Chapter Text
The camera flashes blind him as he makes it out of the LAX terminal. He has several missed calls from Buck, Tía Pepa, his sisters, and god knows how many text messages from the family group chat. Overnight, he went from a mid-tier fighter to an internet sensation. Pictures from his date with Buck, screenshots of private conversations, had somehow surfaced on the internet, thousands of UFC fans demanding his removal from the sport. The only person who had any of that was Lena.
“Mr. Diaz, are you aware of the posts circling around your outing?” One reporter yells out.
“Mr. Diaz, what can you share with us about your career aspirations?” Another calls.
“Mr. Diaz, any response to those who outed you? How are you handling suddenly being in the spotlight?” A red-haired reporter asks him. He stops, his duffel rubbing up against the brushing on his torso as he shifts.
“I know you are all doing your jobs but, I have just been outed against my will. I don’t wish to hide who I am but those screenshots? The pictures? That was me trusting someone I thought had my back. So forgive me if I don’t want to talk about it with strangers taking even more pictures. As far as my career? I’m not with UFC anymore, their fanbase made it quite clear how they feel about me. Now, please. Let me get home.”
Eddie walks toward the parking structure, his truck’s glossy black finish reminding him that some of Lena’s money will have to go to paying it off. The drive home is quiet, the low rumble of the engine as he lets himself cry. He still hasn’t looked at any of the messages from his family, or Buck. It’s so new, what if Buck doesn’t want to deal with all this? He unlocks his door and hears the familiar scrape of Chris’s crutches against the hardwood floor. He smiles as he peels of his shoes and jacket. He walks toward the kitchen and sees Chris helping Tía Pepa plating something out of a large steamer pot. The smell hits him suddenly, tamales. Pepa is the first to see him, her smile soft as she nudges Chris to look over to him.
“Dad!”
Eddie takes Chris into his arms and swings him around.
“I missed you mijo.”
“We made tamales for you.”
“You did?”
“Uh-huh. I-I helped wrap some. And Tía Pepa even let me mix the masa with my hands.”
“Wow, You’re going to be a better cook than me in no time.” He moves to kneel in front of Chris. “Now I know we were waiting, so you ready to judge Buck’s answer?”
Chris smiles. Tía Pepa wipes her hands with the kitchen towel at her shoulder and waits for the answer too.
“Yeah.”
“He told me his perfect day was getting to learn how to make food with his captain, Bobby. The captain is kinda like his family and he loves to share his recipes with Buck.”
“Like Tía Pepa?”
“Exacto, mi angel. Just like me.”
Eddie looks up at her.
“He also told me that when he meets you, his perfect day might change. That whatever you to do together might become his perfect day.”
Chris nods and starts to sniffle. Eddie pulls him into his arms.
“I could be his perfect day?”
“Yeah bud, you can. You know being with you is already my perfect day.”
“Can I meet him?”
“I’ll ask him when he’s free and we’ll make some plans yeah? How does going to the beach sound?”
“Good.”
“Okay. Beach it is.”
Eddie stands catching Tía Pepa run a hand under her eyes. She steps forward and places the same hand on Eddie’s face, holding him gently.
“How are you? Really?”
“Worried.”
“Porqué? Did your parents —”
“Dad sent me something. I haven’t opened anything. I don’t know if I can do it again Tía. Adri and Soph both sent me messages, not to mention the group chat.”
Pepa’s hands fall from Eddie’s face.
“Ay, ese chat shows you how loved you actually are. It was a comment from your mother, and both Adriana and Sophia gave her a piece of their mind. I didn’t even have to lift a finger. Y Evancito? Have you talked to him?”
“No, not yet.”
Pepa picks up Eddie’s phone from the counter and passes it to him.
“Read your messages, Diosito sabe cuanto me costó convencerte en salir con ese muchacho.”
She takes Christopher out to the living room and shoos at Eddie to open his messages.
New Messages in Diaz Family on September 27th , 2018:
(9:47 pm)
From Mom:
Eddie, are you serious?
You knew how we felt about the fighting
And now this?
Think about Christopher for God’s sake, how selfish are you?
From Adri:
Mom
I want you to hear me when I say this: Shut the fuck up.
From Sophia:
Eddie JUST got outed against his fucking will and you’re judging him?
Que te pasa?
From Mom:
I only want what’s best for Christopher.
From Soph:
Holy fuck do you hear yourself?
Who is your kid mom?
IT'S NOT Christopher Diaz, your GRANDson.
Say it with me mom: Edmundo Diaz, EDDIE. That is your son.
You're out here acting like God himself sent you to mother Chris when you barely mothered us ffs.
From Adri:
And not that Eddie should have to ever defend himself to you at this point, but it wasn’t his choice to come out. All of those images and screenshots were private. Eddie didn’t want this to happen.
I wish you would stop attacking him, when all he did was raise us when you were too busy working or being at the church to care what happened to us.
