Archive of Our Own ^beta

Buck could admit that he was a bit nervous when Bobby called him into his office.

He certainly hadn’t been on his best behavior today, with fucking Eddie Diaz joining the 118, but he didn’t really think anyone could blame him.

“I’m not replacing you,” Bobby promised, a hint of amusement in his eyes as Buck settled across from him, “I think the two of you could make good partners.”

Yeah, right. 

When he first saw Eddie he absolutely had been scared of being replaced, but then:

“Eddie Diaz, new recruit.” 

Everything else Bobby said had faded after those words. Eddie Diaz. The name that had been over his heart his entire adult life. The name he traced on lonely nights sleeping in the Jeep during his travelling days, the name that kept him going when he wondered if it was even worth trying to find his purpose. The name that was the final straw in convincing him he could, in fact, make it out of his life at his parent’s house. Someone was waiting for him, he just needed to go looking.

Eddie Diaz. He was here, finally. Buck had been overjoyed, happily following Bobby along with Hen and Chim to meet him– his soulmate.

Buck had waited, practically shaking with excitement, as Bobby introduced Eddie to them all.

Then:

“This is Buck, he’s going to be your partner.”

Well, that wouldn’t do.

“Evan Buckley, nice to meet you!” Buck had said, shoving his hand out clumsily.

But Eddie didn’t react. Not in any special way, anyway. He shook Buck’s hand with a polite smile, turning away to follow Bobby for a tour of the station without a second glance.

For a bit Buck had thought he had the wrong Eddie Diaz. It was always a possibility, after all. He had rushed off to the locker room as soon as he could, pulling the collar of his shirt out to see: the name. Eddie Diaz, curled over his heart in golden script.

The only thing Buck’s parents had really nailed into his head besides don’t cause trouble was that when your soulmate touched you, your mark turned gold. Eddie was definitely his soulmate.

Maybe Buck just… wasn’t his.

“Buck?” Bobby prompted, the amusement in his eyes being replaced by concern.

“Right,” Buck said, clearing his throat, “Sorry, Cap. It won’t be a problem.”

Probably.

It was a problem.

Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad if Eddie wasn’t so… nonchalant.  

He hadn’t reacted at all when he first heard Buck’s name, he didn’t treat Buck any differently– aside from the first couple days where Buck was being admittedly a bit petty. It was frustrating. 

Buck’s entire life had changed in a moment, and the person who changed it didn’t even seem to care.

There were two possibilities.

Occasionally, people’s names wouldn’t match up. It wasn’t common, and the only cases Buck had ever personally heard of had involved literal criminals, but it did happen. The other option– well. Either Buck was secretly a killer without knowing about it, or Eddie had taken one look at him and decided he wanted nothing to do with him.

In some ways, Buck couldn’t even blame him.

He wasn’t as much of a mess as he used to be, but he knew he still wasn’t the ideal soulmate.

After Abby, he had moved back into the shitty frat apartment he had been in before, so his home life was hectic, to say the least. He hadn’t been sleeping around since Abby, but it was always possible that tales of his exploits had been used as a warning in the fire academy. He talked too much, he was too clingy, he still hadn’t managed an actual healthy relationship–

It was understandable that Eddie didn’t want him.

Sighing deeply, Buck stepped into the firehouse. As much as he loved his job, the last few weeks had been difficult with Eddie there. He had managed to work with his– his soulmate normally, as he had promised Bobby, but it sucked.  

Every shift they worked was more proof that they just– clicked. They hardly even needed to speak when working; they moved around each other intuitively, as if they had been working together for years.

Part of Buck– a small part, one he had been working to crush– was convinced Eddie would change his mind at some point. Surely he could see how well they worked together? It was just professionally now, but Buck knew in his soul that they would move around each other just as fluidly outside of work.

Buck changed into his uniform briskly, staring straight forward and trying not to look at where Eddie was changing as well. He knew damn well how hot the man was from his first shift, he didn’t need to catch himself drooling over him– not again, anyway.

“So,” Eddie called, causing Buck to jump and smack his forehead into his locker, “what have you got going on?”

Frowning, Buck turned to Eddie– who thankfully had a shirt on now. “What do you mean?”

“Hen is… work oriented, but she goes to the park every weekend with her family. Chimney loves karaoke, Bobby spends half his time cooking. I don’t really know anything about you.”

Buck could feel his face growing irritated, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it. What, Eddie didn’t want to be his soulmate but he wanted to make small talk? Would he suddenly be fine with them being soulmates if Buck was proficient at piano or something?

“Nothing interesting here,” he muttered eventually, slamming his locker closed and striding out of the room. He told Bobby they would work together well– or something to that effect, anyway. They didn’t need to be besties to be a team, as they had already proven over the last few weeks.

There was a frustrated sigh behind him, but Buck didn’t bother to turn around. A year ago Buck would have been happy for any attention from his soulmate, but this– no acknowledgement, just clumsy offerings of friendship? No. He had grown, he knew– hoped– he deserved more than that. Most of the time.

Up in the loft, Bobby was cooking breakfast and listening to Hen and Chim bickering with a small smile on his face. Buck settled in beside him easily, letting the tension melt out of his shoulders as he began chopping up the spinach Bobby pushed his way.

The stairs creaked as Eddie came up them, pausing briefly at the top before settling beside Hen and Chimney at the counter.

“So,” Eddie said again, his tone pointed, “what did you all get up to on your day off?”

Buck continued silently chopping the various vegetables Bobby had shoved in front of him, listening idly to Hen talking about Denny’s playdate with a kid from school, Chimney telling a surprisingly long story that seemed to begin and end with him napping on his couch all day, and Bobby– not speaking.

“Buck?” Bobby prompted, his gaze careful as he evaluated him. “What did you do yesterday?”

“Oh, you know me,” Buck hedged, glancing at Eddie briefly, “not much, just the usual.”

Bobby nodded, probably knowing exactly what that meant– practicing recipes, going for a run, and trying to drown out the noise of his roommates so he could sleep. It was what Buck did most days off, always just waiting until he could come back.

“I don’t know,” Eddie cut in, plopping down into the stool directly across from Buck.

“Well, maybe there’s a reason for that,” Buck said snidely, setting down the knife as he finished dicing an onion. He ignored Bobby’s warning ‘Buck’, storming off towards the bunkroom. 

He could have breakfast later, for now he needed to get away from Eddie and his friendliness.  

One day he was sure he would be able to stomach a platonic friendship with his soulmate, but until then– it hurt. Knowing that Eddie didn’t see him as soulmate material and wanted to be his friend anyway was painful. Clearly Eddie wanted to know him to some degree, but maybe he didn’t want to get that involved in Buck’s mess of a life.

“Hey, man,” Eddie said, stepping into the bunkroom because apparently he couldn’t take a hint, “what’s your problem, anyway? I thought we got everything straightened out.”

Buck turned to him, dropping down to sit on the nearest bunk.

