Crazy Love

Title: Crazy Love
Series: Every Moment
Series Order: 4 (End)
Fandom: 9-1-1
Genre: Contemporary, Drama, Soulmates
Pairing: Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz, canon pairings
Rating: R
Warnings: Canon-level situations
Author Note: This picks up immediately after the end of Days Like This. These Are the Days was written by Van Morrison. And, yes, I realize that the song title was used for a prior part, but the song itself comes up in this one.
Timeline: Takes place in early season 3 of 9-1-1. There are references to canon events, but canon knowledge isn’t necessary.
Word Count: 10,050
Artist: Series banners by me, and some amazing art was sent to me. It’s been included at the beginning and end of this book, but it can also be found on the main series page.
Summary: Buck and Eddie wake from their collapse after the tsunami to a changed world. Their relationship is also changed, for all that it’s still them—still family.

Episode Four: Crazy Love

Eddie fought his way to consciousness; his body felt heavy and his thoughts sluggish. His thoughts were consumed with Christopher and Buck. He had a strong sense of Buck—close and warm, solid and comforting—but he couldn’t get a sense of his son.

It went against everything in him, but he forced himself away from the peace coming from his connection to Buck, which felt like it had enveloped him, and pushed himself upright. “Christopher,” he gasped out as he pried his eyes open.

Alarms began to blare.

Then Bobby was right there, holding Eddie by the shoulders. “Christopher is fine, Eddie. You need to relax.”

Eddie shoved at the hands. “Where is my son?”

“Eddie, please calm down.”

“Where’s my son?!” he yelled, feeling dizzy and uncoordinated as he tried to fight Bobby’s hands. The alarm going off behind him became more staccato, a strident beep adding to the mix.

“He’s fine. They wouldn’t let him stay longer. Please, Buck needs you to stay where you are.” More people were in the room, and other voices talked over Bobby, but they made less sense, and Eddie tried to fight them off.

He couldn’t make sense of anything, stuck in not being able to find his son. Abruptly, the room began to spin, then everything got hazy and dark.

– – – –

Voices intruded on his consciousness, but they didn’t alarm him this time because a familiar, small hand was playing with Eddie’s face. Little fingers traced the line of his eyebrows, and Eddie’s lips twitched.

He was on his side, curled around a large, warm body. A body that was familiar even though he’d only been able to hold Buck for a single night before everything went to hell. Buck’s breaths were slow but even, and there was no sense of danger. Eddie was warm and comfortable, and Chris was close, little fingers dancing over Eddie’s skin.

Everything was all right now.

A woman’s voice spoke softly nearby. “It’s as if I’m not the foremost expert in the world on soulmates; I told you the child needed to be here.”

“You may be an expert on soulmates,” a higher-pitched and louder voice replied, “but that makes you no expert on children. You cannot sacrifice the child’s welfare for the sake of the parent.”

“You’re a mean lady,” Christopher said in a biting tone that Eddie had never before heard from his son, but Chris’ hand stayed resting on Eddie’s cheek. “I don’t like you.”

“Chris,” another voice admonished softly. Shannon. Dios. “Shh. Pay attention to your dads.”

Dads.

“Yes, Mommy.”

“I’m Christopher’s mother, and it was doing him much more harm to be yanked away from his fathers after the horrific events they all went through.”

“Precisely,” the mean lady said snippily. “The child went through trauma. Being here with this wounded man and his unconscious father is not conducive to—”

“Oh, shut up,” Shannon snapped, astonishing Eddie. “My son was hurt worse from the tantrum he threw when you insisted on pulling him out of here than he was in the damn tsunami. The judge denied your order for temporary custody and only allowed you here this morning to ensure Christopher would be properly cared for. This is a freaking luxury suite, the likes of which I didn’t even know existed in a hospital. Christopher has been happy as a clam since he climbed onto that bed, and Eddie finally relaxed enough that they could stop the sedatives. This is a win for everyone except for you.”

“Agreed,” Bobby said, tone icy to the point that it sounded almost as if he were a stranger. “I think we’ve shown that Christopher will come to no harm here.”

The door opened and yet another woman’s voice filled the room. “Ms. Bradley.”

“Deputy Mayor Morales,” Bradley stammered.

“Sergeant Grant informed me that there were concerns from CPS regarding the care of Christopher Diaz despite literally everyone involved having no worries at all about the child. I spoke with your supervisor, and she seems to be under some misassumptions in regard to certain facts about this case. How these supposed facts, which no one can account for, made it into your case notes is something that should be discussed. At length. However, I think we should take our conversation to the meeting room down the hall and stop disturbing these brave young men. Sergeant Grant, Ms. Diaz, would you care to join us? Ensure that all sides of this are heard?”

“Delighted to,” Shannon said from close by, her clothes rustling softly as she moved. “You be good, baby. Don’t poke your dad too much.”

“But it’s time for him to wake up, Mommy.”

“He’ll get there in his own time, sweet pea.” There was the soft sound of a kiss, more movement, then the door closed.

Eddie forced his sluggish brain and body into action. “Chris…”

“Daddy!” The little hand settled on his cheek.

Eddie forced his eyes open and found Christopher—dressed in clean clothes and obviously bathed and well-rested—sitting cross-legged on the bed on the other side of Buck. And Buck felt completely naked under the blankets next to Eddie.

Chris had a few scratches on his face and arms and a fresh bruise on his cheekbone. His eyes were clear and bright, however, and he looked fine.

Eddie reached out. “Christopher.”

Chris caught his hand and put it back on Buck. “You have to keep touching, Dad.”

A throaty laugh caught his attention, and then a woman Eddie vaguely recognized stepped into view. “Any skin contact is fine, Christopher. Your dad is touching all along Buck’s back, so you can hold your father’s hand if you wish.”

Smiling brightly, Chris folded both of his hands around Eddie’s. “Hi, Daddy!”

“Christopher,” Eddie choked out, holding as tightly as he dared. “What happened to you, Mijo?”

Chris gave him a patient look. “There was a tsunami,” he enunciated slowly.

Eddie’s laugh was half sob. He curled tighter around Buck, allowing him to move that much closer to his son. “I remember. Why do you have a bruise on your face? I don’t remember that.” His memories of that night were missing some key things, like how they wound up in the hospital, but he remembered finding Chris and checking him over thoroughly. There hadn’t been a dark bruise on his cheekbone then.

