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Buck had been dating Tommy for a little over a year, and honestly? Things were good. Steady. Simple. Tommy was grounded in a way Buck admired — ex-military like Eddie, with a dry wit and a steady presence that calmed Buck’s sometimes-chaotic heart. They made sense. At least, Buck thought they did.
But lately, something had shifted.
Eddie had started acting… off. More competitive. Around Tommy, especially. He’d interrupt conversations, suggest spontaneous plans with Buck whenever Tommy and he had something scheduled, and get strangely animated when the three of them were in the same room. Buck chalked it up to nostalgia — Eddie and Tommy had been friends first. Maybe Eddie just missed the easy friendship they’d once had.
So, when Eddie came out to him — quietly, over beers at his apartment, staring at his hands like they held all the answers — Buck had felt honored.
“Wow,” he’d said, blinking, trying to process. “Eddie, I didn’t know. I mean, I’m glad you told me.”
“Yeah,” Eddie had muttered, then lifted his gaze. “I’m just tired of pretending.”
Buck had squeezed his shoulder, warm and reassuring. “Do you think maybe… you miss Tommy? I mean, I know you two were close before he and I got together.”
Eddie had stared at him. Then laughed — a single, sharp, almost bitter sound. “You think this is about Tommy?”
Buck frowned. “Isn’t it?”
“Buck.” Eddie’s voice was quiet, but heavy with meaning. “I’m not in love with Tommy.”
Something in Buck’s chest squeezed — relief and confusion battling it out.
“I’m in love with you.” He almost lets himself say out loud
Tommy always knew.
He wasn’t stupid, and he wasn’t insecure. Buck loved him — he believed that. But he also saw the way Buck watched Eddie when he wasn’t looking. The way his laugh lit up differently when Eddie cracked a joke. The way he worried about him — instinctively, constantly, deeply.
Tommy had told himself it didn’t matter.
Because Buck was with him.
And he was sure — confident — that if it ever came down to a choice, Buck would choose him again.
But choices weren’t always about who you loved more.
Sometimes, they were about who you couldn’t live without.
And that was the part Tommy hadn’t prepared for.
Buck could feel the tension in every room before anyone even said a word.
Eddie and Tommy had started hovering in his life like competing planets in the same orbit, both trying to shine a little brighter, pull him a little closer.
Eddie suddenly had endless ideas for weekend plans: hikes, beach days, spontaneous “guys’ nights” that Buck couldn’t bring himself to turn down. He started texting Buck memes again — the stupid, awful ones they used to send each other before life got too complicated. He even started working out with him again, like old times. Sweaty and competitive, ribbing each other in the gym, laughing too loud, eyes lingering a little too long.
Tommy noticed. Buck knew he noticed.
Because Tommy, normally calm and collected, had started mirroring Eddie. Wanting in on everything. Insisting Buck bring him along. Buying concert tickets for bands he knew Buck liked — but only two seats, no invite for Eddie. Marking his territory in subtle ways: hand on the small of Buck’s back, pulling him closer during photos, kissing him longer when Eddie was in the room.
And Buck just stood in the middle of it all, confused and overwhelmed.
He started to feel like a tether being pulled in two directions — stretched thin, trying to make sense of something unspoken.
What he didn’t say — what he couldn’t even admit to himself — was the nagging idea that maybe Eddie still had a thing for Tommy. It would explain the tension. The way Eddie watched them, like something inside him was cracking. Maybe Eddie had loved Tommy all along and just… buried it, until Buck brought it to the surface.
But that didn’t quite explain the way Eddie looked at him sometimes — soft, like he was seeing the whole world in Buck’s face.
Still, Buck said nothing. Too afraid to rock the boat. Too afraid to choose and get it wrong.
Tommy had always been patient. That was part of his charm. He didn’t push, didn’t demand. He waited.
But this wasn’t waiting anymore — it was war.
And Eddie was winning battles he didn’t even seem to know he was fighting.
So Tommy made a choice.
If Eddie wanted to keep hovering around, waiting for Buck to crumble, then Tommy would make it crystal clear that Buck wasn’t his to wait for.
He planned the proposal down to the second — quiet dinner at Buck’s favorite restaurant, private room, a simple ring. He didn’t want theatrics. He wanted certainty.
When Buck walked into the candle-lit space, his eyes went wide. “What’s all this?”
