Archive of Our Own

Once upon a time, in a land not so very far away, there lived a boy in a great white house. It was a grand and bustling place, and the boy’s father was a most important man — so important that the boy scarcely ever saw him. 

The boy’s days were filled with fine things — maids, and chefs, and every comfort one could wish for. He wanted for nothing, and yet he yearned for very much indeed. 

For though the boy in the great white house was never truly alone, he was often dreadfully lonely. The boy wished with all his heart for a place where someone might truly see him, not merely know of him.

He’d lay his head on his pillow each night and dream of a land far, far away —  one quite different from his — a place where loneliness could no longer find him.

So when the boy at last came of age, he left the halls of the great white house behind in search of the place where loneliness would not follow. 

Buck flops down onto his bed in a faceplant. 

“Okay,” Bobby continues. “To reiterate, the schedule is breakfast with your parents, into the press conference, onto Air Force One, and yes, there will be a motorcade — yes, your displeasure has been noted. From there, you’ll pose for some photos with the President and First Lady — they will then leave to continue their campaign duties, and you can do whatever you want. Within reason. With your assigned security detail.” 

Buck groans. He’s not groaning about any one thing specifically, more so all of it, but Bobby takes it to mean he’s groaning about the security detail Buck has been begging to reduce for months. 

“I know, kid. I talked him down from eight agents to four,” Bobby reminds him. “It was the best I could do given your…track record.” 

Buck holds in a scoff. They both know that the track record has nothing to do with credible attempts on his life and everything to do with Buck occasionally running away from his detail. And, sure! Maybe one time he borrowed one of the cars from the motorcade! And maybe one single time he got into a motorbike accident while dodging his agents! Sue him!

The fury his father unleashed on him when it got picked up by the media had been enough of a punishment — four years of excessive security feels like a bit of an overreaction. 

Buck groans, rolling onto his back. He lets out a heavy breath. “Are you sure the President doesn’t have better things to be doing tomorrow?” Historically, he’s always had something better to be doing. “I’m sure he could find something.” 

Bobby sits down on the edge of the bed. He has his pity face on. “Kid - -” 

“I know,” Buck sighs, cutting him off. “It’s the optics. Gotta look like you give a shit about your kid, huh?”

Bobby pats his leg. “We’ve minimized time on the ground in California as much as we can. It’ll be over before you know it.” 

He looks over at Bobby, the only adult who has ever actually cared about what Buck wants — the man who put bandaids over Buck’s scrapes and climbed trees when he got stuck in them — and feels a hollow ache in his chest. He’s going to miss him so much. 

“What am I going to do without you, Cap?” He sniffs. 

Bobby laughs, eyes watery, and opens his arms. Buck shuffles down the bed and leans into him. 

“Oh, I’ll be around, don’t you worry,” Bobby promises, squeezing him tight. “You call me if you need anything, any time,” he reiterates — a speech he’s heard over and over these last few weeks. “And do me a favor, kid? Please try to keep out of trouble.” 

When Buck sleeps that night, he dreams of packing his things into a janky old Jeep and driving himself across the country to college. He dreams of parties and frats and friends who don’t already know who he is. He dreams of something different. Something he doesn’t get to have. 

“Evan,” his dad nods as he sits down at the breakfast table. His dad is reading some file or another, and his mother is frowning at the same egg-white-and-spinach omelet she’s eaten his entire life. 

“Morning,” Buck returns. He picks up a piece of toast and drops it on his plate. The sound of it echoes.

Breakfast hadn’t been his idea — they don’t usually do this. Usually, Buck eats in the kitchen with his friends who work in the kitchen. Yesterday, their last proper morning together, Isabel had made him a farewell breakfast cake and kissed him on the cheek. Red had filled the kitchen with balloons and banners and told story after story about Buck bothering him in the kitchen growing up. It had been joyful and bright and loud and happy. 

He thinks it might have been Bobby’s idea, a last-ditch attempt to squeeze some semblance of interest out of his parents. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say that his parents didn’t even know he was leaving for college today. 

“Um,” he chews. “Are you still coming today?” 

“Don’t chew with your mouth full, Evan,” his mother tuts. “You’re a reflection of this family, and you need to act like it.” 

His dad sighs and flips a page. 

Buck swallows his toast. 

“The press will be there,” his dad says, after a few excruciating moments of silence. “Everyone will be there, so don’t do anything stupid.” 

So much for ‘we’ll miss you,’ or ‘good luck,’ or, god forbid, a ‘we’re proud of you, son’.

“I had Ana pick out a suit for you,” his mother adds sternly. “Make sure you wear it.” 

This is so embarrassing. He hopes to god that someone packed him regular clothes to change into when he actually gets to college, because walking into his dorm in a suit is not the vibe he’s hoping to set. 

“Mr President!” A reporter yells, the flash of a thousand cameras blinding him. “How does it feel to watch your youngest child go off to college in a different state?” 

His dad looks over at him with a fake warmth only reserved for the cameras. “Let’s just say, if I could issue an executive order to move California closer to D.C., I just might do it,” he jokes. The reporters laugh, endeared by this image of a loving dad who gives a shit. 

Buck smiles tightly. 

“Evan,” one of the reporters calls out. Buck steps closer to the podium. “What are you going to miss the most while away at college?” 

Bobby, he thinks instantly. Isabel. Isabel’s chocolate cake. Red teaching me how to cook. 

He smiles, shiny and fake. “There’s so much I’m going to miss,” he quotes from his prepared answers. “But nothing more than my family and friends. And, uh, the bowling room,” he adds. 

The reporters laugh. 

Buck imagines he’s somewhere else, something else, crossing a state line in a Jeep. 

The plane ride is silent. 

The car ride is silent. 

They arrive at a spectacle that is not silent. It’s very loud, and the marching band is playing Hail to the Chief, and everyone is looking at them. They’re ushered to the front steps of the college, where more cameras and more eyes and more press are waiting for them. 

They smile, pose, and look like a happy family. His dad gets the shot he needs to check ‘devoted and loving father’ off his optics list. He shakes Buck’s hand, cold and sharp, and then they’re off again. 

“You ready to do this, kid?” Bobby asks, appearing from seemingly nowhere as he often does. Buck didn’t even know he was still here — he thought he’d left with his parents. Bobby has one of Buck’s suitcases in one hand and a backpack in the other. He holds the backpack out to Buck. “Change of clothes,” he says. “Thought you might want it.” 

Oh, thank fuck. 

Buck lets out a breath. “You’re the fucking best, Cap,” he grins. “Have I ever told you that?” 

“Usually only when you want something,” Bobby jokes, handing Buck the backpack. Buck grabs it, but Bobby doesn’t let go. He catches his eye. “I’m real proud of you, kid,” Bobby chokes. 

Buck crushes the backpack between them as he pulls Bobby into a hug. 

“What do you think?” Buck asks the Secret Service agents who follow him everywhere he goes. “Does this give off normal, regular college kid to you?” 

He does a spin, showing off his jeans and cardigan. 

Hen chuckles. Athena ignores him. “I liked the other one better,” Hen offers. Bobby had packed options. 

“Uh. I think that’s my room?” A voice says just outside the door. There are more muffled voices, probably the other two Secret Service agents stationed outside his dorm room. 

“Look, I don’t even know who you are, dude,” the first voice says again. “If you’d please just move - -” 

The door opens, and in walks a guy with floppy brown hair and an outfit that absolutely gives off normal, regular college kid. He’s wearing baggy pants and a hoodie. Fuck. Buck looks like a fraud. 

He spots Buck and sighs. 

“Hi!” Buck grins. “I’m B- -” 

“I know who you are,” the guy sighs. “I’m Ravi, and we are not going to be roommates.” 

Oh, great. That took all of three seconds. 

Ravi looks around at Hen and Athena standing against the wall of their room. 

“I’m here for college, man, not - - whatever this is,” Ravi says, waving his hand at his wall of security. “Or…whoever they are.” 

“That’s Athena,” Buck says, pointing at Agent Grant. “And that’s Hen,” he says, pointing to Agent Wilson. “They look like they’re mad at you because it’s their job, but they’re very nice.” Athena raises a brow at him. “Okay, well, Athena is actually a little scary.” 

She nods, pleased with the correction. 

“That’s great and all, dude. But I don’t have any interest in hanging around old people unless they’re buying me alcohol.” 

Athena clears her throat. 

Buck throws her a glare that he hopes says, ‘can you please be cool right now? we’re blowing this.’

Ravi looks between them — Buck’s begging glare and Athena’s unimpressed, raised brows. “Yeah, nope,” Ravi declares. “I’m out.” 

“Okay, wait,” Buck tries. “We can - - how about this?” He barters. “Give me a week. A week to prove I’m just a normal, regular kid going to college,” he begs. “Because that’s what I want. I just want the normal college experience. And I know - - I know, okay, that this isn’t ideal. But I can be very persistent.”

“Like a gnat,” Athena agrees, unprompted. 

“Yes, thank you, Athena,” Buck notes. “Look,” he sighs. “I’ve never had normal. I didn’t get that growing up, and I really, really want it. And you seem really great. And I promise I will be as lowkey as physically possible.” 

Ravi looks at him. He sniffs. He shrugs. “Fine,” he agrees. “A week. But I will be partaking in the standard college experience,” he says, turning to Hen and Athena, narrowing his eyes. “And I’d appreciate no tattletales.” 

Fuck yeah. 

“It’s like they won’t even be here!” Buck insists gleefully. “Unless, like, the world ends, and then you’ll get the spare seat next to me in the chopper!” 

It takes all of four hours for Ravi to take someone back to their room, effectively making Buck temporarily homeless for a few hours. He’s gotta hand it to him — he’s really following through on the standard college experience thing.

Buck, on the other hand, doesn’t really know what to do with himself. Everywhere he goes, curious eyes follow him and his entourage of Secret Service agents. 

He braves the dining hall, hits the gym, and winds up in the empty rec room. 

Plonking himself in front of a blank TV, he pulls out his phone and calls Maddie. When she’s not on a national tour against domestic violence, she’s in countries on the other side of the world joining relief efforts as a nurse — and, might he add, taking Chimney, who was Buck’s agent first, with her. 

He pretends to be annoyed about it, but he’s secretly thrilled to know she has him there. Chimney had gone full knight in shining armor when Maddie’s ex had broken in with a knife. Chim had been stabbed in the process of protecting her, and they’d quietly…bonded in the wake of it all. 

