Work Text:
- Coffee
Hen is sipping on her morning coffee, immersed in her latest hobby, Sudoku, when she hears the quick footsteps of one Evan Buckley coming up the stairs two at a time. It’s a sound they haven’t heard for a while in Buck’s absence, when he was healing from his crush injury, but no one ever has the same excitement in their steps as their golden retriever.
Especially since there’s one person who gets Buck really excited, and that person just so happens to be sitting on the other side of the table.
“Eddie!”
Yep.
“Morning, Buck,” she says, knowing it’s probably useless now that Buck’s attention has narrowed onto Eddie.
And lo and behold, Buck only gives her a brief greeting before saddling up next to his best friend, presenting Eddie with a tumbler with a dramatic flourish.
“For you,” Buck chirps. “Try it, try it.”
Hen ignores the puzzle in front of her to subtly watch the two, always interested to see what these two are up to.
That’s how she sees Eddie frown at the tumbler, lifting it and inspecting the thing like it’s offended him. “You didn’t have this before.”
She barely hides a snicker when Buck flounders at the comment, immediately explaining himself.
“Okay, I know you said it’s a waste of money to buy new things back to back, but, come on, Eddie. My old tumbler was getting all beaten and scratched up, and yours is on the brink of falling apart. So I made the executive decision of donating mine and buying a set - you know, the cheaper option - for both of us!”
Hen sighs. Here they go again.
The thing is, Buck spends his fortune - the result of his grandparents gifting him with at least ten shares of stocks that have become powerhouses since he was a baby - a little…willy-nilly, and it became a little bit of a tense contention point when the guy first started at the 118. But despite how much they told him that he can’t use money to bribe them into letting him stay, they found out real quick that Buck just wants to help and make people happy like his life depends on it. And if that means more coffee and food for them?
Well, they weren’t going to complain.
But then Eddie entered the scene. Eddie, who is a single father raising a son on a firefighter’s salary in one of the most expensive cities in the United States. Eddie, who will skip on their not-Buck-sponsored coffee run to save a few bucks, opting for their plain, cheap coffee at the station. Eddie, who does not like pity and will do everything himself.
So when he and Buck became friends and Buck did his thing?
Oh, Eddie was not happy. Even when Buck had done things that included everyone, like three coffee runs with pastries during the week instead of two, so Eddie could have the coffee he likes, Eddie was not happy.
Somehow, that ended up with Buck buying a coffee machine - and not even one with the exorbitant, six-hundred-dollar price tag - so he could still provide Eddie with coffee without the man lecturing him. And that somehow turned into Eddie entirely, miraculously curbing Buck’s spending habits.
It was such a relief when they realized what was happening that Hen still remembers the feeling because, yes, they mourn the frequent amazing coffee, catering platters, and well-meaning gifts going around, but at least Buck isn’t trying to bankrupt himself anymore.
Not that Buck and Eddie don’t still have moments like these, when Buck’s need to provide and help toes Eddie’s bottom line on how much can be spent on him.
“It’s still cheaper than buying you a seven-dollar cup of coffee every day, Eds,” Buck whines when Eddie continues giving him an incredulous look after trying the coffee offered and immediately wheedling about what Buck put in it to make it so similar to his favorite order. ”All the ingredients will last at least a week, and didn’t cost me more than 20 bucks.”
Realizing that Buck is telling the truth, Eddie pats Buck’s arm as he takes another sip, making the blonde give him a mega-watt smile.
God, it’s like watching a slow-burning romance series or a romcom, only neither of them has ever expressed interest in the same gender. But it fits. Buck, the wealthy one, is interested in Eddie and piling him with gifts, and Eddie, the poor coworker, will not let Buck throw money at him, expressing displeasure until Buck reins it in. Then, somehow, someway, Eddie’s heart finally gets stolen because he realizes that Buck isn’t just about the money, and poof! They’ve got a couple.
If only that were the case…
Because watching them can sure be painful.
“And the tumbler set was from the Target clearance section! Clearance! Sure, they’re matching, but I don’t think you’d mind at $20 a pair, right?!”
