Reading Time: 125 Minutes

Title: Ink on a Page
Author: CorgiQueen14
Fandom: 9-1-1
Genre: Action Adventure, Contemporary, Episode Related, Family, Pre-Relationship, Romance
Relationship(s): Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Content Rating: PG-13
Warnings: *No Mandatory Warnings Apply. Canon Typical Violence, Ana Flores Unfriendly, Diaz Parents Unfriendly
Author Note: Thanks for reading! I hope you like it!
Beta: Chris_hotrod2000, Grammarly
Word Count: 54,134
Summary: When Eddie was shot by the sniper, Buck’s world fell apart. When Eddie is placed into a medically induced coma, Buck receives the news that Eddie made him his power of attorney and Christopher’s legal guardian. Reeling from the news, he did his best to take care of Christopher and make Eddie’s medical decisions in accordance with Eddie’s wishes. If only the other people in Eddie’s life understood that, instead of challenging Buck at every turn.
Artist: germankitty

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Chapter 9:

That night at home, Buck had just decided to start making dinner when there was a knock on the door.

He went to open it, blinking in surprise at the sight of Eddie’s aunt and grandmother on the front step.

“Hello, Buck.” Pepa gave him a short nod, her and her mother’s arms laden with bags. “May we come in?”

Buck took a moment to grasp what she was asking, and then he jumped into action. “Yes, of course.” He took the bags from both of them, carrying them inside as he followed them to the kitchen. “What is all this?”

“We thought you and Christopher might like some food,” Pepa told him.

“We wanted to check in on you both after everything,” Isabel told him. “I am sure this has been hard for both of you.”

“It has been, thank you.” Buck told them, “Can you guys stay for dinner? I’m sure Chris would love to see you both.”

“That would be lovely. Thank you.” Isabel nodded as Pepa put everything away.

Buck went to get Christopher, knocking gently on the door to his room.

“Hey, how was school today?” Buck asked.

Christopher shrugged and slumped down in his chair. “It was fine. It’s just school, Buck.”

Buck nodded at that. “Well, we have some guests for dinner. Can you come out here?”

Christopher nodded, coming out of his room. He gasped when he spied Pepa and Abuela, beaming as they rushed towards him.

The two women embraced him, and Buck felt his heart warm at the sight.

Before long, the four of them sat at the kitchen table, and Buck grinned as he took a bite of the food.

“This is all great; thank you both so much,” Buck told them. “It’s an improvement over the chicken and vegetables I planned.” Buck looked over at Chris, seeing that he was pushing the food around on his plate. “Everything okay there, Superman?”

“It’s fine. I’m just not very hungry,” he told Buck, and Buck grimaced in sympathy.

He knew how he felt. Everything he ate at work seemed to settle in his stomach like a stone.

“It’s okay,” Buck said reassuringly. “Just try to eat something small, okay? You can always have more later if you change your mind.”

Chris nodded at that.

There was silence for a long moment until Pepa cleared her throat.

“Thank you for putting us on the visitor list at the hospital,” she told Buck. “We were able to see Edmundo for a little while today.”

Chris seemed to perk up at that. “How was he?”

Pepa gave Chris a soft look. “He’s sleeping, but he seemed to be as well as he could be.” She paused. “His girlfriend was with him.”

Chris nodded, accepting that. Buck shot Pepa a grateful look, and she nodded in response.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence, only small bits of conversation here and there. After the day that Buck had, he wasn’t in the mood to try to keep the conversation going, and luckily, everyone else seemed to feel the same way.

After dinner, Chris returned to his room, and Buck sighed as he cleared the plates.

“Thank you both for coming over,” he told Isabel and Pepa. “I’m sorry I wasn’t better company.”

“Please.” Pepa waved his words away. “With all that is happening, it is a miracle that you are still on your feet. Neither of us expected you to be up for much conversation tonight.”

“We just wanted to come by and check on you both,” Isabel told him, eh voice soft. “And to let you know that even if you don’t think it, we know Eddito made the right choice with you.”

Buck blinked in confusion. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Pepe scoffed. “We may be old, but we aren’t stupid. We can tell that Edmundo put you in charge of everything. That’s why you were able to get us on the visitors list for the hospital.” Buck flushed at that, and Isabel put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re doing your best, and we are so grateful for it. And I know our Eddito would be, too.”

She hugged Buck, and Buck resisted the urge to break down in tears. Isabel joined the hug, too, the two women holding Buck for a long moment before stepping away.

“If you need anything from us, you call us.” Pepa stared Buck down. “I know that Edmundo has our numbers on the fridge. We are here to help you.”

Buck nodded at that, giving them both a small smile. “Thank you. That means more to me than you will ever know.”

The two of them give him another soft smile before making their way out the door.

After they left, Buck sat down on the couch and sighed.

Hearing that from Eddie’s aunt and Abuela meant everything to him, especially after the day that he had.

Going out on the field without Eddie felt like he was missing a limb, and all he could remember was that he had failed Eddie by not keeping him safe with the sniper. And then with the man at the construction site, he failed again by not trying to save that guy. It didn’t matter that it was the right call to stay on the ground: that man still died because of Buck.

Hearing from two of the most important people in Eddie’s life that Buck was doing something right meant the world to Buck.

“Buck?” Buck looked up to see Chris at the door of his room. “Can I talk to you?”

“Yeah, of course.” Buck moved over so Chris could sit on the couch next to him.

Chris was silent for a moment, and then he spoke.

“You’re going to be okay, right?”

Buck blinked. Whatever he had been expecting Chris to say, he had not been expecting that.

“Yeah, of course,” Buck told Chris. “Why would you think that I wouldn’t be?”

Chris looked at him, his eyes sad. “I saw you with the bulletproof vest this morning, and all day, I kept thinking about something happening to you.” Chris had tears in his eyes. “I need you to be okay, Buck. I need you to promise me that.”

“Chris–”

“I can’t lose you, too.” Chris was crying at this point, and Buck hugged him.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay.” Buck held Chris close, rubbing his back and trying to soothe him. His heart was breaking inside his chest. He lost so much already, and now he was worried that he would lose Buck, too.

Buck remembered their talk a few months earlier, how Chris said he was tired of saying bye to people, and his heart broke even more.

Chris finally calmed down, and Buck pulled away so he could look him in the eyes.

“I know things are scary right now, and you’re worried about me,” Buck told him. But I will always try as hard as I can to get back to you and your dad. You don’t need to worry about that, okay?”

Chris sniffled. “Do you promise?”

Buck knew he shouldn’t. Bobby always told them they were never supposed to promise anything. But as he looked at Chris’ tear-streaked face, Buck knew what he had to do.

“I promise, Christopher. I’m not going anywhere,” he said.

Chris sighed and nodded, seeming to settle. “Thank you, Buck.”

“You’re welcome.” Buck held Christopher close for a moment longer before eventually taking Chris into his room to read him a story and put him to bed.

And that night, as he lay on the couch trying to sleep, Buck could only hope that he wouldn’t end up having to break that promise.

~~

“Good morning!” Carla said as she entered the house the next day to find Buck and Chris sitting at the table with their cereal.

“Oh, are we still in our pajamas?” She said, no judgment in her voice. “School starts in twenty minutes.”

“Sorry, that’s my fault, ” Buck said apologetically. I may have slept through the alarm.”

“Oh, no, that’s good,” she said, giving Buck a worried glance. “That means you’re getting some sleep.”

“Buck snores,” Chris told her, Buck smiling and ducking his head a little.

“Well, that’s also good to know,” she told Chris.

“Okay.” Buck gave Chris a look. “I think it’s time someone got ready for school.”

“I’ll go, ” Chris said as he got up. But I’m going to need a nap later.” He gave Buck a look. “Because of all the snoring.”

“Yes.” Buck nodded. “Okay.”

Carla laughed as she took a seat across from Buck.

“He seems to be doing okay,” she mused.

Buck was quiet for a second, but then he asked the question that had been on his mind for a while. “Do you think he understands what’s going on?”

Carla gave him a sympathetic glance. “The boy’s already lost his mother. I think he understands more than we’d like him to.”

Buck nodded, and then Carla turned her gaze to Buck.

“Now, what about you?” she asked. “I mean, how is it being back out there?”

“It’s weird.” Buck shrugged. You know, the… he fought back tears as he spoke. “The team feels off without Eddie.”

“That’s not what I was asking about,” Carla told him, putting a hand over his on the table. “Buck, I’m worried about you being out there.”

“I’m, uh… I’m fine,” Buck tried to wave her off, a haunted look in his eyes. “I’m not the one who got shot.”

Carla was about to respond when there was a loud knock at the door.

“Are you expecting anyone else?” Carla asked.

Buck looked at her in confusion and shook his head. He got up to open the door, blinking in purpose as he saw Eddie’s parents standing in the doorway.

“Mr. and Mrs. Diaz,” he said as they pushed past him. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“My mother told me Eddie was shot. Where else would we be?” Eddie’s father told Buck as Helena moved deeper into the house, calling Chris’ name.

“Right, yeah.” Buck had to admit that he had a point there. It was nice that Eddie’s parents were willing to come all this way when he was hurt.

His parents had never made such an effort.

“I’m sure that’ll mean a lot to Eddie when he wakes up, ” Carla said, her bright smile seeming to cut through the tension in the room.

Ramon’s lips twisted at that. “Yes, well, we figured things should start to be set in order here.”

Buck frowned, not quite understanding what they were getting at. “Eddie’s always been fairly organized. There’s not much out of place.”

Helena joined them again, seeming surprised to see Buck still standing there. Ramon went to say hello to Chris, leaving Buck with Helena.

“You’re Evan, correct?” she asked.

“Buck, actually,” he politely corrected her. “I work with Eddie at the 118.”

“Yes, I remember you from the wildfires team.” She nodded. “And you’ve been staying here for the last few days?”

Buck nodded, and she smiled. There was something off about it, though, as if it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Well, I’m sure Eddie would appreciate you taking care of Chris, but we have it handled here, ” Helena told him.

Buck paused, unsure how to break the news to Eddie’s parents. There was no easy way to tell them that Eddie chose Buck to handle things while Eddie was incapacitated.

When Buck had worked out what to say, Eddie’s dad had rejoined his mom.

“Mr. and Mrs. Diaz,” Buck started, his voice steady and determined. “I can’t leave. Eddie appointed me as Chris’ legal guardian if he were out of commission, and I intend to honor his wishes.”

Helena and Ramon stared at him for a long moment before they spoke simultaneously.

“Excuse me?”

“How dare you talk to us in that way!”

Buck put up his hands. “Mr. and Mrs. Diaz–”

“I don’t believe for one moment Edmundo would entrust our grandchild to you instead of us!” Helena said, her eyes filled with fire.

“Are we supposed to take your word for it?” Ramon asked, challenging Buck.

No, I can get you copies of the documents,” Buck told them.

“And in the meantime, we’re just supposed to trust that you’re telling the truth?” Helena scoffed. “Edmundo must not have been in his right mind when he made such a decision.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Diaz,” Carla cut in. “I was Eddie’s witness for the documents. He was of sound mind when he decided; the documents are legally binding.”

Buck stared at Carla. He had always wondered who Eddie had told about his plans. Now, he guessed, he had his answer.

Helena and Ramon were staring at them, the tension in the room palpable as they processed the news that the documents were legal.

“Christopher needs to be with his family.” Helena turned to Buck. “I am sure you understand that we want to be with our grandson.”

“I do, but–” Buck started to say.

“Why don’t you let us take care of Chris? ” Ramon asked. “A young man like yourself surely doesn’t want to spend all his time caring for a child with Christopher’s needs. We can handle it.”

“No.” Buck kept his voice firm.

Eddie’s parents had always seemed so nice to him when they had met before, but Buck knew from Eddie’s stories that they tended to try to control Eddie and Chris. Well, he wasn’t about to let that happen. Eddie trusted him, and he would not betray that trust and go against his wishes.

Helena and Ramon stared at him.

“What do you mean, no?” Ramon asked.

“I’m sorry if you disagree with me taking care of your grandson, but these are Eddie’s wishes, and I will respect them.” Buck stayed firm. “I am not leaving this house.”

“Evan, you’re a firefighter like Edmundo,” Helena pointed out. “Who will care for Chris while you are on shift? You need us. We can stay here and help you with Chris—”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay here, and I don’t need any help. Carla will take care of Chris while I’m on shift, and any decisions that need to be made about Chris while I am not here fall to her,” Buck told her. Eddie’s aunt and abuela have also offered to help out. We have things handled here.”

Eddie’s parents didn’t seem to know what to say, and Buck softened his tone. “Now, if you like, I can call the hospital and put you both on Eddie’s visitor list. We’ve had to restrict it because of the shooting, but I am sure they will make an exception for his parents.”

Helena and Ramon looked at each other, and then Ramon inclined his head. “That would be helpful, Evan. Thank you.”

“Okay, I’ll go make that call,” Buck said. “Chris starts school soon, so you guys might want to return later.”

“It’s no trouble; we can stay while Chris is in class,” Helena told him. It would allow us to see if his school is truly the best fit for him.”

Buck shook his head. “I appreciate your interest in your grandson’s education, but I think it might distract Chris.”

“We would never intentionally distract our grandson from his studies,” Ramon told Buck.

“I didn’t say you would,” Buck tried to explain. “But Christopher loves you both so much that I think having you here might make him less interested in his classes.”

He could see that that at least got through to them, and he pressed forward. “How about you guys come back for dinner? I’m sure Carla wouldn’t mind you guys coming over.”

“Indeed, I wouldn’t, ” she told them. It would be nice to get to know you both a little more. Christopher and Eddie talk about you all the time.”

“That’s very nice, Carla. ” Helena seemed appeased by that. “Perhaps we will do that.”

“That sounds great,” Buck told them. I wish I could be there, but my shift will end a little late tonight. I promise I’ll call now to ensure you can see Eddie this morning.”

“Thank you, Evan.” Helena gave him a short nod.

They left shortly after, sweeping out the door almost as fast as they had blown in that morning.

Meanwhile, Buck collapsed into his chair, feeling like he had just run a thousand miles.

He knew that telling Eddie’s parents would be hard, especially after all the stories Eddie had told him about them undermining him while he lived in El Paso. Buck had even seen some of that firsthand when they stopped at Eddie’s parents’ place after the wildfires.

But he had not expected them to be so hostile. Maybe that was naive of him. Maybe anyone would be hostile to a stranger coming in and telling them what they could and could not do.

“That was very well done, ” Carla told Buck, sitting beside him and squeezing his shoulder.

“Thanks.” Buck sighed, looking at Carla. He bit his lip, wondering how to ask the question that was on his mind. “Did-did Eddie tell you why he did this? Why did he pick me?”

Her expression became sympathetic as she leaned in closer. “I’m sorry, he didn’t. But I know that you can do this, Buck. I’ve seen you take amazing care of Chris during the last few days, and I know you’ll be able to handle this until Eddie is back on his feet.”

Buck sighed. “I hope I can.” He looked over at the mantle, where framed pictures of Eddie and Chris smiled at him. “I just wish I knew when he would be back on his feet.”

“I know you do.” Carla rubbed his shoulder. “I do too. But know that whatever happens, I’m here for you. Don’t ever forget that.”

Buck managed a soft smile. “I won’t, Carla. Thank you.”

Christopher poked his head out of his room. “Did grandma and abuelo leave?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Buck told him, wondering if he should have asked Chris if he wanted them to stay. They said they’d be back for dinner tonight but want to check on your dad first.”

“Okay.” Chris shrugged before going back into his room to start class.

Buck sighed, thinking back on how peacefully his day had started. And now, on top of a busy shift at work, he had to worry about Eddie’s parents. At least Carla would be at the house to ensure things went smoothly when they were here.

“What’s on your mind, sweetie?” Carla asked, seeing the troubled expression on Buck’s face.

“I’m just trying to figure out if things are ever going to get any easier,” he told her.

Carla chuckled at that. “Buck, your life hasn’t been easy since I met you.”

He sighed again before getting up to get ready for work. “You may have a point about that.”

~~

Later that day, Buck decided to give Carla a call to see how dinner went. And also, if he was being honest, to hear what the Diaz parents had been saying when he wasn’t around. He could tell they weren’t a fan of the situation, but he just hoped they weren’t talking that way in front of Chris: he had enough to worry about without his grandparents stirring up trouble.

“Buckaroo, everything went fine for the most part,” Carla told him. “They stayed for a little while after dinner to play a board game with Chris, but then they said they wanted to return to Eddie’s abuela’s house to get some rest.”

“That’s good.” Buck sighed before frowning. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘for the most part?’ What part went badly?”

Carla sighed and then told him, “Well, they could tell that Eddie’s aunt and Abuela had made the food in the fridge.”

“Oh, ” Buck said. “Yeah, I guess they could figure that out.” And then he realized, “Wait, did they have a problem with that?”

She sighed again. “Not really, but they commented that it was good that Eddie’s family was looking out for you and Chris; otherwise, the two of you might starve.”

Buck leaned against a wall. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” Carla told him. “For what it’s worth, I’ve always enjoyed your cooking.”

“You have?”

“Absolutely,” Carla said. I was so excited for dinner at Eddie’s last week because I thought you would ensure it was edible.” She paused. “I was surprised that you weren’t there.”

“Yeah, I wanted to be,” Buck told her. “Ana wanted to limit the germs that Chris was exposed to and thought a smaller setting might be best.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Carla sounded unconvinced, and Buck sighed.

“Yeah, I guess.” Buck frowned for a second at the memory and then changed the subject. “But anyway, was that the worst of it? They didn’t say anything else too bad?”

“Everything else went fine,” Carla told him, her tone softening. “I don’t care what anyone says: you are doing a fantastic job. You’ve stepped into the role of caring for Chris, and Eddie would be proud of how you’re handling things. Don’t forget that, Buck.

Buck grinned into his phone. “Thank you, Carla.” Just then, the sirens went off, and he cursed. “I’ve got to go. Hug Chris for me, okay?”

“Will do, Buckaroo.”

Buck hung up the call and raced to put his turnouts on, jumping in the engine.

As they started the drive, Bobby told them they were dispatched to a massive structure fire and that multiple stations would respond.

After everything this week, Buck normally would have worried that this was a ploy by the sniper to get multiple companies in the same palace to pick them off, but that fear was gone. Athena had told them hours ago that the sniper was in custody, and Buck would be lying if he said that the air didn’t feel lighter somehow without that threat constantly hanging overhead.

Doing their jobs was stressful enough without possibly dodging bullets on their way to save someone. Now that that was gone, they could focus on what mattered.

No one else would have to die like that man on top of the crane, who was bleeding out because they couldn’t safely get to him in time.

No one else would have to be injured or risk being killed by a sniper just for doing their jobs.

For the first time in a week, Buck felt free.

And then the world came crashing down once more.

