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It honestly felt like it had happened suddenly, almost overnight. But Buck knows that they'd been circling it for a long time. A rope pulled tight between them that had been fraying for years. Sometimes he wondered how it had taken too long to break, but he supposes he should just be grateful that it didn't sever his fingers when he reached to grab it.
It was all his fault. Or really, it was Zane's. Zane and his wife, who Buck can't even really remember the name of now if he tried, who had shown up at the firehouse and offered an arrangement that almost made him sick to think about. Sure, he enjoyed having fun, sleeping around sometimes. He wasn't a prude but he also wasn't a sex toy either, at least he didn't treat himself like that anymore. He'd walked away thinking that's all they wanted from him and how it wasn't very ethical to take someone to bed before explaining what you wanted them for, and Buck remembers taking two scalding hot showers, just trying to scrub the feeling out from under his skin; the way they had made him feel worthless. He didn't want to be a guest in a relationship. Not like that, at least.
What was wrong with him that he couldn't be wanted for more than his body?
And then there was Eddie. Eddie, who had smiled at him in the showers as they passed by each other, towel low on his hips with a question in those soft eyes, and Buck had just nodded. Pretended he was okay before pulling on his civvies in the corner and booked it home before he could be forced to give an answer he wasn't sure he could yet.
The knock had come a few hours later, Buck throwing open the door with wild hair and a sleep rumpled t-shirt.
“Hey.”
He had blinked, rubbing the crust from his eyes. “Eddie?”
“Uh– yea I uh– didn't realize you'd crash so fast. I just wanted to– I wanted to check on you.”
And Buck had let him in. Because what else was he supposed to do? He went through the motions, got them a beer, and they stood at the counter together with Eddie's fingertips tracing slow patterns in the condensation on the granite.
“I'm okay,” Buck had said. “I promise. It's just–”
Eddie had interrupted, words exploding out of him like they were impossible to keep inside any longer. Like he'd been holding back for too long. “--Zane propositioned me!”
“He–he what?!”
“Zane,” Eddie said, speaking slower, as if that was the issue. “He approached me after you had left, was waiting out in the parking lot. He uh– he wanted to know if I was interested.”
“To be the third in their relationship instead of me?”
“No, just uh– for uh–just for him.”
“Oh wow I–”
Eddie took the bottle in shaking hands before taking a large sip, half of the amber liquid spilling down his throat in one, large gulp. He took a step forward.
“I told him no.”
“I mean obviously,” Buck said with a shrug and a hollow laugh, “You’re–”
And Eddie was kissing him. He took one big final step, boxing Buck in against his fridge and pressed into him.
It wasn’t calm or delicate and nothing like the way that Buck would have thought that Eddie would kiss. Not that he'd ever truly let his mind wander there. It was messy and slick, all tongue and teeth with the taste of beer sticking to his lips. He took it greedily, opening up under Eddie's touch. He took and took and took. A palm sliding up to touch heated skin, a nip at his neck immediately soothed by the wet slide of tongue, fingertips curled into belt loops, reaching for cold metal.
And that was that.
They'd kept it to themselves. Mostly.
Chris knew, because of course he did. “No more secrets,” had been the rule after Texas for all three of them. But they'd been careful and quiet about it with everyone else. They needed to figure out themselves and Eddie wasn't ready to come out, not when he didn't even have the words yet to explain it all to outsiders.
What they hadn't accounted for was a four year old being thrust into their lives in such an abrupt way that it all threatened to come tumbling down.
1. The Grocery Store
It’s a 96 off when Buck realizes that they have a whole lot of nothing in the fridge. He can’t even find a package of Kraft in the cabinet and that simply won’t do, not with a toddler in the house.
Sure, Theo is adventurous. He is Buck’s kid after all, and with Eddie’s influence in his life too, the kid is destined to be willing to try anything at leats once. But there are limits even for him and two red bell peppers and a can of chickpeas is probably pushing it even for Chris. So that’s why Buck finds himself in the grocery store on a day he wasn’t anticipating with a wriggly Theo strapped into the cart doing his best contortionist act to try and get down and run.
