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"Alright, we're done here," Bobby calls out, rounding up the team. "Let's head back to the station."
Eddie follows Hen over to the truck, reaching for his phone as they climb up into the cab.
"Ha, there we go," Hen laughs, settling into her seat.
"What?" Looking across the cab, Eddie almost tucks his phone away at the sight of his friends teasing smiles.
"Nothing." Chim grins. "I'm just surprised you managed to go a whole three hours without looking at that thing."
Eddie pulls a face. "I'm not that bad," he insists. "I'm just—"
"Checking up on Buck," Chim and Hen chorus along together.
Okay, and maybe he has spent a lot of time on his phone today, but that's only because Buck called in sick to his shift that morning and Buck never calls in.
Eddie had just done what any friend would do, calling Buck to check on him. He'd sounded so rough on the phone, his voice barely more than a whisper, and Eddie had been worried... like a good friend.
"So, how is your Buckaroo?" Hen asks, saccharine sweet.
His face flushes and he hides it by looking down at his phone. "He's not my—"
His phone lights up with five new notifications— three missed calls from Chris' school and two missed calls from Buck.
"Oh." Heart in his throat Eddie thumbs through the phone to listen through the voicemails.
"Mr Diaz, this is Charlotte Forde from Durand. We've got Christopher here in the nurse's office. He's running a low grade fever and needs to be picked up—"
"Hey." Hen leans across the cab. "Is everything okay?"
Eddie shakes his head, moving to the next message.
"Mr Diaz, Charlotte again. We were able to get a hold of Christopher's secondary contact to come pick him up—"
The message after that from Buck. Eddie can feel his lips pulling deeper into a frown as he listens.
"Hey Eddie." Buck's voice is little more than a croak. "I uh— I got a call from Chris' school." He breaks off to cough. "I'm gonna go get him, so— you don't have to worry. Call me when you get this though."
There's another message from the school confirming that Chris' been picked up and one more from Buck telling Eddie that they're home.
Home. The word echoes in Eddie's ears as the message ends.
"Eddie?" Bobby is twisted around the front seat, watching him closely. They're all still waiting for his answer.
"Everything's fine." He ignores the looks the three of them are giving him. "Buck's got everything under control."
He calls the school to let them know he got their messages, then calls Buck who confirms that he does indeed have everything under control, and convinces Eddie to finish his shift.
He regrets agreeing to stay immediately and spends the last few hours watching the clock, counting down the minutes until he can go home to Chris. To Buck.
The lights are off in the house when he finally makes it home.
Eddie drops his bag by the door and carefully makes his way down the hall to Chris' room.
He pauses, hovering in the doorway to take in the scene before him.
Chris is fast asleep tucked into his bed, and stretched out beside him is Buck. They're both pale and Buck is snoring these soft little congested snorts.
And God, Eddie's heart feels so full.
He can't help himself. He pulls out his phone and snaps a photo before crossing the room to gently rouse Buck.
"Hey."
Buck blinks up at him a few times before recognition settles on his face. "Hey."
"Come on." Eddie helps him up. "You can't be comfortable like that."
They head out to the living room and Buck sits heavily on the couch.
"Thanks," Eddie says, taking a seat beside him. "For everything you did today. Sorry you had to take care of a sick kid when you should have been resting yourself. I—"
"Eddie," Buck cuts himself off. "It's Chris. Of course I was going to be here."
He says it so simply. Like it's a fact.
And it is.
Buck would drop everything for Chris, and Eddie— Eddie loves him fiercely for it.
He doesn't even think about it. He closes the gap between them, drawing out a startled sound from Buck before he's kissing Eddie back.
"You're going to get sick too," Buck mumbles, pulling back, his face flushed.
"I don't care," Eddie tells him and they crash back together.
Buck's making these obscene little noises, and Eddie can't help but grin against his lips as he deepens the kiss.
They finally pull away when Buck needs to sneeze.
"Sorry," he laughs, his smile sheepish as he reaches for the tissue box on the coffee table.
"It's fine," Eddie tells him. "You should probably be getting some sleep anyway. Come on." He stands, dragging Buck to his feet. "Come to bed?"
"You sure?" Buck asks, letting Eddie pull him up the hallway.
Eddie doesn't even have to think about it as he reels Buck back in.
"I've never been more sure."