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Eddie wakes up to the sound of his phone ringing.
He only just managed to fall asleep, it feels like. Despite the grueling shift from earlier today and the feeling of exhaustion deep in his bones, he just couldn’t sleep. The sounds of thunder and the wild winds outside kept him up, as well as the sense of dread that is now often paired with them. Lightning doesn’t bring good memories for Eddie.
He feels drowsy as he takes a moment to lie there, letting it ring. Except when a light flashes particularly bright outside his window, Eddie’s brain seems to catch up.
Rubbing his eyes with one hand, he uses the other to reach over to his bedside table to grab the phone. The time on his alarm clock reads half past twelve in the morning. The name on his phone? Buck’s.
Eddie answers the call with zero hesitation. He doesn’t even want to think about the last time he was woken up by a call in the middle of the night.
“Hello?”
“Shit, did I wake you?” Buck’s tinny voice rings through. He sounds stressed. “I’m sorry, I’ll—”
“Buck, it’s fine.” Eddie sits up in bed and drags a hand down his face. “What’s up?”
Instead of an answer, Eddie hears a loud crash on the other side of the line. He pulls the phone away from his ear for a moment when Buck’s voice suddenly calls out a concerned, “THEO!”
A loud sobbing follows.
“I think that answers my question.”
Buck seems genuinely remorseful when he says, “Eddie, I’m so sorry but—”
“Hey, don’t apologize,” Eddie comforts him. “I get it. I’ve been there.”
He sounds distraught, like he’s on his wits’ end. Buck’s voice is heavy on the other line, almost as if he’s also about to burst into tears like Theo is.
“He won’t go to sleep ‘cause of the storm, and I know he’s tired, but he just—won’t,” Buck explains. Eddie can still hear Theo crying in the background. “And I’m so tired.”
Their shift from earlier today, Eddie thinks, might be the reason behind Theo’s restlessness. Buck wasn’t there the night before for bedtime; Carla was. Buck has mentioned before that Theo tends to struggle more on nights neither of them is with him.
The weather certainly isn’t helping either. It’s been storming all afternoon and now into the night. It doesn’t seem to be letting up any time soon, if the roaring of the thunder rattling Eddie’s windows is anything to go by.
Eddie can’t say he’s particularly fond of the storm either. He can’t ever seem to stay asleep nowadays when it rains so hard. If not for the phone call, he probably would’ve woken up in the next hour anyway.
“He—He had a nightmare,” Buck says. Eddie can tell he’s tugging at his hair. “He was asleep for barely an hour, and now he won’t stop crying. The thunder scares him.”
Before Eddie can ever answer, Theo’s cries interrupt him. His voice wails out a sad, “EDDIE!”
Eddie pauses. “Did he just say my name?”
On the other line, Buck’s breath hitches. Eddie pulls the comforter off himself, already springing into action to find his shoes and car keys.
Still, Buck doesn’t reply. Theo’s sobs are even more earsplitting through the phone. “I want EDDIE!”
“He’s—” Buck sucks in a breath. “He’s asking for you.”
At that, Eddie stops. His feet dangle off the side of the bed, phone still presented to his ear. A sense of honor washes over him—being so trusted by this kid.
Ever since Buck signed the foster papers for Theo, Eddie had made a promise to himself to be over at theirs as much as possible. He knows what it’s like being alone as a parent, and he didn’t want that for Buck. He wants to help Buck in any way he can. Meaning, any chance he can get, Eddie and Chris are with Buck and Theo. It just feels right.
It’s a blessing, really. Ever since their first introduction over boxes of pizza and animated movies, Theo has quickly become a permanent fixture in Eddie and Chris’s lives. Every time that kid’s voice calls out in glee as Eddie unlocks the front door brings an unbearable grin to his face. Christopher loves him too, and Theo adores trailing behind him. Last week, the cashier at the grocery store referred to them as brothers, and Eddie doesn’t think he’s ever felt prouder. He didn’t feel like correcting her either.
For a moment at the beginning there, Eddie tried to give Buck a little more space. He didn’t want to be too overwhelming when Theo was settling in. But that hadn’t lasted so long. Theo is kind of obsessed with him, if Chris’s word is to go by. Whenever the four of them are in public together, Theo is always by Eddie’s side. He’s always wanting to stand in between his legs, like the first day they met. He always wants to sit between him and Buck. He always makes those adorable grabby hands for Eddie to carry him when he goes a little too hard at the park.
