Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“What about a sugar baby?” Abby asked casually while sipping her wine.

Tommy choked on his coffee a little and coughed hard. Luckily his laptop which he was facetiming Abby on didn't get covered in spit-out coffee. “I'm sorry?” Tommy seemed shocked and surprised.

Abby was in Bordeaux, France at the moment having dinner in her hotel room. Meanwhile Tommy was having a late breakfast at home alone in their house in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Beverly Hills.

“Well you said it's sex and maybe some intimacy that you're looking for but you don't want a relationship either. You said yourself don't want a friends-with-benefits situation either- not to mention none of your friends are viable options these days anyway. You want more than a one-night stand and you want exclusivity but said you would feel guilty asking someone for that without the romance of a relationship, right?”

“Yes.” Tommy agreed slowly.

“So why not a sugar baby, you'd be giving him money for his time and exclusivity so he'd be getting something out of it too, right? Then there's no need to feel guilty?”

“You're giving me free range to spend God only knows how much money on a- a sex partner?” Tommy raised a brow.

“You gave me free range to spend God only knows how much money traveling, eating, and sleeping my way around Europe. Really I'm just returning the favor.” Abby shrugged. “It's not like we're strapped for cash.”

“No.” Tommy agreed. “In fact we just got a payout from that tech startup investment. We're looking at about a 5000% profit.”

“See? All the more reason to go out and get yourself a sugar baby.” Abby grinned. “It's good for the economy, after all.”

“I-” Tommy shook his head. “I don't even know where I would find a sugar baby.”

“There are websites.” Abby said simply. “Just think about it, okay? You deserve to have some fun too.”

“Yeah yeah.” Tommy shrugged it off.

“Not yeah-yeah. I mean it. As your wife I am telling you that you need to go out and have some fun one way or another.” Abby said sternly.

Tommy chuckled and shook his head. “Okay wife .”

“Your welcome, husband .” Abby grinned.

Tommy and Abby had been married for 35 years, they married when Tommy was 19, right before he shipped off on his first tour with the army.

They'd been friends since childhood and trusted each other with everything. Abby knew Tommy was gay long before Tommy had the courage to say it even to himself. Tommy was there for Abby when no one else was, and he was one of- if not her biggest- cheerleader when it came to her swimming career.

They married for a few different reasons. The biggest being to prevent Tommy from having to worry about being discharged for being gay, but also to ensure Abby would be protected and taken care of should Tommy die in action. Tommy didn't want his dad to get a cent of any death benefits and didn't want his dad to have any say in anything if it came down to a matter of making medical decisions on Tommy's behalf.

Tommy went off to serve his 10 year contract and Abby continued with her swimming and eventually went to the Olympics for it twice earning several silver and gold medals. Tommy didn't manage to come home very often but when he did he spent the time with Abby. She mostly lived off money made from her Olympic Wins or her family money- even though she received a large portion of all the money Tommy made which she didn't use.

Of course, Tommy did eventually come home in one piece after successfully serving out his entire contract without incident- other than some PTSD of course. It took some time for Tommy to re-acclimate to civilian life and Abby was there for him every step of the way. Once he got re-acclimated he took the money he earned that Abby had given back to him and invested most of it in the stock market. He took the remaining amounts and invested it in himself. He'd loved flying in the army and decided he wanted to continue flying as a civilian and that's exactly what he did.

Tommy ended up flying choppers for a long time, and eventually started training helicopter pilots as well, making quite a bit of money doing so.

Over the years Tommy offered Abby a divorce many times, he felt bad that she was married to him and unable to pursue a real romantic relationship but Abby insisted she was fine just the way they were as long as Tommy was- and he was. He was safe and didn’t have to worry about persecution seeing as he was married to a woman. As a married couple they got insurance and tax benefits and it felt easier to just stay married.

Despite what one may think, Abby and Tommy were genuinely content in their marriage. They had separate bedrooms but sometimes did sleep over in one another's bed. They did plenty of coupley things together- dates, treats and gifts for one another, even celebrated their wedding anniversary. The only thing missing from their relationship was sex and kissing on the lips. They held hands often, cuddled, hugged constantly, kissed cheeks, foreheads, hands and other non-sexual places often, and they loved each other. To any outsider, their marriage was perfectly normal.

Occasionally, and with each other’s knowledge they did sleep with others. Just because they were happy with their marriage didn't mean either of them wanted to be celibate for 30+ years. Their only rules were to be honest with one another and not to bring anyone else to the house without the permission of the other and not if the other was home. The arrangement worked for both of them and they were content.

When gay marriage was legalized in the states Abby offered Tommy a divorce- he had no reason to be afraid anymore, but he still was. They talked about it and they were still more than content the way they were, they had a great life together. A beautiful house, money to do whatever they pleased, and a friendship neither of them would trade for anything. They'd been married for 31 years by that point and seeing as they were still content with their lavender marriage they saw no reason to change anything now.

Then Abby's mom, Patricia got sick and Tommy was there for Abby and Patricia the entire time. He spared no expense and did everything he could to make it easier on the three of them. Abby's father was long gone and her brother didn't live in LA so he wasn't around much to help. When Patricia passed away things changed, shifted. Abby had spent the better part of two years devoted to her dying mother and when Patricia passed Abby didn't feel she knew who she was anymore.

Which was part of why Abby was in Europe. She was vacationing and finding herself and having fun and doing things she didn't get to do in her early twenties because of her dedication to her sport. She'd invited Tommy to go with her, but he stayed back, this trip was about Abby finding herself and he didn't want to infringe on that so he stayed home in LA and kept the international travel bank account well funded for Abby and talked with her when she could.

And now Abby wanted Tommy to have some of the same experiences she was getting to have- doing things just for themselves, meeting new people, and of course having some great sex.

The conversation moved to other things and Tommy put the whole sugar baby thing out of his mind. Until the next night when Abby started sending him sugaring sites Tommy could sign up for. 

Tommy ignored them for a couple days, until curiosity and maybe just a little bit of horniness got the better of him, and he caved. He did a little research on the sites, picked the one with the best reviews online, and made a profile. He swiped through a few sugar baby profiles before he started feeling ridiculous again and closed the site and his computer. It was a stupid idea anyway.

---

“Really guys,” Buck muttered to himself upon seeing the sight of the kitchen at the house he shared with Connor and the rest of the gang that he’d followed to LA from Peru. At first living with the guys was great, nearly a year later, Buck was super over it.

Unfortunately for Buck, his credit was in bad shape from his time travelling, and unfortunately his LAFD salary wasn’t quite enough to get him a somewhat livable place anywhere near the 118. He was saving up to get out of the frat-type house, but it was slow progress.

The kitchen was a mess, like always. Out of the five guys that lived there, Buck was the cleanest, Connor the next, and it just got worse from there. The kitchen was almost always in a state of total mess and filth. Buck was too tired after his shift to clean it though, and refused to cook in such a mess. He groaned and scrubbed his face and pulled out his phone to order something to eat.

“Something wrong?” Dallas’ girlfriend asked as she came into the kitchen. Buck couldn’t remember her name for the life of him, and she’d been around too long for Buck to admit he didn’t know her name now. She seemed nice, way out of Dallas’ league, and Buck had no idea how Dallas had managed to keep her around this long.

“Just, really wish I had the money to move out.” Buck admitted.

“You know sometimes when I’m strapped for cash I get a short-term sugar-daddy.” She told him.

Buck gave her a confused look.

“It’s not some dirty thing. Most of the time it actually feels kinda classy. Meet with a rich guy, get wined and dined, go back to his place, have some fun, and get paid for it.” She shrugged.

“Okay.” Buck said slowly, not sure why she was telling him this.

“So the site I use to find sugar daddies also has sugar mommies.” She explained. “Dallas says you’ve always been a bit of a player, and I mean you’ve got the looks for it. I’m sure the cougars on that site would be all over you.”

“Huh.” Buck mumbled.

“Just a suggestion.” She told him.

Buck was trying to get off the meaningless sex hamster wheel, and he’d actually been doing pretty good the last couple months. This felt like a step backwards but at the same time, this was different, right? He was getting something out of it. Money. Which could help get him out of the hell-hole that was the frat house. “What’s the name of that site?”

She grinned and shared the name of the site with Buck.

Buck finished ordering his food, and changed into comfy clothing while he waited for it to arrive. He’d showered at the station at the end of his shift, the bathroom at the station might not be the best shower ever, or the most private, but at least it was clean and Buck didn’t have to worry about what diseases he might get if he used the showers there.

While Buck ate his food in the sanctity of his room- which was easily the cleanest room in the entire house because he wasn’t an animal- he made his sugaring profile. He felt a little ridiculous about it, and for a brief second worried about what would happen if one of his co-workers saw him on the site, but if they saw him then they’d be admitting they were on the site too- mutually assured destruction. He did not include that he was a member of the LAFD in his profile explicitly, just in case that went against some kind of guidelines.

Once his profile was set up Buck began looking through sugar mommy profiles. He showed interest in a number of them, then put the site away for the night and headed to bed a little early, exhausted from a long shift.

Despite going on the site almost every day for the next week, Buck had yet to get any matches or messages. He’d tweaked his profile numerous times and had no idea what he was doing wrong. The same profile pictures and bio would’ve gotten him dozens of matches on Tinder. He was cleaning the kitchen at the frat house when Dallas’ girlfriend came in. “Hey.” She smiled.

“Hi.” Buck said politely.

“So, did you give the sugaring thing any more thought?” She wondered.

“Yeah, I uh, I signed up but I think it’s a bust. No matches in a week.” Buck admitted.

“What? That’s crazy. I’ve never had such bad luck on that site.” She frowned.

Buck pulled off one of his gloves and grabbed his phone. He opened his profile and held the phone out to her, “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

“Well I definitely don’t think the problem is your profile. You’ve got some great pics on here and your bio seems totally fine.” She frowned and handed his phone back. “Maybe it’s easier to get a sugar daddy than a sugar mommy.” She shrugged.

“Yeah, maybe.” Buck sighed and put his phone back in his pocket.

Later that night, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Maybe it’s easier to get a sugar daddy than a sugar mommy . Buck had definitely had his fair share of adventurous sexual partners before. He’d been pegged multiple times and he had liked it. Buck wondered how different a strap-on could be from a real dick anyway. Guy’s asses were just as hot as girl’s asses to look at. And it was entirely possible he’d be the one doing the fucking anyway. He hadn’t done a ton of anal before but he had and it was still enjoyable. The more Buck thought about, the more he felt sure he could handle having sex with a dude.

So Buck went into his profile settings and changed it to show him both sugar mommies and daddies. As soon as he did there were a ton of sugar daddy profiles to look through, and they seemed to be a lot more active than the sugar mommy profiles he’d seen. Buck was a little nervous as he looked through them. He didn’t swipe right on any of them, instead decided to close the app for the night, give it some time and just see what would happen.

Chapter Text

The next morning Buck woke up to find his sugaring profile had exploded just a little bit with sugar daddies showing interest in Buck’s profile. He looked through the profiles and one caught his eye as soon as he saw it. Tommy K. 54 Buck clicked on it to see more of the guy’s profile.

Fifty-four was older than Buck had imagined himself going for to be perfectly honest, but Tommy’s pictures caught his attention and he couldn’t look away. There was a healthy mix of different types of photos. A few in casual dress- Henley’s and flannel shirts-, a few more dressed up- button down shirts and crisp suit jackets-, and of course there were the gym/shirtless photos.

Unlike a lot of the other sugar daddies on the site that Buck had seen, Tommy was fit as hell. He sure didn’t look fifty-four based on his muscle tone, he was better built than Buck was by a lot. He had dark curls with a bit of grey- mostly near his temples and at the sides where his hair was a bit shorter. Buck most liked the photos where Tommy was really smiling, it showed across his whole face with deep smile lines and crow's feet making for big contagious scrunchy faced smiles. Tommy’s eyes were beautiful blue- darker than Buck’s for sure- and in a couple photos his gaze was rather intense, but not in a way that made Buck uncomfortable either. Tommy had a cleft chin which Buck hadn’t even realized was something he was into until right now that it was staring him in the face. Buck vaguely wondered why the guy had never played Superman.

Buck was quick to swipe right on Tommy’s profile, causing them to match as Tommy had already expressed interest in Buck’s profile. The site immediately gave him the option to message Tommy, and Buck stared at the screen for a while wondering what to do or say.

Would it come across as needy or weird if Buck messaged right away? But what if Tommy was the type to wait for the other to reach out first? What if Tommy started talking to someone else and Buck lost his chance with Tommy?

Eventually Buck decided to just stop overthinking and do it already. It was a simple message and if it went nowhere it would not be the end of the world.

   Evan : Hey, how’s it going?

Buck had decided against using his preferred name on the site. It just felt weird to use ‘Buck’ with this and would decrease the chances of someone finding his social media and stalking him from this. He could always have a sugar mommy or daddy call him Buck later, but for now he kept it to ‘Evan’.

Buck set the phone aside and went about his day. He needed to hit the gym, then run errands. He couldn’t spend all day waiting to see if Tommy would message him back- even if he kinda really wanted to.

---

“You made good progress today. I’ll handle all the post-flight checks. Rest up tonight and we’ll get back in the air first thing tomorrow, alright?” Tommy told his client.

“Yeah, thanks Mr Kinard. Have a goodnight.” His student told him and got out of the chopper and headed back into the hanger.

Tommy went through all the post flight checks, made the notes he needed regarding what had happened that lesson, and headed back into the hangar as his day was finally done.

“How was everyone today?” One of Tommy’s colleagues asked as Tommy headed towards his office.

“Good. You?” Tommy asked.

“Eh, they’re learning, right?” His colleague chuckled.

“Yeah.” Tommy agreed. “Have a goodnight.”

“You too Kinard.”

Tommy went into his office and changed out of his blue and black flight suit. Some instructors didn’t wear them, but Tommy did. It helped him get in the mindset that he was teaching and instructing. He dressed differently for flying depending on what he was doing. When he was instructing, he wore a blue flight suit, when he was flying charters it depended on the client and the occasion, sometimes he wore a different colored flight suit, other times he’d dress in a suit if it better suited where and who he was flying. When he flew for fun on his days off, he wore his usual street clothes.

Once Tommy was back in his street clothes, he grabbed his phone from his desk drawer and checked it for messages. He found a few emails related to investments, an invitation to an annual fundraiser that he and Abby usually attended together, a request for a charter flight from a regular client, and a notification from the sugaring site. One new message from Evan B .

Tommy opened that first.

   Evan : Hey, how’s it going?

Tommy opened the profile to see who it was again. He’d had a few beers last night while swiping and some of the sugar baby profiles admittedly had started to blur together.

As soon as he had the profile open he remembered Evan. Evan B. 27   Evan with the soft brown hair with a little too much product- Tommy preferred how his hair looked in the sweaty gym photos where his hair was curly and a little messy. Evan with the watercolor blue eyes and stark red birthmark above his eye. Evan with a smattering of tattoos on his arms, torso, and legs. Evan with the infectious smile, a sharp jawline, and if the photos did any justice was hung . Evan, who Tommy thought was probably a little too young for him, but apparently was interested in Tommy anyway.

   Tommy : Going pretty good. Even better with you messaging me. How about you?

Tommy then exited the site, gathered his things, and headed home. When he got there, he found Evan had responded.

   Evan : I’m good. Wasn’t sure you’d respond tbh

Tommy quickly looked up the meaning of ‘tbh’ to ensure he understood it correctly- Sal’s kids tried to teach him all the different text abbreviations but Tommy couldn’t remember them all.

   Tommy : Why not? Surely someone as handsome as you has no problem getting responses?

Tommy set his phone down and got to work making himself dinner. Once he had some diced-up chicken thighs seasoned and in a pan, he checked his phone again.

   Evan : Figured you’d have lots of other messages. Wasn’t sure you’d hit me back

Tommy had gotten a lot of interest in his profile and a few other matches, but none of them had been bold enough to message first, and Tommy was still too unsure of this whole thing to know what to say to start a conversation with them. Tommy typed his response, and continued messaging back and forth with Evan as he cooked dinner and as he ate. They messaged back and forth most of the evening, before deciding to swap phone numbers, then signing off for the night as they both had work in the morning.

The next day Evan didn’t message Tommy throughout the day, and Tommy did his best to think nothing of it. He knew Evan was working- not that he’d gotten around to asking what Evan did for work- he’d probably message later.

Over the course of the evening Tommy occasionally checked his phone for messages from Evan, but one never came. He’d thought they hit it off pretty well last night, but Evan could’ve been talking to a dozen other guys last night for all Tommy knew. Evan was under no obligation to talk to Tommy again. He decided to try and put Evan out of his mind, and went to bed for the night.

Being a Saturday morning, Tommy slept in, and when he woke he made breakfast, read the news on his laptop, then finally got around to checking his phone and saw he had a message from Evan. He was a little embarrassed at how quickly he jumped to open it, though it wasn't like anyone would ever know.

   Evan : Hey, sorry I didn’t message you at all. Work was CRAZY. I’m going to bed now, but talk more later?

Tommy looked at the time Evan sent the message, just a little after 9am. At first it didn’t make sense, until it occurred to Tommy that maybe Evan had worked a twenty-four hour shift of some sort, and that was why he hadn’t messaged. It certainly would make sense.

   Tommy : Hope you get some good rest, talk later :)

They continued talking for the next several days- Evan making sure from then on to notify Tommy if he was going on shift. They talked about random things, Evan always had some out-of-the-box questions to ask and as odd as those could be, Tommy enjoyed them. After roughly a week of texting back and forth, Tommy really liked Evan, and decided he was ready for the next step- meeting in person.

Tommy asked Evan when he was free, found a night that worked for them both, and made a reservation at a nice, classy restaurant, that was big on guest privacy- tables well spread out and music played not so loud you couldn’t hear others at your table but loud enough you’d have a hard time hearing other tables. Tommy liked it there, and hoped Evan would too.

Tommy dressed in black dress pants, a white dress shirt, a simple black tie, and a tailored maroon suit jacket. Evan showed up dressed similarly, and Tommy had to reel in his thoughts about how he could Evan’s arm muscles through the suit jacket. They ordered quickly to get it out of the way, then got to talking.

"Tell me about yourself, Evan. What do you do? Why'd you get into this if you don't mind me asking?" Tommy wondered. 

"I'm a firefighter with the LAFD. Got a couple months left in my probationary year. " Evan paused. "I uh, I- I don't know if it's really proper or whatever to say this but I got into it because I've got some debt and a bad credit score, and I love my job, I really do, and I love living in LA but uh, first year LAFD salary doesn't quite meet a living wage for LA." Evan admitted. "What about you?”

What that said about Evan made a lot of sense to Tommy based on what he did know so far of the guy he'd been talking to for the last week. Tommy found it kinda adorable how nervous Evan was, but at the same time Tommy desperately wanted to put him at ease. “I'm a pilot and helicopter flight instructor.”

"Seriously?" Evan asked. "That's so cool. I've never even been in a helicopter before.”

Tommy chuckled. "Maybe I'll have to take you up some time.”

Evan grinned, then paused. "I told you why I got into this, what about you?”

Tommy shrugged. "Looking to change things up, have some fun." Tommy paused to sip his wine. "It doesn't bother you that I'm twice your age?" Tommy was still surprised he'd gotten this far with Evan already.

"It's not like it's a surprise, it was on your profile." Evan shrugged. "I wouldn't have swiped right if I was bothered. Besides," Evan lowered his voice and leaned in a little. "You're supposed to be my sugar daddy right?" 

This kid was gonna be the death of Tommy, he was sure. But he didn't think he would mind to be honest. If this was how he went, well, what a way to go.

---

Dinner with Tommy was going well, Buck thought. He’d been worried at first that he would look or act like he didn’t belong, but Tommy assured him he was fine. Buck had stressed over his outfit too- black dress pants, white dress shirt, black tie, and a dark blue suit jacket- but Tommy was dressed similarly and told Buck he looked good. Not that Buck was obsessing over the money aspect of all this, but based on the restaurant Tommy had invited Buck to, Tommy definitely had deep pockets. The restaurant was very high-end, with tables far apart from each other for better privacy and a menu that didn't always sound like real food, nor did it list prices. 

Tommy seemed nice and normal and just like he had over text. It made Buck nervous to admit what he was about to, but he figured he owed Tommy the honesty.

“I have to admit something.” Buck told Tommy.

“What's that?” Tommy wondered and picked up his wine glass.

“I uh, I've never actually been with a guy before. I've um-” Buck was sure his face was beet red already. “I've done some similar things if you get what I mean but…” Buck trailed off.

Tommy sipped his wine and seemed to carefully consider his response. “Well, I appreciate your honesty. You're sure about this?”

“Yes. I promise, I'm not weirded out, you know? I'm totally cool about it. I've been doing some uh research and I mean I've always been an ally.”

“Okay then.” Tommy seemed unbothered. “If at any time you feel this is too much, just say the words and it all stops, okay?”

“Okay.” Buck agreed.

“You’ve been honest with me, now there’s something I should be completely honest with you about before things get any further.” Tommy set his glass down.

Buck frowned. “What is it?”

Tommy swallowed hard. “I'm married.”

Of course, Tommy was too good to be true. God, this whole sugaring thing was probably a mistake, and Buck should just give up on the whole idea. “I'm not interested in helping you cheat on your husband,” Buck began to get up from the table.

“My wife actually encouraged me to do this.” Tommy said quickly. 

Buck stopped and looked back at Tommy with a confused look on his face.

“If it's not something you're comfortable with I do understand, Evan. But at least let me explain it to you?”

“Yeah, okay.” Buck agreed and resettled himself in his seat. There was nothing else wrong with Tommy as far as Evan could tell, and Tommy was buying Buck a very nice meal. The least he could do was hear the guy out, right?

“We're in what's called a lavender marriage. We got married when I was 19,” Tommy began explaining, even showing pictures of his wife, Abby, to Buck.

As Tommy explained his marriage to Buck it made a lot of sense, and once he understood it, he had less of an issue sleeping with a married man. Under any other circumstances Buck wouldn't sleep with someone married, but Tommy had full permission from his wife and she was out sleeping with other people too. “That makes sense.” Buck told Tommy.

“So is it an issue for you?” Tommy asked. "I understand if it is."

“No. Doesn't bother me.”

“Good. Because I really like you, Evan.” Tommy admitted.

“I like you too.” Buck told Tommy seriously.

Chapter Text

Buck was fairly sure dinner had gone well. The waiter had just brought the check, and Buck watched as Tommy picked up the pen, did a cool little spin of it, and wrote in the tip, then handed the book back after tucking a black American express card into it. Buck couldn’t help but think of his own credit card- it was the lowest level his bank offered, with no fees or perks, and a credit limit that was probably lower than if not just the same amount as the annual fee for Tommy’s Black Amex.

“No pressure if you don’t want to, but would you perhaps want to take this back to my place? We can have another drink, discuss things a little more, maybe have some fun if you’re up for it?” Tommy suggested. He thought dinner had gone well, and he wanted nothing more than to take Evan home, but understood completely if Evan wasn’t ready for that yet.

Buck definitely wanted to spend more time with Tommy, and he was excited at the thought of getting his hands on Tommy- he’d almost been drooling over the pictures on Tommy’s sugaring profile for the last week. “Yeah, sounds good.” He agreed.

Tommy grinned at Evan.

Once Tommy's card was returned and they finished off the rest of their drinks, they left the restaurant and headed to the valet stand. Buck was curious to see what vehicle Tommy drove. Buck had felt ridiculous handing over the keys to his ‘86 Jeep to the valet earlier but perhaps this was more embarrassing. He handed his ticket to the valet guy. “The uh- the door is a little weird you kinda have to wiggle the key in the lock and pull the handle at the same time.” He told the guy.

“Got it.” The valet nodded and went to get Buck's vehicle.

Tommy handed his ticket to the other valet. “What's wrong with your door handle?” He asked Evan with a frown.

“Oh it's just old.” Buck shrugged it off. The Jeep had definitely seen better days, but for a vehicle as old as it, Buck really couldn't complain- he was lucky the thing still ran at all.

“How old?” Tommy wondered.

“It's an ‘86.” Buck admitted nervously.

Tommy was a little surprised to hear Evan drove a car older than himself, but Evan seemed nervous about it, so he didn’t say anything about that. “Car I drove here is a ‘68.” Tommy shrugged.

“Seriously?” Buck asked.

“It's a classic. Fixed it up myself.” Tommy explained.

“Mine is not a classic. Just a hand-me-down.” Buck admitted.

“It run okay?” Tommy wondered. A car that age probably needed work that Evan didn’t have the cash for- not that Tommy was assuming anything but it was an easy conclusion to come to.

“Most days.” Buck shrugged.

“I could take a look at it sometime. See if I can get it running smoother.” Tommy offered.

“Really?” Buck asked.

“Yeah. Got a pretty sweet set up in my garage- car lift, tools, the works.”

“Wow. That- that would be great.” Buck smiled.

“Anytime.” Tommy smiled.

The valets then returned with their vehicles. And Buck followed Tommy to his house. Buck knew the house would be nice, but he was still surprised. All homes on Tommy's street were in the millions as far as price went, and Tommy’s was no exception.

Buck did his best not to stare too much but it was hard not to. He parked in Tommy's driveway and got out as Tommy did the same thing. “Your home is- wow.” He told Tommy.

“Thank you.” Tommy said sincerely as he unlocked the door and led the way into the house. He could tell Evan was a little in awe and trying to hide it, and Tommy understood that, and pretended not to notice.

Buck followed Tommy inside and did his best not to gawk- to behave the same way he would on a call when going into someone's home.

“What would you like? I got beer, wine, hard liquor, coffee, Abby had a bunch of different kinds of tea she wouldn't miss,” Tommy asked as he led them to the kitchen.

“Beer is great.” Buck said as he took in his surroundings.

Tommy grabbed two beers from the fridge, popped the tops off and handed one to Evan. “Hope you don't mind this, it's a little different. I'm friends with the owner of a local microbrewery and he's got some great stuff that I like but I know it's not for everyone.”

“Don't think it'll suit the tastes of a broke twenty-something?” Buck smirked and sipped the beer.

“I guess not.”

Buck took a second to really evaluate the taste. “Most broke twenty-somethings wouldn't. But lucky for you this broke twenty-something has done a lot of bartending and can appreciate it.”

“Really?” Tommy asked. This kid was full of surprises.

“Oh yeah. Bartender in Virginia Beach, Florida, even Peru.” Buck explained.

“Just when I thought you couldn't get any more interesting.” Tommy hummed.

Tommy and Buck sat in the living room on the very expensive looking leather sectional and chatted. They ditched their suit jackets and ties pretty quick.

“So we've hit it off pretty well I'd say.” Tommy admittedly did have an agenda with this new topic.

“Yeah, definitely.” Buck agreed.

“Only thing left is to see if we're compatible in bed.” Tommy explained. “If you want.” The last thing he wanted was to pressure Evan into anything, but Tommy was just a little eager to get his hands on Evan.

Buck nodded quickly. It'd been a solid couple months since he'd had sex with anyone after he cut out the meaningless sex and not only that but Tommy looked incredible and Buck had wanted to get his hands on Tommy all night. 

“Okay, before we start- and not that anything tonight would be all that intense anyway but are there any hard no's I should know about? Things you absolutely don't want me to say or do?” Tommy was sure Evan would have some kind of boundaries, especially if this was his first time with a man. “Or maybe something you do want me to do? I just want to make sure you're as comfortable as possible.”

Buck froze a little at the thought. He'd known this was where this was going but somehow it hadn't occurred to him that this would be the first time he did anything since being taken advantage of by Dr Wells. Before that situation he would’ve been able to say in a heartbeat that he didn't have any limits, he was down for anything. Now he wasn't so sure. Did he have hard no's? Did he need Tommy to do something specific for him?

Tommy frowned at Evan’s silence. It seemed he was lost in thought which probably wasn’t a good sign. “Evan?” Tommy prompted.

Buck looked back over at Tommy who looked concerned. “Sorry- I- sorry.” He muttered.

“Are you alright?” Tommy questioned delicately, not wanting to scare Evan considering how spooked he seemed.

“I uh- I- it's- it's just been a while since I've uh, done anything and the- the last time wasn't really a great experience.” Buck admitted quietly.

That didn’t sound very good. Tommy wanted to ask, but it felt invasive. If Evan wanted to share he would, and Tommy wasn’t going to pressure him- to explain or do anything sexual tonight. “Evan if you're not ready we don't have to do anything tonight-” Tommy started.

“No!” Buck said quickly. “I- I mean, I want to, it's just I hadn't really thought about it before now.”

“Okay. What do you need from me?” Tommy asked gently.

“You- you said at dinner that all I have to do is say stop at any time, right?” Buck looked over at Tommy.

“Yes. Absolutely. Just say stop, no, red whatever you prefer. If you lose your words or otherwise can't speak you can punch me, kick me, whatever you feel necessary to stop what's happening and I will stop immediately.” Tommy promised.

Buck nodded in understanding. “What- what did you have in mind? For tonight?” He wondered. It might be easier to tell Tommy what was off the table if Buck knew what Tommy was planning on putting on the table to start.

“Like I said, nothing crazy. This is our first time together, and it’s your first time with a guy. I was thinking- well hoping , I could suck you off? And then, well I’m pretty pent-up and I think just getting my hands and mouth on you would get me a good bit of the way there alone, maybe you could use your hands to help finish me off? If you want to do more or if you’d rather something else we definitely can-”

Buck swallowed hard, just talking about it, thinking about this , was doing it for Buck. “That- that sounds pretty good, actually.” Buck told Tommy.

Tommy grinned. “You’ve been tested?” He asked to make sure. A number of days ago they'd discussed the matter of getting tested before they did anything together.

“Clean as a whistle.” Buck confirmed.

“Me too.” Tommy murmured and shifted closer to Evan and ran gentle fingers down Evan’s jaw. “Can I kiss you?” His voice was low and soft. He wasn’t sure what the answer would be, and he wouldn’t be upset if it was a ‘no’, but Evan’s lips just looked so damn kissable, he had to at least try.

Buck hadn’t really thought of kissing Tommy before. He’d thought about having sex with a dude, and specifically with Tommy but kissing hadn’t really crossed this mind. Buck had kinda thought he wouldn’t kiss a sugar daddy or mommy- not because he didn’t necessarily want to, but because there was just something intimate and vulnerable about the act that Buck didn’t think would be a part of sugaring, much like it often wasn’t a part of casual sex. Buck hadn’t kissed Dr Wells. He’d always liked kissing, and he’d been told he was pretty good at it too. He liked the intimacy and vulnerability of it. Buck decided that  yes, he did want to kiss Tommy. He wanted to know how it felt, how Tommy tasted. Buck craved the intimacy of kissing Tommy. He nodded. “Yeah.”

Tommy half smiled, half smirked at Evan and closed the space between them, he shifted his fingers so they were under Evan’s chin, tilting it up slightly to get the right angle, then leaned in and kissed Evan’s soft, plump lips.

Tommy’s lips were firm yet gentle and warm against Buck’s own. He tasted faintly of the beer they’d been drinking. Buck kissed back, he wasn’t sure what to do with his hand and it hovered somewhere around Tommy’s shoulder. It didn’t feel all that different than kissing a woman, really, except maybe less sticky due to a distinct lack of lipstick or lipgloss. Buck guessed it really was all just lips. The kiss lasted roughly four seconds, then to Buck’s disappointment Tommy was pulling away.

“How’s that?” Tommy asked softly once they parted.

“Good.” Buck nodded and put a hand on the back of Tommy’s head to pull him back in for a deeper, more passionate kiss. As warm smooth lips pressed and slid against one another, Buck swung a leg over Tommy’s lap and straddled him.

“Mmmph,” Tommy hummed, surprised, but certainly not disappointed. He pulled Evan closer and put one hand on Evan’s waist, the other at the back of his neck.

Buck pulled back ever so slightly.  “This good?”

“Definitely.” Tommy confirmed and pulled Evan back in to kiss him again.

Buck kept kissing Tommy, messy and hot- open mouthed now their tongues twisting and swirling and exploring and tasting one another. He was about to start getting in his own head again about the while being with another man of it all, then stopped himself. It wasn’t a big deal, Tommy was great, and how different could things possibly work anyway? He kept one hand at the back of Tommy’s head and used the other to tug at the bottom of Tommy’s shirt, freeing it from how it’d been tucked into Tommy’s dress pants. He then slipped his hand under Tommy’s shirt and ran it up Tommy’s stomach and chest, across the hard-earned muscle covered in a thin, healthy layer of fat that came with properly eating and hydrating and not constantly being in a ‘cutting’ phase of bulking-and-cutting.

Tommy hummed against Evan’s lips and his own hands moved to unbutton Evan’s shirt. Evan’s chest wasn’t as built as his but Tommy had had decades, Evan hadn’t. Evan’s nipples were small but dark pink and stood out against his pale chest that was covered in short, brown hair. Tommy made a mental note to ask Evan about the meaning behind his tattoos. Tommy tugged Evan’s shirt free from how it’d been tucked in and pushed it down Evan’s shoulders- wanting it off.

Buck pulled his own hands away from Tommy long enough to shed his own shirt, then made quick work of unbuttoning Tommy’s. There was a smattering of dark- though greying- chest hair over Tommy’s impressive pecs, and a neat, thin happy trail starting just below his belly button before disappearing behind his pants. Nothing like what Buck was used to, but he was into it all the same.

Tommy pushed his own shirt off quickly before pulling Evan back in, eagerly kissing him, one hand back in it’s spot on Buck’s waist, the other trailing along Evan’s chest. Experimentally, he brushed his thumb roughly across one of Evan’s nipples, quickly causing it to harden. Tommy also noticed Evan’s erection starting to fill out despite the layers of cloth still in the way.

Buck held back making any noise as Tommy teased at his nipples. They’d always been crazy sensitive and playing with them was always a sure-fire way to get Buck going. He hummed appreciatively into Tommy’s mouth.

Tommy pulled away ever so slightly, even if he didn’t really want to. “We should take this to the bedroom.”

All Buck could do was nod in agreement.

Tommy didn’t want to take his hands off Evan for a second, and luckily for him, he wouldn’t have to. He shifted forwards, towards the edge of the couch. “Hang on.”

Buck’s brain nearly short circuited as Tommy wrapped his arms around Buck and stood up. Buck quickly wrapped his legs and arms tight around Tommy as he began to walk towards his bedroom. It’d been years since anyone had picked Evan up- he was too big or too heavy for most people. Tommy however seemed to carry him effortlessly and Buck would be lying if he said it wasn’t extremely hot. Just knowing Tommy could manhandle him like that was maybe, just maybe doing things to Buck.

Tommy carried Evan to his bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him and walking over to the bed where he put Evan down and climbed on top of him, straddling Evan’s hips as he leaned down to kiss him again.

Buck usually took in his surroundings in new places pretty thoroughly, but right now all he could focus on was Tommy. All he could think was a simple chorus of Tommy Tommy Tommy Tommy Tommy . He pulled Tommy close and kissed him sloppy and desperate.

Tommy was equally turned on and amused at how eager Evan was. He tugged at one of Evan’s nipples and broke the kiss. “How’s this?” He asked, making sure to check in.

“Good.” Buck nodded eagerly. Any and all fears or reservations he’d had about doing this had melted away and now the only thing on his mind was how turned on he was. “That was hot.”

Tommy smirked. “You haven’t seen anything yet kid.” He grinned and dove in for another kiss.

Chapter Text

Tommy smirked. “You haven’t seen anything yet kid.” He grinned and dived in for another kiss.

Buck kissed Tommy back hungrily as his hands wandered, exploring the expanse of Tommy’s chest and back.

Tommy tugged on Evan’s nipple again, causing him to buck his hips up, looking for something to grind against. Tommy shifted his position, slotting one of his legs between Evan’s so the younger man could grind against his thigh.

Buck made a small nose against Tommy’s lips when he felt Tommy’s thick, muscular thigh between his legs, against the bulge in his pants. Buck couldn’t help but desperately grind against Tommy’s thigh, aching for more contact than what he’d had. He felt like he was a teenager again, so turned on by just kissing and grinding, but he couldn’t help it, and by that point, he didn’t really care.

“Someone’s desperate.” Tommy teased Evan as he continued to toy with Evan’s nipples and started to kiss down Evan’s neck, towards his chest.

Buck could feel his face heat up. “M- maybe a little.” He admitted. He was achingly hard and his pants felt way too tight and he was desperate to have less layers between him and Tommy’s skin. Then Tommy was teasing one of Buck’s nipples with his mouth and Buck couldn’t help but whimper. “T- Tommy.” He pleaded desperately.

“Yes?” Tommy looked up at him.

“Please.” Buck whispered.

“Please what?” Tommy asked. “Can’t help you if you don’t use your words.”

“S- stop teasing me. I nee- need m- more.” Buck begged him.

“Good boy.” Tommy murmured without even thinking. Evan whined and bucked his hips in response. “You like that huh? Being told you're being good for me?”

“Yes.” Buck admitted, thankful his cheeks were already flushed with arousal and Tommy couldn't see him blush.

Tommy smirked. He could work with a praise kink. “Good to know.” He hummed and began to undo Evan’s belt.

Buck lifted his hips so Tommy could remove his pants and thankfully Tommy pulled off his underwear too.

Tommy slid off the bed and removed the last of Evan's clothing and took a moment to take in Evan's full naked form. He had more tattoos on his legs but Tommy was a little more focused on what was between them. Clean shaven, an impressive 8 inches, cut, with a little above average girth. He was straining against his abs, the head was dark red and already leaking precum. Tommy’s own pants felt more than a little tight so he took a second to shed his own clothes and even the score between him and Evan.

Buck swallowed hard at the sight of Tommy naked. That happy trail led to a small amount of neatly trimmed public hair- nothing insane but not clean shaven like he was. Tommy was cut, had to be 9 inches and it was thick and standing at attention.

Tommy climbed back onto the bed, over Evan. “Can I?” He gestured to Evan's erection.

Buck nodded quickly. “Please touch me.” He felt like if Tommy didn't touch him right now he might die.

“Good boy.” Tommy cooed as he wrapped his hand around Evan's leaking cock and lazily stroked him, watching Evan's face.

Buck rocked his hips against the touch. Tommy’s rough, calloused hand around his dick felt amazing. He was used to smaller, soft, manicured hands. The drag of Tommy’s callouses against him had no business feeling as good as it did.

Tommy ran his thumb over the slit, smearing Evan's precum over the head. “You always so wet?” He wondered.

“Yeah.” Buck nodded. He wasn't just called firehose for his job or his size.

Tommy couldn't wait to get his mouth on Evan. He shifted further down the bed and looked at Evan as he moved closer to Evan's dick.

“Please Tommy.” Buck begged, desperate for it. “Please suck me off.”

Tommy smirked at Evan. “Well, seeing as you did such a good job asking,” He took the head in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and savoring the taste of Evan’s precum. While Tommy did this he used one hand to stroke the rest of Evan's length.

Buck whimpered and bit his lip, trying to keep quiet. Between the length of time since he last had sex and the thrill of the new experience he was desperate and needy and every little touch felt so good and like it wasn't nearly enough all at once.

Tommy looked up at Evan and pulled off his length for a moment. “Don't be shy, Evan. Make all the noise you want. The only one who's gonna hear it is me. Grab my hair if you want, I promise I won't mind.” He encouraged, then took Evan back in his mouth, he hollowed his cheeks and bobbed his head, working himself up to taking Evan’s entire length.

Buck gasped when Tommy’s cheeks hollowed and he started really sucking Buck off. Buck hesitated for a moment before sliding his fingers into Tommy’s hair. He didn’t tug or pull it, or push Tommy’s head down, just rested it there for the time being.

Tommy took more and more of Evan with each bob of his head until his nose was pressing into Evan’s pubic bone.

“Fuck, Tommy,” Buck gasped. It’d been a while since he’d had a good blowjob, even longer since anyone could take all of him. The wet heat of Tommy’s mouth was otherworldly and Tommy knew exactly what to do with his tongue.  Buck wasn’t sure he’d be able to last all that long like this.

Tommy continued bobbing his head up and down, teasing Evan’s head and slit with his tongue. Every little noise Evan made went straight to Tommy's dick and if he wasn’t so focused on Evan he’d be aware of how achingly hard he was.

“Tommy,” Buck gasped. “ ‘m not gonna last much longer.” He warned.

Tommy looked up at Evan through his eyelashes and made eye-contact as he kept going, redoubling his efforts.

“Fuck.” Buck gasped, his hips involuntarily thrusting up.

Tommy hummed around Evan’s length and brought one hand down to fondle Evan’s balls.

Buck could feel the heat pooling lowing in his stomach, the tension rising as he got closer and closer to orgasm. His hand gripped Tommy’s hair a little tighter.  “Tommy,” Buck said, a warning he was about to cum. “I’m- I’m gonna,”

Tommy pulled back a little and looked up at Evan as he hummed around Evan’s length again, one hand on Evan’s balls, the other working the length he didn’t have in his mouth.

Buck wasn’t sure what the final straw was that pushed him over the edge, but suddenly he was cumming hard in Tommy’s mouth and down his throat with a shout. He let go of his hold on Tommy’s hair.

Tommy hadn’t expected Evan to cum as much as he did, but he swallowed every last drop, and licked Evan clean. He then climbed back further up the bed so he was beside Evan. “How was that?” He asked.

Buck was still trying to catch his breath, still seeing stars. He nodded quickly. “That was,” A heavy breath. “Yeah.”

Tommy chuckled at Evan.

Buck hesitated for a second before pulling Tommy in for another kiss. He’d always kinda liked tasting himself in his partner’s mouths, and Tommy was no exception.

Tommy let out a small groan at how eagerly Evan licked at Tommy’s mouth, tasting his own cum. He was now the one achingly hard and leaking precum, but it was hard to worry about that when Evan was kissing him so filthily.

Buck knew Tommy was still standing at attention, hard and probably aching. He pulled away from the kiss and looked down. He gestured to Tommy’s hard-on. “Can I?”

“Knock yourself out kid.” Tommy agreed and rolled onto his back to make things as easy as possible for Evan.

Buck ignored the way his dick twitched at being called ‘kid’ and he cautiously wrapped his hand around the thick, velvety length of Tommy’s dick and gave a few experimental strokes. It was his first time touching another man’s dick, but really it wasn’t that different from touching his own. He ran his thumb over the slit, spreading Tommy’s precum around to slick things up a little.

“That’s good,” Tommy breathed out encouragingly. He fought the urge to close his eyes, instead watching Evan curiously, though enthusiastically, touching him. The drag of calluses against his dick was something he was used to from touching himself, but different at the same time because it wasn’t his hand and Evan had different calluses than Tommy did.

“Yeah?” Buck asked as he continued with long, slow, deliberate strokes, ignoring the fact that he was getting turned on again.

“Yeah.” Tommy confirmed.

“Think uh, think I could try u- using my mouth?” Buck asked. He was curious, and eager to learn. He’d have to start some time, right? Tommy had made him feel so good,  and Buck wanted to return the favor.

Tommy was definitely not opposed, but he didn’t want Evan to feel obligated either. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Buck agreed quickly as he continued stroking Tommy’s length.

“Okay. Just go slow, don’t try and take it all at once, it’ll probably take time to work up to that.” Tommy instructed.

Buck nodded in understanding. He shuffled positions until he was between Tommy’s legs. He knew the mechanics were different, but he loved giving female partners oral, and hoped he could do half as good a job for Tommy. He thought about what he did when eating girls out, a lot of them liked teasing kisses, licks, and bites to their inner thighs before the main event, so while Buck continued stroking Tommy’s cock with his hand, he gave an experimental nip to the inside of Tommy’s thigh, followed by a soothing lick to the same spot.

“Fuck.” Tommy muttered. He hadn’t expected Evan to be a tease, but he sure as hell wasn’t complaining either.

Seeing that Tommy liked it, Buck did it a few more times, alternating legs as he worked his way up higher and higher, closer to Tommy’s dick. He hadn’t necessarily expected this tonight, but he’d known it was a possibility and had done some research accordingly. He recalled what Tommy did to him just moments ago, what Tommy advised him on, and what all his research told him- and no his research was not just watching porn. He started by licking up the underside of Tommy’s length from base to tip, then swirled his tongue around the head. Tommy’s precum tasted different from his own just a little, but it wasn’t a totally unpleasant taste either.

Tommy resisted the urge to bury his hand in Evan’s hair- it was Evan’s first time doing this and he wanted to make sure Evan had total freedom to do whatever he wanted or needed.

Buck glanced up at Tommy before taking the head into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around it and worked the remaining length not in his mouth with his hand. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t turned on again- he’d always gotten turned on eating girls out, he supposed he just got turned on anytime he gave oral.

“Fuck Ev, that’s good.” Tommy groaned. Evan was apparently a quick study. What Evan lacked in experience he made up for in enthusiasm.

Buck took a little more of Tommy’s length in his mouth, tongue teasing at a thick vein on the underside of Tommy’s cock.

Normally Tommy could hold himself back, make himself last a decently long time, but he wasn’t sure that would be the case tonight. It’d been far far too long since anything other than his left hand had touched him, and Evan was a fucking vision- big blue eyes looking up at Tommy through long lashes, perfect pink plump lips around his cock, big rough hand wrapped around the base.

Buck bobbed his head as he continued jerking the remaining length he could fit. He nearly gagged a few times, but pulled himself back before it got so bad he had to stop. Buck couldn’t help but reach down and tug his own hard-on a few times, just to ease the tension a little.

“Evan- shit, I’m close.” Tommy warned as the pleasure continued mounting and the tension low in his stomach grew. He gripped the sheets to keep himself from reaching for Evan’s hair, and screwed his eyes shut- unable to keep them open any longer.

Buck wasn’t sure he was ready to swallow, nor that he couldn’t gag if he tried, so he pulled off of Tommy’s length with a near perfect ‘pop’ noise, and jerked Tommy’s length- firm gripped and fast. “Come for me, Tommy.” Buck encouraged.

Tommy didn’t need to be told twice, cumming over Evan’s hand mostly with a low groan. “Damn kid,” He said breathlessly. “Sure you’ve never done that before?”

“First time.” Buck confirmed. Curiously, he brought the hand that was covered in Tommy’s cum to his mouth and licked his fingers.

If Tommy was able to get it up again that fast he was sure he would at the sight of Evan so cautiously licking and then sucking Tommy’s cum off his fingers and hand. He couldn’t though- that ship sailed about two decades ago at least. Evan apparently could though. He was once again, standing at attention. “C’mere.” He pulled Evan in and kissed him again, tasting himself on Evan’s lips. He wrapped his hand around Evan and jerked him a little rougher and fast.

Buck moaned against Tommy’s lips. He knew he could cum a few times in a row, but usually he wasn’t as sensitive as he already was the second time around.

Tommy continued kissing and licking into Evan’s mouth as he worked his dick. Evan bucked his hips into Tommy’s hand and Tommy picked up the pace a little. “You always get so turned on when you’re on the giving end?” He wondered.

Buck couldn’t quite find words, so he nodded quickly.

Tommy kissed Evan’s lips again. “You like giving or receiving more?” He whispered in Evan’s ear, voice low and husky.

“B- both. Like both.” Buck mumbled as the tension low in his stomach grew. He rocked his hips desperately against Tommy’s hand.

“God.” Tommy muttered and kissed him again as he picked up the pace yet more. “You gonna cum for me?” He asked and tugged at one of Evan’s nipples.

“P- please.” Buck begged. He was so so achingly close.

“Come for me, baby.” Tommy encouraged, he kissed Evan again and kept stroking him until Evan spilled over Tommy’s hands, also getting a good bit on his abs. “Good boy.” Tommy cooed. He slowed his strokes and worked Evan through the come-down. He kissed Evan once more, then pulled away. “You did so good, baby.”

Buck’s eyes had slipped shut. He felt like he was floating. It’d been a while since Buck had such a good orgasm, nevermind two back to back. He heard the praise, and gave a soft hum in response as he continued trying to catch his breath. If sex with Tommy was always going to be like this, he could surely get used to it.

Chapter Text

“You still with me?” Tommy asked Evan gently. Evan looked like he might be asleep- which Tommy wouldn’t have a problem with, but he didn’t know for sure.

“Mm-hmm.” Buck hummed in response. He honestly was sorta sleepy, and his eyes were closed though still awake. In his defence, he’d just had not one but two mind-blowing orgasms. “Think you sucked my brains out.” He mumbled.

Tommy let out an amused chuckle. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

Buck just nodded in response. He could feel Tommy get off the bed and after a few minutes he managed to pry his eyes open and look around Tommy’s room. It was big, to no surprise. The bed was insanely comfortable and not to mention huge- bigger than a California King. Buck had to guess it was an Alaskan king or something else totally ridiculous. The furniture and decor in the room wasn’t overly fancy, but looked like good quality stuff. The room had a clean, cozy vibe and Buck wondered how much Tommy’s wife helped Tommy decorate the room versus what he picked on his own. Part of Buck wanted to get up and look around and really take it in, but he knew he shouldn’t, and he wasn’t ready to move from his spot on the bed anyway.

Tommy quickly cleaned himself up in his ensuite and threw on a pair of sweatpants, he grabbed an old pair that were too small on him now but would probably fit Evan, then grabbed a wet cloth to clean Evan up with and two bottles of water. He returned to his room and found Evan hadn’t moved. “Hey, still awake?”

“Yeah.” Buck rasped.

“I wanna clean you up a bit, I’ve got a damp cloth here, that okay?” Tommy asked.

All Buck could do was nod. He wasn’t really used to this- aftercare, not leaving the second they were done. He also hadn’t felt this wiped out after sex in a long time. He hadn’t expected Tommy to take care of him like that, but he appreciated it.

Tommy gently cleaned Evan off, then tossed the washcloth in the laundry basket. “Got some sweats here you can borrow if you’d like.”

Buck swallowed and took a second to find words. “You don’t- you don’t want me to leave?”

Tommy frowned a bit. If Evan wanted to leave Tommy wasn’t going to force him to stay, but he didn’t really seem in any condition to drive, and Tommy didn’t like leaving right after sex anyway. He liked what usually happened after too. It was part of the intimacy he’d been craving- the reason why he didn’t just go to some club in WeHo and pick someone up. “Not if you don’t want to.”  

“Am I staying a little while or for the night?” Buck asked next. If he was going home tonight he needed to mentally get himself ready to drive home- not that he necessarily wanted to. No one in their right mind would want to go back to the frat house if spending the night with Tommy was an option.

“You can stay as long as you’d like.” Tommy told Evan gently. “But I would like you to at least sip up and drink some water.”

Buck opened his eyes and slowly sat up. There was a water bottle sitting on the bedside table near him, and Tommy standing near the bed, looking at Buck expectantly.

“He lives.” Tommy joked.

Buck looked at Tommy. “You seriously want me to stay the night?” He half expected the answer to be no.

“Evan, this thing between us isn’t just about sex, I mean obviously part of it is, but it’s also about respect and trust and companionship. It’s about other intimacy that isn’t necessarily sexual. I’m not going to have you come over here for sex and kick you out immediately afterward. I respect you more than that.”

“Oh.” Buck said quietly. He grabbed the water and sipped it, taking a moment to process what he’d been told. He wasn't used to being treated like this. Kindness and compassion and respect without any heroics involved wasn't something Buck had received in a long time, if ever.

“Is that not what you want from this?” Tommy frowned and crossed his arms.

“I- I do, want that from this. I just- just didn’t think that’s how it worked.” Buck admitted.

“I can’t speak for what others do, but that is how it works with me.” Tommy assured Evan.

Buck almost wanted to tell Tommy that no one treated him this well this fast, that Tommy was the first one. It felt too soon for a confession like that, though - it would create too many questions, and Buck didn't want to get into those answers with Tommy tonight- probably not ever. So instead, all he said was “Thank you.”

Thankfully the sheets didn’t need to be changed which made things easier for Tommy. Once Evan had pulled the sweats on and drank some water, Tommy laid down in bed and opened his arms in an invitation for Evan.

Buck hesitated for a second, before allowing himself to climb into bed next to Tommy and rest his head on Tommy’s chest. Buck liked how warm Tommy was, he liked how the skin-on-skin contact felt. He liked hearing the steady beat of Tommy’s heart.

Tommy wrapped an arm around Evan. “I know you’re tired, so we can discuss more in the morning, but I think we’re pretty compatible on all fronts.”

“Definitely.” Buck agreed. They hadn’t even actually fucked but it was clear they were compatible in bed for sure, and Buck liked how things were going after sex between the two of them also. It was different from the meaningless sex Buck was trying to stay away from, if it was always like this then Buck could rest easy knowing he wasn’t falling back into old habits, because this was nothing like those old bad habits. Despite having only known Tommy for a little more than a week, and not really even knowing Tommy, Buck felt a strong inexplicable sense of safety in Tommy’s arms.

“Think you want this to be an official thing?” Tommy asked. He hoped the answer was yes, he liked Evan and they worked well together.  He didn’t want to not have Evan in his life now that he’d gotten a taste of what it could be like.

“Yes, def- definitely.” Buck confirmed.

“Good.” Tommy smiled even if Evan couldn’t see it. “I do too.”

Buck smiled against Tommy’s chest as his eyelids felt increasingly heavy.

“We’ll talk more tomorrow. Just get some rest, okay?”

“Okay.” Buck mumbled in agreement.

“Goodnight Evan.” Tommy said softly.

“Night Tommy.” Buck echoed back then drifted off.

Buck woke the next morning feeling better rested than he had in months if not years.

“Mornin',” Tommy’s voice sounded a little deeper than usual due to him just waking up. “How'd you sleep?”

“Really good.” Buck yawned and stretched.

“Good.” Tommy smiled.

Soon they were in the kitchen, Tommy made them breakfast while Buck sat at the breakfast bar and sipped a coffee. Soon Tommy set a plate of French toast, sausage, and fresh cut fruit in front of Buck, then took the seat next to him.

“I could get used to this.” Buck chuckled and took a bite of food.

“You can. If you want.” Tommy pointed out and sipped his coffee.

Buck considered what to say as he slowly chewed, savoring the taste of the French toast. “I know we work well together, and we both want this. So how- how does it work?”

“Well it works however we want it too. I do have some conditions, and I'm sure you do too.” Tommy pointed out.

“Okay.” Buck nodded. “What are your conditions?”

“I mentioned it on my profile but the biggest one for me is exclusivity. I'm not dating, you're my only sugar baby, and I'm not sleeping with anyone else. All I ask is you do the same. If you meet someone and want to be with them, I'll be happy for you but this would come to an end.”

“That's understandable. I'm cool with that.”

“I'd like to see you at least once every two weeks. I know your schedule is chaotic and I'm sure you have friends and a life and things to do other than see me, but I do want to see you at least that often.” Tommy continued.

“I'm happy to see you more often than that.” Buck decided. Tommy had made it sound like he had some weird insane rules, this all seemed perfectly reasonable so far.

Tommy smiled at Evan. “You don't have to tell me everything about yourself- I'm sure you've got secrets and I do too- but I do want honesty between us. I said it last night, this is about trust and respect and you can't have those without honesty.”

“Okay.” Buck paused. “I- I agree and I like that but uh- do I need to like earn that stuff first? Trust and respect?”

“I respect everyone I meet the moment I meet them. I know some people think respect or trust are earned but not me. I respect people unless they give me a reason not to. And I wouldn't have invited you here last night if I didn't trust you.” Tommy paused. “Do I need to earn your trust or respect?”

“You have both.” Buck promised and he meant it.

“Good.” Tommy nodded. “This can end anytime you want it to, but that goes both ways. I can't see myself needing to end this abruptly for some reason, but it only seems fair that if you can call it off anytime then so can I.”

“Yes. Totally.” Buck agreed.

“You can tell people you have a sugar daddy, this isn't some dirty little secret if you don’t want it to be, but I do ask for some discretion. No name dropping on social media, no pictures of me, no pictures of the house. You can share pictures of things we do together, things you buy yourself with money from me or things I buy you, hell you can say it's from your sugar daddy if you want, but don't name me publicly.”

“For sure.” That made perfect sense to Buck. Tommy had a reputation and it could be damaged if someone who didn’t understand saw Tommy had a sugar baby. Not to mention Tommy clearly wasn’t out judging by the fact that he still had a wife, and while Buck probably wasn’t a perfect ally, he knew you didn’t out someone no matter what.

“And last but not least if you need something from me, you tell me. Whether it's something in the bedroom or reassurance, or of course something material. It's your role to provide me with companionship and it's mine to take care of you financially. That means if you need something, you tell me, got it?”

Buck understood what Tommy meant but wasn't sure how Tommy defined ‘need’. “You mean like, if my Jeep breaks down and needs repair?”

“Like that, sure.” Tommy nodded. “But I’m not just a rainy day fund, Evan. Not an incase of emergency kinda thing. If you need new clothes, or a new phone, or spending money just tell me.”

Buck certainly wouldn't define spending money as a need but decided not to question Tommy. “Okay.”

“And on top of that, I'll pay you a weekly allowance of a thousand dollars to do whatever you want with. You don't need to tell me what you use it on and as long as this goes on you'll get it even if we don't see each other for the week. Get me your banking info and I'll wire the money directly into your account each week. For this week I’ll just give you cash.”

Buck did his best to not react. He didn't know how much to expect but it definitely was way less than that. He’d be able to get a new place in no time. “Okay. Anything else?” Buck asked.

“It's not a rule, but I'll tell you this as a courtesy, I have been and will continue to be honest with Abby, my wife, about what happens between us. If you tell me something in confidence I won't share details with her, and she and I do have boundaries as far as talking about sexual stuff, but just like I'll be honest with you, I'll be honest with her.”

“That's fair.” Buck nodded. Tommy had been married to her for 35 years, it only made sense.

“We can discuss sexual boundaries more as needed, but outside of sex, I need to know your boundaries.” Tommy requested.

That was a great question, and one Buck wasn’t really sure about. “I mean, I- I do like physical affection,” He started. “But I- I guess I don’t really know what all I’d be comfortable with. I mean what’s on the table?”

Tommy finished chewing his bite of food then spoke. “Why don’t I list some things and you just give me a yes or no, okay?”

“Okay.” Buck sipped his coffee.

“Hugs?”

“Yes.” Buck said quickly. He’d always been big on hugs, not to mention how much he liked how warm and safe he’d felt in Tommy’s arms last night.

“Cuddling?”

“I did sleep on top of you last night.” Buck pointed out. “So definitely.”

Tommy chuckled. “Uh, hand holding?”

“M- maybe? Depends I guess.”

“Okay. What about resting my hands on you, like if we were driving could I put my hand on your thigh?” Tommy wondered.

Buck liked the sound of that whether it was a sexual thing or not. “Yes.”

“Pet names?” Tommy took another bite of food.

“What kind of names?” Buck wondered.

“Baby? Sweetheart? Sugar- a little on the nose I know,”

“Yes, yes, and sure.” Buck grinned.

“Hot Stuff? Baby boy?”

Buck’s mouth went a little dry at ‘baby boy’ in a good way. He nodded quickly. “Yes to both.”

“Good.” Tommy paused. “Forehead, cheek, back of your hands, or shoulder kisses?”

Buck didn’t even know what his sexuality was anymore, but if Tommy wanted to give affection like that, Buck didn’t think he’d mind as long as it wasn’t over-the-top or anywhere too public. “Yes, but not so much in public?”

“Sure.” Tommy agreed. “Kissing on the lips?”

Buck swallowed thickly. “Definitely for foreplay and in bed.” Buck confirmed. “And m- maybe just leave it at that for now?”

“Of course.” Tommy smiled softly. “Only other thing I want to ask you is if I want to see you on a specific date, how much notice do you need?”

“I mean if I have work it's kinda tricky. Once my probation is over in two months then it'll be easier but probies don't really get time off unless you're violently ill or too injured to work.”

“Okay.” Tommy nodded. That made sense and was out of Evan's control.

“After that, three weeks should be enough notice. If I don't have work then I probably only need a few days notice. And I'll share my work schedule with you to make things easier.” Buck explained.

“Great.” Tommy smiled. “What are your conditions?”

“I guess my big thing is that my job means everything to me. That comes first for me. If there's some sort of special event you want me for, then give me notice like I just said but if I have work and don't want to miss it I get to say no.”

“Of course. That's totally understandable.” Tommy agreed.

“I would assume the social media thing goes both ways?”

“Definitely.” Tommy confirmed.

Those were the main things for Buck. “If I'm gonna spend the night here a bunch, can I keep some essentials here? So I don't have to bring a bag or borrow clothes every time?”

“I've got space in my closet and an empty spot in my toothbrush holder. Keep whatever you need here.” Tommy agreed easily.

“I think that’s everything.” Buck decided.

“If you think of something else just let me know, alright?” Tommy requested.

“Sure.” Buck agreed and took another bite of food. Once he finished chewing he spoke again. “I think this is the start of something great.”

“Me too.” Tommy smiled and took a bite of food.

Chapter Text

A few days passed, Buck and Tommy texted back and forth as often as they could. Buck liked the conversation with Tommy- Tommy was the first person in a long time to not be bothered by Buck’s relentless catalog of random trivia or long-winded messages about whatever research deep dive he’d wound up on. Hell Tommy seemed to enjoy it. Buck felt a little bit drunk on the attention if he was honest.

He was on his way home after a long shift- a full moon shift. He stopped at a red light and looked out his car window at the moon. Next thing he knew he was calling Tommy.

