It's time to bring all the fluff back... Welcome to BuckTommy Fluffebruary round two!
The response last year was great and the event received a lot of support so I decided to run Fluffebruary again. We all need some fluff into our lives, right?
The event will keep us company throughout February with 28 different prompts plus a list of alternative ones to choose from if the daily prompt doesn't strike your fancy.
Prompts can be interpreted however you like and everyone can take part in the event since it's open to all fan works: fanfics, moodboards, gifsets, fanart and everything else that sparks your creativity.
There's no minimum/maximum word count for fics and everyone can submit works for as few or as many prompts as they want. Belated entries will be happily accepted as well.
All works should include Buck and Tommy as the main couple and fluff as the main theme so please be careful with (light) angst, hurt/comfort, whump and such. They can be included but fluff should be the main focus.
Tag @bucktommyfluffebruary and #bucktommyfluffebruaryroundtwo to make sure I can see your post and reblog it. All posts will be vetted by me and I'll leave a comment to let you know when it's been reblogged. If I haven't replied within 48 hours, please send me an ask.
Fanfictions can be added to a moderated collection on AO3. Please make sure to tag your works properly and to mention eventual trigger warnings.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
Now the surprise will no longer be spoiled: a neat little card for our resident clay slinger & Rush blogger @geddyqueer - who wanted more international post, and who am i to refuse?
And, sneakily, also an extremely belated entry for @bucktommyfluffebruary prompt: shared hobbies!
This was the most "sure I guess" fill for me I'm so sorry. Not the prompt, I just didn't know what the hell I was doing with this one. Written for @bucktommyfluffebruary day twenty-seven: casual touch. You can read it all on AO3 here, and it's also here:
When Tommy had first met Evan, he had assumed he was just the kind of guy who touched everybody. The way he'd use a hand on Tommy's arm or shoulder to get his attention, it had made his heart flutter a little once they were out of immediate danger. But he figured it was just what he did.
He's come to realize it's true with people he's close with—the crew, his sister, his niece and nephew—but it's not the case with everyone. But he's always touching Tommy when he can. Early on, he wonders if it means anything that he’d touched Tommy like he already cared. It changes when they start dating, of course. Non-platonic casual touches. A hand at his waist or on his back, tangling their fingers together while they walk, bumping their shoulders and knees together when they're sitting down or walking together.
It had brought out something in Tommy pretty quickly. He wouldn't normally herd a guy with a hand on his back on a first date. He wouldn't normally hold someone's hand almost everywhere. He wouldn't kiss them, even quick and casual, every chance he got regardless of where they are.
Sal even comments on it, says he's not used to seeing Tommy “all over” a guy.
“Not like that,” he adds. “Just, y'know—”
“Comfortable and happy,” Gina says, saving her husband. “It's sweet.”
It becomes part of their DNA as a couple. Open, easy affection and casual touches. It doesn't stop until they take a break, but it starts back up again without any awkwardness once they're back together. Tommy used to have people mistake him and his exes as friends or brothers or whatever, but that doesn't happen with Evan.
It's like a claim, in a way. A hand on a knee when they're sitting in a waiting room, fingers tangled together when they're walking down the street, a hand on a shoulder or back while they're shopping. Fewer people hit on them separately, because they're so obviously together. It's nice to be viewed even by strangers as a couple.
When Evan’s parents come to visit for the engagement party, Tommy still isn't sure how he feels about them. They're trying, but there's still moments when he waits for them to backslide into the people Evan told him about. Evan worries about it, even if he won't voice it, but things are good so far.
They're out to dinner, just the four of them, and Tommy keeps catching them smiling at him and Evan, their eyes flicking to Evan’s chest or shoulder.
It takes him until halfway through the entrees to realize they keep looking at where his hand is gently curled around the back of Evan’s neck whenever they're not eating, his thumb rubbing his skin.
“Can I just say—” Margaret starts, and Tommy feels his entire body tense, “you two are just so sweet together.”
Evan flushes next to him, and he leans into Tommy. As he does, Tommy can see Phillip and Margaret reach for each other's hands under the table.
“I still remember when you two came into that hospital room, and I thought there had been some emergency because of the—” She gestures to her chin and jaw. “—but Phillip clued me in.”
“You thought I gave a guy mouth-to-mouth and brought him in the room?” Evan asks incredulously.
“Well, I don't know! It was a strange couple of days,” she says, shrugging. “And I was maybe a little naive.”
“But you weren't?” Evan asks his dad.
Phillip smiles beatifically and sips his wine. “My apartment was at the edge of Midtown Village in college, so…no.”
Margaret smiles fondly, and presses her hand to Phillip’s arm. “Oh, I loved your downstairs neighbors. What were their names?”
“Randy and Ben. Good guys. Great weed,” he says, and Evan chokes on his water.
IT'S DONE (Frodo voice). Written for @bucktommyfluffebruary day twenty-eight: wedding day. There's a reference to last year's day seven fill: love notes. The thing Sal says at the beginning is "Wishing you a life full of love and happiness." You can read it all on AO3 here, but it's also here:
Sal is helping Tommy with his tie, because apparently Tommy's hands can stay steady when he's about to fly into a wildfire, a hurricane, or combat but not when he's about to get married.
