(pretending you were) just some lover, bucktommy, 2k
for @crash-that-helicopter-week. look. the helicopter crashes off-screen, but it definitely does crash. possible second part in the works.
It's just because I got here early, Buck tries to reassure himself. That's why he feels like he's been waiting so long. Because he's nervous and he got here early. He's trying not to check the time too often, so even if it feels like he's been sitting alone at a table for two for a half hour now, it's probably only been five minutes. Surely it can't have been more than ten. It's probably not even seven p.m. yet.
"Can I get you a drink while you wait?" the server asks, jolting Buck out of his spiral.
"Oh, just some water would be great," he says. What he really, really wants is a beer. Or a glass of wine. Or a double shot of tequila. Just something to take the edge off and stop him from bouncing his leg up and down like a maniac. But even a slim chance of being tipsy when Tommy shows up doesn't feel like it's going to be worth it. Because Tommy is going to show up. And they're going to talk.
Oh, jesus, they're going to talk.
The server gets back with his water, and Buck lets himself check his watch only after he's taken a very normal sip, with a very normal level of grip strength on the glass, and set it down with a very normal level of firmness.
It's five past seven.
Okay. That's…okay. Tommy's never late, but five minutes is okay. Five minutes is late for Tommy, but it's not late for a normal person who has to negotiate LA traffic and is coming straight from a shift. Five minutes is fine.
He counts to 100 and then checks his phone. He doesn't have any messages from Tommy, but that's fine too.
He drinks his water. He doesn't look at the clock. He pretends not to see that people are starting to give him looks. He reads the menu twice.
He looks at his watch.
It's a quarter past seven.
He looks at his phone. Still nothing.
He lets the server refill his water and tries to unclench his jaw.
He reads the menu again. The sea bass sounds good.
More for want of something to do than in expectation of a reply he takes out his phone again. Scrolls a little. Sends u ok?
He drinks his water.
Looks at his phone. Delivered. Unread.
It's 7.23.
Buck counts five pitying looks from the server and three half-overheard whispers from the table across from their — his, he guesses — before he gives up. He leaves a twenty dollar bill on the table to commiserate the server for having to bear witness to his humiliation and heads out, trying desperately hard not to make eye contact with anyone.
In the parking lot, he stops to take a few deep breaths, tries to kid himself he's not lingering in the hope that a familiar truck will pull in and disgorge a flustered, apologetic Tommy.
Nothing happens. He gets into the driver's seat and checks his message thread with Tommy one last time. It's still showing delivered, unread. When he calls, it rings and rings, until the voicemail kicks in. It's the same as it ever was — hey, it's Tommy. You know what to do.
"Hey," Buck says. "I hope everything's okay. I just wanted to say, uh. I'm sorry I missed you? Or. I'm sorry you didn't come? I don't know. I'm just — I'm sorry. Let me know if you want to reschedule, or whatever. I guess I — okay. Bye, Tommy."
Buck's too much of a first responder to check his phone while he's driving, but he's too much of a lovesick idiot not to spend the drive with Tommy on his mind. It had taken a week of texting, two long, awkward phone calls before they'd decided to actually sit down and have a conversation, and he figures Tommy just…decided against it.
I don't know, Evan, he'd said. Is there much left to say?
He'd agreed quick enough when Buck had said yes, more insistent than he's had the energy to be about anything in months. But maybe he changed his mind. Changed it back. Whatever. He just wishes Tommy would have told him is all, and saved him the experience of being publicly, visibly, humiliatingly, obviously stood up.
He pulls into his driveway and sits for a moment. If he doesn't look, there's always a chance that there's a message on his phone that says oh my god, I'm so sorry, a dog stole my car keys, can I come over, can I make it up to you, can I show you I meant it, or some fucking thing.
Instead, what he gets is maybe the worst thing he could have got.
Two ticks.
Read.
No bubbles.
No reply.
Buck sees red. Hits dial. Waits for the voicemail to kick in, wondering whether Tommy's watching his phone ring out, or if he's just tossed it aside. If he's laughing.
