#more specifically. yes. this is about evan buck buckely

[fragilecapric0rnn]

how it feels to have a new hyperfixation: a moodboard

[fluentmoviequoter]

A Family at Your Side

Requested Here!

Pairing: Tim Bradford x shy!paramedic!fem!Buckley!reader

Summary: You, Evan Buckley's sister, are a paramedic with the 118. When you're called to a fire, it quickly becomes a crime scene when someone opens fire on you. Your boyfriend Tim Bradford and your fire station family have to work together to save you.

Warnings: angst, fluff, injuries (r is shot), depiction of arson/shooting, lots of teasing. [While r is Evan's sister, I don't put anything specific in here past some teasing, so it could be viewed as adoptive or some other relationship dynamic!]

Word Count: 2.6k+ words

A/N: I've only seen a few episodes of 911 (season 1), so I hope my characterization of them isn't completely terrible. I really like this dynamic though; it's so fun and complex!!

Masterlist | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

Picture from Pinterest

“There’s no escape,” you whisper under your breath, desperately wishing for some relief.

“Oh, c’mon, we’re not that bad,” Buck replies, knocking his fist against your shoulder. “We’re better than the cop.”

“In every way!” Hen adds, smiling at you. “Why you started dating him is one of the two things I will never understand about you.”

“What’s the other?” you ask.

“How you-“ she turns to point to Buck as she continues, “and him are related. He can’t shut up and you can’t make eye contact.”

“I got all the good genes,” Buck explains, smiling.

“Yet none of the smarts,” Hen argues, pressing her lips together as she tilts her head.

“Or looks,” Nash calls from his place in the kitchen. “Now if you’re done bothering her, can someone set the table?”

You stand to help, and Nash points a spatula at you as he says, “Not you. You do it all the time. Make your brother do something for once.”

“She has no power over me!” Buck yells dramatically. “I have leverage. Like that time she-“

Chimney hits the back of his head, telling him to stop, as your chin drops to your chest. The alarm goes off before you can wonder which embarrassing story he was planning to use, and as you rush to the ambulance with Hen, you’re glad Chimney stopped him. Their attention was bad enough without him divulging your personal information.

✯✯✯✯✯

“This is a suspected arson, meets the MO of a few previous fires. We need that fire out before the police get here so they can get in,” Nash announces.

“Anyone inside?” Hen asks.

As Nash answers, someone screams in pain, and you look at Nash. He hesitates before nodding, and you grab your bag before running into the clear side of the duplex.

“Los Angeles Fire and Rescue,” you call. “Is anyone in here?”

“Yes! I need help!” a man yells from the back of the dwelling.

Rushing through, you radio to the rest of the 118 that you’re looking for an injured resident.

“We can’t get the fire under control,” Buck answers, his voice tight. “You need to get out of there.”

“I see him. Keep trying, Buck. Sir, are you injured?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he answers shakily. “I smelled the smoke and- and I have asthma, but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from, and I was scared to leave.”

“Okay, take a deep breath, sir. I’m a paramedic, so I’m going to get you out of here and then we’ll make sure your airways are clear. Do you understand?”

He nods but refuses when you gesture for him to stand.

“It’s on fire!” he argues.

“Sir, we have a clear track to the front door, but the fire will spread with the Santa Anas blowing outside, so we need to go now,” you explain.

Something crashes outside, and you pull the man to his feet.

“Get out of there! If I don’t see you in ten seconds, I’m coming in after you,” Buck radios.

“We’re coming, Buck,” you answer, pulling the man along.

More sirens become audible as you reach the door, the fire much closer to the front of the building. Several police cars approach, and you breathe a sigh of relief. The man stops, and you turn toward him quickly.

“Sir, we’re almost there,” you remind him, pointing to the ambulance.

“He’s still out here!”

“Who?” you ask, your voice quieting again as the adrenaline wears off.

“The man who set the fire!”

You freeze, a sudden cold rush contrasting the heat from the fire.

“Where is he?”

“I- I don’t know.”

A shot rings through the air, and you drop to the small porch, pulling the man behind the railing beside you. The fire is moving toward you, but with no idea of where that shot came from, you can’t move and risk your life and this man’s.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Everybody down!” Nash yells, ducking behind the truck.

“7-Adam-19, shots fired at my location. LAFD 118 and LAPD in need of backup, dispatch air support for possible sniper,” Tim calls, kneeling behind his shop before rushing to the fire truck.

“She’s still up there,” Buck calls, squatting behind the ambulance with Hen.

“Who?”

Buck and Nash look at each other and then Tim, and he immediately knows they’re talking about you.

“Backup is on the way, but we can’t do anything yet,” Tim explains.

“Bradford, the fire is spreading, we can’t stop it with this wind!” Nash adds.

“Or a sniper taking shots at us!” Buck yells. He drops his head to his radio to ask, “Sis, you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. What’s going on?”

“Bradford and Thorsen are here, they called for backup but we can’t do anything until-“

Another shot cuts him off, and you move back against the railing.

“Talk to me!” Buck yells into his receiver.

“I’m okay, Buck,” you reply quietly. “Our- uh- our guy passed out after working himself up, so…”

“He’s not our primary concern right now,” Buck responds.

“Careful,” you warn, your voice nearly inaudible.

“No, I happen to agree,” Nash adds to the conversation.

Tim pulls Chimney’s radio from his chest to say, “I do too. You take care of you, and we’ll worry about him when we can get up there.”

The radio stays quiet, and Tim looks around the end of the truck. He can’t see you, but knowing you’re out of sight and safe makes him feel better.

“Uh, Tim?” Aaron asks. “Eyes on our shooter.”

Tim turns quickly, looking up. He sees the end of the rifle, and when it lowers suddenly, he doesn’t think before yelling at you.

“Stay down!” he screams.

You drop lower, your face to the concrete as the shooter releases several rounds, making a line of bullet holes across the front of the duplex. The fire is moving slowly, but it’s still closing in on your hiding place.

The cold feeling hasn’t gone away, and as you look at the unconscious man at your side, you can only hope to make it out alive.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Where is your backup?” Buck asks Tim, leaning forward to look past Hen.

“Still a minute out. Aaron and I are going to go through that building, find a way to the roof,” Tim answers.

“Be careful. We all care about the woman stuck back there,” Nash reminds him.

Aaron and Tim nod before moving between the shop and the fire truck, rushing to the main entrance and entering quietly.

“Go left, I’ll go right,” Tim whispers.

As they move up the stairs, Tim hears their backup and the airship approaching. He hopes that the shooter doesn’t do anything stupid when he sees the police and gestures for Aaron to go faster.

“LAPD, put the weapon down!” an officer demands over the speaker of the airship.

“Thorsen, go!” Tim yells, kicking the door open to walk onto the roof.

The man turns the rifle up, shooting toward the helicopter before it moves. Aaron and Tim approach from different sides, and when the gun suddenly drops and the man begins emptying his ammunition toward you, Tim doesn’t hesitate to shoot.

“7-Adam-19, suspect is down,” Aaron radios. “Tim, go get her.”

Nodding, Tim stands, rushing down the stairs and out into the road. The fire has worsened, and the 118 is still in place.

Evan sees Tim and clenches his jaw, stepping toward Tim to yell, “This is your fault! It’s all on you!”

 Tim’s brows furrow, looking to Nash for more information.

“She’s, uh- she’s not responding to the radio calls, and we can’t get up there until we get part of the fire out, enough to get through with our gear,” Nash explains.

“You should have brought enough backup to begin with or gone up there sooner!” Buck continues.

“You think I don’t know that?” Tim snaps. “But she was already stuck when I got here, so work on getting to her and getting her safe, and then you can get mad at me!”

“And if it’s too late?” Buck demands, his chest heaving in anger.

Tim looks away, and Buck moves forward quickly, causing Nash and Chimney to lunge forward and hold him back.

“I’ll kill you if we’re too late!”

“Buck!” Tim yells, walking to him. “I know this is my fault and if she doesn’t make it, her blood is on my hands. I’m sorry, I really am, but there is nothing I can do now except keep people back so you can get this fire out and find out if- and make sure she is okay.”

Buck relaxes slightly, pushing Chimney and Nash off of him.

“Let’s get her out!” Nash calls, directing everyone to their positions.

✯✯✯✯✯

The man beside you groans as you tug him further against the wall. You’re caged in against the fire, and you dropped your radio, watching it burn as you kept your head down.

When water sprays onto your face, a steady stream coming from the street, you force a smile, hoping to get out, get warm, and hug your brother and Tim for as long as you can before they make you shy away from them. You love them for it, you remember, reminding yourself to think happy thoughts.

“Where’s the ambulance?” the man slurs before coughing.

“Just a minute, sir, keep your head down and breathe.”

The fire is driven back by two hoses, and when several feet are clear on the side of the railing, people begin yelling.

“Sis! Can you hear me?” Buck asks loudly, appearing in his turnout gear a moment later.

“Get him to the ambulance,” you reply, standing shakily as he pulls the man over his shoulder.

You walk into the small yard, looking for Tim. The persistent cold feeling is just beginning to concern you, and when you grow dizzy and stop in the yard, you realize that something is wrong. Raising your hands to press against your stomach, you begin to run through a mental list of potential injuries.

“Hey, hey, gorgeous, c’mon, we got to get back,” Tim calls as he jogs to your side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you murmur, ducking away from his hands on your face.

“Good,” Tim replies, laying his hand on your upper back and directing you to the curb.

“You got lucky,” Buck grumbles, joining your other side across from Tim.

“We all did our jobs, Buck, she’s safe, just leave it,” Tim says lowly.

“No thanks to you!” Buck responds, stepping forward.

You recognize the look in his eyes, an anger he seems to reserve for you. Without thinking, you move a hand from your navel and push it against Buck’s chest to stop him. He and Tim look at your bloody hand before yelling your name as you tip back.

Buck catches you, lowering you onto the grass as he rips your shirt open.

“Hen!” he screams, a pained, guttural sound that draws the attention of the entire 118.

Hen sees you on the ground, unconscious between Buck and Tim, and rushes to you, her bag thrown over her shoulder.

“GSW,” she decides quickly, looking at your stomach, a mess of tattered fabric and blood. “Roll her over, carefully.”

Tim keeps his hands on your side, helping Buck tip you onto one side as Hen runs her hand down your spine.

“No exit wound, we need to go. Now.”

Leaning back, Tim gives Buck room to lift you, running to the ambulance as fast as possible.

“Are you coming?” he yells, raising his arms as he looks at Tim.

“Go!” Nash, Chimney, Aaron, and newly arrived Nolan yell.

Tim nods, rushing into the ambulance and sitting as it lurches into motion.

“I didn’t mean it,” Buck says, looking at you while he speaks to Tim. “It’s not your fault, but I can’t- I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t. We won’t,” Tim promises.

Hen works quickly, muttering under her breath about needing your help.

✯✯✯✯✯

When you open your eyes, you first notice the unmistakable feeling of someone looking at you and touching your side, a gentle touch as fingers drag up and down your skin.

“Is he okay?” you ask, blinking against the harsh light above you.

“The man from the duplex?” Buck asks. “Yeah, he’s fine. Had an asthma attack and then a few panic attacks, but he’s good. You- you got shot and didn’t tell anyone.”

Tipping your head down, you’re surprised he’s standing at the end of your bed. This means the fingers on your exposed side belong to…

“Tim,” you whisper, glancing at him.

“You scared us, baby,” he replies softly, spreading his warm hand over your skin.

He smiles when your muscles tense beneath him, but it quickly disappears when you groan in pain.

“I didn’t mean not to tell you,” you say quietly, pinching the blanket between your fingers. “I didn’t know I got shot.”

“That’s kinda- that’s pretty epic, really,” Buck says, laying his hand on your foot. “Makes a good party story.”

“I don’t go to parties,” you grumble.

“I mean for me,” he replies happily.

“Are you two fighting?” you ask, looking between them.

“No,” they answer together, both squeezing you reassuringly.

“We were scared and upset, didn’t have anywhere else to take it out,” Buck explains with a shrug. “He’s just lucky you stopped me from hitting him. I would’ve removed him from active duty for six weeks minimum.”

“You wish,” Tim scoffs.

“Stop,” you say, chuckling when they look shocked at your bold demand. “Please.”

“You were in surgery for a long time,” Tim tells you. “How’s your pain?”

