my fees are competitive

2) taylor and tommy are sitting together on a gurney next to the ambulance, getting treatment from hen while athena asks them questions. buck comes over to check on them, and he had pulled out his best holy shit that's taylor kelly lines from the vault, but she and tommy are too busy charmingly sniping at each other. "see if i ever say yes to covering for jim again" "see if jim ever asks you to cover for him" "oh good we're on the same page, this is a lot easier than i thought it would be, tell jim my license is off limits for favors"

she gives tommy this look that kind of has buck weak at the knees, and not even a fraction of it is directed at him but he still feels. A Lot. "really? this face? you won't do this face any favors, either?"

tommy stares at her flatly, then looks over her shoulder at hen, who's just as 👀 as buck. "guess it's as good a time as ever to tell you i'm gay, hen." she looks amused and impressed while buck does a cartoon double-take for reasons he doesn't understand. suddenly tommy's eyes are on him and he asks, "did you need something, firefighter?" and buck is like............ justcheckinginonyouguysyouseemfinealrightlaterbye

3) a shift or two later, chimney lovingly claps buck on the back. "me, hen, and bobby are grabbing drinks with tommy and taylor kelly. you should come. your presence specifically was requested." buck nods, his mouth suddenly bone dry, and goes along with them like he's about to be executed.

their group has dragged together a bunch of tables and somehow buck, taylor, and tommy are clumped together at one end. there's a lot happening, all the time- tommy and taylor explaining how they know each other; tommy catching up with hen et al.; hen et al. catching tommy up with some of their new wild stories, especially since buck came around; taylor offering some wild reporter ones of her own that haven't made the news. it's such an unlikely group and buck can't believe he was worried about coming out tonight.

then taylor rests a hand on buck's thigh and tommy rests a hand on buck's back.

4) everyone splits up in the parking lot later, and hen, chimney, bobby are like, aww buckaroo made friends with our old friend, and that taylor girl seems nice, in that 'will eat buck alive' way that he likes, this feels promising, what a good night. all while taylor, buck, and tommy bicker about whose place is closest/makes the most sense. buck's loft wins out because we can't build an extra set right now. once a car comes, tommy ends up sulking in the front seat while buck and taylor flirt a little too much in the back and have him feeling left out. it's fine. he'll get them back.

5) yeah the three of them absolutely fuck. when he's not sucking buck dry and fingering him, kinsey 6 tommy is sitting up against the headboard next to buck, jerking off while he watches taylor ride buck. he watches buck fuck her like- well, like that's how someone who's attracted to women fucks women. good 2 know.

meanwhile buck gives so much head that night he feels it in his jaw and neck and shoulders for days. in the morning he asks, you guys do this a lot? and taylor and tommy look at each other, shrug. can't say we have. tommy clarifies this is not a unicorn situation, he and taylor are not together ("holy shit, in your dreams, kinard" "no, NOT in my dreams, that's the POINT"), they just- liked buck's vibe, like the cliches they are, and buck clearly liked theirs.

"i did," buck says. "i think i'm bisexual now." tommy chokes on his coffee and it dribbles down his shirt while taylor laughs for a century. "good to know, thank you for telling us," she says, while tommy moans about getting coffee up his nose.

+1) i think from here, buck gets both their numbers because why wouldn't he, becomes friends with them separately (and in their little group chat for three), then eventually asks out taylor. they date for a while (tommy knows, he's a little yeah it's what i expected, but not upset) but the faults in their relationship come out quicker and more starkly because they're not quite so dependent on each other/caught up in themselves.

taylor is like, hey, you know who IS a lot more soft and earnest than he seems and would kill me for saying so, but i think you know that because you're friends, and would probably LOVE this whole deal you want to offer a partner? and you already have his number, and you already know he fucks great? isn't that convenient? god i think he just texted you another link about megafauna while we've been talking, please please please pick up what i am putting down

buck:

+2) buck ushers taylor out of his place and when he gets to tommy's, he's literally stepping out of the jeep as tommy opens the front door of his house, laughing. "so taylor gave me a heads up-"

buck pretty much long jumps up the steps of tommy's front porch and launches himself at him, the two of them stumbling against the front door and hitting tommy's head against it. it's so hard to kiss and laugh and oh shit oh shit is that blood???? no no not WHO CARES tommy, holy shit, do you need dermabond????