Chapter Text
You’re exhausting.
It really is always about you, isn’t it?
You acted out like you always do.
But if you're gonna make this about me having to choose between you or my son, you're gonna lose every time.
Entering the jeep, Buck gripped the handle of the car, trying to blink away the tears of anger. How could Eddie say that to him?! When he did all this for him, so he and Christopher could have a home waiting for them when they come back to LA?
Buck was tired. Tired that Eddie, his own best friend, the man he literally would try to drag out of the jaws of death and keep him alive, is treating him like he’s some petulant spoiled brat.
Well, good luck waiting for that renter, Buck thought as he texted Eddie using the fake account he used to sign the lease that he was canceling the agreement for some unforeseen issues, and banked him the necessary canceling fee.
Honestly, how could he just easily sign his house away to some stranger named Freddie Fakeman without running a background check or something? Doesn’t he learnt enough about stranger danger from all the scary calls they responded to?
Fuck.
Now he has to figure out where to live now that he handed in his notice for the loft.
Housing in LA is atrocious. Buck thought painfully as he looked at the meager offerings the real estate agent showed him. It was either way out of his budget with the hiking housing market price or ones that were within budget came with hazardous issues or too far from his workplace.
Driving around aimlessly after the fruitless meeting with the agent, he glanced around the empty street when he saw it.
A run down house in the outskirts of North Hollywood with a signpost labeling for sale in its unkempt yard.
He doesn’t know what prompted him to stop, but he did, parking the jeep in front of the empty house, eyeing it in interest. Luckily for him, a young woman was walking up the house when she noticed him, staring at him questioningly.
“I-uh, I-I saw the sign and I was wondering if the h-house was really for sale.” Buck asked hopefully, couldn’t help but feel shy under the woman’s intense stare.
“Yea, my aunt passed away last year and left it to me but I don’t really need it right now since I got a house of my own.” The Caucasian woman shrugged as she waved vaguely down the street before offering her hand to him. “I’m Kitty.”
“Evan Buckley, but people called me Buck.” He shook her hand before staring at the two storey house again, eyeing the nice looking, albeit dirty porch.
The woman, noticing his naked interest, grinned. “Wanna check it out?” She offered.
The house was perfect.
Sure it needed some TLC between the leaking rooftop, the walls and flooring that needed to be changed to the rusted bathroom sink as well as the horrible state of both the front- and backyard, but Buck can see himself living in this house.
Especially when he saw the wonderful kitchen, with the wide island, the beautiful backsplash, the gorgeous wooden cabinet and the big window that overlooks the backyard. He can tell the previous owner of the house had took pride in her kitchen.
Noticing the well-kept but dusty kitchen appliances, he turned to Kitty, who was absently staring out the window and at the lone blooming apple tree. “My aunt was an enthusiastic baker. She had a bakery down in La Brea but she did most of her recipes development here. She adored this place when she first bought it 20 years ago.”
She turned to him and suddenly said, "Would you like to buy the house?"
Buck perked up in interest before sighing.
"I would love to but I don't think I can afford the price."
Tilting her head, she named a price that shocked Buck.
“That’s too low!” Buck protested.
“You're going to pour a lot of money and time into fixing this house.” She shrugged. “Plus I saw how you looked when you saw the kitchen. And I think my aunt would have liked you.” She gave him a very appreciative look, a weird smirk on her face, “yup she would have liked you very much." She shrugged. "You might as well take it. My aunt would love it if someone who bought this house loves it like she did."
"I have a terrible credit score." He said weakly but Kitty waved the protest away. "Who does, these days in this horrible economy?"
Buck dithered but Kitty was right. It might be a bit farther from the firehouse and commute might be a bitch but he was indeed in love with the house.
He can see himself building a life for himself here.
"Okay," Buck smiled brilliantly like the sun at the young woman. "I'll take it."
Buck spent the next few shifts ignoring Eddie and daydreaming about the new house, even at one point while everyone was asleep during their 24 hour shift, pulling out a clipboard and making plans about fixing the house.
During their 96 hours off, he spent most of it clearing the mess and cleaning out the house, tearing out the outdated wallpapers and helping Kitty check out the furniture, separating what could be donated to the charity and what he could keep (Kitty insisted he keep the kitchen appliances and furniture). She also helped out by mowing the lawn, telling him it was good exercise for her when he tried to stop her.
On the last day of his off day, he moved out from the loft and into one of the bedrooms that didn’t need immediate fixing, feeling oddly sad that the six years he was in the loft apartment, he only had a few things to move into the new house, enough to fit in it.
