AN: I know in another story I haven't posted yet, but have finished I got it where Tommy can't draw, but since that one has Rocker as his twin brother who can from that episode on S.W.A.T. I changed it in here and have it where Tommy can draw and paint. Also I saw picture of Gavin/Christopher at Disney and in some of the pictures he was in a wheelchair on his Instagram. Others he was standing so that's why added that little bit in here.
AN2: A wise man once told me, "Family don't end in blood." But it doesn't start there, either. Family cares about you, not what you can do for them. Family's there through the good, the bad-all of it. This quote looks familiar it is because it came from Supernatural the TV show.
Summary: Buck's never done anything on his birthday. He only ever lets Christopher acknowledge it since he met him. This year he gets special gift from Tommy on his birthday which he loves. (I saw this morning that it's Oliver's birthday and so making it Buck's birthday too)
Title: Happy Birthday, Evan
It was the one day every year that Buck took the day off if he knew he was going to be on shift. Though a few weeks ago he'd for once taken a couple extra days off because of a trip with Eddie, Christopher, and Tommy. He didn't want to celebrate his birthday. When he'd been a kid Maddie was the only one that done anything on his birthday. Then she'd moved away and it had been once again forgotten. He had gone out on his 21st birthday alone having a few drinks. There had been one or two hook ups that night since it had been in his Buck 1.0 years. He may have done an entire weekend of it to be exact. He'd still hated it and hadn't said that it was his birthday.
After he'd gone to the 118 birthdays got celebrated, but he'd made Bobby promise never to tell them his. He didn't want to celebrate his birthday. It was a day that sucked since he was a kid. Even after Maddie came back he just couldn't do it. Though she did give him a gift and a card. The only two people that had gotten away with saying happy birthday outside of Maddie was Eddie and Christopher. There was no way on earth that he could say no to the teenager, back when he'd been a kid. Christopher had been shocked and appalled when he'd found out he hadn't celebrated his birthday in years. So, for a week they had done stuff when he was off shift. He couldn't tell him no, so he'd done them. There were years in the last six that it had been just them because Eddie had been working.
Buck was sure that something was up this year. Christopher hadn't mentioned his birthday and Eddie hadn't either. He'd gotten the usual birthday card from his parents that they'd started sending since Jee had been born. No one else had though and it was weird. He let out a sigh rolling over and punching the pillow beside him. There was one person he had hoped to get a message from at least. Then again, he hadn't told Tommy when his birthday was either. Yeah, that was probably why his boyfriend hadn't sent him a message or called.
Tommy had been on standby the night before and ended up having to go in. The last two times that happened it had been an all night and most the day thing. People needed to stop setting stuff on fire. He was miserable right now and for once it was because it was his birthday and no one was going to say it. It was probably nuts, he'd gone this many years not wanting to hear the words, but he wanted to from Tommy. He had never told any of his former exes about his birthday either. Though Taylor had found out and she'd bitched when he'd gotten grumpy about not wanting to talk about it. He'd ditched her for Christopher because he would rather spend his unhappy birthday with the one that was his son even if not blood.
He sighed again sitting up before he went downstairs. He had wanted to wallow, but there was no use in doing that. He saw something sitting on the island and walked over. He picked the card that was there reading the cover of it. It wasn't one that Christopher had done, this one was hand made yes, but there was a lot of details to it. Someone had hand drawn the card and added paint to it as well. Christopher always used colored pencils or crayons when he made the cards. He smiled because he knew who the card was from. Tommy did know about his birthday after all.
Buck traced the letters on the outside that said Happy Birthday, Evan. Each letter was painted in a repeating color scheme of blue, red, and orange which were three of his favorite colors. He opened the card up finding it had four pages to it. The first page had signatures all over it. Everyone at the 118 had signed it and it wasn't just their names. It was a sentence or two to him with their names after it. The inserted page had signatures and words too. He read each one of them after he sat down. He didn't even know how on earth Tommy had gotten everyone to sign it. He would have seen his boyfriend going around with a card getting it signed he thought.
Once he read the words he turned to the extra inserted page for the card. There taking up the entire center was another picture. This one of his family and friends that looked so real it was almost like a picture. He could tell it wasn't though. He couldn't help the tears in his eyes. He could tell the time and effort Tommy had put into this. It wasn't something that had taken a few minutes. It had taken hours to do this and he had to sit the card down so it didn't get tear stains on it. The other day they had said those three words to each other, I love you. This card would have screamed that if he didn't already know Tommy loved him.
