Reading Time: 112 Minutes

Title: Enough is Enough
Series: Never Enough
Series Order: 2
Author: CorgiQueen14
Fandom: 9-1-1
Genre: Angst, Contemporary, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Relationship(s): Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Content Rating: R
Warnings: slight mention of past non-con, Bad Parenting, Not Maddie Buckley Friendly, Not Buckley Parents Friendly, Not Chimney Han friendly, Canon typical violence,
Beta: Thea Zara, DarkAngel2792, Chris_hotrod2000 and Hourstillnoon
Alpha: Twigen
Word Count: 79,347
Summary: Two years had passed since Buck had uncovered his family’s dark secret. Now, Buck and Eddie are ready to take the next step in their relationship. But when family drama attacks them on all sides, will they make it out unscathed? Or will lightning strike when they least expect it?
Artist: BytheBry

Chapter 1:

The day that they met their doom was hot, the sun beating down on them.

But Buck was determined to make it through. It didn’t matter that neither of them was sure they could handle what was coming next. Buck was sure they could do this. He was determined that this would not be the end for them. No matter the risks, the screaming, or the air of terror in the environment. This was not going to be the way they went out.

Now, if only Eddie could feel the same way instead of immediately going to the worst-case scenario.

“We’re going to die.” Eddie looked at Buck, flashes of fear in his eyes.

“We are not going to die.” Buck rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. “We’re going to be just fine.”

“Do you not hear those screams?” Eddie gestured at the sight in front of them. “We are doomed. This is the end.”

“Now you’re just being dramatic.”

“Are you telling me you seriously aren’t worried?”

“Well, of course, I’m worried!” Buck argued.

“So what would you recommend we do here?” Eddie asked. “I don’t see how we can get out of this.”

“I don’t see how either. But we’ve been through worse and we’ve made it through.” Buck bumped Eddie’s shoulder with his. “We’ll make it through this too.”

The other man was silent for a long moment, and then… “This is entirely your fault.”

Buck looked at him, offense etching its way onto his face. “How on earth is this my fault? This whole thing was your idea.”

“You’re the one who told Chris we’d ride whatever rides he wanted at Disneyland!”

“Okay, but neither one of us thought he’d pick the Ferris wheel from hell!”

“Well, he did!” Eddie eyed the offending contraption. “That thing is a death trap.”

“Eddie, this is Disney. It’s a very well-made Ferris wheel.” Buck looked at him.

“Okay, so why don’t you get on it with Chris?” Eddie said, his voice challenging Buck.

Buck looked up at the Ferris wheel, seeing the swinging cars moving back and forth along their tracks as the occupants screamed. “No thanks, I’m good.”

Eddie sighed. “I can’t believe Pixar Pier would have something as terrifying as this.”

“This isn’t even the scariest amusement park ride I’ve ever seen.”

Eddie stared at him. “You’re joking.”

“I wish I was.”

Eddie sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. He looked at Buck. ” Do you think we can convince him to go on the Incredicoaster again?”

“You’re on.” The two of them tapped wrists and then sped off.

Later that night, Buck groaned as he clutched his stomach.

“I’m dying.” Chip seemed utterly unconcerned as he sat on the bed’s edge, Buck looking at him. “I feed you. You could at least pretend you care about me dying.”

“Don’t be mad at the cat for not showing the appropriate level of concern. First of all, he’s a cat. They don’t emote the same way people do. Second of all, you’re not dying.” Buck could practically hear the eye roll in Eddie’s voice as he brushed his teeth.

“You don’t know that.” Buck retorted. “I bet if it came down to it, Chip would be like Hachiko, that dog who waited for a decade for his owner to come back home.”

“Well, he’s not going to get the chance, since you’re not dying from a stomach ache.”

“You’re going to feel bad about saying stuff like that when I’m dead.” Buck lifted his head as he glared in the direction of the bathroom. “I’ll be expecting top-tier levels of remorse at my funeral. Crying, tearing at the clothes, draping yourself over the casket. The whole nine yards.”

“Can we please change the subject?” Eddie asked, finally leaving the bathroom. “This is getting morbid.”

“True.” Buck snuggled into Eddie as he joined him on the bed. “Probably not the best idea to make jokes about that stuff anyway. The universe has a sick sense of humor.”

“Buck,” Eddie groaned. The universe doesn’t have a sick sense of humor, it doesn’t have any sense of humor! It doesn’t have opinions on anything. It’s not sentient.”

“Agree to disagree.” Buck nudged Eddie lightly. Eddie huffed out a laugh, wrapping his arms around the other man.

“I think Chris had a great time,” Buck said.

“I think so, too,” Eddie said, laughing slightly. “Especially after the third slushy. Luckily, the sugar crash happened before bed.”

“For the last time, we had to try all the different slushies that they had on hand,” Buck told him. “That way, we would know which one was the best, which was totally the Boysen Apple Freeze. Just in case you were wondering.”

“And what was the purpose of the six different churros?”

“…Needed to pair the slushies with something.”

“Yeah, and that’s why you have a stomachache, and I don’t,” Eddie said, Buck flicking his arm in response to Eddie’s smug tone.

“Yeah, fair enough,” Buck said, twisting to get more comfortable. “Either way, I have no regrets.”

“Same here.” Buck could hear the amusement in Eddie’s tone.

“It was a great way to celebrate Chris going back to school soon.” Buck pulled up the covers more, covering both of them. “I’m glad we could do it.”

“Definitely. We need to thank Zach when he’s out here.”

Buck grinned as Eddie said that. He had just been thinking the same thing.

Zach, or Zachary, was one of Buck’s newfound relatives. He had been trying to come out and visit for a while, along with the rest of Buck’s relatives, but things kept coming up. Buck had been chatting with him for a while, but he was still floored when Zach sent him, Eddie, and Chris passes to Disneyland.

“I can’t wait for them to come visit.” Buck looked up at Eddie. “It’s going to be so great to meet them face to face finally.”

Eddie nodded. “I’m glad we’re finally going to get to do it. I’m sorry you had to cancel before.”

Buck turned to stare at him and reached up to flick him on the forehead.

“Ow!”

“Edmundo Diaz, please tell me you did not just apologize for getting shot.” Buck glared at him. “It was not your fault the visit did not work out.”

“If you say so.”

“Besides, both sides have had to reschedule at this point.” Buck pointed out. “First the shooting, then Maddie leaving town, and then Gran-Robert had a stroke. So it’s not just because of what happened to you.”

Eddie reached for Buck’s hand, concern in his eyes. “You know you can call him your grandpa, right? He even said you could. Multiple times.”

“I know that, but…” Buck made a frustrated noise, unsure how to express the feeling he had.

“But it doesn’t feel real yet?” Eddie suggested softly. “Because you’re so used to having family let you down that it’s hard to think of them as nurturing?”

Buck sighed, nodding. That was exactly what he wanted to say.

“You always get how I’m feeling.” Buck moved closer to Eddie.

“Of course I do.” Eddie snorted. “If anyone knows how complicated family can be, it’s me.”

Buck had to agree with that. Even when things seemed good between Eddie and his parents, things still were strained. “Didn’t the talk you had with your dad after his party help at all?” Buck asked.

“Not as much as you’d think.” Eddie shrugged. “He seems more open to having a relationship, and he’s not as critical about my choices, so that’s something at least.”

“Yeah.” Buck paused for a second. “I’m honestly still surprised that your parents didn’t freak out when you told them we were dating.”

Eddie hummed in response, his hand absentmindedly stroking Buck. “Maybe they just decided it was easier to come around to the idea. Plus, the fact that Chris loves you couldn’t hurt.”

Buck grinned at that. “He really is the best kid.”

“Yeah. He is.” Eddie murmured, his voice trailing off. Buck could tell that he was close to sleep, and he nuzzled closer to the other man.

“Good night, Eddie.” He said, his own eyes closing in sleep.

“Good night, Buck.”

The next day, Buck slumped down at the kitchen table.

“It is too early for this.” He groaned as he reached for his coffee.

“We just have to go to Chris’ school to get his materials for the school year,” Eddie said, stroking Buck’s shoulder. “And then someone wanted to go house hunting today.”

“Whoever suggested that is an idiot,” Buck mumbled into his coffee.

“Buck. It was you.” Eddie gave him a look.

“…In that case it was a genius idea.” Eddie snorted at that as he took a sip of his own coffee. “Besides, you know we’ve been talking about finding a new place for a while. Someplace closer to work, school, and your family.”

“Yeah, I know.” Eddie ate a bite of toast.

“It’s just gonna be a long process to find somewhere that fits all those requirements and has the type of features Chris needs.”

“And somewhere that has enough space for a catio.” Buck nodded.

Eddie stared at him. “A what?”

“A catio!”

“Buck, you saying the word twice doesn’t make me understand it.”

Buck snorted. “It’s like a screened-in area where the cats can be outside without actually being outside.”

Eddie gave him a look. “And this is a requirement for you?”

Buck gestured at Chip, who was lying at their feet. “Look at that face and tell me that you don’t want to give him a better life.”

“He’s got a good life!”

“He could have a better one with a catio!”

Buck gave Eddie a look until the other man sighed.

“Okay, we can look at places with space to build a catio.” Eddie pointed at Buck. “But if the perfect place doesn’t have space for it, we should take it anyway.”

“Sounds fair.” Buck nodded.

On his way back from school, Buck caught a glimpse of a house out the window. He pulled to a stop, Eddie jerking to awareness in the passenger seat.

“Everything okay, Buck?” Eddie asked as Buck looked out the window.

“Look at that house!” Buck pointed out the window. “It’s amazing.”

And it truly was. It was a gorgeous, massive ranch-style house with a giant lawn and beautifully maintained gardens. Buck just knew the backyard would be equally as perfect.

“It’s a very pretty house.” Eddie told him.

“Pretty?” Buck gave him a look. “It’s stunning. And it’s so close to Chris’ school. And to work.”

“Yeah, but even with both our salaries, we’d probably still have to rob a bank or two for the down payment,” Eddie noted, longing clear in his tone. “Even if that house is gorgeous.”

Buck deflated slightly. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“It would be perfect, though,” Eddie told him. “And I am sure that we will find something equally as perfect for us.” Buck grinned at that as they headed to the first listing.

“Well, this one isn’t too bad,” Buck said, looking around. “I like that it’s all one level. The color on that wall over there is a little off, though.”

Eddie leaned in, lowering his voice. “Buck. Pretty sure that’s mildew.”

Buck took another look. “Okay, yeah, let’s try some other places.”

“This is great,” Buck said as he walked around the spacious living room. “We could put the couch right here and get some more bookshelves.”

“It’s definitely very nice.” Eddie didn’t seem as sold on the house as Buck was, but he still seemed to like it. “Chris would love that room, and the yard is pretty cool too.”

“This house has top-of-the-line appliances.” the realtor could smell a potential sale the way a shark could smell blood in the water. “Not to mention, this is a smart house.”

Buck wrinkled his brow in confusion. “What does that mean?”

“It just means that this house can be completely run with a tablet using HILDY.”

Buck stiffened as he looked over at Eddie. His boyfriend had gotten very still, the expression on his face could only be described as “Deer in headlights.”

It might have been two years, but that didn’t mean Eddie liked Hildy more than he did then.

Buck turned to the realtor and smiled apologetically. “I think we’re going to have to pass.”

At the third house, Buck and Eddie barely got out of the car before the sounds of the nearby freeway started to overwhelm them. They gave each other a look and then immediately got back in the car.

They spent the better part of three hours going to different open houses and touring different properties. They did not find anything close to as perfect as that first house.

“Why does TV always make house hunting look way more fun than it is?” Buck groaned, driving to work later.

“TV always makes everything look more fun than it is.” Eddie pointed out.

“Don’t use logic on me.” Buck playfully glared at him. “That’s cheating.”

“How is that cheating?”

“It just is.”

Eddie laughed at that.

“And now we head to work for our first day with Captain Wilson,” Buck said, trying to keep the bitter note out of his voice. Based on the look Eddie was giving him, he wasn’t succeeding.

“Are you okay with this?” Eddie asked. “Bobby picking Hen as interim captain over you?”

Buck sighed, pulling to a stop at the light. “I was more mad about it before Bobby and I talked. He also made some good points about Hen having more leadership experience than me. Not to mention, the department isn’t going to be gunning for me to take charge after the Taylor thing.”

“You know that wasn’t your fault, right?” Eddie told him. “Hen and Chimney asked you to get Taylor involved. It’s not your fault that she went rogue.”

“And yet the department didn’t see it that way,” Buck chuckled wryly. “But it’s okay. I talked to Bobby, and we made a plan to work up to getting the necessary experience when he gets back from helping Athena’s dad.”

“That’s good, at least,” Eddie told him, reassuringly touching Buck’s shoulder.

“Yeah.” Buck paused momentarily before adding, “and at least she won’t be as bad as Captain Han. Hopefully.”

“If she’s as bad as Captain Han, I’m calling out sick,” Eddie told him. “There is no way in hell that I am going to go through that again.”

“Wow, so brave.” Buck jokes.

“Are you telling me you’d do that again?”

“Hell no.” Eddie snickered at Buck’s response. “But it doesn’t matter because Hen is nothing like Chimney. So Captain Wilson will be an improvement over Captain Han.”

“I think Captain Buckley would be the best one of all.” Eddie said to Buck.

Buck rolled his eyes. “Are you trying to see if I’ll make Bobby’s baked Mac and cheese for dinner tonight?”

“… Well, it’s not just that.”

Buck snorted. “Suck up.”

Just then, they pulled into the parking lot and got ready to go in for their shift.

“Fingers crossed this goes well.” Buck said, making a show of crossing his fingers. Eddie rolled his eyes and did the same.

Luckily, Captain Wilson was a marked improvement over Captain Han; no crazy drills, no power tripping, and no attitude. Hen was calm, centered, and completely in control. As much as Buck wished he had been picked to be Bobby’s replacement, he had to admire the job that Hen was doing.

As they were dispatched to their first call of the day, Buck hoped that Hen could remain as calm in the field. He was looking forward to seeing how she did.

He could tell Eddie felt the same way, the other man sitting next to him as they rode to the scene.

“Okay, we don’t know much about what we’re dealing with.” Hen said into the headsets as they got closer to the scene. “All dispatch could say was someone was blowing up their yards, and there were possible injuries.”

“I guess that’s one way to landscape.” Chimney snarked.

Hen ignored him. “The point I’m trying to make is stay alert. Anything could happen.”

Buck couldn’t argue with that.

“Oh, thank God!” The woman said as the 118 arrived on the scene.

“What happened here?” Hen asked, getting down the business.

“My husband tried to go shock and awe on a gopher.” She told them, frantic. “I don’t know if he’s hurt or not.”

“The gopher?” Chimney asked, confused.

“No.” The woman shook her head, exasperated. “Not the gopher.”

All of them pause for a second, confused.

Who the heck did she mean if she wasn’t talking about the gopher?

Buck could tell Chimney was about to ask a follow-up question, but then a man walked towards them.

“Holly, get them out of here,” he ordered, Buck bristling at his tone.

“Is that your husband?” Buck asked, trying to keep his tone even. “He seems pretty banged up.”

“No, not him.” The woman said, Buck furrowing his brow in confusion.

If she wasn’t worried about her husband or the gopher, then what was she so concerned about? Something bigger was definitely going on here.

Eddie, standing next to Buck, seemed to have the same thought. “Hey, Cap?”

“Don’t call me that.” Hen snapped as she walked forward.

“Ma’am.” Hen turned to address the caller. “Exactly who do you think is hurt here?”

The woman bit her lip before finally answering.

“My neighbor. Gary.”

Hen looked over at the house, and Buck could see her confusion. “His house looks fine.”

“He wasn’t over there.” The woman said, Buck becoming more and more confused.

“Well, where was he?” Hen asked.

The woman bit her lip, taking in the stares of the fire department. Finally, she sighed and pointed downwards.

“He was under there.”

Chimney walked forward and bent down, taking in the scene.

“A tunnel of lust?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We had no other choice,” Holly said, exasperated. “My husband has cameras everywhere.”

Hen took a deep breath and then went into action. “All right, Chimney, see if you can access the tunnel from inside.” She told him.

“Copy that, Cap.” Hen gave Chimney a look for that, and he backtracked. “Uh, sorry.”

When he left Hen turned to Buck. “Buck, start digging up out here.”

Buck immediately moved to get his tools. As much as he wished that Bobby had picked him to be in charge while he was gone, he had to admit that Hen was doing an amazing job. As he worked, he could hear Hen talk to Eddie.

“Eddie, Benjamin looks like he took a hit. Check him out. Find out what he knows.”

Hen then turned back to Holly. “Where exactly is this tunnel?”

“It’s underneath the shoe rack in the closet.” Holly meekly answered and Hen reached for her radio.

“Hey, Chimney, the homeowner says it’s underneath the carpet beneath the rollaway shoe rack.”

“I see it, copy that.” Chimney’s voice emanated from the radio.

Buck got to work digging up the tunnel as Eddie went to check out the homeowner.

“All right, sir, checking for concussions. Sir, what year is it?” He heard Eddie ask behind him.

“It’s the year my marriage ended.” The man said in a dull voice. Buck could only imagine what he was going through. Being happily married to someone and then finding out they were cheating because you decided to wage war against a gopher? Who could see that coming?

