Chapter Text
Ana’s in the last month of her pregnancy, just a week or so shy of her due date, and Eddie is at work. They ended up blocking his parents after a few phone calls that got heated after they went home.
Buck held him close after each call - since he learned his lesson the first time about not putting Ana near them again - but he kept urging him to really look at their place in his and Christopher’s life, if their presence was really adding to it in the way that it should be.
After a talk with Chris, he sent them both off a text informing him that he has no desire to work on their relationship anymore, and promptly blocked both of their numbers. He hates that the door on the relationship with his parents is closed, but at the same time, there’s some relief. He doesn’t have to keep up the charade anymore, doesn’t have to bend and break himself into little bits to meet their approval.
He’s surrounded by the people that love him, just for being who he is, and that’s good enough for him.
He’s currently kicking Chim’s ass at Mario Kart - the Buckley-Han trio having been back for a few weeks at this point, much to everyone’s relief. They split up on the way back from Boston, but everyone is just waiting for them to announce that they’re back together.
He’s a little sad to see Lucy go, since she’d been with them in the meantime, but he’s glad to have his partner back and his family together again.
Chim was shocked when he got back, since he and Maddie had been mostly out of contact with everyone, and therefore, were both completely unaware of both the relationship between himself and Buck, and Ana’s pregnancy.
They all kind of forgot to tell him too, so used to everyone already knowing, which meant he only found out when Ana waddled into the station after he returned, and had lunch with everyone.
The look on his face was absolutely priceless.
“Eddie!”
Bobby’s voice calls him back to the present, a wide smile on his face, one hand on his radio.
“What’s up, Cap?”
“The 144 just radioed. Ana went into labor and called for an ambulance. Your baby is on the way, and she wanted to let you know. They’re taking her to Cedars.” He says, grinning when Eddie jumps up in a panic, spinning in a brief circle with the game controller still in his hand. He hears gasps and cheers following the statement, and he feels like there are bubbles in his stomach. “Go on. We’ll take care of the rest of your shift.” He promises, and that’s all Eddie needs.
He hurries to Buck, who’s eyes are wide with excitement, grabbing his face and pulling him in for a quick kiss, the chaste motion grounding Eddie enough for him to be able to breathe.
“The go bag is in the Jeep; you can take it and I’ll drive your truck home after shift. Let me know how they are!” His boyfriend demands, and Eddie kisses his smile, though it’s more teeth pressing together than a kiss.
“I will! I love you!” He yells over his shoulder as he runs down the stairs to the sound of well wishes called out after him.
His hands are a little shaky as he fiddles with his keys to find the spare to the Jeep, and he has to take a few centering breaths before he feels safe enough to drive.
He remembers this feeling well: the nervousness, mixed with excitement and a little terror at the fact that the baby is coming. They’re almost here, out in the real world now. He’s going to be able to meet them, to see their eyes and count each little toe.
He remembers emergency leave from the Army when he got the call about Shannon, the rushed flight and the lack of sleep before he showed up to her hospital room just in time to welcome Christopher into the world.
He marvels at the difference in his life from then to now. If someone told 21-year-old Eddie that he’d be doing this all over again in 4 years with a different woman that he’s nt married to, and that he has a boyfriend now, he’s pretty sure he would have keeled over.
Now though, he’s just happy. Not about Shannon, obviously. He will always love her, his best friend and the mother of his oldest. He’ll always miss her, but he thinks that he and Chris have built a pretty good life here. He thinks she would be happy for them.
He stops at the nurse station, a little out of breath, and the head nurse smiles at him as she points him in the right direction, yelling a “Good luck, Dad!” After him.
He is absolutely not running down the halls - he’s gotten that lecture and enough dirty looks to drive that point home - but he is… jogging, a little bit, noting every room number until he gets to the right one.
He knocks before entering, and is met with a team and a sweaty, but determined, Ana.
“Are you the father?” Someone asks brusquely, and he can only nod, hurrying to Ana’s side and grabbing her hand.
“Yes, he is. We can start now.” She says through clenched teeth, leaning back to look up at him. “I’m glad you’re here.”
He smiles again, something that he doesn’t seem to be able to stop these days and squeezes her hand. “Me too. You ready?”
She nods, and her face twists almost immediately in a grimace as another contraction hits, her previous hold on his hand now squeezing like a boa constrictor as the team jumps into motion.
Two hours later, there are tears in his eyes as he watches his newborn son sleep in his bassinet. He texted Buck a picture a little bit ago, and answered a Facetime with everyone on shift and let them know how it went.
Ana was exhausted after the birth and was sleeping peacefully when he left her last, her parents in the room with her to keep an eye on her, having arrived shortly after the baby was born.
Their son - Sebastían James Diaz - is 7lbs, 2 oz, 16 inches long and absolutely perfect in the eyes of his parents. The doctors assured them that he was totally healthy and would be ready to go home whenever they were.
Ana’s mother volunteered to come stay with her for the first few weeks, to jump in when Eddie or Buck couldn’t be there.
They have a crib set up in their room, but they’re looking at buying a bigger house together, so Seb can have his own space when he comes to stay with them. He’s going to live with Ana for the first few months to give them both time to settle in, and then they’ll implement their plan for custody later.
When warm arms wrap around his waist from behind, and a familiar set of lips press against his temple, he melts backwards, letting his partner take his weight as he points out the newest addition to their family.
“Wow. He’s absolutely beautiful, Eds.” Buck breathes, eyes unbelievably soft where they’re trained on the baby. He glances down to meet Eddie’s gaze with a smug smirk. “I told you that you make the cutest babies.”
Eddie can’t stop the laugh of pure joy and relief that bursts out of him at the statement, turning in his boyfriend’s arms to return the embrace and lifting up on his tiptoes a little to meet him for a kiss.
“Yeah, he is pretty cute.” He agrees, turning them so he can burrow into Buck’s chest and still watch his youngest son sleep.
Sebastían wiggles a little bit, tiny mouth stretching open in a wide yawn, arms reaching out to the side, and the noise that they both make can be described as nothing other than a coo.
Eddie takes in the look on Buck’s face, the instant love that he felt as he cut the umbilical cord, and his heart squeezes.
Yeah, he thinks he’s going to end up putting that ring in the back of his sock drawer to use sooner rather than later.
For now, though, they bask in the excitement of their youngest son before they have to go pick up the oldest, who is going to be beyond excited to learn that his brother has finally arrived.
Eddie reflects back on his thoughts earlier, about his 20-year-old self, and he wishes he could go back in time and hug him tight. Promise him that he was going to get through everything he was so scared of and have an amazing life, one that was better than anything beyond his wildest dreams.
He’d promise him that everything he had to go through was worth it, because it got him here, and here is pretty damn perfect.