Chapter Text
The bell had just rung, and Christopher was leaning against the school’s brick wall, laughing with a small group of friends as they waited for their rides. Buck was parked a few feet away, leaning on the Jeep and smiling to himself as he watched Chris from a distance — until the words reached him.
“Bro, that’s so gay,” one of the boys said, setting off a round of giggles.
“Total homo move,” another added.
Chris joined in, laughing loudly and adding, “You’re such a fag, dude!”
The laughter hit Buck like a punch to the chest. He froze, his breath catching as the words echoed in his ears. He hadn’t heard those words directed at him in years — not since his parents’ cruel dismissal of who he was — but hearing them from Christopher, his kid, the boy who’d once called him his “other dad,” cut deeper than he was ready for.
His hands curled into fists at his sides, trying to steady himself. By the time Chris spotted him and jogged over, grinning, Buck’s chest felt tight with grief.
“Hey, Buck!” Chris said, sliding into the passenger seat.
Buck didn’t trust himself to speak yet. The drive back to the Diaz house was unusually quiet. Chris eventually frowned, sensing something was off, but Buck just gave him a small smile when they pulled into the driveway.
“Go on inside, buddy,” Buck said gently, his voice softer than usual.
Chris hesitated. “You okay?”
“I will be,” Buck said, but his throat felt like it was closing. He waited until Chris disappeared inside before gripping the steering wheel and letting the tears fall — quietly at first, then uncontrollably. The weight of all the old rejection and the sharp sting of today’s betrayal came crashing down together.
⸻
Eddie’s Discovery
When Eddie got home from his shift later, Buck was still on the couch, looking wrung out. Eddie took one look at him and knew something was wrong.
“Buck? What happened?” Eddie asked, dropping his bag and kneeling beside him.
Buck took a deep breath, his voice breaking. “I heard Chris at school today. He was laughing with his friends, making jokes about gay people. About people like me. About Hen. And I know he’s just a kid, but—” Buck swiped at his eyes. “Hearing that from my parents hurt, but not as much as hearing it from him. My parents never loved me, but I thought he did.”
Eddie’s chest tightened. He reached out, gripping Buck’s shoulder. “He does, Buck. He loves you more than anyone. But I need to talk to him. This… this isn’t okay.”
Buck nodded, wiping his face. “He needs to hear that it hurt.”
⸻
The Talk
Later that evening, Eddie found Christopher in his room, playing video games.
“Hey, mijo,” Eddie said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “We need to talk.”
Chris looked up, concerned by his dad’s tone. “Did I do something?”
“Yeah,” Eddie said softly. “Buck told me what he heard today. The jokes you were making with your friends. About gay people.”
Chris’s cheeks flushed. “It was just a joke—”
“No,” Eddie said firmly. “It wasn’t just a joke. Buck’s out there in tears right now because of what you said. He’s not sure if you love him anymore.”
Chris’s eyes widened. “What? Of course I love him!”
“Then you need to think about how your words make people feel,” Eddie said. “Because Buck’s gay, Chris. And Hen is too. When you make jokes like that, it’s not funny. It’s hurtful. To them. To me.”
Chris’s face crumpled as the weight of what he’d done sank in. “I didn’t mean to hurt him.”
“I know you didn’t,” Eddie said gently, pulling him into a hug. “But we have to do better. All of us. If you really love Buck, you need to show him by making sure he feels safe and loved here.”
Chris nodded into his dad’s chest. “Can I talk to him?”
Eddie kissed the top of his head. “Yeah, mijo. I think you should.”