Chapter Text
Santa Monica beach is opening today. Eddie has been nervous about taking Buck and Chris there, even if he knows it’s the right decision. They went through something huge, seeing the sea will make it smaller. Frank even agrees with him and he’s a therapist. Because that’s something Eddie does now; go to therapy. As does Chris.
Bobby half made him after he got the whole story out of Eddie while waiting in the hospital, but he was already planning on it. He wanted to set the right example for Chris, not fuck it up again. It’s been helpful.
Still, he keeps a hawk like eye on both of them as they get out of the car. Buck has driven them there and it seems to go well so far, but you never know.
Eddie does most of the carrying as Chris speeds away on his new crutches, determined to find them the best place to sit, while Buck keeps up with him so he won’t get separated from them.
They end up snatching a pretty nice spot near the water, where they set out the little chairs they have as well as a cooler with drinks and snacks. Buck lathers Chris in sunscreen while Eddie works hard to inflate the floaties.
Once Chris is all sunscreened up, Eddie motions for Buck to come over so he can get his back. He has seen how Buck can burn and he already knows who is going to be responsible for putting aloe vera everywhere when he burns. Not that having to lather Buck up is a burden, but he can’t help but preemptively wrinkle his nose at how the sheets will get sticky.
Buck obliges happily, sinking down between Eddie’s legs and passing the bottle over to him. His back is broad and Eddie has now only has a little shame in copping a few feels as he applies the sunscreen. He’s gotten a lot more comfortable these past few weeks and if he wants to subtly grope his boyfriend, he’s allowed to do that. Even if he has to actively remind himself of that.
It’s clear Buck notices, because he sends him a pervy look and waggles his eyebrows when Eddie is done. Eddie just pushes his face away with a big grin on his own face, pretending to be innocent and deflecting by calling out to Chris: “Wanna swim or built a sand castle first?”
“Sand castle,” Chris decides.
They have already agreed to not push Chris to go into the sea unless he wants to. M entally Eddie has put Buck in that category as well, but he hasn’t mentioned it to him. Buck is distancing himself from the whole thing by vicariously coping through Chris, and Eddie is letting him. Though he only does that, because he is making sure he keeps an eye on Buck.
“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” Buck cheers, getting out the sand castle tools.
Eddie is more than content to sit in his little beach chair and watch as Chris and Buck take the construction of a giant sandcastle way too seriously.
Buck has also been researching natural disasters as a way to cope and one of the side tracks of that had been construction. At first it had been earthquake safe architecture, which had spiraled into architecture in general, until Eddie found him reading up on the history of construction.
Right now, he recognizes some of the construction techniques Buck had told him about when they were laying in bed together. It’s one of Eddie’s favorite parts of his day, sprawling over Buck’s chest at the end of the day, while Buck cards a hand through his hair and tells him facts about whatever thing he’s researching as Eddie half dozes off.
He is also dozing slightly now, watching through half-lidded eyes as a whole city appears out of the sand. He didn’t used to be this sleepy before he started dating Buck, however, ever since they got together, he’s been so relaxed that sleepiness comes easier to him.
Eddie does wake up a little more when Buck calls for a snack and hydration break. He hands out bottles of water and pre-cut apples, because Buck has something against biting into whole apples, since ‘that puts stress on your teeth, Eddie. You have to be careful with your teeth, they won’t heal like bones do.’
Chris and Buck are both equally excited to show off their creation, apparently they have taken infrastructure and supply chains into account and it’s a perfect city-castle.
When the apples and water are gone, Chris suddenly says: “I want to go swimming, but I’m a little scared.”
Buck and Eddie exchange a look. They’ve prepared for this moment. Eddie says: “We can go into the water, but we don’t have to go too deep. If you don’t want to go further, we won’t. If you do, we can try that. Me and papi will be there the whole time.”
“I know that.” However, Chris worries his lip between his teeth regardless, the little crease that matches the one Eddie get sometimes appearing on his forehead.
