Archive of Our Own ^beta

You wouldn’t believe how weird humanity could get until you worked with the public, especially in helping fields.

Like that man, swearing loud and clear for all to hear that he didn’t broke his leg, and in fact he never even had a left leg, because the left was the symbol of the devil and yada yada yada.

Bobby sighted. He and his crew were a bit done with that day and shift. The man they were helping was clearly under the influence of some substance, whether it be alcohol or something else, and the adrenaline created by him getting hurt, or hurting himself clearly wasn’t helping.

Three or four more hours to go and they’ll be able to come home. Bobby would be lying if he pretended that he didn’t want to go home right this instant.

Once the injured man was in the hospital (and the ER nurses sent them tired glances) and they were back to the station, he went to his office to fill out some paperwork, leaving his team be.

They would probably go out to nap, or play cards.

Truth was, Chim was atomizing Buck at a card game, while Eddie was napping on Buck’s shoulder. He had been playing, but had fallen asleep and no one had woken him up. Hen was too concentrated on her cross game to comment on all that.

Plus, it was common for the two of them to act like that, so why would she use and spend her saliva to state the obvious?

There was something happening between them, sure. Everyone one could see that, even a blind person. Yet, no one commented on it louder than with glances. Everyone had thoughts, but no one dared to say anything. After all, it was their own business.

When the shift ended, they all went home. And no one batted an eye when Buck jumped into Eddie’s truck. Again, not their coworkers’ business.

Truth was, Buck spent so much of his free time with the Diaz that he had even forgotten at some point that he had the loft. And when his rent had reminded him of it, he had talked with Eddie, then both of them with Chris.

And Buck had led go of his loft. He had moved at the Diaz’s, and it had only felt natural. Buck had notified Bobby, who changed his address.

Bobby, who had gently reminded him to let him know of every marital status change, and that he was okay with coworkers’ relationships, as long as they weren’t detrimental to work. Buck had nodded without adding anything else.

It had been during his leg recovery for the fire engine (when he had lost a part of his leg and had to re-learn how to walk with a prosthetic leg, and do tests to get back both his driver license and right to work as a firefighter).

He came back to work a few months after the incident. He also got his driver license back, but preferred not to drive if he could avoid it. That, and he loved being chauffeured by Eddie. Or to chauffer him sometimes.

No one had told their colleagues. Not yet. They could get the wrong idea (whatever that idea was).

Not that they were a couple, right?

But many people thought so.

Well, for starters, every teacher and parent from Chris’ school, who usually referred to Buck as “the other Mister Diaz”. Not that Buck –or Eddie, or Chris– minded. Especially when Buck was in the parent group chat (he was way more active than Eddie there).

Everyone in said parents’ group was actually sure that Buck was Eddie’s boyfriend or husband or whatever. They didn’t have the specifics, but they were certain that they were something. Not that it was any of their business. Anyway.

When asked, Eddie would shrug and explain that he was bad with technology, contrary to Buck.

Buck couldn’t care less when he was called “Eddie’s husband”, or whatever name of the same lexicon. Well, he wasn’t, as he reminded everyone every time. Well, most of the time. Not that it changed things. Well, usually, people would correct themselves and said something along the lines of “sorry, I mean your boyfriend/partner”. Sometimes, Buck would let it go, as he would be too tired or busy with something else to correct them.

Truth to be told, sometimes, he even didn’t correct it on purpose. If he was honest, he kind of enjoyed it.

Yet, he didn’t want Eddie to feel uncomfortable with that imposed label. Because if he himself wasn’t really bother by it, as he was a proud bi disaster, Eddie was… Well, he was something alright, but Buck couldn’t say what, and it wasn’t his place to say anyway. So, yeah.

He liked Eddie, because, well, why wouldn’t he? And Eddie liked him back, that kind was more or less evident. But did he love him?

That, Buck couldn’t say.

He wanted to say that he’d have loved to do taxes and laundry with Eddie, but they were in fact already doing that. Buck often did laundry at Eddie’s (even if he now lived there, he continued to call it “Eddie’s”), and Eddie would wash Buck’s clothes in the Diaz washing machine, and they often did their taxes together (read: Eddie would be sat next to Buck in the Diaz kitchen, and Buck would do their taxes, despite being two different documents).

It was the small things, you know?

Like Eddie buying oat milk for Buck who was trying to go vegetarian, or Buck cooking two separate meals, one with meat for Eddie and Chris and one without for him (or one without for everyone when he was too tired to cook two different dishes).

Or Eddie noting down shows or videos he wanted to watch with Buck or he thought could interest Buck.

Or Buck doing some work around the house with a friend of his to make it more accessible for all of Chris walking aids (crushes, wheelchair, walker).

Or Eddie installing a small lamp above the bed head for Buck to deep dive read on Wikipedia without damaging his eyes in the dark and without preventing Eddie from sleeping.

Or Buck keeping updated a family planning on fridge, and putting reminders on Eddie’s phone.

But uh, yeah, Buck had thought about it. Him and Eddie, that is. Them, and how they were often (almost always) perceived as partners. Romantic ones.

Buck had thought about it. Again, and again, and again. Like one does, you know. Casually. The normal amount.

He had thought about it in the car when coming home from work, and he had thought about it when cooking the evening meal, and in the shower, and while brushing his teeth, and when he took out his prosthetic leg at the evening (a somber souvenir of one fire engine that had left him without a left leg below the knee), and when Eddie massaged his knee, and when he went to bed, and when he felt asleep, or failed to.

So, yeah, he thought about it a lot. But that was about the normal amount, right?

Right?

And once he had thoughts enough about it… Well, no, who was he kidding, of course he didn’t think enough about it –about him–, one could nev–

“What thoughts are consuming you?”

Poof.

Everything went silent.

Everything was silent and still, both in the bedroom they were sharing and in Buck’s mind.

“It’s… Well. Do you remember the comment of that man earlier?”

“Which one?”

“Green beanie guy.”

“The one who suggested you were my husband?”

“Yeah.”

“What about it?”

“You don’t mind?” Buck’s tone was hesitant, trying. He finally mustered the courage to look at Eddie’s eyes. He was faced with eyes he loved.

“Nah.” Eddie shrugged.

A pause.

Then, “I mean, at first, yeah, a bit. I had a lot of bad impressions on men in love, due to, you know, my uprising.”

Buck nodded to the Texan, who continued.

“So I had to deconstruct a lot of things, and being friends with Hen and Karen actually helped a lot. So now, I don’t mind that much. It’s like… You’re not my husband, but you’re… you’re my partner, and– and, and, and, you’re, you’re part of my life, and, and Christopher’s, and, and we’re a family, or– or a family unit, the three of us, so– so like… I don’t really mind. Husband or not, you’re family,” he concluded with a smile.

“…”

How the fuck was he supposed to answer that?!

No like, seriously?

HOW?

That had to be some romantic speech from a telenovela Eddie loved to watch in secret, right?!

That couldn’t be a speech just for him. That couldn’t be. He wasn’t that important.

