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1.
“You didn’t get the memo?” Ravi asked innocently, Buck right beside him. Yes, technically Ravi should have cleared it with the actual cadre to have Buck show up and assist him for the day. But he hadn’t thought it would be an issue since Buck was a well-known firefighter in pretty much all of LA. Him and Eddie held most of the records, still, and they’d been firefighting for between five and seven years. Buck read Ravi’s tone, thankfully, and put on his big, dumb, innocent eyes as he blinked at the academy commandant. “It’s ‘bring your white-best-friend to work’ day.”
“I did not get the memo and even if I had, I don’t have a white best friend.” Commandant Laramie said with a disbelieving look. It actually played perfectly into Ravi and Buck’s hands.
“That makes two of us.” Buck added with a smile.
“Just- stay out of the way while Pannikar teaches, ok Buckley?”
“Got it, sir.” Buck agreed. They both watched him walk away before looking at each other and snorting. Buck swatted at Ravi who swatted back, then they both started to giggle. “I can’t believe that worked.”
“Of course it did. I’m awesome.” Ravi snickered. “Now try not to show my soon-to-be-probies up too much. I want you to help show them that it can be fun as much as work.”
“No problemo.” Buck nodded, as they headed outside to get harnessed up to start repelling.
Buck was a pro, there was no denying that. But he also had fun and was able to keep everyone from getting too anxious or caught in their heads. When they were done for the day they went to get a few beers together. It had sort of become a tradition since Ravi had had his accident and moved to the academy instead of back to the 118. Buck took mentoring seriously, and wanted to make sure Ravi was actually ok and not just saying it to make other people feel better. Buck wasn’t a bad guy, but he sure talked about Eddie Diaz a whole lot. And if it wasn’t about Eddie, it was about Christopher.
2.
“Buck, this is a bad idea.” Ravi hissed anxiously.
“I know, but I literally have no one else that can or would be on my side without getting violent with my parents. You won’t get violent, just bitchy.” Buck pleaded.
“Fine. Fine!” Ravi exclaimed, groaning when there was a knock on Buck’s door. Buck looked at him once more and Ravi could only gesture for him to go ahead and let his parents, because of course after Buck woke up from being in a coma after being struck by lightning, his parents wanted to spend time with him. It wasn’t like they’d had the previous 30 years to try.
“Hi, guys.” Buck said politely, but Ravi could hear his nerves under it all. “Didn’t, uh, didn’t realize there would be a crowd.”
“That’s not very polite, Evan.” A woman who had to be Mrs. Buckley said as she flounced in as if it were her apartment, her husband following after. Buck was much taller and broader than either of them. Maddie, because of course his sister had to come too, walked in with her daughter in her arms. The little girl reached out for Buck, though, and he smiled and happily took his niece, even though Maddie hesitated for a second. “Oh. We weren’t aware you had company.”
“Buck’s my mentor at the firehouse. Has been for two years, actually.” Ravi shrugged. “We have set days that we hang out, but since he’s not at work, I’m here to harass him over video games.”
“I’m Philip, this is my wife Margaret.” The man said, reaching out to shake Ravi’s hand.
“Ravi Pannikar. Nice to meet you.” Ravi said as politely as he could. It wasn’t nice. Ravi never wanted to meet these people. They were definitely well off, judging by their top of the line casual wear. So apparently Buck was raised by some-what wealthy people who didn’t give a shit about their kids. He knew they didn’t care about Buck, but he hadn’t realized that his mentor was probably raised having gifts or random shit given to him to keep him quiet and out of the way rather than interacting with him.
“Wanna watch me kick Ravi’s ass in video games, Jee-Jee?” Buck asked, walking over to where his recliner was. Ravi had a massive beanbag chair he’d bought and brought over, refusing to sit on a dining chair and be uncomfortable while they hung out. Even if he’d planned on bringing it over before the ambush that Ravi was being used as a buffer for however long the Buckleys were going to hang around.
“You wish.” Ravi snorted, dropping onto the beanbag. He scooted over when the little girl wanted to sit on it, too. “Let’s beat Uncle Buck, yeah?”
“Yeah!” She cheered. Ravi smiled as Buck put a dramatic hand over his heart before sitting down in his chair.
“You still haven’t gotten a couch?” Margaret huffed. “What kind of adult doesn’t have a couch?”
