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1.
The first time Eddie called Buck amor , it was entirely unexpected and probably unplanned—if Eddie’s expression afterward said anything.
It was early morning at the Diaz household, and the “two and a half men”—as Eddie liked to call them, though it was becoming increasingly questionable as Chris grew up—were getting ready for the day. Christopher was in the bathroom, brushing his teeth and getting dressed for school. Buck was in the kitchen, making his certified pancakes, the ones he’d promised Chris the night before. Meanwhile, Eddie was frantically pacing through the house, checking every nook and cranny for something he’d lost.
It was their 24 off that day, but bad luck meant someone from Shift B had called in sick, and Bobby had asked if one of them could cover. Eddie volunteered, and Buck wasn’t particularly happy about it. There weren’t many times their shifts didn’t align or they didn’t work together and most of those involved one of them getting injured—or worse. Eddie had spent the entire prior evening reassuring him, telling him it was going to be fine and that maybe it was a good idea for them to spend some time apart before they actually became codependent. Buck had huffed at that. What if he wanted to be codependent? Stupid buzzword.
“Buck,” Eddie called from the living room before pacing through the kitchen, still searching. “ Amor , have you seen my keys?”
Buck froze, and so did Eddie—for half a second, at least, probably realizing exactly what he’d just said. Eddie quickly tried to play it off, continuing to pace the room, looking under everything he could find and avoiding Buck’s eyes. It didn’t fool Buck, though. Eddie had this thing he did when he was embarrassed—his cheeks would turn a rosy pink that Buck found super endearing. Right now, they were pinker than Buck had ever seen them.
“Uh…” Buck said, still dumbfounded. He caught a whiff of the pancake burning in front of him and quickly flipped it, cursing mentally. “Have you checked the shelf by the chimney?”
Eddie poked himself in the temple, his expression making it clear he hadn’t thought of that. Without another word, he disappeared back into the living room.
When Eddie returned, he poked his head into the kitchen, smiling at Buck, his cheeks still faintly rosy.
“Found them. Thanks. See you this evening?”
“Sure,” Buck replied, smiling back.
“Love you,” Eddie said.
“Love you, too.”
With another smile and a quick “Bye, Chris!” shouted from the living room, Eddie rushed out of the house, leaving Buck alone with his thoughts—and a raised spatula.
It was… it was the first time Eddie had called him that. And Buck? He was pretty much melting on the spot, chest warm and butterflies in his stomach, overwhelmed by how much he loved it. It was this sweet, unexpected thing, born from their budding relationship—so intimate, so domestic, so theirs. He’d never felt anything like this before, and all he wanted now was for Eddie to say it again. Over and over.
“Buck? You okay?”
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even hear Christopher join him in the kitchen. The boy was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, the expression so eerily familiar that Buck couldn’t help but wonder who exactly he’d picked it up from.
“Yeah, bud,” Buck replied, all smiles and heart still fluttering. “Ready for pancakes?”
2.
The second time Eddie called Buck amor was on the bed, almost a month after the first time.
Buck had almost forgotten about it—almost. If the small twinge of disappointment he felt every time Eddie used baby or sweetheart instead meant anything, it was that he might be missing it a lot more than he’d like to admit.
So, when it happened again, it completely caught him by surprise.
They had just gone through a hellish double shift, and both could barely stand. Between dealing with two fires back to back—one of which had gone pretty poorly—a man getting stuck inside a chimney (trying to scare his wife, he said), and a couple of kids hanging from the railing of a bridge due to a dare, the team had barely any time to rest.
Back at the station, they all took quick showers, grabbed a bite, and headed home.
Once there, Buck and Eddie didn’t even consider doing anything but sleep. They both toed their shoes by the door, shuffled towards the bedroom, and changed quickly into comfortable clothes to lie on the bed, making pained noises every time a particularly achy joint protested.
Eddie fell asleep almost instantly, but not before foregoing his pillow to lay his head on Buck’s chest and murmuring a quiet “Goodnight, amor ” that almost made Buck forget how exhausted he was.