“Buck, are you okay? Are you having phantom pain again?” Eddie asked, worriedly.

In front of him, Buck was growing tears in his eyes.

Eddie’s brows frowned, anxious.

“… No, I– I just… Fuck, man… It’s just…” Buck took a deep breath. “I’m not having phantom pain right now, I’m just… touched, emotionally, that you consider me a part of your and Chris’ family. That’s all.”

“Eh? ’course you– Com’ here,” Eddie opened his arms, and Buck went head in, head to the other’s chest in a profound hug.

They stayed a long moment like that. Buck could head Eddie’s heartbeat. He loved it; it reassured him. Eddie was alive. He was safe.

“I’m glad I’m family,” Buck whispered.

“Of course. Always.”

Another silence.

“Thank you,” another murmur.

Eddie didn’t answer.

The silence expended so much Eddie thought Buck might’ve fallen asleep. He wouldn’t have mind, he loved holding Buck to sleep.

“You know, I like being part of a family, adopted into one,” Buck mumbled finally. He sounded half asleep. “Not my first time, but it’s always pleasant.”

“When was the first time?” Eddie answered in the same tone.

"Back in New Jersey, were I studied criminology – I tried to become a private detective back then –, I was renting a room to that family, the Addams. They were considered weird but general standards, but they were awesome. Well, creepy at time, but like… Never threatening. One of the healthiest family I’ve seen.”

“Really?”

“Hm,” Buck nodded, and Eddie could feel the other’s head moving on his chest.

“They were renting a room for cheap to students, so as long as you could bear with their antics, you’d have a room, meals and laundry done by Lurch, their butler.”

“They have a butler?”

“Yeah,” Buck yawned. “They were kinda rich. But not too much. And very generous too. To be honest, I paid only the first month of rent, and Gomez – the father – gave it back to me when I left.”

“They sound nice.”

“Yeah, they were. I still send them letters sometimes.”

“Oh, so that’s the sealed letters you’re getting?”

“Yeah. I told them I was more at your place than the loft, and they never wrote to the loft after that. I told them when I moved in with you, and they were happy about that too.”

“Tell me about them?”

So Buck did.

He talked about their manor, and their car – a hearse.

He talked about the father, Gomez, who was madly in love with his wife, Morticia, who cut off the roses’ heads – Gomez was allergic to it. He was a yoga and fencing adept, and who had been smoking the cigar for a long time, but who had quit recently, replacing it with soap bubbles. His son – Pugsley, not Pubert – had even build him a false cigar that can send soap bubbles for Father Day.

He talked about how strong Gomez and Morticia’s love was.

He talked about the mother, Morticia, who loved gardening, and adored her husband, her three children and her carnivorous plants. Her and Gomez often danced around the house, and she even had taught a bit Buck how to ballroom dance (and Eddie thanked her for that). She also enjoyed knitting, and had even once knitted Buck a sweater he still had (the pumpkin one Eddie loved so much).

Buck talked about her legendary calm and elegance, how she could appear cold at first glance but was actually really careful. She had also once impressed him with her basketball skills.

He talked about the children.

He talked about Pugsley first, the elder son, who was 28. He was ingenious and enjoyed engineering stuff around. He had a “boy scout” phase, one that come and go. Nowadays, he was a civil engineer, to his family’s pride. He also enjoyed fencing, like apparently all the men did in that family.

He talked about Wednesday second. She was 24, and was considered the “weirdest”, by societal standards. She was a goth who enjoyed macabre themes and subjects, axe throwing, archery and driving her hearse around. She was a forensic doctor (she had thought about becoming a mortician also, but that meant meeting too many families crying and too many overflowing feelings, and she didn’t have the patience to deal with that).

He talked about Bert, Pubert, third. The kid loved his parents but his birth name not so much, so he had asked them to call him Bert, and no one batted an eye and never called him otherwise ever again. Gomez and Morticia even offered him to legally change his name in the same breath, and if the kid had agree, they would’ve. Despite some mockeries from other kids, Bert liked his “weird” family. He was the “black sheep” of the family : the only blond in a dark-haired family, and the most “normal” looking one. He loved soccer (or, as it is called everywhere outside the US, football).

He talked about their dog, named Thing. Today Thing was technically Thing the Third, as Think (first of the name) had succumbed of old age, and Thing (the Second) had been hit by a careless car.

He talked about Uncle Fester, Morticia’s brother. An odd man who still visited sometimes.

He talked about the Grandma, Morticia’s mother, who was still kicking around, despite being old and a half.

He talked about Cousin Itt, a dwarf with hypertrichosis.

He talked about… He talked a lot, and at some point, he fell asleep. Eddie too. Maybe he even fell asleep before Buck stopped talking.

The next day, Buck was still talking about it, to both Eddie and Chris this time. Both of them loved what they heard about them. So much so that Eddie offered to invite them over.

“Here? In LA?”

“Yeah? Why not?” Eddie shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal, as if it was nothing.

Buck was star struck. One could even say that his flabber was gasted.

“You’d be okay with that?”

“Yeah? Why not? They’re not your parents, and they seem like genuinely good people. Plus, they’re part of your life, and we’re too, so…”

Buck could kiss him. Right that instant, Buck could. He just hugged Eddie.

Eddie who was getting him so much. Eddie who was so full of acceptance. Eddie who was so easy to be around, and to like, and to love. Eddie who was making him feel right. Like he belonged. Like he could do anything. Like Eddie would go down to Hell to search for him, and would look back for him, because of course he would.

Chris didn’t react. He was used to it. At this point, Buck was his stepdad (he had baby trapped himself), and no one was complaining.

So they ended up inviting the Addams, over a letter. The mansion had a phone line, but it was generally busy, taken by Gomez answering each and every telemarketer’ and scam-caller's phone calls.

So, until a reply came back, life continued as usual in good old LA. Emergencies kept happening. PTA meetings also. Of course, Buck went with Eddie, and no one batted an eye.

As expected, Buck was called “the other Mister Diaz”, and, to be fair, he couldn’t complain about it. It was as if he and his sister were on their way to get the Buckley name erased.

Everything went rather well. Well, a mother tried to flirt with an oblivious Buck – in front of her husband –, but he was too busy (and already taken). It was embarrassing for everyone noticing (Eddie).

Sadly for everyone involved, it wasn’t the last that day that Buck was being flirted with. Later that day, there was a young woman, who had broken her leg in a drunk fall, and who was trying to get Buck’s attention. Buck was chatty and smiling politely, doing his job, but it was pretty clear that she expected more.

And also that she was romanticizing the uniform. Eddie would’ve loved to tell her that this uniform wasn’t that sexy, especially because it had been covered by all bodily fluids, and he meant all –yes, even those–, and mainly against his best wishes. But he refrained, because given her state, that could’ve turned into worse conversations. And no one wanted that.

“So tell me, you often rescue damsel in distress?” she tried another flirt, giggling, and Eddie was that close to swear. In Spanish. Which was an indicator about how bad it was, because Eddie rarely swore at all, even in English, so for him to swear in Spanish… You know it was big.

