Archive of Our Own ^beta

Buck pulls his phone out of his pocket and tells Siri to call Maddie, his back pushed up against the bathroom door, as hands pound against it demanding his attention.

She answers on the third ring. “Buck? I’m—“

“Listen, Mads,” he stammers, lurching forward as the doors pushed, frantically slamming it shut and digging his heels in against the tile. “I—I know you’re working but—but everyone’s gone crazy it’s like—like zombies but worse.”

“Buck?” A voice that sounds like Hen, but cannot possibly be, says from the other side of the door. “Come on out. I just need to see you.”

A scoff. “Like hell,” Chimney says, and Buck squeezes his eyes shut at the sound of shoes scuffing the floor outside like they’re shoving each other out of the way to get to him. “I’m gonna see him first.”

And as if the situation can’t get any worse, Bobby chimes in, “As the captain of this firehouse, and seeing as I saw him first I think you all should go downstairs and let me see him.”

“Captain Shmaptain,” Ravi snaps. “He’s my soulmate.”

“What are you talking about?” Maddie’s voice asks, slightly tinny.

The door struggles to open behind him and he drops the phone.

“Mads,” he says, panic slinking into every syllable. “I—I think—“

“Buck, come out,” Bobby says. “Please, baby.”

Buck’s stomach turns and he shakes his head. No, absolutely not. That—crime against humanity is what that is. As if lunch hadn’t been traumatizing enough.

“Was that Bobby?” Maddie’s voice is distant but rightfully alarmed.

“Something’s wrong with them,” Buck yells down at the phone. “I—I know I said I can get anyone to fall in love with me but this is not what I meant!”

Buck would like the record to show that none of this is his fault.

The Brewspot is a frequent caller; she’s a local hotshot potion brewer experimenting with risky potions, but she has a brewing license so it’s not like they can ask Athena to arrest her before she accidentally curses one of them. It is, however, frustrating to be standing in her shop for the third time this month, to find another unidentifiable potion going haywire in the brewing room.

Bobby gives her the most unimpressed look, which Buck’s grateful to not be on the receiving end of, and then turns to Buck. “Get her out of here and grab the barrier blanket from the truck, Buck.” The potion hisses in its massive brewers pot—because calling the giant cauldron at the center of the room by its name is apparently dismissive, as learned on their first call out—and Bobby tacks on a sigh, hands rising to his temples.

Last week they’d managed to get out completely unscathed, but Buck’s almost certain Bobby’s thinking about the temporary tail he got saddled with the week before and wishing he could have the shop owner arrested or at least banned from brewing potions she doesn’t understand.

Buck nods quickly and motions for the brewer—Sandy? Mandy?—to follow him, “Let’s go. You know the drill . . .”

She tears her gaze away from the angry potion as it spits and hisses at the team like a cornered dog knowing it’s about to be put down. “Candy,” she supplies, before nodding and allowing herself to be led out.

“What is it this time?” He asks as they pass through the entrance. “Hair growth?”

Distractedly, she looks back towards the shop. “No, that was last month.”

Buck steps around her, nodding. “Right!” He says. “Chim’s eyebrows are finally starting to grow normally.” He sidles up to the engine and opens the compartment, glancing over his shoulder. “Sleep potion!” He exclaims. “My sister just had a baby, so if you figure it out—“

Candy wraps her arms around herself and stares intently at the shop. “Not a sleep potion,” she murmurs, lashes fluttering nervously as she glances back at him. “Can’t you hurry?”

He frowns. Rude. Yanking the barrier blanket from the compartment, he huffs, “Going as fast as I can,” he says with forced levity as he heaves the blanket up and slams the compartment shut. “Wait here,” he says, pointedly. She’s an obvious flight risk, and PD hasn’t arrived, and it’s probably a wasted warning with the way she keeps glancing at the shop doors. Actually—he hesitates, frowning. “Okay, seriously. What’re you brewing, Candy?”

She bites her lip, expression morphing guiltily, and Buck steps towards her, alarm bells ringing in his head, but before he can repeat the question with more urgency there’s an angry bang from the shop and his head jerks around to face the shop as the glasses shatters.

He’s moving before he even registers it, barrier blanket clutched heavily against his chest as he rushes through the doors to the back of the shop. His feet pound angrily against the floor, crunching through broken glass as soft plumes of lilac smoke drift through the shop. It smells vaguely sweet, in that kind of comforting walking into a bakery first thing in the morning way.

“118 call out!” He screams, the smoke catching the syllables and seemingly dragging them out.

There’s no response.

Shit.

He storms through the room, retracing his steps towards the brewing pot—it’s still gurgling, a distant upset rumbling that drags him through the smoke. He breaks through a particularly thick plume of purple and finds the pot, quickly throwing the barrier blanket over it. Smoke scatters beneath the wave of wind that the motion generates, and slowly filters out of the room as he turns around to find his team.

As the air clears and the brewing pot simmers, the outlines of his team start to appear. Hen’s laying on the ground closest to him, blinking blearily up at him, and he moves around her quickly, leaning down and holding a hand out to help pull her to her feet. She sways towards him and he winds an arm around her back to hold her steady.

“Good?” He asks, breathlessly.

She nods, clenching her jaw and leaning into his stability. “Smells like berries,” she mutters.

He nods, but he’s not sure what she’s talking about, glancing over her shoulder at where Ravi’s slowly climbing to his feet.

“All good, Rav?”

He nods slowly, glancing up at Buck and wrinkling his nose. “Is someone baking a pie?”

“Only if you’re the filling?”

Ravi huffs a laugh through his nose and shuffles over towards the two of them. “Maybe there’s some merit to calling our house cursed.”

Someone groans to their left and Buck’s head whips around—Chim’s sitting up, rubbing a hand over his face. “What’s that smell?”

“Whatever she used in the potion, I’m guessing,” Buck says. Hen starts to pull away from him and he glances back around to double check she’s good, smiling tightly as she nods and as Ravi steps forward and loops an arm around her lower back to help steady her. He steps away, moves to help Chimney up. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just a little bump to the noggin.” Chim looks up at him and knocks on the side of his head. “Think I’m good though.”

Buck grins, holding his hand out for him. “We need to get you some kind of permanent protective helmet.”

Chim rolls his eyes and reaches out, clasping Bucks hand and using it to leverage himself to his feet. He looks up at Buck, and Buck looks him over, ensuring he’s not playing a tough guy. The last thing Maddie needs is another ER visit because her husband failed to disclose a potion related injury.

“Have your eyes always been that blue, Buckaroo?” Chim asks, suddenly, tilting his head to the side.

Buck huffs a laugh and lets go of him.

“Very funny,” he says, shaking his head and turning to look for—ah. Bobby’s already climbing to his feet, holding his head. There’s a small cut over his eyebrow, and Buck rushes over to him, clasping his shoulder. “Cap—are—are you—“

Bobby raises an eyebrow. “Good job on the barrier blanket,” he says, as if he’s not bleeding.

“What?” Buck asks, shoving down the swell of gratitude at the praise and letting worry seep in over it. “No—cap, you’re bleeding.” If he hadn’t been so distracted trying to figure out what Candy was brewing; she was right. He should’ve hurried.

Bobby rolls his eyes and squeezes Buck’s shoulder. “Doesn’t even hurt.”

“Oh,” Buck says, near hysterical, “So, you’re concussed!”

“He’s not concussed,” a voice murmurs to his left. “He’s fine. We’re all fine.” A warm hand settles on Buck’s waist and gently guides him away from Bobby, and then Eddie’s there, raising an eyebrow at him. “Did you make it out before it went off?”

Buck nods. “I was outside.”

Eddie inhales and nods. “Good.”

“Good? You all could have—“

“We’re fine,” Bobby says beside him, gently turning Buck with the hand on his shoulder. “Everyone’s fine. I think we’re just worried about you right now.”

“I wasn’t in a fiery explosion!”

Eddie huffs a laugh behind him, and Bobby makes a face. “Fiery explosion?” The disbelief morphs, and he squeezes Buck’s shoulder. “Everyone’s okay, Buck. Thanks to you.”

Before he can argue that, the sound of crunching glass cracks through the air and an exasperated voice proclaims, “You just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?” as Athena emerges through the doorway and puts her hands on her hips. Buck steps out of her way, a relieved smile settling on his face as she glances at him and then around to everyone else.

“I think we both know it’s the trouble that can’t stay away,” Bobby says, smiling at her as she approaches and cups his cheek to turn his head and look at the cut above his eye. “Everyone’s alright, though.”

Athena huffs, releasing him and stepping back. “That brewer won’t be for much longer if I have anything to say about it,” she mutters, pursing her lips.

Buck nods in agreement. “I think—“

“Hey,” Eddie says, leaning into Buck. “Do you smell berries?”

Buck ignores him, though his words stumble a beat because ignoring Eddie isn’t exactly base setting or easy. “—she might have been up to no good, ‘Thena. When I went outside with her she kept looking back at the shop like she knew something bad was gonna happen.”

Bobby turns towards Eddie. “You smell that, too?”

Eddie’s shoulder jostles Bucks as he nods. “Yeah,” he says. “Smells delicious.”

Ravi sidles up next to Eddie and nods. “Makes me want pie. It’s too early for pie.” He frowns, like it’s as devastating a thought as the memory of some of the scarier calls they’ve been on.

Frowning, Buck looks between the three of them and then over to Athena. “They’re being weird, right?”

Athena sighs, turning on her heel. “I’ll go find out what the hell she was up to. Bobby call for backup in case you all need to be decontaminated. Buck, come with me.” Buck blinks, confused, but moves to follow her anyways.

“Why—“

“You’re the only one who wasn’t in the blast, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you’re the only one I know is of sound mind until we get clarification on this whole mess.”

Oh. Well. That makes sense.

They barely make it past the threshold when Candy rushes up to them, wide eyed and frantic. “What color was the smoke?” She’s wringing her hands in front of herself as she stands on her tiptoes to look over Buck’s shoulders. “Was it yellow? Please tell me it wasn’t yellow!”

Athena sighs—its pitch is familiar, Buck’s heard it on a thousand calls at this point. Disappointed, and not afraid, but definitely wary. “Why?” She asks, stonily. “What were you brewing, Miss Brenner?”

Candy’s eyes dart over to her, and she falls back down on the flats of her feet. “Nothing?”

“You can tell me now,” Athena says, “So I can make sure the firefighters who were caught in the blast trying to save your shop from a magical propulsion aren’t going home with tails again,” her voice goes darker at the mention of the tails, not that Buck can blame her. She’d been the one to find the tail. “Or I can arrest you and we can go through all this together at the station.”

Blinking, Candy takes a step back. “It—that’s not—nobodies going to be hurt or growing extra limbs, I swear. It’s just—“ she makes a face, and Buck—Buck knows that face.

Because he’s worn it for more times than he can count.

He sighs. Peers at her with a fraction of the suspicion Athena’s glare holds, and almost sympathetically, but not quite because it was most of his favorite people she endangered, asks, “What’d you do, Candy?”

Her gaze darts over to him. Guilty. Apprehensive. “It—it wasn’t for selling purposes. It was a homebrew. Just for me. I wasn’t—“

“Miss Brenner.”

Candy’s shoulders slump, and her gaze trips to the ground between them.

“A what?”

Buck rolls up on the balls of his feet, grinning. “A love potion.”

Frowning, Bobby opens his mouth to retort, but Athena holds a hand up at him, shaking her head like she already knows what he’s going to say. “It’s low grade. You’ll likely feel no effects of it considering the intended recipient wasn’t in the room. She also claims if it worked it’d have been yellow smoke, and you’d all be dead on the ground because she didn’t appear within the allotted time frame of your inhaling it.”

Ravi sighs. “It’s death pie? Actually, who am I kidding? Of course it’s death pie.”

Chim leans in between Eddie and Bobby, and crosses his arms. “I thought you said she said it was harmless.” He smacks his gum, frowning. “That doesn’t sound harmless.”

Hen nods in agreement at Eddie’s other side. “Gotta agree, that sounds—“

“Do you feel dead?” Athena asks, raising an eyebrow. “In love with the potion master?”

Each of their faces breeze through a series of emotions, as if checking over their own faculties, and Buck has to clear his throat to avoid laughing. Their gazes dart over to him, and he rolls his lips in, pretending to take this as seriously as he would if it weren’t what it is, which is to say—

If the 118 had been taken out by an erroneous and poorly brewed love potion Buck’s not sure any of them would ever live it down.

Taking their silence as answer, Athena says, “Then it sounds harmless to me. Head back to the station, take yourselves off rotation for an hour or so in case any symptoms appear, maybe shower off the rest of the soot. You’ll live to fight another potion another day.”

Eddie sighs. “They’re not taking her license, are they?”

“And make our lives easier?” She asks, scoffing. “Please.”

Something catches her attention with the storefront, and she makes a face, waving them off, before heading off in the direction of the officer standing within.

Buck turns to the team, clapping his hands together in front of himself. “Looks like we’ve got our funny story for the week.”

Chim quirks an eyebrow. “Sure, Buckaroo,” he says, stepping forward to pat him on the chest. The raised eyebrow furrows and meets the other, and his hand lingers a moment longer than Buck would generally associate with normalcy, but then he’s pulling away and heading for the engine. “Maddie’s gonna get a kick out of this, that’s for sure.”

Buck grins after him, warm at the knowledge that Maddie is always Chim’s first thought. Good. She should be.

“I’m filing a complaint with the city,” Ravi mutters. “This lady isn’t responsible enough for a brewers license.”

“You kidding? I’m glad she didn’t know what the hell she was doing,” Hen murmurs, moving in and stepping up next to Buck to look back at the building. “Can you imagine Karen getting that call? Surprise. Your wife’s in love with some random potion maker!”

Eddie nods, stepping up on Buck’s other side. “Can you imagine Buck making that call?”

They both laugh, and Buck frowns. “How did this turn into a laugh at Buck moment?” He asks, trailing after them as they head to the engine to load up their supplies, Ravi silently falling into step with them. “I’m not the one smelling berries!”

Eddie tosses a grin over his shoulder. “Sucks for you,” he says. “It smells great.”

Buck makes a wounded noise and wheels around to look at Bobby.

Bobby pats him on the shoulder, pausing to squeeze, and answering without Buck even needing to ask, “Sweetest thing you’ve ever smelled,” he says easily before following the rest of the team. Buck stands there for a beat, pouting, before running after them.

“Okay, but!” He calls, “What kind of berries?”

They manage to wipe off most of the dust, and Bobby makes the executive decision for a grocery run pit stop—which is pretty impeccable timing as Buck’s stomach grumbles sadly at the memory of the breakfast sandwich left on the table two calls ago right as they pull into the parking lot.

“What’s the budget, Cap?” Eddie asks as he climbs out and steps aside so Buck can follow. He stays stationed at the door until Buck’s feet hit the ground, and then he’s twisting to stand at his side, and Buck’s definitely not feeling a rush of warmth at the easy, almost fluid, motion of it. Like the flow of water against gravity—only one possible way to go.

Side by side.

“Fifty each,” Buck inhales, grinning and flipping over to Eddie and finding his grin’s twin on Eddie’s face. “Make sure you get some snacks for B and C team!”

Chim rolls his eyes as he pulls a cart from the rack and shoves it towards Hen like the well oiled machine they are. “Saltines and cheese for B and C team it is.”

Hen snickers and moves towards the door. “Maybe some trail mix.” She pauses, glancing over her shoulder. “We’ll hit non-perishables. Who’s got frozen?”

Eddie grabs another cart and Buck catches it with ease as he pushes it towards him. “We’ve got it. Bakery?”

Ravi grabs the next cart. “Do we want scratch or—“

“Scratch!” The rest of the team chorus as Bobby slides in for the final cart. Buck’s smile softens as Eddie turns to him and waggles his eyebrows.

“Get something good,” Eddie calls as they move through the doors. “Buck’s got a recipe for whatever you get.”

“Do I?” Buck asks, grinning at him as they take a hard left to head to the back left of the store.

Eddie shrugs. “Probably,” he wrinkles nose. “And if not, I have faith you’ll figure something out. You always do.”

Ravi sighs behind them. “I’ll text you options.” Buck nods, but doesn’t tear his gaze from Eddie as they go, pep in his step as they head towards the freezer section. “Good talk! Thanks, guys!” It’s sarcastic and resigned.

“Welcome!” They say, each waving a hand over their shoulders at him.

Eddie huffs a laugh as Ravi’s cart creaks in the opposite direction and then turns down an aisle. “Crazy call, huh?” He asks, eyeing the cereal boxes as they pass them.

Buck nods, instinctively reaching out and grabbing a box of protein breakfast bars as Eddie snags a box of plain Cheerios. “Don’t we have a box already?”

“Yeah, but you’re almost out. Can’t have you cereal raging at 2am, Buckley.” He tosses a slow smile over his shoulder as he drops the box. Buck rolls his eyes, tossing the protein bars in the cart and pushing the back wheel with the toe of his boot.

“Keep it moving, Diaz,” he says, chidingly, even if it does feel good to be known so explicitly.

God.

This used to be easier. Trolling the aisles, laughing at each other and their bad habits—before he started recognizing the feeling in his chest and swooping in his stomach every time Eddie fails to walk in a straight line and his shoulder bumps into Bucks.

Just friendly things.

Just friendly things.

Just friendly things.