“Are you serious?” he asked incredulously, “What’s my problem? I’d like to know the same damn thing!”

Scrunching up his eyebrows, Eddie took a step forward. “I’m not sure what you mean. I get that me being here sort of– shakes up the dynamic, or whatever, but we’re partners. It’s not like it’s a competition, and we’ve been doing fine in the field! I just– do you have some sort of problem with me?”

Buck could feel the hurt masked as anger rising inside of him, and he opened his mouth to give Eddie a piece of his mind.

Naturally, the bell rang.

Groaning in frustration, Eddie turned to sprint out of the bunkroom, Buck hot on his heels.

They would have to talk about it later.

Buck chickened out of talking about it later.

They were rushing from call to call for most of the shift, and he spent their limited downtime pretending to sleep in the bunkroom to avoid Eddie.

He knew it would probably be best to just get it over with– talk to Eddie, find out why the man was so determined not to acknowledge their soulmate status, and try to move on. But honestly, he wasn’t sure if he could recover from his soulmate laying out all of his flaws like that.

Unfortunately, getting out of talking to Eddie was much easier than getting out of talking to Bobby.

When Eddie came into the bunkroom for the third time in an hour, Buck gave up on pretending to sleep and rushed up the stairs into the loft. And there was Bobby, standing in the door to his office, an eyebrow raised and his hand beckoning Buck over.

Grumbling under his breath, Buck slunk into Bobby’s office and sank into the chair in front of his desk. The familiar chair provided little comfort as Bobby settled into his desk chair, gesturing towards Buck expectantly.

For a few minutes Bobby stared at him in silence, clearly waiting for him to break. That wouldn’t work, though. Buck had been in here often enough, Bobby’s serious yet gentle eyes and kind face weren’t going to–

“Eddie’s my soulmate.”

Damn.

Bobby’s eyes widened, joy and confusion warring in his expression. “...Okay,” he said eventually, resting his elbows on his desk and leaning closer to Buck, “shouldn’t that be… good?”

“Don’t know if you noticed, Cap, but he didn’t exactly react when I told him my name.”

As he spoke, Buck settled his head in his hands, not sure he wanted to look at Bobby for this conversation. He and Bobby were close, obviously, but the man was surely aware of Buck’s… problems. He would probably understand Eddie’s decision.

“I guess I wasn’t paying attention,” Bobby said slowly, “I– did you say your full name? Maybe he doesn’t know you’re Evan Buckley.”

“I did, Cap. I said my full name, I shook his hand– my damn mark is gold, Bobby. There’s no way he wouldn’t at least notice that, right?” Buck asked desperately, raising his head to turn his pleading eyes on Bobby.

Bobby’s eyebrows furrowed, his eyes soft as he reached across the desk to grab one of Buck’s hands. “I’m not sure what’s going on, kid. But whatever it is, it’s not a reflection on you, okay?”

“My soulmate not wanting me isn’t a reflection on me?” Buck snarked, pulling his hand back, “yeah, sure.”

“Buck–” Bobby called, standing as Buck shot out of his chair. He couldn’t be there anymore, not with the pity in Bobby’s eyes. He was handling it. They worked together fine, that was all that Bobby really needed to know. Anything beyond that didn’t matter.

“Sorry, just– explain all that again?”

The arrival of Maddie in LA successfully distracted him from the Eddie situation for a while.

He had missed his sister so much, and seeing her again– it didn’t feel real. Even the knowledge that she was sort of on the run from Doug couldn’t fully dull the joy of seeing her again. It did, however, make him want to go hunt the man down.

“I found my soulmate, but he doesn’t– you know. Want me. Or maybe I’m just not his soulmate? I don’t know, Mads, I feel like I’m going crazy.”

So maybe it didn’t distract him from Eddie that much.

“Evan. Did he say that to you, or have you made an assumption?” Maddie asked with a knowing smile on her face, leaning her shoulder against his.

“I– what else could it be?”  

“Have you seen his mark? Maybe it’s– I don’t know, on his back or somewhere he doesn’t see very often.”

Eddie’s mark. Obviously. But– “Aren’t marks usually in the same place? Like– mine is on my chest. Shouldn’t his be on his chest too?”

One of his more recent wikipedia binges had been on soulmarks for obvious reasons. He was almost positive that was what he had read, but it was always possible that it was misreported.

“Well– yeah, I guess. Have you seen his?” Maddie sounded a bit disappointed, and Buck would feel more bad for shutting down her idea if it wasn’t making him so upset as well. Had he seen Eddie’s mark?

Buck settled back into the couch, squinting at the wall across from him as he thought. He had definitely seen Eddie shirtless, but– no mark. He would have noticed, right? Eddie had tattoos, sure, but nothing that could draw attention away from Evan Buckley being written over his heart in gold.

“I don’t think he has a mark. Not there, anyway,” Buck admitted, leaning over to bury his head in Maddie’s shoulder.

That was that. It wasn’t even that Eddie didn’t want him; the universe didn’t want them together. Buck didn’t deserve him.

It was time for him to stop taking that out on Eddie.

The next few days at work were– odd.

Buck made a genuine effort to engage in conversation with Eddie, even as Bobby watched them with barely concealed concern.

“Hey, Buck!” Eddie called, jogging up the stairs with a grin on his face. His hair was soaked with sweat, curling into his eyes. Buck felt his eyes catch on the curve of Eddie’s shoulders, the way his shirt clung to him–

“Buck?” Eddie skidded to a stop in front of him, uncertainty in his eyes. He had taken Buck’s new friendliness and run with it, and Buck found himself genuinely enjoying the other man’s company whenever he could manage to forget the soulmate business. There was no way he was going to ruin that by being incredibly horny for him.

For that to work, though, Eddie was going to need to stop coming around Buck when he was all sweaty.

“What’s up, Eddie?” Buck managed eventually, clearing his throat as subtly as he could.

Eddie grinned, leaning against the counter beside him and watching as Buck finished cutting up the chicken for dinner that night.

“Want to come spot me? Chim keeps saying he can lift more– c’mon. No way, right?” Eddie winked playfully, and Buck set the knife down with a thud before he accidentally jabbed himself. Cutting chicken while staring at your hot one-sided soulmate’s eyes and lips probably wasn’t the safest thing.

“Uh–” Buck started, trying desperately to think of an excuse.

“Small but mighty!” Chimney called from below them, and Eddie raised an eyebrow at Buck. “We can’t seriously let him win, right?” Eddie said, nudging Buck in the arm with his fist.

“...Yeah, let’s go,” Buck conceded, smiling despite himself at the way Eddie pumped his fist before trotting down the stairs.

The sound of a throat clearing had Buck’s head snapping to the side as he went to follow Eddie. Bobby was standing just outside the kitchen, a strange look on his face. “Careful, Buck,” he warned, concern bleeding into his voice.

Buck paused, locking eyes with Bobby for a few moments silently before giving him a sharp nod.

