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Ana has her head down, shuffling through the pile of paperwork she’s somehow managed to collect on her desk, when there’s a hesitant knock on her classroom door. That must be Christopher’s parents.
She quickly glances up at the clock opposite, noticing that it’s a little after ten past four. They’re a bit late, but it’s okay because Jimmy’s mother rang her up this afternoon to reschedule her appointment for later so there’s a free gap after them.
“Come in!” she calls out, taking a deep breath. Kate has already prepped her for this appointment, talking her through all the possible worst case scenarios (although, Ana highly doubts a flock of birds will break in through her window and start attacking any of them). She’s ready, though. Ready to face the charming Edmundo Diaz and his…partner?
The mystery man has been spotted in the courtyard after school multiple times in the past week, sometimes with Eddie and sometimes on his own, always greeting Christopher with a wide smile that lights up his entire face. It’s sweet, really, and Ana desperately wants to get to know the man.
As the door is pushed open, Ana puts on her easiest smile and straightens slightly in her chair. Eddie meets her eyes across the room, returning her smile with a small wave. He steps further into the room, holding the door open for the man behind him and guides him in with his free hand on the small of his back – despite his partner being taller than him. It earns him a gentle smile, the corners of the taller man’s eyes crinkling slightly at the sides.
They’re already the picture perfect couple and Ana hasn’t even spoken to them yet.
Ugh…she is so screwed.
“Hey!” she says, hoping her she sounds totally A-Okay and definitely not like she’s internally screaming over the two of them. She feels so conflicted because, on the one hand, she’s had a crush on Eddie for almost a year now whilst, on the other hand, his partner seems adorable.
“Hi,” Eddie says, taking one of the two seats on the other side of her desk. The other man follows suit, taking the last chair. Christopher isn’t with them, which isn’t exactly unexpected; most kids don’t show up at these parent-teacher conferences.
“Hey,” the man leans over, holding a hand out to Ana which she shakes, trying hard not to think too much about how damn big his hands are. “I’m Buck.”
Something clicks in her brain and she almost laughs. “Oh! You’re Buck?”
The man, Buck, furrows his brows, tilting his head to the side and reminding Ana of a confused puppy. “Yeah…should I be worried?”
Ana shakes her head. “No, no, it’s just that Christopher has been talking with his classmates a lot this week about his ‘Bucky’ and, I’ll be honest, I thought he’d just got really into the Marvel movies lately.”
Eddie snorts at that, nudging Buck with his elbow and sending him a knowing look. “See, I told you he’d be boasting about you to his friends.”
Buck blushes – seriously, he blushes – and rubs the back of his neck with an awkward chuckle. “Ha, yeah, well he’s just excited.” He turns back to Ana, an open mix of expressions on his face; fondness battling with an almost guilty look. “I’ve been on a tour all year, I guess I didn’t think he’d miss me that much.”
Ana doesn’t miss the way that Eddie scowls, his right hand dropping down to presumably land on Buck’s leg. She bites back a smile.
“So you’re in the Army then?” she asks, before realising that might come across as too personal, “Sorry, I just… I had no idea Eddie had- … well, Christopher never mentioned before…” Crap, she’s just made it worse, hasn’t she?
Apparently not, though, if the way that Buck laughs lightly and smiles her way is anything to go by. He shakes his head. “No, I’m a Navy SEAL.”
And…well, that was unexpected. It was hard enough to believe that this human incarnation of a golden retriever could possibly be in the Army but to be a Navy SEAL? Aren’t they supposed to be these lean, mean, killing machines?
She can’t picture Buck like that, can’t picture Eddie dating someone like that, and definitely can’t picture Christopher being raised by someone like that.
Her confusion must show on her face because Eddie lets out an amused laugh. “He’s probably the softest Navy SEAL I’ve ever met,” he says, and that’s when Ana remembers that Eddie was in the Army himself. Eddie leans closer to Buck, gently pushing their shoulders together as he looks at him. If there ever were such thing as real life heart eyes, it would be how Eddie is looking at Buck right now. “We met in Afghanistan. He’d broken orders of not interacting with civilians and brought a group of injured women and children to my tent. Nearly got him sent home.”
Ana can’t help but laugh at that, noticing how Buck doesn’t appear to regret that decision in the slightest. He shrugs, looking a little bit sheepish, but proud nonetheless.
“Worked out in the end. I just got bumped up to Lieutenant.”
