Chapter Text
The rain was relentless.
It battered against the bay doors of the firehouse so hard it sounded like gravel being thrown at the building. Every weather alert on everyone’s phone had long since gone off, and every road report Bobby checked looked worse than the last.
Which was how the entire 118 A shift found themselves stranded at the station when they were supposed to be home.
“Movie night,” Bobby had announced.
Nobody had argued.
Mostly because Athena had already shown up twenty minutes before carrying enough snacks to feed an army.
Now the station TV room was dim except for the glow of the television and the light on down below.
Athena and Bobby occupied the couch like they owned it, which honestly, they kind of did. Bobby had arranged bowls of popcorn, chips, candy, and homemade cookies across every available flat surface. Making sure there was enough for B shift as they filtered in and out through the night.
Hen and Chimney were currently engaged in what could only be described as sibling warfare.
“You always pick action movies.” Hen said, rolling her eyes and shoving Chim.
“Because they’re good.”
“They’re explosions, Chim.”
“They’re cinema.” Chim gasped at Hen’s evil words.
“They’re Michael Bay.”
“Exactly.” Chim smirked.
Hen groaned dramatically.
Athena snorted into her drink.
Across the room, Buck was trying and failing not to smile. Mostly because Eddie was practically draped over him.
Buck sat in one corner of the sectional while Eddie sat beside him with his legs thrown across Buck’s lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Which, at this point, it was. Nobody even looked twice anymore. Buck adjusted the blanket over both of them, “It’s freezing in here.”
“It’s seventy-two degrees.” Eddie said, sinking deeper into the couch and Buck.
“It’s cold.”
“It’s not.”
Buck shoved Eddie’s knee. Eddie didn’t even bother moving, “You’re dramatic.”
“Says the man using me as a heated blanket.” Buck pointed out.
Eddie shrugged, “You’re warm.”
Buck looked ridiculously pleased by that.
Hen gagged, “Get a room or I’m filing a complaint to HR.”
“No,” Buck said immediately.
Eddie answered at the exact same time, “We’re comfortable.”
That somehow made it worse. Hen pointed at them, “See? This. This is why people think you’re married.”
“People don’t think we’re married.”
Every single person in the room looked at Buck.
Buck paused, “…Okay, some people think we’re married.”
Athena laughed.
Bobby hid a smile behind his coffee mug.
Eventually Chim won the movie argument by refusing to stop talking until everyone surrendered.
The movie rolled. The storm raged outside. And for a while everyone settled into comfortable silence.
Halfway through, the movie’s main couple finally got together.
After nearly two hours of longing looks, misunderstandings, and emotional speeches, they kissed.
The room collectively groaned.
“Took them long enough,” Chimney said.
Hen pointed at the screen, “Okay. Important question.”
Everyone knew that tone.
Athena sighed, “Oh no.”
Hen grinned, “Best on-screen kiss in movie history. Go.”
The room immediately erupted.
“Princess Bride.” Buck chimed.
“Absolutely not.” Eddie snorted.
“Titanic.” Athena chimed in.
“Overrated.” Chim laughed.
“Casablanca.” Bobby said.
“You’re eighty.” Buck deadpanned.
“I appreciate the classics!”
“Top Gun.” Chim said, an easy smile on his face.
“Which one?” Eddie asked.
“Yes.”
Buck laughed so hard he nearly spilled his drink.
Athena picked one.
Bobby picked another.
Chimney launched into a passionate defense of three separate action movies.
Hen mocked every single answer.
Then she pointed at Eddie, “What about you?”
Eddie looked up from where he’d been stealing popcorn out of Buck’s bowl, “Huh?”
“Best movie kiss.”
Eddie shrugged, “The Notebook.”
The room went silent. Buck blinked, “The what?”
Eddie immediately looked like he regretted speaking, “The uh, The Notebook.”
Buck stared.
Hen stared.
Chim stared.
Even Bobby looked surprised, “You’ve seen The Notebook?”
Eddie looked offended, “I’ve seen movies before.”
“Romance movies?” Buck asked, “Specifically The Notebook?”
Eddie shifted slightly, “My sisters liked it.”
The room collectively leaned forward.
Eddie groaned, “Ay Dios.” Eddie sat up, effectively untangling himself from Buck.
Buck looked delighted, “No, no. Keep going.”
“When we were kids they watched it like fifty times.”
“So you watched it too?”
“I was trapped.”
“You cried, didn’t you?” Buck asked, a shit eating grin on his face.
“I did not.” The hesitation gave him away instantly.
Buck gasped, “You cried.”
Eddie pointed a warning finger at him.
Buck was already laughing.
Athena was smiling into her drink.
Hen looked moments away from falling off the couch.
“It was sad,” Eddie muttered.
“Wow.”
“Shut up.” Eddie shoved Buck.
Buck couldn’t stop grinning, “Okay, but why that kiss?”
Eddie shrugged, “It’s a good scene.”
“The rain scene?”
“Yeah.” Eddie tried to shrug nonchalantly.
“The one where they kiss in the rain?”
Eddie immediately knew he’d made a mistake.
Buck’s grin turned dangerous, “Oh my God.”
“Don’t.”
“You want to be kissed in the rain.”
The room exploded. Hen cackled. Athena nearly choked. Chimney slapped the armrest. Bobby just rubbed a hand over his face.
Eddie’s ears turned bright red, “No.”
“You do.”
“No.”
“That’s adorable.”
Eddie shoved Buck’s shoulder.
Hard.
Buck tipped sideways with a laugh.
“Stop.” Eddie poked Buck’s chest.
All it did was make Buck laugh even harder, “You absolutely have rain-kiss fantasies.”
“I do not.”
“You know the scene by heart, don’t you?”
Eddie looked away.
Buck gasped louder.
“HEN. HE KNOWS THE SCENE BY HEART.”
Hen was crying now. Actual tears, “Oh my God, Eddie.”
“It was on a lot!”
Buck was still laughing when Eddie shoved him again. A second later, like always, they drifted right back together. Neither of them seemed to realize they’d done it.
Or maybe they did. Maybe they just didn’t care.
The room watched them for a moment.
Then Chim slowly turned toward Bobby, “Ten bucks says one of them gets kissed in the rain before the year is over.”
“Chim,” Bobby warned.
“Twenty says it’s both of them.” Athena immediately pulled out her wallet.
“You’re on.” Chim grinned.
Buck and Eddie, completely oblivious, were too busy arguing about whether The Notebook counted as a good movie to notice everyone else placing bets on their inevitable disaster.