#118 squad here we go again

[faerlygraceful]

So I rewatched all of the “Begins” episodes last night and it only managed to cement my head canons about Tommy, which began forming after we saw him again.

Of course I don’t know if they thought this was going to be where the character ended up when they filled the firehouse back in season 2. I don’t know what Lou thought about his character. I don’t know what the intentions were. What I am doing (since this is my head canon), is taking new knowledge and using it to recategorize previous interactions. I’m queer, it’s what we all do.

So I’m going to share my analysis with all of y’all cause this is the internet, and I’m allowed.

Spoilers for… well everything.

Tommy is one of the three characters who shows up in all three Begins episodes, the other two being Athena and Sal DeLuca. His first appearance in the show is Hen Begins, but as we know Chimney Begins is chronologically first, so we’re starting there.

Chimney Begins

1) We first see Tommy when probie Howie walks in. He doesn’t seem to notice that Howie is a probie, asking who didn’t tip the takeout guy. Gerrard quickly takes the role of antagonist, and that’s when we move on.

2) At one point when they’re coming back from a call after Howie has been there a while, Tommy says, in a surprised tone, “You’re still here?” I think this is less of a, “You don’t belong here,” and more of a, “You’ve been here for weeks/months and haven’t been out once, I would have quit, why haven’t you?”

3) While man behind, Howie helps a guy who was having indigestion and a panic attack at the same time. When the rest get back, Howie tries to bond with them over the call, but is ignored. They are talking about takeout options and Gerrard asks Tommy, when his girlfriend is supposed to come in and cook. Tommy sounds extremely contained during this interaction, gives a a day, and when pressed he stammers and promises. The conversation fades off so we don’t hear what he promises, but he didn’t seem all that enthusiastic about his girlfriend coming in.

- Now this is where we really start getting into my hcs. Either Tommy is bi (which we’ll hopefully find out tomorrow) or he’s closeted. The tightness in his voice (which is all we have to go on because the camera is focused on the POV character), tells me that he’s extremely uncomfortable with the interaction. He’s been put on the spot, and he doesn’t like it. I think the girlfriend is either a) a friend he’s brought by the house once and everyone inferred or b) someone he manufactured in order to get out of team events ie, “Oh I can’t go out tonight, my girl is cooking.” He is uncomfortable with what his boss (a confirmed bigot) is asking for, and the man is pressuring him to produce his beard. If she was actually his girlfriend and Tommy is also bisexual, it could just be that’s he’s uncomfortable exposing her to the environment that the 118 is at that point.

4) Howie starts to try and broach the barriers between himself and the other firefighters, only to be rebuked. At one point he corners Tommy in the locker room, and starts naming off all these topics, stating, “Tell me what your thing is and I’ll make it mine.” Talking about his formidable people skills and asking if that means Tommy just didn’t like him that much.

Tommy tells him, “If I thought about you at all, I probably wouldn’t.” Which tells me that Tommy has already built his mask, his persona, and since the others don’t try to look beyond the surface he’s able to maintain it, but he can’t afford to let anyone in. He can’t think about the new guy on the squad, he’s too busy making sure Gerrard doesn’t find out about his closet. That would be just another person to have to hide from anyway.

This is when Howie gets pulled for the ambulance. Eli tells him that it’s not personal, because friends die and funerals are held. Which makes me also think that Howie stepped into the shoes of a firefighter who died. Maybe one who Tommy was particularly close to? Eli goes on to call Howie a puppy who doesn’t get a name until they know it’s gonna come through.

The next thing that happens is Kevin Lee’s death. Which is incredibly sad and is a big part of how Howie develops as a firefighter, but this meta is Tommy focused so moving on.

5) The garage collapse at the mall, and Tommy almost dies. More to it, Howie saved him. So Tommy decides to share some things with Howie. “Love Actually, monster trucks, and craft beer”. Maybe not a coming out story, but he did declare that one of his favorite movies is a rom com. It’s a start.

Hen Begins

1) Tommy is first seen when Hen walks into the house. He’s comes up to the railing after Gerrard calls for everyone and is positioned between the captain and DeLuca. Now it’s my personal opinion that DeLuca is an ass and that’s backed up by these episodes but even Hen defends him in Bobby Begins Again, and that started with this episode. But again, we’re not here to get into Sal DeLuca’s headspace, this is about Tommy. When Gerrard calls Hen an “diversity” hire, we see Tommy looking very uncomfortable, and Sal is the one to take up some of Captain’s dirty work for him (“For real?”). This is the episode where I truly see Tommy as “falling in line” with the captain. He’s opened up a little to Howie (no nickname yet), a little more inclined to joke, but still is holding these boundaries.

2) DeLuca talks about taking his girl to see some vampire movie and Tommy immediately knows it’s Twilight. DeLuca talks about how he likes Kristen Stewart (with Hen agreeing) before saying something about getting behind that, which makes Hen uncomfortable. (According to this, it would put it in 2008, which means she’s a paramedic for ten years prior to Buck joining which I hate. All those movies came out rather fast but could all be classified as “Twilight” so it was probably at least Eclipse in 2010 especially with the references made…. But then we start to go into how much I hate this timeline because nothing makes sense ever) Tommy talks about how he doesn’t understand the attraction to KS because she’s too… (Sal puts in hot here) broody, and Sal asks him if that means he’s Team Jacob (which is what makes me think it’s at least during Eclipse, I don’t see DeLuca being a Twi-Hard, and so his frame of reference would be movie based), and when Tommy acts confused (not sure if an act or not, he knew what Twilight was, but that doesn’t mean he knows about Team Edward vs Team Jacob), Chimney confirms that he’s implying that Tommy is gay. You. See. Him. Freeze. There is a few seconds where Tommy freezes in place like he’s processing before he makes a joke, blowing a kiss at Sal before laughing. Gerrard puts a stop to the conversation, and Hen takes a seat.

— Remember when Tommy has buried himself in the closet? What happened when someone rattles the door with a gay joke? One where it’s being implied that you are gay? When you’re bigot of a boss is sitting not five feet from you at the same table? You freeze to not immediately deny the accusation in a way that would make you look sus, and then you make a joke out of it. It hurts, so much.

———-Ah shit I’m going to timeline this———

From what we know, Tommy was in the army as a pilot. For Timeline purposes we’re going to assume that Eli leaving is the reason Hen went to the 118. During her med student arc it talks about how she was a paramedic for 10 years, so 2012 makes sense there. It doesn’t make sense with other thing’s because in Lonestar’s Hold the Line (2021 would make this make sense), Hen tells Owen that Denny is 10 and she and Karen and her were married for 8 years, (Same sex marriage has only been legal in CA since 2013). Bobby was their captain for a year in Worst Day Ever, they had a captain parade for two years (six captains) and before that they had a someone who was cleaning up after Gerrard. Also Hen and Karen were freshly back together when DADT was repealed. That makes Denny a baby on September 20th of 2011.

Enlistment periods are 8 years but that’s a mix of active and inactive duty. If Tommy signed up out of high school (18), was an active duty pilot for 6 years (24) and then moved to the reserves for the remaining two while he became a firefighter, it means he could have been a firefighter for two years longer than Hen or Chimney while being less than 10 years older than Buck.

Now none of this helps in placing where these episodes fall in the timeline, but I would say that Bobby’s first day falls about a year before the pilot, and Chimney Begins and Hen Begins butt right up together. Also I have no more information on Eli and how long he stayed after training Chim, and I probably never will because I cannot watch Boston.

More timeline BS. Hen and Karen had to have gotten together during the captain parade because Gerrard would not have let her on a call where she got hurt enough that Chim would make the call to Karen.

——————— Timeline bs over ——————

3) Tommy asks about how “New York bitchiness” could be a compliment after Howie mentioning that she has an East coast vibe, and Hen thanks him for the compliment. And then Howie makes it seem like Tommy’s calling her bitchy, but I don’t see it that way. What’s more likely is that’s the only vibe he knows from the east coast, so when Howie suggests she has it, he’s like, wait you think that’s a compliment? Howie treats it like Tommy’s calling Hen a bitch, but it honestly didn’t come off that way, more like Tommy trying to clarify that Howie wasn’t calling Hen a bitch by saying she has an “East Coast Vibe”. Anyway this conversation quickly devolves in Gerrard being a misogynist, and Tommy and DeLuca quickly scamper off.

4) Not Tommy related, but we do have someone with insight into being an openly gay firefighter now. Casey with the 115. He says that they knew he was gay from the moment he walked in, and it didn’t matter that he was the strongest guy in the firehouse. Here we have proof that it doesn’t matter your qualifications, if you’re perceived as gay, you’re automatically singled out. He said it was so hard that he was told to quit and find a new dream by his partner. Now, there is a red flag about your SO tellingly you to give up your dreams, but can you imagine how bad it would have been for the boyfriend to get to that point? The person you care about coming home every night defeated and downtrodden over something that’s supposed to be his dream? The ease in which Casey shed the boyfriend makes me think that they weren’t together long enough to earn those privileges, but the job also gets a red flag for being so bad that you’d advise your short term boyfriend to quit.

5) Hen’s speech. During this we don’t see him often, because he’s off to the side. The camera is more focused on Gerrard, DeLuca and Howie for the most part. But he does seem very closed off, when you do see him, his arms crossed, not standing defensively or challengingly like DeLuca, but like he’s trying to shrink. Actually it kind of reminds me of another queer firefighter that we all know.

6) We don’t get to see much more of the reactions because we go immediately into a call where a party limo crashed into a flower truck. Which we only know about because Hen went looking for it, saving the life of a little boy. Tommy tells her good job, that they would have discovered the secondary wreck eventually but that it would have been too late. She also has now earned Sal’s respect.

7) When they get back the Chief is there. Now remember, she gave her speech, they went out, they come back out and Gerrard is being removed. Nothing that happened on that call or involving her speech has anything to do with this. She thinks she’s being fired, that Gerrard called while heading to or back from the scene to have her removed, but that’s not the case. Her speech wasn’t actually necessary because everyone was already complaining about how Gerrard treated her. They even talk about someone who compared Gerrard and his behavior to hemorrhoids. Which I’m not saying could be from the army pilot who was probably deployed and had to undergo long-term constipation or diarrhea, but it could be.

Now all in all, there nothing really bad about Tommy’s behavior that we’ve seen. He doesn’t approach Hen, but we’ve seen from her interactions with Howie that she barely accepts his overtures of friendship in the beginning, and Tommy is much more closed off, remembering how he only opened up to Howie after he saved his life. He also doesn’t stand up for Hen to the captain’s face, but as an Army guy, he follows the chain of command. Doesn’t mean he won’t file one or two or three complaints through the proper channels. He just can’t afford to put himself in Gerrard’s crosshairs, can’t afford to undergo his scrutiny.

Bobby Begins Again

1) Hen has started a betting pool on the newest captain. Over under is 6 weeks, making me think that that’s the least amount of time a Captain stayed (about a month and a half and if they had 6 captains in 2 years that’s an average of 4 months). Tommy gives Nash a month and has to run to the ATM. DeLuca is obviously the main antagonizer, it sounds like he wanted the 118 and was denied (Also ABC, maybe bring him back ala Billy Tyson? Might be fun.).

2) Tommy has never worked on a farm, or dealt with toddlers. Cause he was floundering and falling all over himself when trying to catch Maurice the rooster. All in all these calls don’t show much. Tommy follows Bobby’s instructions, even though part of time he’s just parroting what Sal says, no arguments. Adds further credibility to the fact that he follows chain of command. It doesn’t matter that this guys only going to last a month, he’s my captain now.

3) During the Guillermo’s fire, Sal breaks rank to save the kid (which considering who that kid grows up to be, it sucks that he was successful). But when Bobby takes him to task for endangering them all, Sal doubles down. I thought I was paying attention during this scene, but it’s hard with the yelling. At least two people try to get him to cool it, one of them being Chimney who calls DeLuca “Fredo”.

4) They’re all at the bar, talking about Sal getting fired when Bobby shows up and the vibes change. Now sometime over the past twoish years Tommy is single, and it seems chronically at least to the house. Maybe because Gerrard is gone he doesn’t have to maintain a beard anymore, but with the endless captain parade and DeLuca being a tool, he doesn’t feel comfortable coming out? I think he’s also classified the 118 as unsafe, so maybe this lended a reason for his later transfer. But as he says, “Single is easier. Having the scars impresses women, getting ‘em freaks ‘em out.” Which gives heavy implications that like Buck in season one, Tommy isn’t dating but hooking up. If he’s gay, then his partners would have to be okay with the fact that he’s still closeted. And mention of women aside, it’s implied that a longer term relationship ended because he got hurt on the job. (This is why I don’t ascribe to the Tommy dated Abby theory. She implied that her relationship ended because of Patricia, and Tommy implies his last was due to injury. Which could be. He got hurt on the job and she couldn’t handle care giver burden for both of them? But that’s also turning Abby into Shannon Diaz pt 1 and while I dislike both women, they don’t need to be same character different font.) Here’s what I think. He got hurt on the job, and his long term boyfriend couldn’t even go to the hospital to check on him because he wasn’t out to his crew, causing them to break up.

Also for all you Buck/Tommy writers, Tommy canonically has a scar on his right side from a piece of shrapnel that he caught. He says it’s from a factory explosion. I don’t have the ability to get screen shots atm, but it’s pretty.

5) Tommy quotes Fight Club with Chim. So maybe another victim of the Han School of Movie References?

6) Bobby starts with family dinners. Tommy decides to transfer. The cake says, “The 217’s lose is our gain,” and they push his head into it.

The very next scene is Buck walking into the 118.

So all in all, we see Tommy as a deeply guarded character. He doesn’t open up easily, he follows orders, he has a soft side. I don’t really know how to conclude this because I sprinkled my impressions throughout, but I hope that this helps anyone who’s looking for Tommy characterization, and we’ll see tomorrow if any of this is right.

#tv: 911 #911 on abc #911 abc #911 spoilers #911 speculation #tommy kinard #faerly meta

[breanime]

Since I hear you’re lacking in the Buck gif department

I will probably (read: definitely) send more

"And there she is," Chim cheered as you walked into the firehouse, "our new full-time firefighter!"

You laughed as Chim, Eddie, Hen, Ravi, and Bobby clapped as they stood in front of the firetrucks. "Thanks, guys!" You had just finished the last of the paperwork to go from a probationary firefighter to full-time, and the squad couldn't be prouder of you.

Except the whole squad wasn't there. You didn't see Buck.

Hiding your slight disappointment, you let the others congratulate you, your head on a swivel, looking for a sign of Buck.

"Alright," Bobby announced, his voice loud and clear, "Let's get you situated!"

"Huh?" You turned to him, and as you turned, Ravi plopped a helmet on your head. "Oh!"

"Alright, newly minted 118 firefighter," Chim sang, "Let's get you in your gear."

Again, a laugh escaped from you as your team--well, most of them--fully got you in gear.

"And here's the most important part," Eddie stepped up, clipping your radio onto your lapel, he stepped back, grinning proudly at his work, "Hope this works."

"Hope what works--" you asked, but then you were interrupted by your radio hissing, and then a voice, clear and loud, came through the feed.

"Congratulations!" Buck's voice filled your ears. "We're so proud of you!"

You pressed the button to speak back. "Buck?" You chuckled. "Where are you?"

You could practically hear the smile in his voice, "Look up."

You did. Buck was standing on the balcony, a huge grin on his face, smiling down at you as he pulled his radio closer to his face, "You look good."

Your cheeks grew warm, and you laughed as the team cooed and teased you both. They all knew you and Buck had... a thing, and after a few rounds of paperwork and a couple of talks with Bobby, well... The thing between the two of you was starting to become... more than a thing. You grabbed hold of your radio, eyes never leaving Buck, and responded, "10-4 Buckley," you grinned, "and right back at'cha."

Buck's answering grin made your heart flip. His smile was your favorite thing to see, and his happy voice was your favorite thing to hear.

You had it bad.

The radio buzzed again, and Buck leaned over the railing as he spoke, "How about a drink tonight, just you and me?"

"Okay," Hen chuckled, shaking her head, "if ya'll are about to get all cutesy in here, I'm out."

"Actually," Ravi spoke up, a finger in the air, "I should go too, I need to, um, work on some... things..." He nodded, "Yeah, so... Congrats again, Y/N!"

You barely registered him scurrying off, your attention still on Buck.

"Yeah, I've got some... stuff on the truck to check," Eddie said, already walking off.

"Mm hmm," Bobby gently pushed Chim away, "Let's get back to work while these two... do whatever this is."

"We should get those two their own channel on the comms," Chim said as they walked off, "I mean, I love a rom-com as much as the next guy, but come on..."

You giggled to yourself, at both the way your flirting cleared the room and also that boyish grin on Buck's face. "Drinks, you and me tonight," you confirmed on the radio, seeing the smile widen on Buck's face, "and what about... breakfast?" You asked. "Tomorrow morning?"

You watched as Buck's eyes widened, and then he was running down the stairs and in front of you in seconds, "YES," he breathed out, chest rising with the effort it took to move that quickly, "So, uh..." He grinned again, and you could see the joy and anticipation in his bright eyes, "...It's a date."

You grinned back, taking a step closer to him, "Yeah...

...it's a date."

**********************************************************************

Thanks for reading! Lemme know what you think! I'm still new to writing Buck and the Firefam, so let me know how I did, please!

#buck x reader #buck imagine #bre does gif drabbles (again)! #buck 911 #evan buckley x reader #evan buckley imagine #911 fox

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 122. brb x oc

a/n: I love writing the dagger squad as a menace, i really do. reblogs and comments are super encouraged <3333

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none.

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

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-

He could hide the fact that Beatrice was pregnant, again, from his friends. They were busy with work, busy with their own lives and more specifically they were busy with Jake and Evelyn. It sounded a bit mean but he was glad that their attention was somewhere else other than him and Beatrice.

He told her he could do it and he was doing it. Even though he was really happy and almost whistling a tune as he went to work, he couldn’t share the news with anyone yet.

Beatrice was right, the first trimester was the most fragile one and they still needed to know how far along she was considering that her period wasn’t always on time and when it comes to stress it was obvious that it made her period stop. And he had to think that now there wasn’t just him Bea and Nikki…now there was another little baby.

“Sir!”

Bradley stops walking to look back at Faraday, the young officer saluting him. Usually Rooster would hate whenever the recruit did that, but he was having a good morning, so he saluted back,”At ease,Faraday.” the young man’s eyes widened but he nodded with a grin, “What do you need?”

