Work Text:
When he was a kid, Buck always dreamed of being included on his family’s ski trips. He supposed it was the definition of a first-world problem, but still. Growing up, when he was carted away to the Pennsylvania mountains to the vacation house his parents seemed to own solely as a place to leave him behind during the days spent there, he wanted nothing more than to follow along when his parents donned their coats and boots, going out into the pristine snow to ski for hours.
Instead, as his parents sipped mulled wine at the chalet with people he’d never be allowed to meet, he would sit on the sofa and watch the snow fall, occasionally sneaking out onto the balcony to play in the soft snow. Only on days when the snowfall was heavy enough that any remnants of his fun would be thoroughly covered up with fresh snow by the time his parents returned, of course.
Even as he got older and his family life continued to change, that childlike love of the cold never really went away. If he was being particularly honest it was one of the only things that kept him in Pennsylvania for so long once he became of age and could, realistically, flee his childhood home for good. Without Maddie, without love from his parents, with all of his childhood friends having gone off to college—there was nothing keeping him there except for, well, Pennsylvania itself.
While Hershey wasn’t anything special, Pennsylvania was actually surprisingly beautiful. Old architecture, beautiful nature, all of it was worth staying for. Just…maybe not enough to supersede the treatment from the parents that were supposed to love him and yet never did.
He called it healing, when he finally left, bouncing around the continent going north in the summers and south in the winters, living in a perpetually-snowless state for a solid couple of years. He couldn’t be reminded of his hometown as long as he kept himself warm.
Moving to Peru was a last ditch effort. Part of him knew he wouldn’t be finding himself there. That Peru was just the latest addition on a list of places he’d tried to call home, only to be taunted with cruel reminders that what he’d always wanted ever since he was a kid was so, so far away.
Sure, watching the surfers come and go all day from his post behind the tiki bar wasn’t the same as watching skiers and snowboarders from his family’s cabin, but it was close enough. There wasn’t much difference between the water and the snow, it was still just as beautifully fluid, carved through by the athletes who knew just how to glide their way across the surface. In the end, all it took was one surf session before he couldn’t deny it anymore. He wanted to go home.
Not to Pennsylvania, just to somewhere that felt like home.
That same night, he started researching where to go next. He wasn’t limiting his options, considering anywhere that was cold enough for his liking whether it was Canada, the Swiss Alps, or just the familiar Appalachian Mountains.
In the end, he settled in central California. It had the perfect balance of everything he loved—beautiful snowy mountains in the winter, warm sunny beaches in the summer, and a never ending supply of opportunities to be around both. Of course, as soon as he left Peru he headed straight for the mountains. He’d kept tabs on his weather app as he prepared for the move, trying to time things perfectly since the end of tourist season at his job in Peru left a short window before the first snowfall of the season.
It was time he stopped denying what he wanted. He felt confident about taking charge and taking control of his life like an actual adult. No longer was he content to rent a spare beach house bedroom and spend his days in board shorts and cheap sunglasses with a margarita in hand. If he was finally going to chase his snowy dreams, he was going to do it right.
The day he finally arrived in Mammoth Lakes, California, it was like a whole new world. He might’ve stuck out like a bit of a sore thumb, still wearing his flip flops and most certainly the only person for miles wearing shorts, but he felt more alive than he had for as long as he could remember. Sure, he was living as a basement tenant in a rich suburban family’s vacation cabin but he had the forest right outside his door and he hardly spent much time at home anyway.
With his new home came a new job, something he put 110% into training for, as he somehow discovered the perfect job for him in emergency ski patrol response. He was specifically trained for any potential emergency, from earthquakes to avalanches, and from day one he was fully convinced this was his destiny. He would alternate between his skis, snowboard, and snowmobile depending on the call or the weather . Most of the time his job consisted of riding down the mountain over and over again on the lookout for anyone who might be lost or injured and unable to call for help. The first two years he spent working there, he was flying solo. Sure, he wasn’t the only member of their search and rescue team, but he didn’t usually cross paths with any of his coworkers apart from breaks or before and after shifts. They were all nice enough and he liked hitting the slopes with them on their days off, but he was content working solo.
Until someone proposed otherwise and changed his life.
He was aware that their SAR station had two avalanche teams made up of a sniffer dog and handler, having seen them around in passing and occasionally even played snowball fetch with the dogs on breaks. What he didn’t know, apparently, was that one of the two dogs was nearing retirement.