“Hey, Cap, I found him. He’s conscious, but his pulse is really low.” Chimney radioed. “He’s in one piece,but I’m gonna need a hand getting him out of here.”

“Buck?” Hen turned to him, and Buck immediately dropped his tools.

“I’m on it, Cap.” He hustled inside just to hear Chimney say something else.

“Hen, there’s something else! Gary’s got nails in his shoulder.”

Buck raised his eyebrows at that. Hen was about to respond, but then Buck heard Eddie say something through Hen’s radio.

“Shrapnel? Against gophers?” He could practically hear the disbelief in Eddie’s voice.

And then he heard the homeowner.

“Yeah, the rodent had it coming.”

Buck practically felt his jaw drop.

He gave Chimney a look, the other man just as shocked as he was.

“I’m guessing he doesn’t mean the gopher,” Chimney muttered as the two of them worked to dig out Gary.

“I’d guess not.” Buck agreed.

Before long, Gary was extricated, and they were getting ready to transport him.

“Oh, my God, Gary! Are you okay?” Holly asked, rushing over to him. “Are you okay?”

Gary was in no condition to respond, Chimney and Buck carrying him between them.

“Step down,” Chimney said to Gary.

Buck got a look from Hen that told him to get over there, so Buck passed off his side to another firefighter. Buck walked over to where Eddie and Hen were still.

“You knew. Didn’t you?” Hen asked as Buck walked up. He guessed that he wanted some extra backup in case he got violent.

“I suspected..” the husband smirked. “I didn’t know for sure until she called.”

Buck gave the man a horrified look. Was he willing to kill his neighbor because he was mad at his wife? And all of this was over a lawn?

If Buck ever cared about his lawn the way this guy did, he was going to need Eddie to put him out of his misery. Life would not be worth living at that point.

“Eddie, zip-tie his hands,” Hen ordered. Eddie immediately went to do as she said. He grabbed the zip ties from his bag, and Buck watched everything he did with laser-like precision.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the most professional thing to do at work, but Buck couldn’t help that he had a massive competency kink. And watching Eddie like this was a whole new experience for Buck.

“Wait. What?” The man stopped smirking, wincing away from Eddie as he tightened the zip tie. “Ow, what? No. What are you talking about?”

Eddie didn’t respond, instead leaving that to Hen.

“Sir, you’re under arrest,” Hen told him as she reached for her radio.

“Dispatch?” She waited for a response before she continued to speak. “This is Captain Wilson. We’re gonna need a black-and-white at our current location.” She gives the man a dirty look.

“Our backyard accident seems to be an attempted murder. We’ve apprehended a suspect.”

“How can you…?” The man protested as he struggled to get his hands free. “How are you allowed to do this?”

“All LAFD personnel are sworn peace officers,” Eddie said as he put away the zip ties. “It’s been that way for years.”

“See?” Hen smiled at the man, not an ounce of warmth in the expression. “You’ve learned two things today.”

Buck laughed at the expression on the man’s face at that. As they waited at the scene for the police to arrive, Buck sidled up to Eddie.

“I thought you did really well zip-tying that guy.” He said, hoping for a casual tone. Based on the look that Eddie gave him, he failed miserably.

“Thanks,” Eddie responded, still giving him a look.

Buck leaned in closer. “Just so you know, you can do that to me anytime you want.”

Eddie nearly choked, turning to look at Buck. “Are we seriously talking about this at work?”

“You clearly don’t realize how hot you looked doing that,” Buck told him, making a point of looking the other man up and down.

“You’re ridiculous.” Eddie rolled his eyes.

“Ridiculously attracted to you.”

Just then, Hen started to walk back to them, and Buck stepped away from Eddie.

She gave them a suspicious look as she passed. “Let’s go, guys, the police have it from here.”

“We’ll discuss this later,” Eddie told him before they got in the truck.

Buck smirked to himself. He couldn’t help but notice that that wasn’t a no.

Two days later, Eddie found Buck on the couch, staring blankly ahead.

“You okay?” Eddie asked, noticing how silent Buck had been since the call that afternoon. The happiness convention had ended in so much sorrow for the people who had been in the accident there. But Buck, who had spent time comforting the man crushed under the rubble, seemed to be taking it especially hard.

“I’ll be okay, don’t worry.” Buck gave Eddie a weak smile, the expression not even reaching his eyes.

Eddie settled down on the couch next to Buck. He pulled Buck into his side, not saying anything. He just knew that Buck needed him to be there for him at this moment.

“He was nice,” Buck said quietly.

“Yeah, he was.” Eddie took his hand.

“He just wanted to find happiness.” Buck’s voice was hushed. “One day he woke up and his life just wasn’t enough to make him happy anymore.”

Eddie held him, his heart breaking. Buck was such a kind-hearted person that cases like these really messed with him. Eddie still remembered what happened with the old couple during his probationary year. It had been so heartbreaking seeing Buck’s face crumple as he realized he couldn’t save Mitchell.

“Do you think that’ll happen to us?” Buck asked, his voice still impossibly small. “That one day we’ll wake up and we won’t be happy?”

“I don’t think so.” Eddie told him. “I think we’ve built a strong foundation and that it would be very very hard for me to wake up and not be happy with you in my life.”

“I think it would be hard for me to wake up and not be happy with you in my life too.”

“Okay, so clearly, the way for us to keep being happy is to keep being together.” Eddie told him.

“And if we ever realize that we aren’t happy, we’ll figure it out. Because I’ve got your back any day.”

Eddie felt Buck squeeze his hand. “And I’ve got yours.”

Eddie pressed a kiss to Buck’s forehead, lips landing on his birthmark. “See? I think we’ll be fine as long as we can remember that.”

“I think so, too.” Buck finally looked at Eddie. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being you. And for loving me.”

Eddie turned Buck’s head to him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Anytime.”

“Are you ready for dinner with your relatives this weekend?” Hen asked after a long shift.

“Yeah, kinda.” Buck felt the butterflies stirring in his stomach as he spoke. “Eddie and Chimney will be there, so that will cut the tension a little bit.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Eddie sat next to Buck, pressing a quick kiss to his temple. “Zach and his mom seemed great from the few times we’ve talked to them, and it should be nice to meet the rest of the family for the first time.”

“Is Maddie excited?” Hen asked Chimney, who shrugged in response.

“She seems kinda ambivalent about it, honestly.”

Buck frowned, having noticed that as well. Maddie was the only one who hadn’t seemed disappointed when the previous visits had gotten canceled. Buck had just thought it was nerves, but maybe it was something more.

“Hopefully, she will have a good time during their visit.” Buck said, resisting the urge to pick at his fingernails.

“I’m sure she will.” Eddie told him reassuringly.

“Meanwhile, I’m just hoping that the visit will go better than the last time you had relatives come to stay.” Chimney laughed slightly. “Hopefully, there are no more awkward family secrets waiting to be uncovered.”

Buck stared at Chimney as the firehouse went silent. Seriously? Did he really think that bringing up what happened two years ago was a good idea? Especially given the role that he played in it?

“Too soon, Chim.” Hen finally said, gathering her things. “And on that note, I’m gonna go back to studying.”

Buck waved goodbye to her, his mind swirling. As much of a dick as Chimney was, he did have one good point.

Hopefully, the visit went better than the last time Buck’s relatives came to visit.

“Okay, any advice about meeting relatives for the first time ever?” Buck asked Albert over FaceTime one afternoon.

His relatives had just landed in the city a few hours prior, and Buck was giving them time to settle in at the hotel before he, Eddie, and Chris joined them for dinner. He had barely been able to sleep last night, his body a live wire of nerves. His mind kept whirling with all the ways things could go wrong, and so he called the only person he knew who had experience with this sort of thing.

His best friend, Albert Han.

“Well, you’ve already skipped the ‘pop up in their lives by showing up on their doorstep unannounced’ part, so I’d say you’re doing really well.” Albert snarked at him.

Buck gave him a dirty look. “Why am I friends with you?”

“Because we lived together, and I grew on you over time,” Albert said smugly.

“Like fungus.”

“Hey!”

Buck laughed at Albert’s offended reaction, leaning forward to see him a little better. “How are things in Korea?”

After quitting being a firefighter halfway through his probation year, a move that had shocked Buck more than a little when he heard of it, Albert was visiting his family for a few months before coming back home and deciding his next steps.

“They’re okay,” Albert said, shrugging. “Father is still very upset about the car accident and that he was not informed at the time.”

Buck winced. “How did it go over when you told him he wasn’t your emergency contact?”

“I was able to sidestep that by saying it was your idea for you to be my emergency contact,” Albert smirked. “If I were you, I’d be very glad that you don’t have any plans to meet my father.”

“You seriously threw me under the bus to save face?” Buck asked. “Actually, never mind. Chimney does that move all the time. I’m finally seeing the family resemblance between the two of you.”

“Rude.”

“But accurate.”

Albert shrugged. “How are things between you two?”

“As fine as ever.” Buck mimicked Albert’s movement. “We get along well at work, we’re friendly when I go see Maddie and Jee. That’s all I can hope for.”

Buck started to look over the button-downs he’d decided against for dinner. He had liked the one he was wearing right now, but maybe it was worth another look. Maybe he’d have better luck the second time around.

“No.”

Buck jumped, looking at Albert. “No, what?”

“Do not even think about changing again. You look fine.”

“I was not thinking that!”

Albert gave him a look. “Buck, we lived together. I can tell when you’re obsessing over something. Also, this is a video call. I can literally see you looking at the pile of clothes.”

Caught, Buck slumped slightly. “I just want things to go well.”

“Buck, things will go the same no matter what shirt you wear.” Albert told him. “And what you’re wearing is great. It brings out the blueness of your eyes.”

Buck smiled at him through the screen. “When are you coming back? I miss you.”

“Soon, I promise.”

“Have you figured out your next move career-wise?” Buck asked.

“Well, my father still thinks I should follow his career path.” Albert groaned. “But I’m still not sure what I want to do yet.”

“Worst comes to worst, you could always follow that career aptitude test you took and be a librarian,” Buck suggested.

Albert scoffed. “I know I said I wanted something less exciting, but working in a library might just be a little too boring for my taste.”

“I feel like it depends on the library,” Buck told him.

Albert was about to respond when someone called his name.

“I gotta go,” Albert said. “Good luck tonight! You’ll do great, I just know it.”

“Thanks, man. Talk to you soon.”

Buck hung up the phone, sighing as he slumped down on the bed. Talking to Albert was great, but he wished Bobby was here. He knew that the other man was in Florida where he should be with Athena’s family, but he just felt like the older man would know just what to say at a time like this. Just then, his phone buzzed. Buck looked down to see a text from the man in question.

Bobby 👨🏻‍🚒: Hey, Buck. Just wanted to let you know that Athena and I were wishing you luck tonight. Not that you need it. I’m sure your relatives will adore you. And if they don’t, you’ve always got us.

He attached a selfie of the two of them smiling at the camera and it warmed Buck’s heart. This was exactly what he needed to feel like he could face this.

He tapped out a quick response, his mind feeling a little more settled now.

Chapter 2:

After a long wait, it was finally time to meet Buck’s relatives for dinner. Eddie was watching his boyfriend fret like a nervous hummingbird the entire drive to the restaurant. He’d never seen Buck this anxious about anything, and this was a man who ran into burning buildings for a living.

“What if they don’t recognize me? Or what if we had nothing to talk about and it’s just going to be awkward the entire time?” Buck asked.

“Buck, you video chat with them at least once a month.” Eddie gave him a look. “They’re going to recognize you. And things seem to go well during those chats so I’m sure you’ll have lots to talk to them about.”

“But things could go very wrong,” Buck argued. “What if I choke on bread and you have to give me an emergency tracheotomy at the dinner table?”

“First of all, we’re eating at a sushi restaurant. So there’s no bread. Second of all, even if that did happen I’m sure they wouldn’t hold that against you.” Eddie told Buck.

“You need to chill out,” Chris announced from the back seat.

“Whoa!” Eddie laughed at the look on Buck’s face as he turned around to give Chris a look.

“He’s not wrong, Buck,” Eddie said, earning a dirty look from his boyfriend. “Just relax, be yourself, and they’ll love you just like I do.”

Buck smiled at that. “Thanks, babe. I love you.”

He gave Eddie a quick kiss at the stoplight, Chris groaning in the backseat.

“Guys, gross!”

Buck laughed as he pulled away from Eddie.

“Maddie and Chim are meeting us there, right?” He said, looking over at Eddie.

“I think so.” Eddie was careful to keep his tone neutral. Buck could see right through him, however, and gave him a look.

“Please just try to not glare at Chimney the whole time.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry,” Eddie told him.

Eddie was not in fact fine.

The last two years had been rough when it came to Maddie and Chimney. More so when it came to Chimney, honestly.

When Maddie left after Jee was born, Eddie had been upset for a while, not understanding why she did it. But then he realized he was thinking of Shannon instead of what Maddie was going through. When she got back the two of them had a reasonably good relationship, which was all Eddie could hope for with his boyfriend’s sister considering all that happened with the Daniel situation.

Chimney, on the other hand, was a different story. Eddie could have forgiven Chimney for telling the bomber about Buck’s family secret before Buck himself found out. And in fact, he had been working towards forgiving him. But that all changed when Chimney punched Buck.

It had been just after Maddie had left, and Chimney had just found out about Jee’s hospital visit when he picked Buck for keeping information from him. Eddie hadn’t been home then so he wasn’t able to confront him before he left to go find Maddie. But he had seen how brokenhearted Buck had been about the entire situation, and how Chimney never made a good apology to Buck. Things had gotten better, and Eddie was able to work with him. He was even able to be around him at team events. But Eddie knew, deep down, that their relationship would never be the same again.

Before they could talk more about the subject, they pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot. They gave their keys to the valet and made their way over to Maddie and Chimney, who were already waiting for them on the sidewalk.

“Anyone else here yet?” Buck asked.

“Nope,” Maddie told him, a smile plastered across her face. “It’s just you guys.”

Buck thought there was something odd about the way she was acting. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“Everything okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, we’re all good.”

Before Buck could say anything else, he spotted them walking towards them on the sidewalk.

His relatives. His family.

Zach saw them first, raising his arm and waving it wildly.

Buck grinned and started moving towards them, the rest of the group following him.

“Buck!” Zach, a muscular blond with artfully messed up hair, pulled him into a hug. “Damn, it’s good to see you in person.”

“Same here.” Buck hugged him back.

It was strange. Apart from Maddie, he’d never had a relative so happy to see him before.

“Move aside.” Buck felt Zach get pulled away from him, looking up to see his aunt Hannah. “I want to hug my new nephew.”

Hannah, a statuesque blonde with hair pulled into an updo, hugged Buck. “It’s good to see you, kid.”

“He’s not a kid, nor is he your new nephew.” Buck heard another voice, familiar to him from the many video calls. “Honestly, Hannah you act like we’ve never met him before!”

Buck lifted his head to look at his aunt Adelaide, a petite blonde. “Don’t worry, I got what she meant. Last time we met I must have been–”

“A baby,” Hannah said as she pulled away. “And far less huggable.”

Adelaide rolled her eyes and pulled Buck into a hug, albeit a more gentle one than her sister’s. “Regardless, it’s wonderful to see you, Buck.”

“You too.” Buck gently hugged her back.

Buck next said hi to Alina and Sabrina, Adelaide’s daughters and his twin cousins. He’d talked to them before on Zoom, but seeing them in person was so different.

Daniel was next, and the only brunet relative in a sea of blondes. His eyes twinkled as he took in Buck, his goateed mouth forming a smile.

“It’s so great to finally meet you.” He pulled Buck into a hug, and Buck eagerly returned it. And then it was time for the relative he was most nervous to meet.

His grandfather. Robert Buckley.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir.” Buck awkwardly held a hand out to the man.

Buck’s grandfather gave him a challenging look before laughing heartily. “My boy, we don’t stand on ceremony in this family.” He pulled Buck into a hug. “Call me Grandpa, or Grandpa Robert if you’d prefer.”

Buck hugged him back, his heart full to bursting. After letting go of his grandfather, Buck turned around to see if the rest of the introductions were going well.

Chris and Eddie were smiling as they met everyone in person for the first time. Chimney seemed to be getting along with Buck’s cousins. And Maddie? She was smiling and saying hi to everyone, but Buck could see that something was off.

“It’s nice to see you again, Maddie.”

He walked over to hear Adelaide say, her tone warm. “It’s been far too long.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Maddie shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

Buck wondered what was going on. Maddie had never seemed that excited to have their family visit, but now she seemed almost cold.

“Well, let’s go get our table.” Hannah let the party inside to the hostess stand. “Paulson, party of 11 please.”

They were soon seated at the table, and Chris turned to talk to Zach.

“Dad said you were the one who gave us the tickets to Disneyland.”

“That’s right! I work for Disney back in the East Coast.” Zach told him. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

“Yeah, it was awesome!”

“It was really very nice of you to do that for us, Zach.” Buck said. “Thank you.”

“No problem!” Zach turned to speak to Maddie. “I’d be happy to get you and your family tickets so you could take your daughter.”

“That would be really nice of you,” Maddie said, giving Zach a small smile. “Jee hasn’t been to Disney yet.”