“That’s literally my job,” Buck joked as a reply, starting to get a bit uncomfortable of that attention. Damn, was that what women felt when they were catcalled?

“And you ever felt in love on scene?”

Buck stopped, like he had been struck by thunder (no pun intended). There was a blank, cut by Eddie, flying to rescue him.

“We don’t date people we met on scenes,” Diaz stated, finishing stabilizing her for transportation.

“Never? Even when it’s a beautiful woman like me?”

Buck exchanged a glance with Eddie, who subtilty nodded.

“Sorry Ma’am, I’m taken.”

Chim had to cough out of surprise, wheezing on thin air, or shocking on his saliva, but otherwise everyone acted nonchalant. They’ll talk about it later, though.

“Oh, really? She must be so lucky! Is there any of your colleagues that’s available?”

“Respectfully Ma’am, that’s none of your business,” Eddie interrupted, with a patience he had no idea he still had in him and a tone that was final.

“Hm.” She wasn’t happy about it and started pouting like a manchild.

She didn’t say anything else until the hospital.

“Are you really taken or was it just an excuse to get her of your ass?” Hen couldn’t help but ask on the trip back to the station.

“Something like that, yes.”

“That’s not an answer Buck.” She raised an eyebrow, yet she wasn’t really pushing. She liked drama, sure, but not at the expense of her colleague and friend’s private life.

“Hm hm.” He was again in his mind.

She glanced at Eddie, who shrugged. She abandoned the topic, and the conversation shifted.

Eddie thought about that a bit, that evening, when Buck and Chris where in the bathroom doing their Thursday night curled hair routine, chanting loudly (and way out of tune) pop songs. But the topic left his mind when he saw his boys coming out with their curls.

He blamed every telenovela he ever saw for wanting to give Buck a forehead kiss.

He looked even more adorable with his curls, and sometimes, he didn’t took care of them because of how messy the emergencies they worked on could end up being. His curls didn’t like the smoke or the dust they were forced to get into sometimes.

They ate, and Eddie and Buck took turns reading a story to Chris. He was a bit old for that –he was a teenager now–, but the three of them still enjoyed it. They only did it once a week now, though. It was the Thursday ritual.

And then, it was the adults’ turn. They when to their room. Eddie massaged Buck’s knee (he could do it himself, but Eddie liked to do it, and Buck enjoyed having Eddie to do it). It had become so usual that Eddie didn’t mind anymore.

At first, it had been hard, for both of them, that loss. Of course, it had been Buck’s leg, and it had been very hard for him.

Eddie had offered him to live with the Diaz after the hospital, and Buck just… never left. Why would he have? He once thought he had overstayed, but Eddie had reassured him. Neither him nor Chris had enough of Buck. He was welcome there: he wasn’t a guest in the Diaz household, he was home.

It was hard, for Buck, being so used to his stability with his two natural legs. He had to get used to his prosthetic leg. Eddie wondered how he got it, but never really asked. Buck had told him it had been a gift from friends he had met during his travels. Eddie hadn’t pushed. He knew Buck would told him when he felt like it.

Eddie had a hard time adjusting to Buck. He wanted to help him, without overwhelming him. Sometimes, he could just… be there. And he hated it. He wanted to be more helpful, to help him more. He was angry at himself for… for not being able to help him more. For… Eddie was angry at himself for so many things. And he knew it wasn’t about him and all, but… still.

So, Eddie took Buck to all his mandatory reeducation sessions. He was a support, mentally and even physically sometimes.

He learned how to massage Buck’s knee and what was left at the end of his leg, to relieve the pain when needed. And… He knew Buck could do it, but… But he wanted, needed to do it. He wanted to show Buck that, despite having lost a part of him (literally), he was still himself. Still loved. Still worthy of love.

p>It was Eddie’s way of showing Buck that that part of him was still a part of him. It was the least he can do. And, as he had told him: “if you hate that part of your body because of how it happened, you’re still you, and if you can’t love it, I’ll love it for you.”

And, listen. Buck had had a fuckton of partners before and during his first years knowing Eddie. But that right there? That ought to be one of the most romantic shits even told to men (concurrent with “because, Evan, there’s no one I trust more with my son.”).

Buck had been so dumbfounded at that moment that he had agree for Eddie to massage his knee, “every day, even when we’re old and crippled”, Eddie had added.

And God, if that wasn’t vows, well, it sure sounded like it. That was the moment Buck realized he wanted to do that. To grow white hair with him. To grow old with Eddie. What it love? Maybe. Buck didn’t really care what it was. He just knew it was there.

He also knew he didn’t want to impose that on Eddie. So, he kept him for himself. He was like a furnace, fueled by love. Love for his friends, and family, and kid (Chris) and Eddie. He wanted to be consumed by this flame, this love for Eddie.

He feared he wasn’t really discreet about it (Hen had definitely clocked him), but no one had openly commented on it.

And Buck thought about that image, him and Eddie with white and grey hair every time Eddie would massage his knee. That would help him not thinking about his leg being gone.

“What are you thinking about?” Eddie would ask.

“Happy things,” Buck would sometimes answer.

“You with grey hair,” he replied instead that evening.

“…” Eddie did not know what to say. His eyes meet Buck’s. They were sincere.

“And? Do I look pretty with grey hair?” Eddie teased in a whisper, not breaking eye contact.

“You’ll look gorgeous.” Buck affirmed in a breath, sure of what he just told. How could he not?

Eddie was speechless. No. Wordless. No words could describe was he was feeling. Words weren’t enough. Even sounds couldn’t do justice to what was going on through Eddie’s mind.

“Thanks.” Eddie finally released. “I hope you’d be there too.” He added, hopeful.

“Of course? Where else would I be?”

And that. That was all Eddie needed to hear. Buck would stay with him. He would still help him raise thei– his – no, wait, it was their son at this point – their son. Whatever life would throw at them, he know knew for certain that Buck would stay with him, and stand strong with him through it all. They’d be together. And that was enough for him.

“What are you thinking about?” Eddie asked Buck.

It was morning. Their shift didn’t start until a few hours, so they could enjoy a few more minutes in bed. In front of Eddie – yet close to him –, Buck was smiling, eyes half closed.

“I had a good dream last night,” the blond whispered, not too loud, not to make it disappear.

"Okay," Eddie simply respond, trusting him, and caressing gently the other's curls.

.

Another day, another shift.

Another shift, another shit.

Literally, as they had to get down to rescue a man who had fallen into the sewer. What a day, right?

After that, and a good clean-up, someone had the disastrous idea of giving Buck a clipboard, to check the engine supplies. Don’t blame Hen –she was busy doing crosswords– nor Chim: he was busy checking the engine’s cleanliness.

Suddenly, a hearse stopped in front of the fire station.

“Do we have a dead I don’t know about?” Chim half joked.

But Buck didn’t bother to answer. He was already outside, having left behind his sacro-saint clipboard. Which meant something. Chim didn’t know what, but it meant something.

