Buck was having the best day of his life.

He was sitting on his couch, legs stretched out, phone in hand, and a wide, satisfied smile on his face. The TV was playing Reputation on shuffle, the dark, pulsating beat of ...Ready For It? filling the apartment.

And his phone? Absolutely blowing up.

Because Eddie's meltdown had officially gone viral.

Buck grinned as he scrolled through the comments under the clip of Eddie's dramatic exit from the firehouse, which had already hit 3.1 million views on The Viall Files Instagram.

"This guy is in his Karen era."
"The way he stormed out like that? Iconic."
"Why is he kinda hot tho?"
"This is unhinged behavior and I'm HERE for it."
"Plot twist — Buck is the father."

"Oh my god," Buck laughed, covering his mouth.

Tommy was sprawled on the couch next to him, scrolling through his own phone. "Did you see the TikTok edits yet?"

Buck's head shot up. "What?"

Tommy held up his phone. On the screen was a fan edit set to Vigilante Shit with dramatic zoom-ins on Eddie's furious face and Buck smirking in the background.

"Oh my god," Buck whispered.

Tommy smirked. "You are officially toxic."

Buck grinned. "I know."

His phone buzzed again.

It was a text from Veronica Lodge.

Veronica: "Okay, spill. What did you DO to Eddie?"

Buck's smile widened. He quickly opened the group chat with his best friends outside of work — Veronica Lodge, Ginny Miller, JJ Maybank, Mindy Chen, and Amy Lau — and started typing.

Buck: "Okay, so Eddie got pissed that I was hanging out with Tommy, and then he sprayed me with a fire hose — so I deflated all his tires. Then Bobby fired him, and he had a full meltdown in front of the whole station. And Hen FILMED IT."

Almost immediately, the group chat lit up with responses.

Veronica: "Are you KIDDING ME?!"
Ginny: "HE GOT FIRED?"
JJ: "Dude, that's psychotic."
Mindy: "LMAO. Oh my god. Please tell me there's a video."
Amy: "Oh, honey… "

Buck sent the link to the clip.

Veronica: "HOLY SHIT THIS IS AMAZING."
Ginny: "He's actually so mad, you can tell."
JJ: "This is better than TV."
Mindy: "This is why America's mental health system is broken."
Amy: "I'm obsessed."

Veronica's next message popped up:

Veronica: "Okay but wait — you and Tommy? "

Buck's eyebrows lifted. He sent back:

Buck: "What about us?"

Veronica: "You guys are actually, like… a thing now?"

Buck smiled.

Buck: "Yeah."

Veronica: "SO CUTE."

Ginny: "Wait — how long has this been going on?"

Buck: "Six months."

JJ: "Damn, Buck."

Mindy: "Okay but be honest — can you get pregnant?"

Buck's mouth dropped open.

Buck: "WHAT?"

Veronica: "Yeah, can you get pregnant?"

Buck: "NO, I CAN'T GET PREGNANT."

Ginny: "Okay but imagine the chaos if you could."

JJ: "Honestly, I'd watch that show."

Amy: "If Buck got pregnant, the baby would probably come out with a six-pack."

Buck laughed so hard he almost fell off the couch.

Tommy frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Veronica just asked if I could get pregnant," Buck said, still laughing.

Tommy's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"I know," Buck said, wiping his eyes.

Tommy smirked. "That's insane."

"I know!" Buck said.

Tommy leaned toward him. "Although…"

Buck's smile faded. "Don't."

Tommy grinned. "Just saying. It would explain a lot."

Buck narrowed his eyes. "Don't."

Tommy laughed.

Buck's phone buzzed again.

Another text from Eddie.

Eddie: "You're a psychopath."

Buck's smile sharpened. He quickly texted back.

Buck: "Feeling a little insecure after making The Viall Files' Top 3?"

Eddie's response was immediate.

Eddie: "YOU TOLD HEN TO SEND THAT IN?"

Buck: "Nope. Hen did it all on her own."

Eddie: "I'm going to kill you."

Buck's mouth curved.

Buck: "Then you'll never get those tires replaced."

Eddie: "I hope you choke."

Buck smiled.

Tommy leaned over. "Who's that?"

"Eddie," Buck said.

Tommy raised his eyebrows. "He's still mad?"

"Oh, absolutely," Buck said.

Tommy's eyes glinted. "Good."

Buck's smile widened.

Suddenly, the TV's surround sound kicked in, blasting the opening beats of ...Ready For It?

"Knew he was a killer first time that I saw him…"

Buck leaned back, stretching his legs out. He crossed his arms behind his head.

"This song feels… appropriate," Tommy said.

"Oh, it's perfect," Buck said.

Tommy grinned.

Buck's phone buzzed again.

Eddie: "I'm serious. You're dead."

Buck: "Love you too. "

Across town, Eddie was sitting in his kitchen, scowling at his phone. His hand was clenched around the edge of the counter, his jaw tight.

Christopher walked in. "Dad?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Why are you making that face?"

Eddie's mouth twisted. "No reason."

Christopher frowned. "Are you mad at Buck?"

Eddie's mouth opened. Closed.

"Because if you are," Christopher said, "you should probably just talk to him."

Eddie sighed. "It's not that simple."

Christopher shrugged. "Seems simple to me."

Eddie's chest tightened.

Christopher smiled. "You always forgive him anyway."

Eddie's mouth twitched. "Do I?"

Christopher's smile widened. "Yeah."

Eddie sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. His phone buzzed again.

Another text from Buck:

"Want me to pick up Christopher this weekend?"

Eddie scowled. His thumbs hovered over the keyboard.

He typed:

"Fuck you."

Buck's response was immediate.

"So… Saturday?"

Eddie's mouth twitched. His chest tightened.

Christopher was still watching him. "Are you gonna say yes?"

Eddie sighed. "Maybe."

Christopher smiled. "Good."

Eddie's jaw flexed. His chest still burned. He hated how easily Buck could unravel him.

But maybe Christopher was right.

Maybe it was simple.

Maybe it had always been Buck.