Archive of Our Own

“Do you really have to go, Buck?” Eddie said as the two of them were standing in front of LAX.

Buck smiled, weakly. “I do, babe. It’ll only be two weeks. I’ve always wanted to do this.” 

Eddie returned his smile. “I know, Buck. Text me when you get there?”

Buck nodded. “Of course, Eds.” Eddie sighed as he pulled his boyfriend into a hug. “I’m going to miss you, baby.”

Buck pulled back a little, placing his hand under Eddie’s chin, lifting his face slightly towards his and locked their lips, kissing him softly. “I’ll miss you too.”  He said as he pulled back.

Buck walked towards customs, looking over his shoulder trying to steal one last glance of his beautiful, handsome boyfriend before he was gone for two weeks.

Buck was going on a solo hiking trip to Arizona. It had been his dream to hike along the Grand Canyon and Sedona ever since he was a little boy. His father used to watch a lot of Westerns when Buck was little, and the scenery of those movies always amazed him. He would have loved to share that dream with Eddie and Chris, but unfortunately that wasn’t possible. Chris couldn’t do the trails that Buck really wanted to do, and Eddie wouldn’t leave Chris alone for two weeks even though he’s nearly sixteen now. Buck wouldn’t want him to either. And besides, they still haven’t told anyone about their relationship yet. It was still too new, too fresh. They wanted to be sure it would work out between them, before they had to sign some stupid HR wavers if they wanted to keep working together. So, Buck was on his own. Which was fine, because that was the original dream all along.

After double-checking if his gate really existed, which is basically the only way one can really relax at an airport, Buck bought himself some snacks and drinks and settled down in a not-so-comfy airport chair, patiently waiting for boarding.

He took a deep breath and smiled at himself as the excitement for the trip was really starting to kick in. It was going to be amazing.

-

Hey babe, just landed in Arizona. Ubering to the hotel. How is everything at home?

Xx

Eddie smiled at his phone.

“Is that Buck?” Chris asked.

Eddie frowned. “How do you know?”

Chris grinned. “Because you’re smiling!”

Eddie rolled his eyes at him, but he couldn't help but smile. They told Chris a couple of days ago, because he deserved to know why Buck was there all the time. He had been very supportive. Basically, over the moon with his excitement, because to him, Buck had always been a father-figure. And for that to become something real had been really exciting.

Good to hear babe. Enjoy your trip and don’t forget to send me photos of all the pretty things you come across! Love you x

Immediately after he sent that text, Eddie felt his phone buzz again.

I want to receive photos of pretty things as well. And by pretty things I mean you.

Eddie smiled and turned away from Chris, who was already focusing on his game again, to hide his reddened cheeks. It was all so new still.

Later 😉

Eddie loved the way Buck makes him feel. Like he was seventeen again. He hadn’t felt like that since, ever? He loved Shannon, but she never made him feel like his heart was about to explode. She also never made him feel turned on by just a text, Buck did. All the time.

-

Buck threw his duffel bag on the ground in his hotel room. He’d only booked for one night as he planned on camping throughout the trip. Tomorrow, he will hike the Grand Canyon, the busiest trail of his trip, probably. For the other days, he’d picked some quieter trails. He did like being around people, but he didn’t want to hike in a group, wanted to spend some time with his own thoughts.

He felt a little grimy after the long day of traveling, sweat and airport air clinging to his skin, so Buck decided to take a shower. He stepped into the bathroom, turning the water hot and stepping under it with a relieved sigh. The warmth hit his shoulders and immediately loosened the tension that had built up in his muscles from the tight airplane seat.

And, like it had done pretty much nonstop for the past three weeks, his brain drifted straight to Eddie. Buck smiled to himself, tilting his head back under the spray.

Three weeks.

They had only officially been together for three weeks, which was ridiculous considering they had known each other for almost ten years. And somehow it had taken them that long to figure out that they were in love with each other.

To be fair, Buck had needed a solid thirty years to realize he was bisexual, so maybe he couldn’t blame them entirely.

Still.

The way it had happened made him grin every time he thought about it.

It was in Nashville, after the firefighter games. They’d both had a few drinks and neither of them had been ready to call it a night yet. Buck had been leaning against the hotel bar, flirting with a woman named Dixie, at least he was pretty sure that had been her name, when he noticed Eddie across the room, watching him.

Not just watching.

Sulking.

Buck had frowned immediately. Eddie didn’t sulk. Concerned, Buck had excused himself from Dixie and caught up with Eddie in the hallway.

“You okay?” he’d asked, catching up beside him.

“Fine,” Eddie had said a little too fast.

Buck had known him long enough to recognize the lie. So instead of pushing it there, Buck had followed him back to the hotel room. They’d ended up sitting on Buck’s bed, still in their jeans and t-shirts, talking about nothing and everything the way they always did.

Until Eddie suddenly went very quiet. Buck remembered the way Eddie had been staring down at his hands, nervously tugging at the hem of his shirt like he was trying to work up the courage to say something.

“I think I’m gay.”

The words had come out so quietly Buck almost hadn’t heard them.

He blinked. “Really?” Buck had asked, surprised but not shocked, exactly.

Eddie had shrugged a little, still refusing to look up. “Yeah.”

Buck had waited a second before asking the obvious question. “Why are you telling me now?”

Eddie had gone even redder, which Buck hadn’t thought was possible.

“I didn’t want you to go home with that woman.”

It had taken Buck exactly two seconds for his brain to catch up.

And when it did, the realization hit him so hard he actually laughed.

“You’re jealous.”

Eddie had finally looked up then, eyes wide with horror.

“I didn’t say-”

“You’re jealous,” Buck repeated, grinning now.

Eddie groaned and covered his face with his hands.

“I should not have said anything.”

Buck had reached over and gently pulled Eddie’s hands away from his face.

“Hey,” he’d said softly.

Eddie had looked at him then, and Buck swore his heart had skipped an entire beat.

“Oh,” Buck had breathed.

Suddenly everything made sense. The way Eddie always hovered a little too close to him. The way his eyes followed him across a room. And, the most obvious one, the way Eddie always seemed just a little more tense whenever Buck flirted with someone.

“You wanted me to go home with you,” Buck said slowly. Eddie’s ears had gone bright red.

Buck had leaned forward before he could overthink it. The first kiss had been soft. Both of them a little hesitant. Like neither of them quite believed it was actually happening.

