Work Text:
From Chim on March 10, 2025:
(12:02pm)
Don’t forget your ID.
Sophia texted that her brother is covering for her today.
Fair warning, he is totally your type.
To Chim:
How could you possibly know that?
From Chim:
Because Buckley, that? Is a b-e-a-utiful man.
You'll see.
Buck turns off his car in the parking lot of his favorite girl’s preschool. Pick up was definitely annoying, he knows you can’t be too careful and he rather show his ID and verify everything a hundred times over than think the school was letting random people take the kids out. But the school also trusts and works with the local community college so often that the front desk is never run by the same person. At least Sophia's been around a few months. He steps out of his truck and walks straight into the air conditioned office. The smell is instantly different. What is normally sanitized air and the soft scent of pup, is now warm and spice filled. He looks around, the front desks are vacant except one. In it sits the most beautiful man Buck’s ever seen.
“Hi, can I help you?” The man's voice comes out soothing, kind. It makes Buck weak at the knees. He clears his throat and pulls out his wallet, fumbling to grab his ID.
“Yeah, I’m here to pick up Jee? Jee-Yun Buckley-Han. I should be on her emergency card under Evan Buckley.”
The man nods and reaches for his ID. Their fingers brushing for a moment. The man smiles at him, a faint blush creeping up his neck. Buck bites back a smile. The soft sound of typing fills the air.
“I don’t want to seem weird,” he starts, “but do you know if Sophia brought homemade cookies or something to work today?”
The man blanches.
“No, um. Not that I know of.”
“Right, I’m sorry I just, it normally smells like sanitizer and pup in here and now —”
“You smell a bakery?”
Buck nods sheepishly.
“Kinda? I know it sounds stupid.”
The man hands his ID back and shakes his head.
“Can you describe it?”
“The scent?”
“Yeah, maybe I can help you figure it out?”
Buck inhales deep and catches the man looking at him with glittering eyes.
“It’s soft, like you’d be holding a mug of canela —”
“You know what that is?”
Buck laughs.
“I lived all over the United States, sometimes I’d have a host family. All the Abuela’s are heaven sent.”
The man nods.
“They are.”
Buck continues.
“It’s not just cinnamon though. It’s like the smell of the first rainfall hitting pine needles and the burnt part of a marshmallow.”
The phone rings between them. The man picks it up.
“This is Eddie.”
Eddie. The name dances around Buck’s mind. Eddie hums and looks up at him.
“I’m looking at it too. Right, I know it’s not your fault, Soph did warn me the computers are evil. Yeah, Evan Buckley.”
Buck smiles and can’t help but correct it.
“Actually, I go by Buck.”
Eddie’s eyes glisten.
“Buck will be waiting at reception. Can you send her up?”
The phone is hung up and Buck feels like he’s holding onto a breath. He smiles at Eddie.
“So can you help me or?”
Eddie laughs.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Well, this place did smell like sanitizer and pup just like you said but then the most gorgeous omega I’ve ever seen came in and suddenly the room filled with honey, frankincense, and lavender. It was like I was back in my Tía’s house watching as incense chased away all the bad energy.”
“You shouldn’t be able to… I’m wearing...”
“So am I.”
Eddie clears his throat and stands. Buck takes him in, he’s about the same height as him. He’s strong, and his waist, holy shit his waist. Eddie walks around the desk and holds out a hand to Buck. Buck reaches for it, basking in its warmth.
“I’m Eddie Diaz. It’s really nice to meet you.”
“Evan Buckley… Buck.”
“Please tell me you’re not someone else’s.”
Buck beams at him.
“No, all yours, hopefully.”
Eddie shakes his head in amusement and leans against the desk.
“I think we can arrange that.”
“Yeah?”
The door opens next to them and Jee runs out, practically attaching herself to Buck’s leg. He smiles at her, picking her up and kissing her temple.
“Hi sweet girl.”
“Hi Unca Buck.”
Eddie is smiling softly at him, while taking the time to greet Jee.
Buck pulls out his phone and opens it.
“I have to get her home, but um, can I get your phone number? We can plan to meet, maybe talk more?”
Eddie nods and types into his phone, a small chime heard across the desk. They smile at each other and Buck suddenly feels brave with Jee nuzzling in his arms. He steps closer to Eddie and places a barely there kiss on his cheek.
“Buck,” Eddie’s voice cracks, “get her home.”
“Yes, alpha.”
Eddie groans and presses a kiss to Buck’s birthmark.
“Go, we have a lot to talk about before we do this. I can’t, I won’t fuck this up.”
Buck nods and makes his way out to his car. He dials Chim, who picks up in the second ring.
“Did you meet him?”
“Chim.”
“Buckley, my daughter better be okay.”
Buck laughs.
“She’s okay, knocked out in the back seat already but she’s good. Chim, what the fuck?”
“I told you.”
“I think Eddie might be my mate."