“Happy to do it,” Zach told her. “Hey, have you guys ever been called out to Disney for work?”

“No, it’s a different county,” Eddie told him.

“We did get called to a fair because of a rollercoaster incident though.” Buck looked down at his plate. “It didn’t go well.”

The table fell silent at that, and everyone took the chance to look at the menus and order.

“So Buck, how did you and Eddie meet?” Alina finally asked. “You guys never said.”

Buck was about to answer when Chimney jumped in.

“I got this.” He told Buck before turning to Alina. “So, Buck had just gotten dumped by his girlfriend, which was really rough for him because she went off to travel the world and he was still living in her apartment.” Buck rolled his eyes at Chimney’s retelling. “And then Eddie joins the firehouse with his Silver Star and Buck got super territorial.”

“That’s not exactly true.” Eddie cut in. “I think it was just a rough adjustment period. But then we worked together really well on a call, and it all worked out.”

“Yeah, we did.” Buck smiled at Eddie. “We were best friends after that, and then we finally got our acts together and started dating two years ago.”

“Luckily it was after your parents had left town.” Chimney laughed. “I don’t even want to know how much more protective Eddie would have been over you if you guys were together at that point.”

As annoyed as Buck was by Chimney’s comment about his parents, it did give him a segue into a topic he’d been wondering about.

“I wanted to ask you guys something, if that was okay,” Buck said.

“Of course.” Grandpa Robert said. “Ask away.”

“So, I’m glad that you guys were able to come out here so we could meet in person,” Buck told them. “But I’ve been wondering why I never met you growing up.”

The table went quiet again, and Daniel stepped in.

“I think I can answer that,” he said with a sad smile. You know of the circumstances surrounding your conception, of course.” Buck nodded. “Well, what you might not have known is that when you were born, your grandfather created a trust fund for you just like he did his other grandchildren. Your parents had access to Daniel’s fund and drained it with experimental treatments and selecting an embryo that was an exact genetic match for Daniel.”

“Me,” Buck said what everyone at the table was thinking.

“That’s correct.” Daniel told him.

“The real issue wasn’t any of that.” Hannah took over the story. “It was the fact that after you were born, your parents demanded that your fund be given to Daniel. When dad said no, they told him that that money was for Daniel, and they didn’t care that you wouldn’t have it.” Buck felt cold as she spoke, and Hannah’s eyes grew shiny with unshed tears.

“When I once again told them no, they cut us all off.” Grandpa Robert said. “We were never allowed to see any of you after that. We weren’t even told when Daniel’s funeral was.”

Buck wasn’t sure what to say to all of that. It didn’t surprise him that his parents could have done something so horrible, or that they cared about him so little.

“At least we’re all together now.” Buck finally smiled at them. “That’s all that matters.” Everyone nodded at that, the mood at the table lightening considerably as the subject changed to happier things.

“Buck, that reminds me,” Adelaide said, getting his attention. “Would you be free to meet me and your grandfather one of the afternoons we’re here?”

“Sure, why?”

“Well, we might as well sign over your trust while we’re in town.” She said like it was obvious.

Buck hadn’t even thought about that. The entire reason why his parents cut their family off, and it was getting given to him?

“That’s really sweet, but you don’t have to do that.”

“Of course we do.” She told him. “It’s only right that you finally receive it.”

Buck turned to look at Maddie, who smiled encouragingly at him.

“Okay, thank you.” Buck didn’t know what else to say to that.

“I thought everything went well,” Buck said as he and Eddie got ready for bed that night.

“I did, too.” Eddie grabbed his toothpaste, starting to brush his teeth. “They seem like really great people.”

“They really do.” Buck shook his head as he lay down in the bed. “I can’t believe my parents cut them off over money. It’s so stupid.”

“Agreed. It’s nice that they’re giving it to you though.”

“Definitely.” Buck grinned as Eddie came out of the bathroom. “It probably won’t be a lot, but maybe we can use it for a fun vacation or as part of a down payment?”

“You don’t have to use it for anyone but yourself,” Eddie told him.

“But I want to,” Buck told him. “You guys are my family.”

Eddie lay next to him in bed, curled against him. “You are too nice for this world.”

“You always say that.”

“It’s always true.”

Buck smiled and then thought of something.

“Ugh, I forgot I was going to ask them about Aunt Marcy tonight at dinner.” Buck groaned. “I remember Mom talking about her as a kid, but none of them have even mentioned her in all the months we’ve been talking. It feels weird.”

“We’re seeing them tomorrow, why not ask them then?” Eddie suggested.

“I think I will.”

The next night at dinner, Buck decided to ask about other relatives. There was one name in particular that he had heard growing up that he was dying to know more about.

“So, Buck. I’m sure you have lots of questions about the rest of the family.” Aunt Adelaide said with a knowing smile. “Feel free to ask as many questions as you’d like.”

Buck figured this was as good a time as any to ask about what he wanted to know most.

“Can you tell me about Aunt Marcy?” Buck asked almost hesitantly. “I remember my mother mentioning her a few times growing up, but I don’t think I ever met her.”

Adelaide and Hannah went very quiet, and Daniel finally spoke after a long moment of silence.

“Marcy was our sister.” He said, looking down at his plate. “She passed away a few years ago.”

Buck’s heart sank at seeing the pained expression on Daniel’s face. This was clearly a painful subject for him, and Buck had just stumbled into it.

“I’m so sorry.” He said, not knowing what else to do. “I didn’t know. I just remembered my mother helping her out with her broken leg when I was in high school.”

Daniel snorted at that, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face. “That rings a bell. Marcy called me every day asking me to get Margaret to go home. She was fluttering around and actually causing more harm than good.”

“Sounds like her.” Buck muttered, Maddie giving him a sharp look.

“Evan, don’t say things like that.” She turned to the other relatives. “He didn’t mean it like that.”

“Oh, I think he did.” Adelaide said, her eyes glittering with amusement. “Sounds like Buck saw a different side of your mother than you did.”

Maddie shut up at that, and Buck was secretly impressed. He knew that Adelaide was a force to be reckoned with, but the way that she put Maddie in her place was something to behold.

“Can I ask how long ago she passed?” Buck asked.

“It was back in 2014,” Daniel told him. “She was living in Minnesota at the time. There was a horrible accident. Her apartment building caught fire and—“ his voice broke. “She and her two children didn’t make it.”

“The only survivor was her husband,” Hannah said softly. “That poor man. He lost everything that day. So many people blamed him for what happened.”

“We never did though,” Adelaide said, a fierceness to her tone. “We knew how much he loved his wife and kids. This was a horrible accident, nothing more.”

Buck’s heart broke at his uncle’s sorrow, but something about the story seemed familiar to him. And then he realized.

Minnesota. 2014. Marcy and her two children died in an apartment fire.

Buck looked at Eddie and saw that he had put the pieces together too. He looked across the table at Chim, and the other man looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

“What was her husband’s name?” Eddie asked, a gentle tone to his voice.

Daniel looked at him funny but answered the question.

“It was Robert. Robert Nash.”

Buck felt as if the world had just shifted in its axis.

Robert Nash. Bobby Nash. Bobby, his captain, was his uncle? Buck reached for Eddie’s hand, gripping it tightly.

“What’s wrong?” Adelaide asked, seeing how the three men at the table had reacted.

“It’s nothing bad,” Buck reassured her. “It’s just—“

“That’s the name of our fire captain.” Eddie finished for Buck. “And the same thing happened to his family.”

“So I guess we’re all thinking—“Chimney paused for a second, trying to figure out the best way to word what he was trying to say. Buck was grateful that for once Chimney wasn’t just jumping in and saying whatever was on his mind. “That the two men might be the same.”

Hannah gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth. Adelaide’s eyes widened, looking at Daniel. And Daniel? He seemed the most stunned out of all of them.

“You think they’re the same people?” Daniel asked.

“I think so.” Buck nodded. “If you guys don’t mind I’d like to call him to see.”

“Please do.” Adelaide nodded, Buck getting up from the table. Buck stepped outside, dialing Bobby’s number before he could think twice about it.

Bobby answered in the first ring. “Buck, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s good,” Buck said before getting to the reason for his call. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

Buck didn’t quite know how to say this. “Did I ever tell you about my aunt Marcy?”

There was silence on the line for a long moment before Bobby responded, his voice cautious. “I don’t think it ever came up, why?”

“Well, I had an aunt named Marcy as a kid,” Buck told him. “I’m at dinner with my relatives right now, and I asked about her. Apparently, she married someone out in Minnesota, and had two kids.” Buck could hear Bobby’s breathing grow heavier as he explained. “And she died in an apartment fire. It sounded familiar so I asked about her husband’s name.” Buck paused for a second. “Bobby, was your wife’s maiden name Paulson?”

The line was silent, and then Bobby spoke, his voice thick with emotion. “Yeah, it was.”

Buck sighed, leaning against the wall of the restaurant. “Bobby, you’re my uncle.”

Bobby was quiet for a long moment. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Buck nodded before forgetting Bobby couldn’t see him. “My aunt Adelaide told me your name, and Chimney told them that our fire captain had the same name. They asked me to call you to see if the two people were the same person.” Buck shrugged.

“God.” Buck heard Bobby sit down on something. “I haven’t spoken to Adelaide in years. She must hate me for what I did to Marcy.”

“None of them hate you,” Buck told him. “They were a little shocked to find that I knew you, but I promise they don’t hate you. And you didn’t do anything to Marcy. The fire was an accident.”

“They really don’t hate me?”

“Not at all,” Buck promised. “I’m so sorry for springing this on you. I should have tried to explain it better.”

“It’s fine, kid,” Bobby told him, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s good that we know. And for the record? I was already proud to have you as my kid. Now I’m even more proud to be able to call you my nephew as well.”

Buck smiled at that. “I’m proud too.” He paused for a moment. “Are you going to be okay? I know this is a lot to deal with.”

“I’ll be okay Buck,” Bobby told him. “Athena’s with me, and I’ll be fine, I promise. It is a lot, but in a good way. I always assumed Marcy’s family hated me for what I did, so it’s good to know that isn’t the case.”

Buck smiled at that. “Fair enough. Have a good night Bobby.”

They hung up the phone, and Buck let out a breath before going back inside.

“So?” Chimney asked as he got near the table.

“It’s him,” Buck confirmed. “I checked with him and the details all match.”

“What a small world.” Hannah shook her head in astonishment. “I can’t believe it.”

“Do you think he’d be willing to meet us sometime?” Daniel asked. “I’d love to see him again.”

“He’s out of town right now, dealing with a family emergency,” Buck told them. “But maybe the next time you’re in town? We could at least ask.” Daniel nodded his thanks to Buck.

“Uncle Bobby was the best,” Alina said.

“He always had the coolest stories.” Sabrina agreed. “And the best brownies.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty awesome.” Buck grinned. “He’s actually been teaching me a lot of his recipes.”

“No way! lucky!” Alina’s jaw dropped.

Buck laughed at that.

He guessed he was pretty lucky. After all, the man who he’d always seen as a father to him had just been revealed to always have been a part of his family. If that wasn’t luck, Buck didn’t know what was.

Two days later, Buck was finally able to meet up with Adelaide and Grandpa Robert to discuss the trust fund.

“Buck, thanks for joining us,” Adelaide said as she ushered him into Grandpa Robert’s hotel room.

It was a little larger than expected, with a dining table and sitting room area.

“Considering what we’re here to do, I think I should be the one thanking you.” Buck joked.

“Nonsense, my boy.” Grandpa Robert said as he took a seat at the table. “This is nothing that shouldn’t have been done for you years ago.”

“And it’s high time we rectify that.” Adelaide motioned for Buck to take a seat, sitting next to her father. “Buck, this is between you and your grandfather, but he asked me to be here to possibly clarify the process. I went through the same thing with Zachary, Alina, and Sabrina after all.”

Buck nodded at that as Adelaide continued to speak.

“Since we were unable to transfer the fund to your parents, your grandfather and I have been managing the account. That means that instead of a lump sum, we divested part of the fund into a stock portfolio, which has been steadily growing. In addition to the paperwork signing the trust fund over to you, there are also forms to add you to the stock account, an application for a card that would be linked to your account, as well as your broker’s information in case you would like to make changes to the way that the stock account is managed, or if you’d like to sell any stocks to receive the cash.”

“I’m sure that however you manage it is fine,” Buck told his aunt and grandfather.

“Adelaide certainly has a keen eye for stocks.” Grandpa Robert said. “Thanks to her advice, the entire family was able to get in on the ground floor of Netflix.”

Buck’s eyes went wide at that. Maddie had never said what her fund contained, but Buck assumed that it had been a very large amount. But if what Adelaide and his grandfather were saying was true? Then his might be a lot larger.

Adelaide handed over the documents. Buck leafed through them, his mind screeching to a halt when he got to one particular page.

He read and reread the numbers a thousand times, unable to believe what he was seeing.

He looked up at his relatives. “Eight million dollars?”

Adelaide nodded, a small smile on her face. “That’s correct.”

“Eight million dollars?” Buck couldn’t wrap his mind around it. “How did it even grow this much?”

“Well, high-interest rates certainly played a role.” Grandpa Robert said.

“Not to mention, the entire family added to it from time to time. Little amounts on your birthdays, and the like. We put the money into Maddie’s account as well, but with the stock dividends and the rising market, your account did make quite the surge.” Adelaide explained.

Buck set the papers down, looking at them both.

“Thank you.” He finally said, meaning every word of it. “You didn’t have to do any of this. I would have just been happy getting to know you all.”

Adelaide’s eyes misted over. “It’s nothing compared to what we wish we could have done for you growing up.” Buck knew exactly what she meant by that.

With loving relatives like them in his corner growing up, how different would Buck’s life have been? Would he even be the same person?

Buck knew better than to go down that rabbit hole. He was fine with how his life had turned out because every decision that he had made had led him to Eddie. And he could never regret that.

Buck smiled at his aunt and grandfather, pulling the papers closer to him and picking up a pen.

The rest of the documents went by in a blur. Adelaide gave him his broker’s information on a business card, which Buck was sure to tuck into his wallet. With plans to meet them again before their flight back, Buck headed home.

The drive went by in no time, and Buck was pushing open the door to his home before he knew it.

“Hey, how did it go?” Eddie asked.

Buck chuckled slightly, giving Eddie a small smile. “So, I’ve got some news.”

“Eight million dollars.” Buck shook his head in disbelief as they slid in bed that night. “Who just hands over a trust fund for eight million dollars?”

“Your family, apparently.”

“Like I knew that growing up our family had more than others, but not like this.” Buck laughed slightly. “No wonder my parents hated me so much. I caused them to get cut off.”

“Buck.” Eddie put a hand on Buck’s cheek, trying his face to meet his gaze. “You know that’s not your fault, right?”

“I know,” Buck told him. “Doctor Copeland has spent the last two years reminding me of that fact. It’s just mind-boggling that because of that decision, I’m getting eight million dollars now.”

“True.”

There was a moment of silence, and then–

“We should look at that house near Chris’s school,” Buck said. “I know it’s expensive, but we can afford it now.”

“Buck, I don’t want you wasting your money on something like that,” Eddie told him. “We can find something else.”

“Eddie, it’s not a waste,” Buck told him. “And I won’t do it unless we both love the house. I will, however, be setting up a college fund for Chris.”

Eddie’s eyes softened. “You really want to do that?”

“Of course I do.” Buck smiled at him. “And I should probably set one up for Jee, too.”

“Didn’t Maddie also get a trust fund?”

“Yeah, but Doug drained it when they were married. Maddie paid for the house, and his medical school, and not much was left after that.”

“That sucks.” Eddie frowned. “It’s nice that you want to help her.”

“Definitely.” Buck told him. “She’s my sister. I love her.”

“Well, I’m sure she’ll appreciate the trust you set up for Jee.” Eddie told him.

“I think she will too.”

Chapter 3:

“Just remember, we’re just looking at this place,” Buck said, rambling slightly as they parked the car. “You don’t have to agree to it if you don’t like it. Hell, I might not even like it. So–”

“Buck.” Eddie cut him off with a quick kiss. “It’ll be okay. Let’s just go take a look.”

“Okay, but we don’t make a move unless both parties love the house, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Did you bring Chris’ list?”

“I still can’t believe that you had our son make a list of things the house, and more specifically his room, should have, but yes.”

“It’s an important decision,” Buck argued. “We need to consider all the family members.”

“Did Chip and Silver make a list too?” Eddie asked.

“I think they’ll be fine as long as there’s enough space for a catio.” Buck shrugged, Eddie rolling his eyes as he laughed.

“You are so lucky I love you.” Eddie pecked him on the lips.

“I love you too.” Buck smiled at him. “Now get out of the car. We’re going to be late.”

“Sir, yes sir.” Eddie winked as he slid out of the passenger seat.

Buck turned off the car, stepped out and looked at the house.

It was even more perfect than the last time he saw it. The outside was made of composite stones, with an archway over where the front door was. It reminded him a little of Bobby and Athena’s place, except that this was all one level.

He especially loved the solar panels on the roof. He hadn’t noticed them when they had driven past the house before, but the part of himself that always catastrophized was happy to see them. Maybe they’d come in handy one day.

Though hopefully, they won’t.