An adorable black labrador, Echo, and her handler, Tommy, had been working together on the slopes for nearly a decade and were nearing the end of Echo’s working eligibility. While she was still just as talented as she was atthe start, Tommy had explained to him that as she got older he was more concerned for her safety and making sure she wasn’t risking any injuries that might lower her quality of life as she got older. He was going to continue to work for their SAR operation in a different position, but assured Buck that he had adopted Echo as his dog first and foremost and that she was going to continue to be loved and cared for unconditionally in the wake of her retirement.
He swore to bring her back to their lodge to visit the team and run around the mountain for fun in the future and that he had already invested in a dog carrier backpack so that they could ski together with Echo’s joints safely protected from any strain that came with running through the snow. Even though Buck hadn’t known the pair for long, he was already going to miss having Echo around so that he could make snowmen with her during his break.
But it was what Tommy suggested to him that really changed things.
Apparently Tommy thought he should talk to their supervisor about potentially being their next avalanche dog handler. He had seen how Buck was with Echo and believed that he would be the perfect handler to have a SAR dog of his own.
The next thing he knew, his boss was sending him to a nearby mountain where the next class of avalanche SAR dogs were being trained and matched with handlers from various ski resorts in the area. He was one out of about a dozen handlers in training, each being paired up with a puppy almost immediately.
Buck nearly swooned when a little golden retriever was placed in his arms. She was still quite small despite being close to a year old and had the most beautiful fluffy coat that Buck had ever seen. He couldn’t resist cuddling up to her immediately. Apparently the SAR trainers liked to name their classes with themes and this class of puppies had been given Disney names. Buck was ecstatic to learn that his new babygirl was named Dory and had been eagerly anticipating training with him for months. The final stages of the training would be two full weeks with a few hours of training on the mountain and few hours off in the lodge each day.
As expected, Buck and Dory took to each other immediately, becoming inseparable from day one. In a new role with more responsibility, Buck was flourishing. Unsurprisingly, of course, he was incredibly committed to mastering this job just as he had his previous position. He and Dory were cruising up and down the trails on the snowmobile he’d been training with, now equipped with a little seat and harness for Dory to ride safely with him. Besides, she seemed to enjoy his need for speed and never once shied away from the snowmobile like some of the other dogs in her class did. He wouldn’t have minded if she had, it was big and loud and unfamiliar to her, but she was a little daredevil just like her dad. Snowmobiles were the perfect adrenaline-fueled vehicle to fill the void of his former motorcycle that he had purchased after dropping out of college.
And he was good at it. There was nothing like the freedom of being out in a snowy landscape, searching for that one single anomaly and swooping in to rescue them. He had thought about similar jobs over the course of his travels, but nothing else had ever checked all of his boxes. He’d thought about being in the military, working within that high-adrenaline environment that fought for the safety of civilians, but it just hadn’t allowed for individuality the way he hoped for. He’d moved onto lifeguarding, coming quite close to taking it up full time in Peru, but it was just too predictable with too much downtime. Even being a firefighter had been one of his options, and he almost chose to go that route, but it just felt like too much of a departure from where he knew he belonged. In the snow, just like he’d always dreamed of as a kid.
So when he finally ended up doing job he knew he was born to do, it felt like coming up for air after a lifetime underwater. He and Dory soared through the woods, dodging trees and rocks, skillfully navigating the training course until they reached the mock avalanche site. Dory took off sniffing around the area, with Buck on her heels. He was heat-scanning the area to make sure that Dory was on the right track. This was more of a training for her anyways, and considering they wouldn’t have access to heat sensors in every emergency incident, Buck was mostly using the sensor as a way to make sure Dory was signaling correctly and training her sense of smell to locate their staged avalanche victim.
As he knew she would, Dory was like a rocket zooming through the staged scene and narrowing the search area down in the blink of an eye, circling their volunteer’s hiding spot and planting her paws down firmly. She was certain, confident in her determination, and barked in Buck’s direction, signaling that she was ready to dig. Buck retrieved the little trowel he’d been given, getting on his knees in the snow beside Dory as she began to dig alongside him. When the exercise was all said and done, Dory was right there at the top of her class and downright giddy to be rewarded with some play time in the fresh powder with her Buck. There, laying on his back in the fluffy fresh snow with his girl Dory by her side, he finally knew he was where he was meant to be.
This was his home. He was right where he belonged. Back in the snow and now with a beautiful and incredible dog by his side, it felt like this was where he was meant to be, who he was destined to become.
“Come ‘ere, baby,” he grinned, patting the snow on his chest as he beckoned Dory to come closer. As expected, she excitedly flopped right down on top of him, licking his face. “You and me, we’re gonna’ help people, okay?” Her warm, wet tongue slapped right across his cheek, giving him a satisfying chill as it quickly froze. “We’re a team now, Dory girl.”
