Turning Point

Summary: Buddie fic. Caught off guard by a sudden self-revelation, Eddie is faced with a crossroads that could lead to the point of no return for his relationship with Buck. Meanwhile, Buck is trying to figure out why his best friend is suddenly pushing him away, determined to get answers and fix whatever has broken.

Disclaimer: I do not own 9-1-1 or anything associated with the show.

Author Notes: I have absolutely loved writing this story. I am not a big romance writer, but there's just something special about Buck and Eddie that inspires me. After going over my notes, I decided that this would be the final chapter. I have plans for a sequel and other storylines that stem off from this one, but I felt like this would be a good way to round this particular story off.

Set after season 6.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Chapter 8

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Buck?" Maddie opened her front door with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"Can I come in?" Buck asked, but Maddie was already moving to the side, allowing him to pass into the house before he had even finished speaking. He made his way through the chaos of the living room, piles of clothes scattered across the sofa and chairs, and toward the fridge in the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Maddie followed him, and Buck could feel her eyes narrowing on him. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I swapped with Ravi," Buck answered, opening up the fridge and searching until he came across the beer.

"Why?" Concern lined Maddie's words, and she went from suspicious to hovering. "Are you okay? Do I need to be worried about anything?"

He pulled a bottle of beer free from the fridge, his face twisting up as his gaze fell away. "I think we had a fight…"

"Who? You and Ravi?"

"Me and Eddie."

He made to open the bottle but Maddie pulled it from his grip and put it back into the fridge, pulling out one of Jee's juice boxes instead and passing him that.

"Really?" he questioned.

"It's nine in the morning, Buck," she answered, raising her eyebrow at him, tone and expression showing there was no room for argument.

He scoffed but said nothing, resigning himself to the tropical punch flavoured juice. Of course, nine in the morning wasn't too early when he was providing sangria for their brunch, but now he could do with a drink, it was too early?

"So, you think you had a fight?" she questioned, heading back into the living room area and grabbing up a pile of clothes.

"I kind of maybe walked out before we could really say much."

"And now you're avoiding him?" She shook her head at him and dumped half of the clothes in front of him on the table and the rest in front of herself.

"What's this?" he asked instead of answering her, placing the juice box down and picking up the top shirt from the pile.

"Laundry day."

Head tilting, he furrowed his brow at her.

"It's my one day off where Jee sleeps in and I'm making the most of it. So, fold."

He smiled and scoffed, but did as he was ordered. Before he knew it, he was halfway through the small pile and opening up to Maddie about the previous night. "I screwed up."

"What are you talking about?"

"I wanted to tell Chris, but Eddie… he doesn't think he's ready." Buck paused and let go of a breath. "And I mean, I get it. But this is me, Maddie. I'm not just some random date he's bringing home."

"I know," Maddie answered. "But you've got to remember, you've had years to come to terms with how you feel. For Eddie, this is all new."

"I thought I could do it, Maddie… I thought I could convince myself that just being part of his life would be enough. But I don't want to go back to that. I can't." He looked down and swallowed at the lump forming in his throat. "I love him."

She squeezed his hand. "He just needs time, Buck."

.-.-.-.-.

Night had set in by the time Eddie was nearing the end of one of the longest shifts he had had in a long while. He spent the day as the butt of many jokes, receiving many different pieces of advice on how to make it up to Buck.

"Flowers!" Ravi had said, followed by, "What? I love flowers," after the comment had raised many an eyebrow.

"Just talk to him," Hen had advised, several times.

"Or, you could do a Buck and ask him to move in," Chimney had added.

Bobby, of course, was in agreement with Hen. He passed a cup of coffee to Eddie as the latter sat in the quiet of the loft, the others busy in their own affairs, and took a seat beside Eddie. "Buck… he wears his heart on his sleeve and when he's feeling a certain way, those emotions are big and intense. So, sometimes he acts a little rash. But you already know all this, Eddie."

Eddie stared down into the cup, holding it in both hands. "The thing is, with Buck… everything feels right. Chris loves him and you've seen Buck with Chris. I could sit and watch them for hours, but there's this feeling in my chest. Telling Chris would make all of this more real, and if that happens…"

"What?" Bobby questioned. "What's holding you back?"

"What if I screw it up, Bobby?" Eddie pushed out a breath and leaned back in his seat, running his hands over his face. "It wouldn't exactly be the first relationship I've screwed up. Hell, I've already messed up and that's even before we've told Christopher… and Chris is already asking where Buck is and when he's coming over."

Bobby breathed in. "When Athena and I first started seeing each other, I felt like I was finally allowed to live again. I finally gave myself permission to live and love, and I wanted to show her off to the world and give her everything I had. But Athena wasn't ready. She was still dealing with her own stuff, and I was hurt and angry…"

Eddie watched Bobby carefully, taking in the solemn smile as he listened. "So, what did you do?"