Buck was standing proudly, watching the passengers getting out of the car. A very pale woman with two raven braids got out of the driver seat, followed by a blond woman with the end of her hair died in pinks, blues and purples. On the back seat, where there should have been a coffin, got out a man with some belly and a distinguished beard and mustache.

“Cousin Intruder! It’s been some time!” The man saluted with warm enthusiasm.

“I believe you know my wife,” the driver said on a tone that seemed neutral to Chim’s ears but not to Buck’s.

“You got married?” Buck enthusiastically replied. “I didn’t know! Congrats Dayday!”

“Father got ordained just for that, but couldn’t stop crying of happiness, so in the end, it was performed by Uncle Fester.” The dark-haired woman explained.

“It was a very small wedding, a few years back. I think you were in Peru at the time? The mail could’ve been lost –that’s what we assumed,” the man explained.

“You’ve got family I don’t know about?” Chim chimed in, curious about Maddie’s (and Buck’s) family.

“These are the Addams,” Buck explained, “they basically adopted me when I rented them a room during my travels, back in, what was it, 2012? 2013?”

“Something like that, yeah,” the man agreed with a nod.

Buck nodded back and introduced them.

“So here’s Pew –Pugsley–, (he pointed to the man), Day-day –Wednesday– (the driver) and her wife, … Sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

“Enid, Enid Addams.” The muscled woman smiled.

“Enchanted to meet you, Enid. I’m Buck, one of the “intruders”, and here’s my brother-in-law, Chim.”

Chim saluted the newcomers, and while having thoughts on their name, he didn’t – couldn’t – comment on it.

“You just arrived in town?” Buck asked.

“Yeah. Father and Mother arrived this morning with Bert. They’re doing tourist-y family stuff at the moment, to celebrate their divorce. But they’ll be there tonight, at your place. I can’t wait to meet your family!” Pugsley declared enthusiastically.

“Divorce?” Chim raised an eyebrow.

“Mother and Father are going through a divorce for their thirty-wedding anniversary,” Wednesday explained in a tone that seemed as welcoming and warm as a morgue room.

Chim’s face was a translation of utter confusion.

“Oh, they’re divorcing for love?” Buck asked with an enthusiasm Chim thought was too much given the situation. “I’ll have to congratulate them tonight!”

“Yeah. Cousin Itt is their lawyer,” Pugsley added. “You know them, they’re having fun.”

“I can’t wait for them to explain that!” Buck smiled. “Sorry, the ring calls me, I need to go! See you tonight!”

“Go do your job!” Enid encouraged, smiling.

“I like her already,” Buck finger-gunned Wednesday.

“You don’t have any words in this, but thanks.” she replied with a small smile as he left.

“They’re a bit weird,” Chim commented in the fire engine.

“That’s because you’re judging them by societal standards,” Buck shrugged, not bothered at all.

“Judging who?” Hen, the gossip queen, chimed in. She and Chim were known as the ‘tea’ of ‘team’, so she couldn’t not know something. Gossip was intel, and intel was power.

“My sort-of adoptive family, who are in town for a few days,” Buck answered.

“Oh, they’re already there?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah. Did you knew that Day-day secured a wife? And that Gomez and Morticia are divorcing for their thirty-wedding anniversary?”

“Day-Day… you mean Wednesday? No, I didn’t. But I didn’t even knew her until a week ago, and I’ve never met her, so…”

“Oh. Yeah. Right. Sorry.”

“No worries,” Eddie smiled, and despite not really believing in God anymore, Buck could be damned for that smile.

“Am I the only one weirded out by the divorce-wedding thing?” Hen wondered out loud.

“No, you’re not.” Chim answered, but the two idiots weren’t really listening.

Bobby simply made a head move that could be translated along the lines of “they’re not bothering everyone so who care about how they express their love to each other?”

It was anyway always more pleasant to think about that smile rather than about the old woman who was stuck in her bathtub. It wasn’t the hardest call they’ve done, but it was a bit awkward, especially for the woman, who kept apologizing for taking their time. She was ashamed to need help. They kept assuring her that it was okay.

She clearly wasn’t the worst person they had to assist. Plus, she wasn’t throwing harsh words or vomit at them, so that was alright.

That evening, Buck was stress-backing while waiting for the guests to arrive.

Chris rolled on his wheelchair to take a cookie, and not even Eddie’s dark glare (“no sugar before dinner Chris!”) could stop him.

Eddie knew that Bert was the most “normal” one, but it was still surprising to see a full goth family and one blond teenager in a soccer polo. It felt like the beginning of a weird joke.

Chris and Bert were only one year apart, and therefore, had a lot to talk about: trends, video games, and music altogether. All of that with expressions and references the adults in the rooms couldn’t get. What was there that could be so funny about 6 and 7? For once, Buck was as lost as Eddie.

On the other hand, Eddie understood why Buck liked the Addams family so well, and why he fitted so much with them. They were all some degree of neurodivergence.

Gomez and Morticia were love bombing each other, exchanging murderous languorous glances and little sentences, and it was so obvious that they were having fun during the whole thing that it was hard not to find it endearing.

They talked about their life apart. Pugsley talked about his job as a civil engineer, about designing things and making them happen, and how fun it was. He was specialized in ensuring accessibility for disabled people, and his current mission was about some building’s entrance.

Then, the subject shifted to Enid’s work (she was a vet), and how that had led her to met back Wednesday (they had been in high school together, but life had separated them before putting them back together). It was a story implying Thing (Second of the Name, may his soul rest in peace), who had cataract and couldn’t see straight anymore. He was an old dog by then.

Anywell. Stories continued flowing around until it was dinner time.

The teenagers were called, and they went to ate into the living room, still exchanging stories.

When the dessert arrived, Morticia made a comment in la language that no one understood, French perhaps, and it was obvious that Gomez was that close to send it all to hell and damn himself for eternity for that wonderful woman. If she had been Eurydice and him Orpheus and they were on Earth’s path, he’d have look behind him so hard he’d damn himself.

He had forgotten they were pretending to be mad to each other to divorce in time to get married again on their thirty-wedding anniversary. She reminded him with a eyebrow move.

At some point after the dinner, as Buck was showing Wednesday and her wife the pictures from his travels albums, and Pugsley had disappeared with Bert and Chris to play some video games in Chris’ room, Gomez and Morticia – who had insisted Eddie called them by their name and not “Mr. and Mrs. Addams” – approached Eddie.

“I’m happy my boy met you,” Gomez smiled like a proud father.

“I agree. You seem to be completing each other rather well.” Morticia added with a cryptic smile.

“Do you know I’ve been ordained a few years back? If you need someone…”

Eddie’s brain short circuited a bit.

“Well. Uh. Funny thing. We uh. Actually. We hum, we’re not even dating. Yet.”

“Oh.”

Morticia gave him a look that meant she knew something the rest of them mortals didn’t. Eddie could swear he had seen Hen with that expression. He should probably introduce them to each other. Or maybe shouldn’t, to keep some equilibrium into the force or whatever.