But it didn’t take long before the hesitation melted away completely. Eddie’s hands had tangled in Buck’s shirt, Buck had laughed quietly against his mouth, and suddenly they were both smiling like idiots between kisses.

“I want to try something else.” Eddie had said as he looked up at Buck through his dark eyelashes, his lips were dark red, flushed from making out.

One thing led to another, and Buck and Eddie had sex for the first time that same night. It had been a bit messy and awkward and probably slightly painful, but to Buck it had been the most incredible sex he ever had.

As Buck’s mind took him to that night, his hands had already wandered toward his now fully erect cock, lazily stroking himself as the steam of the hot shower filled up the bathroom.

He thought about Eddie’s text and quickly turned the shower off, hastily drying himself.

As he laid back down on the bed, he quickly grabbed his phone, snapping a picture of his hand around his flushed, dripping cock.

How about you make good on that promise? 😉

-

The following morning, Buck’s alarm went off early. He groaned as he turned over to shut it off. For a second, he regretted booking a trail pass this early. Only for a second, though. Because after he opened his eyes and saw the morning sun trying its best to shine through the curtains, excitement filled his body. It was going to be a beautiful day and he was finally going to hike in the Grand Canyon. More energized, Buck got out of bed, jumping under the shower. Enjoying the warm stream of water, since it might be the last time he could take a proper shower for the next couple of days.

Buck pulled on his grey-ish Gymshark shirt with a tank top and a sweater and checked if  his backpack had all the necessities. His small, foldable tent, a tiny air mat, sleeping bag, toiletries and of course a couple of energy- and protein bars, some fruit and nuts, his little pan, some cans of food and a pot of instant coffee. He was going full nomad on this trip. He topped off his bag of water and attached it to his backpack. Once he was satisfied, he raided the breakfast bar at the hotel and hopped on the bus that took him to his first hiking trail.

Buck stepped off the bus with a grin he couldn’t quite contain.

The air felt different here than it did in La, drier, warmer, carrying that dusty desert smell he’d pictured when watching movies with his dad. In front of him, the canyon stretched out like something unreal, all layered reds and oranges glowing in the early morning light.

“Holy shit,” Buck breathed to himself, stopping at the railing for a moment.

All the pictures he’d seen hadn’t done it justice. Not even close.

He fished his phone out of his pocket; he really wanted to share this with Eddie.

You awake?

The typing bubble appeared almost instantly.

Been awake for 20 minutes. Where are you now?

Buck took a selfie with the canyon behind him, sunlight just starting to spill over the cliffs.

Eddie replied a couple seconds later.

Wow! Looks amazing, babe. And the view is pretty cool as well 😊

Buck laughed out loud, earning a confused look from a nearby tourist couple.

Wow, since when does Eddie Diaz flirt?

The typing dots immediately reappeared.

Gotta keep my boyfriend interested somehow.

Buck stared at the word for a second.

Boyfriend.

It still felt new. Still felt a little unreal. And still felt perfect.

He started down the trail with a bounce in his step.

-

The first trail was busy, just like Buck expected. Groups of hikers, families, people stopping every five minutes for photos. Normally Buck might’ve found it annoying. Today he didn’t mind at all. Every turn showed something new, narrow paths carved into rock, wide views of the canyon dropping away beneath him, little pockets of shade where the air felt nice and cool.

About halfway down the trail he found a flat rock overlooking a massive drop and sat down to drink some water.

His phone buzzed again.

Chris says the canyon looks like a giant lasagna.

Buck chuckled.

Omg, it really does.

-

He made it back up the trail by mid-afternoon, his legs burning in the most satisfying way. After grabbing some food at a small lodge café, he caught another shuttle to a quieter overlook and sat there until sunset.

The sky turned pink and gold over the canyon walls. He pulled his phone out again to send a photo to Eddie.

Okay this might be the best sunset I’ve ever seen.

A minute later his phone rang. Buck answered immediately.

“Hey.”

“You weren’t kidding.” Eddie said on the other line. It was good to hear his voice.

“Right?” Buck said, leaning back against the wooden railing. “I wish you were here.”

There was a soft exhale on the other end. “Me too.”

Buck could hear faint sounds in the background, probably video game noises.

“Chris still up?”

“Yeah. He’s pretending he’s not listening.”

“HI BUCK.” Christopher yelled from a distance.

Buck laughed. “Hey buddy!”

“You better bring me a rock,” Chris called.

“A rock?” Buck repeated.

“A cool one.”

“Deal.”

Eddie chuckled quietly.

For a moment none of them spoke, they just listened to each other’s breathing.

Finally, Eddie whispered, “Be careful out there, okay?”

Buck looked out over the canyon again, glowing under the fading sunlight.

“Always.”

-

Buck woke up with sore legs and a ridiculous amount of excitement.

Today he was heading out toward Sedona to start the quieter part of his trip.

After a quick motel breakfast and one last coffee, he packed up his gear, grabbed a rideshare to the trailhead, and stepped onto the path with nothing but red rocks and desert around him.

No crowds. No noise. He took a deep breath as he adjusted his backpack straps. This was what he was looking forward to the most. He would be hiking here for a couple of days, maybe more, until he was out of provisions or until he couldn’t take it anymore.

The trail wound between towering red rock formations, the sunlight making everything glow like it was on fire. Every so often Buck stopped to take photos that he’d sent to Eddie later.

Around midday he found a shaded spot under a rock overhang and pulled out his lunch.

His phone buzzed again.

Buck snapped a quick selfie. He knew he was sweaty and a little dirty, which he knew Eddie would think looks really sexy.

[photo]

Living my cowboy movie dreams.

Eddie immediately responded.

You look happy. And sexy.

Buck paused a moment before responding. He did feel different. Lighter, maybe.

I am. Happy and sexy.

Then he added another text.

But it’d be better if you were here.

Eddie replied almost immediately.

Careful, Buckley.

Keep talking like that and I might show up.

Buck grinned at his phone.

Please do.

That evening Buck reached the small clearing he’d picked out for his first campsite. It wasn’t much. Just a flat stretch of ground surrounded by low red rocks and desert plants, but the view of the open sky was incredible.

He set up his small tent, cooked a simple dinner with his little camping pan, and sat on a rock watching the sky slowly fill with stars. Way more stars than LA ever allowed.

He took another photo.

Okay now THIS is the best view.

A few seconds later, Eddie responded

Wow.

Then another message followed instantly.

You safe?

Buck smiled softly.

Yeah.

