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Eddie’s got a list of reasons for why he hates Buck’s parents, a very long list that has steadily been growing the longer he’s known Buck. It started with simple reasons such as ‘they don’t call’ and ‘they’ve never even texted’ at the top of the list. It’s grown since then, including more things than Eddie ever expected it would, but at the top of that list today is ‘showing up at the firehouse’. Eddie can see them through the glass walls of the locker room, Buck’s hands are clenched in fists at his sides as he talks rapidfire at them. Eddie’s usually able to read lips, he learned when he was younger that it was a great way to figure out what he was getting for his birthday or Christmas. Buck’s talking too fast, face red, and Eddie’s halfway out the door with his turnout still on before he even realizes it.
“Evan. We just wanted to spend time with you!” Margaret shouts, eyes shiny and face red as she takes a step towards Buck, “With everything happening with Maddie, we just wanted to see our son.” She sounds so sincere, playing the part of the perfect mother without a single crack but Eddie knows better. He can read the way that Buck’s tensed at the shoulders, the way that his hands are trembling just slightly where the rest in fists by his side, and Eddie knows that this conversation wasn’t as innocent as it seems.
“I’m not your son.” Buck hisses, voice scarily steady for the fact that he’s practically shaking with barely controlled rage, “You both made that perfectly clear. Actually, if I remember correctly, the exact words you used were that I was a piece of shit, that you both wish I was never born, that you wish that Daniel had survived so you’d have an excuse to give me up. If I remember correctly, you told me that knowing me and pretending to love me was too hard on you guys because you were still grieving. You didn’t want a relationship with me then, you haven’t wanted a relationship with me for the last 28 years of my life. Well guess what? I don’t want one with you now.”
Buck’s chest is heaving by the time he’s finished, visibly shaking with rage and he takes an aborted step forward before stopping himself. Eddie takes another step closer, resting a hand on the middle of Buck’s back and leveling an unimpressed look at where Buck’s parents are standing. They both look a little red-faced, tears visible in Margaret's eyes while Phillip’s only contain pure rage, and it’s almost enough to make Eddie feel a little bad for them. But then they open their mouths again and anything that Eddie may’ve felt has disappeared.
“Well, we weren’t exactly wrong were we? I mean, come on Evan. You’re 29 years old but you still act like a child. You’ve got to get over yourself, it’s no wonder that you’re still alone.” Phillip’s shouting still, words that are so filled with hate that Eddie’s got half the mind to punch him then and there. He would too, if he could focus on anything other than Buck tensing up against him and the way that he can hear the slight hitch in Buck’s breath that always symbolizes that he’s about to start crying. He gently nudges Buck back, an order to go get changed slipping past his lips before he steps up in front of Margaret and Phillip Buckley. Eddie’s pretty sure that if his parents ever found out what he’s about to do, they’d disown him for acting so rudely towards his elders. He was raised to be respectful and kind to people he didn’t know, especially people who were older than him, but Eddie doesn’t care at all in this moment.
“Shut up.” Eddie’s voice is steady and steely, hand coming up to poke at Phillip’s chest, “Shut up. You don’t know Buck, you’ve never known him, not even when he lived under your roof. You have no right to talk to him like that.” Eddie’s other hand is clenched into a fist by his side, itching to take a swing and he takes a step forward until he and Phillip are chest to chest. Margaret is crying softly behind him and Eddie almost feels bad but then he remembers the wounded sound that had slipped past Buck’s lips moments before. All he feels is fire, especially when Phillip opens his mouth again.
“No. I didn’t say you can speak. I didn’t say you can do anything but stand there and listen.” Eddie presses against Phillip’s chest again and relishes in the way that it forces both of the Buckley parents to take a step back, “Buck is the best person in this entire damn firehouse, probably this entire damn state, and you don’t get to come here and pretend he isn’t. Evan is the most amazing, selfless, lovable person in this entire city and it’s no thanks to you. You both need to leave, and if I ever see you bothering him again, I will not be as nice.” Eddie pushes Phillip’s chest hard and then points to the door of the firehouse. He can see Phillip starting to gear up to say something so he takes another step forward, ready to start swinging if he says anything this time, and Eddie’s oddly pleased to watch the two of them huff before scurrying away.
Eddie let’s his hand fall to his side and takes a moment in the silence to steady himself, swallowing back the anger in favor of something better. Something warm that feels a little too much like the way that Buck’s smile makes him feel.
“Diaz.” Bobby is firm in his order, no words needed as Eddie takes a deep breath and turns to follow his captain up the stairs. He was already well aware that what he did was more than enough to get himself in trouble, but he wasn’t going to just stand there and let the Buckley’s talk to Buck like that. He was never going to let anyone treat Buck like that. He tells Bobby as much, already talking before the door to the office has even closed, and he’s unsurprised to find a smile on his captain’s face.
“I know that Eddie. Which is why I’m not going to report this. If the Buckley’s decide to, we’ll say that I felt that you were simply standing up to Buck’s abusive parents and that I punished you adequately with that in mind. However, that does mean that I’m going to be suspending you for the rest of shift.” Bobby sounds oddly apologetic and Eddie knows why, knows that the entire team is well aware of his money struggles with everything going on, but Eddie isn’t even sorry. Missing half a shift won’t be life or death, not anymore thanks to Carla and Buck, but it’ll be a little tighter than Eddie would’ve liked around the holidays.
