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They’ve saved the day.
Bobby, Howie and the rest of the 118 are all going to be okay.
Nobody’s going to be charged with treason.
Tommy can just slip away, back out of Evan’s life.
“Tommy! Wait!”
Tommy turns to see Evan running towards him, the ambulance pulling away in the background.
“Thank you,” Evan’s grinning ear to ear, relief and exhaustion palpable in the line of his shoulders. “We might have really lost them this time.”
“I was happy to help,” Tommy says and he means it. Not just because he’s finally gotten the chance to make up some of the life debt he owes Howie, but because he got to help Evan. Help put that smile back on Evan’s face where it belongs. “I meant it when I said I was doing it for you.”
Evan blushes, ducking his head. “I, uh, thanks,” he says. “I’m not sure I deserve it.” He looks straight into Tommy’s eyes, expression guilt-ridden in a way Tommy hates.
Tommy frowns. “What do you mean?” He has to fight against the urge to reach out and try to smooth the lines from between Evan’s eyebrows. That’s not his place.
Not anymore.
“I was pretty nasty to you, last time,” Evan says. “I’ve been meaning to call you to apologise, but I guess I just hadn’t worked up the courage.”
Tommy blinks. It’s hard to imagine Evan not having courage. Evan just defied the Army and the FBI to save two of the most important people in his life. Hell, they met flying into a hurricane. Evan’s hardly a coward.
No, if anyone’s the coward here, it’s Tommy.
“I, um, I’m not in love with Eddie. Not like that,” Evan says, looking Tommy dead in the eye. “I should’ve just said that, but I got so angry when I thought that you spent our entire relationship thinking I was pining after my best friend that I took it out on you. I’m, uh, sorry, and I totally get it if you never want to see me again, but I just wanted to tell you that.”
Tommy stares at Evan for a while before realising that he should probably say something. “Apology accepted,” he says and he means it. “And I’m sorry for making you think that I thought you were in love with Eddie the whole time we were together. I didn’t. I was making a stupid joke and then when you reacted the way you did, I thought maybe it wasn’t actually just a joke. I should’ve stayed and listened to you rather than running away. I’m starting to realise that’s a bad habit.”
Evan chuckles and shakes his head before growing serious again. “So, uh, what now?” Evan asks. He takes a step closer, looking through those god-damned eyelashes in a way he absolutely knows Tommy can’t resist.
Tommy gulps. “You really want to do this?” he asks.
“What are you doing Saturday?” Evan asks. Oh, he knows exactly what he’s doing.
“That’s my line,” Tommy says, and he can’t help but smile. Today’s been awful, could’ve ended in tragedy and here he is getting a second (third?) chance with Evan.
“Just promise you won’t run away again this time,” Evan says and then he holds up his pinkie and his expression is so serious that Tommy, despite the childishness of the gesture, solemnly hooks his pinkie around Evan’s.
“I promise,” he says and God, is he going to try to keep that promise. “Promise you’ll call me when you get home.”
Evan nods and the only reason they break apart is because Evan’s phone rings and he has to step away to answer it.
Tommy waves goodbye to Evan and gets an Uber home. He has no idea how his chopper is getting back to the hangar, but he’s pretty sure that’s above his paygrade at this point, if he even has a paygrade, anymore.
If this doesn’t get Tommy fired, he’s not sure what will.
At home, he changes out of his flight suit, cracks open a beer and tries to watch TV, but he’s too distracted, eyes drifting to his phone, waiting for Evan to call.
The moment the screen lights up with Evan’s profile picture, Tommy answers. “Hey,” he says and he can’t help smiling. “You home?”
“At Maddie’s,” Evan says. “She’s at the hospital with Chimney and someone needs to look after Jee.”
“Oof, I do not envy you having to chase after a five-year-old after the day you’ve just had,” Tommy says.
Evan chuckles. “And I didn’t even tell you about the getting blown up bit,” he says.
Tommy frowns. “Somehow, I didn’t put together the fact that you were at the lab before the explosion,” he says.
“Uh, yeah,” Evan says. “I got thrown to the other side of the containment doors. I’m fine though. Just a few bruises. Not even a concussion.”
“You’re not just saying that?” Tommy asks.
“Tommy, I promise, I’m fine,” Evan says.
“Pinkie promise?” Tommy asks.
Evan chuckles. “Yeah, pinkie promise.”
They can’t chat long because Evan has to cook dinner for Jee and supervise bedtime but they agree to meet for coffee the next day to actually talk things through because if they’re going to try again, they can’t let themselves repeat their same mistakes.
#
Tommy arrives first. He orders Evan’s usual coffee order – unless it’s changed since they were last together – and claims a spot on the patio. It’s still a bit chilly this morning so the patio’s fairly empty. Tommy shoves his hands deeper into his hoodie pockets, chasing warmth.