Tent’s up. Full stomach. Perfect night.

Eddie responded quickly.

Good.

Sleep well, cowboy.

Buck leaned back against his backpack, looking up at the endless sky.

Night, Eds.

Love you.

The reply came quickly.

Love you too.

Buck set his phone aside and lay back on the warm rock, staring up at the stars.

-

The next two days were amazing, everything Buck had ever dreamed of. The trails were indeed a lot quieter than the Grand Canyon, only a couple of other hikers every now and then. The days were warm and the nights were pretty cold. The food was terrible and the coffee even worse, but Buck wouldn’t trade it for anything. Buck didn’t have a lot of food and water left, but he planned it perfectly. He would arrive at the end of this trail around 3 p.m., get to the motel close-by and stay there for the night. So, after another cup of his disgusting instant coffee, he grabbed his gear and set off.

He quickly pulled out his phone to send Eddie another text.

Starting the last stretch of this trail. Am looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed tonight. Should arrive there before the evening. Love you!

Eddie probably wasn’t awake yet, so Buck didn’t wait for a response and started walking.

After about an hour or four, Buck entered a pretty narrow path. Half of it was covered by some trees, which he was very thankful for. Buck had to watch his step on this path, but it was definitely doable.

Until he heard a noise.

He recognized it immediately, a rattlesnake.

It lay there on the ground in front of him, rattling and hissing at Buck in an angry way. Carefully, Buck backed up. But the snake moved forward.

“Whoa-”

Buck lifted his hands instinctively, taking another step back. This time, the snake stayed put, but it still rattled its tail angrily.

Buck took a step a little closer to the edge of the path, he needed to get around the snake. He moved carefully, his eyes never leaving the snake. There was a reason that the trail was packed with signs that told you to stay on the path, but he really needed to put as much distance between him and the snake as possible. So, he took another step.

His heel landed on something that shifted under his weight. Buck felt the ground move underneath him before his mind could really process what was happening. His foot skidded away under the loose rocks and Buck lost his balance. He fell back on the sleep slope and rolled down, hard. Buck frantically tried to hold on to something, anything, but his hands only scraped against the rocky slope, not finding anything to grab.

Buck slammed hard into a large stone that shuddered back down with him on impact, his ribs taking the brunt. His breath caught with a loud thud and swallowed his screams. The impact spun him sideways as he plummeted down further, hitting the ground with brutal force as rocks hit the ground around him. Then everything around him went pitch black.

-

“Dad, what’s going on with you?”  Chris asked in his annoyed teenager voice.

Eddie had been pacing up and down the house for a while now, picking up his phone, sighing deeply and putting it back down again. Buck hadn’t sent him a single text since this morning. He also didn’t have any signal, but still. They had been texting non-stop for the past four days. This was weird. It was also almost five p.m. and Buck said he’d be at the motel well before the evening. Why wouldn’t he have any signal?

“Nothing’s wrong, bud.” Eddie replied but didn’t stop his pacing.

Chris scoffed, obviously not buying it, but decided to leave it and went back to his room.

Two hours later, Eddie still hadn’t heard from Buck and he decided that it was more than reasonable to be freaking out about that right now. He tried calling him again, tried looking up his location, anything. But nothing came up, Buck’s phone either died or he still didn’t have a signal. But he should’ve been at the motel by now, right? Fuck. Eddie dragged his hand over his face, trying to calm himself down. He should go to Chim and Maddie, tell them what’s going on. He needs to hear from someone that he’s being paranoid and crazy and that Buck is probably fine.

Eddie snatched his car keys from the counter. “Chris, I need to go see Chim and Maddie! I’ll be back in a little while. Stay here and text me if anything’s wrong!” He yelled out.

“Okay, bye dad,” Chris said from his room, obviously distracted in his videogame.

Eddie pulled up in the Han-driveway and sprinted up towards the front door. He rang the doorbell and started panicking a little. What was he going to say? Hey Maddie, I think your brother is dead somewhere in Arizona and we’re dating, by the way?

The door opened and Eddie’s eyes snapped up to find a very confused Chimney staring back at him.

“Jesus Eddie, you look like you ran here.” Chim said as he eyed him. “Wait, did you?”

“No, of course not,” Eddie said as he walked inside, past a still very confused Chimney. “Is Maddie home?”

As he spoke the words, Maddie entered the hallway. She also looked at him in confusion. Fuck, he must look like a mad man.

“What’s going on, Eddie? I’m not liking the look on your face.” She said.

Eddie sighed. “Have you heard from Buck today?”

Maddie shook her head. “No, not since last night, why?”

“Me neither.” Eddie stated as if that would make enough sense.

“Okay? That’s not that weird though, right? I mean, I know your best friends, but he doesn’t like text you all the time, right?” Maddie said, trying to grasp where Eddie was heading.

“Uhm- yeah, no. Of course not, except uh- he hasn’t texted me at all today,” Eddie stammered. His cheeks are turning red.

Maddie furrowed her brow and a smile tugged at her lips. “Oh my god, you’re the mystery person!”

Now it was Eddie’s turn to be confused. “What?” He laughed awkwardly.

He felt Chim’s eyes widen behind him, even though he couldn’t see him.

Okay. They know.

“Buck came to visit me the other day with a hickey like he was a horny teenager all over again and when I questioned him, he mentioned that there was someone, but it’s you!” Maddie exclaimed.

Eddie chuckled. “How did you clock that so fast?”

“Because-” Maddie’s smile faltered as she realized why Eddie was really here. “Because you looked really worried about Buck.”

Suddenly, the energy in the room turned 360 degrees.

“What is happening, Eddie?” Chim asked, his tone serious.

“Let’s sit down first,” Eddie sighed as he walked over to the kitchen. “Where’s Jee and Nash?”

“I just put Nash to bed and Jee is having a sleepover.” Maddie replied as she sat down at the kitchen table.

“Talk to us Eddie, what’s going on with Buck?” Chim said.

Eddie didn’t know where to start. “I uhm- I’m not sure anything is actually wrong,” he started. “He should’ve been at the motel hours ago and he is not picking up. Doesn’t have signal, or his phone died, I don’t know.”

Chim and Maddie shared a concerned look.

“He’s been texting me the entire trip, it felt like I was there with him, basically. But today? Nothing. It’s not like him.”

Chim nodded. “I’m calling Athena,” he said as he stood up to grab his phone.

