Chapter Text
It’s Kiely’s comment that kick starts it all.
“I think our usual is cheating on his boyfriend.”
Bluebell Garden Studio is a cafe located in downtown LA, just a minute walk from the 118 fire station around the corner. The BBGS, the girls call the cafe as an endearment, and so do the usuals attending the cafe. The usuals being, citizens of LA and a whole lot of firefighters.
It’s run by four teenage girls who get paid too little to deal with the bullshit that goes down. No, Margaret, we didn’t put 10% more whipped cream in your friend’s drink than yours. No, Mr. Mulligan, we don’t want a date with your grandson.
And now, apparently, a cheating scandal.
“Which usual?” Haruka asks, pouring a cup of coffee for herself. It’s probably her fifth cup.
“Eddie.”
Every head whips towards Kiely.
“No,” Miya stresses. “There is no way.”
“He brought a woman here yesterday!” Kiely defends, throwing her hands up. “It was like a date. No, it was a date.”
“Isn’t he gay?” Yunhui says at the same time that Haruka blurts, “Why would he cheat so close to his workplace? He still works with Buck, right?”
“Oh my god,” Miya says, glancing out the window, then back at Kiely. “Should we do something?”
“Like what?”
“Like tell Buck?” she says matter-of-factly. “It’s the least we can do.”
Yunhui has a crease between her brows. “Kiely, how sure are you that he was on a date?”
“A good ninety percent. He kissed her hand, you guys.”
“Holy shit,” Haruka buries her head in her hands, “Why is it always those two at the scene of the crime?”
But it’s a journey of how it got to this point.
Kiely: The first memorable encounter
Kiely sets the kitchen on fire.
She doesn’t even know how she did it—one second, she’s making a set of paninis, then, the entire left side of the wall catches on fire. She stands frozen for a second before shrieking for backup. Haruka and Yunhui immediately run to the fire department. Miya attempts to contain the fire by smacking her apron against it (it does not work).
Thankfully, the fire station is a minute away.
They send over two very tall and very attractive firefighters who easily extinguish the flame.
The four girls stand in silence as they stare at the burnt wall, attempting to muster up an excuse to the owner of Bluebell without getting their asses beat.
“You guys are new here,” says the tall blond out of nowhere, and Kiely thinks she’s never seen a pair of bluer eyes.
It’s Yunhui who has enough courage to answer. “Yeah, uh, we needed a part-time job.”
“All four of you?”
“Look at the economic state of the world.”
The brunette firefighter hums. “Can’t argue against that.”
“I guess we’ll be seeing you guys a lot, then.” The blond one says, beaming despite the burnt wall before him. “We’re usuals to this place. Big fan of your muffins.”
“Thank you,” Haruka says, though she looks absolutely mortified at the kitchen wall.
He turns to the brunette. “Wait, Eddie, have you had them before?”
The other one—Eddie, as it turns out—shakes his head. The blond gasps before turning to the girls. “Do you have the blueberry and raspberry muffins?”
“Yeah, freshly baked,” Miya answers and grimaces. “Before…all of this.”
The blond hops excitedly. He’s like a dog, Kiely thinks distantly. “Come on, you gotta try them.”
“Buck, I—”
“You won’t regret it,” says the blond—Buck—and he puts a hand on Eddie’s shoulder. It rests on the crook of Eddie’s neck. It’s oddly intimate.
“Fine,” Eddie resigns and agrees.
The four girls filter out of the kitchen and pack the muffins into brown paper bags. They add extra as a thank-you, and the two firefighters leave, chattering about someone named Christopher.
The four simultaneously turn to each other as the door closes.
“We’re fucked,” Haruka says, pointing at the kitchen while Miya goes, “Do you think they’re dating?”
“I got major gay vibes from the brunette,” Yunhui says. “Maybe bi from the blond.”
“Really?” Kiely blurts. “Maybe they’re like, best friends.”
“I don’t know, there was something rainbow about that.”
“Guys, the fucking kitchen.”
They get their ass handed by the owner.
Kiely: The second memorable encounter
For some reason that she can’t quite figure out, she managed to hang onto her job despite charring the left wall of the kitchen.
