Chapter Text
Buck had come into the station, sweat slowly dripping down his back, when he saw Hen, Chim, and various others standing in a half circle peering into the gym. They were quietly talking amongst themselves as Buck walked up.
“Hey, what’s going on?” He stood between Hen and Chim.
“New guy. And I gotta say, I may like women, but that is one fine man.” Hen laughed as she ended her sentence. Chim groaned at her words.
When Buck looked through the glass windows into the gym, his eyebrows shot up. No wonder Hen said what she said. The guy had cropped black hair that was slightly slicked back. He was doing bench presses, shirtless. His abs were glistening.
Now Buck knew he was Bi, what with Abby slowly contacting him less and less. He had quickly come to the discovery when guys had flirted with him at a bar. And he had seen attractive guys out on the streets and calls, but this guy beat them all by a mile.
He forced himself to turn his head when he heard Bobby’s footsteps coming down the stairs.
“That’s Eddie Diaz. Was previously in the army. He’s done multiple tours in Afghanistan, Peru, and several other countries. I’m hoping he’s a good addition to the crew.”
Bobby’s words barely registered as Buck looked back at Eddie. Buck internally groaned when he put his shirt back on. Eddie walked out of the gym and into the main area, stopping in front of Buck and everyone else. Bobby moved to stand in between Eddie and everyone.
“Everyone, this is Eddie Diaz. Eddie, this is–” Bobby listed off the names of the people standing. Eddie stuck his hand to the others to shake. When it came to him, it took him a second to realize he had to stick his hand out. He returned the handshake, keeping a firm grip on Eddie's hand. Eddie moved on to shake Chim’s hand, but his gaze lingered on Buck.
About an hour later, they get the first call of the day. They went out to a small house in a town outside of the city. They got a call about a girl who had fallen over and hit her head on the corner of her bookshelf in her room. The sister was the only one home with her and had reported it. They had hopped out of the truck and went to the door.
“This is LAFD! We need you to open the door now or we’ll be forced to break it down!” Bobby banged on the door with his fist when the door flew open. The girl standing there had to be no older than 18. “Are you the older sister who called this in?”
“I- yes. I’m Olivia. It’s my sister, I don't know what happened.” she directed them to the sisters room while talking. “I was in the living room when I heard a crash, so I got up to look, a-and I found her like this.” She moved from the doorway to reveal the sister laying on the floor. The girl was on her back, her limbs spread out. Buck could see where the girl hit her head when blood was running down the side of her head and settling in the carpet. Bobby turned to the older sister.
“What’s her name?” Bobby signaled for Hen and Chim to start checking out her head. He pointed to Eddie and Buck and then outside, and Buck knew what he meant. Get the spinal board. The two immediately went to the truck to get what they needed. In less than a minute, the two were back, carrying the spinal board between the two of them.
“I-it’s Irene. Is she gonna be okay?” Olivia looked over the shoulder of Hen and Chim, trying to get a view of Irene. Irene started to move, though it was very little. Her eyes started to open, but Buck doubted she could see. Her hands started twitching at her sides.
“I assure you, she’s fine. Now, does she have any conditions that make her pass out, or be prone to falling?”
“Well, she was born with Charcot Marie Tooth disease. It doesn’t cause fainting or passing out, but she does trip a lot. Is that what caused her to fall?” While she was talking to Bobby, Eddie and Buck worked on getting Irene on the spinal board while sending each other confused glances.
“Have you heard of CMT?” Buck whispered to Eddie as Chim and Hen finished patching up Irene’s head. Eddie shook his head. Olivia walked over to Irene, who was laying on the board. She reached for the right leg of her jeans and pulled it up, stopping it above the knee. She pulled the left pant leg up to her ankle. On her right leg, she wore a brace that held her foot and ankle, had a thin backing, and stopped to wrap around just below her knee. Her left foot had a brace that just held her foot and ankle.
“They help keep her stable as she walks. I know sometimes she complains when they cause her a lot of pain. Do you think she could’ve fallen from the pain?” Olivia was looking at all of them as they took Irene to the ambulance. Bobby was the one to talk.
“It’s possible her body could’ve just stopped from the pain, but I think it was just a simple trip turned bad. Do you want to come in the ambulance with your sister or stay at home?” Olivia wordlessly climbed in the vehicle after her sister. Hen and Chim closed the back doors before climbing in the front. Hen leaned out the driver’s side to talk with Buck.
“We’ll take them to the hospital then go back to the station. You guys gonna be there?” Buck held his thumb up. The ambulance took off to go to the hospital while the firetruck with Bobby, Buck, and Eddie went back to the station.
Finally, after hours of gruesome work, their shift was over. After a road rage crash, an auto shop mishap, and an explosive stuck in a man’s leg (and of course what happened with Irene), the 118 family finally got to go back to the station. Bobby immediately went to the kitchen to make dinner. Buck could already smell alfredo chicken pasta in the works. Buck realized that this was Eddie's first time eating some of Bobby's food. He was going to experience some of the best food in the world.
About half an hour later, dinner was served. There was the alfredo chicken pasta, seasoned green beans, and mashed potatoes with chives. Every day shift firefighter practically ran to the table to be the first one to get nice, warm, delicious food. But Bobby quickly intervened before they could take all the good food.
“Calm down, guys.” Bobby looked at all of them and smiled. “Let’s let Eddie have the first pick. This is his first meal with us.” Every head turned towards Eddie. Hen, Chim, and Buck softly laugh and smile at his face, while everyone else glares at him, though it was all lighthearted. After a few seconds, Eddie slowly reaches for the bowl of pasta, taking a small scoop. He then takes the plate of green beans and uses the tongs to place a small portion on his plate. Lastly, he takes a few scoops of mashed potatoes. He looks around at everyone at the table, with raised eyebrows, and finally brings a forkful with pasta, chicken, and alfredo sauce to his mouth, taking a bite. He paused.
“Oh my God, Bobby. This is amazing!” Eddie started to eat faster.
‘Alright alright, Eddie. At least savor it. I didn't work hard to make that food just to be shoved in a mouth that doesn't appreciate the taste.” Bobby laughed as he spoke, and everyone else dug in. When everyone had finished their meal, Buck got up to clear the table and do the dishes, but Bobby stopped him.
“Why don’t you just leave the dishes, we’ve all had a long day. Just go home, and get some rest.” Buck turned around with a confused look on his face.
“So then who will do the dishes? We can’t just leave them.” Buck placed his plate and silverware in the dishwasher.