“Hey baby, thought you were working tonight. Everything okay?” Tommy asked.

“Hi. I uh, I was working but my shift is over.” Buck explained. “Think I could come see you?”

“I’d like that.” Tommy agreed. “You hungry? Have you eaten?”

“I’m good.” Buck promised. Him and Bobby stopped for a quick bite between calls and actually managed to eat most of their food before they had to get to the next call. “Just wanna see you.”

“Alright. I guess I’ll see you soon then.” Tommy agreed.

“Be there in forty five minutes, maybe an hour.” Buck reported.

“I’ll be here.”

Buck drove to Tommy’s house, parked in the driveway, went up to the door, and rang the bell. A moment later Tommy opened the door. “Hey.” He smiled. Tommy’s hair was damp as though he’d just gotten out of the shower.

“Hi.” Buck smiled back as Tommy opened the door wider and greeted him inside.

“How was your shift?” Tommy asked as he led them to the main living area of the house.

“Uh, crazy. I knew it would be though, being a full moon and all.”

Tommy raised a brow in confusion.

“Crazy, weird things always happen on the full moon. Emergency rooms are packed, animals and kids go crazy. Every first responder knows it.” Buck explained.

“What kind of crazy are we talking about?” Tommy wondered as he went into the kitchen and towards the fridge. “Beer?”

“Sure.” Buck agreed. “Uh well I helped a kid out of one of those stuffed animal arcade machines. Somehow she was fully inside it, up where the stuffed animals were.” Buck started. “Then we had a call at this prenatal yoga studio, one of the ladies slipped a disc and got stuck in what looked to me like locust pose,”

Tommy grabbed two beers from the fridge, popped the tops off and handed one to Evan. “Locust pose?” Tommy was curious how Evan knew anything about yoga- he didn’t seem like the type.

“I uh, I’ve dated a lot of yoga instructors.” Buck explained sheepishly.

Tommy nodded in understanding.

“Anyway uh, while we were helping her, three other ladies at the yoga studio went into labor. Me and my captain, Bobby, we helped deliver one baby there, one mom did it all on her own- I guess it was her fourth kid- so that was two babies born in the studio in less than three minutes, and we had to transport the third to the hospital for an emergency c-section.”

“Wow.” Tommy sipped his beer.

“Then I helped a guy with a tapeworm-”

“Helped?” Tommy wondered.

“It’s kinda gross.” Buck warned.

“I’m sure I can handle it.” Tommy chuckled.

“The tapeworm was uh, it was making it’s way out of the guy and he and his boyfriend were pretty freaked, so I pulled it out. All six feet of it.” Buck explained. He hoped Tommy wasn’t getting too grossed out, most people would be.

“Fun.” Tommy said sarcastically.

“And I wasn’t on the call but two others from our station responded to a call of a dude eating someone’s face. The cops tased the guy and it did nothing. They had to shoot him.” Buck added.

“Busy night.” Tommy hummed. 

“Yeah.” Buck agreed and sipped his beer.

“Not that I’m complaining at all but is there a reason you wanted to see me so bad tonight?” Tommy wondered.

Buck sipped his beer again and shrugged. “Don’t know. I was just driving home and I stopped at a red light, looked up at the moon and next thing I knew I was calling you.”

Tommy let out an amused chuckle. “The moon cast a spell on you or something?” He teased.

“It’s real. It’s gravity. And it pulls people together.” Buck insisted and stepped closer to Tommy.

Tommy raised a brow. “Is that so?” He hummed.

Buck nodded. “It’s science.”

“Pretty sure that’s not how it works.” Tommy moved closer to Evan. 

“Well then even better, if science has got nothing to do with it. It’s magic.” Buck shifted closer to Tommy.

“Is it now?” Tommy asked, an amused look on his face. Evan was never beating the Golden Retriever allegations at this point, and Tommy didn’t want him to. He liked his sunshiney, tattooed golden retriever sugar baby.

“Mm-hmm.” Buck hummed.

“Well, science or magic or whatever it was, either way I think you just really wanted to see me.” Tommy slowly wrapped his arms around Evan’s neck. As soon as Evan called Tommy was fairly sure sex was where the night was going, not to mention the building tension between them, but in case he was misreading something he moved slowly to give Evan a chance to stop him.

Buck grabbed Tommy by the hips and pulled him close as their lips crashed together.

Tommy kissed Evan back hungrily, and it wasn’t long until he was leading Evan to his room and they were kissing again as they undressed each other. Tommy pulled himself away from Evan’s lips for the briefest of moments. “How do you,” Another kiss as he fought with Evan’s belt buckle. “Want tonight to go?”

“What’s on the table?” Buck asked as he kissed Tommy hungrily while helping Tommy to quickly undo his belt and his pants.

Tommy pushed Evan’s pants away and Evan assisted by kicking them the rest of the way off. “How do you feel about fucking me?”

Buck’s dick twitched in interest. “Yeah, yeah that sounds good.” He agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

“You ever done anal before?” Tommy wondered as he quickly shed his own pants and boxers while he was at it.

“Yeah, a few times with women.” Buck confirmed. “Been pegged before too.”

Tommy pulled Evan’s rapidly growing hard-on out of the confines of his boxer briefs and gave it a few sloppy strokes. “So you’re familiar with the process then?”

“Yes.” Buck confirmed. “I-  I mean it’s been a while but I don’t think anything about how it works has changed, right?”

Tommy chuckled a bit. “Right.” Tommy stole another kiss from Evan, then reached for his bedside drawer where he had a bottle of lube waiting. “Same rules as last time, okay? You wanna stop at any point just say the word.”

“Got it. Just gonna wash my hands, be right back.” Buck quickly went and washed his hands thoroughly, before returning and climbing back on the bed, grabbing the lube on the way.

“I cleaned up and started some prep on myself before you got here.” Tommy explained to Evan as he leaned back on the bed and spread his legs for Evan.

“Couldn’t wait for me huh?” Buck smirked as he generously coated his fingers in lube.

“Something like that.” Tommy shrugged. “Should be good to start with two fingers.”

Buck nodded in understanding. He teased at Tommy’s hole for a moment before slowly sinking two fingers into the tight heat, while using his other hand to slowly stroke Tommy’s erection. “That okay?” He looked at Tommy, watching for any signs of discomfort as Buck slowly began to work his fingers in and out.

“That’s perfect, baby.” Tommy agreed easily.

“Yeah?” Buck asked, getting a little thrill from the praise.

“Yes.” Tommy confirmed. “You can add another finger. And you checking in like that is much appreciated.”

“Of course.” Buck agreed and added a third finger on the next slide in.

“Keep stroking me and this won’t last very long, kid.” Tommy said, mostly joking, though there was a bit of truth to his statement. Evan’s fingers were thick and perfect and clearly Evan was no stranger to fingering someone.

Buck nodded in understanding and stopped stroking Tommy as he continued fingering him. This was easy, Buck was good at doing this part. “Wait til we get to the main event.” Buck smirked. If Tommy thought he was good at this he’d be in for a real treat right away.

Tommy chuckled in agreement and laid his head back down on the pillows. “A little deeper,” He directed.

Buck did as told. “Like that?”

Tommy gasped as Evan hit his prostate. “Exactly like that.” He nodded quickly.

Buck continued aiming for that same spot, which clearly was working for Tommy if the little gasps and grunts were anything to go by.

“I’m ready when you are, baby.” Tommy told Evan when he felt prepped enough.

“You’re sure?” Buck asked just to check. He knew he was above average and didn’t want to risk hurting Tommy. 

“I’m sure. Don’t worry about a condom unless you prefer to wear one- just don’t cum in me. And start slow, okay?” Tommy instructed.

“Of course.” Buck agreed. He carefully removed his fingers and wiped them clean on one of the cloths Tommy had set out on the bedside table in advance. He then grabbed the lube again and thoroughly coated his achingly hard dick, then settled himself between Tommy’s legs. He lined himself up with Tommy and put one hand on Tommy’s hip. “Ready?”

“Yes, quit being a tease.” Tommy encouraged, not just ready but aching to finally get Evan inside him. He’d only been dreaming of it for longer than he’d care to admit.

Buck slowly pushed in, watching Tommy’s face for signs of discomfort, but instead Tommy looked blissed out so Buck sank all the way in. “That okay?”

Tommy was gently panting by the time Evan bottomed out. He nodded. “Yeah, yeah just give me a moment.” He requested breathlessly. Evan was well endowed and it’d been a while for Tommy, so as delicious as the stretch was, Tommy decided it best not to push himself.

As much as Buck wanted to start, he patiently waited, giving Tommy all the time he needed to be ready. Buck wanted this to be good for both of them, and that wouldn’t happen if he hurt Tommy, so as excited as Buck was to show Tommy just how good he was at this, Buck could wait.

Tommy gave a few experimental rocks of his hips and it felt good, not to mention he didn’t think he could wait a single moment longer. “Go.” He told Evan.

Buck gripped Tommy’s hips and pulled back before thrusting back in, setting a steady pace of fucking into Tommy’s tight heat. “How’s that?”

“Fuck Ev,” Tommy gasped as Evan repeatedly hit Tommy’s prostate without even trying. “That’s so good.”

“I’ve had plenty of practice.” Buck grinned and kept going. He could already feel the tension slowly building deep in his gut, but he could make himself last as long as needed to get Tommy off first.

“I can- fuck ,” Tommy gasped as Evan picked up the pace a little. “I can tell.”

“Good.” Buck said smugly and gripped Tommy’s hips a little tighter as he continued fucking Tommy as best he possibly could.

“Baby I don’t think I’m gonna last much longer at this rate.” Tommy warned just moments later. The looming orgasm had been building low in his stomach since Evan started, and with every thrust, every direct hit to his prostate, the pleasure grew.

“Me neither.” Buck admitted as he again increased the speed of his thrusts, desperately chasing his orgasm. He kept one hand firmly planted on Tommy’s hip, and used the other to stroke Tommy’s leaking erection.

“Fuck.” Tommy mumbled and bucked his hips up to meet each thrust. Evan perfectly timed out his thrusts with the hand stroking Tommy’s cock, giving Tommy a never ending cycle of pleasure.

“Gonna cum for me Tommy?” Buck encouraged as he fucked into Tommy hard and fast.

“Evan- god.” Tommy groaned. “ ‘m close.” He warned, the tension in his gut tight as ever now, and he was desperate for release.

Buck dug his thumb into Tommy’s slit. “Come for me.” He told Tommy.

Just two thrusts later Tommy was spilling over Evan’s hand and his own stomach with a groan.

Just one more thrust for Buck and he was pulling out and spilling over Tommy’s softening cock and stomach, adding to the mess that was already there. “Fuck.” He panted. Buck took a second to catch his breath before reaching for one of the wet cloths on the bedside table. “Good?” He asked Tommy.

“So good.” Tommy confirmed.

About two weeks passed. Buck found himself really enjoying spending time with Tommy both in and out of bed. He’d just spent the night at Tommy’s place, and was going straight to work from there. When he pulled up he saw the ladder-truck parked out front and the blood donation bus parked in the garage and remembered Chimney’s blood drive. Most people from their shift had gone in early to donate. Buck parked and wondered if he’d have time to donate before their shift started. 

He got out of his vehicle just as Bobby did the same. “Morning Cap.” He greeted cheerfully. It was hard to be in a bad mood after having spent another amazing night with Tommy.

“Morning Buck. You seem to be in a good mood.” Bobby observed.

“I am.” Buck confirmed. He couldn’t decide what had been better- fucking Tommy rough and hot last night or Tommy riding him slow and deliberate this morning. The sex with Tommy was amazing- 

Buck’s thought process froze in it’s tracks. Sex with Tommy was amazing, but it was also sex with a guy. He couldn’t donate blood.

“... We all put our asses on the line in the field everyday to save people but today you’re saving people and all it’s taking is the tiny prick of a needle.” Chimney was speaking to the firefighters who were sitting, donating blood.

“Still at it huh?” Bobby asked Chimney. “How’d you do?”

“Incredible. Everyone donated. Some people even came in on their day off.” Chimney reported.

“That’s great.” Bobby told him. “All right, well let’s wrap it up. We gotta start our shift.”

“Uh hold-up.” Chimney said. “Looks here like I am just a couple pints shy of my goal for the day.” He looked between Bobby and Buck.

Buck swallowed thickly. He felt guilty- he knew how important this was to Chimney, but the rules were the rules- even if they were stupid and outdated. He wanted to donate but he couldn’t and he didn’t know how to get out of it.

Bobby glanced at Buck and when it seemed Buck wasn’t jumping in to say he’d donate, Bobby looked back at Chimney. “Well that’ll give you something to work towards next time.”

“Whoa whoa whoa. You’re the captain of this house, you and Buck are the only ones who didn’t participate.”

“I don’t like needles. End of story.” Bobby turned to walk away.

“Oh, Captain, come on.” Hen jumped in. “You gotta donate.”

“I don’t give blood. Alright? I never give blood. When I was a kid they tried to take my blood and I bit the doctor.” Bobby said bluntly.

Buck couldn’t help but chuckle at that.

“It’s not funny. The one time someone tried to take my blood as an adult didn’t go well.” Bobby began to walk away.

“Bobby, wait hold on, hold on,” Chimney jogged over to him. “Alright listen, I get it, I really do, okay? But I really need you to do this for me, alright? Look, I’m alive today because that rebar hit my head at just the right angle, because I had the best damn fire and rescue team to get me to the hospital, and the best surgeons in the world once I got there. But I got ten pints of blood, donated blood , given by the very generous people of this city. Now I told you, I just, I wanted to do this blood drive because I wanted to give a little something back of what I was given. And expressing my gratitude like this, it balances me out with the universe. Now you and everybody else here asked me how they could help me with my recovery, well this is how.”

Buck hadn’t felt this awful in months. He did his best to keep his facial expressions in check, the last thing he needed was his face showing how guilty he felt right now.

Bobby gave a defeated sigh. “I hate all of you.” 

“Thank you. Thank you.” Chimney said.

“You love us.” Hen told Bobby.

“With your and Buck’s donations I’ll officially reach my goal for the day.” Chimney told Bobby. “Alright let’s stick ‘em!” He called out.

Buck turned to Chimney. “Chim I- I’m sorry but I- I can’t donate today.”

“What?” Chimney gasped. “Buck come on, did you not hear everything I just said?”

“I did. And- and I get it, I do.” Buck insisted. He hated this. Buck used to donate blood frequently, he liked doing it- helping save lives. Buck couldn’t believe he was letting Chimney down right now.

“Then get your butt in a chair!” Chimney encouraged.

“I can’t.” Buck told Chim again, trying to keep his cool despite feeling like he wanted to cry.

“Why not?” Chimney crossed his arms.

“I uh,” Buck wracked his brain to think of other disqualifying factors because there was no way he was going to admit the real truth- not with so many people around at least. “I- I just donated not- not that long ago, and then I uh, I got a- a new tattoo so I- I can’t donate for a while.”

“I haven’t seen a new tattoo.” Chimney crossed his arms.

Buck swallowed nervously and tried to figure out what to say next.

Hen seemed to notice Buck’s odd behavior, yet came to his rescue anyway. “Knowing Buck  it’s entirely possible he got a tattoo somewhere he can’t post on Insta. And Chim, even if he didn’t get some new tattoo, if he donated less than two months ago he can’t donate today.”

“I’m sorry Chim.” Buck said sincerely. “I- I’ll get a friend to go donate today at a center and say it’s in your name so- so you can still reach your goal, okay? I’m sorry I can’t help more.”

“Yeah okay.” Chimney sighed.

Buck nodded a bit and went to go change in the locker room. He supposed there had to be a downside to Tommy at some point after all, he just wished it didn’t feel so shitty.

Chapter Text

After Buck’s shift following the blood donation drive he headed home and found himself doing some research on it. He knew it was based out out-dated ideas, but as it had never applied to him before he hadn’t bothered to put much more thought into it. Except now it did apply to him. And while the reasoning was stupid and unfair- as though they didn’t test all donated blood for things like HIV anyway- Buck at least understood parts of it better.

It made Buck consider other questions too. He was now a man who slept with other men, but what did that mean exactly? He knew he wasn’t gay- he was definitely into women. But the more he thought about it the more he realized that Tommy most likely wasn’t the only man he was into either. Years of looking at other men in the gym under the excuse of wondering about their workout routines had in hindsight not been all that different than checking out women. The more he thought about it the more he realized he’d been checking out hot guy’s asses just the same way he’d check out a hot girl’s ass- a hot ass was a hot ass after all. And his reaction to seeing Tommy undress? Was the same reaction to seeing his ex-girlfriends undress.

All of which were not things straight men did or felt. Straight men didn’t sleep with other men repeatedly, nor would they enjoy it nearly as much as Buck enjoyed sex with Tommy.

The blood donation research dive turned into a LGBT+ terminology research binge, and after a few ‘am I gay’ quizzes Buck still wasn’t totally settled on anything, but ‘bisexual’ felt about right, as did a Kinsey 2 or 3. Buck wasn’t sure what to do with the information though, and ultimately decided there was no harm in just sitting with it all for a while.

After a few days Buck was feeling less awful about the blood donation thing. As much as it sucked not being able to donate, he knew he saved lives in other ways everyday at work, and there were always other ways to give back too. Instead he decided to focus his energy on other more important things, and make a mental note to find a way to make himself scarce next time Chimney hosted a blood drive.

---

About five weeks after meeting Tommy in person for the first time, Buck finally had enough saved up to start seriously looking at apartments. He’d figured out his budget first and foremost, ensuring he knew exactly how much he could spend on rent and still get by without money from Tommy- in case things ended with Tommy abruptly, seeing as Buck didn’t want to risk ending up homeless. Once Buck had his numbers, he began browsing online, figuring out what was available for his budget, then what he liked, what he didn’t like, what neighborhoods he’d like to look at within a reasonable distance to the 118, and what buildings had good reviews online and which ones should be avoided.

He came up with a list of places he wanted to see and scheduled times to look at them on one of his days off. The first couple places he looked at were okay- some better than others- but Buck wasn’t over the moon about any of them either. Next on his list and last for the day was a loft about a 15 minute drive from the 118, the building had good reviews online, and the photos of the unit made it look really nice online. He hoped it was nearly as good in person was it was in the photos.

Buck got to the building and found the lady who would be showing him the unit. After some quick introductions, she led him to the unit and let them in. “Now I know in the photos there’s an island in the kitchen and one will be put in before you move in.” The woman explained.

Buck got nervous hearing that. If the photos showed an entire kitchen island that wasn’t currently present, how misleading were they? But as Buck stepped into the unit, it looked pretty good actually compared to the photos. Yes the island was missing, but she said it’d be in before he moved in, and otherwise it seemed nice. Buck took a quick look around the main living area, before heading up to the loft to check it out.

“It has a full kitchen with a quartz backsplash,” The woman called out from downstairs. “Spacious master bathroom, elevated sleeping area, and the view .” She chuckled. “You cannot put a price on that.”

Buck stepped closer to the windows that looked out from the loft area at the view. It was nice, sure, but, “Yeah but mmm , you did.” He pointed out. This place was admittedly at the very top end of his budget, but it was also a lot better than other places he’d seen so far too.

“There’s wiggle room.” The woman told Buck.

“Well I’m all about wiggle room.” Buck told her as he made his way back down the stairs. He really did like the place- open floor plan, a touch of something modern, a little raw. It felt very adult which after almost a year of living in the frat house, Buck was super ready for something that felt adult. He didn’t want to be too hasty about anything, but he’d take this place in a heartbeat over the others he’d seen so far.

“What do you think?” The woman asked.

“It uh, it’s nice, yeah.” Buck nodded.

“The unit comes with two secure parking spaces. In unit-laundry is another amenity as I’m sure you noticed upstairs, and a spacious balcony. There’s a building manager on site Monday to Friday from 8:30 until 5- that’s me. There’s a convenient trash chute in the hallway, and there’s an elevator.”

Buck nodded. The place did have a lot of amenities that other buildings didn’t have. He looked at the brochure the woman had given him at the start, specifically at the numbers. “You said there’s wiggle room on the price?”

Buck and the woman went back and forth discussing the price based on the length of the lease, number of parking spaces needed, discounts for first responders and the like. Finally the woman showed Buck an updated number on her tablet. “I think that’s as low as it’s possibly gonna get.”

“Got it.” Buck told her. “I uh, I think I’ll take it.” He smiled.

“Let’s head down to my office.” She smiled back.

Soon they were in her office and Buck was filling out an application which the building manager assured him there should be no issue with the application being accepted. Buck filled it out until almost the end, when it asked for information about running a credit check- now this would be the fun part.

“I uh, I see they want to run a credit check, I’m wondering if it would be possible to pay a bigger deposit and uh- and skip the credit check?” Buck asked her.

“You don’t consent to the credit check?” The woman raised an eyebrow.

“Well- I mean I- I’m not opposed but uh, my credit isn’t great. I mean I- I’m only 26.” Buck explained.

“I see.” She pursed her lips. “It’s not a hard yes or no, it’s up to the discretion of the building management company. Are you able to provide paystubs along with your application to prove income?”

“Yes, definitely.” Buck confirmed.

“And can you provide any rental references that could speak to a history of on-time rent payments?” She wondered.

Buck thought for a moment. He wasn’t sure the landlord of the frat house would be a great person to put down as a recommendation in case they asked other questions- Buck didn’t want to risk losing the place if they asked about how well the place was kept by Buck. But, Buck figured he could put Connor’s name and number, Connor was the one who sent in all the rent payments for the frat house, so he knew Buck was always on-time if not early with his payments, and last month Connor used Buck as a reference on a job application, so really, Connor owed him one anyway. “Yeah I have a reference.”

“Alright.” She nodded. “Now for a deposit without a credit check they typically want the equivalent of two months rent, which would need to be paid along with your first months’ rent, can you do that?”

Buck was due for another ‘allowance’ payment from Tommy in two days, and he’d also be getting paid in a couple days, and with that and his savings he would have the money. “Would that be collected after the application is approved before signing the lease?”

“That is correct.” The woman confirmed.

“Yeah, I can do that.” Buck told her.

“Great. Then we should be fine.” She grabbed another sheet of paper. “Leave the credit application stuff blank, and I’ll have you sign this instead, and email me a copy of your pay stubs going back six months.”

Buck finished the paperwork and sent the email and was finished. All that was left to do was talk to Connor about the renter’s reference and then wait. Buck stopped at the grocery store and picked up something for dinner on his way home, then went back to the frat house. Connor was in the kitchen cooking when Buck got back.

“Hey, how’d the apartment shopping go?” Connor asked.

“It was good. Found a place I really like. They wanted a renter’s reference and I put down your info so if they call, just, say the right things you know?” Buck requested.

“Pays rent on time, clean, quiet, doesn’t have a lot of guests over?” Connor figured.

“Exactly.” Buck nodded.

“Sure thing man. I owe you one after you helped me get that job.” Connor agreed.

“Thanks man.” Buck smiled.

The next day at work, Buck couldn’t help but excitedly show the photos of the loft to Chimney, Hen, and Bobby. “It’s nice right? And once my probie year is done I get a discount for being a firefighter.”

“Sure beats that frat house you’ve been living in.” Chimney pointed out.

“Lots of natural light, looks good.” Hen nodded.

“Where is this place?” Bobby wondered.

“Like, fifteen minutes from here with traffic, maybe twenty.” Buck answered excitedly.

“You sure you can afford it?” Bobby wondered, not to be mean, but more like he was just making sure Buck wasn’t getting in over his head.

“Yeah, I ran the numbers and it might be a little tight at first but once my probie year is done I’ll be just fine.” Buck confirmed.

“And you checked for safety features, right? Sprinklers, fire exits,” Bobby wondered.

“It’s all totally up to code. There’s sprinklers, two totally separate stairwells, and worst case scenario if there ever is a fire, I’ve got a balcony I could get down from with the right equipment which I will keep on-hand.” Buck promised.

“Good.” Bobby nodded. “I hope you get it kid.”

“Thanks Bobby.” Buck smiled.

A few days later Buck was driving to Tommy’s to see him when his phone began ringing with a call from the building manager for the loft. Buck answered the call over bluetooth. “Hello?”

“Is this Mr Buckley?” The woman asked.

“Speaking.” Buck confirmed. “I’m guessing this is about my application?”

“Yes, I’m pleased to tell you that your application has been accepted, and we can have you move in at the end of this month.” She announced.

It was the start of the month, so Buck had a few weeks until he could move, but he’d need time to get his stuff sorted out and buy some more furniture anyway. “That’s amazing.”

“Would you be available to come in and sign some paperwork and pay your deposit tomorrow morning?” She asked.

“Yes, I can do that. What time?”

Buck sorted out a time and politely ended the call, then once he was sure the phone hand hung up, he let out a loud excited ‘whoop’.

Buck got to Tommy’s and parked the Jeep and went to the gate. Tommy said he’d probably be in the back garage and said he left the gate unlocked for Buck. Buck let himself in, closed and locked the gate behind him, and headed towards the back garage.

As Buck got closer to the garage he could hear music playing and eventually recognized it as That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain- Maddie had liked the song when it came out, she had the CD and played the hell out of it in the Jeep when she first got it. Shania was a musician that the Buckley parents approved of compared to the ‘filthy garbage’ that most kids had been listening to at the time. Not only was the song playing, but Tommy- currently leaned over the engine of the car- was singing along to it. Buck couldn’t help but pause and take in the scene before him for a moment.

“All that extra-hold gel in your hair oughta lock it, cause heaven forbid it should fall outta place. Oh-oh you think you're special? Oh-oh you think you're something else? Okay, so you’re Brad Pitt?” Tommy belted out sassily. “That don’t impress me much, so ya got the looks but have ya got the touch?”

“Trying to tell me something?” Buck asked with an assumed chuckle as he stepped into the garage.

Tommy looked up and saw Evan, then looked over his shoulder. “Alexa, stop the music.” Tommy called out and the music stopped. “Hey, sorry.” He said sheepishly.

“That was actually pretty good.” Buck told him. “Not the kinda music I thought you’d like, but,” He shrugged.

“It uh, it’s a guilty pleasure.” Tommy admitted shyly as he grabbed a rag and wiped off his hands.

Buck smiled. “Worse guilty pleasures to have.”

“Yeah I guess so.” Tommy agreed. “You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Yeah, I uh, I am.” Buck confirmed. “Just found out I got that loft I was telling you about.”

“That’s great! When do you move in?” Tommy nodded his head and gestured for Evan to follow him into the house.

“End of the month. It’s good ‘cause it gives me time to find some furniture and stuff.” Buck explained. “I’ve got bedroom furniture but other than that I kinda gotta get everything.” Buck was a little worried about that to be honest. The deposit was all of the money he saved, and sure he’d get a few more allowance payments from Tommy before moving in, but even cheap furniture would be expensive when Buck added everything up.

“I could help with that,” Tommy offered as they got inside and headed to the kitchen.

“What, Tommy’s that’s-” Buck started.

“Call it an early congratulations gift for finishing your probationary year.” Tommy bargained.

“Are you sure?” Buck wondered.

“If I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t have offered it.” Tommy promised and began washing his hands. “Besides, it’s a studio with a loft, not a mansion, how much furniture do you really think you’d need anyway?”

Buck nodded slowly. “Yeah, okay.” He agreed. “And thank you, I- I’ll make it up to you.”

“You don’t need to make anything up, Evan. But if you really want to thank me, a blowjob might be a nice place to start.” Tommy smirked.

Buck grinned. “I can definitely do that.”

“I know you can.” Tommy agreed.

Chapter Text

Buck did a lot of research and made some preparations before heading over to Tommy’s for the night as they’d planned in advance- spend the night together and go furniture shopping tomorrow. Buck hadn’t worked at all that day and had the next day off as well, and the timing was perfect. Buck got to Tommy’s house and before he could even knock Tommy pulled the door open.

“Hey handsome.” Tommy grinned at Evan.

“Hi.” Buck smiled back. “How was work?”

“Work was fine. Felt long. Was excited to see you all day.” Tommy said as he pulled Evan into the house. Work really had been quite dull, though anything would when counting down the hours until one could get their hands on Evan Buckley.

Buck looked down as he felt his cheeks heat up, hoping to limit how much of his blush Tommy saw. He was already feeling bashful enough about what he wanted to do tonight, and Tommy saying things like that didn’t help at all.

Tommy noticed what Evan was doing and put a stop to it right away. He gently hooked his fingers under Evan’s chin and tilted his head up, forcing Evan to make eye contact with him. “Don’t be getting shy on me now Evan.” Tommy teased.

Buck was sure his blush deepened at that and he swallowed hard. “O- okay.”

“That’s better.” Tommy smiled. “Did you have anything in mind for tonight?” He asked as he hooked his fingers into Evan’s belt loops.

“Actually yeah. I- I do.” Buck told Tommy.

Tommy looked at Evan expectantly, waiting for an answer.

Buck took a breath to calm himself. He was kinda nervous and a lot excited. They hadn’t done what Buck was about to ask for yet, but it’d been on Buck’s mind for quite a while now. “I want you to fuck me.”

“Are you absolutely sure baby? There’s no pressure,” Tommy started.

Buck met Tommy’s eyes with his own and nodded. “I’m sure. Even sorta started uh getting myself ready- before I came.”

Tommy smirked. “Over-eager?” He questioned.

Buck shrugged. “Just wanted to be ready. Cleaned myself up and then figured if I started by myself I’d be able to relax more and really enjoy it with you.”

“Well then I guess we’ll get to it.” Tommy smirked and took Evan’s hand and led him to the bedroom.

As soon as they got to Tommy’s room Buck was on him, kissing and tugging at Tommy’s clothes, wanting them off. He’d been partially chubbed up since before he left his place, and he was dying for more.

Tommy obliged Evan and pulled his shirt off. “There’s no need to rush, you know.”

“I know, just excited.” Buck admitted.

“I can tell,” Tommy said as he cupped and gave the growing bulge in Evan’s pants a squeeze.

Buck involuntarily let out a small whimper and dove in to kiss Tommy again. They continued kissing and shedding clothes as they slowly but surely moved across the room towards the bed. By the time they got there they were both undressed, a trail of their clothes left behind them.

“Easiest way to do this is if you’re on your hands and knees. If you wanna move to a different position later we can.” Tommy advised.

Buck nodded in understanding and got on the bed.

Tommy grabbed a bottle of lube from his bedside drawer. “Do you want me to wear a condom?” Tommy asked.

Buck shook his head. “Wanna feel you.”

“Okay.” Tommy shut the bedside drawer and came over to the edge of the bed. He set the lube down next to Evan and ran his hand over Evan’s ass cheek. “Do you want me to finish inside you or pull out?”

“M- maybe pull out? So clean up is easier?” Buck decided. He figured it best not to push his limits on new experiences for one night.

“Sure.” Tommy leaned over to kiss the back of Evan’s shoulder. “How many times do you want to cum tonight? I know you usually have a few orgasms in you.”

“Two? Maybe?” Buck wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to last nor did he want Tommy to feel like he needed to orgasm so many times.

“Okay. We’ll just go with the flow.” Tommy reassured Evan. “I’m ready to start when you are.”

“Yes. Please start.” Buck begged. He’d barely been touched but he was as hard as he could possibly be, and desperate for more than the relatively tame touching he’d received so far.

“Good.” Tommy coated a finger in lube and rested the other hand on Evan’s ass. “I’ll start slow. If you need to slow down or stop at any time, just say so. And if you decide part way through you’re not into it, that’s okay- remember that please.”

“Got it.” Buck promised.

“Okay.” And with that Tommy finally began to gently work a finger into Evan.

Buck couldn’t help but whine a little. Despite already having fingered himself a little at home before leaving for Tommy’s, it felt good- different when Tommy did it compared to himself.

“This okay?” Tommy asked to make sure as he slowly worked his finger in and out. There was very little resistance, which told Tommy that Evan probably worked himself up to at least two maybe three of his own fingers at home before coming over. The image Tommy created in his head of Evan working himself open was downright sinful and went straight to Tommy’s cock.

“So good, I can handle more.” Buck did his best to remain composed, even if he wanted to beg Tommy for more already.

“You sure don’t understand what slow means, do you?” Tommy mused as he picked up the pace a little, working his finger in and out. As badly as he wanted to get to the main event of the night, Tommy knew he was well endowed and didn’t want to skip steps and risk hurting Evan.

Buck rocked his hips back into Tommy’s touch. “I’ve done this before you know, I can handle more.”

“I know you can, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.” Tommy added more lube to his fingers, then worked a second finger into Evan alongside the first with relative ease.

“You’re being a tease.” Buck whined.

Tommy couldn’t help but be amused by the bratty behavior. “I wonder how you’d react if I was actually purposely drawing things out to tease you.” He wondered out loud as he continued fingering Evan.

“Maybe you can find out next time.” Buck suggested. He liked the idea of Tommy drawing things out, edging him. But not tonight. Buck really didn’t want to have to wait any longer than necessary.

“Is that something you’d want?” Tommy wondered.

Buck rocked back against Tommy’s fingers, wanting more. “Not now but yeah. That’s fun when you have someone who’s actually willing to really draw things out.”

“I’ll hold you to that then.” Tommy promised, already wondering just how long he could draw things out, how much Evan would beg, how much Tommy could take Evan apart before putting him back together. “Think you’re ready for more?” He asked as it seemed Evan was opening up pretty quick and looking for more.

“Yes. Please.” Buck nodded desperately.

“Alright.” Tommy carefully added a third finger. “How’s that?” He asked as he slowly began moving his fingers.

“Good. Really good.” Buck rocked back against Tommy’s fingers. It felt good but it still wasn’t quite enough. His dick was straining against his abs and leaking precum but Tommy’s fingers still weren’t enough. He was tempted to touch himself but held off, knowing more was coming soon and he just had to be patient. He had to be a good boy for Tommy.

“You’re doing so good for me, baby.” Tommy told Evan as he spread his fingers and searched for Evan’s prostate.

Before Buck could react to the praise, he felt Tommy brush against his prostate and he audibly gasped. “Right there.” He said frantically, trying to rock back against Tommy’s hand to get more contact.

“Oh right here?” Tommy began teasing the spot, enjoying the reaction he got from Evan.

“Fuck.” Buck whimpered. “Feels good.”

Tommy continued working Evan’s prostate, and reached around to wrap his free hand around Evan’s dick, jacking him off.

Buck was panting heavily, and a small moan escaped his lips when Tommy began jerking him off, tension growing low in his stomach. “Tommy,” He whined.

“I got you Evan,” Tommy promised, jerking Evan faster and continuing his assault on Evan’s prostate.

Buck rocked back into Tommy’s touch. “Please Tommy.”

“Come on sweetheart, come for me.” Tommy encouraged.

Two more strokes of Buck’s dick and he came with a small moan.

“Good boy.” Tommy cooed as he removed his fingers and slowed his strokes of Evan’s cock.

Buck took a second to catch his breath.

“Still want more?” Tommy asked. He’d be completely fine if the answer was no, but he did hope it was yes. Evan had made such pretty noises just on his fingers, he couldn’t wait to hear what the kid sounded like on his cock.

“Yes, please Tommy.” Buck begged. Even though he’d just come he still desperately wanted Tommy to fuck him. He’d been thinking about it for far longer than he cared to admit, and at that point he’d be damned if he wasn’t getting fucked tonight.

“Okay. You good to stay in this position at least to start?” Tommy asked as he lubed himself up. 

“Yeah, yeah I’m good.” Buck promised.

“Good.” Tommy lined himself up with Evan hole but didn’t push in yet. “Ready?” He asked.

“Yes, please Tommy.” Buck begged.

“Gonna take it slow, alright?” Tommy told Evan and carefully pushed in, taking his time to let Evan adjust to the size, despite his own desire to fuck right into Evan’s tight heat. “Let me know if it’s too much okay?”

Buck moaned at the stretch. “Oh god.” He murmured.

“Nope, still just Tommy.” He said and stopped. “You okay?” Tommy would far rather check in too much than not enough.

“So okay.” Buck promised. Tommy was thick and it was quite the stretch, but it wasn’t too much that it was painful.

Tommy slowly sunk the rest of the way into Evan, stopping when he'd bottomed out, hips flush against Evan's ass. “How you doing?” He leaned in speaking softly in Evan’s ear, while he kept one hand resting on Evan’s hip.

Buck looked down, panting heavily as he adjusted to the size. Tommy felt huge, way bigger than any strap he’d ever taken. Buck was pretty sure he now truly understood what people meant when they said they got their guts rearranged. “Think I need a second.” Buck admitted. He wanted to get this right, he wanted this to be good and something they did often, and he knew getting started on the right foot was the key to making that happen. Tommy was big and Buck wasn’t going to push himself.

“Take all the time you need, baby boy.” Tommy reassured Evan and pressed a kiss to his shoulder, free hand gently running up and down Evan’s back.

After a moment Buck rocked his hips back experimentally. “I’m good now.” He announced.

“You’re sure?” Tommy had to be sure.

“Yes, please.” Buck begged.

Tommy pulled back, starting slow as he fucked into Evan.

“Faster. Please.” Buck impatiently began rocking his hips against Tommy’s movement to try and get some control over the situation.

Tommy picked up the pace, ensuring he stayed responsive to the different cues Evan was giving. “Fuck, you’re so tight.” He mumbled, gripping Evan’s hips as he fucked into him.

“Tommy,” Buck whined.

“This okay?” Tommy asked.

“Go- good but, ah! Wanna see you.” Buck admitted.

“You wanna change positions?” Tommy asked, slowing his pace but not stopping entirely.

“Please.” Buck nodded desperately. “On- on my back.”

“Okay.” Tommy agreed easily and pulled out so Evan could change positions. “Good boy, communicating what you need.”

Buck was quick to swap positions, laying on his back with his legs spread to accommodate Tommy’s wide frame.

Tommy grabbed a pillow and slid it under Evan’s hips. “Ready to keep going?” He asked gently.

“Yes, please Tommy.” Buck nodded frantically.

Tommy grabbed Evan’s hips and slid back in and quickly got to work re-establishing the pace they were at before. “How’s that?”

“Fuck, Tommy,” Buck gasped. The new angle was different but just as good if not better than before, and he always had more fun in bed when he could see his partners and Tommy was no exception.

“You feel so good baby.” Tommy murmured as he continued fucking into Evan. He wanted to kiss every inch of Evan’s skin, he was absolutely beautiful like this and Tommy wanted to savour it as much as he could. Another time though, Tommy could already feel the tension building low in his stomach, but he was sure he could hold off as long as needed. 

Buck couldn’t help but reach for Tommy and pulled him in for a messy, heated kiss as Tommy continued thrusting into him at a steady pace.

Tommy kissed Evan back like there was no tomorrow while maintaining a steady pace.

Buck broke the kiss. “H- harder, please?” Buck panted. He could feel his second orgasm building. Every stroke of Tommy’s cock at the new angle created delicious friction against Buck’s prostate and he was absolutely desperate for more.

“Ev,” Tommy started, trying to tell Evan at that rate he might not be able to last much longer.

Buck met Tommy’s eyes and pulled a move he had yet to try on Tommy. Buck was at the point that he would say or do anything as he chased his looming orgasm. “Please fuck me harder daddy?” He pleaded.

Tommy hadn’t been expecting that in the slightest, and it was straight to his cock. He'd never been called ‘daddy’ before but he sure wanted to hear it again. Any remaining self-control went out the window and he fucked into Evan harder and faster. “Like that?”

“Yes! Fuck!” Buck gasped, orgasm rapidly approaching.

“Come on baby, come for daddy.” Tommy encouraged, knowing he wasn’t going to last much longer, and wanting Evan to finish first.

“ ’m close.” Buck warned, barely able to get the words out.

Tommy picked up the pace a bit more, desperate to get them both off.

That pushed Buck over the edge, pleasure spiking as the tension low in his gut reached a breaking point. Buck couldn’t stifle his moan as he came harder than he had in a long time, maybe ever.

Tommy gave a few more good thrusts to get himself off and to work Evan through his orgasm. At the last moment Tommy pulled out and came over Evan’s stomach, adding to the mess Evan had made of himself. He pulled out and let himself take a moment to catch his breath. “You did so good, baby boy.” He cooed.

Buck was breathing heavily, unable to formulate a response just yet.

Tommy was gentle with Evan as they made their way into Tommy’s ensuite to shower. Tommy was careful yet thorough cleaning Evan off, showering him with affection and praise as he did so. Evan was pretty wiped out, and was compliant with letting Tommy towel him off when they were done in the shower. Tommy dressed them both in just underwear and sweatpants, he knew by now that Evan liked skin-to-skin contact afterwards. Once they were dressed Tommy quickly changed the sheets while he had Evan drink some water, then they climbed into bed together, Evan resting his head on Tommy’s chest, half laying on top of Tommy.

“How was that sweetheart?” Tommy asked as he carded his fingers through Evan’s hair. It was still damp and a little tangled, so Tommy was careful to not tug on it too hard and cautiously detangle the curls as he went.

“So good.” Buck mumbled and yawned. He was a lot more tired than he expected to be, but Tommy didn’t seem to mind nor was he surprised, so Buck figured it was okay. “I- I hope the ‘daddy’ thing was okay.” He mumbled. “I know we didn’t really discuss it before…”

“It was definitely more than okay.” Tommy promised. While it had been unexpected, he wasn’t exactly surprised it came out either. He didn’t know a ton about Evan’s family life but based on the little he had heard about Evan’s family and the way Evan spoke about his captain being like a father-figure, it was easy to assume Evan had daddy-issues. It wasn’t unreasonable to think that might lead to something in the bedroom given the age gap between them.

“Good ‘cause I- I think I wanna do that again.” Buck decided.

Tommy let out an amused chuckle. “Sounds good to me.”

Buck let a moment of silence pass between them and realized he was already falling asleep. “Tired.” He murmured.

“I know. You did so good for me tonight now you need to rest. Just go to sleep, baby. I’ll be right here.” Tommy promised and lifted his head up to kiss Evan’s head.

Buck hummed happily and nuzzled himself into the warmth of Tommy’s chest, feel safe and oh-so very content as let himself drift off to sleep.

Chapter Text

In the morning Tommy woke before Evan. He laid in bed for a few minutes, just taking in the sight of Evan in the golden morning light. His curls always looked far lighter in the sunlight, and he looked so peaceful when sleeping- when Evan was awake he was almost always go-go-go. Eventually, Tommy had to get up and carefully slipped out of bed, kissed Evan's head, then pulled on a plain cotton t-shirt and slid on some slippers and before making his way to the kitchen.

Tommy didn't know what Evan would want for breakfast, so he made a generous spread with some of everything. Whatever they didn't eat could be saved for the next morning. Tommy made bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, hash browns, and sliced up some fruit for them as well. 

Buck woke to find Tommy was already out of bed and his side of the bed had already cooled. He went to the drawer where he kept some spare clothes for himself, grabbed a shirt and pulled it on, then headed off in search of Tommy.

Tommy was almost done with everything when a bleary eyed Evan wandered into the kitchen wearing a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off- something he’d brought to Tommy’s house to keep there for mornings like this. “Morning.” Tommy greeted cheerfully. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good.” Buck answered. “You always up so early?” Buck rubbed his eyes and stretched as he yawned. Almost every time he slept over Tommy was up before him unless one of them had work and their alarm woke them both at the same time.

“Yeah. Can't sleep in even if I want to.” Tommy admitted.

“That sucks.” Buck frowned, then looked around the kitchen at all the food that Tommy had made. “What's with all the food?”

“Had to feed you, didn't know what you'd want.” Tommy shrugged. “Help yourself to a coffee.” He nodded at the coffee maker and a clean mug next to it on the counter.

Buck took a moment to pour himself a cup of coffee. “Much appreciated. Why can’t you sleep in?”

“Just always been up early.” Tommy flipped another set of pancakes. “Started as a kid, was heavily enforced during my time in the military, never went away after.” He shrugged.

Buck hopped up onto the counter and stole a piece of bacon from the plate Tommy had it on and took a bite. He couldn’t help it, he was hungry and everything smelled delicious. “How long were you in the military?”

“Ten years. That’s the length of a contract they make you sign if you want them to put you through flight school.” Tommy sipped his coffee.

“Wow.” Buck mumbled. “You know I actually almost became a Navy SEAL? Went through BUD/S and everything.” He took another bite of his piece of bacon.

“But you didn’t go through with it?” Tommy cocked his head to the side.

“Nah. They wanted robots with red eyes, emotionless killing machines and that’s not me.” Buck shrugged and popped the remaining bit of bacon in his mouth. “Sometimes that training comes in handy on calls though, so that’s cool.”

Tommy hummed in understanding. The last of the pancakes were near done and everything else was ready, so he grabbed plates and cutlery for himself and Evan. “Help yourself.” He said as he handed Evan a plate and utensils.

“Thanks.” Buck began loading his plate up as he considered what to say next. “Do you talk about your time in the army much? I know for some people it’s like, a huge part of who they are and others would rather forget it ever happened.”

“Not much.” Tommy admitted as he also started making up his plate. “It was a long time ago now. Been out almost longer than you’ve been alive.”

“Makes sense I guess.” Buck mumbled. “And you were married to Abby already?”

“Got married right before I shipped off for my first tour.” Tommy confirmed.

“Wow.” Buck continued adding food to his plate. He appreciated how much effort Tommy put in and he was determined for it to not go to waste. “Was it hard for her? You being gone for so long?”

“I mean she missed me, and I missed her, but it’s not like she was just sitting around at home waiting for me to return. She was living her own life. Competed in the Olympics twice.” Tommy said the last part proudly. Abby didn’t talk about it as much anymore, but Tommy would never stop being proud of her accomplishments.

Buck stopped what he was doing to look at Tommy. “Seriously?”

“Mhmmm.” Tommy nodded. “Two hundred meter butterfly, part of the 100 meter medley relay, and the 100 meter freestyle relay. Competed in 1984 here in LA and 1988 in Seoul. Between both games she bagged two gold medals and four silver.”

“Wow. That’s so cool.” Buck smiled as he finished with his plate and took it and his coffee to the kitchen nook and sat down.

“The coolest.” Tommy smiled back as he joined Evan in taking a seat at the table.

After breakfast they got ready to head out furniture shopping. After some debate on whose car they were taking they got into Tommy’s truck and he started driving. “Alright Evan, where do you wanna look first?” Tommy glanced over at him.

Buck shrugged. “I dunno, probably like, IKEA?”

Tommy let out a laugh at that. “Come on, seriously?”

Buck frowned. “What- what’s wrong with IKEA?”

Tommy stopped at a red light and looked at Evan. “Well, nothing I suppose, if that’s what you really want, but I was thinking something a little more high end? Maybe get you some stuff you don’t have to build yourself? At least for the major things. I’m fine buying you IKEA book-shelves and whatnot but for the major stuff I wanna get you something good quality, something that won’t break in a couple years.”

“Oh.” Buck looked down at his lap. He should’ve known better that Tommy would insist on going all out, but he still worried about how much it would cost. He felt like he was getting so much more out of this than Tommy was and it didn’t feel fair.

“Get out of your own head about the cost, Evan. I said it before and I’ll say it as many times as you need to hear it, if I was worried about the cost, I wouldn’t offer.” Tommy insisted. “Evan, you deserve to have nice things. When was the last time someone gifted you something nice just because, not out of obligation for something?”

Buck was quiet as he tried to recall. The gang at the house didn’t do Christmas together, the other guys had family they went to visit. Buck hadn’t bothered with mentioning his birthday to anyone in years. He pushed further back. Years of Christmas and birthday gifts from his parents that didn’t quite meet the mark were all that came to mind. “I got myself a motorcycle about six years back.” He finally said.

“We’ll circle back to that later,” Tommy decided, intrigued by this new piece of information about Evan. “That doesn’t count.”

Buck frowned, in that case he guessed it was when Maddie got him a Play Station for Christmas in 2006. She hadn’t been home for the Christmas before and wanted to make up for it by going all out that year. That was the last time she’d been home for Christmas. “Okay you have a point.” He admitted.

“Do you want me to pick the place?” Tommy offered.

“Okay.” Evan agreed.

Soon they got to a large higher-end furniture retailer. Tommy parked the truck and they headed inside. “If I catch you looking at prices, I’ll make an appointment to go into the next place and I’ll have them hide all the price stickers before we get there.” He warned.

Buck scoffed. That wasn’t something stores did, right? “Yeah, okay.” He rolled his eyes.

“I’m serious, Evan. Money talks. I can make it happen if needed.” Tommy insisted.

Buck let out a small breath. “Okay.”

Tommy nodded. “So, what’s first?” He asked as they got inside the store.

“Well I have a bedframe and mattress already-” Buck started.

Tommy couldn’t help but stop Evan right there. “Do you like your bed frame and mattress?”

“What do you mean?” Buck frowned.

“I mean is the bed big enough? Is the mattress comfy enough? Firm enough? Do you like the bedframe?”

“Yeah, it- it’s fine.” Buck shrugged. “Not- not as nice as your bed, but, it works.”

Tommy nodded slowly, seeing through Evan’s response. “Can I ask you something?”

Buck gave Tommy a confused look. “Sure?”

“Okay, and there’s no pressure to say yes, but you previously told me you don’t have me over to your current place because you have roommates, so when you get your new place would you ever want me to come to you?” Tommy asked. “And it’s fine if you don’t want to, you deserve to have your own space, we can stick to always going to my place-”

“No, I uh- it might be nice for you to come to me for a change.” Buck decided.

“Okay. Then answer me this, does your current bed have enough space for both of us? Can it withstand what we’d put it through? Can it handle our combined weight? Cause I don’t know about you but I weigh 220.” Tommy wondered.

Buck hadn’t considered that. And it honestly was easier to justify getting a new bed if Tommy would get some benefit from it too. “Okay maybe we should look at beds too.”

Tommy nodded in understanding. “Got it.”

“Maybe we can just start here with couches?” Buck suggested. “Work our way around the store?”

“Sure.” Tommy agreed. “What are you looking for in a couch?” He asked as he wandered into the couches section.

“I mean I- I want something comfortable,” Buck started. “Would be nice if it's big enough for me to nap on but that’s not a deal breaker. And I guess I want something that feels, I dunno, adult? Like this is my first solo place, first real apartment. I wanna feel more grown up?”

“Alright so something a little more classy, more mature.” Tommy summarized to himself. “See any you like?”

A few feet further ahead was a dark grey cloth couch that looked comfortable and was definitely on the bigger side. Buck took a few steps towards it and touched the fabric- it felt nice-, so he sat down to test it out but it was firm as hell and not at all comfortable. “Mmm so not that one.”

“No give?” Tommy guessed.

“Not a bit.” Buck stood.

“Okay, what did you like about that one?” Tommy wondered.

“Well I liked that it wasn’t plain black or white. And the size looked good.”

“Okay.” Tommy nodded. “What about this one?” He gestured to another one nearby. It was a light cream color, also large, and looked comfortable.

Buck stepped closer and touched the fabric, immediately pulling his hand away. “No way.”

Tommy chuckled a little at Evan. “So texture is a factor as well.”

“Yeah.” Buck agreed.

“Is leather okay?” Tommy asked as he walked further ahead to a taller dark brown leather couch. It was as long as the others but maybe not as wide from front to back of the seat.

“Yeah leather’s good.” Buck sat down. The couch was comfortable enough. “Nap test.” He declared and moved to lay down. It was just barely wide enough for him, but probably not wide enough to actually get a decent nap in without seriously risking falling off. “Could be better.” He decided and stood. Buck then spotted a nice darker yellowy-tan leather sofa. It was long enough and certainly looked wider and comfy. He sat down on it and found it was quite comfortable. “This is nice.”

“Wide enough?” Tommy wondered. It looked like it’d be wide enough for him to comfortably nap on it.

Buck moved to test laying down. “Oh yeah.” He nodded.

Tommy grabbed the tag to make note of the style. “There’s a matching armchair too if you’re interested.”

A man somewhere between Buck and Tommy’s ages dressed in a crisp suit then approached. “Good morning gentlemen. Anything I can help you two with?” He asked, looking between Tommy and Buck like he was trying to figure out their relationship.

“Well we’ve still got more shopping to do, but I think this couch is a winner?” Tommy told the sales associate and looked at Evan.

Buck nodded. “Yeah, and the uh- the armchair sounds good too.”

“Alright. I’ll start up a sale, who’s this for?” The associate asked.

“The order will be under the last name Buckley, but the name on the card will be Kinard.” Tommy informed the sales associate so he wouldn’t come to the conclusion that Evan was Tommy’s son.

“Alright.” The man nodded, seemingly still trying to figure out their relationship given the new information he had. “I’ll get that started right away and I’ll let you continue with your shopping. Just let me know if there’s anything you’ll be adding to the order or if you need any help or have any questions.”

“Sure.” Buck agreed.

Tommy and Evan began to make their way towards other living room furnishings.

“What do you think he’s thinking about us? Like our relationship I mean?” Buck asked quietly.

“Not a clue.” Tommy admitted. “But he’s clearly spinning his wheels trying to figure it out.”

“No doubt.” Buck agreed.

Feeling a little calmer about letting Tommy spend money on him, Buck picked out a coffee table and TV stand that weren’t technically a set but matched quite nice.

“Do you have a TV?” Tommy wondered as Evan picked out the TV stand. There was no judgement in his voice, just curiosity.

“Yeah. It’s actually a pretty good one too.” Buck looked over at Tommy. “My team responded to a call at a big electronics store a while back- just so happened to be right after my old one crapped out, piece of junk I got second-hand online- next day after my shift I went back because I saw they had some sales going on. They had a nice one on sale for like thirty percent or something because the newer model just came out and they wanted to get rid of the old ones, then the manager from the day before spotted me and offered me a further discount for our help the day before and I took him up on it. Paid like, a hundred bucks for a 500 dollar TV.”

Tommy nodded and looked around, catching their sale’s associate’s eye to get him to come over. “Does that happen a lot? People offering you discounts and stuff for saving them?”

“All the time.” Buck confirmed.

“Found another piece to add to the order?” The sales associate asked as he approached.

“Two actually.” Buck told him. “This TV stand and the coffee table just over there.” He pointed it out.

“Excellent choices. They’ll look good together.” The sales associate nodded as he took note of the TV stand model. “Is that all on the bill or are we still going?”

“Still going.” Tommy informed him.

“Got a whole brand new apartment to furnish.” Buck added.

“Alright,” He nodded and smiled. “Flag me down when you have some more selections.”

Buck began walking towards the next section of the store, bedroom furniture. “Yeah, a lot of times when we respond to businesses they’ll offer discounts or free stuff. Everything from food to clothes, even dental work and psychic readings.”

“Wow.” Tommy nodded.

“And people we help at home always wanna thank us too. We almost always have some kind of baked goods or food that people have brought to the station to thank us. And loads of cards, flowers, and letters too.” Buck continued as he walked through the dressers. He had a decent dresser already that did not need to be replaced and he had a good amount of closet space at the loft too. 

“You never worry that the food is, I don’t know, tainted?” Tommy frowned.

“Nah.” Buck shook his head. “People love firefighters and they’re thanking us for saving them. No one’s gonna try and poison us.”

“Uh-huh.” Tommy murmured, not totally sold on the idea.

“Alright. Bed frames.” Buck nodded as he looked around. He saw a few he liked right off the bat but worried about testing a bed frame out for it’s stability. Some looked super solid but when he touched them the wood felt cheap. Others looked quite dainty but were metal and could probably hold up quite well.

“What size bed do you want?” Tommy asked, hoping to help guide Evan somehow.

“Well I have a double now but it’s kinda tight with my height and probably wouldn’t be wide enough for us both. But I can’t go too big either because I only have so much space up in the loft.” Buck explained.

“Alright.” Tommy nodded. “You know a California King is narrower than a regular King but longer, and it would still have enough space for both of us.” He suggested.

“Alright.” Buck approached a bedframe and looked at the sizes it came in. No Cali King. He kept moving. “Hey what size is your bed anyway?” Buck had been meaning to ask forever but the only time he remembered his curiosity was when he saw it, and was always either too eager to get into it, or too tired to remember to ask.

“Mine?” Tommy raised his brows. “I have an Alaskan king. Biggest size you can get without going custom.”

“Why so big?” Buck asked as he looked at the sizes for another frame. It came in a California king but didn’t seem all that sturdy when he gave a shake of the frame.

Tommy shrugged. “I guess I figured I had the money for it. And after years of sleeping on cots in the military I never wanted to sleep in a bed too small again.”

“That makes sense.” Buck checked another frame. It came in the size he wanted and seemed sturdy enough.

“Like this one?” Tommy asked. The bed frame was metal, a little higher off the ground and had a tall, light wood headboard and he could see Evan sleeping in it.

“Yeah I think so.” Buck looked and waved over the sales associate.

“Found another winner?” The sales associate asked as he approached.

“Maybe.” Buck told him. “What’s the weight rating on this thing in a California King size?” He wondered. He knew it was probably on the tag, but looking at that meant seeing the price, and Buck knew if he saw the price he’d start getting in his own head about the cost of this.

“Well it depends.” The sales associate told Buck, looking between Buck and Tommy. “With just a mattress, four hundred fifty pounds. If you add the optional additional slats or a box spring it could be more like six to seven hundred.”

Buck nodded. “That works. We’ll do this with those extra slats in the Cali King.”

“Sure thing.” The sales associate nodded and went to add it to their bill.

“Four-fifty not high enough?” Tommy wondered with an amused look on his face as they moved towards mattresses.

“Better to be safe than sorry.” Buck shrugged. “In the last year I’ve gained like thirty pounds of muscle in the last year alone.”

“Wow.” Tommy mumbled.

“Yeah.” Buck chuckled. “I uh, I was kinda pudgy before puberty hit.” He admitted as he started testing out mattresses. “Then when I was like fifteen I had a huge growth spurt and for a while I was kinda lanky til I started hitting the gym. Bulked up enough to play football in high school. Then from the end of high school til moving to LA I was kinda all over the place- when I was tending bar I lost some muscle, building houses and working on a ranch I bulked up a little. The SEALS too. Then sorta lost it again in Peru. Once I got to LA and joined the fire academy it’s been steady on the up-and-up.”

Tommy happily listened to Evan as the younger-man tried a few mattresses. “What position did you play?”

“Tight end.” Buck responded. “Oh this one is nice.” He told Tommy.

“Yeah?” Tommy asked.

“Yeah come try it.” Buck encouraged Tommy. He knew the mattress wasn’t specifically for him and Tommy , but it would be nice if Tommy didn’t mind the mattress either if Tommy was going to be sleeping over.

Tommy did as asked. “Yeah, it’s firm but doesn’t feel like you’re laying on a brick either.”

“I think we have another winner.” Buck smiled.

They picked out a dining room table and chair set, as well as bar stools for the island in Evan’s kitchen and finally headed up to the front to finish up the bill and organize the delivery.

“Ready to go?” Their sales associate asked.

“Yes.” Tommy confirmed. “And no need to mention prices, we’re good on that.”

“Alright,” The associate agreed. He went over a list of what all they’d picked. Buck confirmed it and Tommy pulled out his Amex.

Buck didn’t want to know, he truly didn’t, so he wandered away while Tommy paid. He knew the total was surely in the quintuple digits, but Buck figured if he didn’t know the total cost, he couldn’t stress over it. Tommy insisted it was okay, and as scary as it was, Buck decided to believe him.

Once Tommy finished paying, Buck returned to the desk and they confirmed the delivery address and dates, and finalized the sale, before Buck and Tommy left the store.

Once they got back to the truck Tommy looked at Evan. “Thank you, for letting me buy you all that.” He said sincerely.

Buck looked at Tommy. Buck briefly thought about kissing Tommy- he sort of wanted to- but he refrained. The only time they kissed was during foreplay. “Thank you for buying it for me.”

“That’s what I’m here for.” Tommy grinned.

Chapter Text

“So how's the BoyToy hunt going?” Abby sipped what looked like a mimosa over the computer screen which made sense as it was about 9am in Madrid.

Tommy hadn’t gotten to chat with Abby much lately, just a few texts back and forth. It’d been several weeks since their last video call. Between the time difference, Abby’s travels, and Tommy’s schedule that now included a healthy dose of seeing Evan, it’d been hard to find a time. Now it was a Saturday night in LA for Tommy, and Sunday morning for Abby in Spain and they finally had the chance- and Abby had the wifi connection- to talk.

They’d already chatted about Abby’s travels and what she’d been getting up to. They talked about how they were both doing with Patricia’s death- both were at peace with it now, she’d suffered a long time, and they were glad she wasn’t in pain or confused anymore.

“Hunt’s over. Found one.” Tommy told her and sipped his beer.

“And you’re not with him on a Saturday night?” Abby tilted her head in confusion.

“Well one, we had this scheduled and I wasn’t going to bail on my wife of 35 years for my sugar baby who’s only been around for like two months,” Tommy started.

Abby chuckled and smiled at Tommy. “Appreciate it.”

“And he’s working tonight anyway. He’s a firefighter.” Tommy explained. He grabbed his phone and sent her a picture of Evan. Just as he’d been honest with Evan about Abby the last several weeks, he was now doing the same about Evan with Abby. “His name is Evan.”

Abby grabbed her phone and examined the picture. “Looks like you found a good one.” She grinned. “I would hope with looks like that he’s good in bed?”

Tommy chuckled. “You know it.”

