Archive of Our Own ^beta

Lucy stepped into the station, her body aching from her long day. Her patrol shift had just ended, but her heart hadn’t quite settled yet. She scanned the open space until her eyes landed on Buck across the room, laughing at something Eddie said. Her lips curved into a small smile.

“Excuse ma’am,” someone said nearby. “Er um.” He says, fumbling over himself. 

She turned to see a firefighter leaning against the rig, dark hair, easy smile, clearly impressed.

“I’m Ravi,” he added with a grin. “Can I help you find anything? Or anyone! I've been told im very helpful.”

“Is that so?” 

“Yeah, well, you know I’m also just willing to lend a helpful hand” 

“Good to know, Ravi.” She smiled. 

“Are you here for anything specific?”” He asked when Lucy started walking again.

Before she could respond, Buck appeared beside her. “Hey. What are you doing here?.”

Lucy’s face softened at the sight of him. “I was hoping you’d be here.”

“I’m here,” he said quietly, the teasing from moments ago gone from his tone. “Everything alright?”

She gave a small nod. “I was wondering if you had time for lunch. I need to talk to you.”

His brows pulled together just slightly, but he nodded without hesitation. “Yeah. Let’s go upstairs.”

He placed a gentle hand on her back as they walked away. She let it stay.

Ravi watched them head up the stairs, eyebrows raised. “Okay... who was that?”

Hen, not far away, glanced up from her clipboard.

“Are they a thing?” Ravi asked.

Hen shrugged. “I try not to get invested in Buck’s love life.”

“So that’s a yes?”

Hen looked at him with a dry smile. “That’s a ‘don’t make it your problem.’”

Lucy sat across from Buck, legs stretched out in front of her, her expression was animated now—half-exhausted, half-irritated.

“You would not believe how stupid Tim was today,” she said, tossing a small piece of napkin toward the center of the table. “Just… peak stubborn, emotionally unavailable, ‘I’m-a-sergeant-so-I-know-everything’ Tim.”

Buck raised a brow. “What’d he do this time?”

“He called me out in front of a whole group of rookies for ‘setting a bad example.’” She made air quotes. “Because I told them not to skip meals on shift. Like, sorry for caring if people pass out while chasing suspects.”

Buck tilted his head. “Wow. That’s… unnecessary.”

“Exactly! It wasn’t even a big deal. I think he just wanted to make a point. Which would be fine if he actually said what his point was instead of just being a passive-aggressive jerk about it.”

Buck leaned back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest. “I swear, ever since your lovely  hospital visit, he’s been… different.”

Lucy looked at him, brows lifting slightly.

Buck continued, “I don’t know. I mean I didn’t know him but from how you described him he used to be… gruff, yeah, but not like this. now when you describe him it just sounds like he’s an asshole.”

Lucy groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “It’s probably because he thinks we’re dating.”

Buck blinked. “Wait. What?”

“I mean, I don’t know for sure,” Lucy said, sitting up straighter, “but he saw you at the hospital, then you showed up again when I got discharged, and then this morning, he gave me this look when I mentioned I was coming by the station. Like he was trying to figure out what I was hiding.”

Buck raised his eyebrows. “You think he’s jealous?”

“I think Tim hates not being in control,” Lucy muttered. “And if he thinks I moved on, especially with someone he doesn’t know well, it probably messes with his head.”

Buck looked at her for a moment, then leaned forward. “Are we dating?”

Lucy let out a short laugh. “No.”

“Just making sure,” Buck said, teasing. “I mean, if we were, you’d at least have to buy me a drink first.”

She rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. “Shut up.”

He leaned back again, this time more relaxed. “Well, if it makes you feel better, you can tell him we’re not.”

Lucy paused, thoughtful now. “No. Let him wonder.”

Buck smirked. “That’s kind of evil. I like it.”

She grinned back. “Tim Bradford’s been in my head for too long. Let him sit in his own mess for a while.”

Buck raised his water bottle like a toast. “To strategic emotional confusion.”

Lucy clinked her bottle against his. “Cheers.”

Buck rested his elbows on his knees, hands hanging loosely, his eyes still on the floor like the words he didn’t say were gathering there.

Lucy leaned back against the chair, arms crossed, watching him with that perceptive look she always had when she stopped making jokes long enough to actually see someone.

“You know it’s unhealthy, right?” she said quietly. “Being in love with your best friend.”

Buck didn’t move for a second. Then his head snapped up, mouth open in mock offense. “Wow. Coming from you ?”

She didn’t flinch. “It’s different.”

He scoffed, leaning back with exaggerated flair. “Oh, right. Sorry. Forgot there’s a sliding scale of emotional masochism. Please, Officer Chen, enlighten me.”

