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Chapter Text

Buck looked around the scene. A group home for foster kids was on fire. There were a bunch of kids of different ages sitting on sidewalks and the back bumpers of fire trucks and ambulances, wrapped in blankets. These poor kids had already been through hell, either losing their parents or being taken away from them. Now, some might have to deal with losing the last bit of home they had left. 

The fire had spread quickly. Luckily, though it was pretty well contained to one side of the building, they’d been able to knock it down pretty quickly. The fire was almost out, but Buck felt that someone was still in there. He wasn’t sure why because they’d thoroughly checked the place. Now that he was thinking about it, though, he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop, and the last thing he wanted was to ignore his gut feeling only to have it be right in the end.

“Cap, I’m going back in to do another sweep. See if any kids are still hiding in there,” Buck yelled over the commotion. 

Bobby nodded. “Take Diaz with you, Buckley; you know the rules! Two-in, Two-out.”

“Got it, Cap!” Buck responded quickly as he looked around the scene for Eddie. When he spotted his partner, he jogged over to him. 

When Eddie noticed Buck coming over, he shouted, “Hey, Buck, what’s up!” 

“Eddie, I want to do another sweep of the building and make sure no more kids are hiding in there.” He said quickly. 

“Why? Did someone say that a kid is missing?” He asked.

“No, but I have this feeling, and I would hate if I ignored it and it ended up being right,” Buck explained.

The brunette nodded, not questioning any further, before he put his helmet back on and answered, “Okay, let’s go in then.” 

The blonde then looked back at their captain, Bobby, who gave them the go-ahead with a quick nod. When they entered the building, they made a quick plan: check the common areas together, then split up and check all the rooms again. They radioed to each other as they cleared each room, thankfully not finding any kids hiding—that was until Buck was about to leave the last room. 

He was about to radio Eddie to tell him his side was all clear when he heard a barely audible whimper. He looked around, eyes landing on the bed again, where, this time, he noticed movement. Buck walked to the bed and slowly pulled back the blanket to see a little blonde girl curled up and clutching a cat plushie. Her wide, blue, teary eyes melted his heart as she looked at him. 

The man bent down, kneeling next to the bed. He removed his helmet and face piece so he wouldn’t look as intimidating despite the air in the room being heavy with smoke and spoke softly, “Hello, little one, I’m Buck. I bet you’re scared, huh?” 

The little girl just hummed quietly, “Mhm.” She was now sitting up but still curled into a tight ball, looking up at Buck, shaking and scared. 

“Okay,” He whispered. “Can I help you get out of here? It’s much safer outside. You can even take your kitty with you.”

For a moment, it looked like she was thinking. The little girl was young, perhaps four or five, scared but old enough to understand the need to escape a burning building, even if it meant doing so with a stranger. She held her arms up to Buck, and he picked her up. She immediately wrapped herself around him like a koala, burying her face in his shoulder. 

He radioed Eddie, “Found a little girl hiding under her covers. All clear on my side now. Headed to you. Over.”

“Got it. See you in a minute. Over.” His friend responded. 

They met back where they started. “Hey Eds, everything cleared on your side?” Buck asked. 

Eddie gestured to the door and answered, “Yup." Then he looked at the little girl clinging to Buck and said, “Let’s get this one out of here, yeah? She must be scared out of her mind.”

Buck stroked the little girl’s messy blonde hair. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.” He said softly, walking beside Eddie. Bobby, Hen, and Chimney were waiting outside when Buck and Eddie exited the building. They were surprised that Buck had found another kid in there. When Hen tried to take her from Buck, she clung to him harder, still scared. 

Buck frowned. “I’ll just sit with her for a bit, Hen. Once she calms down, I’ll call you over to check her out.”

Hen nodded and patted Buck’s back, “Okay, she seems fine right now, but if her condition changes, find me or Chim.” 

“You got it. I’m just gonna find a quieter spot to sit with her.” He said softly.

With that, Buck was off. He found a spot away from most of the commotion and sat on the sidewalk with the little girl still wrapped around him. He gently rubbed her back and comforted her the best he could. After about half an hour, the girl seemed to relax, and when she finally removed her face from Buck’s shoulder and looked up at him with those big, blue, watery eyes and said, “Thank you for saving me.” in a quiet, shaky voice his heart cracked open even more. 

“Of course, sweetie, I’m not in the business of leaving anyone behind. Especially beautiful little girls like you.” That got a giggle out of her, which was what Buck was going for. Eventually, he got her to talk more, finding out that her name was Olivia, that she liked cats, and that her favorite color was pink. 

“Your turn,” Olivia smiled, wanting Buck to tell her things about himself. 

“You want to know about me?” He paused, and the little girl nodded. “Okay, well, my favorite color is blue. I like all the animals. Buck had always found it hard to choose a favorite animal. “And do you see that guy over there?” He asked, pointing out Eddie. 

Olivia looked around, eyes landing on Eddie. “That’s Eddie, he’s my best friend.” 

“Oh, I have a best friend too! Her name is Annabelle, but she likes to be called Annie.” 

“Does she live here with you?” Buck asked. 

The little girl looked down, “N-no, I just go to school with her.”

As Buck was about to say something else to Olivia, Hen approached. “Hey, Buck, can I?” She asked, gesturing towards the child in his lap.

The blonde man nodded. “Olivia,” he said gently, the girl looking up at him. “This is my friend Hen; she’s a paramedic.” 

She looked up nervously at the woman and quietly greeted her, “Hi, Hen.” 

Hen crouched down slowly in front of Buck and Olivia. “Hi, Olivia. Would it be okay if I checked you out? I want to make sure you’re okay,” she said gently. 

The little girl looked into Buck’s eyes. He nodded, and she loosened her grip on his neck. Turning around to face Hen, she said, “O-Okay,” barely above a whisper.

The blonde watched as his friend checked over Olivia, listening to her breathing and looking for any injuries. Luckily, because she’d hidden under the quilt on her bed she didn't end up with any smoke inhalation. Buck sat with the girl for a while as she continued to calm down until they eventually had to part ways. If the man was being honest, the longer she clung to him, the less he wanted to let go, but he couldn’t just take her. 

Buck ended up promising Olivia that he’d find a way to see her again. Of course, he didn’t know if he’d actually be able to, and he felt terrible for lying, but it was the only way to get her to go with the social worker who had been looking for her for the past hour. 

After everything was cleaned up and all the kids were safely en route to other group homes, the 118 finally left. The whole way back to the station, Buck couldn’t stop thinking about Olivia and all these kids who needed someone to trust to give them the love and care they deserved. As they arrived back at the firehouse, the blonde decided to look into what it would take for him to become a foster parent. 

As it often went for Buck, researching the subject quickly turned into actually doing it. It seemed like one minute he was looking up ‘Can a single man become a foster parent?’ and ‘How long does it take to get a foster care license?’ and the next he was signing up for the classes, buying all the books, and realizing that if this was something he was really going to do that he’d at the very least need an apartment with actual bedrooms. 

~~~~~~~~~~

A few weeks later, he found himself in the common area at the station, sitting on the couch beside Eddie, reading one of the books about parenting that was recommended to him. Buck was so focused on reading that he didn’t notice Hen and Chim walking up the stairs, or that they could clearly see that he was reading a book about parenting. 

“Hey Buckley,” He looked up to Chimney, who was standing in front of him. 

“Yeah, Chim, what’s up?” Buck asked. 

“Is there something you forgot to tell us, buddy?” His friend questioned, gesturing to the book he was holding.

The blonde looked down at the book in his hands, his face reddening, “Oh yeah… I guess I need to explain this, don’t I?”

“You think?!” Hen exclaimed. “You didn’t go get someone pregnant, did you?”

Buck looked at Eddie, who was just staring back at him with a confused look. The man had been sitting next to him this whole time and didn’t even look to see what he was reading. Of course, then Bobby chose that moment to come over from where he was preparing dinner in the kitchen.

“What’s this I hear about Buck getting someone pregnant?” their captain asked. 

The blue-eyed man’s blush got even brighter if it was even possible. It felt like his face burned with it as he stammered, “Wha—what n-no! Of course, I didn’t get anyone pregnant! I haven’t been with anyone since Tommy broke up with me.” 

“Then why are you reading a parenting book? Eddie inquired.

“Because I’m taking classes to become a foster parent.” Buck sighed. 

The brunette and Bobby gave him a look of shock while Hen and Chim simultaneously said, “What do you mean you’re going to be a foster parent!?” 

“Are you sure you’re ready for this kind of responsibility, Buck?” Bobby added. 

“Yes, I’m ready. I saw all those kids we saved at that group home a few weeks back, and my heart broke because they all deserve to go home to someplace and someone that is safe and full of love.” He paused, taking a breath, and continuing, “And I may not have always had that type of environment for myself, but I know I can provide it, so I’m gonna do this, and I’d really appreciate your support as my friends as I take on this endeavor.” 

Eddie was the first to speak. “Well, you know I’ll be there to help when I can, Buck. You’re going to need a bigger apartment, though, right?” He said, bumping the blonde’s shoulder.

Buck smiled. “I’m already talking to my landlord. He’s got an open two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that I should be able to move into next month.” 

Hen stepped forward next, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You should have dinner with Karen and me sometime. We’ll give you some tips and advice about fostering.” 

The blonde looked at his friend, “Thanks, Hen, I really appreciate that.” 

“Of course, Buck. We’d love to have you over.” 

Then Bobby spoke again, “If you ever need anything, you know Athena and I are just a call away. Just don’t bite off more than you can chew, okay?”

“Got it, cap, thanks for the vote of confidence.” Buck paused, “Chim, you’re being awfully quiet on this.” 

“Well, it seems like you’ve already started getting your ducks all in a row, and I’m sure it goes without saying that Maddie and I will be there to help whenever we can as well.” Chimney paused, then asked, “You did tell Maddie already, right?” 

“You don’t have to hide anything from her, Chim, don’t worry. I already told her.” Buck chuckled. 

“Oh, thank god! I don't think I could have kept that secret from her!” His brother-in-law exclaimed in relief.

Everyone had a little laugh at Chimney’s comment, soon going back to whatever they had been doing before Buck’s confession. The blonde was happy to know that his friends were all behind him on this decision and excited to start this new chapter. 

~~~~~~~~~

Over the next few months, Buck moved into the new apartment, and it felt more homey, which he enjoyed. As he adjusted to his new home, the blonde continued the classes and inspections needed for him to become a foster parent. And he received his certification by the time six months came to a close. 

The man soon received his first placement. The boy’s name was Leo, and he was fortunately not lacking a stable, loving home life, but the poor kid was stuck in a rather traumatic situation. He was no older than ten, and his dad had a heart attack right in front of him. And to make matters worse, they had no family nearby, and his mother had been on a trip out of the country and couldn’t get home right away. 

That’s where Buck came in. Because there were no rooms available in the group homes close by, Leo would stay with him as an emergency placement for a couple of days, until his mom got home early from her trip. The boy was understandably quiet and scared. The man could only imagine how hard it was for this boy not to know if his dad was okay and to be sleeping at a stranger’s house. Leo didn’t say much of anything past asking for some water or a snack until the second night, when he sat down on the couch next to Buck and asked what he was watching. 

Buck had been watching a documentary about the deep sea, and oddly enough, that’s what broke the kid’s silence. So, the blonde listened to Leo tell him fun facts about a multitude of deep-sea creatures. He was just happy to see the boy’s face light up with interest. No kid should go through what he’d had to endure in the last day and a half, so the man was happy to provide a much-needed distraction. 

The following day, Leo helped Buck make pancakes, and the boy opened up more, talking about school and his dog, Rex. Eventually, the case worker, Janice, came by with Leo’s mom in tow. It was a tearful reunion for both the mother and son, and the blue-eyed man had to admit that he was just about as relieved as the kid was to hear his dad was okay. Thankfully, this would be a happy ending for this family. 

Then, something that Buck didn’t expect happened. Leo’s mom pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, thanking him profusely for taking care of her son as she made her journey home as fast as she possibly could. And after they left, he couldn’t help but wonder how long it would be until he got another placement…

Chapter Text

It was only a week later that Buck got another call. On the first morning of his 48 hours off, the man woke up to his phone ringing on the bedside table. He blearily reached for it, rubbing his eyes before reading the caller ID. It was Janice, the case worker, who had set Leo up with him. He was genuinely surprised to receive a call so soon. He was under the impression that he wouldn’t get another placement for a while. 

The blonde often thought about Leo, hoping his dad was doing better now. He got lost in his thoughts for a moment. His tired brain was trying its best to stay on track. Buck hadn’t even noticed that he’d missed the call until his phone started ringing in his hand again, jolting him into awareness. 

He answered the phone, trying to clear the sleep from his voice: “Good morning, Janice. I'm sorry I missed your first call. I’m just waking up for the morning.” 

“Good morning, Mr. Buckley. I'm sorry for waking you,” she apologized, continuing, “but I have another placement for you if you can take one.”

Buck cringed at the use of the formality, “Janice, please, call me Buck. There is no need for the formality; it makes me feel like you’re addressing my father.” 

“Yes, of course, I’ll keep that in mind. So, did you want to hear the details on this possible placement?”

“Please, go ahead.” 

“Alright, I’ve got a little girl. Her name is Olivia. She has just turned five years old and is super sweet and kind. She’s been in the system since she was two and couldn’t get adopted because her parents were actively trying to get her back.” Janice paused, breathed, and continued, “Recently, some things have come to light, and it looks like the parents’ rights are going to be severed.”

Buck sighed, “Oh man, the parents really just gave up like that? After all the back and forth, they just decided their child wasn’t worth the effort? And she didn’t even have other family she could go to.” 

“It’s unfortunately just how the cookie crumbles sometimes; the parents could never prove that they could provide a stable environment for her. And we would have loved to place her with a family member, but we could find none.” The case worker explained. 

“So what does that mean for her? And for me, if I can take her?” The blue-eyed man asked. 

“Well, I know last time you had an emergency, a very short-term placement with Leo, which you handled very well. But, Olivia needs a long-term placement, which for the sake of stability in her life will likely end with adoption.” She paused, “That is, if you think that’s something you’re ready for.” 

Buck smiled, his heart skipping a beat at the mention of adoption. He didn’t know if it was due to nervousness, excitement, or maybe a bit of both.

“Honestly, I’m still so new to this that I haven’t thought too much about actually adopting… but if it feels right, and the kid wanted it, I’d definitely be open to it.” He answered. 

The blonde could hear Janice’s smile over the phone. “That’s great to hear, Buck! So, if you’re available this afternoon, say around 2:30, how about we do an initial visit so that you can get to know Olivia a little bit?”

Buck looked at the clock. It was only 8:30, so he’d have plenty of time to finish what he needed to do today. “Yes, that works for me, so, what’s the plan?” 

“So, this afternoon, you’ll meet me at the group home at 2:30, and I’ll introduce you to Olivia. We’ll stay around the group home for a little bit so she can get more familiar with you before we officially start the visit. Then, we’ll take her to the park for a while. After an early dinner and ice cream, we should return to the group home by 7:00. I’ll be there if you have any questions. I’m just there as a precaution to observe your interactions and ensure this placement feels right for her initially before we get any further in the process.” Janice explained. 

Buck nodded along with Janice’s rundown of the afternoon, even though they were on the phone. “That sounds good. And how about what happens after today?”

“If the visit today goes well, I’ll let you know what the next steps are.” She said in a matter-of-fact tone. 

That dampened his mood a little bit, but he understood that there was a chance that he and the little girl wouldn’t mesh. 

“Got it,” he said. 

“Great!” The blonde could hear the woman’s smile in her voice, “Alright, I’ll get out of your hair for now, and let you start your day.” 

“Okay, see you this afternoon, Janice,”  Buck said with a smile. 

“See you then, Mr. Buckley.” 

The blue-eyed man chuckled as the woman ended the call. He had the feeling it would take a while for him to get her to stop referring to him as Mr. Buckley. However, the man chose not to dwell on that for too long because there was enough on his mind at the moment. 

A few minutes passed before Buck finally got himself out of bed. He quickly got dressed and prepared a protein shake before heading out the door. He went to the gym, had a good workout, then returned home for breakfast and a shower. After he finished all of that, he looked at the clock and it was only 12:00. Since he still had time to kill, the blonde made a quick batch of chocolate chip cookies, hoping that he’d be allowed to give them to the staff at the group home to share with the children.  

By the time he finished baking and packing up the cookies, it was time to leave. The blonde was so excited to meet the little girl that might be fostering, but he was also nervous because what if she didn’t like him?  

On the drive to the group home, Buck called Eddie. Talking with his best friend helped calm him down. He stayed on the phone with the other man until he reached his destination, promising to update his friend later. When he went inside, Janice stood beside the front desk, waiting for him. 

She smiled warmly. “Good afternoon, Mr. Buckley. You’re right on time.” She paused, looked at the container in his hands, and asked, “Oh, what do you have there?” 

“Good afternoon, Janice. It's nice to see you again,” Buck smiled. “I had some extra time before leaving home, so I made some cookies. I figured you all here might enjoy them.” 

The case worker took the container and gave it to the woman at the front desk. “Well, you definitely chose the right place to bring cookies. I’m sure the kids and staff will love them.” 

“I figured. I just hope I made enough.” 

“I’m sure you made plenty.” Janice paused. “So, are you ready to meet Olivia?”

Olivia… He wasn’t sure why it had only dawned on him now, but what if this was the same Olivia he saved six months ago? The same little girl who inspired his journey to become a foster parent. There was no way… 

“Yeah, let’s do it!” Buck said, following behind the woman. 

“Great, she’s just over here in her room, let me see if she’s ready.”

Janice knocked on the door and peeked in, asking Olivia if she was ready to meet her new possible foster parent. Buck didn’t hear the little girl’s answer, but she must have said yes because the woman stepped into the room and gestured for him to follow. 

Buck stepped into the doorway, and Janice began to introduce him, “Okay, Olivia, this is Mr. –”

The blue-eyed girl gasped, “Buck!” and happily cut off the caseworker, as if someone had just surprised her with a trip to Disneyland. Her smile was almost blinding. She barreled into Buck’s legs so hard that the man nearly fell over with the force of the hug. The blonde couldn’t believe this was actually happening. How had he gotten so lucky to be reunited with this little girl again?

Meanwhile, Janice stared at the two of them with a perplexed look. “Olivia,” she said, crouching down. How do you know, Mr. Buckley?” 

Olivia looked at the woman, her death grip of a hug not loosening. “Buck saved me from a fire.” 

Buck watched a look of understanding wash over Janice’s face as she looked up at him, then back at the little girl again. “So he was the firefighter who saved you when there was a fire at your other group home?”

“Mhm… H-he made me feel not scared and gave me a big hug. A-and he promised to see me again, and he’s here!” She exclaimed.

With that, Buck scooped Olivia into his arms and gave her a big hug. He was so happy to finally know that she had been okay all this time.

The blonde looked at the case worker and explained, “Olivia, and that call in general, inspired me to become a foster parent. It reminded me that so many kids need somewhere and someone safe to come home to, and I knew I could be that, so I did it.” 

Janics smiled softly, “Well, it seems we don’t have to worry about first impressions. You two already have quite the connection.” 

“Yeah, I guess we do,” Buck said softly.

“How about we get this party started then?” the woman suggested, gesturing to the door so they could get going. 

Buck carefully set Olivia back on the ground. The girl’s face shone with an excited smile as they exited the room together. The man knew that the moment she reached for his hand and held it tightly, he was already tied around her fingers. If he didn’t get to adopt her down the line, he’d probably be completely heartbroken. He tried not to think like that right now, though; the mood was high and the blonde intended to keep it that way. So, for now, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on having a good time. 

And they did; they had a fantastic time together! They started at the park, where they played for a while. Although Janice was only supposed to be there to observe, Olivia roped her into playing as well. The woman couldn’t resist the girl’s sweet smile. The afternoon melted into evening, and they went to a little family-owned pizza place for dinner, and watched the sunset, at Olivia’s request, while eating their ice cream. 

By the time they finally returned to the group home, it was nearly 7:30, and despite having had ice cream not too long ago, Olivia was out cold in her booster seat. When Buck lifted her out of the seat, she melted into him, head resting on his shoulder, his heart nearly burst.

The little girl clung to Buck as he tried to put her in her bed, sleepily pleading, “Don’t leave again.” 

Olivia nuzzled into the blonde man’s neck as he sat on the edge of the bed, still holding her close. As Janice entered the room, Buck looked up and mouthed, “What do I do?”  

The woman sat beside him on the bed and spoke softly to the little girl in his arms. “Olivia, honey, I know you want Buck to stay here, but he can’t. He has to go home now.” 

All Olivia did in response was make a small, sleepy, sad whining noise in the back of her throat and cling even harder to Buck, which broke his heart. The case worker just watched this and sighed. 

“Olivia, it’s okay to let Buck go. I promise that you’ll see him again very soon.”

This got the blue-eyed girl to look up from where she’d nestled her face into his shoulder and loosen her grip on him. “Really?” She asked in a near whisper. 

“Yes, honey,” Janice said soothingly. You do get to see him again, but tonight, he’s got to go home…” She paused and lightly poked Olivia’s nose, coaxing a little laugh from her. “And you, little miss, have to go to bed.” 

The little girl nodded, seeming to understand that she had to let Buck go, but she tightened her arms around his neck again, giving him one last hug. Of course, he reciprocated, letting out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding as he held her, gently rubbing her back. 

Eventually, Olivia unwrapped her limbs from his torso and climbed out of his lap. He smiled at her as he said, “I’ll see you soon, Olivia.” 

She gave him a small smile, “Bye, Buck, see you soon.” 

With that, he stood from his spot on the bed, turning around to give her a small wave as he left the room. Janice soon followed after him as a staff member entered the room to help the little girl get ready for bed. Standing just outside the door, Buck could hear Olivia happily recounting the events of their afternoon to the other woman. The man’s heart ached, having to leave her again, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. 

If he could, Buck would have just taken Olivia home with him, but like that fateful night when he’d saved this little girl, he couldn’t. 

“Mr. Buckley,” Janice said, getting his attention, “I know that look. I know the last thing you want to do is leave her. I’ll tell you right now, though, I can almost guarantee you will become her long-term foster parent.”

“Wha– but you said…” Buck cut himself off, shocked to hear her say that already. 

“I know, I told you not to get your hopes too high to start with, but this isn’t really a normal situation, with you and Olivia already having a bond like you do. That helps your chances exponentially.” The case worker explained. 

“So I’m guessing that means the first visit went well, then?” the blonde asked hopefully. 

She smiled, “Yes, it went very well. The best first visit I’ve ever observed, actually.” 

The man couldn’t even try to hide the delight he felt at that comment. “Really, the best one?”

“Yes, by far, which is why I think it’ll be safe to tell you the plans for the near future.” 

“I’m all ears!” Buck said excitedly.

“Alright, based on what I saw in this afternoon’s visit, I’d say that the best course of action would be moving right to an overnight stay. I think that Olivia would love it.” 

It’s not only Olivia who would love it… “Well, I’ll have to get the extra bedroom all ready for her then.” 

“Perfect, and once I get that overnight visit approved, I’ll be in touch to set a date and iron out the details. For now, though, you’re free to go.” 

Buck looked at his watch. At this point, it was nearing 8:00. “Oh yeah, I guess I should get going. Hopefully, I will hear from you soon, Janice,” he said, sticking his hand out to shake hers. 

She accepted the handshake. “You will. Have a nice night, Mr. Buckley.” 

“You too, Janice.” He said as he turned to exit the building. 

As he walked across the parking lot, Buck found himself feeling very giddy at the prospect of getting to be Olivia’s foster and possible adoptive parent. He still couldn’t believe how lucky he was to find her again. She was such a sweet little girl, and the blonde was determined to give her the stable, loving home she deserved.

Chapter Text

As he got into his car, Buck was itching to tell someone about the visit and the crazy coincidence that the kid he had met with turned out to be Olivia. He had thought about calling Eddie on his way home, but decided to wait until he got home to call his friend. In his brain, though, calling Eddie when he got home somehow turned into driving to his best friend’s house. Buck didn’t even realize he’d driven himself there until he pulled into the driveway. 

Well… Buck had told his friend he’d update him after the visit, so why not give that update in person? He always preferred talking with Eddie in person rather than over the phone anyway. So, the man jumped out of his car and headed toward the door. He knocked, and the brunette quickly answered. 

“Buck, what are you doing here? And why did you knock?” His best friend questioned before saying, “You have a key.”

“God, sue a man for trying to be polite,” The blue-eyed man teased. “I was thinking about calling to update you about the foster visit, and before I knew it, I found myself in your driveway.”

Eddie stepped out of the doorway to let Buck into the house. “Oh yeah, how did the visit go? You’re not here because it went badly, right?” 

He heard concern dripping into the other man’s voice and had to dispel his worry. “Oh no, it actually went really well. Something crazy happened, though.”

Eddie cocked his head and raised an eyebrow as Buck walked in. “What kind of crazy?” 

“The good kind, I promise.” Buck smiled, “Like I’m still kind of in shock about it.”

“Well, lay it on me,” the brunette smiled as he closed the door behind him. “But first, I was about to grab a beer. Do you want one?”

“Yes, I’d love a beer, thanks, Eddie.”

“Of course, man. Go ahead and sit on the couch. I’ll be right back.” 

With that, Eddie disappeared into the kitchen and soon returned with the beers. He handed Buck one before sitting beside him. They clinked their bottles together, and each took a sip. 

“I suppose I should have asked before just coming in and sitting on your couch.” Buck paused before continuing with his question, “I’m not intruding on any plans, right?”

His best friend chuckled, “Well, since Chris is at a sleepover, the only plans you’re thwarting for me are folding laundry and watching TV… To be clear, I’d much rather be sitting here with you drinking a beer and talking than folding laundry alone.” 

“Alright, good,” The curly-haired man sighed. 

“So, are you gonna tell me what happened when you had the visit with the foster kid or not?” He asked, bumping their shoulders. 

Buck smiled, “Oh my god, Eddie, I swear it was the craziest coincidence ever. Do you remember that call we had about six months ago? The one at the group foster home?”

The man beside him thought for a moment, then nodded slowly, “Yeah, I remember. We went back into the building, and you found that little girl… What does that have to do with this, though?”

“The foster kid I met with was her,” he revealed. 

“What do you–” Eddie cut himself off as he realized what Buck meant, his jaw dropping slightly in surprise. “Wait, you mean–”

“Yeah, Eds, it was the same girl, Olivia, that I found hiding in her bed that night. The caseworker talked to me on the phone beforehand, and it didn’t even register until I was about to meet her that she might be the same Olivia.”

“Wow, Buck, that’s crazy! Did she remember you?”

“Yup, she did! And she remembered that I promised that I’d see her again someday. She’s got an impressive memory for a five-year-old,” he paused, then joked, “I guess I made a good first impression.” 

Eddie smiled, “Well, you did save her. I’m guessing that she was happy to see you then?” 

Although Buck was pretty sure his best friend already knew the answer to his own question, he went on, “Oh man, Eddie, you should have seen her face when I walked into the room, I don’t think I’ve ever had someone be that happy to see me in my life.” 

“That’s amazing, Buck; I’m so glad this is going well for you so far. I’m proud of you.” 

“Thanks, Eds, I just can’t help feeling like this is meant to be… I really hope this works out and that I can adopt her down the line.” Buck sighed. 

With that, he was pulled into a side hug. It felt good and safe, just as he always did with Eddie. Buck did his best not to lean too heavily into his best friend’s side, even if all he wanted to do was melt into the other man. The curly-haired man managed to control himself and not indulge in the comforting touch more than he should. 

After a quiet moment, they parted, and Eddie gave Buck a meaningful look and squeezed his shoulder, the man’s thumb resting on his pulse point. Buck greatly appreciated his friend’s quiet comfort and support, and after a few minutes, he picked up the hamper of unfolded laundry and put it on the coffee table before speaking. 

“So you wanna help me fold this laundry while we watch a show, or are you just gonna sit there and look pretty?” 

Buck blushed at the comment. He knew Eddie was just kidding, but still, he called him pretty . The curly-haired man did his best to recover quickly and not stumble over his words as he spoke. The only problem with that was when he looked up at his best friend’s face, the man had a blush spreading across his cheeks as well. And now he really wanted to just whither away, because God dammit, Eddie Diaz blushing like this was just incredibly adorable.

He was strong and prevailed, managing to tease his friend back without sounding flustered. “Oh, so someone finally realized that I’m too pretty for manual labor, huh? About time you noticed Diaz.” 

Eddie huffed, then laughed and threw a shirt at his face, “Shut up, Buckley. Are you helping or not?” he asked as he opened Netflix. 

Buck chuckled, removing the shirt from his face and folding it, “Yeah, yeah, I’ll help.” 

The brunette found the TV show they had been slowly working through and turned it on. The men chatted and watched two episodes of their show while folding laundry together. Buck was very aware that this wasn’t an activity that best friends usually took part in, but he didn’t really care at the moment. He actually felt very comfortable in the simplicity and domesticity of folding laundry together.

If Buck was being honest, he and Eddie didn’t always need to talk. They’d sit in a comfortable silence with some music or a show, and just enjoy each other’s presence. As much as the man could just sit with his friend forever, he did have to go home at some point, so he left Eddie’s house, hugging the other man, and promising to keep him updated.

It was only a week and a half later when Buck received another call from Janice. He was surprised, once again, to hear from her so soon. The man was under the impression that he wouldn’t hear back from her for at least two weeks.

Thankfully, this time, he was not half asleep when she called; he was, however, in the middle of helping Bobby prepare lunch at the station. 

When he felt his phone buzz, Buck pulled it from his back pocket and checked it. “Hey, Cap, I need to take this,” he said, pointing to the door that leads to the roof. 

Bobby nodded, “Go ahead, Buck, but if we get a call, you’re the man behind.” 

“Got it!” he answered as he hastily made his way up to the roof, answering the phone as he took two steps up at a time. 

~~~~~~~~~~

“Good afternoon, Janice. I'm glad to hear from you so soon,” the curly-haired man said as he stepped outside, met by a crisp breeze and the bright afternoon sun. 

“Likewise, Mr. Buckley, I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time. I wanted to call and let you know that the weekend stay has been approved. If you can, I was hoping to iron out some of the details with you now.” 

Buck was absolutely elated to hear this news from the caseworker. This weekend visit meant that he was one step closer to Olivia becoming his actual foster child and maybe even a step closer to the possibility of adopting her. 

“I’m at work right now, but I’ve got time to talk details.”

“Great, as long as I’m not stopping you from saving any lives by having you on the phone.” The woman said jokingly. 

“Nope, I might be a little late for lunch, but they’ll save me a plate, and this is an important conversation. I’m all ears!”

“Okay, great!” Janice said, then went on to explain the details of the visit. 

Olivia would be dropped off with him on Friday afternoon after she got out of school. She would then stay the night at his apartment on Friday and Saturday and be picked up on Sunday afternoon. It was a pretty straightforward plan, and Buck couldn’t wait. He was just trying not to let his mind run too wild with ideas of things to do with her. 

“I suppose the only thing left that really needs to be pinned down now is your availability, Mr. Buckley,” the woman finished. 

Buck thought for a moment, “Well, I can’t do this weekend because I’ll be on shift for part of it. I should be able to make next weekend work, though, I just have to talk with my captain first.”

“Well, you can call or text me anytime to confirm your availability for the visit; just try to let me know as soon as possible.”

“Got it, you’ll be hearing from me soon, then. Have a nice afternoon, Janice.” 

“You have a nice afternoon as well, Mr. Buckley. Stay safe out there,” she said before hanging up. 

~~~~~~~~~

Buck felt like he was walking on air and didn’t bother to wipe the smile from his face as he reentered the fire station. He didn’t think he could if he tried; the man just sat down at the table with his team, still grinning from ear to ear as he served himself some lunch and started eating. 

He was about to start digging in when he could feel his friends staring at him. The blue-eyed man looked up at Hen first, who had a smirk on her face.

“So, Buck, what’s got you so happy that you were practically skipping to the table?” She asked. 

The man was glad he had already informed the team about the fostering situation, as he didn’t have to explain much beyond saying, “I was just on the phone with Olivia’s caseworker.” 

“Ah, so I take it the conversation went well then.” Chimney smiled. 

“Yup, went great actually!” Buck said.

“What are you waiting for, Buck? Tell us the good news.” Eddie urged, bumping their shoulders together. 

“Well, Janice, the caseworker was just calling to let me know that I was approved to have Olivia stay with me for a weekend!” The curly-haired man revealed happily. 

“That’s great, Buck.” Bobby congratulated before continuing, “But I’m hoping this isn’t you asking for this weekend off on extra short notice.” 

He shook his head, “Oh no, Cap, not this weekend, don’t worry.” He paused, watching the man before him sigh in relief, “But if I could switch around a few shifts next week to have Friday through Sunday off, that would be great.” 

Bobby patted then clasped his shoulder, “I’ll see what I can do for you, Buck,” the older man said with a smile. 

“Great! Thanks, Bobby, I really appreciate it.” 

“Of course, I’ll let you know if I can get you next weekend off as soon as possible.”

Buck nodded, then the alarms sounded, spurring everyone into action. He stood up too, ready to go, before remembering that he had agreed to be the man behind. The man received quick congratulations and pats on the shoulder as everyone headed down to the engines and left for the call. Although he usually detested being the man left behind at the station, he didn’t mind too much today. 

Buck was finding the quiet of the station nice right now, actually. The time alone, cleaning up lunch, and doing other miscellaneous chores while listening to some music was the perfect setting for him to process the conversation he’d had with Jancie. 

When he was done with everything, Buck settled on the couch, soon finding that his eyelids were feeling heavy as he read an article on his phone. The blue-eyed man wasn’t normally one to fall asleep in the middle of the day, but the temperature in the loft area was perfect, and he was sitting in the most comfortable spot on the couch. And before he realized it, he was asleep. 

Some time later, the man wasn’t sure how long it had been, he felt the couch dip next to him, and his mostly asleep brain that didn’t have a thought running through it instinctively leaned into the warm body next to him. Buck only began to wake up when he felt the back of a warm hand on his forehead and indistinct, garbled whispering above him, but he was still in that floaty place between sleep and wakefulness.

He swatted that hand away like a bothered cat, because why did his friends feel the need to wake him from his nap?

Buck opened his eyes and quickly realized that the warmth he’d been leaning into was, in fact, Eddie’s chest. His best friend luckily didn’t look put off that he’d practically tried to cuddle with him. That didn’t stop the blush that rose to the blue-eyed man’s cheeks as he quickly pulled away, only to look up around at Bobby, Chim, and Hen to see them all staring at him with something like concern in their eyes. 

“Umm… Why are you all staring at me like that?” The curly-haired man asked. 

“Because we got back like half an hour ago, and I’m pretty sure that you didn’t even budge as we were pulling the engines into the bay,” Chimney answered. 

“Wow, I was out cold, huh?” Buck asked as he stretched, groaning as his back popped because he’d fallen asleep sitting up on the couch. 

“We were concerned because the last time you slept like that was when you came to work sick, and you woke up from a nap on the couch with a fever of 102°,” Hen added.

He certainly wasn’t sick this time, but Buck could understand why his friends were concerned, because the last time they’d found him like this, he was in a rather concerning condition. Today, though, he was okay, in fact, he was actually great. 

“Check me for a fever if you must, Hen. I promise I’m fine this time.” 

The woman stepped forward again, put out a hand, and felt his forehead with the back of it. “Yup, he’s fine,” she said, noting that his temperature was normal. 

“See, I told you I was fine. I think I just wore myself out a bit, between the lack of sleep, the excitement of the call, and all the chores I did.” He explained.

His friends all nodded, then Eddie spoke, patting his shoulder, “I suppose there’s nothing wrong with you sleeping on the couch when you’re not trying to hide an illness from us.” 

Buck smiled, grateful that his team cared for him so much that they felt the need to make sure he was okay just because he had fallen asleep on the couch at the station. After that, the rest of the shift passed smoothly. They responded to a few more calls before having a late dinner and retiring to bed, only to wake up again when it was time for the shift change. 

And it was only a couple of days later that Bobby got back to Buck, telling him that he was able to adjust the schedule to cover the days off that the man needed. He was so thankful to Bobby for doing that for him, even though it was only a week in advance. The man knew that he now owed a few coworkers favors, but that was totally worth it. 

He just couldn’t wait for the next weekend, for when he’d get to see Olivia again.

Chapter Text

The following week somehow passed simultaneously quickly and slowly as he waited for Friday to arrive. When the day finally came, Buck was prepared; the room was ready, fun plans had been made, and the man was a bundle of nerves and excitement as he counted down the hours and eventually the minutes until Olivia finally arrived.

The blue-eyed man was pacing the living room, unable to sit still, when there was finally a knock at the door. The knocking startled him out of whatever distracted headspace he was in, and he scrambled to the door, yelling out, “Coming!”

And when he opened the door, the people he’d been waiting for all day were on the other side, “Janice, Olivia, come on in!” he greeted with a smile. 

However, before Buck could even step out of the way to let them walk into the apartment, Olivia was already wrapped around him, hugging his legs tightly. The man couldn’t help but pick up the little girl and give her a proper hug, it was like holding her settled something deep within him. 

“I missed you so much, Buck!” She said, her voice muffled slightly as she’d buried her face into Buck’s shoulder. 

He stroked Olivia’s soft, golden blond hair and responded softly, “I missed you too, Olivia. Are you excited for our weekend together?” 

The little girl pulled away from his shoulder and nodded vigorously, “Yes! Super duper excited!”

“Good!” Buck exclaimed, poking her nose, “because I have so many fun things planned for us to do, we’re gonna have a great time!” 

Olivia giggled, then Janice cleared her throat from where she was standing in front of them and lightly said, “I hate to break up this sweet moment, but we do have to talk a little business before you get to all the fun.” 

“Got it, boss,” he joked. “Why don’t I show you two to Olivia’s room then?” 

“That sounds great, Mr.Buckley, lead the way,” the case worker smiled, gesturing for him to walk ahead of her. 

The blue-eyed man led the way through his apartment, through the living room, and halfway down the small hallway until they’d made it to the spare room, Olivia’s room. Buck put her down so she could explore as he and Janice talked, and the little girl gasped, her eyes sparkling when she laid them on the floral comforter, causing the adults standing in the doorway to chuckle. 

The woman looked around the small room for a moment, taking it in, and smiling softly, “The room looks good, Mr.Buckley,” she complimented.

“Thank you, Janice. I know it’s pretty simple, I just figured it would be better to wait to decorate the room fully.” Buck said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“It makes perfect sense to keep the room simple, especially when you don’t know how many kids might come through and stay with you.” 

The man nodded along, “Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking. I also felt that it would be good to let a long-term placement help me decorate the room if I were to get one.” 

“Well, you clearly did your reading, Mr.Buckley,” Janice teased, “That is a great way to help a foster child acclimate to a new environment… Although that doesn’t seem to be much of an issue in this situation.”