“Hey!” Maddie’s voice comes through the phone. “Hey, can you hear me?” 

“I can hear you,” Buck grins, just at hearing her voice. “What time is it there?” 

“Early!” She says. “But I don’t care, it’s college day! How did it go? How are you feeling? Tell me everything.” 

Buck smiles. She’d made him promise to call as soon as he could. “Good, I think. I’m still getting used to it.” 

“Yeah?” She says. “Is everyone being nice to you?” 

Buck rolls his eyes. “I have four people following me around with guns, Mads. I don’t need anyone else worried about me. What about you?” He asks. “How’s Chimney?” 

“Shut up,” she grins. “Don’t change the subject. You made any friends?” 

“Yeah,” he lies. “Yeah, a few. My roommate is pretty cool. His name is Ravi.” 

“Ravi,” Maddie smiles. “That’s a nice name. Is he nice?” 

“He seems nice.” 

“That’s good. How was dad?” 

Buck sniffs. “The usual. There was a whole circus here to greet us.” 

Maddie hums. “Has the circus died down?” 

Buck sighs. “I think I might be the circus now,” he jokes. “At least Chimney was little. You could barely see him.” 

Maddie chuckles. From behind him, so does Hen. 

“Shut up,” Maddie snorts. “You’re just jealous I stole your favorite agent.” 

This feels so normal. If he closes his eyes, it’s like Maddie is right here, and not the furthest away she’s ever been. 

“Nah, I’m glad you have him,” he admits. “And I’m glad you went to college before you were the President’s kid.” 

Because even Maddie doesn’t get it. Not really. 

Maddie sighs. “The timing sucks, huh? Freshman year and campaign season. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there. I would’ve been such a mess,” she laughs wetly. 

“You would’ve,” Buck chuckles. “You would have ruined all of dad’s photo ops.” 

This part, Maddie gets. 

She lets out a heavy breath. “You sure you’re okay, little brother?” 

“Yeah,” he promises. He is. “I just wish it could be different.” 

“I know,” she says. “Me too. Hey, I love you. And I’m so proud of you. You’re going to be amazing.” 

He squeezes the phone in his hand. “I love you, too. I’ll talk to you soon.” 

“Okay. Bye-bye, baby brother. Be safe.” 

The first day of class is…an adjustment.  

“If I could get everyone’s attention up the front, please?” The professor sighs. “I know I’m not as interesting as our new student, but I am the one with the answers to your exam.” 

Any of the eyes that hadn’t already been on Buck turn to him. The only people who aren’t staring at him, ironically, are the people whose job it is to watch him. They are staring forward, scattered a few seats every side of him, doing a terrible job of pretending they’re not there. 

He really wishes they weren’t here right now. In fact, he kind of wishes he weren’t here right now.

Buck is about to beg the universe for a sinkhole or a lightning strike or something, when someone clears their throat behind him. 

“Professor?” Someone asks. Buck swivels around and finds that ‘someone’ is actually the cutest boy he’s ever seen. He has giant brown eyes, messy brown hair, and he’s smiling. Buck loves his smile. 

“Yes?” The professor says. 

“I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit, sir. You’re very interesting,” the brown-eyed boy says, an amused grin on his face. The class chuckles. “You have that funky tie,” he offers. “A boring person wouldn’t even own a space-themed tie.” 

Everyone laughs, and Buck feels the eyes leave him — the whole class turning back to the professor for his response.

The professor chuckles. “That’s a good point, thank you,” he humors. “Something else you all might find interesting is the history of modern science as we know it.” 

Buck does actually find the history of modern science as we know it very interesting. He also finds the identity of the brown-eyed boy extremely interesting and jumps at the chance to deep dive into the topic. 

Luckily, he doesn’t have to wait long. As they’re walking out of class, Buck spots the cute boy ahead of him. 

“Hi, sorry, excuse me?” Buck calls out, jogging a little to catch up. His security detail jogs with him.

The cute boy turns and looks at him. He’s even prettier up close. He has a freckle under his eye and a chain peeking out from his collar. “Hi,” he smiles. 

“Hi,” Buck repeats. He can’t remember any other words. 

“Hi,” the guy laughs. “It’s Evan, right?” 

“Buck, actually,” he manages. “I go by Buck.” 

“Buck,” the cute boy smiles. It’s such a good smile. “I’m Eddie.” 

“Eddie,” Buck breathes, just to see what it feels like in his mouth. Hen snorts somewhere behind him. “Uh, thank you. For what you did back there.” 

Eddie shrugs, ducking his head. “Don’t mention it. How’s anyone supposed to learn anything with a room full of people gawking at them? I’m very committed to healthy learning environments.” 

Ah, fuck. He’s funny, too. 

Buck laughs, scratching at the back of his neck. “I hope you’re in all my classes, then.”

“Yeah,” Eddie smiles. “I hope so, too. You don’t happen to be running late to Art History right now, do you?” 

“Damn, nope,” Buck winces, snapping his fingers in mock disappointment. “Just you, I think.” 

Eddie sighs dramatically. “There goes my plan to sneak in behind your security team.” 

Buck, mortifyingly, giggles. “Sorry.” 

“Next time,” Eddie shrugs. His smile feels like the sun. Back can barely even look at him. “I’ll see you around?” 

“Yeah,” Buck breathes. “Yeah. See ya, Eddie.” 

Buck thinks he might be making progress on the Ravi front. He’s really trying to make progress on the Ravi front. It’s just that he’s actually really cool, and Buck kind of desperately wants to be his friend. 

Thus far, Ravi has just been tolerating him, mostly. 

To his credit, he did listen to Buck wax poetic about Eddie’s smile for a full 45 minutes before asking Athena if it’s illegal to tape the first son’s mouth shut. 

And that’s a little bit of progress! 

But Buck promised persistence, and he’s going to deliver. He’s going to use his status as the most talked-about kid on campus to his advantage. He’s going to persist. 

“Ravi,” Buck starts, standing over the bed Ravi is currently napping on. 

“Buck,” Ravi offers in return, eyes still shut. 

“Remember when I said I was both very persistent and a very good roommate and also very committed to having a regular, normal college experience?” 

One of Ravi’s eyes opens. “Continue.” 

“What would you say if I said I got an invite to the pool party?” 

By ‘got an invite’ he means ‘befriended the frat bros that think his dad is ‘really doing something for this country’ — their words, not Buck’s —  with the sole purpose of getting an invite’, but Ravi doesn’t need to know that. 

Ravi’s second eye opens. “The pool party?” 

“The pool party,” he confirms. 

“I would say, when are we leaving?” 

Buck grins. Fuck yeah. Progress! 

So, here’s how it happens: 

The party is a frat party, and it’s a crowded party, and it’s also, as mentioned, a pool party. It’s a good party — a classic, normal, regular college experience kind of party. 

Buck gets hit on from the moment he sets foot on the grass until the moment it happens. People of all different genders hit on him, which is a lesser-known benefit of your every public makeout being documented by paparazzi. He’s making friends, he’s getting numbers, he’s even about to get in the pool right before it happens. 

He sees it about a second before Athena does. He takes his shirt off, turns to get into the pool, and at that very moment, happens to look right at one of the frat boys who invited him. He’s already in the water, a cheerleader on his shoulders, and he’s holding a gun. 

It’s a water gun; he knows that it’s a water gun, but it looks like a regular gun. It’s a regular gun-looking water gun, and he knows exactly what’s about to happen, because it’s what they’re trained to do, and they can’t know for sure that it’s a water gun, and - -  

“GUN!” Athena yells, and all hell breaks loose. 

There’s something distinctly embarrassing about being dragged out of a college party by your security detail that most college kids probably can’t relate to. It’s a big ol’ spectacle, for starters — really gets everyone’s eyes on you. It’s also incredibly embarrassing to be the reason one of your fellow students is body-slammed by a Secret Service agent for having the audacity to use a water gun at a pool party. 

It’s all just very embarrassing, and very much not the typical college experience he was envisioning, and Buck is fucking sick of it. It has barely started, and he’s fucking sick of it. 

Buck is standing in the middle of his dorm room wearing only his swim shorts because his shirt and his shoes were left to fend for themselves in The Great Water Gun Attack of Freshman Year, and he’s fucking sick of it.

He was making progress. Ravi is going to request a new roommate after this whole debacle. Buck is never going to make a single friend. He’s going to be alone forever. 

“Bobby,” he breathes into the phone. “I can’t  - - I can’t go anywhere. I can’t do anything. I can barely go to class without everyone looking at me,” he vents, pacing. “And I know that’s his plan — I know that’s what he wants — keep Evan on his best behavior so he doesn’t fuck up his fucking campaign. Just throw security at me until it’s impossible for me to do anything. I can’t even - - I can’t even breathe. I can’t - - what about what I want, Bobby? Does what I want ever matter?” 

He can’t breathe. Oh god, he can’t breathe. 

“Kid,” he hears Bobby say from somewhere. “Just take a breath for me, okay? Take a breath.” Right. Fuck. Breathing. Buck closes his eyes and sucks in a shaky breath, and then another, and then another. “Good. That’s good, Buck,” Bobby says through the phone. Yes. Yes, Buck is on the phone with Bobby. He’s on the phone with Bobby, and he’s breathing. “I’m sorry it’s been a rough start, kiddo,” Bobby says, and Buck kind of wants to cry. “I hear what you’re saying, okay? Let me talk to him. I’ll see what I can do.” 

But they both know how this goes. Buck lets himself fall back onto his bed, exhausted and mad and desperately wishing things could be different. 

“It was a water gun,” he tells Bobby, desperate for him to understand. 

“I know,” Bobby breathes. “It’s a campaign year, kid. We have to be careful.” 

“I know,” Buck says, because he does. “I just wish it could be different.” 

He hears Bobby let out a breath through the phone. “Let me get back to you, okay?” 

“Okay,” Buck agrees. He can’t even pretend to have hope. “Love you.” 

“Love you, too,” Bobby says. “Hang in there, kiddo.” 

The call ends, and Buck braves his notifications. He swipes over to his messages. He has five from Ravi. 

Ravi
dude wtf was that
they just left me btw
rude
are you good tho fr
i have your shoes! :) 

Buck sighs. He doesn’t even know what to say. ‘Haha sorry about that! That happens sometimes! Aren’t you glad you got stuck with me as your roommate!’ Or maybe, ‘yeah, sorry! my dad would sacrifice you and your entire family and honestly probably even me for a good photo op! Hope you’re having fun!’ 

