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“Hey babe, look! It’s that guy again.”
Buck gestured to the TV with the remote he was holding, watching the news recap in amazement as a masked, super-suited man zoomed through the air before swooping down and taking out an armed assailant that had been threatening a crowd.
“Oh yeah?” Eddie said in a mild tone, raising an eyebrow as he came into the room with a bowl of popcorn in one hand, two beers in the other. “That’s cool.”
“I can’t believe LA has an actual superhero,” Buck said in awe, watching as the crowd applauded and the police swept in, taking custody of the suspect as the masked man shot into the night before the cops could reach him.
“It’s pretty cool, I guess,” Eddie agreed, sitting down on the couch and setting the bowl and beers on the table in front of him.
“Don’t you like him?” Buck asked, looking over at Eddie, who raised an eyebrow in question. “You said he was “cool” twice in that bored voice,” Buck reminded him, laughing softly.
“Oh. I don’t know, I haven’t really been paying attention to the news,” Eddie shrugged. He patted the couch beside him, beckoning Buck to come closer. “Come on, let’s watch the movie before it gets too late.”
“Why do you care if it’s too late? Isn’t Christopher at abuela’s tonight?” Buck asked, though he moved from where he’d been perched on the edge of the coffee table and joined Eddie on the couch, pulling the popcorn bowl into his lap.
“Yeah, but I’m tired after my shift earlier, I need some sleep,” Eddie said offhandedly, switching channels to the movie streaming service and picking the film they wanted. Buck shot him a playfully pouty look but accepted the answer, leaning against him and tossing some popcorn into his mouth as the movie began.
In a twist of fate, Buck fell asleep before the movie had even ended, leaning back against Eddie’s chest, Eddie’s arms around him. Buck was at the height of his firefighter training at the academy and Eddie knew the days were grueling, so he wasn’t really surprised. Eddie pressed a kiss to the top of Buck’s head, smiling at the sound of his soft snores, wishing he could stay the night and curl up with Buck in bed, but Eddie had a different job to do.
“Eddie, we have a potential bank robbery in progress. I’ll send you coordinates if you accept.”
Eddie started as the communicator in his ear went off, glancing down at Buck’s dozing form, glad that he was so sleepy. It would make this easier. Eddie grabbed the remote and shut off the movie, then shook Buck awake.
“Buck, I gotta go,” Eddie said, gently moving Buck aside and standing up. Buck looked up at him, groggy and confused, frowning.
“What? Why?” Buck asked, rubbing his eyes and peering at Eddie. “What’s wrong?”
“Chris just called me, he isn’t feeling well and wants me to go pick him up,” Eddie told him, grabbing his keys and wallet from the table and leaning down towards the still-confused Buck. Eddie kissed him, his hand lingering on Buck’s cheek for as long as he dared, before straightening up and hurrying towards the door.
“I can come with you, if you wan--”
“Nah it’s okay, it’s getting late. Text me when you wake up in the morning!” Eddie called, and Buck, his heart flip-flopping after the kiss, nodded.
“Okay. Bye…?” Buck called after him, still a little stunned at how quickly he was leaving, but Eddie didn’t stick around to see his expression change.
“Send me the coordinates,” Eddie said into his communicator as he activated it, and within seconds he’d received them. As he pulled on his mask and activated his suit, Eddie took off into the night, jets propelling him high into the air as he shot towards the bank in question.
Fifteen minutes later, Eddie was taking to the air again as cops swarmed the bank, finding the two armed robbers tied together back to back in the lobby, guns snapped in half and useless.
“Another success, great job,” said the voice in his ear, and Eddie smiled as he shot towards a very tall condo building that would be his lookout for the night and landed softly on the roof, looking down over the city.
“All in a day’s work,” he responded, amusement in his eyes as his communication officer laughed.
“Does Buck suspect anything yet?” she asked, and Eddie smiled to himself as he thought of Buck, probably lying on the couch in his apartment, wondering if Chris was okay.
“No, and let’s hope it stays that way. I’m not ready for him to know about this,” Eddie said, and by the silence on the other end, he knew she was hesitating.
“Just like you don’t want your parents to know what your new job is,” Eddie said pointedly and she laughed.
“Okay, fair. Though my mom is a cop, so it’s kind of a huge deal for me.”
“I’m the one doing the illegal stunts, May. You’d be alright,” Eddie laughed, scanning the streets below him as they spoke.
“Not if my mother found out,” May said in an undertone, and Eddie snorted. Athena was a force to be reckoned with, that was for sure.
