Chapter Text
As much as Buck and the rest of the team love their jobs and all that it entails, in a city as big and as crazy as Los Angeles, they've also developed an intense love for the more mundane calls; the ones where everything is more muscle memory and less scrambling around for a plan while inwardly questioning the mentality and logic of the situation they've been called out to.
Simple calls, like a kid in a claw machine or smoke alarms set off by someone's less than perfect cooking skills. Hell, even the stereotypical cat in a tree is always a welcome break from some of the hectic, sometimes downright wacky, calls they receive regularly. So, a simple fender-bender involving three cars with only minor injuries and only one usage of the jaws to open the car door for the poor lady stuck in the car trapped between the other two involved thanks to the cars locking system going haywire during the collision - that should be a breeze for the team, a breath of fresh air after the summer of wildfire-related calls they've been dealing with, but Buck just isn't feeling it.
With nothing left to do but pack up his supplies after assessing the male driver involved for any signs of injury or concussion, he finds his gaze drifting around the scene, noting that they're all pretty much finished and just need to finish packing up and take it all back to the truck. He also takes notice of the crowd who've been sniffing around the sidelines of the scene since they arrived, asking questions and intently watching as the team did their jobs. His attention gets stuck on one bystander in particular, though, watching as she chats with Eddie on the other side of the scene where the other man was assessing the other driver involved once he and Buck had assisted Hen and Chim with gaining access to their patient and getting her out safely.
She's pretty, brunette, well dressed and sporting a more natural makeup look. He can admit that much. She's definitely not the type to have fallen for Buck's charms in his 1.0 days. But, for Eddie - she's exactly his type, Buck finds himself bitterly thinking.
The younger man redirects his attention, determined not to let himself get too distracted, packing up the last of the equipment he'd used and zipping up the bag. As he stands, slinging the strap of the main bag over his shoulder so that his hands are free to carry other things, his gaze lands straight back on Eddie and the woman in time to see her rummage in her handbag before producing a pen and paper - maybe a receipt from something but Buck's too far away to tell.
Buck knows he shouldn't feel so slighted by the sight, Eddie isn't his and his best friend has mentioned wanting to maybe rejoin the dating scene - not that Buck's a fan of the idea but he's admittedly too much of a coward to do anything about it yet. The display makes him mad, that a stranger is hitting on Eddie - his Eddie - but he knows that he has no right to be mad about it. He should be happy. He wants Eddie to be happy.
But, why her?
Fighting the internal battle with his own emotions, he begins to make his way towards the truck with his equipment. Unfortunately for him, in order to reach the rig, he has to pass directly by Eddie and his lady friend that Buck is mentally berating for her brazen actions.
"This is my number - call me sometime and we can go out -"
Buck hears as he reaches the pair, seconds away from passing by them completely. He knows Hen and Chim are near enough directly behind him based on the footfalls and quiet conversation he can hear from them, but he can't help himself from nabbing the number from the woman's hand as he passes, cutting her off mid sentence, and walking away with it clutched in the fist of his free hand before Eddie even has chance to reach out for it. He doesn't look over his shoulder but he can tell by the snickering from Hen and Chim behind him that they saw what he did and that the look on Eddie's face must be quite amusing.
He shoves the piece of paper haphazardly into his pocket long enough to put everything away neatly, ignoring the amused and knowing looks Chim and Hen keeps throwing him as they pack their own stuff away in a different compartment, before getting into the cab. Hen, Chim and Eddie are quick to join him in the back of the cab while Bobby hops up into the passenger seat, already directing the driver to head back to the station and beginning to call in that they’re off the roster for a couple hours to give the team a break.
Buck can tell that Eddie wants to ask about what he just did but he doesn’t know how to explain to the other man why he did what he did without giving himself away so he chooses to, childishly, ignore the issue and all of Eddie’s attempts to get his attention by leaving his headset off. It also helps him stay away from whatever comment Chimney is clearly dying to come out with at Buck’s expense. However, as they pull up to the station, he knows his tactics aren’t going to last much longer.
He leaves the truck and strips off his turnouts quickly, nabbing the phone number from the pocket he shoved it in and hiding it in his hand as he drops off his gear at his peg, just in case Eddie goes through it to look for the pesky bit of paper. He heads for the showers, another avoidance tactic and also because he really does need one, taking a fresh set of uniform shirt and pants with him to change into straight after. Once stepping under the spray, he unfurls his fist to reveal the number still taunting him in vibrant blue ink on it’s stark white background. A simple set of digits that basically tore his world apart as soon as they were written and offered to the man he wishes he had the courage to admit how he felt to.
He feels almost sick satisfaction as droplets of water hit the paper, soaking it and weakening the paper slowly until it starts to disintegrate in his hand. He turns his hand, watching the paper fall to the damp floor and begin to get torn apart by the current of the water over the tiles before meeting the drain and disappearing bit by bit until there’s nothing left. As he steps out of the shower once he’s actually showered properly, standing by the bench with only his uniform shirt left to put on, it fully hits him what he’s just done.
He’s destroyed Eddie’s chance at meeting someone new and potentially falling in love because of his own jealousy. Because he doesn’t want to lose Eddie.
Not to her. Not to anyone.