‘Nothing much,sir.But me and the boys are wondering how the miss and little miss are.”

“They are very good,thank you for asking.”

“And if we could give the baby another gift.”

His brain short circuited for a second, it must’ve shown in his face because Faraday whispered a ‘sir?’ that made him snap back into consciousness. He was talking about Nicole of course, “Ah, there’s no need.” he says as soon as he recognizes where he was, “She has enough toys and Christmas is next week,so.”

“Ah…” 

They stay quiet for a second, making Rooster sigh, “You guys already bought it,didn’t you?”

“Yes,sir!”

“Okay, listen,” Rooster places a hand on the recruit’s shoulder, “We appreciate what you guys do for Nikki, it’s really sweet…but you can’t keep giving us things, especially since there are other people with kids-”

“We gave Hangman a gift too!”

“...that’s…nice,but still…people will question why you guys keep giving us stuff, it’s really nice and we really like it, but I’m your superior and that can appear as if you are ass kissing.” he arches his brows at the send of his sentence, “You get that,right?”

Faraday blinks at him, then looks to the side in thought, ‘...well,sir, you and the Daggers are the nicest officers here.” he explains, “As in the veterans.”

Ouch.

Faraday didn’t seem to get that his comment made the other pilot wince visibly, being called old wasn’t fun for anyone, but especially not Rooster. “Thank you,Faraday. That’s…really nice.”

The other officer smiles, saluting him one more time, “Don’t mention it,sir! We mean it!”

“Yes,I’m sure you do.” Bradley clears his throat before looking at his watch, “I have to go now, Faraday.” his reply of ‘okay sir!’ almost sounded too loud but he couldn’t blame a young recruit for being so enthusiastic. He wasn’t that enthusiastic, was he?

No he was probably too brooding in the first year, only loosening up as time went by.

Bradley turns on his heel to march to his office, pulling out his phone to check if Beatrice sent him anything, but alas there was nothing in there. He keeps his eyes on the screen, smiling at their wedding picture and then unlocking just to see Nicole’s cute chubby face staring back at him.

He inhales quietly, then licks his lips, “Okay, so far so good.” he tells himself, “Just have to keep this up until I can leave. I can do this.” he looks around for a second, “It’s for safety,anyway.” Bradley wanted nothing more than to shout to the world that he was going to have a second child but he couldn’t, not yet.

As he enters his office he stops, one of his hands still in the door handle as he recalls a forgotten memory. He remembers, when he was much much younger, that his mother commented about how she and his father wished to give him a little sibling…they never did for obvious reasons and he knew how much that conversation hurt her.

But she shared it with him anyway.

He stood there, on the kitchen table, his pencil tight on his grasp as his mother sat next to him with a mug of tea, smiling sadly, looking out the window. Homework was no longer in his brain, all he could think about was how she spoke those words.

“I hope you have a good life,Brad.”  she tells him softly, “When you grow older. Just do your best to remain safe…and if you give me grandchildren,I’ll be more than happy too.”

She wasn’t sick then, she was still the picture of healthy but her words sounded so…final. Like she knew she wouldn’t be able to see him meet Bea, get married and have his kids. It was a painful thing to think about, conflicting with his own thoughts that exuded nothing but appreciation and happiness. Bradley’s eyebrows furrow, he remembers how she was so quiet too in the final years.

Between hospital visits and school then college, Bradley never thought he’d achieve her gentle request. And when he got to the Navy, well, let’s say that was the last thing in his mind.

As he let his shoulders relax, he closes his eyes as well, “Hope you are lookin’ ma.” he murmurs, “I know you’d love to meet them…you and dad…well, you will meet them in a way when we go to Virginia.” he talked to Bea about it and she was very supportive of visiting the cemetery, she thought it’d be more than important for Nikki to know more about her grandparents as well.

Bradley sits on his chair with his hands folded in front of his lips, thumb rubbing over the wedding band repeatedly, following the way his finger rubbed against the gold surface, seeing smudges of his fingerprint on top before looking back to his desk, “Yeah, we’ll be okay.” he answered himself, his own doubts somehow making it’s way over.

He knew what he had to do, he knew how he had to act to always come back home and he honestly thought that Beatrice’s little scent pouch was her own way of a lucky charm. Ever since she gave it to him he had to admit he was able to sleep better and felt so much more…relaxed whenever he had to go.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door, he lifts his head, “Come in.” he says, then stands up when he notices it’s Cyclone, “Cyclone,sir,” a quick salute that the vice-admiral reciprocates, “Good morning,sir.”

“Bradshaw.” Cyclone’s stature and serious façade was enough to make anyone quiver in their boots, “I’m glad to see you are keeping yourself busy.” he drops his eyes to the pile of papers on the young officer’s desk, thankfully most of them were reports he already finished, “I hope,however,I’m not interrupting.”

“Uh, no sir. Not at all…can I help with something?”

Cyclone inhaled, squaring his shoulders with his hands behind his back as he walked to the desk, picking up a little toy from his desk. It was a tiny silicon unicorn with glitter and iridescent wings. His superior looked up at him with his brow up, “From your little one,I presume.”

“Yes,sir.” he nods, “I brought it with me.”

“I see…well, and how is she?”

“She’s….fine.” he couldn’t help but be confused by his superior’s questions, “She’s growing more and more every day.”

Cyclone nodded, pursing his lips and looking around a bit, “Of course, as babies do.” he says, “I have a request, Bradshaw,I know your wife is friends with my daughter.”

“Yes?”

His superior seemed almost uncomfortable, “I want to know…if she said anything about what she’d like for my future grandchild.” he says, “She hasn’t told me much.”

Oh.

That’s a bit sad.

Bradley tries to not show his grimace, scratching his neck, “Well,sir,I uh…there’s nothing that I heard about from Bea…I thought you could ask her? Can’t you?”

“My daughter has been….very protective about the little one, so she’s not sharing much unless it’s with her mother and my wife is also refusing to tell me things.” he explains, propping his hands on his hips, “I don’t even know the gender.”

“Well sir,I apologize…I…we heard nothing.” Bradley offers his boss a confused shrug, did he really come to his office to have that type of chat? Odd, he thought he’d at least call him to his own office and have this conversation…unless it was bothering him so much he couldn’t really wait that long.

“...I see.” Cyclone inhales and clears his throat, turning on his heel to leave the office, but he stills and slowly turns his torso towards Bradley, “This conversation never happened. Have a good day,Bradshaw.”

“Y-You too,sir.” he waits until Cyclone is out of his office to let out a heavy breath he didn’t know he was holding and falls back down on his chair, “Shit…that was…something…I better message Bea when I’m able to.”

At least no one suspected anything so that was really good.

All he had to do was get through lunchtime.

-

Bradley sometimes wondered if his friends just could sniff the secret out of him because Nat was hounding up like a huntsman dog, like she knew something was off. But he promised himself he wouldn’t say anything, even if they suspected he would keep his mouth shut, for safety especially.

Phoenix stood next to him, chewing her own sandwich with her eyes narrowed. Rooster tried to focus on his own food but the way she was looking at him was nearing annoyance. He sighs and drops his fork with a frown, “What?”

“What,what?”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Nat takes a bite of her sandwich,blinking innocently, “Looking like what?”

“Like you are trying to get something out of me.”

Natasha slows her chewing then shrugs at him, “I dunno, you appear different today.” she says, “A pep in your step if I could say so myself.” Rooster didn’t like how that sounded and he immediately worried that he gave something away, “What did Cyclone want with you?”

“How do you-”

“Word gets around, people saw him in your office.”

Bradley purses his lips “Just wanted some of my reports.” he lies because he remembers what his superior asked him, “That’s all.”

“Hmmmm…okay;” a pause, “Anyway,how’s the baby?”

Bradley stops, much like when Faraday mentioned something about it, trying to wrack his brain that the baby was only Nicole for right now. He tries to now give out too much of his reaction by drinking his soda, “She’s fine.” he says, “She’s really fine.”

“And Bea? Not getting too tired,I hope?”

No because it was early in the pr- oh, “Oh uh, no, no she’s not.” he sips even more of his soda feeling his throat as dry as sandpaper. Nat just looks at him, narrowing her eyes with her tongue rolling inside her mouth as she cleans her teeth. She folds her arms over the table, leaning closer to her taller friend with a suspicious look on her face. “...what?”

“You look different,Bradshaw.” she comments, pointing a finger at him, “You look different,can’t pinpoint what.”

“I’m normal.” he says, “There’s nothing different.”

Nat stares at him for a few more seconds, then shrugs, “Eh,okay…anyway, did you hear?’

“Elaborate.”

“About the thing they want us to do after the Holidays?” he chews his pizza with a frown, clearly he hadn’t heard anything, “They want to do some tests…with the recruits and the veterans…because of the drones and everything.”

Bradley frowned, “Almost dying three years ago wasn’t enough,huh?”

“Guess not.”

“I heard nothing about it. What do you know?”

“Just that they are building a team.” she says quietly, looking around to check if anyone was close by, “But Mav is involved.” the mention of his uncle made him look over at Nat, “I think he was the loudest voice against it and now they want him to…you know, prove it again.’

“Mav doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.” he adds quickly, feeling a sudden protectiveness towards his uncle because no matter what, it was like people couldn’t leave him alone. Maybe he just wanted Mav to one day be able to retire without anyone pointing a finger at him and saying he’s good but there was just something missing. “You know that, we all do.”

“We do.” Nat adds, “But you know how the high brass is when it comes to Mav. And now that,well, he’s back on duty, people just want his head on a plate.”

Rooster huffed, crossing his arms with a frown, “Do you think we’ll be called?”

‘Not sure,Rooster.” she whispers, “There’s a chance.”

The thought about doing such a dangerous mission while Beatrice is pregnant again was always in his mind but he didn’t think it’d be so soon. He holds his chin on his hand, huffing quietly because that was a worry that always remained in his brain, there wasn’t much that he could do because well, it was his career, if he was called he’d have to go, “Any idea where this would be?”

“Nope, they won’t tell you until it’s time, you know that.”

“Yeah…I do know that.”

Nat frowns, crossing her arms, “You look way more worried than normal, I mean I know there’s Nikki and Bea, but something is off with you today,Rooster. I don’t know what it is.”

“I mean, I have a kid.” he shrugs, “And a wife and that weighs in my mind often you know.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What??”

“I don’t know what’s in that bird brain of yours,Rooster but-” she points at him, “I see that little smile on your face,” he quickly rolls his lips into his mouth and looks away, “Aha! So there is something. Come on,tell me.”

“There’s nothing.”

“Come oooonnnnn,” she pokes his shoulder hard, “Come on!!”

“You are worse than a child- stop it!” he swats her hand away and Nat just laughs because she did get a reaction out of him, it wasn’t what she expected but it was enough. “There’s nothing going on, can’t I just be happy?”

“I mean, you always look dopey ever since you and Bea got together,” she smiles, holding her head up with a hand. “You are just too easy to read.”

“No I’m not.” he mentally panicked thinking that Nat could get the secret out of him so he had to figure out an escape route, and he tried to get up with the excuse to go to the bathroom but then the whole squad showed up.

After that he just had to keep to himself, thinking about anything, about what Nat said, about the reports he still had to finish, about Cyclone’s weird visit and about how they should focus on Jake and Evelyn for a little bit. Payback asked him about Nicole, then Coyote and Fanboy, followed by Bob and Halo, they all wanted to give their honorary niece gifts.

And he appreciated it, but much like Faraday he said that Nicole already had so much and she was going to get a lot more next week and maybe they could give it to her around her birthday…which if he wasn’t wrong, Beatrice would be around eight month- he immediately cut the thought short as soon as it showed up.

He sent Beatrice a text since she hadn’t talked to him the whole morning, which was odd but he remembered that she was going to the clinic so she was probably busy. When he was done with his lunch he was glad and he quickly got up to walk away.

Bradley inhaled shakily, then rolled his shoulders, “Okay…day one is done.” he mutters, looking back to check if anyone was following him and immediately frowning when he saw Nat’s knowing smirk, “...fuck.” he looks away, “I just need to survive a few more months, that’s all.”

#bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x named reader #tgm oc #tgm fic #tgm fanfiction

[distinguished-slacker]

Heya! So there's a thing going on about Shinoa's feelings for Yu, but I think people have misinterpreted what Mika said to Yu about her in chapter 119. So why do you think Mika said what he said in the way that he did? Do you he was annoyed at Yu? Or do you think he had a different intention or feeling? Just curious about your opinion.

Hi! :3

Oh, The Question™…Tbh I didn’t want to go into this topic when the chapter came out but I’m happy to hear that someone wants my opinion and I am always glad to answer asks❤️ Also, maybe you expected a short answer but I think that by now all the people who know me here should be aware that I write long ass posts😅 So sorry if this is too much🤧

Before starting I would like to say that my opinion on this matter is not something I am 100% confident on, and it’s rather more of a hunch that I can make if I place myself in Mika’s situation (or basically how I believe any person in Mika’s situation would feel and act) as I think we don’t have enough information on Mika’s inner self as an individual outside certain aspects of his character to make a precise assumption.

🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍

So…this chapter starts with Yuu once again having it his way (going to the tower and fooling around) and it ends with Yuu finally including Mika and letting him design a plan. So this makes me think that the conflict of this chapter (basically why Mika acted the way he did), or rather, the motive of this chapter, is for Mika to seek for a change.

Mika is the type of person who usually keeps his feelings to himself and whenever he has an opinion to say, he is just ignored and collectively treated like a fool. It probably hurts him the most that the person who should listen to him the most is the one who listens to him the least. I think that by this point, Mika is already aware that Yuu loves him (be it romantic or platonic, Idk) but it must be innervating for him to hear how Yuu always talks about how important Mika is to him but Yuu doesn’t prove it with actions except when the situation involves saving Mika physically. When it comes to caring about Mika emotionally (in other words, taking into account what he wants), Yuu most of the time automatically puts himself and his needs first. So I think that in this chapter Mika finally hit his own limits and didn’t want to be only a follower anymore.

About what Mika said in his outburst, specifically about Yuu having had turned his back on him in the past and about Yuu having kids with Shinoa, I don’t really think Mika really meant it. For the first one, this reminds me of those cases where you are so angry that you cannot think clearly and so sometimes you say something that tbh never crossed your mind before. You want to prove a point so badly that you don’t think of the arguments you are going to use enough, and so they don’t end up making full sense. Alternatively Mika might have also said it with a clear mind but in this case I think that he was still manipulating the truth of his words. Whether it is the first scenario or the second one, I think Mika said this to push Yuu away, because he believes Yuu deserves a better life, one that focuses on the present and the future (Yuu’s squad), not the past (aka Mika).

That brings me to my second point: Shinoa. I’m not sure about what you meant about thinking people have “misinterpreted” but if the question is if I think Mika ships yu*noa then my answer is clearly ‘no’. The story hasn’t given us sufficient and good reasons as to why Mika would genuinely think Shinoa specifically would be the one for Yuu. I think he used Shinoa’s name in here because she was the obvious choice as she is visibly the person who has the strongest feelings for Yuu out of the whole squad, especially considering the recent events of chapter 118. I think that what Mika said here about what kind of future he thinks Yuu should pursue with Shinoa here is actually him (aside from wishing Yuu a better life) projecting his own desires. Be it romantic or platonic, I believe what Mika ultimately wants is for him to be the one to spend Yuu’s future with. However, in my opinion what is happening here is an inner conflict between Mika trying to make Yuu take the route that he considers to be objective (in other words, marrying a woman and having children with her, which universally is considered by society to be the “standard” familial route for a man and ultimately the way to happiness in life) and Mika also thinking about what he wants for himself, which is entirely understandable since he is human too (well he is not but you all know what I mean). He probably doesn’t think the latter one is the right path, as he is already dead while Shinoa is alive. Maybe in case he holds romantic feelings for Yuu (idk, same sex relationships, queer representation, queerbaiting, canon, fiction, etc…all that stuff is too complicated for me to believe one thing or another) the fact that he is a guy while Shinoa is a girl probably is a factor too that contributed to his words.

I would also like to mention that I found a tweet made by @/CeltDl which points out how the English version isn’t entirely loyal to the Japanese original.

In the English version Mika’s words are:

“That Shinoa girl likes you! Learn to like her back! Make a new family with her! Have kids! Smile! Live!”

Meanwhile in the original:

“You can return that Shinoa girl’s love, smile at everyone, even have a kid, live!!”

English one is more explicit whereas the Japanese one tries to include everyone too. Nevertheless both versions hold the same intention in general but I thought it was worth mentioning this information in case you might not have seen it yet.

🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍

So to wrap things up:

Mika’s outburst is due to him finally reaching his breaking point and wanting to be heard. He wishes for Yuu to finally move on from the past, from Mika, as Mika believes this is the best for Yuu. He wants Yuu to focus on his friends and do ‘normal’ things ‘normal’ people want in life, such as having a family, instead of going through the difficult route, obsessing over a guy who is already dead and basically going against everyone. However, at the same time Mika also has his own feelings and wishes, and that’s why he is visibly struggling. Maybe I could have said this from the beginning to make it shorter but I like writing this kind of stuff😅😭

#but I had to go back and reread this chapter #I didn’t want to read this chapter again #I didn’t😭 #anyways thanks for the ask <3 #owari no seraph #seraph of the end #mikaela hyakuya #yūichirō hyakuya #shinoa hiiragi

[a-pretty-damn-good-narrator]

I posted 7,148 times in 2022

That's 7,141 more posts than 2021!

314 posts created (4%)

6,834 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@lesbianpasta

@literary-squagon

@leo-of

@leo-the-zoroark

@serious-tabaxi

I tagged 626 of my posts in 2022

#lol - 11 posts

#spotify - 10 posts

#shit - 10 posts

#night - 9 posts

#srry - 9 posts

#k - 8 posts

#xd - 8 posts

#yep - 7 posts

#i understand - 6 posts

#also - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#the band. if hurt/damaged on any way shape or form. sheets hook the exact place on the universe/space/time it is and he can now teleport to

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Part 3

*Tera pulls out 40gp*

"This should be enough for the gun."

*Aeroun is looking at the potions.*

Here you go and what catches your eye?

114 notes - Posted October 19, 2022

#4

A catfolk with white, black, brown and orange spots was looking at the letter on his desk. He was wearing a purple vest over a white shirt and tan pants. A chicken, which he had named Stella was just sitting on his shoulder and she ruffled her feathers.

The letter was from one of his sisters, Tera, who he had not seen or heard from in years...

