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They were all gathered at Eddie’s house for the afternoon, for the weekly family gathering. The kids were playing in the corner of the backyard, trying out some new, traveling video game console Denny had weaseled his way to getting from Hen and Karen. Bobby and Eddie were bantering back and forth at the grill- something about Eddie definitely knowing how to grill, thank you very much, Bobby, and the Captain laughing at him in return, showing him a better method. All the girls- Hen, Karen with Nia on her lap, Athena, May, and Maddie- were sitting at Eddie’s backyard table with wine glasses in their hands and smiles on their faces as they gossiped. Josh wandered away from his conversation with Albert and Michael to join them, finally looking comfortable enough to call everyone in the backyard his friends.
That left Buck and Chimney. Chim was leaning in the doorway of the exit to Eddie’s backyard, leaning on the frame as he observed his friends and family. Buck was behind him in the kitchen, grabbing another beer and throwing away empty juice boxes from the boys. Chim let out a content breath, his eyes automatically drawn to Maddie. She had thrown her head back as she laughed at a joke from Athena, her smile wide on her face and her eyes crinkling in happiness. It made a smile spread on Chimney’s face just to watch her. After the disaster of his relationship with Tatiana, he wasn’t expecting to get as good as he had with Maddie. She was everything . Even after the hardships of their first steps- not wanting to admit to themselves that they were dating, Doug’s return and torment of them both- they’d managed to come out stronger for it all. Maddie Buckley lit up his world, gave him someone to fight for and come home to, and was most definitely his greatest reason to smile. He loved her.
“I thought the hopeless pining stage was supposed to be over once you started dating,” Buck’s voice interrupted his thoughts. Chimney jumped slightly, turning his head sideways to look at Buck, who had come up to stand next to Chim.
“Jesus, Buckaroo. Give a man a warning.”
Buck simply smirked, holding his hand out to offer Chim a beer. Chim nodded his thanks to his friend, turning his head back to watch his girlfriend.
“Hey, Chim, I- uh,” Buck looked at the ground like he was nervous. Chimney glanced at him, but waited patiently. He’d been friends with Buck for long enough to know that the guy just needed to put his thoughts together before coming out with it. “I wanted to say thank you.”
At that, Chimney frowned a little. “Thank you? For what?”
Seriously, the last thing he’d done for Buck was steal his shirt out of his locker and run around the station, listening to Bobby call them children and Buck chase him yelling to give it back. Hen had quickly gotten in on the game, turning it into a game of monkey in the middle. How Buck was that tall and hadn’t managed to catch the shirt until Eddie took pity on him and grabbed it for him was a mystery to Chim.
“For Maddie,” Buck said, his eyes now also watching his sister. “You’re really good to her, for her. You make her happier than I’ve seen her since we were kids , man. After everything with Doug. . . I’m just really glad you two found each other.”
Oh. Okay. That was not even near what Chimney had expected his friend to say. He knew that Buck had never taken issue with their relationship, that he’d been happy for them, but he’d never said anything like that. Chimney knew how protective Buck was over Maddie. Everyone did. The Buckley siblings were ride-or-die, fiercely loyal to each other, and the only biological family that mattered to either of them. Chimney felt a smile on his lips as he looked at Buck. The taller, younger man looked sheepish and there was a blush on his cheekbones as he looked out into the backyard, his eyes trained on the most important women in both of their lives.
“Thanks, Buck,” Chimney mumbled out. He knew Buck wouldn’t want to talk about it much more than that; for a guy who wore his heart on his sleeve, vulnerable moments between the two of them weren’t common. They were brothers, outside of just wearing the same number on their badges, but they didn’t stray into the serious stuff. Buck nodded in response to Chimney’s thank you, shooting a small smile his way.
After a few more moments’ silence, Buck’s smile turned into a smirk, once again turning his body to face Chimney. Chim inwardly groaned; he knew that smirk. It was the same one he used every single time he teased Chimney about something, usually Maddie.
“So,” the blond started excitedly, nudging Chim’s bicep with his elbow. “Are you finally gonna ask her to move in with you?”
Chim practically spit out the sip of beer he’d just taken, sputtering as he turned to look at Buck like he’d grown another head.
“I’m sorry- what?”
Buck’s teasing grin stayed in place, even as he frowned and gave Chimney a few sympathetic pats on the back. “Oh, c’mon, man. You already had the whole “I love you” conversation, you spend most nights together anyway- the next logical step in to move in together. And since we both know Maddie won’t be the one to ask, when are you going to?”
Chim didn’t even know how to respond. Well, of course he’d thought about asking Maddie to move into his apartment. Albert had gotten his own place not too far away, so the space was all his again. Maddie’s drawer had turned into three, his closet had turned into their closet, her toothbrush lived next to his on the bathroom counter. He’d never admit it, but Chim had even switched laundry detergents to the one he knew Maddie used and loved. So really, he didn’t even have an excuse to not ask her. It was a nerve-wracking concept, for sure. He had told himself that it would be too much too soon, that she needed her own space after Doug, but he knew it was just excuses. Maddie practically lived there anyway, and he was entirely positive that she would say yes. If he thought back on it, Maddie had been dropping hints about anyway.