(Hen is too busy sighing in defeat to notice Eddie’s pleased smile when Buck quietly and shyly whispers, ‘I figured we could use them as a couple’s set.’)
- Ride Sharing
When the sound of a car door slamming reaches her ears, Carla isn’t surprised when excited chatter follows, getting louder and louder until the front door opens and Christopher Diaz yells, “Dad! Buck!”
Because why would Buck and Eddie arrive separately when they could arrive together?
Honestly, those two boys…
She understands a lot about them at this point, of course, having known Buck and Eddie for two years and one year, respectively. She understands that L.A. is not an easy city to afford living in, especially if your child has special needs, so Eddie tries his best to provide. Buck, being Buck, will always help, especially the people he holds dear. When Carla had first met him, that had been mainly monetary help, but, unfortunately (or fortunately), Eddie was never going to have it. Even knowing him for a handful of weeks, Carla had known that.
So this weird sort of compromise had bloomed, and it still befuddles her to this day.
Because how codependent can two people be without being more than friends?
The shared rides actually make the most sense in their whole relationship, though it’s still a bit odd, especially after Buck’s leg got crushed by that firetruck, and their need to share a ride seemed to increase.
Sure, Eddie’s truck is on its last legs, and it saves the man gas, but how does Eddie let Buck go out of his way to pick him up - when Buck isn’t staying over, that is, which also seems to happen more often than not based on how many of Buck’s clothes she found in the laundry room - slide?
“Superman!” Buck shouts as soon as he spots Christopher, lifting the kid up and swinging him around, eliciting the cutest happy squeal Carla has ever heard from the nine-year-old. “How was school?”
Eddie looks on fondly at the scene, and Carla has to hide a sigh, wishing above everything else that Buck and Eddie would both see what is right in front of them.
God knows Buck deserves someone like Eddie as a life partner. Especially after what happened with Abby.
(She will never forgive Abby for leaving. Never. That precious boy deserves better.)
Instead, she grins, looking over her boys to make sure they’re not too banged up from work, especially since they’re an hour later than expected. When she spots none and no other signs of distress, she teases, “So, was it groceries today or the newest coffee shop Buck wanted to try?”
At least Eddie has the audacity to be sheepish at being caught, holding out what she assumes is an offering. “Coffee shop. He can’t shut up about how terrible the bear claw was.”
”It was!” Buck defends his opinion, setting Christopher down. “Why was it so tough?”
”I’ll give him that,” Eddie acquiesces. “It was tough. But the sandwiches were good, so we - well, Buck - got you one. And a blueberry danish for Christopher because that was good too.”
”Just how many things did you two try?” she laughs, accepting the food. Again, precious boys. Both of them. Always so caring. “A bear claw, a danish, and I’m assuming two sandwiches?”
Buck pouts, a look that should not be so endearing on a man closer to thirty than twenty. ”Eddie wouldn’t let me get more.”
”They wouldn't even be good if you kept them for later.”
”You were eyeing those cruffins.”
Looking caught, Eddie avoids Buck’s eyes to take the small box she takes out from the bag, handing it over to Christopher, who takes it with a cheer.
Suppressing a teasing smirk, she suggests, “You two could always go together again. Not like you aren’t going everywhere together. I’m not sure if I’ve seen Eddie’s car leave the driveway in the last two weeks.”
“I either pick them up, or they’ll end up stuck in traffic with a failing A/C.”
”And if I don’t let him pick me up, he’s gonna do something like fill up my gas tank. Or bring it into the shop when I’m not looking.”
Huh. That would explain why Eddie lets Buck drive him around everywhere. Although that still leaves the question of what time they don’t spend together. Because between work, grocery trips, and their little adventures, Carla sure doesn’t know what personal time they have.
No one can blame her for questioning their codependency when she puts it that way, right?
“This is really good, Dad!” Christopher suddenly exclaims, blueberry jam on the corner of his mouth as he polishes off his treat in another bite, mouth full as he continues, “Can we go together next time?!”
Buck grins, bright and happy. “Of course. Then we can persuade your dad to let us get a dozen pastries together, deal?”
”Deal!”