“Mr. Buckley? Mr. Diaz?” A smiling woman stepped out of her car, walking over to them. “I’m Christie, the realtor. I think we spoke on the phone?”

“That would be me that you spoke to.” Buck raised his hand. “Nice to meet you in person.”

“Nice to meet you.” Christie shook his hand, and then Eddie’s. “I was happy to get the call. This house is truly amazing.”

“I bet,” Buck said. “We noticed it when we were driving to our kid’s school one day.”

“Durand?” Christie asked, Buck nodding. “Okay, so I can clearly skip the spiel about how this house has amazing schools nearby.”

Buck laughed at that, Eddie joining in.

“Let’s go take a look inside, shall we?” Christie motioned for them to follow her up the U-shaped driveway as they made their way to the front door.

Buck looked up at the window above the door, already picturing a wreath hanging there for the holidays.

He knew he shouldn’t be getting his hopes up. The house could suck, or Eddie could hate it, or a million other things could go wrong. But he couldn’t help it. He loved this house. He could see him and Eddie and Chris having an amazing life in this house.

Buck took a deep breath as Christie unlocked the door, trying not to get his hopes up. He could already tell that it would be next to impossible to keep a neutral expression on his face throughout the tour but damnit he was going to try.

The door unlocked, gently swinging open without even a hint of a squeak.

Buck could feel the neutral expression slipping as they finally got inside, but he couldn’t help it.

The house was absolutely stunning.

The same stones that made up the front of the house were also inside, forming large columns that supported a vaulted ceiling in the foyer. The walls were painted a warm gray, and the floor was made of tiles that almost resembled cobblestones on some long-forgotten road.

Buck’s shoes squeaked slightly on the floor as they walked in, chasing Eddie and Christie to look at him.

“Sorry.” He could feel himself blushing slightly. “Trying to break in new shoes for work.”

“Oh, what do you do?” Christie asked.

“We both work for the LAFD,” Eddie answered for both of them.

“Wow, impressive,” she said, leading them into the kitchen. Buck had to bite back a groan when he saw how the kitchen was set up. A large stone island was in the center, with bar stools on one side. Hanging lights over the island shone off the glass top, the warm light filling the space. Large cabinets lined the walls, some of them clear to display glassware. The counters all formed a sort of square, with the stove at the very center.

The stove was a thing of beauty—a six-burner stove with a griddle section, a grill, and two ovens underneath. Buck was practically salivating, thinking of all the amazing meals he could bring to life in this kitchen.

It took Buck a second to see the fridge since it was tucked a little out of the way, but he felt his eyes widen when he got a look at it.

It was easily fifty percent bigger than the one at the firehouse and in much better condition. Buck couldn’t even imagine how much food it would take to fill that fridge completely. Then again, considering how he and Eddie ate, the fridge would not remain filled for long.

“Do either of you cook?” Christie asked, shaking Buck out of his trance.

“I burn things.” Eddie joked, Christie laughing.

“Probably not the best thing for a firefighter to admit to.” She joked back.

“I’m the cook in the family,” Buck told her. “Our fire captain taught me a lot of his secret recipes, which Eddie and our son Chris have happily devoured over the years.”

Christie laughed at that. “Your son sounds adorable. How old is he?”

“He’s twelve, going on thirteen.” Eddie took her as he displayed his lock screen, which was Chris and Silver snuggled together on the couch.

“How adorable!” she said, clasping a hand to her chest before turning to them. “Do you want to move into the living room and then the bedrooms?”

“Sounds good to me.” Buck looked at Eddie, who nodded in response.

Buck had no idea what was going on inside Eddie’s mind. Did he love the place? Did he hate it? The man was harder to read than Crime and Punishment, which Buck had picked up once and never again. Russian literature turned out to not be his thing at all.

Christie first showed them into the dining room area, which had giant windows overlooking a massive back porch. Buck saw that the current owners had plenty of outdoor furniture, including a hanging couch. The backyard also boasted a large vegetable and herb garden, which immediately caught Buck’s eye as something he could want. But the most impressive thing about the backyard was–

“Is that a pool?” Eddie asked as he looked on with Buck.

“Sure is, with an attached jacuzzi,” Christie told them. “The current owners have a saltwater pool, but it can be converted to chlorinated water.”

The firefighter in Buck reminded him that pools without proper fencing around them were a safety hazard, especially for small children and animals.

Then again, they didn’t have any small children, and the cats would never be left alone in the backyard. Chip and Silver were strictly indoor cats with the occasional excursion outside.

Buck and Eddie took another long moment to soak in the backyard before Eddie turned to Christie.

“Let’s go see the rest of the house, shall we?” Eddie said politely, his tone giving nothing away

See? It was utterly Impossible to read this guy.

Christie next showed them into the living room, which boasted a large entertainment center with surround sound and large bookshelves. Buck could just picture his books and Eddie’s DVDs fitting perfectly on those shelves, not to mention all of Chris’s games. After all, enough room for all his games was very high on the list that Chris had given Buck.

Then she showed them the three guest bedrooms, and Buck could tell that one of those rooms would be perfect for Chris. It had plush carpeting, which Chris also requested because he said his feet got cold first thing in the morning, and large windows that let in lots of natural light. And the attached bathroom, another item on his list, had a wet room instead of a shower or tub that Chris would have to step into.

Buck could see where they might like the place handrails as a precaution, but other than that the room was perfect. The other two guest rooms were great too, one of them boasting a large bathtub while the other came with a walk-in shower.

Finally, Christie led them over to the master bedroom, which was more like a suite closed off from the rest of the house by a door. Buck could already see that he and Eddie might appreciate the privacy, walking through to see the giant walk-in closet on their left side. Buck had to laugh at all the space, wondering if he and Eddie would ever have enough clothes to fill it all. Then Buck remembered how many pairs of shoes they had between them, and he could see the built-in shoe racks coming in handy. Then Christie led them into the bedroom itself, and Buck fell in love.

The room had massive windows, complete with blinds to close them, and the windows were even tinted for privacy. The giant king-sized bed fit perfectly into the space, with a small electric fireplace on the wall near it. Buck knew that it never really got cold enough to build a fire in LA, but it was nice to have the option. The wall behind the bed had a shelf with built-in lights, and Buck could easily picture a couple of their books, or even a few plants, filling the space. There was also a door that led to the backyard, and Buck imagined him and Eddie sneaking out of the house for midnight dips in the pool.

Then Buck walked into the bathroom, and his eyes widened. Not only did the bathroom come with a massive walk-in shower, but there was also a massive tub sunken into the floor at the back of the room. Buck couldn’t take his eyes off of it. It had been a few years since the ladder truck accident, but Buck still had to deal with shooting pains in his leg sometimes when the weather changed. He had already been eyeing the jacuzzi for possibly helping with soaking his leg, but having this kind of tub in his bathroom? Buck could see that helping a lot.

Throughout all of this, Eddie had stayed quiet and Buck reminded himself not to get his hopes up. If Eddie didn’t like the house, it didn’t matter if Buck did. This was a two-yes, one-no situation, and Buck was okay with that. Truly. Even if he thought this house was fucking perfect.

Christie led them back into the minding room area, looking at them eagerly.

“So, what do you think?” She asked.

Before Buck could say anything, Eddie spoke.

“Do you mind giving us a few minutes to think it over?” Eddie asked, his tone polite and neutral.

“Of course.” Christie nodded and left them alone in the dining room.

Buck waited until the door shut behind her and looked at Eddie. “What do you think?”

Eddie was silent for a long moment, and then–

“I think we could put the catio over there.” Eddie pointed to a section of the back porch. “We’d just need to put in a cat door.

Buck gaped at him.

“So you like the house?”

Eddie smiled at him. “Buck, this house is absolutely perfect. And Chris is going to love his room. We may need to put grab bars in the bathroom–”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“But overall this place is incredible.” Eddie looked around. “We’re going to need a new couch though. Ours is way too small for the living room.”

“And a new bed,” Buck added.

Eddie looked at him, offended. “What’s wrong with our bed?”

“Nothing wrong with it, but we can get a bigger one now. Or at least a better mattress.” Buck was already picturing it. “We should hit up a furniture store with Chris someday soon to get an idea of what we need for the house.

“Buck, I think you’re forgetting something.” Eddie reminded him.

“What?”

“We need to actually put in an offer on the house.”

“Oh, right.” Buck flushed slightly. “We should definitely do that first.”

Just as he said that Christie walked back in.

“Okay, have we decided anything? She asked.

“Yeah, we’d like to make an offer,” Eddie said, taking Buck’s hand.

“Amazing!” She looked like she was about to start clapping but refrained at the last

Minute. “I have the paperwork right here. The asking price is 3 million, but I am authorized to accept anything as low as 2.5.”

Buck felt his eyes widen slightly as he heard the piece.

Three million for a house? That seemed insane to him.

Then again, it was a very nice house. And it wasn’t like Buck didn’t have the money. That wouldn’t even be half of the trust that his relatives had signed over to him. With the rest in investments, they’d be set for a long time. Buck gave Eddie a look, wanting to make sure that he was okay with this. The other man nodded at Buck, his eyes wordlessly giving his approval.

“Let’s do 2.7.” Buck said, taking the paperwork and filling it out. “Do you know when we can expect a response from the sellers?”

Christie seemed taken aback by the casualness at which Buck suggested paying millions of dollars but shrugged it off. “I’ll call them tonight after the paperwork has been processed. Hopefully, I’ll be able to give you a call tomorrow morning.”

“Great.” Buck flashed her a smile. “Looking forward to hearing from you.”

The next day, they received a call stating that the offer had been accepted. Now, all they needed to do was tell Chris.

They broke the news to Chris about the new house over dinner.

“So, we’re moving away?” Chris looked down at his plate as he said that.

“Not at all.” Buck rushed to reassure him. “We’re actually moving closer to your school, work, and Tia Pepa. Your dad and I just thought it would be a good idea to move into a bigger place.”

Chris seemed to perk up after Buck clarified. “What does it look like?”

Buck showed him pictures of the house, and Chris’ face lit up.

“That place is huge! We’re gonna live there?”

“That’s right, buddy,” Eddie told Chris.

“How come we’re able to?” Chris asked. “Abuelo and Grandma said we live where we do because you guys wear blue collars.”

Buck nearly choked on his drink when Chris said that. Eddie seemed to be in a similar predicament.

“When did they say that?” Eddie asked.

“A few years ago.” Chris took a bite of his lasagna. “So how come we can move to a big house like that?”

Buck looked at Eddie, wondering how he wanted to handle it. Eddie motioned for Buck to take the lead, and Buck turned back to Chris.

“Well, remember when my family came to visit?” Chris nodded at that and Buck kept talking.

“Well while they were here, they gave me some money that they had saved up for me since I was a baby. So we used part of that money to get this new house. Okay?”

“Okay.” Chris nodded as he took a sip of water.

Buck sighed, relieved that that had gone well.

“Did they mean your jobs when they talked about blue collars?” Chris asked next.

This time Eddie took the lead. “Yeah. They did. Blue-collar jobs are considered to be jobs that involve more manual labor. They’re considered not as well paying as other jobs.”

“Which never made sense to me. Like what did the color of your shirt have to do with how much money you made? Dyeing cloth cost more in general back in the day.” Buck went on a bit of a tangent before realizing he got off topic.

“I know what blue collar is. We learned it in school.” Chris moved his fork around on his plate. “I just didn’t put it together until now. That wasn’t nice of them to say that.”

Eddie sighed, Buck mirroring the action. “No, it wasn’t. But they haven’t said anything about it since, right?”

“Right.”

The conversation stopped there, and Buck waited until Chris had left the table before turning to Eddie.

“I can’t believe your parents said that to a child.”

“I can.” Eddie groaned, scrubbing his face with his hands. “They were very passive-aggressive the first few years that I lived here.”

Buck sighed. “At least he seemed to take the talk of the move pretty well.”

Yeah.” Eddie sighed, leaning into Buck. “That’s always a plus.”

Buck’s stomach had been in knots all day.

He and Eddie were going out on a romantic dinner tonight, and Chris was staying the night with Pepa.

Buck had been waiting for this moment for months, and it was finally here.

This was the night that he was going to propose to Eddie Diaz. Hopefully, it would also be the night that Eddie said yes, because if he didn’t that would be very awkward.

He had to make sure everything was perfect. He already called ahead to the restaurant to receive a bottle of champagne, and now he just had to get ready.

‘

Buck got dressed, checking his hair for the seventh time in the mirror.

“Can I just say how happy I am that you cut your hair?” Albert said through the phone. “That weird long-hair pomade look you had during COVID was not doing you any favors.”

“You suck. You know that, right?” Buck frowned at him.

“You’re the one who literally had to be talked out of spraying hairspray into his hair to keep it looking nice.” Albert gave him a look.

“I was worried that the wind would mess it up!” Buck defended himself.

“First of all, it is never that windy in Los Angeles.” Albert reminded him. “At least, not unless the Santa Ana’s are blowing, and thanks to the schedule you gave me when I first moved to LA, I know that’s not the case.”

“You know you love that schedule.”

“Second, even if the wind in California reached Chicago levels of windiness,” Albert ignored Buck as he spoke, “You do not have enough hair to have it be messed up by the wind.”

“You can’t be sure of that.”

“Pretty sure I can be.”

Buck groaned, sitting down on the bed.

“What if he says no?”

“Buck,” Albert said, losing his sarcastic tone. “Eddie isn’t going to say no.”

“He could.”

“You’ve been dating for two years,” Albert pointed out. “You live together, share cats, and share a kid. He’s not saying no.”

“And you’re sure we picked out the right ring?” Buck asked, wanting to make sure.

Albert groaned. “You know there’s no way to change the ring now, right?”

Buck gave him a look, and Albert sighed. “Show me the ring again.”

Buck grinned, getting the ring out of his secret hiding spot. Okay, it wasn’t that secret of a spot. It was just that Eddie never realized that one of Buck’s books was actually hollowed out to hold different things. If he had, he likely would have found the little ring box when Buck placed it there a month ago.

Buck flipped open the box, wishing there was some sort of light inside that shone off the ring. It was easily his favorite ring ever. He had never seen anything so beautiful.

“Okay, now tell me why you picked this ring,” Albert said.

Buck held up the ring. “Well, I picked the ironwood and antler inlays in the ring because I felt like it represented both of us. Eddie’s dependable like a mighty tree, and I’m…named Buck.”

“You and I both know it goes deeper than that.”

Buck sighed. “Fine. stags are known to represent rebirth and renewal, and I spent so much of my life trying to reinvent myself. But when Eddie and I got together, I realized that for the first time in a long time, I was happy with who I am.”

“And the arrow marking?”

A goofy smile spread across Buck’s face. “Because the moment I saw him, I got hit with Cupid’s arrow. Even if I didn’t realize it.”

“…That was utterly disgusting. I think you just gave me cavities.”

“Shut up.” Buck rolled his eyes at Albert. “So it’s good?”

“Dude, he’s definitely going to say yes.”

“Yes!”

Just then, Buck heard the front door open.

“Okay he’s home. Gotta go.” Buck hurriedly said.

“Good luck!” Albert said before Buck hung up on the call.

Buck got ready to leave the room, double-checking that he hadn’t somehow stained his shirt in the last ten minutes.

He finally steeled himself, walking through the door to find Eddie standing in the living room.

Buck’s mouth went dry as he took in the sight before him. Eddie was dressed to the nines, wearing a dark red shirt underneath a black suit, the contrast making his skin practically glow. He didn’t wear a tie, leaving a few buttons of the shirt open. Buck could see a bit of chest hair peeking out if he looked hard enough.

“Wow.” Eddie breathed, having been taking in Buck at the same time. “You look stunning.”

“So do you.” Buck pulled Eddie into a kiss, the other man practically melting against him. Buck wished they could stay here like this forever, but then he realized the time.

“We need to go before we’re late.” Buck pulled away from Eddie, running to grab his wallet and keys.

“Someone’s eager.” Eddie laughed as Buck practically shoved him out the door.

“You have no idea,” Buck said as he felt the box in his pocket one last time before getting in his car and driving to the restaurant.

Eddie was nervous all through dinner, but it seemed that Buck was as well.

The two of them made light conversation, but mainly focused on their food. Eddie had never been to a restaurant that made you pay for their bread service before or one that served bacon on a clothesline, but he had to admit that he was having a good time.

It seemed that Buck was, too. The two of them had been talking and laughing all night, even splitting their entrees like they always did when they couldn’t decide between two dishes on the menu. It was shaping up to be a perfect night out. The table they were at gave them an amazing view of the city, and everything seemed to be going well. Eddie just hoped that what he was about to do wouldn’t ruin it.

There was no reason that it should; they’d been dating for two years, and they lived together. Their lives were as intertwined as they could get. So, Eddie felt like this was the perfect night to propose. He only hoped that Buck felt the same way.

Eddie looked at Buck nervously, hoping this wasn’t a terrible idea. He might have been planning this for weeks, but he was filled with nerves right when it counted.

Eddie just needed to push everything away. He would do this.

This was going to happen.

Right before the waiter arrived to ask them what they would like for dessert, Eddie decided that this was the perfect moment.

“Evan?” Eddie asked, emphasizing Buck’s given name. “Can I say something?”

“Of course, Eddie. What’s wrong?” Buck asked.

