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The quiet of the house was oppressive. It was a beautiful home, the kind of place Buck should have been filling with loud laughter, the clatter of pans in the kitchen, and the bright, relentless energy that usually defined him. Instead, the air felt thick with the lingering, suffocating weight of the past few weeks.
Maddie pulled the bedroom door shut behind her, the soft click of the latch echoing too loudly in the hallway. She rested her forehead against the cool wood of the door for just a moment, closing her eyes. Her chest ached with a phantom tightness, a remnant of the terror that had gripped her when she got that 911 call.
Overdose. The word still made her blood run cold. Buck had hidden it so well. After the agonizing, world shattering grief of losing Bobby, Buck had put on his best, brightest mask. He had smiled, he had worked, he had checked in on everyone else. And all the while, he had been drowning. After the kidnapping, he had turned to anxiety medication to quiet the terrifying echoes in his mind, and painkillers to numb an ache that was as much mental as it was physical. He had spiraled in silence until his body simply couldn't take it anymore.
Taking a deep, shaky breath, Maddie pushed herself away from the door and walked quietly down the hall toward the dining table.
Since Buck had been released from the hospital, she and Eddie had become a relentless two person army. They tag teamed his care, establishing an unspoken but ironclad rule, Buck was not to be left alone. Not for a single second. Maddie had been with him all day, watching him stare blankly at the walls, coaxing him to take sips of water. Now, with her overnight shift at the call center, Eddie had arrived to take the night watch.
Eddie was already sitting at the dining table, the soft glow of the light casting long, tired shadows across his face. He looked exhausted, bruises of sleeplessness painted under his dark eyes, his shoulders slumped under an invisible weight. As Maddie approached, she saw two mugs on the table. A wisp of steam curled from one of them.
Eddie pushed the mug toward her as she sat down.
"Thanks," Maddie whispered, wrapping her cold hands around the warm ceramic.
"No problem," Eddie replied softly, his voice rough around the edges. He looked toward the hallway, his jaw tight. "Is he...?"
"He's asleep," Maddie said, taking a small sip of the coffee. It was strong, exactly what she needed.
Eddie let out a long exhale, some of the tension bleeding out of his frame. He nodded, staring down at his own hands. "Good. He needs it."
"He does," Maddie agreed, her heart twisting. "His body has been through a war, Eddie. His mind, too. Sleep is the only time he looks even remotely at peace right now."
Eddie rubbed a hand over his face, the rasp of stubble loud in the quiet room. When he looked back at her, his dark eyes were bright with unshed frustration and a deep, agonizing helplessness. "I just... I don't know how to help him, Maddie. I look at him, and he’s so fragile, and I don't know what to do to fix it."
Maddie reached out, placing her hand gently over his. "You are helping him, Eddie. You're here. You have been by his side since this happened. That's what he needs right now. Just... presence."
Eddie swallowed hard, turning his hand to lace his fingers loosely with hers. He offered her a sad, searching look. "How are you coping with all this? Honestly?"
Maddie felt the tears prick the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them back. She needed to be strong, but with Eddie, she didn't have to pretend. "I'm heartbroken," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I'm heartbroken for him. And I'm so angry at myself. I wish I had noticed earlier. I'm his big sister, Eddie. I'm supposed to see through the mask. I should have known he was struggling this much, that he was self medicating. I should have seen how much pain he was in over Bobby, the kidnapping, over everything."
"Yeah," Eddie whispered, his gaze dropping back to the table. "Me too."
A heavy, mournful silence settled over the dining table. They sat in their shared guilt, two people who loved Buck more than anything, wondering how they had missed the signs.
"While I was in El Paso," Eddie started, his voice barely above a murmur, breaking the quiet. He paused, staring at his coffee mug as if gathering the courage to speak.
Maddie tilted her head, giving him a gentle, encouraging "Keep going."
Eddie took a breath. "I couldn't stop missing him. It was a physical ache, Maddie. I would wake up in the morning, and my first thought was just that I wanted to see him, or hear his voice. So, I would FaceTime him. And it helped, seeing his face on the screen, but... the missing him, it never went away. It was always there, right in the center of my chest."