"Actually, you know what? I'm not sorry. You should be sorry. What the hell, Tommy? Was this like…payback or something? Were you ever even planning to show? I know you saw my message. I-I don't know why you wouldn't just tell me you changed your mind. But then, you don't tell me shit. You never told me shit. You just go ahead and make a decision and everyone else has to deal with the fallout. I have to deal with the fallout. You know what? Maybe you were right. Maybe you didn't have anything left to say, but I did. I do. And you don't get to hear it. Fuck you, Tommy."
He hangs up, breathing hard. Yeah. Yeah. Fuck that guy.
By the time he's got inside the house though, it doesn't feel like enough. The last word is great, but Buck figures Tommy's a few last words ahead of him in the shitshow that is their quasi-relationship.
In the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil, he hits call again.
"Actually, you know what? You do get to hear it. Unless you're too much of a dipshit coward to actually listen to these which would be the least surprising thing in the world. I loved you, you idiot. I really, really thought you were it for me. I thought you wanted that, too. Because you made me think that. And you know you did. Pro-tip, Tommy, the next time you get some — some bit of fun guy on the hook, maybe don't look at him like that! Maybe don't m-make him feel like he's special if you're just gonna dip the minute it gets too real. Because that? That is the behavior of a complete fucking asshole. And that hurts people. It hurt m-me. I can't believe I let myself think it might be different this time for some stupid reason. Should have known. Stringing people along is your specialty, huh?"
He hangs up and pours hot water onto his chamomile tea bag. He frowns and adds another bag. You never know, maybe it'll help.
He feels…bad about that last one. Well, not bad. He meant it. He meant every damn word, even if that last bit felt…mean. But it also didn't feel like it was about them. He can imagine Tommy brushing it off, thinking lucky escape, fuck, knowing Tommy, concluding that Buck's still in love with Abby and that's why he threw that particular jab.
Which is not true, and not fair. Because Tommy deserves to know it was about them. It was about him. If he'd sprung fully formed from the earth without a single piece of backstory, if he'd never hurt anyone before he hurt Buck, he'd still be an asshole who broke Buck's heart.
Once he realizes he's squeezed half the honey he owns into his tea, he sets the bottle down and snatches up his phone again before he can think better of it.
"Actually, you know what, there's something else. You know, you were the first person I didn't feel like I had to try so damn hard with. I think that's the worst part. I thought I could be my whole self, like I didn't even have to try because it felt so easy with you. And I really — I really felt like that meant something, you know? Like it was a-a-a sign or something stupid like that. I thought it meant we had something. And it turns out! I only felt like that because you were just playing a role, you were just being a good first boyfriend and I know you think that was for my benefit, Tommy, but do you know what I think? Fuck, you don't care what I think, but for what it's worth? I think that was for your benefit, you dick. Because it let you keep one foot out the damn door from the start so that you could feel safe. So that you didn't get hurt. I don't think — I don't think I ever knew you at all, huh? Because I never — I n-never thought you were selfish. Whatever. Me not getting to know you was probably the whole point, huh? Have the life you deserve, Tommy."
Shit. That might have been a good last word if Buck didn't sound like he was on the verge of tears at the end. And he's not. He's not. He's just…so goddamn mad it's making his eyes blur and his throat hurt.
Oh, he hates this. Hates that he gets so wobbly when what he wants to be is cold as ice. He doesn't want to leave Tommy with the impression — the knowledge — that Buck's still broken up over him.
"Actually! You know what!" Buck is aware that he sounds unhinged at this point. This is gonna be the last last word, he promises himself. "Like the hot dude in that stupid movie you made me watch with the singing and the sad ending said, thank you for curing me of my dumbass obsession with love or whatever. I hated that movie."
He hangs up. Feels like his own voice is still echoing off the walls.
Okay. Maybe a tiny step too far. The movie wasn't that bad.
He turns his phone face down and pushes it away with one finger like it might bite. He takes a couple of breaths and feels like he needs to run a mile, or scream into a pillow, or single-handedly take a rage room to pieces. He guesses he'll have to settle for his chamomile tea.
He picks up his cup and yelps when his phone rings immediately, vibrating across the counter top towards him like it's possessed.