She gestured to Olivia, who had kicked off her shoes and was lying on the bed, atop the puffy comforter, the bedding looking as if it were about to swallow her little body up. Buck laughed again at the sight, happy that she had already felt so comfortable in his home. It was also extremely adorable.

After a minute, he looked back at Janice, “So, you said there was some business to talk about?” He asked. 

“Oh yeah, I just wanted to remind you again that I’ll be back around this time on Sunday to pick up Olivia. Also, I wanted to let you know that if plans change and you need to cut the visit short, I can always pick her up early.” The woman offered. 

“I appreciate the offer, but I was very careful to make sure nothing could get in the way of the plans I made. You certainly won’t need to be picking her up early.”

The caseworker chuckled, “That’s good to hear, Mr. Buckley. I can tell you two are going to have a great time together, so I’ll give you this,” Janice paused, handing over Olivia’s bag, “And I’ll be on my way.” 

The curly-haired man took the bag and set it on top of the dresser. “Olivia,” he said, getting the girl’s attention, “how about you walk Janice to the door with me?” 

“Okay, Buck,” she said, hopping off the bed and walking through the apartment just behind the two adults. 

When they reached the door, Janice smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll see you two on Sunday.”

“Bye, Miss Janice, don’t worry, Buck will take really good care of me!” The ocean-eyed girl assured excitedly, looking up at the man, then back at her caseworker.

“Oh, I have no doubts that he will. I’m sure you two will have an amazing weekend.”

“We will, won’t we, Olivia?” Buck asked. 

“Yes! We’re going to have so much fun!” The little girl exclaimed, her smile widening. 

“I’m sure you will,” she said, looking up at Buck. “Remember, I’m just a call away if you need anything.” 

“Got it. Have a good weekend, Janice, " the curly-haired man said as the woman began to walk away.

“Thank you, Mr.Buckley, you too,” she said. 

Buck watched the woman walk away down the hall, only closing the door as she walked around the corner and out of sight. After closing the door, he turned around and was met by Olivia barreling into his legs again and nearly knocking him down. 

“Well, now it’s just you and me, kid, what do ya say we get up to some fun?” 

“Yeah! Let’s do it!” Olivia cheered. 

“Okay then, follow me to the kitchen, and I’ll show you what we’re doing first.” The blue-eyed man directed. 

With the adorable little smile still on her face, the little girl grabbed his hand, letting Buck show her to the kitchen. She gasped gleefully at the sight before them as they entered the room. Buck had everything perfectly laid out and ready to make homemade pizzas for dinner, from the toppings all the way to the dough that he’d made a couple of hours ago. 

He smiled even wider at her reaction, “So, can you tell what we’re going to do for dinner?”

“We’re making pizza!” she answered excitedly.

“Yup, and I got you a little something to help with it,” he paused, bending down and opening his apron drawer to pull out one he’d found at Target that morning. It seemed to be about Olivia’s size, and it was black and covered with cute little embroidered daisies. When he saw the apron, he knew he had to buy it.

“What do you think, Olivia?” He asked, holding up the apron to show her. 

“I love it, it’s so pretty! Can I wear it now?” The golden-haired girl asked sweetly.

“Yes, of course you can. Come here, I’ll help you put it on.” The man said, beckoning the girl to come closer. 

Olivia stood in front of Buck, facing him as he bent down, carefully placing the neck strap over her head and pulling her long, soft hair from underneath it. Then he gently straightened out the chestpiece on the apron and tied the waist strap in a little bow. He stepped back and admired the adorable view before him. 

Buck had a feeling he’d be using that word a lot with regards to Olivia, because it was true, she was freaking adorable.

“How do I look?” The little girl giggled as she did a little spin. 

Picking Olivia up and sitting her on the counter, Buck answered, “You, little miss, look beautiful in that apron, almost ready to make dinner… just one more thing though,” he paused before asking, “Do you have a hair tie in your bag?” 

The blue-eyed girl looked up at him bashfully and giggled at the compliment before nodding and responding, “Mhm, in my backpack. Why?” 

“Because anyone with long hair needs to keep their hair back while cooking, so you don’t accidentally get hair in the food,” the curly-haired man explained. 

“Oh, okay,” Olivia responded, seeming to understand, “I’ll go get it!” 

Buck helped her off the counter, “You go get that hair tie, then we can put your hair up and get started!” 

She nodded and ran out of the room, returning with the hair tie a minute later. “Can you help me?” the girl asked as she handed him the hair tie.

“Yeah, of course I can, come here, stand in front of me.” He directed. 

The little girl nodded and did as he said, standing in front of him, turned so her back was facing him. Buck brushed his fingers through Olivia’s hair to detangle it slightly before pulling it up into an almost flawless ponytail. He was actually quite proud of himself . It seemed that all the practice he’d been doing on the mannequin head he’d bought was paying off. Now, he couldn’t wait to try out some of the other simple styles he’d learned on Olivia’s soft, golden-blonde locks. 

“Pizza time?” She asked, turning around to look at him.

“Pizza time!” Buck affirmed as he helped the little girl onto a tall stool so they could get started. 

Buck helped Olivia make her pizza, first rolling out the dough and making a nice crust around the edge, then helping her spread the sauce evenly before letting her go to town on the other toppings. She didn’t actually put that many toppings on the pizza, though; the girl was only five after all. He watched her put lots of cheese on it and carefully place her pepperoni in the shape of a smiley face. 

When she finished her masterpiece, the curly-haired man pushed the tray aside and got to work on his own pizza. Whenever he ordered pizza, Buck always went for a combination, because it was more filling in fewer slices, and he liked all the good stuff on it. So he decided to make that for himself tonight, of course, letting Olivia assist in placing the toppings. 

The blue-eyed man spread the sauce on the dough and added the cheese and pepperoni. He let the little girl place the peppers, onions, and olives around the pizza, and she again made little smiley faces, using the peppers and onions as mouths and the olives as eyes. And Buck strategically placed the sausage pieces to look like noses, which caused Olivia to laugh again. 

God, he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of that adorable little laugh. 

As soon as they were done, he put the pizzas into the oven to bake. As they waited, Buck did all the clean-up he could and told Olivia what they’d do after dinner. He told her they’d watch a movie of her choice and eat ice cream sundaes together. She seemed to like the plan, as she excitedly requested that they watch Moana . After watching it a few times at the group home with the other girls, it had become her favorite movie. 

By the time the pizzas were ready, Buck was finished cleaning, so he pulled them out to let them cool before cutting and digging into them. He took a picture of himself and Olivia, each holding a slice of pizza up to their mouths as if they were going to take a bite. The curly-haired man was so happy to have the girl with him again. He was just listening to her talk about school and her friends and everything as they ate. It seemed like she could never run out of things to say, but it was okay because he loved every moment. 

Eventually, they finished eating, and Buck stored the extra food away in the fridge, then washed whatever dishes were left. All the while, Olivia hovered around him, waiting patiently for him to finish. Although she was bouncing on the balls of her feet the whole time, the man could tell it was because she was excited to finally get to watch Moana and have an ice cream sundae. 

Sure enough, as he picked up the towel to dry his hands, she asked, “Can we watch Moana and eat ice cream now?”

“How about we let our tummies settle a little bit first, okay?” he said. 

Olivia pouted, and Buck continued, “You can take a bath and get all clean and cozy in your pajamas. Then we can sit on the couch with our ice cream and watch Moana .” 

“Hmm…” the little girl hummed, thinking before saying, “Okay, I’ll take a bath before Moana, but only if it’s a bubble bath.” 

“You run a hard bargain, kid,” Buck snickered at himself, “A bubble bath it is then, come on.” 

“Yes, bubble bath!” Olivia cheered, pumping her small fist in the air as she followed Buck to her bedroom to grab her pajamas, then into the bathroom. 

He prepared the bathtub for her, making sure the water wasn’t too hot and had plenty of bubbles. “Okay, how does this look, Olivia?” 

“It’s perfect, Buck, thank you!” She smiled. 

“Are you okay in the tub on your own to clean yourself, or do you need help, sweetie?” Buck asked apprehensively. 

It wasn’t necessarily that Buck was worried about not knowing how to bathe a child; he’s given his niece baths more times than he could count with the number of times he’s babysat her. This was a bit of a different situation, though. He hadn’t spent even a full 24 hours with Olivia since meeting her, even if she does act like she’s known Buck her whole life, they’re still practically strangers. 

The last thing the curly-haired man wanted to do was accidentally make the girl feel uncomfortable in a place where he wanted her to feel safe. So he waited for her answer. 

She nodded, then said in a hesitant, quiet voice, “I-I can take a bath by myself. " Then she paused. 

“What is it, Livy?” He asked. 

Oh… that nickname just slipped right off his tongue; he hadn’t meant to say it. It was cute, though, and judging by Olivia’s smile, he could tell she liked it too. 

“I just need help washing my hair,” the girl continued quietly. 

“Okay, Olivia, I can help you wash your hair. Do you want me to stay in here with you, or wait outside the door until you’re ready for help?” 

“You can stay,” Olivia nearly whispered. 

“Okay, honey, I’ll stay. How about you get in the tub before the water gets cold?” 

The blue-eyed girl nodded, and Buck turned around to give her privacy as she undressed and climbed into the bath. Once she was ready, the curly-haired man turned around and leaned against the wall next to the tub, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor. He watched as Olivia played in the bubbly water even stealing some bubbles to make a bubble beard, which made the girl laugh. Then she cleaned herself with the fruity scented kids' body wash that he kept around for when Jee slept over. 

When she was ready, Buck helped Olivia wash her hair, using the showerhead to wet it, then gently massaged in the 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner, letting it sit for a moment before rinsing it out. 

“You ready for the rinse?” Buck asked softly. 

Olivia nodded, and he tilted her head back and grabbed the showerhead, placing a hand on her forehead to block any sudsy water from getting in her eyes. When the water from her hair ran clean of soap, Buck let her tilt her head forward again.

“Okay, you ready to get out so we can watch Moana ?”

The little girl looked up, a wide smile gracing her face as she excitedly added, “And eat ice cream!” 

“Yes, we’re gonna watch the movie and eat ice cream,” Buck confirmed with a smile. 

With that, the little girl stepped carefully out of the tub, and the curly-haired man wrapped her in the softest, fluffiest towel he owned and helped her dry off. Then he left the bathroom briefly, letting Olivia get dressed on her own, as he went to his room and changed into his favorite sleep shirt and sweatpants. After they both got dressed, Buck brushed the tangles from the golden-haired girl’s wet hair and put it into an almost perfect braid, which the man had to pat himself on the back for because for his first time doing a braid on an actual person it was pretty damn good.

After all of that, they finally went back to the kitchen, where Buck retrieved the vanilla ice cream from the freezer and grabbed all the toppings he had before scooping it into two bowls for them to doctor up. 

Olivia, predictably, went pretty simple with her sundae, only adding chocolate sauce, a nearly obscene amount of rainbow sprinkles, and some whipped cream. Buck, on the other hand, went all out. He didn’t eat ice cream very often, so he figured, why not? The curly-haired man added caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, chopped nuts, a reasonable amount of rainbow sprinkles, whipped cream, and a cherry on top to his sundae.  

It was so picturesque that he had to take a picture of it. Then he went on to take a picture of himself and Olivia sitting on the couch together, holding their sundaes, both sporting bright smiles. 

This one was definitely going in his lockscreen photo shuffle, no doubt about it.

The next hour and a half went about the same way as it would whenever he watched Jee. Within 15 minutes, the ice cream was polished off, and Olivia was up, dancing around and singing along to the songs. When about 20 minutes were left in the movie, the sugar high the girl was riding had settled into a sugar crash as she cuddled up next to Buck on the couch. 

By the time the credits were rolling, the blue-eyed girl had wrapped herself in a blanket, weaseled herself under Buck’s arm, and was beginning to nod off, the excitement of the evening finally catching up to her.

The curly-haired man rubbed the sleepy child’s shoulder, “You tired, Livy? Ready for bed?” He asked softly. 

“Mm, not sleepy, Buck.” She yawned, blinking slowly as she looked up at the man. 

Buck hummed a chuckle and murmured, “Mhm, very not sleepy.” As he continued to rub her arm soothingly. 

The girl sighed and cuddled closer, whispering, “You’re warm,” so softly that he could barely hear it. 

“I’m always warm, like a heater.” He joked before asking, “Olivia, sweetie, do you want me to hold you until you fall asleep?” 

Olivia answered with a nod as she sleepily climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around the man and resting her head over his heart. Buck sighed happily, stroking the girl’s damp, golden hair with one hand and gently rubbing her back with the other, continuing until he could feel her body go lax against his chest. 

As Olivia fell asleep in his arms, Buck felt something in his heart settle again, like it had earlier, but this time, whatever that was, firmly locked into place. 

He could get used to this.

Chapter Text

When Buck awoke the next morning, it was to the early morning sun shining in his eyes and a quiet knock at his bedroom door. He hadn’t realized that he had closed the door all the way; he didn’t mean to. 

“Buck, can I come in?” Olivia asked, voice muffled from behind the closed door. 

The man rubbed the sleep from his eyes, cleared his throat, and stretched before responding, “You can come in, Olivia.” 

The man was blessed with an adorable sight as the little girl opened the door and peeked her head in. She had a small, shy smile and was rocking a magnificent bed head of fluffy, wavy, golden blonde hair, her braid seemingly having come out sometime in the night.

“Don’t be shy, sweetie, you can come sit up here on the bed.” Buck offered as he smiled and patted the bed. 

The sun caught Olivia’s eyes just right as she smiled and climbed onto the bed. They sparkled like the ocean on a sunny day as she sat with her legs crossed at the end of the bed and looked around the room. 

“Your bed is so big, Buck.” She commented happily. 

The man chuckled, “I know, it’s really comfy too.” he paused, then asked, “So, how did you sleep, Olivia?”

“Really good! Are we going to have breakfast soon?”

Buck unplugged his phone from the charger on the bedside table and found that it was only 7:30, so he had an early riser on his hands. It was okay, though. He wanted to get to the zoo right when it opened so he and Olivia could see all the animals she wanted to. Being up early just gave them more time to eat breakfast and get ready before leaving the apartment. 

The curly-haired man sat up and stretched again, “Yeah, we can have some breakfast. How do pancakes sound?” 

“Great! I love pancakes, Buck!” the little girl responded enthusiastically. 

“Good, because they’re my specialty,” Buck said as he got out of bed and picked up Olivia, spinning her around, which caused her to giggle before he continued, “because we’re gonna go to the kitchen and make some right after we tame this wild hair of yours.” 

Buck carried Olivia back to her room. “Let’s find that runaway hair tie,” he said playfully. 

The item didn’t end up being overly hard to find; it was just under the pillow, and when she found it, Olivia gave it to the man, and he put her soft hair that still smelled faintly of the shampoo she’d used last night into a messy ponytail. 

As they walked together toward the kitchen, she asked, “Buck, do I get to wear my apron again?”

“Well, of course you do, any proper cook needs to wear an apron.” Buck smiled. 

Once they were in the kitchen, he picked the girl up, sat her on the counter, and then grabbed the aprons from the drawer again. For Olivia, it was the same one as she had worn last night, black with the cute little embroidered daisies, and just like before, he helped her put it on before putting on his own.

Buck’s apron from last night had gotten a bit messier than Olivia’s, so for this morning, he set himself up with a navy blue apron before pulling a stool over for the little girl to stand on and retrieving all the necessary ingredients for pancakes. 

The blue-eyed man probably should have assumed that making pancakes with a five-year-old would be messy… 

He had just scooped and leveled a cup of flour and handed it to Olivia to pour into the bowl, “Okay, now be careful not to drop it or–” 

The clattering of the metal measuring cup against the bowl had interrupted his sentence. About a quarter cup of flour was in the bowl, while the other ¾ of a cup had been accidentally spilled onto the counter, some of it pluming into a small cloud in front of Olivia. The girl had a sort of shocked expression on her face, and a dusting of flour on her apron and face.

She looked up at him, lips turning into a slight pout, “I’m sorry, Buck, I didn’t mean to drop it.” 

“It’s okay, Olivia. A little spilled flour is easy to clean up. We just use a hand to scrape it off the counter into the bowl.” He wouldn’t normally do this, but there was a lot of spilled flour, and he’d thoroughly cleaned the countertops last night, so this one time, it was okay. 

Buck held the bowl at the counter's edge, and Olivia swept the flour into the bowl with her hands.

“See, easy,” He said as he pulled the bowl away, only to feel one of her hands on his chest and hear a giggle. 

Despite the mess, making the pancakes from scratch was totally worth it; they were delicious, and Buck got a fridge-worthy picture out of it. In the picture, he and Olivia were covered in flour, of course. The girl had left a bunch of little flour hand prints on his apron and one on his cheek, while she had been covered in the powdery substance, some of it even clinging to her eyebrows and smeared on the tip of her nose. 

They were smiling and laughing when the man took the picture, so their eyes were almost squinted shut, but Buck didn’t care about that. He’d captured a moment of pure joy and happiness that could never be perfectly recreated, and that only made him love the picture even more.

Over their pancakes, Buck told Olivia that he had planned to take her to the zoo that day if she’d like to do so. Judging by her excited squeal, the girl was definitely enthusiastic about the plan. Once they were done eating, Buck washed the dishes and opened his laptop to show Olivia the map of the zoo and all the animals so she could decide what she wanted to see first. 

“Okay, Olivia. We looked at all the animals that live at the LA Zoo. What do you want to see first when we get there?” 

The girl’s eyes sparkled as she immediately answered, “I wanna see the snow leopard first! They’re so pretty and fluffy! I wanna see all the big cats!” 

There were a few other words Buck could come up with to describe a snow leopard. Yes, they were beautiful, but they’re also apex predators capable of jumping 40-50 feet across mountain ridges. This was an impressive fact, but also, to him at least, a little bit terrifying. He chose not to share that with the little girl, though. 

After that, they got ready to leave. Olivia got dressed, and Buck brushed her hair and put it up in a cute half ponytail before he took a quick shower and dressed himself. The whole drive to the zoo, they talked about all the animals, the curly-haired man telling the golden-haired girl fun facts that were burned in his head from all the times he’d been there before. 

As they drove, Buck also convinced Olivia to take a more convenient route to see all the big cats. The snow leopards were closer to the back of the zoo, so they’d go see the jaguar first, because it was closer to the entrance, then make their way back towards the snow leopards. 

When they finally reached the zoo, he could feel the little girl’s excitement rubbing off on him. The man hadn’t been there in a while, and walking up to the entrance, the nostalgia hit him. Buck really did miss going here. When he looked back through the past 8 years that he’s lived in LA, some of his favorite memories occurred here. 

Well, excluding the call during the citywide blackout when all the animals got out… that was not a fond memory. 

That was beside the point, though. This place held so many unforgettable memories with Chris and Eddie, stored in his photos app, some of which will forever be on his lock screen photo shuffle. 

Buck loved the zoo. 

He was nearly heartbroken on the day Chris admitted that he felt like he was too old for the zoo. He was excited to be back now, though, here in this place, making memories with Olivia that could last a lifetime. 

Today was going to be an amazing day; he could feel it.

Olivia excitedly looked at the different enclosures as they walked past them. She particularly enjoyed looking at the jaguars lounging in the trees of their enclosure. She became even more giddy as they approached the ocelot enclosure, watching the felines chase each other for a few minutes. 

As they walked away from the ocelots, Buck was surprised to see Olivia’s eyes drawn to the tortoise. The girl had thought that it was just a giant turtle, and the man was happy to provide her with some fun facts that made her eyes sparkle with curiosity. 

Buck had been here so many times that he knew the place like the back of his hand, so he led Olivia right to where she wanted to go next without even thinking about it. He felt a little bit like he was on autopilot, like the trance-like state he goes into sometimes when he’s exhausted after a shift and drives home, not even realizing where he is until his car is parked at home. 

He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn’t even realize that they’d made it to the snow leopard enclosure until he heard Olivia gasp. 

“Oh, Buck, look!” the girl gasped excitedly, pointing at the snow leopard walking around on the makeshift mountainside of the enclosure. “I-it’s right there! It’s so pretty!” 

Buck shook himself from his thoughts, making himself present in the moment again as he looked at Olivia, then at the beautiful creature before them with a smile. It was like she was completely in awe, which the curly-haired man could totally understand because he felt the same way, despite being a fully grown adult, the first time he’d come to the LA zoo. 

He looked down at the little girl, leaning against the fence as if it would allow her a better view, and he asked, “Livy, do you want a better view of the snow leopards?”

Olivia nodded enthusiastically, then Buck picked her up, and she giggled, gasping as she looked around from her higher vantage point. 

“Oh my gosh! There are two!” she said, eyes shining with delight. 

“Yup, they usually try to have at least two animals in each enclosure so they don’t get lonely,” Buck explained.

“Oh, good, I don’t want the animals to be lonely,” the golden-haired girl answered softly. 

“Yeah, me neither,” the curly-haired man agreed.

There was a moment of silence between them, where they both just watched the snow leopards in silence, before Buck asked, “Are you ready for the next big cat? There are only two left.”  

“Yeah, let’s go!” 

With that, they were off. The next big cat on the list was the Sumatran Tiger, and it was only in the next enclosure over from the snow leopards. If Buck was honest, the tiger was his favorite of the big cats. He reveled a little bit in telling Olivia fun facts about it as they viewed the animal for a few minutes before they made their trek towards the serval, which was at the very farthest point back in the zoo. 

They passed a lot of different animals on their way there, stopping briefly to look at a couple of various kinds of monkeys and chimps, as well as some sort of mountain-dwelling goat. What really caught Olivia’s attention was the giraffes. 

“Wow! Look at the giraffes, Buck! They’re so big!” She said in amazement. 

“I know they are,” he picked the girl up again so she could see better, “You know, they grow up to 18 feet tall, and when they’re just babies, they’re already as tall as me.” 

“Woah… wait? The babies are as tall as you?!” She exclaimed in shock. “But you’re like… super tall, Buck.” 

“Well, so are giraffes; the babies are tall because they grow up to be even bigger.” 

“Oh okay, that’s so cool,” the girl smiled as she continued watching the giraffes, “Buck, one’s coming over here,” she whispered. 

Buck looked to where Olivia was pointing; there was indeed a giraffe walking towards where they were standing at the viewing area, and he saw the perfect opportunity, “Do you wanna try to get a picture with it, Olivia?” 

The curly-haired man spotted a zoo staff member and waved them down, “Excuse me, so sorry to bother you, but would you mind taking a picture of us in front of the giraffes?” 

“Oh, of course,” they said, taking the phone from Buck’s outstretched hand. “It looks like you two have perfect timing! Smile, and I’ll go ahead and take a few pictures for you.” 

They smiled for the camera, and the employee took some pictures, saying, “Oh, these are perfect! Absolutely adorable,” then returned the phone and said, “You two have a wonderful day.” 

“Thank you for taking the pictures. I hope you have a good day, too,” Buck said as the employee walked away. 

He and Olivia looked at the pictures; they’d definitely had perfect timing. The giraffe was right behind them in all the pictures, and in some of them, it was even looking toward the camera. After they looked at the pictures, they made their way over to the serval. 

Buck was honestly surprised that the little girl didn’t even bat an eye at the buff-cheeked gibbon monkey as they passed it on the way to see the serval. He guessed that the giraffe was enough of a distraction for Olivia; she was clearly on a mission to see the last big cat, and nothing would stop her. It was cute how focused she was on getting to that enclosure. Once they made it there, they observed the animals for a few minutes, and the blue-eyed girl asked questions as the man told her more fun facts. 

“Okay, that was the last big cat, Olivia. What do you wanna see next?”

“Uhm… I don’t know. You choose Buck.” Olivia suggested.

Buck thought for a moment. Getting to choose what to do at the zoo was a rarity when he used to go with Christopher. The kid would make a plan and stick to it firmly. The man hadn’t minded, though. He didn’t care much what they did at the zoo together. All he really cared about was all the quality time he got to spend with one of his favorite people in the whole world. 

Clearly, he’d gotten lost in thought because he felt Olivia pull at his arm. “Buck, you’re taking too long,” she whined. 

The curly-haired man chuckled, “Okay, okay, silly girl, I decided what we should do. Come here, sit with me on the bench, and I’ll show you on the map what we’re gonna do next.” 

He sat on the bench, pulling the map from his pocket and patting the spot next to him for the girl to sit down. She sat, resting her cheek on his arm so she could see the map too. 

Buck pointed to where they were on the map and dragged his finger to the restaurant icon closest to them. “We’re here, and this is where we’re going to eat lunch,” Olivia nodded, and he continued, “Then after we eat lunch, we’ll walk around some more because there are a lot more animals to see, and maybe we’ll go to the giftshop and get you a little stuffed animal.” 

Olivia’s whole face lit up at the mention of getting a stuffed animal, and she happily agreed with the plan. So they went to lunch at the restaurant closest to them, then explored the zoo for the rest of the afternoon. They saw so many animals that Buck started to lose count, but they still hadn’t gotten to his favorite; he was saving it for last. 

It was the end of the day, and with only about 45 minutes before the zoo closed, the blue-eyed man was surprised that the little girl had gone so long on her feet. She’d only asked to be picked up maybe 20 minutes ago, so now Buck was walking around with a tired five-year-old and two stuffed animals on his shoulders. She’d picked a snow leopard and a tiger. 

And yes, she got two stuffed animals because there were supposed to be two, so no animals would be lonely. Olivia had only been staying with Buck for a day and a half and was already using his fun facts against him, smart girl. 

It was almost time to leave, and Buck wanted to take Olivia to see the elephants. He didn’t know exactly why they were his favorite—they were not the most exciting to look at—but what got him was that elephant herds were like families. The care they had for each other touched his heart in a way that he couldn’t quite explain. 

Buck stood for a little bit, watching the elephants with Olivia and quietly telling her fun facts about them as she rested her cheek on the top of his head, her arms hanging down, still holding onto the stuffed animals.

“You know, Olivia, elephants have a really good memory, so they can remember where to find their food and water when they live in the wild.” 

“Do they remember other elephants?” the girl asked softly. 

“Yeah, they do, they remember all the other elephants in their herd, their family, and their past experiences. Elephants will even remember humans if they see them enough.”

“Wow, that’s so cool.” 

“You know what else is cool?” Buck asked. 

“What?” The girl smiled against his head. 

“I have a memory like an elephant, I never forget my family,” he said, reaching up to caress the girl’s soft hair, “And I’ll never forget today because I got to spend it all with you.” 

“And I’ll never forget today because it was my most favorite day ever,” Olivia said as she nuzzled her cheek into Buck’s hair. 

They fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Buck found something he wanted Olivia to see. He was still pointing it out when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a woman with her son, who looked about the same age as Olivia. 

“I'm so sorry to bother you, sir. You and your daughter looked so adorable standing there with the sun behind you. I had to take a picture. I was wondering if I could send it to you,” she asked.

Daughter, the word made his heart flutter, and he tried not to think too hard about how badly he wanted Olivia to actually be his daughter. 

“Uhh yeah, thanks.” Buck gave the woman his number, and she sent the picture.

It was a really good picture. In it, Buck and Olivia were lit by the warm light of the lowering sun, and the man was pointing at the elephants, trying to show the girl something. He might even frame it. 

“Thank you for this,” he said genuinely, “It’s a great picture, I really appreciate it.” 

“Of course,” the woman smiled softly, “you two have a good evening.” 

“You too,” Buck said as she walked away. 

As he watched the woman walk away with her son, the curly-haired man could feel Olivia sagging into him further. The poor girl must be completely exhausted. 

“Olivia, sweetheart, let’s get you off my shoulders, yeah?” 

“Don’t wanna… mm tired Buck.” She mumbled. 

“I’m still gonna carry you, Livy, just not on my shoulders,” Buck explained.

“Mmkay.” Olivia hummed.

The man carefully lifted the girl off his shoulders, setting her on her feet in front of him for a moment. She swayed slightly and looked up at him with sweet, tired eyes. Buck scooped Olivia right back up into his arms, and the girl sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. 

Buck had initially planned to take Olivia out for a fun dinner after their time at the zoo; however, as they made it out to the car, he found that the girl was nearly asleep in his arms. In fact, she was so close to being asleep that he was surprised she hadn’t dropped either of the stuffed animals.

The man decided it might be best to raincheck going out for dinner as he carefully put Olivia in her car seat and buckled her in. Buck wouldn’t want her falling asleep in her plate after all, so rather than going out, he just drove right back to the apartment, letting the little girl nap in the back seat until they arrived.

He was able to get her to wake up just enough to eat a couple of slices of leftover pizza, drink a cup of water, and put her pajamas on. Then they sat on the couch together, and Olivia insisted that she wasn’t tired anymore and wanted to watch a show about snow leopards. 

Predictably, the girl was asleep in Buck’s lap within 20 minutes. The man sat with the little girl sleeping on him until the documentary ended, and she was so dead asleep when he took her to bed and tucked her in that she didn’t even flinch. 

Olivia looked so cute in bed, cuddled up with the stuffed animals she’d gotten at the zoo. Buck couldn’t help but brush the hair out of her face and kiss her forehead, like he would with Jee when she slept over. 

“Sweet dreams, Livy, see you in the morning,” he whispered softly before leaving the room and going to bed.

Chapter Text

When Buck woke up on Sunday morning, it was a bit later than before, but the sun was still filtering in through the curtains he’d once again forgotten to close. This time, there was the warmth of a small body cuddled up into his chest, which he hadn’t been expecting. The curly-haired man felt like he might melt into a puddle of goo and happiness. 

How hadn’t he noticed Olivia crawl into bed and cuddle up with him?

The man stretched, and when he laid his arm down on the bed next to the little girl, she quickly pulled his arm back over her small body. He was happy holding her like this until he heard the girl sniffle and make the smallest, saddest whimpering sound, which threatened to break his heart.

Buck immediately tightened his grip on her slightly, “Olivia, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

The golden-haired girl didn’t answer, just curled closer to him and began to cry. Buck then sat up, pulling Olivia up with him gently and placing her in his lap. He cupped her face in his hands, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks. 

“Sweet girl, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” The blue-eyed man said softly. 

Olivia sniffled and shakily answered, “I-I don’t wanna go back to the g-group home, Buck,” her voice cracked on a cry, “I w-wanna stay with you.” 

“I know, Livy, I know.” Buck consoled as he pulled the girl into his chest, now properly hugging her, “I don’t want you to go back either.” 

The blue-eyed girl nuzzled her face into his neck as he continued speaking, trying his best to help her feel better, “But you know what? We still have all day to have fun together. Doesn’t that sound better than being sad?” 

He let the question sit, giving Olivia some time to calm down a bit more, gently rubbing her back until she was ready to talk. 

A few minutes later, she pulled away from his shoulder, her eyes and face still wet with tears, she whispered, “Y-yeah, that sounds good.” 

“Okay then, let’s wipe away those tears and make the most of today, starting with going out to breakfast.” 

“Okay, Buck,” Olivia said as she gave the man a small smile.

Buck sighed in relief at the sight, happy to see the smile on her face again, “There’s that pretty smile, I knew you still had it in you.”

The girl’s eyes shone at the comment as she giggled and gave a bigger smile. He was starting to fall in love with that adorable giggle, and there was nothing the man could do to stop it.

“Let’s get our day started then,” the curly-haired man smiled as he hugged the little girl and hopped out of bed, still holding her. 

With that, they got ready for the last day of their weekend together. Buck sat on the floor of the bathroom next to the tub like he had on the first night. He watched Olivia play in the bubbles and listened as she talked to him. Soon, she was done bathing and getting dressed, and Buck did her hair and got himself ready. 

They went to Buck’s favorite little family-owned breakfast spot. It was right between the station and his apartment building, and if they didn’t eat breakfast at the station before getting off shift, he’d go there to eat, whether alone or with Eddie. In fact, he’d been there so many times that he was considered a regular, and all the staff knew him by name. They’d sure be in for a surprise when he came in with Olivia, seeing as he hadn’t talked much about the whole foster care situation with them. 

As they walked in together, Olivia hid behind him shyly, and he was greeted by a familiar face whom he hadn’t seen in a while. It was Julia, the owner’s daughter, who, since she was 14, had been working weekends whenever she could to save money. Now, she was 19 and halfway through her first year of college, and she still helped out at the restaurant whenever she could.  

“Good Morning, Buck! I was wondering when I’d see you again; it’s been a while.” The auburn-haired teen greeted. 

“Hi Julia, it’s always nice to see you. How’s school? Are you living it big on campus?” 

She laughed, “Well, it’s college, and it’s been stressful, but having the independence of not living at home has been fun. And obviously, I come back on weekends to work and do some laundry.”

Buck smiled, “Well, I’m glad to hear you’re doing well.” 

“Thanks, Buck. How about I get you seated then? Do you want your normal spot at the counter?” Julia asked as she turned to grab a menu. 

“Actually, it's a booth. I’ve got a special guest with me today, and we’re also going to need a kids' menu, " the man answered. 

“A kids' menu? Is Jee with you today?” She paused, looking down to see Olivia peek shyly from behind Buck’s legs, “Oh, who’s this little cutie?” 

The little girl giggled as he pulled her forward, lightly holding her shoulders as he introduced her: “This is Olivia. She’s going to be my foster daughter.”

“Foster daughter? Oh, you have some major spilling to do, Buckley.” The young woman paused, gesturing for them to follow, “After I get you and Olivia seated.”

After Buck and Olivia were seated and got their drinks—a coffee and a chocolate milk, respectively—the girl began happily coloring on her paper kids' menu. Once they’d ordered their food, Julia came back, and the man told her about everything that she’d missed. 

Soon, their food arrived, and the hostess went back to her station while Buck helped Olivia cut up her waffles. Of course, the breakfast was delicious, as it always was when he came here. If he could only count on one thing, it was that the food at this restaurant never disappointed. 

“So, Olivia, how was the food?” Buck asked.

“Super yummy! It was the best waffle ever!” The little girl exclaimed happily. 

It definitely seemed like her spirits were significantly raised in comparison to when they’d woken up this morning. Getting some food in her belly probably helped, but he was glad to see that genuine, adorable smile on her face again. 

“You about ready to go home? I was thinking we could make some chocolate chip cookies and watch a show together.” The blue-eyed man suggested. 

Olivia’s eyes shone brightly at the suggestion, “Yeah, let’s do it!” she said, before timidly continuing, “Can we make enough for my friends at the group home too?”

Buck had told her earlier to try not to think too much about the fact that she had to go back there because seeing the girl so sad at the thought of leaving him broke his heart. Olivia was the sweetest little girl because, despite how upset she was to even think about returning to the group home, she was still thinking about the other kids, the friends she’d made. So, of course, the man wasn’t going to deny her that. 

“Yeah, of course, Livy. We’ll make enough cookies to share with everyone,” he assured softly. 

Olivia nodded and smiled, “Okay, can we go now?” 

Buck nodded, and with that, the man paid for the food, thanked the staff, and left a generous tip before leaving. He would have said goodbye to Julia properly; however, the Sunday rush was just beginning, and the restaurant was bustling around them, so he left with a smile and a wave, not distracting the teen too much from her job. 

Buck was happy to see that Olivia’s mood was much higher on the car ride back to the apartment than when they were on their way to breakfast. The girl was even dancing and singing along to a Taylor Swift song while safely buckled in the back seat. 

In the spirit of keeping the energy high, as they entered the apartment and walked to the kitchen, Buck turned on his speaker and continued playing the Spotify playlist he’d been playing in the car. 

“Okay, Olivia, are you ready to make some cookies?” 

“Yeah!” she cheered, only pausing as Buck lifted her to sit on the countertop, “but my apron is dirty. You said we can’t cook without aprons, Buck.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Olivia, I have another apron that should fit you.” 

“You do?”

“Yup, it’s the apron I got for my niece, she likes to bake when she comes here too.” 

The little girl gave a confused look as he began to bend down to open his apron drawer. She asked, “What’s a niece?” 

Oh, that’s right, Olivia hadn’t been part of a stable family long enough to learn about familial relationships… that thought made Buck sad. It also made the man determined to show the little girl what a good family was meant to look like. 

“Well, a niece is the daughter of someone’s sibling. In my case, my niece is my older sister’s daughter,” the curly-haired man explained.

“Oh, okay,” the blonde girl nodded in understanding before changing the subject and asking, “So, what does the apron look like?” 

Buck smiled again as he pulled the apron from the drawer and hid it behind his back. “I think you’ll like it,” he said. 

He revealed Jee’s pink, purple, and white striped apron from behind his back, and Olivia smiled at the frilly neckband and waist tie. He put it over her head and fastened the waist tie around her waist before pulling his own blue and white striped apron. 

The man pulled all the ingredients they needed for the cookies from the cupboard and flipped through the recipe book, trying to find the right page, when Olivia said his name, “Buck?” 

“Yes, Olivia?” He answered, looking up from the book. 

“We need to put my hair up before we start, right?” she asked softly. 

“Yeah, sweetie, we do. I’m gonna find the right page, then I’ll help you with your hair, okay?”

“Okay, Buck.” She smiled, kicking her feet lightly and humming along to the song that was playing. The curly-haired man quickly found the page he was looking for, then helped the girl put her hair into a ponytail. 

“There, now you’re all ready to make some cookies.” Buck chuckled as he grabbed a stool for the girl to stand on. 

This baking experience went much smoother than when they made pancakes yesterday morning. Well, except for when Buck turned the mixer on too high a speed, which sent a plume of flour into his face. This caused Olivia to giggle, which at this point was a sound that he’d very quickly fallen in love with. God, he would miss having her around when she returned to the group home.  

Buck quickly erased the train of thought from his mind; he had told Olivia not to think about it, so he shouldn’t either. 

He sank back into the moment, turning on the mixer again, this time on a slower speed, and watched the ingredients form into a dough. When he turned off the mixer and looked up, Buck caught Olivia sneaking chocolate chips. The girl looked up at him and froze in her tracks, giving him a small smile. 

“It’s okay, Livy. You can take a few. Not too many, though. We still need enough to make all of this cookie dough.” Buck smiled. 

She took a few chocolate chips, eating them slowly. “Can I pour the rest into the bowl?”

“Yeah, of course,” he said, pushing the small bowl of chocolate chips closer to the girl. 

She took it and carefully poured the chocolate chips into the dough, then watched as he mixed them in with a spatula. Buck smiled as he and Olivia shaped the dough into balls, eating small bits of it and placing them on the cookie sheet. Soon, all the cookies were baking in the oven, hands were cleaned, and they danced around the kitchen to 22 by Taylor Swift. 

When the cookies were out of the oven and cooling, and they were both sufficiently danced out, Buck and Olivia retired to the couch to watch the show about snow leopards that she had wanted to watch the night before. The golden-haired girl had been back to her normal, bubbly self for a few hours, but as the pickup time crept ever closer, she became quiet and subdued like she had been before breakfast. 

Olivia stayed close, almost clinging to him as they packed up the cookies and then her bag, getting the girl ready to go to a place Buck knew didn’t feel like home to her anymore. He hated this feeling. 

