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Locking her car, Athena walked up to the front door and slotted her key in. She felt dead on her feet, having just endured a shift from hell, her superiors feeling bad for her let her go early and she couldn’t be happier. All she wanted to do was get a glass of water and head to bed.
As she made her way to the kitchen, she heard rummaging around and a door closing upstairs, but it didn't make her reach for her gun anymore because she knows it’s just Buck.
After Eddie moving back to LA meant Buck had to find a new place to live, Athena offered him her guest room until he could find a place of his own, and admittedly, it was nice. She liked having Buck around, just having someone who reminded her so much of Bobby was something she didn’t know she needed, plus Bobby did a great job at passing his cooking skills onto the kid.
His presence put her at ease when she was having a bad night, even if his info dumping could get a little annoying, she was happy for the distraction when she was missing her husband.
Getting a glass out and filling it with water, she could now hear careful footsteps descending the stairs, not thinking anything of it, she pulled out her phone to read her messages.
A figure stopped right behind her, she could sense them and she knew it wasn’t Buck or an intruder, the security system would have picked up a problem if so. It sounded like said figure was slowly backing away, so she put her glass and phone on the counter and stood up straight.
“You think you could sneak past me and I wouldn’t notice?” And as she turned around, she was met with a wide eyed Tommy in nothing but his boxers.
“Tommy?!” She squawks, not expecting to be faced with Buck’s apparent ex-boyfriend.
“Uh, um, nice to see you again, Sergeant.” He slowly starts to back away again, like he wasn’t just caught in a police sergeant’s how half naked.
“Considering how much I see of you, I think ‘Athena’ will work just fine.” She teased, a hint of amusement in her tone having gotten over her initial shock.
Tommy coughed out an awkward laugh and moved his hands to cover his lower half, out of decency if anything, “I was just getting Evan a glass of water,” he smiled, but as soon as it appeared it was gone in realisation, “if that’s okay with you?”
Athena laughed, “Yes, of course,” she waved to the cupboard, “glasses are in there, help yourself, I’m going to bed.”
Tommy moved quickly, nodding, “Thank you.”
Athena continued laughing to herself as she walked off to her bedroom, and god knows she needed that laugh.
When Tommy made it back to Buck’s room in one piece, he gave Buck a serious look as he passed over his glass of water.
“What’s that face for?” Buck cocked his head, looking confused.
“When you said you had a roommate, you didn’t mention it was Athena!” Tommy did his best to shout in a whisper, not wanting to make a single noise now that he knows Athena is here.
“Well, yeah, this is her house.” Buck said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, causing Tommy to collapse on the bed with his head in his hands.
The next day, when it was just Buck and Athena, she didn’t even mention it.
But that was just the first time it happened.
The second time, she watched as Buck tried to quietly sneak Tommy out the morning after he had spent the night, not that she didn’t know he spent the night, they’re not as quiet as they think.
As they walked past the doorway to the kitchen-living area, whispering to one another, she cleared her throat. They stopped, frozen in place.
“Would you two like to join me for breakfast?” She asks them, she doesn’t want to make them think they have to sneak around when she’s home.
At her request, they shuffle wordlessly into the room and sit down where all the food is laid out ready. Eggs, fruit, toast, amongst some other things sat there waiting to be eaten.
“Well, help yourselves.” She smiles and hands them a coffee each.
They both mumble a thank you and dig in, but the silence and occasional clink of cutlery was slowly killing Athena.
“So,” she began, both of the men whipped their heads up at her assertive voice, “is there a reason you two are at my house and not Tommy’s?”
“It… Well, um, it was closer?” Buck gave her a sheepish smile, cheeks growing rosy.
“Couldn’t wait, huh?” She smirked into her coffee mug.
Tommy choked on a bit of food, he brought his fist to cover his mouth as Buck was quick to pat his back.
“You don’t need to be embarrassed, I know the feeling,” she looked away and sighed, “I was like that once.” Buck was only a little horrified to hear that, knowing she was most likely reminiscing about his former captain.
Clearly having composed himself, Tommy sputtered a laugh at the look on Buck’s face and all he got was a frown back.
Buck turned back to Athena, looking as apologetic as ever, “It won’t happen again, we are so sorry.”
She waved her hand and pulled a face, “Nonsense, Buck, you live here, you are allowed to have people over,” she quirked her eyebrow at Tommy, “especially your boyfriend.”
Both boys laughed awkwardly, cheeks growing red, looking everywhere but each other, “We’re not-” Buck stumbled on his words. “Yeah, we haven’t-” Tommy tried to finish for him but couldn’t get his words out either.
Rolling her eyes, she watched the two fail miserably at covering up whatever they were doing together. “Give it up, boys, you two were made for each other, I’d be a little disappointed if you weren’t giving this another shot.”
They looked at her and then each other, a smile breaking out on both of their faces. They were so smitten with one another.
Buck turned back to Athena, smile dropping slightly, “You can’t tell anyone, not yet, we’re taking it slow.”
Her face morphed into a judgy stare and her hand landed on her hip, “Mhmm.” She hummed into her coffee mug at the words, ‘taking it slow’. After taking the last sip she put it down, “Why would I tell anyone, Buck?”
“I don’t know, you talk to Hen a lot.”
