Chapter Text
TK wasn’t totally sure he made the right decision to travel to LA without letting his brother know. He didn’t know what was going on, but Evan didn’t sound like himself. TK hated that his brother ever sounded anything but happy, and he was hoping right now he could maybe fix it, or at least figure out what was going on.
TK paused at the bay doors of the 118. The firehouse wasn’t as fancy as the 126, but it still looked cozy and better than some others he had seen. TK glanced around, noting there were trucks in the bay, and he could hear people in the loft, but he couldn’t actually see anyone. TK quietly made his way inside, keeping an eye for his brother. He wasn’t paying attention when he bumped into someone.
“Oh, excuse me!” TK said. The other man looked at him, confused.
“Can I help you?” The man said. TK recognized the slight Texan drawl that the man had. He assumed him to be Eddie, a friend of Evan’s.
“Yeah. I’m looking for Evan.”
“Evan?” He echoed. TK nodded, glancing up towards the loft.
“Yeah, I wanted to surprise him, so can you point me in his direction?”
“No.” TK whipped back around to stare at him.
“What?”
“No,” he repeated, “I don’t know who you are, and no one named Evan even works here.” TK paused for a minute.
“No, he told me he works at the 118 firehouse in LA,” TK muttered.
“No one goes by Evan here dude.”
“He showed me videos of him working here though.”
“Dude, are you like high or something? Again no one named Evan works here.” TK took a step backwards like he was punched. This was probably the most insulting and confusing conversation he had had in a long time.
“You’re Eddie though, right?” The man narrowed his eyes at him.
“Are you stalking us or something?”
“What! God no, it’s just Evan talks about you all the time.”
“Dude, I’ve already told you no one named Evan works here. If you don’t leave, I’m going to get our captain.”
“Hold on, just let me call- “TK started before he was interrupted by a voice he hadn’t heard in years.
“Eddie? Is everything okay?” Evan asked. TK realized he was hidden by Eddie from Evan.
“There’s this guy asking for an Evan.” Eddie stepped out of the way, revealing TK. Evan’s eyes widen and he stood still for a moment before he launched himself at TK. He pulled TK into a bone-crushing hug before pulling back and pushing his shoulder in a friendly nudge.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming down?” Evan asked.
“I wanted it to be a surprise. You’ve sounded sad last time I talked to you.” TK explained.
“I can’t believe dad let you have time off to come out here.” TK rubbed at the back of his neck and Evan paled.
“Please tell me dad knows that you’re gone.”
“Yeah, it’s not that. It’s just, he’s not my captain anymore.”
“What! Did he kick you from the team or did you leave? Are you guys, okay? Are you okay?”
“One at a time Ev. I left his team, but not entirely. I’m work with him, it’s just that I’m a paramedic now.”
“Oh my god Ty, that’s so good to hear.” TK cringed.
“TK, I stopped going by Ty after…” TK trailed off. Buck frowned at TK’s half confession.
“On the topic of names… Buck who is this?” Eddie interrupted.
“Oh, Eddie! This is my brother, Ty, TK. TK, this is Eddie,” Buck said.
“Buck? You started going by Buck again?” TK asked. This time Buck was the one to nervously rub at the back of his neck.
“Again?”
They had finally caught the attention of the team, who made their way down the stairs to see what all of the commotion was.
“Guys! This is my brother TK.” TK laughed as Buck spoked excitedly, like a golden retriever.
“Brother?” A tall man TK figured was Bobby Nash asked. TK moved forward and stuck his hand out.
“TK Strand. You must be Bobby Nash,” he said turning to the other two team members, “which makes you Hen, and you Chimney.” TK smiled brightly and shook hands with each of them. They all seemed flabbergasted at who was in their firehouse.
“Did you say brother?” Chimney asked, repeating what the others had already asked.
“Yeah! I’ve known Evan, sorry Buck, for a long time. He became my official brother when we were kids.” All of the team members turned towards Buck.
“I, um, so yeah. I have a brother,” Buck confessed.
“Why hasn’t Maddie mentioned anything? Or you for that fact,” Chimney asked.
“We don’t talk much about our time in New York. It was pretty soon after our parents left us.”
“Well, for what it’s worth Buckaroo, I’m glad we are able to meet someone who considered you family before we knew you.” Hen smiled at Buck.
“Thanks Hen. But TK, seriously, what are you doing down here?”