“Okay but on a scale of one to ten?” Abby asked in a hushed tone, something she had a tendency to do when discussing something potentially scandalous whether she was in private or public.

“Ten. Hands down.” Tommy answered quickly.

“Really?” Abby asked.

Tommy nodded and sipped his beer.

Abby hummed. “Well he looks young- between that and being a firefighter- I have to assume he’s got good stamina.”

“Can hardly keep up with him.” Tommy grinned. “He’s eager to please, that’s for sure.”

“Taking the daddy part of your title seriously,” Abby seemed quite amused.

“I honestly didn’t think I’d go as young as he is- he’s twenty-six.” Tommy admitted. “But I mean it’s not just the sex with him. He’s one of, if not the most interesting person I’ve ever met. Apparently his friends say he’s like a golden-retriever, and well, they aren’t exactly wrong. And the conversation with him is,” Tommy shook his head unsure of how to accurately describe it. “There’s never a dull moment with Evan. I swear he’s like, sunshine personified, Abs.”

“You seem really happy.”

“I am, yeah.” Tommy confirmed.

Abby smiled. “I’m glad.”

---

Things had been going well for Buck. He’d gotten settled into the loft and said good riddance to the frat house a few weeks ago. Buck had his shield ceremony a few days ago and was no longer a probationary firefighter. Part of him had wanted to invite Tommy, but he didn’t know how he’d explain to everyone who Tommy was, so he didn’t, and instead celebrated with Tommy in private later that night.

Buck had been in a good mood. His coworkers and friends didn’t understand why he had so much pep in his step, or where he’d gotten the money for his new place, and they asked him about it a lot, but he just brushed it off every time.

The good mood lasted until that morning when new recruit Eddie Diaz had shown up at the station. And, yeah, okay Diaz showed potential or whatever, but Buck didn’t understand why they needed Diaz. Why’d Bobby have to swipe him from station 6? The 118 already had two great paramedics and they had their token young tough guy in Buck and Buck didn’t think the A-shift even had any slots open. Diaz’s presence alone had Buck on edge. Buck worried that Diaz was there to replace him. There had been some rough moments during Buck’s probie year, and he worried that maybe he’d be getting transferred to a different station. Buck didn’t want to go elsewhere. He liked the 118 and he liked Bobby, Hen, and Chimney. It wasn’t fair.

Then Diaz questioned Buck on a call and that just made everything worse. Not only had Diaz made Buck look and feel like an idiot, but he impressed the hell out of the rest of their team and Buck didn’t know whether he felt more threatened by Diaz, or angry, or scared he’d be getting transferred.

Buck unlocked the door to his loft and stepped inside, just getting home from a long aggravating shift. Good mood gone, all thanks to Diaz. Immediately Buck noticed an open wine bottle and glass on the counter that he definitely hadn’t left there. Then he noticed the shower running.

The only other person who had a key to the loft was Tommy. He’d given it to Tommy ‘for emergencies’ but Buck didn’t mind Tommy coming over to his place casually like this. As nice as Tommy’s house was, it was also nice to not have to drive all the way out there every time he wanted to see Tommy. Buck didn’t have any beer in the fridge but he had the bottle of wine which had been a house-warming gift that Buck didn’t really need.

Buck kinda liked that Tommy had just let himself in, and helped himself to a glass of wine and a shower. He grinned as he pulled his shirt off on the way to the bathroom, eager to join Tommy and forget all about his day and his stupid new coworker.

He kicked his pants off and smirked as he pulled back the shower curtain and realized it was definitely not Tommy in his shower. “Maddie?!” He shouted as she screamed.

“Damn it Evan, don’t you knock?” Maddie exclaimed as she covered herself with the shower curtain.

“Me?! What- what are you even doing here?” He asked. He hadn’t seen his sister in over three years. He’d kept sending her post-cards but she never responded, never called, not even a text message from her.

“Well, I was in town and I wanted to see my little brother.” Maddie explained.

Buck looked down where he was holding his junk so Maddie wouldn’t see. “Well, you did.”

“Yeah.” She nodded.

“I should probably,” Buck gestured that he was going to leave. “Yeah,”

“Okay,”

“I’m gonna,” Buck left the bathroom in a hurry.

“Uh-huh. Yep, yep, yeah.” Maddie said as she pulled the shower curtain closed again.

“You think there is anyway we can unsee that?” Buck asked as he handed Maddie a plate of food.

“Oh come on, I used to give you baths.” Maddie rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, when I was two.” Buck argued. “Hey, how did you even get in there?”

“I told the building manager I was your sister.” Maddie shrugged.

“And he just believed you?” Buck questioned. Maybe he needed to re-evaluate this place after all.

“Well, having boobs doesn’t hurt.”

Buck nodded a bit, opting to not say anything further on that matter. “Well you knew where I lived so, I guess you have been getting those postcards.” Buck was excited Maddie was here and also upset with her for the years of extreme low-contact. He’d sent her a postcard from his new address so that she’d have it, but after years of no responses to them, he never expected Maddie to need his address if he were honest.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch much lately.” Maddie said sincerely.

“Three years, Maddie. I haven’t heard from you in three years.”

“Yeah I know.” Maddie insisted. “And it’s not what I wanted.”

“Where is Doug?” Buck asked just a little bitterly.

“Don’t know, don’t care.”

“You left him?” Buck was shocked. He’d never liked Doug but he didn’t know if Maddie would ever leave him.

“Finally.” Maddie nodded.

“Geez, Mads. Come on, what took you so long?”

“What can I say? Mom was right.”

“Do they know?” Buck wondered. He hadn’t spoken to his parents in longer than it’d been since when he’d last heard from Maddie.

“No one knows, and please don’t tell them if they call?” Maddie requested. “I don’t want anyone to know that I’m here.”

“Kinda sounds like you’re hiding out.” Buck frowned.

“No, more like laying low.” Maddie told him. “So, what happened to you ? Because this place is nice , and clean, and you just cooked me food- actual food. Is there a shallot in here?”

“Yeah, my uh, my boss at work is like Guy Fieri. He’s been teaching me. Uh, we have not made it past breakfast though.” Buck admitted.

“Okay that explains the cooking, but that does not explain this apartment.”

Buck shrugged. “Saved up for it. Just moved in like two weeks ago.”

Because it was just for a few days, Buck decided to focus on feeling excited that Maddie was in LA, and opted to avoid his feelings about the years of no-contact from her. But at the same time, Buck couldn’t exactly see Tommy while she was in town without explaining to her where he was going and he was not ready to have that conversation with her at all.

To make matters worse, Diaz was of course still there at work, showing off, making friends with the crew, and generally just trying to piss Buck off, at least that’s how it felt. It was making Buck bitter and snippy with people he wasn’t really upset with and he hated that. But Diaz walked in the place like he’d been there for years, like he owned the place, he was just comfortable there already and he shouldn’t be. It took Buck a long time to act half as comfortable there as Diaz did in two shifts and when he called Diaz out for it, every word Diaz said just pissed him off more.

And as if things weren't already bad enough, Bobby was pushing Buck to play nice with Diaz, and that only made Buck angrier. Why should he have to place nice with his replacement?

Then suddenly Diaz oh so selflessly volunteered to remove the live round from their patient’s leg, and Buck wasn’t about to let Diaz take all the credit. Bobby tried to tell Buck he didn’t need to do it, which only made Buck want to participate more.

Thankfully the extraction went smoothly and they handed the patient off to the doctors and nurses waiting to take him. Then Diaz turned to Buck. “You’re a badass under pressure brother.”

Buck didn’t know what he was expecting but it definitely wasn’t that. “M- me?” He asked. Diaz as the one who actually pulled the grenade out. All Buck did was hold the box. Diaz was the guy the 118 probably wanted anyway. Buck wondered two things, one being where he’d be getting transferred to, and two being why was Diaz giving him credit?

“You can have my back any day.” Diaz nodded.

Was that- that felt like respect and trust. And as worried as Buck was about his spot at the 118, he realized he had no reason to hate Diaz. It wouldn’t be Diaz signing the transfer papers. Diaz probably didn’t really get much of a choice when it came to joining the 118 after all. “Yeah,” He nodded back. “Or you know, you could- you could have mine.” Buck extended his hand to shake.

Diaz chuckled as he shook Buck’s hand.

That wasn’t the only change that came over the next couple days. Maddie decided to stay in LA which Buck was glad for, but he also missed Tommy and hated feeling like he had to sneak around to see him due to Maddie living at his loft for the time being.

Buck told Maddie he’d been asked to cover someone else’s shift after his own twelve hour shift,  but instead after his shift he went to Tommy’s. Tommy was waiting at the door for him and Buck was quick to fall into Tommy’s arms, hugging him tight. He’d missed Tommy and so much had happened the last few days and so much felt uncertain and weird and everything was changing. Except Tommy. Tommy was the same and Buck was able to take comfort in that.

Tommy wrapped his arms around Evan. He didn’t know exactly what had been going on with Evan the last few days, they hadn’t talked much, but from what Evan had said Tommy knew he was stressed, and seeing him only reassured that notion for Tommy. “Hey.” He said softly as he ran his hand up and down Evan’s spine.

“Hi.” Buck mumbled into Tommy’s neck. “Missed you.”

“I missed you too baby.” Tommy said softly.

Tommy made Evan dinner while Evan showered. When he finished they sat down at the table and Evan began to eat and open up.

“I uh- god I don’t even know where to start, Tommy. This last week has just been chaos.” Buck sighed.

“You don’t have to explain yourself, Ev.” Tommy reminded him gently.

“No, I- I know. But I need to get it off my chest and I don’t know who else to talk to about it and you always make me feel better.” Buck told Tommy.

“Alright then. What’s up?” Tommy asked.

Buck told Tommy about Eddie and how he feared he was being replaced. Tommy did his best to reassure him that probably wasn’t the case, but it didn’t help as much as Buck wanted it too.

“The other thing is uh, my sister showed up unexpectedly.” Buck then told Tommy.

“You have a sister?” Tommy wracked his brain, trying to remember if Evan had ever mentioned a sister, but he couldn’t recall anything. Evan really didn’t talk about his family- not that Tommy did either other than Abby and a little about Patricia.

“Yeah, Maddie.” Buck nodded. “I hadn’t seen her in over three years. No calls, no texts, nothing. I sent postcards to her work to update her on my life, I did it a lot when I travelled before joining the LAFD, not as much once I started, but I sent her one when I moved so she’d have my new address just in case. I didn’t think it’d matter. I never even knew if she was getting them but the hospital she worked at never sent them back so,” Buck shrugged.

Tommy patiently listened to Evan.

“I sent them to her work ‘cause I didn’t trust her husband- Doug- not to throw them in the trash. I never liked him even when I was a kid- Maddie’s older than me. She started seeing Doug when she was like 17, she left home to move to Boston with him a year or so later when I was like twelve. Even back then I didn’t like him, and it turns out I had a good reason to.”

“Is she okay?” Tommy frowned.

“He was hurting her. And when she threatened to leave, he threatened to kill her.” Buck paused. “I- I could’ve lost her.” He whispered.

“But you didn’t.” Tommy reminded him. “She’s here now and she’s safe.”

Buck nodded. “Yeah. Originally she wasn’t going to stay in town but I managed to convince her to stay. We used to be so close before she left home and then once she did I barely ever saw her, I- I couldn’t handle losing her again. I’ve missed her so much."

“That makes perfect sense.”

“She’s staying with me for now and she’s gonna start working at 9-1-1 dispatch. Until she lands on her feet we’ll have to stick to seeing each other here. And of- of course I’ll still make sure to see you once every two weeks at least, but it might not be as often as it has been. I can only tell her I’m working so much overtime.” Buck admitted.

“I get it. Family comes first. Don’t worry about it.” Tommy reassured Evan.

Buck could feel his eyes watering and he tried not to cry. “There’s just so much change. It’s disorienting and overwhelming. I don’t know how to handle it all.” Buck was quick to wipe away a tear that escaped.

Tommy quickly got up and wrapped his arms around Evan from behind. “It’s okay, Evan. You’re gonna be okay, one way or another. I’ve got you. And if there is anything I can do to help, just say the word.”

“Can you just- just h- hold me tonight?” Buck asked quietly.

“Of course I can.” Tommy agreed gently. “Come on, why don’t we go curl up in bed and watch a movie and you can forget about everything for a little while til you fall asleep?” Tommy suggested.

Buck nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Okay.” Tommy kissed Evan’s cheek, then led him to the bedroom where they did just that.

Chapter Text

“Hey,” Buck greeted as he approached Bobby, Hen, and Chimney in the kitchen.

“Alright, Buckaroo, if you were not a member of the LAFD what would you be doing?” Chimney asked.

“Uh, I don’t know,” Buck said immediately. He immediately found himself wondering what was going on? Why were they discussing what Buck would be doing for work if he wasn’t a firefighter? He’d been worried about getting replaced for over a week, and now this? Was his temporary firing as a probie coming back to bite him in the ass? No, surely it would’ve before now, right? “I’m not getting fired, am I?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“That’s inevitable.” Chimney joked, but it didn’t feel very funny for Buck.

“He’d be a golden retriever.” Hen decided, and the conversation continued on as Buck went to take a seat and tried to get out of his own head with regards to his fear of being fired.

A short while later Buck was working on the task of cleaning the locker rooms/showers when the ground started to shake. He’d felt little earthquakes during his travels, but nothing like this. “Go, go!” He urged the other firefighter in the locker room out. The glass of the walls was already breaking and lockers tilting- definitely not a safe place to be.

In no time at all they were in the engine on their way to a call. Buck watched Eddie try to do something on his phone, and get frustrated. “Is everything okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, there’s no service. Texts won’t even get through.” Eddie responded.

Buck had figured as much. Of course he wanted to check on Maddie and Tommy, but he hadn’t even bothered trying. Buck just had to assume Maddie was safe at dispatch, calls were coming from the Parker center without issue so Buck figured they must be okay over there. And Tommy was working today- flight training if he recalled correctly. God Buck hoped Tommy was in the air when the quake hit. Buck assured Eddie that Christopher would be fine, and hoped the same could be said for the people he cared about.

---

“Only got a couple sessions left until you’ve clocked enough flight hours to fly solo,” Tommy reminded his student. “How ya feeling about it?”

“Good.” The guy nodded.

“You should, you’ve been doing great.” Tommy told him sincerely.

“ Attention chopper 2170, this is base, come in. ” Base requested over the radio.

“Chopper 2170, copy.” Tommy responded.

“ You need to return to base immediately. There’s just been a major earthquake. Smoke from fires may reduce visibility and we need to clear all airspace over LA county for LAFD choppers as soon as possible."

“Copy. Returning to base.” Tommy reported as his student turned them around. He looked out at the city below him. Smoke was starting to billow into the sky from various buildings and damage could be seen even from all the way up in the chopper.

“Whoa.” The student mumbled as they saw one of the large high-rise hotels near downtown had partially crumbled and was leaning at a huge angle.

“Yeah.” Tommy agreed. His mind instantly went to Evan. Evan was working today. Tommy knew Evan was going into dangerous situations every time he went to work, but this felt a little extra nerve wracking.

As soon as they were on the ground at the hanger, Tommy tried to message Evan but to no surprise there was no cell service. Tommy sighed and put his phone back down on his desk. The binders on the shelves of his office were all on the floor, but otherwise there was little if any damage thankfully. Tommy wasn’t excited to see what state the house would be in. He was suddenly very glad Abby was an ocean away and he didn’t have to worry about whether she was okay or being unable to contact each other.

“Kinard,” The director of the flight school stopped in the doorway to Tommy’s office.

“Sir?” Tommy looked up at him.

“Training flights have all been cancelled for the day. Cal-tech says the quake was a 7.1- biggest quake in twenty years. LAFD is stretched thin, there’s more emergencies than they have resources for. They’ve asked if we have any pilots and-or choppers to spare. You can totally say no and I won’t hold it against you, but if you're willing to help, well it’s desperately needed.”

Tommy nodded slowly in understanding. “Yeah alright.” He agreed. Whatever damage that maybe have happened at the house was done at the house anyway and it made no difference if he got home now or later. At least if he was doing something to help he’d have something to keep him from just sitting around and worrying about Evan.

“Good. You’ve got chopper 2170. Go next door to the LAFD hanger, they’ll pair you up with someone and you’ll get in the sky.

“Got it.” 

---

Finally after they were out of the hotel Buck found he had service. He had a text from Maddie that he responded to right away, and was relieved to find she was okay. He texted Tommy next.

Buck : Just got cell service, today has been crazy but I’m okay. You good?

Buck didn’t get a response right away and tried to not stress over it. They got back to the station, tidied up what shouldn’t wait while the B-shift took the trucks to go back out.

A few of their cars were damaged, luckily Buck’s Jeep was okay. Eddie’s truck would be fixable, but it wasn’t happening tonight and wasn’t drivable, so Buck drove Eddie to pick up Christopher and dropped them off at home. Finally as he was pulling away from Eddie’s house, his phone rang with a call from Tommy. Buck answered quickly. “Tommy, hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m good.” Tommy reassured.

“You had me worried when you didn’t respond.” Buck admitted as he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. “You at home?”

“Trying to get there. The roads are a mess.” Tommy explained.

“Yeah, no kidding.” Buck agreed. “Where were you that you’re not home already? I thought you were supposed to be working today. Didn’t they ground all non-LAFD aircraft?”

“They did, sort of. But LAFD needed more choppers and pilots than what they had. I was asked to help out seeing as we’re right next door. I’m just leaving now.” Tommy explained.

“If I can get to your place can I come see you?” Buck asked. Maddie had texted to say she was staying overtime at dispatch, so it’s not like he needed to go back to the loft yet, and he wanted to see Tommy. To see he was okay. To hold him and be held by him. He figured it really wasn’t that big of an ask after the day he’d had.

“Of course. I don’t know what shape the house will be in but my neighbor confirmed it’s still standing. I’ll be there as soon as I can. If you beat me there you can let yourself in. I programmed a code for you for the door, 3826.”

“3826.” Buck repeated to himself. He realized it was ‘Evan’ on the keypad. He wondered when exactly and why Tommy had done that. “Got it.”

“Okay. I’ll see you as soon as possible.” Tommy told him.

“Yeah. Drive safe.” Buck requested.

“You too.” Tommy echoed back.

Tommy finally got home almost an hour later, Evan’s Jeep was nowhere to be seen so he must’ve still been stuck in traffic. Tommy parked in the driveway and started by walking around the house outside to look for any obvious signs of structural damage. Satisfied that nothing looked out of the ordinary and the fact that no one else on his street seemed to have structural damage, he went inside.

Picture frames had fallen off the walls, furniture had moved, shifted, or otherwise toppled over. In the kitchen drawers were open, and a good number of dishes had rattled out of the cupboards and smashed on the counters or floor below. The house was a mess but it was still standing, and Tommy supposed that was all that really mattered.

He sent Abby a message to let her know what happened, and that both himself and the house were okay. He didn’t want her to wake up and hear about it on the news and be left wondering if he was okay.

When Tommy finished surveying the house, he checked the attached garage where his Camaro and Abby’s vehicle were parked. Seeing as it was just the cars in there, it looked pretty good. The back garage that he did his mechanic work in was another story. All of his large tool boxes were on wheels and had gone flying all over the place, his tools were spread out across the floor. All the stuff in storage at the back corner of the garage had toppled over spilling the contents of the boxes out. Tommy just let out a defeated sigh and went back into the house. There were areas he needed to focus on first before the garage anyway.

He made his way back towards the kitchen. It’d been a long day, and Tommy hadn’t felt the way he did while assisting the LAFD since his time in the army- in both good and bad ways. If he wasn’t so exhausted he’d get started cleaning right away. Instead he went straight for the fridge. Normally he took beers out of the cardboard carrier before putting them in the fridge but he’d been lazy and didn’t last time, which now had saved him from having broken beer bottles and a huge mess in the fridge. He grabbed a beer and closed the fridge. He popped the top off and took a sip then took another good look around the kitchen.

No one had touched Patricia’s favourite mug in months- not to use it, nor remove it from it’s home in the cupboard with all the other mugs. An acknowledgement that she’d been there.

Patricia had meant a lot to Tommy. He and Abby never told her the truth about their marriage, but Tommy always suspected she knew, and yet Patricia liked him anyway. She’d been a hell of a lot more of a mom to Tommy than his own mother ever was.

Sitting near the top of the pile of broken ceramic was Patricia’s favorite mug, which appeared to be mostly intact. Tommy set his beer down and walked over- glass crunching beneath his shoes with each step- and picked it up. He found it had a small chip but otherwise was undamaged. Tommy didn’t even understand why but suddenly tears were stinging his eyes. It was just a coffee mug. He hadn’t cried about Patricia in months.

“Tommy?” Evan’s voice broke the silence.

Tommy turned and gave Evan a small smile. “Hey.” He said softly.

“Hope you don’t mind, I let myself in.” Buck said sheepishly.

“Not at all.” Tommy reassured him.

“You okay?” Buck asked gently, sensing something was off.

“This mug was my mother-in-law’s favorite. She passed away less than a year ago. It’s the only one that isn’t in at least a dozen pieces.” Tommy explained.

“Sometimes the universe does funny things like that I guess.” Buck wasn’t sure it’d help Tommy, but he didn’t know what else to say.

“Yeah.” Tommy rasped. He set the mug down and pulled Evan close, wrapping his arms tight around him. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Buck hugged Tommy back just as tight. “I’m glad you are too.”

“The house is a mess, but I am beat,” Tommy admitted. “I don’t know about you.”

“Me too. Spent a good couple hours climbing around that hotel downtown- not sure if you heard about that-”

“You were inside that thing?” Tommy knew he shouldn’t be surprised, nor should he be freaked out by that, but he was to be honest. “I saw it from the sky, how was it even safe to go in?”

“Probably because civilians and first responders have different definitions of safety.” Buck shrugged. “And it wasn’t exactly safe, there were a couple firefighter casualties,” Buck swallowed hard. “The 118 actually nearly lost one of our own.”

“But you’re all okay?” Tommy asked.

“Yeah. Yeah we will be.” Buck nodded. “What about you, what’d you do today?” He wondered.

“Some high-rise fire support, provided eyes in the sky to help emergency vehicles on the ground get to where they needed to go, even ended up flying one of the LAFD’s choppers for a couple med-evac flights.” Tommy explained. “It was- it was a lot but it felt good to be able to help. I gotta say though I have a new level of respect for people who do that job every day.”

“It’s not for the faint of heart.” Buck agreed. “But it sounds like you made a real difference today. I’m sure a lot of people are grateful for your help.”

“Yeah, I sure hope so.” Tommy agreed.

Luckily Tommy’s bathroom had been spared from mass destruction. He had a large walk-in shower without any glass walls and for the first time was truly grateful for the lack of some kind of wall to close it off. He and Evan showered together, washing each other and letting the hot water ease their aching muscles after a long, demanding day. They towelled off and fell into Tommy’s bed without bothering to redress. Chances were they might just pull any clothing off in the morning anyway. Tommy wrapped his arms tight around Evan, and Evan let out a soft content sigh against Tommy’s bare chest.

Tommy leaned his head up to kiss Evan’s head. “Sleep well baby boy.” He said softly.

Buck was half asleep already, feeling calm, content and safe in Tommy’s arms with so much skin-on-skin contact. “You too Tommy.” Buck mumbled and drifted off.

Tommy woke up the next morning before Evan did. He stayed in bed with Evan as long as he could until he absolutely had to get up to use the washroom. He carefully detangled his limbs from Evan’s and slid out of bed. He hit the bathroom, then slid on a pair of sweatpants and his slippers and went to the kitchen. He cleaned all the broken glass from the floor in case Evan woke up and came in barefoot. Tommy didn’t have any intact coffee mugs except for Patricia’s, but he did have metal to-go mugs that were unbroken so he grabbed two of those and made them coffee. He added cream and sugar to Evan’s, then headed back to his room. Tommy grabbed his laptop and his reading glasses, sat back down on the bed next to a still sleeping Evan, and began shopping online for new dishware.

Buck woke to the smell of fresh coffee. He rubbed his eyes as he yawned, then stretched and finally noticed Tommy watching him with an affectionate look on his face.

“Morning sleepy head.” Tommy greeted Evan. “Coffee on the bedside table for you.”

“Morning. Since when do you wear glasses?” Buck couldn’t help but ask. Tommy had no business looking as good as he did in the black and gold wire framed glasses.

“They’re just for reading.” Tommy explained as he began to take them off.

“Don’t.” Buck said quickly. “They look good.”

“You think?” Tommy asked.

Buck nodded. He sat up and grabbed his coffee. “Whatcha looking at?” He leaned against Tommy’s shoulder.

“New dishes. Only things not broken are travel mugs and some plastic stuff we keep for friends’ kids when they come over.” Tommy explained.

Buck nodded and sipped his coffee. Tommy was currently looking at bowl and plate sets. “Those ones look nice.” He pointed out one of the sets.

“I thought so too.” Tommy agreed with a smile and added them to his cart.

Chapter Text

A couple weeks had passed since the earth quake, things were getting back to normal in Buck's world. He still had some lingering fears about being transferred out of the 118 but with every shift that Bobby didn't pull Buck into his office, Buck was able to calm a little more. Things were good with the 118, with Tommy, and with Maddie, who was finally looking to move out of Buck's loft and into her own place.

“Hey, so is your son really the reason you don’t date?” Buck asked Eddie curiously as they finished up with a call for a girl who’s head had been stuck in a guy’s oversized tail-pipe. The girls were hot and Eddie was a very attractive man. Buck simply wondered why Eddie hadn’t been at least a little interested in them.

“That, and they weren’t my type.” Eddie shrugged.

“They’re not mine either, not anymore.” Buck admitted. He wasn’t going to explain that currently his type- at least in the bedroom- was a 6’2, fifty plus year old beefcake named Tommy, but Buck could at least admit that those girls weren’t really his type anymore- they had been a year ago, really they had been until Tommy came into Buck’s life. Now Buck realized that ‘his type’ was a lot broader than that. “But I’m talking in general.”

“It’s complicated when you have a kid.” Eddie insisted.

“Aw come on, that’s a weak excuse.” Buck argued.

“Yeah and what’s your excuse then?” Eddie asked.

Buck wasn’t sure how to answer, but was saved by Eddie’s phone ringing, and he stepped away to take the call.

That night Buck told Maddie he had a date, which wasn’t exactly a lie, and went to see Tommy. Tommy cooked dinner and they each talked about their day. It felt domestic and Buck was finding that he liked these gentle, calmer moments with Tommy as much as he liked the sex. He’d much prefer this to some one-night stand. Over dinner, Buck ended up explaining to Tommy what happened earlier with Eddie and Christopher, and how he wished he could help Eddie but didn’t know how.

“I actually might know someone who could help.” Tommy offered.

“Really?” Buck asked.

“Yeah.” Tommy took a sip of water to clear his mouth. “Towards the end when things with Patricia got really rough we got this home healthcare aid, Carla. She was amazing and she’s got years of experience navigating the systems that Eddie’s trying to sort out right now. I could contact her, see if she’d be able to help.” Tommy offered.

“That would be great. Thank you.” Buck said sincerely.

“Of course.” Tommy smiled.

A couple days later, Tommy had arranged to introduce Evan to Carla. Evan was already at Tommy’s place when Carla arrived.

“Tommy, you look so good!” Carla exclaimed as Tommy greeted her into the house. She was quick to pull him into a hug.

“And you look radiant as ever.” Tommy told her and hugged her back.

“Now why can’t my husband talk to me like that, hmm?” Carla huffed.

Tommy chuckled at her. “Come on in. My friend is excited to meet you.” He said and led her into the house.

“So how have you been? I see on Instagram that Abby’s been travelling, you didn’t wanna go with her?” Carla wondered.

“I’ve been good. Doing better.” Tommy nodded. “And Abby- she needed some space to figure out who she is again. I wanted to give her that space so she can figure herself out without having to worry about how that fits into us. Besides, I hate flying commercial. Only pilot I trust is myself.” Tommy chuckled.

Carla chuckled too.

Tommy led Carla to the dining nook off the kitchen where Evan was waiting. “Carla, this is my friend Evan, everyone calls him Buck. Evan this is Los Angeles’ best home healthcare aide and someone I would consider a friend, Carla.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Buck stood and shook Carla’s hand. “Thanks for agreeing to sit down with me about this.”

“Of course. If Tommy or Abby calls me, I’m happy to answer the call.” Carla explained as she sat down.

“Well I really appreciate it.” Buck told her.

“Coffee?” Tommy asked Carla.

“That would be lovely, thank you.” Carla smiled, then turned back to Buck. “So Buck, I understand you have a friend who needs some help?” Carla asked.

“Yeah, my friend Eddie.” Buck confirmed. “I wanted to talk with you about things first so I don’t get his hopes up in case you can’t help him.”

“Alright. What kind of situation are we talking about?”

“Well Eddie has a son, Christopher. He’s seven and he has cerebral palsy. Eddie recently moved here from Texas and he’s a firefighter and a single dad. He’s been getting some child-care help from his Abuela but she broke her hip a few days ago while watching Christopher and well she’s just not really able to keep up with him. And Eddie is struggling to figure out what grants and help he qualifies for and accepting something can disqualify him from another. He definitely needs help with all the red-tape and also the childcare situation.” Buck explained. “I don’t know if that’s something you can help with, or if not if you know someone who could, but-”

“Oh honey I am red-tape’s worst nightmare.” Carla grinned. “I would be happy to meet with Eddie and see what exactly we’re working with. At the very least, I can help him navigate the bureaucratic stuff and help him find some support.”

“Really?” Buck asked.

“Really.” Carla smiled back.

Tommy then returned with a coffee for Carla. “Told you Ev, she’s a miracle worker.” He smiled.

“You flatter me too much.” Carla told Tommy. “But he’s not wrong.” She assured Buck.

“Well I really appreciate it and I’m sure Eddie will too. He- he doesn’t ask for help easily but I think once he has someone in front of him to help, he’ll be really grateful.” Buck told Carla.

The three of them chatted for a little while longer before Evan had to leave as he had a shift, and then it was just Tommy and Carla.

“Thanks again for agreeing to help Evan and his friend.” Tommy told Carla sincerely. He knew that Evan had only known Eddie and Christopher a short time, but he could tell that Evan cared about them, and Tommy was glad he was able to help Evan help Eddie.

“Well it quite literally is my job.” Carla pointed out.

“I know. But still. I know at the end there were some rough moments with Patricia, and I’m really glad you still answered my call. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d run for the hills and never looked back.”

“I’m gonna level with you.” Carla decided. “My job is in no way glamorous, and I don’t expect it to be. A lot of families have a lot of feelings towards my presence. Patients don’t want a stranger helping them all day, their families are mad at the illness for taking their loved one, mad that my help is necessary, mad at themselves for needing help. And I don’t let that get to me. But even if you, Abby, and Patricia felt those things, you never showed it. You were some of the best employers I’ve had in a long time- and I don’t just say that for how well you paid me.”

Tommy chuckled at that.

“I mean it when I say that if you or Abby ever need anything, call, and I will come. Okay?”

Tommy smiled. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Carla smiled back.

---

A few days later, Buck invited Eddie over to the loft under the guise of helping Maddie move so he could actually introduce Eddie to Carla. Eddie had been hesitant at first when Buck revealed what he’d really invited Eddie over for, but thankfully, Eddie quickly warmed up to Carla once he understood what Carla was there for.

“Falling back into old habits Buck?” Hen asked in the engine on their way back from the call where they’d rescued traffic reporter Taylor Kelly from the disastrous emergency helicopter landing attempt.

The entire time they were on the call all Buck could think was Tommy could’ve done better than the traffic chopper’s pilot. He’d have actually landed safely. Buck had yet to actually fly anywhere with Tommy but he was sure of it nonetheless. “What do you mean?” Buck gave Hen a confused look.

“You were flirting with Taylor Kelly back there.” Hen pointed out.

“What?” Buck asked. “No I wasn’t.” He crossed his arms. Sure Taylor was pretty, but Buck was happy with Tommy.

“You sure about that?” Hen didn’t seem to believe him.

“If I was, it was not intentional. I swear.” Buck insisted.

“If telling yourself that helps you sleep at night…” Hen shook her head.

Buck crossed his arms over his chest. He absolutely had not meant to flirt with Taylor. He was more than content with what he had with Tommy. When Taylor Kelly showed up at the station to do a story on the 118 their next shift, Buck made a concentrated effort to not flirt with her.

“What’s going on?” Eddie asked. “I don’t like this.” He added as an officer placed him in handcuffs later that same shift.

“Ooo you made him cry.” Buck observed. Some logical part of his brain figured it was a good thing Taylor Kelly and the camera crew had stayed back at the station for this call.

“Alright, just breathe, okay? You’re gonna be okay. All right? Somebody dosed you with a hallucinogen. We don’t want you to hurt yourself or anyone else.” Athena explained.

Buck stared at Athena wide eyed. Was that what was going on? Why everything looked and felt so weird? Why he felt so out of it? During his nomad days Buck had a few adventures with smoking weed or taking edibles, and one notable experience with shrooms that turned him off of ever doing that again- but he’d never done anything harder than that.

“Yeah,” Eddie nodded. “I like that idea.”

“ ‘Thena, your head is beating like your heart.” Hen told her.

“Is it?” Athena didn’t sound very impressed and stepped away.

Another officer came over to them. “We’re gonna call someone to pick each one of you up and take you home, alright?” He told Buck, Eddie, and Hen.

Hen enthusiastically gave Karen’s number, excited at the idea of seeing her wife.

Eddie gave the officer his Tia Pepa’s number and pleaded with the officer to explain it was a mistake and Eddie didn’t mean to, that he didn’t want to get in trouble.

Buck gave the officer Maddie’s number, but she didn’t pick up. The officer left her a message, and asked if Buck wanted to try someone else or wait to see if she’d call back. He decided to wait.

It wasn’t long until Hen and Eddie had been picked up, and Maddie had yet to call back.

“Is there someone else you wanna try now?” The officer asked.

“Can I talk to him first?” Buck requested.

“Sure.” The officer agreed.

They called Tommy- Buck proud of himself for having Tommy’s number memorized- and the officer held the phone to Buck’s ear as he was still in cuffs.

After a couple rings the phone picked up. “Hello?”

“Tommy?” Buck gasped.

“Yes,” Tommy said slowly.

“Tommy it’s Buck- Evan. You don’t call me Buck. It’s Evan.”

“What’s going on? You don’t sound like yourself.” Tommy asked.

Buck sighed. “It’s a long story. Are you busy? You answered the phone so you must not be flying. That would be dangerous. Distracted driving is bad. Or I guess distracted flying,” Buck frowned.

“Evan,” Tommy said sternly. “What’s going on?” 

“Dadd- Tommy I need a favor.” Buck explained, only narrowly stopping himself from calling Tommy ‘daddy’ in front of the cop.

“What is it?”

“Can you come pick me up? Some- something happened and they won’t let me leave by myself. I told them I’m fine but they put me in handcuffs anyway. They’re really uncomfortable. Please, please come get me.” Buck pleaded.

At that point the officer took over speaking to Tommy, and Tommy promised he was on his way.

Soon Tommy walked into the hotel and over to Evan. He’d been worried by the call at first, and he was still a little worried about Evan now, but surely things would be fine. If they were calling Tommy and not taking Evan to the emergency room, surely Evan was okay.

“Tommy!” Buck cheered. “You came!”

“Of course I did.” Tommy smiled at him.

“Someone will need to watch him for the next couple hours until the high wears off. We don’t know what exactly this is but overdoses on these types of drugs are rare, you mainly need to keep him from doing anything to hurt himself.” The officer explained as he undid the cuffs.

“Got it.” Tommy nodded.

As soon as Buck’s hands were free he hugged Tommy tightly. “Missed you.”

“Missed you too, Evan.” Tommy hugged him back. Tommy meant it, he did miss Evan, but he knew not to put too much stock into anything Evan said right now. When Tommy pulled away from the hug he took Evan’s hand, just to keep him from wandering off. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Sounds great.” Buck agreed and squeezed Tommy’s hand tightly.

Tommy lead Evan to the truck and helped him into the backseat and buckled his seatbelt.

“Why can’t I sit up front with you?” Buck pouted.

“Just to be safe, okay baby?” Tommy slipped and added the last part. Before he could worry about it, he decided to just keep talking and not make a big deal out of it. Who knew if Evan even noticed or would remember? “We won’t be in the car long, I promise.”

“Okay daddy.” Buck nodded.

Tommy didn’t react to Evan calling him ‘daddy’ outside of the bedroom, Evan was under the influence, he wasn’t thinking about what he was saying right now. Tommy took Evan to his loft as it was a smaller space and therefore would be easier to keep an eye on him. He helped Evan get changed out of his uniform and into some comfier clothing, then parked him on the couch and spent the next several hours watching Evan watch nature documentaries in fascination. Over the course of four hours Evan decided he wanted to become a marine biologist, a wildlife veterinarian, treefrog, an ape, and a giraffe. 

Eventually Evan fell asleep on the couch and Tommy put a pillow under his head and covered him with a blanket, then took a seat in the arm chair in the living room and went on his phone, not going far so he could keep a close eye on Evan.

Buck woke up feeling a lot more like himself. He sat up on the couch and saw Tommy in the kitchen cooking. He got up and walked towards the kitchen. “Hey.”

“Hi, how ya feeling?” Tommy asked.

“Like I just took an unexpected acid trip.” Buck said bluntly and grabbed himself a water from the fridge.

“Well that is what happened.” Tommy pointed out. "And I'm not upset or anything though I will say I'm pretty sure I was worried about something exactly like this happening when you told me about home-made goodies from people thanking you."

Buck sighed. "Yeah, you did."

"Mmhmm." Tommy hummed and turned back to the stove.

Buck took a couple big sips of water. “Thanks for coming to get me. I’m pretty sure Maddie’s stuck at work and I- I didn't have anyone else to call.” Buck admitted.

“I don't mind at all but you couldn't call any of your friends?” Tommy frowned as he stirred chicken and veggies in a pan, almost done making a stir fry for dinner for the two of them.

Buck shrugged. “Only ones I'd trust to take it seriously were dosed too except for Chimney who was still finishing the shift.”

Tommy nodded slightly. He was glad that Evan trusted him enough to watch him, to take care of him and not take advantage of him while he was in a vulnerable state. Tommy also felt a little heartbroken for Evan that despite many other friends, he didn't trust any of them to do the same.

“I hope I didn't ruin your day with this.” Buck told Tommy.

“It's not how I thought my day would go, but I don't mind at all. I'm glad I could be here for you and that you felt safe enough with me to trust me with this.” Tommy told Evan sincerely.

“I mean you said this is about trust and respect, right? Of course I trust you.” Buck said plain and simple.

Tommy nodded and looked back at the stove. “Yeah, trust and respect.” He confirmed, even if it didn’t quite feel right- didn't quite feel like enough.

Chapter Text

A couple days later, Taylor Kelly’s news story on the 118 aired. Buck watched it live with the rest of the 118 and thought it really was just a nice puff piece. Buck hadn't flirted with Taylor while she was at the station filming, but he had been nice to her and he was fairly sure she liked him, so he went to the news station to thank her for not including the LSD or Bobby's interview.

“Oh, I wanted to use all of it. I got overruled.” Taylor explained.

“Uh, wait, you were gonna use it?” Buck frowned.

“Hell yeah. The only reason we didn't was because apparently your lawyers are a lot scarier than ours. Look, your job is saving lives. Mine is telling their stories even the ones they might not want me to.”

“And some stupid job is all you really care about.” Buck shook his head and began to walk away. He couldn’t believe her. Buck thought Taylor was a better person than that, and to find out she wasn’t was frustrating not to mention disheartening.

Taylor began explaining what her job meant to her and how she got to where she was. “You don't have to like it, but you don't get to make me feel bad about it.”

At first Buck thought Taylor was cool, she might make a good friend but those thoughts were long gone now. “Well I don't like it.” He told her.

“And I don't care.” Taylor said confidently.

“Just get a room already.” Her camera man called out.

Taylor looked at Buck.

Buck just shook his head and walked back to his Jeep. He meant it when he said- or thought, he hadn’t told anyone- that he liked what he had with Tommy and he was not interested.

A few nights later Buck was at a bar with Maddie and Chimney. They went up to sing karaoke leaving Buck at the table feeling like a third wheel. He finished his beer and went to the bar for another, but the bartender handed him a glass that definitely was not a beer. “Uh, what's this?”

“Bourbon, neat. The lady said real heroes don't drink pale ale.” The bartender explained and pointed someone out.

Buck looked over and saw it was Taylor Kelly. He reluctantly took the drink and went over to her to be polite. The conversation started with Maddie and Chimney. Buck asked Taylor what she was doing there and she explained that the station was around the corner. “What about you?” She asked. “Come here often?”

“I used to. I- I haven't in a while.” Buck admitted. He hadn't been back since before the Dr Wells incident.

“Why?”

Buck shrugged. “No need I guess.”

“Why's that?”

“Just not interested.” Buck kept it vague. “Really only came tonight for Chimney. I'm being responsible and well behaved tonight.”

Taylor nodded and raised her glass. “To restraint.”

Buck raised his glass and clinked it against Taylor's. “To restraint.” He sipped his drink as she sipped hers.

A moment later Taylor was leaning in to kiss him.

Buck pulled back. “Uh, whoa I'm- I'm not,”

“Not what, Buck? You flirt with me after you saved me, you were nice and sweet to me when I was filming my story, then you came to the station to see me, now you're here flirting with me again and suddenly you're not interested?”

“I- I never meant to flirt or give you that intention, Taylor. I'm in a serious,” Buck paused. “A serious thing.”

“What serious thing? Are you really telling me you're not even a little interested?”

“You- you are a very attractive woman Taylor but no. I- I am not interested.” Buck insisted.

“What's your serious thing?” Taylor asked again. “Can't be that serious if you don't even have a name for it.”

Buck did have a name for his serious thing but he wasn't in the habit of running around telling people he had a sugar daddy and he sure as hell wasn't going to tell Taylor Kelly. He panicked though because he needed to tell her something or she’d just keep picking and with Buck’s luck this wouldn't be the last time he saw her either. “I have a boyfriend.” He said before he even really thought about it.

“A boyfriend. You mean you're…” Taylor trailed off.

“Is that a problem?” Buck was quick to get defensive.

“No, I'm just surprised. You don't really seem like the type.”

“The type?” Buck questioned.

“Come on Buck. You're a tough macho guy- you're a firefighter and also you have terrible fashion sense.” Taylor argued.

“And that means I can't be into men?” Buck crossed his arms. “None of that has anything to do with sexuality. Those stereotypes are actually really harmful, Taylor.” Buck stood up.

“Buck wait-” Taylor started.

“No, I'm going to go have sex with a dude my height with twice my muscle mass. Maybe if he's up for it we'll do it in his mechanics garage. Just two big macho guys going at it over the hood of a classic car. Not all queer guys are the stereotypes you see on TV.” Buck told her and as he left the bar, Buck pulled out his phone and called Tommy.

Tommy was quick to answer. “Hey Evan, how’s it going? I thought you were hanging out with Maddie and Chimney tonight?”

“I was but they seem way more interested in each other than me.” Buck admitted. “Are you busy tonight?”

“Not really, no.” Tommy admitted.

“Can I come over? I wanna see you.”

“Of course you can.” Tommy sounded like he was smiling.

Buck smiled too. “Great. I’m ordering an Uber now. I’ll be there soon.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Tommy promised.

Buck ended the call and ordered an Uber. Soon he got to Tommy’s house, and it didn’t take long for them to be in Tommy’s room, already worked up from making out and groping as they’d made their way to the bedroom.

“What do you want to do tonight?” Tommy asked as he pulled Evan’s shirt off. This wasn’t at all how he’d expected his evening to be going, but he sure as hell wasn’t complaining. The sky would have to be falling for Tommy to turn Evan down without damn good reason.

Buck considered for a moment as he undid Tommy’s belt. “Can I ride you?” After his encounter with Taylor, he felt the need to be the one being fucked, but still wanted to be in control.

Tommy grinned. “You sure can.”

Buck and Tommy continued to kiss and make out as Tommy stretched Buck open with his fingers. Once Buck was ready, Tommy laid back and Buck climbed on top of him. “Can I please start, daddy?” Buck asked politely, knowing it would drive Tommy crazy, and that Tommy would likely praise him for his manners.

At times like that Tommy couldn’t believe Evan was real. Evan was a fucking vision, an absolute delight, straddling Tommy’s hips and looking so pretty while asking to politely if he could take what he needed. If Tommy wasn’t already rock hard he would’ve been after that. He rested his hands on Evan’s hips. “Seeing as you asked so nicely, you sure can baby. Whenever you’re ready.”

Buck slowly sank down on Tommy, moaning slightly when he was finally fully seated and Tommy’s cock rubbed up against his prostate just right.

Tommy refrained from thrusting his hips up or grinding into Evan’s deliciously tight heat, knowing he needed time to adjust to the stretch. “You look so pretty like this, baby boy.” Tommy couldn’t help but coo.

Buck hummed in response and slowly started to rock his hips. “Feels so good.” He pulled up and sank back down, slowly starting to establish a moderate pace. He hadn’t come while Tommy prepped him, so he didn’t know how long he’d last, but he sure didn’t feel like dragging things out needlessly.

“Fuck Ev,” Tommy muttered, gripping Evan’s hips tighter.

“Gonna leave bruises daddy?” Buck asked. He couldn’t let Tommy leave hickeys on his neck, nor bite marks or scratches on his chest or back in case someone saw them, which was a definite possibility at work, but his hips were a different story. Buck liked the idea of Tommy leaving a mark on him like that.

“Do you want that?” Tommy looked up and met Evan’s eyes.

“Please.” Buck nodded as he continued fucking himself on Tommy’s cock.

“As you wish.” Tommy agreed and gripped Evan’s hips even tighter, determined to not let Evan down. Evan had never let Tommy leave a mark before- nevermind asked him to- and while Tommy didn’t mind that, he was thrilled at the opportunity to do so. To leave a lasting mark on his boy. Tommy couldn’t help but use his grip on Evan’s hips to take some control of Evan’s pace and force of his thrusts, speeding things up a little.

Buck gasped as Tommy finally took some control of their pace, speeding them up and pulling Buck back down onto his cock with impressive strength, head of Tomy’s cock hitting his prostate with each thrust. Buck could feel his orgasm looming already. “I’m- ah! I’m close.” He warned.

“Not surprised.” Tommy mused as he continued fucking up into Evan. “You’re always so needy and you haven’t come yet at all. You must be aching for it huh baby?”

“Ye- yes!” Buck gasped. “Need it so bad daddy.”

“Don’t worry baby boy, daddy’s got you.” Tommy promised. He pulled Evan down onto his cock again and rolled them over so he could fuck Evan properly, all without pulling out. He maintained his grip on Evan’s hips as he started to fuck into Evan at a near brutal pace.

Buck loved the way Tommy manhandled him, took over control like it was nothing. “Ah- ah- ah- ah,” Buck couldn’t help but gasp with each thrust.

“That good, baby?” Tommy asked, not letting up on the pace at all.

“Fuck, daddy, so good. So so good.” Buck nodded frantically, getting closer and closer to orgasm with every expert thrust. “I’m so close.”

Tommy redoubled his efforts, determined to give Evan the orgasm he clearly so desperately craved. “Gonna come for me baby?” He encouraged, knowing Evan was so so close to tipping over the edge.

“Da- ah ! Daddy!” Buck shouted as he came hard, spilling over his stomach and chest.

“Good boy.” Tommy cooed and fucked Evan through his orgasm, desperately chasing his own now that he knew Evan was taken care of.

Buck whimpered at the delicious overstimulation. “In- inside, daddy.” He requested at what was quite possibly the last second.

Tommy couldn’t help but groan, he was so close already, and that only pushed him further towards the edge. “You want me to come inside you baby?”

“Please.” Buck nodded.

Tommy buried himself deep in Evan and came hard with a loud groan.

“Fuck.” Buck muttered at the sensation.

Tommy released his grip on Evan’s hips and gently pulled out. “How was that?”

“So good.” Buck mumbled.

Tommy laid down next to Evan so he could take a moment to catch his breath and admire his handiwork on Evan’s hips- red handprints glaringly obvious against Evan’s pale skin. He wondered how long the bruises would last.

Buck rolled onto his side and pressed a kiss to Tommy’s lips which Tommy reciprocated. “Thank you daddy.”

Tommy pulled Evan in with a hand on the back of his neck for another kiss. “You’re welcome baby.”

After a few minutes they got up and went to Tommy’s bathroom to shower. Tommy gently washed Evan off, peppering Evan’s body with kisses as they went.

Buck happily let Tommy clean him off, relishing in all the affection Tommy was showering him with, feeling blissful after Tommy had fucked him so damn good. Once they showered and dressed as much as they wanted to for bed, they curled up together, Buck half on Tommy, Tommy’s arm wrapped around him.

“Not that I’m complaining at all, but was there a reason why you wanted to come over so last minute tonight?” Tommy wondered.

Buck shrugged. He honestly felt kinda silly for it now, not that he’d change anything about how his night had gone. “Just didn’t wanna stay at the bar with Maddie and Chim. Wanted to see you.”

Tommy hummed in acknowledgement.

“Can I-” Buck swallowed hard. “Can I be honest about something?”

“Of course.” Tommy said gently, running his hand soothingly up and down Evan’s back.

“Sometimes I worry that I- that I'm taking advantage of you.” Buck admitted.

“You aren't. Not ever.” Tommy was quick to reassure him. “Hell, sometimes I worry about the same thing.”

“You don't need to, Tommy. I want to be here. I'm happy being here. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have stuck around this long.” Buck insisted.

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

Tommy smiled and kissed Evan on the temple again and wrapped an arm around his boy. Part of Tommy knew he was playing a dangerous game getting so close with Evan but Tommy had spent so much of his life denying himself of things he really wanted, and now that he’d gotten a taste, he didn’t know how he was ever supposed to let go.

“I- I appreciate how- how caring you are with me. How you check in and make sure I’m feeling good. I always feel so- so safe with you- both in bed and out of it.” Buck admitted.

Tommy took a moment to digest what Evan had said, carefully considering his response. “You don’t have to tell me anything, Evan, but can I ask, was there- was there someone who didn’t make you feel safe?” Tommy wondered.

Buck took a second before he responded. “Yeah. Four months into working as a firefighter I experienced my first serious loss on the job. I didn't expect it to hit me as hard as it did. I struggled with it a lot so Bobby sent me to a department-provided trauma counselor. To help.” He paused. He was glad for the position they were in, He couldn’t see Tommy’s face and Tommy couldn’t quite see his which made it easier to talk about.

Tommy frowned. He didn’t know where this was going exactly but he already didn’t like it.

“I went and all I know is- is one moment we were talking about the loss and I was crying. Next thing I knew, she was touching me and then we were going at it. I think I was kinda just in shock, I just went along with it even though I- I didn’t want it.”

Tommy had never felt such strong simultaneous heartbreak and rage all at once. Heartbreak for Evan being taken advantage of, and rage that he was in a place that he should’ve been safe when it happened.

“As soon as she was done she pulled away, said it was unprofessional and she shouldn't have done it, she even apologized. And I- I told her I felt better. But I didn't. I felt worse than before.” Evan paused. “I was- I was ashamed. I felt dirty. I- I felt like I'd been used in a no-good, very bad, gross-feeling kind of way.”

Tommy wrapped his arm tight around Evan and kissed his head. “I'm so sorry that happened, Evan. And I know that probably doesn't help, but I mean it. You went there to get help, and she made you feel worse, and that wasn’t fair to you.”

“I mean it- it's in the past now. It's not like I ever had to see her again. And she was fired. Just sometimes I just can't stop thinking about it and I guess it kinda freaks me out…”

“If you ever are having one of those moments and need something- anything Evan, just say the word.” Tommy almost pleaded.

“Okay.” Buck agreed. He then rolled over and sat up a little, looking Tommy in the eye. “But you have to promise me something too.”

“Anything.” Tommy agreed.

“You- you can’t look at me or treat me like I’m- like I’m broken. I’m still the same person I was five minutes ago, and I still enjoy sex with you just as much as I did tonight.”

“Okay. I promise.” Tommy agreed. He didn’t think Evan was broken, if anything, Evan was a survivor- and Tommy wouldn’t treat him any differently for that either.

“Thank you.” Buck said sincerely and snuggled back up to Tommy, still on his side. 

Tommy was quiet for a moment, taking to gently tracing his fingers over Evan’s tattoos as best he could in the low lighting. “I know the timing is a little odd, but I said I wouldn’t treat you any differently, so got any plans tomorrow or the day after?”

“No, why?” Buck wondered, looking up at Tommy.

“I was thinking, maybe we could spend some more time together?” Tommy suggested.

Buck smiled. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well I have a business meeting in Napa tomorrow- I’m being wined and dined by someone who wants my investment.” Tommy explained. “I was thinking- if you want- maybe you could come with me and we could spend the night there?”

“Wait seriously?” Buck asked.

“Yeah. We’d fly there in the morning, get checked into the hotel, I’d go for my meeting and you can do whatever you want while I’m gone, then in the afternoon we could go for a hike if you’re up for it, then dinner at a nice restaurant, we could take the chopper up for a quick flight at sunset, breakfast in bed in the morning, what do you say?” Tommy asked.

“Yeah. I mean I’d- I’d need to stop at home for some stuff but that sounds amazing.” Buck agreed. He’d had no plans for his 72 hours off and an impromptu trip with Tommy sounded like a great way to spend that time.

“Great.” Tommy smiled. “In that case, we should go to sleep, we’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

Buck smiled back and adjusted his position, settling in for sleep. “Night Tommy.”

“Goodnight Evan.”

Chapter Text

In the morning, Tommy called and made all the necessary arrangements for the impromptu Napa trip. Initially he was just going to fly himself there for his meeting and fly home the same day, but when the opportunity to take Evan arose Tommy was quick to change his plans. He made a hotel reservation and called to change his flight plans and they were a-go. After breakfast, Tommy drove Evan to his loft so Evan could get what he needed. “Make sure you pack stuff for hiking, a nice outfit for dinner, and swim trunks- there’s a hot tub.” Tommy instructed.

“Got it.” Buck nodded. “I’ll be quick.” He said and dashed inside to pack a bag.

Once Evan was back in the truck Tommy drove them to the hangar where he parked his private helicopter. “Here she is,” Tommy said as they approached his helicopter.

Buck looked out the window of Tommy’s truck at the helicopter, it was plain black on the outside and looked like it could hold at least 4 passengers. He didn’t know anything about helicopters, but this one looked nice. “Wow.”

“AirbusAS350. Nice right?” Tommy asked.

“How much does it cost to rent something like this?” Buck wondered, figuring it must be expensive to take somewhere overnight.

“Don’t know. Haven’t rented one in years.” Tommy admitted as he grabbed their bags. “Can’t imagine it’s cheap though.”

“Wait, what?” Buck looked at Tommy confused.

“This is my chopper. I own it.” Tommy explained.

“Whoa.” Buck muttered.

“Come on.” Tommy led them over to the chopper. He opened the door for Evan, then while Evan got in, Tommy secured their bags in the back. “Here.” He helped Evan buckle his seat harness, before showing him where his headset was. Tommy was quick yet thorough with his preflight checks- he had precious cargo on board afterall- then got in. “Ready?” He asked Evan.

“Totally.” Buck grinned.

“Headset on.” Tommy said and pulled his headset on as Evan did the same. “Can you hear me?” He asked Evan.

“Yes.” Buck confirmed.

“Good.” Tommy said and turned his focus to the controls and reporting with air traffic control as they took off.

“This is so cool!” Buck said as they flew towards Napa.

“Yeah?” Tommy looked over at Evan.

“I’ve flown in like commercial planes before but nothing like this.” Buck admitted.

“Glad I could show you a new experience.” Tommy smiled.

“You've shown me plenty of new experiences.” Buck pointed out.

“Well one more new experience then.” Tommy corrected himself.

They checked into the hotel when they got there, Buck didn't know for sure but he figured Tommy paid extra for such an early check in. Tommy went for his business lunch and Buck used the time to explore the area around the hotel and get himself a bite to eat with the all too generous amount of money Tommy had left for him to use.

After Tommy’s lunch, they got a rental car and drove a little out of town to go on a nice hike Tommy had done before and enjoyed. Buck had a great time. He liked hiking and being out in nature, and he liked spending time with Tommy, so it was no surprise Buck loved combining those things.

After their hike, they went back to town and got ready to go for dinner. Buck knew not to  be surprised that the restaurant was insanely expensive. They had a very nice meal, and Tommy paid with his black Amex without batting an eye.

“What do you think, wanna go up in the chopper, watch the sunset?” Tommy asked as they left the restaurant.

“Can we?” Buck asked excitedly. The chopper had been fun earlier and watching the sunset from the chopper sounded even cooler.

“Of course.” Tommy smiled.

After they returned to the hotel from watching the sunset, Buck wanted to use the hot tub. Their hotel room had a patio that opened onto the courtyard where the heated outdoor pool and hot tub was.

Tommy wasn't one to deny Evan, so he changed into his swim trunks while Evan did the same, and they headed outside. They settled into the hot tub and began to relax, it was exactly what they needed after their hike earlier.

Buck wasn’t sure he’d had such a fun day in a long time. “Thank you for today, daddy.” He told Tommy sincerely, the ‘daddy’ on the end just rolling off his tongue like second nature.

Tommy smiled at Evan. “You had a good time?”

“The best.” Buck confirmed.

“Good.” Tommy nodded. “So now I’m daddy in and out of bed huh?”

“Maybe sometimes, I guess. I dunno, is that weird?” Buck frowned.

“No, I don’t think so.” Tommy decided. “Just don’t over-do it outside the bedroom.”

“Got it.” Buck promised.

“Favourite part of today?” Tommy wondered.

Buck’s first thought was simply spending so much time with Tommy, but he wasn’t sure he should say that at the risk of sounding too clingy. He shrugged. “I dunno, the whole thing was really fun. I mean I love hiking and I love trying new trails so that was great. And it’s kinda nice just doing fun things with you besides having sex. I mean the sex is great, don't get me wrong, but it was nice to do other stuff too.”

“I get it. I like that too.” Tommy agreed. Before his brilliant idea to bring Evan along, he’d been dreading this trip. Usually Abby handled the majority of these things or at least she was there with Tommy, but they couldn’t just hit pause on investing and exploring new business relationships just because Abby was away. With Evan with him, he’d had a great time overall and was glad he’d taken the business meeting after all.

“Do you usually have lots of trips like this?” Buck wondered.

“Business meetings, yes. Overnighting just for the hell of it? Not so much since Abby went to Europe.” Tommy admitted.

Buck nodded in understanding. “You must miss her.”

“Yeah. I mean we’ve been apart for long-stretches before, but it was a long time ago.”

“Will she be home for the holidays?” Buck asked. He knew Abby was the only family Tommy had, and Buck hated the idea that Tommy might be alone for the holidays.

“Thanksgiving, no. Christmas is still up in the air, I think.” Tommy explained. “I’ll spend Thanksgiving with friends this year.”

“It’s nice that you have someone to spend it with.” Buck decided.

“What about you? Any plans?” Tommy wondered.

“Working. Bobby said he’s gonna make a bunch of food at home the night before our shift so we just have to heat and serve and we’ll try to have a thanksgiving dinner at the station.”

“That’s nice of him.”

“Yeah, Bobby’s really great like that.” Buck nodded and fell quite for a moment. “Can I be honest about something?”

“Anything.” Tommy agreed.

“Last night right before I called you, that news reporter Taylor Kelly tried to kiss me at the bar.” Buck admitted. “I didn’t let her- I stopped it. Told her I wasn’t interested.”

Tommy couldn’t help but be surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah. I’m happy with what we have and,” Buck shrugged. “Didn’t wanna mess it up.”

“I’m happy with what we have too.” Tommy smiled.

“At first I thought she was kinda cool, you know? Thought maybe we could be friends, but I dunno she was kinda selfish about stuff with the LSD incident, and then she- she wasn’t homophobic but she started talking about some ridiculous stereotypes when I told her I was happy in a serious thing with a man.” Buck explained.

“Oh? Like what?” Tommy wondered.

“Like she couldn’t believe I’m bi because I’m a- and I quote- tough macho guy and a firefighter and apparently have terrible fashion sense.” Buck explained.

“Yikes.” Tommy muttered. His brain was caught on something else Evan had just said though- calling himself bisexual. Evan hadn’t labelled his sexuality before but Tommy knew Evan had never been with a man before Tommy, and what Evan had said when they first got into this had seemed to Tommy that Evan was bi-curious at best. Tommy wondered what changed. He also was quick to tamper down the odd, fleeting sense of hope it’d given him.

“Yeah, I told her that was really messed up and then left and called you. Something about her saying I couldn’t be bi for that stuff really made me wanna see you.”

“So that’s what got into you last night.” Tommy realized.

“Maybe.” Buck looked down as his cheeks tinted pink.

Tommy smirked. “Any chance you still want more?”

Buck looked up at Tommy and grinned. They pretty quickly headed back to their hotel room to finish off their night with a bang.

In the morning they got room service for breakfast, then did a vineyard tour and picked up a few bottles of some very nice, very expensive wine. After that, Tommy flew them back to LA and dropped Evan off at home.

