WELCOME TO EDDIE DIAZ WEEK, WHERE WE CELEBRATE EVERYTHING WE LOVE ABOUT EDDIE. WHETHER IT'S HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIS, THE WAY HE INTERACTS WITH THE FIREFAM, OR JUST THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES THAT EDDIE POSSESSES, WE'RE HERE TO ENJOY THEM. EDDIE DIAZ IS A FATHER, A HERO, A BROTHER, A BEST FRIEND, A SON, A FIREFIGHTER, AND A GUY WHO JUST NEEDS TO CATCH A BREAK, THANKS.
āI have no idea what Iām doingā + fatherhoodĀ (223 words, Eddie and Christopher)
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Eddie frowned, close to sheer exasperation as it happened, again.Ā
Christopher just laughed, and Eddie felt his frustration melt away when he looked over and saw the huge smile beaming on his sonās face.Ā
āI donāt get it,ā he started.Ā āHow do you do this?ā Eddie shook the game controller and flicked a few of the switches.Ā
āYou keep falling off,ā Christopher pointed out, tilting his head back to giggle. And godĀ if Eddie didnāt just want to look at that goofy smile for the rest of his life.Ā
Well, the rest of his actual life. He kept falling off Rainbow Road and dyingāso far, it had probably been about fifteen times in the last two minutes.Ā
āNow why did I ever think that Mario Kart was a good idea?ā he grumbled, more to himself than anything.
āBecause you want to practice and get better so you can beat me or Buck,ā came the response.Ā
āOh goodness knows Iām never going to beat Buck,ā Eddie laughed at the idea.Ā āBut maybe one day Iāll finally stay on the track for the whole time.ā
Christopher looked at Eddie again.Ā āYou have no idea what youāre doing,ā he snickered.ā
āOof, buddy, you donāt have to call me out like that!ā Eddie groaned as he fell off, again.Ā
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āThis is nice,ā Eddie says, lying back on the picnic blanket in the sun.
Chris is off playing on the playground with Denny and Nia under Henās watchful supervision, and Karen is laid on the blanket next to them, engrossed in a book, allowing Eddie and Buck a quiet moment together. Buck is sprawled out next to Eddie, watching his best friend through lowered lashes. Eddie looks softer somehow, has done often recently in fact. Buck doesn't know why, but it suits him, makes him look more at home in his own skin. He looks happy.
And now, here they were, cuddled up on the couch, drinks long forgotten. Eddie had been worried, when he realized how he felt, that things wouldnāt work between them, that they couldnāt seamlessly transition from friendship to dating. But here they were and everything seemed to be working.
ā
Eddie Diaz Week, Day 2: āThis is nice.ā + soft
Read it on Ao3
Eddie smiled as Buck hummed against his lips. They had been on the couch, trading soft kisses since they had gotten back. And if Eddie was being honest, he never wanted to move.
Eddie was still in disbelief that this was all happening. It had been a week ago when Eddie realized how head over heels he was for Buck. And it seemed that Buck had realized it at the same time. And after a day of awkwardly skirting around their feelings, they (as Hen so eloquently put it) pulled their heads out of their asses and talked. And after some awkward stuttering and a few surprise kisses, they decided to go on a first date.
The date had been nice, even though it had started very similar to their talk (though instead of awkward stuttering it was awkward silence until Buck leaned across the booth and kissed Eddie). From there, it felt like normal. They talked about work and Christopher and whatever random facts Buck had learned recently. But they also held hands any time they werenāt eating and they couldnāt stop smiling at each other.Ā
It was a great date and Eddie didnāt want it to end. And it seemed things were working in his favor when his Abuela texted him saying Christopher was asleep and he could just sleep over at her house. So, since the house was empty, Eddie invited Buck in for a nightcap. And Buck had blushed, but nodded, following Eddie inside.Ā
And now, here they were, cuddled up on the couch, drinks long forgotten. Eddie had been worried, when he realized how he felt, that things wouldnāt work between them, that they couldnāt seamlessly transition from friendship to dating. But here they were and everything seemed to be working.Ā
Buck pulled away, looking down at Eddie. Eddie simply smiled, running his hand up and down Buckās arm. Buck let his head rest on Eddieās chest, a content sigh escaping his lips. Eddieās hands continued mapping patterns along Buckās arm, before traveling to his lower back. They both laid there, Buckās eyes starting to drift closed as Eddieās hands continued to run along Buckās back.
