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Eddie
The years after Chris turned one were a blur of doctor visits, hospitals stays, and an array of surgeries. Things got a little easier once Chris had gotten his cerebral palsy diagnosis, but they still worried; they’d both been scared, terrified they were going to do something wrong.
There hadn’t been a lot of time for themselves what with taking care of Chris and working to make probation, but they were finally getting into the swing of things.
They were both permanent members of the 118, Chris having turned three a few months ago. Just last week, Chris had gotten his first pair of crutches, both Buck and Eddie so proud watching as he went, taking steps all on his own.
Eddie looked up to their son now, his little face framed with glasses, smile a mile wide. Maddie waved down to him, Chris making to do the same, all their friends and extended family sat together.
Refocusing his attention, Eddie stared ahead of him, watching as Buck swayed from side to side, bat gripped tightly in his hands. The tight knicker pants left little to the imagination, those long ass legs of Buck’s on full display in front of him. Eddie repositioned in his crouch, reading the words across Buck’s back, the ones his boyfriend was completely oblivious to, Eddie having wrapped it around him only hours ago, slowly buttoning it around his front; if you asked Eddie, it was a miracle the buttons still held.
Eddie watched as Buck’s cleats dug into the dirt floor, the man grounding himself. The crowd around them was buzzing, the stadium bigger than Eddie remembered from their new position.
Unable to help himself, Eddie reached a hand up, tapping Buck’s ass with a few fingers. Buck turned to him in an instant, blue meeting brown. It was in that moment that Eddie heard his resounding yes.
Buck eyed him carefully, Eddie extending his arm out, barely jolting for them impact.
“Strike one.” Eddie raised his brows while Buck furrowed his.
“That’s cheating babe.”
Eddie winked up to him. “Better pay attention then.”
After narrowing his eyes at Eddie, Buck turned to face the field, raising his bat to swinging position before freezing in place.
The crowd around them was all but silent, each of the Dodgers members twisted around with their backs facing them. The players jerseys all had their usual numbers, but all the names across the back matched, Buck’s attention completely lost on them. Eddie took satisfaction that his and Buck’s jerseys read the same.
Buck quickly turned back to Eddie, beckoning for him to turn around, Eddie easily obliging. While Buck’s fingers traced over the letters across his back, Eddie held his gloved hand out once more, catching the ball in one swift move.
“Strike two.”
He twisted to look over his shoulder, Buck’s blues wider than he ever remembered seeing before.
“Eds—Eddie…what’s going on?”
Eddie swiveled around so he was facing Buck once more, still crouched on his knees.
“Better not strike out Buckley.”
Buck gave him a look of bewilderment before hearing the pitcher call out, “let’s play ball,” Buck gathering himself just in time to swing the bat, sailing the ball straight out of left field.
The bat dropped to the ground, though Buck stayed where he was. When those blues turned to meet him again, Eddie was properly dropped to one knee, ring held between his finger’s.
“I thought it was only appropriate to ask you to be mine here…where we first met. Well, at a baseball game anyway.” Eddie paused to take a breath, Buck’s eyes never leaving his. “I know it’s not some random field on a random Wednesday, but I thought Dodger stadium would do, don’t you think?”
It was only then that Eddie realized how truly nervous he was, the ring all but slipping out of his grip, the crowd around them quiet, though not unnoticeable.
“Eddie, I—” Buck was all but breathless, choking out his words.
Eddie stood from the ground then, no longer wanting to be that far apart from the man he loved. He reached for Buck, their hands meeting in the middle. It was suddenly just the two of them, just like that first day they’d spent together.
“I-I can’t believe you did this. You just—you just asked to propose to me—here?”
Eddie huffed out a laugh. “Eh, they told us anytime we wanted tickets just to ask, so I figured, what the hell?”
“God I love you, like a very stupid and ridiculous amount, like more than this stadium length, which did you know that Dodger stadium is—”
“Ev,” Eddie said, squeezing where their hands were linked, gaining Buck’s full attention.
“Yea Eds?”
God his other half was such a dork.
“Will you marry me—be my forever?”
Buck ducked his head shyly, pulling in his lower lip before looking back up to Eddie through his lashes, driving Eddie a little insane for it.
“Oh yea, yea I think I can do that.”
Buck reeled Eddie in close, whispering into the space between them.
