Tevan years down the road, happily married, Tommy’s starting to think about retiring, Buck is a well established captain in the LAFD.
Buck has staunchly been refusing he needs reading glasses. His vision is perfect, thank you very much. His team tease him, setting the font in his tablet to huge when he leaves it unlocked. Tommy usually gives him a “yes, dear” whenever Buck complains or says his vision is fine.
Buck is aging gracefully, thank you very much. And for whatever reason, glasses are not part of his aging gracefully image. The grey hair he’s handled alright. The growing wrinkles on his face. But glasses? Absolutely not.
Tommy just starts leaving them around the house. Drops off a pair in Buck’s office and only winks at the other firefighters before quietly walking away. Eventually, Buck gives in. He doesn’t say anything or make a big deal about it. But he does actually start wearing the reading glasses Tommy leaves around, instead of tucking them into Tommy’s shirt collar and telling him he left his glasses lying around again.
Tommy and Evan deciding to take a vacation together. Neither have taken PTO in a long while. Tommy’s captain has basically been begging him to And the 118 has mixed reviews on them getting back together again. Buck just wants some time together without all the outside noise.
They end up at the Grand Canyon. Buck has been before, during his time he spent traveling around. But he’d always thought about how nice it’d be to share with someone.
They end up just kind of unplugging, going on hikes, enjoying the time together. Buck feels his head quite a little. He’s mostly focused on the history, how the Grand Canyon has changed over time, all the different workers that look after the different aspects of the park. But, he’s mostly surprised by how much the noise of his day to day life fades away. He hadn’t really realized how much noise there was. Both in his life and in his brain.
It also ends up giving the two of them time to hash things out a little. There’s a lot of space to run from each other…. But there’s no shifts to get to or make up, there’s no one asking for favors, there’s no one Buck feels obligated to help, there’s no kitchen to bake in, there’s no one playing keep away with his phone.
They end up talking through a lot that they might not have otherwise. Which wasn’t necessarily the goal when the two decided to take a vacation together. But neither is upset with the outcome, once things are hashed out.
So they enjoy the time together, have some hard discussions, and appreciate the beauty around them. Sharing sunsets and sunrises either someone else…. It’s just as beautiful as Buck always dreamed it would be.
bucktommy dispatch au (@911-hiautus prompt from @screamlet here)
after the truck bombing, buck ends up at dispatch instead of fire marshall buck and it turns out he's incredibly good at logistics or something (probably not "actual" dispatch with maddie and josh but behind those scenes)
around the same time, tommy got into an accident (car, helicopter, whatever) and it looks like he might not fly again. he can't stand being on ground duty at harbor, doesn't want to take the offer of an open spot at the 118, but dispatch could always use extra hands (and abby's not there anymore, thank god).
---
are they fast friends but slow burn? are they annoying deskmates turned more? is there some josh/tommy(/buck?!) action? does buck get jealous of his sister trying to steal his work bestie? how does chimney and the 118 fit into this? is there a crisis that requires tommy AND buck stealing a helicopter together? idk i hope there's a bakery's worth of cakes in here!
1. They have to find a non-field position for Buck after the bombing, while he recovers. Theoretically, he could have stayed off longer, but he wants to get back into it as soon as he can. He’s been crossing his fingers for something at the academy, where he can at least feel useful, but of course they don’t have anything. They offer him a position with the fire marshal’s office, or at dispatch. He doesn’t want to be at the fire marshal’s office, but he doesn’t want to work with his sister. He talks to them about what the dispatch job would actually entail, and it’s not answering the phones, it’s actually helping liaising between different stations and hospitals and that kind of thing which like, Buck could probably do that.
2. He gets an office off the main room, and they start him off with regular hours, so he has some overlap with Maddie but they aren’t always working together. Josh gets paired up with him at first, because he’s done a lot of this, and Buck has a couple days of studying and watching before he gets to start taking over. Josh starts him on the minor calls first, but Buck takes to it like a fish to water, and by the end of his second week he’s flying completely solo. It’s weird when he ends up talking to Chim or Hen or Bobby, and it makes him miss the field more than usual, but he can get through it for a little longer.
3. Tommy gets side swiped by a car when he’s working ground detail with the 217. He ends up with two fractured vertebra. The healing process is, well. He basically can’t do anything. Too much friction could cause it too get worse, and if it gets worse it might never heal, the ends of which could be chronic back pain or paralysis. They offer him a spot at dispatch in the meantime; they’d offer him the fire marshal’s office but he’d have to do inspections which would put the LAFD at liability if anything else happens or he doesn’t heal properly. They pair him up with a newer dispatcher when he starts, and she’s super friendly and makes him feel at home right away. It’s so different from what he’s used to, but knowing how things work on the other side makes it easier for him to call in support and know what people might need, updating paramedics and that kind of thing. He gets a lot of positive feedback from his trainer, Maddie, and the shift lead, Josh.
4. Tommy finds out there’s another firefighter working there — it’s actually Maddie’s younger brother — and goes looking for him one day to say hi. He’s surprised by how young Evan looks, and the crutches he’s on. Evan looks less than thrilled to meet another firefighter, which is also surprising to Tommy. He mentions it to Maddie later, and that’s when he finds out that Evan was the firefighter under the fire engine. He feels bad that he kind of sprung himself on Evan like that.
5. Evan’s still working 9-5, so it’s pretty easy for Tommy to know when he’ll be there. He brings Evan a coffee and a pastry on their next overlapping shift, as an apology and an olive branch. Evan’s nearing the end of his shift, and it might be that or the coffee, but they actually have a nice talk. Tommy starts dropping in to see Evan whenever they’re both there — he thinks it must be hard to be with people but alone in his office most of the time. One day he gets caught up with Maddie and Josh and doesn’t get to see Evan before he leaves, though he catches his eye to wave when he sees him headed for the elevator, but Evan just looks down and hurries to the elevator as fast as the crutches will take him.
