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It was the end of the shift, and Buck was sitting on the locker room bench, tying his shoes, when Eddie walked in looking hesitant. Hen and Chin had already cleared out for the day, and Buck had expected Eddie to have left, too, knowing he didn’t have long before he had to pick up Christopher from his grandmother’s. Buck glanced up at him quickly, shooting him a confused look, before ducking his head back down and finishing his shoes. Eddie opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but instead just blew out a breath as he crossed his arms and leaned his back against the lockers. 

“You good over there, man?” Buck asked as he stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Eddie was chewing on the inside of his lip and cheek, Buck could tell, but his best friend nodded silently anyway. Buck gave him a moment to say something, but when Eddie stayed silent, Buck squinted his eyes a little, nodding slowly and moving out of the locker room. He figured Eddie would follow along if he started moving, and he was right when a minute later his best friend came jogging up next to him. Buck kept his pace slow, giving Eddie time to speak up before they got to their vehicles. They were just out of the firehouse when Eddie finally spoke.

“So,” he started. Buck couldn’t help huff a laugh, shaking his head at whatever was going on with Eddie. It was nothing bad, he could read Eddie’s posture better than anything, but whatever it was was making Eddie nervous. Buck resisted the small urge he had to grab Eddie’s hand and squeeze it in reassurance. Those urges- ones to hold his hand, hug him tighter, kiss him - were getting more frequent and close between, Buck couldn’t help but notice, and every time he felt himself fight a blush. This was his best friend, and they were close, but not like that. He doesn’t want to ruin that by doing something he knows he’d regret. As long as he had Eddie and Chris at his side, he could get through how he slowly felt more and more like he was in love with Eddie Diaz. 

“So?” Buck inquired, knowing Eddie would need a little prompting to keep going. He slowly approached his Jeep, not bothering to get his keys out of his pocket, standing against the hood of the Jeep instead. 

“My abuela’s birthday is coming up next week.”

“Oh, yeah, Chris was telling me about that when I picked him up yesterday. You know how that kid loves a party.”

Eddie nodded in agreement, with what Buck had dubbed his “Christopher Smile” on his face. “Yeah, well, he definitely gets it from Abuela, who passed it to Pepa, who is now planning a giant party for her birthday. And the crazy vieja,” Eddie continued with a fond roll of his eyes, “decided to invite the entire family. Seriously, like, my whole big extended family is going to be in LA on Friday and Saturday.”

Buck winced in sympathy for his best friend. Eddie had a lot of relatives. In his nuclear family alone, he’d grown up with four sisters. It seemed like every time Eddie brought up aunts, uncles, and cousins, there was a new one Buck had never heard of before. Abuela and Pepa he was getting to know very well; both were lovely ladies and barely ever bat an eye if it was Buck picking up or dropping off Chris instead of Eddie. Despite knowing how intense and chaotic it would be for Eddie to be around his whole family, Buck could see the underlying happiness and excitement in Eddie’s eyes, hiding under the nerves and stress. Buck was still not quite sure why Eddie was telling him this, or at least why he had seemed nervous to. 

“Tell her happy birthday for me,” Buck told him, completely genuine in his words. Isabel Diaz was a joy, and Buck wasn’t unwilling to admit he loves that woman. Eddie smiled, nodding his head a little to Buck’s words, but not giving a response Buck expected. 

“You can tell her yourself, actually.” 

When Buck frowned in confusion, Eddie smiled wider, though the look of hesitation he’d had when he walked into the locker room was back on his face. 

“You, Evan Buckley, have been invited to the party.”

Buck smiled in surprise, raising his eyebrows a little. He’d been invited to a Diaz family party? “But I’m not family.”

Eddie frowned at him, squinting his eyes and wincing as he looked away. “Don’t tell Abuela that- she’d never forgive you.”

“Eddie-”

“Buck. You may not be related, but you’re family, okay? You’re my best friend. Chris’ family, my family. And I’m not kidding, my grandmother might just love you more than she loves me, and if you don’t show on Saturday she will absolutely take it as a personal offense.”

