i have says to word at you

WIP - 12k chapter - M - Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Tommy Kinard

Additional Tags: Buck goes to yoga, I would also go to yoga if Tommy Kinard was the instructor, Queer Identity Development, Community is complicated

Hey, look at that, Buck actually does some yoga this week!

Snippet:

Buck is torn between ducking away and pretending he wasn't staring like an idiot, or just waving hello, but Tommy is already straightening and touching a hand to his conversation partner's elbow as he murmurs something and then comes striding over to Buck, concern on his face. "Evan, I wasn't expecting to see you today," he says, brows pinching together as he searches his face. "I - sorry?" Buck tries, stopping trying to get the buckles loose. "Was… is there not a spot in the class anymore? Should I not have-" "No - no, sorry, that's -" Tommy says, his face tightening in a frustrated scrunch as he reaches out and squeezes his arm just above his elbow like he doesn't want to risk him trying to run away again. "That's not how I meant it. I just meant I didn't think you'd be feeling up to it so soon."

The fic idea just came to me as I was doing laundry

Picture it, it's Christmas time. This is the first year Tommy hasn't worked the holidays in a very, very long time. Maybe he always volunteers to work them, I don't know. Anyway, someone - his account cousin? His distant mother? - insists he flies out and spends Christmas and New Years with them. He can't think of a good excuse, so he reluctantly agrees, even though he'd much rather mope around his house and watch sappy Christmas movies. But, hey, maybe if he isn't in the state, he won't be thinking about Evan and wishing for a ridiculous Christmas miracle.

Except when he's waiting in line at the airport, he hears a familiar voice behind him. He risks a look back and, yep, there's Evan, holding the hand of a little boy in a Paw Patrol Christmas sweater. Tommy turns away quickly before Evan can see him and asks whoever is in charge of the universe to please get him out of this line as quickly as possible (it's Christmas time in an airport, so that doesn't happen) and that he can get away before he's seen (somehow this does happen). He flees - there's no other word for it - and hides out in an alcove until his flight is called. He boards and thanks whatever airport gods there are that he was able to avoid at least one awkward moment on this trip.

Except then, he sees Evan, almost towering of the other passengers as he boards with the kid. Tommy slouches down in his seat and pulls his hood as low over his eyes as possible, because of course, of fucking course! And as if that wasn't enough of a cosmic joke, he hears Evan settling the boy into the seat right behind him, telling him gently to not kick the seat in front of him and that he'll give him his iPad as soon as the nice flight attendants tell them it's okay. Tommy is tortured the entire flight by the sound of Evan's soothing voice behind him telling this child - Theo - that everything is just fine, they're totally safe, that Evan knows a pilot, actually, and did Theo want to know how the airplane actually worked? And then he hears Evan repeating the things he told him when Tommy had taken him flying on a date, and he's trapped in his own special, personal hell and he's going to go insane before the plane lands. When they touch down, Tommy's seatmate is actually a kind, decent person and gets both of their bags out of the overhead bin and he's able to join the flow of passengers deboarding the plane while Evan is distracted by helping Theo gather his crayons and action figures to notice him.

He spends a while in his hotel room finally allowing all that panic and nervous energy he's been keeping bottled up for hours and hours work it's self out of his body (a few trips to the mini bar help) before ordering an Uber to go meet his family member for dinner. Unfortunately, he arrives at the elevator at the same time that Buck and Theo do.

"Buck, look! The man from the plane!" Theo exclaims, pointing. He and Evan stare at each other for a moment and Evan clears his throat.

"S-sorry, I think we sat behind you on our flight? He has a real knack for remembering faces," Evan explains.

"We're going to the pool! I took swim lessons," Theo announces, totally oblivious to the awkwardness between them in the way most children are.

"Oh, that's... cool. I, uh, forgot something." It's a lame excuse, but it gets him out of the situation.

Tommy manages to avoid them for the most part. Of course, the family member he's visiting thinks it's quite amazing that he somehow ended up on the same flight, to the same state, in the same hotel, on the same floor as the very ex he had been hoping this trip would be a distraction from and this small child that somehow looks like Evan but was never mentioned in the six months they dated. What a twist of fate! Tommy thinks fate is paying him back for all the times he's tempted it in the cockpit over the years.

