Archive of Our Own

It started in the middle of a Tuesday night, or, one could say, an early Wednesday morning.

Around two in the morning, Buck was awoken by a loud cry, a retch, and then more cries. Knowing that sound all too well by now, Buck scrambled out of bed in a sleepy haze and rushed down the hall to Theo’s room. There, he found his four-year-old sitting up in bed, sobbing, with vomit all down the front of his shirt and even more on the sheets in front of him. It was white, just like the cream pasta sauce he had made for dinner, and it was going to be a bitch to get out of Theo’s red fleece sheets.

“What’s going on—woah,” Eddie, woken up by his boyfriend jumping out of bed, appeared in the doorway, taking stock of a sick Theo and a worried Buck.

This was the first time Theo had been sick since Buck had acquired him, and Eddie could tell that Buck was panicking. Like Buck knew, in theory, what to do, but he couldn’t bring himself to face the reality of his child being in pain.

“Hey, bud, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Buck slowly made his way over to Theo, wanting to scoop him up in his arms and hold him but being weary of the mess all around. Buck sat on the edge of Theo’s bed, next to him, in a clean spot. “Not feelin’ so good?”

“Tummy h’rts,” Theo cried, face red with tears. “I feel yucky!”

“Aw, I’m sorry, bud,” Buck winced. “How ‘bout we get you cleaned up?”

Theo looked at Buck, face turning from red to a shade of green before he puked again, this time all over Buck’s front.

“Oh! Theo! Bud!” Buck freaked out for a moment. Sure, he was an EMT and he’d seen much grosser things on calls, but there was just something about body fluids on him that made him squirm. “Come on, man!”

“You’re really not feeling well, huh, bud?” Eddie stepped in the room, kneeling beside the bed. Theo nodded his head before hanging it and falling into Buck’s shoulder. Seeing as he was now covered in the white barf, Buck decided he didn’t have much left to lose and cradled Theo close. “How ‘bout you two go to the bathroom and get cleaned up, and I’ll clean up in here?” Eddie posed.

Agreeing, Buck scooped up Theo and headed towards the bathroom, stopping in the doorway and whispering a quick, “Thank you,” to Eddie, who was already moving to collect the sheets.

Upon getting to the bathroom, Buck sat Theo down on the closed toilet seat. “Let’s take off these yucky clothes,” Buck suggested, helping Theo pull off his shirt and pants. When Buck moved to pull off his shirt, he frowned at the heat radiating from his neck. “I think you have the flu, bud.” It was flu season, after all.

“The foo?” Theo asked innocently.

“Flu,” Buck corrected, laughing softly. “It means you are sick. Basically makes you feel all gross and yucky inside. But it goes away in a few days.”

“Tummy,” Theo moaned, rubbing his bare stomach.

“Feel like you are gonna throw up again?” Buck asked, reaching for the small trash can that sat beside the toilet.

“Mhmm,” Theo mumbled, cheeks swelling up and gagging as Buck thrust the can into his lap.

“It’s okay, bud.” Buck held him, rubbing his back as he sighed in sympathy. Theo had a pretty big dinner, and it was making a reappearance now, in the most painful and disgusting way possible. “See, we get it all in here so there’s no mess.”

“Bucky,” Theo said after finishing his latest bout of vomiting, “but your shirt messy.”

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Buck stuttered, looking down at his puke-covered shirt. He peeled it off quickly—only taking his eyes and hands off of Theo for a second—and threw it in the corner with Theo’s soiled clothes. “All better. Let’s help you now, bud.” Buck stood up, grabbing a towel and wetting it in the sink with some cold water. Despite a little yelp from Theo about the temperature, Buck smoothly wiped Theo off. His mouth and chest were now clean. Buck then folded the towel inside out, wetted it with slightly warmer water, and cleaned off his own chest. Tossing the towel into the corner with the rest of the laundry, Buck then searched through the cabinets, finding the thermometer. Since moving into the new house with Eddie, it has been a lot easier to find things in the bathroom, seeing how organized Eddie likes it. The same could be said in the reverse for the kitchen, previously a no-man’s-land under Eddie, which Buck organized with labels and bins. Buck instructed Theo to stay still, pointing the thermometer at his forehead and cursing as he read the reading.

A soft knock sounded at the door, and soon it creaked open to reveal Eddie. “Hey.”

“Bucky said I have the foo!” Theo announced, sounding almost excited.

“Aw, sorry to hear that, bud,” Eddie told him. “He have a fever?” Eddie asked Buck, motioning to the thermometer in Buck’s hand.

“100.8°,” Buck nodded. “And he threw up again.”

“Stomach bug?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Buck sighed. “They sent an email saying it was going around at daycare.”

“Well, I’ll get these clothes,” Eddie said, kneeling down and picking up the balled remains, “then I’ll be back with some Tylenol.”

“Eds,” Buck stopped him as he was about to leave, his hand catching his bicep in an attempt to slow him. “You don’t have to do this, you know,” he whispered softly. “Just leave the stuff by the washing machine and I’ll take care of it. He’s not your kid, this is my problem.”

“Buck,” Eddie softened, “you’d do the same for Chris. And I want to help. I do. I love you. And I love that kid. Don’t think for a minute that I’m doing this because I think I have to.”

“I love you,” Buck sighed, resting his forehead against Eddie’s. “So much.”

“Bucky! Tummy feels bad again!” Theo called. Buck didn’t even give Eddie a quick peck on the check or a thank you, as he was running so fast back to Theo’s side. This time, the poor kid was just bringing up bile, his stomach now empty. Buck stayed by his side, rubbing his back as he finished up.

Luckily, after that, Theo was done throwing up for the night. He reported that his tummy was feeling better, and forty-five minutes later there were new sheets on his bed and a bucket by his side. Buck was tucked in next to him, and Theo snored lightly on his shoulder. Eddie gave them both a kiss goodnight with a promise for Buck to wake him if Theo got sick again. Buck fell asleep with so much love in his heart. It sucked that his kid was sick, and although he knew there was nothing he could have done to prevent it, it made him feel like a failure. But Eddie was here, and Eddie loved him. And there was nothing they couldn’t face together.

Buck woke up a little later than normal the next morning, but luckily when he glanced at Theo’s Spider-Man clock, he saw that it was still before when Chris left for school. He got up carefully, making sure not to jostle Theo, and crept out of his room and down the stairs to the kitchen.

“Morning, Buck!” Chris called from the kitchen table where he sat eating his cereal.

“Mornin’!” Buck sang.

“How’s Theo?” Chris asked mid-bite. Either he was woken up by it last night, which Buck found unlikely given that Theo and his and Eddie’s bedrooms were on the second floor and Chris’ was on the first, or Eddie had caught him up.

“Still sleeping. Temperature’s normal, though.”

“Good, the Tylenol worked,” Eddie spoke up for the first time that morning. “Laundry is all done, just need to fold it.”

“I can do it, babe,” Buck told him cheerily. Unironically, he loved folding laundry.

“Ew, don’t call each other ‘babe’ in front of me,” Chris groaned.

