Work Text:
Eddie was having a hell of a week, he'd had a headache that seemed to go on forever since the beginning of the week, on top of that Chris had caught a stomach virus on Tuesday and hadn't stopped throwing up all night. Eddie was grateful to be working day shifts and to have Buck's help there for when he couldn't take care of Chris for a while, his friend practically lived at the Diaz residence so it didn't take much work for Eddie to convince him to stay there for a few days.
It was Saturday when everything went to hell during one of the calls.
Eddie had woken up with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him throw up all of his breakfast when they arrived at the station, Buck stayed by his side for the rest of the day to make sure he was okay although both Eddie and Hen had assured Buck that it had just been something that momentarily went wrong.
"Come on, Eddie, Chris was sick this week too, maybe you should both go in for a checkup and make sure it's not something serious!"
Turning from where he was sitting, Eddie rapped his knuckles on Buck's knee where he was poorly settled on the stool at the station table.
"Seriously, Buck. We must have eaten something that wasn't good, don't you always tell us we have a delicate stomach? It's just that, nothing to worry about."
Buck grimaced, tilting his head slightly and putting that characteristic tender pout on his lips.
"But, Eddie..."
Whatever Buck was about to say was cut off by the station alarm beginning to sound, everyone, including Bobby from his office, let out a heavy sigh knowing they would not finish the shift quietly. They ran for the trucks, hurrying the rest of the suit on their bodies and securing the headphones in their ears before tearing off to the unfamiliar scene that awaited them.
Chim, from his seat beside the driver, turned to Eddie and Buck, who were just within his field of vision from where he was.
"So, Eddie, will you go get a checkup like your partner is asking you to or will you continue to disclose to him?"
"Yes, Eddie, what are you going to do?" Even Hen had joined in Chim's banter, Eddie, exasperated, kicked Buck's leg as a signal to ask him to speak himself, which he did, and not to help the situation.
"Come on, Eddie, even they think you should go to the doctor..."
"Buck." Bobby's voice came from the cockpit, tilting his head towards them the captain looked at Buck with a raised eyebrow. "There's nothing wrong with Eddie, if you want to go to the doctor decide that at the end of the shift, now I need you to focus on the call, got it?"
Both Buck and Eddie let out a unison "yes, cap" that made Hen and Chim let out a chuckle and Bobby a snort.
It took another five minutes to get to the scene and any trace of fun that had been left in the truck vanished when they saw that the call was a pretty serious fire, they all ran out to get their gear and as they were putting on their masks Bobby gave them their orders.
"Right, Buck and Eddie I want you inside for a sweep, Hen, get the stretcher ready in case anyone is hurt, Chim you're coming with me we'll get the hose ready. let's go, let's go!"
***
The place stank from the inside, from the proportion of the house and the magnitude of the fire Eddie was betting it had been arson and not an accident, they walked side by side next to Buck, knocking on some doors on the first floor to make sure no one was in the house, after that they headed up the stairs, as they reached the top the radio blared with the voice of their captain.
"Guys, hurry up, you have five minutes to leave the place, got it?"
Although Eddie knew that last part was more for Buck than for the two of them, Eddie turned on his radio to answer Bobby. "Roger that, Cap. Five minutes."
Eddie turned quickly to Buck, pointing to the other side of the hallway, "Don't do anything crazy, I'll make sure there's no one on this side, go to the other side of the hallway."
Buck snorted but ran to the door a few steps away from him, there were a total of five doors counting the one in front of Eddie at the time, he knocked loudly and yelled to make sure it was empty, Eddie did the same with the next two doors and when he turned around to check on Buck the house began to shake.
With his heart starting to beat faster than normal, Eddie ran as carefully as he could across the hall to the last door where Buck was, inside was Buck holding a teenager who appeared to be bleeding from somewhere on his leg.
Eddie rushed over, pulling a bandage out of his suit pocket that he always carried in case Buck needed it, now he would have to replace it without Hen hitting him again. While Eddie attended as quickly as possible to the boy Buck radioed that they needed to get the stretcher ready.
"Well, that's the best I can do now on your leg, we have an ambulance waiting for you outside and we'll make sure you get to the hospital, it looks serious but it's just a cut, nothing to worry about."