“I just got a report of a mugging only three blocks southwest of you,” May reported quickly, her voice suddenly all business once more.
“On it,” Eddie confirmed, leaping from the building and shooting towards the scene of the crime, determined to save as many people as he possibly could before the sun rose in the morning.
* * 2 Weeks Later * *
“Eds, the guy stopped another bank robbery last night,” Buck said, shaking his head as they got back to his apartment, carrying a couple of take-out bags of food. “How can you still be so uninterested?”
“I don’t know, I guess I was just never into superheroes as a kid?” Eddie said with a shrug, tossing his keys on the table as they went into the kitchen and began unloading the food.
“This isn’t like Superman or Spiderman or something,” Buck commented, shaking his head as he checked the food for mushrooms, passing the one without to Eddie. “This guy is the real deal, I’ve seen every video people have gotten of him. He must have access to all kinds of crazy technology to be able to fly like that.”
“Mmm,” Eddie agreed, humouring him. He really wished Buck wasn’t so enthusiastic about this whole thing; ever since Eddie had gotten caught on video a month or so prior, the media had been having an absolute field day, and more people than ever had been trying to get footage of him. It made his job harder, because the last thing he wanted was for people to figure out who he was. If clearer shots of him started getting out, Eddie was worried it would only be a matter of time until Buck figured out who he was. He’d added a hood to the outfit he wore each night, hoping it would help obscure more of his face.
“People would say that firefighters are everyday superheroes,” Eddie pointed out, bumping Buck’s hip with his own and trying to divert the conversation, grinning as Buck rolled his eyes at him with an indulgent smile.
“Yes babe, you’re absolutely a hero,” Buck agreed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Eddie’s lips as they moved over to the table and sat down. “But can you fly?”
Eddie bit back a snort and forced himself to shake his head, then listened to Buck continue to go on about the mysterious vigilante for a while, feeling both amused affection and exasperation in equal measure as Buck eventually tired himself out. It seemed to Eddie that Buck was one of his alter ego’s biggest fans, which Eddie thought was absolutely adorable, but it also made him nervous. Sooner or later, Buck was going to suspect him.
Eddie knew he should try and divert Buck’s attention, but he was hesitant to throw a wrench into his boyfriend’s excitement, knowing that so many times in the past people had mocked Buck for his enthusiasm when it came to things he was interested in. Eddie refused to be the person who stomped out that excitement and so he sighed, resigning himself to simply hoping that Buck never figured it out. Eddie would tell him, eventually. Just… not yet.
They spent the evening relatively uneventfully, enjoying their food and several raucous rounds of video games, ending it with another movie, snuggled up together on the couch. They were both dozing, heads resting against each other, when May’s voice sounded in Eddie’s ear once more, startling him out of his light sleep. Making another excuse to a very sleepy Buck, Eddie hurried out of Buck’s apartment and shot off towards the call, chastising himself for not having a better method of getting away. Even if Buck didn’t end up recognizing him, he was sure to start getting suspicious of all of Eddie’s quick departures. Eddie tried to decide on a better method the entire night, but by morning, he still hadn’t thought of anything.
To Buck’s utter surprise, Eddie turned up on his doorstep early the next morning, just as he was getting ready to eat breakfast before heading to the academy.
“What are you doing here?” Buck asked, shocked but pleased to see him.
“I thought I’d take you out to breakfast. You have an exam today, right? You need a good hearty breakfast to get you through.”
“You’re so thoughtful,” Buck purred, wrapping himself around Eddie as the other man smiled and held out his arms, embracing him.
“So how was your abuela last night? Was she okay?” Buck asked as they left his building and hopped into Eddie’s truck. Eddie, exhausted from the night’s exploits, was momentarily confused.
“Huh? Oh, right. Yeah, yeah she was okay once I gave her some medicine and got her into bed. We didn’t have to go to the hospital after all.” Eddie said, making it up as he spoke, glancing sideways at Buck before staring straight ahead at the road.
“Uh huh…” Buck’s eyebrows knit together slightly and he peered at Eddie. He could tell Eddie wasn’t telling him the whole truth, and he was wondering why, wondering what he could be keeping from him. “Is everything okay?”
“What? Yeah, of course,” Eddie said, glancing at Buck before looking back at the road. “Why?”
“You look like you haven’t slept and you don’t sound quite like yourself,” Buck said, watching his expression, and Eddie cringed inwardly. Buck was far too observant for his own good, and Eddie would have been impressed if it hadn’t sent a worried chill through him.