After breakfast, Athena got ready to meet up with May for lunch, and if Buck later got a call from May laughing down the phone about how he and Tommy traumatised her mom, well that was between them.
From then on, the sneaking around stopped. They didn’t need to hide in the house anymore and Athena made sure of that.
And just like Buck, Tommy was nice to have around, he was always ready to strike up a conversation with her about how her shift was and if anything needed to be done around the house. He was handy. Just like how Bobby was.
One evening, when Athena got back late, she saw the two men curled up on the couch watching some movie, but as she got closer she realised that Buck was fast asleep. His mouth was slightly open, face pushed up against Tommy’s shoulder as the older man stroked a hand up and down Buck’s side.
She quietly walked around them, grabbing one of her blankets she keeps stored near the couch and handed it to Tommy. He mouthed a “thank you”, draping it over them and the hand that was by his side was in Buck’s curls.
It was such a tender moment.
But, something deep in her heart ached at the sight.
There was another time where she had come back downstairs after a shower, ready for dinner, when she walked in on them being all in love.
A Frank Sinatra song played through Tommy’s phone as they swayed and danced together in the kitchen, Buck still wore his apron covered in the ingredients he put in the meal.
And that ache was right back in her chest in an instant.
However, she could admit it wasn’t always cute. One night after getting home early, she was greeted by Buck in nothing but an apron standing in the middle of her kitchen, his behind fully on display.
His yelp of fear summoned a concerned Tommy, who was yet again in nothing but his boxers. The sight was all too familiar, but she couldn’t remember from where.
“Am I going to have to start charging you rent too?” She sassed Tommy.
With her head in her hands, she made her way up the stairs. She didn’t have the energy to scold Buck for wearing his ‘kiss the cook’ apron for sex, or for seeing Tommy, yet again, in his underwear.
But that night she lay in bed with that damned ache again, and she didn't know why.
A few days after, as Buck was on his latest fun fact deep-dive, Athena walked out into the garden. She took a breath of fresh air and looked around at the empty flower beds, Bobby was supposed to fill those. He just didn’t have time.
Her eyes wandered over to the grill, still new and untouched, she had no clue how to work it well. Bobby knew. He was always so excited to pull out the grill when they hosted the 118 & co. barbeques.
She turned back to the glass doors and stopped.
In the soft evening light, Tommy was leaning over Buck's shoulder, speaking to him so softly and looking at Buck like he hung the moon and stars. Maybe to Tommy it really felt like he did. She knew that feeling once. But it was gone now, she lost it and it was replaced by an awful ache she can’t seem to shift.
That ache she has grown to know so well. The ache of a hole in her heart, a piece missing.
Lost in her own world of grief, she didn’t notice Tommy looking back, his eyebrows pinched together in worry. Giving Buck a kiss on the cheek, he made his way to Athena.
Siding up next to her, he lets his eyes drift over the garden, “It’s a beautiful space out here.”
“It was all Bobby, and the kitchen, these were his areas of expertise.” She pushed down the emotion that was inching its way up her throat, clawing to get out.
They let the silence fall over them, Tommy’s hand gently rubbing at her back, doing his best to give her the comfort she needed. He thinks he understands, when he thinks of Evan, losing him would be the worst thing to ever happen to him. But it hasn’t happened, so all he could do was think.
“Ya’know, I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone this,” he moved in a bit closer to her, “I really looked up to Bobby, and I just wish I used my time with him to get to know him better, but,” he peered back inside where Buck still had his eyes glued to his laptop screen, “I can see how much he rubbed off on Evan, I’m grateful for that, because it’s like he gave him a piece of himself.”
When he looked back at Athena, her eyes were glossy and there was a faint smile. Sighing, she said, “He would be so proud that you and Buck made your way back to each other, proud that Buck has the love he deserves,” she laughed wetly, “you guys just remind me so much of how Bobby and me were, that’s how I know I’m right before you ask.”
Tommy holds his hands up in humoured defence, “I wasn’t going to,” he puts his hands down and into his pockets, “he would be so proud of Evan, he always was.”
Athena placed her hand on his arm, making him face her, “He would be, but he would also be proud of you,” she turned her face back to the empty flower beds, “you both have grown so much separately, don’t think I don’t remember you from your 118 days, and when you and Buck started dating Bobby would talk about how much you’ve changed, in a good way.”
She pulled away from him and sat in one of the patio chairs, “He always used to say he was a great matchmaker, maybe a little too good,” they both laughed softly, Tommy joining her on the chair next to hers, “and I say this, because, even maybe unknowingly, he shaped you both into the people you are today, my husband, he did that. He left his mark on this world and I couldn’t be more proud of everything he’s done.”
It was in these moments that Athena didn’t mind having Buck and Tommy intruding on her alone time, because in these moments, the joy of what she thought she completely lost comes back in quiet, gentle memories. Even if it’s catching them half naked. She couldn’t remember the last time she and May laughed like that when she told her daughter.
“He’d be proud of all of us.” Tommy simply stated.
“Although, I don't think he'd be very proud of you and Buck having sex in our kitchen, so maybe refrain from that in the future.” Tommy laughed, albeit the red in his cheeks putting his slight embarrassment of display, he genuinely laughed.
Athena just looked proud of herself for that one, “Yeah, maybe do it in your own.” She prodded, laughter bubbling up her throat and replacing the sadness that was there before.