āHey Buck?ā Eddie finally broke the silence. Buck glanced up at him, a sleepy smile on his face. āThis is nice.ā Buck just nodded, leaning forward to press a kiss to Eddieās lips. Eddie just smiled against his lips, knowing he could never get tired of kissing Buck. After several more kisses between the two, Buck let his head rest on Eddieās chest again, his eyes slipping closed.Ā
āWe should probably move,ā Eddie pointed out, his hand coming up to play with the hairs on the back of Buckās neck.Ā
āEventually,ā Buck mumbled. And even though Eddie knew he should make them get up, he was content to lie there for a little longer, in this little bubble of happiness they had created.
Eddie blinks awake to darkness. Slowly, he catalogues where he is - a streetlight outside and the stovelight left on in the kitchen casting just enough light to identify the shadows in his living room. The softness of the couch underneath him, just one spring digging into his back a little uncomfortably. The heavy, warm weight on top of him.
Eddie blinks again and lifts his head just enough to see Buckās head pillowed on his chest, an arm slung across his stomach and one leg pressed between Eddieās. His own arm wrapped around Buckās shoulders, fingers resting against his skin just below the sleeve of his t-shirt. Tangled up, warm and comfortable.
soft hugs. buck/eddie. 1126 words. established relationship. read on ao3. written for @eddiediazweek
The moment he wakes up, Eddie is freezing. He finds himself curling up under the blanket, pulling it up under his chin in the hopes that he warms up, but thereās no success - not when he canāt feel the body heat of his boyfriend next to him, signifying heās alone in the bed. Opening up his eyes, Eddie finds himself looking out of his bedroom window, the spot next to him indeed empty and cold. The sun is shining though, and he can feel the warmth from the rays through the window. He can hear Buck and Chris outside of his room and a small smile forms on his face as he sits up in the bed, shivering slightly when he steps out from underneath the blanket covering him.
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āI have no idea what Iām doing.ā + fatherhood
"Hold on I'm Coming" on AO3
Eddie & Buck (hinted Buddie), 1667 words
Eddie wants Chris to have good first Mother's Day after Shannon. Only, he doesn't really know how to do that and goes about it the wrong way. Maybe Buck has ideas how to get Chris out of his room after he slammed the door in Eddie's face.
There are moments in life that feel like they should be frozen in time; captured and framed, left to admire for years to come. Moments of quiet, uninterrupted happiness that have, for so many years, seemed to be few and far between.Ā
This is one of those moments.Ā
Eddie wakes slowly; catching a glimpse of the sun just creeping over the horizon. The room is silent. Still. The only movement is the rise and fall of the chest pressed up beside him.Ā
He turns his head, admiring the sleeping face next to him, and his first thought -ringing out like a bell, clear and loud over every other sleep muddled thought- is simply; I want this forever.Ā
Just sitting there with Buck makes every bad thought he had, every rock that has been sitting in his chest since almost losing two people earlier fly away. Makes it all so much better, so much more bearable.
so i know this was gonna be eddie begins but i changed my mind whoops
bloom and grow [ao3 link]
eddie/buck, soft, LOVE, fluff fluff, for day two of eddie week: soft + āthis is niceā.
There are flowers in the foot well of the car.Ā
Buck stares at them, then up at the house. He can do this. Itās easy; just walk up steps as heās done a hundred times, knock on the door and wait for it to open.Ā
Maybe the flowers are too much. But if he doesnāt take them, theyāll still be there when they get in the car together, and then theyāll get crushed andāĀ
Swiping the flowers from the floor, trying not to crush them, he clambers out of the car, feeling unsteady. Itās not the first date heās ever been on so he doesnāt know why heās suddenly lost all co-ordination and ability to function like a human being.Ā
Buck takes a deep breath as he raises a hand to knock, but the door opens before he can make contact.Ā
i like watchingāthe days go by with you | 2k words | buddie | pre-relationship, domestic fluff | ao3
written for Eddie Diaz Week 2021 | Day 2: āThis is nice.ā + soft
.