Buck clears his throat, steps around to the side of the cart and pretends to look for something on the shelves. “Who do you think she was trying to spell?” He asks, glancing over his shoulder, breath catching to find Eddie watching him curiously.

“Huh?”

“Candy?”

“I think Ravi’s gonna get the candy?”

“No, the caller. Candy.” Eddie blinks. “The potion brewer?”

“Oh.” Eddie frowns. “You had time to get her name?”

“Well, yeah?” Buck turns back towards the aisle and starts walking again. The creak of the wheels to their cart takes a second to follow him, but it’s at his back a moment later and he adds, “She said it was a home brew.”

Eddie huffs. “Don’t go getting any crazy ideas.”

“Like what?” He grabs a variety pack of oatmeal and drops it in the cart.

The cart pauses, and Eddie removes the box without comment, setting it back on the shelf before following. “Like trying to brew your own love potion?”

Buck pauses, turning. “And who do you expect me to love potion?”

“Candy?” Eddie shrugs. “Or any of the other countless callers throwing themselves at you on the daily.”

“What about that makes it seem like I need a love potion?” Eddie makes a face and Buck huffs turning to him fully. “I could make anyone fall in love with me, I don’t need a love potion!”

Not anyone.

Not Eddie.

But there’s no potion to cure heterosexuality, either, not in any meaningful way, at least, so.

Eddie snorts. “Sure, bud.”

“Are you doubting me?”

“Is it doubting you if your relationship history is Exhibit A?”

“You’re one to talk!”

Buck grabs the side of the cart and raises his eyebrows, expecting Eddie to charge at him with it, but he just laughs and lightly tugs the cart. “It was probably for a crush,” he says, easily, as Buck releases the cart and they start towards the freezer section. “She seemed pretty young.”

“I can’t imagine it,” Buck murmurs, glancing back at him. “You know? Forcing someone to love you. I wouldn’t want that. I’d—I’d only want it if it were real. What’s the point if it’s not real?”

Eddie tilts his head, the hinges of his jaw clenching before he nods and pushes forward. “Same.”

“Same? That’s all you have to say?”

He shrugs, turning down the freezer aisle. “What do you want me to say? Only someone who’s incredibly selfish would take someone’s autonomy like that. I hope they take her brewers license and she never has a chance to try again.”

Buck shrugs, remembering the look on her face. “Maybe it was desperation,” he offers. Love someone too much and it does crazy things to the brain. He’d know. He’s staring at the person currently driving his insane.

Eddie scoffs. “If it’s desperation that led her to that? It wasn’t for love. I've been there.” He looks Buck in the eye for a beat, brow furrowing, and then turns and looks at the freezer units instead, as if he’s looking for something. “Desperate for the person to want you back. Knowing you can’t have them, and you can’t do anything about it. I’d never be desperate enough to take that choice from them, though. Never.”

Buck follows him and asks, tentatively, “Shannon?”

Eddie frowns, turning to him. “Huh?”

“The person you wanted who didn’t want you back. Was it Shannon?”

The line of his shoulders go tense and he turns away, nodding once. “Yep,” he says, clipped. “Shannon.”

Buck opens his mouth to say—well, anything. Eddie loved her that much and she wanted a divorce and then she died. But something shifts in Eddie’s stance and then he yanks open a freezer door and pulls out a box of waffles, holding it up between them.

“Odds on me actually getting to eat one of these before the rest of the team decimates it?”

Buck, confused, wrinkles his nose. “Slim to none?”

Eddie makes a face, pouting, before shrugging and dropping the box in the cart and closing the freezer door. “I’ll take those odds.”

“There you are!”

Buck twists, nodding as Chim and Hen come bounding down the aisle towards them, cart full and grins on their faces.

“Here we are,” Eddie says, frowning. “Right where we’re supposed to be?”

Buck nods. “Are we taking too long—“

“No, we finished up early. Was pretty easy getting everything we needed once we landed on what we wanted.” His gaze dips down to their cart, dragging over each of the items within, an equation forming until he jerks his gaze back up to them, a frantic ding sounding in his head.

“Hey—that looks like everything you’d need for Caps lasagna!” Which can’t be the case because he and everyone else at the 118 knows that Cap’s lasagna is reserved for the worst shifts of their lives or special occasions. And today’s been weird, sure, but he wouldn’t say it’s either of those things.

“Wow,” Chim whistles low. “You’re good. But we knew that,” he elbows Hen. “Didn’t we?”

Hen nods. “Sure did.”

Buck frowns. “But I thought we only do that for special occasions?”

She grins. “We do, but, I thought—“

“We,” Chim interjects, rising on the balls of his feet and side eyeing Hen. “We thought—“

Hen sighs. “We,” she intones, “thought since you saved all of us today that you deserved a special reward, and since Cap’s lasagna’s your favorite—“

Buck frowns, “I mean, the cauldron exploded on you because I got distracted, so, I—“

Eddie elbows him. “You’re gonna look a gift horse in the mouth?” He asks, and when Buck turns to him, he’s raising his eyebrows as if to ask are you stupid? Which would be fine, but there’s something in his eyes that doesn’t match the expression, and he finds himself leaning in towards it, his own brow furrowing.

“I wouldn’t,” Chim says, snatching Buck’s attention. “Besides. Are you really gonna make us put all of this back because you don’t feel deserving of earned praise?”

Buck whips around to look at him. Barring life or death situations, earned praise and from Chimney have been sentences so at war with one another that Buck could probably find it in himself to believe they’re not even the same language.

He steps towards him, ducking his head, “Are—are you feeling okay?” He asks. Has half a mind to reach out and check for bumps on his head. Maybe they should have all run to the hospital, after all, gotten checked out. Adrenalin had been high following the explosion, and it had been an explosion—he should’ve pressed for a med check.

Chim stands up straighter. “Yeah,” He says, raising his eyebrows and puffing out his chest. “Are you?”

Buck blinks. “I—I’m fine, you’re the one who—”

“I ran into Cap,” Ravi says, interrupting him as he appears from around the corner of the aisle, his cart creaking as it comes to a stop, blocking Buck and Eddie’s from the opposite end. “And he said he wants to make tiramisu.”

“Oh,” Eddie breathes. “Yum.”

Buck looks at them, blinking rapidly. How are they missing that Chimney’s dying?

“Yeah!” Ravi grins. “Already grabbed everything we need for it. I’m still craving something fruity, though.”

“Me too,” Hen says, stepping in towards Buck and nodding at them. She holds her hand up in front of herself, motioning towards her mouth, “It’s like—I can taste it on my tongue, I just can’t—”

“Place it?” Eddie offers, nodding. “Same. It’s kind of driving me crazy.”

“Hello?” Buck says, waving a hand towards Chimney, “I—I’m sure the fruity mystery can wait until we figure out what’s wrong with Chim? He could be dying and none of you care!”

“Nothing’s wrong with me, Buckaroo,” Chimney says. When Buck turns back to him, wide eyed and worried, the stubborn ease on Chim’s face has eased. “Really. I’m fine.” He steps in towards him, holding a hand out between them like Buck’s a frightened animal. “Though, I’m a little offended that you think me being nice must mean I’m dying.”

Shit, that sounds like normal Chimney.

Buck takes a step back, looks around at the others who are all watching him with varying degrees of amusement on their face, and then sighs. “Sorry,” he says, sheepishly glancing back to Chimney, who gives him a closed lip smile and a nod.

“No sweat,” Chim says, reaching out and slapping him on the shoulder. He doesn’t let go right away, his hand lingering for a beat. “But I’ll remember that later.”

Hen reaches out, swiping his hand away, “Alright,” she says, chidingly, though her voice is tighter than Buck is expecting, and when he looks to her, he finds her eyes narrowed at Chim. “Now that that’s handled. Do we all have everything we need? I think I need a shower.”

“Ugh,” Eddie groans, nodding as Buck turns back to him, wrinkling his nose down at his uniform. “Now that you mention it—”

They find Bobby at the front lingering near the registers. Buck glances at Chim and Hen again, frowning at them as they chatter with Eddie and Ravi, before turning back to Bobby. Their carts come to a stop all at once in front of him.

“Everyone got what they need?” He asks them.

Buck nods. “Before you say anything,” he says as Bobby’s gaze dips down to the carts to see what they’ve grabbed. “None of this was my idea.”

Bobby huffs a laugh. “I know, Buck,” he says, lightly, as he turns to lead them towards check out. “It was mine.”

Buck blinks.

A hand claps him on the back, and he turns to find Ravi grinning at him. “See?” He says. “You did good today. Accept it!”

Something warm and thankful seeps into Buck’s chest, and he feels himself smiling before he makes the conscious choice to do it, and when he turns to share it with Eddie, Eddie’s eyes are on where Ravi’s hand is still on his shoulder. Which isn’t weird, but—

No, it is. It’s weird.

He looks back and forth between them.

“He does good every day,” Eddie says, ticking his head to the side. “Why don’t you go before us, Rav?”

Ravi squeezes Buck’s shoulder, and for a second Buck thinks he’s going to argue with him, but then his hand is gone and he’s going around them to get in line before them. Buck frowns after him as Eddie falls into place at his side, crossing his arms.

“He’s acting weird,” Eddie mutters, frowning.

Buck whips around to look at him. “Yeah?” He asks, turning to look at Ravi where he’s in line behind Chim. In the same breath, Chim turns around, where he’s at the conveyor belt and holds up a pack of—Buck squints, leaning forward to see better—peppermint gum. He grins, waggles his eyebrows, and then almost pointedly, like he wants Buck to see, puts the gum on the conveyor belt with the rest of his findings.

Buck tilts his head.

Chim breaks their gazes, his brows furrowing, as he turns to stare down at the pack of gum like he’s just as confused by the whole thing as Buck is.

“They all are,” Buck says, distractedly, as the cashier catches Chim’s attention, and he jerks his head up to grin at her.

Eddie nudges his shoulder with his own, and Buck turns to him. “All good?”

Buck looks back at the others. Nobody’s bleeding, and they’re all making easy conversation with one another. Maybe it’s Buck. Maybe walking in on the smoke, inhaling it without anything preventing the full dose, is affecting him. He doesn’t feel like he’s in love with anyone—except Eddie, but that’s about as base as breathing at this point—but something’s off.

Is it them acting off, or is it him?

He glances at Eddie. “I think I should get looked over when we get back,” he murmurs. “Something feels off.”

Eddie frowns. Steps in closer, a hand reaching out for him, settling lightly on Buck’s lower back. “What’s wrong?”

He looks back to the others. “I don’t know,” he says, distantly, as Bobby turns to them with an expectant look, motioning for them to get in line. He clears his throat and nods, grabbing the cart and moving forward as he dips his chin towards Eddie. “Think you can give me a quick check up when we get back?”

Eddie watches him for a long moment, the fingers on Buck’s lower back clenching around the fabric of his shirt, before he yanks his hand away and nods. “Of course.” He gives Buck what’s probably meant to be an easy going smile. “You know I’ve got your back.”

But there’s tension lining the corners of his mouth, a heavyset to his eyes, and Buck goes from mildly concerned to bordering on legitimately afraid.

Great.

Eddie’s worried.

If Eddie’s worried—

No—no. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.

Buck eyes Hen warily, where her knee keeps knocking into his as the truck hits a pot hole. She quirks an eyebrow at him. “You good?”

He blinks. “Yeah—it’s just. You’re sitting really close?”

“We’re in tight quarters,” she says rolling her eyes, but making no move to scoot away, even though Buck can see a solid five inches on the other side of her, where she could scoot to the side.

His gaze flicks up to Chimney, to see if he’s clocking the weirdness, but his gaze is locked on where Hen’s knee is pressed up against Bucks, eyes narrowed and jaw clenched. Buck frowns, leaning towards him. “Everything okay, Chim?”

Chim tears his gaze away and blinks up at him, smacking his ultra minty gum as he shrugs. “Never better,” he says, grinning. His gaze tracks back down to their knees and then narrows as it slides back up to Hen. “But I do agree. Hen’s sitting real close.”

Buck’s eyes flick back and forth between them as Hen glares at Chimney, and Chimney glares back. He twists to look at Eddie, finds him already looking at Buck, and tilts his head in a are you seeing this? motion. Eddie shrugs, bumping Buck’s knee with his own, a quiet let the weirdos be weird for Buck alone, as he turns to look out the window.

Buck looks down at where Eddie’s knee stays pressed up against Buck’s—frowns when he finds Eddie’s hand clutched overtop his own knee, knuckles white from the force of his grip.

God, he’s really worried, isn’t he?

Shit.

He pulls his phone from his pocket and shoots a text to Maddie.

Can you get with the potion brewer from the last call? Something’s not right. —

Buck watches as Hen, Bobby, Ravi, and Chim head towards the showers, shaking his head when Chim looks at him expectantly.

“You go ahead,” He says, waving a hand. “I want to, uh. Put the groceries away.”

Chim glances at Eddie.

“He’s helping.”

“I can—”

“No, you reek. You—You should shower. Um. Now.” He wrinkles his nose and waves a hand in front of his face for emphasis and Chim frowns, smacking his gum twice, before tipping his chin down and sniffing himself. His face wrinkles, and he nods, turning and following after the others without another word.

“Guess he’s sick of smelling like berries,” Buck says, turning towards Eddie who’s—whoa, way closer than he was a second ago. Buck nearly crashes into him, and Eddie takes a deep breath before following it with a step back and a head tilt leaning towards the ambulance.

“The smell’s changing,” Eddie says easily, turning around and heading for the ambulance almost as if he expects Buck to follow without word or reason. “Like when fruit sits in the fridge too long.”

Buck frowns, following him as expected. “Like — fermenting?”

Eddie hums thoughtfully as he pulls open the ambulance door and steps aside. “Maybe?” He shrugs. “Maybe a little boozy, yeah.”

“You’ll tell me if it turns into something bad?”

He rolls his eyes. “Sure, worrywart. Get in the ambo so we can look you over.”

Buck huffs and hops into the ambulance, taking a careful seat on the side of the stretcher, watching as Eddie climbs in after him and closes the doors behind himself. Locking them in and shutting everyone else out. Which is good. Yeah. Good. Because whatever’s happening to Buck, it’s affecting the team, and maybe if he’s locked away—

Eddie sits across from him and crosses his arms. Raises his eyebrows. Doesn’t speak, just stares at Buck, waiting.

Buck sighs, slouching. “I asked Maddie to get with Candy,” he says. “Just—to. To make sure there’s not some weird side effect to smothering the potion.”

“You did run in and breathe in a lot of smoke,” Eddie murmurs, shifting forward and looking him over carefully. “You’re texting Maddie about it, though. That’s serious. What symptoms are you experiencing?” One of Eddie’s hands comes out, settles on Buck’s knee.

Buck looks down at his hand. Goes a little dizzy at the weight and warmth of it.

He swallows. Looks back up, meeting Eddie’s eyes. Eddie’s fingers twitch, grip tightening and then loosening on Buck’s knee.

Racing heart. Upset stomach. Cold sweat. Unwavering longing.

But that’s every day.

That’s not potion explosion related. That’s just the by-product of being in love with Eddie pre-potion.

“Uh,” He says, breathlessly as he shifts and scoots back on the stretcher, Eddie’s hand slipping off his knee as he goes. “Paranoia, mostly, I—I think.” He makes a face, glances up at him. “I’m second guessing everything everyone’s doing. Convincing myself it’s weird.”

“In what way?”

He takes a deep breath. “I can’t tell if I think I’m in love with everyone or if I think everyone’s in love with me.”

Eddie snatches his hand away and he leans back, crossing his arms. “You don’t seem like you’re in love with anyone,” He says after a beat, and Buck looks up at him, finds Eddie’s brows furrowed and mouth pinched. “And I don’t feel any different than normal, so I think that eliminates everyone else being affected.”

Buck nods. “I honestly expected you to laugh at me for thinking everyone’s in love with me.”

“Any other day?” Eddie shrugs, unwinding his arms and leaning forwards. “Sure. But considering you smothered a love potion today, and Chim was unusually nice about it—“

“Right?” Buck gasps, leaning in towards him, wide eyed. It brings them close, closer than he’s really allowed himself to get to Eddie in a while, and he has to force himself to keep his gaze from dipping down to Eddie’s mouth.

Eddie inhales, his eyes fluttering shut, and then all at once tenses, his shoulders drawing tight, and then he’s pulling away, nodding as he scoots back on the jumpseat and swipes his hands over the tops of his thighs. “Yep,” he says, lightly. “Easy conclusion to come to with all that in mind.” He clears his throat. “But if you’re not feeling any physical symptoms, I think you’re fine.”

Buck’s eyes track the movement of Eddie’s hands, stalling where they stop at the top of his knees. He clears his throat, tearing his gaze away as Eddie stops speaking, and then nods once. “If you say so,” he mutters.

“I do,” Eddie says. Firm. Certain. Level headed.

At least somebody is.

“You hungry?”

Eddie groans, “You have no idea,” as he hops out of the jump seat. He grabs the handle to open the door and twists around to look at Buck, and Buck resolutely does not look at his ass. “Dessert for lunch?”

Buck blinks. Shakes his head and watches as Eddie pulls the handle, forcing an answer that he’s sure sounds as distracted as he feels, “I was thinking we’d reheat our breakfast sandwiches.”

The ambulance door swings open, and Eddie turns back to him. “And then dessert?”

