Chapter Text
Buck had always thought firefighter galas were a little ridiculous. Not the fundraising part, he understood that. All of that mattered. But putting firefighters in a stage runway and auctioning them off under soft golden lights while half the city flirted openly at them like they were centerfolds in a calendar? That part still felt vaguely absurd. Then again, Buck had gone for eight thousand dollars tonight, so maybe absurdity had a market.
The ballroom buzzed with leftover adrenaline long after the auction ended. Music pulsed low through the floor, while firefighters from different houses crowded the open bar and laughed louder than necessary. Jackets had already been abandoned over chairs. Ties hung loose around collars. Someone near the dance floor was attempting tequila shots with alarming confidence.
Buck leaned one shoulder against a cocktail table, beer bottle dangling loosely from his fingers as he laughed at something one of the firefighters from the 147 said. The guy, Ryan, maybe? Rob? Something with an R was definitely flirting. Not subtly, either.
Buck noticed the lingering eye contact first. Then the easy touches against his arm whenever he laughed. Then the slow once-over that dipped shamelessly down Buck’s chest before returning to his face.
Normally, Buck would've decided within five minutes whether he was interested.
Tonight, it had taken maybe thirty seconds because the guy was hot. Dark hair, broad shoulders stretching against a fitted black button-down, mouth that curled like he knew exactly what he was doing. Confident without being obnoxious about it. The kind of attractive that came with practiced charm and probably very good hands.
“So,” the guy said, leaning slightly closer, “you always this popular, or was tonight a special occasion?”
Buck snorted. “Pretty sure it’s the uniform.”
“No,” the guy replied immediately, eyes dragging over him again. “Definitely not the uniform.”
Buck laughed despite himself. Okay, yeah. Definitely flirting and Buck was flirting back.
It felt easy. The banter slid naturally into place, warm and effortless beneath the haze of alcohol and music. For the first time all night, Buck let himself relax into it because the night had been good. Well, except for the part that a mystery bidder had apparently fought viciously to win Eddie Diaz. Buck still didn’t know who the hell it was.
Eddie had acted weirdly smug about the whole thing afterward, which only made Buck more suspicious, but before Buck could corner him about it, Chimney had dragged them into group photos and Hen started making fun of Buck’s ridiculous bid amount. And honestly? Buck hadn’t minded.
The group who won him had been those older friends the 118 helped a few days ago, the chaotic quartet who’d spent half the rescue flirting with Buck and the other half insulting each other with terrifying precision. Buck remembered laughing harder during that call than he had in weeks.
So yeah. Good night.
Good company. Good drinks. Good-looking guy practically asking Buck to ruin him in the backseat of a car somewhere.
Objectively, things were going great.
Still, Buck found his eyes drifting across the room to look for a pair of brown eyes, Eddie stood at the bar.
Even from a distance, Buck knew the shape of him instinctively. The broad line of his shoulders beneath the dark dress shirt, sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms now. One hand wrapped around a bottle of beer while the other rested against the polished wood of the counter.
Watching.
Their eyes caught briefly across the room.
Eddie’s expression didn’t change. Then the firefighter beside Buck leaned in closer, close enough that Buck caught the scent of expensive cologne and whiskey.
“You know,” the guy murmured near Buck’s ear, voice dropping lower, “we could get outta here early.”
Buck huffed out a laugh. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” A slow grin. “My place is ten minutes away. We could be halfway undressed before anyone notices you're gone.”
On any other night, Buck probably would've gone.
Actually, scratch that. On any other night, Buck definitely would've gone.
The guy was attractive, interested, and very clearly offering a fun time involving sheets that wouldn’t survive the night intact.
But Buck glanced instinctively toward the bar again...
...and Eddie was gone.
Buck straightened slightly before he could stop himself, eyes scanning the crowd automatically.
Dance floor. Tables. Bar. Nowhere.
Something strange twisted low in his chest.
The firefighter beside him was still talking, something about how good Buck looked with his tie loosened, but Buck barely processed the words over the sudden awareness settling under his skin.
Because Eddie leaving without saying anything felt... off.
Not wrong exactly.
Which was stupid. Buck frowned faintly into his beer bottle.
