two fics in one day! who even am i
a few people on ao3 requested a sequel to my earlier fic 'christopher diaz has two fathers and no one can tell him otherwise' so here we are!
this will make more sense if you read the first one
enjoy !
When their shift ends an hour after he'd brought Chris back to the station, Eddie finally has a chance to look at his phone. He doesn't particularly want to, doesn't want to see the angry texts he's sure Ana has left him. But he's a grown ass man, he's a father and a firefighter, he can deal with an angry ex-girlfriend.
They still need to talk, he's not going to break up with her over text, but in his mind she's already his ex.
He's not oblivious, he was aware that Christopher wasn't overly fond of Ana from the start. A part of him couldn't help but try to wait it out though. She was everything his parents had wanted for him, being with her was the easy choice. Sure he wasn't madly in love with her and Christopher wasn't her biggest fan but he'd convinced himself that with time, things might work out.
He shouldn't have bothered, though, because dating Ana had done nothing but hurt his son. He should have broken up with her the minute Christopher yelled at him and ran away to Buck. He should have known then and there that this would never work out.
But Eddie had been confused and trying to make something fit that just didn't fit. So he hadn't said anything and now here they were. He'd had to pick his son up from school in the middle of the day because his girlfriend made him cry.
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Eddie glanced in the rearview mirror, checking on Christopher who was starting to doze off, his emotionally taxing afternoon finally starting to set in. Seeing that Christopher was okay, Eddie pulled out his phone and opened his messages.
— 5 Unread Messages —
Edmundo, we have to talk about this.
Answer your phone.
Edmundo! You need to come back and explain to my boss that this was all a misunderstanding. They want to put an official complaint in my file if you move Christopher out of my class.
Edmundo, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset Christopher. Please, let's talk about this.
Seriously?! You're ignoring me? Stop acting like a child and answer your phone.
Eddie rolled his eyes even as he felt anger burn under his skin. She'd made his son cry and she was worried about herself?! If that wasn't bad enough, the downright condescending tone of her texts made him want to bare his teeth.
Eddie huffed out an angry breath before forcing himself to calm down so he could reply. He just wanted to get this over and done with.
Yes, we do need to talk. I'm not sure when, though. I'm taking Christopher home now.
Eddie debates just breaking up with her over text. It's not exactly how he wants to do it but the thought that he could just send the text and have it all be over before he even gets home is tempting. Very tempting.
In the end, he just rolls his eyes again and puts his phone away, starting the truck. He'll deal with Ana after he gets Christopher settled at home. It's Friday, so Buck is going to be coming over for their weekly movie night. Not only that, but after seeing how upset Christopher was earlier, Buck had offered to stay the night. Christopher had been ecstatic, his earlier misery forgotten as he jumped at the chance for a Bucky sleepover.
Buck was going to pop back to the loft, get his things, and then meet them back at the house. Usually he came over a bit later, closer to dinner time, so they both had time to wind down after their shifts but Eddie knew Buck could tell just how much Christopher would benefit from a few more hours of Buck time.
Eddie pulled himself from his thoughts of Buck and his son, the two people he thought about the most, as he drove onto his street, the familiar form of his house coming into view.
He felt a frown tug at his lips, however, when he noticed that there was another familiar figure standing on his porch, her arms crossed as she glared at him through the window of his truck.
Christopher let out an unhappy huff when he noticed Ana and Eddie couldn't help but agree silently with his son.
"Alright, bud, let's get you inside," Eddie said, trying to ignore the impatient form of his ex-girlfriend and focus on his boy.
Eddie climbs out of the truck without so much as a glance to Ana as he goes about getting Christopher unbuckled and out of the car. Christopher lets himself be carried and Eddie shoulders his backpack, grabbing his crutches before closing the door with his hip. He'll just have to come back for his work bag.
Eddie walks up the path to his house, passing right by Ana and walking up the steps to his door. With an ease that only comes with practice, Eddie gets his keys out of his pocket and the door unlocked without dropping anything or anyone.
Figuring that Ana isn't just going to go away like he so desperately wishes she would, Eddie begrudgingly lets her into the house. He sets Chris on the couch and continues to ignore Ana while he goes about getting Chris comfortable. He gets him a snack and puts on a movie that he knows will keep Christopher's attention until Buck arrives.
Then, and only then, does Eddie finally acknowledge Ana.
"What are you doing here?" He asks, crossing his arms as her eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
"Did you not get any of my texts?" Ana asks instead, reluctantly following Eddie when he moves into the kitchen and away from the living room where Chris is happily watching his movie.
"I did. Did you not get mine?"
A flash of annoyance crosses Ana's face and Eddie knows she got his text. Knows that she knows he didn't want her to come over just yet.
"I was already here when I got yours. I figured I would just wait and we could talk," Ana replies, and Eddie has a feeling she's not telling the complete truth.
