Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned the rights to 911 or its characters. It all belongs to Fox TV and the show's creators like Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy and whoever else.
.
Not Alone, Never Alone
.
It was a moderately warm Autumn day over Los Angeles, with things being relatively peaceful, even the calls the dedicated first responders of Station 118 responded to so far have been nothing too far-fetched, a minor head on collision in an intersection, a low grade kitchen fire, and even a cat and a kid both being stuck in a tree together. Now they were all back at the station, going about their usual chores and other activities in the downtime between calls. Chim and Hen were restocking the ambulance, keeping Buck away from any and all clip boards, while Buck and Eddie were washing the fire truck after some mud got splashed onto it on the way to the call for the kid and the cat in the tree.
From where he was manning the hose and washing off some mud from the side of the rig, Eddie subtly looked around the corner to the front of the vibrant fire engine, where Buck was diligently wiping at the windshields with a thoughtful focus on his face and the light of the golden sun almost seeing to give him a halo. As he subtly admired his best friend, Eddie felt that familiar yearning fill him. Buck wasn't just his best friend, if Edmundo Diaz was being completely honest with himself, Even Buckley had become the love of his life. By simply being his wonderful, loving and loyal self, by being totally devoted to Christopher and wanting his beautiful young son to flourish just as much as Eddie himself did, Buck had taken the rest of Eddie's heart alongside Christopher.
Eddie didn't dare to ever act on his desires, or speak his truth. Buck was his best friend, a source of joy and support he had honestly never had before, not even with Shannon who had been his wife, or both parent who had been a constant presence in his life when he and Chris were in Texas. Buck was his person, his rock... his love.
A love that Eddie would guard as secret to his grave if it mean not driving Buck away. Eddie quickly shook himself of his yearning and refocused his attention on the water he was spraying over the side of the truck, forever glad that Buck hadn't noticed him in his silent admiring. From where he stood wiping up the last of the moisture from the glass of the truck's windshields, Buck was calling on all the strength he had in his will not to lean over and look around the corner to his best friend.
He wanted nothing more than to lay eyes on Eddie and just take him in, his best friend, his very straight best friend whom he was unequivocally and irreversibly in love with. He doesn't know when it happened, maybe when they pulled the grenade out of Charlie's leg together, or after the earthquake where they had picked up Chris together and he'd met his little superman, or even when he had asked Eddie if he had wanted to go for the title on a regular nightly get together and he had apologized profusely for the stupid lawsuit, either way Buck knew in his heart that he was Chris and Eddie's, that there could never be anyone else to even come close to having Buck feel the deep and profound love that he felt for the father and son Diaz duo.
Buck wanted to be more that just Eddie's best friend, so much more. It could be nothing more than a pipe dream, the flight of fancy that was so close and yet eternally far away. A wave of melancholy washed over Buck as he paused in his wiping and sighed deeply. It became a little more easy to keep himself from leaning around to look at Eddie. Shaking it off, Buck instead smiled and spoke, calling out to Eddie.
" Hey Eds, any plans for the weekend?" He asked casually, plans already forming in his own head as he eagerly waited to hear Eddie's reply.
" Not really, was just going to chill at home with Chris." Eddie said, all the while growing excited because if Buck was asking him about weekend plans, the blue eyed subject of his yearning was bound to be gearing up to make a suggestion for something they could all do together, the three of them as they loved to be... as it felt the most right to be.
Eddie frowned though when instead of Buck's response, there was a light gasp from followed by a soft "Well hello sweet heart." His curiosity peaked, Eddie quickly made his way around to the front of the rig. The sight that greeted him was not at all what he expected, but something heavenly none the less.
There on bent knee was Buck and standing across from him was this cherubic young girl, no older than five with chocolate brown hair and big ocean blue eyes. The child was staring at Buck with a look of pure awe on her face, which Eddie noticed had a small, port-wine birthmark over her left cheek, shaped almost like a jagged sun. It was maybe just a little lighter than Buck's own distinctive mark over his left eye.
" Where's you mom sweetie?" Buck asked as he looked around for any adult accompanying the child.