Buck’s heart started beating fast, and he was sure that if Eddie had been awake—and wasn’t pretty much snoring and drooling on his chest—he would have definitely heard it. He looked at him, starstruck and warm all over, and Buck couldn’t stop thinking how effortless he had said it this time.
“Good night, Eds,” Buck whispered, wrapping an arm around Eddie and falling asleep, letting the warm feeling in his chest take over.
3.
The third time Eddie called Buck amor was during a shift.
A chain-reaction crash downtown—likely caused by a phone-related distraction—had left three cars piled up in a minor wreck. Thankfully, injuries were minimal, with only a few bruises and possible concussions among the drivers. But the woman in the first car, who was likely responsible for the accident, was trapped in her vehicle, and Buck had to use the jaws of life to get her out.
Carmen, as she introduced herself, didn’t seem particularly fazed by the ordeal. Instead, she spent most of the time showering Buck with compliments—most of them directed at his very noticeable biceps.
“What do they feed you boys at the station?” she asked, her tone practically a whistle.
Buck sighed. “Ma’am, I really need you to stay still. You could be injured.”
“Oh, nonsense. I’m fine. I’d rather watch you work.”
Buck bit back another sigh and focused on the task at hand. He managed to pry the door open far enough for Hen or Chimney to assess the woman properly once they were done checking everyone else. At least she had the good sense to stay still while he worked with the jaws, but as soon as the tool was set down, she tried to climb out on her own. Buck quickly stepped in to stop her.
“Ma’am, please,” he said, holding a hand out to keep her in place. “Don’t move. The paramedics will be here shortly and—”
“I’m fine,” she interrupted, waving him off with a dismissive flick of her hand. “And you still haven’t told me your name.”
Buck felt his patience thinning. It wasn’t the first time he’d been flirted with on a call, but usually people had the good sense to prioritize their well-being. Honestly, if she was the one who caused the crash in the first place, she had much more pressing concerns than trying to get the number of the firefighter helping her.
“Firefighter Buckley,” Buck said, keeping his tone neutral and professional as he held his hands out to keep her in place. “You may feel fine, ma’am, but it’s best you get checked out before—”
Before he could finish, a hand landed on his shoulder, and Buck immediately recognized the familiar presence of Eddie beside him.
“Need help, amor ?” Eddie asked casually.
Buck froze for a second, his chest warming the same way it did when Eddie had called him that the other two times. He turned to Eddie with wide eyes, but Eddie wasn’t even looking at him—his gaze was firmly fixed on the woman. She, meanwhile, was shifting her gaze between them, clearly piecing something together.
“All good,” Buck replied, a grin tugging at his lips.
It wasn’t lost on Buck that Eddie had used the term of endearment for a another very specific reason. And judging by the woman’s very loud, exaggerated sigh, it wasn’t lost on her either.
Eddie nodded, patted Buck’s shoulder, and walked off, leaving both Buck and the woman following him with their eyes.
“Just my luck,” she muttered.
Buck gave her a sympathetic smile, stepping back just as Hen arrived with her medical kit in hand.
“Ma’am,” Hen began, crouching by the car. “Let’s check you over and make sure you’re really okay. Can you tell me where it hurts?”
But the woman ignored the question entirely, her eyes now locked on Hen.
“Oh, so it’s not just the firemen who are hot here in L.A.,” she purred, batting her lashes. “Hi, I’m Carmen—”
“And I’m married, ma’am,” Hen interjected smoothly, flashing an amused smile. “Now, let’s focus on your health, shall we?”
The woman let out another frustrated sigh, throwing her hands up in mock exasperation.
“Today is just not my day.”
4.
The fourth time Eddie called Buck amor was at their usual post-shift bar.
Buck, Eddie, Chim, Hen, and Ravi were sitting around a table, laughing and chatting about pretty much everything—especially the wild stuff they’d encountered on their shifts. Ravi was finishing a story about how Shift B had ended up chasing after ten chickens that had escaped from a farm which prompted Chimney to ask why the fire department was always called for animal-related emergencies. Hen, not missing a beat, started recounting a tale about a woman from one of their previous shifts who tried to flirt with everyone—but especially Buck.