It was all a trap. Bobby was trapped in a burning building with the sniper, and Buck couldn’t get to him.

He felt his breath coming faster and faster, his heart beating out of control.

He had to do something.

He couldn’t do anything. He’d been ordered out of the building, and no one was allowed back in.

And then Athena approached him with a crazy plan. And Buck hoped to hell it worked.

He couldn’t lose Bobby, not after nearly losing Eddie.

~~

All too soon, it was over. The sniper was in custody, and Bobby was in the hospital.

Buck felt like he could finally breathe again.

The only dark spot was that Bobby had been hurt, but the surgery went well, and he should recover quickly.

After visiting Bobby in the hospital, Buck decided to swing by Eddie’s room.

When he arrived, he was surprised to see Ana sitting with the Diaz parents as if they were old friends.

The conversation stopped when he entered the room, the three staring at him as if he were interrupting.

“Hi.” Buck waved awkwardly. “I just came from visiting our captain and thought I would check in. Are there any changes?”

“Not as if yet, though I’m sure you’ll hear any news before we will, ” Ana told him. Buck didn’t miss the look the Diaz parents shot each other at Ana’s words. “Why is your captain here?”

“He got shot too,” Buck told them, the three of them gasping at the news. “They finally caught the guy, though, which is good.” Buck looked over at Eddie, his face as serene as usual. “He won’t be able to hurt anyone else.”

“Well, that is good news,” Helena said before smiling at Ana. “Just like the news that our son is dating this lovely young woman.”

Ana ducked her head and smiled at the compliment.

“It’s so nice to know Edmundo and Chris have you in their lives,” Ramon said before sighing.

“Yes, Ana is wonderful,” Buck said, not knowing what else to say. “Do you guys need anything before I return to Chris?”

“I think we’re fine, Evan. Thank you,” Ana said before turning back to Eddie’s parents.

Stung at the unmistakable sign of dismissal, Buck left the room. As he did, he heard Helena speak.

“Ana, you are just lovely,” she sighed. “It’s a shame Edmundo did not have time to change his power of attorney to reflect your new relationship.”

Buck heard Ana coo in response. “He must have just forgotten about it. We never spoke of such things, but I know Edmundo feels as strongly as I do.”

Buck fought the urge to return to the room, forcing himself to keep moving out to his car.

It didn’t matter what they said; they weren’t the ones Eddie picked to watch over Chris. Buck was. That meant something.

Then again, Buck sighed as he got behind the wheel of his car. Eddie had been pulling away lately. Things that would usually be for the three of them were now for Eddie, Chris, and Ana. Maybe Ana was right, and Eddie had just forgotten to change his emergency contact from Buck.

Buck shook himself, putting the car in drive. He was not going to think that way. Eddie was his best friend, and he was going to do as Eddie wished, no matter what Ana or his parents had to say about it.

And they were going to have to live with that.

Chapter 10:

A week later, things had settled into a new normal for Buck. He would go to work, stopping by Maddie and Chimney’s place on the way home to drop off some groceries. Chimney had opened up to Buck about Maddie’s PPD, and Buck was trying to help her out at every opportunity. Afterward, he would go home and start dinner for Chris if Carla hadn’t already done it. He usually had to put up with the Diaz parents or Ana at the house for dinner, but Buck just gritted his teeth to get through it.

“Evan, are you sure something like this is right for Chris to eat?” Helena frowned as she looked at his lasagna. “It doesn’t seem to have nearly enough vegetables in it.”

“I have some roasted squash and broccoli in the oven to go along with it and some grilled chicken.” Buck fought to keep his tone pleasant.

Helena huffed, seemingly satisfied by his answer.

Buck checked his phone, sighing when there was no response from Maddie.

He was trying to give her some space, but he would be lying if he didn’t say he was worried about her.

“If you have something else to do, we can stay here with Christopher,” Ramon said, walking into the room just as Buck set down his phone. I’m sure that you have friends you could be seeing.”

“I’m good, thank you.” Buck gave him a short nod. “My only focus right now is being here for Chris.”

Just then, Chris returned to the room after washing his hands for dinner, and Buck started to dish out the food.

Helena grabbed a fork and knife, leaning over to cut up Chris’ food. “Let me help you, dear boy.”

“I’m fine, abuela. ” Chris ignored her and started eating, Buck fighting the urge to grin at him.

Though initially excited to see his grandparents, Chris was almost as uncomfortable with their constant presence as Buck.

Helena and Ramon never seemed to pass up a chance to comment on how the house looked during their visits or to say that Chris was being forced to take on too much responsibility for a boy his age. Buck tried to ignore it as best he could, but he sometimes wished that he could make them leave.

But he couldn’t. These were Eddie’s parents, and this was Eddie’s house. Buck was just living here for the time being.

At least it was only them that night. Ana had also taken more than one opportunity to check on Chris, usually under the guise of ensuring he was keeping up with his schoolwork. Fortunately, Chris’ school had just gotten out for the summer, and Buck had informed him that he didn’t need to start on his summer reading assignments for a while.

“Buck, can I make you a card for Maddie?” Chris asked, after swallowing a bite of food.

Buck smiled at Chris, the first genuine smile he had been able to make all evening. “I’m sure she would love that, thank you, Superman. I’ll drop it by tomorrow.”

“Who is Maddie, and why does she need a card?” Helea asked, her tone curious.

“Maddie’s my sister,” Buck told her, keeping the details brief. “She had a baby a few months ago, and she’s having a bit of a hard time, so I bring meals to her and her husband twice a week to help out.”

“Oh, that is very nice of you,” Helena said, pausing before speaking. “If you need to go and stay with her, I am sure Ramon and I could stay here and watch Chris.”

Buck should have known that was where she would go with that.

“That is very kind, but I’m trying not to crowd her and Chimney,” Buck told her. “I just let them know I’m here for them and can help with whatever they need.”

“Buck is the best older brother,” Chris told his grandparents.

“Chimney works with me and Eddie, so he gets that I need to be here right now.” Buck finished, taking a bit of his lasagna.

“I suppose he would,” Ramon said. The fire station must be hard to grapple with, with two men out of commission. Have you had to take on extra shifts?”

Buck shook his head. “The LAFD has floaters that could fill in shifts at different firehouses when necessary. They didn’t want to force anyone to be away from home for too long, especially after what happened.”

Buck saw Eddie’s parents exchange a look out of the corner of his eye, and he forced himself to take another bite of his food.

~~

“They hate me,” Buck told Hen on shift the next day.

“Buck, are you sure tensions aren’t just a bit high?” Hen tried to be diplomatic. “They’re probably just reacting to the situation and not realizing how hostile they’re being.”

Buck gave her a look as they stocked the ambulance. “I didn’t tell them I speak Spanish, and I heard his mother say she was ‘surprised a drunken frat boy could make a decent meal.’”

“How do you even know how to say drunken frat boy in Spanish?” Hen asked. “It’s not like that’s a phrase you learn on Duolingo.”

“Hen, I worked at a bar in Peru,” Buck told her. “90 percent of our clientele during spring break season were drunken frat boys. But that isn’t the point.” he shoved a box on one of the shelves, then quickly fixed the way he had it after Hen shot him a look. “The point is that I’m just trying to do what’s right by Eddie, and they’re doing nothing but talking behind my back about it.”

Hen was silent for a moment, taking that in.

“At least they like your cooking?” she finally said, trying to look on the bright side.

“That’s the only thing they like.” Buck flopped down onto the gurney as Hen handed him gauze to put away. “They think the stories I read to Chris are too mature, they hate that he plays video games, they think that I am poisoning him if I don’t buy organic produce, and I swear I saw Helena double-checking that the dishes were clean while I set the table last night.” Buck sighed. “They adore it when Ana comes over, though. It’s like everything she does is perfect, and everything I do is horrible.”

“Not surprised,” Hen scoffed. “From the two times I met Eddie’s parents, they seemed very traditional. I’m sure they love the sweet young woman that Eddie is dating and are already planning the wedding.”

“Trust me, she’s not that sweet.” Buck scoffed. “She seems like it at first, and then you realize that she says the same things that his mom does, but in a nicer way.”

Just then, Chimney walked over to help with the restock. “What are we talking about?”

“Eddie’s parents hate Buck, and Ana is on their side,” Hen filled him in.

“Seriously? People can hate Buck?” Chimney frowned. “I didn’t even think that was possible.”

“Trust me, it’s possible.” Buck huffed out a breath. “The last few weeks have proven that.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

Buck sighed. “I’m just trying to keep things civil and not start any fights. Eddie will wake up soon, and things can return to normal.”

Even as Buck said that, he hoped things wouldn’t return completely to normal. It wasn’t that he wanted Eddie to stay in the coma—far from it—but he wanted Eddie and Chris to be in his life like they were before Ana came along.

But maybe that was just the way of the world. Buck hung out with Chimney less once he started dating Maddie, after all.

“By the way,” Buck turned to Chimney, his appearance reminding him. “Chris made a card for Maddie. I have it in my locker. I also have some meals in the freezer for you to take home.”

“Thank you, Buck,” Chimney said gratefully. “I know Maddie appreciates it.”

“How’s she doing?” Hen asked worriedly.

“She had her first appointment with the therapist this week, and the Lees have been stopping by to help her put in while I’m on shift,” Chimney told them. “Albert, too, surprisingly. He’s been helping Maddie with the chores all week.”

“Albert, doing chores? Buck raised his eyebrows. “That is surprising.” Hen swatted at him, and he ducked it. “I’m just saying I could barely get him to take out the trash when he lived with me.”

“Yeah. It’s an improvement.” Chimney paused. “Something is off about him, though. He has been acting very shifty lately. Like he has something to hide.”

“Like his ability to clean?” Buck couldn’t resist getting another jab in before turning serious. “I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure he would tell you if it was something bad.”

“Yeah.” Chimney mused on that before turning back to Buck. By the way, is there any chance of you telling off Eddie’s parents in the next two weeks? I have forty bucks riding on it.”

Buck stared at him. “You bet on that?”

“I wasn’t the only one,” Chimney said in his defense. “Hen said you’d do it in a month.”

Buck frowned at Hen. “I’m not sure if I should be annoyed at that or glad you think I can hold out another month.”

Hen shrugged. “Six of one, half dozen of the other.”

~~

On Buck’s next day off, he decided to make some lemon bars for Maddie. They were her favorite dessert growing up, and Buck thought she could use a pick-me-up after everything.

So, when Chris asked if he could help Buck bake them, Buck happily made Chris his sous chef.

They had just started mixing the ingredients for the lemon curd when there was a knock at the door.

Buck went to see who it was, resisting the urge to sigh as he saw Ana standing there.

“Hello Evan,” she said, giving him a brief smile. I thought I’d check in to see how you and Christopher were managing.”

“That’s nice of you, ” Buck said, smiling in return, stepping aside so she could enter the house. We’re having a good day; Chris is helping me in the kitchen.”

“You’re letting him cook?” Ana seemed shocked by this.

“No, he’s just assisting me with some baking,” Buck told her as he headed back to the kitchen, Ana following him.

“Hi, Ms. Flores! ” Christopher waved happily from where he was sitting at the kitchen table, whisking the wet ingredients together.

“Hello, Christopher.” She waved before turning to Buck. Buck felt the urge to bristle as she looked around the messy countertops. You two certainly seem to be busy.”

“Yeah, we’re making lemon bars for my sister, ” Buck told her. “It’s her favorite dessert.”

Ana nodded, and she turned back to Chris. “Christopher, this seems like it might be a little dangerous. Why don’t we let Evan continue with this while the two of us go do a puzzle in the next room?”

Buck frowned at that, and Chris shook his head.

“I want to stay and help Buck,” he told her, and Ana frowned slightly.

“Yes, but perhaps Evan would like some time alone in the kitchen,” she said. “Don’t you want to have some time with me? I miss seeing you.”

“I’m fine with him helping,” Buck told her. “He’s been assisting me with kitchen tasks for a few months.”

“Yeah, and I want to help with Aunt Maddie’s present,” Chris told her. “I made a card for her.”

Ana seemed to want to say something else, but Buck cut her off.

“Why don’t we all do a puzzle together while the lemon bars are baking?” he suggested diplomatically. “That way we’re all doing an activity together.”

Anaa didn’t seem satisfied with that idea but didn’t fight Buck on it. Buck tidied the kitchen as Christopher finished whisking, and then Buck carefully poured the mixture into the pan with the shortbread under Christopher’s watchful eye.

“How does that look?” Buck asked Chris, who gave him a thumbs-up.

Buck grinned at him as he slid the pan into the oven, setting the timer and turning back to Ana.

“Okay, why don’t we wash our hands and then do a puzzle?” Buck asked Chris, who nodded as he ran off to the bathroom.

“You’re very good with him,” Ana told him.

“Yeah, well, Chris is a great kid,” Buck told her as he washed his hands in the kitchen sink, smiling kindly. “He and Eddie are the best parts of my life.”

Buck finished washing his hands and went to the living room, not seeing Ana’s considering look.

~~

What the hell is dangerous about a kid whisking a bowl of ingredients?” Buck vented to Hen the next day. “It’s not like I was having him juice lemons and the juice could have gotten into his eye. It was flour and sugar!”

“I hear you Buck,” Hen told him. “Maybe Ana doesn’t like kids in the kitchen before a certain age. My mom didn’t have me start helping her in the kitchen until I was ten.”

Buck frowned at that. “Maybe that’s all it was. It just felt off to me somehow.”

“If you want my advice–”

“Which I always do, except when playing video games,” Buck told her.

“First of all, you should take my advice when you play video games, because you suck,” Hen told Buck, ignoring the offended noise he made. “And second, I’d try to move past it. You have enough problems with Eddie and his parents. Don’t look for issues with Ana where there might be none.”

“I guess you’re right,” Buck said before yawning loudly behind his hand.

Hen gave him a look. “Now, how about we talk about the fact that you aren’t sleeping?”

Buck sighed. “I’m trying to sleep. But even if Eddie’s couch didn’t suck, which it does, I – I can’t get that day out of my head. It’s like every night when I close my eyes, Eddie gets shot again.”

Hen pulled him into a hug. “I know. I wish I could tell you that it all gets better, but the truth is, you probably won’t think that until Eddie wakes up.” She pulled away and looked straight into Buck’s eyes. “And he will wake up. Never doubt that, Buck.”

Buch sighed, giving her a small smile. “I doubt many things, but I’m never doubting that. If Eddie could claw his way out of forty feet of dirt, he can make it through this.”

Damn straight.” Hen told him. “Now, let’s go get coffee.”

Oh, God, yes.”

~~

On days when he didn’t have a shift, he would try to spend all day with Chris and put a smile on the boy’s face.

It was stressful and, at times, overwhelming, but he handled it as well as he could, and everything went smoothly.

Then he got a call from Eddie’s doctor saying that they needed to see him.

When he got to the room, he was surprised that his parents were already there.

“Evan, now’s not a good time,” his mother said, a tense tone underlying her words. The doctor was just about to inform us of Edmundo’s condition.”

“That’s why I ‘m here,” Buck told them. “I’m Eddie’s emergency contact, remember?”

His parents seemed displeased, but Buck brushed that off and turned to the doctor. “Is everything okay with Eddie?”

“There does appear to be an improvement,” she told them. “When we placed him in the coma, it was due to swelling during surgery needing time to heal. Today’s scan confirmed that the swelling has improved enough to try to bring him out of the coma.”

Helena and Ramon hugged each other, and Buck felt relief wash over him.

“That’s good news, right?” Helena asked.

“He’s not in the clear yet,” the doctor warned her, Buck’s heart sinking at her words. “It remains to be seen if your son can breathe alone.”

“So, what’s next?” Buck asked.

“We’re going to lower his level of sedation, and then eventually we will have to see if he starts to wake up,” the doctor told him. We’ll keep him on the ventilator until we see that he’s capable of breathing on his own. Once that happens, we should see him wake up shortly after.”

Buck nodded at that, the doctor’s words making sense to him after the type of injury that Eddie had, and Helena spoke.

“And what happens if he doesn’t? Will we need to decide when to pull the plug?”

Buck felt the urge to turn and stare at Eddie’s mother. Eddie not coming out of the coma was a nightmare scenario, and yet she seemed so calm about the idea of having to take her son off of life support.

“That’s still a long way away.” The doctor told them. “It can sometimes take weeks for people to wake up after medically induced comas. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong, just that they need a little more time for their bodies to adjust.”

“But you’ll let us know if and when we need to make that choice for our son?” Ramon asked.

The doctor looked uncomfortable. “According to Mr. Diaz’s paperwork, the person making that choice would be Mr. Buckley.”

Helena frowned, and Ramon scoffed. “Of course it is.”

Buck tried to ignore that and just looked at the doctor. “Thank you for keeping us informed, Dr. Nolan.”

She nodded and left, leaving Buck alone in the room with Eddie’s parents.

Buck sat at Eddie’s bedside, trying to ignore the fuming parents in the corner of the room.

After a long silence, Helena finally walked over to Buck.

“Evan, can’t you see this is getting out of hand?” she asked. “Edmundo should not have entrusted this to you. I think it would be best if you signed the health care directive over to us so we can do what is best.

Buck blinked tiredly at them. “Mrs. Diaz, I can’t sign over Eddie’s health care directive. Only Eddie can make that decision. I am sorry you feel disrespected, but I am trying to do what is best for my friend. And right now, I just want to sit at his side for the first time all week because I miss my friend and want him to be okay.”

Helena seemed like she wanted to retort, but Ramon stepped in.

“We understand, Evan,” he said before leaving the room, his wife following him.

Buck sighed. He did not think that was the last he would see of that argument.

Once they left the room, Buck realized that this was the first time he had been able to be alone with Eddie since the day of the shooting. Every other time that he had been here, Ana had been sitting in the corner, or his parents had been looking over him. Buck hadn’t even had a chance to hold Eddie’s hand for over a week.

Taking advantage of the blissful quiet, Buck leaned forward, taking Eddie’s hand between his own.

He couldn’t get over how small Eddie looked in the bed. Eddie always had this quiet strength that made him seem larger than life. But right now, all Buck could see was Eddie, the man he loved, lying motionless in that hospital bed. And it broke his heart.

“HI, Eddie.” He said softly. “I know I haven’t been by in a while, but it seems like your parents and Ana have been keeping you company,” he bit his lip. “Chris’ school is out for the summer. His report card hasn’t come in yet, but I’m sure his grades will be as good as ever,” he stroked Eddie’s hand. “Maybe you and I can take him to the park or the zoo when it comes in? Or for ice cream?” Buck sighed. “I just really want you to be able to do something with us again. Or even to open your eyes.”

In a perfect world, Eddie would have woken up right then, and Buck would have cried tears of joy as they reunited. But sadly, this wasn’t a movie. This was real life.