The little girl said nothing, her blue eyes all but riveted to Buck's face. The next moment the girl was stepping forward and reaching out, her little hand seeking out Buck's face. Almost on instinct, Buck leaned down and met her hand halfway, smiling tenderly as the dainty little fingers went to his birthmark and lightly grazed over it. Eddie watched on with his heart yearning at the sweet sight, noting how the girl raised her other hand to her own cheek, right over her port-wine birthmark. Finally the girl spoke.
" Y-You're like me?" She asked softly, as if in disbelief.
" Yeah sweetie, I got a mark too." Buck said without missing a beat.
In the next instant Buck and Eddie watched in shock and concern as the little girls face suddenly crumbled, and with a tiny sob she lunged forward. Buck did not hesitate as he opened his arms and instantly caught the child barreling into his, gently hugging her while she proceeded to squeeze him with all her might.
" H-Hey sweetie what's wrong? Please don't cry." Buck said as he patted the little girl's back gently.
" Nettie!" A frantic voice sounded in the distance, making Buck and Eddie both look up to see a panic-stricken woman rushing towards them as fast as she could while pushing a stroller in front of her with an adorable little baby sleeping peacefully in it.
" She's ok ma'am, she found Buck over here." Eddie assured when the woman reached them and let out a deeply relieved breath.
The woman, Nettie's mother looked like she was about to chastise Nettie for most likely running off but she paused completely when her eyes fell on Buck. The next moment a shaky smile spread across her face as she spoke.
" Oh Nettie, you finally found someone." She breathed with a look of pure wonder, but also veiled sadness coming over her feature.
The woman herself was just as cherubic in looks as her young daughter, but her hair was dark blond and not at all like Nettie's.
Buck was about to ask what Nettie's mother meant when Nettie finally pulled back to reveal her tearful face as she reached her little hands up and placed them on Buck's face before she spoke.
" All-all the kids at school calls me ugly, they don't wanna play wif me because they say they'll get this on their faces too." Nettie said sadly as she pointed to her mark.
In an instant Buck felt the bottom of his stomach drop, while Eddie's own heart gave an almighty lurch at the pain this incredibly young child had already been forced to endure.
" Aw Nettie no, no there's nothing wrong with you." Buck said with a sigh as he first looked to Nettie's mother in askance, to which she nodded wholeheartedly, before he reached out and took Nettie into his arms again and picked her up, holding her like she was the most precious thing on the planet.
" There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, your beautiful, just beautiful." Buck said, meaning every word as he hugged Nettie firmly as the little girl sniffled against his shoulder.
" Hey what's going on here guys?" A familiar deep voice asked lightly, Eddie, Buck, and Nettie's mother all turning to see Bobby Nash standing a few feet away with Chim and Hen flanking him on other side, the three of them looking curiously at the scene before them.
" Nothing bad Cap, Buck here just made a new friend, and I bet she'd like to make a few more, right Nettie?" Eddie asked with a grin as he stepped up to Nettie and Buck.
Nettie looked up from Buck's shoulder and saw Bobby, Chim, and Hen. With a shy smile she waved at them for a second and then promptly buried her face back into Buck's shoulder as she spoke.
" Yeah, I would." She said, muffled against Buck's collar.
Eddie watched as Bobby, Chim, and Hen, all seasoned first responders just melted into a collective pile of goo at the little girl's adorable agreement with Eddie.
With a warm smile, Bobby made his way over to Nettie's mother, Hen and Chim following after him as they all made introductions. They found out that Nettie's mother's name was Elizabeth, that Nettie was short for Annette, and the little one sleeping peacefully though it all in his stroller was Nettie's five month old little brother Andrew. Elizabeth explained that they were headed to one of the stores beside the fire station when Andrew got fussy during his nap. While Elizabeth had been tending to her baby boy, her baby girl had most likely caught sight of Buck while he had had his head turned and his birthmark on display and come running.
Little Nettie had yet to let go of Buck, not that Buck or anyone else minded as Bobby insisted that Elizabeth, Nettie, and little baby Andrew join them for lunch. Elizabeth had smiled shyly and accepted the kind offer. Bobby led everyone back into the fire station where Nettie rightfully became the center of the universe. Bobby made a subtle call to dispatch asking to be taken off line for at least a couple of hours to accommodate their unexpected lunch guests, and seeing as to how it was actually a not so busy day, dispatch had obliged.
