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“Dinner’s at seven,” Eddie reminded Buck as he threw his bag into the passenger seat of his truck.
Buck leaned against Eddie’s truck, scrolling through his phone, “Okay, just have to go to the store to get more balloons for Saturday. This place near my apartment has some of the dinosaurs Chris likes.”
He handed his phone so Eddie could see the velociraptor-shaped balloons. He watched Eddie’s face break into a grin, the slight impression of his dimple making itself known.
“That’s perfect, he’s going to love it,” Eddie held the phone out but Buck’s eyes were still drawn to Eddie’s dimple, it was a rare sight, usually hidden by his beard and nowhere near as prominent as Buck’s own.
“Dude,” Eddie shook the phone and Buck quickly snatched it, shoving it into his pocket. “It’s a good thing he’s still in his dinosaur phase.”
Buck chuckled, “Yeah, I can just imagine the poor Party City employees watching me scramble to find a baby Yoda balloon.”
Groaning, Eddie joined Buck in leaning against his truck. “If he knew the baby Yoda doll existed that’s all he’d be talking about, thank God he just wants to watch the Jurassic Park franchise from the beginning.”
“Are we on Lost World or III ?”
“ Lost World . We paused halfway through cause Chris fell asleep, remember?”
Buck did remember. He remembered how Chris had sprawled across both their laps, his head resting on Eddie’s and his feet occasionally twitching on Buck’s. He remembered how Eddie was absentmindedly stroking Chris’s hair with one hand while the other rested behind Buck’s head, almost touching but radiating warmth. He remembered how Eddie told him to stay the night before going to tuck Chris into bed. How the warmth that Buck felt was no longer coming from the heat of Eddie’s hand.
“Yeah, I remember,” Buck said, smiling.
After Eddie had driven away, a pointed cough sounded from behind Buck. Hen emerged from the firehouse, a grin alighting her face.
“So do you guys save any of the sappy, domestic exchanges for home?”
Buck’s eyebrows immediately wrinkled, “What?”
“Oh? Did I mishear or are you not having dinner with the Diazes tonight and probably finishing Lost World ?” Hen walked closer, a teasing glint in her eyes.
Buck shifted his bag to his left arm, scuffing the ground with his shoe, “Well, um, Chris’s actual birthday is today and he just wanted his favorite meal before video games and a movie. His party is on Saturday, as you well know since you were invited.”
“So Eddie invited you to a family-only dinner to celebrate Chris’s birthday?”
“When you say it like that you make it sound weird,” Buck pouted.
Hen sighed, shaking her head, “Oh, you clueless puppy.”
She began walking to her own car, muttering what sounded like “men” under her breath. Leaving Buck standing in the parking lot, a frown etched on his face and a matching set of puppy dog eyes.
~
An apartment building was on fire. No major injuries but the smoke had wafted into the street, creating a gray haze. All who remained of the 118 in the building were Buck and Eddie. They had cleared the final floor, their call-outs going unanswered. Eddie was almost at the exit when he realized Buck was no longer behind him.
“Buck!” Eddie’s voice bellowed, he repeated the call several times, only met with the crackling of the growing fire.
He was about to call out again when his radio static pierced the air, “Diaz, Buckley check-in.”
Eddie responded to Bobby and waited for Buck’s voice to filter through. Seconds passed.
“Diaz, don’t even think about it,” Bobby’s voice cut in.
Eddie clenched his fists and took a shuddering breath before making his way to the exit. Sunlight hit him full force as he stepped out of the building, a contrast from the smokey haze that had surrounded him. He spotted Chimney and Hen by the ambulance, supplying oxygen to several of the building’s tenants. Bobby stood a few feet away, still trying to contact Buck through the radio.
With shaking hands, he jerkingly removed his helmet, “Come on, Buck.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much,” Athena’s voice floated his way, as she walked towards him, placing her sunglasses in the breast pocket of her uniform.
“Oh yeah, he’s just in a burning building not answering his radio. I’m sure he’s perfectly fine,” Eddie snarked, staring at the smoke.
“The fire is already contained and almost out as we speak. Buck probably heard someone call out and is too busy to respond to Bobby,” Athena’s tone left no room for arguments, reasonable and firm.
Eddie sighed, taking a deep breath before releasing it once more. He knew she was right but that nagging voice in the back of his head couldn’t help but rear its anxious head whenever Buck was concerned. His heart was beating in his ears and it wasn’t because of adrenaline.
