Reading Time: 105 Minutes

Title: Never Enough
Series: Never Enough
Series Order: 1
Author: CorgiQueen14
Fandom: 9-1-1
Genre: Contemporary, Episode Related, Family, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship, Romance
Relationship(s): Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Background Maddie Buckley/Chimney Han
Content Rating: R
Warnings: Bad Parenting, Implied/Referenced Child Neglect, Not Maddie Buckley Friendly, Not Buckley Parents Friendly, Not Chimney Han Friendly, Slight Unfriendly Treatment of Ana Flores, Canon typical violence, Discussion: Past Violence
Beta: DarkAngel2792, Grammarly
Alpha: Twigen
Word Count: 58,106
Summary: Evan Buckley spent his entire life feeling unwanted by his parents. When he finally had enough of their apathy and left, it took years for him to find a place where he felt wanted: the 118 Firehouse in Los Angeles. What happens when his parents come to visit? How will Buck handle his new life being torn apart by a devastating secret that changes everything he’s ever known about his family?
Artist: Kylia Toreel

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Chapter 9:

Buck and Eddie were getting breakfast ready the following day when there was an insistent knocking on the front door.

“I’ll get it.” Eddie squeezed Buck’s shoulder as he moved past.

Buck heard the door open, and Eddie sighed.

“Maddie, what are you doing here?”

Buck stiffened.

“I need to see my brother.” Maddie sounded like she had been crying, which broke Buck’s heart.

“Has he asked to see you?”

“No, but I need to see him, and I need to explain.” Maddie kept crying.

Buck moved closer to the front door, Eddie now in sight.

He saw Eddie put his phone back in his pocket before turning back to Maddie.

“Maddie, he’s still processing.” Eddie sighed. “He needs time.”

“Please just ask him if he wants to see me,” Maddie demanded, her voice breaking at the end of the sentence.

Eddie shifted back, Buck now in his eye line.

He raised an eyebrow, the question being stated obvious.

‘Do you want to see her?’

Buck shook his head.

Eddie nodded once and shifted back forward.

“Maddie, he doesn’t want to see you.”

“You didn’t even ask him!” Maddie’s tone shifted from heartbroken to indignant. “Look, we need to talk this out. My parents are willing to–”

Buck felt a chill down his spine, ice water flooding his veins

“Oh, your parents? So it wasn’t just going to be you and him discussing this?” Buck saw Eddie cross his arms.

“We need to discuss this as a family,” Maddie told him, her voice losing the tearful edge. “You need to let Buck deal with his family.”

“Well, I consider Buck part of my family, and I’m the only one who seems to have his best interests at heart.”

Buck’s heart warmed at that.

“That is not true!” Maddie gasped.

“Apparently, it is.”

Buck jumped when he heard Athena’s voice.

Suddenly he realized what Eddie had been doing with his phone.

“Athena? What are you doing here?” He heard Maddie ask in astonishment.

“Eddie texted me to let me know you showed up, and luckily I was patrolling nearby,” Athena said.

Buck highly doubted that luck had anything to do with it.

“Now I have to ask you to leave.”

“But I want to see my brother.” Maddie insisted.

“And he’s made it clear to you and Chimney that he isn’t ready to see you,” Athena told her. “Not to mention you are currently trespassing on Eddie’s property. Please leave.”

Buck heard Maddie sigh.

“Okay, but please tell Evan I want to speak to him.” She said, her voice getting softer as she walked away.

“Trust me, he knows,” Eddie said dryly.

Buck heard the engine start, and someone drove away.

He heard footsteps approaching the house and went to the door just as Athena stopped on the porch.

“You okay?” She asked upon seeing Buck.

“Doing better than I was yesterday.” Buck smiled weakly.

“That’s something,” Athena said before turning to look back on the driveway. “Hopefully, she got the message.”

“Hopefully.” Buck sighed. “I’ve been sending her to voicemail, so maybe this will help it sink in.”

Athena nodded in agreement. “Well, now I’ll be back on my way. Text me if you have any more unwanted visitors.”

“We will, thanks, Athena,” Eddie said.

Athena got back into her cruiser and drove away.

Eddie turned back to Buck when she left.

“How are you, really?”

“I’m fine.” Eddie gave him a look, and Buck sighed. “I just feel guilty because she was crying, and I feel bad for not being ready to talk to her.”

“That’s not on you,” Eddie told Buck. “You need to heal in your own time.”

“I guess.” Buck wasn’t convinced, and Eddie could see that on his face.

“Why don’t you ask your therapist about it today?” Eddie suggested. “See what she thinks.”

~~

“So, that’s pretty much everything that happened since my parents came to town.” Buck chuckled nervously as he sat in front of his tablet a few hours later.

Eddie was at the grocery store, opting to give Buck some privacy

Doctor Copeland blinked at him several times, her eyes wide.

“Well, that’s certainly been a lot.” She said in her mild voice. “Have you spoken to Maddie since she told you about Daniel?”

Buck sighed.

“She’s stopped by my apartment and the firehouse to try and see me, but I’ve been out both times she tried. And then she stopped by today.”

“What happened there?”

“Eddie and Athena got her to leave. I listened to the whole thing.” Buck paused for a second. “She sounded so sad, and it made me feel guilty about not being ready to talk to her.”

“And what did Eddie have to say about that?” Doctor Copeland asked.

“He said to talk to you.” Buck chuckled. “And he also said that I need to heal on my own time and that it wasn’t on me that I wasn’t ready to talk to her.”

“He’s right.” Doctor Copeland said, causing Buck to smile. “I think we might want to discuss the possibility of you setting boundaries with Maddie and Chimney.”

“What do you mean?” Buk asked.

“Based on what you have told me, your sister tends to overstep in your life, and her boyfriend, who you work with, tends to back her up more often than not.” Doctor Copeland looked at Buck through the screen. “I think it might be beneficial to consider putting some boundaries in place to keep their interference in your life at a minimal level.”

Buck sighed.

“What did you have in mind?”

~~

Eddie was waiting for Buck when he got out of therapy with a bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry lemonade.

Buck’s heart warmed at the sight.

Eddie got his favorite guilty pleasure delivered to make him feel better after therapy.

He didn’t deserve someone as great as Eddie in his life.

“I think I’m starting to get too predictable.” Buck eyed Eddie as he sat down, pulling the plate towards himself. “Thank you.”

“Nah, I just know you,” Eddie smirked as Buck dug in. “How was therapy?”

Buck sighed, taking a sip of his drink. “She thinks I need boundaries with Maddie and Chimney.”

“She’s right,” Eddie told him.

Buck gave him a look. “I know, but it’s going to be hard.”

“Some of the best things in life are.” Eddie said, looking at Buck. “That doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.”

“Can we just talk about something else?” Buck asked.

Eddie was silent for a minute, but then–

“Have I told you that Chris has been asking for a pet?”

“He is? Really?” Buck eagerly leaned forward. “What are you going to tell him?”

“What do you think I should tell him?” Eddie asked. “What would you do?”

Buck leaned back, thinking about it for a minute.

“Well, he’s certainly responsible,” Buck mused. “I think having a pet could be good for him. And since we know how you feel about dogs–”

“I knew I shouldn’t have told you that story.”

“What about a cat?”

Eddie pondered that for a minute.

“A cat.” Eddie mused. “I think that could work.”

“We could even take him to the shelter after school today,” Buck suggested. “He could pick out a cat and have it come home by the end of the week due to the shelter’s expedited adoption policy due to covid.”

“How do you just know that?” Eddie asked, amused.

In reality, Buck had been looking into getting a cat to ease his loneliness, but he wouldn’t tell Eddie that.

“I just do.” Buck shrugged. “So what do you say?”

Buck waited with bated breath.

“Okay.” Eddie nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“Chris is going to be over the moon about this.” Buck grinned.

~~

Chris couldn’t stop bouncing in his seat on the way to the shelter.

Due to the appointment policy, they had to push the visit to the next day, but that didn’t matter to them.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Chris said excitedly.

“I can’t believe we got an appointment this quickly,” Buck said, still not believing it. “I was sure it would be hard to get an appointment.”

“Luckily, it wasn’t, or I might have had time to change my mind.” Eddie joked, smirking at the sound of dismay from both Buck and Chris.

“Dad!”

“Not cool, Eddie.”

“I was kidding,” Eddie laughed at them before entering the parking lot. “Besides, it’s too late now. We’re here.”

Buck eagerly jumped out of the car, followed closely by Chris.

They waited anxiously at the door for Eddie, Buck almost positive that he was walking slower on purpose.

When they finally got inside, Buck made a beeline for the counter.

“Hello, we have an appointment for Eddie Diaz and Evan Buckley?” he asked.

The woman checked the system and looked back at him with a broad smile.

“Yep! We have you all checked in.” She leaned over the counter, eyeing Buck up and down. “So, choosing to adopt a cat instead of rescuing one from a tree?”

Buck didn’t get what she meant at first before he looked down and realized he was wearing an LAFD shirt.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Buck rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

Suddenly Buck felt someone press against him before hearing Eddie’s warm voice in his ear.

“Yeah, I’m not a dog person, but this one convinced me to give cats a try since our kid wants a pet.” Eddie nudged Buck with his elbow. Buck flushed at the praise and how Eddie so casually called Chris their kid.

“I see.” The volunteer busied herself with her work before looking back up. “We can take you all back now if you like.”

Buck smiled at her, turning to Chris.

“You ready?”

Chris nodded eagerly, and Buck turned back to the desk.

“I think we’re ready.”

They walked down a hall until they came to a door. The volunteer stopped before they opened it, turning and speaking to them all.

“Okay, this is what we affectionately refer to as our cat cafe,” she told them, taking her hand off the handle. “All the cats in this area are fully vaccinated, socialized, and adoptable. Please let me know if you want to know anything about a specific cat.”

“What if none of them like me?” Chris asked her, his voice suddenly small.

Buck watched as the volunteer smiled and spoke directly to Chris.

“What’s your name?”

“Chris.”

“Well, Chris, I’m Debbie. And I think you’ll find the perfect cat for you here.” she smiled at him behind her mask. “I think your dads raised a lovely and polite young man, and I’m sure you will not have a problem with any of the cats disliking you so long as you let them come to you at their own pace. Okay?”

Chris nodded, seeming a little more at ease.

And with that, she pushed open the door of the room.

Buck’s eyes widened as he looked around the room, unsure where to look first.

There were couches and low tables throughout the room for people to sit on, as well as four giant cat trees in the middle. And on each available surface was a cat.

Black cats, white cats, cats of every color.

Eddie and Buck guided Chris to one of the couches, a silver tabby cat immediately padding up to Chris and butting his leg with her head.

“Why did she do that?” he asked Debbie, who laughed.

“Don’t mind Silver, that’s just how she lets you know that she likes you.”

Chris looked on, eyes wide.

He gently reached a hand down to touch Silver, laughing in surprise as she immediately started purring and pushing against him.

Eddie leaned down to pet her top, Silver also taking a shine to him.

Buck watched all this unfold, his heart warming at the sight.

Just as he became lost in the moment, he felt a weight land on his shoulder.

He jerked in alarm, turning his head to see a calico cat making its way from his shoulder to his lap, staring at him imperiously as it did so.

Buck gingerly reached out a hand to pet the cat, gratified when he wasn’t immediately bitten.

His long hair was silky smooth between Buck’s fingers, and the cat pushed into Buck as he petted him as if to demand a more thorough stroke of his fur.

Buck couldn’t believe it.

This cat looked just like the stuffed kitty Buck had as a child, down to the black spot near his nose.

He felt a lump in his throat as he petted the cat, trying to push it back.

“And it seems like you made friends with Chip,” Debbie said, sounding surprised.

Buck didn’t even look up at her, too transfixed with the creature on his lap.

“Chip?” He asked, petting the cat, who pressed itself against Buck’s shirt and kneaded his lap with its paws.

“Yeah, one of the volunteers named him,” Debbie told him. “She said he looked like the calico Beanie Baby from the 80s.”

“I can see that,” Buck gently traced a finger over Chip’s brow.

The likeness was genuinely incredible.

Buck frowned a little as he realized something else Debbie had said.

“I thought calico cats were always girls?” Buck finally looked up, confused.

“They usually are,” Debbie told him. “Chip is just special.”

Buck nodded at that, jerking his hand back when Chip’s tail started swishing back and forth.

“I think he’s mad at me,” he said, lifting both his hands.

“Oh no, he’s not,” Debbie assured him.

“But don’t cats swish their tails when they’re mad?”

“They do, but Chip is different in that way, too.” Debbie chuckled. “He likes to wag his tail like a dog. It’s a joke around here that someone put a golden retriever’s soul in a cat’s body.”

Buck laughed at that, going back to petting Chip.

Chip started to purr, a low throaty sound that made Buck want to curl up with him and listen to it forever.

“So does this mean that we get two cats, Dad?” Chris asked Eddie.

Buck jerked back to awareness, going to reassure Eddie.

“No, we’re still only getting one,” Buck told them, his hands never leaving Chip. “I’m just enjoying myself with Chip.”

Eddie seemed unconvinced and opened his mouth as if to say something.

“Really, I’m good,” Buck told him.

Eddie gave Buck a look before sighing and dropping the matter.

“Dad, I think I want Silver,” Chris told him, Eddie smiling at that. “Buck, do you want to meet her?”

Silver had migrated to Eddie’s lap by that point, so Buck stretched a hand across to stroke her.

Silver was very sweet, immediately warming to Buck from her vantage point on Eddie’s lap. She leaned forward and started grooming Chip, Chip purring in response.

“Look, your cat and mine are best friends like us!” Chris told Buck, his face lit up with excitement

“Chip’s not my cat.” Buck reminded Chris, hurrying to cheer him up as Chris’s face fell. “But I’m sure I will love her just as much as you do.”

“Okay, let’s go to the front, and then we can fill out the paperwork,” Debbie said, motioning for them to rise.

Buck was confused about why it was so quick but then remembered they were keeping the appointments short due to Covid-19.

Buck went to help Chris wash up in the bathroom while Eddie went to fill out the adoption paperwork.

By the time they were done, Eddie was still filling out forms.

“You must have the slowest handwriting imaginable.” Buck snarked at Eddie, the older man rolling his eyes.

“It’s called being neat, unlike that chicken scratch you call penmanship.”

Buck gasped, his hand going to his chest. “I can’t believe you just called out my handwriting in front of the child!”

Eddie smirked at Buck, Buck sticking out his tongue in response.

Childish, but it got the point across.

Even if Eddie couldn’t see it under the mask.

Either way, it made Buck feel better.

Eddie went to clean up while Buck and Chris waited for him.

Debbie looked excited, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

“I really think you guys are going to be happy.” She said, stamping the paperwork.

“When can we bring Silver home?” Chris asked, eyes wide behind his glasses.

“Normally, we’d do a home visit beforehand, but Mr. Diaz brought us photos of your home,” Debbie told him.

Buck was glad that he reminded Eddie to take the pictures so the adoption wouldn’t be delayed.

“So all we need is a week, and then your furry friends will be home!”

Buck wondered at the plural but was distracted by Eddie coming out of the bathroom.

“Okay, who wants burgers?” Eddie asked as he approached them.

Both Buck and Chris’s hands both shot up, Eddie barking out a laugh.

“Okay then.”

~~

Later that night, as they lay in bed, Eddie turned to Buck.

“So, what about Chip made you look so sad?”

“I didn’t look sad,” Buck argued. “He was a sweet cat.”

Eddie gave Buck a look.

“For a second, you looked sad after she mentioned the Beanie Baby. Why?”

Buck shrugged, twisting his fingers into the blankets before he spoke.

“I used to have that Beanie Baby,” Buck told him. “I had it for as long as I could remember.”

Eddie said nothing, just listening to Buck.

“I ripped off the tag at some point, but I still knew the name,” Buck said. “Maddie told me that his name was Chip and he was a very special cat. She said I would never truly be alone as long as I had him.”

“Did she give him to you?”

“I don’t know.” Buck frowned in confusion. “No one ever said who got him for me.”

“So what happened?” Eddie asked, slow and careful.

Buck sank back into the pillow, turning his head slightly so he didn’t have to look at Eddie.