"We had a fight. I asked her to leave and she did." Bobby nodded and thinned his lips at the memory, sadness taking hold in his eyes until he looked at Eddie and smiled again. "You're allowed to be scared Eddie and it's allowed to hurt. That's how you know it's real. You think me and Athena never fight?" He scoffed at the very thought of it. "With how headstrong she is? That doesn't mean we don't love each other and when we screw up, we work it out. Because that's what love is."

Eddie swallowed at the tightness in his throat, his gaze falling again as he thought about Bobby's words.

"I've seen the way you look at Buck, Eddie. And I've seen the way he looks at you. If that's not love, I don't know what is."

.-.-.-.-.

By the time his shift was over, Eddie had made up his mind. Truthfully though, there was no real question about it. No matter the fear he felt at the thought of screwing up, it was nothing compared to the absolute aching in his chest that he got when he thought about life without Buck. Now he just had to figure out how he was going to tell Chris.

He still hadn't decided on the right words when he finally pulled up outside of his house, or once he was over the threshold. As the sound of the television met his ears and his tía met him at the door, he was actually thankful that Chris wasn't asleep yet. It meant that Eddie couldn't come up with an excuse to put it off.

"I'm sorry, Edmuno," Tía Pepa said, bringing him in for a brief hug and kiss to the cheek. "He refused to sleep."

"It's fine," Eddie answered, dropping his bag on the floor and leaning around the corner enough to see a very weary-eyed Christopher laid on the couch, watching a late-night cartoon. "He gets like this sometimes."

"I tried to bribe him. Even told him I'd take him to the zoo next week."

Eddie smiled. "Yeah, er, I'm guessing that didn't go down too well."

"He asked if Buck would be going with us."

Eddie snorted, closing his eyes at the thought and shaking his head in amusement.

"He takes after his father," Tía Pepa continued, grabbing Eddie's chin and twisting his face to place another kiss on his cheek. "Stubborn as a mula."

She grabbed her scarf and wrapped it around her shoulders as she moved toward the door. Eddie followed and opened it for her.

"Thank you, Tía."

"Good night, and good luck getting some sleep."

Once she was gone, Eddie made his way into the living room, grabbing the remote as he neared the couch. He turned off the television, ignoring the tired protest from Christopher, and perched himself on the table in front, looking down at Christopher with a soft smile. Christopher pushed himself up, stretching out a little, but his movements were sluggish and heavy. He was fighting his need for sleep with every ounce of strength he had.

"Hey, Dad," he said around a yawn.

"Tía Pepa said you were refusing to sleep."

Christopher's eyes fell, a line of worry crossing his forehead. He seemed to think about his words very carefully before speaking, and when he finally did speak, his words completely caught Eddie off guard. "Are you and Buck breaking up?"

"What?" Eddie found himself asking, even though he had heard quite clearly what Chris had asked.

But instead of repeating himself, Chris kept his gaze away, his voice as heavy as whatever weight seemed to be pushing down on his shoulders. "If you and Buck break up, can Buck still come over?"

"How did you…" Eddie tried to say, but the rest of the question died as he cleared his throat and pulled at the neck of his shirt as the heat rose up his back and neck.

"I might have glasses, but I'm not blind…" Christopher said, as if the answer was obvious. "And I'm not deaf either."

The embarrassment and heat intensified at that, and he cursed the others for being right, along with himself for being so oblivious. He was so caught up in his own thoughts for a moment, that it took him a breath to register that Chris was staring right at him and speaking again.

"So, can he?" Chris asked. "He's not going to leave is he?"

Eddie wrapped his arms around Chris, placing a kiss on his head before resting his chin there. "No, buddy, Buck isn't going anywhere and we're not breaking up. Though, I might need your help on that."

.-.-.-.-.

Buck was still half asleep when he walked into the firehouse. His body protested, knowing it should have still been in bed, but this was his punishment for avoiding Eddie the day before. He was so distracted by his want for sleep that he nearly walked past Chris perched on the bench in the gym area. Blinking, he came to a stop before taking a step back and turning to face the young boy who beamed up at him.

"Chris? What are you doing here?"

"He's here to help me apologise, and to make sure I don't mess it up." Eddie's voice came from behind him, and Buck turned to see Eddie pushing away from the back of the fire engine, his hands in his pockets and head ducked slightly, looking sheepish.

"Eddie," Buck started, feeling his chest ache with want.

But Eddie cut him off and held a hand up. "Let me just…" He took a breath and came to a stop in front of Buck, meeting his gaze and holding it. "I always thought that joining the 118 was the best thing to happen to me and Chris, but I was wrong. It's you, Buck. I can't imagine my life, our lives, without you and I don't want to. I don't want anybody else. Since you came into our lives… that's all I need and it's all I want."

Buck pushed forward, closing the gap between them. "Eddie, I shouldn't have pushed. I got so caught up in being with you and I didn't want to slow down and-"

He was silenced by Eddie's lips capturing his own and allowed himself to sink into the kiss, allowed his arms to wrap around Eddie as Eddie's hands gripped at him. Everything else faded away, from the bustling of the firehouse to the uncertainty and fear that had weighed him down so heavily. When he finally pulled away, it was with reluctance on both sides, and he looked down into mischievous brown eyes, taking in the devilish smile of Eddie's.

