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The sunlight had just begun to slip through the gaps in the curtains, casting long golden lines across the bed. Buck stirred slightly but didn’t move much, he was wrapped in warmth, and not the kind that came from the sun. His head was pressed into Eddie’s bare shoulder, nose nudging skin, arms tucked between them like he was trying to fuse their bodies together. Eddie was warm, solid, and real beneath him, his breathing slow and steady, like the rhythm of waves brushing the shore.
It was one of those rare mornings. No firehouse. No sirens. No adrenaline jolting them awake in the middle of the night. Just them, in their home, surrounded by peace. Buck let his eyes stay closed a little longer, soaking in the steady thump of Eddie’s heart against his cheek.
“Mm,” Buck murmured, voice still thick with sleep. “Why does your chest make such a good pillow?”
Eddie chuckled, low and rough, his hand trailing lazy circles over Buck’s back. “Because it was made to hold you.”
Buck snorted. “That was cheesy as hell.”
“I regret nothing.” Eddie’s arm tightened around Buck’s waist, pulling him closer.
Buck hummed contentedly, then remembered something. “Oh. Maddie’s supposed to come over today.”
Eddie’s brow ticked as he opened one eye. “What for?”
Buck blinked, furrowing his brows. “I… have no idea. She told me last night and I forgot to tell you.”
“You forgot to tell me?” Eddie teased, but there was no bite in it. He kissed the top of Buck’s head. “Well, you better get up and help me clean the house then. Chris left a mess last night.”
Buck groaned dramatically. “Noooo. Don’t ruin the moment.”
“Too late.” Eddie smiled. “Up. Now.”
Instead of getting up, Buck smirked and shifted in Eddie’s hold. He climbed into his lap, straddling his hips, hands resting on his chest. “Or… I could give you a good reason to let me stay in bed for another ten minutes.”
Eddie raised a brow. “Is that so?”
Buck leaned down and kissed him, slow and deep, stealing the breath from his lungs. Eddie’s hands settled firmly on Buck’s waist, thumbs brushing skin just under the hem of his shirt as Buck rolled his hips gently. A soft moan slipped from Buck’s mouth, muffled against Eddie’s lips.
Eddie responded with just as much heat, one hand gliding up Buck’s back, the other anchoring him in place. Their kisses grew hungrier, lips moving in sync, breaths tangled, hearts racing in a way that had nothing to do with alarms or emergencies.
Buck pulled back just enough to breathe, lips pink and swollen. “Okay… that was more than ten minutes’ worth.”
Eddie looked up at him, pupils blown, chest rising and falling. “You started it.”
“Guilty,” Buck whispered, brushing his thumb along Eddie’s cheek. “But now I really should get up before Maddie shows up and sees the house looking like a disaster zone.”
Eddie let out a heavy sigh, but he didn’t let go. “Remind me why we let Chris have movie night in the living room with every snack in existence?”
“Because he begged with that face.” Buck gave a small laugh as he finally rolled off Eddie and onto his feet. “And because we’re soft.”
Eddie stretched, muscles flexing under the covers. “You’re soft. I’m a strict parent.”
Buck grinned, grabbing a shirt off the floor. “You’re so full of it, Diaz.”
As Buck headed toward the bathroom, he paused and glanced over his shoulder. Eddie was still sprawled across the bed, sheets barely covering his waist, looking far too comfortable and smug.
“Get up, lazy,” Buck said with a smirk. “I’m not cleaning up last night’s popcorn explosion by myself.”
Eddie raised a hand and saluted lazily. “Yes, sir.”
Buck rolled his eyes, disappearing into the hallway.
Downstairs, the aftermath of Chris’s snack-fueled movie night was in full view. Empty chip bags, half-drunk juice boxes, and what looked like a trail of gummy bears from the kitchen to the couch greeted Buck as he stepped into the living room.
“Jesus, kid,” he muttered with a laugh. “You were on a mission.”
Behind him, Eddie’s footsteps padded quietly down the stairs. Buck glanced back to see him wearing a clean tee and some old sweats, hair still tousled from sleep.