The next while was spent with everyone doting on Nettie, wanting to show her the many pieces of equipment they used on rescues, sharing stories of crazy calls, being sure to keep it all kid friendly, and also showing off some of their own marks, being it birth marks or scars from the job.
Every single firefighter and paramedic who was a parent or not was heartbroken by Nettie's tale of being so alienated by her fellow children over something so harmless as a birthmark. It was actually Elizabeth who tearfully recounted how after one particularly trying day, her precious little daughter had come home from school crying her eyes out and asking her if they could go to a doctor to actually peel the mark right off her face.
" They make me feel so alone, and... and nobody else looks like me." Nettie said sadly with a sigh as she ran her tiny hand over one of the shining chrome fixtures on the front of Hen and Chim's ambulance rig.
" But you aren't alone baby, you found Buck, and you found us. Everyone is different and that's what makes them wonderful." Hen said sagely as she placed her hand on top of Nettie's head. Nettie looked up at Hen and smiled before stepped forward and hugging Hen's legs, earning a happy chuckle from the seasoned medic and mother before she let go and darted off back to Buck who was nearby recounting how he had just been cleaning the rig with Eddie when he had felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down to see Nettie gaze at him in wonder.
" Hey!" Buck said with one of his brightest grins as he new little friend came barreling back to him. He scooped her up and hugged her close before turning back to the others. Buck's eyes immediately went to Eddie as he spoke.
" Hey Eds, would you mind showing Nettie some pictures of Superman?" He asked warmly.
Immediately catching on to Buck's purpose, Eddie pulled out his phone and scrolled through until he found some full length picture of Christoper to show Nettie.
" Why does he had those big sticks?" Nettie asked innocently.
" Well Nettie, Christopher has something called Cerebral Palsy, or CP. It's not like a cold that you can catch from someone else, it's just a disorder that makes it a little difficult for him to move the way you and I do. He's different but he doesn't view it as a negative, he always keeps smiling and he has tons of friends because he's proud of who he is." Buck explained so sweetly that it took everything Eddie had in him not to melt. Fighting back his own emotions, Eddie nodded and spoke.
" Yeah Nettie, my little boy has challenges, and yeah some people have been mean and said some really hurtful things, but he never lets it bring him down. He keeps smiling, he has adventures, and he's got Buck here wrapped around his little finger." Eddie said with a grin as he clapped Buck on the shoulder, earning a chucking and an nod from the blue eyed man.
" He kinda has everyone wrapped around his little finger whenever he stops by the station." Bobby said with a smile before he grew a little more serious as he addressed Nettie.
" People are always going to be afraid of what they don't understand, even when they are all grown up. You and your classmates are still just kids, you're all still learning. Tell me Nettie, have you or your teacher tried to explain that what you have on your face is just a mark, that it's not something that can just hop onto someone else?" The Captain asked.
" Y-Yeah, Ms. Lee told everyone before recess that it's just my birthmark, and I tried to tell 'em too but they just don't wanna listen." Nettie said with a helpless shrug.
A collective sigh seemed to pass over the entire gathering before Bobby quickly took control of the situation and ushered everyone up to the loft for the lunch that was promised. Nettie naturally sat next to Buck, with her mother and a newly away Andrew in her arms on Nettie's other side while Eddie took the seat immediately next to Buck's other side. Today was pot roast day at the station, and everyone was deeply pleased and relieved when Nettie said she wanted to try some and absolutely adored it. Score one for Bobby's amazing cooking yet again.
As they ate, Everyone continued to regale Nettie and her mother with tales of the incredible mishaps the good people of LA often suffered. Buck even shared how the firetruck had fallen on his leg, and that shortly after that he and Chris had been caught in the tsunami.
" Where you and Chris really scared Buck?" Nettie asked softly.
" Yeah Nettie, we were, we were really scared. But you Chris, he was a real champ throughout the whole thing. He told me that he wasn't as scared because he listened to Dori from Finding Nemo, it's his favorite movie and he just said in his head to just keep swimming. Just keep swimming and you'll be alright, and we were." Buck said, while also fighting back the powerful emotions that still rose up as he remembered that God-awful day.
" Just keep swimming?" Nettie asked.
