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Buck sends a glance toward his sister. She looks just as stupefied as he is, her eyes wide open in surprise, her lips slightly parted as if she’s trying to work out what to say, exactly. She catches his eyes, and tilts her head slowly, frowning. Buck shrugs helplessly.
From where he’s gesturing in the middle of the group, Chimney is still deep-down into his half-baked explanations.
“So, see, my parents already love Buck, and Albert too, so obviously it’ll make sense that he takes my name—”
“Wait wait wait,” says Hen, raising her drink toward her best friend. “If you go this way, he can take my name too!”
Karen muffles a giggle before nodding gleefully. “Yeah! You already have one of them, leave us the other!”
Buck seriously has no idea how their usual hang-out at Bobby and Athena’s ended in a — what, a custody battle?
He just said he was considering changing his last name, what with the disaster that is his relationship with his (biological?) parents. For some reasons, Chimney chimed in that he should take his last name, Eddie has asked why — and here they are, with Chimn and Hen playing tug-a-war with the idea of Buck taking their last name, Eddie’s expression growing more and more confused by the second, Karen cheering her wife in, and Maddie looking between her boyfriend and brother with a sparkle of amusement in her eyes.
Buck was just making conversation! He hasn’t intended for this to happen, okay?
“Yeah well,” Chimney keeps on going, leaning more toward Hen now, “Maddie’s gonna get my last name, and you can’t separate the Buckley siblings ‘cause it would be mean, so it’s only fair for Buck to get mine too!”
Maddie grins, which Buck knows is sign of upcoming mischief, before interjecting, all sweet voice and doe-like eyes to hide her sharp teeth. “Is that your way of proposing to me, Howard?”
Chimney stops, snapping his gaze to Maddie before blinking, still processing her words. Quickly, his expression turns to one of complete and total horror. Hen, being the good friend she is, laughs at him. Maddie — his wonderful, incredible, very terrifying big sister — sips her drink, eyes still on her boyfriend — fiancé?
Athena, who was until then simply watching the chaos unfold, takes the reins.
“Now, now, let’s not get too heated. Chimney is right, it wouldn’t do to separate Maddie and Buck.” Chimney points at her with a victorious ah! in Hen’s direction. “They’re already at home here, so they can take mine to make it more official.”
Karen chokes on her drink. Buck tries very hard not to look in Athena’s direction, or else he would probably end up blushing and crying and just making a mess of himself in general. In doing so, he catches Maddie’s eyes once again, and he can see his own emotions reflected on her face. Instinctively, he holds out his hand, and Maddie links up her pinky with his.
Buck feels more settled, now.
“It’s your ex’s name!” complains Chimn, who apparently appreciates the distraction — not that Maddie forgot his slip-up, Buck knows her too well to believe it. Well, no one forgot it, probably.
Athena raises an elegant eyebrow. “I’m sure Michael won’t mind.”
Bobby hums thoughtfully. He has been laid-back the whole conversation, too, mostly amused by their shenanigans; now, he looks like he’s seriously considering the ramification of adult adoption or something of this caliber. “Maddie and Buck Nash-Grant. It sounds good, I think.”
He takes Athena’s hand, and they share a look. A very, got-the-canary, satisfied look.
Buck prefers not to ask.
When he glances back at his sister, her cheeks are pink, and he knows it’s not because of the alcohol. He feels as if his heart is being squeezed in an unrepentant hold, tender yet unforgiving in its love.
(It’s a thing, to know they have people they can rely on, a support system always ready to have their back; it’s another one, to see it displayed with such carefree love, loud and certain and unconditional.
It has always been them versus the world for so long; and even if it’s not the first time their friendfamilyfirefam let them know of the deep of their care, it’s not always easy to believe it.
It’s easier each time, though.)
(Maddie has given up everything for Buck, time and time again. And Buck loves her, loves her so much he could suffocate on it, and he only ever wanted good things for her; that they can share this family together, that she’s not alone with the implacable weight their parents put on her anymore, that she can rest and get what she lost back — it’s a dream comes true.
Buck would never dare ask for more.)
Buck tunes back into the conversation. Hen is glaring at Bobby and Athena, as if they just feed Denny too much sugar before handing him back to her for the night.
