training wheels. // evan 'buck' buckley

xx. unspoken tension

the firehouse buzzed with a familiar energy as the 118 crew wrapped up a routine call. laughter echoed through the kitchen as chimney and hen prepared for the evening’s cook-off, a lighthearted competition that had quickly escalated into a full-blown event. bobby, reluctant but always one to foster team bonding, had allowed the challenge, though he’d only agreed to judge the final results - until now, where he found himself flipping burgers at the grill.

i stood by the counter, talking with chimney as hen hustled to chop vegetables at lightning speed. it wasn’t my first time hanging out at the firehouse during my downtime. i wasn’t needed at the call center tonight, and the firehouse had become my second home in LA - an anchor, much like the people in it. but despite the laughter and the easy flow of conversation, there was a heaviness clinging to my thoughts.

buck was across the room, talking to eddie and making animated gestures, but i could feel the pull of his gaze on me like a thread tying us together. it had been this way for weeks, ever since our relationship had shifted into uncharted territory after my confession. we had fallen back into the rhythm of our usual banter, but it felt forced, as if we were both tiptoeing around the weight of what had been said.

and what hadn’t been said.

when i finally gave in to the pull and glanced toward him, buck was already looking at me, his eyes intense, his lips curving into a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. for a moment, it felt like the world around us slowed, the buzz of conversation fading into the background.

“earth to charlie?” chimney’s voice broke through the haze, and i blinked, quickly turning my attention back to him.

“sorry, what?” i asked, my voice sounding distant even to myself.

“i said,” chimney repeated, holding up a bottle of a bright orange sauce like it was the holy grail, “this is my secret ingredient. you’re not allowed to tell anyone, okay?”

i mustered a grin, grateful for the distraction. “your secret’s safe with me, chim.”

he grinned and gave me a conspiratorial wink. “i knew i could trust you.”

hen, busy with her own preparation, shot us both an amused glance. “you’re both going down. bobby’s going to pick my dish, and you know it.”

“ha! not if charlie’s judging,” chimney quipped, leaning closer to me. “you’ve got my back, right?”

i laughed, shaking my head. “i’m not picking sides. may the best cook win.”

despite the banter, i couldn’t shake the feeling of buck’s eyes on me. i could sense him watching me, his occasional comments sharp-edged, as though testing me. it was subtle - so subtle that the rest of the crew didn’t notice - but the tension between us was impossible for me to ignore.

across the room, eddie cast a glance at buck, noticing how his friend’s gaze seemed to follow me wherever i moved. it wasn’t the first time eddie had picked up on it either. something had changed between us, but buck wasn’t talking. not really. and eddie wasn’t one to pry, but the quiet distance between me and buck was growing harder to ignore.

he nudged buck lightly with his elbow. “something on your mind?”

buck blinked, his focus snapping back to the present. “what do you mean?”

eddie raised an eyebrow. “you and charlie. you guys have been… off. what’s going on?”

buck shrugged, his expression casual. “nothing, man. it’s fine.”

“fine?” eddie repeated, unconvinced. he knew buck well enough to see through the nonchalance. “if you say so.”

buck gave him a sidelong glance, lips quirking into that familiar smirk. “charlie’s just figuring stuff out, that’s all.”