When Eddie starts to protest, Carla decides to leave them be, shaking her head.
Ah, these boys are hopeless, aren’t they?
(It won’t be until later - much later - that she’ll finally realize that there was never a need for them to take separate vehicles. After all, they can’t go on dates at different places, right?)
- School Event
Bobby finds himself at the store on a nondescript Tuesday afternoon, taking a stroll down the baking aisle of their local store, when he finds the kid doing the same.
Normally, this wouldn’t be an impossible situation. He knows Buck sometimes likes browsing different stores, looking for particular brands of things, and the one Bobby and Athena live by just happens to have the kid’s favorite organic, local honey.
What is peculiar, though, is the small mountain of baking supplies that is in the cart along with the honey.
“Kid.”
Buck startles, before turning to him with excitement in his eyes. “Pops!”
Bobby chuckles, pushing his cart closer so he can take a look at what Buck has picked up so far. “Do leave some supplies for the rest of us.”
“I don’t know if it’s enough,” Buck admits, which surprises Bobby because everything in Buck’s cart can make enough baked goods for the whole station four or five times over. But, likely knowing where Bobby’s thoughts are going, Buck almost immediately clarifies, the bag of coconut shreds partially swinging as the young man waves his hands around as he says, “It’s for a PTO event at Christopher’s school. But with all the kids, too. And, you know Eddie, he'd sooner buy a tray of cookies than make them himself, and I couldn't let that happen, could I? Especially with Christopher's reputation on the line.”
“On the line?” he parrots, amused as Buck’s expression turns so serious when talking about Christopher. It’s a nice look on the kid’s face, especially with how little the kid had to genuinely care for to that degree when they first met.
He would never have guessed that snatching Eddie Diaz for the 118 would be this fruitful, but he’s certainly glad it worked out this way.
Buck nods vigorously, like he's trying to hammer the statement in. “Yeah. You know how vicious some of those kids are? If Christopher shows up with a Walmart platter of cookies, what happens then? And the parents? Oh, don't get me started. Eddie still won't shut up about Janet.”
Okay, as glad as he is that Buck and Eddie have forged a bond like no other, he…does not want to know.
“So you're making it instead? To help Eddie? And he’s letting you?”
Bobby might not be privy to exactly how Buck and Eddie navigate Buck’s wealth and Eddie’s stubbornness to accept help, meaningful or not, but surely, Eddie wouldn’t appreciate Buck dropping a bunch of money into baking for Christopher’s school event?
The kid pouts. “There’s no ‘letting’ in this case. It was either let me spend money to bake or buy a dozen platters from different places.”
Okay, now that makes sense.
“So I’m going to make cookies, cupcakes, loaves, brownies, cinnamon rolls, mini pies-”
“Kid, we haven’t even gotten to half of those yet.”
That shuts Buck up in the middle of his tracks, like he completely forgot that Bobby hasn’t quite taught him some of those things.
“Uh…they can’t be that hard, right?”
Bobby gives him a stern look, one reserved for their cooking lessons, the ones that started after Bobby found out that Buck lived off of take-out and promptly wrangled the kid into cooking. Because rich or not, no one should have to live off take-out.
No one.
“Why don’t you just do cookies, brownies, and cupcakes? All kids like those. I can teach you how to make pies and loaves for next time.”
“But it has to be this time!” Buck insists with determined stubbornness on every inch of his face. “Janet will not say another thing against Eddie!”
He almost rolls his eyes.
Of course, Buck’s worried about Eddie’s reputation, too.
Why wouldn’t he be?
“So I’m going to take it personally this year.”
And in the face of that determination?
Well, no one can blame him when he offers, “Then how about I teach you how to make the best apple pie known to mankind right after you finish your shopping?”
The reaction that the offer gets him - a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, eager kid - is worth every one of Athena’s eye rolls when she realizes he forgot to make dinner.
(Bobby won’t know that when Buck said it’s going to be personal, he meant it quite literally, having already made plans with Eddie for all three of them to attend the PTO event as a family unit so Buck can rub their baked goods in Janet’s face.)