"Hey, says the one who isn't bleeding lying on his bedroom floor while his house is on fire!".
Eddie muttered a low "You got that right" and was about to lift the boy up when Buck beat him to it and pissed him off.
"Leave it to me, I'll carry him out."
"Buck, you have to secure the area, you're faster, come on don't play now."
"Eddie! You said it, I'm faster, just lead the way."
"Ehh, guys?" The injured young man spoke, looking between them as if they were crazy." The roof is about to fall in.”
At that very moment, the radio blared with Bobby's voice ordering them out of there and Buck beat Eddie to the punch by picking up the young man and running for the exit, Buck's rush to take the boy in his arms and leave Eddie behind was also a disadvantage to himself, so even as Eddie ran after him towards the stairs, Eddie only made it halfway down before he saw Buck stumble and both Buck and the young man fall the rest of the way down the stairs.
"Buck!" Eddie yelled, securing his hand on the railing and scrambling down the rest of the path quickly, but Buck shooed him away quickly, pointing to the screaming boy a few feet away from him.
"Take him, Eddie! I'm fine, I'll come out after you."
If it had been another time or another situation, Eddie would have stayed to help Buck as well, but the house was starting to fall apart and the boy needed his help, so Eddie ran to him and lifted him in his arms, hurrying the rest of the way to the exit. The whole team was waiting for them with worried faces and even more so when they saw Eddie leave alone with the patient and no sign of Buck, but Eddie ignored them, placing the young man on the stretcher and turning to Chim.
"Get another team ready, Buck is hurt too." Then he turned and ran straight for the house ignoring Bobby's shout.
As expected, the house had already filled with smoke and the wood was creaking more and more as it burned, Eddie followed his own footsteps until he heard the distinctive noise of Buck's whimpering when injured. He hurried over until he found him with his leg caught on a step, something he hadn't seen minutes before.
"Take it easy, you'll make it worse."
"Eddie."
"Not now, Buck."
Eddie worked fast and in less than two minutes Buck's leg was free again, but he was having trouble supporting it so Eddie held it all the way to the ambulance, ignoring Buck's attempts to call him.
Once he helped Buck sit up so Chim could attend to him, Eddie went straight to the hoses to help Bobby and keep himself busy so he wouldn't think about his anger, he didn't want to attack anyone at that moment and he was too angry with Buck to talk to him.
***
"Dude, what did you do that made him so mad?"
Buck gawked at Chim, who was bandaging Buck's right foot while noisily chewing a stick of gum.
"I didn't do anything!"
Chim looked up, reached an eyebrow toward Buck." Nothing, huh? And that's why he had to come back for you and bring your hurt ass back here? I wouldn't say 'nothing' is the right word here."
Buck didn't argue with Chim this time, maybe, just maybe, he had overreached and done something that as a professional shouldn't have happened. Buck knew it hadn't been safe to run with the victim that way but his stupid brain told him that for some reason that was going to be the safest way to keep Eddie out of harm's way in a house that was falling apart.
Of course, that and the fact that Buck still thought Eddie might be weak from his discomfort that morning.
Chim snapped him out of his thoughts, Buck's view was focused on Bobby and Eddie putting out the house fire a few feet away from them.
"All set, buddy, it's just a sprain, I would recommend you not to rest your foot but being that you are Buck I better recommend you use cold compress every several hours so it doesn't get too inflamed, if you see it gets worse call Hen I me or go straight to the hospital. understand?"
"I understand, yes, thank you Chim."
Chim mumbled something that Buck didn't quite hear, then straightened up and patted Buck's shoulder. Hen's ambulance had left minutes earlier along with other crew personnel, so Chim stowed his gear in the back of the truck and then helped Buck climb into his usual spot while they waited for the cap and Eddie to finish their work.
For the next hour, Buck's mood got worse and worse as he realized that Eddie wasn't going to speak to him as long as they were there, Buck let out a sigh when they finally all got into the truck at the end of the job, only he almost choked on his own saliva as he watched Eddie sit where Hen always sat and not next to him.
