#buckabby

4. Abby comes by the firehouse after Chimney’s accident, and brings Tommy. Apparently Tommy used to work there!? And knows all of them!? The others apologize for not realizing they were talking to her. Tommy’s arm is wrapped around Abby’s waist the entire time, and Buck can’t stop staring at it, how Tommy’s pinky finger is invisible where it’s tucked into her waist band, how Abby laughs against his shoulder when they start telling stories about the old days, the way Tommy whispers in her ear, her hair hiding his face. Hen sends him what feels like a million warning looks. All Buck can think about is how Abby’s hair felt against his skin, the way she’d laughed with him, when her face had been tucked against his shoulder in a very different way. Abby sends him the address of a different hotel practically before she’s left the firehouse, tells him to stay the night this time. Buck drops her off the next morning again, and even though Abby’s apartment doesn’t face the road, he feels like he can feel Tommy watching him.

5. Buck realizes, when he’s helping Tommy move the no-longer needed hospital bed out of the apartment, that this is the first time he’s actually been in Abby’s apartment. He’d seen it, briefly, the day Patricia went missing, but he hadn’t been inside. Tommy’s taking the bed somewhere in his truck. Abby kisses Buck in her apartment, takes him to bed in the bed she shares with Tommy. At one point Buck jerks towards the door, convinced he’d heard it open, but no one’s there. They shower together, Abby jokingly mourning the hotel showers because Buck is almost too big for this one, and tells him that she’s filing for divorce. Tommy’s walking in as Buck’s leaving. Buck’s ears feel like they’re on fire. He hopes Tommy doesn’t notice nothing had been done while he was gone.

6. Abby and Tommy get divorced. Buck basically moves in. A month later, Abby’s gone.

7. Buck runs into Tommy on a scene. They’re clearing the same floor of an apartment building. It’s empty, thankfully, and they’re half running down the stairs together when Tommy goes “Hear you’re living in my old apartment.” and Buck nearly trips and falls, would have if Tommy’s strong hand hadn’t shot out to catch him and haul him upright. Buck has a flash of a memory, Tommy’s arm around Abby’s waist, and the next thing he knows he’s outside with no memory of how he got there. Hen checks them both over, talking quietly to Tommy and shooting daggers at Buck. Things have been… tense… at the 118. Buck’s tired of the disappointed look Bobby keeps giving him, and Chim and Hen have become more insular than usual. Tommy laughs, an unexpected sound. Buck can’t help leaning closer to hear what he’s saying. He catches “I’m gay, Hen.”

8. Tommy. Is. Always. Around. Well, not on shift, because he has his own station, but every 118 hangout now includes Tommy. The bonus is that everyone is treating him normally again. The downside is literally everything else. Tommy’s also treating him nicely?? What?? The fuck?? Buck drinks a lot at the hangouts. One night he drinks too much, and he’s practically stumbling over his own feet. Tommy offers to take him home, joking that at least he knows where Buck lives. Buck’s pressing his forehead against the window of Tommy’s truck, trying not to embarrass himself any more than he already has. “Why are you nice to me?” he asks. “I slept with your wife.” “At least one of us did,” Tommy mutters, probably not meaning for Buck to hear him. “Listen, kid. Our marriage was long over, but Patricia got sick and I wasn’t going to leave her on her own for that.” “It’s not like it was better that you stayed,” Buck says, then drifts off until Tommy stops in front of the apartment building, in one of the guest parking spots. Buck protests that Tommy doesn’t need to walk him inside, but Tommy does, making sure Buck drinks a glass of water and takes some advil before he leaves.

9. Buck does it again. Because he wants to see what Tommy will do. And Tommy takes him home again. He even tucks him in this time. It turns into kind of a game. Buck wants to see how far Tommy will go, when he’ll become too much for Tommy. Tommy’s buying him drinks at the bar, spotting him for tips, sharing his nachos, driving him home.

10. Buck pretends to get drunk. He has one beer that he nurses, then switches to what he says is a mixed drink, but it’s just pop. Tommy drives him home again, and Buck pouts and asks Tommy to walk him inside. Tommy does, a little reluctantly. When he closes the door behind them, Buck pushes him up against the door. “What are you doing?” Tommy looks a little panicked. Buck looks at him for a minute. “I think you and Abby like me for the same reasons.” And he kisses him. Tommy tries to push him away, says Buck has been drinking, he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Buck laughs and tells him he only had one beer. He pushes Tommy towards the bedroom, and Tommy goes easily. Afterwards, they lie together under Abby’s sheets, skin damp from sweat and come. “Weird that we both had sex with the same person in this bed,” Buck muses, running his hand through Tommy’s chest hair. Tommy’s gone when he wakes up.