“One day in high school, I came home, and Chip was gone.” Buck kept his eyes straight ahead, staring at the ceiling. “When I asked my mom, she said that she had taken him and donated him. She said that I was too old to still have my baby toys and that I shouldn’t be selfish because he would make some other kid very happy.”

There was a long silence for a moment.

“Did they get rid of Maddie’s toys too?” Eddie finally asked.

Buck snorted.

“I always thought they did,” he told Eddie, turning on his side so he could look at him. “I figured they did the same thing to her, and Maddie just took it better.”

A bitter smile twisted Buck’s lips. “And then Maddie pulled her old stuffed dog Flopsy out of her baby box, and Mom told her that ‘of course they kept it, and now her daughter could play with the same toy.’”

“Every time I think your parents have been as awful as they could be, they surprise me.” Eddie finally said with his lips thinned into a single angry line.

“They weren’t always bad,” Buck told him. “They just–”

He trailed off, realizing that, for once, he didn’t have an end to that sentence.

He had been defending them and justifying their venom towards him all his life.

To his friends, to his teachers, to Maddie.

But that was before.

Before he realized they blamed him for not being good enough to save his brother at the tender age of two.

Eddie took Buck’s hand, holding it gently between his own.

“Yes, they are Buck,” Eddie told him.

Buck sighed.

“Yeah, they are.”

And that was the last that they spoke of the Buckley parents that night, the two of them curling around each other instead.

Chapter 10:

The next day started out as well as it could.

Eddie got the final confirmation that the adoption was moving forward and told Buck and Chris about it over breakfast.

“Now, Chris, you know you need to help with Silver, okay?” Buck flashed a supporting smile at Eddie. “You need to make sure that she has fresh food and water, and you need to love her.”

“And clean the litter box,” Eddie added.

“We can help him with that,” Buck suggested.

“I knew you were going to be a pushover about this.”

“Excuse you–”

“Dads!” Chris interrupted them both. “I got this.”

Chris got up from his chair and moved to get his books together.

Buck didn’t think he would ever move again.

“Did he just call me his dad?” Buck turned to Eddie, Eddie smiling at him in response.

“Yeah, he really did.” Eddie squeezed Buck’s shoulder.

“Should I talk to him about it?” Buck asked nervously. “I mean, I’m not his dad.”

“You might as well be.” Eddie shrugged. “Now get up and get ready to work.”

Buck felt whiplash from how fast Eddie changed the subject but chose to shrug it off and get his bag together.

“Now remember, let’s just avoid Chimney today. No need to start a fight with him.” Buck said as they walked out the door.

“I promise to avoid him so long as he doesn’t start anything.”

Buck gave Eddie a look. “That is not what I asked.”

“Well, that’s the answer I gave,” Eddie said as he got into his truck, Buck following suit as he sighed.

He had a feeling this would be a long day.

~~

He was right.

At first, everything seemed to go well.

Chimney was keeping his distance from Buck, Hen helping to run interference.

The calls that morning were very routine, almost mechanical in how well the 118 responded to them.

And then it all went to hell at lunch.

Buck was shoveling Bobby’s meatloaf into his mouth when he heard the clacking of stiletto heels against the tile floor.

Buck wrinkled his nose at the sound, turning to Eddie.

“Who wears heels to a firehouse?” Buck asked, Eddie shrugging in response.

Buck took a sip of water, nearly spitting it out when he saw who was entering the loft.

His parents.

He managed to swallow, wiping off his face and straightening up.

“Hello, who might you be?” Bobby, ever the diplomat, rushed in to intercept the newcomers.

“We’re the Buckleys.” Margaret smiled with all the artless grace of an aging debutante, Bobby stiffening slightly when he heard the name.

Buck hadn’t warned him to expect them.

How could he?

That would suggest that his parents knew enough about him to care about where he worked.

Then again, his parents knew he worked with Chimney.

Buck glanced at him, only to see the other man already shaking his head.

“I didn’t tell them to come here,” Chimney whispered. “I swear.”

Buck wasn’t sure if he believed him, but it was too late either way.

“I’d like to see my son, Evan.” Philip Buckley told Bobby, cutting him off. “Alone.”

“Would it be possible for us to use your office?” Margaret asked, smiling sweetly.

“I’m sorry, but as I was saying, we really don’t allow visitors during working hours,” Bobby told them, an undercurrent of steel in his voice.

“This is ridiculous.” Philip huffed. “Howard, please inform your captain that we don’t want to take up too much of his time, and we just want to get to the bottom of this.”

Chimney rose from the table, his shoulders hunched over.

“I’m sorry.” Chimney said, face twisted with regret, “But he’s right.”

“Excuse me?” Philip’s eyes widened in shock.

“This is a place of work. You shouldn’t have come here.”

“I’ve had enough of this.” Philip scoffed.

“Evan!” Margaret looked past Bobby and saw Buck sitting at the table. “Please come here.”

Buck just wanted them gone, but he knew they wouldn’t leave unless he told them to.

Buck started to rise, Eddie beating him to it.

Eddie stormed over to the Buckleys, Buck trying to beat him there.

“How about you both get out?” Eddie said, crossing his arms as he stared the Buckley’s down.

“Excuse me?” Margaret gasped.

“Who do you think you are to speak to us this way?” Philip asked, glowering.

“I have a lot to say to you. But sure, we can start with an introduction.” Eddie squared his shoulders. “I’m your son’s best friend, and I can’t believe people like you ever raised him.”

“You need to show us some respect!” Philip’s face darkened with anger.

“Respect is earned.” Eddie lifted his chin in defiance. “And you have done nothing worth respecting.”

“Eddie, don’t,” Buck hissed, nearly drowned out by the offended noise of his parents. “I can do this.”

Eddie turned to Buck, bringing his lips to Buck’s ear.

“I know, and you will,” Eddie murmured. “But right now, I need them to hear how badly they messed up.”

Buck watched with widened eyes as Eddie squared back off against his parents.

He wondered if Eddie looked like this in the street fighting ring, coiled tight with fury and determination.

But instead of punches being thrown, it was words.

“Your son is one of the best people I have ever known.” Buck warmed at the praise even though it was the angriest Eddie had ever been. “I wish I had been stationed in Afghanistan with ten of him. He is the most loyal person I could have ever hoped to be friends with, which is why I am so shocked that two utterly heartless people like yourselves raised him.”

“How dare you judge us?” Philip finally snapped, raising his voice while Margaret gasped in shock. “Unless you’ve lost a child, I don’t expect you to understand–”

“I almost did lose a child,” Eddie told them, cutting them off at the knees. “My only son was caught in the tsunami that ravaged Santa Monica last year. And do you know why I didn’t lose my son?”

He didn’t let them answer.

“Because your son was there with him. Your son saved my boy, and even when they were separated, spent hours walking along while bleeding out from blood thinners to try and find my son again.”

Buck saw tears well in his mother’s eyes.

“Your son sacrificed everything for mine, and he was still worried he would lose me forever because he got separated through no fault of his own.” Eddie shot Buck a fierce look over his shoulder. “And after hearing about all the shit you guys put him through, I am now more sure than ever that you both never made him feel good enough for you. You blamed a toddler for being unable to cure cancer and kept doing it for twenty-six years. I would never treat my son like that or yours. Because your son? He’s incredible and fiercely kind. I don’t know how you could never see that.”

Eddie seemed to be done, so Bucks stepped up.

His parents looked at him, his mother’s eyes full of tears.

“Evan, we just want to work this out,” she said, the tears in her eyes threatening to fall. “Maddie is furious about all of this, and we just want to put our family back together.”

Buck hesitated before asking the question that had been weighing on his mind since they showed up.

“Would you even be here if Maddie wasn’t upset?”

His parents stiffened.

“Would you care that I was hurt if Maddie wasn’t also hurting?” Buck shook his head as he said that. “I don’t think you would, and I don’t think that I matter to you.”

“Evan, that’s ridiculous.”

“I don’t think it is.” Buck steeled himself before saying what came next. “I think that I stopped mattering to you when I failed to save the only son you cared about and that it’s just taken twenty-six years for us to realize that.”

His mother gasped, and his father stepped forward, fury etched into the lines of his face. “Evan, that is a horrible thing to say.” he admonished.

“It is horrible.” Buck sighed, exhausted from all of the strife of the last few days. “But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

No one knew what to say to that.

The loft of the firehouse seemed frozen, no one moving an inch.

His parents finally seemed to realize that they had started a dramatic scene in public, and Buck could see they were beginning to regret that.

He just wished they regretted everything else they’d done to him.

“I don’t want to ever see you again,” Buck told them. “You and me? We’re done.”

“Evan, please–”

“No.” Buck was firm, though he softened at the sight of new tears in his mother’s eyes.

He took a step forward, his parents watching his every move.

“I’m sorry that your son died,” Buck told him. “I’ll likely never know how heartbreaking that was for you, so I can’t judge you for grieving him.”

Buck took a deep breath.

“But I judge you for everything else. I judge you for not caring enough to go to a single parent-teacher conference or a single football game and for only doing the bare minimum of what was needed to not look bad in front of all your friends. I judge you for leaving me to fend for myself for two months in high school. And when that ladder truck exploded and I nearly lost my leg..” Buck steeled himself for this last part. “I judge you for not even bothering to get on a plane or check in on me. I realized then that you truly didn’t care if I lived or died, and now I need to stop caring about you.”

“Evan, stop this.” his father said as his mother started to cry.

“You both are my parents, and I love you.” Buck’s parents brightened at that. “But I don’t like you, not even a little. So please leave. Maddie will still want to see you. I just won’t be around when she does.”

“If you do this, you can forget about being in our will.” His father played the last card that he had. “You’ll get nothing from us.”

Buck shook his head slightly.

“Don’t you get it?” He didn’t bother waiting for an answer. “I don’t want anything from either of you.”

Buck turned and walked to do the dishes, not even looking over his shoulder as his parents were escorted out of the firehouse.

He didn’t care anymore.

Or at least he was working on not caring.

He figured he’d be working on it for a long time.

Buck kept washing dishes as Eddie sidled up next to him.

Eddie grabbed a pan, scrubbing it before putting it in the dishwasher.

“You okay?” Eddie asked.

Buck sighed, scrubbing the meatloaf pan.

“Not yet, but I will be.”

Eddie was silent for a long moment.

“I’m proud of you,” Eddie told him. “I know that wasn’t easy.”

“You made it a little easier by going off on them.” Buck cracked a wry smile at Eddie. “Thanks for coming up with all that.”

Eddie frowned at him.

“I didn’t come up with any of it. It was all true.”

“I doubt I’m the best man you’ve known.” Buck joked at Eddie.

Eddie grabbed Buck’s hand as he reached for another dish.

Buck turned to Eddie, lips parting in surprise.

“Without question.” Eddie looked at Buck, his eyes not blinking as they stared straight into Buck’s soul. ‘You’re the best person anyone has ever known. I’m just lucky I get to exist at the same time as you.”

Buck laughed slightly before it trailed off, silenced by the earnestness in Eddie’s eyes.

The two of them drew ever closer until the alarm went off.

Buck jumped away, Eddie dropping Buck’s wrist as if it burned him.

Shutting off the faucet, Buck followed Eddie onto the firetruck.

He caught his breath as they pulled out of the firehouse.

Something had shifted between them, and Buck wasn’t sure what that meant.

But for now, he pushed it out of his mind and focused on the accident they were driving towards.

Buck got out of the engine, Eddie by his side like always.

As they moved towards the accident, Buck felt everything slip away from his mind until all that was left was him and Eddie, working as a team.

Exactly as it should be.

~~

Later that night, they sat on the couch with Chris watching a movie.

Chris turned to Buck as the movie started.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes wide behind his glasses. “You seem sad.”

Buck took a second to answer, trying to figure out the best way to explain what was happening to a child.

“I’m a little sad, but I’ll be okay.” Buck finally said. “My parents came to town and said things I didn’t like.”

“I’m sorry,” Chris said, moving closer to Buck.

“It’s okay, Superman.” Buck pulled him closer for a brief moment. “This right here is all I need.”

Chris smiled at that before turning to Eddie.

“Dad, Buck’s part of our family, right?”

Buck tried not to look at Eddie as he wanted for the response.

“Of course he is,” Eddie told Chris.

Buck turned to face Eddie.

Eddie seemed to read the expression on Buck’s face and smiled, reaching to squeeze his shoulder.

“Like it or not, you’re stuck with us.” Eddie winked at Buck as the movie started.

That was all they said, but Buck couldn’t stop thinking about what Eddie had said.

Being stuck with the Diaz family was precisely where Buck wanted to be.

Nothing would make him happier.

~~

Later that night, Buck was falling asleep when Eddie spoke.

“I’m sorry for starting in on your parents.” he sighed, Buck barely able to see him in the dim light from the window. “I wanted so badly to be the bigger person, but their overbearing attitudes just got me so mad.”

“It’s okay. I know the feeling,” Buck told him. “I get mad at the way they act too.”

Buck smirked as a wicked thought came to him.

“Besides, you’re not exactly tall enough to be the bigger person.”

Buck could see Eddie turning his head towards Buck.

“Are you seriously calling me short when I’m trying to have a serious conversation?”

“I’m just saying.” Buck shrugged and then yelped when he was hit in the face with a pillow.

“Asshole,” Eddie said, laughing slightly.

Buck laughed too, and then the room fell silent once more.

“Thank you for standing up to them for me.” He finally said. “I know I said it earlier, but thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Buck,” Eddie said softly. “I’d have your back any day. You know that.”

Buck pulled up the covers to hide his smile.

“Yeah, I do.”

~~

Buck was quieter than usual during his session with Doctor Copeland the next day.

“What’s on your mind, Evan?”

Buck hesitated for a moment, then sighed.

“Is it wrong that I keep checking my phone to see if they’ve called?” Buck asked. “I know they won’t. I know they’ll probably never speak to me again, but I can’t stop looking to see if they’ve called.”

“It’s not weird.” She gave him a gentle smile. “You spent your whole life trying to get their approval, and it must be hard to finally be free of that. But I think you’re doing yourself a disservice if you expect them to change. Your parents are set in their ways, and you need to maintain your boundaries to make sure you are okay.”

“I get that.” Buck smiled weakly at her. “I might just need you to keep reminding me of that.”

“Of course, that’s what I’m here for.” Doctor Copeland paused for a second. “Have you given any thought to what I said about Maddie?”

“A bit.” Buck sighed, shifting in his seat. “She’s been laying off contacting me for the last few days, but I feel like that’s going to end sooner rather than later.”

“What do you think you want to do about it?”

“I think that sometime next week, I’m going to have to talk with her and Chimney.” Buck told her. “I think we need to clear the air and that I need to set clear expectations on what I need going forward.”

“I think that’s a great idea.” she beamed while writing something down. “How’s your week been going other than that? You mentioned going to the animal shelter. Did you find a cat you liked?”

“I did, but we ended up just getting a cat for Chris,” Buck told her.

“I thought you had talked about getting a cat before?”

“I had, but I’m fine,” Buck said. “Silver is a sweet cat, and I’m sure we’ll get along great. I don’t need a cat just for me.”

Doctor Copeland pursed her lips and didn’t say anything else on the matter.

~~

Two days later, Buck and Eddie were engaging in teamwork of a very different kind.

Or at least they would be if Eddie didn’t keep taking Chris’ side against his.

“Chris, we already got a cat bed.” Buck tried to reason with the ten-year-old. “We don’t need another one.”

“But what if it’s not good enough?” Chris argued. “We need a second one.”

Buck looked at Eddie for help, only to find the traitor in question smirking behind his mask and nodding.

“We need two cat beds,” Eddie told Buck.

Buck groaned, throwing it into the cart.

Chris had already moved ahead, which left Buck to try and reason with Eddie.

“I know you haven’t had a cat before, but this is too much stuff for one cat.” Bucks tried to appeal to Eddie’s logical side. “We already got two litter boxes.”

“We need three litter boxes,” Eddie told him.

“Eddie, the internet says we need one litter box per cat and an extra one,” Buck told him. “Why do we need three litter boxes for one cat?”

Eddie seemed at a loss and then looked at Buck.

“In case one breaks.”

Buck pinched the bridge of his nose, the scratchy fabric of his mask rasping against his fingers.

“How is the box going to break?”

“It just could.” Eddie finally said.

Buck sighed.

“I’m not getting you to get rid of the third box, am I?”