Eddie felt his hands starting to tremble. “So, you uhm- you don’t think I’m being paranoid?” He asked as he looked up at Maddie, his expression full of fear.

Maddie placed her hand over Eddie’s trembling hands. “I think that we don’t know what Buck is doing right now and that it is better to be safe than sorry. I wouldn’t be surprised if he just dropped his phone trying to get you a pretty picture.” She smiled at Eddie, but Eddie could see the worry behind her eyes.

“Why don’t you tell me all about what happened between you guys in the meantime?” She said.

Eddie smiled, glad to have a distraction from his worries.

-

Buck slowly opened his eyes. Blinking as the light hit his vision. Somewhere in the distance he heard buzzing, an insect probably. The sound drifted in and out of his head, just like Buck’s vision.

His brow twitched. That’s when the pain started to kick in. It crept in slowly, spreading through his body like a fire. His ribs ached with a deep, pulsing throb that kicked in every time Buck took a breath. Something warm and sticky clung to his temple, tugging uncomfortably at his hair.

Buck tried to take a deep breath, causing a sharp stab to explode across chest. Buck’s eyes snapped fully open now.

“Ah-”, the sound came out rough and broken.

The sky above him wasn’t as bright as he remembered it to be. For a minute, he just stared at it. The world tilted as he tried to move his head, dizziness washing over him so prominently that Buck had to squeeze his eyes shut again.

He swallowed. His throat was so dry that it felt like sandpaper.

Okay. Something happened.

Carefully, Buck tilted his head to the side, opening his eyes again. His gaze fell on the steep slope a couple of feet next to him and the memories flushed over him.

He fell. Hard.

He shifted slightly, trying to push himself up. The movement sent agony ripping through his ribs, taking away his breath. Buck collapsed back against the ground with a strangled gasp, clutching instinctively at his side.

“Okay-, okay-,”

He forced himself to stay still, breathing shallowly through clenched teeth while the wave of pain slowly dulled to a manageable throb.

Definitely his ribs. Bruised, maybe broken. Probably broken.

His firefighter brain kicked in automatically, despite the fog clouding his thoughts.

Check injuries. Don’t panic. Assess the situation.

Buck carefully lifted a shaky hand to his head. The moment his fingers touched his temple they came away sticky.

“Broken ribs, a concussion. I can live with that,” Buck hissed to himself.

He tried to sit back up again, he moved slower this time. Buck groaned through gritted teeth but managed to pull himself up against the rock behind him. Through his blurry vision he noticed that his left arm was covered in a sticky, red substance. Blood. Partly dried and clotted and definitely full of grime and dirt. He noticed a big cut on his underarm and winced as his fingers grazed over it.

“Fuck, okay-”, Buck hissed.

He ripped a piece of his shirt off, groaning at the soreness in his shoulders. He needed to tie off the wound, but his shaking hands made it really difficult. After a couple of tries, he finally managed it.

“Okay, what else?”

Buck looked over his arms and his torso, which were both covered in scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious. Then his gaze landed on his right leg. His shorts were a little ripped at the bottom, blood spilling out from underneath. Hesitantly, Buck lifted his shorts.

“Shit, that’s bad.” He said softly.

 A huge gash spread over his upper thigh, blood still seeping out of the wound all the way down his leg, clinging to his leg hair as it dried, tugging at the skin. He needed to get to his backpack, he had an injury kit in there, even a tourniquet. Buck glanced around and saw his bag a little bit further away from where he landed, the straps must’ve snapped.

“Okay, Buck, you’ve got this. You just need to get up, okay?” He said in an attempt to hype himself up.

Buck braced his entire body and slowly pushed himself on his left leg, trying to keep the weight of his right. He groaned as his chest tightened and his ribs pulled, but he needed to move. He had to. Carefully, he shifted his weight to his bad leg and screamed out as he put his foot down, clinging to the rock beside him to keep himself upright.

“Fuck!” Buck screamed.

Not because of the wound on his thigh. Because his ankle was hurting like a fucking bitch too.

“Fucking hell,” Buck said, but it came out more like a sob. “Fuck, this is bad.”

Buck used the rock wall to guide him towards his backpack, trying to avoid putting weight on his right leg. When he reached his backpack, he slowly lowered himself back down against the rock wall. He took a deep breath, as deep as he could with his broken ribs, and tried to stop himself from passing out again as stars flooded his vision.

He needed to get the tourniquet on. Now.

He reached for his bag, his injury kit packed in a separate compartment for easy access, because he was a smart firefighter and whispered a thank you to himself. He opened it and fished out the tourniquet. He placed it over his leg and braced himself before he pulled it tight. The bleeding slowed before it eventually came to a full stop. Good. He reached for his water, which thankfully survived the fall, and took one sip. Saving the rest just in case.

Buck looked at the sky again, which was turning an orangy pink now. Sunset. Fuck, how long had he been out? He looked for his phone and found it completely smashed in his pocket. Of course. He needed to keep moving, to get out of here. He looked around again, as if he didn’t know by now that he was completely stuck in a ravine, with no way to get back up to the trail. He was stuck here, and nobody knew where he was. Buck felt a tear fall down his cheek, the salt stinging in the abrasions. He really missed Eddie right now.

-

After Athena had arrived, they filed a missing person’s report. Athena was on the phone with AZDPS, the Arizona police department. In the meantime, Eddie was still in his head. It was 10 p.m. now, 11 p.m. in Arizona. Fourteen hours since Buck’s last text message.

Fuck, he needed to go back to Christopher. It was getting late.

“I uhm- I need to go, Chris is all alone and he has no clue what’s happening right now, I need to go-” Eddie hammered.

Athena returned from her phone call. “Okay, why don’t you stay here. I’ll call May, she can pick him up, bring him here. If that’s okay with you guys?” Athena suggested as she looked at Chim.

“Of course,” he muttered. “Tell her to bring Ravi too.”

Athena’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why would Ravi be with May?”

“They’ve been sleeping together for weeks now.” Eddie added mindlessly.

“What? I- okay.” Athena said. “That’s a conversation for later.”

Half an hour had passed before Ravi and May pulled up with Christopher.

“Dad, dad, what’s happening?” He asked as he basically ran over towards his dad. He may almost be sixteen, but right now he looked like a scared kid. Eddie couldn’t blame him, he felt like a scared kid himself.

“Hey bud, I uhm- we’re not sure. We think Buck is missing.”

Athena got off the phone again. “They’ve issued a SAR-team immediately, they’ll keep us in the loop.”