Christopher actually blushed and ducked his head.

Bobby sat in the armchair next to the bed, expression rueful. “Someone on staff here reported to CPS that Christopher was being allowed to stay around the clock, even though it had only been overnight at that point. Some eager beaver at CPS came and got him, refusing to listen to anyone about what was going on. Christopher got a little upset.”

Huffing, Chris met Eddie’s gaze. “I had a tantrum,” he whispered loudly.

Eddie’s lips twitched. “Tell me more.” He lifted his head and let it rest on Buck’s shoulder so that he could see Chris more clearly. Buck was so still in his arms, but his breathing was slow and even, and Eddie could see his vitals on a high-end monitor mounted to the wall.

“I accidentally hit myself with my new crutches.”

“Oh, Chris.” Eddie pressed his forehead against Buck’s arm, trying to remember what happened. “Why are we here?”

“You’re soulmates,” Chris said brightly.

Eddie could feel the truth of that thrumming hot between them. The hand that wasn’t held by Christopher was tucked under Eddie. He wiggled it free and brought it up to card his fingers through Buck’s hair. “Soulmates don’t usually wind up in the hospital, buddy, so I think there’s more to the story.”

“You and Bucky woke up all the soulmates on Earth!”

Eddie blinked and stared, then he looked to Bobby for clarification.

Bobby rolled up his sleeve, showing a fully black mark on his arm. Not only had his soulmark formed, but he already formed a bond. “A bit of an exaggeration, but not far off. When you and Buck touched the first time, the soul energy started to flow. Instead of rippling out from all conduits, it rippled out from him to the other conduits and from the conduit web out to the rest of the world.”

“Ay Dios,” Eddie murmured, suddenly remembering the incredible surge of energy that felt like it would consume them when they’d first touched.

“The short story,” Bobby continued, “is that it overwhelmed the two of you, and you both collapsed.”

“That was really scary,” Chris said in a small voice.

“I’m so sorry we scared you, Mijo.”

“It’s okay, Dad. I know you’re going to be okay now.”

Bobby gestured to the woman. “I’ll let the expert explain the rest.”

“Ellen McAvoy,” the woman introduced herself.

“Ah. Buck’s a big fan.”

“I’m a fan of his as well.” She propped a hip against the nightstand, arms crossed loosely over her chest. She looked tired but peaceful and happy. “A lot of this is conjecture because our circumstances are somewhat unprecedented, but we knew the activation would be one of two ways: either all the conduits would start channeling energy at the same time, or one conduit would be the first to go, triggering the domino effect for the other conduits who could then do their part to stabilize and maintain the anima matrix.”

Eddie smiled at the term. “This anchor thing Buck was telling me about. That was important…?”

“Yes. We wondered what role the anchor serves, and I think we now have some idea. I’m not surprised for this reactivation of soulmates that fate chose someone who is very robust physically, because as much as being a conduit is not generally supposed to be physically taxing, there are times when it can be. Such as when there are strains put on the matrix or, as we’ve recently learned, when soulmate energy is starting to flow again on the physical plane.”

“So, Buck is integral to soulmate…whatever.”

“He was. The system isn’t designed for a single point of failure. If something happened to Buck at this point, a new anchor would be chosen. In a sense, he’s fulfilled what fate called him to do.” She gave him a gentle smile. “In that regard, I don’t think you have to worry about people looking over your shoulders. Buck is very special, and of that there is no doubt, but I have no reason to think anyone is going to take an interest in him going forward. From now on, he’s just another connection in the web.”

She pushed a lock of pure white hair behind her ear, which had come down from her braid. “I think the reason you had to touch for the trigger to get pulled, so to speak, is because you two have a temporary bond when you’re in physical contact. It allows you to fulfill your function as a shield as long as the two of you are touching. The shield functions as a ground of sorts to keep the conduit from being overwhelmed by the flow of energy. But since your bond is temporary and contact-based, when you pull away, your temporary bond severs. That’s what sent you both into shock; the medics at the scene had no way of knowing about your temporary bond, and they separated the two of you for transport.”

Eddie switched his focus to Buck’s monitor, which showed Buck’s vitals were below what they were back when he got his conduit marks.

“They’re coming up,” McAvoy assured him.

“That’s better?” Eddie asked incredulously.

“You both were dangerously bradycardic by the time you arrived here. You came up faster, and we expect Buck to follow quickly now that you’re awake and not trying to pull away.”

“Why in the world would I try to pull away from him?”

“Because I wasn’t here,” Chris piped up. “You were worried about me.”

Eddie reached out and cupped Chris’ cheek. “I was so incredibly worried about you.”

“Buck kept me safe, Dad. I’m fine.”

Feeling thankful, Eddie pressed a kiss to Buck’s shoulder, even though Buck wasn’t awake to feel it. “I’m glad you’re all right, Mijo.” He tapped Chris’ nose. “Looks like your sunburn is peeling though. I can’t believe we’ve been asleep so long.”

“You slept forever and ever.”

Eddie gave a half smile then turned his attention back to McAvoy. “Were you expecting this to hit him so hard?”

“Possibly. Soulmarks and conduit marks usually come together. They’re both caused by a surge of anima energy. We speculated that the plummeting pulse and blood pressure might repeat itself for at least some of the conduits when the soulmarks appeared because conduits are simply wired a little differently from the rest of the populace. And it did for about half of the new conduits—though it was not usually dangerous. Buck’s situation is unusual, and the way you two were forcibly separated immediately after establishing your temporary bond made things worse.”

“Days worse?”

“That was compounded by your son being taken away. I’ve been doing this a long time, since well before the decline, and I’ve seen soulmates meet under traumatic circumstances where one of their children was involved. Keeping the children close is usually the best course of action, provided it won’t be traumatic for the child in question. Parents typically only fight their soulmate if they worry about the safety of their offspring. It’s two very primal forces at odds with each other. We had to keep you sedated for both of your health until we could loop Ms. Whitt in and get in front of a judge. It was a slow process in medical terms, but quite fast when it comes to matters before the family court.”

“You think Buck will wake up soon?”

“He’s been improving since you woke,” Bobby said softly, looking at the monitor. “It was a vicious cycle. If we left you un-sedated, you’d fight us and try to leave, which would send Buck crashing. But as long as you were unnaturally unconscious, Buck was stable, but his vitals never rebounded.”