“You look good,” Sal says, smoothing his lapels when he's done. He curls his hands over Tommy's cheeks and leans in to kiss both sides with a grin. “Auguri di una vita piena d’amore e di felicità, Maso.”
Tommy presses their foreheads together before hugging him tight, because Sal’s the closest thing he's ever going to have to a brother. He feels his eyes burn, and he hears Sal sniff.
“C'mon, boys,” Lucy says when they pull apart. She hands them each a tissue. “Get it together, we're marrying one of you off today.”
But her eyes are suspiciously bright when she says it, and Tommy nods, wiping his eyes and nose. He also accepts the pocket pack of tissue from her. He's going to need it, he can tell.
There's a knock at the suite door, and Sal opens it to let in Chimney, Phillip, and Athena.
“Alright, I'm here to make sure you're ready, I don't know what they're doing here,” Athena says, fussing with his hair.
“I'm actually Tommy's,” Chimney says. “I just had to do some Buck wrangling first.”
“And I'm here to make sure he's okay,” Phillip says, rubbing between Tommy's shoulder blades. “You feeling okay?”
Tommy exhales shakily and nods. “Yeah. I'm, uh, probably going to pass out. Or cry. Maybe throw up. But I'm good.”
“That's the spirit,” he says, grinning.
The photographer’s assistant, Sheri, snaps a couple more pictures before heading down to the ceremony site. She'd popped in to get some photos of Tommy getting ready, and Donte, their photographer, is with Evan. He knows they've had people coming in and out of both of their rooms, because he'd already given Maddie a note for Evan and Eddie had stopped by with a flask.
“You know, if it makes you feel any better, I did all three of those things the day I got married,” Chimney says.
“Howie, you had viral encephalitis,” Phillip points out.
“Yeah, but I probably would've done all that anyway,” Chimney admits.
“I did pass out,” Melton offers. “If that helps.”
“Kinda,” Tommy says. “Sal, you've got the ring?”
“Yep, almost handcuffed it to my wrist,” Sal says, patting his chest pocket. “Brother, we are good to go. Let's get you hitched.”
There's a group hug, and Athena does last looks as they all come through the door before picking up her skirt and jogging off. In heels.
“Can’t believe I missed that chance,” Sal sighs wistfully.
“What chance did you have?” Lucy snarks.
“I gotta get down there,” Phillip says, squeezing Tommy's shoulder before pulling him into a hug. “You're gonna do great, son. It's just one big day out of a hundred big days you two are gonna have.”
Tommy lets out a shuddering breath and nods, hugging Phillip back tightly. “Thank you.”
He doesn't just mean for the reassurance or the hug. His parents aren't there. He doesn't have a dad he'd want there with advice. Having Phillip and Bobby through the whole process has made a world of difference for him.
“We love you, you know that, right?” Phillip says, and Tommy nods, his eyes burning. “And we're proud of you two.”
He nods again until Phillip pulls away, and then his chin is wobbling and he inhales sharply around a sob.
“C'mon,” Lucy says, grabbing his hand. “We got this.”
Tommy breathes deep and steady, nodding. “We got this.”
They walk toward the stairs and head down toward the car.
—
—
Buck hasn't been able to sleep since three in the morning. By the time people start showing up in his room, he's on his third cup of coffee and he's ironed everything in his suitcase. He's barely touched the breakfast that mysteriously showed up at his door.
“Oh, you're having a morning, aren't you?” Athena says.
“You know, I expected you to finish some of this,” his mom says, poking at the lukewarm eggs with a fork. “Well, nothing for it. Let's get you ready, honey.”
He gets dressed, and Maddie helps with his hair. Bobby helps with the tie and finds a spot he missed shaving, helping him so he doesn't get shaving cream on his shirt.
“You'll be okay, kid,” Bobby murmurs, smiling as he wipes Buck’s face clean. “Just remember where to stand and answer when I ask you something. I gotta get to the site, actually, but you've got everyone here, okay?”
“Okay,” Buck says, hugging him. “Love you.”
“Love you, kid.”
Buck is still making edits to his vows when Eddie and Ravi show up. He's had his hands smacked away from his mouth by everyone so he doesn't chew on his cuticles.
“This is for you,” Maddie says, handing him a folded note.
Buck should know better than to open it in front of everyone, but he does it anyway and laughs even as his eyes fill with tears.
Do you like me? Check y/n ♥️
🔲 yes
🔲 no
He grabs the pen he's been using to edit his vows and scribbles his answer, handing it back to Maddie.
“Make sure he gets this before the ceremony, okay?” he asks, and she nods tearfully until she starts crying. “No, you can't—”
But he can't help it, he's already crying, too. She hugs him tight, and he folds himself over her, crying his eyes out into his big sister's shoulder.
“You're going to be so happy together,” she says, rubbing his back. “Because you already are.”
“I know,” he says with a sniff.
When he pulls back, his dad is there with a handkerchief and a hug.
