Chapter Text
“I want to sleep in here every night”, Chris said looking around an taking in the murals that paint across in his new room in awe as he said in bed. All tucked in with his Lego themed blanket was pulled up to his chin.
Eddie looked around and smirked, satisfied that his son liked it seeming that he had put extra effort in finding a person to make it look this good. There was definitely a bigger dent in his wallet than intended to but hey, that smile on the boy’s face was wort it.
“Well lucky for us, we are not moving anytime soon.” He said as he kissed his son’s forehead and smoothed his hand down his head lovingly. “I love you, Chris. Good night.”
He switched on the dim but comforting nightlight a few steps away from the bed and proceeded to for the door as Chris replied a sleepy good night, dad back. The boy snuggled into his sheet and slightly turned away with his eyes already weighting him down. Eddie stood at the foot of the door for a beat longer and slowly shut the door, not entirely but with leaving a small gap just in case of any emergencies.
When Eddie came back into the living area to, maybe watch some tv only to realize he needed to catch some sleep as well if he didn’t want to feel like a corpse on his first 24-hour shift, well it will also be his first day in the new job. But the job wasn’t really abstract to him either was it, he had just been transferred. When the opportunity rose for a new vacancy closer to a school that could provide mush more than his previous one and it would take him a shy of twenty minutes to Abuela’s house, it was an obvious case closed.
Sure, he was slightly concerned about Chris adjusting to a shift in such a short notice. Telling his son that they were going to move again did make him more nervous that he had intended to. After leaving his hometown behind for his new job, and going at it hard almost a year without really being lend a hand too was spine breaking. If anything, the transfer was a miracle. Chris convinced when he found out moving means new friends and that seems like a deal breaker for the 6-year-old social kid.
Eddie did a double take at the locks and checked all his alarms never wanting to be that guy who was late on his first day and all that, and his lights were off. Sleep didn’t come to quick either, he gazed at his empty walls and started having a run down at his life and how much it took to end up here. He then thought about the new work environment and how this might be the best change in his life or just another one of his mistakes. Through all that thinking, sleep welcomed him slowly with open arms.
****
He was now sitting in his car, early by 30 minutes after skipping getting coffee and now he was contemplating being late of an hour if that meant driving up to his newly discovered café for some coffee. Eddie knew when he somehow managed to sleep through his first and second alarm, barely managing to his third that needed more sleep that he thought his body needed but he couldn’t risk being late to work and figured skipping his coffee and breakfast to re-check that Chris had taken everything he needed for school for the fourth time was a smart and sensible idea.
Eddie snorted as he rubbed his temples with his fingers. Fucking idiot.
After another five minutes, figuring he could grab a coffee in the airport if he was lucky to obtain some spare time, he locked his car and slinged his backpack on one of his shoulders before heading towards the doors of the airport.
The familiar buzz of people walking around, dragging a long their baggage felt somewhat comforting maybe due to the fact that the entire scene wasn’t new. Eddie what to do and how to act in the layout. It obviously wasn’t the exact replica of his previous workplace, but the similarities were definitely there.
“Eddie Diaz?”
He turned around and faced a woman in an airport security uniform. “Yes, ma’am.”
She offered her hand, “Captain Athena Nash”. They shook hands and he followed her when she motioned him to. She walked with confidence displayed and one of her hands gripping on her belt as she occasionally was greeted by the people who worked at the airport.
“Well, for starters”, she began saying as Eddie began walking a step faster so he could hear her more clearly from the background noise of the people there. “This is the way to our locker room so why don’t you get yourself nice and comfy in there.”
They walked for another 5 minutes, taking a right and came to a hallway of rooms and continued walking until they stopped in front of the room with the sign that states it was the locker room for the officers. Athena opened the door and stepped aside for Eddie to enter the room and have a good look at the lockers, pausing at a locker that had his name on it. He opened it and found the interior of it was clean and well kept.
Athena stood straight from leaning against the door and said, “Okay then, you do your thing and join us to report to official duty, just two doors down after a left at the end.” She left Eddie alone in the locker room after hearing a ‘thank you, captain’ and giving a warm nod.
