Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Buck stood on Bobby and Athena’s front porch with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, shoulders curled slightly as if bracing for impact. He had been here hundreds of times before, family dinners, post shift hangouts, movie nights with May and Harry, family BBQs, but it had never felt like this.

Never this heavy. Never this fragile.

He hadn't been here since the night Bobby had admitted to holding him back, and that moment lead to the lawsuit. He hadn't spoken to anyone since then, until he dropped the lawsuit, and sent the group chat a long apology message, and then Bobby called later that day and said can you come over, so that's why he is here.

His stomach twisted, nerves crackling under his skin. He reminded himself he had dropped the lawsuit. He had apologized. He had tried to make things right. And yet the fear lingered.

What if it’s too late?

He exhaled slowly.

Before he could talk himself into turning around, the door swung open.

Athena filled the frame, wearing her off duty hoodie and a soft expression. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t even blink before pulling him into a hug so tight it nearly knocked the breath from him.

“Hi, Buckaroo,” she murmured into his shoulder.

Buck stiffened for a split second then melted, arms wrapping around her without thinking. He hadn’t realized how much he needed someone to hold him until she did.

“Hi,” he whispered back, voice rough.

Athena pulled away just enough to cup his jaw, her thumb brushing it. Her eyes softened even more.

“Come on inside,” she said gently. “Everyone’s waiting.”

Buck’s heart tripped. “Everyone?”

She nodded. “Everyone.”

She stepped back, giving him room to enter, and he took a breath before stepping through the doorway.

The living room was full.

Not just Bobby and Athena.
Not just Hen and Chim.
Not just Maddie.
Not just Eddie.

All of them.
All at once.
All looking at him.

For a second, his feet wouldn’t move. He felt like a kid again, caught between wanting to run forward and wanting to hide behind the nearest piece of furniture.

Bobby stood up first.

“Hey, Buck,” he said softly.

Buck swallowed. “Hey, Bobby.” His voice cracked on the last word.

Bobby exchanged a glance with Athena, then walked forward, slowly, carefully like approaching a frightened animal. When he reached Buck, he didn’t speak at first. Just stood there, searching his face.

Then he said, “I’m sorry.”

Buck’s breath hitched.

Bobby’s voice stayed steady, but his eyes shone. “I’m sorry for holding you back. For not listening to you the way I should have. For letting things get so far. For lying to you about being the reason. I never wanted you to feel alone. Never.”

The room became impossibly quiet.

Buck tried to blink away the sting behind his eyes. “Bobby, I...”

Bobby shook his head gently. “Let me say this.”
He swallowed. “I should have listen to you better. I should have been there for you instead of leaving you to feel… unheard. You didn’t deserve that. When you said you are ready, and when you got cleared, I should have taken your word for it, left my fears aside.”

Buck’s throat tightened painfully. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. Any of you. I just… I was hurting, I wanted my job back and I was ready.”

“We know,” Hen murmured from the couch. Her voice was soft and full of understanding. “And no one here is mad at you. Not anymore.”

Chim nodded beside her. “Yeah, man. We were mad, but then we actually looked at your side and realised you had every right to fight. You should have been back weeks ago."

Buck’s breath wobbled. His gaze dropped to the floor. “I should have talked to you. I shouldn’t have gone straight to the lawsuit. I messed everything up.”

Athena stepped beside Bobby, her voice firm but warm. “No, you reacted out of pain, frustration. That doesn’t make you a bad person. Bobby should not have held you back.”

He pressed a hand to his face, wiping away a tear he hadn’t noticed escaping. “I just… thank you for saying that...I didn’t want to lose you all, and I just wanted my job back...”

“You couldn’t lose us,” Bobby said. “You won’t ever.” he paused "...and you have been cleared now to return to work."

Buck’s chest clenched. He looked up slowly eyes searching each face.

Hen gave him a small nod of reassurance.
Chim smiled sadly.
Athena’s gaze radiated warmth.
Bobby looked like he was barely holding back tears.
And then,

Eddie.

Eddie sat forward on the edge of his seat, elbows on his knees, eyes locked on Buck. His expression wasn’t angry. Or hurt. Or distant.

It was soft. Warm. Full of something Buck didn’t dare name aloud yet.

“Hey,” Eddie said gently.

Something in Buck finally cracked.

