Probationary firefighter Evan Buckley, trying everything he can to get his Captain's attention - but even his best rescues get him nowhere, no clap on the back, not even a damn compliment.
And it's not like Captain Kinard is incapable of them. Buck's seen him shoot the shit with DeLuca, play Chimney in basketball, praise Hen for her quick thinking. He only dislikes Buck.
Buck starts acting out more. He's taking risks in the field he hadn't been previously, and the first time Kinard rounds on him, after a dangerous rope rescue that left Buck bruised and bloody, he's happy.
He keeps it up until Kinard has no choice to pull him into his office. Kinard keeps it professional, says he's concerned, Buck's fellow firefighters are concerned, and if Buck keeps this up he might not have a job soon.
Buck promises to do better and god, he tries. He does everything by the book. And Kinard goes right back to ignoring him. The slaps on the back from DeLuca, Chim and Hen's quiet support - they're not enough. He needs Kinard to notice him. He hooks up while he's working through his feelings, asks her to tell him he's doing good while he's eating her out. It helps. It's still not enough.
Next shift, he pulls his riskiest move yet. It gets him pulled into Kinard's office, and Kinard is standing this time, and he looks pissed. Buck is thrilled.
"Do you get off on this?" Kinard asks him. "Is this your current stop in your adrenaline seeking adventures?
Then, quieter, like he's admitting something to himself - "Maybe I'm not the right Captain for you. Maybe you'd do better at a different house."
Buck panics. He's come to really like working here. "No - I think you're a good Captain, I like working at this house. I want to stay."
Kinard breaks eye contact. "I don't know what you need, Buckley. But you can't keep doing this. You're going to get yourself killed and I -" Kinard looks upward, and Buck is fascinated. He's never seen the Captain like this before. "I don't know if I could watch that. If you want to stay here, we need to work out a strategy."
Pay attention to me, Buck wants to say. I need you to pay attention to me.
He takes a step towards Kinard and notices Kinard's breath hitch.
"Buckley," Kinard starts, and Buck kisses him. In the split-second before Kinard pushes him off, Kinard kisses him back.
"Buckley, I can't." It's a weak protest, and Buck steps back up to him again, holds Kinard like he'd hold a lover. Kisses his jawline.
"Buckley -," Kinard says again, then "Evan," and that's when Buck knows.
Kinard bullies him back against the wall, crashing his lips against Buck's. Kinard gets both of their dicks out, and his hand is huge and hot around them both. Buck buries his head into Kinard's shoulder, breathes out his name into his ear, and he's thrilled when he feels Kinard shudder. He doesn't expect the next words.
"Tommy," Kinard says. "My name is Tommy."
Buck comes straight into the curve of Tommy's hand. Tommy covers Buck's mouth with his free hand. Buck puts his tongue to good use, swirling it around Tommy's fingers, until he feels Tommy's hips stutter and then stop as he spills.
They're breathing heavily against each other for a moment until Tommy shifts away. He tucks himself back in, and Buck does the same. Buck's happy and satisfied; Tommy noticed him and he got a great orgasm out of it.
Tommy's wiping down his hands with one of the rags they use for cleaning engines. He looks up at Buck again. "I'll see you next shift, Buckley," he says. "You're dismissed."
Buck leaves Tommy's office with a spring in his step and plans to suck Tommy's dick the next time he gets the chance.
Three days later, Buck comes in to his next shift to find a new Captain, Bobby Nash, and the news that Tommy has stepped down.
