pairing of your choice, season 3 buck decides three near deaths in six months is enough for him and he'll make the most of this fire marshal gig
FIRE MARSHAL BUCK HARASSING THE EVERLOVING SHIT OUT OF CAPTAIN SALVATORE DELUCA LET'S FUCKIN GOOOOO.
1. Sal meets the new fire marshal and is like what's up with this pretty boy and it turns out this pretty boy is a fucking psychological warfare master with a clipboard because what do you mean the oxygen tanks weren't properly secured? He checked them himself on his last shift! Except it turns out the kid is right, so Sal calls an all hands with the other shift captains which turns into an all hands with the entire station to go over every single violation and no, he doesn't care whose fault it is, it better not happen again.
2. Except Sal is also there after a clear case of arson, and the fire marshal is already on the scene. He watches the way this kid systemically goes through everything and flags shit up that Sal hadn't even caught yet. Someone was trapped in the house when it went up, and she's in the burn unit. Fire Marshal Buckley--call him Buck? That's not a name--is still there when Sal has to leave. When Sal's called up later to testify in court over the case, which turns out to be a case of domestic abuse, Buck gives the most aggressively thorough testimony he's ever seen from an expert witness. When asked, Buck says that guys like that shouldn't get away with hurting people who just wanted someone to trust and be loved by.
3. Sal is also there to disagree with Buck about another case of suspected arson, because he knows what he saw in there, dammit. And Buck is so fucking stubborn and such a cocky little wunderkind and christ, he owes Nash an apology. Buck shows up at the 122 with a basket of apology muffins when it turns out Sal was right and he was wrong, and he almost fucked up an entire investigation because he thought he knew better. He made the muffins himself, they're not great, but Sal acts like it's good just so the kid smiles. Then he invites him to stick around while he makes lunch. He doesn't do official "family dinners" the way the 118 does, but he does make enough carbonara for a small army. He's pretty sure Buck takes notes the whole time he's cooking and asks if the kid ever just relaxes. And Buck blinks at him and says, "I am relaxed. I like cooking. Does it have to be pancetta?" And while they eat, Sal finds out what Buck went through that turned him into a fire marshal instead of a firefighter, and he shoves extra pasta into the kid's bowl and digs out his emergency stash of ice cream from behind the freezer burned vegetables that have been in there as a relic of a pre-9/11 society and he listens.
4. There's a fundraiser gala thing to upgrade the burn unit facilities at a hospital, and Sal shows up and sees Buck in a suit and brings him a beer. They're both really uncomfortable but it's for a good cause and Simpson's making them. Sal asks Buck for a dance, and Buck gets skittish about it at first until Sal starts quietly telling him gossip about all the LAFD brass that are in attendance. He's known most of them forever, he used to be a union steward until he trained up a kid at his house to take over for him, and firefighters are notoriously bad at keeping secrets when they're in the local badge and ladder. And they all think Sal's a man's man, so they'll let it slip when they cheat on their wives or whatever. Buck says he does give man's man vibes, and Sal grins and says, "Yeah, just maybe not the way you think. You look real nice in that suit, by the way."
5. Buck shows up at the 122, and Sal is like are you fucking kidding me, we cannot possibly be due for another inspection. So he drags Buck into his office, and Buck cuts him off mid-diatribe to let him know he just didn't have Sal's number, so he went to the one place he knew to find him. He asks Sal if he wanted to go out to dinner, and Sal's like okay then why do you have the fucking clipboard. And Buck reveals his pros and cons list of why Sal should say yes (pro: Buck has been told he's a good kisser, he understands Sal's career is important to him and that it means he can't be around a lot; cons: Buck figured out he might be into guys about two business days ago so that could be a turn off, he only knows how to do anything with a guy in theory, he's kind of clingy), and Sal kisses him and tells him to stop talking for once in his life so Sal can say yes.