“I have your St. Christopher medal,” Buck said, his voice hushed. “I put it on a new chain, and it’s on your bedside table at home, waiting for you to come back and get it,” he fought back tears. “Please come back to us. Come back to Chris,” he paused. “Come back to me.”

He sighed, squeezing Eddie’s hand one last time before dropping it. “I’ll come to see you soon, okay?”

He got up to leave the room, giving Eddie one last look.

Chapter 11:

Ten days passed, and Buck fell into a new routine. He stopped in on Eddie before and after his shifts, hoping against hope that this would be the day Eddie opened his eyes.

Ana was usually there when he stopped by in the mornings, and Eddie’s parents were there nearly every other time.

Buck couldn’t begrudge them that. They were all hoping for the same thing.

And yet they were all disappointed as days passed and Eddie’s eyes remained stubbornly closed.

Buck refused to give up hope, though. The doctor even said that different people took different amounts of time to wake up after a medically induced coma. Eddie’s brain scans showed good activity levels, and there was no cause for alarm.

Buck just wanted to see Eddie wake up soon. He could tell that Chris was getting increasingly disappointed every time Buck had to come home and say to him that he couldn’t speak to his dad yet. Everyone at the firehouse was disappointed, too, but Buck most of all.

But it was fine—it was all going to be okay. Eddie would wake up soon, and the last few weeks of uncertainty wouldn’t matter.

~~

One day, as Buck got home, he knew something was wrong. Rushing through the house, he saw Helena and Ramon knocking on the door to Chris’ room while Carla tried to get them to move away.

“What the hell is going on here?” He raised his voice, everyone stilling at Buck’s angry tone.

“It’s nothing. We have it handled.” Helena tried to tell him.

Buck raised an eyebrow at that and moved closer. He could hear Christopher sobbing inside his room, and his anger rose.

“Carla, please tell me what happened,” Buck asked, barely able to hold himself together.

“We came back from the park, and Helena and Ramon were packing Eddie ‘s room into boxes,” Carla told him, her voice trembling with anger and disbelief. “Chris told them to stop, and they decided to tell Chris that his father was dead and that you were refusing to let his soul rest in peace.”

Buck turned to them, glaring. “You said what?”

“Our son is gone!” Helena told him, teary-eyed. “He refuses to wake up, even though he is no longer sedated.”

“The doctor said it can take a while for someone to wake up! There is no sign of brain damage, and his brain scans show activity!” Buck argued. “There is no reason to think Eddie is brain dead, and scaring Chris like that is horrible. You should be ashamed of yourselves—what kind of grandparents are you?”

“Stop it!” Ramon raised his voice, shocking Buck. “I don’t care what a piece of paper says about what you can and can’t do. Edmundo is our son, and Chris is our grandson. If we tell our grandson the truth instead of coddling him, that is our right. And we will take him back to Texas when the time comes.”

“No, you will not,” Buck told them.

“He is our grandson,” Helena told Buck. “He should be with his family in this time of need, not with some stranger.”

Buck took a deep breath, reminding himself that he could not punch Eddie’s mother.

“Get out.”

Helena and Ramon stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“I am not some stranger to Chris,” Buck told them, his tone leaving no room for arguments. “I am Eddie’s best friend and the person that he trusted to make decisions for him and Chris. And you two, picking over Eddie’s life like a pair of vultures?” Buck ignored Helena’s squawk at that. “It’s not what’s best for either of them. So, you need to leave right now, and I do not want either of you coming around here for a while.” He was more determined than he’d ever been before. If Eddie couldn’t be there to protect Chris, then it was down to Buck. And he wasn’t going to fail.

“You can’t keep us from our son’s house,” Ramon told Buck. “We have a right to be here.”

“Not anymore,” Buck said, his tone leaving no room for arguments. He turned to Carla. “Did they get a chance to take anything?”

Carla shook her head. “It seems like they had just started when we got here.”

“Good,” he turned back to him. “Now, please leave.”

The Diaz parents looked like they were going to argue with Buck, only to change their minds and suddenly leave without much complaint. He was sure this wouldn’t be the end, but at least they were gone for now.

Once they were gone, Buck sighed, the tension finally releasing as he slumped against the wall.

“I can’t believe I just did that,” Buck said, his voice faint, his emotions a turbulent mix of anger, fear, and determination.

“I can, and I am so proud of you,” Carla told him, her voice filled with reassurance.” They’ve been pushing you around for two weeks.”

“I didn’t want to fight with them, not with everything happening,” Buck told her.

“I appreciate that, but we both know that Eddie would not want you to set yourself on fire to keep them warm.” Carla looked Buck in the eyes, compassion in her gaze. “I may not know why Eddie chose you to care for Chris, but after the last two weeks, I certainly know why Eddie didn’t choose them. So don’t forget that.”

Buck smiled, pulling her into a hug. “Thanks, Carla.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. ” Carla hugged him back. When she pulled away, she looked at him. “Do you think we should change the locks? I didn’t leave the door unlocked, so they must have had a key.”

Buck sighed. “I guess we should, if only to make them stick to what I said. Can you call the locksmith while I talk to Chris?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” she said, reassuringly touching his shoulder. It sounds like the boy could use his Buck.”

Buck smiled at that as he watched her go to call the locksmith. Waiting until he was alone, he gently knocked on the door.

“Superman? It’s Buck. Can I come in?” he asked.

He watched as the door opened and Chris stood there, his face streaked with tears.

“Come here.” He hugged Chris, and the little boy was shaking like a leaf in his arms. I’m sorry you had to do all that. We shouldn’t have argued like that.”

“Why did Grandma and Abuelo say that stuff?” Chris asked, burrowing into Buck’s neck.

Buck sighed. “Can we go sit on your bed for a second?” Chris nodded, and the two of them took a seat.

Buyck tried to find a gentle way of explaining this to Chris.

“So, remember how I told you your dad had to go to sleep for a while to help him heal?” Buck asked, and Chris nodded. “Your dad is feeling extra tired, so he hasn’t gotten up yet. And sometimes, when that happens, the person doesn’t wake up.”

“Is that going to happen to my dad?” Chris asked, and Buck shook his head.

“The doctors don’t think so, ” Buck told him. “They think your dad is taking extra time, but they aren’t worried. And you shouldn’t be either.”

Chris seemed to accept that. “So, why were grandma and Abuelo acting like he would never wake up?”

Buck sighed. “Sometimes, when someone we love is hurt, people can get a little scared and worry that they won’t get better. And I think your grandparents love your dad so much that they were scared.” Buck bit his lip. “But I told them it wasn’t okay to make you scared like that, so they aren’t going to come around for a little bit. Just until they aren’t scared anymore.”

Buck held his breath, wondering if Chris would accept that. It wasn’t every day that your dad’s best friend banned your grandparents from the house.

“Why didn’t you get scared like that?” Chris finally asked. “Don’t you love Dad?”

Buck tried to keep a straight face. “Of course, I love your dad. He’s my best friend.”

Chris gave Buck a look. “Buck, that’s not what I meant.”

Buck sighed, knowing what he meant. “I am scared, Chris, but I also know Eddie will do whatever he can to get back to you. And I know that when he’s ready, he will wake up. We have to wait for him to come back to us.”

Thankfully, Chris seemed to accept that, and Buck left him alone to get started on dinner.

As he started to chop the vegetables, he had to stop, his hands shaking.

Buck sighed, leaning against the counter for a long moment.

He knew that Eddie had a problematic relationship with his parents. He’d heard about what they had said after Shannon’s funeral, and he had seen the way they needled him when the team had stopped at their house for dinner on the way back from the wildfires in Texas three months ago. Buck was no stranger to complicated relationships with parents, so he hadn’t pushed. He’d let Eddie know that he was there to talk if needed, and he’d taken a step back.

Perhaps he should have talked with Eddie about it, because he’d never expected Eddie’s parents to do what they had done today.

How could they do that to their son? In some ways, they were worse than his parents. His parents may not have cared much about him growing up, but Eddie’s parents cared in the wrong way. They cared about doing what they thought was right, even if it wasn’t right.

Buck couldn’t imagine that. Wanting to unplug Eddie when there was every chance he could wake up? Telling Christopher that his dad was dead when he wasn’t? That wasn’t right. Eddie was a fighter. He would want a chance to fight, and he would want to protect his son.

How could Buck understand that better than his parents?

~~

Buck was sitting on the couch while Chris was bathing when someone knocked on the door.

Buck went to open it, resisting the urge to sigh when he saw Ana on the other side.

“Hi, everything okay?” Buck asked, knowing the answer wouldn’t be one he would like. He welcomed Ana inside, hoping that this would be a short visit.

“Edmundo’s parents came to the hospital, and they seemed upset,” Ana said, sitting at the table. “They said you screamed at them and kicked them out of the house.”

“And you’re here for what exactly?” Buck tried to ask nicely but couldn’t help wondering what Ana was doing.

“I just want to help if I can,” Ana said. “This is stressful enough without us at each other’s throats.”

Buck sighed, willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. “I don’t know how much you can help. What they did was awful.”

“What was it?”

He looked at her. “They started packing Eddie’s things and told Chris his father would never come home. They told Chris his father was dead when he wasn’t.”

Ana gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “That’s terrible; how could they?” She shook her head. “Christopher is such a sensitive little boy; I’m sure that was hard for him to hear.”

Buck wasn’t sure how he felt about Ana calling Chris sensitive, but he pushed past it.

“He was pretty upset, but I managed to calm him down eventually, ” Buck told her.

“I’ve noticed how attentive you are to him.” She gave him a small smile. “He and Edmundo are lucky to have you.”

“Thank you.” Buck smiled back at her. Maybe he misjudged her all this time. She surprised him with how she was taking his side.

“Evan, I think this is a stressful situation for all of us, but barring Edmundo’s parents from their grandson won’t help,” Ana finally said. “And I doubt Edmundo will thank you for it when he wakes up.”

“I don’t want to ban them, but I have to do what’s best for Chris,” Buck argued. “They weren’t listening to me, and they were making him upset.”

“Evan, you have to remember.” Ana gave him a smile that seemed almost pitying. “They are Edmundo’s family. They are his and Christopher’s flesh and blood. I would think it’s reasonable that they don’t want to listen to you. You may care for Edmundo and Christopher, but your only real connection to them is a shared occupation and some ink on a page.”

Buck felt the blood in his veins turn to ice.

She sighed when he didn’t respond. “Edmundo cares for his parents; it’d be best for you to get along with them, or risk him turning against you.” She got up, picking up her purse. “I’ll leave you to consider your actions.”

Buck wanted to tell her that he wasn’t one of her students, but he was still processing what she had said.

She left without another word, and Buck just stared off into space.

Was that really what she thought of him? That he had no connection to Eddie and Chris outside of his job, and the documents that Eddie signed?

That was crazy. Buck had been Eddie and Chris’s best friend for years. How could she trivialize his relationship with them like that?

Buck sighed. He never thought he’d have to spend his time defending his place in Eddie’s life instead of fulfilling Eddie’s wishes.

~~

“She said that to you?” Buck could hear the disbelief in Bobby’s voice from his seat at the table. Chris and Carla were at the park, and Buck was about to bury himself in trashy television when Bobby came to the door.

Buck suspected that a glasses-wearing paramedic had let Bobby know that Buck needed a pep talk. She’d messaged him last night to check in and had been unsatisfied with his answers.

He had to remember to get Hen flowers at some point. Or a new clipboard for inventory duty. Though that was more of a gift for him

“Yep.” Buck sighed as he leaned against the counter, turning his head to face Bobby. “I underestimated her. Eddie always talked about how sweet and lovely she was with Chris, but she’s acted just like his parents since they got to town.” Buck paused. “Was I wrong to ban them from coming over?”

“That’s a hard call for me to make,” Bobby said. “She’s right that fighting with his parents won’t fix a thing, but you had to make the right call for Chris. He’s your responsibility right now, even if Eddie’s parents said that wasn’t true.”

“Yeah.” Buck walked over and sat at the table, bringing the mugs of tea with him. I think I did an okay job explaining the situation to Chris,” he let out a little chuckle. “Though it got a little award when he asked me if I was in love with Eddie.”

Bobby didn’t say anything, and Buck kept talking. “I mean, that’s crazy, right? He’s my best friend. I love him, but I’m not in love with him. Besides, Eddie doesn’t even think of me like that. He has Ana, who I previously thought was lovely, but now I am seriously revising that opinion.”

“Buck.” Bobby cut him off, a sympathetic look on his face. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”

Buck froze, and then he sighed.

“How long have you known?”

“Since the well, ” Bobby shrugged. You guys were close before that, but I could tell something changed for you that night.”

“It did.” Buck played with the handle of his mug, his fingers worrying about the tag on the tea bag. “Before that, I didn’t realize what I felt for Eddie. Not when that lightning hit? I just knew I could lose him, and then it all became clear.”

“But you didn’t lose him,” Bobby told him. “Not then, and not now. He’s going to pull through this.”

Buck felt his eyes stinging. “I’ve already lost him, Bobby. I’ve barely seen him outside of work for months.” Tears started to fall down his cheeks. “And then with the sniper, I nearly lost him, and then I nearly lost you, and now his parents want to take Chris away–”

“Shh.” Bobby got up, wrapping his arms around Buck as he cried. “It’s okay, kid. Let it out.”

Buck wasn’t proud of it, but he sobbed into Bobby’s shoulder for what felt like forever.

Finally, the tears slowed, and he was able to pull away.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I think that’s been building for weeks now.”

Buck shrugged at that, and Bobby retook his seat.

“Buck. You don’t have to be strong all the time. It’s okay to let someone else shoulder the burden.”

Buck sighed, knowing Bobby had a point.

“Now, let’s go through this,” Bobby told him. First, even with Eddie not spending so much time with you, I don’t think you’ve lost him. If you had, Eddie would have changed his legal documents and given all of this to someone else.”

“Unless he forgot.”

Bobby gave him a look. “Eddie doesn’t forget things, Buck. And I know things are bad with him right now, but Eddie is a fighter, you’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it. He’s going to come home, just you wait.”

Buck let out a sigh. “I hope so, Bobby. I can’t imagine doing any of this without him.”

“And you won’t have to.” Bobby reached for Buck’s hand. “And as for nearly losing me? That’s never going to happen, kid. You’re stuck with me.”

“You don’t know that.” Buck had to argue. “With our jobs, anything could happen to us.”

“That’s true.” Bobby nodded. “But even if the worst happens, I’ll always be with you. Even if you can’t see me, I will always be by your side, watching over you.”

Buck felt tears welling up again. “I love you, Bobby.”

Bobby squeezed Buck’s hand. “I love you, too, kid.”

The two sat silently, and then Bobby changed the subject.

“And as for Eddie’s parents, you know what I would do?”

Buck cocked his head. “What?”

“Tell them to go fuck themselves.”

“Bobby!”

“I’m serious!” Bobby insisted, and Buck had to laugh.

“What about forgiveness and all that stuff in the bible?” Buck asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be talking me into taking the high road?”

Bobby gave him a look. “Fuck that, they told Chris his dad was dead when he’s not.”

“…fair point,” Buck sighed. “But what do I do about Ana?”

Bobby sighed. “Sadly, there’s not a lot you can do.” He shook his head. “In truth, I never expected Eddie to date her.”

Buck cocked his head. “But didn’t you have that whole conversation with him about how he shouldn’t miss out on something real just because of something that could have been?”

Bobby gave Buck a look. “It wasn’t Ana I was referring to.”

Buck felt his cheeks flush. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“…so how long have you wanted Eddie and me to get together?”

“Since the well,” Bobby told him. “That’s when I thought you could feel something for each other. But if I’m being honest, I knew from the moment that you two would be something special.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Bobby looked at Buck. “You two are amazing partners, and you’re going to be back at work together before you know it.”

Buck gave Bobby a soft smile. “Thanks, Bobby.”

“Anytime, kid.”

Chapter 12:

Later that night, a knock sounded at the door after Chris went to bed.

Grateful for the distraction while dreading who could be on the other side, Buck opened the door to find Pepa there.

“My brother is an idiot,” Pepa said as Buck let her inside. “Do you know where Eddito keeps his liquor?”

Buck blinked and pointed towards the kitchen. “Top shelf of the pantry.”

Pepa took off towards the kitchen, and Buck followed. She pulled down two glasses and the bottle of tequila, pouring a healthy amount into each glass and handing one to Buck.

“Drink up, Evancito,” she said after Buck gave her a confused look. “After what you dealt with yesterday, you need this just as much as I do.”

Buck couldn’t argue with that and shrugged, taking a sip. And then another.

“So, what did Ramon do that pissed you off?” Buck took a seat at the kitchen table.

“He and his wife have been complaining all night about you banning them from Christopher.” Pepa took a long drink. “As if they weren’t despicable for what they did. How dare they hurt that sweet child after everything he’s been through?”

“I used to think my parents were bad with the whole savior sibling thing, but Eddie’s parents might have them beat,” Buck told her, and Pepa stared at him.

“The what?”

“Oh.” Buck flushed. “I was born as a donor for my brother; he had leukemia and died when I was two. My parents never told me about him, and I only found out a few months ago.”

Pepa shook her head. “You and Edmundo. You both deserve better than the parents you have.”

“At least Eddie’s parents love him.” Buck played devil’s advocate for a moment. “Mine just tolerated me after I failed.”

“I don’t think you failed,” Pepa told him, and Buck cocked her head.

“What do you mean?”

“If you hadn’t been born, you wouldn’t be here now. Christopher never would have made it off the pier when the tsunami hit–”

“He might not have been there at all. Taking him there was my idea, ” Buck pointed out, Pepa waving him away.

“Even so. If you hadn’t been there when Edmundo got shot, if you weren’t willing to get under the engine and pull him to safety?” Pepa shook his head, her eyes shining. “He wouldn’t have made it. You may not have saved your brother, but you’ve saved two important people to me.”

Buck felt tears spring to his eyes, and he coughed, wiping them away. “Thank you for saying that.”

“You’re welcome.” Pepa finished her glass. “If Ramon and Helena give you more problems, Evancito, you immediately come to me. I’ll set my stupid brother straight.”

Buck laughed slightly at that. “I will, I promise.”

Pepa seemed to accept that, and she got up. “I think I should get home. If I am gone too long, Helena and Ramon might try to move into my room and make me sleep on the couch.”

“Are you okay to drive?” Buck asked, concerned.

“I’m fine, sweet boy. I’ll call an Uber.” Pepa cupped his cheek before pulling him into a hug. “Take good care of my boys, okay?”

“I promise,” Buck told her, meaning every word. He would rather die than let anything happen to Eddie or Chris.

Pepa smiled at that and left out the door, leaving Buck alone at the table.

Buck sighed, draining the rest of his glass. At least he had Pepa and Abuela on his side, even if Buck hated them being in the middle of this.

But even with their help, Buck knew things would get a lot worse before they got better.