“It’s fine, manageable. I mean, I can feel it now, but it’s not too bad.”

You glance down, your brows furrowing as you realize why you could feel Tim’s skin directly on yours.

“Wondering where your hospital gown is?” Tim asks, a smile you know all too well on his face. “I put in a special request.”

“Gross. That’s my sister,” Buck interjects. When you look at him with wide eyes, he sighs and fills you in: “They couldn’t get to your stomach well enough with one on. If you want to cover up, we’ll make sure you’re comfortable.”

“It’s okay,” you reply, gently tugging the band of your sports bra down.

“More than okay,” Tim says, quiet enough that Buck can’t hear.

You look away quickly, and Buck makes a ‘tsk’ sound.

“The shooter is in custody,” Tim says, giving you a break from his ‘abuse.’

“Will I have to testify or anything?” you whisper.

“No,” Tim and Buck answer together.

Buck pulls his phone from his pocket, nodding before shaking your ankle, his hand still resting on you.

“I have to go, we’ve got a call, but when we’re done, everyone wants to come by,” he says.

You nod. “Be careful. I love you.”

“Love you, sis!”

Looking at Tim’s chest rather than his face, he takes the chance to tease you. “Maybe you should get a shirt before your team gets here.”

“Get out,” you mumble. “Or give me yours.”

“Whoa! You get shot once and become a whole new person.”

“Wasn’t worth it.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Tim replies, taking your hand. “And I’m sorry that I couldn’t do anything to keep it from happening.”

“’S not your fault.”

Turning your attention back to the blanket, Tim asks, “You get this shy with your patients?”

“No. But they’re not as pushy.”

“Hey,” Tim calls, using his hand to gently turn your chin toward him. “I love you. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“I love you, too. Thanks for being here through all of it.”

“Try to get rid of me.”

“I do. You never listen.”

Tim laughs, loud and happy, and you smile, turning your face into his arm where it holds your hand, glad he’s at your side, and you have a whole team, a family, to be with you through everything.

[bloodyminyard]

a (long) comprehensive list of buck related things in 7x04 that have me losing it as i rewatch:

- the stupid starry eyed look he has while getting the tour from tommy

- the terrible “i need mo jo” joke that tommy laughs at purely bc it was endearing

- “you didn’t call me because you wanted to see the toys”

- “you need to raise your bar kid” my GOD the “kid”

- ofc, the “no way!! eddie was in the army!”

- god they are so FLIRTY “really?” “my fees are competitive” “let me buy you a beer no WAY buck is this clueless

- eddie being so excited about the fight, and specifically the idea of buck joining help

- “keeping my options fluid” SIR

- evan?!?!?!????

- the close up shot as the fly off my heart

- the look on bucks face when eddie talks about tommy, boy is devastated

- “i saved a baby in a pipe once!” yes you did were so proud

- not buck related: but i adore ravi so much

- OKAY BUT BUCKS STUTTER !! they way he trips over his words when he’s surprised or nervous or even upset 😭

- “i do. i really do.” MY GOD OH MY GOD FUCK ASHHH AHHH

- and the SIGH after as eddie walks away, the building up the courage to ask more

- THE SAY HIS FACE DROPS WHEN EDDIE ASKS HIM TO WATCH CHRIS OHHH EDMUNDO WHEN I CATCH YOU

- “i keep saying, chris it’s not a video game” “because it’s harder than a video game???” maddie i see you and am so sorry you have to deal with this

- SAME WITH “he’s made an impression in a very short time” “i can see that” LIKE SHE IS SO NOT GONNA BE SURPRISED WHEN BUCK COMES OUT TO HER 😭

- “i don’t think you lie to a child just to ingratiate yourself” bro it’s not that serious i promise

- sorry brb imagining buck asking chris all these questions about tommy and chris going 🤔🤔🤔

- buck being upset that eddie invited tommy to play basketball even though eddie always asks him and he says no bc he doesn’t like it… he’s so me i can’t

- “was there a heart around it?” there might as well been maddie!!!

- peacocking buck we love and hate to see (it’s so embarrassing i have to close my eyes. “maybe we should hoop” sir please stop)

- the pouting OLEASE he’s so

- his smile

- the “evan” throws me off every TIME but also it kindaaaaa

- “what are the odds?” bro chill

- the smile when tommy fists bumps him oh i see you gay boy even if you don’t yet

- “so i’m your basketball beard” brother you don’t even KNOW

- i’m sorry the song that’s playing while they play basketball is “playing with the boys”🤔🤔… the lyrics too “i don’t wanna be obsessed but my desire with the boys” (and YES i am aware it’s a top gun reference, however that movie is also gay is hell and so is this song, moving on)

- tommy cocking his head when buck runs into him like oh my

- poor chim does not deserve to be put in the middle of all of this

- “well you bucked that up didn’t you” :(

- okay this scene between maddie and buck afterwards is actually so important to me, i love their ability to communicate, and how buck openly admits that he doesn’t know if he meant to hurt eddie or not, and that he was angry and lashed out, and maddie’s reaction to it :( “that’s not how you get someone’s attention”

- “i guess i was trying to get his attention” buck is the representative of the “i don’t know why i do the things i do until tons of self reflection after the fact” club, same im the president actually

- i do love that we get to watch him try and figure out why he acts and feels the way he does in real time! even at the end he still doesn’t entirely know until tommy is in his face staring at his lips

- the stutter is back 🫶

- “evan…” STOP THE WAY HE SAYS IT THAT TIME MAKES ME GIGGLE I CANT

- this entire scene drives me crazy btw i can literally pick it apart piece by piece… but the way he smiles throughout it makes my heart go akrjeidjdjsjd

- the chemistry is fucking IMMACULATE btw!! the flirting is so natural and it shows through buck being oblivious about it!! like brother no one stands that close to each other

- buck figuring out how he feels AS he speaks!!! poor boy is trying to catch up as fast as he can

- everything about the “okay” after tommy says “i can teach you”… the smile, the eye squint, the head tilt, like oh my GOD

- the way the tone changes when buck says “good” my GOD, the way his face drops as he comes to the realization that maybe it was about tommy the whole time

- the “cause trying to get your attention has been kinda exhausting” punches me in the gut EVERY TIME I WATCH THIS LIKE FUCK OH MY GOD BUCK LIKES MEN FR? and the way he says it GOD, like i said, he’s literally figuring this out as the words come out of his mouth (“i guess so”)

- okay my ONE nitpick about the kiss scene is that tommy grabs his chin, and then when it cuts it’s the two fingers under the chin, it’s inconsistent and i think i like the chin grab better

- the absolute STUNNED look in bucks eyes after the kiss!!! as the perfect oliver stark put it: he’s found something he’s been missing for a long time

- tommy is so worried in the split second before buck tells him that it was okay

- the wordless nod after tommy asks if it was okay THIS MEANS SO MYCH TO ME

- you can FEEL the sense of relief and wholeness radiating off of buck

- “better than fake mouth static” AKSHSISHS

- his eyes following tommy’s lips as he laughs, and then the brief look down like his whole WORLD has just been turned upside down before tommy speaks again

- i am so fucking here for buck being asked out and being stunned by it

- the stutter again 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

- tommy’s smile as he leaves like tee hee ur kinda cute

- the entire of his expressions at the end. there’s panic, there’s confusion, there’s happiness OLIVER STARK THE MAN THAT YOU ARE !!!!

in conclusion: this is everything i wanted and more, the brain rot is everywhere, i cannot escape this episode

[ganseybois]

HAPPY FRIDAY, LOVE! CAN I SEND YOU A PROMPT? :D

Buck/Tommy -- the (4th?) date moment where Buck (maybe accidentally) lets it slip to Tommy that he's really kinda obsessed with the cleft chin (and what happens after).

GIVE ME GRACE I RARELY WRITE IN BUCK'S POV .. eep

Tommy is talking about something, but in all honesty, Buck isn't paying attention.

It's not his fault, it's really, really not. He's just a man, after all. He can't help it.

Tommy is just...so fucking cute.

He's hot, too, holy hell, is he hot. From how he can easily pick Buck up against the wall when they're kissing heavily, to when he manhandles Buck on the couch as they rearrange themselves to make out (there's been a lot of that lately, now that Buck has been feeling a little braver about asking for more), but Tommy is also cute. Buck has noticed how gentle he is with him, how careful, how much he doesn't push, always waits on Buck.

But what Buck thinks is the cutest is his cleft chin. And that's what he's staring at when Tommy sighs in exasperation.

"That's it," he sighs, shaking his head as he leans back in his seat. "What is it? Do I have something in my teeth?"

"W-what?" Buck asked, a dopey smile over his features.

"You're staring, and not in the usual way that I like. You look like you want to laugh."

"Laugh, oh...no, Tommy, no." But Buck does chuckle, and then clears his throat. "Sorry, no. I was just staring cause uh...it's kind of embarrassing."

Tommy gives him that look - the one he gives Buck when he's saying a million different things instead of the one thing he wants to say. "So...I do have something in my teeth?"

"No, embarrassing for me." Buck leans forward a little, and Tommy follows. "I'm uh, kind of obsessed with your chin."

"My--what?" Tommy asks, eyebrows raised.

"I know, I know, every time we go on a date you find out something new and ridiculous about me. It's just...I don't know, really cute. On you, specifically. I, uh..." he brings a hand up tentatively, and grabs Tommy's chin, pressing his thumb right in the middle as his index finger hooks it from behind. "Kinda am always thinking about doing that."

Tommy smiles - it's very large, very bright, Buck likes that a lot as well. He can't remember the last time someone he was dating looked at him like that.

"Or..." Buck's own smile gets wider. "Kissing it. Is-is that weird?"

Tommy grabs Buck's hand but only so he can kiss it. "No. You're not weird or ridiculous, Evan. In fact, you're stupidly adorable."

"Oh yeah?" he tilts his head. "I'm glad that my ridiculousness is working out for me then."

Tommy chuckles affectionately, kissing his hand again, before letting go. Buck takes a moment to squeeze his chin playfully with a loud laugh as Tommy lets him with an equally lighthearted roll of his eyes.

"Anything else you're always thinking about doing, Evan?" Tommy asks, taking a sip of his beer, smiling over it.

Not for the first time, Buck is stunned by the fact that Tommy is so smooth - he doesn't remember ever being someone who fumbles on dates. But now he is (and he doesn't mind it one bit).

"Uh, sure. Yeah. Plenty." he breathes.

"So, wanna get out of here then?" he asks, already getting up and leaving his money in the chequebook on the table.

"Definitely. Yes, definitely." He pushes away from the table without grace, noisy and nervous - the good kind, always the good kind lately. As he stands up, Tommy gets in his bubble, a hand on his waist as he kisses Buck's cheek with a smile.

Buck grabs Tommy by his chin, and right there in the restaurant, with his thumb tucked into the middle, he leans forward and kisses him, right on the lips.

[hippolotamus]

Sunday Sentences

Well, here we are then at the final not even remotely 7SS of 2023. Because I'm great at ignoring rules, I'm offering two POVs of come close (let me be home) from the same section today. Follows this snippet (all prev snippets here)

Buck

Not that Evan was specifically looking for him.   He should focus on Maddie, but he’s unable to tear his gaze away from Viscount Diaz and his, frankly, rather clumsy partner. The poor girl seems to be counting her steps under her breath, trying and failing to dance without tripping them both up. She resembles a newborn fawn using her legs for the first time. Evan chuckles to himself, noting the tight, annoyed sort of grimace on the Viscount’s face and the way he occasionally glances skyward as if some heavenly being might suddenly decide to help. His patience is admirable at least.   For one startling moment, Viscount Diaz ignores the ceiling and the fumbling girl, locking eyes with Evan across the sea of people. The expression is both spontaneous and intentional, filled with curiosity and an innate recognition. It makes his heart flutter and do something complicated in his chest, daring him to ask if he could cut in and relieve the young hopeful from making a bigger fool of herself. It makes him feel seen.  A voice in the back of his mind whispers about etiquette and rules and things that shouldn’t be meddled with. He ignores it in favor of taking a tentative step, feeling drawn toward the center of the room where honey brown irises stay trained on him as much as possible between turns and spins.