Buck laughs despite himself and climbs out past him, if only to get a little distance between them. He tries not to think about how Eddie doesn’t scoot out of the way, or the press of his shoulder against Eddie’s chest as he passes him. Or the way it almost feels like Eddie leans into it, or how he almost manages to convince himself that he can hear Eddie’s breath hitch just before he pulls away to hop out of the ambulance.

“Duh,” He says, hopping down onto the ground and twisting around just in time to watch the flex of Eddie’s back muscles as he lands behind him and turns to reach out and close the doors. His gaze darts away as Eddie spins around to face him, and he points up to the loft as if that’s where his attention has been all along. “So . . . last one to the kitchen’s a rotten egg?”

He doesn’t wait for a response. Barely even has enough time to see it register on Eddie’s face before he darts around the side of the ambulance and races for the loft, the sound of Eddie’s surprised laughter in the proverbial rearview followed by the pounding of his footsteps behind him.

Buck flops onto the couch with his freshly reheated breakfast sandwich and a smile, sighing happily and all but unhinging his jaw in preparation of his first bite, when Chim and Hen crest the top of the stairs and make their way straight to him. He bites into the sandwich, closing his eyes at the sweet heavenly taste of melted swiss and brioche, groaning low, in the back of his throat as he inhales and tears off the first bite.

Damn, that’s good.

He blink, jolting erratically to find Hen and Chim have all but teleported right in front of him. His grip on his plate slips, and he very nearly loses his hold on it. The sandwich doesn’t tip over the side of the plate and into his lap, but it’s a close call.

Too close.

He glares at them. Since when does anyone in this house know how to move without making enough noise to wake up the dead?

“Sounds like you’re enjoying that,” Chim says, chewing his gum deliberately.

Buck blinks. “I’m trying to,” He says, tucking his elbows in at his side as Hen and Chim unceremoniously plop onto the couch on either side of him, once again jostling his plate. “Hey!” The sandwich teeters at the edge and he tips it back, letting gravity pull it back to the center of the plate.

He checks that it’s stable—precious cargo that it is—and then looks up, blinking as he finds both of them staring at him expectantly.

“Um,” he says, chewing what’s left of his first bite. “Hi?”

Footsteps cracking against the flooring catch his attention before they can reply, and he twists his neck to look; finds Eddie holding his own plate, a couple napkins, and two water bottles, standing there staring at the three of them. He looks between Chim and Hen, who make no move to get up, and then at Buck, raising an eyebrow.

Hen shuffles; scoots in closer, and Buck’s elbow all but jabs himself in the ribs. He scoots towards Chim to escape, but Chim’s immovable.

“Guys?” He asks.

“What’s up Buckaroo?”

“Why are you sandwiching me?”

Chim scoffs and leans forward to grab the remote off the coffee table. “In your dreams, Buckaroo.” He pauses when he grabs the remote, and then shakes his head before flopping back onto the couch. “Stop dreaming about me. There’s only room enough for one Buckley in my heart.”

“Uh,” Buck says, nodding despite the fact he’s not making any sense, and sets his plate in his lap. “Sure thing, Chim.”

Hen leans over and yanks the remote out of Chimney’s hand, smirking as he gasps and stares at her. “Hello? Is there no respect for finders keepers?”

Hen pushes into Buck’s side, narrowing her eyes at Chimney, “Finders keepers is only for the people who can keep what they find. You clearly lack the skills.” Her eyes darts over to Buck, and he blinks at her, watching as her gaze deliberately shifts back over to Chimney.

He kind of feels like they’re not talking about the remote.

And that he shouldn’t be here.

Yeah.

He glances back at Chim, watches the way his eyes narrow at Hen.

He should go.

He clears his throat, shuffling forward to push up off the couch. Eddie’s still watching them, his gaze drifting back and forth between Hen and Chim, and Buck hopes he can see the weirdness too. That he’s not imagining this. He raises his eyebrows at Eddie, but Eddie’s locked on Chimney.

A hand lands on Buck’s knee right in front of his plate. “Where ya going, Buckaroo?”

Another lands on the other knee. “Don’t get up on our account.”

Eddie steps forward, tucking the water bottles under his arm and holding a hand out for Buck. “Buck’s making cookies,” He lies easily, and Buck grabs at his palm, letting Eddie yank him to his feet, his sandwich precariously hanging on for dear life as it slides towards the edge of his plate. “He’s not getting in the middle of whatever you two are up to.”

Chim frowns, looking up at them wide eyed. The hand that had been on Buck’s knee fists in the cushion of the couch. “Who says we’re up to something?”

Hen flops back on the couch and frowns at them, unimpressed. “I was going to let him pick what we watched,” She says, before turning her attention on the tv and tapping the power button on the remote. “But nevermind.”

Buck blinks at her.

“You never let me pick.”

She dramatically rolls her eyes to look at him. “Exactly.”

Buck turns to Eddie.

Eddie watches the two of them for a beat, before turning to Buck with a shake of his head and turning to head for the dining table.

Just as they sit, Eddie across from Buck in their usual seats, Bobby steps the landing, and makes his way over to them. “Don’t get too comfortable,” He says, over his shoulder to Hen and Chimney where they’re bickering quietly about something.

“Why not?”

“We’re back on call. Everyone seems fine,” He stops beside Buck and pats him on the shoulder, hold lingering before he squeezes and pulls away. “Unless anyone’s experiencing any symptoms they haven’t fessed up to?”

Buck watches his gaze swing around the room, following it. Chim looks thoughtful, opening and closing his mouth a couple times, before shaking his head and shifting awkwardly on the couch.

Hen shakes her head. “Feeling like there wasn’t even an explosion in the first place,” She says easily.

“Yep,” Eddie says, and Buck swings around to look at him. “I’m feeling great.” He smiles, tipping his water bottle towards Bobby. “What about you, cap?”

Bobby’s brow furrows, and then he shrugs, gaze dipping down to Buck. “Never better,” he says, tone light and breezy.

“I just wish the berry smell would go away,” Chim says, huffing.

Buck twists around to look at him, finds Hen nodding. “Does it smell sweeter now to you, too?”

Chim wrinkles his nose. “Yes,” he groans. “It’s practically sickly.”

Bobby hums thoughtfully. “I’ll check in with Athena and see if she’s learned anything new from the brewer. If the scents evolving for all of us, it could either mean whatever she used is wearing off, or . . .” He trails off, gaze going distant and thoughtful.

The alarm wails to life and Bobby’s focus zeroes in on it, nodding to each of them as they all jump to their feet and run down the stairs.

Buck stumbles on the third step; three hands come out to steady him.

“I’m good,” he says, rather than meet their concern head on. “Let’s go.”

Ravi’s waiting for them in the engine bay, grinning. “What took you guys so long?”

“Buck tripped.”

Ravi’s smile falls, attention zeroing in on Buck. “Are you okay?” He asks, stepping in towards him.

Buck nods, frowning. “Yeah?” He says. “My dignity took the fall for me.”

Eddie claps him on the back. “Don’t say that,” he says, light, his hand dragging down Buck’s back as he steps away, towards the truck. “It did that ages ago.”

Buck rolls his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as Eddie looks over his shoulder at him with a teasing grin of his own before climbing into the engine.

Ravi huffs, and Buck turns to him. “You okay, Rav?”

He shakes his head, muttering, “Never better,” before turning and following after Eddie into the engine. When Buck climbs in after him, he’s taken Buck’s normal seat, sitting across from Eddie with his arms crossed, staring at him. Buck looks between them as he falls into the middle seat and buckles himself in.

Weird, but not overly so, right? It’s not like they have assigned seating.

Except they kind of do, don’t they?

That’s Buck’s spot. Eddie’s knees slot between his when he sits there. Now, they’re tilted to the side, crunched up between the side of the engine and Ravi’s legs; uncomfortably squished. If Buck were in his seat, they’d both be sprawled out into one another’s space and nobody would be uncomfortable.

Hen hops in beside him, scooting closer than Buck thinks she usually does, her shoulder bumping into his as she buckles up.

Ravi doesn’t look away from Eddie; gaze locked on him.

Did they get in a fight?

Eddie, for his part, pays him no mind as he pulls out his phone and shares the pictures Chris is sending him in real time from the pep rally for the big game.

“Since when is he into football?”

Eddie huffs a laugh, gaze going mischievous as he turns from the phone to meet Buck’s gaze. “Since the girl he likes is a cheerleader.”

Buck laughs, leaning into him. “Little ladies man,” He says, fond.

“I do not know where he gets it,” Eddie murmurs, much closer than Buck realized they were getting. Buck swallows, forces himself to look down at the phone instead of at Eddie. Or worse, Eddie’s mouth. Ignores the way Eddie’s breath brushes against his temple when he does, even though he imagines it’s the closest he’ll get to being struck by lightning for a second time in his life.

“Don’t you?” Ravi asks, leaning in towards them. Buck glances over the top of the phone to find Ravi staring at Eddie, gaze more intent than it was before the engine pulled out of the bay.

“Don’t I what?”

“Know where he gets it. I’ve seen your girlfriends.” He looks at Buck as he says girlfriends like there’s some deeper meaning to the statement that Buck’s supposed to catch, but just as he does, another picture pops up in the message thread, and he laughs at the sight of the mascot, turning to Eddie.

“Tell me the mascot isn’t about to—”

Another picture loads.

Eddie snorts. “Oh, I’m going to get so many emails about this.”

Buck’s stomach clenches with a big laugh as he takes the phone and turns to Hen, holding it out to her. “The mascot at Chris’ school pantsed the principal at the pep rally!”

Hen smiles at him, something soft and sweet as she leans against the door and looks him over. “You really do just . . .” She waves a hand. “Light up sometimes,” She says, shaking her head.

Buck blinks.

“Huh?”

Chim nods. “Like Christmas.”

Bobby leans around from the front seat, and Buck swings his gaze around to look at him, wide eyed and confused as he says, “Or New Years.”

What the hell is happening?

Eddie frowns at them. “No,” He says, taking the phone back. His fingers graze Buck’s, lingering for a beat before moving away entirely. Buck turns to follow after the phone, frown deepening. “He’s brighter than that.” Eddie smiles down at the phone, turning it to show Buck another picture; this one a selfie of Chris laughing at whatever’s happening in the wake of the pantsing.

Buck’s heart goes all gooey and as quickly as the weirdness in the cab seeped in from the parade of compliments, it’s gone.

“What are you doing?” Buck asks, dodging out of Chimney’s grip, swinging the jaws of life with momentum and jumping back a step to avoid jamming it into Chim’s hip.

Chim looks at him like he’s an idiot. “Uh,” He says, smacking his gum. “Helping?” He motions to the driver of the vehicle, who’s looking between them like they’re just as lost as Buck is.

Buck blinks, sweat clinging to his lashes.

What part of grabbing Buck’s hips is meant to help him? They’ve done this a million times and he’s never done that before.

“You didn’t have great leverage,” Chim says, dipping his head. “Are you okay, Buckaroo?”

The woman in the passenger seat groans. “Can someone get me out of this fucking car, please?” Buck and Chimney duck down to look at her through the window.

“Ma’am,” Buck says, as Chim offers a comforting smile, “We’re working as fast as we can.”

“Can you work faster? I want to get started on my lawsuit.” She looks pointedly at the driver, who flushes.

“I told you it was an accident!”

“Taking my creamer instead of the communal creamer? Sure, an accident. Grabbing my lunch instead of yours from the work fridge? Accident. I’ll even give you stealing my copies off the printer as an accident. But dosing me with a mind control potion is the opposite of a fucking accident, Harold!” Her voice rises shrilly the further into it she goes.

Rightfully fucking so, though.

Buck swings his gaze around to the driver, and Chim clicks his tongue.

“Mind control, Harold?”

“It wasn’t meant for her,” Harold whines.

Buck and Chimney look at each other.

Uh oh.

Chim stands up, nodding to Bobby. “Hey, cap?” He says, carefully light.

“Yeah?”

“We might wanna call Athena.”

“Athena?” Harold asks, leaning towards them, panic seeping into his voice. “Who’s Athena?”

Buck waves at him and steps back, holding up the jaws of life. “Don’t you worry about that, Harold,” he says. “We’re gonna get you out of there.”

Harold shakes his head. “No, listen. It—I wasn’t doing anything bad. She took the wrong drink and I didn’t realize it until after they drank them!”

The passenger scoffs. “So, you didn’t want to dose me into doing your sick, perverted fantasies, just Emelia? You’re sick, Harold.”

“No!” He exclaims, turning to Buck and Eddie with wide eyes. “No, listen—Emelia is, it’s not what it sounds like. Okay? I swear, I—I had Emelia’s consent! She’s—nobody knows? Okay. It’s just. A thing we do. Please, you gotta believe me.”

Buck clears his throat. “I think what I gotta do right now, Howard, is get you both out of this car safely, and then you can explain the situation to our good friend Sergeant Grant.”

Harold sighs, shaking his head. “I just wanted to get you out of there,” He says, turning to the passenger. “I—Emelia likes the thrill, you know? Nobody knowing that she has to do what they ask, and—it’s insane, I know. But, that’s why we do it when I’m there so I can keep anything from getting crazy. You really weren’t supposed to drink it. But I couldn’t leave you at the office to just do as you’re told without knowing why!”

She blinks. Then narrows her eyes. “You expect me to believe you were just trying to help me?”

He nods. “I was, I swear.” He turns back to Buck. “If you find my phone, you’ll see. We were heading to the clinic. I was going to tell them what happened so they could keep her from any interaction that would cross any lines.”

“I’m just a firefighter, Harold,” He says, holding up the jaws of life. Chim claps him on the back.

“We’ll have you guys out of there in no time! Ready, Buck?”

Buck looks back at him, meets his smile and huffs, nodding. “Always.”

Chim’s expression shifts, and Buck’s not sure what it’s meant to mean, but then Chim says, soft, almost meaningfully, “I know you are.” He smiles, a small fraction of a thing that—he’s pretty sure he’s seen Chim direct at Maddie a handful of times.

Actually, no, yeah, he’s almost certain that was Chim’s Maddie smile.

What the—

“Buck?”

He jolts into action, turning to the car with the jaws of life. “Yep!”

Work now, friends being crazy later.

Angelique, as Buck learns is the passengers name, pulls her arm back as soon as both of them are out of the car and Harold jumps in front of her trying to explain, and extends it with full force.

Harold sees it coming.

Buck . . . doesn’t.

Until he’s knocked backward into somebody elses arms, and there’s a ringing in his head and his vision swims as his sinus’ burn.

He brings a hand to his eye, wincing.

Somewhere far away he hears someone scream, “Buck!”

He looks at Angelique. “Did you just punch me?”

Her mouth parts guiltily and she wrings her hand out in front of herself, looking down and frowning at it. “That hurt,” she says, sounding as shocked as Buck feels, “They don’t tell you it’ll hurt.”

Eddie scoffs, appearing at her side. “That’s all they tell you,” He mutters. “Who just punches the guy who saved their life?” He looks up at Buck, gaze softening. “You okay, Buck?”

Buck nods, too shellshocked for a real answer.

Eddie’s jaw clenched and he reaches out and takes hold of Angelique’s bicep. His grip on her appears pretty light, but the hand at his side is clenched so tight Buck can see it going white from here.

She looks up, eyes widening as she takes in Buck’s appearance — he’s still just standing in front of her, Harold carefully rising to his feet between them. “Oh my god,” She shrieks, “I—That was not meant for you.”

A hand closes around Buck’s bicep and carefully spins him around, and Buck finds himself face to face with Bobby’s wide, worried gaze. “Are you okay?”

Buck nods. “Yeah?” He glances back at her. “You should probably work on that,” He says, pointing down at her hand where it’s already starting to change color.

“Don’t give the woman who assaulted you advice to get better at assault,” Chimney says beside him, “Have some self preservation instincts, I’m begging.”

Bobby gently pulls Buck around to face him again. “Go have Hen look you over.”

“Really, cap, I’m—”

“I’d rather be safe than sorry, Buckley,” Bobby says in his no-nonsense captain’s voice.

Buck sighs, nodding as he turns in the direction of the ambulance.

“I really didn’t mean to hit him,” Angelique says behind him. “I meant to punch you.” Ah, that’s probably for Harold.

“Assault is assault, ma’am,” Eddie says, voice carefully level.

Buck knows that tone.

That’s his if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop talking tone.

He would not want to be Angelique right now.

Hen meets him in front of the engine, reaching out and grabbing his jaw gently to turn it side to side. “Doesn’t look too bad,” she murmurs, eyebrows furrowing as she nods to herself and releases him. “Come on, let’s look you over in the ambulance.”

He lets her lead him to the ambulance and dutifully sits on the bumper, looking up at her from beneath his lashes as she pulls out the flashlight to check him for a concussion. She pauses when she turns back to him, tilting her head.

“You’re kinda cute when you look pathetic,” She says.

He pouts.

“I don’t look pathetic.”

She hums, in what’s clearly a disagreement, motioning for him to look up. “You know the drill.”

He sighs, walks through the motions of the assessment.

Feet crunch in the gravel half way through, and Chim says, “Cap wants to know how he’s doing.”

“He’s fine, a little bruised,” She turns the flashlight off and Buck blinks up at them. “But no more than usual.” She tilts her head and smiles down at him. “Now your birthmark has a twin.”