Buck collapsed into bed and stared up at the ceiling. The trip had been such a whirlwind it didn't even feel totally real. He felt so pampered and cared about and he didn't know how he was ever supposed to thank Tommy for any of it, but he knew he would certainly die trying if necessary.

Several days later they were called to an older gentleman crushed between a gate and his car. Buck found himself sitting on the back of the ambulance with the victim’s husband, Thomas, while the rest of the team covered Mitchell’s body with a sheet.

“When we got married we thought what the hell we have so little life left. We might as well live. That was Mitchell, always daring the clock. And me, I always followed along. All those foolish things we did. We only ever wanted to- to go together. That’s love.” Thomas said.

“I’m sorry. I really am.” Buck said sincerely. Just hearing Thomas talk about Mitchell he could tell how much they loved and cared about one another. “I guess I can only hope to find something that good.”

“You don’t find it son, you make it.” Thomas told him, then sighed. “Son, you mind if I have just a few moments alone with him?” Thomas asked.

“Of course. It’s no problem, here.” Buck helped Thomas up and over to his husband’s body. Buck then went over to where photos from their scrap book had fallen on the ground. Thomas and Mithcell’s life together, their love story, forever memorialized in dozens of photos. From what Buck saw, it looked like they had a beautiful life together. He looked over and saw Thomas hunched over Mitchell’s body and walked over to him. “Thomas?” Buck touched the man’s shoulder, and Thomas slumped over. Buck gently guided him down to the ground. “Eddie! Cap! Come here!” He called out. “I- I don’t know what happened,” Buck said as they rushed over. “He was just talking, he was responsive, and then.”

“Alright start compressions.” Bobby ordered as Buck did just that. “Stay with us Thomas.”

“Go go go.” Buck said to Eddie who had the ambu bag.

Eddie gave him a few breaths, before Buck continued compressions.

“Come on Thomas. Come on. Stay with me. Come on Thomas. Come on.” Buck pleaded as he continued chest compressions.

“Buck,” Bobby put his hand over Buck’s. “He’s gone.”

Buck defeatedly stopped compressions, and saw Thomas had been holding Mitchell’s hand. “That’s love.” He said quietly.

Buck was quiet on the ride back to the station, Thomas and Mitchell weighing heavily on his mind. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much but it did. 

Bobby, Chimney, and Eddie seemed normal on the ride back, the way they usually would after a call like that. A respectable sense of loss, but they didn’t seem anywhere near as torn up as Buck felt. Hen seemed a little more upset than usual too.

When they got back to the station Buck went to the bunk room. He just needed a few minutes to himself to pull himself together. For the aching sense of grief to dissipate from his chest. He sat on the bed he usually slept in and crossed his legs, head in his hands.

Buck wasn’t exactly sure why, but ever since he’d told Taylor Kelly he had a boyfriend, he’d been thinking more about his sexuality and what it meant. He felt pretty settled with a label of bisexual, but until now he hadn’t really considered what that meant beyond the way it defined his sexuality. Being bi meant he was part of the LGBTQ community, there was a matter of coming out to people- he might face hatred or discrimination because of it. Buck was lucky to live in a state where he had pretty equal rights, but also knew there were a lot of places in the world he wouldn’t. He wondered what his friends and family would think. Would they treat him different? Think of him differently? He was pretty sure he knew how some of them would feel, he knew some of them would be fine with it. The idea of being out seemed exciting and scary all at once, and especially after the call they’d just had Buck couldn’t get those thoughts out of his head.

There was a whole community Buck was now a part of, with an extensive history full of stories like Mitchell and Thomas’s, and countless people like them. Buck knew that due to the AIDS crisis in the 80’s, there was a significantly lower number now of older queer men, and the community had just lost two more due to a freak accident, and it didn’t feel fair. Losing two people on a call like that one would always feel bad, but this time felt especially awful.

A few minutes later, someone came into the bunk room and sat next to Buck on the bed. “You okay?”  Hen asked.

Buck looked over. “Fine.” He swallowed thickly.

“You don’t seem fine.” Hen said gently.

“I guess that couple, Thomas and Mitchell, they just- just really got to me, you know? I dunno, it just feels like it hits a little harder than those kinds of calls normally do.” Buck admitted.

“Buck there was nothing you could’ve done,” Hen started.

“No, I- I know that. I just- they were together for decades. They met in the 70’s. They- they went through the horrors of the AIDS crisis together- they probably lost a lot of friends- and they, they marched for equal rights, marriage rights , together. They loved each other all those years and they were only able to get married like six years ago.” Buck wiped his eyes before any tears could fall. “They made this beautiful life together and one minute it was fine and the next it was just all gone. They deserved more time together. They deserved better.” Buck looked over at Hen.

“Yeah, they did.” She agreed softly.

“I don’t get why Bobby and Eddie and Chim aren’t more upset by it.” Buck said quietly.

“Well Buck, you've always had a big heart.” Hen pointed out. “And for me, I mean it’s a little extra sad because they were part of the LGBT community. They loved each other before it was legal for them to do so, and they marched for rights that benefitted me. Even though I didn’t know them, they were a part of my community.” She explained.

Buck was quiet for a moment, considering what to say. “Can I be honest about something?” He asked.

“Of course you can.” Hen nodded.

Buck looked down at his lap, fiddling with the end of his shoelace. “I- I uh, I think I’m upset over them for the same reason you are.”

“You mean you’re,” Hen started delicately.

“I uh, I think- well no. I- I know now that um, that I’m bi.” Buck admitted. It felt weird to say out loud but it didn’t feel wrong either. “I haven’t told anyone else yet, but I- I think it feels good to say it.”

“How long has this been on your mind?” Hen wondered.

“A- a while I guess. But I only really started to- to put it together recently. What it really meant, I mean.” Buck explained.

Hen nodded in understanding. “Can I ask something?”

“Yeah.” Buck agreed.

“The day of Chim’s blood drive, there was no new tattoo or other recent donation, was there?” Hen guessed.

“No.” Buck told her truthfully. “I- was it obvious?” He wondered.

“Only to me, I think. I doubt if anyone else really questioned it." Hen reassured him.

“I’m really not smart, huh? Having sex with a guy and still taking months to realize that means something?” Buck shook his head. “Stupid.” He muttered.

“You’re not stupid, Buck. Human sexuality is messy and confusing and for some it’s real easy and for others it takes a little time to figure out and that’s okay.” Hen reminded him.

Buck nodded a bit. “You won’t- um. You won’t tell anyone else about this? At- at least not yet?”

“Your secret is safe with me, Buck. Everyone comes out on their own timeline and that’s okay too.” Hen promised.

“Thank you.” Buck told her.

“Of course.” Hen smiled. “Want a hug?” She opened her arms.

Buck nodded and wrapped his arms around her.

Hen wrapped her arms around Buck and held onto him. She wouldn’t let go until he did. “You don’t have to tell me anything,” Hen started. “But can I ask about him? How’d it happen?” She wondered.

Buck finally pulled away from the hug. “Who?” Buck asked.

“The guy you’ve been seeing.”

“I never said it was an ongoing thing,” Buck started.

“No, but I haven’t seen or heard a Tinder or Grindr notification on your phone in months, you haven’t talked about seeing anyone, you’ve been happy and smiling at your phone, as soon as you realized you’d been flirting with Taylor you stopped even though it seemed she would’ve been just your type, and Chimney told me that he saw her try to kiss you the other night and you turned her down.” Hen pointed out.

“You’re way too observant, you know that?” Buck asked.

“I just call it like I see it.” Hen shrugged.

“We aren’t like, dating, or anything. It’s- it’s a more casual thing. But we are exclusive, so there’s that.” Buck told her.

“And you’re happy? He treats you well?” Hen asked.

Buck nodded and smiled at the thought of Tommy. “Yeah, I- I am. He’s great.”

Hen smiled. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you.” Buck told her sincerely.

Chapter Text

“Hey.” Tommy smiled at his laptop screen when Abby’s face came over the video call. She looked to be on some kind of patio or balcony, a stunning view in the background behind her.

“Hello from Athens.” Abby smiled back. “How’s it going?”

“Good. How’s Greece?”

“It’s beautiful. Seriously. I am just loving it here.”

“That’s great.” Tommy sipped his coffee.

“How was thanksgiving?” Abby wondered. “You spend it with Sal and Gina?”

“Yeah, it was great. Everyone says they miss you.” Tommy told her.

“I miss them too.” Abby admitted. “So, got any plans for Christmas?” She wondered.

“Nothing concrete yet. Pretty sure Evan’s working, and the Delucas are spending it with Gina’s family, so…” Tommy shrugged.

“Would you perhaps wanna spend it with your wife?” Abby suggested.

Tommy set his coffee cup down on the table next to his laptop. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time to come home.” Abby explained.

Tommy couldn’t help but feel excitement. Having Evan around definitely helped with some of the loneliness, but Tommy still missed Abby. Missed always having someone around to keep him company when he wanted or needed. He missed his best friend. “Yeah?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I have loved travelling, it’s been amazing and I feel like I’m doing so much better than I was when I left. But I dunno,” Abby shrugged. “I miss having a home base. Miss you. Miss our friends. I miss my brother and his family. And I don’t really want to spend Christmas alone.”

“If you’re ready to come home Abby I’m not gonna tell you no. I miss you too.” Tommy told her sincerely.

“I’ve got one more country booked that I want to see, I’ve got a flight in two days. I’m thinking I’ll spend maybe a week or so there, then be home a week or two before Christmas.”

Tommy smiled. “Want me to wait to decorate the house so we can do it together?” He knew Abby always loved decorating for Christmas, it got her excited for the season.

“Would you?” Abby asked.

“Of course. But we might have to replace some ornaments, a lot of them got broken in the earthquake.” Tommy warned her.

“Well it’s a good thing I’ve collected a few during my travels then.” Abby smiled

Tommy smiled back for a moment. Then another thought crossed his mind and pulled the smile off his face.

“What’s wrong?” Abby asked immediately.

“Nothing.” Tommy told her quickly and sipped his coffee.

“Don’t lie to me Thomas Kinard, something’s on your mind.”

Tommy was quiet for a moment as he considered what he needed to say.  “If you’re coming home does that mean I need to stop seeing Evan?”

Abby looked at Tommy like he was speaking gibberish. “Why would I want you to stop seeing Evan?”

Tommy shrugged. “I got a sugar baby because you were travelling- spending extra money and having fun- and the sugar baby was my fun. Now you’re coming home, your fun is over, figured maybe that meant mine was too.”

“Tommy, if you want to keep seeing Evan then don’t let me coming home stop you from seeing him. He makes you happier than I’ve seen you in a long time, if ever. And if you’re happy I’m happy. Besides, I- I don’t even know if I’ll be really ready to stay in the house when I get back. I might end up going to San Diego and spending time with Matt and Beth before really returning home for good.”

“You’re sure?” Tommy had to ask.

“Positive.” Abby promised.

“Okay.” Tommy nodded.

Later that night, Evan came over. After a quick greeting at the door they moved to Tommy’s bedroom for a typical round of mind-blowing sex, then they showered together, before getting into bed and curling up together. “How was work?” Tommy finally got to ask Evan.

“It was pretty good. Found out today our station is gonna be hosting a Christmas toy drive so that’s exciting- I love doing these community outreach kinda things. Kids get so excited to see the inside of a firehouse.” Buck explained.

“You like kids?” Tommy smiled at Evan.

“Yeah.” Buck confirmed. “Love kids.”

Tommy hummed. He did his best to not think about the image of Evan showing kids around the station, smiling brighter than the sun the whole time. “Let me know when it is, I’ll bring a donation by.”

“Sure.” Buck agreed easily.

“So I uh, I got some news today.” Tommy admitted.

“What news?” Buck wondered, mind already going to the worst case scenario.

“Abby’s coming home.” Tommy told Evan. “In maybe a week or two. It doesn't mean this thing with us is ending, but some things might change just a little.”

“Like change how?” Buck wondered, trying not to panic over this news just yet.

“Like I come to see you more. Or we go out in public more, or more trips like Napa.” Tommy told Evan. “Me and Abby have a rule about not having sex in the house when the other is home, that’s why. But she also said she might go to San Diego after Christmas to stay with her brother for a while. If she stays home after Christmas, we'll just spend less time together here, but we'll still spend that time together.” He promised.

“That’s all?” Buck asked, feeling like this was too good to be true. Like another shoe would drop any moment.

“That is all.” Tommy confirmed. “I mean Abby might want to meet you at some point, but you don't have to agree. if you don't want to and I could be totally wrong about her wanting to meet you as well.”

“Okay.” Buck nodded.

“I know it's a little nerve-wracking. Honestly, I freaked out a little at first when she mentioned it to me too. But Abby really is a very sweet and kind woman. All her and I have ever wanted is to protect each other and for one another to be happy. And she knows just how happy you make me- she won't do anything to try and jeopardize that.”

Buck’s brain was going a million miles a minute but slowed at Tommy's words. “I- I make you happy?” He couldn’t help but feel surprised.

Tommy gently traced his fingers over the heart tattoo on Evan's left side. “Yeah. You do.” He said softly and looked up at Evan.

Buck looked at Tommy. His chest swelled with emotions he didn't dare name, and rather than saying something and risking saying something he shouldn't, he leaned in and kissed Tommy soft and sweet and Tommy kissed back. “You make me happy too.” Buck murmured as he buried his face in Tommy's chest.

Tommy kissed Evan’s head and let himself drift off to sleep.

The day of the toy drive rolled around and Buck had forgotten he'd even told Tommy about it. Until of course, a familiar looking truck pulled up outside the station. “Be right back guys,” Buck told Eddie and Chimney and went outside to find Tommy's truck. “Hey.” He greeted.

“Hey Ev.” Tommy smiled. “Or should I call you Buck here?”

“Evan’s fine,” Buck said slowly. “What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Wanted to donate to the toy drive,” Tommy gestured to the bed of the truck that was filled with plastic bags containing toys. “Got more in the cab too.”

“Tommy, this is insane. We- this like triples what we've gotten so far.” Buck was wide eyed, staring at the countless bags full of children’s toys, games, and books.

“Me and Abby like to give back, especially around the holidays. This is just a fraction of what we're doing.” He admitted.

“Well this is amazing. Let's start getting it inside I guess.” Buck started grabbing bags.

“If anyone asks, do I know you?” Tommy wondered as he also began grabbing bags. He understood if Evan didn't want his colleagues to know about Tommy.

“I think that much was obvious when I came out here…” Buck paused. “M- maybe you're just a friend?” Buck suggested. He felt bad but at the same time he wasn't ready to tell anyone more.

“Sure.” Tommy smiled easily. He didn’t mind at all. He wouldn’t want to introduce Evan to his coworkers as his sugar baby- it only made sense Evan wouldn’t want to introduce Tommy as his sugar daddy.

Buck smiled back at Tommy and they took as many bags as they could and headed inside. “Someone here is looking to be our biggest donor.” Buck announced as they headed inside towards the bin to put donated toys in. “This is Tommy, he’s a friend of mine.”

“Well this is quite the donation.” Hen commented to Buck, almost sounding suspicious. “Nice to meet you, I’m Hen.” She smiled at Tommy.

“Evan has told me a lot about you guys. All good things.” Tommy smiled back.

“This is very generous.” Bobby told Tommy. “I’m Captain Nash. A donation this size should get a donation receipt for tax purposes. Did you happen to buy all this on one bill, separate from anything else you purchased?” He asked.

“Sure did. I got it right here.” Tommy confirmed and pulled the receipt from his pocket and handed it to Bobby.

“Great, I have those in my office, be right back.” Bobby said and went to get that sorted.

“There's still more in the truck.” Tommy told everyone.

“We're gonna need another bin.” Buck added as he put the bags he carried into the donation bin, then took the bags Tommy had and did the same. Buck and Tommy then went back to the truck to get another load. When they got back inside Hen was talking to some other people who had brought donations, while Chimney and Eddie were now standing at the donation table.

“So I hear you’re a friend of Buck’s,” Chimney started, talking to Tommy. “I’m Chimney.”

“Good to meet you.” Tommy said politely as he put the bags into the donation bin.

“And Tommy this is Eddie.” Buck added.

“Nice to meet you man.” Eddie gave a curt nod.

“You too.” Tommy returned the gesture.

Eddie then turned to a woman approaching with a toy firetruck in hand. "Thank yo- Shannon. What are you doing here?"

"You won't answer my texts or return my calls." Shannon stated.

"This is not the place." Eddie gave a slight nervous chuckle.

"Maybe it's the perfect place." Shannon argued. "We can actually have a conversation that doesn't end up with us in bed."

Buck and Chimney both glanced over at Eddie and Shannon.

"Follow me." Eddie said and lead Shannon away.

Chimney turned back to Tommy. “So how did you and Buck become friends?”

Buck could tell Chimney was really wondering where the hell Buck had found a friend who had enough money to donate so much to the toy drive. “Tommy was actually a regular bar customer when I was in Peru. He was there for business for a couple weeks and couldn’t order in Spanish to save his life so I always helped him out and we kinda made friends. Then we ran into each other here in LA and started hanging out.” Buck lied smoothly.

“He looks a lot better now without those frosted tips huh?” Chimney asked Tommy.

“How do you know about the frosted tips?” Buck shot back.

“You sent Maddie photos. She showed ‘em to me.” Chimney explained.

“Yeah, they were horrendous.” Tommy agreed, playing along smoothly.

“Alright well there’s still more so be right back.” Buck said and led Tommy out of the station.

“Frosted tips?” Tommy questioned once they were out of ear shot.

“I was like 24 at the time, not exactly the best age for smart hair choices.” Buck defended himself as he grabbed more bags of toys.

“You say that like you’re so much older now.” Tommy teased as he pulled bags of toys out of the cab of the truck. “And for the record, it’s not great but my Spanish is at least passable enough to be able to order at a bar.”

“Well then maybe you just had a favourite bartender.” Buck grinned.

Tommy rolled his eyes. “Come on, let’s get the rest of this inside.”

They finished with all the bags then Buck walked Tommy back to his car, just as Tommy’s phone went off. Tommy checked it quickly and smiled a bit at the screen. “What’s that?” Buck wondered.

“Abby just sent me her flight details.” Tommy explained. “She’ll be home next week.”

“Wow, uh, I guess you must be excited.” Buck commented. He knew Tommy told him it wasn’t going to affect them, but he still worried it would anyway. It was one thing for Tommy to say it wouldn’t change anything, but Buck wasn’t sure he could believe that until it really happened.

Later that night Buck helped Chimney pick out a Christmas tree for Maddie, and took it and the decorations they bought over to her place. Buck didn’t think he’d be leaving less than twenty minutes later having gotten into a fight with Maddie. A couple quick texts back and forth between him and Tommy and he was on his way to Tommy’s place. Buck was still a little worried and stressed over Tommy’s wife coming home, but that could be next week's problem. Right now, he really wanted to see Tommy.

“What do you need from me, Evan?” Tommy asked when he opened the door and greeted Evan into the house. He knew Evan had just had a fight with his sister, and wanted to know how he could help.

Buck stepped inside, arms crossed tight over his chest. He thought about it for a moment. “I- I think I wanna vent about the fight with Maddie, then maybe you could uh, could help me forget about it all?” Buck decided. Surely sex with Tommy would get his mind off what all had just happened.

“Okay.” Tommy agreed. He could distract Evan. Maybe a movie or perhaps a work out or if it was really bad they could possibly go for a quick flight in the chopper. It was late but Tommy didn’t care. He was happy to help Evan anyway he could.

Buck took a second to try and figure out where to start. “Maddie always used to love Christmas and this would be the first Christmas we got to spend together in like six or seven years. She was always working or she and Doug were staying in Boston for the holiday. I- I was excited for this year. This was gonna be the first Christmas in a couple years that I- I wasn’t gonna be alone for.” Buck explained as he paced back and forth. “Then me and Chimney got to her place with a tree and decorations for her and she just wasn’t interested. She said she wasn’t feeling the holiday this year and I- I got upset because I was excited.”

“The way you’re feeling is perfectly valid.” Tommy reassured Evan, standing still, arms crossed loosely as he watched Evan pace and listened to him rant.

“I guessed it was because of Doug that she hates Christmas now and she said she didn’t hate Christmas but she didn’t like me very much. Then she just tells me to let it go like I’m just supposed to not be bothered by that or- or worried about her. The fight just got worse from there.” Buck shook his head.

“I’m sorry.” Tommy said sincerely, not sure what else to say, or if he even should say anything at all.

Buck continued pacing. “It’s just not- it’s just not fair. I- I know Doug abused Maddie and of course that isn’t her fault, but how many things does he get to ruin for her? How many things should she let him ruin? I mean, okay, sure. Maybe me and Chimney overstepped but still, couldn’t Maddie at least try and- and pretend a little? For my sake and Chimney’s sake? Or at least not get so defensive about it? I mean if she had just said ‘ hey I’m not totally in the mood for all this this year, lets take the tree to your place or Chimney’s ’ then this all could’ve been avoided. I mean, what- what even was the point of Maddie staying in LA if we can’t do things together like family?”

“I wish I had answers for you.” Tommy frowned.

“I don’t wanna talk about it anymore.” Buck decided. “I just wanna forget about it now.”

“That I can help you with.” Tommy reassured. “What would you like to do tonight?”

Buck was quick to start pulling his clothes off as he stepped closer to Tommy. “Wanna choke on your dick. Want you to be rough with me. Choke me, hit me, whatever you want.” Buck began pulling at Tommy’s belt.

Tommy was quick to put his hands over Evan’s, stopping him. “No.” Tommy told Evan firmly.

“No? What do you mean no?” Buck looked at Tommy confused and a little- more than a little, actually- frustrated. Tommy had enthusiastically agreed to having sex just minutes ago and now he didn’t want to?

“Evan, I know we’ve had some fun with spanking and a bit of pain in the bedroom, but I am not comfortable doing things like that with you in the emotional state you’re in.” Tommy said carefully.

“ Emotional state I’m in ?” Buck scoffed.

“You’re upset, and you’re angry, which is totally understandable. But I don’t think you’re asking me to hurt you for pleasure sake. I think you’re asking me to hurt you physically, because you’re hurting emotionally, and you want to ignore that pain by feeling something physical instead. I’m not saying we can’t ever do those things again, but I’m not doing them with you tonight. I respect you more than that.”

Buck stared at Tommy. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’m serious, Evan.” Tommy insisted.

“You make it seem like I- I’m using you for some sick kind of self-harm,” Buck started.

“You kind of are.” Tommy pointed out.

“Wow.” Buck began tugging his clothes back on angrily. “That’s really what you think of me?”

This was going south fast and Tommy knew it, but he did have boundaries and he wasn’t going to give up on them. “Evan, based on what you’ve told me about your childhood, you have a complicated relationship with pain, and I think you’re feeling a little abandoned by Maddie right now. I don’t think you’re in the proper headspace to understand what it is you’re asking for.”

Buck headed for the front door. “Screw this. I didn’t come here to be treated like an idiot kid, nor did I ask for a fucking therapist.” He said and threw the door open to leave.

“Evan, wait,” Tommy followed Evan outside.

Buck didn’t turn back to Tommy, just made a beeline for his Jeep. “No. You’re right, I am in a shit mood. I came here thinking you’d help but seeing as you aren’t, I’ll go find something else to help instead.” Buck jammed the key into the lock and fought with the door handle to the Jeep.

“Evan, all I said was that I wasn’t going to hurt you tonight. I’d be happy to help you get your anger out in other ways. I could pull out the Muay Thai mat in the garage or,”

Buck yanked the door handle hard. The door did open, though the rough pull caused the handle to fall off, only pissing Buck off more. He tossed the handle into the Jeep and climbed into the vehicle in a huff. He turned the engine over and peeled out of Tommy’s driveway without saying another word.

Chapter Text

Tommy felt powerless as he watched Evan speed away from the house. He stood by his decision to not do what Evan had been asking of him, but he wished he could’ve changed the outcome. Wish he’d said things differently, not brought up Evan’s childhood- that definitely hadn’t helped things at all. He spent the rest of the evening and the entire night worrying about Evan- he was unable to sleep, just tossing and turning and worrying. Where had he gone? What did he decide to go and do to help get his anger out? Tommy wanted to reach out and nearly did several times, but he figured Evan probably needed space and time to calm down. The last thing he needed to do was upset Evan anymore than he already had. He would just have to be patient and wait for Evan to reach out first- and hoped that would happen sooner rather than later.

The next morning Buck woke up hungover, to someone knocking at his door. He groaned as he dragged himself out of bed and made his way downstairs- not caring that he was still in last night’s t-shirt, boxers, and socks. Apparently his drunken self last night had only thought to take his pants off. He was decidedly still pissed, but he wasn’t as mad as he had been the night before. He pulled the door open to find Maddie on the other side, dressed like she stopped by on her way to work. He said nothing to her, just left the door wide open and turned around and headed into the bathroom to grab a Tylenol for his headache.

“Sorry if I woke you up.” Maddie started as she stepped inside. “I won’t stay long. I have a shift but I wanted to talk to you first.”

Buck retrieved his Tylenol and padded over to the kitchen to get a glass of water, still saying nothing.

“The silent treatment?” Maddie asked, seeming a little surprised and a lot upset- seemingly with herself. “You haven’t done that to me since you were a kid.”

Buck sipped his water and took his Tylenol. “Hangover. Mouth was dry.” He said and sipped his water again. He bit back a comment about how he couldn’t be silent to her for two minutes but she could be silent to him for over two years.

“Right.” She muttered and paused. “Look, Buck. I just wanted to come and apologize for last night. You and Chimney did a very nice thing for me and I said some horrible things to you and I am so sorry.”

Buck shrugged. “It’s fine I guess. Not like I can really be mad at you, right? Cause this is all Doug’s fault?” There was just a hint of bitterness in his voice but he knew it would be more than enough for Maddie to pick up on. And maybe that wasn’t fair to her. But she hadn’t been fair to him last night.

Maddie sighed. “Some of it is Doug’s fault. But how I choose to react last night is one hundred percent on me, and you have every right to be mad at me for that.”

Buck nodded slightly.

“Buck I shouldn’t have said those things and I certainly didn’t mean them. You were probably really excited for our first Christmas together in LA- our first Christmas together in years- and I totally dismissed your feelings, and I’m sorry.”

Buck sighed. “It’s okay. I’m working Christmas Eve night and into the morning and then I was invited elsewhere anyway so it’s not like I’ll be alone.”

“Are you sure?” Maddie asked.

Buck nodded. “Yeah. Yeah it’s fine. We’re good.” He told her, even if he did feel a little lingering frustration. He was mostly angry at Doug and at himself.

“Really?” Maddie raised her brows at him in disbelief.

“Yeah. Yeah I’m just mad at- at myself for something dumb I did last night.” Buck explained.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Maddie wondered.

“No. And you have a shift to get to anyway.” Buck reminded her.

“Alright. Just text me if you change your mind and do want to talk about it, okay?”

“Sure. Thanks Mads.” Buck told her sincerely.

Maddie smiled and stepped closer to pull her not-so-little little brother into a hug, which he reciprocated. She then smiled at him one more time before leaving. 

Buck saw Maddie out then went for a shower as he had places he needed to be soon.

A couple hours later Buck was sitting with Eddie while Christopher went up to see Santa. Eddie was talking about Shannon, trying to figure out if letting her back into his and Christopher’s lives was the right thing to do. “I guess sex complicates everything.” Eddie sighed.

“You said it brother.” Buck agreed wholeheartedly. After what happened last night, he definitely agreed with that sentiment. “Uh, hey,” He gestured to Christopher approaching- glad that Eddie didn’t get the chance to wonder why Buck agreed with him on that.

“How’d it go, pal?” Eddie asked Christopher.

“It went great.” Christopher smiled.

“So what’d you ask for?” Eddie wondered.

“Can’t tell. Santa said he’d work on it.” Christopher explained.

“Oh man,” Eddie chuckled and picked Christopher up. “Let’s go.”

Buck smiled and laughed at Eddie and Chris.

“You two have an adorable son.” The woman working the Santa station told Buck.

Buck chuckled nervously. Was she assuming him and Eddie were together? Why? Buck knew he was bisexual now but he wasn’t walking around with a flag or a sign. “Uh,” Buck decided not to overthink it. It wasn’t a big deal. He was sure she was just assuming. Who brought a friend when taking their kid to see Santa, right? “Thank you.” He told her and jogged off to catch up with Eddie and Christopher.

Buck spent the rest of the night and a good chunk of the next day at work thinking about what had happened with Tommy. He realized now that he was calmer that Tommy had been right about what he said last night, and it wasn’t fair of him to lash out on Tommy the way he did. He only hoped he could fix it. Buck wanted to apologize in person which meant it would at the very least have to wait til the end of his shift. Buck didn’t want to wait that long to say something to Tommy though and eventually he settled for sending a text.

Buck : What happened the other night wasn’t cool of me. I want to apologize in person, but I’m on a 24hr shift right now. Think I can come over after?

The alarm then went off, signalling they had a call to get to, so Buck quickly shoved his phone back in his pocket and ran to gear up, while hoping there would be a response from Tommy soon.

---

The longer Tommy went without hearing from Evan the more worried he got. Was Evan alright? Had something bad happened? Had Evan decided he was just done with Tommy? After a day and a half, the pilot was considering going to Evan’s loft, just to make sure Evan was okay if nothing else. Tommy fought with himself on the decision and was finally about to leave to go check on Evan when he got a text from the very person Tommy was about to go looking for.

Evan : What happened the other night wasn’t cool of me. I want to apologize in person, but I’m on a 24hr shift right now. Think I can come over after?

Tommy was a little surprised and a lot relieved. He had some things he wanted to say to Evan but figured it best to wait and say it in person. He quickly typed a response and hit send. 

Tommy : Sure. See you then.

Tommy grabbed his keys and left the house anyway. As he made his way to his truck he made a call which was quickly answered. “Hey, Rick, I’m looking for a car part. I’ll pay whatever it costs me. I don't care about price but it’s gonna be scarce. If anyone has it it’ll be you.” He paused and listened. “Yeah. I’m looking for a driver’s door handle with lock mechanism for a 1986 Jeep-”

---

Buck stared at his phone, still open to Tommy’s response, trying to decide how he felt about it.

Tommy : Sure. See you then.

Buck honestly didn’t love how Tommy responded, but tried not to overthink it. Tommy was around the same age as Bobby. They didn’t text like people Buck’s age did. Buck had trained himself not to panic at messages like that from Bobby, and he needed to try and do the same with Tommy. At the same time, Buck knew he owed Tommy an apology and Tommy had every reason to be upset with Buck, so Buck landed on not being sure what to make of Tommy’s response. He put his phone away and tried to not get in his head about it, and instead distracted himself with extra chores around the station.

Buck spent the last few agonizing hours of his shift trying to figure out what exactly to say to Tommy, but it all sounded wrong in his head. In the end, Buck didn’t manage to really come up with anything concrete he wanted to say, but eventually found himself at Tommy’s door anyway.

“Hey.” Tommy held the door open wider for Evan to enter.

“H- hi, hi Tommy.” Buck stuttered nervously as he stepped inside.

Tommy shut the door and locked it behind Evan. “Evan, I want to apologize for the other night,” Tommy started.

Buck froze and turned to Tommy. “You apologize?” Buck asked. “Tommy you- you don’t have anything to apologize for, I’m the one who-”

“I do.” Tommy cut in before Evan could get ahead of himself. “I shouldn’t have brought up your childhood, or any of that stuff.” Tommy pointed out. “It didn’t help diffuse the situation at all, and I really am sorry.”

Buck swallowed and considered for second. “Appreciated but not necessary.” He insisted. “Tommy you were right, everything you said was right. You- you were trying to be the bigger person, trying to treat me with respect and I- I shouldn’t have gotten upset with you for that. I feel awful for leaving how I did after, I’m sure you didn’t feel great about it either, and I really am sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” Tommy said easily. “I knew you were upset. I wasn’t mad or upset with you- a little worried when you took off and left the way you did though.” He admitted.

“And I do feel bad for that.” Buck assured Tommy.

“Well then it seems we’re on the same page.” Tommy gave a small smile.

Buck nodded slightly. He still felt bad and deep down still worried Tommy was mad at him.

“C’mere.” Tommy pulled Evan into a hug, wrapping his arms around Evan, to show Evan he wasn’t mad and to make sure Evan heard what Tommy was about to say. “I care about you, Evan. And if you’re going through something I want to help you, just not the way you were asking me to the other night, okay?”

Buck clung to Tommy tightly, relishing in the hug, feeling the tension slowly seep out of his bones. “Yeah, totally understandable.”

“Good.” Tommy pressed a kiss to Evan’s cheek as he pulled away from the hug. “Is your door handle still broken?”

Buck looked down, still embarrassed at the tantrum he’d thrown. “Yeah.” He admitted.

“Figured it might be.” Tommy nodded. “Come on, I got food for you in the kitchen, then we’ll take your Jeep into the back garage and I’ll fix it.”

“Seriously?” Buck asked. He’d just had a fight with Tommy, he’d made Tommy worry about him and Tommy had every right to be mad, and Tommy still wanted to take care of him? Still cooked for him not even knowing how their conversation was going to go?

“Yeah. Come eat while it’s still hot.” Tommy smiled and led Evan to the kitchen. He quickly plated up a bowl of beef stew for Evan and handed it to him along with a spoon and a thick slice of fresh bakery bread.

Buck sat at the breakfast bar and took the bowl from Tommy. Buck looked up at the older man. “You didn’t even know I was gonna stay.”

“I didn’t know you’d leave either.” Tommy said simply.

Buck nodded slightly and took a bite of the stew. It didn’t look all that fancy, but the taste was perfect, rich and hearty, a perfect balance of flavors. He wondered how long Tommy spent on it. “I still have the door handle in the Jeep. Been unlocking the car from the passenger side and opening my door from the inside.”

Tommy chuckled a bit. “Figured as much. Good idea keeping the handle but I know it’s been giving you grief for months so I got a new one- or I guess newer one. There are no new parts for your car anymore. No more jiggling the key in the lock.”

“You- really?” Buck looked at Tommy.

“Of course I did. Only the best for my boy.” He smiled.

Chapter Text

A few days later, Tommy was at the airport waiting at the international arrivals terminal. He kept a sharp eye out for Abby, and easily spotted her by her hair. He quickly made his way through the crowd to her.

“Tommy,” Abby smiled widely as soon as she was in earshot.

“Hi Abby.” Tommy said as he closed the space between them and pulled her into a tight hug. “God I missed you.” They hadn’t been apart from each other for this long since Tommy’s time in the army, and that was a long time ago now.

Abby hugged back just as tight, burying her face in Tommy’s chest and inhaling deeply. Tommy had been using the same body wash and cologne for decades now, and the distinct smell of Tommy always gave Abby a sense of comfort and home. “Oh I missed you too.”

Tommy kissed Abby’s head, then pulled back from the hug and took a good look at his wife. She looked about a million times better than she had when she left. Despite all the support he'd given her and all the help they had from Carla, Patricia’s illness had still taken an incredible toll on Abby mentally and physically. She’d lost weight, her face had lost most of his color- except for the dark bags under her eyes-, her hair had gotten brittle and had thinned, among other things. Truthfully, Tommy had been very concerned about Abby for quite a while, and he felt such relief seeing that she’d gotten so much better. “You look good.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure seventeen hours of flying has me looking amazing.” Abby said sarcastically.

“Well you could use a shower,” Tommy teased with a grin. “But I mean in general. You got your color back in your face, your hair looks amazing and healthy again. You got a nice tan. You’re happy.” Tommy told her and smiled.

Abby smiled and wrapped herself around Tommy’s arm as they began to walk. “I am.” She confirmed.

“Come on, let’s get your bags and get you home.” Tommy said and led the way to baggage claim. “I’ve got a few bottles of your favorite white from Napa with your name on them, and I want to hear every last detail about your travels.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Abby agreed.

Once they were home and Abby showered and changed, Tommy and Abby snuggled up on the couch with their glasses of wine and Abby recounted all kinds of details about her travels and showed Tommy the photos she’d taken. Tommy listened, hanging on to every word of Abby’s stories, asking follow up questions, and relishing in the warm feeling of finally having his best friend home combined with knowing she was doing so much better than she was when she left.

“Anyway, enough about me,” Abby sat up and grabbed the bottle of wine to top her glass off. “How have you been?”

“Good. I mean I’ve told you about Evan, not much else has changed other than that.” Tommy shrugged and sipped his wine,

“You’ve been seeing him for what, eight months now?” Abby asked.

“Yeah something like that. Things are good.” Tommy nodded. “I sorta met some of his friends slash coworkers a little while ago. I think they’re a tad suspicious of me,”

“Why’s that?” Abby wondered as she stretched out, draping her legs across Tommy’s lap.

“Well his fire station was doing a toy drive so I picked up some stuff and brought it over,” Tommy started.

Abby sat up a little straighter. “Define some stuff, Tommy. Please tell me the bed of your truck was full? I was able to make some donations while I was in Europe but in a few countries I just ran out of time to find places to donate,”

“Bed was full and so was the backseat of the cab. I don’t think Evan’s captain has ever written a donation receipt for as much as mine was.” Tommy reassured her. They’d both always been big on donating to various charities, especially ones that helped low-income families and kids and especially around the holidays.

Tommy had grown up with nothing. His parents had basically still been kids themselves when they had him. His mother resented his father for ruining her life, and when Tommy was still a kid she left. She’d promised she’d come back for Tommy once she landed on her feet, but she never did. In high school Tommy worked almost full time to support himself and his dad after his dad became unable to work due to an injury, and started spending the disability checks on alcohol to numb the pain. Tommy barely scraped by, and had it not been for Abby and the Clark family looking out for him, he might not have made it. 

There were some days that the second lunch Abby brought to school for Tommy was the only thing he ate. Anytime he went over to the Clark house, Patricia would send him home with containers and containers of leftovers and bags of non-perishable goods. Tommy had always hated accepting their help, but it was either let the Clarks do that for him, or fail- resulting in the world seeing how bad he was struggling.

When Tommy retired out of the army and got home to find Abby hadn’t spent a dime of the money he’d sent her (aka all the money he made while in the military), his instinct was to squirrel it all away for a rainy day- as that was what he’d always done with any extra money he’d ever had. But Abby presented a different solution, a better one. After she’d retired from the Olympic swim team, she enrolled in university and took courses in business and finance. Abby suggested Tommy invest the money- or at least some of it and Tommy reluctantly agreed.

Had he left the money in a savings account earning interest, assuming he’d never spent any of the money, he would’ve just now in the present day have barely doubled the amount he saved. With the money he made working his current jobs, he and Abby would be doing okay, but they wouldn’t have all the things they did. Instead they had started a diverse investment portfolio, Abby handling the majority of the big decision making due to her education. Within two years they’d doubled the money they started with, and kept investing more and making more.

Of course, they’d had their share of bad investments, lost money due to investments failing for whatever reason, and some slower years when the economy took a nosedive, but because they were smart and because they had such a diverse portfolio, they’d always been okay. They bought their current house in 2008 for a fraction of market value, and lived well below their means. The last year had been the most leisure spending they’d ever done with Abby’s travels and all that Tommy was spending on Evan. Of course they had nice things, but they didn’t feel the need to flaunt their money. They didn’t need the insanely high-end name brand clothing or accessories. They didn’t need the fanciest sports cars on the market. They didn’t need to eat the fanciest, most expensive foods all the time.

Their humble beginnings shaped how they viewed money now. Did they need to keep investing and making more money these days? Absolutely not. They could stop, cash out on everything and probably live like gods for the rest of their lives. But continuing allowed them to keep donating huge amounts of money to charities. Making big investments in the stock market allowed them to earn money so they could take chances funding small start-up companies and family businesses and help more people. Making money always had been easier when you already had money to begin with. Tommy and Abby kept making more money mainly for the purposes of giving back to those who really needed it.

“Good.” Abby nodded upon hearing about Tommy’s toy drive donation. “Why are Evan’s coworkers suspicious of you?”

“Well Evan wasn’t going to introduce me as his sugar daddy , so he told them I was a friend, and I’m not sure they bought it.” Tommy explained.

“Well to be fair, most twenty-seven year olds don’t have friends twice their age.” Abby pointed out and sipped her wine.

“Yeah I guess. They seemed like decent people though.” Tommy shrugged and finished off his glass before grabbing the wine bottle to pour himself some more.

“Is it weird that I kinda wanna meet him?” Abby wondered.

“I figured you might.” Tommy admitted. “I’ll see how he feels about it and we can go from there.”

“It doesn’t have to be anything serious either, it could just be quick in passing.” Abby pointed out. “I guess I’m just curious to meet the man who’s made my husband so happy.”

“Totally understandable.” Tommy assured her. “I’ll see how he feels about it and let you know, okay?”

“That’s all I ask.” Abby smiled and kissed Tommy’s cheek.

The next day after work, Tommy went to see Evan. Evan greeted Tommy into the loft and was on him almost instantly, kissing and pulling clothes off, and pulling him upstairs to his bed. After they finished they laid in bed, still naked, tangled up in one another.

“I’ve been thinking,” Tommy started.

“Sounds dangerous.” Buck teased.

Tommy rolled his eyes. “I wanna know what you want for Christmas. Time’s running out.”

“You don’t have to get me anything,” Buck started.

“Oh I’m getting you something Evan.” Tommy insisted. “Either tell me what you want or I’ll just have to buy you everything.” He warned.

“You are not buying me everything .” Buck insisted.

“Well then I need a wish list. Sky’s the limit.”

“I’m not sure.” Buck admitted. “Been a while since anyone’s gotten me a Christmas gift.”

“Well this year will be different.” Tommy promised.

“Can I think on it and get back to you?” Buck requested.

“Alright. But if I don’t have a list by the twenty-second, I’m getting you a new car.” Tommy decided and shifted positions, leaning back against the stack of pillows on Evan’s bed and stretching out. He knew if he fell asleep the way he had been laying, his back would hate him for it in the morning.

Buck chuckled. “Okay.” He said sarcastically.

“Yeah?” Tommy looked over at Evan and sat up a little. If he wanted a new car Tommy was happy to get one for him. Tommy understood that Evan’s Jeep had sentimental value, but the thing was on it’s last legs and there was only so much Tommy could do for it.

“What?” Buck shifted positions to better look Tommy in the eye. “No. You can’t be serious.” 

“I mean it.” Tommy said seriously.

“A- a car? Tommy, that's way too much,” Buck frowned.

Tommy laid back down. “You need it. I’m a damn good mechanic and I’ve gotten your Jeep running as smooth as possible but at the end of the day Evan. I’m just a mechanic, not a miracle worker. I’m sorry to say but your Jeep only has so much life left in it.” He pointed out. “And if I thought it was too much I wouldn’t offer.”

“I will get you a list, no way you’re buying me a new car. You’ve already spent enough money on me this year.” Buck promised. In the last eight months he’d gotten over $30,000 just in allowance, never mind money Tommy spent on furniture for the loft or dinners or their trip to Napa or other smaller gifts Tommy had gotten him randomly just because.

“If you say so.” Tommy hummed.

“I do say so.” Buck insisted. He shifted positions again, resting his head on Tommy’s chest, arm draped over Tommy’s stomach. He was quiet for a moment before asking. “What do you want for Christmas?”

“You don't need to get me anything, Evan, seriously.” Tommy insisted as he took to carding his fingers through Evan’s hair. Tommy had everything he needed and money to buy himself anything he wanted.

“No way. If you're getting me something I'm getting you something too.” Buck insisted.

“Well I don't know what I want.” Tommy admitted. “If you insist on getting me something-”

“I do.” Buck cut in.

“Then just get whatever you think I might like, okay?” Tommy instructed. “Whatever it is, I'll be happy with it simply because it came from you.”

“That's sweet but not very helpful.” Buck pouted.

“You're welcome.” Tommy grinned.

Buck sighed and laid that conversation to rest. “How’s Abby? She just got home yesterday, right?”

“She’s good. Jetlagged, but good. Glad to be home.” Tommy added. “And for the record, she would like to meet you. Only if you want, you’re totally allowed to say no. And it doesn’t have to be some big formal thing either.”

Buck was worried about what Abby’s return meant for his relationship with Tommy, but at the same time, he felt that in a way he owed it to Abby to meet her if that’s what she wanted. If he was sleeping with her husband- lavender marriage or not- the least he could do was meet her in person as per her request. “Okay.” He agreed.

“Great.” Tommy smiled. “She’ll be thrilled.”

“What’s she like?” Buck wondered.

“Wicked smart, and compassionate, and determined. She’s been my best friend since gosh I think probably the seventh grade.”  Tommy explained.

Buck nodded slightly.

Tommy was quiet for a moment before asking, “Can I ask, do you have any plans for Christmas?” Tommy wondered.

“I volunteered to work the night shift on Christmas Eve- it’s the shift no one wants to work, especially anyone with family. I’ll probably be working from like, 6 or 7pm the 24th til 7am or so on the 25th. Then in the afternoon I was invited to dinner at Athena’s house.” Buck explained. “What about you?”

“Just downtime with me and Abby. Probably a video call with her brother and his family at some point. Nothing fancy.” Tommy shrugged.

“Did um- I mean would- would you want to see me sometime? O- Over Christmas?” Buck wondered.

“I always want to see you Evan.” Tommy put an arm around Evan and gave him a squeeze as well as pressing a kiss to his head. “It'd be nice to see you on Christmas but only if you're up for it, I understand that you have work and other plans.”

Buck nodded. “I- I mean I don't know about Christmas day but I could see you on Christmas eve like in the morning before my shift?” Buck offered.

“Can't wait.” Tommy smiled.

Chapter Text

Christmas Eve morning, Tommy made his way to Evan’s loft, gifts for Evan in hand. He got to the loft and knocked on Evan’s door- he had a key and could let himself in, but didn’t in case Evan needed a moment longer before Tommy came in.

Buck looked around his apartment, giving it one last once over- he’d ended up decorating for Christmas once he knew Tommy would be coming over. A small but meticulously decorated tree in the living room, some festive garland up the railing to the loft, nothing over the top, but enough. He had Christmas music playing softly in the background and had made breakfast for the two of them, and it was just finishing up now, as he didn’t want to risk anything getting cold if Tommy ended up late. Deeming everything looked good, he grabbed something and pulled the door open, smiling at Tommy. “Hey. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas Evan.” Tommy grinned at Evan as he stepped inside, gift bags in hand. 

Buck shut the door behind Tommy. “Breakfast is almost done, I hope you’re hungry.”

“It smells great.” Tommy smiled. He set down the bags and slid his jacket off and hung it up, then took the bags and pulled the wrapped boxes out of the bags. He placed them under the tree, and found the only other thing under it was a thick envelope with his own name on it.

Buck went to the kitchen and grabbed two mugs and some hot chocolate powder, quickly making two mugs and bringing one over to Tommy. “Peppermint hot chocolate?” He offered.

Tommy raised a brow.

“Come on, it’s festive.” Buck pushed, arm still extended with the mug for Tommy in hand.

Tommy smiled fondly at Evan and took the mug. “Thank you.”

“It’s still hot, be careful.” Buck told Tommy and returned to the kitchen.

Tommy finished with the presents, then went into the kitchen to see what Evan was up to. He had a few things on the go from the looks of it. “What all have you got going on here?” He asked.

“Uh stuffed french toast, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and fruit salad.” Buck explained as he pulled the last of the sausages out of the pan.

“Evan, you did not need to do all this.” Tommy told him.

Buck shrugged, almost feeling nervous now. Was this too much? “I just, I wanted us to have a nice Christmas together.”

Tommy smiled fondly at Evan. God what Tommy wouldn’t do to keep him around forever. “It’s perfect.” He smiled.

“Yeah?” Buck asked, feeling a jolt of excitement at Tommy’s assurance.

“Yeah.” Tommy promised. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” He sipped his hot chocolate.

Buck smiled widely and continued finishing breakfast.

After they ate they went to the living room to exchange gifts, and that’s when Buck got to see the extent of what all Tommy had brought. “Tommy, this- this is too much.”

“I got what was on your list.” Tommy said and sat down.

“It looks like you got the whole list .” Buck was suddenly feeling very unsure of his singular envelope for Tommy, looking at the numerous boxes Tommy had for him.

“And what if I did?” Tommy asked.

“It was a list of options for you to pick one or two things from.” Buck protested.

“Evan, your entire list was all practical items. Stuff you should have- stuff you deserve to have anyway.” Tommy reminded him. “Honestly I was kinda disappointed at how normal it all was.” Tommy admitted. Evan could’ve asked for anything, literally anything at all, and no matter how ridiculous or difficult, Tommy would’ve found a way.

Buck looked at the boxes, then at his envelope for Tommy. “I just-” He swallowed hard. “I- I’m worried you won’t like my gift for you. That it- that it’s not enough.”

Tommy stood and pulled Evan into a hug. “Evan, just getting to be here with you is already one of the best Christmas presents I’ve gotten in years. There could be a dirty sock in that envelope, I don’t care. You are my gift.”

Buck let out a wet chuckle. “It’s definitely better than a dirty sock.”

Tommy smiled at Evan. It wasn’t long until he was watching Evan unwrap his gifts. A high-quality kitchen knife set, good-quality big-name-brand shoes for working out, a set of nice wine glasses, and a new sheet set with an insanely high thread count. 

“This is my entire list.” Buck frowned, seeing there was still a small box left to open.

“I got you one thing that wasn’t on the list.” Tommy shrugged.

Buck looked down at the small box. He was terrified he was going to open it and see a set of car keys. Instead it was a certificate saying he was entitled to flight training hours. “You- you’re giving me flying lessons?” Buck asked, in shock. The idea of learning how to fly was insanely appealing to him, and he honestly couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought to ask for it sooner.

“Yeah. You seemed to have a lot of fun flying when we went to Napa and I thought it’d be a nice way for us to spend some time together doing something other than having sex or cooking for each other.” Tommy explained.

“It’s perfect.” Buck smiled. “And uh, speaking of Napa actually,” Buck handed Tommy the envelope containing Tommy’s gift.

Tommy carefully opened the envelope, finding inside was a postcard with a scenic picture of Napa on it, as well as a few pictures that had been taken while on their trip.

“I used to buy a lot of postcards when I travelled before joining the 118 and I guess some habits die hard.” Buck explained. “Wasn’t sure what to do with this one til now.”

Tommy turned over the postcard, and found Evan had written on the back about how much fun he had in Napa with Tommy and how much Evan appreciated Tommy bringing him along. 

“I hope it’s not really lame, I just-” Buck started.

Tommy cut him off. “It’s perfect.” He promised.

Buck smiled at Tommy. “Now that presents are done, I was thinking we could put a Christmas movie on on my laptop and make cookies?” Buck suggested. He had one other trick up his sleeve, but that was for a little bit later.

“Sounds great.” Tommy agreed. He could enjoy doing anything with Evan really, and making cookies definitely wouldn’t be a hardship anytime, but especially not with Evan there. “What movie were you thinking?”

“Uh,” Buck got up to head to the kitchen. “Good question. I don’t actually know that many Christmas movies. Mostly just the kids ones.”  He admitted.

Tommy stopped. “Have you seen Love, Actually ?”

“No. Why?” Buck wondered.

“That’s what we’re watching then.” Tommy decided. “It’s a Christmas movie, and my favorite movie of all time.”

“Okay.” Buck agreed with a smile.

Soon the movie was playing on Buck’s laptop as he ran the show making two different types of cookie dough, requesting assistance from Tommy occasionally. They quickly got the mint chocolate chip cookies in the oven, then rolled out the dough and began cutting out shapes with the sugar cookie dough.

“What are you gonna do with all these cookies?” Tommy wondered as they took the chocolate chip cookies off the baking sheets and put the sugar cookies on, as Evan didn’t have enough baking sheets for all the cookies they were making.

“Well you’re gonna take some home for you and Abby, and I’m gonna bring some to Athena’s tomorrow, and I’ll take the rest to the station tonight.” Buck explained.

“Works for me.” Tommy decided.

Soon all the cookies were out of the oven, and the sugar cookies needed time to cool before they could be decorated.

“We can just finish the movie in the mean time.” Tommy suggested.

“We could,” Buck agreed as he moved away from the kitchen. “But I think I have a better idea.”

“What’s that?” Tommy asked as he followed.

Buck smirked and pulled Tommy in for a searing kiss as his hands moved to undo the button and zipper of Tommy’s jeans.

Tommy kissed back before pulling away with a chuckle. “Someone’s eager.” He teased.

“I have another surprise for you.” Buck explained, his hands not stopping as he reached into Tommy’s boxer briefs.

Tommy grabbed Evan’s wrist, stopping him. “What’s this surprise, baby boy?”

Buck’s cheeks flushed red.

“Come on Evan, be a good boy and show daddy.” Tommy encouraged.

Buck nodded in agreement. “One moment.” He requested and went up the stairs to the loft. After a moment he called out. “You can come up now.”

Tommy quickly went up the stairs and found Evan stripped naked on his bed, face down ass up. As he got closer he saw something nestled between Evan’s cheeks- sending blood rushing south. “Baby boy have you had a plug in this whole time?”

“Yes daddy.” Buck confirmed.

Tommy hummed in appreciation and approached the bed. He put one hand on Evan’s hip, and the other grabbed the base of the plug and pulled a little, before pushing it back into him. “What do you want daddy to do to you baby?”

Buck whimpered slightly, the toy rubbing against his prostate ever so slightly. “What- whatever daddy wants.”

“Whatever daddy wants, huh?” Tommy mused, continuing to fuck Evan with the toy.

“Yes. Wanna be the best boy I can for daddy.” Buck confirmed, resisting the urge to rock his hips back.

Tommy hummed in appreciation. He looked over and spotted a bottle of lube on the bedside table. He grabbed it, then settled himself behind Evan again and pulled the toy out of Evan’s hole, the muscle desperately clenching around nothing in the toy’s absence. The plug wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t exactly small either. Tommy couldn’t believe Evan had been wearing it all morning. “I’m surprised you lasted as long as you did wearing this.” Tommy mused as he ran a dry finger over Evan’s hole.

Buck shuddered a bit. “Wasn’t easy.”

“I bet it wasn’t.” Tommy agreed. He then spread Evan’s cheeks and licked a generous stripe over Evan’s hole.

“Oh fuck.” Buck gasped. Rimming was something they’d talked about doing but had never actually gotten around to trying.

Tommy blew over Evan’s now wet hole and watched it clench desperately around nothing. He dove back in, tongue circling around Evan’s whole.

Buck rocked his hips back against the sensation, desperate for more.

“That feel good, baby?” Tommy asked, kneading at the soft flesh of Evan’s ass as he spoke.

“Y- yes. Feels so good daddy.” Buck confirmed, aching at the loss of Tommy’s tongue already.

“Good.” Tommy hummed and continued, tongue pushing it’s way into Evan’s hole as much as possible.

Buck couldn’t help but moan at the sensation.

Tommy continued eating Evan out like a starving man. His own erection was straining painfully against his jeans, but he was too absorbed in the beautiful sounds Evan was making to care. He brought Evan to the very edge, seconds away from orgasm, then stopped and pulled away.

“ Daddy ,” Buck whimpered at the loss. He’d been soo close and he knew he said Tommy could do whatever he wanted, but he didn’t think Tommy would be so mean about it.

“I know I’m the worst.” Tommy said dryly as he took a moment to finally undress himself, something he should’ve done at the start. He then lubed up his fingers and worked three of them into Evan.

“Oh fuck.” Buck gasped at the familiar stretch of Tommy’s fingers.

Tommy began working his fingers in and out of Evan. “I wanna see just how long you can hold on for me, baby boy. Can you do that for me? See how many times daddy can ruin your orgasm before you’re begging to come?”

Buck’s mouth went dry at the idea and he nodded frantically. He liked it when Tommy was a little mean to him, and this sounded like one of the best ideas Tommy had in a long time. “Please Tommy.”

Tommy stopped mid-movement. “What was that?”

“Please daddy .” Buck corrected himself.

Tommy continued rocking his fingers in and out of Evan. “Please what baby?”

“Please-” Buck inhaled sharply as Tommy purposely brushed against his prostate. “Please edge me until I can’t take it anymore daddy.”

“Good boy.” Tommy cooed, spreading and scissoring his fingers inside Evan. Purposely making occasional contact with Evan’s prostate, but not nearly allowing enough contact.

Buck whined at the careless touches to his prostate. He liked letting Tommy use him anyway he wanted, but he hadn’t expected this.

“Something wrong baby boy?” Tommy asked as he directly teased at Evan’s prostate.

Buck gasped sharply. “N-  no more teasing daddy, please.” Buck begged.

Tommy knew what Evan meant, but had to tease him anyway. He leaned over Evan’s back and spoke low and sultry in Evan’s ear. “Tapping out already? That’s too bad, I had so many more things planned for you.”

“Not tapping out!” Buck said frantically.  “Just- ah! Just need m- more. No more teasing. No more care- careless touches please daddy.”

“Good job telling me what you need baby boy.” Tommy kissed Evan’s temple and continued with the prostate massage until he knew Evan was seconds away from coming, when he stopped and firmly squeezed at the base of Evan’s dark red, leaking erection. “Doing so well for me sweetheart.” Tommy told Evan. He took a moment to let Evan calm down, using the time to whisper sweet nothings in Evan’s ear and leave kisses all over Evan’s shoulder and back.

“You can touch me again daddy.” Buck promised, getting antsy now at the lack of any kind of sexual contact.

“You sure baby?” Tommy asked.

Buck nodded frantically.

“Okay.” Tommy pressed a soft sweet kiss to Evan’s lips, before resuming his position behind Evan on the bed. He coated his cock in a generous layer of lube- he didn’t want to hurt Evan and knew Evan had work later, and wiped his hands off on a well-placed nearby rag. Then put his hands on Evan’s hips and without warning, slid right into Evan’s waiting, stretched hole, not stopping til he bottomed out. He quickly set a pace that was for his pleasure and his pleasure only- something Tommy rarely ever did.

“Fuck-” Buck muttered. Tommy rarely ever took in the bedroom and Buck was a little obsessed with how good it felt to be used.

“You feel so good baby.” Tommy murmured. He wasn’t sure he’d last long, not when he’d been so turned on by teasing Evan, but he didn’t need to.

“Wanna- ah - be good for daddy.” Buck explained.

“You are.” Tommy promised. He continued fucking into Evan until he felt himself getting closer to finishing. “Can I finish inside baby boy?”

“Yes! Please.” Buck begged and clenched tightly around Tommy’s thick length.

“Well, seeing as you asked so nicely.” Tommy said, he gripped around Evan’s length just in case and a moment later he buried himself deep inside Evan coming hard.

Tommy brought Evan to the edge once more with a hand job, before Evan tapped out and Tommy finished him off. He then cleaned Evan up whilst showering him in praise and cuddled with Evan for a while until Evan felt ready to move on with his day. They got redressed, and went to the kitchen to decorate the cookies.

“Good way to spend Christmas?” Tommy asked Evan as he put dots of red icing over the green icing on a Christmas tree cookie.

Buck looked up from the cookie he was decorating and smiled. “The best.”

Chapter Text

Finally in early January, Tommy, Abby, and Evan set a time for Evan to meet Abby. Abby was going out for dinner and drinks with friends, and Tommy had plans with Evan. Evan would arrive with enough time to meet Abby and chat a little but not too long and because Abby had plans, meaning if things didn’t go well, they had a convenient excuse to end things quickly.

Tommy looked at the message Evan had just sent him.

Evan : On my way now. You’re sure she’ll like me?

Tommy chuckled and shook his head as he typed a response.

Tommy : Stop worrying

“Evan on his way?” Abby asked as she came into the living room, her hair and make up was done but she was still in her robe and had two dresses on hangers in hand.

“Yeah, just texted to say he was leaving his place.” Tommy confirmed and turned to better look at Abby. “Let’s see the options?”

 Abby held up the two dresses. Both dresses were above-the-knee length with flowy but not overly poofy skirts. One was a plain, rich bright red with thin shoulder straps and a square neckline. The other was lacy, cobalt blue with full-length sleeves and a v-neckline. 

Tommy knew Abby looked good in both. It was a matter of helping her decide which was better for the occasion. “Remind me who you’re doing out with?”

“Kelly, Darlene, Mandy.” Abby answered.

“No Paula?” Tommy asked, having sworn he could recall saying she’d be there.

“No, I guess she cancelled on us at the last minute.” Abby wasn’t upset at all by this. There was nothing necessarily wrong with Paula- that anyone could name or much less prove at least-, but she was more Mandy’s friend than Abby’s or anyone else’s and she could be pretty judgemental and not to mention insanely catty. But Abby didn’t say anything when Mandy brought Paula along to things because everyone knew Paula had been Mandy’s rock throughout her divorce.

“The blue one.” Tommy told Abby immediately.

“Yeah?” Abby asked, holding it up against her body.

“Yes. With that fancy low plunge bra you got in France. The one that you said was like if a boob-job was a bra.” Tommy confirmed. Seeing as Paula wasn’t going to be there to make any comments about what anyone was wearing, he figured Abby should look and feel her best. She deserved to look sexy and have a fun night out with her friends- it’d been too long since Abby had gotten the opportunity.

Abby chuckled. “Yessir.” She said and went to her room to finish changing.

Soon Abby returned, dressed now and ready to go. “How do I look?” She asked and did a slow spin so Tommy could see the full 360.

“An utter vision. Almost good enough to make me a Kinsey 5.” Tommy grinned at her.