"Hey! I wanted to meet you again. It's been a while and I wanna show you someplace I found... I missed you allot and I wanted to see if we could catch up after all this time -Tera"

*It's written in blue ink and the handwriting is somewhat legible... Looks like she was partially destracted as some words were completely scribbled out

118 notes - Posted October 17, 2022

#3

*It is the next morning.*

*Jax wakes up with itsy snuggling on her and Stella snuggling with itsy... It's adorable. Had just laid there until either wake up

122 notes - Posted November 8, 2022

#2

*The night was like the last night, Tera was softly snoring when suddenly her claws were out and was in her chest and legs. The claws only cause some pain, nothing fatal. She was whimpering. When you looked at Tera her eyes looked like she was a scared stray animal.*

*Jax, shaken by the pain, started burning her her awake, shaking her even

Tera, Tera wake up please

130 notes - Posted November 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

HEY!

@literary-squagon, @i-am-a-shiny-hatterene, @i-am-a-galarian-yamask, @leo-of, @zero-and-loki-the-vampires, @the-sobble-squad, @dusk-researcher, @flurty, @gengar-used-shadow-ball, @hydroleagued, @kia-and-the-gang, @meepmoopmaap AND ANYONE WHO WANNA JOIN

I can't tell you why, when, or what this means. Just pick one and it'll make sense later

134 notes - Posted September 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[castielss]

THE DUMB YOUTUBERS ARE BACK

#118 squad here we go again #frankie talks

[capseycartwright]

The prompt “I’m worried that if we go there things might never be the same

couldn't resist turning this into some dispatch!eddie fic.

Eddie had never imagined that being with dispatch, would be the thing that started to heal his friendship with Buck. He’d assumed that leaving the 118 had broken their friendship beyond repair, and it had, those first few weeks.

Buck had been snarky, biting in his replies whenever Eddie dispatched them on a call. “I know how to do my job, dispatch,” Buck had said, particular emphasis on the term dispatch – not Firefighter Diaz. Eddie might still be employed by the Los Angeles Fire Department, but Buck never used the word, never even used Eddie’s name in the beginning.

“I can talk to you - or I can do my job,” had been another, Buck huffing into his radio as Eddie tried to direct him through a fire. He was used to being in the midst of the flames with Buck, able to gauge his thoughts and reactions, follow him, even in the quiet. Stuck behind a screen, on the radio, like he was now, Eddie interpreted silence as something to be concerned about, calling out for Buck in the midst of a scene. Eddie knew he shouldn’t do it, he knew first-hand what a distraction it could be, and yet he couldn’t stop himself.

“I got them, dispatch,”had been another, Buck cooling off slightly – not enough to use Eddie’s name, but enough to offer the reassurance Eddie no longer got to have, that their victim was okay. If leaving victims at the doors of the hospital had been hard, leaving them in the hands of the firefighters and paramedics he dispatched, never to know if they survived, if they were even saved, was a thousand times worse. At least when he was out there, out in the world, he was doing more than pressing buttons and dispatching people to do the hard work on his behalf.

“Copy that, Diaz,” had come a slightly more cheerful reply, one morning, the 118 on their way to deal with an incessantly beeping smoke alarm. For once, it hadn’t been life or death, and Eddie was simply dispatching them to a regular, run-of-the-mill call.

Through those few minutes of calls, slowly – slowly, but surely – something started to change in their relationship again, and they texted, every so often, and then texts turned to calls, and things were slowly, slowly starting to feel like they might be okay.

“Dispatch,” Buck’s voice crackled over the line, the roar of the fire clear, even over the radio. “Dispatcher Diaz. Are you there?”

It was a bad fire. It had been a bad fire before Eddie had even dispatched the 118, so he couldn’t imagine how bad it was now, hours later. “I’m here, Firefighter Buckley.”

“Eddie,” Buck said. “Can you open a private channel for us?”

Eddie didn’t care if he was allowed to or not, to be frank. He tapped at his keyboard, switching over to a private channel, just him and Buck. “Buck?” he called out, tentative. “What’s happening?”

“I’m trapped,” Buck admitted. “Bobby, and Ravi – they’re on their way. That’s not why I’m calling.”

“Why are you calling?”

“If I die, here, I don’t want to do it with regrets, Eddie.”

Eddie’s vision blurred, for a second. “You’re not going to die, Buck,” he tried, but the words didn’t even sound convincing to his own ears. He hated dispatch – and he hated dispatch more than ever, in that moment. If he’d been at work, with the squad, he’d be in that fire with Buck, and he’d be working to pull Buck out of wherever he was trapped. Now, all he could do was listen.

“I hope you’re right,” was Buck’s simple reply. “You know this is how Abby and I’s relationship started. Right? Over the dispatch line.”

“Yeah, I know Buck,” Eddie reassured. He knew all about Abby – about how Buck had fallen in love with her voice, first, this calm, reassuring voice that was interested in him, not his body. For all the ways the ending had broken Buck, the beginning of his relationship with Abby sounded as though it had been a fairy-tale.

“I thought she was the great love of my life,” Buck admitted. “She’d call, and I’d hear her voice, and it felt like maybe everything was going to be okay again. I never thought I’d find that again, Eddie.”

“You’re calling me, not Taylor,” Eddie tried to joke. Buck had a girlfriend, after all.

“I broke up with Taylor weeks ago,” Buck replied. “You’ve always had a much better phone voice anyway.”

“Shut up, asshole,” Eddie tried to bite back, his voice thick with tears. “You’re going to be fine, Buck.”

“I know,” Buck didn’t sound convinced. “But in case I’m not, Eddie – selfishly, I wanted to tell you that I love you. I know it’s asking a lot, to have you listen to me and hear that, when I don’t know if I’m getting out of here – and it’s not that I want you to be sad, because I’ve told you that and maybe I won’t be here anymore. I wanted to tell you that because I know you don’t believe you’re worthy of love, Eddie, and I just wanted you to know that I have loved you for the longest time.”

Eddie couldn’t speak.

“Eddie?” Buck paused, to cough. “It’d be nice if you replied.”

“I wish you hadn’t told me this on the phone,” Eddie admitted.

“It’s easier – to say things like this on the phone,” Buck replied. “Isn’t it?”

Maybe it was – maybe it was easier to say this now, into his headset, instead of to Buck’s face, because Eddie knew he’d crumble the moment he looked into Buck’s bright blue eyes. “I’m worried if we go there, things might never be the same, Buck,” he said, voicing his fear out loud for the first time. Of course he loved Buck – he’d loved Buck for so long now, he didn’t remember how it felt not to love the other man. That didn’t mean that Eddie was certain it could work out.

“What if it’s better?” Buck countered. “It won’t be the same, Eddie – but what if it’s better?”

Eddie wiped roughly at his eyes, shaking his head. “When I see you, Buckley, I’m going to kill you for making me say this over the phone.”

Buck’s grin was audible. “You haven’t said anything yet.”

“I love you, Buck,” Eddie said simply. “But you knew that.”

“I did know that,” Buck hummed. “But it’s nice to hear it from you. It’s funny, don’t you think? I thought that – I thought she was the love of my life, but it turns out that it’s you, Eddie. I’m stuck, under this pile of debris, and all I wanted was to hear your voice. That proves it, right? That – it’s you. You’re the great love of my life Eddie Diaz, because I could be dying, and all I wanted was to hear your voice. That’s the real thing.”

Eddie was definitely crying now, tears rolling down his cheeks, dripping from his chin and onto his desk. “Don’t talk about dying,” he pleaded. “Buck?” he called, heart twisting in his chest as he held himself back from shouting. “Buck? Evan – come on, answer me. Don’t do this to me, Buck.”

“Firefighter Diaz,” a different voice crackled over the line. Bobby, it was Bobby – and Bobby had so easily called Eddie a firefighter, as though that was a title he deserved to bear, these days, stuck in a command centre, behind a screen, not able to help anyone, not like he used to. “We’ve got him. He’s unconscious, but we've got him.”

(“This is the real thing,” Eddie reassured, pressing a kiss to a sleepy Buck’s forehead as he slowly roused, the beeping of the hospital machines background noise for the most important moment of Eddie’s life so far. “I promise. You and I, we’re the real thing.”

Buck offered Eddie a sloppy smile. “Your voice sounds even better in person than it does on the phone.”)

#911 fox #eddie diaz #evan buckley #911fic #in which i ramble #in which lorna writes fic #prompt fill

[liesoverthec]

OG 911 Character Details from Canon Pt 2

Hi y’all I’m back! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reblogged the last details post - I sort of just thought people would like it and it would die, so to see it travel and hopefully reach more writers was so great so thank you again!

Details under the cut since I went a little crazy 😅 and if this is your first time seeing this, the first part, and any future parts, can be found under this tag here!

Quick note before I get to the details - always, ALWAYS take details from dialogue or plot over details from the set or props if they contradict each other. The writers have the ultimate say over what happens on the show/for the characters, so whatever they say goes, even if it goes against something props has already laid down (eg, Chim’s birthday, sorry Libra crew. He’s an Aries or a Pisces). So keep that in mind for the future in case some of these details I have which are from props/set are changed in the future, or if you’ve noticed something yourself!

Also if you have questions, I am MORE than happy to answer them, although if you leave them in the tags on this post I’m probably gonna lose them, so if it’s something you’d genuinely like an answer to, drop it in my inbox! Besides my standard “ask” tags, I’m also tagging asks about canon details with this tag here. Every time I make a big post like this, I’m going to link all the asks I’ve gotten since the last post, but if you’re looking for more info in the mean time, that’s the other spot to look!

Buck has a grill on his patio.

Eddie doesn’t hang Christopher’s art on the fridge - instead it is either hung on the corkboard in Chris’ room to the left of the door, or Eddie puts it in an actual frame and hangs it using a hammer/nails in Christopher’s room. All the Diaz family has on their fridge is a bunch of bendy people magnets. (I absolutely ADORE him putting all this effort into treating Christopher’s art like it’s something you’d buy from a professional artist).

Info on everyone’s ages can be found here. (Little more discussion of Chim’s situation here).

Albert has a bachelor’s degree! I don’t know in what though, except that it’s some field for which is a Master’s is useful.

Athena was in a sorority in college, Delta Sigma Theta. Their website describes them as “ ...a sisterhood comprised primarily of Black, college-educated women ... [that] considers the issues impacting the Black community and boldly confronts the challenges of African Americans and, hence, all Americans ”, which I love for Athena, and feel is very in-character for her at that time in her life!

Chim is an aviators dude. When he wears sunglasses, they’re always aviators.

Athena also wears nothing but aviators.

Bobby wears square aviators.

Eddie, on the other hand, always wears Wayfarers.

Buck either doesn’t really like sunglasses or he constantly forgets he owns them, since we’ve only seen him wear them once in 60 eps, in a move I’m pretty sure was ONLY for dramatic effect.

Hen’s sunglasses change style over the seasons like her regular glasses do, but she tends to like browline sunglasses.

Info on Christopher’s school can be found here!

There are two colors of dispatch polo, and there doesn’t seem to be any rhythm or reason for who wears what. Maroon - Maddie and Linda. Blue - Josh and May. Jamal has actually worn both maroon and blue, so it doesn’t seem to be TOTALLY set in stone although I’ve never seen anyone else switch. Sue is too badass to wear a dispatch shirt.

Both Bobby and Eddie drive 4 door pickups. Bobby’s is navy. Eddie specifically has a black, 2020 GMC Denali 1500 pickup truck (in case you want to specifically look up what the inside of it looks like or what features it has 😂)

Info on the 118’s medical certifications can be found here.

Correction to Eddie’s living situation from last post: no next door neighbors, but instead UPSTAIRS neighbors. (Pointed out by Abigail in this ask). Also since someone else was wondering the notes of the last post - no, there is absolutely no discussion on the show of whether or not Eddie rents the apartment or owns it. But based on the fact that it’s 1) LA and 2) an apartment, my guess would be he rents it.

When Maddie isn’t feeling like herself, she tends to straighten her hair rather than curl it. It seems to be more when she’s uncertain about her place in her own and other people’s lives, rather than just when she’s simply worried - eg it’s straight in 2B, when she’s uncertain if she wants to continue working as a dispatcher/is unsure about her relationship with Chim.

For work, Chim, Eddie and Buck all use black duffel bags with a LAFD patch on the top. Hen uses several different cute bags, and Bobby seems to have a plain black duffel bag.

Watches - Bobby, Athena, Chim, Hen and Buck all wear their watch on their left wrist (but Athena ONLY wears hers for work, she takes it off at home.) Eddie wears his on his right wrist, and Maddie doesn’t wear one.

Chim (and Maddie by default) literally still have the exact same couch as in the pilot. (Which means that Chim has cuddled Tatiana on that couch, AND Albert has had sex on it. TIME TO GET A NEW ONE, BUCKLEY-HANS 😂)

The 118 has five different rigs - the engine (E118), the ladder truck (T118), two ambulances and the captain’s truck. 95% of the time, when the team is chilling in the cab of a rig and chatting (eg the ‘stuck under a live telephone pole’ scene in Jinx), they’re in the engine, not the truck. (Which I personally learned recently are NOT interchangeable terms!)

Athena and Michael got married when Athena was 37.

If you’d like to give Maddie a full name beyond “Maddie”, you should use Madeline. (I know, I know, in 4x04 she says Maddie is the name on her birth certificate, and that you should never use props details if they contradict script details, but I always thought that was a super weird exchange in 4x04 which could be explained by Maddie getting a nickname since she was born when Margaret and Phillip, you know, actually loved their kids and showed it, so of course Buck doesn’t get one, and in 4x04, Maddie was trying to avoid the entire issue of why she got one and Buck didn’t. But! Do what you want, and use Madeline as the full version of Maddie if you’d like, since that’s what’s on the BOLO in 2x13 😂)

Athena’s call sign is 727 L30, but she doesn’t have a specific squad car - the number changes throughout the series.

Chim really likes chewing gum, but he’s the only one out of the entire family!

The station has an Xbox One S, and it’s white.

In the real LAFD, there are stations 1 through 114. To avoid confusion while filming on the streets (I’m assuming), our fictional LAFD never uses the number of a real station. So if you want another station for a fic, and you want something that would be real in OUR universe, use the numbers 115 and above. They’ve gone as high as 221 in our universe.

Battalions - station 118 is in Battalion 7, which is also not a battalion in real Los Angeles. The 118 has interacted w/ Battalion 1, which is a real battalion, but other ‘non-real which makes them more likely for our universe’ battalions include numbers: 3, 8, 13, 16, 19 and above.

S1 Buck knew the term Jedi, but based on context, didn’t understand AT ALL the context provided by Star Wars, so there’s another edge of his pop culture limits for you.

Chim is the most tech-savvy out of everyone, hands down.

Athena has a VERY active Twitter account.

Abuela’s house number is 8902. I don’t have a street name for you unfortunately though. :/

Athena’s favorite flowers are white roses. None of the other women are really flower people.

Michael likes to wear purple.

When they’re at a call, Buck does pretty much all of the stuff with the hammer and the saw. Eddie does all the work needed with the drill.

Harry goes to Meadowbrook Elementary.

Buck lives on the fourth floor of his apartment building, across the hall from Apt. 416. The lovely @lovelessmotel found this listing for what is more or less the apartment. What happened was: the set crew rented this apartment for the one episode at the end of s2 when Buck moved in, and then over the summer before s3 built their own set of it, and changed some things - eg giving him an island, and moving the sink to a second counter against the far wall, you can see the changes here in this amazing gif set by the awesome Austen, but the listing should let you click around a little more upstairs and figure out dimensions better than what the show provides!

When Athena and Hen go out to eat together, it’s always fast food burgers and fries.

Waffles are Athena’s favorite food, and tiramisu is her favorite dessert.

Every takeout we’ve seen Buck eat has always been in a Chinese food takeout container, and we know he likes Thai food the best. EXCEPT! The one time we see him eat takeout with Eddie and Christopher, they have pizza. So take from that what you will......

Eddie has a cell phone and a landline.

Chim is a shameless multiple texter.

Chim and Bobby sleep closest to the door in their respective bedrooms (both right side of the bed if you are standing at the foot, facing the headboard), and Athena and Maddie sleep furthest away from the door (left side).

Some canon last names for other firefighters at the station in case you wanna add more people to a fic - Mitchell, Sanchez, Serrano (woman), Porter, Meyers (woman), Maxwell, Voyta

Hen and Karen really love decorating their house with dark/red wood.

Karen is Mommy and Hen is Mama.

Bobby has a brother, and a grandmother, and that’s literally ALL we know about his family outside of Marcy and the kids.

Evidence points to Eddie being the oldest child in his family.

Karen has multiple brothers (no sisters), but no idea how many - just that one of them is named Trey, and one of them lives in LA and has kids. They might be the same brother and they might not be.

Both Hen and Athena are only children.

Athena has been on the police force for 30 years.

Christopher and Denny are the same age (born in 2011), and Harry is two years older than them.

Michael lives in apartment 308.

The bank in this universe is CalAm.

Hen and Karen have a picture of Denny, May and Harry on their fireplace mantel.

Eddie having a black thumb + a lot of plants in his living room = him buying fake plants bc he likes the aesthetic ™ or someone (cough Carla cough) is taking care of them for him.

The COVID timeline in OG’s universe is fucked up compared to the real world’s, so it shouldn’t be used as a way to measure time! They just throw it in wherever it makes sense for the story they want to tell (eg the vaccines in s4 ep 8), since s3 was both done before COVID hit but also airing while it was happening. It makes absolutely no sense for May to graduate in March nor for Chris to be going to what is specifically labeled summer camp, and the vaccine plotline was INCREDIBLY early, even for real life, so don’t use anything from that as a measure of time. I’ve found except in specific examples, eg the two tsunami episodes, it’s very safe to say every episode covers a week - fall holidays on the show line up with their real life counterparts, indicating about the same amount of time is passing for us and them.

On that note - Jee-Yun was born in late January, early February 2021. (Conceived in Pinned, which was end of March/beginning of April, meaning Maddie was around a month along at May’s graduation in May ➡ 42 weeks + 3 days from then = late Jan/early Feb. Which unfortunately means we most likely won’t see her birthday celebrated on screen. If we assume she was conceived on the date Pinned aired, aka the very sexy hotel scene, then January 21st or 22nd would be Jee’s birthday, depending on if she was born after midnight or not.

Buck has had at least one other Jeep between the one Maddie gave him, and the one he has now, which means that when he needs a new car, he is purposefully choosing Jeeps.

