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“Hey, Uncle Butt! Why don’t you come join us at the swingset?”
Buck narrowed his eyes at Tommy who was standing next to him, snorting because of Maddie’s words. He nudged his boyfriend’s arm with his elbow before calling out to Maddie who had just helped Jee-Yun use the tiny slide on the playground. “On my way!”
He jogged over to where Maddie was holding Jee-Yun in her arms. The tiny girl stretched out her arms, calling out for her uncle, and Buck immediately grabbed her. The young firefighter whirled his adorable niece around, spinning in circles. Jee-Yun laughed at the top of her lungs, her dark hair flying in the wind. With her reddened cheeks and her eyes sparkling, she looked like happiness impersonated. Buck really loved her with all his heart. When they stopped spinning, Jee-Yun wrapped both of her arms around Buck’s neck, giggling. “Again! Again again, uncle Buck!” Buck’s niece called out, really loudly right next to his ear.
“Admit it, you’re really glad she finally learned how to say your name properly,” Maddie said, grinning widely while she watched her brother interact with her daughter. Buck huffed out a fit of laughter and nodded. “Yeah. At first, it was cute how she called me uncle Butt, but I definitely prefer my real name.” Jee-Yun giggled, raised both of her chubby hands and slapped them on Buck’s cheeks again and again and again. “Uncle Butt! Uncle Butt!” Buck grinned and puffed up his cheeks before Maddie stepped closer. “Hey now, don’t hurt your uncle,” she scolded gently which made Jee-Yun pout a little. “I’m sorry,” she said, immediately apologetic, and Buck felt his heart melt. “It’s okay, don’t worry. Just be a little more careful next time, yes?” he said and the adorable smile appeared back on her tiny face. “Okay! Love you, uncle Buck!” She hugged his neck again, pressing her cheek against his and Buck held her very close. “I love you too, Jee,” he breathed because feeling loved unconditionally by this tiny human might be the best feeling in the whole wide world. Together with being allowed to date the most amazing man in existence, of course.
“Can we swing together? Please?” Jee-Yun asked a moment later and how could Buck say no to those sweet dark eyes? “Of course,” he sighed and Jee squealed happily, wriggling around in his arms. A moment later, her gaze wandered past Buck’s face and she suddenly looked a bit shy. “Tommy too?” the small girl asked very quietly and Buck felt his heart do a little happy flip at the fact that his niece wanted to spend time with Tommy as well. He beamed at her and nodded. “Yes! Let’s ask him!”
Carrying Jee-Yun, Buck walked back to his boyfriend who had been standing next to the sandbox with his hands in the pockets of his jeans shorts, watching them. He smiled beautifully when Buck stepped closer. “Jee-Yun here wanted to ask if you’d like to join us on the swingset,” Buck said, really gently nudging Jee-Yun a little. “Right, Jee?” Jee-Yun looked up at Tommy really shyly, but she nodded. Tommy’s smile got even brighter, with the skin around his eyes crinkling and his dimples showing. And Buck felt weak in the knees again immediately. “I would love to join you on the swings,” Tommy answered and Buck really wanted to kiss him right then and there because of the way his answer made Jee smile again immediately.
The sand was crunching under their shoes when they walked over to the swing sets a moment later. “I wanna swing with uncle Buck,” Jee-Yun exclaimed, pointing at one of the swings. “Can Tommy push?” Buck grinned. “Yes, he is very strong,” he said before looking at his boyfriend who grinned too, eyes sparkling with amusement. While Maddie was walking over to one of the benches that were standing next to the sandbox to take a seat and watch, Buck sat down in one of the swings with Jee in his lap.
“Hold on to uncle Buck,” Jee said in a sing-song voice, wrapping her arms around his neck again. “Yes, hold on very tightly. I will hold you too,” Buck agreed, nodding, and he wrapped one of his arms around Jee’s tiny body while grabbing one of the swing’s chains with his free hand. “Ready for takeoff!” Buck then exclaimed. Jee giggled. “Ready for takeoff!” she parrotted and Buck felt his heart flutter when he heard his hot pilot laugh. “Permission for takeoff granted,” Tommy answered and then, Buck felt his boyfriend’s strong hands grab them to give them a first push. Of course, Tommy was gentle and careful and didn’t push them too much - there was a little girl in Buck’s arms, after all.