“I really wanted to surprise you,” TK started.
“So, you flew down here from New York?”
“Jesus, Dad really tells you nothing huh?”
“What?”
“Dad and I moved to Austin, like a year and a half ago.”
“Funny TK. You would never leave New York. Remember when I tried to get you to move out here?
TK thought back to that time when Buck had left home. He was only seventeen when Buck left, even though he tried to convince TK to go with him. They fought that night, loudly. TK yelled at his brother for leaving him and Buck yelled back that he couldn’t stay here, it was too much for him and he wanted out. He also told TK he would love it if he came with. TK used the excuse that he couldn’t leave his dad too, after Maddie had left three years ago. He told Buck everyone couldn’t just leave their dad.
Buck at the time didn’t understand that TK was lying to him. He didn’t notice that TK and Owen’s relationship seemed to be falling apart for unknown reason. Buck just chalked it up to normal teenager-parent tension. He knew TK had a boyfriend Owen didn’t necessarily like, but he figured they would work it out. He didn’t know that TK had started using drugs and was angry all of the time because of it. Buck found out later after he moved to LA that TK had been using and had offered to come home. TK wouldn’t let him.
“I guess there is a ton that I have to catch you up on. We’ve barely talked in the past two years,” TK said.
“Yeah, I know that’s partly my fault,” Buck confessed. TK pulled Buck back into tight hug, forgetting Buck’s crew was still hovering around.
“Okay, well I’m still confused,” Eddie broke into the silence. Both men turned towards him.
“What are you confused about?” Buck asked.
“Why have I never heard of a brother. That seems pretty important. You know like my entire family,” Eddie huffed. TK cocked an eyebrow at that. It seemed pretty strange that Eddie was hung up on not knowing Buck’s family. It was also interesting that Buck knew Eddie’s entire family.
“There are a lot of emotions that go along with the Strand family that I’ve never wanted to talk about, so I guess I just didn’t talk about them at all because it brought up a lot of emotions and it was easier not too,” Buck explains. TK places a comforting hand on Buck’s shoulder.
“Oh,” Eddie starts.
“But I do want you guys to know about TK and Owen. They were the best family I had, they took us in and never treated Maddie and I differently,” Buck shoots a smile at TK.
TK was about to say something about Buck being sappy, but the alarms went off and the entire station turned into controlled chaos as the 118 rushed around getting ready. Buck looked at TK for a minute.
“Go, I’ll hang out here,” TK reassured him. Buck shot a smile at him before rushing off. TK watched them go, almost shocked by the silence that followed as soon as they were out of the station. TK made his way up the stairs and into the loft. He plopped down onto one of the couches. Minutes passed in silence before his phone buzzed. He quickly pulled it out, finding Carlos video calling him. He smiled as he answered the call, and his screen was filled with his boyfriend’s face.
“Hey there handsome.” TK smirked at Carlos. Carlos rolled his eyes, pretending he was annoyed but his blush gave him away.
“Hey, cariño,” he answered, smiling that smile which TK fell in love with. They weren’t there quite yet, but TK had been wanting to say those words for the last month. One day when he was cuddling on the couch with Carlos, it hit him how much he loved him.
“How is everything in Texas?”
“Everything is still good. I miss you and so does your dad, he’s trying to get me to come over for dinner while you’re gone though.” TK’s eyes widened in horror at that.
“I did not tell him that was something he should do.” Carlos laughed.
“I know, I think it’s sweet that he wanted to get to know me without you here. I’m sure he will be pulling out childhood pictures and everything when I go.”
“You’re actually going?”
“You thought I was going to turn him down? No way. Anyways, I’m not worried TK.” TK took a deep breathe. He figured it was a good thing that his dad loved Carlos so much and wanted to get to know him without him curbing questions.
“I’ve never had a boyfriend that my dad likes that much,” TK confesses. Carlos’s face softens.
“I think it’s really nice that he wants me to come over. I know it’s a scary step, but I’ll make sure he doesn’t ask too many embarrassing questions.”
“I know, I trust you. And him.” TK smiles at the screen. They take a moment to just stare at each other.
“So how is LA?”
“It’s- It’s good but I miss home.”
“So, I don’t need to worry about you running off to LA?”
“God no, I have too much that I love about Austin.”
