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Rain pattered against the roof, falling down the side of the house as it dripped across the window seal, creating a rhythmic tap tap tap.
There wasn’t much light coming in from the window, the darkened sky outside alluding to the early hours of the morning. There was thunder booming in the distance, no doubt a storm on the way.
Eddie woke to Buck wrapped around him, the fur of his wolf form warming him wholly. On days like these, Eddie already knew that Buck wasn’t quite feel like being himself; not in his human form at least.
They’d had a rough go of it during their last shift, one that had been twenty-four hours. There hadn’t been any down time with one call going right into the next, exhaustion quickly rising as the calls picked up, no slowing down. Eddie had been helping another victim when he’d heard Buck’s voice holler out, that panicked tone never failing to startle Eddie. The victim was gone before they reached Buck, Bobby having to pull him off CPR after a time, Eddie nodding over to his boyfriend with that sympathetic look. The harsh reality of their job was that they couldn’t save everyone, not matter how hard they tried, no matter how badly they wanted to.
Everyone took loss differently, Buck always harder on himself than anyone. Buck knew that it wasn’t his fault, but still, Eddie knew the man wore his heart on his sleeve. It was one of the many reasons Eddie loved him.
Eddie moved the hand that wasn’t wrapped around Buck’s middle up to his head, brushing his fingers across Buck’s snout before tiptoeing them up to his head, pushing his fingers into the soft fur there. He kept his touch steady, gently brushing through the fur, Buck eventually leaning into his touch as he always did, a relaxed sigh falling out of him.
As Buck nuzzled into his touch, Eddie pressed closer to him, leaning in until his face brushed against Buck’s. His fur was so cozy, Eddie letting it rub across his bare skin, settling into his best friend.
“Morning baby. Whata you wanna do today?”
Buck gave a soft huff, clearly content to stay as they were for a while longer. Being in his human form, Eddie couldn’t exactly read his mind to know what Buck was saying, but with their bond, it didn’t take much for him to understand Buck, wolf form or not.
They stayed that way for a while longer, wrapped in each other, the steady sound of rainfall lulling them in and out of sleep. Chris had been at abuelas, the woman offering to keep him overnight, knowing all too well how grueling their twenty-four-hour shifts could be.
If Chris were here now, he’d no doubt be tucked up right between them, his little wolf form curled into Buck. It had been a sight to see the first time Eddie had barred witness to it. Buck was massive in wolf form—not that Eddie was any slouch—those long legs of his seeming endless, stretching all across their bed. Chris being only seven looked so tiny in comparison, his wolf curled up, Buck wrapped around him protectively. Eddie kept that image close, letting it remind him of how truly lucky he was.
There was no one Eddie would rather wake up to, basking in the moment for as long as he could. A bolt of lightning flashed outside, the close sound of the thunder stirring them both. Eddie opened his eyes to those iridescent blues looking over to him. In his wolf form, Buck’s blues always seemed bigger, brighter, standing out against his golden fur.
Buck nuzzled into him for a moment, his long tongue reaching out to lick at Eddie’s face before he hopped off the bed, landing on all fours, stretching into downward dog as he went. Eddie swiped at his face with a smile, watching as Buck made for the window, tail swaying behind him.
The rain had started to fall in more of a drizzle now, thunder still echoing in the distance.
Eddie already knew what Buck was going to suggest they do with their day off before the wolf was turning to him, those big blues of his all but pleading.
“Let me guess, you wanna go running today?”
Buck was striding toward him then, his front paws lifting up to the bed, head coming down to rest over them. God he was so damn adorable; Buck knew it too.
Eddie moved down the bed so their faces lined up, bending until his nose pressed into Buck’s, the two of them resting there for a moment.
Sighing into Buck, Eddie gave in; not that he was ever going to say no anyway.
“Fine. But first coffee.”
Buck was always ready to go once his feet or paws hit the floor, Eddie needing a little more momentum. Don’t get him wrong, Buck was a pain in the ass to get out of bed most days, Eddie being the early riser of the two, but Eddie always needed a little something to get him going in the morning, whereas Buck seemed to have an endless supply of energy lying around.