In hindsight, Buck really should have assumed that, based on Olivia’s reaction to knowing she was leaving this morning, this one would be more difficult. He realized that he may have underestimated what the little girl’s response was going to be when he let Janice into the apartment, and she immediately clung to him like a koala.

Janice looked a bit bewildered despite being experienced with situations like this, but Buck was also aware that there was something different within him and Olivia’s connection. It was deeper, and the curly-haired man knew the kid felt it too. 

“No! I-I don’t wanna leave, I w-wanna stay h-here with you, Buck.” Olivia cried, her hands clinging to the back of his shirt as she hugged him with all her strength.

Buck could feel the little girl’s lip trembling, and it was breaking his heart. He gently loosened her arms and bent down so he’d be face to face with her. Olivia was looking down at the floor, so the Buck softly cupped her cheeks, lifting her head and wiping her tears away.

“Olivia, look at me, sweetie,” he said softly, prompting her to look at him. As soon as she did, and her tear-filled eyes met his, the man immediately had to hold back his own tears. 

“I don’t want you to go either, Livy, but you have to. It’s the rules, baby.”

Olivia huffed, letting a few more tears fall, “Well, I don’t like the rules, they’re dumb.”

Buck tried not to laugh at that and tried to explain further, “Well, even if we don’t like the rules, we have to follow them. The rules are there to keep you safe, honey.” 

He hadn’t noticed Janice kneeling next to them when she spoke, “Olivia, it’s okay, you’ll see Buck again. I promise you will.” 

“Y-you really, really promise.” The little girl whimpered, her voice small and shaky as she looked over at her case worker. 

“Yes, sweet girl, I’ll even pinky promise,” the woman stuck out her pinky in front of Olivia.  “Next time you come, stay with Buck; you won’t have to leave him.” 

Buck watched Olivia’s lips curl into a small smile, her face still wet with tears, as she nodded and linked pinkies with Janince. It reminded him of moments he’d had with Maddie, no matter how big or small the promise was, linking their pinkies together was a reminder of the love and trust they had in each other. It didn’t mean exactly the same thing in this situation, but it still held meaning. The man was shaken from his thoughts when he heard himself being addressed. 

“Mr. Buckley, how about you walk down to the car with us?” Janice prompted. 

He had to clear his throat before speaking, “Uh, yeah, of course, I’d love to.” 

“Carry me?” Olivia requested, looking up at him with pleading, watery eyes that Buck absolutely couldn’t say no to. 

So he picked the blue-eyed girl up, and she clung to him, still quietly crying as they made their way downstairs. Buck tried to soothe Olivia by rubbing her back and telling her that it would be okay, but it didn’t seem to work. By the time they were out of the building and heading to Janice’s car, his shoulder was wet with her tears. Putting her in this car and saying goodbye was the last thing the curly-haired man wanted to do, but he had no choice. 

“Olivia, baby, you have to let go now, it’s time for you to go.” He said softly, trying to control his voice so it wouldn’t shake too much. 

The little girl shook her head, face still pressed into his shoulder. “Mm mm, don’t wanna.”

“I know, sweetie, I don’t want you to go either, but like Janice said, you’ll see me again,” Buck assured. 

She lifted her head from his shoulder and whimpered, “Pinky promise.” 

“Will you get in the car?” the man asked, then waited for an answer. When the girl nodded, he put her in the empty booster seat and bent down, extending his pinky. Once their pinkies were linked, he continued, “Olivia, I promise you’ll see me again, okay?” 

“O-okay, Buck,” Olivia said quietly as she sniffled and wiped her eyes, “See you soon.” 

“See you soon, Livy,” he nearly whispered as he hugged her again briefly.

Buck began to close the car door, then Olivia said, “Wait,” and dug around in he bag for a moment, pulling out the snow leopard plushie that she’d gotten from the zoo and holding it out to him. The man took it. 

“Olivia,” he said softly, using every fiber of his being not to break down in the parking lot, “Are you sure you wanna leave this with me, sweetheart?” 

The little girl nodded and quietly said, “So you’ll remember me.”

And if seeing Olivia cry didn’t break his heart completely, then this was what finished it off, “I have a memory like an elephant, remember? I could never forget you, Olivia.” he paused, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “But I’ll keep this safe for you until you come back, okay?”

They said their goodbyes again, and Buck closed the door to the car, not being stopped this time, and he looked back at Janice, who had watched the whole exchange. He felt like he was about to burst into tears, but somehow just barely managed to hold it together long enough to send the woman off and scurry up to his apartment. 

What was that saying? Having a child is like having your heart walking around outside of your body. Olivia literally wasn’t even his kid yet, but his heart was with her now, driving back to that group home when she really belonged here with him. Buck just sat there on his couch, head in his hands, tears falling, still clutching the stuffed animal as he willed himself not to break down over this fully… he just couldn’t stop crying. 

He was too far in his own head, trying to pull himself together, and he didn’t hear his front door opening or Eddie calling out for him. Buck forgot that Eddie was even coming tonight until the couch dipped, and he felt the warmth of his friend next to him. 

“Eddie?” he whimpered brokenly, looking up at his best friend with sad eyes. 

“What is it, Buck? I’m here for you, okay.” He consoled, rubbing the blue-eyed man’s back.  

Buck leaned into Eddie’s side; he’d usually try not to lean into his friend like this, but the brunette wrapped an arm around him, and he couldn’t help but melt into the man next to him. He needed the comfort. 

They had a quiet moment together, the blue-eyed man tucked under his best friend’s arm, when the man spoke again, he seemed to remember what day it was. “Oh, I think I know what’s making you upset,” he paused, “Olivia just left, huh?”

All Buck could do was nod as he tried to hold back the sob that was threatening to leave his throat. 

“And it’s hitting you harder than expected, isn’t it?” Eddie asked softly. 

The curly-haired man nodded, “Yeah, it’s just… s-she’s not mine, but it feels like she is. She’s supposed to be with me, Eddie. She’s supposed to be with me, not at that group home.” 

“She’s not yours yet, Buck, but she will be.” His friend assured. 

Buck’s voice broke again, choking on the sob he’d been holding back as he responded, “I really hope you’re right, Eds, because I don’t think I can handle another goodbye like that… it would tear me apart.”

Chapter Text

The following two weeks had to be the longest of Buck’s life, and that was including the months of isolation they had during the pandemic. It felt like every day he didn’t get a phone call from Janice, made the time go by slower, no matter what he did to fill it. 

Work was the main distraction; it was a good one, too, that was, when there was actually work to do. On a few of his shifts, the curly-haired man almost dared to utter the q-word because he was so bored. 

It was only something like a few days before Buck took baking up again on the regular. If he was home alone with no one there to distract him, then he baked in an attempt to keep from checking his phone every five minutes to see if anything from Janice had come through. 

And if he wasn’t at home, he was at Eddie’s house, or spending time with Maddie, Jee, and his baby nephew; he loved it, but spending too much time around the kids made him miss Olivia. He even went with Bobby and Athena to check on the new house, which was almost ready to be moved into. Right now, though, Buck was having lunch with Hen and Karen in their backyard on an oddly warm November afternoon. 

Talking to them about this had been helpful because they knew exactly how he felt, even if their situation with Mara differed greatly from his current one. Olivia wasn’t even his foster daughter yet, and Mara was taken from the women when they were about to adopt her. Luckily, even after all the drama surrounding it, they got her back home and adopted. 

So, Buck was just hoping that the bond he already had with his little girl after such a short time would prove helpful in the decision the adoption agency made. 

Buck had just finished showing Hen and Karen all the pictures he’d taken of and with Olivia over the weekend. He was just about to show them his favorite pictures when his phone started ringing. The man’s heart skipped a beat, and he just about dropped his phone when he read the caller ID; it was Janice . 

“Oh my god, it’s the caseworker, sorry guys, I've got to take this!” Buck smiled, excitedly jumping out of his chair. 

“It’s fine, Buck. Go answer it!” Hen urged. 

“You can tell us everything after,” Karen added with a smile, shooing the man towards the house. 

~~~~~~~~~~

He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and answered the phone, “Afternoon, Janice, hope you’re doing well.” 

“Likewise, Mr. Buckley. I have some good news for you this afternoon.” The woman said. 

Good news , Buck’s heart fluttered at the two words. If Janice had good news for him, that only meant one thing…

“Wait, does that mean–?” 

“Yes, she’s yours, Mr. Buckley, you’re officially Olivia’s foster parent now. Well, as soon as I drop her off with you again, that is.” 

The curly-haired man smiled and sighed in relief; he felt like he could start crying with happiness as he asked, “When can you drop her off with me?” 

“As soon as you want,” she answered simply. 

Buck took a moment to consider his schedule for this week. “Let me look at my schedule really quickly.” He paused, pulling the phone away from his ear to look at his schedule before continuing the conversation. “Saturday is the beginning of my four days off. Will that work?” 

“Yes, that would work perfectly. And what time would work best for you, Mr. Buckley?” Janice asked. 

“Sometime in the afternoon would probably be best, just so I have some time to sleep after my shift.” The curly-haired man suggested. 

She thought for a moment before answering, “So would a drop off around 3:00 be good for you then?” 

“Yeah, that would be great!” Buck smiled. 

“Okay, so I’ll see you around 3:00 on Saturday afternoon then, with Olivia, of course.” 

“Thank you, Janice, see you then!” 

“See you then, Mr. Buckley,” the woman said as she hung up the phone. 

~~~~~~~~~~

As the call ended, Buck let out another sigh of relief and had to physically stop himself from letting out an embarrassing squeal of excitement and doing a happy dance in Hen and Karen’s kitchen. He managed not to cry from the happiness of knowing Olivia was coming back to him, but the smile on his face when he rejoined the women outside told them everything they needed to know. 

“It’s official,” he said as he returned to the porch. 

“Judging by your smile, I assume you got good news.” Hen smiled. 

“Yes, very good news! Olivia is officially my foster daughter now!” Buck said excitedly.

They both stood up, gathering the man in a group hug, “Oh, Buck, that’s great! We’re so happy for you!” Karen congratulated. 

The curly-haired man melted a little bit in their arms, happy to have such supportive friends. “Thank you, I am, too; I can’t wait to have her back again. I think saying goodbye to her without knowing for sure if I would see her again was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.” 

“Here’s to hoping you’ll never have to say goodbye like that again. And you already know we’re here if you need anything.” Hen commented as she pulled away and patted his back. 

“Yes, and I can’t thank you enough for all the support you’ve given me already,” Buck said softly. 

Soon, they were all sitting together again, and Buck finished showing them the last of the pictures from the zoo. Spending this time with the two of them made him wonder why he’d never spent much one-on-one time, or he guessed one-on-two time, with Hen and Karen before, because he really enjoyed it. 

Later that afternoon, as Buck hugged Hen and Karen goodbye, he told himself he’d try to hang out with them more often. He thanked them for being there for him and told them he was glad he’d gotten to share this moment with them. Of course, the women were touched by the sentiment and told him to bring Olivia over as soon as she felt comfortable. 

As he walked out to the car, he texted Maddie to see if she was home and if he could come by. His sister answered quickly that they weren’t doing anything and that Buck could come over. She asked why Buck wanted to come over randomly, but he didn’t answer the text as he had started driving; he didn’t want to waste any time, he just couldn’t wait to tell his sister the good news. 

When he arrived, Maddie let him in. “So, why did you just text me randomly to ask if you could come over? Is there something wrong?” 

“What? I can’t just drop by my sister’s house for an impromptu visit on my day off?” the curly-haired man asked playfully as he pulled the woman into a hug. 

“Well, you do have a habit of showing up at my home or work unannounced when you are going through emotional turmoil.”

Buck opened his mouth as if he were going to retort to Maddie’s statement, but he realized what she said was kind of true; it wasn’t today, though. “Well, I’m not in emotional turmoil today, Maddie. I got some really good news, and I wanted to share it with you in person.”

“Oh, that’s a relief. So, what’s the–” She was cut off by the sound of small feet padding across the hardwood floor and an excited squeal.

“Uncle Buck!” Jee cheered in excitement at the sight of the man, as she ran towards him and jumped into his arms. 

The blue-eyed man smiled brightly and caught his niece, pulling her into a hug. “Hi, princess, how’s my favorite girl?”

The little girl giggled, “It was good, Uncle Buck. I played with my friends at school, a-and daddy picked me up and,” she paused, whispering the next part into his ear, “we went to the candy store.” 

“Oh really? That sounds fun.” Buck paused, then whispered to Jee, “If you share some candy with me after dinner, I won’t tell your mom.” 

He stuck out a pinky, his niece clasping their pinkies together with a smile before gasping and looking over at her mom. “Mommy! Can Uncle Buck pleeaaase stay for dinner?” 

Maddie chuckled, watching them with a warm smile and a light laugh. “It’s funny that you two think I can’t hear your whispering when you’re standing right in front of me. And yes, sweetie, Uncle Buck can stay for dinner if he wants to.” 

Jee’s attention was promptly back on him as she asked, “Will you stay for dinner, Uncle Buck?” with the biggest, sweetest puppy dog eyes the man could never say no to. 

“Yes, Jee, I’ll stay for dinner. After all, I still have big news to share!” he said happily.

“What’s this I hear about big news?” Chimney asked as he came into the room holding his nephew. 

Jee started to wiggle around in his hold, so he set her gently on the ground, and she ran off to a different room. “How about we move this conversation to the kitchen? I can help with dinner.” 

They walked into the kitchen and started making dinner. At one point, Chimney insisted that he help Maddie with dinner while Buck held the baby because he was the guest. The curly-haired man wasn’t about to argue with that; he loved holding his nephew and making the baby boy smile. 

“So, Buck, how long are you going to wait to tell us about this big news you mentioned?” Maddie asked as she turned what was in the stove down to a simmer. 

Buck looked up, “I finally got the call from the social worker earlier this afternoon when I was having lunch with Hen and Karen.” He paused momentarily, the smile growing on his face again, “Olivia is officially going to be my foster daughter, I’m getting her back on Saturday.” 

He watched Maddie’s face break into a large, warm smile. “Oh, Buck, that’s great!” She exclaimed as she took the baby from him and put the boy into the baby swing so that she could wrap him in another hug. “I’m so happy for you!” 

The blue-eyed man sighed and melted into his sister’s embrace as much as he could without knocking her over. Sometimes he felt like a kid again when wrapped in her arms.

“I’m happy too, Maddie, so unbelievably happy and relieved that I’m getting her back,” Buck said softly.

 When Maddie let go of him and stepped back, Chimney clapped him on the back, smiling as he teased, “So, you won’t be moping around the station anymore, then?” 

The curly-haired man laughed, “No, Chim, no more moping, I’m too happy for that now.” 

His friend laughed, “Seriously though, man, I’m happy for you!” 

“Thanks, Chim. I can’t wait for you guys to meet her. I’m sure she’ll love you guys.” 

“Oh, I know she will. I fully intend on achieving favorite uncle status by any means possible.” His brother-in-law smirked. 

They all laughed, then continued talking as they returned to cooking, finishing quickly. Buck set the table as Chimney got Jee from her room, and Maddie brought the food to the table. Dinner was great; he loved spending time with Maddie, Chim, and the kids. The man was always happy to listen to his sister’s stories from dispatch and his niece’s stories from pre-school. 

After dinner was done, Buck insisted that he wash the dishes since he was invited on such short notice, so that’s what he did. He finished the dishes quickly and shared a little bit of candy with Jee before saying his goodbyes to her and Maddie, complete with hugs and forehead kisses. 

Buck left with a pat on the back from Chimney and a see you tomorrow, as they’d see each other on shift the next day. On his drive home, the man decided he couldn’t wait to share the news, so he called Bobby, then Eddie, to tell them that he was getting Olivia back. They were both happy for him and teased, saying they were glad that on his next shift, he wouldn’t be moping around like a sad puppy. 

