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Eddie sees Buck’s car pull up before he gets the entirely unnecessary ‘I’m here’ text that follows, or hears the steps leading to the door before the knock sounds. They have a standing date night Tuesdays at 6:00 when they’re both off duty, their last shift ending in the early morning hours to give both of them the day to rest and recuperate a bit.
At first, Eddie was afraid that the last thing either of them would want after spending all of their long work hours together would be to spend so many of their non-working hours together, but that hasn’t been the case at all. Definitely a good sign.
As is the bouquet of flowers that greet him when he tells Christopher he’ll be right back and goes to open the door. It’s a beautiful arrangement, the flowers so large they obscure most of Buck’s face as he holds them out for Eddie to take.
“What’s this for?” Eddie asks, his mind already wandering to if he has a vase and where the hell it might be. He can’t remember the last time he had flowers to display that he hadn’t bought for someone.
Buck shrugs. “Just because. Do you like them?”
“I love them,” Eddie admits honestly. And he does - he can’t remember if he ever mentioned it, or if Buck just knows - but Eddie loves colorful arrangements like this.
“You got flowers?” Christopher’s voice sounds from behind him, because no matter how many times Eddie tells him to just wait at the table he never listens, always too eager to come and greet Buck as well. “But flowers are for girls.”
Eddie frowns slightly, because that definitely sounds like the sort of thing a kid hears once at school and just absorbs and repeats. He’s about to say something but Buck beats him to it.
“No way,” Buck says, pulling one of the flowers out of the bundle and tucking it behind Christopher’s ear where it’s way too big and definitely isn’t going to stay for more than a few seconds. “Flowers are definitely for everyone! You can give them to someone who’s having a bad day, or someone you like just to say you’re thinking about them.”
“Or someone you looooooove,” Christopher sing-songs the word, giggling.
“Definitely a person you love,” Buck confirms, crossing over to Eddie to give him a quick kiss.
Eddie, who actually had a pretty good day, feels his heart do a little flutter at the fact that Buck stopped to get him flowers just because he was thinking of him. They’ve been dating for a few months now and he should be used to things like this, but Buck never ceases to surprise him in all the best ways.
“Alright you two, let’s get these in some water then get dinner out of the oven before it burns.”
---
Two weeks later is one of the worst shifts Eddie’s ever worked with the 118. It was one wrong turn after another, mostly things out of their control, but a few personal errors along the way from all of them that he’s sure everyone is beating themselves up over.
Buck included.
“I know we have date night, but I just don’t have it in me today. Not after…” Buck trails off, and while Eddie wishes he wouldn’t isolate himself when he’s upset he knows better than to push it.
“I know,” Eddie says. “It’s fine.” It isn’t really fine, but Buck needs support more than he needs a guilt trip today. “Call if you need anything, or if you change your mind, alright?”
When he picks Christopher up from school the first words out of his son’s mouth are about how excited he is to see Buck later.
“Sorry Chris, Buck isn’t going to make it today,” Eddie says.
Christopher’s face immediately falls. “Why not?”
“He’s just having a bad day and he’s going to rest at home, that’s all,” Eddie explains.
There’s a slight pause before Christopher asks, “Can we stop at the store?”
“For what?”
“To get Buck flowers to make his bad day better,” Christopher says, as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world.
Eddie’s heart melts at the simple sincerity of the desire to bring Buck flowers to cheer him up.
“You know what, that’s a great idea. Of course we can,” Eddie agrees, because how can he not?!
Christopher spends twenty minutes at the store picking the ‘perfect flowers’, and Eddie shoots Buck a quick warning text that they’re going to be swinging by on their way home. When Buck tries to argue Eddie says that Christopher has something for him, which ends any argument then and there.
Buck is about as weak to Christopher’s wishes as Eddie is… probably more so, if he’s being honest.
Eddie helps Christopher out of the car with the flowers, rings Buck’s doorbell, and waits. When Buck answers it any sign of a bad day is gone from his face at the sight of Christopher standing there with a bouquet of flowers.
“Dad said you were having a bad day, so I wanted to bring you these!” Christopher exclaims. “Because I was thinking about you, and I love you,” he tacks on to show he remembers exactly what Buck said the other week about giving flowers.
“That’s really nice of you,” Buck says, taking the flowers from Christopher and spending a few seconds to really look them over and admire them. “I love you too. These really help.”
“C’mon Chris, let’s head home and let Buck rest up-”
“Actually,” Buck says, turning his attention to Eddie. “If you don’t mind waiting a few minutes… maybe I could come with?”
“Are you sure?” Eddie asks, unable to keep the eagerness from his voice even as he gives Buck a chance to change his mind.
“Yeah,” Buck says with a small smile. “I think I could use the company after all. If that’s alright?”
As if there’s any universe in which Eddie will say no to more time with Buck, especially on a day they could both use a little extra comfort.
“Always,” Eddie agrees easily. “Take your time, we’ll be right here.”