Buck reaches up and touches his birthmark on instinct. “Yeah?”

She nods. “Pretty.”

Chim shakes his head. “When you ignore the fact that it’s because he got punched.” He steps in, turns and sits on the bumper next to Buck. “How’re you feeling, Buckaroo?”

Buck shrugs. “Fine, I guess,” He says. “She didn’t even hit me that hard.”

Chim makes a face. “It’ll hit you later. But we’ll get you some ice, and Cap’s making lasagna. It’ll be like it never happened.”

“Lasagna does sound good,” Buck murmurs, looking up at Hen. “Are we headed back?”

Chim leans in, bumping his shoulder with his own. “Yep, cap said to come get you guys when you’re done.”

Buck nods. “Let’s go, then.” He takes a second to compose himself and then stands up with a quiet groan. Chim jumps up, grabbing him by the hip and lower back to steady him. “I’m fine, Chim, it’s just been a long day.”

Chim shakes his head, his hold on Buck firm and steady. “Lets get back to the station then, huh, Buckaroo?” He says, leaning in towards him.

Buck ignores how close he is, and asks, “What about Angelique and Harold?”

“Athena’s on her way. For now they’re taking statements and she’ll decide what to do with them from there.”

Buck nods. “Can someone tell Athena that I’m not pressing charges on Angelique? I mean, I’d want to punch the guy if he mind controlled me.”

Hen pats him on the back and takes up his either side. “Athena will figure it out.” She reaches up and ruffles his hair, her thumb catching the edge of what he imagines is the bruise forming beside his eye. He can’t help leaning into the touch; a gentle, barely present caress that’s as comforting as it is mildly disconcerting.

He blinks; looks between them. Something in the downward curl of their mouths tells him that they’re not telling Athena anything.

In the engine, Buck rests his head against the window and closes his eyes. Eddie’s knees tuck between his, their normal steady presence, and the rest of the team is quiet. He watches them in the reflection of the window, but closes his eyes when he realizes they’re all just looking at him with the same concerned expression on their faces.

“I really think we should take him to Pres just to be safe,” Chim says.

Buck groans, and without moving saying, “I’m fine, Chim.”

“I don’t know, man, she had a mean right hook.”

“It was her left hand,” Eddie corrects. Buck twists his head to look at him without leaving the window - the engine coasts over a pot hole and jostles him so Eddie warbles for a beat. “And if Buck says he’s fine, he’s fine.”

Buck grins, “See?” He says, closing his eyes and waving a hand towards Eddie. “I’m fine.”

Hen sighs. “If you say so.”

“I do.”

Buck moves to hop out of the engine, but Ravi’s standing in his way, grinning up at him.

“Uh. Hey — Rav?”

Ravi holds a hand out between them. “Just thought you could use some help getting down.”

Buck’s brow furrows. “It really wasn’t that bad of a punch—”

Ravi rolls his eyes. “Just take the assist, Buckley.”

Buck sighs. “Yeah, alright,” He mutters, reaching out and accepting the hand offered to him. Ravi’s fingers wind around his, grip sure as he takes on Buck’s weight as Buck steps off the engine.

He stumbles, and their joined hands yank Buck into Ravi’s chest.

Buck steps back and pulls his hand free. “Sorry, man,” He says, shaking his head.

Ravi just smiles, ducking his chin. “Don’t be.”

Which, what?

Silence in the truck? He can handle that. It’s not unusual after a call to leave the ride back to the station to process the call.

But, now?

Where are the jokes about how much of a klutz he’s being?

Where’s the laughter?

Why isn’t anyone taking full advantage of the fact that he got punched by a victim that he totally should’ve seen coming and dodged? Why is everyone acting like this is a near miss; like Angelique had razor blades in her knuckles and it’s a miracle he didn’t get sliced open?

He’s fine.

What the hell do they know that he doesn’t?

Buck opens his mouth to ask, but Bobby climbs out of the engine and points at him. “You, go take a nap.”

“What?”

“Rest your eyes. You’ll be man behind on the next call.”

Buck blinks; steps towards him. “Bobby, come on—” She didn’t even break skin. It’s not like he’s concussed.

Bobby steps in, shaking his head. He’s quiet for a long minute, and Buck’s halfway to building up an argument, when, finally, he says, soft and careful, like he wants Buck to understand the statement for what it is rather than whatever conclusion he might want to jump to, “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”

Typical Bobby.

Meeting Buck’s defiance head on with the kind of sincerity that sweeps all the defiance right out of Buck’s system with so little effort that it should be embarrassing. Would be if it weren’t so world affirming in the most surprising and bone deep way.

“Okay,” Buck murmurs.

Bobby smiles, resting a hand on Buck’s shoulder and squeezing. “Thank you.”

His hand lingers, his gaze meeting Buck’s for a moment longer than normal, and then he squeezes one more time, and turns to head for his office.

Buck stares after him.

Damn it.

It’s almost ridiculous how easily he falls asleep, and how deep into it he falls.

He thinks, at some point, someone sits with him in the bed. That a warm hand pushes the curls off his forehead, stays there in their place. That they stay for a while. Just sitting with him. Quiet and comfortable.

But when he wakes up there’s no evidence of them having ever been there, so it’s probably just a dream.

Buck sits up and swipes at the towel on his thigh to wipe the sweat clinging to his brow, heavy exhales puffing up against the fabric of the towel and sweeping back over his face. He drags the towel down and tosses it back into his lap and looks up, jumping backwards and stumbling off the side of the bench with a yelp and a splay of flailing limbs.

“You okay?” Ravi asks, peering over the bench, where Buck’s legs are dangled comically over them.

Buck blinks up at him. “Where the hell did you come from?” He asks, pushing up onto his elbows.

Ravi motions over his shoulder. “We just got back.” He tucks his hands into his pockets and slowly steps around the side of the bench as Buck unravels himself from it, his gaze sweeping over the equipment before sliding back over to Buck. “What, uh. Do you rep now?”

Buck pushes himself to his feet and grabs the towel from the floor, wrapping it around his hand as he stands. He shrugs. “Getting close to twice my body weight. Why?”

Stepping in, Ravi tilts his head up at him, blinking curiously, and Buck’s stomach twists uncomfortably. “So you could, hypothetically, lift me pretty easily, huh?”

There’s . . . no way he heard that right.

“What?”

Ravi steps in.

And, ha, okay, that’s—too close.

Definitely not normal Buck-Ravi distance.

Buck takes a step back, but Ravi follows easily. Takes another, and Ravi takes two to close the difference. He leans forward and lifts his chin, blinking up at Buck, watching him from beneath his lashes in a move that should make him, and probably would for literally anyone who isn’t already in love with Eddie, swoon, but that only manages to drop like an anvil in his stomach.

He stumbles back another step.

“Um,” He says, stutters, really, bringing a hand up to hold it between them but Ravi steps towards him again, and his hand gets crushed between their chests.

What the hell is happening?

“You could,” Ravi murmurs, and oh that’s a tone he wishes he could wipe from his memory. Breathy and flirty and Ravi are three words that belong on opposite corners of the Ravi triangle. One that’s so expansive and far away that Buck never meets the other corners of it. “Couldn’t you?” He presses up against Buck’s hand trapped between them, and Buck promptly drops it to his side.

“I—” He nods, gazing bouncing around the gym and then back. “Yes?”

Ravi blinks once, twice, and then a slow grin blossoms and Buck freezes.

“Ravi . . .”

“Have I told you lately that I really admire you?”

Buck frowns. “You—you do?”

Ravi nods. “I do.” He looks around the gym and then focuses in on Buck again. “You’re admirable.”

Something warm flutters to life in Buck’s stomach. “I, ha. I don’t know about that, Rav.”

“No,” Ravi shakes his head, gaze intent and serious as he meets Buck’s. “You are. You take a punch without batting a lash. You think so fast on your feet, and go out of your way to be there for the people you love.” He pauses, exhales, and adds, “Anyone would be lucky to be loved by you, Buck.”

Buck’s mouth parts.

Oh.

That’s.

So kind.

“I really appreciate that,” He says, softly, stepping in towards Ravi and ducking his head bashfully. “That’s—wow.”

Ravi looks up at him, the corner of his mouth curling upwards as he reaches out and settles a hand on Buck’s bicep. “I really mean it,” he says.

“Anyone would be lucky to be loved by you, too, Ravi,” Buck says, nodding and leaning in towards him. “You’re—”

Ravi leans up towards him, his lashes fluttering.

And Buck realizes what’s happening far too slowly to stop it — it’s like witnessing a train accident in real life, only he’s the conductor and he’s slamming on the breaks but they’re moving too fast and—

Ravi kisses him, his free hand coming up and cupping Buck’s jaw.

Oh no.

Oh, no, no, no.

Buck goes purposefully still. Eyes wide, staring at the close up shot of Ravi’s hairline and eyebrows.

Oh god.

Something clatters to the floor, and Buck uses the distraction to drag himself away from Ravi, hand shaking as he drops the towel and takes three big steps to the left. He turns to the source of the noise, his heart dropping down to his ass.

Eddie’s standing there, a few feet off from the entrance to the gym.

His water bottle’s rolling away from him, making a desperate attempt to escape.

Buck follows it for a beat, before jerking his gaze back to Eddie.

“Eddie,” He breathes, taking a step towards him.

“We were in the middle of something,” Ravi says.

Buck turns to him, pointing, “No—” He says, shaking his head and turning back towards Eddie, and holding that same hand up between them, as if he’s trying to tame a wild animal. “No. That’s,” He laughs, but it’s all awkward tension rumbling through his ever nerve ending as he shakes his head. Is this what mania feels like? The world tips and turns left to right and he repeats, “No. He, No. Eds.”

Eddie’s eyes dip back and forth between them.

“Eddie—”

Eddie’s jaw clenches; Buck can see it click side to side. The towel in his hand is preternaturally still.

“Sorry,” Eddie grits, “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

His voice is oddly hollow.

Buck’s not sure he’s ever heard him sound like that.

“You’re not,” Buck says, taking two quick steps towards him. “It’s just—”

“You two,” Eddie pauses, pursing his lips with a shaking of his head. “Have fun.” He looks at the ground between them, his brows furrowing like he wants to say something else—probaby a comment on how inappropriate it is to be kissing his coworker while on the clock, which, fair—but he just shakes his head and turns on his heel.

Buck watches him walk away.

He should go after him, right?

Clear the air.

It’s all a big misunderstanding.

But he doesn’t.

He just.

Stands there.

Until Ravi sidles up next to him. “Buck?”

Buck turns to him, vision tunneling in around the edges of him. “Ravi,” he croaks. “I am—I’m so sorry if I ever, I mean — I definitely didn’t know you, you know, but, I—” He closes his eyes and takes a step away. “I’m so sorry, man. I’m just—it’s. It’s Eddie.”

Ravi doesn’t say anything for a long moment.

And then, “Eddie’s straight, Buck.”

True.

But, still.

Ow.

“I know,” Buck sighs, running a hand through his hair. “But it’s still him.”

Ravi lets out a quiet little sigh. “Okay, Buck,” he murmurs, patting him on the shoulder. Buck opens and closes his mouth, but Ravi turns and follows after Eddie

What the fuck?

Please tell me you found the brewer.

Buck chews on his thumb, watching his phone as Maddie types up a reply.

What’s going on now?

What’s going on now? What’s going on now? Buck stares at the phone, wide eyed, how the hell does he even explain what’s going on now?

He types: Ravi kissed me.

Backspaces. He doesn’t even know if Ravi’s really out.

Replaces it with: Hen called me pretty and pathetic. Which might seem normal, but—

Backspaces.

Attempts: Chim gave me one of his YOU smiles. That’s weird right??? Why would he—

Backspaces. That might hurt her feelings.

It’s just weird. Everyone’s being weird, Mads.

A beat. And then, weird how?

He sighs. Just. Weird.

That’s not a lot for me to go on, Evan.

“Buck.”

Buck looks up from his phone, “Yeah, Cap?”

“Wanna help me with dinner?”

Oh, hell yes. Bobby is a certified safe space and he hasn’t been weird at all today. Make dinner with Bobby and get the secret lasagna recipe and avoid the weirdness with everyone else?

“Definitely.” He shoves up from the couch and makes his way across the loft. “Are we still doing lasagna?”

“Is lasagna still your favorite?” Buck nods. “Then, we’re still doing lasagna.” He beams as Bobby turns towards the sink to wash the 9x13 pan. “Can you get the supplies from the fridge?” He motions to the fridge with his chin, and Buck nods, moving towards the fridge and pulling the door open.

He reaches for the red sauce and tucks in the bend of his elbow, grabbing the diced onions, the three different types of cheeses the team grabbed this morning, and a few other things he knows Bobby’ll ask for at some point while they cook. They all teeter precariously in his grasp as he closes the door, and almost fall to the ground entirely when it shuts and Bobby’s suddenly standing in its place.

Bobby reaches out, catching a package of cheese and the container of onions, quirking an eyebrow up at Buck. “You good?”

Exhaling slowly, Buck shakes his head. “Just didn’t expect you to be there.”

“We really need to work on your situational awareness,” Bobby laughs, turning to the island and motioning for Buck to follow. The ingredients for the noodles are already laid out, and Buck’d be lying if he said he isn’t already salivating at the thought of it.

It’s nice. Working side by side with him as they make the noodles from scratch. Bobby drops noodle lore than Buck’s going to tuck away for trivia night or dinner at the Diaz’s so he can impress them with his cooking knowledge.

“Why don’t you get the rolling pin?” Bobby asks, motioning to the cabinet behind them. Buck nods, darting around him as Bobby shifts to go wash his hands while Buck retrieves it. He spins around with it, and Bobby nods, rinsing his hands up to his elbows, and motioning with his chin towards the ball of dough on the counter. “Start gentle,” He says.

Buck nods, stepping up to the island and positioning the rolling pin over the dough. He sets it atop the ball and presses down just enough that the rolling pin indents the top of it, and then carefully rolls forward and back. The water turns off behind him, and before he can turn to ask, Bobby’s behind him, arms stretching out around Buck, and hands settling on Buck’s wrist.

Buck stills.

“Uh. Bo—Bobby?”

Bobby guides his hands diagonally to the left, applying just a bit more pressure. “You can’t just go in one direction,” Bobby murmurs, right next to Buck’s ear. “It’ll create a longer shape. We need it wide and long, not long and narrow.”

Buck nods, eyes wide as he stares down at where their hands are rolling over the dough. He can feel Bobby all around him, can smell his cologne stronger than he ever has before, and he knows this is innocent, knows Bobby isn’t—but it feels—

Bobby releases him and steps back. “You’ve got it,” He says, voice commanding and fond all at once. “I’m going to get started on the sauce while you finish that up.”

Buck lets out a slow breath.

Okay.

Okay.

He’s just paranoid. Everyone else was acting weird, so he just applied that weirdness to Bobby, and Bobby’s just trying to show him how to roll out dough for their lasagna. Buck’s favorite lasagna. Of course Bobby isn’t—

God, he can never tell anyone about this.

He rolls out the dough, following the same path Bobby directed until it’s flat in front of him, a large round piece they can cut into for the layer of the lasagna, and then looks up at Bobby where he’s over the stove.

“Wait,” Buck says, crossing over to him and pouting. “I thought I was going to learn the recipe.”

Bobby smiles, but it looks like it’s more for himself than Buck as he shakes his head. “Not the secret recipe,” He says, setting the wooden spoon on a paper towel beside the stove and then motioning to the counter beside it. “But you can watch the rest of it.”

Buck looks down at the counter and then up to Bobby.

Surely he doesn’t mean—

“Go on,” Bobby says, turning to grab a pan and the beef from the pile of ingredients. “Sit.”

Permission to sit on the counter?

No fucking way.

Buck backs himself up against it, eyeing Bobby for a beat, before slowly sliding onto it and sitting perfectly still. Fully expects to be laughed at and told to get the hell off the counter. But Bobby just smiles and sets the pan on the stove, lighting the flame beneath it and snagging a few seasonings off the counter beside it to sprinkle into the pan.

Buck watches in a sort of trance as Bobby easily prepares the beef and the sauce, switching between the two pans on the stove seamlessly. Like it’s not a struggle at all to remember to stir the sauce while the beef is sizzling and demanding to be shuffled. Probably because it isn’t. It’s Bobby. The kitchen is his canvas, and he makes art with every meal.

Art that is, thankfully, edible, but art.

And it’s fun to watch the artist in action. Especially perched on the counter like a little kid, while his legs dangle in front of him.

Bobby sets the wooden spoon down and opens the silverware drawer to pull out a regular spoon, dipping it into the pan of sauce as he hip checks the drawer closed. He scoops a small bit of sauce onto the spoon, and Buck watches, expecting him to sample it and make sure it’s perfect, but then Bobby turns towards him, and steps up to him, holding the spoon out.

Surprised, Buck reaches for it, but Bobby shakes his head and steps between Buck’s legs.

Buck blinks.

This is normal.

He’s paranoid.

Bobby’s—

Trying to feed him?

Bobby’s hand comes up towards Buck’s mouth, and he smiles, “Come on, Buck,” He says, softly, “Open up.”

Buck’s mouth parts, not on command but in surprise, and Bobby takes the opportunity to lean in and gently feed the spoon into Buck’s mouth.

“And . . . close,” Bobby murmurs.