“Hey,” Buck nudges him, waiting until Chris looks up before continuing: “I’m a little nervous to go into the water too.”
“You are?” Chris asks with wide eyes. “But you’re a hero, you’re super cool and strong. You’re a firefighter!”
“Thank you. You’re a hero too, you know that, right, Superman?” Buck replies. “And I feel a lot better about going in there, because you’re gonna be there.” He puts on a hushed voice, leaning in as if sharing a secret: “You make me feel brave.”
If you’d go off Chris’s face, you’d say he’s just been told magic is real. “I do?” he asks with wonder.
“You do,” Buck confirms with a nod. “So what do you say? Wanna go dip your toes in? Promise the fishies won’t eat them.”
“Fish don’t eat toes, papi,” Chris giggles, already climbing to his feet, as he calls: “Come on, you guys are being slow.”
“We’re coming, you’re just too fast, mijo,” Eddie laughs, getting up and snatching Chris’s floaties for extra safety, doesn’t matter how shallow they’ll stay.
Chris complains about them when Eddie puts them on, but he doesn’t try to fight him off. While he is struggling against the rigid plastic, he catches Buck doing the breathing exercises Eddie showed him after the tsunami. He hasn’t gone back to therapy, too many bad memories, but he’s open to the things Eddie shares.
With the floaties on, Chris is off towards the water, but Eddie hangs back for a second, softly asking: “Are you okay?”
“Hm?” Buck snaps back to the here and now, before sending Eddie a small smile. “Yeah, I’ll be okay.”
“You also don’t have to go in, you know that right?” Eddie says. “I can go with him in and that is more than fine. You don’t have to push yourself.”
“No, I want to. I don’t want to be scared of the water either. Besides, I meant what I said to Chris, I don’t think I’ll get in without him there.”
Eddie looks him over critically for a second, trying to say if he’s lying. He isn’t. “Okay, but the second you need to, you get out. Understood?”
“Bossy,” Buck grins.
“Buck, I’m serious.”
“I know.” The grins turns into something gentler, more tender. “I appreciate it, Eddie, but I’m okay. Really. Thank you though,” he says, slinging an arm around Eddie as he presses a kiss to his forehead.
It still makes him dizzy how easily Buck does that, in a good way. He leans his head against his shoulder for a second, before pulling back. “I love you. Now let’s go, before Mr. Impatient comes back.”
Right on time, Chris calls out: “Papi! Daddy! Stop being gross and come onnn !”
They both snort and start to walk towards him. Buck squeezes Eddie’s hand and Eddie looks up at him questioningly. “I love you too,” Buck tells him.
Then he lets go and jogs over to where Chris is, saying: “Gimme your hand, Superman.”
Confused Chris does as asked, though he questions: “Why?”
“We’re a team, remember. We go in together,” Buck answers. “Wanna do the honors, or do you want me to count down?”
“Me! Me! I want to!”
Eddie watches from behind them. This is a moment for the two of them and Eddie will stand behind them to have their back as they take this first step. Chris counts down and he can see the tension rise in Buck’s shoulders, but when Chris reaches zero, he steps forward right beside Chris.
He doesn’t even know he’s holding his breath, until he releases it when he sees Buck and Chris unclench. Buck laughs: “That was kind of underwhelming, huh?”
“A little,” Chris giggles.
“I don’t know,” Eddie says as he joins them, playing up a theatrical shiver as he says: “This water is freezing, you guys could have said something.”
“You’ve only just dipped in your toes,” Buck deadpans.
“Yeah, daddy, you’re being dramatic,” Chris joins.
“Oh, I see how it is, it’s bully daddy hour, is it?” Eddie pouts, mock-upset as he sets himself up as a distraction while they make their way further into the water.
“Yup,” Buck says, gleefully splashing Eddie with water as Eddie shrieks, while Chris joins in with gusto until it’s a full blown water fight.
