Chapter Text
Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley had only ever known the limelight.
He had pretty much grown up on movie sets and red carpets. He had been cast at the tender age of seven in a popular book to movie adaptation series as one of the main leads, and although at the time he had never even heard of the series, his mother had insisted he was perfect for the role and had coached him through the whole audition process. It had been the most time he’d ever spent with her, or at least the most time he’d ever spent with her while she was paying that much attention to him. It was also the only time he’d ever heard her sing his praises, so naturally he chased that feeling in everything he did on set, and yet, as soon as the check cleared, it went back to being as if he didn’t exist.
His older sister, Maddie, was the only person in his family to really be there for him, or to humble him when he got to be thirteen and girls were throwing themselves at his feet. She was there when fame got to be too much and he needed everything to quiet down just a little. It was Maddie who he cried to the first time he figured out he liked boys like he liked girls, and it was his sister who told him it was all going to be okay and that she loved him no matter what. He had no idea where he’d have ended up without her in his life.
But he guessed he should have known this is where he’d end up even with Maddie guiding him and helping him make better decisions; on the top floor of a five story building that was completely engulfed in flames, with no way down.
He should have known that that’s how it ends. He’s too far from the window and has no idea where the staircase is located. He’s completely turned around and it’s getting harder and harder to breathe. It’s also insanely hot, and not in a good way.
He should have never signed on to film this cameo, he thought as he desperately glanced around, smoke clouding most of his vision. His agent was so fired.
Just then, he caught what he thought was movement out of the corner of his eye, through the thick clouds. He wasn’t entirely sure until he saw the reflective stripes of the firefighter getting closer and closer.
“Buck!?” The man shouts through the roar of the fire. Buck nodded, choking over his response and trying to stand up. “Woah woah hey! Stay down and put this on,” the firefighter handed over an oxygen mask and Buck took it without hesitation immediately putting it on.
“Are you hurt?” the firefighter asked. Buck shook his head, taking in a shaky breath from the mask.
“No, ‘m not hurt,” he glanced up at the firefighter in front of him. He wasn’t close enough to see his face through the mask, but his voice was assuring and Buck felt like he could trust anything the man said.
“Okay Buck, my name is Bobby Nash with the 118 and we’re going to get you out of here,” he said, as he crouched down to Buck’s level, hitching one of Buck’s arms over his broad shoulders. He wrapped an arm around Buck’s waist and helped him stand.
Bobby’s grip was strong and nurturing, “I got you Buck, one step at a time.”
Buck followed his lead, one step at a time just like he said.
Suddenly the floor a few feet in front of them completely collapsed in on itself. The firefighter stopped them instantly, holding Buck back.
Buck knew that this really wasn’t the time nor the place to get distracted by a presumably hot firefighter, but he really couldn’t help himself, soaking in every inch of body contact between them, even as Bobby yelled into his radio their location and suddenly started dragging him in the opposite direction to where they were previously headed.
Buck couldn’t see a thing in the smoke, he was really just holding on to the last thread of hope that Bobby knew what he was doing, and right when he was about to lose that thread: giant windows!
“Alright Buck,” Bobby said as they approached a window. “I’m gonna need you to stay back alright?”
Buck nodded, using all of his strength to stay upright by himself. The oxygen mask was great but he had still inhaled a ton of smoke and he knew that probably wasn’t very good.
Bobby turned away from Buck, using the handle of the ax he carried to break the windows.
When the glass was gone, he was back at Buck’s side instantly. “Alright here’s what’s going to happen,” Bobby explained that there was an airbag being blown up outside the windows he had just broken through, in a minute the two of them were going to jump out one of the windows and onto the airbag.
Buck looked out the window as they approached it and felt the spike of adrenaline at exactly how far away the airbag was.
“We’ll jump together,” Bobby instructed, also looking down.
“It’s a hell of a dive,” Buck responded as he glanced back up at Bobby. He winked when the other man made eye contact with him and Buck swears the corners of the firefighter’s eyes crinkle in a smile, or at least he hoped they did.
“Captain Nash, the airbag is ready.” Came a voice over the radio, breaking them of whatever moment was happening.
“Okay, hold tight,” Bobby says, wrapping his toned arms around Buck. “On the count of three.”
