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Eddie was just getting out of his post-shift shower when he heard his phone ring in the kitchen. He heard it ring through, while he was trying to get dressed, figuring he could just call back in a few minutes. It was probably Buck anyways, calling to confirm their lunch plans. Even though they just talked about it at the station.
It was one time, Eddie had fallen asleep after shift hoping for a quick nap before meeting up with Buck. Except he had slept through his alarms, which caused Buck to panic and think something terrible happened to him.
What he didn’t need again was Buck coming to bang down his door in worry, so instead Buck started calling to confirm plans, and wake Eddie up just in case. However, he never misses the opportunity to tease Eddie.
Except it started ringing again almost immediately, and there was a slight sense of dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. Buck would usually wait a few minutes, or send a text, never call back immediately.
To say Eddie made his way to the kitchen as soon as he could was an understatement. And if he tripped over his pant leg, well then it was elegant and no one was around to see it.
“Hello?” he said, picking up the phone on the last ring, not even checking the caller ID.
“Is this Mr. Diaz?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“This is Maria Hudson, the school nurse. I-“
“Is Chris okay?” his heart was racing. Chris hadn’t seemed sick this morning, he was actually in a better mood then usual. Excited about his class trip to the museum later this week.
“Mr. Diaz, Christopher fell on the steps today coming in from recess. I don’t know anything for certain, but I think he broke his arm.”
“Oh god, is he okay?” Saying he could feel his heart stop would be dramatic, but that’s what it felt like. His son, his child, was hurt.
“He is on his way to the hospital right now, and he did cry a little bit but he was very brave. He said he wasn’t scared because his dad worked on an ambulance.”
He could feel his heart swell in pride.
“That’s my boy, thank you for calling.”
He hung up, immediately grabbing his wallet and keys and rushing to his truck. The only thought in his head was that he had to get to his son as fast as he could, and that he couldn’t be sure he was okay until seeing him with his own two eyes.
••••••
Unfortunately when he gets there and talks to the nurse at the front desk, she tell him that Chris is getting his x-ray. Which means he can’t see him just yet.
Eddie Diaz has never been known to sit idly by while someone he loves is hurt so he calls the only person he can think of to keep him company.
“Eddie?” Buck says picking up on the third ring. “I thought you were coming over? I knew I should’ve called, you fell asleep didn’t you?”
“Sorry, change of plans. I’m at the hospital—“
“What? Are you okay?” he could faintly hear the sounds of rustling and keys jingling, as if Buck was already out the door.
“I’m fine, it’s Chris-“
“Christopher? I’ll be there in ten!”
And he hangs up, leaving Eddie to sit there and stare dumbly down at his phone.
It’s not that he didn’t expect Buck to be worried, hell he knows how much Buck loves his kid. It’s just that they’ve been working back to back shifts, he knows Buck must be exhausted. He didn’t think he would drop everything and literally run out of his house.
Then again, it’s Buck.
He’s suddenly hit with a familiar wave of comfort, knowing that he’ll always have someone around who loves Chris as much as he does. Someone to be there for Chris, god forbid anything happens to him.
Eddie leans his head back against the wall, turning his phone off. He closes his eyes as he waits for his best friend, wondering how Buck, who lives at least twenty minutes away is going to make it here in ten.
••••••
Sure enough, ten minutes later he hears hurried footsteps and a familiar voice at the desk. When he looks up, he sees a frantic Buck trying to get information from the nurse.
“Buck, over here.”
A look of relief washes over Buck’s face, and he quickly makes his way over, slamming Eddie into a hug.
“Is he okay?,” he says as he pulls back, hand grasped around Eddie’s wrist. “What happened?”
“The nurse said he fell at school, might’ve broken his arm,” Eddie explains as they sit down. “They said he’s okay, but he’s getting x-rays right now so we have to wait.”
They sit together, closely with their knees touching, just waiting to see their kid. Not that he would admit it to anyone else, but he needed the solid warmth of Buck next to him. Something to keep him grounded, something to keep him sane.