He had to keep trying, though, for Eddie and Chris.

~~

Buck stared at Chimney. “Are you serious?”

“Why would I joke about something like this?”

That’s a fair point.” Buck let out a breath. “Wow, I did not see that coming.”

“What’s going on?” Hen asked, appearing behind Buck and Chimney in the firehouse’s loft.

“Albert is training to become a firefighter,” Chimney told her. “He starts at the academy in a few weeks.”

“Wow, seriously?” Hen raised her eyebrows. “Never would have thought he wanted to be a firefighter.”

“He decided to do it while recovering from his accident.” Chimney frowned. “Something about saving people the way we saved him.”

“Well, that’s admirable at least?” Buck started to say before seeing the angry look on Chimney’s face, “But he probably still should have told you.”

Chimney sighed. “I don’t know what to do. I want to be supportive, but I know how dangerous this job is.” He looked down. “I almost lost him once. I do not want to lose him again.”

“Hey.” Buck moved closer to Chimney, giving him a reassuring smile. “The difference between what happened to Albert and being a firefighter is that Albert was alone when he was in danger; as a firefighter, he’ll have a team watching his back.”

“Buck’s right,” Hen told Chimney. “Albert will be a part of a team, which lessens the danger a bit.”

Chimney gave them both a small smile. “I guess you’re right.”

“And who knows?” Buck said, trying to be positive. “He might not like the fire academy and quit.”

Chimney looked at that. “I get that you’re trying to make me feel better, but let’s not root for him to fail, okay?”

“Fair point, sorry.”

The three of them sat there a moment longer, and then Chimney nudged his shoulder.

“Thank you,” he looked between Buck and Hen. “Both of you.”

Buck gave him a small smile. “Anytime, man.”

~~

A week later, Buck was entering the firehouse when he saw a strange person in the locker room. He turned to Hen and Chimney, who had walked behind him, and motioned towards the figure.

“Who do you think that is?” Buck asked.

Chimney looked at the person before his eyes widened in surprise. “That must be the new floater Captain Reynolds said we’d get.”

Buck guessed that made sense. The team was running a man behind, with Eddie still out of commission. Bringing someone in temporarily was a good call, even if Buck bristled at the idea of anyone trying to take Eddie’s post, even temporarily.

Buck straightened up and resolved to be civil to the new guy. He would only be here for a little while; making an enemy of the man was unnecessary.

“Hey,” Buck entered the locker room and held a hand out. “I’m Buck, nice to meet you.”

“Emmett Boyd.” Emmett shook Buck’s hand, casting a look around. “This is some firehouse. You guys sure are lucky.”

“Where were you before this?”

“I was at the 147.” Buck’s eyebrow shot up as Emmett said that.

“Wasn’t that the firehouse–”

“That got destroyed in the mudslide?” Emmett shook his head. “Yeah. We’re all acting as floaters until the house gets up and running again.”

“Well, good to have you here,” Buck said. “You’ve got some big shoes to fill.”

“And he’s not just saying that because Eddie has big feet,” Chimney quipped as he entered the locker room.

Emmett frowned. “Eddie- oh, that’s the guy who got shot, right?”

Bucks was miffed at the casual way that he talked about Eddie. He looked at Hen and Chimney, who seemed just as shocked at how Emmett talked about Eddie.

“Yeah, he was the first sniper victim,” Hen said, her tone stiff.

“Right, right.” Emmett nodded. “Anyway, it’s good to be here,” he grinned as he closed Eddie’s locker behind him. Maybe it’ll even be a permanent placement, you know?”

Buck blinked. “I mean, I doubt it. Eddie will be back as soon as his shoulder heals.”

Emmet made a scoffing noise, setting Buck on edge. “Right, of course he will be.”

“He actually will.” Chimney stepped in, casting a worried look at Buck. “People in this firehouse have recovered from way worse. I had a piece of rebar go through my head, and I was back at work within a month.”

“I had my leg crushed by a ladder truck, so that took longer,” Buck added, before giving Emmett a hard stare. “So yeah, Eddie’s going to be coming back. A shoulder injury is not going to keep him off the job.”

“No, the fact that he’s a vegetable is going to do that,” Emmett said, Buck, Hen, and Chimney freezing.

Excuse me?”

Emmet rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, everyone knows he hasn’t woken up since the shooting. I heard he’s not even in a medically induced coma anymore.” he straightened his uniform. “I get that he’s your friend, but you’ve got to admit: it would be better if they just pulled the plug and put him out of his misery, right?”

Buck saw red, and he lunged forward. The only thing keeping him from beating the living daylights out of that smug fucker’s face was that Hen jumped in between them.

“Buck, calm down.” He warned him. “You do not need to get suspended right now.”

“Did you hear what he just said?” Buck raised his voice. He could feel Chimney trying to pull him back, but it wasn’t doing much good.

“I know, but–”

“What the hell is going on here?” Everyone sprang apart as Captain Reynolds’ voice rang out.

Buck watched as the older man walked into the locker room, noticing the angry expressions on everyone’s faces. ” Someone better tell me what is going on right now.”

“Buckley just went crazy.” Emmett tried to say. “I was just talking to him–”

“Don’t lie.” Chimney snapped. “We all heard the crap you were saying.” He turned to Captain Reynolds. “Sir, he was laughing about the fact that Eddie hasn’t woken up, and said that he should be unplugged.”

Captain Reynolds’s stormy expression grew darker as he turned to Hen. “Is this true, paramedic Wilson?”

Hen nodded. “There were other things, but that was the inciting comment.”

Reynolds shot an angry look at Emmett. “Firefighter Boyd, I will be calling Headquarters for a different floater. Please get your things and leave this firehouse at once.”

“But sir–”

“Now,” Reynolds snapped. “Laughing at the misfortune of another is unacceptable, but when someone was the victim of a horrible act of violence?” He shook his head. “That is conduct unbecoming of a member of the LAFD. Chief Alonzo will hear about this from me.”

Emmett seemed like he wanted to argue but seemed to think better of it. With a final glare at the 118, Emmett gathered his things and left.

“The rest of you, let me speak to firefighter Buckley alone.” Captain Reynolds told them, and everyone scattered. Hen and Chimney sent Buck a sympathetic look as they went to check that the ambulance was stocked.

“Take a seat, Buckley,” Reynolds said, and Buck went to do as he said.

“Sir, I’m sorry for my actions,” Buck said before Reynolds could speak. “I know I should not have lashed out–”

“No, you should not have.” Reynolds took a seat next to Buck. “But as someone who has lost a friend in the line of duty before, I suppose I can see why you did.” Reynolds cast a look at Buck. “For what it’s worth, Diaz is a damn good firefighter. I do not doubt that he’ll return to being your partner in no time.”

“Thank you, sir.” Buck nodded

There was a moment of silence before Reynolds spoke again.

“Under normal circumstances, I would be entitled to write you up and put an official reprimand in your file.” Buck tensed. It was better than a suspension, but not by much. “However, I am not going to do that.”

Buck looked at Reynolds in shock as the other man kept speaking.

“Given the extenuating circumstances, I am willing to give you a second chance to prove that you will not act in such a manner again.” Reynolds gave Buck a stern look. “However, I will not be giving a third chance. Do you understand me, Buckley?”

“I do, sir, thank you.” Buck nodded, and Reynolds seemed satisfied by that.

“Good. Once you are in your uniform, I think you have inventory duty.”

Reynolds left the locker room, and Buck sighed, his head in his hands.

That could have gone so much worse.

It was lucky that he wasn’t written up or suspended. Either of them would have been a black mark in his file if he wanted to seek opportunities for advancement.

Buck breathed a breath of relief as he dressed, his fingers shaking as his adrenaline crashed.

He didn’t care what Boyd had to say: Eddie wasn’t a vegetable. Buck spoke with his doctors every day, and they said that his condition was constantly improving.

Even so, Buck might stop by the hospital after his shift ended the next day to see if he could see Eddie. Laying eyes on him might make Buck feel more at peace about the whole thing.

As he closed his locker and got ready to do inventory, he spotted a piece of tape across Eddie’s name. As he looked closer, he realized that the name Boyd was written on it in clear black letters.

Buck smirked as he ripped the tape off Eddie’s locker and threw it in the trash, not even looking back as he stormed out of the locker room.

~~

As luck would have it, Buck was able to see Eddie alone the next day after his shift. Ana and his parents were elsewhere, and Buck would take full advantage of the fact that they weren’t there.

He appreciated that they wanted to check in on Eddie, and he could understand it, but he’d be lying if he said he enjoyed them watching him like a hawk every time he was in the room.

Buck collapsed into the chair beside Eddie, looking over at his friend’s motionless face. The gentle hiss of the ventilator filled the room, and Buck closed his eyes briefly before speaking.

“Today was a rough shift.” Buck finally said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought someone said the Q word.” Buck chuckled slightly. “We had this asshole floater who kept trying to say that the position at the 118 might be permanent.” he looked down at his hands. “He didn’t even know you, and he was convinced you wouldn’t wake up.”

Buck leaned forward, reaching for Eddie’s hand. “I know that’s not true, though. Because I know you. You fought through 40 feet of dirt and water, going through hell and back to make it back once before.” Buck squeezed Eddie’s hand slightly. “You can do it again. You have to do it again.”

Buck refused to believe in a world where Eddie didn’t wake up, but he would be lying if the words from the previous morning hadn’t stuck with him. He fought the urge to cry, instead just looking at Eddie.

“You need to fight, Eddie,” Buck said softly. “Please. Chris and I need you. Please come back to us.”

There was a lot of silence in the room, and then Eddie’s body started to jerk and convulse. The monitors squealed in alarm as nursing staff filled the room. Buck surged out of his chair, hugging the wall as he watched the staff hold Eddie down.

And then a miracle happened. The nurses pulled the intubation tube out of Eddie’s throat, the other man taking in a breath of air on his own.

Doctor Nolan entered the room, her eyes going to Buck.

“Well, this saves me a call,” she joked as she walked over to Buck. As you can see, we have some excellent news today.”

“I can see that.” Buck couldn’t take his eyes off Eddie.

“I’m sure you’re relieved,” she told him. “This is a huge step forward in his recovery: we’re on the right path.”

“Do you think that this means he’ll wake up soon?” Buck managed to ask around the lump in his throat.

“I think it’s possible, but only time will tell.” She left, and Buck nearly collapsed back into his chair.

Eddie could breathe on his own. He was one step closer to waking up.

Buck felt happy tears spring to his eyes. He wiped them away and held Eddie’s hand with the other.

Eddie was doing it. He was fighting to come back to Chris and him.

~~

That night, Chris was thrilled when Buck gave him the happy news.

Buck grinned at Chris’ excitement, his smile dimming slightly when he remembered how telling everyone else had gone. Ana had seemed appreciative of Buck giving her the heads up, but Eddie’s parents had sent his call to voicemail. He had tried again before finally calling Pepa to tell her the news. And ask her to pass the message on to Eddie’s parents.

They could be bitter at him all they wanted: it wouldn’t change the fact that they had tried to give up on Eddie, and now they were realizing just how wrong they were.

Buck would be lying if he said he didn’t take a little pleasure from that.

“So, when can I see him?” Chris asked with his puppy dog eyes.

“Still not for a while,” Buck told him, Chris’ smile dimming a little. “But if everything goes according to plan, he should be home before you know it.”

“Will you stay once he is home?” Chris asked.

“That depends on what your dad wants, ” Buck told him. “I’m happy to stay if he needs me to, and even if I don’t, I’ll come by to check on you.”

Chris nodded. “Good. You and Dad are better when you’re together, ” he paused for a moment. “I’ve missed the three of us hanging out together.”

“I’ve missed it too, ” Buck said, pulling him into a hug. “But he’ll be awake soon, and then maybe the three of us can have a special day together to make up for lost time.

Chris grinned at that, and Buck couldn’t help but grin.

Everything would be fine when Eddie woke up. He just knew it.

Chapter 13:

Waking up was usually easy for Eddie. Years in the army accustomed him to waking up at dawn when needed. But something about this was different. This felt more like swimming to the top of the pool after a lifetime spent in the water. Except he had no clue which was up, or even which way he was going.

He opened his eyes after what felt like an eternity, groaning in pain as he did so. He shut them almost immediately, the bright lights overwhelming. The sterile smell of the hospital assaulted his senses. Slowly opening them again, he blinked in confusion as the bare walls of the hospital greeted him.

What was he doing here? Why was he in the hospital?

And then it all came rushing back to him.

The call from Charlie.

Rushing over there with Buck.

The gunshot.

Buck’s eyes as he stared at him under the truck, blood flecking his face.

Buck. Where was Buck? Why was he under the truck? Why had he been covered with blood?

Eddie started to struggle. His heart monitor signaled as his pulse picked up pace.

“Edmundo!” Ana’s face appeared above him, eyes lit up as she smiled at him. “You’re awake. Thank goodness.”

“What-what happened?” Eddie didn’t understand what was going on. “Where’s Buck?”

Ana sighed, taking his hand in hers. “You were injured while on duty. They had to put you in a coma for a while.”

Eddie stared at her, blinking. “A coma? For how long?”

“It was only supposed to be two weeks, but it ended up being nearly four.”

Eddie shook his head in disbelief, trying to get up even though every limb felt trapped in quicksand. “A month? Where’s Chris? Where’s Buck? Was he hurt?”

“Christopher is fine. He’s been taken care of,” and paused. “And Evan is fine, too. He wasn’t injured, as far as I know.”

Eddie nodded at that, his heart slowing. But he knew he wouldn’t be entirely at peace until he saw that Buck was unharmed for himself.

“Can you call him and get him here?” Eddie finally asked.

“Edmundo, he might be at work–”

“I don’t care. I need to know he’s all right.”

Ana sighed, dropping his hand. “Very well.”

She stepped out to call Buck, and Eddie slumped in his bed like a puppet with its strings cut.

What had happened since he’d been shot? Was Buck still with Chris? Eddie regretted Buck finding out this way, but he hadn’t found the right time to tell him. He was sure that Buck had taken great care of Chris, though. Buck was the best person Eddie knew.

Eddie would forever thank whoever was looking out for him the day he joined the 118, because that was how he met Buck. He’d fallen for the other man’s easy charm and lovable personality after he’d helped Christopher get the care he needed. He’d known he was head over heels in love with him after he nearly died in the well, when he decided to entrust Buck with Chris if anything happened to him. While he knew buck would never feel the same way, Eddie still knew that he could trust Buck with anything, including caring for his son when he couldn’t. There was no one in the world he trusted more than Buck.

She returned after a long moment, texting someone as she did so.

“He’s on his way.” She retook her seat next to him, smiling softly. “It’s good to see you awake. I’ve missed you.”

Eddie nodded at that, barely hearing the words.

Buck was coming. He’d be here soon, and Eddie could see he was all right. Everything would be all right soon. He just knew it.

~~

Buck felt as though he was about to explode.

Eddie could breathe on his own, indicating he was close to waking up. Now, it was just a matter of time.

However, waiting was never Buck’s strong suit, so he was doing his best to keep as busy as possible.

Buck was grabbing some fresh clothes and a few other items at his apartment when his phone rang. He saw Ana was calling and rushed to pick up the phone.

“Ana?” he asked, his tone worried. “Did something happen? Is Eddie okay?”

“Everything is fine. You should get here as soon as you can.” He heard Ana take a deep breath. “Edmundo woke up.”

Buck stared at the phone, not believing what he heard.

“I’ll be right there,” he ran out of the apartment, not even bothering to close his bag, as he raced for the stairs. He couldn’t risk waiting for the elevator, not when the moment he had been waiting for so long had finally happened.

He raced to the hospital, not even sure that he was anywhere close to the speed limit the entire way there.

Once he arrived, he ran for Eddie’s room, skidding to a stop in the open doorway.

And there he was, eyes blinking awake—Eddie Diaz, awake at last.

“Hey, Buck,” Eddie said with a tired smile. Ana sat beside him, holding Eddie’s hand as she looked at Buck.

“Hi,” Buck finally said, a relieved smile across his face.

Buck didn’t care if Ana didn’t want him here. Eddie was awake for the first time in nearly a month.

Eddie looked over at Ana. “Would you mind giving us a moment alone?”

Ana hesitated and then nodded.

“I will be right outside, Edmundo.” She kissed him on the cheek as she rose from her seat. She brushed past Buck without a word, and Buck moved further into the room.

They looked at each other for a long moment, and Eddie broke the silence.

“How are you?”

“How am I?” Buck scoffed. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously.” Eddie motioned for Buck to come closer. “Sit down, you look dead on your feet.”

Buck let out a bitter laugh as he took the seat that Ana had just left. “That’s one way to put it. Things have been a little crazy since Bobby got shot.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide. “Bobby got shot, too?”

“Yeah, but he’s fine,” Buck assured him, Eddie breathing a sigh of relief. “He’s been home from the hospital for weeks; PT is going well; he’ll be back in no time.”

“That’s good.” Eddie took a breath. “Did they get the guy?”

“Yeah.” Buck chuckled. “Athena ran into a fire to get him.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Of course she did.” He took another breath, wincing as he shifted in the bed, “And how is Chris?”

“Would you like to see for yourself?” Buck said, holding up his phone. “Carla is with him now. We could call him.”

“Please.” Eddie nodded. “There’s nothing I want more.”

Buck smiled as he got into position, holding the phone for Eddie.

The call connected, and Carla gasped when she saw who was on the other end.

“Well, hello, sleeping beauty,” Carla said, Eddie smiling at that.

“Hey Carla,” he greeted her, smiling into the camera. “Is Chris able to talk?”

“For you?” Carla scoffed. “I think we can arrange that.”

Carla called Chris over, and the boy smiled ear to ear when he saw who was on the screen.

“Hey, Dad.” Christopher grinned into Carla’s phone, Buck smiling at the sight.

This was all he’d wanted for the last few weeks: for Eddie and Chris to be able to see each other again.

“Hey, buddy.” Eddie gave Chris a tired smile. “Have you been good for Buck?”

“Always.” Chris grinned, and Buck nodded when Eddie looked at him.

“Dad?” Eddie turned back to the phone, Chris looking at him. “I miss you.”

Buck saw Eddie wipe tears from his eyes before looking at Chris again. “I miss you, too. But I’m going to see you real soon. I’ll be home before you know it.”

“Let yourself heal first, please.” Carla jumped in, entering the camera’s view. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Buck and I have it under control.”

“Thanks,” Eddie said to eh before looking at Buck. “Both of you.”

“Love you, Dad,” Chris said.

“I love you, too,” Eddie said before signing off.

“Thank you for everything, Buck,” he said, eyes gleaming with appreciation. “I appreciate you staying with him. Is he okay?”

“Better than me.” Buk let out a small chuckle. “I kind of lost it when I told him you got shot, ” he paused. I’m sorry. I should’ve held it together. He didn’t need to see that.”