They end up hanging around the beach for a few hours, before getting back in the car to drive to Bobby and Athena’s house. They’ve been invited for dinner, a thing that’s been happening more regularly. The 118 is moving away from being extra family to becoming in-crowd family.
When they get there, it’s more than dinner. The whole back yard is filled with everyone, who yell out: “Congrats!”
Both Eddie and Buck look at everyone in confusion, before looking at each other. Neither of them appear to know what they’re being congratulated for.
“Check it out,” Chimney says, showing off the cake to them. On it is written: Congratulations on getting to suck faces at work
“The paperwork came through,” Buck realizes, looking over at Bobby.
“It sure did,” Bobby smiles, looking quite pleased with himself for setting this all up. “We got the word today. Next shift, you’re coming off B-shift and back to A-shift, while Bosko returns back to the newly rebuilt 136.”
“That’s amazing!” Buck exclaims, hugging Bobby, before hugging Eddie.
Eddie is less expressive, though equally as excited as Buck is about the prospect of getting to work together again. The past few weeks with Bosko as a partner have been fine, but he misses his partner.
However, there was a reason they lied at first, getting the paperwork worked out was a hellish nightmare. Eddie doesn’t think he’ll ever forget the way Halleway’s eyebrow twitched when they came to talk about it, after they’d just done a whole investigation into their fraternization. He never wants to do that again, no thanks.
Not to mention that the way he acted during the tsunami wasn’t very helpful. He thinks their previous track record, Buck not being on duty and Bobby’s testimony that he found Eddie right where he ordered them to be, are the only things that saved them. But he’s not going to question a good thing too much.
Buck pulls back and kisses him, first on the mouth, then all over his face as he yells: “We get to work together again!”
“We do,” Eddie yells back, grin splitting his face in half, as he matches Buck’s enthusiasm. He can’t help himself, Buck is too excited for him not to do that.
“Just because the cake said it, doesn’t mean you two actually get to do this stuff on the clock,” Hen calls out.
“Yeah, we get enough of you two being mushy off the clock,” Chimney hollers.
“You guys are just jealous,” Buck sniffs haughtily, playing it up, but also meaning it just a little bit.
Both Chimney and Hen immediately start protesting and bragging about their own partners that are amazing, just not firefighters. Bobby silences them all by saying: “There is an expectation of professionalism in the firehouse. I will be writing you up. So, no stolen fire engines.”
He directs the last part at Buck with a pointed look. Buck blushes brightly and groans dramatically as he hides away behind Eddie. “That was one time.”
“Two times,” Bobby corrects. “I remember the second time a bit too vividly for my taste too.”
“Okay, enough of that. There are kids here,” Athena interrupts. “What do you all say about some food, huh?”
Luckily, they are all easily bought with food, so it’s the right thing to say. They get served some good barbecue and cake as people congratulate him and Buck. The kids run around, their laughter intermingling with the conversations starting up all over.
As he watches everyone squeeze Buck tightly for an extra second, Eddie realizes that everyone here must have known what he and Buck had done today. Bobby has organized this whole thing and everyone came, knowing him and Buck might cancel. They’d all been prepared to go home if today was too much for Buck or Chris , showing up anyway, just so they could have the opportunity to celebrate this with them if they did feel up to it.
Buck is soaking up all the attention, seeming not to notice that detail. This has become his normal and when Eddie remembers the lost twenty-three year old he met, he can’t help but be so glad he got to see him grow into this person he knows today. Glad he got to grow with him and got to grow into this family.
He gets snapped out of his revelry by Karen, who calls out: “Eddie, come here, I found this Merlot to try. Athena hates it, but I think it’s nice, you gotta tell me what you think.”
“Why would you let Athena try? She never appreciates a Merlot,” Eddie calls back while going her way, as Athena yells: “I heard that!”