He takes the aisles one at a time. There’s no real meandering anymore like he used to. Before Theo he would spend hours in the grocery store, looking at all the new items and reading ingredients until his eyes would cross. Food had always been his safe space and cooking had brought him closer to Bobby, to the man who had been more of a father to him than his own would ever be.
Even now it makes him feel like Bobby is still there, watching him. In the kitchen, with a pot of boiling sauce and greasy hands, Buck feels the most at home. He knows he’s not the world's best baker, but he tries. He tries because Eddie loves a sweet treat and he’d give his partner anything. Although they haven’t been together even quite a year yet, Buck knows they had been dancing around it for much longer. And he’s grateful more than anything else that he and Eddie crossed that line finally, and not just because it means that Eddie was able to fold into his life seamlessly at a time he needed help the most, but because he's always been in love with Eddie, even when he hadn't wanted to admit it yet.
He throws a pack of bell peppers into the cart, trying to ignore the disgusted face that Theo makes at the bright red and green vegetables.
“You love peppers!” Theo just keeps making the face. “Well, Chris likes them so we're getting them.”
The mention of Chris changes the toddler's tune immediately, his face breaking out into a grin and little fingers reaching towards the vegetables he had otherwise decided to hate with no more than a glance in their direction. Sometimes Buck wonders why this little boy, a mirror of himself, will so easily listen to one of the Diaz boys but not him. But then he remembers that Chris or Eddie could just look at him and he’d fold. Easily. Every single time. So it shouldn't surprise him that somehow Eddie is the “Theo Whisperer” and Chris can get him to eat nearly anything even if it’s green. Buck can’t help but love the family they’ve created and the help he has. It’s seamless really.
“Hen!”
Theo reaches out suddenly, almost launching himself out of the cart, causing Buck to be glad that he had buckled him into the cart instead of just letting him sit like he normally does.
“Hi Theo!” Hen comes around the corner, a basket balanced on her arm and a smile on her face. “Hi Buck,” she smirks as she reaches across to ruffle both of their curls.
Buck just shoots her a look and he hopes that it translates. He’s tired and he just wants to get through this trip without too much of a detour. He knows that she gets it, that this type of bone deep exhaustion is typical for parents. He’s just going through it a little bit later than most parents do, and quite frankly, he’s happy to have Eddie and his whole 118 family to help because he has no idea how he would do this alone. And sometimes, he cuddles into Eddie’s side and wonders how his partner ever did this. Buck knows he’s been around for more than half of Chris' life, but he wasn’t truly a second parent in the day to day until more recently and he just– he wonders how Eddie ever survived the days without another adult in the house.
“What else are you two doing today?”
Buck tunes back into the conversation just in time to hear Hen ask Theo about the rest of their afternoon and it immediately strikes fear into him. Because the rest of today? They’re going to Eddie's house. Eddie. Who Theo has decided to now call Apa, which had been taught to him by Chris, and had been sticking to it pretty regularly when talking about Eddie.
He’s just started to also call Buck, dad too. It’s a title he doesn’t think he deserves and it’s not a regular thing, mostly when he’s not thinking about it or after a nightmare or when he’s comparing Buck and Eddie. He’s said it at daycare a few times too, but, it makes Buck's heart swell every time he gives him or Eddie some form of fatherly name. Except for right now, where calling Eddie anything other than Eddie would make Hen raise her eyebrows and possibly give them away for being more than just the best friends they've always been.
“We’re gonna go see Apa! And Chris!” Theo adds Chris with his little lisp, and Buck melts. He can’t be mad at this kid no matter how many times he’s tried to accidentally out him and Eddie. “Daddy promised.”
Hen looks at Buck with a smile at that. “Daddy, huh?”
Okay, good. She didn’t recognize the nickname for Eddie. “Oh uh–y–yea,” he stutters, looking down at the onion in his hand, squeezing it and pretending to check for its freshness. “That’s uh–it’s new.”
“It’s good though. He’s doing well.”
Buck looks up and smiles back. Because he knows she’s right and that she's being as supportive as possible. “Yea it is,” he runs a hand through Theo’s curls on instinct.
“Well,” he starts to push the cart away, more than aware that eventually she was going to realize what his son had called Eddie and he really didn’t want to deal with that in the middle of a Sprouts. “We’ve got a busy day ahead of us. See you at work, Hen!”