Christopher was in front of him with Eddie on one side and Tommy on the other. Then his friends and family were out from that. Bobby directly behind him with Athena at his side. May and Harry were in it. Maddie, Chimney, Jee. Hen, Karen, Denny, and Mara. Ravi too. He knew that Tommy hadn't met Michael or David, but they were next to May and Harry. He'd gone off a picture more than likely. It still had details of the two. Besides Michael and David the painting was of the cookout they'd had weeks back to celebrate not only Bobby surviving, but Mara being adopted by Karen and Hen.
Buck didn't want to turn the page even though there was more to the card. He ran his fingers over the words on top that said ("Family don't end in blood." But it doesn't start there, either. Family cares about you, not what you can do for them. Family's there through the good, the bad-all of it.') It was one of his favorite quotes that he'd seen online when he'd been looking up something after the lighting strike. This was written in Tommy's handwriting above the picture that he'd painted. When he finally turned the page to the last two of the card he found the chorus to a song that had been playing one evening. Tommy had taken his hand before they'd slow danced to it. The chorus of the son had been his favorite part and he could hear Tommy's voice singing it to him. It was the first song they'd danced to. That had been the same night that Tommy had made love to him too.
It was starting to be too much. All the emotions going through him with this card. He didn't close it though because he looked at the last page finding it another picture painted there. Below was a paragraph of words that Tommy had written him. The painting had Tommy, him, Eddie and Christopher. It was the trip the four of them had taken two weeks ago to Disney. That had shocked the hell out of him. They had spent four days there seeing almost everything there was to see that could fit into four days. He hadn't even known they were going anywhere until he'd woken up finding Christopher and Eddie at Tommy's both wearing huge smiles on their faces. It had been later that he found out when Tommy had landed near there they had spilled the beans about the trip. Never in a million years would he have thought he'd be going to Disney.
Those four days had been wonderful and he'd only wished that Jee could have gone, but she hadn't been feeling good. He had brought her back a few things though spoiling his niece. The picture had the four of them sitting on one of the benches. Pluto was in it with them. He remembered that off to the side in the photo that had been taken was the wheelchair that Christopher had used. Disney was huge and it was a lot of walking to it. Buck had been worried since sometimes he knew Chris might push himself. The teenager was just like his dads after all. It was when Christopher had said that had been thought about. The wheelchair had been borrowed for the trip.
Tommy had been the one that had asked Christopher if it was okay. He didn't have to use it, but he hadn't wanted him to hurt himself if he over did it. It was okay to use the chair if he needed it. Didn't mean he couldn't walk around if he wanted to or was thought to be a burden. Buck had about cried right there because it went back to a conversation, he'd had with Christopher multiple times about wanting to know if he was a burden. Tommy hadn't forced the chair, he'd asked. He'd offered to carry Christopher if he got tired and didn't want the chair too. His boyfriend was the best and he loved him so damn much. He really didn't think that he could feel this much love for someone.
Buck read the words below the picture. It took him twice to get through it without blurry vision from the tears. He could hear the words in his head in Tommy's voice. The words were like his boyfriend could see into his soul. He kept rereading them because people had said they loved him before, he'd said it. He'd thought he felt it in the past, but this. It had to be what it felt like when you really knew you found the person you were meant to be with. If it was more than four months of them dating, he'd swear Tommy was trying to propose to him with what was in the card.
He remembered a song once while he'd been flipping through the radio. He didn't remember who it was by or anything, besides the words still rang in his head near the beginning. 'Hope you fall in love and it hurts so bad.' He'd never gotten that meaning or why anyone would want love to hurt, but he got it now. His heart was hurting in the best way possible right now knowing how much he was loved. He traced the last words Tommy had written. Happy Birthday, My Love, My Forever. I love you, Evan.
~BT BT BT BT BT~
Buck wasn't sure how long he'd sat there looking at the card. He went back to the beginning to end. He was scared he'd ruin the card by looking at it so many times. He took pictures of it in case it did get torn or anything. He knew he'd be looking at this more than today. He had pulled his phone out trying to think of something he could send to Tommy. There was no words for him to say that could cover this. The words and the effort that had gone into the card. The fact that the Disney trip was part of his birthday gift. That had been in those words at the back too. He'd tried paying for his part of the trip, but Tommy had refused.
The sound of someone at the door brought him back to reality. He could swear that it was a kick knock instead of a hand knock. Everyone he considered family, minus his parents, had a key to the loft so he wasn't sure who on earth would be knocking or kicking at his door. He got up going over opening it up not bothering to look through the peephole. He never did use the thing. The smile that had been on his face got wider seeing his boyfriend standing there. Though Tommy had his hands full which explained why he hadn't let himself in or used a hand to knock.
