Work Text:
“How is this my life?” Buck muttered, sitting next to Ravi in the middle of the pasta aisle of their local grocery store. Ravi gave him a look that just screamed, “shut up before you get us both shot.”
It hadn’t been too busy of a shift. Most of their calls had been medical related, meaning that Hen and Eddie were being sent out much more than them. Buck hadn’t minded, he had a bunch of chores that he was behind on, so he took the time to get ahead, and also teach Ravi some of the paperwork that he didn’t know about. As much as he’d fought their initial partnership (mostly due to his own insecurities, which he was finally back to actively working with Dr. Copeland with), they did work well together, and Ravi absorbed his knowledge like a sponge.
It was only fitting that Bobby took the time to do inventory of the pantry, and discovered that C shift had once again used their pasta supplies without asking. Since he’d planned to make a simple baked mac and cheese recipe, he needed those noodles. So, once they returned from a quick emergency down the street (teenage driver ran into a pole, she was fine, the car wasn’t), Bobby asked Buck and Ravi to take the battalion truck to their favorite grocery store and pick up his much needed supplies.
If there was an emergency, he had told them, they would be radioed and meet the rest of the crew at whatever location they were heading towards.
So, off went Buck and Ravi to the store. A simple task, one that really only required one person, but typically they always sent two (mostly because Buck would either get talking to someone, or he’d start buying things not on the list to experiment with, to great success, but still). And just as they reached the pasta aisle, disaster struck.
“Give me the money in the register, now!”
Both firefighters had turned on a dime, only to see the young cashier staring down the barrel of a gun. She quickly was trying to open the register, but the masked man’s screaming was making her shake too much to even type on the screen.
Buck’s hand rose to his radio without thought. Just as he grasped the hard plastic, cool metal rested behind his neck.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, firefighter.”
He immediately let go of the radio and moved both of his hands into clear view. The radio was quickly unclipped from his shoulder, and the pack from his side, and thrown backwards down the aisle. He tried not to flinch at the loud clattering that sounded. Please don’t be broken…
“Sit down next to your partner. Hands where I can see them.”
Buck carefully sat, right under the pasta they had been sent to get. Ravi sat next to him, looking vaguely terrified, but doing his best to hide it. As soon as he was completely down, the masked men - now three total, Buck noted - zip tied his wrists and ankles, and another one together. It hurt, pulled on his leg in a way he really didn’t want to complain about, but he kept his mouth shut.
Once they were subdued, the men moved on to the next aisle. Buck muttered explicates under his breath. “Damn it, we’re not getting Bobby’s mac and cheese today, are we. The universe just won’t let us have it.”
“Buck, is this really the best time to be talking? They still have guns.” Ravi’s whisper was barely audible. His lips scarcely moved. Buck noticed the man was trembling, though he was doing his best to mask it.
“I know. Can you reach my back pocket without them noticing?” Buck dropped his voice down as well, and carefully shifted over an inch to make Ravi’s reach less noticeable.
The younger firefighter immediately did as requested, and palmed Buck’s cell. “Got it,” Ravi said, and started to move to give it to him.
“No, keep it behind me. Code is 0506. It’s Christopher’s birthday, before you ask.” Once that was done, he continued. “Text Bobby, Athena, and Eddie, in that order. Just the numbers 911. Once the text goes through, delete the text, and move on to the next one. Hurry.”
Both men carefully glanced around and made sure the masked men weren’t in eyesight. The moment he figured it was safe, Ravi quickly started doing as requested, working Buck’s phone better than the other firefighter could ever have done. Within two minutes, all three messages were sent, and just as quickly, Buck’s phone was back in his pocket. They got lucky that no one had noticed.
It took a few minutes. The three men rounded up most of their hostages and moved them to the front of the store, leaving Buck and Ravi behind, still tied up in the pasta aisle with one of the hostage takers. “Because of course they separate out the firefighters,” Buck snarked under his breath, ignoring the quick elbow from Ravi.
Just as everyone got settled, Buck caught sight of flashing red and blue lights through the windows and carefully hid a smirk. Less than two minutes later, LAPD SWAT was storming the store from all exits, and the three - wait, where did those two come from, that makes five - hostage takers were in custody.
Athena made her way over to the two firefighters still sitting restrained with the zip ties. She waved someone over. Eddie came around the corner, saw them, and rolled his eyes.
“If you wanted to get out of work this badly, you could have just asked,” Eddie said to Buck while cutting through Ravi’s restraints. “No need to go get held hostage.”
Ravi accepted a hand up from Athena, rubbing his wrists. They were red, but no skin was broken. “He kept making smart remarks,” he grumbled. “I thought he was going to get us in trouble, even if his idea to text you seemed to work.”
As one, Athena and Eddie turned to level glares at Buck, still sitting on the ground with only his legs cut free. Bobby came from around the corner to add to the glares.
“Oh come on! I made sure they weren’t around.”
“That doesn’t help you in the slightest,” Bobby said, Dad voice fully in effect. Buck winced. “No helping in the kitchen for a week.” That said, the captain turned on his heel and made a grand exit, leaving Buck sitting gob smacked on the floor.
“What?! Wait, Bobby!”
Today was just not Buck’s day.