Tommy stood, nervous energy masked by confidence. “Something I should’ve done a long time ago.”
Buck blinked. “Tommy—?”
Tommy dropped to one knee, his heart thundering in his chest.
“Evan Buckley,” he said, voice steady, gaze locked onto Buck’s stunned expression, “I love you. And I don’t want to fight for your attention anymore — I want to deserve it. I want a life with you. Will you marry me?”
The air felt thick. Buck’s heart pounded like a drumline.
And in the doorway — just out of view — Eddie stood frozen, breath caught in his throat.
He didn’t even realize he was holding the doorknob like it might shatter.
This was it.
The answer was coming.
And it might destroy him.
His voice shook a little, and his hands trembled when he took the ring, but he smiled. A real smile. Nervous, overwhelmed, but sincere.
“Yes,” he’d whispered, barely believing the word was his. “Yes, Tommy. I’ll marry you.”
Tommy had looked relieved — like he’d been bracing for a different answer. He kissed Buck like he was claiming him, and Buck kissed back, willing himself not to think about the footsteps he swore he’d heard behind the door just seconds before.
The news spread fast.
The 118 were the first to hear it — Buck showed up to the station with donuts and a ring on his finger. Bobby blinked. Hen’s jaw dropped. Chim grinned and covered it with a sip of coffee. Everyone offered congratulations, hugs, slaps on the back.
Supportive. Happy.
On the surface.
But later, in the quiet of the truck bay, Hen leaned in to Bobby.
“He doesn’t seem sure,” she whispered.
“No,” Bobby agreed. “He doesn’t.”
Eddie had already known, of course.
He’d heard the answer from just outside the restaurant door. Heard the softness in Buck’s voice, the swell of emotion, the unsteady “yes” that cracked something in his chest.
He hadn’t said a word that night. Just went home and sat in silence, letting the ache settle in like an old injury flaring up in a storm.
So when Buck showed up at his doorstep two days later, smiling wide, holding a six-pack and his usual brand of chaotic affection, Eddie opened the door like nothing was wrong.
“Hey,” Buck said. “Got a favor to ask you.”
Eddie raised an eyebrow but let him in. “What kind of favor?”
Buck took a breath. “I want you to be my best man.”
Eddie froze.
The room spun a little. He gripped the back of the couch like it might keep him grounded.
“You… want me?” he managed, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Of course,” Buck said, smiling like it was obvious. “You’re my best friend. No one else even comes close.”
Eddie looked at him — really looked at him. The way his eyes lit up, the way he stood there so open, so trusting. Buck was happy. Or trying to be.
Eddie swallowed hard, the words burning in his throat.
He wanted to say, I can’t.
He wanted to say, I love you.
He wanted to say, Please don’t marry him.
But instead, he smiled.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “Of course I will.”
Buck grinned like the sun. “Awesome. I knew you’d say yes.”
And Eddie just nodded, already feeling the weight of the tux, the toast, the ring he’d have to hand over. The vow he’d have to witness.
The heartbreak he’d have to pretend didn’t exist.
The team offered their congratulations when they heard the news.
But in the locker room, Chim muttered to Hen, “You think he’s really gonna go through with it?”
Hen shook her head slowly. “I think he wants to be in love. And I think he does love Tommy.”
“But not the way he loves Eddie,” Chim finished quietly.
“Exactly.”
The thing about Tommy was… he wasn’t cruel.
Not exactly.
But once the ring was on Buck’s finger and the date was set, a different version of Tommy started showing up — especially around Eddie.
He wasn’t outwardly rude, never crossed any obvious lines. But it was in the tone, the smirk, the too-casual way he’d drop reminders in conversation like stones into Eddie’s chest.
“Buck’s been so busy with cake tastings — I can barely keep up with him,” he’d say one morning at the station, clapping Eddie on the back.
Or “He keeps talking about wanting to honeymoon somewhere warm. Guess we’ll be sending you postcards from paradise.”
Or, the one that twisted like a knife:
“It’s funny — I used to think you and Buck were a little too close. Guess I was wrong. If there was something there, you’d have spoken up by now… right?”
Eddie would clench his jaw. Smile. Say nothing.
Because Buck was happy. Because Buck deserved to be happy.
Even if it wasn’t with him.
Eddie was good at staying quiet. Years of practice. In war zones, on the job, and in the quiet ache of late nights where the only person he wanted was the one he couldn’t have.