Karen and him have struck up a great friendship in the weeks after the tsunami and she has gotten him into wine. Buck says he’s becoming a snob about it, but Eddie insists he’s just developing proper taste, drinking like an adult instead of a frat boy.
Meanwhile, Buck has become the center of attention of a game, playing with the kids as he chases them around the yard, making ridiculous monster noises while the kids shriek with the delight as they hide or get caught.
It’s a pleasant evening. One of good food, good company and good news.
They end up staying until deep in the night, when most of the kids are already passed out on the couch and the adults are also struggling to keep their eyes open. None of them want the night to end, but they have to go home at some point. So, they say their goodbyes, before Eddie carries Chris to the car.
Buck drives back while Chris naps in the back seat and Eddie dozes in the passenger seat. Buck is softly humming along to whatever song is playing on the radio, his big hand warm on Eddie’s thigh as his thumb strokes along to the beat.
At home, Eddie blinks awake, lolling his head over to Buck as he asks: “Empty the car tomorrow? I am beat.”
“God, same,” Buck groans. “Sounds like a great plan. Wanna get Chris or the door?”
“I’ll get Chris.”
Thus, Eddie carries Chris to the door, while Buck undoes all the locks. When taking Chris to his room, Tubs insists on wrapping himself around Eddie’s legs, nearly tripping him up. However, he manages to do the dance, being used to the little guy’s antics.
He wrestles a half-sleeping Chris into comfier clothes and forcing a toothbrush into sleepy mouth the best he can, before tucking him in, pushing a stray curl from his forehead and whispering: “Goodnight, mijo.”
Eddie drops a kiss on Chris’s forehead, then slowly backs out of the room, turning off the light as he goes, but leaving a crack at the door so Tubs can come in the middle of the night as he likes to do.
With that done, he joins Buck in the bathroom. He still thinks Buck’s whole dental hygiene regime is a little ridiculous, but he happily does it with him at the end of each day. It’s nice and domestic, to stand in the bathroom together and brushing their teeth, trying to talk as they floss and failing spectacularly .
What was once Buck’s room, is now their room. Buck’s chair of clothes still persists in the corner, but Eddie’s neat pile on the dresser has joined them, the wedding pictures that had been taken unseriously are framed now, standing proudly on a shelf, and the upper drawer in Buck’s bed side table now has a lock to prevent too young eyes from looking in it
Both of them all but stumble out of their clothes and into their pajamas. Eddie asks: “You’re gonna go on your phone some more?”
“Nah, I’m tired,” Buck answers, getting into bed and invitingly holding open the blanket so Eddie can crawl in next to him.
Eddie would love nothing more than to join him, but he first has to check. “How’s your leg?”
“Good,” Buck assures him with a fond smile, before waving the blanket. If Buck had said anything else, Eddie would have gotten out the massage oil, but it seems today is a good day indeed.
“Okay,” Eddie hums as he takes Buck up on that invitation, making himself comfortable on what is his side of the bed- well, actually it’s mostly Buck’s side on the bed that he makes himself comfortable on, but it’s not his fault that Buck is on that side of the bed and Eddie wants to be close to him.
Buck just watches Eddie get comfortable with an amused look on his face, waiting until Eddie is done, before smirking: “Comfy?”
Eddie props his head up on Buck’s chest and shamelessly grins: “Very.”
“Kiss?”
Naturally, Eddie obliges as he always does, leaning over so he can kiss Buck, which turns into lazily making out. Until Eddie groans: “Ugh, I’m too tired to be horny.”
Buck chuckles at that, stroking Eddie’s side with his hand as he says: “That’s okay. I wasn’t really working up to anything, so I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“No need to be so smug,” Eddie grouches, though the little crinkles around his eyes give him away.
“You love it when I’m smug,” Buck says, hugging Eddie tightly so he can’t move away, having to angle his head down to look at him from what is probably a less than attractive angle, not that he cares.
“Sadly,” Eddie says, his face telling him the opposite.