Buck huffed a little, his long tongue jutting out as he yawned, paws hitting the floor just before Eddie’s feet did. Eddie didn’t bother to dress, knowing he’d be losing his clothes soon enough anyway. Instead, he made for the kitchen, Buck following right alongside him, claws clicking against the hardwood floor.
The coffee was already sat ready for him, the creepy Hildy machine seeming to sense whenever they were readying themselves for the day, no matter what time that ended up being. Eddie narrowed his eyes at the machine, turning to see Buck smiling at him, no doubt flailing with laughter inside.
“I swear this thing’s gonna take on a life of its own one day,” Eddie muttered as he reached for his coffee, Buck moving to rub his fur across Eddie in a comforting manner.
As Eddie rested back against the counter, Buck rested over his feet, his figure large enough that Eddie could easily reach out and run his hands through his fur, Buck pushing right into his touch.
The sound of thunder echoed through the house, a bright bolt of lightning flickering just before.
Moving his mug to the sink, Eddie stretched himself out, Buck watching him with almost giddy anticipation, Eddie finally crouching, letting his wolf side take him over.
He sidled up right next to Buck, their fur pushing against the other. Eddie’s was a little darker in color, Buck always telling him his honey eyes melted right into it, the flecks of green standing out against them.
When Buck became restless, pawing at Eddie, he made his way over to the back door, nudging it open, letting the two of them out. They lived on a nice lot of property, their house backing right up to the woods, the three of them never having to hide who they were while at home.
They didn’t go on runs all the time, though when they did it was generally just the two of them. Whenever the other got too pent up, or just needed an escape, the other would follow. No matter what form, they always had each other’s backs.
Those long legs of Buck’s took off in a sprint, Eddie quickly adjusting his stride to keep up. They ran and ran along the tree line, their paws sloshing through the wet earth below them. The cold winter air felt nice against their warm fur, the two of them soaking it in.
They ran for what felt like hours, the cool wind whipping across their faces. There weren’t too many days they got like this, just the two of them, free of any responsibilities.
Being in the tree line, they managed to miss the majority of the storm, their fur still mostly dry, only a few trickles of rain falling to them.
When they came to the top of the crest to take a breather, Eddie pointed his snout upward, inhaling the air around them. The smell the of rain was all around, Buck stood there with his tongue stuck out happily; his mate loved nothing more than being out in the rain.
It was times like these that Eddie stopped to think, still unbelieving sometimes that Buck was actually his, that they’d finally gotten their shit together. They hadn’t quite said ‘I do’ yet, but it was only a matter of time. They’d already bonded, the two of them feeling wholly connected in their wolf form, as well as their human one. There wasn’t anything quite like it, Eddie knowing there was someone he could always count on, that had chosen him, their bond unlike any other. Because of their connection, they could talk to each other in wolf form, almost like they were reading each other’s thoughts. They couldn’t actually read each other’s thoughts, thankfully—Eddie’s mind was a mess of his own, and he didn’t even want to think what went through Bucks’ head, thank you very much—but they could toss thoughts back and forth, sending them out to the other with just a push of their mind.
“I know what you’re thinking. No.”
Eddie tried to make his last word stern, final, Buck looking over to him with that adorable puppy pout, the one that somehow got even cuter when he was in wolf form; Eddie did not let it phase him.
“Nope, don’t even think about it. C’mon, let’s go home.”
Buck hung his head then, snout pointed to the ground, those big blues of his honed in on Eddie.
“No, I’m not spending the day out in the wet rain just for you to spend the rest of the night complaining about how cold you are.”
There was nothing worse than his boyfriend being cold. The man’s feet were like icicles, always pushing their way between Eddie’s, seeking out his warmth.
Buck huffed, Eddie watching as his fur blew with the wind. They were still mostly covered up here, the rain now falling down harshly from the sky, spattering all around them.
