around hundreds of feet up in the air, the feeling of being suspended with no control.

Buck continued talking to him, even as he reached for the rope. Eddie swung back toward them and knocked into the man, who had managed to wrap one hand through a strap at Buck's waist. "We need you to calm down, you're okay, we're going to get you down, but we need you to stay calm."

Eddie tried to grapple the man from behind, but he didn't know what was safe to grab. If he had any kind of spinal injury, the flailing alone was likely to do more damage than any kind of restriction Eddie put on him.

"Hey!" Buck cried suddenly, and the man's movements became even more erratic. The alarm in Buck's voice made Eddie's blood run cold. "Stop! Don't do that!"

"Sir," Eddie yelled, managing to hook his chin over the man's shoulder from behind. He wrapped one leg around the man's waist, frustrated that the instability of the bungee cord prevented him from doing more.

"Fuck!" Buck screamed, just as he came into Eddie's view.

And then he was gone, and they lurched sideways as Buck's rope dangled weightless in front of them. Eddie's hands begin to shake.

"Buck?" Eddie called out, his voice tiny and lost in the wind. "Buck!" He yelled, louder now, staring in disbelief as Buck's anchor drifted away on the breeze. His mind went blank.

Buck, gone.

The images flashed through his mind of what he'd find when he reached the ground, and he clenched his eyes tight around them, screaming Buck's name over and over.

As if to add insult to injury, the man went limp in his hold once more.

Several agonizing seconds passed. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe. He had half a mind to strangle the man in front of him.

He ran through the possibilities; two hundred fifty feet up, the odds of landing on the air cushion were slim to none. They were too high for it to really protect anyone from the fall anyway. They were also too high for the ladder.

They were just too damn high.

The world narrowed to his pulse, and just when he thought he might lose his mind, he felt movement. A hand, gripping his ankle like a vice.

He twisted in surprise, putting the unconscious man at arm's length in order to look down.

Buck had one arm wrapped around the other man's legs, the bungee hooked under his arm from the drop. He gripped Eddie's leg like the lifeline it was because the only thing preventing the fall to his death was Buck himself.

"Hey Eddie," Buck called up to him, managing to sound as casual as if it happened every day. He adjusted his hand, and Eddie could only stare at him, unwilling to believe it was real. "Could use a hand down here."

"You fucker," Eddie yelled back and looked to the man they were there to help. His head lolled to the side, useless. Buck's line trailed in the wind a few feet away, too far out of reach to do any good.

"Eddie," Buck called out, but Eddie couldn't look at him. He searched frantically for a solution, a way to get Buck on a line that wouldn't risk a further fall. "It's going to be okay."

He looked down. Buck's face was firm, his blue eyes bright and shining even through the goggles they wore in high winds.

"We're all going to be fine." He moved his hand up toward the back of Eddie's knee, and it finally set in that somehow, Buck really was dangling from him. "Stop moving!" Buck yelled, with just enough irritation that Eddie froze.

Time passed, but whether it was crawling or speeding, Eddie couldn't tell. Buck made slow progress, alternating between shifting his grip up Eddie's leg and up the unconscious man's body.

Somehow, after what felt like agony, Buck hooked his arm around Eddie's hip.

Eddie moved automatically to wrap his legs around Buck's ribcage, and he felt Buck's face pressed into his stomach. They weren't out of the woods yet, but at least he could help take Buck's weight off of him.

He could feel Buck trembling now, finally letting the fatigue show as he sagged in the grip of Eddie's thighs. He tightened them.

Buck turned his face up, his blue eyes wide and terrified.

"I've got you," Eddie said, then again above the roar of the wind. He reached down to grab hold of something, anything that would help give Buck an anchor. "Just hold on, don't let go. I've got you."

Buck began to laugh then, shaking in Eddie's grip. It wracked through his body, on the verge of sobbing.

