#darcyverse

“Whatever.” Buck ducks his head, knows she can see the tips of his ears flushing anyway. “I maintain that anthropomorphic mice are creepy and Darcy agrees.”

“Only you could use anthropomorphic in a sentence but not know who Tom and Jerry are.” Shay laughs and Darcy mimics her, a bubbly little sound that never fails to make Buck join in.

They pass nearly half an hour like that, laughing softly enough not to wake the latest riser in the house and sharing all of the pancakes that turn out less than perfect. Darcy eats tiny pieces of pancake with her hands until she’s covered in syrup and Shay whisks her away for a quick wash and change while Buck assembles the breakfast tray. Pancakes and fruit and disgustingly burned bacon, just how Kelly likes it, along with a travel mug of coffee so that Darcy can’t spill it next to a bottle for her, and the first of many gifts folded carefully in the corner. It’s a #1 Dad t-shirt, generic if not for the tiny hand and foot prints covering it in a rainbow of colors. Cleaning all of the paint off of Darcy before Kelly got home and noticed had been a pain in the ass, but in Buck’s not so humble opinion the end result was worth it.

“Shay?” Buck calls as he climbs the stairs with the tray in hand. “Everything’s ready, are you?”

Laughter greets him at the top of the stairs. The door to one of the dual master bedrooms is open, the sound spilling out of it, and Buck deflates slightly. So much for surprising Kelly all together like they had planned. It’s fine though. The rest of the day - baseball and barbecue, Kelly’s favorite beer in the fridge and the handful of other gifts stashed strategically around the house - can still go off without a hitch.

Except Darcy isn’t wearing the outfit Buck and Shay had chosen for her, either - a white onesie declaring Future Firefighter Like Daddy. Instead she’s already settled in Kelly’s lap wearing something blue, and Kelly is sitting at the edge of the bed instead of lounging against the mountain of pillows for the lazy morning Buck had imagined. 

He tries and fails to school the disappointment off of his face before either of them look up, but of course Shay catches him. The fact that she smiles brightly enough to rival the sun when she does just throws him even more off balance.

“What, you thought you were the only one who could plan a surprise for Fathers day?” she asks.

“But - but the surprise is supposed to be for the father,” Buck sputters. He feels stuck in the doorway, rooted to the floor with a tray of quickly cooling food awkwardly balanced in his hands as searches for a way to get the day back on track. Before he can come up with anything Shay whisks the tray out of his grip and Kelly stands, Darcy seated on one of his arms with her back against his bare chest. Her onesie says something on it in bold white print that Buck can’t bring himself to read.

“I think your daughter wants you,” Kelly says, and he’s grinning too, though his eyes keep flickering nervously over Buck’s face.

“She’s--”

“Your daughter in every way that matters,” Shay cuts him off.

“And I think it’s about time that we made it official,” Kelly adds. Buck accepts Darcy automatically when Kelly holds her out, tucking her against his chest even though his mind is still reeling. He looks down at her, trying to collect his thoughts, and nearly chokes on his own spit when he finally reads her onesie.

Will you marry my Daddy?

When Buck looks back up Kelly is down on one need, jewelry box in hand, looking soft and sleep ruffled and nothing at all like the gruff firefighter Buck had fallen in love with years ago. The spark in his eye is the same, though, as is the gap toothed smile splitting his face in half. 

“Fuck whose name is on the birth certificate,” Kelly says. “You’re Darcy’s dad in every way that matters. We’re a family in every way that matters. And I’ve waited too damn long to make it official.”

“Hell yeah you have,” Shay mumbles behind him, phone in hand and clicking away. 

“Not helpful,” Kelly says, shooting a glare over his shoulder before turning that smile back on Buck. “Evan Buckley, will you marry me?”

Buck has imagined this proposal a hundred different ways. Had been gearing up to maybe do it himself, before Shay and Kelly had announced they were going to try to have a baby. But this? This is better than any version he could have ever come up with.

“Of course I’ll marry you,” Buck replies. He has about half a second to wonder at the fact that Kelly’s grin has somehow grown wider before Kelly is surging to his feet, taking Buck’s face in his hands, and kissing him breathless, all with Darcy carefully cradled in between them.

“Fucking finally,” Shay laughs brightly in the background, doubtless still snapping photos. “Happy Fathers Day, you dorks.”