“But I think our fire captain, Bobby, is also ordained. You should meet!” Eddie enthusiastically stated, while a part of his brain noted that Buck, despite having a lot issues with his biologic parents, seemed to collect parental figures.

“What a splendid idea! Cara mia, you’ve heard that? Meeting Buck’s other parents!”

“I heard Gomez. That would be a splendid idea,” she replied with a cold enthusiasm that felt warm somehow.

“I won’t tell you what I’m thinking,” Gomez smiled to her –given the shine in his eyes, Eddie was pretty certain that it was not family-friendly thoughts (he did not know how right he was).

Morticia simply smiled. And gave her husband a look. One that could contain the world and all its poetry.

There was a little silence, and then, Gomez redden, cough to try to give himself back a countenance, looked around the room, and asked: “Are these Juan Gabriel’s vinyls?”

“Yeah,” Eddie smiled sincerely, relieved for the change of topic, “my abuela’s a big fan of his work.”

“Your abuela has impeccable taste, young man,” the Addams patriarch smiled.

“Yeah,” Eddie nodded. “I know.”

“Maybe we can put one on?”

“Sure!” Eddie agreed, and they discussed a bit about what vinyl to put. When they agreed on one, and that music was starting to get out loud, Gomez extended his hand to Morticia, to invite her to dance.

“A farewell divorce dance?” he asked, smiling like the world outside this house didn’t even exist, and that only this dance and that song mattered.

“Of course, mon cher,” she smiled back, in some mysterious way.

He took her hand, and started to valse slowly in the living room. Eddie glanced at Buck, they exchanged a look, and Eddie extended his hand.

“Want to give it a try?”

“Contrary to you, I don’t know how to danse,” Buck smiled without hesitation, taking Eddie’s hand anyway and raising up to meet him.

“Follow my lead then!” Eddie gave him his smile back.

“Always.”

And they waltzed around. Buck was at first too much focused on his feet, and how bad and unstable he felt.

“Hey. Buck. Eyes up there.”

Buck raised his eyes to Eddie’s. They were warm and loving. They seemed to whisper words too charged and too pretty to be said aloud. Feelings that one glances could express. Feelings so deep and profound no words would do them justice. Feelings bigger that the universe, warmer that the sun, safer that a lover’s hug in bed. Feelings that made you feel so loved and so important that nothing else in the whole wide world mattered.

They were so… so, that Buck couldn’t helped but felt loved. So much. And he loved it. He loved feeling loved, especially by Eddie.

“Put your weight on me. I’ll support and carry you,” Eddie affirmed in a tone that could have been a whisper. It was for Buck’s ears and for him only.

The blond smiled. He loved it. He was home in Eddie’s arms. He let his weight shift from his bad leg to both his good and to Eddie’s body, holding him tighter. He even put his head on Eddie’s shoulder.

They continued to danse around.

Buck noticed in the corner of his eye that Wednesday and Enid had started dancing around too.

At some point, he felt so good he even shut his eyes. He could’ve have stayed there forever and even, dancing in the living room with the man he loved, his head on his shoulder, hearing him humming slowly to the music just for them, guiding him through the room like nothing else mattered.

At some point, sadly –scandalously–, the music ended.

Against his best wishes, and after staying still a few seconds, Buck inhaled Eddie’s scent, and had to open his eyes back.

No one commented on his behavior, as the others couples were too busy with their partners, and Eddie was too busy looking in love.

At the end of the evening, while saying goodbyes, Gomez took a second to whisper to Eddie’s ear: “¡ Más vale que te asegures de ponerle un anillo en el dedo !”

Eddie’s dumb was founded, and he had nothing to answer. What was he even supposed to reply to that?

He just… He got stuck there for a good three full seconds, before the electricity second supply kicked in his brain to keep his body moving, and saluting the people leaving.

“So. What did you think about the evening?” Buck anxiously asked to the Diaz (father and son) after the Addams left.

“It was so cool! Bert showed me tricks and short cuts I’ve never thought about in my Zelda!” Chris was excited. “I got his number, but could he come back playing soon? While he’s here?”

“Yeah, sure!” Buck smiled big, relieved.

“I’m glad we got to meet people you also consider family,” Eddie added. “Because if they’re family to you, they’re family to us. Right Chris?”

“Uh, yeah?” Chris stated, like I it was the most obvious thing in the world. He couldn’t even grasp a universe where Buck wasn’t part of his family.

“Does that mean that you and Buck are finally together, or– ?”

“Wait, what?” Eddie’s brain short-circuited (again).

“What?” Buck couldn’t understand what was currently happening. This couldn’t be happening, right?

Chris had said too much or not enough. He couldn’t just let it there like that. So, he explained, a bit uneased.

“Aren’t you in love? I thought Buck was my stepdad?” He was as confused as the adults in front of him, but for very different reasons.

“At first,” he continued, “I thought that you had been together when I was younger, then had separated and stayed friendly for my sake, but turned out you were never together back then. So I was wondering if you were together now?”

“Uh… We’re… Not currently,” Eddie found an acceptable middle ground.

“I, uh. I do love your dad,” Buck confessed, looking at the ground. Everything but them.

But he – he couldn’t keep it for him anymore. It was too much to bear. Too much love inside. He felt like exploding, bursting out of love. Like a star going supernova, collapsing on itself and releasing it all through space. He felt like the end of the universe and its big bang.

Yet, despite the magma of love flowing through his veins, he felt so normal about this. Like it was supposed to be. Like it was the most natural thing around. Like water was wet, and fire burnt, roses were red, and skies were blue, the sun was shiny and he loved Eddie.

“You what.” Eddie turned his head to Buck so fast he could have hurt himself.

“But, uh, I wouldn’t, I, I, I didn’t want to, to impose my love on you, especially if you didn’t, didn’t want it or, or, or, you know, didn’t–”

“Buck. Shut your brain.”

The blond was so shocked by the formulation that he turned his head to look at Eddie. Who was still watching him with these big brown loving eyes.

“In case my gestures of the past few months you lived with us weren’t loud enough. I want to grow old with you. I want to wake up with you, take breakfast with you, spend my days and nights with you. I want to be with you.”

If Buck’s jaw could go more down than it already was, it would. Thankfully, despite gravity, human anatomy didn’t allow it.

“That means I love you,” Eddie added, just to be sure that Buck got it.

“Oh.”

A pause.

“OH.”

The information had finally got up to his brain.

“You, I, we- wait. WHAT?”

Okay, his brain was still processing.

Like, give him a minute.

“So does that mean that Buck’s a Diaz now?”

Both adults had totally forgotten that Chris was in the room with them, in the room where it happened.

“I…” Eddie struggled a bit to answered. He turned to Buck. “Would you want to be?”

“Eduardo Diaz, are you asking for my hand before we even start going out together?”

“… Eh… Yeah? Apparently I am. So? What do you think, Evan?”

And. If world could start burning fires of love, that name and how it was said would have start a fire so strong it would have been considered stuff of legends.

“In a heartbeat,” Buck accepted. “I’d marry you every day, and not even for tax purposes,” he dropped.

