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“What’s the situation?” Eddie asks, jumping out of the truck and taking his place next to Buck. He doesn’t know when he started thinking of it like that. He could stand anywhere, but he always seems to gravitate towards him. Like there’s this invisible pull to be close to him.
He knows why it is, but he tries not to think about it. Especially not on calls. He doesn’t need his judgement being clouded.
“Call said there was a fire,” Bobby says. “The house is supposed to be empty. It’s condemned. Not fit for anyone to live here. But the neighbor said she heard someone inside, calling for help.”
“Is it safe to go in?” Chimney asks, eyeing the house critically.
“I’m not sure,” Bobby says. “But if someone is inside…”
“We have to go,” Buck says. “If someone is trapped in there we have to help them. I can do it.”
“You know the risks,” Bobby says. “And you’re not going alone.”
“Of course he’s not,” Eddie says. “I’m going with him.”
“Stick together,” Bobby tells them. “And we’ll work on it from out here. But if the condition worsens too much, you get out. Do you hear me? We’re not losing anyone today.”
They both nod, make sure they have what they need, and then head towards the house. Buck grins over at him as they walk towards the door. “I should have known if anyone was going to follow me into an impossible situation, it was you.”
“Yeah well, don’t do anything stupid and make me regret it,” Eddie tells him.
“When have I ever done anything stupid?” Buck asks, ducking his way into the house.
Eddie doesn’t answer. They both know that Buck does at least one stupid thing on a daily basis. But hopefully today it won’t be life-threatening stupid.
“Stay close,” Eddie tells him.
Buck doesn’t say anything, just keeps moving further into the house. It looks bad, most of it has already caved in, even before the fire got to it. Eddie really doesn’t like being here.
There’s a shout from their left, and Buck immediately rushes towards it. Eddie curses, and follows after him.
“Where are you?” Buck calls from ahead of him. “Can you call out again?”
“I’m here!” A woman calls back.
Eddie hurries forward, stopping just behind Buck. Buck is looking at the ceiling, where a few wooden beams are hanging low, looking like they could fall at any moment. Eddie knows exactly what he’s thinking about doing.
“You stay here so you can help her in case these fall,” Buck tells him
“Buck you really shouldn’t…”
But Buck ignores his warning, ducking under the hanging wood to get to the woman.
“She’s caught,” Buck says, looking back at him. “But I think I can get her out if I just…” he grunts in excretion, pulling on the piece of wood trapping the woman’s leg. “There.”
“Can you walk?” Eddie asks her. He hears a cracking sound overhead and feels his fear building. They need to get out of here.
She puts pressure on her foot, and nods. She starts forward and makes it out of the room. Buck is right behind her when the crack sounds louder, and suddenly the beams are falling. Eddie moves to shield the woman, getting them both away from the crash.
He looks back and feels his heart drop. The wooden beams have fallen, blocking Buck’s path back out.
“Buck!”
He rushes forward, peering into the small space left. Buck is there, looking right back at him. “Get her out of here.”
Eddie doesn’t want to leave. The house is already barely standing and leaving Buck here…
“Eddie go!”
Eddie does as he’s told. He takes the woman to the door, and makes sure she’s outside before turning back around.
“Eddie!” Bobby calls after him. “Where the hell are you going?”
Eddie doesn’t stop as he calls back, “Buck needs help!” He rushes back to the room, and kneels down next to the wood. If he could just move it, maybe they could get him out.
He tries to shift it, but it won’t budge. “Damn it. I’m going to need you to help me here, Buck.”
“There isn’t a lot of time,” Buck says. “You need to go, and then stay out.”
“Buck,” Eddie says, his tone pleading as he grips the wood separating them. “I can’t leave you here.”
“You have to,” Buck tells him. “This house isn’t stable. It could come down at any minute. So you need to get out.”
“I can’t.”
“You can,” Buck tells him. There are tears in his eyes, and Eddie wants nothing more than to be able to get to him and make them stop. Make this all stop. “You have to go, Eddie. Christopher needs you.”
“What about what I need?” Eddie asks him. “Huh? Damn it, Evan. I need you. I can’t just leave you here.”
Buck smiles, placing a hand over his, “You don’t have a choice.” He clears his throat and looks up at the roof with a frown, before meeting Eddie’s eyes. There’s an unwavering determination there. One that normally Eddie would love, but right now he hates. “Get yourself to safety. Do your damn job.”