Only a few minutes passed before the building’s front entrance was thrown open. Athena watched as Buck emerged from the building, ash smeared across his face and his jacket bundled up in his arms. She cut her eyes quickly to Eddie and watched as his entire framed relaxed, his nails undug themselves from his palms and his shoulders dropped from their place at his ears. But he still stood still, just staring at Buck’s figure.
“Go get your boy,” Athena smirked, giving Eddie a shove between his shoulder blades.
Eddie barely heard her over the thud of his own heart. His legs moved on their own accord, taking him to where Buck stood.
Buck grinned as he watched Eddie approach, cradling his jacket in his arms.
Eddie couldn’t help but shove Buck’s shoulder, a little harder than he intended to, “You idiot! What got you playing hero this time?”
His eyes searched Buck’s face and body, ensuring there was no external damage.
Buck’s eyes were alight and he smiled sheepishly, pulling a lump from under his jacket. Black eyes in a sea of grey blinked back at Eddie.
“When we cleared out the last floor I swore I kept hearing this sound so I kept looking and I found her,” Buck said proudly, holding, what Eddie now realized was a cat, close to his chest.
“You’re lucky yo— she’s cute,” Eddie stumbled, attempting to joke. He could still feel Athena’s eyes on him but he ignored it in favor of watching Buck attempt to rid the cat’s fur of ash.
~
Bobby felt a presence hovering over his shoulder. Slowly he set his pen down and took a sip of his coffee.
“Yes, Buck?”
A very dignified squeak sounded before Buck came into view, red dusting his cheeks, and one hand scratching the back of his neck.
“Do you think you can teach how to make chicken noodle soup?”
Bobby blinked up at Buck and set down his book of sudoku, “It’s two weeks until we get to soups.”
“Yeah, I know but Eddie caught a cold and Isabel is out of town visiting family so someone’s gotta make him stop sniffing miserably on the couch.”
Buck brought his hands together, cracking all his knuckles at once. Bobby cared about Eddie (cared about all the 118) he wouldn’t just refuse to help Buck to help Eddie, would he? Eddie already had to cancel plans to take Christopher to the science museum, Buck knew the look on Chris’s face alone was enough to make Eddie feel worse than his cold did. Buck thought a little soup pick-me-up would cheer Eddie up some and he wouldn’t have to eat greasy takeout food while sick.
Bobby coughed, “Well, as you see Buck I’m kind of busy right now.”
Buck’s heart sank and he tried to stammer out a reply as Bobby fought a grin.
He took one final gulp of his coffee and rose from his chair, “Come on, kid. Soup’s not going to make itself.”
It took the rest of their shift for Bobby to teach Buck how to make the perfect get-well-soon soup, luckily only one minor call occurred during that time, just the right amount of time for the soup to finish cooking.
Bobby sent Buck home with a tupperware full of hot soup. This time Bobby didn’t stop himself from smiling as Buck carefully placed the tupperware on the floor of his Jeep, creating a barricade with his bag to ensure the soup wouldn’t spill.
~
“You know I always thought you and Chris were dog people.”
Eddie blinked up at Chimney, holding two different brands of litter in his hands.
“We are. There’s just no room for a dog in our lives right now. I mean between Chris and Buck, I already have the energy of a dog and puppy dog eyes to deal with. Now, which brand do you think is better?”
He held up the two nearly identical boxes of litter. Chimney scrutinized them for a second before at random pointing to the box on the right. Eddie stared for a second longer before shrugging and putting the box in his left hand into the cart, Chimney tried not to be offended.
Chimney pushed the cart after Eddie as the other man meandered through the aisles, picking up various cat toys and then placing them back on the shelves. He finally decided on a toy mouse. Chimney sighed, shaking his head, what a way to spend his day off.
“So you’re getting a bunch of cat supplies with no plans of getting a cat? Gotta say, I can’t approve of your methods of wasting money,” Chimney ribbed Eddie who was still staring at the multitude of cat toys.
Eddie narrowed his eyes, “What?”
Chimney indicated once again to the cart that was quickly filling up.
“Oh! This is all for Buck, man. You were there when he rescued that cat last week.”
“But...he’s only fostering the cat until he can find a permanent home for it, you know how Buck is.”
Buck had loudly proclaimed his want for a pet the moment he stepped foot into the firehouse. Chimney had even gone with him to the dog shelter and while Buck’s eyes would light up every time a dog would jump on him, he always managed to pull himself away, citing that work would keep him too busy.
“Nah, he’s totally keeping the cat,” Eddie reassured Chimney, “He just says he’s going to foster it, but you didn’t see him with the cat. He fell asleep on the couch and it curled up right on his chest, look.”