Buck closes his mouth.

Flavor explodes on his tongue, but he can’t really pay it any mind. Because Bobby’s standing so close, Buck can feel him pressed against the insides of his thighs; his breath coasts along Buck’s cheeks, and he’s watching so intently, eyes sweeping over Buck’s face, like he wants to experience every moment of Buck tasting the sauce.

Buck’s hands clench around the edge of the counter, fingers clinging to the surface so tightly it hurts.

Bobby gently pulls the spoon out, and Buck cringes as it slips from between his lips, leaving only the sauce behind. It tastes good, he’s sure it does. But Bobby’s eyes follow the spoon out, and then he sets it on the counter, and that focus is back on Buck. “Well?” He asks, closing the gap just a bit more as he leans in even closer, his hands finding purchase on the counter on either side of Buck.

Boxing him in.

Oh god.

He swallows the sauce and nods, eyes darting to the side over Bobby’s shoulder. “It’s good,” He says shortly, nodding. “Yep, it—it’s. Good.” He clears his throat. “We should—”

“You don’t think it’s missing anything?”

Bobby’s so close, and he’s speaking so low, his voice is a rumble in the space between them that Buck can feel in his chest.

He’s not reading this wrong.

He can’t be.

This is—

God.

Bobby’s putting the moves on him.

He’s going to be sick.

“N—Nope,” Buck says, gaze going to the ceiling.

Maybe prayer.

He can pray all this away. Can’t he?

Dear God, it’s Buck. Help! 9-1-1. Emergency. SOS.

“Buck?”

Fuck.

Thanks a lot, God.

Buck shakes his head, leaning back towards the cabinets, the bottom edge digging into the back of his neck. “Nope,” He says, throat tight. “Tastes—perfect. Yep. Perfect.”

“Maybe another—”

“No!” Buck yelps, hands flying up to splay out between them.

Bobby raises an eyebrow.

“I—I mean. I. It’s perfect, we don’t need to do anything else to it. And I—I don’t want to eat it all before it—it’s all combined.” He nods to himself. That makes sense, right? Okay, yeah, a small spoonful isn’t going to deplete the entire pan of sauce, but—

Bobby tilts his head. The corner of his mouth curls up.

Oh, god.

“Are you okay, Buck?”

Is he okay?

Is he okay?

No!

And no!

“I—” He looks around the room for an excuse to escape, and Bobby shifts ever closer—god, no, please—and Buck blurts, “I have to pee.” He nods to himself. “Yeah, I—” He motions to Bobby frantically, and Bobby takes a confused step back, and Buck takes the opportunity to slide off the counter and out to the side. “I—bye!”

And then he bolts across the loft and down the stairs, heart hammering in his chest, listening to see if Bobby’s following after him. It doesn’t sound like it, but he’s not taking any chances, here.

He darts around the corner towards the bunk room and crashes into the wall, holding himself up against it just as the door to the bunkroom opens and Eddie emerges.

He freezes at the sight of Buck, and Buck goes so so still he’s worried he’s managed to stop his own heartbeat, but then his chest shudders and he inhales sharply. Not his heartbeat, then. Just his breathing.

Cool.

Cool.

Great.

Eddie narrows his eyes. “Why do you look like that?”

Like his pseudo father figure just put the moves on him in the kitchen and might’ve been about five seconds from kissing Buck?

Buck laughs, the sound of it manic and high even to his own ears.

“Like what?” He asks. “I—I don’t—”

Eddie steps in towards him, brow furrowing. “No, what’s wrong?”

Buck looks him over, eyes frantic and jittery as they jump around Eddie’s every feature.

“Did Ravi do something?” Eddie asks.

Buck blinks.

Shit.

Right—

Right.

Ravi kissed him.

And Eddie saw.

Somehow that’s jumped to the bottom of the what the fuck list.

Buck shakes his head, swallowing down a lump in his throat. “No, I—” He looks Eddie over once more. He seems normal. Isn’t exhibiting any of the intense focus Hen’s had all day, or the weird softness Chim’s had, or the whatever the hell that was with Ravi and Bobby.

His shoulders slump forward as the tension eases out of him.

He’s safe with Eddie.

Whatever’s going on, it's not affecting Eddie.

“I think I just narrowly avoided Bobby trying to kiss me?” He says it fast, all in one breath, and he half expects Eddie to miss most of it, but he tenses up with each word like it’s as shocking and horrifying to him as it is to Buck.

And thank god for that, actually.

Maybe God did answer, after all.

Thanks, man.

“What?”

Buck nods, swallowing again and pushing away from the wall. “He—we were cooking, and this is going to sound like something I made up, but Eddie, you have to believe me, I’m not imagining this. Everyone’s being crazy. I know we dismissed the whole love potion did affect us thing earlier, but—” He cuts himself off and inhales so fiercely it hurts.

Eddie nods, mostly to himself. “Okay,” He says. “I still feel fine, and Hen and Chim—”

“Hen and Chim? Eddie, come on, they’re—”

“Okay,” Eddie interrupts, grabbing Buck by the arms and holding him steady. “Jesus, you’re shaking.”

Buck takes a second to check, and, oh, yeah. His spine’s trembling so hard it’s wracking through his entire body. He backs up and presses himself back into the wall to steady himself. It mutes the trembling, but they still rocket down his legs.

He knows he must look pathetic when he meets Eddie’s gaze again, but Eddie nods.

“Okay,” He repeats, squeezing Buck’s arms. “I’m going to go investigate, alright? You—don’t encourage any of it.”

Buck frowns. “Encourage?” He scoffs.

“You know what I mean. You see them coming, you keep walking. It’s that simple.”

Is it?

“I’m not sure that’s true.”

Eddie ducks his chin. Meets Buck’s gaze and nods. “It’s gonna be fine, Buck.” He nods, once, and waits for Buck to mirror the motion, before releasing him and taking a step back. His hands clench at his sides, and he takes a deep breath. “I’m going to go check on Bobby.”

Buck nods, slumping against the wall as he drags a hand through his hair. “Athena’s gonna kill me,” He mutters mournfully.

Eddie huffs a laugh. “At least it’s not a tail.”

Buck looks back up at him again. “That’s not funny.”

Eddie just grins at him.

And, okay, Buck’s still reeling in the genuine trauma of the Bobby of it all, but Eddie’s smile is enough to ease him just enough to roll his eyes and let him go without argument.

At least Eddie’s okay.

At least someone’s still sane.

He takes a few more minutes to level out. Blinking’s hard, because every time he closes his eyes, he sees a close up vision of Bobby, and—no. Just—no.

He turns towards the engine bay. Maybe he can clean one of the trucks or something to distract himself. Nobody else is going to voluntarily clean anything. It’ll be the perfect hiding—

“Buck!” A voice exclaims, and he pauses, eyes sliding shut, before he turns towards it, attempting an easy going smile.

“Chim,” he says. “H—hey, man—”

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Chim rushes towards him, walking faster than Buck thinks he’s ever seen him move.

“You—” Buck stumbles backwards a couple steps, “You have?”

Chim nods, and as he gets closer, Buck can see—there’s something off about him.

“Are you okay?”

“Me?” Chim laughs, “I’m great.” He blinks, grinning as he finally reaches Buck. Buck takes another step back, looking behind himself towards the hall leading towards the bunk room. “Well, except for that smell. It’s everywhere.” He makes a face. “I’ve tried everything but it won’t go away.”

“Oh, I—” He takes another step back, flinching as Chim easily follows it, like they’re magnetized. Every move Buck makes, Chimney echoes. “I thought it was a good smell?”

“It was!” Chim shakes his head, dropping his hands to his hips. “But now it’s—rotten. Like so sweet it makes me want to throw up. And boozy, too. Can’t smell anything else.”

“That’s — that’s weird,” Buck offers, nodding, as he takes another step back.

Chim takes a step forward. “No kidding. Anyways. What are you up to?”

“Me?”

Chimney tilts his head. “You.”

“Nothing, really.”

“Oh,” Chimney nods, takes a step forward without Buck moving, and Buck takes two to keep the gap. “Maybe we should go watch a movie upstairs?” He asks, eyebrows quirking. “You, me, a blanket—”

Oh hell no.

“No, thank you,” Buck squeaks, turning on his heel and heading towards the hallway.

“Come on, Buckaroo,” Chim laughs.

“No screens, remember?” Buck offers as Chim’s laugh follows him down the hall. He twists, heading for the bunk room. Maybe he can barricade himself inside. Call Maddie for help and stay there until they figure out what the hell is going on.

Chim hums thoughtfully. “True,” He says, as if he doesn’t know that Buck doesn’t have a concussion and could easily watch a movie if he wanted. “Are you going to the bunkroom? Good idea. Nice and quiet. We could have some alone—”

Just as Buck reaches the door and reaches out for it, it swings open to reveal Hen. He stumbles back a step, holding his hands up in front of him as she grins.

“Buck!”

“Hey, no,” Chim calls, waving at her as Buck backs away further down the hall. The gym and locker room have glass walls he can’t hide in either place. God. This is a nightmare. “I saw him first. Back off, Wilson!”

Hen turns to Chimney and glares at him. “I don’t know who you think you’re talking about, but you’re not talking about my Buck.”

What the, and Buck cannot emphasize this enough, fuck.

He stumbles backwards further down the hall as Hen and Chim bicker, and looks over his shoulder.

The bathroom?

Yeah. That could work.

No lock. But he’s strong.

A new voice appears at the end of the hall, “Buck,” Ravi says, and Buck glances back to see him side stepping Hen and Chim, gaze intent and wild on Buck, “I was thinking about what you said earlier, and I think you’re wrong.”

A desperate little noise climbs out of the back of Buck’s throat.

He has no idea what to do.

They’re all insane.

“Buck,” Bobby calls, turning around the bend, and god, this cannot possibly get any worse, “Your dinner’s getting cold. Let’s head back up, yeah? Leave these guys down here.”

“I don’t think so, old man,” Hen scoffs, stepping in his way and turning on her heel to look at Buck. “Ignore him, Buck. You and me can—”

“Like hell,” Chim scoffs, darting around her and holding a hand to block her face from Buck’s view. “Buck and I have plans.” He twists to look back at her, holding her back with what looks like his full body weight. “And they don’t include you.”

His shoes squeak against the floor as she pushes them both forward.

Holy shit.

Buck stumbles back a step, gaze darting to the bathroom door.

If he makes a run for it?

They’re all moving towards him — fighting each other every step of the way, slowing one another down.

He could make it.

He takes a slow step back.

“Buck,” Ravi says, struggling at the backs of everyone else, practically using Bobby’s shoulders to lift himself up and make himself visible to Buck.

“Yeah,” Buck breathes. “I can’t do this.” He turns and makes a run for the bathroom door without so much as breathing in. The sound of several pairs of shoes slapping linoleum cracks and echoes behind him, and his fingers slip on the door handle. “Fuck,” he croaks, managing to wrap his hand around it and push the door open.

He turns, slamming it shut behind him just as they reach it. Spinning around, he digs his feet into the ground and presses his entire weight up against the door.

Fuck.

What the hell is he supposed to do now?

Wait. Maddie knows something’s wrong already. He should call her. Maybe she’s already gotten hold of Candy and figured out what’s going on. The dispatch center will understand. It’s an emergency and they’re who one calls in an emergency.

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and tells Siri to call Maddie, his back pushed up against the bathroom door as hands pound against it demanding his attention.

She answers on the third ring. “Buck? I’m—“

“Listen, Mads,” he stammers, lurching forward as the doors pushed, frantically slamming it shut and digging his heels in against the tile. “I—I know you’re working but—but everyone’s gone crazy! It’s like—like zombies but worse.”

“Buck?” A voice that sounds like Hen, but cannot possibly be, says from the other side of the door. “Come on out. I just need to see you.”

A scoff. “Like hell,” Chimney says, and Buck squeezes his eyes shut at the sound of shoes scuffing the floor outside like they’re shoving each other out of the way to get to him. “I’m gonna see him first.”

And as if the situation can’t get any worse, Bobby chimes in, “As the captain of this firehouse, and seeing as I saw him first I think you all should go upstairs and let me see him.”

“Captain Shmaptain,” Ravi snaps. “He’s my soulmate.”

“What are you talking about?” Maddie’s voice asks, slightly tinny through the phone.

The door struggles to open behind him and he drops the phone.

“Mads,” he says, panic slinking into every syllable. “I—I think—“

“Buck, come out,” Bobby says. “Please, baby.”

Buck’s stomach turns and he shakes his head. No, absolutely not. That—crime against humanity is what that is. As if the kitchen hadn’t been traumatizing enough.

“Was that Bobby?” Maddie’s voice is distant but rightfully alarmed.

“Something’s wrong with them,” Buck yells down at the phone. “I—I know I said I can get anyone to fall in love with me but this is not what I meant!”

“Oh my god.”

The door shifts beneath his weight and he scrambles to slam it shut before a hand can reach through and grab at him.

“They’re trying to break in!” He shrieks. “Ravi kissed me and Bobby—I don’t even want to talk about what Bobby did, I don’t think I’ll be able to look him in the eyes for at least a month. Mads, something’s wrong. Please tell me you got hold of—”

Outside a voice booms, “What the hell is going on here?”

Athena?

Athena!

“Oh thank god,” He groans, slumping against the door.

“Buck?” Maddie asks. “What’s—”

“Athena’s here! Thank you, Mads. Oh my god.” He turns towards the door. “Athena? Athena, help! They’re crazy!”

“Buck? Is that you?”

“He’s mine!” A voice snaps, and Athena scoffs.

“I think not. What the hell is wrong with you, Hen? You’re a lesbian!”

“I think it’s the potion from this morning,” Buck calls, shouting over the voices still calling for him.

“I’ve got em,” She calls back. “Alright, we’re not doing that,” she huffs, before there’s a loud thump against the bathroom door. “Everyone freeze! Now!”

“No, Athena, you don’t understand,” Ravi’s voice is muffled, so he must be further away than everyone else. “We’re meant to be. Please, no, don’t—”

His voice fades away, and then, one by one, the others’ voices crying for him do, too. Eventually, there’s no more pressure on the door at his back, but he stays pressed against it, firm and unmoving. Just because it’s gone quiet and still out there doesn’t mean its safe. Maybe they managed to work together to take Athena down.

Not likely, but—

He would’ve said half the things that happened today were unlikely before they happened, too. So.

“Buck?” Maddie calls.

“Athena got them,” He says down to the phone. “I think—”

“Buck?” Athena asks, knocking on the door. “Everyone’s locked away. Coast is clear. You can come on out.”

He exhales slowly and nods.

“Buck,” Maddie’s voice calls from the phone.

He ignores her and steps away from the door, reaching out and slowly inching it open. The only one on the other side is Athena, watching him with raised eyebrows.

“You wanna tell me what the hell happened?”

He opens and closes his mouth. “I don’t even know,” He admits, sheepishly. “I mean they’ve been weird all day, but . . . then it just. Went apocalyptic.”

She nods sympathetically, and steps towards him. “I’m glad I decided to come check on you, then.”

“Thank you,” He breathes, pulling the door open further. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t—”

“You know,” She says, stepping towards him, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all day.”

Buck stills. Slowly lifts his head to look up at her.

“What?”

She nods, jutting her hip out and putting a hand on her holster as she shakes her head. The corner of her mouth quirks up. Almost a smirk. “It’s the damndest thing, Buckley.”

Oh no.

His fingers clench around the door handle.

Please, no.

“What—what’s the damndest thing?”

“The way you can just get in a girl’s head.” She shifts towards him. “And her heart.”

Shit.

“Ha,” He laughs awkwardly, and then inches backwards. “Athena, you—please don’t shoot me for this.”

“For what?”

He motions towards her with his free hand. “This.”

And then he tucks himself behind the door and slams it shut in her face, pressing his palms into the wood to hold it shut. “Maddie? Please tell me you didn’t hang up.”

“I didn’t,” her voice answers, somewhere far away. “I was trying to warn you. I didn’t call her.”

“Buck? Buck, I’m here to help you!”

“How the hell—”

“I have no idea,” Maddie interrupts. “But Josh got hold of Candy. I’m on my way to get her and then we’re coming straight to you.”

“What do I do in the meantime?”

A pause.

“Don’t let Athena do anything she’ll regret?”

He sighs, dropping his head down between his shoulders.

“Buck? Are you down here? Oh. Athena?”

Buck lifts his head. “Eddie?”

Maddie curses. “Buck, do not—”

“Eddie’s not affected,” He tells her easily, before shouting through the door. “Eddie, Athena’s got it, too! Be careful!”

“Don’t even think about it, Eddie Diaz,” Athena starts.

There’s a pause.

And then,

“Please don’t arrest me.”

There’s a thunk, an annoyed groan, what sounds like feet shuffling against linoleum, and then . . . nothing.

Buck presses his ear against the door, straining to hear something.

But there’s not so much as a breath or step.

Oh, god.

Athena killed Eddie.

He jerks away from the door, stumbling backwards a few steps, staring at it wide eyed. She wouldn’t kill him would she? He wants to say no. But, Ravi kissed him. Bobby . . . treated him to the chef’s rendition of the pottery wheel scene from Ghost. Hen and Chim — if it can make them act like that towards Buck, god, it could absolutely—

Someone knocks on the bathroom door.

