Discover Top Posts Tagged with #911 fox

Running Into You | Part one | Evan “Buck” Buckley

This is part one of the new “Running Into You” Evan “Buck” Buckley fanfiction. This story contains the fake dating trope. Part two will be coming soon! 😜

Summary: Buck accidentally tells his sister he has a girlfriend after she tries to set him up on blind dates, constantly. While (Y/n) needs LAPD officer Jerome Shaw to notice her. Their problems have nothing in common… until Buck comes up with a plan that could solve both problems. Fake dating can’t be that hard… Right?

TW ‼️: None for now :)

Wordcount: 10,2k

9-1-1 Masterlist | Evan “Buck” Buckley Masterlist

GIF by: @ilya-rozanova

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Buck had officially reached his limit. If one more person told him, “I know someone you’d really like,” he was simply just going to lose it. The women weren’t the problem, they were always nice, funny, smart or pretty… Or all of the above.

But every single date felt the same, it was just two people sitting across from each other because someone else thought they’d be a good match. And to be honest, it was exhausting.

Buck walked through the open bay doors of the firehouse with a sigh, his duffel bag hanging from one shoulder. At this point he didn’t even bother hiding how annoyed he was. The bag hit the locker room floor with a dull thud before he ran a hand down his face and sighed loudly.

“Good morning,” Eddie greeted without looking up from tying his boots. Buck let out another sigh, “Get rid of the ‘good’ in good morning.” Buck said.

Eddie glanced to his right as he finished tying his shoes, “…That bad huh?” Eddie asked, crossing his arms over his chest while Ravi peeked around his locker door. “What happened?” Ravi asked.

Buck let his head fall back dramatically, “Maddie happened.” he started. Eddie snorted, “Ah.” he said, knowing exactly where this was going. Ravi looked between the two of them, “Should I be worried?” Ravi asked, cautiously.

“You should be entertained,” Eddie answered, leaning his lower back against the lockers and glancing from Ravi back towards Buck. Buck pointed at him, “You’re not helping.” Buck said.

Eddie shrugged his shoulders, “I’m not trying to.” he said.

Buck opened his locker and took off his jacket, which he tossed into the locker now. With more aggression that he should’ve. “She invited me over for breakfast.” Buck said.

“So..?” Ravi asked, confused. Because, what would be so bad about having breakfast with your sister?

“So… there was a woman sitting at the table.” Buck continued. Ravi then understood, “…Oh.”

Buck nodded, “Exactly.” he said as he took off his shirt and grabbed his station t-shirt.

Eddie couldn’t help but laugh, “What was her name?” Eddie asked. Buck pulled the station t-shirt over his head, “I don’t remember.” Buck said.

Eddie looked confused, “You don’t remember?” Eddie asked. “I barely had time to learn it before Maddie started listing everything we supposedly had in common.” Buck continued.

Buck cleared his throat, doing his best impression of his sister. “‘Buck, this is Claire. Claire just transferred to dispatch. Claire loves dogs.’” He said. Then he switched back to himself, “‘Great.’”

Then back to Maddie “‘And you love dogs too!’” he said.

Ravi laughed while Buck threw his hands into the air “Since when is liking dogs enough to date someone?” Buck asked, clearly not having it.

“I mean…” Ravi shrugged. “Dogs are pretty great.” Ravi said. Buck glanced at Ravi, while he continued to switch into his uniform, “That’s not the point.” Buck said.

Eddie chuckled, “So how’d the date go?” Eddie asked. “There wasn’t a date.” Buck deadass said. “Maddie texted me saying there was… There was an attempted date.” he continued.

“So what happened?” Ravi asked. Buck zipped up his duffel, “I made it twenty-three minutes.” Buck said.

Ravi blinked, “You.. timed it?” he asked, confused at the particularly specific time frame he told them. “I looked at the microwave.” Buck explained.

Eddie laughed quietly, “That’s… specific.”

“I was trying to figure out how much longer I had to stay before leaving wouldn’t seem rude.” Buck said as he sat down on the bench and started to tie his shoes, now that he had almost got his entire uniform on.

“And?” Eddie asked, trying to tell Buck to continue his story indirectly. “Well.. I made it to twenty-three.” Buck said vaguely.

“So what’d you tell them?” Ravi asked. “I said I had a shift.” Buck answered. “You did have a shift.” Ravi continued, not really getting the problem.

“I know.” Buck said as he stood up, and put his duffle into his locker. “That’s not even a lie.” Ravi zei.

Buck frowned, and before he could say anything else, Chimney walked into the locker room carrying a cup of coffee. “Morning.” He said, cheerful.

Buck pointed a warning finger at him, “Don’t.” Buck said as he closed his locker and turned to face him.

Chim stopped, confused “…Don’t what?” he asked. “If you’re about to say you know someone-” Buck started but got cut off mid sentence.

“I do know someone, she’s my cousin’s ro-” Chimney said but now got cut off by Buck himself. Buck groaned loud enough for it to echo through the room. “No.” he said.

“Roommate.” Chimney still finished his sentence. Buck shook his head heavily, “No.”

“She’s really nice.” Chimney tried to convince him. “I don’t care if she’s the nicest woman in Los Angeles.” Buck answered.

Hen walked in behind Chim, coffee in one hand. “What’d I miss?” she asked, trying to read the room.

Buck looked at her suspiciously, squeezing his eyes as he has his eyes locked on Hen. “You have that look.” he said as he pointed at her.

“What look?” Hen asked, confused. “The ‘I know the perfect girl for you’ look.” Buck answered. Hen looked offended for a second, “I wasn’t going to.” Hen started.

Buck let out a breath in relief. “…Today.” Hen added, as she gave a painful look. “Damn it.” Buck sighed, closing his eyes as he placed his hand against his forehead and sighed .

Ravi was trying (and failing) not to laugh. Buck looked around the room, “What is wrong with all of you?” Buck asked, kinda desperate.

Chim frowned at his dramatic words. “We’re trying to help.” Chimney answered. “I don’t need help.” Buck said.

Hen tilted her head, “Well.. you’ve been single for a while.” She said, shrugging her shoulders. “So?” Buck asked. “So maybe it’s time.” Hen said, while taking a sip from her coffee.

Buck let out another long sigh, “I’ll meet someone when I meet someone.” Buck said. “That’s not usually how it works,” Chim said. Buck’s face morphed into a confused expression, “It literally is.” he said.

The room went quiet for a second, and Bobby walked in, a clipboard tucked under one arm. “What’s going on?” he asked, reading the room, feeling that he walked in at the wrong time.

Hen didn’t even look up from her coffee as she took another sip.

