Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Okay!” Buck happily exclaimed, clasping his hands together as he admired his finished creation. Two containers packed with chicken tinga, a third one filled to the brim with warm tortillas, and a few smaller ones for the sides. Very basic, classic, and quick to make, but no less one of Eddie’s favourite comfort foods. He’d seemed a little down these past few days, so it wouldn’t hurt to try and cheer him up with something good and familiar.

“Now we only need to pack these up, and then we’ll bring them to your daddy, yeah?”

He turned around, fully expecting his two-year-old to be sitting in her chair, quietly eating her veggie soup like the behaved little girl she usually was, only to flinch so hard his whole body jolted.

“Sofie, what—“ The shock punched the air from his chest. He quickly cut himself off, grabbing a handful of paper towels and dampening them as fast as he could. With a sigh, he took the bowl and spoon away from her and wiped her mouth clean, though it didn’t make much difference considering the chaos in front of him.

There was soup everywhere. On her clothes, her cheeks, her little hands, splattered across the table… and somehow even across the floor.

“I turn my back for thirty seconds, and you go and turn the kitchen into a war zone…” Buck whispered under his breath, pulling off her bib and lifting her into his arms. Another sigh left his lips as he quickly washed her hands, then hurried to her room to grab a clean shirt.

He changed her into a yellow sweater with bees on it before returning to tackle the mess on the table and the floor. That alone ate up several more precious minutes.

Despite having promised his coworkers that he’d be at the station by 10, one quick glance at the time told him that he was already 15 minutes late, making him groan and pack the containers at record speed.

He slung the bag around his shoulder, grabbed his keys, slipped into his shoes, then picked up Sofie from where she’d been playing with a toy car on the floor. Outside, it took another two minutes to tuck her securely into her seat and strap the food bag down before he finally dropped into the driver’s seat with a heavy exhale.

“Alright, you excited to see everyone again? Hen, Chim, Bobby? I bet they’ve missed you,” he asked loudly as he pulled out of the driveway. Through the rearview mirror, he didn’t miss the way her little face lit up at the mention of bobby’s name. He had always been like a third grandfather to her, and they both loved each other to pieces.

Smiling, and a bit more relaxed than before, Buck turned the music up and sang along to some children’s songs in hopes of keeping her entertained. Which turned out to be a great idea, because she smiled and babbled happily the whole drive, all the way until they finally pulled into the station’s parking lot.

He swiftly got out, then hurried to the back. “Okay, come on, angel,” he muttered as he pulled her out and held her tight with one arm, supporting her on his hip, before he grabbed the bag with his free hand.

A comforting wave washed over him the moment he stepped into the station. All the different scents of the alphas here, of his pack, tickled his nose in a welcoming and grounding way. Luckily they all seemed to be in a good mood.

He had barely reached the top of the stairs before Hen’s loud shriek echoed through the loft.

“Oh my god, look what cute baby girl finally showed up!” She squealed in excitement just as she jogged up to them and scooped the toddler from Buck’s arm, hugging her tightly and smothering her in kisses.

Had it been anyone else, anyone not from his pack, Buck might’ve gone borderline feral. But Hen was family. So he only smiled gratefully and went to drop the bag on the table.

His daughter’s bright, high-pitched giggles filled the loft as he began unpacking the containers one by one. But a tiny gasp made him look up to see Bobby emerging from the back, his lips curling into a soft, warm smile.

“Hen, as your captain, I’m telling you to hand her over to me now,” Bobby ordered calmly, his tone teasing as he approached.

“What? Hey, you can’t do that!”

“You heard me.”

Just as he was about to reach out to the girl, completely ignoring Hen’s glare, a pair of hands suddenly swooped in from the side and snatched the toddler right from Hen’s arms

“Alright, enough stealing,” Eddie sighed, though the smirk on his face betrayed him. He hugged Sofie close and covered the side of her face in soft kisses, turning away from the other two’s offended looks. “That’s right, mi amor, your dad’s right here.”

Smiling quietly to himself, Buck shook his head. Moments like these reminded him just how lucky he was to have them. Coworkers who had become friends, then family. People who loved his daughter wholeheartedly and would do anything for her. That was something he never took for granted, especially considering she’d been conceived while he was—and still is—unmated.

Watching her squeal with laughter in Eddie’s arms made his chest warm in the best way. He could watch them forever.

“God, Buck, this is amazing!” Chimney’s voice came out of nowhere, making Buck abruptly turn toward the table. Chim was nodding approvingly while chewing, spoon in hand and every container already opened in front of him.

“Ah, finally someone who noticed my existence as well,” Buck announced loudly, walking around the table to clap a dramatic hand on Chim’s shoulder. The sarcasm was unmistakable, earning him a collective, flat “Hey, Buck,” while not a single pair of eyes left the toddler.

He huffed a small laugh, shaking his head, then opened the cupboards to grab plates.

Soon enough, the chaos subsided. Everyone filtered toward the table, thanking him for the food and asking about his day, genuinely this time.

“Hey, everything alright?” Eddie’s quiet voice beside him made Buck pause mid-rummage through his bag.

“Yeah. Why?”

“You seemed kinda stressed earlier.”

Buck fell silent, then sighed and let the bag drop. “Yeah, just—” He wiped a hand over his forehead. “Sofie woke me up so early today because she wouldn’t stop crying, and then it took me longer than expected to prepare the food, and then she threw her soup literally everywhere, which I bet some of it is still on the floor even though I cleaned it, and now I just realized I forgot her bib and her fork and I didn’t bring any extra clothes and—”

“Buck.”

The single word made him stop short. He hadn’t even realized he was spiralling.

The warm hand on his shoulder, mixed with the sudden, all too familiar scent of pine and slightly burned sugar in the air, grounded Buck in a way he didn’t know he needed. Although Eddie wasn’t his alpha, he still appreciated the help, drowning in the comforting effect his scent had for a moment.

He closed his eyes for a second, then opened them again and trailed his gaze down to the sleepy girl in Eddie’s arms. At least they were standing a few feet away from the others; he hated the idea of seeming weak in front of them. And thank god he’d remembered his scent blocker today, otherwise the loft would’ve been thick with the smell of his stress.

“Everything’s alright, okay? Nothing that can’t be fixed,” Eddie murmured softly, his eyes searching Buck’s as he squeezed his arm gently. “Do you want me to take her today? I can ask if I—”

“No,” Buck cut in quickly. “No, it’s fine. I’m just… glad to be here with you guys right now.”

Even though Eddie didn’t look entirely convinced, his brows pulled together, he eventually nodded. His hand drifted from buck’s shoulder to the small of his back, nudging him gently toward the table.

Bobby immediately insisted on taking Sofie once they sat down, so Eddie passed her over before taking his own seat. Almost instantly, she regained her full energy again, reaching across the table to steal a piece of shredded lettuce from one of the containers.

“Ooh, going straight for the greens. You guys taught her well,” Hen chuckled.

Eddie crossed his arms proudly. “Thank Buck’s great cooking skills and healthy diet for that.”

A ripple of soft laughter went around the table before they all quieted for Bobby’s usual prayer.

The moment he finished, hands shot across the table like a pack of eager children. Buck barely blinked before half the tortillas and the first container of chicken had disappeared.

A collective chorus of “mhh” filled the air, followed by enthusiastic chewing that warmed Buck’s heart. The food wasn’t anything fancy, but he was grateful they enjoyed it so much anyway.

He waited until they were all busy devouring their food before assembling his own. He placed a warm tortilla down, added a generous scoop of shredded chicken, then topped it with lettuce, avocado slices, and a drizzle of sour cream. Simple.

“Oh… wow. You really know how to make this,” Eddie murmured between mouthfuls, eyes closed, as he continuously pointed at his plate. “You want another baby?”

Buck froze instantly.

The tortilla in his hand hovered halfway to his mouth, a piece of chicken dangling helplessly, while every single person at the table went still like someone had hit a giant pause button.

But Eddie… Eddie just kept eating.

Completely unfazed and oblivious. As if he hadn’t just blurted out the most loaded question in existence between them.

He scooped more chicken into his tortilla, folded it neatly, nodded approvingly, and took another big bite with a satisfied hum. “Seriously, this is amazing. We should make this more often.”

Buck’s heart was doing something that might have qualified as acrobatics inside his chest. Heat crept up his neck, his ears burning, his palms sweating instantly. He could practically hear Hen’s brain screaming across the table.

Chim was the first to speak up. “Uh… Eddie? Buddy?” he croaked. “Did you… did you just propose having another kid with Buck over lunch?”

Eddie looked up with a smear of tortilla sauce on his lip, confused. “What? No. I mean…” He frowned, apparently finally noticing the five pairs of eyes glued to him. “I was just saying the food is really good.”

Hen leaned forward. “That is not what you said.”

“I literally heard: ‘You want another baby?’” Chim repeated, pointing at him accusingly.

Eddie blinked. Then blinked again. “Oh. Well…” He shrugged lightly. “It was a joke.”

The air left Buck’s lips in a shaky exhale he hoped nobody noticed. A joke. Right. Of course. His heart was beating way too fast for something that was apparently just a joke.

He tried to move again, but his body was still stuck in place. “Man,” he managed with a nervous laugh, “maybe… think about phrasing next time.”

Eddie gave him an apologetic smile, one side of his mouth curling up in that familiar way that always managed to knock Buck a little off balance. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to freak anyone out.”

Bobby cleared his throat and patted Sofie’s back as she wiggled in his lap. “Well, I think we can all agree the food is wonderful. Maybe we focus on that before we stress Buck into an early grave.”