Buck inhales sharply, stumbling back another step as the door starts to open. He holds the breath deep in his lungs. Lets it burn as the door inches open.

Is this the part where he bids farewell to a cruel world?

A head peaks around the door.

The air rushes out of him in one ferocious gust. “Eddie?”

Eddie slips into the bathroom and reaches for him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m—where’s—”

Eddie makes a face. “She’s in the storage closet with everyone else.”

Buck frowns. What?

“How the hell—”

“You . . . do not want to know,” Eddie says, making a face. “Plausible deniability.”

“Is everyone affected under control?” Maddie’s tinny voice calls from the phone. Eddie looks down at the phone, and then back up to Buck, tilting his head.

Buck nods, moving to go pick up the phone. He sweeps it off the floor and says, “Yeah. Eddie got Athena. And I guess Athena got everyone else. So we’re safe? I think?”

Eddie reaches for the phone, and Buck hands it to him easily.

“We think Sandy—”

“Candy,” Buck corrects.

Eddie glances at him from beneath his eyebrows, tilting his head in a really? motion, and Buck nods, holding his hands up. Yeah, fair enough.

Nodding once, Eddie turns back to the phone. “We think Candy,” He raises his eyebrows at Buck, and Buck sighs, “Wasn’t entirely honest about whatever the hell’s going on with that potion from this morning.”

“Yeah,” Maddie says. “Josh and I are about to pick her up. She seemed pretty worried when I told her there’s a fire station of potion’d up firefighters who think they’re in love with my brother.” She sighs. “Which has me worried.”

“Why is Josh with you?”

Bucks stifles a laugh, ignoring the glare Eddie shoots at him.

“Because he was getting off shift and I didn’t have time to find anyone else.”

“I also,” Josh says, far off, “Happen to know a bit about potions. So I’m a resource!”

Eddie groans. “You would.”

“You know what, Diaz—”

“Okay,” Maddie says, drawing it out. “Buck, Eddie, you two go distract yourselves until we get there. If you hear any of them yelling for help or anything, I’m begging you to please resist the urge to go let them out.”

Buck scoffs. “I’m not letting anyone out,” He says. “I’m traumatized enough.”

There’s a weighted silence. He can practically feel her concern through the phone.

And then, “We’re almost at Candy’s. We’ll be there soon.”

“Okay. Love you.”

Eddie glances at him, his grip on the phone tightening, and then nods, holding it out to him.

Buck takes it with a small smile, and then brings the phone to his ear. “Love you, too. Be safe. We don’t know what Candy’s capable of.”

“You too,” She murmurs, hesitating before adding, “I know you think he’s acting normal, but please be careful. Eddie was there with everyone else.”

His gaze darts over to Eddie.

The one person in the building he’d want to love him.

And he looks the same as always.

Perfect. Poised. That stubborn strand of hair draped over an eyebrow.

God, imagine if Eddie’d come on to him today. Buck wants to believe he’d know immediately that something’s wrong, that he wouldn’t have got caught up in the hope of Eddie actually wanting him back. But, he’s not sure he can say he would.

What he told Eddie this morning was true—he wouldn’t want it if it weren’t real.

But if he didn’t know?

If he’d had a glimpse into what being loved by Eddie could be like?

“Buck?”

Buck blinks, “Huh?”

“I asked if you want to go sit in the loft until they get here.”

“Oh.” He pulls the phone from his ear and pockets it. “Yeah.”

Eddie tilts his head and takes a step towards him before stuffing his hands in his own pockets and asking, “Are you okay?”

There’s what sounds like a frazzled scream in the distance, muffled by the closed door.

“I’m not the one going crazy in a storage closet,” Buck says, forcing a laugh and stepping around him. “I’m fine. Come on.”

He looks like he wants to say something, but then nods, twisting to follow after him. “If you say so,” he mutters under his breath as Buck pulls the door open and holds it for him to go ahead.

Eddie’s standing at the counter eating a sandwich. The rest of their team is trapped in a storage closet, screaming to be let out so loud they can hear them all the way up here, and Eddie’s eating a sandwich.

“How are you hungry right now?”

Eddie shrugs, looking down at the sandwich. “Maybe this is how it got to me,” He says. “I’m starving.”

Buck nods, tilting his head. “Chim said something about the berry smell.”

Eddie wrinkles his nose. “Ugh, don’t remind me.”

“About Chim?”

“No,” He shakes his head and pushes his sandwich away with a sigh. “About the berries.” He stares at the sandwich for a beat, before sighing and moving around the counter to join Buck at the table, flopping down into his usual seat across from him.

“So it soured for you too?”

Eddie nods, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms. He taps his elbow with his index finger and looks down at where Buck’s hands are resting on the table. “Eventually,” He murmurs. Buck can’t be certain, but he thinks his leg is shaking beneath the table, too. “It started out getting really sweet. Nauseatingly. Easy enough to ignore, though.”

Buck nods, leaning in.

“Then it started getting sour. Not as easy to ignore, but I powered through.”

Buck nods again, smiling slightly. “You are good at that.”

“And then it got boozy. Sharp. I could almost taste it. It was . . . like gin, almost. Burning down my throat every time I—” He clears his throat and looks away.

“Every time you . . . ?”

He shrugs one shoulder. “Just every time I let myself notice it.”

“Jesus.”

His eyebrows rise with a nod. “Right around the time I went to the gym . . .” he sighs. “It started smelling rotten.”

Buck tilts his head.

“And then it just got worse and worse and worse and then—” He stops, brows furrowing.

“And then?”

He clears his throat. Uncrosses his arms. “I powered through.”

“You powered through?”

He hums a quiet, “Yep.” And then looks towards the stairs. “Do you think they’re almost here?”

Buck opens his mouth to ask what the hell I powered through even means, when a voice from downstairs calls out, much less frantic than the voices screaming from the storage closet. “Buck? Eddie?”

Buck pushes his chair out and goes to the landing, waving down at Maddie, Josh, and Candy. “We’re up here.”

Candy looks up at him. “Hi,” She says, offering a small wave. “Funny seeing you again.”

Buck points at her. “You! You’re fixing my friends.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Yeah,” She says on a long exhale. “First you’re gonna have to give me a bit more information.”

“What?”

“I don’t know exactly what went wrong.”

“You don’t know what went wrong?” A hand settles on Buck’s shoulder, and Buck instinctively leans into it, knowing without looking that it’s Eddie. “It was your potion!”

“It was my first attempt,” She calls up, at least having the decency to look guilty about it. “And the recipe was shoddy. I got it off a sketchy website, which, in retrospect, wasn’t my best idea, I know.” Buck’s mouth parts, and she holds a hand up, “But we’re going to figure it out! I promise!”

Eddie squeezes Buck’s shoulder, and Buck turns to him, wide eyed. Panic slicks down his limbs and along his spine, his heart slamming against his chest.

What if they’re stuck like this forever?

He jerks his head back to Candy. “Will they be like this forever if we can’t?”

Maddie’s eyebrows rise and she turns to Candy expectantly, too. Eddie’s hand tightens on Buck’s shoulder as Candy hesitates.

“Um,” Candy hums. “Define forever?”

“Why don’t you guys come down here?” Maddie asks. “Let’s get all the details for her, and then we’ll figure everything out from there. No use in panicking before we know all the facts, right?”

Buck exhales, inhales sharply, and Eddie turns to him.

“Hey. It’s okay,” He murmurs.

Buck shakes his head. “No, man. If I’d been quicker this morning, none of this—”

“That’s not true.” Eddie ducks down to meet Buck’s gaze. His eyes are wide and focused, dipping back and forth between Buck’s, and his hold on Buck’s arm is the steadiest thing he’s felt all the day. “None of this is your fault. You were just doing what you always do.”

“What?”

“What you thought was the right thing.” He opens his mouth like he wants to add something, and then snaps it shut and nods to the stairs, turning towards them in one smooth motion, gently tugging on Buck’s arm. “Come on. The sooner we talk to her the sooner it gets fixed.”

Buck nods once, clenching his jaw and allowing himself to be lead down the stairs.

Distantly, his name echoes down the hallway, slightly muffled and mildly desperate. He’s not even sure who it is at this point.

Candy paces back and forth in front of them.

Buck watches her helplessly, leaning into Eddie’s shoulder for comfort. Eddie accepts his weight and even leans into it, too, so they’re relying on one another to remain upright.

“Okay,” She comes to a standstill and turns to them. “So, you said the first sign was the berries.”

Buck nods. “They were all smelling them,” he says. “I couldn’t smell anything.”

Her gaze slides over to Eddie. “But you could?”

He nods. “Yeah. I’ve smelled them all day.”

Her eyes flicker back and forth between them, eyebrows furrowing imperceptibly. But Buck’s watching her every move, searching for tells, and he sees it.

“What was that?” He asks. “Why do you look confused?”

She shakes her head. “I’m not confused,” She says unconvincingly, twisting around and pacing away from them. “Okay. So, lilac smoke. Berry smell.” She twists back around, pointing at Eddie. “The smell. Is it evolving?”

He nods. “Yeah.”

“What’s the pattern?”

He glances at Buck and then to her. “Sweet, too sweet, sour, boozy. Rotting.”

She narrows her eyes. “Rotting?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Did anything happen to provoke the rot?”

Eddie’s spine locks, and he slowly shakes his head left to right. “ . . . Nope,” he says, his jaw clicking as he stretches it and looks away.

She glances at Buck and then back to Eddie. “Right.” Turns on her heel again. “Lilac smoke . . . lilac smoke. Berries. Boozy.” Her voice rises in pitch and she turns around again, wide eyed, as she repeats, “Boozy?” Before Eddie can answer, she swoops in closer, and Eddie tenses as she stops in front of Buck. “What kind of booze? Are we talking paint stripper? Or something lighter like whiskey?”

“Burned like moonshine.”

She nods, once, twice, three times, “Okay. Yeah. Okay. We’re getting somewhere. Is there a kitchen here?”

Buck moves to stand as she pulls a notepad out of her back pocket and a pen from her front pocket and starts scribbling in the notepad.“Yeah, upstairs. What—”

“I’m going to need a few things, but I have an idea.” Ripping a sheet out of the notepad, she looks over Buck’s shoulder. “Think you can make a store run?”

Behind him, Josh clears his throat. “Am I the only one who thinks we should err on the side of caution when it comes to the potion brewer whose shop we get called to several times a month?”

She huffs. “Do you often define women by their failures?”

Buck turns to Eddie, expecting to find him elated at someone else tearing into Josh for once, but finds his gaze zoned out on something else. Buck follows it to where the end of Candy’s long cardigan’s caught on Buck’s knee. He reaches out and sweeps it off, and Eddie blinks, turning to him.

Josh bites back at Candy, “Only when people's lives are in danger, thanks.”

Maddie sighs, and Buck twists around to look at her. “Right now, Candy’s what we have. Anyone else we call in will be starting from scratch and it’ll take a lot longer to get anywhere, than just . . .”

Eddie leans into Buck’s side firmer. “Working with what we’ve got?”

She nods. “Exactly.”

Candy waves the piece of paper. “So? Who’s going to the store?” Eddie tenses, and then starts to move like he’s going to stand up and volunteer to go, and Candy points at him. “Not you.”

“Why not?”

She narrows her eyes. “Because . . . We need you here.”

He makes a face. “Why?”

Tilting her head, she crosses her arms, and asks, like she knows something Buck doesn’t, “Do you really want to abandon him right now?”

Eddie’s jaw clenches.

“I’ll go,” Josh says, reaching out over their heads for the slip of paper. “God. If only to get away from whatever the hell this is.” Buck looks up in time to see his hand motioning towards the two of them and frowns.

Candy gives him a closed lip smile and hands him the paper. “Be quick. The sooner we get this resolved the better.”

“For your trial?”

She huffs. “No, for the people who are currently losing their minds under the potions effects. God, you’re snippy.”

“I’m not snippy.”

“Coulda fooled me.”

Josh inhales sharply. “At least I don’t feel the need to make a love potion to get someone to love me.”

Oof.

Point, but oof.

“Tell me,” Candy says, leaning in. “Do you? Have someone to love you?”

“Okay,” Maddie says, clapping her hands and stepping between them. “Josh is going. And the rest of us are heading upstairs.” She must give Josh a look, because he sighs and turns to head out the way they came in.

“Okay,” Candy says over the stove, nodding to herself. “I think this is it.”

Buck sits up. “You think?”

She turns to him. “I’m pretty sure.”

“What happens if you’re wrong?”

She glances back to the potion brewing, tilts her head at it. Then shakes her head and turns back to them. “Nothing. It’ll be fine. Why don’t you go get one of them?”

“Me?” He squeaks.

Uh-uh. No way. He doesn’t know what’s waiting inside that storage closet for him and he doesn’t want to find out.

“I’ll do it,” Maddie says, standing. Buck turns to her, wide eyed, and she smiles, holding a hand out to him placatingly. “I think if anyone’s safe going in there it’s probably the one person we know they won’t see as competition.”

Candy turns to Eddie. “What do you think?”

“ . . . that it’s a good idea?”

She hums thoughtfully and then nods to Maddie. “Okay.”

Buck watches Maddie disappear down the stairs before twisting back around to Candy. He expects her to be working on the potion, but she’s leaning back against the counter watching Eddie. Buck follows her gaze to where Eddie’s sitting in his normal place at the table, hands folded over the top of it, gaze locked on them. Buck frowns, eyes darting back to Candy.

She meets his stare head on, tilting her head.

The yells from downstairs momentarily get louder, and then muted almost immediately.

“Who was it for?” Buck asks.

She blinks. “What?”

“This morning, you told Athena it was for personal use. Who were you trying to make love you?”

She crosses her arms. “The potion can’t make someone love you,” She says, quietly. “That’d be way too convenient.”

His brows furrow.

Then what the hell was everything that happened today?

“Um,” He hums, shaking his head and pushing his chair back. “N—No. I can pretty much guarantee it can. I have first hand experience.”

Bobby would never have . . . and Ravi? No way. Chimney’s the best of them, he’d never do anything to betray Maddie’s trust or love, especially not with Buck. And Hen’s a lesbian. And Athena? Yeah, no.

She smiles at him, but it’s a little sad and a little pitying as her gaze drifts over to Eddie. “It warps what’s already there,” She says before Buck can ask. “Someone who doesn’t feel anything for you isn’t going to have anything for the potion to latch onto and rewrite.”

“Then what even is the point of it?”

She narrows her eyes. “Have you considered it wasn’t for somebody else?”

Before he can ask just what the hell that means, a voice exclaims, “There you are!”

Buck flinches. Shit.

“Are you just gonna sit there or are you going to look at me?”

“Why don’t you take a seat, Athena?” Maddie asks, leading her towards the table that Buck is currently sat at. He rockets to his feet and takes a huge step back, wrapping his arms around himself and watching Athena as she plops down in his vacated seat and looks at him expectantly.

“You let him lock me in a closet,” She says.

He makes a face. “I—I did, yeah.”

She swings around to look at Eddie. “I didn’t appreciate that.”

Eddie picks up his glass of water and as he takes a sip, says on a tired exhale under his breath, “Oh, you will.”

Athena narrows her eyes at him.

“What do you say we get you back to normal?” Candy asks, ladling some of the liquid out of the pot on the stove into a cup and turning back towards them.

“Normal?” Athena asks, frowning. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Candy approaches her with a fraction of the apprehension Buck thinks she should probably possess in the moment and holds out the cup. “It means you’re under the effects of a love potion, Sergeant.”

Athena looks down at the cup and then back up at Candy.

“And that’s a problem because?”

What the fuck.

Candy offers a small, sympathetic smile and leans against the table. “You’re married, yeah?” She asks, motioning with her free hand to the ring on Athena’s finger. Athena’s brows furrow, and she looks down at her hand, extending the fingers out as if seeing the ring for the first time. “I think your husband would really like to have his wife back.”

Athena closes her fist.

“And I think Buck,” Athena turns to Buck when Candy says his name, a frown pinching the corners of her mouth. “Would really like to have his friend back, too.”

“I would,” Buck says, voice hoarse. He’s not sure how Athena will feel about him calling her his friend later, but that’s future Buck’s problem.

Athena huffs and looks down at the cup. “I really don’t think whatever’s in that cup is going to do anything. I know what I feel.”

Candy nods. “I don’t doubt that one bit. Why don’t you prove us wrong?”

Athena glares up at her stubbornly for a beat, before reaching out and grabbing the cup. She raises her eyebrows at Candy and downs the contents of it one gulp before slamming it down on the table. Defiantly, she stares up at Candy, and Buck worries for a second that Candy got it all wrong, and then Athena inhales sharply and jerks backwards in her chair.

Maddie rushes forward to keep it from toppling backwards, and Athena’s eyes dart around between them, wide and surprised.

Her hand comes up to cover her mouth.

“Oh my good god.”

Candy smiles at her, picking up the cup and stepping away. “Welcome back, Sergeant Grant.” She looks over Athena’s shoulder towards Maddie. “She’s going to need a few minutes to come down. Why don’t you take her over to the couch?”

Maddie nods, stepping around and holding her hands out for Athena. She grabs on and lets herself be pulled from the chair and led to the couch. Buck tries not to think about what that must mean for how confused she is that she’s putting so much of her weight on Athena as they walk.

“Well,” Candy murmurs, nodding. “It worked.”