“Sorry, Chris,” Buck huffed.

“Hey, babe, did you call Theo’s daycare to let them know he’s not coming in?” Eddie laughed.

“No, no!” Chris squealed. “Do it one more time and I’m gonna vomit!”

That was, obviously, not the right thing to say, as both Eddie and Buck froze as Eddie asked hurriedly, “Are you feeling sick too, Chris?”

“Oh, no,” Chris explained. “It was a joke. I feel fine.”

“Good,” Eddie sighed. He didn’t want to have to handle two sick kids. “But, seriously, Buck?”

“No, I–I forgot that I was supposed to do that. Glad I have you around to remind me.” Buck stepped into the other room, pulling out his phone and calling Theo’s daycare to let them know that he wouldn’t be able to make it in because he had a stomach bug. After the call was finished, Buck sighed and took a deep breath, collapsing on the couch. If Eddie hadn’t told him, he would have forgotten. And if he’d forgotten, the daycare probably would have freaked out, thought he was irresponsible, and then called CPS on him. And then they would have taken Theo away from him because of his ignorant negligence.

“Hey, what are you thinkin’?” Eddie’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“What?”

“That’s your ‘I’m thinking something bad and crazy and I’m spiraling face,’ babe.”

“It’s nothing,” Buck shrugged, standing up from the couch and clapping Eddie on the back before going back into the kitchen.

Soon, Eddie and Chris left so that Eddie could drop Chris off at school. He informed Buck that he’d likely be gone for an hour or more, as he was going to stop at the pharmacy and grocery store to stock up on anything they’d need while Theo was sick.

It was then, about six hours after Theo had gotten sick, when Buck started to feel not so great. The first thing that hit him was the dizziness as he stood at the sink, washing the dishes from the meal he’d just eaten. Still, Buck had to get everything cleaned up and a small snack made in the hopes that Theo could stomach some of it. So, he pushed through, and in no time, he was heading up the stairs with some Cheerios, freshly cut strawberries, and some sugar-free Gatorade.

“Hey, bud,” Buck chimed softly, shaking Theo’s shoulder, “time to wake up.”

Theo groaned as he peeled open his eyes.

“Still feelin’ rough?” Buck asked.

“Tummy still hurts,” Theo whined, pulling the covers down and showing Buck where he clutched his stomach.

“I’m sorry about that. But do you think you could try to eat something for me?” Buck asked, praying that Theo would accept it.

“No, yucky.”

“It’s Cheerios and strawberries, bud. You love Cheerios and strawberries.”

“I feel yucky!” Theo spat, starting to get grumpy.

“Okay, fine.” Buck put the plate aside and instead grabbed the cup of grape Gatorade. “But you do have to drink something.”

“No!” Theo cried, tears threatening to form as he pouted.

“Please,” Buck tried to reason, “you have to keep hydrated or you are gonna feel even more yucky.”

“No, no, no!” Theo squealed as loud as normal, jumping up and attempting to run from him.

And while Buck was glad the kid was feeling well enough to return to some of his more hyper activities, Buck wasn’t feeling well enough to handle it. Specifically, his head wasn’t. Buck grabbed his head and hissed as Theo yelled, cursing the pounding that was beginning to inhabit his brain. “Theo, please,” Buck gritted, standing to follow Theo but quickly becoming ungodly lightheaded and slightly nauseous.

The next thing Buck was aware of was Theo at his feet, pulling on the hem of his t-shirt. “Are you okay, Bucky?”

“Hm? Yea,” Buck answered. “Just tired.”

“Not yucky like me?” Theo asked, looking slightly guilty.

“No,” Buck chuckled, “not yucky like you.” At least not yet.

“I need to go bathroom,” Theo stated, and from the one look he gave Buck, it was apparent that it was urgent. Luckily, Buck had missed the whole potty-training phase, and he was thankfully reminded of this grace again as he led Theo to the bathroom and helped him sit on his kiddie potty and what sounded like liquid rushed out. Buck thanked God that Theo knew when he had to go and that this wasn’t an in-the-pants situation. “My poopy is like pee!” Theo squealed excitedly, reminding Buck of the moment they first met and Theo had named him, affectionately, ‘Mister Poop’.

“That happens sometimes when you’re sick,” Buck explained. “It is called diarrhea, and it is kinda like water, which means that you need to drink more water to make up for it.” Theo frowned at him, frustrated because he thought he had fooled Buck out of the food and water kick. “If you don’t drink a lot when you’re sick, you can get even more sick.”

“More sick?” Theo gasped, not wanting to hear it. “Like tummy hurt more? ‘Cause my tummy already hurt so so so much!”

“A different kind of sick. Dehydrated.”

“Dee-hi-der-dated?”

“Sure,” Buck chuckled. Damn, this kid was cute.

“Okay,” Theo gave in. “I’ll have some drinky.”

“Glad to hear it, bud.” Buck stood up and got the cup from where he’d left it in the other room, the world tipping slightly as he made the journey. When he got back to the bathroom and gave it to Theo, who was still conducting his business, he gulped it down fast, Buck rushing to remind him that he needed to take slow sips if he didn’t want to get sick again.

Soon, Theo was done on the toilet and had finished the drink. Buck noticed he looked a little flushed again and brought him downstairs, along with the thermometer, finding that he had a low-grade fever. Besides being a little more tired than usual and complaining every so often about his stomach hurting, Theo was practically himself, begging Buck to play with him as they sat in the living room. And Buck wanted to, he really did, but he was growing more and more tired with each passing minute. So, after Buck got some more of the gross, liquid kids’ Tylenol into Theo, he turned on an episode of Bluey and sighed into the couch. He could hear Theo buzzing around him, pouncing on him every once and a while to show him a toy or a drawing, but his muscles ached like they never had before and he found himself horizontal in no time.

“I’m home!” Eddie called, unlocking the door and stepping into the house, hands full of grocery bags. He’d stocked up on Pedialyte, kids’ Motrin and Tylenol, adult Motrin and Tylenol, some DayQuil and NyQuil, bread, crackers, and a couple cans of soup. “Hello?”

“Eddddddie!” Theo squealed, running into the entryway with a toy plane in hand, flying it around like he was a pilot or something.

“Huh,” Eddie huffed as Theo, still clad in his striped blue footie pajamas, ran into him with considerable force that some would consider a hug. “I see you’re feeling better.”

“My tummy still hurts,” Theo explained, “bad. It made me go poopy a lot.”

“Ugh, lemme put this down…” Eddie groaned, his shoulder acting up again as he shrugged out of Theo’s hold and brought the groceries into the kitchen. “Do you feel better now that you went poop?” Eddie asked kindly, setting the bags down.

“Yeah, and Buck gave me the bad-tasting juice.”

Medicine, Eddie figured. Buck. Where was Buck? “Yeah, that juice will make you better, though. Where’s Buck at?” He walked out of the kitchen with Theo trailing him, leaving the unpacked groceries behind. “Buck?” He called.

“He sleepin’ on da couch!” Theo giggled, running over into the living room and hiding behind the couch.