Eddie gave the mess one long look and exhaled. “We’re raising a tornado.”
Buck handed him a trash bag. “And you’re the strict parent, right?”
Eddie shook his head, smiling. “Let’s just hope Maddie’s not bringing Albert or Chim. We don’t need more witnesses to this disaster.”
Buck shrugged, already bending down to start picking up wrappers. “Hey, we’ve survived worse.”
“Name one thing.”
“That time Chris decided to turn the backyard into a ‘mud monster trap’ and tracked half the yard into the house?”
Eddie groaned. “Don’t remind me.”
They worked in quiet harmony for a while, tossing garbage and wiping down surfaces. Occasionally, Buck would glance over at Eddie, how natural he looked moving around the house they shared, sleeves rolled up, focused and calm.
It still hit him sometimes, like a wave—this life. This home. This love.
“Hey,” Buck said, tossing a pillow back onto the couch.
Eddie looked up. “Yeah?”
“I love this,” Buck said simply. “All of it. You. Chris. Even the gummy bear trail.”
Eddie’s face softened. “Me too.”
They stood there for a beat, surrounded by the chaos of life but grounded by the calm between them.
Then Eddie grinned. “But you’re still scrubbing the juice stain from the rug.”
Buck groaned. “Ugh. You ruin everything romantic.”
Eddie leaned over and kissed him softly. “That’s my job.”
Buck smiled against his lips. “And you’re damn good at it.”
They returned to their cleaning, hands brushing occasionally, laughter echoing through the walls. It was mundane. It was messy. But it was them, and that made it perfect.
————
Buck wiped his hands on a kitchen towel and exhaled slowly as he looked down at the neatly plated dishes. The smell of garlic and herbs filled the room, warm and familiar. Dinner was done. He had timed it just right, finishing just as the sun began dipping low outside their windows. The golden glow gave the living room a soft hue, wrapping the space in that homey feeling he loved so much.
Eddie was still upstairs with Chris, helping him get ready. Buck could hear soft murmurs and Chris’s occasional laughter drifting down the hall. He smiled to himself, leaning against the counter as he admired their home—this place that had slowly become his own haven. A place filled with warmth, laughter, and love. He couldn’t ask for anything better.
All that was left now was waiting for Maddie. She’d said she was coming over, hadn’t told him why, just that she’d be by tonight. Probably to see Chris. She adored that kid. Everyone did.
A few minutes later, he heard the soft thud of crutches and Chris’s cheerful voice calling out. Buck stepped away from the kitchen and smiled wide as Chris came into view, wobbling slightly on his crutches but grinning from ear to ear.
“Buck!” Chris’s voice lit up the room as he moved as fast as he could.
Buck laughed, kneeling to catch him. “Hey buddy, careful or you’re gonna knock me over!”
Chris didn’t stop until he was right in front of him, throwing his arms around Buck’s neck. Buck caught him with ease, hugging him tightly.
“You smell like pasta,” Chris said into his shoulder.
“Well that’s because I made your favorite,” Buck said, ruffling his hair. “You hungry?”
Chris nodded enthusiastically and pulled back with a huge grin. Eddie walked in behind him, eyes softening at the sight.
“Dinner smells amazing,” Eddie said, leaning in to kiss Buck’s cheek. “You outdid yourself.”
Buck beamed. “Thanks, babe.”
Eddie squeezed his shoulder before heading to the table to help Chris settle into his seat. Buck glanced at the clock and walked to the front of the house, checking through the blinds. No sign of Maddie yet.
And then there was a knock.
Buck blinked. That was quick.
He walked over and opened the door with a casual smile, expecting Maddie, maybe Albert or someone else from the 118 tagging along.
But his smile dropped.
It was Maddie.
And behind her stood their parents.
Buck froze.
His heart slammed against his ribs like it was trying to escape. His gaze shifted from Maddie’s apologetic eyes to the stiff postures of their mother and father. His mother wore her signature pearl earrings and stiff smile. His father looked exactly the same—expression unreadable but cold. That same intimidating stance he’d had when Buck was just a boy.