- Groceries/Costco
No one can ever say Chimney Han does not like to eat. If it’s offered, if it’s not, he will eat it.
So when he gets into work one morning, coffee already in hand, he has to stop at the top of the stairs when he finds a mountain of food on the table.
More specifically, a mountain of plastic boxes that you see at wholesale stores, filled with all sorts of goodies.
Oh yeah.
That has to be for them, right?
Right?!
He wants a croissant!
Unless it’s spiked, of course, which, in that case, it’ll be a hard pass from him.
“Buck brought them in.”
Chimney snaps his head to look at his partner, who, surely enough, has a half eaten danish in her hand.
Yes!
“Thanks, Buck!” Chimney tells the younger man as he passes him and Eddie at the table, always appreciative of the food he brings in, regardless of whether it’s from some fancy place that he’d never consider buying from or from Costco.
Food is food, in his humble opinion, taking a seat after nabbing two croissants and a danish. There’s plenty to go around, and they can’t let it go to waste, can they?
“You’re welcome!” Buck chirps, a bright grin on his face, before the other turns to his best friend, proud. “See?”
Eddie rolls his eyes, though Chim doesn’t think it’s heated whatsoever. ”Whatever you say, Buck.”
“Look, you’re the one telling me to save, so I am! I'm saving by not getting everyone fancy pastries from the bakery downtown and buying from Costco instead!”
“Oh, I'm sure that's the only reason,” Hen mutters sarcastically as she joins them at the table, taking a bite of the danish she picked out. “Not that I'm complaining.”
“Me neither.”
Buck glares at them half-heartedly before turning back to Eddie.
“And you know how you said I shouldn't be buying all those snacks for Christopher? Well, they’re cheaper at Costco. Along with some LEGO. And organic apples. And meat. And dairy. And-”
”Okay, okay, I get it,” Eddie laughs, hands raised in defeat, and Chimney wonders if Eddie normally acquiesces so easily to Buck’s monetary whims. “The $130 Costco membership is not just to help me. Good job.”
Unsurprisingly, Buck preens at the praise. “So, want to go after work? Get some things for dinner and tomorrow?”
“Do I even have a say?”
”Not if you want that breaded chicken dish you like.”
Chimney quietly bemoans not having whatever amazing dish Buck is bound to be referring to, instead shoving another croissant into his mouth.
(He’s too busy munching down on the food Buck bought to even spare an extra thought about Buck cooking dinner for Eddie, as well as meals for the next day. After all, Eddie can’t cook, and Buck isn’t necessarily spending too much money, one of those loopholes in their weird agreement about what Buck can do to help Eddie save some money. How was he to know that Buck was basically living with his boyfriend at that point?)
- Mortgage
When her brother doesn’t answer the door in five minutes of her standing outside his apartment, Maddie naturally freaks out a little.
Because what if something happened? She doesn’t think Buck’s leg has been bothering him, but that’s not saying much considering Eddie had been the one to catch signs of Buck’s clotting issue, which would have possibly led to an embolism, rather than her brother himself. So what if something happened and Buck hadn’t caught the issue? What if he’s in his apartment, alone and dying, while she’s out here?
It doesn’t even help that he’s not answering his phone!
She knows he’s in there, too! Because that’s what her brother said when she texted earlier to ask if she could come over!
With her heart already halfway in her throat for the brother she has left, Maddie fishes out the spare key Buck had given her, trying to stop her hands from shaking nervously as she slides it into the keyhole and throws the door open-
To be met with stacks of boxes.
Mind stuttering to a pause after her brief rush of worry, Maddie simply stares.
Then stares some more.
“Buck?” Maddie calls out when her mind goes back online, wondering where in the world her brother is and what is going on. “Are you here?”
“Back here!” There’s a shuffling somewhere she can’t see, and she cautiously sidesteps the boxes in front of her to get to where the TV is - or, was, apparently - to find Buck surrounded by obstacles all around him. ”Hey, Maddie!”
She eyes everything warily, noting Buck’s phone on the kitchen counter, far, far away from her brother, and how he doesn’t seem able to get out of his situation. “What is going on, Buck?”