At the end of their specialized training, Buck had a framed certificate hanging on his nearly-bare walls, right above the brand new plush dog bed that he’d bought for Dory. Nothing but the best for his partner, of course. He’d done hours of research making sure that she had the best of everything. Homemade food for a healthy diet, toys to keep her stimulated, and of course, a big comfy bed that would be perfect to help her recover after a long day at work.
Even though, he knew most of the time they would cuddle together in his bed.
It was the principle of the thing.
Being out on the slopes together for Dory’s first day of work was a dream come true. They looked adorable in their matching outfits—Buck with his snow coat and Dory with her little insulated vest and tiny booties. He couldn’t stop taking pictures of how cute she looked and taking selfies of them on his snowmobile together. They clearly fed off of each other’s energy, sharing in the excitement every time they got called out whether it was to survey an area of suspected avalanche risk or to track down a visitor who had gotten lost. Even after months of working together, the excitement never faded and that was how Buck knew he had absolutely made the right choice.
Regulars around the mountain quickly got to know Buck and Dory, occasionally bringing treats to the SAR office for her or flagging them down when they were running the slopes on their rounds to meet the duo and love on Dory.
So it was no surprise when, right at the start of their shift, a visitor appeared outside the SAR office while they were getting their gear ready for the day. He was working on getting Dory’s harness clipped into her little seat on the snowmobile when he heard an excited gasp and turned around to see a little boy with a set of skis and poles shuffling towards them.
“Hi!” He grinned, waving at the little boy. “How’s it going, buddy?”
He held his hand out for a high five when the little boy was close enough.
“You have a rescuing dog!” The boy cheered, glancing at the man standing behind him, who Buck supposed was the kid’s dad.
The older man chuckled, placing a hand on the kid’s shoulder.
“Slow down, mijo, they’re working,” he chastised fondly. “Sorry for interrupting you guys.”
Oh, he was pretty.
This man had big brown eyes and ruddy pink cheeks and was bundled up in what looked to be homemade knitwear. If he wasn’t at work…Buck would be swooning big time.
“It’s no problem! We’re just getting ready to hang out,” Buck explained, easing the father’s concern. “You want a picture on the snowmobile, Superman?”
The kid’s eyes just lit up, beaming up at his dad as he silently asked for permission. The moment he pulled out that big smile, Buck knew there was only ever one answer. He came across tons and tons of kids in his line of work, all of them absolutely adorable in their little snowsuits, but nobody compared to this kid.
Buck helped lift the kid onto the snowmobile, smiling to himself as Dory immediately posed along with him.
“Smile, Chris,” the dad grinned from behind his phone, snapping lots of pictures. “Sorry, I didn’t get your name…?”
He was thoroughly shocked out of the moment by the kid’s father smiling up at him.
Right. Socializing.
“Buck,” he blurted, sticking out his hand. “Call me Buck.”
Shit, even his smile was pretty.
“Eddie,” the man replied. “And that’s Christopher. I swear, I taught him enough manners to introduce himself, but he loves dogs. Ever since we had a major earthquake back home, he’s been obsessed with search and rescue dogs.”
Oh, wasn’t that just the cutest thing.
“That 7.1 in LA?” He couldn’t help his surprise. That earthquake had hit less than a month after he’d arrived and his whole staff had been doing damage control in case the residual shock waves caused some small landslides. Luckily it had been during the late spring and hadn’t caused any avalanches, but rock slides were still a huge concern at the time. “I heard about it, that…we were worried about it even all the way up here.”
Eddie nodded, his adorable little puffball hat bouncing.
“I’m just relieved that LA county devotes so much funding to earthquake protections in their schools,” he agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I think Chris was braver about it than I was.”
Chris seemed to be fully preoccupied petting Dory, which Buck was a bit tempted to just watch with heart eyes, but Eddie seemed to have a magical way of capturing his attention.
“He seems like an awesome kid,” Buck mused, smiling fondly at the pair. “I know when I moved here from Pennsylvania, I was terrified of earthquakes so he totally handled it better than I did. A whole year later and I’m still not fully convinced I can handle it.”
That little bit of reassurance seemed to be exactly what Eddie needed to enjoy the feeling of pride towards his son.
“He just never lets anything keep him down,” Eddie shrugged with a soft sigh. “He has CP and, our home care aide, Carla, she found this study about how skiing can be a great activity to help with balance and mobility control so…here we are. Whatever makes him happy.”
Wow, Buck honestly never would’ve guessed.
“As someone who has seen a whole year’s worth of kids learning to ski, he’s right on par with every able-bodied kid I’ve ever come across,” he admitted. “So clearly you’re doing something right.”