He was being careful. He could be friends with Eddie without breaking his own heart.

“Okay, okay! I concede!” Chim called, straining as he set the barbell back on the catch.

Eddie laughed maniacally as he did a few more quick reps of the same weight before he racked his own, sitting up to flip Chimney off. “Told you!”

“Whatever,” Chimney groaned, his eyes alight with laughter even as he frowned, “you just caught me on a bad day. My PB is 800 pounds, right, Buck?”

Buck looked up guiltily from where his eyes had been drawn to Eddie’s biceps, smiling shakily. “Yeah, yeah, obviously.”

Shaking his head, Eddie started off towards the locker room, glancing over his shoulder. “Come on, boys. Let’s go clean off!”

“You go ahead,” Chim grumbled, sinking back onto the bench, “think I’m just going to melt here for a little while.”

Snorting, Buck skipped after Eddie, humming quietly to himself. It had been a good shift, even Eddie being all hot and sweaty couldn’t distract him from the good day he was having.

Eddie being hot, sweaty, and shirtless, on the other hand–

Buck skidded to a stop in the locker room, blinking rapidly at the shiny, rippling muscles of Eddie’s back as he dug around his bag for a change of clothes. He should probably get dressed. He should really stop staring at– Eddie turned around.

It felt like the world screeched to a halt around Buck. There was a skin tone patch of KT tape on Eddie’s chest– right above his heart. Right where–

Where his mark would be.

“You alright?” Eddie asked, his voice sounding far away.

No. No, he was not alright.

Wordlessly, Buck spun around and sprinted out of the locker room, ending up in a storage closet and slamming the door behind him.

So Eddie– Eddie did have a mark. There was maybe still a chance that it wasn’t Buck’s mark, but realistically– Eddie knew. They were soulmates, and Eddie knew, and Eddie didn’t want him.

Buck sobbed softly, sliding down the door to sit on the floor. 

He had accepted the fact that Eddie hadn’t wanted him a few days ago, even if he wasn’t okay with it. Of course he got confirmation that Eddie didn’t want him just as he had become convinced that it was fate’s fault, not his soulmate’s.

Sniffling, Buck dropped his face into his hands. He couldn’t afford to actually try to work through his emotions right now, they were only halfway through the shift. There was a good chance that Bobby would let him leave early, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to be at the firehouse, his home, surrounded by people who loved him. And Eddie. People who loved him, and Eddie.

He also didn’t want to tell Maddie that it was him, not the universe, that had somehow managed to make Eddie not want to be his soulmate.

Buck wasn’t sure if he was ready for that conversation.

Just as he wiped at his eyes, the station began to shake. California really didn’t have major earthquakes as often as people seemed to believe, but the feeling of them was unmistakable. Buck hopped up immediately, swiping at his cheeks roughly before dashing into the engine bay. 

He could have his breakdown later. He needed to focus.

“His name is Christopher. He’s 7,” Eddie looked so proud, holding out his phone for everyone to see, and Buck couldn’t help the smile on his face.

“Man, he’s adorable,” he said despite himself, suddenly understanding why Eddie hadn’t said anything. He had a kid, and probably a very happy wife. It wasn’t common, but sometimes people settled down with someone other than their soulmate, and they could choose to pledge not to leave their partner even if they did meet their soulmate. Buck’s parents were an example, though they never had to test that– neither of them had ever met their soulmate.

As much as he would have liked it if Eddie explained that to him at some point– Whatever.

“I’m all he’s got,” Eddie said, grinning down at the screen. And– oh. So no happy wife, no pledge to ignore soulmates, nothing. Then why?

Maybe Eddie didn’t think Buck would be a good parent? It would be understandable, after all. Buck didn’t exactly have the best home life, and he wasn’t terribly put together. But Eddie couldn’t have known that right when they met, right? He would have figured that out as time went on like everyone else had.

There had to be something off about Buck, something that Eddie had noticed. 

The emotional whiplash of the last week was starting to take its toll. One moment he’s convinced his soulmate doesn’t want him, then it’s the universe’s fault, then it’s back to his soulmate not wanting him, and then–

It was getting frustrating. If he just had a damn answer that he could stick to–

Shaking himself off, Buck offered Eddie a smile when he realized the man was looking at him. “I’m sure he’s alright, man. A school is the safest place in LA right now.”

“Yeah,” Eddie hummed, relief on his face, “you’re probably right. Thanks, Buck.”

Buck huffed in response, turning to stare out the window at the hotel they were approaching.

That, at least, looked like it had the ability to take his mind off of everything else.

The earthquake was…difficult. Being separated from one of their own was always terrifying, but knowing that Hen was trapped under that building–

In the aftermath, they sat around in the loft, trying to raise their spirits.

“So, Buckaroo,” Chimney began, mischief bright in his eyes despite the dust caked onto his face. “Who was that woman you were chatting up? Seemed like you two were really connecting, think she might be your soulmate?”

Buck froze where he had been settling a blanket over his and Hen’s legs, not sure how to respond. “I, uh–”

“Chimney,” Bobby cut in warningly, “you don’t ask people that.”

“C’mon, Cap!” Chim cried, “we’re family! I’m allowed to be nosy!”

Bobby turned to Buck, uncertainty clear in his eyes, his eyebrows pulling together.

“I– no. She’s not my soulmate,” Buck gritted out, glancing at Eddie briefly before darting his eyes away. Eddie was watching him curiously, his expression neither overly invested nor uninterested. He just– looked like he was wanting to learn something new about his new friend. There was nothing on his face to hint at the fact that he was Buck’s fucking soulmate.

“You sound pretty sure,” Chim said slowly, his eyes narrowing, “have you– Buck. You haven’t changed, surely you didn’t get her full name– Buck. Do you–”

Leaping up, Buck started out of the loft on muscle memory, determined to get as far away as possible. He could hear hushed muttering behind him, Bobby’s protective tone the only thing he could decipher. There was the sound of shuffling footsteps behind him followed by a sharp “no, leave him alone.” from the captain.

Good.

Buck crept into the bunkroom, trying not to wake the other firefighters on shift that had been smart enough to catch some sleep while they could instead of gathering in the loft to chat. He shuffled into his bunk, one tucked away in the back corner.

There, finally as alone as he was likely to get until the shift ended, Buck allowed himself to break.

He shoved his head under his pillow to muffle his soft cries, ignoring the way the damp sheets clung to his cheeks. The soft hum of the ac kept him grounded, the familiarity of the firehouse the only thing preventing him from having a full on panic attack.

His soulmate didn’t want him. His soulmate didn’t want him and the asshole wouldn’t tell him why.

“Buck?”

Of course.

Buck froze, stupidly hopeful that Eddie would either think he was sleeping or pick up on the leave me alone vibes and go away.

“Buck, man, c’mon. We’re worried about you.”

Sighing, Buck tried to subtly wipe at his eyes as he sat up in his bunk, depositing the pillow beside him.