"Buckley!" Bobby called from up in the loft, and though his tone was strong, there was also a softness to it. "You joining us at all today?"

"Sure thing, Cap," Buck answered, but he didn't break eye contact with Eddie, unable to stop the smile on his face, even as he hitched his thumb over his shoulder and made an attempt to step back, which turned into a small and awkward stumble. "I should…"

"I know," Eddie answered. "Come home safe."

Home. That one single word was enough to make Buck's small smile turn into a grin, warmth spreading throughout him. He nodded, and managed to make it all the way to the bottom step of the staircase before turning back around to look at Eddie and Chris.

"What you standing there for, Diaz's?" Bobby's voice rang out. "Aren't you staying for breakfast? You got somewhere better to be?"

"No, Cap," Eddie answered, the smile clear in his words, and, in no time, he joined Buck at the staircase, the pair of them allowing Chris to go ahead of them as they climbed the steps together, Eddie's hand catching Buck's, their fingers intertwining.

.-.-.-.-.

The October skies were blue and almost cloudless, the air mild and still. It was the perfect weather for a Sunday afternoon barbeque, and Buck had to admit, Tía Pepa sure knew how to pick her days. It was a small get together, a couple of friends and family who lived nearby.

Buck looked out across the yard with a lazy smile, watching Eddie and Chris at the barbeque, checking on whatever was cooking. The last two months had gone by so quickly and Buck wished he was somehow able to capture all those little moments and save them up in a jar. Waking up each day next to Eddie, the failed pancakes that Buck forced down the second time Eddie cooked breakfast, and the nights where Chris fell asleep between them on the couch.

He spent less and less time at his own apartment, usually only there when Eddie had a rare shift that Buck wasn't working, and Chris was at school. But even then, he found he couldn't stay long, feeling out of place, and often ending up at the firehouse in time to either cook or eat with the team, and Eddie, on shift.

"I haven't seen Edmundo this happy in a long time," Tía Pepa spoke up from beside Buck, joining him on the seat to the left of the bench he lounged on. "If I didn't know any better, I would say he's in love." She offered Buck a sly smile and reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Buck."

Buck smiled and caught Eddie's gaze, the latter smiling in return as he excused himself to make his way over to Buck. He sunk onto the bench next to Buck, his arm resting over Buck's shoulders as he gave him a soft kiss on his temple. They had never officially announced themselves as a couple to Eddie's family in LA, but they had decided not to hide it either. Between his Abuela and Tía, they acted as if it had always been this way, accepting without judgement.

Though, there were times when they still had plenty to complain to Eddie about.

"¿Cuándo le vas a pedir matrimonio a este joven?" Tía Pepa questioned, her gaze hardened on Eddie.

The words washed over Buck. Though he had started picking up more and more Spanish, there was still plenty that left him in the dark.

Eddie groaned and rolled his eyes. "Really, Tía? I'm working on it."

"Well, I'm just saying, you need to work harder on it, because if you don't ask him, I will." She pointed at Eddie, stern, before adding a wistful, "siempre quise casarme con un bombero."

"Tía!" Eddie shot at her, before cursing in Spanish under his breath.

She held up her hands, but the mischievous twinkle in her eyes said so much, and then she patted Buck on the knee before pushing up and heading out into the small crowd of people again.

"What was that about?" Buck asked, relaxing into Eddie.

"That's just Tía Pepa being Tía Pepa." Eddie snorted. He withdrew his arm from around Buck, sliding it down so he could grab Buck's hand instead. "They cancelled her favourite telenovela so now she's getting in everybody's business."

"Oh really?" Buck raised an eyebrow, curious.

"She wants to make sure I'm treating you right," Eddie said after a few more moments.

"And you're working on it?" Buck teased, corner of his mouth hitching up as his eyes darted to Eddie's lips.

"Mmhmm," Eddie answered, leaning in until their lips were almost touching. "I'm working on it."

The kiss was soft at first, but as it deepened, Buck's hand went to Eddie's jaw. When they finally came apart, he rested his forehead against Eddie's, closing his eyes. He could have stayed like that for an eternity, even as the first few spots of rain began to fall, the sky growing dark with a distant grumble of an oncoming storm. None of it mattered to Buck, not the raindrops flattening his hair down, or the hustle and bustle of everyone around them rushing to get everything inside. In that moment, right there, everything was perfect.

Buck wasn't sure when it happened. All he knew was that, somewhere between the bomb in the ambulance and Eddie becoming a permanent fixture in his life, his heart would skitter in his chest whenever Eddie Diaz looked his way, and he would fall a little more in love with each passing day. He could remember the exact day though, that he found out his best friend loved him back. He could remember the first kiss as if it was yesterday, and he could imagine waking up every day, for the rest of his life, next to Eddie.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N: Thank you for reading! I had so many other parts to add to this story, but in the end, I decided I would like to turn them into a series of stories instead. I already have a sequel planned which I'm excited to start. I love writing these two far too much, and the rest of the 118 too, and I'm not ready to stop doing that yet.