“Thank you Buck, for coming. I was freaking out here by myself. I’m sorry you’re wasting your day off though.”
“Hey, Chris is hurt. You guys needed me. Where else would I be huh?” he says, pressing his knee into Eddie’s, telling him he’s here, he’s not leaving. “Plus, someone’s gotta make sure that kid laughs it up tonight and let’s face it, I’m much funnier then you are.”
Eddie let’s out a huff of laughter, knocking his shoulder into Buck’s. He keeps himself tucked against Buck’s side, drawing the warmth from him as they wait for news.
••••••
Fifteen minutes later the doctor finally comes out, and says that they can go see Chris. They make their way back to his room, and see him sleeping in his bed, arm wrapped up in a red cast.
Buck can see the way that Eddie tenses up at the sight and makes his way to his side. Eddie leans back into him for support, as a tear makes his way down his face.
“I hate seeing him in here,” he says as he wipes his eyes.
“He’s okay Eds, he’ll be a rockstar with that cast. You know he’s going to get everyone’s signatures. As long as I get to go first,” he says, which gets a laugh out of Eddie.
Buck gently guides Eddie over and they sit down next to Chris’s bed, after each placing a kiss to his forehead.
“God, seeing him in this bed, it never gets easier. When he was younger, and he had to have surgeries, god I was a mess,” he says, another tear making it’s way down his cheek.
Buck presses his knee into Eddie’s, trying to silently convey that he’s here, he’s not alone this time.
He can’t imagine having to sit there and wait while Chris was in surgery. Sitting in that waiting room alone for hours, while your child is getting cut open?
No thank you. The half an hour wait for a broken arm was enough, Buck can’t imagine what Eddie had gone through.
He wishes he could do more, but hopefully just being here for his favorite people was enough.
“Dad?” Chris asked, startling Buck out of his head, his eyes blinking open. “Where am I?”
“Hey buddy,” Eddie said, jumping up to kiss his forehead. “You’re in the hospital, you broke your arm at school, remember?”
“Oh yeah,” he smiled, finally looking over to see that there was a third person in the room. “Buck?”
“Hey superman, you’re in my spot. I’m supposed to be in the bed and you’re supposed to be giving me the cuddles,” he says tickling Chris’ sides, which gets a laugh out of him.
“Hey buddy, you gonna be okay here with Buck for a couple minutes while I go sign some papers?”
Chris nods and gives him a smile.
“Make sure you keep an eye on him Chris, don’t let him get into any trouble,” he says with a wink, resulting in an offended look from Buck as well as a cackle from his son.
Once Eddie leaves the room, Chris gets a serious look on his face as he grabs Buck’s hand.
“You okay superman?”
“Was dad upset?”
“Well, he was worried about you when he heard that you were hurt, but he’s not upset with you. Remember when I had to go to the hospital at my party? And you guys were worried and sad because I was hurt, but you weren’t mad at me?” Chris nods, holding on to Buck’s hand a little tighter. “That’s what it is buddy, he was just upset because you were hurt.”
“Thank you, Buck.”
“For what buddy?”
“You make dad not lonely. When I used to get surgery when I was little, dad was all alone while he waited. Now he has you and he’s not lonely anymore.”
And now Buck’s brain is short circuiting because of course he’ll always be there for the Diaz boys. But this, coming from Chris? This feels different and big and so much better and scarier and exciting all at once.
But of course Eddie chooses this moment to walk back in, leaving Buck to panic quietly while Christopher giggles like he knows.
Which he probably does, that kid has always been too smart for his own good.
“Hey Chris, look what I got,” Eddie says, holding up a marker.
“A marker? Why?”
“Oh buddy, that’s the best part about casts,” Buck says as soon as his brain is able to get back online. “You get to have your friends sign them! When I was your age I got all my friends at school to sign it, and even a couple of Maddie’s.”
“You broke your arm too? We match!”
“We do! But as your best friend and dad, I think we should sign first. What do you think?”
Chris starts nodding vigorously, any trace of sadness and pain gone from his face, now replaced by excitement and wonder.