" Just keep swimming." Buck confirmed with a grin, that Nettie quickly returned before she spoke.
" 'm glad you guys are ok." She said shyly, earning many loving looks and sighs from the rest of the table as Buck nodded and had to blink his eyes rapidly for a moment.
" Yeah, thanks sweet heart." He said earnestly.
Lunch was a massive success with the food rapidly disappearing, Nettie actually eating her vegetables to be good for everyone, and even Baby Andrew falling in love with Buck. Many a picture and video was taken of everyone unashamedly showering both adorable little ones in buckets of love.
Buck shared how growing up, he himself had often gotten a few looks here and there from kids and adults alike regarding his birthmark, but that his awesome big sister always told him there was nothing wrong with him, that his mark was part of what made him awesome. Buck had learned from Maddie to be confident about his mark and to also not make a big deal about it, because it honestly wasn't. It was just the way some of his skin ended up being colored, nothing more.
By the time Elizabeth, Annette, and Andrew had to go, they had basically gained family at the 118 with many promises to return whenever they wanted, and a standing invitation to the Thanksgiving potluck they would be holding this year. Bobby himself had been struck with an idea and had taken Miss Elizabeth aside for a moment while everyone else took all care of her kids to ask which school Nettie attended so that he could arrange something special for her little girl. Elizabeth had been all too happy to oblige.
The 118 came back online and not a few minutes later the horns for an emergency sounded and they were rushing off to help, with smiles on their faces for what had been a wonderful, unexpected turn to lunch. If Eddie spent the entire ride to the call looking at Buck like he had literally hung the moon and stars, the rest of the team didn't comment on it.
One week later at Grant Elementary school...
Ms. Jenny Lee could only sigh sadly as she watched as yet again, little Nettie Harris was left to play all by herself while the rest of her classmates either avoided her or cruelly rejected her. She had explained so many times that Nettie's birthmark was harmless but with the cruelty that only kids were capable of, they either willfully ignored her explanations or were too afraid to see reason. A knock at the door had Ms. Lee turning to see who it was and when her eyes saw, a smile came to her face.
Hopefully after today, things would be different. Ms. Lee got up and made quick work of getting to the door and opening it with a smile.
A few moments later Ms. Lee's voice rang out.
" Hey everyone guess what? We've got some special visitors here!"She called to get all of the kindergartners to look towards the front of the classroom.
Nettie sighed and looked up from where she had been relegated to coloring by herself and gasped when she saw the group of people who were gathered at the front of the classroom. With a wide grinning lighting up her face, Nettie scrambled up from her seat.
" Buck!" She yelled as she saw the tall blue eyed firefighter grinning at her from where he stood with the rest of the team, all of them in their turnout gear and helmets. Nettie wasted no time in rushing over with open arms, Buck chuckling as he smoothly leaned down and scooped her up into his arms in a big bear hug.
" Hi Nettie, we were just in the neighborhood and thought we'd stop by and say hi!" Buck said loudly.
From where he stood smiling at the reunion between Buck and Nettie, Bobby chanced a glance at the rest of the classroom and was pleased to see the many looks of awe that were now etched onto the tiny, adorable faces of the rest of Nettie's kindergarten class.
The plan was working so far, now to blow some of their misgivings about birthmarks out of the water.
" Come on everyone, say hello to Nettie's friends, the firefighters of Station 118." Ms. Lee said warmly.
After a moments hesitation, several children stepped forward shyly, the rest of the class following suit. Buck set Nettie down and she promptly clung to his leg and smiled up at Eddie with her best grin.
As the children surrounded then, a cute little girl with dark chocolate skin and her hair done in a pair of adorable pom poms inevitable noticed a certain feature of Buck's.
" Hey mister firefighter, what's that on your eye?" She asked curiously.
" Oh this, this is my birthmark just like the one my buddy Nettie's got." Buck replied without missing a beat.
" No you're lying, you probably caught it from hanging out with Nettie." This slightly rotund boy with dandy blond hair sneered. Nettie immediately shrunk in on herself and his her face into Buck's leg, the latter giving the boy a hard look and leaning down to wrap his arm around the little girl protectively.
" Matthew that is rude, you apologize this instant." Ms. Lee said sternly.
