Chapter Text
Like every morning, his father knocked on his door to see if the boy was awake yet, and with his approval the dark-haired man entered his son's room with a small smile on his face.
“Good morning hijo”
“Good morning Papi” Chris continued sitting on his bed just watching the older man hand him his crutches.~
“Excited for today?”
“Of course” Chris lied as he got up to change for the day.
"Good." Eddie smiled at the youngest and showed him the change of clothes he had set aside for him. “I hope you behave today. I’ll have a 24-hour shift, but if you need me, you know you can call me whenever you want.”
“I know dad.”
Eddie helped the little one get changed while talking about the previous day's school assignment, where the two of them together put together a model of the universe, and how Chris wanted everything to be perfect for his presentation in the next week's science class. Soon after getting ready, the older man walked to the kitchen with his son, where the pancakes that his abuela had left for them the day before were waiting for them, already heated.
“Did your mother say what the schedule would be for today?” Eddie asked to try and dispel the tension that had lingered around the two while they ate.
“Something about going to the movies, I don’t know.” Chris shrugged as he brought the fork with a piece of pancake to his mouth.
Before the older man could say anything, the doorbell rang, and Eddie knew it was his ex-wife who was there to pick up Christopher.
“It must be your mother.” Chris just nodded in agreement, continuing to eat without really caring.
It wasn't like Christopher didn't like his mother, but after she abandoned him with his father, he never thought she would come back to them. But after four years she was back, saying she wanted to redeem herself and get back to them both. Chris didn't like the idea, he was already used to living alone with his father, Aunt Pepa and Abuela.
Chris also knew that his father no longer felt the same way about his mother, he also knew that the older man was trying at all costs to ask for a divorce, but the woman didn't want to sign it, thinking in mind that she would be able to return to the Diaz boys.
Despite his age, Chris understood a lot, knowing that he was smart enough to realize that all his mother wanted was something stable for her, and unfortunately, his father would be her means to achieving her stability.
"Hi son." The youngest was dispersed from his thoughts when he heard the voice of the woman beside him.
"Hey."
"Let's go? We have a long day ahead, darling.”
“Here son.” Eddie handed him his bag that the two of them had packed the night before for the day he would spend with his mother.
"Thanks Dad." Chris thanked him politely, leaving the now empty plate behind, taking the crutches that his father also handed him.
Eddie helped the youngest get into the woman's car, putting the belt around him, watching as Chris arranged his crutches next to him along with his bag. The older man smiled at his son, thinking about how much he had grown.
“Take care, son, you know that anything you can call me, or Abuela.”
“I know Papi, don’t worry.”
Chris smiled at his father and watched as the older man pulled his mother aside and began talking to her. From the expression on the man's face, Chris knew that the conversation was not going well, mainly due to the fact that while his mother was trying to get closer to his father, the man was moving further and further away. After a few minutes the woman got into the car irritated, slamming the door hard.
“Ready for today son?” Shannon forced a smile, turning her face so she could look at her son in the backseat.
"Clear."
“We just have to make a quick stop at the beach, son.” Shannon spoke as she turned her attention to the steering wheel and started the car.
"All good." Chris smiled at the news that he would see the sea once again.
The boy loved the sea, but he almost never had a chance to visit the beach. His father was always busy with work, and Chris didn't like burdening his abuela by asking her for things, even though he knew the woman would do anything for him.
“Will we be able to see the sea up close?”
“Just for the pier, son.” Shannon responded by waving her hands dismissively, continuing to drive down the road without paying much attention to her son in the backseat.
“It’s already great.” Chris muttered grumpily.
It had only been a month since his mother had returned to his life, and it was the fourth weekend that Shannon had picked him up from his father's house. Every weekend it was the same thing, the two of them went to the rented house where his mother was living, he stayed in the living room or guest room just watching tv, until the next day came and his father came to pick him up. Chris didn't tell his father the truth because he knew the man would worry about him, and the youngest knew that his father was already too worried about his work.
When Chris felt the car stop, his gaze went straight to the window, seeing in the distance the beautiful blue that he loved so much, and not even his mother's bad mood would ruin that wonderful view.
“Come on son, it’ll be quick.”
Chris accepted his mother's help, grabbing one of her crutches so he could have support as he walked alongside the woman. The two walked side by side for a few minutes, until Shannon turned to the smaller one and crouched down to be Chris' size, smiling at him.
“Mommy will have to leave you alone now, but just for a few minutes, okay son?” Chris furrowed his eyebrows, thinking about how crazy his mother could be to leave a child his age alone in a strange place. “It will be quick, I promise.” Shannon didn't even let the youngest say anything, already getting up and pointing in a direction. “Why don’t you sit on that bench and watch the sea for a while, while mom quickly goes and gets something.”
*
It turned out that the few minutes that his mother had told him had extended to more than half an hour. Chris was already impatient, swinging his legs angrily. The boy looked everywhere trying to see his mother in the crowd of people that only grew as time passed.
“Hey.” Chris was taken out of his thoughts when he heard a soft voice next to him. Looking at the man who had called him, his vision was flooded with a blue as beautiful as the sea.
"Hey." Chris spoke reluctantly. His father always taught him not to talk to strangers, but the boy was so impatient that all he wanted was to have something to do.
“Sorry for asking, but why are you here alone, Superman?” the man next to him asked him with a worried look, also looking around, looking for where those responsible were.
“My mom went to get something, but she hasn’t come back yet.”
“Can I wait with you until she comes back?” the man with the pretty eye asked, and although Chris wanted to refuse, he didn't want to be alone again. Chris also had a slight impression that the man beside him was trustworthy.
“Okay, but I want to know your name.” Chris tried to put on an angry face, but that only made him much cuter, eliciting a chuckle from the older man.
“My name is Evan, but my friends call me Buck.” The man's smile was illuminating, looking like a ray of sunshine, and Chris liked how Buck's smile made his pink birthmark stand out on his face. “What about yours, Superman?”
“I’m Christopher, but you can call me Chris if you want.”
*
Another half hour passed and Chris could easily tell that Buck had become his best friend. The two talked so easily that Chris doubted the man beside him could be that old.
The two discussed what their favorite Disney movies were, and which superheroes they liked the most. They even shared their culinary tastes, with Buck having to promise that he would cook for him someday in the future. Now the two were in a comfortable silence, with Chris standing on the wooden bench, Buck holding his shirt so that the smaller one wouldn't lose his balance and eventually fall.
“Hey Buck.” Chris called, cutting the silence between the two, the concern in his voice catching Buck's attention.
“What was it Superman?”
“Where did all the water go?” his question seemed to spark concern in the beautiful blue eyes of the man beside him.
Buck quickly turned back, seeing that the seawater was no longer there. Buck knew what that meant, so his instincts told him to pick up the youngest and run while yelling at the others around him to run.
The next thing Buck felt was water hitting his back.