He sniffed, wiping his cheek. “Hey.”

Before the moment could settle, Maddie stood abruptly, hands twisting in her sleeves.

“Buck,” she breathed, voice already trembling. “I am so, so sorry.”

His heart plummeted. “Maddie no. You didn’t do anything.”

“I did,” she insisted. “I shut you out for weeks. I didn’t return calls. I didn’t check in. I knew you were hurting and I… I wasn’t there.”

He shook his head rapidly. “You got put in the middle. I get it.”

Her voice cracked. “I got stood down at work, Buck. I made a mistake and I, I didn’t know how to deal with it, I made a bad choice. And I’m so sorry that my silence made you think it was about you.”

He froze.

“Oh,” he whispered. “Maddie… no. No, I thought you were avoiding me because of the lawsuit.”

She moved forward, cupping his face. “It was never because of that.”
Her thumb brushed his cheekbone.
“I love you. Always.”

Buck’s eyes blurred again. “I love you too.”

She hugged him, tight and shaking. Buck wrapped his arms around her, grounding her as much as himself.

When she pulled back, Hen, Chim, and even Bobby moved in, surrounding him in a circle of warmth. Gentle touches. Soft words. Reassurance.

A family hug.

Something Buck had dreamed of since childhood.

He let out a shaky breath, absorbing it all.

When the group finally stepped back, Eddie rose from the couch and walked toward him.

“Buck,” he said quietly.

Buck looked up, heart thudding.

Eddie’s voice softened to a whisper.
“Come over after this? Chris wants to see you. And… I want to talk. Really talk.”

Buck breathed in sharply.

Hope flickered brightly in his chest.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I’d like that.”

Eddie smiled small, warm, real.

And since this whole thing started, Buck felt like he wasn’t drowning anymore.

He felt like everything was going to be okay.

Chapter Text

Dinner at the Grant-Nash house always smelled like spices and warmth, but tonight it hit Buck the moment he stepped into the kitchen comfort. Home. Something he’d missed so badly his chest tightened with the ache of it.

Athena handed him a plate before he could even think to ask. “Sit. Eat. You look like you’ve been living off protein bars and stress.”

Buck huffed a tiny laugh. “You’re… not wrong.”

Hen gave him a look over her fork. “Buck, you can bench press half the city, but even you need real food.”

Buck rolled his eyes affectionately. “Yes, Mom.”

“That’s right,” Hen said, pointing her fork at him. “I adopt strays. Deal with it.”

Buck shook his head, smiling despite himself, and took a seat between Chim and Maddie. Eddie slipped into the chair across from him, close enough that Buck could feel the warmth of his gaze even while looking away. It was comforting. Unsettling. Familiar. Everything at once.

Bobby cleared his throat as he sat down. “Before we eat, I want to say something.”

Everyone went quiet.

Buck tensed.

Bobby looked at him really looked at him with that steady gaze that always felt like a soft weight on a wounded shoulder.

“I’m grateful you gave us the chance to talk today,” Bobby said slowly. “I’m grateful you came back.”

Buck swallowed. Hard.

“But more than that,” Bobby continued, “I’m proud of you.”

Buck blinked. “What? Why?”

“You owned up to your mistakes,” Bobby said. “But more then that you stood up for yourself. Even if… even if it didn’t come out the best way, what matters is that you’re here. We are trying. And that takes strength.”

Buck stared at him, stunned.

Athena reached out, tapping Bobby’s arm. “Translation he loves you and he was lost without you. We all were.”

“Hey!” Bobby protested weakly.

But the room laughed soft, affectionate laughter and the tension in Buck’s chest loosened just a little more.

Chim nudged him with an elbow. “She’s right. We missed you, man.”

Hen nodded. “It wasn’t the same without your chaos and info dumps.”

Buck smiled shyly. “I missed you guys too.”

He meant it. Every word.

Dinner unfolded in a warm conversation. Harry talking about school, May updating Maddie on her latest school project. It felt like home. It felt like peace.

And Buck?
He kept letting himself breathe it in.

It was only halfway through the meal that Buck noticed Eddie watching him again. Not staring. Not intense. Just… watching. Soft eyes. Small smiles. Concern threaded through affection.

Buck’s stomach fluttered.

He looked down at his plate quickly, cheeks warming.