“Oh, I’m fine. Rough night,” Eddie shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep, you know how it is.”
“Right,” Buck said slowly, frowning slightly as he looked out his window, mind racing. They got to a great little breakfast cafe and sat down, ordering almost at once.
Buck was frowning, deep in thought. Eddie had been more distant lately, and he seemed more tired and stressed out than usual. Half the time in the evenings they spent together Eddie had to suddenly leave, his excuses ranging from a family member being sick, to being called into work, to realizing that Chris had homework he needed help with.
“What’s wrong?” Eddie asked, pulling him out of his thoughts as he reached across the table and squeezed Buck’s hand.
“Nothing,” Buck said automatically, threading his fingers through Eddie’s. He peered at Eddie with a frown, rethinking. “Actually… there is something wrong.”
“What is it?” Eddie asked, feeling dread licking at his insides. Was this it? Was Buck going to accuse him of being the vigilante?
“I don’t know, exactly,” Buck admitted, his brows creasing. “But I feel like something is going on with you that you’re not telling me. I can feel it.”
“Buck… I promise there isn’t,” Eddie told him, trying to be reassuring. He broke off as the waitress returned with their coffee, thanking her before looking over at Buck again, who was still staring at him.
“I don’t know. You’ve left so abruptly so many nights the last few weeks… and all the excuses… I don’t want to accuse you of lying, but I was texting with Chris yesterday and asked him if he was feeling better, but he said he hadn’t been sick at all.”
Eddie swallowed hard. He’d known using Christopher as an excuse was a little dangerous considering he and Buck often talked and spent time together, but when he’d thrown out the “Chris is sick, I gotta go” the other night, he’d been rushed and not thinking clearly. Eddie was desperately trying to think of a reason that he’d lie, when Buck’s face fell.
“Do you… just not want to be with me so much?” Buck asked, his voice quiet. “I know I’ve been inviting you over a lot, but… you can say no, I won’t be offended.”
“Buck, no, goddammit -” Eddie swore out of frustration, hating the look in Buck’s eyes. He looked crushed, like Eddie had kicked him when he was down. He looked even more forlorn at Eddie’s words and Eddie hastened to correct himself, desperate to change Buck’s perspective.
“Okay look, there is something going on with me, but I can’t tell you right now, not until I figure it out. But I promise you, it has nothing to do with you or our relationship.” Eddie gripped Buck’s hand tightly, trying to assure him, trying to put his emotions into the gesture. “And I promise I will tell you what’s going on. I just… need to figure a few things out first.”
Buck was still not overly happy, but he was somewhat mollified by Eddie’s words. Eddie seemed very sincere, sincere enough that Buck believed him. The memory of all the abrupt exits just still smarted more than he’d like to admit. And he was very curious about what was happening, but he wanted to respect Eddie’s privacy at the same time.
“Okay. Are you sure I can’t help with anything?” Buck asked, squeezing Eddie’s hand.
“I’m sure. And I swear, I will tell you. Just give me a bit of time?” Eddie’s voice carried more than a note of pleading and Buck’s expression softened as he nodded.
The waitress returned then, distracting Buck with the food, and Eddie swiftly changed the topic to Buck’s upcoming exam. As Buck eagerly dove into the subject headfirst, grilling Eddie about what might be on said exam, Eddie let out a slow breath of relief. He was safe, for now; he knew he was going to have to tell Buck about this sooner rather than later, but at least he was safe for the day.
* * 10 Days Later * *
Buck squinted at his phone as the bus bounced over an uneven stretch of road, trying to read the replies to the post he’d left on an LA subreddit, asking if anyone had had an encounter with the mysterious vigilante man. Many of the replies were mocking or rude, but some shared experiences where they’d been in some sort of peril and a tall man in a dark green and black suit had saved them.
There were theories as to his identity but no one actually knew; it was all purely speculation. Buck sided with the few people who were suspecting a first responder; perhaps he was biased because of his future career and Eddie’s current one, but Buck figured if someone wanted to save lives so badly they’d probably do it for their day job, too. But there were thousands upon thousands of first responders in LA and the surrounding area and Buck had no idea how to narrow them down, besides the fact that the masked hero was a tall man - though so were most of the male paramedics and firefighters.
Buck was dying to know who he was, but he didn’t think he’d ever get to see the man up close, not unless he was in dire straits, and Buck had enough problems to worry about without being in danger. Still, Buck thought about the man a lot, admiring his gumption and his skills; if the news was telling the truth, then he’d single handedly saved more people in the last month than a whole firehouse did in the same amount of time.