Maddie nodded slowly, her thumb gently stroking the back of Eddie’s hand in understanding.
"I told myself it was normal," Eddie continued, a self deprecating huff escaping his lips. "I haven't ever really had a best friend like him before. So I thought, 'Yeah, this makes sense. I miss my best friend. That's what happens, you know?'"
Maddie smiled softly, a genuine warmth pushing through her exhaustion.
"But then I came back," Eddie said, his voice dropping into something heavier, something bruised. "Because Bobby died. And I was grieving, Maddie. I was so sad, I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. But the second I saw Buck... the very first time I saw him after months away, I looked at him and I just felt like everything was going to be okay. Like the world made sense again."
Eddie pulled his hand back gently, wrapping both of his hands around his mug, though he didn't drink. "But then he started pulling away from me. He kept a distance, and I got so mad. Because we aren't supposed to do that. We don't pull away from each other. And I couldn't figure out why him not wanting to talk to me felt like I was being gutted. It hurt so much, but I was going back to El Paso, so I just... I packed it away. I didn't think about it."
Maddie rested her chin on her hand, her eyes locked on his, nodding for him to continue.
"Then the building collapse happened," Eddie's voice tightened at the memory. "Ravi and Buck got stuck. And when the dust finally cleared, and we locked eyes... I just felt home. Right there, in the middle of a disaster zone, I felt home. But I was still leaving. Chris comes first. He always comes first."
"Of course he does," Maddie agreed softly.
"But then I stayed," Eddie said, a small, sad smile touching his lips. "And when Buck found out, he was so happy. You should have seen his face. But then, almost immediately, he told me he was moving out. So that Chris and I could have our house back." Eddie shook his head, looking utterly baffled by the memory. "My heart just sank. I didn't want him to move out. I wanted him there. When he told me he was going to sublet my place so I could be with Chris... Maddie, no one has ever done something like that for me. No one has ever just handed over their space, their life, to make mine easier. But when he said, 'I'm moving out,' it hurt. It felt like a rejection, and I still couldn't figure out why."
Eddie leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. "With all these thoughts about Buck spinning in my head, and the whole situation with Chris, Kim, Marisol... and grieving Bobby... I felt like I was losing my mind. So, I went back to therapy."
Maddie’s eyebrows raised slightly in pleasant surprise. "I'm glad, Eddie. Truly."
"Yeah," Eddie chuckled, though it was devoid of humor. "It was a lot. Then Alex came along to help with the Abigail thing. And it was weird, because both Abigail and Athena questioned if Alex and I were together. They kept looking at us like we were a puzzle piece that was supposed to fit. But it felt strange. It didn't fit at all. It just made me feel odd."
Eddie stared off toward the dark living room, his eyes distant. "Then my Abuela's words started playing in my ears. She told me once, 'You are looking for love in the wrong places.' And my mom's voice, constantly in my head, telling me Chris needs a mother. I realized that my whole life, I've just been searching for a mother for Chris. I wasn't looking for a partner for me. I was trying to fill a role."
He looked back at Maddie, his eyes wide and vulnerable, shining with a sudden, terrifying clarity. "So, during therapy, we talked about all of that. The women, the expectations, the way I felt about my best friend. And eventually, after a lot of sessions, I realized something."
Eddie took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm gay, Maddie."
The words hung in the quiet dining room. Eddie looked terrified, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Maddie didn't hesitate. She immediately reached across the table, grabbing both of his hands in hers and squeezing them tightly. Her heart swelled with so much affection for the man sitting across from her.
"You are the first person I have told that to," Eddie whispered, his voice cracking.
"I am so honored you told me, Eddie," Maddie said, her voice thick with emotion. She beamed at him, her eyes shining. "I am so incredibly proud of you."
Eddie let out a breath that sounded like a sob, his shoulders dropping two inches as relief washed over him. He squeezed her hands back, a genuine, albeit watery, smile breaking across his face.
Maddie tilted her head, putting the pieces together. She gently asked, "Is that why you bought yourself at the bachelor auction?"