Buck looked at Bobby with the same expression someone might use before asking for help. “Can you please tell them to stop trying to set me up?” He asked.

Bobby smiled, “I think they mean well, Buck.” Bobby told him. “I know they mean well, I just…” Buck sighed as he shook his head.

“They just want you to be happy.” Bobby tried to calm him down. “But I am happy!” Buck claimed. Chim raised an eyebrow at that comment, “You literally spent the last five minutes complaining.” Chim said.

Buck rolled his eyes, “I was complaining about blind dates.” Buck explained. Bobby thought for a moment before shrugging, “Maybe people would stop if they thought you were already seeing someone.” Bobby offered.

Buck blinked, “…Yeah.” he said, but he had already mentally checked out at that point. “Sure.” he sighed as he moved towards his locker.

Before he could open his locker again, the station alarm suddenly rang through the building. Everyone that was in the locker room, in the same conversation, moved at once.

Buck moved towards the bay, towards the turnout rack. He reached for his jacket before Bobby’s words quietly replayed in the back of his mind. Maybe people would stop if they thought you were already seeing someone.

He frowned to himself.

“Buck!” Eddie called from the truck. Buck blinked, snapping back to reality. “Let’s go!”

Hours of shouting over radios, dragging hoses up stairs and down the stairs, climbing stairwells and evacuating residents out of the building had left everyone exhausted.

Smoke drifted from the broken windows of the apartment complex.

Firefighters moved around the scene, no longer rushing, but still working: hoses needed to be rolled, equipment needed to be checked and put back into the right places. Patients were sitting on the sidewalk, wrapped in blankets while paramedics treated burns, cuts and smoke inhalation.

(Y/n) pushed a loose strand of hair away from her face with the back of her gloved hand, immediately regretting it. Ash smeared across her cheek. “…Great.” she mumbled and sighed quietly and turned back to the engine.

She reached for the last medical bag sitting on the ground, but it was heavier than she’d expected. She had to adjust her grip before lifting it into the open compartment.

She opened the latch of the compartment where they used to keep the medical bag. She stopped in her movement and dead stared for a second at the fully stuffed compartment.

“…Mason!” (Y/n) called him over. A head popped around the side of the engine. “What?” A male voice sounded. She dropped the medic bag onto the ground.

(Y/n) stared into the compartment for a long second before looking back at him. “Who put this stuff away?” She asked, Mason frowned at her question.

“…Me?” he said, kinda scared. “I can tell.” she said, nodding at the sight in front of her. He walked over, a smug grin already spreading across his face. “It fits, doesn’t it?” he said, teasing.

She looked back at the compartment.

A rope bag was balancing on top of a bundle of hose, one of the pry bars was resting exactly where it wasn’t supposed to be and the saw was shoved somewhere in between the side of the compartment and a hose.

“It fits,” she repeated slowly, nodding while her expression remained… traumatized by the sight.

“Exactly.” Mason nodded proudly, crossing his arms over his chest. She carefully pulled the rope bag back out. “That’s not the point.” she said.

“It got in there.” Mason said as he shrugged his shoulders. She shot him a look over her shoulder “So would you if I shoved you into a closet.” she said, slightly annoyed.

“That’s dramatic.” Mason laughed. “No.” She said as she started plucking out the equipment from the compartment. “This is dramatic.”

Mason leaned casually against the side of the engine, watching her work. “You know we’re probably going to pull all of that back out on the next call.” he said.

“I know.” she said, while working on rearranging the compartment. “So why does it matter?” Mason asked.

She didn’t even look at him, “Because I don’t want to be digging for the saw while you’re trying to remember where you threw it.” she said.

“I knew where it was.” Mason claimed. She looked to her right slowly, and raised an eyebrow. “No you didn’t’” she scoffed.

“I did!” Mason said, trying to convince her. (Y/n)’s expression didn’t change, “Really?” she asked again.

“…Eventually.”

(Y/n) laughed, “That doesn’t sound very reassuring” she said, and couldn’t help smiling as she shoved the compartment door closed.

“There.” she said as she tapped on the door. Mason looked at the neatly packed compartment before shrugging. “I still think mine was faster.” He said.

“It was.” She said, silently telling that her sentence wasn’t done yet. “And?” Mason asked, curious to hear what she was about to say.

“And it gave me something to complain about.” She continued, and shrugged. Mason laughed, “There she is.”

She looked at him, “What?”. Mason just smiled, “I was wondering how long it’d take before you started bossing everyone around again.” he said.

“I wasn’t bossing anyone around.” she scoffed. “You literally yelled my name across the scene.” Mason laughed as he pointed at the scene.

“I needed to ask you an urgent question.” (Y/n) said. “You accused me of crimes against compartment organization.” Mason shot back.

“And I still stand by it.” (Y/n) smiled. Mason laughed, shaking his head, “You’re impossible.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Buck let himself fall onto the rear bumper of Truck 118 with a heavy sigh. Every muscle in his body was aching from hauling the hose up and down the staircases.

He pulled his helmet off, dropping it beside him. With his teeth, he pulled one of his gloves off his hands and unscrewed the cap from a bottle of water with his ungloved hand.

Half the bottle disappeared in one go. “Easy,” Eddie said, walking past with an armful of equipment. Buck barely looked up. “I earned it.” he said, a bit out of breath.

Eddie shook his head, “You always think you’ve earned it.” he said. “I usually have.” Buck shot back. Eddie laughed quietly before disappearing around the side of the truck.

Buck tipped the last water of the bottle over his head, Cold water ran through his hair and down the back of his neck.

He closed his eyes for a second, “…That’s better.” he sighed, satisfied. When he opened them again, his gaze drifted across the street.

Engine 136. Its crew looked just as worn out as everyone else. One firefighter caught his attention almost immediately. She carried a hose toward the engine, stopping halfway when one of her crewmates said something.

Buck couldn’t hear the conversation, but he didn’t need to. She pointed at the firefighter with the hose nozzle in her hand like she was holding him at gunpoint.

He threw his hands into the air in mock surrender. She laughed, it wasn’t one of those fake ones, this one was real. It was the kind that made her shoulders shake.

A second later she nudged him with her elbow. He nudged her back.

Buck smiled as he put the cap back onto his empty water bottle. “They seem fun.” Buck said as Eddie returned. “Hm?” Eddie asked. Buck rested his forearms on his knees and nodded his head toward Engine 136, “The other crew.” he said. Eddie glanced over, hands on his hips. “They’re alright.” Eddie said.

“You know them?” Buck asked.

“We’ve crossed paths on a few bigger calls.” Eddie answered and looked down at the engine 136 for a second before returning to do his job.