He groans. Ravi is absolutely ditching him at the first possible chance. 

Before he can figure out his response, his phone vibrates.

Bobby
He agreed to reduce from 4 to 2. Best I can do.
Stay out of trouble. 

He blinks at the screen. No way. No fucking way. Buck has been begging for this for months. Two is so reasonable! It’s so inconspicuous! It’s so doable! 

Two is a whole new world! 

Holy shit. Holy shit. 

He might get the normal, regular college experience after all. 

Buck wakes up to Ravi throwing his shoes at his sleeping body. Judging by the light coming through the curtains, it’s sometime in the earlyish morning. 

The kind of early morning that might warrant sneaking in quietly, if you weren’t Ravi. 

“Where did your buddies go?” Ravi asks, throwing his pool party clothes into the middle of their shared floor and crawling into his bed. “The ones that left me for dead.”

“In the hall,” he mumbles. “I asked for less buddies.” 

Ravi makes a pleased little hum. “You got less buddies?” 

“I got less buddies,” Buck confirms. “Two buddies.” 

“Nice, dude,” Ravi yawns. “Honestly, it was kinda dope seeing Agent Grant tackle that douchebag.” 

Buck snorts. “Thanks for getting my shoes.” 

“That’s what roomies are for,” Ravi says, flopping over to face away from Buck.  

And that - - well, that doesn’t sound like someone who’s hiding a roommate reallocation request form under their pillow. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Ravi yawns. “Yeah, you’re growing on me.” 

Buck hides his grin in his pillow. 

Things go a little too well for roughly 12 consecutive hours. His security gets reduced, he gets his shoes back, Ravi maybe thinks he’s cool, and class that morning is both interesting and free from gaping stares. The dining hall even had chocolate cake at lunch! 

Really, he should’ve known that something would happen. 

Because something has definitely happened. 

Something has happened between Buck leaving class and walking back to his dorm. He never knows what the thing is, just that there is a thing. It could be something his dad has said or done, it could be a tabloid story about Buck that is entirely made up, or it could be a tabloid story about Buck that is entirely true — you really never know. 

But something has happened. The news vans are here. The paparazzi are here. They’re all here, and they’re all waiting outside his dorm building. 

“THERE HE IS!” Someone yells. 

FLASH. FLASH. 

“EVAN!” Yells another. 

FLASH. FLASH. FLASH. 

Hen gets her arm around him and pushes through the crowd. 

“HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN, EVAN?” FLASH. “OVER HERE, EVAN!” FLASH. “WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY, EVAN?” FLASH. FLASH. FLASH. 

They push through the doors, and a few of the paparazzi push through with them. 

“EVAN!” A paparazzi yells, shoving a camera in his face. 

His other agent pushes him and his camera right back out the doors, and Buck turns to find a crowd of curious students pointing their phones at him. 

Wonderful. 

“Let’s keep it moving,” Hen suggests, directing him toward the hallway. 

Every corner they turn, there’s somehow someone else with a phone pointed at him. His room feels impossibly far away — he feels like he’s shrinking with every snap of a camera. 

They turn another corner, and there, at the end of the hallway, is the RA’s room. That’s gonna have to do. 

“I’m just gonna - -” He offers to Hen, who follows his eye line and nods. She stands watch in the hallway. The door is open, so he slips inside, shuts it behind him, and leans against it, out of breath. 

His eyes fall shut in relief, his head falling back against the door. He lets out a breath. 

He opens his eyes and… 

“Eddie,” he breathes. 

Eddie is sitting at the desk, smiling at him, amused.

“Buck,” Eddie greets. 

Eddie is here. Eddie is - - why is Eddie here?

“This is the RA’s room,” Buck offers uselessly. 

Eddie chuckles, like that’s funny. “Good thing I’m the RA.” 

“Oh - - I - -” Buck blinks. “What happened to Josh?” 

Eddie shrugs. “Josh was looking for something more lowkey.” He cocks his head at Buck. “Are you okay?” 

“What?” Buck blinks. And oh. Right. Yes. He just burst into Eddie’s room with zero explanation. “Oh,” he breathes. “Yeah. I think so. Gimme one sec, I just gotta - -” He says, taking his phone out of his pocket and motioning to it. 

He opens the google app and searches his own name. The top result reads:

PRESIDENT BUCKLEY’S SON EXPOSED AS CONTROVERSIAL ‘SAVIOR BABY’: “I’D DO ANYTHING FOR MY CHILDREN”.  

Buck scoffs. 

“Everything okay?” Eddie asks. 

Buck turns his phone around and shows Eddie the screen. “I’ve been exposed as controversial savior baby,” he reads verbatim. 

“Oh,” Eddie breathes, smile dropping off his face. “I’m…sorry?”

Buck shrugs. “I found out a few years ago. I’m not surprised they’re using it.” 

Eddie sniffs. His big brown eyes are so big and brown when they’re full of pity. “They didn’t tell you they were going to?” 

Buck snorts. “No. No, that’s above my security clearance. I just get told where to stand and when to wave and smile.” 

“Oh,” Eddie repeats. “Well, I’m sorry.”

Buck shrugs. He doesn’t really know what to say. 

Eddie turns back to his desk, shuts his laptop, and pushes his wheelie chair away from the desk with enough dramatic flair to make Buck smile. 

He turns to look at Buck, eyes twinkling, and says, “So, it seems like you need a place to hide out for a bit?” 

Buck bites down on a grin. “You know anywhere?” 

“Yeah,” Eddie shrugs. “I know a spot.” He looks Buck up and down. He narrows his eyes at him. “Wait here.” 

Buck waits as instructed and watches as Eddie rifles through his closet. He pulls out an oversized hoodie and hands it to Buck. “Put that on,” he instructs, turning back around again to keep searching through his closet. 

Buck holds the hoodie up — ‘El Paso High Wrestling Team’, it reads. Buck pulls it on over top of what he’s wearing. 

Eddie turns back around, a blue baseball cap in hand, and looks him up and down again. “That’s better,” he says, mostly to himself. He pulls the hood over Buck’s curls and plonks the baseball cap on top of that. “Perfect,” Eddie grins. 

And it’s just - - it’s just a lot, is the thing. Because Eddie is very pretty and very hot and Buck is wearing his hoodie and it smells like him and Eddie is looking at him and saying things like perfect and Buck kind of feels like he’s going to combust. 

“You ready?” Eddie asks. 

Get it the fuck together, Buckley. He doesn’t even know what he’s ready for, but goddamn is he ready. 

“Ready,” he agrees, his voice coming out a little weaker than he’d hoped. 

Eddie holds out his hand, and Buck takes it. Eddie pokes his head out the door, checking if the coast is clear, then yanks Buck down the hallway, away from where his detail is stationed. 

As they run out of the room, Eddie yells, “You stay in there as long as you need, Buck! Mi casa es su casa!” 

Buck giggles because this is ridiculous, and there is no way that’s going to work, but he’s not stopping to find out how close behind them his detail is. 

They both giggle as they run through the corridors, Buck partially blinded by the hoodie/cap combo. It might be the most fun he’s had since he arrived at college, and they haven’t even left the dorms. 

Impossibly, like, truly bafflingly, it works. 

Buck cannot believe that worked. 

Eddie leads them to a cute little pizza place Buck didn’t even know was here, finding them a table outside and out of the way of prying eyes. Not that anyone is looking — no one knows he’s here. No one knows it’s him. 

Not only that, but the pizza is incredible. It’s not quite as good as Red’s, but it’s infinitely better than the dining hall offerings he’s been adjusting to. 

Eddie laughs at him as he all but moans at the first bite. 

“Good, right?” He grins. 

“S’good,” Buck agrees, eyes wide and mouth full. He takes another bite before he’s even swallowed the first one. 

Eddie snorts. 

Buck likes making Eddie laugh. 

“You’re from Texas?” He asks. 

Eddie frowns. He looks down at himself. “Am I eating my pizza in a particularly Texan fashion?” 

Buck smiles. “Your hoodie,” he says by way of explanation. The one that Buck is wearing. Eddie’s hoodie that Buck is wearing. 

“Oh. Yeah. What about you?” Eddie asks, then winces. “I, uh - - sorry. Stupid question.” 

“No,” Buck laughs. “Not stupid. I’m from Pennsylvania, originally. Before, y’know,” he shrugs.

“Before you moved into the White House,” Eddie nods. “Sure. We’ve all been there.” 

Buck snorts and takes another bite of his pizza. “Enough about me,” he says. “Tell me something I don’t know.” 

Eddie hums. “Did you know that bananas are berries, but strawberries aren’t?” 

Buck rolls his eyes at Eddie’s obvious dodging of the question, but he’s not one to be beat at a fun fact-off. 

“I did,” he confirms. “Did you know sharks existed before trees?” 

Eddie narrows his eyes. “Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins.” 

Buck sits up straighter. “Butterflies taste with their feet.” 

“A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance,” Eddie throws back. 

“There are more fake flamingos on earth than real ones,” Buck says, raising a brow in challenge.

Eddie leans forward. “Cows have best friends, and they get sad if they’re separated.” 

Buck grins. “Do you have a best friend?” 

Eddie blinks, like he wasn’t expecting that. He opens his mouth, but he’s cut off by - -

“Oh my god! That’s Evan Buckley!” 

Buck looks up to see a flash go off. It’s just an older lady with a phone, but now people are looking, and it won’t be long until - - yep. 

Another five phones are pointed at him. 

“Is this your boyfriend, Evan?” The older woman asks. “He’s very handsome!” 

“Oh, no,” Buck tries. “No, he’s not my boyfriend.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Eddie says, quiet enough that only the two of them can hear. 

Buck smiles politely at the woman who is still taking photos of him, and follows Eddie away from the quickly gathering crowd. 

They turn a corner, and, fuck - - a sea of flashes go off in their faces. It’s the fucking paparazzi. 

Eddie grabs his hand and yanks him in the other direction. They run down the street, past baffled pedestrians, the paparazzi on their heels. 

“HE WENT THIS WAY!” Someone yells. 

“Up here!” Eddie says, headed for the fire escape on the side of a building. Buck follows him, running up the stairs. Eddie pulls the door open, and they slip inside right as the first photographer rounds the corner below. 