A quiet but persistent buzzing noise coming from somewhere behind his head is what startles Eddie awake. He peaks one eye open but his vision is still fuzzy from sleep so he almost knocks over the lamp as he tries to locate his phone. Eventually, he manages to silence the alarm. With a sigh, he falls back onto the pillow, blinking and waiting until he feels awake enough to roll out of bed. The curtains are slightly parted and the already bright L.A. sun is creeping up the floorboards, painting a narrow path across the bed and widening up on the wall behind Eddie. He smiles to himself.Ā
At the beginning of their group sleepover ā or quarantine, if you wish ā in Buckās apartment Eddie made a small comment that getting blinded by the sun first thing in the morning wasnāt really his favourite thing to do. Since then, the curtains were kept shut every morning. Sometimes, when Eddie stirred awake as Buck was getting up, he saw his friend walk towards the window to peek outside. And every single time he parted the curtains just the tiniest bit, mindful of Eddieās half-serious comment. The thoughtfulness made Eddieās heart soar.Ā
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It was too much. $606 (plus tax). But at the same time, it wasnāt enough. How could Eddie even begin to repay Buck for all heās done, all he continues to do, for him and Christopher? If he really were to try to put it in monetary terms heād need to scrimp and save a hell of a lot more than he already was doing just to pay off this sweater. $606 (plus tax) on his credit card had already meant cutting back on everything he possibly could, everything that wouldnāt impact negatively on Christopher, that is.
But itād all be worth it to see Buck in this ridiculously expensive, ridiculously soft, ridiculously pretty sweater. Itās high-quality cashmere, a beautiful deep blue (āsapphireā the woman in the store had called it) colour and the moment Eddie had seen it in the store window he knew he had to get it for Buck. Heād stopped in his tracks, right there, outside the store, a store heād never usually give a second glance to because he knew guys like him on a wage like his couldnāt afford to shop there.
There it was, though. This sweater that looked like itād been tailor made for Buck, Eddie knowing nothing about clothes or fashion but somehow sure the cut of it would fit and flatter Buck in all the right ways, showing off his delectable upper body to perfection. As for the colour, well, Buck suited almost every colour under the sun, but this? It was like the gods themselves had conspired to create the perfect shade of blue to complement Buckās hair and skin tone, to really make the pink of his lips and birthmark pop, and to highlight those incredible eyes of his. Eddie had to have it, and for once in his life he didnāt second guess himself, marching straight into the store, feeling like Julia Roberts in that scene in Pretty Woman where all the snooty sales assistants look down their noses at her but not letting that stop him from making his impulsive purchase.
Of course, the second guessing started the moment he stepped back into his truck, looking down at the classy cream and gold rectangular gift box the lady in the store had neatly folded the sweater into in such a way that Eddie knew not to remove it from the box to admire it once more when he got home because heād never be able to get it folded again so perfectly. It hadnāt stopped him removing the lid and running his hand over the soft fabric at least three times a day since then, though, all the while quashing down thoughts about what a purchase like this said, concerned that it went too far, gave too much away, crossed an invisible line.
But then he would remember the top-of-the-line coffee maker Buck had bought him, albeit under the guise of a prank because he knew Eddie needed his java every day but would never drop that kind of money on himself, and his worries eased just a little. Because, sure, Buck was generous with everyone, and as a single guy with no dependents he had a little more disposable income to play around with than Eddie, but he wasnāt going around buying Hen, Chim, Bobby, or anyone else for that matter, expensive presents for no real reason other than he wanted to. Buck had been saying something with the gift, even if he hadnāt realized it himself. Eddie could only hope he was saying the same thing Eddie was saying with this sweater.