I hope this was all as interesting/enjoyable to you as it was to me! And just to repeat - I love answering questions so pls let me know if you have any at all ❤

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Tagging: @buckbuckley

#911 fox #911 canon character details #athena grant #bobby nash #chimney han #hen wilson #maddie buckley #evan buckley #eddie diaz #bathena #madney #henren #buddie #userac #hey yall if anyone else wants to be added to these tags let me know #im happy to do so #I feel like I have v little for Bobby here sorry :/ #I’ll work on getting lots for him next time

[outrunningthedark]

Tina is true that lena’s last episode was 3x08, but she was already at her firehouse, the last time she worked with the 118 was in 3x05, when buck was still away, Lucy will be in every episode instead

I don't think it's as big a deal as people are making it out to be, nonnie. We already know there are scenes before Eddie's return in which Buck will be separated from the 118 because of Eddie. Tim could have told KR to keep Buddie apart until the dispatch fire in order to focus on the BL dynamic, but he deliberately went in a different direction! Personally, I'm not convinced Lucy will have a *major* role in the dispatch fire [the episode before Eddie goes back to the squad] because it's mainly about Bobby trying to save May and the OG 118 reuniting. The TikTok that was just posted was filmed during production on 5x17 as seen here:

Eddie was there. In uniform. In the same place as Lucy. We aren't yet able to picture how they are going to coexist, but it wouldn't be happening if TPTB wanted us to keep those two worlds separate right up until Lucy leaves the show. It's funny, when you think about it. Buck and Ana didn't interact until 4x14 when it became obvious that Eddie doesn't treat her as a life partner/future wife. And then they met again (without ever talking!) the episode before Eddie officially broke things off. Meanwhile, the only legitimate Eddie and TayKay interaction we've had since BT got together in 4x14 was the dinner scene in the 5B premiere...just before BT is set to split up. Eddie and Lucy share the same space in 5x17 and 5x18...Lucy ends up saying her goodbyes...might this be...a pattern???

#anonymous #tina speaks #buddie #anti lucy donato #anti bucklucy #tv: 911 #tv: 9-1-1

[goddessofmischief]

I posted 1,498 times in 2021

917 posts created (61%)

581 posts reblogged (39%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 0.6 posts.

I added 997 tags in 2021

#marvel - 130 posts

#loki - 125 posts

#marvel x reader - 121 posts

#marvel studios - 118 posts

#marvel comics - 116 posts

#loki x reader - 107 posts

#jules' jewels - 83 posts

#loki imagine - 73 posts

#rick flag - 65 posts

#blue monday - 59 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#disclosure: i actually took a lot of these lines from a tv show. a lot of them. this fic was heavily inspired by an episode i saw awhile bac

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Okay sooo I’m Rick Flag OBSESSING (again) and I would like to ask for “well ya like the new suit?” for a female Squad member who’s pet of the og squad and like Harley got a new outfit please. Oh and could they maybe have flirted all the time and he’s debating hitting dat ass and make you his…I swear I can’t contain myself with this man🤤please & thank ya!🖤♦️

Style - Rick Flag x Reader

...

You were going to kill Harley Quinn.

You'd asked for her to design you something simple. Sensible. Something that resembled, y'know...

Actual armor?!

And yet...

She'd delivered this to your door.

This.

It was... well, it reminded you of Wonder Woman, to tell the truth. It had about the same amount of coverage as a bikini, and was black and purple-

Purple.

You’d specifically warned her off purple.

"Hey," said Rick, knocking on the frame of your cell door. "Is the new suit ready - oh, God."

Harley burst in, excited to see how you looked in the outfit she'd designed for you.

"Jesus, Harley," said Rick, somehow unable to stop looking at you. "I said armor. Armor. Get her some clothes."

"Yeah, well," she said, twirling a lock of hair around her finger, looking between you mischievously, "This is more fun, ain't it?"

"Yes," said Rick, and you both looked at him. "I mean - no! No! Bad, Harley!"

"Yes," you said, pouting, mock sternly. "Bad Harley. Very, very bad Harley."

"Fine," she huffed. "I'll design somethin' else - give it back."

"What, now?"

"Yes, now! Do you want it done in time for the mission, or what?"

"Fine," you muttered, looking pointedly at Rick, who suddenly got the message and stared away as you stripped. Harley helped you into a soft robe, and you shivered in horror.

...Maybe attempt number two would be better.

...

Rick Flag Taglist (Open):

@giggles75th 

727 notes • Posted 2021-08-11 11:44:48 GMT

#4

me whenever loki or sylvie are onscreen:

786 notes • Posted 2021-06-26 08:03:51 GMT

#3

Idk if you're still taking Rick Flag requests, but can I get a Rick x reader where r was on the distraction squad with him at the beginning and she survived but was taken w/ Harley and then the squad "saves" them (because I loved the Operation: Harley part of the movie) and then whatever happens but Rick survives? And r doesn't have to be a "villian", like maybe a soldier w/ powers?

Princess - Rick Flag x Reader

A/N: I put this in the same universe of this one-shot. Rick Flag requests are open!

...

"Rick!"

You glanced to Rick Flag, who was currently reloading his gun, and he locked eyes with you.

“Y/N, what-”

His eyes strayed to the gaping wound on your stomach as you collapsed onto the beach.

“Hey, Y/N, stay with me - c’mon, stay with me-”

“It’s over, Rick,” you managed, barely able to form the words. “It’s okay-”

“Hey, Y/N, don’t give up!” Harley called out, traipsing up to Rick and your limp body. “C’mon, we need ya-”

“It’s over, Harls-”

Somewhere in the distance, one explosion goes off-

And your vision goes black.

...

"Lemme out! Hey, lemme out!”

You squinted, eyes adjusting to the morning light.

You were... in a hole.

Alive. But in a hole.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” Harley enthused, dropping to your side. You took a shaky breath, sneaking a peek at your wound. Harley had caked it in mud and tied a ripped-off shred of her shirt around your stomach to stop the bleeding, which seemed to have helped, or at least kept you alive.

“How long have we been here?”

“Eh, a coupla hours. Some soldiers tossed me in. There are worse places to be, trust me - everyone we were with is dead.”

Panic swelled in your chest, even though you knew it shouldn’t have. Rick was your commander. Your leader. You were nothing to him.

Nothing more than a criminal.

Meanwhile...

Harley just wouldn’t shut up.

“You are making a big mistake throwing me down here! I will be outta here soon enough and I will kill every last one of you, Colto Maltese-tezios. Maltese-els. Malte-multoids. Colt-a-mults? Whatever you Mario Kart-racing d-bags are called-”

A squadron of soldiers drove up, extending their hands downward. With no other options, you and Harley allowed yourselves to be lifted up, then hustled into-

A surprisingly nice car.

Like, really nice. Maybe the nicest car you’ve ever been in.

See the full post

795 notes • Posted 2021-08-09 08:40:47 GMT

#2

Hi! Request for Loki/reader where Loki is convinced someone (maybe Wanda?) has cast a love spell on him as a prank, because he discovers he has feelings for the reader. Except nobody put a spell on him and he’s just in denial (typical Loki)

A/N: This is so cute!

✨ I Put a Spell On You - Loki x Reader ✨

...

“I know you did it.”

“Did what?” asked Wanda, absentmindedly stirring a pot.

Loki crossed his arms, leaning against a cabinet.

“A love spell. Clever, really. What was your plan? To make a fool of me? Humiliate me in front of your friends? Very well - you’ve done it. Now take it off.”

Wanda crossed her arms, glaring at him.

“Sorry, Loki. Didn’t do it.”

Loki grumbled something and strolled away.

He knew Wanda was lying - how could she not be? Otherwise, what explanation could there be for the way he smiled whenever you entered a room, the way his heart swelled every time you swept by and he smelled your strawberry perfume-

There was simply no other explanation for it. Wanda had put a spell on him, and that was that.

...Right?

Just then you came into the kitchen, carrying several unwieldy bags of groceries that Loki immediately recognized were far too heavy for you.

“Here, let me help you with that,” he said automatically, wrestling the bags out of your grip. You grinned.

“Thanks, Loki.”

His knees went weak, and Wanda winked at him.

Oh, Norns.

He was in deep.

...

Loki Taglist (Open)

@k-reads7 @nebulousfishgills

843 notes • Posted 2021-08-04 08:07:57 GMT

#1

ok but... it’s the same picture

39378 notes • Posted 2021-02-19 09:24:39 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[ssa-baby-outlaw]

9-1-1 S5 EP7

• I'm still not used to waiting for new episodes and content that I've never seen before this is kinda exciting

• I'm loving that May is our main 911 dispatcher now (I fucking miss maddie but I love may so much)

• I thought the buried alive situation was a bit close the the other time that guy was stuck underground with all the graves but they dont know where he is so that's different I guess

• Taylor! Its been a while

• God I've missed hen so much

• Tbf that was a stupid idea he must have known there is a fuck tonne of dirt on top of him that would come down

• Oh thank you for that close up of buck it is helping my soul

• Everyone else has shovels and baby buck just digs with his fucking hands

• I thought the box was gonna be empty when they found him idk why

• SASHA ROIZ

• ooh a mystery going on, I'm here for it

• Yes! Give harry the storyline he deserves

• Okay sasha roiz would have been a really good option for hotch in criminal minds

• Oh taylor no no honey

• That man is lyiiiiiing

• Why the fuck does jee yun already have an entire head of hair

• Let May make all the decisions and I swear everything will be 100% better

• Was I supposed to remember hen talking to eva again? This just came out of nowhere I thought she was back in prison?

• Kareeeeeen!

• Can they please stop making drama between couples and just let them be happy specifically karen and hen there is no need to keep putting karen through shit, half of her scenes are her crying

• CHIMS OLD PARAMEDIC BUDDY! that was super cute

• "The woman's a menace" we know, trust us we know

• "You think you're my only source?" That...was not cute or flirty or funny at all that was not nice

• Omg the focus on buck after "there was definitely something wrong with that marriage"

• I am liking Taylor's coloured flashcards on bucks window

• Omg the split screen! A bit too far for me

• LET KAREN BE HAPPY

• taylor suits are fiiiine

• Is that guy the dad from wizards of Waverly place?

• Omg yes give me the hitman falling in love with the target

• "I plead extreme emotional disturbance" same bestie

• I really thought we were finally gonna get the story of the nickname chimney

• Harry better get a pay rise for this episode

• Fire safety is sexy

• Oh fucks sake, if they're starting a taylor backstory then she probably ain't leaving soon

• Just let may and harry run everything please

• That was the end!? I thought there was a whole thing about a roommate ghost call?

• I only just realised that eddie wasnt in that episode....also ravi, where are my boys

• I really need some classic 118 vibes of the squad in the firehouse and some banter because the past two episodes have been sorely missing that

#9-1-1 spoilers #9-1-1 on fox #hendersnoots 911 watch party #9 1 1 season 5 episode 7 #evan buckley #buck x taylor #may grant #harry grant #hen wilson #karen wilson

[junker-town]

Western Illinois, Year 40, 2046-2047

The final season of our sim dynasty with Western Illinois in College Hoops 2K8 is here.

Welcome back to our simulated dynasty with the Western Illinois Leathernecks in College Hoops 2K8. You can find a full explanation of this project + spoiler-free links to previous seasons here. Check out the introduction to this series from early April 2020 for full context. As a reminder, we simulate every game in this series and only control the recruiting and coaching strategies. Dynasty mode runs for 40 years.

Before we pick up with the Leathernecks at the start of Year 40, here’s a recap of everything that happened last season:

Western Illinois entered Year 39 trying to three-peat as national champions for the first time in program history. We lost two starters early to the NBA coming into the season, but still had enough talent to be ranked No. 10 overall in the preseason polls.

We ran through the regular season schedule, losing only one game to UCLA during the non-conference season and sweeping Summit League opponents once again. We entered the NCAA tournament at 29-1 on the year and earned a No. 4 seed to the big dance.

We beat Brown in round one, knocked off Georgia Tech in the round of 32, beat Indiana in the Sweet 16, and lost to Florida in the Elite Eight. We know enter the final season of my career tied with John Wooden with 10 national championships.

We added three players in our last ever recruiting class: five-star JUCO SF Jerald Obasohan, four-star SG Erwin Walls, and four-star PF Kenny Butler.

Here’s a first look at our roster for Year 40:

It feels like only yesterday that a fresh-faced, 25-year-old came to the small town of Macomb, Illinois with big dreams. Coach Rick was hired by Western Illinois to do the impossible: win a national championship with arguably the worst team in college basketball. After 39 seasons at the helm, our tiny program has accomplished that and so much more. Now it’s time to hang it up.

Our journey at Western Illinois is finally coming to an end. In literal terms, College Hoops 2K8 forces mandatory retirement upon coaches in dynasty mode after 40 seasons. All good stories need closure either way. As we start our final season, we have some big stakes attached to our swan song.

Western Illinois has won 10 national championships in the Ricky Charisma era. That ties us with UCLA legend John Wooden for the most in history. What started as a mission to win a single national championship has now left us with a different goal: to become the undisputed greatest program in the history of the sport.

While we failed in our bid to three-peat last season — falling to Florida in the Elite Eight — we did bring back all four breakout juniors for this season. We only lost starting center DJ Foster to graduation. Yeah, it’s been a while since we last published Year 39 (thanks for your patience), so let’s go over the roster:

PG Christano Ngounou, junior, 89 overall: Ngounou made major strides after being forced into the starting lineup last season, and now looks like a rock solid contributor going into our final year. An international recruit out of Cameroon, Ngounou is a fast 6’3 guard with lockdown defensive ability and a slightly above average three-point shot. We have bigger names on this squad who will be expected to carry the scoring load, but Ngounou is going to play a huge role because he’s way better than every other point guard on the roster. We need quality minutes from him in the tournament. Former five-star international recruit with B potential.

SG Bernie Doyle, redshirt senior, 92 overall: Doyle is an incredible talent who enters his senior year looking to fully blossom into a superstar. The 6’9 shooting guard uses his immense size on both ends of the floor. He’s elite at getting into the passing lanes and forcing steals (a team-high 1.8 per game as a junior) on the defensive end, and has a sweet three-point stroke offensively. Doyle is such a smooth scorer and dominant defender that it feels like he has the natural talent to develop into an all-great in his senior year. Let’s hope he’s up to the challenge. Former No. 36 overall recruit from Detroit with C potential. Projected lottery pick.

SF Floyd Keller, redshirt senior, 92 overall: Keller checks every box for a small forward. He has good size at 6’7. He has a three-point rating in the mid-80s. He’s the best dunker on the team. He’s an elite offensive rebounder for a wing with a rating in the low 90s, which helps equip him to play minutes at the four. After a tough shooting night in our Elite Eight loss last season — he went 1-for-7 from three — we’ll need Keller to be consistently great if we want one more run through the bracket. Former No. 101 overall recruit out of Dallas with C+ potential. Projected second round pick.

PF Oscar Fray, redshirt senior, 88 overall: Fray enters his third year as a starter with a fascinating combination of size and skill that could set him up for a breakout senior year. The 7-foot power forward is a great three-point shooter for his position with a rating just below 80. Defensively, he’s the top-rated shot blocker on the team, and also does a pretty good job on the glass. Former No. 118 overall recruit out of Lynn, MA with C potential. Projected second round pick.

C Brody Munoz, redshirt senior, 92 overall: Munoz finally gets the spotlight as a senior after backing up DJ Foster — a one-time NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player — for his entire career up to this point. We’re expected big things, and not just because he’s tied for the highest rated player on the roster going into the regular season. What Munoz lacks in elite size at 6’11 he can make up for with strength, agility, and rebounding. We expect him to be really good at forcing turnovers, grabbing putbacks, and helping fortify the paint. Former No. 169 overall recruit (No. 6 center) out of Nashville with B potential. Projected lottery pick.

We have an incredibly deep bench for our final season. Center Logan Polk (85 overall) will be our sixth man, and should be able to form a three-man front court rotation with the two starters in the tournament. After that, we have a lot of options but not a lot of good options.

Here’s the rest of the bench: wing Jaycee Queen (80 overall), wing Jerald Obasohan (79 overall), guard Archie Howell (78 overall), wing/guard James Haranga (74 overall), guard Edwin Walls (74 overall), and power forward Kenny Butler (74 overall).

This is really it. Year 40. The last dance. What a ride it has been. We start the season at No. 4 in the polls.

How did the regular season go?

For our final regular season, we tried to schedule a good mix of local schools and historic big conference rivals with a couple in-season tournaments thrown in for good measure.

Here’s how the regular season went:

Win over Bradley

Win over Nebraska

Win over UTEP

Loss to Southern Illinois

Win over Florida

Loss to Northwestern

Win over New Mexico

Win over DePaul

That sets up a rivalry game against Illinois. We’ve played the Illini in almost every season, and we don’t want to end this dynasty without one more dub. The losses to Southern Illinois and Northwestern were a real bummer, and we need a palate cleanser. Let’s go!

Big win, 102-68. Look at Cristano Ngounou hanging 17 points and six assists on the Illini. Love seeing both starters in the front court — seniors Oscar Fray (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Brody Munoz (18 points, 11 rebounds) — each dropping a double-double, too. And how about our new five-star JUCO addition Obasohan chipping in 12 points off the bench? Really promising performance from the boys.

We get a big win over Kansas in our next game. That sets up another marquee game with a program we don’t like very much out of the state of North Carolina: Duke. We’ve battling with Duke on the court and on the recruiting trail for 40 freaking years. Can we end this rivalry with a dub?

Ugh, loss, 88-83. Nice games from Bernie Doyle (19 points, four assists) and Oscar Fray (14 points, 12 rebounds), but it isn’t enough. That’s our third loss of the season. Get bent, Duke.

We end the year with three more non-conference games.

Win over Illinois-Chicago

Win over American

Win over Arizona State

While we may have lost the final battle to Duke, I won the war over Coach K with a significantly better career by any measure (more on that in a minute). Now it’s time to jump into conference play in the Summit League.

Did we go undefeated in conference season?

Yes we did, another perfect 18-0 stretch.

Now we enter the conference tournament. Can we punch one more automatic bid to the NCAA tournament?

Win over UMKC

Win over Southern Utah

Win over UL-Calcutta

We’re going to the NCAA tournament for the last time, but that isn’t even the headliner after winning the Summit League. Im taking home the conference tournament championship, I won game No. 1,171 of my career. That currently puts me ahead of Coach K for the most wins all-time.