Buck watched as the same firefighter reached into the engine compartment, reorganizing equipment someone else had clearly thrown in without thinking.

She shook her head dramatically before fixing it herself. Ah, she was a control freak, he thought and grinned. And to be honest, he respected that. Everything had it’s place, and especially after a fire like this.

An LAPD officer stepped away from the line of patrol cars and headed toward the engine. Buck barely paid attention at first. Until she looked up and something changed.

Her shoulders straightened, and the smile she was wearing disappeared. She suddenly seemed… unsure. She almost looked… nervous.

The officer slowed as he reached the side of Engine 136, “Hey.” he said. She blinked for a split second, was he talking to her? “…Hi.” she said back.

Buck frowned slightly, was she getting nervous because of him? Jerome Shaw? "You guys did good today." Jerome said. (Y/n) looked over her shoulder as she was reorganizing another compartment. A smile found its way onto her face before she could stop it.

She turned slowly on her heels to face him, "Thanks." she said. His eyes narrowed slightly. "You've got a little..." he said, and gestured toward his own cheek. (Y/n) frowned before wiping at the side of her face, "...Did I get it?" she asked.

Jerome tilted his head, "Other side." he said and watched closely to see if she got it. She sighed dramatically, wiping again. "How about now?" she asked then. Jerome shook his head, "...A little lower." he instructed her.

But (Y/n) stopped trying "You know what?" She shrugged. "I'm calling it camouflage." she said. Jerome blinked in confusion, "...Camouflage?" he asked, furrowing one brow at her statement.

She nodded toward the black soot covering her turnout gear, "If another fire starts, I'll blend right in." she said.

Silence took over the conversation, ouch. Jerome looked at the burned apartment behind him and then back at her. "...I don't think that's how camouflage works." he said, not really getting the joke.

(Y/n) smiled awkwardly and it faded, "...It was a joke." she explained. "Oh." Jerome said, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he realized. “...right.”

From across the scene, Buck laughed. It wasn’t loud, but it was just enough that (y/n) could apparently hear through the aftermath of the fire. (Y/n)'s head turned slightly towards the laughing sound. Their eyes met for the briefest second.

Buck quickly lifted his water bottle to hide the grin that refused to leave his face. She couldn't help smiling back, just a little, gently. At least someone got it.

Jerome cleared his throat, "So..." he started, trying to get (Y/n)’s attention back on him. "I should probably let you get back to work." Jerome added. (Y/n) nodded, "Right! Yeah… " she said, completely forgotten about the fact that they were on a scene.

"Uh… Drive safe." (Y/n) managed to get out, but she wished right about now that she could just disappear. Jerome chuckled "I'll do my best." He gave her a thin lipped smile and with one last nod, he walked back toward the patrol cars.

The second he was out of earshot, (Y/n) turned her back towards Jerome who was walking away and faced the open compartment door. She closed her eyes for a moment, and sighed loudly. She placed her forehead against the bottom of the open compartment, "...Why am I like this?" she muttered. Softly banging her head against the metal.

Mason wandered over a second later, "That bad?" he asked. "He didn't get the joke and I just panicked" she sighed, her head still against the metal. "What joke?" Mason asked. "It doesn’t matter Mason, I also told him to drive safe." she groaned. Mason stared at her for a second, and then laughed. “You told him what?”

Mason’s laugh took over around the engine. “I hate myself. I’m transferring.” she groaned. Mason placed a hand onto her shoulder, making her look up and meeting his eyes. "Because of one awkward conversation?" he asked, a smile still pressed on his face.

"I'm thinking of Canada."

“Buck!” He looked up as he was being pulled back to reality. Hen stood near the truck, one hand on her hip. “You planning on sitting there all day?” she asked.

He blinked confused, “What?” he asked. “The hose isn’t gonna roll itself.” Hen said and kept her eyes onto him.

For a quick second he glanced back toward Engine 136 one last time. The firefighter was still hiding her face while one of her crew was still laughing around her.

And for some reason… He found himself smiling again. “Yeah,” he muttered, pushing himself off the bumper. “I’m coming.”

Buck had tried not to think about Bobby’s words. But that was the problem. The more he tried not to think about them, the more they replayed in his head. Maybe people would stop if they thought you were already seeing someone.

It had been a simple comment, maybe even a joke. Bobby probably didn’t mean anything by it. But now, two days later, those words were still haunting him. Buck was standing in the station kitchen, staring blankly into his coffee while the thought refused to leave him alone.

Maybe Bobby had a point, maybe if people thought he was already with someone, they would stop trying to set him up. No more random introductions. No more: “My cousin is single.” or “My neighbor would love you.” or even “I know someone you should meet.”

Buck loved his friends, he really did. But apparently him being single had become a community project.

He took a sip of his coffee and immediately regretted it. Cold. Of course it was cold… He had been standing there for five minutes doing absolutely nothing except arguing with himself.

"You're ridiculous," he muttered to himself, inaudible for anyone to hear.

His phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. Buck glanced down as his phone lit up. A message from Maddie.

He already knew what was coming. Somehow, he already knew.

Maddie: Hey. I just wanted to say sorry again about breakfast last time.

Buck smiled despite himself, because that was Maddie and he couldn’t be mad at her. She apologized before he could even complain.

Then another message appeared.

Maddie: But I might have found someone else.

Buck closed his eyes, and looked up at the ceiling as he tried to count to ten. "No." He whispered and sighed as the next vibration went off his phone.

He hadn't even opened the next message yet.

Maddie: She's a dispatcher. She's really sweet, and I think you two would actually get along.

Buck stared at the screen and read her message. Another dispatcher. What was it? Did they have a shortage of personnel? Why were suddenly the last two people his sister wanted to set him up with, just new at dispatch?

Look, he loves his sister. He really does. But he couldn't do this again. He wasn’t ready for another awkward dinner where everyone else was convinced they were perfect for each other, and Buck spent the entire time wondering when it would be socially acceptable to leave.

Before Buck could stop himself, his thumbs moved over the keyboard.

Buck: “Don't worry about it. I'm seeing someone”

The second the message sent, Buck froze while looking at his screen. He slowly lowered his phone. "...What did I just do?"

He didn’t even have the time to realize what he just had done. Because his phone rang almost immediately after he hit send. Of course it did.

Buck stared at the screen. There was no way around this. He grabbed his phone, walked over the loft and tumbled down the stairs. His feet hit the bay floor as the phone stopped ringing… and started ringing again.

Buck looked around to find a spot where he could talk in silence with his sister, he needed privacy. Because if Maddie started asking questions, he was going to need answers he didn’t have. And Buck had a feeling she was about to ask a lot of questions.