“Buck,” Maddie said softly.
He didn’t say anything.
His throat closed.
“Evan,” his mother greeted, her voice clipped and clean, like always. “Aren’t you going to let us in?”
Buck didn’t respond. His grip tightened on the door handle. His legs wouldn’t move.
Maddie touched his arm gently. “I just thought… it’s been a long time. We wanted to surprise you.”
“You did,” Buck said, voice quiet.
Eddie’s footsteps echoed from the hallway. “Babe, everything okay?”
Buck stepped back without a word.
Eddie’s eyes narrowed when he saw who stood at the door. His expression shifted instantly from curiosity to caution.
“Come in,” Buck said finally, almost mechanically, stepping aside.
They entered. Buck’s mom looked around the house with judgment thinly veiled behind a smile.
“Hmm. You’ve decorated,” she said like it was a critique.
Buck swallowed hard and followed them in. Eddie stood close, just behind him.
Maddie offered a tight smile. “I didn’t think you’d mind.”
Buck didn’t answer.
Chris smiled politely at the new guests, unaware of the tension in the air. “Hi.”
His mom glanced at him. “You must be Christopher.”
Chris smiled, nodding. “You can call me Chris.”
“Oh,” she said, like the name offended her sensibilities. “Charming.”
Eddie’s jaw tensed as he guided Chris back to the table. Everyone sat down awkwardly. Buck positioned himself beside Chris, while Eddie sat at the other side. His parents took the seats across from them. Maddie sat in the middle, clearly trying to mediate silently.
Dinner began. Plates were passed. Buck kept quiet. The only sound for several minutes was silverware against plates and the occasional clink of a glass.
His mom broke the silence. “So, Evan, how long have you been living here with… Edward, was it?”
“Eddie,” Buck corrected softly.
“Right,” she said, eyes glancing disapprovingly around the table. “And how long have you two been playing house?”
Eddie looked up, brows drawn.
Buck didn’t speak. He pushed pasta around his plate.
Chris looked between the adults, confused but sensing something wasn’t right.
“Well,” his mother continued, “I suppose it was inevitable. You always did chase after attention. I just didn’t expect you to go so far as to insert yourself into someone else’s family.”
Buck’s hand froze mid-movement. His heart thudded. He didn’t look up.
Eddie’s hand gripped the fork tighter. “Excuse me?”
His dad nodded, like he agreed. “He was always impulsive. Makes sense he’d try to take responsibility for something he doesn’t understand.”
“Like a child with special needs,” his mother added. “It’s not a game, Evan. Parenting is hard. Not something for someone like you. Not with your history of recklessness.”
Buck said nothing. His eyes were on his plate. His breath shallow.
Chris looked alarmed. “Buck is my family,” he said, voice small but clear.
Eddie reached out and squeezed Chris’s shoulder.
His mom scoffed. “You’ve barely been here a year, Evan. You think playing house makes you a parent? You don’t know what you’re doing. You never did. We raised you better.”
Something in Buck’s chest cracked.
He blinked.
He was ten again.
The sound of a belt whipping through loops.
The sting of it across his back.
The way his father’s hand would settle on his thigh and linger too long.
That man his father brought over once.
The whispers.
The shame.
Buck’s breath caught.
He couldn’t tell Eddie.
He couldn’t breathe.
Eddie stood.
“That’s enough.”
His voice was low but filled with fire.
“You don’t get to come into my home and talk to Buck like that. Not after what he’s done for me. For Chris. For this family.”
His mother frowned. “I’m telling him the truth.”
“You’re telling him he’s not good enough,” Eddie snapped. “And that’s not your place.”
His dad leaned back in his chair. “We raised him a certain way for a reason.”
Eddie’s jaw clenched. “Then maybe you should’ve done a better job.”
Chris was getting upset. His crutches wobbled as he stood up from the table.
“Chris,” Eddie said gently, “go to your room, okay? We’ll come get you in a bit.”