That earned a round of relieved laughter, the tension melting just enough for everyone to start eating again. Except Buck, who finally forced his hand to lower the tortilla to his plate.

His pulse slowed, but not by much.

He could feel Eddie’s gaze drifting to him from time to time, soft in that way Eddie rarely let anyone else see. It made his stomach twist, but not in a bad way… which only made things worse. It was the same twist he used to get back then, years ago, before the accidental pregnancy, before Eddie told him they had to co-parent as best friends.

He picked at his food as chatter filled the loft again. Sofie babbled happily, reaching for a piece of tortilla Eddie handed her, Bobby teased Chim, Hen recounted something from earlier in the morning.

And Eddie leaned back in his chair, perfectly relaxed and unaware of the way Buck’s entire world had short-circuited for a moment.

He took a quiet breath. Then another.

He reminded himself that he was fine. It was fine. Just an offhand comment. Just Eddie being Eddie.

Still, as he watched Eddie help Sofie wipe sour cream off her chin, Buck felt something warm settle in his chest. Something he had forced himself not to feel ever again.

He pushed the feeling aside. Or tried to.

“Buck,” Hen called from across the table, eyes narrowing with a teasing smile. “You okay over there?”

“Of course,” he grinned. “Just enjoying the peace.”

Chim reached for more lettuce. “Peace? After Eddie tried to jumpstart co-parenting round two?”

“Chim.” Bobby warned.

Eddie hid his face in one hand, groaning. “It was a joke.”

Buck knew it was. He really did. But that didn’t stop his heart from giving one last flip at the thought of Eddie saying something like that without thinking.

It was a sensitive topic, one they usually never talked about.

The scent of slightly burned sugar that had comforted Buck not too long ago suddenly smelled like someone had slammed a pot of dark, burnt, acidic caramel right in front of his nose. Fucking hell.

Instead of letting it get to his head, he forced himself to focus on the other alphas’ scents around the table. Which… only left him with Hen’s. But that was fine. Great, actually. Her warm honey and amber scent had grounded him more times than he could count, pulling him out of moments of panic and anxiety with nothing more than a steady breath.

Like always when he felt helpless, his eyes searched for his daughter. For those striking blue eyes that were probably the only thing she’d gotten from him. Other than that, she looked frighteningly like Eddie. Same smile, same cheeks, same everything.

He noticed her little hair clip sliding off, hanging on by a single stubborn, dark strand, and every instinct in him screamed to take her back into his arms, hold her close, fix the clip, and breathe in her sweet scent. His fingers twitched with the urge under the table, but he forced himself to stay still. He wasn’t going to just snatch her away from Bobby and make everyone uncomfortable.

Hell no.

And Bobby, bless him, was doing his best to pretend nothing had happened, rocking her gently as she bit into a slice of avocado.

Buck pretended too. Because that was what he did. He pushed things down and smiled like nothing was wrong.

Which was the truth. Nothing was wrong.

Everything was just fine.

Though that didn’t explain the overwhelming wave of relief that washed over him when the alarm suddenly went off.

The next few things all happened in a matter of seconds. They thanked Buck again for the food, apologised for having to leave, and handed him his daughter.

Before Eddie ran off, he pressed a quick kiss to sofie’s cheek and whispered them both goodbye.

And then Buck was alone again. With her. And despite usually preferring to be surrounded by his pack, he felt a strange sense of ease settle over him.

He sighed, then stood up and carried the toddler on one arm again, scared she might run around and hurt herself at the stairs if he’d let her go. With his free hand, he began stacking the dirty plates and brought them to the dishwasher, grateful to see it was empty. The rest of the leftovers went into the fridge before Buck grabbed his discarded bag and made his way down the stairs and back to his Jeep.

He was tired already, and the day had barely even started yet.

Chapter Text

“So, are we gonna address the elephant in the room?”

Eddie tore his gaze away from the window and the blur of passing streets to look up at Hen. “What elephant?”

She tipped sideways a little when the truck made a sharp turn, steadying herself with one hand. “Uh, you. And whatever the hell that was at the station.”

Eddie felt the urge to roll his eyes, but he quickly caught himself and turned his head instead. “I wasn’t being serious. I don’t…” He laced his fingers together on his knees, squeezing a little too tightly. “I don’t get why you’re making such a big deal out of it.”

Silence settled over them for a while. The sirens wailed above them and the engine thrummed beneath their feet, a feeling that normally soothed him.

When the quiet stretched on long enough to feel awkward, Eddie finally lifted his head again.Hen and Chim were both watching him, their eyes far too perceptive for his comfort.

He honestly didn’t understand why they were treating this like it meant something. He hadn’t meant anything by what he said earlier. It just slipped out because Buck’s cooking was unbelievable and because joking like that had always been part of their routine. They teased each other constantly. It wasn’t new.

And it wasn’t like what happened back then between him and buck was ever going to happen again. Everyone knew that. Buck knew that. Eddie had stepped in because he’d been needed. It had been the right thing to do. The only thing to do. Without him, Buck might’ve not made it. That was the truth Eddie lived with.

“Everybody deals with their emotions differently,” Hen began after a moment. “And I don’t want to reduce Buck to a stereotype, because he isn’t one. We all know he‘s strong, big, sometimes too stubborn for his own good, but… he’s still an omega. An unmated one at that. The smallest shift in tone or emotion can send alarms through his whole system. That is biology talking, not judgment. And I think because he’s so independent, we forget that sometimes.”

“I know,” Eddie said quickly. “God, I know. I just didn’t think it’d get to him that much. You all saw how obsessed I was with that damn chicken tinga.”

Chim let out a short laugh and then immediately cleared his throat when Hen shot him a look.

“Listen,” he began, “we know you two avoid talking about what happened and pretend it’s old news. But maybe it would help if you actually sat down and talked about everything. All of it. Get it out of your systems once and for all.”

Eddie thought about that, just for a moment. The idea of picking apart what happened back then made his stomach twist. If they ever did that, he wasn’t even sure where he’d begin. As far as he knew, there wasn’t anything left to say. He’d done what he had to do. What any decent alpha would’ve done. He kept Buck alive. The pregnancy wasn’t planned, they somehow dealt with it, and now they’re co-parenting their daughter. They moved forward.

To Eddie, that was the end of the story.

“It’s not like—” Eddie began with a lick of his lips before he was suddenly cut off by the vibrations of his phone. Cursing under his breath, he then patted down his dozens of pockets in his thick uniform until he finally found it and pulled it out.

“Oh, it’s Buck,” he muttered with a raised brow, a little confused because they had left the station just 15 minutes ago.

His thumb quickly accepted the call without hesitation.

“Hey, Buck, what’s up? Is something w—“

“It don’t know how that— I’m sorry, Eddie I— I don’t know how that happened…”

Buck’s voice cracked apart on the line, and Eddie felt his entire body tensing. His eyes snapped open wider, his heart skipping so hard it almost hurt. Buck sounded terrified. Not anxious or stressed. Terrified.

Eddie heard his fast and uneven breathing, and when a loud sob hit the speaker, every nerve in his body lit up like it had been set on fire.

“Buck? Hey, Buck, calm down. Breath for me, okay? Just slow down and tell me what happened,” he managed between gritted teeth, tying his hardest to keep his voice down. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Hen scrunch up her nose at the heavy, burnt smell rolling off of him. Hers wasn’t any better, turning almost sour as she looked at him with wide, worried eyes.

“It… It was an accident! An accident, okay? It was green so I started driving, but then he just came out of nowhere and—I don’t know what— I’m in shock, Eddie,” Buck’s voice was cut off at the end by his own sob, and Eddie’s hand itched to just open the door and jump out of the goddamn driving truck.

“Hey, guys, there’s been an accident two minutes from us. We’ll assist there first,” Bobby suddenly called out from the front, his radio in hand.

“T-that’s Buck! Cap, I think that’s Buck!”

Bobby had never turned his body around to them faster than when he heard that. His lips were parted, the worry clear, and by the time he instructed the driver to go faster, Eddie had already turned his attention back to the phone.

“There are first responders here, and— and they want to take her away from me. But I don’t want them to take her, Eddie, please don’t let them take her!”

“Buck? Is Sofie alright? What about you? Are you two okay?”

Eddie felt like breaking his phone in half if they didn’t finally arrive in the next five seconds.

“Y-yeah, we’re fine. But I’m scared, Eddie. Please just come.”

Maybe it was Eddie’s inner alpha, or the bond he had with Buck, or maybe a mix of both, but the anger and fear running through him made it feel like he could lift the entire damn truck with his bare hands. His body was buzzing with energy he had nowhere to put. Every shaky breath Buck let out over the phone made his heart skip another beat, and every choked sound fueled him until he bit the inside of his cheek just to stay grounded, tasting blood.

“Eddie? Eddie, is he okay? What happened?” Chim asked loudly as he leaned forward, but right when Eddie was about to explain, the truck finally came to a halt.

Without waiting another second, he ended the call, tore the door open and rushed out in a sprint while completely ignoring Bobby’s voice calling after him.

Two cars twisted together in the middle of the intersection. One of them was unmistakably Buck’s Jeep, almost completely crushed, as the other vehicle’s front end had punched deep into the side of it, leaving a horrifying crater of metal.

His eyes overlooked the scene frantically, searching and searching, until they finally landed on who he was looking for.

Buck sat on the curb, shoulders hunched, clutching Sofie so tightly that she looked almost swallowed in his arms. His hands were shaking, his lips pressed against the top of her head like he was breathing her in, inhaling her scent. Blood ran down the side of his face, along some scratches on his nose and cheek.