“You did more than enough,” Eddi told him. “You were there for him when I couldn’t be. That’s what matters to me, and I will never be able to thank you for that.”

“Still.” Buck sighed, letting the intrusive thoughts come out for a second. “I think it might have been better for him if I were the one who got shot.”

Eddie turned to stare at Buck, and Buck could tell that Eddie wanted to say something in response to all of that.

But before Eddie could, the door to his room opened, and Eddie’s parents whirled into the room, followed by Ana.

Buck was honestly surprised that she hadn’t called them to come to see Eddie before she called him.

“Edmundo!” Helena rushed to hug him, and Eddie’s eyes widened in surprise.

“It’s so good to see you back on your feet, my boy,” his father said next.

“Thanks, ” Eddie said as they pulled away. How long have you been here in LA?”

“They came the week you got shot,” Buck told him.

“Yes, and we are so glad to see you awake, ” Helena said. “Your lovely girlfriend has been such a comfort to us during all this.”

Ana blushed, and Ramon nodded approvingly. “We are so happy you have surrounded yourself with such a good woman.”

“I have a lot of good people around me,” Eddie said, smiling at Buck as he spoke.

Buck smiled before noticing the way the Diaz parents were staring at him.

This was the first time they’d been in the same room since before what happened with Chris, and Buck felt the urge to run. Eddie had just woken up. He didn’t need to deal with the drama that had occurred while he’d been in the coma. Not yet, at least.

“I should go home and check on Chris.” Buck finally said, getting up. “I should start getting dinner ready,”

Eddie frowned, but seemed to understand. “Will you call me later?”

“Of course,” Buck told him before turning to the others in the room. “Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, Ana, have a nice day.”

Before waiting for a response, Buck fled the room.

~~

The next day, Buck was doing laundry when there was a knock at the door.

Buck went to answer it, forcing a smile as he saw the Diaz parents and Ana standing there.

“Hello,” Buck said slowly, wondering what they were doing there.

“Hello, Evan. Can we talk?” Helena said, her sweet tone contrasting the last time she was here.

Buck didn’t want to let them inside the house, not after what happened the last time they were there. But he also knew that nothing good would come of him denying them entry, especially not now that Eddie was awake.

He moved to the side, allowing them to step past him into the home.

“Where’s Christopher?” Ana asked, looking around and not seeing him.

“He’s friends with my coworker’s son, so they’re hanging out at her place,” he told her. She’ll bring him home around dinner.”

“I see.”

“I’m surprised you all aren’t with Eddie now that he’s woken up,” Buck said as the three of them sat at the table.

“The doctors needed to take him for some scans, and we thought this might be a good time for us all to discuss some things.” Helena motioned for him to sit. Buck bristled at her telling him what to do, but he sat in the chair she indicated.

“Like his recovery plan?” Buck tried to figure out what they needed him for. “I know he’s going to need a lot of help–”

“Oh, I’m sure we can do that.” Ramon gestured to himself, his wife, and Ana. Buck tried not to feel offended that he wasn’t included in their plan. “No, we wanted to discuss the recent unpleasantness.”

Oh. Now it all made sense.

“Just so we’re on the same page, you’re referring to you and your wife packing up Eddie’s things and telling Chris that his father was as good as dead?” Buck asked.

Helena flushed, and Ramon cleared his throat. “We may have been a little hasty in our actions.”

“Taking a cake out before it’s done is hasty.” Buck cut him off, not having the patience to deal with them dancing around what happened. “What the two of you did was cruel. Christopher was upset for hours.”

“I’m sure that Helena and Ramon didn’t mean to upset their grandson,” Ana told him.

“But they did,” Buck told her, scoffing. “And now you all want me to lie to Eddie and what, tell him that we got along perfectly while he was incapacitated? Hide the fact that you were going to take his child back to Texas against Eddie’s wishes? Pretend that you didn’t start acting like he was already dead?”

“It was a complicated situation,” Helena told him.

“He’s my best friend, and I never gave up on him,” Buck told her. “I always had faith that he would return to his family. How is it that I had more faith in him than his parents did?”

The Diaz parents stared at him for a long moment, as did Ana.

“So, you’re going to tell Edmundo what happened?” Ramon asked.

“What I decide to tell Eddie is none of your business,” Buck said, giving them a hard stare. “He’s my best friend. I’m not going to lie to him to protect the feelings of someone who has called me a drunken frat boy when they didn’t think I could understand them.”

Helena and Ramon stared at him in shock, and Buck raised an eyebrow. “I lived in Peru for six months and speak Spanish.”

Helena and Ramon didn’t seem to have anything else to say, so they got up, went towards the door, and cast an angry look back at Buck.

Buck was surprised they left the house so quickly, and then he turned to Ana. The two of them had never been particularly close, but surely she could put aside her dislike for him and see that he was trying to do what was best for Eddie? That was all he ever wanted.

Ana seemed taken aback by what they said and turned to Buck.

“Evan, I am sorry for what they said.” She told him.

Buck believed her, and he gave her a slight nod. “Thank you.”

Whatever goodwill he had towards Ana evaporated in the next moment.

“I know tensions are high, but you need to think about what is best for Edmundo, ” she continued. He’s been through so much. Is it worth stressing him out with all of this senseless drama while he’s recovering from his wounds and the coma?”

“I don’t think that lying to him will be better for him.” Buck pointed out. “You know Eddie, you know how he hates secrets and lies. He would never trust me again if I kept this from him.”

“And I know how close he is with his family,” Ana countered. “As much as they were out of line, they’re still his parents, and he loves them. Do you think Eddie is going to take your side over theirs?”

“It isn’t about sides.”

“Isn’t it?” Ana stood up. “You may have a connection with Eddie now, but any impact you have in his life can easily be rewritten. They will always be his parents,” she gave him a pitying look. “Your place in Edmundo’s life is far more temporary. If it came to a choice between you or his family, do you think he would ever choose you?”

Buck didn’t even know what to say, and Ana sighed.

“I suggest you think about that before you cause trouble.”

She swept out of the room, leaving Buck at the kitchen table.

~~

“She said you were a temporary part of Eddie’s life?” Hen asked later as she sat in the backyard with Buck.

She had dropped off Chris a while ago, and Buck invited her to stay for dinner to test out his new chicken recipe.

Okay, that was a lie. He wanted her to give him advice about Eddie’s parents. He needed to talk to someone who might understand his struggle.

“Yeah.” Buck sighed. “It’s not a shock that she said that. She’s been commenting like that for a while, but it’s just- it’s so frustrating. I am his best friend. We’re partners at work. Even if he has been spending less time with me lately because of his new relationship, that doesn’t mean I’m not his friend anymore.”

“Of course it doesn’t,” Hen told him. “You and Eddie have been freakishly close since the start. For a moment, we all thought that you might have feelings for each other, but–” Hen stopped, seeming to read something in Buck’s face. “Oh, Buck.”

Buck sighed. “I need to work on my poker face.”

“Just a little,” Hen told him, Buck laughing slightly. “But to be fair, we all saw it coming. From both sides.”

“I doubt that,” Buck told her. “Eddie’s with Ana, and he’s happy. He’s never shown the slightest interest in me, so I’m just–” Buck sighed, putting his head in his hands. “Waiting for these feelings to go away.”

Hen was silent for a moment and then turned to Buck. “Putting all that aside for a moment, what will you do about his parents?”

Buck sighed again. “I was going to tell him, but what if Ana is right? Maybe he doesn’t need the stress right now. He just woke up from a coma.” He looked down at his hands. And if it came down to a fight between me and his parents, I didn’t think I knew who he would pick.”

“Buck, you know how Eddie feels about things being kept from him. He is the only person I know who got annoyed when he got a surprise party for his last birthday.” Buck snorted at the memory, and he kept going. You might think you’re sparing him the drink, but it will be more stressful later if you don’t tell him.”

“You have a point there,” Buck had to admit.

“Of course I do.” Hen waved him off. “And forget what Ana said about Eddie choosing his parents over you. I don’t think that would be such a dealbreaker for Eddie.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I was there with you both in El Paso. I saw how his parents subtly jabbed at him about how he chooses to live his life.” Hen pointed out. “You may not have noticed because your parents are dumpster fires, but as someone who’s seen this before, I can tell you Eddie and his parents are not nearly as close as Ana would think. And if it came down to a choice between the parents who tried to control him or the friend who was always there for him?” Hen shrugged. “I’d like to think he’d choose you.”

“I’d like to think that, too,” Buck told her.

“Look, the decision is ultimately up to you,” Hen told him. But Eddie is your best friend, and I think you know in your heart what’s right.”

Buck sighed. “Yeah, I think that I do.”

Hen looked at the time and cursed. “I should be getting back home.”

“Of course.” Buck got up again. Thanks for letting Chris come over today; I think he needed some normalcy after everything.”

“Of course.” Hen waved off Buck ‘s thanks. She got halfway to the back door before pausing and turning to look at Buck.

“And for the record, I don’t think things are as one-sided as you think,” Hen told him. “But only time will be able to tell on all that.”

Buck frowned at that, wondering what she meant.

~~

Buck was visiting Eddie at the hospital later that week when he got the good news from Eddie’s doctor.

“Hey,” he entered the room, his smile not even dimming at the sight of Ana and the Diaz parents in the room. “The doctor told me you can go home in a few days.”

Eddie’s parents seemed relieved by the news, and Ana gave Eddie a sweet smile, his hand clasped between hers.

“That’s wonderful, Edmundo.” She told him. “I can be here when they discharge you and take you home.”

“Thank you for offering, but it might be better if Buck were to take that on,” Eddie told her, a small smile on his face as he looked up at Buck.

The room went silent, and Ana furrowed her brow in confusion. “But won’t it be easier for me to take you home? I can even stay and help you manage things. I’m sure Evan here is eager to return to his life.”

“I don’t mind staying, if that’s what Eddie wants, ” Buck said. Helena and Ramon looked at him before turning back to Eddie.

“That’s very kind, Evan, but Edmundo should be with family,” Helena told Buck.

“I think it’d be helpful if you stuck around, Buck,” Eddie said. “You already know how everything is handled, and I could use your assistance with my physical therapy exercises.”

Buck figured as much, but Helena and Ramon seemed to have other ideas.

“We thought we’d stick around for a little longer,” Helena told Eddie. “We could handle your physical therapy, just like we did when you returned from your tour in Afghanistan.”

“That’s nice of you to offer, but Buck has been through the physical therapy process recently, and he’d likely be able to help me a little more, ” Eddie told them before giving Buck a hopeful look.

Figuring it was his cue to step in, Buck cleared his throat.

“Hey, it’s the least I can do after all your help with my PT after the ladder truck fell on me.” Buck pointed out with a teasing grin. “I kind of owe you.”

“You don’t owe me anything.” Eddie corrected him. “I was happy to do it.”

“And I’m happy to do it now, so everybody wins.” Buck grinned at Eddie, the other man returning the grin.

The two of them stayed in that moment for what seemed like forever, until Ana delicately cleared her throat.

“That’s very sweet, Evan, but are you sure you want to keep sleeping on that small couch?” Ana asked.

Before Buck could defend Eddie’s couch, which admittedly was not meant to have a man his size sleeping on it for weeks, Eddie spoke up.

“Buck, you’ve been sleeping on the couch for over a month?” Eddie raised his eyebrows in disbelief, shaking his head. “Man, why didn’t you just sleep in my bed? It’s not like anyone was using it.”

Buck wished he could have been anywhere else at that moment. Three pairs of shocked eyes turned to Buck, and he chuckled awkwardly.

“Don’t worry about it, Eddie. I was fine on the couch,” Buck told him. Besides, it didn’t feel right to stay in your bed, especially given the circumstances.”

Helena nodded approvingly at that. “Evan is right, Edmundo. It really would not have been appropriate for him to sleep in your bed–”

“Why not?” Eddie asked. “We shared a bed for months during quarantine.”

The room went silent, and Buck knew he had to escape before the inevitable eruption.

“Okay, I’d better go back to Chris. Call me when you figure out your discharge time.” Buck rushed out the door, his face on fire.

~~

“Maddie, it’s not that funny.” Buck pouted later that evening on the phone.

“I’m sorry, but Eddie’s parents and girlfriend finding out you slept in the same bed as Eddie for months?” Maddie got out between laughs. “That’s objectively hilarious even without them hating you.”

“She’s right, Buck, it’s funny.” He heard Chimney say, and Buck frowned. He knew they had a point, even though he hated the situation.

But at the same time, it was nice to hear Maddie laugh. He’d missed that sound lately.

“Well, it’s not like them knowing that made them hate me more,” Buck told her. “I don’t think that would be possible. I can’t make a single decision without them questioning and second-guessing me. Or giving me a judgmental stare.”

“And Eddie still doesn’t know?” Chimney said, incredulous. “Buck, don’t you think you should tell him?”

“Tell him what?” Buck asked. “That the sweet girlfriend he’s been saying is a toned-down version of his mother? Or that his parents tried to pack up his room and told Chris he was as good as dead?”

“Well, I would put it more delicately, but I vote yes to both,” Maddie said. “

Buck sighed, collapsing onto the couch. “I don’t want to cause problems. It means so much to Eddie that his parents came to check on him. I can’t take that away.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.” Maddie seemed unconvinced, but Buck knew that was the right call. Eddie deserved a stress-free recovery, or at least one as stress-free as possible, and that was what Buck would give him. He could bite his tongue and ignore the hostility for a little longer. Hopefully.

“Enough about me.” Buck changed the subject. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing better, ” Buck could hear the shrug through the phone. The new meds seem to be helping. Or maybe I think they are, and it’s the placebo effect. Either way, things seem to be looking up.”

“That’s great, Maddie,” Buck said, meaning every word. “You are so strong, and you have been doing amazingly.”

“Thank you, little brother,” Maddie said. “I think in a week or two I’ll be up to visitors if you want to come over.”

“Are you kidding?” Buck grinned. I’d love to come and see you guys if you’re up for it. Just let me know, okay?”

Maddie agreed, and they ended the call soon after.

Later that night, after Chris went to bed, Buck kept thinking about how Ana and the other parent had looked at him when they found out he and Eddie had shared a bed. It was more than them just being mildly shocked; it was almost as if they were horrified at the thought of Eddie sharing a bed with a man.

Buck tried not to go too far down that road, though. Just because Eddie’s parents and girlfriend didn’t like him, that didn’t mean that they were homophobic. It just meant that they thought that he was too close for Eddie.

At least that’s what Buck hoped the problem was. All he knew for sure was that the next few weeks would be very uncomfortable for him. And not just because of the couch.

Chapter 14:

A few days later, he got a call from Pepa to come over to her house. When he arrived, he saw Ana and the Diaz parents seated in the living room. They seemed surprised to see him, but Buck ignored it.

“Ah, Buck.” Isabel embraced him. ” It’s good of you to make it.”

“Of course.” Buck took a seat. “What’s going on here?”

“We thought it would be nice to plan a little welcome home party for Eddito when he gets out of the hospital,” Isabel told him, and Buck grinned at that.

“I think he would love that.” Buck clapped his hands together eagerly. “What can I help with?”

“I thought we had everything handled for the party already,” Helena said. “Ana and I are decorating, Ramon is getting the cake, and we’re having soda for drinks since Edmundo is on painkillers.” Helena gave Buck a seemingly apologetic look, though Buck could tell it was fake. “I don’t think there is anything for you to do other than drive Eddie to his house. Sorry, Evan.”

“We will need you to give us a new key, however, so we can get in.” Ana pointed out, and Buck waved her off.

“Don’t worry. Carla will be watching Chris; she can help you.”

“Oh, well, I wouldn’t want to put her out,” Helena said.

“It’s no problem,” Buck said with a sweet smile. “I’m happy to help with anything at all, and so is Carla.”

“That’s so nice of you,” Ana said, giving Buck a sickly-sweet smile. “I just wish that there was something that you could do. Perhaps you could help with cleaning after the party?”

“Gladly.” Buck refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him get annoyed.

“If you want to help with the party, Evancito, come here the day before,” Pepa said, popping out to the kitchen while wiping her hands on a towel. “I could use some help with the cooking.”

“Yeah, I can do that.” Buck grinned at Pepa, who gave him a short nod. “It’d be nice to spend some time with you in the kitchen, Pepa.”

“It’s been too long indeed. I need to make sure you aren’t getting rusty.”

“Pepa, aren’t you making our family recipes for the party?” Ramon cut in. “Evan shouldn’t be involved in that. He’ll only distract you.”

Pepa waved him away as if he were a particularly annoying bug. “He won’t distract me. Mama and I will need the help, and Buck is a decent cook.”

“It would be nice to have one of our cooking lessons again, ” Isabel said, pinching Buck’s cheek. “I was so sad when we had to stop them.”

“I was, too, but I did not want to risk your health during the worst of the pandemic,” Buck told her, and she touched his shoulder.

“Such a considerate young man.”

“I’m sorry,” Helena said, looking between Buck and Isabel. “You’ve been teaching Evan your recipes?”

“Of course,” Isabel said as if it were obvious. “Buck has been learning them to make them for Eddito and Chris.”

“Someone has to be able to cook them, and it will not be Edmundo,” Pepa added. “He could burn water if given the chance.”

Buck tried not to laugh at that and turned to Helena. “Isabel and Pepa have taught me a lot over the years.”

Buck felt a swat across the back of his head. “What did I tell you about calling me Isabel?”

“Of course, sorry, Abuela,” Buck corrected himself.

She had told him he could call her Abuela after the tsunami, but Buck kept forgetting.

It was nice to have a grandmother-type figure in his life, though. He and Maddie never had that growing up.

Helena seemed furious, and Ramon kept shooting his sister confused looks. Buck wasn’t sure what that was about, but he could tell he had stepped into more dramatic drama.

After a long moment of silence, Ana spoke up.

“Perhaps I could help you in the kitchen as well, Señora Diaz?” she asked, a demure smile on her face. “It would be nice to cook some of Edmundo’s family dishes for him and Christopher. And I would love to get to know you both better.”

Isabel gave Ana a regretful look. “Perhaps another time, dear. The kitchen here is only so large, after all.”

Buck could tell Ana was about to say something else, but Pepa got his attention before she did.

“Now that that’s settled, I need you to help me,” she told Buck, motioning towards the kitchen.

Buck leaped at the chance to get out of the room, following her to the kitchen.

She motioned for him to chop the vegetables on the cutting board, and he obediently did as she asked.

He worked silently for a long moment before Pepa moved closer. She eyed his work and gave an approving nod before speaking.

“Don’t let my foolish brother and his wife get to you,” she told him. I know that you’re good for our Edmundo and Christopher.”

“Thank you, Pepa,” Buck told her before pausing. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” she nodded as she ground herbs in her mortar and pestle.