He was happy that his team and family were all so supportive of his decision, and Buck couldn’t be happier about it either. He never thought he’d see Olivia after that first night at the group home, but here he was. The next time he saw her, she was going to be his foster daughter. Now she’d have the family she deserved. 

~~~Later that Week~~~

Buck found himself pacing his living room, once again counting the minutes until Olivia arrived. The only difference was that there wasn’t an end date to her stay this time, and he couldn’t be happier for that fact. He’d even been crossing out the days on his calendar like a kid counting down to Christmas or their birthday since he got the call. 

By the time a knock came at his door, Buck was practically vibrating out of his skin with happiness and excitement. But, for how excited he was for this, Olivia was about 10 times more so. As soon as the curly-haired man opened the door, the little girl basically jumped into his arms and clung to him.

Olivia immediately nuzzled her face into his shoulder and whispered, “I missed you so much, Buck.”

The man brought a hand up to the girl’s soft, golden blonde hair and stroked it gently as he whispered, “I missed you too, Olivia, so, so much.” 

After a minute, Buck stepped out of the doorway, letting Janice in. “Hi Janice, sorry, come on in. You can put Olivia’s bags down next to the door; I’ll take them to her room later.” 

“Alright,” the woman smiled as she put the bags down next to the door. “There are just a few things to discuss, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“That sounds good. Follow me to the living room. We can talk there,” Buck smiled, gesturing for the case worker to follow him. 

The three of them sat together on the couch, Olivia on his lap, still clinging to him as Janice explained how this fostering period would work. Buck would basically have all the responsibility for her as a biological parent would, just without the official legal title. 

For the most part, the woman had no concerns about Olivia being with Buck. Their immediate connection was a very strong point in the case of an eventual adoption. However, one thing concerned Janice, which was understandably how unpredictable his work hours could be. 

He dispelled her worries, quickly explaining that he had a very strong support system and that there were many people in his life whom he could trust to keep Olivia safe when he couldn’t. Janice was very happy to hear that the man had so many trusted individuals in his life to help him when he needed it. 

Soon, Janice had given Buck all the information and paperwork he needed and was heading out. He walked the woman to the door, promising to go down to the school on Monday and update the emergency contact list, with Olivia trailing them.

Once the front door was closed, he turned to face the little girl, smiling at her, “Well, it’s just you and me, kid,” Buck said, just like the first time she stayed with him. 

Her smile widened, and he continued, “How about we unpack your bags, Livy, and get all your stuff put away?”

“Okay, Buck,” She said happily as she grabbed her school bag and skipped down the hall to her room.

The curly-haired man was still so giddy about having Olivia back that he almost skipped down the hall behind her. With the two small duffle bags in hand, he walked into the room, seeing that the girl had neatly placed her backpack and shoes next to the door and made herself comfortable sitting on the edge of the bed, kicking her feet as she waited for him. 

He set the bags down on the dresser and took out the clothes, putting them into piles. Most of the clothing Buck pulled out looked like hand-me-downs; the few shirts, pairs of pants, pajamas, and jackets that Olivia had come with looked like at least one kid had gone through them already. And he hadn’t noticed before, but the girl’s shoes were looking pretty worn out too. 

It made Buck sad to think that the only things that Olivia had that never belonged to anyone else were the two stuffed animals he’d bought from the zoo and the ratty old cat stuffed animal she’s probably had since she was a baby. 

He thought about that as he asked the blue-eyed girl what drawers she wanted her things to be packed away in, and he decided that tomorrow he’d take Olivia on a shopping spree. It may hurt his credit score, but whatever, they were celebrating, and she deserved to have some fresh new clothes and shoes to start off this new chapter in her life.

The unpacking took quite a bit more time than expected; the girl didn’t even have that much stuff. However, Buck was a very easily distracted man; he kept stopping to listen to Olivia’s stories about school. He was also happy to hear from her that all the kids at the group home enjoyed the cookies they’d made. 

Something that probably should have taken like 15 minutes ended up taking almost an hour. That was fine, though they didn’t have any plans tonight, so he was content to just sit and listen to the girl speak all afternoon. 

A little while later, Buck and Olivia were in the kitchen, chattering away as he showed her how to shape meatballs. He decided that he wanted to make spaghetti with homemade meatballs for dinner. The little girl, however, wasn’t very keen on touching the raw meat, so she just ended up watching. 

Buck couldn’t hear the knock at his door or the scrape of his best friend’s key in the lock over his and Olivia’s conversation, and the music playing quietly in the background. In fact, he'd completely forgotten about movie night until he was standing there staring at Chris and Eddie in his kitchen. 

“Oh shi-” Buck caught himself before he said the swear word in front of a five-year-old, “Shoot, tonight’s movie night.” 

Chris gave him this confused and slightly disappointed look… ouch . Then he felt Olivia slink off the stool and hide behind his legs, double ouch, he thought as he patted the girl’s head. 

They’d had this movie night with Chris planned for at least two weeks, and although he had a very valid reason for forgetting, Buck still felt bad.

“I forgot that you said you were getting Olivia back today. If it’s going to be too overwhelming for her, we can do a raincheck.” Eddie offered. 

The thing was, Buck probably would have agreed with Eddie if it had only been him coming for movie night, but Chris was there too. The teen usually always had plans with friends on Saturdays, but today he had agreed to a movie night with them. The curly-haired man couldn’t cancel; he really didn’t want to. 

“No, no, we don’t have to cancel. There’s plenty of food for all of us,” he paused for a moment, looking down at Olivia, who was staring back up at him with wide eyes, “I just need to talk to Olivia for a couple of minutes, so you two go ahead and make yourselves comfortable on the couch.” 

Eddie nodded and led Chris into the living room as Buck turned towards Olivia, lifting her up and setting her on the counter. She was looking down at her lap shyly until the man gently lifted her chin. 

“Olivia, sweetie, look at me.” Buck waited a moment for her to look at him before he continued, “Having people that you don’t know come in unannounced made you a bit nervous, huh?”

“Yeah,” she said quietly, “Sorry.” 

“Oh, sweetheart, you don’t have to apologize. It’s okay to be nervous around new people, but I promise you, Eddie and Chris are really nice, you’ll like them.”

“Pinky promise?” Olivia asked as she held her pinky out. 

Buck smiled warmly, linking their pinkies together, and watched her smile return. “Are you ready to go meet them now?” he asked softly. 

She nodded and quietly asked, “Will you carry me?”

Buck chuckled lightly and swooped Olivia up in his arms, causing the girl to giggle as they walked towards the living room where Chris and Eddie were. When they entered the room, Chris and Eddie looked at them, and Olivia hid her face shyly in Buck’s shoulder. 

“It’s okay, baby girl,” Buck whispered, gently coaxing the girl to look at the people on the couch. 

The curly-haired man moved further into the room. As he looked up, Buck noticed Eddie giving them an unfamiliar look; it was like his whole face softened. The man just figured that his friend was looking at Olivia; she was pretty cute after all, and he wouldn’t blame Eddie for softening at the sight of her. 

Buck pushed the coffee table back a little bit, sitting across from Chris and Eddie. He and the other man’s knees brushed, and the closeness wasn’t an out-of-the-ordinary thing for them… Yet it just seemed like he blushed every time his best friend touched him lately. 

Buck shook himself from his thoughts, getting back to the task at hand, introducing Olivia to two of the most important people in his life. 

“Olivia, this is Eddie and Chris,” the man said, gesturing to each of them as he said their names. 

The little girl looked between the man and the teen on the couch, shyly saying, “Hi.” 

They both smiled softly at the girl as Eddie said, “Hi Olivia, it’s nice to meet you.” He paused momentarily, “Buck has told us a lot about you.” 

She looked at Buck, then back to Eddie, “He has?” She asked. 

“Oh yeah, every day you were gone, he talked about how awesome of a kid you are and how much he missed you.”

Eddie then leaned closer, as if he were going to tell the little girl a secret, unintentionally sliding one of his legs between Buck’s thighs a little bit. The curly-haired man was stuck between being frozen in place to avoid his best friend’s knee brushing his inner thigh, and full-on melting into the floor at how soft the brunette was with Olivia. Buck hadn’t paid much attention to what Eddie had actually said to the girl, only being pulled back into the moment from his thoughts when he heard that adorable giggle that he loved so much. 

“What’s got you so giggly, Livy girl?” Buck asked, smiling.

She smiled up at him, “Nothin’”

The curly-haired man looked up at his friend, Eddie, simply gesturing that his lips were sealed with a mischievous smirk. A smirk that Buck loved when it wasn’t directed at him. “Seems like you got on Olivia’s good side already, Eds,” Buck said happily, “So, what did you say that made her laugh?” 

“Who? Me?” Eddie asked innocently. “I didn’t say anything.” He said, the smirk on his face as he shrugged nonchalantly.

Buck looked at Olivia, who just giggled again and shrugged, mirroring Eddie, and seeming to play along with the man’s antics. Buck did not like to be left out of the loop. However, he was happy to see Olivia already warming up to Eddie so much. As far as being left out of the loop, though, he did have a trick up his sleeve… bribery . 

“Hey Chris, I’ll give you 10 dollars if you tell me what your dad told Olivia to make her laugh.” Buck offered. 

“You’re really so desperate to know what I said when you weren’t paying attention that you’re going to bribe my son to tell you?” Eddie questioned. 

“Yes, Edmundo, because you’ve left me no choice… So, what do you say, Christopher?” 

The teen was snickering under his breath at the, quite frankly, ridiculous situation unfolding before him, yet he played along, “I don’t know Buck, you might have to sweeten the deal if you want me to talk.”

Buck squinted his eyes at the teen, Sweeten the deal, huh? Oh, he could sweeten the deal alright, make it something the teen could never deny.

“Okay, Chris, what would you say to 15 dollars and a batch of my famous chocolate chip cookies?” He offered again, smirking, knowing he’d found the boy’s weak spot.

Chris gasped quietly, looking between Buck and Eddie. He looked torn, shaking his head and sighing, “Okay, I’ll tell you what he said, but you have to give me the 15 dollars first.” 

Buck huffed and dug in his pocket, finding the 15 dollars he was looking for, and he gave it to the teen, “Okay, buddy, I’ll drop the cookies off at your house tomorrow, time to spill.” 

“He said you were acting like an excited puppy all week, waiting for today,” Chris said. 

The curly-haired man blushed at the comment, and Olivia giggled again as Eddie put a hand over his heart and dramatically said, “Wow, betrayed my son, my own flesh and blood. You’ve wounded me, Christopher, you’ve wounded me.” 

“Eds, I think you have to maybe tone it back on the telenovelas.” Buck chuckled. 

The brunette huffed and the teen rolled his eyes, “Dad, you know I can’t say no to Buck’s chocolate chip cookies. They’re my favorite!” 

The blue-eyed man was still chuckling when he felt Olivia poke his cheek to get his attention. “What’s up, Olivia?” 

“Buck, do I get cookies too?” Olivia asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes up at him. 

Of course, he had never planned on denying the little girl cookies, but she’d have to earn them. “Of course, you get some cookies too, sweetheart. You’ll get to help me make them.” 

“Yay!” the little girl cheered. 

“Okay, how about we all go in the kitchen so I can finish making those meatballs and get them in the oven,” Buck suggested.

“And while you’re doing that, we can decide what movie to watch.” Chris smiled as he stood up. “Come on, Olivia, let’s go sit at the table; I can show you all the choices.” 

Olivia looked up at Buck as if she was asking for permission to go with Chris as he headed toward the doorway, “Go ahead, Olivia, go with Chris and help him choose a movie.”

Buck helped Olivia off his lap and watched her catch up with the teen as they entered the kitchen. He and Eddie could just barely see Olivia pulling out a chair for Chris from the arch doorway. The blue-eyed man knew she’d warm up to them quickly, but he never imagined it would happen this quickly. 

The curly-haired man was knocked out of his thoughts, this time by Eddie’s knee lightly hitting his inner thigh, as if the man were trying to get his attention. When Buck looked up, his friend’s soft smile turned into something like a smirk. 

Then, teasingly, he asked, “So, Buck, if I were to bat my eyelashes at you like Olivia did, would that mean that I get cookies too?”

Before Buck even had a moment to fathom his answer to Eddie’s question, the man was honest to god batting his beautiful, long, dark, luscious eyelashes at him, and he couldn’t breathe. What exactly was he supposed to do with himself? Buck was surprised that his jaw wasn’t on the floor as he watched his best friend stand up, wink at him , and leave the room. 

What the hell just happened?

If he didn’t know any better, and if it weren’t Eddie Diaz, Buck would have been sure the man was flirting with him. But it was Eddie… his best friend and work partner, Edmundo Diaz, there was now freaking way the man was actually flirting with him. Okay, he had to calm down and pull himself together because now Chris was calling him from the kitchen. 

“Buck! You’d better get back in here before Dad messes up the meatballs!” 

The blue-eyed man took a deep breath and stood up, shaking off his shock as he walked to the kitchen, hoping that his cheeks were no longer burning with a blush.

“Hands off Diaz,” he said, smiling as he washed his hands and flicked water at his friend, effectively getting him to step away from the counter and sit at the table with the kids.  

As Buck continued preparing dinner for the group, they had a lively discussion about what movie should be chosen. It was an ongoing debate until the food was brought to the table. Eventually, it was decided that they’d watch Monsters Inc. because Olivia had never seen it, and according to Chris, it was “a crime that no one had shown it to her yet.” 

After that was all settled, they all tucked into their plates of spaghetti and meatballs; the meal, to Buck’s delight, was rated a 10/10 across the board, even receiving a chef’s kiss from Eddie. In his humble opinion, the meal came out great, from the perfectly cooked meatballs to the delicious cheesy garlic bread.

Buck didn’t talk much as they ate, and he had been quite content to just listen to Chris and Olivia’s stories from the past week at school. This was really nice, actually, just the four of them gathered around the dinner table, eating together like a family. It was something Buck would always love to have. 

When everyone was finished eating, Eddie insisted on helping with the cleanup. So Buck let his friend wash the dishes, passing him the pots and pans as he packed away the leftovers into the fridge. They worked together as seamlessly as they always would, quickly and efficiently getting the kitchen cleaned up.

Once Eddie had finished washing the dishes, Buck thanked and shooed his best friend, as well as Chris and Olivia, to the living room to get comfortable as he finished preparing the popcorn. He was just waiting for the last bag of popcorn to finish popping in the microwave when he felt a little hand tug at the hem of his shirt. He knew immediately that it was Olivia. 

“Something wrong, Livy? I thought you wanted to get the most comfy spot on the couch.”

“Nothin’s wrong, Buck,” she said quietly before asking, “Can I help?” as she pointed at one of the bowls of popcorn on the counter. 

Buck smiled, “Of course you can, sweet girl. I’m just waiting for the last bag to finish popping.

About a minute later, the microwave went off, and the man quickly took the bag and poured its contents into one of the bowls. He grabbed a bowl off the counter and crouched to Olivia’s level to hand it to her. 

“Okay, you got it right? It’s not too heavy?” Buck checked. 

“Yup, not too heavy, Buck! I’ve got it,” the girl smiled. 

“Good, you go ahead and bring the bowl to the living room, then just be careful not to spill any,” he directed.

The little girl nodded, and Buck watched as she walked towards the living room with the large bowl of popcorn. Olivia cheered as she went through the doorway, “Eddie, Chris, I have the popcorn!”

Buck listened as they cheered for the popcorn, causing Olivia to giggle once again, and he felt warmth spread through his chest as he walked to the couch with the second bowl. Eddie had taken his spot on the far left side of the couch with Chris sitting next to him, and Olivia had made herself comfortable sitting next to Chris, which left Buck the spot on the right side of the couch.

They watched Monsters Inc., squished on the couch together, and Buck couldn’t be happier.

Although he had to admit that for part of the movie, he was fairly distracted because at some point Eddie had yawned and stretched his arm across the back of the couch, and now the brunette’s fingers were lightly brushing against his shoulder. Buck looked over at his best friend, only to be met with a soft smile that almost made him want to melt all over again. 

By the end of the movie, his best friend’s hand had remained in place, still barely brushing his shoulder. Buck smiled softly at the scene before him, Chris and Eddie laughing about a funny scene they’d forgotten about as the credits rolled, and Olivia cuddled into his side, dozing off. 

He stroked the little girl’s soft, golden hair. “Did you like the movie, Livy?” he asked in a near whisper. 

Olivia’s eyelids fluttered as she sleepily slurred, “Was good, Buck… mmm sleepy.”

“You can sleep, baby girl, I’m not going anywhere,” Buck said, kissing the girl’s head.

Chapter Text

When Buck woke up in the morning, it was to Olivia lying beside him, smiling at him bright and early at 7:00 am on a Sunday. She must have snuck in when he was still sleeping. The man couldn’t quite fathom how she was always up so early, yet he couldn’t help but smile right back at her. The last time she did this was the day she was going back to the group home. She was sad and he was heartbroken, but today was different. 

Today wasn’t the end of their time together; instead, today was only the beginning of a new chapter that Buck couldn’t be happier about. 

Buck quietly groaned as he stretched, his body making a plethora of popping sounds. Ah, the joys of aging, he thought as he looked over at the smiling child and pulled her closer. Olivia hummed contentedly and wiggled as close to him as humanly possible. He chuckled, rubbed the girl’s back gently, and let a comfortable silence stretch between them. 

Eventually, Buck broke the silence softly, “How’d you sleep, Olivia?” 

“Mmm good,” she hummed as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

“You really love your cuddles, don’t you, baby girl?” The curly-haired man asked. 

“Mhm, you’re nice and warm, Buck,” Olivia mumbled. 

“Ah, I see,” Buck said teasingly, “So you only like me for my warmth and cuddles.”

“Uh uh,” She countered, now sounding more awake as she tightly wrapped her little arms around the man. “I like you a lot, Buck, you’re like my most favorite person in the whole wide world!” 

And Buck… he was rendered speechless for a moment, he wasn’t gonna cry, he wasn’t gonna cry . It’s just, Olivia said, he was her favorite person, and that made the man’s heart melt into a mess ooye, gooey, sappy feelings that he didn’t quite know what to do with at the moment. He felt as if he opened his mouth right now, all the gooey sap in his chest would spill out of his mouth and all over the bed, but he had to say something eventually. 

“Oh, my sweet Livy girl, you’re my favorite person in the whole entire world, too, you know that,” he said, trying his best not to sound like he might burst into tears. 

Olivia smiled widely and giggled, “Really, Buck, I’m your favorite?” 

Realistically, Buck couldn’t pick a true favorite person to save his life. It was actually impossible because Chris and Eddie already shared the number one spot, and now, Olivia was going to be right up there with them. But he didn’t really know how to explain that to a five-year-old, so he just answered, “Yup, you’re my number one, Olivia!”

Then the curly-haired man turned over onto his back, pulling the little girl with him so she was lying on his chest as he playfully chanted, “You are number one, you are number one!” 

The golden-haired girl laughed joyously, squealing, “Buck, you’re so silly!” 

He waited a minute for the girl to calm down before asking, “Do you want to hear about the plans for today, Olivia?” 

Olivia’s eyes shone with happiness. “Are we going to the zoo again?!” she asked excitedly. 

“No, honey, we’re not going to the zoo, but I think you’ll still like what I have planned.” 

“What is it, Buck?” 

“Well, I was thinking that after we get up and ready for the day, we could go out for breakfast. Then I’ll take you shopping, and you can pick out some new clothes and shoes and maybe even a toy or two," he suggested. 

“Really!” Olivia gasped, tightly hugging the man, “Thank you, Buck!”

“Of course, sweet girl, we have to celebrate you coming back to stay with me. I thought this would be the perfect way to do so.” Buck smiled.

“I’m so excited!” The little girl squealed, then she gasped, her whole face lighting up with the idea she’d come up with. “Buck! Can Eddie and Chris come with us to breakfast?” 

He had known that Olivia liked Eddie and Chris, judging by how quickly she had warmed up to them last night, but he wasn’t expecting this. Buck was sure that it would have taken a few visits with them before she started asking to see them. He thought it was cute that she already wanted to see them again. 

Unfortunately, as much as Buck loved the idea of inviting Chris and Eddie along to breakfast, he knew that even if his friend wanted to join them, the teen wouldn’t be up before 9:30. He also knew that Chris had plans with a friend to work on a school project, Eddie had to go grocery shopping and do chores, and that later that evening they were going to Pepa’s house for dinner. 

The curly-haired man would usually join them for Sunday dinner at Pepa’s. However, he didn’t want to overwhelm Olivia, and he felt like being out all day and then going to meet someone new might be too much for the girl to handle. He just had to remember to tell Eddie to let Pepa know he couldn’t make it tonight. 

“I wish they could, Livy. But they’re busy today, and unlike you, Chris doesn’t like waking up early; he’s not a morning person.” Buck said.

“So they can’t come to breakfast with us?” Olivia asked, looking down at Buck with a small pout from where she was sitting on his chest. 

“No baby girl, just you and me for today.” He paused then continued, “It’s better this way anyway, Chris would just be grumpy and tired the whole time… but don’t worry, we’ll see them soon.” 

She giggled at his teasing remark about the teen but still questioned, “You promise, Buck?”

The curly-haired man did his best not to chuckle at the little girl wanting him to promise they’d see Eddie and Chris again soon. Of course, she loved them already, and Buck didn’t blame her either; he felt like it was impossible not to love those two. 

Even thinking about the day he’d met Eddie, Buck remembered how quickly he’d warmed up to the man after being so cold to him at the beginning of the shift. They went from 0-100 in their friendship at the speed of light, so he wasn’t really surprised that the brunette had won her over so quickly. 

“Yes, Olivia, I promise. I never go too long without seeing Eddie, he’s my best friend.” 

“And Chris?” She asked.

That one would be a little harder… “Well, Chris isn’t always there when Eddie and I hang out, Livy, sometimes he’s busy with his friends or school and can’t be there.” 

“Oh, okay.” The little girl frowned. 

Buck had to wipe the frown off that adorable face immediately. “I’ll text Eddie and let him know that you want to see them soon, okay? We’ll plan something fun, or maybe have another movie night.” 

“Okay, Buck.” She answered softly before looking around the room, her eyes catching on something that made the slight smile on her face brighten exponentially. 

He followed Olivia’s line of sight and saw that she was looking at the snow leopard stuffed animal she’d wanted him to keep to remember her when she left a few weeks ago. She climbed off of him, pulling the toy off the dresser, hugging it close to her chest as she turned to look at him again. 

“You kept it safe for me.” Olivia nearly whispered, her eyes sparkling like the ocean. 

Buck smiled as he got out of bed and swooped her into his arms, “Well, of course I did. I pinky promised, remember.”

“Uh-huh,” The little girl giggled as she threw her arms around the man and hugged him again. He let the moment settle around them as he hugged her back. 

“What do you say we get ready for the day now, hmm?” the curly-haired man asked softly.

“Yeah, let’s do it!” Olivia said excitedly. 

With that, Buck and Olivia went to get ready for the day, still quite a bit earlier than he’d honestly prefer for a Sunday morning, but it was fine. They’d go to bed early tonight on account of it being a school night… which was a whole other can of worms that Buck would deal with later.  

For now, he pushed that to the back of his head, just wanting to think about how he would be using today to absolutely spoil Olivia rotten. It took them about an hour to get ready, from showering to getting dressed and almost out the door. Buck was quite proud of the braided pigtails that he put Olivia’s hair into; they didn’t even look messy, and she looked precious. 

Buck took Olivia to the same breakfast spot that they’d gone to together a few weeks ago. What could he say? It was his favorite and, naturally, his first choice. When they arrived, after a lively car ride filled with laughter and off-key singing, Julia greeted them, happy to see the little girl with him again.  

“Good morning, Buck, nice to see you again!” the auburn-haired teen greeted, “Shall I get you set up in your normal spot today?” 

“Good morning, Julia, and nope, we’ll take the booth today.” He smiled, “Olivia, you remember Julia from the last time we came, right?” 

Olivia nodded and smiled at the teen, “Hi, Julia!” 

Julia smiled down at the girl, grabbing a kids' menu and some crayons, “Hi Olivia. How about we get you two seated, yeah?”

The teen sat them at a small two-person table booth, chatting with Buck for a few minutes before returning to her station at the front of the restaurant to greet the customers walking through the door. 

When he first started coming to this restaurant, the blue-eyed man liked to try something different almost every time he came in, working through the menu slowly. By now, Buck had tried everything, even being the guinea pig for new items that they added to the menu, which he was honored to do. But he definitely had his go-tos, one of them being the breakfast burrito. It was glorious and always had the perfect ratios of all the fillings. 

Olivia was also happy with her food, getting a waffle again, like the last time they came, and Buck was happy to see the girl come out of her shell this time, too. When they walked into the restaurant, she said hi to Julia, and she impressed Buck by politely ordering her own breakfast when the server came around to take their order. 

After breakfast, as they walked out to the car together, hand-in-hand, Olivia asked about Eddie again, “Buck, did you remember to text Eddie?” 

“No, honey, I didn’t want to wake him earlier.” Buck explained, assuming that Eddie would have been asleep a bit later than usual, seeing as they’d stayed up late watching Chris’s original movie choice after Buck had put Olivia to bed last night, “I’ll text Eddie when we get to the car, okay?” 

“Okay,” the girl smiled. 

When they got to the Jeep, Buck helped Olivia in and made sure she was buckled in safely before sliding into his own seat and pulling out his phone to text his friend. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Buck: Hey, Eddie. You awake?

Eddie: Yeah been up for a while, what’s up?

Buck: Nothing

Buck: Olivia wanted me to let you know that she misses you and Chris already and wants to see you again soon

Eddie: 🥺🥹

Eddie: Really? That’s so sweet! We’ll have to plan something soon. 

Buck: Definitely, I knew she’d warm up to you guys quick! Good luck grocery shopping without me. 

Buck: Also, could you tell Pepa that I can’t make it to dinner tonight? I don’t want to overwhelm Olivia. 

Eddie: Ugh 🙄don’t remind me… 

Eddie: And yes, I can let Pepa know that you can’t make it tonight. But you'd better come next week or she’ll get worried. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Buck laughed at the second-to-last text because Eddie hated grocery shopping alone. The curly-haired man would often accompany him and shop for himself, but not today. He put the laughing emoji reaction on that message and a thumbs up and praying hands emoji on the last one before putting his phone down, buckling up, and starting the car.

Their first stop on the shopping spree was Target. Buck loved Target; in fact, it had to be his favorite store. He’d go there on a day off and walk around with a Starbucks drink and a basket. Sometimes, he’d be there for an hour just meandering about, smelling candles, and not buying anything other than a candy bar at the checkout. 

The store had basically everything someone could need, so it was the perfect place to start. They could look at clothes first, then shoes, and then venture back to the toy section. If Buck was being honest, Target was definitely one of his happy places. He just hoped that Olivia would love it, too. 

When they arrived at the Target parking lot, to Buck’s surprise, there was actually a spot closer to the front. That must be a good omen (or it was just because the store was just opening for the day) . Either way, the man was happy for the good parking karma.

After safely parking the Jeep, Buck turned around the front seat and smiled, “Okay, Olivia, you ready?” 

“Yup!” she answered excitedly as she unbuckled her seatbelt, “I wanna get new clothes!”

“Off we go then!” Buck said as he unbuckled and opened the door. 

As they walked into the store together, Buck was still gently holding Olivia’s hand, and as they looked around, his eyes landed on the in-store Starbucks. In that moment, he decided he wanted to share his Target tradition with the little girl. 

“Olivia, have you ever been to a Starbucks?” Buck asked, even though he knew she likely hadn’t.

“No, what’s St-Starbucks? Olivia asked curiously.

“Starbucks is a coffee shop, but they also have other fun drinks and food.” Buck pointed to the Starbucks. “There’s one right here inside the Target, and I always get a drink to drink while walking around, " the man explained. 

“Oh, okay… are you getting one today?”

“I don’t know, I was thinking about it though. Are you up for trying something new?” Buck asked softly.

“Yeah, Buck, I wanna try one! Can I get one too?”

Buck smiled softly, “Yeah, of course, sweetie. Let’s go over there and find you something good.” 

“Yay!” Olivia cheered as they walked towards the Starbucks area. 

When they got up to the counter, Buck ordered one of his go-tos for himself, the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher, with light ice, of course, because otherwise, half the drink ends up being ice. 

When it came to what he should get for Olivia, he wasn’t sure what he should do. He’d thought about a refresher for her, but he’d heard from someone that they had caffeine in them, so to stay on the side of caution and not accidentally caffeinating a high-energy five-year-old, Buck decided to take the safe choice. The choice was to ask the friendly barista behind the counter what the best drink choice for a kid would be that doesn’t have any caffeine in it. 

She offered the choices, and Buck decided to go with the Blended Strawberry Lemonade for Olivia. He figured that it would be something like a smoothie or a slushy; it sounded enjoyable to him, so he was sure the little girl would like it. The man would usually get himself a venti-size drink, but since he was with Olivia this time, he just ordered both of them Grandes for the spirit of fairness. 

After a few minutes, their drinks were ready, and Buck’s name was called. He grabbed the drinks and thanked the barista before handing Olivia her drink with a straw. He watched as the little girl took a sip. Her eyes lit up as she tasted it. “Mmmm, this is really yummy! Thank you, Buck!” she exclaimed. 

“You’re very welcome, Livy. Now, let’s get shopping, yeah?” 

Olivia nodded her head vigorously as she took another long sip of her drink. Buck made sure she stayed close as they went together to get a cart. Buck looked down at the blue-eyed girl for a moment and admired how adorable she looked with her golden blonde braids, holding her Starbucks drink carefully with both of her hands. 

“Okay, Olivia, do you want to ride in the cart or walk around with me?” Buck asked. 

She thought for a moment, then answered, “Um, can I sit in the cart while I’m drinkin’ my drink and walk with you when I’m done?” 

“Yeah, honey, that’s okay. Come here, I’ll help you get in the cart,” the blue-eyed man said. Olivia came to him, and he lifted her into the back of the cart. She sat down, and Buck continued, “There we go. All set, off we go to look at some clothes.” 

When they walked towards the kids' clothing section, Buck could tell Olivia was excited by all the choices. They spent a decent amount of time walking around slowly, looking at clothes and picking out things that she wanted to try on. He said yes to practically everything that the girl wanted to try on, which was a lot … the man hoped that once she tried stuff on, she’d realize she didn’t want every piece of clothing she’d picked out.

Also, to Buck’s surprise, because he didn’t think it would be possible yet , he did actually say no to a couple of the things she’d pointed out.

Those particular items were a long-sleeved crop top and a cropped zip-up hoodie. Because why… just why? It made no sense to the man why people would make cropped clothing for literal children. And yeah, he got that cropped clothing, which was a big part of mainstream fashion, but it wasn’t one that kids who haven’t even reached double digits had to partake in.

It certainly wasn’t one that he’d be letting his daugh–… wasn’t one he’d be letting Olivia partake in anytime soon. For Christ’s sake, she’s a five-year-old girl; she doesn’t need to be showing her midriff to everyone when she’s just barely learning to write.

Buck wasn’t exactly sure why he was getting so heated about this, even if it was all in his brain and it wasn’t actually being said to anyone. Also, he wasn’t a prude, like people can wear whatever they feel comfortable in, and he wasn’t actually against people wearing crop tops in general. It was fine for adults and teens, and if Olivia wanted to wear one when she was older, that would be fine, but for now, it was a hard no. 

Having to say no to Olivia wasn’t too big of a concern; she was a pretty chill kid after all. In the time he’d spent with her so far, she hadn’t made a big fuss about anything other than having to leave him, and she wouldn’t be doing that anytime soon. 

So after they finally finished looking through the whole section, they went to the changing rooms where Olivia put on a little fashion show for Buck to show him all the stuff she’d picked out. Thankfully, it seemed to be a slow morning, so there weren’t other people in the changing room area besides the Target employee who seemed to be enjoying the show too. 

Buck had to be honest, the sheer number of clothing items that the girl had picked out was overwhelming, but the joy radiating from her in waves made it worth it. He loved seeing Olivia so happy. 

The girl probably spent about 30 minutes cycling through different clothing items, going in and out of the changing room, and showing him everything. It took another 10 minutes before Olivia decided on the things she wanted to keep and put away. When they were finally done with the clothes, the little girl decided she wanted to go straight to the toy section. 

“Buck, can we go look at the toys now?” Olivia asked, looking up at the man from where she was standing, holding onto the back of the cart, now that it was full of clothes. 

“You don’t wanna go look at the shoes first?” Buck checked. 

“Mm mm, I don’t wanna look at the shoes, Buck.” The little girl confirmed. 

“Okay then, off to the toy section we go.” Buck said, “Just let me know if you see anything else you like while we walk.” 

“Okay, Buck, I’ll tell you,” she smiled. 

As they walked towards the toy section, Olivia gasped, and Buck looked to where she was pointing at a bedding set that was right up her alley. The set consisted of white sheets and a light pink comforter with flowers, pegasi, and castles on it. 

“Buck, can I get that, please?” She said, dragging out the last word's syllables as she pointed out the bedding set. 

Of course, Buck would have said yes without the little girl using her puppy dog eyes; he couldn’t deny the cuteness. He had wanted to redecorate Olivia’s room, with the girl’s input, and they were here at the store, so why not get a few things?

“Yeah, Olivia, I’ll get that for you. I’ll put it in the cart.” Buck said, picking up the set and putting it into the cart. “And we’ll walk through a couple of these aisles, and you let me know if you see anything you’d like to use to decorate your room with.” 

The little girl looked delighted as they walked through the aisles. Olivia picked up a few things that she liked, including a big fluffy pillow that was shaped like a rainbow, a cute night light that, when turned on, made it look like there were stars on the ceiling, a piggy bank that looked like a castle, and a ceramic unicorn statue. Buck was surprised at how on theme with the bedding the girl had stayed with the decor she had picked.

Other than letting Olivia pick out room decor, Buck had a good reason for walking through these aisles. There was a shortcut from the home decor section to the toy section, which he was glad for because that meant they didn’t have to walk all the way around the store, and near the aisles that he was always distracted by to get to the desired location. 

The little girl’s eyes went wide as the toy section came into view. “Woah! Look, Buck, there are so many toys!” she exclaimed. 

“Well, just you wait until I take you to an actual toy store, Olivia. You’ll love it.” The man said without thinking about it, only realizing that he probably shouldn’t have mentioned a toy store to a five-year-old after the words left his mouth. 

“Wait,” Olivia paused dramatically, “there are stores with only toys? I wanna go there, Buck! Can we go there?”

“Of course we can, Livy,”

“Yay! Toy store!” The blue-eyed girl cheered, cutting Buck’s sentence halfway through.

He chuckled at the girl’s excitement at the prospect of a toy store before continuing what he was saying. “But we can’t go today.” 

“Aww, but why not?” she pouted cutely. 

“Because sweetie, we’re already going to a lot of stores today, and the toy store is too far away.” He explained. 

At least part of the explanation was true; the toy store was farther away than Buck felt like driving in LA traffic today, an hour and a bit, while the other stores were all right near each other. However, they weren’t actually going to that many stores today; they were just going to Target, a shoe store, and the grocery store. The man was sure Olivia would be pretty tuckered out by the time they made it to the grocery store, so he figured it was better safe than sorry. 

“Aww,” She frowned, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes again. 

Buck huffed and shook his head slightly, “Come on now, Olivia, we’ll go to the toy store soon, I promise. There are plenty of toys you can pick out here, though.” 

“Okay, Buck, I guess you’re right,” Olivia said softly, a slight pout still sitting on her lip. 

Of course, whatever remnants of a pout or frown were left on the girl’s face were quickly wiped away when she saw a Moana doll as they walked through the first aisle of toys. That was truly her favorite princess, and therefore, the first toy she chose. They took some time looking through the other aisles, and she chose a couple more toys as they went. 

The second toy that caught Olivia’s eye was a Melissa & Doug pizza-making play set. And although it was definitely on the pricier side, Buck just couldn’t say no to it because it was the most adorable thing. The last thing she picked wasn’t actually a toy; it was just a 30-piece set of Play-Doh, which the man knew from past experience with Jee could be a mess, but it was fine as long as the girl was having fun; it was a mess he didn’t mind cleaning up. 

Now that Olivia had picked out her three things, they headed towards the front of the store. Once they made it to the checkout counter, they put all their items on the conveyor.

Buck looked at the cashier, noting from her name tag that her name was Lola, and smiled; she smiled back.

“Got a big haul there,” Lola commented, smiling as she looked down at Olivia, then back up at Buck. “Is this a birthday shopping spree?”

Buck chuckled then explained, “No, it’s not for her birthday. Olivia, here is my foster daughter. Yesterday was the first night she stayed with me, and she didn’t come with much. So I figured, what better way is there to celebrate this new chapter in her life than spoiling her a little bit?” 

He watched the cashier’s eyes soften as she looked between them again, “Well, it sure seems like she’s lucky to have you. You know, having a good foster parent does wonders for these kids.” 

“Yeah, I’m lucky to have her, too. Livy’s a good kid, getting to know her has been amazing.” Buck paused before continuing, “It feels like you’re saying that from experience.” 

“That’s because I am. Personally, I had a couple of experiences with bad families, but once I was placed with the one that would become my forever family, I knew it was meant to be pretty quickly. I could feel it.” 

“What did it feel like?” Buck asked curiously, before adding, “If you don’t mind sharing, of course… I’m just now realizing this is kind of a personal conversation that you may not want to be having with a random customer in your checkout line.  

“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t mind talking about it. I would have said something if I were uncomfortable with the conversation.” The woman assured as she continued scanning their items. 

“Oh good,” Buck sighed. 

“To answer your question, though,” she paused as she struggled with the security tag on one of the shirts for a moment, then continued, “For the first couple of days I was with them, I was weary and afraid to trust that they’d treat me well after the experience I’d had with the family I lived with before them.” 

The curly-haired man stayed quiet, listening to Lola’s story, his eyes softening as she talked about her experience. 

She continued, “After about a week, though, I started to let my guard down a little bit. That was when I felt this warmth and safety that I hadn’t felt before with any other placement. I could feel that the love and care they had for me were genuine, and now, all these years later, I can’t even imagine a life without my adoptive parents. 

“That’s touching, Lola,” Buck said, feeling a little bit like he could tear up, “I’m really glad to hear that everything worked out and that you ended up with the family that was meant to have you. Thank you for sharing your story with me.” 

“Honestly, I’ll tell the story to whoever wants to listen, and you only got the cliff notes version. I’ll forever be grateful that things turned out the way they did for me,” the cashier smiled, “And I hope everything goes the way you want it to with Olivia.” 

He looked down at the girl, who was looking back at him with a smile, “Thank you, I hope it does too. It would break my heart if I had to let her go again.” 

“Then don’t let go, when the caseworker comes for their check-ins, just show them all the reasons she belongs with you. And for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing a great job.” 

“Thanks, Lola, I appreciate you saying that,” Buck said as he paid for his items and put the bags in the cart. 

The cashier handed him his receipt. “Of course, you two have a good day, it was nice talking to you.” 

“You too!” The curly-haired man responded as he walked away. 

They were in Target for a while , definitely longer than Buck had expected. They were in the store for almost two and a half hours, and surprisingly, the girl didn’t seem phased in the slightest, as if she was ready for the next adventure. As it happened, their next adventure wasn’t too far away, just across the shopping center to the shoe store. Buck thought Olivia’s shocked expression as they walked in at the sheer number of shoe choices the store had was adorable. 

They didn’t spend nearly as much time in the shoe store as they had in Target. Thankfully, it only took Olivia about 30 minutes to find the shoes she wanted. And, of course, because Buck still hadn’t quite learned how to say no to the girl (and because there was a sale), they left with four pairs of shoes for Olivia as well as one for him because she insisted they get something matching. 

She had picked out a pair of light-up Sketchers tennis shoes, a pair of white slip-on Vans with butterflies on them, a pair of short light purple Uggs with little bows on the back, and black and gray Nike Air Forces with a pink swoosh. 

Olivia wanted Buck to match with her, but they didn’t have men’s shoes with a pink swoosh, so he got the closest he could to pink he could. The curly-haired man found a pair of black and gray Nike Air Forces with a red swoosh, and that was close enough to make Olivia happy. 

Once they were finished with the shoe store, they went to lunch at McDonald’s, another place that Buck had the privilege of introducing Olivia to. He got her a Happy Meal with chicken nuggets and fries, which she really enjoyed, but in particular, the little girl was excited to see that her meal came with a toy. After eating lunch, he let Olivia play in the play place for a bit before they were off to the grocery store to pick up some quick breakfasts, snacks, and stuff needed for making a lunchbox. 

When they finished grocery shopping and were about to open the trunk to put the groceries in, Olivia asked, “Buck, are we going home soon? I wanna play with my new toys.”

“Yeah, Livy, we’re gonna go home now,” Buck said as he unpacked the cart into the trunk. 

Soon, they were on their way home with a car full of groceries, clothes, and shoes, listening and singing along to music. And Buck might get a call from the credit card company about how much he spent today, but he didn’t care; all that mattered to him was that Olivia was happy. The girl was definitely happy, no doubt about that, so Buck was too! 

When they arrived back at the apartment, Buck went to the mail room and borrowed a cart so he could bring all the stuff up in one go. After everything was brought back to the apartment and at least the groceries were put away, he returned the cart to the mailroom, and the rest of the afternoon was spent lazing around and playing with Olivia’s new toys. 

At the end of the night, Buck sat at the edge of the bed and read to Olivia until she fell asleep. He smiled softly as he felt the little girl relax against him, all comfy in her new Moana night gown, her breath slowing and evening out until she was fully asleep. Buck softly laid the girl’s head on the pillow and tucked her in. Then he brushed the hair from her face before kissing her forehead, turning on the nightlight, and quietly sneaking out of the room. 

Chapter Text

Buck was a bundle of nerves this morning. It was Monday morning, and this was the first time he would be taking Olivia to school. 

It’s not like he’d never taken a kid to school before. He’d done it for Chris and even for Jee. This was different. Buck hesitated in calling Olivia his child; it almost didn’t feel right because she didn’t call him dad yet, but she was technically his. It didn’t help that he didn’t know necessarily what he was to her legally. Like a legal guardian, he guessed. But that’s not really the thing that he should be thinking about right now. 

There were more pressing matters. 

Buck was determined to make sure that he got Olivia to school on time and made the morning special in some way. Hence, him actually being up before Olivia for once. It was 5:30, his alarm wasn’t supposed to go off for another hour, and Buck couldn’t sleep; his brain was buzzing, nervous, and he needed to talk to someone. 

However, the man couldn’t justify calling anyone, not even Eddie, because he knew that his friend had to wake up around the same time he had to get Chris up and going to school, and if the man was still asleep and he called, he’d feel bad about waking him. 

So he just kind of sat with his thoughts swirling in his head, most definitely overthinking the morning routine. Time kept passing as Buck’s brain made him more and more stressed for seemingly no good reason. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the quiet squeak of a door and the padding of little feet across the hall. The curly-haired man looked at the clock. It was only 6:15. Of course, Olivia would wake up before the alarm. 

He smiled as he looked at the door, and the little girl peeked her head in. When she noticed that Buck was already awake, she smiled too, and opened the door fully. Olivia now stood in Buck’s doorway, bed head in its full glory, looking cozy in her new Moana nightgown. 

“Good morning, Livy, how’d you sleep, sweetie?” Buck asked softly, making grabby hands at the girl. 

She giggled, climbed up on the bed, and cuddled up to him like she had the previous morning, “Slept good, Buck,” the girl mumbled. 

The man could get used to having cuddles every morning like this; it was nice and evidently just what he needed to calm his nerves. “That’s good,” he yawned, the fact that he’d woken up so early starting to hit him as Olivia settled against him. 

Oh boy, of course, now he felt like he could fall back asleep just in time for his alarm to go off . Maybe he just needed to get up… but then again, morning cuddles, so he’d wait until his alarm went off to get up. When his alarm went off 15 minutes later, Buck must have dozed off because it scared the daylights out of him. At least he didn’t feel sleepy anymore.  

He stretched, groaning a little bit, before gently brushing Olivia’s hair from her face, “Okay, baby girl, time to get up. We've got to get you ready for school.” 

“Mmkay,” she hummed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, “Buck, do I get to wear my new clothes to school today?”

“Of course you do!” Buck paused and then suggested, “How about you go pick out whatever you want to wear and get dressed? Then I’ll help you with your hair, and we can eat breakfast together.” 

“Okay, Buck!” Olivia smiled as she hopped off the bed and skipped to her room.

The curly-haired man went to the bathroom, washed his face, did his hair, and got dressed. Then he went to Olivia’s room. The little girl was already dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a pink and purple striped T-shirt. They walked to the bathroom together, and Buck had the girl stand on a step stool in front of him. He held her head and smoothed her hair slightly, feeling the urge to kiss the top of her head. 

The man tried to stop himself, but he just couldn’t. Buck kissed the top of Olivia’s head, and he watched her smile in the mirror as he asked, “So, what do you want me to do with your hair today, Livy?”

The golden-haired girl thought about it for a moment, and he brushed her soft hair. “Just a ponytail today.” 

“Okay, a ponytail it is then,” the curly-haired man said as he helped the girl pull her hair back. “There we go, all set, breakfast time, let’s go.” 

Olivia smiled, stepped off the step stool, and skipped down the hall towards the kitchen. Buck watched as he followed behind her. Once they were both in the kitchen, Buck made him and Olivia some breakfast, he ate quickly, then made a packed lunch for the girl as she finished eating. 

He watched the clock carefully to make sure they left on time; the man would hate for Olivia to be late on the first day he took her to school. 

“You almost done eating, Livy?” He asked, looking at his watch, then back at the little girl. “We’ve got to get going in a few minutes.” 

“Mhm, all done, Buck,” Olivia said, her mouth still full of her last bite of pancake. 

“Olivia, sweetie, you have to finish chewing before speaking. It’s rude to talk with your mouth full.” Buck tutted, only slightly surprising himself with how parent-like he sounded as he made that comment. 

The blue-eyed girl finished chewing and swallowed her food. “Okay, I will. Sorry, Buck.”

“It’s okay, honey, we’ll work on that. How about you go brush your teeth and grab your shoes,” he paused, smiling, “And I’ll clean up out here.” 

Olivia nodded, hopping off her chair and walking toward the bathroom. A few minutes later, Buck heard Olivia’s socked feet padding down the hall with her new pair of slip-on Vans with butterflies on them in hand. He watched her slip the shoes on with a triumphant smile and made sure the girl had her backpack and lunchbox before they headed out the door. 

Buck was surprised that the traffic gods were on his side today because usually when he had something important happening, traffic was horrible, but not today. 

Due to the lack of traffic, Buck had some extra time before the end of drop-off time that he was hoping to use to introduce himself to Olivia’s teacher. He was pretty sure that the staff had been told that the girl was under his care now, but he wanted to make sure they knew who he was. When they entered the actual school building, Olivia, still holding Buck’s hand, guided him towards her classroom, where her teacher could be seen happily greeting other parents and students. 

The woman was slightly above average height, maybe around 5’6” or 5’7”, dirty blonde, and had these beautiful green eyes. Her eyes were soft and warm as she greeted her students. She smiled as she looked at Olivia, and when the woman looked up at Buck, she gave him an appraising, almost cold look, not like she was mean, but like she was trying to figure out who he was and why he was walking Olivia to class. 

Buck actually recognized the teacher as Miss Scott, or Miss Palmer as her students called her, whom he had briefly met when he had to pick up Jee from school a couple of times earlier in the year. He wouldn’t blame her for not recognizing him and for being concerned about seeing Olivia with an unfamiliar adult. 

“Hi, Miss Palmer!” Olivia said enthusiastically, greeting her teacher with a hug. 

“Good morning, Olivia. Did you have a good weekend?”

“Yes, Miss Palmer, it was really, really good! Buck and I had so much fun!” the little girl said, looking back at him. 

The curly-haired man nodded in agreement and watched the teacher’s face morph into one of recognition when Olivia said his name.

The girl then continued excitedly as she let go of the woman: “We watched a movie and went shopping… I even got new toys!” 

“I’m glad to hear that, sweetie,” Miss Palmer smiled, “how about you go put your things in your cubby and sit in your seat? Annie and Jee are already waiting for you.”

Annie… This must be the same Annie that Olivia mentioned all those months ago, the one who is her best friend. Buck might have to figure out how to get in contact with her parents, because he was sure that Olivia would love to finally have a playdate with her. 

And Jee, so his niece was in the same class as her soon-to-be daughter . He was glad to hear that they seemed to be friends already, that would hopefully make the sleepover Olivia would be having at Maddie and Chim’s place on Wednesday easier…

Olivia pulled him from his thoughts by asking him, “Buck, can I have my lunchbox?”

He smiled at the girl, squatting down to her level, handing her the lunchbox, and pulling her into a quick hug.” Have a good day, Livy. I’ll see you later when I come to pick you up from school.”

“Okay, Buck,” she said as she pulled away and turned towards the classroom, “See you later!” 

With that, the little girl skipped out of sight and into the classroom, as Buck stood up, ready to introduce himself, but it seemed the teacher remembered who he was now. 

“I was trying to remember who you were, but when Olivia called you Buck, I realized you’re Jee Yun’s uncle.” 

“Yup! That I am, proud of it too! I thought you would’ve recognized me from my birthmark,” he said, pointing at the mark above his eye.

“Yes, there’s that too. Definitely a defining feature.” The woman agreed. 

“But now I’m also Olivia's foster parent. The caseworker did remember to send the paperwork, right?” Buck asked. 

“Oh yes, she did, I looked it over this morning, but your preferred name wasn’t in the paperwork, so it didn’t cross my mind. It’s nice to meet you, though, in a more official sense now.” Miss Palmer assured, offering a hand to shake. 

Buck took it, shaking the woman’s hand with a smile, “Yeah, Evan is my legal name, but I definitely prefer being called Buck.” 

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind. Olivia seems very happy with you.” She said softly. 

“I think we’re happy to have each other. I’m lucky to have the privilege of taking care of her.” Buck responded fondly. 

“Well, that’s good to hear.” The woman paused, looking at her watch before continuing, “The bell’s about to ring, so I’d better get in there before this room of four and five-year-olds starts getting rowdy.” 

“Oh, definitely, I’ll get out of your hair. Could you just point me in the direction of the office? I still need to fill out some paperwork.” 

“If you go back towards the main entrance, the office is through the first door on the right,” the teacher directed. “Have a nice day now, Mr. Buckley.”

“You too, Miss Palmer.” He said as he made his way down the hall towards the office. 

When Buck entered the school’s front office, he was immediately greeted by a familiar face, an older woman named Debbie, who had been working the front desk at the school since her own kids went there. She was so sweet and recognized him after the first couple of times he had to pick up Jee from school. 

The woman smiled as he walked in. “Morning, Buck. I hope you’re not here to pick up your niece already. School’s just starting, honey,” she said warmly.

Buck smiled and chuckled, “No, no, Deb. I’m here to fill out some paperwork for Olivia. I believe the caseworker let the school know last week that she’s in my care now.” 

“Let me look real quick, hun.” The woman said as she clicked around on the computer, “Ah, yes, there it is. You need to sign a few things and get the emergency contact forms in order.” 

“Perfect, I’m all yours then, let's get this done,” Buck said. 

With that, Debbie printed out the forms he needed to sign and the emergency contact forms that needed to be filled out. Buck signed the documents that needed to be signed and filled out the emergency contact list. He actually needed a second form because he had too many people that he wanted to write down. Of course, that wasn’t a bad thing, though. He was glad to have so many people whom he trusted. 

“Well, you’ve got a big emergency contact list,” Debbie commented. 

“Yeah, I have a lot of people in my life that I know I can trust to be there for Olivia if I can’t be there directly,” Buck admitted. 

“That’s good to hear,” the woman smiled, as she took the papers. “Well, you’re all done here. I’ll go ahead and get all of this in the system. You have a good day, Buck.” 

“You too, Deb. It was nice talking to you,” the curly-haired man said as he left the office. 

After he walked out to the Jeep and sat down in the driver’s seat, it was only 8:50, and he didn’t have to pick up Olivia until 2:15. He had all day to himself and didn’t really know what to do. So he sat in his car until 9:00, and after realizing that he still had a bag with workout clothes in it in the car, he decided to go to the gym. 

Buck worked out for a couple of hours, then went home, showered, and took a nap. When he woke up, he still had a few hours to spare, so he started prepping dinner and decided to make tomato soup from scratch. Of course, there would also be grilled cheese sandwiches, too, but he’d make those later, after bringing Olivia home.

By the time the soup was finished, it was about time for Buck to leave to pick up Olivia from school. It was 1:45, and he needed to be at the school to get Olivia at 2:15. So he turned off the stove, made sure the soup was covered, and made his way to the school. The drive was pretty quick. Surprisingly, he had good traffic karma once again, which meant he got there in time to park and get into the school to be ready to pick up the girl. 

Buck stood in the hallway, watching the time. The bell didn’t ring at the end of the day for the preschoolers because, despite being in the same building as the kindergarten and elementary school students, they actually got out of school 45 minutes earlier than the rest of the school. 

The man watched as other parents filed into the building to pick up their children, and he felt a little bit like an impostor. Buck didn’t quite feel like he could call himself her father yet, even if his heart told him that she was always meant to be his. And don’t get him wrong, he was over the moon with joy that Olivia lived with him now, but he didn’t feel like her dad yet. 

Then again, the girl had only been staying with him for about two and a half days at this point, so he was sure this feeling of being an impostor would fade with time. All the commotion of little kids grabbing their things and clamoring to line up at the door, as well as the feeling of a hand on his shoulder, pulled Buck from his thoughts.

He smiled when he found that the hand on his shoulder belonged to Maddie. 

“Hey, Buck. What are you doing here?” Maddie said with a confused smile, pulling Buck into a side hug, so as not to squish the baby strapped to her chest. “I didn’t need you to pick up Jee today.”

“I know Mads, I’m not here for Jee, although I’m sure she’ll be happy to see me,” Buck responded as he smoothed his nephew's hair lightly. “I’m actually here to pick up Olivia. I guess she and Jee are in the same class.” 

“Oh, that’s great! I hope this means that they’re already friends.” His sister paused for a moment and then asked, “Does this mean I get to be the first person to meet her?” 

“Actually, no, Chris and Eddie met her on Saturday,” the blue-eyed man admitted. 

“You mean Saturday, as in the day that she came back to stay with you?” 

“Yes, Mads, I had been so swept up in the excitement of having her back that I had completely forgotten that Chris and Eddie were coming over for movie night. Luckily, it all worked out, though. Olivia loves them already.” Buck explained. 

Maddie chuckled, “Of course she does. But you didn’t answer my question. Do I get to meet her today?” 

“Yeah, of course you do. It’s perfect, actually. This way, you’re not a complete stranger to her when you pick her up on Wednesday,” he said. 

“When I pick her up on Wednesday,” Maddie repeated back at him as she adjusted the baby carrier on her chest, before questioning, “And when exactly were you going to tell me this?”

“I was going to call you when I got home, I swear… I just need someone to keep her for the night and bring her to school in the morning, since I have a shift.” Buck said. 

“Buck, I’d be happy to take Olivia for the night. She’s my future niece, and I’m really excited to get to know her better!” His sister beamed. 

Before the blue-eyed man could say anything more to Maddie, little arms were wrapping around his legs. When he looked down, he was met with Olivia’s sparkling blue eyes and her bright smile. Buck obviously couldn’t help but smile back at the girl because how could he resist? She had that kind of contagious smile that no one could resist the pull to smile back at. 

“Hi, Buck!” She greeted. 

“Hi, Olivia, how was school, sweet girl?” The man asked happily as he hugged her back. 

“It was good!” Olivia answered, “I had so much fun with my friends, and I made you something!”

“That’s great, Livy, I can’t wait to see it when we get home,” Buck said softly, willing his heart not to melt into a puddle. 

He looked over at his sister for a moment, noticing her kneeling at Jee’s level so the little girl could say hi to her baby brother and kiss him on the forehead. Buck offered his hand to help Maddie up, and when she thanked him, his niece noticed him and Olivia together and looked at them, confused.

“Uncle Buck!” She greeted excitedly, hugging the man’s legs as she asked, “You know Olivia?”

The golden-haired girl answered before Buck could speak, “Yeah, Buck knows me! He’s gonna be my dad!” 

She sounded proud and excited, and Buck wasn’t quite ready for the wave of emotion that crashed over him in that moment as he stood in the middle of a hallway, picking up Olivia from school for the first time. Suddenly, everything going on around them was feeling like a little too much to handle; the commotion and all the people around started to make him feel a bit claustrophobic. 

Luckily, Maddie was there and could see the look in his eyes shift. She knew that he needed some fresh air to get out of the hallway, so she herded their little group outside to a bench near the play area. She led Buck to sit, then distracted Jee and Olivia, asking about their days at school. As they talked, the curly-haired man took a few deep breaths. He wasn’t sure why that little excited comment from Olivia had thrown him off so much. 

He wasn’t even thrown off in a bad way; it was good. Buck was happy that Olivia was excited for him to be her dad. The man was just surprised that she’d say that so easily and early on in their time together. 

After a few minutes, Maddie looked at him again with a comforting, concerned smile and a look that said she would ask later about what just happened as she squeezed his shoulder lightly. She was silently asking if he was okay. Buck nodded and gave his sister the smile she was looking for. He was fine, really, he was . 

After the man signaled to her that he was all good, “Thank you for being so patient, Jee. Now, what was the question you wanted to ask your Uncle Buck? She prompted softly. 

“Uncle Buck, is Olivia gonna be my cousin, like Denny and Mara?” His niece asked sweetly. 

“Yeah, Jee, Olivia is part of the family now. She’s gonna be your cousin, just like Denny and Mara,” he answered simply. 

Jee cheered and pulled Olivia into a tight hug, which had both girls devolve into giggles. 

“Does this mean me and Jee get to have play dates now? Olivia asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. 

“Yes, of course, Livy, we’ll plan a play date for you two.” Buck smiled as he looked at the little girls, then at Maddie. 

“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be a blast, we’ll have to plan something soon,” The woman smiled. 

The girls whooped in unison, happy to hear that they’d have their apparently long-awaited play date very soon, both asking if they could have the play date today. Jee and Olivia’s excitement had the adults wondering how long the girls had been friends at school without them knowing. So, Buck and Maddie looked at each other and decided, why not let them play for a bit?

Buck and Maddie ended up letting the girls play together on the playground for about 30 minutes as they talked. He confided in his sister about his feeling like an impostor today at school pick up, and not feeling like a real parent yet, and as usual, she gave him the words of wisdom he needed to hear. To make Buck feel even better, Maddie unstrapped baby Joseph from her chest and handed him over. The curly-haired man bounced his nephew in his lap and listened to the baby laugh as the boy’s face scrunched into an adorable, toothless smile. 

Having this quality time with his sister was nice; it wasn’t something they got very often, so they really enjoyed it when they had it. Eventually, they did have to part ways, though, bidding each other goodbye with hugs and promises to see each other soon. 

Once Buck and Maddie separated their girls and he got Olivia in his car, they were off and back home. Since they left late, they got stuck in the general school traffic, but that was okay because he enjoyed listening to the little girl talk about her day as they listened to music together.

When they got home, Buck helped Olivia with her writing practice, and the little girl showed him the drawing she’d made at school.

As the little girl finished up her writing practice, Buck praised her for her neat handwriting, it really was surprisingly good for her only being five. 

“Good job on your writing, Livy, that looks really good,” he praised with a warm smile. 

“Thanks, Buck! Can I show you my drawing now?” Olivia asked with a matching smile. 

“Yes, I’d love for you to show me your drawing, my sweet girl!” 

The little girl giggled and grabbed a folder from her backpack. She carefully pulled out a picture drawn with markers and handed it to him. 

The picture depicted two stick figures, one that was meant to be him, drawn with curly hair and the birthmark over his eye, and one that was meant to be her with long hair and a little pink triangle dress. It was showing them at the zoo with Olivia’s best attempt at a giraffe and an elephant. Honestly, her best attempt was probably the best he could do as well, which was great for a five-year-old, not so great for a thirty-something-year-old. 

“This is amazing, Olivia! I love it!” Buck said happily. “It’s going straight on the fridge!”

Olivia’s smile widened as she hopped off the chair and followed Buck to the fridge, where the man took a fridge magnet and stuck the picture to the door. 

“There we go, perfect! What do you think, Olivia?” Buck exclaimed after straightening out the drawing. 

It stood proudly on the fridge door alongside a drawing that Jee had given him a couple of weeks ago, the selfie he’d taken of him and Olivia making pancakes, and the numerous pictures he had of his niece and Chris. Buck loved it, a fridge door full of happy memories to look back at. He loved it. 

“Perfect!” Olivia repeated, agreeing with the man easily. 

“Great,” the blue-eyed man clapped his hands together, “dinner time then!”

Buck got the tomato soup rewarmed quickly, then he made the grilled cheese sandwiches, and they ate together. Olivia had never eaten tomato soup, but she was happy to try it. He was relieved that she ended up liking it, though. 

Their night went smoothly: cleaning the kitchen after dinner, playing with toys for a little bit, before getting ready for bed, and reading a story. Buck smiled as he finished reading the book to Olivia and watched her fall asleep. He kissed her forehead and turned on the nightlight like he had the night before, and couldn’t help but think, I could get used to this.

Chapter Text

Buck was kind of dreading today. He hated that he had to go to work and that he wouldn’t be able to pick Olivia up from school or drop her off in the morning. He knew she’d be in good hands with Maddie for the night; however, the girl had only been with him for a week, and he just… he didn’t want her to feel abandoned just because he had to work a 24-hour shift. 

The man would do his best to explain the situation to her gently and make sure she understood that he would be coming back to her.

The conversation began when Olivia caught Buck packing an overnight bag for her to take to school. Buck had just sent the girl to the bathroom after breakfast to brush her teeth before they left. He had hoped that he’d be able to pack the bag without her noticing, but he wasn’t that lucky. 

“Buck?” He heard Olivia say quietly from behind him. Buck looked back, and the girl had a small pout on her lip. She looked at him with wide eyes. 

“W-why are you putting my clothes in the bag?” She asked, her lip shaking. 

Oh no… that is precisely what he didn’t want to happen. A tear rolled down her cheek, and he knew what she was thinking before the shaky words fell from her lips, “B-Buck, I-I don’t wanna go back to the group home. You pinky promised!”

Buck’s heart just about broke into a million pieces. “Oh, no, no, Livy, you’re not going back there, baby girl. Come here.” He said as he knelt down in front of her and pulled her into a hug. 

“Shh, honey, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Buck whispered, soothing the girl softly. “I could never send you back there because you belong here with me.” 

When Olivia finally started to calm down, Buck looked at his watch. Well… they were going to be late for school today. However, he needed to explain what was happening and calm her down before taking her to school. Buck picked Olivia up, carried her to the couch, and called the school’s office to let them know the girl would be late today, then held her for a few minutes before speaking to her. 

“You ready for me to explain why I was packing a bag?” 

Olivia nodded as Buck continued to rub her back.

“Okay, you remember I’m a firefighter, right?” 

“Mhm,” she hummed. 

“Well, sometimes firefighters have to work 24-hour shifts. That means we work all day and all night.” The man explained. “Does that make sense?”

She nodded again and in a sad voice said, “B-but that means you can’t pick me up from school.”

“Yeah, sweetie, I won’t be able to pick you up or take you to school tomorrow.” 

“Who’s gonna get me?” Olivia asked, looking up at him with wet eyes. 

“Do you remember my sister Maddie?” Buck asked, “You met her on Monday when I picked you up from school.” 

The little girl thought for a moment and answered quietly, “Mhm, Jee’s mom. She’s nice.” 

“She is going to pick you up when she picks up Jee, and you guys will have a little sleepover and have so much fun.” The curly-haired man explained further. 

“O-Okay, Buck,” Olivia sniffled. “And you pinky promise you’re coming back.” 

Buck was trying really hard not to cry as he linked their pinkies and pulled Olivia into another hug, holding her close, “Baby girl, I promise I’ll always come back to you, no matter what.” 

Silence stretched between them as Olivia buried her face into his neck once more, keeping their pinkies linked. Buck kissed the little girl’s temple and stroked her hair, allowing her all the time she needed to calm down. Eventually, she did calm down, her breathing slowing in pace and her grip on him loosening. 

Only then did Buck ask, “Okay, Livy, you ready to go to school now?”

She pulled away, and the man gently wiped the wetness from her face. “Yeah, Buck,” she took a deep breath and continued in a small voice, “I’m ready; I’ll be okay.”

“And you’ll have a good day. You get to play with Jee and your other friends, and I’ll call later tonight to talk to you, okay?” 

“Okay, Buck,” Olivia said, sounding a little less sad, as Buck set her down to stand in front of him. 

With that, they got going. They walked back to Olivia’s room, and the girl helped him finish packing her overnight bag. Then Buck helped her with her shoes and made sure she had her backpack and lunchbox before heading out the door. The drive to the school wasn’t bad, but it was a bit quiet despite the music because Olivia was more subdued. 

Buck regretted that he hadn’t explained the situation to the girl earlier; that would have been better now that he had thought about it. Explaining it to her last night probably would have caused the girl a lot less stress. Of course, there was no point dwelling on it now… It’s too late for that, but at least he learned from this situation that he shouldn’t spring stuff on Olivia like this. 

Anyway, they made it to the school, and Buck signed Olivia in at the front desk, also asking Debbie to inform Miss Palmer that Maddie would pick Olivia up today. After a hug that lingered for about 30 extra seconds, a staff member walked the girl to her classroom. The man would have stayed to watch until she was safely taken into the room, but a quick glance at his watch told him he'd be late for work if he didn’t leave now.

So, when Olivia looked back at him one last time, just before the staff member knocked on the classroom door, Buck waved and blew a kiss at her, which caused a small smile to grow on her lips. As she looked away from him again, Buck found the strength to turn around and walk out of the school and back out to his car. 

This was going to be a hard shift… 

~~~Maddie’s POV~~~

It was just after 9:00 a.m., and Maddie had finished feeding the baby, setting him down in the baby bouncer while she decided to clean the kitchen. That was when she received a call from Buck, his contact picture popping up on her phone screen. Unfortunately, the sudden noise of the phone ringing and buzzing against the table startled little Joseph, causing him to fuss. 