“I'm glad you're here,” Buck says, and his dad squeezes him a little tighter.
“Me, too,” he says. “And I'm so proud of you. All the time, okay?”
Buck nods and almost starts crying again. Especially when he sees his mom wiping her eyes and holding Maddie's hand.
“I'm going to go check on Tommy,” his dad says, and Buck nods, wanting to go with him.
“I should actually be with Tommy,” Chimney adds.
“And Athena already left to make sure they're ready,” Hen says.
Buck gets a glass of champagne pushed into his hand, and Ravi clinks it a paper cup of champagne.
“You got this, dude,” he says.
“And you got us,” Eddie says.
“And a man who's just as excited to marry you as you are to marry him,” Hen adds.
Buck looks down at the champagne with a smile. “I'm getting married.”
“You're getting married,” Hen agrees.
“To Tommy.”
“To Tommy,” Maddie says, squeezing his hand.
“In less than an hour,” his mom says, rubbing his back. “So don't go savoring that, we need to get you in the car soon.”
Buck laughs and downs the glass in one go. He doesn't want anything to hold him up.
@bucktommyfluffebruary round two // rating: g // words: 400
❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜
Buck noticed it pretty quickly. Ever since Tommy had proposed, whenever their hands found each other, there would be at least one quick swipe of a finger across his ring. Buck didn’t know whether it was because it was new, or Tommy couldn’t believe it, or if Tommy felt like he had to reassure himself it was there.
Buck would find reasons to use his left hand more, whether it was handing Tommy a drink, or a cookie to taste test, or helping him dry the dishes. When he babysat and took photos with Jee, he’d find a way to work his left hand into the photo somehow.
He also started doing the same to Tommy, even though he didn’t have a ring yet, but Buck would hold his hand during movie nights and rub that little spot of skin that would soon be covered by a ring that would show everyone how they felt about each other.
One night when he was out with Karen and Maddie — Tommy had claimed Hen and Chim for the night so they could reminisce about the old 118 days, which meant they were going to a shitty bar and drinking too much — Karen mentioned that he and Tommy never seemed to be able to keep their hands to themselves anymore.
“Haven’t you noticed which hand it is?” Maddie asked. “They’re always touching each other’s ring fingers. It would be nauseating if it wasn’t so cute.”
“Oh come on!” Buck protested. “We don’t do it that much.”
“The only time you let go of each other’s hands was when he had to drive away,” Karen pointed out.
“Oh.” Buck smiled.
Maddie snapped a photo and laughed as she texted Chimney. “Against, nauseating if it wasn’t so cute.” Karen nodded in agreement.
Buck’s phone buzzed with a message almost immediately. Hen had sent him a photo of Tommy with a similarly dopey smile on his face.
“You two are made for each other,” Karen sighed. “Also, I think our spouses need to step up,” she said, looking at Maddie.
Maddie nodded in agreement. “Yeah, when’s the last time anyone complained about us looking like that?”
“I can complain more,” Buck offered. “You’re all still, uh, nauseating too. Apparently we just don’t see it when we’re in it.”
This time it was Buck taking a photo of dopey smiles and sending it to Chim and Hen.
@bucktommyfluffebruary round two // rating: g // words: 600
❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜
“So, the first question we have to answer is big or small wedding,” Buck said, wedding binder and contents spread out across the dining room table.
“That’s the first question?” Tommy asked, surveying the various pamphlets and plans and handwritten notes Buck had been collecting and making.
Buck nodded. “Yep, because that informs our venue, which informs our date, which informs our guest list.”
“And so on and so forth,” Tommy said, picking up one of the menus Buck had printed out.
“Exactly.”
“I’ve never really thought about it,” Tommy admitted. “What about you?”
“As long as you’re there, I’m good,” Buck said.
Tommy looked at him. “Are you really good with something smaller or are you just saying that?”
“Really good with it,” Buck nodded a couple of times. “Okay, I would like Maddie and Bobby and Jee there too, but the only person I really need is you. I would like a bigger reception, but that’s because I want to show you off and be gross in front of people when they can’t tell us to stop.”
“Be gross?”
“Like, lovey dovey, kiss when people clink their glasses, that kind of thing.”
“Oh, that kind of gross. That does sound nice,” Tommy said.
“So, smaller ceremony, bigger party?” Buck checked. Tommy nodded and Buck made a note on his checklist.
“Okay, church, hall, or courthouse?” Buck asked.
“How many people do you actually want at the ceremony?” Tommy asked. “Because I think that’s the deciding factor here. I frankly don’t care if it’s a church or not, I haven’t even been since I was, huh, twelve?”
Buck crossed out church on his list with a flourish. “Alright. So, ideally, the whole 118 and their families for guests? Maybe Kam and Connor?” His nose wrinkled. “I guess I want my parents there?”
“Well, I definitely don’t want my dad there,” Tommy said. “But, Sal and Gina and the girls —”
“I already have them down as potential flower girls,” Buck interrupted. Tommy smiled before he continued.
“The 217 would be nice. There are a few people from trivia that I’d like to have at the reception, but that’s about it.”