“Eh… we can just leave them. Do it later. You guys deserve to go home.” he stood up and waved them all off until everybody left the table. Everyone headed to the locker rooms to go change.
“Hey, you wanna get a few drinks with us, Buck?” Marcus and Riley were standing behind him, already in their street clothes.
“Uhm… I think I'll skip out this time. Not really feeling it.” Riley groaned at his words. Marcus was the one to speak up.
“Seriously, man? What happened to all the times we’d have a few drinks and pick up some ladies? What happened to those good times?” Buck just chuckled and finished changing his clothes.
“I guess I'm just a changed man. Buck 2.0.” He smirked at his own words. “I’ll see you guys later.” Buck took his bag and left the locker room to head to his jeep. Sighing, Buck hopped into his jeep, ready to go home and end the day.
Buck climbed up the stairs to his-Abby’s (God, he really needed to get a new place)-apartment. He unlocked the door and stepped in when he heard the shower running. He knew he couldn’t’ve left the shower on all day, so did someone break in? But why would they break in to shower? He slowly crept to the bathroom, when he saw clothes on his bed. They were women's clothes. So who did he know who was a woman and would come into his home unannounced? He slowly opened the bathroom door, making sure it didn't creak and give away his position. He carefully walked to the shower curtain, and quickly pulled it back. A high pitched scream came out not even a second later.
“What the hell Evan! What are you doing!” Maddie snagged the shower curtain back to cover her while Buck turned away and covered his eyes.
“Last time i checked it’s my house, so i should be the one asking questions!” He quickly exited the bathroom and slammed the door shut.
10 minutes later, Maddie came out in a loose sweatshirt and sweats. She sat down next to him on the couch.
“Okay so…I know you may be wondering why I'm here. And I will tell you, but please, be calm." Maddie put her hands up, as if Buck was already mad. Buck already knew it was a trauma response to protect herself. It's because of him.
“Maddie, I swear. Did he hurt you? What did he do? If he did something to you, I'll find him and hunt him down myself. You know I'm a firefighter, right? I'm sure I could do something and it would be overlooked.” Buck rambled on as Maddie looked at him, thankful for his words, even if he was technically threatening her husband.
“No, no Buck. You don't have to do anything. I uh…” Maddie’s voice was quiet. “I already took care of him.” Maddie looked down as she finished speaking. She was ashamed. She was ashamed of hurting someone, even if that someone who hurt her for a lot longer.
“What did you do?” he made sure not to say it in an incredulous tone. He had a concerned look on his face.
“I got tired of the constant abuse. Feeling like it was my fault. Feeling like I wasn't good enough. So, I took the poker from the fireplace tool rack and I-” she paused as her words got stuck in her throat. “I hit him back.” Her voice cracked as she finally spoke what she did out loud. “I called the police, and after reporting him for domestic abuse and giving evidence, they took him away, and my actions got dismissed. After that, I immediately came here. I hid the post cards you sent from him, so that if I ever ran, he wouldn’t come after you.”
Maddie finally looked at him as tears ran down her face. Buck was smiling. He dove in for a hug, grabbing her tightly.
“God, I'm so proud of you, Maddie.” At his words, Maddie broke down into louder sobs. Her frame shook as they sat on the couch, clutching at each other.
As he was getting ready for work, Buck felt the ground shake. Living in California, Buck had his fair share of earthquakes, so he didn't worry. But when he got to work, the tremors kept getting bigger. Even the news now had an all day report on it.
It was a slow day at work, but he did not dare say it out loud. Everybody knows what happens when you say the day has been “slow”, or you even try to mutter the Q-word. They get the most ridiculous calls non-stop. Their current record is 55 of the stupidest calls ever, just because some probie (who had transferred after that day) said the Q-word.
But suddenly, what had to be the biggest tremor had hit. All over the firehouse, things were falling down and breaking. Tanks were falling over. Hoses were being thrown across the station. Left and right, firefighters were going down. Not even a minute later, the news was already covering it.
“Well LA, that was one big tremor we just had, possibly the biggest in a while. Now, several seismologists are saying that we are currently experiencing a 7.1 magnitude earthquake. The last time we had an earthquake this strong was in 1999, almost 20 years ago. So folks, you may want to find some shelter, because today will be a very ground-breaking day. This is Melissa Welling, with channel five news, bringing all the latest news, directly to you. Tune in later for more information on the earthquake in California.”
Buck really shouldn’t’ve thought today would be slow. The alarm went off not a minute later. Bobby, Buck, and Eddie ran to the engine while Hen and Chim ran to the ambulance. They were directed to go to a crumbling high-rise hotel.
When the engine drove down the street, Buck realizes he vastly underestimated the damage done to the building. The top half was hanging off at a 60 degree angle. They got out to talk to the rescue team leader.
“What’s goin’ on here?” Bobby stood in front of them and talked to the woman.
“We got everyone we found alive evacuated that we could, but there is a man and a woman up on one of the top floors. The man is pinned to the window by some furniture, while the woman is lucky enough to be hanging on to a pole, but I don't know how long she’ll be lucky for.” She rested her hands on her hips as her team ran around behind her.
“Alright. Buck, Eddie, you guys climb the engine ladder to the fourth floor. Go up the stairs until you get to the floor and to the door where the two people are trapped. Buck, use the gear to pull the woman up and put her in the hallway. Eddie, carefully pull the furniture off the man and pull him up. Buck, if he needs you, be ready to help Eddie."
Buck and Eddie went to follow his orders without a word. Firefighters from another house got their ladder set up. Eddie and Buck quickly climbed up, crawling through a broken window. From then on, they climbed up the stairs, though at an angle. Finally getting to the floor they were needed, they looked on the right side of the hall until they found the woman hanging off the pillar and the man trapped under a sofa. After making sure their gear was secure, Eddie went down first, slowly heading down to reach the man that was trapped. Buck followed, stopping at the woman holding on to the pillar.
“Are you okay, ma’am?” He made sure to talk in a calmer voice, so as not to scare her.
“I’m fine. I just want to get away from him.” she gestures to the older man Eddie is currently helping. “God, I was just trying to do my job. Instead, this pig invited me to take a shower with him.” She shudders at the words. “I tried to leave, but he kept grabbing me. And then the earthquake happened.” she sighed when she stopped talking.
“Alright, well, I'll do my best to get you safe, and then I'll keep you from him.” he smiled when he spoke.