Eddie pressed his forehead against Buck’s shoulder, trying to absorb everything and hating how vulnerable he felt. “But we probably won’t truly stabilize until we cement our bond, right? I thought we had a choice here.”

Bobby gave him a confused look. “Is this an academic question, Eddie? Because, if so, I’m not sure I see the point.”

“Don’t you love Buck, Daddy?” Chris asked, voice sounding small.

“Oh, Mijo, of course I do.” He squeezed Chris’ hand. “I just want to be sure Buck has choices.”

“Buck chose us a long time ago.” Chris’ tone was a little snippy. “You need to stop trying to talk him out of being with us. He’s our family.”

“That’s fair.” Eddie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Message received.”

“Academic question or not, it deserves an answer,” McAvoy replied. “It’s exceedingly rare for conduit and shield to walk away from one another.”

Chris sent him a mulish look, and Eddie patted him reassuringly on the knee.

“But it’s possible. You two just need to stabilize first and then make that decision. I’m not sure why he’s not stabilizing without a touch-based bond; my best guess is that the energy pull on him is still higher than it is on others, so he still needs his shield to ground him, but it will level off eventually.”

“I don’t even know what’s involved in a permanent bond.” Eddie sighed and closed his eyes.

“It’s the easiest thing I ever did,” Bobby said. With amusement in his voice, he added, “There’s also a YouTube video.”

Eddie’s eyes popped open. “Seriously?”

McAvoy laughed. “The Registry was overwhelmed with calls. Literally, millions of pairs getting their marks at almost the same time. So many pairs of soulmates had already met, and when the energy started to flow, their marks bloomed. We put up several informational videos out of self-defense.” She picked up a piece of paper on the nightstand. “The web address is here, but I also sketched out the basics you’ll need to know. However, I’d be shocked if Buck wasn’t already aware of the process.”

“Bucky knows everything,” Chris piped in.

“You are so adorably biased, buddy,” Eddie said with a smile.

The door opened, which was behind Eddie, and he couldn’t bring himself to pull away from Buck to look. Athena stepped into view. “Well, look who’s awake.”

“Hey, Athena.”

“Good to see you conscious.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Our Ms. Bradley has a whole sordid past with soulmates. She’s quite spiteful about it. She’s a member of several anti-soulmate sites; she read a theory on one that Buck was responsible for releasing soulmate energy. When she saw both of your names in a child welfare report, she decided to intervene. She gave some false information to her supervisor about the conditions Christopher was being kept in—as well as a few other things. I bowed out once all the information came to light. Shannon’s got the bit between her teeth now; between her and Deputy Mayor Morales, they’ll get this all sorted.” She shook her head.

Eddie could read something between the lines. “I’d like to be alone with Buck.” He looked at Chris. “Do you mind going with Bobby since Mommy is busy?”

“Are you going to wake him up?”

“I’m going to try.”

“Like Sleeping Beauty?”

“Eh. I was thinking more about cajoling and colorful threats, but I suppose kissing isn’t off the table. Though, generally, I’d prefer him to be awake for that. You okay going with Bobby and Athena?”

“Yep!” Chris got onto his knees and leaned across Buck’s body to press a kiss to Eddie’s cheek, then he pressed one gently to Buck’s.

Bobby got up and retrieved Christopher’s crutches.

“Look what Aunt Maddie got me!” Chris said as Athena helped him slide down from the bed. “Iron Man crutches!”

Eddie stupidly felt himself tearing up for no good reason. “Those are so cool. Buck’s going to love them.”

“I know! Want us to bring you anything?”

“Bring us some ice cream. Pistachio for me—”

“Coffee for Buck.” Chris huffed. “I know.”

Eddie grinned, then nodded to Bobby. “I should have asked earlier. Is everyone okay? I mean at the station?”

“No one injured if that’s what you mean. People are picking up a bit of overtime in the wake of the tsunami, but mostly the National Guard is handling the rest of the search and rescue,” Bobby said vaguely about the body recovery as he settled a hand on Christopher’s head. “Hen and Karen are soulmates, and they already solidified their bond. Maddie and Chim are waiting a few days. Martinez’s wife left him when they failed to manifest a soulmark, so a couple of the other guys on shift have been keeping an eye on him. I think he’s doing okay.” Bobby grinned. “Anders and Josh are soulmates.”

Eddie frowned. “Josh who?”

“Josh Russo from dispatch. He put the call through—”

“That Josh?” Eddie’s eyes were wide. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

“When did they even meet?”

“When they both came here checking on you two. People care about you both and wanted to make sure you were okay. Certainly, no one expected an old-fashioned soulmate meeting in the hallway.” Bobby was smiling. “It was really nice to see how it’s supposed to be. Josh felt it as soon as he got off the elevator and they just…drifted toward one another.”

“They bond?”

“Not yet, but they’re happily getting to know one another.” He waved his phone. “Josh is talking to Maddie, and Maddie is texting everyone to save on effort.”

Eddie rolled his eyes and waved the duo away, reveling in the giggles from Christopher. He tried to indicate with his eyes that Athena and McAvoy should stay for a second. They both nodded, obviously getting the message.

“I’ll catch up with you boys downstairs, okay?” Athena called. “Don’t start the ice cream run without me. I just want to check in on Shannon before we go.”

“Okay!” Chris said brightly. “Bye, Dad.”

“Bye, Mijo.”

As soon as the door was closed, Eddie looked to Athena. “Anti-soulmate groups have Buck’s name?”

Athena nodded, expression tight. “We’re looking into it. The department might need to take some precautions for a few days.”

McAvoy added, “I’m already working with the Registry’s PR department on crafting a press release to address the rumors that certain people were instrumental in the return of soulmate energy. While it’s unfair to him personally to downplay his role—”

“No, do it,” Eddie said firmly. “We don’t need any whack jobs with a grudge coming after him. Make it seem like he was incidental. Unimportant. Whatever. Anything.” They’d already been through so much, and he couldn’t have his family at risk because of conspiracy theory or anti-soulmate groups.

She nodded. “I’ll run the final statement by both of you. We’ll likely make it out to be a single person in each geographical area was the source of the energy release and that it was simply the first conduit to touch their soulmate once the process had begun. Try to divert the attention and make it a matter of chance. We’ll make it look like the attention paid to Mr. Buckley is absurd.”