Upon first glance, Eddie noticed the living room was a mess. About every single one of Theo’s toys was scattered about the floor, which must have all been done this morning as Buck always made him clean up his toys before bed. There was also a rule that Theo had to put one toy away before taking out another, which was clearly not being followed. Eddie thought at first that might have been because Buck was giving him leeway because he was sick, but seeing as Eddie found Buck’s form prone on the couch, he was guessing it was because Buck was too passed out to police it.

With a closer look, Buck really didn’t look good. Dressed only in a t-shirt and sweatpants, the sweat was visible on his back as it seeped through his shirt. He was shivering, so Eddie made his way over there with haste, taking a seat on the coffee table and flicking the TV off with the abandoned remote.

“Hey! I was watching that!” Theo pouted.

“No, you weren’t,” Eddie scoffed in disbelief. Theo was such a funny kid, but he obviously hadn’t been watching the show, given the chaos that was all over the floor and the fact that he’d been out of the room for the past three minutes.

“Don’t wake him up!” Theo yelped as Eddie got closer to Buck. “He’s sleeping,” he stage-whispered.

“Yeah, bud, I don’t think your Buck’s feeling so hot,” Eddie explained, “so I have to. To make sure he’s okay.”

“Oh no!” Theo gasped, running over to the front of the couch. He launched himself up and shook Buck awake violently, whispering, “Wake up, Buck! Wake up! Buck, wake up!”

“Huh?” Buck gasped, suddenly stirred from his sleep. “What’s wrong? You okay, Theo?”

“Hey, Buck, you’re okay. Theo’s fine.” Eddie placed a hand on Buck’s bicep, trying to calm him as he turned to Theo. “Hey, bud, would you mind going in the other room so I can talk to Buck?”

“Was I bad?” Theo quivered, visibly shrinking.

“No, no,” Eddie assured him hurriedly. “You’re fine, kid. Buck just needs some space right now.”

“Okay,” Theo frowned. “Bye, Buck…”

“Hey,” Eddie called out to Theo, “how ‘bout you go draw Buck a picture for when he feels better? I think he’d really like that.”

Now, with renewed purpose and a smile on his face, Theo skipped out of the room in search of his markers and paper and on a mission.

“Buck,” Eddie shook Buck awake, not missing how he groaned at the light in his eyes.

“Eds,” Buck moaned, rolling onto his side to face Eddie.

“Hey,” Eddie calmed, using his hand to push back Buck’s sweaty curls. “Shit, you’re burning up.”

“Don’ feel good,” Buck slurred, hand coming down to clutch his stomach.

“You thrown up yet?” Eddie asked.

“Not yet. Stomach j’ crampin’.”

“Okay,” Eddie sighed. “What else? You look pretty rough, babe.”

“Headache,” Buck grumbled, as if that wasn’t obvious already. “Body aches. E’erywhere. Tired.”

“Where’s the thermometer?” Eddie asked.

“Cof’e’ t’ble,” Buck slurred, pointing weakly with his hand. “Brought it d’wn ‘ere ‘cause Theo had a f’ver. L’w grade. 99.8°.”

“Did you give him more Tylenol?” Eddie asked, although he was sure Buck did. He reached beside him and picked up the wand, pointing it at his boyfriend’s forehead.

“Mhm,” Buck nodded, letting his eyes slip closed in hopes of momentarily escaping from the light.

Eddie hissed as the thermometer beeped. “Well, you have a proper fever.”

“Wha’ ‘s it?” Buck asked.

“101.9°. That’s pretty high for a stomach bug. No wonder you feel like shit.”

“S’rry,” Buck slurred.

“What are you sorry for, babe?” Eddie asked, confused. “You’re sick.”

“Should b’ takin’ care o’ Theo.” Something inside Buck switched, and he tried to sit up. “Theo?”

Eddie lurched forward, catching Buck when he immediately swayed to the side. “Woah, there. Are you lightheaded?”

“Mhm,” Buck nodded, burrowing his head into Eddie’s shoulder. “H’ve been for a while.”

“A while? When did you start feeling like this?”

“Righ’ aft’r you l’ft,” Buck admitted.

“Babe,” Eddie sighed, pulling Buck closer into him, “you should have called me.”

“I’m finished!” Theo’s voice rang as his footsteps pounded into the room. He presented a rushed drawing of a fireman with hearts around it. “It’s for you to get better, Bucky.”

Buck opened his eyes, sitting up properly to see it. He smiled, cherishing it, but in less than a second, his smile turned into a greenish frown. Jumping up, Buck rushed to the bathroom, barely making it in time before losing half his breakfast to the toilet bowl.

Eddie swore under his breath, running after Buck in a panic, stopping only in the kitchen for a second to grab one of the pedialyte bottles. Theo managed to get there before Eddie did, and now Buck, sick to his stomach, was trying to comfort a sobbing toddler as he observed the most important man in his life bent over a porcelain bowl.

“Hey, Theo, bud.” Eddie came in and snatched Theo from the increasingly ill looking Buck’s arms. “Calm down.” This was obviously not the right thing to say, as Theo began kicking and screaming more, which only caused Buck to vomit again. With Buck moaning in pain and Theo screaming, Eddie had his hands full with the Buckleys. And, as much as Eddie wanted to hold Buck close and tell him it was going to be okay, the kids came first. So, about ten minutes, a popsicle, and a movie on the TV later, Theo was settled on the couch, and Eddie returned to the bathroom, where Buck was leaning up against the wall with his eyes sewn shut.

“Eds,” Buck moaned, reaching out his arms weakly.

“Hey, baby,” Eddie sighed, collapsing down beside him and taking him in his arms. “You get it all out?”

“Feels l’ there’s m’re,” Buck grunted, arms leaving Eddie and going back to cradling his stomach. “H’rts worse than wh’n we got food poisoning from Chim’s cooking…”

“Really?” Eddie gasped, feigning shock. “That was pretty bad. Hen wouldn’t eat without gagging for like a week.”

Buck laughed softly before groaning and curling around his stomach. “Don’ make me laugh… h’rts…”

“You need to drink something,” Eddie said softly, reaching for the bottle of pedialyte he had brought with him. “Here.” Eddie helped shift Buck into a sitting position, uncapping the bottle and guiding it to his mouth. The liquid tasted like heaven to Buck’s dry and puke-tainted mouth as he greedily tried to gulp it down. “Slow sips, babe. Don’t want to upset—” Buck lurched forward suddenly and violently, a large pour of vomit bursting from his mouth and splashing into the toilet bowl. “—your stomach…”

“Eds,” Buck grumbled, laying his head down on the cool porcelain in defeat.

“I’m here, babe, I’m here,” Eddie immediately soothed as he jumped forward to hold Buck. After being sure that Buck was stable enough to hold himself up against the toilet, Eddie softly dismissed himself, sneaking slowly into the hallway to grab the fever reducers. Careful to not disturb Theo—who seemed thoroughly engrossed in the movie that Eddie had put on the TV—Eddie slipped back down the hallway and into the bathroom, finding Buck exactly where he left him, still hunched against the toilet with his eyes closed, one hand on his pounding head and the other on his aching stomach. “Tylenol,” Eddie said, shaking out two white, oval tablets and handing them to Buck. Passing Buck the pedialyte, he added, “Drink slowly this time.” Eddie didn’t want to see the fever reducers making a reappearance in the toilet bowl if he could help it.