“Nope,” Eddie said before the front of his mask poked out a bit.

Buck rolled his eyes, recognizing what Eddie was doing.

“Sticking out your tongue? How childish.”

“You started it at the shelter,” Eddie told him.

Before Buck could retort, Chirs came around the corner with a basket full of toys and what looked like…

“Are these leashes and harnesses?” Buck asked in confusion, lifting one.

“Yeah! So we can walk them!”

Buck frowned at that, noticing a couple of different harnesses in the basket.

“Why do we need two?”

“In case one breaks.” Eddie quickly said.

Okay, something was up.

“You’re very concerned with things breaking all of a sudden.” Buck turned to Eddie.

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“You used the same coffeemaker until it was past breaking.”

“And now I know better.”

“It’s just a little shocking coming from the guy who only had one pot and one pan before I moved in,” Buck told him.

“That’s all I needed.”

“But the cat needs wardrobe options?” Buck crossed his arms and stared Eddie down.

“Yes,” Eddie said, refusing to elaborate.

Buck pinched the bridge of his nose again.

“This is going to be the most spoiled cat in Los Angeles,” he said to himself.

“Hate to break it to you, but all cats are spoiled.” Eddie elbowed Buck teasingly before grabbing the basket from Chris.

Buck watched as a cascade of toys tumbled into the cart, the tinkling of little bells following them before eventually settling.

He clearly wasn’t going to get any answers out of them.

Buck looked at Eddie and Chris, sighing.

“Fine, I’ll stop trying to curtail you guys.”

The two of them high-fived and moved out of the aisle, Buck following them.

“But I draw the line at getting the cat her own Instagram account!”

~~

“So what was all that in the store today?” Buck asked Eddie when they lay in bed together that night. “It seemed like you were more excited than Chris was.”

“It was fun.” Eddie shrugged, a half-smile gracing his face. “It was like what Shannon and I did before Chris was born. Maybe I’m just excited about adding a new member to the family. Is that weird?”

“No, I thought it was very cute how you and Chis bonded over getting the cat all she could ever need in her life,” Buck told Eddie, smiling when he remembered how intently Eddie had looked at the variety of cat brushes before deciding on the best brush for Silver’s fur.

Buck didn’t have the heart to tell him that all the cat brushes were pretty much the exact same, just in different colors.

Not to mention, SIlver was a shorthaired cat.

There would be no tangles to brush out.

Buck just let Eddie have his fun and kept the receipt in case they needed to return it.

“You thought I was cute?” Eddie asked.

“For sure,” Buck told him, blushing as he realized what he had said.

“I just meant that it was nice to see you being so attentive to Chris and helping him pick out everything for his cat.” Buck finally ended up saying. “It’s sweet to see how excited he is about Silver coming home tomorrow.”

“I hope you’re excited too.” Eddie looked at Buck more fully. “This is your house as much as it is ours.

“I’m definitely excited to officially meet the newest furry addition to the Buckley-Diaz household,” Buck told him, smiling in reassurance.

“Great, because Chris wants you to wait here as the welcoming committee tomorrow.”

Buck laughed at that.

“I will be an excellent welcoming committee,” Buck told Eddie. “I don’t think there’s enough time to get a little kitty cake, though.”

“I suppose a can of tuna will have to suffice.” Eddie sighed like it was some great hardship.

“This will be the most spoiled cat in the world.” Buck snorted, nudging Eddie with his elbow.

“I hate to break it to you, but all cats are the most spoiled cats in the world,” Eddie said, and Buck snorted.

“I once heard that cats were worshipped as gods in Ancient Egypt,” Buck told Eddie.

“And they’ve clearly never forgotten that.” Eddie quipped, Buck nudging him with his elbow again.

“You are impossible.” Buck groaned as he rolled over to turn off the light. “I’m going to bed.”

Buck felt Eddie roll towards him, putting a hand on his hip.

“Sweet dreams, Buck,” Eddie said before removing his hand and rolling over.

Buck lay there for a while longer, still feeling Eddie’s touch.

It burned like someone had pressed a brand into his skin.

Eddie had been doing that more often over the last few days.

Casually touching him, lingering when they passed each other, sitting closer together when they were on the couch after a long day.

Buck wanted to ask what it all meant, but at the same time, he didn’t.

Asking could mean that it all stopped. And that was the last thing Buck wanted.

Chapter 11:

The next day, Buck was setting up the food and water for the newest member of the Diaz family.

Eddie and Chris had told him the importance of having multiple food and water bowls, and he did his best to follow their instructions.

He found it adorable, even if he was pretty sure they were overdoing it by a massive amount.

He had just finished filling the litter boxes when his phone rang.

He pulled it out, answering it without even looking at the display.

“Hey, are you almost home yet?” Buck asked, assuming it was Eddie.

The line was silent for a long moment, and then Buck heard “Evan.”

He stiffened, realizing who was on the line.

“Hi, Maddie.” He winced as he greeted her, wanting to hang up the phone but knowing that would be a bad idea.

“It’s good to hear your voice,” Maddie said, Buck hearing the awkwardness in her voice.

“You too.” Buck tried to find a way to end the conversation. “I can’t really talk now, but–”

“Evan, it’s been days,” Maddie told him. “We need to discuss this.”

“I know, but now is not a good time,” Buck told her. “I’m in the middle of something.”

“Evan, please,” Maddie asked, Buck hearing a hitch in her breath. “It’s taken me days to speak with you, don’t hang up on me. Don’t shut me out.”

Buck flopped on the couch. “Maddie, I’m not shutting you out. I’m just asking for time to come to terms with all this.”

“How much time?”

“I don’t know.” Buck pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know we need to talk eventually, you, me, and Chimney.”

“Shouldn’t we keep this between us, no outside people?” Maddie asked, confusion in her voice.

“Maddie, Chimney became part of this when you told him about Daniel before you even thought to tell me.” Buck snapped before immediately regretting it.

“I’m sorry, that came out wrong,” Buck said, trying to be calm. “But I think it’s important that the three of us all sit down and figure out a way forward.”

Maddie was silent for a long while, and then Buck heard her take a shuddering breath.

“Okay, when?” Maddie asked.

“How about next Sunday?” Buck suggested. “We should be off that day.”

“Evan, that’s over a week away,” Maddie told him. “Why can’t we meet today?”

“Because I’m busy today,” Buck told her firmly. “And I figure we could all use the time to make sure we come into this with clear heads.”

Maddie was silent for a moment and then spoke.

“Okay, fine,” she said, Buck practically hearing her frown through the phone. “Will you come over?”

“I guess.” Buck would instead have done it at Eddie’s place or the loft but figured getting Maddie to wait was enough of a victory.

“Okay, I’ll see you then.”

“See you then.” Buck hung up the phone and sagged back into the couch.

That could have gone better.

He was hoping he’d have more time. At least a week or two before she contacted him.

At least he had another week.

And at least his parents wouldn’t be there.

Probably.

Hopefully.

Maddie wouldn’t surprise him with them twice in a row, right?

Not after how bad things went last time.

Buck started panicking at the idea, so he closed his eyes.

He took a few deep breaths, letting his breathing even out as his heart rate slowed.

He could do this,

He could do this even if Maddie brought his parents back into it.

At least, he hoped that he could.

Before Buck could overthink it, he heard the front door open.

“Hey guys, welcome back!” Buck got up from the couch and started to move towards the door.

“No! Stay back!” Chris told him.

Buck froze where he was.

“Buck, Chris wants you to sit on the couch and close your eyes,” Eddie told Buck, Buck hearing a grin in Eddie’s voice.

“Why?” Buck sat back down on the couch, confused. “I’ve already met Silver.”

“Just please do it?” Eddie asked.

Buck rolled his eyes before closing them, covering his eyes with his hands so he wouldn’t be tempted to peek.

He wasn’t sure what Chris was up to, but he was willing to play along.

“Are your eyes closed?” Buck heard Chris ask.

“Yes,” Buck said, shaking his head in amusement.

“Are you sure?”

“I promise, Superman, my eyes are closed.”

Buck heard two sets of footsteps make their way toward him and the sound of a cage door being unlocked.

Buck started in surprise as something was plopped onto his hap, his hands immediately going to steady it, eyes remaining closed.

The lump on his lap started to purr, and Buck realized it was the cat.

“Can I open my eyes now?” Buck asked, stroking Silver.

“Okay, open them,” Eddie said from right in front of Buck.

Buck opened his eyes and looked at Eddie, who was grinning like an idiot.

Buck wasn’t sure why until he looked down at his lap.

He froze.

This was not Silver.

Chip rubbed his head against Buck’s chest, his long tail wagging back and forth as Buck stared at him.

“What happened to Silver?” Buck asked, confused.

Eddie motioned to the side and Buck turned his head to see Chris and Silver getting reacquainted.

“We wanted to get you a cat, too, Buck!” Chris said, looking up at Buck with a wide smile. “Do you like him?”

Buck felt a lump in his throat.

“I love him, Superman, thank you.” Buck managed to say, Chip headbutting Buck in demand of Buck petting him more.

Chris smiled at that and got to his feet.

“I’m going to show Silver my room!” Chris said as he moved out of the room, Silver daintily trailing along after him.

Buck sat on the couch, still stunned at how everything had turned out.

Eddie sat next to him on the couch, Chip jumping off of Buck’s lap onto the back of the couch.

“Well, at least now I know you aren’t really that anal about how many cat beds and litter boxes we have.” Buck joked, Eddie chuckling at that.

“Yeah, we couldn’t tell you why we were getting double of everything because we didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“Makes sense.” Buck nodded, shifting around on the couch so he was facing Eddie.

Eddie did the same, the two just inches from each other.

“Was this a good surprise?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah, it was.” Buck smiled at him. “How did it come about, though? I thought we agreed on only getting Silver?”

“Well, when you and Chris went to wash up, I asked Debbie about Chip,” Eddie told him. “She said that he’d been there for close to four years and was the sweetest cat in the world but that he wasn’t getting adopted because people found him too affectionate for a cat.”

“Why even bother getting a pet if you don’t want them to be affectionate?” Buck asked, irritated at that.

Chip nudged his hand, and Buck returned to petting him, his arm draped over the back of the couch.

“Exactly my point.” Eddie pointed at him before continuing to speak. “I saw how well you two got along, and despite you wanting Chris to be happy, I remember that it was your idea to go to the shelter in the first place. So I asked if we could put in an application to adopt Chip as well.”

Eddie hesitated. “And then you told me about what happened to your little stuffed cat growing up, and I knew I was right to do it. Buck, nothing that has happened to you has been fair. You deserved something that was all yours and that no one could ever take away.”

As Eddie spoke, Buck realized something.

Eddie got him.

He truly got everything that made Buck, Buck.

He adopted a cat, something that would only add to their workload, just to make Buck happy.

The longer Eddie spoke, the more Buck realized what he needed to do.

“Buck?” Eddie asked, looking uncharacteristically nervous. “You haven’t said anything in a while. Did I go too far?”

Before Eddie could say anything else, Buck grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a kiss.

Buck could feel Eddie jerk in surprise, and for a brief moment, he worried he had gone too far.

But then Eddie relaxed into the kiss, lips gently moving in perfect unison with Buck’s.

Buck wrapped his other arm around Eddie, his hand coming to rest on the back of his neck as Eddie did the same.

For a brief shining moment, everything was perfect and still.

There was no drama, no crazy parents or overbearing sisters.

It was just Buck and Eddie, moving as one.

Chip meowed loudly in Buck’s ear, and the two were startled apart by that.

Buck slowly opened his eyes, a smile spreading across his face

Eddie looked unsure of what had happened until Buck touched his cheek.

Eddie leaned into the touch, and Buck smiled at him

“I love you too,” Buck said softly.

“I didn’t say that.” Eddie softly responded. “At least, not yet.”

“But you showed it.” Buck gestured at Chip. “And that means the world to me.”

Eddie smiled at that and leaned in to kiss Buck again.

The two of them lingered there for a moment before Buck pulled away with a sigh.

“We should probably go get Chris and Silver,” Buck told Eddie. “We should show the cats where everything is to make the transition easier.”

“Already, you’re an amazing pet owner,” Eddie said.

Buck laughed at that.

Later that night, Eddie and Buck lay in bed facing each other.

Chip lounged across the bottom of the bed, his tail happily swishing back and forth

“How did the rest of the 118 react to the news?” Eddie asked, seeing Buck on his phone.

Buck flipped the screen around, showing everyone’s reaction to the cute new kitties.

Karen and May responded with heart-eye emojis, and Hen congratulated them on the new additions.

Bobby and Athena asked that they not give Harry any ideas about getting a cat, which just made Buck laugh.

He could see them with a furry addition to their house one day.

Chimney didn’t say anything and just liked the image.

“I see Chimney talked to Maddie,” Eddie said, Buck having filled him in on Maddie’s earlier call.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Buck knew he was likely still upset about Buck refusing to talk with Maddie just yet.

“I just hope he doesn’t make a big thing about it at work tomorrow.”

“It’s not your fault if he does.” Eddie reminded Buck. “Chimney is an adult. He knows how to separate the personal from the professional.”

“I know, you’re right.” Buck groaned, flopping back on the pillow.

“Of course I am. I’m always right,” Eddie smirked, Buck laughing in response.

Buck reached out a hand, grabbing Eddie’s hand and holding it.

“I never thought this would happen,” he said quietly, looking at their intertwined fingers. “I never thought you’d be interested in me like this.”

“Because you thought I was straight?” Eddie asked. “I’ve always liked men. I’ve just never wanted to be with one before now.”

Buck shrugged.

“That and I never thought you’d be interested in me specifically,” he said softly. “I mean, I’m just me.”

Buck felt Eddie put a hand under his chin, lifting his head until his eyes met Eddie’s.

“You’re the man who looked at a struggling single father and offered to help,” Eddie told him, an intensity to his gaze. “You’re the man who looked for my son for hours through a natural disaster while bleeding out from blood thinners.”

Buck felt tears well up in his eyes.

“And you’re the kindest, most amazing man I’ve ever met,” Eddie said. “How could I not fall in love with you?”

Buck leaned forward to kiss Eddie, too overcome with emotion to speak.

They pulled apart after a long moment, and Buck smiled as he thought of something.

“What is it?” Eddie asked.

“I just realized that we got a cat together, we’ve kissed, we sleep in the same bed, and yet we’ve never even dated.” Buck laughed at that. “We’re doing everything out of order.”

Eddie laughed at that.

“How about after shift tomorrow?” Eddie asked. “For our date.”

“Like a breakfast date?” Buck asked.

Eddie immediately shook his head.

“No, a dinner date that night.”

“Does it matter what time we go out on a date?” Buck laughed.

“Yes, it does.” Eddie propped himself up, staring at Buck. “You don’t deserve a breakfast date when we’re exhausted after a long shift. You deserve dinner at a nice restaurant, where I bring you flowers, and we walk along the beach afterward. You deserve to get enough chocolate on Valentine’s Day that you have a cavity by the end of the month. You deserve everything, Buck, and I will give it to you.”

Buck smiled at that.

“No one’s ever told me I deserve something like that before,” Buck said softly.

“Well, you do.” Eddie kissed Buck lightly on the tip of his nose, Buck squeaking in surprise. “You deserve it, and I’m going to give it to you.”

Buck smiled.

“Do you want to tell people at work right away?” Eddie asked after a long silence.

Buck didn’t know what to say, so he tried to buy himself some time.

“What do you want to do?”

The look on Eddie’s face made it clear that wasn’t going to work.

“Buck, I don’t care what we do. I just want you to be comfortable with whatever we do.” Eddie told him. “So what do you want to do?”

Buck bit his lip, worrying it between his teeth.

“I don’t want to tell anyone just yet. Except for Chris, we should tell him tomorrow.”

Eddie nodded at that.

“Not because I’m ashamed or anything.” Buck rushed to say. “It’s just… Everyone at work has been talking about me and my drama for days. I just want a few days where they aren’t talking about me. Does that make sense?”

“It makes perfect sense,” Eddie told him. “And that’s exactly what we’ll do.”

“Thank you for understanding.” Buck squeezed Eddie’s hand.

“I told you. I’d always have your back.” Eddie leaned in to give Buck another soft kiss. “Now, let’s go to bed.”