Eddie nodded. “Whatever it takes to get the focus off of him.” He glanced at Athena. “Make sure Chris understands not to talk about it?”

“He already does. He knows he can talk about it within our family, but that’s it. Still, we’ll make sure to gently reiterate the importance. If Shannon is ready to leave the meeting, I’ll take her along and get her to help reinforce it. They went after Christopher because of that whole thing, so I’m sure he’ll be on board with keeping this a secret.”

“Thanks.” To McAvoy, he asked, “Does it matter when we do the soulbond? Does it have to be soon?”

“It’s up to you two. A stable soulbond will help you both rebound faster, but not everyone wants to bond in a hospital, no matter how nice the room might be. Once Buck is awake, I wouldn’t think it would take more than forty-eight hours for you to be ready to go home, soulbonded or not. If you want to cement the bond while you’re here, just be sure the staff knows you’re doing that. No point in getting interrupted.” She winked at him.

Eddie chuckled and nodded, feeling some of the tension drain away.

“We’ll leave you two alone.” She tapped a control panel on the nightstand. “I’m going to set this to no visitors. The staff won’t let anyone in unless you call for help or if one of your vital signs drops below the already very low threshold we’ve set. Set it back to normal when you’re ready. If you need anything, use the call button.”

“Can you give an exception for Christopher? If he wants to come back in, I don’t want to deny him.”

“I’ll let them know they can call through if your son wants to come back, but they won’t call for anyone else.” She gave him a cheeky grin. “Well, except for me.”

“I’m assuming we have you to thank for this room?”

“It was a joint effort of a few people, but I’m one of them. There was also the deputy mayor, the mayor, the chief of staff of the hospital, and the list goes on. Just take care of each other.”

A few seconds later, the door clicked closed, and Eddie was alone with Buck.

He blew out a breath and pulled away just enough to roll Buck onto his back. He got a brief look at what appeared to be a big, open circle on Buck’s back. Eddie didn’t know how to decipher soulmarks, so he didn’t fixate on it.

He folded his hands on Buck’s chest and propped his chin on them, staring at his soulmate’s serene face. “This is a really, really terrible way for our life as soulmates to get started. We’re naked in bed together, Buckley, but this is not at all sexy. Do you know that we have catheters? They had to, of course, because we’ve been out for three days, but I’d like this thing out of my dick. Now. And I don’t see that happening until you wake up and let me see those beautiful blue eyes.”

Eddie reached up and ran his fingers along the side of Buck’s face. “You scared the hell out of me the other day, Evan. I’ve never been so terrified in my life. I’d been so happy that day; the anxiety about you maybe not being my soulmate was still there, but I was able to push it down and just be grateful that I had you. I wanted to move forward no matter what happened with the soulmarks.” He thought back to the events of that morning and how happy they’d all been. “Then you started sending me pictures of the two of you having a grand time, and it really hit me how much you love Chris. How much you love us.”

Eddie sometimes struggled to convey what he was feeling, but the words just continued to pour out of him. “You can’t even know how perfect you are for us. I’d never dreamed I’d meet someone who could love my son as much as I do, who would see everything bright and wonderful in him the way that I can. And then you walked into our lives, and…” Eddie let his thumb graze over Buck’s plush lower lip. “I wanted you from the minute I met you, bad attitude and all. But I wasn’t going to start up a casual fling with a co-worker. And then you became everything. My best friend, Christopher’s other parent, our support, our happiness.”

He blew out a breath. “Your fate felt like a punch in the gut.” He trailed his fingers over the snapdragons on Buck’s arms that seemed even more colorful than they were before the tsunami. He got weird little pulses of energy through his fingertips that he hadn’t felt earlier when he’d been resting his head on Buck’s skin. “I know you understood my fear, my need to be certain you were mine before I could let my guard down, and I’ll never know how to thank you for your patience, Buck. I was so terrified that, after feeling like you fit so perfectly in every part of our lives, you might be fated to perfectly fit in someone else’s life too.”

He let his thumb graze over Buck’s cheekbone again. The sunburn had healed faster than Eddie would have expected, though he’d heard that conduits, back before the decline, often did heal a little faster than other people. That the huge amounts of soulmate energy they channeled helped them heal from little things just a bit quicker than normal. Buck was sporting a healthy tan now despite his long time in the sun three days prior.

“I’m glad you didn’t let me push you away; I’m not sure I could have stayed away in the long run, but I’d have tried and hurt us all in the process. You’re mine, which I always knew in my heart, but my head couldn’t quite accept it.”

Eddie went silent for a few seconds, hands continuing to run over Buck’s skin, trying to make Buck aware of him, to penetrate Buck’s consciousness wherever it was hiding. “You’d sent me that adorable picture of Chris covered in powdered sugar; I showed it to everyone, and we were all talking about how we’d much rather be at the pier with you two, getting a massive sugar high, than dealing with another idiot putting his penis somewhere a penis was not meant to go.”

The memories of the next few moments crashed over him, and he rested his cheek against Buck’s chest, holding on to Buck tightly. “The alarm went off, and we got into our turnout gear, and then Bobby was there, looking like his world was ending, and I knew, I knew, that it was you two; I just had no idea it was something way worse than a car accident or a bad fall.

“I was in the truck, still trying to process the enormity of it—a fucking tsunami bad enough to wipe out the pier—and I felt like my life had ended. Then dispatch put you through, and my heart started to beat again. Dios, Evan, you don’t know what that was like.”

He curled his hand over Buck’s shoulder, knowing he was touching petal after petal, feeling them zinging along his skin in a way they never had before. “They wouldn’t let me come straight to you, and I get why, but I was so angry for a while. I knew I needed to do my job and not just focus on my own issues, so I did, but it was so fucking hard; I felt like I needed to be with you with every beat of my heart. Which sounds like romantic nonsense, but now I wonder if we weren’t being nudged together. Maybe fate was ready to release the energy, but we couldn’t touch, so everything was poised for the moment we were together again. Hindsight, right?”

He took a second to get himself together, his voice dropping to a whisper. “When the survivors from the truck came in without you, and Deputy Mayor Morales told me what had happened, I thought…” Eddie’s throat suddenly felt tight. “I thought I’d lost you and Chris for good. The bombing was so bad, Buck, but this was worse because I couldn’t stop thinking about how I should have gone after you right away, and damn the consequences.”

A strong hand curled around the nape of Eddie’s neck. “You were supposed to do your job,” Buck rasped. “And you did.”

