Chapter Text
It’s a truly unremarkable Friday when Eddie realises, with sudden shocking clarity, that he wants— no, that he’s going — to marry Buck.
Buck is asleep when Eddie comes to this realisation, bathed in the soft flickering light of the television. He’s got his feet kicked up on the coffee table, head thrown back, with a kid tucked in on either side of him.
Watching this quiet moment, it’s like something suddenly clicks inside of Eddie, a final piece falls into place as he realises that this— this is what he wants for the rest of his life.
Eddie toes off his boots, leaving them by the door. The floor creaks under his socked feet and Buck blinks, his expression going soft as he spots Eddie.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” Eddie crosses the room to stand behind the couch, grinning as Buck cranes his next to look up at him. He lets his hands settle on Buck’s shoulders, his thumbs rubbing circles into the exposed skin on the back of Buck’s neck. “I thought the kids would be in bed by now.”
Buck sinks into the touch, his eyes falling shut.
“It’s the weekend, Eds,” he mumbles, around a sleepy yawn.
“Yeah, and Chris is grounded, remember? No screens.”
Buck blows out a long sigh, his eyes cracking open. “Yeah, I know. It just— it didn’t feel fair,” he says, his mouth pulling down in a frown. “Me ‘n Zac watching a movie while he’s stuck in his room.”
Eddie laughs— a soft huff in the darkened room.
“I’m pretty sure that’s the point of a punishment,” he says, walking his fingers up Buck’s neck and into his hair. “What are you going to do when they’re teenagers?”
Chris is only months away from turning thirteen and already testing his newfound desire for independence. Eddie’s always supported Chris trying new things, unless those new things are sneaking out of his robotics club and lying about it.
“Suffer, probably,” Buck groans, easing out from under the kids so he can sit up and reach for the remote.
“Probably,” Eddie tells him with a pat on the shoulder, leaning in real close to whisper. “But I can think of a few ways to make you feel better… once the kids are in bed.”
The corner of Buck’s mouth quirks up and he turns back to face Eddie.
“Alright, kids. Movie’s over. Time for bed.”
Turns out, asking your best friend to marry you is easier said than done.
The last time he’d asked someone to marry him, his dad had put a hand on his shoulder and told him to do the right thing. Shannon was pregnant and Eddie was at least half responsible, so they were married a month later.
They’d been young and terrified, but Eddie doesn’t regret his time with Shannon, not when it gave him Chris.
Still, he wants to do it right this time, and it’s not just Buck he needs to consider. There are four of them in this family. Because that’s what they are. That’s how Eddie’s been thinking of them, even before Buck and Zac moved in two years ago.
In that time they’ve been raising two kids together. They’ve been to parent-teacher interviews, school field trips, and supervised birthday parties. They’ve nursed both kids (and each other) through injury and illness together, sitting for hours in the ER when Chris broke his arm and when Zac had appendicitis.
Eddie spends the whole weekend stewing over it, trying to get Chris and Zac alone without Buck around to overhear. It’s not easy when they’re both either at work together or at home together.
A whole week passes before he gets the opportunity.
It’s Tuesday afternoon. Buck’s at work, having swapped a shift with Jackson so he could have the next day off to chaperone a field trip at Zac’s school.
The sound of screeching children drowns out the low rumble of the engine as Eddie waits, windows rolled down, for the pick-up line to crawl forward.
It’s hot, and the AC is broken again, pushing through stagnant air that’s only marginally better than the warm breeze blowing in through the window.
Eddie wipes sweaty palms against his jeans and lets the truck roll forward to the front of the pick-up bay.
“Eddie!” Zac is as enthusiastic as ever as he throws the back door open and clambers into the back seat. He freezes halfway across the seats, leaning over into the front. “Where’s Buck?” he asks, peering around like his six-foot brother might magically materialise in the front seat.
“He’s at work, remember,” Eddie tells him, biting back a smile at the confused look on the ten-year-old’s face.
“Oh, yeah.” The confusion clears and Zac grins, scrambling into his seat. “Did you know you can tell the age of a mammoth by counting the rings on its tusks?”
“Uh, no?” Eddie blinks at the sudden conversation shift and turns to shoot Zac a fold smile. “Seat belt.”
“Yeah, it’s like how you can count the rings on a tree,” Zac continues, reaching for his seat belt. “And there’s a mummified baby mammoth that we might get to see.”
“On the field trip?” Eddie asks, piecing the puzzle together.
He’s not sure who’s more excited for the trip– Buck or Zac. Their kitchen table is currently buried under the pages and pages of notes and education resources Buck had printed off the museum’s website.
“Hey Dad?” The front passenger door swings open and Chris shoves his crutches into the foot well. “Can I go to Matt’s house after school tomorrow?”
“Not on a school night,” Eddie tells him, waiting for his son to put on his seat belt. “Maybe on the weekend.”
