Chapter Text
The house felt empty without Christopher. Eddie had always known this, but it hit differently now that he was packing his life into boxes. Buck was sitting on the couch, watching him, quiet for once, but Eddie could feel the tension radiating off him like heat.
Eddie didn’t look at him as he folded another shirt and laid it neatly into a suitcase. “You don’t have to stay, Buck. I’ve got it handled.”
“I’m not leaving,” Buck replied, a little too quickly. His voice was clipped, sharp, and Eddie’s hands stilled for a moment before resuming their work.
They’d been dancing around this conversation for days, ever since Eddie had told him the news. Christopher was in Texas. He’d made friends there, was thriving at school, and Eddie couldn’t bring himself to uproot his son again—not after everything Christopher had already been through. It had been a hard decision, but Eddie had always known what his answer would be. Christopher came first.
It was the right choice. Eddie knew that. But it didn’t make it any easier.
“You could at least talk to me,” Buck muttered, his arms crossed as he slouched deeper into the couch. “Instead of pretending like I’m not even here.”
Eddie sighed, setting the suitcase aside and turning to face him. “What do you want me to say, Buck? You already know why I’m doing this.”
“Yeah, I know why,” Buck snapped, sitting up straighter. “But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“Buck—”
“No, Eddie, you don’t get to just shut me out like this!” Buck was on his feet now, pacing the small living room like a caged animal. “You’re moving across the country, and you’re acting like it’s no big deal, like it’s not going to—” He stopped abruptly, his jaw tightening. “Like it’s not going to change everything.”
Eddie swallowed hard, his chest tightening at the raw emotion in Buck’s voice. He hadn’t wanted this to hurt him, hadn’t realized how much it would hurt him. “I’m not doing this to hurt you,” he said quietly. “You know that.”
“Yeah, I know,” Buck said, his voice softer now, but no less pained. He raked a hand through his hair, his shoulders slumping. “I just… I don’t know how to do this without you, Eddie. You and Christopher—you’re my family.”
The words hit Eddie like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. He looked at Buck, really looked at him, and saw the cracks in his armor, the vulnerability he usually kept hidden. It made Eddie’s heart ache in a way he didn’t know how to name.
“I don’t want to lose you,” Buck said, his voice breaking. “I can’t.”
Eddie took a step closer, his hand hovering in the space between them before he let it drop to his side. “You’re not losing me, Buck. I promise.”
Buck laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “It sure feels like I am.”