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Ravi knew that the second he heard wind of Eddie leaving the 118— again— that he was screwed, but when those whispers around the firehouse were paired with the fact that he was actually leaving the state, Ravi knew that he was absolutely and undoubtedly fucked.
It's not that he doesn't love working with the A shift— though he will miss the entertainment Julie Rosen brings with her poker night and concerning chaotic stories involving her dating life now that they're on opposing shifts— it's more of the fact that once again he's going to be paired up with Buck.
Now Ravi doesn't hate the guy, he really doesn't, but speaking from experience when Eddie isn't within shoulder bumping distance from Buck it seems like Ravi gets the shit-end of the stick. Hell, he still can't hear the sound of a chainsaw roaring without getting startled. So, if he wasn't jumping for joy at becoming victim to Buck's post-breakup crash out then sue him.
The thing is that none of the hell Ravi anticipated actually broke loose.
Buck was different this time around, he wasn't as extremely erratic as he was last time— he wasn't even his normal amount of erratic for that matter. His shoulders were always slumped, he was quieter in the cabin of the truck on the way to and back from calls, and there was a permanent frown etched on his face.
Buck was quite literally starting to remind Ravi of a puppy who had been abandoned by its owner, and it really made him feel bad over the whole situation. It’s worse when Buck talks about his routine FaceTime calls he has with Eddie and Christopher, Ravi can't even begin to imagine how hard it must be to pretend you're okay for the sake of your kid when you're so devastated over the separation from your partner.
Buck has just seemed so alone these weeks, and Ravi fears that he might not have many friends— or any at all— outside of the 118, so that's when Ravi on his own accord decides that he has to help Buck cheer up from his breakup with Eddie and hopefully find him some friends that aren't related to or work with him.
"Hey, I was thinking we should go out tonight," Ravi prompts when he and Buck are the only ones left in the locker room at the end of their shift.
Buck pauses and takes a quick glance around the room only to find that Ravi was in fact talking to him. "Uh, we ?" He then questions in response as he shuts the door to his locker and slings his duffel over his shoulder.
Ravi nods eagerly with a bright smile. "Yeah, you and me. Drinks at Molly's at eight?" There's a wary look painted across Buck's features and he opens his mouth probably to decline but Ravi cuts him off before he gets the chance to. "Look, I'll even pay so all you have to do is show up." Ravi knows he might regret that offer later considering the stories he's heard of exactly how much Buck can drink in one night, but he's really just trying to help a friend move on from a breakup.
Buck purses his lips and tilts his head to the side in a beat of silence while he ponders over the offer. "You know what, why the hell not?" Ravi feels a sense of both pride and relief as Buck agrees to his invitation. "It's on your dime, I'll be there." He gives a warm generous smile as he goes to leave the room, patting Ravi on the shoulder as he passes by him.
Phase one of cheering up post-breakup Buck is complete.
***
Even though Ravi does manage to get to the bar a little earlier than planned, he doesn't get lucky enough to beat the crowd and ends up with a secluded little booth in the corner of the bar. Not exactly the best seating arrangement for trying to find Buck some new friends, but it is better than nothing he guesses.
Buck, however, runs late. Thankfully he's considerate enough to text Ravi that he would be and was now only a few minutes away. That gave Ravi more than enough time to order their first round of shots and have them back at the table by the time Buck finally does arrive.
"Sorry, Eddie and Chris wanted to FaceTime and I lost track of time there and then my first Uber canceled on me. It's just been a night." Buck's apology is more than sincere as he slides into the opposite side of the booth from where Ravi sits.
Ravi shakes his head and waves him off, "Yeah, no, it's good. Don't worry about it," he means it wholeheartedly, even if Buck was late Ravi would prefer that over him bailing altogether. "I hope tequila is alright?" He then nods to the small circle of shot glasses sitting between them in the middle of the table.
Buck lets out a relieving sigh and half-smiles. "More than." The two of them proceed to do a quick little cheers before tossing back their first shots of the night.
Even though the bar is buzzing with all kinds of different chatter and music swirling around the room, the silence between Buck and Ravi is practically deafening. They haven't exactly been out together before, sure they've had their little 118 gatherings but it's never just been the two of them, and Ravi is now understanding just how awkward this kind of is.