“Chimney,” she starts, as serious as when she’s about to save a patient’s life, “we need to team-up, or we’ll never win against those two.”
Chimney, now back into the partner-in-crime routine they share, nods, eyes on their principal opponents. “You’re right. Let’s call a truce for now.”
Eddie looks at the two pairs — Bobby and Athena on one side, perfectly unfazed, and Hen and Chimney, leaning toward each other and apparently planning an over-the-top take down of their hosts — his eyebrows raising as his expression shifts from confused to amused to vaguely annoyed in quick succession.
“And who am I with, then?” he asks with half of a grin. He’s about to take a sip of his beer when he talks next, kind of absent-minded, almost like he’s dreaming out loud. “Buck Diaz does sound nice…”
Hen and Chimney both turn sharply toward him. Hen has her teasing face on. “Oh, are you trying to pull a Chimney with Buck, Eddie?”
Eddie chokes on his beer, ears and face red, throwing a mildly horrified look at Hen that Buck really doesn't want to decipher. Then, he glances toward Buck before looking down, clearing his throat, his cheeks still pink.
“No— I mean— It’s— for Chris.”
“For Chris,” repeats Hen, her tone ranging from you’re unbelievable to you fucking moron. Buck knows that tone well.
“Yeah,” affirms Eddie, ignoring Chimn laughing his ass off, “for Chris. It’ll make him happy.”
Buck can’t stop smiling at the idea, because a happy Christopher is his favorite Christopher and he can see his excitement from here. “Awn,” he cooes, “cute!”
Hen’s expression associated with her previous tone is directed toward him now, which is kind of rude, thank you very much, he hasn’t done or said anything deserving of it. Chimney is still laughing. Maddie’s shoulders are shaking, and Buck’s getting the distinct impression she’s making fun of him somehow. Bobby nods along with a fond smile. Athena sighs softly before putting her glass on the table, the discreet clink turning everyone’s attention to her.
“By the way, how is Chris doing, Eddie?” she asks. Inevitably, Eddie jumps at the chance of bragging about his adorable son, which gets Hen and Karen to share some of Denny’s last shenanigans, and then Bobby starts sharing the news he got from May and Harry and Michael and David, and by the time Buck realizes the conversation got sidetracked they’re already comparing the merits of texting versus calling.
It’s a good hour later, when Buck is helping Athena putting the dishes away, that she approaches the subject again. Everyone’s else back home for the night, but he likes to help around before going back to his loft. Neither Bobby or Athena has ever complained about this habit of his.
“About what we talked earlier — I hope you know we were serious, Buckaroo.”
He hums, frowns a little, before looking back at her. “About the name?” he asks, just to be sure — maybe for some reassurance, too, or the confirmation burning his lips.
Athena nods with a soft look. “Me and Bobby — we would be honored to give you and Maddie our name, if it’s what you want.”
Buck doesn’t blush, exactly, but he does feel warm all over. His heart is so close not to survive the night, because Buck always dreamed of affirmation of love but when confronted to one he just can’t handle it. So, more than one in a few hours? He’s definitely out of his depth here.
And, well, he knows, kind of, that Bobby and Athena has taken a more parental role in his life than even his own parents; he knows, too, that they tend to take it with Maddie as well, when they feel like she needs it; but to knows it and have it affirmed and ready to be legally notified?
Well, it’s a huge step, and not one Buck is ready to take. Not yet, at least. But in a close future?
He has butterflies in his stomach and too many emotions down his throat.
He smiles at Athena, maybe a little pink, surely a little shy, but for once sure of himself still.
“I don’t know what I want to do, honestly, not yet. It was kind of a joke, too, you know? But…”
She nods, understanding at always, and Buck is so, so grateful to have her in his life. “But you’re thinking about it now?” He acquiesces, and she puts a hand on his wrist, squeezes it gently. “It’s all alright, Buckaroo. Take your time. There’s no need to rush into anything.”
“Thanks, ‘Thena.” He smiles at her, relieved but feeling oh so loved.
Athena grins, brushes her shoulder against his arm. “Well, you’re stuck with us anyway.”
“Or are you stuck with me?” he retorts back, light and teasing and everything so familiar and comforting and safe around him he could drown in it.
Athena’s right.
He still has time to figure things out.