And Eddie loves it. He loves feeling useful. He wants to give Buck a break whenever he can. He knows what it’s like having a kid around; Buck’s been more tired lately. Eddie would do anything to ease his worries, even if only for a moment.
It’s not exactly a hardship for Eddie either. He loves Theo.
So it’s no bother when he says, “I’ll be over in fifteen.”
“Eddie, no. You don’t have—”
“I’m coming over.”
“I don’t want you out in this weath—”
“Buck, there’s no argument. I’ll be there.”
Years ago, after the tsunami, Christopher used to have nightmares almost every single night. He’d wake up screaming, crying out for Buck. Eddie never knew what to do. All he wanted was to ease his son’s pain, so no matter what time it was, if Chris was asking for Buck, Eddie always called him.
And Buck always picked up. He always dropped everything to be by Chris’s side.
That was until the lawsuit, but Eddie doesn’t hold that against him anymore. They were all going through tough times. At least now they have each other.
So, of course, Eddie’s going to return the favor.
He’s already tugging his shoes on when Buck finally sighs, “Okay. Thank you.”
“Of course,” Eddie insists. They’re in this together. “Just, try settling him on the couch. Put a show on to drown out the noise.”
“Okay,” Buck breaths out.
“I’ll be there soon, okay? Don’t panic.”
“I can’t promise that.”
Eddie chuckles. “You’ll survive. Fifteen minutes, alright?”
“Yeah, okay,” Buck exhales before whispering softly, “thank you, Eddie.”
Eddie can’t help the grin that overtakes his face. “Don’t thank me yet.”
“Drive safe. Please.”
“Always.”
As soon as he hangs up, Eddie’s bolting out of his bedroom. He rounds the corner of the hallway to Chris’s room. The door is shut closed, but Eddie can still see a light emitting under the door. He can hear the sound of buttons being bashed.
Eddie knocks on the door and, after a moment, opens it. Christopher is wide awake despite the late hour—but really, Eddie should’ve expected that by now with a teenager. Still, Chris scrambles to throw his laptop on the end of the bed, which is pointless considering he left it open and his game is still running.
Eddie leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”
“It’s the weekend,” Chris argues.
Eddie relents. “Fine. I’m going to Buck’s. He needs help with Theo.”
At that, Christopher perks up. He’s already swinging his legs off the bed and sitting up straighter. “Is Theo okay?” he asks.
Eddie can’t help the flutter of a grin. Chris’s deep love for Theo warms his heart.
“Yeah, just a nightmare. He doesn’t like the storm, but he’ll be okay,” he assures Chris. “You think you’ll be good here alone? I might be back late or tomorrow morning, I’m not sure, but I’ll keep you updated.”
Eddie is well aware that Chris is almost sixteen years old and can survive being in the house alone for a few hours. Hell, Eddie used to be home alone with his sisters when he was way younger than Chris. Yet, he still isn’t used to Chris being alone, especially so late at night and with the bad weather. Eddie trusts his son, but the thought still makes him a little anxious.
So he’s a little thankful, yet still reluctant when Chris says, “I wanna come.”
“Are you sure?” Eddie asks. “We’re dealing with a screaming four-year-old here; most people tend to avoid that. It’s not gonna be fun.”
Chris is already reaching for his crutches when he says, “Dad, it’s Buck and Theo. Of course I wanna come.”
If it were even possible, Eddie feels his heart expand three more sizes. He smiles at his son. “Okay. Put on your shoes and grab your rain jacket.”
Just like he has for the last eight years, when Eddie reaches Buck’s front door, he unlocks it with his own set of keys. It was the first thing Buck insisted on when he moved here: to cut Eddie his own key again.
Immediately once they step into the entryway, he hears the loud sobs coming from Theo. It’s almost as loud as the rain pounding on Buck’s roof. Eddie shuts the front door. The less time they’re stuck in the storm, the better.
Chris winces. “He sounds worse than when he accidentally ripped the head off his Spider-Man figurine.”
Eddie chuckles. When Chris first met Theo, he stressed the importance of bringing him a gift. Sure, they had already given Buck a heap of Chris’s hand-me-downs, things Eddie couldn’t bring himself to ever part with after all these years. Old clothes Chris grew out of before they even moved to Los Angeles. Toys that were collecting dust in the back of his closet. Except now they have a second life with Theo. Both Eddie and Chris love to see it.