Maddie sighed, first picking up her son, the baby calming almost immediately as she did so, then picking up the phone to answer it. 

~~~~~~~~~~

“Morning, Buck. I didn’t see you and Olivia at drop-off today.” The woman looked down at her watch. You’re heading into work right now, right?

“Hey, Maddie. Yeah, I’m heading to work now.” Buck sighed, and Maddie could tell he was upset by the tone of his voice. “We just… uh, we just had a rough morning. I had to bring Olivia into school a little bit late. 

The woman frowned, and she could tell something was up. “Buck, I can tell you’re upset. Did something happen?” 

Buck heaved a heavy breath on the other end of the line, “You know how Olivia is going to stay with you tonight?” 

“Yeah, what does that have to do with—” she cut herself off as she realized the situation, “Oh, Buck.” 

She could hear her brother sniffle a little bit, then the words just spilled from his mouth. “Mads, I meant to explain the whole thing about the sleepover and me working 24-hour shifts to Olivia last night, and I completely forgot. Then she caught me packing her an overnight bag.”

The woman stayed quiet but sat down on the couch, lightly bouncing her little Joey in her lap as she continued listening to Buck’s explanation of what happened this morning. She could see where it was going, though, and why her heart-of-gold baby brother was so upset. 

“Sh-she thought I was packing a bag to send her back to the group home, Maddie… she was so scared I’d just let her go, I never want to hear her cry like that again, god it broke my heart,” Buck said, sounding choked up. 

“Buck, it’s okay, she knows you wouldn't do that to her, and you know you wouldn’t.” She tried to assure. 

“Well, now she knows, clearly she didn’t know earlier. I feel so bad, I hate that I made her feel that way.” 

Maddie wished she were with her brother right now. She knew he’d benefit from actually having her there, looking into his eyes, and giving him a hug. But the fact of the matter was that she wasn’t there with him, so she’d have to do her best to comfort Buck over the phone. 

No matter how old each of them got, she could always tell when Buck was trying to put on a brave face for the people around him. Maddie knew, based on the nature of the situation, that the curly-haired man had gotten himself into, that he hadn’t given himself time to feel his emotions properly because he was trying to comfort Olivia and make sure she was okay. And it's not like she thought her brother was going to have a panic attack or something. Maddie just knew that Buck needed a minute to breathe and needed to hear the right words to reassure him that he wasn’t doing everything wrong. 

“Buck, are you still driving? She asked softly. 

“Yeah, I um… I’m just pulling into the station.” Buck answered shakily. 

“Okay, when you park, I want you just to sit for a minute, take a few deep breaths, and listen to what I’m telling you, okay.” 

“I’m not having a panic attack, Mads, I’m okay,” Buck said, trying, then failing to keep his voice steady. 

“Evan, listen to me, please. Just relax for a minute, okay?” 

Did Maddie use her mom voice on Buck? Yes, yes, she did, and she didn’t even regret it because it got her brother to listen to her like she wanted him to. 

“Okay, okay, I’m listening,” Buck sighed. 

“Buck, it’s okay to make mistakes. Parenting is a journey that you are just beginning, and you’re just getting to know Olivia. Soon enough, you’ll know her like the back of your hand.” She paused, “But for now, give yourself grace and breathe because this feels like a big mistake now, but you will find that soon it won’t feel as big as it does now.” 

Maddie listened to Buck breathe and chuckle wetly, “How do you always know the right thing to say to make me feel better, Maddie?”

"Big sister intuition, I guess." Maddie teased. "It comes from years of solving your problems. You pick up a few things along the way."

Her brother chuckled lightly, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

The baby started to fuss in her arms, and she stood up, rocking him, her phone cradled between her shoulder and ear. "I love you, Buck. Olivia is gonna be okay, and you are too, I promise," she said, as she walked to the kitchen looking for Joseph’s pacifier.

“Yeah, yeah. I-I should be getting to work anyway. You’ll FaceTime me later with Olivia before bed, right?”  

“Yes, of course, Buck, I’ll text you when I pick her up, and at bedtime we’ll do a FaceTime, okay?” Maddie assured, as she found Joseph’s pacifier on the kitchen counter and gave it to the still-fussing baby. 

“Okay, Mads. I’ll talk to you later. Give Joey a kiss for me. I love you.” 

“I will. I love you, too, Buck. Bye, " she said before hanging up.

The woman put the phone back on the table, where it had been sitting earlier, and kissed the baby on the forehead. “That’s from Uncle Buck,” she said, pausing to kiss the boy on the cheeks. “And these are from Mommy.”

Maddie adjusted Joseph in her arms, cradling and bouncing the baby until he started to calm down, “You don’t like it when your Uncle Buck is upset either, huh, Joey?”

The boy cooed in response from behind his pacifier, and the woman took the little sound as a yes as she smoothed his hair and hugged him closer, “Yeah, me neither. But he’ll be okay, we’ll make sure of it.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Later that afternoon, Maddie packed Joey into the car before ensuring that both booster seats for the girls were secured correctly. Then she was off to the school to pick up her daughter and niece. She had initially been nervous to be alone with three kids, especially since there was a baby in the mix, but luckily, Chim was on a 12-hour shift today, so he'd be home in time to help with dinner and bedtime. 

Other than the slight nerves, though, Maddie was genuinely happy and excited to have Olivia stay at her house overnight. She couldn’t wait to get to know her future niece better; she just hoped the little girl wouldn’t be too upset about not being home with Buck. 

When she got to the school, the hazel-eyed woman strapped on the baby carrier and safely secured baby Joseph in it. She always had the stroller in the trunk, but for short walks, Maddie used the carrier because Joey definitely preferred it. The baby was a little cuddle bug and loved being close to his Momma, and anyone who wanted to hold him, she loved it. 

By the time she made it into the school, the kids were just starting to be let out of the classroom, and Jee was holding hands with Olivia, waiting next to Miss Palmer, who had the blonde-haired girl’s overnight bag in her hand.

“Hi Momma!” Jee waved happily, not leaving Olivia’s side as the woman walked closer to the three of them.

“Hi, my Jee Jee,” she greeted as her daughter hugged her legs.

“Momma, can I see Joey? I wanna say hi.” The dark-haired girl asked. 

“Of course, sweetie,” Maddie said as she kneeled down carefully. 

Jee affectionately greeted her little brother with a kiss on the forehead, and the baby smiled. Maddie smiled at the exchange in front of her and then turned towards Olivia. The little girl looked nervous, and the woman’s heart cracked a little bit for her. 

“Olivia, sweetie, do you remember me?” 

“Mhm,” she hummed shyly before quietly answering, “You’re Maddie. B-Buck said you are picking me up today.”  

“Exactly right, you’re feeling a bit nervous, huh?”

Olivia nodded, lip jutting out in a pout similar to how Buck’s would when he was a kid, as she admitted in a whisper, “I-I’m scared Buck won’t come back...even though he pinkie promised.”

Maddie’s heart broke at the sight of Olivia’s bright eyes beginning to fill with tears. She was so young and had been scarred too many times by people who didn’t want to keep her. Buck wasn’t that person, though. The woman was sure that from the first time she heard about the little girl from her brother, he’d never let go. 

She was about to say something to comfort her, but Jee beat her to it, wrapping her little arms around the blonde girl. “Don’t cry, Livy, Uncle Buck will come back, he never breaks his promises!” 

Jee-Yun then turned towards Maddie, “Momma, you gotta give Livy a super special Momma hug to make her feel better!” 

Maddie chuckled, “That’s a good idea, Jee, but first we gotta go back to the car so I can put baby brother in his seat.” She paused, then asked, “What do you say, Olivia?” 

“O-Okay, Maddie, let's go,” the girl said shakily as she and Jee broke their hug. 

With that, Maddie was helped up from the floor by Miss Parker and was given the overnight bag, and they walked out of the school and to the car, all hand in hand. She put the bag in the front seat before unstrapping the baby carrier from her chest and buckling Joseph into his seat. 

She watched Jee get into her seat. “Do you need help buckling up, Jee Jee?’ she asked softly. 

Her daughter shook her head, “No, Momma, I can do it all on my own.” Jee said confidently. And the woman watched as the nearly five-year-old buckled her seat belt by herself. 

She smiled and praised Jee for a job well done, then turned her attention to Olivia and asked, “You ready for that hug, sweetie?”  

The girl nodded and looked at her wide-eyed, putting her arms up, looking for affection. Maddie picked Olivia up, and she was a little bit bigger than Jee, but still not too heavy for the woman to hold in her arms. As she hugged her soon-to-be niece closer and stroked her hair, she could feel the girl relax against her body.

“That’s it, see, it’s okay, Livy. We’re gonna have a great time tonight, sweetie.” She paused briefly before continuing, “When we get to my house, I’m gonna make you and Jee a snack, then you two can play together until dinner. And before bed, we’ll video call Buck so you can say goodnight. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good, Maddie… you give really good hugs,” Olivia said softly. “Like Buck.” 

Maddie smiled and kissed the top of Olivia’s head, “You feeling better now, honey?” 

“Y-yeah, thanks, Maddie,” the little girl said quietly, a small smile forming on her lips. 

Soon, Olivia was in her seat and buckled in, seeming to be in much higher spirits as they drove home, listening to music and talking about their days. Maddie was happy to hear the giggling coming from the back seat, as both little girls played with baby Joseph, making him laugh in that adorable way she loved to hear. 

Once they made it home, Maddie made a snack for Jee and Olivia as they did their writing practice, and praised the girls for doing such a good job with the writing. Both girls wanted to hold the baby after they were finished, and Joseph was in a good mood, so the woman agreed. 

They took turns holding the baby, little arms held up by pillows so they could properly support his neck. The amount of love in Jee’s eyes when she held her baby brother never failed to melt Maddie’s heart. Their daughter had initially been upset because, after the gender reveal cake incident, she and Chim had forgotten to explain that the cake wasn’t right. But as soon as they’d let Jee hold her little brother, she fell in love, not caring anymore that he wasn’t a girl. 

When it was Olivia’s turn to hold Joseph, she smiled brightly when he grasped her finger and smiled at her. The blonde let out a quiet gasp and looked up at the woman, wide-eyed as she whispered, “Maddie, the baby is holding my finger.”

“Well, he must like you then,” Maddie said softly. 

“I like him too. He’s so cute,” she smiled. 

Olivia held Joey for a few minutes before Maddie took him back so the girls could play together for a while before dinner. At around 5:30, Maddie was still preparing dinner as Chimney arrived home from work, greeting her with a hug from behind and a kiss on the cheek. 

“And how has my beautiful wife been today?” he asked cheerfully, clearly happy to be home now instead of tomorrow morning. 

The woman smiled and turned away from the food, which was almost done cooking, to greet her husband properly with a hug and a short, soft kiss on the lips. “Your beautiful wife has had a good day. And how was yours?” 

Chimney smiled into their short kiss and answered, “It was good, slow though, and Buck was sulking all day, moping around like a sad puppy.” 

Maddie sighed, “Did he tell you guys what happened this morning?”

“Yeah, Hen took him aside, I don’t know what she told him, but he did seem to be at least a little bit less sad after talking to her. And Eddie was stuck to him like glue all day, trying to make him feel better.” He explained. 

The hazel-eyed woman shook her head, “He’ll be okay, he’s still new to the parenting thing. Buck doesn’t know it yet, but he’s not even a week into this, and he’s already a better parent than ours ever were to him.” 

Chimney gave her a soft look and another hug. Maddie relaxed into him as a moment of quiet washed over them, that was until Joey whined from his spot in the baby bouncer. They both turned to see the baby reaching out for one of them to pick him up. The man smiled brightly at their son and scooped him into his arms. Maddie watched as Chimney peppered their son’s face with little kisses, which caused the boy to break into a fit of giggles. 

“Did you miss me today, Joey? Huh, did you miss your Daddy?” Chim asked, getting some coos in response, which the man took as a yes. 

A moment later, Jee showed up in the doorway to the kitchen with Olivia hovering behind her shyly. “Hi, Daddy!” Jee said enthusiastically as she ran into the kitchen to hug her dad. Olivia just watched the scene and slowly walked into the kitchen. She stood next to Maddie, grabbing the woman’s hand and looking up at her with a nervous smile

“Jee, sweetheart, how about we introduce Olivia to Dad?” Maddie suggested.

The dark-haired girl stepped away from her dad with a wide smile and pulled him towards Olivia and Maddie, excitedly introducing the other girl. “Daddy, this is Olivia! She’s my bestest friend, a-and Uncle Buck said she’s gonna be my cousin!”

Chimney handed the baby off to Maddie and crouched down, smiling warmly at Olivia, who was half hiding behind her legs. “Hi, Olivia. I’m Chimney.”

The golden-haired girl giggled, “That’s a silly name.” 

She watched as Olivia stepped out from behind her legs and Chimney explained, “Well, it’s a nickname that my friends at work gave me, because I did something silly.” 

“How’d you get the nickname?” she asked innocently. 

“Oh uh, well…” he paused, looking up at Maddie, then the timer on the oven went off, he was saved by the bell . “How about I tell you while we eat dinner?” 

Then Maddie interjected, “Jee, can you please show Olivia where the bathroom is so both of you can wash your hands before dinner?” 

“Yes, Mommy. Come on, Livy, let’s go wash our hands.” Jee said, gesturing for Olivia to follow her down the hall to the bathroom. 

As the girls washed their hands in the bathroom, Maddie and Chim went on to set the table for dinner, putting the plates and food out and getting Joseph back into his baby bouncer. 

Once Olivia and Jee came back from washing their hands, the hazel-eyed woman served them their food, and they ate and talked about their days. Maddie was happy to see the little girl open up over dinner; she knew Buck would be glad to hear that Olivia was settling in well. 

After dinner, Chimney insisted that he clean up while Maddie went to relax with the kids, so she did. She took the girls and the baby to the living room and turned on Bluey. She pulled her phone from her pocket and texted Buck to let him know that he could call anytime to FaceTime Olivia. They had watched a couple of episodes before Chim came in from the kitchen and sat down to watch with them. 

They sat for another couple of episodes before Maddie’s phone buzzed. It was Buck saying he’d be ready for the call in 30 minutes, once he got back to the station and cleaned up. Maddie smiled. That was perfect timing; she’d let the girls finish this episode of Bluey and get them ready for bed, then let Olivia talk to Buck for a bit before reading them a bedtime story. 

After the episode ended, Maddie put Chimney on baby duty as she shuttled the girls to the bathroom to help them get ready for bed. Soon, both Olivia and Jee-Yun were bathed, tooth-brushed, and ready to snuggle up in bed, then Buck called as if on cue. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Maddie answered the call before walking into Jee’s room and smiled as her brother’s face popped up on the phone screen. “Hi, Buck, how’s your shift going?”

“Hey Mads, it’s going okay, just a normal shift. How was Olivia at pick-up?”  

The brown-haired woman was quiet for a moment; she knew Buck could see the indecision on her face. It was the one thing she didn’t like about doing FaceTime for this, because she wasn’t sure if Buck could handle hearing that Olivia was still upset by the end of the school day. In fact, she was afraid that her brother’s heart might break even more than it was this morning when she’d talked to him. 

“Maddie, did something happen?” He asked, nervous energy sparking in his eyes. 

“No, no, Buck, she’s okay. Olivia was just a little bit upset when I came to get her from school, but she’s just fine now.” 

“You’re sure she’s okay?” Buck questioned, sounding like he was deflating. 

“Yes, Buck, and she’s really excited to talk to you. She missed you today.” Maddie said as she leaned against the wall next to Jee’s bedroom door. 

“God, I missed her, too. You and Chim told me how hard it was to leave Joseph to go back to work, and I know this is different, and Olivia, like, isn’t a baby, but I know how you feel now.” Her brother rambled. 

“Leaving your kid for the first time is hard, no matter their age, Buck,” she responded. 

Maddie watched Buck sigh and look down, “But she’s not really my…” he cut himself off, but the woman knew what he was going to say if he hadn’t. 

“Evan Buckley, don’t say that. She’s your kid in every way that counts. You’re giving her what no one else in her life before could.” Maddie paused momentarily, “You’re giving her the family and unconditional love that every child deserves.” 

“That’s what I told him earlier.” Maddie heard Hen say from somewhere behind Buck.

“You should listen to Hen. She knows a thing or two about foster care.” Maddie suggested. 

Buck sighed again, “I know.” 

There was a moment of silence between them, then Maddie felt a tug at her sleeve. It was Olivia. “Maddie,” she whispered, “Is that Buck? I wanna talk to him.”

The hazel-eyed woman could tell that Buck could hear the little girl despite how quietly she had spoken because his whole face lit up in a way that she hadn’t seen for the entire call.  

“Yeah, I am sweetie,” she answered before addressing the man on her screen. “Okay, Buck, I’m handing you over to Olivia now,” she said, handing the phone to the little girl, who now had a bright smile on her face. 

“Hi, Buck!” Olivia said as she saw Buck’s smiling face on the screen. 

“Hi, my Livy! How was your day, sweet girl?” he asked softly. 

“It was okay… I was a little bit sad, but Maddie and Jee made me feel better,” the blue-eyed girl answered quietly. 

Maddie watched Buck’s smile falter as he heard Olivia say she was still sad, “I’m sorry, baby girl. Are you liking it at Maddie’s house?” 

“Yeah, Buck! Maddie is really nice and I got to play with Jee and hold the baby!” The little girl’s eyes sparkled as, sounding in awe, she said, “Buck, the baby grabbed my finger… Maddie said that means he likes me.” 

The woman took a sigh of relief when she watched a genuine smile grow on her brother’s face, “That’s right, Livy, Joey always does that with the people he likes. Did he give you a smile too?”

“Mhm, he smiled at me so big, Buck. He’s so cute!” she beamed.

“He really is,” Buck said fondly. Then there was a muffled conversation, followed by someone in the background walking closer. Maddie watched Buck through the screen. His eyes were soft, and they were following the person he’d been talking to until they sat next to him on the couch. 

“Olivia, do you want to say hi to Eddie?” Buck asked as he turned the camera towards his best friend. Maddie should have assumed, by the way her brother’s eyes had softened, that he was looking at Eddie.

The blue-eyed girl gasped happily at the brunette man smiling on the screen, “Hi Eddie!” 

“Hi Olivia.” The man said, waving at her through the screen before Buck turned the camera back to himself. 

The curly-haired man was about to say something, then the alarms in the station went off, signalling that they were being called to an emergency, and Buck muttered under his breath, “Dammit.” 

“I’m so sorry, Livy, I have to go. Sleep well, baby girl, be good for Maddie. I’ll see you tomorrow after school, okay.” He said quickly as he stood up and started walking. 

Olivia didn’t completely understand why their call had to be cut short. She looked and sounded upset as she answered, “O-okay, Buck, I’ll be good. See you tomorrow.” 

“Bye, Bye, Bye,” Buck said in repetition before blowing a kiss to the camera and hanging up the phone.

Olivia frowned down at the phone and gave it back to Maddie. She pulled the little girl into a hug. “It’s a little upsetting when they have to leave so fast, huh?” 

“Mhm,” she hummed, snuggling closer. They sat for a minute in the quiet on Jee’s bed, her daughter crawling up on her lap too, hugging Olivia from behind.

Jee-Yun broke the silence with a whisper, “Momma?” 

“Yes, sweetie?” she asked softly. 

“Can we do bedtime stories now?” 

“Livy, sweetheart, do you want to go pick out a bedtime story with Jee? You can both pick one.”  

Olivia pulled away from Maddie and nodded. Then, Jee smiled. “Come on, Livy, we can pick out books together!”

After picking out the books they wanted to read (luckily for Maddie, they were both short), the golden-haired girl seemed to be in better spirits; the hazel-eyed woman was happy about that. Once the girls were all cuddled up together, she started reading, and they were both asleep by the time she was halfway through the second book. 

Maddie smiled as she gazed at them, and she couldn’t help but take a picture to preserve the memory. The woman turned off the main light, which caused the night light next to the door to turn on as she walked back into the room, only to lean over the bed to give Jee and Olivia each a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room. 

She sighed as she got herself ready for bed, happy to be sharing it tonight rather than sleeping alone. Ever since the kidnapping, sleeping alone in the house was harder than Maddie liked to admit. Something about having her husband’s body curled around hers and his arm slung over her waist just made her feel better. She smiled as she sat down on her side of the bed, finding the sight of the love of her life nearly asleep in their bed oddly endearing.

Maddie couldn’t help but reach over and caress the man’s cheek, waking him slightly. “Mmm, hi Mads,” he mumbled. 

“Hi, Howie. Joseph went down easy tonight, huh?” the woman answered softly. 

“Mhm… C’mere,” he said, reaching out for her. 

Maddie laid down next to Chimney, the man immediately pulling her closer. She listened to him hum contentedly and felt his lips light against her neck. The hazel-eyed woman sighed again and pulled her husband’s hand to her lips, kissing it. 

“Love you, Howie,” Maddie said quietly, pulling his arm more tightly around her. 

“Love you too, baby,” Chimney said sleepily. 

Soon, they were both asleep in the safety of each other’s arms, surrounded by each other’s love. 

Later, Maddie woke up to a small hand shaking her shoulder, and she was greeted with a heartbreaking sight: not her own daughter, but Olivia standing by the edge of her bed, holding a snow leopard plushie with tears in her eyes. The woman’s eyes shot open with concern, and she suddenly felt very awake. 

“Olivia, sweetie, what’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

The little girl answered brokenly, seemingly trying to calm herself, “I h-had a r-really bad dream.” 

“Oh, sweetheart, come here,” Maddie said, signalling Olivia to come up on the bed. She climbed up and cuddled right into her chest, tears wetting her shirt. “Do you wanna talk about it, honey?” the woman asked softly. 

Olivia just shook her head and sniffled as she clung tighter and curled further into Maddie. 

“Okay, honey, it’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it.” She whispered, pausing to soothe her future niece’s messy hair and kiss the top of her head. “You just want me to hold you until you feel better?”

Maddie felt the little girl nod against her shoulder and settle in a little bit as she hugged her close and quietly hummed a soothing tune. Soon enough, Olivia calmed down and was nearly asleep in her arms as she carefully stood up and brought her back to Jee’s room. Jee-Yun was still sleeping, not seeming to have noticed the lack of her soon-to-be cousin next to her. Maddie carefully laid Olivia down on the bed. She gently covered the girl with the blanket before quietly creeping out of the room, finding her spot under Chimney’s arm and falling asleep again. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the night went smoothly, and everyone slept peacefully, even Joey slept throughout the night without waking up. In the morning, Maddie and Chimney woke up and tag-teamed the morning routine with ease. Chimney made the first wake-up call for the girls, while Maddie spent some time getting Joseph ready for the day. 

Luckily, despite the nightmare, Olivia seemed to be in higher spirits than Maddie would have expected. Once the girls were up and getting out of bed, she and Chim switched places; the man took his son to the kitchen to start breakfast, while she helped Olivia and Jee get dressed. The woman then shepherded the girls to the bathroom and did their hair before sending them off to the kitchen for breakfast. 

Maddie followed behind them, smiling as she watched both girls clamber up onto their chairs and Chimney place plates of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of them. 

She came up behind him and kissed his cheek. “Have everything handled out here, baby?” 

The love of her life smiled back at her, “Yup, you go get ready, Maddie, I’ll make sure these two stay out of trouble and finish getting ready,” he joked, as he tickled Olivia and Jee lightly, making both of them giggle. 

With that, Maddie quickly got herself ready for work, showering, getting dressed, and doing her makeup before returning to the kitchen. By the time she finished, it was about time to go, and true to his word, her husband had the girls all ready to go, with their teeth brushed, shoes laced, and backpacks and jackets on. With that, they were out the door, and she was sent off with a kiss, a breakfast sandwich, and a mug of coffee to go. 

~~~Eddie’s POV~~~

Eddie was very well aware that he had been kind of all over Buck all shift, but he couldn’t help it; his best friend was kind of a mess, and he hated seeing the man sad. So, like any good best friend would, the brunette did his best to help him feel better. 

They were just returning from a call as B-shift was rolling in for switch-over, which meant that they wouldn’t have time to eat breakfast before leaving. By the time Eddie had showered and packed his bag, he was starving and exhausted and couldn’t wait to collapse in his bed and sleep until he had to pick Chris from school. Then Buck asked him if he wanted to go to breakfast, and he couldn’t say no because his friend was smiling for practically the first time in 24 hours. 

And God, that smile… it was small, shy, and adorable, so of course Eddie agreed to breakfast with his best friend, because how could he not when he was smiling like that. 

The car ride was quiet, apart from the music from the playlist they’d made together softly playing, attempting to lull him to sleep in the passenger seat of the Jeep. Eddie didn’t realize how close he was to falling asleep until they were parking, and he jolted into awareness. 

“Woah there, you okay, Eds?” Buck asked with a soft smile as he put a warm hand on his shoulder. 

Eddie used all of his willpower to try not to lean into the touch as he yawned, “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Just tired.” 

The curly-haired man just looked at him, eyes still soft, “If you’re too tired, I can just take you home so you can sleep. It’s totally okay, we can just take breakfast to go.” 

He thought about the offer for a moment, and while going home and lying down on his bed was something that he desperately wanted, eating breakfast from a paper-to-go box did not sound terribly appealing. Also, they were already here; Eddie just needed some coffee in him, and he’d make it through breakfast just fine. 

“No, Buck, I’m good. I’d much rather eat here, the food is so much better when it’s freshly served on a plate.” 

“Okay, if you insist. Let’s get inside, then,” he said. 

Eddie nodded and watched Buck get out of the Jeep before hopping out of the vehicle himself, and they walked into the restaurant together. They were quickly seated and given coffee, as it wasn’t busy. Before even looking at the menu, Eddie reached for the sugar, stirring a little into his coffee before taking a long sip. He hummed gratefully into the mug before taking another sip with his eyes closed. 

“I feel like I’m watching an intimate moment. Should I give you and your coffee some time alone?” Buck asked from behind his mug with a teasing smirk, his eyebrow arched. 

The brown-eyed man huffed. If he were sitting next to the man, he’d have punched his shoulder. He settled for giving the man a side eye, shaking his head, and saying “Shut it, Buckley,” before taking another drink of coffee and finally picking up the menu. 

Buck laughed, and as much as he wanted to keep up the act that he was annoyed, Eddie couldn’t help but smile. This was the first genuine laugh that he’d heard out of the man since before their shift. So now he didn’t even care that he was being teased for practically moaning into his cup of coffee; he was just happy to hear Buck laugh. 

The blue-eyed man across the table didn’t bring it up again after getting a good laugh out of the situation, so Eddie changed the subject, “So, you come here all the time, right? What do you recommend?” 

Buck’s eyes lit up in the way they always did when he talked about the people and things he loved, “Well, I’ve had everything on the menu at least once, so tell me what you’re feeling and I can give you a few choices.” 

The brunette thought for a moment, “I’m definitely feeling something savory today,” he said, hoping that was enough information for Buck to give him a few recommendations. 

The curly-haired man thought for a moment before answering, “Well, there are a few classic breakfast plates that you’d probably enjoy. There’s also huevos rancheros.”

Buck paused for a moment on that, and Eddie looked at the huevos rancheros on the menu, which definitely looked good, but his friend wasn’t finished. “There’s also the breakfast burrito. That’s one of my go tos, I swear it’s like the best one I’ve ever had.” 

Eddie’s eyes widened at that, “Even better than that little hole-in-the-wall place down near the station?” 

“Yes, Eds, I swear on my life, it’s so good. I’d get it today if I weren’t craving something sweet.” 

And as if he were summoned by their conversation about what to order, the server walked up and asked if they were ready. After Buck’s enthusiastic recommendation of the breakfast burrito, that’s what Eddie decided to go with, while Buck ordered the strawberry shortcake pancakes. 

As they waited for their food to arrive, the waiter came back to refill their coffees while they talked. Well, talked was a loose term because Buck was definitely more awake than Eddie, despite the caffeine now running through his veins. It was more like Eddie listening to Buck talk all about what he’d learned from his recent Wikipedia binge and occasionally asking questions to show that he was still interested. 

Which, of course, he was interested in. Eddie didn’t even care what his best friend was talking about. He could listen to the man talk all day and not get tired of it because he loved listening to the brightness in Buck’s voice when he talked about the things he was interested in. 

All Eddie could do was hope that Buck wasn’t paying attention to the dreamy look on his face as he sat and stared at him as he talked about something called cryptids. And he might actually need to ask him to explain this again later because the brunette was actually too tired still to comprehend fully what the hell Buck was actually trying to explain. 

Eventually, their food came, and Eddie actually found himself eyeing Buck’s plate. The presentation of those pancakes was beautiful; they looked delicious, and he concluded that he may have to try to mooch a bite from the other man’s plate. 

Then his breakfast burrito was set in front of him, cut in half, with one half resting on top of the other, displaying the fillings. He picked it up and took a bite. Buck was right; this was a damn good breakfast burrito. Although he was also starving, he was sure that just about anything would taste like the best thing in the world to him right now. 

About halfway through the meal, Buck stopped eating to ask, “So, how’s the burrito, pretty damn good right?”

Eddie smiled, “Yeah, it’s delicious,” he said, “But I think we need to do a side-by-side comparison to really see which one is better.”

“That’s a good idea, actually,” the curly-haired man smirked. “We could pick up a few burritos from each place and bring them to the station, put them to a vote, and see what everyone thinks.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” the brunette paused, changing the subject slightly, “So how’s your food? I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen a plate of pancakes look that extravagant.”

Buck chuckled lightly, “They do a great job with their food here, presentation and flavor are always amazing. Do you wanna try some? I’ve been watching you eye my plate for the past 10 minutes.” 

Eddie’s cheeks warmed, and he hoped his friend couldn’t see the blush as he thought for a moment. “If you wouldn’t mind sharing a little bit with me, it does look really good,” he admitted. 

“Yeah, of course, Eds,” the man smiled as he cut a little bit for him to try. 

Eddie stabbed the bite that Buck had set aside for him with his fork and brought it to his mouth, slowly chewing it so he could really take in the flavors. It was surprising to him that it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet, because it looked like it would be. It was actually perfect, though. The pancakes were fluffy, the whipped cream was nice and airy, and the strawberries were sweet. He let out a small, deep hum of approval as he finished chewing. 

“Good, right?” Buck asked before a teasing smirk reappeared on his face. “Bet you’re glad you decided to come to breakfast with me, huh?”

“Yeah, actually, I am. I enjoyed this much more than the protein shake that was waiting for me at home,” the brunette joked. 

The blue-eyed man before him laughed again as they went back to eating their food, and Eddie had to make a very conscious effort to give his best friend heart-eyes again. Because yes, he was definitely happy that he’d agreed to join Buck at breakfast for the good food, but that wasn’t the only reason that he’d said yes. 

He was there for Buck; he wanted to go with him because he knew the other man would be happy if he agreed. Also, it was just nice to have some quality time with one of his favorite people, even if it was just them having a slightly sleep-deprived breakfast together after a long shift. 

This was something that Eddie had always appreciated about him and Buck’s friendship, actually, the simplicity and ease in it. 

They didn’t need to go out and do stuff all the time, and sure, sometimes they would do something like go on a hike or take Chris to the zoo or an amusement park, but most of the time they didn’t need to do any of that. Most of the time, simply being in each other’s presence was enough, and Eddie really liked that. He liked that He and Buck could just sit on the couch with a bottle of beer each and just watch a movie or show together. 

He felt that the fact that they could just sit together in relative silence and not feel the need to fill it was a testament to their friendship. 

Thankfully, his thoughts about Buck and their friendship were cut off before they spiraled out of control by the waiter coming around to ask how their meal was and to drop off the check. 

“I’ve got the bill, Buck,” he said, his hand quickly covering the check before his friend had the chance to move. 

Just as Eddie began pulling the bill towards himself, Buck quickly slapped his hand over it to stop him from moving any further. “Buck, come on, man, it’s my turn to pay,” he said, his brows furrowed. 

“Going out to breakfast was my idea, let me treat you, Eds.” The curly-haired man tried to reason, as if he had never paid for things. 

Eddie just stared at Buck; he wasn’t falling for his weak reasoning, nor the adorable puppy dog eyes he was flashing. He knew very well that the man enjoyed treating his friends to things, like meals or rounds at the bar, or random small gifts. This was one of his favorite things about his best friend, the man’s, almost to a fault, sweet and generous nature.

However, the last time they’d gone out with Chris, Buck had driven them to the movie theater, then insisted he pay for all the tickets and the snacks. He even refused Eddie’s offer to pay him back.

So, suffice it to say, Chris may not be with them this time, so it’s not entirely even, but he would under absolutely no circumstances let Buck pay for this meal. If Eddie deserved to be treated to things, then so did Buck. 

“Buck, you don’t need to pay for everything we do together; you deserve to be treated, too,” the brunette said. 

“But–” Buck interjected, only to be cut off. 

“No, Buck, you’re already paying for gas because you drove us here, and you paid last time we went out, and the time before. It’s well past my turn to treat you to something, so please just let me pay for breakfast.” Eddie practically pleaded. 

He watched the man across from him physically deflate, and he swore he only missed the contact a little bit when Buck pulled his hand away. The brown-eyed man noticed a light blush on his friend’s cheeks as he looked down at his lap. When he looked up again, only a moment later, he also noticed that the blush had carried up to the man’s birthmark, making it a slightly brighter shade of pink. 

Then Buck huffed and smiled shyly, “Well, since you’re insisting.” 

Eddie smiled triumphantly. “I very much am, thank you,” he said as he pulled the check closer to himself. 

Once the check was safely out of Buck’s reach, he pulled his wallet from his back pocket, then looked at the check again before fishing enough cash out of his wallet to pay for their food and leave a generous tip. 

It wasn’t until they were walking out to the parking lot that either man had even paid attention to the fact that they’d ridden to the restaurant together. “So, how do you wanna do this?” Buck asked. 

Eddie knew that if he asked, Buck would definitely drive him all the way back to the station to pick up his truck, then turn around and drive all the way home. He cringed at what a waste of gas and time it would be for him to do that. 

“How about we just go back to your place, Buck? We’re closer to there anyway. I can just take a nap on your couch, and you can take me back to the station later.” 

“Are you sure? I can totally take you back to the station to get your truck. I know you’d rather sleep in your bed than on my sucky couch.” Buck offered. 

Eddie patted himself on the back for very accurately predicting the offer his best friend was going to make. And although the thought of crashing in his own bed for a few hours before picking up Chris from school sounded heavenly, he was also still so drowsy that he didn’t feel like driving yet. 

“Yeah, I’m sure. Your couch isn’t that bad.” 

“Uh-huh, not bad to sit on, maybe, it’s definitely not a good one to sleep on though,” the blue-eyed man said as he started the car.