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Athena moans, falling onto the coach and planting her elbows on her knees.

Candy looks at her, frowning. “Can you elaborate? Is it—”

“I will not.” Athena snaps without looking at her. She does point blindly in her direction, though, adding, “I am having you shut down!”

Candy sighs, turning to Josh. “Why don’t you go get another one of them?”

Josh makes a face. “Do I have to?”

“Do you see anyone else who can?”

His gaze slides over to Eddie.

“He can’t.”

His eyes snap back to her. “Why not?”

“Don’t worry about why. Just go grab one of the others.”

Josh opens his mouth like he’s going to argue, and Buck’s right there with him for a beat, because, not that he wants Eddie to go offer himself to the wolves in the storage closet, why the hell can’t he? But Maddie stands up and says, “Can you please just go get the next person so our friends and family aren’t stuck in this state for longer than they have to be?”

Josh snaps his mouth shut and nods, snagging one more look at Eddie, before disappearing down the stairs.

It’s no surprise that the person he returns with a moment later is Chimney.

“There you are, Buckaroo,” He says, smiling wide and tugging at Josh’s hold on her arm to try and make his way over to Buck. “I’ve been calling for you.”

Maddie sighs from the couch. “Oh, Howie.”

“Mads, I’m so—”

“Don’t even,” She says, covering her mouth. “He looks lovesick. Oh my god.”

Candy sidles up to Buck and hands him the same cup she gave to Athena. “Maybe you should give this one the antidote.”

He blinks down at the cup, then up at her. “What?”

She leans down and opens his hand and forces the cup into it before taking a step back and motioning for Josh to drop Chimney in the chair next to Buck.

Chimney goes easily, falling into the chair and leaning in towards Buck with the sappiest, biggest smile and wide, gleaming eyes. His hands are tied together with zip ties — probably Athena’s from her utility belt — but that doesn’t seem to phase him as he reaches out for Buck’s hand on the table.

Buck blinks at him, eyes darting between his hands and up to his face and back two or three times before he manages to get a grip on himself.

Chimney leans ever closer, gaze intent on Buck’s face. “Your eyes are so blue, Buckaroo,” he murmurs, voice soft and swimming. “How did I ever miss that?”

Maddie snorts.

Buck glances at her, finds a barely contained grin struggling on her lips. “Maddie,” he chides.

“I’m sorry,” She says, turning away. “But . . .”

Buck looks back at Chimney who hasn’t wavered even an inch.

“I feel like I could swim in them if I could just get close enough,” Chimney breathes, mesmerized.

He supposes it would be funny if it were literally anyone else in Buck’s position right now.

But as it is, this is Buck’s hell, and it’s not funny.

“Put him out of his misery,” Eddie groans, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet, glaring down at where Chim’s hands are grazing the back of Buck’s arm.

Candy hums thoughtfully, “His misery?” She asks, voice light.

Buck slides the cup towards Chimney.

“Drink this for me?” He asks, dipping his chin and looking up at Chimney from beneath his lashes. He’ll cringe later.

Chimney grins brightly and grabs the cup. He doesn’t break eye contact as he brings the cup to his mouth and tips his head back to swallow the antidote. Doesn’t look away until the clack of the cup hitting the table slaps the air around him and his eyebrows furrow.

His gaze snaps over to Buck, and his mouth pops open.

Buck wrinkles his nose guiltily, “H—Hey, man.”

Chimney’s mouth pinches and his eyes go wide and narrowed all at once, like it’s hitting him in different stages.

Maddie steps up to him and kneels by his chair, reaching out and pulling his hands to her as she cuts the zip tie on his wrist with a pair of green scissors Buck’s never seen before. She smiles at him as Chim’s gaze shifts over to her, his mouth opening and closing several times in quick succession.

“Hey, Howie,” She says, amusement lining the words. “How’re you feeling?”

“Like I need to bleach my brain.”

She reaches up and cups his cheek, her lips rolling inwards with another barely concealed smile. “Why don’t we go sit with Athena?”

Chim nods, but then groans, squeezing his eyes shut tight. “Oh my god,” He whines, running his hands over his face. “This is the worst day of my life.”

Buck scoffs. “Try being me.”

Chim turns to him, “You don’t know what I—” He shakes his head. “I’m gonna be sick.” He shifts to look at Maddie, “I cheated on you in my head with your brother. Oh my god. I—”

“Hey,” She settles her face into one of sincerity. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

“I was thinking things,” He whispers, like he’s letting go of a deeply horrific secret.

She nods. “I know, Howie,” She murmurs, moving to stand and holding her hands out for him. “Come on. Let’s go sit with Athena while you process.”

He lets her pull him out of the chair easily and follows her, whispering mournfully, “I’m going to need so much therapy.”

No kidding, Buck thinks, followed quickly by, me too.

“I’ll . . . go get the next one, then,” Josh mutters.

Buck pushes away from the table and heads to the kitchen where Candy’s ladling the next cup of the antidote. She glances at him out of the corner of her eye, and then asks, quietly, “Are you okay?”

He huffs, “You know,” He licks his lips and frowns down at the pot of golden liquid. “I’ve almost died more times than I can count, and I think I’ve been asked that more today than any of those times.”

She nods, hesitates, and then says, “I am sorry.” Setting the ladle aside, she finally turns to him fully. “If that wasn’t obvious. Nobody else was supposed to get in the cross hairs of all this.”

“Why’d you make it?”

She rolls her lips to the side and shrugs. “People are complicated.” She sniffs and turns her gaze to the antidote. “Sometimes it’s easier to take the complication away.”

“Why would you want to—to force someone to love you like that, though?”

She blinks, and then glances at him again. “Who said it was for someone else?”

Buck’s brow furrows.

Something glass shatters behind them.

He jerks away from her, finds Eddie staring down at his glass of water in surprise. He looks up guiltily, “Sorry,” He says, “I went to grab it and accidentally knocked it over.”

Candy makes a noise at the back of her throat, but before Buck can ask, Josh and Hen crest the top of the stairs and Hen makes a beeline for him, her zip tied hands reaching for him even all the way across the loft.

“There’s my pretty Buck,” She coos. “God, you are a sight for sore eyes.”

Buck frantically grabs the cup Candy filled and holds it up in front of himself before she reaches him.

“Hi, Hen,” He says. “Drink this?”

She glances at the cup, then up at him, and then nods with a slow smile as she reaches for the cup with both hands and slowly sips it. She maintains eye contact until she’s drank most of it, and Buck watches as reality starts to seep in as her eyebrows furrow. Adoration shifts to horror in the blink of an eye and she jolts backwards, the empty cup falling to the floor.

“Someone call my wife!” She exclaims, twisting around away from him.

Maddie’s there with her scissors, gently cutting the zip ties, and Hen walks over to the couch on her own, falling down onto it with a heavy thump. “Where’s my phone? I need to call Karen. Oh my god.” She pauses, groans, and then, her voice thick, she repeats, “Oh my god.”

Athena leans forward past Chimney. “I need a drink.”

Chim nods. “I need three.”

“I need eight,” Hen says, making a face. “Scratch that. I’ll take the whole damn bottle.”

Maddie holds her own phone out for her. “Here,” She says. “You can borrow my phone to call Karen.”

Hen takes it, nodding. “I have no idea how I’m going to tell her I spent the day pining after Buck.”

He’d be offended if he weren’t on the exact same page as her already.

She gags, and okay, maybe he’s a little offended.

He’s young, he’s hot.

It could be worse.

That’s all he’s saying.

It could be worse.

“Where is my husband?” Athena asks, sitting up and looking at Buck accusatively.

Buck blinks.

Josh sighs. “Coming right up.” He turns and disappears down the stairs.

Buck looks at Maddie wide eyed.

He’s not sure he’s ready to face Bobby.

She nods, patting Hen and Chimney on the knees and then making her way over to him as Candy bends down to pick up the cup and head back to the pot on the stove. Buck turns and presses his back against the island, eyeing the pot, as Maddie leans against the counter and looks at him expectantly.

“I’m never going to be able to look them in the eyes again,” He says.

“I think that’s a bit dramatic, don’t you?” He gives her a look that he hopes conveys the gravity of the situation and she stifles a laugh, nodding as she glances over towards Chimney. “Yeah, okay,” she huffs.

“It’s not funny!”

“It’s a little funny.”

“Mads!”

“Just,” She waves a hand. “Give it a couple days.”

“Or years.”

“Buck? Oh thank god, I was so worried, baby.”

Welp. Guess Josh got Bobby.

Buck’s entire body cringes inwards and Maddie makes a face. “Oof.”

“Oof?” Buck asks, raising his eyebrows. “I’m going to need so much therapy my kids’ kids will need it and all you have is oof?” He pauses. “If I ever—you know what I meant.”

“Oh you better give that man the antidote,” Athena orders, standing up from the couch. Candy doesn’t wait to listen, meeting Bobby at the center of the loft and handing him the cup.

“What’s this?”

“I—I made it,” Buck says, raising a hand and twisting around to look at him. His eyes are glassy and unfocused until he meets Buck’s gaze. “Just. Just for you, cap. Can you try it for me? See how I did?” The fact he doesn’t gag on the words is a feat in and of itself.

Bobby smiles, a weird soft smile that Buck can guess in usual circumstances wouldn’t ever be meant for his eyes. “I know you did good,” he says, voice fond and proud all at once as he reaches for the cup. “You always do.”

He drinks it all, and then stares down at the cup for a long, long moment.

And then he takes a very slow, very deep breath.

He looks up at Buck. Open his mouth like he wants to say something, then closes it, expression shuddering, as he says, “No.” And turns away, “Nope.” He hands the cup off to Josh and doesn’t even wait for Maddie to cut the zip ties before flopping onto the couch next to Athena and staring blankly at the black screen of the tv.

“One more,” Maddie says, taking the cup from Josh and handing it off to Candy, offering Buck a mildly sympathetic smile in Buck’s direction before she turns to Bobby.

Buck wraps his arms around himself and mutters, “I’ll have to transfer.”

Candy pats him on the shoulder as she passes him. “Cheer up,” she says. “It’s almost over.”

“—no, listen,” Ravi’s voice says in the distance, growing louder as he and Josh climb the stairs. “I’m telling you, man. It’s fate.”

“Didn’t he chase you with a chainsaw once?”

A soft sigh. “Yeah,” he says dreamily. “Isn’t he cool?”

“Sure,” Josh clips, as thye reach the loft. “And, oh, look. There he is.”

Ravi’s gaze darts around until it finds Buck, and his eyes—which in this moment are giving their best rendition of Disney prince—lock on Buck. “Finally,” He breathes, tugging Josh along towards Buck, his hands still zip tied in front of him. “Listen, I’ve really, really been thinking about what you said earlier, and if you could just let me tell you why you’re wrong—”

“Ravi,” Buck sighs, running a hand down his face.

They stop in front of the island and Candy holds the cup out for him.

“He’ll consider what you have to say if you drink this,” She says smoothly, shaking it gently.

Ravi snatches the cup out of her hand and downs the antidote before anyone can even think of a clarification.

He slams the cup down on the counter and meets Buck gaze with a grin. Buck makes a face.

“Give it a second,” Candy murmurs. “He drank it fast.”

Ravi’s smile falls—it’s very dramatic. Like a puppet standing at attention as it’s strings get cut and it falls all at once. No warning, no cacophony of motion or stages of happening.

“Rav—”

“I have to die,” Ravi says, wide eyed.

Candy hums. “That’s dramatic.”

Ravi shakes his head, “no, that’s appropriate. Oh my—” Impossibly, his eyes widen even further, and he lowers his voice, “Did—Did I kiss you?” His voice goes shrill on the word kiss and then cracks.

“You did what?” Hen and Chimney chorus from the couch.

Ravi’s eyes slide shut. “I have to die.”

“Maybe leave the zip ties on this one,” Candy says to Maddie, her eyes raking over him.

Maddie rolls her eyes and steps up next to him and gently snips the zip ties. “He’s not going to hurt himself,” She says, glancing at Candy, before looking at Ravi meaningfully. “Right, Ravi?”

“Does anyone have a lighter?” He asks, eyes wide and distant, like he’s here but not really, “I need to set myself on fire.” He twists, his hand rising, the back of it pressing to his lips as he roughly rubs at them. He plops down on the last open seat and continues rubbing at his lips, like he might be able to rub away the fact that he kissed Buck.

Again, he’d be offended except . . . he can’t.

Maddie sidles up next to him, settling a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not about you,” she murmurs softly, pressing her forehead to his temple. “Please know that.”

He nods, winding an arm around her waist. “I know.”

Candy ladles another dose of the antidote into a cup and turns, walking past the two of them. Buck listens to her steps as they lead her to the table behind them, frowning.

“Your turn,” She says.

And he knows, without looking, that she’s talking to Eddie.

Not that she needs to. He already knows what Eddie’s going to say; so he stays perfectly still, locked in with his hips pressed into the counter and focused on the nearly empty pot on the stove.

Still, he hears it when Eddie says, “Oh. I don’t need—“

“You were in the room when the potion exploded?”

“I mean, yeah, but—“

“And you’ve experienced the evolving berry scent all day?” She tilts her head. “Particularly when you’re separated from him? Or someone else is near him?”

A long, heavy pause.

And then, “ . . . Yes.”

“Then you need the antidote.”

“But I don’t feel any different.”

Another long pause and a sigh. “Your knuckles are turning white,” Candy says lightly, and Buck can’t resist turning to look, Maddie’s hand slipping off his shoulder as he does, his arm slipping from around her waist.

Eddie looks down at his hand, frowns, and then looks back up.

“Your pupils are insane, too,” she adds, motioning to his face as he unclenches his hand from around his phone and extends his fingers. “I can’t even tell your eyes are brown.”

He clenches his jaw. “I’m telling you—“

“Dude,” Candy interrupts, setting the cup in front of him. “Just take the damn antidote.”

Buck steps away from the counter, twisting around entirely and clearing his throat. “I—he’s right,” he says, softly. Eddie’s gaze bores into him, intent and lingering, even as Candy sighs. “He acted the same as usual all day. I don’t think—“

“He is,” Candy interrupts, whipping around to frown at him. “And what that means is a conversation for the two of you later. For now? Either he takes the antidote and everyone moves on, or in,” she clicks her tongue, “three? Days? He’ll collapse, likely die, and then you get to spend the rest of your life feeling like shit, because you let him convince you he’s not under the effects of the potion.”

Buck’s gaze darts over to him.

His eyes are pretty dilated.

But if he’s under the effects of the potion, and he’s been the same all day—

Candy had said it herself. Someone who doesn’t feel anything isn’t going to have anything for the potion to latch onto and rewrite.

Maddie steps up next to him, setting her hand back on Buck’s shoulder and squeezing softly. “Are there any side effects of the antidote if he takes it and isn’t actually affected?” She asks.

Candy shakes her head. “Nope.”

“Then,” Maddie says, shrugging, “He’ll take it. Right, Eddie?”

Eddie’s brow furrows, but he’s not looking at her. His eyes are locked on . . .Buck dips his chin to try and follow his gaze but Eddie’s eyes dart up and over to Candy, before he nods once, a harsh, short jerk of his head up and down. “Yeah,” he says, tightly.

Candy nods, motioning to the cup. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Eddie glances at Buck out of the corner of his eye before pushing his chair away from the table and standing. He grabs the cup and holds it up pointedly towards Candy and then brings it to his lips. Buck tries not to watch the bob of his adam’s apple, but it’s a quick fight to lose, especially when a drop of golden liquid sneaks out past the closure of Eddie’s lips and slips down the column of his throat.

Jesus.

He looks away just as Eddie reaches out and slams the cup on the counter, defiant gaze locked on Candy like he’s trying to prove something.

Candy steps away.

No horror, no shocked exclamations. So—

Eddie exhales sharply, coughing like it’s a surprise. Buck’s head jerks towards him. His mouth parts, and as Eddie’s weight teeters left, then right, he darts towards him, reaching for his shoulders just as Eddie’s knees buckle and he grapples for the back of the chair, fingers clenching into the wood so hard his knuckles go white with pressure and the chair creaks against his weight.

Buck barely manages to catch him by the waist and save him from cracking his knees on the floor.

“Eddie?” Buck asks, panic lancing through his chest.

“Holy shit,” Eddie wheezes, folding over the back of the chair.

Buck holds him firmly, head swinging around to Candy, wide eyed and frantic. “What’s happening to him?” He asks, voice booming above the pounding of his heart in his chest. He swings back around. “Eddie?”

“Just give him a second,” Candy murmurs, watching Eddie carefully.

“What’s happening to him?” Buck repeats, firmer, gaze ripping back and forth between the two of them.

Eddie waves a hand weakly, shaking his head. “I’m okay,” He croaks. “I’m okay. Holy fuck.”

“Bullshit!” Buck exclaims.

Eddie twists his neck to look at him. “I’m okay, Buck.” A sweat’s broken out along his hairline, but his eyes have returned to the familiar shade of brown—the sweet molasses that easily pull Buck back in.

“It’s just the tension leaving his body,” Candy explains.

Buck looks him over, tracks the way the worried lines on his brow seem to have eased; can feel that the line of muscle that’s held Eddie upright all day has gone loose and pliant beneath his hands.

“This is just how the potion reacts when someone—”

“I’m fine,” Eddie repeats, raising his voice over Candys.