@queenandthree requested: Homestead/off grid AU for Buck/ Tommy/ Sal..... And Maurice
1. Sal has always been pretty good with plants. His grandparents invested a lot of time into teaching him everything they knew about keeping a garden - from planting to tending to preparing and preserving. He always had a smug sense of pride that he excelled at all of it far better than his older siblings, so even when he moved to Los Angeles he kept a few plants on his terrace - everything he needed for tomato sauce, because if he ever bought the canned stuff Nonna would find a way to haunt him, despite beong alive and well. It's not much, but it's enough for him, and then Tommy when he comes along.
2. Sal's grandparents leave him their little farmhouse and a small plot of land, and they decide 'what the hell?' and move back to the small town in the northeast where Sal spent most of his childhood summers. They learn quickly that Tommy is detrimental to any plant he comes into contact with, but he's an ace when it comes to repairing and running equipment, good enough that larger neighboring farms hire him regularly. When their crops start coming in, Sal shows Tommy everything his family taught him, and they experiment with new recipes and creations of their own.
It's not easy and it takes time. They take jobs in town in winter when all the teenagers have left to start school, they bust their asses in the summer and fall to keep up with everything, and after a couple of years it starts to pay off. They go from just a few rows of vegetables to adding a small fruit grove, a menagerie of animals, and a little stand at the far end of the farmer's market. They'll never be millionaires, but they do well for themselves, and they're happy.
3. Sal is working their booth at the market one day when a young man he's never seen before makes his way over to browse. He keeps his head down while he picks out a few items and answers Sal's questions in quiet, few word replies. He pays with coins and crumpled bills, exact change carefully counted out. When their eyes meet for a brief moment when Sal hands him his packed up items, he sees the same haunted, tired look Tommy had when he was fresh out of the army trying to learn to be a civilian again, but he's gone before Sal can ask him anything else.
The kid turns up every few days and buys the same rotation of items. He's polite but quiet, doesn't volunteer information as freely as all the other shoppers wandering around who are all too happy to spill information Sal never asked for or wanted. It takes nearly a dozen interactions before he gets a name ("Buck. Well, E-Evan, but people have been calling me Buck for a while now"), it's also around this time Sal starts dropping extra items in Buck's bags from the storage pails under his booth, things he sees him keep looking at but never buying because they aren't part of his predetermined list, like goats milk soaps and various bees wax concoctions that Tommy's been trying his hand at making. Buck never mentions it, but Sal sees the way his cheeks flush slightly the next time he sees him and he can't fight the flood of affection he feels for this kid and his shy smile.
4. Around the Fourth of July, there's a loud bang that echoes around the market as Buck is browsing one afternoon. Sal's not sure if it was one of the old timers trucks back firing or if those annoying ass Nelson kids had gotten their hands on some fire crackers, but whatever it was it's enough to make the color drain from Buck's face and his hands shake almost violently.
"Shit," Sal mutters before he springs into action, just like he used to with Tommy when things were bad. He manages to get Buck around the booth into the fold out chair he keeps there, then tries to start one of the breathing techniques that Tommy's therapist had given them.
"It's okay," Buck says, after a minute. "I'm okay. I just got...it surprised me."
"Can I call someone for you?" Sal asks, concern lacing his words. Buck shakes his head.
"No, there's no one." He sucks in a deep breath and gives Sal a weak smile. "I'll be okay in a minute, don't worry about me."
"Maybe you should let me take you home," Sal murmurs. Buck blushes and looks down at his shoes.
"N-no, that's not...You, um, you still have a lot of stuff here. I can–"
"Evan, you're shaking." Buck looks at his trembling hands and flushes darker. "For my own peace of mind, huh? I don't want anything happening to my favorite customer."
Buck silently helps Sal pack away the remaining produce and items at his booth and carry the boxes to his SUV. After everything is secured, Sal asks for his address and Buck looks at the ground again, kicking at the gravel.
"I don't have an address," Buck mumbles, wrapping his arms around himself. "I've been sleeping in my car for a bit."
Sal wants to ask how long 'a bit' is, but the look on Buck's face is enough to inform him that it's been longer than just a couple of nights.