For one horrifying heartbeat, Eddie couldn’t breathe. Then he was running again before he even registered it.

“Buck!” His voice cracked in a way he didn’t care about. “Hey, Buck! Buck!”

Buck looked up at him with wide, stunned eyes, and Eddie could see the panic still trapped inside of them. Sofie lifted her head at the sound of his voice, her little face blotchy and wet.

Eddie reached them in two strides and dropped to his knees in front of them, hands trembling as he touched her for the first time. His palm cupped the back of her head and he pulled her close, scanning every inch of her tiny body. She clung to him instantly, wrapping her little arms around his neck and sobbing quietly into his collar.

“Hey, angel,” Eddie whispered into her hair. “I’m here, you‘re okay. I’ve got you.”

Her scent was shaken but uninjured, and relief hit him so hard that it almost knocked him back.

Only when he was sure she was unhurt did Eddie lift his eyes to Buck again.

And everything inside him went still.

Buck looked exhausted, pale. His pupils were blown wide in shock and his breathing came in uneven puffs. The blood on his temple had already begun to dry, leaving a dark streak down his cheek.

His scent blockers must’ve either worn off already, or Buck was simply too stressed for them to work anymore, because his scent suddenly hit Eddie like a tidal wave. Buck usually smelled like citrus, but now the air was full of worry and bitterness.

“Are you hurt?” Eddie asked, quieter now.

Buck swallowed hard. “It’s nothing. Just a cut. Sofie is okay. She’s okay.”

His voice broke at the end, and Eddie’s chest tightened painfully.

His breath was still uneven, so Eddie did the only thing he knew how to do to calm Buck down. He lifted his free hand and brought it to the back of Buck’s head, then guided him down to the side of his neck. Eddie buried his nose against Buck’s scent glands, forced himself to relax, and released wave after wave of his pheromones.

He was scenting him.

Not just letting Buck breathe him in or offering comfort. No, he was deliberately scenting him, gluing his own scent to every particle of Buck’s body. And to Sofie too, though she had stopped crying by now.

Apart from that one accidental time years ago, they had never done that before or ever again. It was unusual for anyone who wasn’t blood-related or a partner to do that. And it showed, because Eddie felt Buck tense right after hearing his sharp inhale.

“Eddie, you shouldn’t—” he began, but Eddie only pulled him closer.

“Just this once, alright? Just… calm down.”

It worked for approximately thirty seconds. Buck’s shaking eased, and Eddie could hear him taking slow, rhythmic breaths, until they suddenly heard voices beside them.

“Excuse me, Mr. Buckley, but we really need to check you and your daughter now,” one of the paramedics sighed, and Eddie felt a violent instinctive spike of anger at the way Buck’s anxiety shot right back up. It wasn’t him, not really. It was his inner alpha reacting to an omega in distress, especially when that omega was the father of his child.

He thought back to what Hen had said in the truck about an omega’s heightened emotions, and the memory made the tight string in Eddie’s chest pull even harder.

“Hey, we’ll take care of them,” Chim’s voice came from behind, and a wave of relief washed over Eddie.

“Hey, big guy. You mind if I take a look at both of you? Nice and easy. No rush.”

Buck nodded without lifting his face from Eddie’s neck, and Eddie felt the tiny tremor that went through him, barely there. Sofie had her small fist curled into Eddie’s turnout collar, refusing to let go.

Chim carefully reached for Sofie first, scanning her quickly and checking her pulse and limbs. “She’s alright,” he said softly. “Just scared. No injuries.”

He straightened a little. “Buck, can you look at me for a moment?”

Buck hesitated, then finally lifted his head from Eddie’s shoulder. The cold air hit Eddie’s neck where Buck’s breath had been, and he tried to ignore how strange it felt. Chim checked the cut, murmuring something about butterfly stitches.

“You’re both okay. Shaken, but okay.”

Eddie almost collapsed from the relief.

He stood slowly, shifting Sofie onto his hip. She refused to be handed over to anyone else, tiny fingers fisted in Eddie’s jacket like she was afraid he’d disappear.

Buck stood too, though a little unsteadily, so Eddie instinctively reached out and curled a hand around his elbow.

“Buck!” Bobby called out as he jogged up to them and immediately pulled the other omega into a tight embrace. “Can you tell us how that happened?”

It took a moment for Buck to step back again, but when he did, he finally seemed partly okay. “I… I was waiting there, and then the light turned green, but I was zoned out a little, so I didn’t really check the street before I started driving, and then this guy, he— he just crashed right into us! But the light was green, okay? I swear, it was green—”

“Hey, Buck, it’s alright. You’re right, the light was green. It’s not your fault,” Bobby assured him, hands on Buck’s shoulders. “I just checked with the other guy, and it turns out he’s heavily intoxicated. It’s not your fault, do you hear me?”

The huge sigh of relief that left Buck plastered a smile on everyone’s faces.

“We’ll still get you both to the hospital, just to be safe, alright?”

—

As soon as Eddie opened his front door, Christopher stormed inside faster than Eddie had ever seen him move.

“Buck! Sofie!” He called out, and Eddie stepped in just in time to see him scramble onto the couch and wedge himself tightly against Buck’s free side.

Eddie had driven Buck and their toddler to his place after the hospital discharged them, not willing to leave them alone in Buck’s house after the shock of the accident. After dropping them off, he had rushed to pick Chris up from school and explained everything on the way home.

“Hey, buddy. How was school?” Buck asked, slinging an arm around Chris’s shoulders and pulling him close.

“It was fine. Are you and Sofie okay?”

“Of course we’re fine. It’s all good, you don’t need to worry.”

Eddie watched them with a warm smile, leaning against the wall as Chris took off his crutches and held his arms out for Sofie. She immediately climbed over Buck’s lap and into the boy’s embrace.

“Buck?”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“You stink of dad.”

As soon as he said that, Buck’s eyes snapped up to Eddie’s instantly. He was biting his lip, trying his hardest not to smirk.

“Hey! My scent is lovely, thank you very much,” Eddie scoffed as he crossed his arms, but even he couldn’t hide the grin when Christopher suddenly burst into loud laughter.

He walked up to them, then ruffled the boy’s hair. “Why don’t you go play with Sofie in your room, hm? I just need a minute with buck.”

Chris didn’t need to be told twice. He grabbed his crutches, slid carefully off the couch, and headed down the hallway with Sofie toddling beside him, both giggling as they disappeared around the corner.

Eddie didn’t miss the shaky breath that left Buck the moment they were gone. He sat beside him, leaving some room between them.

“We’re fine, Eds. We don’t have to stay here.”

“Oh, but I think you should.”

Buck rolled his eyes, though a soft grin tugged at his lips. “Enlighten me, Edmundo. What can I do at your house that I can’t do at mine?”

“Well, for starters,” Eddie began, matching Buck’s teasing tone even though every word was sincere, “you could actually relax. Let me take care of Sofie for a bit while you lay back.”

He was being serious. A car crash was bad enough on its own, but with your two-year-old strapped into the back seat? Eddie didn’t even want to imagine how terrified Buck must’ve been in those seconds before the impact. And how hard he must still be fighting to pretend he was okay.

A small chuckle left Buck’s lips. “I’m fine.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because I am.”

“You’re shaking.”

That made Buck stop moving completely. His eyes flicked down to his own hands like he hadn’t realized they were betraying him. Eddie watched the denial die on Buck’s tongue.

“I just need to breathe for a minute,” he whispered.

“Then breathe here, with us. With me.”

Eddie could feel the shift in the air as his pheromones accidentally pushed through. He didn’t do it on purpose. The control he usually had was slipping, and he hated how obvious it must’ve been.

Buck inhaled sharply. It hit him like a visible impact, the way Eddie’s scent washed over him. His pupils went wide for a second, his fingers twitching.

Eddie should pull back. He should give Buck space. He knew that. The right thing to do was to step away and let Buck recover his breath without an alpha he wasn’t mated to pressing too close for once.

But Buck’s scent spiked again, a quick burst of fear and comfort, and Eddie instinctively leaned forward instead. Although he didn’t touch him, Eddie felt the instinct thrumming under his skin like a living thing, telling him to bridge the gap, to anchor Buck, to stop the trembling through any means available.

Buck looked up at him with wide, startled eyes. “Eddie. You’re doing it again.”

“I know. I’m trying not to, trust me.”

He really was. It just wasn’t working.

Buck swallowed. “You have to stop. Your house is already saturated with you. This is too much.”

“I know. But you’re still scared. My body is simply reacting to that.”

The scent of really acidic and bitter lemon curled through Eddie’s nose, causing his own scent to react to the anxiety again.

Buck sighed. “You know, it’s strange. I’ve been through so much worse at work, but that car accident still shakes me up so much just because…”

“…because Sofie was with you?” Eddie finished for him, which earned him a small nod from Buck.

He reached out before he thought about it. His hand brushed Buck’s elbow, barely a touch, but Buck inhaled sharply again, like the contact had sent a wave of heat up his spine.

“Eddie.”

“I’m not trying to overwhelm you. I swear I’m not.”

“I know.”

Eddie could see the panic and the comfort fighting inside Buck’s eyes, trying to coexist and failing. He could smell it too, the way Buck’s scent wavered like a candle flame. His omega instincts were responding to Eddie’s alpha instincts. And Eddie’s alpha instincts were responding to Buck’s stress. It created a loop, something they hadn’t experienced since the pregnancy.