Buck carefully took Chris’s arm into his hands as both him and Eddie signed it, making sure it was easily visibly to Chris without taking up too much room.
“Now make sure you get all your friends to sign it, before Chimney comes and takes up all the room,” Buck says with a conspiratorial wink, which of course sends Chris into a fit of giggles.
••••••
Once they get discharged, Chris is wiped from the day, passed out in the hospital bed. Eddie had a few papers to sign but as he made his way back to the room he stops dead in his tracks. He leans against the doorway as he feels warmth spread through him, a small contented smile pulling across his face.
Buck is oh so gently maneuvering Chris out of bed and into his arms, with the practiced ease of any parent. Which would normally make him panic, but for some reason it doesn’t. Standing here watching Buck lift his child into his arms, while managing to not wake him up, it just makes him feel even more warm. More sure of his decision to make Buck his son’s legal guardian, to make Buck part of their family.
Once Chris is finally settled in Buck’s arms, Eddie moves forward to grab his crutches and backpack. He places a gentle hand on Buck’s lower back to guide him towards the exit.
They settle in Eddie’s truck, making their way towards the Diaz household when it hits him.
“Wait Buck, didn’t you drive here? What about the jeep?”
“Oh I had Maddie come get it for me. I wasn’t sure how Chris would be afterwards and I didn’t want to worry about my car if he needed extra cheering up.”
And he says it so nonchalantly, as if he didn’t just knock Eddie sideways. He willing gave up his day off, and planned ahead, just in case Christopher was upset and needed him. Like there’s nothing in the world that sounds more exciting to him.
Given the content smile on his face, Eddie is starting to think that maybe there isn’t.
However that smile slowly starts to morph into a anxious frown the longer Eddie stays quiet.
“I mean- Unless you want to be alone with him? I know he was just in the hospital and that must’ve been scary. I can call Maddie and—“
“Buck it’s fine, take a breath. Christopher would love to spend the day with you. He’ll probably use it as an excuse to be lazy and eat ice cream. Trust me, he wants you here.”
Then a pause.
“I want you here.”
And Buck’s smile is blinding.
••••••
Eventually they get back to Eddie’s and get Chris settled on the couch, remote in hand, trolling Disney+ for a movie to watch. Eddie goes back into the kitchen to help Buck with dinner.
“Grilled cheese okay with you?” Buck asks, already getting the ingredients out and turning on the stove.
“Sounds good,” Eddie says as he hops up to sit on the counter next to the stove.
Naturally, he would try to jump in and help but after Buck’s repeated “this may be your house Eddie, but it’s my kitchen”, he decides against it. Just content to sit and watch, secretly pleased when Buck leans against his leg while the food is cooking.
“Thank you, for hurrying over today,” Eddie says after a few moments of quiet. “Chris wouldn’t have been nearly as happy if you weren’t here. And I definitely would have suffered a meltdown of some sort, so thank you for sparring the hospital staff of that.”
Buck let’s out a laugh and leans further into Eddie’s leg, giving him more comfort then he’s willing to admit.
“Eddie, you know I’d be here for you guys in a heartbeat. Honestly I was worried too, but then I imagined the look that Chris would give us for worrying over nothing,” he adds with a laugh. “You know...” he pauses like he’s debating on saying anything at all. “Chris thanked me for being there today, for you.”
The last part is so quiet that Eddie is sure he would’ve missed it if he wasn’t so in tune with anything and everything that Buck does.
“What?”
“He thanked me for being there for you. He said that when he used to have surgery when he was little, you were all alone in the waiting room. He thanked me because he said now you’re not lonely, because I’m here.”
He knows that the fond smile Buck has is mirrored on his own face.
“God that kid, I don’t know how I got so lucky,” he says, swiping his hands over his eyes. “He’s right though, so thank you.”
“Anytime,” he says with a smirk, turning the stove off and plating the sandwiches.
The rest of the night is spent on the couch with movies and ice cream. Chris stuffed in the middle of Buck and Eddie, while the two men continue to steal none too subtle glances over his head.