Eddie

Agitation builds in his chest with each partner, filling him up until he’s not sure he can breathe properly. One by one Eddie mentally crosses them off, deeming them inadequate. Dull blue eyes, too brunette, can’t waltz properly, reminds him of his mother, stepped on his toes, doesn’t speak latin, prefers having daughters over sons.   Some time near the fifth or sixth partner is when he notices. The sensation of being tracked. A familiar prickling that crawls up his spine, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Between twirls he attempts to locate the source and finds piercing blue eyes staring at him. Flashes of a mischievous smirk, a strawberry pink mark and cool breeze against his face invade Eddie’s memory. He still doesn’t know the man’s name or what his business is. Maybe tonight he can find out.   Eddie’s daydreams are interrupted by stumbling feet and a too small hand grasping his in an attempt to stay upright.   “Oh, my! I’m so sorry,” the young woman — Miss Clark or Martin, whatever her name is — apologizes.   “No harm done," He lies. "Are you alright?” Other than needing more dance lessons?  “Yes, Viscount, thank you.”  The song ends and he gratefully takes the opportunity to excuse himself. He needs air. The crowd, and the idea of spinning around one more husband-seeking idiot, is too much for him to bear at the moment.

tagged by the always lovely and talented @your-catfish-friend (go check their update to in my head btw) @thewolvesof1998 @daffi-990 @jamespearce9-1-1 @wikiangela (posted a new Christmas fic today) @spotsandsocks @honestlydarkprincess @buckaroosheart @underwater-ninja-13 thank you loves 😘

no pressure tagging @callmenewbie (who just posted yesterday!) @malewifediaz @steadfastsaturnsrings mi amore @disasterbuckdiaz @stereopticons @shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz (who posted a fic earlier today) @hoodie-buck @rmd-writes @apothecarose @welcometololaland @lizzie-bennetdarcy @jesuisici33 @giddyupbuck (who posted this fabulous 12 Days of edging fic) @exhuastedpigeon @lemonzestywrites @weewootruck @thekristen999 @loserdiaz @heartshapedvows @fortheloveofbuddie @messyhairdiaz @eowon @watchyourbuck @monsterrae1 @elvensorceress @spagheddiediaz @chaosandwolves @wildlife4life @buddierights @911onabc @the-likesofus @spaceprincessem @fionaswhvre @barbiediaz @pirrusstuff @theplaceyoustillrememberdreaming @statueinthestone and anyone else who wants to share 💖

[shipposttt]

The Ship of the Day: Buddie

Character names: Evan “Buck” Buckley x Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz

Ship name: Buddie 

Original Content:  9-1-1

Info about ship: 

Continuing with our firefighters theme from the previous post, 9-1-1 is a TV show following a fire house in Los Angeles as they go about their daily lives, saving people in daring rescues, dealing with funny accidents and being all around badasses. At the centre of the show is the 5 main firefighters, 118 Captain Robert “Bobby” Nash, paramedics Henrietta “Hen” Wilson and Howard “Chimney” Han, and finally, the topic of this post, special rescues duo Evan “Buck” Buckley and Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz. 

Yes, firefighters apparently really like their nicknames.

(Also, just look at Eddie's left hand placement in that gif, that's a strong grip on Buck's waist)

Buck and Eddie are the young, traditionally handsome members of the team, performing daring rescues with an ongoing repartee with one another. Best friends by their own descriptions, they were not always as close as they are in the later seasons. During Eddie’s introduction to the show, Buck was very against him joining, feeling as if he were invading and taking his role. It was only after pulling a grenade out of a man’s leg together that they learnt that they could get along and began their friendship. A true enemies to lovers story.

Buck helped Eddie find special needs childcare for Eddie’s young son, Christopher, and has stepped into the role of second parental figure for him. Buck is very good with Christopher and takes care of him often, even saving his life after they end up in the middle of a tsunami. Christopher absolutely adores Buck, going to him for help when Eddie is not available or is the reason for Christopher’s ire.

Type of ship: Queer Bait 

The show is not scared of queer representation, it contains many characters who are part of the LGBTQ+ community including Hen being a married lesbian with a son and Bobby’s wife, Athena’s ex-husband being gay and after the divorce getting into a gay relationship. However, this seems to be the edge of where they go, they refuse to take this final step and instead insist on edging the fans on the will they, won’t they of Buck and Eddie. 

Firstly, there is a whole lot of longing staring at each other, like a lot.

Buck’s early behaviour towards Eddie is described by his sister Maddie as a “boy-crush”.

Additionally, both of them are incapable of keeping relationships with female characters. Most of these female characters are brought in simply and solely to act as possible vessels of relationships and so are incredibly one dimensional. The only female partner who is more than that is Eddie’s wife, who firstly disappears from Eddie and Christopher’s lives and then, once she is back, very quickly dies. Eddie describes dating, or more specifically dating women, as “putting on a performance”. 

Well, that’s a pretty queer-coded thought Edmundo. 

Most people headcanon Eddie as a gay man who was pressured into a straight relationship due to family and so married the first girl he could, before he then spent most of his married life deployd halfway across the world for the Army. Buck, on the other hand, is pretty often headcanoned as a bi-man who isn’t so much closeted as just doesn’t really talk about it. It's something about him, but it's just that his past few partners have been girls and so people assume he is straight. 

Going forward with more reasons Buddie is a queerbait, we return to Christopher Diaz. As mentioned earlier, Buck has taken up the role of a secondary parental figure for Christopher and this extends even into law. After Eddie is shot, something I’ll return to, and nearly dies, he ends up in the hospital for an extended period of time. Buck takes up the role of full time parent, firstly being the one to tell Chris that Eddie is hurt and then being the one to take care of him, getting him to school, bringing him to visit his dad. Altogether giving him full-time care. This is happening while Eddie has a girlfriend, a girlfriend who is a special needs teacher who knows how to take care of Christopher, and yet the job is still designated to Buck. As Eddie is healing he reveals to Buck that he changed his will and that, if he dies, Chris’ guardianship will pass to Buck. Not his girlfriend. Not his grandmother or aunt who he visits religiously, not even his parents. His best friend.

Baby trapping, anyone?

So, getting hurt. They both do it a lot. And I mean a lot. But it is not so much the injuries themselves that are important but the reactions of their other halves. When Eddie has a well collapse on top of him, Buck breaks down and starts trying to dig desperately with his bare hands, when Buck has a fire engine land on his leg and crush it, Eddie holds his hand and keeps him company while everyone else is working on getting the rig off of him. When Eddie is shot, Buck is the one to save him, facing one of his worst fears and going back under a fire engine for the first time since he got his leg crushed under one, to pull Eddie to safety. When Buck is struck by lightning, it is Eddie who screams for him, who lowers him from where he is hanging off the ladder and also the one performing CPR. When the medical professionals say they will do their best, Eddie tells them to “do more”. They both save each other's lives, they both are often fuelled by emotions when the other is hurt. It is very romance-coded. This is not to say platonic relationships can’t have this care, but it is almost always romantic relationships that have this care displayed on TV.

And the final part, the most damning evidence of the studio intentionally baiting fans. The Couch Theory. The Couch theory was created by fans and means the following: Buck’s couches are metaphors for his relationships. Every time he gets a new partner, a new couch happens, and every time he breaks from a relationship, the couch is gotten rid of. When he is questioned about this by other characters, he always says that it's because the couch is never right.

So where does he find the most comfortable couch, I hear you ask. Well, he often ends up on Eddie’s couch, even sometimes asleep there. So many of Buck and Eddie’s most important moments, their most queer-coded moments, occur on that couch. And in the most recent season, it seemed that fans were gonna get their way and the baiting was going to spawn into true queer. Throughout the season there were many inferences about the couches, Buck is unable to sleep on his couch so he goes to see Eddie and falls asleep on one side of the couch. Later in the season has Christopher falling asleep in the middle of the couch, and Eddie sits on the other side that wasn’t occupied by Buck earlier on. This creates an image of a family on that couch, two parents bookending their child. And what do the creators do with it? With the perfect set up they’ve built?

They give the two of them very hastily thrown in female love interests that have absolutely no background or connection to anything and then end the season before we can see any actual development. 

The creatives intentionally took the focus of a queer theory and set it up for an apparent result only to swipe it straight out from under the fans. It was a spit in the face to fans and the fans were not happy with it. Queerbaiting is one thing but queerbaiting with fans own queer metaphors is a new low. And yet Fox did it. 

Admin🦉

[leothil]

wondering if you've read any fics recently. I read this 40k won that had Eddie being mute cause of an accident and that was stunning that was great and then I read this one called A Date To Remember which I really liked as well.

Hi anon, I most definitely have! Excellent choice on your part to read @rewritetheending's silent!Eddie fic! Since you liked that, you can go and choose literally any of her other fics, they will all leave you breathless. In fact, read them all, would be my suggestion. Might I suggest starting with, for example, never felt this way before (yes i swear) the Dirty Dancing AU, if i told my secrets (if you knew the truth) in which Eddie tells Buck he loves him at the very beginning of the fic and they figure out the rest over the course of it, or turned around backwards (it's so much clearer) in which Eddie wakes up Buck in the middle of the night to take a trip down memory lane, while they're staying a night in El Paso during the crossover episode.

Since I'm not sure if you're looking for something specific, I'll throw out a mix of things I've read recently and eternal classics. So:

take you in and make you mine by @try-set-me-on-fire where they both get a little hurt in a fire and Eddie doesn't know what they're waiting for anymore. (4.5k)

in the night we trust by @glorious-spoon where they start sleeping together while quarantining at Buck's and it still takes them years to realize what it all meant to them. (29.2k)

let the world have its way with you by @shitouttabuck where Buck makes a bucket list to help see the joys in life again, and Eddie and Chris help him cross items off it. (54.5k)

and the light on the water gleams ch.4: sweater weather by @buckactuallys where they wear each others clothes and I completely melted over it. The fic is a collection of prompt fills, so you can read every chapter as a standalone story. (1k)

i don't swim and you're not in love by @hattalove where Ana is starting to take up more space in Eddie's life, and Buck wonders why he feels so miserable about it. Makes me lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling. (32.4k)

keep going, keep going come what may by @fcntasmas where Buck is the last man on Earth and keeps seeing visions of his loved ones talking to him. Maybe that sounds weird but I promise it's worth it, it knocks the breath out of me every time. (10.7k)

Like Any Unloved Thing by @hmslusitania, a noir urban fantasy AU where Eddie is a private detective that gets tasked with finding the missing Evan Buckley. Cannot say enough good things about it! (18.1k)

at the right time by @elisela in which Buck is a teacher and has Chris in one of his classes, but also meets Eddie in completely different circumstances and they start dating. Buck isn't allowed to date his student's parent, though, and there is much delicious yearning once they connect the dots. Happy ending, so no worries there. (24.2k)

Hope you like these, and feel free to ask for more recommendations!

[elgascreamslikehell]

WIP Wednesday

Cause it's still wednesday in Paris and I'm also in Paris.

I'm not tagging anyone but if you for some reason want to know where this is going - interact with this and I'll tag you next time!

***

Buck hears the door open and freezes, not entirely awake. Maybe it's already morning? Hell it's so uncomfortable not to see. He should have been more careful on that call. Ok, it's too quiet for morning, so it should be still night. He finds his phone and turns it on.

'Five hours thirty six minutes', - it's totally not morning. But… he could swear he heard the door. Who could it be? 

Buck leaves the bed, finds the bat - kinda funny Eddie keeps it here - and goes to the hall 

'Who's there?!', - well, what else can he do right now? Attack first, ask later could be rude! And blind attacks could totally break something. The answer leaves him unarmed: 'Buck… put my bat down, it's me'.

'Eddie? What are you doing here?', - Buck was pretty sure he'll come back only in the morning. Or even the next day, after the shift. 

'I live here', - Eddie smiles. Even not seeing Buck can tell, something in Eddie's voice is changing when he smiles: 'I know. I mean… Didn't you have a date?'

There's this noise when Eddie puts off his jacket before he speaks: 'Yes. I had a date. Now I'm here.', - usually, in Buck's mind, dates with this context don't end up in the middle of the night, so he says it: 'I thought you'd stay there'

Pause

'Well, i did not. Put the bat away, Buck, and go back to sleep, I'm sorry i woke you up'

'You didn't answer our texts, Chris was worried!',- actually, Buck was much more worried after all but hardly likely it makes sense.

'I know. I apologize in the morning. Now I just want to lie down. So let's postpone this talk, okay?' 