Abby took a seat next to Tommy on the couch as she chuckled at Tommy. “Sure.” She rolled her eyes.

Tommy took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “You look beautiful, I mean it. You know I would tell you if you didn’t.”

“Yes, you would.” Abby agreed as she began to go through her small purse to make sure she had everything she needed. “Is it weird I’m nervous to meet Evan?”

“I don’t know.” Tommy admitted. “I know Evan’s nervous too, if that makes a difference.”

“Seriously?” Abby seemed genuinely surprised.

“Yeah. When he texted, he said on my way now. You’re sure she’ll like me? I promise, he’s nervous too.” Tommy confirmed.

“What about you? How are you feeling about me meeting Evan?” Abby wondered.

“I guess I just hope you two will like each other. Or at least tolerate one another. Your opinion means absolutely everything to me- you know that. I guess I worry you won’t like him because I- I do like him and I wanna keep him around.” Tommy explained.

“If he’s half the guy you say he is, I’m sure we’ll be fine.” Abby reassured.

Soon there was a knock on the door and Tommy quickly got up and answered it, smiling when he saw it in fact was Evan on the other side. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Buck smiled back and stepped inside the house. He did his best to act natural and not show that he was spiraling over meeting Abby just a little.

Tommy shut the door behind Evan. “Come on, Abby’s in the living room.” He said and held out his hand for Evan to take.

Buck took a deep breath and slid his hand into Tommy’s, following Tommy to the living room. 

Tommy gave Evan a reassuring look as they got to the living room, then spoke up. “Evan, this is my wife Abby. Abby, this is,” Tommy didn’t know what title to give Evan. Sugar baby felt sleazy and not to mention inaccurate. Sugar baby felt like Tommy didn’t care about Evan half as much as he did. “Evan.” Tommy finished without giving Evan some extra title.

Abby stood and extended her hand towards Evan. She’d seen pictures so she knew what to expect, and she knew Tommy said he was nervous, but she was a little surprised or perhaps upset even by just how nervous he seemed- wringing his hands, stuck firmly to Tommy’s side, his face painted with a nervous look he was trying to neutralize. Abby smiled, trying to show she wasn’t about to bite his head off. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Abby said sincerely.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Buck echoed back as he politely shook Abby’s hand. He’d seen pictures of Abby but meeting her in person was different. She was real . She was here . Tommy was married - and to an admittedly gorgeous woman. “The pictures Tommy showed me of you don’t do you justice, you look amazing.” Buck told her sincerely.

“Oh I’m just all dolled up right now to go see friends, this isn’t the usual.” Abby brushed it off.

Tommy’s phone began ringing and he glanced at it. As much as he wanted to ignore it, to stay present with Abby and Evan, he couldn’t ignore this call. “Shit, I have to take this. I’ll try and be quick.” Tommy stepped away and answered the call.

“The uh- the dress is great but I- I meant you . With or without the dress on-” Buck realized after he said it how that sounded. “I mean- uh. That’s not what I meant.” Buck was seriously tempted to make a break for it. Run for the door and never look back.

Abby couldn’t help the amused look on her face, already seeing for herself what Tommy meant when he’d referred to Evan as a golden retriever. 

As much as Buck wanted to make a run for it, he didn’t. “What I mean to say is you are very beautiful regardless of what you’re wearing.” He corrected himself.

“Thank you.” Abby told Evan. Admittedly it was quite nice to hear. She knew she looked pretty good for her age, but these days it was rare for someone as young as Evan to compliment her looks. Lots of men Abby’s age and of course men older than her would tell her all kinds of things- she’s beautiful, gorgeous, a work of art, whatever other cheesy things they could come up with in their desperate attempts to get laid. The same could be said for men in their 40’s, even their 30’s. A man in his 20’s was a different beast.

“How- how was it traveling Europe?” Buck asked, trying to make some kind of conversation.

“It was so great. I got to experience so much history and culture and I’m so glad I did it.” Abby said honestly.

Buck tried not to worry about being left alone with Abby. “Did you ever travel much before Europe or was it something totally new?” Buck wondered.

“Not really. I mean I travelled a little before, but nothing like the trip I just did.” Abby admitted. “Is traveling something you’re interested in?”

“I mean, it wasn’t as impressive as what you did, but I- I actually travelled a lot the last several years. Mostly just around the states- and also Peru. I’ve been in LA for less than two years but it’s- it’s the longest I’ve been anywhere by far in the last several years.” Buck explained. “And I want to travel more at some point but,” He shrugged.

“As someone who put off travelling for far too long, if it’s really something you want to do, I can’t recommend doing it sooner, enough. Don’t let more than half your life pass you by before you do it.” Abby told Evan.

Buck nodded. “I will keep that in mind.”

Abby glanced in the direction Tommy had walked off, then turned back to Evan. “Before Tommy gets back I just want to say that it’s very clear to me that you make Tommy very happy and I have to thank you for that.”

“You really think so?” Buck asked. He wasn’t sure exactly what he expected Abby to say but it certainly wasn’t that .

“I do. And Tommy deserves to be that happy, so thank you for doing that for him.” Abby told Evan.

“It’s not like I did anything special.” Buck frowned.

Abby smiled warmly at Evan. “Then maybe it’s just you that’s so special.”

Buck could feel his cheeks heating up and he looked down at his lap, trying to hide his blush from Abby.

Abby couldn’t help but let out an amused chuckle. “No one ever tell you that before?” She asked light-heartedly.

Buck shrugged. “I dunno. Definitely not the wife of my sugar daddy.” Buck told her with a slight chuckle. “Or a freaking Olympian.” He quickly added. “You have multiple silver and gold medals from the literal Olympics and you think I’m special ?”

Abby laughed. “Well if you wanna play it that way, you’re a firefighter. A literal real-life superhero. I might have some old medals, but you save lives every day, Evan. Give yourself a little more credit.”

“I guess so.” Buck agreed with a small nod. 

Abby smiled at Evan.

Buck shyly smiled back.

Tommy then returned to the living room. “I’m so sorry,” He started.

“It’s all good.” Buck reassured him.

“Everything okay?” Abby asked.

“Yeah, it’s good news for us.” Tommy told her. “We’ll chat later.”

Abby’s phone then went off. “Oh! My ride's here.” She grabbed her bag. 

“Uber?” Tommy guessed.

“On the way there, yes. Kelly’s son is driving everyone home after. Payback for all the times she had to drive out to god knows where to pick his drunk ass up and take him home.” Abby explained.

“Fun.” Tommy said sarcastically. “Have fun. Tell the girls I say hi.”

“Will do.” Abby promised. “Not sure how late I’ll be but my phone is on, charged, and you have my location. Have a good night guys.” She said and left the house.

Tommy turned to Evan. “How was that? I’m so sorry I had to step away,”

“No, it was fine, really. I mean a little awkward at first but Abby’s- she seems really nice. I can see why you like her.” Buck told Tommy sincerely.

Tommy smiled. “Thank you for meeting her. I uh,”

“Her opinion matters to you. I get it.” Buck confirmed. “I- I mean I don’t think I’d want to spend much one-on-one time with her because it was a little awkward. But if- if for some reason an opportunity came up to spend some time with you and her I wouldn’t be opposed. I’d- I think I’d like to know her better if she wants that too.”

Tommy smiled. “I’ll pass the message along.”

Buck and Tommy quickly got to doing what they had planned for the night- Tommy was tuning up the Jeep while Buck kept him company. Normally after Buck would stay the night but he knew Abby was coming home and he had work in the morning so after a thank-you blow job, he headed home.

Tommy waited up for Abby to get home. He wouldn’t be able to sleep until he knew she’d gotten home safely anyway. She got back pretty late, clearly having had quite a good time with her friends. Tommy helped her to bed, then finally headed to bed himself, already thinking about the morning and talking with Abby about her thoughts on Evan.

In the morning Tommy was up before Abby and made them breakfast. She must not have been hungover though as she managed to wake on her own and join Tommy in the kitchen before he could finish cooking. “Morning.”

“Good morning.” Abby yawned and fixed her robe tie before starting work on making herself a tea. Tommy had already started the kettle for her, which sped up the process. “What time did I get in last night?” She wondered.

“Almost two.” Tommy told her.

“Jeez.” Abby muttered. “That would’ve been thanks to the espresso martinis after dinner.”

“That’ll do it.” Tommy hummed. “Good night though?”

“Yes. It was great.” Abby confirmed. “Oh, and get this, remember me saying Paula cancelled on us at the last minute?”

“Yes.” Tommy nodded, attention split between Abby and the omelets he was making.

“Turns out she didn’t cancel on us; she was uninvited .”

“Oh?” Tommy looked over at Abby. He admittedly did like hearing about some of the gossip in the lives of Abby’s friends at times. Sometimes he didn’t care for it but sometimes it actually was pretty intriguing. And he- like most other people with brains- didn’t like Paula, so this was especially interesting.

“This is top secret okay, I didn’t tell you this.” Abby warned.

“My lips are sealed.” Tommy promised.

“And this is all coming directly from Mandy herself.” Abby started. “Apparently Paula has been coming on to Mandy’s son. Repeatedly. For months.”

“Alex?” Tommy asked in disbelief. “He’s- he’s still a kid .”

“He’s 20 now- almost 21 actually.” Abby impatiently jerked her tea bag around in her mug. “Still not exactly an adult but not a minor either.”

“And how old is Paula again?” Tommy crossed his arms.

“She’s almost fifty.” Abby answered. “Twenty-nine years older than Alex. I mean, I get wanting someone younger but there has to be a line somewhere.” Abby shook her head. “I guess finally, thankfully , Alex said something to Mandy about it a couple days ago. My god she’s livid . I thought I’d seen her mad when she found out Brian was cheating on her, turns out that was nothing.”

“She’s always been very protective of Alex.” Tommy decided as he turned his attention back to the stove. He wanted to say he was shocked by what Paula had done- that he couldn’t believe she’d do such a thing-, but sadly he wasn’t really surprised. Tommy also thought about the age gap. Abby’s comment about drawing a line. Tommy knew the circumstances were very very different, but the age gap between him and Evan was only two years shorter than Paula and Alex.

“Anyway. It’s all still evolving, so.” Abby waved it off. “How was your night with Evan?”

“It was good.” Tommy nodded. “I uh, I wanted to ask what you thought of him.”

Abby had been expecting Tommy to ask. “Well I don’t know that he’s ever beating the golden retriever allegations,”

Tommy chuckled at that.

“But really he seems very sweet. I can see why you like him so much.” Abby smiled.

“You’re not put off by him talking about you being beautiful out of your dress?” Tommy asked in an amused tone, having heard all about it from Evan last night.

“He was nervous. It obviously wasn’t what he meant.” Abby explained.

“ I know that and you know that but he was still worried you’d be upset over it.” Tommy told her.

“He’s fine, I promise.” Abby insisted. “I’d have to spend more time with him to form any serious opinions, but for now I like him.” 

“I am, and he will be, relieved to hear it.” Tommy smiled as he moved to grab a plate for Abby’s omelet, many many different things swirling around his brain all at once.

Chapter Text

“You’ll never guess what happened today.” Buck told Tommy when Tommy got to the loft after Buck’s shift. It’d been a couple weeks since Buck had met Abby and things seemed good between him and Tommy. Really good. Buck had worried that Tommy would become at least a little distracted by Abby being home, but instead he was attentive as ever. Buck couldn’t help but bask in the extra attention.

“With your life? No, I couldn’t.” Tommy chuckled. “What happened today?” He knew he’d gotten into his own head worrying about the age gap between him and Evan. But selfishly, Tommy still couldn’t let Evan go. So, instead his solution was to do everything the way Evan wanted to. He couldn’t be taking advantage if Evan was in charge of everything, right? Tommy also made sure to be as attentive as he possibly could, ensuring Evan was only ever happy in his presence if at all possible.

“Maddie came to the station and asked Chimney out. Finally! They’ve basically been dating for months, they just haven’t made it official, it’s been ridiculous and not to mention painful.” Buck explained.

“Good for them.” Tommy smiled. “You’re not at all worried about your co-worker dating your sister?” He wondered. With anyone else, it might feel like a chore trying to constantly ensure someone was happy, but not with Evan. It was easy, really. And when Evan was happy so was Tommy, so really it was all no-harm-no-foul.

“Not really. I mean, I’ve worked with Chim for a good amount of time now, I trust the guy and I know he respects women- Hen wouldn’t be his best friend if he didn’t. And Maddie- I mean she deserves to be happy again and if Chimney makes her happy then great.” Buck grabbed a beer from the fridge, popped the top off, and handed it to Tommy. “Her lawyer is serving Doug with divorce papers and I dunno, seems like maybe she can finally put that chapter of her life to rest.”

Tommy smiled and accepted the beer.

“Alright, enough about them. Dinner is almost ready and I got us tickets to go see that new movie you said you were interested in.”  Buck explained.

“Oh,” Tommy was a bit surprised. “Yeah, great.”

“And before you ask, yes we do have time for a quickie after dinner before the movie, but it has to actually be a quickie this time.” Buck informed him.

Tommy laughed. “Okay.” He agreed.

A few days later, Friday, Buck was on his way to Tommy’s place- Abby was in San Diego with her brother for the weekend and Buck was off Friday night and all day Saturday and planned to spend most of that time in Tommy’s bed. Before going to Tommy’s he was stopping by Maddie’s place to drop off a dish he needed to return to her, seeing as it was on the way. Maddie and Chimney were supposed to be out on their date, but Buck had keys to Maddie’s place, so he planned to just drop the dish at Maddie’s and go. He was just getting to Maddie’s when Tommy called.

“Hey Tommy.” Buck greeted when he answered the phone. “What’s up?”

“Just wondering if you were close, trying to gauge when I should put the steaks on so they’re hot when you get here.” Tommy explained.

“You’re spoiling me.” Buck huffed as he parked his vehicle and got out. “I’m just stopping by Maddie’s quick to drop something off, then I’ll be on my way. Maybe twenty, twenty five minutes?” Buck guessed.

“Since when is it spoiling you to make you a nice meal before sex?” Tommy questioned.

Buck got through the gate into the courtyard. “Steaks?” He questioned.

“Only the best for my boy.” Tommy’s grin could be heard through the phone.

“You didn’t have to Tommy,” Buck turned the corner and saw Chimney laying on the ground, bleeding from his stomach. “Oh my god, Tommy I gotta go.” Buck gasped and quickly hung up the phone to call 9-1-1.

Buck spoke with Josh at dispatch, then Chimney started mumbling about Maddie. Buck’s eyes widened with fear. “Where’s Maddie? Chimney, where is Maddie? Where’s Maddie?” Buck asked as the paramedics came and took over with Chimney. Buck ran towards Maddie’s apartment and found the door wide open. He ran around the apartment calling her name, but there was no sign of her. Then he found her phone, keys, and purse. He relayed this information to Josh as panic coursed through his veins.

Maddie was gone. And Buck just knew that Doug had her.

Police began showing up and Buck was spiraling and he knew it. He managed to call Bobby and explain what had happened, and in no time, Bobby and Athena were at Maddie’s apartment too. Buck spoke with the detective handling the case, and Buck explained that he knew it was Doug. The detective didn’t seem convinced, but Buck was sure of it, and he needed the detective to believe him. “You don’t believe me, I mean- I mean Chimney’s phone is right there, check for yourself.” Buck pointed out.

“Phone is locked. Can’t open it without the victim’s consent.” The detective told him. 

“They’ll subpoena his phone records but it’ll take time.” Athena added.

“Well Maddie doesn’t have time, okay?!” Buck snapped. “Come on Doug did this! He almost killed Chimney and- and he could- he could kill her next.”

“But he didn’t.” Bobby stated.

“Bobby!” Buck exclaimed. Was Bobby trying to be comforting? Because he wasn’t doing a very good job at the moment.

“Buck, just listen to me,” Bobby insisted. May- maybe you’re right, it’s Doug. And he found where Maddie was, and he came here, and he hurt Chimney. But Maddie’s not here. If all he wanted to do was kill her…”

A terrible image came to Buck’s mind, one he quickly dismissed but would have a hard time forgetting. “I would’ve found her too.” Buck filled in.

“And you didn’t.” Bobby reminded Buck. “She was alive when he took her and that’s what we’re gonna hold onto right now.” Bobby patted him on the shoulder.

Buck looked back at the pool of Chimney’s blood on the brick as well as his phone, and the flowers he’d gotten for Maddie. He started to form a plan. “Can- can I change my shirt? Uh it’s covered in…” Buck trailed off. “I have some stuff in Maddie’s place.”

“Fine, just don’t touch anything.” The detective told him. “And bag his shirt when he’s done!” He called out to the other officers.

Buck went towards Maddie’s apartment to change his shirt, and work on his plan. He quickly changed and handed his shirt to one of the crime scene techs in Maddie’s place, and on his way back quickly swiped Chimney’s phone and slid it in his pocket, then approached Athena and Bobby.  “Hey Cap? I need to go to the hospital. I- I- I wanna see Chimney.” He explained and began to head to the parking lot. 

“I’ll drive him.” Bobby told Athena and the detective and followed after Buck.

In Bobby’s truck, Buck pulled out his phone on instinct and saw he had a couple texts from Tommy which he opened after a moment.

Tommy : Is everything okay? You hung up pretty fast…

Tommy : Evan?

Buck sighed and typed a response to Tommy.

Buck : No, everything is not fine. I can’t come by tonight. Sorry.

Buck hit send then put his phone back in his pocket and went back to worrying about Maddie.  They got to the hospital and Buck successfully got Chimney’s phone unlocked, just for Athena to approach him with two other police officers.

“You know detective Marks didn’t believe me. He said no one could be that stupid. I said you don’t know Buck.” Athena told him. Athena proceeded to give him an earful and Buck was brought to hospital jail and spent a good couple minutes just crying and beating himself up. If he’d never encouraged Maddie to stay in LA, maybe none of this would’ve happened.

Eddie came and tried to reassure Buck, but all the reassurances fell flat. Buck appreciated the attempt, but it wasn’t very helpful.

Athena then came over and explained that because of what Buck did Detective Marks couldn’t use anything on Chimney’s phone.

“I’m sorry. Okay? I was trying to help.” Buck pointed out.

“Okay.” Athena sighed. “Let’s go. The car’s out front.”

“You’re arresting me?” Buck didn’t even bother to look at Athena as he said it. It was the last thing he needed to top off the worst night of his life.

“Not yet.” Athena told him. “But the night’s still young.”

Buck looked confused as Athena began to walk away and Bobby gestured for Buck to follow Athena. He got up. “Uh where- where are we going?” He asked Athena.

“To find your sister.” Athena explained. “If Doug is Jason, this phone is how we find him, but we're gonna need a little help.”

“I thought you said we couldn’t use the phone.” Buck frowned.

“No, I said Marks can’t use it. This isn’t my case. I’m just a concerned friend of the victim.”

Buck nodded slightly as he finally understood what was happening. “Thank you.” He said and began to follow Athena out the doors.

“Buck,” Bobby called after them, and Buck turned around to face him. “Here are the ground rules,” Bobby started, sounding like a parent. “You don’t leave her sight, you don’t lie, you don’t withhold any information from her, you don’t break the law, and you don’t do anything that’s gonna force her into an early retirement. You got it?”

“Got it, Cap.” Buck promised, then left the hospital with Athena. Their first stop was dispatch, where Josh and Maddie’s boss bent the rules to help them out, which Buck greatly appreciated, but didn’t have the bandwidth to truly thank them for.

In the car, Athena called Detective Marks and updated him that dispatch would be calling with a tip, and advised him not to question such a helpful tip. After that she glanced over at Buck. “You’re awfully quiet over there Buckaroo.”

“Um,” Buck looked at Athena. “When we get there, what- what- what do you think we’re gonna find?” Logically part of him knew Maddie might already be dead, but he was still holding out hope she wasn’t. He didn’t think he’d be able to handle seeing her like that, but he also knew he’d have a hard time believing it if he didn’t. “I mean, he threatened to kill her, you know? Almost did kill Chimney. What if- what if he,”

“No.” Athena said quickly. “My gut is telling me not to count your sister out just yet. Maddie didn’t just rebuild her life, she rebuilt herself. Doug may have her, but I don’t think he has any idea who he’s dealing with now.”

Buck just looked at Athena and hoped she was right. He really, really needed her to be right.

Unfortunately the lead on Doug’s phone turned out to be a bust. They could be anywhere by now, and Doug was way ahead of them. They went to the gas station where Doug dumped the phone, and it just felt like the situation was getting back. But then they found the rental car paperwork, and they had a lead, and while it wasn’t much, it felt a hell of a lot better than nothing.

They were able to track the car which had Buck feeling better, just to get there and find there were over 300 properties where Maddie and Doug could maybe be, and it felt like it was all two steps forward, one step back.

Then they were called to an address where gunshots were reported, and figured Maddie and Doug had been there.

“Question now is which way did they go?” Athena pointed out.

“If she’s out there and, and she’s hurt,” Buck started.

“They’re sending more officers. Uh search and rescue is on it’s way, choppers, dogs, it’s gonna be a full court press.” Detective Marks told them.

“How long will that take?” Buck wondered.

“Unfortunately, we’re probably looking at about an hour.” Marks responded.

“No that- that’s too long.” Buck shook his head.

“It’s the best we can do.” Marks said. “We’ll keep looking for any evidence that might tell us which way they went in the meantime. They’re either on foot or have stolen a vehicle, either way, there will be some kind of evidence.”

Buck pulled out his phone to check the time and saw a couple missed calls from Tommy, then he got the idea. He quickly unlocked Tommy’s phone and called him back as he stepped away from Athena and detective Marks. All he could really do was hope Tommy would answer.

“Hey, Evan, I’m glad you finally called,” Tommy started when he answered the phone.

“Tommy, I need a favor.” Buck said quickly.

“What’s up? Evan, what’s going on?” Tommy sounded worried.

“Look Maddie’s ex Doug kidnapped her last night. It’s been a whole thing. I'll explain it to you later. We think we know the area they’re in but it could take Search and Rescue an hour to get here and Maddie might not have that kind of time. Is- is there any way you could fly out here and- and help look?” Buck asked.

“Believe it or not I was about to go up for a joy-ride. I’m fueled up and in the bird now. Where am I going?” Tommy asked.

Buck instructed him on where they were, and Tommy promised he’d push top speed and be there in roughly twenty minutes.

The call ended quickly and Buck repocketed his phone. Panic and adrenaline were still racing through his veins, but he didn’t know what to do now.

“What was that about?” Athena wondered as she approached again.

“You heard Detective Marks, Search and Rescue is gonna be an hour, so I called in a favor.” Buck explained.

Athena raised an eyebrow. “What kind of favor?”

“I have a friend who has a chopper. He’s leaving LA now, he’ll be here in like twenty minutes.” Buck explained. “I had to do something but I can’t really do anything so I found someone else who could.”

“You’re doing plenty, Buck. But this will help too.” Athena said reassuringly. “I’ll follow up on what kind of friend this is later.”

No more than 19 minutes later, Tommy was calling Evan back. Buck saw a chopper in the distance and it was plain black from the looks of it, so he figured it was Tommy’s. “Hey, is that you I see?” Buck asked.

“I think so. If you’re standing around a bunch of police vehicles.” Tommy confirmed.

“Yeah.” Buck told him. “We’re thinking they’re somewhere in this wooded area here. Search and Rescue hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Got it. I’m gonna get closer to the ground and start looking. You’re patched in through my headset so I can keep you on the line.” Tommy explained.

“Got it. I’m gonna tell everyone here you’re with us.” Buck pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at Athena. “That’s my friend there.” He explained.

“Good.” Athena nodded.

Buck held the phone to his ear and waited for Tommy to say something.

“Evan?” Tommy said a minute or so later.

“I’m here.” Buck said quickly. 

“I think I got something. Hard to tell from up here but if I had to bet I’d say it’s Maddie. She’s moving slow but she’s walking. No sign of anyone else nearby.” Tommy explained. “North-east of your position, maybe a mile from where you are. Take the bridge then keep heading north-east.” He instructed.

“Got it.” Buck shoved his phone in his pocket and took off running, shouting for Maddie the entire way. Finally he saw her and ran to her. He wrapped his arms around Maddie. “I’m here, I’m here.” Relief crashed over him. Yeah, Maddie was hurt- she’d clearly been through hell- but she was alive, and that was all that really mattered to Buck right now.

“I didn’t give up.” Maddie sobbed and clung to Buck as she cried. “I- I didn’t give up. I…”

“You did so good.” Buck promised her. “You did so good.”

Athena then approached them looking relieved as she radioed for them to have an ambulance ready for Maddie. “Buck, think your friend can touch down and get Maddie back up to the road? Ambulance is there and waiting but they don’t know that they can get down here to help get her back up,” Athena explained.

Buck kept one arm firmly around Maddie and grabbed his phone from his pocket, and found he was still on the line with Tommy. “Tommy, you still there?”

“Yes. How’s Maddie?” Tommy asked.

“She uh, she’s gonna be okay but I don’t know that she can get back up that hill and the paramedics can’t get down to us either. Any way you could land and give us a lift up to the road?”

“Got it.” Tommy confirmed and began to come closer to the ground.

“Maddie,” Athena started slow and gently. “Do you know where Doug is?”

“B- ba- back there, somewhere.” Maddie pointed in the direction she’d come from. “He- he’s dead.”

“Okay. We’ll take care of everything.” Athena promised.

Once Tommy touched down and signaled for them that it was safe to approach, Buck helped Maddie to the chopper and into the back.

Tommy looked at Evan and pointed to his headset, then to Evan and Maddie, then the headsets in the back.

Buck nodded and pulled a headset over Maddie’s ears first, then his own. “Can you hear me Mads?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Maddie nodded.

“Good.” Buck told her. He helped her with her seat harness, then quickly did his own up. “We’re good to go Tommy.”

“Got it.” Tommy said and they took off. It took maybe a minute for them to get up to the road where thankfully someone had the foresight to clear a space for Tommy to land. Nothing was said during the very short flight. As soon as Tommy touched down the paramedics approached to help Maddie. Buck helped her with her seat harness again and pulled the headset off, then the paramedics took over from there.

“I gotta go with her, Tommy. Thank you for this, seriously.” Buck said sincerely.

“Of course, Evan. I’ll check in later.” Tommy confirmed.

Buck smiled. If there weren’t so many people around Buck would kiss Tommy but he refrained and quickly got out of the chopper and went over to the ambulance.

Chapter Text

With Abby in San Diego with her brother for the weekend, and Evan off Friday night and all of Saturday, Tommy was looking forward to spending some quality time with Evan. He was still having some lingering feelings about the age gap between him and Evan- some days it bothered him more than others. He was still on the whole kick of taking extra good care of Evan and doting on Evan’s every need, want, and whim though, but he couldn’t help it. Tommy loved taking care of Evan. And for now, Tommy wasn’t feeling as bothered by the age difference, and instead was focused on having a perfect weekend with Evan.

It made sense to Tommy to start their weekend off with a wonderful meal. Had he gone a little overboard? Possibly. But he couldn’t stop now. At least that’s what he told himself as he tossed quartered and blanched brussel sprouts in olive oil, spices, and grated parmesan cheese before putting them in the oven to roast. There was a kale-apple-cranberry salad (because Tommy knew Evan liked salads with fun, different ingredients) ready and waiting in the fridge. Tommy looked at the time and guessed Evan would be arriving soon. Tommy wanted everything to be perfect for Evan so he called him to see how long Evan would be.

“Hey Tommy.” Evan answered cheerfully. “What’s up?”

Tommy set the phone on speaker and tucked it in his pocket. “Just wondering if you were close, trying to gauge when I should put the steaks on so they’re hot when you get here.” He explained as he added butter and a bit of cream to the potatoes he’d put through a potato ricer and mixed it all up to make the perfect mashed potatoes.

“You’re spoiling me.” Evan huffed. “I’m just stopping by Maddie’s quick to drop something off, then I’ll be on my way. Maybe twenty, twenty five minutes?”

“Since when is it spoiling you to make you a nice meal before sex?” Tommy questioned. He tasted a spoonful of the potatoes and decided they were good, so he set them aside, and checked on the mushrooms he had sautéing on the stove.

“ Steaks ?” Evan questioned.

“Only the best for my boy.” Tommy grinned. He made sure he had everything ready for when he came back inside from the grill, then took the steaks and headed out to the barbeque that he’d pre-heated.

“You didn’t have to Tommy-” Evan started.

Tommy rolled his eyes to himself and put the two ribeye steaks on the barbeque.

Evan muttered something Tommy couldn’t quite make out and then, “...Tommy I gotta go.” Evan abruptly ended the call.

Tommy frowned to himself and hoped nothing was wrong. Just in case, he sent Evan a text.

Tommy : Is everything okay? You hung up pretty fast…

And then Tommy just waited and hoped. Luckily he had to finish cooking dinner to focus on to distract him. But soon the steaks were off the grill and resting, the mushrooms were done and removed from the heat, the brussel sprouts were out of the oven, and the salad had been removed from the fridge and dressed and there wasn’t much left to do besides worry.

The steaks rested for ten minutes and Evan should’ve been arriving any minute. Tommy tried to think nothing of it- traffic in LA and all that. He simply sliced the steaks and worked on dishing out their plates, certain the doorbell would ring any minute.

Tommy put their plates on the table and poured two glasses of wine and set those on the table as well, then looked at the time. Evan was only a few minutes late. No big deal.

When it’d been forty minutes since Evan said he’d be twenty to twenty-five minutes, Tommy decided to send another text. He didn’t mean to be needy or anything but something felt off and Evan was late. Not to mention the food was getting cold. He just wanted to send one more message, more of a prompt than anything else really. 

Tommy : Evan?

Finally another fifteen or so minutes later, Tommy got a text back from Evan. He’d been sitting at the table just waiting for Evan. He was sure it looked pathetic, he felt pretty pathetic too, but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything else. He didn’t want to eat in case Evan was still coming, didn’t want to pack up their dinner in case Evan was a moment away from arriving. So he’d just been sitting and waiting, knowing it was totally pathetic. Tommy was quick to open the message.

Evan: No, everything is not fine. I can’t come by tonight. Sorry.

Tommy frowned deeply and tried calling Evan, but it went to voicemail. He sighed and stared at the two plates set on the table for a long time. Part of him wanted to take both plates and the wine glasses and toss it all in the trash, food, plates, cutlery, glasses and all. Instead he packed it all up with the other leftovers and went to bed early and without eating.

Tommy slept like shit. He kept waking up, hoping to have heard something from Evan, but there was nothing. He tried calling Evan a couple more times- at 11pm and again at 6am- both times with no luck.

Tommy spent the morning trying- and failing- to not lose his mind. Finally he decided to head to the hanger and go for a flight- flying always cleared his mind and he needed that at the moment. He got to the hangar, parked, fuelled up the helicopter, did all his pre-flight checks and had just gotten in the chopper when his phone began ringing. He looked and saw it was Evan, and Tommy wasn’t sure he’d ever felt so relieved to get a phone call. “Hey, Evan, I’m glad you finally called,”

“Tommy, I need a favor.” Evan sounded panicked.

Tommy frowned, the way things had yesterday evening, all of last night, and so far that morning, Tommy figured he had reason to be concerned. “What’s up? Evan, what’s going on?”

“Look Maddie’s ex Doug kidnapped her last night-” Evan started.

Tommy’s eyes went wide. 

“... it’s been a whole thing. I'll explain it to you later. We think we know the area they’re in but it could take Search and Rescue an hour to get here and Maddie might not have that kind of time. Is- is there any way you could fly out here and- and help look?” Evan asked desperately..

Well this was so not going to be the helicopter flight Tommy thought he’d be making, but he was too busy being relieved that he could do it to focus on anything else. “Believe it or not I was about to go up for a joy-ride. I’m fueled up and in the bird now. Where am I going?”

Evan explained where they were, and Tommy promised he’d be there was fast as he could, figuring it’d be roughly twenty minutes.

As promised, Tommy pushed his chopper’s top speed and 19 minutes later Tommy was calling Evan back. He was in the area Evan had given him and he could see a cluster of police vehicles and some people standing near some cabins, but he was too high up to identify anyone. Immediately upon answering, Evan asked, “Hey, is that you I see?”

“I think so. If you’re standing around a bunch of police vehicles.” Tommy confirmed.

“Yeah.” Evan confirmed. “We’re thinking they’re somewhere in this wooded area here. Search and Rescue hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Got it. I’m gonna get closer to the ground and start looking. You’re patched in through my headset so I can keep you on the line.” Tommy explained.

“Got it. I’m gonna tell everyone here you’re with us.” Evan decided.

Tommy focused on searching, scanning the terrain for any signs of life, then he saw it. He’d never met Maddie in person but he’d seen pictures of her at Evan’s apartment. He couldn’t be positive it was her, but it very well could’ve been, and he doubted there were many others wandering around the area at this time of year. “Evan?” Tommy spoke up.

“I’m here.” Evan quickly responded.

“I think I got something. Hard to tell from up here but if I had to bet I’d say it’s Maddie. She’s moving slow but she’s walking. No sign of anyone else nearby.” Tommy explained. “North-east of your position, maybe a mile from where you are. Take the bridge then keep heading north-east.” He instructed.

“Got it.” Evan confirmed.

Tommy hovered and a few minutes later, he saw what had to be Evan approach Maddie, and when she hugged him and didn’t let go he knew it was the two of them.

A moment passed, then Evan’s voice came over the line again. “Tommy, you still there?”

“Yes. How’s Maddie?” Tommy asked.

“She uh, she’s gonna be okay but I don’t know that she can get back up that hill and the paramedics can’t get down to us either. Any way you could land and give us a lift up to the road?”

“Got it.” Tommy confirmed and began the landing process, landing as close to the Buckley siblings as was safe. Once Tommy touched down and signaled for them that it was safe to approach, Evan helped Maddie to the chopper and into a seat in the back.

Tommy looked at Evan and pointed to his headset, then to Evan and Maddie, then the headsets in the back. Maddie already looked to be in rough shape and the last thing she needed was any of the many problems that could arise from not wearing hearing protection in a helicopter, even if it would only be for a minute or two.

Evan nodded in understanding and pulled a headset over Maddie’s ears first, then his own. “Can you hear me Mads?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Maddie nodded.

“Good.” Evan told her. He helped her with her seat harness, then quickly did his own up. “We’re good to go Tommy.”

“Got it.” Tommy said and they took off. It took all of a minute or so for them to get up to the road where thankfully someone had the foresight to clear a space for Tommy to land. Nothing was said during the very short flight. As soon as Tommy touched down the paramedics approached to help Maddie. Evan helped her with her seat harness again and pulled the headset off, then the paramedics took over from there.

“I gotta go with her, Tommy. Thank you for this, seriously.” Buck said sincerely.

“Of course, Evan. I’ll check in later.” Tommy confirmed.

Evan smiled and quickly got out of the chopper and went over to the ambulance. Tommy watched until the ambulance doors shut, then was signaled by someone he didn’t recognize to kill the engine, presumably so they could talk. Tommy, not being one to question authority, did as told.

An older white man and a black woman both with LAPD badges approached the chopper, and Tommy got out to speak to them.

“Hi I’m detective Marks, this is Sergeant Grant, we won’t take too much of your time, just need a few bits of information from you and for you to answer a couple questions.” Detective Marks explained.

“Sure.” Tommy agreed easily.

Detective Marks started with Tommy’s personal information and contact details, easy stuff. “You really did help us out here today and I’m not upset about it, but I have to ask these questions regardless. I understand that the victim’s brother, Mr Buckley, is a friend of yours and he called you to come assist in the search?”

“Yes. By sheer dumb luck, I was at the hangar when he called me which is how I got here so fast.” Tommy explained.

“And is this chopper rented?” Detective Marks asked.

“No, I own it.” Tommy explained.

“And your pilot’s license and necessary certifications are all up to date?” Marks questioned.

“Yes. I’m employed by a flight-school. I’m not allowed to let any of my certifications lapse.” Tommy confirmed.

“And have you ever done any kind of helicopter search and rescue before?” Marks looked up from his notepad at Tommy.

“Uh yes, in the military a long time ago.” Tommy answered.

“Alright. I think that’s everything I need, at least for now. I’ll reach out if I need any further information.” Detective Marks tucked his notebook into his jacket’s breast pocket. “Thanks for your time.”

“Sure.” Tommy nodded curtly.

“And thank you for your assistance.” Sergeant Grant told Tommy. “If not for you, Maddie would still be wandering alone out there.”

“I’m just glad I was able to help.”  Tommy shrugged. Really, he hadn’t done much, and he understood the difference it had made, but to him it really didn’t feel like that big of a deal.

“So you and Buck are close huh?” Sergeant Grant wondered. “Buck’s captain is my other half. I’ve gotten to know Buck better over the last year or so.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Tommy confirmed. “We met back when he was bartending in Peru, I was down there on business for a decent stretch. We sorta became friends before I left to come back home. Then he showed up here in LA and we bumped into each other and got close.” Tommy fed her the same story they’d given Evan’s coworkers so there would be no discrepancies.

Sergeant Grant nodded, though she seemed skeptical of Tommy’s answer. “I see. Well Buck sure was lucky to have you as a friend today, Mr Kinard. I won’t keep you any longer. Thanks again for the assist.”

“Sure.” Tommy nodded. After a moment he got back in the chopper and headed back to LA. He landed back at the hangar and headed home, finally able to sleep knowing Evan was going to be okay.

Chapter Text

Evan did check in with Tommy later like he promised, though it was just a quick update. He explained Maddie would be at the local hospital for a night, then assuming nothing went wrong overnight, in the morning they’d move her to a hospital in LA.

Tommy didn’t want to overstep, or try and invite himself into situations he had no business being present in, but Tommy couldn’t help asking.

Tommy : How will they be transferring her?

Tommy wasn’t all that surprised when Evan responded pretty quickly. It sounded like Maddie was resting, and Evan was probably bored out of his mind with nothing to do and no one to talk to at the tiny- according to Tommy’s quick Google search- Big Bear Community Hospital.

Evan : Ground ambulance. She’s not critical enough for her insurance to approve an air ambulance

Tommy considered his response for a moment, carefully choosing his words, not wanting to insert himself into the situation.

Tommy : Would you and Maddie prefer an air ambulance? I can make that happen if you do

Evan : … 

Evan : Are you serious?

Tommy : Yeah, if you want. I know a guy who runs a medical air charter company based out of LA. He owes me a favor. I’d be happy to cash it in if you and Maddie want

Evan : You would do that?

Tommy: Of course I would

Evan : You and your friend don’t need any money for it?

Tommy : Nope

Evan : I’ll talk to Maddie next time she’s awake. 

Evan : I do think she’d be more comfortable in the air than in an ambulance for 2+ hours

Tommy : Sure. Just let me know

A few hours later Evan texted Tommy again.

Evan : If your offer still stands, I’d really appreciate the air ambulance

Tommy : Of course it does. Do you want me to pilot or one of the pilot’s from the company? I’m fine either way

Evan : You if that’s possible

Tommy : Sure. We’ll get it all sorted for you

Evan : Thank you. So much ❤️

Tommy stared at the heart emoji Evan had sent for a second, before deciding not to overthink it, and sent the same thing back to Evan in response.

Tommy: ❤️

Tommy then went into his contacts and found his friend who owned the medical charter company, David, and called him. Tommy and David got things sorted pretty quickly and as long as Maddie’s doctor in Big Bear gave the all clear for transport tomorrow then they’d be good to go.

Thankfully Maddie was able to be transported the next day, and soon Tommy was flying a medical transport helicopter to Big Bear. David had to have one of his own pilots in the bird to co-pilot for insurance reasons, and there were two medical professionals on board as well. They landed and quickly Maddie was loaded into the chopper, Evan at her side, and they were flying back towards Los Angeles.

“Thank you so much for doing this Tommy. Seriously.” Evan said over the headset.

“Of course. I’m just happy I could help.” Tommy responded.

“This is twice in as many days you’ve flown a helicopter to my rescue and we haven’t even officially met.” Maddie pointed out. She sounded a little weak, her voice a little hoarse, but she was awake, alert, and talking so that had to count for something. “I don’t know how my brother managed to make such good friends with you but I- I can’t thank you enough, Tommy.”

“Of course.” Tommy said gently. “If you ever find yourself in need of a helicopter, you call me.” He said seriously.

“Don’t know that I will ever again, but sure.” Maddie agreed, sounding like she never planned to reach out to Tommy for such a thing and really, he didn’t blame her.

“Good. Make sure to get my number from your brother.” Tommy told her.

Soon they landed at the hospital in LA, and Evan said a quick goodbye to Tommy, promising to see him soon. Tommy told him there was no rush, he knew Evan had important places to be.

Tommy was surprised but not disappointed to be invited the next day to Evan's loft. Maddie was spending one last night in the hospital, and Evan wanted to see Tommy. As soon as Evan opened the door to welcome Tommy in he had his arms around Tommy in a tight hug. “How are you doing?” Tommy asked as he hugged Evan back. He still couldn’t imagine how terrified Evan must’ve been while Maddie was missing, and what he’d been going through throughout the whole ordeal.

“I- I’m okay. Maddie’s gonna be okay and so is Chimney so I’m- I’m good.” Buck explained. It was somewhat honest, not entirely honest, but not necessarily a lie either.

“You look tired.” Tommy noted with a frown.

“Yeah. I’ve only been home for like an hour, been with Maddie at the hospital all this time.” Buck explained. “I hope you’re okay if I’m not up to do anything tonight-”

“I didn’t expect you to be.” Tommy reassured. “Why don’t we curl up in your bed? No offense but your couch wasn’t really built for two bulky guys to cuddle on.” Tommy pointed out.

Buck smiled fondly at Tommy and lead the way up to his bed. It was late and chances were they’d fall asleep, so they changed for bed- or in Tommy’s case stripped. Buck let Tommy lay down first, then Buck climbed in bed and took his usual spot of his head on Tommy’s chest, plastered against Tommy’s left side. “I guess I owe you an explanation.” He said after a moment.

“You don’t owe me anything, Evan.” Tommy insisted. “But if you want to talk about it, I’m happy to listen.”

Buck nodded, and explained to Tommy what exactly happened, filing in all the details Tommy was missing on the events that had occurred the last couple days. “I- I feel bad u- using you like that but I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You didn’t use me , Evan. I’m really just glad I was able to help.” Tommy insisted.

“I bet I freaked you out by cancelling like I did the other night.” Buck frowned. “And then not answering your calls.” He added quickly.

“I was worried, yes.” Tommy admitted. “But I get it, and you’re okay and your sister is okay and that’s what matters.”

“Yeah.” Buck mumbled.

“After they took Maddie in the ambulance the other day, Sergeant Grant asked me how you and I know each other. I gave her the same story we gave your team at work. I’m not entirely sure she bought it though.” Tommy warned Evan.

“I’m not surprised. She’s- well let’s just say she’s almost a little too good at her job. Hard to get much past her.” Buck sighed. “I’m sure it’s fine though. No need to worry about it.”

“Sure.” Tommy agreed.

Buck was quiet for a moment. “I still seriously can’t thank you enough.”

Tommy chuckled and kissed Evan’s head. “Like I told Maddie, you need a pilot anytime, just call me.”

“Okay.” Buck agreed with a chuckle.

“How are you really doing with everything though?” Tommy asked.

“I mean, it- it’s all over now right? I should just be glad that Maddie’s okay and we don’t have to worry about Doug ever again?” Buck guessed.

“I doubt it’s that simple, and it’s okay if it’s not. Obviously, yes, Maddie is okay and you should be grateful for that, and glad that Doug won’t be a problem again. But that doesn’t diminish how you felt before you knew Maddie was okay, and it’s understandable if you still have fears, Evan.” Tommy reminded Evan.

“I just,” Buck shook his head. “I- I didn’t want to- think that she was- was dead, that Doug killed her. But the thought was there? The entire time right up until I had her in my arms I was- I was convinced that we would be too late.” Buck paused. “I mean sure my parents are alive and technically they’re family but Maddie’s my actual family and she’s the only family-family I’ve got. I- I don’t know what I’d do without her around.”

“That makes sense.” Tommy assured Evan.

“I mean- Maddie’s older, logically speaking and- and assuming I don’t get blown up in some crazy work accident- I know that one day I probably have to lose her for good. An- and it wouldn’t be fair to her if she had to bury me, she’s older she should never have to bury me. But I mean ever since I was a- a kid really I’ve been terrified of what happens when Maddie goes and then it’s just me.” Buck looked at Tommy with tears in his eyes. “I don’t know how to live in a world without my big sister in it too. And for- for hours there I- I thought I was gonna have to learn, but I’m not ready. I know she’ll go eventually but we’re supposed to get more time together. I mean I’m only 27, I should get at least another forty years with her, you know? It’s just not fair- I’m not ready to be alone.”

“You’re not alone.” Tommy wrapped his arms a little tighter around Evan. “All these fears and feelings are totally valid but Evan you are not alone. Maddie is still here, and something tells me she’s gonna be around for a long time. And you’ve got friends, and your found-family with the 118, and for as long as you’ll have me you’ve got me too. You are not alone.”

Buck buried his face in Tommy’s chest and clung on tightly to him as he continued to cry.

“It’s okay baby.” Tommy rubbed up and down his back to soothe Evan. “I’ve got you.”

Buck allowed himself to continue crying and just feel what it was he needed to feel, knowing Tommy wouldn’t judge him, and would be there for him as long as he needed. Eventually he drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and warm in Tommy’s arms.

---

A couple weeks since the whole Doug incident had passed, and Chimney was at home ‘recovering’ - aka losing his mind while waiting to get back to work. He was sorting and folding laundry while watching crappy daytime television, when the program cut to breaking news about the 9-1-1 system being down. He watched the news updates for a while until he saw Doheny Park was going up in flames and not a single unit was on scene. He called Buck and told him to get them over there as fast as possible.

Not long later, Chimney was watching as the situation at Doheny Park was getting worse. “Okay, okay uh, they have no water. They got no back up.” He looked at the TV again for a second. “ Backup .” He dug into his pocket and grabbed his phone, quickly making a call.

“Chim, I’m at work I can’t really talk for long,” Maddie started upon answering the phone.

“No, I know that. But this is important. The 118 is at Doheny park with no water and no back up, right?” Chimney explained rapidly.

“Yes.” Maddie said slowly. “We’re trying to get more crews headed out that way but,” She started.

“What about the 217? They have a water-bomber.” Chimney pointed out.

“They’re tied up on other calls, the only pilot still available isn’t certified to fly the water-bomber.” Maddie explained.

Chimney frowned for a moment, then got another idea. “That friend of Buck’s, with the helicopter, Tommy. Think maybe he could help? Maybe he knows someone certified to fly a water-bomber? Or knows someone at Cal-fire?” Chimney suggested.

“Chimney you’re a genius. I’m calling him right now.” Maddie said and ended the call with Chimney. She felt bad calling Tommy so soon after saying she wouldn’t ever, but reminded herself there were dozens of lives at stake, including Buck’s. She dialed Tommy’s number and prayed he’d answer.

After a couple of rings, Tommy did in fact pick up. “Maddie, hi.” He sounded surprised.

“Tommy. I’m- I’m really sorry to call you but I’m wondering if you know anyone who can fly a water-bomber?” Maddie cringed a bit. She probably sounded crazy. She continued anyway. “Doheny Park is up in flames and Buck’s crew is there with no water and no backup and I’m- I guess me and Chimney are just desperately trying to do something to help them out.”

“Believe it or not, yes, I know someone.” Tommy told Maddie. “Me.”

“Seriously?” Maddie asked.

“Yeah. Not sure how fast I can get my hands on a water-bomber though.” Tommy admitted.

“Station 217 has one, they just don’t have a pilot for it available at the moment. How soon can you get to their hangar?” Maddie wondered.

“Well considering my work is their neighbor, 30 seconds?” Tommy guessed.

“Perfect, oh my god. Okay. I’m radio-ing them to tell them you’re coming and you have emergency authorization to help us out today.” Maddie told Tommy.

“Great.” Tommy ended the call.

---

Chimney watched live, relieved, arms in the air in victory, as the 217 water bomber flew over Doheny park, dropping water on the neighbourhood. “Yes! You are welcome. You are welcome!” He then winced and put a hand to his still-healing injury. “Ow, ow.”

---

Eventually the team was back in the truck, headed back to the 118- Bobby had pulled them offline on account of 9-1-1 being back up and running and the fact that they were all wet and Eddie was covered in soot. In the truck Eddie finally spoke up, asking “Not that I’m ungrateful but how the hell did dispatch get us that water bomber? They told me the 217 was busy on other calls. It was the 217 right? Not Cal-Fire?”

“No, not Cal-Fire.” Bobby confirmed.

Buck was just finishing reading a message from Tommy.

Tommy : In case you were wondering, Chimney called Maddie to ask why the 217 couldn’t help you guys at Doheny Park just now (I guess they were on other calls and had no pilots to fly a water-bomber.) Maddie called me to ask if I knew anyone who could do it. She called the right person at the right time. So if anyone wants to know who’s idea the water-bomber was, it was Chimney (Maddie made it clear he’s taking FULL credit for the idea and we’re letting him). 

Tommy : And if anyone wants to know who was flying the water-bomber, it was yours truly.

“It was Tommy.” Buck mumbled, mostly to himself.

“What?” Hen looked over at Buck.

“My friend Tommy- the one you met at Christmas- was the one flying the water-bomber.” Buck explained the whole Chimney had the idea and Maddie called Tommy thing to them. “I guess he can do that as well as fly helicopters.”

“Well please tell him on behalf of the LAFD, thank you. He saved at least two lives today.” Bobby told Buck.

“Sure.” Buck agreed.

“Guess I owe him a- a beer at least.” Eddie frowned. “How do you thank a guy for saving your life by flying a water-bomber over the burning building you’re trapped in, at his friend’s sister’s request?”

Buck chuckled. “Tommy’s a pretty humble guy. I think a beer would be plenty.” He then responded to Tommy’s text.

Buck : Everyone is super thankful for your help. Eddie wants to buy you a beer to say thank you

Buck : I’m also thinking of a fun way to thank you for today 😈🍆 👅 💦

Tommy : I’m just glad I could help, really

Tommy : But if you insist on showing your appreciation I wouldn’t be opposed

Chapter Text

Buck could hardly wait to show Tommy his appreciation for Tommy’s help with the Doheny Park fire. Buck had always known he had a competency kink and, well, all the helicopter and water-bomber flying Tommy had been doing to help Buck lately was really doing it for him.

Buck finished the Doheny Park fire shift at 9am and before he even drove home he texted Tommy.

Buck : Wanna come over tonight? Maybe like 8?

By the time Buck got home, Tommy had responded.

Tommy : I would love to, but you’re sure you won’t be too tired?

Buck : I’m gonna sleep all day. I’ll be good

Tommy : Alright. I’ll be there at 8. Want me to bring anything?

Buck : Nope, just need you!

Buck headed into his loft and after showering and eating a quick and easy breakfast, he did lay down in bed to get some rest. He woke late in the afternoon, tidied his apartment somewhat including putting fresh sheets on his bed and making sure there was another clean set ready for after because he was almost certain they’d need it. Once Buck deemed the apartment passable, he moved on to getting things ready for Tommy.

Buck wanted tonight to be all about Tommy’s pleasure, and all about whatever Tommy wanted. And he decided that meant he wanted to make sure Tommy had options. Which meant really it would only make sense to prep himself now and then put in a plug until Tommy wanted to fuck him- if Tommy wanted that tonight at all.

Buck also decided he wanted to film himself getting ready for Tommy. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to send it right away to tease Tommy or hang onto the video and give it to Tommy later. Regardless, he got out everything he needed, then set up his phone so he could record. Once he checked that he liked the angles, he hit the record button and got to work.

Buck made a bit of a show of himself slowly removing his sweatpants and boxers, wiggling his hips and ass in the process. He then climbed onto the bed and grabbed the lube, coated his first finger in it, then looked directly at the camera as he pushed his finger into himself, a small gasp falling from his mouth in the process. His dick slowly began to harden as he touched himself.

Buck worked the finger in and out of himself, doing his best to make it appealing for the camera. Once he was ready, he added more lube to his fingers and added a second, then eventually a third. Buck resisted the urge to touch his dick, letting it bounce against his lower stomach smearing around the bit of pre-cum that was leaking- an unanswered cry for attention.  “Feels good.” He told the camera. “Would feel even better if it was daddy touching me.” He added.

Once Buck was good and stretched, he removed his fingers, then grabbed the fair-sized forest green butt plug he and Tommy had bought together a while ago. He coated it with a layer of lube and worked it into himself. It was just the right length that it brushed against his prostate anytime he moved his hips. Buck took a second to adjust to the intrusion before sitting back up and looking at the camera again. “See you soon daddy.” He smiled and got up to end the video.

Buck had a bit of time before Tommy arrived, so he pulled his sweatpants back on as well as a t-shirt- ignoring his erection entirely which led to it eventually beginning to soften- and checked the size of the video file. He expected it to be a rather large file- and it was- so he would cut the video down into pieces later. Maybe send them to Tommy one at a time over the course of several hours, just to see how crazy Tommy would go over the videos.

Buck made sure there were a couple rags on the bedside table as well as a pack of wet wipes, and two water bottles. Usually Tommy would get up afterwards to go collect such things, but Buck didn’t want Tommy to have to do that tonight.

Finally, there was a knock on the door and Buck nearly ran to answer it. He pulled the door open and smiled at Tommy. “Hi.”

“Hey.” Tommy stepped inside Evan’s loft. “How was your day? Did you get any sleep?”

Buck closed the door behind Tommy. “Yeah I did. It was good. Been excited to see you all day.”

“Yeah?” Tommy asked, almost like he didn’t believe it.

Buck nodded quickly. “Yes.  I mean- god Tommy what you did for us yesterday was-” Buck shook head. He kept picturing Tommy, in his instructing flight suit, jogging over to the 217, going in like he owned the place, taking their water bomber, and flying over to Doheny Park like it was nothing. The thought alone had Buck’s dick twitching in interest yet again.

“No big deal.” Tommy shrugged.

Buck took Tommy’s hand and began leading him upstairs. “God it is such a big deal, Tommy. I keep thinking about it and really it has no business being as hot as it is.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t that hot in real life-” Tommy started.

Buck quickly shook his head as they got up to his bed. “Don’t say that. Don’t discourage me. It was hot and now I really really wanna thank you for it.”

Tommy chuckled. “Alright. What did you have in mind?” He wondered.

Buck looked at Tommy. “Whatever you want, daddy.”

Tommy raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really? Whatever I want?”

Buck nodded and stepped closer, in Tommy’s personal space now. “Really. Tonight is all about you. Whatever you want to do, or want me to do. I’m just here to help you get off. It can be as vanilla or as kinky as you want. If you wanna be rough I’m down, but we don’t have to either. It’s completely up to you.”

Tommy pulled Evan in for a rough, heated kiss which Evan enthusiastically reciprocated. When the kiss broke Tommy requested, “First things first, shirt off.” As Evan removed his shirt, Tommy kicked his shoes off.

Buck was quick to pull his shirt off and toss it aside, not caring where it landed. He then looked to Tommy for his next instruction.

Tommy grabbed a pillow from the bed and dropped it on the floor at his feet. “On your knees for me baby. Hands behind your back.”

Buck was quick to drop to his knees, looking up at Tommy through his eyelashes.

“How do you tell me if you need to stop?” Tommy asked.

“Call red.” Buck answered dutifully. “Yellow if I need to slow down.” He added. They’d been using the stop-light system a little more lately as it was just so simple  and thorough.

“Good.” Tommy smiled. “And if you can’t speak?”

“Pinch your thigh.” Buck responded.

“Good.” Tommy undid his belt and jeans and pulled his still-soft cock out of the confines of his underwear. “Open.”

Buck obediently opened his mouth and waited for Tommy’s next move. He wasn’t always into Tommy bossing him around but today he was, and he loved the rare moments when Tommy would be selfish and take exactly what he needed from Evan.

Tommy guided his cock into Evan’s mouth. “Go on, baby boy. You know what to do.”

Buck quickly wrapped his lips around Tommy’s dick, he pulled back a bit and swirled his tongue around the head. He was tempted to use his hands on the portion of Tommy’s cock that wasn’t in his mouth, but he figured Tommy wanted his hands behind his back for a reason. Sure enough, Tommy began to harden, making it easier and easier for Buck to begin sucking him off properly.

Once Tommy was hard he put his hand at the back of Evan’s head, tangled in his curls. Tommy didn’t push or pull just yet, but made it clear to Evan he would.

Buck ignored the feeling of his own dick slowly filling out and focused on sucking Tommy off, he bobbed his head up and down Tommy’s length, looking up at Tommy through his eyelashes.

“That’s it,” Tommy encouraged.

Buck kept a steady pace, paying no mind to the tent in his sweatpants.

Tommy tightened his grip on Evan’s hair and pulled Evan’s head back a little faster than the pace Evan had set for himself, wordlessly encouraging Evan to go faster. He wasn’t quite planning to fuck Evan’s throat, but he might if needed.

Buck’s dick twitched in interest again as Tommy pulled his hair but Buck ignored it and focused on the message Tommy was giving him to pick up the pace. He adjusted accordingly, tears starting to fill his eyes, and he looked up at Tommy for approval.

“Good boy.” Tommy cooed, and he meant it. Evan- as always- responded to his request beautifully.

Buck gave a short hum of acknowledgement around Tommy’s length.

“God Evan you look so pretty like this,” Tommy couldn’t help but say as he tightened his grip on Evan’s hair more- not enough to cause any harm, but enough that Evan couldn’t ignore it. “Look like you were made for this, weren’t you sweetheart? Those pretty eyes and perfect lips, you were made to suck daddy off.”

Buck hummed in agreement around Tommy, picking up the pace a little more.

Tommy took a little more control of Evan’s pace- and Evan happily went along with it. “Not gonna last much longer at this rate baby. Just can’t help myself, you’re so good.”

As Tommy took more control of the pace Buck was bobbing his head at, Buck kept doing everything he could to satisfy Tommy. He liked when Tommy took control like this, and it had Buck’s dick leaking precum, a small yet visible wet spot forming on his sweatpants.

Tommy pulled Evan’s head close, Evan’s nose pressed against his pubic bone, burying himself down Evan’s throat as Tommy came with a groan. He let go of his grip on Evan’s hair, and watched as Evan slowly pulled off and licked him clean.

“How was that daddy?” Buck asked sweetly, hands still behind his back, eyes still watery, waiting for Tommy to tell him what to do next.

“That was good baby, real good.” Tommy smiled. “Come ‘ere.”

Buck quickly stood up and Tommy pulled him in for a kiss. Buck happily kissed Tommy back, parting his lips and letting Tommy taste the remnants of himself in Buck’s mouth.

Tommy pulled Evan in closer, he could feel Evan’s erection pressing against him, but made no move to do anything about it. Evan had said tonight was about Tommy, and while Tommy would make sure Evan got off too, eventually, he wasn’t worried about that yet. He pulled Evan with him as Tommy moved backwards towards the bed until his legs hit the bed and he sat down, pulling Evan into his lap.

Buck straddled Tommy’s thighs and kept kissing Tommy like there was no tomorrow.

Tommy ran his hands up and down Evan’s back, then lower, grabbing his ass. Tommy was thinking about having Evan ride him, when he felt something hard between Evan’s ass cheeks. He broke the kiss and looked at Evan. “Baby boy are you wearing a plug?” He asked.

Buck’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red than they already were. “Yes. Wanted to bed ready for you, in case you wanted to fuck me.” He explained shyly.

“Oh and not because you wanted daddy to fuck you tonight?” Tommy raised a brow.

Buck shrugged. “M- maybe. I dunno know.”

“Hmm.” Tommy considered for a moment.  “Is it a big one?”

Buck nodded. “It’s the dark green one.” He answered obediently.

Tommy smirked. “I think I want you to fuck me tonight instead.” He decided. “But the plug stays in and you aren’t allowed to cum until daddy does. Got it?”

Buck’s eyes widened in excitement and a little nervousness. The plug would rub against his prostate with every thrust of his hips, so it would take some serious will-power to get Tommy off a second time before he came. “Got it.”

“Think you can handle it?” Tommy asked. “Or should we put a ring on you too?”

Buck shrugged. “I dunno, maybe.” He admitted.

“Put the ring on for me, baby boy. Just to be safe.” Tommy requested. “Just one of the silicone ones.”

Buck did as Tommy told him too, and was honestly a little relieved to have a cock ring on. It wouldn’t prevent him from orgasming, but it did make it harder for him to finish which he needed right now.

Quickly Buck and Tommy both shed their remaining clothes before Buck diligently prepped Tommy- taking his time and making sure Tommy was comfortable.

“I think you’re drawing things out on purpose now.” Tommy looked at Evan. He was ready to go- he’d been ready to go for a little while.

“Just wanted to be thorough, daddy.” Buck mumbled as he removed his fingers. He wiped them off on one of the rags from the bedside table, then coated his achingly hard dick in lube.

Tommy shifted his position slightly, leaning against the pillows at the head of the bed. His head propped up a bit so he had a good view of what Evan would be doing. “I’m ready when you are, sugar.”

Buck nodded and positioned himself between Tommy’s wide-spread thighs. He lined himself up and slowly sank into Tommy’s tight heat, the slower his movement the less volatile the assault on his prostate. But the slow movements likely wouldn’t cut it with Tommy for long.