Buck looked towards the ground, blushing deeply. He’d considered Christopher and Eddie family from the moment he’d first held that kid in his arms, but to hear Eddie say it out loud was a whole different thing. Made that feeling of love he was trying so hard to keep under wraps that much stronger. And Abuela inviting him specifically, to an all-family event? He felt his heart swell. One of these days, the Diazes might actually kill him. Buck and Eddie both stood there for a minute, letting Buck soak in the words. Eddie watched him carefully, a soft look in his eyes. Buck didn’t see it, too busy staring at the ground. When he finally looked up, it was with a smile on his face. 

“Come on, man, you know I could never hurt your Abuela.” 

Eddie smiled, shaking his head. “Honestly, I think she might love you more than me at this point. She wants to show off the handsome gringo who works at the fire station.”

Buck laughed, knowing that it wasn’t true but appreciating the sentiment anyway. Later, it would probably hit him that going to this party would mean meeting Eddie’s parents, his sisters, and how incredibly hard it was going to be to hide the fact that he was head over heels for his Diaz boys. Right now, though, he was still floating on the feeling of Eddie calling him family and the bright, blinding smile that was filling his best friend’s face. Eddie placed a hand on Buck’s shoulder, taking even more of Buck’s attention. 

“Hey, listen, you wanna come over tonight? Chris is gonna be off the walls when he finds out you’re coming to the party, and it will definitely be easier to deal with if you’re actually in the house. We can order pizza.”

Eddie sounded like he was trying to convince Buck, as if he needed it. Buck agreed almost immediately, saying that he’d meet Eddie at the house after going to his own to shower and change. Eddie bid him a goodbye for now, patting his shoulder a few times before heading off to his truck. Buck watched him go with a wide smile and cheeks tinged pink, excited to spend the night with his boys. 

------------

Eddie had lost track of how many times he’d needed to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down today. Even Christopher’s infectious smile and laughter of excitement weren’t helping today. Chris was so excited for the party, to see Eddie’s parents and his cousins, that it had been near impossible to get him dressed and fed this morning. Even still, Eddie couldn’t help but think that there was nothing, no one, he would ever love more than this kid as he watched his son dance in his car seat as they drove to Buck’s apartment. Eddie and Buck had agreed that it would be easier to all arrive at Abuela’s together, rather than worry about Buck getting there before they did or about him getting lost trying to find them if they did. 

Eddie couldn’t believe that he had actually stood in front of Buck five days ago, inviting him to this party. Every word he’d said to Buck was true- he was family, and Abuela had indeed invited him. He didn’t mention the full reason as to why Abuela had insisted Eddie invite “his handsome Evan”. Eddie had practically shut down in embarrassment when his grandmother had told him to ask Buck to join them. Of all people, he should have known Isabel would both figure out and use against him the fact that he loved Buck. Like seriously loved him. The implication of Buck being “his” from Isabel had Eddie so red that he hadn’t even dared speak for minutes after out of fear of embarrassing himself. Dios, they weren’t even together and Eddie was so nervous about Buck meeting his family. 

Eddie texted his best friend when they arrived outside the apartment complex, not surprised when less than a minute later Buck was climbing into the truck. Eddie practically had to look away; he was almost positive that God had put Buck on this earth just to test him. Buck was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, which had faded to lighter on the thighs and hugged his hips basically perfectly, and a white crew neck, and an olive green bomber jacket. It wasn’t anything he wouldn’t wear any other day, but it still had Eddie’s mouth going dry. What kind of cliché was he, falling for his best friend. Eddie greeted him with a natural smile, one he found himself wearing all too often around Buck, and Chris was greeting Buck excitedly as he buckled his seat-belt. 

“What’s up, superman?” Buck greeted his son, reaching back for a high five. Eddie let himself take a deep, calming breath while Buck was distracted, his nerves growing again, but it was unfortunately caught by his best friend. Buck was looking him over with a watchful eye, as if checking for injury. 

“You good, Eddie?” 

Eddie didn’t look at him, worrying his lip as he pulled out of Buck’s parking lot. He glanced in the rear-view mirror at Chris, making sure his son was sufficiently distracted by the Mega Bloks- the only form of Lego-style toys that Eddie would allow Chris to play with in the car- before quietly answering Buck. He wasn’t going to get away with not having this conversation, he knew.