“I’m fine, Eddie. Soulmates are just– a difficult topic for me. I’m sure you get it.” That last part may have been a bit snide, but Buck felt like it was deserved.

Eddie’s eyebrows furrowed as the man frowned. “I– well, yeah, I have my own– I’m sorry, Buck. I didn’t realize–”

Frustrated, Buck threw his hands up in the air. “Realize what?” he whispered fiercely, trying to be considerate to the people sleeping around them, “that maybe other people might suffer?”

“Hey, hey,” Eddie cut in, his eyes wide, “I don’t think I ever said you weren’t suffering– Buck, I’m not sure what’s going on here.”

“Seriously? Your mark, Eddie. What’s it say?” Buck asked, his voice low with irritation.

“I don’t have a mark.”

What?

“What?”

“My parents– I don’t know. I don’t have a mark,” Eddie insisted, settling on the floor beside Buck.

“But– the KT tape. On your chest. I assumed that was covering–”

“A scar. I have a scar from a burn when I was a teenager. I try to keep it covered from the sun, it’s supposed to help with fading, but– well. It’s been years, doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere.”

“Right,” Buck said, flopping back to lay flat on the bunk. “Okay. Go away, Eddie.”

There was an intake of air beside him. “I– what?”

“You heard me,” Buck muttered, turning onto his side. Back to explanation B, then. Eddie was Buck’s soulmate, Buck wasn’t Eddie’s. Fuck the universe.

At some point he was going to need to apologize, to try to go back to the friendliness they had built up over the last few days, but for now–

The day had been an emotional rollercoaster. He needed some time to get himself back in control.

“Alright, Buck,” Eddie whispered eventually, the sound of his clothing shifting as he stood, “you let me know if you need anything, okay? I’m here for you.”

Sure.

Buck was settled on his bed, trying to ignore the sounds of his roommates screaming at something on the tv in the living room, when his phone rang.

Bobby.

“Hey, Cap. Everything alright?” Buck asked quickly, sitting up in bed and searching the floor for his shoes in case he needed to head out.

“Yes, Buck, I’m fine. Settle back down.” Buck laughed softly to himself, leaning back into his headboard. “I was calling to check on you, actually.”

Groaning, Buck ran a hand through his hair. “I’m as fine as I can be, Bobby. I’m not really sure how to deal with this. I’m trying though, I promise, I know you want me to be able to work with Eddie more naturally.”

“You two are working together fine,” Bobby insisted, “I’m not worried about work, I’m worried about you.”

Buck sighed, wiping a hand down his face. “I don’t know what to tell you, Bobby. I’ve spent the last decade of my life just– waiting. Staring at his name on my chest, waiting to meet the person who would finally just love me without any strings or obligations.”

“Buck–” Bobby cut in, his voice thick.

“It’s fine! I’ll get over it, I just– the last few days, I feel like I’ve been tossed back and forth so many times. I get it now, Eddie doesn’t have a mark. It’s not his choice to not be my soulmate, it’s the damn universe. I’ll get over it eventually, I promise. I just need some time to– to grieve, I guess.”

There was a moment where all Buck could hear was Bobby’s breathing over the phone, before–

“I love you, kid. You know that? No strings, no obligations.”

Breathing shakily, Buck closed his eyes. “I love you too, Cap. Thank you,” he whispered, wiping at his eyes carefully. He had Bobby, he had Maddie. Even Hen and Chimney probably loved him, although Chimney would definitely never admit it. He didn’t need a soulmate.

Buck would be fine.

A few weeks later, Buck and Eddie were once again on the path to becoming good friends. Or– at least good coworkers.

Buck was getting better at hiding the pang in his heart whenever Eddie smiled at him, and Eddie seemed happy to ignore the few odd (from his perspective) conversations they’d had.

They had settled into a groove at work, moving around each other flawlessly at the firehouse as well as on scenes.

“Buckley, Diaz!” Buck’s head snapped up at Bobby’s voice, tuning back in. There was a house on fire in front of them, he really couldn’t afford to be thinking about Eddie.

“I want you two clearing the second floor. The neighbors think there may have been a kid alone while the parents were at work. Get in, get out. Structure is looking unstable.”

With a nod, Buck took off towards the house, trusting that Eddie would be behind him. With no injured civilians on the scene yet, Chimney and Hen were pacing up and down beside the ambulance while the rest of the team worked to calm the flames. With any luck, this would be one of those scenes where Hen and Chim weren’t needed.

The house was oppressively hot even through his gear, and Buck had to squint to see through the smoke to find the stairs. He made his way up the stairs quickly, the sounds of Eddie’s footsteps following close behind.

Turning to see Eddie directly behind him at the top of the stairs, Buck pointed down the hallway towards the left before rushing off in the other direction, opening doors and clearing rooms as he went. The house had more hall closets than he personally thought were necessary, but at least it was faster to check those than a full room.

Finally reaching the end of the hall, Buck wrenched open the door, calling out “LAFD!” once more. It was clearly a child’s room, the walls painted with a mural of waves and cartoon pirate ships, toys scattered around the floor. In the corner was a loft bed with a curtain hanging beneath it, and Buck approached it slowly. 

“Hey, kid! You in here? I’m gonna get you out, okay? Everything’s going to be fine.”

Buck pulled the curtain back slowly, his eyebrows furrowing at the empty space. Where the hell–

“Got the kid! On the way out!” Eddie’s voice crackled over the radio, nearly drowned out by the sound of flames. Buck hopped up immediately, turning towards the door.

He was nearly out. Past the four hallway closets, approaching the top of the stairs–

The ceiling came in.

Buck came to slowly, blinking rapidly against the smoke that was seeping into his mask. 

He could hear yelling distantly, but he couldn’t quite shape the sounds into words. There was a steady ringing in his ear, and every movement caused his head to spin. Slowly, carefully, he wiggled his fingers and toes, breathing a sigh of relief when nothing felt numb. 

There was a flare of pain in his left shoulder, but Buck didn’t pay it any mind. He needed to get out– 

“Buck! Eddie! Call out!”

Eddie.

No. Surely Eddie had gotten out, he left before Buck did–

“Eddie! Buck!”

Bobby. That was Bobby. If the captain was in the building either the situation was dire or the fire was put out. Buck listened carefully, cursing the ringing in his ears. He couldn’t hear anything, but that didn’t mean much. Although, with how loud the flames had been before–

Letting out a cry, Buck’s hand shot up to his chest, grimacing as the pain in his shoulder localized to just below his collarbone. It turned stabbing, throbbing, red-hot– right over his soulmark.

“Eddie!” Buck screamed, thrashing around under the beam that was pinning his hips, desperate to get his feet under him. He and Eddie had met, they had touched, if Eddie was in danger Buck would feel it. That’s what all the articles said. They must have meant this.