6. Josh clocks Tommy pretty quickly, but mostly because Tommy used to date one of Josh’s friends. It took Josh a little while to feel confident it was him because they’d never actually been introduced, and Tommy had certainly never said he was a firefighter; coming out was still a process, okay? Tommy can’t really go to the club while he’s healing, but Josh apparently knows all the queer hangouts between here and Texas, and they do brunch and trivia together, and hang out at a cute coffee shop in between.
7. One day Josh and Tommy go for coffee before shift, and Tommy grabs a coffee and pastry for Evan too. Josh laughs at him as he heads down the hall to Evan’s office and Tommy manages to flip him off without dropping anything. He’s just being a nice guy. Evan’s a little more subdued than usual, but still chats with Tommy for a few minutes before a call comes in and Tommy excuses himself while Evan’s on the phone.
8. Evan seems to be actively avoiding Tommy if he’s with Josh or Maddie. Josh comes to shift holding a takeout coffee from their coffee shop and Evan sees it and wrinkles his nose. Tommy wonders if maybe he got Evan’s order wrong last time? Maddie tells Tommy Evan hadn’t wanted to work here because of her, and that’s probably why he’s not hanging out with them. Tommy says he understands, he used to have an ex who worked here too. Josh corners him later to ask who, and Tommy tells him about Abby. They have a heart to heart in the break room until Evan walks in, his eyes narrowed when Tommy looks up at him. Tommy hesitantly asks Josh later if Evan is homophobic or something. Josh says he doesn’t think so— he’s never had any problems with him, anyway.
9. Maddie and Josh invite Tommy out one night, and Tommy’s surprised to see Howie there, and then Hen and Bobby. He somehow hadn’t realized that Evan was with the 118. There’s a new guy there, Eddie, and he and Tommy get along well when they find out they have a shared history with the army. Tommy thinks he sees Evan near the door at one point, but he never comes over and Tommy doesn’t see him again so it's probably wishful thinking.
10. Evan’s office door is locked. He’s at work, Tommy can hear him on the other side of the door, but he doesn’t respond to Tommy’s knocks. Maddie tells him Evan had a set back in his retraining; the night they went out was supposed to be a celebration for him. He’s been ducking everyone. It’s pretty impressive how little they see of him at Dispatch.
11. Josh teases him about having a crush on Maddie’s straight little brother. Tommy flushes but doesn’t deny it, even though he knows he should. Josh only laughs a little, but gives him a comforting pat and gets him a piece of pie as a consolation prize.
12. Evan’s door is unlocked next shift, even though he’s not at his desk. Tommy drops off a coffee again. When he leaves, he finds a thank you note shoved in his locker.
13. Evan brings him a coffee next shift. It’s — not good, but it is thoughtful. Tommy drinks it all.
14. Tommy finds himself out with Maddie and Howie and Evan more often than not — sometimes Josh is there, sometimes other 118 members, but mostly just the four of them. Tommy calls Maddie out for using him and Evan as a buffer so things aren’t so weird with Howie. Maddie’s less embarrassed by this than he thought she would be, and asks cheekily if he isn’t doing the same thing? Tommy, incredulously, says “are you trying to set me up with your straight brother?” Maddie laughs and pats his shoulder condescendingly. He tries to ask Josh about it, but Josh just gives him the same reaction.
15. Tommy heads to the restaurant when Howie said to meet him, and gets there to find Evan outside on the phone, hands waving frantically while he talks. He spots Tommy and immediately hangs up, face flushing. “Howie didn’t tell me you were coming,” Tommy says. “Maddie didn’t tell me you were coming,” Evan says. “Also, they both ditched us.” He goes redder. “Sorry.” “What are you sorry for?” Tommy asks. “Ithinkthey’retryingtosetusup,” Evan says. “They’re trying to — what?” “They’re trying to set us up,” Evan says, hunching in on himself. “Sorry.” “So — dinner?” Tommy asks. “What?” Evan’s head pops up. “Well, they went through all this work, so, dinner?”
16. Tommy and Evan have dinner. It’s a nice restaurant, clearly a date spot, now that Tommy thinks about it. He can’t believe he didn’t realize it when Howie invited him out. “I guess I wasn’t trying to flirt with Maddie’s straight younger brother, huh?” Evan blushes again. It’s cute. His cheeks match his birthmark. “Bi little brother,” Evan corrects. “But you — you were flirting?” “I was trying not to, but yeah.” “Why were you trying not to?” “Because I thought you were straight.” “In fairness, so did I, for a while,” Evan says. “Talked to Josh and Hen and Karen a lot to figure it out.” “I hope you didn’t feel rushed.” “No, not at all.”
17. Tommy gets the all clear from his doctors to go back to work. He puts it off for a little while, because Evan’s recertifying soon too, and he kind of wants to go back to work together, even if they don’t work together. And maybe he wants to see Evan as much as he can before they’re at different stations. He can’t prove it but he thinks Josh is switching his schedule around so he’s on shift with Evan more.
18. Bobby and Athena are throwing Evan a surprise party to celebrate him coming back to work. Tommy lies about a shift and Evan pouts that he can’t come to dinner, but Maddie says she can go with him. It’s worth it to see the smile on Evan’s face when he realizes they’re all there, it’s not just a quiet dinner with Bobby and Athena. He pulls Tommy aside in the backyard later, and then coughs blood all over Tommy’s chest.
19. Tommy’s with Maddie when Evan wakes up in the hospital. Tommy is there when Evan finds out they’ll have to put him on blood thinners, and finds out he won’t be able to go back to work just yet.
20. Tommy takes a week off to spend with Evan. Evan’s mopey and sad and Tommy just lets him sit with it. He knows what it’s like to feel like things are being taken away from you. He convinces Evan to take him and Chris to the museum, and he gets to see Evan smile for the first time all week.