Alone in the locker room, Eddie sank into the bench in front of the lickers and gave a deep sigh. The only downside from the moving would be having to go through the introductions again, having to face new people who would love asking questions. Well, a good thing was, he didn’t really make any strong or real relations with the people from his previous workplace either. Eddie let out a sigh and stood up. He emptied the things he brought into his locker and swiftly changed into his uniform, looking into the square mirror placed in the inside of the locker that he conveniently held a picture of Christopher. “Let’s do this” he said, remembering the conversation he had with his son before today of how they were both going to absolutely own their first day.
****
Eddie opened the door to reveal a decent sized room that had tables with officers in formal wear handling phone calls and few other officers in uniform just hanging around with paper cups that contain instant coffee, probably waiting for their shift to start. The scene in front of him was vastly different but quite similar to the previous airport he worked at.
A door opens from the back of the room that reveals another room. Athena walked from the inside and Eddie managed to glimpse inside and see the multiple screen that displayed CCTV footages of various locations in the airport. He stood in attention as his new Captain approached him.
“Seeming that its your first day, here. How about you take a nice walk with me around this place and we will see what we shall do with you from there,” she paused at the front of the door and asked him, “That sound alright with you, Lieutenant?”
“Yes, Captain.”
Athena hummed as they began walking down the hallway and too a left where the sign stated to turn left for arrivals. They walked a few more minutes when the area for arrivals came into view as Athena stopped at the waiting area with the other people that were there to collect the people arriving at the airport.
“Well, the check in is a little over to the left which we will visit in a bit but first I’ve got something of my own I need to receive”. Eddie raised an eyebrow in question to his captain who just smirked in return, looking at the groups of people emerging from the door of the arrivals
Eddie waited there, when a group of four pilots entering caught his eye. He saw them chatting and breaking into pairs of two after slapping on each other shoulders and one of them, a captain, lit into a perfect smile when his eyes meet Athena's. He watched as the captain walked over and kissed her on her cheek saying, “So glad I managed to catch you now.”
“Heard it was a rough ending today.” Athena said as her free hand reached out and rested it on his arm, giving an assuring squeeze.
The captain gave a tired smile, “Than usual”, and looked at Eddie.
Athena smiled and took a step back and motioned towards Eddie, “This is Lieutenant Edmundo-Eddie Diaz.” She then motioned to the captain, “-and this is Captain Bobby Nash, my husband.”
When Bobby switched his luggage to his other hand and offered his hand for a handshake, Eddie accepted it gladly. “Pleased to meet you sir.”
“Likewise,” he said when the other pilot who was standing behind moved slightly to give a hug to Athena and finally came into full view for Eddie to look at when Bobby said, “This is Buck, my co-pilot.”
Eddie really doesn’t mean to stare but- come on.
The man- Buck, had no absolute right looking that good in the uniform. Eddie has been working in the LAXPD for years and has seen hundreds of pilots on a daily basis. And none- none of them had made him want to wet his lips of dry they were getting because god damn-
“Hey there,” Buck had said with a big grin, blue yes shinning as he offered his hand. “Evan Buckley mostly go Buck.”
Eddie totally missed the smirk Athena and Bobby exchanged with each other when he finally got his head out the gutter, cleared his throat and returned the handshake and said, “Eddie Diaz. Very pleased to meet you.”
“Definitely,” Buck said as Eddie thinks he gives him a slow once over as he said low enough that maybe only Eddie could hear, “Not as much as I am.” Neither of them really trying to get out of the handshake.
“Alright, ease it up.” Athena said glancing between Eddie and Buck. Buck (much to Eddies regret) pulled his hand away first and smiled at sheepishly at Athena. Athena reminded Bobby to call her once he reached home and warned the both of them to not do anything else except rest for the remaining day.
Right before Athena began leaving to the check in, they heard Bobby say, “See you soon, Honey”, that was accompanied by Buck saying, “You too, Eddie.”
Surprised, Eddie just nodded his head and gave his absolute best in hiding his smile from his captain who seemed way more pleased by the situation than she probably should have been.