One glance and Buck just managed to catch the shorter man’s shy smile before he pulled his scarf higher over his face to hide it.
“How long is his lesson?” Buck added, not wanting to say goodbye just yet.
Eddie checked the schedule on his phone, “Two hours. Then we’ve got a couple hours planned to just ride the gondola and have some cocoa at the lodge.”
Perfect.
“Come find me at the SAR station once you’re done, I’d love to treat you guys,” he offered with a grin. “Even just to take you for a spin on the snowmobile, it’d be my pleasure.”
“Really?!” Chris’s excited squeal piped up, having reappeared at his father’s side. “Dad, can we? Can we?”
Buck couldn’t help but let out his own little pleading look, Eddie caving immediately.
“If Buck isn’t too tired after work,” he began, playing up as if he was going to potentially say no. “Then yeah, mijo, I don’t see why not.”
Chris gave Buck the biggest hug in thanks before sneaking around to get a few more pets and kisses from Dory. They apparently had to leave so that Chris could find his ski instructor, but Buck was already eagerly awaiting getting to see them again later.
Just like that, Buck and Dory took off and hit the mountain as usual. It was an admittedly slow day. They corralled a few children who got lost from their ski classes, helped a few snowboarders who got over ambitious at the jump park get carted off to the medical center, and even left the snowmobile behind and did some trail scouting on skis—with Dory in her carrier backpack, of course—to make sure that some of the more challenging trails were still intact.
And as much as Buck really tried to dig through his recollection after the fact in hopes of finding some sort of sign or warning that he missed, there was really nothing that could have indicated just how badly things would go wrong.
He and Dory were back at the SAR office taking a quick break, warming up after a long ride down one of their more rugged trails. Dory was in his lap, bundled up with a nice fluffy blanket as they sat beside the heater in the office. He was carefully combing through her fur, sipping a nice hot tea as he went, when suddenly an abandoned mug of tea on a nearby desk began to spill. Dory leapt up off the floor and raised her haunches, cautious and concerned. His brain only just managed to process what that shaking was the moment that the siren alarm in the office went off. An earthquake.
And earthquakes only meant one thing where they were.
An avalanche.
His heart sunk as the sound registered. He knew how this went and so did Dory. She leapt up from his lap without hesitation, following her dad out the door as he clipped her harness to the snowmobile and pulled his gear back on. As he was pulling on his gear, he briefly wondered about the adorable kid he met this morning.
He was so close to taking off for the slopes when a voice called out that made him freeze in his tracks.
“Buck!”
Oh no.
“Buck!”
His head snapped around and there was Eddie, running towards him.
Oh god, no. In this moment, he knew. He knew that adorable little boy with the pompom hat was up on that mountain.
“Is…is it really an avalanche?” He asked horrified, cheeks pink from the cold and his hands shaking as they gripped onto Buck’s coat. “Everyone’s saying we have to evacuate, I can’t, I can’t. Chris, he…. Chris—”
Buck just shook his head, grabbing hold of the shorter man’s wrists.
“Breathe,” the blond insisted. “You’re in high altitude, it’s easier to hyperventilate up here, just take some deep breaths for me.”
His little bottom lip was trembling, clearly fighting back tears as he shakily sucked in a few strangled breaths. Those big brown eyes welled with terrified tears and Buck had never been so committed to his job than in that moment.
“This is my job, I know what I’m doing, okay?” Buck assured the man. “Dory was top of her class, if anyone can find Chris, it’ll be her. I won’t come back without him, I swear. I don’t care how long it takes.”
He wasn’t supposed to promise things, nature was an unpredictable beast and there was nothing that anyone could do to control it. And yet…
He could promise one thing. He could promise that he wasn’t going to give up.
Maybe that would be good enough.
Once he realized that he was holding Buck back from taking off onto the mountain to search for Chris and however many other visitors and staff had been endangered by the avalanche, Eddie immediately let go of Buck’s coat and restrained from following him.
“Be safe, okay?” He asked pleadingly, tiny bits of crystalized tears clinging to his lashes and softening his big brown eyes. “I trust you, just…”
Buck knew.
He didn’t have to say anything else.
“Stay somewhere safe,” the blond demanded. “Find one of my coworkers if you need to radio me. I’m gonna’ have Dory scent you, she should be able to find Chris easier if she can smell you on him.”
Sure, they had met earlier so she recognized Chris’ scent, but it wouldn’t hurt to cover all of their bases. It had been over an hour since they saw each other so if his scent had worn off in her memory, at least she would be able to track the scent of Eddie that was undoubtedly all over him.
And with that, Buck managed to pull himself and Dory away and back to their gear.