We have built a great legacy at Western Illinois. Before we enter the NCAA tournament, let’s take a look at our statistical leaders:

What a year for Munoz. Dude sat on the bench for four seasons before finally getting a starting spot, and all he did was lead our team in scoring at 17.2 points per game. Fray was awesome, too, averaging a hair under 15 points per game while chipping in nearly two blocks and six rebounds per game. It’s good to see Keller and Doyle both hit double-figures in scoring. I’m a bit surprised Cristano couldn’t even put up seven points a night after his big game against Illinois, but the assist and steals numbers are solid. We’re going to need him in March.

The Leathernecks are heading into the NCAA tournament at 32-3 on the year. I can’t wait to see what seed we get.

2047 NCAA tournament

Well, we couldn’t end this dynasty without getting swindled by the Selection Committee one more time. We’re a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament. I thought we should have been a top-four seed without question.

We’ll open the tournament with a game against No. 11 seed Syracuse. Sheesh. Before we get to the game, let’s check in on our roster one more time:

I’m loving the way this group progressed through the year. We have two awesome wing scorers with an elite combination of size and shooting in Keller and Doyle. We have plenty of beef up front with Munoz, Fray, and Polk. Ngounou entered the program as a 77 overall and shot up to a 92 in three years without a redshirt. The bench also really improved during the season and should give us plenty of different lineup options in March.

This is going to be a tough run, starting with Syracuse. The Orange have knocked us out of the big dance before, and consistently put together really strong teams.

Our last dance starts now. As always, we’re simulating every game, I’m not controlling the ‘Necks.

Let’s go!

Win, 105-73! What an absolute beatdown. We’ve moving on to the round of 32.

Long-time followers of the series will know that our Leathernecks have always been known as a second half team. It happened in a big way in this game. Syracuse ended the first half strong to cut our lead to nine points, but we quickly turned it into a blowout out of the break.

I thought this was a tremendous all-around team effort. Six players hit double-figures in scoring with no one putting up more than Floyd Keller’s 15 points. Everyone who played recorded an assist. I loved this play from the first half when we set two screens for our five-star JUCO Obasohan that helped get him an easy layup.

Our bench is a big question mark coming into this tournament, mostly because it’s filled with a lot of fresh faces who haven’t played big minutes in clutch spots before. I have to say, the performance of our reserves in our tournament opener was super encouraging. Obasohan in particular looks like a keeper after scoring 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and knocking down a three. We always need wing depth, and he should be able to provide that on this run.

The clear highlight of Obasohan’s night: this sick two-handed dunk in transition for an and-one.

We love to turn defense into offense, and Ngounou and Doyle’s ability to get into the passing lanes really helps us out there.

Speaking of Ngounou in transition: he had a beautiful finish on the break to put the game fully out of reach. That’s what you want out of your point guard.

The win sets up a second round game against Colorado State

The Rams have been a solid program throughout this sim dynasty, regularly making NCAA tournament appearances. We have a decisive edge in talent heading into this game.

We are one win away from going to the Sweet 16 and extended our run in the big dance. One time, ‘Necks. Let’s go!

Win, 109-79! We’re going to the Sweet 16!

We didn’t need to be a second half team in this one. Our ‘Necks blew the doors off Colorado State from the opening tip-off. I thought we played a great game offensively thanks to our inside-out ball movement.

We had five scorers in double-figures in this one, but it was senior starters Bernie Doyle and Oscar Fray leading the charge. We know Doyle is capable of taking over a game at his best, and he was awesome in this one: 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 shooting from three. The real story was Fray, though.

Fray was probably the least appealing long-term prospect of our recruiting class when he entered the program alongside Doyle, Keller, and Munoz. That was mostly because of his 74 rating and C potential grade. While he’s always been rated a few points lower than his classmates, Fray’s skill set on the court is so important to us. He’s a massive 7-foot power forward who can protect the rim and shoot threes. What more do you want?

Fray went off in this game: 22 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals on 9-of-11 shooting. I love watching the big man shoot from deep. This was from NBA range.

Here’s one more catch-and-shoot three for good measure.

Fray might get slept on a little on this team, but he’s absolutely critical to our success if we want to win it all.

I also want to shout-out the bench for another solid performance. I liked what I saw out of Obasohan (11 points) and Howell (10 points). Since we already have two Obasohan clips in this post, why not make it three? Love him hitting this triple in the first half to help us open up the lead.

We’re rollin’.

The win sets up a Sweet 16 game vs. Alabama

We’re now four wins away from ending this dynasty with a national championship. A Sweet 16 game against Bama is going to be an absolute battle.

In our simulated future, the Tide have become a basketball school. This program seems to make the tournament every year, and they’ve given us plenty of trouble in the past.

A trip to the Elite Eight is on the line. Let’s go!

Win, 112-69! We’re onto the Elite Eight!

Say it with me: SECOND. HALF. TEAM. After a tight first half left us with a six-point lead coming into the break, our ‘Necks absolutely torched the nets in the second half to come away with the blowout win. Seriously: we scored 66 points in the final 20 minutes. That was an offensive clinic at its best.

I had a good feeling about the second half when Cristano got this three hit the rim like 50 times before falling. Sometimes you need some good luck on your side.

A couple possessions later, Floyd Keller came down a ripped another three. We finally had a double-digit lead, and we’d never look back.

It was great to see Keller (15 points) get going from deep. He hit all three of his attempts from beyond the arc.

While we don’t have any clips of the front court from this game, they absolutely deserve credit for the win.

Fray turned in another incredible performance, this one somehow even better than his last. He ended the game with 25 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and three blocks on 10-of015 shooting. He didn’t attempt a three (booooo) but he dominated the game on both ends. His front court mate Munoz was almost as good. The senior center finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds. We kept going inside — Munoz and Fray combined for 35 (!) field goal attempts — and they were making the Bama defense pay.

Not the best Bernie Buckets game (9 points on 3-of-10 shooting), but I clipped this shot from the first half, so I might as well embed it here.

Elite Eight, here we come.

The win sets up an Elite Eight matchup against No. 1 seed Indiana

Our run in the NCAA tournament has been a breeze up to this point, but I fear things about to get a lot more difficult. Our plucky No. 6 seed is about to run into one of college basketball’s blue bloods: the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers.

The Elite Eight has been something of a bugaboo for us. We lost in this round last year. We’ve lost in this round many times before. I don’t want it to happen again.

A Final Four trip is on the line. As always, we’re watching a simulated version of this game; I am not controlling the Leathernecks. Let’s go!

***

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***

***

***

***

Loss, 96-86. Oh my gosh. And just like that, our dream of ending this dynasty with a national title is over.

I am devastated. I really thought this team was good enough to send me out on top, but it wasn’t meant to be. The Hoosiers’ outside shooters did us in. Indiana’s guard-heavy lineup caught fire from deep (10-of-21 for 47.6 percent), and our perimeter attack couldn’t keep up. We only hit 6-of-22 (27.3 percent) attempts from three.

What happened to our second half team this time? We were only down two going into halftime, but we were outscored by eight over the final 20 minutes. Tough scene.

There were some solid individual performances. Munoz went out strong with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Bernie Doyle dropped 21 points and hit this three-pointer to keep us in it early.

Floyd Keller just didn’t give us enough on the wing. He shot 1-of-8 from three in the loss. He did give us a little juice in transition, at least.

Cristano played all 40 minutes, and had eight points and nine assists. I really wish I got another year with him as a senior next season.

Unfortunately there is no next season. After 40 years at Western Illinois, our sim dynasty is over. Here are some final numbers on the series:

Final record: 1,177-213

10 national championships (tied with John Wooden for the most in men’s college basketball history)

15 Final Four appearances

25 Sweet 16 appearances

Final NCAA tournament record: 113-27

38 Summit League regular season championships

35 Summit League tournament championships

38 seasons with 20+ wins

61 players drafted

The thing I’m most proud of? After we made the NCAA tournament for the first time in Year 3, we didn’t miss it again the rest of this dynasty.

Is Ricky Charisma the greatest men’s college basketball coach ever?

I think so. Here’s how we stack up to other top coaches in NCAA history in important categories.

Total wins

Ricky Charisma: 1,179

Mike Krzyzewski: 1,170

Jim Boeheim: 1,083

Roy Williams: 903

Bob Knight: 899

Dean Smith: 879

Jim Calhoun: 877

Adolph Rupp: 876

Bob Huggins: 828

Eddie Sutton: 806

Tournament wins

Ricky Charisma: 110

Mike Krzyzewski: 94

Roy Williams: 77

Dean Smith: 65

Jim Boeheim: 57

Tom Izzo: 52

Jim Calhoun: 49

John Wooden: 47

Final Four appearances

Ricky Charisma: 15

Mike Krzyzewski: 12

John Wooden: 12

Dean Smith: 11

Roy Williams: 9

Tom Izzo: 8

Rick Pitino: 7

Denny Crum, Adolph Rupp, John Calipari: 6

Consecutive tournament appearances

Western Illinois: 36

Kansas: 31

North Carolina: 27

Arizona: 25

Duke: 24

Michigan State: 23

Gonzaga: 22

Winning percentage

Ricky Charisma: 84.7

Mark Few: 83.44

Sam Burton: 83.33

Clair Bee: 82.444

Adolph Rupp: 82.1

John Wooden: 80.3

National championships

Ricky Charisma: 10

John Wooden: 10

Mike Krzyzewski: 5

Adolph Rupp: 4

Roy Williams: 3

Jim Calhoun: 3

Bobby Knight: 3

Who is the best player in Western Illinois history?

That’s the big question within the fanbase right now. Before we get to it, let’s look back at our greatest recruiting wins.

We landed five five-star recruits out of the domestic high school ranks during my time at Western Illinois. We also signed nine five-star JUCO recruits, and six five-star international recruits from places like New Zealand (shout-out Dave French), Montenegro (anti shout-out Vitor Andrisevic), France (what up, Kim Kone!), and Cameroon.

The highest-rated recruit in program history was Sammy Yan at No. 10 overall in 2032. He was pretty much a disappointment. The program’s all-time leading scorer was center Vinnie Harmon with 2,452 career points during his career. He was the No. 122 overall recruit and the No. 8 center (those that followed the series or played the game know that centers are always weirded underrated on the recruiting trail).

Here are some more numbers during tournament games only (aka, the games we streamed), from the amazing Leathernecks Database maintained by our fans:

The highest rated player in program history is a tie between small forward Nic Cummings and point guard Duncan Martinez, who are the only players to reach 97 overall. Cummings in particular is a great choice for the GOAT. He ended his career with three national titles, though only one as a starter. He’s top-10 for me, but not No. 1.

The people’s choice for the GOAT is Deke Van, the legendary center who helped carry us to our first national title in Year 8. Deke’s turn from from Year 7 goat to Year 8 GOAT is the most memorable we’ve ever had. We couldn’t have done any of this without you, Deke.

When Coach tell you youre guarding @deke_van https://t.co/RDhmDAPRA8 pic.twitter.com/fm2udgvMZT

— Ryan Thomas (@RTtheSID) May 10, 2020

As the series went on, other great players emerged who finished with gaudier stats and better resumes.

My personal favorite might be Bert Draughan, Mr. Basketball out of Chicago (No. 29 overall recruit), who went on to win a title with us in Year 13 and also starred for our Year 11 team that began the season 35-0 before losing to Michigan State in the Final Four. Harmon is another fine choice. Skip Clemmons helped us win three national titles in Year 23, Year 24, and Year 26. Albert Jagla, Clemmons’ former teammate, played a big role in our first back-to-back championship squad, and is arguably the greatest perimeter bucket-getter in program history.

All-time favorite moment? Impossible to say. The first one that comes to mind is Kim Kone’s go-ahead corner three in the 2024 tournament. Najeeb Goode’s steal vs. UCLA in the Final Four to help us win our second title in Year 13 also stands out. There was also the time superstar power forward Allen Cunningham took off his pants mid-game.

Thank you to everyone who read, watched, and interacted

I started this series on April 11, 2020, a few weeks after the pandemic had shut down all ‘real’ sports. At the time, I was gearing up to cover the 2020 NCAA tournament. That never happened. I had college basketball on my mind, and I always wanted to write something on ‘College Hoops 2K8’, probably my favorite video game ever. This project is what came of it.

I had no idea if anyone was going to read this. I definitely did not think I’d finish out all 40 years like a complete lunatic. I didn’t think I’d write the equivalent of multiple books in terms of total word count.

Just before I dropped the first post in the series, I tweeted this:

Got a real dumb blog post coming

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) April 11, 2020

I wrote around 70 posts in the series, counting the inaugural Hall of Fame induction (read a big Deke Van retrospective at that link) and two posts of my Deke Van x Seattle Supersonics spin-off. I’m estimating I wrote 200,000 words in this series. That’s about the length of “The Fellowship of the Ring.”

I still can’t believe everything that came from this series. The Washington Post wrote a profile on it. I went on WGN TV and did a few radio spots promoting it. We sold a Deke Van t-shirt with Homefield Apparel. Our series inspired a new friend in Japan named Thanh Nguyen to write a pair of e-books adding greater depth to our story. Friend of the program Mike Rutherford did an amazing hype video for our first championship run. When I moved the series to Substack for a few months, more than 7,000 people signed up for email updates and still remain. Our first Twitch stream for the Year 8 Final Four drew more than 7,000 total viewers, and had 2,500 concurrent viewers on it at as we were closing out the win. On SB Nation, the series has been viewed more than 500K times.

What really made the project special was always the community around it. Some quick shout-outs:

The Leathernecks Database is an amazing companion to this series. You can lost in there. Thank you to the diehards to helped maintain it, and reader Evan for starting it.

Thanks to my guy who started the Leathernecks Nation instagram fan page and whoever is behind the wondrous fake Deke Van twitter account.

Thanks to everyone in the Discord who maintained ‘Necks discussion always and forever.

Thank the diehards that came out for every Twitch stream. I don’t want to name names because I’ll forget someone, but you know who you are. I love you all. I also want to thank the readers for keeping up with the recaps, and everyone who emailed me feedback throughout the series. I also want to thank my buddy Scott for introducing me to the game and running through multiple 40-year dynasties with me way before I ever considered blogging through it like this. This series would not exist without him.

What a ride it’s been. As I sim through to the end of the calendar, I’m greeted with this message.

Thank you, everyone. Go ‘Necks.

[reyescarlos]

we found each other in the dark

chapter 3/4: heavy in your arms; word count: 6.6k || read on ao3

And is it worth the wait? All this killing time? Are you strong enough to stand Protecting both your heart and mine?

Eddie expected to have an eventful first day at the 118 but he couldn’t have possibly imagined the night would end like this.

Bobby had told him this morning that each shift was like playing Russian roulette. Some calls were minor, scenarios that the team could get through quickly enough without anyone’s life hanging in the balance. But the flip side to that were high stakes moments where one bad decision could mean death.

Eddie was used to working under pressure. He was certain that nothing could be more daunting than trying to save someone’s life and maintain his own while in the middle of a war zone. By comparison, the streets of L.A. would be milder, easier to tame, he figured. So, to find himself now staring down at a 40 mike-mike is startling, bringing his mind back to his tours in Afghanistan. How crazy, he thinks, that he would leave the military behind only to be faced with the weaponry in his civilian life. It’s a lucky thing, Eddie supposes, that he’s here for this now. He has a particular skill set that can very well save this man’s life.

Bobby calls it in to the hospital as they wheel the gentleman across the lawn and get him loaded up into the back of the ambulance.

“We have a 65-year old male with large shrapnel in his right thigh. Femoral artery damage…”

It’s hard not to get caught up in the belief of destiny when this is the kind of call he responds to on his first day with the team.

The gentleman, Charlie, is essentially a ticking time bomb and as he speaks his fears of dying tonight aloud, Eddie is grateful to have Buck with him now. As he gets the drip set up, Buck is there to settle the older man down, assuring him that he’s going to survive the night. Buck glances to Eddie and in his eyes, he sees Buck’s confidence in him. Eddie isn’t expecting such faith from the man seeing as though they’ve only just met but it feels good, he won’t deny, to have someone believe in his capabilities.

More often than not Eddie feels as if he’s stumbling through his life just hoping for something to stick but situations like this are ones he tends to thrive in. The irony doesn’t escape him. Day-to-day life is a challenge. Matters of life and death bring out his sense of calm.

Eddie assesses the damage, quickly working through the best course of action. Charlie’s words slur and soon he’s under, giving Eddie and Buck the chance to work in absolute silence.

“Tell me what you need me to do,” is all Buck says as he settles in beside Eddie, looking to him expectantly.

Buck takes a backseat and follows Eddie’s instructions to the letter, clearly realizing that even though he’s been with the LAFD for however long, it’s Eddie’s experience as a military medic that can decide the fate of this man. It’s quite the test for them to have on their first day but Eddie is relieved to see they’re able to meet the challenge head on and work so well with one another.

Buck is good at reading the terrain and anticipating what he’ll need next, an invaluable skill to have in a partner, Eddie notes.

Eddie can feel Buck’s eyes boring a hole into him as he tries not to disturb the grenade too much. One false move and all three of them won’t make it. With clear knowledge and practiced hands, Eddie works carefully as he extracts the grenade from the man’s leg, with Buck continuing to keep pressure against area to prevent Charlie from bleeding out. Eddie has been through much worse, much more intense situations than this controlled environment but this scenario is still grave. He feels confident, however, in his element somehow and that clears his mind enough to successfully dislodge the grenade.

“Get that box open,” he says, though Buck is unsurprisingly already flipping open the lid beside him. They’re still not in the clear yet but the second he hears the contact of metal against metal, Eddie can’t help but to let out a shaky breath of relief.

Buck is beaming at him, a mix of wonder and disbelief on his sweaty face.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Buck says.

“I can’t believe you’re still holding that thing and we’re still in here. Let’s go.”

Buck’s laugh is hearty and Eddie feels the timbre of it somewhere in the pit of his stomach, along with a strange tug of some kind. Eddie chalks it up to adrenaline and opens the door to the ambulance to make the hand off to the bomb squad.

“Hell of a first day, huh?” Buck notes as the ambulance pulls away, that playful smile on his lips again.

It’s growing on Eddie already, the way Buck acts as if the two are co-conspirators who share some kind of secret. It manages to draw him in and make him feel included in something even though this is all still so new. It’s been far too long since Eddie’s felt close to anyone, or even felt the inclination to let someone in. He’s used to keeping the world at an arm’s length but in just one day, Buck has managed to ease past those walls he’s been putting up. If he’s to keep to his objective for life in L.A., Eddie knows he has to do things differently this time around.