But Chris still wanted to give Theo something of his own. At the time, all Eddie knew of the kid was his Spider-Man-like abilities, so they settled on a little figurine for him.
Theo loved it. He played with it constantly. Where he’d get tired of other toys quickly, he held onto that Spider-Man figurine for dear life
Until he accidentally pulled the head a little too hard and ripped it right off.
He let out a battle cry. Buck and Eddie tried fixing it, but it seems no glue could match the strength of a determined four-year-old. So now, he carries around a headless Spider-Man toy after Buck somehow convinced him that it was a power Spider-Man apparently had. Eddie still has no idea how he managed to pass it off.
“Great, you’re here.” Buck rounds the corner from the living room, out of breath. He looks an utter mess, hair frizzing at the edges and face flushed red. His eyes are blotchy, clearly overtired himself.
“Hey, Buck,” Chris says way too cheerfully for the occasion, yet it still makes Buck smile—an almost impossible feat.
Buck releases a breath. “Hey, buddy.”
“He wanted to come,” Eddie explains.
“Well, thank God the Theo-whisperer is in the house.”
Chris rolls his eyes at the nickname. It’s fitting. There’s nobody Theo seems to respect more than Chris. It’s endearing to see.
Eddie snorts. “How’s the little buckling?”
A deafening scream is heard from the living room as another flash of thunder passes through the windows.
“I see.”
Buck tugs a hand through his hair. “It’s so bad, Eddie. It’s never been this bad before. He really hates the storm.”
Eddie reaches out and rests a hand on Buck’s forearm. He gently pulls Buck’s arm down and rubs the skin there to try to ease him as Chris moves into the living room. “It’s okay, bud. We got this.”
Buck nods, like he’s trying to convince himself of the same. “We got this,” he repeats.
Eddie lets his hand stay there for just a moment longer, squeezing, before letting go and following Chris to the sounds of wailing.
“Hey, Teddy,” Eddie greets the boy when he walks into the living room.
The place is a mess. Buck’s house often is these days, but that’s to be expected with a four-year-old as chaotic as Theo. The TV is on loud as an episode of Bluey plays to try to overpower the storm. The couch cushions are thrown around the room, as well as the blanket Buck keeps around the couch. Theo’s toys are scattered about as Eddie tries to avoid stepping on a Lego brick.
“EDDIE!” Theo yells from where he’s sprawled out on the ground and runs over to him. Chris snorts from where he sits on the couch as Theo rubs his snotty, tear-stained face all over Eddie’s sweatpants. From behind him, Buck sighs.
Eddie leans down on his knees. “What’s up, buddy?” he asks as he rubs Theo’s back. Theo sinks into him, wrapping his arms around Eddie’s neck and pulling him in for a hug. His sobbing never stops.
He’s overtired, it’s clear. Eddie’s heart sinks at the sight. He loves this kid so much, just as much as he loves his son, and just as much as it hurts him to see Christopher upset, it hurts him the same with Theo.
Eddie has realized he’s probably a little too attached to what is seen as his best friend’s foster son, but it’s more than that. He and Buck are more than that. Buck has been another parent to Christopher from the moment he drove Eddie after the earthquake eight years ago. Eddie knew the role he’d play in Theo’s life when Buck first told him at Baby Nash’s birthday party that he was considering fostering would be the same.
Not just a family friend, but another parent.
He loves Theo like he’s Eddie’s own, just like how Christopher loves him like a brother already.
Eddie could look beyond the surface of what that means for his and Buck’s relationship right now, but he’s a little preoccupied holding his crying kid.
“I’m scared,” Theo sobs into his shirt.
Eddie coos. This kid, fearless when it comes to climbing electrical towers and talking to strangers every time they go to the grocery store. He can climb to the top of every jungle gym and jump from the highest point, giving Buck and Eddie matching heart attacks. He can tease the ever-loving shit out of Ravi and Harry until they’re chasing him around the room. He can hang off Buck’s arm without a care in the world.
But it’s a little storm that scares him.
Eddie can’t even blame him. The storms makes him fearful too. Despite going to war twice, being shot at, being buried under the ground, and getting stabbed less than three months ago—the thing that scares Eddie more than most is the storm.
After all, a storm almost took Buck from him.
Eddie pulls Theo in closer. “I know, baby,” he whispers into his wild curls. “Do you wanna know a secret?”