“But Dad,” Chris starts, “he just got Tears of the Kingdom and he said I could play it.”
“Aren’t you still grounded?” Zac asks from the back seat.
“No, Dad said I’m not anymore.”
“It’s still a school night,” Eddie says, flicking on the indication to pull away from the school. “And you have homework. Why don’t you wait until the weekend?” he suggests. “You could have a sleepover.”
“Yeah, okay.” Chris pulls his cellphone out of this bag and Eddie turns his attention back to the road, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel.
“Hey, so I was thinking we could stop at the beach before going home,” he says, his hands suddenly feeling sweaty again.
“Really?” Zac asks, his reflection in the mirror leans forward in his seat and Eddie can feel his feet swinging against the back of his chair. “Can we get ice cream?”
“I thought I had homework,” Chris says slowly, lowering his phone.
“I know, we won’t stay long. I just— there’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” Eddie says, glancing back up to the mirror. “Before we get home.”
Chris’ expression twists into something thoughtful. “Is it about Buck?” he asks. “Is that why you picked us up from school?”
“I pick you up from school all the time.”
“Yeah, with Buck,” Chris responds, his tone edging into suspicion. “Because you hate driving.”
“I don’t hate driving,” Eddie argues.
“But Buck drives all the time,” Zac pipes up, joining Chris in this gang up on Eddie hour. “You never drive.”
“Buck’s at work,” Eddie reminds them. “And yeah, fine. It is about Buck, but it’s also about you guys and me and—” he stops and forces himself to take a breath. “Let’s just get to the beach and then we can talk.”
“Wait, are we getting ice cream because it’s bad?” Chris asks, his voice wavering. “Did something bad happen?”
Eddie resists the urge to bang his head against the steering wheel. God, he’s already screwing this up.
“It’s nothing bad,” he says instead and pulls into a parking spot, cutting the engine. “It’s good. I promise.”
They all bundle out of the car and head over to the little van that sells soft serve and slushies, and Eddie buys both kids an ice cream, stuffing his pockets with napkins for the inevitable mess that will follow.
They walk down to the beach, Eddie carrying Chris’ ice cream as they pick their way across the sand to find a spot near the water.
“So,” Eddie starts, handing over the ice cream. He wipes his hands on his jeans again, the stickiness more to do with nerves than the dripping mess Chris is eagerly digging into. “I wanted to talk to both of you about me and Buck and—” he hesitates, bracing himself. “How would you guys feel if me and Buck got married?”
“You’re getting married?” Zac sits up on his knees, his eyes lighting up.
Eddie laughs, handing over a napkin. “Well, I haven’t asked him yet,” he admits. “But I want to.” He glances across at Chris. “Only if both of you are okay with it.”
“Yes!” Zac cheers, the ice cream dripping down his hand forgotten in his excitement.
“Chris?”
His son’s lips press together deep in thought. “If you and Buck get married, does that mean he’ll be my dad too?”
“If that’s something you want,” Eddie tells him, watching carefully for Chris’s reaction.
A bright smile spreads across Chris’ face and he nods fervently.
“Yeah, that would be cool.”
The last of Eddie’s anxiety fades. “So, you’re happy if I ask him?”
“Yes!” Both kids nod and Zac says, “Me and Chris will be brothers.” Then he notices the ice cream running down his arm, soaking into his sleeve and hurries to lick it up.
“No we wouldn’t,” Chris tells him. “Not really, Buck isn’t your dad.” He finishes his ice cream. “I think you’d be my uncle.”
Zac’s smile falters. “But you’re older, and I don’t want to be your uncle.”
“You can be brothers,” Eddie tells him, handing over more napkins so they can start cleaning themselves up. “But you can’t say anything to Buck. It’s got to be a secret, just for a little while.”
“Okay.”
Nodding, Eddie lets out a long breath. The conversation had been easier than expected, though in hindsight it shouldn’t have been a surprise. Both boys love Buck as much as Eddie does.
Still, that’s step one done. Now all Eddie needs is a ring and the perfect moment.
Easy.
Eddie stands at the sink, watching the sudsy foam swirl down the drain. Dinner had been unusually quiet, especially given the excitement at the beach.
Chris had been his normal, chattering self, recounting his grade five field trip to the tar pits and telling Zac all the cool things he has to look out for.
In return, Zac picks at his dinner, mumbling through responses if pressed to answer.
In hindsight, filling them full of ice cream right before dinner probably hadn’t been one of Eddie’s better parenting moments, but still, it feels like it’s more than that.
“Whatcha thinking about?”
Eddie startles, dropping the pan he’s been rinsing as two arms wrap around his waist.
“Jesus, Buck.” Eddie glances up at the reflection of his boyfriend in the window. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Guess I was distracted.” Eddie turns off the tap and sets the pot to dry on the sink.