He pushes the cart as fast as she can away from her, heart threatening to beat out of his chest.
“Good job, buddy,” he mutters under his breath as they hit the deli area, Buck scanning for the cheese that Chris had asked for to pair with dinner. “Good job.”
2. Daddy Kiss It Better
Eddie had gotten hurt. Again.
Well, this was more of a normal workplace injury than what he’s been through before. The building had been unstable by the time they got there, Chim pushing him into the building with the rest of the team when he realized they needed more bodies for a quicker extraction. And yea, Eddie had missed heavy rescue. He loved using his medic skills and moving to be Hen’s partner had worked wonders for his career and personal life. But, he missed walking directly into fire and the heart pounding reality of what it meant to be a part of the heavy rescue team.
But, being out of the game for over a year and without Buck at his back meant that he really wasn't aware of the things he should have been, especially in a collapsing building. A building that apparently wanted to kill him.
“Close call last night," Maddie said as she passed a plate over top of Theo’s head, placing it in front of Eddie with the ease of someone who’s been navigating around a toddler for a few years now. Buck’s still new at it and Eddie himself is rusty, so he appreciates having Maddie and Chim around from time to time, even if they don’t know the full scope of his relationship with Buck these days. Buck needs help. They need help.
Theo is as much of a handful as he is loving and it helps to have family around, especially knowing that Theo’s abandonment issues are strong, maybe even stronger than Buck’s and they’ve all made it their mission to remind him that they will all be there for him, no matter what happens. Eddie does have concerns for the possibility of Buck not being able to formally adopt or a family member of Connor or Kameron’s coming out of the woodwork, but they’ll cross that bridge when they come to it.
He turns his attention back to Maddie, breaking himself from his own thoughts.
“Oh yea, that piece of the building really had it out for me,” he retorted with a smile, hands going instinctively to Theo’s plate to help him cut up his chicken, even though Buck to his other side is already reaching to do the same. So, Eddie relents and catches the knowing look that his partner’s sister is giving him over the rim of her wine glass.
“Daddy kissed it better,” Theo says after a few moments, gesturing with a fork towards Eddie’s shoulder.
“What was that, honey?” Maddie asks, obviously having heard the whole thing but wanting to see if Theo would repeat it again.
He does. Through a mouthful of chicken and mac and cheese, crumbs spitting out onto the table cloth that’s way too nice for a night where dinner includes four adults, one moody teenager, and three messy toddlers. But, it’s not his house so he can’t judge.
“Daddy,” Theo says again with an eye roll that reminds Eddie far too much of Buck. “Kissed. It. Better.” He punctuates each word with his fork. He points at Buck and then at Eddie’s shoulder again, and Eddie can feel himself flushing with each word.
He’s not wrong of course. He did see Buck tending to Eddie last night, not letting him or Chris stay at their own home so that he could see Eddie with his own two eyes and make sure Chris got something more than take out for his meals the next few days while Eddie heals. Of course, they’re affectionate when in their own home, with their children. But, unlike Chris, they’re both still learning that not only does Theo apparently not care about PDA, he really doesn’t understand the concept of a secret, no matter how many times they tell him that the relationship isn’t something that other people know about. He just can’t comprehend it at four and they really shouldn't expect him to.
They were just hoping that maybe they'd have a little longer in their own private little bubble.
Maddie’s smirk is wide when he looks up from his own plate and he meets Chris' eyes from across the table and his son is a traitor. A horrible no good traitor who doesn’t appreciate the fact that Eddie loves him because his son doesn’t attempt to help at all, just lets his father and Buck struggle and fail.
“That’s right Theo,” Buck says diplomatically and maybe a little too quickly. “I let Eddie and Chris stay with us so we could help take care of him. You helped too! We just didn’t want him to be home alone when he was in pain. You wouldn’t want to be alone like that right?”
Theo just shakes his head. “No!” He shouts, crossing his little arms and a piece of chicken going flying across the room as he slams down his fork. “You kissed it better! Like you need to do with boo boos!”
And how are either of them supposed to argue with that? Because he’s right. Buck did kiss it better. In more ways than one, but no one at the table, but especially the kids, need to know about that. But, Eddie does remember through the painkiller haze the feeling of buck’s lips grazing against his shoulder, soft on his forehead, and loving against his own mouth. A private moment now being blasted to his pseudo in-laws in a way that is ready to give Eddie a panic attack.