"It's not fucking funny!" Eddie cried. He let go of the unconscious man entirely so he could take hold of Buck's biceps, his fingers practically digging into Buck's armpit.

"Good thing I'm not ticklish," Buck called out, and he began to laugh harder.

Eddie stared at him in disbelief. "You're going to die if you don't shut up," he told him, looking for the line in desperation. It was swinging around in a wide arc, but it had begun to thread back toward them, losing some of the slack.

He peered down at the ground and saw the specs of the 118 reeling in the slack, slowly bringing the rope back toward him.

Eventually, it came close enough for Eddie to grab it. He took Buck's full weight on his legs and took hold of his jacket so he could get himself hooked back in.

Only once Buck had tested the rope, and his weight lifted off of Eddie's legs, was Eddie able to let go.

They drifted back towards the unconscious man, careful now to stay out of his reach while they worked. Together, Buck and Eddie managed to get him hooked into their lines, and they descended with the added weight towards the ground.

Chimney and Hen were waiting with the stretcher. As soon as the man was safely on the ground, Eddie staggered to the side, leaning over in an attempt not to lose his lunch.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned, straightening, to see Buck standing there.

Buck had removed his goggles, leaving his normally perfect hair mussed. He started to speak, but Eddie didn't let him as he nearly tackled Buck in the tightest hug he'd ever given. Buck's arms squeezed him back, so tight he couldn't breathe.

"I think I'm done with heights for a while," Eddie said, laughing wetly when they parted. He took off his own goggles and wiped at his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm not doing that again," Buck said. There was no humor in it. His hands came up to frame Eddie's face, and he pulled him close until their foreheads pressed together. Eddie couldn't see anything except those blue eyes. "You saved me," Buck said.

Eddie nodded. "I've got your back," he said, cupping the back of Buck's neck. He could already feel the fatigue setting into his legs, and he'd be lucky if he could walk for the soreness; but Buck was here, alive, and any amount of pain was worth that.

[tawaifeddiediaz]

cut it close

@hearteyesforbuck made me do it. 

@theleftboobgrabber here it is!!

Thank you to @sevensoulmates for looking this over and giving me a title i love you.

I just really wanted to write a shaving fic for Buddie after I read one with Joe and Nicky xD So here it IS! Wrote it in one day, less than 5000 words which is a FEAT for me. I am proud of myself.

[AO3 Link]

Word Count: 3642 words

Eddie was annoyed.

It was weird, because Eddie lived the majority of his life with some semblance of facial hair. It made him feel less naked, exposed less of his face even if it was just a five o’clock shadow. When he could, he usually had something up there, plus the added benefit of less time needed to get ready.

But his face was scratchy, and now he was annoyed.

In the Army, there was no room for anything but keeping himself clean-shaven. Regulation said that facial hair wasn’t allowed, unless it was a mustache, and no matter what anyone said, Eddie could not pull one off. He’d look like a counterfeit cowboy playing dress-up with one of those 50-cent stick-on mustaches, and he hadn't even wanted to think about the Texas jokes he'd get from the other soldiers.

That wasn’t to say that he'd been religious in keeping himself clean-shaven when he was at home. When Christopher was born, he was on a ten-day paternity leave; between Shannon’s long labour and just the feeling of being home, there was no way he was about to keep running razors across his face.

The first touch of his son’s hand on his face had been obscured by a five o’clock shadow. Eddie didn’t think much of it back then - he wasn’t quite sure why he was thinking about it now, either.

Four-year-old Christopher used to run his hand gleefully across the slight beard Eddie had grown in between tours, babbling incoherently at the rough texture. It seemed to soothe Chris in a way - the way holding his son close did to Eddie. He’d been too exhausted from constantly fighting with his wife to even think about putting a blade to his skin, but if Chris calmed from it, who was he to remove it?

