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Buck got it okay, he knew when he had overstayed his welcome. Obviously he wanted Theo to be more aware of the people around him and obviously he wanted Eddie to like Theo but neither of those things would happen because he was Buck's child.
At the end of the day, Theo was still his own person, but now because he was still a child he copied behaviours he learnt off of Buck. But for some reason the only ones he copied were Buck's less desirable qualities.
That night he tucked Theo into bed and gave him a kiss on his forehead before quietly exiting his room. He threw out all his alcohol ages ago, he didn't want to get hooked to something else, so he sat down on the couch, beerless and mindlessly flipping through channels.
He didn't even realise how late it was until tiny footsteps pattered down the hall and crashed into him, Theo climbed up his legs and plopped himself on Buck. He was biting his thumb, a habit Buck wasn't sure if he picked up recently or had always had.
"Theo, what's wrong?"
He mumbled and buried his face into Buck's chest.
He rubbed his hand up and down Theo's back, "what was that?"
"I think 'ddie hates me." He sobbed, his lip quivering.
"What? No, Eddie could never hate you Theo. You just made a mistake today and Chris gets hurt more easily than other kids so he was just a bit worried okay? He doesn't hate you, he loves you so much everyone does." Maybe he was overcompensating, but he didn't want Theo to grow up and think that the 118 didn't like him simply because they needed to have more patience when dealing with him.
"You promise?" He stuck out his pinky finger.
Buck interlocked his pinky and nodded, "of course. You know what? Maybe we can make Chris a card in the morning to say sorry?"
Theo just nodded and let himself be rocked back to sleep.
Buck had sent Eddie around ten messages that night, all of them apologising and offering to do countless things for Chris to make up for it but Eddie only responded to the first three before leaving the rest on delivered. He probably just went to sleep by now. Buck still sent one more text just incase.
'I understand if you don't want Theo around Chris anymore. No hard feelings'
The next day, Theo woke up bright and early, wanting to make a card for Chris. Buck had used just the right amount of bribery to get him to brush his teeth and eat breakfast. (A win is a win) He now had to buy two more dinosaur coloring books and a pack of crayons but atleast Theo was listening.
He sat down at the small table Buck had bought him and started drawing, Buck grabbed a piece of paper aswell and started writing his own apology letter, one that was actually legible.
"Buck?" He swung back and forth on his chair.
"Yeah buddy?"
"Do you think I can be like Chris? And Eddie?"
He smiled, "i think you can be anything you want to be. Why do you want to be more like Chris and Eddie?"
"'Cause they never get mad at me. Even when I do the wrong things because I do that alot. And they love me." He hummed and continued drawing on the front of the card.
"Yeah. That's great- amazing Theo." He didn't realise Theo was so aware of the efforts people around him were putting in to keep him happy.
Eddie responded to him later that day, he resonded to most of the messages with one word replies or the heart emoji but he didn't say anything to the final one. The most important one. Whether Theo was allowed around Chris. He would be heartbroken if that was the case because he'd only be allowed to see Chris when Theo was at Maddie's or if he was able to find a babysitter but eventually Theo would notice him being left out. He promised himself before he took Theo in that he wouldn't favour one child over another. Technically they were both his kids, in every way that counted anyways. So he couldn't have a favorite. But honestly? He wished Theo was more like Chris. Not because he thought Theo was too much, but because he was too much like Buck. He reflected all the bad qualities Buck saw in himself and he hated it. Most of all he hated knowing that he finally was able to reason with his parents perspectives.
He put his phone face down on the counter, his hands were still wet from washing up dinner. He turned his back for a second to dry them and when he turned back Theo had his phone and was watching monster truck videos on youtube.
"Theo, maybe we should have less screen time today?"
"Why?" He tilted his head.
"I just think that maybe we have too much. And that other kids your age don't even know what a phone is and they're living fine so you could do fine without it aswell."
Buck seriously thought that explanation would work and then realised he was trying to reason with a child. Theo threw himself back and started crying, Buck took the phone out of his hands and placed it back on the counter. According to all the parenting blogs he had read, you should let them cry it out and eventually they'll get over it. But Buck clearly wasn't a perfect parent, so he pulled Theo into his lap and gave him a hug. Yes, they were sitting in the middle of the kitchen on the floor.
"I want the video!"
"I know you do." He kissed the top of his head and blinked through tears. Parenting was hard and he knew he was failing.
They were sat on the floor for around an hour, everytime Theo stopped crying he'd ask for the phone and when Buck didn't respond he'd just start up again. This was getting really overwhelming.
It had been almost another half hour before they heard a knock on the door, Theo was now sucking his thumb and clearly was tired. Buck didn't move, anyone who needed to get in would have a key. Which was true, because a key turned in the lock and in came Eddie, and Chris.
"Buck, you've been offline for like two hours straight."
"Less screen time." He rocked back and forth, making sure Theo stayed calm.
"Oh, right. Listen, you know I didn't mean it like that-"
"You did."
"I-"
"You don't need to pretend like you think I'm doing this whole thing right. I know I'm not, and I know it's getting on your nerves," he laughed, "i know you get overwhelmed by all the noise he makes- and all the havoc he causes but he doesn't mean it. Please, you have to know that."
Chris sensed this was an adult conversation and offered to take Theo to his room for some quiet time, when they were gone Buck moved backwards and rested against the kitchen counter, still sitting on the floor. Eddie joined him.
"You think I don't know that? Of course I know. Buck, I am not mad at you or that kid at all. Yes he's alot, he's loud, he has no sense of spacial or social awareness but he's also part you. Kind, caring, passionate in everything he does. He's you Buck. How could I not love that?" He stared Buck in the eyes.
"Careful, sounded a bit gay there." He chuckled, attempting to break some tension. There was alot of feelings in the air, maybe too much.
"Maybe it's supposed to be."
Buck blinked, he opened his mouth to speak but then heard the clacking of Chris' crutches and looked up.
"He fell asleep on the beanbag. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, yeah that's fine." He stood up, stretching out a hand to Eddie, "thanks Chris."
"Well while we're here any chance you wanna play some video games?" Chris grinned, if he managed to make his dad stay until 10 he'd automatically get to sleep over.
"You're never gonna beat me but we can try."
"Yeah right, Buck you've lost to me more times than dad swears in a day." He sat on the couch and powered on the ps5.
"Ha! You wish."