Finally managing to wiggle out from under the beam, Buck shoved himself upright, ignoring the way it made the pocket of the house he was in spin around him. He gasped through the smoke and ash, shoving drywall out of the way as he tried to figure out where in the house he had landed. If he could just move towards the front door, he had a better chance of finding Eddie along the way.

“Buck! Call out! Eddie!” Bobby’s voice was growing closer, and Buck headed towards it like a ship to harbor.

“Bobby!” he yelled, stumbling into a wall. He scanned the floor of the – hallway? Maybe– he was in desperately, searching for any sign of Eddie.

“Buck?!”

On shaky legs, Buck stepped towards Bobby’s voice, needing to regroup with the team. They needed to focus on Eddie. He needed to focus on Eddie with them.

He tripped over something on the ground, barely managing to stop himself from completely faceplanting. Groaning in pain, Buck turned his head to the side, preparing to push himself back up when–

There was a hand. Underneath a pile of rubble was a hand, Eddie’s hand, laying uselessly on the ground. Buck darted forward, ignoring the pain in his body as he began ripping chunks of house off of Eddie. 

“Bobby!” he screamed, “Bobby, I found him!”

The pounding of footsteps sounded from the front of the house, but Buck couldn’t be bothered to wait. He finally pulled the last of the rubble off of Eddie, falling to his knees beside the man– his soulmate– and desperately feeling for a pulse.

“C’mon, Eddie, please, please don’t do this to me,” he whispered brokenly, his fingers clumsily scrambling along Eddie’s neck. Finally he found it, surprisingly strong considering Eddie’s lax features.

Buck’s hands hovered over Eddie’s body, unsure of where to start. He wasn’t a medic, not really. He had the same training as every other LA firefighter, but when faced with this– Eddie had his heart. He was literally engraved into his skin above it. How was he supposed to think logically when the man was lying limp in front of him?

Thankfully, Chimney chose that moment to skid to a stop next to him, a med bag slung over his shoulder. 

“We’ve got it from here, Buck,” Chim said, shoving at his shoulder, “go outside. Get checked out; I don’t like the look of your pupils.”

Buck nodded slowly, leveraging himself up onto his feet. Bobby was by his side in a moment, guiding him around where Hen was standing with a C-collar, out the door past other team members navigating a backboard around the rubble piled high in the entrance.

Bobby led him straight to an ambulance from a different station, one that must have been called in when the house collapsed. Wait–

“Bobby. The kid?”

“He’s fine. Eddie tossed him towards the door; kid made it out with some skinned knees.”

“That’s good,” Buck murmured faintly, the ambulance lights seeming to expand in front of him. He felt himself begin to tip to the side, Bobby's hands scrambling for a better hold on his turnout coat. “Buck?” Bobby called, his voice tense.

Humming, Buck tilted his head onto Bobby’s shoulder, allowing himself to get comfortable. Surely Bobby wouldn’t mind if he just… rested for a bit.

When Buck woke again, his mind was thick and fuzzy. There was an irritating beeping beside him and the sharp, sterile smell of the hospital quickly filled his nose. 

He opened his eyes slowly, wincing against the dryness in the corners of his eyes. Blinking the feeling away, Buck carefully turned his head to the side to find Bobby seated in a chair beside him, his forehead pressed to his hands, clutching a rosary.

“Bobby,” Buck managed, his voice scratching through his throat like glass.

Bobby’s head snapped up, his eyes wide and hopeful. “Buck,” he breathed, reaching out to grab Buck’s arm in gentle hands, “it’s so good to see you awake. Do you– water?”

Nodding numbly, Buck drank greedily from the paper cup that Bobby tipped towards his mouth.

“Before you ask, Eddie is fine. Concussion, just like you, and a couple fractured ribs, also just like you. You freaked us out a bit, kid. Walking around like that, we all thought you were fine, then you just– passed out.”

“Sorry, Bobby,” Buck murmured, squeezing Bobby’s hand where it had settled in his own. “And Eddie’s– he’s awake?”

Smiling, Bobby settled back in his chair. “Awake and chatting. Hen and Chimney are in there doting on Christopher.”

Buck grinned despite himself, picturing Eddie sitting up in bed and joking around with his kid, making sure the boy wasn’t scared about his dad being in the hospital. “Can I– do you think I could see them?” he asked softly.

“I don’t know,” Bobby hedged, glancing away from Buck towards the door, “I’m not sure if the doctors will want you getting up. Eddie, on the other hand–”

The door opening startled Buck, and he hissed at the pain in his ribs as he snapped his head to the side. Eddie was there, grinning through a cut in his lip. Behind him, Hen was pushing his wheelchair, her eyes darting around Buck’s face as if evaluating him. And beside him– beside him was the cutest damn kid Buck had ever seen.

His eyes were locked on his father through thick-rimmed red glasses, not even looking where he was putting his crutches as he smiled up at his dad.

“Hey!” Buck called, forcing enthusiasm into his voice in an attempt to mask the tiredness he hadn’t quite managed to shake, “this must be Christopher!”

Chris finally looked over, a clumsy smile on his face. “Are you Buck?”

“That’s me,” Buck said, giving a little wave.

“Dad talks about you,” Chris said bluntly, leaning against his fathers shoulder.

Eddie– Eddie talks about him? Buck flicked his gaze to Eddie, surprised by the red flush on the man’s cheeks. “You talk about me?” he teased, ignoring the fluttering in his stomach.

“I– uh, you know– tell him a lot about the firehouse. About work.”

Rolling his eyes, Christopher worked his way over to the chair by Buck’s bed, sitting down and putting himself eye level with Buck. “He thinks you’re really cool,” he whispered conspiratorially, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Buck closed his eyes, trying to savor the moment. Eddie thought he was cool, Eddie talked about him to his son, Eddie– Eddie wasn’t his, but it was sort of hard to remember that when the man was visiting him in his hospital room. 

Hen wheeled Eddie over by Bobby so they could talk, and she settled into the remaining chair at Buck’s bedside, running a gentle hand through his unruly curls. “Hey, Buckaroo,” she murmured, “I was worried about you. Didn’t even know you collapsed until we were here with Eddie.”

“Sorry,” Buck said sheepishly, “in my defense, I didn’t think it was that bad. I was… a little distracted.” His eyes drifted to Eddie as he spoke, and he chose not to address the intrigued lift of Hen’s eyebrow.

Before she could try to question him further, Christopher was tugging at his sleeve.

“Dad says you know lots of stuff about dinosaurs,” he said seriously, levelling Buck with an intense look, “tell me about dinosaurs.”

Laughing softly, Buck nodded indulgently. “Alright, bud. My favorite is the T-Rex, obviously, but did you know–”

A loud gasp beside him startled Buck out of an upcoming ramble, and he glanced back to see Hen staring at him with wide eyes. “Hen?” he questioned, turning fully towards her.

“Nothing, nothing!” Hen exclaimed, her voice strangled, “just, uh, stubbed my toe!” 