“Just hurry up and get me out of here.” She worked with him to get strapped up. Buck then pulled himself and the woman up. He eventually sat her down on the floor right outside the door. He went back down to help Eddie. He slowly roped himself down next to Eddie. As he was going down, he heard Eddie yelling.
“—sir please, I need you to keep still! I’m trying to help you!” Eddie was shouting at the man, but he kept screaming back. Yelling about hurrying up and helping him. Buck spoke up next.
“Sir, i promise you, we will get you out, just please stay still so we can help you from under there.” He tried to get him to calm down, but the guy kept screaming. There was a faint noise coming from under the man. Like something breaking.
The next second, the man, and the couch, fell from the window, splattering on the ground as people screamed.
Buck and Eddie both reared back to avoid falling along with the man.
They panted as they stared down at the ground, and Buck let out a sigh and flopped backward. After a minute, they roped themselves up, making sure to check on the woman. Because of the impact from the earthquake, she had fortunately only sprained her ankle. Buck grabbed her under her arms and Eddie took hold of her ankles. Taking it slow, they finally made it to the window they initially climbed through.
“Alright. Eddie, you go first, and I’ll pass her through. And then I’ll get on the ladder, and we’ll slowly carry her down.” Eddie nodded and already started climbing through, making sure to carefully rest the woman’s ankles on the floor. Once he got on the ladder, he leaned through the window and grabbed hold of her ankles. Eddie slowly went backwards down the steps as Buck climbed through. At the same pace, they climbed down the ladder, making sure they were steady enough to not harm the woman. Once they finally got down on the ground, they carried the woman to the triage tent to be put in the care of Hen and Chim.
When they finally finished saving everyone from the half-collapsed building, Bobby, Eddie, and Buck hopped into the engine while Hen and Chim got into the ambulance, all letting out great heaves and sighs. Buck looked over at Eddie, who seemed to be calling someone, though he guessed they weren’t picking up based on his face.
“Everything okay?” he shouted over the noise from the engine. Eddie turned to look at him.
“Yeah, just trying to reach my son. When his mom left, I got him a phone so we could reach each other in emergencies. But he’s not picking up. He’s at school, so I'm just hoping he’s okay.” He looks back down at his phone. Buck raised his eyebrows at his statement. Eddie rarely talked about himself, much less his family. Eddie never even mentioned he had a wife.
“You have a son?” Eddie responded with a soft yeah and pulled up a photo of him. The kid had curly blonde hair and blue eyes and he had a big smile on his face. Somewhere, deep, deep in his mind, a thought floated in his head. He kinda looks like me. But a second later, he saw that the kid had forearm crutches. His confusion must’ve shown on his face, because Eddie rested the phone in his lap and spoke.
“His name’s Christopher. He has cerebral palsy. And somehow, with such a life altering condition, he wears a smile on his face every day.” At his words, Buck was thrown into yesterday.
~~~
Buck had decided to visit Irene in the hospital, but he wanted to see how she was doing. Okay, and he wanted to learn a little bit more about CMT. He had looked it up, but Buck knew it was always better to get the info from the live person. Once he got to the room of Irene, he sat down in the chair. In the next few minutes, Irene woke up.
“You’re…one of those firefighters, right?” she had turned her head to look at him. “Although, you aren't one of the paramedics. It was the small guy and the nice lady. So why are you here?” Buck laughed at her description of Hen and Chim.
“I’m here because…” Irene furrowed her brows and smiled. “I want to learn more about your condition. I’m part of a public service, and it’s my job to know the most I can for the safety of the people. And if that means talking with a teenager, then so be it.” Irene’s face melted into a softer smile at his words.
“Y’know, not a lot of people really ask about my condition for ‘the safety of the people’.” She laughed at her words. “Alright, well, what do you want to know? I’m an open book.”
“Uh alright. How does it work? How does it affect you, mentally and physically? Are you able to stop it?” Buck kept listing off questions and Irene chuckled.
“Well, CMT is a disability that affects my nervous system, so throughout my whole body, the nerves are weakened, meaning I can't feel as much as other people do. And because the brain and spinal cord are a part of the nervous system…” she trailed off.
“There’s a chance it affects your spine and brain.” he finished the sentence. She nodded.
“Luckily, there hasn’t been any damage done to the spinal cord and brain, considering they did scans a few hours ago. And answering that last question, no. It's not stoppable. But you can make it a tiny bit better. There are braces, which I wear, and I'm sure you’ve seen them. They correct how I stand and the angle of my feet. They also help me walk straighter and more balanced. I can do exercises, but I'm not good at making sure to do them. My mom and sister say it helps, but whenever I do them, it doesn’t feel like it’s doing anything.” Irene pauses and sighs. She leans her head back and closes her eyes as she continues to talk.
“I have no motivation. When it feels like it doesn’t do anything and you feel like you can't do anything, it’s pretty hard to keep exercising.” When Buck is sure she is pausing from talking, he speaks up.
“And…what about the second question?” Irene rolled her head to the side and opened her eyes to look at him. She took a moment to breathe before speaking.
“It hurts. Literally and mentally. There are good days and bad days, but even on the good days, I hurt. Every day, I'm in pain. Some days, it's just small things in my feet; other days, I can barely walk. That’s just how I feel physically.” Buck could see the tears welling in her eyes.
“You don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable.” Buck didn’t want to pressure her.
“It’s fine. Honestly, it’s just like therapy. Speaking it out loud helps.” she gulps before continuing. “Mentally… it kills me. There are days where I don't want to be here. Whether that means here, in LA,” she pauses. “Or here, alive…I don't know. Everyday, I try to stay fine and happy, but living with a condition like this changes the way you think.”
For an hour more, they sat and talked.
~~~
Finally, the 118 got back to the fire station. Throughout the whole day, they had answered calls about people stuck under rubble or trapped in buildings.
Near the end of their shifts, Buck, Eddie, Hen, and Chim went to take a short nap in the bunk room. They were all too tired to drive home at the moment.
Buck was the second one to wake up, about 3 hours later. He heard Eddie get up about 15 minutes ago. He went out to the kitchen and saw Eddie grabbing a quick snack.
“Hey. Did you get enough sleep?” Buck talked as he peered into the fridge, looking for something to eat.
“Yea, I was getting ready to go pick up Chris, but there is a big chunk of gravel blocking my truck, and I don’t feel like dealing with that right now. I was just going to grab an uber.” he sighed as he sat down on the loft couch. Buck’s mental wheels were turning in his head.