So now it was time to give it to Buck. His birthday was still months away and Eddie didnāt want to (couldnāt, if he was honest) wait that long. Heād missed Christmas, only spotting the sweater in late January, and there was no way in hell he was giving it to Buck on Valentineās Day. No matter how much Eddie felt a gift like this exposed about how he felt about Buck, there was still a little room for plausible deniability should it quickly become obvious Buck hadnāt been sending the same message Eddie was with his gift, but presenting it to him on Valentineās Day would have left no doubt about what the gift meant.
Valentineās Day had been and gone now, though, and Eddie knew he either had to bite the bullet and give Buck the sweater or hide
it away at the back of his closet for evermore. And, yeah, the irony of being stuck in a closet for the rest of time was not lost on Eddie, thank you very much.
He didnāt have time to think much more about it, though, it fast approaching 11 oāclock, the time heād arranged for Buck to call round, ostensibly so they could have brunch and hang out a little on their day off until it was time to go collect Chris from school and maybe take him to the park to feed the ducks before all heading home together for a cosy night in.
Eddie had specifically chosen to invite Buck round while Chris was at school so he wouldnāt be tempted to use his son as a buffer between them. Heād also asked Buck not to tell Chris he was coming, on the pretext they could surprise Chris, but really it was because if Buck realized what Eddie was saying with this gift and ran for the hills then at least Chris wouldnāt be disappointed at not seeing his Buck when he had been expecting to. It would also give Eddie some time to try to put the pieces of his heart back together enough so he could muster up a brave face for his son, although Eddie knew theyād never fit together quite the same way again if Buck was the one to break his heart. There would be no getting over him.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, shattering the too loud silence that always seemed to settle around the house when he was there alone without Chris and/or Buckās presence to both ground him and lift him up. He instantly recognized Buckās familiar enthusiastic rap. Right on time, as always, never seeming to want to miss a single second he could be spending with Chris and Eddie, but never wanting to intrude by arriving too early either. Not that either Eddie or Chris would mind, but if Eddie often feared he wasnāt enough then Buck matched him with his anxiety about being too much.
Swallowing down his nerves, he cast one more glance at the gift box sitting on the coffee table and went to let Buck in, going through the motions of greeting his best friend (and maybe more, if he was lucky), trying to act like today was a day just like any other. Of course, Buck knew him too well for that. Eddie had never known anyone who could read him so well or so easily as Buck.
āEddie, you okay?ā he asked, genuine concern etched into every crevice of his face. When Eddie just nodded, Buck changed tack, aiming for lighthearted but his eyes giving away the fact he was still worried.
āAre you sure? Because I could go grab you some laxatives, if you want. Might help with that constipated look youāre sporting.ā
Eddie snorted, glad to feel some of the tension he was holding in his body melt away. Buck had always been able to do that.
āNice, dude, real nice,ā he joked back before his eye caught on the gift box and he remembered what he had asked Buck here for.
Deciding he couldnāt wait any longer and not even giving Buck time to take off his jacket or sit down, Eddie grabbed the box off the table, practically shoving it into Buckās hands.
āHere, this is for you,ā he mumbled, praying Buck would be too distracted by the gift to notice the blush Eddie could feel creeping across his face.
Buck stared at the gift box in his hands for a moment, confusion clear in his expression.
āFor me? Why? Whatās the occasion? Itās not my birthday,ā he finally spoke up.
āNo occasion,ā Eddie shrugged. āI just⦠saw it and thought of you.ā
āEddieā¦ā
āJust open it,ā Eddie cut in, the soft way Buck had breathed his name turning his insides to mush. āAnd itās okay if you donāt like it, you donāt have to pretend if you donāt. But I think you will like it. Well, I hope so anyway,ā he babbled, the words rushing out of him. Gulping in a deep breath in an attempt to stop his rambling and centre himself, he gestured to the box. āGo on,ā he urged, ātake a look.ā
Buck held his gaze for a second longer, leaving Eddie feeling flayed open by the intensity of the look in his eyes, before turning his attention again to the gift box. Sitting down on the couch, he set the box back on the coffee table before
leaning forward and gently easing the lid of it. Eddie could swear he heard Buckās breath hitch when he saw the sweater.