As she spoke, she reached over and tugged Buck’s collar up, looking at him meaningfully. 

What–

Buck craned his neck down, freezing as he took in what had happened. Christopher tugged down his sleeve, the low neckline of his hospital top pulled to the side, his mark was exposed.

Frantically, he looked towards Eddie, only to let out a sigh of relief when he saw the man still engaged in a conversation with Bobby, not even looking towards them.

Christopher prodded him in the arm before he could start to properly spiral, and Buck breathed deeply before turning back to the kid. “Right,” he said softly, “so, the thing is, the T-rex–”

“Evan Buckley!”

Skidding to a stop, Buck spun on his heel to find Hen standing behind him with her hands on her hips, tapping a foot impatiently. 

Okay, so maybe he had avoided her throughout his and Eddie’s joint “welcome back to the 118” party, but– well. He couldn’t be blamed for that, surely.

“C’mon, Hen,” he called back petulantly, “can’t I put it off for one more day?”

“You’ve put it off for two weeks. I think that’s enough,” she responded, not unkindly.

Sighing, Buck plodded up the walkway, following Hen back into Bobby’s house. Thankfully Eddie was already gone, having left to pick Christopher up from his Abuela’s, so there was no risk of being overheard.

“Before you ask, Eddie doesn’t know,” Buck said, plopping down onto Bobby and Athena’s couch, waving at them through the glass door where they were sitting on the porch.

“Who does know?” Hen asked gently, sitting beside him and placing her hand on his knee.

Buck hummed, thinking. “Bobby, you, Maddie… I think that’s it.”

Nodding, Hen leaned her shoulder into his. “Okay. So… Eddie is your soulmate.”

“Yeah?”

“And you are Eddie’s…?”

“Friend,” Buck said, his voice shaky, “he’s– he doesn’t have a mark, Hen. I’m not his soulmate.”

“Oh, Buck,” Hen murmured, pulling him into a side hug. Buck sank into her warmth willingly, clenching his eyes shut. He had spent too much time crying about the whole situation. He was done with that. He and Eddie were friends now, he couldn’t let himself constantly get caught up over the soulmate issue.

He allowed himself the comfort of Hen’s hug for a few moments longer before sitting back up, giving her a watery smile. “I’ll be alright, Hen. I’m– I’m happy to have him at all, you know? For a minute there I thought I was going to lose my soulmate. He’s still here, even if I can’t have him. I’m just– I guess I’m happy to know him, even as his friend. Even if that kind of sucks most of the time.”

Snorting, Hen patted him on the shoulder. “Very mature, Buckaroo. I’m here if you ever need to talk, alright?”

“Yeah, alright. Thank you, Hen.”

“Hey, has Hen been weird with you recently?”

Buck leapt a foot into the air, spinning around wildly to find Eddie behind him, hands raised placatingly. “Jesus, man,” he huffed, shaking his head fondly, “warn a guy, would you?” He was lucky he had put on his shirt just before Eddie got into the locker room. He would need to be more careful.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. So– Hen, weird. Yay or Nay?”

Rolling his eyes, Buck sat on a bench to tie his shoes. “Nay. I think you’re going crazy.” Or Hen is worse at keeping secrets than I thought.

“Maybe,” Eddie hummed, dropping onto the bench beside Buck to tie his own boots, having come in already wearing the rest of his uniform.

“Anyway,” he continued, nudging Buck’s knee with his own, “want to come to movie night this week? At some point you’ve got to be free, man, Christopher won’t stop asking me questions about stegosauruses. I don’t know anything about dinosaurs.”

“Did you know stegosauri is also an accepted plural form of stegosaurus?” Buck replied, internally cringing. Seriously, Buckley? What kind of response was that?

Laughing, Eddie nudged Buck’s knee again, this time leaving their legs pressed together. “I did not. See? This is why you need to come to movie night! Christopher wants to watch Land Before Time. I don’t even know where he heard of that, man, I remember that from when I was a kid.”

“I love The Land Before Time,” Buck said before he could stop himself, “but– uh, I don’t know, I’m hanging out with Maddie that night?”

“Buck, I didn’t even say a day yet,” Eddie said, exasperation clear in his voice, “what’s up? If you don’t want to– to hang out, or whatever, outside of work I get that, alright? Just say the word and I’ll stop asking.”

Buck groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “That’s not it,” he promised, “I do, I just– I’m going through a bit, right now–”

“Yeah, I noticed–”

“and it’s sort of, I don’t know, difficult,” Buck finished, choosing to pretend he hadn’t heard Eddie’s muttered comment.

When Buck lifted his head, he found Eddie already watching him consideringly. “Is it hard for you to hang out with people, or hard for you to hang out with me?”

Buck stared at Eddie sadly, not sure how to answer in a way that was truthful without hurting him. “It’s– it’s not your fault.” He settled on eventually, knowing it probably still wasn’t the right thing to say.

Nodding jerkily, Eddie leaned away, taking the comforting heat of his leg with him. Buck felt his chest grow cold, guilt spreading across his lungs.

“Right. Okay, well– you let me know when you get it worked out, Buckley.”

Eddie stood suddenly, heading towards the locker room door with one shoe still tied.

“Wait!” Buck called after him, desperation leaking into his voice.

Turning slowly, Eddie raised an expectant eyebrow. “What?” he asked tersely, his steely eyes almost managing to mask the hurt behind them.

“I– can we talk about this after work?”

“Oh, so now you want to hang out outside of work,” Eddie said snidely, smiling despite himself, “yes, Buck, we can talk outside of work.”

Blushing, Buck ducked his head. “Okay. Yeah, that– okay. I’ll explain, I promise.”

“You had better.”

Buck found himself in Bobby’s office near the end of shift, desperate for advice. He had spent the entire shift trying to figure out how much to tell Eddie, and he hadn’t decided on anything yet.

Part of him wanted to just come clean, tell Eddie the whole tale. The rest of him– Well, the rest of him was worried that coming clean would scare Eddie away, make him not want to be Buck’s friend anymore.

He needed advice. He needed Bobby’s advice.

Bobby was already sitting behind his desk working on paperwork, and he looked up expectantly when Buck closed the door behind him and immediately sat in the chair across from him.

“Can I help you?” Bobby asked, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Yes, please,” Buck rushed out, sure he looked a bit insane. He had been combing his fingers through his hair anxiously all shift, freeing them from the restraints of his hair gel. He also hadn’t slept for the entire 24 hours, and with the way he had been sleeping recently– a particularly reflective spoon at dinner had made him aware of the bags under his eyes.

Bobby set his pen down once he got a good look at Buck, leaning back into his chair and turning his full attention on Buck.

“Eddie keeps asking questions. I think– I think I need to tell him.”

Nodding slowly, Bobby clasped his hands together in his lap. “That makes sense. How do you feel about telling him?”

