(911 fanfic - 7x04) Shots through the Heart

Shot 1: The one where Buck tells Maddie

"I have a date..."

The words tumbled from Buck's lips as soon as Maddie opened her front door. It wasn't how he planned on greeting his sister, but his brain was still trying to catch up with itself. It had been trying to since the kiss the night before. The kiss with Tommy. The gentle but firm touch, guiding him, bringing their lips together in a way that felt like the whole ground had fallen away beneath him. It should have been terrifying, and it was, but in the best way. In the way that had both taken Buck's breath away and yet made him feel like it was the first one he had taken in years, all at once.

"Evan?" Maddie questioned, looking almost concerned.

Tommy called him Evan... and he liked it. It gave him a fluttering in his chest that he hadn't understood. But now... now things were starting to make sense. Or at least, they were starting to make a little more sense.

He barely even realised he was smiling, soft and lazy, as he met Maddie's gaze, forcing himself back to that moment. "I have a date."

"Yes, you already said that," she said, ushering him inside and closing the door after him.

It wasn't until they were sat at the table with cups of coffee that she began pressing for more information, bringing her cup to her lips to gentle blow over the rim of it, raising her eyebrows at Buck and tilting her head ever so slightly.

"So?"

Buck fumbled with his own cup, rolling it between his hand on the table and tapping at the handle absentmindedly. "He er... he came to my apartment to clear the air."

"And...?" Maddie prompted after Buck took a moment too long to continue, getting lost in the memory once again.

"And he kissed me." Buck smiled. "And I kissed him back."

Maddie's cup was down on the table immediately as she splayed her hands out, leaning forward, her excitement clear despite the way she tried to hold herself back. "You kissed Eddie?"

Buck reeled back slightly at that, brow furrowing and movements stilling. "What...?"

"But I thought Eddie was still with Marisol... oh, Evan, please tell me you -"

"I didn't kiss Eddie." Buck cut her off before she could continue, cocking his head to the side as he studied, trying to figure out. "Why would... why would you think I kissed Eddie?"

But instead of answering, Maddie frowned in such a way it almost looked as if she was pouting, asking her own question in return. "Wait, so who came to your apartment?"

Buck's mouth worked a moment, half wondering if she had deliberately chosen not to answer him or was simply too distracted to have properly heard him. "Tommy... Tommy came to my apartment, and Tommy kissed me, and I have a date – with Tommy."

She seemed to melt at that, and before Buck could attempt to circle back to her previous statement regarding Eddie and question her more on in, she gripped his hand and smiled at him so sweetly, asking questions that distracted him far too easily.

"How was it? Was it just a peck on the cheek or... a proper kiss...? Oh, oh... did he do the thing?" And her hands motioned as she continued on, excited. "The thing with the neck? Or the chin?"

Buck swallowed hard, feeling the heat spreading up his neck and across his cheeks. "He er.. he..." And he touched his chin just barely, remembering the touch of Tommy, smiling once more.

Maddie bit at her lip. "It's so good, right?"

He could only nod, because yes, it was good, but it was so much more, and he wanted to do it again.

"Wait," he said, frowning as his nose crinkled up in thought and he looked to Maddie, "does this mean I'm gay?"

She let go of a small laugh and grabbed his hand once more. "Only you can decide if that's how you feel."

"How do I do that?"

"I'm not sure I'm the best person to give advice on that." Her smile was so soft, so genuine, that it helped to ease any caution and concern he felt for the confusion. "Maybe you should talk to someone who knows how it feels?"

He frowned. "Like who?"

"Hen... for one..."

"But Hen isn't into guys."

Her lips thinned in an amused way, and she rolled her free hand as if to encourage him to continue that thought process. "Which is kind of the point..."

The blush that warmed his cheeks as the realisation dawned on him must have been so bright, but it wasn't his fault his mind was still struggling to connect the most obvious dots. It was Tommy, Tommy and that kiss, and everything that it meant. Buck liked Tommy... he really, really liked Tommy and he really, really liked kissing Tommy and he wanted to do more of it, and he wanted to know what other things he would enjoy doing with Tommy.

"So, this date..." Maddie said, drawing his attention back to her. "What are you going to wear?"

His face dropped at that. He hadn't even thought about it. What were the rules? Was he supposed to dress up, or keep it casual? He didn't even know where they were going... Or if they were going anywhere? Was Buck supposed to make the plan? Was Tommy? And what if...

"What if it's not a date?" Buck said, feeling his shoulders sag and chest tighten, eyes pleading as they looked to Maddie and watched her. "What if I got it wrong, and..."

"Evan," Maddie cooed, interrupting him, "he kissed you. That's a pretty sure sign that it's a date."

"You- you think?" He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "I mean, I've been wrong before."

"About dates?" She raised an eyebrow at him, head tilting to the side in confusion and amusement.

"What? No... like in general. About, things. About... people."

She sat up a little straighter and huffed out, holding out her hand on a beckoning manner. "Pass me your phone."

"Why?" he asked, but he was already passing it to her, unsurprised that she unlocked it with ease. His passcode was Christopher's birthday. Not the most secure, but he liked it.

He watched her working at his phone, only clicking onto what she was doing when she began tapping at his screen, typing out what could only be a message.

"Woah, woah-" He reached out for his phone, but she pulled back, eyes never leaving the screen. "What are you doing?"

"Saving you from yourself."

She only returned his phone when she hit send and he was almost afraid to look, but he lowered his eyes to his screen to see the damage.

So, where you taking me on our date? - Evan

"Really, Maddie?" he sighed, fearing how straightforward the message was, but within moments, he saw the tell-tale three dots to say Tommy was replying.

He sat up straighter, ignoring the way Maddie edged forward so she could peer down at his screen also. Anticipation held him completely still, nervous but excited, until those three dots vanished but no message came through. But the feeling of loss didn't last long as, after another moment, his phone finally buzzed in his hand and there was a new message waiting for him.

Well, it was going to be a surprise. But seeing as you asked, there's this little place on the corner near fifth. I know the owner.

"I have a date," Buck breathed out, looking to Maddie once more, relief washing over him and loosening up the tension in his shoulders. "I have a date."