He and Eddie had never been those kinds of friends. They didn’t keep tabs on each other every second of the night. Eddie disappeared all the time at parties but usually to go to quieter corners where he could breathe away from crowds for ten minutes before returning like nothing happened.
Buck knew that.
If Buck was with Eddie that night, then Buck usually ended up at Eddie’s house instead. They’d order greasy food at two in the morning, talk about absolutely nothing and Christopher roasted them both over breakfast the next morning.
It happened so naturally now that Buck couldn’t remember when it started becoming routine. And somewhere along the line, Buck realized he actually preferred it. Which was—
Well.
Probably something he shouldn’t unpack while slightly drunk and being propositioned beside a dance floor.
“You okay?” the firefighter asked.
Buck blinked back to attention. “Yeah. Sorry.”
The guy smiled knowingly. “Your boyfriend giving you trouble?”
Buck laughed immediately. “Eddie’s not my boyfriend.”
The words came automatically.
But something about saying them left an odd taste in his mouth. The firefighter only lifted a brow like he didn’t entirely believe him, amusement flickering at the corners of his mouth.
“Sure,” he said easily.
Buck rolled his eyes, forcing himself back into the conversation with a crooked grin. “You saying I give off boyfriend energy?”
“No,” the guy replied, gaze dropping briefly to Buck’s mouth. “You give off ‘would ruin my life for three weeks and leave me emotionally damaged afterward’ energy.”
Buck barked out a laugh at that. “Wow. Weirdly specific.”
“I’m observant.”
The guy was smooth enough to keep Buck entertained and attractive enough that Buck could already picture exactly how the night might end if he said yes. But Buck still found himself scanning the room between sentences.
No Eddie.
It was ridiculous to worry. Eddie was a grown man. A former Army medic. A firefighter. Fully capable of surviving one fundraiser gala without Buck tracking his location every thirty seconds. Still, Eddie had one hell of a day already. Getting punched in the face and slicing his arm open afterward defending himself definitely qualified as one hell of a day.
“You’re looking for him,” the firefighter said suddenly.
Buck blinked. “What?”
“Your not-boyfriend.”
Heat crawled embarrassingly up Buck’s neck. “I’m not—”
The guy laughed softly, holding up his hands in surrender. “Relax. I’m not offended.”
Buck exhaled through a grin despite himself. “Sorry.”
“Nah.” The guy nudged his shoulder lightly. “Go find your guy.”
Buck opened his mouth automatically. He’s not my guy. The words stalled before they made it out because apparently tonight his brain had decided to become deeply annoying. The firefighter’s smile turned knowing and Buck absolutely did not want to examine too closely.
“For the record,” he added, voice dropping lower again, “offer still stands if you’re interested later.”
Buck huffed out a laugh. “Bold of you to assume I can still pull after rejecting you.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” The guy’s grin widened. “You could ask me to my knees three hours from now and I’d still say yes.”
Jesus Christ.
Buck laughed again, warmth crawling into his cheeks as he shook his head. “Good to know.”
Then he finally peeled away from the table, beer still in hand as he started scanning through the crowded ballroom properly this time.
The music had gotten louder sometime in the last twenty minutes. More people crowded the dance floor now, firefighters swaying terribly offbeat with drinks lifted overhead. Hen was near the bar laughing at something Karen said while Chimney looked halfway through losing an argument with someone from the 136.
Still no Eddie.
Buck frowned.
Before he could start moving deeper into the crowd, a familiar voice called out behind him.
“Buck!”
He turned immediately. Athena stood near one of the lounge tables, purse slung over her shoulder now as May and Harry argued beside her. Ravi lingered nearby looking deeply terrified of Athena’s general existence. Buck smiled automatically and headed over.
“You leaving already?” he asked.
Athena sighed dramatically. “Some of us are old, Evan.”
“You are literally the scariest person in this room,” Buck said. “That cancels out old age.”
“Flattery won’t save you.”
Buck grinned as Athena stepped closer, wrapping an arm around him without hesitation.
“You boys behave,” Athena said toward Harry and Ravi before looking directly at Buck. “And if anything happens to May or Harry tonight, you should be very worried.”
