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The shift at the 118 had been q-word and for Eddie, it was the longest twelve hours of his life. Every time the alarms didn’t drop, his mind drifted back to Evan Buckley, currently in a dentist’s chair, getting his wisdom teeth yanked out.
He’d wanted to be the one to pick him up. He’d practically begged Bobby for the shift swap, but with Hen out for a family vacation, and Buck out, they needed all the bodies they could get. Maddie had stepped in, promising to handle her baby brother’s care, but that didn't stop Eddie from checking his phone every three minutes like an anxious teenager waiting to hear back from a crush.
Five hours into his shift, his phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. Eddie practically dove for it. He swiped it open, ready to read 'He's fine and at home resting' but instead, he saw an incoming call from Maddie.
He answered quickly, his voice tight with alarm. "Maddie? Is he okay? Did something go wrong?"
"Eddie," Maddie said, her voice thick with genuine, uncontrollable laughter. She sounded like she was leaning against a wall to keep from collapsing.
"What is it? Maddie?"
"He - I can't," she wheezed, her laughter bubbling over. "He won't go with me. He’s refusing to leave the office without his husband."
Eddie frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Husband? Maddie, Buck’s not married. What are you talking about?"
"I’m gonna pee! HA!" Maddie choked out, still cackling. "He’s very convinced. Just… hold on."
There was a muffled clatter, frantic voices in the background, and then the sound of the speakerphone clicking on.
"My husband!" Buck’s voice drifted through the phone - thick, slurred, and unfiltered. "Give me my husband! He’s probably out there fighting a fire and he doesn't know I’m hurt! Call him! Where is he?!"
Eddie froze, the world narrowing down to the sound of Buck’s pouty, sedated insistence.
"Buck, honey," Maddie said, struggling to keep her composure, "tell me, what’s your husband’s name?"
"Edmundo Diaz!" Buck declared, his voice rising in volume. "He’s the best husband in the world and I want him! He has the truck! He has the snacks! He has the face! Tell him to come get me, Maddie! I’m being kidnapped by a dentist!"
Eddie stared at his phone, his thumb hovering over the screen, his face flushing a deep, burning red. He could hear the dentist's receptionist in the background trying to explain that the paperwork didn’t list Eddie as a spouse, merely just as an 'emergency contact,' and Buck was roaring, "That’s a lie! He’s my husband! Look at my ring!" Then a beat. “Where’s my ring?! You stole my wedding ring too! No!”
Eddie felt a strange, terrifying, and wonderful flutter in his chest that had nothing to do with the stress of the day. He let out a long, shaky breath, closing his eyes as a slow, helpless smile spread across his face.
"Well… fuck." Eddie whispered to air.
"You’re hearing this, right?" Maddie asked, her voice cracking. "He’s fully convinced you’re legally wed. He’s currently trying to look into the dental assistant’s pockets, looking for his non-existent wedding ring!"
Eddie grabbed his jacket, and started toward Bobby’s office. He didn't care about the shift anymore.
"Tell him to sit tight." Eddie said, his voice steady despite the chaos in his brain. "I’m on my way. Can I talk to him?"
“Buck. Buck, honey. Eddie’s on the phone.”
“EDDIE!” Buck screamed into the speaker, “Help me! I’m being kidnapped by the dentist and they stole my wedding ring!”
“No one stole your wedding ring… it’s… it’s here, uh, with me. For safe keeping.”
Eddie hadn’t meant to lie, but the words slipped out with the need to comfort a currently hysterical Buck. And he wanted it to be true.
"Oh, thank god," Buck sobbed - actually sobbed - into the phone. "I thought… I thought you left me. Why are you at work when I’m getting my teeth stolen?"
"I’m sorry that scared you, cariño," Eddie said, his voice dropping into a soft, grounding register as he rapped on Bobby’s office door. He saw Bobby look up, confused, but Eddie just held up a finger, signalling he needed a second. "I’m leaving right now. I’m coming straight to you. Just relax and wait for me, okay?"