21. Tommy’s put off going back to work for long enough, and he gets back to Harbour just in time to be part of the tsunami rescues. He’s secretly glad that Evan’s off work and not part of this, until he gets a call from Maddie letting him know Evan’s at the field hospital. His flight hours are almost up, and his co-pilot drops him off when they have to drop off a patient. He finds Evan downstairs and gets to hear all about his day while they have him hooked up to an IV and fix up his scrapes. He wishes he has something other than his flight suit on, because Evan still looks cold, and he’d love to wrap him up in a sweater or a jacket right now. Chris drags Eddie in, telling them both about all the people Evan saved and how Chris ended up in the hospital too. Eddie and Tommy exchange a relieved look as Chris and Evan are busy talking to each other.
22. Evan has surgery on his leg to replace the screws — Tommy had convinced him to go see his surgeon after the tsunami, just to make sure everything was okay, and they’d found the problem with the screws. Evan’s part time at Dispatch, healing up at home, and Tommy’s trying not to spend every spare second with him because he doesn’t want Evan to get tired of him. But he also wants to spend every spare second with Evan. He tries to spend some time with his coworkers and Sal too, though Sal teases him about being attached to his phone whenever they do hang out.
23. Things are a little tough when they’re both back at work. Their shifts don’t always line up, and they depend a lot more on texting and calling than they used to. Tommy finds it tough, harder to read Evan’s mood through a screen, his tone through texts.
24. Two months after they’ve both gone back to work, Tommy walks out of Harbour to see Evan leaning up against his truck, smile big and wide. “I thought you were on shift,” Tommy says, stopping in his tracks. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make the shift swaps, but, um, I’ve got the next 48 off with you,” Evan says. “I’m going to owe Eddie so much babysitting, but.”
25. They find a balance between their shifts, eventually, they make swaps when they can, and it’s fucking tough to date another first responder but it gets so much easier when they move in together about a year later. Tommy loves coming home to Evan, waking up with him, making dinner with him, falling asleep with him. Evan does too. It takes them a while to say it to each other, but once they do, its like the dam bursts, ad they can’t stop saying it. Tommy doesn’t remember ever being this happy.
The sound of knuckles softly knocking on the door was the only thing to break the tense silence of the night.
“Will you talk to me?” Tommy asked. He hoped that Evan would at least grant him that.
There was no answer.
He sighed. “You’re not going to hide away for the rest of the night, are you?”
Once again, Evan declined to answer.
“Are you going to sulk all night?”
That was a low blow, but thankfully, it got the reaction Tommy was hoping for.
Evan swung the door open, his pout in full force. His bright blue eyes shone with hurt and betrayal, as his fist clenched and unclenched.
“What else am I supposed to do, Tommy?” Evan asked right back, his tone full of anger. “You ruined everything.”
Tommy crossed his arms against his chest, almost protectively, as if bracing for impact against his boyfriend’s temper. He knew better than to say anything, and yet…
And yet his lips quirked in a small smirk in amusement. “Well, when you put it like that…”
“Seriously?” Evan hissed. “You think this is funny?”
“A little bit, yeah.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
“I’ll do it later. Maybe you can help.”
As he suspected, Evan perked up just the tiniest bit amount before shaking his head, not wanting to be swayed by Tommy’s suggestions.
“Evan,” Tommy said, trying his damnedest not to roll his eyes at his boyfriend’s theatrics. “It was just a little bit of fun, that’s all.”
“It wasn’t!” Evan insisted. “You took my trust, and you betrayed me!”
Now Tommy rolled his eyes. “That’s not at all what happened.”
“That is exactly what happened?!” He snapped. “I told you I couldn’t do it, and then you turn around and stabbed me in the back, like a traitor.”
“Evan.” Tommy took the moment to try and calm him down. “You asked for an alliance, and I told you there’s no alliances.”
“Yeah,” Evan replied sulkily. “Because apparently you already had one with Sal.”
“Sal was just pushing your buttons,” Tommy calmly said. “He does that. You know he’s going to stir shit up.”
“But you didn’t deny it!”
Tommy groaned. Why did he agree to this in the first place?
“Baby, my love, the light of my life,” Tommy began. “It is not that serious.”
“It is to me because you promised me you wouldn’t do that, and then you stabbed me in the back!”
“So you’ve said,” Tommy grumbled.
“This is why I have trust issues,” Evan complained.
“Oh my god.” Tommy couldn’t help the laugh that came out at the ridiculousness of it all. “Evan, it’s just Liar’s Uno.”
“And I’ll never play it again!” He vowed.
Tommy laughed and finally tugged him close to plant a solidarity kiss on his pout. And when Evan started to break out into a grin, Tommy couldn’t help but to place kisses all over his face until Evan was giggling.
“Next time we’ll do a different game,” Tommy promised, sealing it with a soft kiss. “One that won’t cause as much anger and betrayal.”
“Ok,” Evan agreed. “Can we kick Sal and Gina out so we can have make up sex?”
Tommy laughed again. “Sure. We can do whatever you want.”
***
Idk what this is, I recently finished an interview for a casino as a gaming associate and I had to do 2 mental math exercises and I forgot how much it stressed me out being timed to complete multiplication questions (and apparently I got a final interview with them and I’m gonna have to do more exercises during that as well).
And then I remembered one of these little ficlets where characters are mad because they were playing a game, and I wanted to do something with that.
Maybe I’ll do another version with Tommy getting upset at a game night and Buck goes to comfort him.
Maybe the start of something, idk. But the idea wouldn’t leave me alone so here we have a prologue of sorts.
Not entirely sure yet of timing. This might be 2012ish? We’ll see. Might need to be earlier. There’s some adjusting that has to happen.