Eddie dragged a hand over his face again. He really hoped this was all for nothing. But he knew Buck better.

“We should go.” Ravi said.

“Go where?” Eddie asked.

“To Arizona. Be there when they find him.”

Eddie looked at Chris. Maddie could read the doubt in his face. “Chris, would you want to stay here tonight? While your father and Ravi go and find Buck?” She asked him.

Chris nodded. “Yes, go dad, get your man!” Chris said and immediately pulled his hand over his mouth as he knew he said too much.

Eddie rolled his eyes, but chuckled anyway. “Thanks for that, Chris.”

“Sorry, dad.”

Eddie ruffled his hand through his hair and got up. Ravi looked at him with a confused look on his face. “I’ll explain on the way, let’s go.”

“Thank you, guys, please keep me in the loop.”

-

Eddie and Ravi threw some stuff into a duffel bag and rushed to the airport, booking the next flight to Arizona, which was departing within the hour, luckily.

As they sat in their seats, ready for take-off, the unavoidable question came. “What did Christopher mean, Eddie?”

Eddie sighed, Buck was going to kill him. “We’re together. Me and Buck.”

Ravi nearly choked on his water, earning an annoyed glance from a woman sitting next to him. “What? How? When?”

“Nashville,” Eddie smiled as he thought back on that night.

“You’ve been dating for almost a month, and you guys didn’t tell me?” Ravi said, sounding offended. “Wait, but- how- you are straight? Well, obviously not, but- when did you-”

“I’m gay, actually.” Eddie paused for a second, letting the information sink into a confused Ravi. “I uhm- I guess I’ve always been gay? I knew my parents wouldn’t like it. They’d hate it,” Eddie scoffed. “But I’m getting older and I’ve wasted so many years trying to hide who I am. And for what? Also, I’ve been in love with Buck for years, turns out that it only took one trip together for me to confess those feelings.” Eddie chuckled.

“I’m so happy for you two and I’m trying my best to not be offended by you guys not telling me. Thought we were best friends for fuck’s sake!” Ravi said jokingly.

Eddie’s smile faltered at that. “Everyone’s been worried about me, but how are you holding up, Rav? I mean you are best friends.”

Ravi sighed. “Worried out of my mind to be honest. I keep going over the worst-case scenarios in my head.”

Eddie nodded. He did that too. “I keep thinking he’s dead at the bottom of a fucking cliff.” Eddie said, his voice soft. Please don’t be dead at the bottom of a fucking cliff.

-

Buck wasn’t sure when he passed out again, but when he opened his eyes all he could see were the incredible number of stars against the black sky. For a moment he didn’t move. The sky stretched endlessly above him, deeper and darker than anything he’d ever seen in Los Angeles. It was really beautiful.

Buck shivered.

The desert had turned cold sometime while he was out. The thin fabric of his shirt didn’t do much to keep him warm. His mouth was painfully dry. He slowly reached for his water bottle, fingers clumsy and stiff as he lifted it to his lips. The plastic crinkled softly in the quiet night. There were only a few drops left. Buck tipped the bottle higher, draining the last drops into his mouth. The water barely touched his tongue before it was gone. He stared at the empty bottle for a second. Then he let it fall from his hand. It hit the dirt beside him with a dull thud.

Buck exhaled slowly. He was getting used to the pull in his ribs when he breathed like that. Or maybe it didn’t hurt as much anymore.

Neither was positive.

The cut along his leg had started bleeding again at some point. He could feel the damp stickiness where the blood had soaked into the torn fabric of his shorts. His arm throbbed too, the deeper gash there still tacky and warm against the cool night air.

None of it felt important anymore.

Buck stared back up at the stars.

“I’m sorry, Eds,” he whispered.

His voice sounded small in the quiet of the desert.

Buck swallowed.

He imagined Eddie’s face the way it had looked that morning at the airport. Half worried, half pretending to be happy for Buck. Buck squeezed his eyes shut for a second.

“You’re gonna be so mad at me,” he said softly.

A weak breath of laughter escaped him, though it hurt a little.

“You’re gonna say I was stupid, that I’ve should’ve turned around, stayed on the trail.” His voice cracked slightly. “And you’ll be right.”

He shifted slightly against the rock, wincing faintly as his ribs protested.

“I should’ve listened.”

The silence stretched on again. Buck’s chest rose and fell slowly, more superficial with every breath he took.

“Chris,” he whispered after a moment.

Buck stared up at the stars again, blinking hard against the tears.

“Hey, kid,” he murmured, voice unsteady now. “I’m- I’m really sorry I’m not gonna make it back.”

His throat tightened.

“I promised you I’d bring you a cool rock.” Buck’s gaze drifted to the ground beside him. As if it was fate there was a rock that looked just like Texas. He grabbed the rock, pressing it tight in his hand, blood coating the rock. “Found you one.”

Buck swallowed again.

“You gotta take care of your dad for me, okay?” he whispered.

Buck pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes for a second. Tears were streaming freely now.

“I just got you, Eds. And now I’m leaving you again. I’m so sorry.”

At some point, Buck stopped shivering. The exhaustion was pulling at him, trying to drag him under. But he felt strangely calm.

“I wish you were here,” Buck whispered to the sky.

He imagined Eddie sitting beside him, holding him close.

Buck’s breathing slowed. His eyes felt heavy.

“I love you, Eddie,” Buck murmured quietly.

The words drifted off into the night sky, towards the pretty stars. Buck watched them for a little while longer.

Then his eyes slowly slid closed.

-

It might’ve been hours. Or maybe ten minutes.

Buck groaned, slowly waking up again from a distant noise, His vision was blurry, but he thought he saw something. A coyote? No, this was bigger. He saw light flashing. People. They found him. He wasn’t dead. Right? Or could this be some sort of afterlife?

“Right here!” A voice said, distantly.

“He’s alive! Lower the backboard!”

Buck clung to the rock as he let everything wash over him, not present enough to understand what was happening to him.

-

Ravi and Eddie were both lying on their beds in the motel room.

The ceiling above them was the same dull, textured white as every other motel ceiling Eddie had ever seen. The shadows from the weak bedside lamp stretched across the ceiling in strange shapes, shifting every time a car passed outside.

It was almost morning again. Neither of them had slept. Not even for a minute.

They had stopped pretending to try hours ago. The blankets were barely touching them, kicked aside as the night dragged on endlessly. Every time Eddie closed his eyes he saw Buck. Smiling, laughing, calling his name across the station floor and then the image kept twisting into something darker. Buck lying somewhere alone.

