Chapter 4 Eddie POV

Eddie started to stir as his Abuela started cleaning her house, it was noise of the vacuum woke him up. He rolled over and looked at the clock on the bed side table it was 9:30am 'oh shit.' he thought to himself, he had forgotten that he had to take Chris school, he bolted up, hurtled out of bed and ran out the bedroom and his Abuela smiled at him, making him stop in his tracks.

"I'm guessing you thought you forgot take Chris school." She says with a giggle.

"Yeah, I woke at seven-thirty am to answer Buck's message then went back to sleep, totally forgetting about taking Chris to school" Eddie says embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I guessed you would so I took him, he wanted take his phone but I said that you would need it today." Abuela explained

Eddie walks over to the kitchen and makes a cup of coffee before sitting down, he stretches and drinks his coffee, he picks up Chris's phone to see what the message is as its flashing

'Yeah will do, I have some stuff I need get when we're there but, we also need talk about your date, Mr Diaz :P'

Eddie sat there looking at the text not knowing how to reply.

"So, how was the date last night?" Abuela asks as she continued to clean.

"It wasn't a date, we're just friends, she already has a partner." Eddie explains

"Por favour dime que no eres el hombre del lado (please tell me you're not the man on the side)" She strictly tells him off.

"No, you have it all wrong." Eddie starts laughing.

"Why do I, you go out with a pretty woman and it's not a date" She asks

"First yes she is pretty, second she has a girlfriend - so I don't think I fit her preference." Eddie explains, laughing.

"Ah okay, it makes more sense now." she says as she gets closer to Eddie "I always expected you to tell me you and that Evan boy were a thing." She says looking direct in his eyes.

"What!? No, you're wrong." He quickly denies, going red in the face. He knew she could see through his lies.

"You can't lie to me, I see the way you look at him, how Chris adores him, how you light up at the mere mention of him." She says smiling and patting his shoulder.

Eddie sat there knowing he was red in the face and luckily he didn't have to answer as Chris's phone started ringing and Eddie saw Bucks face and let a little smile appear.

"See, I'm right look at that smile. I'll leave you to it" Abuela says smiling and returning to her cleaning.

Eddie started smiling more knowing he had been discovered, but he didn't mind as he knew his Abuela would keep it to herself, he answered the phone.

"Hey, Eddie." Buck says.

"Hey Buck, I thought we were meeting at lunch it's not that late is it?" Eddie asks confused to why Buck had called so early as it was only just past ten am and wondering if Buck had the wrong time.

"No it isn't, I'm just at Starbucks with Maddie she's getting me another coffee." Buck says and Eddie hears him giggle and he knows that exact giggle it's Bucks mischievous giggle.

"Hang on, that means you're going be a handful later, aren't you?" Eddie says knowing he's going have a hyper Buck on his hands.

"Yuppp, I'm hoping your credit card is ready for me to spend all your money on Chris." Buck laughs.

"I'm capping it at a few hundred and that's it." Eddie says he knows money is tight but would never admit it, he wants give Chris everything he wants but knows he can't.

"Well I'll best pick the best ones then, are you going sort your phone out as well? You can't keep using Chris's." Buck says pointedly.

"We will see about the presents and yeah, I do need speak to the phone company." Eddie replies

"Okay, cool see you in a few buddy, I gotta go. Mads is back with my coffee." Buck says.

"Alright, see you soon." Eddie says

As he puts the phone down, he looks up and sees his Abuela stood at the sink looking at him and smiling.

"What has he said to put a smile like that on your face mi querido (my dear)?" She asks looking at him.

"Nothing at all its just how he is, he is special." Eddie says

"I know, a heart of gold he has." She says as she walks over and swaps cups with Eddie providing him with another cup of coffee.

"Sounds like you might need this" She giggles as she walks off.

"I do, I best ring the phone company then I'll be off, I need head home and get changed." He said before quickly drinking the coffee,

He rung the phone company and spent the best part of 40 minutes arguing with them as they wanted charge three hundred dollars to fix the screen and he was refusing pay that when he was so close to the end of his contract and could just renew and get a new phone, so they finally agreed he could upgrade and get a new phone just be a few days before he got it.

As he hung up, he heard his other phone go off and he looked at it and saw he had a text from Babyblueboi.

'Hey its Babyblueboi you sent me you're number here is mine hope your ok?'