Tommy inhaled sharply at the intrusion. No matter how many times they did this, he wasn’t sure he’d ever get over how well-endowed Evan was. “Give me a moment baby.” He muttered.

Buck nodded quickly, not needing to be told twice to not move his hips.

Tommy pulled Evan in close and kissed him feverishly.

Buck put one hand on Tommy’s hip to keep Tommy still, and the other went to the back of Tommy’s neck as he kissed back.

After a moment or two Tommy was ready. Evan’s hand was firm on his hips, keeping him from moving or rocking them. He did the next best thing and tightened his thighs around Evan’s hips, wrapping his legs around Evan and pulling him in as close as possible.

Buck got the message and pulled back as much as the vice grip Tommy had on him would allow. He did his best to ignore the plug as he slid back into Tommy and began to establish a pace.

It didn’t take long for Tommy to let go of the grip he had on Evan, wanting- no needing Evan to have more mobility to pull out further. “Doing good baby boy.”

Buck continued fucking into him, desperately trying to ignore the plug rubbing against his prostate with every movement. It was futile though, because Tommy kept encouraging Buck to go faster, harder, and Buck didn’t want to disappoint Tommy. Each thrust pushed Buck closer to his own orgasm, even with the cock ring on, tension was building low in Buck’s gut, much to his relief and his worry.

“Doing okay baby?” Tommy asked teasingly. He knew Evan’s tells now and he was starting to get close which was no surprise with the pace Tommy had Evan fucking him at and the prostate stimulation. Tommy was starting to get close too, heat pooling low in his belly.

“Can I touch you?  Please? Wanna-” Buck whimpered. “Need to get you off before I come.”

“Oh baby boy are you close?” Tommy said faux-innocently, like he had no idea Evan’s orgasm was approaching rapidly.

Buck nodded quickly.

“Better get to it then baby.” Tommy told Evan.

Buck was quick to wrap his hand around Tommy’s length. He brushed his thumb over the head, gathering the precum and using it to slick the glide of his hand up and down Tommy’s cock, trying to match the pace of his strokes to the pace he was fucking Tommy at, but it was getting harder to focus the closer he got to his own orgasm.

Tommy could see Evan was slowly starting to lose his composure and that only turned him on even more. “Harder, baby.” He requested.

Buck swallowed hard and increased the intensity of his thrusts, a loud moan escaping past his lips as the toy rubbed mercilessly against him.

“Fuck Ev.” Tommy muttered, the tension in his gut increasing. “Not gonna last much longer like this.”

“G- good.” Evan whimpered as he continued working Tommy’s cock, needing to get Tommy off as soon as possible. He knew he wasn’t going to last very long at all and he didn’t want to let Tommy down. He used the hand that wasn’t on Tommy’s dick to grip Tommy’s hip.

Tommy gasped loudly as Evan shifted his angle ever so slightly and nailed his prostate dead on. “Right there Ev- fuck.” Tommy muttered.

Buck was quick to pull back and slam back into Tommy. “There?” He asked. Maybe he really could make Tommy cum before he did.

“Fuck- yes.” Tommy nodded quickly.

Buck smirked and continued going for that exact same spot.

Just two thrusts later Tommy the thick band of tension in Tommy’s stomach was cut as his orgasm hit him hard enough he saw stars, Tommy groaned and clenched tightly around Evan’s dick, his cum shooting over Evan’s hand and his own stomach.

Tommy tightening around Buck’s cock was enough to send him over the edge too, pulling out at the last possible second, nearly cumming inside Tommy because his orgasm hit so hard and so fast. “God. Daddy.” Buck panted heavily as he came down from the high of his orgasm.

Tommy smirked at Evan and pulled him in for another kiss.

Buck let himself relax against Tommy knowing Tommy could handle Buck’s weight and kissed back.

As much as Tommy wanted to just keep kissing Evan, he broke the kiss after a moment. “You did so good for me, Ev.” He praised. “You want me to take that ring off and plug out now?” He offered gently.

Buck nodded. He wasn’t sleepy- hell he wanted to go for a round two- but he did need a moment to recharge. He rested his head on Tommy’s shoulder. “Yes please daddy.”

“Okay.” Tommy carefully removed both the ring and the plug. He set them aside on the nightstand to clean later and kissed Evan’s head. “How’s that?”

“Good.” Buck mumbled. “We don’t have to be done yet- if you want.”

Tommy didn’t need another round, but he certainly wasn’t opposed to the idea either. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Want to.” Buck promised. “Just need a minute.”

“Well I’ll need a little longer than that so take all the time you need.” Tommy chuckled a bit.

They took a moment to use the wet wipes to clean themselves up a bit, and drank some water, then settled into their usual position and just stayed like that for a while. Legs tangled around each other, Buck’s head on Tommy’s chest, Tommy’s arm around Buck like always, gently running up and down Buck’s back.

After several minutes Tommy broke the comfortable silence that had fallen over the two of them, murmuring, “You doing okay there baby?”

Buck was ready for another round by now, but knew Tommy still needed a bit more time before he could get going again- which just had Buck that much more excited for round two. Buck had never thought in a million years that something like that could turn him on, nevermind just hot hot it got Buck, but nevertheless, the fact that Tommy needed so much time to reset did it for Buck. Just another reminder that Buck was having hands down the best sex of his life with a man literally old enough to be his father. Buck wasn’t sure what drove him crazier about Tommy, the reset period he needed, or the salt and pepper in his chest hair and happy trail that matched the salt and pepper on his head.

But as much as Buck couldn’t wait for round two to start, he had really come to love moments like this too. The intimacy and domesticity of it. Buck liked how safe and cared about he felt in Tommy’s arms. Buck liked that he didn’t feel like he needed to be the strong one or the tough guy with Tommy. He liked how he could be totally open and vulnerable with Tommy about anything and everything. No one had ever come close to making Buck feel the way he did with Tommy.

Buck couldn’t believe he got to have someone as good as Tommy in his life. Tommy was meaning more and more to Buck all the time these days, and a tiny voice in the back of Buck’s head told him he was getting too attached, that he should cut Tommy out of his life now before Tommy could abandon him, but Buck just couldn’t do it. He couldn’t let go of this perfect amazing guy he had- even if Buck didn’t quite have him the way he wanted.

And of course Buck knew that he maybe- definitely - shouldn’t be feeling this way about Tommy, but he just couldn’t help it. Looking back, knowing what he knew now, Buck didn’t know how he was ever supposed to not wind up feeling this way about Tommy. Buck knew he shouldn’t though- that they weren’t in this for those kinds of feelings or that kind of a relationship. All he could do was keep his heart close to his chest and be the best sugar baby he could possibly be for Tommy.

“Ev?” Tommy prompted again when Evan was silent for a while, almost wondering if Evan was asleep.

“ ‘m good daddy.” Buck responded. “Just thinking.”

“Yeah?” Tommy asked. “About what?” He ran his hand through Evan’s curls.

“You.” Buck admitted.

“All good things I hope.” Tommy mused.

“Always.” Buck leaned up and kissed Tommy, afraid if he said anything more he’d slip up and say something he shouldn’t.

Chapter Text

Just a few days after the Doheny Park fire, the 118 had another crazy call- this time it involved Hen and a patient getting trapped inside a locked bank vault. Things looked kinda dicey for a while, but thankfully, soon everyone was out of the bank and Buck and the rest of the team returned to the station, only for police to immediately walk into the station right behind them. Apparently Buck and the rest of the 118 just absolutely could not catch a break.

Of course Buck understood that the police had a job to do, but he didn’t really understand what they thought they were onto questioning the 118 about the missing money. None of the members of the 118 would ever do such a thing, and it honestly felt like the cops really were grasping at straws. Like they were trying to make something out of nothing because they had nothing to go on, only they were making the wrong thing a thing .

“ Looks like our money trouble is over , that’s the text your sister sent you right after she took the 9-1-1 call.” The detective pointed out. “You care to explain?”

“Her landlord finally agreed to let her out of her lease and refund her security deposit.” Buck told the detectives. “He’d been giving her some grief about it. I offered a bunch of times to help her out myself but I- I make more money than she actually knows about so she refused to let me help her because she didn’t think I could swing it.”

“You’ve been with the LAFD for two years?” The male detective asked.

“Yes.” Buck nodded.

“With that salary based on your address you should be barely scraping by. Where’s the extra money coming from then?” The female detective questioned.

Buck did not want to have to admit that he had a sugar daddy to these detectives, but he would tell them about it- in different terms- if he absolutely had to. “Is- isn’t that not really any of your business? As long as I’m not doing anything illegal- which I’m not.” It was almost a lie but not quite. Buck had done a deep dive one night and while sugaring wasn’t necessarily illegal , prostitution was and some could argue that sugaring was a form of prostitution. It seemed sugaring was a legal grey area and up to the interpretation, so Buck didn’t say the word sugaring or mention sex just to be safe.

“Refusing to answer our questions certainly won't help your case Mr Buckley.” The male detective warned.

Buck sighed and looked down. “I- I get paid to- to be this rich guy’s companion.” He kept it intentionally vague.

“Like prostitution?” The female detective’s eyebrows rose.

“No. No. Noth- nothing like that.” Buck told her. He did his best to stay calm and collected. “I’m not gay.” Again it wasn’t a lie but also not the whole truth. He was bisexual, but the police didn’t need to know that.

The male detective leaned back in his chair for a moment and crossed his arms. “Then what is this arrangement exactly?”

“He- he pays me to hang out with him. We just hang out, sometimes go on trips, go out to eat, sometimes we go to the gym together,” Buck shrugged.

“And he pays you for this because …?” The female detective looked pointedly at Buck.

Buck shrugged. “He was lonely I guess. Didn’t know how else to- to find the kind of companion he wanted so he paid for one.”

“Uh-huh.” The male detective clearly didn’t believe Buck but had no real reason to keep questioning him about it because it was so far off the topic of what they were actually supposed to be questioning Buck on. “Let’s circle back to the morning of the bank call, you said Ms Wilson was stressed?”

“ Cranky . I said she was a little cranky that morning.” Buck corrected. He was doing his absolute best to be very careful and very intentional with his wording, and he wasn’t going to let the detectives change his words to twist the meanings into something they weren’t.

“Right.” The female detective looked down at her notes. “And what is your relationship like with your Captain- Robert Nash? I understand he can be a very private guy- it must be hard to work with someone like that?”

“Sure, Bobby might not be an- an open book, but none of us are. We’re coworkers, we’re allowed to keep secrets from one another.” Buck argued.

“It’s hard though, to form meaningful connections with someone so closed off. Why would you so blindly go along with Nash’s idea when he said you needed to break into the vault?” The male detective crossed his arms.

“But I trust him.” Buck insisted. “I trust his gut. So when he said we needed to get into that vault, yeah I believed him.” The petty part of buck wanted to add ‘ Also because he’s my boss? I have to do what he says because it's literally my job to follow Bobby’s orders? ’ Buck didn’t, obviously, but he sure wanted to. What kind of question was that anyway?

The female detective made some notes as Buck answered. “Did you see the armored car driver leave the armored car?”

“The armored car driver?” Buck questioned. He wondered if their questions were so all over the place for a reason, or if they were really just that messy with asking their questions. “I thought he couldn’t leave the truck?”

“He shouldn’t have. But someone from your team ordered him out, then took all the cash off the truck and stashed it on your engine, while Ms Wilson created a distraction in the bank.” The male detective told Buck.

“The cash was from the truck? I thought it was from the bank- I’m so confused.” Buck didn’t know for sure, but he was fairly certain the detectives wanted him confused, but Buck wasn’t going to let that slide. Sure, at times he wasn’t the brightest bulb in the shop, but he wasn’t stupid and he knew these detectives were doing shady work at best. He wondered what Athena thought of them, he was pretty sure she’d been questioned too already. “Can you start over?” Buck requested.

Later that night, Tommy showed up at the loft as Buck and Tommy discussed before all the insanity with the bank-stuff started. “Hey!” Tommy greeted cheerily with a big smile when an exhausted Buck opened the door to find Tommy on the other side.

Buck felt bad for forgetting Tommy was coming, but seeing Tommy did cause Buck to perk up a little. “Tommy, hey, I honestly forgot you were coming over tonight, I’m sorry. I’m- I’m glad you’re here, actually. Come in.” Buck shuffled to the side and held the door open wider.

Tommy frowned as he stepped inside, something was clearly off with Evan. As if his demeanor wasn’t off enough, Tommy was concerned by the fact that Evan forgot about their plans- not because he was upset Evan forgot- but surprised, seeing as they’d just made said plans earlier that day. “Is everything alright?”

“Me and the rest of the 118 are all currently suspects in an armored car heist that happened at a bank we were called to on our shift.” Buck explained.

“I think I saw a bit about that on the news earlier, I didn’t realize it was your station that responded to the call. Can I ask what happened? Do you wanna talk about it?” Tommy crossed one arm over his chest and rested the other arm on it, hand on his chin.

Buck explained what had occurred during the call and what the police thought happened, as he and Tommy slowly but surely made their way up the stairs towards Buck’s bed. “It wasn’t us but the cops are convinced either one or maybe even all of us at the 118 are responsible for stealing 300 thousand dollars.”

“Jeez Evan, if you needed money you could’ve just asked me, no need to steal it from an armored car with some elaborate plan that included knocking your friend out inside a locked bank vault.” Tommy teased.

“Oh my god don’t even get me started on that.” Buck groaned as he pulled his hoodie off and tossed it aside. “The cops actually asked about this- I didn’t name you by the way- and I couldn’t say you’re my sugar daddy because then they could try and charge me with prostitution so now they think I get paid to be someone’s friend .” Buck pulled off his t-shirt and also tossed it aside, then stepped into Tommy’s personal space and began undoing the buttons of Tommy’s shirt.

Tommy rested his hands on Evan’s hips, thumbs hooking into the low-slung waistband of Evan’s sweatpants. He knew exactly what Evan needed tonight without Evan even telling him. “Must be a real close friendship seeing as I’m about to fuck you so good you see stars and forget your own name- nevermind that all this is happening.” Tommy smirked.

“Yes please .” Buck begged. He’d finished with the buttons on Tommy’s shirt, but with Tommy’s hands on his hips his button-up and the undershirt beneath it weren’t going anywhere any time soon, so Buck went straight for Tommy’s belt instead.

Tommy moved a hand to stop Evan from removing his belt. “Please what?” He tsked.

Buck met Tommy’s eyes. “Please daddy.”

“That’s it baby boy.” Tommy grinned and let go of Evan’s hand so Evan could continue removing his belt.

The next morning Buck and Tommy were drinking coffee dressed only in sweatpants, while Tommy made breakfast. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

“You expecting someone?” Tommy looked over his shoulder at Evan.

“No.” Buck said slowly and got up from his spot at the breakfast bar, going over to the door. As soon as he opened it a cop was shoving a search warrant in his face as multiple Crime Scene Techs entered Buck’s loft and spread out to immediately begin going through drawers and cabinets. Buck scanned over the warrant in his hands- most of it looked like legal mumbo-jumbo but the basic idea was that they were looking for the missing cash from the bank heist.

“Sir, I’ll need you to step away from the kitchen so we can work.” One of the Crime Scene Techs told Tommy.

Tommy was bewildered but turned off the stove, moved the two frying pans off the hot burners, then went over to Evan’s side. “Can I see that?” He asked, gesturing for the warrant.

Buck handed it over to Tommy and watched as the Crime Scene techs haphazardly tossed items out of wherever they’d been pulled from, no care or thought put into what they were doing. “Come on guys really?” Buck huffed. His phone then dinged with a message. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked it, finding a text message from Maddie.

Maddie : Crime scene techs just showed up with a warrant. They’re tossing the apartment. So much for the security deposit.

“I think they’re tossing everyone’s place.” Buck told Tommy. “Maddie just texted, she’s gonna lose her security deposit after she fought so hard to get it back.” He sighed.

 Tommy looked up at Evan. “How much was it?” He frowned.

“Three grand. Not a lot but she- she needed it to use as a security deposit for a new place.” Buck explained. It hadn’t come as a surprise to Buck that Maddie didn’t want to stay in the same apartment building Doug had abducted her from, but it had been a surprise what an asshole the landlord was being about Maddie ending her lease early.

“I could help with that.” Tommy was quick to offer.

“She won’t even accept my help , good luck getting her to accept yours.” Buck crossed his arms.

“Maybe I can talk with her landlord, come to some agreement where he gives Maddie her money back, and I give him the security deposit amount he wants to keep. That way Maddie doesn’t know we’re helping her and can’t refuse it.” Tommy suggested.

“You would do that?” Buck was shocked.

“Yeah.” Tommy agreed. “You keep refusing to let me spend money on you, might as well help Maddie if I can.”

“First of all, you spend more than enough money on me already. And second, are you sure? You hardly even know her.” Buck frowned.

“You’re right, I don’t know her that well, but what I do know is how important she is to you and she needs some help right now. I’d be doing it for both of you.” Tommy pointed out.

“I- I really really appreciate that, Tommy.” Buck smiled. “I uh- I’m gonna go grab us some shirts.” He then decided.

“Good idea.” Tommy nodded and continued watching the crime scene techs tear Evan’s apartment apart. If Evan wasn’t so particular about where everything went Tommy would hire someone to come clean everything up for them. Tommy wouldn’t mind doing it with Evan- it wouldn’t be the most fun they’d ever had together, but Tommy didn’t care about that. Not really.

Buck got upstairs just as one of the techs was reaching for the bottom drawer of his nightstand, where he and Tommy kept their growing collection of sex toys. “Uh- maybe you don’t want to-” He started, trying to warn the Crime Scene Tech, but they were already yanking it out with such force a near-empty bottle of lube and a dildo went flying out. Still inside the drawer, something started vibrating. “Do that.” Buck finished with a heavy sigh.

The tech looked at Buck with a look that could’ve been judgmental or just pure shock.

Buck collected the dildo and lube from the floor where they’d landed. “Done with that drawer?” He asked.

“Um, yes.” They agreed and stepped aside.

Buck found the toy that had started vibrating and shut it off, returned everything back into the drawer and closed it.

“We’ll need to search your vehicle as well.” The same Crime Scene Tech then told Buck.

“Great.” Buck told them. This was definitely not how he planned for his day to go.

Thankfully, by the next morning the names of the entire 118 as well as Athena and Maddie were all cleared, and Buck was sitting around with the rest of the team as they all discussed what really happened. Buck could hardly believe it was all real and he’d been a part of it. 

Later that night he managed to have a good laugh about the situation with Tommy.

“All jokes aside, I’m really relieved that everything got sorted out and all our names are clear.” Buck admitted.

“I am too. And I spoke with Maddie’s landlord and he agreed to give her the money back and accept the money from me, so I’m gonna go over to his office tomorrow and make sure he’s sent Maddie her money before I give him mine.”

Buck smiled at Tommy. “You take such good care of me. You really are the best, Tommy, you know that?”

Tommy shrugged. “It’s easy when it’s you.” He smiled back.

Chapter Text

Unfortunately, the very next shift after their names were cleared of any involvement in the heist, a different problem popped up in it’s place instead. When Buck got to work and headed up to the loft, he as well as the rest of the team found Bobby sitting at the table, still in his civvies. Bobby gathered them all round and announced he’d been suspended from his duties at the 118, pending further investigation, and Chimney would be acting captain until things got sorted out. It wasn’t fair. Bobby seemed to be handling it well but Buck sure wasn’t. 

“Bobby’s past shouldn’t matter anymore,” Buck ranted to Tommy about it the next time he saw Tommy, which happened to be the next night, after his 24 hour shift had ended. Buck was making dinner for the two of them, taking out his anger on the vegetables he was chopping for a stir fry. “Does his record since getting to LA mean nothing?”

“Unfortunately I guess it doesn’t.” Tommy frowned, mostly to himself as Evan wasn’t looking at Tommy. He was sitting at the breakfast bar in Evan’s kitchen, picking at the label on his beer bottle.

“It just feels like one thing after another lately, you know? First Maddie getting kidnapped and Chim getting stabbed, then the whole diamond-bank-armored-car-heist fiasco, and now this? I mean like excitement- I’m an adrenaline junkie- don't get me wrong, but this isn’t what I mean when I say that and I don’t know how much more of it I can handle.” Buck admitted.

“I’m sure Bobby will find a way to clear his name and everything will go back to normal soon. And hey- they say bad things come in threes, right? So there’s your three bad things, you should be good now.” Tommy offered optimistically. Optimism usually wasn’t his style, but pessimism wasn’t usually Evan’s, and one of them needed to try and look on the brightside.

“I hope you’re right.” Buck sighed heavily as he stopped chopping his vegetables for a moment to take a long swig from his beer bottle.

“I usually am. And if not, I’ll be right here to help you through it anyway I can.” Tommy promised as he got up and went to Evan’s side to put an arm around Evan.

“You mean that?” Buck looked up at him.

“I do.” Tommy insisted.

Buck let out a deep sigh and wrapped his arms around Tommy, melting into Tommy’s chest just a little, allowing himself to take the comfort and support he needed from Tommy- who willingly as ever gave him exactly what he needed.

Tommy held onto Evan as though he’d lose Evan permanently if he didn’t hang on tight enough or hold on to Evan long enough. Tommy knew the way he was feeling about Evan these days wasn’t exactly what it was supposed to be. Definitely not what Evan signed up for. Abby had been teasing him non-stop about how happy he was, and as much as Tommy hated to admit it Abby wasn’t wrong. Evan made Tommy feel things he wasn’t sure he ever truly felt before. Tommy felt a little bit like a teenager with their first crush, only he was 54 years old, well past first-crushes, and was in an established sexual-relationship with the very guy he had feelings for.

Tommy wasn’t even supposed to develop romantic feelings. He decided to get a sugar baby because he wasn’t looking for romance. And that was part of why Evan had been perfect. Evan didn’t even date men- sure he’d come out as bisexual after they started hooking-up but he never said anything about where his romantic orientation might fall- not to mention that wasn’t the case when they first got together. Tommy had thought it was perfect because there was no chance of Evan catching feelings for Tommy. 

Tommy never expected that he’d be the one catching feelings- feelings he wasn’t supposed to be having for Evan. Feelings that made his chest feel warm and fuzzy while terrifying Tommy all at the same time. Feelings that felt a hell of a lot like a four letter word that starts with ‘L’.

This thing between them was just supposed to be sex, maybe real friendship. Evan didn’t sign up for more than that. And besides that, Evan deserved better than Tommy anyway. Someone his own age, someone he could have a family with, someone who wasn’t a coward hiding in the closet- still married to a woman to remain safely in that closet. This was all just fun for Evan, a way to make some extra cash. And from the start Tommy had known it wasn’t going to be a forever thing between them either- eventually Evan would get bored of Tommy, or Evan would finally get weirded out by how much older Tommy was than him, or he’d meet a woman he and want to date her, or maybe Evan would just realize that Tommy wasn’t enough for him anymore and he’d call it off so he could pursue real romantic partners.

And all those reasons almost made Tommy want to just give Evan up now, let him go be free and live his life the way he should live it. Operative word being almost . Normally Tommy wasn’t a selfish person, Abby and his few close friends would argue the opposite. But when it came to Evan, Tommy couldn’t help but be selfish. As much as he knew he should give Evan up, Tommy couldn’t do it. He’d lose Evan eventually anyway- Tommy figured he should at least enjoy the time he got to have with Evan while he still had it, and worry about the repercussions later. 

So instead Tommy clung to Evan. He doted on Evan’s every want and whim and went along with whatever Evan said to keep him happy. Tommy showed up for Evan whenever and however Evan needed it. He showed up with helicopters and water bombers when Evan needed them, listened to Evan’s problems and offered advice when asked, came when Evan called, gave Evan’s sister’s landlord money so the landlord would give Maddie her money back. However he could, whenever he could, Tommy did his all to do everything he possibly could for Evan, and decided that whatever happened later would be Later Tommy’s problem. For now he was going to spoil the hell out of Evan and enjoy their time together while it lasted.

“I really appreciate you, you know that?” Buck looked up and smiled at Tommy.

“I appreciate you too.” Tommy smiled back and kissed Evan’s head. If only Evan knew just how much he meant to Tommy.

---

By the time Buck’s next shift rolled around he was still thinking about all his feelings regarding Tommy- a somewhat welcome distraction from everything else that was going on with Bobby’s suspension and Chimney’s power-hungry captaincy. Buck’s mind was all over the place and Buck really, desperately , needed to talk to someone about Tommy. Buck needed to know that he wasn’t being ridiculous for keeping Tommy in his life. That at the very least his actions were somewhat justifiable. 

The only person who knew anything about Tommy was Hen- she didn’t know it was Tommy but she knew of the man Buck had been sleeping with, which was more than what could be said for any of Buck’s other friends. It didn’t take long for Buck to decide to talk to her about it, and finally he got the chance later that same shift. Chimney was in Bobby’s office struggling through paperwork that Bobby could do in his sleep- not to mention the extra paperwork he had to do about the mail bomb call they'd had earlier that day-, while most of the crew had gone to get some rest as it was pretty late in the middle of their 24 hour shift. Buck and Hen however were still awake, sitting opposite each other on the couches in the loft, with no one else was around.

“Can I uh, talk to you about something personal? M- maybe ask for some advice?” Buck wondered, nervously wringing his hands.

“Sure you can.” Hen agreed and set her phone down to pay full attention to Buck.

Buck sat up and rested his elbows on his wide-spread knees, leaning in closer to Hen. “Well uh, remember how I told you a while back that I’m in a uh- an exclusive thing with a guy?” He spoke quietly.

“Yes.” Hen nodded and shifted, also moving a little closer to Buck.

“Okay, this is about that. I don’t get into any graphic details but um-” Buck paused, trying to find the right words. “Well, our thing is mostly just about like, sex and companionship, it’s not a- a romantic thing or anything like that.” Buck started.

“Okay.” Hen said slowly.

“But he keeps showing up for me when I need him like a- a knight in shining armor and I can tell I’m- I’m getting attached- really attached -, and part of me is telling myself I need to cut ties before I get anymore attached and get hurt when he doesn’t feel the same way. But I- I’ve never met anyone like him, and he just treats me so well, and I feel like it’d be a huge mistake if I called things off between us. I just, I don’t know what to do.” Buck admitted.

“Well without knowing the details about the situation, or knowing him at all, it’s hard to say what you should do, Buck.” Hen pointed out.

“I know. I- I’m sorry, uh,” Buck swallowed hard.

Hen continued speaking, not nearly as worried about it as Buck seemed to think she was. “Is there any chance that maybe he feels the same way you do?”

Buck’s heart sank a little as he considered it. “I don’t know. Probably not.” He looked down, trying to hide the look of disappointment that had appeared on his face at the thought.

“Is that something he’s told you recently, or something he told you a long time ago, or something you decided on your own?” Hen asked next.

Buck paused and thought about it for a moment. Of course Hen was asking lots of questions and saying things that made too much sense. “I- I mean from the beginning this thing was always just supposed to be about companionship. I guess we haven’t really discussed since, but I don’t have any reason to believe that his stance has changed.” Buck frowned. “I- I guess I sorta made it up myself but it’s based on something we decided a long time ago.”

Hen nodded slowly. “Well it sounds like you’re stuck in a tough spot to be in. Can I ask why the two of you didn’t want romance when this started?”

Buck shrugged. “I guess I was still figuring myself out fully. Didn’t feel ready for a real full-on relationship with a guy. And his situation is- it’s complicated.”

“Complicated how, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“He’s- he’s not out.” Buck paused, considering what all to tell Hen. He worried if he said too much she’d figure out it was Tommy, and he didn’t know if that would be okay- by his own comfort levels or Tommy’s. “I shouldn’t say too much about it because it’s his personal stuff but he- he’s been in the closet a long time and even though things are better now than they were when he first figured himself out, he’s used to- to life in the closet.”

“That makes sense. And I’m sorry to say but that’s a tough one, Buck. It can be hard being with someone who isn’t out. Believe me I’ve been there.” Hen admitted.

“Yeah.” Buck sighed. “So anyway, that- I guess that’s why we opted for something more casual, lower stakes.”

“Except now you want more.” Hen pointed out.

“Yeah.” Buck confirmed.

“To be honest, I’m not sure what the right call is.” Hen paused. “I guess you have to ask yourself what would be worse: the feeling of staying with him the way things are combined with fear of losing him later and any pain that might be associated with losing him later, or the pain of losing him now- either by telling him about your feelings and finding he doesn’t feel the same, or by you calling it off without confessing your feelings.”

Buck crossed his arms. “Good question.”

“I don’t expect you to have an answer immediately. But once you have an answer to that question, then that should help you find the best answer to your problem.” Hen explained.

It wasn’t the most helpful, but it was the best Hen could do with the limited information she had, and Buck did recognize that and appreciate that she’d given any advice at all. “Thanks.”

“Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

“Not your fault. And you did help.” Buck assured her. “I guess I just gotta sort this one out myself for the most part.”

Buck mulled over the question for a day or two, and eventually came to the conclusion that he would rather risk falling more and getting hurt later than have to lose Tommy now. Buck didn’t want to have to lose Tommy at all, but if he had to lose Tommy eventually, Buck wanted as much time as he could get with Tommy while he could. It had nothing to do with the money, and everything to do with how Tommy made Buck feel.

Buck only got to sit with the comfort of having made that decision for a few hours before something else terrible happened. He wondered what, if anything, the 118 had ever done to deserve so much going wrong back-to-back. It just wasn’t fair.

Buck sat down on his couch, still in the clothes he’d worn home from work. He kept going over the call again and again in his head. Realizing it was Shannon, trying to stop Eddie from going to her, feeling helpless as he had to continue tending to his patient- unable to go with Eddie, to be there for him- waiting in the waiting room knowing it wouldn’t be good news, the look on Eddie’s face when he came into the waiting room holding the bag of Shannon’s belongings. Buck hardly even knew Shannon, but the loss still hit hard.

Eventually Buck managed to grab his phone and type out and send a text to Tommy. He didn’t want to be alone, and all the other members of the 118 were probably busy dealing with their own grief at the moment.

Buck : Can you come over?

Tommy : Thought you were working all night?

Buck : Not anymore. I’ll explain when you get here

Tommy : On my way. 20 minutes tops.

Seventeen minutes later there was a knock on the door and Buck opened it for Tommy. If he were in a better head-space he’d worry about the fact that it should’ve taken Tommy at least twenty five minutes to get there but right now he was just grateful for how fast Tommy arrived.

“Hey,” Tommy said softly. He instantly had a sense something was wrong when Evan texted, and seeing him now only further confirmed Tommy’s theory. “What’s going on?”

Buck closed the door behind Tommy. “Chimney ended our shift early.” He looked at the floor. “A- a captain can do that, pull a team off-line and call in the next shift I mean, if- if someone from the team is injured in the line of duty or- or if something else really bad happens.”

“What happened? Are you okay?” Tommy was quick to ask, his worry for Evan growing with every passing second, making his heart pound in his chest like it was trying to break free.

“It- it’s stupid that I’m so upset. It- I mean it’s not like this should really affect me anyway-” Buck crossed his arms tight over his chest.

Tommy was quick to pull Evan into a tight hug. “Evan, I’m sure whatever you’re feeling is totally valid, and even if it isn’t I promise I won’t care. What’s going on?”

“We- we responded to this call. Car accident. A pedestrian was hit in a crosswalk. It- it was bad. I mean those calls are never good , but this one was the worst I’ve seen in quite a while. We didn’t know until we got to the scene that it- the pedestrian that was hit was Eddie’s wife.” Buck took a shaky breath. “She didn’t make it.” Buck explained quietly.

“I’m so sorry,” Tommy murmured.

“I don’t think- I mean I- I’m sad that she died of course, but- but it’s Eddie and Christopher that I can’t stop thinking about, you know? I- I keep seeing Eddie’s face- r- realizing it was Shannon. And then when he came into the waiting room at the hospital with her belongings, he- he looked like, like a ghost.” Buck paused. “And Christopher- I mean he- he just got her back and now she- she’s gone again. It’s not fair.”

“No, it’s not fair.” Tommy agreed.

“I just, I didn’t want to be alone tonight.” Buck admitted as he looked up at Tommy through watery eyes.

“If you need me here, Evan, then there is absolutely nowhere else I’d rather be.” Tommy said sincerely as he wrapped his arms tighter around Evan.

Chapter Text

“May, sweetheart, I was wondering actually if I could get your help with something.” Athena looked over at her daughter as she tidied up the kitchen after dinner while May sat at the kitchen table scrolling on her phone.

Athena had been suspicious of Buck’s  " friend ”  Kinard for a while now. Something about the whole situation just seemed off. Athena had been a cop for long enough to know when she was being fed a story, especially a poorly rehearsed one, which is exactly what she got from Tommy when he told Athena about his and Buck’s “friendship”. Athena wasn’t an idiot either. She saw how Tommy looked at Buck- there were feelings there, romantic feelings .

Athena wasn’t bothered by the fact that Buck was seeing a man- she couldn’t care less about what gender Evan Buckley preferred to sleep with. No, Athena was bothered by the fact that she’d been lied to.

She had explored as much as she could about the man through legal channels at work without raising any suspicions as to what she was doing. Including but not limited to reviewing the background check that had been done on Kinard when Maddie’s abduction case was being wrapped up- unhelpfully, absolutely nothing came up on the background check, not even a damn unpaid parking ticket.

When that avenue of investigation gave Athena absolutely nothing, out of curiosity’s sake she tried googling the name but unfortunately Buck’s  “ friend ”  wasn’t the only Thomas Kinard in the world, and trying to sort through it all just seemed plain overwhelming to Athena. But to May on the other hand-  maybe not so much. Over dinner May had explained how she found everything she needed to find on her friend’s new boyfriend from another school by looking online and at social media, using just his first name and the school he went to.

“Sure mom, what’s up?” May locked her phone and set it down, looking up at her mom.

“I was hoping you might be able to help me find some information about someone online. I tried myself and well I wouldn’t even know where to start.” Athena admitted.

“Uh yeah, sure.” May seemed a little surprised or perhaps confused. “Can I ask what it’s about?”

“I’m not entirely sure just yet. I’ll explain more if and when we find something.” Athena told her daughter.

“How much information do you want on this person?” May wondered.

“Whatever you can find.” Athena didn’t expect much, but would gladly take anything and everything she could get her hands on.

May agreed, Athena gave her the little information she had on Kinard, and then all that was left to do was wait and see if May would be able to find anything.

The next evening May had her findings and was ready to present them to her mom. May sat down on one end of the couch with her laptop in her lap, turned to face her mom who was sitting on the other end of the sofa. “Alright, it took a while because there are a number of Thomas Kinard’s out there but the thing you said about helicopter’s actually helped narrow it down and ensure I had the right guy.”

“Okay. So what did you find?” Athena asked and sipped her glass of wine.

May looked down at her laptop screen again. “Thomas Kinard, born in 1964 to Richard Kinard and Laurie Kinard- maiden name Walsh.”

“You’re joking right?” Athena asked. She knew private investigators and skip tracers who weren’t this good. “How’d you get that information?”

“Not joking.” May insisted. “Once I had some other info on him that we’ll get to in a sec, I was able to go back and found Thomas’ parents marriage certificate and his birth certificate online. One of Laurie’s nieces put together this huge, really comprehensive family tree on Ancestry dot com and it’s all publicly available to view.” May explained.

“Good lord.” Athena muttered. Some people were way too comfortable with putting way too much information on the internet, but Athena wasn’t exactly going to complain about that right now. “Okay, go on.”

“So it seemed like Richard and Laurie weren’t really close with their families, I couldn’t really find anything on Thomas’ childhood other than the fact that his mom died when he was twelve- her death was noted on the Ancestry family tree, no cause of death though. He went to high school here in Los Angeles and graduated in ‘81. Then in 1982 two major things happened in his life, one he joined the military- figured that info out by finding an article talking about a rescue mission he was a part of, and then I backtracked found when he enlisted by looking at scraps of publicly available data from government databases.”

Athena was thoroughly impressed and honestly a little terrified by May’s skills at this rate. “What was the other major thing?”

“He got married to Abigail Clark- who didn’t change her last name when she got married because of her career as a swimmer for Team USA at the Olympics in LA in ‘84 and Seoul in ‘88. Thomas and Abigail graduated from the same school in the same year so I’m guessing they dated during high school and got married as soon as they turned 18.” May explained.

“Anything else?” Athena asked. This new information was certainly interesting, but Athena didn’t want to jump to any conclusions until she heard everything May had found.

“Yeah. Thomas served in the military for I think 10 years as a pilot, I can’t really find much on what him or his wife did after her Olympic wins in ‘88 but in the early to mid 2000’s their names started popping up again as big time investors in all kinds of different things. I didn’t bother to get too much into that stuff- it’s pretty boring.” May admitted. “I don’t think they had any kids because there’s no evidence of them having children and in this day and age that’s basically impossible- especially with her being a former Team USA Olympian. Thomas and his wife did buy a huge mansion here in LA in 2008 though. As of now Thomas works at a flight school- he teaches other people how to fly helicopters.”

“Did you find anything about Thomas’s personal life currently ? Any social media?” Athena wondered.

“No social media accounts for Thomas unfortunately- not even a Linkedin account which is weird. But his wife Abigail does have social media and he appears in some of her posts. It’s nothing all that exciting. A lot of travel photos lately and before that a gap in posts for about two years. I did find an obituary for Abigail’s mom online dated for like a year and a half ago- it mentioned she was sick for a while- so my guess is she was sick for a long time and then Abigail started travelling after her mom died. ” May turned the laptop around to show her mom Abigail Clark’s Instagram account.

“Do you mind if I take a closer look?” Athena gestured for the laptop.

“Sure.” May handed the laptop over.

Athena scrolled, there were recent posts of Abigail with what appeared to be friends, in her garden, one with Tommy, a bunch of travel photos from the previous year- none of which included her husband-, then a large gap for two years before the travel photos, and beyond that it looked like the average social media of a 40-50 year old married rich woman. Athena handed the laptop back to May. “And they’re still married? Thomas and Abigail?”

“Yeah. No official divorce documents online, their house is still in both their names- there would definitely be something online if one of their names was removed from the deed to the house. Not even a cheesy tabloid article claiming they got divorced.”

Athena nodded slowly. “Thanks for looking into this for me. This was a huge help.”

Athena wasn’t pleased that she’d been right to think something suspicious was going on, but it was reassuring to know her gut instincts hadn’t failed her with regards to this. It would seem that Buck and Tommy’s relationship was a secret because Tommy was married.

As much as Athena had complicated feelings about being the woman a gay man married to repress his sexuality, Athena could appreciate that the early 80’s were a much different time compared to when she and Michael got married. What Athena did not appreciate was seeing a man stepping out on his wife, regardless of why he may be doing such a thing. Tommy’s mother in law had- presumably- been sick for a long time which probably strained whatever relationship Kinard had with his wife. Then his mother in law passed away and his wife left to travel the world for several months without him. Near perfect conditions to result in an extramarital affair.

Athena didn’t question for a second if Buck knew about Tommy’s wife or not. If Buck knew about her there was no way he’d be with Tommy. Buck was far from perfect, but the kid did still have morals, and he would never intentionally do something that could hurt someone like that.

Perfect Mr Swoops In In The Nick Of Time With A Damn Helicopter And Saves The Day Thomas Kinard was having an goddamn love affair with an unknowing Evan Buckley.

“Sure thing mom. It was kinda fun.” May admitted, her voice pulling Athena from her train of thought. “But can I ask why you wanted me to look into this guy? Did he do something?” She frowned.

“Just curiosity is all. He was involved in a recent case and I wanted to know more about him.” Athena sipped her wine.

“Did I get what you needed?” May wondered.

“You sure did, baby.” Athena smiled at her daughter. “Thank you.” Athena didn’t know what she should do, but she felt she had to do or say something. She just needed to figure out what that was first.

---

Two days after Shannon passed away, Buck found himself at home alone, doing some meal prepping for the coming days. Eddie was on bereavement leave and with Bobby gone too the 118 was down two men and Buck wanted to be ready to be down-to-the-bone exhausted after work the next couple shifts. Buck was working on preparing meals for himself to eat when he got home from work when he got a message from Tommy, which he was quick to open.

Tommy : Hey so the one year anniversary of whatever this relationship is between us is coming up. Do you want to do something for it or not make it a big deal?

---

“It should be at least a bit of a thing, Tommy!” Abby chastised. Her and Tommy were currently working in their garden. It’d started with lemon and orange trees that were in their yard when they bought the house, then some flowers and a few raspberry bushes years ago, and had exploded into much more since then. They grew all kinds of vegetables, herbs, fruit, and flowers in a large section of their backyard. Tommy was working on transplanting their summer round of plants into the ground, while Abby tended to the spring round of plants they’d put in the ground two months ago. “Even if it’s not romantic, a year is a long time to be in as close of a relationship as what the two of you have.”

“I guess so.” Tommy put another tomato plant in the ground and packed soil around it. “But if he doesn’t want to make a big deal of it I wouldn’t want to make a big deal and make things weird.”

“I suppose.” Abby relented. “But at least give him the option for it to be a big deal.”

“What does one even do for their one year sugaring-relationship anniversary?” Tommy frowned. “I mean do I keep it casual? Go all out?”

“Whatever the hell you two want.” Abby worked on harvesting their over-abundance of mini cucumbers. “Did you see the latest statement from the Davidson-Williams Group? Buy Evan a lamborghini and take him on a two-month-long trip around the world for all I care.”

Tommy scoffed. “Okay I like Evan a lot , but that’s a little extreme Abs.” Tommy gave her an unimpressed look. “Not to mention he’d never accept a sports car and I’d be lucky to get him to agree to taking two weeks off work.”

“My point is, the sky’s the limit. Do whatever you want, Tommy.” Abby put the cucumbers she’d harvested into a now-full basket and stared, overwhelmed by how many she had yet to harvest for a moment. “Think he wants some cucumbers?”

“Okay I’m not giving him cucumbers for our anniversary.” Tommy put up labels to remind them what variety of tomatoes those were, and moved onto a different row and started with the strawberry plants.

Abby glared at Tommy. “I mean in general. I think we’re gonna have to pay people to take these off our hands.”

“We could pickle them like last year- those turned out pretty good.” Tommy suggested.

“Unless one of us is getting pregnant sometime soon I don’t think we need that many pickles.” Abby deadpanned.

Tommy laughed and shook his head. “We’ll pickle some, and I’m sure we’ll be able to give the rest away. Worst case scenario Evan can take them to the firehouse for use there or for his coworkers to take home.” Tommy told Abby as he felt his phone go off in his pocket. He pulled his gardening gloves off and pulled his phone out.

Evan : I hadn’t really thought of it tbh. Do /you/ want to do something?

Tommy groaned. “Now he’s asking me if I want to do something.”

“Well, do you?” Abby asked.

Tommy did, honestly. Mostly as an excuse to pamper Evan a little extra after the way the last couple months had gone. “But what if I do and he doesn’t? I don’t want him to feel obligated.”

“I think you’re overthinking it. Evan strikes me as a go-with-the-flow type. I bet he’d be happy to do something as long as you’re happy doing something.” Abby suggested.

“You really think?”

Abby rolled her eyes at her husband. “Yes. You’re overthinking this. Again .”

“Okay, okay.” Tommy conceded and turned back to his phone.

---

Tommy : I would like to do something, as long as that’s okay with you.

Buck nearly started chewing his nail as he read the message- he’d mostly kicked the bad habit but sometimes he still nearly defaulted to it.

Buck liked the idea of doing something with Tommy, but had no idea what Tommy had in mind and that had Buck on edge. Tommy had flown him to Napa for shits and giggles, spent five digits on furniture for Buck finishing his probie year. Buck feared what Tommy might try and do for their anniversary. At the same time Buck didn’t want to assume anything either. Maybe Tommy wanted something lowkey.

But what if Tommy did something spectacular for Buck, and he didn’t do something as good for Tommy and Tommy got upset? What if Tommy did something that felt totally romantic to Buck but didn’t mean it that way and Buck’s heart exploded anyway?

A timer went off on Buck’s phone and he quickly dismissed it, then went over to the stove and removed the lid on the pot of quinoa he had left to sit for ten minutes after he finished cooking. He used a fork to fluff it, then portioned it out into containers.

Buck considered his answer to Tommy as he pulled his salmon out of the oven and adjusted the temperature accordingly for his barbeque chicken thighs. Buck set the salmon aside to cool and prepped veggies as he stared at his phone. Eventually he came up with his response for Tommy.

---

Tommy had just finished planting their bean plants, and Abby was working on harvesting some peppers that were ready when Tommy got a text back from Evan.

Evan : I think it might be nice to do something depending on what it is. Any ideas what you wanna do?

“Evan again?” Abby deposited pepper after pepper into the basket next to her.

“Yeah. He wants to know if I have any ideas of what I want to do.” Tommy told Abby.

“Do you have any ideas?” Abby wondered.

“Two. One that would be fun for us both, the other highly practical for Evan. If he’ll allow either of them.” Tommy put his phone back in his pocket and pulled his gloves back on.

“And what are these ideas?”

“Well, going practical, he needs a new car. You know I’m pretty damn good with cars and there’s nothing more I can do for his Jeep to make it run any better for him. I’m not thinking anything too fancy or flashy because I know he’d never accept it, but something reliable and new.”

“Seems like a solid idea.” Abby said encouragingly.

Tommy put the one of many carrot seedlings into the soil. “But his Jeep has sentimental value and he’s been resistant to my previous offers to get him a new car.”

“Okay. Well he might be more willing to go for an option that could be fun for you both.” Abby finished with the peppers and moved on to harvesting the spring-round batch of green beans.

“Well my idea for that is a trip to Vegas. I think Evan would really enjoy some of the different shows and museums they have, the hiking trails not far from Vegas, even the Grand Canyon. Plus I would hope with how much money we have invested in some of the restaurants out there I could get us some last minute reservations.” Tommy put more seedlings into the dirt. “Not to mention Vegas isn’t overly romantic. It’s pretty hard to beat Napa when it comes to romance and we’ve already done that.”

Abby nodded slowly. “I think you have two solid ideas. Why not tell him both and see what he thinks?”

“Yes.” Tommy pulled his gloves off and typed out his next message to Evan.

---

Tommy : I have two ideas. If you hate them both we can come up with something else so no pressure. If you like them both then we can do both.

Tommy : One, I could buy you a new car. Two, we could take a trip to Las Vegas.

Buck shook his head exasperatedly. “Why is there always an option to buy me a new car?” He set his phone down and turned back to his meal prepping. He was nearly done with everything. The salmon and quinoa bowls were finished and in the fridge, and Buck was just putting pasta salad in with the barbeque chicken and roasted cauliflower he’d already finished.

Buck considered all the options as he finished his meal prepping and set aside the leftovers he hadn’t needed for his meal boxes to eat for dinner that night. He knew he didn’t have much time to decide as their anniversary was fast approaching, but he figured he could take a little time to decide- assuming he’d actually be able to make a decision.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Tommy and Evan had yet to make a decision on what to do for their anniversary but they were working on figuring it out, so Tommy was fine to be patient. Sure the more notice Tommy had to book their trip the better, but he had enough money that he could still ensure they had an amazing time no matter how last minute they booked it, nor would the world end if their trip happened a couple days after their official anniversary.

It was honestly a little hard for Tommy to believe he was really thinking like that. A year ago, before he’d met Evan, he was so cautious with his spending, so reserved. He didn’t act like he was rich. He certainly did now though. Tommy figured that he’d finally realized there was no sense in having it if he wasn’t going to enjoy it. Why work so hard to make so much only to never reap the benefits of having so much money?

And not to mention that spending money on Evan was easy. Taking care of Evan’s needs and wants was as easy as breathing for Tommy. So yeah, he didn’t care if he had to spend a ridiculous amount of money booking them a last minute vacation if that’s what Evan wanted. Tommy had far more than a ridiculous amount of money, and he was happy to spend it if it’d bring Evan any sense of joy or happiness.

“Oh god, Tommy are you seeing this?” Abby looked over at Tommy who was in the kitchen making brunch for them, while she sipped her coffee while watching the news in the living room.

“The package bombs? Yeah. Crazy.” Tommy agreed as he flipped a batch of pancakes. “Evan and his team responded to the first call, that defence attorney. According to what Evan told me, someone rang their doorbell, she stepped outside and saw a box addressed to her, didn’t think anything of it. Just picked it up and boom.”

“That’s awful.” Abby frowned. “Did Evan tell you anything else? Does he have any other information? Anything the news isn’t reporting that they should?”

“Not really. He says so far the only other info he has is just that a lot of people are scared and paranoid. According to Evan, who heard about it from his sister Maddie who works at 9-1-1 dispatch, there've been a lot of crazy calls to 9-1-1, people accusing their mailmen of being the bomber just for putting legitimate packages in their mailbox, asking the cops to look into neighbors with foreign sounding last names.” Tommy rattled off what Evan had told him.

“I know people are scared but that’s ridiculous.” Abby muttered.

“Right?” Tommy chuckled.

As they were eating Tommy got another text message from Evan. He read it, then reported the news to Abby. “Evan says that the bomb squad just blew up a backpack at an elementary school- turns out it was a false alarm, just some kid who didn’t like what their mom packed for lunch.”

“Oh good god.” Abby muttered and shook her head.

---

Like many nights lately, Tommy had come over to Buck’s loft after Buck was off shift. They ate dinner together and watched a movie- which turned into making out on the couch while the movie ended and the credits rolled, before finally heading up to Buck’s bed.

“What do you want to do tonight?” Tommy asked between kisses to Evan’s neck- being careful not to leave any lasting marks that would get Evan in trouble. They were, miraculously, both still fully clothed, and Evan was in his lap slowly grinding against Tommy.

“Just wanna have you close. Really feel you.” Buck decided. “Feel like I’m all yours.”

“I can definitely do that.” Tommy agreed easily and pulled Evan in for another kiss. It wasn’t desperate or rushed- instead it was slow and sensual. He slid his hands under Evan’s shirt and up Evan’s sides, pulling him in as close as possible in the process.

Buck broke the kiss for a moment to pull his shirt off, then went right back to kissing Tommy like they had all the time in the world. Sure Buck loved when things were hot and messy and a little rough, but he liked this too, a lot, as evidenced by the tent in his pants and the way his dick  twitched as Tommy’s oh-so intentional touches worked their magic.

Tommy kissed all over Evan’s neck, shoulder and chest. At some point his shirt was removed too, then their pants were shimmied down  enough to free their erections. While Tommy continued kissing every inch of Evan’s skin, Evan wrapped his hand around their cocks and slowly jerked them off, not trying to get them off per say, but enough for pleasure’s sake. Tommy had to focus hard to not get lost in the sensation of the velvety skin of Evan’s dick against his own combined with Evan’s rough hand slowly but surely dragging across the sensitive skin.

Soon their pants were shed completely, and Buck stayed in Tommy’s lap as Tommy took his time prepping Evan. Tommy’s thick, lube slicked fingers carefully sliding in and out of him, slowly but surely stretching him open as Tommy kissed him all sweet and syrupy, swallowing all his little moans and gasps.

“You look so pretty like this baby,” Tommy praised as he worked three fingers in and out of Evan’s hole with ease. Evan’s face was flushed- the red seeping down his neck and almost to his shoulders- and his dick was leaking precum like a faucet. Evan was a goddamn vision, a work of art that should be hung in the Louvre.

Buck’s cheeks flushed even darker red at the compliment. “Just for you daddy.”

“All mine huh?” Tommy asked as he continued slowly fingering Evan.

Buck nodded quickly. “All yours.” He promised. Buck wanted to stay in this moment forever. The sensuality of it all, how safe and cared about he felt, how good Tommy was making him feel. It’d been a rough couple weeks, and Buck hadn’t realized until now just how much he needed something like this.

Tommy moved his free hand to the back of Evan’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss. God what he wouldn’t give to keep Evan like this forever. It was as though Evan had finally been able to let go of all the stress of the last few weeks and just relax and Tommy was thrilled that he was the one providing Evan with that.

Buck kissed Tommy back for a minute or so before he pulled back. “I’m ready when you are daddy.” He whispered.

“I’ve got you baby.” Tommy pecked Evan’s lips again and carefully removed his fingers. They shuffled positions a little, Tommy leaning back against the headboard slightly so Evan would have enough space to ride him while Tommy was still sitting up as much as possible. Once they were in the right position, Tommy lubed up his aching erection then wiped his hands off on a rag while Evan took a turn to kiss all up and down Tommy’s neck. “Whenever you're ready sweetheart.” He murmured.

Buck lined himself up with Tommy and slowly sank down onto Tommy’s cock, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he bottomed out.

Tommy rested one hand on Evan’s waist, while the other pulled Evan in for another kiss. His every movement was intentional as he licked into Evan’s mouth as though he was trying to commit the taste of Evan to memory.

Buck happily kissed Tommy back as he adjusted to Tommy’s length. No matter how many times they did this, he almost always needed a moment to get used to that delicious stretch. After a moment or two he slowly started making small movements up and down on Tommy’s length.

“That’s it baby,” Tommy murmured. “Take whatever you need.”

Buck took his time slowly speeding up his pace, kissing Tommy between soft moans and gasps as Tommy’s cock dragged against his prostate.

Tommy kept a hand on Evan’s waist, savouring this moment- Evan’s quiet moans and expert movements bringing Tommy more than enough pleasure.

Buck wrapped an arm around Tommy’s neck and kissed him again as he took a little more with each thrust, gasping against Tommy’s lips. He broke the kiss to rest his forehead against Tommy’s and focus on each calculated roll of his hips. This was exactly what he needed- it wasn’t rough nor fast, it wasn’t a race to the finish line. This wasn’t fucking this was making love . Buck wasn’t sure he’d really understood the difference until now and he was addicted to the feeling already. He couldn’t believe they’d wasted so much time not having sex like this.

“You feel so good Evan, god you’re always so good for me.” Tommy’s breath hitched as Evan kept taking a little more with each thrust.

“Like being good for you.” Buck put the hand that wasn’t around Tommy’s neck on Tommy’s hip, part to hold him down and part for leverage, as the praise went straight to his leaking cock.

“That’s it baby, that’s my good boy.” Tommy continued to keep one hand on Evan’s waist, the other moving to the back of his head, tangling in his curls as he held Evan close.

It didn’t take much longer for Buck’s pace to start becoming more erratic as desperate ah, ah, ah ’s fell from his mouth each time he bottomed out, heat pooling low in his belly as his orgasm drew closer and closer. Instead of holding Tommy’s hip down, he now pulled it closer, up towards him.

Tommy could tell Evan was getting close, as was Tommy. He began thrusting up a little to meet Evan’s movements, and the hand in his hair let go in favor of wrapping his hand around Evan’s red-flushed cock. He smeared the precum over it and lazily jacked it.

“ ‘m close daddy.” Buck whimpered as his impending orgasm got even closer yet.

“Me too. I’ve got you baby. Whenever you’re ready.” Tommy then kissed Evan again while he kept jacking Evan off as Evan bounced more desperately on his cock.

Suddenly Buck was tumbling over the edge as he moaned Tommy’s name into his mouth, fully seated on Tommy’s cock as he clenched tightly around him and cum spilled over Tommy’s hand and dripped down onto Tommy’s stomach.

Tommy gave another two hard thrusts up into Evan before his own orgasm washed over him, groaning as he came deep inside Evan, while the latter melted against him, boneless and sated.

Buck relaxed against Tommy, head against Tommy’s shoulder, Tommy’s dick still inside him, Buck feeling satisfied and sleepy. “Can we stay like this for a little while?” Buck mumbled.

“Of course we can.” Tommy kissed Evan’s head, his hands gently running up and down Evan’s back. “Take all the time you need.”

Buck stayed there as Tommy’s cock softened and eventually slipped out of him, then for a few minutes longer, before he let Tommy get up and gently clean him with a warm wet cloth.

Once Tommy had Evan cleaned up, he tossed the rag in the wash and rejoined a naked Evan in bed- still equally naked. Tommy held Evan close and whispered soft praise and sweet nothings to Evan, who he could tell was getting sleepy.

Buck listened to the gentle whisper of Tommy’s voice, feeling blissed out and calmer than he had in a long time. His eyes fell shut and he didn’t fight the tug of unconsciousness that came just moments later, letting himself fall asleep in the safe warmth of Tommy’s embrace.

---

Two nights later, Tommy was in the garage working late on a new project car for an acquaintance of his when Abby came rushing in. “Tommy, what fire station does Evan work for again?” She asked rapidly.

“The 118.” Tommy supplied easily as he stood up from under the hood of the car and looked at Abby. “Why?”

“Come on,” Abby grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the house.

“Abby what is it?” Tommy asked as he nearly tripped over his feet as she dragged him along.

“It’s the news. I paused it.” Abby sounded frantic as led Tommy into the living room and hit play on the news broadcast.

“ If you’re just joining us, witnesses are reporting that this LAFD ladder truck belonging to station house 118 was hit by some kind of an explosive as it was making it’s way to a call. ” The news anchor explained.

Tommy’s eyes widened. Evan was on shift right now. Evan could be hurt, Evan could be-

“ Now, you can see there’s a firefighter pinned under that truck, ” The news anchor continued.

Tommy’s heart was racing and he felt like he might be sick, the view of the firefighter under the truck was a bit far away, but it sure looked like someone he knew intimately well. “Oh my god, is that Evan?” Tommy looked between Abby and the TV.

“I don’t-” Abby stopped as the camera zoomed in on the firefighter.

“Oh my god it is.” Tommy mumbled and clamped his hand over his mouth as he continued watching, not wanting to see this, but unable to look away.

The news anchor continued droning on, explaining that an unidentified male was walking around the scene with explosive devices strapped to his chest, and wasn’t allowing any police, fire, or EMS personnel to get any closer to the scene.

“Logically I know why they aren’t doing anything but could they do something already?” Tommy begged. “I mean how long does it take to roll swat and a bomb squad? Every second they wait is another second that Evan could- could bleed out. Those trucks are like 70,000 pounds- he’s gotta have a crush injury. Every second they aren’t doing something-”

Abby grabbed Tommy’s hand, and used her other hand to rub his back. “He’s gonna be okay. There’s tons of people there who want to help him- who will help him as soon as they can.”

“I- I can’t lose him, Abby,” Tommy looked at her with tears in his eyes. “I mean I-”

“You love him.” Abby supplied easily, knowing it was what Tommy felt without him ever having told her such was the case.

Tommy swallowed hard and stared at Abby for what felt like an eternity. He hadn’t dared say or even really think that word before, but Abby was right. He didn’t just have romantic feelings for Evan, Tommy was in love with Evan. Tommy loved Evan in a way he’d never loved anyone before- a way he hadn’t thought himself capable of feeling for someone else.

“I never meant to.” Tommy whispered and looked away from Abby, feeling like he was betraying her. Tears were stinging Tommy’s eyes and he fought hard to keep them from falling. “Develop feelings for him like that, I mean.”

“You’re allowed to fall in love, Tommy.” Abby said gently. 

Tommy gave a bitter chuckle as a few tears managed to escape and slip down his cheeks. “Not that it matters anyway, he doesn’t feel the same.”

Abby gently wiped away Tommy’s tears. “For what it’s worth, I think there’s a much better chance of Evan feeling the same way than you seem to think there is.”

“What about us?” Tommy rasped. “What if it changes things?”

“We’ll figure it out.” Abby didn’t seem at all worried. She cupped his jaw with one hand and gently stroked his cheek with her thumb. “Just like we always do. We’ll be okay.”

Tommy was quiet for a moment as he tried to digest everything that was happening. “I can’t lose him, Abs.”

“Hey he’s going to be okay, Tommy.” Abby told him. “Believe it.”

“ This is unexpected ,” The news anchor suddenly continued.

Tommy quickly looked back over at the TV screen.

 “ A civilian now confronting the young man with that vest, we’ve got no details on this man’s identity. ”

“That looks like Evan’s captain, Bobby.” Tommy murmured. He watched as Bobby approached the bomber and seemed to talk with him as Bobby moved closer. He gestured at Evan and Tommy desperately wished to know what was being said, what was happening there on the ground, what they were doing for Evan.

Three others then approached the bomber and Bobby, and suddenly Bobby tackled him and the bomb squad moved in and took over, while firefighters and paramedics rushed to Evan’s aid.

“Oh my god,” Abby mumbled as the camera zoomed in tight on Evan, who now had a spinal-neck collar on.

“ That firefighter really appears to have taken the brunt of all this. ” The news anchor continued.

“Thanks for clarifying, Captain Obvious.” Tommy huffed. He knew this was all happening live but would it kill the news anchor to at least try and come up with something a little more informative or intelligent to say?

“ That’s an entire ladder truck that you see there. We can only hope for the best at this point. ”

Tommy watched as they tried to lift the truck off Evan, but weren’t able to move it high enough to free him. The sick to his stomach feeling intensified. Tommy turned away from the TV and looked up, trying to refrain from crying more, trying to figure out if there was a way he could possibly fix this. He couldn’t though. No amount of money was going to fix this now, and Evan didn’t have enough time for Tommy to be able to pull something off in order to fix it either. “It’s too heavy, they’re gonna need equipment to get it off him, that’s gonna take time to get there, time Evan doesn’t have.”

“Tommy look,” Abby gasped.

Tommy turned back to the TV and watched.