It had never been more than a day or two worth of growth after the second tour - not until he moved to LA. After that, it was just easier to trim it so it was close-cropped. Firefighters didn’t have to keep things completely shaved, though most of his crew preferred it. Bobby, Buck, Chimney - Eddie didn’t think he’d seen any of them with more than a day’s worth of growth in the three years he’d known them.

But for him, being new to town, fresh with his parents’ words branded on his skin, it was easier to keep it. New look, new him - so to speak. Not that he was under the impression that the stubble did anything to hide his expression, but the illusion of anonymity, or protection from his vulnerability was nice.

He’d gone through multiple hairstyles through his first year and a half in California. Enough that Christopher snorted and laughed every time he saw Eddie with something new, then turned around and demanded a new haircut of his own. 

First, it was the longer hair that turned into a wavy mess when he worked out. Then, it was the slightly-shorter, but always quiffed-back hair. Both of which made him look years younger than he actually was, but were hell to keep up with. Then after Shannon died, he’d just buzzed it all off. The new hairstyle made him look older and more serious, somewhere along how old Eddie actually felt. 

Though he suspected that it could be a product of the muscle he’d been packing on, throwing himself into working out to shut his brain down for at least an hour or two.

The stubble hadn’t really changed through that. He’d shaved completely maybe once, for the funeral, but for the most part, his trimmer was his best friend.

Then Christmas came and went and Eddie decided that the new year deserved yet another new look. S o the stubble had to go.

He also started growing his hair back out. Somehow, it came back fluffier than it used to be, but he stopped putting copious amounts of gel and pomade in it. It was barely longer than a few inches, but coupled with his clean-shaven skin, he looked at least ten years younger. Hell, Eddie didn’t even recognize himself anymore.

Pretty empowering, if you asked him.

Still, he wasn’t quite sure why he was just staring at the razor in his hand now. 

Coming off of a 24-hour shift usually meant that Eddie went through his normal routine of kissing Christopher goodbye for school, hopping into the shower and then standing in front of the mirror to brush and shave before he went to bed.

Today, though, the shift had been brutal. Back-to-back calls, a lot of them requiring all hands on deck, and despite Bobby keeping the rotation going so they could catch at least a couple hours of sleep, Eddie was dead on his feet. He’d still kissed Christopher goodbye, thanked Carla and hardly managed to keep himself upright in the shower or while brushing.

But damn, his face itched.

“Eddie?” Buck’s voice rang out from the entryway. “You here?”

“In here!” he called back, somehow stupidly relieved at the sound of his best friend’s voice. He wasn’t sure what exactly Buck was doing here, but he never complained about having him in the house. Especially when he was as tired as now.

Buck appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, his grin slipping immediately at the sight of Eddie turning the razor in his hands over and over. 

Suddenly, he was struck at how this looked, and moved frantically to correct it. “I’m too tired to shave.”

Whatever hypotheticals had been flying through Buck’s mind resolved themselves at that explanation, evident from the faint relieved grin that played on his lips and the way his shoulders relaxed. He stepped into the bathroom, clearly unfazed by Eddie being clad in a towel and nothing else. “So let me do it?”

Eddie shook his head a few times, rubbed at his eyes, and blinked precariously at his best friend who was still looking on at him with amusement. Oh, so Buck had asked. Still, he needed to confirm that he wasn’t hearing things. “What?”

Buck shrugged, leaning casually against the wall. “I can shave it off for you and you can go to sleep without feeling scratchy.”

It was tempting. If he hadn’t been as half-asleep as he was, he probably would’ve put up more of a fight than he actually did. Instead, he just nodded and handed the stupid thing to Buck, who was now sporting a Cheshire grin, practically bouncing in place. “It’s that exciting?”

“Stow it, Diaz, you know I love the little things,” he teased.

Eddie let out a tired laugh. “I do. Where do you want me?”

Buck scanned the bathroom before his eyes landed on Christopher’s shower chair. He brought it over, unfolding it and gesturing for Eddie to sit down. “You want me to grab you a shirt?”