He’d barely processed the flutter in his chest when Athena swatted Eddie’s arm lightly.

“You want to stare at him any harder, Díaz?”

Eddie choked on his water.

Buck nearly inhaled a piece of chicken, eyes going wide.

“Athena!” Eddie sputtered.

“What?” she said innocently. “I’m just observing. Like any good cop.”

Maddie snorted. Chim cackled. Hen smirked. Bobby tried very hard not to laugh.

Buck rubbed the back of his neck, hiding the pink creeping up his skin. “Uh, I’m just gonna get some more bread.”

“Yeah,” Eddie croaked. “Me too.”

“Sit down,” Athena ordered, rolling her eyes. “Both of you look like you’ve just been caught passing notes in class.”

Buck sank back into his chair like he’d been handcuffed.

Eddie did too.

But their eyes met across the table.

And Buck swore something warm and electric threaded between them, quiet but unmistakable.

After dinner, everyone drifted into the living room. Board games were pulled out, cushions rearranged, Chim and Hen bickering over rules like seasoned professionals. Maddie sank into the couch beside Buck, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Buck frowned. “For what?”

“For letting me fix this,” she said softly. “I was so scared I had abandon you again.”

His breath hitched. “You didn’t.”

“I know,” she murmured. “But I needed to hear it.”

Buck placed a kiss on the top of her head, knowing she needed that too.

Across the room, Eddie watched them with a soft expression. Something protective. Something warm. Something Buck felt deep in his ribs.

Eddie cleared his throat. “Buck?”

Buck turned, meeting his gaze.

“You ready to go?” Eddie asked quietly. “Chris is waiting.”

Buck’s chest warmed. “Yeah. Just let me say goodbye.”

He hugged Athena first. She held him for a moment longer than necessary, whispering, “You’re family. Always.”

Bobby hugged him next solid, steady, grounding. “Call me if you need anything. I'll see you back at work.”

Hen squeezed his shoulders. “If you need backup, emotional or physical, we got you.”

Chim hugged him like a happy octopus. “You’re not getting rid of us again.”

Maddie pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Text me when you get to Eddie’s.”

“I will,” Buck promised.

He headed toward the door feeling lighter and strangely heavier all at once.

Eddie walked beside him, warm, quiet, safe.

As they stepped outside, the cool night air wrapped around them gently.

Buck exhaled slowly. “Thanks for…arh tonight.”

Eddie looked at him, eyes softening. “Anytime.”

Buck’s heart flipped.

He didn’t know yet what that night at Eddie’s would unravel.
He didn’t know yet how much everything was about to change.

All he knew was this.

It felt like he was actually breathing again.

Chapter Text

The drive to Eddie’s was quiet, not awkward, not tense, just quiet in the way two people are when they’re both thinking too much. The streetlights outside flickered across the dashboard as Eddie drove, one hand on the wheel, the other tapping a soft rhythm against his thigh.

Buck found himself staring at that hand, the way Eddie’s fingers curled and relaxed, the way his knuckles flexed. It was stupid, but it grounded him. Everything about Eddie always had.

“You doing okay?” Eddie asked softly, eyes still on the road.

Buck blinked, sitting straighter. “Yeah. Just tired.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie. Just not the whole truth.

Eddie nodded, turning onto his street. “You don’t have to pretend with me, you know.”

Buck’s chest tightened. He wanted to believe that. He did. But the habit of pushing everything down was too ingrained, too familiar.

“I know,” he said quietly.

Eddie glanced at him then quick, but full of meaning.

“Good,” he said, parking in the driveway. “Because tonight isn’t about pretending. It’s just us. Talking. Being real.”

Buck’s heart skipped a beat. He nodded, barely managing to whisper, “Okay.”

The moment they stepped inside, Chris came barreling down the hallway.

“BUCK!”

Buck barely had time to brace before Chris wrapped his arms around him. Buck lifted him slightly, hugging him tight.

“Hey, Superman,” Buck said, voice cracking on the affection. “Missed you.”

“I missed you,” Chris said into his shoulder. “Dad said you might come over but I didn’t wanna get my hopes up.”

Buck smiled into Chris’s hair. “Well, I’m here now.”

Chris pulled back, grinning wide. “Can we watch a movie? Or play Uno? Dad owes me three rematches.”

“Hey,” Eddie protested from the kitchen. “I didn’t lose that badly.”