“Why did Helena and Ramon look so pissed off when they found out I was learning some of your recipes?”

Pepa’s lips twitched, and she leaned closer. “Because ever since Helena married into the family, Mama has refused to teach her the recipes.”

Buck fought the urge to chuckle as he continued to chop.

~~

They weren’t going to let you help at all?” Bobby said into the phone.

“Well, they were going to let me take out the trash at the end of the party, so that’s something.” Buck rolled his eyes as he sat on the couch that night.

Christopher was already in bed, and Buck needed to talk to someone, so he called Bobby. Bobby was up at all hours these days due to his recovery, so Buck figured it was a safe bet that he wouldn’t be waking him up.

“I don’t know how you’re doing it,” Bobby said. “I would have snapped long before this point.

“But that’s what they want me to do,” Buck told him. “So, I can’t do it, because then I’m giving them the satisfaction of doing what they want me to.”

“…that makes no sense.”

“It does to me.”

Bobby chuckled at that. “So, are you going to help with the party?”

“Yep.” Buck couldn’t help but smirk in victory. “Eddie’s aunt and grandmother have enlisted me to help with the food, which is pissing off Eddie’s mother to no end.” Buck chuckled. “I’d be lying if I said that didn’t give me a little bit of pleasure.”

“Why would it upset Eddie’s mother?”

“Because Eddie’s grandmother taught me all the recipes that Eddie’s mother has been trying to get hold of for ages.”

Bobby laughed at that. “That must have felt good.”

“It did, but I’m sure I haven’t heard the last of that, ” Buck sighed. Ana was upset, too, especially when they wouldn’t let her pitch in on the cooking.”

“I think listening to this Daiz family drama is better than rewatching Game of Thrones.”

“That’s not fair. Anything is better than the last season of Game of Thrones.”

“Fair enough,” Bobby said. “Are you still going to stop by on Saturday for dinner?”

“Are you kidding? I can’t wait, and by then we’ll have everything squared away for the party on Sunday. You sure you’re okay with me bringing Chris?”

“Of course. Harry is thrilled to see him.” Bobby paused. “And it’ll be nice to cook with you again. I’ve missed that over the last few weeks.”

Buck smiled softly into the phone. “I know what you mean. The firehouse isn’t the same without you.”

“I’ll be back before you know it, and so will Eddie.” Bobby paused. “They said I could return and do light duty in a week or two.”

Buck smirked as an evil thought entered his mind. “I can call in a favor to get you a spot at the Fire Marshal’s office if you want.”

“Not funny, Buck.”

Buck cackled into the phone, smiling wider than he had all day.

~~

A few days later, Buck was preparing to take Eddie home after his discharge. Due to his parents and Ana being around, this was the first time that Buck had spoken to Eddie alone in days, and he still wasn’t sure what he would do.

Eddie deserved to know what his parents did, but was it Buck’s place to ruin that relationship?

He put that out of his mind as he entered Eddie’s hospital room, resolving to figure out an answer soon.

“Okay, uh, the nurse is getting your meds and discharge papers ready, ” Buck told Eddie, taking charge. Then we can get out of here.”

“Great.” Eddie smiled at him from where he was sitting on the bed, his injured shoulder in a sling. He patted the bed next to him. Hey, since we have a minute, can we talk?”

“Yeah, of course.” Buck took a seat next to Eddie, wondering what this was about. “Why, is everything all right?”

“Yeah, I’ve just been meaning to talk to you about something.” Eddie snorted. “Well, it may be a little late now, but you still deserve to have this discussion.”

“Okay.” Buck had a pretty good idea of what this was, but he let Eddie talk.

“Even before I was a firefighter, I’ve had a lot of close calls.” Eddie started. “After the last time, when that well collapsed on top of me…”

“Which you survived, Eddie.” Buck couldn’t help but say. “You made it back to us.”

“Yeah, but even so,” Eddie told him, sighing. “After that…it got me thinking. You know, what would have happened to Christopher if I hadn’t?” Eddie gave Buck a sidelong look.

So, I went to my attorney and changed my will. So, someday, if I didn’t make it…. Christopher would be taken care of. By you. And I made you my power of attorney so you could take care of me if I couldn’t do it myself.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured that out,” Buck told him.

“Well, we never had a chance to talk about that before.” Eddie pointed out, and Buck had to admit he had a point.

“How did you ever manage to do all of that?” Buck asked. Didn’t you need my consent for any of it?” Buck paused. Did I give permission and not know what it was about?”

Eddie gave Buck a look. “No, I just decided and filed the paperwork with my attorney. For what it’s worth, my attorney said you could refuse and let my family take care of everything.”

“Yeah, Bobby told me I could do that, ” Buck sighed. “But you know I wouldn’t do that.”

“Nah, I know you wouldn’t.” Eddie sighed. “Or at least, I hoped that you wouldn’t. After three years of being your friend, I think I have a good handle on what you’d do in a situation.” Eddie wrinkled his nose. “Besides the lawsuit, that is.”

“Are we ever going to be truly past that?” Buck snarked good-naturedly.

“We are past that,” Eddie told him. But the point is, I knew you’d be the one I could trust for all of this. You might be the only person I could trust.”

“Really?” Buck couldn’t help but ask skeptically. “You have parents, siblings, your aunt, and Abuela. You didn’t want any of them to help you with Chris?”

“Not in the slightest,” Eddie told him. After Shannon left, my parents tried to guilt me into giving Christopher to them, and they tried again after she died.” He shook his head, looking away from Buck. It’s not what I wanted then; it’s not what I want now. Even if I left him to Pepa and Abuela, they would’ve never stopped trying to get their hooks into him.”

“If it came to that, if you had–” Buck couldn’t even bring himself to say the word died, so he moved past it. “Wouldn’t they fight for him?”

“Maybe.” Eddie shrugged before giving Buck a teasing grin. “Probably,” Buck snorted at Eddie’s words, knowing that he didn’t know how true that was. “But no one will ever fight for my son as hard as you.” Eddie gave Buck a look. “Like you did with my parents.”

Buck froze before trying to play it off. “What do you mean?”

Eddie gave Buck a look. “I talked to Carla, you know. She told me what my parents did. Or were you hoping to swap my keys out before I noticed?”

Buck cringed. “I hadn’t gotten that far yet,” he sighed. “I’m sorry, Eddie. That might have been going too far, but they were telling Chris that you were as good as dead and that they were going to take him back to Texas, and I just snapped.”

“Good,” Eddie said Buck, looking at him in surprise. “If I wanted them to have any say in what happened to my son, I would have made them his guardians.” he reached out his free hand and put it on Buck’s shoulder. “You fought for my son the way that I would have if I had been able to. That’s what I want for him, and it’s why I picked you.”

Buck smiled at that, and then he got the courage to ask the questions on his mind for the last month.

“You said you did this last year,” Buck said. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? Why choose now to explain why you did all of this?”

“Because, Evan,” Eddie started, Buck jerking to attention at the sound of his first name falling from Eddie’s lips. Eddie never said his first name. “You came in here the other day, and you said you thought it would have been better if it had been you who was shot. You act like you’re expendable.” Eddie shook his head, sighing. “But you’re wrong. You’re not expendable. Not to Chris, the 118, and certainly not to me.”

Buck nodded, taken aback by the intensity in Eddie’s eyes.

Eddie nodded, seeming to read in Buck’s eyes that he understood what he was saying. H pulled away, and Buck remembered that he had something for Eddie.

“Before I forget.” Buck fished Eddie’s medallion out of his pocket, holding it up. “This was on the bottom of the 133’s engine. I found it after they took you inside.”

Edei stared at it, eyes wide. “I thought it was gone for good.”

“Nope.” Buck smiled at him. “I kept it safe for you.”

Eddie gave Buck a small smile.

“Thank you.” He paused for a moment. “Can you put it around my neck? It might be hard to do with one hand.” Buck indeed at that, reaching around Eddie’s neck to clasp the chain around his neck. His fingers brushed the back of Eddie’s neck, and Eddie sucked in a breath at the movement. Back looked into Eddie’s eyes, the two of them closer than they’d been in weeks.

They stared at each other, as if neither of them was willing to risk disturbing the moment by moving. Just as Buck thought they would be stuck inside this moment forever, the door opened, and the nurse entered the room.

Buck jerked away from Eddie, cheeks flaming. In truth, he was glad the nurse walked in at that exact moment. He didn’t know what would’ve happened to them had she not.

And Buck knew nothing good could’ve come out of that moment.

Eddie was happy with Ana; no matter how Buck felt about her, he wouldn’t get between them.

Eddie deserved to be happy, even if it wasn’t with him.

Chapter 15:

Buck opened the door to Eddie’s house, Eddie grinning as everyone inside cheered.

“And this would be the reason for all the cars?” Eddie made a face at Buck, who shrugged.

“To be fair, this wasn’t a surprise party. We just didn’t tell you about it.”

Eddie didn’t have a chance to respond. Chris rushed over to hug him, and Eddie dropped to his knees to embrace his son.

Buck smiled at the sight. After a month of being unable to see each other in person, father and son reunited. What could be better than that?

Eddie was ushered into the house by his parents, with Buck following them. The door was nearly shut in his face, but Buck caught it just in time.

He wondered for a moment who could have done that but pushed it aside. It didn’t matter; what mattered was that Eddie was home, and this was a time to celebrate.

Buck hustled into the kitchen to help Pepa and Abuela put the food on the table, making plates for Eddie and himself.

He brought them over to where Eddie was seated on the couch, sitting next to him.

“I got you a plate.” Buck handed Eddie his plate, moving back to avoid crowding him.

“Thank you; this looks delicious. ” Eddie grinned. “Did you help Pepa and Abuela with the food?”

“As much as I could.” Buck shrugged with an easy smile on his face. “I know I have a lot to learn.”

“That’s perfectly fine, Evan.” Ana smiled at him. “It takes a certain kind of cook to master family recipes.” She leaned into Eddie, and Buck tried not to flinch at the dig.

“I don’t know, Buck’s pretty good,” Eddie told her. “You should go make a plate.”

“Oh, I thought Evan was holding my plate.”

“Oh.” Buck blinked. “Sorry, I got my and Eddie’s plates.”

Ana took a breath and smiled sweetly at Eddie. “I’ll be right back.”

“It’s good to have you back,” Buck said, digging into his plate. “I know everyone misses you around the firehouse.”

“I miss them too,” Eddie told Buck. “Who do they have you working with?”

“We’ve had a few floaters, but for now, Ravi has agreed to come up from B shift,” Buck said, shrugging. “He’s good when he’s not triggering curses.”

“For the last time, there is no curse.”

“Just because you don’t believe doesn’t mean it’s not real,” Buck told him, and Eddie laughed.

Ana returned with her plate, and Eddie motioned for her to sit on his other side. Ana did, looking slightly put out.

Buck thought Ana could suck it. His best friend was back, and Bullock was not letting her scare him away from celebrating that.

Chris was outside celebrating with a few of his cousins, and Buck was glad to see him enjoying himself. Buck had tried his best to make him happy over the last few weeks, but he knew he could never compare to Eddie’s return.

“So, what else has been going on?” Eddie asked Buck. “Any interesting news?”

Buck wasn’t sure he’d classify Maddie’s diagnosis as interesting, but he remembered something else he’d found out recently.

“Albert’s joining the LAFD,” Buck said, Eddie’s eyebrows raising in surprise.

“Really? I didn’t see that coming.”

“Who’s Albert?” Ana asked.

“He’s our coworker’s half-brother,” Eddie told her. “He was in a car accident a few months ago and nearly died.”

“Eddie and I had to cut him out of the car ourselves,” Buck told her, and her eyes widened.

“And he wants to join the LAFD?”

Buck gave Eddie a fond grin. “I guess he was inspired by the two firefighters who saved his life.”

Eddie gave Buck a look. “He was unconscious during the entire rescue.”

Buck shrugged. “Either way, he’s entering the Academy soon. I hope he does well.”

“I think he will.” Eddie fingered his necklace. “He’s lucky to have recovered so well.”

“Give it time, and you’ll recover just as well,” Buck told him, Eddie smiling as he dropped the pendant.

“I know, thank you.”

“Oh, your necklace is back.” Helena spied it sitting on Eddie’s shirt. “I didn’t see that earlier. Was it at the hospital with you?”

“No, Buck had it.”, Eddie told them.

“Really?” Everyone turned to look at Buck, and he felt his cheeks flush a deep red.

“It was on the engine floor after, you know.” Buck shrugged. “I saw it and kept it safe for him until he woke up.

“I guess you could say that Buck kept both my Christophers safe for me over the last few weeks.” Eddie looked up at Buck, his eyes shining. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you for any of it.”

“You don’t have to do anything,” Buck waved him off. “I was just happy to be able to help you.”

“It sounds like you’ve been quite a help to Edmundo,” Ana said, her light tone seeming a little tense.

“It’s not a big deal. I try to be helpful to everyone.” Buck told her.

“The 118 calls him a golden retriever in human form,” Eddie said, smiling up at Buck.

“Edmundo is lucky to have a friend like you, ” Pepa said, and Isabel agreed.

“Buck is the best person ever,” Chris said, Buck laughing at that.

“I love you, too, buddy.”

Buck spent the rest of his night with Eddie and Chris, reveling in finally being with his two favorite people again.

Buck looked up and saw the Diaz parents muttering as they stared at the three of them. He wanted to question what that was about, but the day’s events soon pushed it out of his mind.

They were probably trying to determine if he’d told Eddie about what they did.

It wasn’t anything more nefarious than that.

~~

Buck would be lying if he said he didn’t want to cry in relief.

It was over. The weeks of worrying if Chris would lose his dad, the agonizing over whether or not Eddie would open his eyes again. Eddie was back home with Chris, where he belonged, and Buck was right there with them.

It was a shame that not everyone was as happy about that as he was.

Buck had been living with Eddie for two weeks after he had come home from the hospital, and he was starting to feel stifled—not by Eddie but by all the people around him who seemed to resent that Buck was still there.

Eddie’s parents were still in LA, and they didn’t seem to appreciate that Buck was still at their son’s house even after he returned from the hospital. But Eddie needed him. He was still weak after a month-long coma, and his shoulder was entirely out of commission. Buck was there to help with the day-to-day stuff until Eddie got back on his feet.

But Eddie’s parents weren’t the only ones who resented that Buck was there.

Ana didn’t say anything, but Buck could tell that she was unhappy with Buck being around Eddie so much.

He had heard her offering to move in and look after Eddie multiple times during the first week that Eddie was out of the hospital, only for Eddie to rebuff her because “Buck’s got this, Ana.”

Somehow, Buck doubted that it had helped.

Buck tried to put all that out of his mind, though. Instead, he threw himself into his work, the house running at a deficit with Bobby and Eddie recovering. He devoted part of his time to sitting with Maddie when he could, her PPD seeming to get better now that she was getting the help she needed.

Above all else, he took care of Eddie and Chris. He cooked for them, helped Eddie with PT, and generally tried to make this time in their lives as easy as possible.

He still had trouble sleeping, even after Eddie came home. Doctor Copeland said that was normal, and that it would take time for things to level out. In the meantime, Buck found himself soothed by the souds of Eddie ad Chris sleeping. Knowing that two of the most important people in his world were safe did more for Buck than they would ever know.

So yeah, Buck had a routine in order to take care of everyone. It was exhausting, but things were slowly starting to look up.

So, of course, that’s when it came crashing down.

~~

“Hold still.”

“I’m holding still.”

“You’re not, because I have to keep telling you to hold still,” Buck pointed out, unwrapping Eddie’s bandages.

Eddie sighed. “I’m sorry, it’s just–”

“You hate this, I know.”

It was time to change Eddie’s bandages, and Buck quickly discovered that although Eddie had excellent medical skills, he was a terrible patient.

“I’ll be done before you know it,” Buck told Eddie as his bedroom door opened.

“Edmundo, I–” His mother gasped as she took in the sight before her.

Buck wasn’t sure why she was gasping. He was sitting behind Eddie, fully clothed, clearly in the middle of changing his bandages. It wasn’t as if she walked in on them naked.

Buck flushed at the thought as Helena seemed to pull herself together.

“Evan.” She finally said. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“It’s nice to see you, Mrs. Diaz.” Buck forced a smile on his face.

Helena and Ramon had been on their best behavior since Eddie came home from the hospital, and Buck was determined to do the same. Hopefully, this uneasy peace could last a while longer. Eddie didn’t need to deal with their fighting while recovering.

“Edmundo, why don’t you let me take care of your bandages instead?” Helena asked. “Or Ana could help, if you’d prefer. She’s in the living room with your father.”

“What?” Eddie blinked at her in confusion. “Mama, it’s easier for Buck to help me.”

“I just think–”

“Buck has paramedic training; he knows what he’s doing,” Eddie sighed. “Can you please close the door so we can finish?”

Helena seemed about to speak, but nodded and shut the door behind her.

“Sorry about that.” Eddie sighed. “I don’t know what that was about.”

Buck, unfortunately, had an idea what that was about, but he pushed it aside.

Eddie’s parents could dislike Buck’s presence as much as they wanted. Buck wasn’t off anywhere unless Eddie asked him to leave, no matter what they said when they thought he wasn’t listening.

“All done.” Buck finished wrapping Eddie’s shoulder, picking up his shirt, and helping him into it. Luckily, Eddie had graduated from needing the sling a few days before, so there was one less thing to do.

“Thanks,” Eddie said, giving Buck a teasing grin. “I think you did a better job than Hen or Chimney.”

“Let’s not tell them that, okay? I do not want to compete with them.”

Eddie barked out a laugh. “Deal.”

When they left Eddie’s room, Buck spotted Ana and his mother in the kitchen, whispering to themselves.

Buck pushed it out of his head as best he could and went to watch TV with Chris. Spending time with Chris was sure to make everything better.

Even if he had to put up with Eddie’s father making subtle digs occasionally.

~~

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”

“You didn’t see them: they were scandalized at the idea of me changing Eddie’s bandages.” Buck huffed from his spot next to her on the couch. He was so fixated on what happened the day before that he could barely focus on the video game.

Not that it mattered, because Hen kicked his ass every time they played.

“They’re still giving you a hard time?” Chimney asked, walking over with Ravi. “I thought they would have calmed down after he left the hospital.”

“I wish.” Buck huffed. “I may not be a paramedic like you and Hen, but I can rewrap Eddie’s shoulder.”

“Man, that sounds rough.” Ravi frowned sympathetically.

“It is.” Buck huffed. “I’m just trying to help Eddie and Chris, and they seem to delight in making that more complicated.”

“I wish I had some advice, but I’ve never had in-laws, let alone ones that hated me.”

Buck was about to respond to that when he frowned. “What do you mean by in-laws?”

“Well, Eddie is your husband, so his parents are your in-laws, right?”