“Buck!” Eddie reared up and braced himself on his hands, staring down at his soulmate. “Hi,” he finally managed to whisper.

“Hey.” Buck blinked slowly, looking around the room. “Wow. Fancy.” Then his brow furrowed, and his whole body tensed. “Where’s Christopher?”

“With Bobby, getting ice cream. They’re going to bring us back some.”

Buck relaxed. “That’s okay, then.” He passed a hand over his face. “I feel really out of it.” He tilted his head to the side. “Do I have a catheter?”

Eddie laughed and pressed his face against Buck’s chest. The laughter somehow turned to sobs. Buck wrapped strong arms around him and held on tight, never once letting go.

– – – –

“You sure you’re okay for him to stay with you tonight?” Shannon whispered from where they were talking near the door to the hospital room.

“It’s fine,” Eddie said, feeling like something was a little off with Shan. Bobby was hovering in the background with Athena. It’d been a long afternoon of friends and family checking in on them, but Eddie felt numb, and he needed time alone with his family. “It’s better if Chris is here with us right now.”

“But if you want to bond…”

Eddie huffed. “We can wait to have sex, Shan.” He could tell that her desire to help was earnest, but she wasn’t understanding the situation, and there was also some subtext he didn’t quite get and was too emotionally fatigued to dig into. “But if we desperately need to change things, I promise that we’ll call you.”

Her smile was a little bittersweet. “I’m really happy for both of you.”

“Thanks for jumping in and taking care of everything.”

“Of course.” She opened her mouth like she was going to say something else, but then shook her head. “Take care of each other.” Shannon leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Goodnight.”

“Night.”

He waved to the others congregated in the hall, then exchanged a nod with the nurse manning the desk. He shut the door and leaned back, feeling exhaustion weigh him down. It’d been a non-stop flood of people and activity since the hospital realized Buck was awake, including getting a new CT scan for Buck’s leg that Dr. Patel would discuss with him tomorrow before they were discharged.

Buck was now holding his own without them being in constant contact, but he still had a small pulse oximeter ring on his thumb that wirelessly transmitted readings to the panel on the wall. Eddie found the tech available to the wealthy and privileged to be absurd, but he was grateful for it in the moment.

Buck lay back on the bed with Chris cuddled up to his chest. They whispered to one another, with Chris’s occasional giggles filling the air.

Eddie smiled softly. This was his family.

It frequently took his breath away that he’d almost lost both of them.

He crossed the room and climbed onto the stupidly large bed, sandwiching Christopher between them as he slung his arm over Buck’s waist.

“Hi, Dad,” Chris mumbled into Buck’s chest, eyes closed.

Eddie pressed a kiss to his head. “Go to sleep, Mijo.”

“’kay. Love you.”

“I love you too.” He slowly carded his fingers through Christopher’s hair, his gaze fixed on Buck, who continued to tell Chris a bedtime story.

Eddie closed his eyes and listened to Buck’s voice, feeling Chris’ steady breaths in the rhythmic movements against Eddie’s chest.

“He’s asleep,” Buck whispered.

He met Buck’s gaze, taking in the cuts and scrapes that looked two weeks old instead of three days. They stared at each other for long moments, caught in that serene time with Christopher pressed safely between them. Then Eddie slowly rolled away and carefully positioned Chris on his back.

He looked at Buck, who was now seated on the edge of the bed. “You sure you’re okay with him being here?”

“I don’t want him anywhere else.” Buck shuddered. “My last conscious memory before waking up should be delivering that baby, but everything was so jumbled that what I actually remembered was the struggle to get Christopher on that roof, afraid I was going to get swept out to sea and lose him.”

“He’s safe,” Eddie whispered.

“I know.” Buck stood, and they worked together to wiggle the covers down under Chris and then covered him up snugly. “Kid’s out like a light.”

“Shan says he hasn’t been sleeping well. He’s been running on adrenaline since he got here.” He blew out a breath. “Should we go to sleep ourselves?”

“No. We need some time to talk, Eds.” Buck gestured for Eddie to follow him to the living area by the window. He pressed a couple of buttons on the wall and a privacy screen silently slid down the middle of the room.

“This room is ridiculous.”

“But pretty great.”

Eddie smiled. “Did something seem up with Shan to you?”

Buck hesitated then nodded. “Yeah. I was discussing it with Athena earlier. Shannon met her soulmate earlier today.”

Mouth dropping open, Eddie could only stare.

Buck continued, “He’s a doctor. Works in the pediatric ward at this hospital.”

Eddie couldn’t even parse that.

“I think she might be gearing up to try to put on the motherly vibe,” Buck said with obvious caution.

“You think she might want more time with Chris?” Eddie frowned. “Alter visitation?”

“Maybe. I think she’s inferring that her soulmate will be invested in having children of his own just because he works with kids. I asked Athena to lowkey talk to her about being herself and setting realistic expectations about how invested she is in being a parent. That pretense doesn’t serve anyone. It won’t help their future bond for her to front being a devoted parent when that isn’t what she wants for her life.”

Eddie dragged his hands through his hair. “So…that’s a whole thing we have to deal with.”

“It’s not a thing we need to do anything about now. Others are dealing with the situation, and Chris is with us, which is where he’ll remain.”

“Right. Yeah.” Eddie let his shoulders relax. “Good.”

Buck pointed to the couch. “Sit.”

Eddie raised a brow. “Am I trained poodle now?” But he obediently sat on the sofa.

Buck pulled the zipper tab on his sweatshirt, the hissing sound preceding him tossing his hoodie away. It left him in a tight muscle shirt and lounge pants. Any bruises he might have on his arms or shoulders were covered by the riotous colors of the conduit marks.

Before Eddie could ask a question or even think, Buck had straddled his lap and was framing his face with both of his big, strong hands. “Look at me, Edmundo.”

Eddie blinked in shock, staring up at Buck. “What…?”

“We’re all okay.”

“Buck,” Eddie choked out, feeling instantly overwhelmed. He’d thought he’d gotten this out earlier, but it kept backing up on him.

“Christopher is all right. I’m all right,” Buck murmured as he pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Eddie’s mouth. “I’m here.”

Eddie clutched at Buck’s hips, trying to deal with the emotions surging through him. “I was so scared.”

“I know. I was too, but we made it through. And no matter what craziness happened, I’m here, and I am yours.”

