Flash Knockdown

Eddie had said, "There'll be plenty of kissing on date three. Promise." Well, he and Buck have been on two dates and tonight was number three. Buck couldn't wait. But first, the team must deal with a three-car accident and a four-person brawl that might change Buck and Eddie's kissing plans.

…

…

Written for Buddie First Kiss Week, Day 3: After a Fight

Flash Knockdown: This typically describes a quick knockdown or brief trip to the canvas where the fighter that goes down was only temporarily caught off-guard or rocked, but suffered no significant damage.

…

…

Buddie First Kiss Week, buddiefirstkiss, firstkiss2020, Getting Together, Minor Injury, Street Fight, Not involving Eddie, Car Accident, No one is super hurt, Date Ideas, Buck is hot and hurt and Eddie can't help himself, prompt: after a fight

…

…

It was halfway through the shift and Buck could not wait for it to be over.

None of the calls had been rough. He wasn't sick or hurt. He wasn't mad at anyone on the team and they weren't mad at him. No, Buck could not wait until the end of the shift because he had a date. With Eddie Freakin' Diaz.

Even the thought of it had Buck wanting to blare the ladder truck horn in celebration. He was so hyped it was crazy. This was hot-air-balloon-plans-with-Abby excited. This was hot-adrenaline-through-his-veins excited. Why?

Cause this was date number three.

Date number one had been taquitos dorados de papa made by Buck himself, from a recipe he learned from Eddie's abuela herself. Buck had gotten everything ready while Eddie was taking Christopher to Pepa's for the night. He had set up a blanket and a projector and screen in the backyard, then started on the taquitos. And they watched a movie—one from before Buck was born, since Eddie said he was tired of Buck not getting any of the team's references—while they ate the taquitos.

Date number two had been rock climbing. It was quick, a short date between the end of a shift and Eddie needing to relieve Carla after she grabbed Christopher from school. Eddie had taken one look at the rock wall and challenged Buck to a race to the top. They'd teased each other all the way up, tried to distract each other. Eddie might have been in the military, but Buck had set the record in the firefighter certification test. Buck won the race.

After rappelling back down to the ground, Buck, still grinning and flushed from victory, had asked, "So, what do I win?"

The look on Eddie's face had been telling. The prize was a kiss, and Eddie had already leaned halfway across the distance between them when suddenly his phone began to ring. Something had come up with Carla's husband and she couldn't get Christopher.

Eddie had looked up into Buck's waiting eyes and given a wry smile. "Rain check?"

"Sure. Sure," Buck had said, though his body was thrumming with the missed moment.

With a touch to Buck's chin, Eddie had said, "There'll be plenty of kissing on date three. Promise." And then, with a wink, he was gone.

And now Buck was six hours from date three. Six hours from getting to kiss the life out of Eddie Diaz. Or get the life kissed out of him. Either way. Buck was so excited he was surprised he wasn't vibrating.

"Gee, Buck. You accidentally get dosed with something again? You looked amped," Hen noted with a grin.

Buck just grinned. "What can I say?" he said brightly, with a glance in Eddie's direction—who was pointedly not looking back, but also wore a smile. "Today's a great day."

They pulled up to the car wreck and hopped out of the truck. The crash had involved three cars, though one appeared to only have minimal damage. Four people stood in the street near the cars, with two more still in the vehicles. The people outside were arguing, and Bobby moved to deal with them until the police arrived while Buck, Eddie, Hen, and Chim started checking on those still in the vehicles.

There was a lady in one of the cars, driver's seat. She was fine, no blood or obvious trauma, but the door wouldn't open, the window wouldn't roll down, and she couldn't get her seatbelt to unbuckle. It was easy enough to free her, though, and within two minutes Hen was leading her toward the ambulance for a checkup just in case.

"Buck," Bobby called. He was standing between two men with his arms up, but they continued to argue around him.

With a quick glance at Eddie and Chim to check they had everything under control, Buck made his way over to help keep the fight from escalating. Already the flashing lights of police cars could be seen coming down the street.

"You better hope you have a good lawyer!"

"Why the fuck would I need a lawyer? You hit me!"

"Like hell I did! The light was green!"

Buck stood opposite Bobby. "Hey, guys—"

"You sue me and I'll—"

"You'll what? Huh?! Hit me with your car again?"

"Gentlemen—," Bobby began, but Buck could already see what was coming.

One of the men threw a punch. It went right over Bobby and Buck's outstretched arms to clock the second guy in the jaw. A full-fledged brawl broke out. Even the other two people standing around joined in, trying to help their guy win. Buck and Bobby did their best to break it up, pushing one person this way, another the other. Buck firmly but gently grabbed the first guy by the shoulders to pull him back and was rewarded by an uppercut that had him staggering back.