"Okay." Buck mumbled, his voice thick with a mix of anaesthesia and pure, unadulterated relief. "Hurry. I want my husband."
Eddie’s heart did a flip in his chest and left him no choice but to promise, “I’m on my way.”
He hung up the phone and walked into the office. Bobby was already standing, his brow arched. "Eddie? Everything alright? Is it Buck?"
"He’s… having a reaction to the anaesthesia," Eddie said, his face still burning, though the heat had settled into something permanent and warm. "He’s a bit disoriented. Thinks we’re married. Actually, he’s currently convinced he’s been kidnapped by a dental office. I need to go get him."
Bobby stared at him for a long, silent beat. The captain’s eyes flickered from Eddie’s flushed face to the hand he was using to nervously thumb his own collar. A slow, knowing smile tugged at the corners of Bobby’s mouth.
"He thinks you're his husband?" Bobby repeated, his tone far too amused for Eddie’s liking.
"He’s high as a kite, Cap." Eddie defended, though it lacked any real bite.
"Right." Bobby chuckled, reaching for his radio. "Go on then. Go rescue your husband from the evil dentist office."
As he climbed into his truck, Eddie’s heart was back to hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.
Husband.
He knew Buck would wake up later, the drugs would wear off, and the embarrassment would set in. He’d probably apologize a thousand times, turning that bright, vulnerable shade of red that only ever appeared when he was terrified he’d overstepped.
But as Eddie pulled out of the station, his thumb traced over the spot on his own finger where a band would be - where it was supposed to be. He realized, with a terrifying, wonderful clarity, that he wasn't going to correct him.
Not today at least.
The drive to the clinic was a blur and when he finally skidded into the parking lot, he didn’t even bother to park properly, sliding into a nearby loading zone. He jogged through the automatic glass doors, his uniform shirt slightly untucked from his hurry. The receptionist looked like she was teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown and the look of utter relief on her face was startling when she saw Eddie enter.
“Are you the husband?”
“Uh… yes?”
“Thank goodness you could come.” She said as she pointed to a room, “He’s in there.”
Eddie thanked her then went through the door. And there was Buck, sitting in a dentist chair, draped in a light blue paper bib that was splattered with a bit of blood, looking like a dishevelled, indignant prince waiting for his rescue.
Maddie was next to him on one of the plastic seats for parents to sit on, still laughing. The dentist and his assistant looked like they were contemplating their entire career.
The second Buck’s eyes landed on Eddie, his entire demeanour shifted. The pout vanished, replaced by a radiant, hazy expression of pure sunshine.
"EDDIE!" Buck chirped, reaching out for him like a toddler demanding a carry.
Eddie didn't think. He just crossed the room in three long strides and grabbed Buck's hands with his own.
"I'm here, Buck. I'm here."
Buck leaned into him, burying his nose in the crook of Eddie’s neck, his breath smelling faintly of sterile gauze and peppermint mouthwash. "They didn't believe me," Buck mumbled against his skin, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial, intoxicated whisper. "They said you’re not listed as my husband on my paperwork… I think they’re homophobic. They’re teeth stealing homophobes, Eds!”
Eddie glanced apologetically at the dentist, especially as he was wearing a transgender pin on his scrubs, before looking at Buck, “They’re not homophobic, cariño. We… We just haven’t updated the paperwork.”
“Ooooh! That makes sense. You’re so smart, Eddie.”
“Thank you.” Eddie went to help Buck stand, “Come on, let’s get you home.”
“Wait!” Buck paused, looking at Eddie with big pupils and flushed cheeks. He opened his hand as if demanding something. “Where’s my ring?”
“Oh no.” Maddie muttered as she stood.
Eddie looked up, catching Maddie’s gaze. She was watching them, her expression a mix of amusement, surprise, and a small sense of weariness - knowing that there was no ring and Buck was highly emotional right now and probably couldn’t handle that reality. He looked back at Buck.