He stepped outside through one of the side entrances, and leaned against the wall as he swiped the button from left to right to accept the call. He sighed before answering.

He held the phone against his ear, "Hey, Maddie." he said. "Evan Buckley.” his sister sounded through the phone.

He winced at her voice, the tone she was using… it was the big sister tone. "You are seeing someone?" Maddie asked immediately. Buck looked toward the parking lot. "I-“ He started but got cut off by Maddie’s… enthusiasm.

"Who is she?!” She asked. He rubbed a hand over his face, looking around to see if no one else was watching or hearing any of this conversation. Buck leaned forward, "Can you maybe lower your voice? You're not even here and somehow you're still yelling." he said more quietly now.

"I am not yelling." Maddie said on the other side of the phone. "You absolutely are." Buck said. "I'm excited!" She explained through the phone. That made Buck chuckle softly, "That's even worse."

Maddie ignored him and she started her interrogation. “Why am I only finding out about this through a text message?” she asked. “Because…” he started, so he could search for an answer. “I wanted to make sure it was actually going somewhere before I told anyone.” He explained.

A silence took over the conversation for a second or two. “Oh..” she said, her voice softened. “That’s actually really sweet.”

Buck blinked, surprised by her reaction. He pushed himself from leaning against the wall and started pacing. “Yeah..” he said.

“I can’t believe you kept this from me!” She said, but he could tell she was smiling on the other side of the line. Buck smiled to himself, “I wasn’t trying to.” he said.

“You absolutely were.” Maddie reacted. He chuckled audibly, “yeah, I guess I was.”

“So,” Maddie continued, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. “How long has this been going on?” she continued.

Buck looked across the parking lot, thinking of an answer. He had a complete error when she asked that question. Buck opened his mouth, but nothing came out for a second.

“Not… very long” he said, pressing his eyes closed and started cursing to himself. “How not very long are we talking about?” His sister asked immediately. He let his free hand scratch the back of his neck, “.. a little while.”

“Oh my God..” Maddie sighed through the phone. “What?” He chuckled nervously, hoping she couldn’t see through his lies. “You’re being all mysterious.” she answered.

Buck let out a nervous laugh, “I don’t mean to be.” he indirectly apologized. “You do.” Maddie shot back. “No, I really don’t.” He said as he walked back and forth for the tenth time.

She hummed thoughtfully, “so what does she do?” Maddie then asked. This one would be easy. “She’s a firefighter.” He answered. There are too many firefighters out there, she wouldn’t know who Buck was talking about.

An excited gasp sounded through the phone. “No way!” she said. “Does she work at the 118?” she immediately asked. Buck laughed and shook his head, “Nope.”

She was silent for another second, “Oh Buck..” she sighed, almost sounding in love. “What?” Buck chuckled on his side of the phone. “I love this!” she smiled.

Buck frowned as he received the way too happy sentence from his sister. “Y-you do?”

“Of course I do! Someone who understands your schedule? Who gets the job? That’s perfect.” Maddie sounded all supportive.

And to be honest, he hadn’t thought about it like that. Buck was just completely making a person up. Or maybe he wasn’t. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I guess…” he continued.

“So…” Maddie continued. “What’s her name?” He should’ve known she was going to ask this question. Buck opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Her name. Right. How was he going to talk himself out of this? He’d been silent for far too long. “…Buck?” his sister sounded through the phone. Buck opened his mouth now, ready to answer the question. But then..

The station alarm blared through the speakers. “Engine 118, truck 118, ambulance 118. Structure fire…”

Buck practically jumped and thanked the gods for their work. Saved by the bell. Literally.

“Oh, thank god” he mumbled inaudible for his sister to hear. “What?” His sister asked, ready to hear a name.

“Maddie, I’ve got to go.” he said, already moving towards the side entrance. “A call?” Maddie laughed.

“Yeah.” Buck said as his boots squeaked against the polished station floor. “Okay. Be safe.” She said.

Buck smiled, typically Maddie. “I will.”

“Call me later?”

Buck looked toward the apparatus floor where everyone was already climbing into the trucks.

“We’re not done talking about this!” Maddie said before Buck could hang up the phone. “I know.” Buck said, and then he hung up.

Stared at his phone for a second before shoving his phone into his pocket and jumping into his turnout gear.

“…I am so screwed.” He muttered to himself as he put on his turnout pants.

-

The fire was out, and now came the part no one ever put on the news. Rolling hoses, packing away tools and making sure every piece of equipment found its way back into the right compartment.

Buck leaned against the side of the engine for a moment, trying to catch his breath. A week ago, he wouldn’t have given the crew from Engine 136 a second glance.

Now, somehow, this was the second call they’d shared in less than a week. “What are the odds?” he mumbled to himself.

Across the parking lot, the firefighters from Engine 136 were finishing up as well. Mason disappeared toward their captain with an equipment checklist tucked under his arm, leaving (Y/n) by herself at the open compartment of the engine.

She was wiping down a Halligan bar before sliding it neatly back into its spot. Buck watched for a second, not like a creep.. he was just… observing.

Just go say hi, he told himself.

He’d introduced himself to strangers before. Thousands of them. Victims, witnesses, neighbors even people trapped in elevators.

Why did walking twenty feet toward another firefighter suddenly feel so much harder? Before he could talk himself out of it, he crossed the parking lot.

Buck stopped a few feet from the open compartment of Engine 136. His shadow falling over the compartment (Y/n) was working on.

She looked up from where she was securing a Halligan bar in its bracket. “Oh.” she said, a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Buck said as he glanced between their two engines before looking back at her. “So…” Buck continued while she closed the compartment with a soft click.

“So?” she said, her brows furrowing at the sudden conversation.

“I’ve gone months without running into the same station twice.” Buck started, “And this week we’ve worked two calls together.” he continued.

She laughed, “I know.” she said. “I don’t know if dispatch’s got something against us.. or they’re trying to tell us something.” Buck chuckled.

Her smile widened, “Maybe they’re just running out of stations.” she shrugged. “Could be.” Buck smiled.

A comfortable silence settled between them for a second.

Then Buck realized something.. he had walked over here and didn’t actually introduce himself.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh… I’m Buck, by the way.” he said, holding out his hand. She smiled and held out her hand. “(Y/n)” she said, as she took his hand. Her handshake was firm, confident.

“Nice to officially meet you.” Buck said with a friendly smile on his face. “You too.” she said. And he let go of her hand, an amused smile still lingering on his face.

“I figured I should probably learn the name of the firefighter I keep running into.” he told her. That made her laugh, “Probably a good idea.” She nodded.