“Nah, I don’t want to get shaving cream on it,” he replied, before thinking better of it and tacking on, “I can if it makes you uncomfortable, though.” 

Buck snorted, shaking his head and reaching to wash his hands. He turned to Eddie, looking critically at his jaw and cheeks.

“Your hair is dripping all over your face,” Buck decided bemusedly, pulling a towel off the stack of them and coming to stand behind him. “Here, tilt your head back.”

Eddie complied, resting his head back against Buck’s stomach. The first pass of the towel, only slightly obscuring the strength of Buck’s fingers massaging at his scalp, turned him instantly boneless. He kept rubbing the towel over his head, taking care not to jostle Eddie’s head too much.

Eddie was pretty sure he made a self-incriminating noise for the drag of Buck’s fingers because he started laughing, moving a hand down to rest on his nape. This time, he dug his fingers into a random knot at the base of his neck. Eddie groaned again at the feel of it releasing, pulling another throaty laugh from his best friend.

“You carry too much tension in your stance,” he said in a mock-deep voice. Eddie chuckled, dropping his head back down. The two of them immediately dissolved into more laughter at his hair standing in spikes, the joyful sound echoing in the small space. Buck grinned at him through the mirror, combing the damp strands back with a couple passes of his fingers. 

“Much better.” Coming around the chair, Buck grabbed the shaving cream off the counter, directing Eddie to close his eyes as he spread the foam on his face

Eddie had severely underestimated how intimate this was going to be. 

Suddenly, he felt a little too naked, sitting here in only a towel with his eyes closed, even if he trusted Buck with everything in him. He was painfully aware of it, goosebumps rising on his skin.

“I want to watch you,” he said quietly, holding his breath. A second skipped by, in which Eddie was completely convinced that he’d just scared his best friend off. Buck simply tapped a finger under his jaw in a silent signal. 

Eddie opened his eyes to find Buck staring at him softly. He’d never seen that look on his face before, and to be the recipient of it was a little groundbreaking. In fact, Eddie was pretty much 90% sure that no one had ever looked at him like that.

It was too damn early to have all these realizations.

Blissfully, Buck didn’t make him talk about it. Instead, he started up a steady stream of random conversation that Eddie was only half-paying attention to. He was stuck watching his best friend run the razor meticulously along his face.

Evan Buckley, when the occasion called for it, had a single-minded focus that not many people expected from him. Eddie had seen it that first day, and every day since. And it wasn’t just a focus that was partial to him being a firefighter. 

Eddie saw it when Buck helped Chris with science homework, or when they were building unidentifiable figures with Legos. He saw it when Buck interacted with May about school, Harry and Denny about video games. He saw it when Chimney was ribbing him about his lack of pop culture references, or when Bobby was teaching him a new recipe. 

Somehow, Eddie just didn’t realize that even he was privy to that; that he, too, could be a recipient of Buck’s focus. That in itself was a monumental realization.

“What are you thinking so hard about there?” Buck asked, scraping the razor down his cheek.

“You” slipped out of his mouth, setting his face aflame again. Eddie internally cursed his lack of filter when he was tired, but Buck only laughed, bright blue eyes flicking to his own.

“Care to share with the class?”

“You’re being very careful with this,” he observed, watching Buck’s brow furrow in concentration over a particularly difficult angle.

“Would you prefer I sliced your skin?” he teased, rinsing the razor before coming back. Two fingers landed on his jaw to stretch the skin slightly as the blade made another pass across his face.

“If I’d started to shave right now, I guarantee you it would not have been pretty.”

“You’re always pretty,” Buck said absently, turning away to dip the razor in water again. Eddie’s face warmed a little more at the unabashed compliment. He’d never been so grateful for the shaving foam still obscuring half his face, but he also couldn’t help the pleased feeling that settled in his bones.

“I wouldn’t be with toilet paper stuck to all the little nicks and cuts.” 