So why hadn’t he?
He didn’t have an answer.
Buck seemed content to leave him in his thoughts for a little bit, sipping his beer and watching their family. When Buck let out a quiet laugh, Chimney trailed his eye-line. He was watching Eddie, because of course he was. Buck’s eyes always seemed to be watching Eddie- who was currently waving his hands around as he once again insisted to Bobby that he was “from Texas, you don’t think I know how to man a grill?” and rolling his eyes in exasperation as their captain pushed him out of the way and took the tongs from his hand. Chim couldn’t help be glad for it; yes, Eddie really did know how to grill and was actually pretty good at it, but nothing compared to Bobby’s cooking. Chimney turned back to Buck, who was still watching the interaction, and a smirk of his own formed on his face. Buck’s posture was relaxed, a smile played on his lips, and his eyes looked soft, fond, and hopelessly happy. It was the exact same look that Chimney knew he wore when he looked at Maddie.
It wasn’t a secret to anyone in 118 or their friends that Buck and Eddie were. . . well. They weren’t anything, but it was more than obvious that they both wanted to be. Buck knew that they all knew it, too. Chim teased him lightly, Hen threw him knowing looks. Buck brushed it all off with a blush, but one night when they’d gone out to a bar and Eddie had left early to put Chris to bed, Buck had gotten drunk and admitted to Hen and Chim that he really wanted to kiss Eddie’s face off. So as he watched Buck’s smitten smile at Eddie, a scheme formed in his head.
“Okay,” Chim said, causing Buck to look at him. “I will ask Maddie to move in with me-”
Buck’s smile was always so blinding.
“-when you get your shit together and kiss Eddie. I dare you.”
Buck’s face went stony for a minute with shock. Chimney smiled widely at him, like he’d landed the winning punch, but really, he should have known better. There was a reason no one dared Buck to do things anymore.
A beat of silence, then, “Okay.”
Wait, what?
Before Chimney could even blink, Buck was moving past him and fully into the backyard. Okay?
“Wait, Buck-”
But Buck was on the move. As he passed the table, he set his beer down next to Maddie’s wine glass, capturing the attention of the entire table. But Buck just kept walking past them and towards the grill. The table of women were now staring after Buck as Chimney was. Eddie smiled brightly as he saw Buck approaching.
“Buck, can you please tell Bobby-”
Eddie was silenced as Buck moved into Eddie’s personal space, putting his hands on either side of the other’s face and pressing their lips together firmly.
Chimney wasn’t sure which one of the ladies let out an excited yelp at the sight- it sounded like Karen- but the entire backyard, save the kids too wrapped up in their game, were staring raptly at the two firefighters, who now seemed too wrapped up in each other to notice that they had caused everyone to freeze so suddenly. Eddie’s hands had come up to grip Buck’s waist, and he was kissing back with just as much conviction Buck had put into his walk over there.
Chimney was, well, shocked. This wasn’t how he had planned this going. He figured he’d get a blush and some mumbled remark, buying himself some time before Buck got on his case about asking Maddie to move in again. But instead he was watching two of his best friends stand in the backyard, foreheads resting together as they whispered back and forth and pressed gentle kisses to each other’s lips as if the world around them didn’t even exist anymore. They were both smiling wider than Chimney thought he’d ever seen. And he was really damn happy for them, he was. But he was still feeling the shock of Buck just saying “Okay” and doing that.
That’s why he and Hen had established the Buck Rule: you never dared Evan Buckley to do anything. Because he almost always would. Which had landed them over the time in trouble with Cap, watching Buck throw up in the bathroom, having to use medical supplies while not on a call, filled with regrets, and being shown up when they thought they’d finally found something Buck wouldn’t do.
The rest of the adults seemed to pull themselves together, all conversation suddenly becoming loud and about nothing other than that moment. No one wanted to disturb the new couple, who was now looking shyly at each other as they realized the entire backyard had witnessed their kiss, so everyone was just yelling and freaking out to each other. Hen shouted something at Karen about paying up, Athena was smiling widely as May ranted happily. Bobby was laughing and smiling to himself as he took over the grill for good. Maddie stood from the table, speed walking over to Chim. Her smile was wide and happy, excitement for her brother filling her eyes.
“Oh my god!” she exclaimed as she reached him. “You saw that, right? I can’t believe Evan just kissed him! God, finally.”
Chimney smiled back at his girlfriend, nodding his head. Maddie pressed into Chim’s side, turning her body so she could face her smiling brother.
“Wow. I wonder what made him do it then. It seemed so sudden.”
Chimney opened his mouth, before shutting it again with a shake of his head and shrug of his shoulders.
Damn you, Buck.
“So,” Chim breathed out, looking at the side of his girlfriend’s head. He leaned in, kissing her hair quickly before pulling away and taking a deep breath. “Wanna move in with me?”