I swear to god I started this days before the S08E08.
But I do love being correct about them calling each other. And Buck dumping pastries on Eddie.
Shout out to @fraddit, who has compiled an amazing reference set for Eddie's house, which I didn't end up using as much as I thought, except for the outside.
Ok well i had the brief thought āwhat about an ER nurse Eddie au?ā and then this popped fully formed into existence so fuck it Friday pt 2.. warnings for smoking and vague references to critically injured kids
āThat doesnāt seem very healthy.ā
Smoke curls up from the cigarette held loosely in Eddieās hand. āItās not, particularly.ā
Buckās hands are in his pockets as he strolls away from the glass doors out into the ambulance bay where Eddie is doing the mature, professional equivalent of playing hide and seek. He comes to a stop barely a foot or two away from where Eddie leans against grimy concrete. āDidnāt know you were a smoker.ā
āIām not,ā Eddie sighs, āParticularly.ā He looks over Buckās face as he takes a drag, cataloging bruises and cuts. He hadnāt been the one to look him over before he was discharged, probably because he was out here avoiding having to do so. āOnly when itās- only after the bad shifts.ā And only once a month, even if the bad shifts come again and again. He bought this pack in January, itās stale as shit.
Buckās eyes follow the smoke as it drifts skyward. āRough one today?ā
Eddie thinks he probably doesnāt have to explain to Buck that itās sometimes better when a kid is dead on arrival so he doesnāt have to try his best to administer care he knows will be useless. He doesnāt have to explain a day where nothing goes right and he loses more people than he can save and he still has to walk away from someoneās parent or wife or sister, left behind forever in a waiting room on the worst day of their life, and go on to lose the next person too. Doesnāt have to explain why heās out here, and not in there. āMm. Weāve got this repeat customer, always hate to have him back.ā
Buckās eyes flick to his face before they settle somewhere around his elbow. āYeah?ā
āYeah. He seems like a nice guy. I worry about him. Heās here too often.ā
Buck doesnāt look up. āWhat was he in for this time?ā
āMinor concussion. Bruising. Lacerations.ā Eddie sucks cancer into his lungs. āHeard a house fell on him.ā Exhales it into the night.
Buck does look up this time, eyes a darker blue out here in the shadows. āPart of a house. Just a staircase and the- like, the balcony, really.ā
āMaybe he should stay away from those.ā
āFrom houses?ā Buck asks, half his mouth twitching into a smile.
Eddie rests his head on the wall behind him. āGuess thatās not really practical.ā
āNo.ā Buck is quiet for a moment, one hand slipping out of his pocket and running through his hair. Eddie wonders what he looks like, when heās not here. Heās more styled, sometimes, when things arenāt very bad. He wonders if heās usually all gelled up and neat. Eddie kind of likes the loose curls. āIām sorry.ā
āFor what?ā
āMaking your day worse.ā Buck looks genuinely apologetic, and Eddie shakes his head.
āThe guy made it out okay this time.ā Buck is just close enough that Eddie can kick at his boot with his sensible orthopedic sneaker. āYou didnāt even need stitches.ā
āThatās good.ā Eddieās left foot is pressed along the inside of Buckās right, and Buck is staring down at them. āHis favorite nurse was on break. I would have missed you if someone else had to do them.ā
Eddie laughs, just a few bursts of soundless oxygen. āYou gotta find new ways to see me before something happens that I canāt fix.ā
Buck moves, taking the few steps necessary to lean against the wall beside him. Carefully, he takes the cigarette from Eddieās hand, holds it between two of his own fingers, and takes a drag. Eddie watches it happen like heās monitoring somebodyās pulse ox, and when Buck coughs he laughs again, louder this time. āFuck,ā Buck says, laughing too. āThought that would be cooler than it was.ā
āSmoking isnāt cool, firefighter Buckley,ā Eddie says, taking the cigarette back and pulling from it again between smiling lips.
āHm,ā Buck says, grinning out into the night. Then he sighs, and rolls his head along the concrete to look at Eddie. āI think thereās nothing you canāt fix.ā
Theyāre very close. āThereās lots I canāt fix.ā
Buck shrugs like he disagrees. āI also think Iād like to find other ways to see you.ā
Buckās eyes are even more in shadow at this angle, and theyāre the color of the lake back in El Paso that he and a bunch of kids went to after graduation, drunk off beer somebodyās cousin got for them, skinny dipping with breathless terrified delight under bright constellations. āThen ask me.ā
Buck inhales as Eddie exhales. āWhat timeās your shift end?ā
ā5:30 AM. So, probably 6:15.ā
Buck traces the two fingers heād used to hold the cigarette down Eddieās arm. āYou wanna get breakfast with me?ā
āYes. I would.ā
Buck smiles, and Eddie snubs out the cigarette on the wall between them. āIāll meet you here?ā
āAlright.ā He takes a step forward, then a step to the right so heās standing in front of Buck. āTwo hours.ā
āUh huh.ā
He should really get back inside. Theyāre understaffed, as always, and there are too many patients, as always, and not enough beds, as always. āSee you then.ā He doesnāt make any move to leave.
āSee you then,ā Buck almost whispers. He leans forward, and Eddie still doesnāt move, so he presses a tiny kiss to the corner of his mouth for just a moment. His lips are warm. Eddie hadnāt noticed it was cold outside.
Buck pulls back and leans against the wall again. Eddie smiles, puts a hand in his pocket, and walks back toward the doors.
Ok, we've heard from the creators, now it's time for you. The Readers. The commenters and the kudos'ers. The ones without whom fandom would not exist. This is your shot to share your faves of the year!
1. We know the feed was dominated by @gallavichy And @goodkwuestion but which fic won out, in your opinion? Why
2. Lesser know favorites? The fic you loved that didn't seem to get the attention it deserved?
3. Favorite piece of fan art of this year?
4. We had a number of event this year, Big Bang, Gallavich Week, Kinktober, Gift Exchange. What event or fic was your fave? What would you like to see again next year? Suggestions for other events
5. What fic are you looking forward to in 2022?
6. And hell, since this is MY POST, which of my fics did you like this best this year? š¤£š¤£š¤£
I'm going to tag some people, but even if I didn't tag you, If you are a reader, PLEASE participate! Your voice is so important. š(Your kudos make authors' hearts go pitter-patter, and your comments? š„š„)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
3. Portraits for NTW by @luluxa and oh and the comics by @doodlevich
4.
5. A new one @jackieq is working on!
6. Ooh, tricky, youāve been a busy bee, I havenāt finished all your fics yet but from what I have read Iād say itās a toss up between Love, Guaranteed and All You Knead Is Love.
Asking all my favorite creators: Do you get much time to read fics anymore? If so, what are some of your faves from 2021?
Havenāt been reading as much this year as I was studying, plus working full time, but I am loving this series atm - Rebuilding by Freesprirtedone https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866832 Plus Enemy Lines by J_Q was gold - https://archiveofourown.org/works/29758767
blakekathryn
stormborns
vaporwave
titsay
kaledo-art