" Yeah Matthew, that was really not cool man." Eddie said with his best dad look.
Matthew's smug look quickly turned sheepish as one by one the fire fighters of the 118 all gave him their best unimpressed look. The rest of the class naturally joined in the judgment.
" Sorry Nettie." Matthew mumbled.
" Why don't come here Matthew." Bobby said lightly.
Now looking properly chastised, Matthew stepped forward slowly and looked up at Bobby with scared eyes. Bobby just pinned the five year old with a look before he deflated and smiled down at him as he spoke.
" You don't really mean to be so unkind to Nettie do you?" He asked gently.
Put on the spot, Matthew shuffled and looked down at his feet before he shook his head and looked back up at Bobby as he spoke.
" N-No, but it's just... nobody else in class has a mark like that." Matthew reasoned.
" Well does anyone else have you eyes or your nose?" Bobby challenged, to which Matthew shook his head.
" That's because we are all made to be unique. Nettie's got a birthmark on her face that's shaped like a sun, it's called a port-wine stain birthmark and it's totally fine. You can't actually get one just by touching it or being close to it. Just like Buck here was born with that mark over his eye, it's the same with Nettie. We've all touched Buck's birthmark plenty of times, whenever he's been hurt or he just needs a hug, his sister and my wife, and Hen over there have given it plent kisses all the time and no one suddenly sprouted any marks." Bobby assures before he looks to the rest of the class.
" All of you, just try to put yourselves in Nettie's place, she's just like you but you haven't made friends with her and there really is no good reason not. The mark on her face is just a mark, she's just a normal kid who came here to play and learn with you." Bobby said, the team watching as the whole class grew thoughtful at his words.
" Cap is right, I only met Nettie last week and she's awesome. She was brave enough to come right up to me and give me the best hug. Then her and her mommy and her baby brother Andy all came to the station and had lunch with us. If you want we can show you pictures later but the main thing we are all here to teach you is that it's okay to be different, in fact it is the most normal thing to be different. Marks are marks and nothing more, and I don't know about you but I think they make you look even cooler." Buck said with conviction as he smiled down at Nettie who looked up at him in gratitude.
" Do you guys have any more marks?" Another child, a cute red headed boy with square rimmed glasses and hazel eyes asked.
Chim instantly stepped forward with a winning smile, happy to show off the scar on his forehead and just how he got it. As he regaled the group of five year olds with his harrowing but watered down take of how he had rebar go through his brain, Bobby and Buck both gently ushered Matthew and Nettie to have a seat among the rest of the class.
Much to Ms. Lee's silent joy, the children Nettie sat down next to didn't shy away like they usually did, now looking to Nettie with curiosity instead of disdain and distrust. Matthew himself looked pretty contrite after he had been put on the spot, but a reassuring look from both Bobby and Buck had him relaxing and getting engrossed in Chim's story.
For what felt like hours, Bobby and the rest of the 118 shared funny and amazing stories with Nettie and her class.
The big break through came when one of Nettie's classmates, a little girl with brown eyes and golden blond pigtails came up to Nettie and said the most wonderful thing.
" I'm sorry for not playing with you Nettie, do you wanna be friends now?" She asked with a painfully hopeful expression.
Nettie herself was stunned as she gawked at her classmate, she turned to the 118 where Buck gave her a reassuring nod. Nettie turned back to her classmate and spoke.
" It's okay Annie, we can be friends." Nettie said shyly.
Annie practically beamed with the light of a thousand suns as she reached held out her hand. After a moments hesitation, Nettie accepted it and they shook on it, sealing the deal. From where he stood, Buck had to blink his eyes rapidly in an effort to push back the happy tears that welled up at the sight of things finally getting better for Nettie here at school.
When it was time for the 118 to leave, every single member of the team had several kindergartners clinging to them like limpets, Nettie at the forefront as she hugged Buck as hard as she could.
" Thank you for helping me not feel alone Buck." Nettie said into Buck's chest.
" Of course sweetie, you are never, ever alone. We'll always have your back no matter what." Buck said, his voice trembling a little and his eyes bright with the shine of happy tears.