“I’m moving.”
”I can see that.” What else would bring the mass of boxes on? “But you never mentioned anything about moving.”
And, look, she respects her brother’s decisions. He’s a grown man now, after all. But she worries, okay? Besides, moving isn’t exactly a small decision that can be reversed if need be.
“Oh, I’m just moving in with Eddie.”
What?
Maddie takes a moment for herself, waiting for the shock to change to annoyance and then to acceptance.
Of course.
Of course, her brother is going to move in with his crush.
Not that he realizes it, though.
She mentally sighs, wondering if she should be more pushy about that particular matter. As it is, though, there are some things that can’t be rushed as much as she wants to knock some sense into Buck’s head.
Because why would Buck look at Eddie the way he does if it wasn’t a crush? Why would Buck spend hours upon hours with Eddie if it wasn’t a crush? Why would Buck do anything for Eddie’s attention and approval if it wasn’t a crush? Why would Buck do so much for Eddie if it wasn’t a crush?
It’s a crush. A big, fat, obvious crush that her brother can’t see because he’s in denial.
Maddie breathes out slowly and subtly, getting back onto the topic at hand. “I thought Eddie didn't have a guest room?”
”Oh, we figured it out.”
”And you’re sure you two will be okay living together?”
”Why wouldn’t we be? I’m not a guest anyway. Besides, it saves us both a bunch.”
Hearing that, she once again thanks Eddie for somehow managing to curb her brother’s spending habits and that Buck’s taking saving a little more seriously than he was before. On the other hand…
She doesn’t pray for patience, but it’s a near thing.
Instead, she smiles, praying for her brother to finally realize what he wants so badly is right in front of him. ”Well, good. I’d hate to house you because you bankrupted yourself,” she teases, getting her a sputtering protest that is enough to stave off the headache that is Buck and Eddie.
For now.
(What Maddie doesn't know is that her brother practically lives at Eddie's anyway and that moving in together was just a formality in cementing what they want together in the future.)
+1. Engagement ring
Athena loves her friends and family. She really, truly does. But there are times when she questions their intelligence and observational skills, including Hen's, who has always had a good eye.
Because what do you mean they don't realize Buck and Eddie are together? All the signs are there!
Surely, they can't miss this one, though.
Her eyes track the duo on the couch by themselves, Christopher having made himself scarce the moment Harry and Denny had appeared in the boy’s line of sight. And, normally, she wouldn’t keep such a keen eye on them because, although she is very happy for them, who wants to see how nauseating they are?
Today is different, though, because she had spotted them the moment Buck and Eddie had walked through her doors.
Rings.
They’re nothing crazy, just plain, simple rings no more than half a centimeter in width, but it doesn’t mean they don’t mean more.
A lot more.
But, surely, they wouldn’t dare get married without telling anyone?
The ramifications of not disclosing a workplace relationship aside - which she will lecture them about once the secret comes out, thank you very much - Buck and Eddie must know how much their family would want to celebrate them.
(Surely, they won’t take the chance to plan a wedding for one of her kids, biological or otherwise, away from her?)
So she watches with a keen eye from the kitchen island, noting the soft smiles and brief touches that had always marked Buck and Eddie’s relationship. But there’s also a clear want in their eyes, like they want to be even closer to each other and are hardly able to refrain from doing so, too into the secret-keeping they’ve been doing for months now.
Not that the secret won’t be out by the end of the night.
Hen is certainly getting there within the next three minutes, having clocked the new accessories just now. Athena actually watches as she does a double take before realization slowly but surely dawns on her, nothing stopping her from coming to her own conclusion.
Because why else would Eddie be wearing a ring? Accessories not being the man’s style aside, Eddie’s not the kind of person to spend frivolously on something that’s not essential.
So the ring on his finger must be essential.
Soon, Hen has Chimney’s attention, and Athena watches, amused, as they chatter between each other, both of their eyes wide as they flick between each other and Buck and Eddie.
Naturally, their reaction doesn’t escape Bobby’s notice, who frowns by the grill, watching his team with no little suspicion. Then, after flipping the burgers he’s working on, his eyes track from Hen and Chimney over to Buck and Eddie, his eyes rapidly growing when he lands on the new accessories.