It’s dark, wherever they are. 

“The cinema,” Eddie offers quietly, like he can read his mind. “Come on.” 

Eddie grabs his hand again and leads him through a curtain. They sneak past a few rows of people and drop into two vacant seats, giggling. 

An old black and white romance is playing on the screen. Buck loves old-timey romances. 

“Wait right there,” Eddie whispers, squeezing Buck’s hand. He returns a few minutes later with popcorn, handing it to Buck. 

Buck loves popcorn. 

“Thanks,” he breathes. 

Eddie grabs a handful of the popcorn and shoves it into his mouth. He leans in close and whispers, “What’d I miss?” 

By the time the movie ends, the paparazzi have given up on their hunt. Eddie sneaks him back into the dorms and into his room, Buck’s detail still standing guard in the hallway. 

Buck falls onto Eddie’s bed, giggling. 

“That was crazy,” he laughs. “I can’t believe we got away with that.” 

Eddie collapses into his desk chair, grinning. “It was kind of fun.” 

“It was! It was the most fun I’ve had since I got here,” he says honestly. “Thank you for - - all of that.” 

Eddie shrugs, like it’s nothing. “It must be hard,” he says, and Buck knows what he means. People always have a certain look on their face when they say it. 

Buck shrugs. “It’s all I’ve ever known.” 

“Still. It must be hard.” 

But Buck is having too good a time to think about any of that, so he changes the subject.

“Tell me something else,” he requests. “About you.” 

“Me?” Eddie gasps, pointing at himself. He’s silly, sometimes, Buck is learning. It makes his heart squeeze in his chest. “Hmm. Okay. I used to do ballroom,” he offers. “I was good at it, too.” 

Buck grins. “No way.” 

“Yep.”

Buck tries to picture it. “That’s so cool.”

Eddie laughs. “You think so?” 

“Yeah,” Buck insists. “I only know the basics. For balls and things.” 

“Right,” Eddie chuckles. “All those balls we all go to.” 

Buck rolls his eyes. “Trust me, you’re not missing anything fun. Except for how good I look in a tux.” 

Eddie blushes and ducks his head, which is…interesting. 

“The real test is if you can pull off the ballroom hair,” Eddie says. “They’d slick those curls down with a gallon of gel.” 

“My mom hates the curls,” Buck says, running his hand through them. He must look like a mess after the day they’ve had. “Says I look like a frat boy.” 

Eddie snorts. “Maybe she should’ve signed you up for ballroom then.” 

Buck chuckles.  “My - - Bobby signed me up for all types of things, but I never stuck to anything long enough to be good at it.”

“Ohhh, okay,” Eddie grins. “Best and worst?” 

Buck hums. He thinks about it. “I loved skateboarding, but I kept breaking bones, and it was a ‘bad look,’ apparently. And I hated basketball.”

“What’s wrong with basketball?” Eddie gasps. “Basketball is fun, man!” 

Buck gapes at him. “You’re gonna tell me you did ballroom, wrestling, and basketball, and still had good enough grades to make it into college?” 

Eddie grins. He shrugs. “Played baseball, too.” 

He is so far beyond needing Ravi to think he’s cool. He needs Ravi to give it to him straight. He needs to give Ravi every tiny, seemingly insignificant detail, and he needs Ravi to tell him exactly what he’s supposed to do next. 

Because Buck has no idea what to do next. For some reason, he feels like he’s never flirted with anyone ever. He forgets how to even look at a person and convey I’m flirting with you energy. He’s pretty sure whatever version of him used to flirt with people got left behind in D.C. 

“Okay, but what if he wasn’t flirting?” Buck repeats.

“He was flirting.” 

“But what if he wasn’t?” 

“You said he gave you his hoodie.” 

“He did,” Buck groans, flopping back dramatically onto Ravi’s bed. “It smelled like him,” he sighs dreamily. 

“Good god,” Ravi whispers. “I can’t believe they made you out to be a player.” 

Buck whacks him with the back of his hand. “You don’t get it. He got me popcorn. He held my hand.” 

“Yeah, Mr Loverboy. Flirting.” 

Buck groans. “But what if he wasn’t?” 

Ravi rolls his eyes. “There’s only one way to find out,” he says, kicking until Buck falls ungracefully off the bed with a squawk. “And it’s not in my bed.” 

Buck spends his time on the floor wisely, spiraling about his giant crush and considering his options. For example, he could just stay here, right here on the floor, and wait for the universe to give him a sign that Eddie was, in fact, flirting with him. That could be good. 

Or he could send him a text, maybe! Like, a meme or a photo of a duck doing something cute. Just, like, open a dialogue for Eddie to confess that he, too, has a giant crush on Buck. That would be great. He’d love that. 

A sock lands on his face. He splutters, throwing the sock off and sitting up to glare at Ravi. Ravi, who has one sock on. 

“Did you just take your sock off to throw it at me?” 

Ravi shrugs. “I didn’t have anything else in reaching distance. Go,” he says, reaching for his other still-socked foot threateningly. “Ask.” 

Ugh. That was right at the bottom of his list of options because that’s the scariest one. 

“Fine,” he groans. 

He pulls himself off the floor, throws Ravi’s sock back at his face, and knocks on Eddie’s door. Well, he’s about to knock on the door right as it opens, a flustered-looking Eddie stumbling out of it. 

“Oh!” He startles as he runs directly into Buck. “Hey.” 

“Hey,” Buck breathes. He’s so handsome. 

Eddie pulls his door shut behind him. “Everything okay?” 

“Yeah! Yeah. I was just - - uh,” Buck stammers. He can do this. He can ask. “Are you going to the bonfire tonight?” 

“Tonight?” Eddie frowns, looking down at his watch. “Uh - - no. I can’t tonight.” 

“Oh. Yeah. Cool,” Buck says, shoving the disappointment as far down as it’ll go. “Exciting plans?” 

“Nah,” Eddie shrugs. He looks up and actually catches Buck’s eye for the first time. He could swear Eddie softens a little, letting out a breath. “But, hey, have fun at the bonfire, yeah?” He offers. “I, uh. I gotta go. I’ll - - I’ll see you?” 

“Yeah,” Buck breathes. “Yeah, I’ll - - I’ll see you. Bye.” 

Eddie shoots him a smile over his shoulder as he disappears down the hallway. 

Fuccckkkk that was embarrassing. He avoids eye contact with his detail — thank fuck Hen and Athena aren’t on duty, or he would never live that down. 

He drags his mopey ass back down the hallway and faceplants on top of Ravi. “Fuck you’re heavy, dude,” Ravi groans. 

Buck groans pitifully in response. 

Ravi pats at his shoulder awkwardly. “There, there,” he offers. “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.” 

“He said he had plans,” Buck groans. “What does that even mean?” 

“I don’t know,” Ravi hums. “Maybe he had plans.” 

Buck groans. “Or maybe he’s just being nice to me because it’s his job.” 

“I don’t think it’s his job to be nice to you,” Ravi offers. “I think it’s his job to pretend he doesn’t see Lucy sneak three bottles of tequila into her dorm.” 

Buck groans again, flopping onto his back dramatically. 

“You know what your job is?” Ravi asks, poking him in the middle of the forehead. 

“Smile. Nod. Pose for photo ops.” 

“No,” Ravi grins, poking once with every word. “Get. Drunk. With. Your. Roomie.” 

Buck is so hungover. He’s so hungover and pretending not to be because Athena is on shift this morning, and he values his life. 

Someone drops their laptop somewhere in the lecture hall, and Buck winces at the sound. He can almost feel Athena’s gaze narrow in on him. 

Thank jesus lord above — and Buck isn’t even religious,  Eddie shuffles past Athena and plonks down into the seat right beside him. 

“Hey,” Eddie whispers. 

“Hey,” Buck smiles. 

“How was the bonfire?” 

“Good,” Buck says. Athena clears her throat. His head throbs. He ignores her. “Fun. How was not the bonfire?” 

Eddie smiles, amused. “Less fun than you had, I bet.” 

Buck points to a stain on Eddie’s shirt. “You have something…” he frowns, leaning in to get a better look. “Is that spit-up?” 

Eddie’s eyes widen, looking down at it. “Oh. Uh. Yeah. I was - - holding a baby.” 

Buck smiles at the thought of it. “Cute,” he smiles. “I’m somewhat of a professional baby holder myself. You wouldn’t believe how many people throw their babies at me for a photo.” 

Eddie snorts. “I’ll send them your way next time, then.”

Buck looks back at the whiteboard. The professor is still talking about something that Buck should definitely be paying attention to, but isn’t. He keeps his eyes ahead and his hopes down as he asks, “You busy after this?” 

He sees Eddie smile in his peripheral vision. “No.” 

Buck hums. “Wanna get lunch?” 

Eddie turns to look at the whiteboard, too. “Sure.” 

“Why ‘Buck’?” Eddie asks in between bites of his sandwich. 

Buck hums. He loves this story. “Bobby,” he smiles. “He’s, like, my family’s head of security, technically. Been around my whole life. He’s more like family to me than some of my actual family.” Understatement of the century. “Back when my dad was governor, and I was, I don’t know, 10 maybe? I’d get jealous that my dad had a cool code name. So Bobby said I could pick one, and he’d call me it. He even let me pick one for him, too,” he grins. “Mine was Buck, his was Cap. I wasn’t very creative,” he laughs. “Back then, I didn’t mind my last name. Now, I don’t know - - it’s like my own version of it. Something that’s mine.” 

Eddie smiles. “It suits you.” 

“Yeah? You think?” Buck takes a bite of his burger. “My actual code name is way cooler.” 

Eddie chuckles. “Isn’t that a secret?” 

“It is,” Buck sighs. “Such a shame. It’s badass.” 

Eddie hums. He squints. “Thunderbuck,” he guesses, with some badass theatrical flair.

Buck snorts. “You can take the boy out of Texas.”

Eddie grins and takes a bite of his sandwich. “What would mine be?” 

Buck cocks his head at him. “You,” Buck squints, “Are a bit of a mystery to me.” 

“A mystery?” Eddie laughs. 

“Yep. You’re mysterious. You don’t like to talk about yourself. I don’t even know your favorite color, or your favorite flavor of ice cream, or why you wear that chain around your neck.” 

“Blue,” he says. “Butter pecan. And it’s a lucky charm.” 