Buck’s paw lifted to swipe at Eddie playfully, those blues all but pleading.
“C’mon Eds. Just-just for a few minutes?”
Few minutes his ass; Eddie knew exactly how lengthy Buck’s ‘minutes’ could get.
Even so, he already felt himself waning. It wasn’t like they had anything else to do; at the end of the day, Eddie hated denying his mate of anything, especially when he knew Buck could use the release.
Buck nudged his head against Eddie’s, pushing into his neck as he licked him sweetly. Eddie could only lean into his touch, nuzzling into Buck, listening to his pulse beating steadily against him, the two of them anchoring each other.
They stayed resting against each other, Eddie’s fur protesting when the wind pushed the first drops of rain onto them, sprinkling over his backside. Buck was quickly moving away from their snuggled embrace and crouching into the downward dog position, blues looking over to Eddie playfully, tail swaying back and forth behind him.
Before Eddie could protest, Buck used his paw to swipe the puddle of rain that laid just before them, splashing Eddie entirely. Oh, it was on.
Eddie pounced Buck before the other wolf knew what was coming, the two of them suddenly in a race down the hill, tackling one another as they went. Thunder echoed out across the sky, bolts of lightning cutting across the darkened clouds.
They playfully nipped at the other as they skidded across the wet earth, mud coating their fur as they went. Buck looked to a giant mud puddle that had been created by the storm, Eddie quickly pouncing on him, pinning Buck underneath him.
Their eyes locked as they both huffed out, Eddie leaning in close until his snout was pressed against Buck’s, their heads side by side.
“Don’t make me keep you pinned here until the storm passes.”
“I don’t think that’s as threating as you want it to be babe,” Buck thought, letting his tongue fall out as he panted some more.
Buck was a little shit, and he knew it.
Seeing that faraway look in Buck again, Eddie decided to switch subjects.
“You wanna talk about it…about yesterday?”
Sometimes it was easier to talk in wolf form, when you could be a little less yourself.
Even in wolf body, it wasn’t difficult for Eddie to read Buck’s expression. He didn’t say anything, simply wrestled Eddie off of him, looking over in challenge, nodding his snout the direction of the mud puddle.
They tackled each other the entire way toward it, both of them already completely soaked from the rainfall around them, Buck practically pushing Eddie into the muddy puddle before tackling him down, stomping his paws all around. Eddie took pleasure in using his paws that were larger than Buck’s to swipe up a good amount, throwing it Buck’s way, watching as the muddy water ran off his head and down his snout, Buck shaking his fur to thrust it all around.
At one point, they let themselves fall to the ground, laying in the puddle, the rain slowly washing them and the puddle clean. The sky was becoming darker, lighting flashing and thunder cracking just seconds after. The storm wasn’t done. Using his paw, Eddie placed it over Buck’s.
“Ready to go home?”
Buck didn’t toss any thoughts his way, simply brought his wolf to standing position as he got on all fours, shaking himself out, spraying Eddie in the process. At least he had enough sense to look sheepish for it, bowing his head Eddie’s direction, softening his blues.
They trudged back up the hill, Buck constantly pressing into his space, no doubt seeking Eddie’s warmth. Their tongues both hung out as they went, the two panting from all their activities.
When they finally reached the clearing, they sauntered back down to the house, Eddie nudging into Buck one last time, loving the feeling of their fur pressed together. Well, he would’ve if they weren’t all matted and dirty.
Shaking as he went, Eddie took back on his human body, Buck staying put as he was.
“C’mon, let’s go shower and get warmed up.”
Those blues looked up to him, Buck nudging his snout toward Eddie and the house, signaling for him to go on. Eddie understood, knowing Buck wanted some time to himself, still not quite ready to be his other self yet. Crouching down, Eddie took Buck’s head in his hands, rubbing his fingers from the top of Buck’s head, down his snout, then back up again, eventually placing a kiss right over the dark patch of fur that sat just above his left eye.