“You cried when I put down Draw Four,” Chris teased.

“I did not cry,” Eddie started.

Buck was laughing already. “Okay, okay. Uno it is.”

Chris fist pumped and hurried to the living room.

Buck followed him, but when he turned back toward the kitchen, Eddie was watching him again. That same soft, almost vulnerable look from earlier. Like seeing Buck with Chris made something in him settle.

“You okay?” Buck asked quietly.

Eddie nodded. “Just… glad you’re here.”

Buck swallowed. “Me too.”

They played Uno until Chris declared himself the undefeated champion of the entire world. Buck bowed dramatically. “All hail King Christopher Díaz.”

Chris giggled, exhausted from laughter. Eddie carried him to bed, letting Buck say goodnight. Chris hugged him tightly, whispering, “Don’t leave again, okay?”

Buck’s heart broke and healed in the same breath. “Never,” he whispered back.

By the time Eddie returned to the living room, Buck was already sitting on the couch, twisting a loose thread on one of the cushions. He looked up as Eddie sat beside him close, but not touching.

For a long moment, neither spoke.

Buck finally broke the silence. “I… didn’t expect tonight to be so easy. With everyone.”

Eddie nodded. “They love you. They always have.”

Buck swallowed, eyes dropping. “I know, I just… wasn’t sure. After everything.”

Eddie turned to face him more fully. “That’s why I wanted you here tonight. I didn’t want you going home over thinking it all.”

Buck’s breath stuttered. “Thank you.”

Eddie studied him. “But there is something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Buck’s fingers stilled. “Oh.”

Eddie exhaled softly. “Buck… what happened between us at the lawsuit? Everything that led up to it, all the things unsaid. I think it broke us in ways we didn’t even notice.”

Buck’s eyes dropped. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not mad,” Eddie said quickly, leaning forward. “I’m not. I was hurting too, and I said some harsh things. I think we both let alot of things go unsaid.”

Buck’s throat tightened. “I thought I was losing you.”

Eddie blinked slowly, painfully. “I thought I was losing you, too.”

Buck lifted his head sharply.

Eddie continued, voice low. “I was scared. For you, for us, for the team. I snapped. And I hated myself for it the second it happened.”

Buck’s breath hitched. “Eddie…”

Eddie held up a hand gently. “Let me finish?”

Buck nodded.

Eddie took a breath. “I’ve been carrying a lot of things for a long time. Things I didn’t know how to say. Things I didn’t know how to… accept about myself.” His voice softened, vulnerable. “Frank helped me understand some of it.”

Buck froze not in fear, but in dawning realization.

Eddie looked down at his hands, knuckles flexing. “I’ve spent so much of my life hiding pieces of myself. Shame, upbringing, fear… you name it. But I don’t want to hide anymore.”

Buck’s heart pounded loud enough to drown out the air conditioner.

Eddie looked up, eyes meeting his.

“Buck… the truth is… I couldn’t figure out why everything felt so overwhelming. Why I cared so much. Why I got angry. Why I got scared when you pulled away. Why the thought of losing you felt like...”
He broke off, shaking his head. “I felt things I couldn’t name.”

Buck whispered, “Eddie…”

Eddie’s voice cracked. “I was falling in love with you. And I didn’t know what to do with that.”

The room went silent.

Buck stared at him, breath stuck in his chest, heart pounding so hard he could feel it behind his eyes.

Eddie swallowed. Hard. “I didn’t know how to tell you. Or if I even could.”

Buck’s voice came out as barely a whisper. “Eddie… why didn’t you just tell me?”

“Because,” Eddie said, voice trembling, “I didn’t understand it until recently. And by the time I did, I was afraid I’d already ruined everything.”

Buck’s chest tightened so intensely he had to take a breath just to steady himself.

“You didn’t,” he whispered. “You didn’t ruin anything.”

Eddie held his gaze desperately. “I need you to know that, Buck. I need you to know I’m sorry. For everything.”

For a moment, neither moved.

Neither breathed.

Then Buck whispered, “I don’t want to lose you.”

And Eddie’s breath caught like he’d been punched by hope itself.

Chapter Text

For a few long seconds, Eddie didn’t move. He just stared at Buck like the world had narrowed to this couch, this moment, this breath between them. Like everything he’d been terrified of saying was suddenly out in the open, raw and trembling.