He could also make out how Chim was looking between them, but Buck was alone watching Eddie, who was looking out the window silently and without his headphones on.
Buck wanted to ball himself right then and there, he understood that his actions had been wrong but he hadn't thought Eddie would be so angry about it.
For the rest of the way the truck was silent, and even when they arrived at the station having already finished his shift Eddie still didn't speak to him, he approached Buck just to help him get to his locker to get his bag and that's when he spoke to him.
"Take your bag, Buck, we're going home, you can't go upstairs with your foot like that."
"Eddie..."
Buck was going to thank him, but given the look Eddie gave him he preferred to remain silent, swallowing the lump in his throat and ignoring how he had been glad only seconds before that Eddie had referred to his house as Buck's home as well and not just the Diaz house.
Again, Buck was left to endure another half hour in tense silence alongside Eddie as they made their way to the house, as they arrived Eddie still helped Buck by putting half his weight on his side, as soon as they entered the house Chris's voice came from down the hall.
"Dad, Buck!"
As Buck finished getting settled on the couch he watched out of the corner of his eye as Eddie bent down to greet Chris and speak softly to him about something, then broke away and headed for the kitchen without turning to look at Buck.
Buck had to hold the stinging in his eyes as he focused on Chris, who was now sitting next to him and holding the TV control in his hands.
"Hey, Buck, Dad said you got hurt at work today and won't be able to help me with my homework, but he let us watch a movie before dinner!"
Of course Chris loved the idea of watching a movie more than doing his homework, Buck hummed, leaning into Chris a little and pulling the boy's body into his side to hug him as Chris chose some random animated movie that ended up being Beauty and the Beast.
It was half an hour before Eddie came over with plates in hand, a quick burrito of sorts for the three of them.
"Chris, please sit properly."
The three sat up straight, Buck caught between the two Diaz's, with Chris fiddling at times poking Buck with a finger and Eddie seemingly determined to ignore him.
After they had eaten supper and Eddie washed what little had been used, Buck said good night to Chris and as father and son walked away down the hall Buck lay down on the couch to try to get some sleep.
His attempted nap only lasted a few minutes until he heard footsteps and then Eddie's hand shaking his shoulder.
"Come on, Buck, you'll sleep in bed today."
Eddie helped him to his own bed, and then turned off the lights, Buck thought Eddie had left the room after that, so he was unprepared and absolutely let out a little squeal when he was wrapped quickly and too tightly in some arms from behind.
Buck had frozen in place, his eyes suddenly wide in the semi-dark room, until a chest pressed against his back and Eddie's breath brushed the back of his neck, Buck's traitorous body relaxed of its own accord, unconsciously relaxing more and more into Eddie's arms.
"I'm so mad at you right now, Buck."
Those words made Buck want to pull away from Eddie, but the arms around him tightened even tighter, caging him in.
"No, listen to me..." Eddie was about to speak but Buck, in his panic, hurried.
"I didn't do anything wrong, Eddie! The kid needed help, you know that."
Eddie was silent for a moment, then surprised Buck by letting out a coarse laugh that tickled the back of his neck, Buck had to close his eyes tightly for a few seconds before opening them and concentrating again.
"Nothing wrong, Buck? Really?" Eddie was annoyed, not angry, and Buck didn't understand why.
"I don't understand Eddie, yes, I did something stupid but the kid is safe now and...."
"You're safe because there was someone to back you up, Buck! And none of us would have been hurt again if you had listened to me and made things right."
They were both silent, by this time Buck's eyes had already filled with tears that were about to spill over, there were few times Eddie raised his voice, if you could call it that since they were whispers so as not to wake Christopher. Eddie's arms loosened and Buck was quick to grab them, silently asking him not to pull away but Eddie did anyway, so Buck had to speak again.
"Why are you so upset, Eddie? Yes, I made a mistake, and I'm sure the cap will punish me for that too, but it wasn't a big deal either..."
Even having taken most of his weight off Buck, Eddie leaned his forehead against Buck's shoulder, sighing before he began to speak.