“What about your cousin?” Buck asked.
Tommy thought about it. “Probably just the reception. The baby is still pretty small and I know neither of us would care if they made a fuss during the ceremony, but he’d worry about it the whole time.”
“Okay,” Buck made a few notes on his Guests list.
“I thought you’d want something bigger,” Tommy confessed. “Which would be okay with me.”
“Honestly? One of the best weddings I went to Hen and Karen’s vow renewal and it was just a small ceremony in their backyard.” Buck smiled at him. “I don’t want it to get so big that we can’t have talk to everyone. I don’t want to get so stressed about the the details I can’t have fun.”
“We both know you’re going to stress about the details,” Tommy teased. Buck grinned back at him.
“Well obviously, someone has to. But you know what I mean.”
“I’d marry you at city hall today,” Tommy said. “If I didn’t think our friends would kill us.”
“Me too,” Buck said, then looked down at their laundry day outfits. “But ideally we’d have nicer clothes on.”
“So, small, simple ceremony, and go all out on the reception?”
“Maybe something outdoor?” Buck picked up a couple of brochures.
“Open tent, those little lights?” Tommy suggested.
Buck’s grin widened. “We’re good at this. DJ or Band?”
Whelp, AO3 is down still? Again? Idk. But here's another fic. For @bucktommyfluffebruary day twenty-five: coffee shop (alternate prompt). Keep in mind this follows the timeline of my Fluffebruary fills, so they were only broken up for a couple months. This is where I would post the AO3 link IF I HAD ONE, but it's all posted here, too:
They've worked at the same coffee shop since lockdown basically ended, because the coffee is good, the pay is solid, the customers are pretty chill, and the menu is limited. Ari did their time in the highly customizable drink trenches of Starbucks, they're not going back unless it's with a bayonet pushed against their spine. Even then, they might just back up into it and be done with it all.
There are still favorites at the shop, even among the regulars. People who are nice to talk to, they're patient, they exchange looks with the baristas when someone unhinged and expecting a chain coffee experience comes in, and they usually tip well.
Tommy is one of the guys that Ari hadn't want to be one of their favorites, because Tommy looks like Ari’s shitty junior year bully-turned-boyfriend. Except they dated in secret, and Ari still got bullied by them at school during the day.
But Tommy's funny and tips well and buys the local art they sell. He's a firefighter, and he genuinely saves Ari’s life one morning. They're about to touch the bar counter, and his hand darts out and grabs their wrist. Just before they would've touched a puddle of water with a fucking exposed wired dangling from the espresso machine.
So yes, they have favorites. And sometimes those favorites are big jock looking guys who like to gossip about other regulars.
Then Tommy brings in Evan, and Evan is like if a himbo, a baby deer, a drop of sunshine, and a golden retriever had a baby with the distilled concept of ADHD and wrapped it in a fuzzy cardigan. The first time Evan smiles at Ari, they feel their heart pound and they get butterflies.
They don't come in together a lot, because Evan lives over in Downtown. But Ari likes when they come in, they're cute with each other and they're nice guys, even though they look like they should be dudebro bullies who order a black coffee and make a big fucking deal about it. But they’re kind of adorable, actually. When they sit down instead of getting their drinks to go, it's like watching two lovesick kids.
So when Tommy comes in looking like he got hit by a truck for two weeks straight and is unusually quiet, Ari realizes something happened. They try to stay out of it, but they're nosy.
“How's the boyfriend?” they ask, and Tommy looks so heartbroken that they immediately regret it. “Sorry, I—”
“It didn't work out,” Tommy mumbles, grabbing his coffee and leaving.
The next time he comes in, Ari doesn't let Stef charge Tommy. And they make a heart in his latte and then make a little crack with a line of cinnamon and the word ‘SORRY’ drawn in with a cocoa powder tipped toothpick. It makes Tommy huff out a little laugh.
They get the story in little trickles, like a drip feed.
Evan had wanted to move too fast but they'd just realized how little they knew about each other.
Evan is still figuring himself out.
Evan's never dated a guy before, and asking him to settle for Tommy felt unfair (Ari can't hold back their scoff at this one).
Frankly, it all sounds like bullshit, but what does Ari know? They're a 25-year-old barista who can't commit to a major, let alone a relationship.
They watch Tommy get more and more depressed for a few more weeks. He's nearly silent some days. Then he's clearly trying to pull himself out of it, because he gives tight little smiles and makes eye contact again. But Ari finds themself wanting to herd this giant, middle-aged man to a corner table with something sweet and baked whenever he comes in. It's a weird feeling, they don't know if they like it or not.
And then it's like a break in the clouds. Tommy disappears for a couple weeks, and he comes back looking five years younger and like he doesn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders. A few days later, Evan trails in behind him and is reading something on his phone, clearly trying to win some kind of argument.
“All I'm saying—”
“And all this peer-reviewed study is saying,” Evan cuts in, and Tommy rolls his eyes and grins and grabs his hand before they step up to the register.
It's mid-morning, it's slow, Karlie is scrubbing one of the ovens. So Ari steps up and taps in Tommy's usual.