Cold and hurt.

So instead, they just stared at the ceiling and talked.

They shared memories. The ones people usually told at funerals. As if Buck was already gone.

Eddie had been crying almost the entire time.

The last time Eddie had heard from Buck was at least twenty hours ago.

Twenty hours.

Eddie sat up suddenly, the mattress creaking under his sudden movement.

“I feel useless,” he said hoarsely, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “We’re firefighters. We’re supposed to help people. We should be out there looking for him.”

His voice cracked halfway through the sentence.

Ravi sighed softly from the other bed, rubbing his face with both hands before sitting up too.

“I know, Eddie,” he said gently. “Believe me, I know.”

Eddie started pacing the tiny motel room, running both hands through his hair in frustration.

“But you also know we can’t do that,” Ravi continued quietly. “They have search teams out there who actually know the terrain. Rangers.”

He hesitated.

“We don’t.”

Eddie stopped pacing.

He knew Ravi was right. Of course he did.

“It’s been almost twenty-four hours, Ravi,” Eddie said, his voice shaking. “I— I can’t—”

The words broke apart completely. The sobs hitting him fast.

Eddie bent forward, pressing his hands against his face as his shoulders started shaking violently. He sounded broken.

Ravi was off the bed immediately. He crossed the small room in two steps and wrapped his arms around Eddie, pulling him into a tight hug.

“It’s okay,” Ravi murmured, “It’s okay.”

But they both knew how this looked. They’d done these kinds of rescues before. It’s cold at night. There is no water. Injuries can be fatal. Some people never even get found. Eddie thought back on the skeletal remains he and Buck found years ago.

The thought made Eddie feel like he might throw up.

Then his phone rang.

The sound exploded in the silent motel room like a gunshot. Eddie nearly jumped out of his skin. His heart started hammering so hard it hurt. His hands were shaking violently as he grabbed the phone from the nightstand.

“Hello?” he said, his voice cracking.

“Is this Edmundo Diaz?”

The voice on the other end sounded calm. Professional.

“Yes- yes, this is Eddie.”

“My name is Sergeant West. I’m with AZPDS. I’m calling about Evan Buckley. Our rescue team has just found him. He is being transported to Verde Valley Medical Center.”

For a moment Eddie couldn’t breathe.

They found him.

The air rushed back into his lungs and Eddie let out a strangled sob of relief.

“Oh my god,” he whispered.

He looked up at Ravi, who was staring at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

Eddie nodded frantically.

He saw the relief spreading across Ravi’s face. His shoulders sagged as if someone had lifted a massive weight off them both.

“Oh god, thank you so much,” Eddie said into the phone. “Is he, uhm, is he okay?”

“I don’t know the exact details,” the man replied. “He is alive, but it’s critical. A park ranger will be waiting for you at the hospital. He’ll be able to explain everything to you in more detail.”

The relief lasted about five seconds. Then the fear came rushing back twice as strong.

Critical could mean anything.

“Okay,” Eddie said quickly, his voice trembling again. “We eh- we’ll head there now. Thank you for notifying me. Really.”

“Of course. I wish you and Mr. Buckley all the best. Take care, Eddie.”

When the call ended, Eddie just stared at the phone in his hand.

Then his legs gave out.

He slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. And the tears came again. They poured out of him in messy, desperate sobs as the stress of the last twenty hours finally crashed down to the surface.

Ravi crouched beside him, one hand squeezing Eddie’s shoulder. They sat there for a minute in silence.

Finally, Ravi spoke.

“Talk to me,” he said softly. “What did he say?”

Eddie wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt, trying to steady his breathing.

“They found him,” he said shakily. “Alive.”

“But he’s in critical condition,” Eddie added quickly. “He’s at the hospital now. A ranger’s gonna tell us what happened.”

Ravi nodded slowly before standing and holding out a hand. Eddie took it and let Ravi pull him to his feet, though his legs still felt weak and unsteady. He couldn’t stop shaking.

“C’mon then,” Ravi said, offering a small grin. “Let’s go see your man.”

Despite everything, Eddie let out a shaky chuckle.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Let’s go.”

They arrived at the hospital about twenty minutes later.

Eddie barely remembered the drive. The entire time he had stared out the window, his phone clutched tightly in his hands like it might somehow tell him if Buck was still alive.

He had called everyone.

Maddie and Chim, Hen, Athena.

They all wanted to come, but in the end, they agreed it was better if they stayed in Los Angeles with the kids.

Eddie pushed through the hospital doors. The waiting room smelled like antiseptic and hospital coffee. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly, casting a harsh white glow over everything.

When they stepped inside, they must’ve looked completely lost, because a man in a park ranger uniform immediately approached them.

“Are you here for Evan Buckley?” he asked.

Eddie nodded frantically.

“Yes,” Ravi answered before Eddie could speak. “Can you tell us what happened?”

The ranger gave them a sympathetic look before guiding them to a quiet corner of the waiting room.

“My name is Ranger Simmons,” he said. “I was on the search and rescue team that found Evan.”

Eddie’s heart pounded painfully in his chest.

“It appears he slipped off the trail near a steep cliff edge,” Simmons continued. “He took a pretty hard fall and landed in a tight ravine with no way out.”

“Oh my god,” Ravi whispered.

“When we found him, he was barely conscious,” the ranger went on gently. “From what we could assess, Evan likely suffered one or more broken ribs, a broken ankle, and a severe concussion.”

Eddie felt his shoulders sag slightly. Okay, that’s not too bad.

But the ranger wasn’t finished.

“What concerned us most were the deep cuts on his arm and leg,” he said. “He had lost a significant amount of blood out there.”

Eddie’s stomach dropped. That is bad.

“He’s currently in surgery,” Simmons finished quietly. “I’m afraid that’s all I can tell you right now.”

Eddie didn’t respond. His brain was still trying to process everything that he had just been told.

Somewhere beside him he heard Ravi thanking the ranger, but it sounded far away, like it was happening in another room.

When the ranger finally stood up, he turned to Eddie. “Oh, and before I forget.” He said as he reached for something in his pocket. Eddie looked at him in confusion. “He clung to this like his life depended on it, thought I’d keep it safe him.” The ranger handed him a bloody rock that looked an awful lot like Texas.

It was for Chris. Buck brought a rock for Chris because he’d asked him to. Eddie whispered a thank you when the ranger left and stared at the rock.