“I’d do it again Bobby.” Eddie decides on instead, hands gripping the back of the chair as he looks towards Bobby with what he hopes is a semi-apologetic expression, “I’m not letting anyone treat him like that. He’s the best person I’ve ever met, and I’m not going to allow those people to ever hurt him, not anymore.” Bobby’s smiling again but there’s something hidden beneath there that Eddie’s spotted more than once when he catches Bobby or Hen watching him and Buck. He’s never focused on it for as long as he does now and if pressed, Eddie would have to say that it’s something akin to exasperation with a mix of knowing something he doesn’t. It’s far more annoying than Eddie thinks it has any right to but he doesn’t care either way.
“Go home. And take Buck with you.” Bobby orders and Eddie nods, not shocked by the request, but before he’s able to open the door, Bobby stops him again, “Eddie. Take care of him.” Eddie pauses for a moment, mind flashing back to all of the times that Buck’s gone above and beyond to take care of him or Chris. Especially Chris. The tsunami, the well, the shooting, all of the calls where they went in with the promise that they’d have each other’s back.
“I always do Cap.”
***
Convincing Buck to leave in the middle of shift wasn’t as hard as it should’ve been, if it was any other day and the two of them would’ve probably devolved into an argument in the middle of the locker room. Today, Buck’s already sitting on the bench with his bag by his feet when Eddie comes back down and sheds his turnout coat. When Eddie looks over towards the bench, Buck’s hunched in on himself in an attempt to make himself smaller than he already is and his eyes are red from unshed tears. It makes Eddie more angry than it should. He hates when Buck does that, where he curls in on himself and tries to make it seem like he doesn’t matter because nobody has ever told him he does.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” Buck whispers after some time where the only sound is Eddie shoving stuff into a bag. Eddie stills by his locker, the one that he and Buck have been sharing since sometime after that Halloween after the lawsuit.
“Shouldn’t have done that?” Eddie asks rhetorically but he’s entirely unsurprised when Buck opens his mouth to respond regardless and he continues over his best friend regardless, “Buck. You’re my best friend, the person I trust more in this world than anyone else. You practically coparent my son with me, you have my back every shift, and I’m so gone on you. Of course I’m going to defend you to those people.” Eddie’s pacing, too focused on making Buck know how much he means to really register what he’s saying until Buck is sitting up straighter with a gasp falling from his lips.
“I--” Buck tries but the words seem to get stuck somewhere in his throat and Eddie’s heart twists painfully. He’d known this was a possibility, that it was likely that Buck didn’t feel the same way, but it hurts more than he could’ve ever imagined. It feels like he simultaneously tried to breathe in smoke and swallow ash, everything feels dry and dead inside for a fleeting second. It’s dramatic, way too dramatic for Eddie’s normal, but Buck’s so special that Eddie thinks it might be justified. Then Buck is on his feet, crossing across the locker room in two long steps, and arms are wrapping around Eddie’s shoulders before he has a second longer to spiral. He’s slammed into Buck’s shoulder, the feeling of Buck’s face being tucked against his neck enough to make his brain go offline for a moment before he’s sliding his arms around Buck’s waist.
“I love you too Eddie.” Buck whispers, lips moving quietly against his neck and Eddie’s brain really needs to stop buffering whenever Buck does anything because it’s really unhelpful, “I...I don’t know how ready I am for all of this, but I want it with you Eddie.” Buck’s admission is soft, quiet enough that even Eddie is barely able to hear him, but the admission has his heart racing.
“Then let’s go home to our son and have a family night.”
***
Eddie is not even remotely shocked when around 6pm, someone knocks on the front door of his house. Buck’s on the couch with Christopher, the two leaning against each other as they battle it out on the screen in front of them, and Eddie’s been sitting off to the side as an unofficial referee. Christopher always wins, regardless, and Buck laughs every time.
“Hey Cap.” Eddie greets as he opens the door, smiling when he spots Bobby and Athena hovering awkwardly on the stoop of his doorway. Hen, Karen, and the kids are standing a few steps back holding various dishes in their hands. It’s not often that the members of the 118 come to Eddie’s house, Buck’s the only one who has been here more than a handful of times, so this should be an unusual occurrence. Given the incident at the firehouse earlier today though, well Eddie doesn’t bother to question it as he steps to the side.
“Hey Buck, Chris, we’ve got guests!” Eddie shouts over his shoulder, one foot holding the door open as he greets his family coming in. If he was a betting man, he’d place money on one of those tin-foil covered platters containing Bobby’s lasagna, though Eddie’s unsure of how he’d have had the time to make it. Regardless, he learned early on to never question Bobby in the kitchen and he definitely isn’t about to start now. Not when he reaps the benefits. Christopher is all too excited to see Harry and Denny, the three of them practically taking off towards Chris’ room, leaving nothing but laughter behind. Karen shakes her head, though she’s smiling too brightly to even seem upset, as she picks up the shoes that both kids had haphazardly tossed off to the side. Buck, however, seemed far more confused than Chris had been and he’s glancing between their little family as coats are shed and dishes are moved into the kitchen.
“Did you invite them?” Buck whispers when Eddie hovers, shoulders brushing as they sway on their feet and when Eddie shakes his head, Buck continues, “I-I...not that I’m not happy that they’re here or anything but uh...why?” There have been plenty of times where Eddie has barely held back the urge to shake Buck until he understood. This is one of them.
“They’re here because they love you Buck. They’re here because you’re family Buck, and we’re going to make sure you never forget that.” Eddie replies, gently nudging Buck towards the kitchen where Athena is waiting in the doorway with open arms. Buck’s smiling when he hugs her but the look that he sends Eddie is so filled with amazement at the situation that Eddie’s never going to stop until he never has to see that look again. Because Buck deserves everything, and he deserves to be amazed, but he never should look that way when it comes to knowing he has family.