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“Theo, slow down, buddy!” Eddie called after the curly-haired boy.
If there was ever any doubt in Eddie’s mind over Theo being Evan Buckley’s son (there wasn’t- the child managed to climb an electrical pylon chasing after a balloon for crying out loud), that doubt would have dissipated immediately when interacting with the boy for more than five minutes.
For starters, he was nothing but a ball of pure energy; always moving, talking 50 miles an hour, and obsessed with learning new things. He might not have inherited much of Buck’s looks beyond the thick curly mop that sat on his head, but he was a carbon copy in terms of personality.
Which is probably why Eddie had grown so attached to the kid so quickly. Buck had had custody of Theo for just under two months after finding out that Kameron and Connor had passed away when Eddie realized Theo had so easily slipped into their lives that he could barely remember what it was like before Theo got there.
He supposed that was a Buckley trait; falling in-step with people so seamlessly and rooting themselves there without any effort. It was something Eddie loved so much about Buck, so of course it extended to Buck’s kid too.
They- Eddie, Theo, and Chris- were currently at the LA county Ren Faire; Buck was on-shift, much to his disappointment, covering for Sanders who was out on maternity leave. The boys were both so eager to go (after Chris had extensively told a wide-eyed Theo all about Ren Faires) so Eddie had offered to take the boys the first weekend, and they already had plans to come back later with Buck on a weekend they were all available.
Buck was obviously sad that he couldn’t make it to Theo’s first Rem Faire- ever since their encounter with the LA Faire a few years back, Buck had gone almost every summer, often taking Eddie and Chris along with him. Eddie knew he hated missing the opportunity to be there for this, but he knew Buck hated the idea of disappointing his son even more. So, he had conceded to Chris and Theo’s begging to let Eddie take them alone, but on the condition that Eddie send them lots of pictures; a condition that Eddie and the boys all swiftly agreed to.
“Theo!” Eddie called after the boy, unable to not grin at the kid’s enthusiasm.
He was a few yards ahead of them, gazing wide-eyed at all of the stalls and patrons around them. Eddie’s back was stiff- a sign of his aging bones that he was not going to let himself dwell on for too long- so he was moving a bit slower than the almost four-year-old. Chris chuckled next to him, shaking his head.
“He’s Buck’s kid,” Chris said. “That’s for sure.”
“Hey, you were plenty energetic yourself,” Eddie told him with a teasing smile.
“Yeah, but I got most of that from Mom,” Chris countered lightheartedly. “The rest came from Buck after he started hanging around.”
Eddie couldn’t argue with that. He just laughed, slinging his arm around his son’s shoulder as they caught up with Theo who had obediently stopped in his tracks, waiting for them.
Eddie ruffled his hand through the boy’s curls, earning a delightful giggle from him thay sent warmth through Eddie’s chest. “You’ve gotta stay near us, okay, bud? I’m moving a little slow today and I can’t keep up.”
“Okay, Eddie,” Theo grinned up at him with an expression that was so undeniably Buck, Eddie couldn’t help but smile.
“Alright,” Eddie clapped his hands together, looking between the two boys. “What do we want to do first?”
“Theo, you get to pick,” Chris said. “There’s a really cool wooden toy shop over there which has some really cool stuff, or there’s the petting zoo, or we can start with some games.”
Eddie smiled as his son rattled off the different activities he’d been so fond of when he was a couple years younger and first started coming here. He watched as Theo pondered his options, his little eyebrows furrowing together, his mouth scrunched up in thought.
“Petting zoo,” he said with an official nod of the head- this was obviously a choice he was taking very seriously.
“Great choice,” Eddie grinned, ruffling Theo’s hair again. “Chris, why don’t you lead the way?”
“Come on, Theo,” Chris said, with more excitement than he’d probably admit to anyone not there to witness it before he and the boy started to make their way towards the petting zoo.