"Happy Birthday, baby." Tommy said with a smile on his face. "I know the rule is no saying it, but I can't do it. We're going to celebrate your birthday. You can get me later if you don't like."
When Eddie had told him that Evan refused to celebrate his birthday and only Christopher could say the words he'd come up with a plan. He wanted to show Evan the way a birthday should be. It was probably crazy, but he didn't care. That was the motto after all they'd come up with months ago when they'd gone after Bobby and Athena in the hurricane. He'd risked getting fired, all of them had, to save two people that meant a lot to the ones that had been in the helicopter with him. Bobby had helped him too when he'd become the captain at the 118.
He was the reason he had gone to harbor. He still remembered that day in Bobby's office when he'd said he saw him doing more than what he was. He'd told him about the opening for a pilot at harbor station. He'd read his file that he'd been a pilot in the army. He'd wanted to know why he hadn't gone there to start with. It hadn't been an option at the time and he'd just stayed. Bobby had asked him if he still liked what he did or if he wanted to do something he loved instead. He'd been at harbor two weeks later because he hadn't been able to lie. He did like it at the 118 after Bobby had gotten there, but he'd still felt haunted by the past.
"I was fixing to call you." Buck said opening the door wider and moving so Tommy could come in. "Can I help with something?" He asked.
"You can take the top box." Tommy said stopping long enough for Evan to take it.
He went over to the counter setting the other things down. He hadn't been sure if he'd get here with the call the night before, but he'd been happy the fire got under control faster than expected. He'd put in for today off, but if it had been bad enough, he would have had to work. He made sure that nothing was going to fall before going to where Evan was sitting at one of the chairs at the table. He gave him the go ahead to open the box which was only part of what he had for his boyfriend.
"Tommy, it's…" Buck didn't know what to say. "It's amazing. How?" He asked moving his hand over the framed painting.
The painting was of Daniel, his brother. He looked the way he'd described him that one night to Tommy about the coma dream he'd had. It was painted and had the two of them in it. Daniel's arm was around him. He had wished so badly that he had more photos of his brother. He still wished that Daniel could have lived too, but in this world, not the horrible nightmare world. He moved his hand over the glass that protected the painting. It wasn't just of Daniel as an adult with him either. There was one of Daniel holding him as a baby in it too. He'd never seen this picture and he had begged his dad to check for more since that one had been in Maddie's box.
"I went off your description of him from the coma dream for one of you two as adults." Tommy said. "The other one I asked Maddie for a copy of the picture of him on the bicycle. She went through her baby box and found a picture of her holding you in it. So, I just changed her for Daniel." Tommy explained.
He couldn't give Evan his brother or change the past. He couldn't change what happened or take away the hurt. He had wanted to do something though. Giving Evan a piece of the part of him that had always been missing had been part of it. Helping him enjoy his birthday was another. He'd left the card when he'd left the night before, which he could tell Evan had already found. It was sitting on the table next to the box. He'd gotten Eddie to get it signed because the day he'd tried Evan wouldn't leave his side which had been hard. So he'd enlisted his friend to do it for him while he'd kept his boyfriend distracted. He might have taken him up for a picnic on the roof of the 118.
"I love it, Tommy. I think you just want to see me crying all day." Buck said because if these types of surprises didn't stop coming that was what would happen.
He didn't know how to turn off his emotions, it was why he'd gotten out of the SEALs. He couldn't be a robot. He could deal with things in that moment yes, but after he couldn't toss them in a box. He already knew of a spot he could hang the painting. When he lifted it up out of the box, he found a second one. This one was of Maddie and him, Jee included. Yeah, he was going to be a wreck by the end of his birthday, but not one tear was sad because he hated the day. The painting was of the three of them at Tommy's house. Chimney was technically in the picture that had been taken, Tommy was too, but this was of his sister and niece with him. Then like the one with Daniel there was a painting of them as kids.
Buck was sure that was all, but there were two more in the box. How on earth Tommy had done them when most the time they were together on their days off, unless Tommy was hanging out with Eddie, and he had Christopher. Those basketball Thursdays were one of them that they split off. The first one he had was of Bobby, Athena, May, Harry and him. Bobby and Athena were like the parents he never had growing up. The parents that he had longed for. He pulled out the last one after taken a bit on the third one. It had Christopher and him. Another one from their time at Disney. Eddie and Tommy was absent from it and at the bottom in painted words was Father and Son with two hearts. He could tell that Christopher had painted the words even though Tommy had painted the picture.
