Du Er Ikke Alene

Thanks for the prompt! I had some fun with this one. 1,433 words of some 118 bucktommy. nsfw. I told myself I was going to actually be succinct and paint in broad strokes--I succeeded only some of the time.

Tommy is still at the 118 when Buck joins and they're almost immediately at odds with each other. Maybe Buck is intimidated by Tommy being the one who has been at the 118 the longest. Tommy knows he's on his way out, but maybe he's feeling replaced already.

Bobby is surprised by Tommy's reaction to Buck; though he's heard the stories about the 118 before he arrived, Tommy's been nothing but welcoming and helpful to anyone new who's stepped through those bay doors since he's arrived. Granted, none of them have been quite as—impulsive or hot-headed as Buck—but he thought Tommy would be good for Buck and Bobby's not sure if Buck's behavior is the only explanation for Tommy keeping him at arm's length. Bobby maybe has some theories that he is mostly trying to ignore; not because he has a problem with it, but because it feels like overstepping a boundary. All he can do is try to be someone Tommy feels comfortable confiding in, if that may ever be the case.

Bobby thinks that Buck and Tommy are more alike than they realize, though that may actually explain some of the friction. He knows they would make a great team if they could get it through their thick skulls that they are on the same team—working towards the same purpose—but every time it seems they've figured it out, they backslide. Two steps forward, one step back.

So when it comes time for the annual firefighter games, Bobby signs up Buck and Tommy. Maybe something that's lower stakes will allow them to work together towards winning together and they'll see how good a team they can be and not lose that lesson after the adrenaline wears off, like they would in a life or death situation.

And I first saw “118 vs Tommy” and it made me think what about a bowling competition between stations

Like around early S9

So Tommy is alone, no contact from the 118 and maybe not even thanks for Chimney, even if he can understand and Bobby is dead so whatever

Still he’s pissed at the 118 and he gets angrier when he realizes that the 118 and 217 are against each other at the firefighter bowling thing

Worse he’s the only of the 217 there because there is a big emergency maybe and he already worked too much

So he’s just there and the 118 is there and it’s beyond awkward

And they say that they can reschedule so the rest of the 217 can be there but Tommy doesn’t have the strength to redo it, so he just scoffs and says he can take down the 118 alone

Which get Eddie and Chimney and Buck riled up

Like the game is actually mean, Tommy doesn’t mince his words nor do the others which angers him even more

He beats them tho

They’re both entering Sophomore, but Tommy is still older by two years. He had to repeat two years throughout his school years because of the number of absences he had.

They start dating during summer, they met at a summer job and clicked immediately and after both made a fool of themselves in front of the other they got their shit together, nobody except them know

One day Tommy comes to work with a badly concealed black eye and it’s the day Buck learns about what’s going on at the Kinard house

The insults, the hits, the punishments

During the summer, Buck steals food at his home to give Tommy so he always has something to eat, sharing every moments they can until they both have to be home

Buck for his chores and general ignorance from his parents, Tommy for his chores as well, and to satisfy his dad’s need of a servant and punching ball

Every day as they go their separate ways Buck want to pull Tommy and bring him to his home, to tell his parents everything, to beg them to welcome Tommy and give him a place to be safe, but every time he gets close to tell them about his bisexuality; about Tommy, his tongue get stuck to the top of his mouth, like it grew 4 sizes

every day, he tells Tommy how he tried, but he can’t get the words out, and each time Tommy is the one to reassure him, even when he has a new black eye or bruises, or the worst day, welts all over his back, Buck still wonders how Tommy can stay with him when Buck cries each time he sees his wounds and Tommy has to reassure him and doesn’t complain once

As school grows nearer, Buck has to go back home earlier and earlier, his parents asking him to get back into a rhythm

And Tommy spends his afternoons often alone, alone with his thoughts, alone with his wounds. He knows, he can feel that with the speed at which his father has been moving, he will not see Christmas if it doesn’t change.

Because of his parents, Buck has not been able to go out for 2 weeks; which kept him from talking to Tommy since his father broke his phone in a fit of rage and never changed it, and now it’s the first day of class and Tommy doesn’t come.

He’s not here when first period starts, nor when second ends or even when the bells ring.

Buck goes to their summer job but Tommy isn’t there either … and so he goes back home where his mom tells him that some mail arrived for him.

At first he thinks that it’s Maddie, but when he opens it he sees Tommy’s writing and reads it in his room

Tommy who explain to him that he couldn’t stay, that he couldn’t trust his dad not to kill him and so he did the only thing he could.

He joined the army.

Tommy who thanks Buck for this summer, who thank him for being there for him, for freeing his minds these past few weeks and making him want to live again.

Tommy who asks him to live a great life, to be happy, to find a nice girl or boy and make his dream family true. Who asks him to free himself from the unattainable goals that his parents give him.

Tommy who promises him to always think of him, to always love Buck whatever comes. Who promise to do his best to survive.

Buck who cries all night holding that letter, who in a fit of anger, anger at Tommy, at Tommy’s dad, at his parents, at himself tears the letters apart before crying even more as he tries to put it back together.

Who has a mangle piece of paper now put together with scotch that he keeps in his nightstand until he leaves his family’s house.

A relic that he takes with him to college, on his trips, to LA.

A treasure that Abby asks about once and only once when she sees the way his eyes shine when she holds the paper, and gives it back to him to watch it him pull it against his chest.

A memory that is now in his nightstand, in his own loft, a piece of his soul that he poured into the paper after reading it hundreds, thousands of times, a tether to a happier time, a time that comes crashing back into him as he stands next to a helicopter and looks at their pilot.