Of course, Buck has to kiss him again about that, until a yawn interrupts them, causing Buck to laugh: “Okay, bedtime. Officially.”
“Yeah,” Eddie agrees, rolling off Buck to curl up, so Buck can slot himself behind him. Once he is comfortably wrapped around Eddie, Eddie murmurs: “Goodnight, mi amor. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Buck replies, giving Eddie’s shoulder a kiss, before dropping his head onto his pillow and doing that thing where he snuggles in that bit closer that he always does.
They fall asleep pretty soon. Today had been exhausting and they’re both glad it’s weekend and they’re off tomorrow. Neither even want to think about an alarm right now.
Chris, however, did not get that memo and is up bright and early, ready to wake them up, which he does in true Christopher fashion. He busts open the door and clambers onto the bed, wiggling in between both of them as he says: “You gotta wake up. It’s morning.”
Buck rolls out of the way to make space for Chris, while Eddie lets out a loud groan, hiding his face under his pillow as he tries to pretend today hasn’t arrived yet. Even with all his years in the army and their irregular hours, Eddie still isn’t a morning person.
“Morning, buddy,” Buck greets him with sleep hoarse voice. There is a mrurp, before a second weight joins them on the bed. “And hello Tubs.”
“He’s hungry,” Chris announces, picking Tubs up and planting him on his lap as he pets his fur. He had been taken with the cat from the moment they got him and Tubs has decided that Chris is the best human, so they’re fast friends.
“Oh, is he?” Buck asks with amusement. “And what does Tubs require?”
“Bacon,” Chris informs him. “And I require pancakes.”
“Ahhh, is that so?” Buck says his amusement not going away. “Well, then, let’s see what we can do about those requirements while daddy gets his beauty sleep in.”
“Fuck off,” Eddie grumbles from under his pillow, making both Chris and Buck giggle.
Buck throws the blanket off himself, but makes sure to tuck it around Eddie again. He kisses his cheek and says: “Good morning, sweetheart. Sleep in. I’ll save you some.”
“You’re the best,” Eddie tells him, muffled by his pillow as he snuggles back into it, already starting to drop off again. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” Buck says, affection and warmth coloring his voice.
Meanwhile, Chris has put Tubs back down, so they can make their way to the kitchen, already calling out to Buck: “You’re being too slow, papi. We require food.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Buck calls out, before muttering: “Bossy. He gets that from you, you know.”
Playing oblivious, Eddie just says: “I’m sleeping,” which makes Buck snort.
He follows child and cat to the kitchen and gets started on breakfast while Chris tells him all about the weird dream he had.
By the time, Buck is almost done with making breakfast, Eddie has reconciled with the fact that it is, in fact, morning and has dragged himself out of bed. He comes stumbling down the hall, plastering himself against Buck’s back as he says: “Hm, smells nice.”
“You know what smells even nicer?”
“No?”
“This coffee I made you,” Buck tells him, handing him the mug with coffee. It has a sugar in it, a new appearance that Eddie allows himself now.
Eddie releases Buck enough for him to receive the mug, taking the first sip as he groans: “You’re my hero.”
“I try,” Buck smiles.
“Is breakfast almost done?” Chris asks without any sort of regard for any moments he might be interrupting. To be fair to Chris, if he started to care now, he’d never get a word in edgewise.
“That it is,” Buck says, plating the food and presenting Chris with a plate of bacon and pancakes, as well as a cup of juice and a little extra bowl for Tubs. “Here you go, good sir.”
“Thank you!” Chris exclaims, before releasing Tubs so they can dig in.
“And a plate for you,” Buck says, handing Eddie a plate, before taking the last one for himself, the three of them eating breakfast as a family.
When Shannon went to buy her eggs on that faithful Thursday, she never meant to create a family that she is no longer a part of and she probably never imagined it would end like this. But it did. And the three people, plus one cat, in the small house in LA are very grateful to her for making that egg run.
It’s truly curious how the universe works sometimes.