something about how tommy being buck's "most transformative relationship since abby" is something that's not only stated in the show by buck himself, but also something the narrative emphasizes over and over. like. buck spent a season with abby, falling in love, and the next entire season pining after her. and its the same with tommy! a season together and now pretty much the whole of season eight pining after him, with one key difference: tommy keeps showing up. over and over, a defining trait in their relationship at this point, buck asks for him and tommy is there: buck wants his attention and tommy shows up at his door; buck asks for a second chance at a date and tommy shows up and agrees; buck throws a bachelor's party for chimney and tommy shows up despite a shift; buck asks him to be at his sister's wedding and tommy fights fires to get there; buck gets sick/cursed and tommy is there; buck wants a funeral for a long-dead outlaw and tommy is there; buck needs a diversion against the fbi and the army and tommy is there, no questions asked
and i just think there's something so beautiful about that journey for buck, going from pining after someone who's long left him behind (multiple someones, it can be said), to pining after someone who can't stay away from him. and the journey from repeatedly being told both times not to reach out and to just move on, where with abby it wouldn't have made a difference either way, with tommy its only keeping them apart longer, because tommy will show up for him; he just has to ask.