Buck smiles. That’s exactly what he is. “Lucky charm,” he says. “That’d be your code name.” 

“Yeah?” 

Buck nods. “Yep.” 

Eddie tilts his head at him. “Well, now I’m thinking about ice cream. You wanna get ice cream?”

Buck should be studying, but instead he says: “Yeah. Yeah, I wanna get ice cream.” 

So, they get ice cream. They meet up at coffee shops and libraries to “study”. They go to the farmer’s market, and to the bookstore, and back to the cinema. They get lunches and dinners and more ice cream. So much ice cream. They go on what could be dates — what Buck thinks might be dates — but he really has no idea. Eddie never calls them dates, but he keeps taking him on them. 

Buck hangs out in Eddie’s dorm, and Eddie hangs out in his. Ravi even hangs out with them sometimes, which Buck is thrilled about, but he’s playing it very cool. He’s fairly certain Ravi thinks Eddie is cooler than him, but he can’t even blame him. It’s Eddie. And it’s perfect. 

It’s everything he had hoped college would be. Well, it’s almost everything he’d hoped college would be. He’s got the cute boy; he just needs to figure out if he’s allowed to kiss him. 

And Buck is determined to find out if he’s allowed to kiss him. 

He’s going to find out on their maybe-date-but-not-a-date to the pier. 

Buck’s never been, and once Eddie finds this out, it becomes his life’s mission to fix it. He insists they have the full pier experience, which apparently involves Eddie winning Buck a stuffed giraffe. Buck is not allowed to participate. Apparently, it’s imperative that someone else wins you the stuffed giraffe. 

Buck is not complaining. Eddie is hot as hell when he’s competitive — muscles tensed, tongue sticking out of his mouth in concentration. He is having the time of his life watching Eddie fork over more and more cash for a stuffed animal that cannot be worth more than $5. 

And the look on his face when he wins it? When he hands it to Buck like it’s the most precious thing in the world? Well, that’s worth at least a few millennia watching someone else shoot a water gun at a spiral thing. 

“He looks like you,” Eddie grins, looking down at the giraffe in Buck’s hands. “You both have long-ass legs,” he teases, then his eyes snap up to Buck’s. “Oh!” He gasps. “Giraffe! Is it Giraffe?” 

Buck chuckles. Eddie’s last guess was Wrangler (because Buck mentioned that he’s always wanted a Jeep), and the one before that was Cowboy, which had made Hen laugh so hard that she’d cried. “Why would Giraffe be badass?” 

“Giraffes are cool,” Eddie shrugs. “You know that they’re 30% more likely to get hit by lightning? Ohh!” He gasps. “Lightning is a cool code name. Badass.”

Buck grins. “It would apply,” he agrees. “I was the fastest kid on the team for the one week I spent in track.” 

Eddie snorts. He narrows his eyes playfully. “Prove it,” he challenges. “First one to the Ferris wheel wins.” 

Eddie wins, which is both rude and hot as fuck. He’s flushed and grinning and out of breath as Buck catches up to him, and he knows, right there in that moment, that he’s going to kiss him soon. He’s going to have to. 

Buck turns to Athena, and as subtly as he can, using only his eyes, begs her to stay on the ground. 

She raises both brows in response, unimpressed. 

He pouts. 

She raises her brows higher. 

He continues pouting. 

She looks at the Ferris wheel, looks behind them, and sighs. 

Fuck yeah. Buck grins. 

He spins back around toward Eddie, like none of that was happening. “You wanna go up?” He asks. 

“Sure,” Eddie smiles. 

The climb into the cabin — they get a red one. It’s just Buck, Eddie, and the giraffe. They haven’t even left the ground, and Buck already feels like he’s on top of the world.

Eddie’s right next to him; he can feel his leg press against his as the cabin starts to swing a little. 

“I think I’m gonna name him Lucky Charm,” Buck decides, looking down at the giraffe. He’s going to keep this giraffe forever. It’s his new most prized possession. 

“I thought that was my name?” Eddie says.

“You don’t see the resemblance?” Buck teases, holding the giraffe up next to Eddie’s face. Eddie grins ridiculously, like he’s posing for the photo he somehow knows Buck is taking in his mind. Buck shrugs. “He just feels lucky to me.” 

“Lucky Charm is good,” Eddie says with a soft smile. He nudges his shoulder against Buck’s. “Suits him.” 

It feels a little awkward, suddenly. Buck is incredibly aware of how alone they are, and just how rare that is. 

They’re kind of high up now, and it’s beautiful up here — just open ocean for as far as he can see. 

The cabin sways again as it starts to move, coming to a stop right at the top of the ride. They’re so alone. No one can see them. No one could even knock, or break a door down, or drag him away in the face of some perceived danger. They’re completely alone. They’re alone, and Buck wants to kiss him. 

Buck swallows. “Eddie?” 

Eddie’s eyes flick over to his.

“Yeah?” 

He can do this. He has his lucky charm. He squeezes the stuffed giraffe against him. 

“Was this a date?” 

Eddie sucks in a breath. His gaze snaps away from Buck’s, then he forces it back. “It shouldn’t be,” he says, which isn’t a no. 

“Kinda feels like it is, though,” Buck whispers. 

Eddie swallows. Nods. He’s blushing. “Yeah,” he croaks. His eyes flick down to Buck’s lips. 

Buck inches forward a little, just to see if that’s allowed. Eddie just swallows, eyes still glued on Buck’s mouth. “Is this - -?” Buck whispers. 

Eddie nods, and it’s like a levee breaks. Buck surges forward, closing the distance, a hand slotting into the fluffy mop of hair he’s been dreaming of touching for weeks. Soft, his brain supplies somewhere far away. He can’t focus on anything other than Eddie Eddie Eddie — Eddie’s hand on his jaw, Eddie’s stubble on his skin, Eddie’s tongue in his mouth. 

The cabin creaks and sways as it starts to move again, starting their descent back to the ground. They pull away in sync, breathing heavily. 

“Told you,” Buck breathes, a smile breaking out over his face. He holds up the stuffed giraffe and wiggles it like the dopey, hopelessly smitten idiot he is. “Lucky charm.” 

It’s a shame, really, that everyone on the planet can’t experience the life-altering, world-shifting experience that is kissing Eddie Diaz. 

Buck’s pretty sure that’s all it would take to get this whole world peace thing figured out — anyone who thinks they need to start a war really just needs to make out with the cute, brown-eyed boy that makes their heart feel like it’s about to beat out of their chest. 

Easy! 

Buck could totally be president. He has so many good ideas. Admittedly, a lot of them involve making out with Eddie. And boy does he make out with Eddie now that he can. 

It has only been a few weeks, but he’s making up for lost time. He’s revelling in the regular, normal college experience of it all. 

“Ugh,” Ravi huffs, opening the door to reveal Buck and Eddie on Buck’s bed, “studying”. In his defence, they were studying. Initially. But Eddie was right there, and so was Buck’s bed, and he’s just a man, okay? So, OKAY SURE, maybe they were giggling and making out and not studying, but it’s not like Buck hasn’t walked in on Ravi doing much, much worse. 

Ravi throws his bag down on his bed. “I can’t believe I played any hand in this. You help out a pal, and what do you get in return?” He sighs loudly to himself. “Traumatized in your own dorm room.” 

“Hey, Ravi,” Eddie offers. 

“Hello, Eddie,” Ravi returns. 

“Oh!” Buck grins, pushing Eddie off him as he sits up excitedly. “I have news!” 

Ravi turns to look at him, eyes narrowed. “Continue.” 

“There’s a dinner next week,” Buck explains. “At the White House. Like a fancy ball kind of dinner. Black tie, the whole thing. Would you guys want to come? As a thank you for putting up with me?” 

“Do we get to go on a private jet?” Ravi enquires. 

“A presidential jet,” Buck confirms. 

“And will hot people be there?” He asks. 

Buck snorts. “Probably. In suits and fancy dresses. Everyone looks hot in suits and fancy dresses.” 

“Oh, fuck yeah, dude,” Ravi agrees, staring off into the distance. “I’d look so hot in a tux.” 

Buck grins, turning back around to Eddie. He desperately needs to see Eddie in a tux, so the answer really has to be yes. He walks his fingers up Eddie’s shoulder. “You know who else would look hot in a tux?” 

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Like I would pass up the chance to see you look all fancy,” he scoffs. “I’d love to go.” 

Buck grins, leaning in to kiss him. 

Ravi sighs dramatically. “If I don’t find a rich-ass prince or princess at this thing, I’m requesting a new roommate.” 

Bringing friends home from college is an experience Buck kind of assumed he’d never get to have. 

He wasn’t the kid who invited kids over after school (security risk) or hosted sleepovers (“this is not a preschool, Evan”). He’d never even brought anyone home to meet his parents. 

Not that Eddie is meeting his parents. That is absolutely not happening. As far as anyone knows, Eddie is his regular, normal friend. 

Just Buck and his two very good, very normal, very regular friends. 

He hasn’t been this excited about a White House event ever in his entire life. Not even when he secretly organized a Bruce Springsteen performance to surprise Bobby. 

He’s practically vibrating with excitement the whole plane ride there. He gives Ravi and Eddie the tour of the grounds and the residence, and lets them both pick out any tux they want. 

He very purposely avoids any place his parents might be — he just made these friends, he does not want to lose them. 

As evening falls, Buck is swept off to shake important hands and take photos with important faces. Eddie and Ravi end up arriving at the ball before Buck does — his father insists he walks in with the family, as a show of unity. Buck is itching the entire time they’re apart to see Eddie in his tux. 

He doesn’t even complain when the photographer takes a billion “loving family” photos. Complaining takes up time, and Buck doesn’t want to spend a single additional second not looking at Eddie in a tux. 

Finally, the double doors open, and the whole room comes to a halt as the President and First Lady walk in. Buck’s there, too. The ballroom is beautiful — filled with beautiful people in beautiful dresses and suits. Buck searches the crowd desperately. He spots Ravi first, surrounded by a group of pretty girls who are giggling at whatever he’s saying, then he spots Eddie, leaning against a wall, already looking back at Buck. 

Buck doesn’t even have words for how good Eddie looks in a tux, and he knew Eddie would look good in a tux. He looks like a fucking supermodel. Buck wants to eat him alive. 

Eddie winks. 

Buck trips on the back of his mother’s dress. 