“I was kind of tired of running the bases anyway.”
Like when a bat hit a ball, their lips crashed together, sailing them right into the other.
Eddie held Buck close, never wanting to let him go. He wanted to savor the moment, pretend it was just the two of them like that day they’d met, but they were soon bombarded with cheers from the other players, as well as their family members coming to surround them. While it was nice to be alone, they’d gained so much along the way, the two welcoming everyone right in.
Maddie was hugging her brother tightly, reeling Eddie right in, Chris attached at her hip.
“Well let’s see this ring I’ve been hearing all about!” Maddie’s eyes lit up while Buck’s looked a little panicked. Stilling his boy—fiancé, Eddie reached for Buck’s hand, sliding the ring into place.
It wasn’t anything extravagant, but rather something perfectly them. He watched as Buck’s fingers traced over the stitching pattern, the sliver ring coated with red, made to look like a baseball.
“Eds, its—it’s perfect.”
Eddie looked to Buck with a fond smile, one that was soft, full of nothing but love.
“Yea, it sure is.”
Buck pulled him in for another kiss then, everyone grumbling around them, the sounds of their son calling out to them the only voice to pull them apart.
“Daddy, Dad!”
Buck bent to pick Chris up, Eddie wrapping his arms around both of them, pulling them in close. He knew the moment Buck caught sight of Chris’ jersey, the writing on the back the same as everyone else’s.
“Buckley-Diaz, huh?” Buck asked with a raise of his brow.
Eddie shrugged. “I thought they sounded better together.”
“It does have a certain ring to it,” Buck said, holding up his left hand.
Yep, he was the one. The absolute love of Eddie’s life.
While everyone else went back up to the stands, Buck and Eddie stayed in the dugout with the rest of the team, Chris too.
The Dodgers showed them around, all of them signing a ball for Chris, one Eddie knew would go right next to their other one on the mantle at home.
When the game ended, the Dodgers taking the win, they gathered with their teammates and extended family, everyone congratulating them.
“So, you two gonna get married here too?” Chim asked with a click of his gum, Maddie nudging him in the side for it. “They just got engaged, slow down!”
“Yea, when’re you proposing to my sister Chim?”
Everyone snickered at that, Maddie looking to him questioningly. Chim didn’t ask any more questions after that, Eddie knowing full well Chimney had a ring waiting at home for just the right time; he was amazed the guy had kept the secret for this long.
“How about we go out and celebrate? My treat,” Bobby offered.
At Bobby’s words, everyone hollered out, Eddie looking over to Buck, the two of them speaking in their unspoken language.
“How about we meet you guys there in a bit?”
There were a few pointed looks from their teammates, Maddie offering to take Chris along, both of them grabbing him up, squishing their son between them before watching all of them go on their way.
When it was just the two of them, Buck laced his hands with Eddie’s.
“So, what’d you have in mind, fiancé?”
Yea, Eddie wasn’t going to get use to that anytime soon.
With their hands interlocked, Eddie led Buck forward, walking them through the stadium parking lot. Much to his surprise, Buck didn’t ask any questions, Eddie loving the feel of the metal pressed against his own fingers; one day soon Eddie would have the matching one.
At the back of the parking lot, off from everyone else was Eddie’s truck. He raised a brow over to Buck, the man blushing red before nodding his head in agreement.
Popping the tailgate, Buck used those long ass legs of his to hoist himself up, sitting so they were hanging off the edge. Eddie slotted himself into the space between Buck’s legs, Eddie resting his hands over those massive thighs of his. Buck’s hands went to Eddie’s sides, thumbs sliding just underneath his shirt so they were skin to skin.
“Can you believe we never expected to see each other again, and now here we are—engaged?”
Eddie shook his head with a laugh. “God we were such idiots.”
“Good thing the universe brought us back together.”
Eddie wasn’t so sure of that, raising a brow in disbelief.
Buck got that look then, the one that told Eddie he was about to learn something of Buck’s latest deep web dive, Eddie settling in.
“You know, there’s over two billion stars in the universe.”
It wasn’t a question, though Eddie found himself nodding anyway.
“Well, we must’ve been shining pretty bright to find our way back to each other.”
Eddie couldn’t help the fond smile that passed over his lips, Buck looking pretty pleased with himself.
“You’re such a dork.”