“Fucking terrified,” Buck said, feeling a weight lift off his chest, “I need to tell him something, otherwise he’s going to think I don’t like him for some reason, and– he’s my soulmate, Bobby. I can’t have him walking around thinking I hate him, that feels wrong. But if I tell him the truth– what if he doesn’t want to be around me anymore? What if he asks me to try to move on? We haven’t really even been friends long, but it’s like– it’s like he’s a part of my life that has always been missing. I don’t know if I can go back to how I was before him.”

Bobby narrowed his eyes, clearly considering Buck’s words carefully.

“I don’t think Eddie would ask you to leave him alone,” he said eventually, “you’re his friend, you know him. He’s not that kind of man. He might not… reciprocate, but I’m sure he won’t blame you. It’s not his fault he doesn’t have a mark, and it’s not your fault you have his mark. I think you should tell him the truth. Anything else could lead to more problems in the future.”

And when explained like that in Bobby’s kind voice, everything suddenly felt much more clear.

“You’re right,” Buck agreed softly, “I’ll tell him. After shift, tonight.”

“Let me know how it goes,” Bobby insisted, reaching across the desk to place a hand over Buck’s, “and let me know if you need me.”

Buck stood slowly, staring at the door to Bobby’s office. He needed to get back out there, to finish the shift– and then to come clean to his soulmate.

With the shift finally over, Buck once again found himself alone in the locker room with Eddie.

Eddie had finished changing already, and was waiting by the door expectantly. Buck, on the other hand, was debating whether changing his shirt was worth the risk. He was going to tell Eddie, of course, but he would really prefer to do it outside of the glass-walled locker room.

Finally deciding getting out of his sweat-coated uniform shirt was worth it, Buck turned towards the lockers to hide his chest from Eddie while he changed. When he was finished, he found Eddie watching him, eyes narrowed.

“Ready?” Eddie asked eventually, gesturing towards the door.

With a silent nod, Buck led the way out to the parking lot.

They stopped beside their cars, parked next to each other, a habit they had picked up over the last few weeks so that they could talk for a bit after work without getting in anyone’s way.

“You’re gonna follow me home, right?” Eddie said quietly, “Chris is with my Abuela tonight. If you don’t show up, I’m coming to your apartment and breaking down the door.”

“I’ll be there,” Buck promised, reaching out to gently punch at Eddie’s shoulder, “I gave you my word. I’m going to explain everything.”

With one final considering look, Eddie hopped into his truck, giving a quick wave to Buck before pulling out of the parking lot.

Being at Eddie’s house, on his couch, surrounded by evidence of the life he and Christopher had– it didn’t make things any easier.

“I found my soulmate,” Buck blurted out eventually, closing his eyes to avoid looking at Eddie’s face.

“Oh… kay?” Eddie responded, his voice lilting up at the end.

Sighing, Buck rubbed a hand roughly down his face. “I found my soulmate, but I’m not their soulmate, and I’m having a hard time dealing with it.”

He opened his eyes to find Eddie looking at him sympathetically, a slight frown on his face. 

“I’m sorry to hear that, Buck,” Eddie said gently, “but– what does that have to do with me? Not to sound self-centered, but, well. You don’t seem to have a problem with anyone else.”

Buck looked at Eddie blankly, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“My soulmate doesn’t have a mark, Eddie,” he said pointedly.

Eddie’s eyebrows furrowed, his eyes flicking between Buck’s. “Is it– does me not having a mark remind you of them or something?”

“Eddie, seriously,” Buck gritted out, laughing softly, “you’re my soulmate, okay?”

For a moment Eddie didn’t react, and Buck spent that moment convinced that his life was over. His knee bounced rapidly, his breathing catching in his chest, until–

“I’m– what?”

Unable to string together words, Buck grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged it down and to the side, grateful he had worn one of his looser shirts. Eddie stared at the script over Buck’s heart in awe, one of his hands moving towards it, hovering in midair a few inches from Buck’s chest.

“I’m your soulmate,” Eddie breathed eventually, something like awe spreading across his face.

Hope sprang to life in Buck’s chest, soothing his aching lungs and allowing him to take in a steadying breath.

“Yeah,” he whispered, reaching up to tug Eddie’s hand in the rest of the way, his eyes closing at the feeling of Eddie’s fingers on his soulmark. The rough calluses on his fingertips caught on the sensitive skin of Buck’s chest as the man traced the mark, warmth growing under his careful attention and shooting across Buck’s body.

“Is that… okay?” Buck managed eventually. He had a pretty good idea of the answer, considering the way Eddie was still reverently tracing his own name on Buck’s chest, but he needed to be sure.

Eddie breathing stuttered out of his chest, his hand dropping back to his side. “I don’t have a mark,” he said numbly, his eyes rising to meet Buck’s.

“I’ve noticed,” Buck reminded him gently, pushing down the remembered pain.

“I think I was supposed to.”

Exhaling sharply, Buck leaned back from Eddie.

“What does that… mean?” he asked unsurely, cold trickling down his spine.

Eddie huffed out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “My parents always told me I didn’t get a soulmark because people in my family just– don’t. But my Abuela has one, and my Tía Pepa has one, and– and I think I was supposed to have one.”

“What do you mean supposed to?” Buck asked desperately.

“I got Shannon– my ex-wife– pregnant just before we turned 18. On my 18th birthday, my parents– I woke up to part of my chest burning. They said they accidentally dropped one of the candles from my birthday cake, and they apologized so profusely, and I didn’t think they would do something like that, but–”

Eddie cut himself off, grabbing the hem of his shirt and yanking it over his head. For once, there wasn’t anything covering the scar over his heart, and Buck leaned closer to examine it. It followed the same curve that his own did, arcing protectively over Eddie’s heart. It seemed about the right size for Buck’s name, and–

“You think– you think my name is under that?”

“I think I’ve been going crazy ever since I met you,” Eddie murmured, grabbing one of Buck’s hands in both of his, “I think you’re always on my mind, I think I’m drawn to you, I think when I woke up in the hospital my first thought after Christopher was of you. I think regardless of whether your name is on my chest or not you’re my soulmate, Buck.”

It took Buck a second to realize that the warmth on his cheeks was tears, and he sniffled pathetically. “You’re my soulmate,” he said, his voice thick.

“I am,” Eddie agreed, a hand rising to Buck’s cheek to wipe away his tears, “and you’re mine. Is that… okay?”

Any attempts to stifle the sobs building in Buck’s throat were thwarted by the look of genuine care in the other man’s eyes, and Buck quickly found himself covering his face with his hands, trying to keep Eddie from seeing him in that state.

“Woah, Buck– I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you–”

“It’s not you!” Buck cut in through his cries, wiping harshly at his cheeks, “I just– I thought I was going to live the rest of my life with a soulmate that didn’t want me back, but you– you want me?”

“Buck, I love you,” Eddie insisted, finally managing to drag Buck’s hands away from his face. “I don’t know what the hell my parents were thinking, trying to deprive us of this,” he murmured, “but I don’t need a mark to know you’re my soulmate. I feel it every time you walk in the room.”