They were on the swingset for quite a while. After some time, Jee asked Tommy to sit down in the empty swing next to theirs and Buck fell in love with him even more when he did so without hesitating for a second. It was ridiculous to think, really, but Tommy was the perfect partner. The perfect man. He was confident yet gentle, considerate yet secure in what he was doing and who he was, he was funny and smart, family-oriented and an absolute badass at his job. And the best thing was - he wanted to be with Buck of all people. Because to top it all off, Tommy was absolutely, drop-dead gorgeous in such a muscly, manly way while being incredibly sweet and caring at the same time, and Buck was sure that he could have any man he wanted. Evan Buckley was the man he had chosen to date, though. To call his boyfriend. And even though Buck still wondered why this amazing man wanted him of all people, he really couldn’t be happier about it. Because Tommy made him happy like he’d never been before in his life.
So when after swinging together, Buck witnessed Jee grabbing Tommy’s huge hand, asking him to help her climb the slide again shyly, he felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. Of course, his boyfriend immediately agreed to help her and, holding her tiny hand, he walked over to the slide where he helped Buck’s adorable niece climb it.
“He’s a keeper,” Maddie said, stepping next to Buck and Buck nodded, not able to avert his eyes from his boyfriend playing with his niece. “He definitely is,” the young firefighter answered, sounding quite breathless to his own ears.
Before he could think more about the fact that he’d never felt this strongly about anyone, Tommy and Jee suddenly called out for him. Jee was sitting on Tommy’s shoulder, one of her arms wrapped around his head while Tommy held her, making sure she was safe.
“Uncle Buck! Come play with us!” They both called out in unison and Buck chuckled before he ran over to them. It seemed that his niece had warmed up to Tommy in a really short amount of time and Buck absolutely loved to see it.
For almost two more hours, they played with Jee-Yun. After Jee used the slide a few more times, they all sat down in the sand pit together, building a sand castle. It was when Jee started yawning, leaning against Buck’s legs, that they decided that this was enough playing. Maddie gently grabbed her obviously tired daughter while Tommy and Buck got back to their feet, brushing the sand off their legs.
“Say bye to uncle Buck and uncle Tommy, we’re going home now,” Maddie said softly. Jee, who was half-asleep in her mother’s arms already, looked up at the two men and sent them an adorable, sleepy smile. “Bye uncle Buck, bye uncle Tommy. Love you.” She waved at them.
Buck noticed the surprised expression that appeared on Tommy’s face that morphed into a bright smile just a second later. “Love you too, Jee,” he answered in the softest voice possible. Buck wanted to grab and kiss him stupid, but before that, he needed to say bye to his niece as well. He stepped closer to Maddie and pressed a gentle kiss to Jee-Yun’s forehead which made her giggle again so adorably. “See you soon, Jee. I love you very much,” he whispered. With a soft expression, Buck watched Jee yawn again before she buried her face in the crook of Maddie’s neck. Maddie smiled at the both of them, warmth in her eyes, and a moment later, she had left the playground to carry Jee back to her car.
A large, strong and warm hand grabbed his own and Buck looked up at his slightly taller boyfriend. Tommy was watching him, expression so gentle Buck felt weak in the knees. “I love you,” Tommy’s deep voice then spoke, and the world seemed to stop around them. It was like Buck’s brain failed to catch up with what the other man had just told him and so, he just stared at Tommy, eyes widened, mouth slightly open.
“Seeing you with Jee-Yun like this, you are so incredibly beautiful, all smiley and happy, Evan,” Tommy kept on telling him. His hand was still holding Buck’s, grounding him, while Buck’s heart was thrumming away in his chest. Thump thump thump thump. “During the past months, our dates, meeting your family and getting to know you better and better, I just couldn’t help but fall for you. And I fell hard, Evan. I need you to know that I am in love with you.”
Buck inhaled deeply, shakingly, and he felt tears shimmer in the corners of his eyes. He had no idea what he had done in this or past lives to deserve this - to be loved by the most amazing man he had ever met - but he was willing to just embrace the happiness that made his chest feel so warm, his heart so full.
“You don’t have to say it back, I-” Tommy started speaking again, but Buck quickly shook his head. He leaned in to brush a soft kiss to Tommy’s lips and then beamed at him, all the emotions in his body now visible on his face, bright blue eyes shimmering with tears, happiness, love and excitement. Excitement for the future. Their future. Together. “I love you too!” he answered, and Buck laughed and cried at the same time when Tommy grabbed his face with both of his hands to kiss him deeply, right then and there, in the sand pit of a playground.
Evan Buckley had found true, real love in a badass pilot, and he would never let Tommy Kinard - the love of his life - go ever again.