Even his dog seemed on edge, concerned or afraid he wasn’t sure yet, but she took her place by his side without hesitation just like always.
“Alright, honey, you know the drill,” Buck spoke as he and Dory soared up the incline towards where the snow had fallen. “Jump off if you smell somethin’.”
The frigid wind whipped across his face, his goggles barely protecting his skin, but that was the least of his worries. They had no idea how many people were in danger, potentially some of his friends, coworkers even, were buried under a tidal wave of snow and Buck and Dory were their only hope of rescue. But mostly…mostly all he could think about was that adorable little kid who had been so excited to try something new. The adorable little boy who was counting on them.
All things considered, they were lucky. Ski resorts were very well maintained, especially during tourist season. Most of the trails were densely packed to a point which made an avalanche nearly impossible without extreme force such as a major earthquake or explosion. He’d felt the earthquake himself, he knew it wasn’t enough to cause too much damage to the majority of their trails, but there were certainly still concerns to be had.
The snow banks along the sides of their trails weren’t nearly as densely packed. If anyone had been sitting off to the side adjusting their gear or catching their breath, there was a high likelihood that the tree wells would make it very difficult for them to remain on solid ground. Additionally, the more advanced trails along the backside of the mountain were narrower, saw fewer visitors to pack down the snow, and overall were dangerous enough to begin with, without the additional concern of being shaken off a cliff or hit by falling a snow or rock slide.
He knew the protocol was to check the most highly-trafficked areas first. That was not only because it was the majority of the ski resort, but it also yielded the highest chance for victims that didn’t have prior knowledge of how to best protect themselves in a scenario like this.
Many of their highly skilled skiers and snowboarders were well-versed in wilderness safety. Their paths were also lined with signs warning of what to do in the event of an avalanche, rockslide, or otherwise. It was the tourists, the people who had put on their first pair of skis that very day, that worried him the most.
Avalanche safety wasn’t always about the most obvious strategy and certain survival techniques weren’t rooted in logic. Therefore, every second counted to make sure no one fell victim to an innocent mistake. Snow sports gear, for example, was incredibly dangerous in an avalanche. While common sense might lead them to think keeping themselves strapped into their snowboard would be best because they could simply ride away from the wave of snow as fast as they could, it was also a huge risk considering both of their legs would be immobilized if their board were to be trapped beneath the snow. Additionally, skis were long and not supported as evenly as a snowboard, which meant it allowed for potential injury should one ski be lodged in the path of destruction, thus trapping the skier in a vulnerable and exposed position.
Needless to say, there were many ways that an avalanche could go very badly very quickly. Buck had heard them all. Some of the most horrific slow deaths that he could imagine, came from innocent mistakes in the face of a natural disaster. And it was his duty to prevent as many of those deaths as possible.
His attention was immediately drawn to a group of brightly colored winter coats off on the outskirts of one of their largest beginner slopes. He didn’t even hesitate, turning to head right towards them. Dory however, took it one step further and yanked her quick release harness off, leaping into the fresh powder and bounding through the snow towards the group. Buck watched in awe, a proud little smile creeping onto his face as he watched his dog immediately begin to dig people out of the snow.
Upon dismounting his snowmobile, it was much easier to figure out what had happened and that one of his coworkers, a group ski instructor, was involved. Once he quickly assessed and attempted to calm down the kids from the lesson group, he got a bigger picture of what had led to the group of them gathered there. Apparently the instructor had frantically told her students to clip out of their skis as quickly as possible once she felt the earthquake, but one of the kid’s boots had been jammed and couldn’t unclip from the ski it was attached to. Casey, the ski instructor he worked with, had continued trying to get the kids to safety, refusing to leave one behind just because he was stuck, and ended up with both of them getting pushed into the side of the trail where the snow was much looser and easier to sink further into.
He was still doing his best to get at least a precursory examination done on all of the kids, but somehow in the haze of adrenaline he hadn’t realized that he recognized one of them. Same with Dory, Dory was so focused on doing her job that she hadn’t recognized her new friend.
“Chris?!” He called out the moment it clicked in his mind. There were still a handful of kids sticking out of the snow, keeping themselves above the surface as if they were swimming, but only one made his heart lurch. “Stay there! Do not move! Everybody stay where you are and I will come to you!”
He worked as quickly as he could, following Dory’s lead as she dug the kids and their teacher out of the snow one by one, leading them over to where Buck’s snowmobile was resting on a stable section of snow. Buck couldn’t help himself when he made it to Chris, pulling the kid’s buried legs out of the snow and hauling up into a tight hug.