Buck furrowed his brow, looking weirdly at him. “Is that something people do?”

Eddie laughed, moving to wipe his face before thinking better of it. “It’s another movie thing, I think. They always show people doing it to stop the bleeding but I find that so gross.”

“Do you know how many bacteria…” and there Buck went off on a rant about sticking toilet paper where it didn’t belong, and how bacteria could infect open cuts, and how horrible people’s hygiene was. 

Eddie watched bemusedly as Buck sprouted more and more facts, getting heated at the audacity of some people. The repetitive feel of the razor and Buck’s voice almost lulled him to sleep, even as he fought to keep his eyes open to listen to his friend's spiel.

“If you fall asleep on me, I’m not responsible for anything that happens,” Buck said, louder than before. Eddie nearly fell off the chair, startled by the volume of his voice but easily steadied by Buck’s hands on his skin.

Well, he was wide awake now. 

Buck didn’t move, even after Eddie was balanced back on the chair. His hands were wrapped around Eddie’s arms, palms burning through air-cooled skin. Briefly, he registered that Buck had stopped dragging the blade across his skin a while ago from the dry feel of it, which meant that he’d probably fallen asleep.

Eddie looked up at Buck, watching his throat click as he stared down at him. There was a ferocity in the lines of his face - another unfamiliar look that Eddie hadn’t seen directed towards him before.

Part of Eddie wanted to flee from how vulnerable he felt, open and bare in more ways than just physically. The other part of him relished being this close to the man that made him feel safe in being emotionally exposed, in seeing Buck unguarded in the four walls of his bathroom.

“It’s okay to let someone take care of you, Eddie,” Buck said quietly. Of all the things that he expected Buck to say, that wasn’t one of them.

“You do,” he replied simply. 

It really was that simple - Eddie hadn’t lied. The past three years had countless examples of Buck taking care of him. The smile that broke across Buck’s face was almost blinding, but also made Eddie realize how much his best friend relished simple praise. 

It was that thought that gave him the courage to lift a hand and pull Buck’s away from his shoulder, entangling their fingers. “Hey, I know I don’t say it as often as I should but I appreciate you, more than I can put in words.”

Buck shook his head, smiling and squeezing his fingers once before reaching for the razor again. “Just because you don’t use words, doesn’t mean you don’t show me your appreciation.”

Eddie couldn’t fathom what else he’d done to show it, but he let it go, leaning back in the chair as Buck tilted his head up. This time, he kept his eyes roaming Buck’s face as best as he could, trying to figure something out here.

The quiet that settled between them felt loaded. The only sounds that could be heard were the swish of the water as Buck rinsed the blade, a faint scratch as the blade dragged along his jaw.

“I mean, you trust me to put a blade to your throat,” Buck brought up after a little while. Eddie assumed it was in regards to how he showed appreciation. 

“That’s a bit dramatic, Buck. It’s a generic razor, not a medieval dagger.”

“Are you trying to tell me you can’t fashion a weapon out of this?” Buck raised an eyebrow skeptically, tilting his jaw to get to that one pesky spot right underneath it. 

“Your faith in my abilities is startling,” Eddie laughed, earning himself a rebuke from Buck when his skin stretched in the opposite direction. He fell silent as the razor slipped across his Adam’s apple with all the care in the world, Eddie a little miffed that he couldn’t watch Buck do this staring up at the ceiling.

He was never going to be able to do the simple act of shaving without thinking about Buck, ever again.

“Okay,” Buck said after two more passes with the razor. “I think that’s done.”

Eddie finally took his eyes off Buck for the first time since he’d set the blade to his skin, and stared past him at the mirror. Somehow, looking at Buck through the mirror was more intimate than looking at him directly.

Unsurprisingly, Buck had done a great job. He told his best friend as much, watching as red dusted across his cheeks. It was endearing, and Eddie wanted to reach out and brush his fingers across the blush, or say something else that would deepen it.