Buck’s chest rose and fell too fast. He could hear his pulse in his ears. He wondered briefly, wildly if Eddie could hear it too.

Finally, Eddie’s voice broke through the silence.

“Come here,” he whispered.

Buck didn’t even think. He shifted closer, knees brushing Eddie’s, hands tangled together between them like some instinct neither could resist.

Eddie exhaled shakily. “I don’t know how to do this right yet,” he admitted, voice cracking. “But I want to. With you.”

Buck swallowed hard. “You’re doing fine.”

Eddie let out a breath that was almost a laugh. “I don’t feel like it.”

Buck squeezed his hand. “Hey. You told me how you feel. That’s more than fine. That’s… everything.”

Eddie’s gaze softened in a way that made Buck’s heartbeat do ridiculous acrobatics.

“I meant it,” Eddie said. “I’m in love with you.”

Buck’s lips parted. His breath hitched. And something in his chest, something heavy and stuck and aching finally loosened.

“I’m in love with you too,” he whispered.

Eddie closed his eyes for a moment, like the words physically hit him.

Then he opened them again warm, glassy, unbelievably tender and whispered, “Can I…?”

Buck nodded before Eddie even finished the question.

Eddie leaned in slowly as if giving Buck every opportunity to pull back but Buck didn’t move. He couldn’t. Didn’t want to.

Their foreheads touched first.

Then noses brushed.

Then, a kiss.

Soft. Careful. A breath shared between them. A tremble of lips brushing lips like a promise neither had ever dared give voice to before.

It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t desperate.

It was gentle.

Real.

Buck’s hand lifted instinctively, cupping Eddie’s cheek, thumb brushing the warm skin just beneath his eye. Eddie’s fingers slid to Buck’s jaw, steady, grounding.

When they finally pulled back, both of them were breathing harder than the kiss warranted.

Eddie rested his forehead against Buck’s again.

“I’ve wanted that for longer than I knew,” he murmured.

Buck smiled small, shaky, heartbreakingly soft. “Me too.”

Eddie kissed him once more, quicker this time, like he couldn’t help himself. Buck melted into it, warmth blooming low and bright in his chest.

They stayed like that for a long moment. Breathing. Holding onto each other. Letting the world go quiet around them.

Eventually, Buck let out a small, unsteady laugh.

“What?” Eddie asked, thumb stroking the spot where Buck’s pulse raced.

“I just…” Buck shook his head softly. “I didn’t think tonight would go like this. I thought maybe we’d talk. Maybe… fix a few things, or maybe nothing would be fixed.”

Eddie smiled faintly. “We did fix things.”

“Yeah,” Buck whispered. “We did.”

There was a beat. Then Eddie’s expression shifted into something more serious.

“Buck,” he said quietly. “I want us to take this slow.”

Buck blinked. “Slow?”

Eddie nodded. “Not because I don’t want this. God, I want this.”
He squeezed Buck’s hand. “But I want to do it right. No rushing. No pressure. Just… us. Figuring it out together.”

Buck’s eyes warmed. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Eddie repeated gently, needing reassurance.

Buck leaned close, brushing his nose against Eddie’s again. “Yeah. Okay.”

Eddie let out a breath he’d been holding for years.

They sat together in the soft living room light, the kind that flickered faintly from the kitchen, casting warm shadows around them. It felt like safety. Like something precious and fragile but real.

Buck closed his eyes for a moment, letting it soak in. This was the first time in months he’d felt the pressure unclench in his chest. This was the first time he’d felt wanted without doubt. Loved without conditions.

Finally, Eddie stood, tugging Buck up with him.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go out back for a minute.”

Buck frowned. “Why?”

Eddie smiled. “Because Chris is asleep, and I think you need air. And maybe… we should talk a little more. Before we stop thinking and just fall asleep on the couch.”

Buck huffed a laugh. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

They stepped onto the patio, the night cool but not cold. Little solar lights lined Eddie’s backyard, giving everything a soft golden glow.

Buck wrapped his arms around himself out of habit. Eddie noticed immediately and stepped closer not touching yet, just close enough that Buck didn’t feel alone.

“I meant everything I said earlier,” Eddie murmured. “About snapping. About feeling overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to deal with everything I was feeling.”