(He immediately endeared himself to his new neighbors when he gave away the baked goods in his fridge when he moved into the house.)
He and Kitty celebrated the move by shopping for furniture that he might need; visiting second-handed furniture stores and antiques shops. It was in the latter he founded the beautifully carved cherry wood coffee table and matching nightstands that reminded him of Tommy and how it would look nice in Tommy’s house; the coffee table looking right at home between his comfortable sofa and beautiful wooden cabinets housing his movie collections and how Tommy once rambled about looking for the perfect night stands for his guest room on rare evening Buck slept over at his place.
He took them home.
Buck was alone.
Despite of the friendly neighbors dropping in to see the new houseowner and Kitty popping out of nowhere, offering help to fix the house, he couldn't help but feel lonely. Now he wasn't talking with Eddie (who was too busy anyways with the moving), Hen (busy with her family and kids), Chim (who was hovering over Maddie who was pregnant again; no way he's sticking his nose into that, not after what happened last time) and Bobby (too busy with the house and Athena. They barely even cooked together now that Bobby deemed him sufficient in his cooking skills).
The only one he talked to these days were Ravi, (who picked up Eddie's shifts in preparation as his replacement when he leaves from Texas) and Jameson, the other driver engineer in Shift A (who kept reminding Buck how he had been putting off applying for the lieutenant exams for too long).
So when he saw the sad eyes peering in the garbage bin, Buck didn't hesitate to stick his hands in and pull out the sad looking puppy.
Gently carrying the shivering, whimpering puppy into the house, he pour a bowl of milk and pulls out the portion of minced meat he was going to cook into his Bolognese and offered it to the dog. "Think you can eat it?" He cooed softly at the poor pup, watching as the dog hungrily feasted on the treats.
When finished, Buck took it to the large kitchen sink and washed mud and gunk from her black fur (he made sure to check.) Buck lovingly rubbed her with a spare towel before placing her on the towel-covered counter, cooing as the now clean retriever pup staring adoringly at him with heart eyes.
Someone must've abandoned the poor girl, leaving her alone.
Just like him.
What do you say, Lucky?" He gently pet the dog, naming her then and there. "Would you like to come live here with me?"
"Is that a dog?" Chim asked incredulously during their next shift when he saw the black retriever puppy sat primly by Buck's seat, tail wagging merrily as she worried the strand of shoelace Buck dangled in front of her.
"Yes. I pitched an idea about having a firedog to Bobby and he said yes. Lucky and I will be starting our search and rescue training next week!" Buck said proudly. He was surprised to find out the puppy was semi trained and willing to listen to command so really, it wasn't a far leap to train his sweet pup into a certified firefighter like him.
"Next week? Guess you might be missing out on Eddie's farewell dinner then." Hen pointed out as she stared suspiciously at Buck, who stiffened the moment she pointed it out.
"Yes, well, the party isn't about me, isn't it? So there shouldn't be problem for me not being there." Buck said dryly as Eddie, who was there for his final shift, turned to snarl at Buck but before it could escalated the alarm rang.
They were pressed back to back with level 2 and level 3 response calls till the end of the shift, so by the time Hen remembered about the incident from earlier, Buck had already left with his dog.
When the party rolled by, everyone gathered to celebrate Eddie before he leaves for Texas the next day.
Well, almost everyone.
Buck wasn't there and everyone could tell how the man's absence cast a pallor over the farewell party.
But no matter how much Hen, Chim and Bobby prodded, all Eddie would say that it was all Buck's fault as usual.
Buck couldn't help but laughed brightly as his plan to paint the living room alone for the evening turned into an impromptu painting party as his next door neighbors; Mrs. Hernandez and her two strapping teenage grandsons, the newly-wedded Choi couple along with Kitty came by to help him paint; Lucky getting under everyone's feet, running around with Kitty's paintbrush.
By the time they left for the night, Buck, Mrs. Areum Choi and Mrs. Hernandez (who told Buck and the Chois to call her Abuela) agreed to a meet up at the Hernandez to exchange dessert recipes the next day, Lucky now covered with spots of paint over her black fur.
Buck would ended up passing out on his bed, a now clean and mostly dry Lucky tucked under his chin, both tuckered out after their excitement, the firefighter barely sparing a thought to the party he missed.
After sending off Eddie with a basket of food (Buck, once again, noticeably missing) Bobby decided to swing by the loft to check on Buck, having realized he couldn't remembered the last time he had a honest conversation with the young man.
So imagine his surprise when he found an older man living in the loft, Buck apparently had moved out a month ago, leaving no forwarding address.
Now where is Buck?