“I can take you.” Buck blurted out. He could see Eddie turn his head slightly and raise his eyebrow. “We can take my jeep. I can drive you and Chris home, and I can work with B-shift to get your truck.” he smiled as he sat down next to Eddie.
“You’d do that?”
“Of course I would! You’re a friend!” Buck smiled at Eddie's surprised face. Eddie stood up.
“Cmon, get your jeep.” Eddie started down the stairs. Buck jumped up and followed.
As soon as both men were in the truck, Buck sped away from the station, occasionally looking at Eddie's phone for the directions to Christopher’s school.
After what seemed like an hour, but was only 15 minutes, the jeep finally skidded to a stop in front of the school. Eddie rushed out of the truck the millisecond it came to stop, running through the entry doors and down the hallway to reach his kid. He slid to a stop in front of the little boy and picked him up, wrapping him in a hug.
Buck stayed inside his jeep, not wanting to disturb the father-son reunion. After a couple of minutes, the pair walked out of the school. Buck hopped out and walked around the back of his jeep so he could meet Chris properly. When Chris was in front of him, he knelt down to his level.
“Hey there! You must be Chris! I’m Buck.’’ he smiled when Chris looked at him.
“Do you work with my dad?” Chris was very soft-spoken, almost whispering. He leaned closer to Buck as he talked.
“I do! I’m one of the firefighters in the station. Can I tell you something?” Buck's voice drops to a whisper and he leans closer to Chris. “It’s a secret, so you can’t tell your dad.” Chris nods. “I think your dad is a pretty cool dude.” Buck faux-whispers in the seven year olds ear, and he hears Eddie chuckle next to him. Chris quietly laughs at Buck's approval of Eddie. The kid starts walking closer to the jeep.
“C’mon. I'm tired, I need to wake up for school." Despite only being around 4 feet tall, Chris had the bossiness of a CEO. Buck looked back at Eddie, who was climbing back in the passenger seat, and raised his eyebrows. Eddie just shrugged and wore a grin on his face. Buck had only experienced a minute with Chris. Eddie had years.
Once the jeep had reached the Diaz home, Eddie and Chris got out. Buck followed, grabbing Chris's crutches and bringing them to the door.
“Well Chris, this is where we part.” he crouched down once again.
“It was fun talking with you. You're really funny.” Chris smiled brightly at Buck, and Buck smiled back.
“Well I could say the same to you.” Buck wrapped Chris in a tight hug.
Once Buck let go of him, Chris turned to the door and waited for Eddie to unlock it.
“Thank you for taking us home.” Eddie thanked him warmly.
“Of course. I might've only known you a few days, but you're a friend. But my question is, how are you planning to get to work tomorrow?” Eddie stared blankly at the ground. “You want me to pick you up?” Eddie laughed.
“If you could, I would appreciate it.” Eddie held out his hand, and Buck shook it. “Have a good night.”
“You too, man.” Buck turned away and went down the steps, but he slowed when he heard the conversation.
“Do you think he likes video games?” he could barely hear Chris's soft voice.
“Uhm… I don't know bud, why?" When Buck looked back, he saw Eddie responding to Chris as they stood in the doorway, not even past it.
“Maybe… he could come over here and play video games with me. I like him.” Buck smiled when he heard Chris.
“I like him, too. Maybe I can ask him if he wants to come over and hang.” Buck’s heart fluttered at the theoretical invitation to hang out with Chris.
Buck quickly hurried to his jeep.
It’s been about a month and a half since Eddie joined the crew. And dare he say that he is one of the best additions? Before Eddie, Buck did joke around, but all he got were eye rolls, sighs, or commands to stop fooling around. Now, he had someone who made jokes back, who laughed, and who didn’t just dismiss him. It made the calls a lot more fun.
Especially the most recent ones.
They had to help someone who had live bugs crawl out of their mouth from a bug-eating contest.
A couple days later, Athena discovered that some of the firefighters including Buck and Eddie had been high from brownies brought in by a citizen when she was working a fight at a toddler pageant with them.
And then there was the woman with her face falling off half way due to an anesthesia leak during her procedure.
About a week later, the 118 had been roped into a bank robbery investigation when they were there to help at a retirement party. All of their homes had been searched and they had been questioned profusely. While they were still a bit pissed about it, Buck reckoned they would all be laughing about it in a couple months.
So it was safe to say, Buck had enjoyed his job much more with Eddie here.
Currently though? Things were not looking good.
There have been two bombings in LA recently. The first woman had miraculously survived, but the second man was in critical condition. The whole city was in fear of being next. People hesitated when receiving boxes. He had heard from Maddie that people were making calls against neighbors. Even Athena had a story about someone encouraging her dog, who attacked the mailman, just because “he wasn’t her usual mailman”. When Athena took his statement, she had been told he had been on medical leave after having surgery, and he was filling in. A quick call to the posting service company confirmed his story. Athena had given the woman a fine, which had received backlash.
In true Athena fashion, she brushed her off and walked away.
Right now, they were on a bomb call at a school. Buck, Hen, and Eddie watched the kids and kept them against the trucks in case of any danger. Chim watched out for the bomb squad.
A couple minutes later, they heard the heavy trucks of the bomb squad on the road. Thankfully, Athena was also there, so she helped the 118 corral the kids behind the engines. The 118 stayed with the kids while Athena went back out to talk to the bomb squad. They were talking for quite a bit, when ultimately, they decided to blow the backpack up themselves.
After 5 minutes, one of the bomb technicians was in full gear and treaded carefully onto the playground. Once he reached the backpack, he slowly crouched down to place something on the backpack, though Buck couldn't see what it was.
Their radios rippled to life with commands and countdowns. The guy in the field slowly backed away, when suddenly, their own explosive went off.
Buck saw something go flying outwards, and the bomb tech and the tree were covered in something.
“It’s like a…greyish paste.”
The 118 looked at each other in confusion. What kind of bomb contained a paste? And what was it? The surrounding police conversed with each other seeing if anyone knew what it was.
Their questions were quickly answered.
“It’s a tuna sandwich.” Heads turned to the group of kids. They split in half until a little girl was alone in the middle. Athena walked up to her and crouched to her level.
“Was that your backpack, sweetheart?” She cocked her head and talked in a calmer tone, one that was very rarely heard from the sergeant.
The girl responded with a small nod.
“Well why didn't you say anything?”
“I don't like tuna. Am I going to be in trouble?” The girl had tears forming in her eyes. Athena dropped her head forward.