"Then you can stay at our place." Buck starts to argue but Sal doesn't allow him a chance to speak. "Not takin' no for an answer, kid. Where'd you park? You can follow me back." Buck scratches the back of his neck.
"It's kind of not running at the moment," He mumbles even lower than before. Sal looks skyward for strength before letting out a slow breath because goddammit, he has a type.
"Get in," Sal instructs. Buck shakes his head.
"You really don't need to–"
"In." He says it with enough finality that Buck climbs into the car with no more argument.
When they arrive back at the farm, Tommy is elbow deep in a tractor, but he emerges when Sal calls out to him.
"This is Evan. The one I've been telling you about." Tommy shakes his hand and studies him carefully, taking in his grip and the way he holds himself.
"Army?" He asks.
"SEALs," Buck answers and Tommy's mouth twists bitterly. He nods to the tractor.
"How are you with a wrench?"
Sal leaves them to talk over the engine while he checks the gardens and takes care of the animals. When the sun starts its slow descent he makes dinner, adding a few extra sides to what he and Tommy had sketched out for their meal plan, remembering Buck's meager purchases at his stand and how carefully he counted out each payment. His suspensions are confirmed when Buck cleans out the casserole dish, then looks at his plate sheepishly when he's finished eating.
"Sorry. It's been a while since I've had something homemade like this."
"Don't apologize," Sal smiles at him. "It's probably been a while since you've had a hot shower, too, huh?"
Late into the night after Buck is settled into a guest room, Tommy quietly tells Sal what hes learned as they get ready for bed. Buck had enlisted young, had been turned into a machine before he was old enough to legally buy a drink, he was in for almost eight years when a humvee explosion left him with a busted leg and medical discharge. Another kid chewed up and spit out by the system that had done the same thing to him.
"I think it's a good thing you brought him here. I think he's been lost for a long time."
The next morning Sal and Tommy wake up to the smell of breakfast wafting up from the kitchen. Buck has eggs, bacon, and biscuits waiting on the table for them when they come down the stairs.
"It's probably not as good as what we had last night," He tells them, his cheeks going pink. "But I wanted to do something. To thank you."
"You don't need to thank us, Evan," Tommy assures him with a smile. Sal tilts his head.
"Where'd you get the eggs?" Buck feeezes.
"Um, the chicken coops?" He answers hesitantly. Sal and Tommy exchange a look. "Was I not supposed to–"
"Was Maurice in there?" Tommy asks and Buck frowns.
"The rooster? Yeah."
"He didn't attack you?"
"No. I mean, he puffed up and looked pissed off, but I told him if he didn't start anything I wouldn't either."
Sal and Tommy stare at him in wonder for a long moment before explaining that ever since they got Maurice they'd been having to wait for him to leave the vicinity of the coop before they could even think about gathering the eggs, and even then they had to keep a watchful eye just in case he came back before they were done.
"We knew roosters were aggressive, but Maurice is..."
"Maurice is a demon who's purpose is to try to scratch my eyes out," Tommy finishes, then he immediately launches in to telling Buck aboit all of their near misses with the beast.
Buck's laughter rings loud and bright through the kitchen and the sound of it sends Sal's heart racing. A glance at Tommy shows that he's not unaffected by it either.
After they eat, Tommy calls the tow yard and arrages to have Buck's jeep brought to the house so he can look it over and try to get it running and Buck helps Sal with the morning chores. When Tommy comes back into the house a while later with a grave expression on his face, Buck sighs.
"I know, I know. It's ready for the scrapyard. But it's the last thing my sister gave me before I left, and I haven't heard from her in...years now."
Tommy sets his jaw and Sal can almost hear the gears turning in his head, calculations and timelines being drawn up.
"Alright," He says at last,"I'll see what I can do. It's gonna take time, I'm going to have to find the parts. Meanwhile, you can stay here and help out. We'll call it even when it all shakes out."
Buck stares at him, mistrusting for a moment.
