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open post.
open rp post
hit me with your starters, your meme continuations, and your prompts
open rp post
hit me with your starters, your meme continuations, and your prompts
It's not like she intends to butt heads with the new guy; after all, she remembers what it was like, being the new person. The 118 was insanely kind to her, especially after having a rough time in training, and she should want to pass on that warmth and sense of family. She wants to. It's just -
She knows what her reputation is. It started all the way back in training, because she'd never been able to keep her legs shut until Bobby nearly fired her and she fucked a department therapist. She still can't, really, but fear of screwing up the one good thing she has going for her has at least kept her fuck-ups away from her job since then. Still, she did some serious damage to how people see her, and she's had to turn down a few assholes who heard she was easy and weren't thrilled by her new policy. And that's ignoring the fact that firefighting is still very much a men's club and she gets looked down on all the time for not being one of the guys. Sue her if she's a little cautious around new people.
Also, he's extremely hot, and if it weren't for that policy, then she knows she'd definitely sleep with him if he asked. That makes it awkward, too.
She's not a bitch to him or anything, but she's not her usual friendly golden retriever self towards him. Bobby even calls her on it, pulls her aside at one point to ask if there's a problem. When she admits that there isn't, or if there is then it's all her, he asks her to put a bit more effort into being friendly because Eddie's a damn good firefighter and potentially very good backup for some of the more reckless shit Buck tends to pull. (Okay, he didn't phrase that last part quite that way, but that's the message she receives.)
So she jumps into more reckless bullshit with Eddie in the form of removing a live grenade from a guy's leg. It's terrifying and exhilarating and Eddie's calmness under pressure at least reassures her that Bobby probably made the right call in bringing him to the 118, and he's probably not an asshole. They have kind of a moment afterwards where she's pretty sure they've both just agreed to give some kind of professional partnership a try, but she wants to make sure the lines of communication stay open so when they get back to the station, she brings them both a plate of Bobby's leftovers.
"I don't know what you like, but anything Bobby makes is good, so..."
She knows what her reputation is. It started all the way back in training, because she'd never been able to keep her legs shut until Bobby nearly fired her and she fucked a department therapist. She still can't, really, but fear of screwing up the one good thing she has going for her has at least kept her fuck-ups away from her job since then. Still, she did some serious damage to how people see her, and she's had to turn down a few assholes who heard she was easy and weren't thrilled by her new policy. And that's ignoring the fact that firefighting is still very much a men's club and she gets looked down on all the time for not being one of the guys. Sue her if she's a little cautious around new people.
Also, he's extremely hot, and if it weren't for that policy, then she knows she'd definitely sleep with him if he asked. That makes it awkward, too.
She's not a bitch to him or anything, but she's not her usual friendly golden retriever self towards him. Bobby even calls her on it, pulls her aside at one point to ask if there's a problem. When she admits that there isn't, or if there is then it's all her, he asks her to put a bit more effort into being friendly because Eddie's a damn good firefighter and potentially very good backup for some of the more reckless shit Buck tends to pull. (Okay, he didn't phrase that last part quite that way, but that's the message she receives.)
So she jumps into more reckless bullshit with Eddie in the form of removing a live grenade from a guy's leg. It's terrifying and exhilarating and Eddie's calmness under pressure at least reassures her that Bobby probably made the right call in bringing him to the 118, and he's probably not an asshole. They have kind of a moment afterwards where she's pretty sure they've both just agreed to give some kind of professional partnership a try, but she wants to make sure the lines of communication stay open so when they get back to the station, she brings them both a plate of Bobby's leftovers.
"I don't know what you like, but anything Bobby makes is good, so..."
Going into his first day, Eddie didn't have very many expectations of his new job. But it was still a little disappointing to realize that the person Captain Nash--Bobby--had pitched as his potential partner in the field wasn't exactly thrilled with his being hired. Eddie thinks he gets it. He remembers the shit Mills would sometimes get as a petite woman in the Army and thinks he can probably guess why Buck's wary. Still, Hen's plenty nice, so that can't be everything.