“Achoo!” Ravi fake sneezed into his arm, Jee-Yun giggling at him and Buck chuckling.
“Are you alright?” Philip asked, frowning at him.
“He’s ok.” Buck smirked. “He’s just allergic to rich white people.”
“Evan!” All three of the other Buckleys exclaimed.
“What? I told you all I had plans already, it’s not my fault you chose to come over anyway.” Buck shrugged unrepentantly. “You’re welcome to let Jee hang out with us and go do something you actually want to do?”
“Only if Ravi tells me where he got that beanbag.” Maddie pointed at him.
“I’ll send Buck the link so he can send it to you.” Ravi saluted her. “They have a few different sizes and a bunch of different colors.”
“Can I have one?” Jee-Yun pouted at her mom. Exactly like her Uncle Buck. Ravi arched an eyebrow at Buck but he just shrugged and smirked. Which was Buck speak for he taught her that look on purpose.
“How about when I come back in an hour you tell me if you still like it and me and papa will talk about it, ok?” Maddie crouched down by her daughter. “Be good for Uncle Buck and make sure Uncle Ravi beats him.”
“Hey!” Buck whined.
“Love you.” Maddie kissed Jee-Yun’s head before doing the same to her brother and herding their parents out quickly. She’d winked at Ravi before she left, though. So apparently she knew what he was doing. Maybe Maddie and Buck were the only alright Buckleys.
3.
Ravi liked being back with everyone at the 118. He did. He knew people thought he came back because Chimney said something inspiring to him, but that wasn’t really it. Learning what Chim had lost so early in his firefighting career was more of an extra piece of information about the guy. That didn’t mean he necessarily wanted to spend more time with him. He did not forgive him for going after Buck like he did and probably never would. But he could understand the guy got emotional when faced with someone he saw as family in a scary situation. He also understood physical altercations were not Buck’s thing. Guy was big, but he was just a puppy. Ravi knew that and he hadn’t worked with Buck nearly as long as Chim had.
“Be nice.” Buck said quietly when they pulled up to the call.
“I am.” Ravi frowned. Buck snorted.
“Tell your face, then.”
“Ugh. Fine.” Ravi grinned when Buck laughed. “Are we really doing the thing?”
“Why not? Saves us from getting the ladder out and it’ll confuse everyone as to how we can do it so flawlessly.” Buck shrugged.
“Alright, boost me up.” Ravi sighed. Buck chuckled as he squatted enough that Ravi could plant his foot in Buck’s hip and swing himself up onto his shoulders. Everyone kinda went silent when Buck stood up straight and they walked over to the tree as if Ravi weren’t 180 pounds and Buck just squatted him like it was nothing. Which it was. Buck could squat twice Ravi’s weight.
“What are you doing?” The little girl that had gotten stuck asked, smiling at them as if they were being silly.
“Have you seen two other guys that look like us? We seem to have lost track of our chicken fight.” Ravi said with slight exasperation, smiling when the little girl laughed happily.
“We can check by another tree, but since we’re here, why don’t you let Ravi help you down?” Buck suggested. “I promise you aren’t too heavy for me to hold up.”
“You make that look really easy.” The little girl said, moving a little and holding her arms out for Ravi. He caught her, he knew he would, Buck knew he would too, and they backed away from the tree. Ravi passed her off to her parents, but she was still smiling at Buck and Ravi.
“You’re sure you didn’t see another set of guys like us?” Buck whispered conspiratorially.
“Positive.” The girl giggled again.
“Dang.” Ravi sighed in faux annoyance, making her giggle some more. “Alright, guess we’ll have to try again at the next call.” Buck held his hands up and Ravi pushed off of them before sliding to the ground in one smooth motion that had her clapping for them. They bowed dramatically and went back to the truck.
“That all sounded really familiar, but I can’t figure out why.” Chim said, chewing on his cheek. “Did you guys get that from a movie or something?”
“Or something.” Ravi arched an eyebrow, but Buck snorted. Ravi scrunched his face up and tried to change whatever his subtitles were coming across as.
“Did I do something to upset you?” Chim asked curiously.
“Did you?” Ravi responded a little bitchily. He couldn’t help it.
“Let’s go, Rav.” Buck snickered, putting an arm around him and pushing him inside the engine, sitting beside him. “Deep breath, then let it go, man.”