Eddie stood back, watching them for a moment; his heart fluttered at the sight of the two boys walking away together- something pulling at his chest as he couldn’t help but smile.
He quickly took out his phone, snapping a pic and sending it to Buck. Buck immediately hearted the picture before replying:
Buck (ICE):
Look at my guys ❤️
Where are they headed off to?
Eddie smiled at the term of endearment Buck had used for both Chris and Theo together as he typed out his own reply.
Eddie Diaz:
Petting zoo. Chris’s suggestion.
Buck (ICE):
A great choice.
You better send me lots of pictures. I’m sitting here stuck with boring old B-shift and need the dopamine boost.
Eddie Diaz:
If you’re that bored I can always say the Q word for you? I know I’m not at the firehouse, but I’m sure the universe will understand.
Buck (ICE):
Don’t you dare.
I’d rather sit here in the bunk room all shift looking at pictures of Theo having the time of his life than be out on calls right now.
Eddie chuckled again as he typed a response.
Eddie Diaz:
If you’re too busy I can just not send you any photos.
Buck (ICE):
🖕
Eddie sent a laugh reaction before pocketing his phone and making his way towards the petting zoo. He caught up with Chris and Theo as they stood outside an enclosure of goats. He took another picture before stepping up to them, putting his hands on Theo’s shoulders.
“Want me to lift you up so you can reach, bud?” he asked to which Theo nodded.
He grabbed the boy under his shoulders, letting him plant his feet on one of the fence’s wooden beams which gave him ample height to now reach over the fence to pet the goats.
“Be gentle, okay?” Eddie told him as one of the goats slowly meandered over to them.
“Okay, Eddie,” Theo nodded reverently as he slowly reached out a hand towards the goat.
He gently brushed his fingers down the long bridge of its nose, letting out a hushed giggle as he did. “He’s not soft!”
It wasn’t a complaint; it was merely an observation and Eddie couldn’t help but smile at it.
“A lot of animals don’t have soft fur,” Chris told him. “They just look like they do, but the thicker fur helps keep them safe from rain or getting sunburned.”
“Wow,” Theo whispered as he continued petting the goat in front of him.
They slowly made their way around the zoo during which Theo got to feed a donkey as Eddie snapped a photo and sent it to Buck who reacted exactly as you’d expect.
They spent the rest of the morning going back and forth between different activities. They stopped by the wood toy store Chris had mentioned, watched a magic show, stopped by the armor-smith where Eddie bought Theo a toy sword (look, you try telling that wide eyed kid no when he looks so enamored by the overpriced plastic), and a less-fake display sword for Chris to hang up in his room.
They’d decided to save games for the afternoon, so they made their way to the jousting arena, finding decent seats relatively close to the action. Theo was enthralled, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the performers as he sat the stillest he had all day watching the show.
Eddie grinned at the boy sat to his left before turning and looking at Chris on his right who was watching the show with a small, contented smile.
“Hey,” he nudged him with his shoulder, getting the teen’s attention. “Thanks for being willing to do this today. I know Theo’s having a great time.”
“Of course I was willing,” Chris told him. “I’m having a good time too. And I like getting to spend time with Theo, he’s like a mini Buck.”
Eddie looked back over at the little boy who had since tuned them out. “Yeah he is.”
As the show wrapped up, Eddie felt his stomach rumbling, looking between the two boys as they exited the stands in front of him. “What do you say we find something to eat?”
“Yes!” Theo nodded, looking up at Eddie with wide eyes.
“Yeah, I’m starving,” Chris agreed as they began to make their way towards the food stalls.
They got their food and drinks before making their way to a small sitting area that was nothing more than a bunch of hay bales scattered across an open part of the field that the faire was set in. Eddie helped Theo cut up his turkey leg into smaller pieces that made it easier for him to eat before digging into his own.
As they ate, Theo rambled on about how much fun he was having. Eddie took a couple photos of him eating and sent them off to Buck as Theo finished his rambling, taking a couple bites of his food.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, bud,” Eddie told him, brushing his curls off his forehead.