“I’m fine. Just nervous,” Eddie mumbled, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. Buck smiled at him a little, though mostly out of confusion. Buck twisted a little in his seat so he was facing Eddie with more than just his head. 

“You’re nervous? Isn’t that supposed to be my job?”

Eddie’s lips twitched up in response to Buck’s joke, but he shook his head. “It’s just- well. I haven’t seen them since the funeral.”

Eddie knew he didn’t have to explain whose funeral, and dropped his voice a little as he said the word, another glance towards Chris. He didn’t think he’d ever had a harder conversation than when he had to tell Chris his mother was gone. Buck’s hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing lightly in comfort. Eddie appreciated the gesture, giving his friend a small smile.

“What happened?” Buck asked quietly, and Eddie felt a surge of affection for his friend. Of course Buck would know that it wasn’t just the memory of the funeral that was getting him. Chris was in the back seat, humming to himself and showing no sign that he was even aware of the low voiced conversation Eddie and Buck were having in the front seats of the truck. Eddie was glad his son wasn’t paying attention; he didn’t need Chris to hear what his grandparents had been talking about last time they were here.

Eddie glanced at Buck with a slightly souring expression. “They kept telling me that moving to LA was a mistake, that I should go back to Texas.”

Buck stared at him, mouth agape, not sure what to say. “They want you to what? Move to Te- Eddie. . .”

“Don’t look so panicked, Buck. I obviously didn’t agree.” It had been a year since the funeral, since his parents kept pushing the matter of moving back home until Eddie had pretty much yelled at him, kissed his grandmother on the cheek, and took Chris home. 

“ Why did they want you to move back to Texas? You’ve got your job here, Chris’ school, the 118,” Buck voiced, sounding almost fearful. Like he was worried Eddie was suddenly going to realize that his family had been right and book it out of California. 

Eddie felt tense as he took a deep breath, explaining to Buck, “Papi kept telling me “El Paso has fires, too, mijo.” That when he and Mami weren’t telling me that firefighting wasn’t a good job to have while raising Christopher. They don’t think it’s good for Chris and his single father to be so far away from his family. Because apparently Abuela and Tía don’t live 20 minutes away or anything. The entire time they were visiting they kept trying to get me to agree to move back home. I kept insisting that we were fine- because we are- and that we didn’t need help so finally they went home. Now we don’t talk as much on the phone, they haven’t visited since, and you know we haven’t either. I guess I’m just nervous that. . .”

“That they’re going to see you and Chris at the party and think you guys haven’t made a life for yourselves here, or that you were wrong when you said you would be fine.”

Sometimes Eddie hates how well Buck knows him, because, yes, that was exactly what he was afraid of. His silence is clearly enough confirmation for Buck that he was right, and he hears his best friend sigh.

“Eddie, you weren’t . You weren’t wrong about staying here, okay? And I know you know that.”

Eddie sighed, then nodded. He did know that, logically. Still, he knew they would be awaiting his family’s judgements and worry as soon as they pulled up. Eddie didn’t mention to Buck that his parents’ nagging had gotten worse after the tsunami- it still wasn’t and would never be Buck’s fault, but he still carried so much guilt- and he didn’t mention that he couldn’t leave LA if for no other reason that it would break both his and Christopher’s hearts to leave Buck behind. Buck was his best friend, partner, and practically his co-parent at this point. Not to mention he was pretty much Christopher’s favorite person. 

Buck knew that if they continued to talk about this, it was bound to be overheard by Chris, and also that Eddie didn’t want to think about it any more than he had to. So the rest of the car ride, which was only about five minutes more, they truck was silent save for Chris humming to the Spanish singing playing over the radio.
Thankfully, the nine year old didn’t seem to notice the heavy air between his father and Buck, and was eager to get out of the truck as soon as they pulled into the driveway. The street was lined with cars, but it seemed Abuela had made sure Eddie’s usual parking spot was accessible; it was the easiest spot for Chris to get in and out. Eddie took one last breath, nodding at Buck who gave him a look as if asking “You ready?”