“Fair, I honestly don’t mind though, we can just drive together to pick up Olivia and Christopher from school, then you can drop me at the station so I can get my truck,” Eddie said, shrugging. 

“Sounds like a plan.” Buck said, “Off we go then.” 

By the time they made it to Buck’s apartment building, they were both dragging, the exhaustion catching up to them, the big breakfast they had just eaten only weighing them down more. Eddie had kicked his shoes off by the door of the apartment and was making his way into the living room when Buck stopped him. 

“What is it, Buck?” he asked. 

“Come with me, you don’t have to sleep on my uncomfortable couch. My bed is plenty big for the both of us,” he said. 

“I– uhm… are you sure?” Eddie stammered. 

“I mean, yeah, it’s not a big deal, right? We’ve done it before.” 

Not a big deal . Yeah, okay, sure, it’s really not a big deal. So why was he freaking out so hard about it right now?  

Eddie and Buck had shared a bed before, during the height of COVID, when he, Chim, and Hen all crashed at Buck’s apartment for a couple of months, but that was more out of necessity than pure choice. Hen, Chim, and their air mattresses occupied Buck’s living room, and his friend outright refused to let him sleep on the floor, so they just slept in the same bed… for months .

The funny thing was that, despite hating having to be away from Christopher for that long, sleeping in a bed with Buck had given him the best sleep he’d had in years. He’d forgotten how good it felt to sleep with another person curled against him. 

More often than not, during the time that they shared a bed, Eddie would wake up with Buck curled around him, or vice versa. Sometimes he’d pretend to be asleep so he could stay in the man’s arms a little longer, and other times he liked to think that Buck was doing the same. And when they would inevitably have to get up in the morning, they’d both stutter awkward apologies and go about their days.

They never talked about the cuddling beyond those apologies. Never talked about what that comfort meant to them…

Of course, Eddie had been very heavily repressing himself back then. Hell, the panic attacks he’d been having at the thought of having a family with Ana should have been a big, flashing neon sign to him that there was something to look into. It wasn’t just about his inability to truly process Shannon’s death fully, because that, he found later, was a significant factor. But also, his evident repressed gayness was a big factor that made a lot of things that he’d felt over the years suddenly make sense. 

All of that to say, Eddie didn’t realize until very recently that enjoying the feeling of sharing a bed with someone wasn’t a general thing. It was more of an ‘I’m in love with my best friend and really enjoy the feeling of being held by him’ type of thing. 

And now he really had to get a hold of himself because he’d been quiet for too long, and Buck was giving him a soft, concerned look that kind of made him want to melt. 

“Earth to Eddie… You okay?” He asked. 

The brunette shook himself from his daze, “Yeah, yeah, all good…” He yawned, “Just more tired than I thought, I think I zoned out there for a minute.” 

“Mhm, I could tell you never answered my question, by the way.” Buck gently reminded, “You’re good with sharing the bed, right?” 

Oh right, he still needed to answer that question like a normal person… “Yup, like you said, no big deal.” 

Buck nodded and gestured for Eddie to follow, “Follow me then.”

They walked together to Buck’s room and collapsed on the bed, thankful to already be wearing sweatpants. However, Eddie was pretty sure that if he had been wearing jeans, he wouldn’t have the energy to get up and change now that he was lying on Buck’s very comfortable bed. 

Eddie had just barely managed to get his head on a pillow before he felt his eyelids droop. He sleepily watched as Buck set an alarm on his phone and lay down next to him, his eyelids getting heavier until he fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep. 

When Eddie woke up hours later, it was to the long line of warmth that was Buck pressed against his back, and the man’s arm slung over his waist. It would be perfect if there weren’t a phone alarm blaring, and if he could cuddle closer like he desperately wanted to. 

Also, the brunette couldn’t fathom how in the world his best friend was still asleep with how loud the alarm was. God , he really wanted nothing more than to lie there in the safety of Buck’s arms forever. Unfortunately, now was definitely not the time for that because they’re just friends, they’re just friends, and they needed to get up. So, as much as Eddie really didn’t want to, he woke Buck up… by pinching his bicep. 

The man huffed cutely before squeezing him harder, and Eddie felt like he was going a little bit insane between the grating sound of the alarm still going off and Buck unintentionally pulling him closer. 

He pinched his friend again, “Buck, come on, man.” 

The curly-haired man shifted, loosening his grip as he groaned sleepily, “Ouch, Eds, why are you pinching me?” 

“Because you weren’t waking up to the alarm you set. Please turn it off.” Eddie pleaded in a sleep-laced voice. 

“Oh shoot,” Buck yawned, “Sorry, let me just…” He cut himself off and turned on his other side to grab his phone and turn off the alarm. 

Eddie only allowed himself a moment to mourn the loss of Buck’s touch while the other man was turned away from him. He then sat up, groaning lowly as he stretched, back popping satisfyingly. As he rolled his shoulders, Buck flopped back down on the bed and smiled at him with this goofy, lopsided grin. Christ, it was like the man was trying to kill him.

“How’d you sleep, Eds? He asked. 

Eddie smiled and nodded, “Slept great, thanks again for sharing the bed. I’m sure my back will be thanking me later.”

Buck sat up, “Yeah, of course, man, it’s no problem. Trust me, not sleeping on my couch was a good call.” 

Eddie chuckled, “It’s really that bad?” 

“No joke, Eds, one time I fell asleep lying on my couch after my shift, and I was still stiff the next day,” he explained. 

“Huh, wow. So I really dodged a bullet there, huh?” the brunette asked playfully, cringing a little bit when he noticed the smile on Buck’s face drop slightly. He probably should have known better than to make a joke about getting shot . 

The blue-eyed man seemed to shake off whatever memory of that day was plaguing him quickly as he responded, “Ha, yeah, you definitely did.” 

It was quiet between them for a moment, a type of uncomfortable silence that didn’t settle between them often before Buck continued, “So, uh, sorry about…  You know…” 

Eddie had been dreading that moment since the second he woke up with Buck’s arm slung over him. The awkward apology that was so far from needed that the man had to physically restrain himself from scoffing as soon as the word sorry left Buck’s mouth. The thing was, he didn’t need an apology; he liked cuddling with the curly-haired man, but he couldn’t exactly go and outright tell his best friend that he enjoyed cuddling with him. He was pretty sure that would weird him out. 

Therefore, Eddie was finding himself in a bit of a pickle. 

Said, pickle, being that he needed to figure out how to tell his best friend that the cuddling genuinely didn’t bother him, without making it sound weird. And preferably without accidentally spilling his feelings and how bad he truly wanted to wake up wrapped in Buck’s arms every morning. He wanted to show him that he deserved all the good things in life and love him the way he deserved to be loved. 

Eddie was totally chill and normal about this situation. 

The brunette took a breath and calmed himself before he spoke again. “The cuddling doesn’t bother me, Buck. You really don’t need to apologize.” 

Buck opened his mouth as if he was going to speak. Still, Eddie cut him off before a sound left his mouth, “And before you say it, I know you’re worried about crossing lines or my boundaries, but I promise if it made me uncomfortable at all in all the times it’s happened, I would have said something. Okay?” 

The other man slowly nodded, “Okay, yeah, good… and so that you know, it doesn’t make me uncomfortable either,” he said quietly. 

“Well, I’m glad we’re on the same page then,” Eddie smiled again, then changing the subject, he said, “We should probably get going soon, yeah? You wouldn’t wanna be late for pick up.” 

Buck looked at his watch hastily, “Oh shoot, yeah. We should get up now.” 

With that, they both got up out of bed, shaking out their stiff muscles. They each got freshened up and quickly headed down to the Jeep. It was another quiet ride, but the energy in the car was noticeably higher, not only because they were both more rested than a few hours ago, but also because Buck was practically vibrating with excitement to see Olivia. 

As they pulled into the school parking lot, Eddie could practically feel the joy radiating off of Buck as he said, “Perfect timing!” 

The curly-haired man parked the car and hopped out. “Come on, Eds, you don’t have to wait in the car. Come with me, Olivia will be so happy to see you!” 

Eddie had absolutely no power against that smile: “Okay, okay, I’m coming.” 

He followed Buck in, suddenly feeling a little bit uncomfortable. He felt like he shouldn’t be there, and a few parents gave him a weird look, too, probably because he was an unfamiliar face. He just stayed a few steps behind his friend, leaning up against the wall. 

Soon, the kids were let out of the classroom, and Eddie watched as they ran to their parents, some of them brandishing little handmade art projects, while others greeted their parents with excited hugs. It made him a little sad, actually. He wasn’t there a lot when Chris was that young, and hated that he had to miss so much. He had to stop thinking about that now, though; he couldn’t change the past. 

When he came back into the moment, he heard Olivia cheer, “Buck!” 

Eddie looked up and saw the little girl leap into Buck’s arms, and his heart melted as he heard the man sigh a huge sigh of relief and hug the girl close. The curly-haired man kissed her temple, and she said, “I missed you, Buck,” quietly, her voice muffled as she nuzzled her face into the man’s shoulder. 

“I missed you, too, Livy,” Buck whispered into the girl’s hair. “I have a surprise for you.”

“What is it?” She looked up, her eyes sparkling. 

“Look over my shoulder, honey.” 

Olivia gasped, “Hi, Eddie!” 

Eddie smiled. He was the surprise, apparently, and he was delighted to be so. “Hi Livy, how was your day?” 

 “It was good, Eddie, I got to do a painting!” She said, smiling. 

“A painting, huh? That sounds fun. When do I get to see it?” he asked playfully. 

Olivia giggled, “Miss Palmer said that I needed to let it dry, so I get to bring the painting home tomorrow.”

The brown-eyed man nodded, “Well, yeah, you wouldn’t want to get wet paint all over your backpack and mess up your painting, right?” 

The blonde nodded her head vigorously, “Uh-huh,” she agreed before wiggling in Buck’s arms. “Buck, let me go, I wanna give Eddie a hug!” 

Buck chuckled as he set Olivia down on her feet and smiled as he watched her run and smash into his legs, hugging him affectionately. Eddie was genuinely taken aback for a second by the hug. She had been so timid when they’d met a few days ago that he didn’t expect this reaction from her, but it didn’t make him any less happy to see it. He loved that she was being so openly affectionate with him already, and judging by the look on his friend’s face, he was happy too. 

She actually kind of reminded him of how Buck was the first time they met, but without the hostility. Either way, it was a quick turnaround.  

That was besides the point, though, when he looked away from Buck and down at Olivia and was met with a huge, heart-melting smile, the kind only a heartless person wouldn’t cave in to. Eddie couldn’t help but pick the girl up and give her a real hug, to which the little girl enthusiastically reciprocated, squeezing him tightly.

“What am I? Chopped liver?” Buck joked, trying to make himself sound upset, but massively failing. 

Eddie chuckled again, “You know you’re not chopped liver, Buck.” He was pretty sure that he sounded entirely too fond by the way his friend blushed a little bit. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” The curly-haired man rolled his eyes.

When he turned away to chat with Olivia’s teacher, the little girl whispered, “Eddie.” 

“Yeah, Livy, what is it? Eddie whispered back. 

“You give really good hugs,” she paused, laying her head on his shoulder.

His heart was now a puddle of goo in his chest. Eddie had almost forgotten what it was like to hold a kid like this; he missed it. He willed his eyes not to water as he hugged her a little tighter. 

“Thanks, Olivia, you give good hugs too, you know,” he answered softly. 

“Mhm, Buck said I give the best hugs,” she said proudly. 

“Well, I’d have to agree with you there.” The brunette laughed, which caused the girl to let out an adorable giggle. 

At the sound of the little girl giggling, Buck’s attention was pulled from his conversation with Olivia’s teacher, and Eddie could see a soft smile on the woman’s face from over his shoulder. 

“What are you two planning over there?” He asked playfully. 

“Nothin’.” Olivia giggled. 

“Yeah, Buck, no planning or plotting going on here,” Eddie confirmed. 

“Mhm,” Buck hummed, a small smile on his lips, “For some reason, I don’t believe you two.” 

“What? We were just talking, right, Livy?” The brown-eyed man asked. 

“Yup, just talkin’,” she said cutely, tilting her head to the side and smiling at Buck. 

Buck broke pretty easily at that smile and head tilt move, “Okay, whatever you say… but I’m keeping my eyes on the two of you.” 

At that, the three of them laughed together before Olivia’s teacher came up behind Buck, holding a bag. “Here’s the overnight bag, Mr. Buckley. It just got left in Olivia’s cubby.” 

“Oh, thank you for grabbing that for me. I almost forgot about it.” Buck said as he took the bag from the woman. 

She then looked over to him and Olivia and back to the blue-eyed man and said, “Oh, Mr. Buckley, is this your partner? He’s so good with Olivia.” 

Eddie blinked a few times in shock at the question. There was no way that she knew he and Buck were partners at work, so did she think… did she think they were dating? 

The curly-haired man looked back at him with a similar expression of shock, then back at the teacher as he stuttered an answer, “Haha, yeah… thanks,” he said awkwardly. 

And now Eddie was left in even more of a shocked stupor because Buck didn’t actually correct her. What his friend and work partner just awkwardly stuttered out to his foster daughter’s pre-school teacher very much implied that they were romantic partners. The brunette felt like his brain was about to short-circuit when she spoke to him. 

The woman stuck her hand out for him to shake, “Nice to meet you…” she left the space blank for him to fill. 

He cleared his throat and took her hand, shaking it, “Eddie, Eddie Diaz.” 

She smiled, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Diaz. You three have a good afternoon.” 

“Likewise,” Eddie smiled, letting her hand go. On the bright side, at least if she thought that he and Buck were dating, then she wouldn’t flirt with either of them. 

With that, they were off, Olivia saying goodbye to her teacher as they began walking down the hall towards the front doors of the school. The little girl was still in his arms when she saw a friend playing on the playground and pointed them out, “Buck, can I go play with my friend on the playground?” She asked, batting her eyelashes. 

Buck looked at his watch, shaking his head before looking at Olivia, “Not today, sweetie, we’d be late picking up Chris from school.” 

“We’re seeing Chris too!” She squealed happily. 

Eddie was very happy to see that the girl seemed to like Chris so much. He wasn’t necessarily saying that he was surprised, but with how snarky and sassy he could be with adults sometimes, you wouldn’t immediately think that he’d be good with kids. However, the teen was great with younger kids, his younger cousins, and Jee absolutely loved him, so he should have known that Olivia would too. 

Honestly, the brown-eyed man would be surprised if someone said they didn’t like his son. Christopher had always had this natural charm about him; ever since he was young, he had gotten new people wrapped around his fingers in a second.

And this wasn’t even a ‘my kid is better than everyone else’s kids’ thing. Eddie knew Christopher had definitely had his less-than-stellar moments, but for the most part, he was a great kid, and he was thankful for that. The brunette didn’t know what he’d done in his life to deserve a kid as amazing as Chris.  

Buck leaned closer to him and, speaking, broke him from his thoughts, “I think she’s more excited to see Chris than she was to see either of us.” 

“Yeah, seems like it,” Eddie answered Buck, chuckling lightly before addressing the little girl in his arms, “Livy, you’re really excited to see Chris, huh?” 

Olivia smiled, “Yeah! He was so nice and super funny!” 

“Mhm, Christopher is a pretty awesome kid, huh?” Buck said, nodding in agreement. 

“How about me, Buck?” Olivia asked sweetly.

“Well,” the curly-haired man said, taking the girl from his arms. “You're the most amazing prettiest girl in the world, my Livy girl.”

She squealed as Buck pressed a kiss to her cheek, “Buuuck, stooop!”

Eddie just watched the scene unfold before him, and adorable was only a word he could use to describe it. If it was even possible for him to fall even more in love with his best friend than he already was, he feared that watching the man interact with his foster daughter did it. 

There was nothing that cemented the fact that Buck was meant to be a father in his mind more than this. Actually, not just a father, but he was meant to be Olivia’s father, and Eddie wasn’t a man that believed in karma and the universe in that way. If anything made him believe in that stuff though it was this situation.

Soon, they made it out to the car, and once they safely buckled in, they made their way over to Christopher's school. This car ride was by far the most lively of the day. The music was still at a lower volume, but Olivia was telling them all about her day at school. To which Eddie was happy to listen, of course. He missed the days when his kid would excitedly tell him about every moment of the school day in excruciating detail.

With Chris being a teen now, he didn't really get this kind of enthusiasm from him about  school anymore. Every once in a while, Chris would be particularly excited about a field trip or a project and tell him all about it. Eddie loved hearing all about anything that made his son so excited .

Most of the time, all he would get was a good, fine or some sort of grunt that he assumed signified that the day wasn't great. That was life with a teenager, though.

By the time they arrived at Chris’s school, the teen was already waiting outside, talking with some of his friends who were also waiting to be picked up. Eddie could tell Christopher was happy yet confused about why Buck was picking him up today as he looked down at his phone and then back up at the Jeep.

As Eddie helped his son into the backseat, the teen asked, “Dad, why didn’t you tell me you were picking me up from school together?”

“I didn’t text you?” Eddie answered confused, “I swear to god I remember texting you like an hour ago.” 

“Nope, last time you texted me was to say goodnight last night,” Chris answered. 

“I saw you typing it,” Buck added, “Maybe you just forgot to send it.” 

The brunette had, in fact, forgotten to send the text, and they all had a good laugh about it as they began driving away from the school. Eddie looked in the back seat briefly and noticed that Olivia was practically vibrating in her seat, waiting very politely for her turn to speak to Chris with a huge smile. As soon as they were all finished laughing at his mistake, the little girl finally got her chance to greet the teen. 

“Hi, Chris!” She said excitedly, “I missed you! Did you have a good day?”

Christopher was taken aback a little bit by Olivia’s excitement to see him, Eddie assumed, in the same way that he was at first. He could tell the teen was happy that she liked him so much, though. 

He smiled, “Hi, Olivia. My day was good. How was yours?” 

“It was good, I had fun with my friends!” She said, happily kicking her feet. 

As they made their way back to the station to pick up his truck, they all chatted with the music playing softly in the background. Chris updated them on the latest drama going on in his friend group and asked Buck and Eddie how their shift was. They had a relatively slow shift, but told Chris about one of the more interesting calls they’d gone on, of course, not with too much detail, because there was a five-year-old in the car. Finally, it was Olivia’s turn, and she told the three of them how much fun she had with Jee at their sleepover. 

Eventually, they made it to the station, and Buck pulled up in the parking spot next to Eddie’s truck. 

“We have reached your destination, make sure you rate your ride five stars,” Buck joked. 

Eddie laughed, and Chris sighed unamusedly, but joined in on the joke, “Just for that joke, your rating went down to three stars.” 

“What? Three?! Come on, Chris, that’s a bit harsh.” The curly-haired man said. 

“It isn’t actually, because you still owe me those cookies for ratting out my Dad. You said you’d give them to me last Sunday,” the teen explained. 

“Oh shoot, you know what, I completely forgot. I’ll bring them to you this Sunday, I promise. Does that sound good?” Buck said. 

“Yes, thank you.” The teen smiled. 

“You’re welcome,” he paused, “Olivia, go ahead and unbuckle so you can say goodbye to Eddie and Chris.” 

Eddie watched Olivia unbuckle her seatbelt and go right for Chris, giving the teen a giant hug, which he reciprocated as they said their goodbyes. She then moved on to him, the little girl climbed halfway into the front seat, and gave him an equally large hug. 

“See you soon, Livy,” Eddie said as he let the girl go, smiling at her. 

“See you soon, Eddie,” She smiled back before climbing back into her seat. 

“Do you need help buckling in, sweetheart?” he heard Buck ask softly. 

“Nope! I’ve got it, Buck!” the golden-haired girl said as she confidently buckled herself in. 

“Okay, Chris, let’s get going, you’ve got homework to attend to,” Eddie said as he opened the car door. 

“Aw, man, don’t remind me.” Chris groaned. 

Before hopping out of the Jeep to help Chris, he stuck his fist out to Buck, “See ya Saturday morning, Buck, and thanks again for breakfast and driving me around.” 

His best friend smiled at him and returned the gesture, bumping their fists together, “You know I don’t mind Eds, I do in fact, enjoy spending time with you.” 

Eddie blushed as he stepped out of the car and helped Chris down, “Yeah, yeah, you big sap. Enjoy the rest of your 48 off.”

Buck chuckled again, “You too, Eddie, see ya Saturday.” 

As the blue-eyed man began pulling out of the parking spot, the back window rolled down, and Olivia’s soft voice came from it, “Bye, Eddie! Bye, Chris!” she said, as she waved goodbye. 

Eddie and Chris both waved back to her and watched the Jeep until it was out of sight before Eddie helped his son into his truck and drove them home.

Chapter Text

On Friday afternoon, Buck walked into the school with a smile, happy to be picking up Olivia. As he waited for her class to be let out, some of the other parents gave him a smile and a nod in greeting as they walked in, which made him happy because the side eyes he was getting before were starting to freak him out. 

Apart from that, the man was excited. And why was he excited? You may ask. Well, Buck was excited because Hen and Karen had invited him and Olivia for dinner and game night tonight.

The curly-haired man had a blast at the last game night he’d been invited to, so he was sure that Olivia would have a blast too once she warmed up to everyone. Speaking of which, this was actually a perfect opportunity for him to introduce the girl to Hen, Karen, Denny, and Mara. It was going to be a low-key evening and a fun time. Buck knew that Olivia got a little bit nervous when meeting new people, so he just hoped that she’d warm up to them as quickly as she had with everyone else she’d met already. 

The commotion of about 30 preschoolers being let out of the classroom broke him from his thoughts. He scanned the crowd of small children for Olivia, but didn’t see her until she was barreling into his legs, greeting him excitedly. One of these days she might actually knock him over completely .

“Hi, Buck!” She said with a smile as she looked up at him. 

“Hi Livy, how was school, sweetie?” he asked in an equally enthusiastic tone. 

“It was good! I got my painting. You wanna see it?” she asked. 

“Yes, of course I want to see your painting, Olivia! How about you show me when we get home?” 

The little girl nodded happily as they walked together out of the school and towards the parking lot. As they walked together, she talked about her day, which just so happened to include an extra 20 minutes of playground time because everyone was extra good this week. She was in the middle of telling him about how she, Jee, and Annie were playing fairy princesses when she blurted out a thought that had nothing to do with what she’d been saying previously. 

Olivia’s eyes lit in realization as she gasped and said, “Buck, Eddie wanted to see my painting, too! I need to show him.” 

On to a new conversation topic, then. Buck thought it was funny how kids could hop from one topic to another, despite how unrelated they were. Then again, he couldn’t exactly judge; every once in a while, he would do the same thing. Sometimes he had to get a thought out, even if it was off topic, or it would be lost to the void of his mind forever. 

“Don’t worry, Livy, you’ll get to show Eddie the painting soon.” He assured. 

“How soon? Like today? Are we gonna see him today? Can we go to his house so I can show him the painting?” she asked enthusiastically and in rapid succession. 

As they made their way to the car, Buck grabbed the keys out of his pocket and chuckled, “Whoa now, take a breath there, Olivia.” 

“But I’m excited! I wanna see Eddie again and show him the painting.” Olivia whined. 

The curly-haired man chuckled again. He thought it was cute how excited the golden-haired girl was at the idea of seeing Eddie again and showing him the painting she’d made. He was happy that his best friend made such a good first impression on the girl and that she liked him so much right off the bat. 

Buck could relate to that sentiment, well, for the most part, at least. He was a bit of a jerk to Eddie when they first met, but that faded very quickly into the beautiful and strong friendship that they have today. Now that he thought about it, even though they worked the majority of their shifts together and spent a good amount of time outside of work together, the curly-haired man always found himself excited to see his friend. 

“My sweet girl, as much as I would love to drive you over to Eddie’s house right now so you can show him your painting, we can’t go over there right now,” Buck said with an apologetic smile as he helped the little girl into her booster seat.

“Aww, why not?” the blue-eyed girl asked, poking her bottom lip out in an adorable pout as he began to help her buckle in. Olivia stopped him, “No Buck, I can do it.” she said as she flawlessly buckled her own seat belt. 

“Hey, good job with the seat belt, Livy!” The curly-haired man said with a smile. 

“Thank you,” she giggled, then asked again, “Why can’t we go to Eddie’s house?” 

Buck chuckled, “Well, for one, Eddie won’t be home right now because he has to pick up Chris from school.” He paused, closing Olivia’s door, opening the driver’s side door, and climbing into the car. “Also, we have plans tonight, so we don’t have time to go to Eddie’s house before going home.”

Olivia nodded, seeming to understand the explanation. “Okay, what are we doin' then?” 

The curly-haired man buckled himself in and started the car. “Well, first, we’re going home so you can show me that painting of yours. Then, if you're up for it, we’ve been invited to a friend’s for dinner and a game night.” 

“Oh, okay.” The little girl said quietly, nerves seeping into her voice. 

“I know meeting new people makes you feel a bit nervous, Livy, but I promise they’re all super nice. I know you’ll love them.” He said softly. 

She nodded and quietly responded, “O-okay, Buck, if you say so.” 

Buck turned around in his seat, giving the little girl a soft smile and patting her knee lightly, “I do say so,” he said playfully, “We’re gonna go and play some fun games and have a good time.” 

Olivia giggled, “ Yeah, we’ll have lots of fun!”

The curly-haired man nodded as he turned around, getting ready to back out of the parking spot. He looked at the girl through the rear-view mirror, “That’s the spirit, Livy girl! Now, how about you finish telling me about the game you played with Jee and Annie at your extra recess time?”

For most of the car ride home, Olivia continued telling her grand story of the exciting game of fairy princesses that she’d played with Jee and their friend Annie. Speaking of the little girl’s friend, Buck still needed to figure out how to contact Annie’s parents so they could plan a playdate for the girls. The man knew Olivia would be thrilled to have a playdate with her good friend for the first time. 

Eventually, she moved on to talking about the rest of the afternoon, which was normal, like any other day leading up to the pickup time. 

By the time she was finished explaining, they were pulling into the parking lot of the apartment building. It was perfect timing on Olivia’s part, honestly, he was surprised that she’d actually asked him about his own day as he helped her get out of the car. They talked a little bit about Buck’s day as they walked up to the apartment; his was a lot less exciting, though. 

All Buck did today was whatever he would normally do on a day off. After dropping Olivia off at school, he went to the gym, cleaned the apartment, then showered and took a nap. He did feel a little bit bad, though, at the slight frown that pulled at the little girl’s lips when he mentioned baking without her. He had to make Chris’s bribe cookies as well as cookies for tonight, and he needed to get it done quickly, but baking with a 5-year-old wasn’t exactly known for being a quick activity. 

She forgot about missing out on baking cookies almost as soon as they entered the apartment. She kicked off her shoes by the door and swung her backpack off her back, holding it in front of her with an excited grin, “Can I show you the painting now?”

Buck closed the front door behind them, “Yes! Of course, you can show me, let’s see this painting.” 

He watched as the little girl unzipped her backpack and revealed the painting with a flourish. Buck was surprised at the lack of muddy mixed colors that he had become familiar with when receiving paintings from Chris when he was little, and even when he’d received art projects from Jee. Of course, the fact that he sometimes couldn’t tell what the drawing or painting was didn’t make receiving it any less meaningful, though. 

Even if Buck couldn’t tell half the time what Chris or Jee had drawn for him, it didn’t really matter, because it was the thought that counted. The fact that they took time to make something just for him made his heart sing. 

Getting out of his own head, the curly-haired man carefully took the painting from Olivia so he could get a better look at it. The painting depicted a rainbow over a field of flowers. Buck loved it; the girl had done a really good job on this. 

“Do you like it, Buck?” she asked before adding, “It took me two days to finish! Miss Palmer said I had to let the blue sky dry before painting the rainbow.” 

That would explain the lack of muddy, mixed colors. The girl had listened to her teacher’s suggestion.

“Yes, Olivia, I love it! This is a masterpiece, beautiful enough to be framed and put on the wall.” Buck said, smiling as he held it up on the wall right across from the front door, “We’ll hang it right here so anyone who comes over can admire it!” 

Olivia giggled, blushing adorably at the compliment, “Really, you’re gonna put it on the wall!?” she questioned excitedly. 

The man nodded, “Yup, as soon as I get a frame for it. For now, though, we’ll put it right up on the fridge, next to your drawing. Okay.”

“Okay, Buck,” She said, smiling brightly as they walked together to the kitchen, where Buck took a magnet off the fridge and stuck the painting to the door. 

They both stood for a moment with soft smiles as they looked at the painting, which was now proudly displayed on the fridge door. Then Olivia spoke up, “Buck, how can I show Eddie the painting?” 

“Well, that’s not too hard to do, sweetheart. I know it’s not as good as showing him in person, but we can send him a picture. Sounds good?” the man suggested. 

“Yeah, that sounds good, Buck,” the golden-haired girl agreed quickly. 

“Okay then,” Buck said as he took the painting off the fridge. 

Olivia gave him a look, “Why did you take it off the fridge?” 

“Don’t worry, Livy, I’ll put it back. I’m just gonna take a picture of you holding it to send to Eddie. Is that okay?” 

She nodded, “Oh yeah… That’s okay.” 

“Okay, good. So you hold it like this,” Buck demonstrated, holding the painting carefully by the edges, “So you don’t cover up any of those beautiful details.” 

The blue-eyed man then handed the little girl her painting, and she held it just like he showed her, “Like this, Buck?”

“Yes, just like that sweet girl,” he said, kneeling to her level and pulling out his phone to take the picture. “Now give me a big smile for our Eddie.” 

‘Our Eddie. ’ He wasn’t sure why that slipped out of his mouth like that, as if Eddie was his , as if he was theirs . The man wasn’t, though, no matter how much he wanted Eddie to be his, he wasn’t. Buck shook off the thought and put himself back in the moment, snapping the picture and immortalizing Olivia’s bright smile in his phone once again. 

Once the picture was taken, the man retrieved the painting and returned it to the fridge, where he’d hung it before. Then he took a look at the picture he’d taken, and he smiled at it. “Can I see the picture, Buck?” she asked. 

He just nodded and showed her the picture. She giggled and did a cute little happy dance, clearly approving of it, “Do you think he’ll like it?” 

Buck picked Olivia up and set her on the counter, “I think he’ll love that we’re sending him a picture; in fact, I’ll send it to him now.” 

With that, the man navigated to Eddie’s contact in the Messages app. He sent his friend the picture of Olivia holding her painting to him with a caption reading, ‘Olivia couldn’t wait to show you the painting she told you about yesterday!’ 

“Okay, it’s sent. Now we just wait for him to answer.” 

Buck leaned against the counter, watching the read receipt show up, and then the response bubble pop up and down a couple of times before Eddie sent one message that was just three heart-eyes emojis and another one which read, ‘Wow! Tell Olivia that Chris and I said it was beautiful and was worth the wait to finally see.’ 

He smiled at the message and read it out to the little girl, happy to see her giggle with happiness and her eyes and smile brighten tenfold at the compliment from his best friend.

It was then that his own eyes lit up with an idea. “You know what, Olivia? I know something that will make Eddie even happier than just seeing a picture of your art.” 

With that comment, Olivia’s bright blue eyes sparkled with curiosity, “What is it, Buck? Tell me!” 

He got real close, like he was about to tell the girl a secret, “Well, I think that Eddie would love it if you made him his very own painting that he could take home. I bet he’d even put it on his fridge.” 

Olivia covered her mouth and gasped, as if this was the best idea she’d ever heard. “Oh my gosh!” she paused dramatically. “Buck, that is the bestest idea ever!” 

“Oh really, it is?” the man said, teasingly tickling the little girl’s side, causing her to giggle again and try to squirm away. 

“Can I do the painting now?” she asked, giggling. 

Buck loved how enthusiastic the girl was about this. There was one glaring problem with her being able to do the painting now, though. “Olivia, sweetie, there’s only one problem with you doing the painting now… I don’t have any paint.” 

“What do you mean you don’t have paint?” She asked in dramatic shock. 

The man couldn’t help but chuckle. “But you know who does have paint?” 

“Who has paint, Buck?”

“Maddie has paint at her house, and you’re going over there tomorrow, so maybe you can do the painting when you go there,” Buck suggested. 

“I get to see Maddie and Jee again!?” Olivia questioned excitedly. 

“Yeah, sweetie, you’re gonna sleep there again while I’m at work, then I’ll pick you up in the morning. Is that okay?”

“Mhm.” she hummed affirmatively, with a small smile gracing her lips. 

Buck smiled at the girl and looked down at his watch. “In other news, we have a couple of hours until we have to leave for game night. How about we find something fun to do while we wait?” 

Olivia’s smile brightened exponentially at the suggestion, as Buck helped her off the counter and she pulled him with her to her room so he could play with her. They sat together on her floor for an hour, playing with her Melissa & Doug pizza-making play set. Buck would order a pizza from Olivia, and she’d make it for him. They had fun until eventually the girl was ready to switch activities. 

The next thing she wanted to do was play with Play-Doh, which meant they had to move out of the bedroom and to the kitchen table. Baby-sitting for both Jee and Chris (when the boy was younger) had taught him an important lesson the hard way. That lesson being that one should never let a child play with Play-Doh, somewhere it could be stamped into a carpeted or fabric surface. 

Anyway, Buck sat with Olivia at the table and watched as she played with the Play-Doh. She cut out different shapes in various colors and pretended that she was a bakery owner selling cookies, prompting the man to play with her again. She wanted the curly-haired man to be a customer again, so he sat across the table and pretended to eat the Play-Doh cookies as she made them. He smiled when the girl giggled as he pretended to eat them, but squished the Play-Doh in his hand behind his head. 

Soon enough, it was time to leave, though, and Buck helped Olivia put all the Play-Doh away and wash their hands before they left to go to Hen and Karen’s house.

As they drove, Buck told Olivia some little tidbits about Hen, Karen, Denny, and Mara in hopes that knowing a little more about them would help her feel a little bit less nervous about meeting them. 

By the time they arrived at Hen and Karen’s house, he had told the little girl all about the Wilsons. Buck told Olivia about how he and Hen had been working together for a long time, and how she was like another sister to him. Then talked about Karen probably being the smartest person he knew, and that she was a rocket scientist. When it came around to the kids, he talked about how funny and kind Denny was, and finally, when it came to Mara, he said that he thought Olivia would really like her because she was also a foster kid and Jee absolutely adored her. 

Initially, Olivia had seemed less nervous as she climbed out of the Jeep, after Buck had talked her ear off about how amazing and kind the Wilsons are for the entire car ride. That was until Buck knocked on the door and they heard someone approaching it… the little girl was then very quick to hide behind his legs. 

Hen was the one to answer the door, pulling the man into a quick hug, “Hey Buck, I’m so glad you guys could come,” she paused, looking around before asking, “Where’s our guest of honor?”

He was happy to hug his friend back, “Hi Hen, the guest of honor is right here,” he said, reaching behind his back to ruffle the girl’s hair gently as he explained, “She just gets a bit nervous when meeting new people.” 

Olivia let out a small laugh at the gesture, and Buck smiled as Hen nodded quietly in understanding. He gently coaxed the little girl to stop hiding behind his legs, “Olivia, honey, it’s okay, you don’t have to be so nervous, I promise Hen is super nice.” 

She peeked her head shyly from behind Buck’s leg, and the woman’s eyes softened as she bent down to be at eye level with the little girl. She smiled and greeted her with a soft voice, “Hi Olivia, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” 

The curly-haired man watched a small smile begin to settle on Olivia’s lips as she answered quietly, “Really?” as if she were surprised anyone could be excited to meet her. 

“Yes, of course. You know,” Hen said, lowering her voice slightly, “Buck talks about you all the time at work, and about how amazing you are. We’ve all been very excited for our turns to meet you.” 

Olivia giggled and stepped out from behind Buck’s legs fully as she gave Hen a bright smile. The man took that as a sign and asked, “Okay, Livy, you ready to go in and meet everyone else now?”

“Yeah, Buck, I’m ready,” she nodded as she grabbed his hand, and his friend led them into the house. 

The blue-eyed man breathed in and looked around the familiar room as Hen closed the door behind them. The house was always so warm and inviting, even from the first time he’d visited; he hoped Olivia could feel that too. He noticed the board games all stacked up on the coffee table, waiting to be played, and he smiled again, looking back at his foster daughter. It was gonna be a good night, he could feel it.

Then Hen called out for Denny and Mara, “Kids, Buck and Olivia are here, come out and say hi.” 

Denny came out first, and his eyes zeroed in on the container of cookies he’d brought as the teen greeted him with a smile and a fist bump, “Hi, Buck, you brought cookies!” 

“Sure did. How ya doing, kid?” he asked. 

“Great, now that I know you brought cookies,” Denny said excitedly as Mara came into the room. 

“There’s cookies!?” the girl said excitedly as she greeted Buck with a quick hug. 

The adults laughed at how excited they were about the cookies, and Karen interjected, “I think you two are forgetting that the cookies weren’t the point of us getting together tonight.” 

Both kids’ eyes lit up at the realization, “Oh yeah,” they said in unison, “You were introducing us to your foster daughter tonight, right?” Denny asked. 

The excitement and commotion about the cookies must have overwhelmed Olivia a little bit, because the girl was hiding behind his legs again. “Olivia, sweetheart, it’s okay. Do you wanna say hi to Denny and Mara?” 

He felt her nod, and he teased, “Well, you can’t do it from back there, silly.” 

She stepped out from behind the man again, and he could tell that she was nervous with all the attention being on her. “Hi, I’m Olivia,” she practically whispered. 

Denny knelt down and greeted the little girl gently, “Hi Olivia, I’m Denny,” he paused and pointed at Mara, who waved at Olivia from behind him, “And that’s Mara, she’s my sister. We’re excited to play games with you tonight. It’ll be lots of fun.” 

After a bit of a rough start to the introduction and Denny’s recovery, Olivia seemed to warm back up a bit, looking less nervous as Karen knelt down to introduce herself, “Hi Olivia, I’m Karen. It’s so nice to finally meet you,” she said softly. 

The golden-haired girl just looked at the woman for a beat, seemingly in awe, before saying, “Whoa, your hair is so pretty.” 

Karen smiled brightly and chuckled at the compliment, “You like my braids, huh?” she asked as she touched her own hair.

 Olivia answered with a nod and a whispered, “It’s so cool,” 

“Well, thank you, sweet girl. You have beautiful hair, too.”

The little girl blushed bashfully and giggled, twirling her golden locks with her finger as she accepted the compliment, “Thank  you, Karen.” 

After a few minutes, the kids were sent off to their rooms while dinner was being finished cooking. Buck was relieved that Olivia warmed up to Mara more quickly than he’d expected. At the mention of playing with Barbie dolls together in the older girl’s room, the blonde was quick to take her hand and walk with her down the hall. The man watched them disappear through the doorway of Mara’s room before looking back at Hen and Karen.

“So, do you two need any help in the kitchen?” he asked. 

“Well, we were almost done preparing dinner, but since you’re offering, I’m sure we can put you to work somehow,” Karen smirked, patting Buck’s back as the three of them walked together towards the kitchen.  