In the window reflection, Buck’s smile pulls down at the edges.
“Is everything okay?”
Eddie turns to face Buck, leaning back against the counter. “Yeah, why?”
“You’re acting weird,” Buck tells him. “All of you.” He shifts to drape his arms over Eddie’s shoulders. “Zac wouldn’t stop talking about his field trip yesterday, but now he won’t talk about it at all. Did something happen at school?”
This time it’s Eddie’s turn to frown.
“I don’t think so?” He glances towards the hall. “He was fine when I picked him up from school.” But he has been acting off since the beach, since Eddie asked him about wanting to marry Buck. “I’ll talk to him,” Eddie says, drying his hands on a tea towel. “I’m sure it’s nothing.
He hangs the towel by the sink, brushing past Buck as he makes his way out of the kitchen.
He finds Zac alone in the room he shares with Chris.
“Hey, can I come in?” Eddie asks, knocking on the door frame. At Zac’s nod, he crosses the room to sit beside the boy on the bed. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Zac glances away, his attention focused on picking at the paint on his pajama shirt.
“You can talk to me,” Eddie says, scooting back on the bed until he’s leaning up against the headboard beside Zac. “Is it about what we were talking about after school? I’ll only propose to Buck if both you and Chris are happy. You’re not going to hurt my feelings if you say you don’t want it.”
That’s a lie. Eddie loves Zac like a second son. He’s thought of the four of them as family for years, and it would hurt like crazy if Zac didn’t want that.
“It’s not that,” Zac says, his voice small, almost lost under the rush of the shower next door.
“Okay, so what’s up?”
“ You’re Chris’ dad,” Zac starts, blowing out a long breath. “And if you and Buck get married, then Chris gets a second dad.”
“Yeah.” Eddie thinks he can see where this is going, but he waits for Zac to continue.
“Buck isn’t my dad.” Zac goes back to picking at his shirt. “And I’m not sad about that because he’s better than my real dad.” He looks up at Eddie. “It’s just— Chris gets both of you as his dads. Why can’t I have that too?”
Eddie pulls him into a hug, his heart breaking. “You have that,” he insists, filling his words with his conviction. “You have us . Buck and I love you more than anything. You and me and Chris and Buck, we’re family. Nothing is going to change that. Okay?”
Zac nods, hair tickling against Eddie’s jaw.
“You get to decide what you want out of this,” Eddie continues. “Buck isn’t your dad, but he loves you the way I love Chris. So you get to decide what that means to you. When we get married, we can be your dads, or we can keep being Buck and Eddie.”
Zac doesn’t say anything for a long beat, then, “Hey Eddie?”
“Yeah?”
“When you and Buck get married, we’ll be brothers.”
“Uh—” Eddie scratches at his temple, trying to come up with a response to that, but then Zac glances up, a smile breaking over his face before he bursts out laughing. It’s infectious, and Eddie joins in.
The sound draws Buck out of the kitchen to hover in the doorway.
“All good?”
“Yeah.” Eddie gives Zac another squeeze. “Everything’s great.”
“Earth to Eddie.”
“What?” Eddie’s head jerks up to look at Hen. “Sorry.” He glances back down at the clipboard in his hands. “What were we up to?”
“Finished while you were staring at your boyfriend.” Hen takes a seat on the end of the gurney, plucking the clipboard from Eddie’s hands. “Alright, spill.”
“I, uh—” Eddie glances away, unable to meet her knowing gaze. “There’s nothing to spill.”
“Yeah, that might work on them ,” Hen tells him, gesturing to Buck and Chimney on the other side of the garage, “but it’s not going to work on me. You’ve been distracted all morning.”
Yeah, because he’d been looking at rings on his phone this morning, before remembering he and Buck share an Apple account. He’d cleared his search history, but doesn't know how it affects Buck’s. Are they both going to get bombarded with ads because Siri’s been listening to him?
Eddie drags his lip between his teeth, contemplating telling her. Hen’s known Buck longer than him, she might have an idea of how Eddie could propose to him.
“I’m going to ask Buck to marry me.”
“Well it’s about time.”
Eddie blinks at Hen, stunned.
“What?”
“Well it is,” Hen says with a grin. “You’ve been together for what, three years? You’ve been raising your kids together for almost that long. They’re basically brothers.”
“Or uncles,” Eddie mutters.
“Or what? ”
“It’s just something Zac said—” Eddie trails off. “You know what, never mind.”
Hen barks out a laugh. “So, you’ve had the conversation with Chris and Zac then? Better act quick. If they’re anything like Denny, your secret won't last a week.”
“Yeah.” Eddie blows out a sigh, watching Buck laugh at some story Chimney is telling as they roll up hoses.
“I’m sensing a ‘but’ in there.”