Buck nuzzled into him, sighing contently, Eddie pulling away after one last pat, making his way inside and into the shower. The water was warm around him, steam quickly filling the bathroom. Wrapping himself in a towel after, Eddie kept the water running, pushing a thought to Buck. Their bond usually only worked that way in wolf form, but it seemed to linger after they’d been in it for a bit, not to mention they always seemed so connected, even before their bond had solidified.
As Eddie made for the laundry room, he heard the tell-tall clacking of Buck’s claws, humming to himself as he threw a few things in the dryer, dressing himself in one of Buck’s hoodies and a pair of sweatpants.
When the dryer beeped, Eddie pulled the clothes and towel from it, moving to the bathroom and placing them on the counter, the water turning off shortly after he’d done so. Not wanting to cook, and knowing Buck wouldn’t want to either, Eddie grabbed them a couple bowls and spoons, followed by the box of cereal and jug of milk. Everything was set up in the living room by the time he heard Buck’s feet padding down the hallway, Buck’s human form greeting him for the first time that day. He looked almost as cozy as he did in his fur, Eddie’s sweatshirt wrapped around his frame, sweats hanging dangerously low on his hips, those ridiculous fuzzy socks of his coating his feet; oh well, at least it kept them off Eddie—mostly.
They ate in comfortable silence, some true crime documentary playing lowly in the background, the sound of the rain still tapping the windows from outside. Once their bellies were full, Buck leaned into Eddie, the two sprawling out across the couch. Buck turned to nuzzle into the space between Eddie’s neck and shoulder, scenting him as he went. It was a comforting sensation for them both, Eddie nosing into Buck as well.
“I wish I could’ve saved them.”
Bucks’ voice came out but a whisper, Eddie barely hearing it for the way he was still tightly tucked into him.
He rubbed one of his hands down Buck’s back, his other running through Buck’s curls.
“I’m sorry Buck. I know you did everything you could.”
“And it still wasn’t enough.”
Sometimes nothing ever was. They didn’t always get there in time, and even if they did, it didn’t guarantee saving a life. Even so, Eddie heard Buck’s unsaid words. ‘I wasn’t enough.’
Eddie gathered Buck impossibly closer in his arms, Buck burrowing right into the hold.
“You’re always enough Ev, even when you don’t think so.”
Without saying it, Eddie knew Buck read his unsaid thoughts as well. ‘you’re not expendable.’
They laid their tucked around each other, tv humming in the background, the pitter patter of rain falling against the roof, thunder rumbling in the distance.
“M’cold”
Buck shivered against him, Eddie fondly rolling his eyes.
“I told you we should’ve just come home, but someone wanted to play in the rain.”
Buck mumbled into him, pouting out his lower lip. Eddie ducked his head until he could capture Buck’s with his own, kissing him wholly. It was a tender kiss, one that could’ve led to more, though neither of them let it, simply basking in the warmth and touch of the other.
They dozed on and off throughout the day, the two eventually making their way to the bedroom, Buck slipping back into his wolf form. Eddie stayed as he was, too lazy to move, warm and sated in Buck’s hoodie.
No matter what form he was in, Buck always managed to make himself look small, curling into Eddie, nudging his snout under Eddie’s arm, tucking his head just under Eddie’s. Buck’s fur tickled at his nose, Eddie adjusting until he was all but laid over Buck, his favorite pillow.
Hands running through Buck’s fur, he felt his mate huff out contently, his breaths eventually evening out, matching the sound of the trickling rain just outside their window. Eddie curled in closer, pressing into Buck, the love of his life, his partner in every sense.
There was a storm that raged between them, one that was steady, pleasure rumbling in the distance. It was easy to run, but even harder to stay, the two of them knowing that better than most. No matter what shown on the outside, they were still Buck and Eddie, each of them one half to a whole, Chris falling right in between.
Some bonds weren’t meant to last, others were destined to burn, melting together and fusing as one, like running until your lungs gave out, giving everything you had and still not stopping, fighting with every ounce you had. That was the kind of bond they had; it was a little something like everlasting.