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He hadn’t expected to get held hostage that day. Really he hadn’t.
All he had wanted was to look at the apartment, maybe make an offer if he liked what it was like, then head home and met up with Maddie and Chimney. Maybe order some Chinese food and have a few drinks.
But here he was.
Being held hostage in an apartment viewing.
On the day before New Year’s Eve.
And to add even more salt to the wound, the masked figure waving around the pistol wasn’t even that great at the whole holding them hostage thing.
She kept panicking, apologizing for what had happened and saying that she didn’t mean for any of this to happen.
That she had just intended to rob the bank across the street to get enough money for a month’s rent. Just so she could get back on her feet.
In the hours they had been together, they’d all decided that they had to do something. Anything to help this woman. She was only a mother trying to do her best.
A mother who wanted to help her children.
Throwing down the pizza crust, Buck rose to his feet, leaving the others talking amongst themselves. Sure, when comparing this to his line of work, it wasn’t that dangerous. If they had been in any danger it would have made itself clear by now. And with Athena now on the scene, he knew that he would be out soon. It was just Maddie that he was worried about. Maddie and Chimney and the rest of the 118. They would be watching this on the news, seeing all chaos the news stations were likely making this out to be, and they would know nothing about what was really going on.
They would be panicking.
And the other people in this situation, they were nice, they really were, but he wanted to get home and tell his family that he was okay. That he was safe.
So he rose to his feet and headed out onto the balcony.
“I get it,” said the other man, Eddie he had said his name was earlier. “Losing your kids is a scary thing.”
Buck turned and looked behind him. Eddie had joined him on the balcony and was looking out across at the setting sun, the sky indigo with the first of the stars breaking through. If it had been anyone else, Buck would have told them that he wanted to be alone. But with Eddie, something about it all felt different. He didn’t mind the other man joining him.
“You’re a father?”
“Yeah, Christopher.” Eddie nodded, sliding his phone out from his back pocket, and unlocking it. Pulling up a photo, it showed the two of them, the boy’s smile was large and radiant. “He’s the most important person in my life. In my world. After his mother’s death, we decided we had to leave Texas. So we came here. To the other side of the country to forget it all.”
“I’m sorry. About that.”
Shaking his head, Eddie placed the phone back into the pockets of his jean. “We were never a perfect pair, the two of us. The love that we had was fierce, to begin with. But we burnt too fast, too brightly. And we burnt through what we had. But we tried out best for Christopher. We wanted to give him the best shot in life that we could. But we were never going to work out as a couple. But Christopher… he’s a strong kid. I don’t know how I could ever do this without him.” He spoke with such love, such devotion it tore at Buck’s heart.
“He’s a cute kid.”
“He is. He’s just… we needed a new start after Shannon’s death. So I took a job here and I thought that together we could start over.”
“So that’s why you were looking at the apartment.”
“Yeah, what about you?”
Buck shrugged, turning his attention from Eddie to the city of LA itself. “I used to date Abby. She worked for dispatch. With the emergency services. Then she went to Europe. After her mother’s death, she wanted to travel, wanted to see more of the world. I didn’t hear from her for months except for last month. To tell me she was engaged.”
The last words hung in the air between them and Eddie reached out, placing his hand on Buck’s forearm. His attention dropped to it. The gentleness of Eddie, the tenderness of the gesture, sent his stomach fluttering. “I’m sorry about Abby. I know that we don’t know each other. But what she did. It was wrong. So the apartment, it’s a new start for you too.”
“I guess so. I just… I need to move on. My sister, her husband… he’s one of my best friends actually - they’ve tried setting me up and working for the fire department, you get your fair share of people asking you out, leaving their numbers in the hopes that they can get a date with LA’s finest.”
“And there’s been no one for you either?” Eddie’s question was genuine coming from the heart. And for some reason, Buck felt like he could speak. Could answer Eddie. He had been secretive, keeping his feelings to himself. Discussing with Maddie about how he truly felt was hard but with Eddie, even though he was a stranger, felt easy.
“Not yet, but if there’s someone and it happens, I guess that it happens.” He shrugged, tightening his grip on the balcony. Eddie dropped his hand back onto the railing, no longer holding on to Buck’s arm. But it brushed his hand, electricity sparking between the two of them as they remained in silence, looking down at the scene below them. More and more police kept appearing red and blue lights filling the air. Reports were filming everything that had happened. But here these two were. Having a moment together whilst the rest of the world thought the worst was happening.
Time continued to pass until they both felt a presence behind them, the two of them turning in unison. One of the other hostages, the older woman who seemed to want nothing but the best for the one holding them hostage had appeared.
“We have a plan,” she said. “We’re going out.”
***
It was close to three in the morning by the time the interviews were conducted, the bank robber turned hostage holder unable to be found (of course, those in the apartment and Athena herself knew the truth, of how everything went down and how everyone escaped but that would be one story that would never be told). Buck was coming out of the station, the collar of his coat pulled up and hands in his pockets.
All he wanted to do was get home now. Maybe watch some television. Or maybe get some sleep. Maddie knew he was safe, that he was alive and well, and heading home.
Well, back to Abby’s home. In the end, it was Eddie who had brought the apartment. Nobody else had really wanted it after being held hostage in it and Buck knew he would be able to find another apartment.
Eddie… the thought of the man made him smile despite everything. He knew that he shouldn’t
“Buck!” The voice from behind him knocked him back into reality. The man who had been in his thoughts was standing behind him, smiling himself. “I was just wondering. Are you doing anything tomorrow night? Or tonight. Whatever it is.”
“On New Year’s?” He shook his head. “Not this year.” If truth be told, he wanted to forget this year. To put it all behind him.
“Shall we bring in the New Year? Together. Forget all the shit we’ve been through this year. Put it all behind us.”
To say he was confused was an understatement. Because he was confused. Extremely confused. “What about Christopher?”
A laugh from Eddie. “Chris won’t mind. He spent most of his life growing up without the two of his parents in one room. If anything, he wants me to be happy. And I know from what you said, your sister wants to be happy too. To find someone. Just like Chris does with me. So New Years'. My place. My old place. What do you think?”
Without really thinking, Buck asked the question. “Is it a date?” It had been something he had been thinking of all day. Asking Eddie out. He hadn’t thought it was possible. Hadn’t thought that it would be something that could be done, but here he was. Being asked out by the extremely attractive man he had met during a hostage situation.
“If you want it to be.”
“It’s a date then,” Buck told him, smiling.