“ All right standby, now look at this- bystanders stepping in. They’re gonna help out. This really is an amazing scene that’s unfolding. What an incredible show of support and gratitude. ”

Tommy couldn’t look away as they again tried to lift the ladder truck with dozens more people helping, and thankfully, they were able to pull Evan out from under the truck. “Oh thank god.” He muttered.

“ What a great moment for this city, a great moment for- ” 

Tommy shut the TV off, unable to stomach anymore of the news anchor’s chatter about how great it was. It wasn’t great. Nothing would be even remotely close to okay until he knew Evan was going to pull through. Tommy sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. “I- I have no way of knowing if he’s gonna be okay. I- I’m not anything special to him, his family doesn’t know how much he means to me. No one’s gonna call me with an update and the only phone number I have is Maddie and I doubt she’ll be answering calls any time soon.”

“It’s obvious from where the location of the bombing was what hospital they’re taking him to. Maddie knows you enough and you met his team at Christmas right?” Abby pointed out. “Why not just go to the hospital and sit with them while they wait for news?”

“They have no obligation to let me stay, or to tell me anything, Abby. They all think I’m just his friend.” Tommy argued.

“Aside from his sister, are they not all just his coworkers or just his friends too? What makes you any different?” Abby pointed out.

“They don’t know me , Abby, not like they know each other. What if they make me leave? What if they tell me I’m not close enough with him for them to share any information with me?”

“I don’t know. And neither will you if you don’t try.” Abby reminded Tommy.

Tommy nodded slowly, then stood. “You’re right.”

“Keep me updated?” Abby requested. “Of course.” Tommy agreed. He quickly grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys and left the house as fast as he could, desperate to get to the hospital and find out if Evan was going to be okay- God did Tommy need Evan to be okay .

Chapter Text

The next shift at work for Buck had been more craziness due the mail bombing paranoia still plaguing the city. Thankfully the 118 had gotten at least one seemingly ‘normal’ (for them) call to a girl who had a maggot in her face.

Buck still missed Bobby and hoped he’d come back soon. He was also a little worried about how quickly Eddie had returned to work, but he figured it wasn’t his place to question how Eddie grieved the death of his wife. Buck was trying to focus on more positive things. He’d had possibly the best ever sex with Tommy two nights ago, had told Tommy yesterday he did want to take a trip to Vegas for their anniversary, and had put in his time off request that morning. He only planned to miss two shifts but the way his schedule worked with the dates he and Tommy had tentatively chosen, it’d give him eight days between shifts- one to rest up after a shift, then six to spend in and around Vegas, and one to get back home and rest up before his next shift.

Buck was excited about the trip, and wished he could talk to someone about it, but he didn’t think he could. Even Hen who knew about his thing with Tommy would likely find it suspicious or weird. When Chimney asked what Buck was using the time off for he just said some relaxation and fun and left it at that. He was entitled to paid vacation days, and it was his right to use them however he pleased- within reason of course.

Buck was in the front passenger seat of the ladder truck on the way to another call when the radio came to life.

“ 118, 118, this is dispatch. We’ve got Bobby Nash on the line. He says it’s important .”

Buck gave a confused look to no one in particular. Hen, Chim, and Eddie were all on the engine rather than in the ladder truck with him.

“ Wait what? Dispatch, dispatch please repeat .” Chimney requested.

Suddenly there was a loud noise and the truck was moving in a way it shouldn’t. Somehow despite his seatbelt, Buck was thrown from his seat in the chaos and out of the truck onto the pavement below. The truck crashed onto it’s side and rocked and Buck suddenly felt excruciating pain in his left leg as something landed on it. His head was spinning and before he could even begin to comprehend what was happening the sound of glass breaking was heard and he felt it hit his right foot. “Ah! Ow.” He yelped involuntarily.

Buck tried to sit up and figure out what was happening but everything was hazy and he was in so much pain he was beginning to feel numb.

Suddenly a blurry figure came into view, a young guy with a bomb strapped to his chest approached Buck and looked at him. “You’re new.” The guy said.

Buck just stared at the guy in confusion for a moment, before the guy walked away, leaving Buck still in pain and confused.

It took a minute or two, but Buck eventually realized that heavy, crushing weight on his leg was the truck. He was pinned under the ladder truck. And worse, the guy with the bomb was refusing to let anyone get closer. Buck kept looking around, trying to see what was going on, trying to understand what was happening but his ears were ringing and it was all so confusing and he was in the worst pain he'd ever felt and his head hurt and none of this made any sense.

Next thing Buck understood Bobby was approaching the guy with the bomb, and as Bobby got closer, Buck was able to make out what Bobby was saying over the ringing in his ears. “What about them? What about him?” Bobby pointed at Buck. “He’s got parents, a sister, friends, and he never did anything to you. He wasn’t even a firefighter when your father burned down that restaurant.”

Buck swallowed hard and stayed quiet.

“Collateral damage.” The guy responded simply.

Bobby kept talking to the guy as he slowly but surely moved closer to Buck.

Buck was admittedly terrified and still so confused, and so he kept quiet and just tried to listen and stay awake.

Suddenly Bobby grabbed the guy and they struggled for a second as police moved in and took over, taking the guy with the bomb vest into custody.

Hen, Chimney, and Eddie then rushed over towards Buck with medical bags in hand. “Still with us, Buck?” Chimney asked.

“Buck, how we doing?” Hen asked as she knelt down next to him.

“Kinda numb.” Buck managed to respond.

“I’m gonna run two lines.” Hen announced.

“His skin is cold and pale!” Eddie called out.

Buck’s head continued to spin as Chimney gave orders while Hen and Eddie worked on him- putting on a C-collar and starting IVs.

“Just hang in there, Buckaroo.” Chimney told Buck.

“Hang on Buck.” Eddie chimed in.

Quickly people began rushing over to try and lift the truck.

“Hang in there, Buck.” Hen said gently.

As they tried to lift the truck the crushing pain in Buck’s leg exploded and he couldn’t help but scream out in pain. They stopped for a second, then suddenly Hen was holding his hand as they tried again. Despite the blinding pain Buck tried to pull his leg free but it wouldn’t move, and again they stopped trying.

“I know it hurts, Buck, you’re doing great.” Hen said gently.

Buck looked up as more people- bystanders- began rushing towards the truck.

“Get in here!” Chimney shouted.

“Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!” Hen encouraged.

“Everybody put a hand in where you can!” Chimney called out.

“Alright on three,” Bobby started. “One, two, three!”

The excruciating pain came back as they lifted the truck again and finally pulled Buck out from under it. Buck grunted as Chim, Hen, and a few others maybe moved him onto a backboard, then lifted him onto the stretcher.

“Stay with us Buck.” Hen encouraged.

“Just stay with us, kid.” Bobby echoed.

“Hospital is four minutes away, okay?” Hen added.

Buck fought hard to remain conscious and semi-alert as they loaded him into the ambulance and began speeding to the hospital. Hen continued encouraging Buck to stay with them and keep hanging on as she and Chimney worked on him.

Soon they got to the hospital and a flurry of doctors and nurses were working on him. It was harder to keep track of what they were doing now, and Buck’s mind wandered elsewhere now that he’d been given enough pain medication to numb some of the pain.

He wondered if anyone else from the 118 was hurt in the explosion. Wondered if Maddie was on her way to the hospital. He wondered if Tommy had any idea what had happened. He doubted anyone would call Tommy. Only Maddie had his number, and calling Tommy would probably be the last thing on her mind right now.  If Tommy didn’t know, he probably wouldn’t find out for- well however long it took for Buck to be conscious and coherent enough to contact Tommy himself.

“Mr Buckley, you still with us?” A doctor loomed over Buck’s face.

“Y- yeah.” Buck answered.

“Good. We need to take you into surgery to repair the broken bones in your leg. Do you understand?” The doctor asked.

“Yeah.” Buck confirmed. “H- how is it? Will um,” Buck struggled to get out the words he was looking for.

“I’m fairly confident you’ll walk again, not for a while as your leg heals, but with some physical therapy I see no reason why you won’t walk again.” The doctor said confidently.

“What- what about w- work? Will I work again?” Buck asked. He loved his job- he finally had found the career he’d spent years searching for and there was nothing else Buck wanted to do in the world. He needed to be a firefighter. Buck didn’t know who he’d be without it.

“That one is a little trickier.” The doctor admitted. “I think it’s too soon to say.”

“Oh.” Buck mumbled.

Someone walked him through signing a consent form for surgery, and he was quickly taken up to the OR. As they got him ready for surgery and began to put him under anesthesia he worried about whether he’d work again, about how Maddie was doing. He still wondered if Tommy even knew yet, and the last thing he wondered about before losing consciousness was if Tommy would still want him after this.

---

Tommy drove to the hospital as fast as he possibly could without getting pulled over. He parked in the first spot he found and headed into the ER and looked at the waiting room. Sure enough, Evan’s whole crew was there, as was Maddie, Sergeant Grant, and Carla- much to his surprise and honestly, relief. He’d spoken with Maddie a few times, but Tommy actually knew Carla.

“Tommy, hey,” Carla seemed a little surprised as Tommy approached the group.

Maddie looked up at Tommy, seeming a little surprised maybe that he was there, but she didn’t say anything yet. Most of the others hardly spared Tommy a quick glance. Out of the corner of his eye, Tommy thought maybe Sergeant Grant was looking at him with an unimpressed face, but before he could turn to check, she’d turned back to Captain Nash. Tommy figured he was probably just seeing things and decided not to dwell on it. “Hey. I uh, I saw the news. I just wanted to know how Evan was doing and didn’t think anyone would answer my calls right now.” Tommy explained to Maddie and Carla.

Maddie gave Tommy a small split second smile. “He’s stable. They just took him into surgery to- to put rods and screws into the bone so it can heal. The doctors say it’ll be a while until we get anymore news.” She explained.

Tommy nodded in understanding. That was good. The fact that they were able to take him to surgery so quickly was a good sign- it meant he was strong enough for surgery. And the fact that it was surgery to repair the bones and not amputate the leg was frankly miraculous. “Is it alright if I wait with you guys for news?” He asked Maddie. He didn’t know how he’d handle it if she said no, but Tommy would respect Maddie’s boundaries.

“Of course.” Maddie agreed.

“Thank you.” Tommy told her. He took a seat towards the edge of the group and took a moment to send Abby a quick update by text. As he was putting his phone back in his pocket Carla came and sat down next to him.

“Gotta say I was a little surprised to see you here.” Carla admitted quickly.

Tommy shrugged. “Needed to know how he was doing.”

“Right.” Carla nodded slowly. “Why don’t we take a little walk?” She suggested. “Someone can call us back if there’s any updates while we’re gone.”

Tommy nodded slowly. “Why don’t we offer a coffee run for everyone else?” He offered.

“Perfect.” Carla agreed.

Tommy and Carla got everyone’s coffee orders- which seemed to warm everyone up to Tommy except for Sergeant Grant who was a little icy- Tommy figured it was probably just the stress of everything. He and Carla then set off on foot to a nearby coffee shop that was open late. “So,” Tommy started. “I’m guessing you have some questions you didn’t want to ask in front of everyone else?” He shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets.

Abby and Tommy had never explicitly told Carla the truth about their marriage, but they were pretty certain she knew something was up, and Tommy had been sure she was more than suspicious of him and Evan’s relationship when Tommy had introduced Carla to Evan.

“Does Abby know about him?” Carla asked bluntly.

“Yes.” Tommy said quick and firm. “You can ask her yourself if you don’t believe me. Hell she- she encouraged me to- to find someone.”

“Is it serious? You and Buck?” Carla wondered next.

“It- it didn’t start out that way.” Tommy shrugged.

“And now it is?” Carla guessed.

“It feels that way for me.” Tommy confessed. “To be honest, I don’t know how he feels though.”

“How long has it been?” Carla looked over at him.

“A year tomorrow.” Tommy told her truthfully.

“I’m not judging but I gotta admit, I am curious- how long has Abby known you aren’t into women?”

“Since before we got married.” Tommy answered truthfully. “It- it’s part of the reason why we got married in the first place. We’ve been friends since we were kids. We got married to protect me from persecution and so I could better support her if I got blown up while I was overseas. When I came home we-” He gave a small shrug. “We saw no reason to divorce. We’ve been happy. We might not be in love with each other, but we do love each other.”

Carla nodded slowly. “Does anyone know about Buck? That he swings that way I mean?”

“I think he told Hen he was seeing a guy, never told her who though. They all think I’m just a friend of his.” Tommy sighed.

---

“Hey, that was Buck’s friend that brought all those toys to the station for the toy drive at Christmas, right?” Eddie asked Chimney.

“Yeah. Same guy who apparently saved your ass in that Doheny Park fire a while back.” Chimney confirmed.

“I didn’t realize him and Buck were so close.” Eddie commented.

“Me neither.” Hen mumbled, gears in her head turning as she decided to pay a little closer attention to Tommy when he got back from the coffee run.

---

Once Tommy and Carla got back to the hospital with the coffees and passed them out to everyone Tommy approached Maddie cautiously as she returned from the bathroom. “Can we chat real quick?” He asked. Tommy didn't want anyone else to overhear what he was saying but he also wanted to talk to Maddie about it sooner rather than later.

“Sure.” Maddie agreed reluctantly and led them just out of earshot of the group.

“I don’t know if you’ve even thought this far ahead yet, and if you didn’t I’m sorry for bringing it up- the last thing I want is to add to your stress. But I just wanted to say- or offer I guess- if there’s any treatment or anything the doctors recommend for Evan that his insurance won’t cover, I’ve got it.” Tommy told Maddie.

Maddie’s eyes widened. “That’s insane, I couldn’t ask you to-” Maddie started.

“You’re not asking. I’m offering.” Tommy reminded her.

“I-” Maddie seemed too stunned to speak. “Why?” Maddie finally asked.

Tommy shrugged. “Got more money than I’ll ever need and Evan is- he means a lot to me. I just want him to have the best care possible, so don’t worry about money as a factor with his care if you’re making decisions on his behalf.”

“Are you absolutely sure?” Maddie stressed.

“One hundred percent.” Tommy confirmed.

“It- it could be a lot,” Maddie started, not seeming to want to accept Tommy’s offer.

“I’m well aware. And I promise, I’ve got it, no matter how much it is.” Tommy assured her.

Maddie chewed her lip for a second as she considered. “Would Buck let you spend that much money on him?” She wondered.

Probably not- at least not easily- but they’d never been in a situation quite like this, and if Evan’s quality of life was in question, there was nothing Tommy wouldn’t do to make things better if at all possible. “If he’s upset about it after, he can be mad at me all he wants as long as he receives the best possible care.” Tommy decided.

Maddie nodded slowly, tears in her eyes. “Thank you.” She said sincerely.

“Of course.” Tommy told her. It was that simple to him. Of course . Of course Tommy would do anything he could to help Evan- he’d walk through hell and back again for Evan. Taking care of Evan came almost as easy as breathing because Tommy really did love Evan.

Chapter Text

When Buck woke from surgery, Carla was in the room. He’d gotten to know her pretty well through spending time with her at the Diazes place. When he saw his leg in the cast, being held up by a sling attached to metal bars over the bed, Buck started to panic, and Carla did her best to keep him calm. She then explained that Maddie had needed a coffee and a bathroom break so she’d taken over for Maddie.

Buck then asked Carla if the doctor said anything about how the surgery went. Carla tried to tell him not to worry about his ability to be a firefighter, but he couldn’t just not worry about his ability to return to firefighting. Carla was being so calm, rational, and firm admittedly did help Buck’s attempt to try and tamper it down for the time being.

“Let’s just take this moment, and be glad that you’re alive.” Carla suggested.

Buck took a couple deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

Carla took a second before speaking again. “Everyone’s been worried about you.” She told Buck. “Including Tommy.”

“R- really?” Buck asked, a little shocked and a lot relieved that Tommy knew what was happening and that he’d probably be okay. He would’ve hated to wake up and find out Tommy was still in the dark and probably just at home wondering why Buck wasn’t answering texts or probably phone calls.

“Mmm-hmm.” Carla hummed. “He raced right over here when he found out. Been here ever since. He cares about you a great deal, you know.”

Buck swallowed hard. It almost seemed like Carla knew more than she should about it- which shouldn’t have been a surprise, knowing Carla. “Do you- I mean what did he-” Buck wondered.

“Tommy didn’t explicitly tell me anything. I just got eyes and ears, and I know that man pretty well. I’ve always been good at reading people.” Carla explained. “Do you not want him here?”

“No. I- I mean I do. But no one else knows about…” Buck trailed off.

“They all think he’s another concerned friend. Just like they are.” Carla assured him. “Tommy’s been nothing but a gentleman with them.”

Buck nodded slowly. “How long was I out?” He asked next.

“Well surgery took a while. It’s about noon.”

“Who- who’s still here?”

“Everyone wanted to stay but it was a pretty long night. Eddie had to get home to Christopher, and Hen and Athena had to get home to their families, but they all made us promise to keep them updated. Maddie and Tommy never left- unless you count a coffee run around the corner. Chimney dipped out for a few hours to deal with stuff for the department, and Bobby had to leave for a bit to chat with the police but they’re both back now.”

“Think I could see Maddie?” Buck requested.

Carla already had her phone out. “I’m texting her now.”

A moment later Maddie came into the room. She handed Carla a coffee and sat next to Buck’s bed. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

“Been better.” Buck shrugged. “I- I hope I didn’t scare you too bad.”

“Knowing that you’re gonna be okay, I’ll get over it.” Maddie assured her brother.

“Now that I know you’re okay, I think I’m gonna head home and get some shut eye, but if you need anything, and I mean anything , just text me, alright Buckaroo?” Carla insisted.

“Sure. Thanks Carla.” Buck told her.

“Anytime.” Carla smiled and left the room.

“I guess everyone is probably pretty freaked.” Buck assumed.

“They’re worried about you and everyone is rooting for you for a speedy recovery.” Maddie gently corrected. “Including your friend Tommy.”

Buck nodded. “Carla told me he was here.”

“Other than me he’s the only person who never really left.” Maddie paused. “He's been quite worried. Kinda seems like you and him are closer than I thought, what’s the deal with that?”

“It- it’s a long story.” Buck said vaguely.

“Well I’m glad you have a friend like him. He’s nice. Very generous.” Maddie decided. “He insisted on paying for food for everyone all night and all this morning.”

Buck gave a small chuckle. “Sounds like him.”

Maddie nodded slightly. Her body language made it clear to Buck she had questions or something to say but was holding back.

Normally, Buck would ask her about it, but he didn’t have the energy to right now. Especially when considering what it was he figured she was wondering. “Did you maybe um- I mean, did you call m- mom and dad?” Buck wondered. Not that he really wanted his parents there, he was fine, but he needed to know if Maddie had or not so he could be mentally prepared for any situation involving them.

“No.” Maddie admitted.  “But we probably should call them, just to let them know you’re alright. The news story has gone national so there’s a good chance they’ll see it.” She explained.

“Last thing we need is mom getting upset because we didn’t tell her.” Buck rolled his eyes at the thought- he could already hear Margaret ranting and raving about him and Maddie never telling her anything.

“Yeah.” Maddie agreed. “We don’t have to do it now, and I can take care of it if you don’t want to talk to them, but I think the sooner we get it over with the better.”

“Let’s just do it now together and get it over with?” Buck suggested. He wondered how they’d react. He honestly had no clue. As a kid, anytime Buck got hurt or was sick his mom would transform into an adult that actually cared about him, dotting on him and taking the kind of care a mom should take care of her kids all the time. At the same time his mother had ‘never been good with seeing her children in hospitals’ whatever the hell that meant.

Maddie pulled out her phone and dialled their parents home phone number and put it on speaker.

Buck listened nervously as the line rang and rang and rang.

Eventually the answering machine picked up, Phillip Buckley’s voice clearly saying “You have reached the home of Phillip and Margaret Buckley. We’re unable to come to the phone right now. Please leave a name and number and we’ll get back to you shortly. ” Followed by the dial tone.

“Hey mom and dad,” Maddie volunteered to do all the talking. “It’s Maddie and Evan. I’m not sure if you’ve seen the news yet or not but we just wanted to call and let you know that Evan will be okay. He’ll probably be in the hospital for a couple days, and recovery will take a while, but the news story makes it look a lot worse than it is. We just wanted to let you know so you don’t have to worry. Call me back. Bye.” Maddie ended the call.

“What do you think they’ll do?” Buck wondered.

“I have no idea.” Maddie admitted. “But you know I’m here for you every step of the way.” She promised.

“Thanks Maddie.” Buck smiled. “Not- not to kick you out, but uh, do you think maybe you could send one of the others in? Just so they can come see I’m okay and let themselves go home?” He felt guilty that they’d all been there waiting so long already.

“Of course.” Maddie nodded. “Any requests? Chimney, Bobby, or Tommy?”

Buck did want to see Tommy, but he also knew he’d probably want some extra time with him. Buck also wasn’t ready to face what may come when he finally did talk to Tommy- the hey you’re great but this isn’t really what I signed up for, sorry, see you around Buck . “Anyone’s fine.” Buck shrugged.

“Okay.” Maddie said and left the room.

Buck looked at the cast on his leg and the contraption holding it up again. Thankfully before he could really start spiraling, Chimney came into the room.

“Hey Buckaroo. How ya feeling?” Chimney wondered, trying not to gawk or stare at the state of things, but it was a little hard not to.

“I’m great Chim. Ready to go for our next shift.” Buck quipped.

“Well your spirit’s up, must count for something I guess.” He decided. “You know you had us all pretty worried there for a moment.”

“Consider it payback for the rebar incident?” Buck proposed.

“I guess so.” Chimney chuckled a bit. “At least you weren’t in surgery as long as I was.”

“Exactly.” Buck grinned.

“Look, all jokes aside, I’m really glad you’re okay, kid.” Chimney said sincerely. “Despite how over-excited you can get at times the 118 really is a better place with you around.”

Buck smiled. “I’ll be doing my best to get back to it.” He promised.

“If there’s anything I can do to help, I’m just a text away, alright?” Chimney offered.

“Sure.” Buck agreed. He figured he’d be getting a lot of that. He wasn’t sure how much of it he’d take anyone up on though.

“As much as I’d love to stick around and yap all day- more like listen to you yap all day, I haven’t slept in far too long so I think I gotta get home and catch some sleep. Let me know once you’re home and I’ll bring you some movies to keep you entertained, alright?” Chimney clapped his shoulder.

“Thanks Chim.” Buck said sincerely.

“Anytime Buck. I’ll send Bobby in next.”

Buck just nodded.

Chimney left and a short moment later, Bobby came in. “Hey kid.”

“Hi Bobby.” Buck swallowed hard, his fears about being unable to return to work starting to get to him again.

Bobby sat in the chair next to Buck’s bed. “I’m sure you’re already sick of people asking, but how are you feeling?”

Buck shrugged. “Meds are doing their thing. Could be worse I guess.”

Bobby nodded slowly. “How about up here?” He tapped the side of his own head.

Buck swallowed again. “Honestly Cap? I- I’m worried.”

“What about?” Bobby wondered.

“I mean I- I know it’s still early, but the doctor said he wasn’t sure if I’ll be able to return to work. Bobby, this job- this life it means so much to me and it- it’s not fair, you know? I was just trying to do my job- a job I love- and this happens and it wasn’t even on a call but on the way to one and now it could all be gone? Because of something that happened before I was even a firefighter? It’s not fair.”

“It’s not.” Bobby was quick to agree. “You got a raw deal in all this, and I’m really sorry it was you who took the brunt of this mess, Buck.” He said sincerely. “But like you said, it’s still early, we don’t know what will happen. And there is more to life than being a firefighter, you know. There’s even ways you could still help people if you can’t return to firefighting. But we’re not there yet. This just happened. Give yourself some time to rest and to heal. Don’t worry about returning to work until it’s time to evaluate returning to work.”

“It’s just- it’s hard not to worry.” Buck admitted quietly.

“I know it is, kid. But you’ll drive yourself crazy if you worry about it now.” Bobby advised.

“What else am I supposed to do for the next couple months?” Buck pouted slightly. He absolutely would not stop worrying about it anytime soon- even if he wanted to he knew he couldn’t- but what he could do was pretend to not worry about it for Bobby’s sake.

Bobby chuckled. “We’ll find ways to keep you entertained.” He promised.

Buck nodded slightly. “Thanks Cap.”

“Listen kid, if you want me to stick around a while longer I can, but I gotta admit it’s been a long night and the longer I wait to get home the worse the lecture will be from Athena for what I did last night. Not to mention you've still got other visitors to see,”

“Right, yeah. Of course.”

“If you’re sure you’re okay I’d like to head home, but I’ll come by tomorrow to visit, how’s that?” Bobby offered.

“That’d be nice.” Buck agreed.

“Then I’ll be here.” Bobby promised and stood. “And hey if you want me to bring some food for you tomorrow, just let me know what you want, alright? Sky’s the limit as long as the doctor says you’re allowed to eat whatever it is.”

“I appreciate that, Cap.”

“Anytime kid.” Bobby smiled. “I’ll send the next visitor in.”

“Good luck with Athena.”

“Thanks, I’m gonna need it.” Bobby chuckled and left.

There was only one person left for Buck to see and he was both excited and nervous to see Tommy and now he was starting to spiral over that. Buck really had no idea what Tommy was going to do or say. What if Tommy actually did decide to call their arrangement off like Buck feared? Buck couldn’t blame Tommy if he wanted that, Buck wouldn’t be much use in the bedroom anytime soon, and that was the reason for their arrangement after all. But it would crush him. 

Buck knew that this thing he had with Tommy had an expiration date and he thought he’d been okay with that. Maybe the fact that it wasn’t really his or Tommy’s fault that was causing their relationship to end was what bothered Buck so much. They didn’t lose interest in each other physically, Buck didn’t scare Tommy away by having real feelings for him, Tommy hadn’t gotten sick of taking care of Buck all the time- no. If this ended Buck and Tommy’s relationship, Buck would be losing one of, if not the best thing in his life due to reasons entirely out of his or Tommy’s control. And that wasn’t fair. All Buck could do now was hope that if that was what was about to happen here, that Tommy would be nice about it- he probably would- and hopefully he’d leave before Buck got too distraught at the man he loved walking out on him when he couldn’t even get out of bed to chase after him.

There was then a knock on the hospital door which Bobby had left open a crack.

Buck steeled himself and took a deep breath, hoping he didn’t look as worried as he felt. “Come in.” He called and held his breath, waiting for the moment of truth.

Chapter Text

Tommy patiently waited in the waiting room with Evan’s friends and family for hours. He made sure everyone was fed- buying them all food felt like the least he could do right now. He stayed and patiently waited as others went home, or left and came back, then as Maddie and then Carla went to sit with Evan while waiting for him to wake up.

Finally Evan woke up and started seeing everyone one at a time before each person left to go home- everyone was tired after all- with the exception being Maddie. Tommy wasn’t surprised he was the last person called back to see Evan, everyone else meant a hell of a lot more to Evan than Tommy did.

Finally, Captain Nash stopped in the waiting area after seeing Evan. “You’re up next Tommy.” Nash told him.

Tommy stood. “How is he?”

“About to be expected.” Nash shrugged. “Worried about his ability to return to work.”

Tommy shook his head exasperatedly. “Sounds like him.”

“Yeah.” Nash confirmed. “See you around.”

“Sure.” Tommy nodded, then set off towards Evan’s hospital room. The door had been left open just a crack, so Tommy knocked and waited for a response. Of course he was desperate to see Evan, to see with his own eyes that Evan was okay, but he’d waited this long, a few more seconds weren’t going to kill him.

“Come in.” Evan called out a second later.

Tommy pushed the door open and entered, shutting the door behind him. Tommy had definitely seen Evan look better, but Tommy had honestly been preparing himself for worse than the scene in front of him. He smiled softly and took a seat next to Evan’s bed. “Hey. How ya feeling?”

Evan shrugged. “Been better, but I’m alive so that’s something I guess. But I do think unfortunately I’m gonna need a rain check on that Vegas trip- sorry you spent so much money booking it just for us to not even go. And I’m sorry this is how we’re spending our anniversary.”

Tommy gave an exasperated chuckle and shook his head. “Evan the Vegas trip is the last thing I could care about right now. We’ll celebrate another time.” Tommy promised. Tommy wasn’t surprised, nor was he particularly impressed by the fact that Evan was worrying about how his horrific injury may be affecting those around him as though he had any control over it.

“I uh- I- I gotta say I was surprised,” Evan continued. “And glad to hear that you came and were still here.”

“Of course I came.” Tommy said simply. “I saw the whole thing live on the news, and next thing I knew I was driving here. I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am that you’re okay Evan.” He paused for a second, trying to keep his emotions in check and not start crying.

Evan looked a little like he was bracing himself for something.

Tommy let out a small breath to steady himself. “For a moment watching the news I- I thought we might lose you. Thought I might lose you. And I haven’t been that terrified in a long time, maybe ever.” Tommy admitted, doing his best to walk the line of telling Evan how much he meant to Tommy without confessing his feelings- now absolutely was not the time for that, Evan had just woken up from surgery, he was on heavy duty pain medication, and there was going to be enough change in his life the next little while without Tommy adding complicated feelings to that. “I just needed you to be okay. I don’t even have words to describe how relieved I am that you’re okay Evan- and you will heal and be more than fine.”

Evan looked confused or maybe surprised. “You- what?”

“I was worried that you um, you weren’t gonna make it,” Tommy began re-explaining.

“No I- I got that.” Evan cut Tommy off. “I just,” He shrugged. “Didn’t think you cared all that much.”

Tommy took Evan’s hand. “Of course I care. I care about you so so much.” He insisted. “And I’m gonna show you just how much I care by being here for you every step of the way of your recovery, for as long as you want me here, no matter what it takes.”

Evan’s eyes began to look wet and glossy as though tears were building up. “Honestly Tommy I- I thought you were gonna come in here and- and call everything off between us.” Evan admitted. “I mean this-” He sniffled. “This isn’t what you signed up for. And other than hand-jobs or blow-jobs I won’t be of much use to you for-”

Tommy cut Evan off right then, his heart breaking to hear how little Evan thought of his role in Tommy’s life- that Evan thought Tommy would discard him so swiftly and carelessly. “Evan, your ability to put-out has no impact on the care or concern I have for you. This thing was never just about sex, but about-”

“Companionship.” Evan supplied.

“Exactly. Companionship , also known as the enjoyment of spending time with someone.” Tommy reminded Evan. “I adore spending time with you, and I value the relationship we’ve built with each other- more than you even know.”

“Oh.” Evan mumbled as a tear slipped free and slid down his cheek.

Tommy reached up and wiped Evan’s tear away with the hand that wasn’t holding Evan’s. “Like I said, I’m here until you no longer want me.”

Evan nodded slightly and smiled at Tommy despite the tears in his eyes.

Tommy smiled back, and narrowly avoided the urge to stand up and kiss Evan just then, instead showing his care for Evan with a gentle press of his lips to Evan’s knuckles.

Maddie returned to Evan’s room just in time for the doctor to come in and check on Evan, then discuss next steps. Another night or two in the hospital, then he could go home. Follow up x-rays in a couple weeks to check how his bones were healing, and adjustment in treatment if necessary. He’d be in the cast for at least eight weeks- possibly more depending on healing and if he needed additional surgeries, then after the cast was removed Evan could start physical therapy.

After answering their questions as best he could, the doctor left and Maddie turned to Buck. “I don’t know what we’re gonna do when they release you from the hospital.” She admitted.

Evan looked at his sister, confused as to what she meant.

“Buck, you live in a loft by yourself, you’re not going to be able to safely get up a flight of stairs to get to your bed, and you can’t rest and heal on a couch.” Maddie explained. “And I don’t have a guest bedroom in my new place.” She added.

“Right.” Evan frowned.

“What if we moved Evan’s bed to the main floor of his loft?” Tommy suggested.

“Because my bedframe weighs a ton and I don’t want anyone getting hurt trying to move it?” Evan pointed out. “Because where would it fit with all my other furniture?”

“I’ll pay someone to come move everything before you get home, and then to come move it all back when the time is right.” Tommy offered.

“Tommy are you sure?” Maddie looked stressed at the idea.

“Yeah, a hundred percent.” Tommy confirmed.

Evan looked like he was considering it. “I mean at least that way I can be left alone- no need for a babysitter. And I wouldn’t be putting anyone out either.” He admitted.

“Yeah. I think if we get the barstools out of the way we can move your dining room table right under the breakfast bar against the island. Put the couch against the exterior wall- beside the TV, part in front of the balcony windows- and pull out the coffee table, and then we should be able to set up your bed where your couch is right now. That way you can watch TV and the ability to move around the apartment shouldn’t be too badly compromised.” Tommy suggested.

Maddie was clearly trying to picture this all in her head. “I think that could work.” She said slowly.

“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Evan looked at Tommy.

“It’s the least I can do.” Tommy insisted. “I’ll make some calls and get it all set up.”

“Thank you.” Evan said sincerely.

---

Sure enough, Athena had words for Bobby when he got home about his actions from the previous night. They managed to talk it out, talked about how they were feeling about the situation as a whole, and then Bobby gave Athena as much information on Buck as he had.

“Buck will be devastated if he can't go back to being a firefighter.” Athena frowned. “For as rough a start I got with him, he's one of the good ones and he's a damn good one too.”

Bobby nodded solemnly. “He's already stressed about it. I told him to worry about that when the time comes but I know he won’t stop thinking about it. Part of the problem is he feels so much of his identity is tied to being a firefighter. He’s not just worried about his job but his sense of self.”

“No doubt.” Athena agreed and sipped a glass of water. “Who was still there when you left?”

“Just Maddie and Tommy. Chim and Carla both left shortly before I did.” Bobby explained.

Athena pursed her lips. “What do you think of Tommy?”

“I'd say he's made a decent impression. Very generous, self-less. Seems like good people.” Bobby shrugged. “The first time I met him he'd brought a pick-up truck full of toys for the 118 toy drive at Christmas. He saved our asses that day dispatch was down a couple months back- the 217 didn't have a pilot to fly their water-bomber that we desperately needed, Maddie called him and he came to the rescue. Not to mention he didn't let anyone else pay for food or coffee at any point from the time he got to the hospital.”

“Right.” Athena said slowly.

Bobby continued. “Other than that I don't know what to tell you. I didn't talk to him all that much, when I did it was very surface level.”

Athena nodded slowly. She wasn't sure what she'd expected Bobby to say beyond what he had. It wasn't like Kinard was walking around wearing a sign that said ‘I ❤️ committing adultery’. Bobby hadn't seen the dynamic between Buck and Tommy, nor did he know Kinard had a wife waiting at home.

“Why do you ask?” Bobby wondered.

“Oh, just curious what you think of him is all.” Athena brushed it off.

Bobby raised an eyebrow. “There something I should know about?”

As much as Athena would've loved to loop Bobby in on what was happening, he was stressed enough with everything else. Not to mention she wasn't going to out Buck like that, and she couldn't explain her suspicions without including Buck’s involvement in the situation. “No. Don't worry about it.”

“Alright.” Bobby wasn't quite sure he believed her but decided not to push. He was exhausted and ready to get some shut eye.

---

“Something on your mind, baby? Besides the obvious?” Karen asked her wife as she came up behind Hen in the kitchen, and wrapped her arms around her.

“It's nothing.” Hen brushed it off as she turned in her wife's arms and rested her arms on Karen's shoulders. Buck had come out to her on his own, but had given very few details on the man he’d been in a relationship with for months. After what Hen had observed at the hospital, she was pretty sure it was Buck’s friend , Tommy. She wouldn’t push for details though, wouldn’t share her suspicions with anyone, and she didn’t want to just assume it was Tommy. Buck would tell her more if and when he was ready. Hen sort of did hope it was Tommy though just based on how he’d treated everyone else at the hospital- kind, respectful, and never let anyone else pay- Buck deserved to have someone like that and it was clear Tommy cared for Buck a great deal.

“Any update on Buck?” Karen settled her hands on Hen's waist.

“He's awake and in good spirits, all things considered. Already asking about when he can return to work.” Hen paused. “I hope Buck will be able to return. Sure he can be a little impulsive and adrenaline-seeking at times but he’s good at his job, and the 118 is a better place with him around.” Hen also hoped Buck would still have the same desire to return to the job that he did right now when such a time came that he could return- he could wind up terrified by the idea of returning and no one would be able to blame him for that.

“I hope so too.” Karen agreed. She hadn't spent all that much time with Buck, but he was always very nice, very polite, and was always happy to listen to Karen talk about her job- even the stuff most would find boring. “Assuming it's physically possible once he heals, I'm sure he'll be back in no time. He's young, as long as he puts in the necessary effort I bet he'll be back at it as soon as he can.”

“It's still unclear if it will be physically possible, unfortunately. He'll walk, that's almost a guarantee. But work ? That's a whole other beast.” Hen explained.

“What happens to him if he can't? What will the department do for him?” Karen frowned.

“Either try to keep him employed in a less physically demanding role- fire marshal, something at headquarters, maybe arson investigator if Buck wanted to do the necessary training and certification. Or he leaves the department. Depending on how the police investigation goes and what Buck’s doctors say there could possibly be some kind of compensation or continuation of benefits, but it's hard to say.” Hen explained.

“Fire Marshal, like the guy with the clipboard at fire drills?” Karen questioned.

“Mm-hmm.” Hen nodded.

Karen scrunched up her face and shook her head. “Can't see him doing that. Arson investigation, maybe.”

Hen chuckled. “You're not wrong. But that's months away. In the meantime all we can do is help out if and when Buck asks.”

“Got it.” Karen paused. “You're sure there's nothing else on your mind?”

“Nothing I can share with the class.” Hen admitted.

“Oh?” Karen raised a brow.

“That's all you're getting out of me. You'll find out if and when the time is right.” Hen then leaned in and kissed her wife.

Karen kissed back and when she pulled away she squinted at Hen. “All right then, keep your secrets.”

Hen just smiled and kissed Karen again in lieu of responding.

---

“So Buck will be okay?” Christopher stared up at his dad who had filled him in on the latest upon Christopher's return home from school.

“Yes. Buck will be fine.” Eddie confirmed. “But he will need some time to heal. He just had a big surgery. You remember what it was like after your last surgery?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah.” Christopher sighed. “It sucked.”

“That's what Buck’s gonna be going through, so we'll try to visit him lots and keep his spirits up.” Eddie explained.

“Okay.” Christopher agreed and turned his attention to his toys.

---

Chimney was about to climb into bed after having been at the hospital all night when his phone began ringing with a call from the fire chief. He groaned as he grabbed the phone and answered the call. “Howard Han here.”

“Captain Han, I know we just spoke a few hours ago when you came downtown, I don't intend to keep you long. Is there any update on Buckley?”

“He's awake from surgery. Still on pretty strong pain meds so you might need to give him a few days before you try and talk to him. He's about as good as can be considering what happened.” Chimney explained.

“Got it. I just wanted to say if there is anything you or the 118 needs to help get you all through this, just say the word. Spread the word to your firefighters that the department is here to help anyway we can.”

“Anything?” Chimney asked.

“Within reason, yes.” The chief confirmed.

“Reinstate Captain Nash.” Chimney answered immediately. “What the 118 needs right now is stability, our real Captain.”

“ Han ,” The chief started.

“Reinstate Nash. I'm not wearing the Captain's helmet for another shift. Thanks for the call. Bye for now.” Chimney ended the call. Would he get in trouble for that? Possibly. But he was too tired to care. He put his phone on Do Not Disturb only allowing calls from Maddie, Buck, or Bobby to come through, then put his phone down and finally climbed into bed and was out like a light.

---

“Tommy, hey! How's Evan?” Abby asked upon answering the phone. Last she'd heard he'd woken up a couple hours ago and was doing as good as was to be expected given the circumstances. She’d been spending her afternoon pickling cucumbers from the garden.

“He's doing okay. His sister Maddie and I are keeping him company. I just stepped out while him and Maddie take a call from their folks.” Tommy explained.

“I take it they aren't local? Are they gonna come out to see him?” Abby wondered.

“Not sure. Apparently his mom doesn't do well with seeing her kids hurt or sick.” The eye roll could practically be heard by Tommy's tone.

“Yikes.” Abby muttered. “You'll let him know that I'm happy to help out too once he’s out of the hospital, right? Anything he needs. I'm sure he's getting lots of offers but still. And of everyone it sounds like I have the most flexibility in my schedule. There might come a day when everyone else has work.” She pointed out. She hadn’t spent much time with Evan, but he seemed very sweet and polite and she knew how much he meant to Tommy, so Abby was happy to help him out if needed.

“Sure. I uh, I really appreciate that, Abby.” Tommy said sincerely.

“Of course. You've got my back and I've got yours, that's how this works.” Abby reminded Tommy simply.

“Except now I also have Evan's back,” Tommy started.

“And so do I. Stop worrying about it, Tommy. We'll figure it all out as we need to. Just worry about Evan for now.” Abby insisted. “Are you coming home today or should I bring you a change of clothes?”

“Uh to be determined, I think.”

“Okay, just let me know.” Abby told Tommy as the doorbell rang. “Someone's at the door. Gotta go. Love you!”

“Love ya. Later.” Tommy ended the call.

Abby set her phone down, pulled off her apron, and made her way to the door, wondering who it was seeing as she wasn't expecting anyone.

Chapter Text

“Maddie, hi.” Phillip’s voice came through the phone that Maddie had put on speaker between her and Buck. “Your mother and I just got home and got your message, we haven’t seen the news. What happened to Evan?”

“I’m actually here with him now, you’re on speaker. Is mom there too?” Maddie asked.

“No. I heard the message and thought it best to get some more information before I tell her anything.” Phillip explained.

“It’s gonna sound a lot worse than it is,” Buck warned.

Maddie began explaining, very careful with her word selection. “He was at work, and on their way to a call there was an accident involving the ladder truck. Buck- Evan’s leg was pinned beneath the truck in the accident.”

“Good god.” Phillip muttered. “And there’s video footage of this being shown on the news?”

“Yes. The story has gone national.” Maddie confirmed.

“Local news only tonight then.” Phillip muttered to himself. “Evan, how badly are you hurt?”

“The uh, the bones in my lower leg were um- were shattered. They did a surgery to put in a rod and some screws and I’m in a cast from toes to hip- but other than that it’s just minor scrapes and a concussion.” Buck answered truthfully.

“And what’s the prognosis?” Phillip wondered.

“The surgeon is confident that with some healing time and physio therapy Buck will walk again. It’s too early to say if he’ll have any limitations or long-term disabilities.” Maddie explained.

Buck swallowed hard at the words ‘long-term disabilities’ and hoped there would be no such things.

“So a broken leg and a concussion.” Phillip summarized.

“Yes.” Buck confirmed.

“Doesn’t seem all that serious then.” Phillip decided. “I would hope the fire department will cover all the medical bills?”

“Um,” Buck started, unsure of the answer to that. He hadn’t thought about the medical bills just yet to be honest.

“His medical bills are covered, yes.” Maddie confirmed.

“Good.” Phillip hummed. “Well I’ll tell your mother about this when the time is right and I’m sure she’ll call and talk with Evan. Evan, if you need a loan to cover your bills while you’re not working, I can lend you some money, but if it goes on too long it might be easier for you to just move back home.”

Buck felt nauseated at the thought of moving back home. “I’ll keep that in mind, but I think I’ll be okay, dad. Thanks.”

“If you change your mind you know how to reach me.” Phillip replied.

“Sure.” Buck said tightly.

“Unless there’s any other news to share, I think I’ll let you two go now.” Phillip decided.

“That’s all for now.” Buck confirmed.

“I’ll touch base with you later, dad.” Maddie added.

“Sure. Take care kids.” Phillip then ended the call.

“Tommy can come back in.” Buck mumbled as he thought about what his father had said.

Maddie stood and went to the door to open it and waved Tommy back in.

Tommy came back into the room.

“I can’t believe him.” Buck shook his head. “There’s no way I’m moving back home.” Buck told Maddie. Not only was his life in LA-  his family, his friends, his job, Tommy- but he couldn’t fathom moving back in with his parents. “I’d rather live in the Jeep again. I’ll sell feet pics online if I have to.”

“You are not selling feet pictures online.” Maddie said sternly.

“And you’re not living in your car either.” Tommy added. “I won’t let that happen.”

Buck nodded slightly. “Okay. That- that’s a relief.” He decided. He’d much rather accept help from Tommy than go to his parents for help.

“Anything you need, we’ve got you.” Maddie took Buck’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Thanks guys.” Buck told them sincerely.

Buck napped for a couple hours, giving Maddie and Tommy time to take turns getting food and returning any calls or texts they needed to. Tommy rescheduled some flying lessons he had on the books for the coming days while Maddie responded to the many many requests from colleagues and friends for updates on Buck’s condition.

Maddie did have a shift in the morning, and because she’d gotten no sleep the previous night, she reluctantly agreed to go home only after Buck insisted numerous times that he would be fine, and he would text or call her if he needed anything. Tommy promised to stay with Evan and keep her updated on any changes, so finally around dinner time, Maddie headed home.

Tommy had already ensured Evan was in a private room, and after checking that Evan wanted it- Tommy was able to sweet talk the nurses into letting him stay with Evan overnight.

“I’m gonna ask Abby to bring me a change of clothes, is there anything you want or need that I could ask her to bring?” Tommy wondered.

“A hoodie might be nice.” Buck admitted. “And if it’s not too much trouble, maybe something to do? My phone screen is shattered, not to mention I’m supposed to avoid screens for the most part for a couple days with the concussion, and as much as I love just talking to you…”

“I get it.” Tommy assured. He texted Abby a list, then called her.

Abby picked up on the first ring. “Hey, I just got your list.”

“Whenever you get the chance to swing by with that stuff is fine.” Tommy told her.

“I’ll get it together and be on my way shortly.” Abby paused. “How is Evan doing?”

Tommy looked at Evan. “He’s okay, considering.”

“Is he in any shape for a chat? There’s something we need to discuss.” Abby admitted.

“What kind of something?” Tommy frowned.

Buck gave Tommy a confused look.

“It might be better to discuss in person. It’s important, I can tell you that much. And the sooner we talk the better.” Abby admitted.

“Hang on,” Tommy told Abby, then pulled the phone away from his ear and relayed the information to Evan.

“Sure. We can talk when she comes.” Buck nodded, the sooner the better so he’d have less time to worry about what it might be.

“We’re good now. Visiting hours end at 9pm so plan accordingly.” Tommy told Abby.

“Will do. I’ll be on my way soon.” Abby confirmed.

Tommy exchanged quick goodbyes with Abby and ended the call.

“What do you think she wants to talk about?” Buck wondered.

Tommy knew there were some things he needed to discuss with Abby- things relating to the L-word conversation they’d had the previous night just before Tommy left for the hospital, but he didn’t see why that was urgent, nor why Evan needed to be involved just yet. “I’m not sure.” He admitted. “I guess we’ll find out soon.”

---

“Someone's at the door.” Abby told Tommy over the phone during their mid-afternoon call. “Gotta go. Love you!”

“Love ya. Later.” Tommy ended the call.

Abby set her phone down, pulled off her apron, and made her way to the door, wondering who it was seeing as she wasn't expecting anyone. Abby peaked out the window beside the door, seeing it was a middle-aged black woman with short hair whom Abby didn’t recognize. The woman didn’t look like a door-to-door sales person, nor a Jehovah’s Witness, and Abby wasn’t sure what the woman was there for. She opened the door. “Hi, can I help you?”

“Are you Abigail Clark?” The woman asked.

“Yes,” Abby said slowly.

“My name is Athena Grant. We haven’t met before and I know this may seem strange, but I believe I have some information about your husband- Thomas Kinard- that you should know about. Is he home?”

“Not at the moment, no. Just me and the house-keeper.” Abby lied smoothly. There was no house-keeper, but she was a little on-edge and wasn’t about to admit that she was home alone. Abby knew better than that.

“Do you have some time to chat now?”

“Uh, sure. The house isn’t really guest friendly at the moment. I'm in the process of pickling some vegetables, we could sit in the back yard.” Abby suggested.

“Sure of course. I wouldn’t invite a perfect stranger into my home either.” The woman- Athena- agreed. “If you need a couple minutes that’s fine, I can wait out here.”

“Great. I’ll just be a moment.” Abby told Athena then shut the door and locked it as gently as possible. She went back to the kitchen, made sure the stove was off, and grabbed her phone. She used their smart home security app and made sure the camera that showed the patio was on, then slid her phone in her pocket, and headed out into the yard and to the gate at the front of the house. She unlocked the gate and opened it. “Right through here.” She told Athena.

Athena followed Abby into the backyard and to the patio.

“Sit wherever.” Abby told Athena and went to the sun-shade crank and rolled the shade down to block a bit of the sun.

“You have a beautiful yard.” Athena commented as she took a seat at the table.

“Thank you.” Abby said and sat across from Athena. “So you wanted to discuss something regarding my husband?”

“Yes.” Athena confirmed. “I work for the LAPD and met him briefly during an investigation. He piloted a helicopter that helped us rescue a kidnapping victim.”

“Yes, he told me about that.” Abby confirmed, wondering where this was going. “He’s a friend of the victim’s brother, Evan.”

“About that, Ms Clark-”

“Abby, please.” Abby insisted. Ms Clark still was and always would be her mom.

“ Abby ,” Athena amended. “I- I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I believe that your husband is more than just friends with Evan- who I know as Buck. I believe they’re having an affair.”

Internally, Abby felt a sense of relief. She’d been worried something was wrong . But this wasn’t news to her, in fact the way Athena spoke about it- like Abby was being cheated on unknowingly- almost made Abby want to laugh. Though Abby did worry how Athena had come to this conclusion- normally Tommy was quite careful to not out himself. Abby sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “An affair? What makes you think that?” Abby’s tone was somewhere between disbelief and amusement.

“I know I don’t have much to go on, but I’ve been a police officer for a long time, I know when I’m being lied to. The story I was fed about their friendship seemed to be just that- a story they made up. The way they look at each other seems to be far more than friendly, and on numerous occasions your husband has dropped everything to come to Buck’s rescue. And last night Buck was injured in a work accident, and your husband was at the hospital within the hour, and has been there since. Even Buck’s best friend headed home eventually, but not your husband, him and Buck’s sister are the only people who never left.” Athena explained.

Abby nodded slowly, waiting to hear if there was anything more because at this point, it seemed Athena had materialized a whole lot of something out of nothing. “Okay.”

“I don’t mean to butt into your personal life, Abby, and I am sorry you had to hear this all from me, but I felt I had to say something. I figured you deserved to know the truth, even if it shouldn’t have had to come from me.” Athena said sincerely.

“I appreciate the honesty, and your concern,” Abby started, planning to politely but firmly tell Athena that things weren’t what they seemed, and that Athena should, respectfully, butt out as the matter shouldn’t be any of Athena’s concern.

“It’s a lot to process, I know.” Athena’s tone was sympathetic. “My now ex-husband came out to me almost two years ago now, and even that was a lot to process without there being an affair involved.”

Now Athena’s concern seemed to make more sense to Abby. It seemed that Athena was projecting her own issues onto what she had assumed was Abby’s situation, and while Abby could appreciate that it would be painful to unknowingly be someone’s beard, Abby didn’t appreciate being spoken to like she was a victim in her own life by someone who didn’t know her at all. “I'm sorry for whatever you went through with your ex-husband, Ms Grant. But I've known about my husband for a long time. We're very open and honest with each other.” Abby told her very matter-of-factly.

“So you know about Buck,” Athena started, seeming surprised.

“Not that it's any of your business, but I was the one who encouraged Tommy to find someone to have a so-called affair with, as I've done the same thing a hell of a lot more than Tommy has.” Abby said bluntly. “Not only do I know about Evan but I've met him. There's very little me and my husband don't tell each other. I know our situation isn't very conventional, but it works for me and Tommy, and all three of us are very happy with the current arrangement."

“I see.” Athena said slowly.

The other parts that bothered Abby in all this was the question of how Athena had gotten the information she did, and possibility of Tommy and Evan being outed due to Athena’s actions. “I don't know how you found out that Tommy and I are married, or where to find me, and I suggest you don't give me any reason to dwell on that too long, Ms Grant. I don't like to play this card, but I have friends in very high places in the LAPD, as well as the mayor's office and higher, not to mention scary good very expensive lawyers on retention. So I would appreciate it if you keep whatever you think you know about my husband and Evan to yourself, and stay the hell away from me and my family.” Abby saw Athena out, then returned to the kitchen, thinking about the conversation she’d need to have with Tommy and Evan sooner rather than later.

---

Buck gave Abby a wave and a small smile as she entered his hospital room not long after Tommy got off the phone with her.

“Hey Evan,” Abby spoke gently, not sure how bad the concussion headache was. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better.” Buck told her truthfully. “But Tommy’s taking good care of me, so that helps.”

Abby smiled. “He’s pretty good at that, isn’t he?”

“It’s easy when it’s for the two of you.” Tommy said simply.

Abby set the bag of things she’d brought down on a table and opened it up to pull things out. “Change of clothes for you, some toiletries, and a bag to put your dirty stuff in.” Abby handed Tommy a fresh outfit, a travel bag of toiletries, and an empty cloth T-shirt bag.

“Thank you.” Tommy took the clothes but made no move to go change just yet, unsure Evan would want to be alone with Abby even if it was just for a couple minutes.

“You can go change Tommy, I’m okay.” Buck insisted. He’d be okay with Abby for a few minutes, and this time if he said something weird or embarrassing he could blame it on the pain meds. They’d be fine.

“I’ll be right back.” Tommy promised and slipped into the bathroom attached to Evan’s hospital room.

“A little birdie told me you wanted a hoodie, I found your drawer of things in Tommy’s room, so I do have a hoodie of yours in here but I thought it’s a bit stiff, not to mention a pull-over-the-head kind so,” Abby pulled a soft, worn zipper hoodie out of the bag. “I grabbed this one of Tommy’s too, which do you prefer?”

“Yeah, Tommy’s would be great.” Buck decided. “I didn’t want to keep a favourite at your and Tommy’s house so that one isn’t my first choice.”

“Totally understandable. I highly doubt Tommy will mind.” Abby was about to just hand it over to Buck until she noticed his IV was in the crook of his elbow, and while she didn’t know about him, she knew on the rare occasion she’d had an IV placed there, bending her arm felt all kinds of weird and uncomfortable. “Want a hand?” She offered.

“Uh, please.” Any time Buck bent the arm with the IV it felt like he was doing something he shouldn’t and the sensation freaked him out a little.

Abby carefully helped Evan get his arms into the sleeves of the hoodie and straightened it out behind him, then fixed the blanket over his waist. “How’s that?”

“Good, thank you.” Buck nodded.

“Of course.” Abby then turned back to the bag of things she’d brought. “Now I wasn’t sure what you’d want to do to kill some time so I brought a variety of things and if it all sucks we can find something else, but I’ve got some cross word books, sudoku, adult zen-colouring books, and I’ve got a great podcast and audio book app on this that you could listen to,” Abby held up an iPod and a new pair of earbuds.

“That’s great actually, thank you.”  Buck told her sincerely.

Abby set the iPod and headphones on the tray table by Evan’s bed, then pulled out the puzzle and coloring books and a pack of markers next to it.

Tommy re-emerged from the bathroom in his clean clothes, face still a little damp from having washed it. “Thanks for all that.” He told Abby.

“Of course.” Abby smiled.

Tommy returned to the seat he’d been in before and after handing Tommy a phone charger, Abby took the seat next to him. “So what did you need to talk to us about?” Tommy asked.

Abby told them about Athena Grant’s visit from earlier, explaining exactly what Athena had told her.

“So both Carla and Athena know now.” Buck summarized, taking in the information. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was. He wondered how Athena had even known about Abby’s existence. “Do you think Athena would say anything to anyone else?” Buck wondered. He knew Athena better than they did, but he wasn’t there for the conversation with Athena, didn’t know where her head was at. He didn’t know that she would tell anyone given that it was such a sensitive, private topic, but Buck also knew it would almost be too easy for her to accidentally say something to Bobby.

“Well I did make it quite clear that Athena was misguided in her understanding of what's going on, and that I didn't appreciate her digging into the situation.” Abby admitted. “I don't think she'll be telling anyone anything.”

Buck swallowed hard. “How…?”

Tommy looked at Abby, he already had a good idea what Abby had likely done.

“I told her I suggest she didn’t give me any reason to dwell on how she found the information she did about me and our situation- I sorta got the impression she maybe used her position as a cop to get the info she did. I mentioned that I have connections in high places and damn-good lawyers.” Abby told Evan truthfully. “I understand she may be a friend of yours Evan, and I do feel bad if what I said damages that, but I did it with your and Tommy's best interests and safety in mind. I've spent a long time protecting Tommy and I won't apologize for that- and for the record, that includes you now too.”

Buck nodded slowly. He didn't love it, but he understood where Abby was coming from, and he couldn't fault her for that. And as much as he had mixed feelings about it, he did appreciate that Abby’s fierce protectiveness extended to him. He looked at Abby and held out his hand.

Abby leaned forward and slid her hand into Evan's.

Buck gave Abby’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Thank you.” He murmured.

Tommy put an arm around Abby and pulled her in to kiss the side of her head, a wordless thank you.

Abby squeezed Evan’s hand back and nodded at him.

After a moment Buck withdrew his hand from Abby's, trying to take this all in and decide how he really felt about it all. It might take him a while under the haze of the pain meds and the concussion, but for now, he could be grateful for Tommy’s steady presence, and Abby’s care and concern.

Chapter Text

Buck spent the following days in the hospital kept entertained by a rotating list of visitors, and the podcast app on the iPod from Abby. Maddie, Tommy, and Bobby visited the most, Eddie and Christopher made a couple appearances, as did Hen and Chimney. Karen and Denny visited once with Hen, and Carla had come by again too. Athena seemed to have made herself scarce and Buck couldn’t blame her, nor did he mind all that much.

As much as Buck tried to tell Tommy that Tommy didn’t need to be there as often as he was, Tommy kept showing up and/or staying which Buck really did appreciate. Tommy of course made himself scarce when Buck had other visitors, and after the first night had started going home at the end of visiting hours to sleep, but he was always back first thing in the morning.

Buck and Maddie did take a call from both their parents on what ended up being Buck’s last full day in the hospital. Margaret said she was glad that Buck was okay, and said she’d send him a care package once he was home from the hospital. Buck had mixed feelings about the whole thing. On one hand, he wasn’t sure he could handle his parents coming into town and visiting for an extended period of time, but on the other, he hadn’t seen them in almost 6 years and he’d been crushed by a firetruck- if this was ever the time for them to come visit this sure seemed to be it. He decided in the end to not let himself get too upset over it, Buck had enough going on already and he really didn’t need the stress of them being there in person- not to mention he already had plenty of people who did care about him to visit with and keep him company.

The 118 was working the day Buck was released from the hospital, as was Maddie. She’d said she’d try and change her shift, but Tommy promised he could handle getting Buck home, and Buck was glad that Maddie agreed. He appreciated that Maddie would do that for him, but he knew he’d be needing a lot of help the next little while, and would rather Maddie didn’t start missing work to help him quite so soon.

The concussion was much better now, and Buck had picked up using the crutches pretty easily after being shown how to properly and safely use them by a physical therapist at the hospital the day before. There were still a lot of complicated feelings in his chest, and thoughts in his head, but for now he was trying to focus on the positives.

“Careful Evan,” Tommy cautioned as they got into the loft, Evan zipping past him on his crutches as soon as Tommy opened the apartment door. “The last thing anyone needs is for you to fall and break the other one.”

“I am just glad to be out of the hospital.” Buck decided. “I miss my own bed, thank you for organizing everything to get it moved down here.” Buck made his way to the living room to settle himself on the bed, which had far more pillows on it than Buck recalled owning, and a clearly brand-new wedge pillow to elevate his leg with.

Tommy was right behind Evan to take his crutches and make sure he didn’t fall while transitioning to sitting down on his bed. “Of course.” Once Evan was safely settled on the bed Tommy grabbed the wedge pillow and gently propped Evan’s leg up, then covered Evan with a light blanket. “How’s that?”

Buck shifted some of the pillows behind him. “Good.” He told Tommy with a smile.

“You’re sure?” Tommy had to check. He knew Evan enough to know he might not say anything right away if something wasn’t right, and besides that, he was pretty sure Maddie wouldn’t be too pleased with him if he didn’t do the very best possible job of taking care of Evan.

Buck considered his response for a second. Tommy’s care and concern had been driving him nuts the last couple days. Buck hadn’t thought it possible to feel anything stronger for Tommy, and then the accident happened, and now Tommy had hardly left his side and accommodated Buck’s every want and need like it was nothing. Tommy promised he’d be there for Buck as much as Buck wanted or needed, until Buck told him otherwise. Buck didn’t know how he was supposed to not fall more in love with Tommy. He couldn’t help but want to push the limits of what he could get out of Tommy before Tommy noticed something was up. Sure, it was a terrible time to push this, if Buck lost Tommy right now he’d be losing income that he needed, but Buck couldn’t seem to care as much as he should. Tommy treated Buck better than anyone ever had before, and Buck was starting to wonder if maybe Tommy felt the same way. It would make a lot of things about Tommy’s behavior lately make sense.

“Be better if you gave me a kiss.” Buck looked innocently up at Tommy.