Eddie let out a wet laugh, swiping a hand under his eye. "Yeah. I just... I had just worked out I am gay, literally a few days before Chimney announced that stupid auction. I wasn't ready to pretend to go on a date with a woman. I couldn't do the performance anymore. I was still coming to terms with my sexuality, let alone explaining it to the world."
"I get that," Maddie said softly, completely understanding the overwhelming nature of such a realization. "It makes total sense."
"But during the auction," Eddie continued, his tone turning serious again, "Buck was up there on stage, and he said he was looking at settling down. Finding 'the one.' And Maddie... it hit me so hard it felt like I couldn't breathe. Because I realized, right then, that I want to be the one he settles down with."
Maddie beamed, a bright, beautiful smile that reached her eyes.
Eddie laughed, a blush creeping up his neck. "I was so relieved when those old ladies won him. I think I would have lost my mind if some gorgeous woman had taken him home."
Maddie laughed quietly, the sound light and musical in the heavy house.
But Eddie's smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. "Then Nashville happened. And I thought I lost him. When I saw him safe, I just knew I didn't want to wait anymore. I decided right that second that once we got back to LA, I was going to tell him how I feel. I was going to ask him out."
"Why didn't you?" Maddie asked gently.
Eddie sighed. "I just wanted Buck to get home first, get settled. And... after everything that happened with Chris, I needed to know if he was okay with it. Plus, I wanted to come out to him first."
Maddie looked confused, her brow furrowing. "But you just said I'm the first person you've told?"
Eddie offered a self deprecating smile. "It's a lot harder to come out to your son, who just fled the state because of his dad's dating life, Maddie."
Eddie laughed at his own self, and Maddie gave him a deeply sympathetic smile, her heart aching for him.
"And besides," Eddie continued, the shadows returning to his face, "Buck wasn't himself. He was acting strange, distant. I was starting to worry that he wasn't the same man I knew that came back from Nashville. He was so closed off. So I started to hover. I was constantly checking on him, asking if he was okay, and he hated it. He pushed back."
Eddie let out a dark, hollow laugh. "He really didn't like it." Maddie chuckled softly, knowing exactly how stubborn her brother could be.
"But then..." Eddie's voice broke. He pulled his hands from Maddie's and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. "Then this happened. The overdose. Maddie, when we arrived and I saw him... my heart, it just broke. It shattered. I have never felt this way before in my entire life."
Tears began to spill over, tracking down his cheeks. He didn't try to hide them. "I love him, Maddie. And I can't lose him. I can't. I haven't even told him. If he had died thinking I was just his annoyed best friend... I wouldn't have survived it."
Maddie immediately stood up, her chair scraping softly against the floor. She walked around the table and pulled Eddie into a tight, fierce hug, pressing his head against her shoulder as he cried quietly.
"You won't lose him," Maddie whispered fiercely into his hair, rubbing his back. "Do you hear me? You are not going to lose him. We will help him through this. We will get him back on his feet. And then, you are going to tell him exactly how you feel."
She pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes, her expression fiercely determined. "And you are both going to get your happily ever after together. With Chris. And maybe another kid down the line. Buck has always wanted a daughter, you know."
Eddie let out a wet, breathless laugh, wiping his face. A spark of pure hope lit up his tear filled eyes. "I would like that," he whispered. "I would really like that."
"You'll get it," Maddie promised. "But you will be able to tell Buck you are in love with him."
Eddie looked at her, his expression suddenly incredibly vulnerable, like a child asking a question he was terrified of the answer to. "Do you think he feels the same?"
Before Maddie could even open her mouth to answer, a sound from the hallway made them both freeze.
"You're in love with me?"
The voice was quiet, hoarse, and thick with emotion.
Maddie and Eddie spun around so fast Eddie nearly knocked his coffee mug over. Standing in the hallway, clinging to the doorframe for support, was Buck. He looked impossibly pale, his sweatpants hanging loosely on his frame, his eyes wide and completely shocked.
"Evan," Maddie gasped, instantly slipping into older sister mode. "You're supposed to be in bed." She started to step toward him, her hands outstretched to guide him back to his room.