āEddie, this is⦠wow, man. This is nice. I mean, this is⦠this is really nice. And itās so soft!ā he said, a look of wonder lighting up his face as he trailed his fingers across the fabric in a way that had Eddie ashamed to admit he was feeling envious of a sweater. A sweater, for Godās sake! A very nice $606 (plus tax!) sweater, but a sweater all the same.
āI⦠Eddie, I canāt accept this,ā Buck said then, turning towards him, a pinched look replacing the one of wonder on his face.
āYou can, and you will,ā Eddie insisted, rolling his eyes at the earnestness in those blue eyes that had seen through him so many times but never seemed to help Buck see his own self-worth. āGo on, try it on,ā he said, with a jerk of his chin in the direction of the hall leading to the bedrooms and bathroom, expecting Buck to want to change in private and maybe check out how the sweater looked on him in a mirror.
He really should have known better.
Buck grinned, standing up to quickly shuck his jacket before grabbing the back of his T-shirt, yanking it off over his head and tossing it in a ball on the couch, leaving Eddie dry-mouthed and weak-kneed at the expanse of smooth, inked skin and firm, taut muscle on display. Sure, heād seen Buck shirtless more times than he could count, both at work and outside of it, but he had yet to become inured to the sight.
Scrambling for something to say to try to fill the silence that had fallen between them, and to cover the way he knew heād been gaping at his best friendās bare torso, Eddie quipped, āI hope youāre not gonna treat this sweater the way you just did that poor shirt.ā
This time it was Buck who rolled his eyes, stepping forward to reach down for said sweater, unfolding it carefully out of the box, as if it was made of spun gold. He held it out in front of him, admiring it for a second, before slipping it over his head and down his torso, strong arms filling the sleeves snugly.
Eddie had to remind himself to keep breathing when Buck turned to him, expression soft and bashful, his eyebrows raised in a way that clearly said Well, what do you think?
āPerfect,ā Eddie whispered. āYouāre perfect.ā
The way Buckās eyes widened before his whole face softened even more, if that was even possible, alerted Eddie to what heād said. āI mean, it... itās perfect. Perfect for you,ā he stammered. Embarrassed but unable to stop himself, he added, āI knew it would be,ā in a voice that sounded soft and small, unbearably vulnerable and unbelievably fond all at once. But this was Buck. He could be all those things around Buck without fear of judgment or censure or ridicule or pity.
āItās so soft,ā Buck said again, looking down at the sweater and slowly dragging his hand down the front of it. āHere, feel,ā he said, looking up at Eddie, ridiculously long eyelashes fluttering at him as he held out his arm. Eddie stumbled forward, drawn in like a magnet by those baby blues, assuming Buck wanted him to touch the sleeve of the sweater and indeed feel how soft it was.
But when Eddie reached out tentatively to touch the sleeve, Buck surprised him by grabbing hold of his hand, tugging him closer, and placing it directly over Buckās heart, holding it there as Eddie felt a newfound kinship with every romantic heroine heād previously mocked who had swooned at every heated glance thrown their way or fainted at the slightest touch of their loverās hand.
āItāll only get softer!ā Eddie blurted out, feeling Buckās strong, steady heartbeat under his hand as his own started thundering in his chest.
āIt will?ā Buck said, raising another quizzical eyebrow at Eddieās outburst.
āYeah, yeah, it will. The really good cashmere gets softer with wear and washing. The lady in the store said so and I looked it up online when I got home and she wasnāt bullshitting me.ā
āThatās⦠thatās good to know,ā Buck smiled. The smile soon gave way to a more serious look, though, and Eddie steeled himself for whatever Buck was
going to say next.
āEddie, why did you really buy me this? Not that I donāt love it, because I do, donāt get me wrong. I think itās the nicest thing anyoneās ever given me, and Maddie gave me a Jeep once. But why?ā
Eddie swallowed, knowing it was now or never, and never was never really an option, not when it came to Buck and letting him know how much he was loved.
āYou know how I said I āsaw it and thought of youā?ā
Buck nodded, encouraging him to keep going with a squeeze of his hand and an open expression, their eyes locking, Eddie unable to look away even if he wanted to. Which he didnāt. He never wanted to look away from Buck.