He loves Buck, of course he does. He wouldn't have a tried to relationship if he wasnt’ sure this is what he wanted. Nothing about their lives is easy and none of it got easier when they blended their families together. But, he’s also not ready to come out yet. He’s not ready to hear it all from every person in their lives and isn’t ready to even get close to telling his own family, facing his parents with this reality pressing down on him.
Because Eddie may have always been gay, or maybe he’s just in love with Buck. He’s still not sure of his own label and he certainly doesn’t know how to explain his relationship with Buck. So, they’ve kept it quiet and although his partner had told him before about the times that Theo has almost outed them, Eddie hadn’t experienced it yet. Until now.
Luckily for him, his boyfriend is quick on his feet.
“Well somebody wouldn't let anyone get any sleep if we didn't kiss it and make it better would they?”
Theo just frowns harder, as if he couldn't understand why Buck wasn't remembering correctly. Eddie wants to lean over and kiss his boyfriend and ruffle his toddler's hair, his fingers itching to simply reach out, to show his affection. But, he turns his eyes down to his own dinner as the rest of the table ooohs and aaahs over Theo's cuteness and Buck instinctually good nature with him. And Eddie wants to take credit for that too, and wants to scream about how Buck was a father before Theo, but he doesn't.
He just sticks a fork in his mashed potatoes, lets Buck handle Theo, and tries to avoid Maddie's gaze for the rest of the night.
3. You Sleep Better Together
Buck was exhausted. Not the type of just missing a night or two of sleep, but the type of bone deep tired that comes from being called in last minute for a shift with a team he wasn’t used to and fighting multiple structure fires and ridiculous medical calls for 48 hours straight, and knowing that he wasn’t going to get a break once he was home. Because of course the day he gets called in for a cover is the day of the 118 family function at Athena’s.
The hang outs had stopped for a while after Bobby’s passing. The first scheduled one the team had tried to still keep, but the old haunt felt empty without Bobby and none of the 118 had felt like they were in a good enough place to justify keeping the tone light. So, they’d tried it and then stopped, until Athena had gotten sucked into space and come back with a new lease on life. And then Theo had appeared in all of their lives and suddenly the family picnics and barbecues returned in full force. Maybe not as delicious as they had once been, but full of as much life and love as they’d always had before.
So, that’s why Buck, fresh off of a grueling 48 hours, is driving himself and two dozen chocolate cupcakes to Athena’s house where he’ll meet up with his entire family and be unable to cuddle his boyfriend until he falls asleep. But at least both his kids will be there and that’s all that matters. He can sleep later. He knows better than anyone that memories are forever and life is fleeting. He’ll be tired forever if it means getting all of these moments before they inevitably end one day, far sooner than he probably is hoping for.
He pulls into the driveway and parks next to Eddie’s truck, the space left deliberately open despite the fact that multiple others from the team have parked along the street. It’s become a thing. No one knows about them, or they shouldn’t. But, Buck and Eddie have always been a little more… codependent than they’d like to admit and over the last few months in particular, everyone else has seemed to be giving them some extra space, some additional consideration. Buck isn’t exactly sure how to take that, but he appreciates it.
He parks easily, and all but runs up the concrete steps into the house. It’s not the beautiful new build that Athena and Bobby had wanted, but it’s a nice space, a far cry from the apartment she was in this time last year. It’s nice and she even has a bedroom set up for any of the kids who want to stay. It’s stocked with books and toys for all ages, and even a good quality PC, one that Denny helped build so that there’s something for everyone.
“You look awful.”
Buck just rolls his eyes, setting the container of cupcakes on the counter top as he turns to hug his surrogate mother. “Thanks, great to see you too, ‘Thena.”
“Daddy!” There's a screech from down the hall followed by the pitter patter of little socked toes as Theo runs down the hallway and into Buck’s arms, Buck easily lifting the toddler onto his hip. He remembers the day that the kid first called him dad, bestowing upon him what Buck thinks is the best title in the world, followed only by realizing that he had started calling Eddie of version dad as well, and that became his favorite endearment he’s ever heard.