Buck moved to the back door of the truck, gripping Chris under the armpits to let him down before handing him his crutches. Eddie smiled at the sound of his family laughing and chatting in the backyard. Whatever was going on with him and his parents, he really loved these big chaotic gatherings. Buck was a steady, comforting presence at his side, though a part of Eddie wished Buck would grab his hand. But this wasn’t the time for that. They reached the backyard, where everyone was, and Eddie could spot his Abuela sitting at a table in the far corner of her large yard. Chris, it seemed, immediately spotted his cousins, who were playing by the tree near the fence. Chris quickly twisted to look at his dad in question, making Eddie smile and lean down to his son, pressing a kiss to his hair. “Go wish Abuela a feliz cumpleaños first, buddy.”

Chris nodded, walking as fast as his crutches would take him towards Isabel, and Eddie could see Buck watching him with a wide smile. Thank god Buck loved that kid as much as he did. He turned towards his friend to say something- maybe to thank him, he wasn’t sure really- when he heard a familiar voice calling out to him. 

“Edmundo!”

Eddie turned to his father, who was walking up quickly with his mother in tow. He greeted them with a genuine, though tense smile, nudging Buck to pay attention. 

He hugged both his parents before stepping back, putting a hand on Buck’s shoulder. “Buck, these are my parents, Ramon and Helena. Mami, Papi, this is Evan Buckley. We work together at the 118.”

Both his parents smiled politely at Buck, though they both seemed slightly confused at his presence there. 

“Isabel mentioned you would be coming. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Helena said as she shook Buck’s hand. 

“You, too, ma’am. Eddie’s told me a lot about you,” Buck responded, moving to shake Ramon’s hand next. Eddie noticed he didn’t mention whether or not what he had heard was good things. If Eddie took half a step closer to Buck, neither firefighter commented. Buck was the picture of politeness as he greeted Eddie’s parents. No one in the backyard, save for Eddie, would ever notice the tension in his back that signaled nerves, the way his jaw was set in ever so slight annoyance, or how Buck seemed to be favoring the leg that hadn’t been crushed under the ladder truck. It worried Eddie to see Buck standing like that, hoping that his leg wasn’t bothering him as it so often did. 

“Well, you seem to have certainly charmed my mother, Evan,” Ramon said. It was odd to hear Buck’s first name; unless it was out of politeness, Buck never let anyone but Maddie call him Evan. “Come, join us before she kidnaps you for the rest of the afternoon.”

Buck laughed goodheartedly, looking back at Eddie with a smile playing on his lips. Eddie gestured for Buck to follow them as he was told, keeping in step with his best friend. Eddie had no idea what his father would say if he knew it wasn’t just Isabel that Buck had so effortlessly charmed. 

Or maybe, Eddie discovered, it was a completely natural Diaz reaction to Evan Buckley. It seemed everyone- his sisters, his aunts, the kids, everyone- naturally fell for Buck’s bright smile, entrapping stories, and, if the looks his youngest sister was giving the firefighter were any indication, his breathtaking looks. Needless to say, Eddie steered Buck clear from Sophia as much as he could the rest of the afternoon. Finally, when the rounds had been made and Eddie had greeted as many family members as he could stomach and introduced Buck to them- as his best friend, partner, co-worker, it changed practically every time- the two of them approached Isabel and Pepa. The two women jumped up at the sight of them, each going to wrap one of them in a tight hug. Eddie had gotten so much closer with his grandmother and aunt since moving to LA, and slowly but surely, Buck was becoming just as close. Eddie supposed it was only natural; what else would come out of a relationship after that many trips to the hospital between them all?

Eddie and Buck both wished Isabel a happy birthday, planting kisses on her cheeks at the same time. She smiled widely at the pair of them, gesturing for them to join her at the table. Buck pressed up close to him as they sat, surrounded by Eddie’s parents, his older sister Adriana and her husband, and a few more distant cousins and their spouses. Eddie was trying not to think about how natural Buck looked, sitting around Eddie’s family and against his side. Eddie, giving in just slightly to the urge to wrap an arm around Buck, threw his arm on the back of Buck’s chair, leaning back as he watched his family. 