“Especially if dispatch keeps putting us on the same calls.” He continued. “Oh trust me, I’ll make sure to complain if they stop.” (Y/n) nodded. They just looked at each other as they laughed.

Buck was still standing near the engine when a voice called across the scene. “(Y/n)!” A male voice called out.

She looked over her shoulder and sighed as one of her crewmates was waving her over, holding up a clipboard.

Her expression changed immediately: back to work.

Buck noticed that. It was almost funny how quickly she switched from the relaxed person he’d been talking to into the focused firefighter everyone else saw.

She looked back at him, “That’s probably my cue.” she said. Buck smiled friendly “Yeah. Probably.”

She took a step away, then stopped. For a second, she looked like she was deciding whether she should say something or not, then she turned back for a moment. “It was nice to meet you, Buck.”

The way she said his name made him realize something. This was the first time someone from another station had actually called him by his name instead of just Buckley or 118.

“You too, (Y/n)” he said. She gave him one last friendly smile before turning around and walking back toward her crew.

Buck watched for half a second longer than he probably should have. Not because he was interested, it wasn’t like that.

Buck smiled to himself as he stepped away from Engine 136. That had gone… surprisingly well.

She was funny, easy to talk to and it was nothing like the nervous version of herself he’d seen around Officer Shaw.

He reached down to grab one end of a hose Ravi had already started rolling. “You gonna help, or just admire my work?” Ravi asked as he looked up while he was rolling the hose.

Buck smirked, “I’m helping.” he said and bent down, feeding another loop into the roll.

His stomach sank. Maddie. He’d promised to call her back. He needed to find an answer to her question. The thought made Buck quietly groan to himself.

“Everything okay?” Ravi asked. Buck shook the thought off of him, “Yeah.” he said. Ravi’s brows furrowed at his answer. “It’s just.. you made that face.” Ravi said.

Buck looked confused, “What face?” He asked. “The one where you look like you’re realizing you forgot something.” Ravi answered.

Buck laughed, “I’m good.” He lied.

He wasn’t good. Not even close. How was he supposed to just come up with a name for his sister?

A few minutes later, the hose was finally loaded back onto the engine. Buck wiped his hands on his turnout pants before stealing a glance, looking back toward Engine 136.

(Y/n) was still packing equipment away. Only now… Every few seconds… She’d glance toward the other side of the scene.

Buck followed her line of sight… Officer Shaw. He was talking to another officer near one of the patrol cars.

(Y/n) looked away before he could catch her looking. Then.. almost without thinking she looked again.

Buck watched it happen twice. Three times. A fourth time.

She wasn’t obvious about it though. If he hadn’t already noticed her the last time they’d worked together, he probably would’ve missed it.

But now it was impossible not to see. A thought crossed his mind. She likes him. That was the reason she was so awkward with him the other day too.

Jerome looked back at her, and she was trying very hard to pretend she wasn’t watching him anymore. Then Jerome laughed at something another officer said.

Without realizing it, (Y/n) smiled too while continuing her packing method of the rig.

Buck frowned at the conclusion he made and thought back to the phone call with Maddie.

“I’m seeing someone.” He’d lied.

Now Maddie thought he had a girlfriend. His eyes wandered back down the parking lot. She had a problem too, sure it wasn’t the same one. It was way different: She couldn’t seem to get Officer Shaw to notice her.

Buck’s eyes glanced towards Jerome, and back to (Y/n). His eyebrows slowly pulled together. His brain began connecting dots that probably shouldn’t have been connected.

If someone thought… He immediately shook his head at the thought he was having. “No.” he told himself.

He continued to roll another section of hose.

That’s ridiculous. His thoughts crossed his mind.

He glanced toward (Y/n) again and back to Jerome. …Is it ridiculous? he asked himself. He frowned harder, “No.” he said to himself, again.

That would be… a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “…Interesting.” He mumbled under his breath.

Buck looked back toward Engine 136 one last time.

(Y/n) laughed at something Mason had said. Officer Shaw walked past without looking in her direction.

His gaze drifted between the two of them, back and forth. “…That might actually work.” He said quietly to himself.

Buck parked across from Station 136 and turned off the engine. He just sat there for a minute, a blue rescue strap sat on the passenger seat. He glanced at the passenger seat and looked at it.

Then his eyes wandered at the firehouse he was parked at. “This is a terrible idea.” he sighed, wiping a hand over his face as hundreds of thoughts ran through his mind.

He could still leave, no one knew he was here.. yet. He could just drive home, and put the strap back where he found it next shift… Pretend this whole idea had never crossed his mind and just come clean to his sister that he’d been lying to her.

His phone lit up, Maddie’s name popped up on the notifications.

Maddie: So, when do I get to meet this mystery girl?

Buck sighed at the sight. “…Right.” he breathed. This message only gave him more the urge to ask (Y/n) if she was willing to participate in his plan.

He grabbed the strap from the seat next to him, climbed out of the Jeep and crossed the parking lot.

Just give her the strap. Talk. Ask. It’s easy, you can do this.

By the time he reached the front of the station, his confidence had disappeared completely. He tried to talk courage into himself, but it didn’t work. He turned around smoothly on his feet. “Can I help you?.” a female voice sounded behind him.

Buck froze, and squeezed his eyes closed. Busted. He slowly turned around on his feet again.

He saw (Y/n) standing in one of the open bay doors, a rag was hanging over her shoulder. As the streak of soap was running down the side of the engine behind her.

She smiled politely as she recognized the fellow firefighter in front of her. “Buck?” she said, in a mix of confusion and surprise.

Well… there was no escaping now..

Buck smiled back and walked the rest of the way over. “Uh… hey.” Buck greeted her. There was a small moment of silence, but Buck broke it. “I think somebody from your station left this behind after the apartment fire.” Buck said as he held up the blue rescue strap in his right hand.

She frowned thoughtfully as he held it out to her. (Y/n) took it from him “Oh...” she said as she inspected the strap in her hand. “I honestly have no idea if it’s ours.” she continued.

“I figured it was worth a shot.” Buck said with a friendly smile, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her inspect the strap.

“It was.” she smiled. “They all look exactly the same.” she continued.

Buck nodded, hoping she would not realize he just needed a reason to come over to the house just to talk to her. “That’s what I noticed.” he said, chuckling.

She flipped it over once more before shrugging. “If it isn’t ours, someone here will probably claim it eventually.” she said.

Buck nodded again, trying to stand still but he couldn’t. “Yeah, perfect.” he managed to get out.

