Not Quite ~ Evan Buckley x Reader
A/N: This is the much anticipated second part to “Just Friends”! I’m honestly really proud of this, and I hope you all love this as much as the first part!
You and Evan Buckley slept very peacefully that night. And while you slept like babies, Hen was sitting on her couch, laughing hysterically at the pictures she’d received from your phone (via your niece). And if there was any doubt in your mind, she had already blown the pictures up and printed them off. On the other side of the city, Eddie had the same idea. As did Chimney. And Bobby. And they all arrived early to hang the pictures up throughout the station.
When you walked into work that day, you weren’t expecting to see pictures of you cuddling your best friend covering the station. Your cheeks flushed with embarrassment as you noticed your coworkers chuckling at the sight. From across the station, you see Buck tear one of the pictures from his locker. Sensing that he needed some space, you went to put your stuff away and get started with your chores for the day.
It was a slow day at the station, and normally you would be grateful for it. You’d take the free time to unwind, play some video games or basketball, you’d chat with your colleagues, etc. etc. etc. But the best part of these quiet days was being able to spend time with Buck. The issue is, Buck hadn’t so much as made eye contact with you all day. Whenever you came near, he’d excuse himself from whatever conversation he was in the middle of. And you weren’t gonna lie, it hurt like a bitch. I mean, Buck is your best friend. The only person that you know you can talk to about whatever. And he was just ignoring you.
It got to the point where you let out an involuntary sigh of relief when the alarm rung throughout the 118. As you geared up, you glanced over at Buck with a frown on your face. Trying to push aside the hurt, you clambered into the fire truck.
The accident in question was a car crash. The strange part was that there was only one car involved… and it was flipped over. Now, cars flipping in it of itself wasn’t unusual. However, usually that severe of an accident is the result of a collision with another car, or someone falling asleep behind the wheel at night. But alas, there was one car, and it was as bright as any other day in Los Angeles. So what had happened?
As you and Eddie approach the car to check on the passengers, you’re greeted with an even stranger sight. The “tumble” that the car took would’ve knocked most people out, but when you and Eddie reach the car, you’re greeted with two people bickering like an old married couple.
You share a look with the man beside you before interrupting the two.
“Um, hi you two, very awake, seemingly uninjured people,” you greeted warily as Eddie went to get cushions for the passengers’ heads as well as the jaws to pry open the doors of the car.
“Ugh, finally. I cannot stay here with him for much longer!” the woman says.
“Oh, you can’t stand being near ME right now?! I’m not the one who flipped the car over!” the male companion exclaimed.
“Ohhhh typical! Of course it’s my fault! Well, if YOU hadn’t decided to confess -” you cut the woman off.
“Ok, ok, my partners and I are going to work to get the two of you out of here, but to do that we’re gonna need to two of you to stop arguing until you get to the ambulance, alright?”
“Yeah, then you can bother Chimney,” Eddie said. At that moment, Buck walks over to see what the commotion was all about.
“Uh, is everything ok over here?”
“No everything is not ok! My car is totaled and I’m stuck in here with the asshole who decided that the perfect time to tell me that he loves me is while I’m driving!”
“Wait, so this is all because your boyfriend said he loves you? That seems like a bit of an overreact-”
“BEST FRIEND!” the two passengers exclaim simultaneously, leaving you and your coworkers left in awkward silence. As you begin to work on removing the two not-so-love birds, you can’t help but let your mind wander to your own best friend. You suddenly can’t put the image of him and his stupid, golden retriever smile that makes your stomach all fluttery out of your mind. You begin to think on how in every sense of the word, you are in a relationship with him. Hell, your niece even calls him “Uncle Bucky”. It certainly explains why whenever the two of you are out in public, everyone comments on “what a happy family” you are. And now your palms are sweating and you feel Buck’s gaze burning into, or is it just the memory of his eyes bearing into your own?
Thankfully, you, Eddie, and Buck were able to free the non-couple from the car. As the two were wheeled into the ambulance, you couldn’t help but listen in on their conversation.
“Look, Sarah, I’m sorry that I sprung this on you. I should’ve waited until we were somewhere where you could fully process what I was saying.” The man who had since found out was named Brad said.
“Yeah, you should’ve,” Sarah replied sternly. You see Hen roll her eyes and she realizes that she’ll be dealing with this the whole ride to the hospital.
“But that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t true,” Brad started. “Sarah, I’ve been in love with you since sophomore year of college when you brought me dinner because you knew that I’d been too busy studying for finals to do it myself.”
You lock eyes with Buck, thinking about all of the times he brought you and Sasha dinner when you didn’t have time to cook.
“Sarah, I love everything about you. From the smile you get when you get an extra nugget in your 10 piece to the way you love to sing along to the only CD you have in the car late at night. You are perfect in every way, shape, and form. You don’t have to love me back, but I couldn’t survive one more minute without telling you how I really feel.”
Buck looks away. Sarah has tears in her eyes.
“Brad,” she starts quietly. “The reason I got so spooked when you told me wasn’t because I don’t feel the same way.”
A smile creeps on to your lips.
“I’ve loved you for as long as I’ve known you. I just never expected you to feel the same way.” she says quietly.
Buck steals a look at you. You all watch as the two in front of you share a silent conversation. Sarah reaches over to grab Brad’s hand as they’re lifted into the ambulance.
Back at the station, you can’t get the imagine of the two out of your head. Two best friends who almost lost each other without ever telling the other how they felt. It was something that you couldn’t bring yourself to admit to yourself. Because, if you did, it would just hurt that much more.
As you walk out to your car, you hear a voice call out your name. Turning around, you see Mr. Evan Buckley jogging towards you with a look in his eye that you couldn’t quite describe.
“Hey, Buck, what’s up?” you felt your face heat up as you met eyes with your best friend.
“Can we talk?”
“Yeah, you know you can always talk to me,” you say as you instinctively go to place a hand on his shoulder, but you stop yourself.
He catches you hand gently in his own. You breath catches.
“(Y/N), I-”
“I love you,” you blurt out. He looks taken aback.
“Yeah, that’s what I was going to say, how did you-”
“No, Buck. I’m telling you,” you feel anxiety swell up in your chest. “Wait, did you just say that that’s-”
“What I was going to say? Yeah.” You’ve never felt a stare burn this hot before.
“Buck, I-”
“I love you, (Y/N) (L/N).” his gaze softens.
“Oh Buck, I love you too.” and its like a dam has broken between you two. You both start rambling about all of the things you fell in love with about the other person simultaneously.
Eventually you stop to catch your breath.
“Hi,” you smile.
“Hi,” Buck breathes out.
“It feels good to get that out,” you say.
“Trust me, I know,” he chuckles.
“Do you want to come over for dinner?”
“When have I ever said no to that?”
“Well, not everyone is down for dino nuggets with a five-year-old,” you tease.
“Well, I’m not everyone, darling,” Buck winks.
“So is it a date?” you ask.
“On one condition.”
“And what would that be?” you ask.
“Kiss me,” he beams.
“Gladly.” you smile back as you lean into him.
Some people say that kissing their soulmate was like fireworks, but for you two, it was pure sunshine. You pull away and rest your foreheads against each other’s.
“One more thing,” Buck starts.
“Whatever could it be?” you elbow him softly as you begin to walk to your car.
“Can I have extra dino nuggets?”
“You can have all of the dino nuggets you want if you kiss me again.” Buck happily obliged.