Eddie wheezed out a laugh, and went to hug Buck, who gave him back his embrace.

“Wait. Who’s Evan?”

Chris was still here.

“Oh. You don’t know?” Buck asked, while Eddie was too busy hugging him and being in love. “That’s my birth name. That’s how my birth parents called me.”

“Oh. Okay. Can I still call you Buck?”

“Sure, buddy.”

“Cool!”

And he started to leave.

“Also,” he said, before he left the room, “I’m glad you’re family, and my stepdad. Officially now,” he smiled, and it was so bright that if there had been solar panels inside the room, there would have created enough electricity for the house for a whole month.

Once he wasn’t in the room anymore, it took a few seconds for the adults to digest everything that had just happened.

“Wait. So. Let me get this straight,” Buck started. “You’re not.”

“I’m not?” Eddie raised an eyebrow, confused.

“Straight.”

“Oh. Uh. I don’t know. I just know I love you. I haven’t figured the rest yet. Is that okay?” He wondered, worried.

“Oh, yeah! Of course! Definitely! I can’t care less! You’re the only one I want to be with. I mean, I like both women and men, but you’re the only one I love Eddie.”

Eddie smiled like his– not their son did just a few seconds earlier.

“I’m glad to hear that. You’re the only one I love too, Buck. With Chris, of course.”

“Well, that’s normal Eds, that’s your son.”

“Our.”

“What?”

“That’s our son.”

“I… Is it?”

“Uh, yeah? We raised him together. And, you heard him. For him, you’re his stepdad. So, yeah, you better believe he’s your son too, Evan!”

“Don’t Evan me, Eduardo!”

Eddie laughed.

And, again, Buck wasn’t a believer, but God! If he could bottle that sound to keep it like the most precious thing in the world, he would.

“I can’t believe he didn’t knew I was named Evan,” Buck chuckled.

“Didn’t we tell him at some point?”

“Apparently no,” replied with a laugh the man who was in everything but name a Diaz.

The discussion stirred again, until they were so tired they felt they needed rest.

.

When they looked in Chris’ room, they noticed he was still playing on his computer. After they told him to go to bed, he finally agreed, reluctantly.

“Also, hum, Chris?”

“Yeah?”

“About Eddie and I…”

“Yeah?”

“You’ve made it abundantly clear that you’re okay with it but… Could you not tell anyone else at first?”

Chris raised an eyebrow.

“See,” his father explained, “we need to figure some things on our owns before telling our friends and family.”

“Okay. I don’t really care. We’re family, that’s all that matters.”

“Thanks Chris.”

“No problem. Good night dads.”

“Good night, Chris,” Eddie told their son, smiling, before closing the door.

Chris could nonetheless hear Buck whispering with excitement: “He call me ‘dad’ Eddie!”. He could hear the big smile in his voice. That made the teenager smile.

That evening had been a lot, physically (dancing, standing) and emotionally, so going to bed was more than welcome.

“Did you always thought about us growing old together when I’m massaging your leg?” Eddie asked while he was doing the evening care on Buck’s knee.

“Yeah,” Buck murmured. That seemed the appropriate tone. It felt like a secret revealed, let out of its box.

Eddie looked up to meet Buck’s blue eyes. They were so deep. If he could, Eddie would swim in it, sail on his glances and get lost on an adventure in them.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked. It hadn’t felt the right moment to kiss until now.

“Please do.” Buck’s words were polite, but the look in his eyes? It was devouring, filled with a feverish passion. It was as if Buck couldn’t survive the next five seconds without kissing Eddie.

So they kissed.

It felt like the right thing to do. It felt like he belonged there. It felt like it was the right place to be. It felt like the universe finally aligning itself to be just right. Like their atoms were meant to be together. It felt like breathing again after having been in the water for some time. It felt like watching the sun rising on a cold morning. It felt like happiness. It felt like home.

When they stopped kissing, it appeared evident to both that they couldn’t live in a world without that. Without the other. That there was no way in Heaven, Hell or Earth that they continue their life without the other in it.

So they would keep being together.

Marriage was just a formality at this point. If Buck had asked Eddie to find a opened city hall to legally get married right that instant, he would have do it in an heartbeat.

Buck did not ask that, though.

In the dark, in the comfort of their shared bed, he however asked: “when we’ll be comfortable to tell others, who would you tell first?”

And. He wasn’t expecting that. So he had no idea what to answer.

“I’d like to tell my sisters. And Abuela and Pepa. I don’t know if I can trust my parents on this right now. As for work, probably Hen. And Karen, and Maddie. And Bobby. An then Chim. Because if we tell him, everyone will know. I love him – not as much as you –but he and Hen love gossip too much.”

“True.”

“And you?”

“I think Maddie first. Then, perhaps do a general announcement at work?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think they suspect something?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think we can play them?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we could continue to act like we do, and see if they notice?”

“That could be fun actually,” Eddie reasoned.

“That meant we couldn’t kiss there,” Buck sadly half-complained. He was a grown man, he could spend a few hours without kissing his boyfriend (!!).

“Yeah. But that’s good too, right? We don’t have to always kiss. Plus, that would make each kiss tastier and more precious, don’t you think?”

“Hmmm… Yeah, you’re right!”

So they did as planned.

It appeared that their coworkers were less smooth than they thought they were. Especially Chim. He almost voluntary hit his head to a wall when Eddie and Buck had a romantic-ish interaction after the whole “raccoon apocalypse of Downton” but didn’t do anything about it.

Buck and Eddie talked about it with Gomez and Morticia (their children had left: Wednesday and Enid back to their place, and Pugsley had took Bert to a fencing week-end), and they each appreciated the moment very much.

.

Buck told Maddie, who took him in her arms. He asked her not to say anything yet. Her smile was so big! She was so happy for her baby brother!

They also told Bobby, for paperwork, but also asked him not to say anything to the others. Their chief agreed, of course. He nonetheless mentioned how happy he was for them.

The Addams left, but not without a few advices and asking to write to them often. That, and to invite them to the weeding, of course. They obviously agreed.

And life went on.

Sure, things continued happening. Emergencies, for one. Gomez and Morticia divorce, and then wedding. It was a beautiful moment (Buck, and with him Eddie and Chris were obviously invited). Chris was happy to met “his cousin” (Bert) and Eddie was pleased to be introduced to some other “cousins intruders”.

And then, it was time to reveal it at work. They didn’t really know how to do it.

The revealed started slow. It was just another Wednesday at the station. Hen was doing crosswords. Buck was discussing with Chim about organizing Maddie’s birthday. And Eddie was on his phone, waiting for something.

Buck had noticed, of course, but even him didn’t know why. It was weird.

At some point, Eddie looked more excited. It made Buck frown and cut mid-sentence. Chim noticed, of course.

“What?” He turned, followed Buck’s eyes (it wasn’t really hard to guess what – or rather who – he was looking at), and saw Eddie smiling like an idiot. “Oh. Well, maybe he found someone and is talking with her? Or them?” Chim added after a second.