Eddie comes around the corner with Chris hot on his heels and sighs when he sees Buck. “Theo, kiddo,” he says in a voice that sounds as exhausted as Buck feels. “We talked about this. You can’t just run away even if you think it’s Buck, okay?”
Theo just buries himself into Buck’s shoulder and giggles. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” he whispers into Theo’s messy curls. He still smells a little bit like the Johnson and Johnson shampoo from his bath this morning and that strawberry body wash that Eddie had come home with last month while shopping, being unable to say no to the bright blue puppy dog eyes that Buck just knows were a mirror of his own. And he thinks that it serves Eddie right since he spent so many years deploying Chris onto Buck. It’s a little bit karmic and he doesn’t feel bad about it.
Athena meets his eyes with a soft smile and reaches out to take Theo from him. The toddler goes easily, curling into her chest without a single complaint. “Let's give Buck a little bit of time, okay? He’s tired.”
“Becuase Eddie didn’t sleep over.”
Buck hears the silence like a record scratch. He first looks at Eddie and then Chris who is staring at the floor, obviously trying not to laugh. Then, he chances a glance at Athena who is looking back at him with a look that’s just too soft and too knowing.
“Daddy sleeps better when Apa is there.”
And of course, Theo brought out the nicknames. He’s not consistent with them, going between their first names and fatherly endearments on a regular basis, and neither of them push, letting the toddler decide on things in his own time. But Buck is slowly learning that sometimes toddler timing is simply perfect for being a serious problem.
Athena just looks at them both and Buck can feel the way that Eddie takes a step behind him, almost like he’s trying to sneak away and Chris is still staring at the floor, refusing to enter into the conversation at all. Traitor. After everything Buck has done for him too.
“Yea buddy,” Buck says after a moment to think, to try and come up with an excuse that makes sense and doesn’t seem suspicious. He isn’t sure Athena is about to believe him, but he’ll try anyway. He always does.
“Like when you have nightmares and you need me to stay with you or when we go to Eddie’s and Chris sleeps in the same room so you aren’t scared of the shadows? Well, sometimes we get scared too. And sometimes we want to keep an eye on you and Chris without too much trouble.”
Theo seems satisfied with that answer, snuggling into Athen’s chest while Chris just full on laughs in the corner, quickly bringing his can of sprite to his lips at an attempt to muffle it. Athena simply looks at the two of them with a calculating gaze before turning on her heel and walking back towards the living room where everyone else is still congregated.
“Do you think she bought it?” Buck whispered when she was far enough away, just loud enough for Eddie to hear him.
“No idea, Buck,” he says back with wide, concerned eyes. “But I think we’ve gotta start making some plans. I don’t know how long this is going to last.”
Buck can only nod as they watch Athena and Theo turn the corner into the living room, Chris right behind.
4. “But What About Daddy’s Clothes?
The next time that Theo almost spills the beans is at Eddie’s house. It’s neutral territory normally, often with Theo spending most of his time at Buck’s house just because there’s more space. Eddie’s house was great for him and Chris, and always fit back when he came to visit before he and Eddie shared the bed. But, the house was small and the addition of Theo, a small tornado and wrecking ball, just wasn’t exactly a great fit for the Diaz house. And since they weren’t all quite ready to move in together, the little makeshift family spent most of their time at Buck’s. Except today.
Because today, Buck had a doctor’s appointment to follow up on his leave from six months ago. Just a counseling session and for them to sign off that he no longer had to be under supervision for possible drug concerns. It truly wasn’t a worry, but Buck had wanted to do everything right, especially when it came to fostering Theo. So, 6 months of peeing in a cup and twice a week meetings in the basement of a church, were a small price to pay for their relationship, their careers, and the ability to adopt and make not just Theo but also Chris theirs. So, it meant that Eddie and Theo got to spend their afternoon together, with Buck out at the doctors and Chris with his friends.
“I’m just gonna finish putting these away,” Eddie gestured to the basket on the coffee table as he led Hen and Karen into the living room. “Then we can take a look at this paperwork for Buck and we’ll be good to go!”
Karen followed him easily down the hallway, basket balanced on her hip while Theo was balanced on his. Chris had never been a clingy kid so Eddie had never really had to learn the ability to balance a toddler in one arm and do everything else with the other.