It’s only a few days later that she’s faced with the duo again.
“Kitchen girl!” is Buck’s greeting for her, and she tries to laugh it off. She pointedly does not mention the yelling she received for it. Well deserved, but still.
“Oh, hi,” Haruka spawns beside her. “Buck and Eddie, right?”
“Have we been here often enough for you to remember our names?” Eddie asks, looking slightly embarrassed.
Haruka seems to hold back a grin. “Memorable first impression, that’s all. Muffin again?”
“You know it,” Buck replies. “Wait, can you add one extra blueberry?”
“I didn’t know you liked blueberries that much,” Eddie mumbles.
Buck blinks. “It’s Chris’s favorite.”
Again, Kiely has no idea who Chris is, but she obliges. She plops one extra blueberry muffin into the paper bag. Maybe it’s someone at the fire station.
“It’s going to be his breakfast tomorrow, isn’t it?” Eddie says with a little humor.
Or maybe not.
Kiely pictures a pet dog scarfing down the blueberry muffin she has between the tongs right now. Maybe Chris is the fire department’s dog.
“Or I’ll add it to his lunch. He always complains about the cafeteria food; he might as well pack something he’ll enjoy.” Replies Buck.
Okay, who the fuck is Chris?
Haruka beats her to it. “Is Chris…” she trails off in an obvious question.
“He’s my son,” Eddie answers with a smile.
That could’ve been the end of it, but Buck proceeds to raise his phone and show them his wallpaper, which is a photo of Buck, Eddie, and a boy squished together, posing in front of the Universal Studios globe.
Oh…Oh.
Kiely’s brows rise. Yunhui had been right with her intuition. “Adorable.”
Buck beams. “Thank you.”
Once they leave, Kiely whirls towards Haruka. Haruka is staring past the door, sipping her coffee. “So,” she starts.
“So,” Kiely says.
“They have a son.”
“They definitely do.”
“They have a what?” Miya comes around the corner, wiping flour from her cheek. Yunhui follows closely, also patting herself free of whatever they were baking with.
“Buck and Eddie,” Haruka elaborates. “They have a son.”
“What?” Miya exclaims at the same time that Yunhui hums, “Knew it.”
“They’re probably married,” Kiely points out.
Haruka tilts her head. “No rings, though.”
“Because of their job, dummy.”
“Oh, right.”
“Pay up,” Yunhui sing-songs, holding out her palm for her share of the bet.
Everybody else grumbles and stands to gather their wallets.
Kiely: The third memorable encounter
Kiely looks up at the door chime. It’s Buck, though he’s in casual clothes and looks like he hasn’t slept in three days. He runs a hand down his face and greets her with a weak smile. “Kitchen girl.”
“Buck,” Kiely greets back. She’s gotten used to the name at this point. “You look…”
“Like shit?”
“Was gonna say unrested, but sure, that works.”
“I’ve had a long night,” he mumbles.
Kiely winces. “Long shift?”
“I wish,” Buck says, and he looks so devastated and so, so sad that Kiely wants to reach over and give him a hug. “Uh, one blueberry muffin please.”
“Just one?”
“It’s for Chris. I wanted to cheer him up.”
Kiely takes the tongs into her hands, but falters. “None for you? Or Eddie?”
Buck flinches at the name like it burnt him. Kiely is about to backtrack until Buck just sags and shakes his head. “Eddie’s—“ he sucks a brittle breath in. “Eddie’s in the hospital. I’m sure you’ve seen the news by now.”
The news?
Kiely almost tells him that she doesn’t really watch the news until the events from this morning hit her. Haruka had run into the cafe, saying something along the lines of a sniper and a firefighter being shot.
No.
“Oh my god,” she breathes.
“Yeah,” Buck says softly. “Uh—surgery went well, though. Thank God.”
“I’m so sorry,” Kiely says and fights a grimace, because that’s probably the worst thing to offer someone who’s nearly lost his husband. So instead, she shoves two blueberry muffins into the paper bag and shoves it towards Buck.
Buck blinks up at her, slow and tired.
“It’s on the house,” Kiely tells him.
Buck huffs a weak laugh. “You really don’t have to.”