“No, don't worry. We all make mistakes.” Athena stood up and went to talk to some other officers while the 118 got everyone back in the school building.
Luckily, the 118 had gotten a few calls that distracted them from the bombs.
There was one call with a racecar driver who got his hair stuck in the ignition of the car when he had been trying to fix the car after it gave out. His wife had called it in, but when they got there, there was loads of yelling from the two of them.
Based on the barbs thrown between them, she was his fourth wife. Now Buck had never been married, nor ever wanted to, but being married four times must’ve been rough.
Hen had gotten under the car and dismantled the car’s engine in order to pull the guy out far enough so they could cut him free. But while the firefighters were slowly cutting him free, his wife, Maude, had yelled at him, which made him yell back. When he yelled, he pulled on his wound even more, making more and more blood pool out. The 118 had to work much faster now.
Once they got him cut free and dressed his wound, they got him strapped to the gurney and wheeled him to the ambulance as the wife followed. They talked as they lifted him into the back of the vehicle. But when Buck heard the words ‘comeback tour’ come out of his mouth, he knew this was not gonna end well. Maude's face fell as she registered his words. Her brows furrowed.
“Roy, you son of a bi-!” The ambulance doors slammed shut and her words were cut off.
Their next call was an influencer who had fallen over in her chair and twisted her arm. When she explained what happened, everything made a lot more sense.
She went live earlier, telling her followers about her recent trip out of country. She had seen a pimple on her face, and using this as a teaching moment, she tried to pop it. But as she squeezed, a maggot had crawled out of her cheek. She had freaked out and fell off her chair. The impact twisted her arm, rendering her unable to get back up. She used her siri to call 911, and here they were.
Hen had gotten her in a makeshift sling, and they got her on the gurney.
“Wait! Can someone grab my phone? I need it!” the woman had stretched her arm out, as if she could will her phone to come to her. Eddie and Buck turned their heads to see the phone still on the tripod, live still on. Comments and views were rolling in. the two smirked at each other as they walked over to the phone to end the live. They clicked the ‘end live’ button, but not before Buck saw a comment that made his brain stop for a second.
Those two are SO cute together!!! 😍❤️
They should totally be together!
What did they mean by that? Were they cute as just a pair, or did they think he and Eddie should—Buck shook his head. They obviously meant they were cute as just a pair. Eddie was straight, and even if Eddie liked guys, he would definitely not like Buck. No one ever would.
But Buck had no time to worry about that now. The rest of the crew was leaving, and Buck knew he would be scolded if he stayed there.
Buck was in a daze as he followed them out and hopped in the engine. He stayed in a daze all the way back to the firehouse.
And Buck was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice Eddie staring at him, with his brows furrowed and concern written all over his face.
The 118 had been out on a call when dispatch had radioed Chim.
“Captain Han, we have Bobby Nash on the line, he says it’s important.”
They all looked at each other in confusion. Why would Bobby call them?
They never got the answer.
In the next second, the truck flipped over, and skidded on the road. Buck felt a powerful blow to his body as he crashed through the door. He then felt excruciating pain on his left leg. When he looked behind him, he saw the truck was on him. There was about 30-60,000 pounds on his leg. The only noise that was coming out of Buck was cries of pain. He heard the commotion of civilians around them, gasping and yelling. He looked around and saw Hen, Chim, and Eddie climbing out of the engine, thankfully unscathed. Buck may be hurt, but he would rather be dead than any of them in pain.
When Hen saw him, she immediately tried to run to him, but a young man, possibly in his 20s, stopped her.
“Don't you dare help him! If you do, I’ll set this bomb off and kill us all!” Hen stopped at his words. When she took a closer look at him, she saw that a homemade bomb was strapped to his chest. He was holding a button, with his thumb already pressed down. A dead man’s trigger. If something happened to him, or if someone threatened him, he could easily lift his thumb and set the bomb off. Hen knew he was serious. Kids who did stupid things like this never backed down, wanting to be seen, even if that meant going the extra mile.
Hen stayed where she was, but she kept her eyes on Buck. She could sense Eddie and Chim behind her, also looking at Buck. All of their hearts were practically breaking at the sight of the young firefighter. Anytime one of them was hurt, they all felt it, but this? This was way more than anything. All three of the firefighters just wanted to rush to Buck and help him, but they couldn’t. Doing that would just get more people injured. Suddenly, they heard a very familiar voice.
“Freddie, you don't have to do this. That man is innocent.” Bobby's heart breaks at Bucks' cries. After the bomb at Athena's house, he figured out that the next place that would be affected would be the firehouse. The kid was targeting the people who played a role in his father’s arrest. The lawyer, the judge, Athena, and Bobby. But what he didn’t know was that Bobby was on leave. So the bomb had instead injured Buck. He tried to patch through using dispatch, but he was just a minute too late.
“That bomb was meant for you.’’ Freddie shot him a scornful look. “You ruined my family. Do you know what you put my mother through? What you put me through?” The silence was deafening. “That’s right, you don’t. You guys just care about yourselves. Doing things to make you seem like heroes, even if that meant tearing a family apart!” Bobby could see that Freddie was forcefully pushing his finger down on the release button, making sure it didn't blow up. A dead man’s trigger. He wanted these people to hear what he had to say.
Well, Bobby thought, he got what he wanted. Bobby would’ve bet that this was streaming on every channel.
“Listen Freddie, Buck has nothing to do with this. Hell, he wasn't even a firefighter when we helped you-"Bobby was quickly interrupted.
“Help me?! You didn't help me at all! And besides, Buck here,” Freddie said his name with disdain. “Is just collateral damage. I know how much of a son he is to you. So if you take my father away from me, I’ll take your son away from you. Then you’ll know how it really feels.” Freddie started backing up until he was right above Buck.
Bobby immediately tried to run to stop Freddie, but Buck’s voice stopped him.
“Wait, Bobby, stop! Stay there! I’ll be fine, you don't need to save me. Just get these people out of here.” Buck reached his hand out to stop him, and Bobby just wanted to run until he could grasp Buck's hand tightly.
“Buck, we’ll get you out of there, just hold on.” Even Bobby could hear the desperation in his voice. He already lost Robert and Brooke, he couldn't lose Buck too.
“Freddie, do you really want your mom to see this?” Freddie looked at him in confusion. “My wife asked if she knew anything about this, but she was so strongly confident that you were innocent. But she’s here. Do you really want her to see her son be the person who’s already hurt so many people?” just as he finished speaking he heard the gasp.