The therapists said it was normal, that Theo would likely be more anxious and more clingy with both Buck and Eddie, and he couldn’t help but see his partner in that little face everytime he lifted his arm up, asking Eddie to hold him, asking him to stay when everyone else had left him, even if they didn't mean to. And maybe it was naive of him to think that he could solve Theo’s abandonment issues, but he was trying with Buck, had been for years. And he’d be damned if he didn’t try with Theo too.
“Just uh–put it there,” Eddie said, gesturing for Karen to dump the basket onto the bed, Eddie lowering Theo next to the pile of clothes, pushing a pile of socks in his direction. “Thanks for helping with all this by the way. He just needs someone to look over the papers and make sure we filled it out right so we don’t have to call a notary out here again. Those are expensive! I don’t remember the fee being so high when I sold the house in Texas.”
Karen just laughed, picking up one of Buck’s LAFD t-shirts from the pile, Buckley, emblazoned on the back. “It’s no problem really.” She keeps digging through the pile, pulling out another of Buck’s things. A soft navy blue hoodie that he always wore when he wasn’t feeling well.
“Where do you want these?”
Eddie points to the drawers behind him. “Third drawer down is the stuff that Buck keeps here.”
“That’s not daddy’s drawer!”
Eddie braces himself immediately. Theo, of course, knew that the third drawer down wasn’t where buck kept his clothes. In fact, Buck had at least 4 weeks worth of clothes hanging in Eddie’s closet– an outfit for any and every occasion sitting between the two houses and Eddie was the same. Both closets and dressers were split down the middle, extra for both of them easily accessible no matter where they were.
“Closet!” Theo points and Karen takes an amused step forward to throw open the door before Eddie can tell her not to, smirking as she takes in the very obvious split that greets her.
“Buck’s over a lot, huh?”
Eddie just shrugs, trying to keep it casual. “We work all the same shifts, it’s not a big deal. I’ve got a few outfits over at his place too. Theo has stuff here just like Chris has always had his stuff at Buck’s, I don’t know what you’re insinuating.”
Karen just keeps looking at him, crossing her arms as if she’s waiting for him to break, and when he doesn’t all she can do is sigh. “You know what it looks like, Eddie. I just– Hen and I want to make sure you two know what you’re doing. We don’t want either of you to get hurt.”
“Thanks, but,” he glances over at Theo, taking two pairs of socks that he’s finally matched and tosses them over to her to put in the plastic container just inside the closet door. “I know what I’m doing.”
Karen doesn’t look convinced but she drops it.
“Alright, let's go look at that paperwork so it’s done by the time Buckaroo gets back.”
Eddie is far too thrilled to close the bedroom door behind them and hope that he covered well enough. They’ll come out one day… they just aren’t ready yet…
5. Live Together, Work Together, Love Together
“We need you and your husband to come down to the school together to fill out some additional papers.”
“My uh-” Buck looks around as if there’s a hidden camera somewhere in his house. “My what?”
“Your husband," the receptionist repeats in a tone of voice that suggests Buck is the uninformed one here.
“No I heard you, I just uhm–I’m not–I’m not married.”
The typing on the other ends stops. “Oh I’m sorry! We just know Theo is going through the adoption and he said that his dad would be picking him up form the field trip next week and we uh–oh my god–okay well I’m–”
“I’m his adoptive father,” Buck clarifies, the words tasting funny on his tongue since they’ve stopped referring to him as a foster as the process gets closer to the end. “Our family structure is a little…” he searches for a word that never comes. “But I’m picking him up next week as far as I know.”
There’s some more typing and then,
“Okay well, we’ll need his biological father to come down and sign some forms, I’m assuming that’s Edmundo?”
“No I uhm–” Buck braces himself. “I’m Theo’s biological father, it’s all uh–it’s all in the file.”
“Your–?” There's more frantic typing, a few clicks, and sharp intake of breath. Buck knows it's unconventional. He knows that Theo’s file is littered with notes and suggestions, little things that tell the story of his life up to this point. It’s messy and strange and Buck knows not everyone will understand it, but he at least appreciates the professionalism.