So he nodded when Tommy taunted him. Bit his tongue when Buck gushed about the wedding plans, about colors and bands and floral arrangements he didn’t know he cared about until Tommy showed him.
Eddie was the best man. That’s what best men did. They supported.
But God, it hurt.
He hated the way Tommy touched Buck in front of him, like he knew it would burn. The way Buck leaned into him without hesitation, smiling so wide it made Eddie feel like he was drowning behind his own ribs.
At night, Eddie would lie awake and think about every moment they almost had something.
That time Buck held him too long after a rough call.
That look they shared during Christopher’s school play, when their knees touched and neither moved.
The countless nights they talked until sunrise, laughter trailing into something quieter — almost intimate.
And that moment… that moment… when Eddie came out, and Buck thought he was talking about Tommy.
How cruel, he thought, that Buck didn’t even realize who the feelings had been for.
Tommy grew bolder the closer they got to the wedding.
“You’re not gonna give a sappy speech, are you?” he teased one night during a joint bachelor party planning session. “Don’t want Buck tearing up too much before the vows.”
Eddie just looked at him. “I’ll keep it simple.”
“Good,” Tommy said, grinning like he’d already won. “We wouldn’t want to confuse the groom.”
And the worst part?
Buck never noticed.
He floated through the months like a man in love — blissfully unaware that the two men closest to him were engaged in a quiet, slow-burning war beneath the surface of his perfect wedding.
The team noticed. Hen, Chim, even Bobby.
But no one said anything.
Not yet.
Because the wedding was getting closer. Because Buck looked so happy.
But happy and sure weren’t always the same thing.
And more than one person was starting to wonder what would happen when Buck finally realized what everyone else already knew:
That the man he was marrying wasn’t the one he couldn’t live without.
The rehearsal dinner had gone off without a hitch.
Buck’s parents, who were notoriously difficult, somehow got along perfectly with Tommy’s family. There was laughter, polite conversation, even a few photos. Tommy stood beside him the whole time, proud and charming, his hand constantly finding Buck’s back, his shoulder, his hand.
Buck smiled through it all, genuinely happy that the evening had gone so smoothly. It should have made him feel reassured, confident that he was making the right decision.
But then he saw Eddie.
Standing off to the side, quiet, withdrawn — not angry, just… gone. Like something inside him had folded in on itself.
Buck’s brow furrowed. He thought maybe Eddie was overwhelmed. Or nervous about the speech. Or still weird around his parents.
But when he slipped away to check on the caterers and walked past a barely cracked door, he heard voices inside — hushed and urgent.
It was Maddie.
And Eddie.
He paused. Not on purpose. Not really. But he heard his name and froze.
“…I just don’t know how to stand there tomorrow and smile,” Eddie’s voice broke. “Watching him give his whole heart to someone who isn’t me.”
Buck’s breath caught.
Maddie said something soft — something comforting — but Buck barely heard her.
“I’ve tried to get over it,” Eddie went on. His voice was thick, wrecked. “I’ve tried to be okay with it. But every time I see them together, it’s like my chest caves in. And he’s so happy. He doesn’t even know…”
There was a beat of silence.
Then:
“I’m in love with him, Maddie. I’ve been in love with him for years.”
The world tilted.
Buck’s stomach twisted so hard he had to grab the doorframe for balance. He didn’t wait to hear more. Didn’t let himself think.
He turned.
And ran.
That night, sleep didn’t come.
He tossed and turned, staring at the ceiling, thinking of every moment that suddenly made so much sense.
The late-night calls.
The soft way Eddie always said his name.
The fact that he never said anything when Buck and Tommy got together — not a word of protest, just a quiet, steady withdrawal.
And the worst part?
Buck didn’t know what it meant.
All he knew was: everything had changed.
The morning of the wedding dawned clear and bright.
Everything looked perfect. Felt wrong.
Buck stood at the altar in a crisp suit, Tommy beside him looking every bit the man Buck had promised to spend his life with. The room was filled with friends, family, and smiling faces.
Eddie stood in the front row, hands folded, face serene.
But Buck knew better now. He saw through it.
Eddie’s expression was calm, but his eyes weren’t. They looked like the ocean right before a storm — still, but deep and dangerous underneath.
The officiant asked if Buck was ready with his vows.