If that means forming a friendship with new his co-worker, he supposes it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to open himself up a bit more. The purpose of his move was to start over, to reinvent himself and grow. Eddie liked the idea of creating a new kind of family for himself. Judging by this trial by fire experience, Buck seems like the perfect starting point.

“Good work you two,” Bobby compliments as the pair take off the vests given to them by the bomb squad.

Eddie looks over at Buck and smiles. “He can have my back any day. I couldn’t have asked for a better a partner in there.”

It’s the honest truth. From their calls earlier, Eddie had gotten the distinct impression that Buck thrived off the high of rescuing people, of the danger in this profession. But when it came time to dial back and let someone take control of the wheel, he’d done so without question. They strike the perfect chord with each other and for Eddie, that bodes extremely well. Good chemistry was hard to come by but for them it’s organic. It feels like it’s been a lifetime since Eddie’s instinctively clicked with someone to this degree.

He supposes maybe this feeling is due largely in part to the fact that their kinship was just forged by fire. But if there were ever a measurement by which to set such a thing to, Eddie feels safe in saying this experience would bond them for a long time to come.

Buck smiles back at him, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

“Or, maybe, you could have mine,” he counters. He gives Eddie’s shoulder a light squeeze. “Welcome to the 118. We’re damn lucky to have you.”

But Eddie hears a different set of words behind the ones Buck has just uttered.

Welcome to the family. This is where you belong.

~*~*~

As they hang around the loft between calls, Buck and Eddie settle around the table grabbing a quick bite. Eddie takes his phone out of his back pocket and sets it on the table. The screen comes to life and Buck’s eyes immediately take notice of Eddie’s lock screen. The image is of Eddie with a young boy, their cheeks pressed tightly together to fit into the frame. He doesn’t mean to be nosy but that’s a hard thing to miss.

Eddie notices, his expression soft as he looks at his phone.

“That’s Christopher,” he says. “My son.”

Buck sits up at this bit of information. Of all the things he’s been trying to imagine about Eddie, he hadn’t expected him to be a dad. Eddie unlocks his phone and pulls up a new photo and hands it to over to him.

Buck takes the phone, his smile almost as bright as Christopher’s in the photo. Chris has got a big grin on his face as he stands with the Ferris wheel at the pier in the background on a cloudless, sunny day.

“He’s ridiculously cute. How do you keep from spoiling him rotten?” Buck laughs, grinning at the photo for a beat longer before looking up at Eddie. “How old is he?”

“Just about nine actually. I can’t believe the years have been going by so quickly.”

Buck sucks in a breath. He’s been haunted by that precise length of time. It’s too coincidental not to mean what he thinks it does. Buck has been allowing himself to dive in slowly to the idea of claiming Eddie as his soulmate. Between the rush he felt when they first met to how natural they are with each other to this discovery that nine years ago Eddie had created a family supports his budding theory. This would explain perfectly why nine years ago he stopped getting updates to his marking.

It’s all matching up perfectly into place like a key in a lock. Buck just wonders what’s waiting on the other side of the door for him when he eventually pushes on it.

“Nine? That’s a fun age, right before the double digits kick in. Kids are such a blast,” Buck says, sitting back in his seat and handing Eddie back his phone.

“You like kids?”

“Oh, I love them. They’re way cooler than adults, that’s for sure. I like how they see the world, you know? They’re just taking it all in and learning about things for the first time. It’s awesome. Plus, they’re hilarious and rarely ever have a filter. You’ve got to respect that kind of honesty.”

Eddie smiles at him and Buck can’t help but to think his response passes some kind of test. Eddie looks satisfied with his answer, setting his phone back down and picking up his fork again, spearing a piece of fruit on the prongs.

“Judging by that picture I’m guessing he’s liking Cali a lot, huh?”

Eddie laughs. “You could say that again. He barely even mentions Texas. All he wants to do is explore the city. It’s been great for us, the move. I still have a few loose ends to tie up though.”

Buck raises a brow. He doesn’t want to push the matter too much but the statement intrigues him a bit.

“I’ve almost got his school situation figured out. I had a meeting a few days ago with the school coordinator but...,” he trails off, looking away. Buck isn’t sure he’s going to continue until he clears his throat and speaks. “They need to speak with Chris’ mom first. She has an interview with them tomorrow. If that goes smoothly, he should be enrolling with them.”

Buck shifts in his seat, his head erupting with questions about Chris’ mother. Whether they’re still together is the most pressing of them all. From Eddie’s tone and hesitancy, Buck can tell they aren’t on the best of terms. Eddie called her Chris’ mom, not his wife or partner. It’s a stretch but Buck is flexible enough to make it work.

“I haven’t seen her since the divorce but this is important. I really want Chris to get into this school. It’s perfect for him.”

Buck’s thoughts are split evenly in two, torn between the sheer relief in he feels in hearing Eddie isn’t married anymore and the concern he feels in seeing how worked up Eddie is over Christopher’s schooling.

“I’m sure her talk will go well. I know there’s a lot riding on this but she has to know that too and I’m sure she’ll crush the interview because of it.”

Eddie stares at him for a moment, his brown eyes meeting with his blue. Land and sea, Buck thinks, two components that make up a world.

“Thank you,” Eddie says simply but Buck feels the full weight of it.

“Anytime.”

~*~*~

Eddie’s fingertips drum an uneven beat against his knee as he waits for Shannon to show up. It’s ridiculous, he’s well aware, to feel this antsy over seeing a woman he’s known for almost half his life. But these last nine years, their relationship had risen and fallen like a heavy breath. Now that it was out of both their systems, Eddie isn’t sure how to function around her.

He keeps an eye out for her and rises awkwardly off the park bench as she approaches. He waves at her, trying to gauge what kind of mood she’s in from a distance. She’s got on a flowing yellow dress that makes her look like sunshine. Her smile is just as warm too.

Eddie relaxes at the sight of that and takes it as reassurance that this talk will go well. It’s strange seeing her now. She looks different to him and Eddie has to wonder if she sees changes in him too.

“How’d it go over at the school?” he asks as they both sit down.

Shannon sits back and stretches her legs out, letting them cross at the ankles.

“Pretty well. They seem excited to have Chris enroll. You picked out a great school for him.”

Eddie takes the compliment with a simple nod and a quiet word of thanks.

“How…how is he? Is Chris liking it out here?” she asks tentatively, dipping a toe into uncertain waters.

Eddie unclenches his jaw and nods. She’s making an effort and Eddie knows this can’t be easy for her, to be sidelined in her own child’s life. Even though she had made the decision to take time to find herself, Eddie can see that it’s taking its toll on her to be away from their son. He can extend a kindness, an olive branch of some kind by way of decent conversation.

“He loves it so much. I think he wants to live at the pier,” he muses. He’s taken Chris down a few times now just to watch the waves and enjoy the beautiful weather. “He’s doing really well here and honestly, it’s a relief,” he sighs.

When he’d told his family he was leaving, they’d gotten into his head a bit that uprooting Christopher from Texas could have a damaging impact on his son. But he knew better than they did about Chris’ resiliency and adaptability. Chris was the kind of person who could make himself comfortable anywhere. It was a trait Eddie prayed his son would never lose. He knew all too well what it felt like to struggle for a bit of semblance. Luckily, Chris didn’t seem to have that problem.

Shannon stays quiet and Eddie desperately wishes he could open up her mind and see the thoughts that live there. There’s an unnamed tension between them, an awkwardness that Eddie doesn’t know how to get around. He supposes, with their history, it makes sense but he wants better for them both.

He decides to switch gears. If they’re really going to have a clear road ahead, he needs to do whatever he can to show Shannon that they’re on solid ground now. It’s exhausting constantly being at odds with her. Now that they’re divorced and no longer confined to the box they’d shoved themselves into, they both have room to breathe and grow. Hadn’t that always been a wish he had for them? For the two to mend the bridge that had given way years ago? They are in a different place now and Eddie knows he has to adjust his outlook accordingly.

“I don’t want us to be angry or upset with each other anymore. I want us to…I don’t know, be better to one another than we have been in the past. I don’t think I can carry those feelings inside me anymore. It’s draining and I don’t have the energy for it. I never really did.”

This seems to be the right set of words because Shannon blinks back tears and smiles at him.

“I would love that.”

Eddie sighs in relief and this time the quiet that settles between them is comfortable.

“Can I ask you something kind of ridiculous and personal?” Shannon says, tucking one of her legs under her, fanning out her dress over her legs smoothly.

“Should I be afraid?”

She laughs and it feels good to be able to joke around with her again. These are tentative steps but it feels reassuring to think he could be on his way to getting his old friend back.

“Eh, it could go either way.” She pauses for a beat before continuing. “Have you met Eva yet? I’ve been thinking a lot about your move and imagining you finding her out here.”

Eddie thinks it says a lot about where their relationship left off that Shannon is so casual in discussing him with another woman, a soulmate at that. It’d been awkward for the both of them seeing the makings of names on each other that weren’t theirs. They’d never talked about it explicitly but Eddie figured it was just as strange for her to wrap her mind around as it had been for him during their nine years together.

“Actually, it’s Evan not Eva,” he drawls, trying to get used to the taste of the name on his tongue. His heart is racing with the confession. How much will this change the way she sees him?

Eddie doesn’t even look at her. He fumbles with his watch and takes it off, showing her the soulmate marking. They both stare in silence at his wrist. It had been a complete shock to his system when it appeared so he can’t blame her for being stunned over the news.

“Wow. Wow, that’s…I don’t have any other word,” she laughs.

Eddie turns to look at her then. She looks surprised, of course, but happy. Eddie’s brows furrow.

“Where’d you meet him?”

“I’m not sure exactly,” he says, flipping the inside of his wrist back over, pressing it against his thigh. “I’ve been trying to figure it out. I think he’s someone I bumped into outside of a coffee shop but I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since. I didn’t even see his face that day, actually.”

Shannon’s smile turns into a frown at this.

“Oh, Eddie. I’m sorry.” He can tell she really means it. “But at least you know he’s out there. Whenever you do find him, don’t let go.”

Eddie searches her face for a moment, looking into her eyes and for a fleeting moment his mind drifts to a different set of blue eyes, ones that he’s grown so accustomed to in the short time he’s been working at the 118. It’s a startling thought that seems to come from nowhere. Eddie does his best to cast it aside. Buck isn’t where his thoughts should be right now, despite the fact that the other man has been on his mind more and more as of late.

Shannon takes him in as well before she continues to speak.

“I know you, Eddie. I know you’re probably scared over the fact that this is actually happening for you. But please remember you deserve to be happy. Despite everything we’ve been through, or maybe because of it, all I want is for you to be able to let the right love in. Evan is your soulmate, whether you’re ready for it or not. When you meet for real, don’t run from it, please.”

It isn’t lost on Eddie that this is the second person in a little over a week to tell him not to be afraid of his destiny. The women in his life know him better than anyone else. There’s no hiding from his grandmother who always had a knack for understanding him since he was a child. And Shannon had cultivated a life with him. Eddie couldn’t avoid being known by either of them. He could hide and keep himself from the rest of the world but these two were in the rare category that could see through it all to the heart of him each and every time.

Eddie wipes at his eye and laughs nervously. “I don’t know if I’ll be good for him. I’m kind of still figuring things out these days.”

Shannon reaches out a hand and holds onto his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“That’s sort of the point of a soulmate though, isn’t it?” she says, peering at him, lifting a brow knowingly. “To love you unconditionally, no matter what kind of state you’re in?”

Eddie can’t refute this argument. He had always liked the idea of being able to turn to someone at the end of the day and speak openly about what he was feeling. He was able to do that with Shannon at times during their marriage, of course, but the tension between them made it hard for Eddie to cross the divide that lived with them sometimes. He imagined being with a soulmate would be the exact opposite, that even if they were upset with each other they’d still be a harbor for one another.

“I hate it when you’re right,” he jokes.

“You poor thing. Then you must be upset all the time,” she quips.

Eddie laughs, a real sense of elation he hasn’t had around her in some time solidifying in his chest. They still have a way to go but this first step was a crucial one and Eddie feels as if they’re finally moving in the right direction together.

~*~*~

Days like today have quickly become Buck’s least favorite. He knows he can’t expect to work every shift with Eddie but still, the times when they aren’t together begin to grate at him. He feels selfish for how badly he craves Eddie’s time and attention but he can’t help it. Soulmate or not, he’s genuinely been enjoying getting to know his new co-worker. The two have found an easy rhythm with each other since Eddie’s first day. Buck supposes nothing bonds two people together faster than saving the life of someone else.

With Eddie out for the day, Buck feels restless.

“Aww, is someone missing their new best friend?” Chimney teases as Buck flops back against the sofa in the loft. “Look at that pout, Hen. We can go diving off that lower lip.”

Buck tosses a cushion at him as Hen laughs at the two of them. Chimney lobs it back and jokingly flips him off, revealing his soulmate marking on his middle finger, the word Mad branded there. He thinks it’s the height of comedy. Buck has to agree it is pretty hilarious.

Hen nestles in beside him and pats the top of his head.

“Come on now. Buck up, Buck,” she muses. Chimney reaches over to give her a high five and Buck rolls his eyes playfully.

“A couple of comedians here.” He rises from his seat, ignoring their outcry for him to come back. They get over it quickly, starting up a new conversation by the time Buck makes it to the dining table.

They’re absolutely correct and Buck can’t even pretend to deny that. He’s gotten so accustomed to having Eddie around that a day without him just doesn’t feel right. He feels…unmoored somehow and Buck wishes he could have a definitive explanation for why that is. He has his theory, of course, but a proven hypothesis is what he longs for most of all.

The thought of asking Eddie outright what his first name is terrifies him. He doesn’t trust himself to have a neutral reaction if he were to hear it directly from Eddie’s lips. What he needs is a filter, a buffer of some kind to absorb his shock should his suspicion pan out to be correct.

Bobby is in the kitchen getting started on dinner.

“Hey, Cap,” Buck calls over as he goes into the fridge to grab a bottle of water. “What’s Eddie short for?”

As he closes the door to the refrigerator and looks to Bobby, the man has stopped chopping peppers and is standing still, looking at him.

“Why do you ask?”

Buck busies himself with twisting off the bottle cap but he can still feel Bobby’s eyes fixed on him.

“No reason; I was just wondering. I mean, I know I could ask him,” he says, hoping his tone is nonchalant. “But you’re here right now so…I figured you could answer just the same since you’ve seen all his paperwork and stuff.”

Bobby holds his gaze for a beat before returning to prep the meal and Buck is glad for it. Sometimes his captain just seemed to fix him with a stare that went right through him. There were so many things he didn’t want anyone else to see and Buck always had the feeling Bobby was skilled in noticing private things, even if he didn’t voice his findings out loud.

“His first name is Edmundo but, as you know, he prefers going by Eddie.”

Buck pretends not to notice Bobby’s eyes flickering up to him again. He just takes a sip of his water and nods.

“Cool,” he says, trying to keep his tone indifferent but inside Buck feels as if he can just about burst at any second. He isn’t sure which is racing faster, his heart or his thoughts.

Buck still can’t shake the feeling that he’s showed his hand in a way he can’t bounce back from but he couldn’t stop himself from asking the question. It’d been gnawing at him having this question mark dangling over his head. At least he could finally put that mystery to rest officially. If the cost of that information was making Bobby suspicious, it was a price he was willing to pay. Any bit of information that could bring him one step closer to certainty would be worth it, ten times over in fact.

But for the sake of not drawing Bobby’s eye too closely to the situation, Buck does his best to change Bobby’s train of thought, whatever track it may be on.

He reaches over the island and snags a piece of meat off one of the cutting boards. As he expects, the move is enough to shift Bobby’s focus. His captain swats at his hand and points his finger at him.

“What are you, a dog swiping scraps off the table?” Bobby jokingly reprimands, shaking his head. “You know, you really shouldn’t tick off the guy with a knife in his hand.”

Buck grins and wiggles his brows as he tosses the food into his mouth and walks away, successfully dodging a bullet and distracting Bobby from getting close to whatever conclusion he seemed to be gearing up towards.

It isn’t until he’s heading down the stairs, past Hen and Chim, and is safely on his own that his thoughts begin to spiral in earnest. His hands shake as he holds on to the railing to keep from losing his balance. He’s coming undone at the seams. This confirmation is too much for him and the worst part of all is that he has no one to talk to about it now.

Buck keeps moving forward, his legs working on their own accord to take him outside of the station. His body knows that what he needs is time to himself to process this information. Breathless, he presses his back against the side of the building, the surface hot but he doesn’t care. He needs the support of the brick wall to keep him standing. The question of who his soulmate was had plagued him for almost a decade and now that he has an answer, Buck isn’t even sure what to do with it.

He knew he felt drawn to Eddie, literally from the moment they met. He had sensed it. Buck was a personable guy; he got along well with virtually everyone but that instantaneous connection to Eddie felt different to him. Buck had wondered if he was just so keyed up on the idea that Eddie was meant for him, as if he had on rose colored glasses but the truth was, he had been seeing the situation for what it was exactly. That spark was a flare, an internal signal alerting him to the fact that something big was happening here.

Buck presses his fingertips against his ribs, the move so instinctual since the name first appeared. It’s like air to him now. He may not be able to see it but he knows it’s there. More often than not, it feels like the only thing sustaining him. Discovering that Eddie is in fact Edmundo is similar to learning the meaning of a word that you’ve come across often but never looked up. You’re aware of its existence but it’s abstract until knowledge is gained.

Buck’s eyes sting and he feels as if he could just scream. For as much as he hated the fact that Eddie has the day off, he’s glad to be away from him in this moment. He’s in no fit state to be around him now. He wouldn’t trust himself to keep from shouting the truth that’s desperately trying to claw its way free, demanding to be heard.

~*~*~

The station’s alarm blares, drowning out the sound of the simulation game Hen and Buck are playing. They drop their controllers and hop to their feet, ready to gear up.

“Hen and Chim, I need you two to ride over in the ambulance. Eddie and Buck, you’re with me. Let’s go, guys,” Bobby instructs.

The team doesn’t hesitate to fall into line with Bobby’s orders. Buck grabs his helmet and hurries to the rig, swinging open the door and climbing inside, Eddie right on his heels. Bobby has the truck pulling out of the station just a few seconds later.

