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Buck hadn’t heard the storm roll in. Sure, he had seen the clouds, they had followed him on his shift all day. But he hadn’t expected the thunder.
The rain began after he arrived home, groaning in relief as he stepped inside. The shift had only been twelve hours, but still, his back and shoulders ached.
He was about collapse on his bed, jeans and all, but was interrupted by a knock on his door. He groaned again, forcing his tired feet down the stairs.
But when he opened the doors, he couldn’t help the way his shoulders relaxed, and he smiled.
“Oof, you look…” Tommy grimaced, bringing up his two fingers to tilt Buck’s face to the side, taking in the dirt and soot.
“Yeah… rough shift,” Buck chuckled, ushering him inside.
“I can leave if you want. Let you rest,” Tommy sat the pack of beers he had brought on the table, turning back. “I probably should’ve-“
Buck didn’t let him finish, crowding up against him, hands coming up to rest on his chest, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his lips. “Don’t you dare,” he grinned into it.
Tommy chuckled, reaching up to cup his cheek, kissing him back, soft and sweet.
Then he pulled away, licked his thumb, and scrubbed at the soot on Buck’s cheekbone.
“Well, last time I checked, I wasn’t dating a chimney sweep. So you’re gonna go take a shower, while I get us some food, yeah?”
Buck ducked his head, both to get away from Tommy’s thumb and hide his laugh.
“Yeah, yeah, alright- quit it,” he batted at Tommy’s hand when it tried to follow him, “Can you make it Thai? That place with the good spring rolls?”
“Sure thing, now go.”
Buck went, the warm water relaxing his sore muscles. When he finally rejoined Tommy in the kitchen, dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants, he was feeling halfway decent.
They ate on the couch, Buck’s legs thrown over Tommy’s lap as a movie played on the TV.
“I’m just saying, feels wrong to watch a Christmas movie in April,” Buck said around a mouthful of noodles, reaching over to steal some of the chicken off of Tommy’s.
“What’s wrong is that you haven’t seen one of the greatest movies of all time,” Tommy shot back, gesturing to the screen, “Emma Thompson won an award for it, was nominated for a shit ton more.”
“Mmhmm, that’s why you like it? Not Colin Firth?”
Tommy jostled Buck’s legs, “Shut up,” he laughed.
“Hey man, I’ve seen that box set of Pride and Prejudice you got, it’s obvious where your interests lie.”
It was about halfway through the movie when it happened.
The takeout containers lay scattered on the coffee table, and Buck had shifted so he was pressed up against Tommy’s side.
Tommy’s arm was resting around Buck’s shoulders, and his eyes were glued to the screen, obviously enjoying the show. The movie was good, but Buck was enjoying leaning against Tommy even more.
Something about how big he was, how easy it was to just sink into him… it was nice in a way Buck had never felt before. That coupled with the lulling sound of the rain outside was making his eyes feel heavy.
He wondered vaguely if Tommy would mind him falling asleep when he was trying to show him his favorite movie. He didn’t think so, but it still made him feel a little guilty, so he did his best to stay awake.
Then something happened that instantly chased away that tired feeling.
It was soft and low, barely able to be heard over the soundtrack. The rumbling sound of far away thunder.
He tensed minutely, eyes darting to the window. The rain that had been a gentle shower earlier was now coming down in sheets, obscuring most of the light from neighboring buildings.
Tommy didn’t notice, eyes still trained on the TV. Buck did his best to shake it off, trying to force himself to relax.
Because this was stupid. He was a grown man… he shouldn’t be scared of a little thunder.
A part of him reasoned that his fear was perfectly natural, he had been struck by lightning and died after all. But he pushed it down, forcing his breath to remain slow and steady.
Then there was another roll of thunder, this one slightly louder and closer, and he couldn’t help the way his hands clenched.
Movie forgotten, he stared at the window, waiting for that nerve wracking flash of light… hoping that it wouldn’t come.
He felt Tommy’s hand rub his shoulder, “Evan?” The older man hummed.
Buck glanced at him, seeing his eyebrows raised in a question. “Uh… sorry, I’m good,” he breathed, trying his best to smile. It felt stiff, even to him.
“You sure?” Tommy retracted his arm, and Buck’s heart sunk.
Because shit, he was messing this up. He didn’t want Tommy to think he was tense and uncomfortable because of him, he wanted him to know it was the opposite.
He was about to reach out and pull Tommy’s arm back over to him when it happened.
A blinding flash of light, illuminating the night sky into a white box in his window, and seconds later a crack of thunder so loud, he swore it rattled the dishes in his cupboard.
He jerked back, pressing into the cushions, and his breathing froze in his chest.
Suddenly his mouth was filled with a metallic taste, and the scent of ozone. His shoulders felt heavy like the weight of turnout gear. The rain outside sounded like it was right up against him, pounding into the plastic of his helmet.