“Good to see you again,” they say to Evan, who grins. Butterflies, a whole swarm of the fucking things, right in Ari’s gut. “What can I get you?”
“Chocolate orange mocha, please,” Evan says. “And, uh, a slice of chocolate zucchini bread.”
Tommy shoves a twenty in the tip jar when Ari rings them up under their discount. “You’re gonna get fired if you keep doing that.”
“You've never seen me during a rush, they wouldn't fire me if I stuck my balls in the cold brew,” Ari says flatly, and Karlie makes a noise of disgust and throws a rag at the back of their head. “I've never done it!”
They make their drinks, and they watch Evan put his head on Tommy's shoulder and read something on Tommy's phone. When Evan whispers something and hides his face, giggling, Tommy groans loud enough that the guy working on his laptop in the corner looks up from his screen.
“I'm not telling him that,” Tommy says, shoving his phone in his pocket. “Brat.”
“You missed me,” Evan coos, and Tommy huffs.
“Drinks,” Ari says, sliding them across the counter along with a pastry bag. “Have a good day, guys.”
They wish them the same and head out, and Karlie sighs next to them.
“Man, I can't believe I'm rooting for two guys who look like that,” Karlie says.
Ari nods. “Right?!”
—
It's weird being on the fringes of the lives of a bunch of people. But Ari has favorites. They keep tabs.
Evan moves in, Evan wants opinions on rings, Tommy wants opinions on rings, they're engaged, they're wedding planning in the corner, they're getting married, they're going on their honeymoon, they're adopting a baby, they have a baby.
Ari’s the assistant manager by the time they can bring Robbie in. They both desperately need caffeine, and this cute as hell baby is blinking at Ari over the espresso machine with big blue eyes.
“Welcome in, kid,” they say, smiling and wiggling their fingers at him.
Please don't use nutmeg as a drug. This was written for @bucktommyfluffebruary day twenty-six: karaoke. Songs are "Hanging By A Moment" by Lifehouse and "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven. You can read it all on AO3 here, and it's also all here:
Buck knows he's right, he's not willing to back down.
“I will bet you anything,” he says.
“Okay, but it sounds just crazy enough to be true, so—”
“So you're saying I'm right?”
Tommy stares at him for a long moment. “No.”
Buck grins. “Then take the bet.”
“I am not—” Then he sighs and shakes Buck’s hand. “Fine.”
Buck looks expectantly at Eddie.
Eddie unlocks his phone. “‘Nutmeg can cause—’”
Tommy groans. “Bullshit.”
“‘—a psychogenic effect after consuming about five grams of ground nutmeg,’” he concludes.
Buck points to his boyfriend. “In your face! I told you my buddy—”
“Who's an idiot,” Chimney adds.
“—got high on nutmeg in middle school,” Buck says, grinning. “And then ended up in the hospital. It's, like, super toxic. Pay up.”
Tommy glances at their friends and then at Buck. “What do you want?”
Eddie and Chimney both move to cover their ears, and Ravi just sighs and takes a long drink from his beer.
“I don't need a bet for that,” Buck says, kicking what turns out to be Eddie. He points to the stage, where a cop is currently belting out an old rock song. “You're singing. Here.”
Tommy will do karaoke trivia, but it's in a bar where he knows pretty much everyone there. A badge and ladder? Not a chance.
“Fine,” Tommy says after a silent standoff. “For the record, I was ready to blow you in the bathroom.”
“Aw, come on!” Eddie complains.
Chimney covers his ears. “I didn't need to know that!”
Buck is seriously reconsidering his winnings when Tommy get up to put his name down. Then he watches him make a beeline for the bar and do two shots back-to-back.
“Not good for the vocal cords,” he teases when Tommy sits back down.
“You want me to duet with you?” Chimney asks Tommy. “I usually do it with my wife, it'll be nice to be better than someone for once.”
“Go fuck yourself,” Tommy replies.
A few songs later, the guy calls for Tommy, and their table cheers for him. Buck gets up and moves closer to the stage for emotional support, because Tommy's knee had been bouncing under the table for a few minutes. Really, if the argument hadn't gone on for several minutes, he would've rescinded the whole thing.
“For the record,” Tommy says when he picks up the mic, “I lost a bet to my boyfriend.”
“You got this!” Chimney calls.
"Do I?" Tommy sighs, and there's a ripple of laughter through the bar.
The song that starts playing is one that Buck knows he heard on the radio as a kid. Tommy's voice isn't particularly shaky, but the song also doesn't seem to start out with much singing.
“I'm falling even more in love with you. Letting go of all I've held on to. I'm standing here until you make me move. I'm hanging by a moment here with you,” Tommy sings, smiling as much at the back wall as he is at Buck. “Forgetting all I'm lacking. Completely incomplete, I'll take your invitation. You take all of me now—”
And then the song picks up, and Tommy is singing. Not super well, he's not all that gifted, but he's singing. At Buck. And what was initially a big dumb joke is now making Buck’s face burn and his heart so funny stuff in his chest. Because his boyfriend is singing his heart out to a divorced dad rock song about falling even more in love and looking him in the eye while he does it. There's pointing.