“But I’m afraid I’m going to fuck it up somehow,” Eddie admits, turning back to face Hen. “I don’t exactly have a great track record as a husband.”
“Eddie, you don’t have a track record,” Hen points out with a laugh. “You were married once, and wasn’t Shannon your highschool girlfriend?”
“Yeah.”
“And since her, you’ve only been with Buck?”
“What are you getting at?”
“That maybe you should stop looking for patterns where there aren't any,” Hen tells him. “You and Shannon weren’t right for each other, that’s not your fault. But you and Buck, you’ve already done all the hard parts together and you’ve come out of it all stronger for it. He’s going to say yes.”
Eddie flushes, ducking his head.
“I just want it to be special.”
“It will be,” Hen promises, leaning forward to pat his hand. “However you decide to ask him.”
“Thanks.” Eddie shoots her a smile. “So, any ideas on how to actually propose to Buck?”
“Not a clue.”
“I’m trying to work out why Buck is always going to you for advice . That’s incredibly unhelpful.”
Hen laughs loudly, slapping Eddie on the shoulder as she rises. “Some things you’ve got to work out for yourself.”
She steps out of the ambulance, leaving Eddie to sit there and think about her words.
The storm blows in just before lunch, and with it comes one of the wildest calls Eddie has ever seen.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Buck says, his hands gripping the steering wheel as they navigate the dark streets. “I mean, I’ve read about fulgurite before, but to actually see it? That’s pretty cool. I wish I’d grabbed some to show the kids.”
“Really?” Eddie asks, turning to face Buck. “The guy was almost struck by lightning.”
“Eds, the chances of actually being struck by lightning are like, less than one in a million,” Buck tells him, turning onto their street.
Eddie rolls his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips. “Of course you’d know that,” he says, glancing out the window as another bright flash lights the night sky. “Still, I’m not about to go walking around in a storm if I can help it.” His hand tightens on his seat belt as thunder rumbles.
They pull into the driveway. Buck climbs out of the car, bounding around to the passenger side. He holds his hand out as Eddie exits the Jeep. “Here, I’ll protect you,” he teases.
“You’re an idiot,” Eddie grumbles, as if he’s not amused. “Come here.” He knocks Buck’s hand out of the way, slinging an arm around his shoulders instead and they walk up to the front door together.
Chris meets them at the door, dragging at Buck’s hand to come watch the storm with him from the back porch.
Eddie says goodnight to Carla and follows them out to the back door. He stops, leaning against the door frame to watch them, pressed together on the top step.
“That one was close,” Chris crows and Buck’s answer is drowned out by a large rumble that rattles the windows.
The soft patter of footsteps in the hall makes Eddie turn.
“You don’t want to go out with them?” Eddie asks, reaching out to reel Zac in.
“No.” Zac presses in against Eddie’s side. “It’s too loud.”
Outside Chris and Buck sit huddled together, watching the lightning fork across the sky. Buck has his phone out, showing Chris his lightning tracking map and they count the seconds between flashes and the sharp crack of thunder.
Eddie flinches, his hand finding Zac’s and holding tight. The air is warm and heavy with the promise of rain that won’t fall.
“Can we go back inside now?” Zac asks, pulling on Eddie’s hand.
“Yeah.” Eddie spares one last glance towards Buck and Chris. “Want to help me with dinner?”
Zac looks up at him, his nose wrinkling at the idea. “Can we get pizza?”
The thunder lasts throughout dinner, still rumbling after the kids are in bed.
“Hey, what’s up?” Eddie exits the ensuite, dropping his clothes into the laundry hamper by the door.
“I uh, just got off the phone with Maddie,” Buck says, turning his cell in his hands. “Our parents are coming to visit.”
“Oh.”
Buck snorts. “Yeah.” He plugs his phone into the charger and sets it down on the bedside table. “They want to see Maddie’s new place, y’know? They helped her and Chim with the down payment, so it makes sense they'd want to visit.”
Eddie crosses the room to sit on the bed.
“Are you going to see them?”
“I don’t know,” Buck shrugs. “Maddie wants us all to get together for dinner tomorrow. The whole family.” He sighs, shifting to lean against the headboard. “I know they’ve been trying to be better. I just— I don’t know if I can forgive them.”
“You don’t need to forgive them,” Eddie says, crawling up the bed to lie beside Buck.
“I want to be the bigger person, you know? And if it was just me, it would probably be fine.”
“Buck—”
“But Zac’s just a little kid. They basically ignored him his whole life and now suddenly they want to make amends? I can’t just forgive them for that and pretend everything is okay.”
Eddie bites his tongue to keep from speaking the words he really wants to say. That it doesn’t just have to be for Zac, that Buck had been a kid too.
He swallows down the frustration and the anger towards Philip and Margaret that burns in the back of his throat, rolling onto his side to face Buck.