The loft went silent except for Hen and Chimney’s snickers. Buck felt his face heat up as he shook his head. “Ravi, Eddie, and I aren’t married. We’re not even a couple.”

Ravi blinked in shock. “Wait, are you serious?”

“Yeah. He’s been dating someone for the past six months.” Buck cocked his head in confusion. “Why did you think we were a couple?”

Ravi shrugged. “I don’t know, the two of you are joined at the hip and work so well together.” He sighed. “It was inspiring how well you managed being married and working together.”

“Sorry to disappoint.”

Buck felt bad for disappointing Ravi. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to be with Eddie. But that would never happen, and Buck had made peace with that.

“It’s fine; you guys are impressive enough without being married,” Ravi waved him off. “Though now that I know you’re not married, I think it’s weird that his parents are so hostile. I’m sorry; you don’t deserve all this drama.”

“That’s nice of you to say, thank you.” Buck smiled at him and then turned to Chimney. “How’s Maddie doing?”

As Chimney told them what was happening with Maddie and how the new treatment program was helping, Buck couldn’t stop thinking about what Ravi had said. In another life, an easier one, maybe he and Eddie were the power couple Ravi had thought they were.

Buck half wished he could live in that world, but then waved off that idea. Despite all the shit that had happened to him and the rest of the 118, he wouldn’t trade what they had together for anything.

~~

Buck entered the house the next day after a long shift, his ears pricking up at raised voices.

“You are being selfish, Edmundo!”

“I’m not the one being selfish here!”

Buck turned the corner to see Eddie facing off with his father, the two nose to nose. Helena turned, her lips pursing when she saw Buck.

“Evan, now is not the best time for a visit,” she told him, Eddie bristling at her words.

“It’s not a visit if he’s living here, Mom.”

“And that’s part of the problem!” Helena told him. “Why is he still here? Isn’t it time he goes home, and you let your family take over?”

“Buck is family!”

“He’s not!” Ramon shouted. “And the fact that you chose this gringo to watch over Chris before considering your own family is just a sign that you are not thinking straight.”

“Buck is wonderful with Chris, and I trust him.” Eddie seethed.

“How wonderful can he be?” Helena scoffed. “He lost Chris in the tsunami, and then he nearly got you killed!”

Buck froze at the mention of the worst days of his life and tried to shake it off.

“Buck saved Chris in the tsunami, mother! And he saved my life.”

“And then he let him fall back into the water!”

“I didn’t let him fall into the water when the second wave hit! And I didn’t nearly get Eddie killed, I did my best to save him.” Buck raised his voice. “I can’t control the path of a natural disaster or a bullet. You can’t blame me for what happened in either instance, even though I’m sure you’d love to.”

“Evan, this does not concern you; this is about our son,” Helena tried to say before Buck cut her off.

“The hell it doesn’t.” Buck was seething, and he’d had enough. He’d been biting his tongue and looking the other way for days, trying to keep the peace. Eddie was recovering from a gunshot wound and a coma; he needed peace, and they couldn’t put their hatred of him aside for even a little while. “Eddie and Chris are two of the most important people in the world to me. I would never do anything to put either of them in danger, and I always do my best to protect them. The fact that you’re using a natural disaster as a reason to hate me?” Buck shook his head. “I’ve put up with a lot from both of you over the last few weeks. You’ve made nasty comments when you think I haven’t understood you, you were hostile whenever a medical decision needed to be made, and you tried to pack up Eddie’s room and tell Chris his dad was dead!”

Helena gasped, and she and Ramon stared at Eddie. Eddie noticed them staring and rolled his eyes.

“Carla told me after I woke up. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

“Edmundo, we never–”

“Don’t.” Eddie cut Ramon off. “I know you both love me, and I appreciate you checking up on me after I was shot, but you don’t get to use what happened as an excuse to control my life or berate my friends!”

“Edmundo, you nearly died. You should be surrounded by family, not letting this manchild run roughshod over you!” Helena argued.

“Buck is my family!” Eddie repeated. “He’s been my family for years. And I am not going to let you treat him like shit just because you can’t accept that.” Eddie shook his head in disgust. “I think you need to go back to El Paso.”

Buck stared as Eddie’s parents sputtered. “Edmundo–”

“No.” Eddie was firm. “You’ve done nothing but upset people since you’ve gotten here. Chris barely speaks to you, Carla avoids you, and I’m sure I don’t even know half of what you’ve done to Buck since you got here.” He sighed. “I want you both to leave, now. I don’t want to talk to either of you until you’re ready to apologize for everything you’ve done.”

“Edmundo, you need our help–”

“I can take care of things myself, and if I do need help, Buck is here for me.”

The Diaz parents were silent, and then Helena sighed.

“Edmundo, we may have made some mistakes, but you must believe us. We’re just trying to do what’s best for you, the same as we’ve always been.”

“Are you?” Eddie asked, staring his mother down. “Or are you doing what’s best for you?” he shook his head. “Don’t bother answering that. I don’t think you even know the difference. Please leave.”

“Not having an answer to that, the Diaz parents swept out the door, giving Eddie and Buck one last angry look.

The two stood silently for a long moment, and then Buck turned to Eddie.

“Eddie, are you sure about that?” He asked, hesitantly.

“I’m surer than I’ve ever been.”

“They’re your parents.”

“And you’re my best friend,” Eddie told him. “It wasn’t all about how they were treating you. They told me Chris should come to Texas with them for the summer.”

“What? Why?”

Eddie sighed. “They thought I would find caring for him too challenging in my condition and wanted to help.” Eddie snorted. “As if I believed that. They’d probably find some excuse to keep him there, and I’d have to get a lawyer to get my son back home. I wasn’t playing that game with them.”

Buck nodded, putting a hand on Eddie’s good shoulder. “I’m here for whatever you and Chris need, no matter what.”

“I know.” Eddie nodded at Buck, a weariness in his frame.

“Why don’t we go sit on the couch?” Buck suggested, seeing how tired Eddie was.

“That sounds like a good move.”

~~

“I owe you an apology.”

Buck was startled when Eddie spoke, the other man grunting as he went through his physical therapy exercises.

“What?” Buck asked, confused. “Pretty sure I owe you one for the snoring.”

“Your snoring isn’t that bad, and I’m serious.” Eddie groaned as he was finally done with one of the exercises. “I gave you so much shit for not looking forward to PT after your accident.” he started the next one, grimacing as he made his way through the stretch. “I’d forgotten how much it sucks.”

Buck had early forgotten about all that. So much had happened since the ladder truck explosion, and it seemed like a lifetime ago.

“Well, that’s not entirely your fault.”

“It’s not?”

“Memory loss can occur as you get older.” Buck snarked.

Eddie gave him a look. “I can still flip you off with my other hand.”

Buck laughed, and Eddie did too. “For real, though, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Eddie,” Buck told him.

There was silence for a long moment, and then–

“For real, though, how could you not tell me I snore? Chris said it was horrible. You must have heard it when we shared a bed during COVID-19.”

“I was in a war zone for years. Your snoring isn’t that bad in comparison.”

“Go fuck yourself, Eddie.”

Eddie laughed at that and then grew quiet for a minute.

“Would it be okay if we stopped somewhere on the way home?” he asked Buck. “There’s something I need to do.”

“Yeah, of course,” Buck told him. “Whatever you need.”

Eddie smiled at him and then went back to his exercises.

~~

Eddie was quiet in the car, only speaking when he gave Buck directions.

Buck resisted the urge to give him a worried look. Buck was sure Eddie would talk about whatever bothered him when he was ready. There was no point in pressing him about it now.

When they finally got to the place, Bucks was surprised to see it was a cemetery. Then he realized it wasn’t just a cemetery; this was where Shannon was buried. He hadn’t been back here since the day of the funeral.

“Can you wait here for a bit?” Eddie asked, getting out of the car. “I’d ask you to come, but–”

“You don’t need to explain anything,” Buck told him. “I’ll wait here for as long as you need.”

Eddie gave Buck a small smile for that. “Thank you, Buck.”

He got out of the car and closed the door behind him. Buck attached as Eddie vanished over the hill into the cemetery itself.

How often did he come here? Buck wondered if this was normal for Eddie or if it was his own brush with death that made him revisit Shannon.

Buck had only met Shannon a handful of times, but she seemed sweet. She’d loved Chris with everything she had, and Eddie had been devastated by her death.

Buck wondered if she was anything like Ana and if that was why Eddie chose her to be with. Then he remembered that it was none of his business. Even though he wished that Eddie could be with him, he had no right to judge who Eddie wanted to be with.

Buck had never been to visit anyone’s grave before. He had never known anyone who had died. And even when he found out about his brother, there was nowhere for him to visit. His parents had cremated him and put his ashes away.

Did it help to have a chance to go and think about the person that you lost? Did it make the grieving process better? Or was it just a place where you felt the loss more deeply?

Buck didn’t know and doubted that he would ever truly understand.

As he thought that, he saw Eddie return to the car. Buck jumped out, running around the front of the car to help Eddie get back in. Buck’s Jeep was too high on the ground for Eddie to get in alone. Buck would have just driven Eddie’s car, but the Denali was even more challenging to get into.

“Everything okay?” Buck asked as he helped Eddie get into the car.

“Yeah, I think so.” Eddie gave Buck a soft smile as Buck helped him get situated. “Thanks for the detour.”

“Man, don’t even worry about it.” Buck waved him off. You know I’m there for you, whatever you need.”

Eddie gave Buck a soft smile. “Yeah, I know.”

Buck got back into the driver’s seat and started the drive back home—or to Eddie’s place, at any rate. As much as Buck felt at home there, he knew it couldn’t last forever—not when Eddie soon wouldn’t end him anymore.

Eddie seemed a little lighter on the drive home, as if a great weight had been lifted.

Even if Buck didn’t understand the idea of visiting someone’s grave, he hoped that it helped Eddie.

After all that Eddie had been through, he deserved a little peace.

~~

I don’t understand.” Ana said a few days later. “Why did your parents have to leave so suddenly?”

She had come over for the first time since Eddie’s parents had left and asked why they weren’t joining the rest of them for dinner that night.

Buck wished he were elsewhere at that moment, and he looked at his plate as Eddie answered her.

“They had some business in El Paso and couldn’t stay,” Eddie told her.

“Oh.” She took a bite of her food. It’s a shame. They were interesting to talk to.”

Buck looked up and saw Ana shooting me a look. It was as if she knew their sudden departure had to do with Buck.

“I didn’t realize you had so much in common with Eddie’s parents,” Buck finally said, taking a drink of water.

“Well, as we talked, it turned out that Ramon’s grandfather was from the same area of Mexico that my grandfather was from, ” She told Buck, her voice mild as she cut a piece of chicken.

“Your grandfather Edmundo?” Eddie asked, and Ana gave him a fond smile.

“Yes, my favorite grandfather,” she said.

“Your favorite grandparent has the same name as my dad?” Chris asked. “That’s weird.”

“It’s a fairly common Spanish name,” Ana told Chris, furrowing her brow. “Why is that weird?”

“Because it’s what you call my dad,” Christopher said.

Buck fought the urge to chuckle as Ana floundered for something to say.

“It’s also the name of a famous movie star from Mexico.” Ana turned to Eddie, giving him a flirtatious smile. “Perhaps I could bring over one of his movies on Friday, and we could have a family movie night, just the three of us?”

Buck could tell from the pointed glance Ana gave him that he would not be welcome there.

He resigned himself to returning to his apartment for the night when Chris turned to Eddie. “But Dad, you said we were having a movie night with Buck on Friday! We haven’t had one for months!”

Buck turned to Eddie in surprise. “We’re having a movie night on Friday?”

Eddie gave Buck a slight grin, his eyes twinkling at him. “Well, I remembered that I kind of owed you one. We never did get to do the one I promised you, after all.”

Buck tried to remember when Eddie promised him a movie night, and then it came back to him.

“Eddie, you got shot.” Buck reminded him. “That is more than a good enough reason for something not to happen.”

“Yeah, but we haven’t had a chance for a Buckley-Diaz movie night for a while,” Eddie told him. “Chris and I have missed hanging out with you like we used to.”

Buck smiled at him. “That would be great. I’d like that.”

They smiled at each other for a long moment, and then Ana spoke.

“That could be fun, too,” she said, Buck fighting the urge to frown. Why don’t we all have a movie night together?”

“No,” Chris told her. “It’s got to be just my dad and Buck. Like it used to be.”

Ana looked at Eddie, and Eddie gave her an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry, but Chris wanted it to be just the three of us this time,” Eddie told her. “Maybe we could all have a movie night together next week?”

Ana looked like she wanted to argue, but she finally nodded. “Of course, Edmundo. I understand.

But from the look she shot Buck, she didn’t understand. Buck knew that this was going to spiral into something bigger. He could feel it in his bones.

Buck yawned close to the end of dinner, and Eddie frowned.

Buck, you’ve got to stop sleeping on that couch, ” he told him. “It’s too small for you to stretch out, and I know it’s messing up your back. You can’t get a good night’s sleep on that thing.”

“It’s fine.” Buck waved him off. “I’m just tired from the day we had at work. We had a guy wielding a machete on Hollywood Boulevard.”

“Why on earth would someone do something like that?” Ana asked, and Buck snorted.

“Because of road rage, apparently.”

“What’s road rage?” Chris asked.

“It’s when your dad gets mad at the people who cut in front of him while driving, ” Buck told him, and Eddie looked at Buck in offense.

“I hardly think that my getting annoyed when someone cuts me off is the same as someone running down Hollywood Boulevard with a machete.”

Buck leaned closer to Chris. “So he says.”

Chris giggled, and Eddie waved Buck off.

“It’s not the same, and you’re changing the subject,” Eddie told Buck. “You need to get a good night’s sleep.”

“I get naps at work!”

“Naps are not as good as sleep.”

“You sleep when you nap!” Buck pointed out, and Eddie groaned.

“Buck, why don’t you sleep in my bed tonight?” Eddie asked.

Buck saw Ana staring daggers at him, and he shrank his head. “That’s not necessary. I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t care if you think you’ll be fine,” Eddie told Buck, cutting him off. You’ve been doing nothing but taking care of everyone else these days.” Eddie looked at Buck, his eyes wide and sad. “Let me take care of you, please.”

Buck didn’t know what to say to that, so he just took another bite of dinner.

“Edmundo, I was thinking that since school is out, I could start staying over to help you,” Ana said after a long moment. “I’m sure Evan has much to deal with regarding his sister.”

Eddie looked at Buck with concern. “What’s wrong with Maddie?”

Fuck. Buck knew there was something he’d forgotten to tell Eddie. And of course, Ana would bring it up at the worst possible moment.

Buck resisted the urge to glare at Ana, instead turning to answer Eddie. “She’s been having a hard time lately. She got diagnosed with PPD, and she and Chimney are doing a lot better,” he turned to Ana. “And while I thank you for your concern, Maddie and Chimney didn’t want to be crowded. I’ve been checking up on her before and after work, and running groceries over there as often as possible. They know I’m there if they need me.”

Ana didn’t respond; instead, she took another bite of her chicken.

“Wait,” Eddie paused. “You’ve been checking up on her before and after work, running over groceries, and caring for everything here?” Eddie shook his head. “Yeah, you’re sleeping with me tonight; you must be exhausted.”

“Eddie–”

“I’m not taking no for an answer, Buck.”

“…fine, we can give it a shot.”

“Good.” Eddie had a smug look as he ate another bite of his chicken, and Buck tried not to think about how attractive he looked in that moment.

Buck saw Ana fuming out of the corner of his eye, and he knew he’d pay for this later.

Chapter 16:

Buck was making dinner two days later when he heard the front doorbell ring.

Eddie was napping, and Chris was reading in his room, so Buck went to see what was happening.

“Ana?” he blinked in surprise at seeing her on the step. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I’m sure,” she said, a strange look on her face. Can I come in?”

“Eddie’s asleep–”

“I’m here to talk to you.”

Buck frowned, stepping aside to let her come in. “Okay.”

Ana walked further into the house, motioning towards the table. “Can we talk, please?”

Buck had a bad feeling about this. “I guess.”

He sat across the table from her, feeling vaguely like he’d been called into the principal’s office.

Or the vice principal’s office, in this case.

“Evan,” Ana said, hands clasped before her as she spoke. “I know we’ve gotten off to a bad start. Things got out of hand between us when Edmundo was injured.”

Buck blinked in surprise. He had not expected her to read with that.

“I would agree with that,” Buck finally said, wondering where this was going. He and Ana had never really gotten along. Could this be the beginning of a new relationship between them? Buck hoped so.

“But I think the one thing we can agree on is that we care about Edmundo and Christopher, ” she continued. “We both want to protect them and keep them from getting hurt. They’ve had such hard lives already, and we want to spare them further heartache. Is that right?”

“Yeah, of course,” Buck told her. “Eddie and Chris are like family to me. I would never want anything to hurt them.”

“I thought so, which is why this is so hard for me.” Ana paused, and Buck’s mind swirled over what she could say next. Was she telling him she was breaking up with Eddie? Why would she bring that up to Buck first instead of Eddie? None of this made any sense.

“I don’t know how to say this, but…” Ana trailed off before looking directly at Buck. “You’re hurting them, Evan.”

Her taking out a gun and shooting him would have been less shocking than hearing that.

“…What?” Buck shook his head. “What do you mean I’m hurting them? I love Eddie and Chris.”

“I know,” Ana told him. “But can’t you see what you’re doing to them?”

“I’m not doing anything to them!”

Ana sighed. “Buck, you are a reminder of the worst days of their lives. Don’t you see how it hurts them to be around you?”

Buck reared back in shock. “That’s not true.”

“It is, and I think you know it,” Ana told him. “You were there when Eddie’s wife died, yes?”

“Yeah, it was a call–”

“And you were in the tsunami with Chris.”

“That was an accident, no one could have–”

“You were there at the well–”

“Again, another call.”

“And you were there when Edmundo was shot!”

“Ana, what are you saying?” Buck shook his head in disbelief. Are you blaming me for being on calls when bad things happened? I’m a firefighter, that’s my job!”

“Evan–”

“I’m Eddie’s friend. I’ve helped support him through most of the situations you’ve described.”

“But even your helping is hurting them.” Ana seemed to almost smirk, and Buck was sure he didn’t like what that implied. “Edmundo and Christopher have been so happy in the last few months. If you were such a support for them, why would they be happy with you not around as much?”

Buck didn’t even know how to respond to that.

“Ana–”

“Evan, I think you need to step back,” Ana said firmly. “Edmundo and Christopher need to heal. They need to spend time as a family and recover from this latest trauma, and they can’t do that with you here, reminding them of it.”

Buck knew that what she was saying was bullshit. He knew he wasn’t a reminder of traumatic events for Eddie and Chris. And yet some part of him still wondered if she was right. Eddie and Chris probably heard his nightmares when he slept on the couch. Would things be better for them if Buck returned to his apartment? Would they get through this easier if Buck weren’t around?