Tommy stared up at the dilapidated home. He hadn’t even been able to see the structure from the street, overgrown bushes tangled into one another along the property line. Inside the bush perimeter wasn’t much better.
The stairs into the front garden, if you could call it that, had crumbled under his feet and nearly sent him sprawling across the ground. The tree’s knotted and exposed roots tangled with the over grown weeds that made it impossible to tell if there was even a walkway to the front door.
There was a wild assortment of bushes, weeds, and plants just waiting to ensnare any one’s feet that tried to move through the property. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced an overgrown vine taking over the fence that lead to the backyard. It almost had the potential to be picturesque… but Tommy stomped that thought out quickly. Any hope or positivity that had survived his dad, had quickly been destroyed by his time in the Army.
Tommy grunted to himself and shook the thoughts off. He leaned down to grab his green Army duffle and stomp his way to the front porch, easily battling his way through any plants that tried to stop him. This was his house now.
The front porch was in only slightly better shape than the steps leading into the front garden. Tommy kicked at the crumbling stairs, but was surprised to find the foundation under it was still solid. He chucked his bag up onto the porch, where it landed with a thump.
He ducked under a fallen beam and glanced around the front. The door was locked up and intact, but directly to the right was a boarded up sunroom. At this point it was more boards than structure. A tree branch had fallen through the roof and wall, half inside and the other half stretching across the porch, leaves scattered all around.
Tommy continued to the front porch, finally unlocking the door, the first solid thing he’d seen about the house. It immediately opened into a room. Centered, on the far left wall, was a crumbling fireplace that was framed by two windows. An abandoned pot sat on the hearth, beer cans and news paper scattered around. A broken coffee table sat in the middle of the room.
Tommy walked across the room and through the door frame on the back wall. He found himself faced with broken stairs to the left that seemed to say “don’t even bother” that curved around an empty spot in the wall. To the right was a wall that had once been windows, but was now mostly just boards barring access into the house. It was an awkwardly sized room. Tommy shook his head and continued to the right hand corner where a door was falling off its hinges.
Tommy tried to push the door open, only to find it falling off its hinges in his hands. He huffed and gently chucked it into the stair room he’d just come from.
“Not like I can cause much more damage,” he huffed to himself, as he found himself in a tiny hallway, faced with doors on a every wall.
“What the fuck?” He grumbled, before randomly opening the door on the right.
He was greeted by a dark closet and a smell.
“Fuck!” He cursed, covering his nose with his elbow and quickly slamming the door closed. He escaped through the door opposite.
“Smells like something crawled in there and died,” he huffed, before finally glancing around the room he had escaped into.
It was a standard room in a broken down house. There was a large window in the far left wall and back wall, with another doorway in the far right corner. Tommy crossed the room and peeked in, finding a toilet and bathtub on the opposite wall, and a double sink on the same wall as the door. The bathroom didn’t smell as bad as the hall closet, but Tommy still covered his nose as he walked through the bathroom, to find the closet at the far end.
Tommy nodded to himself, before turning around and walking back the way he came. He quickly stepped through the tiny hall and through the last door way in it. He found himself in the dinning room. To his right, he found himself staring back at the front door, the door way framed by two other holes. To his left was a door into what Tommy was guessing was the kitchen.
Tommy walked up to the holes in the doorway leading to the first room and pushed on the holes knocked in the walls. He inadvertently pushed all the way through into the room he had first entered the house through.
“Guess the demolition has already started,” he said with a snort. He sighed and turned back to see the damage in the kitchen.
The counters were covered in who knows what, cabinets were falling off the walls, and what was once a hood over the oven, was now just sheets of metal. The counter top was cracked. At least the parts that Tommy could see and weren’t covered in debris and abandoned junk.
Tommy quickly walked through the kitchen, his eyes watering from the smells as he finally opened the back door into the back yard. He stood and surveyed the yard, his hands on his hips. It wasn’t in much better shape than the front yard. A few abandoned garden beds, overgrown grass, and the fence was falling over, if not broken in places. There was abandoned wood all over the yard and shingles from the roof scattered like sprinkles everywhere.
Tommy sighed and stepped into the yard, staring up at the back of the house. Some of the windows were cracked and one of the frames was falling down. There were holes in the siding and Tommy had no doubt the roof needed to be redone.
It was in rough shape…. But it wasn’t like Tommy felt like he was in much better shape himself. He smirked to himself and turned back to the yard. In the right hand corner, he thought he saw the eaves of a building peaking through the wreckage of the yard. He slowly picked his way through the yard until he came level with the half collapsed building there.
Tommy pushed the door open, and for the first time since entering the premises of the house, he let a small, genuine, smile fall on his lips. The roof was caving in and the place was trashed, but there was a peg board hanging halfhazardly off the wall with rusted tools trailing off of it and scattered across the floor. Somehow, in the middle of the room, a sturdy workbench stood.
Tommy walked to the end wall and gave it a gentle push. The building shuddered, before a crash rang out as the roof finally collapsed and the wall gave out into the driveway. Tommy coughed as the dust settled and stared out on the long driveway leading up to the front of the house. But between him and the end of the driveway, was what used to be the covering for a carport or something similar. Tommy shrugged.
“Guess that’ll work as a gate until I can get the fence fixed,” he uttered to himself, as he stepped out from the wreckage of the shed, his boot kicking a rock.
His eyes followed the roll of the rock until it stopped and his eyes caught on something in the cement. He walked over and crouched down, brushing the dirt, leaves, and dead grass from the edge of the driveway. There, right beside the shed, deep in the cement, were three imprints of hands. Under each was a name.
Nonno, Nonna, Tommy, summer of ‘78.