He ends up covering his face with his hands for a second, feeling like a fucking teenager. When he looks again, Tommy's grinning at him and singing the last few lines before the music fades out.
There's applause and a few hoots and hollers, and Tommy puts the mic back on the stand before hopping off the stage and kissing Buck.
“You're such a dork,” Buck complains, but he kisses him back.
The guys cheer when they walk back to the table, and Chimney darts off to put his own name on the list.
“That was honestly not as bad as I was expecting,” Eddie says, and Ravi throws a balled up napkin at him. “What?”
“That was good,” Ravi says. “Is what he meant.”
Chimney comes back with a round of shots with a couple extras. He pushes another one toward Tommy when he's done with the first one.
“Why?” Tommy asks suspiciously.
“That took guts, you earned it,” Chimney says, and Buck catches Tommy's suspicious squint before he throws back the shot.
It was warranted, it turns out, when the guy calls for Tommy and Chimney.
“My wife's not here, I need a duet partner,” Chimney whines, trying comically to drag Tommy out of his chair. “Dude, I can still lift you.”
“Bullshit,” Tommy hisses, but he bats Chimney's hands away and stands up.
“Alright, let's go,” Buck says, nodding toward the stage.
Because of the kind of songs Chimney and Maddie usually sing, he was expecting a love ballad. Maybe some old standard. Abba, even.
Instead, it's more divorced dad rock.
“Well, I'm not paralyzed, but I seem to be struck by you, I wanna make you move because you're standing still,” Tommy sings, pointing at Buck.
“Oh Christ,” Eddie sighs.
“If your body matches what your eyes can do, you'll probably move right through me on my way to you,” he continues.
He's really not that good, but there's something about the whole thing. Buck realizes it's lucky he didn't realize he was bisexual when he was young enough to fall for assholes with guitars.
By the end of the song, Tommy and Chimney are growl-singing into their mics and almost have their foreheads pressed together. It's fucking stupid, but Buck still kisses Tommy when he leaves the stage.
“You should join a band,” Buck teases. “I'll be your groupie.”
“You can be my groupie now,” Tommy murmurs, and Buck ignores the noises of exasperated disgust from their friends when he kisses him again.
I'm almost caught up, look at me. I'm doing it. Here's another short one for @bucktommyfluffebruary day twenty-four: showering together. You can read it on AO3 here, but it's also here:
Tommy hadn't known that when he redid his shower so it didn't feel so claustrophobic, he was actually giving him and Evan enough space to move around each other. He'd redone the shower in 2019, so it would've required a lot of foresight. But now it feels like it was the entire purpose of that particularly hellish couple of weeks.
They still crowd each other against the wall and wrap around each other, but it's by choice. He can easily step around Evan without it being an awkward, potentially dangerous dance. They have a built-in bench on the far end that had been meant to help him if he was injured, because awkwardly showering with a fractured tibia had stuck with him for the last twenty-five years when he installed it. Now it's a place for Evan to perch when his leg is bothering him, for Tommy to sink into when his knee is killing him. It's somewhere to sit or brace when the mood for shower sex strikes.
Evan is home before him, already in the shower and listening to one of his weird music mixes that involves stuff in other languages just so he can give it a shot. This week it's a Russian industrial band he doesn't seem to hate. Tommy watches him through the glass of the shower as he strips his clothes off, and he thinks Evan doesn't notice until he looks over his shoulder and smiles at him.
Fuck, it's wild what a single smile from Evan can do to him. His heart stutters in his chest, his breathing catches, his skin goes hot, he feels like he'd walk into something if he wasn't standing still.
When he steps into the shower, he presses up against Evan’s back and slides his hands from his sides to his belly and chest. He kisses his shoulder and neck and under his ear and smiles when Evan rumbles with a hum. It reminds him of a cat purr.
“How was work?” Tommy asks.
“Motorcycle in a tree. You?”
“Guy and goat stuck in a ravine. I think you win.”
“Motorcyclist was in a different tree,” Evan adds, tipping his head back against Tommy's shoulder.
“Definitely win,” Tommy amends.
Evan twists his upper body a little so they can kiss hello, and Tommy licks water from his lips. When the kiss breaks, he kisses the corner of Evan’s mouth and maneuvers himself under the spray, tipping his head back to get his hair soaked through. Hands settle at his hips, a tongue presses against his throat, and Tommy chuckles at the drag of lips over his Adam's apple.
“Yeah?” he murmurs.
“Mhm,” Evan hums. “Can't help it. Hot, wet guy in my shower?”
“Sounds like a good morning,” Tommy teases just before Evan kisses him.
He's also grateful for the almost new water heater, because they can get each other off in a slow grind without worrying about the water going cold. They have all the time in the world to stroke each other and gasp into each other's mouths. When Tommy's hands are loose and clumsy after, it takes him a little longer to finish cleaning himself up and wash his hair. But they've got time.