“But—” Chris looked at Buck, concerned.
“Go ahead, mijo,” Eddie said softly. “It’s okay.”
Chris nodded and left slowly, crutches tapping against the floor.
Buck stood abruptly and walked into the kitchen, unable to stay seated under their stares.
He leaned against the counter, staring at the sink.
Trying not to shake.
Trying not to cry.
He heard footsteps.
Then his father’s voice.
“You think this little life of yours is going to last? You think you’re built for this?”
Buck didn’t answer.
“You always were too soft. Couldn’t handle anything. That’s why we had to be hard on you.”
Buck looked away.
His father stepped closer. “Maybe if you weren’t so pathetic, I wouldn’t have had to bring someone else in to teach you how to be a man.”
Buck flinched.
His father’s hand rose.
Buck cowered back, a whimper escaping him.
Before his father’s hand could lower, a voice thundered through the house.
“Don’t you fucking touch him!”
Eddie stormed into the kitchen, eyes blazing.
“Get away from him,” he shouted, standing between Buck and his dad. “You don’t ever raise a hand to him. Not in my house.”
His mom came rushing in behind him. “What’s going on?”
Eddie turned on her too. “You. Both of you. Out. Now.”
Maddie stood frozen in the doorway.
Eddie pointed. “You too. You had no right ambushing him like this.”
Maddie flinched. “I didn’t think it would—”
“You didn’t think,” Eddie snapped. “You didn’t protect him. You let them come here. You let this happen.”
His father glared. “You don’t get to tell us what to do.”
Eddie stepped forward. “This is my house. Buck’s house. Our son’s house. And you’re not welcome here.”
His mother opened her mouth but Eddie shouted again.
“Out!”
There was a long moment of tension.
Then his father turned and stormed out.
His mother followed with a sneer.
Maddie lingered at the door, eyes full of regret. “Buck, I…”
“Go,” Eddie said.
She nodded and followed them out.
The door shut.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Buck didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
Eddie turned around and saw him trembling by the counter.
“Buck…”
Buck shook his head, biting his bottom lip.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice cracking. “I didn’t want you to know.”
Eddie crossed the kitchen and pulled him into his arms. “You don’t have to say anything.”
Buck collapsed against him, hiding his face in Eddie’s chest, fists curling into his shirt.
“I’m sorry,” he said again, voice muffled.
Eddie just held him tighter.
“I got you,” he whispered into Buck’s hair. “I’ve got you. Always.”
—————
The bedroom was quiet. Not the peaceful kind, but the kind of silence that hummed heavy through the air, thick with all the things left unsaid. The lights were dim, casting soft shadows against the walls. Buck lay curled into Eddie’s side, his head resting against Eddie’s chest, arms tucked tightly between their bodies. He hadn’t spoken much since dinner. Not really at all.
Eddie held him close, his hand running slow circles along Buck’s back. He could feel how tense Buck was, how he hadn’t truly relaxed since the moment the door had opened to reveal his parents. His heart ached for him.
“They were wrong,” Eddie said gently, his voice low and steady in the dark. “About you. About everything.”
Buck made a small sound, a soft whine that didn’t quite become a word. He didn’t pull away, but he didn’t say anything either.
Eddie kissed his temple. “You’re not reckless. You’re brave. You’re kind. You’re strong. And Chris adores you. I do too. You’re everything they never were.”
Buck whimpered again, then pressed his face tighter into Eddie’s chest. Eddie felt the tremble run through him.
“You don’t have to talk,” Eddie said quietly. “Not unless you want to.”
They stayed like that for a while. Long enough that Eddie thought maybe Buck had fallen asleep. But then he felt it. A slow inhale, shaky. Then another. Buck shifted slightly, turning his face so his mouth wasn’t pressed into Eddie’s shirt. He still didn’t look up.
“I’ve never told anyone,” Buck whispered. His voice was hoarse, like it hurt to speak. “Not even Maddie.”
Eddie didn’t say anything. He just rubbed Buck’s back, letting him go at his own pace.