In any case, Eddie finds himself a little miffed despite himself. It's not like he has to get along with all his co-workers. And it seems like Buck really is the odd one out so it's not like it's that big of a deal in the long run. He'll be fine whether or not she warms up to him. That's what he tell himself.
Still, it's nice to see some of the caution fade away after they pull the grenade out of Charlie's leg. Even better to see that everything Bobby said about Buck when making a case for Station 118--somewhat reckless but damn good at her job, someone Eddie might mesh well with--seems to be true in the end. Eddie's serious when he tells her that she can have his back any day. He's got no reasons to doubt her or their potential teamwork in the field after a stunt like that.
And he does expect it to be an "in the field" kind of thing. It's not just Buck's previous attitude that makes him think that--the whole concept of team as family is a little foreign. Sure, there was a certain sense of brotherhood in the Army. But the second he got discharged that disappeared. (Most of that was on him, he'll admit. But the point stands.) So he's surprised when Buck warms him up some food once they're back at the station.
"I'm not picky," he says, trying to hide the fact that the smell of good food makes his mouth water and his stomach let out a quiet rumble. "And this looks leagues better than anything I try to cook."
He picks up his fork and makes to dig in, but--pauses. Just before he spears a bite. "Thanks." He gestures at the plate. "For getting me some."
In any case, Eddie finds himself a little miffed despite himself. It's not like he has to get along with all his co-workers. And it seems like Buck really is the odd one out so it's not like it's that big of a deal in the long run. He'll be fine whether or not she warms up to him. That's what he tell himself.
Still, it's nice to see some of the caution fade away after they pull the grenade out of Charlie's leg. Even better to see that everything Bobby said about Buck when making a case for Station 118--somewhat reckless but damn good at her job, someone Eddie might mesh well with--seems to be true in the end. Eddie's serious when he tells her that she can have his back any day. He's got no reasons to doubt her or their potential teamwork in the field after a stunt like that.
And he does expect it to be an "in the field" kind of thing. It's not just Buck's previous attitude that makes him think that--the whole concept of team as family is a little foreign. Sure, there was a certain sense of brotherhood in the Army. But the second he got discharged that disappeared. (Most of that was on him, he'll admit. But the point stands.) So he's surprised when Buck warms him up some food once they're back at the station.
"I'm not picky," he says, trying to hide the fact that the smell of good food makes his mouth water and his stomach let out a quiet rumble. "And this looks leagues better than anything I try to cook."
He picks up his fork and makes to dig in, but--pauses. Just before he spears a bite. "Thanks." He gestures at the plate. "For getting me some."
"Bobby did the hard part. I just reheated it."
She takes a couple bites from her own plate - some kind of casserole, absolute comfort food, bless Bobby for making it even if he couldn't have known she was going to be in need of something comforting to shore up her strength. Not that this thing with Eddie is even really what she's going to need most of her strength for; Maddie's reappearance in her life running from her abusive husband might've given her some extra perspective on this thing with Eddie being relatively petty.
"I think I owe you an apology," she says, setting her fork down for a second. "I hadn't really been giving you a chance since you got here."
She takes a couple bites from her own plate - some kind of casserole, absolute comfort food, bless Bobby for making it even if he couldn't have known she was going to be in need of something comforting to shore up her strength. Not that this thing with Eddie is even really what she's going to need most of her strength for; Maddie's reappearance in her life running from her abusive husband might've given her some extra perspective on this thing with Eddie being relatively petty.
"I think I owe you an apology," she says, setting her fork down for a second. "I hadn't really been giving you a chance since you got here."
Vaguely, Eddie remembers Bobby telling him about some of the leftover in the fridge. He thinks this one's called hotdish? He's not exactly sure what it is but it smells damn good so he's not shy about digging in. And--oh, yeah. That tastes damn good too. Nash should really have put his cooking skills in as part of his recruitment speech.
As he's in the middle of taking another big bite, Buck apologizes. Eddie pauses, mouth obviously full of food and fork heading for more. This is awkward. Not because of the apology. No, that he appreciates. But now he's got to cover his mouth a little with one hand, chew very fast, and swallow before he can say anything back.