Eddie slid his hands up to Buck’s back, right to the base of the soulmark, feeling the temporary bond surging between them again. “What does this mark mean?”

“As a soulmark, part of the meaning is openness to the universe.”

“But I’m not.”

“You have to be, Eds. The mark reflects us both. And it’s not about the way you think.” He tapped Eddie’s temple lightly. “It’s about what you do.” Buck’s thumb swiped slowly along Eddie’s cheekbone. “You’ve lived your life open to fate, you’ve taught your son to be open… Maybe the mark is more you than you think.”

“I was so afraid to believe.”

“We’re all afraid, Eddie. My belief in fate was so strong because I believed in you.”

Eddie’s hands tightened on Buck’s flesh. “It felt like we kept losing our chance, and then when I finally started to get my head together, you were nearly taken from me.”

“I’m here,” Buck repeated in a whisper, their foreheads pressed together. “Don’t mourn me, Eddie, not when I’m right in front of you.”

Eddie’s breath broke on a sob. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to stop feeling this way.”

Buck curled his arms around Eddie’s shoulders, face pressed into the crook of his neck. “I love you so much, and I’ll stay here as long as you need.”

He locked both arms tight around Buck’s waist. “Forever, then.”

Buck’s lips grazed under his ear. “Forever.”

Eddie wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but he realized they were swaying a bit, side to side. He released his iron hold so Buck could pull back a bit.

Buck’s smile was like the sun coming out, and even though Eddie still felt stupidly fragile, that smile made everything a little better. Buck’s strong hands gently cupped his face again. “I’ve wanted to kiss you, really kiss you, for so long now, but I don’t want it to be a sad thing.”

“How could I be sad if I’m kissing you?” Eddie murmured, reaching up to drag his thumb over Buck’s lower lip, feeling the energy between them change.

“Because you’ve been sad all day, but when you’re ready—”

Eddie didn’t give Buck a chance to expound on that, he just pulled his soulmate in and fused their mouths together for the first time. It was just a lingering press for long moments, then their lips parted and tongues slid together. It was like a circuit was completed, and everything was right.

He slid his hands up Buck’s back, right over the soulmark, feeling Buck in every corner of his being. It felt like every piece of him connected with every part of Buck—their minds, hearts, and souls were perfectly in sync. He wanted this feeling to last forever. He wanted Buck to be part of him, to be connected at such a level that they’d be together even after death.

Buck twitched in his arms, hands fisting in Eddie’s hair. The kiss was heated but languid at the same time. Like their arousal was being dragged through molasses. He was aware that Christopher was sleeping on the other side of a thin privacy screen, so nothing more could happen, but he still wanted this feeling to go on forever. He wanted this connection to last for the rest of his existence.

Finally, it was Buck who broke that first kiss, both of them panting and wide-eyed. Then Buck started to laugh. “Oh, Eds. Thinking you’re not open to fate… Look at what you did.”

Eddie just blinked in confusion.

“We just bonded.”

Eddie’s eyes went wider. “What?” he choked out. “No, that’s not… What?!”

Buck chuckled and pressed little kisses all over Eddie’s face. “Feel how it’s different? Before it was just an awareness of each other when we were touching. Do you feel how we’re connected now?”

Eddie made himself concentrate, but it didn’t take much effort to feel Buck in every part of his being. “Ay Dios, Buck. We got married?! How is that possible? Did I forget us having sex?”

“The sex thing is a myth.” Buck flopped over sideways on the couch and pulled Eddie down so that Eddie was half lying on top of him. “Bonding is about intimacy and being open to one another, accepting and wanting the bond. Some couples achieve it just from a kiss, while others need the release of sex and the way it helps bring the emotional barriers down in order to achieve the bond. There are plenty of asexual soulmate pairs, as you know.”

“But I figured their bond was achieved without sex because they’re asexual.”

Buck grinned, running his fingers over Eddie’s face. “You’re cute.”

“That sounds really patronizing.”

“Maybe, but I think it’s pretty amazing how you opened yourself up so easily and reached out for me without any hesitation.”

“I never want to be apart from you,” Eddie whispered.

“I could tell how badly you wanted this, Eddie. Your soul was reaching out so beautifully.” Buck smiled, fingers dancing over Eddie’s lips.

“What are you doing?” He captured Buck’s wandering fingers.

“I get to touch you whenever I want now, and I’ve wanted to touch you for so long.” Buck’s tone conveyed a wealth of longing, and Eddie kind of wanted to kick his own ass for making them both wait. Buck smiled sadly. “It wasn’t just you, you know, so don’t do that. I knew the feelings were building before the bombing but, afterward, I chose not to say anything because I didn’t want to come into the relationship feeling so broken. I wanted to be better—whole. I put the potential that was us on hold longer than you did.”

Eddie pressed a lingering kiss to Buck’s mouth. “We need to stop kicking ourselves for how we got here. We’re here now.” Suddenly, the reality of the soulbond took his breath away. It was so real, and it was forever. This wasn’t a domestic partnership, though that would come eventually; this was a marriage. “I feel you, Buck. I feel you in every part of my being.”

“Is that okay?”

“It’s incredible.”

They cuddled and talked for an hour before the fatigue got the best of them, and they went to bed. Buck moved Chris to the edge of the big bed and put Eddie in the middle. It was obvious Eddie was still struggling with the events of the tsunami, and having both Christopher and Buck close set him at ease from the way he relaxed the minute Buck crowded close and kissed him behind the ear.

“Good night, Eddie.”

Eddie squeezed the arm wrapped tight around his waist. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

– – – –

Dr. Patel entered the room and smiled at the three of them sitting at the table, already dressed despite the early hour. “I figured I’d catch you before my first patient of the day and get you out of here early.”

“Yes, please,” Buck said, all the anxiety about his leg had been hitting him since he’d woken up this morning. He hadn’t had time to think about it since the tsunami, but it was the last thing from before that was hanging over him like a dark cloud.

Eddie and Chris were both holding his hands, and Dr. Patel smiled at him. “Everything looks good. I’m confident in saying that the screws were the problem.”

Buck’s breath came out in a rush, and his head dropped. Eddie squeezed his knee while a smaller hand rubbed his back.

“I’d like another scan in six weeks, but come see me sooner if you get any of the warning signs of a clot in that leg. In the normal course of events, I’d say you could go back to work right away, but with the sheer number of minor injuries you sustained in the tsunami, I’d recommend another week of taking it easy.”