Something in his voice sounds wrong but Buck can't guess what specifically

'Okay… everything is fine? I mean…', - how did the sex go, that's what he means. But who asks this kind of question? 

'Evan, please…', - he is really tired and needs to think about a lot of stuff. And take an Advil. Discussion is just not on the table now

'Fine. I can wait for you, if you want', - it's really strange how fast Buck creates a habit to sleep with Eddie using him as a big comforter. Giant pillow. Enormous hugging toy. Eddie just emits coziness and calmness. Not that it doesn't bother Buck but to be honest not that it's bothering him that much

'Not today. Sorry. By the way, can I use your car?'

'Well, yes, it's still at the station but I'll give you the keys. Why?'

'I need to go to the mall. Buy a new phone', - now there should be a pretty fucking good explanation and Buck demands it: 'I meant why you can't use your car but now i also have a question about your phone. Is everything ok?'

Pause

'Well, there's a possibility I've got into some accident and broken my car. And lost my phone. And..',- Buck hears Eddie stumbles: 'And also got a light concussion'

Buck freezes: 'Excuse you? Accident? Concussion?', - Chris was right. Something was totally wrong. 

'It's nothing, really. Some bruises and this, i had a pretty good safety system as you know'

'Eddie..', - Buck tries, he really tries to be calm: 'What the hell are you talking about?', - well, he did try. He just didn't succeed.

'There's a big slam on the highway. Some trucks collapsed, twelve cars were affected.. there was 133 and our b-shift, so i helped for some time and then i was caught by captain Mehta and sent home', - Buck is mad. Like really mad: 'He sent you home?! Not to the ER?!'

Eddie laughs: 'I might say I have a personal first responder at home. I might miss the fact he's blind. And he checked me, so I'm fine. Just a little dizzy'

'You go to bed. With me. Don't argue. I need to control your state.'

Eddie keeps quiet for some time

'Fine. I'm too exhausted for this now. And too dizzy'

'I can call an ambulance', - actually that's a good idea, thinks Buck. Why the hell did you come home instead of the ER? Why the hell were you even driving somewhere??

'But what's with Eric then?'

'Oh fuck… I'll call him tomorrow'

'Eddie. I mean, you were on a date. How did you end up in the car crash?'

'Doesn't matter. Hell'

Buck hears him holding onto the wall and goes forward to catch his hand: 'I've got you', - that phrase gives Eddie a sad smile, fortunately Buck can't see it: 'Thanks, Evan'

***

[thewolvesof1998]

Temptation Tuesday

Not tagged by anyone but I just need to talk about these ideas, they’re haunting me okay.

I'm currently working on an MMA Rivals AU and Rodeo/Bull Riding AU but I can't get these ideas out of my head:

Chef Buck AU: The bear/No reservations inspired: like can you imagine Buck in his chef whites saying "Yes Chef" to Eddie while looking up at him through his eyelashes, smirk pulling at his lips because I can and it haunts me.

Ted Lasso AU: Football, Bobby is Ted Lasso, Buck is Jamie Tart, Eddie is Roy Kent

Eddie was in the K9 Unit in the army- When he's back state side he needs help with his dog, enter Dog trainer Evan Buckley

Body Guard Eddie - need I say more -yes- Eddie's back from his second tour, needs a job when an old buddy reaches out to him, he need someone to guard Evan Buckley (Actor? Son of a rich man? Politician?) A mix between The Bodyguard/Bodyguard

AU where Buck and Eddie meet in the army and start sleeping together - angst, whumpage, Eddie deals with his gay crisis

Sign language Buck and Eddie -thats it

Jake/Holt = Buck/Bobby = Son/Father: 5 times Buck calls Bobby ‘Dad’, +1 time Bobby calls Buck son: “It’s funny, on my first day here, I asked Jeffords to tell me about everyone, told me you were a great detective, but the one thing you couldn’t figure out was how to grow up…Well, I think you’ve finally figured it out.”

On that note: Cops AU/Brooklyn 99 AU inspired by this:

A street racing/Fast n' Furious AU inspired by this picture: (there's already the 'Ride & Die' Series by spaceprincessem but I need moreeeeee) Specifically under cover FBI agent Eddie Diaz and Street racer Evan Buckley and its before they find out. Its mostly inspired by this picture: (Like imagine Buck's in the passenger seat)

And lastly a Mafia AU: I mean just look at these images, I have no thoughts just vibes but like god damn, are they the two mafia husbands or are they rivals/star cross lovers I don't know but i love them:

This is not including the half-dozen song-inspired fics I have- mostly it's Noah Kahan but 'Let's Ruin the Friendship' is such a Buddie song.

[matan4il]

I always have found such romanticism in the use of their given names..

Buck can't guess Eddie's name right. A 6' 2" (who's clumsy with it)gringo who's a man. But he becomes the second most important person in his life. Yet the pretty docile Latina female guesses it right and she gives him a panic attack. Side note writers give me Ed's again please!!

Then Buck. Buck who latched onto a nickname to escape Evan Buckley. Evan, a name only his beloved sister is allowed to use, definitely not his parents. Yet in the moment Eddie needs his full attention that's the name he uses. "Say my name and everything just stops".

Clueless if the writers were not trying for symbolism but failed again.

Please give me a "Hey Ed's, yes Evan scene". I don't ask for much in life

Oh Nonnie! XD You just had to quote Taylor Swift’s line "Say my name and everything just stops"? Well, just kill me, it’s so ACCURATE for their scene in 414, especially because the next line is, “I don't want you like a best friend.”

ANYWAY. Now that we made me emotional enough, yes. IDK if you saw my 414 Buddie meta? It addresses the way Eddie uses Buck’s birth name, because absolutely the use of ‘Evan’ there is so, SO meaningful. And there is such symbolism there, your name as a symbol of your identity, of how you find yourself, of who knows the real you, of closeness and intimacy, and of who you find you want saying your name. Eddie knows to pull out ‘Evan’ precisely when Buck needs to hear it, needs to be seen and be assured of his place and of who he belongs with, while Buck is the only one who has ever used ‘Eds’ for Eddie, and he did it precisely when he was begging him to hold on by saying specifically the words, “Stay with me,” which are so much more intimate than the standard phrases along the lines of, “Stay awake.”

It’s not about Ana guessing Eddie’s name right (which never made sense to me, it’s an illogical guess to make) while Buck didn’t. It’s about the fact that Eddie lets Buck in, lets himself be known by Buck, and so Buck ends up having a nickname for Eddie that no one else ever used. Something special and theirs. Something intimate that reflects their bond. Something that tells Eddie, even in the mayhem of the ambulance rushing him to the hospital, that Buck is right there and he needs Eddie to fight to stay alive.

In both cases in 414, we have one of them addressing the other by a name/nickname that’s not usually used, so it is emotionally packed and it conveys so much more than just the name on its own does. It’s a connection that testifies to everything they’ve already been through together and how they’ll keep getting each other through the worst of it to find better times with each other.

Thank you for the ask, lovely! Have a great day! And as always, here’s my ask tag. xoxox

[trashendence]

I saw your tags on Buck in a coma.Why do you not like it?

it’s not that i don’t like the idea - again, i enjoy some character whump as much as the next person and i think all speculation is fun; the more unhinged, the better -, but i don’t think that’s where the show should take/is realistically taking buck’s storyline.

in this first half of the season, buck has been reverting to self-destroying habits - specifically with the sperm donation, but even more generally with this ‘i have to hop on every single train passing by or i might regret it’ attitude, aka his ‘yes man’ era -. because. where is he in all of this? where is the Agency of evan buckley in creating what he wants, recognizing what he’s already built and, most importantly, leaving open the possibility to just say no? the mere fact that he’s depriving himself of the ‘no’ option in relation to something - anything - leaves him with even less power.

now, since this is a show and everything is thought out AND is a plot device, i see no reason to put buck in a coma aside from showing that people care about him (something we as the audience already know and buck wouldn’t be able to appreciate because in a coma). it could maybe be interpreted as a life-changing moment, realization-inducing even, but that’s not how buck works. after major negative events with buck at their center (the broken leg, the tsunami, the blood clot, the daniel revelation, witnessing the shooting), he tends to cling even more to his autodestructive tendencies. bad things coming his way confirm to him that bad things are what he should expect - what he deserves, even. and not only that, now he’s also saying ‘yes’ to some of them, whenever he should have a choice and doesn’t anymore, and somehow expects a different outcome.

buck needs to work on himself, not to physically recover once. again. he needs to face the consequences of his poor choices, without any setback or delay, so that he can learn that to action corresponds reaction - both positively and negatively - because to need, too, should correspond solution and not just more craving.

this being said, i’ve read and will continue to read coma!buck fics and coma!buck meta. i thoroughly enjoyed most of them even if i didn’t agree with their premises completely - in the case of metas oc, fic can and should do what fic desires -.

[thebrainofcorpse]

Hierarchy | Evan Buckley

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trigger warnings: bullying/ableism, mental disorders, workplace harassment, abuse of power

gender-neutral reader with no specific description of appearance

word count: 2.2k

𖤐

Your last few years of high school were a miserable time in your life. Aside from the exams that you were just barely passing, the talk amongst your classmates about what they wanted to do after they graduated was a popular topic of discussion and it was one you could never participate in because you had absolutely no clue what you wanted to do. You spent your early 20's working part-time and studying a course you didn't even care to remember the name of but thankfully, it was because of that campus...or rather the fire that brought it down, that got you to where you are today.

In front of a firehouse.

You struggled a lot in becoming a firefighter...more than the others you were training with. You didn't think you'd make it this far, let alone still be this interested in the job but here you were and you couldn't be more proud of yourself.

"Hey, you two must be the probies." A voice spoke up and you turned to see a guy walking towards you and the girl who stood beside you.

Her name is Josie Campbell. She was one of the girls you had trained alongside in the academy. You two never got the chance to speak to each other but you heard a lot about her and how she practically had a one-up on everyone because her father was a Chief of a firehouse. This firehouse.

"Yes, that's us!" Josie spoke up. "We're supposed to be meeting with Captain Nash."

"Right, come along. He's just up there." The man nodded, turning and walking towards some stairs. Josie immediately began following the guy and so you did the same, picking at the skin around your nails anxiously.

As excited as you were to be starting a new chapter in your life, you didn't really enjoy the part where you'd have to interact with new people. People who'd be judging your every decision until the probationary period was over...if you even make it that far that is.

"Hey Cap', got some fresh meat here for ya'." You almost cringed at the introduction but you did your best to hide it and instead, you focused on the man that stood up from his seat with a warm smile.

"Welcome to the 118, I'm Captain Nash."

5 months later...

You huffed in annoyance, packing up the truck after a false alarm call had claimed that a child was stuck in a tree. The 'child' was a lady's cat and that same lady was being put into the back of a police car for wasting the 118's time and resources.

"You can't be mad at the lady, Mouse." Buck laughed, coming up beside you and packing his gear. Mouse was the nickname the firehouse gave you because you were so shy and quiet when you first started, they could barely get a word out of you unless you felt it was necessary to talk.

"I'm not mad at her." You muttered.

Buck paused, contemplating for a moment before he made a noise of realisation. "Is this about Josie?" Your lack of response only confirmed his beliefs. "I'm sure she didn't mean it like that."

You felt a rage burning up inside of you at his words. "Of course, you don't Buck, you're not the one being called incompetent."

You walked away from him, refusing to participate in the conversation any longer. Buck made you feel like you were crazy. You're sure the entirety of the 118 would make you feel the same way if you had confided in them the same way you did with Buck.

You and Buck's friendship was by far the most unusual of the 118. He was loud, obnoxious and extroverted and you were not. He approached you first which was quite a surprise considering you had made no move to befriend any of the firefighters. At first, it was just him making random comments and you simply nodding at them but slowly, you began to respond to them and those short responses eventually turned into long and meaningful conversations.

You would've considered Buck as an older brother if it wasn't for your stupid crush on him. You hated yourself for it sometimes. You really liked your friendship with him and you didn't want your feelings to ruin it. Thankfully, it was times like this that made you not want to be with the guy.

Josie was a problem for you. You tried so hard to like her but something about her put you off and you couldn't put your finger on it until recently.

You knew Josie wanted Buck. She wasn't very quiet about it and you think that her feelings for him were what made her treat you the way that she does.

She makes snide remarks and hurtful comments but Josie is smart. She does it in a way that only you'd be able to understand whereas everyone else would let it fly over their head.

