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Buck winced as he adjusted in the uncomfortable hospital bed, staring at the long line of stitches snaking down his forearm. The mission had been simple enough—rescue a kid caught in a sinkhole. But when Buck had extended his arm to pull the kid up, the ground had given way beneath him, and he'd been dragged down the muddy slope, scraping his arm deeply along the rocks.
Just as he was leaning back, the door creaked open, and in stepped Eddie with a bag of fast food, a warm smile on his face.
“Thought you could use something better than hospital food,” Eddie said, holding the bag up like a prize.
Buck's lips quirked. "You know me so well."
"Hey, someone's gotta keep you alive,” Eddie replied, laughing as he pulled out a burger and handed it to Buck, carefully helping him unwrap it since his dominant hand was bandaged. “How’re you feeling?”
“Fine,” Buck lied, but the tightness in his voice gave him away. “It’s just a few stitches.”
Eddie raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure that’s an understatement. How many did they end up giving you?"
Buck hesitated. “Uh… like, twelve? Or thirteen? I don’t know, I lost count.”
Eddie just shook his head. “You’ve gotta stop with these near-misses, man.”
Before Buck could answer, the door opened again, and Tommy walked in, his eyes immediately going to Buck’s arm. Relief washed over his face as he saw Buck sitting up, though it was quickly followed by a look of worry. He walked over to Buck’s side, taking in the stitched-up wound.
“Evan…” Tommy’s voice was low, concern clear in every syllable. “You’ve really gotta stop doing this to yourself.”
“Hey, it’s just a scrape.” Buck grinned“Barely hurt at all.”
Tommy’s gaze softened as he sat down on the edge of the bed, taking Buck’s bandaged hand in his own. He ran his thumb over Buck’s knuckles, the touch grounding and reassuring. “I know you, Evan. I know you don’t think much of a few stitches, but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about you.”
Eddie coughed, grabbing his drink from the table. “Right, I’ll just… leave you two to talk.”
“Hey, stay,” Buck called out, but Eddie just waved a hand, shooting a knowing smile at Tommy before stepping out of the room.
The moment Eddie left, Tommy’s attention returned fully to Buck.
“You scared me,” he admitted, his voice soft. “I hate seeing you hurt like this.”
“I’m fine,” Buck said, but this time, there was no deflection, only an honesty that matched Tommy’s. He gave a small, tired smile. “I promise, I’ll be more careful.”
Tommy’s eyes softened as he gently traced a line along Buck’s bandaged arm, his fingers careful but warm. “You don’t have to promise me anything. Just… let me be here to take care of you when it happens, alright?”
Buck felt his heartbeat slow, a sense of warmth settling over the pain in his arm. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against Tommy’s shoulder.
“Yeah,” Buck murmured, voice soft. “I think I’d like that.”