He feels Theo nod his head.
“I don’t like the storms either,” Eddie confesses. “But it’s okay. It’s just a little loud, but it can’t hurt you. We just have to be a little brave. We’re safe in here.” He pulls Theo back to look him in the eyes. They’re so much like Buck’s. “We’re safe, together now.”
Theo nods again and wipes his whole face with a hand. Eddie pushes the curls off his forehead and gently caresses his cheek. A flash of lightning bursts outside. Theo jumps at the sound, fresh tears threatening to fall again.
“How about this?” Eddie turns Theo’s attention back on him. “You snuggle with Chris on the couch, and I’ll get you a nice glass of warm milk. Then we can read a story together, m’kay? Can you do that for me, please, Theo?”
Theo sucks in a breath and lets out a small, “Okay.”
Eddie grants him a smile. “Great.”
Eddie wraps an arm around Theo and picks him up. He tickles the boy’s side, causing little giggles to escape before settling him on the couch beside Christopher. In an instant, Chris opens his arm while Theo collapses into his side. His sobs have mostly subsided now, but his breathing is still heavy.
“That good with you, mijo?” Eddie asks Chris, wiping a hand over his forehead and fixing his glasses when they fall down his nose as he looks down at Theo.
“We’re good,” Chris says. “Right, Theo?”
Theo rests his head on Chris’s arm and nods. The sight of the two of them next to each other makes Eddie smile. Somehow, they look so much alike.
Like brothers.
As the two settle on the couch to focus on the TV, Eddie turns back around to find Buck standing right where he left him. He’s almost frozen in place, face melting into a softness with tired eyes. They’re unfocused as he stares at Chris and Theo with a look Eddie knows is reflected on his own face. The bags underneath Buck’s eyes, though, are ever-present. His posture is slouched, like he can barely handle standing up.
Eddie loves him so much. That, he knows. That, he has no doubts about.
It was something he struggled to grapple with, but as he lay alone in an elevator months ago, bleeding out, there were only two faces that came to mind.
Buck and Christopher’s.
Eddie realized then what was right in front of him this whole time. He realized what he really wanted. And it was this.
A family, with Buck.
And now Theo’s face joins theirs—the piece they didn’t know they were missing.
“Hey,” he says to Buck, snapping him awake. “Come with me.”
Buck follows him into the kitchen. The thunder is louder in here as it pelts hard against the window above the sink. There’s another flash of light, too. Eddie averts his gaze from it.
He pats the counter next to the fridge. “Sit. You’re dead on your feet, man.”
Reluctantly, Buck pulls himself up on the counter and sits. He leans against the cabinets, like all his strings are cut, and groans. Eddie has to restrain himself from standing between his open legs and doing something insane like kissing him. Instead, he opens the fridge and grabs a carton of milk.
“Thank you for helping out,” Buck says.
Eddie lets out a low chuckle as he opens a cabinet to grab Theo’s super special sea creatures cup and straw. What makes it so special is that it’s nearly impossible for him to spill it. Maddie bought it for him, which is also a bonus for specialty points.
“Stop thanking me,” Eddie says and turns to Buck. “I already told you, I wanna help. Wherever I can.”
When Buck first had doubts about taking Theo in, worrying that he couldn’t do it or that he wouldn’t be good enough, Eddie had made a promise to him. He had promised that he would be there whenever Buck needed. Eddie doesn’t intend to ever break that promise.
Buck’s gaze softens as he looks at Eddie. “I just—I really appreciate it,” he says faintly.
Eddie leaves the cup on the counter and walks over to where Buck sits. He wants so desperately to reach out, so he does. He gently places a hand on Buck’s knee. The bare skin is warm despite the cold outside. Eddie caresses it. “Of course, Buck.”
Buck inhales sharply. He looks breathless, staring wide-eyed at Eddie just like Theo. Eddie stays there for a moment, just soaking it in before stepping away to pour the milk into the cup. He places it in the microwave as another crack of thunder sounds outside.
After a few seconds, Buck speaks up again. “I didn’t know you didn’t like storms.”
Eddie keeps staring at the microwave. “Yeah, well, can you blame me?”
He remembers that day so clearly. Every little detail of how the lightning flashed, of how Eddie was pushed back from it, of how he looked up at Buck’s lifeless, dangling body.
He remembers compressions and counting the seconds and driving to the hospital. He remembers yelling at the doctors and nurses.