“So what do you want to do?”
“I’ll talk to Zac,” Buck says. “If he doesn’t want to go, I won’t make him. Our parents will just have to get over it.” He pauses, rolling onto his side so that they’re face to face. “If he decides he wants to, will you come too? I know you don’t like them, I just— I don’t want to do this alone.”
“You said Maddie wants the whole family there,” Eddie points out, swinging a leg over Buck’s legs and rolling him so he’s on his back. He leans in, arms on either side of Buck’s head, boxing him in. “So, we’ll all be there.”
“Yeah?” The word spills out in a breathy whisper and he arches up to steal a kiss.
The little voice in the back of Eddie’s head tells him, this is it, this is your perfect moment. The words are on the tip of his tongue, begging to be spoken.
But then Buck grinds up and all rational thought is gone.
The sky overhead boils and churns as Buck pulls into the driveway behind Maddie’s car.
“You sure you don’t want me to come with you to the airport?” Eddie asks, turning in his seat.
“I think I can handle an hour alone in the car with my parents,” Buck assures him. “Plus, I want to have a talk with them before we get back.” At Eddie’s raised eyebrow he mouths Zac . “Just to make sure they’re on their best behaviour.” He turns to shoot the kids in the backseat a grin. “So you all need to get out, or I’m going to be late.”
“Drive safe,” Eddie tells him, with a pointed glance at the sky. Right on cue, there’s another bright flash of lightning and the crack of thunder shakes the car.
“Always.”
Buck sits in the driveway until the three of them make it to the front door. Zac races off ahead, disappearing into the house with a yell of “Maddie, we’re here.”
Eddie sends Buck a wave, grinning at the short honk of the horn as the Jeep backs out of the driveway. Hopefully Buck makes it back from the airport with his parents in one piece.
“Hey guys,” Maddie calls, beckoning them into the kitchen. “Chris, I think Zac’s already in the living room. I told him he could watch a movie before our parents get here.”
“Take advantage before Jee wakes up and starts demanding Bluey,” Chimney calls over his shoulder from the stove.
Maddie gives him a playful shove. “You love Bluey.”
Chimney sighs wistfully. “God, I do. ”
Eddie laughs, ruffling his son’s hair as he passes on his way out of the kitchen.
“So, what can I do to help?” He looks around the kitchen at the spread of food on the bench.
“You can supervise,” Maddie tells him with a grin, nodding towards Chimney at the stove. “Fire extinguisher is by the fridge.”
“ Hey! I think I finally mastered this!” Chimney turns to show them the dish he’s flambeing.
“What? Burning down our new house?” Maddie asks with a wink at Eddie.
He stiles a laugh, hiding it under a cough.
“Oh, don’t you start.” Chim puts the lid on the frypan, smothering the flames. “Buck told us all about your attempts at making cookies last week,” he says, turning away from the stovetop. “The words ‘charcoal’ and ‘inedible’ were used— many times.”
“Yeah, well maybe you should ask Buck what it was that distracted me.”
“I’d rather not.” Chimney pulls a face.
“You two should just get married already,” Maddie laughs, opening the fridge to grab a bottle of wine.
“I’m working on it,” Eddie mutters under his breath.
“What?” Maddie asks, eyes wide.
“What?” Eddie’s head jerks up.
“Wait, you’re actually— Eddie, that’s amazing.” Maddie sets down the bottle. “Tell me everything.”
“There really isn’t much to tell,” Eddie says. “I haven’t even bought a ring yet. I’ve asked Chris and Zac and they’re pretty excited about it, I just need to ask Buck.”
“Have you told anyone else?” Chimney asks, turning down the stove before reaching for the wine glasses.
Eddie shakes his head. “Just Hen.”
“You told Hen before you told us?” Chimney asks, feigning indignation.
“And you wouldn’t?” Eddie shoots back.
Chimney opens his mouth to argue, then shuts it with a snap. “Yeah. Okay, I would.”
“We’re happy for you, Eddie,” Maddie tells him, shooting Chimney a pointed look to behave. “And we should definitely celebrate.” She pours herself a glass of wine then goes back to the fridge for two beers. “But first, let’s just get through this visit.”
Eddie takes a sip, setting his beer down on the counter. “You think it’s going to be bad?”
“It won’t be like last time,” Maddie assures him. “But, I don’t think Evan will ever forgive them for that— Daniel and—” she drops her voice “—for Zac.”
Eddie hadn’t been there at the dinner when the Buckley parents last visited, but he’d been there for the fallout.
“I don’t blame him,” he mutters darkly, taking another sip of his drink. “And I don’t think he should forgive them.”
“No,” Maddie agrees, pulling up a seat beside Eddie. “But they’re trying.” She sounds like she’s trying to convince herself as much as Eddie. “They just want to be part of their grandkids’ lives.”