Sophia's right and it's taken us way too long to say it.
New message from Papi on September 27th, 2018:
(10:23 pm)
Your mother was out of line today.
Adri and Sophia are right, I put so much on you Edmundo.
I’m sorry this decision was taken from you.
New messages from Lena Bosko on September 27th, 2018:
(7:48 pm)
I know you won’t want to hear it after this, but I really am sorry.
I never meant for them to get our messages.
I should’ve canceled the fight instead of calling you.
Eddie thumbs through her contact and blocks her number.
New messages from Unknown on September 27th, 2018:
(7:37 pm)
Nice job in the octagon.
Can’t wait to see how the news covers this.
Shit, this is Greenway isn’t it. Eddie types furiously, deleting draft after draft. A new message notification pops up distracting him. It’s Buck.
New messages from Buck ❤️🔥 on September 28th, 2018:
(2:03 am)
From Buck ❤️🔥:
Hey are you okay?
I just saw the news
I’m so sorry
(5:40 am)
Had Bobby check in with your aunt, I guess you might be flying back later today?
I can’t imagine what you’re dealing with right now, but I’m not leaving okay?
(8:01 am)
Heading into a short shift
Just text me to tell me you’re okay when you get home?
(11:13 am)
Just got back from a crazy call, remind me to tell you about it!
Hope you’re with Chris now getting some rest and the biggest hug.
Eddie presses the call button and waits. He hears hoots and laughter from the other end before Buck’s voice.
“Hey, you just get home?”
“Yeah, a bit ago. Chris did give me the biggest hug. Kinda need one from you though.” Eddie sighs as he leans back against the countertop.
“That can be arranged. I’m off late tonight and free the next few days. We can do something small, private.”
“No, I’m not hiding us Buck. I never wanted to do that. I was thinking you could, maybe meet Chris?”
“You want that?”
Eddie looks through the open doorway toward the couch, Chris laughing with Tía Pepa.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Okay. But you tell me what you’re comfortable with yeah? This whole thing is unfair to you and I don’t want you to think you have to do anything.”
“I messed with some pretty powerful people Buck. And yeah they outed me, they fucking fired me. But I expected that. I knew what I was risking.”
“Who did this to you Eddie? What reason would they have?”
“Jonah Greenway, the other fighter, and the UFC. They wanted me to throw the fight. I refused.”
“What the hell?! Did you wanna fight it? I’m sure we could go the public support route right?”
“No, most MMA circles lean a little toward the homophobic. No one wants to vouch for a fighter who’s out, it’s too much to risk in terms of sponsors. I think it might just be time to hang up my gloves professionally.”
“I can look up LGBT friendly gyms out here? I’m sorry Eddie, if we hadn’t gone out on that date —”
“Hey, no. I don’t regret it. Talking to you over the past few days has been the most natural thing I’ve ever done.”
“Is it weird that I feel like we’ve know each other way longer than a few days?”
“Not weird, more like when you met someone and you just…click. And I did tell you I was already thinking about maybe taking a step back, this just rushed it. I’m more worried about whether or not Jonah will just use me as a backboard to launch his career or if he’s the kind of person I should be filing a police report on.”
“Did he do something?”
“I think he may have texted me, I haven’t replied yet.”
“Did you wanna chance it? Bobby’s partner, Athena, is a LAPD sergeant, maybe you can file a report for all of this?”
“I don’t know if they’d bother investigating, there’s nothing really tracing it back to the organization other than Lena’s allegations, but I’ll go down to the station tomorrow. I just want to focus on healing, having you meet Chris, maybe talking to your Captain about the academy…”
“God, I can't wait to meet him.”
“Yeah, he’s excited to meet you too.”
“That-That’s great. What does he like? We can start planning so we’re not out too late if it’s a school night, or would the weekend work better?”
“Buck, did you hear the last part I said?”
“You said you wanted me to meet Chris and that you maybe wanna talk to Bobby about… Eddie. Really?”
“Yeah, I mean I’ll have to find someone to take care of Chris, Abuela and Tía Pepa can’t really have him all day like that and the paperwork is actually worse than any of the VA stuff I’ve had to fill out.”
“I might have someone for you actually.”
“Buck.”
“I’ll give you her number. I promise, she’s amazing. Took care of Abby’s mom when she was sick, best person to have on your side for all that insurance red tape.”
“Yeah, shoot over her details and I’ll call her. God, Buckley, you are amazing. You can have my back any day.”
Buck laughs lightly, the way Eddie has noticed he does to hide his blush.
“Or you know, you could have mine.”
“Deal.”
“So I can tell Bobby you wanna talk?”
“You can tell Bobby.”
Eddie hears as Buck starts running towards what he assumes is Bobby. Bobby’s sounds of protest as Buck yells his name repeatedly. He smiles when Bobby takes the phone and starts telling him about the prerequisites and documents he’ll need to collect.