You hated her. Not only for her comments, that was a small part of it. You hated her for making you look dumb and crazy. And as you jumped into the truck, trying to ignore her conversation with Buck, you couldn't help but fight back tears of frustration because with the probationary period coming to an end, her comments to you were getting worse.

She was trying to throw you off your game. She wanted you out of the 118 but she wanted to do so while remaining innocent in the eyes of the other firefighters.

"Mouse...hey Mouse? We're back." You looked up at Hen who was tapping your knee and smiled at her before climbing out of the truck.

Bobby was already on his way up the stairs, calling for all the firefighters to follow him up for dinner. By the time you made it up there, everyone had already found their place and there was just one spare seat beside Chim. You were right in front of Josie who was sitting between Buck and Eddie.

"Looks good as always Cap'." Eddie complimented, putting himself a plate of lasagna.

Hen took a bite and almost moaned at the taste of the food. "I'm so glad that wasn't a long call."

"I know, right? We didn't have to put in any effort, it was good for you, huh Mouse?" Josie added, smiling at you. You looked up at her in confusion.

"What does that even mean, Mouse didn't do anything?" Chim questioned. He was right. Buck had gone up to save the cat while the rest of you stood aside and watched.

"Well, I mean, the call didn't require a lot of brain power. That wouldn't have gone over well." Again, Josie made no sense to anyone and she could see it because of the confused looks being exchanged.

"I don't understand what that’s supposed to mean." You muttered, only for Josie to sigh in annoyance.

She mindlessly cut herself a piece of lasagna before looking up at you. "You're autistic, right? And you have ADHD? Plus other things too. I feel like you've been struggling recently in our calls. Like, I don't know, how do you even focus? Isn't it too hard trying to work with all of those things distracting you? I just don't want you to make a mistake and risk us or even you getting hurt."

You felt like throwing up. Everyone had stopped their eating and were looking between you and Josie.

No one knew those things about you. You had always kept that to yourself and it was because of this very reason. You didn't want it to be held against you. You didn't want to be blamed for things going wrong. You've always been insecure, ever since you got diagnosed.

"How do you know that?" Your voice came out in a whisper and you were surprised that anyone even heard you.

"It's in your records." Josie shrugged and your eyes widened.

"Those are classified." Buck chimed in. "Aren't they, Cap'?"

"They are." Bobby nodded, eyeing Josie in an almost judgemental way. "How did you access them?"

Josie rolled her eyes. "Come on guys, my dad is the Chief of this firehouse." As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened. "Wait, n-not like that. I just happened to see it by accident when I was in his office."

"Why would he have Mouse's files out?" Eddie questioned, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

You felt like crying. You were humiliated. Every time one of them looked at you, you felt like they were judging you. It was getting hard to breathe and you wanted to cry. You couldn't handle the conversation anymore so you simply got up and left.

You took leave from work as soon as you got home. Thankfully, it was approved and the entirety of the two weeks you weren't at work, your phone was blowing up with calls and texts from Buck, Eddie, Chim, Hen and even Bobby which you were surprised about but you couldn't bring yourself to look at them.

You thought they were going to be judging you. Telling you that you shouldn't have put them at risk by keeping your diagnosis to yourself. You thought you were going to cop it the worst from Bobby, with him being Captain and all. He has the right to know these things about his team and because you kept it from him, you thought he was going to be mad at you.

But a knock on your door proved you wrong.

You were surprised to see Buck there and even more surprised to see him sigh in relief at the sight of you. He was in uniform so either he was coming back from work or heading to work.

"I thought you died." He huffed, running a hand down his face. "Why didn't you answer our texts? Are you okay?"

You shrugged, feeling a tightness in your chest at the sight of the firefighter. You appreciated that he cared enough to show up at your door, even if you didn't want anyone to see you like this.

"What do you think, Buck?" You sighed, moving out of the way to let him in. "I'm sorry."

Buck shook his head as he followed you to your living room. "Don't be. I-I don't know how you're feeling but...but I wouldn't be okay either. Look, I just wanted you to know that Cap' isn't mad. No one is. If anything, we're mad at Josie. She's actually...well, Cap' has been arguing with the Chief."

Your eyes widened at that last bit of information. "About what?"

"Well, for one, Josie abused her power. Like, yeah her dad's the Chief but that doesn't mean she's allowed to have access to what he does. Cap' wants Josie transferred...or like, fired. He doesn't think she should be allowed to work when she uses people's personal things against them." Buck explained.

"Oh." You nodded, glad that something was being done. For some reason, you didn't expect anything to be done about it. You thought that because of her being the Chief's daughter, they would all let it slide for fear of getting in trouble.

"Um..." Buck started and you gave him a look, telling him to continue. "Why didn't you uh...tell me? Like, I get it, I know why you'd want to keep it to yourself...but...did you think I'd judge you? Because if so, I just want you to know that I would never do that. I get that people have their own personal issues and you're a great firefighter, you've never shown any signs of being bad at your job and clearly your...you know...like, the autism and stuff...it-it hasn't caused any problems for you or us."

"I know Buck. I know you won't judge me. " You confirmed, watching his shoulders drop as if you had taken the weight off of them. "I just thought everyone else would...plus I didn't think it was important, ya' know? If it wasn't causing any problems then I just didn't feel the need to bring it up."

Buck nodded, softly putting a hand on your shoulder. "You should come back, Mouse. It's not the same without you. We all want you back. I want you back."

At this, you blushed and looked down, trying to hide your shy smile. Buck laughed, reaching for your hand and holding it softly in his.

You didn't know what to say so you said the only thing that you could come up with. "Shut up."

This only made Buck laugh again. "So you'll come back? Please say you will! I'll do anything! I'll uh, get you ice cream? Take you to dinner? Buy you that book you keep talking about?"

You looked up at him, eyes widening slightly. "Take me to dinner? Like...a date?"

Buck smiled, "If you'd like to..."

"I'd love to." You nodded, giggling as Buck jumped up.

"Good, now put your uniform on! Bobby said you can start now if I could convince you to come!" Buck mentioned in excitement. "I'll wait here and I'll drive us there!"

You rolled your eyes but stood up. "Fine...but only 'cause I miss everyone.

"You missed me the most though, right?" Buck questioned and you rolled your eyes before walking towards your bedroom. "Right?"

You closed your bedroom door behind you and giggled to yourself. You hated that you let Josie get to you but you know the 118 has your back and after this, you know you'll never have to doubt it again.

[911marchmadness]

Final Event Master-Post

Hello, all! As promised, here's a complete list of everything that's been submitted for the 2023 tournament. Since past posts were set up based on each round and when fills were submitted, this final post will simply be listed based on prompt and alphabetical order.

For those of you who created all these works, thank you! Especially those of you who created something for each and every round, we truly appreciate your dedication and energy!

For the rest of you who may be stumbling across this post, we hope you take the time to read through these wonderful creations, and we hope this sparks your interest in joining the event next year!

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A/B/O - Omegaverse

◈ I misunderstood the (secondary gender) assignment by @screaming-universe Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 2105 Summary: Buck's new colleague is an alpha and he hates him. He's wrong on both accounts.

◈ Nightmare by SamDragneel Warnings: Violence, Non-Con; Rating: M; Fandom: 9-1-1: Lone Star; Pairing: Tarlos; Words: 561 Summary: TK's attacked while Carlos is on shift. It's not random, someone's targeted him specifically.

◈ Sand and Stars by @screaming-universe Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 1531 Summary: Buck and Eddie cuddle some more, as cats and as humans.

◈ Seek It Out and Ye Shall Find by @theladyandthewolves Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Gen; Words: 888 Summary: Before Maddie comes back into his life, Buck’s almost forgotten that he’s the only human in a family of werewolves. Now that she’s here to stay, she’s going to need more than a family, she’s going to need a pack. Something Buck can’t be. Thankfully, help might come from an unexpected place.

◈ Struck, Stuck by @sivan325 Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 561 Summary: Buck could see his own body lay in the balance between the ladder and the surface, unresponsive. He glanced at the others, as they all had shocked faces and they were worried. About him.

◈ the Form complete is worthier far by @brassm Rating: T; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Bathena; Words: 1603 Summary: House 118 was a special place.

◈ The Mail Bride by @sivan325 Rating: T; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 1344 Summary: Or the one which the team learns that Eddie ordered a mail bride when Earthquake strikes.

◈ The Ranch by @sivan325 Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 1661 Summary: "Can I help you with something?" Eddie walked toward the duo. "Yes, I believe you can," the female replied while the omega only looked at the ground, "I heard a lot about your ranch, and I've been wondering if you could watch over my brother, he was hurt recently, and the doctor I talked to, told me that horses could help in the matter."

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Coffee Shop and/or Bookstore AU

◈ Your True Family by @sivan325 Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 613 Summary: “I just want to say that your brother is missing you,” Eddie said. Turning around, he noticed his boyfriend and his son coming closer and catching up with him. “When was the last time you visited your brother?” “I… Ummm… I think… I don’t know. The last time I saw Evan, it was when my parents and I helped him with the bookstore and then life took on,” Maddie replied.

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Different First Meeting

◈ All Roads Lead to Us by @theladyandthewolves Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 938 Summary: Instead of moving to Los Angeles, Eddie stayed in Texas near his parents and became a firefighter in El Paso. As the fire progresses in San Angelo, he’s sent by his department to help alongside fire houses from all over the country, meeting new people and opening himself up to new possibilities.

◈ By the End of the Night by @theladyandthewolves Rating: T; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 1451 Summary: When Eddie moved to Los Angeles, all he wanted was a fresh start, for him and his son. New job, new team, new house. He has it all, yet it still doesn’t feel like a home. His teammates are closed off, his job is exhausting and now that his wife is asking for a divorce, Eddie feels even lonelier than he was before. But as Christmas comes close, an unexpected encounter might bring the change he so hoped for.

◈ Cherry on Top by @sivan325 Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 975 Summary: It’s been a year since Shannon died. His son always comes first, even when he keeps thinking about her. He knows he has his son to take care of, and his birthday date is coming soon. Eddie wanted to make his son’s birthday special.

◈ It started with a concussion by SugdenLovesDingle Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1: Lone Star; Pairing: Tarlos; Words: 2392 Summary: Carlos runs into TK while chasing a suspect - literally.

◈ Los Angeles Fire Riders by @screaming-universe Warning: Non-Con; Rating: M; Fandom: 9-1-1, Temeraire; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 2041 Summary: Looking back, Evan Buckley should have known that joining the Fire Rider Academy would be just his thing: lots of adrenaline, the prospect of an important, fulfilling job and last but certainly not least: dragons.

◈ Maybe One Day by @theladyandthewolves Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buck/Abby; Words: 879 Summary: After bartending in Peru, Evan continues to travel in South America but eventually finds his way back to the Arizona, doing construction work here and there until he ends up working in a leisure resort in Scottsdale, where one encounter might finally change his life for the better.

◈ Shape of My Heart by @sivan325 Warning: Violence; Rating: M; Fandom: 9-1-1: Lone Star; Pairing: Alex/TK, Pre-Tarlos; Words: 2511 Summary: When Alex left for whatever he was doing, TK was locked in the mansion and couldn’t leave, he couldn’t find the keys and the place that was supposed to be home is covered by cameras. 'How was this his life?' TK looked around, found it boring just to walk in the empty house, he figured that this husband is watching him from somewhere.

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Enemies to Lovers

(none submitted)

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Fake Dating/Relationship

◈ by their side by @screaming-universe Rating: T; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 4768 Summary: Eddie needs to get his son to Los Angeles, even if they have to walk.

◈ Just Play Pretend by @sivan325 Rating: T; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 1385 Summary: Eddie was glad that the firefighter was there saving his son, but the only thing that Christopher mentioned to him about the firefighter is that he was from Station-118, and Eddie was determined to show the firefighter how grateful he is for him, saving his son’s life. Christopher described to his dad about the firefighter that saved his life; taller, big bright blue eyes and has a mark on his face.

◈ Let’s Fall in Love for the Night by @theladyandthewolves Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 1026 Summary: Buck’s neighbors have been looking at him like he’s a lost cause since his break up with Taylor, regularly trying to set him up with any of their available relatives. Eventually he invents himself a boyfriend, hoping to get some respite. So when the neighborhood summer party is announced, Eddie agrees to pretend to be the imaginary boyfriend for the night. Of course, it doesn’t go as planned (in a good way).