"Shit," he whispers. Every message he's left replays in his head at triple speed. "Shit, shit, shit."
He picks up his phone, looks at the screen and white-hot rage boils up again because the screen doesn't say Tommy, it says Sal (Tommy's friend). He only has the number from the time Tommy's battery had been running low when they were on their way to meet Sal and some other people at a bar. Tommy had entered the number into Buck's phone just in case, originally saving it as Sal (asshole), and Buck had changed it, figuring maybe the day would come when he'd be planning a birthday party, or a surprise trip, or a special gift for Tommy, and would want to check something with his oldest friend. He should have deleted it. He should have deleted Tommy's number too, so he couldn't leave him a string of the kind of voicemails that wouldn't be out of place on a Tik Tok about someone's crazy ex.
"Seriously?" Buck snaps. "He got you to call me? Tell him he can go — "
"Buckley," Sal says, and there's something in his voice — not loud, but firm, even if it's somehow a little…watery — that stops him in his tracks.
The jack-hammer heartbeat of anger drains away abruptly, replaced by silent, rushing dread.
Buck can hear the cacophony of an emergency ward in the background.
"What? Sal, what?"
"I don't know what's going on with you guys, but Donato just dropped off his stuff and I saw the missed calls. You need to get to Cedars Sinai, kid."
i think i could tolerate the show being dogshit IF the fandom was not also dogshit. everyone wants to hit each other with bigger and bigger bricks because everyone is in a bad mood because the show sucks ass. hello? can we try building up a structure with those bricks instead? and filling it with pictures and gifs and fics of bucktommy loving each other forever? stop being annoying and stop being mean i have enough of mean annoying people in my irl life i don't want it in fandom too
sorry it really just irks me to see a buddie talk about how wrong the harassment Francois is getting after all the hate Lou got and is still getting. so what, did you finally realize your wrongdoing? or does it only matter when it's about something you like?
I won’t be mean but actually Tommy staying away because he thinks Buck doesn’t have feelings for him (because Buck told him as much) when they had a fight isn’t actually the big crime some people make it out to be.
hoping and praying that hr fans are not convinced to watch 911 with the amount of people comparing bvddie and hollanov. they are not the same, they are not even on the same fucking planet. if you watch 911, watch it for the married black lesbian couple and their two kids, watch it for the 2 characters that come out as adults after realising they are queer, watch for the multiple side characters that are very openly queer. im not saying that 911 is a revolutionary LGBT show, it definitely isn’t that. but the representation is there and it is not through bvddie
buck being so smart yet stupid as hell is so important to me. he knows so much stuff. he can’t remember a damn thing. he’s really good with people. he’s never had a successful social interaction in his life. he sucks at being a boyfriend. he’s the biggest wifeguy on earth. he’s the most thoughtful person who has ever lived. he’s unbelievably selfish. he’s desperate and needy. he’s pathologically self sufficient. his zest for life is contagious. he doesn’t care if he lives or dies. he’s involved with everything. he’s consistently out of the loop. he’s debilitated by love. he’s fueled by anger. he’s your favorite guy. he’s on your shit list. he’s bisexual. he’s an ally. he’s dumb as rocks and i like him so much
I need a scene of Tommy talking to his coworkers because they’ve noticed him being happier than usual.
So he says, “Evan and I are going to try to be friends.”
Cut to them making out aggressively in a hallway.
And Tommy’s coworkers don’t quite believe him.
“He’s a cool guy, and I missed hanging out with him, so we’re only friends,” Tommy says.
Cut to Buck having Tommy pinned to the wall, his mouth on Tommy’s, using one of hand to pin both of Tommy’s wrists to the wall, and using the other to undo Tommy’s belt and pants.
Tommy’s captain walks by and overhears the conversation. His eyes zero in on a hickey on Tommy’s neck.
So he walks over and pats Tommy on the back. “Well, that’s awfully mature of you. Just don’t steal a helicopter for him again, please. The amount of paperwork it has cost me does not make me happy.”
Later on, Tommy’s station are pulling out money because they had been betting on Buck and Tommy getting back together, and the captain won.