Tommy reverently brushed everything clear of the handprints and names, before standing up and dusting his hands off on his pants. When he glanced around the yard and house this time, it was colored by old memories that had been buried so deeply he’d practically forgotten them. The laughter of a little boy echoed around the garden, fresh Tomatoes and herbs growing in the garden, the smell of his Nonna’s soup and bread escaping the kitchen. His Nonna’s voice chastising and chasing his Nonno back out the door and to his shed because he forgot to leave his greasy coveralls there.
His reminiscing was interrupted by a text.
-Text Message-
5:48 PM
EB: You make it out alright or do I need to roll out the team for a rescue mission?
Tommy rolled his eyes and shook his head, but typed out a reply
Kinnard: Can you squids actually find anything on land?
EB: Always seem to find my way to you
Kinnard: Pretty sure it was me hauling your ass out of whatever mess you found yourselves in
EB: You like my ass.
Kinnard: Unfortunately.
He hesitated. They’d always kept things light before. A quick hand job here and there under the guise of “helping each other out” when deployed. A blow job when Buckle- Evan, was feeling frisky and Tommy couldn’t resist. And, alright, the longer it had gone on, the more Tommy had let go, even if Tommy told himself he hadn’t.
Then, Tommy had started the paperwork to get out of the Army and found himself tired of pretending. He didn’t want to shout it from the rooftops, but he was tired of hiding. Tired of looking over his shoulder. Tired of worrying if he would be discharged for being found with another man, even if he’d kept that pretty buttoned up… at least until Evan and his blue eyes, legs for days, and toned muscles had stumbled into his bird and his bed.
Tommy had made a pit stop in San Diego on his way home to LA. He didn’t regret the stop at all. The hotel room they hadn’t left in 48 hours might disagree though. Tommy pulled his phone back out.
Kinnard: made it safe and sound. You can stop worrying your pretty little head, Evan.
"Let's play a game, he says," Buck heard Tommy mumble frustratingly under his breath. "It'll be fun, he says. Yeah, this is so fucking fun."
Buck watched as Tommy rolled the dice, and when both of them landed innocently on the table--one side with six dots, the other with two--he could already tell his boyfriend was not going to be happy.
Lo and behold, Buck was correct.
Tommy gritted his teeth as he moved his piece, counting quietly to himself. As he neared the final step, he paused, reluctant to land on the square that doomed him.
"C'mon, T," Sal jeered from the other side of the table. "You can't edge us like this, it's painful."
"I'll show you painful," Tommy muttered angrily, slamming his piece on the last tile.
Buck smothered a grin as Sal cackled. He smiled innocently as his boyfriend, holding out his hand. "I'm so sorry--"
"The fuck you are, Buckley!"
"--but it's $2,000."
Tommy slowly turned to him, and if Buck wasn't fighting for his life to keep his laughter in, he would sympathize with his boyfriend.
When Tommy's hard gaze landed on Buck, there was a pause. A tense so great Buck could've sliced the air with one of his knives.
"No," was all Tommy said.
Buck scrunched his eyebrows, tilting his head. "No?"
Tommy shook his head. "No."
He slowly stood up from the couch, knocking his piece onto its side. His expression was neutral, so Buck had no idea what his boyfriend was thinking.
As Tommy walked away from the table, Sal called out, "Where are you going?"
Tommy didn't stop walking away. "Somewhere where there aren't any traitors in this fucking place."
And with that, he disappeared down the hall.
Buck felt a little guilty on the one hand, but on the other, it was just really unfortunate that Tommy drew the short straw.
"God, he's such a dramatic bitch," Sal snickered, gathering up his cards. "This is why he doesn't play Monopoly anymore. The last time we played, it was a whole lot worse."
He tossed his cards onto the center of the table.
Buck blinked. "Technically, you're still in."
Sal scoffed. "Please, there's no fucking way I can win at this point. I was barely beating Tommy as is. Going up against you with all of your shit? I know when to admit defeat. Now, go check on Tommy. Make sure he isn't moping too badly."
Buck grinned, pushing himself off the couch, and headed off into what he dubbed "the quiet room".
Already he could hear Tommy pacing around the room as he calmed down. Turning the doorknob, Buck entered the room, and quietly shut the door behind him.
"This is why I fucking hate Monopoly," Tommy groaned, apparently sensing Buck's presence.
Buck chuckled, stepping a bit closer. "It was just bad luck, Tommy."
"The fuck it was!" He exclaimed, pausing his pacing to face Buck. "You and Sal were ganging up on me."
He stopped, thinking for a moment before narrowing his eyes at Buck. "Was this payback for Uno?"
Buck shrugged his shoulders, walking closer until he could pull Tommy into his arms. "If I said it was?"
Tommy slumped against him. He mumbled something under his breath, but Buck couldn't hear what it was.
"It's cute when you get all frustrated and grumpy," Buck chuckled as he held Tommy closer.
They stayed like that until the tension in Tommy's shoulders relaxed. And for a few moments, all was calm.
Until....
"Can we ban Monopoly from this household?"
***
Annnnnnnnnd here's Tommy raging against Monopoly (though, I guess it's more being frustrated with bad luck, but it doesn't have the same ring to it imo).
Maybe I'll do a mini series for this kind of thing whenever I can't seem to finish my wips. Just to get the juices flowing with something dumb and silly.
Here's Buck raging out against Uno if anyone wants to read it!
Eddie apologizing for everything and how he acted, Buck apologizing because that’s just who he is. They go back to being good friends.
But also… Tommy DID call after Bobby died and he a Buck made up. Tommy and Eddie did not make up nearly as much. They get along for Buck’s sake…. But they may also have sass offs from time to time with looks and sarcasm and dry humor. Buck usually breaks it up with a “knock it off” or just drops a random fact that throws them both off
Married Tevan AU pre transfer and pre Buck joining the 118:
Tommy doesn’t say anything, just walks in one day with a wedding band. Slips it off and puts it in a box in his locker. He asks to speak to Bobby because he needs to update his paperwork.