"You want to know why I'm so angry? Because you love the idea that the next challenge might be your last; You want to see how much you can take, especially if it hurts. "Eddie paused and, in the silence of the room, Buck could hear him gasping for breath before he continued speaking." And maybe that's human, maybe that's just stupid, but at the end of the day, the fact that you're here proves that you're probably the same thing and that makes me so angry, you put yourself in danger Like you don't matter! Like you don't have people waiting for you at the end of every call, people waiting for you to be safe and come home!"
"Because I don't have it! There's no one waiting for me!"
Buck knew that was a mistake to say the moment Eddie's warm body moved away from him, he followed Eddie, sitting upright on the bed as Eddie, instead of just turning to Buck on the bed, walked across the room until he was standing in front of Buck, holding his hair in what appeared to be a painful grip.
"Is this a fucking joke, Buck?"
Buck's heart began to race at Eddie's closeness, but at the same time also an angry feeling made him get out of bed, ignoring the twinge of pain in his foot as he wanted to walk to the bedroom door, only to be stopped by Eddie.
"What do you want me to tell you, Eddie? It's the truth, there's nothing waiting for me when I get back to the loft!"
"I said home, Buck! Here, with us, Christopher and me! Don't you understand how much we worry about you when you get hurt on a call? Chris asks me why you're not here and why you come back to your loft every time."
"How am I supposed to know, Eddie? How am I not supposed to be crossing a boundary if I stay on your couch every night?"
With the adrenaline draining from Buck's body, his legs faltered, but Eddie was there in just an instant holding Buck's body against his, caging him in once again.
"I never mentioned the couch, Buck, that's not where I want you."
Buck, red eyed and teary eyed, looked up at Eddie in surprise, even with the height difference at that moment Eddie seemed to be the thousand times bigger than Buck, or maybe it was just the feel of his arms around Buck's body.
"Eddie, do you really mean that or..."
Moving even closer, Eddie placed a hand on Buck's cheek, reaching up to his birthmark and brushing his fingers against the small spot, his eyes seeming to glow in the dark, his face tilted up slightly to match Buck's height.
"I'm serious, Buck, I want you here with us, and I'm already tired of pretending to be content with just having you as a friend, when I know I can have you as more than that."
Tears began to slide down Buck's cheeks as he smiled in that bright way that brought warmth to Eddie's soul. Then, to Eddie's surprise, in a mini split second Buck's arms wrapped around Eddie lifting him up as Buck laughed, after coming out of his surprise Eddie wrapped his legs around Buck's waist, laughing along with him.
Until Buck groaned from the pain in his foot and practically fell onto the mattress still laughing and carrying Eddie with him, Buck's hands didn't leave Eddie's waist as he caught his breath so he could talk.
"Do you know how long I waited to hear those words? Fuck, Eddie, I feel like the luckiest man alive right now."
Straightening up but not allowing Eddie to leave his lap, Buck's hands gripped Eddie's hips tightly.
"Being able to say you can finally be mine? God, I've thought about this for years, honey."
Eddie laughed, tears bathing his eyes as well and his face almost glued to Buck's as their hands danced over each other's face and neck. "Honey?"
"What, too fast?" Buck's eyes had opened wider for a moment, so Eddie hastened to shake his head, bringing his face closer to Buck's until there were only what seemed like inches between them.
"Not at all."
There was no hesitation when they brought their lips together, Buck wasn't even sure who had initiated the kiss at that moment because they were both desperate for the same thing, just as Buck had always thought, Eddie was kissing him too adoringly and too slowly but at the same time it was a kiss laden with desperation, Eddie's hands had stopped at Buck's neck and his nails clung to the skin there as his mouth practically devoured Buck, their tongues mingling and saliva running down their chins after what seemed like an eternity of a kiss.
When they broke apart, more from lack of air than wanting to part, both of their lips were red and Buck had twin scrape marks on both sides of his neck, they stood in silence for a moment with their foreheads pressed against each other and then began to laugh, falling all over the bed with Eddie still on top of Buck.
By the time they finally fell asleep it was past 2am and they had both lost count of how many times they had kissed.
The last thing Eddie remembered before finally falling asleep was Buck's chest pressing against his back and his now boyfriend's arms wrapping him in a tight embrace.