Instead, he stood up and bent over the sink, splashing cold water on his skin and taking the offered towel to pat his face and neck dry.

“Can I…” Buck trailed off, holding up his aftershave. He looked to be bracing himself for rejection, which wouldn’t do at all.

Eddie stayed silent, stepping into his best friend’s space and tilting his chin up so he could look the other man in the eye. Buck took the gesture as the permission it was, unscrewing the cap to get some balm.

He closed his eyes as Buck’s fingers swept across his freshly cleaned skin, applying the product as carefully as he’d wielded the razor. The strokes of his calloused fingertips against his sensitive skin sent shivers down his spine, bracketing each bone with a security that really only came from being with Buck.

“Eddie,” Buck whispered, a thumb stroking idly along the underside of his jaw.

He opened his eyes to find Buck staring at him just as softly as before. 

The tension stretched taut between them, three years of building whatever this was between them all coming to a head faster than Eddie would have imagined. But in the quiet of his house, alone with no one but Buck to witness him like this, he let himself lean into it.

“Buck,” he smiled, reaching up to cup his face. “Thank you.”

That startled a laugh out of the other man, an impish grin Eddie had to taste. So he leaned up to press his lips to Buck in a closed-mouth kiss, feeling something settle inside him as Buck wrapped an arm around his bare shoulders to pull him closer.

Buck pulled back first, before it could get too heated. “Nope, I refuse to be blamed if you get razor burn or ingrown hairs from us making out.”

“You can be blamed for taking so damn long,” Eddie grinned, throwing his head back in laughter at his best friend’s affronted look.

“Right, it’s on me, my bad,” Buck shook his head. “Go get ready for bed before you can’t sleep anymore.”

Eddie complied, leaving one last kiss at the corner of Buck’s mouth. As he ruffled through his drawers, he called back to him. “Join me?”

“I’m not the one who just came off shift, but sure,” he replied, bounding out of the bathroom happily. Eddie chuckled at his eagerness but threw whatever random clothes he found on, then walked over to tug Buck towards the bed. The mere sight of it had his eyelids feeling heavy.

They settled into the sheets, facing each other. Buck was smiling at him, and Eddie was still a little stuck on how they’d ended up here, but he wasn’t about to look this gift horse in the mouth.

“Not that you’re not allowed here whenever you want, but what did you come here for? Sorry, I forgot to ask, you usually don’t come over after one of my 24-hours.”

Buck laughed. “Nothing at all, I was bored.”

“Well, I fixed that for you,” he replied impishly. Buck had been more than careful with his face even with his excitement, definitely more than Eddie could manage after a long shift. 

“You smell good,” Buck murmured, eyes twinkling with mirth as he swiped a thumb along his cheek. Eddie smiled, turning his face slightly into the pillow at the light touch.

“Just the aftershave.” A yawn pressed at the back of Eddie’s mouth, but he managed to keep it at bay by pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He wasn’t about to let a yawn of all things break this bubble between them. “Why don’t they let firefighters keep facial hair anyway?” he asked drowsily. He knew the answer, but he just wanted to hear Buck’s voice, to let it help him drift off.

“The masks,” he replied, reaching forward hesitantly to set a hand on Eddie’s hip. Eddie, exhausted as he was, didn’t even question it; he scooted closer and curled into Buck’s chest, listening to the rumble of his voice as he talked. “Facial hair stops the masks from sealing properly around our mouth and nose. It’s the same with N95 masks or respirators; even a little facial hair can disrupt the seal.” 

“Feels better without hair now,” he said, pressing a tired smile into Buck’s shirt.

“Well it looks good, if I do say so myself.”

Eddie felt a rush of fondness overcome him, wrapping around his heart and lungs as he pulled back a little to look at his partner’s beaming face.

What he actually wanted to say was that he loved him, but Eddie didn’t think either of them were in a place to hear it. Definitely not with Eddie like this, exhausted and sleep-drunk. But he wanted to say something.  