“So, when did you figure it out?”
Athena grins, sipping her wine before she admits, “A while. Hard not to when they’re like that.”
There’s no need to clarify what ‘like that’ means, especially when it’s clear that Karen knows exactly what she’s talking about, a smirk on her lips.
Ooo.
“And you?” she asks, curious as to when Karen realized, considering Hen hasn’t.
“Oh, I don’t know. Sometime around when Buck moved in with Eddie. Everything just made sense after that.”
”And you didn’t clue Hen in?”
Karen shrugs, unrepentant. “Not really my job. Besides, it’ll teach her to stay on her toes.”
She snorts, raising her glass at the other woman. “I think all of them can use that lesson.”
Soon after that, everyone - including Maddie, who had joined them after getting off work - descends into chaos, a flurry of demanded answers and questions.
”What do you mean engaged?”
“Uh, as in, about to get married?”
Honestly, if she couldn’t tell that Buck was highly amused by the reactions they’re getting, Athena would actually think he’s confused. As it is, Buck is definitely gleeful, and Eddie probably even more so.
Chaos gremlins, the two of them.
“When did the two of you even get together?”
”Two months after the truck bombing, give or take,” Eddie tells them.
“Seven weeks and two days after.”
”That.”
A beat passes before another, everyone so still you could hear a pin drop. Seeing this, Athena shares an amused look with Karen and sips her wine.
As ridiculous as the whole thing has been, she’s definitely getting a year’s worth of entertainment from it.
“How’d the two of you even keep it a secret for so long?” Hen questions, looking even more confused than she was before.
“We’re not Chim.”
”Hey!”
Bobby turns to look at her as the team bickers back and forth, gaze assessing, and she lets him, shrugging with an ounce of guilt in the world.
Not her fault that they’ve been in the dark this whole time, when Buck and Eddie haven't exactly been hiding it.
“You knew,” Bobby notes as he comes to his conclusion, the observation finally drawing everyone’s attention to her.
“It was kinda obvious,” she drawls, looking at them with an expression that will make sure they know just exactly how dense she thinks they’ve been. “Just the matching tumblers gave it away.”
Hen frowns. “But that was just Buck getting Eddie something without risking his ire.”
”What about everything else?”
They look at each other, likely going back over the past year or so of interactions between Buck and Eddie, both of whom are way too delighted by this chaos.
It’s Bobby who decides to risk admitting, “That’s just…Buck and Eddie.”
”A little too Buck and Eddie,” she corrects, looking over at a now snickering Buck. “And you two are not off the hook. Who decided it would be a good idea to hide it with your jobs?”
Buck sobers up real quickly, sitting ramrod straight. “We wanted to get our footing first?”
”Is that an answer or a question, Buckley?”
Athena takes great joy in the way Buck cows under her stare. “Sorry. But it didn’t actually affect anything, did it?”
”But what if it did? You're going to risk everyone's lives because you wanted to keep your little rendezvous a secret?”
To her relief, Buck and Eddie both look thoroughly chastised. chastised, the former ducking his head. “Sorry, ‘Thena.”
”Yeah,” Eddie murmurs genuinely. “Sorry.”
”Good. I'd better hear that you boys turned in the paperwork on your next shift, capiche?”
”Yes, ma’am.”
Athena nods, satisfied. “Now, when’s the wedding?”
The look that the two share has her immediately wary, a feeling that everyone else seems to mirror. Then, ever the more talkative between the two, Buck, after a slight nudge from Eddie, goes, “Uh…tomorrow?”
What?
”Tomorrow?” she parrots, very unimpressed. “Evan Buckley.”
“Hey, it's cheaper that way! Eddie definitely wouldn't mind!”
“Do not put all the blame on your fiancé. If you-“
But even as everyone descends into even more chaos, trying to figure out plans to attend the wedding, last-minute catering and arrangements, and how exactly Buck and Eddie got together, Athena can’t help but think she wouldn’t exchange these people for anything else.
Even if they are a little dense and stupid from time to time.