Chapter Text
It was funny, Buck thought - not in a ‘funny haha’ way, but in a 'funny weird' way, how some days your life could flip completely without you even realizing it.
Shouldn't life come with a warning - like a text alert.
Danger: Fire Truck about to land on your leg
Danger: Tsunami about to hit the pier you and your best friend son is on
Danger: You're about to get hit by lightening and die for 3 minutes and 17 seconds
Danger: You're about to ask your partner to move in rather than fix the issues with your relationship and your partner is going to dump you.
One minute, he had a hot, steady boyfriend who could pilot a helicopter through a hurricane and land it on a upside down cruise ship to save the man and woman who were better parents to him than his real parents (although, they were at least trying now), and the next, he was single, standing on the sidewalk, feeling the sting of the breakup still fresh.
So was his stubble.
He shouldn’t have panicked and asked Tommy to move in with him, he always moved too fast, too focused on trying to fix small problems with a sledge hammer.
The whole Abby connection threw him, then Josh’s well meaning speech had hit home too hard.
And now, as if the universe wanted to throw salt into the wound, his phone was missing. Stolen, just swiped in the middle of an offbeat LA coffee shop. He just stood there, stunned for a beat longer than he should have, processing how he’d lost his boyfriend and his phone in less than the span of twenty-four hours.
Of course, that was when Eddie strolled up, casually glancing at Buck’s empty hand. His lips curled into a smirk that Buck knew all too well. “Looks like you’re having trouble holding onto things, huh?” he said, unable to keep the laughter from his voice.
Very funny, Eddie. Buck shot him a look, but Eddie only shrugged, his smirk widening, clearly enjoying every second of Buck’s silent irritation.
Asshole.
Of course, said Asshole was happy to accompany Buck to track down said stolen phone when Buck remembered he had the find my phone app installed.
“You do realize that there is like this force, I think it might be called LAPD, you might have heard of it? Athena works there-they handle things like this.” Eddie had told him as they pulled up outside of the rundown apartment block.
Which was not entirely true, the LAPD was too busy to worry about minor crime like this, they would just fill out a form for Buck to claim on his insurance.
“Uh, well I can get my own phone back, thank you very much,” Buck retorted, “What, are you scared now you've lost that big, tough, manly mustache??”
Eddie scoffed, rolling his eyes as Buck parked the Jeep and followed Buck toward the building. “No, but someone has to make sure you don’t get yourself arrested or in hospital, again, Buckley.”
Buck led the way up four flights of stairs that smelled like stale cigarettes and spilled beer, stopping outside the apartment his app had directed them to. The plan was simple and foolproof, pretend to be doing a fire inspection of the apartment complex to bluff their way inside, and then reclaim Buck's stolen phone.Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door, then called out with all the confidence he could muster, “LAFD, open up!”
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the door creaked open just a fraction, and a teenage boy with an impressively skeptical expression peeked through the gap at them. He couldn’t have been more than sixteen, with messy hair and a look that screamed, I don’t trust you one bit. “Uh, yeah?” he snapped.
“LAFD,” Buck said, as authoritatively as he could. “We’re here for a fire inspection, uh, Council requirements.”
The kid raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting from suspicious to amused. “Fire inspection? Really? I don’t think so.”
“Yes,” Buck replied smoothly. “We’re just making sure the place is up to code.” He didn’t add that it definitely wasn’t. Eddie stood behind him, nodding, trying to look official despite barely containing his smirk.
The teenager seemed to consider it for a moment before unlocking the chain and swinging the door open, shrugging. “Good luck with that. There’s no way this place is up to code—it barely has running water.”
The apartment, as they stepped inside, wasn’t a disaster, but it was run-down and painfully bare. Faded wallpaper peeled from the corners, and a single battered couch sat in the middle of the living room, as sad and tired-looking as the rest of the place. Buck’s gaze swept over the room, narrowing as he spotted what looked suspiciously like his phone resting casually on the coffee table.
He shot a glance at the kid. “Where are your parents?”
The boy shrugged again, clearly unfazed. “Out. Not that it really falls under ‘fire inspection’ for you to ask, does it?” He shifted subtly, inching towards a baseball bat propped against the wall. “You are with the LAFD, aren’t you?” Clearly the teen had trust issues as his fingers curled around the handle of the bat.