"It's alright." All's well that ends well, right? "You seemed pretty surprised I was even here. I take it Bobby didn't tell you he was hiring anyone new?"
That would put anyone on the backfoot.
As he's in the middle of taking another big bite, Buck apologizes. Eddie pauses, mouth obviously full of food and fork heading for more. This is awkward. Not because of the apology. No, that he appreciates. But now he's got to cover his mouth a little with one hand, chew very fast, and swallow before he can say anything back.
"It's alright." All's well that ends well, right? "You seemed pretty surprised I was even here. I take it Bobby didn't tell you he was hiring anyone new?"
That would put anyone on the backfoot.
“Nope. Probably would’ve been a good idea since he apparently was thinking of teaming us up, but - “
To be fair, he probably didn’t think he needed to prep Buck for anything. She’s usually pretty easy to get along with, so it’s not like he could’ve reasonably expected Buck to get all - whatever happened the past couple days. It was stupid and unfair. “I didn’t know til you showed up for your shift.”
To be fair, he probably didn’t think he needed to prep Buck for anything. She’s usually pretty easy to get along with, so it’s not like he could’ve reasonably expected Buck to get all - whatever happened the past couple days. It was stupid and unfair. “I didn’t know til you showed up for your shift.”
"I can see how that would be rough," he says. It's not an excuse but it is an explanation. Makes it easy to say--"Consider it water under the bridge."
Eddie takes another bite of his (very late) dinner and gives Buck a crooked little smile. "I was serious when I said you could watch my back earlier."
Eddie takes another bite of his (very late) dinner and gives Buck a crooked little smile. "I was serious when I said you could watch my back earlier."
She has to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying something stupid like watching your back isn’t exactly a hardship, because she might be a fuck-up but she doesn’t do that at work anymore.
“You, too. What you did was pretty badass.”
“You, too. What you did was pretty badass.”
Eddie shrugs one shoulder. "It's the job, isn't it?" he says, looking more to the side than at Buck. Praise for this kind of stunt is easier to swallow than it used to be. Different context from the army days. Nobody ended up dead. But Eddie's... still not very good at dealing with it when it's unexpected.
"Besides, I'm not the one who jumped in without any training." He raises an eyebrow at her, but his tone is light. It was a stupid move, but he wouldn't have been able to do it without her.
"Besides, I'm not the one who jumped in without any training." He raises an eyebrow at her, but his tone is light. It was a stupid move, but he wouldn't have been able to do it without her.
“No training?” she repeated with a teasing kind of shock. “I’m sorry, does my shirt not say LAFD?” She glances down at it, as if double-checking that it still does. As if pulling a live grenade out of a man’s leg is something that firefighters are regularly trained and expected to do.
“You did all the hard work, anyway. I was basically moral support.”
“You did all the hard work, anyway. I was basically moral support.”
"Oh, so they stopped doing bomb squad training just before I joined the academy then." He can't help but grin. "Got it."
It feels good to banter with someone. That's--not something he's been able to do much recently. First, he was stuck in El Paso and exhausting himself working three jobs. Then, at the academy, he mostly kept his head down, working himself to the bone to get through and provide for Christopher. This? Getting to relax in a no-longer-tense environment and finding a friend? Feels like it might be close to what he was working towards.
"How about we just say we were both badasses and Hen and Chim missed one hell of a call?"
It feels good to banter with someone. That's--not something he's been able to do much recently. First, he was stuck in El Paso and exhausting himself working three jobs. Then, at the academy, he mostly kept his head down, working himself to the bone to get through and provide for Christopher. This? Getting to relax in a no-longer-tense environment and finding a friend? Feels like it might be close to what he was working towards.
"How about we just say we were both badasses and Hen and Chim missed one hell of a call?"
“Well, yeah, obviously. After I passed with flying colors, they decided they couldn’t possibly need anyone else with that training. All Buckley all the way.”