Buck washed his hands, and they did actually put him to work. Hen set him up at the cutting board, and he made the salad. Then, despite the women telling him not to, he washed all the dishes in the sink so they wouldn’t have to do as much later. Finally, he helped Karen set the table before excusing himself to the restroom. 

As he was on his way down the hall, heading back to the kitchen, Buck passed Mara’s room and heard her talking to Olivia. He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop on their conversation, but he couldn’t help but listen in on the end of the story the older girl was telling. 

“A mean lady took me away from my moms when they were about to adopt me, and it made me really sad,” Mara explained as Olivia intently listened. “But then Maddie and Chimney took me in and kept me safe while my moms fought to get me back. I was happy living with them; they were always so nice to me, and I still got to see my moms too.” 

She paused for a moment, and Olivia spoke quietly, “I stayed the night there, too. I missed Buck a lot. Chimney was silly and made me laugh, a-and Maddie and Jee gave me hugs to make me feel better.” 

Buck could tell that Olivia, only being five, didn’t quite get that Mara had been staying with Maddie and Chimney for much longer than just one night. It was cute, though, that she was trying to relate the situations as well as she could. 

“Yeah, they’re good at making people feel better,” the older girl agreed, “They give really good hugs, don’t they?” 

Olivia answered, “Uh huh,” and Buck smiled as she continued, “Buck gives the best hugs though.” 

Mara chuckled, “Buck does give good hugs. Now, my story is almost done. You wanna hear the rest?” 

“Mhm, tell me! I wanna hear the ending,” the blue-eyed girl said enthusiastically. 

“Okay, after a while, my mom’s finally got me back, and I got to live here again, and they finally got to adopt me. The day they officially adopted me was amazing; it was just me, Denny, and my moms, and we all cried from happiness. Then we had a big party and everyone came to celebrate.” 

Mara finished the story, and Olivia gasped, “Whoa, I’m so happy you got adopted, Mara.” 

“Aww, thanks, Olivia, I’m happy I did too, I couldn’t imagine having a different family, I love my moms and my brother so much.” 

It was quiet between the girls for a moment before the younger said something, “Hey, Mara,” 

“Yeah, Olivia, what is it?” she asked. 

What his foster daughter of only one week said next absolutely made his heart melt into a puddle in his chest because the words were so genuine and confident, “I-I think I want Buck to be my dad… I want him to adopt me.” 

Buck couldn’t even stay to hear what Mara was going to say to her next; he needed to get out of that hallway before he made a sound that would give away that he’d been listening to their conversation. Did she really want to call him dad already? So early? There was no way…  

He was thankfully able to escape the hallway without the girls noticing he was there, but there was a slight miscalculation on Buck’s part. The man had, for some reason, forgotten that he, in fact, had not been alone in the kitchen earlier. He knew he’d be quite the sight at the moment, with the glassy eyes and the mildly shocked expression. The blue-eyed man could feel the burning sensation behind his eyes as he tried his best not to actually let any tears fall. 

“Oh, hey Buck, what took you so lo–”

Hen was cut off by Karen, concern dripping from her tone, as she asked, “Buck, are you okay? You look like you’re about to cry.” 

His friend looked up from what she was doing at her wife’s words, giving him the same soft, concerned look that she’d given him when they were at work on Wednesday and she pulled him aside. 

“N-no I…” Buck cleared his throat, “I’m fine.” 

“Uh-huh,” Hen hummed, clearly sounding unconvinced. 

“No, really, I’m okay, it’s not… I’m not sad,” He said with a small smile, “It’s just when I was walking past Mara’s room, I overheard the girls talking… and I heard Olivia say she wants me to adopt her and be her dad.”

“Oh, Buck, that’s great, and so soon, too!” Karen said, pulling the man into a hug. 

Buck let out a breath and relaxed into the hug, “I was just so happy to hear that she felt that way, you know?”

“Oh, we know exactly how you feel. The first time Mara called us her Moms, we felt the same way.” Hen said. 

“It’s just so early, you know… She’s only been staying with me for a week. Do you think I should talk with her about it?” He asked, not knowing how to handle this situation.

Hen and Karen stayed quiet for a moment before Karen spoke, “You could talk to her about it, just bring it up gently, it can be a really sensitive topic for some kids.” 

Buck nodded in understanding as Hen continued the thought, “It takes every kid a different amount of time to really see their foster parent as their actual parent, but I have the feeling that whether Olivia calls you Buck or Dad, she loves you just the same.”

The blue-eyed man smiled at that, “Thank you guys, I’ll talk to her about it soon.” 

His friends smiled and patted him on the back, “Good, you’ll have to let us know how it goes, but for now, let’s just focus on having a fun night.” 

“I’ll make sure to let you guys know how it goes. And yeah, we’re gonna have a blast tonight.” 

They talked for a few more minutes, and soon the timer went off, signalling that dinner was ready. As it rang, Hen went to turn the timer off and pull the food from the oven while Karen disappeared through the doorway of the kitchen to gather the kids from their rooms to wash their hands before eating. Buck helped Hen bring all the food to the table, and just as they finished placing everything, Karen walked into the room with the kids behind her, everyone hungry and ready to dig in. 

The women had made a delectable spread of snacky game night type foods that positively had Buck’s mouth watering. There was a big, beautiful tray of nachos with all the toppings on the side, waiting to be piled onto the cheesy chips that the curly-haired man found himself particularly drawn to. They had also made a delicious-looking homemade pizza and a variety of finger foods that all the kids were sure to like. 

He kind of had the feeling that the salad that Hen and Karen had him make wasn't going to be touched, though. 

Buck helped Olivia make up a plate first. The little girl was, of course, drawn to the pizza, so her plate consisted of a couple of pieces of pizza, a little side bowl of ranch, and some sliced veggies of her choice. She was intrigued by the nachos too; never having had them before, Buck just let her try a few nachos off of his plate. She liked them, but ended up just sticking with her pizza. 

The man, on the other hand, loaded up his plate with a little bit of everything, including some of the salad that he’s aided in preparing. He was actually surprised to see that Hen and Karen, as well as Denny, also took a serving of salad, at least it wasn’t completely going to waste.

Unsurprisingly, dinner was delicious because you could always count on Hen and Karen to make a delicious meal. As they ate, everyone took turns talking about their days, and when it got around to Olivia’s turn to speak, Buck was pleasantly surprised to hear the girl talk all about her day in front of everyone excitedly, without hesitation. 

She even proudly mentioned her painting and asked him if he could show everyone the picture he’d taken of it. The blue-eyed man did so enthusiastically, as he always did when sharing photos of the little girl with his friends. His eyes gleamed with pride as they complimented Olivia’s painting. Her reaction to the compliments was adorable. She giggled and blushed as she thanked everyone for their kind words, and he was proud and impressed with how polite she was. 

Eventually, though, they all finished up eating and worked together to clear the table. Once that was done, the kids were sent out to the living room to pick the games they would play. 

Buck stepped towards the sink to start the dishes, but was stopped by Hen saying, “Ah, step away from the sink, Buckley. Guests don’t do dishes in this house, you know that.” 

The man put his hands up in innocence, “Okay, okay, I’m stepping away from the sink. You two know how I feel about leaving a mess, though. I just like to help since you offered to host us.” 

“You’ve already helped plenty, Buck, now go out to the living room and see if the kids need any help finding games that Olivia can play,” Karen said with a smile as she shooed the man from the kitchen swiftly.

“Okay, fine, since you’re insisting, I’ll go.” Buck sighed. 

“Tell them we’ll be out in a few minutes,” Hen said with a matching smile to her wife’s before turning towards the sink to start the dishes. 

He then walked into the living room, where he listened to Denny, Mara, and Olivia discussing the games they’d play. 

“Olivia, have you ever played Candy Land?” Mara asked sweetly. 

Olivia responded with an enthusiastic nod, “Mhm, it’s my favorite! Can we play it first?” 

“Yeah, we’ll play Candy Land first, then maybe…” the older girl paused, thinking as she looked at the other games on the table, “Chutes and Ladders?” she suggested, looking at her brother.

Denny nodded, “Yeah, I think that would be good, and maybe Uno? Olivia could play on a team with Buck.” 

That’s when the man made himself known, clearing his throat, he said, “Well, looks like you guys didn’t need any help from me with picking out games.” 

“Oh, hey, Buck, did my moms kick you out of the kitchen?” Denny asked as he looked up at the man with a smile. 

“I was banished from the kitchen for the crime of trying to help with the dishes.” Buck joked as he walked further into the room. “I decided it was in my best interest not to fight them on it.”

“Yeah, you definitely made the right choice.” The teen laughed.

“Hanging out with you guys is more fun anyway,” the blue-eyed man said as he ruffled Olivia’s hair, causing the girl to giggle as he sat on the couch. 

“Yeah, it is!” Mara exclaimed, reaching out over the coffee table for a high-five, which Buck happily reciprocated. 

They had a laugh and talked for a few minutes before Hen and Karen came into the room, having finished the dishes. “We all set out here?” Hen asked. 

“Yup, they had the games all picked out before they noticed I was in the room,” Buck answered. 

The women sat on the couch, Hen sitting between him and Karen as she said, “Okay then, let's get this party started!”

With that, they got started, like Olivia had requested; they played Candy Land first. Buck could tell she’d played it before because she didn’t even need anyone to explain how the game worked. The group had to play in teams because it was only a four-player game, and there were six of them. The teams were Hen and Karen, Denny and Mara, and him and Olivia. They played two rounds of Candy Land, and much to the blue-eyed girl’s delight, she and Buck won the first. Everyone chuckled when she did a little happy dance at the win. 

The second round of Candy Land went really quickly, as on their third card pull, Denny and Mara pulled the ‘Queen Frostine’ card, and were lucky enough not to draw anything that would set them back afterwards, therefore securing the win. 

Next, they played Chutes and Ladders, which they had to stay in teams for again, because it seemed that they’d forgotten that all these games that were meant for younger kids tended to be two to four-player games. It was okay, though; none of them minded being on teams, it was kind of fun, actually. 

Anyway, they played two rounds of Chutes and Ladders too, neither of which Buck and Olivia won. The first round was won by Hen and Karen, and the next by Denny and Mara again. Despite their losses, the little girl still seemed to have a lot of fun playing Chutes and Ladders. Then they moved onto Uno…

Uno always seemed to be a game that brought out hostility in people; luckily, since there were kids involved, things stayed pretty calm. For this one, the teams split up, so everyone was on their own except for Buck and Olivia, because the little girl was not quite old enough to play alone. 

By the time they got around to their fourth and longest round of Uno, Buck was starting to get slightly upset at how close he’d been to victory, only to have his plans thwarted by one of his so-called friends. 

This round was likely going to be the last, and he was determined to win; he could almost taste it. 

It was Denny’s turn, and as long as the teen didn’t put down a card that would skip his turn, he was golden… Mara had just played a color change card, changing the color to red, so the teen was forced to play a red card. This was perfect!

“Here, Livy, put this one down for me,” Buck said softly, giving the girl the red 7 card to play for him, and as she did so, the man smirked and called out, “Uno!” 

To his left, Hen was squinting at him, as if she were trying to read him. “Okay, everyone, this is when we work together to get Buck on even ground with the rest of us,” she said as she played a blue 7, apparently trying to plot his downfall. 

“Hey, you didn’t say that when Karen was close to winning earlier, what was that for?” Buck said in mock hurt. 

“I’d be sleeping on the couch if I’d said that to her, plus, I had a plan since I played before her and I didn’t want to give it away,” Hen said, matter-of-factly. 

“Well, now that you said that, maybe you will be sleeping on the couch tonight,” Karen stated nonchalantly as she played a blue 3 card.  

The woman was just joking, but Denny and Mara still teased Hen for it, saying, “Ooooo, Mom’s in trouble.”

Hen rolled her eyes and huffed a laugh, “Okay, okay, you two…” she paused, “Go on, Mara, it’s your turn, play a good one.”

What the rest of the group didn’t know was that nothing that either Denny or Mara could play would be able to stop him from winning, that was, unless Denny had a draw 2 card or a draw four color change card… Mara was hesitant as she played what seemed to be her only blue card, looking at her brother nervously. 

“I’m sorry, Denny, it was the only card I could play,” she said quietly as she played a blue draw two card.

“Really? Out of all those cards, you didn’t have any other threes or another blue?” the teen huffed as he picked two cards. 

“Yes, really! It was the only blue card I had, and three is literally the only number I don’t have!” The girl exclaimed. 

“Well, you’d better hope Buck doesn’t have a blue card then…” Denny sighed. 

Buck smirked and gave Olivia his last card, and she put it down on the table for him. “Yes! Finally! We won, Livy! Good job, sweetheart!” he cheered, putting his hand up for a high-five, which the little girl excitedly reciprocated. 

After Buck and Olivia’s glorious win, they all decided that they were done with games for the night and ready for dessert. They all chatted as they enjoyed the cookies Buck brought, along with some ice cream from the freezer. 

Denny and Mara even managed to convince their moms to let them make cookie ice cream sandwiches, which looked so good that the curly-haired man couldn’t resist making one for himself. And of course, because everyone else had one, Olivia wanted one too. She didn’t end up eating the whole thing, so he ended up finishing it for her. It was okay, though; he could just work off the extra calories tomorrow.

All in all, it was a really good night, and even if Olivia was nervous in the beginning, the introductions went better than Buck expected, not that he was expecting them to go poorly… The man was just happy that the girl had warmed up so quickly to his friends so far. He always loved Hen and Karen’s house, loved the conversations he had with them, and what amazing kids Denny and Mara were. 

He could stay for longer, but after enjoying her dessert, Olivia hadn’t left his lap, almost curling herself around him. Buck could tell that she was exhausted after spending all day at school, followed by the excitement of meeting new people and all the activity tonight. It was also way past the girl’s bedtime, so it was a wonder that she was still awake.  

He rubbed Olivia’s back and kissed her head before whispering, “About ready to go home, Livy?”

“Mhm,” the sleepy child hummed, cuddling closer, “Mm sleepy Buck…” 

“Okay, baby girl, we’ll go home.” He said, petting the little girl’s soft golden hair. 

A moment later, the man looked up to see his two friends looking at them with soft smiles, clearly having watched their exchange. “Looks like someone is ready for bed,” Hen said before looking at her watch and adding, “It must be way past her bedtime, huh?”

Buck nodded, “Yeah, she’s absolutely exhausted. We’d better get going.” he paused, then addressed the child in his arms, “Livy girl, can you thank Hen and Karen for having us over?” 

Olivia nodded against Buck's shoulder and looked over to the women, “Thank you for having us over,” she repeated after the man in an adorable, sleepy voice, before continuing, “the pizza was really yummy.” 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. We’re so happy we got to meet you today.” Karen said softly. 

Buck got up, with Hen, and she walked them to the door. “Seriously, Hen, thank you for inviting us. We both had a great time. I’m really happy she got to meet you guys.” 

“Of course, Buck, you know we all love having you over,” Hen smiled, patting him on the back affectionately, and suggested, “We’ll have to do this again soon.” 

“Definitely!” I think Olivia would love that.” The curly-haired man responded cheerfully. “Have a good rest of your night, Hen, see you tomorrow at work. Yeah?”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” she said as he began to walk down the front porch steps. She stopped him, following him outside onto the porch, “Hey, Buck, wait, one more thing.” 

“What is it?” he asked curiously. 

“You said when we talked on Wednesday that you were worried you couldn’t be what Olivia needed… that you were afraid that you were going to be a bad parent,” Hen said, reminding him of the conversation they’d had a few days ago. 

“Mhm,” he hummed in response, remembering their conversation. 

“You are exactly what this little girl needs, Buck. You’re giving her the stability and the family that she needs, and I know she’s only been in your care for a week, but from every single interaction I saw between the two of you tonight, I saw love. You are giving Olivia the love and stability she needs, and that’s all that matters. I promise you are going to be a great parent… heck, you already are.  Buck, you’re doing a great job.” 

Buck cleared his throat; he hadn’t realized how much he needed to hear that , “Th-thanks, Hen, I– that means a lot,” he whispered, eyes watering a little bit, genuinely not knowing what else he could possibly say. 

The woman gave him one last smile and patted him on the shoulder again, “Drive home safe, okay.” 

The blue-eyed man was still in shock at her words as he responded, “Y-yeah, don’t worry, I will. I’ve got precious cargo after all.” 

Hen nodded and said, “See you tomorrow, Buck.”

And as she closed the door, Buck smiled and walked out to his car. He secured a half-asleep Olivia in her car seat, and once he finally had his hands free, he sighed and rubbed his face, not expecting to have another emotional moment tonight. As he drove home, Buck thought about the conversation he’d overheard earlier. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to go about talking about this with a five-year-old. 

What Buck did know was that, really, he didn’t care what Olivia wanted to call him; she could call him whatever she wanted as long as they got to stay together.

Chapter Text

Buck woke up before his alarm, and he wasn't particularly happy about it. Waking up before the alarm was never a pleasant experience; it was only made more unpleasant by the fact that it was only 5:00 in the morning, and he had to be up at 5:30. Of course they had to have an early start for a Saturday shift, 7:30. This meant that Buck had to be up early enough to get both himself and Olivia out the door by 6:30 or earlier so he could drop her off at Maddie's and not be late to work.

After the man was finished wallowing in the self-pity of waking up before his alarm, he figured that he might as well use the early wake-up to his advantage. He was wide awake, so he might as well get ready for the day. Buck groaned as he stretched and shook off the remaining tiredness from his bones. He took a quick shower before fixing his hair and getting dressed in his uniform so he wouldn't have to worry about changing when he got there. He just threw his change of clothes into his duffel bag so it would be ready for after the shift.

After he finished getting ready, Buck went out to the kitchen and started making himself a cup of coffee, only to nearly jump out of his skin when his 5:30 alarm went off. He had to take a second to breathe as it continued blaring from his back pocket. The blue-eyed man could still feel his heart racing a little bit as he pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it off.

At least he wasn't holding his coffee, or the scalding hot liquid would have been all over him.

Just when Buck took his first sip of coffee, he smiled at the now familiar weight of a little girl at his side, hugging his leg, "Good morning, Olivia. I didn't wake you, did I?" He asked softly.

He felt her shake her head at the question and respond sleepily, "Mornin', Buck…" before raising her arms like a toddler and quietly requesting, "Hold me?"

Of course, he put down his coffee mug and picked her up, because who would Buck be if he rejected Olivia's request for cuddles? He'd be a crazy person, that's what he'd be. The man was pretty sure that it would be physically impossible to resist the sweet, sleepy little smile the girl had given him. After all, even if the girl had only been living with him for a week, their morning cuddle time was sacred; he wouldn't miss out on it if he could help it.

Buck was starting to feel like maybe waking up before the alarm this morning wasn't such a bad thing, because if he hadn't, there wouldn't have been extra time for cuddles. Maybe he could also use this time to talk with the girl about the conversation he'd overheard last night. He knew Olivia was still sleepy, evident by the way she had relaxed into him as he picked her up, but he also knew that if he didn't do it now, he probably wouldn't do it, so he took the plunge.

The curly-haired man carried the girl and his coffee to the couch, sitting down and making himself comfortable before speaking, "Hey, Olivia,"

"Mhm?" she hummed, pulling her head away from where it was resting on his shoulder to look at him.

"Do…" He hesitated for a moment, taking a breath before getting right to the point, "Do you want to call me dad?"

Olivia tensed in his arms like she was afraid to answer, but he reassured her, "Sweetheart, you can call me whatever you want, okay. You don't need to be afraid to tell me, whatever you're comfortable with is good for me."

She nodded and relaxed a little bit as she quietly answered, "You're my Buck…"

Buck smiled, "Yeah, and you're my Livy girl," he paused, tickling the little girl's side, "So you want to keep calling me Buck then?"

"Mhm," Olivia hummed affirmatively, giggling as she scooted closer to him and cuddled into his chest once again. Buck sighed, happily holding the golden-haired girl closer, gently rubbing her back. About 15 minutes and the rest of his coffee later, it was time to get up, much to both of their disappointment.

Olivia was just a little bit grumpy because, despite being a morning person and usually being bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, she was not particularly happy about her cuddle time being cut short. Her spirits were lifted, however, when Buck told her that because it was still so early, she didn't have to change out of her favorite fuzzy pajama pants before going to Maddie's. They went on to pack her overnight bag together, then he fixed her hair, and they were off with time to spare.

Soon, they made it to Maddie's house. It was only 6:45, and he felt bad for having to wake her this early; unfortunately, he had no other choice, though. Buck knocked on the door, and his sister opened it, looking tired.

"Morning, Mads," he greeted, "Sorry to have you up so early on a Saturday, I know you like to sleep in when you have the chance."

"No need to apologize, Buck, I was already awake. I like to say goodbye to Chim before he leaves," she paused, smiling. "Also, Miss Jee Yun woke up to say bye to her dad, and insisted that she was too excited about Olivia coming over to go back to sleep, so we're just about to get breakfast started."

Before Buck had the chance to speak, Jee ran up, calling, "Moooommaaaa!" only to gasp when she saw him and Olivia at the door, "Hi, Uncle Buck! Hi Livy!"

"Good morning, Jee," Buck said softly.

"Good morning, Uncle Buck!" his niece responded, smiling brightly as she hugged his legs.

"What were you gonna tell me, sweetheart?" Maddie asked her daughter, gently reminding the girl why she'd come over here in the first place.

Jee turned to face he mother and cocked her head to the side cutly, "Oh yeah, Joey is awake," she said.

"Is he okay in there?" she questioned further, gauging if she needed to go pick up the baby right now.

"Mhm, he's not cryin' I made him laugh!" Jee smiled.

"Thank you for telling me, Jee Jee. I'll go get him in a few minutes. How about you keep an eye on him for me while I talk with your Uncle Buck."

"Okay, Momma," Jee replied before looking over to Olivia, "You wanna come watch Joey with me?"

Olivia looked up at Buck as if asking for permission, "You can go with Jee, sweetie." He said softly.

The girl smiled at him and reached up for a hug. Buck scooped Olivia up, wrapping her in his arms, "You have fun with Jee and Maddie, and be good, okay?"

"I will be good, Buck, I promise." She whispered.

"And I promise we'll have lots of fun!" Maddie added with a smile.

He held her for a moment longer before setting her back on the ground, "Good. I'll see you tomorrow, baby girl."

"See you tomorrow, Buck," Olivia said, smiling and waving as she ran out of sight with Jee to go see the baby.

Buck sighed as he watched the girls run off. He was just happy to see Olivia feeling so comfortable with his family already. The curly-haired man then looked back at Maddie and gave her a small smile as he passed her the overnight bag.

"Soooo," Buck said, pulling the syllable out, "I'll check in later then… um and probably try to call before bed like I did on Wednesday."

"Sounds good, Buck. She'll be okay here, and I can handle the three of them. I can tell you're worried." Maddie commented.

The curly-haired man sighed heavily, looking down, "I know, Mads, but you know me, I can't help but worry, even if I know you'll be fine."

His sister looked at him with sympathy and pulled him into a hug, "I know exactly how you feel, Buck, and it's okay to be worried. Just don't let the worry consume you, okay."

Buck nodded as he pulled away from his sister, "I'll try Maddie, I promise," he paused, remembering something else, "Also, sorry, this is completely off topic, but do you have paint?"

Maddie looked at him with a confused expression, "Paint, like as in craft paint for kids? Yes, I do. Why are you asking?"

"Well, Olivia really wanted to do a painting for Eddie yesterday after we sent him a picture of the one she did at school, but I don't have any paint at home. She was hoping to be able to do that today," the blue-eyed man explained.

"Oh, I see," she said with a glint in her eye and a small, soft smile, "Yeah, of course, Olivia can make a painting for Eddie here. We'll get everything set up later."

He wasn't exactly sure why she had smiled at him like that, but he answered happily, "Olivia will be thrilled!" Then he paused for a moment and looked at his watch, "Oh shoot, it's after 7:00, I've got to go or I'm gonna be late."

"Go go," Maddie shooed him, "I can handle things from here, I have some fun plans for today, and I'll send pictures."

"Can't wait to see those!" Buck paused to give the hazel-eyed woman another hug, "I'll see you tomorrow, Mads, and thank you again."

"You know you don't have to thank me. Olivia's an easy kid, I love having her here, and so does your niece. See you tomorrow, Buck, love you. Stay safe out there, okay." She said softly.

The curly-haired man nodded and pulled away, "I will, Love you too, Maddie."

With that final goodbye, he got going. Buck didn't know how he managed it, but he actually got to work on time. It was by the skin of his teeth, but he wasn't late. The man rushed into the locker room, stashing his bag in his locker before heading up to the loft, where everyone was already sitting on the couches. When he got upstairs, he tried not to look like he was rushing, but Chimney caught him and smirked.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up," his brother-in-law teased as he stepped foot in the room.

Buck just huffed, "Come on, man, I'm not even actually late. I just lost track of time while talking to Maddie when I dropped off Olivia."

Before Chimney could get another word in, though Bobby spoke up, "Come over here and help me out with breakfast, Buckley," he said, saving Buck from more teasing.

"Got it, Cap," he answered with a smile, "Sorry, Chim, duty calls."

The curly-haired man walked into the kitchen and washed his hands quickly. "Where do ya need me, Bobby?" he asked.

"Peel the potatoes for me, kid, I'll chop them." Bobby requested, prompting the curly-haired man to get to work.

Buck soon finished peeling the potatoes and moved on to frying the bacon at Bobby's direction, making sure to make a few extra crispy pieces for Eddie and set them aside on a separate plate. As they prepped breakfast, it was quiet between the men in the kitchen, but the chatter from the living area in the loft filled the space with a warm energy that he couldn't get enough of.

Eventually, though, his captain addressed him, "Buck, I got a call from the B-shift captain this morning ."

The blue-eyed man cocked his head to the side, confused about why Bobby was telling him about getting a call from the B-shift's captain. He had an idea of why the man was telling him, but he just continued listening as Bobby asked him a question.

"You know Jensen from B-shift, right?"

Buck thought for a moment, then nodded because he remembered the name, "Yeah, he covered one of my shifts last month when I needed the time off for Olivia's first visit." Oh… he knew now why Bobby was talking about this with him…

The man next to him nodded, "Well, his wife went into labor this morning, and he was only able to find someone to cover the evening portion of his shift. He was hoping to call in that favor you owe him."

As much as Buck wanted to say that he couldn't, he had to go pick up Olivia from Maddie's house in the morning, and then they were going to Pepa's house for dinner. He couldn't say no. Even if Bobby was just asking him to cover a shift for someone he didn't owe a favor to, he still couldn't say no because that would make him a horrible person. He would absolutely not be the guy who made a man miss the birth of his first child… at least it was only a 12-hour shift.

The curly-haired man sighed, "Let the B-shift captain know that I can cover the first part of Jensen's shift. It's not really something I can say no to…" Buck trailed off, muttering, "I guess I have to figure out child care for Olivia now," under his breath nervously, quiet enough that Bobby didn't hear him.

The older man smiled, "Thank you, Buck, I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that you could cover for him… Now help me bring all of this to the table, yeah?"

Buck picked up a couple of items to bring to the table, and Bobby called out to the rest of the team, "Breakfast is up, team, come and grab a plate!"

The blue-eyed man served himself and watched as everyone clambered to get some food for themselves. Buck smiled quietly at Eddie, and as the man sat down next to him, he slid over the small plate he'd set aside earlier, with the bacon just the way his best friend liked it. After everyone was seated with their food, Bobby began the pre-shift briefing.

He really tried his best to focus on what his captain was saying, he really did, but his mind kept getting pulled back to his childcare dilemma. It was only 12 hours, and the thing was, Buck wouldn't be worried about it if he knew that Olivia could stay with Maddie and Chim for that extra time, but they couldn't keep her tomorrow.

Maddie had warned him on Friday that the absolute latest she could keep Olivia for was until 11:00 am because they were dropping Joseph and Jee off with the Lees while they did an afternoon date. Buck knew how hard it was for them to get alone time, so he absolutely didn't want to interfere with that; they deserved to have time for just them. This meant that he had to ask someone else to watch Olivia, though, and he wasn't saying that he was afraid to ask for the help; he was actually pretty sure that if he asked Hen or Eddie to watch the girl, they'd both say yes.

The problem was that he felt bad for asking.

He knew that Hen and Eddie probably had things that they had to do, and he didn't want to derail either of their days. Also, though, it wouldn't be fair to Olivia or his coworkers on B-shift to have the girl there all day with them. God, he was really overthinking this now…

All he needed to do was ask. Why did his brain have to be like this? Constantly making him feel bad about asking a friend for a favor. It wasn't even that big of a deal, but Buck could already tell that he was beginning to spiral about it. In reality, he knew everything would be fine; he just had to stop overthinking it and ask one of them to watch Olivia for him. Of course, though, before he could truly get himself out of the spiral, his thoughts were cut off by the blaring of an alarm calling the team to an emergency.

Everyone hopped into action and ran to the engines and ambulance, so Buck was left to continue his spiral. He knew everyone noticed how quiet and distracted he was throughout the calls they went on that day. The man was avoiding everyone, so he wouldn't have to talk… except for when Maddie sent him pictures of the girls doing various activities. It just made him so happy to see Olivia having a good time that he couldn't help but show everyone the pictures.

That pattern of avoidance continued into the early evening when Eddie found him sitting alone in a lawn chair watching the moon rise over the city.

His best friend plopped down in a chair next to him and said, "So, I know something's been bothering you all day, and you've been avoiding talking about it. Time to spill it, Buckley."

Buck sighed. Wow, called out, "It's really not that big of a deal. I-I'm not sure why I'm overthinking it so much."

"Tell me what's up, Buck, maybe I can help." Eddie urged him softly to continue.

"You know Jensen from B-shift, right?" he asked, pausing as he watched Eddie think for a moment and nod before he continued, "Well, I guess his wife went into labor today, and I owe him for covering one of my shifts last month."

"Oh, well, that's exciting for them." Eddie smiled, "So are you covering the whole shift?"

"No, no, thankfully, I'm only covering the first half, but I need someone to watch Olivia during that time. I would ask Maddie and Chim to watch her, but they can't."

"Oh, that's it?" The brunette asked. "Buck, I can pick up Olivia from Maddie and Chim's house and watch her for the day."

"Really? You're sure that's okay, Eds? I don't wanna mess up your day." Buck said quietly.

"This won't mess up my day, Buck. I'm happy to watch her for you. It's totally fine, we're having dinner at Pepa's anyway, you can meet us there after you're done with your shift."

The blue-eyed man sighed in relief, thankful that Eddie had offered to watch Olivia for him without needing to ask.

"Thanks, Eddie. I really appreciate it, you're a lifesaver, man." He smiled, looking at his friend.

The brown-eyed man looked into his eyes and smiled, squeezing his shoulder, "Well, it's about time I paid you back for all the times you helped me out with Chris over the years."

"You know you don't have to pay me back for watching Chris Eds. You know I basically love him like he's my own." Buck said fondly.

Eddie smiled even wider at the mention of Christopher. He loved that smile, loved the way the man's face lit up like the sun when talking about the boy. With that, a comfortable silence fell over the men as they just looked at each other. For just a moment, Buck let himself admire his best friend. He looked so beautiful in the moonlight; he wished he could tell the man that right now… he really wanted to.

As the silence stretched on, and they continued staring into each other's eyes, Buck began to feel this tension settle over them; it almost felt as if he tried to look away, he would be pulled right back to them. For a moment, Eddie's eyes flickered down. Was he looking at his lips? The blue-eyed man looked down at the other man's lips, the lips he really, really wanted to kiss. God, he couldn't, he really couldn't.

Eddie broke him from his daze, and he blinked rapidly for a moment as the man asked, "Hey Buck, you with me, pal?"

Pal… Since when did Eddie call him pal? Okay, Eddie had called him pal before, but in this moment, it didn't feel right because they had an oddly emotionally charged staring contest, and it just felt awkward. He didn't know exactly how to explain the feeling.

"I-yeah, yeah, sorry… just zoned out a bit," Buck responded. Yeah, he was zoned out, looking into his eyes, while thinking about how beautiful he looked in the moonlight. The curly-haired man was totally fine.

"Mhm…" the brown-eyed man hummed, "I was saying, how about we go back inside, it's kind of cold out here."

Now that he thought about it, it was cold out here; it was the end of November after all, "You're right, let's go. I've gotta call Maddie so I can say goodnight to Olivia anyway."

With that, they went back inside together, both wearing shy smiles as they bumped shoulders.

Buck then texted Maddie to see if Olivia was ready to talk, and about 10 minutes later, Maddie was calling him back. He sat on FaceTime with the little girl and talked with her for 30 minutes. Well, he didn't actually do much talking; he mostly listened, but he was happy to do so.

She told him all about her day with Maddie, Jee, and baby Joey, as it turned out, his sister had a fun-filled day out planned. They had gone out to the park, then to lunch and ice cream, before going back to the house, where she got to make her painting for Eddie, and she and Jee played with her tea set quietly while Joey napped. And now they were all cozy in their pajamas and were getting ready to watch a movie.

After Olivia told him all about her day, Buck went on to tell her about his day, in a kid-friendly way, and let Hen, Chim, and Eddie pop in to say hi to her. Near the end of the call, the curly-haired man remembered to explain that Eddie would be picking her up in the morning because he had to stay at work. He wasn't about to make the same mistake he had on Wednesday by not keeping Olivia in the loop.

Olivia was a little upset at the news that Buck wouldn't be there to pick her up in the morning, but she was also very excited about the fact that she'd get to spend the whole day with Eddie. She couldn't wait to show him the painting she'd made for him. The blue-eyed man even got a sneak peek of the painting, telling the golden-haired girl that it was absolutely beautiful and that Eddie would love it. Eventually, they said their goodbyes, the girls wanting to get to watching their movie.

Buck sighed as he hung up the phone. He still felt bad that he couldn't be there to pick her up in the morning. The feeling of not being present enough knawing at his chest even when he knew it wasn't true. The man was happy that Olivia was glad about Eddie being the one who was picking her up, knowing that the little girl already loved his best friend so much made his heart feel warm.

A couple of hours later, after one more call, they all retired to the bunk room, luckily being able to get some rest. Buck was thankful that the only call that came through in the early hours of the morning was a medical call, which meant that he actually managed to get a decent night's rest before his partial shift.

Buck got up in the morning and showered as he normally would before the end of a shift, only, instead of leaving with the rest of the A-shift, he stayed behind. He told Hen goodbye, told her to get some sleep, and told Chim to hug Maddie for him and wished them a nice date. He was still sitting in the locker room when Eddie was getting ready to leave.

"Okay, Buck, good luck with the rest of the shift, see ya later," he'd said with a small smile.

"Thanks, Eds, see ya—" Buck cut himself off, "Actually, wait, I forgot to give you something," he continued, standing up and opening his locker.

Eddie stopped and turned around, "Yeah, what is it?"

"I almost forgot, you're kinda gonna need Olivia's car seat if she's gonna be with you today." He explained, grabbing the keys from his bag.

As they walked out to the parking lot together, Eddie spoke, "Well, it's a good thing you remembered the car seat, Buck, for some reason that didn't even cross my mind."

