we don't talk enough about the fact that if Eddie Diaz didn't drag his sore injured-in-a-car- accident ass all over New Mexico then Buck would've been dead
like. canonically
this is the direct he saved my life episode. I can make a ton of what-ifs to Eddie being shot where other people save him but there is literally either Buck dies or Eddie saves him in Mother's Boy. radically. nothing else could happen
Eddie shoving Buck in like a friendly banter-y way but not particularly gentle except Buck doesn't even sway and it makes Eddie actually stop for a second and realise just how big Buck is and how has he never comprehended this before fuck why is his dick twitching
watching everyone have fun around me makes me realize that my whole summer has been 911 and ao3 on a loop and im not even disheartened at all like this is quite literally what i asked for im crine
have fun existing suckers ill be giddy in my sloth dungeon over here thank you very much š¹š¹āļø
Eddie babysits Theo one timeāone timeāand suddenly it's basketball this, basketball that; can we get a hoopy-thing for outside and when is Eddie coming back and why doesnāt he live here; things would be so much better if Eddie was here all the time.
Buck struggled to disagree with many of those points.
Did Buck try to distract Theo with dinosaurs and Hotwheels and whatever else heās collected around Buckās house after only a few months? Sure. Heās not too proud of it. Did Theo outsmart him every time by literally not letting go of his child-size nerf basketball for a week? Also yes. Buckās not proud of that either.
The one unexpected benefit of this new obsession comes in the form of Buck lounging on his stoop, legs crossed in front of him receiving a tan from the overhead sun as he runs colorful commentary about the game at hand.
A plastic basketball hoop for toddlers is propped up at the end of the driveway. Eddieās truck is parked in a way to block access to the streetāthough Theo has proven to be a master escape artist when he wants to.
Eddie chases after Theo who is definitely travelling with the ball. He manages to snag it from Theo, exaggerating his triumph and flicks it over his shoulder. The ball misses by a good mile. Theo giggles and runs after it.
āOoh, and a bad shot by Diaz,ā Buck calls out, holding his glass of lemonade like a microphone. āOne must ask if this is truly the end of his career.ā
When Theoās back is turned, Eddie flips him the bird and Buck cackles. Itās such a shame Chris had school today. They could have tag-teamed ribbing Eddie together.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Eddie walks towards Buckāstalks him, more like. He places his hands on his hips. āWhy donāt you join us?ā
āNah, Iām perfectly happy here.ā
Eddie cocks his head, tousled hair flopping against his forehead. āWhatāre you scared of losing to a four year old?ā
Buck wrinkles his nose; thatās not going to work on him this time. That magnetic cocky attitude. He doesnāt notice himself placing down his drink, pre-preparing to stand. āIād crush the both of you, donāt deny it.ā
Eddieās grin fails to mask his skepticism. His sarcastic tone doesnāt help either. āOh, Iām sure.ā
āYou asked for it.ā Buck hauls himself off the stoop. When Theo sees him joining the āfun,ā he races toward him, excitedly yammering about basketball probably. Buck is too focused on Eddieās smug face to register. He ruffles Theoās sweaty hairābathtime is going to be a bitch tonight, he just knows. āWeāre going to bring Eddie down a peg, okay?ā
Theo clearly doesnāt understand what that means but he matches Buckās serious enthusiasm anyways. āYeah! Weāll crush Eddie!ā
Buck turns his smile at Eddie. āThatās the spirit.ā
It becomes a one-on-one game by the end. Theo quickly loses interest in the competition, electing to draw chalk caricatures of them or renaissance portraits, depending on how you look at it. The hoop is small enough that Buck can use his whole body to block all of it. Eddie canāt find an opening. The ball hits the pavement as he lunges only for Buck to foil his attempt. He can read Eddie like a well-loved book, spine creased and pages dog-earred.
Eddie darts backwards before they collide. āDonāt bust my ankle this time, Buckley,ā he huffs.
āOne time,ā Buck mutters, but he knows he wouldnāt do something like that now. Not when Eddieās attention is already locked on him, no distractionsābesides the occasional check-in on the resident four year old.
The next time Eddie makes a break for it, Buck grabs him by the waist, wraps his arms around his body, not hugging really, just holding, in a wild, impulsive move to stop Eddie from catching an opening. Eddieās momentum causes them to spin together before settling, basketball between them. Frozen, Eddie stares, motionless except for blinking and breathing. The beat of his heart pounds hard enough that it reaches to where Buck lays his hands flat on Eddieās back. His chest brushes Buckās own whenever he breathes out.
āThatās a dirty, illegal move,ā Eddie eventually comments, voice rough from exertion. His body slides against Buckās as he tosses the ball over Buckās head. It swishes into the net, bouncing and rolling across the drive before resting on the lawn. āI win.ā He smirks again, and then absently over his shoulder, he calls out, āTheo, we won!ā His gaze stays forever trained on Buck.
Theo cheers but remains invested in turning the driveway into a Jackson Pollock painting.
āTheo was on my team,ā Buck argues.
āHe was secretly on my team. We made a pact before you joined.ā
āTraitors. In my own house.ā Buck sighs. āChris would never do such a thing to me.ā
With his hands now free, Eddie rests them on Buckās arms. His fingers curl around his biceps, tapping inane beats against his bare skin. Eddieās hands are warm and sweaty from the stupidly intense game of Buckās least favorite sport. He doesnāt mind one bit.
Eddie laughs. āHow can I make it up to you?ā
Stay. Never leave. āBuy the good beer next time.ā
āI do buy the good beer.ā
āThen you have shiāstupid taste in beer, Eddie.ā Buck shakes his head. āI shouldnāt be surprised, with your stupid taste in sports after all. Which you corrupted Theo with; hate you for that a little, by the way.ā
āYou and Chris have your thing; me and Theo have ours.ā
They do, donāt they? Like a true family unit. His stomach twists at the sudden thought. āIām glad he has that with you,ā Buck admits. After the immense hardship Theo has been through recently, Buck is happy to know Theo has more than just him, that he has Eddie and Chris, and the entire 118 if need be.
Eddieās expression softens. āYouāre doing great with him, you know. Heās adjusted well.ā
Buck ducks his head, unsure. āI guess.ā
Eddie grabs his face, refusing to let him hide, and he waits until Buck makes eye contact with him. āHey,ā Eddie coaxes, gentle and quiet, āYouāre a wonderful foster parent. Donāt doubt yourself.ā
Buck allows a soft smile to tug at his mouth. He doesnāt even register that he is still holding onto Eddie, not really. Eddie, for his part, hasnāt moved either. His grip seems to tighten the longer they stay linked together. He quirks his mouth; his lips part.Ā
āAre you two going to kiss?ā Theo asks with all the naive innocence in the world, appearing before them as if summoned by magic.
Ripping himself away from Eddie, Buck almost stumbles backwards into the basketball hoop. His face burns, a white hot sear. What the hell. He needs to put a bell on that kid stat.
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