“So, Buck, ” Adriana started, turning all the tables’ attention towards the two firefighters. “Eddie says you two met at work?”

“Um, yeah. We had a bit of a rocky start, but I mean, who wouldn’t be friends after pulling a grenade out of someone’s leg together, right?” Buck smiled at Eddie, who fondly rolled his eyes in response and ignored the shocked looks from his family. Isabel and Pepa looked proud at the boys’ accomplishments, but everyone who hadn’t heard the story before looked like they were scandalized by the danger. Eddie waved them off, looking to his worried mother with an apology. 

“Evan here is also to thank for keeping our little Christopher safe during the tsunami,” Isabel piped up with pride in her voice, though Eddie could feel how Buck tensed next to him. Eddie shot his grandmother a glare.

“Abuela!” he chastised, causing her to raise her hands in mock surrender. Buck looked at him, shaking his head with a soft smile. “It’s fine, Eddie.”

“Are you sure? I know you don’t like talking about it.” 

The family around them was like an afterthought, all silently watching the interaction between them. Eddie had subconsciously moved his hand to rub at the spot between Buck’s shoulder blades, keeping his eyes trained on Buck’s blue ones. Eddie could see the pain in them, the guilt he carried despite how many times Eddie had told him that what happened with Chris wasn’t his fault, that he hadn’t done anything wrong, and that he was simply grateful that they were both safe, healthy, and had found each other in the end. Eddie could see the memories of nightmares, when both of them would frantically call each other because Buck needed to see Chris, or because Chris wouldn’t settle without hearing Buck’s voice. But it was all getting better, the nightmares were less frequent and Buck didn’t panic every time he thought about it. 

“I’m fine, Eddie. We’re miles away from the water, and Chris is safe. Nothing to worry about.”

Eddie nodded, and if he leaned his a little forward, he would be able to rest their foreheads together. He didn’t, and after a minute more of silence, his mother piped up from across the table. 

“So it is true, then? You were with Christopher when the tsunami hit?”

Suddenly, their little bubble away from the loud, chatting backyard had popped, and Buck sat up a little straighter, looking at the Diaz family. 

“Yeah, I was. Eddie was at work, and I had taken Chris down to the pier for the day, and we were still there when the first wave hit.”

“I’m sorry, you were alone with Chris?” Adriana interrupted, looking back and forth between Eddie and Buck. When Eddie and Buck both nodded, looking confused, her mouth dropped. 

“Eddie, you barely let me be alone with Chris, and I’m both related to him and have kids of my own.”

Eddie opened and shut his mouth, looking for an explanation and coming up with nothing. It was true, there were very few people he had ever trusted to be alone with Christopher, a number that had dwindled greatly after Shannon left. He trusted Abuela, Pepa, Carla. . . and Buck. He trusted Buck explicitly and without fault when it came to Christopher. No one he trusted more. Eddie’s face felt hot and red at his sister’s comment, and he avoided looking at Buck. He was sure to only get more embarrassed if he did. Hell, he’d probably accidentally announce some undying love for his best friend, and wouldn’t that make for an interesting party. Thankfully, he was saved from his embarrassment, and Buck was saved from regaling the Diaz family with his least favorite story by the boy in question. 

“Daddy! Bucky!”

Both firefighters were quick to turn to look at Chris, who was walking up to the table. He was moving a little slower than normal, and his lip seemed to wobble, pairing with his downcast and watery eyes. Eddie sat up straighter, looking his son over. It didn’t take long before he spotted the dark, wet looking stains on his pant leg, right below where the cloth was ripped. Chris looked to have scraped his knee pretty badly, and it was clearly hurting him. Eddie’s mind flashed to the skateboarding incident, and he was desperately hoping his cousins hadn’t convinced Chris to try something that would lead to a conversation he was sure he wouldn’t want to have. Christopher reached Buck first and was quick to scramble into Buck’s lap. Buck shifted him tightly against his chest, brushing a hand through Chris’ hair and Eddie shifted the denim of his son’s jeans, trying to look at the injury. 