“You okay buddy?” He asked desperately, holding the kid on his hip as he used his free hand to brush the snow off of his shoulders and head. “Anything hurt?”
Chris shook his head with a massive grin, throwing his arms around the man’s shoulders.
“I knew you’d find us,” his little voice mumbled into the crook of his neck. “I wasn’t scared, Buck, I wasn’t—“
Oh, this sweet boy.
“It’s okay if you were, Superman,” Buck soothed. “The important thing is that you did everything right and you’re safe now, okay?” Chris nodded into Buck’s shoulder. “We’re gonna get you back to your dad.”
Glancing back down the mountain, he could still make out the hazy shape of the ski lodge through the snow-blindness and residual icicles on his goggles. The soft powder of the avalanche was clearly still sending plumes of snowflakes further down the mountain even if the actual wave of snow had fizzled out. Worst case scenario, the roads around the lodge would have lowered visibility, but it was an easy price to pay when an avalanche could’ve wiped out the lodge itself and the hundreds of people gathered in one spot.
“But…but we can’t leave them!” Chris protested, gesturing to the rest of his lesson group. “We can’t leave Miss Casey!”
Buck reluctantly released Chris from his hold and assured him they would do no such thing, “Of course not, buddy, but we have to start somewhere. There’s way too many of you to fit on my snowmobile, but I can take one or two of you back to the lodge with me and come back for more.”
He had hoped that would be enough, it was really the only option that they had, considering all of their SAR agents would be out in the field assessing the damage and looking for people to rescue, but it still wasn’t ideal.
“They can go first!” Chris insisted, sitting down in the fluffy snow as Dory trotted over and gave him a big slobbery kiss across his face. “I’m not scared.”
Of course he wasn’t. God, Buck should’ve known.
“Alright, kiddo, you stay put with Miss Casey, I’m gonna’ take the first group back to the lodge,” he relented, trying to pick out which kids were the most scared so that he could get them out of there first. Luckily they’d all come out of this unscathed, with nothing but maybe an impending cold from being buried in the snow, so it wasn’t like there was a medical emergency he had to prioritize. He ended up convincing two shivering kids to hop on board the snowmobile with him so that he could shuttle them back to their waiting families, leaving Dory to wait and keep an eye on the others. She knew Casey, she knew Chris, he trusted that she would be comfortable with them for a few minutes while he headed to the lodge and back.
The two kids were swiftly delivered to the medical station, just to be double-checked for hypothermia or any other invisible injuries, and with a quick send-off, Buck headed back to his gear to go back for the rest of the group.
Only, someone had recognized his snowmobile. To be fair, he had certainly made it stick out with lots of stickers, so he could only blame himself.
“Eddie?” He asked, as the frantic man approached him at a brisk pace. He could tell Eddie was still completely shaken and had stayed out in the cold ignoring Buck’s insistence to stay inside. Hell, even his cute little mustache littered with snowflakes. As expected, Eddie rushed towards him without hesitation.
“Where is he?” He blurted, teeth chattering. “Is he okay? You said you wouldn’t—”
Buck just cut him off with a big smile.
“He’s completely fine, I promise,” the blond beamed. “Just too stubborn to leave his new friends behind. He insisted he would sit and wait with Dory and the others while I took as many kids as I could back to the lodge at a time.”
That plump bottom lip quivered still, big red-rimmed eyes making Buck more than just a little weak in the knees.
“He’s okay?” Eddie asked pleadingly. “You’re…you’re sure?”
“One hundred percent,” he swore. “He was making snow angels with Dory when I left.”
Likely out of pure relief, Eddie’s tears finally fell and Buck simply couldn’t allow that. His gloves were rough, goretex wasn’t exactly known for being gentle on freezing cold faces, but he didn’t hesitate to swipe those tears away as quickly as possible.
“Hey now, none of that,” he tutted softly. “It won’t even take me ten minutes to head up there and pick him up and bring him right back to you. There’s no need to cry, you’ll freeze your pretty little face off.” With that, he flicked the pom pom on top of the brunet’s hat, releasing a puff of snowflakes. “The worst of the rescues are over. How ‘bout you come with me, hmm? You ever been on a snowmobile before?”
Clearly that worked as Eddie lit up with hope once more.
“Really?” The smaller man asked. “I…no, never. Never seen snow before today, actually.”
Damn. So much for a good first impression from his favorite weather.
“Then I insist,” he said, straddling the snowmobile and nudging his head over his shoulder. “Hop on. I gotta’ give you something better than an avalanche to show you why I love it up here.”
Luckily Eddie didn’t even hesitate, sitting right behind Buck and wrapping his arms around the blond’s waist.