Eddie had forgotten how strong it was.

“I’m sorry. I should have more control than this.”

There was a moment of silence, both just sitting side by side and staring at the blank tv screen. Then Buck cleared his throat. “I—um, while you were picking up Chris just now, I had some time alone with my thoughts and…” he trailed off, eyes flicking briefly to Eddie’s before slipping away again. “This accident showed me that maybe I should start dating again. You should too.”

Eddie studied his face for a long time. “How come?”

“I mean, you know as well as I do that I don’t need an alpha in my life to live it peacefully. But i realised today how fucked I would’ve been if you weren’t there with me.” Buck rubbed his palms over his thighs, his voice wavering. “Man, I would’ve probably still been shaking and crying by now. And then I wouldn’t know how to calm down Sofie either.” His expression twisted with frustration, then with something closer to shame. “I didn’t even want them to touch her, Eddie. They were just trying to help, and I—God, I feel like I’m going crazy.”

They were valid points. Painfully valid. Eddie had wondered the same things earlier, wondered what the scene might’ve looked like if he hadn’t been just two streets away. Wondered if Buck would’ve been sitting on that curb until dark, shaking and terrified, holding Sofie like she was the only thing keeping him grounded. “Yeah, I get it,” he muttered. “But why does it feel like you’re asking me for permission?”

“Does it?” Buck let out a small, humorless huff as a sad smile tugged at his mouth. “It’s just that… neither of us have dated anyone in the two years since Sofie was born.”

“And?”

“We never talked about it either. We never talk about anything anymore, really. I don’t know if you’d be okay with that. With another alpha in Sofie’s and my life. Probably scenting her and loving her as their own.”

That made Eddie recoil, just a little, but enough for Buck to see it. He didn’t mean to react, but his nostrils flared before he could stop the instinctive spike of protectiveness. The mental image alone, Sofie carrying another alpha’s scent, reaching for them and treating them like a third parent, made something burn in Eddie’s chest.

But none of that gave him the right to deny Buck the chance at something good. Someone to love him. Someone to care for him. Someone who could be there when Eddie wasn’t, which was often. Logically, it was the best thing Buck could do for himself.

“Sure, it would take some time to get used to,” Eddie admitted, clearing his throat. “But that’s not… a problem. Go for it. As long as you’re happy.”

He meant it.

Or at least he thought he did.

Chapter Text

“Would you like that?” Buck whispered softly as he brushed his fingers through his daughter’s brown hair. “Having a sibling one day?”

She swayed slightly, leaning on the coffee table with both hands clutching different coloured crayons. Only after she finished drawing a… whatever that was, did she turn her face toward him. “Jee-Yun,” was the only thing she said, looking at him with raised brows.

Buck couldn’t help the small chuckle that slipped past his lips. “Yeah,” he murmured. “You’re actually cousins, but she’s like a big sister to you, right?”

After staring at him with a confused expression for a moment, Sofie just turned back to her paper and continued adding blue blobs everywhere.

Her answer didn’t help him at all, but he hadn’t expected it to anyway. She was still too little.

For some reason, Buck had never really thought about having more kids until Eddie’s “joke” a few days ago, which was also the reason he had zoned out in the car and ended up in the crash. Or maybe he had just never allowed himself to think about another baby. His first pregnancy couldn’t have been more unplanned, and, if he was honest, very unwanted at first. Because it wasn’t like he had wanted to have a child with his best friend. It just… happened. In a moment of emergency.

And god, it had been hard at the beginning. Being in love with his best friend and then having to raise their child together as just “co-parents” and nothing more was a kind of agony he’d never forget. Watching Eddie be so caring and so loving with the baby, and then having to shove his feelings down because Eddie wasn’t his mate but just Sofie’s other parent was torture.

Not to mention the pregnancy itself. He’d hoped he’d be one of the lucky ones who never got sick. But the nausea had hit him every day like a damn truck the moment his second trimester started. He couldn’t even smell meat without sprinting to the nearest trash can or bathroom. Then came the exhaustion, the intense back pain, the mood swings that could’ve been classified as a public disturbance. The 118 was lucky Bobby had banned him from joining them on calls at twelve weeks.

He could groan right now just thinking back to the time without work. The boredom almost killed him. Almost every day he’d gone to the station just to sit and talk with his team, listening to their interesting calls, until Bobby banned that too. And for some reason, that had made him so unbelievably jealous. Sometimes, whenever he’d felt furious for being left alone when they had to work, he found himself getting angry at the child inside him. At how she had ruined everything for him, took away his work and complicated his friendship with Eddie.

But he was never mad for long. Because he knew that it wasn’t her fault, never. It was his own.

But Buck had gotten past it. Like he always did. Now, if he somehow could travel back in time, he wouldn’t change a single thing. Not if it meant he ended up here, with his sweet little girl. He’d go through all of it as many times as needed just to have her again.

And one day, mated with the love of his life, he would probably do it all over again.

“Look!” Sofie suddenly shouted, picking up her drawing and holding it out proudly. Though it was mostly questionable circles and chaotic streaks of color, Buck took the offering with a huge smile. He pulled her in gently by the back of the neck and pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

“Wow, this is amazing! Want Daddy to hang it on the fridge?” he asked, pointing toward the kitchen.

At her enthusiastic nodding, another laugh escaped him.

Groaning as he got to his feet, he walked to the fridge, grabbed a magnet, and placed the masterpiece beside the other three equally mysterious drawings.

When he turned around again and found her standing right next to him, he picked her up so that they could just stare at all the pictures together. There were so many, he was starting to worry he’d run out of space soon.

“Daddy and Sofie!” She exclaimed loudly in his arms as she pointed her finger at one of the pictures. It showed Eddie holding her in his arms, barely one year old at the time, in front of a fountain with wide grins on their faces.

“That’s right. And there are Sofie and daddy as well,” he pointed at another picture, “and here too, and… look, there’s Sofie with both her dads!”

She was fully laughing now, kicking her legs, and Buck couldn’t help but join her. There really was no one more adorable than her.

At the sudden sound of Buck’s phone ringing, he quickly put her back down and let her run free before hurrying to the couch.

“Hello?” He asked as he answered without checking the caller ID. But he didn’t need to anyway, because the voice on the other line was faster.

“Hey, Buckley. It’s me, Taylor.”

Buck wished he could hide the grin that instantly crept into his face.

“Hey, Taylor. What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing much,” she replied, the smile evident in her tone. “Sorry, this is kind of sudden, but—are you free today?”

Buck blinked in surprise, shifting his weight onto one foot while Sofie zoomed across the living room with a stuffed giraffe. “Uh… yeah, I think so. Why?”

Taylor hesitated for a second, which was unusual for her. She was one of the most confident and sharp alphas Buck knew, but right now her breath caught just slightly before she spoke.

“I was wondering if you’d like to grab something to eat with me,” she said. “Just you and me. Not an interview, not work.”

Buck froze for half a heartbeat.

A date.

She was asking him on a date. His heart fluttered with something almost nervous, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He still couldn’t quite believe it. He had been genuinely surprised when she’d asked for his number yesterday after they rescued her. The two of them had talked for a while, but he hadn’t thought she’d actually be interested in him. Hell, that had been the first time he’d given his number to anyone in two years.

“Oh. Like… a date?”

“Yeah,” Taylor answered, a soft laugh slipping out. “Like a date. If you want to, of course. No pressure.”

His stomach flipped like he was twenty again. It had been years since he was going out with someone who wasn’t one of his friends.

“It sounds nice,” Buck admitted, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Really nice, actually.”

He meant it.

“Great. I was thinking something casual. Maybe dinner? Or we could just get coffee and walk around if that’s easier. Whatever works for you.”

Buck let out a small laugh. “Dinner sounds good. But I’ll need to find someone to watch Sofie.”

“That’s fine, I can wait as long as you need. Just tell me the time.”

He bit his bottom lip, thinking. Maddie was free today, if he remembered correctly.

“Yeah. I think I can make tonight work. How about seven?”

There was a warm hum on the other end of the line. “Perfect. I’ll pick you up at seven then.”

Buck’s heart stuttered again. “Okay. Great.”

When they hung up, he slowly lowered the phone and stared at it for a moment, feeling a strange combination of excitement and nervousness spread through his chest.

“Date?” Sofie asked suddenly, popping up beside him with a crayon in her hand.

Buck choked on his own spit. “What? No— I mean— you— how did you—”

She simply held up her stuffed giraffe and yelled proudly, “Date,” like she had cracked the code to something unsolvable.

—

The strong, burning tingling in Buck’s lips was more intense than anything he’d felt in what felt like forever.

His breath came out shaky, chest rising and falling fast. He swallowed hard between uneven gasps, trying to organise his thoughts as he felt the thin string of saliva break and slip down his bottom lip.

Okay. Yeah. This was definitely not planned.

“You’re really adorable…” Taylor murmured, still close enough that her breath ghosted over his mouth. Her fingers were warm where they held his chin, her thumb brushing once before she slowly pulled back.

The wicked grin she wore matched her pheromones perfectly, warm and spiced and clearly aroused, filling up her car.

Buck’s heart hammered against his ribs, hard enough he half-wondered if she could hear it. He shifted in the passenger seat, legs drawing together as heat crept up his neck. His body was responding too intensely, and he mentally cursed whatever gene made omegas act like they were walking fountains.

God. It really had been too long.

“So…” he chuckled weakly, still a little breathless and not at all steady. “When will we see each other again?”

