Chapter Text
At first, he didn’t tell Tommy because it wasn’t something Buck could just say over the phone or text. A part of him had hoped that Chim would spill the beans and that it wouldn’t be up to Buck. Then again, Chim and Hen both had their own baggage when it came to their new Captain. Captain Gerrard was every bit of a tyrant, misogynist, racist, homophobe that Hen, Chim, and Tommy had painted him out to be. Maybe he was even worse.
Bobby told them to tolerate it. He needed to clear the air with the Chief and it wouldn’t help to anger Gerrard. Grin and bear it. None of them liked the plan exactly, but Hen had a feeling that they would get targeted if they made a fuss. She was thinking about the councilwoman and had some kind of suspicion that she was involved in Gerrard’s return to the 118. They also couldn’t forget that the Chief had given them medals purely for the PR — though they were deserved. After all, they all knew that they had disobeyed orders and stolen a LAFD helicopter no matter what the outcome had been.
Buck was losing count of how often he had to just hold his tongue. The comments, the sneers, the belittlement. It was worse than Buck could have expected it. Ravi seemed to get the worst of it. Extra cleaning and menial tasks on top of all the racist remarks. Forget trying to step up and help him, because Gerrard didn’t like that either. He didn’t like a lot of things, like his exact orders not being followed. Or anyone that dared to question any of his decisions. He even huffed about it when he did turn out to be wrong.
After those first few shifts, Buck just didn’t say anything because he and Tommy had opposing schedules and what little time they had together couldn’t be spent discussing Gerrard. Buck wanted to kiss his boyfriend in peace and not think about the mess that was work.
Then, when they did finally have time off together, Buck was so exhausted both physically and mentally that he wanted nothing more than to just be cuddled by his boyfriend. He excused it, because Tommy didn’t ask about work.
Buck didn’t know how Tommy hadn’t heard. Maybe Air Operations got their gossip a bit late.
They all wrote letters of complaint. Hen documented every instance of Gerrard’s movements. Any bad decision out on a call was written down. Every time he talked down to them and used a slur. Every time he bullied any of them.
The weird part was when he tried to be friendly. He started with Eddie. Maybe because Eddie was white passing and because Eddie was straight. Eddie was surprisingly good at not rocking the boat, though Buck should have known that. Eddie never agreed with him, was stony faced whenever Gerrard tried to joke with him in a way that put down everyone else. A few times, Buck heard Eddie say something back, but he wasn’t in any place to fight anyone’s battles.
Buck had to ball up his fists and press his nails into the palms of his hands as a reminder that this man did have power over him and also the ear of the Chief apparently. Bobby wasn’t getting anywhere no matter who he talked to.
Buck didn’t know how Tommy found out. Maybe the gossip finally reached him, or Chim finally told him. Maybe Eddie mentioned it at basketball.
It was right after Buck got home from a twenty four hour that had felt more like a forty eight. He hadn’t been there long, when a knock came. He opened the door to find Tommy there, looking a little exasperated. Buck couldn’t even remember making plans with him.
“Why didn’t you say something?” Tommy asked.
“About—”
“Evan,” Tommy said and he said it in that way of his that made his name mean more.
“You’re talking about Gerrard,” Buck said and he hung his head. “I didn’t mean to not tell you.”
Tommy sighed. He didn’t look upset as much as annoyed. Buck hated it. He motioned him inside.
“He’s awful. More than awful. Despicable,” Buck said.
“How did this even happen?” Tommy asked, gentler.
Wordlessly, Buck went to his fridge and pulled out two beers. His usual choice and the ones he stocked up on just for Tommy.
“Bobby was planning on retiring early. He quit before the fire. Changed his mind, but Gerrard had already talked his way into Bobby’s job. It doesn’t help that we had that audit from Internal Affairs and the Chief knows what really happened when we rescued Bobby and Athena. Hen thinks Councilwoman Ortiz is involved. It’s been awful.”
“Oh, Evan,” Tommy said.
When he found himself in Tommy’s arms, Buck just deflated. He fell into him and knew his boyfriend would catch him and hold him. He may not be able to fix it, but he would certainly do his best to at least comfort Buck.
“He just…he makes all kinds of comments and he’s changed practically everything. Bobby told us to just not let it get to us. Hen’s been documenting everything. Eddie’s depressed without Christopher. Chim is just about as done as I am. We’re surviving, but work kind of sucks right now.”
Tommy hugged him harder.
“I’m still a little mad at you,” Tommy said, when he finally let him go. “You should have told me. I hate…I hate to think you were suffering and I didn’t know.”
“I didn’t…I know what he did to you, Tommy. I didn’t want to bring any of that back.”
Tommy gave him a look, but Buck had seen first hand how Gerrard still affected Tommy. He didn’t want to see that again, not after experiencing Gerrard for himself.
“Messing with me is one thing. You…well that’s another,” Tommy said and he walked around the island. “Hen and Chim don’t deserve this either. I’m going to shake some trees, alright? The 118 got rid of him once, it can be done a second time. That man shouldn’t even be working for LAFD anymore.”
“Bobby’s been trying from the moment we found out he was taking over,” Buck said. “We’ve all been complaining daily.”
Tommy made a humming noise. “Then that just means they have to see his behavior first hand. And not by the Chief.”
Buck was too tired for conspiring to get rid of his boss when he didn’t fully expect things to work. After getting called a fairy and weak, and after the day Gerrard said people like him were abominations, Buck was exhausted.
“What are you going to do?”
Tommy smiled at him, slid a hand to his cheek. “I have a few people to call up. Not tonight. Tonight, I take care of you.”
“Tomorrow world domination?” Buck asked.
Tommy leaned forward, pressing their lips together into a quick kiss, thumb rubbing gently on Buck’s cheek.
“Tomorrow I call in some favors,” Tommy said when their kiss ended. “Right now, I’m calling for dinner.”
Buck laughed. He kissed him again, drawing him in deeper. He was falling for him, falling deep. It wasn’t scary, which was maybe scary in and of itself. When they pulled apart, Tommy pointed upstairs.
“Go get changed. I’ll order us a pizza. We can watch one of your documentaries.”
Buck kissed him again. This time short, almost just a peck. He stared at Tommy for a beat too long before he turned to head upstairs. His boyfriend was amazing. Gorgeous. Kind. Understanding.
Later, when they were cuddling on the couch, a pizza box on the coffee table and their beer bottles discarded empty next to the box, Buck thought that maybe it didn’t matter much about Gerrard, not when Buck had Tommy. He brought up one of Tommy’s hands so he could place a kiss on it. Tommy kissed his shoulder. Neither of them said a word, the silence filled instead with the narrator of the nature documentary they’d put on.