“Ana, I—”

“What is wrong with you?”

Buck froze at Eddie’s voice, and Ana did the same. They looked up to see Eddie standing at the entrance of his room, fire in his eyes.

“Edmundo!” Ana tried to recover. “I was just–”

“I know what you were doing.” Eddie was seething, his chest heaving as he spoke. “What gives you the right to tell Buck to stay away from me?”

“I was just looking out for you!”

“No, you weren’t!” Eddie raised his voice, shocking Ana and Buck. If you were, you would know there is no way I would ever want Buck out of my life.”

“Edmundo, you are too close to this to see what’s happening.” Ana raised her voice, pointing an accusatory finger at Buck, who wished he were anywhere else. “Friends do not act the way that the two of you act. Evan should be stepping back to let me be part of this family, but he’s hanging onto you instead!”

“I have taken a step back!” Buck had to cut in here. “I barely saw Eddie and Chris for the last few months because I knew they needed to spend time with you.”

“And yet you won’t leave and let me care for them!”

Buck was shocked by Ana’s behavior. They’d never gotten along, but he’d never expected her to fly off the handle like this.

Ana took a deep breath, collecting herself before turning to Eddie. “Edmundo, I have tried to be patient with you. I know you’re in a delicate place, but I cannot take much more of this.”

“You’re right.” Buck’s heart sank as Eddie spoke. “You shouldn’t have to deal with any of this.”

Ana started to smile. “I knew you would understand–”

“We’re through.”

Buck stared as Ana sputtered. “That wasn’t what I meant!”

“But it was what I meant.”

“Edmundo,” Ana tried to appeal to him. “We’re so good together. Don’t let Evan ruin what we have.”

Eddie took a deep breath. “I’m more concerned with you ruining what Buck and I have.”

Ana took another deep breath before gracefully rising from the table. “I hope you come to your senses soon, Edmundo. I won’t wait around forever.”

“It’s Eddie, and I think I’ve come to my senses for the first time in a long time.”

Ana shot Buck a dirty look before sweeping out the door, and Buck sighed, letting his head fall forward and hit the table as he collapsed.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to sink into the furniture.”

“… How’s that working out for you?”

Badly.” Buck looked up as Eddie took the seat next to him. “You didn’t have to break up with Ana because of me.”

“Buck, of course I did.”

“No, you didn’t.” Buck shook his head. I could have taken a step back. I know I can be a lot at times, and exhausting–”

“You are not exhausting.” Eddie cut Buck off, reaching for his hand. “I was wrong to say that to you. It wasn’t true then, and it’s not true now. You are kind and caring, and deserve more than I waiting so long to end things with Ana.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I should’ve ended things with her when she started pushing you aside,” Eddie groaned. “Like the dinner with Carla that she excluded you from, despite you introducing Chris and me to Carla.”

“Eddie, that wasn’t your fault,” Buck told him. “I mean, yeah, that wasn’t great, but I could have spoken up, too. Maybe if I did, things would’ve been different.”

“Why didn’t you?” Eddie asked. “You’ve never been one to keep quiet.”

Buck sighed. “I thought you were happy. I thought Ana made you happy. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t support that?”

Eddie shook his head. Buck, you and Chris make me happier than anyone else ever could. I only wish I had seen what she was doing before.” Eddie signed, moving towards the kitchen. I need a drink.”

“Can you drink on your painkillers?” “Buck followed Eddie into the kitchen.

“One glass won’t kill me.” Eddie grabbed the bottle of tequila, frowning. “I thought there was more in this.”

Buck winced. “I’m Sorry. Pepa and I had a glass together a few weeks back. I meant to replace it.”

“You were drinking tequila with my aunt?”

“It was her idea. We both needed a drink after your parents told Chris you were dead.”

“…Fair point. Want to have a glass with me?”

“Fuck yeah.”

~~

A few days later, Buck busied himself setting up the couch for their movie night.

Christopher had taken the news of Ana no longer coming around with as much grace as one could expect a nine-year-old to have. He didn’t seem to care much either way. It made Buck wonder if he had picked up on Ana’s attitude the way he had picked up on his grandparents’.

Either way, Buck was glad that things seemed to be returning to normal with him and his two favorite people. After all they had been through, they deserved every happiness in the world.

“So what movie are we watching this time?” Eddie asked as he put the popcorn on the table.

“I thought we said we were doing “The Mummy?”

Eddie frowned. “Isn’t he a little young for that?”

“I think it should be fine.” Buck thought about it. “Yeah, should be fine.”

“That does not make me feel confident about this movie being fine.”

“But if he gets scared, we can always change to a different movie.”

“Fair point, ” Eddie gave Buck a teasing look. Plus, someone got him interested in ancient Egypt.”

“I have no clue what you mean.” Buck tried his best to look innocent.

“So, you didn’t get him the Kane Chronicles?”

“…those books are amazing and Rick Riordan is a national treasure.”

Eddie laughed at that as Chris came into the room.

“Are we ready?” He asked, eyes wide with excitement.

“Nearly there, Superman,” Buck assured him, Chris sitting on the couch with a happy sigh.

“Good.” He looked between Buck and his dad. “I’ve missed this.”

Buck felt a lump rise in his throat, and he forced it back down, smiling at him. “I’ve missed this, too.”

He really had. The last few months without Buckley-Daiz hangouts had been torture for him.

Buck sat next to Chris on one side, and Eddie sat on the other.

“So, let’s watch the Mummy,” Eddie said, looking down at Chris. “But if it’s too scary for you, we can shut it off.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “Dad, just hit play.”

Buck stifled a laugh at Eddie’s expression, Eddie rolling his eyes at Buck.

“Sir, yes, sir.” Eddie hit play, and Buck settled in with his popcorn.

Buck took a bite and frowned, looking down at his bowl.

Kettle corn popcorn, his favorite.

Eddie hated kettle corn with the passion of a thousand suns. To Eddie, popcorn was meant to be salty and buttery.

But he got kettle corn for Buck.

“Everything okay?” Eddie asked, giving Buck a look.

Buck grinned. “Everything is perfect.”

Eddie smiled at Buck, and then they both turned to the movie.

~~

As it turned out, that movie was far gorier than Buck had remembered. Buck looked away from the screen at times, and Eddie did the same.

Chris didn’t have a problem with it, though, claiming it wasn’t that bad.

…Maybe Eddie had a point about keeping a better eye on what Chris was doing online.

Once the gory stuff was over, though, Buck found himself enjoying the movie.

He hadn’t seen it in a few years, and some parts resonated with him more now.

Like when Rick did everything he could to save Evie, Buck was reminded of the well and the sniper and how he would have done anything to save Eddie.

All in all, though, Buck was glad they were doing this. It had been too long since he had been able to hang out with Eddie and Chris alone, the way things used to be.

“Man, I haven’t seen that movie in forever, ” Eddie sighed after Chris went to bed. Adriana used to make us watch it every movie night she could.”

“She liked Egyptology that much?”

“She liked Brendan Fraser that much.” Eddie corrected him, and Buck laughed.

“Well, who didn’t?” Buck flushed, realizing what he said.

Eddie gave Buck an odd look. “I didn’t know you liked men.”

“Yeah, I do.” Buck shifted in his seat, looking away for a moment. “That’s not a problem, is it?”

Eddie gave Buck a look. “No, of course not.”

“Okay, good.” Buck had to admit he was relieved. He didn’t think Eddie would have taken that badly, but he’d been burned before.

They sat on the couch a moment longer before Eddie yawned.

“I don’t even know why I’m tired; all I did was PT.”

“PT is tiring and you know it,” Buck pointed out. “You should go to bed if you need to rest.

Eddie nodded and then paused for a moment. Buck, why don’t you just sleep in bed with me from now on?”

Buck blinked at Eddie. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Not like I have a girlfriend to complain about it anymore.”

“I’m sorry about what happened with Ana,” Buck told Eddie as he followed him back to the room.

“I’m not,” Eddie told him, Buck raising his eyebrow at that. “If she was comfortable making me choose between her and my best friend after only dating for a few months, imagine what she would have been like after a year.”

“I see your point,” Buck paused at the entrance to his room. “Even so, I don’t have to sleep in here. I didn’t even have a hard shift today.”

“Buck, ” Eddie looked at him. “Stop lying. I bought that couch. I know it’s not comfortable to sleep on. And I have a big bed that can fit both of us. So quit arguing with me.”

Buck was about to fire off a retort, but the intensity in Eddie’s eyes silenced him. And he was tired. Maybe one more night in here wouldn’t matter. He could always refuse tomorrow.

Besides, it wasn’t like sleeping in Eddie’s room could make him fall more in love with him. Buck was pretty sure that wasn’t possible.

“Okay.” He finally said, getting his toothbrush and brushing his teeth.

Before long, he found himself sliding into bed next to Eddie, sneaking a glimpse at Eddie’s profile as the other man fell asleep.

He was the most beautiful man he’d ever seen inside and out.

Buck knew this couldn’t last forever. Of course, it couldn’t. He’d have to return to his apartment soon, and Eddie would find someone else before long.

But he also knew that he would treasure every moment like this they could have. Because as far as he knew, every moment could be his last.

~~

Today had been a long day for Buck. Work had dragged on for an eternity, and he was glad to come home to Eddie and Chris. Eddie’s recovery was going well, and Buck knew it was only a matter of time before Eddie didn’t need him anymore. In truth, he dreaded that.

Being here with Eddie and Chris made Buck feel at peace. He didn’t know how he was supposed to return to his loft after this.

He had started to fall asleep next to Eddie when the images flashed through his head again.

The gunshot. Eddie on the ground. Locking eyes under the fire truck. Pulling him to safety. His eyes closing in the truck, maybe for the last time.

Buck slipped out of bed, trying not to wake Eddie. He deserved his rest, especially after everything.

He found himself in the kitchen, a glass of water in his hand as he tried to put the events of that day out of his head. He was sure it wouldn’t work, though.

He didn’t think he would ever be able to forget what he had seen that day.

As he settled on the couch, he heard a noise from behind him. He stiffened, on high alert, as he looked over his shoulder.

“Hey.” Eddie came around the corner. “What are you doing up?” Eddie paused, narrowing his eyes. “You better not be sleeping on the couch, Buck. You need a good night’s sleep after the day you had.”

Buck sighed, relieved that it was just Eddie. Even though the sniper had been caught a month before, Buck was still on high alert. He wasn’t sure that it would go away for a while or if it would even go away at all.

“Just thinking.” Buck tried to straighten up. “I just have a lot on my mind, that’s all.”

Eddie didn’t seem convinced. “Buck, if something is going on, just talk to me.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing if it’s keeping you up.” He gave him a look. “Spill.”

Buck sighed. “Eddie…” he paused for a moment, shaking his head.

“What?”

Buck decided to go for it. “What do you remember about getting shot?”

Eddie blinked, clearly not expecting that. “That’s what’s been keeping you up?”

“Yeah,” Buck said, before shaking his head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have bright it up, you’ve got enough shit going on–”

“Buck,” Eddie stopped him. It’s okay. It might do me some good to talk about it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Not really. But when am I ever?”

Eddie sighed, sitting on the couch as Buck turned to face him. “In truth, I don’t remember a lot. There was a searing pain. It felt like I got hit by a bus, and I was still standing.” Buck felt a chill run down his spine at Eddie’s words. “I remember falling and locking eyes with you under the truck. And then everything got dark.” Eddie scoffed. “And I thought, this is it. This is the last moment of my life.” Eddie took a sip of water. “Then I woke up in the hospital.”

“And that was it?”

That was it. Eddie paused, “Except for one thing. I remember you under the engine pulling me to safety.”

Buck felt his cheeks grow hot.

“I just did what anyone else would do.” Buck tried to brush it off, but Eddie wasn’t having it.

“Buck, you haven’t done maintenance on the underside of an engine since your accident. You barely go near it outside of calls.” Eddie pointed out. “But you got back under one to save my life.”

“Of course I did,” Buck said, not getting why Eddie was making such a big deal out of this. “I had to get you out of there, and he was still firing. Under the engine was the only way.”

“Buck–”

“You would have died if I hadn’t. I couldn’t let that happen, Eddie. Not to anyone, and especially not to you.”

Eddie got a strange look in his eyes. “Why especially not me?”

Buck froze. “What?”

“You said you especially couldn’t let it happen to me. Why is that?”

“I mean, you’re my best friend.”

“Is that the only reason?”

Buck sighed. After all this time, it could be better to come out and say it. Hopefully, their friendship would survive Eddie not feeling the same way.

“No. It’s not.” Eddie was silent as he spoke. “I love you, Eddie. I have for a while. I couldn’t let you die without trying to save you.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide. “Buck—”

“You don’t have to say anything.” Buck sighed, turning away. “I know you don’t feel the same, and that’s–”

Buck felt Eddie’s hand on his chin, turning his face. Before he knew what was happening, Eddie’s lips were crashing into his.

Buck responded to the kiss without thinking, deepening it as he pressed against Eddie. The two of them moved together as though they’d been doing this all their lives. Buck opened his mouth, almost groaning in the kiss as Eddie took control. He wanted to stay like this forever, just him and Eddie.

And then he realized what he was doing, practically ripping himself away from Eddie in his haste to separate.

“Buck?” Eddie’s eyes were filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Buck echoed, running a hand through his hair. “I just kissed my straight best friend, that’s what’s wrong.” he started to babble, the words jumping and running over themselves in the way out of his mouth. “Eddie, I’m so sorry. I never meant to do that, I swear. I would never–”

“Buck.” Eddie grabbed his hands, forcing Buck to stop moving. “I kissed you. Not the other way around.”

Buck blinked at Eddie. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” There was an amused glint in Eddie’s eyes. “And I’m not straight, for the record.”

Buck felt his eyes widen. “Oh.”

“Is that all you can say right now?”

“Kinda?” Buck huffed out a breath. “This is confusing.”

“I guess so.”

Buck had to make sense of this. He had to make sure he wasn’t misunderstanding what Eddie was saying. He couldn’t survive getting his hopes up like that, only to have them crushed. “So, you meant to kiss me?”

“Yeah, I did.” Eddie’s thumb swept a comforting half circle across the back of Buck’s hand. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while. I just never thought I’d have the chance.”

Buck cocked his head in confusion. “But what about Ana?”

Eddie let out a sigh. “Ana was… me trying to move on from you. I never thought you’d feel the same way, so I tried to fall out of love with you and into love with her.” he shook his head. “It didn’t work. I don’t think anyone could fall out of love with you so easily.”

Buck understood what he was saying, even with his head spinning, Eddie’s confession. Falling out of love with Eddie wasn’t easy for Buck either. He’d tried for a year and wasn’t able to do it.

It would have been easier for Buck to stop breathing than it would have been to stop loving Eddie.

The two of them sat silently for a moment, and then Buck spoke.

“When did you know you loved me?”

Eddie furrowed his brow if I thought about it. “I think I had some idea after the tsunami, but I didn’t realize it until after the well.” Eddie gave Buck a soft look. “Lena sent me a video of you after the lightning strike.”

Buck felt heat rush to his face. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Eddie seemed to find Buck’s embarrassment amusing. “I knew then that I loved you, but never thought you could feel the same. So, I decided that if I couldn’t give you the heart inside my chest, the least I could do was entrust you with the one sleeping in the next room.”

Tears sprang to Buck’s eyes, and he swallowed hard. “Eddie, you didn’t know how much it meant to me for you to trust me like that.”

“Yeah, but I think my parents did.” Eddie let out a short laugh. “After I woke up, they spent every moment you weren’t around campaigning for me to change everything to them and Ana. I should have known they’d realized what I wasn’t brave enough to say.”

“I think Ana did too,” Buck said, giving him a considering look. “She told me I shouldn’t make a fuss with your parents because at the end of the day, they were your family, and my only connection to you was a shred of occupation and some ink on a page.”

Eddie stared at him for a long moment before shaking his head. “Of course she did, ” he said, looking into Buck’s eyes. “Even if I didn’t feel the way I do, she never would have been right about that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Buck.” Eddie reached up to cup Buck’s face. “Ever since I came to the 118, you’ve changed my life. I never would have made it as long as I had if you hadn’t helped me meet Carla. You stood by my side at Shannon’s funeral, you came to my graduation when you were barely out of the hospital, you saved my son in a tsunami that devastated the city, and you tried to dig through 30 feet of mud and water to save my life.” Eddie took a deep breath. “Even if I didn’t love you, you would always have been our family. Ink on a page didn’t make us a family. We did that ourselves. All the paperwork just confirmed that.”

The look in Eddie’s eyes took his breath away. Buck had dated people before, of course, but he didn’t think that anyone had ever looked at him the way Eddie looked at him.

Like he was precious and special.

Like he was truly loved.

“I feel the same way,” Buck told Eddie. “Eddie, I’ve always felt the same way.”

“I know.” Eddie cut him off. “I know you do.”

As Eddie brought his lips to meet Buck’s once more, Buck felt as though he was flying high above the clouds.

After all this time, trauma, and uncertainty, he and Eddie were together in this moment. And that was where he wanted to stay.

~~

A few months later, Bobby watched as Albert completed his final test in the LAFD Academy. He’d first met Albert as a young kid figuring himself out, and he could not be prouder of him in that moment. As he looked around at his team’s smiling faces, he felt a sense of peace at how far all of them had come. Maddie and Chimney were stronger than ever, Hen as steadfast as she’d always been, Eddie was back on the job, and Bobby had finally recovered from his injury and retaken his place as Captain of the 118.

And then there was Buck.

Buck was a boy after his own heart who’d become like a son to him in the years since he first came to the 118. He reminded Bobby of his own son at times in the way he smiled, or the way he eagerly soaked up all of Bobby’s cooking wisdom. It made him wonder if Robert Jr. would have grown up to be like Buck.

Bobby used to say the firehouse wasn’t a family, but that stopped being true the moment Buck stepped through those doors. He changed things, breaking down walls that Bobby had long since tried to forget about.

In truth, Bobby hadn’t known what to expect from adding Eddie Diaz to the 118. He hoped that at the very least Buck would have a partner, maybe even a friend. Eddie, a single father to a wonderful little boy, certainly could have used a friend like Buck. But after two years of longing looks and lingering touches, Bobby could see that it had become so much more than that.

As the leader of this firehouse family, Bobby wanted nothing more than to see that his team was happy. Maddie and Chimney were getting there after months of struggles with their mental health. Hen and Karen had healed from losing Nia, willing to open their hearts once more. Even he and Athena had moved past the troubles they’d had months before.

And then there was Buck and Eddie, the newest couple in their family. As he watched them, he saw Buck flush as he looked down at their joined hands, grinning to himself.

Yeah, something told him the two of them would be just fine.

 

 

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