“Not my fault I’m irresistible,” Buck quipped, then struck a ridiculous flex in the middle of the bar, causing Hen to nearly fall out of her chair laughing.
Everyone was well on their way to being drunk, their voices louder, their laughs more frequent. Well, almost everyone. Buck stuck to one beer at most, as the designated driver.
He didn’t mind, though. He loved watching his friends laugh it up. Plus, he didn’t need alcohol to have a good time—especially when it meant watching Eddie belly-laugh at every bad joke Chimney made.
Being the designated driver also meant he was the one picking up the orders, due to the fact that he was the only one who could actually walk straight.
When Buck returned to the table, carrying a tray with everyone’s drinks—including a soda for himself—Eddie nearly jumped out of his chair, arms open and a huge grin on his face.
“Amor!” he shouted as soon as he saw Buck, making Buck’s heart skip a beat at the sound. “Took you long enough!”
Eddie wasn’t usually one for PDA, but he was very drunk at this point, his face a deep shade of red. He didn’t miss a beat before returning to laugh and joke with both Chimney and Ravi, though.
Buck placed the tray on the table and watched everyone grab their drinks before sitting back in his seat next to Hen, butterflies still fluttering in his stomach.
Hen was the only one who seemed to notice Buck’s reaction. As soon as he sat down, she threw her arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder.
“Hen?” Buck asked, throwing an amused glance at her. She wasn’t one to shy away from showing affection, but this was definitely a level of closeness that seemed to be fueled by alcohol. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Nothing,” Hen said, hugging him tighter. “I’m just happy to see two of my favorite boys being so in love.”
Yeah, Buck thought, placing his head on top of hers. I’m happy about that, too.
5.
The fifth time Eddie called Buck amor was during one of Bobby’s get-togethers at his and Athena’s house.
The night was winding down, and everyone had started heading home. Maddie and Chimney were the first to leave—not before Jee ran toward Buck, wrapping herself around his legs and shouting, “Bye, Uncle Buck!” in her bright, little voice. Hen and Karen followed soon after, with Karen carrying a drowsy Mara while Denny trailed behind, dutifully holding the door open.
Chris had long since fallen asleep on the couch, and Eddie and Buck had decided to stay back to help Athena and Bobby clean up, even though Athena had reassured them more than once that it wasn’t necessary.
By the time all the beer bottles and wine glasses scattered around the house had been gathered and passed to Bobby for the dishwasher, Buck felt the night’s weight catching up with him. He slipped outside for a moment of fresh, cool air, stepping into the now-empty garden.
He didn’t even have time to lose himself in thought before he felt the familiar warmth of Eddie’s hand on his lower back. Buck turned just as Eddie leaned in, nuzzling his face against Buck’s arm and the fabric of his shirt, pressing a quick kiss there.
“Shall we go, amor ?” Eddie asked, his voice low and warm.
Buck lit up, his heart stuttering in his chest as the word settled over him. He glanced down at Eddie, catching the faint pink dusting his cheeks, and it wasn’t hard to tell that it wasn’t just the cool air making him blush.
And it definitely wasn’t the alcohol—Eddie hadn’t had more than a beer all evening.
“You grab Chris, I’ll drive?” Eddie offered, the corner of his mouth quirking up softly.
Buck could only nod, perhaps a little too eagerly, if Eddie’s quiet chuckle was anything to go by.
The drive back home was quiet, save for some light snoring from Christopher coming from the backseat. Eddie was driving, one hand on the wheel and the other on the armrest, while Buck sat next to him, checking his phone whenever it lit up with a text from one of his friends saying they got home safe—or just closing his eyes and thinking.
Thinking about how he got here in the first place, after years and years of chasing the wrong person. Thinking about how the person he had been looking for had been next to him all this time, but he hadn’t seen it. Thinking about how he’d finally become part of a family like he’d always wanted to be—and not just Eddie and Chris, but also Bobby, Chim, Hen, and everyone else.
But also thinking about that word. That word that had been making him feel like a little boy in love every time Eddie said it. He wasn’t really sure why he liked it so much… Eddie had called him other terms of endearment plenty of times. This one just felt like more. Not because it was in another language, but—
And then it dawned on him. Eddie only really spoke Spanish with his close family. Buck had seen him use it with Chris, Tía Pepa, Isabel, his parents… Sure, he would sometimes throw some words at him or the rest of the team, but it was rare and definitely not words like that one.