"Are you sure?" Tommy nods and holds out his hand. Buck shakes it hesitantly.
5. Buck turns out to have a magic touch when it comes to all the animals, not just Maurice. They also learn that he's a pretty skilled baker when he finds out it's Tommy's birthday and leaves a peach cobbler on the table for them to find when they come home from a night out. They make a new agreement that if Buck wants to sell anything he bakes at the farmstand, he'll keep the money, since the wages he would be making as a farmhand are being sunk straight into the jeep repairs.
As the days turn into weeks, Buck starts to come out of his shell more and more. He talks a bit more freely about the traveling he's done since he left the SEALs, how he could never stay anywhere long before he got anxious and restless and had to run.
"I haven't felt that way in a while," He tells them one night as they're sat around the table shelling peas. "It's peaceful here. I feel like I can breathe again."
They get closer, more comfortable. They trade stories and secrets between the three of them like kids trading baseball cards. Slowly but surely things start to change between them. Casual touches become more common, last a little longer. Looks linger, eyes roaming over how muscles bulge under a shirt or how someone lips look pressed against their beer bottle. A simple, one person task suddenly needs two extra sets of hands. If Buck notices that Tommy has been dragging his feet on the jeep repairs, he does say a word, just turns a blind eye to boxes of parts being delivered and set quietly aside for a few days for no good reason.
All that can only last for so long, though. One evening Buck and Sal are sitting on the back porch, cleaning ears of corn to take to the market the next day when they hear the jeep roar to life on the other side of the barn. Both their hands pause in a silent hope, but the engine runs steady.
"I guess T got it fixed," Sal says quietly.
"Yeah," Buck murmurs, staring down at the corn silks sticking to his boots. "Guess he did."
6. There's no real way to drag it out any longer after that. Buck doesn't have much to pack and there's really no excuses anyone can come up with to make him stay any longer, so two days after Tommy gets the jeep fixed, he's standing by the driver's side, twisting his duffle strap around his shoulder as he says his goodbyes.
"You sure you want to go?" Tommy asks, before he can stop himself. Buck swallows hard, looks away.
"I don't think I have much of a choice," He mumbles.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"If I stay any longer, I won't be able to pretend I'm not im love with both of you."
Sal surges forward and grabs by the front of his shirt, pulling him in too fast. The kiss is more a clash of teeth than anything.
"If that's what you're worried about, apparently we've done too good a job pretending that we don't love you, too."
Tommy moves in to get a hand around the back of Buck's neck to kiss him as well, as Maurice struts by and squawks at them, and Tommy swears it sounds like an obscenity.
48 participants & 279 posts included
Updated as of 23 December 2025 at 11:30PM UTC
This post will continue to be updated so long as new posts are being made by any participants who wish to be included.
#AllIWantForChristmasIsLou
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What's new in this update?
Participants newly-added to the round-up and all their posts are indicated by a 🚒 emoji.
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This list is arranged alphabetically by username of the participants and chronologically from oldest post to newest.
Posts for AUs that are Gen or that include or are about pairings that are not Buck/Tommy are indicated.
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Thank you to everyone for playing. Enjoy!