But Buck held up a shaking hand, stopping her in her tracks. He wasn't looking at her. His red rimmed, exhausted blue eyes were locked entirely on Eddie.
"Eddie?" Buck whispered, his voice trembling so hard it threatened to break apart entirely.
Eddie stood up slowly. He didn't look away from Buck. He didn't look at Maddie for help. For the first time in his life, Eddie felt zero hesitation. He took a deep, steadying breath, squaring his shoulders.
"Yes, Evan," Eddie said, his voice surprisingly firm, ringing clearly through the quiet house. "I am in love with you."
Buck stared at him. A tear slipped free, tracking down his pale cheek. He swallowed hard. "I feel the same way."
The words were fragile, breathless, but they hit Eddie with the force of a freight train. Eddie smiled wide, a brilliant, blinding smile that erased the exhaustion from his face. He felt incredibly happy.
His chest felt lighter than it had in years.
But as he looked at Buck shaking, frail, heavily medicated, and barely holding himself upright, the reality of the situation anchored him.
Eddie took a few steps forward, stopping just a few feet away so as not to overwhelm him. His smile softened into something deeply tender and fiercely protective.
"Then," Eddie said softly, his tone leaving no room for argument, "you are going to heal. You are going to get better, mentally and physically. We are going to get you through this. And then, I am taking you on a date."
Buck looked at him, the heavy, deadened look in his eyes finally cracking. Slowly, beautifully, the corners of Buck's mouth lifted. It was small, and it was weak, but it was the very first smile either of them had seen on his face since the accident.
"I would love that," Buck whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.
Beside the table, Maddie pressed a hand to her mouth, tears streaming down her face at the sight of her brother's smile. Eddie felt his own eyes burn, his vision blurring with happy tears.
Eddie turned his head slightly to look at Maddie. "Thank you, Maddie."
Maddie nodded in deep understanding, wiping her cheeks. She walked over to Buck, gently cupping his face in her hands and pressing a tender, lingering kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Evan. But go to bed. You are supposed to be resting."
Buck leaned into her touch for a second. "Okay."
Maddie gave Eddie one last, glowing look before turning and quietly letting herself out the front door, leaving the two of them alone in the house.
Eddie turned back to Buck, his heart beating a steady, comforting rhythm in his chest. "Come on, Buck. Let's get you to bed."
He stepped close, gently wrapping an arm around Buck's waist to support his weight. Buck leaned into him heavily, a sigh of relief shuddering through his frame as they slowly made their way down the hall and back into the dark bedroom.
Eddie helped Buck climb under the covers, making sure he was settled before stepping back. "I'm right outside if you need anything," Eddie said softly, turning toward the door.
"Wait," Buck croaked, his hand shooting out from under the blankets.
Eddie stopped, turning back immediately. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"
"Would you stay with me?" Buck asked, his voice small, vulnerable, stripping away the last of the walls between them.
Eddie didn't hesitate. "Yeah. Of course."
Kicking off his shoes, Eddie climbed into the bed next to Buck. He moved carefully, acutely aware of Buck's tender body, but as soon as he was settled, Buck shifted, closing the distance between them. Eddie reached out, pulling Buck gently toward him until Buck's head was resting securely on his chest. Eddie wrapped his arms around Buck, holding him close, feeling the steady rise and fall of Buck's breathing against him.
Buck let out a long, shuddering sigh, his body finally melting into the mattress, the tension draining out of him as he was held by the man he loved. Within minutes, the rhythm of Buck's breathing evened out into deep, peaceful sleep.
Eddie laid awake for a long time, staring at Buck, one hand gently stroking the hair at the nape of Buck's neck.
Buck wasn't ready to start a serious relationship right now. He had mountains to climb, grief to process, trauma to heal from, a dependency to conquer. It was going to be a long, difficult road. But as Eddie held him in the dark, feeling the warmth of Buck's body against his own, he felt nothing but profound peace.
He knew what was coming. He knew the happily ever after was waiting for them on the other side of this darkness.
And Eddie couldn't wait.