Eddie smiled and saved him in the phone as BBB and texted back:

'Hey thanks for the text, means we can have better messages hopefully, yeah I'm good what about you?, what you got planned for the day? I just have shopping to do'

After washing his cup and looking at his watch it was close to eleven am he needed get home and get ready, he didn't know what he was going wear but decided to look what he had once home, he said his goodbyes and his taxi turned up to take him back to his, once in he had fifteen minutes before he had to leave by eleven-thirty to get there on time, he wanted be early.

He quickly got showered and changed and decided on a relaxed look sprayed his aftershave and headed out, he was quicker than he thought and was in the car park of the mall by 11:30 'shit.' he thought he would have wait for Buck, but just as he thought, he heard Facebook messenger ping on Chris's phone it was Buck.

'On my way, meet you outside the toy shop.'

Eddie smiled for once Buck maybe early so just sent the blue thumbs up, he sat there and thought he wait a bit and then his other phone went off so he looked at it.

'BBB: I'm good thanks and just out with a mate today and then see how the day goes'

Eddie climbs out his truck as he decides wait outside the toy shop incase Buck heads there, as he does he replies back and they spend the next twenty minutes texting random stuff and how the city is as Eddie paces round the front of the toy store, Eddie starting noticing it was getting later and started wondering where Buck was

'BBB 11:50am: Look I gotta go, talk later'

Eddie stood there waiting see Buck turn up, he looks at his watch and its Noon, he looks round and sees Buck running towards him, he watches him run and takes in how hot Buck looks, why was he so dressed up Eddie thought and then felt abit underdressed compared to Buck.

"Sorry Eds, traffic was worse than I thought." Buck says as Eddie feels him pull him in for a hug and smells Bucks aftershave it was lush.

"It's okay, and why you all dressed up, oh hang on do you have a date later?" Eddie asks trying not let his face scrunch up to show his heartache at asking that question

"No! Uh…. we all don't like to look all scruffy when we're out." Buck says pointing at Eddie and the way he was dressed, he noticed Buck looking at the bandage on his head

"So how many of those have you got when you fell over?" Buck says pointing to the plaster.

"Just the one, I wasn't exactly watching where I was going" Eddie replied knowing he sounded like an idiot, and he felt he was going red in his cheeks.

They entered the toy store before Buck could ask him any more questions, Eddie reaches in to his pocket and gets the list out of Chris's wish list and passes it to Buck, he watches as Buck looks it over and sees him smile at some of the things and can't help but smile at how cute Buck is when he's concentrating.

"So, how was it last night, you and Ana?" Buck asks catching Eddie off guard.

"It was good till you know, I fell." Eddie said laughing at his own misfortune.

"So, you fell for her then." Buck started laughing at his own joke. Eddie feels Bucks shoulder push into him making him nearly fall in to a display. Eddie quickly rights himself and the two quickly step away before they would make it fall.

They spend the next five minutes looking at the list deciding what ones to get, Buck points out to Eddie the one that will be hard to get as it popular and that he will go and ask the desk if they have it, so Buck takes a picture of the list and walks off to the main desk and Eddie just watches him as he walks to the desk admiring Bucks pert bum in his trousers.

Eddie stood there watching Buck chat to the clerk and then the manager, he started feeling jealous as he could see the way they were looking at Buck and wished he wouldn't get so jealous as Buck was most likely flirting with them hence why he was taking so long, finally Buck starts walking back towards him.

"You took your time." Eddie jokes, trying not stare at Buck to much.

"Well had work my charm on her, she's going call me over when they get one so we just take our time, we don't want leave before they get it for us." Buck explains grinning, Eddie thought 'why couldn't it be me he tried use his charm on?'

"Thanks Buck, it's so stressful." Eddie says feeling a bit stressed with everything and realises he's looking at Buck

"What's up?" Bucks asks, 'shit.' Eddie thinks 'he knows something up.'

"Just Christmas is hard enough, but it brings up the fact Shannon is not here anymore, he tries put a brave face on but I know he misses her but he won't speak about it." Eddie says stopping the trolley as Buck picks a toy up and crossing it off the list.

"Isn't the therapy helping?" Buck asks, as he puts the toy in the trolley.

"Yes and no, you know how it can be." Eddie says, knowing how therapy can be.

"I do. You know what? When we take him to see Santa, I will talk to him, feel him out, find out if there is something else bothering him." Buck says smiling.

"I can't ask you give up your time all the time Buck." Eddie says nervously, but he knows he enjoys Bucks company just wished it was more of a permanent thing.

"Look, I've offered you didn't ask me plus its fun, like last year's." Buck says, Eddie loved this about Buck, always doing something for everyone else, such a big heart he has.