Below the cut is Part 1 (Participants with usernames beginning #-D)
Check reblogs for the up-to-date Part 2 (Participants with usernames beginning E-H), Part 3 (Participants with usernames beginning I-R), and Part 4 (Participants with usernames beginning S-Z)
Credit for the divider used in this post: @uzmacchiato
@26-cats-in-a-trenchcoat
[Gen, ensemble] The 118 was shut down due to budget cuts
Spider-Man & Deadpool AU
Community college AU
Shared dreams soulmates AU
Bobby died in the cruise ship | FIC: all i do is pray the lord will let me walk in the sun once more
Hen and Eddie let Buck call Tommy instead of playing keep-away with his phone
🚁 @a-mel0n
Buck/Tommy have moved in; Buck discovers that Tommy loses hours to his gaming hobby
8x06 AU: When Tommy tried the break-up thing, Buck begged him to stay (sexually)
[Includes Abby/Buck and past Abby/Tommy] Abby/Tommy had a baby before breaking up
Buck and Tommy go to Vegas to watch the fight instead of Eddie and Tommy
Buck is a stripper before getting into firefighting | 5+1 additional facts
Buck/Tommy secretly got married after Bobby's funeral; others don't find out for months
🚁 [Gen - worldbuilding, ensemble] 911 x Jujutsu Kaisen
🚁 @ambernotember | Link to her masterpost
Tennis AU
[Gen, ensemble] Olympics AU
[Buck/Taylor, canon Buck/Lucy] Buck never told Taylor about kissing Lucy
[Gen, May-centric] May is the one who leaves further schooling behind to join the LAFD not Harry
Fire marshal era Buck's assigned to the 217 and meets newly-out Tommy
[Maddie/Chimney] Professional matchmaker Chimney and nurse Maddie who's skeptical despite Chimney's success matching Hen/Karen
Flower shop/tattoo parlor AU
[Ensemble, includes Bobby/Athena, Hen/Karen, Maddie/Chimney] Full cast role swap AU
Buck and Tommy, both traveling the world separately, run into each other over and over
Buck became a Navy SEAL; he meets Tommy and Eddie while they're in the Army
Witch!Buck that gains others' powers through sex/Fae!Tommy with suppressed powers
Buck and Tommy live in the same building; they have a community garden meet-ugly
🚁 Buck/Tommy reconcile when they meet on vacations they're on with the Hans & DeLucas
🚁 Coffee shop AU
🚁 Tommy is involved in the wildfire crossover episode
🚁 Kindergarten teacher Buck/Firefighter Tommy
@angels-all-sin
Flower shop/tattoo shop AU
@apollabarnes
Niche hobby AU: geocaching
Buck and/or Tommy are paranormal investigators
Donor arc AU: Buck and Tommy meet at the fertility clinic; Buck's super pent up
@aringofsalt
911 x Stranger Things fusion
Tommy is the doctor Buck is sent to see after an injury on a call
@beanarie
Tommy retired from firefighting but still flew the 118 for the cruise rescue
911 x The Witcher crossover
Buck/Tommy meet through a Big Brother volunteer program
🚒 @beefcakekinard
🚒 [Gen, Buck&Maddie-centric] FIC: the pattern of our lives -> The Buckleys didn't hide Daniel's existence for 30+ years
🚒 Maddie and Chimney have a normal wedding and Buck/Tommy get their dance
@bidisasterevankinard
Actor!Buck AU
Buck chased after Tommy after the break-up
@chemistry66
You've Got Mail with academic rivalry
[Sal/Buck] Undergrad Buck & TA Sal
🚁 @chimneyschewinggum
[Sal/Buck/Tommy] Buck meets Sal and Tommy under different circumstances
[Sal/Buck] How Sal/Buck get together without Tommy
The 118 only learn Buck had a baby when he files for parental leave
[Sal/Buck] Buck leaves the firehouse after Bobby fired him and runs into Sal
Buck leaves the 118: S9 AU
[Sal/Buck/Tommy] LOTR AU
Eddie finds out about the Buck/Tommy hook-up in his house
[Sal/Buck/Tommy] After years of trying for kids, Sal/Tommy turn to surrogate!Buck; they fall in love
8x06 AU: When Buck asked 'Are you breaking up with me?' Tommy doesn't say yes
[Sal/Buck/Tommy] S5 AU: Buck transfers after Chim punches him
[Sal/Buck] Meet-cute at the laundromat
Continuation of S9 Buck crash-out/S9 transfer fic I'm Barely Hanging On To Some Last Thread I Found In You (fic linked in the post)
Stuck in an elevator
[Buck/Ravi] S6 AU