“Please. It’s the least we can do.” She shakes the bag. “I insist.”
“You’re not going to get in more trouble with your boss?” Buck says, and Kiely’s about to ask him what he means by more, until she follows his line of sight, which is fixed on the kitchen in the back.
Ah. Right.
“I can handle it,” she shrugs. “Plus, any of the other girls would do the same.”
Buck raises his hand towards the bag, but he visibly wavers. “Are you sure?”
“Buck, just take the muffins and go to your son.”
Buck straightens a little at that, and he momentarily looks lost for words. Kiely stares back expectantly, because this truly is the least she could do for a family going through so much. She can't imagine how that boy from Buck’s wallpaper must be feeling right now.
Buck eventually swallows whatever was pooling on his tongue and takes the bag.
“Thank you,” he says, every bit sincere.
Kiely smiles. “I’ll see you around, Buck.”
Kiely: The fourth memorable encounter
“I haven’t seen you much recently,” Yunhui says as the door rings, and as Kiely looks up, in walks in Eddie. He’s in his casual attire, and he awkwardly shifts on his feet as he greets them.
“Yeah, uh,” he starts. “I left the 118.”
Yunhui shoots up from her stool. Kiely nearly drops the tray of bagels.
“It was for my son,” Eddie quickly clarifies, hands in his pockets. “Who is also the one who sent me to get some blueberry muffins. I—I have a new job as an LAFD liaison."
“You’re not a firefighter anymore?” Kiely asks, quietly heartbroken because she knows for a fact that he loves—loved his job.
“Liaison, like, social media manager?” Yunhui follows up. “No offense, but do you even know how to use Twitter?”
Eddie’s jaw drops. “I know how to use Twitter!”
“Do you?” Yunhui mumbles.
Eddie looks between them with a deep crease between his brows. “Do I look that old to you guys?”
“No, you just really give off the vibe that you’re not good with modern technology.”
Eddie opens, but quickly shuts his mouth.
“I see it,” Kiely comments. Yunhui gestures at her, as if she’s a physical manifestation of her point being proven. Now, all Kiely can picture is Eddie trying his hardest to fend off Twitter trolls. It’s funnier than she’d like to admit.
Eddie huffs. “Well, I’m great at my job, thank you very much.”
“Do you work with a bunch of Gen Zs?” “Is your best friend at work the same age as us?”
“You guys are brutal,” Eddie grumbles.
Kiely laughs. “How many muffins today, Eddie?”
“Just three.”
“One each for you guys. Got it.”
Eddie pauses at that. “You guys?”
Kiely shrugs. “You, Chris, Buck. Your little unit.”
Eddie seems taken aback by that, blinking rapidly like a deer caught in headlights. Weird reaction for referring to his husband and their shared child, Kiely thinks, but the man was just shot a couple of months ago, so she’s willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Little unit,” Eddie repeats with a light laugh. “I guess that’s one way to call us.”
“Are you going to stay a social media manager, Eddie?” Yunhui inquires, leaning against the counter. “If you are, I will personally steal your job if you post one millennial meme about minions or something.”
Eddie looks dumbfounded. “What?”
“Ugh, never mind. I know you’ve seen those Minion memes.”
Eddie looks so lost that Kiely takes pity and just hands him the muffins. “Say hi to Buck for us. And Chris.”
Eddie smiles at that, and he takes the bag graciously. “Will do.”
-
The four sit in a circle. They have closed the cafe for the day.
“So what’s our course of action?” Yunhui asks. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
“I mean, it is their business.” Miya hesitantly points out, but winces at her own words. “God, I hate this, you guys. Both of them are so sweet.”
“But cheating?” Kiely asks. “That’s so not cute.”
“Does anyone else remember anything weird between them? Like, what could have possibly led them into this state?” Haruka asks, and they fall into silence again.
Kiely ruminates. As far as her knowledge goes, there’s never been a flaw between the couple. It’s always been Buck and Eddie, inseparable as they stepped through the doors of Bluebell. Them and their blueberry muffins and their little Christopher. Not so little now, from the photos Buck takes delight in showing them from time to time. But the point still stands.
“Oh,” Yunhui suddenly pipes up. “Maybe I have something.”