Eddie wants to scream that his job is to save people, and leaving while Buck is trapped here isn’t part of that. What comes out is a quiet “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Buck tells him. “I just wish I got to say it more.”
Eddie doesn’t think he can do this. He can’t just leave Buck in here, knowing there’s a chance he won’t make it out. He’s about to take a step forward when arms wrap around him from behind, pulling him backwards. He struggles, keeping his eyes on Buck as he’s pulled towards the door. The last thing he sees of Buck is him clutching the wood and smiling sadly as tears run down his cheeks. And then he’s gone, the smoke clouding Eddie’s vision.
Eddie’s pulled outside by Bobby and Chimney, who are doing their best to hold him in place as he fights against them.
“We can’t leave him,” Eddie says, turning to look at Bobby. “We can’t. Bobby please.”
“If you go back in there we’ll lose both of you,” Bobby tells him. “Christopher needs you.”
“Why does everyone keep telling me that? I know that, but Buck…”
“Buck knew the risk when he went in there.”
“Stop acting like he’s already gone!” Eddie yells. “He’s not. He’s alive and he’s in there and we have to get him. Not just stand here waiting for him to die!”
Bobby is silent for a moment, before he turns to Chimney. “Can you keep him here?”
“Yeah I’ve got it,” Chimney says. “But you really shouldn’t go in there alone.”
“I’ll just check it out,” Bobby tells him. “Eddie’s right. We can’t just leave him there.”
“Bobby,” Athena says, walking up to him. “I understand you want to…”
There’s a sudden BOOM! from the house, drawing all their attention towards it. Chimney’s arms drop in shock, and Eddie stumbles forward.
When the house goes down, Eddie screams. He tries to run towards it, but Bobby puts his arms around him, holding him back.
“Let me go! Buck is still in there! We have to…”
“There’s nothing you can do right now, Eddie,” Bobby tells him, his voice far to calm.
Eddie shakes his head, unable to stop the tears from spilling down his cheeks. Deep down he knows if anyone was still in that house there’s no way they made it. But he doesn’t want to believe it. Buck is strong and brilliant and beautiful. He can’t be gone.
He falls to his knees, and Bobby goes with him. He holds him while a hand grips his head. Eddie isn’t sure if he’s the one shaking, or if it’s Bobby. Maybe it’s both.
“Guys!” Chimney calls. “Guys! I found something! There’s someone here!”
Eddie closes his eyes. He tries not to picture Buck’s still, soot covered body. His beautiful face, burnt and unrecognizable.
Hen walks up, saying something to Bobby, but Eddie doesn’t hear it. All he hears is a loud thumping in his ears, growing steadily louder. Bobby moves away, but Eddie stays there, his eyes focused on the ground in front of him.
He knows he should be doing something, helping them in some way. But he can’t move. He just keeps thinking of Buck’s face in those last few moments.
Hands touch his face, but Eddie can’t look up. He can’t see the pity in anyone’s face right now.
“Eddie.”
The voice reaches him through the fog. For a moment he thinks he’s imagined it. But then it speaks again. “Eddie look at me.”
He raises his eyes, and he’s breath catches in his throat. He brings a hand up, touching his face almost reverently.
“Buck.”
Buck smiles softly, brushing his fingers down Eddie’s cheek. “Hey.”
“You’re alive,” Eddie whispers.
“I am. Turns out I have some things to live for.”
Eddie kisses him, his lips moving tenderly over Buck’s. Buck’s hand slips behind his neck and into his hair, and he pulls Eddie closer, deepening the kiss.
“I was so worried,” Eddie murmurs.
“I know,” Buck says, resting his forehead against Eddie’s. “I’m sorry for that. I just needed you out, and not doing anything stupid. That’s my job.”
“How did you get out?” Eddie asks him.
“There was a window. I busted it open and crawled out just before the house went down. Lost my bearings a little bit from the impact with the ground. Then Chim found me. And well, here we are.”
Eddie wraps his arms around him, pulling him closer. Buck is quick to hug him back.
“I meant it, you know?” Buck whispers against his ear. “I love you.”
Eddie’s arms tighten at him, “I love you too.”
They stay like that, wrapped up in each other as the world continues to go on around them. Eventually they’ll have to get up and go back to reality. But for now they just want to stay like this, in their little bubble, content in knowing the other is safe.