“Hm? No, that’s not it,” Buck stated absentmindedly, without really caring about that. He knew Eddie wasn’t talking to his partner because Eddie wasn’t talking to him.

Chim looked at him with a shocked face.

“How do you know?”

“Hm?”

“How could you know Eddie hasn’t find someone?”

“Oh, I know he has.”

“WHAT?” Chim exclaimed. Hen looked at them, rising an eyebrow. Chim looked around, then whispered: “what?”

Thankfully, Eddie was too busy with whatever he was doing on his phone to notice.

But Buck didn’t answer, too concentrated on Eddie. Who saved him to answer in a way, rising and going downstairs like he was urging himself down the aisle.

“What the- Buck, you know him best, what the fuck was that?”

“I have no idea,” Buck answered sincerely. “Don’t look at me like that, I don’t know more than you!”

“Well, I don’t know; you’re the one who know him best.” Chim stated.

“True. But with that face, that could be either the Pope, his lover or the reincarnation of Juan Gabriel, so...”

“Juan who?”

Buck gave him a ‘dishonor on you, dishonor on your family, dishonor on your cow!’ look.

“Wait, rewind, his lover? Eddie has someone?” Chim was baffled.

.

“Did I hear gossip?” Hen arrived, as if summoned (she had been disturbed too much by Chim’s loud voice for not participating in the conversation). She and Chim were the ‘tea’ of ‘team’ after all.

“It’s not–”

Buck was once again saved by Eddie, this time coming back with a girl.

Chim raised an eyebrow to him, in a “see?” fashion. But Buck wasn’t looking at him. Rather, he was looking at her.

“Judith?” He asked.

“Hey Buck! How are you?” She smiled.

“I’m good!” He went to salute her. “How about you? What are you even doing in LA?”

“Oh, I was in town,” she glanced at Eddie, “so I thought I could come say hi! I’m good by the way, thanks!”

“You don’t introduce us?” Hen asked, approaching.

“Oh, yeah, sure! So, Hen, Chim, Eddie, this is Judith, a friend of mine. She’s another Cousin Intruder! We meet at the family reunion the Addams gave a few years back. How are you doing? You were in Chicago last I’ve heard?”

“I’m in Seattle now,” she smiled. “I’m a jeweler!”

For a brief second, Buck frowned his eyes to Eddie. It was a ‘blink and you miss it’ move. Chim didn’t, however. He had no idea what it meant, but it meant something.

Back at home, Buck confronted Eddie.

“Tell me the truth. You called her for a ring, right?”

“Don’t spoil my surprise Evan,” Eddie complained, accentuating Buck’s birthname.

“That’s unfair, I don’t even have a ring!”

“I could remedy to that problem,” the Texan smiled big, getting a small box out of his pocket.

“You kept my ring into your pocket?!”

“Do you ever stop complaining?” He chuckled, playfully.

“You love me for it,” Buck joked, with a bit of self-awareness and some need of reassurance.

“Yeah, I do. Of course I do! Speaking about ‘I do’. The ring. You want it?”

“Of course I want it! But I would have wanted to get you one too!”

“Actually… I asked Judith for two. If you want to propose with that one?” Eddie offered.

And that. It was these kinds of attention that made him continue loving Eddie that strongly every day.

Eddie opened the box. There were two sets of rings inside: some in beautiful metal, and others in silicone, for work.

“Close your eyes,” Buck asked, and Eddie did as asked. He heard Buck’s footsteps going away from him in the room, then coming back. He heard a chair being put near them. He felt a change in the weight he was holding, and heard clothes movements, and some noise he couldn’t really place. He frowned.

“You can open your eyes.”

Eddie did.

In front of him, Buck was on one knee, holding a chair for balance.

“Buck, don’t hurt yourself!” He made a move toward the other.

“Don’t! Let me ask you first!”

“Okay.”

“Eddie. Eduardo. Wait. Do you have a second name?”

“I don’t. Do you?”

“No. My parents didn’t care enough to give me one. Maddie does have a second one, though.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah."

A silence.

“Anyway, this is not about them. This is about us.” Eddie affirmed.

“Yeah,” the other smiled. “So. Where were we again?”

“You were about to propose.”

“Oh yeah right! Eduardo Diaz. Eddie. Would you accept to be burden with me until your last breath?”

Eddie dropped to be on his knees, at Buck’s height.

“It’s not a burden Buck! Evan. Look at me. You’re not a burden. I love you and I don’t want you to ever think that you are not worthy of that love. Because you are. You’re worthy of it. You deserve it. You deserve to be loved and to know that you are loved, and no just by me, but by our son – yes, Chris is yours as well –, and our friends and colleagues. And also, if I didn’t marry you, my abuela would never forgive me,” he joked.

Buck burst out of laughing. Eddie smiled softly. He loved to hear that sound.

“Everything for abuela,” Buck he chuckled.

“Yeah. But more importantly. Buck. I’ve known you for six years, going on seven. And now that I’ve spent some times with you, romantically, I mean, I just… I realized that I can’t live without you in my life. You’re not only my best friend, but also my co-parent, my partner at work and in life, and you’re grounding me in way I didn’t know I needed grounding. You’re here through good and bad moments, and even if, when, not everything’s perfect, you’re still here. And… I don’t see myself growing old in a world without you near me. Having you as my boyfriend made me realized that you were my plan A, but also my plan B.”

He had to stop to take a breath in. He locked his eyes with Buck’s. They were filling with tears.

“You have beautiful eyes,” Eddie dropped in a murmur. “I always loved the color of your eyes, and how time doesn’t seem to have a hold on it.”

“They’re watching after you,” Buck whispered. “They saw you. I saw you. I see you. How your glances soften when you see or talk about Chris. How you laugh with all your body. How you love to put pictures of us in the house, and how you like humming tunes with your chest. How much you dislike technology but how you still know how to make the alarm clock work to remind me to take my meds. How you are always here, like a lighthouse. I see all of that, and more, and I love it. I love seeing it, and I love seeing you. I love you, and I want to grow old with you. I want to drive around and cook for you.”

“And I’ll do the laundry and the dishes.”

“I want to explore all of that and even more with you. I really want to be there with you in all, the joys and the bads. I’ll be there Eddie.”

“I know. You’ve been there for years.”

“So. Will you let me do your taxes? Wait, no, I already do those. We’ll have taxes together. Focus Buck. I’m sorry Eddie, you deserve a proper ask. I did research on that, you know. Did you know that wearing a white dress wasn’t common in weeding until Queen Victoria?”

Eddie smiled. He loved hearing Buck rambling.

“I did not know, no.” he kept smiling.

“So. Anyway. Eduardo Diaz. Eddie. Air of my lungs and light of my days. Will you marry me?”

“In a heartbeat and without hesitation! Of course I’ll marry you Buck. But only if you marry me too.”

“Marry you too… What do you think this is Eddie?!”

And Eddie laughed.

“Enough talking, give me my ring,” his face lightened.

“Okay, okay, give me your pretty hand, handsome man!”