“Nothing’s wrong.” Eddie smiled at Buck. “For once, everything in my life is perfect.”

Buck smiled at this, but Eddie forged on.

He couldn’t lose his nerve now.

Not when he had everything to win.

“Ever since you came into my life, you have captured my heart. It might have taken me a while to realize that, but it’s true. I want you and only you for the rest of my life.”

Eddie got out of his seat and got down on one knee. Buck’s eyes went wide as the conversation in the restaurant hushed.

“Evan Buckley.” Eddie started. “You are the light of my life, the spark to my flame, and the other father to my child in every way other than blood.” Eddie passed, thinking about it. “And legally, but we can change that.”

Buck laughed slightly as his eyes welled with tears.

“I want to wake up next to you for the rest of my life,” Eddie said, eyes shining with tears of his own. “I want the good, the bad, and absolutely everything in between. So I stand before you and ask you, my best friend, my partner, and my lover, one simple question.”

Eddie flipped open the ring box and extended it towards Buck.

“Will you marry me?”

Buck froze. This wasn’t happening.

This couldn’t actually be happening.

“You’re not proposing,” Buck said, trying to process this.

“Yes, I am.” Eddie looked confused at Buck’s reaction, shaking the box ever so slightly.

“No, you can’t be proposing,” Buck told him.

“And why not?” Eddie got back in his seat, head cocked in confusion.

“Because I was supposed to do it!” Buck fished the box out of his pocket and brandished it at Eddie. “That’s why I suggested we go out tonight!”

“Yeah, but I picked the restaurant.” Eddie pointed out.

“I’ve been hiding the ring for a month!” Buck huffed.

The two of them were silent for a moment and then burst out laughing.

“Are we seriously arguing about who was supposed to propose?” Eddie chuckled.

“Well, we wouldn’t be who we were if we didn’t do things uniquely.” Buck laughed.

“So, will you marry me?”

“That depends,” Buck told him.

“On what?”

“On if you let me propose to you,” Buck said, Eddie giving him a look. “I’ve been practicing what I want to say, and I’d hate to not be able to say it.”

“Okay, I think that’s a fair deal.” Eddie nodded before raising an eyebrow at Buck.

“What?”

“Well, aren’t you going to get down on one knee?” Eddie asked.

Buck rolled his eyes at the other man but did as he said.

He knelt down, and the restaurant once again became hushed as the entire place stopped to watch what was going on at their table.

Buck gulped, feeling a hundred eyes watching him. He steeled himself, picked up Eddie’s hand, and spoke.

“Eddie, from the first day we met, I was struck by Cupid’s arrow.” Buck saw Eddie open his mouth to speak, so he hurriedly added “Even though I didn’t know it at the time. The next few months made me realize how important you and Chris are to me, and by the time of my accident, I knew I could depend on you for anything.”

Eddie’s eyes softened.

“My entire life, I’ve tried different ways of reinventing myself. From ranch hand to Navy Seal to bartender, I’ve tried to figure out where I belong more times than I can count.” Buck took a deep breath. “But ever since we started dating, I don’t feel that I need to reinvent myself anymore. For the first time, I’m happy with where I am, and I feel like I belong. And that’s because of you and Chris. My safe place, where I feel most at home, will always be with the two of you.

Buck took out the box, opening it. “Eddie Diaz, I love you with all of my heart. Will you marry me?”

Eddie grinned, his eyes looking suspiciously shiny.

“Yes, of course.”

Buck got up, pulling Eddie into a kiss as the rest of the restaurant clapped and cheered.

Finally, Buck sat down at the table, slipping his ring onto Eddie’s finger.

“Okay, now my turn,” Eddie said, grabbing his ring box.

Buck held out his hand, and Eddie gently slipped the ring on his finger, placing a light kiss on his hand after he did so.

“This ring is beautiful.” Eddie held out his hand, admiring it.

“It’s made of antler and ironwood,” Buck told him, hesitating before adding, “I thought it represented the two of us.”

Eddie looked at him. “How so?”

“Well, ironwood is dependable, and you’ve always been there for me,” Buck told him. “And stags are known to symbolize rebirth, and I haven’t felt the need to reinvent myself since we’ve been together.”

Eddie smiled at him. “That is beautiful.”

“So, tell me about my ring.” Buck held out his hand, admiring the blue stone tension set inside the band.

“Well, the aquamarine is for your eyes,” Eddie said, Buck blushing slightly. “But the inslays are made of meteorite and dinosaur bone.”

Buck’s eyes grew wide as he looked at the ring more closely, Eddie continuing to speak.

“I guess in some way, I figured that the dinosaur bone represented the things in our past that led us to each other, and the meteorite symbolized the bright future we have together.”

“Awww.” Buck reached for Eddie’s hand, squeezing it gently. “That is so freaking sappy.”

“Oh shut up, Mr. Cupid’s Arrow.” Buck laughed at that as Eddie reached for the dessert menu. “I think we should do the cheesecake pops for the table, what do you think?”

“I think also the apple tart,” Buck told him. “And champagne.”

“We didn’t order champagne though.”

“I called ahead and ordered a special bottle for us,” Buck told him as he motioned for a waiter to come over.

“Hi, can we get the cheesecake pops, the apple tart, and the bottle of champagne we had put on ice?” Buck ordered, smiling as the waiter nodded. “Thank you.”

“I can’t believe you ordered a special bottle of champagne.” Eddie shook his head slightly, laughing.

“Yep.” Buck grabbed for his glass of water to take a sip. “Guess that just proves that I had the idea to propose tonight first.”

“Just keep telling yourself that, Buckley.” Eddie shook his head.

“I will,” Buck paused. “Eventually, I guess you’ll have to say Diaz.”

Eddie looked up, startled.

“You want to take my name?” he asked, his voice soft.

“If that’s okay with you,” Buck said. “I’d love to be a Diaz.”

Eddie reached for Buck’s hand again, staring at him with an intensity in his gaze.

“Buck, it would be my honor to make you a Diaz.”

They raced home after dinner, eager to take advantage of the empty house. As they closed the door to their room behind them, Eddie reached for Buck’s jacket with a burning intensity.

“Don’t mess up my suit.” Buck pulled away, laughing slightly. “I like this one.”

“Better take it off quickly then.” Eddie challenged, his eyes darkening as Buck took a step away from him.

Buck fumbled with the buttons, Eddie moving closer to “help”. And by that, Buck meant that he mouthed along Buck’s neck, causing him to not be able to focus on the task at hand.

“You are a menace.” Buck made a face at him as he finally got the last button unfastened. He pulled further away from Eddie’s wandering hands, shedding the shirt and jacket in one fell swoop before reaching for Eddie’s shirt.

Soon, Eddie’s shirt fell to the floor, and the two of them quickly slipped off their pants before crawling onto the bed. Eddie’s hands roamed over Buck’s body, Buck leaning into the touch. Nothing ever felt quite as good as moments like this when it could be the two of them together.

Buck grabbed the lube and was about to start opening himself up, not wanting to wait another second. After everything that they had gone through, they were taking the next step, and that was something to celebrate.

“Let me,” Eddie said, taking the lube from Buck and kissing him deeply as he slipped his first finger inside. Buck gasped into Eddie’s mouth at the intrusion, his body never quite growing used to the sensation. Buck secretly liked that. He liked that every time with Eddie felt like the first and that Eddie still had that effect on him.

Eddie’s lips moved down Buck’s skin, attaching to his neck as he began to pay attention to the most sensitive parts.

He felt Eddie smirk against his skin as Eddie nudged Buck’s prostate, Buck biting his lip to keep from moaning.

“Don’t do that.” Eddie moved back, locking eyes with Buck. The intensity in his gaze brought heat to the surface of Buck’s skin. “Let me hear you.”

Buck groaned, nodding in response as he pulled Eddie in for another kiss.

Buck felt his back arch as Eddie slipped a second finger in, feeling Eddie smirk against his lips.

“Someone’s eager,” Eddie murmured as he moved his lips back to Buck’s neck.

“You know damn well why I’m eager.” Buck snarked, his breath hitching.

“Just be patient,” Eddie murmured, his breath hot against Buck’s skin.

“Don’t be a tease.” Buck shot back as Eddie sucked and bit at his neck, gasping when Eddie slipped a third finger in and scissored them.

“But you’re just so fun to tease.” Eddie chuckled as he ran his free hand down Buck’s side, somehow hitting all the areas Buck was sensitive. “Every time you gasp for me, I just want to make you do it again and again.”

“And you will,” Buck told him, his breath hitching slightly. “Forever. I’m yours, forever.”

Buck saw Eddie grin at that.

Before long, Buck was prepped, and Eddie was sliding into him.

Buck keened high in his throat as Eddie bottomed out, barely catching his breath by the time Eddie started to move.

Buck reached for Eddie to urge him to move faster, but Eddie caught his hands and pinned them above his head.

“Nope, we’re going to take our time with this,” Eddie said, cutting off Buck’s complaints with a harsh kiss as he sped up, snapping his hips. Buck keened against Eddie’s lips as the quickened pace heightened the sensations he was feeling. He wasn’t sure how long he could last like this, but he loved every second of it. He pulled against Eddie’s grip, the other man not budging as he moved against him.

“Eddie, please.” Buck moaned as Eddie’s lips returned to Buck’s neck.

“Be patient.” Eddie punctuated each word with a small nip to Buck’s collarbone. Buck nodded, trying desperately to hold himself together. He could do it. He could last long enough.

Before long, Buck felt himself getting close.

Eddie seemed to sense it and reached a hand down to tug at Buck’s cock as he sped up his pace, the grip of his hand right on the cusp of being too much.

“Come for me,” Eddie said, his eyes dark as he commanded Buck to do as he said.

Buck gave a strangled shout as he came, spilling all over his stomach.

With a final groan, Eddie finished and pulled out of Buck.

He collapsed on the bed next to him, the two of them just laying there for a minute. Buck could have laid there all night, curled next to Eddie as they slept off the activities that had tired them out.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though his king had other plans for the two of them.

Buck could feel Eddie rise from the bed and slip away, wondering what he was doing. Then he heard a familiar sound from the bathroom and realized that Eddie had gone to start the shower. Buck hoped that Eddie was just trying to clean off himself before he heard the other man come back and try to rouse Buck.

“Come on, let’s go.” Buck felt Eddie nudge him.

“Ugh, I really don’t want to clean up.” Buck groaned.

“Too bad. You’ll regret it in the morning if we don’t.” Eddie shoved Buck lightly to get him up.

“Worst fiance ever.” Buck groaned at Eddie as they walked to the bathroom. “I’m taking back the ring. Just wait.”

“Just keep telling yourself that, Buck.” Eddie turned on the shower as they got in.

“Just remember you’re stuck with me. I’ll tattoo the ring on if necessary.”

Buck grinned at that as he looked at Eddie.

“I’m completely okay with that,” Buck told him. “In fact, maybe we should.”

“Get our rings tattooed?”

“We can’t wear the rings at work.” Buck reminded Eddie. “Maybe having them inked on isn’t a bad idea.”

Eddie smiled. “I do like the idea of everyone knowing you’re mine.”

“Trust me.” Buck pulled Eddie until their bodies were pressed together, the warm water caressing their skin. “The feeling is mutual.”

“I love you.” Eddie reached a hand to cradle Buck’s face.

“I love you too,” Buck said, leaning up to kiss Eddie on the lips. “And I will until the end of time.”

Eddie kissed him back, and in that moment Buck felt like his life was truly complete.

Chapter 4:

The next day, they went to pick up Chris from Pepa’s house.

When Chris stepped out of the door, Buck and Eddie both held up their left hands. His eyes widened and he screeched in joy, barreling towards them.

“You guys did it!” Chris hugged them both. “Dad, now we get to keep Buck forever!”

“I know. It’s pretty awesome.” Eddie grinned at Buck over his son’s head.

“So awesome.” Buck agreed. “You know what’s even better?” Chris looked at Buck. “Going to the zoo! You in?”

Chris eagerly nodded and Eddie gave Buck a fond look as they got into the car.

“Can I help you guys plan your wedding?” Chris asked.

“Of course,” Eddie told him.

“We couldn’t do it without you.” Buck agreed.

“Awesome.” Chris settled in as they went to the zoo, smiling happily.

When they got back from the zoo, Buck gave Maddie a call. As his sister, he felt like he owed it to her for her to find out first.

“Evan? Is everything okay?” Maddie asked.

“Does something have to be wrong for me to call you?” Buck pretended to be offended, Maddie scoffing in response.

“Of course not. What’s up?”

Buck grinned as he spoke. “Eddie and I are engaged.”

Maddie shrieked in excitement. “Oh my god! That’s incredible, congratulations!”

“Thanks.” Buck laughed. “We’re pretty excited about it. You’re the first person we told other than Chris.”

“Aw, I’m honored,” Maddie told him.

“Yeah. We’re going to tell the team tomorrow at lunch, and then Eddie and I are going to tell our respective relatives about it sometime after.”

“That’s nice.” Buck could hear the frown in her voice and he frowned in response.

“Okay, what is it?” Buck asked.

“What do you mean?”

“It seemed like you didn’t like them very much when they came to visit. What’s wrong?”

Buck heard Maddie sigh. “It’s not that I don’t like them. It’s just…” she huffed out a breath. “I feel guilty.”

“About what?”

“I could have gotten in touch with them years ago, but I didn’t.” She admitted. “By the time I even thought about it, Doug happened. I just keep thinking that if I had reached out to them, maybe you would have had a loving family growing up.”

Buck sighed, sinking into the couch. “Maddie, that isn’t on you. You were just a kid when it all happened. I don’t blame you and neither do they. We should just try to focus on the now, not worrying about what could have been. Okay?”

Buck heard Maddie sigh. “Okay.”

“Good.” Buck decided to change the subject. “Oh, please don’t tell Chimney about the engagement, okay? We want to make it a surprise.”

“Don’t worry.” She told him. “Unlike my boyfriend, I can keep a secret.”

Buck grinned at that. “Thank you.”

“I’m really happy for you, Buck,” Maddie told him.

Buck smiled as he hung up the phone. His sister was always there for him. Buck was thrilled that she was so happy for him.

“Okay, I would like to call this meeting of the Buckley Diaz wedding planning committee to order.” Buck banged an imaginary gavel.

“Okay, he’s acting weird. Did you give him a clipboard?” Chris asked Eddie.

“I wouldn’t do that, trust me.” Eddie snarked, Buck gasping at that.

“I don’t need a clipboard for this,” Buck told them. “This is just to hammer out some initial details about the wedding. Like the location, the wedding party, officiant.”

“Well, location is easy,” Eddie told Buck, who raised an eyebrow in question. “We’ll be moved into the new house by then. Let’s just have it there.”

“Like in the backyard?” Buck considered the option. “They could work.”

“Yeah, and we could have the reception either outside or inside. It’s not like it’s going to be a huge event, right?” Eddie turned to Buck.

“No big wedding plans from me.” Buck put his fiance, and he was never going to get tired of calling Eddie that, at ease. “Just the 118 and our families. That’s all I need.”

“When you say, family–”

“Not my parents,” Buck told him.

“Good,” Chris announced. “They suck.”

“Chris, we don’t say “suck.”” Eddie admonished him.

“They do suck, though.” Buck couldn’t resist saying as Eddie gave him a dirty look. Buck looked down and moved to the next item on his list.

“Okay, wedding party.”

“Dibs on Chris as my best man.” Eddie immediately said, Buck giving him a shocked look as Chris cheered.

“Why do you get Chris as your best man?”

“He’s my son!” Eddie reminded Buck, who couldn’t really think of a way to refute that.

“Okay, so I’ll pick…Albert.” Buck decided.

“Albert?” Eddie seemed surprised by Buck’s choice.

“Yeah. He’s my best friend, not to mention he helped me pick out your ring.” Buck to Eddie.

Chris leaned in to get a better look at Eddie’s ring. “Okay, I approve.”

Buck laughed at that. “I’m glad we got the Chris seal of approval.”

“Can’t plan a wedding without it,” Eddie told him.

“Okay, so flower girl is gonna be Jee, right?” Buck looked at Eddie, who nodded in agreement. “But who is gonna be our ring bearer?”

“Why doesn’t Chip do it?” Chris suggested.

“The cat?” Eddie gave Buck a dubious look.” “Do you think he can do it?”

Buck looked over at where Chip was sunning himself on the living room floor.

“I think he can do it,” Buck told him, looking back at Eddie. “Besides, Chip was the reason I realized that you loved me. I think it would be perfect to have him with us on the big day.”

Eddie’s eyes softened at that, and he pulled Buck into a kiss. Buck eagerly responded until Chris groaned loudly.

“You guys are so gross!” Chris complained, Buck and Eddie laughing at his reaction.

Blushing hard, Buck pulled away and went back to his list.

“I had an idea on who could officiate us,” Buck said.

“Oh?”

“How would you feel about Athena?” Buck asked.

Eddie thought for a moment and then grinned. “I think that would make for an amazing wedding ceremony. I’m surprised you didn’t want Bobby to do it, though.”

Buck bit his lip. “I actually had another idea for Bobby.”

“Like what?” Chris asked.

“I was thinking of asking Bobby to give me away,” Buck said. “He’s basically a father figure to me.”

“He’s definitely better than your actual father.” Eddie quipped. “I love it.”