Dog character POV AU feat. an OC dog mentioned the stuck in an elevator AU (linked above and in the post)
🚁 Tommy becomes Santa
🚁 Teachers AU: Soccer coach Tommy and assistant coach Buck
🚁 Broken-up Buck/Tommy co-parent a dog
@citrus-lou
Tommy was an instructor at the fire academy when Buck was there
Buck and Tommy met at Madney's wedding
Tailor!Buck AU: Tommy needs a suit, Buck takes his measurements and makes it
Man-behind probie Buck meets helicopter pilot Tommy when Tommy's dog runs into the 118
Drifter Buck's truck breaks down; ranch owner Tommy's passing through and helps him out
Buck/Tommy AU where the champagne is acknowledged
Buck teaches kindergarten and firefighter Tommy runs the education outreach program at his station
After Tommy stops by to apologize after the basketball game, Buck kisses him first
@corporatebanana
Buck finds himself on a website for puppy play when looking for a puppy
[Buck/Ravi] How Buck/Ravi realize they're into each other and what they plan to do about it
Buck/Tommy meet at a kink club
Buck/Tommy made a sex tape that leaks to the public
Buck/Tommy are dating during the donor arc AU
Buck/Tommy are dating during the donor arc AU: version 2
Truck bombing AU: Tommy's with Buck in the ambulance; he's included in the Buck care schedule
Buck injures both his hands; Tommy helps him with his sexual needs
@curlyboys
Competing gyms AU
Somehow it was Tommy who landed Athena's plane
@dharmaavocado
Teachers at a magic university
[Includes past Buck/Eddie] Buck/Eddie were dating when the Kim situation went down then season 7 happens
Reconciliation after Bobby’s funeral; Tommy asks Buck to move in when Eddie returns
Buck and Chim Contagion role swap; Buck's the last to see and talk to Bobby
911: Coruscant (Star Wars crossover/fusion)
Buck finding a home for the baby Road (continuation of an ongoing Sphinx Tommy AU, previous parts linked in the post)
I was tagged by many a person over the last little bit with the last sentence tag game. Hadn't written much that I could share, but I was compelled to write this today so now it's your problem.
"You need to talk to your boy Buckley," Sal grunts out, taking a seat next to Tommy at the bar.
Tommy's brows narrow, and his mouth turns into something of a grimace. He doesn't play dumb or wait for an explanation, more credit go him Sal figures. Staying silent for a minute, Tommy takes a sip of his beer. "Pretty sure that ships sailed. More than a year ago, as you may recall."
Unbidden, the memory of sitting with Tommy in this very bar flashes before Sal's eyes. Tommy, who's sworn never go be like his father, looking for answers in a bottle of whiskey, trusting that Sal is going to keep him from doing anything he'll regret.
"Kid's still not over you," Sal says, voice barely audible above the bar's din. There's a twinge in his heart, forcing those words out. It hurts more not saying anything at all.
Eyes narrow, Tommy finally shoots a look at him. "How would you know that?"
Leaning back in his chair, Sal offers Tommy a cocky grin. "Don't you listen to the gossip. Buckley's at the 122 now, on a different shift. We've become friendly."
Something complicated flashes over Tommy’s face - something mourning and jealous, that passes into a neutral facade. Tommy takes another sip of his beer and idly comments, "I didn't think he'd ever leave the 118."
"Lot of things have changed," Sal points out, crossing his arms over his chest. "You need to call him."
Tommy scoffs. "I'm sure the last thing he needs is a blast from the past."
"You're still not over him," Sal points out, and there's nothing for Tommy to argue against. Tommy had confided that he'd fucked up the best thing in his life, and there was no going back. "I'm telling you he's not over you, either. Just call him. Do something about it."
The 'Or I will' remains unspoken, because as much as Sal tries to hid it, Tommy's always been able to read him like the back of his hand. Standing up, Sal slaps a twenty on the bar and pushes away, leaving Tommy to finish his drink and contemplate Sal's advice.