From where he knelt beside Buck hugging a couple of Nettie's classmates himself, Eddie smiled and felt pride in his best friend. He felt the deep tug of love too but he kept that in the background as he watched Nettie draw back from Buck and share a bright grin with him. By the time the team was stepping out the door, the last thing they saw was a shy looking Matthew come up to Annette and ask if they could read his favorite story book together.
It really was a good day.
A couple of nights later...
Buck had just finished dinner and was sitting in front of his TV watching some ocean documentary on Netflix when there was a knock at his door. Frowning slightly because he wasn't expecting anyone, Buck got up and went over to his front door. He looked through the peephole and instantly relaxed a little when he saw who it was. Buck undid the lock and pulled the door open with a smile.
" Hey Eds." He greeted warmly as he stepped aside to allow Eddie in.
" Hey Buck, hope I am not disturbing you or anything." Eddie said as he walked past Buck into the latter's apartment.
" Nah man, was just watching some TV." Buck said with a shrug before he continued.
" Hey you want a beer?" He asked as he gestured towards his fridge.
" Y-Yeah sure, beer sounds good." Eddie said with a slightly restless shuffle as he took a few steps in Buck's wake into the kitchen area.
As Buck opened the fridge door, Eddie found his eyes raking over Buck's broad and powerfully built back, accentuated by the plain white t-shirt was wearing along with some simply dark gray sweat pants. As Buck moved, his muscles rippled and shifted under the thin material of his shirt and Eddie was riveted to the sight, feeling something hot and powerful uncurl in the pit of his stomach.
Eddie snapped out of his staring when Buck finally straightened up and pulled a cold bottle of beer out from the fridge, deftly twisting the cap off before turning to face him.
" Got your favorite." Buck said with a smile.
Sure enough when Eddie looked at the label, it was his favorite brand, the one that Buck actually didn't like nearly as much. With a small huff Eddie shook his head and then stepped closed, placing the bottle on the kitchen island. Buck had enough time to try and form the beginnings of a question before a pair of arms were wrapping around him and pulling him into a tight hug.
" E-Eddie?" Buck asked in concern as his own arms immediately rose and wrapped around Eddie in turn.
" Are you okay? Is it Chris? Please tell me what's wrong." Buck pleaded urgently.
" What's wrong is that when I got home from shift today, it was to a house without you in it." Eddie blurted out.
Buck gasped softly, but otherwise there was just stunned silence. Before Buck could even articulate a response, Eddie drew back and took Buck's face in his hands. He pulled lightly and leaned up himself so that his and Buck's foreheads pressed together intimately, Buck giving no resistance and letting out a shaky breath while he eyes were wide in shock.
" Do you even know how amazing you are?" Eddie asked softly.
" Eddie wha?" Buck began, but he fell silent when Eddie shook his head.
" No Buck you are, you're amazing. What you did for Nettie, what you do for me and Chris I just... I can't go on without telling you how much you mean to me." Eddie said with all seriousness.
Buck blinked, completely stunned before he took a deep breath and spoke.
" Wh-What do I mean to you Eds?" He all but whispered, his throat closing up with his own powerful emotions.
" Almost everything, Evan, you mean almost everything." Eddie replied, watching as Buck smiled knowingly and nodded.
" Superman comes first, always." He said with his own deep conviction.
" Yeah, yeah Buck and I love that you just get that, I don't have to explain or make compromises. You just understand and it's one of the things I love the most about you." Eddie said.
Against him Buck jerked in surprised and blinked slowly as he spoke.
"L-Love?" He asked eloquently as he reached up and wrapped his hands around Eddie's wrists.
Feeling a wave of shyness wash over him, Eddie closed his eyes and smiled as he nodded.
" Yeah Evan, love." Eddie confirmed before he opened his eyes as continued.
" I don't know if it was when we pulled that grenade out of Charlie's leg together, or when you gave Cap the head's up about me bring Chris to the station, or even when you asked me in this same kitchen if I wanted to go for the title and we played video games with Chris but I've fallen in love with you Evan Buckley, and what you did for Nettie a few days ago just clinched it for me."
" But Eddie I... I didn't really do anything, she was the one who was brave all along. I just told her she wasn't alone." Buck said quietly.