Cut to Buck and Tommy naked on a bed, both panting hard after some of the truly best sex they’ve ever had.
“I think my station knows,” Tommy says.
“So does mine,” Buck replies.
They both start giggling like a pair of school girls, and turn on their sides to face each other.
They kiss softly, over and over again, just as physical intimacy, not in a horny way.
They’re happy to be back together, even if everyone suspects it.
do you understand how obsessed i am with the idea of tommy gently brushing his thumb over buck’s frown whenever he is grumpy about something. or tommy gently smattering kiss after kiss on his lips until buck’s pout turns into a smile. he loves his grumpy sunshine so much but he hates to see him grumpy for too long.
For @911whatisyourpride week one: firsts
bucktommy, first time calling each other boyfriends
It feels different.
The 217 isn't as tight. They don't invite each other over for barbecues, they don't hang around the hospital waiting room for hours when one of them gets hurt and they don't always eat together. But when Donato dislocates her shoulder on a call, Bird wordlessly shoves it back in, and slaps an ice pack on it and hands her painkillers and water and keeps eying her for the rest of the shift. When Sal's family leaves after an extended visit he loads the fridge with lasagna his mom made and tells everyone to take home a piece. And when the new probie flies a helico for the first time on his own on a call, they don't make a big deal out of it but Tommy says "Somebody trained you well. Next call, you're flying again." And Buck knows how that feels, earning Tommy's trust. So he can relate to Ahmad's big eyes and the flush on his face. He's only 23 and Tommy's attention must feel like the biggest rush to him. Also, no one calls Ahmad probie.
There's less personal responsibility for each other but it feels freeing, too. Buck still has no idea what Bird's ex boyfriend's name is but he knows she's damn capable in the field. Bird is Irish, hair buzzed short, and she can bench more than Buck. He's allowed one, and exactly one, quip about her last name ("Flying like a bird, man") and then she shuts it down firmly. But she never calls him stupid or too much. None of them do. They laugh at his jokes. Tommy laughs, too. Eyes crinkling, face bright.
They haven't talked about It yet. It being Buck temporarily living at Tommy's place until he finds an apartment of his own. It being Buck shoving Tommy against various surfaces of the house and attaching his lips to his neck before sinking down to his knees to suck him off. Buck climbing into Tommy's lap, saying "Please," voice breathy and head ducked so he can peer at him through his eye lashes, knowing it drives Tommy crazy. Buck tucking himself behind Tommy in the kitchen, hand firmly planted between his shoulder blades as he slides in and out of his hole, achingly hard, fucking him with short, heated thrusts, Tommy cursing under his breath until they both shudder apart.
Donato brings it up once. They're restocking the helicopter and she asks when exactly Buck is gonna stop pretending he's gonna move out. "When are you gonna tell Bird?" Buck shoots back and Lucy grins. "Touché."
They don't talk about it again but Buck waggles his eyebrows at her when Bird asks them all to get drinks after a shift and her eyes suspiciously stick on Lucy. "You look like you need a beer, Donato," she says and Buck watches Lucy preen under her gaze. Is that what he looks like to others when Tommy talks to him? Wide eyed, mouth hanging half open, cheeks pink. Probably. Tommy touches the small of his back and Buck melts into him. Lucy waggles her eyebrows right back at him. Tell him, she mouths and Buck mouths Tell her.
"You wanna head home?" Tommy asks quietly against Buck's ear. He looks tired. Freshly showered, jeans on, and Buck's favorite Henley. Buck wants to bite his arm, where the fabric stretches and where he knows shapes are inked into his skin. "One drink?" he says instead because he also kind of doesn't want to miss Bird and Donato hopelessly flirting. Tommy grins. "Alright. You're buying." Which is a lie. Tommy always buys. For the sake of their bit Buck nods earnestly. "Yes, cap." Tommy raises an eyebrow and Buck's stomach swoops. But Tommy never initiates, never. Waits patiently for Buck to get so riled up he's going insane with it. Buck wants to claw at him, wants to tell him he can just take it if he wants, that he's up for grabs and that there's no one else.
Communication, Ravi had told him, sounding mildly bored and exasperated. You gotta talk.