“Yea, but I’m your dork. Forever.”
“Forever,” Eddie whispered back, brushing their lips together.
Buck’s hold on him tightened, Eddie using his grip to hoist himself up, Buck’s long ass legs holding onto him tightly, never letting go.
Eddie pushed Buck so he was laid across the bed of the pickup truck, crawling over him. Buck’s hands came to his sides, thumbs slipping under once again. They hadn’t even done anything, and already, Buck’s breath was labored.
“Eddie, I, we’re—it’s the-middle of the day.”
Eddie didn’t answer with words, instead reaching for the hem of his jersey, lifting it up and off, his army dog tags jingling with the motion. Buck’s fingers were on them in an instant, rubbing over the now faded lettering. Eddie didn’t wear them all the time now, but sometimes he liked the reminder, the one that led him to his future, the one he wouldn’t trade for anything.
His fingers then worked to open Buck’s jersey, not stopping until all that broad skin was on display, Eddie knowing how every inch of Buck felt beneath his touch.
He splayed his hand onto Buck’s chest, right over his heart, feeling how erratic it was beating, Eddie knowing his must feel the same.
Buck tugged on the jewelry around his neck, reeling him in close. Their lips met, soft at first, quickly becoming more heated as their tongues slipped out to slide against one another. They grinded their bodies together, Eddie sucking down the sighs it elicited from Buck.
Before they could get too carried away, Eddie laced their fingers together, tapping on Buck’s ring. “I forgot to show you something.”
Eddie moved so he was sitting atop Buck once more, thighs on either side of his toned abdomen, holding him close. He reached for Buck’s left hand, watching as Buck all but pouted while he slid the ring off. Eddie squeezed his legs around Buck reassuringly, twisting the jewelry until it was at just the right angle, holding it up for Buck to see.
Inside was inscribing, an arrow slashing through two letter E’s that had a heart surrounding them.
Buck’s blues filled with tears, Eddie pulling him up so they were chest to chest. Their arms wrapped around each other, the two holding on tightly.
When the first drop hit, Eddie thought it was a culmination of their tears, but as he pulled a fraction away from Buck and looked up, another drop hit him, sliding down his face before dropping onto Buck.
They were both laughing then, letting the rain fall down onto them as they leaned against each other, soaking it all in.
“I love you baby.” Eddie pressed a kiss to Buck’s birthmark, his lips still able to make out the scar from where the bat had collided with his face.
Buck’s lips pressed into the space just below his eye, Eddie shivering for Buck’s touch even though it warmed him through and through.
When they finally showed at the bar, no one asked questions, but there were pointed stares, especially for how wet they were. They couldn’t be bothered to care, too lost in each other.
With Chris sat between them, they gathered with their family, the celebrations ensuing.
Later, after putting Chris to bed, they were sprawled out on the couch together, Eddie glancing over to the balls on the mantle, honing in on the one with the cheesy initials.
“You remember what I told you the day we met?”
Buck looked over to him with a raised brow.
“I remember everything babe, but you’ll have to be more specific.”
“You told me you collected things everywhere you went, but I didn’t really understand. Not at the time.”
Buck hummed, waiting for him to go on.
“That ball,” Eddie said, tipping his chin toward it. “It’s the only thing I ever collected, that’s stayed with me all these years.”
Buck turned to face him a little more, placing a hand over Eddie’s chest, lacing their fingers together.
“Maybe it’s silly, but you, you’re the only thing that mattered enough to keep, even if it was just in the form of a cheesy signed ball.”
Buck’s smile warmed him, Eddie wanting to press his lips into it.
“It’s not silly.” Buck paused, those blues lingering over him. “I haven’t collected anything since I met you.”
Oh.
Eddie did press his lips to Buck’s then, Buck’s ring sliding against his fingers as they invaded each other’s space.
He no longer felt like he was living in a warzone, one where he dreaded every day, fearing it would be his last. No, he had a job he couldn’t wait to wake up and get to every day, a son he loved more than anything, and a fiancé—soon to be husband—that made it all worth it.
For all those times he’d struck out, he’d sure made a homerun in finding Buck.
~
**a few years later**
Buck
“And now we’ve gotta tell him there’s no easter bunny, or Santa clause—basically his entire childhood so far has been a lie.”