“1, 2,” Buck gripped onto Bobby tight, “3!” And the two of them jumped.
Buck’s head was radio silence as they hurtled towards the ground. He thought maybe he would’ve been scared or thought he was going to die, but it was actually… pleasant? He felt safe in a way he’d never felt.
They hit the airbag together but parted slightly on impact.
“Are you alright, Buck?” Bobby asked as he guided him to a sitting position.
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine,” Buck coughs a little, the fall catching up to him.
“Alright, take it easy we’ve got you,” a voice came from Buck’s other side. Buck turned his gaze away from Bobby to the two paramedics trying to help him.
Together the three of them helped Buck off the air bag and onto a stretcher, oxygen mask still in place.
The paramedic who introduced herself as Hen started asking Buck questions about his breathing while the other paramedic who he’d heard been referred to as Chimney checked him out physically and took his blood pressure.
Buck answered their questions to the best of his abilities as they traveled towards the ambulance out front.
“How are we doing?” A familiar voice came from behind Chimney.
“He seems to just be experiencing mild smoke inhalation, he’s gonna be just fine, Cap.” Hen replied, smiling down at Buck.
Buck on the other hand could not tear his gaze away from the definitely hot firefighter that saved his life. Missing from Bobby was the full frontal face mask, so now his face was in full view of Buck and what a lovely face it was. Older, mid forties to early fifties for sure, but Buck had always had a thing for older men… and women… His mommy and daddy issues were very complex and he recognized that.
“Glad to hear it,” Bobby smiled at Buck, and he really didn’t know what to do with the sudden attention on him.
“Well, y’know it’s not every day a hot firefighter saves your life,” another wink followed and Buck really wished he had hit the cement instead of the airbag for a brief moment as Bobby looked positively shocked at the words. Hen turned her startled laugh into a cough, sharing a look with Chimney.
“Okay loverboy, let's get you outta here,” Chimney said with a smirk, chomping on a piece of gum.
They loaded him up onto the ambulance and that was that. Buck blew his chances and now he’d probably never see Bobby again.
_______________________________
Except a week goes by and deep brown eyes and high cheekbones were still on his mind.
He sat in a meeting room with his agent and a very famous movie director, going over the script for his next big blockbuster, but his mind was still back at that burning office building. Of strong, sturdy arms holding him. The rush of plummeting out of said burning office building.
Maybe he needed to start doing his own stunts. He’d never been allowed to do them before, his mother made sure of that.
“So what do you say, Evan?” The director asked him, snapping Buck out of his thoughts.
He made desperate eye contact with his almost ex agent, Carla. She sighed and then threw on a huge smile. “It sounds like a hit! How about we look over the script for a few days, maybe get a feel and then we can let you know our decision?”
The director grinned back, none the wiser. “Sounds great!” He held out a hand for Buck to shake so he took it. He smiled back, still having no idea what the movie was even about.
This is why he didn’t fire Carla after the fire incident. She was awesome at her job. Plus she couldn’t have possibly known that the old building they were filming in had faulty wiring. Or that Buck would have run off to clear his head on a different floor right before a fire broke out.
The director left and it was just Carla and Buck.
“Okay Buckley,” Carla sighed out, hand reaching up to her forehead to smooth at the lines that had formed. “What’s up?”
Buck frowned, “Nothing.”
Carla rolled her eyes and huffed out a chuckle. “Are you sure it has nothing to do with a certain handsome firefighter?”
Buck scoffed at her, trying to keep his demeanor calm.
“What makes you think this has anything to do with him? Maybe I’m just tired.” Buck crossed his arm and looked anywhere but at Carla. She always knew how to read right through him.
She was quiet for a minute.
When Buck finally met her stern gaze he sighed. “Okay so MAYBE it has something to do with a certain handsome firefighter but that’s insane right?” Buck shoved a hand through his hair as he stood up and began to pace.
“I mean I’m never going to see him again, right?” He felt dejected.
“Well you don’t know that,” Carla said, standing up to place a loving hand on his arm. He stopped pacing and faced her. She searched his face, clearly finding something in his expression.
“How about this,” Carla started, “we hand deliver a special edible arrangement or bring the fire station some baked goods and if he’s there then you have your chance to talk to him.”