“So I shouldn’t be trying to requalify tomorrow?”

Dr. Patel laughed at him.

Buck huffed.

“Maybe on a week when you haven’t been involved in a natural disaster. But best of luck to you and congratulations on your recovery and finding your soulmate. The attending physician had already left your discharge orders pending my approval, so I’ll take care of that now. You should be out of here shortly.”

As soon as the door closed, Christopher climbed onto Buck’s lap and gave him the biggest hug. “You’re all better now.”

“Yeah, buddy, I am.”

Buck shared a look with Eddie, who grabbed Buck’s hand, a soft smile on his face. Everything was going to be okay.

Christopher made a point of taking the oxygen sensor off Buck’s thumb and passing it to Eddie. He gave Buck a pointed look. “No more.”

Buck grinned and ruffled Christopher’s hair. “Deal.”

– – – –

Buck shut the front door to Eddie’s house, with Christopher heavy in his arms, already half asleep from the drive home from the hospital. He watched his soulmate prowl around the space like he was trying to get reacquainted with it. They’d contemplated dropping Christopher off with Hen and Karen but ultimately decided they weren’t ready to have the family separated. They probably wouldn’t be for some time yet.

Shannon had offered to take Chris for a few days, but Eddie had firmly refused, and Shannon had seemed to accept with resignation. Whatever conversation Athena had with her was clearly weighing heavily. They were resolved to give some extra time and space for Shannon to get to know her new soulmate properly without pretending to be an invested parent.

Everyone else wanted a get-together soon, but the newly expanded Diaz family needed some time alone to get their bearings. While Buck knew he needed to spend some time with the team, his extended family, nothing was as important to him right now as Eddie and Chris.

“Eddie…” Buck said gently after he got Chris situated on the couch, interrupting Eddie’s pacing. Chris was still easily tired and looked ready to nod off at a moment’s notice after only small amounts of exertion. He was fine from the tsunami overall, but his pediatrician said fatigue could be an ongoing issue for a week or so.

“We should get the rest of your stuff, move you in,” Eddie muttered. He stopped his orbit around the living room and pinned Buck with a look. “If that’s what you want.”

“Of course that’s what I want, but not today. Right now, I just want to spend time with you and Chris—relax and recharge. In case my refusing to see anyone today was too subtle.”

“Yeah.” Eddie relaxed. “Just us.”

“Just us,” Chris mumbled, reaching up for Buck’s hand. “Tired.”

Buck plucked Chris off the couch. “How about a nap and then we’ll figure out some lunch?”

Chris let his head flop against Buck’s shoulder. “‘Kay.”

Eddie chuckled softly as stroked his hand over Chris’ back, then preceded them to Christopher’s bedroom. He turned down the covers so Buck could place Christopher in the bed.

Chris mumbled in contentment as he curled around his pillow. “Love you, Dads.”

Buck smiled, his insides feeling all mushy. “Love you too, kiddo.”

Eddie just brushed a kiss over Christopher’s temple. They left the room, leaving the door open a small bit.

Buck guided Eddie toward the master bedroom. Inside, he closed the door softly and clicked the lock into place.

“Naps for us too?” Eddie asked, eyebrows shooting up.

“I suspect exhaustion is going to creep up on us at weird times for a few days, but I’d more just like to…” Buck hesitated. “Talk for a minute.”

Eddie nodded. “I guess it does It feels like we sort of shortcut to the main event already. There are other things to say.”

“Chris called me dad there,” Buck blurted out.

Eddie’s expression softened. “I know. It’s funny… I had this thing in my head about where we’d be right now if everything worked out. We’d be working on when to bond and what our next steps were but, Buck, we’re already bonded. We’re married now. Everything about the last few days is surreal, but it’s done. Yet all the logistical relationship stuff remains.” He gestured to the house. “You have to move in, and we have to file our domestic partnership with the state. I’d like you to adopt Christopher…if that’s something you want.”

“Of course that’s what I want,” Buck said gently, pushing away from the door and crossing to his soulmate. He caught Eddie by both hands. “I love Christopher like he’s my own.”

Eddie’s expression did that thing it always did when Buck talked about Chris. “I know you do.”

“It’s all going to be easier from here; I just wanted to be sure you were okay with him saying—”

“Yes. Always.”

“Good.” Buck smiled, relief filling him. “Then, can I see your soulmark?”

“You want to see it?” Eddie echoed in confusion. “You haven’t already seen it?”

“No.” Buck tugged off his own shirt, then removed Eddie’s when he didn’t get any resistance. “I didn’t really get a look at it at the hospital.” He sat behind Eddie on the bed. The black circle took up a large portion of Eddie’s back. There were also a few snapdragons along the edge, a trait only found in the mark of a soulbonded shield.

“Have you seen it?” Buck asked as he traced the edges of the enso.

“No. I’ve seen yours, though. The black mark is identical, right?”

Buck leaned over to grab his phone off the nightstand and took a photo. He passed the phone over so Eddie could look while Buck continued to explore Eddie’s back.

“Snapdragons,” Eddie murmured. “We’re married.” His tone was filled with wonder. Like Eddie, Buck had wondered if a true soul marriage was something they’d get to see in their lifetime.

“Yep.” Buck pressed a kiss to the top edge of the circle. “Outside of soulmarks, this symbolizes strength, enlightenment, and the universe.”

“You said in a soulmark in part of the meaning was openness to the universe…” Eddie whispered. “What else?”

“It’s considered the mark of a pair that are on the path of fate.”

Eddie blew out a heavy breath.

“It’s weird how terminology around soulmates evolves. They call the bondmate of conduits the shield, but I think that anchor is the better term. Because you ground me, Eddie. You make me feel connected to something.” He wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist, feeling Eddie squeeze his hands in return. “And you’ve done the same for Chris. He’s like me, you know. He gets little nudges from fate sometimes.”

Eddie stiffened. “What?”

“We talked about it on the pier. He told me that, on the day his mom left, he knew before you ever said a word. He knew you’d brought someone to meet him the day of the earthquake, someone who would be special to him for the rest of his life. And he’s why we survived the tsunami.”

Eddie broke Buck’s embrace and turned to kneel on the bed, framing Buck’s face with his hands. “What?” he repeated, eyes awash with tears.