“I can’t wait to come back with daddy next time!” Theo said excitedly, his feet kicking back and forth as he ate and talked. “We have to show him everything!”
“I’m sure he’ll love that,” Eddie smiled at the boy before sharing a knowing look with Christopher.
Buck knew that Ren Faire inside and out, but of course there was no way in hell he wasn’t going to pretend not to for Theo’s sake. Eddie felt a small rush of something in his stomach imagining Theo dragging Buck around the faire- the two of them dressed in matching outfits, Buck engaging with the boy with just as much excitement as Theo.
That image reminded him so much of how Buck used to act around Christopher, and he would be lying if he said he hadn’t missed seeing that Buck. He saw it sometimes with Jee and Nash, but it was never quite the same.
“Hey, we should get a picture for Buck!” Chris said, nudging Theo’s arm with his hand.
“Yes!” Theo agreed excitedly, standing up and grabbing his toy sword.
Chris stood next to him as Eddie pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the two boys- both of them grinning ear to ear.
“Very handsome,” Eddie smiled at them as he snapped a couple more photos.
“Now one with you dad!” Chris said.
Eddie was about to protest, waving off Chris’s words when Theo let out a loud gasp.
“Please?” he looked up at Eddie. “Can we all get a picture?”
And how was Eddie going to say no to that?
He glanced around and spotted a young, college-age girl in an elf costume a few yards away. He stood from his seat and approached her with a timid wave.
“Hey,” he smiled at her, “Sorry to bother you, but- would you mind taking a picture of us?”
He gestured behind him at Chris and Theo as the girl looked over his shoulder. “Absolutely!”
Eddie handed her his phone before he positioned himself behind Theo and Chris, crouching down to wrap an arm around Theo’s front and placing his other hand on Chris’s shoulder as the boys leaned into him.
“Everybody say cheese!” the girl in the elf costume instructed, the three of them doing as they were told. “Look at you all- so handsome in your matching costumes!”
Eddie looked down and- yeah, they were all matching a little. They had all dressed in basic brown pants, tan tunics, and black lace up boots; they each also wore a light-colored vest and dark velvet capes over their shoulders. Buck had gone shopping for all of the items and had somehow managed to find all of them in coordinating colors from various thrift stores.
Eddie wasn’t sure if it was intentional on Buck’s part, but he supposed the three of them looking like a unit was fitting… Of course, knowing Buck, it probably was intentional.
“Daddy picked them out!” Theo told her. “He has one for him too at home. He’s at work today though.”
“Well, I bet he’s going to be so happy to get these pictures,” the girl smiled, snapping a couple more pictures before lowering Eddie’s phone.
Eddie stood, taking the phone from the girl’s hand as he gave her a polite smile. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course,” she told him. “Your sons are the cutest; I hope you can bring them back again with your partner soon.”
Eddie felt himself go through whatever the physical equivalent of a bluescreen was in that moment. He felt something hit him square in the chest as his cheeks began to tingle at the implication.
She thought- she thought that Theo was his son…. And that Buck was his partner.
Oh.
“Y- yeah, we- we’re planning on all coming back next week,” Eddie found himself telling her. “We’re both firefighters so it’s- tricky to plan around.”
“Well, your boys are lucky to have two dads who are willing to take them places like this,” she said. “And your partner picked out great outfits for you all. Love the hobbit vibe.”
Eddie felt like his face was burning as he stumbled out another thank you before the girl walked off to rejoin her group.
From behind him, Eddie heard the sound of an exaggerated groan, turning to see Theo poking Chris with his toy sword and Chris wincing and grabbing at the spots he was being poked as if Theo were actually hurting him, all while Theo giggled excitedly. They looked like brothers.
Eddie’s heart felt like it had become lead as he watched the two boys for a few moments, the realization of… of everything washing over him in that moment.