On the second trip up to the same spot, Buck didn’t hesitate at all, no longer having to slow down to be able to see through the fresh plumes of powdery snow filling the air. That being said, he certainly didn’t want the ride to end and for Eddie to let go of him anytime soon. Alas, there was no stalling once the group finally came into view. He knew better than to make Eddie wait long enough to deliver him directly to the group, instead slowing down once he knew Eddie spotted his son so that it would be safer when Eddie inevitably jumped off the back of the snowmobile and ran through the snow right towards where Chris was waiting.
Buck parked his snowmobile calmly, trying to pretend like the sight of the father and son hugging each other wasn’t the cutest thing he had ever seen. Even as Dory excitedly greeted Eddie too, kissing him all over his teary face, he managed to bite his tongue and get a couple more kids ready to be evacuated.
“Eds, I’m gonna’ take these two back to the lodge, okay?” He called out. He trusted the man not to do anything stupid. If anything, he wouldn’t be able to get himself into much danger considering he refused to let go of his son, so it would be fine. “Don’t go anywhere.”
He took a couple more trips to the lodge and back, dropping off kids until all he had left was to drop off his coworker Casey and go back to collect Eddie, Chris, and Dory.
It was almost surreal to think that just a few hours earlier he’d offered them a ride around the mountain just for fun. He’d been planning on a fun ride, to get to know them, let Chris feel special and catered to, and now it had gone so horribly wrong. At least no one had been hurt. At least it was just a minor earthquake, anything of a higher magnitude could’ve been a catastrophic disaster, but this time they were lucky.
Dory was clearly overjoyed playing with Chris and Eddie, jumping in the snow to catch the snowballs Chris was throwing to her.
“Careful,” he teased as he hopped off his snowmobile. “She’ll never let you leave if you keep playing all her favorite games.” Buck kneeled into the snow beside them, ruffling Dory’s snowy fur with a grin. “Ready to go, boys?”
Chris nodded excitedly, raising his arms as Buck easily scooped him up once again, holding the kid on his hip.
“Eds?” He asked, holding out his hand to help the brunet off the ground. “C’mon, let's get you some cocoa and a blanket before you turn into a popsicle.”
With a fond eye roll, Eddie obliged and let Buck pull him out of the snow, settling onto the back of the snowmobile with Chris snugly sandwiched between them.
“Alright, Dory girl, you ready to race?” Chris cheered as the dog in question eagerly wiggled her little snowy butt beside the snowmobile. It was her and Buck’s favorite activity during slow shifts, letting Dory run alongside the snowmobile to burn energy when they weren’t busy.
Buck said her command word just to give her a quick head start, wanting to be able to see where she was at all times to make sure she was headed in the right direction. As they rode down the mountain, it was like a spark ignited within him, flooding his body with warmth. Feeling Chris’ little arms around him and hearing him squeal with joy as they zoomed through the snowy paw prints left in Dory’s wake was so special that he never wanted it to end.
Luckily Dory seemed to understand and Buck noticed she took something of a scenic route back to the lodge.
As they rolled to a stop outside the SAR office, Eddie quickly hopped off the snowmobile and, before Buck could even mourn the feeling of Eddie holding onto him, he found a phone camera pointed at him as Chris encouraged him to smile for the picture. The fact that they had gone from Chris posing solo on the snowmobile to Eddie now taking a picture of Chris with his arms around Buck, beaming with joy, made him feel so warm and fuzzy all over again.
“How was that, superman?” He asked, holding out his hand for a high-five from Chris. “Pretty sweet, huh?”
“That was the best ever!” The kid cheered, obliging the high-five before throwing his arms around Buck’s shoulders once again. “Can we go again? Please?”
Eddie just snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes.
“Mijo, Buck probably has to work,” his father corrected. “And you are overdue for a nice hot cup of cocoa.”
“I could…treat you guys?” Buck blurted. “I know where to find the best cocoa this side of the Sierra Nevadas, if you’d be willing to wait for me to clock out?”
Chris was overjoyed by the idea, tugging on his father’s arm and practically begging with excitement.
“Well, I think it’s only fair after that ride he gave us, huh?” Eddie agreed, cocking his head with a smile. “Take as long as you need, we’ll wait.”
Of course, Buck wasn’t just going to leave them outside in the cold while he and Dory changed out of their uniforms. He brought the boys with him into the SAR office, directing them to a little bench near the radiator where they could hopefully warm up while Buck got rid of his uniform. Dory happily curled up on the rug beside them, the clumps of snow that had clung to her fur quickly melting away in the heat and leaving her slightly damp in her harness. Oh well.