“Awesome.” Buck smiled at him for a long moment. “Then there’s only one more thing we should start to think about.”

“And what’s that?” Eddie asked Chris, looking on eagerly.

“Where we go on our honeymoon,” Buck told Eddie.

“Can I come?” Chris asked.

Buck looked at Eddie, asking his opinion. He knew that he would love it if Chris came, but he wasn’t the only one invoked here.

Eddie gave Buck a small nod, and Buck grinned.

“Yep! Can’t have the honeymoon without our favorite person.” Buck told Chris, who beamed.

“We should go to Italy!” Chris suggested. “Or Paris! Or London!”

Buck laughed. “We don’t have to make any decisions right now.” He looked at Chris. “Just keep thinking about it for a little while, and we’ll circle back soon. Sound good?”

Chris happily nodded. Meanwhile, Buck was busy thinking of places to go. It would be nice to visit all the places they wanted on one vacation, but that would have to wait until summer vacation. For their honeymoon, they’d have to pick just one.

A few days later Buck was prepping dinner for the 118, smirking as he did so. This was going to be the perfect way to announce their engagement. Buck could just tell.

Or he was just looking forward to trolling the 118. Either one.

Buck was just finishing up the chicken before putting it in the oven when Bobby came up the stairs.

“Hey!” Buck went over to give him a hug.“When did you guys get back?”

“Just now,” Athena said, coming up the stairs behind Bobby. “Bobby wanted to come and say hi before going to the house.”

“Aww, did you miss us?” Chim teased, coming over from the couches with Eddie.

“Nah, I just wanted to make sure you guys didn’t burn the house down.” Bobby snarked as he looked around. “Where’s Hen?”

Buck winced, knowing Hen had been in a dark mood the last few days. If he had to guess, he’d say that her exams didn’t go very well. It was such a shame considering how hard she had been studying.

“She’s in your office,” Chimney responded. Bobby seemed to take that as a cue to go get her, vanishing into the room.

Meanwhile, Athena helped Buck and Eddie set the table.

“So what’s new with you guys?” She asked, glancing between the two of them.

“Nothing much,” Buck said, Eddie nodding along next to him.

They had decided not to spill the beans until they were seated at the table, and Buck was trying to stick to that plan.

“If you say so.” Athena eyed them both, not believing them.

Buck was saved from having to answer by Bobby and Hen coming out of the office. Buck noticed how tired Hen was, and how she was trying to put on a good face for everyone else. He just wished that her time as Captain hadn’t been so hard on her.

After a few more minutes, the food was ready and it was time to eat. He brought the dishes over to the table with help from Eddie, and everyone started to dig in.

“Buck, this is amazing,” Athena said, taking another bite.

“What dish is this?” Bobby asked. “It’s not one of my recipes.”

“I actually learned it off of TikTok.” Buck told them, trying not to glance at Eddie. “It’s called “Marry Me Chicken Pasta.””

“Damn Diaz, looks like Buck is sending you a message.” Chimney quipped. “Better get on that.”

Eddie gave Chimney a look before turning to Buck. Buck fought the urge to grin as they both took their engagement rings out of their pockets and slipped them on.

“Well I did make this for dinner last week. I guess that’s why we’re engaged now.” Buck kept his tone light and conversational as he and Eddie showed off their left hands, rings and all.

For a long moment, all was silent. And then—

“Oh my god!” Hen shrieked before turning to them.

“Congratulations you guys.” Bobby smiled at the two of them proudly.

“So when I asked you if anything was new earlier, you neglected to mention this.” Athena looked annoyed, but Buck could tell she was happy for them.

“We just wanted to tell all of you at the same time,” Eddie said, reaching for Buck’s hand. “That way all the people we care about could find out at once.”

“We did tell Maddie already, so no need to worry about keeping that secret, Chim,” Buck said, seeing Chimney sigh in relief. “And we’ll call the extended families later to tell them.”

“So who proposed to whom?” Hen asked.

“We kinda both proposed to each other,” Buck said.

Eddie snorted. “And by that, he means that I proposed first and then he complained because he’d been planning on proposing that night too.”

Buck gave Eddie a dirty look as everyone laughed. “I want a divorce.”

“We aren’t even married yet.” Eddie reminded him.

“Then you win this one.” Buck teased, leaving in to kiss him.

“So have you guys thought about wedding planning?” Bobby asked. “I still have my binder ready to go.”

Athena groaned. “Please take his binder away from him.”

Buck laughed. “We will happily take all the help we can get from the binder.”

“We’re currently thinking of a backyard wedding,” Eddie told them.

“Is your yard big enough for them?” Athena asked. “We could host if need be.”

“Actually, we’re moving,” Buck said, grinning. “There’s an amazing house near Chris’ school and our offer was just accepted. The backyard is insane.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Athena told them. “I know you two have been talking about moving for a while. I’m glad that it’s finally happening for you.”

“Thank you.” Buck smiled.

“Yeah, Buck getting that trust fund really set things in motion for him.” Chimney joked, shoveling more pasta onto his plate.

Everything got quiet. Buck wanted to murder Chimney. How was any of that his business to discuss?

“Trust fund?” Hen looked at Buck with interest.

“Yeah, when my relatives came to town they signed over my trust fund,” Buck said, looking down slightly. “So we’re using some of the money for the house.”

“Well, that was nice of them,” Bobby said diplomatically.

“Yeah. Apparently, the trust fund was why they broke contact with my parents. Mom wanted them to transfer my fund over to Daniel since they’d used his to create me.” Buck kept looking down at his plate.

“Just when I think I can’t hate them any more than I do.” Athena gritted her teeth. “Truly despicable.”

“Agreed.” Eddie raised his glass as if toasting Athena. “Glad they won’t be at the wedding.”

“They won’t be?” Chimney asked.

“Nope,” Buck said, not elaborating. “But I do hope you’ll consider letting Jee be the flower girl.”

Chimney’s eyes lit up at that. “Definitely. she’ll love it.”

“I don’t think she’ll have much of an opinion on it, since she’s so young,” Hen remarked.

“Well, either way, I’d love to have her at my wedding,” Buck said, the conversation quickly turning entirely to wedding planning.

Chimney walked up to Buck and Eddie after lunch, practically skipping with excitement.

“Don’t worry Buck, I’ve got you covered with your bachelor party,” Chim said. “It’s going to be perfect.”

“My bachelor party?” Buck asked, not sure what Chimney was getting at. They had just announced that they were getting married. Wasn’t this too early to be planning one?

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this handled,” Chimney told him. “As your best man, it’s the least I can do.”

Buck felt Eddie stiffen next to him.

Oh. Oh no.

Chimney thought Buck was going to pick him as his best man. This was not going to go well.

“Well, Chimney.” Buck started, not sure exactly how to say this. “I was actually going to ask someone else to be my best man.”

Chimney looked like he had just been punched in the gut.

“Are you serious?” Buck nodded. “But we’ve known each other for years, and I’m dating your sister.”

“I know, it’s just that we’re not super close.” Buck tried to explain. “And I’d rather go with someone who I’m a little better friends with.”

“Like who?”

Buck winced. He knew this wasn’t going to go over well. “I was thinking of Albert, actually.”

Chimney stared at Buck. “Albert?”

“Yep.” Buck nodded.

Chimney started to flush a dark red. “You’re picking my brother over me?”

“We lived together for a while,” Buck said. “And we’ve remained close. It just seemed like a better move overall.”

Chimney nodded at that, the movement tight and jerky. Buck eyed him, wondering if he was going to lose it on them.

He took a few deep breaths and then turned to Eddie. “Okay, then. It looks like I’m free to be your best man.”

Buck tried not to laugh at the constipated expression on Eddie’s face.

“Well, actually, Chris is going to be my best man,” Eddie told Chim.

“He’s like 12,” Chim said in disbelief. “Just have him be the ring bearer.”

“No, he wanted to be the best man,” Eddie said firmly. “I’m not booting him from the role because you want the job.”

“Plus, Chip is going to be the ring bearer.” Buck regretted the words as soon as he said them, Chimney’s face flushing a deeper red with anger.

Chimney gritted his teeth. “I can’t believe you both.” He stormed off, getting Bobby and Athena’s attention.

“What was that about?” Bobby asked, looking at where Chim was stalking down the stairs.

“He disagrees with our choices for our best men,” Eddie said dryly, Buck chuckling a little at that.

“He really thought either of you would pick him?” Athena asked in disbelief. “I need some of his optimism.”

“I don’t blame him for wondering, it’s just that we’ve already decided who’s doing what in our wedding,” Buck told them.

“And to that end, we were wondering if you would consider getting ordained so you could marry us, Athena,” Eddie asked her. “You can do it online these days.”

Athena put a hand to her mouth, her eyes shining. “I would be honored,” she finally said, her voice thick.

Buck grinned at that. Eddie nudged Buck, Buck rolling his eyes at his lack of subtlety.

“Bobby, I was wondering something,” Buck said, the man in question looking at him. “Would you walk me down the aisle?”

Bobby’s lips parted in shock, and Buck started to ramble. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I just figured it’d be nice. After all, I’ve always thought of you as a father figure, and now it turns out you’re actually my uncle.”

“Buck.” Bobby stopped him. “I’d be honored to walk you down the aisle.”

“We’re honored that you picked us to be in your wedding.” Athena told both of them before giving Eddie a look. “And I trust we don’t have to revisit our little conversation, do we Eddie?”

Eddie shook his head. “I already told you, the day I hurt Buck is the day I die.”

Buck groaned. “You gave Eddie a shovel talk?”

“Damn right I did.”

Buck laughed. “Guess that makes it better that Pepa gave me one right after we started dating.”

“She did?” Eddie asked. “You never told me that.”

“I didn’t think it was important. We’re both just lucky to have so many people looking out for us.” Buck told him.

“That’s a lovely way to look at it.” Eddie told him before looking at Bobby and Athena. “And that’s why we’re so glad you two can be a part of our special day.”

Bobby and Athena pulled the two of them into a big hug, Buck and Eddie grinning at each other.

Hopefully telling the rest of their families goes as well as this did.

“Hey guys.” Buck waved at everyone on the Zoom, Eddie sitting next to them.

“Hey!” The rest of the family chorused.

“You’re looking sharp, Eddie,” Hannah told him. “Are you guys doing anything fun tonight?”

“I’m not, but Eddie has his secret poker game tonight.” Buck playfully glared at Eddie.

“How much of a secret can it be if I told you about it?” Eddie countered.

“Why can’t you go to the game?” Zach asked.

“Because I don’t qualify apparently,” Buck told them. “It’s for firefighters who have had brushes with death on the job.”

“I will personally be very happy if you never qualify for that club,” Eddie told him.

“Fair enough.” Zach said after a minute. “So why did you guys want to talk tonight? Everything okay?”

“Yeah. We just wanted to show you guys something.” Buck and Eddie held up their left hands, their rings prominently displayed.

It only took a moment for everyone to realize what was going on, and then everyone lost it.

“Oh my god!”

“Congrats, dude!”

“Oh Buck, that’s wonderful!”

“Welcome to the family Eddie!”

Buck and Eddie grinned at the onslaught of well-wishes that came their way.

“Thanks so much, you guys.” Buck couldn’t stop smiling. “We’re really excited.”

“I’m going to send you guys the name of my suit guy in LA,” Zach decided. He makes these gorgeous custom-made suits, and I think you guys will love them.”

“Custom suits?” Buck raised an eyebrow at that. “Isn’t that a little much? We’re just having a small wedding.”

“It’s just a cool thing to do,” Zach shrugged. I think you and Eddie might enjoy having them made for your wedding. Plus, as a fellow tall guy, I know how hard it can be to find good suits that fit well.”

Buck and Eddie gave each other a look, and then Eddie nodded.

“Okay, please send us the information.” Buck smiled at Zach. “Thank you.”

“And if you guys need any help organizing things for the wedding, please let us know,” Hannah told them. “We’ve got your back.”

Buck grinned through the rest of the conversation with his relatives.

Even after Eddie left for his poker night, he couldn’t stop.

His relatives supported him unconditionally.

How did he get so lucky to have so many wonderful supporting, loving people in his life?

A week later, Buck was sitting on the couch with Maddie as they flipped through magazines.

“Why is wedding planning so complicated?” Buck threw down the third magazine that he had gone through, not finding anything that he was looking for.

“I believe this is why people go for wedding planners,” Chimney snarked as he walked through the room, kissing Maddie on the cheek.

“I don’t need a wedding planner, I just need to figure out where to start on all this,” Buck said, picking up yet another magazine.

“Didn’t Bobby give you his massive binder of wedding stuff?” Maddie asked.

“Yeah, but I want to have some general ideas before I delve into that,” Buck said, flipping straight to the wedding cake section. Now there was something he could at least have an opinion about.

“Why isn’t Eddie helping?”

“He’s dealing with the house stuff today, figuring out what we want to take to the new place and what we’ll need to buy,” Buck told her.

“I still can’t believe you’re moving and planning a wedding at the same time.” Maddie shook her head in disbelief.

“Yeah, we like a challenge.”

“Bet you’re glad you have the trust fund, otherwise the real challenge would be paying for all of this,” Chimney remarked as he sat down on the couch next to Maddie. Buck fought the urge to tense up, Chimney’s comment setting him on edge. He’d been making those comments for a while now, and they seemed to be ramping up now that Buck and Eddie had made it clear that Chimney wouldn’t be the best man to either of them.

“Have you thought about what Jee would wear as a flower girl?” Maddie asked, breaking the awkward silence.

“Yeah, I have a few ideas.” Buck pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and went to his Pinterest board. “Take a look at these and see which ones you think she’d like.”

He handed the phone to Maddie, who eagerly started to look at the pictures. Chimney leaned over the phone, flipping through the photos with her.

“Have you decided on colors yet?” Maddie asked.

“No, not yet,” Buck told her.

“It’s just, I’m not sure any of these would really suit Jee that well,” Maddie told him.

“Oh.” Buck frowned. He had thought the dresses were pretty nice, but then again he wasn’t an expert in this stuff. “Well, feel free to look around for a different dress. Just make sure to save it to the board so I can see what you picked.”

Maddie decided to do just that, and the quiet tapping of the keys was all that Buck heard for a while.

He was in the middle of an article about fruit cake versus chocolate cake when he heard a loud gasp. He looked up to see Maddie staring at the screen, her eyes wide.

“What’s wrong?”

Maddie looked at Buck, shock etched into every facet of her face.

“You have eight million dollars?” She asked, her voice quivering slightly.

“Damn, dinner is definitely on you tonight.” Chimney quipped.

Buck didn’t know how she had gotten that information and then it hit him.

“Did you just log into my banking account?”

Maddie looked away slightly and Buck had his answer.

“I can’t believe you.” Buck grabbed the phone from her hands. “What the fuck did you think you were doing?”

“I was looking for the dresses, and then—“ Maddie trailed off. “You’d been so cagey about the amount from the trust fund, I just got curious. And you still use the same banking password for everything.”

Buck made a mental note to change all his passwords as soon as he got home.

“I can’t believe you.” Buck shook his hand as he grabbed his stuff. “That is such a violation.”

“Oh, come on.” Chimney cut in. “She’s your sister. she’s entitled to know this stuff.”

“She’s not entitled to break into my phone because she feels like being nosy!”

“I don’t remember you having this opinion on people’s privacy when you broke into my phone.” Chimney snarked at him.

Buck stared in disbelief.

“Are you seriously comparing me accessing your phone to try and find my sister who’d been kidnapped with Maddie prying into my banking details?”

Before either of them could respond, Buck scoffed.

“This is ridiculous.”

He stormed out, barely keeping from slamming the door since he knew Jee was sleeping.

He couldn’t believe this… or maybe he could. Maddie has always pried into his personal life. As a kid, he appreciated her caring about him since he knew his parents wouldn’t do the same. But as an adult, it felt like she was still treating him like a little kid.

Buck clenched his hands around the wheel. He had to figure out how to get Maddie to back off. He was a grown adult about to be married for Christ’s sake. Why was she insisting on treating him like a child?

After a while, Buck finally pulled into the driveway. He just needed to go inside and forget about this.

He just needed Eddie.

Eddie looked up as Buck entered the house, sighing.

He could tell by the way the other man was holding himself, tense and ready for a fight, that talking with his sister did not go well.

“Come here.” Eddie patted the seat next to him, Buck sinking down onto it. Chip jumped onto his lap, and Buck immediately petted the cat.

“What happened?”

“How do you know anything happened?” Buck asked.

“Because I know you,” Eddie told him. “What did she do?”

Buck sighed, pulling Chip further into his lap. Eddie waited for him to speak, not saying anything.

“She accessed my banking app to see how much money I got from the trust fund.”

It took Eddie a moment to realize what he said. He assumed that he had to have misheard Buck. No way would Maddie, Buck’s own sister, betray him like that.

One look at Buck’s eyes made him realize that Buck wasn’t lying.

“What the fuck was she thinking?”

Eddie shook his head, disgusted with her actions. He’d always liked Maddie, up until the whole lying to Buck about his family thing came out. But even in the last two years, he thought they’d made progress towards having a relationship.

But this? This was enough to undo that completely.

“I know!” Buck threw up his hands, Chip meowing in discontent as he stopped being pet. “And Chim had the nerve to say it was no worse than me accessing his phone to track down Doug.”

