An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
SUMMARY: Eddie Diaz is dead. At least most people think he is, and it’s better that it stays that way. As Eddie Diaz died, Edward Herrera was born and flew to Lakeside, Montana, as far as possible from his old life, his friends, and family, in order to protect himself and everyone he knew. Right there, Philip and Margaret Buckley manage their ranch with the help of their son Evan Buckley, and they are the most influential family in town. In a town where everyone knows everyone, the new stranger surely doesn’t go unnoticed.
FANDOM: 9-1-1 (TV).
CHAPTER: 20/20
RELATIONSHIPS: Evan Buckley / Eddie Diaz; Maddie Buckley / Howie Han; Henrietta Wilson / Karen Wilson.
WORDS: 5.4k
Preview under the cut.
As promised by Captain Parrish, Eddie gets two days off immediately after that day so he and Buck can spend some time actually together instead of having Buck at the station every two days since he doesn’t know where to go by himself. He’d probably get lost, or at least that’s what every member of the 118 thinks. Even Eddie, and that’s why he’s so happy to spend two whole days with him around Los Angeles. In the brief time they had to prepare a proper tour of the city and its surroundings, they actually managed to plan out the entire trip.
“Where do we go now?” Buck is looking at all the billboards of tv shows and movies and holding a map of the city, while Eddie drives along Sunset Boulevard.
“You don’t trust me?” At the traffic light, he turns his head towards Eddie and laughs. Buck looks really hot in that blue tank top and sunglasses, his arms just look even bigger than they actually are.
“I do, but I still want to know.”
“You know where we are going, the Walk of Fame.”
“Oh, yeah. It’s up here.” He points at it on the map he has in his hands before folding it again and throwing it on the back seat. He may have realized they invented GPS and navigation systems incorporated in cars; in addition, his boyfriend lives there and knows the city. All that concern about the organization and things going smoothly definitely derives from his parents and from Maddie as well.
“Any stars you want to see in particular? I honestly have no idea where they are, so we’re gonna have to search them one by one.”
“Nothing too nichey, the ones everyone comes here to see, I think. Michael Jackson, Harrison Ford, David Bowie. Oh, and Tom Jones!”
“Those are very different categories.”
“I had a crush on Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones before I even knew what being bisexual and having a crush was. You don’t have any idea about how much I begged my parents to give me a whip for Christmas – I already had the hat, after all!”
“He was hot, I’ll give it to you.”
“What do you mean with was?” Eddie can hear the disappointment in Buck’s voice as he laughs and parks the car in the first spot he can find, because it would be too bold and optimistic to hope to find a parking spot in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard.
“Here we go! They should have the exact address on their site, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”
“I forgot about Alvin and the Chipmunks for Howie.”
“Why?”
“It’s just funny. He’s short.”
“Almost everyone’s shorter than you, Buck.”
“Do you want to be the other chipmunk, uh?” Buck walks to the first star he can find before Eddie can respond. “Oh, look. Gillian Anderson.” He quickly takes a picture of it before turning back to his boyfriend. “Have you found the ones I want?”
“Harrison Ford’s star is ten minutes in that direction,” and he points behind him, “and… oh, Michael Jackson and David Bowie are just a little further in the same direction, apparently. We can go there and then find your precious Alvin.”
“It’s not that important, it’s just a joke.”
“So are you Alvin? Or is it Maddie?”
“Are you really asking me this?” Buck fixes his sunglasses as he walks over the many stars that cover the cement. It’s crazy to see all those names as they walk by, so many people who made the entertainment industry truly unforgettable with their incredible performances: if they had the time, Buck would read and research about every star and every person celebrated in that monument in a continuous updating process. They do have the entire morning, technically, but after all, they’re just stars on the floor.
After seeing so many stars and stopping by some more they noticed while walking down the boulevard. Eddie, despite making fun of Buck and his crush on Harrison Ford, asked to take a picture with his star as well, much to his boyfriend’s smirk behind the phone. Just before lunchtime, they start driving down to Santa Monica Beach.
“Can we stay on the beach for the afternoon?”
“That’s the plan.” And Eddie has something more in mind, but that’s a surprise.
“Fuck, I forgot my swimwear.”
“We’ll have time to go swimming, we can spend the day at the Pier and you don’t need swimwear to lay on the sand.”
“You want me in my underwear?”
“I didn’t say that.” Eddie stares at him, despite how hot it would be to see him in just his underwear on the beach, it’s not an isolated beach and it’s not the middle of the night, so everyone can just see him and that’s not good.
“I’ll take them down when we’re alone, then!”
“Better. But I can’t prohibit you to take your shirt off so I can brag about my hot cowboy boyfriend and his perfect muscles.” After they arrive, Eddie takes out a towel from the trunk and follows Buck towards the pier.
“I’ll think about it.” The sun is definitely hotter than he is used to in Montana, but he also works in the sun the entire summer at the ranch so it’s not that hard to tolerate hot temperatures like that.
The heavenly throne has deceived us.
Our sovereign is neither all-knowing nor all-powerful. Nor are his plans without flaws.
Nicole: The Silenced Golden Strings