But Zac isn’t their grandson, and neither is Buck, but Eddie doesn’t get the chance to point that out.
The rumble of the car has Maddie glancing up. “They’re here.” She fidgets with her shirt, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles. “God, they’re going to hate it.”
“Hey, we’ve got this” Chimney tells her, reeling Maddie in to plan a kiss in her hair. “It’s me and you against the Buckley’s.”
“Hey.”
Chimney shoots Eddie a grin. “It’s us against the Buckley’s.”
“I’ll go get Jee,” Maddie says, pulling away. “You get the door.”
Eddie rises from his seat at the counter, turning towards the front door. He’s never actually met Buck and Maddie’s parents before, only heard stories as Buck ranted after their last visit.
They’d hurt him so badly, and Eddie wasn’t ever going to forgive them for that, but if Buck wanted to make peace, he could play along for the night.
“Chris? Zac?” he calls, “can you guys come out here?”
Chris emerges from the living room first, moving to stand by Eddie. Zac takes his time, shuffling over to join them. He’s quiet, reaching for Eddie’s hand and latching on, though his mouth is set in a determined line.
He’s too much like Buck, Eddie thinks to himself as they make their way over to the others. Not that that could ever be a bad thing, but he can’t help but wonder if Zac is putting on the brave face for Buck as much as himself.
Chimney opens the door. “Hey Evan. Philip, good to see you.”
Eddie looks up in time to catch Buck’s expression as he mouths the name.
“Margaret,” Chimney continues, either not noticing or choosing to ignore it. “You look so beautiful. Maddie should be out any minute. Jee-Yun just woke up, so…” He leads them all through to the dining room. “So, Evan, how was the drive down?”
“Well, Howie —” Eddie stifles a snort “—it was great.” Buck turns to his parents. “Mum, Dad, this is Eddie, my uh, my partner. And Chris, his son.”
Eddie steps forward to shake Philip’s hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”
Beside him, Margaret catches sight of Zac, her expression softening.
“Isaac.”
“Mom,” Buck sighs, rolling his eyes behind their backs.
“Sorry. Hi Zac.” She hesitates before saying his name and Eddie wonders how much time Buck spent coaching her in the car.
“Hi.” Zac won't look at her, still standing half behind Eddie.
“You’ve, uh, grown so much since we last saw you,” Margaret tells him, reciting the lines like she’s reciting a script.
Eddie bites back the words sitting on the tip of his tongue. It’s been almost eighteen months since Zac and Buck last saw their parents, and Buck had almost completely cut off communication with them after that disastrous trip.
“Okay.” Maddie’s voice on the stairs behind them breaks through the awkward tension. She comes down to join them, Jee-Yun in her arms. “Here’s your grandpa and grandma.”
Margaret’s face lights up at the sight of Jee. “Oh.” She steps around them, raising her arms to scoop her granddaughter out of Maddie’s arms. “You are just so precious, aren’t you?”
Across from him, Eddie sees Buck’s jaw clench.
Chim catches it too, glancing nervously between them. “Who wants a drink?” he asks, his voice pitching upwards, almost strangled with the speed of it.
If he’s being honest, Eddie is actually relieved when Albert shows up with Chimney’s dad and stepmom. It takes some of the attention away from how awkward things are between Buck and Zac and their parents. It’s painfully obvious to Eddie just how tense Buck is beside him, completely caught off guard by how friendly his parents are being.
Eddie isn’t the only one who notices.
“Dad, can we go finish the movie?” Chris asks, glancing between him and Buck. “Zac and I are both finished eating.”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Eddie tells him, giving them both an out. “Can you take your plates to the kitchen on your way?”
Both kids nod, scrambling to leave the table.
The rest of the evening goes much smoother and Eddie watches Buck begin to relax as dinner ends. They sit, pressed together on the couch, while Philip tells a story from work, and drapes his arm across Buck’s shoulders.
It’s almost easy to forget how apprehensive Buck had been about coming. Other than a few hiccups after arriving, his parents haven’t said or done anything to upset Zac. Eddie thinks they’re genuinely trying, but don’t know how to connect to either of their sons anymore.
Still, one night of trying doesn’t erase the last thirty years.
“When are we going home?”
A small body bumps into the back of the couch and Eddie turns to look.
“Soon,” he tells Chris, checking his watch. It’s getting late. “Go tell Zac to get his things. I’ll find Buck and we can go.”
He rises from the couch. Buck had followed Maddie upstairs a few minutes earlier and Eddie follows their hushed voice, finding them on the landing.
“—saw them tonight. They’re really trying Buck.”
“I know, I just— what if I decide to let them back in and they hurt him again?”
“They want to be part of our lives.”
Eddie starts up the stairs, stepping loud enough to announce his approach and the conversation stops.