Bobby is shocked when he learns why Tommy needs to update his paperwork. But respects his wishes to not say anything.
This continues for a few days and it takes a minute before anyone clocks the wedding band. And Tommy doesn’t really offer much up until Howie says something about dating and everyone is chipping in their advice. Tommy gives his opinion as they’re getting ready to leave for the day.
“And what would you know about relationships, Tommy?” Chinned asked with a chuckle, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention a girlfriend.”
“That’s because I’m married,” he said, overly exaggerating putting his wedding band on. Then promptly left.
The 118 hounds him in the next few shifts, but he remains tight lipped about it. He knows there’s a betting pool going. He ignores it. He has a husband to get home to.
The others try and get him to bring his spouse to after work drinks, but Tommy always has an excuse ready. Every now and then Tommy still joins them, but he just smirks and remains tight lipped about his spouse.
Then, when Buck gets close to graduating from the academy, Tommy goes to Bobby’s office.
“I need to put in for a transfer, Captain,” Tommy said. Bobby glanced up in surprise and sat back.
“I don’t have a problem with that, but, do you mind if I ask why?” He asked. Tommy gave him an amused smile.
“Well, I read the handbook, or rather my husband did, and we can’t work the same shift at the same firehouse,” he said.
“Okay?” Bobby asked, looking by confused.
Tommy clasped his hands, elbows resting on the metal arms of the chair, as he leaned forward, “Bobby, you hired my husband as your new probie,” he said.
“I…. Oh, I did. I thought the name was familiar?” Bobby sighed and sat back. “Tommy, I’m sorry. I can figure something out. I’m surprised it all went through.” Tommy was already shaking his head, no.
“I, uh, I might have something to do with that,” Tommy sighed. Bobby raised his eyebrows, before Tommy continued, “I’ve been interested in getting back in the skies. I’ve been talking to Harbor, and… they may have an opening coming up.”
“Oh!” Bobby looked surprised, before he relaxed and smiled softly at Tommy, “you’ve been wanting to do this for awhile. I saw you asked for the transfer and training a couple years back.”
“Yeah, uh,” Tommy hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. he wasn’t proud of his actions during Gerard. He’d had several people in his life set him straight in his comments and actions, or non action, during that time, especially Evan who had been incredibly disappointed.
“It uh, didn’t work out that time,” Tommy explained, “but I also kind of just blindly put out the application then. I’ve talked to the captain, figured out the process, and that there’s actually a spot that’s going to be available soon.”
“Well,” Bobby said with a smile, “I’m happy for you Tommy. And, I can’t say that it doesn’t make things easier for me. If you wanted to stick around, of course I’d figure it out. And you’ll be missed around here.”
“Thank you, Bobby, and,” Tommy tilted his head slightly, “I think it’s also good timing. Evan will be a good fit here. And I know the 118 will take care of him.” He raised his eyebrows challengingly and Bobby chuckled, raising his hands up in surrender.
“Of course, we will.” He said, “does this mean you’re finally going to tell everyone?”
“Not yet, we still have a few weeks to get through,” Tommy said with a smirk.
“Just let me know when you’re ready,” Bobby said. Tommy nodded and stood up. The two men shook hands, before Tommy went back to rejoin the rest of the 118.
There were a few weeks of overlap of Tommy and Buck at the 118. But they worked different shifts. Tommy had offered to work as a floater for whatever houses needed extra hands, but the 118 had balked at that idea. So Buck worked for C shift, and Tommy couldn’t help but chuckle at Evan’s shadow that lived at the 118, before he was even introduced to A shift.
Tommy’s last day came, and still, the new probie didn’t show up. Bobby raised an inquisitive eyebrow, but Tommy only smirked and said his goodbyes.
He waited until Evan had completed his first shift with the 118, and Tommy himself had had his first day of classes he had to take for the new certifications he needed to work at Harbor.
He walked back into the 118, as they wrapped up the shift.
“They kick you out already, Tommy?” Chimney called with a shit eating grin.
“He probably just forgot something,” Hen said.
“Or, he came to check on the new probie,” Bobby said knowingly.
Tommy only smiled and waited until he saw a familiar tangle of long limbs. Buck finally glanced around to see what was going on. To everyone’s surprise, his face broke out in a grin and he all but ran to tackle Tommy in a hug.
“Hey baby, have a good first shift?” Tommy asked.
“What?!”
“He’s yours wife?!”
“When did this happen?!”
“It’s nice to finally see you two together.”
The 118 had a variety of reactions. And, okay, Tommy might should have corrected the gender assumptions a while ago, he knew he was going to get the 10th degree from Hen and Karen about that. But he just hadn’t felt like it at the time.
At the last comment, from Bobby, everyone turned to him.
“You knew?!” They asked.
“I did have to approve both of their paperwork,” Bobby said with a shrug.
Overall, Tommy was pretty pleased with his surprise. And Evan had been given the opportunity to give his own impression, before it was colored with the information of who his husband was. Tommy was ready for this new chapter to start.
Just a little bucktommy/Buck does what's best for him/Tommy is the #1 Evan Buckley defender drabble for you on this Wednesday
[HOWIE HAN]: 1 New Message
Hey Tommy, sorry to bother you with this but any chance you've heard from Buck?
[HOWIE HAN]: 1 New Message
He told us he was still transferring and also taking a week off and now no one has heard from him in days.
Tommy looks at the text messages, coming in quick succession, and snorts harshly.
[TOMMY KINARD]
That sounds like a lot. Did you check his house?
Tommy knows they didn't check his house, because they have absolutely no clue what had been going on in Evan's life for at least a few weeks, probably closer to a month.
[HOWIE HAN]: 1 New Message
Uh. Well.