Buck obeyed, sipping slowly as he let the Tylenol work its way into his system, hoping it would alleviate some of his fever and accompanying headache. “Thanks,” Buck said after finishing with the pedialyte. He had only managed about four half-sips, but it was better than nothing. And Eddie seemed pleased by this, which was really all Buck wanted. Truly, this man was a saint for taking care of him in this state. Buck didn’t know what he did to deserve this man, and part of him thought he never truly ever will, but he was glad he was here now. “Love ya’, Eds.”

“You always get so sappy and lovey when you’re sick,” Eddie remarked with a small laugh, pushing back a few of Buck’s sweaty curls, which had molded to his forehead.

“I like to think ‘m always sappy, baby,” Buck joked, flashing Eddie one of his most irresistible, charming smiles.

“Yeah, you are,” Eddie admitted.

“Y’know,” Buck started, shifting his body from where it rested against the toilet to being pressed up against the wall and laying his head in Eddie’s lap. “I think I could stay here forever. Just me and you. Just like this.”

“Even with all the puke and vomit?” Eddie quipped.

“Even w’ all the puke and vomit,” Buck echoed. “It doesn’t matter as long as I’m with you.”

Buck groaned as his stomach shifted in painful agony again, nuzzling further into Eddie’s lap. They sat there for somewhere between fifteen and thirty minutes, Eddie soothing Buck as he rotated between painful moans, gruesome retches, and tiny sips.

Eventually, they were interrupted by a shout and loud retch from the other room, just as they had experienced last night, complete with the crying after.

“Theo!” Buck slurred, attempting to collect himself in order to stand.

Seeing as Buck clearly wasn’t fit to even fully sit up, Eddie pulled away and settled Buck against the bathroom wall. “Stay here, I got this,” he told Buck.

After a small hazy nod and mumbled confirmation from Buck, Eddie ran out of the bathroom and straight to the living room.

There, Theo sat on the couch with a bright blue projectile puddle of vomit splayed out in his lap and across the living room floor. Fuck, Eddie thought, I shouldn’t have given him that popsicle. Or at least one that was a more cleaning-friendly colour.

Luckily for Eddie, Theo stopped crying as soon as he scooped him up into his arms. Eddie told him everything was going to be okay, echoing reassurances and care Buck had given him the night before, as he carried him upstairs. Going straight for the bathroom, Eddie plopped Theo down on the closed toilet seat and began to run the water in the tub.

“No bathy-time!” Theo huffed. Theo, famously, despised bathtime. Or really any time that required him to be still for more than thirty seconds. He also wasn’t the biggest fan of water, which always made Eddie laugh because that couldn’t have been further from his biological father. Theo seemed to handle sprinklers and Slip ‘N Slides well, but baths and pools were a no-no. He did it, of course, but not without significant battle from Buck.

Normally, Eddie didn’t have a prayer of getting Theo in a bath. He would only listen to Buck, and even Buck had to spend a lot of effort to make it happen. Eddie had tried, multiple times, but it just wouldn’t happen. In fact, the agreement had been reached that, no matter how dirty he was, if Eddie had a night alone with the kids, Theo just wouldn’t get a bath that night. But this was different. Theo was covered in vomit, and that just wouldn’t do. That was a straight-up health hazard. So, the bath was necessary.

“You have to, bud,” Eddie explained. “You’re all dirty and covered in throw up.”

“I wan’ Buck!” Theo cried, sliding off the toilet and attempting to run for the door.

“No, no, no,” Eddie stammered, jumping up and running to block the door before Theo could open it and make his great escape. “Buck is sick, so you’ve got me.”

“Buck!” Theo screamed.

“Shh!” Eddie blurted out, holding his finger up to Theo’s mouth. The last thing he needed was Buck hearing this and trying to come up the stairs only to fall down them in a fever-induced state and break half the bones in his body. Because, if anyone was unlucky enough for that to happen to them, chances are, Buck’s luck would make it so. “Buck is not feeling too good, and volume hurts his head and makes him sick—like you. So we have to keep our indoor voices on.”

“Oh!” Theo gasped. He then proceeded to talk in a hushed voice that was so quiet it was undiscernible.

“You can speak louder than that, bud,” Eddie chuckled. “Just no yelling. You can talk like me right now.”

“Okay!” Theo hummed. “I said: ‘Did Buck throw’d up like me?’”

“Yeah, unfortunately he did,” Eddie sighed.

“Does he have the foo?”

“Yea,” Eddie sighed again. Theo was a smart cookie.

Theo’s face immediately turned sour. His bottom lip stuck out as he pouted, “I give it to him?”

“That’s just how germs work,” Eddie said, knowing that if the answer was a straight-up ‘yes,’ Theo would have been deeply upset when, really, there was nothing he could have done differently to stop it. Theo was a good boy who diligently washed his hands, and it wasn’t likely that Buck could have cared for him without catching it. Eddie wouldn’t be surprised if soon enough he had it too. That’s just how these bugs worked, and the email from daycare did say this strain was particularly aggressive. Eddie just hoped he wouldn’t be hit as hard as Buck—whose vomiting he could still hear even from upstairs with the tub running—which he probably wouldn’t be, seeing as Buck had more immune system problems as a result of the whole being-struck-by-lightning thing. “Sometimes there’s no way to avoid it, bud.”

Eddie glanced over at the tub, seeing it filled enough for Theo’s bath. He shut off the faucet and rolled up his sleeves, turning back to Theo, who had slipped out and now stood by the door. “Theo!” Eddie called, he was too far away to physically restrain the kid, so now it was up to his words. “Buck said you need to take a bath. He is really sick, so he can’t be here right now, but he asked me to make sure you did.”

“No!” Theo huffed, “I want Buck!” Eddie tilted his head, staring intently at the little man. “D–did he really say that?”

“Mhmm,” Eddie nodded. “He’s feelin’ really bad right now, and it would really help him if you got in this bath for me, bud.”

“He feels yucky like me?”

“I think maybe even more yucky than you,” Eddie admitted, face softening as Theo backed away from the door and came closer to him.

“Okay…” Theo mumbled hesitantly. He stepped up to the tub and looked down at the water as if he were still trying to decide whether or not this was a good idea or trick. Then, without warning, he began stripping, vomit-soiled clothes flying off as he reached up toward Eddie, who helped to lift him into the tub.

In the end, Eddie couldn’t convince Theo to put his head under water—or even come within one foot of his head with the cup—so his hair remained unwashed, but Eddie was able to scrub his entire body clean of sweaty sickness. The bath was eventually concluded by Theo announcing that his tummy hurt and he needed to go to the potty right then and there, so Eddie hurriedly got him out and placed the wet, shivering kid on the kiddie potty where he suffered through another round of diarrhea. Taking this time while Theo did his business, Eddie went downstairs and threw the blanket in the wash and cleaned up the rest of Theo’s neon blue accident in the living room.