This… This was Eddie’s way of saying, You’re part of my family, Buck.
This was the reason Buck loved it so much.
He opened his eyes to look at Eddie, who instantly noticed and looked back at him, smiling softly. The hand on the armrest moved to grab Buck’s, intertwining their fingers.
There were times when Buck thought he was dreaming—when he thought that his life taking this turn, finding Eddie, was just part of his mind. Like a coma dream 2.0.
All he could think in that moment was that he really didn’t want to wake up this time.
+1.
The sixth time Eddie called Buck amor —well, the sixth time hasn’t happened yet, and it’s driving Buck crazy.
He hadn’t thought much about it for the last two months since Eddie had last used it. But now, his mind is fixated on it, running through every possible reason why Eddie stopped calling him that. Was there a reason? Was it something he did?
It’s such a stupid little thing, and yet he can’t help but be annoyed about it.
His thoughts are probably plastered all over his face because, during his shift that day, everyone keeps throwing him perplexed glances. Someone inevitably asks, “What’s wrong, Buck?” to which he promptly replies with a quick, “Nothing.”
Because how is he supposed to explain to his team that he’s upset Eddie stopped calling him a very specific pet name? That would definitely open the floodgates for relentless teasing. So he keeps it to himself, pretending it’s no big deal—even though it’s driving him absolutely insane.
Meanwhile, Eddie doesn’t say anything about it, but he’s definitely aware that Buck’s being weird if the glances he keeps throwing his way are anything to go by. Still, he keeps quiet until they’re back home and getting ready for bed.
Buck is already lying down, staring at the ceiling, thinking some more and failing to hide the disappointment written all over his face. Eddie joins him in the bedroom a few minutes later, showered and ready to sleep. Before he lies next to Buck, he sighs at him.
“Okay, Buck. Spill it,” Eddie says, crossing his arms and giving Buck his patented Dad Look that he usually reserves for Chris when he has to be strict. Buck doesn’t even get the chance to open his mouth before Eddie adds, “And don’t say nothing .”
Buck grumbles in response, feeling more like a sulky kid than a thirty-three-year-old man. “I just don’t get it,” he says, blushing with embarrassment as the words slip out. “I don’t get why you stopped.”
Eddie raises an eyebrow, and Buck finally understands where Chris gets that look. “You’re gonna have to be more specific than that.”
Buck sighs, sitting up on the bed while avoiding Eddie’s gaze. The embarrassment is still prickling at him.
“You stopped calling me amor .”
Buck watches as Eddie freezes, his expression shifting into pure shock—slack jaw and all—before he suddenly bursts out laughing. Hard. He has to cover his mouth with his hand to avoid waking Christopher in the next room.
“Oh my God,” Buck says, exasperated, dramatically flopping back onto the bed and throwing a pillow over his face.
“I’m sorry,” Eddie tries, his voice still tinged with laughter. “I’m sorry, but—that’s what you’ve been upset about all day?”
Buck just groans under the pillow. He knows it’s a stupid reason; Eddie doesn’t have to rub it in.
The bed creaks as Eddie climbs on top of him instead of lying besides him. Buck feels the weight of Eddie’s knees at his sides before Eddie pulls the pillow away. Buck sees his face, still amused, but trying not to laugh, at least.
And Buck is definitely not pouting.
“I’m sorry, amor ,” Eddie says, leaning down to press a quick kiss to Buck’s lips. “I didn’t stop using it intentionally or anything.”
Buck just glares at him but can’t help being endeared by the word all over again.
“I liked it,” Buck said, wrapping his arms around Eddie, who took the chance to let his weight fall on Buck and lay on him.
“Yeah, amor?” Eddie asked in a teasing tone. “I guess I need to start using it more, amor.”
“Ugh, don’t ruin it.”
If they spent the rest of the night until they fell asleep, laughing and kissing about it like two school boys in love, well that’s nobody’s business but theirs.