He loved Theo like he was his own… of course he did. Is that not the same thing Buck had done with Chris?
God, Buck…
Eddie would be lying if he said, especially recently, it hadn’t been a fleeting thought. Late at night, unable to fall asleep, thinking about life and his parents… it would often lead to him thinking about what he wanted from life- not what they wanted, and oftentimes he’d drift off to thoughts of how content he was with Buck. He’d never consciously acknowledged that as anything romantic before, but now- god it was so obvious, wasn’t it.
Of course he loved Buck. Of course he was in love with Buck. Now that he thought about it, it was the most obvious thing in the world.
He loved him, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. He wanted to be Theo’s other dad, he wanted to give Chris a little brother for real.
He was snapped out of his thoughts for a moment when Chris called his name, Chris looking at him expectantly.
“Sorry, bud, what did you say?” he asked.
“Theo and I both need to use the bathroom,” Chris told him. “Can I take him?”
Eddie nodded for a moment before his brain finally caught up with him. “Yeah, yeah, that’s- are you sure you don’t want me to come help him?”
“Nah, I’ve got him,” Chris said, and it reminded Eddie so much of how he used to act with his sisters when he was younger… god, it should have all been so obvious.
As the boys walked towards the outhouse-aesthetic restrooms, Eddie sat down on the hay bale they’d sat on while they ate and pulled out his phone. He looked through the pictures of him and the boys that the girl had taken before sending them to Buck.
He silently examined one of them again, quickly changing it to be his lock screen before Buck hearted the message and sent through a reply.
Buck (ICE):
Look at all my favorite guys!
Wish I was there with you :(
Eddie’s heart fluttered as he sent back a quick reply, reminding Buck that they’d be back in a week. He closed his phone before tapping the screen again to view the new lock screen- staring silently at the photo as he took it in.
He got lost in the moment, staring at the picture, that he didn’t realize Chris and Theo had gotten back yet until Chris asked what he was staring at. Eddie waved it off, pocketing his phone as he stood and asked where they ought to go next.
Theo was excited to try out some of the carnival games that were set up a few yards from the food stalls. Eddie gave Chris some money to go get them some funnel cake while Eddie took Theo to play some games.
They reconvened at one of the ring tossing booths, Eddie and Chris both cheering Theo on as he made a valiant effort to try and get the rings over the bottles set up behind a counter. He didn’t make all of them, but he managed to get enough that he still won a small dragon plushie (though Eddie suspected that had more to do with the young girl running the booth being endeared by the boy more than anything).
As they made their way to the next booth, Eddie watched as Chris and Theo excitedly talked about dragons together, both of them sharing what facts they knew about them (that they’d both learned from Buck, obviously), once again underlining the clear sibling dynamic they already had.
It stayed on his mind throughout the rest of the day as he let Theo and Chris drag him around the faire. He felt a bit lighter on his feet, as if something had been lifted off his shoulders- a door opened to a whole new light.
As they drove home, the sun setting and Theo knocked out in the backseat, Eddie kept looking at the little boy in the rear view mirror as every single interaction he’d had with him over the past two months was suddenly completely recontextualized.
“I think he had a good time,” Chris said, breaking the silence.
“Yeah, I think so too,” Eddie smiled softly.
They fell into another peaceful silence as Eddie continued to watch the road, his eyes occasionally flicking up to look at Theo in the backseat.
“You know, I heard what that elf girl said,” Chris broke the silence again, his voice calm and steady. “How she thought Theo was- was your kid.”
Eddie glanced over at Chris for a moment, unable to read his son’s tone. “Oh?”
“And how she assumed you and Buck were together,” Chris continued.
“Right,” Eddie exhaled, a strange stirring developing in his stomach as he was unsure what direction this conversation would take.
“I guess I just-“ Chris said, pausing for a moment, “I want you to know that- that if that were true, I’d- I’d be more than okay with that.”