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
He stared at Tommy, ring in hand, words caught in his throat like thorns.
His chest pounded.
He turned his head, almost involuntarily, and looked at Eddie.
Really looked at him.
And suddenly it was all there.
Every moment. Every look. Every unspoken thing between them.
“I…” Buck’s voice cracked. “I’m sorry.”
The room went still.
He took a step back. Then another.
“I can’t do this,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry, Tommy.”
Gasps rose around the room as Buck turned — and ran.
He didn’t stop until he reached the fire station.
Home. His real home.
The place where everything had started.
He climbed the stairs two at a time, breath ragged, heart pounding.
Pushed open the rooftop door.
And there it was.
Their spot.
The two chairs. The skyline. The breeze.
And the memory of every night he’d spent up here with Eddie, laughing, dreaming, slowly falling into something he hadn’t had the courage to name.
He sat down hard, heart racing, hands shaking.
The truth was a weight and a relief all at once.
He couldn’t marry Tommy.
Not when part of his heart had always belonged to someone else.
To Eddie.
The wind was light on the rooftop, tugging at Buck’s hair, cooling the sweat on his brow.
His suit jacket was tossed aside on the chair beside him, his tie hanging loose around his neck. The weight of what he’d just done hadn’t fully hit him yet — the ceremony, the guests, Tommy, all of it left behind like a trail of shattered glass.
He was still shaking when he heard the door open.
Footsteps. Steady, familiar.
He didn’t look up right away.
He didn’t have to.
“Hey,” Eddie said, quiet.
Buck swallowed hard. “Hey.”
Eddie walked over, slow and careful, like approaching a wounded animal. He stood a few feet away, his hands clenched at his sides.
“I figured you’d come here,” he said, voice soft. “This place…”
“Yeah.” Buck stared out at the skyline. “This place always felt like ours.”
Eddie didn’t say anything to that. He just stood there, silent.
Until Buck finally turned and looked at him — really looked at him.
“You should’ve told me.”
Eddie flinched. “I know.”
“All this time, and you just… buried it?”
Eddie’s voice cracked. “What else was I supposed to do, Buck? You were happy. You were in love. I didn’t want to ruin that.”
Buck shook his head slowly. “I heard you.”
Eddie’s breath hitched.
“At the rehearsal dinner,” Buck continued. “I was walking past the hall closet and… I heard Maddie talking. Then I heard you.”
Eddie went still.
“You said you were in love with me.” Buck’s voice wavered. “You said it hurt to see me marrying someone else.”
Eddie looked away, blinking hard. “I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”
“Well, I did.” Buck let out a shaky breath. “And I haven’t slept since.”
Eddie’s voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Buck said, standing now, facing him. “Don’t you dare be sorry for loving me.”
Eddie’s jaw clenched. “You left him at the altar, Buck. For what? Pity? Guilt?”
Buck stepped closer, eyes fierce. “Don’t insult me like that.”
Eddie’s breath caught.
“I left Tommy because I realized I was standing up there about to marry someone… while the person I actually wanted to spend my life with was sitting in the front row pretending he was fine.”
“Buck—”
“No. Let me finish.”
Eddie’s lips parted but he stayed quiet.
“I’ve been so confused for so long,” Buck said, voice trembling. “I thought you were just sad about losing Tommy as a friend. Then I thought maybe you had feelings for him. But the truth is… I just didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to admit what I already knew.”
Eddie stared at him, eyes glistening.
“I’m in love with you, Eddie,” Buck said, voice thick with emotion. “I think I always was. I just didn’t know it… until I heard what it was costing you to watch me marry someone else.”
Eddie blinked, and the tears finally fell.
Buck stepped even closer, just inches between them now. “This whole time, I thought I was choosing what made sense. But it wasn’t about love. Not real love. Not what we have.”
“You left him… for me?” Eddie asked, voice breaking.
“I left him,” Buck said, “because I couldn’t say those vows while looking at you. Because when I tried, all I could think was, what if I’m making the biggest mistake of my life?”
Silence stretched between them.
Then — slowly, as if pulled by gravity — Eddie reached up and touched Buck’s face. His hand was warm, trembling, but sure.
Buck leaned into it like he’d been waiting his whole life for that touch.
And when they kissed — soft, trembling, everything — it felt like the end of a long, quiet war.
And the beginning of something real