"I asked Christopher which picture I should paint, and he gave me that one. It's the same one he's got in his room framed." Tommy said. "I thought about giving it to you for father's day, but he picked the other picture for then."
Buck remembered the card he'd gotten from Christopher on Father's Day like usual. Though instead of only a card he'd gotten a framed painting of the two of them. Chris had told him he'd had some help with it. It had been the two of them asleep with a copy of one their favorite Rick Riordan books between them. He'd gotten the set for Chris and even had them signed. The signing part had come later after finding a book event that the author was going to be at in L.A. He'd taken Christopher with him last year to it.
"Thank you, I don't think anyone has put this much thought into a gift outside of Christopher for me. Though, definitely no one that I've dated. I got a sweater for Christmas one year dating an ex. The thing itched way too much." Buck said he was also sure it was donated by now.
"I promise there are no clothes being given to you. That was on the hard no list. Christopher had a clipboard with a list of approved ideas and very bad ones. There was a slight freak out when Eddie saw the clipboard. Something about you two together with clipboards spells disaster. I think you're hot with one. Though Christopher was slightly scary, but I survived." Tommy said.
He'd been worried when Eddie had started talking in Spanish and English at once about said clipboard. There was mention of a possessed clipboard, which he had no clue what that even meant. Christopher had later told him about the Halloween prank that Evan and he had pulled on Eddie. One with a clipboard seemingly following him everywhere. It had been like the coffee maker powered by Hylda. He had heard that story which was hilarious. He got up going behind Evan's chair wrapping his arms around him.
He had plans for making breakfast too and the morning was going to be spent alone together. Though the afternoon was going to have the rest of the family there. The 118 was off today and he was hosting the party at his place. He'd given Bobby the key because the kitchen and backyard were larger there. Bobby had said he was cooking so he hadn't argued. He asked what his boyfriend wanted for breakfast because he had brought a few different options.
"Blueberry pancakes sound nice." Buck said. "Maybe after breakfast we could use the rest of the whip cream that I made last night?" He asked having a few ideas of eating it off his boyfriend's body. He'd been fixing to do it then when Tommy got the text message he was needed.
"I think there might be time for that, if not then we can tonight. Unless some natural disaster strikes, we're both off today and tomorrow." Tommy reminded him.
"You have met me so that isn't far off, so bite your tongue." Buck said with a laugh. "You are the one that said the 118 needs it's own wing at the hospital." He added before he was cut off from the continued laugh which turned into a moan as Tommy kissed him. "Maybe we can eat after we use the whip cream. I'm not as hungry as I thought I was." He said when they broke the kiss.
"Oh no, you're going to be good and eat first. I do know you and I also know that if we're late for the second part of today I'll get the riot act. There was a threat of finding a rooster and putting it in my bed if we were late." Tommy said.
"I'll protect you from Christopher, baby. He's only thirteen, he's not that scary." Buck said laughing.
"It wasn't Christopher. Your adoptive parents can be scary. Especially when one knows I'm terrified of roosters and the other has a gun." Tommy said with a slight shiver thinking about waking up finding a rooster watching him. He barely had survived the farm he'd gone to with Christopher and Evan. He'd gotten chased by one which had brought back the memory of Maurice. There wasn't a lot that scared him, but a rooster stalking him was up there.
Buck couldn't help the laugh he let out before he got up setting the gifts on the table. He wrapped his arms around Tommy hugging him. "I promise you that no cock besides mine is getting in your bedroom, babe. There will also be no guns either, unless you're into gun shaped dildos?" He asked.
"No, I'm good on that. There might be some other gifts for tonight when we're alone. None of them are gun shaped though." Tommy said, but he wouldn't given into what those other gifts might be even when Evan started begging him. "Gotta be good, baby and I'll take care of you."
"I got no doubt about that." Buck replied because today was already better than any birthday he'd had before. It also had him wanting to do something instead of hide out. "It's my birthday so I'm going to be the one calling the shots. My request is having you at my mercy and hearing you beg. The birthday boy is supposed to get his wishes granted." He smiled wickedly before he pulled Tommy to him giving his boyfriend a kiss that had them both moaning and wishing it was already night time.
~THE END~
EN: Thanks in advance for reviews and kudos.
Question: Did anyone else see the video on Instagram about month ago where Lou went live and was talking about Tevan before the season finale, I believe? Anyway, He was wearing black nail polish in it and I thought was kind of hot.