After he was done pushing, Theo was spent. He yawned as Eddie got him into his favourite pajamas—the matching long-sleeve and pants white set with little green dinosaurs all over them—requesting that he be allowed to take a nap. Theo was usually very anti-nap, so Eddie knew this meant the kid was feeling pretty sick.

Eddie got Theo tucked into bed, and the kid was softly snoring before Eddie was even able to begin the book Theo had requested be read to him. Eddie smiled and left the door open a crack, just in case Theo got sick again and needed to call for him or Buck—shit, Buck. He should really go see how Buck was doing. It had been almost an hour since he left him, so the Tylenol should have kicked in by now. However, upon returning downstairs, Eddie found that this was definitely not the case.

Hoping Buck would be in the living room by now, Eddie went there first. He instead found it empty and still smelling strongly of the cleaning product he had drenched it in twenty or so minutes earlier. Grabbing the thermometer from the table, Eddie set off towards the bathroom. Upon arriving, he placed a small knock on the door, pushing it open before Buck could even moan in response. He was met with the sickly man in front of him looking wrecked. Buck was lying on his side, sweating profusely as he clutched both his stomach and head. He was pale and shivering violently as his teeth chattered through moans of pain.

“Hey, hey,” Eddie rushed in, falling to the ground beside Buck and cupping his face in his hands. “You okay?”

“Feel w’rse,” Buck groaned, eyes pressed closed.

“Okay,” Eddie tried to calm himself. Buck looked so rough that Eddie was just about ready to scoop him up and drag his ass to the hospital. But first, Eddie figured, he should assess what was specifically wrong. It would help no one if he overreacted. “What specifically?”

“M’ head aches,” Buck reported. “Cold. Body hurts. Stomach ‘bout the same. Haven’t thr’wn up in a wh’le. J’ don’t feel good.”

“Okay,” Eddie repeated, taking a big deep breath. “I’m gonna check your temperature, okay?”

“Mhmm,” Buck nodded, understanding and rolling onto his back, removing his hand from his forehead.

The thermometer beeped angrily as Eddie pulled it away from Buck’s forehead, reporting, “102.7°.” It was higher than before, even though he had given Buck medicine to reduce it. Additionally, stomach bugs did not usually yield temperatures that high. All this worried Eddie, but he wouldn’t take Buck in unless his fever didn’t fall in the next few hours, he had worsening symptoms, or his temperature reached 104°F.

Since it was still too early for another dose of medication, Eddie racked his brain for anything that might help lower Buck’s temperature. “How ‘bout we try a bath?” Eddie suggested calmly. Not only would it help to reduce Buck’s fever, but it would also get the sickly sweat off of him. Which would be great because—even though Eddie loved Buck—he wasn’t loving the smell currently hanging in the cramped bathroom.

Buck reluctantly agreed. As much as he wanted to lay on the floor in misery forever, he figured he should try anything that could help him avoid a trip to the doctor.

“Let’s get you up,” Eddie sighed once Buck agreed. Helping to pull Buck up, Eddie rested him into a sitting position against the wall. He could practically see Buck’s head swimming with dizziness, the man swaying slightly as Eddie slotted himself in next to Buck, letting him rest his head upon his shoulder. “Shh, it's okay,” Eddie soothed as Buck passed out gently against him. Within a few seconds, Buck had woken up again, sitting up and looking slightly confused.

“Wha’ happened?” Buck asked, hissing at the way the light hit his eyes.

“You passed out for a second, baby,” Eddie told him calmly. “You’ve got a pretty high fever.”

“Theo?” Buck asked, leaning back heavily against the wall.

“Taking a nap,” Eddie reported. “He’s okay.”

“Good,” Buck sighed, closing his eyes again.

This time, however, he didn’t flop over limp. This was reassuring to Eddie, but assuming it would come any second, he slipped closer to Buck and made his shoulder and arms available. “You with me?”

“Yea,” a pale Buck grumbled, surprisingly still aware and supporting himself. “Head h’rts like h’ll though. Light.”

“I’ll turn it off,” Eddie said quickly, jumping up and flicking off the light. Being in the center of the house, there was no window in the room, but Eddie let the door remain open a crack, letting a small amount of daylight filter in.

“Much better,” Buck sighed, peeling his eyes open and looking longingly at Eddie. “Here?” he asked innocently.

“Yeah, babe,” Eddie softened as the beautiful blue eyes now stared at him. “Just let me get your bath started.” Quickly, Eddie knelt by the bath, flipping the water to a mid-level temperature and placing the tub stopper. After confirming with his hand that the temperature was lukewarm, he drew away from the tub, letting it fill as he let Buck curl up in his lap.

“Thanks for bein’ here,” Buck said as Eddie combed his fingers gently through his hair. “Means a lot.”

“Always, Buck.” Eddie knew Buck didn’t have much help as a child or a young adult and usually preferred to suffer on his own, so Eddie was grateful that he was letting him in now. It was hard for Buck, leaning on others when he was used to being the one that others leaned on, but now that he and Eddie were together, it felt a little bit easier. This was someone who he could trust. Someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. No more ignoring leg pain or shrugging off a tickle in his throat. He would give Eddie everything. Because, for the first time ever, instead of feeling like a burden, Buck realised that, together, they could share the burden.

By the time the bath had filled to a good level, Eddie reached over and shut the tap off. Sticking his hand in the water, he concluded that it still felt good. Not too hot, which could worsen Buck’s fever, and not too cold, which could also worsen the fever. Instead, it was perfectly lukewarm.

“Let’s get these clothes off,” Eddie remarked, nearing Buck as he began to pull at the hem of Buck’s t-shirt.

As the shirt was pulled over Buck’s head, he smirked, chuckling softly and remarking, “At least buy me dinner first, Diaz.”

“Okay,” Eddie huffed, “now you’re just delusional.”

Buck smiled, “Nah, know ya’ love me too.”

“I do, Buck,” Eddie smiled, pressing a kiss to his warm birthmark. “I do.”

With little fuss, Eddie got Buck standing and helped him out of his pants and boxers. A few shaky steps across the room and Eddie had successfully maneuvered Buck into the tub. Although he let out a small squeal as he submerged himself in the water, in a matter of minutes Buck had stopped shivering and began looking more alert.

“You feelin’ better?” Eddie asked, holding a cool, wet cloth to Buck’s forehead.

“Yeah, a little,” Buck admitted. “I think the water’s helping.”

“Good.”

“You should go check on Theo,” Buck crackled, sinking down deeper into the water.

“I told you, he’s taking a nap.” Eddie pulled the cloth away from Buck’s forehead, tossing it aside and reaching for the thermometer he had left on the sink counter. “Fever’s down,” Eddie sighed with relief at reading the numbers. He still technically had a high fever, but it was going down, his colour improving, and he was feeling better. “And besides, you need me right now.”

“I feel better,” Buck mumbled, crossing his arms. “Look, I just don’t want him to wake up and think he’s alone.”