But Buck doesn’t remember any of it.
He stays silent again, rubbing his thigh where Eddie’s hand once was. “We probably shouldn’t tell Theo that story,” he says eventually.
The tension eases as Eddie lets out a small chuckle. He removes the cup from the microwave and stirs it with a teaspoon. “Of the time you defeated all odds and got struck by lightning? Yeah, maybe not.”
“One in a million, actually,” Buck corrects him.
“That, you are,” Eddie says, then turns to leave before Buck can even fathom a response.
When Eddie re-enters the living room, Theo is still tucked into Chris’s side, staring in amazement at something on Chris’s phone screen. He already seems to have calmed down a lot by their presence alone, just as Eddie had expected.
“Here you go, sir.” Eddie hands the warm cup of milk to him. Theo takes it with a giggle before slurping a large gulp. “Now, what book would you like to read?”
Theo pauses to think. “Dinosaurs!” he yells. Christopher laughs. He’s really influenced this kid’s taste.
“Excellent choice, sir.”
Eddie quickly pops out of the room to grab the book, leaving the kids alone again. He finds it sitting on Theo’s bedside table, next to a framed photo of Connor and Kameron.
When Buck agreed to take Theo in, he was really adamant about keeping the memory of his parents alive. He didn’t want Theo to ever forget them. It’s one of the many reasons why Eddie is so glad that Christopher and Theo bonded as well as they have. Chris understands it. When Theo needs it, Chris will be there for him.
They all will be.
In the living room, Eddie finds that Buck has finally joined the boys on the couch. He’s sat between them, leaning back against the couch cushions with both kids tucked under his arms.
Eddie pauses in the hallway for a moment just to take the sight in.
It just feels so right.
Eddie exhales before breaking the moment. “Alright. Who wants to read?”
As Eddie moves to sit on Theo’s other side, sandwiching him between Eddie and Buck, the boy lets out another burst of giggles and cheers. He’s slowly but surely returning to his usual self—sunshine embodied. Theo takes the large picture book from his hands to open it to the first page. Buck grabs the other side.
“Can you and Buck read?” Theo asks.
Eddie smiles down at him. “Of course.”
The four of them begin reading the book, taking turns with silly voices as Buck turns the pages and Chris makes little jokes about the illustrations, all the while Theo downs the rest of his milk and slowly sinks further into Buck’s embrace.
The storm continues outside, but Theo barely seems to notice it anymore. Neither does Eddie.
After reading the last line, Eddie turns to see that Theo’s eyes have already slipped closed. The empty cup in his hand is slowly falling from his loose grip as a little bit of drool escapes his lips. He’s completely passed out.
Eddie looks at Buck, finding him smiling down at Theo with a fondness Eddie recognizes from the past few years. It’s the same smile he gives Chris when he thinks nobody is paying attention.
“Worked like a charm,” Eddie whispers.
Finally, Buck’s eyes meet his. He’s still grinning the same. “You’re a miracle worker,” he says, a little awestruck.
“Well, we make a great team.” Eddie reaches for Chris behind Buck’s head, ruffling his curls. “The three of us.”
“Yeah.” Chris nods. “This is light work.”
A snort escapes Buck. “I trust in your confidence.” He gazes down at Theo again. “Now, how do we make sure he stays asleep? The storm doesn’t seem to be letting up any time soon.”
Eddie pauses to think. “You still have that white-noise machine, right?”
“Yeah, I got a new one after Nashville.”
“White-noise machine?” Chris questions. “Do you use it to drown out the sound of your own snoring?”
Eddie can’t help but chuckle. Buck is a really bad snorer. He’s notorious for it in the fire station. When they had to share a bed for those few months they were living together, Eddie was already too used to it from the years sleeping in neighboring bunks. He finds it oddly soothing.
“You’re not funny, kid,” Buck teases.
Chris rolls his eyes. “Please, you think I’m the funniest.”
“That’s not—”
“Anyway,” Eddie cuts them off. “White-noise machine?”
“Yeah.” Buck nods. “Yeah, it should be in my closet.”
“Perfect. We can use it to drown out the thunder.”
Buck’s tired eyes light up. “Eddie, you’re a genius!” he says a little too loudly for a guy with a sleeping four-year-old by his side. Thankfully, Theo doesn’t stir. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Eddie chuckles. “You’re very sleep-deprived; it’s excused.”