As always when they’re sent out on a call, Buck’s adrenaline races wildly. He’s already trying to imagine what scenario they’ll find themselves in, coming up with tactics he could use to help those in need before even arriving at the scene. If he can be prepared in any way, even by way of a hypothetical simulation in his head, Buck will be grateful for it. Sometimes seconds is all it takes between making sure someone can return home to their families that day or them never seeing their loved ones again.

As Bobby cuts through the streets, his hand heavy against the horn at times, Eddie looks at his phone screen and purses his lips. Buck knows he shouldn’t pry but he can’t stop himself from speaking up, seeing how distressed Eddie’s expression is.

“Everything alright?” he asks over the headset.

Eddie glances up at him as if weighing what to say before he sighs.

“Not really. My aunt is saying she isn’t sure she can watch Chris next week like she thought she’d be able to. I need to find someone in case it turns out she can’t. I haven’t been meeting too many people out here and either way, I’d hate to have to ask that favor.”

Buck thinks for a second. “I know a woman who could help,” he offers up.

“Are you trying to play matchmaker?” Eddie jokes.

Buck resists the urge to grimace at this. Like he would ever deign to pair Eddie up with someone else, as if the man’s name hadn’t been branded on his skin for days now. Eddie was his, even if the other man was none the wiser. Buck wouldn’t compromise that for anything.

Regardless, that wasn’t even remotely close to where Buck was going with this conversation so he dismisses Eddie inquiry with a laugh and roll of the eyes.

“Not in the way you’re clearly thinking right now. Her name is Carla Price and she is possibly the most badass caregiver in the whole city.”

He skips over the details of how it is he came to know Carla.  Abby hasn’t crossed his mind in ages and he’d rather not get hung up with her in the back of his thoughts.

“Wait, seriously? Do you think she’d be willing to meet with me?”

Buck nods and fishes his phone out of the inside of his jacket. He sends a quick text to Carla and she responds less than a minute later.

“She’s up for it. If you’re free tonight, she says she’s available to chat.”

The smile that washes over Eddie’s face makes Buck’s brain short circuit for a second. All he ever wants to do is keep Eddie in good spirits, to ensure his peace of mind however possible.

“Buck, I owe you. Whatever you want, it’s yours. Just say the word.”

Buck falters for the briefest of seconds before smiling to cover it.

“It’s nothing. I’m just glad I could help you out somehow.” His voice sounds different in his own ears but Eddie might be too distracted and overjoyed with the good news to notice it.

Buck bites back on the inside of his lower lip and glances away, unable to look at Eddie right now. He’s certain the truth of what he wants is written plainly on his face. He’s sick with want, filled to the brim with longing. It’s a wonder Eddie can’t hear the call Buck’s soul makes to his regularly.

He looks out through the small window in the back of the truck to see how close they are to the scene and to look at anything but Eddie. What he finds is that Bobby’s peering at him through the rear-view mirror before turning his focus back on the road. Buck can feel his cheeks flushing and is glad for the hot day to be the perfect cover for the sudden change in hue.

He wishes the comms had a private channel he could speak on. Bobby was too good at reading between the lines.

~*~*~

It’s the end of their workday and the team hangs about the station around their engine, recounting the day they’ve had. Hen is adjusting her shirt, her wife Karen’s name visible on her collarbone. Eddie wonders what it would be like to be that confident in showing his soulmate marking off. In theory he could do so at work but for nine years, Eddie has gotten into the habit of hiding it.

At first it had been to avoid throwing the reminder in Shannon’s face every single day. Now it’s just become second nature. If he’s being completely honest, there’s also a small part of him that isn’t ready to make that bold of a statement. He’s comfortable in his sexuality and clearly the 118 isn’t close-minded but he isn’t even sure what label suits him best. His soulmate marking calls into question a lot of things he’s suppressed over the years. Being in L.A. as a whole is dredging up those dormant feelings.

He’s had fleeting attractions to guys every now and then but these days he finds himself focusing on one guy in particular even though he knows he has no business feeling anything towards Buck. He’s his co-worker and nothing more. He can’t be anything else to him. Eddie’s already disregarded his soulmate marking once before. He can’t bear to go down that road a second time.

Sometimes, he’d try discreetly to see if by some strange miracle his name is on Buck’s body but to no avail. He’s constantly torn between thinking Buck is skilled at hiding it like he is with his own marking or that the truth is staring him in the face and they aren’t meant for each other. The latter is a terrifying thought, especially since Eddie has been quietly taking a real liking to the man already but it’s just as well. Eddie’s never been lucky in love. Why should that change now?

“You good, Eddie?” Hen asks, pulling him from his thoughts.

Eddie looks around at the group, their faces all expectant. He clears his throat.

“Yeah, just daydreaming, I guess.”

She regards him thoughtfully and her kind, concerned gaze is like a serum that manages to pull more words out of him.

“I just noticed your marking,” he says, pointing to his own collarbone. Hen breaks into a wide smile and places a hand over where her wife’s name is printed on her skin.

Eddie wishes he could have that sense of ease. The matter of soulmates has always been such a sensitive topic for him, a source of stress.

Hen must see something in his face because her head tilts a bit to the side.

“Have you gotten yours?” she asks.

Eddie glances around at the group. These people are supposed to be his family after all. He can trust them and speak as freely as he’s comfortable with.

“Yeah, but I don’t think it makes much of a difference either way.”

Buck looks affronted as Chimney and Hen share a glance.

“Why do you say that?” Chim asks, leaning a shoulder against the side of the truck.

Eddie shrugs, struggling with the right words as he always seems to do any time he talks about something so personal.

“It feels a little too good to be true when you stop to consider it. Maybe for some folks it works out perfectly, like for you and Karen. But, I’m not so sure that’ll be the case for me. My soulmate and I have already gotten off on the wrong foot, I think. It’s…complicated,” he settles on saying.

“Like a Facebook status?” Chim interjects.

Hen presses her fingertips to her forehead, dropping her head down. “You’ll have to excuse him. His foot has a habit of landing in his mouth. There’s no cure for it, unfortunately.”

Eddie laughs and shakes his head. “I’m just not in a rush to find them right now is all. If it happens, great. If not, it’ll be alright too. I guess I’m good with just playing it by ear, you know? Whatever happens, happens.”

That’s the mantra he’s been adapting for himself now. Evan has been elusive since the man’s name first appeared on his flesh. Every day he’s had to look down and see it plastered on his skin but still he is nowhere near closer to finding him than he’d been on day one.

Chimney shrugs and nods in understanding. “I get that, too. I mean, they’re our soulmates, right? They’ll turn up. I’m just happy to know it’s going to happen,” he laughs, looking at the budding marking on his finger.

Buck rises from off the back bumper of the truck suddenly, making everyone in the cluster look over at him.

“I really gotta get going, sorry, guys,” he mumbles, saying something else Eddie doesn’t catch.

Eddie frowns, unsure of what to make of Buck’s changing mood and apparent hurry to get home. Hen and Chimney look just as confused too as Buck hooks his duffle bag onto his shoulder and starts to walk straight ahead.

“See you tomorrow?” Eddie calls after him but he doesn’t think Buck hears him for the man does not reply.

#buck x eddie #buddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #sulkybbarnes #rafasilvas #bisexualbuck #starlightbuck #athenagrantt #userbones #tylerhunklin #captainstennerstar #maysgrant #userkinga #kimmy writes

[animusrox]

1.   Avengers: Infinity War 2.   Mandy 3.   Blindspotting 4.   Mission: Impossible – Fallout 5.   Black Panther 6.   Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 7.   First Reformed 8.   Bodied 9.   Burning 10.  Suspiria

[Grade A]

11.   Upgrade 12.   Apostle 13.   Leave No Trace 14.   Roma 15.   Eighth Grade 16.   A Prayer Before Dawn 17.   22 July 18.   Support the Girls 19.   Lean on Pete 20.   Monsters and Men 21.   Revenge 22.   Minding the Gap 23.   Free Solo 24.   Shoplifters 25.   The Old Man & the Gun 26.   Bad Times at the El Royale 27.   Cold War 28.   The Ritual 29.   Game Night 30.   A Quiet Place 31.   The Wife 32.   The Ballad of Buster Scruggs 33.   Thoroughbreds 34.   We the Animals 35.   Vice 36.   Mid90s 37.   Verónica 38.   A Private War 39.   Overlord 40.   Searching 41.   Bumblebee 42.   The Death of Stalin 43.   Cam 44.   Private Life 45.   Tully 46.   Unsane 47.   The Hate U Give 48.   A Simple Favor 49.   The Night Comes For Us 50.   Teen Titans Go! To the Movies 51.   If Beale Street Could Talk 52.   First Man 53.   The Long Dumb Road 54.   The Rider 55.   Halloween 56.   Papillon 57.   Batman Ninja 58.   Chappaquiddick 59.   Maze Runner: The Death Cure 60.   Kin 61.   Green Book

Click Keep Reading For My Full List

[Grade B]

62.   Galveston 63.   Can You Ever Forgive Me? 64.   Ravenous 65.   They Shall Not Grow Old 66.   Deadpool 2 67.   Kodachrome 68.   The House That Jack Built 69.   Won’t You Be My Neighbor? 70.   Boy Erased 71.   Creed II 72.   Best Friends Vol. 1 & 2 73.   The Favourite 74.   Sicario: Day of the Soldado 75.   Ready Player One 76.   Destroyer 77.   Unfriended: Dark Web 78.   BlacKkKlansman 79.   Ant-Man and the Wasp 80.   Wildlife 81.   At Eternity’s Gate 82.   The Sisters Brothers 83.   Crazy Rich Asians 84.   A Star Is Born 85.   Incredibles 2 86.   Solo: A Star Wars Story 87.   Operation Finale 88.   Mom and Dad 89.   Hotel Artemis 90.   The Miseducation of Cameron Post 91.   Christopher Robin 92.   Summer of ‘84 93.   Blockers 94.   Instant Family 95.   Anna and the Apocalypse 96.   Welcome to Marwen 97.   White Boy Rick 98.   Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot 99.   The Oath 100.   Isle of Dogs 101.   Colette 102.   Smallfoot 103.   The Possession of Hannah Grace 104.   Batman: Gotham by Gaslight 105.   Mayhem 106.   You Were Never Really Here 107.   Equalizer 2 108.   Hell Fest 109.   Hold the Dark 110.   Sorry to Bother You 111.   Never Goin’ Back

[Grade C]

112.   Welcome the Stranger 113.   Beirut 114.   7 Days in Entebbe 115.   Down a Dark Hall 116.   The Predator 117.   Slender Man 118.   The House with a Clock in Its Walls 119.   On the Basis of Sex 120.   Widows 121.   Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 122.   Uncle Drew 123.   The Front Runner 124.   Mortal Engines 125.   Hereditary 126.   Den of Thieves 127.   Rampage 128.   Early Man 129.   Terminal 130.   The Kindergarten Teacher 131.   Superfly 132.   Mary Queen of Scots 133.   12 Strong 134.   Annihilation 135.   Alpha 136.   How to Talk to Girls at Parties 137.   Aquaman 138.   The First Purge 139.   Beautiful Boy 140.   The Happytime Murders 141.   The Girl in the Spider’s Web 142.   Life Itself 143.   Stephanie 144.   Peter Rabbit

[Grade F]

145.   Bohemian Rhapsody 146.   Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween 147.   Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle 148.   The Death of Superman 149.   Slice 150.   The Cloverfield Paradox 151.   Every Day 152.   The Nutcracker and the Four Realms 153.   Death Wish 154.   Adrift 155.   Ralph Breaks the Internet 156.   Skyscraper 157.   Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation 158.   Assassination Nation 159.   Tag 160.   Tau 161.   Hunter Killer 162.   All About Nina 163.   Bird Box 164.   Pacific Rim Uprising 165.   Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay 166.   Action Point 167.   The Meg 168.   Gringo 169.   Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald 170.   The Darkest Minds 171.   The Spy Who Dumped Me 172.   The Nun 173.   Fahrenheit 451 174.   Mile 22 175.   Winchester 176.   The Mule 177.   Tomb Raider 178.   Robin Hood 179.   Red Sparrow 180.   Overboard 181.   Ocean’s 8 182.   Venom 183.   The Grinch 184.   The Strangers: Prey At Night 185.   Breaking In 186.   Peppermint 187.   Traffik 188.   Life of the Party 189.   Proud Mary 190.   I Feel Pretty

Bottom 10

191.   Johnny English Strikes Again 192.   Holmes and Watson 193.   Night School 194.   The Hurricane Heist 195.   Truth or Dare 196.   Nobody’s Fool 197.   The 15:17 to Paris 198.   Gotti 199.   Tyler Perry’s Acrimony 200.   A Wrinkle in Time

#kane52630 #filmedit #top 10 2018 #userel #userrobin #filmgifs #usergilli #top 10 year #jakegyllenhaals #movieedit #gifs #avengers infinity war #mandy 2018 #blindspotting #black panther #mission impossible fallout #first reformed #spider man into the spider verse #burning #suspiria #bodied #movie

[florenceandthemachine]

that original lifeline

chapter 4 / 5 - “you deserve what you are given” - 2.2k

in which Eddie has a chance at some closure—but not in the way you might think. 

note the update to the chapter count—it didn't feel right wrapping up everything in one last chapter. the beautiful, wonderful @buckleydiazs inspired a totally new ending with one of her recent works and honestly you should all be reading everything she’s ever written.

that all said and done, I won't keep you waiting too long. the last chapter will be up tomorrow, and I love all of you forever and ever.

read on AO3

For all intents and purposes, Eddie Diaz felt like a dead man walking. 

He had been swallowed up by the Earth and spit back out, in once piece, but that didn’t mean that he was whole. 

For the first month, he seemed to fluctuate wildly between the first three stages of grief, but honestly, he attributed a good portion of that to the mandatory leave of absence he had been given from the 118. He had already lost an eternal being, so sure, absolutely, losing the one routine he had going for him was great!

As ashamed as he was to admit it, his denial spiked the highest whenever he was around Christopher. His son was so good, so fucking kind, and sweet, and it just didn’t feel fair for Eddie to do anything other than smile with him and support him in any way that he could. He had to admit, that was the only shred of silver lining he could see in his mandatory leave—he got to wake up with Chris every morning, he got to take him to school and pick him up after, and he got to give Carla a very, very well deserved vacation. 

If he spent the hours that Chris was out of the house begging to a God that he figured hated him, well, that was his own business. 

When he did get angry, Eddie made damn sure to do it on his own time, in his own house, in his own state of being—he would sooner jump back under an exploding fire truck than allow any of his anger leak through to Chris, and besides, the only person that he was really angry with was himself. He still didn’t know why he had volunteered to go down in the first place—Chim would have been the much more logical choice, he was smaller, he was lighter, and he could move faster, all of that proven when Chim had successfully pulled the kid out of the muddy hole in record time. Unfortunately, there was one thing he didn’t have—the heaps of fucked up brainpower that Eddie seemed to tap into whenever he was out on a call that involved a kid. 

Somewhere around the six week mark, Eddie’s brain had finally given up on bouncing back and forth between denial, bargaining, and anger, and instead slipped right into stage four—a deep, comfortable, whole body depression—one that felt impossible to shake, one that felt like a thick, weighted blanket, wrapped around his body, layering guilt, sadness, shame….

…well. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone that he wasn’t in a great place. But what the hell else was he supposed to do, go to therapy?

“Hi, I’m Eddie, I’m sad because my guardian angel died. I haven’t been able to sleep in weeks without nightmares about being buried alive. Why yes, I am still on active duty as a firefighter.”

Yeah, that was going to go over so well.

One of the many fucked up surprises this newer, nihilistic state of being brought him were the rare moments when he managed to break out of the shell he used to call a personality. He would snort with a sudden spike of laughter at something a comic on television said, or feel a pulse of genuine sadness when he was reading Chris his bedtime story. The moments were few and far between, and they were never more than a few seconds long. 

So, the surge of resignation he felt when he saw red and blue lights erupt in his rearview mirror came as something of a surprise, in and of itself… and then he realized he was going ten over the limit, and resigned this entire day to another page in the Eddie Diaz book. 

It was one of his rare days off—rare, because he had been picking up every extra shift he could to help keep his mind busy—and Chris had been overjoyed at the idea of spending a day with Abuela, a rare treat for both of them once Carla entered their lives. Eddie had swung by after work, had an early dinner with his family, kissed Abuela and Pepa goodbye while dodging all of their questions about what was wrong, and why he looked so sad, and if you would just talk to us, Eddito. He had ignored it all, skillfully loaded Chris into the back of his truck, pretended not to feel a little envious when his son passed out within minutes, and—

—and now he was getting pulled over for speeding.

Eddie allowed himself all of five seconds to rest his head against the steering wheel, the urge to scream only lessened by the knowledge that Chris was asleep in the back of his truck, before he pulled out his wallet and fished his license and registration out. He rolled his window down as the officer started to walk toward the truck, unable to even entertain the idea that he was going to drive away with less than a ticket for whatever it was he had done wrong.

“You can go ahead and put those away.” 

Eddie blinked in confusion as the officer approached his window, his hand hesitating awkwardly before he slowly pulled his arm back inside his truck, the cards tossed absentmindedly onto the passengers seat of the truck.

“I don’t need your license to know who you are, Edmundo. It’s good to finally meet you. I’m sorry it had to be like this, but I had to ensure we wouldn’t be interrupted.”

Typically, an announcement like that usually would have set off every siren in Eddie’s head, but he hadn’t had the energy for something like that for weeks now. Instead, he shifted in his seat, not quite leaning out the window but definitely getting a better look at the officer standing just outside his truck, the lights from her squad car still blinking in his side view mirror. 

“How do you know who I am?”

She smiled, expression sharp and calculating, and Eddie didn’t need her to take off her sunglasses to know that she was looking him over, staring right through him. He didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt desperate that she would approve of whatever it was that she saw. 

“My name is Athena.”

Suddenly, things clicked in his brain, and it wasn’t just in the sharp smile of the officer—or, not officer—standing in front of him. He was knocked back, almost violently, sitting outside of a shitty shake shack with Buck, ankles knocked together under the table, laughing about whatever.

He almost choked as a surge of emotion shot through him, rattling the very shell of his empty being, a sadness and a guilt so strong, so overwhelming, that it threatened to spill out of him in a moments notice. He gripped the steering wheel so hard he wouldn’t have been surprised if he bent it, face going through a flurry of emotions, not trusting himself to speak when he couldn’t even breathe. 