[HOWIE HAN]: 1 New Message
We kind of don't know where he moved to.
Tommy rolls his eyes, mutters "Jesus Christ, Chimney," under his breath.
[TOMMY KINARD]
You don't know where your own brother-in-law lives? Dude.
[HOWIE HAN]: 1 New Message
Come on man I just had a baby
[TOMMY KINARD]
I thought your wife had the baby
[HOWIE HAN]: 1 New Message
You're a comedian.
[TOMMY KINARD]
I'd say I'm here all week, but I'm actually on vacation.
[HOWIE HAN]: 1 New Message
Yeah, yeah, I'll take the hint and stop bothering you. Even though you have no sympathy for the fact that my wife is going to be very disappointed with me when she finds out I lost her brother and she's going to look at me in the way that makes me feel very sad and also guilty.
[TOMMY KINARD]
Well, if I see him I'll let you know. Good luck with all of that I guess.
Tommy chuckles again, the face pushed into his stomach bouncing a bit with it. Evan rolls, sleep-bright eyes blinking up at Tommy in confusion.
"Whatsit?" Evan mumbles, a hand coming up to wipe away at what is definitely drool in the corner of his mouth.
Evan had been napping with his head on Tommy's lap, spread out across the couch in the cabin they're borrowing from a friend of Tommy's for a weekend getaway. They'd spent the last three hours hiking (and maybe some of it making out against a tree) and Evan was still in a bit of a sleep deficit from trying to quickly get all of his stuff moved out of Eddie's house two days ago.
"Nothing, sweetheart," Tommy tells him warmly, his torso curling down towards Evan as he runs a hand through slightly sweaty but impossibly soft curls. "Just texting Chimney."
"Mmmok," Evan says, rolling back into Tommy's stomach and kicking a knee out to stretch farther down the couch. It accentuates his long, long legs which are currently wrapped in hiking shorts that are honestly just sinfully short and leggings; and Tommy is also maybe drooling a little. He's going to let Evan sleep for a little longer, knowing if he lets it go on too long Evan's sleep schedule will be ruined.
But also beacuase Tommy is more than happy to pick up where they left off against the tree; this time in the plush bed waiting for them, with enough time and sunlight leftover to then grill the steaks they had bought for dinner.
Tommy shakes himself out of the daydream that's going to end up disturbing the man impersonating sleeping beauty right over something that will give away exactly what's going through his head and looks at the text conversation again. He sighs. He doesn't think that Howie and the rest of the 118 deserve much right now, but he does sympathize with a woman who just had a baby and who has access to another woman who won't hesitate to launch a manhunt for his boyfriend.
He sighs and pulls up Maddie's phone number, but then thinks of something much funnier.
Listen. Do I love this donor baby storyline? No. Was that kid adorable and did I fall in love immediately? Yes. And since it's Fuck It Friday, I wrote this. I was tagged by @bidisasterevankinard and @bangpop91
The alarms go off and the whole of the 217 ground crew is on the move, tugging on their turn outs and booking it for the rigs. Tommy has been maxed out on flight hours for half a shift so he joins in the melee, claiming the seat behind Captain Melton before the engine pulls out of the bay, sirens blaring. They're enroute to an elementary school and the fear and concern in the truck is thick enough to cut with a knife.
They're halfway to the loctation when dispatch calls and informs them that there is no fire, just a student who got a little too curious about the red box they were told never to touch.
"Keep the sirens on," Melton instructs the driver.
"Cap–" Tommy starts, but Melton waves a hand.
"No one's going to get in trouble, Kinard. We're just going to remind our young citizens about the importance of fire safety."
The whole school is gathered on the little patch of grass considered a track field when the engine pulls in.
"Kinard, with me. Everyone else, hang back and make us look good."
Tommy follows Melton across the parking lot to the field where a woman who Tommy assumes is the principal is waiting. Another woman is standing nearby, holding the hand of a little boy with what can only be described as a shit eating grin across his face.
"I am so, so sorry," The principal says, shaking Melton's hand with both of hers. "We constantly remind our students that the fire alarm is only for emergencies and that they should never touch it without express permission from a teacher. But..." She glances over her shoulder and bites her lip. "Unfortunately, one of our friends got to it before we could remind him of the protocols. His guardian has been contacted and is on the way."
"Relax, Ma'am," Melton says, that rare southern charm slipping into his accent as he pats her hand. "It's not uncommon for a child to get to curious or push the limits. We juat want to be sure this doesn't happen again unless there is a real emergency. And we'd like to talk to your little friend, if that's okay."
"I had a feeling you would," She replies, her expression shifting from apologetic to diplomatic. "Would it be alright if I sent everyone else back to class now?"
"Of course," Melton replies, with a diplomatic smile of his own. Tommy recognizes it as the one he uses with higher brass and difficult landlords. "I think a point was made."
She nods and shakes Melton's hand again before retreating toward the field.
"Ms. Shepard, if you could please take Theo to my office," Tommy hears her say before moving further and addressing the rest of the school.
Melton gives the rest of the crew instructions to return to the station, since the non-emergency truck has driven to the school by one of the other pilots. Their shift was nearly over, and there was no need for everyone to hang around to give a kindergartener a talking to. Tommy isn't really sure why Melton wants him to hang back, but he has a feelkng it's because of the not so subtle hints he's been dropping about retirement. They settle into a small waiting area outside of the office, where the secretary gives them a tight lipped but polite smile. They aren't waiting long before the door buzzes and Tommy's breath catches in his throat when Evan Buckley hurries inside, fumbling his wallet out of his pocket.
"Um, hi, I'm Evan Buckley. I'm here for–"
"We know who you are. Mr. Buckley," The secretary assures. Tommy can't help but notice the smile she gives him is much more genuine and that she's sitting up straighter in her desk chair. "Theo and Mrs. Johnson are waiting for you in her office. Right this way."