◈ step into the mess by @screaming-universe Rating: T; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 4121 Summary: 'Buck had thought that walking to Los Angeles would be kind of easy. Then a river carried Eddie off, leaving Buck and Chris behind.' Buck's perspective on what happened after Eddie got swept away.

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Found Family

(none submitted)

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Mistaken for a Couple/as Partners

(none submitted)

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Sick/Injured Character Being Cared For

◈ Captain's Responsibility by @screaming-universe 6x11 Spoilers Rating: T; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Gen; Words: 792 Summary: 'Bobby already had one firefighter to worry about; he really wished he did not have to think about another. But at least it gave him something to do.' aka Eddie got hurt when he fell off the ladder, Bobby makes sure he's taken care of.

◈ dreams of a barn by @screaming-universe Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 2141 Summary: Buck wakes up while Eddie is still asleep.

◈ I Want to Hold Your Hand by @theladyandthewolves Rating: GA; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buck/Lucy; Words: 606 Summary: Lucy gets injured on a call, and Buck’s worried.

◈ unfix'd yet fix'd by @brassm Rating: T; Fandom: 9-1-1; Pairing: Buddie; Words: 1161 Summary: “Damn it, Buck!” Buck was in the water swimming out to the center, seeing vague shapes beneath the surface. Struggling. Travis was trying to hold Eddie down with his body weight. Buck dove down.

————————

See you in 2024!

[theladyyavilee]

I was reading more buddies fic(and rereading some bookmarked fic) and I just

It delights me to NO END that most of the fandom looks at Eddie and goes "ah yes this man who compared his doomed relationship with his separated wife to chocolate would come up with heartstoppingly beautiful love confessions that leave buck and the audience crying"

And that most of those also agree that buck first reaction would be "fuck you how am I supposed to top that confession asshole"

haha I do love that in fanfiction, not gonna lie!

but I also don't think it is unfounded? because the thing is, yes, true we do have that conversation with Shannon that was a little (lot) clumsy for sure, but I think it was partially because Eddie was actually trying VERY HARD to get it right, because they had failed in the past and this big romantic speech is how it's supposed to work, right? and he is stumbling hard with that because he is nervouse and not confident in what he is trying to say, but desperately wants to be (which, very valid I would be too xD)

BUT on the other hand we do also have canon material of Eddie saying the most stunningly beautiful lines when they come from nothing but feeling and he isn't trying hard for something specific (or to make something work that he already feels he has failed at and makes him overcompensate) and when he feels confident about what he is saying, because we have "But I love him enough to never stop trying, and I know you do too. Buck, there's nobody in this world I trust with my son more than you." and "Because Evan, you came in here the other day and you said it would have been better if it had been you who was shot. You act like you're expendable, but you're wrong." (and other smaller instances, but for obvious reasons these two are my main evidence <3)

which, in my honest opinion, already both absolutely are declarations of love to an extent and therefore absolutely make me belief that Eddie can and will absolutely ruin us with a love confession that is said without fear or doubt and comes from his heart, ya know? he is, in canon, actually very careful with his words when it comes to Buck and saying things he really needs Buck to hear, so I do think those scenes actually have a good basis in canon and that actually makes me personally love them even more!!! <3 (Buck's indignant replies in fic always make me smile, but then again we do have Buck being a little bowled over both times in canon by the sheer force of sincerity and love that is Eddie Diaz <3 which in a more settled and secure Buck could, I think, absolutely cause exactly that reaction xD)

(all this to say that I do also enjoy a good Eddie-stumbles-over-his-words-because-he-is-so-stupid-in-love-with-Buck confession in fic, but that is not what I expect to happen in canon <3)

[redtapesworstnightmare]

cut me slack (i've watched your heart stop)

In which Eddie gets The Call from Cedars-Sinai while he's off work thanks to a healing injury. Being Buck's emergency contact is suddenly a very real thing.

read on ao3 | word count: 5,441

tags: Major Character Injury, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley Whump, Stressed Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Eddie Diaz Needs a Hug (9-1-1 TV)Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Eddie Diaz is Evan Buckley's emergency contact, We all know it, so why won't the writers give us emergency contact content, anyway, Medical Inaccuracies, Hospitals, tiny bit of emotional hurt/comfort, buck just needs some help understanding that he! is worth! being helped!

When Eddie’s cell phone rings on the coffee table, he almost doesn’t answer it. He’s honestly not sure he has the mental capacity to be civil to someone trying to check on his well-being after spending the last half hour fighting his dryer, which he swears has it out for him. He’s aware that it was probably a stupid thing to be doing with a very freshly healed wrist fracture, but he’s going out of his mind being stuck at home and knowing he’s still got another couple weeks minimum off work.

He misses his team.

Maybe that’s what drives him to glance over at his cell and see the caller ID: Cedars Sinai Hospital. The location directly underneath indicates the caller is in Los Angeles, which is a fact Eddie knows very well. He’s been there too many times for too many terrible reasons.

Seems he’s about to be there again.

“This is Eddie Diaz,” he answers, already half-breathless. He can feel the beginnings of that same feeling he’d had in the suit shop, those tendrils grabbing at every corner of his chest and pulling it in on itself, but, in a move that would make Frank proud, Eddie validates his own panic and breathes through it.

“Mr. Diaz, my name is Deirdre, I’m an RN at Cedars-Sinai. Could you verify your date of birth for me?” Eddie blinks, nearly forgetting his own birthday.

“I- uh, 5-17-89,” he stutters out, absently realizing that being forced to recall the date has oddly helped to settle his panic for the moment. “Can you tell me what this is about?”

“Thanks so much, Mr. Diaz,” Deirdre says. “I’m calling on behalf of Evan Buckley, you are listed as the primary for… let’s see, pretty much every form of contact on here, actually, for an Evan Buckley, this something you were aware of?”

“I- yes, yeah, we’re each other’s- how bad is it?” Eddie doesn’t finish a single thought but Deirdre doesn’t even miss a beat.

“Well, unfortunately I am calling you specifically for your role as Mr. Buckley’s power of attorney. He does need a couple of decisions made about his care that he’s not fit for at the moment. If you’re able to get here soon that would be best, I can’t tell you much over the phone.” To her credit, Deirdre does sound apologetic, and Eddie’s panic has begun to ratchet back up.

“I’ll be there as fast as I can, is he- please, how bad?” Eddie repeats.

“Let me put it this way–we took the time to get a POA here instead of just following full emergency protocol. He needs a lot of help, but he has time for someone close to him to weigh the options and make the decision he would want.” Somehow, that doesn’t make Eddie feel much better at all. “Listen, there’s a note here that you’re a firefighter,” Eddie’s heart aches, he was so close to having Buck’s back again, “so you and I both know I can make no promises. But he’s holding steady and in great hands until you get here.”

-

By the time Eddie has let Carla know she needs to keep Chris overnight or drop him off with Pepa (a very rushed affair, and Eddie is honestly not sure Carla had even finished processing his words by the time he was hanging up) and gotten himself and his truck in one piece to Cedars-Sinai, it’s been no more than half an hour and yet an entire lifetime since Deirdre first called. He charges in the front doors and past the front desk to the first nurse’s station he spots with an unerring path, so clearly familiar with the space that neither receptionist stops him. By some stroke of luck, a nurse with a nametag that says Deirdre with a big blue RN tag hanging below it is standing at a computer on a rolling table just to the side of the station, and Eddie walks right up to her.

“My name is Eddie, I think we spoke earlier,” he says, cringing at the slight wobble in his voice. Deirdre’s already kind face splits into a smile.

“We did indeed,” she answers kindly. She’s got a soft Southern accent that didn’t really register on the phone and it catches Eddie off-guard in a hospital in the heart of Los Angeles. “I didn’t see you check in or I would’ve had Mr. Buckley’s chart up.” Eddie winces.

“I, uh-” he clears his throat. “I apologize, ma’am, I’m here a lot and I kind of just charged on back,” he says, and Deirdre’s smile turns amused.

“You firefighters, you’re all the same,” she teases as she taps around on her computer. “Alright, you’re all checked in, I’ll swing by to grab you a visitor’s badge after I get you up to speed and get things rolling with Mr. Buckley.” Eddie nods, realizing he’s fallen into parade rest in front of Deirdre’s little mobile station. It’s something he rarely does anymore–something he really only falls back to in uncertain moments.

“Alright, first things first…”

-

Eddie’s ass is numb.

Buck had gone into surgery almost two hours prior, and Eddie’s had enough time to sort through all of the frantic texts and voicemails from his team that he’d missed–while wrestling the stupid fucking dryer, which he’s never going to stop being angry about–and update Carla, who promised to explain things to Christopher.

Even two hours later, Eddie’s head is still swimming from the sheer amount of paperwork he’d signed, which had taken nearly the first forty-five minutes after Buck had been wheeled off. Eddie’d had to consent to about four different surgical plans and a backup for each, and he still can’t decide whether his medical knowledge was a blessing or a curse for his conversations with Deirdre and Buck’s doctors as they ran through Buck’s injuries and how they wanted to fix them.

The story from the medical team was purely clinical, just the run-down of the torn ligaments in Buck’s elbow and shoulder, severe burns on his neck, and “somewhere between moderate and severe” concussion–not to mention the general internal bruising to a not-insignificant portion of his organs and the swelling along his spinal cord that would likely lead to temporary paralysis but should subside on its own before Buck leaves the hospital. The story that Eddie got once he got a hold of Bobby was worse, so much worse, and his words are still on repeat in Eddie’s brain.

“Bobby, you’ve gotta tell me what happened,” Eddie finally pleads after five minutes of Bobby attempting to placate him without a direct answer about how Buck had gotten so injured. There’s a pause, and then Bobby finally releases a long, pained breath.

“It was a house fire. We were on the second floor, and we just kept uncovering more code violations every time we walked into a room to clear it.” Eddie winces; he’s seen his fair share of those, and it never gets easier to see a situation so preventable become so deadly. “A patch of the floor couldn’t hold the weight of Buck plus his turnouts, and it gave out right underneath him.”

“I’m guessing the elbow and shoulder injuries are from trying to catch himself?” Eddie realizes, knowing damn well that, for all of Buck’s clumsiness, the man’s reflexes on the job are impeccable. Bobby makes a noise of agreement.

“I swear I heard at least two different things snap by the time he finally lost his grip, and then- God, the sound when he hit the ground…” Bobby trails off, another shaky breath escaping. “He landed flat out on his back all the way in the basement and lost his helmet somewhere on the way down.”

Eddie feels like he can’t breathe.

“I’m not even sure how the burn on his neck got there–we finally got him out and it was just there. He must’ve hit something on his way down.”

Buck had stirred once while Eddie was working through the plan with his doctors, letting out a groan and turning his head a little towards the sound of Eddie’s voice as if even while unconscious he could feel Eddie’s stress. Eddie had just tightened his grip on Buck’s hand and brushed the curls off his forehead with the other, murmuring softly. Buck had settled quickly, and Deirdre had had a very soft look on her face when he’d turned his attention back to the task at hand.

-

At about hour three, Maddie finally arrives, murmuring hushed apologies about shift work and childcare that Eddie waves away. She pulls him into a hug, and the sisterly affection is grounding in a way he hadn’t been expecting.

“How is he?” she asks him as she settles in the chair next to him. Eddie’s not sure how much she knows, and he thinks for a moment, wondering how much to let on without her asking.

“I- well, not great,” Eddie finally settles on, wincing as it comes out. “He’s in for a long surgery, but his doctors were using way more when than if, you know?” He knows Maddie will catch his drift, nurse-turned-dispatcher brain intimately familiar with the language of medical professionals. She nods immediately, relief clear on her face even through the obvious worry. “His injuries are pretty extensive, but the surgical plan is thorough as hell.” Maddie snorts, knowing smile on her face.

“Isn’t being his power of attorney fun?” she asks teasingly. “He’s never been one for simple medical care.” Eddie chuckles, running a hand through his hair.

“God, isn’t that the truth,” he says. “Nothing else I’d rather do, though. I like knowing what’s going on with him, y’know? Especially after-” he cuts himself off. Maddie still understands immediately.

“Especially after he went and died?” she says, and it catches Eddie a little off-guard.