"Thank you Buck, you are a true best friend." Eddie says knowing he can't ruin this friendship, as it was very precious to him.

They spend the next twenty minutes walking round the shop, filling it up with toys off the list they end up having a light sabre fight which Buck had started but Eddie didn't care he was enjoying seeing Buck laugh and try beat him, Eddie decided to end it so he pushed Buck in the ball pit and Eddie laughed so hard tears started coming down his face and took a picture of Buck's surprised face on Chris's phone.

"That's a keeper." Eddie says laughing so hard, wiping the tears away.

"Don't you dare, I won that fight." Buck says laughing as he got out the pit, stumbling as he did.

"How you figure that one out?" Eddie asks laughingly.

"Well you pushed me in the pit, therefore you forfeit." Buck says as he sticks his tongue out, Eddie looked at the face and started thinking of the things he would love that tongue to do but stopped that thought quickly.

"Well, I see you've got street smarts as well as sabre skills Evan." Eddie says quickly and lets out a laugh.

"Don't you start Edmundo." Bucks lets out a loud laugh and Eddie gives him a glare, not noticing the people looking at Buck's loud laugh.

"Can a Mr Buckley come to the front desk please?" The announcement on the tanoy says.

"See, bad boy you been summoned to the 'principal'" Eddie jokes, his fingers jokingly 'quoting' the word principal.'

"We both really know it's for the toy, you just wait there" Buck says giving him the finger as he walks off. Eddie lets out a fit of laughter when he heard the offended gasps from the nearby mothers, he heard a murmur from one of them but he didn't know what she said as he was too focused on watching Buck's butt walk away from him.

As he watches Buck walk away he comes up with an idea which will look like he's playing but at the same time lets him touch Buck even if it's for a minute, he hides behind some boxes and makes sure he can't be seen and waits for Buck.

"Eddie?" Buck says as he puts the duck in the trolley.

Eddie waits for the right moment and then pounces grabbing hold of Buck as he pushes him in to the ball pit and follows him in holding on to Bucks waist as they fell.

"What are you doing?" Buck asks, looking adorably confused.

"Thought I'd get the jump on you for round two of the sabre fight, the loser pays for lunch." Eddie says as he tosses Buck a sabre and gives him a grin.

"You're going get us kicked out, Eddie" Buck says extending the sabre.

"We best be quick." Eddie laughs in reply.

They spend the next five minutes fighting in the ball pit, as they battle Eddie lands a shot and Buck falls, Eddie is puzzled as he knows Buck wouldn't go down that easy so just thinks maybe he slipped on a ball.

"Yes! I win, Loser, loser" Eddie chants as he holds out his hand to Buck to grab on to and pulls him up.

"Come on let's go before we are escorted out." Buck says as he quickly looks around for any clerks close by.

They laugh and joke as they grab the last few items and by the time they get to the checkout Eddie notices Buck seems distracted, they fill the till with the toys and wait for them to be processed and as he goes to pay he see Buck walk off towards the manager who has a trolley and wonders what's going on.

"What's that?" Eddie asks both confused and curious as he returned with the trolley in tow.

"Oh, these are the presents to Chris from me." Buck says smiling.

"Buck, you didn't?" Eddie asks in a fond tone, his heart melts even more.

"I may have, now come on let's go food is waiting." Buck says as they walk out, pushing his trolley loaded with the wrapped toys.

Eddie shook his head but quickly followed him with his own trolley, trying to catch up with him.

"Buck, you shouldn't have." Eddie says again. He didn't understand why he had done it.

"Look, you know how much I love Chris so it's only fair I get spoil him. After all I'm his favourite, plus look at all mine is wrapped." Buck says pointing at his trolley.

"Only because you were flirting with the manager." Eddie jokes, wishing it was him that Buck had flirted with.

"Hey, I wasn't flirting. I was chatting, anyway I have more time relax as you struggle to wrap yours." Buck points to Eddie's trolley and he realises he was right he would have wrap these which he hated doing.

They arrive at their cars and unload everything in to their cars' trunks and returned the trolleys to the trolley return section of the carpark before heading off to find somewhere to eat, as it was fifteen minutes past one. They end up at a little Mexican food place and place an order, they spend the next hour chatting away until the food arrives.

"So tell me about last night, will you be seeing her again?" Buck asks as he takes a bite of his burrito.

"Yeah I will be, we have a laugh and it's fun." Eddie says eating, he so wished he could say it wasn't what Buck thought it was but didn't want to let the real reason out.