“Here.”

Buck took Eddie’s hand, and he couldn’t help but hold it for a bit. It was soft and felt nice to the touch. He liked Eddie’s hands. He put a ring on it. Eddie was radiating. He then took Buck’s hand, and also put a ring on it.

“So. What do you think about it? Until life do us part or whatever?”

“I don’t think you could get rid of me that easily,” Buck half joked, given his health report.

A darkness went through Eddie’s eyes, weighting enough for three minutes and seventeen seconds.

“I know you don’t believe in God anymore,” he said, “but I hope we’ll be together to the end of this life, and be together in whatever comes after.”

“I’m perfectly fine with that,” Buck couldn’t help but grace the whole room and its insider with the most radiant smile the universe contained –in Eddie’s totally unbiased opinion.

Eddie gave Buck his ring, and both of them lay down on their backs on the floor. Buck was holding his hand in the air, looking at the ring.

“It’s really well made.”

“Yeah, I know. I asked Judith for them. Gomez introduced me to her, at the re-wedding. He and Morticia thought they were dating at first, you know?”

“Really?”

Buck turned his head to Eddie, only to saw that Eddie was looking at him.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“Clever people.” Buck noted.

“Yeah,” Eddie chuckled.

They stayed a bit on the floor.

Then, it was time to get up to pick Chris from school. Eddie got up, and helped Buck up. Obviously, Buck took that opportunity to kiss Eddie once standing. It wasn’t as if his boyfriend (!!) (future husband!!) was complaining anyway.

Their smile was so big it was obvious that something good happened.

When they arrived at the school, they found Chris with some of his friends. Their smiled grew bigger when they heard him telling his friends: “Bye guys, my dads are here!”

Buck loved to be called Chris’ dad, and Eddie loved hearing people recognizing Buck at the second father of their child.

When they came back at work on next shift, they both wore their silicone bands. It was time. Now felt right.

Hen noticed it on Eddie’s first.

“You got yourself someone?” She asked inconspicuously.

“Yeah,” Eddie grinned like an idiot.

“Wait, Buck, you too?” Chim raised an eyebrow.

Wait a minute…

“Yeah. I got myself husbanded by the best person on Earth and beyond.” Buck got on a giant smile.

“Agree to disagree,” Hen stated, “you’re not married to my wife.”

“I second that,” Chim added. “But with my wife, obviously.”

“We’re not married yet, Buck.” Eddie dropped.

“Could’ve fool me,” Buck answered with of his brightest smile ever. So bright one could need sunglasses.

“Wait a minute.” Chim’s neurons were almost there.

“What do you mean, you’re not married yet?” Hen frowned. If what she thought was happening…

“As in, marrying each other?” Chim added, excitation rising. Was it it? Was it the moment? Everybody stayed calm, it could be happening!!

Bobby came across with a mug he needed to refill to finish some paperwork.

“Ah, so you told them?” He asked the couple.

“Sort of, yeah,” Buck confirmed.

“By the way, we would need you to officiate our wedding some day,” Eddie added.

“Ah. Well, yeah, of course! You know my back garden is always available for these kinds of things. What’s your delay?”

“One week? Perhaps longer? Or shorter. We don’t really know,” Buck explained.

“Whenever we’re all available,” Eddie compromised.

“Oh.”

“So this is happening,” Chim whispered to Hen, just to confirm he wasn’t dreaming or hallucinating.

“Yup. It is really happening,” she confirmed.

“Well, Thursday at 6pm? How does that sound?” Bobby asked.

“That would be great!” Buck stated. Then, to Eddie, “well, maybe it’s a bit short to make your sisters come?”

“We’ll need to call them tonight before fixing a date, yeah,” he agreed.

“Speaking about sisters, does Maddie know?” Chim wondered.

“Yeah,” Buck revealed. “I asked her not to tell you anything before we were ready.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, I’m glad you’re telling me… well, us, now then.”

“Yeah, thanks for trusting us with that.”

Buck and Eddie did not know what to say, so they just smiled big.

And then, the ring rang.

.

The wedding planning wasn’t that hard, actually. They texted Wednesday, Pugsley, and Bert (Gomez and Morticia didn’t have a phone and the home phone was always busy with Gomez talking to telemarketers or spam-callers) about it, as well as Judith and some others cousins intruders.

Eddie also called his Abuela, Pepa and his sisters, who took it well and agreed to come. But he didn’t have enough faith in him to call his parents. To reveal this to them. To think they would accept him. Not with how they raised him. He’ll tell them one day. But not before the wedding. Not before Chris was legally adopted by Buck. Which could take up to three to six months, according to the internet (and Buck’s searches).

Eddie wouldn’t want them to risk trying to take Chris from him and Buck under some homophobic pretense or some real concern due to ignorance. So he didn’t told them. For them, and until he told them, his wedding day would be for them just another Thursday.

.

Two days before the wedding, they took the afternoon to find suits. They could’ve celebrated in their usual attire, but they both thought the other deserved better, so they went in to find nice suits.

On one hand, Buck, Maddie, Bobby, Athena, Wednesday and Enid.

On the other, Eddie, Chris, Chim, Hen, Wade – a friend from school, back in El Paso – and Aaron – a friend he made in the army and whom he reconnected with a few weeks back.

.

And then, the day finally arrived. And here Buck was. In his soft red velvet suit. Waiting for Maddie to get him to join at the altar the man he would share the rest of his life with.

They had come in different cars, so Buck had no idea what Eddie would look like, or what color his suit would be. He assumed it would be navy blue (Eddie’s favorite color), but he only had one way to find out. He couldn’t wait.

In a few minutes, he’ll walk in to his friends, families and some colleagues, to the man he’d spend the rest of his life loving, and whom he would come home with with their son.

In a few minutes, he’d be Evan “Bucky” Diaz (still “Buck” at work, to differentiate him from Eddie). And the Buckley name that he was born into would die with his biologic parents. He couldn’t even feel sad for not inviting them today.

Today was his day. His and Eddie’s. He was nervously adjusting his tie for the third time in a row in front of the mirror when Maddie arrived. He didn’t notice her at first.

She observed him a bit. Her brother. The kid she had to raise when she was a teenager. Him who she was so proud to call her family.

“I’m so proud of you Evan.”

He turned, and saw her getting a tear out.

“Oh, don’t cry!”

“These are tears of joy. You look beautiful! I’m so glad to be the one walking you to the altar.”

Buck hugged his sister. He couldn’t be happier and prouder to be her brother, and it was reciprocated.

“I love you Evan,” she told him, still hugging. “I’m glad you build yourself such nice relations.”

“Love you too Mads! I’m glad you’re still part of my life.”

They said nothing more for a bit. Then, Maddie stopped the hug.

“We need to go now. You wouldn’t want to make your husband wait!”

“You’re right,” he chuckled.

He went out the door.

Maddie looked after him, and whispered: “I know you’d be proud too, if you knew him, Daniel.”

Then, she smiled, and joined the brother she would walk to the altar, for him to start a new chapter in his life.