When he looked behind him he saw Ellie, Freddie's mother, standing there, face pale with horror.
“Freddie… are you really the one who’s doing all this? Causing all this pain?” She didn’t want to believe it, but the proof was right in front of her.
“Dont you see it, mom?! They’re the ones who caused it first! They unreasonably put dad in prison! He was innocent, and now he’s dead! We didn't even get to see him! Don’t you want to get revenge?” he looked betrayed, as if he imagined his mother would side with him.
“Freddie, he had insurance fraud. He set the fire. As much as I loved him, and as much as this hurts to say, it wasn’t unreasonable. Yes, I would never want him to go to prison, but they were doing their jobs. If they let go anyone who had a family that was struggling, half of the people in prison would be roaming free!” Ellie had tears running freely down her face.
When Bobby looked over at Freddie, he saw that he was in the same condition. But when he looked behind the kid, he saw a group of S.W.A.T. officers slowly approaching. Bobby kept his face as neutral as possible, so as not to give away the officers. The next second, the swat officers were crowding Freddie, taking the trigger from him, but also being careful so it doesn't lift up. They grab him by the arms and take him to the swat truck. Athena and the cop that brought Ellie take her back to the cruiser.
Bobby didn't waste a second and ran to Buck. Buck was still crying, although it was much softer. Bobby’s heart strained as he was forced to listen to his pseudo-son’s cries. Hen, Chim, and Eddie were right on his heels.
“You’re okay, Buck. Everything’s gonna be okay. We’re here, we got you.” Bobby kept reassuring Buck that he was safe, that he was going to be okay. Pleas were the only thing coming out of Bucks mouth. Bobby could tell that Buck’s breathing was labored, whether that was from his hyperventilating or an internal injury, Bobby didn't know. But he prayed it was just Buck’s panic. Bobby didn't know what he would do with himself if something happened to his kid.
The four firefighters worked together to try to lift the engine, but their efforts were useless. Bucks screams picked up again as the weight was back on him. Bobby felt the familiar sting in his eyes and wetness on his face that came with tears. He had to stay strong. For the 118, for Buck.
Suddenly, there was a bunch of noise, and the weight of the engine got lighter. When Bobby looked around, he saw all of the citizens that were once spectators, now using every ounce of their strength to help Buck. Bobby smiled, and he let out a mix of a laugh and a sob. These people didn’t know any of the 118, yet they were ready to risk their lives to save Buck.
Eddie hated seeing how much pain Buck was in. Just yesterday, Eddie was talking with Chris about having Buck over at the house again. Chris adored Buck. Ever since they met, Chris was attached to the older man. If you didn't know them, you’d think they were father and son. But Eddie couldn’t bear to see him like this. Hearing Buck's cries made his heart ache. He oh so desperately wanted to run to Buck, but Hen and Chim held him back. They both knew that if Eddie got close to Freddie, Freddie would let go of the trigger. So Eddie stayed where he was, but let it be known it was not willingly.
When Eddie was finally able to go to Buck, he was the second person at the man’s side, second to Bobby. When they tried to lift the engine, Eddie put all his strength in and more. When it didn’t work, Eddie just kept trying, as if one man could move it. But the people who were watching surrounded the engine and lifted. So Eddie used that time to get Buck.
He pulled Buck from under his arms, and he felt as Buck's arms grappled to hold on. The pain Buck felt was expressed loudly in the forms of screams and cries right in his ear, but Eddie didn't care. He would go deaf if it meant he saved Buck. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, but was less than an hour, Buck was free. Buck was safe. But he was still injured.
Eddie quickly picked Buck up, being mindful of his damaged leg. He knew what it looked like, seeing a grown man carrying another grown man in his arms, but he didn’t care. He carried him to the ambulance and put him on the gurney. Eddie made sure to keep whispering in Buck's ear.
When Buck’s breathing slowed, Eddie panicked, but thankfully, Hen hooked Buck up to the monitors. His heart was barely stable, and he was unconscious. Chim got into the front and started the ambulance up. Eddie gave one last meaningful look to Bobby before Hen closed the back doors.
“It's okay, Buck. We’re gonna get you to the hospital, you're gonna be fine, and you’ll get back out there.” Eddie continued whispering to Buck, even though Buck most likely didn't hear any of it. Eddie was grateful for Hen not commenting on what he was doing. Hen may like to poke fun at the two boys, but she knew how serious this moment was, and how desperately they both needed it. Eventually, they arrive at the hospital. Eddie is the one to throw the back doors open and get out first to lift the gurney out. Chim followed close behind. The nurses run to them and try to assess Buck.
“We have a 28 year old male, his left leg was crushed by a firetruck, the weight was anywhere from 30 thousand to 60 thousand, he is alive but unconscious, unresponsive to sternal rubs and pain.” the words flowed out of Hen’s mouth, she barely knew what she was saying. Right before they reached the back doors to the operating rooms, she let go of the gurney. Eddie looked at her as he continued walking, but then grabbed at him and yanked him back.
“Hen, what are you doing? We need to be with him!” Hen saw how quickly Eddie was getting angry.
“I know, Eddie, I know. I desperately want to follow him, but we can’t. We’ll just be in the way. They need as much room as possible to work on him. So calm down, and let’s go take a seat.” She directed him to the waiting room and dropped him into a chair. He sagged in the chair and dropped his head in his hands. Hen heard quiet weeping from him. Hen sat down in the chair next to him and kept a warm, comforting hand on his back, rubbing smooth circles to keep him calm.
Hen spotted Chim in a row of chairs a few feet away. His eyes were red, and there were wet tracks starting at his eyes, going down his face. Hen knew how Chim acted towards Buck. He tried to act like Buck was just a kid, someone who didn't know what he was doing. And while that was true sometimes, Buck had managed to worm his way into Chim’s heart, just like he had with everyone else. No one could look at the bright smile and mischievous blue eyes and not immediately love him like he was family.
In the next second, Chim, Bobby, and Athena burst through the hospital doors, frantically looking for them. Their eyes finally spotted them sitting down. They started towards them, but when they saw the condition Eddie was in, they shared a collective look of sympathy. They all knew how close Eddie and Buck were, and how Buck was one of the only things left in Eddie's life, besides Chris.
Oh God, Hen thought. Chris.
How were they going to explain to him how much of a critical condition Buck was in? All the 118 heard stories of Buck and Chris every time they hung out.