āWell, it would probably be more accurate to say āI was thinking of you and I saw itā,ā he said quietly, taking a step closer to Buck and bringing his free hand up to cover Buckās where it still held his other hand to Buckās chest.
āBecause Iām always thinking of you, Buck. You and Chris, the two halves of my heart, my world entire. It doesnāt matter what Iām doing or how focused I seem on something else, you two are always there. Maybe not always at the forefront of my mind, but youāre there, at the back of it, reminding me of everything I have to come home to, everything I have to fight for. Reminding me of everything Iāve ever wanted. My family. My son. My⦠you. You, Buck. Itās always you. Itās always going to be you.ā
Later, Eddie will remember the soft brush of cashmere under his fingertips as he wrapped his arms around Buckās shoulders and pulled him impossibly closer. For now, though, he was too caught up in thinking how nothing could be softer than Buckās lips as they brushed against his own when Buck surged forward and let Eddie know that maybe, just maybe, he was always thinking of Eddie, too.
eddie week day 3 - āweāre getting out of this.ā + competence
eddie being good at his job, 1k
AO3 Link
Thereās a ringing in his ears, water rising around his ankles, a chill seeping into his bones, and Eddie canāt keep his mind off of the past.
It closes in around him as suddenly as the darkness does, echoing around in his head as the sounds of chaos from just moments before settle into silence. He shivers as the all-too-familiar cold burrows itself deep within him. Hopes the shake will brush away the memories weighing down on his shoulders.Ā
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
One Step at a Time 1/1 G
Written forĀ @eddiediazweek, Day 1: āI have no idea what Iām doing.ā + fatherhood
Beta-reading by @novemberhushĀ
Summary:Ā āDo you want me to?ā Buck knelt on the floor as he held Christopher and glanced over at Eddie who looked embarrassed and walked out of the room.
@eddiediazweek DAY 1:Ā āI have no idea what Iām doingā + fatherhood
(676Ā words)
Eddie Diaz had always been proud of his son. Christopher was such an easy kid, even with his Cerebral Palsy. Christopher just seemed to understand Eddieās struggles as a single dad. Eddie is certain that he can count the number of times his kid has ever complained on his fingers. Even after his mother died, the tsunami, and the lawsuit since he couldnāt see Buck. Surely, everything has gotten easier since Buck came back into their lives, permanently now. But Christopherās nightmares still happen, almost nightly. Yet, he doesnāt complain. He gets his comfort from Eddie, sometimes even his Buck, and tries to go back to sleep.
Itās not strange for Buck to stay at Eddieās house after Chris is asleep. They have a few beers, and Buck usually drives home before midnight, texting Eddie so he knows Buck is home safely.
But what was strange, Buck noticed, was Eddie not engaging in normal conversation.
āEddie⦠are you okay?ā Buck asked gently.
āI have no idea what Iām doing.ā Eddie inhaled a short shaky breath.
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It all started when Carla brought Chris to the firehouse before school, just before the end of shift. Christopher Diaz wasnāt stupid, so did he notice when Buckās smile wasnāt right? Yes. So when he and Eddie were in the car, he asked.
āWhatās wrong with Buck?ā
āHe just had a bad day, thatās all.ā
Christopher sat for a minute, and Eddie pretended not to watch as his son thought up of a plan to cheer up Buck.
must i imagine you there [ao3 link]
eddie/buck, eddie week day three: competence +Ā āweāre getting out of this.ā bombs. hurt/comfort. fear of death. drama :))))
āBuck,ā Eddie says, āstop moving.ā
Itās a testament to how well they work together that Buck immediately stops. āWhat?ā
Eddie slowly sinks to his knees, studying the device theyāve inadvertently disturbed. āShit.ā
āEddie.ā Buckās still not moved, and Eddie relaxes a fraction. āWhatās going on?ā
āItās a bomb,ā Eddie says, because Buck deserves the truth. āMotion sensors. That red light on your chest?ā
āThe trigger,ā Buck says. Itās the lack of inflection that hits Eddie. āYou should go.ā