Buck shows up at the apartment, unplanned. Maybe Abby sounded sad when they spoke on the phone. Something makes him want to check on her. But Abby is working late, so he meets Tommy. Tommy invites him in, tries to be subtle, but Buck isn't picking up what he's putting down, so he ends up saying it as it is. If Buck has feelings for Abby, he should pursue her. It doesn't go the way Tommy thought it would.

Buck asks what's going on. Are they in an open relationship? Is it a cuck thing? A unicorn thing? Tommy is annoyed that Buck doesn't say sure, Tommy! I'll seduce your fiance, you don't have to tell me twice! No, Buck is inquisitive and wants to know everything. Abby comes home, before Buck can get his answers.

Abby gets flustered and realises what her relationship with Buck might look like. It's a mess of an evening. Buck stays for dinner. Abby spends the whole night trying to convince all three of them that things are decidedly platonic – also after Buck leaves. Tommy says it's OK, even though Abby is clearly frustrated by that. Tommy could at least pretend to be a little bit jealous!

Buck talks to Hen about it. He figures Bobby is a little too traditional to be helpful with whatever is going on. When Hen realises it's Tommy Kinard, she gives Buck his phone number.

Things only get more complicated when the two of them meet up. Tommy tries again. Buck understands Tommy's plan, but he doesn't understand why Tommy doesn't like Abby. Tommy has to patiently explain that he loves Abby, but not in the way she deserves. Buck is little dense, and Tommy sees no other way out, than coming out.

The concept of not liking women at all throws Buck for a momentary loop, but he gets back on track and makes puppy eyes at Tommy, because that sounds really tough. And sad. For everyone involved. Buck agrees to keep seeing Abby and see where things go. He doesn't know her that well yet, so he can't say for certain, but if Tommy promises it's OK, he'd like to spend more time with Abby.

Being with Buck makes Abby light up in ways Tommy has never seen before. Tommy is happy for her. He himself feels lighter.

Until Buck starts checking up on him. Buck's been wanting to kiss Abby for a while now, but he needs to know it's still OK. If Tommy is still OK with it. If Tommy has talked to Abby about it yet. Tommy was hoping he didn't have to, but Buck insists.

It's a difficult conversation, with no clear conclusion. Abby is free to do whatever she wants to do with Buck, but he doesn't label it. Neither one of them do.

It works out, for a while. Abby is happy with Buck, and Tommy is happy for her – for both of them. Unexpectedly, Abby wakes up to the fact that she can do whatever she wants. All these things she figured she was getting too old for. Hearing about all Buck's travels inspires her. Suddenly, Buck and Tommy are single.

They try to make sense of things together. They've been together in this, in a way. They can't exactly explain the situation to anyone else. Buck loves a project, so he asks Tommy if he needs help with the whole coming out of the closet thing. Tommy says no, at first, but after thinking it over, he wouldn't mind the support. Buck thoroughly researches gay bars and finds what he considers is the best one.

A lot of revelations happen in that gay bar. No one is more surprised than Buck. They have fun, at first, but with every guy that approaches Tommy, Buck gets more wound up. He doesn't know Tommy that well, but he knows Tommy can do better – Tommy deserves better. Buck is too busy guarding Tommy, he doesn't notice the attention he's getting himself.

They've hardly had anything to drink, when Tommy herds them back out the door. Buck is ranting about the state of things, making sweeping generalisations about gay people and LA's nightlife, when Tommy asks if he wants to head back to his place. Buck looks at him, with those eyes of his, and says yes.

They share a beer in the kitchen, the air between them too charged to sit down. Months of knowing each other from a distance culminate in a clumsy and curious kiss. They both know all the reasons why Abby liked each of them, but they don't know each other like that, not yet. Buck can't believe how right it feels to kiss another man. How good it feels to be wrapped in Tommy's arms. Tommy is overwhelmed by how uncomplicated it is. He doesn't have to convince himself he likes it.