Buck immediately straightened. “'Thena—”
“I mean it.”
She was joking. Probably. Mostly. But Buck had known Athena Grant long enough to understand there was always at least a little truth buried underneath the joke.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said instantly.
Athena looked deeply pleased by that.
Buck pointed toward Ravi, who somehow looked even more alarmed now. “And if Ravi does anything stupid, I’ll handle it.”
“Buck!” Ravi protested.
May burst into laughter.
Athena hummed approvingly. “See? That’s why you’re my favorite.”
“I knew it,” Harry muttered.
Buck pressed a hand dramatically to his chest. “Captain Han, you hear that? Witnessed and confirmed.”
“Don’t get cocky,” Athena warned, though she was smiling now.
Then she reached up and adjusted Buck’s loosened tie like she’d done it a thousand times before. The motion hit something unexpectedly tender in Buck’s chest. Maybe because Bobby had been gone almost a year now. Maybe because Athena still looked at Buck sometimes with the same exhausted fondness she always had before everything shattered. Maybe because Buck still missed Bobby so much it physically ached on random days without warning.
Athena kissed Buck’s cheek once. Then again on the other side. “Take care of yourself too,” she said quietly.
Buck swallowed around the sudden tightness in his throat and nodded once. “Always do.”
Athena gave him a look that clearly said liar, but let it go.
Buck watched her disappear through the doors with a small smile lingering on his face. Only for it to slowly fade when his eyes drifted back across the crowded room automatically.
Still no Eddie.
At first, Buck hadn't paid much attention to it. The party was crowded, people were constantly moving between the bar, the dance floor, and the lounge areas, and Eddie had never exactly been the type to enjoy social events for long periods of time. If anyone was going to quietly disappear to find a quieter corner, it would be Eddie.
The problem was that Buck hadn't seen him since Athena left.
Every time he thought he might finally go look for him, someone stopped him first. A firefighter from another station would strike up a conversation, someone would ask about the auction, or one of the department officials would stop to thank him for participating in the fundraiser. Buck smiled through all of it, exchanged handshakes, and did his best to be polite, but his attention kept drifting elsewhere.
By the time he finally managed to escape the last conversation, nearly forty minutes had passed. That was what finally pushed him toward the elevators. Maybe Eddie had already gone home but the thought didn't sit right with him because even if Eddie wanted to leave early, he would've at least texted.
Buck stepped into the elevator and pulled his phone from his pocket while the doors slid shut. The screen lit up immediately, but there was nothing from Eddie waiting for him. No text messages, no missed calls, and not even one of Eddie's usual one-word updates that somehow communicated an entire conversation.
When the elevator finally opened onto the rooftop terrace, cool night air immediately greeted him, carrying the distant sounds of traffic and city life far below. The music from the gala became little more than a faint vibration behind the closed doors as Buck stepped outside and glanced around.
It only took a few seconds before he spotted a familiar figure standing near the railing. Relief settled into his chest before he could stop it.
Eddie stood with his forearms resting against the metal rail, a beer bottle hanging loosely from one hand as he looked out over the city lights stretching endlessly across Los Angeles. From behind, he looked almost exactly the way he always did whenever he needed space to think.
Buck slipped his phone back into his pocket and walked over. "You know you're missing the party, right?"
Eddie let out a quiet scoff and the reaction immediately caught Buck off guard. Normally, that would've earned him a sarcastic remark or at least an eye roll. Instead, Eddie simply took another drink from his beer.
Buck frowned slightly but decided to keep going.
"What? Hiding from your mystery bidder?"
For a moment, Eddie didn't answer.
Then he said, without looking at him, "Shouldn't you be with your hot firefighter?"
Buck blinked. The words themselves weren't surprising but the tone was. There was something sharp underneath them that immediately put Buck on alert.
"What?"
Eddie finally glanced toward him, though the look lasted barely a second before his attention returned to the skyline.
"I said shouldn't you be with your hot firefighter."
Buck stared at him.
"Okay," he said slowly. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." The answer was so quiet that Buck almost didn't catch it.
"What'd you say?" That seemed to snap whatever fragile restraint Eddie had left. He turned toward Buck fully this time, and the frustration Buck had only sensed before was suddenly impossible to miss.