"Buck, I know the man is gorgeous, but did you even talk to him?"
"Chim, I’m wearing blockers. The strong ones we have at work, we were able to smell each other's scents. Like the second I walked into the building...”
“Holy shit. Are you thinking he's your true mate?"
"I don't know? Maybe? Dude, I'm going insane."
"Are you seeing him again?”
“I got his number. He said we have to talk more, make sure we know more than each other’s names.”
“That’s smart.”
“It feels like my heart is is going to beat out of my chest.”
Chim hums.
“Is it like an all over buzzy feeling? Not warm or anything but like your entire body has been asleep and it's finally starting to wake up.”
Buck breathes out.
“Yeah, it is.”
“That’s what it felt like when I met Maddie.”
Buck drives them back to his place giddy. His fingers tap on his screen, waiting for a notification. Maddie shows up an hour later to pick Jee up and hugs him after learning what happened. He paces around his loft, his dinner slowly cooking in the oven. His phone dings and he practically lunges for it.
From Eddie on March 10, 2025:
(6:47 pm)
Hey
Sorry for how long that took
To Eddie:
Hey
No worries!
I’m glad you messaged
Eddie has loved “I’m glad you messaged”
From Eddie:
Can I call you instead? What we have to talk about can be a lot and I rather hear your voice.
To Eddie:
Of course!
His phone begins to ring immediately. He answers, willing himself not to sound breathless or nervous.
“Hi.”
Fuck.
“Hi, Buck.”
“How did you want to start?”
He hears Eddie take a deep breath, at least he’s not alone in his nervousness.
“I have a son.”
Buck suddenly feels a warmth radiate through him.
“I love kids.”
“I love this one.” His phone buzzes again and the picture he gets is of the two of them at what looks like a baseball game smiling at the camera.
“He’s super adorable.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that, he’s convinced he’s a grown man now.”
“How old is he?”
“About 13. He looks a lot like his mom, she passed away a few years back. It was messy, she wanted a divorce right before her accident and it took me time to figure out how to cope with that. Chris, he's my world. If I do anything, I have to do it with him in mind. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn't want to step into this, I wouldn't just be asking you to be mine. I'd be asking you to accept him.”
Buck thinks about Maddie and Chim. How it would be if Chim had been afraid to take the risk with Maddie just because Doug had existed or because Maddie wanted to take things slow...how he wouldn’t Jee in his life.
“If I met you a few years ago? I would’ve run away and regretted it for the rest of my life.”
“And now?” Buck can almost feel the nervousness in Eddie’s voice.
The oven dings and Buck stands up to take out his dinner. He looks at it for a minute before deciding to be brave again.
“Now I don’t think I could ever walk away from you, either of you.”
“Yeah?”
Buck hears the gentle pitter patter of metal on wood and a soft voice telling him he’s hungry.
“That him?”
“Yeah, that was him. He was doing some homework, but I should probably feed both of us.”
Buck smiles and looks down at his dinner.
“How would you feel about dinner?”
“Today?”
“No, maybe later this week? I know we still need time and I don’t want to rush you.”
“I’d like that.”
“Good.” Buck smiles.
“Can I plan it?”
“You wanna plan our date?”
“Yes, Buck. I would like to woo you,” Buck’s face warms at the implication, “maybe later on, you’d let me court you? Officially?”
“Fuck. You can’t just say things like that.”
He hears Eddie laugh, it makes his heart skip a beat.
“I would say I’m sorry but I really am asking.”
“How are you real?”
“That’s a yes then?”
Buck doesn’t know how much time has passed, his phone is on his chest as he lays in bed, staring up at the ceiling. The screen flickers on every so often to show that it’s still on, the time displayed on the call inching towards four hours. Eddie’s voice cuts through the comfortable silence.
“I’m not keeping you up right? You can stay on the phone?”
“I have tomorrow off too. I can stay up. My captain kinda pushed me into taking a few days of PTO. Said I’m causing him grey hair and he needs the break before next week.”
“Your captain?”
“Yeah, I work for LAFD.”
“A firefighter?”
“Please don’t break my heart and tell me you’re one of those alphas that thinks designation matters in the job.”
Eddie laughs softly.
“No, nothing like that cariño. Just kind of crazy cause I’m also a firefighter. I was on leave for some medical stuff, that’s why you saw me helping at the school. I was dropping off Sophia's laptop and covered for her while she took a test. But I’m at a new station in a week.”
Buck sits up at that.
“What station?”
“Um, the 118, under Captain Nash I think, why? You know it?”
“Holy fuck.”
Buck jolts up from the bed, nearly dropping the phone. He scrambles to pick it up.
“What?”
“You’re starting as my partner Eddie.”
“Good thing we found each other now huh.”
Buck nods even though Eddie can’t see him. He leans the phone on his forehead and closes his eyes.
“Ohhh we’re about to make Bobby absolutely insane.”