Buck has to talk to some boring official people who don’t even look half as good as Eddie does in a tux before he gets to get his hands on Eddie in a tux. 

It’s the longest twenty minutes of his life. 

He keeps catching Eddie’s eye in the periphery, where he’s leaning against his wall. He doesn’t look out of place, per se — he’d fit right in with the best of them if he wanted to, but he does look like he doesn’t want anyone’s attention on him. Anyone other than Buck. 

He shakes the last boring hand he has to shake and makes a beeline for Eddie. Eddie sees him coming; he’s been watching him. He cocks his head, smiling softly as Buck appears in front of him. 

“Hey, handsome,” Eddie smiles. “Fancy meeting you here.” 

Buck snorts. He’s ridiculous. “You having a good time?” 

Eddie looks Buck up and down. “Yeah. I’ve just been enjoying the view.” 

Buck feels himself blush from head to toe. 

“You were flirting with me,” he accuses. 

Eddie snorts. “What gave it away?” 

Buck rolls his eyes. He holds out a hand. “Care to show me these ballroom moves you’ve been bragging about, charmer?” 

Eddie sweeps him onto the dance floor. 

It’s the perfect night. Buck couldn’t dream up a more perfect night. Eddie is a really good dancer. It’s hot as fuck. 

They dance together, they dance with Ravi, they dance with an assortment of hot people Ravi keeps finding and introducing them to. 

The only thing that could make it better is if Buck could kiss Eddie right in the middle of the dance floor. He thinks he’s probably doing a terrible job of not looking at Eddie like he hung the moon, but give him a break. He’s wearing a tux.  

Buck has never practiced more self-control in his life. In fact, he’s running out of it. 

“You wanna get some air?” Buck whispers into Eddie’s ear. Eddie nods, and Buck drags him by the hand through the crowd of people and out into the night air, his detail trailing behind them. 

They come out near the valet, a few people lining up for their cars, but otherwise it’s fairly quiet. 

Buck turns to Eddie, about to suggest they keep walking to the gardens, when a sharp, sudden screech cuts him off. A woman’s scream rips through the quiet, and then BANG — a car smashes into the one waiting at the curb. 

Buck’s detail springs into action. 

“GO, GO, GO!” Athena yells. 

Eddie grabs his hand and pulls him in the opposite direction — Athena behind them, Hen in front. 

“Ravi!” Buck gasps. “Where’s Ravi?” 

“They’ll look after him,” Eddie says, dragging him as they follow Hen through a back door. 

They push through a series of doors until they come out beneath the White House, a car already waiting for them. 

Hen yanks the door open, and Buck feels Eddie’s hands on him as he pushes him safely into the backseat. 

Buck scoots over, making room for Eddie. He looks up, a smile on his face because of course this is happening. It’s ridiculous. Buck’s life is ridiculous. But Eddie’s just standing there. He’s not getting into the car. Buck opens his mouth to say something, to tell him to get in the damn car, but Eddie - - 

Eddie has a radio? Eddie has a radio, and he’s bringing it up to his mouth, like he’s going to talk into it. His eyes hold steady on Buck’s as he croaks: “Wildfire secure.” 

Buck’s heart stops beating. His whole body turns cold. 

Eddie slams the door shut. The wheels of the car screech as the driver pulls away. 

“Did everyone know?” Buck breathes, furious. He’s so furious he’s on the verge of tears. “Did everyone know except for me?” He demands, barging into Bobby’s office, right past his flustered assistant. 

Bobby sighs. Buck assumes he knew he was coming. It seems like everyone has been talking to everyone else about him behind his back.

Bobby gets up from his desk and walks over to the door Buck has just slammed through. He closes it behind him. 

“Buck,” he tries. “We were just trying to give you what you wanted. We were trying to keep you safe.” 

“By lying to me?” Buck demands. He wants to cry. He’s going to cry. “By humiliating me?” 

Bobby is just standing there. He’s just standing there looking guilty and sorry and pathetic, and Buck can’t even look at him. He doesn’t want to look at him. He turns and faces the other way. 

“Buck,” Bobby says again. He all but begs. “Every day. Every single day, we receive half a dozen threats on your life. Every. Day. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. It’s my job to keep you safe.” 

Buck sucks in a shaky breath. “You lied to me, Bobby,” he whispers. 

Bobby has never lied to him before. Never once. 

“I’m sorry, kid,” Bobby says, and Buck knows he means it. It doesn’t make a difference. “I wish it could be different. I know you thought he was your friend.” 

Buck’s going to be sick. He’s going to puke. Bobby doesn’t even know. 

“I can replace him, if you want me to,” Bobby offers. 

He’s shaking. He’s shaking with rage and heartbreak and adrenaline. He turns back around and lets Bobby see him.

“Will he - -” He starts. He sucks in another breath. He’s so heartbroken he can barely breathe. “What would happen to him?” 

“He’d transfer to a different team,” Bobby says. “He’s still on track to work for your dad — that’s what most of these guys want. He’ll be okay.” 

Buck doesn’t know why. He doesn’t know why he says it, but he can’t - - he can’t imagine never seeing him again. He can’t never see him again. 

“Leave him,” he says. 

Bobby holds his eye. 

“Alright,” he agrees. “I am sorry that it had to be like this, Buck.” 

“Yeah, Cap,” he sighs. “I’m sure you are.” 

Buck wanders. He doesn’t even know where he’s going; he just walks. 

He wants to get as far away from here as he can. He wants to move countries, change his name, and never see any of these people ever again. 

He’s so fucking stupid. He’s so fucking stupid. 

Why would -  - of course no one would - - why would he ever get to have that? Buck doesn’t get to have that. 

He’s so fucking stupid. 

Of course, of course, of course. 

“Buck?” 

Buck startles. Mortifyingly, he almost starts crying at the fright. He looks up, and there’s Ravi — standing out in the cold, arms crossed over his chest, eyes wide and worried. 

He doesn’t even know if - - what if it’s Ravi, too? 

Buck blinks at him. He holds it together. 

“Eddie,” he manages. “Eddie was - -“ 

“I know,” Ravi cuts in, saving him from saying it out loud. “He told me.” 

Buck stumbles back, betrayed. 

“Tonight!” Ravi adds quickly. “Just then. And, like, fuck him, obviously,” he huffs. “And also,” he adds, turning to Buck’s detail, “respectfully, fuck all of you, too.” 

Buck barks out a surprised, wet laugh. Never Ravi. Of course not Ravi. 

“Obviously, fuck him,” Ravi continues. “But, if it helps, he looked like shit. And he had to look me in the eye while he told me. And I scoffed in his face.” 

Buck laughs. That does kind of help. 

“But,” Ravi adds. “It might also help to consider that he didn’t have to tell me. And I think he told me because he wanted to make sure you weren’t alone. Wandering these creepy grounds in the dark. By yourself. Ominously.” 

And that doesn’t help at all. That makes him so sad, because that’s so Eddie. He’s so fucking sad. 

“I just feel so stupid,” he whispers. “Like none of it was real. I thought - - I thought he liked me.” 

Ravi sighs. “I know. I’m so sorry, man.” 

“It felt so real.” 

“Do we know that it wasn’t?” Ravi asks. “Maybe it was, y’know, fake, but maybe his feelings were real.” 

Buck just looks at him, heartbroken and devastated and too hurt for hope, and lets his face do whatever it wants to do. 

Ravi lets out a breath at the tragic sight of him. “Oh, dude,” he breathes, opening his arms. “Come’re.” 

Buck lets a sob rip out of him as he falls into him, letting his head fall onto Ravi’s shoulder. Ravi wraps him up and squeezes. 

“That’s the shit, man,” Ravi says. Buck laughs weakly. “You gotta squeeze me back,” he insists. “Both arms.” 

Buck brings his arms around Ravi, who he thinks might really be his real friend, and he squeezes. He feels something deep, deep inside him start to heal. 

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Ravi commentates, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing. “First roomie hug. That’s a good one.” 

Buck sucks in a breath and realizes he can breathe again. He feels like he can breathe again.

Ravi pulls back, holding onto Buck by the shoulders. He adjusts Buck’s now crooked bow tie. 

“Are you going to be okay, my saddest fancy boy?” 

Buck shrugs. “I don’t even know - - what do I even do?” He asks. “He’s just gonna be there. Following me around everywhere like we didn’t - - like it didn’t even happen.” 

Ravi hums. “I think,” he suggests, “that if I were you, I would make him lose his mind.” He wipes at the shoulders of Buck’s tux. “I think you make him think you couldn’t care less. And then, I think,” he adds, booping Buck on the nose. “You make him very, very jealous.” 

The next time Buck sees Eddie is out of the corner of his eye as he walks right past him on his way to lunch. 

Hen and Eddie trail behind him as he picks out a sandwich and a juice from the dining hall, bringing them to the courtyard to eat while he reads his book. 

Eddie is dressed in a suit. He looks like a Secret Service agent because he is one. 

Buck takes a bite of his sandwich and pretends like everything is completely fine. 

Eddie takes a step forward and clears his throat. 

“Buck,” he tries. “I just wanted to apologize - -”

“No need,” Buck offers with a tight smile. He returns his attention to his book. 

“I never wanted to - -” Eddie tries to continue. 

“As I said,” Buck cuts him off. “No need. Thank you, Agent Diaz.” 

Eddie nods, stepping back into position. Buck has absolutely no appetite, but he eats his sandwich anyway. 

“Hi,” Buck smiles at the nurse at the student health center. “I’m here for my sexual health screening?” He announces loudly. “Just want to make sure we’re all good to go!” 

Eddie chokes behind him. 

“That is so funny,” Buck grins over the candle-lit dinner table. 

His date is beautiful, smart, and funny, but he honestly couldn’t care less. 

She smiles at him, and he does feel a little bad, but he’s going to pay for dinner. “Tell me something else about you,” he insists, leaning closer toward her, catching Eddie’s eye over her shoulder. 

Buck is sure he’s going to look away, caught, but instead he holds the eye contact, raising a brow. 

Buck raises a brow right back. 

Then he pulls back and laughs harder than anyone has ever laughed before at whatever his date just said. 

Buck is dressed as a slutty cowboy, which may have been a mistake. 

“I’m beginning to regret my outfit choice,” he whispers to Ravi. They’re walking to the gay bar, and Ravi is dressed equally as slutty. 

“No!” Ravi gasps. “You look hot! It’s perfect! Right, Agent Diaz?” 