“Okay,” the woman on the other end of the phone sighs but seems to understand the situation more clearly. Buck wishes he knew her name, he’d send her a fruit basket for how well she’s handled this.
“I think I have everything correct here, but we won’t be able to put his step father in until the adoption is final.”
Buck tries to interrupt, just to say that Eddie isn't truly Theo’s step father. Or, he won’t be for a while yet. But, she soldiers on.
“We also have a uh–Maddie Han? She’s approved for pickup by both you and the state?”
“Yup!” Buck’s happy to change the subject away from his and Eddie’s relationship. “That’s my sister, Theo’s biological aunt. She’s the person that’ll–she’ll be there if I can’t. Until the adoption is final.”
He thinks for a minute. “But don’t uh– you wouldn’t talk to her about uh–about Eddie, right?”
There’s a long suffering sigh, and Buck realizes that maybe this woman has guessed a little bit too much about his and Eddie’s situation and he wonders if this random woman who is not paid enough to deal with their family thinks that the 118 is homophobic or something. He sends a little apology into the universe for his friends and family, thanking them for their sacrifice while he and Eddie figure all of this out.
“I can make a note to not mention Mr. Diaz in our communications with Mrs. Han, yes.”
“Th–thank you.”
The rest of the conversation is cordial if not a little stiff, the woman explaining a few things about the field trip and what this means while Theo is still technically a ward of the state. In a few short months Buck knows that it’ll all change and he’ll be able to make all the decisions independent of anyone but his found family and the people he wants involved in Theo’s little life. But, for now, he grits his teeth and listens to the rules, while contemplating if a field trip is even required for kids so young. But, then he thinks of how excited Theo was about trip to the planetarium and how similar his joy was to a 7 year old Chris who had clung to Buck with wonder in his eyes during their first trip, and he can’t help but think about Theo having that experience, following in the footsteps of who they all consider to be his older brother.
“Have a great day, Mr. Buckley,” the woman says, and Buck feels bad that he stil didn’t catch her name.
“Yea you too, thanks.”
He hangs up with a groan.
They needed to teach Theo the meaning behind a secret, and badly.
+1. I Think I Like This Little Life
Chris knew that it was only a matter of time before the adults in his life screwed up. It’s not that he didn't think his dad and Buck could keep a secret, they’d been doing a fine job for almost a year when Theo showed up, worming his way into all of their lives and refusing to let go. He’d been jealous at first, concerned that Buck was replacing him, wanting a little kid of his own and not Chris himself anymore. But, then, his dad and Buck had gotten closer, they’d sat him down and told him about how their relationship had shifted since before New Mexico and how after, they just didn't want to keep pretending.
Chris had been happy for them, of course he had. He’d been waiting for this moment since before his mom had died. Neither of them knew it, but he’d been calling Buck his second dad for years. Out of earshot of the 118 of course, but at school and to his friends in Texas, Buck would always be his second dad. And he’ s happy that Theo gets his dad too, because Chris thinks his dad is great. Missguided and a little weird, but great and loving and everything that a parent should be. Together, Buck and his dad were amazing, with Chris himself and now with Theo. Like it was just… meant to be.
However, Chris knew that with nearly a year under their belts and Theo’s big mouth, the relationship that they had been trying to hide was a secret that was slowly unraveling and he had just hoped that he’d be there to watch it all happen. He just didn’t expect it to come out in the station, surrounded by literally everyone they all knew.
The day started normally enough, Chris being dragged to Buck’s house at the ass crack of dawn to help make a Tres Leches cake for Tia Pepa’s birthday. He still didn't understand why they all didn’t just move into a new house together, one where Chris and Theo could have their own rooms and then no one would have to drive to another house before the sun was even up, but Chris isn’t the adult here, he doesn’t get to make the decisions, even if he thinks they should do whatever is gonna let him sleep until at least 9am on the weekends.
They pulled up to the station together, dad helping him down from the back seat of the truck, before reaching across to tug Theo out of his car seat. “Here,” Buck had handed him the cake. “Precious cargo there, don’t drop it.”
Of course, Chris had just rolled his eyes, walking slowly into the station with better balance than Buck or his dad had ever had, and he’s on crutches. It’s a little embarrassing for them, he thinks.