He felt like he was back on that ladder.
Like he was turning his face to the sky in confusion, a strange crackling buzz in the air. Then light and pain so blinding it felt like he was being ripped apart.
Then nothing.
“Whoa, whoa, Evan,” He vaguely heard Tommy’s concerned voice, but everything felt muffled by the rain.
He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the window.
He couldn’t breath, something was in his throat, thick like a tube. Like a ventilator.
Ozone and antiseptic.
Then there was a hand on his chest, and another on the back of his neck. The one on his chest rubbed firmly, and the one on his neck squeezed.
“Evan, baby, you need to breathe.” Tommy sounded worried… Buck didn’t want him to be worried.
He finally forced himself to look away from the window, wide eyes finding Tommy.
He managed a shuddering intake, and it seemed to unlock his frozen lungs. But it was too fast, too shallow. He was back on that ventilator, and his oxygen was too low, and there was another peal of thunder.
He heard himself make a choked sound, and latched his hand around Tommy’s wrist.
“You’re ok, you’re ok,” Tommy was quick to assure him, voice a little frantic. “I got you, you’re ok, just breathe, baby.”
“Tommy…” he whispered, and it sounded desperate.
“Just look at me, focus on me, you’re ok. We’re inside, nothing bad is gonna happen.”
He nodded and did his best, eyes never leaving Tommy’s. He forced himself to take deep lungfuls of air, pressing Tommy’s hand harder against his chest.
After a while, it became easier.
“M’sorry,” he managed to say, voice unsteady, “I didn’t- it’s stupid.”
“Evan,” Tommy scolded, “It’s not stupid, you don’t have to explain.”
Buck closed his eyes and shook his head, letting it drop, breath rattling, “I didn’t… I’m ok.”
He felt a kiss pressed to the top of his hair, and the weight of Tommy’s forehead leaning against it. He rubbed his thumb along the base of Buck’s skull. “Ok.”
He let himself lean into Tommy, the weight comforting and steady.
“Sorry for interrupting the movie,” he mumbled.
Tommy snorted, “I’ve seen it like twenty times, I’m sure I’ll get over it.”
There was another flash of lightning, white hot and close, thunder crackling like a falling tree.
Buck jolted, gritting his teeth, and hissing in a breath.
“Ok, c’mere,” Tommy’s hands tugged him closer and down. Before he knew what was happening, his head was laying in Tommy’s lap.
His cheek was pressed into Tommy’s thigh, the back of his head leaning against the firm wall of his stomach. The man’s hand rested on his shoulder, while the other began running gently through his hair.
He let out a shaky sigh, pressing deeper into him, letting his eyes fall closed.
“Just relax Ev, I got you.”
Buck believed him.
Another bout of thunder broke out overhead, starting out low and getting stronger.
Before he could overthink it, he reached up to grab Tommy’s hand.
He tugged it up to his face, settling it over his ear and pressed it down, letting his own hand lay over it. With his one ear buried against Tommy’s thigh, and the other covered by his warm and sturdy palm, the thunder was incredibly muffled.
Tommy hummed a soft sound, and rubbed his thumb gently against Buck’s hairline. The noise made his chest rumble, in a way that was so much closer and safer then the thunder.
Buck melted into it.
He finally felt himself relax, and his breathing began to come easier. He turned to press the side of his face deeper into Tommy’s leg.
Tommy scratched lightly at his scalp, and Buck let out a groan of appreciation.
“Thank you,” he mumbled in his jeans, “I’m… thank you…”
Tommy didn’t respond at first. He pulled up their joined hands away from Buck’s ear, and Buck was relieved to hear that the thunder had ended for now.
He expected Tommy to pull away completely now, to help Buck sit back up, ask him if he wanted to talk about it, or worse, not say anything.
But he didn’t, he just pressed a kiss to the back of Buck’s hand, gentle, but steady, and returned his hand back over his ear.
“Don’t thank me… you don’t have to,” he felt more then heard Tommy say.
“Thank you,” he replied stubbornly, and Tommy chuckled, the movement soft.
They stayed like that, forgotten movie playing in the background, storm rolling overhead. There was more thunder, but it felt distant through Tommy’s hand. And eventually, Buck’s eyes began to grow heavy.
Before he realized what was happening, he had fallen asleep.
Later that night, after the storm had passed, Tommy would gently shake him awake. Half asleep, he would stumble up the stairs to his bed, and Tommy would crawl into it next to him.
And the next morning, they would eat breakfast together, picking up the movie where they had left off. Buck would poke fun at it, but finally admitted that he had really enjoyed it, and they would kiss over eggs and toast.
And Buck would say thank you, for everything, and Tommy would insist he didn’t need to, and the both of them would be ok.
But for now, Tommy just ran his hand through Buck’s hair and watched the rain, and Buck’s hand on his didn’t loosen, even in his sleep.
The thunder moved further away.