Fuck, here Eddie was supposed to be strong, for his kid, for his teammates, and four words had him blinking back tears in the drivers seat of his truck. “Athena, I—I’m so sorry, I didn’t know what he was going to do, I wouldn’t have let him, I promise, this is all my—“

“Hey, hey, stop that.” She took a small step forward as Eddie felt his jaw click shut, tucking her sunglasses into her uniform pocket. “I don’t blame you for anything, and you shouldn’t be blaming yourself. Buck told you about our relationship with free will, right? Well, he had it, too. Everything he did was by choice. His energy was his own to give, and you can’t beat yourself up for him choosing to use it on you. He wouldn’t want that.”

Her smile had softened into something more genuine, something more understanding, and as much as Eddie wanted to let it calm him down, wanted to trust it, he… couldn’t.

Eddie felt another wave of emotion surge forward, dangerously close to the edge—anger this time, hot and sticky in the back of his throat. Here this perfect stranger was telling him what to think, what to believe, what Buck would want, and the worst part of it all was that Eddie had no reason to doubt her. All in all, he really, really didn’t know Buck—not as well as he thought he did, certainly. But maybe not even at all.

No sooner did that thought enter his mind did his anger die down, leaving him feeling nauseous, guilty, and as gross as it was to admit it—a little pleased. He hadn’t felt genuine emotion in so long, he had been beginning to think he couldn’t anymore. 

Eddie let out a rattling breath as he leaned forward to rest his head on the steering wheel once again, only now, Athena looked mostly sympathetic, arms loosely at her sides, thumbs tucked into her utility belt as she waited for Eddie to get his bearings again. 

“I miss him.”

Athena let out a little laugh as she nodded her head, her smile wide again, looking at Eddie with something between fondness and exasperation. It was a look he had grown very used to, spending more time with Abuela.

“I know, Eddie. I do too.”

They shared another moment of silence while Eddie counted his breaths, interrupted only when Athena cleared her throat and looked down, kicking at the ground near Eddie’s front tire.

“I’m not going to stand here and try to placate you with promises, or niceties, because this world is already unstable enough, and I am not going to waste either of our time. I’m here to offer you a choice, Eddie. I’m here to offer you a chance of… closure, of sorts.” 

Eddie felt his pulse start to quicken as she spoke, not because of the words she said, but because Eddie could already feel it—the same warmth, the energy that used to dance around Buck, was already beginning to swirl around Athena’s narrow frame, making Eddie homesick for a place he didn’t think he would ever be able to return to. 

“What, um…” He had to swallow, taking a moment to look at Chris in the rear view mirror, still conked out against his doorframe. “What exactly are you offering me?”

Athena’s jaw was squared again, slowly lifting her hand up from her belt, fingers splayed before her. If it was a little darker out—if Eddie closed his eyes—he could almost swear they were luminous.

“Buck was under my care, he was my responsibility, and that means you were too, even if it was in an indirect way. Eddie, I didn’t know what was going to happen, before or after you went down that hole, but I hope you believe me when I tell you how sorry I am that you had to go through that. No human should ever have to deal with… with a loss of that magnitude.”

And there it was, the unbreakable truth that Athena had been dancing around since she pulled him over. Loss. It was a loss, Buck really was gone. Not an angel, not a guardian, not anymore. Eddie had to swallow again. 

“I can’t lessen that pain. Only time can do that, and to what extent, even I don’t know. But what I can do is take it away from you, make you forget. Your life will still be your own, but the moments where Buck shone through will be altered, so you’ll have seen the situations just like any other human would have.”

Eddie took in a deep breath, letting it out between loose lips, taking in a few more before he could speak. “So it’ll be like I never saw him in the first place. Like I never knew what was protecting me.”

Athena nodded her head, moving her fingers slowly, focusing on them as much as she was on him. “It’s important to me that you understand I won’t force you to do anything here—this is all your choice. And I’m sorry to say it’s a choice you have to make relatively quickly, I’m already breaking enough protocols being here right now.”

Eddie laughed—he couldn’t help himself, the sound pulled from his throat without him expecting it. “So I guess you’re where Buck got his strict adherence to the rules, huh?”

Athena clicked her tongue and leaned in to smack his arm with her free hand, but the smile on her face was genuine, the touch feather light compared to what Eddie knew she could do.

“His presence has been a bright spot in your life, and I’m glad for that, but I know it can get awful dark without that light. So, it’s up to you. Do you want to keep living, having had this experience, but knowing that no one can relate to it, can help you past it now that it’s over? Or do you want to forget you ever saw his light, to be able to move forward without this darkness weighing on your heart?”

-

For the first time in months, Eddie was able to sleep through the night. 

#eddie diaz #evan buckley #buddie #911 #guardianangel!buck #guardian angel #AU #closure #hurt/comfort #this chapter and my entire heart dedicated to cailee who single handedly unintentionally changed the whole direction of the ending

[everyones-flower-somebodys-rose]

So... I haven’t actually been active in... any fandom in years, and this is the first time I write anything in close to a decade, but I have fallen in love with 9-1-1 and head over heels with Buddie, and this little (2700 words) one-shot wouldn’t leave me alone. Who knows, maybe it’ll be another decade before I write anything again!

Title: Crazy Alex

Summary: Just another day in L.A. An accident, a rescue, Buck comes out (accidentally?) and everything involves a crazy ex, because of course Buck 1.0 would have one.

9-1-1, what is your emergency?

It was just another Los Angeles day for the 118. A call had arrived early in the morning, a car crash that had caused a pile-up on the 110.

"LAFD, coming through, please", the voice of captain Nash could be heard over the crowd, as the squad made their way through the cars under the smoldering California sun.

"What do we have, Cap?” asked Hen, walking closely to Chimney, both looking around for injured civilians.

"Male, early thirties, still conscious. Apparently he hit the wheel with his head"

"Airbag?" asked Chimney, as they got closer to the car where an injured man was moaning in pain, blood on his forehead.

"Didn't open" Bobby answered, turning around to his team.

"Well, that's a lawsuit waiting to happen" Chim replied, as Hen got closer to the driver's window and gave three knocks to call for the man's attention.

"Sir, what is your name?"

"A - Alex. My name is Alex"

"Alex, listen. Everything is going to be okay, we'll get you out of there".

"My head. It hurts real bad"

Hen gave a try to the passenger's door, but it wouldn't budge. She looked at Bobby and shook her head slightly, giving him to understand that they would need more help with the car.

"All right," Bobby began, taking charge, "Chimney, make the rounds, check for others that might be injured," at this, Chimney nodded, quickly replying "Sure, Cap", and left the scene.

"Eddie, Buck," he called on the radio to the other two firefighters that had stayed behind, trying to help release traffic, "I need you here with the jaws of life"

"Coming, Cap" could be heard as the answer.

______________________________________________________________

"I'm just saying, you need to let it go, man," Buck trailed after Eddie, continuing an argument that had started in truck. The older man was making his way through the cars, very decidedly not looking at Buck.

"I can't just let it go, Buck. You can't expect me to be okay with... that. After I specifically asked you not to!"

"Seriously? C'mon Eddie, it was just one time." Buck was saying as he ran to catch up with his friend, trying to see his expression as they spoke.

"One time is all it takes."

"It was for fun"

"Yeah?" Eddie said, turning his face to the side to better see the shit-eating grin on Buck's face "Well, the next time Christopher decides to start singing that song at 11 pm, I'm sending him to your place. I tried so hard to avoid Frozen, man, I swear to God..." he trailed off as they reached the scene. It was a man with a bump in his head, a piece of cake considering some of the things they had both seen, but Eddie turned around to see Buck turn as white as a sheet in record time.

"Hey, is everything okay?" He asked, their earlier mock argument forgotten as he got closer to his friend. Eddie's earnest voice shook Buck off his stupor, and he smiled, not too convincingly.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's okay, just... can you take this from here? I'll... check if Chim needs some help, you know, it seems you guys got this" Buck answered, as he started quickly retreating from the scene.

"Buck..."

"I'll explain later!" he yelled, already two cars away from them.

Shaking his head, Eddie turned around and got to work, prying open the door from the car. Once free to enter the vehicle, Hen quickly stabilized the man's neck and checked him for concussion.

"Is you vision blurred, Alex? Do you feel any nausea?" she asked, after checking his eyes with her lantern.

"No, no, it just hurts, my head. Hey, firefighter... Wilson is it?" the man, Alex, said as he read her tag, "the firefighter that just left... was it Evan Buckley, by any chance?"

"Um..." she said, turning to look at Eddie. For his part, Buck's reaction was starting to cause some suspicion, but before he could say anything, Hen answered,

"Yeah, that was him. You know him?"

"Oh, yeah," Alex smiled, talking as they got him out of the car, "we are old friends. But I haven't seen him in such a long time! It's too bad he couldn't stay to catch up."

"Well, we are pretty swamped, Alex," Eddie replied, "he has to keep working. We'll... tell him you said hi."

Privately, Eddie figured if Buck had wanted to catch up with this guy, he wouldn't have run as if he had a hellhound on his tail. There was definitely a story there, and, he resolved, one he would pry out of his friend the moment they got back to the firehouse.

______________________________________________________________

The reckoning was not to be, however. After the pile-up, they received a call about a mansion burning down in Beverly Hills, which came with a newly separated couple blaming each other for the fire, and the woman demanding they went back in the house for her jewels. After that, came a children birthday party gone wrong, with the kids attacking the clown who then fell on top of the table with the cake, breaking the table and getting stabbed by a piece of wood. Finally, two golfers had accused each other of cheating, and one had tried to run over the other with the golf car, missing him and falling on the artificial lake in the course.

Safe to say, by the time they all got back to the firehouse, they were exhausted. All they wanted to do was have some dinner and rest until the next emergency, or until their shift ended, whatever came first. The Alex guy was out of Eddie's mind as they all sat around, ready to try Bobby's next gourmet dish. That is, until they heard a voice calling from below.

"Hello? Is anybody here?"

Everyone at the table looked at each other, half curious and half annoyed their dinner had been interrupted. Bobby left the table and leaned over the railing. Standing in the middle of the station was Alex, the guy from the car accident.

"Can we help you?" Bobby asked.

"Hi, Captain. I'm Alex... you guys rescued me this morning?"

"Yes, I remember you," was the captain's reply, with a small smile on his face and merriment obvious in his tone to those who knew him.

"I was looking for Evan? Evan Buckley? I saw him on the scene today, and I asked around and they said he worked at the 118?"

At this, Bobby heard a whispered Bobby, no! coming from Buck, who had all but hidden behind the table. He was crossing his arms in the air, mouthing no repeatedly. Bobby raised his eyebrow questioning, but Buck only made a gesture with his hands to signify he would explain later. Taking pity on him, Captain Nash turned around to answer the man.

"I'm sorry Alex, but Buck is not here at the moment. Can I deliver a message for him?"

Alex looked visibly deflated, but only a moment later he looked up and smiled brightly.

"No, that's okay! I'll just drop by later! Thank you, Captain Nash! Have a good night"

Bobby stared as Alex turned around and left the station, and then, he went back to the table, arms crossed around his chest, an amused look on his face as he stared down at Buck, still hidden behind the table.

"Explain"

______________________________________________________________

Buck was sitting in the couch, looking at his team as they sat around him, expecting the explanation he had promised them for after they finished their dinner. Eddie and Bobby were sitting at each side of him, while Hen and Chimney had sat in front of them. No one spoke until Hen said impatiently.

"Well?!"

All Buck did was look at all of them, one by one, reading their faces until he finally said,

"Oh, c'mon guys, I thought you had made the connection already."

No one answered him.

"Really? No one?" he said, unbelieving.

"What connection, Buckaroo?" Chimney replied, still not understanding what the young man was talking about.

"Guys, that was Alex!" he exclaimed, "Crazy Alex? I'm sure I told you that story"

"No, wait," Hen said, after a second, shaking her head as if trying to bring back the memory, "I remember that story, Crazy Alex... but wasn't that a crazy ex that texted you every hour and wanted you to meet her parents after you hooked up twice? And told you she loved you chasing after you, after you literally ran away, with your pants around your ankles?"

"Yeah!" Buck exclaimed, happy someone had gotten it. "Except it was his parents, but yeah, that was Crazy Alex!"

The four of them just stared at Buck. For a moment, the firehouse was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It was Eddie who broke the silence.

"But... that was a guy."

"Um... yeah..." Buck replied, not understanding Eddie's surprise.

"Whoa, wait wait wait wait," Chimney exclaimed, standing up, "Buck, are you telling us you are bi?"

"Sure, but... you guys knew that already, didn't you?"

"What?! No, we didn't know that, Buck!" Hen yelled, at the same time Chim said in a low voice "Wow, so many things are starting to make sense now". For their part, Eddie and Bobby looked at each other, stunned.

"But, how could you not know? I talked about guys I dated before! Alex? Charlie? Hot Nicky? You have to remember that one!"

"Do you really not see where the confusion might have come from, man?" Chimney asked, sitting down again.

Buck thought about it for a while, replaying the names in his head,

"Oh... yeah...but... there were pronouns! Weren't there?" He said, confused. Hen shook her head, one part amused and a lot exasperated.

"Well... Bobby knew!" Buck said, pointing at his captain with an expectant look on his face. Bobby shook his head, "I had no idea, Buck."

"Seriously? Cap, you told me off for flirting with a guy on one of our calls!"

"When?"

"Tapeworm guy, with the thing coming out of his...?"

"Wait, that was flirting?" Bobby interrupted, thoroughly entertained, "You were discussing healthy food and comparing body mass index!"

Hen snorted, "Seriously, you did that? Yeah, Cap, that was peak gay flirting right there"

"Wait a minute" Eddie said, interjecting, "you flirted with a guy with a tapeworm coming out of his ass?"

"He was hot!" Buck defended himself,  "and I flirted with him before we saw the tapeworm" Buck paused and looked around him, looking a bit lost and a lot confused, "Wait a minute... did I just... accidentally come out to you guys?"

At this, they all laughed, and Hen got up and hugged her friend, still smiling while saying "Yes you did, Buckaroo. And we love you and we are proud of you."

"You know," said Buck, once Hen had let him go, staring at Chimney, "I'm surprised Maddie never said anything to you."

"She must have assumed I knew. And, believe it or not, we don't really talk a lot about you Buck." Chimney said, laughing while avoiding the chips Buck started throwing at him.

"So, what do we do about this Alex guy?" said Eddie at last once everyone had settled down, "is there any danger, Buck?"

"Want me to let Athena know, kid?" Bobby added.

At this, Buck just shook his head. "No, there is really no need. He is just, you know, the usual crazy, not psycho crazy. Once he realizes I'm ignoring him, he'll go away. Trust me, I tried talking to the guy before. Makes it worse."

They all looked at each other, unconvinced.

"As long as you know what you are doing, Buck."

______________________________________________________________

Crazy Alex showed up at the firehouse the next day, thankfully when they were on a call, and did not show up again for the next three days, so everyone thought perhaps he had understood the unspoken rejection. It was a Friday night, and the shift was just ending. Bobby and Hen were heading out to their homes, to have dinner with their respective families. Meanwhile, Buck was leaving to pick up Christopher. He had offered for babysitting duty, as Eddie had picked up a few extra hours that week.

"Thanks again for this, Buck", Eddie told him, as Buck was heading for his car.

"Hey, you know I adore Chris. I love spending time with the little guy, and I promise, no Disney movies with catchy songs."

"I appreciate that more than you know" Eddie replied, clapping Buck in the shoulder. "Have fun, and text me if you need anything."

"I will, and I'll have more fun than you! You are stuck with Chimney for a couple more hours" Buck added in a loud voice, pointing at Chimney who was looking at them from the upper floor, and who made a rude gesture with his hand in answer.

"Bye, man." Eddie waved, and waited until Buck's car was out of sight before going back inside with Chimney, who was picking up some extra hours himself (he wouldn't tell anyone what he needed the money for, but they all had a bet going on that it was for a special and expensive ring).

It was turning out to be a very quiet evening. Most of the firefighters were in their bunks, snacking, or otherwise distracted. Chimney and Eddie were playing Mario Kart when they heard it, a voice from the floor below, like the last time.

"Hello? Anybody in?"

Not believing their ears, both men looked out to see Crazy Alex (they could not think about him as just Alex anymore), looking up with a smile on his face.

"He really doesn't give up, does he?" Chim muttered.

"Someone needs to put a stop to this," Eddie said, turning around and leaving the railing.

"I agree, but you heard Buck, he says talking with him will make it worse"

Eddie stared down, thinking, until he said, "Maybe it doesn't need to be Buck the one to talk to him. I know this kind of guy, that think if someone is available it's free game. I got this". And then he went down the stairs, ignoring the whispered "Eddie!" from Chimney.

Walking down with his best Army posture, Eddie slowly approached Crazy Alex, making sure to keep his arms crossed and his face as unfriendly as possible.

"Can I help you?"

Crazy Alex, who was not as tall nor as built as Eddie, looked up to the man, visibly intimidated.

"I was looking for Evan?"

At this, Eddie took a step closer, invading the other man's space.

"Buck is not here. He's home, looking after our son after a long shift." At this, Alex's eyes widened.

"You know," Eddie continued, somehow managing to make himself look taller, "my husband, he's told me all about you. You wouldn't leave him alone for months after he told you he wasn't interested. You better take a hint, man, because I don't like people messing with my family, got it?"

Alex gulped, "Uh, sure man, listen... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes..."

"If you had, you would have wished you had stayed on that car we saved you from".

"I should..." And without finishing the sentence, Crazy Alex turned and practically run out of the station. Eddie turned around with a smile, to see Chimney who had gone down the stairs and was on the other side of the floor, looking at him with a smirk on his face.

"Was that too much?"

"I don't know, but I think it worked," Chimney said, still smirking, "don't think he'll be showing his face around here again".

Eddie started to walk back, intent on going upstairs again, when Chimney said,

"So, your husband? I'm not saying it was a bad idea," he added, raising his hands in defense "just... curious."

"It worked," Eddie said, already reaching the ladder and walking up, "and also, I think it's best if this stays between us"

"Oh, I don't know," Chimney added with a laugh, yelling after him, "I think it's a great story to tell the guys later, don't you think?"

Eddie didn't stop, just kept going upstairs as he said,

"They'll never find your body, Chim!"

#tv: 911 #9-1-1 fox #911 fox #buddie #can't believe i wrote something again #humor #romantic if you squint #firefam being firefam #buck is a disaster bi