“He won’t. Trust me, I think he’ll be sleeping for a while. After we finish your bath you can go up there and lay with him, I promise.”

“Eddie,” Buck softened, relaxing slightly and reaching his hand out of the water to grab Eddie’s.

“I’m right where I need to be,” Eddie confirmed with a soft nod.

A few minutes later, after Eddie had washed Buck’s body and shampooed his hair, his phone began to buzz from where it sat on the counter.

“Phone’s ringin’,” Buck reported.

“It can wait,” Eddie replied. His hands were still wet, and he still needed to do Buck’s conditioner.

“Could be important,” Buck teased.

“Probably just a spam call.”

“You should check. You know how I love to hear you yell at scammers,” Bucked hummed.

“Fine,” Eddie chuckled, shaking off his wet hands in the direction of Buck’s face and standing to see his phone screen.

When Eddie stood and glanced at his phone, Buck instantly knew something was wrong. He knew it in the way Eddie’s face fell. He knew it in the way Eddie’s breath hitched. He knew it because he knew Eddie. “What is it?” Buck asked, concerned, sitting up straighter in the bath.

“It’s Chris’ school,” Eddie mumbled under his breath, answering the call and rushing out of the room.

He came back less than two minutes later, hair messy as if he’d been running his hands through it and looking frazzled. “What is it?” Buck asked again, worry increasing as Eddie’s brow furrowed up.

“I need to go pick up Chris,” Eddie sighed, drawing his hand closer to his head. “That was the nurse. She said he’s feeling sick.”

Buck sighed internally. This felt like his fault. If he and Theo weren’t living with Eddie and Chris, he wouldn’t be sick. Maybe it was too early to move in together. And this was the sign. Or, was it the punishment? Buck cursed himself for moving too fast. For letting him find happiness and his greedy need to seize and hold it captive.

“Let’s get your bath finished,” Eddie sighed, moving to kneel on the ground.

“No,” Buck practically shouted before Eddie could even take his place next to Buck. “I’m feeling better. Fever’s down, my head hurts less, I feel more with it. Go, Eddie. Go get him, I can finish up here.”

Although Eddie looked like he was about to say no, the thought of Chris being sick and throwing up in a nurse’s office alone prevailed, and he found himself agreeing. “At least let me get you some clothes,” Eddie insisted, quickly running upstairs and grabbing a t-shirt, sweatshirt, sweatpants, and a pair of socks from Buck’s dresser. Leaving them on the closed toilet seat, Eddie left Buck with instructions to call him—or 9-1-1 if necessary—if he felt worse and to sit down if he even felt the slightest bit dizzy. The thought of Buck passing out while getting out of the bathtub and drowning was too much for him.

Hurriedly grabbing his keys on the way out, Eddie flicked on the engine to his truck and was barreling towards Chris’ school in no time.

Chris’ school wasn’t unreasonably far, but it also wasn’t particularly close. And, since it was LA, there was basically always some amount of traffic at any given time, meaning it took about twenty-five minutes to get the nine miles—the second curse of private school in LA, the first being the price (even with Chris’ scholarship)—to Chris’ school.

Upon pulling into the parking lot, Eddie placed his car—barely in the lines—in park, turned it off, and rushed toward the front door. Hitting the buzzer, he waited as the doorbell rang. The receptionist’s voice came on the speaker, small and staticky. “Hello, how can I help you today?”

“Hi Janet,” Eddie replied, knowing the receptionist by name as most good parents do, “this is Eddie Diaz, I’m here to pick Chris up.”

The buzz sounded and the door clicked, letting Eddie know he was good to enter. Upon entering, Janet greeted him with a smile and pointed down the hallway, giving him directions to the nurse’s office, even though they both knew that Eddie knew his way around, seeing as he’d picked up Chris with various migraines or high pain days throughout the years.

The door to the nurse’s office was open, but Eddie still provided a polite little knock before entering.

“Hello, Mister Diaz,” the school nurse, Sabiha, looked up from her computer with those thick glasses she always wore, standing to greet him. She shook his hand as she explained, “Chris is just in the bathroom, he should be out in a few minutes.” She gestured to one of the chairs so that Eddie could take a seat while he waited.

Sitting down, Eddie began to ask the questions that had been burning at him the whole way over. “Does he have a fever?” he blurted out. “Has he thrown up?”

“He’s complaining of stomach pain and some toilet troubles.” Diarrhea—Eddie figured. He thought that it was kind of ridiculous that Chris was fifteen and the nurse was still using words like ‘toilet troubles’. “No fever.”

Eddie nodded, turning his attention towards his phone, typing a quick message to Buck asking how he was and if he had gotten out of the bath okay. He really felt just terrible for leaving him, the guilt starting to eat at his stomach.

Within a minute, his phone buzzed. A picture from Buck of him and Theo curled up on the couch.

Just as Eddie reacted with a heart to the image, the sound of a toilet flushing filled his ears. Then the sound of a sink. And, finally, the door in the back of the nurses’ office opened as Chris crutched his way out of the private bathroom. He looked a little pale and uncomfortable, but other than that he seemed fine. He wasn’t sweating or flushed, which Eddie thanked the universe for; he really didn’t want to have to deal with another scarily high fever.

“Ready to go?” Eddie asked, picking up Chris’ bag from where it sat on the cot.

Soon enough, Eddie and Chris were loaded into the truck, beginning the journey back home.

Eddie made small talk with Chris, asking how the classes he had gone to today had been. Chris replied with the annoyance and enthusiasm of a teenager, but Eddie gave him a free pass because he was sick. “Do you have any big projects or tests coming up?” Eddie asked just as Chris began to moan quietly in pain. Eddie felt his own stomach ache in sympathy. “Hey, bud, you feelin’ okay? Need me to pull over?”

“Nah, I’m good, Dad. Just hurts,” Chris replied, hand rubbing circles on his aching stomach. “I think I caught whatever Theo has,” he groaned.

“You and Buck both, buddy,” Eddie replied with a chuckle.

The next time they stopped at a stoplight, Eddie looked over and saw Chris leaning against the window with his eyes closed and a hand around his midsection. Eddie reached over to check for a fever, his gut feeling as though something wasn’t quite right. Chris leaned away from the touch, complaining, “I don’t have a fever, Dad. It just hurts.”

“Anything else?” Eddie confirmed.

“No,” Chris whined, wishing his father would stop worrying.

“Really?” Eddie asked sarcastically, raising his eyebrows. “No diarrhea? No headache? No—”

“Dad!” Chris grumbled, not really wanting to talk to his dad about the inner workings of his intestinal system, which—at this current moment—hated him. “No headache, no fever. Yes to the other thing, though,” he mumbled.

“Okay,” Eddie nodded as the light turned green again. “Buck said Theo had some too. Let me know if anything changes.”

“Thanks,” Chris shrugged slightly sarcastically. It was only natural that parents fret over their kids—no matter their age—when sick, but Chris did feel like a child when his father handled him like this. “I’m a little tired too,” Chris reported, hoping it would get his dad to leave him alone.

