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Their lives weren’t perfect. They were messy, chaotic, loud, full of calls at 2 a.m. and Christopher’s science projects that took over the dining table. There were dishes in the sink more often than not, and Buck still forgot to buy more toothpaste at least once a month.
But it was theirs.
It was morning when Buck decided.
Christopher had just gone off to a weekend camp with Hen’s kids, and Eddie was humming to himself in the kitchen, wearing one of Buck’s old shirts and making pancakes with exactly too much cinnamon. He looked relaxed, barefoot, warm in the soft gold of the sun cutting through the window.
Buck stared at him for a second too long and felt something inside him shift.
I want to do this forever.
And suddenly, he knew.
That night, while Eddie was in the shower, Buck fished the ring out from its hiding spot in the back of his sock drawer. It wasn’t anything flashy — just simple, classic, silver with a little engraving on the inside: Always you.
He slipped it into his coat pocket and made plans for the weekend.
What Buck didn’t know was that Eddie had his own ring — hidden inside an old first aid kit at the back of the closet (because, naturally, Buck would never look there). It was plain titanium, a little rugged, with a small firehouse symbol engraved on the inside. Home was the only word underneath.
Eddie had been waiting for the right moment.
Turns out, they both picked the same day.
They’d gone back to their rooftop — the one above Station 118, their place. Chris was still away, the team was off-duty, and Buck had brought takeout and a blanket.
The city glowed beneath them, orange and purple and blue.
Eddie laughed softly, watching Buck struggle to uncork a bottle of wine.
“You’re supposed to twist it, not battle it.”
Buck grinned. “It’s fighting me on a personal level.”
They settled on the blanket, eating from the cartons, leaning into each other like they had a thousand times before.
And when the moment felt right — at the same exact time — they both shifted, nervously reaching into their pockets.
There was a pause.
Then Buck blinked. “What are you…?”
Eddie froze. “Wait — are you—?”
They stared at each other, both holding out small ring boxes.
It was ridiculous.
And so them.
Buck broke first, laughing so hard he nearly toppled over. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Eddie flushed, chuckling. “I’ve been planning this all week.”
“I’ve been planning this for two weeks!”
“I should’ve known,” Eddie said, still laughing, “that you’d do this tonight.”
They sat there, grinning like idiots, both holding rings meant for each other.
Finally, Eddie reached for Buck’s hand and stilled.
“Okay,” he said, his voice soft now. “Let’s do this anyway.”
Buck blinked fast, his smile fading into something gentler.
Eddie cleared his throat. “Evan Buckley… I’ve loved you longer than I understood it. You’re chaos and light and a lot of noise, but you make every part of my life better just by being in it. I want to keep choosing you — every day, forever. Will you marry me?”
Buck’s eyes glistened. “Eddie,” he said, “I was going to say almost the exact same thing, but probably with more rambling.”
Eddie laughed quietly.
“I love you,” Buck whispered, eyes full. “So much it kind of wrecks me sometimes. And I can’t imagine a life without you in it. So yes. Yes. A million times yes.”
They each slid the other’s ring on, fingers shaking.
And when they kissed — under the stars, on their rooftop, with the city buzzing quietly below — it felt like they had finally arrived at the end of a long journey home.
Together.