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Tommy held his breath as he waited to be assisted.
When it was his turn he approached the counter and the man across from him — short and balding, with that cliche salesman’s smile — reached out to shake his hand. “Mr. Kinard, I assume this means you’ve made your decision?”
Tommy swallowed, and his heart skipped a beat; he nodded. “I have.”
Now, he is sitting at his dining room table, staring at the velvet bag that’s holding the velvet ring box that’s holding the — haggled down to a decent price (then turned around and made more pricey by getting it engraved, but it was 100% worth it), perfect fit because Maddie is a lifesaver and managed to get Evan sized without him catching on — silver band. Eddie sits across from him also staring at the bag. “Ok… so now what?” He asks.
Tommy swallows. “Wh- What do you mean?”
“Well, now you have the ring,” Eddie clarifies, gesturing towards the bag. “So when are you doing this?”
“I—” Tommy feels his palms getting sweaty, and his heart rate picking up. He rubs a hand over his face, and gives a one shoulder shrug. “I don’t know.”
“Come on,” Eddie laughs. “You have to have some kind of idea about how you’re going to ask him.”
“I really don’t…” Tommy stands up. He needs to move around, the room suddenly feels too small. “It’s not like I can just ask him to marry me.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do,” Eddie deadpans. Tommy glares at him. He throws his hands up and laughs; “I’m just saying, it’s Buck… come on. You could literally start the conversation with, ‘what are you doing later, we should go get hitched’, and he would be as over the moon as if you had it written out in the sky.”
“Hmm,” Tommy hums; wonders if he’s too rusty flying planes for a stunt of that level. He most definitely is, he mentally admits; it has been a while since he’s flown a plane as opposed to the helicopters at Harbor. He groans. It shouldn’t be this complicated. “It’s just— it needs to be perfect; Evan— he deserves something amazing… something as unique… as he is.”
Eddie’s face goes soft. He pushes up from the table and walks over to Tommy, clapping a hand down on his shoulder. “Man, I can’t tell you how grateful I am that he found someone who cares so much about him. I’m sure you will think of something, and it will absolutely blow him away.”
Tommy knows how much Evan means to Eddie; how much he means to the 118 and his family.
And it just clicks.
“I think I may have just figured it out.”
Thirty minutes later Eddie has Hen and Howie on FaceTime as Tommy explains that he wants them all to help in the proposal; after they come down from their excitement, of course (and Hen informs Howie he owes her $20 because she had known Tommy’s behavior had shifted into ‘I’m about to pop the question’ territory, of course… ). “Wait, shouldn't we call Bobby too?” Hen asks.
“No,” Tommy replies. “I actually— I already have plans to talk with him and Athena.”
“Ahh, keeping it traditional with the parents blessing I see,” Howie teases, Tommy rolls his eyes. It’s true though, he would love Bobby’s blessing on marrying Evan. He’s fairly certain he already has it, but to hear it would be nice. “And how about the actual Buckley parents?”
Tommy pulls a face, but admits he has already made plans to talk with them as well; however their approval (or disapproval, which if that is what he gets… he doesn’t fully care) isn’t the one that matters. Evan has made it more than clear he thinks more of Bobby as his parent than either of his actual parents.
“Alright,” Eddie says; he seems excited. “Well if all the technicalities are out of the way, I’ll ask again… now what?” Tommy furrows his brow. He has gotten this far — to incorporate Evan’s family into the proposal — but how they should do this is still a mystery.
“Oh I know that face,” Howie exclaims, his own face lighting up. “That’s Hen’s idea face.”
Tommy and Eddie lean in towards the phone. Hen purses her lips into a tight smile. “Well first… we’re gonna need a clipboard.”
~~~
Tommy takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. “Be right there,” he hears Harry call from the other side. The door pulls open; “Oh… Hey Tommy. Is Buck with you,” Harry asks, straining his neck to see around him.
He laughs; shakes his head. “Nah it’s just me.”
“Tommy?” Athena says, confused joining Harry in the doorway.
“Everything is fine,” Tommy says to ease the worry lines already creasing Athena’s forehead. “I just— uhm…” and suddenly the nerves are fully kicking in. Dammit . “I- I- I wanted to talk to Bobby and— and you too… about something.”
Athena stares. She stares so long — with this squint to her eye, and the faintest hint of a smile on her lips — Tommy thinks he might actually pass out from the anticipation. “Harry, go get Bobby,” she finally says, and beckons Tommy inside.
They walk out onto the back patio, Athena offering him a drink but he declines; for no other reason than he can feel how his hands are jittering, and he would likely spill it. He needs to relax. He can’t relax. Bobby joins them outside.
“Hey Tommy,” he says, stopping next to Athena and snaking an arm around her waist. “Everything ok?”
Tommy swallows. “Yeah. Everything is — well it’s amazing actually,” he says, rubbing the sweat on his palms off onto his jeans. “Which is why I wanted to come… and talk to you two… about something I am ready to do… be- because everything is so amazing…” He’s really bad at this; he needs to calm down.
Bobby blinks, his brows knitting together despite the sitting smile on his face. “Tommy,” he says. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say this sounds an awful lot like the lead up to a proposal conversation.”