She held the strap in her hand, “Thanks for bringing it over.” she thanked him. Buck shook his head, “No problem.” he smiled.

There was another brief silence, not awkward. It was comfortable. Buck found himself smiling as his eyes were locked on the strap in her hand.

“So…” he started. (Y/n) leaned with her shoulder lightly against the engine she was cleaning. “So.” (Y/n) repeated him, waiting for him to continue his sentence.

“I wasn’t expecting to see your station this much.” Buck said. She laughed as a reaction, “Me neither.” she smiled.

Okay, this was going fine. Just make small talk for now. “Funny how you can go months without seeing the same crew… and then suddenly you’re everywhere.” Buck said as he pointed round the firehouse.

“We’re not following you, if that’s what you’re implying.” she grinned, while fidgeting with the strap in her hand.

For a moment, Buck forgot why he’d come down here. The conversation was easy, natural and he liked that… maybe even more than he probably should’ve.

(Y/n)’s eyes were suddenly not on him anymore, but were looking along him. He followed her line of sight, and he spotted a patrol car parked a bit down the street.

She watched the patrol car just for a second. Then she looked back at him. She probably hadn’t even realized she’d done it.

The thought he’d been trying to ignore all morning crept back into his head. The reason why he was here. Ask her.

His heart sped up, he looked back at her. She was waiting patiently, clearly expecting him to continue whatever thought had crossed his mind.

Buck opened his mouth, “…Well” he started. How was he supposed to ask someone he’d spoken to twice if they wanted to fake a relationship?

No.

We’re not doing this.

Not here.

Not today.

He smiled instead, “I should probably let you get back to work.” he laughed a bit awkwardly.

She nodded, “Probably.” she smiled.

Buck was ready to turn on his heels and leave, but just as he was making the motion to turn around… “It was nice seeing you again.. Buck.” she said with a smile.

Buck blinked, something about the sincerity in her voice made his chest feel unexpectedly light. He smiled back “You too.” he said.

She gave him a small wave before disappearing back into the station. Buck stood there for another second and then turned toward his Jeep.

As soon as he climbed inside, he let out a long breath. “…I almost did it.”

He rested both hands on the steering wheel and looked at the bay doors of firehouse 136. He had chickened out.

-

Buck had been standing in the pasta aisle for far too long. It shouldn’t have been this difficult. He had one job: pick a pasta.

That was it.

Yet somehow, he was comparing two different brands like he was making a life-changing decision. “Okay,” he mumbled to himself. “One of you has to be better.”

“Are you asking pasta for advice?” a female voice asked. Buck froze, he knew that voice. Slowly, he turned to look at his left.

(Y/n) stood beside him, holding a basket filled with groceries. No uniform, no turnout gear and no radio. It was just (Y/n), in her civilian clothes.

Buck blinked and looked around the aisle. Then back at her. She smiled, “What?” she chuckled.

“We have to stop running into each other.” Buck said. A laugh escaped her mouth. “I was literally about to say the same thing.” she said as she backed off a bit and Buck fully turned towards her.

“First fires, two of them, then the mysterious rescue strap.” Buck started with a smile projected on his face.

Her eyebrows lifted, “oh and the rescue strap that wasn’t actually ours?” She said, waiting for his reaction. Buck pointed at her, “Hey, I’m just saying.. it could’ve been yours.” he said.

She smiled, “It could have…” she gave in. “See?” Buck said as he used his hand to point at her (pasta still in his hand). “But it wasn’t.” (Y/n) added.

Buck opened his mouth, and then closed it. “…Fair.”

She laughed, and Buck found himself smiling. It was strange. The first time he’d seen her outside of a call, he’d almost forgotten she was capable of being this relaxed.

There was no pressure, no alarms.. they were just two people standing in a grocery store aisle.

“So,” (Y/n) said, looking at the two boxes of pasta in his hands. “What are we dealing with here?” she asked as she looked at the boxes of pasta in both his hands.

Buck looked down, “Oh this is a very serious decision.” he said, mood completely turned around. He went from all happy to very serious in a blink of an eye.

“Clearly.” (Y/n) nodded, her eyes were locked on the boxes of pasta. Her eyes fluttered up to meet his, “You cook?” she asked.

Buck looked offended, “Excuse me?” he said, one hand with pasta moving towards his chest, pretending to be hurt by her question.

“I don’t know. You seem like the type to survive on protein bars.” she laughed. “Okay, wow that hurts.” Buck rolled his eyes.

“It’s also accurate.” (Y/n) shrugged her shoulders. They moved through the store together without really deciding to.

It was easy, suddenly this solo grocery store trip became a social gathering. She grabbed vegetables and he grabbed the ingredients he needed for his dinner.

They talked about nothing important, it was the kind of conversation that usually only happened with people you already knew well.

Except they barely knew each other…

Buck reached for a bottle of sauce, and his phone buzzed in his pocket. He slipped his phone from his pocket, mid conversation and his smile faded slightly as he read the notification.

He opened the message.

Maddie: So… any updates on your girlfriend?

Buck closed his eyes, a quiet sigh escaped him as he read the message. (Y/n) looked over, noticing the sudden change of mood. “Bad news?” she asked.

He locked his phone and slid the phone back into his pocket. “No.” he said, and smiled slightly.

“It’s just my sister.” he explained. (Y/n)’s eyebrows furrowed, “Is everything okay?” she asked, genuinely concerned.

“Yeah, everything is fine.. it just..” he stumbled. Buck paused, taking a moment to breathe. “Actually… this is kind of my own fault.” he continued.

(Y/n) let her basket hang on her other arm as they continued walking through the aisle. “That sounds like a story.” she said, kinda curious.

“It is.” Buck said, keeping his eyes on the shelf with sauces in front of him. “Good or bad?” she asked, glancing at him, but he didn’t look back. Buck thought about it, “Mmhh, depends how much you enjoy watching someone make a terrible decision and then have to live with it.” He chuckled quietly.

She laughed, “That bad?” she asked. “Maybe…” he said, picked up a jar of sauce and placed it in his basket.

He thought about it for a second, and just decided in this moment he was going to lay out all the cards on the table.

They continued their way through the aisle. “I told my sister I’m seeing someone.” Buck blurted out.

(Y/n) looked over, eyebrows furrowed, “Okay.” she said, not getting the point. Because what was wrong with seeing someone?

Buck nodded, and he let a beat pass. “Except…” he started, looking to his left, “There’s no someone.” he said.

Her eyebrows lifted, “Oh..” she said, surprised. She looked in front of her. “Yeah.” Buck said quietly, knowing he made a mistake.