Hen decided she wasn’t going to worry about that right now. Their focus needed to be on Buck. When Hen looked around, she saw Bobby, sitting in a chair next to Athena. Bobby had his hands clasped together and resting against his forehead. His lips were moving, but she couldn’t hear anything he was saying. He was praying, she realized. She smiled and looked away. It felt like too intimate of a moment to stare.
Maddie burst through the ER doors, running to the desk in search of someone to take her to Buck. Athena stood up and walked over to her. When she reached Maddie, she put a hand on her shoulder softly. Maddie immediately took Athena in a hug, clutching at the older woman. Hen could see Maddie’s tears wetting Athena’s shirt. Athena took Maddie to go sit in between her and Hen, so she could have people to surround herself with. As soon as Maddie sat down, Hen threw an arm around her and dragged her into a half-hug.
Chim came over to her, and Athena moved to sit next to Bobby to give Chim and Maddie some room. Hen gave Chim a small smile over Maddie's head, and he knew what she was saying.
You two will be okay.
Everyone could see how well they clicked, and they all rooted for them. And in this moment, they would need each other the most.
The group sat there all night, only allowed because of their badges.
It had been days. Days, and no signs of waking up. Eddie sat in his room, any chance he could get, staring at Buck’s blank face. Like this, he looked like he was just sleeping. Like any minute, he would wake up and question why Eddie looked so pensive.
Yesterday, Eddie had to tell Chris why Buck wasn’t going to be around for a while. The look on Chris's face will probably stick with him his whole life. The kid’s face had dropped, and tears were forming in his eyes as he spoke his questions aloud in a soft tone. Eddie had had to wipe his face with his thumbs and held him close. Thankfully, Carla was there, and she helped console him. But when Chris had begged to go see Buck, Eddie felt helpless. But Carla came up with a plan. They would sneak Chris into the icu. And they did. Granted it was a bit difficult. Eddie worried a doctor would come from any corner, or someone would hear Chris's crutches, and wonder why a kid was in here. But they managed to get to Buck’s room.
Eddie was glad that Buck didn't need a breathing tube. He didn't need Chris to see Buck with something down his throat. Chris had managed to drag a chair closer to Buck's bed. Eddie sat down with a groan next to the 7 year old.
“Hey, Buck. It’s me, Chris. I know you’re hurting, but I need you to wake up. We still haven’t beat the boss in mortal kombat. But… i dont want to be selfish and say you need to wake up to finish my game. So, can you wake up so you can come back for us. I need you, dad needs you. But I've also been in hospitals. So I know how hard it is to get better.” Chris stood up, and made his way closer to the bed. He tried to pull himself up, so Eddie got up and lifted him up onto the bed, so he was in between the guard rail and Buck. Chris put his arm over Buck as a way to hug him. “Please wake up.” Chris's words came out wobbly, and Eddie realized he was crying. He pushed the guardrail down so he could lean on Chris. He squeezed the boy, trying to give him as much comfort as he possibly could. Chris had already lost his mother, he couldn't lose Buck either.
When Buck woke up, there were bright lights and beeping surrounding him. His eyes refused to open from the assault. Suddenly, he heard someone speaking, yet he couldn't tell who it was or what they were saying. The lights were dimmed to give him more comfort. After a minute he was able to feel more things. First, he was able to hear that the voice was a male’s voice, deep and smooth. Secondly, he felt a weight on his right side. His mouth felt like cotton. He couldn’t speak. He felt something be pushed against his lips, and he realised belatedly that it was a straw, and he opened his mouth just enough to accept the straw. He sat there for a few seconds, lightly drinking from the foam cup. The straw was then slowly taken out of his mouth and he heard it be placed next to him, either on a nightstand or on the moveable tray.
In the next minute, Buck was finally able to open his eyes. His eyes drifted down to his right side to see what the unknown weighted object was. But after seeing a head full of curly, thick hair, he realised it was a person. It was Chris! Somehow, they had managed to sneak him in. Buck had a nagging feeling that Carla had something to do with it. She always had tricks up her sleeve.
“Hey sleepyhead.” the smooth voice spoke again. Buck head whipped up to see who it was. Sitting on the chair, with a teasing smirk, was Eddie.
Oh god, Buck thought. Eddie was most likely here since visiting hours started. Did he see Buck drool? How embarrassing. But when Buck looked at Eddie longer, he saw that Eddie was not okay.
Eddie had huge eyebags, meaning he had most likely not slept. Was he here all night? Why would he do that?
His hair was greasy. Well, he probably didn't want to take a shower in the hospital showers. Buck had his fair share of overnight hospital visits, and those showers just aren't reliable.
“What are you doing here? Why aren't you and Chris at home?” Buck's voice was hoarse. He had to clear his throat after speaking.
“Well, Chris was adamant on seeing you and he fell asleep. I tried pulling him off, but the kid’s got the grip of a bodybuilder. Wouldn't let go of you.” Eddie's eyes were now on Chris as he chuckled.
Was Chris really that insistent on seeing Buck? But Buck couldn't possibly be worth that much to him. They haven't known each other that long. Buck was silent for a moment.
“Thank you for staying with me. I don't know why, but it means a lot.” Buck could feel the familiar sting in his eyes. He tried to look away from Eddie so the others wouldn't see him cry.
But Buck was so caught up in the moment that he didn't even register the cast on his leg.
The doctor's words had completely shattered the nice moment Eddie and Buck were having. Because of the accident, Buck had to get a rod and screws in his leg in order to keep it in place to heal. And the healing process would take quite the time. And he couldn't even work during it! He thought he could do light duty for a bit, but no! The only way he could get back to work would be to wait the full time to heal, get a doctors’ note, and be approved by the chief to go back to work. And even that would just be riding in the engine and doing the small tasks.
He was going to have to wait for clearance for half a year. What was one supposed to do?! Buck was the risk taker, the one who threw himself into danger without approval. How was he supposed to sit around his apartment doing nothing?
Thankfully, the team plus Maddie and Athena visited him regularly. They were the only thing keeping him sane. Eddie and Chris had joined him on his daily walks mandated by his doctor. Chim and Maddie came over and played games with him. Athena sometimes popped in to get input on a case. Hen told her all the bizarre injuries they had. Bobby came over to teach him all of the famous nash recipes. They were there for him.
Soon enough, it was time for Eddie's swearing in ceremony. The man had finally completed his probation years, and was ready to become a fully fledged firefighter.