Tommy’s heart skips a beat, his breath falters, he’s pretty sure his face changes shades a few times. “Well…” he manages when he finds his voice.
“And you came to us for…?”
“You mean the world to him, Bobby,” Tommy says, to which Bobby straightens up, his look more sincere yet more serious. “You two are like the parents he always wanted. Your approval of him… of me and him… of us taking this next step. It means a lot. It would mean a lot… to— to me.”
Athena smiles; gives Bobby a look that has him smiling as well. “I told you I could hear the bells ringing already,” she says.
~~~
It's been a long day (it’s not even noon) and Tommy is in the closet.
Literally.
He’s in the towel closet hiding while Evan gets ready just on the other side of the door.
He was supposed to wait in the guest room, but then he had to pee— because of course he had to pee… which required him to untuck his shirt and peel off his nice jacket. (It’s been a while since he got dressed up in something that wasn’t a work uniform, and he has bulked up since then… it is a little tight. He is aware he should have tried it on earlier then he could have bought something… that’s irrelevant now.) It took him far too long to get put back together and he was just about to sneak back into the room when he heard the front door open.
Shitshitshit… he thought as he backed back into the bathroom gently closing the door behind him.
It’s fine. It’s fine. It’s— he heard Evan’s grumbling getting closer. He heard him say he’ll get dressed in the bathroom. He was uncomfortably crammed into the closet just as Evan opened the bathroom door.
It’s fine.
It’s… fine...
As long as he doesn’t need a towel… Tommy holds his breath. His back is pressed against shelves and the door knob is digging into his hip. He thinks this may be the most claustrophobic he has ever felt in his entire life… and he was trapped in a closet for years.
How long does it take to put on clothes , Tommy thinks miserably.
“Shit!” Evan all but screams, and it is a wonder Tommy’s sudden jolt didn’t take the door down. “ Shitshitshit I’m gonna be late!”
The bathroom door opens and he hears heavy footsteps rush out. He cracks the closet door, peeks out. All clear. Thank god. He fully exhales at last and creeps out of the closet; out of the bathroom; makes panicked eye contact with Howie as he creeps across the hall with Evan standing just feet away.
He gets into the guest room and practically collapses onto the bed. It makes a soft screech as the springs are compressed beneath him and he tenses up, listening for signs Evan might have heard him. You’re the one who wanted to make it unique, Kinard… he thinks.
He hears a knock at the front door. That should be Hen. Tommy sits up and listens to the quick conversation; pushes to his feet when he hears Hen leave, knowing Evan is now with her. Now they are on a time crunch. He walks out into the foyer where Maddie and Howie are waiting. They all let out a group sigh.
“You ready?” Howie asks. He reaches up and straightens Tommy’s tie where his little escapade has it lopsided. It’s comforting, in a way; it feels brotherly. He supposes they will be, soon ( hopefully , Evan could say no… Tommy doesn’t really believe he will though).
“Of course,” Tommy replies, with as confident a smile as his nerves will allow. He is ready. He really is. Maybe more ready for this than he has been for anything in his entire life.
Howie smiles; nods. “You got the ring?”
“Right here.” Tommy pats his jacket pocket. He can feel the box safe inside.
“Is the ring in it?” Howie asks, and his face is now extremely serious.
“Uhh… yeah,” Tommy laughs. “It should be.”
“Have you checked… ”
Tommy blinks, but Howie’s (and Maddie’s for that matter — he feels like he is missing something) eyes are fixed on the pocket the box is in. Tommy reaches in and pulls out the box, then pulls out the ring and holds it up so they both can see it.
Maddie leans in so she can read the words engraved across the band again, eyes going soft as she smiles. “This is so amazing, I can’t wait!”
Howie pats Tommy’s back, big smile as well as he gestures to the door. “Let’s go get you engaged.”
~~~
Evan is standing in the middle of the station, his back turned to the opened engine door. It’s not too difficult to get everyone in place with the sounds that just come with working in a firehouse.
Evan thanks Bobby; Bobby hands him the clipboard. He has only a moment to fall to one knee as Evan reads over the signatures from his family; as he reads the little post it note. He thinks he really owes Hen a fancy dinner and a million thanks for this brilliant idea.
Evan turns.
He laughs.
Tommy can’t help but laugh back, because it’s finally happening— it’s finally happening — and he has absolutely no idea what to say.
“ Evan ,” he goes with. “I spent so much time trying to think of some perfect speech for this moment, and I just couldn’t find the right words to express to you how much you’ve changed my life; how happy you've made me. I want to spend forever with you… Will you marry me?”
It feels like time is standing still as he waits. Evan’s eyes look like they are shining from the tears in them — which is a good thing, right?
“Come on Buckaroo,” Howie finally says. “You can’t just leave him hanging like this!”
“O- oh- Yes!”
The station erupts into laughter. Tommy lifts off the floor and walks over to Evan, pulling him into his arms. Evan slips a hand behind Tommy’s neck and presses their lips together.
Tommy lifts up the ring box, pulls out the band and Evan holds out his left hand. The ring slips on like a glove, and Evan stares at it in awe; a soft gasp escaping when he reads the engraving.
True loves link from your heart to mine.