"There's not too much to talk about, really. You upset Christopher and quite frankly you upset me too. I realized this afternoon that this, us, isn't going to work," Eddie says. He wonders if he should be more upset, they had been dating for a couple months at this point, but this was honestly an easy decision and a part of him is glad that she gave him a reason to end things. He never would have wanted that reason to be his son's hurt feelings but he can't help but be glad that there finally was a reason.
"It can work, Edmundo," Ana pleads, taking a step towards him. "You just need to take some time away from Buck. He's making everyone confused."
Eddie couldn't help but snort. "You actually think I'd take a step away from Buck? Did you not listen to anything I said earlier? Buck is part of my family. He's a crucial part of my family. He's not going anywhere."
"Edmundo," Ana says, disapproval clear on her face. "You don't seriously believe that Buck is better than me, do you?"
Eddie looked at her in disbelief. Seriously, did this woman not know anything? "Ana, let me make this clear to you. Buck is the second most important person in the world to me. There is no future of mine that does not include Buck. He is better than you and I will always choose him. He is my son's other father and my…he's my something."
"You're in love with him," Ana accuses, looking like all the puzzle pieces are finally starting to come together. "You're seriously dumping me for Buck?!"
Eddie just nods. "Yes, now will you please leave my house? Buck is coming over and I have a card to help my son make."
For a moment Ana doesn't move, just looks at Eddie in shock. She finally seems to snap out of it when she hears Christopher laugh in the next room at something on the TV.
"Edmundo—," She starts, she can fix this. This doesn't have to be the end. Edmundo will see that he's making a huge mistake, that she's better for him, better than Buck.
"It's Eddie," Eddie snaps, running a hand through his hair in frustration. God, he'd asked her so many times to just call him Eddie. He has no idea why she'd insisted on calling him Edmundo, something that everyone knows he hates. Only Abuela calls him that and even that is only when he's getting a lecture.
"Sorry— Eddie," Ana corrects, trying to keep her voice even. "I know you're upset and that you don't mean what you're saying right now. Let me stay and make it up to you, I'll make you dinner. Afterwards maybe we can have a drink and talk," Ana's obviously going for flirty but it just makes Eddie's skin crawl. There's only one person he wants to be flirted with by and said person is currently on his way over for movie night.
"No, Ana, you need to go," Eddie replies firmly, hoping that she'll just leave and he doesn't need to call Athena. He's not sure that he actually would but the thought is becoming more and more appealing.
Ana huffs. "Fine, I'll go. But will you at least call Principal Meyers and explain the situation?" The way she asks the question, like she doesn't think Eddie is going to say no is beyond baffling. Does she really think that he's going to help her get out of a reprimand after she made his son cry?
"Uh, no, Ana, I'm not going to do that. You should be reprimanded, the way you acted today was beyond unprofessional. You never even apologized for making him cry! You think I'd actually help you?" Eddie can't help the anger he can feel bubbling under his skin. He just wants her to leave.
"Everything okay in here?" At the sound of Buck's voice Eddie feels the tension bleed out of him, visibility relaxing. Something that does not go unnoticed by Ana if the accusing narrowing of her eyes is any indication.
Ana turns around, directing her glare at Buck. Before Ana can say anything, though, Eddie is replying for her. "Everything is fine, Ana was just leaving."
Ana huffs again, looking between Buck and Eddie and realizing that nothing she said or did was going to fix this situation for her. She'd already lost Edmundo; that is, if she'd ever really had him in the first place.
"Fine, I'll go. Don't call me when you realize that choosing Buck was a mistake," She throws out the words, sneering at Buck as she brushes passed him, letting herself out of the house with a slam of the door.
Eddie clenches his fists at the way Ana's words make Buck flinch. How she didn't realize that choosing Buck was the easiest decision he'd ever made, he'd never understand. Why would anyone choose someone other than Buck?
"You okay?" Buck asks, breaking the silence as he comes to stand in front of Eddie. He's so close yet so far.
"Yeah," Eddie sighs, reaching out a hand to catch one of Buck's, smiling when the other man automatically intertwines their fingers. "I wasn't expecting the ambush but at least it's over with."
Buck gives him a bright smile. "So I can have you all to myself now?" He asks playfully, only slightly hesitant.
Eddie feels a happy grin tug at his lips and pulls Buck down to meet him halfway, smiling into their first kiss.
"Yeah," He murmured against Buck's lips. "I'm all yours."
"Good," Buck breathes, raising a hand to cup Eddie's cheek as he brings their mouths back together again.
In all the times that Eddie had allowed himself to consider what kissing Buck would be like he'd always thought that there would be fireworks, rushed confessions after a close call, or whispered words at a hospital bed. But here, kissing Buck in his kitchen, it feels effortless, right, like coming home.
They break apart at the sound of Christopher's laugh and the low murmur of the movie Eddie had put on.
They smile at each other before Eddie is tugging at their still intertwined hands. "Come on. Let's go cuddle our son."
The answering smile he receives is bright, happy, and full of love.
hope you liked it! let me know what you thought