“You lied?” She asked to confirm. Buck nodded, “Accidentally.” he said. That made her smile slightly. “How do you accidentally lie about having a girlfriend?” she chuckled.

“That…” he said, glancing to his left while she kept her eyes in front of her, “…is a very good question.” he added.

She laughed.

“I panicked.” Buck admitted, eyes looking down the aisle they walked in. “About what?” (Y/n) asked, glancing briefly to her right where Buck was walking.

He shrugged his shoulders, “People worrying about me. Asking questions. Wanting to help.” he told her. He looked down at the basket in his hand. “I love my family. I really do. But sometimes it feels like everyone is waiting for me to figure out my life.” Buck’s eyes were locked on the path in front of him, clearly he was in his head.

(Y/n)’s expression softened as she glanced at him for a moment. “So you made someone up.” she said.

Buck winced, “When you say it like that, it sounds worse.” he said as he held up a hand and laughed.

“Because it is worse.” she laughed.

“Okay, fair.” he said, and they reached the end of the aisle, slowing down as they rounded the corner and went to the next aisle.

“But now my sister thinks I’m actually seeing someone.” Buck sighed as they entered the animal products aisle.

“And you haven’t told her the truth?” she asked, glancing once more at him. He shrugged his shoulders again, “I was going to…” he said and hesitated. “but then she was happy.” he continued.

That made (Y/n) pause in her steps. Buck noticed and copied her. “I know.” His voice became quieter as he moved to stand across from her. “That’s the problem.” he added.

For a moment, (Y/n) didn’t say anything. “So… what are you going to do?” she asked.

Buck opened his mouth, and closed it. Because this was the moment. The moment where he could either tell her the ridiculous idea that had been sitting in his head… or pretend this conversation had never happened.

He looked at her, she was waiting. She wasn’t judging, she was just waiting.

Buck took a breath, “Okay.” he said, more to himself than to (Y/n). (Y/n) looked suspicious, “Okay?” she said as she waited for him.

“ I have an idea.. but before I say it, I need you to know something.” he said. But before he could continue his sentence, he looked around to see if someone else was listening or not.

“What?” (Y/n) said, confused. Buck motioned his head to tell her to follow him.

They stopped near the end of the aisle. He stood across from her again, but this time nobody was able to eavesdrop. Buck lowered his voice slightly. “I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t think it could actually work.” he said quietly.

Her expression changed, she was curious. “Ask me what?” she asked.

Buck rubbed the back of his neck. “This is going to sound insane.” Buck started.

“You’re really selling it.” (Y/n) said. “I know.” Buck smiled nervously.

“But…” He glanced around the store again, making sure nobody was listening. “What if we helped each other?” he asked.

(Y/n) frowned slightly at his proposal. “With what?” she asked, not really getting the problem. Buck looked at her, “Your problem.” he tried to explain. “My problem?” she didn’t get him.

“Jerome.” Buck said. The second the name left his mouth, (Y/n) froze. Buck immediately noticed “I didn’t mean to-” he wanted to apologize, but she cut him off.

“No, it’s just…” she sighed and looked away embarrassed. “You noticed?” she whispered. Buck gave a small shrug, “Kind of.”

She covered her face for a second, “Oh my God.” she muttered. “Hey.” Buck said, trying to get her attention. “No, that’s embarrassing.” she said.

“Why?” Buck asked. “Because apparently I’m obvious.” she said, cheeks burning with embarrassment. “You’re really not.” Buck said, trying to reassure her.

Buck smiled, “I only noticed because…Because you look completely different when you’re around him.” he explained.

(Y/n) looked back at him, expression changing. “What does that mean?” she asked.

“It means when you’re with your crew, you’re confident. Funny. You joke around.” He smiled at the memory of her aiming the hose at her co-worker holding him at “gunpoint”.

“But around him, you start thinking about every word before you say it.” he continued.

She didn’t answer, because she knew he was right. “So I was thinking…” Buck continued, he took a breath to gather the courage.

“What if you had a reason for him to notice you?” Buck said. (Y/n) stared at him, where was this going?

“And that reason is?” she asked, trying to get him to be more specific. Buck gave her a small, apologetic smile. “Me.” he said.

Silence took over the conversation. “Okay..” she shook her head as she paused. “You’ve lost me.”

Buck laughed softly, “Right.” he told himself and nodded. “Because it sounds insane.” he replied.

“Very.” she answered almost immediately. “Okay.” Buck nodded again and took another breath.

“What if we pretended to date?” He offered. (Y/n) just stared at him as if he was talking Chinese.

Buck waited, “Not forever-“ he added quickly. (Y/n) shook her head slightly, “Obviously.” she said.

“Just long enough.” Buck explained. “Long enough for what?” She asked, brows furrowing at the offer. “Long enough for my sister to stop worrying, and for Jerome to notice you.” he continued

“…Why would Jerome notice me because I’m with you?” she asked, still a bit confused. Buck shrugged, “Look I don’t know if he will…” he started. “But people notice when someone else starts paying attention to the person they never really looked at before.”

She crossed her arms, “That doesn’t answer my question.” she said. Buck laughed, “Okay, fair.” He said and shifted his weight.

“Look… you’re a firefighter. You’re funny. You’re pretty.” He said. The compliment caught her off guard.

“So if a guy sees someone like you with someone else…” He gestured between the two of them. “…he starts wondering why.” he explained.

“Why?” she asked him. “Because suddenly there’s competition.” he told her. She stared at him, “I hate that that’s a thing.” she sighed.

“So.. what do you say? I’ll be your fake boyfriend so you get his attention, and you’ll be my fake girlfriend so I can get my sister off my back.” he said.

There was silence, she was so overwhelmed by the idea. “…And you’ve thought this through?” she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Not enough.” he chuckled. That actually made her laugh. “But I do know one thing.” Buck smiled.

“What?”

“I wouldn’t want to do this with someone I didn’t trust.” He said, it wasn’t because he was trying to convince her, it was genuinely like this. He trusted her.

The smile on (Y/n)’s face faded slightly. Because that wasn’t the answer she expected. “You seem like someone who would tell me if this was a terrible idea.” Buck pointed out.

“It is a terrible idea.” she told him immediately. “See?” He said with a smile as he pointed at her.

She laughed again, and for a second… He thought maybe she might actually say yes. “Oh, you’re serious?” She asked.

Buck sighed and nodded “Yeah… I wish I wasn’t…”

______

Buck had gotten into her head… Which was incredibly annoying. She’d spent the entire drive home after the grocery store replaying the conversation over and over again.

“When you’re with your crew, you’re confident. Funny. You joke around.”

“But around him, you start thinking about every word before you say it.”