She takes a couple more bites of her leftovers now that she’s confident they’ve gotten over her whole Thing and started over. “Oh, we’re going to be telling that story a lot of times, I’m pretty sure.”
She takes a couple more bites of her leftovers now that she’s confident they’ve gotten over her whole Thing and started over. “Oh, we’re going to be telling that story a lot of times, I’m pretty sure.”
Laughing quietly around another forkful of casserole, Eddie shakes his head. But it's already something of a fond gesture.
"Does it make the top ten craziest stories you've got from here?" He vaguely remembers something about rebar that sounded like it could be wilder. But a live grenade in the leg has gotta be pretty hard to beat.
"Does it make the top ten craziest stories you've got from here?" He vaguely remembers something about rebar that sounded like it could be wilder. But a live grenade in the leg has gotta be pretty hard to beat.
"I'll have to update the list." She grins crookedly at him over a bite. "The time Chim got in a crash that had a piece of rebar sticking out of his forehead and didn't even know it is pretty high up there, but that has improbable recovery and patient directly related to the firehouse going for it. There's a point system, you know?"
"It was completely insane." Is it horrible of her to be entertained by his reaction? Maybe, but sometimes the best way to deal with the crazy shit they've survived is telling some innocent bystander and watching their brain break. "When we got to the scene, he had no idea. Couldn't feel it from the shock. He even helped us decide how to transport him without wrecking all the good luck he had even surviving it."
"Holy shit."
There's really not much else that he can say in response to that. It's completely insane on so many levels. And honestly his level of respect for Chimney just went up. Even if he couldn't feel it, helping to triage and transport himself is a serious feat.
"If that's the top of the list, I kinda hope I don't ever have a call that takes its place."
There's really not much else that he can say in response to that. It's completely insane on so many levels. And honestly his level of respect for Chimney just went up. Even if he couldn't feel it, helping to triage and transport himself is a serious feat.
"If that's the top of the list, I kinda hope I don't ever have a call that takes its place."
"We wound up taking the entire car to the hospital." It was fully insane, and she's so grateful to be able to look back on it as a wild story and not one of the worst nights of the 118's lives - and thinking about it like that causes an edge of seriousness to seep into her mood. "Best not to jinx it."
He wonders for a moment if she's serious. Buck's demeanor changing a little would seem to indicate so but--that's a joke, right? He's just gonna assume that's a joke and move past it.
"How'd you get the entire car to the hospital?" he asks. "Tow truck?"
"How'd you get the entire car to the hospital?" he asks. "Tow truck?"
She shakes her head. "Put it on the flatbed of a truck. Easier to keep it steady that way."
Not like they wanted Chim getting even more hurt in transport.
Not like they wanted Chim getting even more hurt in transport.
"Oh, his car was a goner."
She shakes her head ruefully as she has a sip of some water she'd brought over with her plate. "Ask him about it sometime if you want to see a grown man cry."
She shakes her head ruefully as she has a sip of some water she'd brought over with her plate. "Ask him about it sometime if you want to see a grown man cry."
( if asked, eddie will say he does it like this because he thinks the space is probably a good idea. the truth is, he knows he's going to find it easier to say what he wants to say when buck can't look at him. so after making sure she's got time on a night when christopher is at a sleepover, eddie calls buck. )
So I was thinking about what we talked about a little while ago. You know, us. Sleeping together. ( augh, he sounds so awkward but he doesn't know how not to. ) I was thinking maybe we could... ease our way up to the main event.
So I was thinking about what we talked about a little while ago. You know, us. Sleeping together. ( augh, he sounds so awkward but he doesn't know how not to. ) I was thinking maybe we could... ease our way up to the main event.
[Well, this is. Not how she expected to be having a conversation like this. She’d’ve expected it to be in person, or at least rate a FaceTime chat. But whatever’s happening, she sits down on her coach and gets ready for Whatever This Is.]
Like how?
Like how?
I don’t know. You might have to give me some examples? [Okay, it might be a bit mean to be teasing him now, but he is the one who called her (!!) out of nowhere for this conversation. She’s not being mean about it, there’s a line of seriousness behind the smile in her voice.]
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