Buck glances back at her, and she tilts her head, curiosity in her eyes. She nods, once, gaze slowly dragging away from Eddie to look at Buck. “It’s just the comedown,” she says softly. “He’ll be okay.”

Eddie moves to stand upright, and Buck keeps a tentative hold on him as he rounds the chair and falls back into it, closing his eyes. His elbows find the edge of the table, and his hands drag through his hair as he takes in a big breath the Buck can feel the extension of in his palms.

Buck watches him breathe. Stands there holding him until it feels inappropriate to still be touching him. Gently, he pulls his hands away and takes a step back, watching the rise and fall of Eddie’s chest as his breaths start coming slower and slower.

Bobby breaks the silence. “I’m going to call in B shift,” he says, rising to his feet. “None of us are in any state to finish this shift.”

Athena grabs his hand and follows after him as he disappears in the direction of his office.

They sit in the loft in silence, Buck and Eddie eventually making their way to the seating area with everyone else. Buck sits as far away from everyone else as he can, but keeps his eyes on Eddie. He’s not going to miss any other adverse reactions to the antidote. If Eddie crashes, Buck’s going to be close enough to act.

Eventually Karen arrives.

She takes one look at the state of them, the coarse, defeated looks on all their faces, and then bursts out laughing. “I’m sorry,” she wheezes, as Hen grumbles about the horrors they’ve been through. “But you all would get dosed with a love potion. Of all the firehouses. It would be you!”

Maddie joins in, burying her face in Chimney’s chest as her shoulders shake.

“You try thinking you’re in love with Buck,” Ravi mutters, shuddering, “And then tell me if you can laugh about it.”

“I’m not that bad,” Buck mutters, glancing at Eddie.

“Nobody's saying you are,” Hen admits. “But you’re like our brother.” She wrinkles her nose. “Not to mention a man.”

“It’s not the man part that got me,” Ravi murmurs, leaning back in the couch, rubbing at his mouth again.

Everyone turns to him.

He sighs, waves his hands in a sad rendition of jazz hands. “Surprise,” he intones. “I’m pan.” Chim opens his mouth, but Ravi points at him, “if you make a joke about dishes, I’m gonna find a way to reinfect you with that potion and then find Harold and have him mind control Candy into forgetting how to make the antidote.”

And Chimney snaps his mouth shut.

“At least Eddie seemed to get through it relatively painlessly,” Hen says. “Not sure how he managed that, but. At least one of us did.”

Buck looks down at his hands in his lap so he doesn’t have to see Eddie’s face when he replies.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Eddie murmurs.

Unable to help himself, Buck glances up from beneath his lashes—finds Eddie looking at him already, and forces himself to look away again.

Laughter peels in from downstairs.

“The whole shift?” A familiar voice exclaims.

“Oh no,” Chimney groans.

Candy tilts her head. “What’s wrong?”

“A love potion! Yeah. Buckley!”

“B Shift’s here,” Hen sighs. Karen pats her thigh.

“Do you think the surveillance system caught any of it?”

They all jolt upright, meeting one another’s gazes. All at once united.

“On it,” Hen says, nodding as she turns and heads for the server room.

Ravi points towards the stairs. “I’m gonna find out what they already know.”

Chim nods, “Good idea,” He says, snapping his fingers. “You know them best.”

Buck looks at Maddie as Ravi descends the stairs and the laughter increases in volume at his appearance. “We’re never going to live this down,” He whispers, wide eyed.

“Like I said,” Maddie says. “It’ll be funny.” She pauses, tilting her head side to side. “Eventually.”

Athena leaves with Candy after kissing Bobby goodbye, a quiet, “See you at home,” whispered between them.

Candy looks over her shoulder as they leave, her hands cuffed behind her, and calls out, “Good luck!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Athena asks. “Keep walking.”

“I think they’ll figure it out,” She says, her voice purposefully loud.

Buck shakes his head, as Bobby looks at the rest of them standing in the engine bay, meets Buck’s eyes, nods once, and then leaves, headed for his own car rather than Athena’s cruiser.

Two by two and one by one the rest of them start to head out towards their own cars, awkward nods and waves passed between them. They’ll be fine in a few days, but even the idea of really making eye contact with any of them makes Buck a little nauseous.

Eddie clears his throat as they watch Ravi walk across the parking lot.

“Think you can drive me home?”

Buck nods without looking at him. “Of course.”

They walk to the car in silence, load into it, and for the first time in a long, long time, Buck reaches out and turns the radio on to fill the cab with something other than their breathing.

When Buck pulls into the drive and puts the car in park, he expects Eddie to climb out, but he sits there.

Sighs.

And then asks, “Want a beer?”

Buck should say no.

He should go home.

Process.

Wallow.

“Yeah,” He says, voice cracking. “That’d be nice.”

And so they go in together, and Buck slips off his shoes and takes his normal spot on Eddie’s couch while Eddie goes and grabs them each a beer from the kitchen. They don’t talk about the shift. About what happened. They don’t talk at all.

They sit side by side in silence and for a moment at least, pretend it’s just their normal post-shift ritual.

Eventually, even the silence is too much. Buck blinks and he thinks about Eddie’s ease the entire shift. The familiarity in his every touch and comment. How despite being affected by the love potion, it didn’t do anything to him. About how full of emotion everyone elses eyes had been, how easily they’d loved him. He sets his beer bottle and the ratty remnants of the label that he picked at on the table.

Eddie leans towards the table and picks up Buck’s mess and his own bottle and stands, headed for the kitchen to dispose of them.

Buck watches after him for a beat, before pushing up from the couch and making his way towards his shoes by the front door.

He can’t do this anymore.

He just—

He can’t.

“You’re leaving?”

Buck looks up from his shoes to find Eddie watching him from the doorway, two fresh beers in his hand. He slips his foot into the left shoe and nods. “Uh,” he says, clearing his throat. “Yeah. I—“

Can’t do this right now.

You spent the entire shift under the effects of a love potion, he wants to say, and didn’t feel a lick of anything.

It’s one thing to pine after him from a distance, thinking nothing could ever happen. But Buck watched all their friends, all day, people who could never in a million years feel romantic anything for him, trip over themselves because the love potion attached to whatever love they did have and warped it.

But Eddie.

Eddie—was Eddie.

And there’s really only one thing that could mean, isn’t there? Candy had implied it—and what that means is a conversation for the two of you later.

Buck’s a lot of things.

But he’s not sure he’s someone who can ignore that.

“I should really get home.”

Because that’s the difference between believing and knowing. Believing admitting his feelings would ruin everything between them, it hurt, but it was his and he never would’ve had to face it if not for Candy and her damn potion. But now he knows and the knowledge isn’t just a belief he keeps to himself, it’s simple fact.

He’s in love with Eddie, and Eddie’s so far out of bounds of possibility that not even a love potion could convince him to love Buck.

Bucks starting to get it.

Why his parents couldn’t love him.

Why every relationship fails just as he feels like he’s gaining footing.

It’s not that something’s wrong with him. That’d be easy. That would be something he could fix. Find the broken piece and replace it with something someone could love.

But there isn’t anything wrong with him.

This is just who he is.

He doesn’t get to have love.

And that’s—it’s heartbreaking and he needs some time to lick his wounds and pretend it doesn’t tear him apart—but it’s okay. It’s not like it’s something new, is it?

Now that he knows, he’ll bury it. That fantasy of a life and a family and a heart so full it’s bursting at the seams. He’ll bury it like he buried his parents' love. He’ll bury it like he buried every lonely night before settling in LA and finding his family here.

Bury it with Daniel and every other person he’s failed.

“No, come on,” Eddie murmurs, shaking his head. “Stay.”

“It’s been a long day, I just really want to get some shut eye, man.”

“We need to talk abo—”

Buck laughs, waving a hand, “No,” He says. Definitely fucking not. “We really, really don’t.”

Eddie purses his lips and looks away. “Can I at least explain before you run out of here and pretend nothing happened?”

“You don’t have to explain anything.”

He sighs, taking a step backwards to set the beers on the kitchen counter. “I think we both know that’s not true, Buck.”

“There’s nothing to explain,” Buck argues, shrugging. “It is what it is.”

Eddie rears back a step. “It is what it is?” He asks. “Wow.” He huffs a laugh and then turns around, pacing away from Buck, one hand on his hip and the other in his hair. He shakes his head, dropping his hands to his side and keeps walking, disappearing further into the kitchen.

Buck watches hims disappear around the corner of the doorway, blinking to himself in confusion. One foot in a shoe, the other halfway hanging out. He stands there for a moment, before nodding to himself and looking down to push his right foot all the way into the shoe. As he turns and reaches for his keys, Eddie reappears in the doorway, and crosses his arms.

“I’m sorry,” He says, shortly, like he’s not actually sorry at all, and might actually be mad. “But it’s not like I planned to fall in love with you.” He throws his hands out as his sides, and then releases them and they hit his thighs with an emphasizing slap.

Buck’s heel’s caught on the back of his shoe. He’s wiggling his foot and Eddie’s words don’t even register for what they are until he manages to slip past the heel and slide into the toe box.

And then he freezes.

“I don’t know what I expected when you found out,” Eddie snaps, turning around. “But it sure as hell wasn’t this.”

And, oh.

Oh, this hurts deep in his stomach. Like something’s taken hold of all his organs and wrapped them up in their fist and shaken them out.

He liked it better when Eddie wasn’t exhibiting symptoms. He’s not sure why now, after he’s had the antidote, but Buck can’t do this.

He swallows around a lump in his throat. “You’re not in love with me,” He says, softly, taking a step towards him. “Eddie, I—I think we need to call Candy, because you’re—”

Eddie groans, twisting back around to look at him, eyes wide and wet and frustrated. “I’m not still under the effects of the damn love potion!” He exclaims. “This isn’t new, Buck.” His voice cracks on Buck’s name, and he looks to the ceiling. “Jesus, I thought you knew.”

Dumbstruck, Buck asks, “What?”

“I—” He cuts himself off and shakes his head. “I didn’t know I was affected because I didn’t feel any differently.” He sniffs. “I’m so used to pushing down the way I feel about you, and some days are harder than others, so I just figured today was one of the hard days, you know? It was harder than normal, but it was just the same battle as always.”

“What?” Buck repeats, voice barely louder than a whisper. Drums roar to life in his ears, and a fluttering in his chest makes him breathless for a beat, but he can’t say for sure whether that’s his heart reacting to what Eddie’s saying or just a full scale heart attack.

It’s probably both.

Eddie nods, clenching his jaw. “God, I wanted to strangle Ravi for kissing you, but I powered through, like I always do.” he laughs to himself, but it lacks any indication of humor, thick and strung out like it hurts, like he’s doing it to fill something hollow.

I powered through.

He’d said that multiple times today.

“You powered through?” Eddie nods. “Okay. What does that mean?”

“I just did what I always do.”

“Which is?”

Eddie blinks, like it’s as simple as it is complicated. “Reminded myself that I can’t have what I want.”

Buck takes a step towards him, frowning. “Why not?”

“Come on, Buck,” Eddie mutters.

Buck shakes his head, takes another step towards him. “Why not?” Eddie’s lips roll inwards, and Buck nods. “O—okay,” He says, tossing his keys onto the couch.

Okay.

Time for him to make a fool of himself.

“I wanted it to be you,” he admits, looking anywhere but at Eddie. “Not—Not the loving me by force of it all, but the—the loving me at all of it all. And I know it was selfish and greedy and I should be happy with everything I already have with you, I just—have this—this vision in my head. And it won’t go away.”

He closes his eyes.

“You’re my best friend. And I know I’m needy and clingy and don’t have any self preservation instincts whatsoever, but I just keep thinking—” He squeezes his eyes tight and takes in a big breath before forcing himself to look at Eddie. “I won’t ever love anyone the way I love you.”

Eddie’s eyes are wide and wet, darting back and forth over Buck’s face.

He licks his lips. “I lied to you this morning.”

Buck frowns. “What?”

“At the grocery store.” He inhales shakily. “When you asked me if it was Shannon. The person I loved who didn’t love me back. And I said yes. I lied.” He takes a step towards Buck, swallowing. “And then all day I told you I was okay, but every time someone looked at you or touched or—or even implied any of that, I . . .” He trails off, gaze going distant.

Buck takes a step towards him. “You . . .?”

“Wanted to knock them out of the way and take their place.” He laughs, again. “I don’t know what I’m doing, man. I’ve—” He cuts himself off, inhaling sharply, like he’s frustrated with himself, jaw clenching. His hands fist at his side, but he shakes them out, and continues, “Never been good at the asking for what I want thing. Pushing it away? Pretending it doesn’t exist?” he makes a face, waving his hand lazily at his side. “That’s easy.”

Buck swallows thickly, nodding. “O-okay,” He says, taking another step towards him, watching Eddie mirror the motion. “What if, and—and you can say no, but what if you don’t have to ask?”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means . . .” Buck throws his hands out at his sides. “If you want it. It’s yours.” He winces, ducking his chin and looking up at him from beneath his lashes, “Me, I mean. If—If you want me. I’m yours.”

They both take a step towards each other.

Buck watches Eddie’s Adam’s apple bob, his own fingers twitching at his side, itching to reach out.

One more step and they’ll be chest to chest, toe to toe.

He inhales slow, careful. Watches Eddie’s chest rise with a matching breath.

And then they both take the final step.

“This could be the easy thing,” Buck murmurs, trembling as he reaches out for him. Eddie’s hands come up at the same time, latching onto the front of Buck’s shirt, as Buck’s slip over the sides of his shoulders.

Eddie huffs, “It’s us,” He replies. “When have we ever been easy?”

Buck swallows, gaze dipping down to Eddie’s mouth. “Since day one,” He says, softly, fingers clinging to the fabric of Eddie’s shirt just above his elbows. “I had your back, and you had mine.”

Nodding, Eddie shifts closer, tugging on the front of Buck’s shirt, his gaze dipping down to Buck’s mouth. “Buck . . .”

Buck nods, a perfect reflection, pulling on Eddie’s arms to drag him in closer, his eyes slipping shut as a breath eases out between them, and Eddie’s lips replace it.

Oh.

His fingers fist in Eddie’s shirt, dragging him in closer, tighter, pressed up so tight they can feel the pounding of each other’s hearts.

Eddie inhales sharply through his nose, one hand unraveling from the front of Buck’s shirt and slipping over his chest to cup his jaw, holding him like he’s something precious; not a prize, but something more. Buck leans into the touch, the kiss evolving; slowing. Dragging.

Buck’s had a lot of first kisses. A lot of glimpses at something.

Nothing like this.

Nobody like Eddie.

He wouldn’t say they needed today. Nobody needs what happened today.

But right now, he’s thankful for it, in some weird, tangentially related way. Candy’s still insane, and he’s still going to need more therapy than he knows how to ask for, and he’s not sure how he’s going to make eye contact with anyone come their next shift but—

Eddie’s thumb coasts over Buck’s cheek.

It’s a small price to pay, maybe?

Not that he’ll ever admit that out loud.

As they pull up to a call two months later, Ravi groans, “How the hell is she still in business?”

Buck hops off the engine, hands going to his hips as Candy runs out of the shop and comes to a stop in front of them. “Okay,” She says, “I know what you’re thinking.”

Eddie hops out behind Buck, hand sliding across Buck’s back as he moves to stand next to him.

Candy blinks, glancing between them.

“Candy,” Bobby sighs. “I know I’m going to regret asking, but what happened?”

She points to Buck and Eddie. “When did they get together?”

Eddie’s cheeks go red under her appraising eye, and Buck huffs. “Candy? Focus, please.”

She wrinkles her nose. “I knew I was right about you two,” She nods, turning back to the building. “Be warned. It’s a fart-brew.”

“A what?”

She shrugs a shoulder. “Some kids asked me to brew a potion that’ll embarrass their bullies. I got a little overzealous.”

Bobby sighs again, “Alright. Everyone mask up. Please, for the love of all that is good in the world, do not ingest the—”

“Fart-brew,” Candy supplies easily.

Buck turns to Eddie mouthing fart-brew at him, grinning at the red flush still tinting his cheeks.

“At least it’s not a love potion,” Eddie murmurs, turning towards the engine to unload the tanks.

Buck tilts his head, “I mean the last love potion—”

Ravi stops next to him, points. “If you say it wasn’t that bad, I’m transferring.” He raises his eyebrows and snatches a tank and a mask. “B shift still brings it up.”

“And,” Hen adds, leaning past Buck and taking the mask and tank Eddie holds out for her, “Now we get to be stuck with you two being disgustingly in love every shift on top of the life long trauma incurred at the hands of that love potion.”

Chim nods solemnly. “We really lost.”

“Come on, Chim,” Buck says, handing him a mask. “You don’t feel like getting lost in my eyes again?”

Chim’s face falls, and he points at him with the hand holding the mask. “Low blow.”

Buck grins cheekily, turning to Eddie.

Eddie’s gaze is soft. “You’re an idiot.”

“Yeah?” He asks, stepping in towards him. “What’re you gonna do about it?”

A hand grabs Buck by the shoulder and turns him towards the shop. “Nothing,” Bobby says, “Because you two have a job to do.”

Right.

Buck looks up at the sign at the front of the shop.

Eddie slips past him, reaching out to squeeze his hand once, before running into the shop, mask on, firefighter mode activated. And, like second nature, Buck follows after him.