Buck’s throat tightened. “Eddie…”

“I’m sorry,” Eddie said again, softer this time. “I should have just come to you. Talked to you. I shouldn’t have let myself fall apart in anger like that.”

Buck stepped closer, brushing their shoulders. “I wasn’t any better. I went straight to the lawsuit. I shut everyone out. I hurt you. I hurt the team. I didn’t know how to handle any of it either.”

Eddie turned toward him fully. “Buck… you were hurting. You reacted from pain, and frustration. That’s human.”

“So were you,” Buck said gently. “You don’t have to take all the blame.”

For a moment, Eddie just stared at him breathing slow, soft, almost relieved. Then he reached out and took Buck’s hand again.

“Thank you, that goes for you too.” Eddie whispered.

Buck knew what it meant.
It wasn’t casual gratitude.
It was relief.
Forgiveness.
Acceptance.
Love.

They stood there awhile hands intertwined, the night warm around them, quiet settling comfortably between breaths.

Eventually, Eddie tilted his head toward the house. “Bed?”

Buck nodded. “Yeah. I want to.”

Eddie smiled small, tender, full of meaning. “Good.”

And as they walked back inside, Buck realized something.

Tonight didn’t heal everything.
It didn’t fix every wound or erase every fear.
But it gave him one thing he hadn’t had in far too long.

Hope.

Real, steady, warm hope.

And he let himself believe, that maybe he wasn’t as alone as he thought.
Maybe he never truly was.

Chapter Text

They walked into Eddie’s room together. It smelled like clean laundry, cedar, and a hint of eucalyptus soap. Buck had always liked Eddie’s room. Safe. Quiet. Grounded.

They slid under the covers carefully, not touching at first.

For a long moment, they lay side by side in the soft dark, barely lit by the hallway nightlight Eddie always kept on in case Chris got up.

Buck listened to Eddie’s breathing.
Eddie listened to Buck’s.

Something in the quiet softened the air.

Finally, Eddie whispered, “Buck?”

“Yeah?”

“You sure you’re okay? After everything tonight?”

Buck turned his head on the pillow to look at him. “Yeah. I’m okay. Better than I’ve been in a long time.”

Eddie exhaled softly, eyes fluttering closed for a moment. “Good. I just… I want you to feel safe here.”

Buck felt his throat tighten with warmth. “I do.”

“Good,” Eddie murmured again, voice gentler still.

Their fingers brushed between them accidentally at first.

Then… not so accidentally.

Eddie laced their fingers slowly.

Buck didn’t hesitate. He squeezed back.

The intimacy was small but immense. Quiet but overwhelming.

After a long silence, Buck whispered, “Eddie?”

“Hm?”

Buck swallowed. “I really missed you.”

Eddie opened his eyes again, turning his head. Their noses were inches apart. “I missed you too. More than I can explain.”

Buck’s breathing hitched. “I thought I ruined everything.”

“No,” Eddie said firmly, tightening their joined hands. “No, Buck. We both made mistakes. But nothing you did ruined us.”

Buck’s vision blurred a little.

Eddie continued, voice soft and sure. “You didn’t scare me off. You didn’t lose me. I’m here.”

Buck tried to breathe past the tight ache in his chest. “I… I didn’t think I deserved that.”

Eddie’s eyebrows knit. “Buck, look at me.”

Buck did.

“You deserve love,” Eddie whispered. “Not because of what you do. Just because of who you are.”

Buck’s eyes burned.

Eddie brushed his thumb slowly along the back of Buck’s hand.

Buck swallowed hard. “Eddie, I,”

“Hey,” Eddie murmured. “It’s okay. We’re okay. More than okay.”

Buck took a shaky breath, grounding himself in the warmth of Eddie’s palm.

After a long pause, Buck whispered, “Can I…?”

“Anything,” Eddie whispered back.

“Can I just… stay close? Just for a little?”

Eddie’s heart nearly broke with how small the question sounded.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “Come here.”

Buck shifted closer, unsure at first, but Eddie lifted his arm slightly in silent invitation.

Buck hesitated.

Then moved into Eddie’s space, head resting against Eddie’s chest.

The moment he settled there, Eddie’s arms wrapped around him instinctively, protectively. Buck let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding for weeks.

Eddie pressed a soft kiss to Buck’s hair, so gentle Buck almost missed it.