Lucy rolled her eyes but didn’t smile. “You know it is.”

He didn’t argue.

She continued, softer now, “You and Eddie… you’ve built this whole life together, and maybe that makes it harder to separate what’s love from what’s loyalty. But he’s never said anything. Never given you anything real to hold onto.”

Buck pressed his lips together, a quiet acknowledgment in the tension of his jaw.

“I mean, has he ever even looked at a guy?” Lucy asked. “Every time I’ve seen him, he’s with some woman. Always flirting. Sometimes shamelessly. He’s kind of a whore, honestly.”

Buck snorted despite himself.

“I’m serious,” she said. “He’s clearly into women. That’s not a mystery. But guys? He’s never said anything, and you’ve known him longer than I have. If he hasn’t even hinted—”

“I know,” Buck cut in, quietly. “I know, Luce.”

They sat in that quiet for a moment, not quite sad, not quite peaceful.

“You ever think about telling him?” she asked.

Buck shook his head slowly. “Not unless I want to lose him completely.”

Lucy nodded, understanding in the way only someone who's been there could. “Yeah.”

They didn’t say anything after that. Just sat there in the soft stretch of silence, two people who knew what it meant to love someone who might never love them back.

Footsteps creaked on the stairs, and a second later Bobby appeared, arms crossed, eyebrow raised in that familiar Dad of the Firehouse way.

Buck groaned immediately. “Oh no.”

“Buck,” Bobby said, voice steady. “You know my rules about guests upstairs.”

“Come on,” Buck whined. “Athena comes over all the time.”

“She’s my wife ,” Bobby replied, dry as sandpaper. “Unless you and Lucy got married in the last twenty minutes—”

“We’re just friends,” Buck cut in quickly, holding up his hands like he was trying to stop traffic.

Bobby looked entirely unconvinced but let it slide. His eyes moved to Lucy, and his stern expression broke into a warm smile. “Hey, Lucy. You’re always welcome here. I just like messing with the kid.”

Lucy smiled, trying not to laugh. “It’s okay. I like the dynamic.”

“Cruel,” Buck muttered under his breath. “So cruel.”

Bobby patted him on the shoulder on his way out. “Keeps you humble.”

Buck shot Lucy a look. “He lives to torment me.”

Lucy bit back a grin. “He’s good at it.”

Bobby called over his shoulder as he disappeared down the stairs, “Ten more minutes before shift briefing, Buck. Don’t make me come back up.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Buck called back. Then he looked at Lucy again, a little sheepish. “I swear he was softer before he adopted us all.”

Lucy laughed, settling back into her chair again. “I don’t know. I kind of love it.”

Buck sighed. “Of course you do.”

She winked. “It's the dad energy. Very comforting.”

Buck shook his head with a smirk. “You’re the worst.”

“Yet you always have me around,” she reminded him sweetly.

He didn’t argue that.

Buck was mid-sip of water when Lucy tilted her head toward him with a casual smile.

“You doing anything tonight?” she asked.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Uh… probably just laundry and pretending I’m gonna cook before ordering takeout. Why?”

“I was thinking,” Lucy said, sliding her phone off the table, “drinks at my place? Nothing wild. Just hang out, maybe watch something dumb. I’ll even go get that cinnamon whiskey you like and a playlist that’s seventy percent angsty throwbacks.”

Buck raised a brow. “So, a night of bad decisions.”

She grinned. “Obviously.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m in.”

Lucy opened her phone, then paused, squinting at her calendar. “Oh! By the way, are you going to the LAFD and LAPD gala on Friday?”

Buck made a face like someone just told him he had to go to the dentist and a wedding on the same day. “Do I have to?”

“Yes,” she said immediately.

“I don’t even know what I’d wear.”

“I’ll help you,” she offered, as if that solved everything.

Buck groaned. “Lucy, I’ve been to, like, two galas ever and I think I spilled something at both of them.”

“You’ll be fine,” she said with a wave of her hand. “It’s good food, free drinks, and a reason to wear something other than boots and a uniform. Come on, I’ll be there.”

He raised a brow. “ You in a dress, drinks flowing, and the chance to make awkward conversation with brass from two departments? Sounds like a party.”

“Exactly,” she said with a wink. “Plus, you can make fun of people with me. You love that.”

He sighed dramatically. “You’re very manipulative.”

“I’m very convincing .”

He looked at her for a beat, then grumbled, “Fine. But if there’s a string quartet again, I’m blaming you.”

“I’ll bring earplugs,” she said. “Now go be useful and text me your whiskey preference so I don’t accidentally serve the wrong brand.”

Buck stood, shaking his head but smiling. “You know, one of these days I’m gonna say no.”