“Good call.” Buck let go of Eddie’s hand and laid down, squirming until he got comfortable. “I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

“On the bright side, Chris should take it well,” Eddie told him.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because when I told him you were going to stay with us, he asked if we were dating.”

Buck chuckled at that. “Your kid is way smarter than both of us.”

Eddie laughed in agreement before he turned off the lights.

The two fell asleep soon after.

When Buck woke up the following day tangled up with Eddie, it was the first morning where he didn’t look at Eddie and think, “I wish I could have this.”

Instead, he looked at Eddie and thought, “I’m so lucky to have him.”

~~

That morning, Buck nervously set the kitchen table as Chris got dressed.

He picked at his food until Eddie finally nudged him with his elbow and gave him a look.

Buck nodded.

It was time.

“Chris, your dad and I have something to tell you,” Buck said, twisting a paper towel between his hands until it was a pile of shreds.

“Are you guys dating yet?”

Buck stared at Chris as Eddie choked on his orange juice.

Buck clapped him on his back, Eddie coughing as he cleared his throat.

“Yeah, we are, buddy. Are you okay with that?” Buck finally asked.

“Yep.” Chris took a big bite of cereal.

Buck looked at Eddie, unsure of what to do next.

Eddie shrugged, clearly just as clueless as Buck was.

“Okay then,” Buck said, clearing the paper towel scraps into a little pile and returning to his breakfast.

Soon it was time for them to leave for work, and Buck waved goodbye to Chris.

“See you tomorrow!” he called out, Eddie waving beside him.

“This is going to be a long day.” He told Eddie as he got into the passenger seat of the truck.

“Why do you say that?”

“Just a feeling,” Buck shrugged, not sure why.

All he knew was that he had a little niggling sensation at the back of his mind, and he was sure that something crazy would happen today.

Or was he just paranoid because of all the crap his parents had been pulling?

Either way, he was on edge.

Eddie pulled over two blocks from the firehouse.

“Eddie, what are you doing?” Buck asked, alarmed.

Eddie leaned over and pulled Buck into a kiss.

Buck melted into the embrace, only opening his eyes when they pulled apart.

“What was that for?” he asked, struggling to catch his breath.

“I just wanted to do that before I had to spend 24 hours not doing that.” Eddie grinned.

“You sap.” Buck shoved him lightly as Eddie put the car in drive.

“I can’t help it. You bring out the sap in me.” Eddie winked. “Still got that feeling?”

“Nope, just a different one,” Buck said, shifting in his seat.

Eddie laughed as they pulled into the parking lot of the firehouse.

~~

At the beginning of their shift, Buck and Eddie were tasked with restocking and checking over the equipment for the shift ahead.

“Trauma bag?” Buck asked, consulting his trusty clipboard.

“Yup.” Eddie tapped it before grabbing it.

Buck chuckled as a wicked idea came into his mind. “I’m sorry. What was that?” Buck asked, cupping a hand around his ear to hear better.

Eddie rolled his eyes and gave him a look.

“Check,” Eddie told him.

“Yeah.” Buck nodded as he looked at the next item on the list. “AED?”

“Check.” Eddie grabbed it, a twinkle in his eyes showing that he actually didn’t mind Buck bossing him around.

“Oh, no.” Buck turned to see Hen and Chimney approaching. “Who gave that guy a clipboard?”

“We all know that Buck is better than all of us at inventory,” Eddie told them, Buck preening at the praise.

“Fair enough.” Hen nodded before moving closer to Buck. “How are you doing?”

“Bit better.” Buck nodded, trying to ignore Chimney standing right behind Hen. “Maddie and I are gonna talk next week.”

“That’s good, a nice family conversation to get things straightened out,” Hen told him.

“And me, even though I’m not really family,” Chimney said.

“Well, you might as well be there.” Buck didn’t even turn to Chimney as he said that.

He hoped Chimney would get the message.

They could work together just fine if Chimney left the personal stuff at the door.

Buck hoped that he could.

He earned back some goodwill after standing up to Buck’s parents, but that didn’t make up for everything else he did.

“You’re allowed to give yourself some time, you know. To process.” Eddie said, moving to stand beside Buck, their shoulders brushing.

“I know,” Buck said before sighing. “I’m just tired of looking behind me. I’m ready to start thinking about the future.”

Buck saw the gleam in Eddie’s eyes when Buck started talking about the future.

“Fair enough.” He said, looking at Buck.

Buck looked away and saw the new B shift probie carrying his books out of the locker room.

Buck figured he might as well say hi to him. Always good to get on good terms with the new members of the 118.

He learned that the hard way after spending Eddie’s first shift acting like a cat that had gotten dunked in a pool.

“Speaking of which… Hey, Probie!” Buck shouted to the new probie.

The probie jumped a foot in the air, dropping all his books.

Buck swore and went to help him collect them.

“Don’t worry. I got it.” He waved off the probie, picking up his books and handing them back to him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“What did you mean to do then?” Eddie muttered, Buck giving him a look.

“You’re the new B-shift probie, right?” Buck asked.

“Yeah. I mean, yes, sir, my name’s Ravi.” the probie said, clearly still rattled. “Just finished my first shift.”

Which was fair.

Buck should have known better than to shout at someone like that.

He should have realized not everyone reacts well to that.

“How was it?” Buck asked, trying to be friendlier.

“Oh, it wasn’t bad.” Ravi shrugged. “It was pretty quiet.”

Chapter 12:

Buck froze.

He was hoping that he heard wrong and that Ravi didn’t say what he thought he said.

“Whoa!” Hen shouted, Buck stepping back in alarm.

“Did he just say…” Buck started to ask.

“No!” Chimney cried out.

Okay, he didn’t hear wrong. This was not going to end well.

“Sorry, I just said it was….” Ravi said, head tilting in confusion.

“Don’t say it again!” Hen warned him.

“Hold on, hold on. I don’t know. Maybe if he says it a second time, it undoes the curse.” Buck reasoned.

“Maybe if he said it a third time, the Candyman will show up and kill us all. Let’s not test that theory.” Chimney snapped.

Buck could see how confused Ravi was, so he tried to explain it.

“That word is forbidden in the firehouse… any house,” Buck told him. “We just… we don’t use the Q-word.”

“Who used the Q-word?” Buck heard Bobby ask from the loft.

He wasted no time throwing his new probie friend under the bus, pointing at him.

“What am I missing here?” Eddie asked, giving Buck a look.

Before Buck could answer, the station alarms started to go off.

“Attention, Station 118. Vehicle accident with injuries.” The loudspeaker blared.

“We’ve been jinxed,” Hen said, a dead look in her eyes.

Buck winced, knowing the rest of the shift would be hell for all of them.

“Jinxed?” Eddie scoffed. “You guys sound like my abuela’s neighbor’s curandera.”

“Well, does she happen to know how to reverse it? ‘Cause if not, we’re about to experience the shift from hell.” Chimney snarled.

“Non-stop calls all day long,” Buck said mournfully.

Eddie scoffed as they got ready and got into the engine.

“Stupid calls. Probie tempted fate. Now the EMS gods are going to make us pay.” Chimney huffed under his breath as they headed out.

“Come on. You guys don’t really believe that?” Eddie told them.

Hen chuckled. “So Buck never told you about the last time somebody used that word?”

Buck groaned, knowing where this was going. “The gods took it out of context.” He defended himself.

“We had 36 calls,” Bobby told Eddie.

“36? In one shift?” Eddie’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

“Yeah. It was a house record.” Chimney told Eddie.

“It was 37,” Buck said stubbornly.

“That one doesn’t count,” Chimney argued.

“That wasn’t even a call.” Bobby agreed.

“Then what was it?” Buck asked, indignant.

“Divine retribution.” Hen chuckled.

Buck could see Eddie getting confused, so he filled him in.

“At one point, I got stuck in the locker room, and the fire suppression system activated,” Buck told him. “It took a while to get me out.”

“Were you okay after?” Eddie asked. “I know that foam can be toxic.”

“Yeah, I was fine. I washed off pretty thoroughly.” Buck reassured him. “And I still say it counts as a call.”

“It’s not a call if we never have to leave the station to answer it,” Hen told him.

“So a hostage situation inside our own fire station wouldn’t be a call?” Buck crossed his arms, waiting for a response.

Hen was silent for a while, and Buck smirked at her.

“Look, all I’m saying is that if last time was any indication, the next twenty-four hours are going to be hell.” She finally said.

“Well, I think you guys are giving the EMS gods a little too much credit,” Eddie told her.

They finally got to the call, and Eddie pointedly looked at Hen.

“See? Fender bender. Not crazy.” He gestured to the two cars in front of him.

Buck noticed the crowd in front of him, but they weren’t watching the accident like most rubberneckers.

Instead, their gaze was aimed a lot higher.

Buck turned around to see what they were looking at, his eyes going wide when he saw it.

“Um, what about that?” Buck nudged Eddie and looked upwards.

There was a billboard overlooking the street the accident happened on.

That wasn’t unusual in Los Angeles, but what made this one strange was that there was a man duct taped to it.

“What in the world?” Hen squinted through her glasses.

As they stood there, the team could hear the man shouting to them.

“Check it out! Izzy Chainz! Look up.” The man shouted before catching sight of the firefighters staring at him.

“Right here! Izzy Chainz, everyone! Greatest rapper alive! Download my album, okay?”

“Is he?” Eddie asked.

“Duct taped? Yeah.” Chimney said, staring up at the guy hanging above them like an insect in a spiderweb.

Bobby sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Buck.” He started, turning to Buck.

He didn’t have to say anything else. Buck knew exactly what he was going to ask him to do.

“Yep. Prepping the ladder.” Buck sighed, moving towards the engine.

“You gonna be okay?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah, I’ve done like a million of these,” Buck told Eddie as he got the harness on as unhinged laughter came from above.

“Just be careful, okay? This guy does not seem stable.” Eddie looked warily at the man above them.

“I’ll be fine,” Buck told him, smiling at Eddie’s concern. “Now go help with the fender bender.”

“Sir, yes, Sir.” Eddie winked as he moved to the other cars.

Buck ignored the heat in his stomach at those words and started to extend the ladder.

After a moment that felt like an eternity, he was finally on his way.

It wasn’t until he got closer that Izzy, or whoever this man was, noticed him.

“Hey! I did not need help.” The man snapped. “Go back down there.”

Buck sighed, knowing this wasn’t going to be straightforward.

“Sir, I’m gonna need to get you down for your safety and the safety of others,” Buck said, trying to keep an even tone.

“I rented this billboard the whole day!” Izzy said indignantly, giving Buck a dirty look. “I ain’t leaving till I get what I paid for.”

Buck sighed, gesturing below them. “Look down. I, uh, I think you got your money’s worth.”

“I know, I know.” Izzy seemed happy for the first time since Buck had gotten up there. “Look at all these people! Whoo! Buy my album!”

Izzy turned to Buck. “Think they can see my QR code?”

“Yeah, I’m sure they can,” Buck told him. “Considering it’s giant, and you’re screaming at them from next to it.”

Izzy just howled in response, wagging his tongue at the bystanders down below.

“Okay, wow,” Buck said in response to that before freezing as a thought hit him.

“Um, a question for you. Are you wearing anything underneath that?” He asked.

“No.” Izzy sighed in annoyance. “Why?”

Buck winced as he thought of all that duct tape.

“You might regret that later.” he finally said, Izzy no longer paying attention to him.

Buck could see a police car pulling up below, groaning when he saw Athena get out.

If Izzy thought Buck was hard to deal with, just wait until Athena got ahold of him

“Whoo! Look at me!” Izzy screamed at the crowd below, who cheered at him.

Buck sighed and reached for his radio.

“Cap, he’s not willing to leave,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose as Izzy cackled and kept singing behind him.

“I’m not coming down till my time is up.” Izzy sang, making a rock-on motion with his hand.

Buck didn’t have the heart to tell him he was off-key, instead turning and trying to reason with him.

“And when is that?” Buck asked, trying to be patient.

“8:00 a.m. Tomorrow morning.” Izzy sang at the end before cackling like a cartoon supervillain. “Yeah!”

Buck sighed before stiffening at the sound of tape ripping.

“Heads up!” Buck called down below.

Izzy looked at him in confusion before the tape ripped completely, and he plummeted to his death.

Or at least to the air cushion down below.

Buck watched as the man got back up and immediately started screeching in victory while waving his arms around.

Unsurprisingly, his screeching was as off-key as his singing.

If this was the first call of the day, Buck did not have high hopes for how the rest of the day would go.

~~

Later that day, Buck and Eddie were grabbing tools from the truck when Eddie spoke.

“So, what kind of food are you in the mood for?” Eddie asked.

“Right now, anything.” Buck sighed. “I’m starving.”

“I meant for tomorrow night.” Eddie rolled his eyes at Buck. “I have a reservation, but I wanted to check.”

“Oh.” Buck thought about it as they grabbed the halligans. “I don’t know. I mean, I’m down for anything.”

“Come on. You gotta give me more to work with.” Eddie said. “I want this first date to be special.”

“It will be special either way because I’ll be with you,” Buck told Eddie as he closed the compartment door.

Eddie was silent for a moment before speaking again.

“That was so freaking sappy.”

“Oh, shut up.”

Before Eddie could answer, they entered the store to find clowns everywhere.

“Are you seeing this?” Eddie asked softly.

“Yep.”

Bobby motioned for them to come over to where he was dealing with a pile of tanks.

“Help me move some of these tanks to relieve the pressure,” Bobby said, his voice unnaturally high-pitched.

Buck and Eddie looked at each other and burst out laughing.

“Come on!” Bobby gave them both a look as they clutched each other to remain upright.

“It’s your voice,” Buck explained as they moved to help lift the tanks.

“Buck! Be a professional!” Hen scolded him, her voice even higher than Bobby’s.

Buck and Eddie kept laughing as they pried the tanks off, freeing the clown trapped underneath.

~~

That was easily the best call they had that day.

The rest were exercises in futility and insanity.

An octopus crawling through a vent system.

A girl with a lion’s head stuck on her shoulders.

And to add insult to injury, Bobby’s baked mac and cheese burned while they were out on a call, so none of them had lunch.

Buck barely managed to get a sip of coffee in between calls.

This was exhausting, and Buck didn’t know how much longer they could take it.

Finally, they got a routine call, and Buck thought their jinx troubles might be over.

“Man, that was a boring call.” Eddie sighed.

“Speak for yourself.” Buck gave him a dirty look. “You’re not the one who got puked on during the last call.

“Okay, that sucked, but this one was easy,” Eddie told him. “Two people stuck in an elevator. They didn’t even need medical attention or anything.”

“Don’t say it, Edmundo,” Hen warned him.

“How can I not? Y’all are acting like a bunch of viejas. There is no curse.”

“Oh, he’s so definitive now,” Chimney said, crossing his arms.

Buck tuned out of the conversation, shivering slightly at the howling wind that coursed through the area.

“Ooh, sure is windy,” Buck said, looking around. “You guys feel that?”

Everyone ignored him as Eddie kept defending his disbelief in the curse that had fallen upon station 118 on this, the darkest of days.

Buck didn’t care that it was currently a cloudless day. The day was feeling pretty dark to him.

All he wanted to do was relax in the bliss of his new relationship, and yet here they were, dealing with a curse placed on them by the new probie.

How was that fair? Hadn’t Buck suffered enough lately?

“Nobody is saying you have to believe in curses.” Chimney tried to reason with Eddie as he took his place in the truck. “Just maybe don’t tempt fate.”

“How’s that not the same thing?” Eddie jumped in the truck, Buck following soon after. “ It was a normal call.”

“No calls are normal.” Hen pointed out, Eddie giving her a look.

“My point is,” Eddie emphasized, “that it went like clockwork. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.”

Hen huffed at that. “You notice how you never hear anyone say, “wham, bam, thank you, sir”?”

Buck frowned in confusion. “It doesn’t rhyme.”

“Or maybe all that whammin’ and bammin’ is nothing to write a thank you note about.” Hen said pointedly.

Eddie chuckled at that, buckling into the engine. “I think this proves that the whole jinx thing is a little silly, and we should be all done with it.”

The winds picked up speed just as Eddie spoke. A loud thud sounded from the engine’s roof, the entire engine jumping in shock.

Buck saw a line whip past the window, a trail of sparks arcing after it.