Eddie pulled his phone from his pocket and there was Buck with the black cat nestled perfectly on his chest, both asleep. Chimney had to admit it was pretty adorable. Eddie looked at the picture a moment longer, his finger hovering over the screen before he quickly shoved the phone back into his pocket.
“So...cat food?”
Chimney only sighed, “After you.”
~
Maddie stared at Jiji. No, rather she stared at the collection of cat supplies that surrounded Jiji.
She could hear Buck pittering around in his kitchen, making them both dinner. She took a sip of her wine and watched as Jiji pawed at a toy mouse.
“So,” Maddie called out, “where did you get all these cat things again?”
“Eddie. He dropped it all off the other day,” Buck called back.
Maddie took a bigger sip, of course he did.
“Dinner’s ready!”
They sat at the kitchen table, Buck digging into parmesan chicken he had made while Maddie stared at him. Moments passed with only the clinking of Buck’s silverware until he noticed he was the only one partaking in the food.
“Uh...is something wrong? Does it taste bad? Cause I can just order some Chinese food instead,” Buck rambled under his sister’s gaze.
Maddie only shook her head, her eyes filled with an emotion Buck couldn’t quite decipher, “You don’t know do you?”
Now Buck was confused, “Know what?”
“Buck,” Maddie’s voice turned soft as she gently grasped his hand, “you’re dating Eddie.”
Buck stares for a moment, lips pressed tightly together. A beat passes before he barks out a laugh, his chest heaving.
“That’s a good one, Maddie,” he took a gulp of his wine, “Now, can we continue eating?”
“You have a toothbrush at his place,” Maddie replied.
Oh. So they were doing this then.
“Chris likes it when I sleep over so it’s just easier if I have a toothbrush there.”
“All of Chris’s teachers and his friends’ parents know you.”
“Cause I drop off and pick up Chris when Eddie is at work or when it’s Carla’s day off.”
“You sewed Chris’s costume for the play.”
“Eddie is hopeless with the sewing machine.”
“Eddie and Chris made you a care package when you had the flu.”
“A thoughtful gesture from a friend .”
“You made Bobby teach you how to make soup to give to Eddie.”
“Once again, something a friend would do.”
“He knew you were going to keep Jiji even before you did!”
A pause, then, “...Friends?”
Maddie glared at her brother.
Oh. Oh.
“Oh god, I’m in love with Eddie.”
Maddie drained her glass of wine in one gulp.
+1
Buck frantically rapped his knuckles on Eddie’s door. After his revelation, Buck had left Maddie, who was simultaneously cheering him on while also hitting her head against the table at the cluelessness of her baby brother, at his apartment. He didn’t even remember driving, just that his mind was jumbled with all the words he wanted to tell Eddie.
The door swung open and all the words instantly left Buck’s mind as Eddie’s face came into view.
Buck blurted the only words that remained in his brain, “We’re dating!”
Eddie blinked rapidly at him, clad in pajama bottoms adorned with cartoon reindeers and a white t-shirt. Buck resisted the urge to go back to his car and maybe drive off a cliff.
“Would you like to come in before you spiral fully into an existential crisis?” Eddie held the door open for him, Buck quickly passing the threshold. The door shut behind them, closing them off from the rest of the world and Buck felt the weight of what he had just said settle upon him.
Eddie pressed himself against the door, his gaze steady on Buck, he opened his mouth but Buck couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“You and Christopher are the most important people in my life,” Buck walked closer to Eddie, “Maddie made me realize how intertwined our lives have become. On the drive over here, I kept thinking of my life over the past year and every single memory that mattered had you in it.”
Buck stood right in front of Eddie, close enough to feel the heat radiating off of him. Eddie’s eyes were trained on him, dark and inviting.
“I didn’t realize what a fixture you became in our lives until I couldn’t talk to you anymore but when everything was over, we fell right back into this easy rhythm. You fit so seamlessly into our lives, my life, that I don’t even want to think about our lives without you. It’s easy being with you, too easy. I didn’t want to—”
“Ruin it.”
They stared at each other, transfixed in the silence.
Eddie pushed himself off the door, closing the small distance between them. He brushed his thumb over one of the tendons of Buck’s neck, remembering touching Buck like this when he realized he couldn’t imagine his life without Buck. Buck shivered, lips parted as he relished under the scrutiny of Eddie’s heavy gaze.
Buck’s hands sought Eddie’s waist and he pulled him closer. Eddie’s hand traveled from Buck’s neck to cup his face, pulling him in until their lips were a hair apart.
“I love you,” Eddie whispered before finally closing the gap.