“How are either of those things the same?”

“That’s what I said!”

Buck slumped against the couch. “Please tell me that things will go better with your parents tomorrow.”

And now it was Eddie’s turn to groan and slump against the couch.

He honestly had no clue how things would go with his parents tomorrow.

They had taken it well when he and Buck started dating, or as well as Eddie expected. They didn’t cut him off or anything so that was enough for Eddie. In the two years since they had come around to Buck, mainly because Chris loved him and sang his praises at every opportunity. But Eddie just wasn’t sure how they’d react to this news. He hoped they’d take it well. He’d worked so hard to get to a better place with his dad. He hoped they wouldn’t throw it all away because of this.

“Eddie?” Buck prodded him. “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing.” Eddie jerked back to awareness. “I hope things go well tomorrow.”

“I hope so, too.” Buck nuzzled closer to Eddie.

The next day, Buck and Eddie sat in front of the computer as they called Eddie’s parents.

Eddie was praying that this went well.

It had to.

His relationship with his parents had come so far over the last two years. They had to react well to this.

“Edmundo!” His mother greeted him as they picked up the call. “It’s been too long.”

“It’s been two weeks Mom,” Eddie told her.

“And that is far too long.” She retorted, Buck chuckling slightly as he sat next to Eddie.

“How are you doing, Buck?” She asked kindly.

“I’m good, thanks,” Buck responded.

“Mom, is Dad around? We had something we wanted to tell you both about.”

The expression on her face seemed to freeze for a second.

“I’ll go get him.” She finally said, getting up from her seat.

“What was that about?” Buck asked, looking at Eddie in confusion as they waited for Eddie’s parents to get back.

“I’m not sure,” Eddie said. He could feel the anxiety emanating from the other man, and he nudged him slightly. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.”

Buck didn’t look like he believed what Eddie was saying, but his parents came back to the screen before he could reassure him further.

“Edmundo!” His father said, clapping his hands as he crowded around the computer. “I hear you have something to talk to us about.”

Eddie took a deep breath. This wasn’t anything to be nervous about. He was just telling his parents about his engagement. He’d done that before. And no one was pregnant this time, so they should take it better than last time.

“Mom, Dad,” Eddie said, gently squeezing Buck. “Buck and I are engaged.”

There was silence on the call. His parents seemed so still that Eddie wondered if the screen had frozen again.

“I’m sorry, what?” His father finally said.

“I proposed to Buck, and he said yes.”

Eddie couldn’t keep the grin off of his face as he said that.

“Technically, we proposed to each other.” Buck butted in.

“Yeah, but I did it first,” Eddie said. He could tell that Buck was resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at him.

His parents still hadn’t said much, and his mother cleared her throat. “Edmundo, can we speak to you privately?”

Buck was about to get off the couch when Eddie pulled him closer. “Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of Buck.”

Eddie had a sinking feeling in his chest. He knew something was off, but he wondered if it was just that his parents were shocked he didn’t mention proposing to Buck before.

“Edmundo.” His mother said, clearly trying to think of the right thing to say. “What are you thinking? You can’t possibly marry him.”

“And why not?” Eddie asked, trying to keep calm. It couldn’t be for the reason he was thinking. It just couldn’t.

“Because he’s a man, Edmundo.” His father said. “You are supposed to marry a woman!”

And it was. Of course, it was.

How could he not have seen this coming?

“Mr. and Mrs. Diaz…“Buck tried to butt in.

“This is a family conversation.” His father cut Buck off, and Eddie saw red.

“Buck is family,” he snapped. “He’s been part of our family for years. What the hell is wrong with you two?”

“Edmundo!”

“We’ve been dating for two years, and now you have a problem with it?”

“We always had a problem with it!” His mother burst out. “But your sisters told us that you were probably just having a fling with Buck, so we allowed it. We were sure that you just needed time to get this out of your system and that you’d settle down with the right kind of person eventually, someone who could be a mother to Chris and give you children.”

Eddie felt as if he was freezing from the inside out.

His sisters were such a big part of his life. They had come to visit so many times over the past two years. And they were just waiting for him to toss Buck aside all this time?

“Well, that’s not going to happen,” Eddie told them, his voice hard. “I am marrying Buck.”

His parents looked like they had been slapped.

“Well, don’t expect us to come to the wedding.” His mother said, holding back tears.

“Matter of fact, don’t expect us to have anything to do with you from this point onward.” His father pointed a finger at the camera. “If you go through with this, you are no son of mine.”

Eddie felt the last bit of hope that he had for his relationship with his parents wither and die at those words.

“That’s for the best.” Eddie finally said, keeping his emotions in check. “I wouldn’t want to be your son anymore.”

Eddie ended the call and turned to Buck, who had been silent for a while. “Are you okay?”

“I really thought they liked me.” He said after a long moment. “Your sisters called to see how I was doing, or your mom would ask what I wanted for Christmas. I really thought they were okay with us being together.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Eddie told him. “They don’t matter. We love each other, and that’s all I care about.”

“Eddie, your parents are going to miss your wedding.” Buck looked at him, unshed tears shining in his eyes. “Are you seriously telling me you don’t care?”

“Of course I do,” Eddie told him, his voice cracking slightly. “They were supposed to love me no matter what, and they failed.” Buck pulled him closer as he spoke, trying to keep his composure. “At the end of the day, the only people I need at that wedding are you, me, and Chris. That’s it.”

Eddie really believed that he did. But he’d be lying if a part of him wasn’t devastated that his own parents were going to skip his wedding. And also his sisters, if what his parents said was true.

When Buck went out to grab dinner that night, Eddie called his sister Sophia. They had always been close, and Eddi just knew that even if Adriana had gotten behind what their parents were doing, Sophia would still have his back.

“Eddie, now’s not a great time.” Sophia picked up the phone, a harried note in her voice. He could hear muffled shouting in the background of the call.

“I won’t take up much of your time.” Eddie was fighting to keep his tone even. “I just need to know if what Mom and Dad said is true.”

There was silence for a long moment, and then Sophia sighed as she closed the door, the sound getting muffled.

“I wish I could say that I didn’t know what you were talking about, but we both know you wouldn’t believe it,” she said, a bitter note in her voice.

“So it is?” Eddie couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “The entire time that I’ve been with Buck, you’ve just been waiting for us to break up? You thought I was just having a fling?”

“Eddie, you never even talked about liking men before Buck,” she told him. “So when you started dating him, of course, we were all confused. Adriana was the one who came up with the idea of you just having a fling, though. I just figured it wasn’t any of my business.”

Eddie sighed, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead. “And you never thought to ask me how I felt towards Buck? I think that would have cleared things up.”

“Eddie, you seemed happy,” Sophia told him. “So I didn’t really care about the specifics. I just figured that if things got serious with Buck, you’d let us know.”

“We’ve been living together for two years!”

“Yeah, but you’ve always moved too quickly with the people you date, so I didn’t think that was an accurate measurement.”

Eddie sighed again, growing more irritated. “Well, now we’re getting married. Is that enough seriousness for you?”

“Yeah, I heard about that,” Sophia said. “Mom called me and Adriana, freaking out about it this afternoon.”

Eddie bit his lip before asking the question that was on his mind. “Will you come to the wedding?”

There was silence on the line, then Sophia sighed, and his heart sank.

“Eddie, I can’t. I’m happy that you found someone, but I can’t be at your wedding.”

“But why?”

“Mom and Dad are so angry right now, and I don’t see that calming down anytime soon. If I go to the wedding, I’ll just rock the boat and make things worse.”

Eddie couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“The boat is rocking. Are you aware of that? There’s a storm on the lake, and the boat is already rocking. You rocking it a little more won’t make things any worse,” he told her, barely able to keep the pleading note out of his voice. “Sophia, it’s my wedding. Please be there.”

There was another long silence, and then–

“I’m sorry.”

The line went dead, and Eddie collapsed onto the couch. He couldn’t believe this. His baby sister, the family member he was closest to, wouldn’t come to his wedding because she didn’t want to annoy Mom and Dad.

How could this be happening? Eddie had always been there when she needed him, but the one time that he needed her was when she decided not to rock the boat?

It was then that Buck got home.

“Is everything okay?” Buck asked as he walked into the room, a pizza box in one hand and a six-pack in the other.

Eddie wished he could say that everything was, but instead, he just gave Buck a look.

“I talked to Sophia.” The other man immediately sat next to Eddie, pulling him against his side as he spoke. “She’s happy for us, but she doesn’t want to come to the wedding because she doesn’t want to piss off Mom and Dad.”

Buck swore, the sound shocking Eddie.

“I’m so sorry.” Buck squeezed him tighter. “It’s not fair that they are doing this to you.”

“It’s okay.” Eddie shrugged, a numbness taking over.

“Eddie, you don’t have to be okay about this,” Buck said quietly. “Let me be here for you. Let me help you.”

“You are helping me.” Eddie nuzzled closer to Buck. “More than you know. I’ll be okay, I promise.”

And in time, he would be. Because he had Buck there to help him.

Chapter 5:

“Okay, l think we can handle this as long as we have a game plan.” Buck told Eddie and Chris. “The important thing is to be methodical, and precise, and–”

“Buck, it’s furniture shopping.” Eddie cut him off, amused. “ We can handle it.”

“Yeah. We got this!” Chris gave Eddie a high five.

“Okay.” Buck nodded. “I got the measurements of the rooms of the house, but let’s just keep in mind how big the furniture itself is, okay? We don’t want the house to be super crowded.”

“Fair enough.” Eddie nodded. “We got this.”

They did not, in fact, have it.

“I don’t think we need four bookshelves.” Eddie argued with Buck.

“One for Chris’ room, one for our room, and two for the living room! It’s the perfect amount of bookshelves. We have a lot of books, games and DVDs.” Buck reminded him.

“We could always use this as an opportunity to get rid of some of the books.” Buck and Chris both turned to stare at Eddie after that, the other man backing down. “Or not.”

“Let’s table the bookshelves for the moment.” Buck said, turning to Chris. “Do you want to keep your furniture for your bedroom or maybe get something new? We could always look into a bigger bed.”

“A bigger bed would be cool.” Chris decided. “Easier for sleepovers. Plus, I want an egg chair.”

“What’s an egg chair?” Eddie asked.

Chris showed them a picture of a round chair suspended from a frame. “Like that.”

Buck and Eddie looked at each other for a long moment, before Eddie sighed and nodded.

“One egg chair coming up.” Buck grinned. “I think I’ll look into some similar chairs for the outdoor area.”

Chris beamed and happily sat with them as they picked out a new bed frame for him, with matching nightstand and dresser.

After he went into his room, Buck turned to Eddie. “Okay, now what do you want for the house?”

“I really don’t need anything.” Eddie told him.

“That wasn’t what I asked.” Buck reminded him. “What’s going on?”

Buck watched as Eddie sighed.

“I just wish I could contribute more.” Eddie finally said. “You got us an incredible house, and you’re getting all this amazing furniture for us. I just- I can’t really do anything to contribute.”

“Eddie.” Buck looked at him. “This isn’t a competition. I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to show you up or anything. And if we’re being honest, you’ve done one thing for me that I’ll never be able to compete with.” Eddie looked confused, so Buck elaborated. “You gave me a family. And that is more important to me than all the money in the world.”

Eddie was silent for a moment and then sighed. “Well how can I argue with that?”

“So, we’re okay?” Buck asked, wanting to make sure.

“We’re okay.” Eddie told him.

“Okay.” Buck moved the computer closer to Eddie. “So let’s pick out some furniture.”

After a half hour, they had made great progress. They had decided on bar stools for the kitchen, a new dining table, a bedroom set for their room, a bedroom set for one of the guest rooms, and new mattresses. They had decided to keep Eddie’s current set and move it into one of the guest rooms.

The only real issue was the debate they were having over the couch.

“The living room is huge! We need a bigger couch to go with the barrel chair you picked out.” Eddie argued.

“But I like the couch we have!” Buck told him.

“Buck, why are you so attached to my ratty old couch?” Eddie asked.

Buck sighed. “Because… this is where we sat when I told you about Daniel. This is where we had our first kiss. This couch marks the start of our relationship. So if at all possible, I’d like to keep it.”

“Damn.” Eddie finally said after a long moment. “That was romantic as fuck.”

Buck laughed at that.

“Compromise.” Eddie suggested. “We get a new couch for the living room, but we keep this couch and put it somewhere else in the house.” He paused for a second. “And also maybe get this reupholstered because the fabric is kinda gross.”

Buck smiled and held his pinky out. “Deal.”

The day before Bobby was due to return to work, Buck was hoping for a quiet day. He didn’t say the Q word or anything, but that was the hope.

So when they got called out to a tree falling on someone, he knew that wasn’t going to be the case anymore.

“Dispatch said a tree fell on a victim?” Hen asked when they got there.

“Yeah, but probably not how you’re imagining.” The park ranger told them. “He was standing underneath the root ball of a fallen tree when it snapped back up on top of him.”

“That’s a thing that happens?” Chimney asked, eying all the trees around them with suspicion.

“Well, sometimes after storms or if other debris pinning the downed tree falls away, the tension from the root system still underground can pull it back up.”

“Like a mighty oak slingshot.” Eddie quipped as they walked.

“Yeah, one that weighs several tons.” Buck responded, Eddie playfully nudging him.

They came upon the tree in question, hearing a faint moaning from underneath it. A girl knelt by the tree, frantically trying to clear dirt away.

“Hurry! I can hear him moaning under there!” She said, looking up and seeing the firefighters approaching.

“Okay, all right. That’s good. That means he’s still alive.” Hen quickly moved over to her. “Let me have you move out of the way. Make some room for my team to work.” Buck watched as Hen took in the scene and made a plan.

“All right. Eddie, Chimney, start digging access holes on the side.” She told them.

“Copy that.” They both said, immediately getting to work.

Buck knelt down, trying to figure out the best way to move the tree as Hen spoke into her radio.

“All right. Dispatch, this is Captain 118. We’ve got a victim with multiple crush wounds. We’re gonna need an air ambulance at the nearest clearing to our GPS coordinates.”

“Copy that, Captain 118.” Dispatch responded as Hen continued to assess the situation.

“I need a chainsaw to separate the tree from these roots.” Hen told another firefighter, who ran to get one from the engine.

“118, Medevac Three is eight minutes out from your location.” Dispatch radioed.

“Buck, on me.” Buck surged into motion as Hen spoke. “I need an anchor point and a hinge so we can expose that root ball.” She threw a rope over one of the branches as Buck moved to do as she said.

Buck quickly fastened everything together, pulling it to make sure it held.

“Anchor point secure.” He reported back.

“I see the head.” Eddie called out as he cleared away more of the dirt.

“And I got a foot.” Chimney finished as he threw one of the hiker’s shoes over his shoulder.

Buck finished setting up the pulley system on the surrounding trees, double-checking his work.

“Okay, pulleys are secure.” He repeated to Hen.

“Okay. Shouldn’t take much to pull it down now.” Hen told him, overseeing the scene.

“I got a pedal pulse.” Chimney said, a note of relief in his voice. “It’s weak, but it’s there.”

“Airway is patent.” Eddie reported. “Breath is severely diminished by the pressure of the tree.”

Buck saw Hen walk over to them. “All right, Chim, run a peripheral line of saline through his ankle. His body’s gonna want to decompensate when we remove the pressure from the tree.”

“All right.” Chim moved to do that as Eddie turned to another firefighter.

“Let me have that turnout. I’ll use it to protect his airway.” Eddie grabbed it from them as Buck got into position.

“I’m in, Cap.” Chimney called out as he set the line.

“All right, everyone in position to pull.” Hen said, picking up the chainsaw. Once I cut the roots on this side, we can tip the tree over.”

Buck lined up with the rest of the firefighters to pull the tree down when Hen gave the word.

The chainsaw whirred to life as Hen started to cut through the roots. Eddie and Chim got into position to lever the tree off of the victim as soon as they could.

“All right, on my mark.” Hen told them. “One, two… Three!” The sound of grunts filled the air as they all surged into motion. Buck could feel the burn in his muscles almost immediately as he worked with the others to pull the tree down.

“Come on!” He spoke through gritted teeth as they tried to bring down this massive tree. After a few long moments, the tree finally started to move.

“Almost there”. Eddie groaned as he continued to lever the roots.

“Buck clear out!” Hen shouted after a moment, Buck and the others immediately doing what she said.

Just then, the tree started to fully fall, crashing with a mighty thud. Buck stood there, watching as the dust settled. “Timber.” He said, a satisfied note in his voice before he went to join the others in taking care of the victim.

“He’s not breathing.” Eddie reported.

“Pulse is bottoming out.” Chimney monitored his vitals.

“Looks like massive internal bleeding. Let’s get him on a board.” Chimney and the others transferred the victim to a backboard.

“Starting compressions.” Chimney said before tossing out more orders.

“Eddie, get him on a Lifepak. Bag him.” Eddie hustled to do as she said while Buck started to collect the equipment.

“Please, you’ve got to save my brother.” The girl said, her hands clasped in front of her.

“Your brother?” The other guy at the scene seems to perk up at that, Buck giving him a look out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah, he and I have been bird-watching since we were kids.” The girl said, not really paying attention to the man.