Eddie reached into his pocket. He didn’t have a wedding ring. But he did have a stupid capybara keyring. It was a gift from Jee-yun. She had given it to him yesterday when she came to the firehouse for a visit. He put it in his pocket and honestly forgot about it until now. He took it out, hoping with everything he had that it would work, and pressed the cool metal of the keyring’s hoop into Buck’s palm.
The entire room held their breaths as Buck took in the keychain.
Buck let out a long, contented sigh, his head lolling back against Eddie’s shoulder. "I knew it. You always take care of me."
"Always." Eddie whispered, the word feeling heavier, more permanent, than he’d intended. “Let’s go home.”
Getting Buck out of the dental office was an exercise in precision. Eddie had one arm securely draped around Buck’s waist, while Buck’s arm was slung over Eddie’s shoulders, his fingers occasionally wandering to graze Eddie’s throat. Every time they passed a mirror or a reflective window in the hallway, Buck would stop, squint at their reflection, and nod solemnly as if to congratulate himself.
“Are you taking him back to yours?” Maddie asked as they got outside.
“Yeah.” Eddie informed her, “Chris and I’ll look after him.”
Maddie smiled, eyes swimming with adoration, “I know you two will.” She then kissed Buck’s cheek lightly, “I’ll come see you tomorrow, baby brother. Be good and don’t get on Eddie’s nerves too much, yeah?”
"I never get on his nerves." Buck slurred, entirely convinced. "That's why he married me, Mads."
“If you say so, Evan.” Maddie chuckled, shaking her head before leaving.
They went to where Eddie had parked and as Buck was slumped against the passenger side of the truck, he spoke again, “Eddie?”
"Yeah, Buck?"
"Are we... Are we going home? The real home? With the couch and our... Chris..." He trailed off, his brow furrowing as he grew more fuzzy.
Eddie got the truck open and helped Buck in.
“Yeah. We’re going to our real home, Buck.” Eddie said, helping him buckle up. “Chris is at school at the moment but he’ll be home tonight.”
Buck smiled brightly, his hand clutching the keychain - the makeshift wedding ring. “I like that. Going home with you. Having Chris home.”
“Me too.” Eddie responded then closed Buck’s door and ran over to the other side and slid into the driver’s seat. He turned to see Buck - who had tears rolling down his cheeks. “Hey. Hey. What’s wrong, cariño? Why the tears?” He reached to wipe them away.
Buck sniffled, “Don't let go of me, okay? Even when we get home. No letting go."
Eddie paused, his hand still on Buck’s face, his heart doing that terrifying, wonderful flip again.
"I’m not going anywhere, Buck," Eddie said seriously. “And neither are you. Or Chris. We’re going home and we’re never letting go.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
The drive home was quiet, save for Buck’s intermittent, nonsensical commentary about any little thing he saw. When they finally pulled into the driveway, Eddie didn't wait for Buck to unbuckle himself. He walked around, opened the door, and all but carried Buck inside.
Inside the quiet house, Eddie navigated the hallway to his bedroom. He laid the semi-conscious man down on the bed, pulled the blankets up, and went to strip off his own work boots. By the time he turned back, Buck had already kicked off his shoes and was burrowed into the pillows, the keyring still clutched firmly in his fist. He looked up at Eddie, his hair a wild, soft mess.
"Come cuddle me." Buck demanded, his voice thick with sleep. He patted the empty space beside him on the mattress. "Please."
Fuck.
How was Eddie supposed to say ‘no’ to such a request?
Eddie sighed, a soft, defeated sound, and climbed in. As soon as he settled, Buck drifted toward him, tucking his head into the space between Eddie’s chin and shoulder, his breathing evening out into the rhythmic pattern of deep sleep.
Eddie stared at the ceiling, his heart racing.
Tomorrow, he would have to explain.
Tomorrow, he would have to face the music.
But as Buck’s hand shifted to rest heavily over Eddie’s chest, right over his heart, keychain dangling from his fingers, Eddie decided that tomorrow was a long way away.
The End :3