“What happened, superman?” Buck mumbled into Christopher’s ear, using the same calming tone he would when the boy had a nightmare. Eddie rubbed at his son’s shin, trying to comfort him before he got anymore upset. 

“I was going- going to get some water and I tripped. My crutch got stuck on a branch.”

Christopher’s voice was low and sad as he told them how he’d hurt his knee. Eddie’s heart ached in the same way it always did when Chris got hurt. Sometimes all he wanted to do was wrap this kid in as much bubble wrap as he could, protect him from everything. 

“That’s okay, Chris,” Eddie told him, squeezing his leg. “It doesn’t like you hurt yourself too bad, we just need to clean the scrapes, okay?”

Chris nodded, leaning his head back a little onto Buck’s shoulder. Buck turned his head to get a better look at the young kid, asking, “Do you want to go with dad to get cleaned up, or do you want me to help you out, Chris?”

“I want you,” Chris responded, patting his hand over Buck’s. Eddie couldn’t help smile at his boys, leaning back so Buck could stand up easier. 

“All right, bud, let’s go wash your knee and get you a change of pants.”

“I’ve got a change of clothes for him in-”

“In the duffle in the back seat of the truck, yeah,” Buck interrupted with a smile, holding his hand out for the car keys. Eddie smiled back at him, feeling ease at the fact that Buck knew exactly where he kept extra stuff for Chris. Buck carried Chris through the backyard. Eddie could see Buck whisper something in his son’s ear that made Chris ring out in infectious laughter. Satisfied that Buck had Chris safe and they’d both be fine, he turned back to the rest of his table, surprised to find the entire table staring at him silently, blinking their eyes as if they didn’t know what they were seeing. Everyone except his grandmother, that was, so was watching him with a smug, satisfied look in her eyes. 

“What?”

That seemed to get them out of whatever sort of trance they were in, all turning to look at each other instead, low mumblings of Spanish between them.

“What?” Eddie stressed again, feeling exasperated. 

“Dude, you just let that hot firefighter take your injured son away from you, and you’re sitting there like it was no big deal?” his brother-in-law, Marco, piped up, looking confused. Eddie glared at him, trying to ignore the comment about Buck’s looks.

“What are you- It’s not a big deal. Buck has him.”

His sister just laughed at that comment, shaking her head at her brother. “Eddie, hermano, how are you not seeing this? Can you honestly say that if any one of us tried to do what Buck just did you wouldn’t insist on coming with or just helping Chris yourself? Clearly Buck has earned a lot of trust from you, and it’s just odd to see you so at ease with it all. You’re smiling and laughing nonstop, you act like you’ve known Buck for years and years when most of us didn’t even know he existed until today, and you’re letting someone help you out with Christopher. I don’t think I’ve seen you like this in a long time, Eddie.”

Eddie blushed at his sister’s words, thinking them over. She was right, he knew that. Buck had wormed his way into their lives in such a way that he was now a part of the foundation. Buck had been the reason he had Carla to help out, he was who Eddie went to after a long and hard day, he was Eddie and Christopher’s smiles and laughs when they struggled to find reasons for either, he’d been a rock after Shannon’s death, and a comfort after the tsunami. Buck was probably the single most important person in his and his son’s lives at this point. He made them happy. No wonder Eddie was completely ensorcelled by this man. Eddie wasn’t sure what to say in response to Adriana’s words, so he just sat back in his chair, looking at the grass below and knowing that everyone at the table could see the deep red going from his neck to the top of his head. He could feel his parents’ gaze on him. 

Once again, Eddie found himself saved by his son, though, when a small, familiar hand appeared on his forearm. Eddie looked up, smiling softly at his son. Chris was now wearing a fresh, unripped pair of jeans, and his usual bright smile visible for the entire backyard to see. Eddie shifted, pulling Chris onto his lap like he knew his son wanted. The boy was getting too big to sit on his lap all the time, but Eddie was far too much of a sucker to care, especially after his son had recently been hurt. 

“Hey, buddy. What’d you do with Buck, huh?”