“Hey, Cap. Did a live power pole just fall on the engine?” Chimney asked, his tone going for nonchalant but not quite getting there.

“I believe it did, Chimney.” Buck could hear Bobby take a deep breath, his voice a little strained. “I believe it did.”

Buck sighed.

This day was turning out to be a giant mess.

~~

They were still stuck in the engine an hour later, waiting for another firehouse to come and get the power line off of the truck.

Buck wished he could just take a nap, but his sleeping position of choice was to lean right against the window, and he didn’t feel like getting electrocuted today.

So instead, he helped Chimney look for a way to undo the jinx that was plaguing their firehouse, even going so far as to text Josh.

He wasn’t sure where Josh stood on the whole Maddie thing, and he didn’t think now was the best time to find out.

He was lucky that Chimney wasn’t taking advantage of the fact that Buck was a captive audience to try and plead Maddie’s case again.

Thankfully Josh didn’t mention it, and he instead sent Buck a list of things to undo a curse.

“So Josh sent us things to undo a curse. Do we think that’ll work?” Buck asked.

“Is this a curse?” Hen asked, looking confused. “I always thought it was a jinx.”

“I mean, that’s what we’ve always called it, but maybe it’s a hex or a curse instead,” Chimney said.

“Maybe?” Hen nodded at that.

“Okay, wait. So is a jinx, a hex, and a curse the same thing?” Chimney asked.

“By that, you mean both are totally made up and not real?” Eddie asked from where he was leaning up against the seat. “Yes.”

“What more proof do you need, Eddie? We are trapped in a death box. Thousands of volts of electricity coursing through every nook and cranny.” Buck gestured wildly around the cab of the engine. “Any one of us could literally get fried like that.”

“Or we just don’t touch any doors or windows until help arrives and nobody gets fried,” Bobby said from the front seat. “With or without a curse… or jinx, whatever.”

Buck frowned at both of them and went back to looking up how to undo a curse.

“All I can find is some kind of human or animal sacrifice.” Buck looked up worriedly. “I’m not really down with that.”

“Do you guys not hear yourselves right now?” Eddie burst out, laughing slightly. “This is ridiculous.”

“Look, if Eddie doesn’t want to talk about the curse, we don’t have to,” Chimney spoke up.

Buck gave Chimney a suspicious look.

No way would Chimney ever drop something so easily.

The man was about as subtle as a MACK truck.

He was sure something else was going on.

“Thank you!” Eddie sighed in relief.

“Maybe Eddie would instead like to talk about what’s going on with him.” Chimney leaned forward like the cat that ate the canary.

And there it was. The real reason Chimney changed the subject.

Buck stiffened.

There was no wary Chimney could know. Right?

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Eddie cocked his head in confusion at Chimney.

“I’m talking about that pretty girl you were flirting with at the billboard thing this morning,” Chimney said.

Buck froze.

What did Chimney mean?

Eddie wouldn’t flirt with someone after getting together with Buck…right?

“Oooh, who was that, Eddie?” Hen leaned forward.

“It was nothing,” Eddie told them.

“If it was nothing, then you should tell us.” Hen pointed out.

Eddie sighed and then began to talk.

“Her name’s Ana. Ana Flores.”

Buck wondered where he heard that name as Chimney started to talk.

“So it was nothing, but you still got her name?”

“No, I knew her before today.” Eddie shook his head. “She was Christopher’s old teacher last year. I bumped into her at the billboard call this morning and… hadn’t seen her in a while, and I guess she’s got a new job.”

“Wait, is this the teacher that you yelled at?” Buck asked, trying to forget what Carla said about her and Eddie having chemistry at the conferences.

“And I apologized for that.” Eddie pointed out.

“But still didn’t ask her out?” Hen asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She asked me out, but I told her I was on shift and wasn’t interested,” Eddie told Hen.

“But why not?” Chimney asked. “She’s pretty, and you clearly have history. Why not go out with her?”

“Because I’m not interested,” Eddie repeated slowly. “Why would I go out with her?”

Hen sighed and leaned forward.

“But don’t you think it might be time for you to start dating again?” Hen asked. “It has been a while.”

“I’d really rather not talk about this,” Eddie said firmly. “My life, and who I choose to share it with, is my business. Not everything needs to be a subject of gossip at the firehouse.”

Hen flinched back as if Eddie had smacked her.

“You don’t need to be so harsh. I’m just concerned about you,” Hen told him. “We all just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy right now,” Eddie told her. “I appreciate you trying to help, but I’m fine.”

Hen held up her hands in surrender and backed off

“Eddie, I think Hen is trying to say that you shouldn’t miss out on the chance for something real.” Bobby tried to defuse the situation.

Judging by the way Eddie’s nostrils flared, Buck would say that failed spectacularly.

“I don’t want to be rude, but things like when I move on and who I choose to move on with are my business.” Eddie finally said. “I know when something is real, trust me.”

Everyone finally dropped the matter.

Buck wished he could hold Eddie’s hand.

He wished he hadn’t been so stupid by suggesting they keep this quiet for now.

If he was a little braver, he wouldn’t care that they would be talking about him again.

But deep down, he knew the problem wasn’t that they’d be talking about him.

He was just worried they’d say he wasn’t good enough for Eddie.

Just then, the power line let out a large array of sparks, and Buck jumped in his seat.

“Oh, there are clearly forces at work here. Forces beyond my control and your control.” Chimney intoned, his voice ominous.

“That’s the difference between you and me,” Eddie told Chimney. “I don’t worry about things that I can’t control.”

“Sure, you can say you don’t worry about things you can’t control, but can you at least acknowledge that something is controlling the things that you can’t control?” Buck asked.

“Like what?” Eddi threw up his hands. “Gremlins? Boogeyman? Santa Muerte?”

Buck gave Eddie a dirty look, and Eddie softened. “Look, we’ve had a crappy day. It happens. But it didn’t happen because of a curse or a hex or because someone said he word qu–”

“Hey, hey, don’t!” Bobby warned Eddie.

Eddie chuckled. “Come on, Bobby. You really can’t believe all this.”

“You know, Cap, you have been pretty silent today about all this jinx stuff,” Hen said.

“Yeah. Suspiciously silent.” Buck agreed.

“Yeah, Cap. Come on. Where do you stand? Jinx or no jinx?” Chimney challenged bobby.

Buck wanted to hear what Bobby had to say about all of this.

“Aren’t we all a little superstitious?” Bobby asked, looking around at the team. “People don’t like to walk under ladders. Some buildings don’t have a 13th floor, we bless people after they sneeze.”

Bobby paused and gave Eddie a pointed look. “Some of us even wear a good luck charm around their neck.”

Buck watched as Eddie protectively clutched his medallion. “That’s not the same thing.”

“To you, but wearing that medal reminds you of your son and helps you feel better about the day,” Bobby told Eddie. “So if Chimney wants to ring some bells so he can feel better, what’s wrong with that?”

The entire truck was silent for a moment as that sank in.

“You never actually answered the question, though, Cap.” Eddie pointed out.

“Yeah.” Buck agreed.

Bobby was saved from answering by their help finally getting there.

Although their help stopped to take pictures of them trapped in their engine before they actually got them out.

The day was truly cursed.

~~

Later that night, during a rare amount of downtime after a house fire combined with fireworks, Buck was sitting in the locker room.

He had come down here to read his book about the five love languages, but now he was staring at his phone.

He kept wanting to reach out and text Maddie, but he knew that it was better to keep some distance until they had a chance to talk.

Still, no one ever told him how hard it was to set boundaries.

“Hey, you okay?” Eddie asked, coming up behind him. He sat next to Buck, their legs pressed together from hip bone to ankle.

“Yeah, just a long day.” Buck sighed.

“Yeah.” Eddie frowned. “And I still don’t know who the hell helped me at that fire.”

“You’re sure they were in uniform?” Buck asked.

“Yeah, it was definitely an LAFD uniform.”

“Weird.”

Eddie was silent for a minute before speaking.

“You’re not worrying about me and Ana, right? I don’t care what Chimney said, nothing happened, and nothing is going to happen.”

“I know that.” Buck brought his hand to Eddie’s, grasping it lightly. “I trust you. Besides, I don’t think the teacher who tried to convince you Chris had limitations would be your first pick even if we hadn’t just gotten things together.”

Eddie laughed at that. “God, that was a mess.”

“Yeah, but there were good things that came out of that, too,” Buck told him.

Eddie looked at him in confusion, so Buck elaborated.

“I think that talk you and Chris had was a good move. And we got the skateboard out of the whole thing so that was pretty awesome.”

“Chris loves that thing.” Eddie smiled fondly. “And he loves that you helped make it for him.”

“I just did what anyone would do.” Buck shrugged it off. “Maybe we could take him to the park this weekend to use it again. I think he’d like to get out of the house.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Eddie paused for a moment. “But no figuring out a way to strap Silver into it with him.”

“No way.” Buck waves his hands as if warning off a spooked animal. “I understand he loves the cat, but that’s a bad idea.”

The two of them laughed before Eddie lightly nudged Buck.

“So if it wasn’t Ms. Flores, then what’s got you down?” Eddie asked. “I know something about that whole situation bothered you.”

Buck was about to lie and say that he was fine, but Eddie gave him a look, and Buck sighed.

“It’s just….” He scuffed the toe of his boot against the floor, looking down. “All that stuff that Hen, Chimney, and Bobby said about finding the right person and moving on made me wonder if they’ll think I’m the right person for you.”

“Buck.” Eddie turned Buck to face him. “It doesn’t matter what they think. You’re the right person for me.”

“I know, but–”

“Just listen for a minute,” Eddie told Buck. “You said earlier that anyone would have made that skateboard for Chris, but you’re wrong. No one else even offered, just like no one else even considered recommending Carla to me when I first moved here and desperately needed help. You always do amazing things for me and never even ask for anything else in return. You’re amazing, Buck. And if anyone can’t see that, they can deal with me.”

Buck felt tears spring to his eyes.

“Okay.” he finally said, not knowing what else to say.

Eddie smiled at him and then reached over Buck, picking up his book.

“So what are the five love languages?” Eddie asked.

Buck smiled and went into “Info-dumping mode.”

“Well, they’re how people show and receive love.” He told Eddie. “They’re quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, gifts, and physical touch.”

“Hmmm.” Eddie flipped over the book, reading the back of it. “I wonder what mine is.”

“Acts of service.” Buck automatically said. “Possibly with words of affirmation mixed in.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow at that. “You answered that fast.”

“Well, I know you pretty well.” Buck shrugged. “Look at everything you just said. You said just how much you appreciated all the things I’ve done for you over the years.”

Eddie nodded at that. “What about words of affirmation?”

“I mean, I think everyone appreciates being told nice things about themselves,” Buck said, shrugging. “Just some might need it more than others.”

“Like you?” Eddie asked, Buck starting a little at that.

“I know you pretty well, too,” Eddie said in response to Buck’s look of shock.

“Exactly like me,” Buck said. “I also appreciate–”

“Physical touch.” Eddie nodded.

“Exactly.” Buck moved closer to Eddie, almost without realizing it.

Eddie did the same.

They were inching closer when the alarm went off.

Buck and Eddie jumped apart, the two of them groaning in unison.

“Let’s go 118! Possible gas leak.” Bobby said as he, Hen, and Chimney made their way downstairs.

Buck and Eddie suited up, and soon the 118 was on its way.

“Man, will these crazy calls never stop?” Eddie groaned into the headset.

“Don’t worry. The jinx only lasts for a single shift.” Hen said.

“Still not calling it a jinx.”

“We’ll get you to eventually.” she laughed as the engine pulled out of the station.

Chapter 13:

Two hours later, Buck was exhausted.

What had started as a simple false alarm for a gas leak turned into someone straight up stealing their engine.

It turned out Eddie’s mystery firefighter wasn’t actually a firefighter at all.

Go figure.

Eddie managed to talk the guy down over the radio and get him to drive the truck to their next call.

And to add insult to injury, they had to go fight a four-alarm fire right after getting it back.

This was a truly exhausting night.

Buck and Eddie were helping to clean up the engine after the crazy ride when Buck yawned loudly.

“Man, someone needs a nap.” Eddie laughed slightly,

“Oh, like you’re not tired?” Buck raised an eyebrow.

“Oh no, I definitely am.” Eddie looked ready to collapse. “As soon as we get home, let’s just go straight to bed for a few hours.”

“Sounds perfect to me.” Buck was ready to fall asleep right then and there.

“And then later, we can go on our date,” Eddie said, Buck jerking back upright when he said that.

He’d just assumed that Eddie would want to reschedule.

When he said as much, the other man rolled his eyes.

“Buck, if we wait until we don’t have a crazy day to go on our first date, we’ll never end up going,” Eddie told him. “Our jobs are crazy, and I don’t see the people of Los Angeles gaining any common sense any time soon. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, so let’s just go while we can and enjoy ourselves, okay?”

Buck smiled at that. “Okay.”

“Good, because I already made a reservation, and I don’t want to miss it.” Eddie told Buck.

“When did you have time to make a reservation?” Buck asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“I did it yesterday while you were getting Chip and Silver all settled for the day,” Eddie told him.

“I wasn’t gone that long!”

“Buck, you spent so long cuddling Chip that I had time to make the reservation and ask Pepa to keep Chris overnight at her place tonight.” Eddie gave him a significant look.

Buck’s mouth went dry as he realized what Eddie was saying.

“Good plan.” Buck finally managed to say.

Eddie winked at him as he carted off some equipment to the storage room, Buck watching the muscles on his back move under his shirt as he walked.

Buck sighed.

He’d been with men before, tons of times.

But this was different.

This was Eddie.

He wanted this more than anything in the world.

~~

When their shift ended, Buck and Eddie headed out of the locker room together.

“So let’s go home, sleep, and then….” Eddie trailed off.

“Yep.” Buck smiled at him, knowing exactly what he meant.

Their first date.

It felt like the last two years had built to this moment, and Buck was so excited.

Buck looked towards the entrance of the firehouse, his heart dropping when he saw who was waiting there.

“Um, Eddie. It looks like you have a visitor.” Buck said softly, inclining his head to the door.

Eddie looked over and swore viciously when he saw who was there.

“Okay, I need to deal with this,” Eddie said.

“Want me to stay here?” Buck asked.

“No, come with me,” Eddie told him. “That way, we can go home and right to bed.”

“After breakfast, right?” Buck asked. “I’m starving.”

“Yeah, we’ll grab bagels and stuff on the way home, but remember, it doesn’t count. Tonight does.” Eddie pointed a finger at Buck as they walked closer to the entrance.

Buck smiled as he remembered how Eddie was so against their first date being breakfast.

He held onto that feeling for as long as he could.

“Ana, what are you doing here?” Eddie asked as they reached the person standing at the entrance.

“Edmundo!” Ana greeted him. “I thought I would come by after your shift and ask you to breakfast.”

Buck watched as Eddie took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Ana, I told you earlier that I wasn’t interested,” Eddie said, trying to be calm.

“Yes.” she smiled sweetly at Eddie. “But I know you were just saying that because you were at work and trying to be professional. I would have done the same if you had asked me out last year like I knew you wanted to. After all, we had such chemistry together when I was teaching Christopher.”

“Like when you told Eddie that Chris had limitations and that they should tell them when to stop?” Buck couldn’t resist adding that in.

“Excuse me, but this is a private conversation.” Ana gave Buck an affronted look. “And unless you are a teacher, I don’t think you can understand what goes into a decision like that.”

“You’re right. Buck’s not a teacher,” Eddie told her. “But he is the one who made Chris his skateboard. He’s never given up on Chris, even if it looked like he had limitations.”

Ana stood there in stunned silence.

“Ana, I’m flattered, but I’m really not interested in going out with you.” Eddie told her. “You seem like a lovely person, but you’re not the one for me.”

“Very well,” Ana sniffed as she drew herself up. “I suppose that’s my answer. Goodbye, Edmundo.”

“Goodbye,” Eddie told her.

The two of them watched as she left, and then Buck turned to Eddie.

“Sorry for jumping in like that.”

“If you hadn’t said anything, I was going to, and it wouldn’t have been as nice,” Eddie told Buck.

“Why did you want me to see that?” Buck asked.

Eddie turned to face Buck.

“I know there’s a little voice inside your head that keeps telling you you aren’t good enough,” Eddie said, reaching for Buck’s shoulder. “I wanted you to see that you are good enough for me.”