Buck glanced around as the bus pulled out onto a bridge, noting that they were just outside the city limits. Buck hadn’t really been paying attention to his surroundings; he’d been away for a few days on a brief trip visiting friends in the next state over, and he’d opted to take a bus instead of his jeep because it needed repairs he couldn’t afford at the moment. Buck had just finished texting Eddie that he was nearly home, feeling tired and eager to see his boyfriend again, when someone near the front of the bus screamed.
Buck’s head snapped up as other voices joined the first and he looked around wildly, trying to figure out what was happening. He didn’t have a moment to wonder; before he could even sit up straighter, a swerving semi truck slammed into the front of their bus at a sharp angle. There was a deafening crashing sound and then the horrible shrieking of metal on metal as the bus and the truck were briefly locked together, skidding along.
Buck’s yells of panic joined everyone else’s as the bus started to spin out of control, hit the guardrail on the edge of the bridge and flipped, toppling towards the river below. They were airborne for several seconds as the bus plummeted through the air, and then Buck’s head slammed against the metal rail above the seat in front of him so hard the world around him instantly went dark as the nose of the bus hit the water. Knocked unconscious, Buck crumpled and fell between his seat and the seats in front of him as chaos erupted around him.
He groaned and woke a minute or two later to the vigorous shaking of his shoulder by the person who had been seated next to him. Agony throbbed through his head and he felt sick to his stomach; he tried to open his eyes and found his vision blurred. Dazed, he put a hand to his forehead where it burned with pain and found a large lump and a gash there that was leaking blood down the side of his face.
“Dude! You gotta get up! The bus is sinking!”
The other passenger’s voice was frantic and Buck struggled to get himself upright with the man’s help, gasping as he swayed dangerously the moment he was on his feet. Buck fought a powerful wave of nausea and dizziness but managed to stay standing, nodding weakly at the man.
“Thanks, I’ll be okay,” Buck choked, waving him on. “Go, go! I’m good.”
The other passenger hesitated but then nodded and hurried off, leaving Buck to look around, blinking to clear his vision. The front of the bus was sinking rapidly and everyone was frantically moving towards the back. It was deafeningly loud as people screamed and shouted, both in fear and in trying to help one another, and Buck quickly jumped into the fray. Trying to ignore his head injury and how dizzy it made him, he pulled people towards the exit as they struggled to climb the steeply angled bus.
Only once he was sure that everyone below him was free and on their way upwards did he turn and start to make the climb himself. The bus was almost vertical by then and Buck grunted and shouted with the effort of climbing the seats towards the rear of the bus, his strength waning quickly as the world continued to spin dizzyingly around him. Only a couple of people were left at the very top of the bus now and were shouting encouragement down at him, trying to figure out a way to help him, but the angle was so steep they were clearly too afraid to try lowering themselves.
The water had caught up with Buck as he clawed his way upward; it lapped around his ankles at first but quickly moved up his body. By the time he was within reach of the last row of seats, the water had risen to the level of his chest and fear drove him ever upward. He was finally within reach of the hands of the two people still left at the top and he reached out for them as they shouted to him. He had just managed to grip the hand of the man who was clinging to the edge of the door and reaching as far as he could when the bus shifted violently. Buck heard several screams as it suddenly plummeted and shifted its angle, and Buck felt the man’s hand wrench from his own as he was thrown from his position along with the woman who had been trying to help them.
Panicking and alone, Buck threw himself upwards as the bus beneath him sank so fast that by the time he was level with the end, he was up to his shoulders in water. Buck scrambled to get through the door but he felt himself jerked backwards, suddenly losing all forward momentum. Buck looked around frantically and realized his jeans had gotten snagged on something in the doorway. Buck pulled hard, trying to rip them, but they wouldn’t give.
Terrified, Buck clawed at the water, reached down, and yanked at his leg. He gave a hoarse yell for help, but knew instinctively that everyone was too far away to help him now. He had only a second to take as big a gulp of air as he could before he was dragged down under the surface. Buck’s chest constricted as the cold water engulfed him but he fought through it and bent down, feeling along his pant leg, trying to figure out where he was stuck. He found the snag and began yanking on it, but he was weak after all the energy he’d expended already and the fabric was badly snagged.
