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Buck jumps in after him and grabs hold of the firehose before he can drift too far away, his survival instincts working faster than his panicking mind. He screams “Christopher!” again, and again, each time hoping this would be the one he hears. He finally hears a shrill “BUCK” from somewhere up ahead, and finally sees Christopher clinging to the spoiler of a car like a lifeline. Thank every god ever invented for this kids quick reflexes. He maneuvers his way over as quickly as he can, keeping his grip on anything that he can reach that’s sturdy. He finally makes it, pulling Christopher into his arms once again and making their way back to the firetruck.
///
Somehow the entire crew had managed to stay put during the backwave, the ferris wheel coming in handy for something. Eddie is reassuring the people that only speak spanish, when he’s suddenly distracted by something floating past. A crutch. A blue crutch. And a red shirt wrapped around it. Oh god. He turns back to the people. “Was there a boy here? About 7? With crutches and glasses?” He somehow manages not to scream in worry.
“Yes, the man he was with ran with him down there.” they say, pointing towards the city.
He doesn’t even realise he’s in shock until Hen hits him round the head. “What is it?”
“Christopher… and Buck. They were here.”
She swallows once. “Ok, if anyone would have managed to get them to safety, it’s Buck. Are you able to work?”
“I- I think so.”
“Ok, then after we’re finished here we won’t stop until we find them.”
///
When a dinghy of firefighters pull up and drive them to safety, Buck uses all of his pull to get them to radio the 118 and Eddie. They waited at the 223’s truck, Buck letting Christopher sleep after a paramedic had checked him for concussion. He stays awake, one arm holding Christopher’s sleeping body to his, the other drumming an anxious rhythm on his thigh, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings for Eddie’s arrival.
///
When the message gets through to Eddie that they are alive and safe he almost passes out from relief, but he still wouldn’t be completely convinced until he could see them with his own eyes and run his own hands over them. Bobby finally lets him go, and he runs all the way to them, over half a kilometre. When he finally sees them he stops dead in his tracks, and watches Buck smile in relief, nudging Christopher awake to point him out. When Christopher turns his sleep-ruffled head towards him and smiles, his heart almost falls straight from his chest. He starts running again, picking Christopher up into his arms as soon as he reaches him, and immediately taking his spot beside Buck and pulling him into his arms as well. “Thank you” he whispers into Buck’s ear, the raw emotion making his voice crack.
///
Christopher almost immediately falls back asleep, the exhaustion of the day having finally caught up, but the adrenaline is still running through Buck’s veins, made visible by his still-bouncing leg, his constantly moving fingers. Eddie turns to him.
“I was so worried. About both of you.” he says.
Buck wrinkles his brow in confusion. “How could you possibly be worried about me when I’m the person who took him here? It’s my fault.”
Eddie rolls his eyes. “I know you think you’re god, but you don’t actually have the ability to make tsunamis happen.”
Buck snorts softly in laughter, his eyes on his still moving fingers resting on his lap. He only looks up when he feels Eddie’s hand on his shoulder again. “I was worried about you. Really worried.”
Buck smiles, finally starting to feel the exhaustion creeping up on him. “I’m ok, barely a scratch.”
Eddie seems to be searching his eyes for something. He seems to come to a conclusion, gripping the back of Buck’s neck with his free hand. “Please don’t let me be misreading this” he says softly, and then he leans in. Buck allows himself a whole .3 seconds of hesitation when their lips meet before he reciprocates, his brain saying “oh please, you knew this was gonna happen” and him silently agreeing with it.
The kiss is soft, and slow, and full of promise and knowledge and everything they’ve been through. It’s both new and old, unexpected and long overdue. It’s inevitable. And when they finally break apart some unknown amount of time later, all Buck says is “you didn’t.”
They get up and walk to the 118’s truck, Eddie carrying Christopher. “So, you’re bisexual too then?” Eddie asks.
“Looks like” Buck replies, rubbing his neck sheepishly. “Can’t say I’ve ever realised before, but that was slightly irrefutable.”
Eddie laughs. “That might be the best compliment I’ve ever gotten.”
They stop and kiss again, this time a little more hungry, more passionate. Thank fuck the kid is asleep. “So how long do you think we can last before fucking at the firehouse?” Buck asks, his cheeky grin almost splitting his face in two.
“Oh, I’d give us a solid month. Maybe three before someone walks in on us.”
“Should we tell them?”
Eddie grins too. “Why would we? When it’ll be so much more fun trying to watch them figure it out. I’ve got 20 bucks that says it’ll take Chim a solid three months.”
Buck whistles. “I’ll take that bet. But we should get Hen in on it, cause she’ll work it out within a week. She’ll ruin stupidity of the rest of them.”
“Fair.”
They make it to the truck, and everyone takes it in turns to hug Buck. Hen grabs his head and twists it so she can see the cut on his brow better.
“The paramedics already checked me, I’m fine.”
“Mmmhmm, cause you definitely would have told them the truth.” she says, the sarcasm practically dripping from her voice.
“Why would I tell you then?” he asks, before confronted with a look that just screams ‘don’t you dare mess with me Evan middle-name-redacted Buckley’ that immediately has him saying “I’m honestly fine. Swear on Christopher’s life.”
“Leave my son out of this” Eddie says, walking off. Evan watches them, not noticing the smile that covers his face.
Hen watches him shrewdly. “How long have you two been together?”
“Damn you’re good.”