Buck blushed at that and smiled.

“Let’s go home,” Eddie said, motioning towards the parking lot.

The two of them left their dangling hands just inches apart.

~~

That night, Buck tugged nervously at his jacket as he got ready for dinner.

Chris had been dropped off with Pepa an hour ago, leaving Buck and Eddie just enough time to get ready.

Edie had commandeered the bathroom, leaving Buck to get ready in the bedroom.

He only told Buck to “dress nice,” which was not helpful in the slightest.

After about ten solid minutes of agonizing over his outfit, Buck finally picked a dark blue suit with a light blue shirt, choosing to forgo the tie for tonight.

Just as he finished straightening the jacket, the bathroom door opened.

Buck’s mouth went dry as he took in Eddie.

Eddie was wearing a black suit with a dark red shirt, the jacket hugging his every muscle as he moved through the room.

Combined with pants that looked like they had been painted on, Eddie looked utterly incredible.

“Like what you see?” Eddie asked, smirking at Buck’s reaction.

“That’s one way to put it.” Buck managed to say, still staring.

“Okay, let’s go.” Eddie lightly shoved Buck, turning him towards the door.

“So where are we going?” Buck asked.

“This little place on the water that I heard about.” Eddie reached the kitchen before Buck, turning to grab something. “But first, here you go.”

Buck blinked in surprise at the bouquet of flowers he had just been handed.

“You got me flowers?” He asked, his eyes flitting between the flowers and Eddie.

“Of course I did.” Eddie looked at Buck, blinking in confusion. “I told you I was going to woo you.”

Buck smiled into the blooms, his eyes shining.

No one had ever gotten him flowers before.

“Let me just put them in water,” Buck said, moving towards the kitchen.

He quickly filled Eddie’s only vase, turning back to Eddie once the flowers were in the water.

“Okay, let’s go.” Buck smiled brightly.

~~

The drive took less time than Buck had thought, and it was all too soon that they arrived at the restaurant.

“Reservation for two under Diaz,” Eddie said as they reached the hostess stand.

The woman eyes him with interest before seeing Buck right behind him.

She immediately straightened up, her flirtatious smile disappearing from her face.

“Right this way, sir.” She said, placing a hand out in front of him.

Eddie and Buck followed her, Buck taking in the restaurant.

It was elegant and yet laid back, with delicate tables set up inside the restaurant for small parties of people. The balcony they were being led to had a breathtaking ocean view, and Buck could see the lights on the water from the boats out at sea.

The hostess led them to a small table near the railing, a lamp overhead illuminating the tableau.

As Buck reached for his chair, Eddie pulled it out for him.

Buck felt his cheeks warm slightly as he sat down, and Eddie pushed the chair in.

“I’ll leave you to look at the drinks list.” She said as Eddie took his seat.

“This place is amazing,” Buck said as he looked around.

“I’m glad you like it.” Eddie smiled softly at him as he picked up the menu.

“The last time I came to a place this nice, I needed a tracheotomy.”

Buck said, looking around.

He turned back to see Eddie staring at him.

“You needed a what?”

“Yeah, I choked on some bread, and Abby ended up slicing my throat so I could breathe.” Buck busied himself by fiddling with his fork. “Worst Valentine’s Day ever.”

“Sounds like it.” Eddie shook his head as he put his napkin on his lap.

“So yeah, that was my last time at a place this nice. What about you?” Buck asked.

Eddie’s expression darkened as he looked down, and then Buck realized.

With Shannon.

“I’m sorry.” Buck wanted to kick himself. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s okay.” Eddie smiled sadly. “I’m fine talking about it.”

There was a bit of awkward silence, and then Buck spoke

“Where did you hear about this place?” Buck asked.

Eddie seemed to appreciate the change in subject, and his expression brightened.

“I was talking to Hen a while back, and they mentioned how much she and Karen loved this place,” Eddie told him. “So I called them up today while you were tucking in Chip–”

“For the last time, I did not tuck in the cat. I merely gave him a blanket to keep him warm during the day.”

“And was able to get a reservation for tonight.” Eddie finished, smiling fondly at Buck.

“Well, great job.” Buck took in the entire place before picking up the cocktail list with one hand. “It looks like the perfect place to unwind and have a good night after a long shift.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Buck saw Eddie stiffen.

“Seemed like we weren’t the only ones to think that.”

Before Buck could ask what he meant, he heard Hen’s voice behind them.

“Buck, Eddie?” Hen asked, walking up to their table. “What are you doing here?”

Karen trailed after her, a curious look on her face.

Buck looked at Eddie, slightly panicked.

He knew he wanted to tell the team eventually, but not in the middle of his first date!

He thought about what to do while Eddie intervened.

“What are you guys doing here?” Eddie asked, confused.

“I told you about this place, remember?” Hen laughed slightly. “We wanted to do a bit of a date night.”

Buck made up his mind and grabbed Eddie’s hand.

“Yeah, so did we,” he said, catching Eddie’s surprised look out of the corner of his eye.

He felt Eddie squeeze his hand in reassurance, and Hen sputtered, looking between the two of them.

“Wait, you two are together?” Hen asked.

“Yep.” Buck nodded. “It’s still new, so we haven’t told anyone.”

“How new?” Hen asked as Karen’s eyes grew wide behind her.

“This is actually our first date,” Eddie answered, smiling at Buck before looking back at Hen.

Hen looked even more shocked than she had previously, her entire face frozen.

She quickly recovered, and her expression turned regretful instead.

“Eddie, I’m so sorry for all the talk about you moving on and dating that teacher.” She said, Buck blinking in surprise. He didn’t see that coming.

“It’s okay, Hen.”

“No, it’s really not,” Hen said. “We shouldn’t have made all those comments today, even if we didn’t know why you didn’t want to talk.”

“Thank you for saying that.” Eddie finally said, Buck nodding in agreement.

“Okay.” Hen seemed to finally realize that she was interrupting their date, and she blinked quickly, taking a step back. “I’m going to leave you to this then. And don’t worry. I won’t say anything about this to anyone else.

“Thanks,” Buck smiled gratefully at her.

Hen nodded and finally went back to her own table. Karen followed after her, shooting Buck and Eddie an apologetic look over her shoulder.

“Well, that was nice,” Buck said after a long moment of silence.

“Just goes to show that sometimes this city feels too small.” Eddie laughed.

Buck laughed at that and finally looked over the drinks list.

The waiter came by to bring them water and the bread basket a few moments later, Buck startled by his sudden appearance.

“What will you two be having today?” he asked, reaching for his notepad.

Buck went first. “I’ll have a Paloma.”

“I’ll do an old-fashioned,” Eddie said.

“Excellent. Here are the dinner menus. Please let me know when you would like to order.”

He disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

Buck reached for the bread basket, only for Eddie to slap his hand.

“What was that for?” Buck clutched his hand, fingertips stinging.

“You just told me how you choked on bread at a fancy restaurant.” Eddie gave him an incredulous look. “You’re not getting bread.”

“Come on, that was years ago. I have since learned to chew before swallowing.” Buck argued with him.

“I’m not risking killing you, not after it took us so long to get to this point.” Eddie moved the bread basket away from Buck, pointedly ignoring it.

“Fine, you win.” Buck slumped into his chair.

“So,” Buck drummed his fingers on the table, suddenly nervous.

Now that Hen had left, this finally felt like a date.

Like the start of something real with Eddie.

And Buck was so terrified of messing that up.

“Buck.” Eddie reached across the table and grabbed his hand. “Relax. This isn’t anything scary. It’s just you and me.”

Buck stared into his eyes, and he realized Eddie was right.

This was just them.

This wasn’t different from when they watched movies, ate together, or slept in the same bed.

Now they just weren’t kidding themselves by claiming just to be friends.

“Okay.” Buck squeezed his hand once before changing the subject. “Chris asked me earlier if we could go to Disney.”

Eddie rolled his eyes at the change in subject and then went along with it.

“Well, that could be fun as long as we wait until better protocols are in place.”

“I agree, and I think it could be really fun.”

“As long as you’re not too tall to go on the rides,” Eddie said, winking at Buck.

Buck didn’t know what he meant until it hit him.

“He told you about that?” Buck groaned, hiding his face with the menu.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I thought it was adorable.” Eddie pulled the menu down from Buck’s face.

Buck smirked as an evil thought crossed his mind.

“I guess you’ve never had to worry about being too tall for something,” he said, picking his menu back up and pretending to read it while watching Eddie for a response.

Eddie furrowed his brow for a second before pretending to glare at Buck.

“Are you calling me short?”

“Possibly.” Buck shrugged his shoulders before looking back down at his menu.

“Okay, well, not all of us can be Bigfoot’s pretty cousin.”

“Aww, you think I’m pretty?” Buck batted his eyes.

“I think you’re beautiful.”

Buck froze, looking at Eddie with wide eyes.

“I think you’re beautiful too.” he finally said, a blush furiously spreading across his cheeks.

Eddie smiled at him, and then the two looked at their menus.

“I kind of want the chicken, but the steak looks really good.” Eddie mused.

Buck laughed.

“I’m having the same problem.”

“Wan to split them both?” Eddie suggested.

“Sounds perfect.” Buck smiled.

The waiter came back around, and the two of them quickly ordered.

When their food got there, the two of them split their dishes and swapped plates.

“You two are adorable.” The waiter said, watching this unfold. “How long have you been together?”

“Two days,” Eddie said, focusing on placing his half of the steak onto his plate.

The waiter’s eyes grew huge, and Buck laughed at the gobsmacked expression on his face.

“We’ve been friends for years, but tonight is our first date,” Buck told him.

“Well, congratulations to you both.” The waiter said. “Can I get you any refills?”

Eddie and Buck both declined, and the waiter soon vanished again.

“It’s funny when you think about it,” Buck told Eddie. “We’ve done this whole thing backward.”

Eddie nodded as he chewed a bite of steak.

“Yeah, we have,” he said after swallowing. “We moved in together, got a cat, had our first kiss, and now we’re having our first date.”

“It’s unusual, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” Buck said, smiling at Eddie as he speared a piece of chicken on his fork.

“I wouldn’t either.” Eddie gave Buck a soft look.

From there, the conversation flowed easily, the two of them talking about the crazy calls of the day and some ideas they had for the house.

Buck was planning to talk to Albert in the morning about taking over the lease so he could fully move in with the Diazs.

They started getting more into the details over dessert, both enjoying the chocolate mousse they ordered

“Luckily, you can leave most of the furniture,” Eddie said, swirling his spoon in the bowl. “But I would like it if your bed came.”

“You like my bed that much?” Buck asked, taking a sip of water.

“It’s way more comfortable than mine.” Eddie pointed out. “And I think it would work very nicely in our room.”

“I love the way that sounds.” Buck gave a contented sigh. “Our house, our room.”

“I do, too,” Eddie said before furrowing his brow. “Hold on. You’ve got something on your face.”

Buck swiped at his face with a napkin. “Did I get it?”

“Just hold on.” Eddie reached across the table and gently ran his thumb over Buck’s chin.

Buck flushed a deep red as he realized he had mousse on his chin.

He was about to say something when Eddie pulled his hand back, bringing his thumb to his mouth and licking it.

Buck’s mouth went dry.

Eddie’s tongue darted back into his mouth as Eddie kept eye contact with Buck, his eyes dark with intent.

“Should we get the check?” Buck finally managed to ask, his voice thick with desire.

Eddie gave a wolfish grin. “Works for me.”

They quickly paid and went to the car, Eddie tipping the valet when it was brought around.

“Um, just before we get anything started at home,” Buck said, Eddie turning towards him, “I’m clean. Just in case.”

Buck could see Eddie’s hands tighten around the steering wheel.

“I am too.” Eddie finally said.

There was silence in the car, and Buck worried he had read the signs wrong.

What if nothing was going to happen tonight, and he was just jumping the gun

“Was now a bad time to bring it up?”

“Only in the way that I have to drive home now instead of coming over there.” Eddie chuckled, his voice strained.

Buck got the message and relaxed back into his seat.

Buck barely remembered the car ride home, too full of anticipation for what lay ahead.

When they got into the house, Eddie pushed Buck against the wall, pulling their lips together in a passionate embrace.

Buck sank into the kiss, desperately pulling Eddie closer to him.

He’d been with men before, but not like this.

This was nothing compared to that.

This was Eddie.

The two finally pulled apart, and Eddie reached for Buck’s hand, lightly tugging him to the bedroom.

When they got there, Buck could see the nerves on Eddie’s face, and he reached out to assuage him.

“It’s okay. We can just take it slow.” Buck told him.

Eddie seemed unsure, and Buck leaned in, claiming Eddie’s lips in another kiss.

As they kissed, Buck started to reach for the buttons on his shirt, only for Eddie to stop him.

“Let me,” Eddie said, an intent gaze in his eyes.

Buck nodded and let Eddie quickly undo the buttons of his shirt before Buck did the same to him.

They undressed fully from there, moving to the bed and coming together in a tangle of limbs.

Buck put a hand on Eddie’s bare hip, feeling the other man shiver at the sensation.

“Let me make this good for you, okay?” Buck asked.

Eddie nodded, and Buck pushed Eddie to lie on his back.

Buck took in the sight for the first time, Eddie’s tan skin glowing gold in the light of the lamps in the room.

Buck started to kiss down Eddie’s chest, stopping to lightly graze Eddie’s nipples with his teeth.

Eddie swore at that, the sound harsh and guttural.

Buck smirked.

He’d have to remember that for next time.

Buck continued exploring Eddie’s chest, pausing to suck a dark mark on his hip bones.

Finally, Buck looked up at Eddie, only to find the other man already watching him with a laser-like focus.

The intensity in his gaze made Buck lose his voice for a moment.

No one had ever looked at him that way before.

It was possible that no one else would ever look that way at him again.

“Just relax.” Buck finally managed to say as he leaned down and drew Eddie’s cock into his mouth.

“Oh fuck.” Eddie swore, his hand instinctively going to Buck’s hair.

Buck leaned into it, relishing the feeling of Eddie’s fingers carding through his hair as he swirled his tongue around the tip of Eddie’s cock.

The grip on his hair tightened as he took it more fully into his mouth.

Buck groaned, the sensation going straight to his cock.

Eddie keened high in his throat.

“Oh Buck, please,” Eddie begged, a breathiness to his voice that Buck had never heard before.

He wanted to hear it again every day for the rest of his life.

Buck hollowed his cheek and began to suck, Eddie’s hips bucking off the bed in response.

Buck placed his hands on his hips and pushed, holding Eddie down.

As he continued to suck, Buck could hear Eddie’s breath becoming more rapid.

“Buck, I’m going to come.” Eddie managed to say, his voice tight.

Buck redoubled his efforts, and soon Eddie let out a strangled shout as he came.

Buck swallowed as best he could and then moved off of Eddie, crawling back up his body.

When he was next to Eddie again, Eddie surprised Buck by pulling him into a kiss as his hand reached for Buck’s cock.

“You don’t have to do this.” Buck pulled away from the kiss.

“I want to.” Eddie spat into his hand, the sight unexplainably arousing for Buck. “I’ve been dying to get my hands on you all night.”

Buck didn’t know what to say to that, but before he could say anything, Eddie closed his grip around Buck’s cock.

Buck swore as Eddie started to move his hand, a calloused thumb smoothing over the head of his cock.

The friction was both too much and not enough at the same time, Buck feeling as though he was one wrong move away from it all being over.

Eddie quickened his pace, Buck leaning forward to suck a dark mark onto the base of Eddie’s neck.

Eddie groaned at the sensation as his nails lightly dragged over the head of Buck’s cock.

Buck nearly came from that alone.

“Eddie, Eddie, please,” Buck begged, his head falling onto Eddie’s shoulder.

Eddie pulled Buck’s head closer with his free hand, whispering into his ear.

“Come for me, baby.”

Buck barely managed to hold back a scream as he came. Thick ropes of cum shot from his cock, Buck feeling as though his very soul had drained away as well.

The two of them slumped onto the bed for a long moment, both of them breathing heavily.

“So that’s why they call you firehose,” Eddie said.

Buck groaned, picking up a pillow and smacking Edide with it.

“Asshole.”

Eddie laughed at that before groaning as he got up.