“Congratulations!” Ana says, genuinely happy for this man that she’s only just met. It kind of feels like she’s known him all year though, now that she’s had a chance to speak with him. It’s in all the little things, like his bubbly personality and caring heart. She sees a lot of him in Christopher.
He nods his thanks and then Eddie claps his hands together, straightening his back. “So, how’s Christopher been doing?”
“Oh!” is it wrong that she almost forgot this was supposed to be about her student? “Well, let me just start with saying that Christopher is a poster-perfect student. He’s an absolute dream to teach, his imagination is endless and that shows in his writing, here-” She grabs a few of the papers on the pile labelled ‘Christopher Diaz’ and passes them over, “these are just a few examples of his stories from last month’s unit.”
She gives them a moment to read through them, noticing the soft smiles that grace both of their faces as they trade papers, Buck leaning over to point out something on the page and making Eddie laugh. There’s an easy intimacy between them that warms her heart; she sees a lot of parents, naturally, but very few of them seem to connect like these two do. They’re on a whole other level of parenting and love and Ana can’t even find it within herself to be jealous of the fact that Eddie is taken because he just looks so happy.
Once they put their son’s work down, she starts talking again, explaining how Christopher is excelling in the little amount of science work that they’ve been doing and that he’s pretty good with his numbers – he just needs to practice his multiplications of six and eight. The whole time she’s talking about Christopher’s progress, Buck and Eddie share small glances of pride and joy, adding their own little anecdotes of Christopher teaching them what he’s learnt over dinner. There’s even a funny story of the boy attempting to replicate a science experiment they did in class in his bath tub that led to their bathroom needing a deep clean just to get the smell of vinegar to disappear.
“He’s a bright, young student with a passion for learning that I really don’t see often in kids his age.” she tells them both, meaning every word. “I think a lot of that has to do with his upbringing, if I’m being honest. Whatever it is that you’re doing, keep doing because Christopher is on track to grow into a wonderfully intelligent man.”
Eddie’s smile is blinding, and whilst Ana feels a little bittersweet over it not being directed at her she can’t help but think these two really do belong together. Buck clears his throat, blinking a little to furiously for it to not be suspicious, and Eddie twist in his chair to properly face the man, reaching his left hand out to cup Buck’s cheek and turn his face until their eyes meet. He whispers something to Buck, leaning forward to brush their lips together in a chaste kiss, but Ana isn’t even paying attention to that.
No, because a glint on Eddie’s finger has caught her eye and she struggles not to gasp aloud.
A ring, a simple band of gold, on Eddie’s ring finger shimmers under the fluorescent light of the classroom.
Eddie really is married.
Kati is going to flip when Ana tells her that she’d been right all along. She supposes Eddie simply doesn’t wear it when he’s been at work. It makes perfect sense.
She’s so lost in her thoughts that she almost misses Eddie pulling away from Buck and standing up. He’s smiling down at her now, sweet and grateful and man is he handsome. He runs a hand, the one with the ring on, through his hair as Buck stands up too.
“Thank you,” he tells her, “we’re glad you’re Christopher’s teacher.”
Honestly, that’s quite possibly the kindest thing Eddie could have ever told her. Her cheeks ache with how much she’s smiling now.
Buck nods in agreement, taking Eddie’s hand in his and lacing their fingers together. Eddie sneaks another glance at him – at his husband – and Ana finds it unbelievably sweet that he looks at Buck like he can’t quite believe that he’s stood there with him. It’s like the universe has handed him a gift that he can’t comprehend.
It’s unfairly cute and Ana has to bite the inside of her cheek from saying something that she’ll regret.
Buck smiles at her, a glint in his eye that hints he might know exactly what she’s thinking anyway. She blushes and his smile only grows wider.
“Hopefully I’ll see you again.” he tells her with a small nod of his head as they turn to leave. She watches them go, watches how Eddie once again holds the door for Buck and leads him out of the room.
Once they’re out of sight, the door slowly closing behind them, she lets out a long breath and slumps back in her chair.
That didn’t go anywhere near as bad as she’d been expecting. Buck really is a sweetheart. Eddie deserves someone like that in his life.
She can only hope that she does get to see him again, she can’t bare the idea of him being pulled away from his perfect little family so soon after reuniting with them.
Kati comes running into her classroom the moment that the meetings are all over, smirking. “So? How did it go?” she asks, perching on the edge of Ana’s desk and quirking a brow.
Ana groans, staring up at the ceiling. “Is it wrong that I now have a crush on Eddie and his husband?”