Buck held up a hand in a hopefully peaceable gesture. “Uh, so yes we are with the LAFD, but we may not be here to be do a fire inspection.” With that Buck pushed the alert button on find my phone and his phone, sitting on the coffee table started beeping and vibrating as the teenager sighed.
The teen rolled his eyes, sighing in resignation, however did he uncurl his hand from the baseball bat. “I'm pretty sure it’s illegal to lie your way into someone’s place,” he muttered, his tone more annoyed than apologetic, as Buck reached over and snatched up his phone off the coffee table.
“And it’s not illegal to steal someone’s phone?” Eddie countered, glancing around and opening the empty fridge, where he found only a half-empty carton of milk and a single bruised apple. Talk about the bare necessitates. 'You're just lucky it was his, and not some bad guy."
Buck, meanwhile, took in the apartment’s sparse contents with growing curiosity and concern. “How old are you?” he asked, crossing his arms.
“Old enough,” the teen replied, his expression carefully guarded. "What's with the 20 questions?"
Buck didn’t buy it. “That’s not an answer,” he pressed, taking a closer look around despite the teen's obvious annoyance. “There’s only one bed in this tiny apartment, too.”
“Well, like you said, Mr. LAFD, if you actually are with the LAFD, it’s a tiny apartment. There’s not a lot of room.”
Buck exchanged a look with Eddie, who was now leaning against the fridge with a skeptical look. “So, you’re here alone?”
The teen shrugged again, a defensive edge creeping into his voice. “Look,you got your phone back, which for the record, I don’t know how it ended up in here.” He glanced away, then muttered, “So about you leave me alone?”
“You’re a little young to be living alone aren’t you?” Buck pressed as the teen scowled at the comment, getting his back up.
“I’m practically sixteen, and I can look after myself okay? I didn’t ask you to come in here and do whatever it is you're doing okay? Just take your phone and leave me alone.” the teen repeated, voice raising. "Before I call the cops on two losers who are trespassing."
Irony.
Buck shared a look with Eddie, who raised an eyebrow in silent agreement. “Alright, well…” Buck gave his phone a quick glance before slipping it back into his pocket. “Just maybe try not to find other people’s stolen stuff in your apartment in future, okay?”
The teen rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the solid advice, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Buck hesitated, his voice softening. “If you need anything… there are people who can help.”
The kid looked away, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his face before he masked it with another shrug. “Don’t remember asking, that's you assuming.”
In the Jeep, as Buck sat there for a moment, Eddie looked over at him and said “Please don’t tell me you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking about.”
Across town, over at Harbour Station, Tommy found himself on the receiving end of a full-force Lucy interrogation.
“So, let me get this straight,” Lucy said, crossing her arms with an unimpressed scowl. “You broke up with Buck because you liked him too much?”
Tommy let out a long-suffering groan. “No, Lucy. I broke up with him because he’s new to the whole bi thing. He needs space—to explore, figure things out for himself, grow. I was his first, and that's-”
Lucy’s face didn’t budge, honestly, how she was expected to work with these idiots was beyond her. “Oh, please. Buck’s done enough exploring to fill a travel blog. And you know,” she added with a sly tilt of her head, “there are ways to introduce Buck to other guys without, you know, breaking up with him.”
Tommy shot her a glare. “I am not—”
Lucy interrupted with a smirk. “Not open-minded enough to consider options? Really, Tommy?”
His deadpan expression was unwavering. “I am not about to suggest threesomes to a guy who only kissed his first guy six months ago, and I am not into, you know being...”
“Cucked, maybe not by Buck, but you did it to yourself.” Lucy replied with no chill, “'Oh no, I’m such a big tough firefighter but I’m afraid of getting my heart broken so I’ll just give up', that’s you being a little bit-”
“Hey! Watch what you're saying Donato, I am not a little bitch, I am a pilot with the LAFD.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Sure, keep telling yourself that. But don’t come crying to me when he finds some other guy who actually wants to be there, or woman, Buck's bi and he's cute, totally my type.”
Tommy’s sigh was part exasperation, part resignation. “I just want him to have a fair shot at figuring out what he really wants.”
Lucy softened just a fraction but kept her tone sharp, to the point. “Right, well, try not to be surprised when what he really wants turns out to be you, but you fucked it up.”