After only a moment to regain himself, Buck threw himself back into the fray, putting himself between the man who had clocked him and his opponents. "You need to calm down! Sir! You need to calm down!" he shouted over the man's own yells and cursing, constantly moving to try and keep his own face as the only thing the man could focus on, to keep him from rushing at anyone else.

Behind him, he heard Bobby and Eddie saying similar things to the other fighters. And then the cops were there. The fight ended with all four combatants in handcuffs and sitting on the side of the road, even as they were checked for injuries by Hen and Chim.

Luckily, no one needed an ambulance escort to the hospital. In fact, the only person in the ambulance was Buck. Chim had checked to see if the punch had done any lasting damage—it hadn't—and then handed him an ice pack.

"Nice job," he said, though it was definitely more condescending than sincere. Then Buck was left sitting on the back of the ambulance as Chim moved to help Hen with the victims again.

Eddie came over a few minutes later and lifted an eyebrow. With a groan, Buck said, "I know, I know. He got me with a cheap shot. I shoulda seen it coming."

Eddie shook his head, an amused smile lifting his lips, before he turned serious. "You okay?"

A nod. "Chim gave me the all clear. I might get a bruise, but the only part of me that's really hurt is my ego."

"Ah, well, that's big enough to take the hit."

The tease had Buck laughing, and then groaning when that aggravated his jaw. He squinted his eyes shut and adjusted the ice pack. The hand holding the pack was getting a little too cold for comfort. As soon as he thought it, the pack was taken from his grasp and Buck opened his eyes to see it in Eddie's hand. The look on Eddie's face was serious as he visually inspected Buck's jaw. Then he reached forward, and, as Chim had done, felt it and prodded it until Buck winced. But then he didn't pull his hand away. His fingers rested on Buck's jaw, gentle, caring.

Eddie's gaze was on the skin he was touching, his fingers softly tracing along the edge of Buck's jaw as if his touch might heal the wound. It was so intimate and comforting that Buck wouldn't be surprised if it did heal him. Then Eddie's eyes lifted up to Buck's lips. To his eyes.

"I think an apology is in order," he said softly, stepping closer so he was between Buck's legs.

Pulse racing at Eddie's proximity, Buck swallowed thickly. "For—For what? You didn't deck me."

A grin lifted one corner of Eddie's mouth and it was all Buck could focus on. Eddie's lips. So close. They had a date that night. There would be lots of kissing then. But god if Buck didn't want to just—

"I said our date would have a lot of kissing," Eddie said, and Buck frowned. What? Did that mean that now there wouldn't be a lot of kissing? Why— "I don't want to wait that long."

And then Eddie's lips were on Buck's. It was everything Buck had thought it would be. His stomach flipped, dropped out of him like he was on a roller coaster, and his heart jumped into overdrive. His hands shot out to grip the front of Eddie's uniform as Eddie pressed forward into the kiss. Buck felt himself slide further into the ambulance and suddenly Eddie had a hand around his back, holding him in place. A second kiss followed the first, then a third.

When Eddie pulled back, Buck chased his lips. It should have been slightly embarrassing—how obvious Buck's desire was—but instead they both just smiled.

"Apology accepted," Buck said, his voice coming out both cocky and winded at the same time. "This how you're always gonna apologize, Diaz?" he asked with a tug on Eddie's shirt to pull him closer again, so that they were practically breathing the same air.

Eddie ran his nose along Buck's and grinned at the blush that rose to Buck's cheeks. "Maybe. Why? You like that, Buckley?"

"If you don't both want a write up, you'll knock it off while on duty."

Eddie jumped back a step and Buck nearly fell backward into the ambulance except that he caught himself on the door. Standing nearby was Bobby, a stern and yet somehow amused look on his face.

"Sorry, Cap. Won't happen again," Eddie assured him.

Bobby shook his head. "Better not." Then the amusement came out in force. "Last thing we need to deal with today is having to clean the trucks because you couldn't wait until your date."

Buck's face felt hot. "Bobby! I haven't done that in—Bobby!" he yelled, scandalized. That was worse than when Bobby teased him about his first date with Abby. At least Abby hadn't been standing right there that time.

The captain merely shook his head before turning to leave. "Let's go. The police will handle everything else here, and Chim wants his ambulance back."

Eddie held his hand out to help Buck out of the ambulance, though he didn't need it. Then he used his grip to pull Buck in for one quick peck on the lips.

"Ah, a rule breaker," Buck teased. "I see how it is."

Shaking his head with a fond smile, Eddie handed Buck back his ice pack and nodded toward the ladder truck. "Come on."

They boarded the truck, along with Hen, and were soon on their way back to the station. Hen motioned toward his chin.

"It still a good day?" she asked, clearly expecting the answer to be a grumbled 'no.'

Instead, Buck beamed over at Eddie, then Hen, and said, "Best day of my life. And it's only getting better from here."

…

…

fin