“Oh my god, is that a power bar?” Ravi asked, gaping as Buck pulled what was definitely a power bar out of his pocket. “You know I get hungry when I’m anxious!”
“And you know I get anxious if I don’t have a snack on me.” Buck retorted, but he broke half of it off and handed it over. “I’ll start putting one in your turn-outs like I do for mine.”
“Awesome.” Ravi nodded, finishing off the power bar and definitely ignoring the confused looks from Chim, Eddie, and Bobby. He wasn’t interested in explaining or defending his and Buck’s relationship.
4.
“You did not say that.” Eddie said, looking stunned, but his lips started curving up into a smile as Buck and Ravi shrugged. “No, no way. I want proof.”
“Maddie witnessed the whole thing.” Chim called, walking into the kitchen. “She said Ravi literally fake sneezed and Buck said he was allergic to rich white people.” Eddie cracked up but Buck and Ravi bumped fists.
“What’d I miss?” Hen asked skeptically, looking between them all. Buck and Ravi only smiled back innocently.
“The Buckleys wouldn’t stop dropping by Buck’s place unannounced so he invited me over.” Ravi stated.
“I told them I had plans, they chose not to listen.” Buck added.
“Just because they finally realized their children grew up without them does not mean they get to suddenly be involved.” Ravi tried not to sound annoyed, but Eddie started snickering again, so it must not have worked.
“Ravi sneezed and I told them he was allergic to rich white people.” Buck smiled when Hen started laughing too.
“After meeting them, I’m pretty sure I am.” Ravi agreed with a nod.
Hen and Eddie stumbled to the stairs when the alarm went off, still laughing the whole way, drawing curious looks from Bobby. Chim shook his head and climbed in the ambulance. Rescuing a woman from a living funeral was weird, and Ravi could tell Buck was as intrigued as he was uncomfortable with the whole thing. So he stuck right to his side.
“I’m firefighter Buckley, this is my partner, Sh’Dynasty. Spelled S-H-comma-to-the-top-Dynasty.” Buck introduced them as he helped the coordinator with wrapping her wrist.
“Comma to the top?” She had her face scrunched up in confusion.
“That’s God's comma.” Ravi agreed.
“Aha!” Chim exclaimed, pointing at them, looking like he figured something out. “Ha! I know that one! Heard it loud and clear.”
“Did you?” Buck said, smirking at Ravi once the woman was taken care of.
“I’ve heard it both ways.” Ravi shrugged, bumping fists with Buck before they moved on to get back on the rig.
“How the hell do you know those references, though?” Chim was looking only at Buck.
“Weird.” Buck hummed. “Almost like you don’t actually know anything about me.”
“Yeah, Chim.” Ravi added. “Like you’re forgetting that you’ve known Buck longer than the woman you share a life with who has been in Buck’s life the same amount of time she’s been out of it.”
“What?” Chim stopped and looked between them. “Maddie knows everything about you.”
“Right.” Buck snorted.
“Bet I know more.” Ravi grinned. “Suck it.”
“Suck it.” Buck and Ravi sing-songed, probably horribly off key, but they still smiled and fist bumped again before jumping into the engine before Chim could say anything else.
“Get a number, Buckeroo?” Hen asked, climbing in.
“From who?” Buck frowned.
“From the woman you and Ravi were helping.” Hen arched an eyebrow between them, but Ravi frowned and they both crossed their arms.
“Buck was uncomfortable the entire time we were in there, and I noticed, so I stuck with him. She’s clearly obsessed with death, something Buck has personally experienced. Recently.” Ravi pointed out.
“Something no one talks about, but clearly bothers you.” Buck added. “So no, no numbers when you guys aren’t over my accident. I’m not either, not really. C’mon son.”
“C’mon son.” Ravi snorted, grinning at Buck who was also grinning.
“You guys get weirder every day.” Eddie said, winking at Buck. Buck smiled, though, his cheeks getting slightly pink. Maybe it was time for Ravi to talk to Buck about being in love with his other best friend.
5.
“Tell Eddie to go boneless.” Ravi called into the radio when Buck was working to get to everyone after the freaking freeway collapsed from underneath them. They’d watched some of the show at Eddie’s place, to let him in on what they were always talking about and referencing. Eddie and Chris both thought it was hilarious and said they could definitely see Buck and Ravi as Shawn and Gus.
“Go boneless, Eds!” Buck yelled. Ravi winced when he still heard Eddie grunt and groan in pain as Buck basically yanked him out of the van.