" Exactly Buck. You told that little girl who was being isolated and ridiculed over something as harmless as a birthmark that she had us in her corner, that we'd always be in her corner and now she's so happy. I mean Elizabeth face-timed us the next day and she was so excited to share how Nettie got invited to a birthday party next week and Matthew's become her unofficial bodyguard. You did that Buck, just by being you and understanding what Nettie was going through and telling her the truth, that she is so beautiful." Eddie said firmly.
" Eddie I-" Buck began to say when Eddie cut him off.
" I love you Buck, I love you and I was so scared to say it for so long but I am not anymore." Eddie said with conviction.
" Oh my God." Buck breathed, looking completely wrecked before a wide, shaky grin spread beautifully.
" I love you too. I love you and Chris so much that sometimes on my way home I end up almost at your place and then I have to stop and turn back to come here, and then I just feel so sad for the rest of the night that I-" Whatever else Buck wanted to say was gently cut off by a pair of warm, solid lips pressing against his own in a chaste kiss.
With a full body shudder Buck all but fell against Eddie, the chaste kiss between them deepening into something more profound. It could have been mere seconds, or maybe hours on end, but time stopped and there was only the of them and their first kiss. When the need for air become to much to ignore, they pulled apart with a soft gasp, Buck promptly burying his face into the side of Eddie's neck as he clung to him tightly.
" You're home is with me and Chris, not here. You're supposed to be with us." Eddie declared with all the conviction he had in his soul as he cupped the back of Buck's head and held him tight.
Buck just let out a watery laugh at that, all the while feeling like he was soaring into the stratosphere at Eddie's words.
After that they had their second kiss, then their third, and finally their fourth along with Eddie pressing several tender kisses to Buck's birthmark, Eddie all but ordered Buck to pack an overnight bag to cover several days. He was taking Buck home, and in the morning they would get Chris from Tia Pepa's and have breakfast together. Buck promised to make his famous pancakes.
A couple of days later they went on their first official date, not to some fancy expensive restaurant, but to this mom and pop place Buck had just outside the city that served the best Köttbullar, or Swedish meatballs they'd ever had. They were a close second to Eddie's mom and her own special recipe. She obviously edged out the restaurant since she was mom after all.
They kept their true relationship under wraps for a couple of months, but he lib was literally blown off when Buck almost bit the dust when a flying manhole cover just barely missed decapitating him. After Chim and Hen had checked him out and given him the all clear they had gone back to the station in an odd silence. When Bobby, Hen, and Chim had emerged from the showers to find Buck and Eddie missing from among them, they had sought them out and found them in a secluded corning of the bunk room, clinging to each other and sharing kisses through the relieved tears they were shedding. They had to come clean after that, and Bobby got the paper work he had been keeping at the ready.
Besides some harmless teasing, there was nothing but acceptance from the rest of their family, Athena being the most pleased since it meant that she won the betting pool they had had going for when Buck and Eddie would finally take that leap from friendship into full blown love.
Chris was beyond thrilled when his daddy and his Buck told him that they were together together and that he would be seeing a lot more of Buck from now on. Within just a few more months Buck was practically moved in and sublet his loft to Albert. Eddie got the shovel talk from Maddie, Buck got the triple shovel talk from Chris, Abuela, and Tia Pepa.
While Buck didn't really bother with his mom and dad, but when Eddie told Ramon and Helena that he was with Buck, he had expected Armageddon to unfold. It did in a way, when he told them he was dating a man. Helena looked shocked and Ramon furious, until he revealed that the man in question was Evan Buckley. There was a stunned pause and then Eddie's papa spoke. Ramon's exact words were " You are together with Buck, your blue eyed best friend who your mother and your sisters all call the blue eyed carino Adonis?" At Helena's look of embarrassment Ramon had simply shrugged and said that they weren't wrong, Buck was indeed a very beautiful man, and they had all seen and heard first hand how devoted he was to both Eddie and Chris. It had been a very amusing and rather anti-climactic conversation that ended with Ramon and Helena giving some veiled, begrudging approval and Eddie asking them if they wanted to come visit next month. Ramon and Helena were naturally pleased and immediately accepted the chance to see Eddie and Chris, and also grill Buck when they met him again, this time as their son's official boyfriend.
There were plenty of ups and downs for Buck and Eddie, but at the end of the day they had each other, they had their family, they were not alone, not ever alone.
The End