It’s all going so well until, of course, it isn’t. Because just as he and Denny are about to start another round on Fortnite, one that Chris is obviously going to win, he hears it. The little shriek and tip tap of little sneakers and he motions to Denny to follow him quietly out into the kitchen because he is more than aware of what his little brother is about to do. There is only one thing that makes Theo shriek like that, and it’s dad and Buck kissing.
Chris had taught him about that early on, to yell and cover your eyes and act disgusted by any form of PDA. It’s really just payback for the suffering he endured since he was 7 years old having to deal with them. But he knows that in the station, surrounded by everyone they know, this is about to be good.
“You kissed!”
The shriek is loud and argumentative, and Chris rounds the corner to see Buck, his dad, and the entire 118 staring directly at little Theo who has his arms crossed and is glaring up at Buck. “It’s not nice to lie!”
Oh no. This is worse than Chris thought, but that also means he is not about to step in and help, because this. Is. Hilarious. He meets his dad’s eyes from across the room, big hazel orbs all but begging Chris to do something. Afterall, he is Theo’s favorite, but Chir is done with this. It’s been a year, more than if he’s counting all the almost moments he’d walked in on before they’d actually sat him down and had a conversation about love and family and what they wanted to be when they blended their families together.
Okay so, maybe Chris is a little bit mean. But, could anyone blame him? He’s been struggling with this for years and it’s time that the truth finally sets them all free, even if it is at the hands of one very loud, very demanding toddler.
“Truth, Buck.”
And oh God. Buck's lip wobbles a bit as he stares down at the little boy, defiant blue eyes staring back. It’s almost like watching Buck have a stand off with his child self and Chris loves it. Except for the fact where it looks like Buck is about to cry, because Theo only ever doesn’t use ‘dad’ or ‘daddy’ when he’s upset now. He goes back and forth with Apa and Eddie, and Chris is pretty proud of himself for that one too especially after he caught his dad sobbing about it later that night and allowed himself to get wrapped up in a damp, ridiculous hug and be thanked for being ‘the best kid a dad could ask for.’
“Buck and I–” his dad steps forward, taking control of the situation and grabbing at Buck’s hand, so they can link fingers, and Chris is so proud of them both.
“Yea we know” Chim interrupts. “We’ve known for like at least 6 months, you don’t gotta freak out about it.”
Chris watches as both his parents turn like they’re in a sitcom towards his uncle who is just smirking next to aunt Maddie while Nash sleeps against his chest. “You two aren’t exactly subtle. Your kid has been making comments for months now, did you really think we believed the excuses?”
“Oh he just stays over a lot,” Karen yells from the corner, her wine glass tipped in dad’s direction.
Aunt Maddie smirks. “I’m pretty sure that one day I came over,” she glances over at Theo and then over to him like she’s deciding how much to say in front of her brother's two kids, one of which is more than old enough to understand what she’s saying. “Lets just say I caught you guys in a compromising position and you didn’t hide it very well.”
“I had suspicions but last months get together solidified it,” Athena pipes in from her seat at the table. “Did you really think I was going to buy the idea that Eddie was sleeping over, in your bedroom because of nightmares? Really, Buck?”
And well, when they all put it like that… Chris also isn’t surprised that everyone already knew and was just trying to be nice by letting their little family make the decisions about when dad and Buck came out. He thought it was nice, especially for dad. Chris knows that he struggled a lot with learning about himself and accepting Buck’s love and living authentically. He’s always told Chris that he can be whoever he wants and that he’ll always be loved. He’s just not so sure that his Abuelo and Grandma ever said it to dad. But, he’s glad that the 118 can, he deserves to know that people love him no matter what, just like he loves Chris no matter what happens.
“I love you,” he whispers to his dad as he manages to press through the crowd asking a million questions now that it’s all out in the open.
His dad just smiles, ruffling his hair despite Chris' disgust. “I love you too, mijo.”
“So…” Chris says after a few moments of watching his dad gaze softly at Buck with Theo in his arms. “When are you going to ask him to marry you?”
And boy was that worth it just to see the sip of beer spray across the station kitchen. Although, he’s not so sure that his dad wasn’t already thinking about it too, and Chris is excited about it and the ability for their family to truly become one big and complicated, legal mess.
He wouldn’t want it any other way.