“He knew something was bothering me. I was getting impulses to leave but also to stay. He said we should go sit by the water and figure it out. If we hadn’t been those few feet closer to the water, to see the water rush out, I’d have never gotten that little head start, would never have had time to outrun the wave. Chris is so open to the possibility of fate, Eddie, and he’s that way because of you. You may be grounded and a realist and find it difficult to take the leap of faith, but you don’t discourage others. You make those around you feel safe so they can reach out and embrace their destiny.

“You and I are two sides of the same coin, sweetheart. Our mark does not represent me, it represents us.” He slid his hand up Eddie’s back, knowing when he was touching the mark by the way his fingers tingled. “Embrace it.”

Eddie pressed their mouths together, hot and urgent. “I love you,” he murmured against Buck’s mouth before sliding his tongue inside.

Buck surged up against him, holding on tight as arousal flared hot and bright. He found himself flat on his back with Eddie’s weight bearing him down into the bed. They were kissing heatedly, deep and wet. Both pressed against each other, trying to get closer.

They barely got their pants off, sliding naked against each other the first time, kissing desperately. When the soulbond flared, Buck felt Eddie in every part of his being. The marriage of their souls was suddenly more real and more present than any physical connection.

The orgasm hit him hard. He arched up, coming messily between them, registering Eddie doing the same.

They panted against each other’s flushed skin, trying to get their bearings as the soulbond settled back to its normal steady hum in the back of their minds.

Then they both began to laugh.

Eddie broke away, rolling onto his back. “That was fast.”

“I still have my socks on. I think it’s going to take some practice for us not to get swept away in the soulbond.”

“I’m willing to embrace this mission,” Eddie said with a determined nod as he stared at the ceiling.

Buck snorted in amusement as he rolled onto his side and pressed a kiss to Eddie’s shoulder. “It was fast but good. And now we can take our time with the rest of your exploratory mission.” He hopped out of bed and headed for the bathroom, returning quickly with a cloth to clean them up.

“Dios, where do you get the energy?”

Buck grinned. “Sex is invigorating. But let’s try it without the socks next time.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he kicked off the offending garments.

Eddie laughed, head thrown back, whole body vibrating. Buck climbed on top, straddling his bondmate’s thighs. He loved the feel of Eddie’s naked body against his own and adored seeing Eddie so open to joy.

– – – –

Eddie woke an hour or so later, curled tightly around Buck. Buck was sprawled on his stomach, and Eddie was practically lying on top of him. Eddie wasn’t usually so clingy in sleep, but he figured he was due a few days of atypical neediness until the emotional upheaval of nearly losing his family faded a bit.

Buck turned to curl into him, pressing lips against his collarbone. “Hungry?”

“Yeah, starving. Though I wish we could keep exploring all the many things we haven’t done yet.” His hand slid down Buck’s bare back, resting on his hip. His gaze flicked to the bedside clock. “Chris should have lunch soon, though.”

Warm breath ghosted over his neck as Buck laid featherlight kisses up Eddie’s throat before leaving a final kiss on Eddie’s lips. “Then we should get dressed and go make lunch for our son.”

Eddie smiled, more content than he’d been in his whole life.

Once they were in the kitchen, they found the refrigerator full of casseroles and other dishes, courtesy of Abuela, Pepa, and Bobby. There were foods prepped for at least three days, so they didn’t have to prepare anything.

Buck pulled an enchilada bake, courtesy of Pepa, out and popped it in the oven. “I love our family. Send them a text, would you, love?” He started sorting out the various sides that had been left, picking a chopped salad.

At the casual endearment, Eddie felt like his emotions were doomed to be complete mush from here on out, but he dutifully grabbed his phone so he could send the requested text.

A news headline caught his attention. “Buck. Come look at this.”

Buck crossed to him and looked over his shoulder at the Washington Post article. He sucked in a sharp breath. “Russia’s celebrating their soulmates returning?”

“And their new president found his soulmate. A male soulmate. They won’t allow the atrocities to resume. They’re planning a national celebration of all the weddings that occurred the day the anima energy began to flow.”

Buck’s eyes were flicking back and forth as he read. “The new president’s soul mate is a conduit.” He gave a broken laugh and stepped away, swiping his hand over his eyes. “I don’t know why this is getting to me.”

“The world is healing, Evan. It’s getting better. You’ve been a part of that.”

Buck met his gaze head-on. “You have as well.”

Eddie shrugged, then he got in Buck’s space. “You healed me.”

“Eds.”

“I’m serious. We’re whole because you’re here.”

Buck reached up to touch his face. “That’s soulmates.”

“That’s family. That’s loyalty and love.”

Buck smiled and nodded.

Eddie looked down at his phone and opened his music app to start something playing. He held open his arms. “Come on.”

“Are we dancing now?” Buck asked as he stepped into Eddie’s embrace.

“We should always dance.”

The music was a slow song he didn’t really know well, but then it changed, and Van Morrison’s voice filled the room. Buck started to sing along, his voice perfectly pitched as he sang directly to Eddie.

These are the days of the endless summer
These are the days, the time is now
There is no past, there’s only future
There’s only here, there’s only now

Then a small body was colliding with them, arms holding on tight. “You’re dancing without me!”

“Never, Superman.” Buck lifted Chris so they were holding him, and Eddie helped support Chris as they continued to move around the kitchen space, dancing as a unit.

Buck and Eddie sang the last verse together with Christopher softly laughing as he rested his head on Eddie’s shoulder.

These are the days now that we must savor
And we must enjoy as we can
These are the days that will last forever
You’ve got to hold them in your heart

The End

This has been a long time coming!

Thank you to everyone who patiently waited for me to post this last episode.

The vast majority of this was written almost right away. However, I was tragically and hopelessly stuck on one aspect of what I’d written and then one unfinished scene.

One day recently, I got some good clarity about the aspect I was stuck on, and it was an easy fix once after that. Then I was motivated to solve the unfinished scene. That was less easy. In the end, I took the whole monster scene out. I don’t think the story suffered from its removal. In fact, I think it’s better for it.

Maybe that’s why I was so stalled out!

In any case, I hope you enjoy the conclusion to Every Moment.

Thank you to timepiece and Bkwrm Draper for the lovely and inspiring art pieces

Timepiece and Bkwrm Draper created art that left me stunned. Their creations helped motivate me to finish this. Thank you.