No pressure tagging @chemistry66, @emakataken, @chimneyschewinggum, @corporatebanana, @thecarrott, @nine-one-wanton, @fuselsstuff, @jamieroyjamieroy, @sad-girl-hours23, @kinardnatural, @queerasbuck, @inawickedlittletown, @cliophilyra, @fenrirscarsback, @frogsinflannel, and anyone else who wants to join in
AU: Sal and Tommy are 35, married, and have been at the 118 (with Hen and Chim) for eight years. Buck is 26 in Peru. Sal and Tommy are on vacation to celebrate each of them transferring (122, lieutentant position with intent to become Captain very soon and 217, pilot). Whirlwind romance that ends up with Buck following them back to LA and being married right before Buck's probie year.
mooorrrre under the cut :)) again just straight up stream of conciousness hope ya like it :)
Buck is constantly talking about his partner but never mentions being married and never mentions there being two of them.
Bobby is out for some reason, nothing major but their temporary Captain is a complete idiot, making every wrong call and unfortunately Buck gets the short end of the stick.
He's being wheeled on a gurney with a pipe sticking out of his leg. Hen and Chimney are on either side of him trying to get him into the ambulance when their Captain comes over and starts berating Buck for "not paying attention," "doing this to himself," and "making the Captain look bad." It's all bullshit and everyone knows it, but Buck had started to be in a weird headspace right before the call, only intensifying as the call went on.
He was generally very good at keeping a hold on his emotions, but the pain, anxiety, and headspace is a godawful combination and he can feel his breath getting faster and tears filling his eyes.
There's an onlooker recording the Captain yelling at a clearly injured and emotionally distressed firefighter. They post it to Twitter and tag it LAFire118, a tag Sal has saved (as well as LAAir217 & LAFire217).
He sees the video and sees red. Him and Tommy call Hen and ask what hospital. She's confused, because as far as she knows, they have no idea who Buck is. She tells them anyway, past and present 118 support she guesses.
Buck is already heading back to surgery when Sal and Tommy storm in.
"Where the hell is that rat bastard?"
"Woah, Deluca, calm the hell down."
"Don't tell me to calm down, Hen. Where's the Stronzo who berated my fucking husband while he's bleeding out through a goddamn rusted pipe?"
"Wait-"
"Hen."
"He's back at the scene or headed back to the station. The fire was almost out when we left."
Sal turned to Tommy. "Stay here." Sal gave him a quick pat to the cheek and a squeeze on his bicep.
Sal was gonna make that sad excuse for a Captain pay. He quickly sent a text to his friend in the Union before speeding off to the 118.
Not badly. Noah's left side never moved well anymore, and his right had developed a fine tremor in the last six months that came and went without explanation. The neurologist said it wasn't progressive. The neurologist said a lot of fucking things.
Buck had held the hand until it steadied. Had watched Noah's face until the crumpled thing behind his eyes folded itself back into something Noah could live with for the rest of the day. Rebecca had been gone for forty minutes by then. The papers were on the rolling tray beside the bed. A nurse had already moved the water cup to make room for them, which told Buck the nurse hadn't clocked yet that the papers were papers.
"She's coming back Sunday," Noah said.
"Yeah, Saint."
"For dinner."
"I don't think so, man."
Noah looked at him. The look was lucid in the way Noah was sometimes lucid now, in flashes that made it worse, not better. "Okay," he nodded.
Buck had pulled the blanket up. Had put the remote where Noah could find it. Had said the things he said every morning, which Noah needed said every morning, which was fine, which was a routine Buck could do with his eyes closed and sometimes did when he was too fucking tired to open them. Then he'd kissed the top of Noah's head the way he'd seen Noah's mom do once, years ago, in a base housing kitchen in Virginia Beach, and he'd left.
He was nineteen minutes late pulling into the academy lot.
---
He didn't run. Running would make it worse. He walked the way he'd been taught to walk when he was bleeding and didn't want anyone to see, which was also the way he walked into the academy at 0719 on a Thursday six weeks into the rotation, with his hair still wet from the hospital sink and his jaw set and his hands perfectly fucking steady at his sides.
Captain Deluca was already on the floor.