“Hey.” He rounds the corner at the top of the stairs. “The boys are tired. You ready to head home?”
“Yeah, I’m ready,” Buck nods, giving his sister a hug goodbye. “We’ll talk later,” he tells her before following Eddie downstairs.
The drive home is quiet.
Eddie watches Buck’s fingers drum against the steering wheel, his mouth opening like he’s about to say something, before changing his mind.
“So?” Eddie prompts.
“So,” Buck echoes, glancing across at Eddie. “It wasn’t awful.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Eddie agrees. “What are you thinking?”
“I–” Buck hesitates again. He pulls the car into the driveway and cuts the engine. “Tonight was really weird.” He slumps back against his seat, his head tipped forwards. “I wasn’t expecting it at all. It was kinda nice.” He sits there for a beat before reaching for his seat belt. Freed, he turns to look at the boys in the back. “You think they’re actually asleep?”
Eddie huffs an amused laugh. “No.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
Neither of them make a move to leave the car. They sit there, watching their kids pretending to sleep in the back seat.
Eddie glances across at Buck, committing this moment to memory. Lightning arcs across the sky, illuminating the fond smile on Buck’s face.
Do it. Ask him now.
“Buck, I—“
“We should get them—“
They stop, laughing as they talk over each other.
“Sorry,” Eddie starts, “you were saying?”
“We should probably get them inside,” Buck says, holding Eddie’s gaze.
And just like that the moment is gone.
“Yeah.” Reluctantly, Eddie climbs out of the Jeep, moving around to wake Chris. The boy grumbles, but follows Eddie up to the house. Behind them Buck carries Zac inside.
It’s late.
The station is still and mostly silent. Eddie can still hear the occasional rumble of thunder as the storm continues outside.
Most of the team are taking the opportunity to get some rest before the next call out. Eddie had gone to the bunk room with the others, but hadn't been able to sleep.
So now he’s on his second cup of coffee, sitting at the counter scrolling through his phone— in incognito mode this time.
“Can’t sleep?”
Eddie turns away from the counter as Bobby crosses the floor from the stairs.
“No, I tried but—” Eddie shrugs and picks up his coffee. “Couldn’t turn my thoughts off.”
Beside him, Bobby reaches for a mug, filling it from the coffee pot.
“You want to talk about it?”
Eddie starts to shake his head, then changes his mind. “How did you propose to Athena?”
Bobby sits beside him at the bench. “It wasn’t anything elaborate,” he says, stirring his coffee. “I realised what I wanted, and that was to make a home with Athena. I went out and brought a ring the next day, proposed in our living room.”
“And it was that easy?”
“Easy?” Bobby chuckles. “I was terrified. She only asked me to move in and there I was proposing.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “But the moment felt right.” He turns to Eddie. “So, you’re going to propose to Buck?”
“Yeah.” Every time he says it, it makes it more real. God, he’s really going to do this. “I just— with his parents here it’s hard to find the right time. I want to do it right.”
“You will,” Bobby reassures him. “However you choose to ask him. Stop over thinking it.”
Lightning flickers in the window above the rec area and the next roll of thunder is drowned out by the ringing of the bell.
Stop over thinking it. The words play over in a loop in Eddie’s head as they pull into the driveway at Maddie and Chim’s place for the second night in a row.
Bobby made it all sound so simple, like it wasn’t the one of the biggest moments of their lives. Like it wouldn’t be the end of him if Buck said no.
“Earth to Eddie.”
He turns, blinking at Buck’s face so close to his.
“You going to sit here all night?” Buck asks, his voice laced with amusement. “Or are you coming in with us?”
“I’m coming.” Eddie shakes his head to clear his thoughts and reaches for his seat belt.
“Hey, sorry we’re late,” Buck calls as they let themselves into the house.
“We got takeout,” Zac cheers, hefting the bag he’s holding up for Chimney to take.
“Thanks kid.” Chimney ruffles Zac’s hair and nudges him towards the living room. “Can you let everyone know dinner’s almost ready?”
Nodding, Zac crosses the room to cover hesitantly by the couch. “Mom, dinner’s ready.”
Eddie ushers Chris towards the table, turning to Buck and Chimney. “So, what can we help you with?”
“Yeah, can you take these?”
There’s a commotion by the couch that pulls Eddie’s attention away from Chimney and the stack of plates in his hands.
“You are not the boy’s father?”
It’s directed at Buck.
“Uh—” he shares a confused glance with Eddie. “No?”
“Zac’s our brother,” Maddie explains, coming to join them. “Buck’s been taking care of him.”
Eddie bristles. He knows Maddie’s just trying to smooth things over and keep the peace, still he can’t help but add, “Buck’s raising him.”
Sang turns back to Phillip. “And you’re allowing this?” he asks. “A man cannot raise a child fathered by another man. It’s unnatural.”