“I’m not sleep-deprived,” Buck insists.
Eddie gives his arm a light pat. “Sure, bud.” He stands up from the couch, stretching out his back. “Okay, let’s move him.”
Slowly, Buck stands up from the couch, cradling Theo in his arms and trying desperately hard not to wake him. Once the couch is empty, Chris lies back on Buck’s ridiculous cowboy duck pillow and stretches his legs out. “You guys do that,” he slurs tiredly. “I’m getting comfy.”
“You wanna sleep here?” Eddie asks.
“Mmhmm,” Chris nods as he sinks deeper into the couch.
“That alright with you?” Eddie turns to Buck.
“‘Course. You don’t need to ask.” The look on Buck’s face is beyond elated. “I’ll make pancakes in the morning.”
“Mmm… pancakes,” Chris mumbles one last time before closing his eyes. It’s almost unbelievable how quickly he can fall asleep.
Eddie picks up the fallen blanket off the ground and throws it over his son. He tucks the corners in as he leans down, whispering, “Goodnight, mijo,” and placing a small kiss on the side of Chris’s head.
Christopher grins against the pillow, muttering, “Night, Dad. Night, Buck.”
“Night, buddy,” Buck whispers back, then turns the side-table lamp off.
With Theo sleeping soundly in his arms, Buck follows Eddie down the hallway. As Buck walks into Theo’s room, Eddie makes a quick detour to Buck’s to grab the white-noise machine.
Back in Theo’s bedroom, Eddie finds Buck kneeling against Theo’s race-car bed—something they were both completely enamored with when they saw it online—as he pulls the blankets around the boy. Working in tandem, Eddie plugs the machine in next to Theo’s firetruck nightlight, a beloved hand-me-down from Chris. A static-like hum echoes through the room, drowning out the rain hitting the window.
Once tucked in, Buck leans down to press a small kiss to Theo’s head, whispering softly to the sleeping boy. Eddie stands by and watches. His heart feels electric.
This has been the missing piece. All these years, feeling a solemness deep in his bones, like something was just out of reach. Eddie has finally found it, here, in this house, with these three people.
And he’s finally allowing himself to want to. He can see what’s been right in front of him this whole time.
Quietly, he walks up behind Buck as he begins to stand up from crouching beside the bed. Eddie gently places a hand on the small of his back while Buck’s knee lets out a small crack-noise.
It feels so right, something about being privy to this moment. Buck, growing older with his creaking bones and greys swirling in his curls, in his child’s bedroom while their other kid sleeps down the hallway. It almost makes it feel real.
Eddie wants it all. He wants to raise this family—to grow old with Buck in a house they share. It’s so close to his touch, Eddie just needs to reach out.
He grazes his fingers softly against Buck’s back until he turns around. Buck’s eyes are wide, but he still has that sickening Chris-Theo smile on his face. Eddie forces himself to look away from Buck for only a moment as he presses his own lips against Theo’s forehead. When he lifts his head, Buck is still watching him.
Without words, the two of them exit the bedroom, but leave the door open just a crack, and make their way down to Buck’s. Once in the blanketed light of Buck’s room, Eddie speaks again
“You’re so good with him,” he says lowly.
A faint smile crosses Buck’s face, but he looks away as he shakes his head. “Me? I had to call you just to get him asleep.” He pulls back the covers on the bed and slips in.
Eddie follows behind him on the other side of the bed. It feels so natural doing so—almost like second nature, reminding him of those months that they shared Eddie’s bed before Buck had moved out. At the time, Eddie didn’t think much of it. He didn’t think about how easier it felt to fall asleep with Buck by his side, especially during storms.
He’s thinking about it now as his eyes grow tired, yet the rain outside never falters. Thunder roars loudly, and Eddie barely notices.
He turns on his side to face Buck. “Maybe he just wanted us both here,” Eddie says. Buck mirrors his movements, lying on his side. The room may be dark, but Eddie can still see a sliver of light across Buck’s face, highlighting his bright eyes. “You made the right decision taking him in. I knew you could do it.”
“I—I’d never regret that. Theo is one of the best things to ever happen to me, but…” Buck takes a breath. “Sometimes, I do feel like I’m way in over my head. It isn’t easy doing this alone.”
“Trust me, it always feels like that.”
“You did a good job, though. You raised an amazing kid.”
Eddie smiles lightly. “Yeah, but I wasn’t alone,” he points out.