Buck frowned as he took back another sip of beer, his husband sighing as he leaned further back in the couch.
“Babe, don’t you think we might be overcorrecting here?”
Eddie shrugged, letting out another sigh of defeat.
Buck looked down the hallway to where their son was safe and sound in his bed, then back to Eddie, wishing there was something he could do for both of them.
They’d gotten a call earlier while on shift that Chris had had an accident at school, Bobby nodding to them both before they were rushing off. Chris was pretty scraped up, blood smearing his clothes, with some lingering bruises, but was ok overall. Even at only six years old, their kid was pretty tough, not even asking to go home.
Buck didn’t ever remember Eddie looking so panicked, all but yelling at the teacher before storming off with Chris in his hands. It reminded him of all the times he’d had an accident and how his sister’s protective mode had taken over. It might’ve seemed over the top, but at least they cared.
Setting his beer on the coffee table next to Eddie’s, Buck pushed into his husband’s space, knocking their knees together.
“We’ve always told Chris he can do anything. But he can’t.” Eddie shook his head with frustration. “He’s got CP.”
Neither of them had ever wanted Chris to feel like there was anything he couldn’t do, that he had limitations. They all seemed to be missing some sort of balance here.
Buck tried to think of something, anything he could say or do to make it better, though his thoughts only related back to his latest research binge of tapeworms—definitely not helpful in this situation. Though there was that one time he read that book….
“Have you ever heard of Jim Abbott?”
Eddie raised a brow. “Baseball player?”
Yes! They were on the same path.
“Mhmm. He pitched a no-hitter in the 90’s.” Buck sat up a little more then, rubbing his hands together as he really got into the story.
“It’s pretty crazy in itself, but it’s even crazier if you know that Jim Abbott was only born with one hand.”
Eddie sat up to join him then, knocking their knees together.
“I uh-I read his book back when I was traveling around.”
It was one of the many things he’d picked up along the way, needing something to do back before he had a family to come home to.
Eddie fixed him with a look, clearly interested now.
“Ok. How’d he do it?”
“Well, he practiced switching his glove to his throwing hand relentlessly. That way he could field after he pitched.”
Eddie smiled with a shake of his head.
“I like the positivity, but I don’t know how that helps our son play baseball.”
Suddenly, Buck had an idea for that as well.
He turned, moving so his thigh was on the couch, pressing into Eddie’s.
“What if—what if there was a team for other kids like Chris?”
“Like other kids with CP?”
Buck shook his head. “Sure yea, but kids with other disabilities too, that way no one feels left out.”
Eddie smiled for the first time in hours, leaning forward to press his lips to Buck’s.
“Have I ever told you how much I love you?”
Buck held up his ring, smiling cheekily. “Well, you did marry me.”
“And I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
It was Buck moving into Eddie’s space now, crawling into his husband’s lap, making his way through each base until they were breathless, panting into the other.
They could make plans for an all-inclusive team later. Much much later.
~
It had taken some time and funding, as well as research on how they could be the most inclusive, but it was finally the opening day, Buck and Eddie taking the field just as Chris and his new teammates did.
While Eddie coached, Buck took the mound in the middle of the field, gently throwing or rolling the ball toward each of the kids, smiling with delight for how excited they all got, especially Chris. There were no worries of him getting hurt with them both right there, plus all of the extra precautions they’d put into place.
With his crutches on each side, Chris leaned on them for support, holding the bat in his hands, fixing the ball with a pointed stare. Buck tossed the ball to him, watching as Chris concentrated, hitting it on his first try, the ball rolling out past Buck. Eddie looked up from the clipboard, looking between the two of them. “Well, I think we know which one of us he gets his hitting hands from.”
Buck smiled with a blush, ducking his head a bit. Even after all these years, Eddie never ceased to remind him how Chris was theirs, through and through.
After pitching a few more balls, Buck switched off with one of the other parents, moving to stand next to Eddie.
Eddie called off a few plays, finally glancing to Buck out of the corner of his eye.
“Buck.”
“Yea?” Buck asked, innocent as ever.
“You’re not getting the clipboard.”
Buck couldn’t help but to pout a bit for that, moving to walk back to the dugout, but not getting very far. As Eddie laced their hands together, Buck felt the familiar feel of their rings brushing together. Knowing what initials laid under each other theirs only made him all the giddier.