Thankfully, it worked, as Eddie replied, “Okay, I’ll be quiet now and you can try to sleep during the rest of the ride home.”

“Thanks.”

Eddie let Chris rest, but something in his gut was still telling him that something was wrong. Maybe it was Buck. Maybe it was Theo. So, for now, Eddie just tried to focus on the road in front of him. He couldn’t do anything unless he made it home in one piece. It wasn’t until a few minutes later, when a large puff of gas escaped his rear, that he realized the metaphorical gut feeling he was having was actually a physical one. The cramping seized his bowels, leading him to cuddle his arm around his stomach with a groan. A groan that was just loud enough to wake Chris from his half-sleep-half-awake rest in the passenger seat.

“Dad?” Chris rubbed his eyes, sitting up and taking in his surroundings. “We home?—Oh. Ew. What’s that smell?”

When Chris looked over at his father, he saw that Eddie’s jaw was clamped shut and his arm was fixed around his stomach. Given everything else that had happened so far that day—and the loud grumbling that arose from his stomach—Chris came quickly to the only logical explanation. “Dad, are you sick too?”

“Um,” Eddie gulped, swallowing the warm feeling in the back of his throat. “Yeah… maybe.”

“Do you need to pull over?” Chris asked. “Oh! I can drive!”

“No,” Eddie shot back almost as quickly as Chris proposed the idea. Yes, Chris only had a few months until he could get his permit, but Eddie was dreading the day. A license meant less attachment and reliance on your parents. It meant that college was getting closer. Then real life. And Eddie wasn’t ready for any of that. Besides, Eddie still had to find a specialist to help get the car fitted with all the adaptive equipment Chris would need.

Chris shrunk, slipping down into his seat.

“Mijo, no pouting.”

“Mikey said his parents let him drive in an abandoned parking lot—!”

“And that’s illegal. If you don’t have a permit, you can’t drive. Plain and simple. And I’m not going to break the law or do anything irresponsible like Mikey’s parents. When the time comes, I’m more than happy to—” Eddie’s moment of parental wisdom came to a sudden halt as his stomach cramped again. Eddie moaned softly, feeling his intestines twist. He knew he didn’t have much time left. Soon, he was going to break.

“Dad, really, are you alright?” Chris asked, concern thick in his voice. He wasn’t trying to show it, but any idiot could detect that it was there in the way his pitch raised by half an octave.

Eddie stifled another groan as he looked around to take in his surroundings. Yellow house with the garden. Intersection of South Beverly Drive and Cashio Street. Five minutes from home. He could do five measly minutes. His intestinal system may want him dead, but surely it could hold off for five minutes.

And for five minutes, he did.

As soon as he whipped into the driveway, he was slamming the car in park. He opened his door with newfound determination, leaving Chris to get out on his own. Running up to the front door, he turned it and sighed with relief as he realized that Buck had unlocked it. His heart swelled with love for a moment—he never missed how Buck would track them coming home on Find My Friends and unlock the door just before they arrived—before he felt his stomach swell again. Ignoring Chris’ concerns behind him as the boy climbed out of the car, Eddie pushed open the door with the force of a bull, rushing towards safety.

He was feeling so vehemently ill that he didn't know which side it would come out of first. As he tore into the bathroom, he hastily shed his pants, collapsing onto the toilet as he grabbed the small trashcan sitting beside it, thrusting his head into it.

Then, simultaneously, he began to get sick out of both ends. Warm liquid rushed out of his rear one as a chunky substance erupted from his mouth.

Moaning softly so that the children couldn’t hear, Eddie continued like that for a few minutes. When he finally came back to himself, he heard a rapid, but soft, knocking on the door and his loving boyfriend repeating his name with a timid urgency that informed Eddie that it wasn’t the first time he had said it.

“Yea,” Eddie croaked, his voice strained from the assault on his throat just seconds prior. “I’m okay.”

“Hey, that’s my line,” Buck joked softly. “And you never believe it when I say it, so I’m not believing you now.”

Eddie groaned, “Fine. Come in.”

Buck creaked the door open slowly, face contorting upward as he smelled Eddie’s byproducts. “How’re you feeling?” he asked softly, placing a kiss on Eddie’s head.

“Bad,” Eddie stated humorlessly.

“I know,” Buck soothed, knowing it was now his time to step up and help Eddie. First, however, something had to be done about that smell. He was already feeling queasy as is, so it would be the best course of action to avoid another incident. The last thing he wanted to do was offend Eddie by throwing up. So, Buck reached behind Eddie to the top of the toilet tank and removed the reeds from the diffuser, shaking the oil off them and into the air before placing them back in upside down. For good measure, Buck also flushed the toilet, as he hadn’t heard Eddie do so yet. “Anything I can do for you?”

“Get me a new stomach?” Eddie winced as he let loose another excrement.

“How ‘bout we start with some water?” Buck suggested gingerly, standing beside his boyfriend and cradling his head in his own waist.

“I’m gonna throw it up,” Eddie stated.

“Just try for me, baby.”

A minute later, Buck returned with a glass of cold water—Eddie liked his water ice cold—and a brand new bottle of pedialyte. Eddie was sweating slightly, his face red with the effort of sickness.

“My asshole burns,” Eddie laughed sickly with humor.

“Hm,” Buck tsked jokingly, “just upset I wasn’t the one to do that to you.”

Eddie chuckled for real, sweat gleaming on his chiseled jaw. Neither of them knew who moved first, but suddenly Eddie’s and Buck’s lips were on each other’s, kissing with the kind of domesticity that was so new to them but also felt so old.

“You’re hot,” Eddie mumbled as he pulled away.

“So are you,” Buck cooed.

“No, like, I think you still have a fever,” Eddie explained, brushing off Buck’s flirting with a small laugh.

“Oh,” Buck realized. In the wake of Eddie coming home in shambles, he had completely forgotten he was sick too. Now, in the quiet, Buck took stock of his body, still finding it aching in every joint and fiber.

“Hey, sit down,” Eddie coaxed. He couldn’t get up from the toilet at the current moment, as he knew another wave of diarrhea would come soon, but he did his best to get his arms on Buck’s biceps and guide him down to a seated position beside the toilet. “You look pale. Did you forget you were sick?”

“Sorry,” Buck said. It wasn’t until he had been fully sitting that he realized he had actually been incredibly dizzy. So, now, as he sat on the floor, his vision he hadn’t even noticed was slipping came back into clarity.

“Here,” Eddie said, extending the water he had finished half of.

“Nah, I got it for you, babe.” Buck smiled crookedly.

“You need it more, honey. You look like you’re about to pass out.”

Buck huffed a small laugh, taking a large sip of the cool water. Germs didn’t matter now; they were both sick as dogs.

“How’s everything been while I was gone?” Eddie asked.

“Good,” Buck smiled. “I think Theo’s finally starting to feel a little better. Said his stomach still hurts, and he’s low energy—well, low energy for Theo, which is like medium-high energy for other kids—but he seems better than he was. He did bitch about the bath, though. Said you forced him into it. That’s a new word for him.”