Eddie hums miserably as he trails behind them. 

Buck gets drunk. He can’t remember the last time he drank this much. He’s having fun. He’s having a good, fun time. He’s drinking so much, and he’s having so much fun, and still, all he can think of is that Eddie is right there. Eddie is watching him. 

He wants to make him so fucking jealous. 

He wants to make sure he sees.

Oh! Yes! The table! 

Buck stumbles on top of a table and continues dancing. Everyone is looking at him. Usually, he doesn’t like it when everyone is looking at him, but right now he does. Everyone thinks he’s hot. He’s a slutty cowboy, and he’s dancing on top of a table, and they’re all looking at him. They all want him. Eddie’s watching them all watch him. Eddie’s watching them all want him. 

Something flashes in his eyes, but he doesn’t know what. He doesn’t really care. But then Eddie is punching someone — the person with the flash. He punched them and oh - - he’s storming toward Buck, and he’s - -

He throws Buck over his shoulder, which is - - very hot. And it’s - - no. No, it’s very rude. Everyone was watching. Everyone was wanting. 

And now Eddie is carrying him out of the bar and onto the street and away from all the people who actually want him. 

“Put me down!” Buck huffs, hitting his fists pathetically against Eddie’s back. “You’re not the boss of me, Eddie. Put me down.” 

“You’re acting insane, Buck,” Eddie sighs, not putting him down. “This isn’t you.” 

“Oh, you know me now?” Buck slurs. “Put me down.”

“Can’t do that,” Eddie says, carrying Buck’s weight like it’s nothing. “Sorry, bud.” 

Fuck he’s so hot. Buck is so mad at him, and he’s so hot. And it smells like Eddie. Everything smells like Eddie, and he misses Eddie. He misses Eddie so much. 

He probably should put up more of a fight, but it drains out of him. He just kind of collapses his weight and lets Eddie carry him home.

At some point, Eddie plonks him down onto a bed that he assumes is his own. 

Buck’s eyes have fallen closed, so he just lets them stay that way. He kind of doesn’t want to see what Eddie’s face is doing right now anyway. 

He waits for the sound of Eddie leaving, but it doesn’t come. Instead, he feels Eddie gently brush the hair out of his face, then lean down to press a kiss to his forehead. 

Buck stops breathing. 

“What was that?” Buck asks, eyes snapping open, suddenly feeling very sober. 

Eddie looks caught. 

“I was just - - saying goodnight,” he tries, guilty. “I thought you were asleep.” 

A familiar burning stings behind Buck’s eyes. He’s so tired. He’s so frustrated. He’s so sick of things being the way they are. “Was any of it even real?” He asks, because he needs to know. 

“Buck,” Eddie says, like a warning. 

“No,” Buck demands. “No - - tell me. I deserve to know.” 

“What does it matter?” Eddie begs. “I have nothing to offer you. What could I offer you? You’re the President’s son.”  

Buck scoffs. What a ridiculous fucking question. But he’s not letting himself get sidetracked, here. If he doesn’t find out right now, he might never know. He needs to know. “And if things were different?” Buck croaks. “If I were no one. Would you want me then?”

Eddie flinches. “It doesn’t work like that.” 

“Humor me.” 

Eddie laughs humorlessly. “If things were different, Buck,” he whispers. “I’d still follow you around.” He searches Buck’s face, and Buck can almost convince himself that they’re back in time. That Eddie is still his. “And not because I had to,” he confesses. “But because I wanted to.” 

A breath is punched out of him. He feels winded. 

“Get some sleep, cowboy,” Eddie says, clearing his throat. He puts his hand on the doorknob and turns back. “I’m sorry things aren’t different.”  

For the millionth time in his life, so is Buck. 

Buck wakes up with a raging hangover and 30 missed calls from Bobby. 

Fuck. 

He groans, rolling over to find Ravi already grimacing at his phone. He looks over at Buck and winces. 

“How bad?” Buck groans. 

“Do you want the bad or the bad bad first?” 

Buck’s eyes fall shut. He sighs. “Bad.” 

“President’s son or resident stripper?” Ravi reads. “Evan Buckley’s wild night out.” 

Buck groans into his pillow. 

“And, like, 100 different versions of that. Some truly atrocious cowboy puns.” 

“Bad, bad,” Buck requests. 

“Maybe you should get a coffee first, or - -” 

“Bad, bad,” Buck begs. 

Ravi sighs. “First son’s secret romance revealed,” he reads. 

Buck sits up faster than he thought he was capable of right now. “What?” he breathes. He’s going to be sick. 

Ravi winces, turning his phone around to show Buck the screen. It’s a photo of him and Eddie from that first maybe-date, when they’d gone for pizza. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

“Oh, fuck,” he breathes. He all but falls out of bed, pulling the dorm door open and crashing out into the hallway. 

“Eddie??” He calls. 

Two agents he’s never seen before look back at him. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. 

“Where’s Eddie?” He asks the agent closest to him. “Where’s Agent Diaz?” 

“He’s been reassigned, sir,” the agent says. “As of this morning.” 

“No,” Buck whispers. This can’t be happening. 

“The President has been trying to get a hold of you, sir,” the agent adds. “He’d like to speak with you at your earliest convenience.” 

Fuck. Fuck. Buck is so fucked. 

Buck nods. “Yeah, thanks. Thank you.” 

He crashes back into his dorm, turns off his phone, and crawls back into bed, pulling the covers as far over his head as they’ll go. 

He wakes up, goes to the gym, goes to class, goes home. 

He wakes up, goes to the gym, goes to class, goes home. 

He wakes up, goes to the gym, goes to class, goes home. 

Repeat, repeat, repeat. 

Day in, day out. Day in, day out. 

He screens almost every call, even Maddie’s. He’s just not in the fucking mood. He doesn’t want any of this. He wants things to be different. 

He wants Eddie. 

Bobby said Eddie would face a disciplinary committee — that he’d acted unprofessionally and outside the code of conduct. Buck had begged him to override it, but his dad had been furious when he’d found out that something had been going on between Buck and one of his agents. He’d said a scandal like that could’ve ruined his chances at a second run. So, according to Bobby, it’s out of his hands. 

So not only is his father ruining his life, he’s doing everything in his power to ruin Eddie’s, too. 

He’s fucking sick of it. He’s mad, and he’s sad, and he’s mostly just heartbroken. 

He’s also watching a lot of reality TV. That’s what he’s doing when there’s a knock on his door. 

He ignores it, because that’s what he does now. He ignores everyone who isn’t Ravi or a Real Housewife. 

But because it doesn’t matter what Buck wants ever, and he doesn’t get to have any control over any aspect of his entire life, the door opens anyway. Buck slumps further beneath his blanket, Eddie’s El Paso High Wrestling Team hoodie pulled up over his head, and Lucky Charm snug beside him. 

“Jesus, kid,” a familiar voice sighs. 

Buck blinks up over the top of his laptop. 

“Bobby?” He frowns. “What are you doing here?” 

Buck hasn’t even been screening his calls. He’s been answering them and hanging up immediately, to send a message. 

He watches Bobby take in the state of his room — the drawn shut blinds, the takeout containers littered around the place, the clothes strewn around the floor. 

“Thought you could use a friend,” he responds eventually. 

Buck scoffs. “Is that what you are?” 

Bobby sighs. “I’m worried about you.” 

“You have a funny way of showing it.” 

Bobby lets out a loaded breath. He wheels Buck’s desk chair over beside the bed and drops into it. 

“When was the last time you left your dorm?” He asks. 

Buck glares at him. “Why don’t you ask your little spies?” 

Bobby sighs. “I’m not here as Director of the Secret Service, Buck.” 

Buck sinks further into Eddie’s hoodie. Bobby’s eyes drop to it. He sighs. 

“It wasn’t my call, kid,” he says softly. “There are rules. You have to know that it wasn’t appropriate for Agent Diaz to - -“

“Eddie,” Buck snaps, sitting up. “And it wasn’t - - it wasn’t like that. He was respectful, and kind, and he listened to me. He saw me,” Buck breathes. “He made me feel normal. I felt normal around him.”

Bobby looks at him like he can see right through him. He always has. 

“And I know,” Buck continues anyway. “I know you think I was just caught up in a fantasy — in something that wasn’t real, but it was. It was. I- -” 

“You loved him,” he guesses. 

Yep. Right through him. 

Buck shrugs. “I guess we’ll never know.”

Bobby lets out a heavy breath. “His hearing is tomorrow,” he says. Buck’s eyes snap to his. “I’ve been asked to give a recommendation.” 

Buck swallows. “What are you going to say?” 

Bobby looks at him. “What do you want me to say?”

“He’s good, Bobby,” Buck swears. He begs. “He’s so good. Please just - - don’t let him lose his job. Don’t let him lose everything because of me.” 

Bobby sighs. “I’ll do what I can,” he says.

Buck huffs. “Well, do more.” 

Buck doesn’t hear anything else about the hearing, just that it happened and the outcome is classified. He texts Bobby, who assures him that Eddie is okay, then asks him if he has eaten real food today. 

The not knowing is the worst part. He just needs to know. He needs to know that he’s okay — that his whole life wasn’t ruined because of Buck. 

The weeks pass excruciatingly slowly. Buck, impossibly, feels lonelier than he ever has. Maybe he’s just meant to be lonely — maybe that’s just how it is. 

Just him and the Real Housewives forever. 

He’s watching two of them scream at each other, crumbs from his takeout pizza on his hoodie, when his phone vibrates with a text from an unknown number. 

Ice cream? 

- Lucky Charm

Buck blinks at the message. He blinks at it, and it’s still there. 

Oh, holy fuck. 

He doesn’t even get changed. He throws his blanket off, abandons the housewives of wherever, and goes full socks and sandals, throwing himself toward the door in sweats and Eddie’s hoodie. 

“Oh, shit,” he hears someone from his detail say as he stumbles past them. He doesn’t even tell them where he’s going. They’ll figure it out. 

He thanks the lord above for his gangly limbs as he sprints across campus in record time. 

He scrambles through the courtyard, zooms past the fountain, stumbles down the steps, and crashes through the door of the ice cream parlor. 

Achingly familiar brown eyes snap to his. 

Buck freezes. He’s frozen in the doorway, his feet glued to the ground, his eyes stuck on Eddie’s.

Because Eddie is here. 