Ravi is the only one he's been keeping in touch with regularly. There's still a tightness in his chest when he thinks of the 118. Misses Hen and Chimney, misses Eddie even. Stings that they don't reach out. Maddie keeps him updated on things of course. Chim sends a hi through her, every now and then. Eddie texted him still pouting? a few weeks ago and Buck hasn't replied yet. But Ravi's turning out to be a good friend, actually. He likes Tommy, which is a plus. He sends Buck dog reels on instagram and he's into true crime podcasts and he listens to Buck's rambling voice notes and replies accordingly.
So maybe Ravi is right about this, too. Well, he most definitely is. They need to talk. It was sort of their downfall last time. Buck chews on his bottom lip the entire uber ride to the bar. Tommy's pressed against his side. He'll bring it up when they get home later, Buck decides. He's gonna ask him, hey what are we? And he's not gonna feel weird about sounding needy. One drink, and then they go home. And then he's gonna talk to his maybe ex boyfriend maybe boyfriend like a whole ass adult.
His entire plan is derailed when he's at the bar, ready to grab a round of drinks for the entire gang.
"Buck?"
It's Eddie. Hair strand falling into his face. It looks just as annoying as Buck remembers. Eddie's beaming at him like they haven't been out of touch, like they're still best friends, like Buck hasn't transferred from the 118 to get away from the people he thought cared about him the most.
Buck musters a tight smile. "H-hey Eddie." He glances over to his table. Ahmad is shuffling cards while Sal and Bird argue over the rules of Hearts. Donato is sipping from Bird’s glass like it’s hers. Bird doesn’t seem to mind—she just leans closer and says something that makes Lucy bite her lip and look away.Tommy's not looking at him either, busy with his phone. Squints at the screen. Buck keeps telling him to wear his glasses or at least contacts but Tommy's adamant that he's fine. Eddie follows his gaze and nudges Buck in the side. "So when are you coming back, hm? Done spiralling soon?"
Buck flinches. "What?"
Eddie squeezes his shoulder. "I'm here with Marisol. If you wanna join us?"
Buck is genuinely surprised and momentarily forgets the sting in the pit of his stomach. "Marisol?"
"Yeah, uh - I apologized. Explained what I was going through, so..." Eddie's sentence trails off. He leans against the bar. Sometimes when he looks at Buck there's a look on his face that no one else gets. Like he knows something Buck doesn't. Like he pities him a little bit for not knowing. For being dumb and stupid. Buck chews on the inside of his cheek. "I'm not spiralling," he says after a few beats. "But I am glad you figured out how to apologize. Just not to me, apparently."
It comes out clipped. Bitchy. Good, Buck thinks as Eddie's face twists in surprise. "Buck-," he begins and then Buck feels a warm, big weight around his hip. Tommy. Thick arm. Hand on his waist. Buck doesn't even have to look at him to know what he looks like
"Everything good here?" Tommy's voice is deep. His no bullshit voice. Eddie glances between them, clearly baffled, and if it wasn't such a dire situation it would almost be comical.
Tommy's hand is pressed firmly against Buck, sending a pang of heat through him. It really shouldn't be a turn on, Buck thinks. Really shouldn't make his brain go brrr. But Tommy's solid and massive and Eddie is being a dick and Tommy's in Buck's corner and Tommy thinks Buck is funny and cool and competent and Tommy never, ever makes Buck feel small in a bad way. Only the good way that has heat curl into his bones like molten wax.
Buck leans into the touch. “Yeah. All good."
Tommy kisses the side of his face. Stubble catching on Buck's cheek. Buck's stomach swoops.
Then, because he's still buzzing with adrenaline and sick of second-guessing himself, because Tommy kissed his cheek in front of his ex-best friend and because he remembers Tommy's jealousy, his insecurity about Eddie and it's ridiculous and so he blurts out,
"Eddie, you've met my boyfriend."
Feels Tommy's grip against his hip tighten. It's not a lie. Not really. Buck feels a swell of pride in his chest. That is his boyfriend. In all the ways one can be a boyfriend, Tommy is his. He eats Buck's cooking. He suffers through every documentary Buck shows him. He sends him selfies from work. Serious bitch face, cleft, cheekbones and nose. God, he's attractive. Handsome. Jawline that makes Buck a little jealous. He's patient with him. Boyfriend.