Evan nods and turns to follow her. His eyes widen slightly when he catches sight of Tommy and his captain waiting just behind him. He stands there staring for a moment too long, parts his lips like he wants to say something, but then hurries down the short hall to the office. Melton lets out a low whistle.
"I think you can handle this one," He says, slapping Tommy on the shoulder as he stands.
"What? No. You can't –"
"Sir?" Melton slips out the door when Tommy instinctively turns his head to the secretary. "They're ready for you, too."
Alright. Okay. He can totally do this. He just needs to professionally explain the importance of a fire alarm to a little kid.
A little kid who has the same mischievous little grin as Evan. Who is apparently in Evan's custody.
What the fuck could possibly go wrong?
The principal stands when Tommy enters the office.
"Thank you for waiting, Mister...?"
"Kinard. Uh, Tommy. Tommy is fine."
"Tommy." The diplomatic smile again as she sits. "I'm, again, very sorry that you had to come all this way because of our...little misunderstanding."
"Yeah." Evan rubs the back of his neck anxiously. "Theo and I had a very long talk before he started school about there being certain things that he's not allowed to touch. Especially the fire alarm."
"I just wanted to see what would happen!" Theo's voice is sweet and earnest, but the gleam in his eyes betrays him. Evan gives him a look that's mildly exasperated but mostly fond.
"I told you what would happen," He chides gently. "Very seriously and in detail."
The mental image of Evan sitting with this boy, using a toy fire truck and an assortment of voices to playact this exact moment fills Tommy's mind, unbidden. It makes his heart ache and race in tandem. Theo gives Evan a look of his own.
"But I wanted to see."
"Theo," Tommy says, turning to face the boy directly. "I know it's hard sometimes. There's something right there in your reach and people keep saying you're not allowed to touch it. You got curious. But you have to understand, when you pull that alarm, a lot of people come running. Everything was just fine this time, but there's always a chance that somewhere else, someone could be in trouble and need those people that came running to you, but we can't be in two places at the same time."
Theo stares at him for a long moment, then ducks his head.
"Okay."
"Anything else you want to say?" Evan asks, nudging him gently.
"I'm sorry I broke the rules, Mrs. Johnson," Theo says, miserably. It sounds like a well rehearsed line. "I'm sorry, Mr. Tommy."
"We'll call it square as long as you promise only to pull the alarm if there's a real emergency. Deal?" Tommy holds out his hand. Theo eyes it distrustfully for a moment before laying his little palm against his.
"Deal."
"Thank you, Mr. Kinard," The principal says, her tone full of false warmth. "Theo, why don't you go sit with Miss Amelia for a moment. I need to speak your...with Mr. Buckley."
Evan ruffles Theo's hair before he stands up. Tommy holds the door open for him, assuming that he's dimissed as well. He can hear Evan making hurried apologies as he steps into the hall.
"I know Theo has had a very hard year, Mr. Buckley. But our policy states–"
The door clicks closed and Tommy is left looking at Theo, seated next to secretary staring at his shoes as he kicks his feet idly. A small backpack is sitting in the floor beside him, making it clear what the school policy is.
He feels a little foolish, digging to his uniform pocket to fish out one of the shiny badge stickers he carries with him in case they get a call involving a kid, Theo obviously has an endless supply of them available to him, but he kneels down and holds it out to him anyway. Theo looks up at him and takes it with a grin. Tommy stands and pats his head, then nods at the secretary before walking back out to the parking lot. Evan and Theo aren't far behind him, and he supposes that's a good thing because Melton and the truck are gone.
"Hey," Evan says sheepishly, holding tightly to Theo's hand, even as the boy tries to tug himself loose. "I really am sorry about this. You would think the kid has had his fill of firefighters by now." Tommy shrugs.
"Ah, he's not the first kid that's ever done it. I'm sure he won't be the last either." There's a moment of silence. "So, uh, this is new."
"Yeah, it's kind of a long story."
"I have time," Tommy says akwardly. "I think my ride was a little eager to start his weekend. Would it be weird if I asked you to drop me back by Harbor?"
Evan smiles and gestures to his truck, scooping Theo up to carry him the reat of the way across the parking lot.
It turns out, there isn't much of a chance to talk with a five year old in the car. It takes Evan almost five minutes to wrestle him into his carseat and get the straps buckled across his chest, then before he can start engine Theo is requesting that he play 'the song about the beach.' When Evan tries to start a conversation, Theo complains that he can't hear the music. Evan sighs and gives a 'what can you do' look. Tommy smiles and turns up the radio. The rest of the ride is mostly silent, save for Theo humming in the backseat. When Tommy glances back at him, he sees the sticker he gave him is now stuck to the window glass beside his carseat, reflecting little rainbows across his cheek as he bobs his head.
When they get back to Tommy's station, Evan tells Theo to sit tight while he says goodbye to his friend. Theo gives a silent thumbs up, eyes fixed on the book he's pulled out of his backpack.
"Thanks for taking it easy on him," Evan says quietly. "He really is a good kid, he's just been through a lot. We're working on it."
"Is he...?" Evan nods.
"Yeah. I mean...Yes. But it's not–"
"Whoops."
Evan spins around. Through the rolled down window, Tommy sees that Theo is now covered in the contents of the smoothie drink that he pilfered from his lunch box.
"Oh fuck," Evan says softly. He turns back to Tommy. "I gotta..."
"Of course." Evan looks like he wants to say more, but he steps back and turns to deal with the mess. "Evan?"
"Yeah?"
"Maybe you could tell me about everything over dinner?" Evan's smile is hesitant, and there's a touch of sadness to it.
"Unless you want a dinner for three at my house, I don't think I'll be free for a while."
Tommy watches as Theo valiantly attempts to lick a drop of smootie away from the tip of his nose.
