Work Text:
You Make It Easy
Eddie has been on the fence about religion for the better half of his life, but if God is the reason for soulmates, he's damn good at making them.
Before Buck, before they got married, Eddie swore up and down he was unable to love someone like that. And while he's come to learn that is a possibility for someone, it's not what he wanted for himself.
So when he dated Marisol, when he dated Ana, as much as they were wonderful people, something was just off.
But he gets it now.
Looking back on his life with Shannon, he gets it.
It was the friendship. The time they built up to everything else. Their friendship meant everything to Eddie before it spun out of control. And when things blew up, she carried so much so that he didn't have to. Not that she should've had to.
And sure. The relationship was rocky, with all of their fighting, but in the undertones, it was easier for him than it was for her. She made it that way, even if he didn't want to admit it back then.
His heart hurts thinking about the time they didn't get. About what life could've looked like after the divorce. He didn't like the idea of it back then, but the right things are never easy to do.
And now, he'll always miss her, his soulmate, and what could've been.
He presses a kiss to his right index and middle finger, then presses them onto a picture of her. The family photo taken at that beautiful Christmas so many years ago.
"We're ready to go!" Buck shouts from the doorway. "You coming?"
"On my way!" Eddie shouts back, grabbing his tumbler with his last free hand.
And then there's his other soulmate.
Buck stands with his back against the front door, holding it open so Eddie can pass through.
"I've got your cookies, the last of the presents, and our coffee," he relays, pressing a kiss to Buck's lips.
"Mm," Buck hums against him. "Thank you Eds."
"Of course," Eddie chirps. "You had a toddler to deal with. I wasn't going to let you stress about anything else."
While Shannon had been forced to take care of everything in his absence, Eddie realizes that most of the time your partner makes you want to take on some of their burden, makes you want to share it.
Of course, Eddie doesn't think tallying presents, guarding cookies, and preparing their second cups of coffee are heavy tasks, but they mean that much to Buck and therefore are important to him.
And Buck is an inspiration to Eddie, always has been.
He's someone who went through a lot and lit a path of fire wherever he went, but was dedicated to putting them out when he saw what he had done.
He grew.
And he went through a lot of trouble to find the family who loved him. Always doing everything for the next person, and is now doing it less for not wanting them to leave and more to show them he loves them.
Eddie would be a fool to not do the same for him.
"Theo is so much more excited for his first Christmas with the gang now that he's fully awake," Buck sighs, fondly exhausted.
Eddie chuckles, waiting on the bottom step as Buck locks the door.
"We're gonna miss these days," he smiles, watching Buck jog down.
"God I know," Buck whispers, turning his head towards the truck.
"It's okay though," Eddie reassures, grabbing Buck's hand. "No matter hard it gets, it's easier to do it because it's for you."
Buck's skin flushes pink and he shys away.
"Oh, don't act like it wasn't the same for you when Chris was younger."
Buck laughs, his baby blue eyes scrunching at the corners. "I guess that's true. Thank you, Eddie. For everything."
Eddie kisses him one more time, savoring a final moment before they have to get into the truck.
"Merry Christmas mi amor."