“You’re okay,” Eddie whispered. “I’ve got you.”

Buck’s whole body shuddered in a slow release. “Eddie… thank you.”

Eddie held him tighter. “Always.”

Buck didn’t remember falling asleep.
Just the warmth of Eddie’s chest beneath his cheek, the steady heartbeat, the feeling of belonging he’d stopped letting himself hope for.

He drifted into sleep with Eddie’s fingers brushing in his hair.

Buck woke in the early hours of the morning to soft sunlight filtering through the curtains. For a second, he didn’t move just blinked slowly, letting the world settle into place.

He was warm.
Comfortable.
Safe.

He shifted slightly and froze.

Eddie’s arm was draped over Buck’s waist.
Their legs tangled together.
Eddie’s face was pressed against the back of Buck’s shoulder.

Eddie Díaz, Mr. Stoic, Mr. Controlled, Mr. Emotional Fortress was cuddling him like he'd done it a thousand nights before.

Buck swallowed a breath, emotion swelling in his chest so quickly it hurt.

He didn’t move. Couldn’t. Didn’t dare.

Because for one perfect moment, this felt like the future they could have.

This felt like home.

Slowly, Eddie stirred behind him. A soft groan. Warm breath against Buck’s skin. Then,

“Buck?” Eddie murmured, voice deep and sleepy.

“Yeah?” Buck whispered.

Eddie didn’t lift his head. He just tightened his arms around Buck’s middle and hummed a quiet, content sound that made Buck’s heart flip.

“Good,” Eddie whispered. “Thought you were gone.”

Buck’s breath trembled. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Eddie smiled into his shoulder. “Good.”

Buck let out a soft exhale, eyes closing again.

He didn’t know what the day would bring,
What the chief’s call would lead to,
That his world was about to be ripped apart,
That this brief peace was a fragile bubble soon to break.

He just knew this.

Right here, held in Eddie’s arms,
for the first time in a long time he felt like he belonged.

Chapter Text

Buck eventually slipped out of Eddie’s arms with the kind of careful precision normally reserved for defusing bombs. If he moved too fast, Eddie would wake up. If Eddie woke up, Buck might panic. Not because he didn’t want Eddie awake, God, he wanted Eddie awake all the time now, but because he didn’t know how to be this. Not yet.

Not without his heart trying to claw out of his chest at the smallest thing.

He walked into the kitchen barefoot, rubbing his eyes. The house was quiet in that sleepy way that felt gentle rather than lonely. 

Buck opened Eddie’s cabinets without thinking he’d done it a million times before, back when they were 'just best friends.' Which had never really felt like just anything.

He found the coffee, the mug Chris liked with Captain America on it, the cereal Eddie always bought because Chris insisted it was for athletes. He set everything out automatically, like muscle memory.

Like belonging.

When he turned on the kettle, a voice came from behind him.

“You’re up early.”

Buck jumped so hard he nearly dropped the spoon.

Eddie was standing in the doorway, hair messy, T shirt thin and wrinkled, eyes soft with sleep and something even softer underneath it.

“I, uh,” Buck cleared his throat, forcing his pulse to slow. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t.” Eddie shuffled closer, rubbing his face. “I heard the kettle. You okay?”

Buck nodded quickly. “Yeah. Just… figured I’d make breakfast. You know. As a thank you.”

Eddie leaned against the counter, arms folding, a small smile pulling at his mouth. “You don’t have to thank me for letting you sleep here.”

Buck’s shoulders lifted in a helpless shrug. “Old habits.”

Eddie studied him, gaze sharp in that way Eddie had when he was seeing through things Buck wasn’t even saying.

“Old habits like taking care of everyone?” Eddie asked lightly.

Buck blinked. “No, I mean... I just,”

Eddie’s smile twitched a little wider. “Buck, I’m not judging you.”

“I know,” Buck murmured, quieter. “It’s just… weird.”

“Weird good or weird bad?” Eddie asked.

Buck hesitated. Then, honesty slipped out before he could stop it.

“Weird good,” he whispered.

Eddie’s expression softened like something in him unclenched.

“Okay,” he said quietly. “I can handle weird good.”

Buck huffed a laugh, but it came out shaky at the edges.

Eddie nudged him gently with his hip. “You want help?”