Eddie felt his breath hitch in his chest, his throat suddenly feeling thick. “Y- You would?”
Chris picked at the fibers of his pants as he nodded. “I’ve- I’ve always kinda looked up to Buck as a second dad, and- and I guess when I was younger I used to hope that someday maybe you two would…”
He trailed off, Eddie feeling his heart pounding in his chest. “We would what?”
“That you would date each other,” Chris admitted. “That was before I really understood what sexuality was and that you couldn’t necessarily just… pick and choose who you were attracted to. But I still used to think about it a lot.”
Eddie swallowed the Texas sized lump in his throat as Chris continued.
“I know you’ve only dated girls,” Chris said, “But ever since- since that woman who looked like mom and- and all the Marisol stuff, I guess I just… I’ve kinda wondered if you were ever really that into them?”
Eddie didn’t know how to respond to that. He’d be lying if he said the thought that what he felt, or rather tried to feel for both Marisol and Ana had been more of an act than anything; an attempt to rekindle what he’d thought he and Shannon had.
But even as he thought about the Shannon of it all, the more he found himself realizing that what he felt for her did not align with how any of his married friends spoke about their relationships- both the good and the bad parts. He’d been slowly working towards reconciling with the fact that Shannon had been his best friend, and… well, not nothing more than that, but not as much more as he initially thought.
Not as much as he feels for Buck.
“Dad?” Chris’s voice softly broke through Eddie’s thoughts. “You know that- that you being gay would be okay, right?
Eddie hesitated for a moment.
“Honestly, Chris, I-“ Eddie sighed. “I don’t know if I am gay… I’ve never really thought about- about what I would label it.”
“But you have thought about it,” Chris said.
Eddie nodded slowly, taking a deep breath and letting it out through his nose. “Yeah. I have.”
Chris nodded silently as silence fell between the two of them again.
“You know-“ Eddie started, “I’m always going to love your mom, Chris. Nothing will ever change that. I just- I didn’t-”
“You didn’t love her the way you thought you should,” Chris finished for him. “The way you love Buck.”
Eddie’s breath hitched at that, glancing over at Chris in shock for a moment. “How-“
“I’ve seen the way you two act around each other, dad,” Chris told him. “I see it all the time, and it’s only gotten worse with Theo. Neither of you are subtle.”
Eddie sat there dumbfounded for a moment before blinking and glancing back at Chris again. “And… and if that were true? If Buck and I were…”
“In love with each other?” Chris looked over at him.
“Yeah,” Eddie choked out. “That- That’d be okay with you?”
“Of course it would, dad,” Chris said plainly as if the idea of it not being okay was completely ridiculous.
Eddie wanted so badly to hug his son, but he couldn’t without wrecking the car. So he settled for reaching across the center console of the truck and squeezing Chris on the shoulder. Chris brought a hand up to rest on Eddie’s, squeezing it back as Eddie felt the sting of tears in his eyes.
“So,” Chris said eventually. “You gonna talk to Buck about it?”
Eddie chuckled, shaking his head at his son’s forwardness. “Maybe.”
“Why not?” Chris frowned.
“There’s just a lot going on right now,” Eddie told him.
“There’s always a lot going on with you two,” Chris rolled his eyes. “Besides, you’ve waited almost nine years; why wait any longer? You know he feels the same way.”
And Eddie- well… Eddie didn’t know. He suspected, of course. The signs all pointed to Buck feeling the same way, but that didn’t necessarily-
“Dad,” Chris’s voice cut through Eddie’s thoughts again. “I can hear you trying to convince yourself that Buck somehow doesn’t feel the same way about you, and you need to stop.”
“But he might not-“ Eddie tried.
“But he does,” Chris huffed in that way he did when he was pretending to be annoyed, but wasn’t really. “Trust me. I can tell.”
Eddie looked at Chris for a brief moment before letting out a soft sigh. “Fine. I’ll talk to him.”
“Good,” Chris said.