“What if he’s not there or not interested?” Buck felt panicked at the thought. He’d never been this way around anyone before and to be perfectly honest, he hadn’t had as much dating experience as one would expect from an A list child actor.
“He’d be stupid to not be interested and we could always leave a callback number,” Carla smiled at him warmly, sliding her hand down to his and squeezing gently.
Buck squeezed her hand back and nodded, “Okay.”
___________________
And that’s how Buck found himself at the entrance of the 118 fire house two days later with a basket full of all sorts of baked goods from an amazing little bakery Maddie had suggested to him that morning.
The palms of his hands were sweaty as he stepped through the doors. He was instantly met with a big red fire engine, was it too late to turn back? He shouldn’t have been there.
He was about to turn and leave when one of the paramedics, he thinks Hen, spotted him. She raised an eyebrow at him as she walked forward.
“To what do we owe the pleasure Mr. Buckley?” Amusement was laced in her tone even though her face remained serious. Buck had no idea whether her remembering him was a good thing or a bad thing.
“Oh uh, I was uh, just looking for Bobby?” He didn’t know why he phrased it like a question. Hen raised her eyebrow further. “Um. I just wanted to say thank you for last week, but if I’m inconveniencing you then I can go.”
Buck turned to leave but Hen stopped him. “I think he’s upstairs making lunch, follow me.” She flashed a warm smile at him and nodded her head towards the stairs before walking off towards them.
Buck was quick to follow, almost tripping over himself. He told himself to relax, be cool. He didn’t even know the guy, but he was hoping to.
Sure enough, Buck’s heart stuttered when he reached the top of the stairs and there was Bobby cooking away with a ridiculous apron with fire trucks all over it. The man didn’t look up until Hen addressed the captain.
“You have a visitor, Cap,” Hen gestured towards Buck who came to a nervous stop next to her.
Bobby’s gaze met Buck’s and Buck couldn’t help the small smile that lit up his face.
“Uh Captain, I wanted to thank you again for last week,” Buck stuttered out, shuffling forward and holding up the basket of treats. “I brought this for the house.”
Bobby eyed him quietly for a moment, he blinked and smiled kindly.
“Well, thank you very much,” and Buck wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he didn’t think it would be so formal.
“Yeah, no sweat,” Buck responded, setting the basket on the empty corner of the island.
“I was also wondering,” Buck’s hand rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he tried to build up the courage to finish what he just started. “If you’d like to grab dinner sometime?”
Bobby looked caught off guard once again. “Oh.”
Buck held his hands up in defense, “I totally get it if you’re not interested, but like I said, it’s not every day you get saved by a hot firefighter.”
Bobby opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure how to respond to the young actor.
“Listen, kid,” Bobby started a small smile playing at his features. “I’m flattered, truly. You’re young and very attractive, but you should go after someone a little closer to your own age.”
Buck frowned deeply at his words. “Well what if I don’t want someone closer in age?”
Bobby nodded and sighed deeply.
“You should give him a chance, Cap.” Hen peeped up from next to them.
The two men snapped their heads in her direction, having completely forgotten she had been standing there throughout the entire exchange.
Bobby furrowed his eyebrows at her. “You should be stocking up on the first aid supplies,” Bobby responded sternly, arms coming up and crossing over his chest. Hen threw up her hands in surrender and backed away from the two.
Then he looked back at Buck and dropped his arms. Buck took that as a ‘no’, dropping his gaze to the ground.
“Fine.”
Buck looked up so quickly he nearly pulled a muscle in his neck.
“What?” Buck needed to be sure he hadn’t heard incorrectly.
“Fine,” Bobby repeated, an amused expression. “One dinner. If only to prove to you that I can’t possibly be what you want.”
Buck’s heart clenched at that, he wasn’t sure what to think.
“One dinner to show you, you are.” Buck corrected, his tone soft. They held eye contact for a long moment before the alarms sounded, calling Bobby away from Buck.
“How’s Thursday evening at seven?” Bobby asked, taking the apron off in a hurry as he took the pots and pans off the stove.
“Thursday at seven is great,” Buck said, he had no idea if it was actually great, but for Bobby he would make sure it was.
“Great, I’ll see you then,” Bobby said as he ran off towards his crew, leaving Buck feeling way giddier than he’d felt in a long, long time.