“All we can do now is wait.” Ravi said.

Eddie sank down into one of the hard plastic chairs. Eddie had never felt more helpless in his entire life.

-

The sun was shining brightly through the windows in the waiting room. It was well past noon. Ravi had just returned with their third cup of coffee and a pastry. Eddie shook his head.

“No thanks, I’m not hungry.”

Ravi dropped the pastry in his lap. “When’s the last time you ate something?”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “I had dinner with Chris yesterday.”

Ravi scoffed. “That’s what? Eighteen hours ago? You need to eat.”

“I will eat when I know Buck is going to be just fine.” Eddie said. Putting the pastry down on the chair next to him.

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

They were tired, snappish. It had been a fucking long day and a half.

A nurse walked up to them. “Are you here for Mr. Buckley?”

Eddie and Ravi jumped up simultaneously. “Yes, that’s us.”

Eddie saw a slight smile tugging at the woman’s mouth, but he needed to hear it.

“Evan made it out of surgery. He’s waking up and we believe he will make a full recovery.” She said, her smile growing wider. “He’s in room 24, just down the hall. You can go see him.”

This time, Eddie felt real relief. He felt a hundred kilos lighter than he had all day.

Next to him he saw Ravi pulling the poor nurse into a hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” The nurse laughed and politely pulled herself out of the hug.

“Guess you can eat that pastry now, huh?” Ravi grinned.

Eddie chuckled. “Fuck that pastry, let’s go see my man!”

“Hell yes.”

They entered the room quietly, even though Buck’s eyes were open. Eddie took a moment to really look at him. He was pale, aside from the purple bruises and red scrapes painting his face like some sort of canvas. But he looked okay. He really did.

“Oh god, I’m so happy you’re here,” Buck said softly. His voice sounded hoarse.

“Of course we are! You really scared us there, man.” Ravi said as he pulled one of the chairs out to sit next to the bed.

Eddie walked up to the bed as well, tears filling his eyes again. He hadn’t cried this much since, ever. He carefully grabbed Buck’s hand, kissing his bruised knuckles softlt.

“Eddie what are y-” Buck said, confused.

Eddie smiled at him. “I uhm- I kinda lost it completely yesterday and Maddie guessed immediately, now they all know. I’m sorry baby,” Eddie said softly, unable to take his eyes off his boyfriend.

Buck smiled back. “That’s okay, Eds.”

“I’m still offended you guys didn’t tell me,” Ravi said.

Buck chuckled, but it quickly turned into a groan.

“Are you in pain?” Eddie asked. Stupid question, he knows.

“It’s fine.” Buck said stubbornly. “How did they find me?”

“Eddie freaked out, went to Maddie, Chim called Athena, Athena called the local police station, you know how it goes,” Ravi said cheerfully.

“I was hoping you would.” Buck said as he locked his gaze with Eddie’s. “You know, freak out.”

Eddie chuckled. “I thought I was being paranoid, but I couldn’t not do anything. I’m glad I did.”

Ravi stood up. “How about I give you guys some privacy and I’ll update everyone at home.”

Eddie smiled at him. “Thanks Rav. Really. Thank you for coming with me.”

“Of course.” Ravi said warmly.

When he left the room, he looked back at Buck. His eyes were glossy and red and a tear rolled down his cheek.

“Hey, hey,” Eddie said, gently wiping away the tear. “You’re okay now. I’ve got you, you’re okay.” He said as he grabbed Buck’s hand again.

“I really thought I was dead, Eddie. It felt so strange, different than the lightning.” Buck said. “I just sat there and I literally felt the life drain out of me. When the SAR team found me, shining their bright flashes towards me, I thought it was heaven or something.” Buck took a deep breath. “I was thinking about you the entire time

Eddie squeezed his hand softly. “Do you want to tell me what happened out there?”

Buck told him everything. Eddie let out a slight chuckle when he mentioned the snake. But by the end of Buck story, he was full on sobbing again. So was Buck. Eddie remembered the rock in his pocket and pulled it out, placing it in Buck’s hand.

“Oh my god, I thought I lost that.” Buck said as he looked at the rock. “It’s for Christopher.”

“The ranger said you held on to that for dear life,” Eddie sniffled. “It looks like Texas.”

“I know right.”

“Chris will love it.”

Buck looked up at him. “Please, give me a kiss.”

Eddie smiled, leaning forward over Buck and softly pressed their lips together. He pulled back and Buck chased after his mouth, leaning forward slightly, but he immediately regretted that decision. He groaned as he felt his ribs pull harshly.

“Okay, be honest now. How bad does it hurt?”

Buck sighed. “It hurts really fucking bad. But not feeling your lips on mine hurts much worse.”

Eddie chuckled. “Okay, okay. But you need to keep still.”

“Then don’t pull away so fast.” Buck pouted.

Eddie grinned, leaning back down and locking their lips once more. They both melted into the kiss. Neither of them noticed Ravi returning to the room.

“Hm, this isn’t even as weird as I thought it would be,” he said as he walked in on his two best friends making out.

-

“I want to go home,” Buck said to the nurse as he woke up the next morning. “When can I go home?”

“I mean, you can go home, but are you sure you’re up for that trip, Mr. Buckley?” She responded as she finished checking his vitals.

“It’s only a four-hour flight,” Buck said. “My ribs won’t hurt any less if I wait another day.”

The nurse grinned. “Guess that’s true. I’ll get your discharge papers ready, but I feel like you could use a shower before we put you on a plane.”

“We can help him,” Eddie said as he and Ravi appeared in the doorway. “I’m a paramedic, he’s a firefighter.”

The nurse glanced between the three of them, then nodded. “Sure, that’s fine. Clean towels are in the cabinet next to the shower.” She gestured toward the small bathroom. “And I suppose I don’t have to tell you to be careful with the wounds.”

“No, we’ll manage. Thank you,” Eddie said.

She gave Buck one last assessing look before leaving the room, the door clicking softly behind her.

For a moment, the three of them just stood there in silence. Then Ravi wrinkled his nose dramatically.

“You ready? Because I could smell you all the way from the waiting room.”

Buck huffed out a weak laugh. “Fuck off, Rav.”

Even that small movement tugged at the bruised and broken mess that was now his ribcage, and the laugh died quickly as he winced.

Eddie stepped closer, his expression softening immediately.

“How are we going to do this?” Buck asked quietly.