Eddie is looking at him, and he’s smiling. Just like the first time, his smile feels like the sun. It hits him in his chest and propels him forward. 

He takes one, two, three steps toward him when he registers that - - huh. 

Eddie also - - 

Eddie has a baby on his lap. 

And Buck has spent enough time staring at Eddie’s face to recognize that this isn’t just any baby. 

“It was your baby,” is the first thing Buck says, gasping for breath. Of all the things he thought he’d say to Eddie if he ever saw him again, that wasn’t on the list. 

Eddie’s eyes crinkle at the corners. God, he has such a pretty smile. “Hey, Buck,” he laughs. “Yeah. This is Christopher. My kid.” 

Holy fuck. Eddie is a dad. 

That’s - -

That’s so hot.

Buck manages to fall into the seat across from them. Across from Eddie and his child.

“Chris, buddy,” Eddie says to the toddler on his lap. His toddler. Buck would guess he’s two, maybe. And fucking adorable — all wild, curly hair and flushed red cheeks. He has chocolate ice cream smeared over his face. “This is our friend, Buck. Daddy used to work for his dad.” 

“Dad!” Christopher repeats happily, which would be the cutest fucking thing he’s ever heard, but he can’t hear anything over the sudden ringing in his ears. 

His eyes flick up to Eddie’s in a panic. “Used to?” 

Eddie shrugs. “Wasn’t really working for me.” He nods at the cup of ice cream in front of Buck, as if now is the time for ice cream. “Got you your usual monstrosity,” he adds casually. 

This is not the time for ice cream. Eddie has a kid. Eddie has a kid and no job because of Buck. 

“They fired you?” 

“No,” Eddie assures him. “They actually decided there would be no disciplinary action required. Came from high up, so I heard,” he shrugs. “No, I left. My choice.” 

“What?” Buck frowns. “Why? You want to work for the President.” 

Eddie laughs, like that’s funny. “Who told you that?” 

“I thought - - Bobby said- -” 

Eddie shakes his head, amused. He grabs a napkin and wipes at Christopher’s chocolate-covered face. “No offence to your dad, but I’d much rather hang out with just about anybody else. I, uh - - no. My dad was Secret Service, and his dad. When, uh, we found out about this guy,” he says, winking at the toddler currently squirming away from the napkin, “I needed a job. So. Here we are.” 

“But you - -” Buck frowns. This is just a lot of information all at once. “You need a job - -”

“I need a job that lets me spend more time with my kid,” Eddie cuts in. “His mom, uh. She’s not in the picture at the moment. It’s just us. We’ve moved from Texas, to DC, to LA, back to DC, now back to LA, and I’d like to stay put for a while. Find a routine.” 

Buck blinks. That’s - - again, it’s just a lot of information at once. He clings to the part that sounds like - - “You’re staying in LA?” 

Eddie smiles. “Yeah. I just got accepted to the fire academy.” 

He’s staying. He’s going to stay. 

“A firefighter?” Buck breathes. “Cool.” 

“Your, uh. Your code name. Got me thinking about it,” Eddie admits. “I used to say I wanted to be one growing up.” 

“You’ll be great,” Buck says, and he means it. 

Eddie ducks his head. “Thanks,” he shrugs. He meets Buck’s eye. “I also, uh - - I do want to apologize,” he says. “For the lying. It wasn’t - - I never felt good about it.” 

Buck waves the sentiment away. “You were doing your job.” 

Eddie frowns, shakes his head. “I knew it was wrong,” he insists. “You deserved better than that. And I - - I just wanted to be really clear that my job was to keep an eye on you. To keep you safe. The rest of it - -” He winces, chuckling. “I wasn’t supposed to do that.” 

Buck snorts. “Bobby didn’t order you to make out with me?” 

Eddie rubs a hand over his mouth. “Bobby didn’t ask me to fall for you, no.” He catches Buck’s eye. “That was all me.” 

Buck knows he should probably say something, but he’s stuck. Eddie is here, and he’s looking at him, and he’s saying - - he’s saying things Buck never thought he would hear him say. He never thought he would even see him again. 

His eyes are locked on Eddie’s, and he’s stuck. 

“Hey, uh,” Eddie adds nervously. “There was actually something else I wanted to ask you.” He swallows, like he’s working up to something. Buck feels his heart stutter in his chest. “Could you hold my baby?” He asks, a grin spreading over his face as he holds Christopher toward him. “I’d love to get a photo.” 

Buck snorts, but he takes the baby. If someone is handing him a baby, he’s going to take the baby. “Hi, there, buddy,” he says, sitting Christopher on his knee. “Your dad is very silly.” 

Christopher grins at him. “Dad!” He cheers. 

“Yeah, that’s him. He’s pretty great, huh? He’s gonna be a big, strong firefighter.” 

He looks up and finds Eddie smiling at the two of them. 

“I thought I should show you the whole deal,” he says. “So you’d know what you’d be signing up for.” 

Buck sucks in a breath. “I love kids,” he says, for some reason. 

Eddie chuckles. “Good,” he breathes. “That’s good. Because I, uh. What I really wanted to ask is if you might want to go on a first date with me? And maybe also with Chris, because the nanny was part of my contract with the service, and I do not have that kind of money.” 

Buck bites down on a smile. “A first date?” 

Eddie swallows. Nods. “Yeah. Maybe we start over? Future Firefighter Eddie and College Student Slash Future Whatever He Wants To Be Buck?” 

Buck hums. He looks down at Christopher — his chubby little sticky baby hand is wrapped around one of Buck’s fingers. “What do you think, buddy?” He asks. “Is that alright with you? Can I hang out with you and your dad?” 

Christopher giggles. “Dad!” 

Buck grins up at Eddie in a way he hopes conveys, this kid is so fucking cute. 

Eddie chuckles. “He doesn’t have that many words yet, but he is really good at that one.” 

“It’s the most important one,” Buck notes. “I, uh, I would love that,” he says.

“Yeah?” Eddie breathes. 

“Yeah!” Christopher parrots, throwing his ice cream-covered hands in the air. 

Buck grins down at the cutest toddler in the world. He’s a tiny little Eddie, and Buck’s heart feels like it’s about to burst out of his chest. “Yeah?” He smiles. 

Christopher giggles, clapping his hands together. “Dad!” 

Buck hums. He looks up at Eddie. “He makes a compelling case.” 

Eddie shrugs. “The kid’s my lucky charm.” 

Buck rolls over at the sound of his alarm, hitting at his phone blindly to make it stop. He rolls back, reaching out for the hot firefighter he fell asleep next to, but, instead, his hand finds a stuffed giraffe. He opens one eye to confirm that, yes, instead of his hot firefighter, he is sharing the bed with Lucky Charm, who sits atop Eddie’s vacant pillow. 

He sits up, squinting at the morning light flowing through the window. 

Before he can try to figure out why Eddie has been replaced by a stuffed giraffe, he hears excited whispering outside the bedroom door. 

He grins. 

The whispering continues until the doorknob slowly turns. Christopher bursts in, Eddie right behind him. Eddie has coffee in one hand and flowers in the other. Christopher has a party hat on his head, all wonky where it’s fighting against his sleep-mussed curls. 

“Buck!” Christopher grins, climbing onto the bed right on top of him. “I get to stay home from school today!” 

Buck chuckles, gathering him up in his arms and pressing a kiss to his curls. “I can’t graduate without my lucky charm, now, can I?” 

Eddie scoffs, mock offended, placing the coffee and flowers on Buck’s nightstand. “I thought I was your lucky charm?” 

Buck grins, tilting his head up for a kiss. Eddie gives him three for the price of one. 

“It’s like a babushka doll of lucky charms,” Buck insists. 

Eddie snorts. “Wow,” he breathes, pressing another kiss to Buck’s lips. “That sounds pretty lucky.”

“The luckiest,” he confirms, sneaking his arm out from under Christopher to reach for his coffee. “Are Maddie and Chim awake yet?” 

“Haven’t seen them,” Eddie says, flopping down onto the bed beside them. He pokes Christopher. “You wanna go see if Aunt Maddie is awake, bud?” 

“Okay!” He agrees happily. “Can I jump on them?” 

“Aim for Uncle Chim,” Buck suggests. “Lots of elbow.” 

Eddie whacks him with the back of his hand as Christopher slips off the bed and makes his way to the guest room. 

“Bobby and Athena,” Eddie grins, wiggling his brows. “Want to get breakfast with everyone.”

“That sounds nice,” Buck sighs happily. It’s his favorite thing in the world to have all his favorite people together in one place. 

“Mm,” Eddie agrees. “Are you gonna tell him?” He asks, kissing Buck’s shoulder. “He’s going to find out.” 

Buck sighs. “I was so happy for one fleeting moment.” 

Eddie snorts. “He’ll be happy for you,” he insists. “After he’s mad at you.” 

Buck groans. “He’s going to think I did this just to spite him. I’m probably inventing logistical concerns that aren’t even in the handbooks.” 

“Yeah,” Eddie grins. “You’re good at that.” 

Buck rolls his eyes. “I’m going to tell him.”

Eddie raises his brows like he doesn’t believe him. “Mhm.” 

“I will!” Buck insists. “After graduation. At least if he kills me, I die a college grad.” 

“Mhm,” Eddie hums again, kissing him. “You gotta cut him some slack. He’s spent your whole life keeping you safe. And I,” kiss. “For one,” kiss. “Am very grateful,” Eddie kisses against Buck’s lips. 

“Even though he tried to fire you?” Buck asks, just to be a little shit. It’s all water under the bridge now, and they both know it. 

Eddie rolls his eyes, pointedly ignoring him. 

“It’s also just like, hypocritical," Buck adds. 

Eddie sighs. 

“He’s dating Athena.” 

When Buck walks the stage, he’s never felt less lonely in his life. The Dean reads his name, and his people hoot and holler so loudly that he can pinpoint every single one of them in the crowd. 

Ravi walks, too, and Buck nearly makes himself hoarse with some hooting and hollering of his own.

Later, after he drives his rickety old Jeep home to the “surprise” party that Christopher told him about a month ago, and after Isabel’s chocolate cake, and after Red’s famous pizza, Buck finds Bobby. 

He doesn’t even need to tell Eddie that he told Bobby. Everyone knows that Bobby knows, because no matter where you are in the house, you can hear:

“You’re going to be a what?” 

But Bobby needn’t worry. They all lived very happily ever after, indeed.