“Well, it was tough, but what can I say? I’m great with him,” Eddie relaxed, his stomach finally beginning to settle down.

“His hair wasn’t washed,” Buck deadpanned.

“Now, come on, that’s just impossible to do! Even on a good day!”

“How’s Chris?” Buck asked, mind wandering to their other child. Because, really, that’s what Chris and Theo were. Both of theirs.

“He didn’t throw up and has no fever, so that’s good. Nurse Sabiha said he was having diarrhea and stomach cramps, so that’s why he came home. Even at high schools they don’t want those nasty stomach bugs.”

“Yeah,” Buck scoffed in agreement. “Nasty is right. I don’t think I’ve puked this much since I was a kid. And it’s nasty puke too. All chunky and—”

Eddie’s stomach flipped as Buck continued speaking—he just couldn’t handle thinking about throwing up right now without actually throwing up, gagging softly until he felt Buck’s hands guiding a trash can into his lap and his head into the opening. Once Buck told him it was okay to let go, Eddie let the tension fall from his chest, heaving violently into the can.

Luckily, he only threw up once and was now clearing his throat as Buck, still sitting on the floor, neared him with the thermometer that had been sitting in there since Buck’s bath earlier in the day. “Yeah, you've got a fever,” he reported. The screen beeped and flashed red in front of him. “100.9°.”

“You?” Eddie asked, spitting into the can.

Buck turned the thermometer around, pointing it at his own forehead. “Ha, I beat you!” He sang as it beeped. “101° on the dot!”

“Weird thing to be bragging about,” Eddie laughed before groaning again as his stomach cramped.

“You know me,” Buck smiled.

They sat for a few more minutes until knocks came thundering through the door, Chris urgently asking when they were going to be done. Eddie concluded that he felt well enough to leave his perch upon the throne of sickness, Buck grabbing some kid wipes and leaving Eddie alone, out of modesty, to conclude his business. Soon, Eddie and Buck were snuggled on the couch with a sleeping Theo while Chris was holed up in the bathroom. And, while it sucked, at least they were in it together, spending the rest of the day with all four taking turns in the bathroom with their various maladies.

The toilet flushed, followed by the running of water and then the shuffling of feet as Eddie made his way from the master bathroom back into bed, where he and Buck had been holed up since they put the kids to bed at an early, but appropriate for the day they’ve had, seven o’clock.

The room was completely dark—it being nearly three in the morning, a whole twenty-four hours since Theo first threw up—save for the golden glowing lamps on both Buck’s and Eddie’s nightstands. In this glow, Eddie saw his love cuddled up in bed, slotting in next to him with a huff. They’d been apart for nearly three hours, Eddie going through hell on the toilet as he suffered through waves of diarrhea and Buck going through that same hell in the bed as he hunched over the trash can through rounds of vomiting. Buck was awake, just placing his trash can to the side after yet another bout of nausea. “Hey,” he gruffed sleepily. “You good?”

“I don’t think either of us are good, Buck,” Eddie sighed as he sat himself against the headboard, pulling Buck into his arms.

“Here,” Buck pulled back the covers to reveal the familiar grey, fuzzy pad that the pair often used for their chronic pains. “Heat’s helping.” Buck took the heating pad from his own stomach and placed it on Eddie’s, who immediately sighed with relief.

“Thank you,” Eddie hummed as he closed his eyes with satisfaction. “Wait,” he opened them again, directing his attention back to Buck, “what about you?”

“I’ll be fine for a few minutes.”

Without speaking, Eddie readjusted the pair so that they were both lying down, Buck on his back and Eddie facing him on his side, pressed up against him. The heat seethed into Eddie’s worn-out and cramping bowels as he pulled up Buck’s shirt and placed his hand over his boyfriend’s stomach, beginning to rub gently.

“What are you doing?” Buck asked hastily, even though it felt pretty damn good.

“Does it hurt?” Eddie asked, pulling his hand away. “I can stop if it hurts.”

“No,” Buck sighed, snuggling his head into Eddie’s neck. “It feels good. It’s helping soothe the cramps.”

“Good,” Eddie hummed, immediately resuming his circular motions. “It’s an abdominal massage. Should help with the bloating, cramping, and any tightness. Can help with digestion too, maybe push whatever you’ve got left in you out.”

“Yeah, I wish it’d come out that way. My throat’s sore from throwing up. And there’s nothin’ left. It’s just bile.”

“Trust me,” Eddie laughed, his other hand going to stroke Buck’s hair, “you don’t want it comin’ out the other end. It sucks. Not to get too TMI, but—”

Buck interrupted him with a cute huff of disbelief. “Eddie, we’re far past TMI. You’re rubbing my stomach, and earlier I sat next to you while you were naked on the toilet.”

“I guess you’re right,” Eddie confirmed in a sarcastic voice that belonged to him and only him. “Well, my anus burns and it’s sore as hell—” Buck went to speak, but Eddie swiftly cut him off, “—don’t even make a sex joke right now, it feels so gross I can’t even imagine it.”

“Eds, how’d we get hit harder than the kids?” Buck moaned, his stomach cramping again; however, this time Eddie’s massage immediately soothed it.

“Eh, kids are resilient and shit. But yeah, it feels unfair. Theo gave us this bug, and he’s the one asleep and well right now.”

Theo had made a turn around dinnertime. He seemed to be on the mend, the diarrhea having died down and him only throwing up a little since then. The pain and fever were all gone as well; now he was just a little tired and earned himself at least the next day off school, if not more than one.

Chris, on the other hand, was pretty miserable just as Theo was getting better. But he, for the most part, wanted to be left alone and has been shuffling all evening between the bathroom and his bed. Unfortunately, both kids were like their parents in too many ways, even their sicknesses mirroring—Chris and Eddie with the diarrhea and Theo and Buck with the vomiting.

“How’s Chris, do you know?” Buck asked Eddie, as he would have a better idea than him, as the master bathroom was right above the downstairs bathroom, meaning Eddie could hear the partially loud groans and flushes of the toilet below him.

“I mean, I haven’t heard him in the past few hours,” Eddie remarked, piecing together that the last time he had heard Chris in the bathroom was around eleven-thirty.

“That’s good,” Buck sighed, eyes closing. “I worry ‘bout ‘em.” Them. Both of their kids.

“Me too, Buck,” Eddie nodded, taking Buck’s hand in his and tangling their fingers together playfully.

Buck, ever the pout, looked at their intertwining fingers and whined, “I missed you when you were gone.”

Eddie huffed a laugh, knowing Buck was playing with him. “Well, I’m sorry I was shitting my brains out for the last three hours straight.”

“No, I’m sorry for puking my guts out for the last three hours straight.”

They lay in the silence that they had recently come to know as comfort, hands in each other's, in pure, domestic bliss, until, finally, Buck spoke with a laugh.

“We paint such a beautiful picture.”

And while he had meant it as a joke, Eddie saw it in a different way.

“Yeah…we do.”

And they fell asleep in each other’s arms—pain forgotten—filled with the light of the family they had created.