Sniffling, Buck rested his head on Eddie’s shoulder. “If I ever meet your parents we will be having words.”

“If I have my way, we won’t have to deal with them again,” Eddie promised, pressing a kiss to the crown of Buck’s head. Grinning stupidly, Buck dug his head further into Eddie’s shoulder, leaning into the man to get more comfortable.

Almost like second nature, one of Eddie’s arms rose to encircle Buck, pulling him in, and– they fit together perfectly. Like they were meant to be touching, meant to be close.

“I feel like I’ve gotten whiplash so many times since you came to the 118,” Buck said into Eddie’s shoulder, grinning as Eddie shivered at the feeling of his lips moving against his skin.

“I’m sorry you’ve been going through that,” Eddie murmured, his breath ghosting over Buck’s hairline, “if I had known–”

“Let’s not worry about all that,” Buck interrupted, pulling back to smile at Eddie, “it was hard, but it got us here. Let’s just… think about the future, I guess.”

Eddie nodded thoughtfully, the corners of his lips pulling up. “Alright. The future. I want to tell Christopher.”

“Wait– seriously?” Buck asked, incredulous. Eddie wanted to tell his son? What if– what if he was wrong, and Buck wasn’t his soulmate, and Chris ended up being disappointed? What if Buck did what he always seemed to do and ruined a relationship without even trying, and Christopher got caught in the wreckage? What if–

“Yes, seriously,” Eddie gripped Buck’s shoulder with one hand, his thumb digging into the dip of Buck’s collarbone, “I’m sure about you. Besides, Christopher has been teasing me relentlessly about how much I talk about you. I’m not sure where he learned about crushes, but I’m thinking about making a call to his school.”

Laughing softly, Buck raised a hand to cover Eddie’s, running a finger over his knuckles. “You really talked about me that much?” Eddie ducked his head in response, the tips of his ears turning a lovely shade of red. Eddie talked about him to Christopher. To the point where the kid figured out his dad had a crush– and Christopher apparently still asked about him enough for Eddie to be inviting him to movie nights every week.

“Oh no,” Buck breathed, a sudden realization hitting him.

Eddie’s head snapped back up, his eyebrows furrowed. “Is something wrong?”

“I’ve been talking about you, too,” Buck said slowly, “Bobby and Hen are going to be insufferable.”

“I knew Hen was being weird!” Eddie declared, pumping a fist victoriously. A wave of fondness crashed over Buck at the sight of his soulmate with his eyes shining and a grin on his face. He tipped forward, once again leaning his head onto Eddie’s shoulder, but this time following with the rest of his body. Once he was essentially halfway laying in Eddie’s lap, he allowed himself a satisfied hum.

A quiet laugh came from above him, and Buck looked up to find Eddie grinning at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Comfy?” he asked cheekily, surrounding Buck with his arms.

“Yeah,” Buck murmured agreeably, closing his eyes with a soft yawn, “I’ve earned this, okay? I haven’t been… sleeping very well, recently.” Now that he had allowed himself to sink back into the exhaustion, the adrenaline from their conversation was dying away, leaving him fighting to speak through a bout of yawning.

“Get some rest, Buck,” Eddie got out through a yawn of his own, “I’ll still be here in the morning. And every morning after that.”

The morning after managed to be imperfect from the moment Buck woke up.

They maybe should have moved off of Eddie’s couch. As comfortable as it was, it was not made to fit two large men laying across it, and he could tell just by looking at Eddie that the other man’s neck was going to hurt just as much as his own was.

But at the same time…

Buck woke up on top of Eddie with the man’s arms around him, with his drool pooling on Eddie’s chest (oops), with the comforting warmth of his soulmate pressed all along his body. He couldn’t find it in himself to complain, even if it hurt like hell to turn his neck. Or breathe.

There was a rumbling groan beneath him as Eddie woke up, and the man’s hands fisted in the back of Buck’s shirt. “G’morning,” Eddie rasped, his voice low and husky from sleep. Warmth ran up Buck’s spine, settling comfortably around his ribs, encircling his heart.

“Good morning,” he hummed, tilting his head to press a kiss to Eddie’s jaw.

Buck pulled himself up to look at Eddie, smiling softly at the man’s bleary eyes blinking up at him. “We should have moved to the bed,” Eddie grumbled good-naturedly, his hands dropping to Buck’s waist, squeezing the tops of his hips.

“Maybe,” Buck murmured, pressing his forehead to Eddie’s, “I’m not that kinda guy anymore, though. I’m looking for something serious; you gotta take me to dinner first.”

“Yeah?” Eddie breathed, warm air ghosting over Buck’s lips, “you sure about that?”

Eyes fluttering shut, Buck tilted his head down just enough for the lips to brush together, unable to string together a response. Eddie took in a sharp breath, pulling back slightly. 

“Can I kiss–”

Buck crashed his lips to Eddie’s, dropping his weight onto his elbows on either side of Eddie’s head, bringing their chests flush together. 

Their lips were chapped, the dry skin catching. Each tug on his lips had Buck’s heart stuttering, his hands grabbing desperately at the couch. Eddie’s tongue darted out, licking the seam where their lips met, allowing them to slide against each other more smoothly. 

When Buck pulled back a string of saliva followed him, connecting them even as their bodies separated. There was a tingling feeling in his chest, and he glanced down to see a faint glow beneath his shirt. Without a thought, Buck tore his shirt off, tossing it to the side to stare at his mark with wide eyes. 

It was shining slightly, Eddie’s name almost looking like actual gold on his chest. Eddie made a strangled sound beneath him, jostling Buck in his haste to sit up and place a hand over the mark, his thumb tracing the letters of his name.

Buck wasn’t looking at his own mark anymore, though. Instead, his eyes were glued to Eddie’s chest. His scar– the one his parents had given him, was glowing, just slightly.

Just enough for him to make out the shape of an E, the curve of an n, the tail of a y–

It was his name. It had to be. They kissed, so their marks glowed. Buck had somehow forgotten about that part of his research.

“Eddie,” Buck managed, his voice catching in his throat, “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie–”

Tearing his eyes away from Buck’s mark, Eddie followed Buck's eyeline down to his own chest, his breath visibly stopping for a moment.

“Is that–” Eddie's voice shook, one hand staying planted on Buck’s chest while the other drifted to his own.

“You were right,” Buck murmured disbelievingly, unable to stop staring at where the letters were slowly fading.

“You know even if I wasn’t I would still want you, right?” Eddie asked softly, his hand rising from Buck’s mark to caress his cheek.

Warmth flooding him, Buck nodded slowly, tilting forward to lean his forehead onto Eddie’s. “Yeah,” he said, the words catching on Eddie’s lips, “I think I’m starting to believe that.”

Maybe the universe could be kind. And maybe it didn’t matter what the universe thought at all. 

Maybe it was enough for them to choose each other.