Taylor’s eyes flicked down to his mouth for just a second before she looked up the driveway toward Maddie’s house. “Whenever you want,” she said, her voice attractively smooth. “I’m free most evenings next week. And if you’re busy…” She leaned an inch closer again, smirking. “I’m very good at making time.”

“I—yeah. Okay. Uh… great.”

“It is great.” Her grin softened into something more genuine. “I had a good time tonight.”

“Me too,” Buck quickly replied, and he meant it.

She lifted a hand again, brushing her knuckles against the side of his jaw in a way that made Buck’s breath catch all over again. “And next time,” she added quietly, “I’ll try not to kiss you in a parked car outside your sister’s house.”

Buck groaned into his hands. “Oh god, she’s definitely watching from the window.”

“Then you better get inside before she storms out here and drags you in by the ear.”

Buck let out a breathy laugh, heart still pounding a bit too fast. He unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for the door handle, but paused to glance back at her.

“Hey, Taylor?”

“Yeah, Buckley?”

“I really, um… I liked tonight.” His voice went quiet. “A lot.”

Her expression softened in a way he hadn’t expected. “Good,” she murmured. “Because I plan on doing it again.”

“I’ll text you?”

“You better,” Taylor teased, her smirk returning. “Goodnight, Buck.”

Buck practically stumbled out of the car, smiling like an idiot as he shut the door. Taylor waited until he was safely halfway to the house before pulling away.

And Buck stood there on Maddie’s front porch for a moment longer, hand pressed to his still-tingling lips, wondering how on earth this night had actually happened.

Then the door suddenly swung open.

Maddie stood there, one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed.

“Welcome back, Mr. ‘I’m just going out for drinks with an old friend of mine’ Buckley,” she greeted him, though the smile on her face contradicted her furrowed brows. It honestly sent a shiver down Buck’s spine.

“Mads,” he groaned as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. “Please don’t start.”

“Oh, I’m starting,” she said immediately. “You smell like… pepper? Spice? Trouble?”

Buck flushed bright red. “It’s not— look, it wasn’t— do you always have to sniff me when I come in?”

“You walk into my house reeking of alpha hormones and you expect me not to ask questions?” Maddie countered, eyes wide. “Buck, I’m an omega, not dead.”

“Great. Perfect.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “This is exactly what I wanted after my first date in two years.”

Maddie’s expression softened instantly. “Hey,” she said, nudging his arm with her shoulder, “I’m only messing with you. You look… good. Like, really good. Happy. Did it go well?”

Buck opened his mouth, then shut it again, unsure how to summarize kissing Taylor until his brain short-circuited. “Yeah,” he sighed eventually. “It went… really well.”

“I’m glad. Now come on.” She motioned toward the couch. “Sit for a bit. Tell me everything. And don’t you dare leave out the kiss.”

“Maddie.”

“Oh, please. You know I saw you through that window.”

Sighing, Buck eventually plopped down next to her, taking slow breaths. “Where are the girls?”

“Sleeping. We went to the park today, and they just dropped dead after that.”

Buck nodded, then thanked her sincerely for watching Sofie today. But he didn’t miss that weird look on her face, the one she made whenever she wanted to ask something but wasn’t sure if she should.

“What?” Buck muttered, turning to face her.

“So… I’m guessing you won’t try it with Eddie again then?”

Buck instantly sat up straighter, tension shooting through his body. “Again? I never even tried it once.”

Maddie’s eyes flicked to his stomach once before returning to his face, her brow lifting suspiciously. Okay, so what if he and Eddie had a child together? That didn’t mean they’d ever been in love. Well… Eddie certainly hadn’t been.

“I already told you, I never said anything about my feelings for him to him,” Buck sighed.

“Yeah, and maybe that’s the problem. We’ve already had this conversation a hundred times, but I’ll say it again: you don’t know if he would’ve rejected you back then or not. Maybe if—“

“Mads, he rejected me the moment he said we’d just raise our daughter as best friends. Don’t you think he would’ve made a move at least when we found out I was pregnant if he had been interested?”

That made Maddie close her mouth. She looked a little guilty now, her cheek squished against the hand holding up her head.

Buck closed his eyes for a second. “You know better than anyone that all I want for Sofie is for her to have parents who love each other. But that’s just not possible anymore.”

“Never say never, Evan,” she said. But right before Buck could argue, the sound of the door opening stopped their conversation short, both of them looking toward the entryway.

Chimney stopped halfway out of his shoes, eyes darting from one Buckley to the other. “Uh… am I… interrupting something?”

Maddie huffed. “You always interrupt something.”

“Relax, Chim. We were just talking.”

“Talking,” Chim repeated slowly, eyes narrowing at them. “The kind of talking where I should pretend I didn’t hear anything? Or the kind where I get snacks first?”

“No snacks. Just come here.”

Chim walked closer, still suspicious, then dropped down beside Maddie with that end-of-shift groan Buck knew too well. His gaze flicked between the two siblings again. “Okay, seriously, what’s going on? Why do you both look like you were having a feelings meeting without adult supervision?”

“Yup, that’s my cue to go,” Buck announced cheerfully before getting up. Without turning back, he made a beeline for Jee’s room. The door was open, the room quiet except for the faint sound of the girls breathing.

Very carefully, Buck then approached the bed, where he could barely make out their little shapes sleeping peacefully next to each other, and he felt a stab of guilt at the thought of waking his daughter now.

“Hey, angel. Come on, it’s time to go,” he whispered as he gently rubbed Sofie’s back. But when she didn’t wake up, not even when he lifted her arm and let it fall back down, he just sighed and scooped her up carefully.

By the time he returned to the living room, she hadn’t moved an inch, her head resting on his shoulder as she snored softly.

“Listen,” Buck began quietly, “I really don’t want to inconvenience you, but I’d appreciate it if one of you could drive us home. Since, you know… I still don’t have a car. And I don’t want to pay for a cab again. You still have Jee’s old car seat, right?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Chim said with a sigh as he got up from the couch, already heading toward his shoes again.

“Let me just get it real quick.”

Chapter Text

Eddie unconsciously bounced his leg under the table as his thoughts kept drifting to the morning of his shift yesterday.

That scent was still so vividly engraved in his mind. Sweet, salty and so damn thick spices clinging to Buck as he’d walked past him in the loft. So strong it had almost knocked Eddie off his seat.

It had been obvious Buck had tried to conceal it with half a bottle of cologne, but nothing could ever hide from an alpha’s nose. Especially not another alpha’s scent, the kind that overpowered everything else even in a room full of anxious omegas. Which was why Eddie kept wondering whether Hen genuinely hadn’t noticed… or if she had just pretended she didn’t.

And then Eddie had to work side by side with Buck for the rest of the day, and at one point in the truck he’d genuinely had to bite his tongue to keep himself from releasing his own pheromones, anything to drown out the spices coating Buck’s skin. Because that wasn’t the smell of an alpha who had just hung out with him, no, it was the smell of an alpha who had deliberately scented him. An alpha who wanted everyone within a mile radius to know exactly who Buck belonged to.

Which was insane. Its hadn’t even been two weeks since he and Buck had talked about dating again, and Buck hadn’t mentioned anything about getting involved with someone new. He didn’t have to, of course, but Eddie had assumed, after that conversation, that Buck would at least tell him if there was someone else now.

God, Eddie could still feel the tension running through his veins from the day before, that strong instinctive urge to cover Buck in his own scent just to erase the other one.

He hadn’t done it, obviously. But after two years of Buck smelling like either Sofie or, occasionally, Eddie himself, it was strange to suddenly smell someone new on him. He hadn’t expected it to hit this hard. But he also knew he had no choice but to get used to it from now on.

Still, with Buck being the father of his child, his instincts were scratching their way up his throat, flaring hot under his skin at the idea of another alpha claiming Buck so boldly.

Which, again, was crazy, because Buck probably barely knew that person yet and—

“Eddie?”

Ana’s voice suddenly ripped Eddie out of his thoughts, and he felt a little ashamed of how easily he’d gotten distracted. And when he met her kind eyes and that small, patient smile, guilt settled in right next to the shame.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I just…” he trailed off, unwilling to admit what he’d really been thinking about. “What were you saying?”

She just looked at him for a moment, like she was trying to decide whether to push, but then she swallowed and simply shook her head.

For some reason, that only irritated Eddie. He didn’t want to be, he really didn’t, but he felt like he’d been stretched thin since yesterday, like anything could set him off.

And Ana being a beta wasn’t helping. He couldn’t smell anything from her, couldn’t read if she was nervous or annoyed or lying or trying to protect his feelings. That little gap of uncertainty shouldn’t have mattered, not on a first date, not when he’d dated plenty of betas before. But after years at the 118 and after years of working so closely with Buck, an omega, he’d gotten used to something else. Even when Buck wore scent blockers, Eddie could sometimes catch the faintest trace of what he was feeling. Stress, sadness, happiness, when he was overwhelmed, when he was trying not to cry, when he was holding something back. Those soft hints gave Eddie something solid to hold onto.

With Ana, he had none of that. No scent, just guessing. And he hated that it bothered him this much.

“Okay, well, how about we—” He didn’t get to finish due to a wave of sweet spices drifting right past his nose, making him freeze. The scent bit through every layer of calm he had had left. His eyes widened as he straightened in his seat, scanning every corner of the restaurant.

No. No, that couldn’t be a coincidence. There was no way.

“Eddie?”

His eyes flicked up to the person the voice belonged to, and he found himself staring right at the ocean.

“Buck?”

Then his gaze slid to the woman next to Buck and… “Wait, Taylor? Taylor Kelly? The—the news reporter we saved?”

