Eddie slept off and on for the next few hours and every time he opened his eyes, Buck was there. He'd been afraid that everything that happened had been some sort of dream, but it wasn't. This was real and Buck was back and Eddie felt so relieved.

Buck didn't let him do much for the rest of the day besides stay in bed or sit on the couch. It wasn't as easy and comfortable as it used to be, but Eddie figured they just needed time to find their rhythm again. Plus, they had the added layer of their romantic feelings as well. They would figure it out like they always did.

Eddie knew that working things out was the right call the next day when Pepa picked up Christopher from school and dropped him off at the house. The swelling had gone down on Eddie's face and Buck declared that he'd be staying over to help, so he cut the sleepover with abuela a few days short.

The moment Christopher climbed out of the car and saw Buck standing there was one he'd never forget. It might've been too much to compare it to Christopher reuniting with Shannon, but he couldn't help it. All three of them were wiping tears from the corners of their eyes by the time they got into the house.

He and Buck decided not to say anything to anyone about their budding relationship for the time being. Neither of them wanted to have an audience while they figured things out. And there were more important things to deal with at the moment.

Buck ended up dropping the lawsuit, after whispering the details of the offer to Eddie in the middle of the night. Eddie had to admit that an offer of that kind of money did give him a bit of pause, but he respected Buck for having declined it. It really proved that the whole thing was about getting his job back. And after getting the opinion of multiple doctors and really sitting down to talk about everything with Bobby, he did.

Eddie healed up physically and took steps to heal up mentally as well. He didn't want to use the department shrink, since his issues were separate from the job. Plus, finding someone on his own felt like an important step. It meant more that he'd been the one to go out and make that choice. And the look of pride on Buck's face when he told him was a perk as well.

Now it was their first day back on the job. Eddie had finally been declared fit for duty and Buck finished getting all the stuff with the department sorted out. It was kind of nice that they'd be able to walk in together. Eddie hated the months of working without his partner, especially when they weren't able to talk to each other. But now that was all settled and they had a clean slate.

"Are you nervous?" Eddie asked, leaning against the door of Buck's jeep outside of the station.

"Did you know that asking someone if they're nervous actually makes their nerves rise by 52%?" Buck asked, bumping him with his elbow.

"Really?"

"No, but it sounds right, doesn't it?" Buck snorted.

"Well, I'm nervous," Eddie admitted. Buck looked over at him in surprise. "Honesty, right?"

"Yeah."

"I can't hold everything back out of fear of being judged. If the people around me really care, they will support me in my feelings," Eddie recited firmly, even though his stomach was doing a little flip as he said the words. Just because he could say it, didn't mean it was easy.

"You've only had one session so far and you already sound like a pro," Buck commended, giving him a soft smile.

"I'm a quick study when I want to be. And when I've got something to look forward to." They had agreed not to define their relationship quite yet, even though they'd both declared their love for each other and Buck was over at the house every day. They both knew deep down what this was and where it would lead, but taking it slow in some regards felt nice.

"And what do you have to look forward to?" Buck asked, glancing around to make sure no one was watching before leaning closer to Eddie. Eddie closed the distance, tipping his head up so they could share a chaste kiss. He smiled into it, feeling Buck do the same as well. They broke apart, staring into each other's eyes in excitement for everything that was still to come.

"This."