“Yeah, but today’s not that day.”

“Nope,” he said, already heading for the stairs. “See you tonight.”

“Don’t forget to look pretty,” she called after him.

His laugh echoed back, warm and easy. ”I always look pretty!” Lucy just grins back at him.

Angela slid up beside Tim, her voice low but firm. “Hey, you’ve been staring at them for a while now. You might want to ease up before someone actually calls you out.”

Tim didn’t take his eyes off Buck and Lucy. “That firefighter guy… he looks like a walking disaster. I don’t get how he even got the job. I swear, he couldn’t tell his left foot from his right if his life depended on it.”

Angela raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. “Okay… but why do you care so much? You barely even know the guy.”

Tim finally glanced her way, jaw tight. “I don’t know him. Doesn’t matter. It’s Lucy. She deserves better than some clumsy rookie who’s always messing things up.”

Angela softened, stepping closer. “Tim, you’re sounding way more upset about this than you probably want to admit. What is it really?”

He shook his head, looking away. “It’s nothing.”

“Come on,” Angela pressed gently. “You’ve been watching them all night like it’s driving you crazy. It’s not just about that man being ‘incompetent,’ is it? because let’s face it most men are.” 

Tim ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s that he’s... around her so much.”

Angela nodded thoughtfully. “So… are they together?”

Tim hesitated, voice low. “Seems like it. I don’t even know what to think anymore.”

She studied him carefully. “Tim, is this about you? About Lucy?”

He swallowed hard but didn’t say anything.

Angela gave him a small, understanding smile. “It’s okay to be honest. You don’t have to pretend like it doesn’t sting.”

Tim finally met her eyes, the walls cracking just a bit. “Maybe it does.”

Angela gave Tim a steady look, her tone gentle but firm. “Tim, you have to remember, you were the one who broke up with Lucy. You made that choice.”

Tim’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

“She’s allowed to move on,” Angela continued softly. “You can’t hold her to something that ended because of you.”

He looked down, voice quiet. “I know. It’s just… harder than I thought it would be.”

Angela reached out, placing a hand on his arm. “That’s okay. It’s okay to feel that way. But if you want her to be happy, you have to accept it, even if it’s not with you.”

Tim nodded slowly, the weight in his eyes still there but a little less heavy. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

Angela smiled gently. “Of course I am. Now, let’s figure out how you’re going to survive the rest of this gala without glaring at everyone.”

The upbeat intro of the Cupid Shuffle blasted through the speakers, and Lucy let out a triumphant cheer.

“Yes!” she beamed, spinning around to face Aaron and Buck. “I told you if you asked for it, they’d play it!”

Aaron laughed, already stepping onto the dance floor. “I still can’t believe we let you talk us into this.”

Buck groaned, shaking his head with a grin. “I regret everything.”

“You’re gonna regret it more if you don’t keep up,” Lucy teased, grabbing Buck and Aaron’s hands and dragging him into the forming line. “Come on, don’t embarrass me.”

Maddie, Celina, and Chim joined in, laughing as the beat picked up.

“To the right, to the right, to the right, to the right—” the song blared, and everyone slid into the steps. Lucy nailed every move with effortless rhythm, her smile wide and wild.

Buck, on the other hand, immediately spun the wrong way and nearly bumped into Chimney.

“Hey!” Chim said, dodging Buck. “That was not to the right.”

“I was going right,” Buck protested, spinning back around just in time to mess up the next slide.

Lucy caught it all, eyes gleaming. “Oh my God, how are you this bad?”

Buck looked helpless, grinning. “I don’t know! I think my feet are moving independently of my brain!”

“You’d have to have a brain for them to move independently Buckaroo.” Chim laughed, Maddie playfully swatting him. Lucy rolled her eyes and motioned for Buck to watch her. 

Buck threw his hands up, smiling despite himself. “Why are you so good at this?”

“Because I have soul ,” Lucy said with a wink, spinning into the next move like she was born doing it. “Also, it’s a dance we learn in middle school, kids to it. It literally tells you what to do.”

Buck groaned dramatically, flubbing the turn again. “I should’ve just stayed at the bar.”

“You’d still be off beat over there,” Lucy called over her shoulder.

The group kept dancing, laughter mixing with music, Buck trying and failing to redeem himself, while Lucy kept leading the way, absolutely thriving.

The last notes of the Cupid Shuffle faded into applause and laughter. Lucy was breathless, cheeks flushed from dancing, still smiling as Buck leaned over, pretending to catch his breath.

“I think I pulled something,” he muttered, hands on his knees.

“You pulled your pride,” Lucy teased, nudging him playfully with her shoulder.