He doesn't know what to say exactly. He can't ask how Buck is because he knows how Buck is. Spending 24-48 hour shifts with him numerous times a week shows Ravi how Buck is doing.
And he sure as hell isn't going to ask about Buck's dating life considering it would be too delicate of a subject. How long do you need until you need to mourn a relationship with the father of your kid when both of them are hundreds of miles away now anyway? Ravi doesn't know and he isn't going to ask.
Thankfully, Buck manages to speak up before Ravi can spiral further about what the exact protocol here is. "So, anything new in your life?" It's a simple question that will surely open the door for more comfort between them.
"Been thinking about buying a new car, so nothing too exciting." Ravi shrugs as he reaches for another shot with Buck following suit.
"Any specific kind?" Buck questions before downing the tequila.
Ravi sucks on the lime garnish as he shakes his head. "Well, I'm not putting out for a Lambo if that's what you're asking," he lets out a small chuckle while an amused exhale comes from Buck, "No, just something tamer, not as flashy, and won't have me taking it in to a shop every other week like my current one does."
"And I'll cheers to that," Buck says, grabbing onto another glass and raising it towards Ravi as he grabs onto his own before they both simultaneously down the alcohol.
There's another beat of silence between them, and Ravi cannot help but take notice of the way there's a certain tension in Buck's shoulders and how he pokes at the wedge of lime sitting on the rim of a glass. He knows that this is going absolutely poorly and he's failing tremendously at trying to cheer up Buck.
The thing is that Ravi doesn't know if he's doing this entirely for Buck or if he's doing it a little bit for himself because the kicked puppy routine is kind of depressing.
Either way, he needs this initial awkwardness to shift and fast.
So, Ravi does the one thing he knows could lift Buck's mood even in the slightest bit. "Did you know that there's a species of crab called the vampire crab and some of their shells are like an ombré of pink, purple, and blue?" Ravi smiles brightly, hoping Buck connects the dots here on the implications of why he would even bring that up in the first place.
There's an odd look on Buck's face, one that is both apologetic and slightly uncomfortable. "You know, maybe I should just go," the words have Ravi's stomach sinking, "Sorry, I thought I'd give this a try but I really don't feel comfortable with this being a date and all." Sympathy fills his words and he begins to scoot out of the booth.
"Wait, wait. Date?" Ravi questions a little louder than intended as he bites back a laugh which stops Buck in his movements, "Buck, this isn't a date." He states firmly even with an amused smile resting on his lips.
Buck looks back at him a little perplexed. "It's not?" Ravi shakes his head in response as Buck moves back to his original seating position. "Wait, but you invited me, just me, out with your intent to pay and got us a secluded table practically away from everything possibly distracting," Ravi has to rub at his temples at the misunderstanding of this actually being a date.
“When I got here all the good tables were taken. It was this or sit at the bar!” Ravi defends, and he’s been to this place enough times to know how much the bar seats are uncomfortable. “And as for me paying, that’s what good friends do, I’m trying to be a good friend here not trying to get in your pants!” Ravi has to hold back the urge to shudder at the thought of it. He really doesn’t need to kick Buck when he’s already down.
"You used bisexual crabs as a flirting tactic!" Buck half-shouts, still as bewildered as ever.
"Oh my go— It was a fun fact, Buck. You’re like the human vault of fun facts!" Ravi really is trying to hold in his laughter at this point. He knew that Buck could be clueless at times, but this— this takes it to a whole new level. "No offense, but you are really not my type, Buck." He lets out a light chuckle to soften the blow of the truth. Ravi actually has standards and is smart enough to not get in the middle of Buck and Eddie’s freakshow.
Buck leans back in his seat. The previous tension in his shoulders now diminished and for the first time tonight he looks relaxed. "You know what, I’ve never been more relieved to hear someone tell me that."
The two take a quick moment to down another one of their shots to ease away the misunderstanding.
"So, why take just me out? Why not invite everyone else?" Buck questions, genuinely curious about Ravi's intentions if not a date.
Ravi sighs and shrugs, "I just wanted to make sure you were getting out of the house, man. Breakups are hard and I wanted to cheer you up a bit. Y'know, have a guy's night with someone who isn't your boss or the father of your niece." Buck tilts his head to the side and nods his head, completely understanding where Ravi is coming from on that front.