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, words not coming to him in his bleary state. But this was Buck, so he heard him anyway. Tangling their fingers together, Buck raised them and kissed Eddie’s knuckles. “I know, and it’s the same for you.”

Somehow, that was enough. 

Eddie tilted his face up to press a sloppy kiss to Buck’s skin, tucking his face into his partner’s neck and just breathing in. 

Buck pressed a kiss to his forehead in return, wrapping his arms a little tighter around him. “Go to sleep,” he said in a low voice.

So he did.

[madamewriterofwrongs]

1: I love all your 911 Au’s ♥️♥️

& 2. Circus Au for 9-1-1?

1. Thank you! I’m having so much fun!

2. You got it!

Bobby - Ringleader 

Chimney - Clown

Hen - Animal Tamer

Buck - Magician

Eddie - Contortionist

Athena - Magician’s Assistant

Maddie - Trapeze Artist 

Michael - Strong Man

Come one, come all, to Angelina’s Circus of 118 Wonders* 

Follow our ringmaster: Robert the Ridiculous under the big top, as he introduces you to his Wonders. Only the best of the best can join Bobby’s circus so you know you’re in for a treat!

Meet Michael, the strong man. Don’t let that friendly smile fool you, folks, he can lift a house over his head! No need to call a doctor, your head’s just fine: that is Michael carrying an elephant across the ring. You won’t see this anywhere else!

And who’s that next to him, wrangling Jumbo back to his cage? Henrietta, the animal tamer. She can stare down the fiercest cobra with her stare, and command the hungriest tiger to kneel. Even you animals in the seats aren’t safe from her if she catches you making eyes at her woman. 

Who’s that high above the stands? It’s the Magnificent Madeline. She once walked the length of city block on the high wire. She once cycled, blindfolded, down the streets of Paris while being chased by a big bear (though that was just for recreation)! She will dazzle you with her balance and grace, with only her lover to catch her if she falls.

And he’s a little clumsy, folks. Chimney, our resident clown! The only thing funny about him, is how he never stops making you laugh. He is a jack of all trades, and a master of none - and boy, does he show it. He’ll juggle fire, he’ll eat a balloon, he’ll probably get those mixed up but keep going anyways. You won’t want to miss a thing.

And who’s that, curled in the corner? Edmundo the Elastic! He can twist himself into the tightest knots and untangle them just as quickly. Name a shape and he can bend to your will. With the help of his adorable assistant, Christopher, he will show you that there is no space too small, too thin, too ridiculous, that he can’t put himself in. 

Last, but certainly not least, we have the amazing duo known as Bathena! Buck, the brave magician, and his enchanting assistant Athena, will dazzle you with their charm and skill. Buck may be waving the wand but we know Athena is the one doing all the work behind the curtain. This dynamic duo will startle you with their feats of magic (and their level of wit and sass has to be seen to be believed). No one can get themselves into or out of trouble faster than Bathena!

Hurry, folks, the show’s about to begin. You won’t want to miss a single moment!

*There are not actually 118 wonders. 

Prompt Me with AUs

[outrunningthedark]

it does seem like ryan and oliver are filming a lot together but i can never really tell how it'll translate to the show bc the bts is so confusing ahahah

I'm not certain about anything regarding 6x03, but the original 6x03 before it was pushed back a week (now 6x04), will have the Diaz boys feat. Eddie in his black tank top:

It's also the episode when Buck and Bobby (?) will share the screen:

and Buck gets run off the road while tracking the car Chimney is in, by the looks of things. The "CH" appears to stand for him. "F" is...Fugitive? Unless this guy has a name that starts with F!

So we should read about at least one of the guys in the synopsis for that episode, and we'll find out if their paths cross outside of work. Like if Buck is at Eddie's house for family time. 😝 And then the following week definitely has them teaming up for...something. It may take a whole month, but we'll get to the good stuff!