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Evan Buckley isn’t reckless, no matter what his teammates say. Sure, he takes a lot of risks, but they’re calculated. And maybe he failed algebra, but he’s good at this kind of math.
The thing about Evan Buckley is that he’s got a soulmate. If he’s honest, he’s not sure he believes in the concept. That is - he knows he’s got one, in the sense that there are words scrawled in unfamiliar handwriting across his wrist. But he’s not sure if the whole ‘perfect match’ thing is legit. Who’s gonna hear him say a sentence or two and decide it’s enough to stay? It seems unrealistic if you ask him, but it does come with one advantage. Because whatever he thinks about soulmates, fate is demonstrably real. Fate says that if you have words, you’ll hear them.
Buck’s practically invincible.
So yeah, if he takes the risks so his markless teammates don’t have to, the math works out. Sure, he might get hurt, but until he hears those fateful words, he’s not going to die.
He’s not expecting anything to change on a random Tuesday.
“New recruit,” Bobby says, and Buck’s jaw nearly drops. On the one hand, they don’t need a new recruit. The team’s just fine as it is. On the other hand, Eddie Diaz is the most attractive man Buck’s ever seen. Ever. He’s not sure if he’s jealous or, well, the other thing. He’s more than content to figure that one out later, right up until Eddie opens his stupidly hot mouth.
“You’re Buck, right? Nice to meet you. I’ve heard good things.”
That time, Buck’s jaw actually does drop. He snaps it shut, turns on his heel, and leaves without a word.
Holy shit .
Eddie Diaz. Eddie Diaz is his fucking soulmate. This is going to ruin everything.
Buck knows he’s being an asshole, but he can’t help it. If he says a single fucking word to Diaz, the magic’s over. Assuming Eddie has his words. He must, right? Hell, wouldn’t that be Buck’s luck? A one-sided bond? It’s virtually unheard of, but not impossible.
He pushes the thought away. The odds of the bond being one-sided are so low, it’s not worth chancing. So yeah, Buck’s being an asshole, but if it means he can continue keeping his team safe with his near-immortality, he’s going to keep being an asshole. And hey! He’s keeping Eddie safe too. Frankly, if he gave Eddie the choice, he’d probably prefer it like this.
Their first call is to an auto shop where a man’s been impaled on an air compressor. Buck’s got it, he does , but then Eddie steps in and he’s irritatingly competent. Buck huffs and hands over the angiocath. The silence on their way back to the station is deafening.
He makes it through the shift without saying a word to Eddie. He knows Bobby notices, and that he probably won’t get away with it for long, but at least for now, his superpower is intact. He’ll deal with the rest later.
It’s not until he’s unlocking the door to Abby’s place that he realizes he hasn’t thought about her all day, maybe for the first time since she left. The ache in his chest that he hadn’t realized was missing resumes. He leaves the key in the lock for a moment and rocks back on his heels. It feels like it means something.
He’d been so sure she was coming back, but why would she? There’s an entire world out there that isn’t Buck. She’d probably known from the minute she left that she wasn’t coming back. It’s been weeks since they talked. Maybe it’s time for Buck to stop waiting.
The sound of the shower running hits him as he steps across the threshold, and Buck immediately feels guilty for his train of thought.
She’s back. Abby’s back. Buck’s got half a mind to join her in the shower, but his earlier thoughts stop him. Whatever her reason for returning, they need to talk before they do anything else.
And then it’s not Abby. It’s Maddie. His sister . Holy shit. His heart breaks and lifts at the same time. Abby’s still gone, but he hasn’t seen Maddie in years, and he’s missed her like he’d miss a piece of himself.
She prods him about the apartment, and everything comes spilling out. Abby, how she’s been gone, and worst of all Eddie .
“Evan, he’s your soulmate . You have to tell him!” she says.
“I absolutely don’t,” Buck argues. “I’ve got a good thing here, I’m not going to ruin it just because I met my soulmate.”
Maddie shakes her head but doesn’t argue.
Eddie walks into the gym and Buck leaves. Eddie goes to grab a drink from the fridge and Buck abandons his half-finished lunch. Eddie corners him in the locker room, and Buck… is stuck.
“What’s your problem, man?” Eddie asks, throwing his hands in the air.
Buck just shakes his head.
“Look, I hear you’re a good guy, and that you’re going through some personal stuff, but if we’re going to work together you have to at least talk to me. So whatever this is, knock it off.” Eddie spins on his heel and leaves.
Hen comes in not long after.
“What’s going on with you, Buckaroo?” she asks, not unkindly.
Buck shakes his head. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
The station alarm goes off, and Buck thanks his lucky stars.
Hen sighs. “Whenever you’re ready to talk about it, you know where to find me.”
The guy's got a live grenade in his leg. Like hell Buck’s letting Eddie go in there alone, and like hell he’s letting another member of his team go.
“I’m in,” Buck says, making sure he directs it to Bobby.
Eddie frowns at him but nods. Bobby tries to give them both an out, but neither of them takes it. Buck feels like an asshole all over again. He and Eddie are clearly cut from the same cloth, and the more time Buck spends around him, the more respect he has for him. He’s sure as hell not going to break his silence now, though, not right before they try to pull a live grenade out some guy’s leg.
“You wanted us to bond,” Buck says to Bobby. “We might end up real close.”
They get it out. They get the grenade out and it’s exhilarating . Buck’s never felt more invincible than he does now, working alongside Eddie, and isn’t that a thought? They’d been completely in sync back there, despite Buck’s silence.
It felt right, in a way Buck’s never felt before. Like he’s been looking for his place in the world his entire life, and maybe, just maybe, that place is by Eddie’s side. He’s screwed.
“You’re a badass under pressure, brother,” Eddie says, clapping him on the shoulder. “I just wish you’d talk to me.”
Buck’s heart lifts and falls as fast as it’s ever done. And fuck, Eddie looks almost sad . Whatever it means for him, for them, he can’t keep doing this. He chooses his words carefully.
“Up until right now,” Buck says slowly, “I was invincible. You were, too.”
Eddie’s jaw drops. “You- you’re-”
Buck sticks out his hand. “Evan Buckley. Kind of an asshole. Also your soulmate. Most people just call me Buck.”
Eddie’s jaw snaps shut with an audible click, and his eyebrows practically disappear into his hairline, but he takes Buck’s hand and shakes it.
“Soulmate, huh?” Eddie asks, a little breathless.
Buck shrugs. “You think maybe we could start over?”
Eddie laughs and shakes his head. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
He’s beautiful, Buck thinks. Maybe it’s time he reconsiders this whole soulmate business.