He was standing with his back to the bay doors, arms crossed, watching the other recruits run through the hose drill Buck should’ve been leading. He didn't turn when Buck came in. He didn't need to. Buck felt the attention land on him and he adjusted for it without thinking, squaring his shoulders.
"Buckley."
"Captain."
"You're late."
"Yes, sir."
"Nineteen fucking minutes."
"Yes, sir."
Sal turned then. He was built the way Buck's old chief had been built, tall and thick through the shoulders. Buck, who had three inches on him easily, still found himself aware of how Sal carried himself in a room. Sal's eyes were blue. They did the thing they did, which was to look at Buck and seem to catalogue him.
"Explanation."
Buck's mouth opened. Nothing came out. It was the first time that had happened in six weeks, and he watched Sal notice it.
"Personal, Cap."
Sal held the look another second. "On the line."
"Yes, sir."
Buck went.
He ran the drill. He ran it the way he ran everything, which was too well for where he was and not well enough for where he'd been, and he felt Sal watching the whole goddamn time, and he did not look over once.
---
At the end of the morning, when the recruits were stripping gear and refilling bottles and the bay smelled like sweat and the faint chemical sweetness of the floor cleaner someone had mopped, Sal said, "Buckley. My office."
Buck passed off his gloves.
"Yes, sir."
The door was half open and Buck pulled it shut behind him the way Sal liked, latch clicking quiet, and stood until Sal looked up from the clipboard.
He did not sit first.
Sal’s office smelled like coffee and something underneath it that Buck had stopped trying to identify around week three, when he’d realized identifying it wasn’t the problem. The problem was that he noticed it every single time he walked in here.
Sal’s desk was the same government-issue metal as the rest of the academy furniture and Sal made it look like he’d chosen it personally.
“Sit,” Sal said.
Buck sat. Hands on thighs, back straight, the way he’d sat in debrief rooms for five years under men who could end his career with a phone call. Sal’s eyes came up from the clipboard and did the thing they did, went from his hair to hands, and Buck kept his face blank and didn’t think about the fact that Sal’s forearms because that was not a productive line of thought.
“Personal,” Sal inquired, testing the word for structural integrity.
“Yes, sir.”
“You’ve used that three times in six weeks.”
“I’m aware, Captain.”
Sal set the pen down. Leaned back in the chair, which creaked once and then settled. “You’re running the top scores in your class. Every sim, every drill. Extraction, hazmat, the rope work last week. You move like you’ve done all of it before.” He paused. “Not like it. Like you’ve actually done it.”
Buck blinked at him.
“And then you show up nineteen minutes late with your hair wet and your eyes like you haven’t slept, and you give me personal and expect that to be the end of it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sal glared like he wasn’t sure if Buck was being a smartass. “That’s not how this works.”
“I understand that, Captain. It won’t happen again.”
“You said that last time.”
“I mean it this time.”
Sal looked at him for a long moment. Buck held it. He was good at holding Sal’s attention, which was either discipline or something he wasn’t going to name, and either way it served him fine in this room.
“What branch?” Sal said.
“Navy.”
“What rate?”
Buck looked past his shoulder. “SO.”
The silence that followed was a different shape than the one before it. Sal’s eyes did another pass, like he was resetting something. Special Operations. Buck watched him do the math happen.
“You’re a fucking SEAL,” Sal said.
“Was, Captain.”
“Christ.” Sal rubbed the back of his neck, one short motion, and then his hand came down again. “And you didn’t think that was worth putting on the application.”
“I put Navy, sir.”
“You put Navy,” Sal repeated, and something moved at the corner of his mouth.
Buck noticed that too, because apparently he noticed everything about this man, which was a problem he was going to deal with at a later date.
Alright, Buckley. One more personal. After that, you talk to me. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Dismissed.”
Buck stood and moved to the door. He had his hand on the knob when Sal said, “Eat something before the afternoon session. You look like shit.”
Buck looked back over his shoulder. Sal had already picked the pen back up but not before Buck caught the flex of his forearm, corded muscle shifting, and he knew those hands… fuck.