“Let’s take a shower, make clean up easier,” Eddie said, extending a hand to Buck.

Buck groaned but got up, taking Eddie’s hand. The two of them made their way to the shower, Buck hissing at the cold water as it turned on.

Eddie got in after him, picking up a bar of soap and wetting it under the spray.

He gently rubbed it over Buck’s chest and arms, smoothing a hand over each part of him as he went.

Buck did the same, grabbing a washcloth and another bar of soap.

The two cleaned each other, finally meeting under the spray at the end.

Buck pulled Eddie in for one more kiss, the warm water hitting their faces as their lips moved together in perfect unison.

Eddie finally pulled away, leaning his forehead against Buck’s as he moved to turn off the water.

Buck looked at Eddie, his lashes flecked with water droplets.

“How did I ever get so lucky as to meet you?” Buck whispered, almost too soft for Eddie to hear.

“I’ve been thinking the same thing for two years,” Eddie said, leaning in to kiss Buck one more time.

The two finally pulled apart, Buck shivering slightly.

“Let’s go to bed.” Eddie stepped out of the shower. Buck followed behind as the two of them grabbed towels.

Before long, they were back under the sheets, and Buck was curled up in Eddie’s arms.

But unlike other nights, he didn’t have to feel guilty for wanting to stay here forever.

Now, he actually could.

And that was all he ever wanted.

Chapter 14:

The next day, Buck rose as the morning light streamed through the slats of the blinds.

He sighed, a peaceful smile spreading across his face.

Today was the happiest that he had been in a long time, and he wanted to stay in the moment as long as he could.

He still felt Eddie’s arms around him, and he snuggled back into the other man’s hold.

He turned to see Eddie still asleep, his chest rising and falling with a peaceful rhythm.

As he looked at Eddie, the other man started to move.

He opened his eyes, slightly startled to see Buck gazing at him.

“Are you watching me sleep?” Eddie asked, his voice still thick with sleep.

“No, I just woke up right before you,” Buck told him, laughing slightly.

“Oh, good. I’d hate to think I was living with Edward Cullen.”

Buck paused, propping himself up with his elbow.

“You’ve seen Twilight?”

“I have two sisters, remember?” Eddie groaned. “I’ll never get back the time I spent watching those stupid movies.”

Buck laughed and gave him a quick kiss.

Eddie immediately tried to pull Buck closer and deepen the kiss, but Buck pulled away.

“We need to go get Chris,” Buck told him, Eddie reluctantly letting him go. “I was thinking we could stop for breakfast on the way home.”

“That could be fun,” Eddie said, sitting up and stretching.

“I was thinking we could also have Bobby’s baked mac and cheese for dinner,” Buck said, getting up and grabbing some clothes.

“Oh, I love that idea,” Eddie told him. “Does this mean we could have mac and cheese for dinner every time we have sex?”

Buck had moved to the bathroom to do his hair at that point, and he rolled his eyes.

“Dude, Chris wants mac and cheese pretty much every day. We’d have to have sex daily to make that a thing.” Buck poked his head out of the bathroom to see Eddie getting dressed.

“I don’t have a problem with that.” Eddie winked as he buttoned up his jeans.

“We haven’t even fully had sex yet.” Buck pointed out.

“Which is a mistake I plan to correct the first chance I get.”

Buck rolled his eyes again and finished getting dressed.

Chip and Silver were waiting there for them when they opened the bedroom door.

When the cats saw them, they started wailing plaintively as if they hadn’t been fed in days.

“You feed the cats, and I’ll scoop the litter box.” He proposed to Eddie, wincing at the hungry cries.

“Sounds like a plan.”

The two of them tapped wrists like they did before tough calls at work, Buck chuckling at that.

He was surprised at how easy scooping the litter box was.

Whenever he asked for a cat as a kid, his parents made it seem like scooping the litter box was some insane chore.

In reality, it took all of five minutes.

“I’m so glad we have pets that keep their mess contained to a couple of boxes.” Eddie sighed, putting the cat dishes in the dishwasher as Buck emptied the trash.

“You know, they can teach dogs to use litter boxes,” Buck said, smirking. “Maybe we can get a corgi and train them to use it.”

Eddie gave Buck a dirty look.

“Don’t even joke about that.”

Buck laughed as he took out the trash.

Before long, he and Eddie drove to Pepa’s house to get Chris.

Buck looked over at Eddie from his position in the passenger seat, marveling at how the morning sun streaked through the window.

Eddie lit up under the sun’s rays, his skin glowing with the morning light.

Even his eyes had small flecks of gold in them that were brought out in the light.

Buck had noticed all of that before, but now it felt like it was all his to notice.

That Eddie was now his to marvel at.

It was almost too good to be true.

“What are you thinking about?” Eddie looked over at Buck, an amused smile lighting up his lips.

“Just thinking about how lucky I am to be here with you,” Buck said honestly.

“You sap.” Eddie grinned as they pulled into Pepa’s driveway.

Pepa met them on the porch, raising an eyebrow at the two of them walking up the path together.

Buck fought the urge to shrink away and instead strove to stand tall next to Eddie.

He’d already met Pepa before, but that was before he and Eddie became what they were.

He wanted to make a good impression now.

“Thanks for taking Chris for the night, Pepa,” Eddie told her.

“It was no problem,” she assured him before her gaze turned critical. “It seemed as though you two had a good night.”

Buck blushed as he realized that the hickey he gave Eddie was peeking under the collar of his shirt.

“It was,” Eddie told her, meeting her gaze without blinking. “Buck and I had a great time.”

Buck froze as Pepa gave him an assessing look before snorting.

“You’re too good for him.”

Buck shrank back as Eddie turned to face his aunt with a fire in his eyes.

“Tía, Buck is an incredible person-”

“I know that.” Pepa cut off Eddie, causing them to blink in confusion. “I was talking to him.”

Buck felt his heart warm as Eddie gasped in shock.

“Pepa!”

“Oh, who cares what an old woman like me thinks?” Pepa waved off Eddie’s indignation and smiled at the two of them. “If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“Thank you.” Buck smiled at her.

“Do your parents know?”

“Not yet,” Eddie said, keeping his voice even. “If you want to tell them, feel free.”

“I won’t be getting in the middle of you and my stupid brother.” Pepa waved him off. “Just enjoy yourselves before you have to deal with all that.”

The door opened before either of them could say anything else, and Chris came out.

“Hey, buddy!” Buck said, pulling Chris into a hug when he got close to him. “Are you ready to go?”

“Can we watch a movie later?” Chris asked.

Buck shot Eddie a questioning look, and the other man shrugged in response.

“Let’s see how the day goes, okay?” Buck finally said.

Chris seemed to accept that answer, the three of them moving towards the car.

“Buck.”

He turned back to see Pepa still standing on the porch, an approving glint in her eyes.

“Welcome to the family.”

Buck smiled, ducking his head as he got into the car.

“Well, you passed the Pepa test,” Edie told him. “Now you can handle anything my family throws at you.”

“Looking forward to it,” Buck said, leaning his head against the seat. “Can we stop for bagels on the way home?”

Eddie groaned as Chris cheered.

“You and your bagel obsession.”

“Bagels are delicious!”

~~

Five days later, it was time for Buck to finally have that talk with Maddie that he had been dreading.

He knocked on the door of her apartment, trying not to make a face behind the mask he was wearing.

He hoped this went well.

He didn’t want to have to distance himself from his sister or unborn niece, but he’d do what he had to for his mental health.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that.

Hopefully, they’d be calm about the whole thing and listen to what he had to say.

Hopefully.

Maddie immediately opened the door, her eyes lighting up.

She started to go in for a hug, and Buck awkwardly let her do so.

He took off his mask, stuffing it in his pocket.

Finally, Buck made it to the living room, where Chimney was sitting on the couch.

Buck waited until Maddie sat down next to Chimney before he moved, deliberately picking the seat on the couch opposite them.

He clasped his hands awkwardly, leaning forward in his seat.

“So, how have things been with you?” Buck finally asked.

Maddie seemed startled by the question but went along with it.

“Things are good here. Just trying to get everything ready for the baby.” she finally said. “What about you? Howie said that you got a cat?”

Buck smiled for the first time since coming inside.

“Yeah, his name is Chip.” Buck pulled up a picture of him on his phone. “Eddie and I got him together.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.” Maddie said. “I know you always wanted a cat.”

She leaned forward to look at the picture, smiling.

“He’s adorable,” she said, taking in the photo. “I didn’t know they could have male calicos.”

“It’s rare, apparently,” Buck told her.

Maddie’s expression softened as she looked at the photo.

“It’s amazing.” she finally said. “He looks just like the stuffed animal Daniel gave you as a baby.”

Buck felt like he had been punched in the throat.

“What did you just say?” he finally managed to ask.

Maddie stiffened for a second before leaning back in her seat.

“He looks like the little stuffed cat you had as a baby,” Maddie said. “I think it was a Beanie Baby.”

“No, I got that,” Buck said. “What did you mean that Daniel gave it to me?”

Maddie stiffened slightly, and then a sad smile spread across her face.

“Daniel gave that to you right before the bone marrow donation,” Madie told him. “He said that he wanted to give you a gift since you gave him one in return.”

Buck fought to keep his eyes from welling with tears.

The brother he never knew gave him one of his most treasured childhood possessions.

“I always loved that cat.” Buck finally said.

“Yeah, I loved seeing you carry it everywhere you went.” Maddie laughed slightly, eyes fond with nostalgia. “You kept it on your bed for years. I was so shocked when Mom told me you threw it away.”

And once again, Buck felt like he had been punched.

“Maddie, I didn’t throw it away.” Buck tried to remain calm. “I came home from school one day, and it was gone. Mom said I was too old for stuffed animals, so if anyone threw it away, it was her.”

Now Maddie looked like she had been slapped across the face.

“But why would they do that?” She said, her tone tinged with disbelief.

“I don’t think now is the time to be looking for logic in our parent’s actions,” Buck told her. “Logical people don’t hide the fact that they had a kid that died or blame their youngest child for their sibling’s death.”

The room went silent, the hum of the air conditioner the only sound in the entire apartment.

“That’s fair.” Maddie finally said, smoothing her shirt over her belly. “I’m sorry that you had to find out that way.”

“I never should have had to find out,” Buck told her.

Maddie furrowed her brow in confusion. “Would you rather have never found out about Daniel?”

“No.” Buck took a deep breath. “I’m saying it should never have been hidden from me in the first place. I should have been told years ago.”

“I know.” Maddie bit her lip. “I did try and tell you a few times–”

“You should have just told me. Instead, you told your boyfriend, someone who I work with, personal information about me. And then he told a suicide bomber, so a violent criminal knew about my past before I did.”

“He what?” Maddie’s eyes widened with alarm as she turned to Chimney.

“Yeah, I am sorry about that,” Chimney said, but Buck ignored him for now.

He didn’t think that Chimney was sorry.

He was likely just sorry that Athena read him the riot act.

“Maddie, why didn’t you ever tell me?” Buck asked, needing to know. “Why was keeping their secret more important than telling me the truth?”

Maddie sighed, leaning forward slightly.

“When Daniel was sick, there was a lot of pressure on all of us,” Maddie told him. “Mom and Dad told me that since Daniel needed more of their care, it was on me to be good so they could devote more attention to him. It was hard, especially since they cut off all of our relatives when they expressed concern over how Mom and Dad handled things.”

Buck froze. “We have other relatives?”

He had always thought he had no cousins or anyone other than Maddie.

And now he found out that he had other relatives? He was curious, to say the least.

“Yeah.” Maddie smiled softly. “I lost contact with them when I was a kid, but I remember they were nice.”

Buck wanted to ask more but kept silent as Maddie continued to speak.

“And when Daniel died,” She took a deep breath, her voice shuddering slightly. “They told me that being a good kid meant keeping this from you and from everyone else. They needed me to be good and let them have time to grieve.”

“I get doing that for the first few years, but why lie to me for my entire life?” Buck asked.

Maddie clasped her hands tightly. “After a while, it felt like there was no way to come clean. I tried to tell you, but there was never a good time or a right way to tell you.”

Buck sighed, looking at Maddie.

“Don’t you think I deserved to know, even if it wasn’t a good time?” he asked, not giving her a chance to respond. “Did you think it was better for me to constantly feel like my parents didn’t like me and have no idea why I was so undeserving of love in their eyes?”

“Evan, our parents have always been proud of you,” Maddie told him, Buck snorting at that. “They just aren’t great at showing it. Don’t you remember how proud Dad was when you won the championship game during senior year?”

“Maddie, they weren’t proud of me,” Buck interrupted her before she could say anything else that wasn’t true. “They didn’t even know the game was happening until it was over.”

“But they took you to dinner the next night to celebrate,” Maddie said, confusion furrowing her brow.

“Yeah, because they wanted to save face,” Buck told her. “I heard them talking about it that night. I don’t even know where Dad learned all the stuff about my game that he said at Thanksgiving, but trust me. They weren’t there. They checked out of anything having to do with me when you left.”

“What?” The little color that had been in Maddie’s face drained as he said that. “What do you mean?”

“Maddie, Mom wasn’t even there for a month of my senior year,” Buck told her. “And even when she was there, she and Dad didn’t care about any of my school events. I had to get my friend’s parents to take pictures of me at prom or when I got my spirit award, and I was the one who had to explain to my teachers that my parents weren’t going to show up to the parent-teacher conferences.”

Tears started to roll down Maddie’s face.

“I’m so sorry, Evan,” she said, crying softly. “I knew they weren’t the best parents, but I had no idea that they ignored you so much.”

Buck softened slightly.

“I know you didn’t,” Buck said. “But the point still stands that all of that would have been easier to deal with if I knew why they cared so little about me. I had the right to know about Daniel, and you should have told me.”

“I wanted to, but I thought it would be betraying Mom and Dad,” Maddie said, Buck sighing in response.

He had to get her to understand this.

“Maddie, why did you tell Mom and Dad about my therapy?” Buck finally asked.

Madie seemed confused at the change in subject,  but went along with it

“I told you. I thought it was something they should know about.” Maddie looked down at her hands, and Chimney jumped in.

“Buck, she already apologized for that–”

Buck cut Chimney off and kept going. “You thought that even though you thought I might not want to talk about it with anyone else?”

Maddie nodded, and Buck pressed on.

“So you told them something you thought they should know even if it might have been a betrayal to me?”

Maddie froze, finally seeing where Buck was going with this.

“I just don’t see how you can claim it was a betrayal to them to tell me about Daniel and then not feel the same way when it was my secrets that you were sharing.”

“You never asked her not to tell people, though. It’s not the same thing.”

Buck finally directed his attention to Chimney. “You really don’t want to start with me about whether or not to spill secrets.”

“Buck, I’m sorry. Maddie said I couldn’t tell you–”

“But you had no problem trying to tell my roommate?” Buck asked. “Or the suicide bomber?”

“I needed to talk to someone,” Chimney argued.

“Then you should have gotten a therapist,” Buck told him. “I have always been there for you, Chimney, and you didn’t even try to be there for me. You started an argument at our place of work in the middle of a shift because you were so sure you were right.”

“I was worried about Maddie!”

“What about me?”

Chimney appeared stunned. “What about you?”

“Did you not think that I might need some time after having a bomb like that dropped on me?” Buck asked. “I gave you time after Albert showed up when you needed it. Why couldn’t you do the same for me?”

Chimney finally fell silent.

Buck leaned back in his seat, looking at the two people in front of him.

His sister and his friend.

Two people he cared deeply about.

Which was part of what made this so hard.

“Look, I don’t want our relationships to suffer over this,” Buck said, Maddie looking up at that. “But I think we need some boundaries.”

“Like what?” Maddie asked, tilting her head as she looked at Buck.

“For starters, you don’t tell Mom and Dad anything about my life,” Buck told her. “I am done with them, and I don’t want them to hear anything about me.”

“But what if–”

“Maddie, they aren’t going to change.” Buck shut her down. “They aren’t going to start caring about me suddenly. It’s taken twenty-eight years for me to realize I don’t want them in my life. Please respect that.”

Maddie sighed, nodding.

“Second, I know you’re my older sister and that you care about me, but my life is my life. You don’t get to judge my choices or tell me that you think I’m wrong. My life and my relationship are not your concern.”