“But if he doesn’t feel the same-“ Eddie started.
“He does,” Chris argued.
“If he doesn’t,” Eddie insisted, “That doesn’t mean I’ll prevent you from seeing him. I know Buck enough to know that he would be there for you regardless of if I’m a part of his life or not. He and Theo adore both of you so much… I won’t make you give that up if Buck and I need time apart.”
Chris gave him an unimpressed glare before sighing. “Thanks for the reassurance, dad. Literally none of that is going to happen, but I appreciate it anyway.”
Eddie chuckled at that as he pulled onto South Bedford. Soon enough, he’d parked the truck in the driveway, and he and Chris were climbing out. Chris made his way to the front door to unlock it while Eddie carefully removed Theo from his carseat in the back cab.
The boy stirred as Eddie gently shut the truck door behind them. Eddie smiled as he looked down at him.
“Hey, Bud,” he said softly.
“Are we home now?” Theo asked, his little voice slurring with tiredness.
“We’re at mine and Chris’s house,” Eddie told him. “You’re getting to spend the night here, remember?”
Theo nodded tiredly as he nuzzled close to Eddie’s chest, sending a flutter through him again.
“Come on, kiddo,” Eddie said, carrying Theo towards the house. “We need to get you a bath and get you to bed, okay?”
“Okay,” Theo agreed easily.
Usually trying to get the boy a bath and into bed was a whole ordeal, but thankfully he seemed so exhausted from the day’s events that he wasn’t going to put up much of a fight.
After a quick bath, Eddie was tucking Theo and his new dragon plushie into the cot in his bedroom that he’d bought a few days after Buck first got custody of the boy so he’d have a place to sleep while he was at Eddie’s. He pulled out his phone, navigating to his contacts and clicking on Buck’s name to facetime him.
He answered almost instantly, a tired smile on his face. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Eddie smiled back, finding himself momentarily disarmed by Buck’s soft expression. “Thought you might wanna say goodnight to someone.”
He turned the phone around towards Theo who was nestling under his blanket. “Daddy!”
“Hey, buddy!” Buck’s voice sounded absolutely giddy. “Did you have fun today?”
“Mhm!” Theo hummed, nodding his head. “I got a sword and a dragon!”
“A sword and a dragon?” Buck gasped as if he was totally unaware. “That sounds dangerous.”
“I’m careful, daddy,” Theo told him. “I promise.”
“I know you are,” Buck replied.
“I miss you, daddy,” Theo yawned.
“I miss you too, baby,” Buck’s voice was softer. “But hey- if you go to sleep now, I’ll be there when you wake up!”
“Okay, daddy,” Theo said, his eyes fluttering shut. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Theo,” Buck replied reverently. “More than the whole world.”
When Theo didn’t respond, Eddie turned the phone back to himself. “How’s shift going?”
“Still boring,” Buck sighed. “We had a couple small calls earlier, but for the most part…”
“I’m sorry,” Eddie said.
They fell silent for a moment as Eddie took in the image of Buck on his screen.
“Thanks for doing this for him, Eds,” Buck broke the silence.
“You would do the same for Chris,” Eddie replied.
Something crossed Buck’s face for a moment before he smiled softly. “Yeah. Yeah I know, but… but thank you anyway.”
“Thank you for trusting me with him,” Eddie chuckled softly.
“Yeah, well-“ Buck chuckled back. “There’s no one else I’d trust him with more than you.”
Eddie felt a rash zip up his spine. It was so unfair of him to throw Eddie’s own words back in his face like that. Not when Eddie was in the midst of coming to terms with being in love with the man.
Before either of them could say anything else, the alarm started going off at the station.
“I gotta go,” Buck sighed. “I- I’ll see you in the morning?”
“Yeah,” Eddie nodded. “In the morning. Be safe, okay?”
“I will,” Buck told him. “I promise.”