“That ship has sailed.” Tommy mumbled, as he re-downloaded the toxic dating apps onto his phone, Lucy rubbing his shoulder as she walked past. “Luckily someone has experience landing on ships that have sailed, and capsized huh?”
She smirked, leaving him to his thoughts. But before he could even open the first app, his phone buzzed, and the screen flashed: Eddie 118.
Tommy sighed, bracing himself, then answered with a steady, “Go for Kinard.”
“What the hell, Tommy,” came Eddie’s unmistakable exasperated voice. “I thought Buck was the idiot.”
Tommy closed his eyes with a sigh. Yeah, he definitely wasn’t going to live this down anytime soon.
Later that day, Eddie walked into Buck’s apartment, instantly hit by the warm, savory smell of lasagna filling the air.
“Buck?”
“Oh, uh, hey, man!” Buck looked up with a cheerful grin, quickly shoving a takeout container behind his back, a little too obviously. “Didn’t know you were stopping by.”
Eddie raised an eyebrow, holding up a six-pack. “Eh, just thought I’d surprise my best friend with some beer - given he’s suffering from a broken heart, beer is the best cure.”
Buck accepted a bottle with a grin. “Well, at least you’re wearing pants this time.”
Eddie laughed, rolling his eyes. “Please, it was a good look on me.”
“Oh, sure, sure,” Buck teased. “Next time we hit the town, we’ll see how many bars let you in like that.”
To be fair, Eddie was a pleasing sight in just a light pink shirt and tight whiteys, he would definitely get some attention before he got kicked out.
They both chuckled, clinking bottles before Eddie’s gaze shifted to the spread of lasagna trays lining the kitchen counter. “That’s… a lot of lasagna for one person. I mean, I know you can put it away, but with no Tomm—”
Eddie stopped mid-sentence, realizing he’d hit a nerve as Buck’s face faltered for just a second before he recovered with a shrug.
“Diaz, ever heard of meal prepping?” Buck replied, his tone overly casual as he gave a lopsided smile.
Eddie wasn’t buying it, crossing his arms with a knowing look. “Oh, I’ve heard of it. I also know you, Buck. And I saw that takeout container you tried to hide. What, you think I’m blind?”
Buck looked away, realizing he had been caught.
“It’s the teen isn’t it.” Eddie accused lightly, rubbing his jawline. “Buck, you know you shouldn’t get involved…”
Buck sighed. “Aw, no, come on Eddie, it’s just one meal, okay? I’m hardly getting involved, I don't even know his name.”
Eddie raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Oh, yeah? I’ve seen you ‘hardly get involved’ before. Ring any bells? Like, say… Red the firefighter?” or finding Carla for Chris, or any other lost cause Buck happened to stumble across.
Buck winced, rolling his eyes. “Come on, Eddie, that was different.”
“Is it?” Eddie shot back, though his tone was gentle. “Look, I get it. But you can’t save everyone, Buck.”
Buck nodded, letting out a quiet sigh. “Yeah, well… making sure he has one good meal isn’t going to hurt anyone, just one meal Eds. That’s all.”
Eddie softened, clapping Buck on the shoulder. “I’m not helping you when you turn your loft into a soup kitchen, okay?”
As they rode in Buck’s Jeep towards the rundown apartment buildings, Eddie threw a sucker punch into their casual banter. “So, have you talked to Tommy?”
“Uh, no? Why would I?”
“You were together six months,” Eddie said, shooting him that annoyingly perceptive look. “You ask him to move in, he gets cold feet, and you just… let him go? You put more effort into following up after your first date from hell than you have now, have you even sent him a text?.”
Buck tightened his grip on the wheel, jaw clenching. “Correct. We were together for six months, and instead of having a single real conversation, he walked out - no, wait, he walked out and told me to go sleep around, like I’m Buck 1.0 again. It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine.”
“He’s fine,” Buck replied, his voice strained. “Probably already found himself a ‘boy’ to take his mind off things.”
“‘Boy’? Are we teenagers now? And no, he doesn’t have another guy. He’s probably moping in the dark with a beer.” the words 'like you' left unsaid.
Buck looked out the window, his voice softer. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t the one who ended it.”
“No, you were the one who didn’t fight to save it.” At Buck’s pointed glare, Eddie raised his hands, feigning innocence. “I’m just saying, don't shoot the messenger.”
Asshole.