Evan arrives not long after and Tommy can’t help but grin as he stands and gives Evan a hug, marvelling at the fact that they’re really doing this. That Evan still wants to try. That they haven’t completely thrown away what they had together.
“Okay, promise you won’t be mad,” Evan says as he sits down.
“That’s ominous.” Tommy raises his eyebrows. “Evan, what could you possibly have done to make me mad since the last time we spoke?” he asks.
“Just promise.” Evan puts his elbow on the table like he’s looking to arm wrestle, except he extends his pinkie instead.”
Tommy can’t help but smile fondly at the gesture and hooks Evan’s pinkie with his own. At this rate, this whole pinkie promise thing is going to start being second nature. “Okay, I promise I won’t get mad,” Tommy says. It’s true even. How could he possibly be mad at this adorable man with his over-serious frown and his pinkie promises? It’s just not scientifically possible.
“Uh, so, I may have told Jee-Yun that we were back together and then she told Maddie and Maddie told Chimney and now that Chimney knows it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the LAFD know too,” Evan says in a single breath. “And I know we haven’t had a chance to talk about if we’re actually together again or what that looks like or if we’re gonna take things slow or if we want to keep things to ourselves or – .”
“Evan, take a breath,” Tommy says, interrupting Evan’s spiral. “I’m not mad.”
Evan blinks. “Really?” He asks after a beat. The corner of his plush lips twitch in the first hint of a smile.
“Really,” Tommy says. “Sure, we still need to talk about what we want our relationship to be, but I don’t expect you to keep it a secret. I’m actually glad you want to talk about it.” Because if Evan wants to tell his niece and his sister, then maybe that means Evan wants this to work as much as Tommy does.
“Okay, that’s good,” Evan says, reaching across the table for Tommy’s hand as though it’s the most natural thing in the world. “So, I know you’re not ready to move in together, but what are you ready for?”
Tommy pauses, considers. “Maybe talking about our exes,” he says at last.
Evan winces. “Yeah, that’s a good start,” he says. “Can’t believe we got six months in and never had that conversation.”
“Well, we got distracted,” Tommy says, sweeping his eyes over Evan’s chest and arms in an intentionally suggestive manner.
“Tommy,” Evan gives him a warning look that falls apart because Evan can’t help but smile. “Just promise me that you won’t go into this thinking it can’t last or I’m not serious about you or that I’m in love with my best friend.”
Tommy winces. God, how was he so stupid? He pulls his hand out of Evan’s and offers his own pinkie. “I promise,” he says. And he means it. He’s going to do everything in his power to set aside his jealousy and his insecurity and put his all into trusting Evan.
Evan grins. “Good,” he says.
#
Months pass.
They go on dates when their shift schedules allow (somehow, miraculously, neither of them are fired).
They watch Jee when Maddie goes into labour and Tommy tries not to think about what Evan said right before the break-up about kids. About how good Evan is with his niece. About what an amazing father Evan will be. About how Tommy’s not sure if he’s cut out for parenthood but maybe, with Evan, he could take that chance.
“You okay?” Evan asks once they’ve finished fielding a slew of questions from Jee about pregnancy and labour and where babies come from that Evan somehow manages to answer truthfully but appropriately.
“Yeah,” Tommy says.
Evan gives him a look. “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he says. Because they’d promised not to let big feelings like the ones Tommy’s feeling right now fester.
Tommy sighs and leans his head against Evan’s shoulder as they settle on Maddie and Howie’s sofa. “I’m thinking about kids,” he says. “You want them, right?”
“Yeah,” Evan says. “I mean, it’s not a dealbreaker if you don’t. I’m happy being Uncle Buck.” He pauses and Tommy tilts his head to he can get a look at Evan’s expression. “I think it’d be really awesome to have kids, but I mean, I worry about it. I didn’t exactly grow up with model parents, you know. What if I have kids and I end up screwing them up worse than I was screwed up?”
“Yeah,” Tommy says. “I worry about that too. Not about you screwing up our kids,” he quickly clarifies, “but me. My dad was basically exactly like Gerrard, don’t forget.”
Evan shivers but then he suddenly sits up and turns towards Tommy, grinning.
“What?” Tommy asks, confused.
“You said, “our kids”,” Evan says, elated.
Tommy blinks because yeah, he did say that.
“You want kids?” Evan asks.
“Only if they’re with you,” Tommy says.
“You mean it?” Evan asks.
“I promise I mean it,” Tommy says, reaching over and hooking his pinkie around Evan’s.
After that, Evan launches himself at Tommy, showering him with excited kisses. “I love you, you know that, right?” Evan says, breathless between each kiss.
“Now I do,” Tommy says. “And for what it’s worth, I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with you since the moment we met.” And he leans up and pulls Evan into a long, sweet kiss that hopefully conveys every drop of love he feels for this man lying on top of him.