He grinned, straightening up—just as Lucy’s eyes drifted over his shoulder.

Her smile faltered for a second.

Tim.

He was across the room, standing near a high-top table, nursing a drink, eyes distant but unmistakably on her.

Lucy took a slow breath, her fingers brushing a stray curl behind her ear. “I’ll be right back,” she said quietly.

Buck turned toward her, brows lifting. “Everything okay?”

She gave a small nod, though it came with a tight smile. “Yeah. Just… give me a sec.”

Without waiting for more, Lucy stepped off the dance floor, weaving through clusters of people as she made her way toward Tim. Her heels clicked softly against the floor, her posture steady but her heartbeat just a little too fast.

Lucy approached slowly, her heels clicking gently against the polished floor as the laughter and music of the gala faded into the background. She caught Tim’s eye before she reached him, and his posture shifted slightly, straightening up like he hadn’t expected her to actually walk over.

He set his drink down on the high-top table beside him. “Hey.”

Lucy gave a small smirk, folding her arms loosely as she stopped in front of him. “Didn’t expect you to be lurking in the corner.”

Tim let out a low chuckle. “I’m just… observing.”

“You were lurking , Tim. Full brooding mode. All you needed was a dimly lit hallway and some dramatic music.”

He cracked a smile at that, the corner of his mouth tugging up the way it used to when she caught him off guard. “Can’t believe you got them to play Cupid Shuffle.”

“How did you know I asked for it,” she said, mock offended. “Technically Buck and Aaron did the asking”

Tim raised a brow. “Volunteered, or was peer-pressured with that scary smile of yours?”

Lucy grinned, proud. “I prefer to think of it as encouragement .”

They stood there for a beat, the banter settling into a more comfortable silence. The air between them still carried the remnants of what they were—familiar, if not entirely healed.

Then Tim spoke, voice quieter. “I’ve missed your smile.”

Lucy blinked, caught off guard. She tried to brush it off with an eye roll, like she always did when he leaned too close to vulnerable. “Okay, no. Don’t be that guy tonight.”

“I’m not,” he said, more serious now. “I’m just saying… it’s good to see you happy.”

The words lingered, soft and genuine. No bitterness, no strings. Just truth.

Lucy’s expression shifted, her arms loosening. The smile that formed next was smaller but honest. “Thanks.”

Tim nodded, looking at her for a second longer like he wanted to say more, but didn’t.

She glanced back over her shoulder toward the dance floor where Buck was dramatically mimicking the dance steps with Maddie and Celina laughing around him. “I should probably go save Buck before he starts breakdancing and dislocates something.”

Tim, looked away mumbling. “Yeah, that sounds on-brand for him.”

“You should try it sometime,” she teased. “Smiling. Dancing. Not glowering from ten feet away.”

“I’ll consider it,” he said.

She turned to leave, but not before glancing back with a final look—one that said she saw him, even now.

Tim watched her go, her laugh echoing faintly as she returned to the group, and for a moment, he just stood there. Still in the shadows, but maybe not as far removed as before.

Lucy returned to the dance floor just long enough to nudge Buck and mouth drink before heading toward the bar. He followed a beat later, loosening his tie as he caught up with her.

They leaned side by side against the counter while Lucy ordered a soda and Buck asked for whatever light beer didn’t taste like regret.

He glanced sideways, casually. “That looked… calm. Like he didn’t manage to upset you this time.”

Lucy let out a short laugh, rolling her eyes. “Don’t jinx it. But yeah. It wasn’t bad.”

Buck nodded, his voice careful but kind. “That’s good. I hate to have to tell him something, mainly because he looks like he could snap me in half.”

Lucy gave a quiet laugh, then bumped her shoulder into his gently. “Thanks for not making it weird.”

He shrugged. “I’m still not his biggest fan, but… I’ve got your back. That’s not changing.”

There was a warmth in her smile that hadn’t been there earlier. She sipped her soda, then tilted her head at him. “You know, for all your supportive best friend energy, you’re still tragically single.”

Buck groaned. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“Because it’s true. And because you’re cute when you get defensive.”

“I’m not defensive,” he said, already defensive. “I just don’t have time for dating right now. Or the energy. Or the patience.”

Lucy gave him a knowing look. “You definitely have the time.”

Buck opened his mouth, then closed it again, giving a grudging sigh. “Fine. Maybe I’m rusty. Or tired. Or both.”

She nudged him again. “We both can do it, you know. Start over. Let people in again.”

Buck looked at her for a long moment. “You think you’re ready for that?”

Lucy’s smile turned thoughtful. “Maybe. I think I’m ready to try.”

He nodded slowly, then lifted his glass. “Alright. To trying.”

Lucy clinked hers against his. “To trying.”