“The one and only,” she said, smiling as she stretched out her hand for Eddie to shake. Her expression didn’t waver, and her confidence somehow made him feel uneasy.

“Okay,” Buck began with a nervous little laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Taylor, I already told you about Eddie. And this is…” He nodded toward Ana.

“I’m Ana. Nice to meet you two.”

Hands were shaken all around, but Eddie barely registered it, too focused on the thick spice scent clinging to Buck like someone had tattooed it on his skin.

“Oh—are you two on a…?” Buck asked, eyes widening as he stepped back. “Sorry, we’ll leave you to it. Have fun, you—”

Eddie saw his chance and took it. The date had already turned awkward the moment he had zoned out anyway. “Buck, wait. Why don’t you just join us for a bit?” He glanced at Ana, wincing at her confused expression. “Is that alright?”

At her hesitant nod, Eddie immediately scooted over on the bench, giving Buck space to sit beside him. Across the table, Ana moved aside as well to make room for Taylor.

God, the scent was everywhere. In Buck’s hair, clinging to his skin, his clothes, strong and unmistakably not Buck. It made Eddie’s jaw clench, the muscles in his thigh tightening as he tried to keep from bouncing his leg again.

And Eddie didn’t want to read into things, really, but there was something about the way Taylor looked at him. Like she was… assessing him, or trying to form an opinion about him.

“Wow, okay,” Buck breathed out as he grabbed the menu. “Didn’t expect to run into you guys here.”

Ana smiled politely. “It’s fine. Really. We were just talking.”

“We were?” Eddie muttered, immediately regretting it when Ana shot him a tiny side-eye. Oh, great. Perfect.

Taylor leaned forward, elbows on the table. “So. Sofie.” She said it like she was testing the weight of the word. “Buck tells me she’s adorable.”

Eddie stiffened. “She is.” Then, because that felt weirdly defensive, he cleared his throat. “Uh—yeah. She’s great.”

Buck lit up instantly. “She started copying Eddie’s annoyed face. You should’ve seen it. She scrunches up her eyebrows just like—”

“I don’t scrunch my eyebrows.”

“Yes, you do,” Buck and Ana argued at the same time.

Shaking his head, Eddie didn’t miss the way the conversation dipped into silence after that, not necessarily awkward but not comfortable either. Buck seemed oblivious as he scanned the menu, and Ana politely pretended to do the same.

Eddie… couldn’t focus. Not when the scent was right there. Strong and practically stamped onto Buck like someone had pressed a hand to the back of his neck and held it there.

He exhaled slowly through his nose, though it didn’t help. If anything, it made it worse.

“So,” Ana began after a moment, “Sofie really does look like the perfect mix of both of you.”

Buck’s head snapped up. “Have you met her?”

He turned sharply toward Eddie, and the look he gave him was a quick “Really? Without talking to me first?”

Eddie felt his eyebrows pull together, not in anger but in pure disbelief. Did Buck honestly think he’d introduce someone to their daughter on a first date? He stared back at him for a second as if to say “Are you kidding me? Of course not.”

And then another thought pushed through: Buck hadn’t exactly told Eddie anything about Taylor either. And this didn’t seem like their first time out together. Not with how thoroughly her scent was glued to Buck’s skin.

Eddie wasn’t angry. Not exactly. Just… confused and off balance. And for a moment, the whole situation made his mind fog up in a way he didn’t know how to clear.

Ana shook her head. “Oh— no, not yet. But Christopher always brings pictures of her to school.”

Buck perked up at that. “Oh, you’re Christopher’s… teacher?”

She nodded, smiling, and from that point on they fell easily into conversation. Just the two of them. They talked like they’d known each other for longer than the ten minutes they’d been seated. They drifted from Christopher to work, from weird hobbies to terrible restaurant recommendations, in a comfortable, never-ending loop of small talk. Buck lit up when he talked about Chris, and the way his voice softened made Eddie want to smile even as his attention slid away.

At some point he stopped listening closely and let his eyes trail back to Taylor instead. Even though she had a smile on her face, it looked tight, like someone holding a laugh they didn’t want to let out. Eddie could tell she wasn’t exactly amused, and he could bet she’d rather be anywhere but here. That made him feel oddly protective and, he hated to admit it, unreasonably on edge.

Later that evening, after the plates were cleared, the mood started to shift. Buck laughed loudly and kept ordering shots like there was no tomorrow.

“Alright, big guy, I think that’s enough for today,” Eddie sighed as he managed to snatch a shot glass away right before Buck could chug it. The table had more empty glasses than he cared to count and Buck had probably emptied more than half of them alone. His face was flushed, his grin crooked, and his words slurred.

“Hey, come on!” Buck whined, trying and failing to reach for the glass again. He gave up quickly and slumped back into the seat with his head tipped up and his eyes closed.

Eddie watched him, heart unusually fast. He needed to get Buck home before he made a fool of himself or fell down a flight of stairs, and he needed to apologize to Ana for the whole mess of an evening.

“I’m really sorry about tonight,” he muttered. “This wasn’t what I planned. I should get him home.” She gave him a small, kind smile that made him feel guilty and relieved at the same time. “It’s okay. Don’t worry. He’s with you.” She reached to squeeze his hand, and Eddie meant it when he said, “I’ll text you. Thank you for tonight.”

However, inside he already knew he wouldn’t be setting up a second date. There had been a distance there he couldn’t look past, no matter how kind and lovely Ana was. It simply hadn’t clicked for him. He didn’t think that was her fault, but he also couldn’t pretend he felt otherwise.

Before he could get Buck moving, Taylor stood up so abruptly her chair scraped across the floor. “I’ll take him,” she announced.

Eddie looked at her. “Taylor—” he started, but she cut him off. “He came with me. He’s been with me tonight. I should be the one to take him home.”

Eddie’s jaw tightened. “I appreciate that. But he’s family. I’m taking him.”

“I’m perfectly capable. I can get him home safely.”

“And I’m perfectly capable of getting him home too,” Eddie answered. It wasn’t about strength or a show of dominance. It was about who Buck belonged with in this moment, and Eddie’s instinct to keep him safe from whatever mess the night had become.

“Eds, wanna go home,” Buck slurred, and that was all it took. Taylor’s face froze for a quick second before she inhaled, took a step back, and straightened her jacket. “Fine. Tell him to text me when he wakes up tomorrow.”

“Sure.” Eddie slid enough money on the table to cover everyone’s drinks and food, helped Buck to his feet, and guided him toward the door. He didn’t want a stranger to take Buck home alone, no matter how close he and Taylor were. To Eddie, she was still a stranger.

After Eddie had called an Uber, he checked the ride and made sure Buck was propped safely in the backseat before he let go. As they settled in, Buck sighed against his shoulder. “Taylor is really nice,” he murmured.

“Yeah? You like her?”

“Mhm. But she doesn’t know me as well as…” A hiccup cut through the sentence. “As you do.”

Eddie huffed out a small laugh. “Well, you haven’t known her for long yet. That’s normal.”

“No,” Buck suddenly declared, loud enough for Eddie’s eyes to widen. “She never will know me. Because— because she’s not you.”

Eddie jerked back slightly, the words landing harder than he expected. “What do you mean?”

For a second Buck just stared at him, eyes unfocused like he was trying very hard to hold on to a thought that kept slipping through his mind. Eddie blinked, trying to decide if Buck had just sobered up for a moment, but no, the swing of his head and the slow blink gave it away. Buck was drunk. Very drunk. And drunk Buck had always been… unpredictable.

Buck slumped sideways until his head found Eddie’s shoulder, cheek warm through the thin fabric of Eddie’s shirt. “She’s not you,” he repeated, softer now.

“Buck… okay. What does that mean?”

Buck didn’t answer right away. His head rolled slightly, nose brushing Eddie’s collarbone. “You’re… you’re the best dad,” he mumbled. “The best. Sofie thinks so too. She told me. She said—” he held up a hand, squinting hard, “she said she loves you big-big-big. That’s three bigs, Eds.”

Eddie let out a short, helpless breath. “Yeah? Three bigs, huh?”

Buck nodded so enthusiastically that his forehead bumped Eddie’s collarbone again. “Mhm. And she’s right. You’re a perfect dad. And perfect dads make perfect mates.” He snapped his fingers. Or tried to. “That’s you.”

Eddie froze at the word. Mate?

He stared ahead at the seat in front of him. Mate? Perfect mate? Where the hell was that coming from?

“Buck,” he murmured gently, adjusting him so he didn’t slide down his side, “you’re not making sense.”

“I’m very making sense,” Buck argued. “You’re… stable. And warm. And you smell like home. And you always remember my snacks, you let me rant, and let me cry. And you take care of Sofie and Chris and me and everyone because you’re just—” he waved his hand, searching for a word, “—good. You’re good, Eds.”

Something in Eddie’s chest warmed. “Buck, hey… you don’t mean that.”

“I do. You’re a good mate. A perfect mate. You’d make someone really happy. Because you’re you.”

Eddie exhaled slowly, eyes on the streetlights passing by. “You’re drunk, Buck. You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I dooooo,” he sing-songed. “You’re perfect. Just… perfect.”

Eddie had no answer for that. His mind searched for something logical to say, something that made this whole thing less… intimate.

“Okay. Just close your eyes. We’re almost home.”

Buck hummed, nuzzling into Eddie’s shoulder like it was the most comfortable pillow in the world. “Home,” he breathed softly. “’Cause… ’cause you’re there.”