"I said nothing is wrong." The words came out harder than Buck expected. Then Eddie laughed bitterly and added, "Nothing is wrong except apparently I can't even get five minutes alone without you showing up asking questions."
The accusation hit Buck so unexpectedly that he could only stare.
For a moment neither of them spoke but Eddie eventually looked away first, turning back toward the city while Buck remained frozen beside him, trying to understand what had just happened.
Because this wasn't normal.
Eddie got annoyed sometimes. They both did. But Buck couldn't remember the last time Eddie had directed this much anger at him for absolutely no reason.
Still, Buck wasn't willing to walk away. Not when something was obviously bothering him.
"Eddie," he said more carefully this time. "Talk to me."
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
"I'm fine."
"You disappeared for almost an hour."
"And?"
"And that's not normal."
Eddie laughed again, but there wasn't anything amused about the sound.
"You're really gonna stand here and tell me what's normal?"
Buck frowned.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing."
"There you go again." Eddie shook his head and took another drink.
Buck watched him for several seconds before trying a different approach.
"Did something happen tonight?"
"No."
"Did somebody say something to you?"
"No."
"Then what is going on?"
"I said nothing."
Buck exhaled sharply. "Okay, stop saying nothing because there is obviously something."
That finally got Eddie to look at him again. The expression on his face made Buck's stomach drop because underneath the irritation, there was something else there. Something hurt or anger. Something Buck couldn't quite identify.
"Just go back downstairs, Buck."
The dismissal stung more than it should have.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you're upset."
"So?"
Buck stared at him.
"So you're my best friend."
Something flickered across Eddie's face. The expression vanished so quickly that Buck almost convinced himself he imagined it, but not before he caught a glimpse of something raw and painful underneath.
"Eddie—"
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Just don't."
Buck stepped forward before he could think better of it.
"Talk to me."
"I'm trying not to."
The answer made absolutely no sense. Buck opened his mouth to ask what that meant, but Eddie was already turning away and panic wasn't the right word for what Buck felt when he saw him starting toward the elevators, but it was close enough. Because whatever this was, walking away wasn't going to solve it.
"Eddie."
He didn't stop.
"Eddie."
Still nothing, so Buck reached out and caught his wrist. Everything happened so fast after that that Buck couldn't fully process it.
One moment Eddie was pulling away from him. The next, Buck found himself stumbling backward until his shoulders hit the wall behind him. The impact knocked the breath from his lungs, and before he could recover enough to ask what the hell was happening, Eddie grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him.
The world seemed to stop and Buck's brain simply failed to catch up. All he could register was Eddie. Eddie's hand fisted in his shirt. Eddie standing impossibly close. Eddie's mouth against his.
For one suspended moment, Buck remained completely frozen but then instinct took over. Or maybe it wasn't instinct. Maybe it was something that had been waiting quietly beneath the surface for years. Whatever it was, Buck found himself kissing Eddie back.
The kiss deepened almost recklessly, years of familiarity suddenly colliding with something neither of them had ever allowed themselves to acknowledge. Buck barely had time to understand what was happening before he was leaning into it, chasing the warmth of Eddie's mouth and the dizzying realization that this was real. This was Eddie and somehow that thought should have made everything more confusing. Instead, it only made Buck want more.
Then, just as suddenly as it started, Eddie pulled away.
Both of them were breathing harder now.
Buck stared at him, his thoughts scattered beyond recognition as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
"Eddie..." The name barely came out above a whisper.
Eddie looked just as shaken. For the first time all night, the anger was gone, replaced by something that looked dangerously close to regret. Buck instinctively leaned forward, wanting to close the distance again, but Eddie immediately took a step back.
He said something then, but Buck couldn't make out the words through the alcohol, the confusion, and the overwhelming fact that Eddie Diaz had just kissed him.
"What?"
Eddie shook his head.
Then he turned and walked away.
"Eddie."
No response.
Buck remained standing exactly where he was, staring after him as the elevator doors closed behind his best friend.
Only then did he lift a hand to his mouth. His lips still tingled. His heart was pounding. And for the first time in his life, Buck genuinely had no idea what the hell had just happened.