They dry off after and get into underwear before drawing the blackout curtains and crawling into bed for a couple hours of sleep. They both got good rest at their stations, but they could do with another REM cycle before they go shopping for a new vacuum.
Tommy pulls Evan into his arms and sighs against his warm, still damp skin. “See you in a couple hours.”
“See you,” Evan replies in a sleepy slur, already almost asleep.
see what i did there 😂 once again, thank you so much for another incredible @bucktommyfluffebruary ! thanks to our organizer @aesthetictarlos and to everyone else who participated alongside, if you made one piece or completed the entire month, you’re adding more love onto the BT fluff pile! 💖💖💖
you can find the master post of my works from this year here 🦬
even though we’re a day late, we’ve crossed the finish line on this year’s @bucktommyfluffebruary! thank you so much to @aesthetictarlos for organizing once again and to all of the other fellow contributors to this event and also everyone else who enjoyed and shared a full month of fluff with us! here’s to completing year 2 & to future celebrations of bucktommy 🥂
@bucktommyfluffebruary round two // rating: g // words: 500
❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜
“I feel like we’re the oldest people here,” Tommy whispered to Evan.
“So, who cares? It’s fun.” Evan smiled at him. “Now pick out what you want to paint.”
Tommy picked up a mug and a plate, and Evan copied him. They had a table to themselves, and one of the employees brought over paint palettes for them.
“Just let me know if you need anything else,” she chirped. “You’ve got the rainbow plus black and white but we can refill anything for you.”
“Thanks,” Tommy and Evan smiled at her and she headed off to the table of pre-teens that appeared to be celebrating someone’s birthday.
“What are you going to paint?” Tommy asked.
“It’s a surprise,” Evan said, completely focused on his plate, the tip of his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he started painting.
Tommy stared down at his ceramics, trying to figure out what he wanted to paint. He wanted it to be something they'd actually use so it wasn't just gathering dust when they took it home. He looked at Evan and an idea began to take shape.
“Ready?” Evan asked. Tommy nodded and they swapped seats to see each other’s work. Evan's mug had a cartoon helicopter on one side and “#1 Pilot” on the other, and his plate had the flowers from their garden in the centre.
“I think we’re going to have to hang this on the wall,” Tommy said, admiring the flowers Evan had so carefully recreated.
“Tommy, this is so cute,” Evan held up Tommy's plate, careful not to smudge the paint. “You realize this is the official dessert plate now.”
Tommy smiled, pleased that Evan liked his plate. He'd carefully spaced out the letters so the top of the plate read “Treats” and the bottom read “by Evan” while the centre was filled with cookies and cakes and brownies. “It's just a ploy to get more baking.”
“I feel like it’s already working,” Evan said. “And this mug?”
“It’s pretty simple,” Tommy admitted. He’d done their flags on each side, separated by a rainbow down the centre.
“It’s perfect,” Evan said.
“Look at the bottom,” Tommy told him. He’d added their initials and the date they’d moved in together.
@bucktommyfluffebruary round two // rating: g // words: 300
❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜
“You’re spiraling a little,” Lucy told him.
Tommy sighed. “Oh, I passed spiraling like three days ago.”
“It’s his birthday, not a proposal,” Lucy said.
“He’s just… so good at planning stuff for me, for us, you know? I just want a night where he doesn’t have to do anything.”
“I thought Maddie was hosting his birthday party this year. Or was the e-vite wrong?”
“No, Maddie is, I’m trying to plan something for just the two of us.”
Lucy leaned over to take a closer look at his notebook, and Tommy pushed it closer to her. “So, are you worried about not being romantic enough, or flashy enough, or…?”
“Meaningful enough,” Tommy said mournfully. “Everything he does is so personal, and my ideas feel generic.”
Lucy hummed as she read through his ideas. “Well, is there anything he’s mentioned wanting to do, or somewhere he wants to go?”
“I— hm,” Tommy mused. “There is a museum exhibit he mentioned. But is that really birthday material? It’s not really romantic.”
“But it’s something he wants to do, so that’s personal and meaningful,” Lucy pointed out. “You could always go out for dinner afterwards for a little bit of romance.”
Tommy snorted. “Evan won’t leave the museum before they close if he doesn’t have to.”
“So, his favourite takeout at home,” Lucy shrugged. “You’re making this more complicated than it needs to be.”
“I don’t want him to think I don’t care,” Tommy blew a breath out his nose. “I don’t want it to feel last minute.”
“Oh, I already sent him a photo of you before I came over, he’ll know it’s not last minute,” Lucy clapped him on the back as she stood up. “Trust your gut Kinard, you got this.”
@bucktommyfluffebruary round two // rating: t // words: 500
❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜
“Yeah!” Tommy cheered as Buck got back to the booth. “That’s my guy!”
Buck squished himself tight in against Tommy’s side, Tommy’s arm draped around his shoulders and pulling him close. The flannel shirt Tommy’s wearing is one of Buck’s favourites, the fabric worn so soft that he can never resist rubbing his face against it, which he did now because he could. He could smell Tommy’s detergent and cologne and a little bit of sweat.