Eddie went completely still.

Then Buck took a shaky breath and continued, “But you know, what you said about the second baby at the station? That wasn’t nice, man. But it also got me thinking.”

“I know. I’m sorry, I was being insensitive. How did that get you thinking?”

“If I want more kids someday.”

“Do you?”

Buck was quiet long enough that Eddie wondered if he’d fallen asleep. But then his fingers curled into his own knee, visibly tense. “Yeah. Think so,” he whispered. “With my future mate. I like Taylor, you know? She likes me the way I am. It’s not easy for an omega my size to find someone who wants me.”

Something in Eddie’s heart shattered at those words. A shard that now moved through his bloodstream and cut open everything in its way.

He didn’t trust himself to speak.

Thankfully, the rest of the ride went by quickly. Faster than Eddie expected, honestly. He wasn’t sure he could have handled Buck spiraling deeper into that topic. He wanted to rantt about how anyone who wouldn’t want Buck just because of his size was an idiot. About how Buck was one of the most loving people Eddie had ever known. About how he deserved someone who cared about him, not what he looked like.

But Buck’s house finally came into view, and that was the end of it.

He thanked the driver, then managed through sheer determination and a lot of grunting to haul Buck out of the car. Buck leaned heavily against him as Eddie fished out the spare key he kept for emergencies, unlocked the door, and guided him inside.

“Alright, bud. There you go,” he grunted as he plopped Buck down onto the bed. He laid him on his side, just in case, then pulled the blanket up over his shoulders.

After that, Eddie slipped out quietly and shut the door behind him. Somehow, being here in Buck’s house felt like the only logical option now. Buck might wake up confused or sick, and Eddie wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if something happened while he was gone.

So he sank onto the couch in the living room, stretched out with his feet up, and closed his eyes.

Thank god they had the day off tomorrow.

He was going to need it.

Chapter Text

“Fuck…” the word slipped over Buck’s lips as he stumbled out of his room, nearly smacking his shoulder into the doorframe. It was completely dark, both outside and inside the house, so he couldn’t see a damn thing. His head throbbed painfully, and every small movement made him feel dizzy and nauseous. He pressed one hand to the wall and let his fingers drag along it as he tried to find his way to the kitchen, feet shuffling tiredly across the floor.

By the time he reached the open space, he fumbled for the light switch and flicked it on, instantly regretting it. The brightness stabbed into his eyes like needles, forcing him to squeeze them shut while he groaned and covered his face with his hand.

He blinked a few times, mouth dry like sandpaper, and his stomach was twisting uncomfortably with the leftover alcohol still sitting inside him. Slowly, he made his way to the counter and reached for a glass before he filled it with water and drank almost half of it in one go.

When he glanced toward the oven clock, squinting at the glowing red numbers, he saw it was a little past four in the morning. He frowned at that, completely confused as to how he had gotten to bed in the first place, or why he had woken up at this hour at all. His memory was a blurry mess, nothing really connecting.

Still holding the half empty glass, he turned to the living room and reached for the switch out of habit, wanting to turn the lights on so he didn’t trip over something.

However, the second the lights flickered to life, his whole body jerked so hard that water splashed all over himself.

Eddie was asleep on his couch.

Buck’s heart suddenly beat so fast it almost made him feel sick all over again. For a moment he just stood frozen, staring like he wasn’t sure if he was actually awake or if this was still part of some dream.

“Eddie?”

Only then did Buck feel the fog in his mind dissolving. Not completely, but enough for him to be able to make out what happened the evening before. The car, his own voice saying things he would never say sober, Eddie’s shoulder against his cheek. Something about perfect and mate.

God, his stomach flipped again. This time for a very different reason.

Eddie shoot upright the second he heard Buck’s voice. He jerked like someone had set off an alarm near his ear, eyes wide and breathing faster as he looked around. His gaze landed on Buck first, then the kitchen light behind him, and his shoulders slowly dropped.

“What happened?” Eddie asked, sounding half asleep and half ready to jump into action if needed. He rubbed a hand over his face, pushing his hair back as he blinked around the room again. “You okay? What’s going on?”

Buck swallowed hard. “I… uh… I just woke up. Didn’t know you were here.” His voice sounded too soft and unsure, like he suddenly felt seventeen instead of a grown man. He took a hesitant step closer. “Why are you here?”

“I… you were so drunk. I didn’t want to leave you alone.”

Buck was quiet for a moment, just staring at him. Then he let out a quiet sigh, set the glass on the coffee table, and sank down next to Eddie on the couch. Without meaning to, he left more space between them than usual, careful not to brush up against him. It was strange, because touching Eddie had never been a big deal before. They hugged all the time, clapped each other on the back at work, bumped shoulders walking side by side. Nothing unusual.

He didn’t know why he felt so awkward all of a sudden.

“Listen, Eddie, I’m sorry about yesterday,” he began, voice low as he stared at his hands. “We crashed your date and ruined everything, and then you had to take me home on top of that and—“

“Stop,” was the only thing Eddie ordered as he interrupted him. And it worked, because Buck immediately shut his mouth again.

“It’s not your fault,” he continued, exhaling as he crossed his arms. “I was the one who asked you to join us. And I won’t be seeing Ana anymore anyway.”

“What? Why? She seemed really nice.”

“She is. It just didn’t… I don’t know. I can’t see a future with her.”

A strange feeling spread through Buck’s chest at that, warm and uncomfortable at the same time, and he hated that he didn’t immediately know what emotion it was. He wanted it to be sympathy, sadness for Eddie that things didn’t work out. But the tiny flicker of something suspiciously close to relief made him hope to any higher being that it was the first one.

“Sorry, that probably sucks,” he muttered, cringing internally at how useless his words sounded. “But… I also want to apologise for whatever I said in the car.”

Eddie’s body visibly tensed at that, his fingers flexing on his arm. “Why would you apologise? You didn’t say anything bad.”

“Maybe not bad, but definitely too much,” Buck admitted, embarrassment crawling up his neck. “And I kept leaning on your shoulder and just… everything.”

“But, Buck, that’s not— since when is that such an awful thing to do? You were drunk and you leaned on me. We were always that close back then. I feel like we’re kind of growing apart lately.”

By now, the pounding in Buck’s head had infected his heart as well. “Back then?” he repeated, suddenly feeling unreasonably defensive before he could stop it. “As in two years ago before we had our daughter? Or back then as in before you made that joke?”

“Wait, are you still mad at me because of that?”

“No. No, I’m not mad. Sorry. It just…” Buck trailed off, unsure of what he wanted to say, of what he allowed Eddie to know. It was true; he wasn’t mad anymore. He hadn’t even been mad back then. It had just put these strange thoughts and feelings into his mind that he just couldn’t seem to shake. Feelings he had strictly forbidden himself from feeling a long time ago.

And then there had been this flicker of… hope in his chest. He didn’t even know what he was hoping for anymore. There was nothing there for him. Nothing that could possibly happen. He had accepted that for the past two years, had moved on.

He shouldn’t fucking hope.

But god, it was harder now than ever to suppress these feelings he had kept down for so long when eddie was right there all the time. At work, in his private life as his friend, as Sofie’s father. And right here, right now, looking at him with those big, helpless, confused brown eyes that always seemed to see more than Buck wanted to show. It was hard because there was a reminder of Eddie literally everywhere. Not just objects or memories, but his scent, clinging onto everything Buck owned. It was in his house, at the station, on their daughter every time she curled into Buck’s arms. Sometimes Buck even caught it on himself after a long day, and it hit him in the chest every single time.

It was hard because Eddie put that spark of hope into him without even meaning to, completely unaware of how that tiny moment had sent Buck’s mind spinning out of control. One lighthearted joke, and suddenly all the walls Buck had spent two years building were shaking.

And he had done a good job all this time coping with the fact that they would always stay just that: friends, raising a daughter together, nothing more. As painful as it had been, he learned to accept it. He forced himself to move on, piece by piece, until the ache hurt less and less.

But now? That little joke had smashed every carefully placed brick in Buck’s heart back into dust. And he found himself struggling harder than ever to rebuild them.

“Sorry. I’m sorry, okay?” He started over with a sigh. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

Eddie was quiet for a while. His gaze kept flicking from one of Buck’s eyes to the other as if he was trying to find something in there. He looked so deep in thought that Buck could almost hear the gears turning in his head. “Do you think there’s a reason why there’s this weird… underlying tension between us all the time ever since Sofie was born? I mean, apart from what we did back then.”

Buck’s stomach twisted because didn’t Eddie basically just say the whole reason right there? What they did back then wasn’t something best friends like them were supposed to do, so of course it messed up their entire dynamic. Friends weren’t meant to have sex and put babies in each other and then just go back to being “only friends” afterward, no matter how dangerous the situation had been that day.

And then there had been Buck’s unrequited, relentless love for Eddie. That had changed everything too. His acting skills weren’t that great, and pretending nothing had shifted inside him had been nearly impossible. He’d spent months trying to hide the way he was breaking apart inside, trying to hold himself together every time Eddie smiled at him or brushed past him or said his name in that soft way. He wasn’t always sucessful.

But none of that was Eddie’s fault. Because Eddie didn’t know. Buck had never told him. He had never even allowed himself to consider admitting it. He had just hoped that maybe after everything they did, after becoming parents together, after surviving all the chaos that followed, maybe it would do something to Eddie. Maybe it would make him see Buck differently too.

It didn’t.

“I don’t know. I mean, come on, wasn’t that to be expected? That it would never be the same again?” Buck muttered, forcing a small, hurt smile onto his lips. He leaned back against the cushions, not missing the way Eddie’s eyes followed his every move.

