Chapter Text
Where words fail, music speaks – Hans Christian Andersen
Eddie Diaz leaned back on the chair in his parents’ back yard, watching as Christopher lay on the soft grass, headphones on, eyes closed. He's growing up so fast, he thought, soon he’ll be a teenager and then...then that’s when the trouble really starts. Not that it hadn’t started before now - he did have his moments, but from hearing from his friends about their kids, this would be a whole different level. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that. At least he had another person to lean on through it. Buck was like another parent to Chris, and the kid had been quick to turn to him on a few occasions. So at least he wouldn’t be facing it alone.
Glancing at his phone to check the time, he noticed the email notification icon had flashed up, and he went to swipe it away. It was probably spam anyway, it usually was, but then something caught his eye. The email wasn’t from some site he’d bought clothes from months ago then forgot to unsubscribe from. Nor was it some kind of scam telling him he’d won $500 to spend at Target. This one was from an Evan Buckley and was entitled “Birthday present!” He opened it quickly and started to read.
From: Evan Buckley <[email protected]>
To: Eddie Diaz <[email protected]>
Subject: Birthday present!
Eddie and Christopher,
Hey, I hope you’re having a great time in Texas. Only wish I could be there with you. Say hi to your parents and your sisters for me! I’ve arranged a special boys’ day out for me and Chris when you get back, tell him I miss him. Oh, and I miss you too, of course, Eddie. Work isn’t the same without you. I mean Ravi is great and all, but you’re better.
Anyway, the real reason I’m emailing is because it’s your birthday on Saturday, it is now Monday, and I had no clue what to get you. And I was lying in bed last night and I thought of something. Remember when we were kids, and you’d make a CD for your friends? Kinda like a next-gen mixtape? Well, I’m making you one. Not a CD, but a playlist on Spotify for you to listen to, and all the songs are gonna be songs that remind me of you. I’m gonna send you one every morning, and you have to listen to it, and then I’ll send you the whole playlist on your birthday!
So, here’s a link to the first one.
Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
I chose it because it reminds me of that time we took Christopher to the beach, remember? We went surfing in the morning, and you laughed because I totally sucked at it, and then we spent the whole day there. We should really do that again sometime. Maybe this Summer? Anyway, that’s today’s song. Enjoy!
Buck xxxxx
Opening his WhatsApp (which he only had because Buck made him), he quickly sent him a message.
Eddie: Buck, I don’t even have Spotify. Can’t you just play them to me when I get back?
Buck: How can you not have Spotify? Jesus, Eds, join the 21st century, you dinosaur! Use Christopher’s then.
Eddie: How did Chris get an account?
Buck: Family plan, hang on, I’ll add you to mine. Just follow the instructions on the email but put my address otherwise it won’t work.
Eddie: Fine! But we’re talking about this when I get back. You should have asked me first.
Buck: I know, I know. Just go and enjoy your vacation. Miss you already! Remember to say hi to everyone for me!
Eddie: Will do. See you on Sunday.
Sighing, Eddie followed the link sent to him from Buck and set up his account, then downloaded the app onto his phone, put his headphones on and sat back as the familiar melody filled his ears, thoughts of days at the beach with his Los Angeles family filtering into his brain. That day had been one of his favourite memories of them. Sea, sun, laughter and made all the better because Buck had been there. Hundreds of miles away, Buck laid back on his own couch and smiled, thinking of the exact same day.
------------------------
***Flashback***
Buck laid back on his lounger and watched as Eddie threw Christopher around in the water, the kid squealing as his dad threw him in the air, and then laughing as he landed back in the water.