Buck was helping Eddie to the ground and handing him the other radio and telling him to watch over Hen, who definitely had a concussion. He could tell they were arguing about going to an ambulance along with Chimney over helping, but Ravi was not going to have them get Buck in trouble for not listening to him.
“You better fucking go to an ambulance.” Ravi called through the radio. “If you don’t, they’ll hold the highest ranking firefighter responsible for further injuries. Meaning Buck.”
Ravi nodded when they all deflated and got into two different ambulances that were standing by. It took a little while to get Captain Nash out, but Buck managed it just fine and sent him off in an ambulance as well. Once the scene was passed off to an actual captain, and not being handled by the senior firefighter, Buck climbed back to the top and helped Ravi load up all the gear they’d gotten out. Buck was way too happy to be behind the wheel of a rig again. Ravi wasn’t worried about sitting in the captain’s chair. He was not sitting in the cab like normal when it was just him and Buck. Buck backed into the station faster than Ravi expected, though. Buck only shrugged when Ravi arched an eyebrow at him. As soon as they were out and halfway to hanging up their turnouts, Buck’s bad leg gave out and he nearly ate it. Ravi stumbled as he kind of caught him.
“Don’t go boneless, don’t go boneless.” Ravi grunted, helping him hop over to their cubbies.
“Can you see if there are still extra crutches in the supply closet?” Buck grimaced. “Shit, glad I lasted until we were back already.”
“I’ll grab them and run you by the ER.” Ravi sighed. He patted Buck’s arm and even stopped by the locker room to grab his and Eddie’s bags and keys before directing Buck to his car.
They ended up getting seen eventually. Buck’s leg was weak from the fall and overexertion. It was an agitated previous injury, not a new one, so they waited. He got a steroid shot to ease the pain and keep it from locking up, but he still was told not to try standing on it with his full weight for at least three days. Chim, Eddie, Bobby, and Hen were going to be out for between two and six weeks. Which meant Buck and Ravi were going to be able to terrorize the A-shift replacements for a while.
“You know that’s right.” Buck smirked in agreement, bumping Ravi’s fist when he pulled up to Eddie’s house since he was staying with Chris until Eddie could get home. Maybe even after, depending how much help Eddie needed and how much Buck was willing to climb the stairs in his loft.
“Later, man!” Ravi waved him off before heading home himself.
+1
“You did this from memory?” Hen asked skeptically, looking at the exam she’d given Buck not even 20 minutes earlier.
“Yes.” Buck frowned.
“You have an hour and a half to complete it. You got to see the sample questions for two minutes beforehand.”
“Only needed two minutes.” Buck shrugged.
“You think you got the whole thing done, correctly, in 20 minutes.” She reiterated.
“Obviously.” Buck nodded. “Whatever, I’m gonna hit the gym.” Ravi waited until he was gone before frowning at Hen, Bobby, Chim, and Eddie. Granted Eddie was scowling at Hen as much as Ravi was, so he wasn’t included in Ravi’s disappointed look. Mostly Ravi only looked at him to make sure he was going to stand up for Buck, too.
“What’s wrong with you?” Ravi demanded.
“Me? What’s wrong with him?” Hen scoffed. “He barely used any of his time allotted.”
“No way he answered even half of the questions correctly.” Chim agreed with Hen.
“Ok, fine.” Ravi said, standing up to not get too agitated. “What’s your IQ compared to his?”
“He has an IQ?” Chim huffed, but Eddie growled. Honest to god, growled, causing Chim to wince and hold his hands up apologetically.
“We did IQ tests for fun a few weeks back. You know, when it was just us here, while you were all still recovering?” Ravi pointed out. “You have no idea the intelligence that he hides.”
“So explain it to us.” Bobby said, holding a hand up to keep Hen and Chim from talking or interrupting, watching Ravi curiously. “Tell us what you know.”
“I know Evan Buckley is highly intelligent, but he’s ashamed of that fact. It never did anything for him so he plays it down, essentially dumbing himself down, so other people can have a laugh. You see how he is, as juvenile or inappropriate, when it’s a coping mechanism to make it easier to be accepted in pre-existing friend groups.” Ravi enjoyed the confusion that came over Chim and Hen’s faces for a second. “You spend a decade alone with the people who claim to be his parents and you learn a certain behavior. Like how to not be noticed or draw attention to yourself, versus when having attention is alright or necessary. He used what he learned as a kid when he was on the road so he could fit in long enough to earn a paycheck and afford gas while he lived in a car. You want to doubt that he can pass the captain’s exam because he did it in less than a third of the allotted time? Call Athena and ask how he did on the detectives exam.”