With that, the call ended, and Eddie sat there for a few moments just staring at the blank phone screen. He looked up at Theo as the boy shifted on the cot, his eyes opening slightly.
“What was that?” he asked.
“That was just the alarm at daddy’s work,” Eddie told him, reaching to gently stroke the curls back off the boy’s forehead. “I’m sorry it woke you.”
Theo closed his eyes again, snuggling close to the dragon plushie, letting out a sleepy sigh.
Eddie watched him for a moment before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to the soft curls. “Love you, Theo.”
“L’ve you too, d‘dy,” Theo mumbled and Eddie froze.
Did Theo just-?
No. No, that- that had to have been- Eddie had to have misheard. He must have just been saying ‘Eddie.’
But Eddie knew… he knew what Theo had actually said, and it made his entire body melt.
“Still have doubts?” Chris’s voice asked behind him, low so he didn’t wake Theo.
Eddie turned around and cast an unimpressed glare at his son. “Don’t tell me you told me so.”
“I mean, I did,” Chris shrugged.
Eddie chuckled, shaking his head as he stood and made his way out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. The two Diazes made their way to the living room where Chris plopped down on the couch, grabbing the TV remote.
“Wanna watch a movie?” he asked. “Or the next episode of The Pitt?”
“Whichever you want,” Eddie told him. “Want a snack? Something to drink?”
“I’m okay,” Chris told him. “Thanks dad.”
Eddie nodded before stepping into the kitchen to grab himself a beer. He made his way back to the living room to find Chris queuing up the next episode of The Pitt- Buck had gotten him hooked on it the week prior, and he and Chris had been catching up on the new season.
It was a good distraction to him, being able to focus on the TV in front of him instead of his Big Not Straight Feelings for Buck.
“I’m gonna go ahead and head to my room for the night,” Chris said when the episode was over.
It was only 8:30, but Eddie could tell the boy’s limbs were sore. It’d been a nice day, but Eddie couldn’t deny being beat too.
“Okay,” Eddie replied, standing to pull the boy into a hug. “Night, mijo. I love you.”
“Love you too, dad,” Chris said, hugging him back before retreating down the hall to his bedroom, leaving Eddie alone in the living room with nothing but the thoughts ripping around his brain like a whirlwind.
He scrolled through the different streaming services he had on the TV before settling on putting on The Nanny to serve as background noise as he laid down on the couch. He stared at the screen as the show played. He found himself unable not to compare the situation to the characters to him and Buck; stepping up to help care for the others’ children and eventually falling in love.
He eventually fell asleep, the show still playing as he drifted out of consciousness.
He woke up some time later when he felt a hand on his shoulder, opening his eyes to see Buck standing there, staring down at him with a smile on his face.
“Morning, sleeping beauty,” he said.
“What time is it?” Eddie groaned, sitting up.
“It’s just after eight,” Buck told him. “Just got in from my shift… Did you sleep on the couch last night?”
“Must’ve fallen asleep watching TV,” Eddie said, glancing up, and- sure enough the big ‘are you still watching?’ screen was visible.
It’d been a while since he’d slept so long… nearly twelve hours was unheard of for him let alone a full eight. He would be lying if he said waking up feeling rested for once wasn’t nice.
When he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he saw Buck retreating into the kitchen. Unable to stop himself, he stood and followed- making his way through the dining room and stopping in the kitchen doorway, watching as Buck began fixing himself and Eddie coffee.
He watched in silent awe as the early morning sun cast a glow around Buck’s body- the light shimmering off his hair, giving his soft curls a golden quality that made Eddie want to bury his fingers there. He turned and looked back at Eddie, giving him another soft smile that had Eddie feeling weak at the knees.
“I already checked on Theo,” Buck told him. “Kid’s out like a light. I figured I’d make some pancakes since Chris won’t be up for a while either.”
