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“Something smells amazing.”
Nothing could’ve stopped the grin that spread over Buck’s face. “You’re welcome.”
Hen scoffed as she landed on the floor beside him – the call had been a fender-bender, nothing that required their turnouts or a shower. “For what?”
“For being born, Hen,” Buck sighed as they moved to the stairs as a team. “Bobby’s cooking up a storm because it’s my birthday. Ergo, you’re welcome.”
“He’s been cooking us something delicious every day this week, Buck,” Chim pointed out, but he might’ve had a bit more pep to his step up the staircase, like he was a little more eager for the food than usual. “Perks of him being the man behind.”
And really, he was only in that position because Gerrard was a bitter old fool who wanted to punish Bobby for cleaning up his mess and turning the one-eighteen into the well-oiled and respected team it was. It had been two weeks already – how he was still employed by the LAFD was beyond understanding, though it seemed like Hen and Athena had some lead to figuring it out – and that first week had been a debate on Bobby’s standing within the LAFD because of his resignation.
“It’s the only perk – hey!”
Buck’s grin got wider.
Bobby was at the kitchen island, as expected, but he was sharing the space with Tommy, who Buck had honestly thought he wouldn’t see on his birthday.
He’d had a twenty-four hour shift the day before, finishing at nine in the morning, which had been when Buck had started his twenty-four.
“What are you doing here?”
He knew he had that Tommy-smile on his face, the one Hen and Eddie and Ravi had often mocked him for having because he was so smitten with the man.
Buck approached the island bench but stayed on the bar side of it. They’d agreed to keep everything professional in the workplace.
“Is this really my two favourite cooks cooking on my birthday?”
Chim snorted. “And here I thought it was more of a dad and daddy situation.” When that didn’t get the laughs from the couple, but rather a flushing of Buck’s cheeks and a knowing look from Tommy, Chim just about choked on his gum. “Are you two serious right now?”
Hen and Ravi’s howling laughter filled the loft as much as the scents from the frypans did. Bobby ducked his head with a smile, clearly trying to hide the fact that he was laughing at the pair.
Buck checked with Eddie, hoping that he might’ve had a hint of a smile, but even his embarrassment wasn’t enough to pull him from how deeply he missed Christopher.
“C’mere,” Tommy said to Buck, holding up a spoon with sauce on it. Buck forced his thoughts about Eddie and Chris to the back of his brain as he rounded the island, settling in beside Tommy. His body warmed pleasantly when Tommy’s free hand settled on the swell of his arse – professionalism be damned, it was Buck’s birthday! – while the other guided the spoon into Buck’s mouth. “What do you think?”
Buck let the flavours wash over his tongue. “Needs some sugar.”
“Oh?” Tommy leant in and kissed him sweetly, just a peck. Buck would realise later that that was the first time he and Tommy had kissed in front of the team. “Like that?”
Buck laughed. “Yes, but also actual sugar. The tomatoes are too acidic.”
He stepped away to grab the sugar and fix the dish but hovered close to Tommy while he and Bobby kept cooking.
It felt wrong to be so happy while Eddie was in so much pain.
And Gerrard’s presence didn’t make it any better. “Kindard. What are you doing here? I don’t remember inviting you,” he boomed as he finally made it up the stairs.
Eddie might’ve actually curled a little more into himself. There’d been times in the past two weeks where Buck was sure he was doing that to stop himself from punching the bigot.
“I did,” Bobby said, his head no longer ducked so he could challenge the man claiming to be his captain – within the LAFD, it might’ve been true, but Gerrard was not a captain, not in any way that mattered. “I wanted to cook something special for Buck’s birthday; why not bring his special guy in to help?”
Gerrard huffed and eyed Buck. “Just don’t get too handsy. I don’t want any extra fairy dust in my meal.”
Tommy took the bait. “Oh, I was fagging it up long before Evan returned from that call, right Bobby?”
Bobby nodded. “Gayest lunch in all of LA.”
“I’m happy to help if needed, Cap,” Hen said and walked past Gerrard, and Buck soaked in that she was pretending like she didn’t see the way he bristled at her calling Bobby ‘Cap’.
“There’s some roasted almonds in the oven that need to be chopped for garnish,” Bobby said and Hen laughed.
“You want a lesbian to chop up some nuts? Done.”
“And some bread rolls that need to be buttered.”
Ravi stepped up for that. “Oh. Pan for pan. I got that.” Every single member of the team paused to stare at him. “Pansexual, and ‘pan’ is ‘bread’ in many languages.”
“Boy, did you just come out?” Hen asked, the tray of roasted nuts in her hands, and Ravi just shrugged as he pulled the butter and basket of bread rolls to the corner of the island he’d commandeered for himself.
“On Buck’s birthday?” Chim added.
“Buck came out at your wedding,” Eddie pointed out, and it was his voice that reset the team, because they all missed him being engaged with them, they all missed his sass and his jokes, that hearing him speak up (especially at Buck’s expense) brought them all back together.
“I had Maddie’s permission,” Buck said with a laugh before he addressed Ravi. “I wasn’t sure if I was gonna claim pan or bi, to be honest. I think I went with bi because I prefer the flag. It also made it a lot easier to explain to my parents, who still think people are either straight or gay.”
He imagined that Gerrard was probably regretting his life choices by that point, because he was steaming like a tea kettle about to whistle.
And Ravi shrugged again. “I like the etymology behind pan, and I like bread. It works for me.”
“Thank you for trusting us with who you are, Ravi,” Bobby said and Ravi beamed at him.
“I don’t trust everyone here with it, but I am who I am.”
Pointed looks were shot Gerrard’s way before they went back to ignoring him.
“Well, I’m just happy that I’m not the only one attracted to guys on this team,” Buck said over the crunch of Hen chopping up the almonds.
“Yeah, but when I date older men, they’re the ones calling me ‘daddy’.”
Chim’s “Jesus Christ” was said with a laugh. Gerrard’s was said with disgust.
“Wait, that’s an option?” Buck asked, his eyes wide as he stared at Tommy.
Both Tommy and Eddie said: “Not for you.”
“Wow, both of you at the same time? That’s rude,” Buck grumbled.
“I doubt that’s the first time you’ve thought of it,” Chim muttered and Buck didn’t know what he meant about that, but he did catch the look Tommy sent him.
He also saw the roll of Gerrard’s eyes. “Alright, we done? Food’s ready?”
“Oh, I prepared yours earlier,” Bobby said, motioning towards the oven. “We figured you wouldn’t want to join in, so there’s some cauliflower soup and a grilled cheese staying hot in there for you.”
Gerrard eyed the meat Bobby was finishing up with and Buck thought he was going to strain something with how hard he was trying to not laugh at him.
“Didn’t want to risk getting any fairy dust in it,” Tommy added, “so Bobby was gracious enough to do all the work. This meal, though? It was a team effort and it’s definitely queer.”
“And definitely done cooking,” Bobby said, switching off the burner.
Gerrard did settle for the soup and toastie at the kitchen bench while the rest of the station spread out over the two tables to enjoy Buck’s birthday lunch together.
Athena arrived not long after they’d taken their seats – something about finding all the evidence she needed to make their lives better and the Wilson family whole again.
Buck considered it a belated birthday gift when Gerrard was fired two days later, Councilwoman Ortiz was removed from office, and Mara’s adoption was back on track. It definitely counted as one of his favourite birthdays.