“Agreed.” Maddie sighed before stiffening. “Wait, relationship? Who are you dating?”

Buck cursed, realizing he had let that slip.

Well, they’d planned to tell everyone eventually anyway.

“Eddie and I are in a relationship now,” Buck told her. “We started dating last week.”

“Wait, what?” Chimney asked. “I’ve had shifts with you both. How did I not know?”

“We didn’t want anyone bringing our private life into our workplace until we were sure about it,” Buck said before turning his attention to Chimney. “That being said, Chimney–”

“I know, don’t spill your secrets around the firehouse. Got it.” he raised his hands in front of him, nodding as he did so.

Buck bristled at Chimney’s dismissiveness but moved past it.

“That, and if Maddie and I fight in the future, you stay out of it.”

“That’s not fair. I’m friends with you and dating her. How can I stay out of it?”

“With this, your friendship with me didn’t even come into question since you were always on Maddie’s side,” Buck told him. “And you started a fight with me in my place of work that aired my dirty laundry to the entire A shift!”

“I just wanted you to talk to Maddie!”

“But it wasn’t your place to get involved!” Buck snapped. “It was between me and my sister, not you. I wouldn’t get involved if you and Albert had a fight. Please show me the same courtesy.”

Chimney looked like he had just bitten into a lemon, but he reluctantly nodded.

“I’m sorry for getting involved,” Chimney finally said after a long silence. “And for telling the bomber. And for getting into a massive fight with you during work.”

Buck wasn’t sure if the apology was genuine, but it was as good a place as any to start.

Buck didn’t want to fight with Chimney. The man was basically his brother, after all.

“Thank you for saying that.” Buck said, resisting the urge to say, “It’s okay.”

Doctor Copeland told him that saying that made people feel like they could do the same actions again.

“Are we going to be okay?” Chimney asked with a hesitant note in his voice.

“I think we will be, eventually,” Buck said, optimistic that this could all work out.

And by the hopeful look on Chimney’s face, he felt the same way.

The three of them sat silently for a long moment before Buck clapped his hands together.

“Now, if that’s all, I have to go.” Buck rose to his feet and started for the door. “Eddie asked me to grab takeout on the way home since neither of us felt like cooking tonight.”

“Wait.” Maddie got up and grabbed a bag of papers that was on the sideboard. “I wanted to give these to you.”

Buck opened the bag, eyes widening to see all the postcards he had sent Maddie over the years.

“You kept all of them?” he asked her.

“Of course.” She gave him a soft smile, tracks of tears still visible on her face. “I know our parents couldn’t be bothered to give you a baby box, but I think these are more important. They show who you are and how you grew up. Even if our parents were never proud of you, I always was.”

Buck didn’t know what to say to that.

He was so touched that Maddie had kept any of his postcards, let alone all of them.

“Thank you.” he finally said, closing the bag.

Maddie hugged him, Buck trying hard not to squeeze her too hard.

“I’m really happy about you and Eddie,” she told him, smiling. “I think you’ll be happy together.”

“Hopefully.” Buck smiled back at her before leaving the apartment.

Chapter 15:

When Buck finally got to his car, he put his hands on the steering wheel and just sat for a moment.

That was strangely anticlimactic.

He didn’t want to fight with his sister, but he had been expecting it.

He had a session with Doctor Copeland the day before just to prepare for it.

So for Maddie to agree to the boundaries he had asked for with very little pushback just felt wrong to him.

Or maybe he was so used to things going wrong that he was uncomfortable with them going right.

Either way, he hoped the feeling of being unsettled left soon.

Buck sighed, putting the car in drive.

He wanted to stop by his place to pick up a few more things before getting the food.

As he drove, he couldn’t stop thinking of what else Maddie had said.

How it didn’t matter if his parents didn’t care for him because she did.

It sounded great when she said it, but the more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable it felt.

It was like she was saying that it didn’t matter that his parents hadn’t cared about him for his entire life because she did.

It was a lovely sentiment, but Buck didn’t know how true it was.

Of course, it still mattered that his parents hadn’t loved him.

How could it not?

Buck made a mental note to discuss that with Doctor Copeland later.

Hopefully, she’d tell him that he had nothing to worry about.

~~

Before long, Buck was at his old apartment.

He went upstairs, pulling the key off of his keyring as he did so.

He already had Eddie’s keys to the apartment in his pocket, ready to give them to Albert.

They’d signed all of the paperwork earlier in the week and gotten the furniture that Buck wanted out of the apartment, but Albert had texted saying he found a box of Buck’s things in the back of the closet.

At least this allowed Buck to give Albert the keys.

He spaced on that during the signing.

He knocked on the door, figuring it wasn’t right to use his keys when he was here to return them.

A girl opened the door, Buck blinking in surprise.

She looked vaguely familiar; maybe he’d seen her around.

“Who are you?” she asked, her eyes narrowing in distrust.

“Hi, is Albert home?” he asked, smiling politely.

“That doesn’t answer my question.” She crossed her arms and stared him down.

Before Buck could respond, Albert appeared out of nowhere.

“Hey man, thanks for coming by,” Albert said, holding the door open.

Buck hesitantly walked in, the girl who opened the door still giving him a suspicious look.

“Veronica, how about you pick something for us to watch?” Albert asked.

She rolled her eyes and moved off to the couch.

“Someone’s enjoying living alone.” Buck joked.

“Yeah, it’s pretty awesome.” Albert laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

“I’m glad you called,” Buck said, digging in his pocket. “I wanted to give you these.”

Buck held out the keys, Albert immediately taking them.

“Thanks, I almost forgot about those,” Albert said. “How are things with you and Maddie?”

“We just met up and had a long talk. I think we’re going to be okay.” Buck said, hoping that that was true.

“So, are you still staying with Eddie?”

Buck debated whether to tell Albert the news but figured he’d know soon enough since Chimney had just found out.

“I am, and we’re together now,” Buck said. “We’re going to give being in a relationship a shot.”

“Really?” Albert seemed shocked but recovered quickly. “That’s awesome! I’m really happy for you, man.”

“Thank you,” Buck said, Albert pulling him into a hug.

“Now, where’s the stuff that you said I should come to pick up?”

“It’s right over here.” Albert handed him a box, Buck glimpsing his old cowboy hat in there.

“Thanks again, man,” Buck said. “We should have a drink sometime soon, just to hang out.

“Are you sure?”

“Albert, we stopped being roommates,” Buck told him. “That doesn’t mean we have to stop being friends.”

Albert grinned at that, opening the door for Buck.

“See you soon, Buck.”

“Bye, Albert!”

Buck carried the box to his car and pulled out of the parking lot for the last time as a building resident.

That chapter of his life was officially over, and a new one was beginning.

And Buck couldn’t want to see what was in store for him next.

~~

Later that night, Buck had all the postcards splayed out on the bed.

He couldn’t believe she had kept them all.

He always assumed she had to destroy them to keep Doug from seeing them.

Instead, she kept them safe all these years.

Every time Buck sent her a postcard without a response, he wondered if Maddie had gotten them.

He had wondered if she was okay and if she was happy.

Now she was both of those things, and she had surprised him by returning his postcards.

Buck was almost tempted to turn them into a scrapbook or at least a flip book.

Three years of his life, a complete account of the journey that led him to LA.

Eddie entered the room, sliding into his side of the bed.

Chip followed after him, jumping onto the bed and nuzzling up to Buck.

“What are you looking at?” Eddie leaned in closer to Buck, resting his chin on his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around Buck’s chest.

Buck had never thought of Eddie as tactile before, but it turned out he was a giant cuddle monster when given a chance.

Buck was not complaining about that at all.

“When I left Hershey, I sent Maddie postcards of everything I did.” Buck picked one of them up and waved it at him. “Today, she gave them back to me and told me that she was proud of who I’d become even if our parents weren’t.”

“That’s nice,” Eddie said, caution in his voice. “How did the rest of the talk go?”

“It went okay.” Buck sighed. “Maddie seemed receptive to what I was saying about a need for boundaries. Chimney was less receptive, but I think he got it in the end.”

“Only time will tell on that one,” Eddie murmured.

“Yeah.” Buck sighed before remembering the other thing he’d found out today.

“You know the stuffed cat I told you about?”

Eddie nodded in response, his eyes darting to the replica of it that was currently grooming himself on their bed.

Buck smiled at Chip, reaching out to pet him for a moment.

“Well, Daniel gave him to me,” Buck said. “He gave me one of my most treasured possessions, and I never even knew.”

“At least you know now,” Eddie said softly, his arms squeezing Buck slightly.

“Yeah.”

“That does make it way more messed up that your mom threw your stuffed cat away,” Eddie remarked.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“How did Maddie take that?”

“She was pretty shocked.” Buck shook his head in disbelief. “Apparently, my mom told her that I threw him out.”

“Wow.” Buck could feel Eddie shake his head. “Your parents are something else.”

“You can say that again.”

“I also found out that we have other relatives that Mom and Dad cut contact with when they disagreed about how they were handling things when Dnaiel got sick.” Buck paused before he spoke again, suddenly hesitant. “I want to try and find them. Just to maybe get some closure, or at least get some decent relatives.”

“I think that’s a good idea.” Eddie kissed his brow, right where his birthmark was. “Why don’t you use one of those DNA kits? Maybe that will help you find someone.”

Buck nodded at that, already planning to buy one of the kits.

He then thought of something else that Eddue should probably know.

“Also, I told Maddie, Chimney, and Albert that we’re dating,” Buck told Eddie.

There was silence for a moment, and then he felt Eddie shake slightly as he chuckled.

“And you say Chimney’s the one who spills secrets,” Eddie said, still laughing a bit.

“It just slipped out,” Buck said, pretending to be offended at the comparison to Chimney.

“I know, babe, don’t worry.” Eddie gave Buck a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I’m glad you’re not mad.”

“I could never be mad at you.”

Buck smiled at that, snuggling closer to Eddie.

There was silence for a moment, the two of them enjoying being together.

“Can I look at some of these?” Eddie asked.

“Sure, knock yourself out,” Buck said, waving a hand at the pile.

Eddie unwrapped himself from around Buck, instead moving to sit next to him.

He pressed himself against Buck from shoulder to hip, Buck relishing the physical contact.

He needed comfort like that after the emotional day that he had.

Eddie picked up a few of the cards, reading them to himself.

“Wow, you had a million different lives before becoming a firefighter.” Eddie picked up one of the postcards, furrowing his brow. “When were you a ranch hand?”

“That was in Montana.” Buck smiled at the memories. “It was a fun few months.”

“Any chance you still have this outfit?” Eddie lightly tapped the postcard with one finger, Buck laughing at the rapturous expression on his face.

“I might, somewhere,” Buck said. “Would you be interested in seeing me wear some of that?”

“I would be very interested,” Eddie said, looking Buck up and down. “You know what they say: save a horse, ride a cowboy.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you the one from Texas here?” Buck asked, laughing.

“We can take turns.” Eddie winked.

Buck rolled his eyes before going silent as he leafed through all these pictures.

Eddie nudged him lightly. “What’s on your mind?”

Buck sighed, hands stilling from where they were rearranging the postcards.

“I guess I’m just wondering how I would have turned out if I had found out about Daniel growing up.” he finally said. “Would I still have traveled everywhere trying to find myself? What kind of person would I have been if I knew why I was never enough for my parents?”

“Hey.” Eddie moved away from Buck, turning the other man to face him. “It doesn’t matter what would have happened back then. What matters is that despite all the crap your parents put you through, you emerged as an amazing person.”

Buck flushed and tried to look away, but Eddie kept eye contact with him.

“You are incredible, Evan Buckley. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t enough for your parents. You’re enough for me, Chris, and everyone else in your life in Los Angeles. You are enough. You don’t have to prove anything to us.”

Buck felt close to tears for possibly the hundredth time since his parents had come to town.

“One day, you’ll get tired of constantly reassuring me.” Buck tried to joke, wincing as it fell flat.

“That’s never going to happen,” Eddie told him, settling back against Buck on the bed.

“Thank you,” Buck said, grabbing Eddie’s hand.

“No problem.” Eddie squeezed Buck’s hand as he spoke, the soft pressure endlessly grounding and reassuring to Buck.

They returned to looking through the postcards until Eddie spoke again.

“I’m not going to judge you because you were young and experimenting,” Eddie spoke, as Buck looked at him in confusion, “But what the hell is this?”

Buck groaned as he saw Eddie holding up the photo of him from Peru, with the frosted tips and puka shell necklace.

“That was a look that was very in style in Peru at the time,” Buck argued, defending himself.

“You look like a Ken doll.” Eddie cackled. “Or a member of a 90s boy band.”

“Well, you’d know more about that than me.”

“Calling me old won’t change how ridiculous you look in this picture.”

“Okay, you know what, just give me that.” Buck reached for the photo, only for Eddie to pull it away.

“Nope, I’m keeping this for the Christmas cards.” Eddie joked as Buck tried to grab the picture.

“Give it back!”

Buck started tussling with Eddie for the picture, Eddie laughing the entire time.

Chip meowed his displeasure as he jumped off the bed to avoid the tangle of flying limbs.

Buck soon found himself pinned against the mattress, Eddie holding his wrists above his head.

“Okay, fine, you win.” Buck sighed. “But no Christmas card.”

Eddie let him back up, the two leaning against the headboard.

“Deal,” Eddie smirked before his expression softened. “Besides, I’d rather our Christmas cards have a picture of all three of us to show our new family and maybe also the cats.”

Buck smiled at that.

“That sounds perfect to me,” he said as Eddie leaned in.

Buck leaned in as well, their lips connecting in a peaceful and loving embrace.

Buck sighed into the kiss, wrapping a hand around Eddie’s neck and pulling him closer.

For twenty-eight years, Buck had been looking for a place to belong.

Now, after living a million different lives, he’d found it.

Right here, with Eddie and Chris and the cats, that was enough for him

“We should tell Bobby and everyone tomorrow,” Buck said after they pulled apart.

“Yeah?” Eddie asked, a surprised expression on his face.

“Yeah,” Buck told him. “I don’t want to hide how happy I am anymore.”

“Does this mean that I can officially call you my boyfriend?” Eddie asked.

“It most definitely does,” Buck said. “But only if I can call you my boyfriend as well.”

“I think I can be okay with that.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Buck dropped his voice, practically whispering. “Because I want the whole world to know you’re mine.”

Eddie smiled at that and pulled Buck into another kiss.

~~

The next day, things went as perfectly as they could have gone.

Bobby pulled out some forms for them to sign to declare their relationship, Buck raising an eyebrow at him when he saw that the forms were already filled in.

“I’ve been expecting this for a while.” was all Bobby had to say, causing Buck and Eddie to laugh.

As they suited up for the day, Buck took a piece of tape and covered part of his nameplate.

Now it just said “Buck.”

He thought that was fitting, given that he was cutting his parents out of his life.

And maybe one day, he could put the last name “Diaz” on there.

Eddie saw what he did and took his hand.

“Ready to go?” he asked, lightly squeezing his hand.

Buck smiled back.

“Yeah. I’m ready.”

~~

A week later, Buck was at the beach with Eddie and Chris when his phone buzzed with a notification.

As Eddie returned from helping Chris build his sandcastle, he fished it out of his pocket.

“Everything okay?” Eddie asked, raising his eyebrow.

Buck felt his brows raise with shock as he read the notification.

“You know how I sent off that DNA kit?” Buck asked, Eddie nodding in response. “They just let me know I have matches.”

“You have other relatives?” Eddie asked, looking over at Buck’s screen.

“Yeah, a lot of them.” Buck grinned as he showed Eddie the profiles on the screen.

“You should invite them out here,” Eddie suggested. “I’d love to meet them.”

“I think I will.” Buck put down his phone and turned to Eddie, wrapping his arms around his neck. “But right now I’m happy with our family here.”

Eddie leaned in to kiss him softly before they both turned to watch Chris make his sand castle.

Sensing that they were watching him, Chris turned and waved at them as he beamed over his creation.

“Our kid is really amazing,” Eddie said softly as they waved back.

Buck smiled, leaning against Eddie. “Yeah, he really is.”

~~

Buck didn’t know what the future would hold for them.

He didn’t even know if his relatives would even like him or if it would be like what happened with his parents all over again.

But none of that mattered.

He had Eddie and Chris.

And that was enough for him.

The End…For Now.

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