Eddie didn’t say anything, simply watching as Buck retrieved two mugs from the cabinet over the stove before pouring coffee into both of them. He added two scoops of sugar and a dash of cream to Eddie’s- the way Eddie had been taking his coffee since he got back from Texas and started letting himself actually enjoy things- before turning and passing the mug to him with a smile.
Eddie took the mug, thanking Buck before taking a sip and basking in the warmth that flooded his body. He looked back up to see Buck lean back against the counter, bringing his own cup to his lips and taking a sip. The whole thing was just so domestic and warm that Eddie found himself unable to keep it in any longer.
He stared directly into Buck’s glistening blue eyes as he set his cup down on the table, crossing the small space between him and Buck, and bringing his hand up to cup one of Buck’s cheeks. He watched as Buck’s eyes grew wide- not in fear, but in anticipation- as his breath hitched.
Eddie gazed at him for a moment longer before leaning up to press a soft kiss to Buck’s lips.
There were no fireworks. No overwhelming rush. No life-altering buzz in his brain.
Just the soft feeling of Buck returning the kiss, and the slightly rough morning stubble that Buck was sporting.
It was perfect.
Buck pulled back, looking down at Eddie with a look of disbelief. Eddie looked back up at him, holding his breath as he waited to see what Buck would do next.
“Y- yeah?” Buck asked- not even needing words for Eddie to understand what he was asking.
‘You want this?’
“Yeah,” Eddie grinned. “For a long time now.”
Buck’s cheeks blushed as an ear-to-ear smile broke out on his face. “Oh… me too.”
“Good,” Eddie barely got out before Buck was putting down his own coffee mug on the counter and pulling Eddie into a much-less chaste kiss.
His tongue licked across Eddie’s lips as his hands roamed Eddie’s back, his face. Eddie opened his mouth, willingly accepting what Buck had to offer. This one was a bit more like fireworks.
After a while, they pulled apart for air, both panting as Buck leaned down and pressed their foreheads together.
“I love you,” Buck said, as if it were a breath of air he’d been gasping for.
“I love you too,” Eddie replied with a light, breathless giggle.
“Oh my god, Eddie,” Buck giggled back. “Is this really happening?”
“It really is,” Eddie told him. “An elf thought Theo was my son and you were my partner yesterday, and it kinda broke my brain. Chris was very quick to point out how clueless I’ve been.”
“You are,” Buck said. “Not clueless! Well- kind of clueless, but I mean, you are Theo’s other dad. To me, you are.”
“He called me daddy last night after you hung up the phone,” Eddie admitted.
Buck grinned impossibly wider before kissing Eddie again, softer, gentler that time. “A Christmas elf thought I was your partner and that Chris was my son years ago.”
“You are,” Eddie told him. “To both.”
Buck pulled Eddie in for a hug this time, the two of them standing there for a long time, pressing gentle, soft kisses to each other’s faces and exchanging sweet words as they made up for the last seven years in those moments.
It was only until they heard the sound of crutches thudding on the floor that they were pulled back into reality.
“Oh- good, you talked,” Chris said as he took in the sight of his dads in front of him.
“Told you I would,” Eddie chuckled.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have if you’re gonna be this disgusting about it,” Chris joked.
“You gave your blessing already, so no take-backs now,” Eddie shot back.
“Whatever,” Chris muttered, valiantly attempting to hide the smile on his face as he took a seat at the kitchen table. “As long as pancakes are being made, I don’t care.”
Buck and Eddie both laughed at that.
“Of course, your highness,” Buck said with a fake bow before turning and beginning to gather the ingredients he needed.
That morning, Eddie ate breakfast with his partner and two sons, and it was the best breakfast of his entire life.
Later on the next weekend, when they all managed to make it to the Ren Faire together, in their same matching outfits (Buck included this time), they happened upon the same girl who agreed to take their picture again- this time with their whole family.
As she handed back Eddie’s phone, she smiled. “I know I said this last time, but you really do have an adorable family.”
Eddie just smiled at her again like he had the week before. “I do. I really do.”