"So, do you think it be something serious or not?" Buck asks and Eddie doesn't know how to answer him.

"I don't know." Eddie says slowly.

"Well, you deserve it, Eds." Buck says smiling at him.

As they finish up it gets to nearly three pm.

"Is Carla getting Chris from school" Buck asks as Eddie saw him notice the time and the fact that Eddie was staying instead of rushing off.

"Yeah I rang her earlier this morning and asked if she could as I didn't know how long we would be plus it gives me time to hide them when I get home." Eddie says.

"Man with a plan" Buck says, nodding with an impressed look on his face. He wanted to keep impressing him.

Eddie hears his borrowed phone go off and picks looks at the screen and recognises the number.

"It's Cap" Eddie says, with a creased forehead, wondering why he would call him.

"Best answer it. It could be important." Buck says waving his hand at the phone.

"Hey Cap" Eddie says, answering it.

"Hey Eddie, I need you pop into the firehouse sometime today? I need have a chat about something, don't worry its nothing bad." Bobby says.

"Yeah, I can pop in. I'll be there in twenty minutes" Eddie says as he hangs up wondering what it is Bobby wanted, shaking his head in wonderment.

"What's up?" Buck asks curiously.

"Don't know what that was about, but Cap wants speak to me so got to pop over to find out." Eddie says

"Want me come with?" Buck offered.

"No, it's okay. I'll let you know later what it was about." Eddie says

"Ok, I'll go pay and you can head off." Buck says

They call over the waiter to pay and then leave the restaurant. Standing by their cars, Eddie gives Buck a hug before he jumps in his car and drives off, as he drives he hears the phone go off as he waits in traffic he looks at it.

'BBB: That's fine just message when your free and I'll reply I have stuff to sort out anyway.'

Before he could answer traffic started moving, so he placed it down and continued driving, thoughts turned to the possibilities of what Bobby wanted, he knew he was in a good place with his anger issues and hadn't done anything wrong, he spent the next twenty minutes driving and pulled up to the firehouse where he could see Bobby stood next to the fire truck, he got out his truck and walked over.

"Hey Bobby." Eddie says smiling.

"Ah, Eddie thanks for coming, let's go in my office." Bobby says as he holds his hand pointing the way.

They both start walking and Eddie starts to worry, you only ever go in Bobby's office if you're in trouble as Bobby hated using it, Eddie takes a seat and looks at the desk, he hears Bobby close the door and walk round the desk and take a seat.

"Don't worry Eddie it's nothing bad" Bobby says.

"Okay, so why we in here, only ever use this room if it something important." Eddie quizzes.

"I'll come straight out and tell you, I had a call from captain Strand of the 126 in Austin, we go back a bit and he is short due to staff holidays and needs help I said I'd look what we could do and thought of you as you were from that area so thought you could do Thanksgiving with your parents and Chris could see family." Bobby states.

"Oh wow, that be pretty cool actually we haven't seen the rest of my family in a while and I know Chris will love it, I just have sort his school things but that will be easy." Eddie says with a smile.

"I will get it arranged, you go on Sunday" Bobby says as he reaches for the official temporary papers and began to fill them in.

"Wow that's quick, it's the 21st today. At least I can call his school tomorrow; I'll also call my parents and tell them I'm visiting. I bet they will be excited." Eddie says, shaking his head thinking of his parents' reaction when he tells them the news.

"Well, I'll let you go so you can sort out everything." Bobby says, throwing his pen on to of the completed forms.

"But won't the 118 be one short?" Eddie asks worriedly.

"Don't worry about us, I'm sure now that you will be gone Buck will do extra shifts as he has nothing else keep him occupied but everyone else has said they will also pick up extra shifts I'll talk to Buck tomorrow about it all." Bobby explains.

"He's going be so grumpy you know." Eddie points out, letting out a laugh at the fact that he knows Buck so well.

"He will, but it's nothing we can do about it." Bobby laughs.

They talk a bit more before Eddie heads home, once home he's greeted by Carla and Chris he explains to Carla they're going away from Sunday and she leaves, he explains to Chris what's going on and then rings his parents to ask if it's ok stay with them which they agree as they get spend time with Chris as Eddie works for the one week they're staying.

He looks at the time its five pm. He shakes his head at how fast the last few hours have flown. He heads to the kitchen and starts working out what to cook for dinner and gets Chris fed and then washed before settling him in front of the coffee table to help with homework and to watch some tv. He looks at the time and realises it was six-thirty pmso he looks at his phone and decides message the guy he's been chatting to.

'Hey how are you? How has your day been?'