“Mmm, what kind of things do you love about Austin.” TK doesn’t miss that he has an opportunity to tell Carlos those three little words, but he can’t bring himself to say them. He’s about to make an excuse but his attention is pulled away by the truck pulling back into the bay.
“Hey ‘Los, Buck and everyone just got back. I’ve got to go,” TK turns his attention back to his boyfriend.
“You sure you don’t have like a little longer.” Carlos gets what he calls his “cow eyes” and TK knows he is done for. TK longs to be able to lean over and kiss that look off his face. He smiles and runs his hand down his face, knowing he can’t help but hang up at the last minute.
“Fine, just until they are coming upstairs.” Carlos smirks at him.
“I just miss your face. I don’t know what I am gonna do until you come back.” Carlos winks at him and TK does his best to keep his face from flushing, but he knows it doesn’t work. He can feel the hear rush to his cheeks.
“I am going to call you tonight and make you regret teasing me Carlos,” TK tries to threaten but his smile ruins it.
“I’m looking forward to it, Tyler.” Carlos winks at him and blows him a kiss before he hangs up the phone and leaves TK staring in shock at his screen. He doesn’t notice Buck behind him until the man speaks.
“Tyler huh?” TK whips around to face his brother.
“I- uh- “TK stammers. A shit-eating grin spreads across Buck’s face.
“I thought no one could call you that. So, was that Alex?” TK regrets that he hasn’t told Buck everything that has happened in the last two years.
“Uh oh, that’s not a good look. What’s going on.” Buck sits down next to TK. He glances around and notices that Buck’s teammates hadn’t come back upstairs.
“A lot has happened in a frankly short amount of time Buck.”
“I’m hear to listen TK. Always.” TK nods, sighing before launching into the story.
“I proposed to Alex, and I was so excited to tell you that I would be engaged, except he said no and told me he was in love with his spin instructor and had been for months. For months he had been seeing someone behind my back.” Buck clenched his jaw.
“I’m gonna kill him,” he whispered. TK shook his head.
“Then, I overdosed, and Dad found me. I almost died. Not my proudest moment.” TK didn’t miss the sad look that Buck had on his face.
“I’ve been clean since then. A whole year and a half. But after the overdose, Dad moved us to Austin since he had gotten a job offer to rebuild the 126 after what happened there. I was a part of his team and that’s where I met Carlos.” TK stopped and looked down at the floor. He took another deep breath.
“I was awful to him in the beginning, but he became my friend and got me to open up and I fell in love with him. I met him so soon after we got to Austin that I wasn’t ready; I wasn’t ready for all of the feelings that he made me feel. I lashed out and sometimes I wonder why he stuck by me,” TK confessed.
“Because I have an awesome younger brother.” He gently shook TK’s shoulder.
“But then I got shot and the solar storm happened, and everything felt right. I felt right about being a first responder, and I felt right about Carlos. I knew I couldn’t keep dragging him along and hoping he would wait. I love him, so fucking much.” Buck smiled at him before he processed everything TK said.
“Wait, you got shot!” He shouted. TK winced.
“Yeah, by a kid. I was in a coma for like a week.” Buck stood up and started to pace in front of the couch.
“For the same reason we didn’t get a call when a firetruck crushed your leg,” he retorted. Buck sighed at that and sat back down.
“Fair.”
The rest of Buck’s crew finally made their way up the stairs and Bobby shot them an apologetic smile.
“TK, do you want to join us for dinner?” Bobby asked.
“Maybe he can help?” Chimney joked, but Buck turned pale.
“I will totally stay for dinner, but I think you are going to want me to stay out of the kitchen. My boyfriend tells me I could burn water. I’m lucky he is amazing in the kitchen.” Bobby nodded and moved towards the kitchen while Chimney stared at him in horror for a moment before turning to follow Bobby.
“I think Chimney just met the one person in the world who many be worse in the kitchen than him,” Hen joked from behind them.
“Honestly, I do think TK is worse. Somehow.” TK laughed, not denying the accusations.
“I see how it is.” TK nudged Buck’s shoulder.
Buck was so happy that his brother had come down for a visit. He didn’t realize how much he missed this part of his family since that last time he had seen them. He couldn’t believe it had been so long since he had seen TK either. He just wished Eddie would stop staring at them with an unreadable expression on his face. He figured he was going to have to talk to his friend, no matter how awkward it was probably going to be. But for right now, Buck just wanted to bask in having his brother near again, even if it was for a short time.