“Don’t do that.” Bobby said sternly and pointed at Hen who already had her phone in her hand. “Don’t. She’s still upset he went and did it, regardless of if it was because of a dare, and that the department tried pressuring her to get him to come to them as a contracted private investigator, at the least, from time to time.”
“Buck isn’t a genius, that’s true enough. But he has what’s referred to as high potential. I will bet you $100 right here, right now, that he aced this practice exam like he aced the detective exam.” Ravi emphasized his point by putting a hundred dollar bill on the table. “He wants you to see him as an idiot because that’s what you need to see him as. You know what Aspergers is. You know that people with it fixate on certain things and can tell you literally everything about it. Tell me you don’t believe Buck has it. Tell me, and make me believe that you believe it.” Ravi waited, but the more he talked, the more stunned Hen and Chim looked and the wider the grin on Eddie’s face was. “He’s my best friend and mentor. The only person here who knows more about him than me, is Eddie. And I swear to god, Eddie, I do not want to know what you know about him.”
“Wasn’t gonna share.” Eddie snorted.
“You knew?” Hen looked at him accusingly, but Eddie rolled his eyes and stood up. “Buck has been at my house, with me and Christopher, since the first week we met. When I talked about my aunt trying to set me up on dates during the performance reviews a few months ago, all any of you did was join in and pressure me into getting back out there. I caved to that pressure once already when I dated Ana. Buck was the one, along with Ravi, who talked me out of caving this time. They told me to stand up for myself and helped me actually do it since I didn’t want to date as much as I didn’t want to disappoint my family. So the three of us hang out sometimes. We would more frequently but Ravi said we were giving him angina because of how we kept looking at each other. I know he’s smart. I also know he’s a smart ass and prefers to let people see that side of him. So. Talk crap about Ravi’s best friend and my boyfriend, again, at your own peril.”
“Boyfriend?!” Hen and Chim shrieked as Eddie walked away to ogle Buck while he worked out. Maybe he’d actually help, but Ravi highly doubted it.
“They filed the relationship paperwork my first shift back.” Bobby shrugged when Hen and Chim looked at him in shock. “After the freeway incident, Buck moved into the Diaz house permanently. Ravi helped him get out of his lease in the loft and worked a rent-to-own deal with Eddie’s current place so that he owns it instead of renting.”
“Here.” Ravi pulled a token out of his pocket and slid it across the table to Chim, smirking at him before tucking his $100 bill back in his pocket. “Any time you start to question something he does or says, remember this guy.”
“A pineapple.” Chim groaned and put his forehead on the table. “Because he’s Shawn and you’re Gus.”
“And don’t you forget it.” Ravi nodded.
“Does that make Eddie Juliet?” Chim asked, his face still on the table.
“I wanna be around if you call him that.” Ravi said, walking away to keep Eddie and Buck from making out against the gym equipment. “Seriously, I will be recording it and posting it online.” He whistled the theme to the show as he descended the stairs away from everyone to let them have their moment. “Innocent eyes approaching!”
“You’re not innocent.” Buck laughed, so Ravi peaked around the corner and saw Eddie leaning against the wall, apparently only watching Buck instead of helping.
“I could be.” Ravi sniffed. “Anyway, be prepared to have super confused friends for a little while.”
“What? Why?” Buck tilted his head like an actual puppy and Eddie grinned as he looked at his phone, definitely taking pictures.
“Might have told them you’re a genius in disguise.” Ravi shrugged. “We’re going out to eat after shift.”
“Where we goin’?” Buck asked, setting his weights down.
“Are you a fan of delicious flavor?” Ravi grinned when Buck chuckled.
“C’mon son.” Buck tsked.
Ravi could handle having dinner with Buck, Eddie, and Christopher. Mostly because he and Christopher could harass Buck and Eddie for being stupidly obsessed with each other. Plus, the kid had picked up some of the phrases from the show and would quote them with Ravi from time to time. Ravi had whooped loudly the first time the kid looked him in the eyes with a crooked grin that was all Buck and said ‘you know that’s right’.