“He’s inside. He got a phone call from Maddie, so he told me to come out to you.”

Eddie nodded to his son’s words, glancing towards the house where he could see Buck through the window. He didn’t look worried or upset, which was good. Everyone on the team knew that Eddie and Buck would be at the party today, so it was a little unusual for Maddie to call Buck, but it didn’t worry him. 

The rest of the table finally seemed to get themselves together, and were no longer focusing all of their attention on Eddie, Christopher, and Buck. Eddie couldn’t help but be grateful for their shift in attention; he’d never liked having the spotlight on him, and he’s had enough scrutiny of his relationship with Buck for one day. Eddie could feel Christopher growing sleepy against his chest, his weight relying more on his father and breathing going deeper. It was the first time Eddie really thought about the fact that it had been hours since they’d arrived at the house, the sun slowly lowering in the distance. He should probably get Chris home soon, unless he wanted to deal with a grumpy nine year old later. It wasn’t just Chris either; Eddie could see his nieces and nephews all slowly wandering towards their parents, could hear as the shrieks of laughter quieted. 

It wasn’t long after that Buck returned, approaching quietly as he noticed Chris asleep against Eddie’s chest. 

“Hey, everything okay?” Eddie whispered, trying not to jostle or wake Christopher. Buck nodded, a sad smile on his face. “Mads just got a bad call, one involving siblings. She just needed to talk for a minute.”

Eddie smiled in sympathy, looking over to where Adriana, Sophia, Isabella, and Emily had all gathered. He could understand needing support from your siblings. Even when they hit on his best friend or teased him relentlessly, those women meant everything to him. 

After a few minutes of comfortable silence between them, Buck nodded down towards Chris, “We should probably get him home.”

The way he so casually said that, the implication of home being one united destination for all three of them, made Eddie’s heart thump. He nodded to the words, carefully standing up without waking his son. Buck followed suit, and the two of them as quietly as they could wished everyone a good night, with the promise of calling Abuela later. His sisters blew them all kisses, smiling down at the sleeping boy cradled in Eddie’s arms. They were about halfway through their quiet walk back to the truck when Eddie was stopped by a hand on his arm. He turned, Buck stopping as well, to see his parents standing there with an odd look on their faces. Sensing that they wanted to talk, Eddie passed Chris carefully into Buck’s waiting arms so his best friend could get Christopher in the car. 

He looked at his parents in question, slightly surprised when his mom’s arms wound themselves around his shoulders. 

“Eddie,” his father began, putting his arm around his wife’s waist when she stepped back. “We would like to apologize to you.”

Eddie furrowed his brow, thinking back on the day. “Apologize? What for?”

His mother smiled tentatively, “For what happened at Shannon’s funeral.”

Ah. That. The one thing Eddie had been able to successfully avoid all day long. 

“We were wrong,” Helena continued. “We thought that Christopher- and you- would be better off in El Paso with us. But we can see the happiness in your eyes, Eddie. You look. . . like you belong here. And clearly,” she gestured to where Buck had wandered off to, “you are both being taken care of and loved.”

“That’s all we want for you, Eddie. So we apologize for acting differently, or saying that Los Angeles was a mistake for you both.”

Eddie looked between both of his parents, feeling the sincerity of their words. He smiled at them both, placing a hand onto his father’s shoulder. His voice low and quiet, he let out, “Thank you.”

His parents smiled, though his father raised his eye. “Though, I can’t say we’d complain if you came to visit more often, Edmundo. You can bring that firefighter of yours, if you’d like. It seems like that one will be sticking around for a while.”

His father had a teasing glint in his eyes and tone, and Eddie huffed out a laugh, his hand sliding off his father’s shoulder. He looked to the driveway through the window, where he could see Buck in the passenger seat of his truck, smiling down at something on his phone. If Eddie had any say in it, Buck would be sticking around forever. He didn’t say that out loud to his parents, but if the knowing smile on his mother’s face was any indication, he knew she understood anyway. With one final goodbye to them, Eddie wandered out of the house and to where his two wonderful, beautiful, joy-striking boys were waiting for him.