Buck didn't know what to do. He was still in his cast, and his uniform wouldn't fit over it. He didn't want to wear casual clothes. He wanted to look his best for his best friend, so he called in reinforcements.
May and Maddie had been at his loft within the hour. May must’ve talked with Bobby, because she brought an extra uniform in his size with her. The pair had worked together, moving around him as they measured his leg multiple times to get exact measurements. Using some kind of chalk, they marked the pants to know where to cut.
Maddie, ever the expert when it came to sewing and fixing clothes, used some type of technique to stop the cut leg from fraying. When Buck tried the pants on, they tucked into the cast perfectly. He joyously hugged May and Maddie, and the three of them stood there, smiling and laughing.
Closer to the time they had to leave, they did the final things they needed to do in order to be ready. May and Maddie did their clothes, hair, and makeup as Buck got in his new uniform.
Buck was waiting in his living room as the girls finished getting ready, but when Maddie came out and saw him, she tutted and pointed toward the bathroom. He immediately got up and walked into his bathroom.
“I don’t get it, I did my hair and uniform correctly, so what’s wrong?” Buck’s uniform was buttoned up correctly and his hair was slicked back like usual, so what was her problem?
“Listen Buck, I love you, but you really need to stop straightening your hair. What happens when it falls off due to the damage?” she started to run her hands through his hair, messing up the gel. Buck had taken a long time to do his hair, and now she was ruining it!
“Seriously, do you always have to straighten it?” As the two siblings continued their arguing, May simply watched from the sides.
“Wait, Buck, do you seriously have curly hair?” May had only ever seen Buck with his hair straightened and gelled back. Maddie had a wide smirk on her face at her words.
“Oh yeah. Back when Buck was in college, he had beautiful curly hair, until he straightened it when he got into the fire academy." She wore a fake frown at her last sentence as May laughed. Buck just sighed at the two girls’ antics. May and Maddie made a dangerous pair.
Maddie got her way, and Buck wore his hair naturally. His thick curls framed his face and was fluffed up a bit, thanks to May.
Once the trio was ready, they left Buck’s apartment, and took Maddie's car. They arrived early, as they wanted to get Buck a good spot, to ogle at Eddie, in Maddie's words, which Buck chose to ignore.
As he greeted his coworkers, they were all in shock at his hair. Had Buck really never had his natural hair around them? Finally, the man of the hour walked in. Eddie was talking to Carla about something—probably about when she needed to watch Chris next week—while Chris walked right beside him. Everyone whistled and cheered at the sight of him, but he just waved his hands in an attempt to stop them. Hen, Chim, and Bobby walked towards Eddie to hug him and give him their congrats. But as Buck tried to get up with the help of Maddie, Eddie was already at his side with his arms out. Buck was soon wrapped in a tight hug, the strong grip of his best friend's arm comforting him. When they separated, Eddie's eyes widened at the sight of Buck's hair.
“Woah dude, did you always have curly hair?” his eyebrows furrowed as he looked back at Buck. Buck’s face heated lightly at Eddie's words.
“Uh… yeah. This is my natural hair. I just always had it straightened because it was easier to maintain.” Buck wore a bashful smile as the words flowed out of his mouth.
“Well I like them, they suit you.” Buck’s face just got even more red. He let out a quick thanks before Eddie left to greet other people. When he turned back to May and Maddie, he rolled his eyes at their matching smirks.
Soon enough, it was time for Chief Alonzo's speech. Alonzo talked about how despite only being here for a few months, Eddie had fit right in. How, on his first few days, he had shown great bravery with the bomb and the earthquake. When chief Alonzo finally announced him a true firefighter, everyone clapped and cheered loudly. And when it was time to bring Eddie his new firefighter helmet, it wasn’t his captain who brought it, or one of his coworkers, it was his son. Chris slowly made his way down the aisle carrying his dad’s helmet with a huge smile. When the boy was just a foot in front of Eddie, he picked Chris up so he could put the helmet on his father. Eddie kissed Chris's cheek as the claps and cheers continued on once more.
Well, it seems that Bobby and Athena couldn’t wait to get married, literally. May had created a group chat with not only the 118, but their family too. She had sent photos of Bobby and Athena standing together, hands clasped, the pair kissing, and another photo of Bobby, Athena, May, and Harry standing together. While Buck would’ve loved to be at a proper wedding for them, he was glad they were happy.
Meanwhile, Buck had been staying at Eddie's house a lot, playing video games with Chris and cooking for the two Diaz boys. When he started going over there more often, he quickly learned that Eddie literally could not cook. Everything he made turned out burnt, over seasoned, or not seasoned enough, so Buck had cooked for them every time he was over there.
One day, he came by their house right after showering. He had taken an uber to their house since he didn't want to bother anybody else. He just had on his casual clothes and he let his hair down, not bothering to straighten and gel it back.
He was excited to see the kid’s reaction. Chris hadn’t seen it at Eddie's ceremony, too wrapped up with his father. He carefully hobbled to the door, and rang the door bell. Soon enough, Eddie was there, happily letting him in. As he walked further into the home, he spotted Chris's small frame peeking over the back of the couch.
“Hey, Superman!” At Buck's words, Chris quickly turned around in glee.
“Buck!” Chris got up and slowly walked over to him, somehow forgetting his crutches, Buck leaned his own crutches against the back of the couch to steady Chris once he was within reach. Chris wrapped him in a snug hug as Buck ran his fingers through his hair. Once they parted, they moved to the couch so they could continue where they left off in a game a few days ago. Buck could just feel the smile Eddie wore behind him at the two boys.
But when Chris finally got a good look at Buck, he let out a gasp.
“Your hair! It’s curly!” he smiled and giggled as he carefully put a hand in Buck’s curls. Buck just simply chuckled.
“Yeah. This is my natural hair. I got tired of straightening it. Do you like it?” He smiled down at Chris.
“I love them. Now you look like me even more!” Buck didn’t notice the weight of that sentence, but Eddie did.
Eddie froze at the words and looked at Chris and Buckled on the couch. He started to see the similarities.
The hair, their eyes, the way of keeping an optimistic attitude even after basically going through hell. Their attitude.
It was like everyday, he saw more of Buck in Chris and less of Shannon. And if that didn’t make his heart clench, he had no clue what would.
The two boys had no idea of what was going on in the other room. They were simply just enjoying their time and each other's company, nudging into each other in an attempt to mess the other up. Little did they know, something big was going to happen, very, very soon.