She hated how easily he’d figured her out. They’d met, what? Three times? And somehow he’d noticed something she’d spent months trying to ignore.

The worst part about all of this? He wasn’t wrong.

The next morning started like every other shift. Coffee, truck checks and equipment inventory.

Only today, nothing seemed to go right. She reached for a medical bag. “…Wrong compartment.” Mason said.

She looked up, Mason stood on the opposite side of the engine with an amused smile. She blinked and then realized where she was, “Oh.” She just said.

She was at the completely wrong compartment. (Y/n) sighed and moved towards the compartment where the bag belonged. He chuckled, “You alright?” Mason asked.

“Yeah, just.. a short night” she gave him a small smile. “I’m fine.” she added as she lifted the bag into the right place.

Mason gave her a look that clearly said I don’t believe you, but thankfully he let it go and continued his task.

Get it together.

An hour later, they were dispatched to a two-car collision.

It wasn’t anything major and there were a few minor injuries, the usual.

By the time the engine arrived, LAPD was already on scene. (Y/n) climbed down from the rig, grabbing a medical bag before following her captain toward one of the drivers.

The call moved smoothly, she did what she had always done. By now it was almost a standard routine, she was in her element.

“Hey” a voice said, she looked up and nearly jumped. Jerome was walking towards her. “Oh.“ she stumbled.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” He said, hands on his hips. “You didn’t-“ but before she could rattle further, she stopped herself.

Jerome gestured toward the car wrecks. “You guys about to finish here?” he asked. (Y/n) nodded, “Yeah.” she said.

She looked toward the captain, who was walking towards the officer now. Wait. He wasn’t talking to her.

“Right” she mumbled under her breath. After a few moments, the captain walked away and officer Shaw gave her a friendly nod. “have a good one” he said and walked away.

“You too.” She said, but it was barely audible. And to be honest, it didn’t even matter. He wasn’t even listening anymore.

Back at the station later that afternoon, she stood beside the engine, wiping soot from one of the tools before placing it back into its compartment.

She stared at it for a moment, and then moved it to the right compartment. “…No.” she sighed.

Wrong one again.

Buck’s voice drifted through her mind for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

“When you’re with your crew, you’re confident. Funny. You joke around.”

She leaned against the truck, “…I hate that you’re right.” she mumbled. She really did, because now that he had noticed it, and pointed it out. She couldn’t unsee it.

Every awkward pause, every overthought sentence, she started overthinking her overthinking thoughts. It was a lot.

And the fact that Buck had noticed this thing she had for Shaw after two conversations… Jerome had probably noticed months ago, or maybe he didn’t and thought she was weird.

She scrubbed a hand over her face. Maybe… Maybe pretending to date someone really would make Jerome see her differently.

Or… maybe it would simply force her to stop overthinking every conversation she had with him. Either way, Buck’s ridiculous idea suddenly didn’t seem quite as ridiculous.

That was the reason she found herself in the parking lot of firehouse 118, right after his shift.

She found his Jeep almost immediately. It wasn’t hard, she remembered it from the grocery store parking lot.

(Y/n) leaned lightly against the driver’s side door. Waiting for Buck to end his shift. Every passing minute made leaving seem like the smarter option.

Maybe he was already gone, maybe she was at someone else’s car and she missed him. Then she heard footsteps, instinctively, she stepped back into the shadow beside the Jeep.

Buck’s duffel bag hung over one shoulder as he headed toward his Jeep, keys already in his hand. He clicked the unlock button without looking up. The lights flashed as the car locks were unlocked.

He reached for the rear door to toss his bag inside, only then he looked up and stopped in his tracks. “…(Y/n)?”

She straightened, her hands in the pocket of her LAFD bomberjacket and a nervous smile tugged at her lips. “Hey.” she said.

Buck looked genuinely surprised, “I…” he started and glanced between her and the station. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

She looked down for a second before meeting his eyes again, she took place across from him. “I’ve been thinking.” She started, he stayed quiet as she gathered the courage to start the conversation.

She took a slow breath, “About what you said.” she continued. His eyebrows lifted, “…Okay.” he said, not wanting her to feel pushed to continue her story.

“And...” She laughed nervously. “I still think it’s a crazy idea.” she continued. Buck smiled “I wasn’t expecting anything else.” he reassured her.

She smiled back, eyes wandering to the asphalt for a second, “But I also think…” She hesitated, but shook her head. “…you were right.” she told him, eyes finding his.

The smile slowly disappeared from Buck’s face, replaced by confusion. “About…?” he asked.

“Jerome.” she clarified.

Understanding flashed across his face, he nodded once but slowly. “What happened?” He asked. She groaned quietly, “Don’t worry about it.” She rolled her eyes as she smiled at the embarrassing interaction.

Buck let out a chuckle before he could stop himself and took a small step closer. Not enough to crowd her. Just enough that she had to tilt her head up slightly to keep looking at him. “So… What are you saying (Y/l/n)?” he asked, his voice quieter now.

(Y/n) looked at him for a long moment, and let out one last defeated sigh. “I’m saying…” She shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this.” she laughed.

Buck waited. “…If you’re still looking for a fake girlfriend…” She pointed between the two of them. A grin slowly spread across Buck’s face. “…I might be looking for a fake boyfriend.”

Buck blinked, and then smiled. “A few hours ago, I would’ve bet my entire paycheck that I’d never hear you say that.” he laughed.

“Well, don’t get used to it.” She said. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Buck answered.

She folded her arms.

“But if we’re doing this…” she started and thought for one second. She needed to make something clear. “We’re doing this my way, Buckley.” She said as her expression turned serious.

Buck grinned, “I don’t know what ‘my way’ means yet.” Buck said. A smile tugged on the corner of her mouth. “You will.” she said.

Buck watched her for a moment, then he let out a quiet laugh and shook his head. “You know…” he sighed.

“What?” (Y/n) asked as she watched him. “I really didn’t think you’d come.” Buck told her. Her smile softened, “Neither did I” she said.

For a second, neither of them spoke. The parking lot was quiet around them. Buck glanced at his Jeep and then back at her.

“So…” He pointed between her and him, “We’re officially doing this?” he asked. (Y/n) looked at him for a long second. Then, despite every thought telling her to run back to her car… She nodded “Yeah.”

Buck smiled, “Okay.” he said. “So now what?” (Y/n) asked with a laugh leaving her mouth.

“Now… We figure out how to convince everyone we’ve lost our minds.”

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Part two >>> (coming soon) | 9-1-1 Masterlist | Evan “Buck” Buckley Masterlist

#911 fox

Trending Tags

Recently Viewed Tags

#911 fox