Eddie then picks up Chris's phone and calls Buck but no answer leaves a voicemail, he leaves it a few minutes and calls again still no answer and does this a few more times but still no answer but leaving voicemails each time, Eddie starts to worry and starts to pace.

"What's up daddy?" Chris asks, noticing Eddie's worried pacing.

"It's okay, it's just Buck not answering his phone and he always answers." Eddie explains.

"He might be asleep, don't worry Dad he loves us so he will call." Chris says and Eddie knows Chris means it as friends he just wishes it was the other meaning.

"I know he will. Let's watch some TV and see if he calls." Eddie says and they get comfy and watch TV but Eddie is twitchy, thoughts of something bad happening to Buck like the fire truck explosion and the tsunami where he nearly lost him, he started tapping his foot in a panic.

It gets to round seven-thirty pm and Buck still hasn't called.

"Oh, just call him Dad." Chris says with a sound of annoyance.

Eddie laughs and stands up and calls again and finally gets an answer.

"Hey" Buck says as if he was out of breath.

"What happened? I've called loads of times and no answer?" Eddie says knowing he sounds worried.

"Oh, I forgot my phone. I didn't realise until I pretty much arrived at the gym so thought just get the workout done but then stayed longer I got in the zone." Buck chuckled,

"Ah okay, just ignore the worried sounding voicemails, I thought you been kidnapped or something, anyway I wanted tell you about what Cap asked me to come in for." Eddie said knowing the messages sound super weird.

"Awww, the great Eddie Diaz worried about me how sweet haha, go on what trouble you got yourself in to now?" Buck says laughing; Eddie could feel his cheeks going red and glad Buck can't see

"No trouble, it's just… I'm going away for a week from Monday 25th to Austin to help the 126 they're short." Eddie quickly says.

"But its Thanksgiving next week, I thought we had plans, why do you have go?" Buck asked, almost in a whiny tone.

"Well, my family live there so Chris can spend some much needed time with them as I'm working, it's only a week and we can have a Thanksgiving meal when I get back I'm sure Chris would love a second one with you." Eddie says knowing he's letting Buck down which he hates .

There was a silence and Eddie didn't know what was going on.

"I understand and it does makes sense that he gets to see his grandparents, at least you have a few days before you have to go." Buck says.

"True, and we're working every day except I'm now off Sunday to drive to Austin." Eddie explains

"Oh. So I have to do a 24 hour shift on my own." Buck says in a mocking tone.

"You will have the rest of the team keep you company." Eddie says knowing everyone will look after Buck .

"I know but we can have a right laugh, the others will only do it for so long." Buck chuckles.

"True, don't know how I do it, keeping you entertained for so long, anyway I need go and get some stuff sorted. See you tomorrow at work" Eddie says he loves how Buck makes work fun.

"Okay buddy, we'll talk tomorrow." Buck says.

"See ya." Eddie says.

Eddie smiles as he sits down to watch TV as he does his phone goes off and sees a message.

'BBB: Was good had some bad news but I'll live, what about you?'

As he is about to text back, Chris knocks over a drink so he cleans it up and whilst at the sink he messages back.

'Mine was good, what kind of news?'

'BBB: Just life stuff and men.'

Eddie got that. He hated he kept stuff quiet, but fancying men was frowned upon by most of his family, so he tried make joke of it.

'Ah that kind of bad day, guessing you been turned down or something?' he messaged back.

'BBB: Something like that; can we just chat about other things not really in the mood to chat about this, maybe I can call you?"

Eddie stopped he didn't want talk over the phone just yet, especially when Chris can hear the conversation which would make it more awkward to explain so made a cop out.

'I'm busy so can't really talk at the moment, but can text though, so are you a Disney or Pixar kind of guy?'

They spend the next hour chatting about films and sports and Eddie can't believe how much they actually do have in common he felt a real connection to this guy he's never met and it scared him at the same time, he gets a message saying he had to go so Eddie places the phone down and decides to sort Chris for bed as it was past his bed time once he had him all settled Eddie showered and went sat at the sofa relaxing watching tv.

As it got close to 11pm he decided it be best head to bed as he had a shift at 10am so wanted a proper sleep, so he heads in to his room and closes the door he looks round at the blanket which hides Chris's Christmas presents and brings back the memory of what Buck said earlier about how he feels for Chris, Eddie wished Buck could feel like that to him just like he does towards Buck, he strips down and slides in to bed, as he nods he smells Bucks aftershave and smiles as he thought of everything he did with Buck today and he falls asleep.