"Oh, well, look I-uh. I appreciate the sentiment and all but Tommy broke up with me months ago. He's not exactly weighing on my mind these days." The small chuckle Buck lets out following his words are partially fueled by the tequila and the fact that Eddie really has been all that's on Buck's mind as of late.
Still, Ravi looks back at him in complete bafflement because who the actual hell is Tommy? He tries to rack his brain for any sort of memory involving a Tommy or even Buck and a Tommy but he comes up with nothing. It's not even the fact that he has a handful of tequila shots making his mind a little fuzzy either. No, Ravi is absolutely and positively sure that he has never met or even heard in passing anything about a Tommy.
"I was talking about Eddie…" Ravi speaks slowly, maybe tequila has a strong effect on Buck and that's why he thinks he dated a guy named Tommy?
But no, Buck seems fairly sane and coherent when he responds in bewilderment. "Eddie? Eddie and I didn't breakup— we were never even dating!" He lets out a nervous sounding laugh, something that is meant to ease the confusion stirring between them but it only pulls Ravi deeper into it.
Ravi feels as if his whole world has been flipped upside-down. There's possibly no way that they weren't ever a thing. It doesn't make sense unless it was a secret relationship sort of deal that only Ravi ever picked up on?
"Wait, you actually thought Eddie and I were dating?" Buck questions like it is the most insane thing in the world.
Ravi looks back at him as if he's a deer caught in headlights. "Not exactly , no." He states weakly as he begins to sink in his seat.
"What exactly did you think then?" Buck imitates Ravi's voice as he raises an eyebrow at him so high that he swears the top of his birthmark may disappear into his hairline.
There's a moment where Ravi contemplates on running out of the bar as quickly as he can just to avoid revealing what he actually thought. Buck has the same look in his eyes he did when he chased Ravi around the firehouse with a chainsaw, and it has Ravi frozen in his seat.
"I—uh, I thought you guys were married at some point, then got divorced, and were having this whole second chance romance type of situation before Eddie moved and you guys decided to breakup because it was easier than doing a long-distance relationship." He speaks as fast as he can and finishes off his explanation with a weak yet nervous smile.
Buck goes silent for a few moments, his mouth falling agape, and Ravi takes the opportunity of silence to down another shot.
The tequila gives Ravi a little confidence boost to say his next words. "You're actually telling me there has been nothing there at all? Ever ?" It truly is hard for him to actually believe that.
Buck shakes his head. "Wha— No. No, me and Eddie, we're just friends. Always have been." Maybe it's the alcohol getting to him, but it sounds like Buck is trying to convince more himself than Ravi.
Letting out a small snicker, Ravi rolls his eyes. "Okay, not to like undermine your friendship with Eddie or whatever, but it doesn't seem that way." Buck looks back at him with confusion and Ravi really cannot believe he needs to spell it out. "You guys are obsessed with each other! You're scarily codependent, and you guys are raising a kid together, aren't you? None of that particularly screams completely platonic best friends and that's just the surface-level stuff." He looks at Buck expectantly, trying to force him to see what he sees.
Buck only stares at the table though. His eyes are transfixed on the grooves of the wood as his mind most likely goes a mile a minute. Ravi can finally see the cogs turning in Buck's brain and then—
"Holy sh—" Buck cuts himself off, and looks up at Ravi with a newfound glow in his eyes, "I have to go." Before Ravi is able to say anything, Buck slides out of the booth and hurriedly makes his way out of the bar.
With nothing else to do, and his head still confused with the bomb of Buck and Eddie never dating being dropped on him, Ravi tosses back the rest of the shots and goes to pay his tab.
That night he lays in bed wide awake trying to wrap his head around how in the world those two have never been romantically involved.
***
Some odd months later things had started to look up again when Eddie and Christopher had made their grand return from Texas and had settled back into their lives in Los Angeles. Buck was once again his normal amount of erratic and the abandoned puppy looked has been nowhere in sight on his face.
Ravi pulls into the firehouse backlot; he had been offered a permanent spot on A shift– despite Julie Rosen’s grievance with it– which he had happily taken. Turning off the engine of his newer car he glances over to his right only to have to do a double-take.
Parked next to him is Buck’s jeep, and with the non-tinted windows he gets a full view of the backseat. More specifically he gets a full view of Eddie straddling Buck in the back seat as they both practically devour each other.
Ravi decides then and there that he needs a long vacation.