Usually they didn’t kiss all that much outside of foreplay, but it had been becoming a somewhat increasingly common occurrence outside of sex too. Not to mention that Evan was usually very tactile with Tommy, but had kept it dialed down at the hospital for the most part. Tommy figured Evan was just feeling a little touch-starved at the moment. Tommy also knew that look and that tone on Evan- usually it was reserved for the bedroom, on the type of nights where Evan could be bratty, or could be very sweet, depending entirely on how Tommy reacted. He couldn’t resist the urge to tease Evan a little, and leaned down to kiss Evan’s head. “Like that?” Tommy asked, knowing damn well it was not what Evan meant.

“No.” Buck pouted.

“Oh, sorry,” Tommy said and kissed Evan’s temple.

“Tommy,” Buck huffed.

“I got it,” Tommy smirked and kissed Evan’s cheek. “There.” He sat down on the edge of Evan’s bed, their faces still quite close.

Buck shook his head and looked Tommy in the eye, trying to communicate what he really wanted without words.

Tommy hardly lasted two whole seconds with Evan looking at him with big, blue, sad puppy dog eyes before he caved and put a hand at the back of Evan’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss.

Buck practically melted into Tommy’s touch and happily kissed back.

After a moment Tommy broke the kiss and sat back a little. “Like that?”

“Yeah.” Buck whispered and leaned in again for another kiss.

Tommy happily obliged. He hadn’t said ‘no’ to Evan on very many things so far, and he absolutely was not about to start now.

Eventually Buck’s stomach rumbled, leading to the end of him and Tommy kissing.

“What do you want to eat? You don’t have many groceries in the house, we could order something,” Tommy offered.

“Anything is better than hospital food.” Buck decided.

Tommy ordered them food for lunch, then put together a grocery list of things Evan wanted or needed and that would be easy for Evan to prepare himself.

After lunch, at Buck’s insistence that he’d be fine to be alone for a little while, Tommy went to get Buck’s groceries. Once Tommy left, Buck grabbed his phone and went to his contacts. He wanted to talk to someone about Tommy, but his options were pretty limited. Eventually Buck selected Carla’s name, and hit the call button.

“Hey Buckaroo!” Carla answered after a couple rings. “How ya feeling? Getting settled in at home okay?”

“Yeah, feels good to be home and in my own bed.” Buck put his phone on speaker and set it in his lap so his hands would be free for him to pick at the skin around his nails. “Are you um, are you busy right now? I kinda just wanted to talk to someone about something.”

“I’ve always got time for you Buck.” Carla’s smile could be heard through the phone. “What’s up?”

“Well it um, it’s about Tommy.” Buck admitted.

“Okay,” Carla said slowly.

“What did- I mean, um, can-  can I ask what he said to you? A- about us?” Buck wondered.

Carla was quiet for a second. “It wasn’t a very long conversation, he didn’t tell me too much. And I won’t tell a soul, Buck. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“No I mean, I- I trust you with that.” Buck assured her. “I just-” He sighed. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say here.” It was clear to Buck that Carla was skirting around the question, holding off on giving him a solid answer on what Tommy said, and he wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“It’s alright. Maybe it’d help if you tell me how you feel about him and why you wanna know what he said?” Carla suggested.

“Okay.” Buck agreed. “Well, without knowing what he told you, um, things between us started kinda casual,”

“Yeah, he mentioned that.” Carla confirmed.

“But uh, I- I guess the way I feel about him isn’t so casual now. And I know it’s complicated because things weren’t supposed to get serious with us, and he’s still married to Abby and all that but, I- I can’t help the way I feel about him, Carla. I mean he- he could’ve dumped me after I got hurt but instead he’s been by my side the whole time going above and beyond for me, and I- I feel like I’m gonna explode if I keep my real feelings to myself much longer.”

“Tell him how you feel, Buck.” Carla encouraged.

“But what if it messes up what we have right now? I- I don’t want to lose him,” Buck started.

“Listen to me, Buck.” Carla’s words were caring but firm. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about telling Tommy how you really feel.”

“You really think so?” Buck couldn’t help but ask.

“I do.” Carla insisted. “Have I ever led you astray Evan Buckley?”

“No.” Buck decided.

“Exactly. And I’m not about to start now. Trust me. Tell him.”

“O- okay.” Buck said hesitantly. He’d been keeping his true feelings to himself for so long that he couldn’t believe he was really considering this.

“Let me know how it goes, if and when you’re ready.” Carla requested. “And now that you’re home from the hospital, let me know when would be a good time to bring some meals for you. Cooking isn’t going to be as easy as you might hope, and I’d hate for you to get hurt any more than you already are because you over-extended yourself.”

“Sure. Thanks Carla. For the advice and the meals.” Buck said sincerely.

As tempted as Buck was to tell Tommy when he got back from the store, Buck held off. He trusted Carla- really. But he was still a little nervous and trying to figure out how to go about it. He also figured it might be a good idea to wait a few extra days to let things settle a little more so that Buck could be sure he wasn’t doing anything irrational. He’d waited this long already, a few more days couldn’t hurt.

In the end it was probably a good thing Buck waited. Maddie’s shift ended around dinner-time and she came right over. 

Tommy let Maddie into Evan’s apartment. “Hey Maddie,” Tommy greeted as he opened the door wider and invited her in.

“Hi.” Maddie stepped into the apartment and set her bag down. “Thanks for getting him home today, I really appreciate it.”

“Sure.” Tommy nodded. “Anytime.”

Maddie then went into the living room. “Hey, how’s it feel to be home?” Maddie wondered.

“Good. Sure beats the hospital.” Buck decided.

Maddie smiled. “I was thinking I could make us dinner, if you want?” She offered.

“Uh yeah.” Buck agreed. “Okay.” He knew Maddie felt bad that she hadn’t been there to bring him home, and he wanted to assure her that he was okay.

“Great. I’ll go change and then we’ll figure out what to have.” Maddie said and grabbed her bag from the table and slipped into the bathroom.

Tommy stepped into the living room. “I think this is my queue to go,” He didn’t necessarily want to leave, but he figured Evan probably wanted some one-on-one time with his sister, and he didn’t want Maddie to get suspicious of how much he was hanging around either.

“Thank you for everything today Tommy, really.” Buck said sincerely.

“Of course.” Tommy nodded.

“I’ll probably have lots of visitors tomorrow,” Buck admitted. “And I’m sure you wanna get back to your own life a little.”

Tommy shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

“Well I do.” Buck told him. “You’ve spent so much time with me the last several days. I do want you to come back, but I’m okay for now, really.”

“Okay.” Tommy nodded. He didn’t want to encroach on Evan’s time with his friends or family, and some of his students were getting frustrated with the postponed and cancelled lessons anyway. “I’ll text you, okay?”

“You better.” Buck grinned.

“I will.” Tommy promised.

Maddie then came out of the bathroom. “Tommy, you joining us for dinner?” She wondered.

“Nah, I uh, I should get home.” Tommy told her. “Some other time.”

“Yeah, of course. Thanks again for getting Buck home and getting all his furniture moved.” Maddie said sincerely.

“No problem, really.” Tommy insisted. “Later Evan, bye Maddie.”

“Bye Tommy.” Buck waved.

Maddie nodded at Tommy, then went and locked the door behind him after he left.

Buck tried not to feel sad over Tommy leaving. Tommy had been around so much since Buck got hurt, and he would be back. Buck was sure of it. And soon, maybe next time Buck saw Tommy, he’d tell Tommy how he really felt.

Maddie went into the kitchen and took inventory of what food Evan had in the house. “Tommy made sure to stock you up on stuff huh?” Maddie commented.

“Yeah he- he’s really good about stuff like that.” Buck told her.

“Well, I’m glad you have someone that seems to care about you as much as he does.” Maddie decided.

Buck smiled to himself. Tommy really did care about him a lot, and Buck couldn’t be happier for that if he tried.

Chapter Text

The next day Buck was kept busy with a surprise visit from Bobby in the morning, a planned visit from Eddie and Christopher in the afternoon, and Maddie coming over unannounced in the evening. By the following day Buck was almost sure his friends were co-ordinating their visits with one another, because Hen showed up in the morning, and then Chimney in the afternoon. The way they never accidentally overlapped with each other had Buck suspicious, especially when considering half of them just dropped by without giving him a heads up. There also seemed to be a convenient gap between when the morning visitor left and when the afternoon visitor came, long enough for Buck to eat lunch and relax for a while- which he admittedly was grateful for and was using to nap.

Buck had spoken to Tommy- who didn’t seem to be included in the group’s planned visitation schedule- about Tommy coming over to see him when he was done with his last flight-lesson of the day, and Buck said to pop by whenever.

Chimney was still at Buck’s place when there was a knock on the door. “You expecting someone?” Chimney snapped his gum.

“Uh, my friend Tommy said he’d be coming by when he was done with work.” Buck confirmed. “He just didn’t have an exact time.”

Chimney nodded and went to the door, opening to find it was in fact Buck’s friend. “Hey, Buck said he was expecting you.”

“Good to see you Chimney.” Tommy said politely as he entered Evan’s apartment.

“You too.” Chimney led the way back to the living room. “Guess this is my queue to get outta here.” Chimney said to Buck. “I hope you like those movies I brought, maybe you’ll actually watch ‘em now that you got some time.”

“Yeah yeah.” Buck rolled his eyes.

“What movies did ya bring him?” Tommy wondered.

“Well, I don’t know if you know this but our friend Buck here is criminally uneducated when it comes to movies,” Chimney explained.

“Vaguely aware, yeah.” Tommy confirmed.

“So I brought him some classics he says he’s never seen.” Chimney grabbed the stack off the TV stand and handed them over to Tommy.

Tommy curiously looked through the pile. “Good selection,” He hummed as he continued looking through them, then turned to Evan. “Ev, I can’t believe you haven’t seen some of these.”

“Right?!” Chimney exclaimed. “It should be a crime!”

Tommy stopped and held up the Fight Club DVD case. “Seriously?” He looked at Evan.

“I was like eight when it came out!” Buck pointed out.

“That’s no excuse Buckley.” Chimney tsked.

“Don’t worry Chimney, I think we’ll get that one fixed tonight.” Tommy assured Chimney.

“Glad I have someone on my side in this.” Chimney grinned. “Take it easy Buck. Let me know when you need some more movies. We’re on a 24 hour shift starting tomorrow morning so  no visits from us but feel free to shoot us messages and we’ll respond as soon as we can.”

“Sure. Thanks for coming by Chim.”  Buck said sincerely.

“Anytime.” Chimney nodded and saw himself out.

Buck looked at Tommy. “Sorry about him.” He said sheepishly. “What do you really wanna do tonight?”

“We’re watching Fight Club .” Tommy said seriously as he turned on Evan’s DVD player and opened the DVD case. “Want popcorn?” He looked over his shoulder at Evan.

Buck couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. Sounds good.”

Tommy made them popcorn, then joined Evan on his bed- they settled in with Evan nestled up against Tommy’s side- and watched the movie. Tommy watched Evan more than he did the movie, enjoying seeing Evan’s genuine interest in the movie. It was nice that they had something to do with each other besides talk with Evan in the shape he was in, and the way Evan plastered himself against Tommy while watching the movie was an added bonus for Tommy.

Buck had meant to talk to Tommy that night, he did. But they got caught up watching the movie, then having dinner, before starting another movie, and suddenly it was late and Buck was getting tired.

Tommy made sure Evan was okay as he changed into fresh clothes for bed, brushed his teeth, took his nighttime pain medication, then settled back into bed for the night. “Need anything else before I go?” Tommy asked as he plugged Evan’s phone into the charger.

“Goodnight kiss?” Buck requested sleepily. The pain meds he took at night time were stronger so they would last through the night, and made him quite drowsy.

“Of course.”  Tommy smiled and pressed a chaste kiss to Evan’s lips. “I’ll make sure the door is locked behind me. Sleep well, Evan.”

Buck happily kissed Tommy back for the short but sweet amount of time Tommy kissed him. “Thanks Tommy. Night.” Buck mumbled and yawned.

Tommy fixed Evan’s blankets, then made sure to turn off the lights on his way out of Evan’s apartment, and locked the door behind himself.

The next day was the first day Buck didn’t have any visitors planned, but he’d known to expect it. The 118 was all on shift, as was Maddie, and both Tommy and Carla were working too. Buck wouldn’t admit it to any of them, but he was sort of glad to get a few hours to himself. He ate breakfast- a breakfast casserole that Bobby had brought pre-portioned and in microwave-safe containers for heating up- and watched a documentary. He took a call from the Fire Chief- a simple, hey we’re here to support you while you heal , type thing along with an explanation of what pay Buck would receive while he was healing, and a request to keep both his captain and the brass updated on his healing progress.

After his call Buck was due for another round of pain meds- he’d been taking them on a specific schedule so he’d take the next dose before the previous one could wear-off. Buck found his water bottle was empty though, so he shoved the painkillers and the empty water bottle in his pockets and got up and headed to the kitchen.

He emptied his pockets once he got to the kitchen and refilled his water- taking a few big gulps once it was full as apparently he’d been quite thirsty. It was then that Buck realized the time and decided he should probably have something for lunch. He grabbed one of the salads Karen had made and sent with Hen on her visit yesterday out of the fridge, shoved his water bottle and a fork in his pocket, and pinned the salad between his chin and chest and made his way back to the living room and settled down in his bed and ate while he continued his documentary, starting to drift off for his regular non-scheduled after-lunch nap.

Buck woke a couple hours later in the worst pain he’d had since the night of the incident, and it was then that he realized he’d forgotten to actually take his meds before lunch. He’d fallen asleep before he even finished eating- container still in his lap, the TV screen was asking if he was still watching, leg not propped up like it was supposed to be while he slept. But Buck could hardly focus on that. All he could focus on was how much pain he was in. He could see the stupid pill bottle on the island, but as soon as he tried to move to get up and get it, the pain just got worse, and Buck couldn’t see himself being able to get out of bed, much less all the way to the island.

Buck shifted back into the position he’d been in before and took a few deep breaths, trying to keep from crying as the pain was so bad. He’d wondered before how bad it really was without the pain meds, if he really needed them- it was now abundantly clear just how much he really did still need them. Buck’s phone was thankfully within reach, and he grabbed it and checked the time. Carla or Karen would probably be done work first out of anyone but that was hours away yet. He knew if he called someone, they’d do whatever necessary to come as soon as they could, but Buck didn’t want to pull anyone away from their jobs, not when the 118 and Maddie were busy saving lives, and Carla was with a patient, and Tommy was finally back to work after missing several days for Buck. But he also knew he couldn’t hold out and wait until someone was off work.

Buck didn’t have phone numbers for any of his neighbors- nor did he know if any of them were home anyway. The pain made it hard to think clearly as he hemmed and hawed over what to do. Finally Buck picked someone to call and dialled the number.

The first ring hadn’t even finished when Abby’s voice came through the phone. “Hey Evan! How are you feeling?”

“I uh- I- I’ve been better.” Buck said through gritted teeth. He then realized he was drenched in sweat- likely due to the pain. “I’m sorry to bother you, but are- are you busy right now?” Buck panted a bit.

“No.” Abby answered. “What’s going on? It sounds like you’re in pain.” She sounded concerned.

“Uh, yeah. It- it’s really embarrassing but I forgot to take my pain meds earlier and they’re on the other side of the apartment and uh- I- I don’t know if I can get them myself because the pain is really bad. I- I feel bad- b- bothering you, Abby. But everyone else is working and I- I need someone to come help me out here.” Buck admitted.

“You are not a bother, Evan. I’m on my way, just hang tight okay? I’m coming as fast as I can.” Abby promised.

“T- thanks, Abby. I can let you into the building with my phone when you get there.” Buck paused to take a couple breaths. Knowing Abby was coming didn’t ease the pain, but it did give Buck a sense of relief that help- and therefore medication- was coming. “There’s a spare key to let yourself into my apartment under the mat in the hallway.”

Abby confirmed she had the right address, and again promised she’d be there as soon as she could, then ended the call.

Twenty-five very long minutes later, there was the sound of a key in the door, followed by the lock clicking and the door opening. “Evan?” Abby called out as she shut the door behind herself.

“I’m in here!” Buck called back. “My meds are on the kitchen counter.”

Abby grabbed the prescription bottle off the counter and went into what would normally be the living room. Abby’s heart broke a little at how much pain Evan was clearly in, she wondered how long he debated calling her, she hoped it wasn’t long. “You got something to take these with?” Abby twisted the cap off the bottle.

“Yeah,” Buck grabbed his water bottle.

Abby handed Evan the pill bottle and watched as he took two pills before handing the pill bottle back to her and slumping back against his pillows. “How long til they kick in?” Abby put the lid back on the bottle and set them on the table next to Evan’s bed, within his reach.

“Hopefully not long.” Buck told her. “Thank- thanks for coming so quick. Sorry you had to come all this way for something so stupid. I- I would’ve called someone else but everyone’s working.”

“I’m just glad you called me.” Abby insisted. “And that’s exactly why I offered to help if you needed anything- because I work from home and can drop everything.”

Buck nodded slightly.

“Do you want a fresh shirt to change into?” Abby asked gently. “Maybe a wet cloth to wipe yourself down?” She offered, noticing that he’d sweat through his shirt.

“You don’t have to-” Buck started.

“Evan, I’m already here. Might as well do as much as I can to help you. I don’t mind . I’m happy to help.” Abby reminded him.

Buck was quiet for a moment. “Okay, yeah. That- that would be nice.” Buck agreed.

Soon the meds started to kick in, and Buck wiped himself down and got a clean shirt on, and Buck was in a better, clearer mind-space. “I really appreciate you coming, Abby. I’m sure this isn’t how you thought you’d be spending your afternoon.”

“No, but that’s okay.” Abby assured. “Feeling better now?”

“Yeah, much better.” Buck confirmed.

“Good. As much as I don’t want a repeat of today to happen, you can call anytime, Evan. I know we aren’t all that close, but you’re important to Tommy, which means you’re important to me too.”

Buck nodded slowly. “I really appreciate that.” Buck paused. “Tommy uh, he talks about me a lot, doesn’t he?”

“All the time. I’ve told you this before, but you really do make him very happy. And I’m glad he found you.” Abby took a seat in the living room, near Evan’s bed. “I hope to see you stay in his life for a long time.”

Buck considered what to say to her. There was something he wanted to ask her, and it did scare him a bit to ask, but given everything that had happened with his injury and the conversation he wanted to have with Tommy anyway; he was feeling a little braver, a little bolder, more inclined to ask. “What um- what if I wanted to be in his life for a long time, but as- as something more than what we are now?”

“Like something romantic?” Abby questioned.

Buck gave a shy nod.

Abby smiled. “I think that would make him very happy.”

“Really?” Buck asked.

“Well, I’ll let him tell you himself- this is really a conversation to have with Tommy- but yes.”

Buck swallowed. “I just uh, I mean, I- I guess I feel bad? I mean I know you and Tommy aren’t involved like that Abby, but, what- what about you?”

“We’ll figure things out. We’ll make it work one way or another.” Abby shrugged. “I’m not worried about it.”

“You don’t- I dunno, you don’t feel sad? That what you and Tommy have had for all these years could- could change? You’re not mad or- or upset?”

“All me and Tommy have ever wanted is for one another to be happy, and to keep each other safe. I think regardless of what happens between you and Tommy- and for the record I really hope something does happen- and what comes of the marriage, me and Tommy will always keep each other safe and want to see each other happy.”

“I- I want that too.” Buck told her. “You and Tommy to be happy and safe and taken care of.”

Abby smiled. “Then it sounds like the three of us have nothing to worry about.”

Buck nodded and smiled back at Abby.

Buck and Abby chatted for a while, before Tommy called and offered to come see Buck, so Abby headed home, and Buck began thinking about what to say to Tommy when he arrived.

Buck was nervous as hell by the time Tommy arrived. They checked in, chatted idly as Tommy made them dinner, and ate as they watched another movie. By the time the movie ended, Tommy had joined Buck on the bed, and the younger man had practically melted against Tommy and stayed there since. Buck had been telling himself that he’d say something to Tommy as soon as the right opportunity presented itself, and when the credits rolled, Buck figured there was no better time. “Hey Tommy?”

“Yeah?” Tommy looked at Evan.

“Can we um, can we talk?” Buck asked.

“Of course.” Tommy grabbed the remote, switched the TV off, and adjusted his position slightly to get a better look at Evan’s face. He did his best to stay calm and not stress over what Evan was about to say. “What’s up?”

“There’s um, well there’s something I’ve been feeling for a while, and I- I was scared to say it before but I- I don’t wanna keep it to myself anymore.” Buck’s heart was racing and felt like it might pound right out of his chest.

“Okay.” Tommy swallowed hard, trying to keep calm, not get ahead of himself, and just listen to what Evan had to say. 

“And I’ve thought about telling you this a lot- even waited to tell you at the right time so you know it’s me and not pain meds talking. So um,” Buck paused and he took a breath. “Freak accidents happen, and natural disasters, and everyone likes to think they have all the time in the world, but they don’t, you know?”

“Sure.” Tommy nodded.

“So in the interest of telling you the truth, because tomorrow isn’t promised and all that, I um-” Buck took a big deep breath. “Tommy I love you- like love love, like in love - and I hope saying that doesn’t ruin-”

Tommy felt a sense of relief wash over him and he carefully but quickly pulled Evan into a kiss. He couldn’t help himself. The feelings he’d been telling himself were unrequited for months were in fact mutual. Tommy wasn’t going to lose Evan because he loved him. Evan loved him too. He loved Tommy just as much as Tommy loved him.

After a second Buck kissed Tommy back before pulling away, bewildered but hopeful. “Does this mean um-”

Tommy cupped Evan’s face with his hands. “I love you too, Evan. Have for a long time.” Tommy confirmed. “I love you too.”

Buck smiled and pulled Tommy in for another kiss. He didn’t know what the future held or what it would mean for them, but right now, none of that mattered, because Tommy loved him too.

Chapter Text

Tommy cupped Evan’s face with his hands. “I love you too, Evan. Have for a long time.” Tommy confirmed. “I love you too.”

Buck smiled and pulled Tommy in for another kiss. He didn’t know what the future held or what it would mean for them, but right now, none of that mattered, because Tommy loved him too.

Tommy kissed Evan back, soft and sweet. There was still a lot they’d need to figure out, but for now he was just relieved that he’d gotten to be honest with Evan and get those feelings off his chest and out into the open. They could figure out what needed to be sorted later.

Eventually Buck had to break the kiss so he could stifle a yawn.

“Tired?” Tommy knew that Evan was due to get to sleep soon. He was due for his nighttime meds and those would knock him right out.

“Yeah.” Buck felt bad that he was yawning and ready to fall asleep during such an important conversation but he couldn’t help it.

Tommy got up, grabbed Evan’s nighttime prescription and got Evan his pills, then handed them to Evan along with his water bottle. “Take your meds, I’ll stay until you fall asleep, and we can continue this conversation later.”

Buck took the meds from Tommy as well as his water, then looked up at the older man. “You don’t mind?”

“Of course not.” Tommy assured Evan. “It’s okay.”

Buck nodded slightly and took the pills.

Tommy carefully propped Evan’s leg up, then fixed his blankets. “Good?”

“Yeah, great.” Buck snuggled into his bed and got comfy for the night.

“Good.” Tommy kissed Evan’s forehead, then pressed a quick kiss to Evan’s lips.

“Thank you for today.” Buck mumbled as his blinks became longer and longer.

“Of course.” Tommy murmured. “Sleep well baby boy.” 

“Night Tommy.” Buck gave a small smile.

As promised Tommy stayed by Evan’s bed until Evan’s breathing evened out, telling Tommy Evan had fallen asleep. Tommy then grabbed Evan’s water bottle, refilled it, and returned it to Evan’s bedside. He made sure anything Evan may need in the night or first thing in the morning was within reach, and plugged Evan’s phone in to charge, then turned out the lights and left Evan’s apartment.

Tommy wasn’t all that surprised to find Abby was still awake by the time he got home.

“Hey,” Abby twisted around in her spot on the couch to look at Tommy when he came in. “How’s Evan? Did you two have a nice evening?”

“He’s good.” Tommy sat down across from Abby in the living room. “We uh, we had a bit of a talk before I left,”

“Oh?” Abby grabbed her wine.

“He actually started the conversation,” Tommy rested his elbows on his knees. “You know how I thought there was no chance he felt the same about me that I do about him?”

“Yes.” Abby confirmed.

“Turns out I was wrong. The feelings are mutual.” Tommy couldn’t help but smile.

“Can I say I told you so?” Abby smirked.

“Yeah yeah.” Tommy rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what it means for Evan and I, going forward. We didn’t get around to discussing that just yet, but at least we’re on the same page about how we’re feeling about each other.”

“That’s good.” Abby sipped her wine as she considered her next words. “I’m ready for a divorce, whenever you are.”

“Never thought the day would come,” Tommy ran a hand through his hair as he thought about what a divorce would mean for them.

“I’ve known it’s been coming for a while now.” Abby set her glass down, got up, and moved to sit down next to Tommy. “And getting divorced doesn’t have to change all that much between us, you know. We’ll still love each other, we’ll always be close,” Abby put her hand over Tommy’s.

“Thirty-six years.” Tommy looked at Abby. “That’s not nothing.”

“It’s not.” Abby agreed.

“Are- are you sure?” Tommy asked.

Abby nodded and smiled. “I’m sure.”

Tommy let out a shaky breath and pulled Abby in for a hug. He rested his chin on the top of her head and gently swayed them side to side a bit.

Abby held onto Tommy and moved with him.

“Thank you.” Tommy whispered and kissed the top of Abby’s head.

---

In the morning Buck woke to a text from Tommy explaining he had flight lessons all day but was thinking about him and asking when Buck wanted Tommy to come over next. He also had a text from Eddie about him and Christopher coming to visit in the afternoon, a message from Maddie about her making him dinner that night, and a text from Bobby about visiting the next morning.

Buck responded to Tommy and explained that with his visitors, the next day might be better- even though Buck wanted to see Tommy sooner than that. Buck confirmed with Eddie, Maddie, and Bobby, then got his morning started.

Buck was happy to see Christopher and chat with Eddie for a bit, but other than during their visit and somewhat during Bobby's visit, Tommy was on Buck’s mind all day, and again the following. The one good thing the time apart from Tommy did was allow Buck time to create a list of things he needed to ask Tommy about with regards to their changing relationship. By the time Tommy got there two evenings after their love confessions, Buck had a number of questions on a list he’d typed in his notes app on his phone.

“Hey.” Tommy smiled at Evan as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Evan’s cheek. “How ya feeling today? Need anything?”

“I’m good for now, today’s been okay, better now that you’re here.” Buck grabbed Tommy by the collar of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss on the lips.

Tommy kissed Evan back as he cradled Evan’s face with one hand. “I take it this is going to be a much more common thing now?” Tommy asked when the kiss broke.

“Yeah, if- if that’s okay with you.” Buck told Tommy.

“Of course it is.” Tommy was about to take a seat on the arm chair next to Evan’s bed, but Evan looked at him hopefully as he patted the empty space beside him on the bed. Tommy gave a fond chuckle and carefully joined Evan. “How’s that?” He asked once he got them situated, sitting next to each other but each at a bit of an angle to better look at each other.

“Perfect.” Buck smiled. 

“How was your visit with Eddie and Christopher?”

“Good.” Buck fiddled with the drawstrings on his sweatpants. 

“I take it you had a good time with Bobby this morning too?” Tommy guessed.

“Yeah. Bobby taught me how to play cribbage.” Buck reported. “Honestly visiting with them was the only time I haven’t been thinking about you since the other night.”

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you either.” Tommy admitted. “Then again I’m not sure I’ve stopped thinking about you since we first started talking.”

“I uh,” Buck blushed and grabbed his phone, opening his notes app. “There’s some things I wanted to ask you or talk about, I made a list. I hope that’s okay.” He looked back up at Tommy.

“Of course that’s okay.” Tommy said gently.

Buck gave a small smile. “Good. Cool,” He said and opened the note with his list. “I guess the easiest one to start with is: what are we now?”

“What do you want us to be?” The look on Tommy’s face was soft and open.

“Well as much as I enjoy being your sugar baby I don’t know that that’s exactly what this is anymore- I also have some questions on that topic that we’ll come back to.” Buck admitted. “I was thinking dating ? Unless- I mean, do you feel too old to be called my boyfriend? Is that immature?”

Tommy chuckled. “No, I think boyfriend is perfectly acceptable. Who cares what ages we are?  Dating sounds good to me.”

Buck smiled at Tommy then looked back at his list. “In that case, how- if at all- do you want that to change our relationship?”

“You really wanted to be thorough with these questions, huh?” Tommy mused.

“Well I have been thinking about it for two days without much else to keep my mind occupied.” Buck pointed out.

“Fair enough.” Tommy nodded. “Honestly I’m not sure all that much needs to change with the transition from sugaring to dating. I might like to take you out more,” Tommy decided. “Go on dates . And I mean we’ve already kinda established dialing up the physical affection.”

“Yeah. I like that. I feel the same way.” Buck glanced at his phone again. “Abby,” Buck met Tommy’s gaze again. “I know she knows about how I feel about you, and I’m assuming she knows how you really feel,”

“She does.”

“So- and you don’t have to give me any details if it’s not really my place- is everything okay on that front? Is there anything you need me to do or help with or say?” Buck wondered.

“Yeah. Me and Abby are okay. We're still figuring out all the details, but we will eventually be getting a divorce.” Tommy admitted.

Buck felt his heart rate pick up a little out of anxiety upon hearing that. “And you’re okay with that? Is Abby?”

“Yeah. I mean a small part of me is a little sad about it, but honestly we never meant to stay married this long, we always planned on getting divorced at some point. Just took a little longer than we first thought. We’ll still be friends, we’ll care about each other, and we haven’t sorted out the details yet but I’m certain it will all be very fair and very amicable.” Tommy assured Evan. “It’s been a long time coming. This thing with you and me finally just gave me and Abby the push we needed to set it into motion.”

Buck nodded slightly and referred back to his list of questions. “What about um, what about being out ?”

Tommy took Evan’s hand and held onto it, gently tracing shapes over the back of Evan’s hand as he considered his response.

“It’s not a deal breaker for me one way or the other.” Buck assured Tommy. “But uh, I- I tend to love people in a big way and it’s kinda been killing me to keep you a secret from everyone all this time, especially since my feelings got more serious. I’m ready, but if you’re not that’s okay, we- we’ll figure it out.”

The corners of Tommy’s mouth twitched upwards into a smile at Evan and he lifted Evan’s hand to kiss the back of it. “I think I’m ready to try. I don’t know that I’d be ready for something big like a pride-parade or something just yet, but I don’t think it’d hurt to tell some of our friends or your family the truth about us.”

Buck beamed at Tommy. “That’s- that’s all I need- the trying part. And if we never make it to a pride event, that’s okay. We don’t have to tell the whole world, just some of our worlds.”

“I really appreciate that, Evan. And I like the sounds of that too.” Tommy paused for a moment. “For a long time when we first got married me and Abby were way paranoid about tabloids. They’d harass Abby like they would TV-show actors or B-list movie stars, and because I was her husband I was always very cautious because I knew if I was outed there was a good chance it’d be all over the magazines. We ended up getting lawyers involved to protect Abby from the worst of it, and it hasn’t been a problem for some time now. I guess enough time has passed that they were no longer interested in an Olympian from the 80’s.”

“That makes a lot of sense.” Buck gave Tommy’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Do you um- would you say that worrying about that maybe made your fears about getting outed worse? Or m- maybe it's part of why it’s been harder for you to be okay with it?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Tommy agreed.

“Thanks for telling me.” Buck said sincerely. “Is there anything else you wanna share or are we okay to move on?”

“I think we can move on. I’ll let you know if I think of something else.” Tommy promised.

“Good.” Buck looked at his list again. He was working through it rather quickly, and he was less than excited to ask about the next thing.

“Whatever it is Evan, it’s okay, you can ask.” Tommy assured him, picking up on Evan’s apprehensiveness. “I’m not gonna get mad.”

“Well  I just- I- I do feel kinda, really, bad about this part,” Buck admitted.

“Whatever it is, Evan, I’m sure we can work it out. And I bet I won’t be nearly as worried about it as you seem to be.” Tommy gave Evan a pointed look.

“I look that nervous huh?” Buck gave a weak chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

“You look like I’m about to jump forward and bite you.” Tommy deadpanned. “I promise I’m not gonna bite you, unless that’s what you really want- in which case I’m down but we do need a safeword.” He grinned, trying to lighten the mood and ease Evan’s nerves.

Buck chuckled. “Uh no, well maybe actually-” Buck mumbled, then shook his head, telling himself he needed to get back on track. “I wanted to ask about- about money.” He swallowed hard and looked away from Tommy. “Just, being your sugar baby I’ve gotten a weekly allowance from you, and even when I was working full time things would’ve been kinda tight without that allowance. And now I’m on injury-leave which is a pay cut from what the LAFD usually pays me. If- I mean without, without the allowance- I really hate to ask but um,”

“Evan,” Tommy cut in. “I’ve got you, okay? Don’t worry about it. I mean that. I don’t want you to worry about bills or money at all. Just focus on getting better, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Are- are you sure?” Buck nervously looked back up at Tommy.

“Positive.” Tommy confirmed. “If it helps, think of it this way- I was happy dropping four grand a month on you before I even really got to know you. Now not only do I know you, I love you , I want to do whatever is necessary to take care of you, Evan. I take pleasure in caring for you. Covering your bills is in no way a hardship for me. And before your mind goes there or you get nervous about it, Abby truly does not care, and spending money on you won’t affect the divorce, nor will the divorce affect my ability to provide for you.”

“Okay. Thank you.” Buck said sincerely. He really needed to hear everything Tommy had just said, and Tommy saying it before he could ask about those things made him feel much better about it all.

“Of course.” Tommy promised and shifted closer to Evan so he could wrap his arms around his boyfriend and give him the reassuring squeeze Evan so clearly needed. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?”

Buck wrapped his arms around Tommy tight and let the feelings of relief and security wash over him alongside Tommy’s love. “That’s lots for now. Unless there’s something you need?”

“I’ve already got everything I could possibly need.” Tommy murmured adoringly and kissed Evan’s head.

Chapter Text

Tommy didn’t have work until later in the morning the next day, so he wound up spending the night at Evan’s apartment. The two had spoken some more about what may change with regards to their relationship, what they wanted to change, what they wanted to stay the same, and unsurprisingly for the most part they were on the same page. Buck and Tommy both got the best night’s sleep they’d each gotten in a while that night. In the morning Tommy made them breakfast and they ate together before Tommy had to leave to get to his shift. Tommy was about to walk out the door when there was a knock on it, and he pulled it open to find Maddie on the other side with a large cello-wrapped wicker basket of a care-package in hand. “Good morning,” Tommy greeted and opened the door wider for her to enter.

“Hi.” Maddie seemed a bit surprised by Tommy’s presence but said nothing else about it.

“I was just on my way out actually. See you.” Tommy said politely and slipped out the door.

Maddie locked the door behind Tommy and went into the living room where Buck was scrolling on his phone. “Hey, Tommy let me in.” Maddie greeted.

Buck looked up at Maddie and his face grew a confused look at the care package in her arms.

“It’s for you from mom and dad. I don’t know if they mixed up our addresses or intentionally sent it to me to bring to you.” Maddie explained. “Do you want to look through it now?”

“Ah.” Buck nodded. “Doesn’t look like any of it is all that exciting.” Buck admitted, through the cellophane wrap around the basket it looked like it was full of basic ‘self-care’ essentials, some of which Buck might use, others he’d probably never touch.

“I didn’t wanna say anything but yeah.” Maddie agreed as she set it down in front of the TV stand, out of the way but not too far out of reach either. “Have you eaten?”

“Yeah, Tommy made us breakfast.” Buck confirmed. 

“I see.” Maddie nodded slowly.

“There’s leftovers in the fridge if you’re hungry.” Buck added.

“No, I’m okay.” Maddie sat down in the chair next to Buck’s bed.

Again, just like in the hospital after he’d woken up, Buck got the sense that Maddie either had questions about something or was holding back saying what was on her mind. This time, he actually did have the energy to get into it with her. “Whatever you’re thinking or wondering, just say it.” Buck requested.

Maddie considered for a moment. “Are- are you and Tommy involved in some way? It’s just, something about the whole friends thing isn’t quite adding up. He- he’s dropped everything for you at least three times now that I know of, and he’s the only person who I think visits you more than I do. He’s gone above and beyond with taking care of you since the injury.” Maddie rattled off. “At the hospital when we were waiting for you to come out of surgery all your other friends either left or left and came back but not Tommy. He offered to pay whatever medical bills your insurance doesn’t cover, paid to get all your furniture rearranged here at home. It- it just seems like maybe whatever is going on between the two of you is maybe more than friends.”

Buck took a breath to calm himself. He was a little nervous, but he’d talked about this with Tommy last night. They were on the same page about it, and Buck finally felt confident enough to tell someone something truthful about the situation. “What- what if we are?”

Again, Maddie took a second before responding. “Well to be perfectly honest I didn’t realize that’s where your interests would lie.”

“I didn’t either.” Buck admitted. “I mean I still am into women, I’ve always been into women.”

“How long have you been leaning in the other direction?”

“A- a while, I guess a little less than a year?” Buck told her truthfully. “I’ll spare you the details, but this thing with me and Tommy, it- it didn’t start out so serious but I guess over time it started to- to feel that way for both of us. Honestly, it took a while but I eventually started to figure out it’s not just Tommy but men in general.” Buck shrugged. “I guess I was kinda nervous to tell people and I figured they’d want to know how I figured it out and I wasn’t ready to tell people about Tommy so I just kept it to myself.”

“I see.” Maddie fidgeted with the charm on her necklace. “You said it didn’t start so serious, is it serious now?” She didn’t know how they could say it wasn’t serious the way Tommy had been taking care of Buck, but she didn’t want to assume either. Clearly it’d taken a lot of time and courage for Buck to be ready to open up about this, and Maddie did not want to risk upsetting Evan or making him feel as though she didn’t support him.

“It is, yeah.” Buck confirmed. “It started out just as sex and companionship- we’ve been exclusive the whole time, but it was casual. Over time we both started feeling more serious about each other. Honestly we only admitted our real feelings to each other a few nights ago.”

Maddie nodded slightly. “And he treats you right?” Maddie had seen Tommy going above and beyond for Buck, but she still had to ask. Buck was her little brother afterall, she still had to make sure.

“Yes, he’s great. He’s amazing really, I mean you’ve kinda seen what he’s done for me with this whole situation,” Buck gestured to his leg. “Tommy treats me better than I treat myself sometimes. He’s patient and attentive and he really cares about me and he likes me for me, not who he thinks I could be.”

“Good.” Maddie smiled. “I’m glad you have someone like that.” Maddie meant it. All she’d ever wanted was someone to love Buck for Buck unapologetically like she did. Sure sometimes she wanted to string her brother up and at times he drove her crazy, but at the end of the day she loved Buck just the way he was, she wouldn’t trade him for anything. And he deserved to have someone else who loved him like that too, and it seemed Tommy did. “Why was it all so secretive if you don’t mind me asking?”

“It’s not been as easy for him, you know? I mean more of his life being gay was not okay then it has been okay.” Buck picked at a thread at the hem of his shorts. “I knew when things started between us that he wasn’t really out to anyone, and I was okay with that- I wasn’t either. And it’s not like it was some dirty secret- it wasn’t all in the privacy of our homes or sketchy motels or anything. From the start we’ve gone out together in public, we just were careful to go kinda out of the way so we wouldn’t run into anyone we knew, and we didn’t tell anyone really.”

“But it’s different now?” Maddie guessed.

Buck nodded. “We’re both feeling more comfortable about the idea of being out. Tommy’s not gonna be shouting it from the rooftops anytime soon- which for the record is more than fine by me-, but we love each other and we wanna be in each other's lives for a long time, we figure it’s time we stop hiding from our friends and family.”

“Who else knows?”

“Uh Tommy’s best friend, Abby. They’ve been friends since they were kids, she’s known he’s gay almost as long as he has. I’ve met her a few times, she’s really nice. Now you know the details too. Carla knows we both had big feelings but she doesn’t actually know we’ve admitted them to each other yet- Tommy’s known Carla for a long time, he introduced me to her, that’s how I found her for Eddie actually. Hen knows I was seeing a guy, but I haven’t told her it’s Tommy yet.” Buck paused. “And uh, Athena sorta knows too.”

Maddie gave Buck a curious look when he said Athena also knew. Everyone else she could understand why or how they’d known, but Maddie didn’t think Buck was close enough with Sergeant Grant to tell her about Tommy.

“Athena figured it out on her own. It was kinda a thing but it’s sorted now.” Buck brushed it off.

“Right.” Maddie nodded skeptically.

“This whole thing, is it um- I mean what do you think?” Buck asked nervously.

Maddie smiled at her brother. “I will be perfectly honest, Tommy is older than I imagined for you, but as long as you’re happy and he treats you right- which he clearly does- I’m happy for you.” Maddie promised.

“Thank you.” Buck smiled back.

“He’s pretty easy on the eyes too,” Maddie grinned. “Seems you’ve got good taste.”

“Right?!” Buck exclaimed. “He’s not just smart and caring and attentive, but his physique and that cleft-” Buck continued going on about Tommy with Maddie, both of them smiling and laughing as they talked about a topic they’d never gotten to discuss together before- hot guys.

Later that evening, long after Buck had finished eating dinner but still a little ways away from bedtime, his phone started ringing with a well-timed call from Tommy. Buck was just getting bored and Tommy was exactly what Buck needed to keep himself entertained.

“Hey.” Buck grinned into the phone as he answered. “How was work?”

“It was alright. How was your day? Anyone else visit or just Maddie?” Tommy wondered.

“Just Maddie.” Buck responded. “I uh, I told her about us.”

“How’d that go?” Tommy asked, his tone told Buck he was a little nervous, but trying to keep calm and upbeat.

“Really good actually.” Buck couldn’t help but smile. “She can tell how much you care about me, and she’s glad I found someone who makes me so happy.”

“That’s great, Ev. I’m happy for you.” Tommy said sincerely.

“She also totally agrees with me that you’re really hot.” Buck added cheekily.

“Oh?” Tommy sounded surprised.

“It was the first time I actually got to talk with my sister about hot guys, I was excited,” Buck explained as he had an idea and decided on the spot to run with it. “I spared her any details she didn’t need to know but I could go on about how hot you are for days, daddy .”

“Evan,” Tommy sounded intrigued but hesitant.

“I miss you touching me already- stretching me open like we have all the time in the world, fucking into me like your life depends on it- I don’t know how I’m gonna survive until my leg heals.” Buck whined a little at the last part.

“I’m sure we can figure something out, baby boy. Wouldn’t want you to miss out for too long.” Tommy spoke in a soothing, sultry tone, quickly deciding to go along with what Evan was trying to do here.

“Do you miss touching me too daddy?” Buck wondered.

“Of course I do. I miss it so bad Evan. Miss hearing all those pretty little sounds you make for me, how good you and your dick make me feel when you fuck me, how well you take my fingers and my cock, how pretty you look when I make you come over and over again,”

Buck slid his t-shirt off, then reached into his sweatpants and boxers and pulled out his slowly but surely hardening dick as he listened to Tommy talk.

“Are you touching yourself baby?” Tommy asked.

“Can I, daddy? Please?” Buck bit his lip.

“Good boy asking for permission,” Tommy purred. “Yes you can.”

Buck slowly but surely began stroking his dick to full hardness. “Wish it was daddy’s hand stroking me.” Buck pouted.

“I know, baby boy. I wish I was there too.” Tommy murmured. “Close your eyes, listen to my voice, imagine I’m there.”

Buck did as instructed as he continued stroking himself. He figured he wouldn’t last all that long. “I’m already hard daddy, it’s been too long.” Between the length of time since his last orgasm- considering how frequently he’d been having them before the accident-, and the excitement of doing something new with Tommy, Buck knew he’d be finishing sooner rather than later.

“It’s okay sweetheart.” Tommy assured. “Just keep stroking yourself, you’re doing so good.”

Buck ran his thumb over the slit with a whimper, spreading around the first beads of precum over himself. “Are- are you touching yourself too daddy?”

“I am baby, couldn’t help myself, you just sounded so pretty.” Tommy affirmed.

“What would you do if you were here?” Buck asked.

“I’d kiss you all over, everywhere and anywhere I can until you were begging and whining for more. Then I’d take that pretty dick of yours in my mouth, suck you off until you’re desperate to come,”

Buck shuddered. “Would you let me?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Tommy decided. “I’d kiss you while you cool down, then I’d start stretching you open one finger at a time, taking my time, making sure to find your prostate- tease it just enough to keep you on the edge, but never enough for you to finish.”

“Daddy that’s mean,” Buck whined.

“I know but you’d take it all so well for me baby boy, wouldn’t you? Be nice and patient while daddy takes his time with you?”

Buck picked up the speed he was jerking himself off at. “I could try.”

“That’s all I ask baby, I could help you with the rest.” Tommy promised.

“Would I have to wait until you come?” Buck asked.

“No, I think I’d let you come on the first thrust of my cock in that pretty little ass of yours. But I wouldn’t stop just because you finished baby. I know you’ve got at least two orgasms in you.”

“Fuck daddy.” Buck whimpered, his cock was weeping as he furiously fisted it, the way well slicked now with the amount of precum he was leaking. “Feels so good.”

“You’d take it so well for me, just like you always do. Always make daddy feel so good.” Tommy said with a small groan at the end.

“Would you c- come inside me daddy? I could- could clench so good around your dick when you come,” Buck asked.

“Christ baby boy, how could I say no to an offer like that? God, you're so good for me.”

“Just wanna feel good,” Buck panted. His orgasm was getting closer and closer with each passing second, each stroke of his hand against his achingly hard dick. “Make you feel good.”

“To reward you for being such a good boy I think I gotta eat you out to clean you up, how does that sound? Daddy’s tongue fucking your stretched hole?”

“T- Tommy,” Buck whined, 

“God you’ll have beard burn between your cheeks for days, but you’ll like it, won’t you? Like having a reminder what daddy did to you huh?”

“Fuck!” Buck yelped out as he pressed his thumbnail against the slit of his dick. “Yes! Yes! Feels so good daddy.”

“Come for me, Evan,” Tommy commanded.

Buck moaned loudly as he came all over his abs and his chest. He stroked himself through his orgasm, then pulled the phone away from his ear to take a picture of his softening cock against his stomach and his cum coated chest, then sent it to Tommy.

“Fuck baby,” Tommy groaned a second later, sounding like he too had reached his orgasm. “God you look so hot.”

“Only for you daddy.” Buck panted. “Thanks for helping me out like that,”

Tommy scoffed. “I should be thanking you. If I’d known you were into phone sex I would’ve started calling you before bed a long time ago.”

Buck grabbed some tissues from the box on his nightstand and wiped the worst of the cum off his chest. “Gotta keep you on your toes somehow,” Buck stifled a yawn. “Got a few more tricks up my sleeve like that.”

“I can’t wait to learn about all of them.” Tommy hummed.

“Not tonight. Too tired.” Buck then grabbed a wet wipe- also from his bedside table- and wiped himself down with that. He’d wash himself off better in the morning, for now he was tired. He tossed the tissue and the wet wipe into a small garbage can beneath the nightstand.

“I know,” Tommy chuckled. “In due time.”

“Yeah.” Buck grabbed his nighttime meds. “Can we stay on the phone until I fall asleep?”

“Of course we can.” Tommy’s voice was soft and warm.

Buck took his beds and got himself situated for the night, phone on charge, laying on the pillow next to his head. “Love you Tommy.” He mumbled.

“I love you too Evan, sleep well.” Tommy said, and waited until he heard Evan’s breathing even out before ending the phone call.

Chapter Text

A couple days after Buck came out to Maddie, Hen came over for a visit with Buck.

“So anything new with you? I can’t imagine you’re loving being stuck in bed.” Hen frowned.

“Being in bed does suck, yeah, but it’s been okay so far. I’ve had lots of visitors keeping me company. And Chim’s been bringing me movies so it could be worse I guess.” Buck shrugged. “But actually there uh, there is something new. Well, sorta new, sorta not new.”

“Oh?” Hen asked curiously, settling herself into her chair a little better- leaning back and crossing one leg over the other. “You gonna tell me or just leave me in suspense?”

Buck looked at his lap as his cheeks tinted slightly pink. “Remember that I developed feelings for the guy I was sleeping with and didn’t really know what to do with them?”

“Yes- not exactly something I could’ve just forgotten.” Hen confirmed

“Well I finally told him.” Buck announced. “About how I really feel, I mean.”

“And how’d that go?” Hen asked, waiting to react at all until she heard how it went. She wouldn’t want to get excited if it’d gone bad, and wouldn’t want to react solemnly if it’d gone better than expected.

“And he feels the same way.” Buck couldn’t help but smile. “We’re now dating and so me and Tommy agreed to start telling people about each other.”

“So it is Tommy?” Hen gasped.

“Yeah- wait how’d you know?” Buck crossed his arms.

Hen crossed her arms and stared pointedly at Buck. “I’m not stupid, Buckaroo. Given what you’d told me about the guy you were sleeping with and the way Tommy reacted to your accident, I was pretty sure it was him.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Buck frowned.

“I knew you’d tell me if and when you were ready.” Hen shrugged. “I’m happy for you Buck, Tommy seems like a great guy. Good looking too, and I like girls.”

Buck grinned at that. “I really did luck out huh?”

“I’d say so.” Hen agreed. “Have you told anyone else yet?” Hen wondered, hoping if he had that everyone had been good about it. Hen wouldn’t mind having words with anyone who wasn’t.

“Maddie and Carla.” Buck told her. “Uh, Athena knows too.”

“You told Athena?” Hen seemed a bit surprised.

“Uh, actually no. It’s kind of a whole situation…” Buck admitted. 

“What kind of situation ?” Hen raised a brow.

Buck chewed his lip for half a second. “If I explain it to you, promise to let me finish and not judge?”

“Alright,” Hen agreed reluctantly.

“Well Tommy is- I mean he’s obviously older than me,” Buck started as Hen nodded. “Right, and he knew he was gay as a teenager, but it- it wasn’t okay back then in the early eighties like it is now, you know?”

“Uh-huh,”

“And he was really worried about getting found out back then,”

“Understandably.” Hen had had a rough enough time herself in the mid-to-late 90’s and early 2000’s.

“And his best friend since childhood, Abby, she- she knew he was gay.” Buck continued. “So when they turned 18 they agreed to get married to keep Tommy safe from being found out, a uh-” Buck tried to remember the term that Tommy had used.

“A lavender marriage?” Hen supplied.

“Yeah, right. That.” Buck nodded. “And they’re still married to each other. Now Abby she’s super chill, and she knows about me, okay? I’ve met her, we’re kinda maybe even friends- me and Abby I mean. She encouraged Tommy to find someone, and she’s been having her own fun outside of the marriage too,”

“Justifiable, given the circumstances.” Hen wasn’t going to judge Buck, Tommy, or Abby for the arrangement. It was their marriage- lavender marriage or not it didn’t matter- and Hen had no place to have an opinion on it. As long as they were happy, who was anyone to judge?

“Exactly!” Buck nodded. “So Athena, you know how she’s pretty good at knowing when someone’s lying?”

“Yes,”

“Right, so Athena didn’t quite buy the whole me and Tommy were just friends story and she- I mean I don’t know how she found the information she did- but she found out about Abby, Tommy’s wife. Only she didn’t realize Abby and Tommy are in a lavender marriage, she thought Tommy was cheating on Abby.”

Hen sighed. She knew Athena well enough to have an idea of where this may be going, and she was not particularly excited at the idea she may be right about her suspicion. “She went to Abby, didn’t she?”

“Yeah.” Buck confirmed. “And Abby- look Abby is really nice and sweet. But she’s also spent a long time protecting Tommy from being outed. So she wasn’t exactly too pleased about what Athena did. She basically told Athena to butt-out and keep her mouth shut about what she knew.”

“You ask me, Athena deserved whatever Abby told her.” Hen decided. Just because Athena was apparently still not quite over what happened with her marriage to Michael, didn’t make what she did okay either. “Athena may be my best friend but I can still agree that she was outta line on this one. I’m sorry she dug into your personal life like that.”

“I haven’t spoken to Athena since before Abby told her off.” Buck admitted. “I just wish she’d come to me first, you know? Or kept it to herself. I mean you just said you had your suspicions about me and Tommy but you kept it to yourself. You waited until I told you about it.”

“I did.” Hen confirmed. “Even when Karen knew I was thinking about something and probed about it, I didn’t say a word. And I still won’t say anything to anyone unless you want me to.”

Buck smiled a bit at the idea. “You could um, you could tell Karen, if you wanted to.”

“She’ll probably wanna meet Tommy once I do.” Hen warned.

“That’s okay.” Buck nodded. He liked Karen and he liked the idea of both himself and Tommy having a little more community when it came to this stuff. “M- maybe we could do a double date or something?”

“Think Tommy’s ready for that?” Hen wondered.

“I do. I uh- I think it’d be good for him, you know? He- he’s spent so long in the closet and he doesn’t really have many LGBTQ+ friends, or anything. I just,” Buck shrugged. “I dunno, I think it might be nice.”

Hen smiled. “Well I’m sure it won’t take much convincing to get Karen on board. She’s always down for a date night, and getting to meet more people from the community. Not to mention that it’s been a while since she and I have gone out, and she actually just got offered a new job.”

“That’s so great!” Buck smiled, then paused. “I just don’t know what to do about Athena. I mean I don’t want things to be awkward, especially now that me and Tommy are telling some people and it’s not a big secret anymore.”

“I think no matter what it’s gonna be awkward for a little while, Buck.” Hen warned. “Might help if you actually talk to her, if you’re up for it.” Hen pointed out.

“You think?” Buck fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

“I do.” Hen nodded.

Later that day after leaving Buck’s place, Hen just so happened to get a call from Athena. They caught up a little and such, and then Hen decided to bring up some of the stuff Buck told her. “Before I say this ‘Thena, I want to make it clear I’m not trying to start a fight or anything, just wanted to offer you my two-cents on the matter,”

“ Alright ,” Athena sounded a little apprehensive or maybe just confused as to where this was going.

“I had a visit with Buck today, and I heard about what happened with you and his boyfriend’s wife,” Hen started.

Athena sighed. “ It was far from my finest moment, I realize that now .” 

“Good.” Hen said plainly. “Look, I get why you did what you did. So does Buck. He just wishes you would’ve gone to him first.”

“ I get that now. At the time all I was thinking about was what happened with me and Michael, I guess even though I’ve moved on I’m not as over it as I thought I was. ”

“And that’s okay.” Hen told Athena. “What’s not okay is projecting that onto others,"

“ I know ,” Athena sighed. “ How upset is Buck? ”

“He’s not so upset from the sounds of it. Just wants to make peace and move forward I think. Sounds like he’s gonna reach out to you to try and have a chat. Listen when he does, okay?”

“Of course.” Athena agreed.

Just a few days after his visit with Hen, Buck found himself opening the door to find Athena on the other side. “Hey, come in,” Buck held the door open wider.

“Hi.” Athena stepped inside. “How are you feeling?”

“Uh, okay. I mean the leg still hurts but it’s gonna hurt for a while,” Buck shrugged, intentionally keeping it somewhat vague.

Athena nodded.

“Why don’t we sit,” Buck gestured to where a few of the dining chairs were set out at the table. It was nice to have a different option for somewhere to sit while he had a visitor, especially when someone was cooking for him. Buck sat down and with his casted leg propped up on another dining chair, while Athena sat in the third and final vacant chair at the table.

“Do you need anything first?” Athena asked as she set her bag down on the table.

“Nah, I’m okay.” Buck assured her.

Athena nodded and sat down. “Look, Buck,”

Buck interrupted her. “I know that Abby was pretty pissed at you,” He started. “I’m not mad mad like she was, but I’ll be honest Athena, I am kinda upset.”

“That’s completely understandable.” Athena nodded.

“I just wished you’d talked to me first.” Buck told her. “I mean, I- I get it. You thought Tommy was hurting Abby and you wanted to help her. I get that. But it doesn’t mean that I like what happened either.”

“I agree that in hindsight I should’ve handled things differently, Buck. And I am sorry that I didn’t.” Athena said sincerely.

“Appreciated.” Buck hummed. “Look, me and Tommy are starting to tell people about us now, so it’s not as big a secret anymore. I haven’t told Bobby yet though, and I’d like to do that myself,”

“Sure, of course.”

“I don’t want things to be awkward with us. I think we both understand how much we each mean to Bobby and I wouldn’t want anything to make that complicated for him.”

“I agree.” Athena nodded.

“So can we just agree to put this behind us, stay out of each other’s personal business in future unless we have an invitation, and I dunno, be better? For Bobby’s sake?”

“Yes, I would like that.” Athena agreed.

“Good.” Buck gave a small smile, feeling a sense of relief.

“I hope I didn’t cause any hard feelings between you and Tommy or either of the two of you and Abby.” Athena looked at Buck.

“You didn’t.” Buck assured her. “In fact, if anything, it only made things between the three of us better- stronger.”

“That’s good. I’m glad.” Athena nodded. “And you’re happy? Can I ask?”

Buck nodded. “Yeah, I’m really happy actually.”

“Then I guess that’s all that matters.” Athena decided.

“Yeah.” Buck agreed.

Chapter Text

The next couple weeks passed slowly. Visits from Buck’s friends decreased a bit in frequency, though Buck did his best not to let it bother him. Tommy spent a lot of nights at the loft which helped him not feel so bad about the others not visiting as frequently as they had immediately after his injury. After Tommy, Maddie and Bobby were Buck’s most frequent visitors- to no one’s surprise. Eddie brought Christopher over as much as Buck could handle when Eddie’s schedule allowed it. Chimney continued to bring movies for Buck to watch, and Hen never showed up empty handed- always bringing some ready-made or reheat-and-eat meal that she or Karen had made.

Buck had yet to tell Bobby, Eddie, or Chimney about him and Tommy. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell them, but it felt a little different with them. Buck was admittedly a bit more nervous to come out to them than he had been to come out to Maddie or Hen. Buck knew the other guys at the station had no problem with Hen and Karen, or LGBTQ+ people they helped on calls but this felt a little different. He was the only person on the A-shift who liked men, he shared a locker room with them. What if they were fine working with queer women, but drew the line at queer men? Because he was nervous he wasn’t in a rush to tell them, and continued to put it off.

Buck had gotten X-rays of his leg a couple days ago, and had an appointment to meet with his surgeon and go over the results of the X-ray and what that meant for his healing timeline. Maddie was working, so Tommy had offered to take Buck to the appointment.

Buck had just finished getting dressed for the day when there was a knock on the door. That told Buck it wasn’t Tommy, so he made his way over to the door and opened it to find Bobby on the other side.

“Morning Buck.” Bobby greeted, take out bag in hand. “Is this a bad time?”

“Uh no, I mean I have an appointment soon but I’ve got a bit of time before I gotta go.” Buck opened the door wider and moved out of the way, letting Bobby into the apartment.

“I was in the area running errands, thought I’d bring you some breakfast.” Bobby explained  as he entered the apartment and took the take out bag to the kitchen to unpack it.

“You do know I am capable of feeding myself, right?” Buck chuckled as he closed the door behind Bobby, then went to take a seat at the dining table.

“I know but,” Bobby shrugged. “I mean I’m already here, right?”

“I guess so.” Buck smiled.

Buck and Bobby idly chatted as they ate the breakfast burritos that Bobby had brought for them.

“So how are you getting to your appointment?” Bobby asked curiously.

“Tommy is taking me. He’ll probably be picking me up anytime now actually,” Buck said as he checked the time on his phone.

“He’s been helping you out a lot these last several weeks, hasn’t he?” Bobby already knew the answer yet he asked the question anyway.

“Yeah, he- he has.” Buck popped the last bite of his burrito in this mouth and crumbled up the foil wrapping into a ball as he chewed and swallowed. He looked down at his lap as he spoke. “To be honest Bobby, he uh- Tommy I mean- he- he’s more than just a- a friend to me.”

“Okay.” Bobby said slowly.

“He’s um- we- we’re dating.” Buck looked back up at Bobby, hoping his face didn’t know half the nerves he was feeling right now.

“Gotcha.” Bobby nodded.

“I don’t- I mean um, is- is that a problem?” Buck asked nervously.

“Is what a problem?” Bobby seemed genuinely confused.

“Me being-” Buck swallowed hard. “Being into guys.”

“No.” Bobby was quick to assure. “As your captain, there is no problem with you being LGBT anything - and if anyone at the firehouse gives you a hard time about it, that’s either bullying and harassment or discrimination and I would have them suspended, sent to HQ for an anti-bullying lecture, and then probably transferred to a different house.”

Buck anxiously wrung his hands as he listened to Bobby.

“And as your friend,” Bobby continued. “I don’t care who you love- as long as they’re over the legal age of consent of course,”

Buck couldn’t help but chuckle. “Definitely not an issue with Tommy.”

“No.” Bobby agreed with a smile. “This doesn’t change how I feel about you Buck, I promise. And for what it’s worth, I know I don’t know Tommy all that well but as far as I can tell, he’s good people, and he’s obviously good for you. I’m happy for you.”

Buck smiled. “Thanks Bobby.”