Buck made quick work of replacing his work gear with his usual winter layers, shrugging on a hoodie and wool button up over top and a cozy pair of sweatpants. His helmet hair was always atrocious after a long shift, so he opted for a beanie to cover most of his hair but left a few unruly curls poking out at the front and back.
“Alright, sweetheart, you don’t need this gear anymore either,” Buck amended as he returned to the main room and removed Dory’s harness and work vest, allowing her to shake off all the remaining snow. He swiftly hung it up to dry in time for their next shift and waved goodbye to the rest of the avalanche team that had finally finished their shift as well. “Ready to go, Diaz boys?”
They both confirmed that they were, Chris eagerly taking Buck’s hand as he held Dory’s leash in the other. As he walked the two of them back to their car, he explained the route and that they could just follow his Jeep the few blocks it would take for them to get to the cafe and the small group regretfully parted ways.
It was easy enough for Eddie to follow him in his truck, parking beside Buck outside a quaint little cabin that advertised hot drinks and pastries. Even though it had been mere minutes since they’d seen him, Chris rushed to Buck’s side, now armed with the crutches that had been safely stored in the truck. Eddie was happy to just follow behind them with Dory and enjoy watching Chris excitedly talk Buck’s ear off about his interests. Before he knew it, Buck was flagging down another man that Eddie didn’t recognize, who was sitting inside with a dog of his own, enjoying a hot cup of tea.
Buck excitedly introduced Tommy to his new friends and vice versa, proudly explaining that it was Tommy who had referred him to his current job and that Tommy and Echo had retired from SAR duty and he was now teaching private ski lessons. Chris was ecstatic that there was yet another dog for him to meet, eagerly sitting down beside Echo in her spot by the fire as Dory eagerly followed him and greeted her furry friend. The three were one big cuddle pile within minutes, leaving Buck and Eddie to handle ordering the drinks while Chris grilled Tommy for stories about himself and Echo.
“You have the best kid in the world, man,” Buck couldn’t resist gushing as the pair stood in line to order. “He’s so brave, I can’t believe he’s in such a good mood after everything he went through today.”
Eddie’s smile was nothing short of proud, blushing as he nodded in agreement.
“God, I love that kid like crazy,” he chuckled. “Thank you, for everything. This could’ve been one of the worst experiences of his life but thanks to you… and Dory of course” Eddie gestured towards where both dogs were making him laugh out loud, covering him with kisses. “He’s never gonna’ forget this. In a good way, I mean.”
Buck beamed, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene in the corner of the shop.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” the blond admitted. “How long are you guys gonna’ be up here? You’re from LA right?”
Eddie nodded.
“I have four days off, luckily, so we aren’t heading back until Tuesday night.” Three more days, Buck cheered internally. “This was all he wanted for his birthday and he’s been waiting months for the weather to be perfect, so…I let him miss a couple days of school and here we are. I’m a firefighter so we get longer stretches of time off than most jobs, which makes it a bit easier to plan stuff like this.”
Wow.
“You’re a firefighter?” He asked, eyes alight. “I…I thought about joining myself, actually. Didn’t pan out, obviously, but I always thought it was such an incredible thing to do.”
The way that Eddie blushed was downright adorable. His whole face went pink all at once, making his reaction entirely undeniable.
“I could say the same about what you do out here,” Eddie countered. “Chris has been obsessed with search and rescue dogs ever since a fire station that had one came to his school. Getting to meet Dory and hang out with you guys probably made his whole year.”
Well wasn’t that just special.
“Trust me, the pleasure was ours. Like I said, he’s a great kid,” he grinned. “And who knows? Maybe he’ll be a handler with his own dog someday.”
It was certainly an adorable visual. He had no doubt that Chris would be an incredible SAR dog handler, whether it was in the snow like him or somewhere else entirely. There was no shortage of places that would benefit from a talented dog and handler, especially a one with Chris’ level of passion.
“Maybe so.”
He could tell from that wistful little gleam in his eye that Eddie was a little choked up thinking about Chris growing up and having a job of his own, and Buck couldn’t blame him. The kid was too adorable, he wouldn’t want to think about him growing up either.
“Why don’t you go sit down with him, get warmed up by the fire. I can tell you’re still freezing,” he accused the shorter man with a smirk. “I got the cocoa, you just worry about not going hypothermic on me.”
Eddie rolled his eyes but ultimately held up his hands and relented. There was no use arguing considering his teeth were still chattering.
Buck just stood there in line watching fondly as the small little bundle of people, and dogs, that made him so incredibly happy proceeded to smile and laugh together. Safe, cozy, and soon with enough sugar to combat the frigid weather.
Exactly where he was meant to be.