Buck stammers. “Right, yeah, Shannon—”
“Not just Shannon,” Eddie cuts him off before explaining, “well, of course, Shannon. She did all the hard work while I was off… y’know, but after that? I never really felt like I was alone. Not since I left El Paso.”
It was difficult for Eddie, trying to readjust to a life where he had no support—not that he really had any real support beyond Shannon anyway. His parents tried in their own unique way, but it wasn’t what he needed. In El Paso, there was no one. He was alone.
But in Los Angeles? He didn’t feel alone. Not since Buck shook his hand and vowed to have his back. He's made good on that promise.
“I had help. Abuela, Pepa, Carla, the team… and you.”
Buck gives him an incredulous look. “Me? What did I do?”
“Buck, you did the most,” Eddie says softly. “Theo isn’t your first kid, y’know.”
Buck splutters. “I—I, but it’s not like—”
“It is. You’ve always been another parent to Chris. He’s always felt that way. I’ve always felt that way.”
“Really?”
Eddie decides it’s about time he takes a risk. If Theo can be brave tonight, maybe he can too.
He grabs ahold of Buck’s hand resting between them in the sheets, intertwining their fingers together. The act startles Buck, but he doesn’t pull away. He holds on tighter.
“Really,” Eddie insists. “So you’re not alone. We’re in this together, Buck. We’re partners, remember? I have your back.”
“But, W—We’re not partners anymore,” Buck stumbles over the words. He’s still staring at their hands like it’s a marvel.
“Maybe not at work, but in life?” Eddie enunciates. “Always.”
“Yeah, but it's not like that—”
“It's exactly like that, Buck,” Eddie says, uncompromisingly. Buck’s whole face is turning as pink as his birthmark as Eddie chases his eye-line. “I couldn’t have survived the last eight years without you. I don’t intend on giving that up anytime soon. In fact…” Eddie takes a breath and moves in closer until he feels Buck’s legs brush against his under the covers. Their faces are mere inches apart. He tightens his grip on Buck’s hand. “I’m done running. I’m done hiding. I can see my future right in front of me, and for once, I’m feeling brave enough to take it.”
Buck looks astonished when he whispers, “What’s in your future?”
“This. Us.” Eddie brings the back of Buck’s hand up to his lips and places a soft peck there. “You,” he confesses. “Our family, the four of us, and however many more you wanna add. Living under one roof. Being happy. Together.”
Buck’s breath hitches, like all the air has been sucked from his lungs. His eyes enlarge. “You want that? You want me?”
“Always, Buck.”
A small tear escapes Buck. Eddie softly thumbs it away, stroking the skin there.
“I—I want that too,” Buck swears.
“Then you should kiss me,” Eddie says.
A shit-eating grin crosses Buck’s face, breaking the seriousness of the moment in the best way possible. “I feel like that speech warrants you kissing me.”
“Hey, I made the first move, now it’s your turn, bud.”
Buck shoots up in bed. “Are you serious?”
“Are you really arguing this instead of just kissing me?”
“Well, who said I wanna kiss you?”
“What?” Eddie chuckles. “You wanna platonically raise a family together then? Get married platonically?”
“Oh, is this a proposal now?”
Eddie’s eyebrow raises. “Are you really expecting me to propose when you haven’t even kissed me yet?”
Buck shrugs. “Maybe I’m saving it for the wedding.”
The thought of a hypothetical wedding with Buck shouldn’t make Eddie as giddy on the inside as it does. He sits up in the bed as well, playing along with the bit. “Who said I’ll wait?”
“You’ve been waiting eight years, man.” Buck chuckles a little too hard for a man who’s also been waiting eight years. “I think you can wait some more.”
Growing tired of the act, in one quick shift, Eddie pins Buck’s arms down against the pillows and swings his legs over his body. He sits down, placing all his weight on Buck, and looks down at him with a smirk.
Buck is completely wide-eyed, and maybe a little turned on.
“I don’t wanna wait anymore,” Eddie says.
Buck blinks back to life to smile up at Eddie. “Then kiss me, Eddie,” he demands.
And, because he’d be an idiot not to, Eddie kisses him.
The thunder carries on outside, but Eddie doesn’t give it a single thought. All that matters is the kids sleeping down the hallway, wrapped up tightly in blankets with the promise of a home-made breakfast in the morning, and the man below him.
The family they made.