Since it's the holidays, there's an office Christmas party that just has to be attended (if it's his accountant cousin, it's a 'I don't want to go either. We just have stay long enough to be seen and clap at a lame speech. If it's his mother, it's because she firmly believes that no one can enjoy a party without her presence). Tommy's not jumping for joy about going, but at least he won't run the risk of accidentally bumping into Evan at the ice machine or something.

Lo and behold, who should Tommy see standing anxiously to the side of the room while his young charge, who is apparently the company owner's grandson, is shown off to the crowd by an older couple, the man carefully pushing his wife's wheelchair to each group of guests, Theo balanced on her lap.

"Thank you all for joining us tonight," the man says when the time for the speech comes. "It's so wonderful to see so much joy in one place, especially after the tragedy our family suffered earlier this year. As many of you know, our son," the man gets choked up and has to pause for a long moment. "Our son, Conner, and his wife, Kameron, were involved in a fatal car accident a few months ago. By some miracle, our grandson Theo was left unharmed and is here with us tonight. My wife and I are so grateful that Conner's friend, Mr. Evan Buckley, willingly stepped up and agreed to act as Theo's guardian and that he took the time and gave up Christmas with his own family to allow us to have this time together."

He keeps talking, but Tommy doesn't hear him thanking his employees or wishing them a fantastic New Year. He's looking at Evan now, really allowing himself to see him for the first time in a long time. He sees the smile that's a little too plastic to be real. He sees the way he's standing too straight, not letting anyone see the weight he's carrying. He sees what no one else in the room can. But most of all, he sees Evan, his Evan.

Late that night, or maybe it's early in the morning, Tommy has lost track of the time, he steps out onto the balcony of his hotel room. Evan is leaning over the railing of the balcony next to him, his head held heavily between his hands. That's how Tommy hears about this long, difficult day, added to many long, difficult months, on top of a very long, difficult year.

"I figured you being there every time I turned around was just the cherry on top," Evan says, and Tommy can't help but laugh. He tells Evan about how he had been thinking the same things about him.

oh boy. almost 2k here. for the ask meme that i'm working on i promise! formatting is all over the place. don't worry about it!

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1) i think they're all having "thank god we're alive" drinks some night after the cruise ship rescue, including tommy. chimney reaches a drink threshold that has him hit his hand on the table and ask, "tommy, are we ever talking about your secret engagement?"

got tagged by @ambernotember (thank you!!!!) and so here's a bit of the next chapter of recipe(s)

“Okay, I got this,” Buck said. “Be a good kitty. Don’t throw any parties.” Flash did not dignify that with any response, just went back to grooming. For some reason that felt appropriate, and Buck turned to the door. He opened it, and came face to face with Chimney, hand raised in the air like he was about to knock. “Um?” he said. “Oh,” Chim looked genuinely thrown off. “Uh. Hi.” “Hi,” Buck said, glancing around. “Am I in trouble?” Chim frowned. “Should you be?” “You tell me,” Buck said. “Why are you here, instead of on the way to work?” “Funny story,” Chimney said. “Maddie dropped me off. Can I catch a ride with you?” “I mean, sure, but I’m only doing a twelve hour, so you’ll have to find another way home,” Buck said. “Okay,” Chim said. Buck stared at him, at the way he was shifting like he was antsy. He sighed, already feeling tired. “What is it?” he asked. “Maybe we should get in the car before I answer that,” Chimney said. “That’s a terrible idea, but okay,” Buck said, turning.

Highlights include:

For your first two years (when you were small) you lived in a foster home with people who raised you into a very polite young man. Two is like you plus me, that's what two is.

Some people adopted you before me and they called you Timmy (which is a stupid name) and they returned your ass almost immediately because you were so annoying at that age.

Like think about how annoying you are right now at seven years old, but way worse.

I'm better than them though, I don't call you Timmy and I wore earplugs to bed for three years because you love to scream at bedtime. Earplugs are like when I roll over and go back to sleep even when you are yelling so so so loud.

I got you at a time in my life when I was really sick (being sick is like when I'm up late because I'm throwing up and you are a very handsome good boy who sits with me) and they had to put me asleep for a procedure. A procedure is like what happened to you when they put you asleep and took your balls away.

*********

They hold a courthouse wedding. May and Ravi are their witnesses, and Athena treats the newlyweds to a swanky lunch.

"I know a guy," she confides.

Laughing, Evan kisses Tommy's cheek. "She took your line."

"That's nothing," Tommy replies with a smile. "You took my name."

**********

And that's it!

a visitor on the biodome!!