Buck’s lungs burned from lack of oxygen and he tugged uselessly at the jeans, feeling himself growing weaker, his vision going darker with every second that passed. He could only hold his breath so long and though he tried, he knew the time was up. Buck choked as his body tried to gulp air and got water instead, feeling it filling his lungs. He knew that this was it; this was the end.
As his world started to go dark once more, Buck thought of Eddie, Christopher, and Maddie, wishing he could see them again, and wishing futilely that the masked man was there to save him. Another few seconds and Buck stopped struggling, his body going limp as he blacked out, dead to the world around him.
* * * * *
Unbeknownst to the drowning Buck, Eddie was there. He had just arrived, thankfully having already been out and near the edge of the city limits when May had called him to the scene. He was horrified as he swooped nearer, seeing all the panicked people floating in the water around the bus, but then he realized they were all shouting at him and pointing. He could just barely see the form of someone in the doorway of the back of the submerged bus and immediately realized they were trying to direct him to a person who was stuck.
Activating his breathing apparatus, Eddie shot toward the water and plunged beneath the surface. He came upon the man, already unconscious and limp in the water, and began to assess the scene, quickly discovering the badly snagged pants. With a quick swipe of his knife the fabric broke free and Eddie grabbed the person around the middle, settling him over his shoulder, then shot upwards out of the river, water streaming off of them both as they broke the surface.
Amid the cheers and whoops of joy from the others floating in the water, Eddie scanned the banks of the river for a flat, clean space and, finding one, shot towards it, away from the crowd. He dropped to his feet and gently set the man down on the sand and pebble shore, his mouth falling open in surprise and dread when Buck’s familiar face came into view.
“Buck?! No!” Eddie gasped, pulling up his mask and staring down in horror at his unconscious boyfriend, at the blood streaking down the side of his face from a clear head injury. Eddie knelt over him, reaching for his throat and feeling for a pulse. An intense few seconds passed and he was unable to find one. Swearing in a frantic voice, Eddie immediately began doing chest compressions, wincing as he felt one of Buck’s ribs crack under the pressure. Feeling guilty but thinking Buck was much better off sore than dead, Eddie paused compressions and gave Buck two deep breaths, then returned to his chest. Another two breaths, and then compressions once more.
“Come on,” Eddie groaned through gritted teeth. “You can do this, Buck! Breathe!”
Eddie began compressing even harder, more frantically, but backed off immediately as he felt Buck twitch beneath him. He waited just a beat, and then Buck’s back arched off the ground and he began to cough violently. Feeling giddy with relief, Eddie rolled him onto his side and rubbed his back vigorously as Buck hacked and coughed up copious amounts of river water from his lungs.
“There you go, get it all out,” Eddie encouraged as Buck spluttered and choked, his body convulsing as he fought to expel all of the water. Eventually he stopped coughing and gasped for breath, and Eddie gently gripped his arm as his chest rose and fell at a rapid pace. Buck was shaking like a leaf as he gulped in air and his eyes flickered open, looking around in a confused, frantic way.
“I got you, you’re safe,” Eddie said gently, reaching out to stroke Buck’s cheek, momentarily forgetting he was supposed to be in superhero mode.
“Eds?” Buck asked, his voice hoarse and weak, rolling onto his back and peering up at him. “Is that you?”
Eddie’s heart skipped several beats as he realized he’d pulled his mask off and he hadn’t replaced it; his secret was out. Heart pounding, both from the reveal and also the adrenaline of almost losing Buck, Eddie attempted a smile but it came out as more of a grimace.
“Um, yeah. It’s me,” Eddie agreed, and Buck looked stunned.
“I… you…” Buck couldn’t get the words out, gesturing at Eddie’s suit. It was already dry, made of an extreme moisture-wicking material, whereas Buck’s clothes were still plastered to him and water was still dripping from his skin.
“It’s a lot to process,” Eddie said gently. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you soon— Buck!”
Eddie interrupted himself as Buck’s eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out, his body going limp once more. Immediately worried about his head injury, Eddie pulled his mask back on and scooped Buck into his arms. He could hear ambulances approaching the bridge and took off into the sky, turning the unconscious Buck over to the first paramedic crew he could find. He briefed them with as few words as possible while still telling them everything they needed to know, then took off as soon as they’d strapped Buck in. He still had to protect his identity, even though it killed him to fly away while they loaded Buck into the ambulance.
“May! Find out what hospital unit 716 is headed to, please.”
There was a pause, and Eddie knew she was checking the radio feeds.
“First Presbyterian. You okay?”
“Yeah it’s not me, it’s Buck. He was in the accident you sent me to,” Eddie explained, changing course at once and heading for the hospital.