"Oh, uh. That was fast," Eddie comments, surprised.
"Tell me about it." Tommy says dryly and for a split second Buck is worried he made the completely wrong call but Tommy looks at him soft and warm and fond. "See you back at the table then. Boyfriend." He huffs out a laugh, heads back to the others and Buck desperately needs to pull him into a bathroom and kiss him stupid. That's his boyfriend.
He glances over his shoulder. Tommy's sat down, keeps checking on him. Laughs at something Bird says. Looks at Buck again. Their eyes meet. Tommy winks.
Yep. Definitely boyfriend.
"So I guess you were serious about not coming back to us." Eddie looks half pissed, half-something Buck can't quite place. Maybe genuine hurt. He lets out a long breath. "Come on Buck. I was a dick, sure but--"
Buck pinches the bridge of his nose. "The thing is, this isn't about you, Eddie. O-or maybe it is, I don't know. I'm just --" He shakes his head. "At Harbor, they like me for me. And I'm not the dumb kid to them. I'm just Evan. And--"
"We like you for you," Eddie interjects. Insists. Buck shrugs. "Do you?"
Eddie blanches.
Somewhere, someone’s shouting over the noise about karaoke. The bustle has picked up a litte. "I'll text you." Eddie reaches out and squeezes Buck's arm. "I'll fix this."
And then he disappears into the back of the bar and Buck watches him sit down next to Marisol, thin-lipped, shaking his head. Angry, maybe.
At Buck's own table, Ahmad’s now miming something dramatic while Bird fake-swoons and Sal has his face in his hands. Tommy’s leaning back, arm resting lazily over the back of Buck's empty chair.
Their eyes meet again. Tommy quirks an eyebrow, that same amused, easy confidence that always makes Buck's knees feel weak. Tommy mouths okay? and Buck nods. He's more than okay.
In about five minutes he's gonna be at the table with their drinks and he's gonna pull Tommy into the bathroom and suck his dick and tell him that they're gonna be boyfriends for life now.
He's gonna shove his hands under Tommy's henley and squeeze at the meat of his waist, marvel at how real and solid he is. How steady.
"Boyfriends, huh" Tommy is going to pant, out of breath, having just come down Buck's throat. "Mhmh." Buck is going to rock up on his toes and press him into the tiles. "For life," he's going to reiterate. "And no running."
"Sounds like a threat." Tommy is going to quip but it comes out tender, hands cupping Buck's face. "Promise?"
They're gonna kiss for a very long time. "Promise." Buck is going to say.
"It's not that I don't like Buck and Tommy, it's just happening so fast, he's underdeveloped!"
*clears throat*
Here is a recap of what we know about Tommy. And this is just off the top of my head, I didn't rewatch anything.
He was closeted at the 118 before and found the atmosphere repressive. He (probably) acted like a dick to fit in. When presented with the chance to make things better, he took it, and developed positive relationships with Hen, Chim and Bobby.
He was in the army and trained there as a pilot.
He knows Muay Thai and has a set up in his house.
He likes to work on cars and has a lift at his house (where TF does he live is my question - he has some nerve being agog at Buck's loft if he has a muay thai gym and a car lift)
He is down for violating departmental policy at the drop of a hat (has done so on at least two occasions) to help a friend and has no problems fucking with the fire chief.
He is a nerd. He likes pub trivia and has incorrect Star Wars opinions, and can keep up with Chim in the movie-quoting department.
His favorite movie is "Love, Actually" and he likes craft beer and monster trucks.
He came out when he transferred to Harbor and felt comfortable enough to stop lying about who he was.
He follows MMA and has friends in Vegas who like him well enough to hook him up to a frankly insane degree.
He'll risk his own life and engage in helicopter skulduggery to save people he doesn't know...I mean, apart from doing that for a living.
He'll take time out of his day to give a tour to the cute boy who called him up and offer to give that boy flying lessons (a significant time investment) which was probably maybe about more one on one time with said boy.