Eddie looked like he wanted to say something, but then closed his mouth again and turned his head the other way instead. “Yeah, I guess that’s right,” he muttered, so softly it sent a warm shiver down Buck’s spine. Then he added abruptly, “So… Taylor.”

Buck pushed his earlier whirlwind of thoughts to the back of his head before he curled his lips into a real smirk this time. “You don’t like her.”

“Hey, that’s not true.”

“So you do like her?”

Eddie winced slightly, turning to him with squinted eyes. “That’s… also not true,” he muttered, in thoughts. “I can see she makes you happy, and that you like her, but— but I feel like she’s way too possessive, considering you two barely know each other.”

“That’s an alpha for you.”

Eddie huffed. “Yeah, she’s an alpha, but even for an alpha her behaviour is extreme. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume you two have been mated for years.”

“That’s not true.”

When Eddie gave him that You know damn well look, Buck couldn’t help but let out a breathy laugh. Maybe Eddie had a point, but that didn’t make Taylor a bad person. She took great care of him, peppered him with attention, always made sure he was feeling safe and comfortable whenever they were together. And she…

…she was a good distraction.

Buck’s heart sank at the sudden realisation. It had dawned on him just now that that could be the reason why he’d basically thrown himself at her the second she showed the slightest interest. Why he couldn’t even wait after their first date to be kissed to heaven in her car, or why he allowed her to scent him so easily. He’d just grabbed onto the first person after deciding to date again and held on, hoping to finally feel wanted and loved. Anything to keep himself from slipping back into that same hole, the one always waiting to consume him with those buried feelings for Eddie.

Jesus.

But… that couldn’t be all of it. Right? He really did like her. He liked her humor, her warmth, her kindness. She was good. And she wasn’t just a distraction. She couldn’t be.

Buck let out a long sigh. And before he could talk himself out of it, he let his head fall gently onto Eddie’s shoulder again. He didn’t know if Eddie would want that, not after everything they’d just talked about, but the moment his head touched him, his arm wrapped around Buck’s waist and pulled him just a little closer.

Buck melted instantly.

It was warm, safe, tingling, but so dangerous at the same time.

But maybe… just this once… he could let himself have it. He could rest his head on Eddie’s shoulder and let Eddie hold him. Just for a moment. Just long enough to breathe normally.

Yeah. He could do that.

Just this once.

——

“Hi, my beautiful girl,” Buck greeted her happily as he took Sofie from Athena’s arms and pulled her close, covering her face in kisses. She giggled and laughed, and just hearing her voice made flowers bloom in his chest.

“Did you have fun here, princesa?” Eddie chimed in from beside him, brushing a gentle hand over her hair. Then he turned back to the couple. “Thank you both so much for letting her stay the night. I hope she wasn’t any trouble.”

Athena waved him off immediately. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. She was an angel!”

“We’ll look after her whenever you need,” Bobby added with a calm smile, nodding as he slid an arm around his wife. And Buck couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude for these people. His family.

He watched as Eddie took the bag with all of Sofie’s things from Bobby, even though they realistically didn’t need to bring half of it anymore. Sofie had stayed here so many times that Athena and Bobby had everything she could possibly need. Toys, plates, tiny cutlery, even her own little bed. If someone asked Buck what these two were to his daughter, he would say “her grandparents” without hesitating.

The four of them talked a little while longer before eventually saying their goodbyes and driving back to Buck’s house. After all, before they finally went back to sleep at around 5am this morning, they decided that today would finally be the day where they baked Christmas cookies with Sofie. Some they would keep for themselves, and the rest would be little gifts for their friends and family.

As soon as they arrived, Buck didn’t waste a second getting everything ready. While Eddie changed their little toddler into more comfortable clothes and called Hen to check up on Chris and their trip to the theme park, Buck pulled up the different recipes and gathered every ingredient and tool they would need, setting everything neatly on the table.

He and Eddie had baked cookies together countless times before, especially around Christmas, but this year felt different. It would be their first time doing it with their daughter. Last year Sofie had been far too young to join in, but now she could actually participate.

Her squeals filled the kitchen before they had even begun. She sat in a chair at the table, legs kicking while she played with the wooden spoon Buck had given her. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and she looked cuter than ever.

“Alright, sweetheart,” Eddie began, tapping her spoon lightly with his own. “Are you ready to be the best helper in the world?”

She nodded with all the energy in her body.

“Okay then. You get to help me mix.” Buck handed her the bowl filled with flour and sugar, guiding her hands as she stirred. Her movements were clumsy and every time a little puff of flour flew up she gasped loudly.

Eddie leaned on the counter beside them, steadying the bowl whenever it looked like Sofie was about to yeet it off the surface. “You’re doing great, baby,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head.

Once the doughs were ready, they helped Sofie press cookie cutters into the shapes. Trees, stars, little gingerbread people. Eddie handled transferring them onto the baking sheet, and every now and then he and Buck brushed hands while reaching for the same cutter. And each time Buck’s stomach did a small, warm flip. He hoped Eddie didn’t notice.

But Eddie never gave any sign he did. He just smiled to himself and kept working.

A little while later, Sofie discovered that smacking her hands onto the flour-dusted table made soft white clouds float into the air. The moment she realized that, she laughed, hitting her palms down repeatedly. Buck tried to stop her, he really did, but he was laughing too hard for her to listen to him. Flour coated her arms, her eyebrows, even her hair, until she was completely covered in it.

Eddie lifted her under her arms, patted her off a little, and then sat her back down. “You’re a mess, Sofie.”

“Wonder who she’s got that from.”

After hearing that, Eddie immediately whipped around, probably ready to give Buck one of those yeah right looks he always shot him. Buck barely had time to grin when Eddie’s foot suddenly slid over a layer of flour on the floor. He inhaled loudly, hands scrambling for balance before he fell forward with his full weight. Buck hardly even understood what was happening before Eddie crashed into him and pushed him back against the kitchen island.

The breath instantly punched out of Buck’s lungs. Although Eddie’s hands landed on the countertop on either side of his waist, they ended up chest to chest anyway, so close that Buck could almost feel Eddie’s heartbeat against his own.

For a second, neither of them moved. Buck swallowed, but his throat felt too tight.

Eddie blinked slowly, his eyebrows scrunching as if he was trying to understand how this even happened. His gaze flicked up to Buck’s eyes, then down for a single heartbeat to his lips, so fast Buck almost thought he imagined it. But he felt it like a shock through his whole body, causing his knees to buckle.

Buck didn’t breathe. He couldn’t.

He could feel Eddie’s warm breath on his skin, and it made his mind go blank. Everything inside him was screaming to stay perfectly still, terrified that any kind of movement would make this moment shatter. Or even worse, that Eddie would pull away fast, embarrassed and apologizing. Buck wasn’t sure he could handle that right now.

“Sorry,” Eddie murmured quietly, almost inaudible. He didn’t move back though, not right away. “I slipped.”

“I noticed,” Buck whispered, because it was the only thing he could think of. His hands were frozen uselessly at his sides, unsure what they were allowed to do. Touch him? God no, that would be too much. But doing nothing felt weird too.

Sofie babbled from the table behind them, hitting her palm into the flour again and sending another soft cloud into the air. It fell over them like snow, settling gently in Eddie’s hair and on Buck’s shirt.

Only then did Eddie finally push himself back a little, only a few inches, but enough for Buck to breathe again. His eyes softened when he looked at him, almost worried. “You okay?”

No. Absolutely not. Buck was pretty sure his soul had left his body for a full ten seconds.

“Yeah,” he whispered anyway before adjusting the apron he wasn’t even wearing properly. “Fine. Totally fine.”

Eddie’s expression said he didn’t believe that for a second. His eyebrows drew even closer together, like he was searching Buck’s face for a lie.

Forcing himself to look away, Buck focused on Sofie instead. She had managed to get a bit of flour in her mouth, apparently proud of herself as she pressed her tiny hands together to make another puff of white dust. He let out a shaky laugh and brushed his fingers over her cheek. “You’re gonna need a full bath later, sweetheart.”

Eddie stood beside him again, but this time with a safe amount of space between them. Still close enough that Buck could feel the heat of him, close enough that he could smell the faint trace of panic in Eddie’s scent.

“You sure you’re alright?”

Buck nodded, even though his heart was still racing far too fast. “I’m good. Promise.”

Even though Eddie looked unconvinced, he let it go. He flattened another batch of dough, dusted the counter again, and handed Sofie a fresh cookie cutter.

Buck watched him, watched the way Eddie’s muscles moved under his shirt, watched the crease between his eyebrows that hadn’t fully relaxed yet.

God, that was scary.

Buck felt the tension burning him from the inside.

He took a deep breath, trying to ground himself as he reached for a rolling pin. “Come on. Let’s keep going before she eats the whole kitchen.”

“Yeah. Good idea.”

And then they both leaned forward at the same time to help Sofie press another shape into the dough, their shoulders brushing again.

Buck hoped the trembling inside him wasn’t obvious. He hoped Eddie couldn’t feel it.

Just this once, he thought to himself. But he already knew it wasn’t going to be that easy anymore.

He fought, harder than he’d had to in a long time, to shove those feelings back down where they belonged. Back into the lowest part of his heart and the furthest, dustiest corner of his mind. The place he’d locked them away years ago, when he’d decided it was easier for everyone if he pretended they never existed.

And that was where they were supposed to stay.

No matter how violently they clawed their way up now.