“Is he okay?” She asked, alarmed. “Wait, was he on the bus?”
“Yeah,” Eddie replied grimly. “I’m sure he’ll be fine but I have to get to the hospital. Thanks, May.”
“No problem. I hope he’s okay.”
“Me too.”
Eddie shot towards the hospital and landed on its roof. After checking that no one was around to see him, Eddie deactivated his suit and hurried through a door, thankfully not meeting any staff on his way. Eddie took the elevator to the main floor and hurried to the emergency department just as the paramedics pushing Buck’s stretcher reached the triage desk.
Eddie quickly identified himself as Buck’s partner and was told to wait as they assessed him. Eddie dodged questions about how he’d gotten there so quickly and went to sit, leg bouncing anxiously until he was called in an hour or so later. Buck was propped up in a bed, his upper body clad in a hospital gown, his legs hidden under a blanket. Eddie took a seat at his bedside, his expression sad and concerned as he took in the bandage over the large wound on Buck’s head, the tubes and wires he was hooked up to.
Eddie had just taken Buck’s hand and was stroking the back of it with his thumb when Buck began to stir, moaning softly. Feeling his heart leap, Eddie stood and leaned over Buck, pressing a kiss to his forehead, stroking a thumb across his cheek.
“Hey,” Buck croaked a moment later as his eyes fluttered slowly open and he blinked, catching sight of Eddie.
“Hey yourself,” Eddie said softly, squeezing his hand. “How are you feeling?”
“Loopy. They gave me stuff for the pain,” Buck replied, his voice slow and groggy.
“That’s good,” Eddie said, kissing the back of Buck’s hand as he sat down again, smiling at Buck. Buck’s eyes closed and Eddie wondered if he had fallen asleep, but then Buck forced them open again.
“Was anyone hurt?” Buck asked, squinting at Eddie.
“Besides you, you mean?” Eddie countered, and Buck made a face at him. “Not sure of the details of injuries, but at least no one died.”
“That’s good,” Buck mumbled, clearly trying to focus on Eddie but having difficulty through the haze of the pain meds.
“How… how much do you remember?” Eddie asked tentatively. With Buck this loopy, Eddie was wondering if he would even remember seeing him there; maybe Buck wouldn’t recall anything after the crash.
The corners of Buck’s lips twitched like he was trying to smile, and Buck’s eyes fluttered open, peering at Eddie.
“I think y-you mean, do I remember you saving me?” Buck asked, managing a cheeky tone in his voice despite how weak he was clearly feeling. Eddie choked a little but let out a sheepish laugh as Buck peered at him, amusement in his glassy stare.
“I… well, yeah,” Eddie admitted, and Buck let out a breathy laugh.
“Now your sudden departures make sense,” Buck said, clearing his throat as his voice cracked. “It’s because you had to go save people, right?”
“Yeah,” Eddie agreed, gnawing on his lower lip. “You’re not mad, are you?”
Buck looked over at him, and though he was still so groggy and out of it, there was a real smile on his face.
“Are you kidding me? I’m dating a superhero. That’s so cool.”
Eddie let out a laugh as he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He’d been so worried about how he was going to tell Buck, and now he didn’t have to; and bonus, Buck was okay with it.
“I just wish you hadn’t gotten hurt,” Eddie said, sobering a bit as Buck let out a soft groan as he shifted. “I heard that you helped a bunch of people out, even with a head injury.”
Buck shrugged. “I’m gonna be a firefighter, I figured it was a good chance to practice.”
Eddie shook his head but smiled. It was a very Buck thing to do, though Eddie would be lying if he said he wouldn’t have done the same.
“You just get some rest, okay?” Eddie asked, standing again and leaning over, gently pressing his lips to Buck’s. He felt Buck respond sluggishly, kissing him back. Eddie pulled away and kissed his forehead, smiling at the peaceful look on Buck’s face as he absorbed the feeling of the kiss.
“Can I ask you questions later?” Buck asked, his voice slowly fading as sleep tugged irresistibly at him.
“Of course. You can ask me a million questions,” Eddie told him, squeezing his hand.
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Buck fell asleep barely a second after his last word came out and Eddie laughed softly. He knew Buck was going to grill him for every detail of what he did and how he did it. A few days ago, the thought of that was terrifying. Now, he felt a warm sensation in his chest as he watched Buck sleep, knowing that he loved this man more than anything in the world, and he was grateful to be able to finally share his whole self with him.