“I’m picking up good vibrations, she’s giving me the excitations...” He sang under his breath, the song worming its way through his mind. He wasn’t sure why that particular song had stuck – they'd listened to a whole playlist of different beach-based songs on the way up, thanks to Buck’s new obsession with making playlists for every occasion. He had one for going to the beach, one for camping, one for driving to work, one for Pride month (because he hated not knowing half the songs on the ones that were already made up. And besides, half of them didn’t even have Bye Bye Bye by N*Sync, and what use is being bi on Pride month if you can’t blast that out of your jeep at top volume?!), and many, many more. So, yeah, he didn’t think they’d listened to the same song twice, but this one seemed to be the one that stuck. Maybe it was because Christopher had told him he was “really bad” at singing it. Eddie had laughed and agreed with Christopher, and Buck had pretended to be upset, but stuck his tongue out at both of them and decided to sing it extra loud, just to spite them. Once it had finished, they all collapsed into giggles, so much so that Buck had to pull over just to compose himself.
“Excuse me, son?” He was brought out of his daydream by an older lady, maybe in her seventies, standing beside him, and turning his head, he looked up at her. “I’m so sorry to ask, but I’m having a little trouble with my sunshade, is there any chance you could have a look?” She asked. He didn’t need to be asked twice. Evan Buckley was nothing but obliging, probably part of the reason he became a firefighter.
“Of course, I can, ma’am!” He smiled, standing up and following her to her lounger about fifteen feet away from his own.
“No need for formalities, just call me Judith.” She replied.
“Evan.” Buck crouched in front of the parasol and examined it. It looked a bit rusty, he noticed, and it was probably stiff. No wonder she couldn’t open it. “Are you here alone, Judith?”
“Yes, unfortunately. I used to come here all the time with my husband, but he passed away two years ago now. And now I try to come a few times a year. We came here every single summer without fail since we were twenty-one. It makes me feel close to him again, you know?” She looked wistfully out to sea, her eyes landing on the two figures still splashing around. “How long have you and your partner been together?”
Buck’s brain stopped for a second at her words, and it tried to send the truth to his mouth. That he didn’t have a partner, that he and Eddie were just good friends, that Buck had stepped up to take care of Christopher after his mom died, but something in Judith’s tone stopped him from saying any of that, and he found himself saying “Two years. But we were friends for a year before that. Christopher, our kid, is Eddie's from his first marriage, but I love that kid like he was my own, you know?” Judith nodded, and placed a hand on his shoulder, as if she was about to bestow some older lady wisdom on him.
“Well, you have a beautiful family, you’re very lucky. Enjoy times like this together. Memories like this are the most precious thing in this world.” Buck just nodded, and with one last pull, he managed to hoist her parasol, then angled it slightly so it covered her lounger. “Oh, thank you, you’re a lifesaver!”
Hearing footsteps thud towards them, Buck looked up to see Eddie running towards them, Christopher being carried under his arm like he weighed nothing. And that was no mean feat because that kid had grown lately. Buck could really feel the difference between him now, and that spindly seven-year-old that he had met a few years previously. “Hey! I’ll get Christopher dried and then go and get lunch out the Jeep if you’re busy?” Eddie offered, knowing that Buck had already agreed to get lunch, but knowing him, he probably got distracted somewhere along the way. Eddie had learned to live with that part of Buck’s personality.
“Oh, no, I’m finished with your partner now, he’s been very helpful. I’m grateful for his help.” Judith replied for Buck. Eddie raised an eyebrow at him, smiled and headed over to their own loungers to wrap a now shivering Christopher in a fluffy towel. Buck thanked Judith, and then followed Eddie, grabbing the car keys from the bag beside him.
“What was that about?” Eddie murmured, looking down as to not catch Judith’s eye. She was still watching them, and he didn’t want her to lip read what he was saying.
“She was talking about her husband that died and assumed that we were a family. I didn’t want to break her heart.” Buck murmured back.
“You’re a good man, Buck.” He reached over and placed a hand on Buck’s arm. “You have a good heart.” At his words, Buck could feel himself welling up. God, why did that man always make him so goddamn emotional? Excusing himself, he headed towards the Jeep, a sense of sadness washing over him, but he shook it off. He had to, they had a whole afternoon of fun still, and he wasn’t going to be the one to ruin it.