Buck glanced at him. “You don’t even know what I’m making.”

“Neither do you,” Eddie shot back with a deadpan look.

Buck laughed for real that time. “Fair.”

Eddie grabbed a pan, moving beside Buck without hesitation, like they had done this fifty times before. They fell into an easy rhythm, Eddie cracking eggs, Buck stirring, Eddie reaching behind Buck for the salt without even asking. Their shoulders bumped occasionally, each time sending a tiny jolt through Buck like someone had rewired his nerves overnight.

Buck kept catching himself watching Eddie’s hands.

Not in a creepy way.

In a this is real, right? kind of way.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Eddie muttered, not looking up.

Buck nearly choked. “What?”

Eddie glanced at him then, amused. “Like your not sure if you can look.”

Buck flushed hot. “I’m not, I just...”

Eddie’s gaze gentled. “Hey. You can look. I don’t mind.”

Buck’s breath caught.

Eddie turned back to the pan, cheeks faintly pink. “Just maybe… try not to look like you’re about to bolt all the time.”

Buck swallowed. “Right. Yeah. Sorry.”

Eddie sighed. “Stop apologizing.”

Buck opened his mouth, then closed it.

Eddie shot him a look. “Seriously.”

Buck muttered, “Okay.”

They cooked in quiet for a minute, the air between them warm and steady. Buck tried to focus on the eggs, on the coffee, on the simple domestic comfort of it all.

It didn’t take long before Chris wandered in hair sticking up, sleep still on his face, dragging his feet like a tiny zombie.

He blinked at them.

Then his whole face lit up.

“BUCK!” he gasped, like Buck had appeared out of thin air.

Buck laughed softly. “Morning, kid.”

Chris threw himself at Buck’s middle, wrapping his arms around him with no hesitation. Buck hugged him back, heart full to the brim.

“Did you sleep here?” Chris asked, pulling back just enough to look up.

Buck froze.

Eddie cleared his throat. “Yeah, he did. We were talking late.”

Chris grinned like he’d been handed the keys to Disneyland. “Cool. That means you’re staying for breakfast too.”

“I’m literally making breakfast,” Buck said, gesturing to the stove.

Chris leaned over to peek. “Eggs. Yay.”

Eddie snorted. “That’s not the only thing.”

Chris’s eyes widened. “There’s more?”

Buck flicked Eddie a look. “You’re encouraging him.”

Eddie shrugged. “He deserves to be happy. Like all of us.”

Buck’s chest tightened a little at that. Eddie said things like that so casually. Like it was a simple fact, not something you had to earn.

They ate at the table together, Chris chatting about school and his latest superhero rankings, Eddie putting on the serious face every time Chris claimed Thor could beat Captain America in a fair fight. Buck was smiling the whole time, barely aware of it.

At one point, Chris looked between them, suspicious.

“You’re both being weird,” he accused.

Buck immediately choked on coffee. “What?”

Eddie coughed too, eyes darting away. “Define weird.”

Chris narrowed his eyes. “Like… happy weird.”

Buck and Eddie both stilled.

Chris was too observant for his own good.

Buck opened his mouth, not sure what to say, they hadn't spoken about telling anyone yet.

But Eddie beat him to it.

“We’re okay now,” Eddie said gently. “We had a rough few weeks, but we talked things out. That’s all.”

Chris studied him, then Buck.

Then he nodded solemnly. “Good. Because you’re both better when you’re okay.”

Buck’s throat went tight.

“Thanks, buddy,” Buck whispered.

Chris shrugged, chewing his toast. “You’re welcome. Also, Buck, Dad said you might help me with my science project later.”

Buck blinked. “Science project?”

Eddie sighed. “It’s a volcano.”

Chris grinned. “Volcanoes are awesome.”

“They are,” Buck agreed. “And yes. I’ll help.”

Chris pumped his fist and took off down the hallway again, probably to gather glue and cardboard like a miniature tornado.

Buck watched him go, smiling.

Then he looked at Eddie.

Silence pressed gently in again.

Eddie leaned back in his chair, gaze steady on Buck. “You okay?”

Buck nodded, softer this time. “Yeah.”

Eddie waited.

Buck rubbed his thumb along the edge of his plate. “Last night was… good.”

Eddie’s mouth twitched. “Yeah. It was.”

Buck let himself breathe again.