Work Text:
Bobby had called Buck down to the ground floor and into the captain's office to clarify some information on an incident report from a couple of days ago. It was a simple fix and Bobby dismissed Buck after only a few minutes but Buck had something he had been wanting to tell Bobby for months.
He stayed sitting in the slightly uncomfortable chair on the other side of the somewhat intimidating captain's desk. Buck looked down at his fingers that were tangled like an old fishing net. He flexed his fingers a few times before settling them on the arm rests of his chair.
"I have to tell you something!" He blurted out, which made Bobby look up from what he was writing.
"To do with the incident report?"
"No."
"What's it about then, Buck?" Bobby set his pen down and folded his hands together, directing his attention to Buck. Buck's leg bounced in place nervously.
Buck knew what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. He had planned what he wanted to say so many times but in the moment he couldn't seem to make any sound come out. He just opened and closed his mouth several times. Turns out it's a lot scarier to have this conversation with the man he had come to view as a father figure of sorts than it was to do so to himself in the mirror.
Bobby prompted him again. "Buck?"
Buck shook his thoughts clear. "I don't know how to say it."
"Are you okay?" At Buck's mostly confident nod, Bobby continued. "Okay. Would you be more comfortable talking about it with someone else here? Or you could speak to someone else instead of me. We could get Eddie or-"
"No!" Buck almost yelled. "Eddie can't know about it."
"Alright," Bobby held his hands up placatingly. "Eddie doesn't have to know. But, Buck, as your captain, if anything is going on at work..." He tried to continue the conversation and work out what could have Buck so nervous to tell him. Bobby worried for the young firefighter.
"God, no, Bobby. It's nothing like that." But part of what Bobby said stuck out. His captain. "Can I- could- could I talk to you as not my captain? Just talk to Bobby? Not Captain Nash?" Buck looked down, placing a hand on the knee that he noticed was bouncing trying to still it and failing when that just caused his arm to shake too.
"Yeah, kid, always. You can always tell me anything. As a boss or as a friend." Bobby's face softened, he stood and gestured to the small couch in the office, removing the desk as a barrier between boss and subordinate. Buck followed his lead and sat on the couch beside Bobby. His hand hovered over Buck's arm, making contact when he saw Buck's minute nod. Buck felt himself relax slightly, letting out a deep breath. "So, what did you want to tell me?"
Buck knew logically nothing would change between him and Bobby over this. But anxiety had a great deal more sway over logic in his mind at the moment. He just had to get it over with. Do it fast, like ripping off a band-aid.
"I'mbisexualandinlovewithEddie."
"Come again?"
Okay, too fast. Deep breath.
"I'm bisexual. And I-I'm in love with Eddie."
Buck couldn't bring himself to look at Bobby but before he knew it he was pulled into a tight hug. Buck brought his arms up to return the hug, burying his face in Bobby's shoulder.
"I'm so proud of you, kid. Thank you for telling me." Buck relaxed further into the hug. "This doesn't change how I see you. You're still the same old Buck." Bobby assuaged Buck's unspoken fears.
"Thanks, Bobby." Buck whispered. They pulled back from the embrace, Buck's eyes a little misty.
"Does anyone else know?" Bobby asked.
"Maddie and May know but that's it."
"May?" Bobby's eyebrows rose, not aware of Buck and May apparently talking often enough that Buck felt comfortable coming out to her before him.
Buck huffs out a laugh. "Maddie, May, and I go out for lunch every couple weeks when our shifts line-up." Buck didn't feel it necessary to tell Bobby about how those lunches were basically an excuse for his sister and pseudo step-sister to gang up on him about his obvious feelings for Eddie. It also wasn't necessary to mention how May was the one who helped Buck research different sexual orientations and come to terms with the fact it was okay to be attracted to multiple genders at once.
Bobby had heard about how Maddie had sort of taken May under her wing at dispatch but didn't realise that Buck had gotten so close to May. It did make sense though, now Bobby thought of it. Buck and Maddie got on better than any set of siblings Bobby had seen, including himself and his brother. If Maddie had bonded with May, it made sense that Buck would too for the amount of time the Buckley siblings spent with each other. A feat that was most impressive given the tiresome shifts they all worked between the 118 and dispatch.
"I won't tell anyone. That's up to you to decide who knows and when." Bobby deadpanned. "But if anyone's giving you a hard time, remind them that my wife has a gun."
Through laughter Buck managed to get out a half-teasing "Sure, pops."