“Don’t worry about that,” Eddie said. “We’ve got you.”

Ravi nodded. “Just tell us when it’s getting too much, okay?”

Buck gave a small nod, though the thought of moving at all already made his stomach tighten. He took a slow breath, trying to prepare himself for what was coming.

Eddie moved to Buck’s right side and carefully slid an arm behind his back.

“Okay,” Eddie murmured. “Let’s get you up.”

Buck braced himself.

Eddie lifted gently, guiding him upright.

Pain immediately erupted across his ribs, like something inside his chest was grinding together with every inch he moved. Buck sucked in a breath that came out as a strained hiss, his face tightening as he fought to stay upright.

“Easy,” Eddie said quietly.

Buck nodded through clenched teeth.

Ravi moved closer and took Buck’s legs, carefully swinging them over the side of the bed. The shift in balance sent another wave of pain through Buck’s body. His vision blurred for a second as his feet touched the floor.

“Jesus,” he muttered under his breath.

He sat there for a moment, his shoulders slumped forward, breathing shallowly while the dizziness slowly ebbed away.

Eddie kept his hand on his back.

“You still with us?” Ravi asked gently.

Buck nodded again.

“Alright,” Eddie said softly. “Next step.”

They each slid an arm around him, Eddie supporting most of Buck’s weight while Ravi steadied him from the other side.

“Ready?” Eddie asked.

Buck took a breath. “Yeah,” he whispered.

They pulled him to his feet.

The moment Buck was upright, his body protested violently. His broken ribs screamed at him, and every cut and bruise seemed to wake up all at once. His ankle throbbed in sync with his rapid hearbeat.

A groan slipped from his throat before he could stop it.

Eddie’s heart shattered a little at the sight of his boyfriend in so much pain.

“Alright,” Ravi said quietly. “We’ve got you. Just a couple steps.”

The walk to the bathroom felt like a fucking marathon.

Buck leaned heavily into both of them, his breathing was uneven as they shuffled forward slowly. Every step triggered something sore, something broken. By the time they reached the bathroom doorway, Buck’s forehead was dripping in sweat.

Eddie helped him lower onto the small shower bench the hospital had installed. Buck sagged against the tiled wall with a shaky exhale.

“Okay,” Ravi said gently. “Shower time.”

They worked carefully, pulling off the horrible hospital gown and bandages covering Buck’s injuries. Buck kept his eyes closed through most of it, focusing on breathing.

When Ravi finally turned on the shower, warm water began to fill the small space with steam. He took the handheld showerhead and tested the temperature before bringing it toward Buck.

The first stream of warm water touched Buck’s shoulder. Buck inhaled sharply. Even though the water was pleasantly warm, it stung where it ran over the scrapes and cuts along his skin. Dirt and dried blood loosened almost immediately, turning the water pink as it streamed down the drain.

“Sorry,” Ravi murmured.

Buck shook his head weakly. “Just… keep going.”

Eddie grabbed a washcloth and carefully began wiping away the grime from Buck’s arms. They worked slowly. The water ran over Buck’s back, down his chest, across the deep purple bruises over his ribs. Every pass of the cloth was gentle, but Buck still couldn’t stop the occasional hiss escaping when Eddie brushed too close to a sore spot.

Eddie looked at Buck’s body. He looked like hell. Cuts. Bruises. Stitches. He swallowed hard. Buck caught the look and managed to make a tired smirk.

“Not my best look, huh?”

Ravi snorted softly. “You look like you fought a canyon and lost.”

Buck let out another quiet laugh that turned quickly into a wince. “I did.”

The warm water helped, though. It loosened the stiffness in his muscles, washed away the sweat and dust and dried blood. Buck finally felt a little like himself again.

Eventually Eddie shut off the water and wrapped a towel carefully around Buck’s shoulders.

“Alright,” he said quietly. “Let’s get you dried off and back to bed while we book some tickets to L.A”

Buck leaned back against the bench, exhausted but clean, letting them help him.

“Thanks,” he murmured.

“Anytime.”

“Where’d you get these?” Buck asked after they helped him into some sweatpants. “They’re pretty cool.”

“I bought them for you yesterday. I thought you two could use some time alone, so I went to the mall.” Ravi said.

“Ah, so that’s why I’m wearing pink underwear with tiny little hearts,” Buck grinned.

“Thought you’d look great in them,” Ravi said.

Buck’s face turned a little serious again. “Thanks dude, that’s really kind of you.”

“Of course.”

“Okay, our plane leaves in a couple of hours. I’ll talk to the nurse and get your meds, you just try to rest for a bit, okay?” Eddie said as he placed a quick kiss on Buck’s forehead.

-

That evening, Buck was lying somewhat comfortably in his own bed. Hen and Karen had apparently stocked his fridge and freezer full of food after they came to see him and Chim and Maddie were still in the living room, talking to Eddie. Buck was really fucking tired, but so grateful for his family.

He heard a soft knock on the door. Chris.

“Come in, buddy.”

The door opened and Christopher slowly walked up to Buck. He hadn’t really spoken to him yet, the teenager probably found it a little difficult to process everything.

“Hey Buck,” he said softly.

Buck smiled at him. “Hey, come, sit next to me.”

Christopher looked hesitant.

“You can’t break me anymore than I already did myself,” Buck chuckled.

That seemed to do the trick. A smile tugged at the boys lips as he slowly sat down on the bed next to Buck.

“I brought you back something,” Buck said as he pulled the rock from his pocket. “It’s a little bloody, but that makes it more badass, right?”

“You brought me a rock!”

“Yeah, you asked for it.”

Christopher grabbed the rock from Buck’s hand, studying it for a while. “It looks like Texas.”

Buck smiled. “Yes, it does.”

“Thank you, Buck,” Christopher said as he hugged Buck. It was a little too tight, but Buck really didn’t care.

“Now go tell your dad to kick my sister out and come to bed.”

“Ew,” Chris said.

“Shut up,” Buck laughed, trying his best to not let the laugh turn into a wince.

-

An hour later, Buck and Eddie were tucked into bed. Buck was lying on his back, which he hated, but there really was no other way. And Eddie was facing him, his fingers gently caressing Buck’s arm.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” He whispered softly, pressing tiny kisses all over his shoulders. “I love you so much.”

Buck closed his eyes, letting himself feel Eddie’s touch as sleep was starting to win the fight. “I love you, Eds.” Buck said softly and let himself drift off to sleep. Peacefully, this time.