“All right, preparing to shock.” Eddie said, shocking him. The first shock did nothing and Eddie shook his head. “I’m going again. Clear.”

After a long moment, a rhythmic beeping started to fill the clearing.

“Normal rhythm.” Eddie announced with relief in his voice. “We got a pulse.”

“Oh, thank God.” The girl seemed to almost collapse in relief, her hands moving to cover her eyes.

“Keep bagging him while we prepare for transport.” Hen told them.

They finally managed to get the patient on a gurney, strapping him in. As they started to transport the patient, the other guy was still trailing after the girl.

“Uh, if there’s not enough room for you to fly in the helicopter with him, I’d be happy to drive you to the hospital to meet him.” He said, bounding after her like a particularly hyper puppy.

Buck and Eddie exchanged a look, and Eddie snorted slightly.

“Pretty sure there’s enough room on the helo for you to ride with your brother.” He told the girl, who seemed relieved.

“Thank you so much.”

It was at that moment that the man who had been trailing after her took his shot. “Uh, well, then… maybe you want to take my number?”

Everyone stopped what they were doing to give this guy a look. He didn’t seem to notice, instead choosing to continue to speak.

“Uh, it can be dangerous out here alone for a female Southern California ornithologist.” He finished with a smile.

Buck saw as he looked over at the girl and saw the dumbstruck expression on her face. “Are you seriously asking me out after my brother almost died?”

Buck watched as Eddie shook his head as they loaded the patient. As Buck started to gather up the gear, the not-so-Romeo decided to defend his actions to him.

“I thought when she said it was her brother that maybe that was my shot.”

“Well…” Buck trailed off as he grabbed his gear, grunting slightly as he took it into his arms. “I think maybe you have bad instincts. Better luck next time.”

Buck left him to think about that as he put his stuff into the engine, shaking his head slightly.

Damn. He really hoped that he hadn’t been like that when he was younger.

Later that day, Buck was over at Maddie’s apartment.

Things had been strained between them ever since the banking mishap, but Buck was determined to try and get back to where they were supposed to be.

And to that end, he was sharing a philosophy that he had heard with Maddie.

“So, you just say yes to everything?” She asked skeptically.

“Yeah, it’s called radical acceptance.” Buck told her as he played with Jee.

“What does that even mean?”

Buck grinned as he got ready to explain it. “Yeah, well, so his theory is that we’ve all become too comfortable in our lives, right?” Maddie nodded at that, still seeming confused. “We go to the same jobs every day. We hang out with the same groups of people. We eat at the same restaurants, we shop at the same stores. We don’t do anything that makes us feel uncomfortable or-or that just scares us.”

Maddie gave Buck a look. “Buck, you’re literally a firefighter. You don’t do anything that scares you? What about running into burning buildings?”

“No, it doesn’t count.” Buck waved her off. “That’s just work, you know?”

Maddie still didn’t seem to get it, so he tried another way of explaining it.

“Uh, before I came to L.A., I had all these adventures. You know? I-I went to new places, I tried new things, I met new people.”

“That’s ’cause you were searching for something.” Maddie pointed out. “What are you looking for now?”

“Absolutely nothing.” Buck grinned even wider. “I love my life, I love my family, I love my job. I just thought this was interesting to think about. Like just saying yes to anything that came along? How crazy is that?”

Maddie seemed to accept this, leafing through a pile of papers before sighing.

“You want to say yes to everything?” Maddie raised her eyebrow challengingly. “What about this? You quit your job, become my nanny, and then I can stop looking at these résumés.”

“That’s gonna be a hard no, even if it would come with being with this little cutie all day long.”

Buck cuddled Jee before looking back at Maddie. “No. The Age of Absolutely isn’t about dramatic life changes, and becoming your new nanny would feel like a dramatic life change.”

“Well, so does hiring one.” Maddie pointed out. “They’re all either 12 or a potential serial killer.”

“Come on, don’t limit them… They could be both.” Buck cracked a joke.

“Ugh, I know there are better nannies out there.” Maddie thumbed through the papers again. “I just would need to be able to pay like double what Chimney and I can afford.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” Buck told her.

“It really, really is.” Maddie seemed to give Buck a look as she said it, and Buck stiffened slightly. Things had been weird between them since the incident, but she couldn’t be suggesting Buck pay for her nanny…could she?

Buck made a show of checking his watch, sighing when he realized it was actually time for him to get going.

“Uh, listen, I-I got to go.”

“Why, what’s going on?” Maddie asked him.

“Uh, Eddie and I are meeting my old roommate Connor and his new wife for dinner tonight.”

“Whoa, frat boy Connor?” Maddie asked in disbelief. “That guy got married?”

“Yeah, like, two years ago.” Buck shrugged as he gathered his stuff. “Uh, we-we kind of lost touch, but…reached out recently, invited me and Eddie to dinner, and I said…”

“Absolutely?” Maddie grinned at Buck, the weird mood from before seeming to disappear.

“There you go.” Buck nodded at her. The two of them smiling.

“Good luck with dinner.” Maddie said, Buck waving goodbye as he got out of there.

“So why exactly did your old friend call you up after two years to go to dinner?” Eddie asked as they drove to the restaurant.

“I have no idea.” Buck chuckled. “It’s a little weird now that I think about it.”

“It’s not weird. Just a little odd.” Eddie told him.

“That’s literally just another term for weird.” Buck told him before sighing. “Maybe we should just say something came up.”

“No.” Eddie reached for Buck’s hand. “I think it’ll be nice to meet an old friend of yours.”

“Yeah, but what if he just called me up because he wants something?”

“Like what?”

“Like…what if he needs money or something?”

“How would he know you even have money?” Eddie pointed out before scowling slightly. “It’s not like he went through your phone to find your banking information.”

“Right.” Buck nodded. It had been a few days since Maddie did that and it still stung.

“How were things with Maddie today?” Eddie asked.

“Good.” Buck paused. “Weird. I think she was trying to ask me for money at one point.”

“Seriously?” Eddie scoffed.

“Yeah, she kept talking about how the good nannies all cost an arm and a leg, and then she gave me this look like she expected me to pay for it.” Buck frowned. “ I made up an excuse to get out of there as fast as I could.”

“I would have done the exact same thing.” Eddie told him.

“I felt awful about it afterward.” Buck groaned. “Like I’d be happy to loan her the money if she really needed it, but she can afford a nanny. She just wants a more expensive one.”

“And that’s not your responsibility.” Eddie told him, squeezing his hand slightly. “I love how much you care about your sister, but it’s not your job to subsidize her life. She and Chim both work, and they have a support system that could help them out if need be.”

“I know.” Buck told him. “But thank you for trying to make me feel better about all this. I know Maddie isn’t your favorite person right now.”

“Yeah, well at least she’s around.” Eddie said, frowning as he looked for parking. “That’s better than my sisters.”

“They still aren’t talking to you?” Buck asked, his tone sympathetic.

“Nope.” Eddie said, finally pulling into a spot. “I just don’t get it. They liked you when they came to visit. Why is us getting married so different?”

“I wish I knew.” Buck said, squeezing his hand again. “I really wish there was something I could do.”

“Just keep being you.” Eddie gave him a small smile. “That’s all I need.”

“Can do.” Buck grinned at him before motioning to the restaurant. “You ready for this?”

“Bring it on Buckley.” Eddie smirked as he got out of the car.

Dinner seemed to be going well for the most part. Connor looked the same as ever, same easy grin and lanky frame as always. Kameron was beautiful, her blonde hair perfectly curling. And the two of them seemed to really like Buck and Eddie. So why did things feel off for Buck?

He stewed on that as Kameron asked Buck how he and Connor had met.

“I actually followed him back from Peru.” Buck told her. “I was over the bartending scene, and I wanted to make a change.”

“So… is that when you moved into the frat house?” Eddie asked, his eyes twinkling with humor.

“Hold on.” Connor put up his hand. “It wasn’t a total frat house. Okay? We had real jobs.”

“Five guys under one roof?” Kameron raised an eyebrow. “That’s a frat house.”

“We weren’t that bad.” Buck defended himself before looking at Connor. “Or… were we?”

“There was this one time when…” Connor started to reminisce before Buck cut him off.

“Well, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe.”

Everyone laughed at that.

“We were smart enough not to bring women back to that place.” Buck said.

“Lucky you moved out of there before we started dating.” Eddie snarked, Buck elbowing him lightly.

“It wasn’t really conducive to romantic evenings.” Connor agreed.

“Oh. Well, good. ‘Cause, before me, I’d like to think there were no romantic evenings.” Kameron winked at Connor, who grinned back at her.

“How did you guys meet?” Buck asked, curious.

“The old-fashioned way. At a bar.” Connor told him.

“He was picking up takeout and I was sitting at the bar eating, alone.” Kameron shrugged, smiling at him.

“Not just eating alone but reading a book.” Connor corrected. “I was intrigued, so I sat next to her and ate my takeout right there.”

“And I thought he was some sort of weird stalker.” Kameron retorted. “’Cause, I mean, who talks to strangers anymore?”

“Right, right.” Buck nodded.

“And who reads actual books?”

Connor laughed. “Anyway, I charmed her with my corny jokes.”

“He did.” Kameron agreed, smiling at him. “And… that was it.”

“Wow, and your frat house days are finally behind you.” Buck grinned, happy for his old friend.

“Yeah. We actually bought a house last year.”

“Nice!” Buck smiled at them. “We actually just got a new place too. Luckily, we’ll have moved in long before the wedding, though.”

“I still can’t believe you’re getting married.” Connor shook his head in disbelief. “You really turned yourself around from the guy who hooked up with his therapist.”

Buck stiffened slightly as the table got quiet.

It had been years since he thought about what had happened with Dr. Welles, but Connor’s words had brought it all back.

“Wait, what?” Kameron asked, confused.

“Yeah, Buck went to see this woman for an on-the-job accident and ended up sleeping with her.” Connor laughed slightly. “Classic Buck.”

Buck faked a laugh, trying to keep it together. He breathed deeply, shutting his eyes for a long moment.

He could feel Eddie looking at him, but Buck couldn’t bring himself to look back. He just needs to change the subject and move on.

“But I mean you’ve really gotten things together since then!” Connor seems to sense that he had made things awkward. “You’ve got a great job, fiancé, new house, and who knows? Maybe some kids are on the horizon.”

If Connor thought that that would make things less awkward, he was sorely mistaken.

Buck resisted the urge to glance at Eddie. The fact of the matter was that they hadn’t discussed whether or not they wanted to have more kids. And while they probably should discuss it at some point, this dinner was not the right time to bring it up.

“I mean. You guys are really doing it all, too, huh?” Buck finally said after too long a pause. “Marriage, house, and… and kids?”

Buck was going for a lighthearted tone, but the looks that Connor and Kameron exchanged hinted that he might have struck a nerve.

“Kind of.” Connor gave a sheepish smile. “We’ve sort of hit a snag on that last part.”

“It’s crazy.” Kameron chuckled dryly. “When I was single, all I did was pray not to be pregnant, and now…” she trailed off awkwardly. “Nothing seems to get the job done.”

Buck and Eddie looked at each other then, not sure what to do. How were you supposed to react when people you hadn’t known for years told you they were having trouble with having kids?

“Uh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Eddie said, his tone tense.

“You know, I-I think more people struggle with fertility issues than we realize.” Buck jumped in, trying to be reassuring. “But there’s lots of options now, right? There’s- there’s drսgs, IVF, even surrogacy.”

Connor and Kameron exchanged another look, and the bad feeling continued to fester in Buck’s stomach.

“Kameron’s not the problem.” Connor finally said. “I am. Not enough swimmers.”

Okay, this was officially the weirdest conversation they had ever had over dinner.

“I’m-I’m sorry to hear that.” Buck finally said.

“Uh, th… um, that must be tough.” Eddie added.

“You have no idea.” Kameron breathed before putting a smile on her face. “But we’re looking at other options.”

“Mm-hmm.” Eddie didn’t seem to know what to say, so he opted for nodding.

“Uh, specifically, sperm donor options.”

“Nice,” Buck said, not knowing what to say to that.

This was getting weirder and weirder.

“Which is why we actually invited you to dinner.” Connor chuckled as Buck got a bad feeling. “We wanted to know if you’d consider being our sperm donor.”

And there it was. The other shoe. It had finally dropped.

Dinner ended pretty quickly after that. Buck and Eddie didn’t have much of an appetite for dessert after that.

The restaurant might have been known for its rice pudding, but Buck didn’t think he could stomach it at that point.

Sperm donor.

Connor and Kameron wanted him to be their sperm donor?

Goddamnit why couldn’t old friends ever get in touch for normal reasons?

Buck and Eddie didn’t talk much until after they got in the car.

They sat in silence for a long moment before Eddie finally leaned forward.

“Jesus Christ.” He groaned, his face in his hands.

“It’s official. We are never going out with any of my old friends ever again.” Buck said, leaning back in his seat.

“I feel like that’s the wrong moral of this story.” Eddie gave him a look.

“I still stand by it.”

“What were they thinking?” Eddie asked, his tone incredulous. “You haven’t talked to Connor for literal years and they just call you up to ask for your sperm?”

“Yeah, it was weird.”

Eddie shook his head while he put the car in drive. “I feel for them, but I could never imagine doing that.”

“Same.” Buck bit his lip. “Is it weird that I want to think about it a bit?”

Eddie turned to look at him as the car rolled to a stop. “You think you want to do it?”

“I’m not sure.” Buck sighed. “I just feel bad about not at least giving it a little thought. They looked so sad when they were talking about it.”

Eddie sighed, giving Buck a small smile. “I can understand that. You’ve got a good heart.”

They didn’t talk more about what happened at dinner until they were in bed that night.

And then Eddie asked the question that Buck had been dreading.

“Can we talk about what Connor said about you and your therapist?” Eddie asked, his voice hushed in the stillness of their bedroom.

Buck sighed.

He knew this had been coming. But that didn’t make it any easier.

“There’s not much to tell.” He curled into Eddie. “It was after the rollercoaster accident. I went to see someone through the department. Turns out she friended me on Facebook prior to the session. We ended up having sex, and then she made me leave.” He shifted in his position. “I’m not exactly proud of how I was back then.”

Eddie was silent for a long moment, and then—

“She shouldn’t have done that.” Eddie said, squeezing Buck’s hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Thank you for saying that.” Buck squeezed Eddie’s hand in return.

Eddie always knew the exact right thing to say.

It was just that this time, Buck didn’t believe him.

“Buck, I mean it.”

“I know.” Buck reassured him.

“Buck—“

“Can we please drop the subject?” Buck asked quickly. “It’s not something I love to talk about.”

He heard Eddie sigh as he shifted closer to Buck, pulling him closer into his arms.

“Yeah, we can stop talking about this.”

Buck was relieved to hear that Eddie was going to let this go. He just wished that it would be permanent.

“This…” Christopher trailed off as he helped Buck and Eddie unpack groceries. “is the wrong kind of mayo.”

“It was on sale.” Eddie said, defending his choice as Buck passed him vegetables to put away.

“You know, Dad, sometimes you get what you pay for.” Chris told him, Buck snorting in surprise.”

“Great.” Eddie sighed. “I’m raising a condiment snob.” He turned and pointed at Buck. “I’m blaming you for this.”

“Now is this my fault? I don’t even eat Mayo.” Buck told him.

Eddie paused as he realized Buck had a point. He reached into another grocery bag and pulled out a box. “And we’re also raising an impulse shopper, apparently. What is this?”

“Cereal.” Chris told him.

“Not sure a nutritionist would agree.” Buck took the box from Eddie, reading the back of it.

“I got us the healthy one, too.” Chris pointed out. “Balanced.”

Buck gave Eddie a look, and then Eddie chuckled.

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” Eddie ruffled Chris’ hair, the pre-teen instantly reaching up to complain.

“Dad!”

Buck laughed at that as Eddie’s phone started to vibrate. He pulled it out to check who was calling, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, it’s your school.”

Buck watched as Chris instantly stiffened, and he raised an eyebrow. Every parenting bone in his body was tingling.

“Wait, Dad, we didn’t finish the groceries.” He said as Eddie picked up the phone, Buck eyeing him with suspicion.

Something was going on here. He just wasn’t sure what.

“Hello?” Eddie waited for a response. “Yes, this is Mr. Diaz.”

Buck watched as Eddie stiffened before giving Buck a look. Buck raised an eyebrow, Eddie’s voice tightening as he gave Chris a look.

“Really?” he asked. “I had no idea. And how long has Christopher been skipping Science Club?”

Buck’s jaw dropped as he looked at Chris.

Chris, their sweet little boy, was skipping a club?

Something was definitely going on here, and it wasn’t going to be good.

Chris sighed as he realized he was caught, Eddie quickly hung up the phone.

“You want to tell us what’s going on?” Eddie asked.

“Not really.” Chris groaned, Buck fighting the urge to drop his jaw at that.

Chris was talking back? Chris never talked back.

This was really not going to end well.

Enough is Enough – 1/3 – CorgiQueen14

Chapter 1:

Chapter 2:

Chapter 3:

Chapter 4:

Chapter 5:

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Enough is Enough – 1/3 – CorgiQueen14

Chapter 1:

Chapter 2:

Chapter 3:

Chapter 4:

Chapter 5:

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