“I- well, yeah,” Eddie says. “And I know you probably want to know just as much, you went through it too-”

“But I only knew the aftermath,” Maddie says gently. “By the time I knew he’d died, I had a heart monitor to watch for reassurance. You-” Maddie pauses. “You had to sit through not knowing if there was gonna be a heartbeat to watch again.” Eddie releases a long, shaky breath.

“It was- it was so bad,” he admits, surprising himself. “I’ve been through hell but it honestly does not compare to those three minutes and seventeen seconds without him.” Maddie’s got a calculating look on her face, and then it lifts into a soft smile.

“You love my brother the way he deserves to be loved,” Maddie says. Eddie’s heart jolts.

He- he does love Buck, he supposes, if he thinks too hard about it. Which is why he doesn’t, probably, because he had vowed never to think of a friend like that again ever since he and Trent had kissed in the seventh grade–and then Trent had promptly ended the best friendship Eddie had ever had.

(Trent is out and proud now, which Eddie only knows because the guy had reached out over Facebook to apologize–and ask to meet for drinks.

Eddie thinks he might’ve given the guy a chance if he hadn’t had Buck in his life.)

“I don’t know if it’ll ever be as much as he deserves,” Eddie finally says, “but I do know he’s the best thing that ever happened to me and Chris.”

-

“Honey, I apologize, I just realized I forgot to pass along the message from your crew,” Deirdre says, popping her head into Buck’s still-empty hospital room just as it’s going on hour five of surgery. Maddie had left, needing to go look after Jee-Yun but demanding any updates and swearing she’d be back within a couple hours. “They wanted me to make sure you knew they’d be here as soon as they could, but your captain was having trouble getting things covered.” Eddie nods.

“Don’t worry, Bobby let me know over the phone,” he assures Deirdre. Bobby had apologized profusely even as Eddie had tried to reassure the man that it was okay, there wasn’t much to be done at the hospital anyway.

“Oh, good,” she says. “It sounded like they were running with a skeleton crew even before your boy landed himself here, and LA has just gone wild today. My ER’s been busier’n a stump-tailed bull during fly season.” Eddie has to huff a laugh at that, exhausted as he is. The remnants of an accent and the phrases that can only come from life as a Southerner flowing from Deirdre’s mouth are making Eddie feel at home–he’s pretty sure his own long-forgotten Southern twang has crept back in on some of his words in a way it hadn’t since his early Army days. “Well, I’ll be back around soon enough–your captain said they should be here around now, barring the overtime he was already desperately trying to avoid judging by the phone call he was on as he walked outta here.” Deirdre’s gone again just as quickly as she’d appeared.

Eddie’s phone rings almost immediately.

“God, what-” he starts to groan, until he picks it up and sees that the caller ID says Carla. Shit, he’d promised to call at some point so he could update her and talk to Christopher. It’s a FaceTime, so Eddie tries to make his hair look less insane before giving up and just accepting the call.

“Carla, hey, I’m so sorry-”

“Don’t even think about it,” she interrupts, “you had bigger things to worry about. How’s our boy?” Eddie sighs, letting Carla’s calm voice soothe him.

“Well, he’s been in surgery for five hours now,” Eddie says, “but the prognosis was good. I’m guessing they ran into some complications. I’d be surprised if they hadn’t, and that’s probably why it’s taking so long, but so far I’m taking no news as good news.”

“That’s usually how it goes,” Carla agrees. “What do you want to tell Chris?” And that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? The last time Buck was hospitalized, he hadn’t even been able to breathe for himself. “Eddie?” Carla prompts. Eddie sighs.

“God, I don’t even–what do you think I should tell him?” he asks, scrubbing a hand down his face.

“The truth,” Carla says simply. “He knows the reality of yours and Buck’s job, has for a while. He already knows something is up.”

“Can you put him on?” Eddie asks. He decides he should probably just get it over with–and, selfishly, he really just wants to see his son. Carla smiles knowingly and calls for Chris, who appears remarkably quickly.

“Dad! What’s going on, why couldn’t you come get me?” Chris demands immediately.

“Hey, buddy, I’m really sorry,” Eddie says. As soon as he speaks, he knows Chris can tell something is wrong. A poorly-timed announcement on the PA system calling for a rapid response somewhere on the other side of the floor Eddie’s goes off just then, and the realization cements on Christopher’s face.

“Dad, why are you in a hospital? Are you okay? Is Buck?”

“I’m all good, buddy, but Buck got really hurt at work today and they needed me here to make some decisions for him.” Eddie isn’t sure how much more of what happened he can keep kid-friendly, and he braces himself for the questions Chris is bound to ask.

“What happened, is he gonna be okay?”

“From what Bobby told me, he got pretty hurt because of a fall,” Eddie says, hoping it’s not so vague that it prompts more questioning. “His medical team here is really good, and they think he’s gonna be just fine.”

“He’s Buck,” Christopher says, tone the same one from the day before when he’d said Da-ad, everyone knows Apollo 13 is the one that blew up. You’re thinking of Apollo 11 during a heated discussion about the moon landing. Eddie has to smile.

“Yeah, mijo, and Buck’s pretty tough, isn’t he?”

“The toughest,” Chris agrees. “You’re gonna stay with him, right? Can I come?”

“Not yet, kiddo, he’s still in surgery and he won’t wake up for a while afterwards, either,” Eddie says. “I’ll stay with him the whole time, though, promise. If I have to leave there will be someone else here until I’m back. I’ll make sure he knows you said hi, okay?”

“And tell him I’ll be there as soon as you let me,” Chris adds, making Eddie chuckle.

“I’ll tell him that, too,” he says. “I’m sorry I’m missing dinner with you, kid.”

“That’s okay, you should be with Buck,” Chris says decisively. God, how did Eddie get the best kid? Eddie’s about to ask to be handed back to Carla, but Deirdre pops in with a smile on her face that Eddie recognizes from all the times he’s waited to see Buck in a hospital.

“Hey, I gotta go, okay? I love you so much, be good for Carla.”

“Love you, too,” Chris chirps. “And tell Buck I love him.” Eddie can’t help but grin.

“I will, kiddo.” They hang up and Eddie looks up at Deirdre expectantly, making her chuckle.

“Your partner’s in recovery, they’re monitoring him for just a little while longer and then he’ll be back down here. I also just saw some familiar names on the check-in log, so I think you’ll have some company soon.” Eddie smiles and checks his watch–they’re right on time. Bobby must have worked some magic to get the crew off shift with no overtime.

-

If Eddie thought Bobby had sounded exhausted and frazzled over the phone, it’s nothing compared to seeing him in person. The bags under his eyes could probably count as a personal item on an airplane, his shirt buttons are misaligned, and his hair is sticking up in ways Eddie didn’t realize Bobby’s hair was even long enough for. The rest of the team doesn’t look much better, honestly, and Eddie has the urge to go ask a nurse for several cots.

“You look terrible,” is, inexplicably, the first thing out of Bobby’s mouth. Eddie has to fight down a nearly hysterical giggle.

”Me?” he demands instead. “Bobby, when’s the last time you looked in a mirror?” Hen snorts. Bobby doesn’t even try to fake offense, scrubbing a hand down his face as Eddie stands to pull him into a hug.

“He’s gonna be fine, Bobby,” Eddie whispers. “He’s on his way back in now, and everything’s been holding steady.” Bobby doesn’t fully relax, but by the time the two of them separate some of the tension has fallen away.

Hen follows with another tight hug, and Chimney pulls Eddie in for a brief but tight squeeze accompanied by a firm clap on the shoulder that Eddie reciprocates. Deirdre, bless her, had placed enough chairs for everyone in Buck’s room, and so as Eddie sits back down, Hen, Chimney, and Bobby settle in for the wait. Maddie arrives merely moments later, Jee-Yun settled with the Lees for the night, and goes right to Chimney’s side, tsking at the state he’s in from his shift. Athena’s with her, similarly discontent with the condition Bobby’s in.

It’s only ten more minutes before they hear the distinct sound of hospital bed wheels just before Deirdre’s smiling face appears in the doorway.

“Y’all got one more comin’ in,” she says, and Eddie’s entire body tenses. He’s not sure why, he’d seen Buck before surgery still covered in grime and blood. The sight awaiting him is sure to be so much better.

He’s still stressed about it.

“Eddie, you wanna meet me out here to talk details once he’s settled or should we stick in here?” Deirdre asks.

“Here’s fine,” Eddie says almost too quickly, and Deirdre nods and steps fully inside. The head of a hospital bed appears in the doorway behind her and she reaches out to help guide it in, two orderlies and another nurse stepping in when the foot of the bed makes it through. Watching them snap everything in place and switch lines and leads from portable monitors to the full-size versions is mesmerizing. It’s like watching a choreographed dance, and even though Eddie’s wound so tightly he thinks a tendon might snap, he’s really impressed by the whole thing.

“Eddie,” Hen whispers from beside him, “breathe, would you?” As Eddie looks over at her, he realizes how much air he’s been holding in his lungs. He lets it out slowly as she watches expectantly, and she pats his leg appreciatively as he looks back over at Buck.

Buck, who looks both better and worse than the last time Eddie saw him nearly six hours prior. The blood and dirt have been washed away, cuts sutured and bandaged. He’s wearing a proper sling now, one that has a cushion to prop the arm up a little and attaches around the torso in addition to the usual over-the-shoulder strap. Eddie knows Buck’s going to hate it, but he also knows a regular sling absolutely would not keep Buck stationary enough to actually heal.

The problem is, without the layer of blood and grime on Buck’s skin, Eddie can see just how sallow his face is. He’s so pale he’s nearly gone white, but there’s such a significant amount of bruising that a lot of him just looks gray. Eddie closes his eyes, breathes for a moment–it’s a gesture he never would’ve allowed himself around others a few months ago, but he supposes that’s what all the therapy is for.

“What do we need to know?” Eddie finally finds his voice to ask as he reaches to take Buck’s hand, deciding he’s earned that small comfort. Deirdre smiles softly.

“I’ve got some more paperwork so you don’t lose your mind trying to remember all this, but here goes,” she starts.

-

In the end, Buck wakes up exactly seven seconds after Eddie decides that if Buck doesn’t wake up in the next twenty minutes, he’ll call Bobby to sit with him so he can go home and give Chris a hug and an update. Buck has been out of surgery for going on 72 hours and while Eddie’s seen Chris when Carla brought some clothes and a snack, he has yet to actually leave the hospital since Deirdre called him. He’s sliding his phone out of his pocket to set a twenty-minute timer when Buck’s hand tightens around his, and he’s standing immediately, sending his phone skittering across the floor.

“Buck? Buck, Ev, can you hear me?” Eddie asks. He’s trying not to sound too panicked, not wanting Buck to pick up on it and worry when all he needs to focus on is opening his eyes, but it’s hard. All Eddie can feel is the way his heart seems like it’s hammering against his ribcage and his skin feels just a little too tight.

As soon as Buck opens his eyes, Eddie feels at home in his body again.

”Hey, there you are,” he breathes. A ghost of a smile passes over Buck’s face, and with the color that’s come back to his face he looks almost okay. The bruising is still there, but Eddie knows that beggars can’t be choosers. “I’m gonna get Deirdre in here, how do you feel?” Without letting go of Buck’s hand, Eddie smacks the call button and then reaches for the water that’s been living on Buck’s bedside table, getting dumped and re-filled every so often since Buck got back from surgery.

“Ca- can’t feel…” Buck’s voice isn’t more than a whisper, and even after drinking some water it gives out before he can clarify exactly what he can’t feel. He lets go of Eddie’s hand to gesture instead, letting his own hand flop around on his left leg before reaching back for Eddie.

“Can’t feel your legs?” Eddie asks, praying that’s all he can’t feel. That had been the doctors’ prediction, and if it were more than that Eddie’s not sure what it would mean. Thankfully, though, Buck nods. Eddie sighs, oddly relieved. “That’s what they expected. The way you landed caused some swelling around your spinal cord, doctors warned us there could be some temporary paralysis.”

Buck’s face drops a mile, and Eddie’s heart breaks a little. The gaze Buck casts at his legs is pure dismay.

“Buck, hey, look at me,” Eddie says firmly, and Buck drags his eyes back to meet Eddie’s. “Temporary. Okay? Should get better in the next couple days. You’re not done being a firefighter.”