While Eddie had picked his inscription, Buck had picked Eddie’s. Since Eddie chose his ridiculous marking from the ball, Buck had done the same, a B & E with a crooked heart sat under Eddie’s ring.
They watched as the game played out, Eddie even taking his turn on the mound, Buck finally getting his hands on the clipboard.
Maddie came up next to him, her own ring sparkling in the warm sunlight.
“Eddie loves you that much, huh?” Maddie asked, pointing her chin toward the clipboard in his hand.
Buck couldn’t help but to blush a little, covering it up with a smug smile.
“More than all the stars in the universe.”
Maddie gave an eyeroll, pretending to be disgusted, Buck not missing the fond smile that passed over her face.
“I’m proud of you, you know?”
Buck knew, but it was still hard for him to accept sometimes.
His big sister looked out to the field then back to him.
“Happy looks good on you.”
Buck smiled before pulling Maddie into his side.
“Yea, it looks good on you too.”
When the game came to an end, Chris asked if he could go to one of his teammates for a playdate, Buck easily agreeing, Eddie typing out a six-page essay before emailing it off to the other parents.
Buck nudged him playfully.
“For someone who’s so afraid of technology, you’ve sure got that down.”
Eddie, very maturely stuck his tongue out, Buck doing the same.
“Dads, you guys are so weird.”
They both let out a chuckle before swooping Chris into a hug, assuring him they’d be by to pick him up later in the evening.
With the field cleared out, it was just the two of them now. They were in baseball attire, Buck never getting tired of just how good his husbands ass looked in the tight-fitting pants.
Eddie turned his head, back still facing Buck.
“You know it’s not polite to stare.”
Buck didn’t say anything, Eddie turning around to face him, clipboard in hand.
“Put me in coach. I’m ready to play.”
Eddie gave a raise of his brows as he moved to switch their positions, Buck not stopping himself from reaching out to swat Eddie’s plump ass.
“That’s harassment you know.”
Buck shrugged. “Yea, yea. You can punish me later.”
For the look on Eddie’s face, Buck could already feel the heat pooling inside of him.
“I’ll be right back!” He shouted over his shoulder as he ran for the dugout, Eddie shaking his head with that fond laugh of his, the one he seemed to only reserve for Buck and Chris.
Grabbing what he needed out of his duffel, Buck retook his place, staring across the field to Eddie. His husband had a glove in one hand, ball in the other, warm browns honed in on Buck.
Buck stepped up, keeping the bat rested against the fence, clutching something else in his hands instead. Eddie eyed him carefully, though he dropped the ball in his hand as Buck raised his own, hollering out a single word, “catch.”
The ball hit Eddie’s glove expertly, Buck watching as realization hit.
Eddie twisted the ball in his hands, fingers running over the old and faded signatures, the ones they’d put there all those years ago.
Eddie looked up to him, bouncing the ball in his hand.
Buck shrugged. “Thought we could play with it instead of just staring at it for once.”
Eddie narrowed his eyes, adjusting his stance.
“Alright Ev, you’re on.”
As Eddie swung out with his leg raised, Buck gripped his bat tighter, fitting his hands into the grooves his fingers knew all too well. Brown never left blue as Eddie released the ball, Buck swinging the bat, hitting the ball with a thwack and sending it sailing across the field.
They moved at the same time, Buck hitting the first base as Eddie ran for the ball, both of them sliding across the grass and dirt. As Buck stepped form the first plate, Eddie gathered the ball in his hand, smacking it against his glove. They eyed each other keenly, Buck taking off for third base, Eddie honing in on him.
Buck didn’t stop, didn’t look back, just kept on running, letting adrenaline take over.
Just as his foot touched the base, so did Eddie, the two colliding into the other, completely breathless. Hearty laughs slipped out of them, their limbs a tangle beneath them.
Those darkened browns roamed over him, Buck letting Eddie reel him right in, crashing their lips together.
“You keep hitting like that, we’ll be here all night.”
And Buck was completely fine with that.
Another kiss and Buck was breathing out, breath fanning across Eddie.
“Careful babe, I might try to go for a homerun.”
Those hands he would know anywhere, the ones that always made him feel safe, were wrapping around him, Eddie whispering right back.
“I’m counting on it.”
At the end of every day, Buck would always slide home, right into Eddie’s arms.