“My dad,” Buck began slowly, “he didn’t just hit me.”
Eddie felt his chest tighten.
“He used to bring men over. And I never… I didn’t know at first what was going on. I thought I was just being punished for something. But they’d come into my room. Or he’d bring me to the basement. And he’d make me…” Buck’s voice cracked. He swallowed hard. “He’d make me use my hands. Or my mouth. Or he’d just bend me over and let them—”
Eddie’s hand stilled, then clenched into a fist before slowly relaxing again. He didn’t speak. He didn’t interrupt. He let Buck keep going, even though each word seemed to break him.
“They were rough,” Buck said, voice shaking. “It hurt so bad. I bled. I couldn’t scream. I tried once and he hit me so hard I couldn’t open my eye for a week. And sometimes… sometimes he’d watch.”
Eddie’s breath caught.
“Sometimes,” Buck continued, quieter now, like he was shrinking into himself, “he joined in.”
The tears had already started, silent and slow down Buck’s cheeks, but now his voice trembled with every word.
“My mom knew. She’d walk in sometimes. She’d just sit down and watch. And she’d tell me it was my fault. That I tempted men. That I made it happen.”
Eddie’s eyes were wide, stunned, but filled with sorrow and helpless fury.
“She said I was disgusting,” Buck whispered. “That I was born to be used. That God made me pretty just so men would want me. And sometimes… sometimes she’d…”
He choked.
Eddie sat up slightly, shifting them so Buck was half in his lap, cupping the back of Buck’s neck. “You’re okay,” he murmured. “You’re safe. I promise you, Buck, you’re safe now.”
Buck shook his head. “She’d make me touch her. Down there. Said if I was going to ruin men, I might as well know how to ruin women too.”
Eddie couldn’t breathe. His stomach turned. His vision blurred.
“I didn’t know what to do,” Buck whispered. “I was so small. I just… I let it happen. I stopped fighting. It hurt less when I didn’t fight.”
Eddie couldn’t hold back anymore. His arms wrapped around Buck tightly, pulling him in as close as possible. Buck collapsed into him, sobbing now. The quiet kind that made Eddie’s chest ache like something was being ripped open.
“You didn’t let it happen,” Eddie said, voice shaking. “They did that to you. You were a child, Buck. A child.”
Buck shook. “I feel disgusting. I feel like it’s still on me.”
Eddie kissed his forehead, his temple, anywhere he could reach. “You’re not disgusting. You didn’t deserve any of that. Not a single second. They were monsters. Not you.”
Buck’s fingers dug into Eddie’s shirt. “I wanted to tell someone. I tried once. The school counselor. But my mom pulled me out the next day. Said I was lying. That I had a habit of telling stories.”
Eddie held him tighter, rocking him gently. “You’re not lying. I believe you. I believe every word.”
“I was just a kid,” Buck sobbed.
“I know,” Eddie whispered, tears in his own eyes now. “I know, baby. You were just a little boy. And they failed you.”
Buck cried harder, burying his face in Eddie’s chest.
“They were supposed to love me,” Buck whimpered. “Parents are supposed to protect you.”
“They didn’t know how,” Eddie said, voice firm but gentle. “But I do. I’m here. And I swear to you, I will never let anyone hurt you again.”
Buck clung to him like a lifeline. His entire body shook with grief he had buried for decades.
“I thought I was broken,” he whispered. “Like something inside me was just… wrong.”
“You’re not broken,” Eddie said. “You’re strong. You survived something no one should have to survive. And you’re still here. Still loving. Still good. That makes you the strongest person I know.”
Buck let out another sob, but it came with a kind of release, like something cracking open inside of him.
“You’re not alone anymore,” Eddie said, kissing the top of his head. “I’ve got you. Always. Every day. For as long as you’ll have me.”
Buck didn’t respond with words. He just curled closer, wrapping his arms around Eddie like he could somehow climb inside of him, like he was trying to finally feel what safety really meant.
And Eddie let him.
They stayed like that for hours.
Eddie didn’t let go.