“Says the expert in child rearing,” Chimney mutters, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
“He’s raising my son too,” Eddie adds, trying to keep his tone even while his stomach churns with anger. “You want to comment on that as well?”
Sang ignores him, his attention still on the Buckley’s. Philip has risen out of his seat— almost as tall as Buck, he towers over the Han’s.
“I’m sorry, but how is any of this your business?” Margaret asks, moving to stand by her husband.
Eddie shares another glance with Buck before his boyfriend crosses the room to couch beside Zac.
“A man who cannot control his family is not a man.”
“Maybe a man who’s too controlling forces his sons to hide from him in another country.”
“Okay, okay,” Buck says, rising to his full height. “Can we not do this right now?”
Right on cue, thunder crashes and all the lights go out.
Jee-Yun shrieks and Eddie reaches out for Chris in the dark.
A flashlight flickers on— Chimney’s phone.
“Buck, grab some candles,” he says, pointing the torch towards the hall. “We’ve got the doors.”
“Yeah, okay.” Buck pulls out his own cell phone and turns on the torch. “Come on, bud,” he tells Zac. “Let’s go see what we can find.”
“Do you think he was right?”
“Who?” Eddie rolls over in bed to face Buck.
It’s early. The only light behind the curtains is the occasional flicker of lightning.
“Chimney’s dad. What he said about Zac.” Buck’s on his back, staring up at the ceiling. “About me raising him.”
“Have you been thinking about this all night?” Buck nods and Eddie props himself up on an elbow, reaching for Buck with his free hand. “No, I don’t think he’s right.” Buck looks unconvinced. “So you regret it?” Eddie asks, “taking Zac in?”
“Of course not.” Buck sits up, turning to Eddie. “I wouldn’t wish that childhood on anything. I just— it should have to be this way. Kids should be loved by their parents—”
“He is,” Eddie cuts him off, giving Buck’s hand a squeeze. “By you .”
“It’s not the same.” Buck pulls his hand free. “He deserves a family—”
“He has a family,” Eddie insists. “ We’re his family. You—” he pokes Buck in the stomach. “—me and Chris, Maddie and Chimney and Jee-Yun. Hell, Bobby and Athena are basically his grandparents.”
Buck pulls a face. “You better not let Athena catch you calling her that.” He finally cracks a smile. “I can’t raise two kids on my own.”
Eddie laughs. “They’d never find my body.”
Buck curls around him. “You’re right though. I know I shouldn’t let it get to me.”
“God, it was awful,” Chimney groans, dropping his head into his hands. “He just wouldn’t let it go.” He lifts his head to glance over at Buck. “I’m really sorry about that, man.”
Buck waves him off and Eddie’s glad to see it’s no longer weighing on his mind.
“Well, it sounds like your parents had your back at least,” Bobby offers from the front of the truck. “That’s definitely progress.”
Buck huffs a humourless laugh.
“They just weren’t going to let Chimney’s dad have the last word. It just sucks that Zac had you hear it though.” He leans forwards, his knees knocking against Eddie’s. “It’s like, they keep saying they’re trying to make up for everything, but not once have they acknowledged that they basically gave up their kid.” He slumps back in his seat, dropping his voice. “Sometimes I wonder what would have happened to him if I hadn’t taken him.”
Eddie opens his mouth to reassure him, but Bobby beats him to the punch.
“But you did.” Bobby twists in his seat to face them. “You took Zac and now he has a family and parents that love him.”
“I—” Buck ducks his head, his cheeks flushing red. “Yeah, that’s what Eddie keeps saying too.”
“Which means you should listen to me.” Eddie grins at Buck’s eyeroll and gives his leg a friendly smack as they pull up at the apartment complex.
The storm has finally, finally given way to rain but even as it pours the flames climb higher, driving back the screaming residents Eddie can see up on the balcony.
“Start evacuating the building,” Bobby orders as they all scramble out into the torrent. “Chimney, Buck, Eddie. You guys are on ladder duty. I want you to get up to that window and hit it. Let’s go.”
Eddie follows Buck around the truck to help him harness up, checking that the straps and buckles are done up correctly.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” Chimney calls to Buck, raising his voice to be heard over the steady beat of the rain. “I got this.”
“No way,” Buck laughs. “You got the last one.”
Eddie rolls his eyes at the friendly bickering and reaches for the line to clip into Buck’s harness.
“Didn’t realise you were keeping track.”
“Come on, Chim, it’s me. I’m always keeping track.”
“All right cowboy,” Eddie drawls, pushing Buck towards the ladder. “Go get them.”
Buck shoots him a quick grin and a wink before carefully making his way up the rain slick ladder.
“What the hell is that?”
Eddie glances up, blinking away the rain driving against his face.
“Buck?”
There’s a blinding flash and a scream. The dizzying feeling of weightlessness.
Then nothing.