Because Eddie knows exactly what Buck is thinking. He and Bobby have had a few conversations about where they went wrong after the ladder truck bombing and Buck’s embolism, how things got so bad that Buck felt backed into filing a lawsuit. Despite what he’s told Buck, Eddie still feels bad about the whole situation, but he also knows that it’s in the past and they’ve done the work of understanding how things got as bad as they did. In all honesty, now he’s just relieved that he and Bobby, in one of their talks, decided to form a loose contingency plan should Buck’s typical luck continue and land him in a condition where he can’t work again.

Case in point, the hospital room Eddie is currently standing in.

“Rest ‘f team’s… ‘kay?” Buck croaks out, because of course that’s the next thing he’s worried about with the paralysis addressed. It brings Eddie out of his own head just in time–as he’s answering that yes, Buck, everyone is totally okay and just worried about you, Deirdre appears with all her usual joy.

“Well, look who I finally get to meet!” she declares, bright grin on her face that has Eddie smiling reflexively. “Buck, I’m Deirdre, I’m the nurse in charge of your care while you’re here. Let’s run through a few tests and then I’ll let Eddie fill you in on the rest.”

-

“Eddie, why are you insisting on letting me put you out?” Buck asks, casting another look at the cane propped against his hospital bed. It’s about the fourth way he’s found to ask that question since the topic of discharge the following day has come up, and Eddie and Bobby exchange an exasperated glance.

“Because I’d be real annoyed if you tried living in an apartment with stairs while your legs are still being weird and broke your neck, and then I lost all my free childcare. Is that what you wanna hear, Buck?” Eddie finally demands, having exhausted all of his usual kind reassurances. Buck rolls his eyes. “You- oh, Jesus Christ.” Eddie breathes, knowing suddenly that there’s really only one way to get this through Buck’s staunch denial that he is worth any kind of trouble, and he was really hoping to not do it in front of the man that is essentially Buck’s father.

But, honestly, he figures it’s a small price to pay if it finally convinces Buck that he’s worth every kind of effort Eddie could possibly put forth.

“Buck,” he says softly, taking the man’s hand. Buck senses the shift immediately, eyes snapping to meet Eddie’s. Eddie can see exactly when he registers the look that’s being directed at him. “Buck, it is never putting me out to have you with Christopher and I. Do you hear me? We love having you there. Honestly, I wish you didn’t have to leave.”

“Me too,” Buck admits in a near whisper.

“That does not change just because you need a little extra help for a while. Okay? Certainly didn’t seem to change things for you when you were sleeping on my shitty couch taking care of me after I got shot.” Buck shakes his head. “That’s love, though, isn’t it?” Buck inhales sharply. Eddie swears he hears Bobby doing the same. “I love you, Buck. Stop convincing yourself you aren’t worth my time or care.”

“Okay,” Buck breathes. “Okay. I- Eddie, I love you, too. I’m sorry I didn’t get to say it first.”

“I think you needed to hear it first,” Eddie says, smile pulling at his lips. “I’ll never begrudge that.”

-

“Thank you for bullying me into staying with you,” Buck says softly one night. They’re laying together in Eddie’s bed, and it’s just over three weeks after Buck’s accident; two since his release from the hospital. The two are gently intertwined, one of Buck’s legs tossed across both of Eddie’s. Even weeks out from the accident, it had taken them nearly ten minutes to get comfortable in a way that didn’t put pressure on Buck’s shoulder but also didn’t press on Buck’s back in the specific way he said made his legs go tingly, but Eddie thinks it was worth it.

“Thank you for finally agreeing,” Eddie answers. He presses a kiss to the top of Buck’s head, still giddy at the fact that he gets to do that now. “You still up for coming to the station tomorrow?” Buck shifts so he can look at Eddie, grin on his face.

“You think I’m gonna miss your triumphant return to the 118?” he asks. Their second true, blowout fight ever–the first being in a grocery store in front of their entire team and the poor staff members nearby–had occurred the week prior when Buck found out Eddie was planning to push off his return to work in favor of taking care of Buck.

“I’m not a little kid, Eddie! Why is it that you seem hell-bent on treating me like one?”

“You almost fucking died, Buckley, would you cut me some slack? Excuse me for being a little cautious when I have literally watched your heart stop. And it’s not like you can do much for yourself right now. What are you gonna do, piss in a bottle when you realize you haven’t been getting up unassisted?” Buck scoffs.

“Oh, I just knew you’d be difficult about this,” he spits. “I talked to Carla, alright? Got myself on her schedule. Your technophobe ass probably wouldn’t know this, but it’s actually still pretty easy to use a cell phone even when only one limb has total function.”

“How are you turning this on me right now?” Eddie demands, incredulous that his distaste for technology has ended up on the table. “Excuse me for not loving your track record when injured, alright? You don’t exactly have a very strong history of taking care of yourself. Or did you forget about almost dying in Bobby’s backyard because you pushed yourself so hard?”

Eddie decides it’s time to stop replaying the argument in his head. The insults had only gotten more creative and finally the fight had only ended when Buck had worked himself up so bad he had a coughing fit and Eddie had promptly nearly tripped trying to get over to Buck to start taking vitals. Eddie’d had to acknowledge that, okay, maybe he did tend to get a little worked up over Buck’s health. Buck, in turn, admitted that he hadn’t exactly given Eddie a shortage of reasons to worry.

He looks at Buck instead, still smiling up at him, and lets the love he’s finally stopped bottling up wash over him.

“I just don’t want you to feel like you have to drag yourself all the way out there just to come home after like an hour,” Eddie says. “You’re still healing, I don’t want you to feel like you have to put on a show.”

“Supporting you has never been some performance,” Buck insists. “Neither has taking any excuse I can get to eat cake from the bakery Hen goes to. That shit has never not hit the spot.” Eddie laughs.

“Okay, alright,” he says, “I get the picture. I won’t stand between you and your cake.”

“Good choice.”

-

“So. Hit the spot again?” Eddie asks Buck, unable to contain his grin.

“You have no idea, Diaz,” Buck answers through a mouthful of cake. “Might be even better than yours.” Eddie scoffs in mock outrage.

“How dare you?” he demands. “Mine had a screenshot of my wrist X-ray. Yours just says Congrats on not being paralyzed! I can’t believe nobody called HR.” Buck snorts.

“Baby, if anyone were gonna call HR, they would’ve done it when you stuck your tongue down my throat in the locker room this morning.”

“Trust me, we all wanted to!” Chimney shouts. Hen cackles from somewhere behind him.

Eddie decides it’s the perfect opportunity to kiss his boyfriend again.

[chaoticgremlinwholikescheese]

We Take Care of Eachother

Whump

Angst

Hurt/Comfort

Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure

Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley

a short drabble

AO3 LINK

It had been a long shift. They had already worked 24 hours, and then went three hours over at the last call. They'd gone 27 hours with barely any food and even less sleep. On top of that, they lost several people before they could put the fire out. They were all exhausted. The usual chatter was gone, replaced by tired silence. Even Chim wasn't cracking his usual jokes. Bobby had retreated to his office to begin working on paperwork. The rest of the crew was slowly filtering out and heading home.

Buck is sitting on one of the benches, staring off into empty space. His eyes are distant. His jaw is tight, his fists clenched in his lap. Eddie can tell something's wrong. He's not sure what, but he knows that something is definitely off. He slowly makes his way into Buck's line of vision. He looks up when he sees Eddie, and a small smile appears on his face. It's the one reserved specifically for Eddie.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just tired."

There's more to it than that, but Eddie chooses not to push. Buck will talk when he's ready. He grimaces when he stands, but waves off Eddie's attempted help with a muttered 'I'm fine'. He gives Eddie a smile, but it's tense. He claims he's simply sore from all the work today. Eddie still doesn't believe that's all it is, but he pushes his worry away in favor of getting them both home. He sends Carla a quick text to let her know they're on their way. She sends back a thumbs up and a smiley face emoji.

The ride home is fairly silent. Music quietly echoes from the speakers, barely audible. It's more of a background noise than anything else. The two don't speak much, both unpacking the day on their own. The only time they converse is when Eddie asks Buck if thai is okay for dinner. Buck nods yes, eyes never straying from the road. Eddie doesn't have to ask what Buck wants. They have a tradition. They get the same things every time.

They beat the delivery man home. Buck unlocks the door as Eddie grabs their stuff. He tosses it all down in the hallway to be dealt with later. Future him will deal with it all. For now, he just wants to sit down with a cold beer. Buck seems to have the same idea, as he's already rustling around the fridge for them. He passes one to Eddie before taking a swig of his own. Carla meets them in the kitchen.

"You two look exhausted. Long day?"

"Longest one we've had in a while. How was your day with Chris?"

"Wonderful as always, Eddie. You know that he's a complete angel. I have to run, but I'll see you both later. Take it easy tonight!"

"Will do, Carla," Buck says with a joking salute.

Eddie practically melts into his seat. That's exactly when the doorbell rings, signaling the arrival of the food. Eddie lets out a groan, throwing his head back in frustration.

"Don't worry. I've got it," Buck chuckles.

Eddie sighs in relief. That relief wavers when he notices Buck's stride is a bit off. Not enough to properly be classified as a limp, but still enough of a difference to be concerning. It's probably just a strained muscle or something. He'll bring it up to Buck later, when they're both fed and rested.

The doorbell also summoned Chris from his room. He greets Eddie with a tight hug. He waits until Buck puts the food down to give him a hug too. Buck gets this soft look on his face whenever he sees Chris. It's one Eddie is all too familiar with. It's a look of pure love, the way a parent looks at their child. The fact that Buck loves Chris that much never fails to make his heart almost shatter with the amount of love he feels for the man.

Buck takes a seat next to Eddie and doles out the food. They all dig in, sharing stories about their day. Eddie and Buck stray away from any stories about darker calls. They stick to the funnier ones. Chris tells them about his classmates and the latest drama. There's so much drama it's practically a real life telenovela. Eddie doesn't remember having this much drama when he was this age, but that was a long time ago.

After dinner, the trio works together to quickly clean up. Chris brings the dishes to the sink, Buck washes, and Eddie dries. They have a routine in place. They have many routines ingrained in their daily lives, and Buck is a part of all of them. Eddie doesn't know how the two of them lived for so long without Buck in their lives. He appeared and became the piece of their family they didn't know they were missing.

"Can we watch a movie?"

"Sure, kiddo. Which one are you thinking?"

Chris shrugs at Eddie's question. The three of them head over to the couch. Chris squishes in between Buck and Eddie. They settle on 'Strange World'. It's one of the better movies Buck has seen in a while. And if Eddie cries a little bit while watching it, no one says anything. Eddie notices that Buck isn't paying much attention. His face is a little pale, and his right hand is digging into his thigh.

Eddie shoots him a questioning look over Chris' head. Buck shakes his head to signify that everything is alright. Eddie raises a skeptical eyebrow, but doesn't pursue the issue further.

By the end of the movie everyone is drifting off. Buck ushers Chris off to bed while Eddie sets up the couch. He wouldn't mind having Buck share his bed with him. They did all throughout COVID. And they did it before that too, and after, whenever they had nightmares. It helped to have the company. And Eddie can admit that he misses sleeping next to Buck. They would wake up tangled together, and for a moment, Eddie could pretend that they were something more than friends. It may be selfish, but he's weak when it comes to Buck.

"He's out like a light."

Eddie chuckles. It turns into a yawn.

"Get some sleep. I'll make us some waffles in the morning."

"I'll never say no to your waffles. Night, Buck."

"Night, Eddie."

Eddie clicks off the light on his way out. He's asleep the moment his head hits the pillow.

----------------------

It's close to 2 AM when Eddie wakes up thirsty. He blindly pats the nightstand next to him, but his water bottle is nowhere to be found. He must have forgotten to replace it. He rubs his eyes and slowly clambers out of bed. He tip toes into the kitchen. He fills a cup with water and drains it. He's about to head back to bed, but he hears rustling coming from the living room. He peeks in at Buck. He's clearly awake, though Eddie can't figure out why.

"Buck? You okay?"

"Fine."

Buck's voice is choked. He sounds like he's in pain. Eddie flicks the light on. Buck's face is covered in sweat. He's biting down on his wrist, trying to stifle any sounds of pain. Eddie runs over and kneels next to him, eyes scanning him for any injuries. Did he miss something earlier? He had checked Buck over and hadn't seen anything. Fear roars through his veins, drowning out everything else.

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