He yearns for the belonging and found family that the 118 became after his departure and probably befriended Eddie hoping to earn a plate at the cookout, aside from just clicking with him.
He likes Eddie and Chris a lot and they like him. Chimney also likes him.
He was attracted to Buck right away and was emotionally aware enough to pick up on Buck's jealous feelings over Eddie and his friendship, even if he was surprised that it was him Buck wanted to get to know.
He respects and values Buck and Eddie's friendship and wanted to make sure Buck knew that.
He's brave enough to shoot his shot by planting one on a dude.
He's a lil bitchy but also generous and ready to throw in with this insane guy who's inviting him to a family wedding after 0.5 dates.
He showed up to a bachelor party when he was on call because Buck asked him to, then showed up in turnouts after fighting a fire for like 12 hours yadda yadda we all know this part.
He has got it BAD for one Evan Buckley, who he only calls "Evan" which according to LFJR is a conscious decision by the writers, which fascinates me.
He was willing to take a chance with a man just discovering his sexuality BUT wasn't willing to put himself through that if the man in question wasn't ready for it. When Buck showed him that he was, he was all in.
He does NOT take his coffee like that.
Oh and
He's a beast.
This is VASTLY more information than we knew about ANY of Buck's previous girlfriends with the possible exception of Abby. Even Taylor did not get this much development over 20 episodes (things we knew about her: she was an ambitious and ethically flexible reporter, did not eat fudge, had a dad in jail, and sometimes jogged for exercise, she was capable of being nice and did love Buck, I believe). And as for it being fast? Sometimes it just be like that? A relationship doesn't have to have year(s) of buildup. Sometimes people do just meet, like each other, and start dating, in fact in the real world that's usually what happens. It's in TV Land that you have to have eighteen seasons of UST before pulling the trigger. Most of the time in reality people just vibe off each other and decide to go out and THEN they learn about each other.
And they've got a great start. You'd think they'd barely spoken by how a few naysayers are talking about it - the loft scene was like a solid five minutes of very open conversation, the Cringe Date seemed to have gone well and again, open and honest (if cringey) conversation before Cockblocker Eddie showed up, and the coffee meetup was again....open and honest conversation. They're not gonna show us long scenes of them exchanging firefighting stories and workout preferences (I mean, I'd watch that, but it's not what the show is about).
In conclusion, anyone saying he's poorly developed or the relationship is "out of nowhere" either is being willfully obtuse or has ridiculously unrealistic expectations for relationships and/or what constitutes character development.
As for whether they have chemistry, that's a matter of subjective opinion. Given that a TON of people watched that harbor tour scene (even when it was posted as a sneak peek) and started going "wait...what's going on here...are they flirting??" might be a clue. People were talking about Bi!Buck maybe happening with Tommy based solely off that clip of the harbor tour and what they were seeing between them. And imho that loft scene was crackling. But we all see things through the lenses of our biases, myself included.
do you think you could do a gif set that's Buck's speech to Harry about being afraid and giving up on things but it's offset with Tommy in the breakup scene? bc I am having ~Thoughts~
ultimately what this richard siken/buddie “discourse” (if you can call it that) speaks to is that in the age of the internet the separation between artist and audience is negligible. you can go online and ask anybody anything about their work and they might see it and they might respond to it. and also, perhaps more importantly, artists are not and do not have to be kind and tolerant god figures who are niceys to you when you ask them silly questions about their work. you can point to them and say “i think this about you” and they can point back at you and say “i didn’t fucking ask.” the one way street through which artists communicated with their audience via art can now be violated via twitter. they are no longer private and neither are you. relating poems written by a queer man about his messy queer desire in the wake of the aids epidemic to your queerbaity 2020s tv show ship is one thing. to post about that take online is another thing. to ask the author about it specifically is another. we are all standing in a big room with each other and there’s etiquette involved. when you tap the author on the shoulder you shouldn’t be surprised when they turn around!
baratheonpilled
areudirty
turnnoffyourmind
ellievsbear
snowghoul
jbbartram-illu
theartofmadeline
dailybridgerton