“It’s a good thing you two found each other because that voice is not winning him any dates,” Chimney cackled. Buck and Tommy gave him matching middle fingers.
“Just because the Buckley singing gene skipped me doesn’t mean I’m not a great performer,” Buck protested. “I’m fun.”
“Yeah, the group of girls over there is definitely fawning over your performance,” Maddie said dryly.
Tommy’s hand tightened ever so slightly on Buck’s shoulder and Buck slipped his hand under Tommy’s shirt to pet reassuringly at the skin there, sneaking his pinky finger just under the waist band of his pants.
“First of all,” he said smugly, pointing at Chimney with his other hand, “your point is immediately disproved, and second of all, it doesn’t matter, because I do have Tommy.”
Chimney gagged. “You two are gross.”
“Excuse me, how many of your not-dates did I have to third wheel and you’re here calling us gross?”
“You didn’t have to third wheel us,” Maddie said.
Buck scoffed. “You were the ones inviting me! Because you kept denying you were dating!”
“Aw,” Tommy cooed quietly in his ear, his fingers having moved from Buck’s shoulder to play with the collar of his shirt.
“Aaand that’s our cue to leave,” Maddie said, grabbing Chimney by the hand and pulling him towards the door.
Buck hid his face in Tommy’s shoulder as he laughed. “You ready to get out of here?” he asked as he straightened up.
“Sure you want to leave your fan club?” Tommy joked, looking over his shoulder.
Buck turned to see the girls still watching him, and he gave them a little wave. “I’d rather be wth you,” he said easily to Tommy, sliding out of the booth and holding out a hand to help Tommy out of the booth.
As soon as Tommy was standing, Buck looped an arm around his waist and stuck his hand in Tommy’s back pocket. Tommy draped his arm around Buck’s shoulders again, and they made their way to the door like that, Buck’s fan club quickly forgotten behind them.
They had to separate to get into their uber, but Buck linked their hands together again in the backseat, smiling softly at Tommy. “You know Maddie was just teasing, right?”
“Yeah,” Tommy said. “But I don’t mind the look they get when they realize you’re with me.”
“Silly man,” Buck said fondly.
“Hey, we left with everyone’s ankles intact,” Tommy smiled.
Buck shoved him gently. “Yeah, watch yourself, it might not stay that way.”
@bucktommyfluffebruary round two // rating: t // words: 300
❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜
“The cast is off now, you know you don’t need to have to have a bath with me,” Tommy said, relaxing against the back of the tub.
“Duh, that’s why I get to sit in the front this time,” Evan laughed.
“Oh, that’s why,” Tommy joked as Evan leaned against him.
“Mm, had to make sure the extra weight didn't make you drown.”
Tommy laced his newly freed fingers between Evan’s. “So if you’re not worried about me drowning, why the double bath?”
“Cause I like you,” Evan said cheekily.
“Mm, very convenient that you like me, considering you said yes,” Tommy teased, running his fingers over the band on Evan’s left hand.
“Very convenient,” Evan agreed. “What did your doctor say about your arm?”
“A month of physio and light duty and then I should be good to go,” Tommy said. “But no working on the cars or home projects until then either.”
“Mm, I’ll let Sal know so he doesn't convince you to remodel anything this time.”
“I could still supervise.”
“There’s nothing that can't wait for a month,” Evan said. “Just keep healing. Relax.”
“Make the probie get all the coffee at the station.”
“Now you're getting it,” Evan said.
“And… let my fiancé take care of me at home?” Tommy asked cheekily.
“Absolutely.”
“I think I can do that.”
Evan pulled Tommy’s arms tighter around him. “Good, because you don’t have a choice. I already told Lucy you’re not allowed to do maintenance or get coffee.”
“You know I am okay,” Tommy reassured him. “I can get my own coffee.”
“I’m kind of fond of you, I’d love for you not to get injured again. And I have a ring to put on this finger,” Evan said, lifting their joined hands and kissing Tommy’s ring finger.
@bucktommyfluffebruary round two // rating: g // words: 200
❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜
“Okay,” Buck said, looking at the kitchen table. “I think we have enough seedlings?”
“Hopefully,” Tommy said. “I like going with a few more than last year, I don’t know what happened but those tomatoes were sad.”
“Right?” Buck nodded emphatically. “Same soil, same light, same watering system, and yet barely any tomatoes!”
“The zucchini on the other hand.”
“I swear I’m still finding zucchini bread in the freezer,” Buck said, laying his head on Tommy’s shoulder. “It’s like they're multiplying.”
Tommy rubbed his cheek against Buck’s hair. “I’m actually pretty sure both Eddie and Howie snuck some back in to the freezer in the garage.”
“Jerks,” Buck said without any heat. He’d probably given them dozens of loaves with the amount of zucchini their little garden had produced. And that was after all the ones he and Tommy had grilled and fried and added to pasta salads.
“I swear they’re related to mint somehow,” Tommy murmured. “I don’t know how either of them grow so much.”
“Speaking of, how do you feel about a raised herb garden?” Buck asked. “I saw a design you might like.”
“I’m always down to build something. Just tell me where you want it.”