"Yeah, I know. It would have been a bit of a safety hazard otherwise," the curly-haired man said as he unlocked his Jeep and pulled the girl's car seat out. They walked quietly over to Eddie's truck, where Buck installed the seat in the back of the truck. "There we go, all set!"

~~~Eddie's POV~~~

"Perfect," Eddie smiled, then asked, "Anything else before I get going?"

Buck thought for a moment, "Yeah, actually… would you mind maybe stopping by my place after you pick up Olivia to grab the cookies I made for Chris? I promised I'd give them to him today. I thought I'd get to go home before dinner to grab them, but now I won't be able to."

Eddie blinked for a moment, confused, before remembering why Buck had made his son cookies. "Oh, you mean the bribe cookies?"

"Yes, Eddie, the bribe cookies." His friend nodded.

"Yeah, I can grab them. That will be perfect, actually, because then I can drop Olivia's overnight bag at your place, and she can get one of her toys to play with so she won't be bored at my house."

"Okay," Buck sighed, "Thank you, Eddie. Seriously, I really appreciate you helping me out on such short notice."

The brunette reached out and squeezed his best friend's shoulder, "You know I mean it when I say I don't mind, right, Buck?" He paused and smiled as the other man nodded, "It's what friends are for. I'm actually excited to spend the day with Olivia and get to know her better."

Buck smiled at that, the big, bright, genuine smile that made Eddie melt a little bit whenever he saw it.

Then the alarms started blaring, and Buck looked over his shoulder, "Well, I guess that's my cue."

"I guess it is," Eddie breathed, pulling his best friend into a hug. He really didn't like it when they happened not to be on a shift together. "You stay safe out there without me, okay, Buckley."

He cringed slightly, afraid that his words sounded too fond, but when Buck squeezed him a little tighter before pulling away, the brunette knew that it was fine.

The blue-eyed man smiled at him, "I'll stay safe, I promise… See ya later, Eds… I'll let you know if I can still make dinner."

With that and a little wave, Buck turned and hurried back to the station. Eddie got in his truck and watched, waiting until the engine was out of sight before starting his truck. He sighed and looked at his watch; it was 8:00, and he considered going home and catching a nap, but he doubted that the hour of sleep he'd get would significantly improve his energy level.

He sat in the car with his favorite playlist quietly playing in the background for 10 minutes before he finally decided to just drive to Maddie and Chim's house in hopes that they'd provide him with the coffee and food that he desperately needed.

The lack of traffic was nice, but the music wasn't enough to keep his mind from wandering to what happened yesterday evening. They had a moment out there on the roof, and Eddie knew Buck could feel it too; they'd stared into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity. And afterwards, they both went back to normal and acted like nothing happened, like they hadn't stared into each other's souls.

He didn't sleep well at the station because he couldn't stop thinking about it. It had felt like Buck's eyes were magnets, pulling him in. It took everything within Eddie to stop himself from leaning in…

Before he even realized it, the brown eyed man was turning onto Maddie's street. Eddie parked in front of their house and appreciated the warmth of the sun as he hopped out of his truck. The crisp morning breeze helped him feel a little bit more awake as he knocked on the front door.

Maddie greeted him with a smile. "Good morning, Eddie, come on in, you're just in time for breakfast."

The offer was like music to the man's ears. "Morning, Maddie. Thank you, breakfast sounds amazing right about now." He paused before asking, "You don't happen to have coffee, do you?"

The hazel-eyed woman laughed lightly, "Yes, Eddie, of course we have coffee, come on in," she said, gesturing for him to follow her inside. Once she closed the door behind them, she asked, "How do you like your coffee? I'll make you a mug."

Eddie thought for a moment, and he was going to say that he just took his coffee black, which technically was true… However, lately he'd been practicing letting himself feel joy because he did deserve good things, like coffee that wasn't bitter and too strong to actually enjoy, despite what his brain liked to tell him. Buck was always a good help in that department, whether it was adding sugar and milk to his coffee at work or bringing him a pastry.

Honestly, though, Buck didn't even have to do that to bring him joy. That man was the embodiment of joy to him, and sometimes, when Eddie was in a mood where he felt particularly undeserving of joy, he would even deny himself the pleasure of spending time with Buck.

Anyway, Eddie got out of his head, thanking Maddie again and telling her he wanted "A splash of milk and a little bit of sugar, please."

She nodded, "Coming right up, Eddie, go ahead and sit down at the table, Chimney's already in there serving the girls their food."

Eddie followed the woman into the dining area, catching the attention of the two little girls at the table as she veered off to the kitchen to make him a cup of coffee. Olivia and Jee both smiled brightly and greeted him.

"Hi, Eddie!" Olivia beamed as she climbed off her chair carefully and ran over to give him a big hug.

He hugged her back, of course, then Jee climbed off her chair and asked, "Uncle Eddie, can I have a hug too? "

"Of course, Jee, come here. We'll do a group hug, come on, you two, bring it in, " Eddie said as he pulled the girls in for a group hug, happily holding them close for a moment.

"Mmm," Eddie hummed, ruffling Olivia and Jee's hair, "This is just what I needed today, two amazing hugs from two amazing little girls!"

The girls giggled as they pulled away, and Eddie continued, "Now, how about we get to eating before all this delicious food gets cold."

He looked at the table as the girls returned to their seats and began eating. The spread of breakfast foods on the table looked amazing. As Eddie sat down in the empty chair between Chimney and baby Joseph, his stomach growled, reminding him how hungry he was. Then, as he began serving himself, Maddie placed the coffee next to him, for which the brown-eyed man thanked the woman once again.

After he finished serving himself, the man sat back and picked up the mug to take his first sip of coffee. Maddie had added the perfect amount of milk and sugar to his coffee and was pleasantly surprised to find that the coffee was flavored. It was nice, tasted like fall and pumpkin spice, but it wasn't overpowering like a Starbucks drink. Eddie took another sip of his coffee, humming quietly in satisfaction as he did so, and as he set down the mug in favor of a fork to begin eating, he also noted that he had to ask Maddie about the coffee, but she beat him to it.

"So, how'd I do on the coffee?" she asked, "Seems like you like it."

"Yeah, it's great! I wasn't expecting it to be pumpkin spice. Did you use a creamer or something?"

"Oh yeah, it's actually a pumpkin spice flavored coffee, not a creamer. I suppose I probably should have mentioned that earlier, huh?"

"It was a pleasant surprise, honestly. It's great when it's not overpowering and too sweet." Eddie shrugged, "In fact, I was going to ask where you get it, I might want to buy some for myself."

The woman smiled and said, "I get it at Target, but I always mix it with my normal coffee to make the flavor slightly less intense."

"Well, I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the tip," the man responded with a smile as he took a bite of his food.

Suffice to say, the brunette was very happy that he'd decided to come straight here after work, for both the food and the company.

Eddie enjoyed the energy in the room as they ate breakfast; the happy, excited chatter of children was always something he enjoyed. He missed the days when Christopher woke up in the morning bright-eyed, bushytailed, and excited for the day ahead. But apparently, the morning person that his kid used to be was long gone because nowadays, he could barely get a few words out of the grumpy teen until they were in the car on the way to school.

Anyway, Chris's morning grumpiness was besides the point; Eddie was trying to stay in the moment as he listened to the girls talk all about what they did with Maddie yesterday, which was apparently a lot. He wasn't quite sure how the hazel-eyed woman had managed to fit so many activities into one day when she was taking care of three kids under the age of six all by herself. He got a play-by-play of what they did at the park, where they went to lunch, and the flavors of ice cream that the girls got when they went to the ice cream parlor after lunch.

And after that, they weren't even done; they still did more once they got back to the house. Eddie found himself a little bit emotional when Olivia very excitedly explained that the painting she'd made yesterday afternoon was for him. He was happy that she thought about him like that, but also wondered if maybe Buck put her up to this just to see his reaction. Either way, the painting was definitely going up on his fridge.

The man was surprised to hear that, after all that activity, Olivia and Jee were even able to make it through an entire movie after having dinner and getting ready for bed. "Well, that sounds like a lot more fun than we had yesterday, huh, Chim?" Eddie commented with a smile.

"Yeah, sounds like you guys had a blast." His friend agreed.

"Oh, trust me, it was. I was just lucky that everyone was in a good mood all day." Maddie smiled, sounding relieved, before gasping as if she remembered something.

It reminded him of the way Buck would dramatically gasp when he remembered something… They were siblings, after all. It would make sense that they share little mannerisms like that.

"And get this," Maddie continued proudly, "Both of the girls were dead asleep by the time the end credits were rolling, and I didn't even have to read them a bedtime story."

"Not even one? That's impressive, baby. I almost don't believe it," Chimney replied with a chuckle as he ruffled his daughter's hair. "Our Jee Jee is a bedtime story fiend."

"Daddy, stop!" the four-year-old giggled as she swatted at her dad's hands.

With that conversation over, they finished breakfast quickly, the little girls going off to play for a little while longer while the adults cleaned. Speaking of cleaning… Maddie and Chim actually didn't let Eddie do any, despite the man's protest and insistence. Instead, they relegated him to baby duty, thrusting baby Joseph into his arms, and you know what? He wasn't complaining. The brunette didn't get to see the little guy all that often, so he was actually quite happy to hold him for a little bit.

Eddie smiled as he bounced the baby in his lap, and he cooed and gave the man a big, toothless smile. And now, Eddie remembered why he didn't hang around Maddie and Chim's very often… because whenever he held baby Joey, or any baby for that matter, the brunette would get a serious case of baby fever. It was always those cute, chubby cheeks and soft, sweet eyes that got him.

Over the years, Eddie had forgotten how fast babies grew; it felt like the last time he'd seen Joey, he was still a tiny newborn, which of course, he was still small, but it had seemed that he'd grown so much…

He found himself asking, "Maddie, how old is Joseph now?"

The woman smiled as she answered, "He's almost five months old."

"Wow! Almost five months old already? Before you know it, you're gonna be planning his first birthday." Eddie commented with a smile.

"Don't remind me!" Chimney said as he dramatically swooped Joseph from the brunette's lap and into his arms and held him close as he kissed his cheeks, "My baby boy is growing up so fast!"

Joseph whined at the abrupt change, apparently having been happy to be on Eddie's lap. The man chuckled as the baby reached for him, and his friend huffed as his own child whined to be held by someone else.

Chim was slightly taken aback by Joey's reaction, "The betrayal," He said dramatically before asking, "Joseph Kevin Han, how could you do this to your own father?"

The boy was now sporting the award-winning Buckley pouty lip, making another sound of protest before his father finally conceded, "Fine, have it your way, Eddie can hold you until he leaves then."

Eddie was happy to reach out and take the baby back, setting him gently in his lap, "Well, if he's insisting I hold him, then who would I be to refuse?"

With that, Maddie and Chimney finished the dishes as the three of them continued talking, and Joey cooed happily and giggled as Eddie bounced him on his lap once more. Once they finished the dishes, the hazel-eyed woman left the room to help the girls get ready for the day, leaving the men alone to talk for a few minutes. Soon, though, she returned with both Olivia and Jee dressed and ready for the day, as well as the blonde's overnight backpack packed and slung over her shoulder.

The brunette looked at his watch, noticing that it was already 10:15. "Guessing this is my cue to get out of your guys' hair?" he asked jokingly.

Maddie smiled, "Well, I wouldn't exactly say it in those words, but Howie and I do still have to get ready so we can leave on time."

"Got it, we'll get going then," he paused, handing Joey over to his mother, "I believe this little guy belongs to you."

Joey cuddled into her chest almost immediately. Eddie then took the overnight bag from the woman. Once her arm was free, she wrapped it around the baby, holding him securely as she said, "I rolled up Olivia's painting and put it in the side pocket, so that you know."

The man looked down at the backpack to see that there was, in fact, a neatly rolled piece of paper in the side pocket, and his heart warmed knowing that Olivia had made it for him. "Thanks for letting me know, Maddie, and thank you again for inviting me in for breakfast."

"Of course, Eddie, I wasn't about to let you sit in your car and starve. You're family too, gotta take care of you. Buck would probably disown me as his sister if I just let you go hungry," she said in a slightly teasing yet genuine tone.

He huffed a laugh because Buck would overreact like that, but he was also left at a loss for words at Maddie calling him family, only being able to stutter, "Th-that means a lot, Maddie."

He didn't know what else to say, so he just hugged the woman, careful not to squish Joey between them. Soon, the moment passed, and they got going, Eddie saying his goodbyes and watching as Olivia said her's before they headed out the door together. The brunette was about to help the girl with her seatbelt after helping her into the car, but she stopped him.

"No, Eddie, I can do it on my own like a big girl, watch!" She said excitedly, showing the man that she could, in fact, buckle her seatbelt all by herself.

Eddie smiled at her. "Hey, good job, Livy!" he said, sticking out a hand for a high five, which the little girl reciprocated with vigor. "You're one smart cookie, kid."

"Mhm," Olivia hummed proudly as she kicked her feet.

The brown-eyed man then closed her door and opened his own so he could climb into the car. He quickly buckled his own seatbelt and started the engine before saying, "Alrighty then, off we go!" Then, he asked, "You get to pick the music, Olivia, what do you want to listen to?"

The golden-haired girl requested that they listen to Taylor Swift very excitedly. So Eddie opened Spotify and played the playlist that Buck had shared with him, which he knew contained Taylor Swift songs.

Eddie actually quite enjoyed her music, which, based on what was on his own playlist, would surprise most people. Over the years, his best friend had successfully turned him into a fan of Taylor Swift. He wouldn't necessarily call himself a Swiftie, but he definitely disagreed with anyone who thought her music wasn't good. Also, he hadn't told Buck that he'd done this, but he'd actually started listening through all the albums on his own time and was thoroughly enjoying it.

All of that to say that he enjoyed listening to both Olivia telling him about all the fun she'd had at Hen and Karen's game night on Friday, and the music playing as he drove to Buck's apartment. As soon as they pulled into the apartment building's parking lot, Olivia gave him a confused look.

"Eddie, I thought we were goin' to your house."

Eddie pulled into a parking spot, stopping the engine before looking back at the girl as he explained, "We are going to my house, Livy. We have to pick something up from here first, then we'll go."

"Oh, okay," she smiled, seeming to understand.

He got out of the truck, grabbed the overnight bag, and then hurried to help Olivia out. They walked together into the apartment building, where they rode the elevator up to Buck's floor. Once they made it to the apartment, Eddie unlocked the door, letting both him and Olivia inside.

Once he closed the door, he went to hand the little girl her bag and asked, "Okay, Livy, do you think you can take this to your room and put all the dirty clothes in your hamper?"

The little girl gave a nod and took her bag, "Yup! I got it!"

Eddie watched as she ran off to her room, then added, "When you're all done, find a toy to bring to my house so you won't get bored. I'll be in the kitchen waiting for you."

"Okay, Eddie!" she yelled from her room.

As he walked into the kitchen, the brown-eyed man immediately saw what he was looking for, the container of bribe cookies for his son was sitting right in the middle of the counter with a little sticky note that read, DON'T FORGET TO BRING TO PEPA'S. The funny thing was that Eddie was almost completely sure that Buck had not only a written note, but also a reminder on his phone, so he wouldn't forget Chris's cookies again.

He pulled the container closer and leaned against the counter, looking around the curly-haired man's kitchen. It felt a bit odd being in Buck's apartment without him there. It also felt a bit weird for him to be alone with Olivia. Eddie figured with time, he'd get used to it, just as the other man had when it came to watching Chris. His thoughts were broken by the little girl pulling on his shirt.

"Eddie, you almost forgot the painting I made for you," She said with wide eyes, pushing the paper into his stomach for him to take.

"Thank you for reminding me, Livy. I wouldn't want to forget it." He said with a smile as he took the paper from her.

"Look at it, Eddie!" Olivia said excitedly.

"A-are you sure you don't want me to wait until we go to my house, sweetie?" Eddie asked. The term of endearment slipped off his tongue as if he'd meant to say it; he hadn't, but it felt right, even if she'd only known Eddie for a week.

The little girl didn't seem phased at all as she assured, "Yes! I want you to look at it now!"

"Okay, okay, let's see it then," The brunette said as he unrolled the paper.

He stifled a gasp as he looked at it. This was an amazing painting for a five-year-old; Olivia really had a talent for art, it seemed.

Anyway, the painting depicted the four of them: him, Buck, Chris, and Olivia, all holding hands in what looked like a field of flowers, with a large yellow sun in the corner. Buck in the painting even had his birthmark; it was impressive, the attention to detail she already had at such a young age. He blushed a little bit at the sight of the Buck and Eddie she'd painted, as they were holding hands; he wished he could hold hands with the curly-haired man in real life.

He loved the painting and was so happy that Olivia wanted to make something for him, and just to spite his best friend, he wouldn't cry even though he could feel his heart melting. Eddie put the paper down on the counter and picked up the girl, giving her a big hug, which she returned.

"Do you like it?" Olivia asked quietly, her voice muffled slightly.

"Yes, Livy, I love it. It's going straight on the fridge when we go back to my house." Eddie smiled, fighting the urge to kiss the top of the little girl's head. "Did you find the toy you want to bring?" he asked softly.

"Mhm, can you help me get it?"

"Of course I can, lead the way." The brown-eyed man said as he gingerly set the girl back on the ground.

Olivia led him to her bedroom. "It's my Play-Doh, it's too heavy for me. Can I bring it?" she asked, her puppy dog eyes in full force.

He couldn't say no. "Yes, we can bring it, but we need to bring a few things out to my car." he paused for a second, "Do you think you can help?"

The blue-eyed girl smiled at him and nodded, then they were off.

~~~Christopher's POV~~~

"Thanks for the ride, Mrs.Jones," Chris said with a polite smile as he opened the car door.

"Of course, Christopher, do you need any help getting out of the car?" his friend's mom asked sweetly.

While the teen did appreciate the offer, he didn't actually need the help when it came to getting in and out of cars that were lower to the ground.

"I've got it, thank you though." Chris paused as he carefully got out of the car, "Hey Luke, can you pass me my bag?"

The other teen passed him his backpack. "See ya tomorrow, dude," he said, reaching out to give him a fist bump.

The curly-haired teen smiled and reciprocated the fist bump, saying, "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

With that, Chris said one last goodbye and closed the car door. He watched as the car disappeared before he walked towards the house with his crutches aiding him. He didn't even notice that his dad wasn't home until he went to open the front door, only to find it locked.

The door being locked wasn't an unusual thing in itself, and Chris always carried a house key just in case his dad happened not to be home yet whenever he got home.

However, his Dad would usually leave the door unlocked when he came home from a shift and knew that Chris would be coming home later. He checked his phone, seeing no missed calls or texts from the man, then looked over at the driveway, confirming that, in fact, his dad wasn't there. While the general lack of his father's presence didn't scare him, the lack of a call or text telling him why the man was late was unsettling.

Chris sighed and unlocked the door as quickly as he could, deciding to give his dad a call as soon as he got himself settled. As much as he tried to act nonchalant and like he didn't care, he couldn't help but worry, because Dad was normally good at letting him know when he'd be home. So, the teen went inside, took off his shoes, threw his bag in his room, and sat down on the couch. Only then did he pull out his phone and navigate to his dad's contact.

~~~~~~~~~~

Chris held his breath as he pressed the call button and listened to the phone ring. It rang twice before the man picked up, and he sighed in relief at the sound.

"Hey Chris, what's up, buddy. You home?" His dad asked.

"Yeah, Dad, Luke's mom dropped me off like 10 minutes ago…" he paused before continuing, "Where are you, though? I thought you were supposed to be home already."

Before his dad had the chance to speak, a small yet familiar voice interrupted from the background, "Eddie, is that Chris? I wanna say hi!"

Olivia was with him… why was Olivia with Dad? He and Buck were supposed to get off at the same time this morning. Were he and Buck together, and that's why Olivia was there? Or did something happen to Buck? That thought made his blood run cold for a second.

"Oh shoot, did I—" his dad said, sounding like he was farther away from the phone for a second as he made a frustrated noise before sounding normal again, "Oh my god, Chris, I'm so sorry. I forgot to send the text. I had to pick up Olivia for Buck, I meant to tell you earlier."

The teen shook his head. Of course, the man had forgotten to actually send the text; he did it all the time. "Dad, it's okay, I know you didn't mean to scare me. Just, uhh… You didn't have to pick up Olivia because Buck is hurt or something, right?"

"Oh no, no, no, Buck's fine, Chris. He's not hurt; he just had to cover for someone on B-shift and needed someone to watch Olivia for the day. I offered to do it, since we are all going to Tia Pepa's for dinner later anyway." His dad explained.

Chris sighed in relief. He was glad to hear that Buck was okay. "Oh, okay, but he's still coming to dinner, right?"

"Uhhh, I'm not sure, his shift goes until 7:00, but he's hoping he gets let off early, so we'll see," he answered.

"And you'll be home soon?" the teen questioned, a little upset to hear that Buck might not be able to make it to dinner.

"Yes, Christopher, I'll be home in about 30 minutes. Olivia and I are just about to leave Buck's apartment."

Chris nodded to himself as he answered, "Okay, see you soon, Dad, drive safe."

"I will, Mijo, see you soon, I love you."

The teen smiled, "Love you too, Dad," he said before hanging up the phone.

Chris had learned a long time ago to never take for granted the chance to tell loved ones that he loved them. Especially his dad, given that he had been in the army and was now a firefighter, you never knew what could happen. He was very aware that sometimes he could be very teenagerish about goodbyes, particularly in front of friends and at school drop-off. Yeah, he'd grumble about how embarrassing his dad was being and roll his eyes at the gestures of affection, but the nearly whispered, 'I love you too, Dad,' before he was helped from the truck was always genuine.

The only time he wouldn't say 'love you' at the end of a phone call was when he was with his friends, when his dad called, but even then, he'd still send it in a text right after hanging up.

Even when he was in Texas over the summer after that whole doppleganger debacle, and he was so mad at his dad that he could barely speak, let alone look at the man. For weeks on FaceTime calls, he just quietly seethed as he listened to his dad ramble, but when the calls would end, he'd still whisper 'I love you too' to the reflection of himself in the blank screen.

He remembered later that summer, after he and his dad had a few open, honest, and raw conversations over FaceTime about the situation that caused him to leave, finally telling the man that he was ready to come home. Chris remembered the way his dad got all choked up. The way the brown-eyed man couldn't help but let the happy tears rush down his face as they made plans for the man to get him. And the way that he knew for a fact that Buck was there for that call was because his dad kept looking away from the camera with a gaze that the man only gave to his best friend.

Chris was genuinely happy that Dad and Buck had each other to lean on while he was gone, even if the two of them were grossly codependent and annoyingly hopelessly in love with each other and somehow painfully oblivious to it. He'd really have to think about some way to push them to tell each other how they felt; he just didn't know exactly how to do it.

But Buck was also going through a lot right now with the whole foster care thing. He'd always thought sooner rather than later would be better for getting Buck and his dad together, but maybe waiting until Buck had officially adopted Olivia would be better. He'd already waited this long and dealt with watching them dance around each other like lovesick idiots.

So surely a few more months wouldn't hurt; it could allow him to come up with a good plan, maybe even one that Olivia could help him with.

Anyway, he'd gone somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind for at least half an hour, apparently, because his thoughts were broken by the sound of the front door opening, and his dad and Olivia walking into the house.

He turned around and smiled happily, greeting them, "Hi Dad, hi Olivia."

The little girl gave him a huge, blinding smile as she took her shoes off next to the door and excitedly ran over to where he was sitting on the couch. Olivia then climbed onto the couch next to him and gave him a big hug, "Hi Chris, I missed you!"

Chris watched his dad walk past the living room with two boxes and a rolled-up piece of paper. He put them down on the dining table before reentering the room. The teen hugged the little girl back, unable to control the small smile that grew on his lips as he said, "Hi, Olivia. You excited to spend the day with Dad and me?"

She pulled away from the hug and nodded vigorously, "Yeah! Eddie said we can play a game and watch a show!"

"Oh yeah? So, what's the plan?" Chris questioned with a smile as his dad sat next to him on the couch, pulling him into a side hug and lightly ruffling his hair.

He didn't fight the hug today, trying to wiggle away from the affection like he usually would. After all, it was only a little while ago that the teen had been worried about his dad's well-being. Chris just wiggled his arm around his dad, hugging him back, happy that the man had simply forgotten to send a text and wasn't hurt on the job or worse.

The little girl excitedly answered, "We're gonna watch Bluey!"

He and his dad huffed a laugh at Olivia's excitement. "Sorry, bud," the man started with an apology. "I know you don't like watching kids' shows."

"Nah, it's fine, Dad. I can deal with it for the afternoon, plus Bluey is a chill kids' show, one of the good ones, so I don't mind."

"Oh well, that's good to hear," his dad said with a small smile, "I was thinking maybe we could teach Olivia how to play Mario Kart. I thought it might be fun."

He thought for a moment about the suggestion. His younger cousins were able to figure out the game pretty easily when they were around Olivia's age, so it would probably be fine.

"Yeah, that sounds fun. Let's get the switch set up." He smiled.

With that, they got the Nintendo Switch all set up and ready to play Mario Kart. Chris explained the controls to Olivia, showing her them carefully before they started playing a practice round, and it actually ended up being really fun. She got the hang of the controls much more quickly than the teen assumed she would, even winning the top three in a couple of the races so far.

Okay… if Christopher was being completely honest, he was playing quite a bit less intensely than he usually did, but he wasn't about to red shell a five-year-old. He wasn't a heartless monster.

His father, on the other hand, wasn't getting the same kind of mercy.

The man should be playing much better than he is currently, even with the added factor of going easy on Olivia. At first, the teen gave the man grace. Since it's been a while since they played Mario Kart, maybe he's just getting into it; maybe he's still a bit rusty. But nooo… the man was playing the game like he'd never played it before. The girl sitting between them, who had actually never played Mario Kart, actually seemed to be playing better than he was.

They just finished the last lap on the last map of the round, with Olivia managing to swipe first place. Chris could've easily taken that from her, but once again, he wasn't heartless, so he took second while playing a bit of interference. He just did his best to make sure the bots didn't hit her during the last lap, but other than that, she did a great job on her own.

The teen congratulated the little girl, "Hey, good job, Olivia, you're a natural!" he said, smiling as he gave her a high five. He then leaned down and whispered, "You played better than my dad."

He hadn't quite said that comment quietly enough, though. His dad took it like a good sport, though, trying to hide a smile as Olivia giggled. "Hey, wait a minute, I thought last time we played, you said I was doing better."

"Yeah, you were… but it's like, since the last time we played, you lost any of the skill that you gained before." Chris snarked with a chuckle.

"Well, that was rude," his dad huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and giving him a pointed look.

Okay, maybe Chris was being a tad mean about it, "Look, Dad, I didn't mean for what I said to come out that way. I'm sorry, I just know you can play Mario Kart better than that."

The brunette patted his back, "It's all right, Chris. I was just trying not to get too intense, like how we usually get when we play with Buck. I didn't wanna scare Olivia, I guess dialing down the intensity changed my play style."

The curly-haired teen nodded. He was still skeptical, though, and his dad could tell, "Come on, Christopher, you don't believe me?" he asked.

"Sorry, I just have trouble believing that having to go easy on someone could affect your play style so much. Like I was going way easy on her and still played well." Chris explained.

The man sighed and pointed out, "I mean, you were almost constantly throwing shells and bananas at me, so that didn't really help."

He was gonna make another point, but instead he admitted, "You know what, that's fair actually, I was low-key trying to frustrate you into playing better."

His dad hummed, "Hmm, so the truth comes out." he paused for a moment, then continued with his own admission, "You know I actually won last time Buck and I played this together, like fully got first place and everything."

"What, and I missed this? My very own father winning a game of Mario Kart for the first time. This is a moment for the history books!" Chris declared jokingly, despite his genuine surprise at the information.

"Well, you should've thought about that before ditching us to hang out with your friends." His dad shrugged. "Guess if you were playing with us, I probably wouldn't have won, though."

Though for most of this conversation, Olivia was just quietly listening or giggling whenever Chris laughed, apparently hearing that he hung out with his friends instead of Buck and Eddie stirred something in her.

"Eddie, I promise I'll always hang out with you and Buck, even when I'm a big kid!" Olivia exclaimed as she climbed into his dad's lap and hugged him.

Chris watched the man next to him smile and wrap a girl in a big hug. "Thank you, Livy. At least I know someone's on my side. I'm sure Buck will be happy to hear that, too."

Olivia giggled as his dad squeezed her once more before letting her go, and she asked, "So can we watch Bluey now?"

"Of course, we can," he said as he set the girl back down on the couch, "You stay here with Chris. He's gonna set up Disney+ while I grab some snacks."

Just watched the man disappear into the kitchen before setting up Disney+ and finding Bluey. Once that was done, they just had to wait for the brown eyed man to return with the snacks. Soon enough, he returned with a large bowl of popcorn, a smaller bowl of peanut butter pretzels, and some candy, which Olivia was quite excited to see.

The teen was surprised as they watched the show at how drawn into it he'd gotten, and he was very content to keep watching. Bluey was really deep for a kids' show, and it had amazing music. Before he knew it, an hour had passed, and they had gone through nearly eight episodes. He was about to skip through the end credits to the next episode when he felt Olivia pull his sleeve.

"What's up, Livy?" He asked.

"Chris," she whispered and pointed at his dad, "Eddie's sleepin'"

Chris looked up from Olivia and at his father, who was in fact fast asleep on the other side of the couch with his arm slung over the back of it. The man did seem pretty tired when he walked into the house. He probably didn't sleep well when he was at work. The teen knew that, realistically, they could probably get away with continuing to watch Bluey without waking his dad up. However, he also thought it would be nice to let him have some uninterrupted sleep time, even if it was only a couple of hours.

Chris was confident in his ability to entertain Olivia for a couple of hours; it shouldn't be too hard to handle. She was a pretty chill kid after all. "How about we be really quiet and go to my room so my dad can sleep, and I'll teach you how to play a new game. Does that sound good?" he asked.

The little girl smiled at him and whispered again, "Okay, Chris, let's go."

A curly-haired teen turned off the TV and got up from the couch, slowly, deciding to forgo his crutches now that he was home, and Olivia followed slowly behind him as he showed her to his room. When they entered, she looked around for a moment, seemingly very interested in all the decorations on his walls.

"Wow, Chris, your room is so cool!" the little girl said, her eyes shining with excitement and curiosity.

He really did love his room. Buck and his dad had helped him repaint and redecorate it when he got home from El Paso just before the school started. It looked more mature than it used to. More like a teenager's room now, he liked the change, but some things did stay the same.

For instance, he may have gotten a new desk, but the pictures on the shelf above it stayed the same. There was, of course, one of him and his mom when she'd surprise him on Christmas. Memory felt distant now, and he missed her, but now was not the time to dwell on that.

He looked at the next picture on the shelf. It was a few months ago, before he went to Texas, when Buck, his dad, and he went to the natural history museum. He'd been studying for this school project and figured, 'What better place to go than the natural history Museum?' It ended up being a really fun day and one he'll never forget. And as an added bonus, he also got a really good grade on the project.

The last picture was from his 15th birthday, one including him and some of his closest friends at the beach. This birthday was a lot better than his last one, that's for sure. He was glad to be home for this one, and he was glad to have his dad back.

He shook himself from his thoughts, asking Olivia another question, "So are you ready to learn how to play another game?"

"Yeah, Chris, what game is it?"

"It's called Minecraft, have you ever heard of it?" the teen questioned.

The little girl was silent for a moment, thinking, then shook her head, "Nope. Is it fun?"

"Yeah, Livy, it's really fun. I think you'll like it a lot!" he said excitedly, "I can tell you all about it."

The blue-eyed girl nodded, "Okay, Chris, tell me!"

For a few minutes, they sat on the bed together, and Chris told her all about the game. Talked about the two different modes and how she'd probably like creative mode the because there are no limits and you could have or build anything you wanted. She seemed enthusiastic, and he even went on to show her a creative mode world that he and his friends shared.

He smiled, finding it kind of hilarious that she was almost more interested in the fact that the character could fly in creative mode than the actual builds.

After all that, Chris showed Olivia how to play the game, and he even helped her move the little storage ottoman that he kept in his room closer to the desk so she could see what he was doing more clearly. He made a new world and named it 'Chris and Olivia's world' before going on to customize the settings. He set it to creative mode and ensured it was set to peaceful mode.

Personally, Chris didn't know the last time he actually played the game in peaceful mode, as he and his friends usually played it on at least normal mode. He figured, though, even if it wasn't a survival world, that maybe the hostile mobs would scare Olivia, and he didn't wanna take that chance. Once that was all done, he had the girl lean in closer so she could see which buttons did what on the keyboard.

Thankfully, the controls for Minecraft were very simple, and Olivia seemed to catch on quickly, just as she had with Mario Kart. After showing her the game's controls and ensuring she understood them, they switched seats, with the girl taking the office chair and him sitting on the ottoman.

Chris watched her play for a few minutes before joining the world from his phone, then they played together for a while. The teen was actually pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was to play Minecraft with Olivia, despite their age difference.

He knew he probably shouldn't be thinking like this right now, but it almost felt like having a sibling. Chris always wanted a sibling, and he honestly wouldn't mind Olivia being his little sister. She was a pretty cool kid after all… God, he was getting ahead of himself. She couldn't even actually be his sister without his dad and Buck being together, and that would take some time. So for now, he didn't think about it too hard. He just enjoyed playing Minecraft with the little girl until she decided she was ready to do something else.

"Chris, can we do something else?" Olivia asked, looking over at him curiously.

The teen looked up from his phone and nodded, asking, "What do you wanna do, Livy?" as he exited the game for her.

"I wanna play with Play-Doh!" she said.

Chris had to think; he was pretty sure they didn't have Play-Doh anymore. He was fairly certain that he remembered a couple of years ago telling his dad that he was "too old for Play-Doh." By the time he said that, most of his supply was all old, mixed up, and dried out anyway, so they just threw it away. He hated to disappoint the little girl; they couldn't play with Play-Doh if they didn't have any.

"I'm sorry, Olivia, we don't have Play-Doh here. Is there anything else you'd like to do?" he questioned carefully.

She just gave him a confused look like she didn't understand what he said, then she answered, "We can use mine, come on, I'll show you!"

Chris watched as Olivia hopped off the office chair and helped him off the ottoman. She helped him up, pulling him from the ottoman with a surprising amount of strength for a small five-year-old. They then walked together out of his room and towards the dining room, where the two boxes and the rolled piece of paper that his dad was holding earlier greeted them.

Taking a closer look at the bigger box, Chris did find that it contained the Play-Doh and various accessories that Olivia had mentioned. If he had to guess, his dad probably told Olivia to bring something with her from Buck's place just in case she got bored.

And the second box wasn't even actually a box. It was a Tupperware container, and what did it contain? You may ask. It was the bribe cookies that he was supposed to get from Buck last week. He was so happy his mouth practically watered at the sight of them. He had been dreaming about these cookies, and that wasn't an exaggeration.

As he watched Olivia remove the container and place it on the table so she could get to the Play-Doh, the teen decided that he wanted a cookie now, and his dad was asleep, so the man couldn't tell him no… after all, it's not like eating one cookie right now would spoil his appetite for dinner. They weren't even eating for another few hours, so it should be fine.

So he posed the question to the golden-haired girl, "Olivia, do you want a cookie before you play with the Play-Doh?"

Olivia nodded excitedly and looked at him with a smile, politely saying, "Yes, please, Chris! I'd love a cookie."

Chris then pulled out a chair for himself, sitting down at the table before opening the container and handing Olivia a cookie. He watched the girl happily take a bite before grabbing one for himself, humming as he broke a piece off and put it in his mouth, savoring the taste.

"How's your cookie, Livy?" he asked with a smile.

"It's really yummy! " She answered happily, taking another bite, "They're the bestest cookies ever!"

He chuckled lately at her enthusiasm, but couldn't disagree. Buck's chocolate chip cookies were actually the best he'd had. As soon as he finished eating their cookies, they washed their hands and went on to play with the Play-Doh like Olivia had requested. They played quietly together until the teen heard his dad stir from the living room, the man finally waking up from his nap.

Chapter Text

Eddie woke up slowly, groaning quietly at the pain in his neck. He told himself that the last time he fell asleep like this, he wouldn't ever do it again, and yet, here he was again. He took a minute to reorient himself to the space before moving slowly to stand up and stretch, his back and neck popping satisfyingly as he did so. It was only then that he realized that he was alone on the couch. He definitely wasn't alone earlier. It didn't take him long to find the people he was looking for, though.

The brunette smiled, seeing Chris and Olivia sitting together at the dining room table, playing with Play-Doh. It warmed his heart. Eddie patted his back pocket, finding his phone there. He had to capture this moment; Buck had to see it. So, he snapped a picture quickly before either of them noticed he was awake and sent it to his best friend.

The curly-haired man responded with 'Aww, I'm glad she's having a good time with you guys! Wish I were there. 🥺'

He looked at the message, liking it, and chuckling at the pouty face emoji, smiling as he texted back, 'Wish you were here too, Buck.'

The man smiled wider when his friend liked the message and put his phone back in his pocket as he walked to the dining room and sat at the table with Chris and Olivia.

His son smiled at him as he sat down, "Hey Dad, how was your nap? Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Mmm, good, I wish I were lying down, though. My neck is killing me."

"Well, that makes sense with the way you were sleeping and all. I feel like you would have been complaining about your back if you were lying down." Chris shrugged.

The man would have retorted his son's statement if it weren't true… their couch was definitly not one that was good to sleep on.

"If I fall asleep like that again, do me a solid and wake me up, yeah, mijo?" the man asked, "It's probably better that I sleep on the bed anyway."

The teen nodded, "I would have woken you, but you needed the sleep. I figured with Olivia here, if I had woken you up, you wouldn't have gone back to sleep."

Eddie was slightly taken aback, in a good way, of course, by his son's concern for him. He didn't realize that Chris could tell how tired he was feeling; the two hours of sleep that he'd gotten had at least taken the edge off the exhaustion. A cup of coffee might help, too, but he didn't feel like getting up to make one.

"So," he moved the box out of the way so he could see Olivia and look between her and Chris, "What did you two get up to while I was asleep?"

The little girl smiled and answered, "We played another game!"

His son nodded along, "I taught her how to play Minecraft, it was pretty fun."

"Oh really?" he said.

"Mhm, Olivia picks up game controls pretty easily; she only needed me to tell her how to place and break blocks once."

He then leaned over the table and looked at the blonde, "Livy, did you have fun with Chris?"

Olivia smiled widely, "mhm! I had lots of fun with Chris, and we ate cookies!"

"Oh, you did, did you?" Eddie raised his eyebrow and gave his son a look. "Cookies before dinner, huh?"

The teen's face took on a guilty expression, then he sighed, "Olivia, that was supposed to be a secret."

"Oohhhh, I'm sorry, Chris." She said with a small frown.

Chris shook his head and smiled, "It's okay, Livy, it's no big deal. I bet Dad will take a bribe if it's Buck's cookies." His son paused and pushed the container of cookies towards him, turning to face him, "Right, Dad? You'll let it go if I give you one, too?"

Eddie laughed, and caused the little girl to giggle as he put on an act that he was thinking about the deal. He nodded, "I'll take you up on that, but you have to let me pick the cookie."

"It's a deal," the teen said as he shook his dad's hand, "Just don't take the biggest one," he joked.

The man pulled the container closer to himself and looked at the cookies as if he were looking for the biggest one, until he spotted the one he wanted. He hummed as he took a bite, good as always. Eddie wasn't quite sure how exactly Buck managed to make cookies that were better than any bakery he'd been to.

"How's the cookie, Eddie?" Olivia asked with a smile.

"It's delicious, Livy. Did you help make them?"

The little girl huffed, furrowing her eyebrows and crossing her arms for a moment, "No… Buck made them when I was at school."

Eddie could understand why Buck wanted to bake without Olivia there. Cooking with kids was fun, but could also be a huge mess, not to mention that making anything with the aid of a child makes it take about twice as long as it's supposed to. The brunette wasn't really saying this from experience necessarily. Not direct experience at least.

He wasn't much of a cook; he had gotten better in the last few years, but when Chris was younger, he certainly wasn't good at all, so he wasn't doing much cooking with the kid. He remembered the mess when he'd left his son with his Tia and Abuela to help them make tamales… apparently, he'd still done better than Eddie could, though. He also walked into Buck's loft one time when the man was babysitting Jee. That was a mess to say the least, but according to Buck, the mess was totally worth it to see the smile on his niece's face.

All that said, while he could appreciate Buck's side of this situation, for the purpose of this conversation, he was on Olivia's side.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Livy, it wasn't very nice of Buck to do it without you, huh?"

"Mhm, but it's okay," she paused before continuing, "Buck said I get to bake with him soon!"

"Well, that's good… so what are you two up to over here with the Play-Doh?"

"Makin' cookies!" Olivia said enthusiastically.

"Oh yeah? So you and Chris are over here running a Play-Doh bakery?"

"Uh-huh, and our cookies are the bestest in the world, right, Chris!"

"Yup, they are, Olivia, the best bakery in town," Chris said, smiling as he played along.

With that, Eddie joined the game for a little bit, pretending to be a customer until he had to get up to shower. After being told not to eat any more cookies while he was gone, the brown eyed man left the room. And as he did so, he could hear Chris and Olivia still chatting, which made him happy that the teen was getting along so well with her.

The shower felt good; it loosened up his neck and made his sore muscles from the busy shift yesterday feel better. By the time he left the bathroom, Eddie was feeling more awake, fresh, and ready to go to his Tia's house for dinner. When he reentered the dining room, he was greeted by the sight of Olivia showing Chris her painting.

"Wow, Livy, that's a really good painting!" The teen complimented.

"Thanks, Chris!" She said with a huge smile. "Eddie said he'd put it on the fridge!" As soon as she said that, his son looked up and spotted him walking into the room. Apparently, Olivia did too because she hopped off her chair and ran up to him, saying, "Right, Eddie? You're gonna put it on the fridge!"

"How about we go do it right now?" He suggested with a smile, to which the little girl very enthusiastically nodded.

She followed him to the kitchen after he took the painting from Chris, who stayed in his chair. Eddie's fridge had been devoid of art pieces for a few years, now only holding a calendar, Chris's most recent report card (which was sporting straight A's), and some pictures of memories, new and old. He was happy to add Olivia's painting to the mix and secretly hoped that he'd eventually get more from her, not minding the idea of a fridge door full of pictures and drawings again.

Anyway, he put the painting up on the fridge, much to Olivia's delight, the blonde even bouncing on her toes in happiness as she hugged his legs. This little girl was so danm adorable he swore she'd be the death of him.

Soon enough, they were getting ready to go, with Chris grabbing his shoes and crutches, and Eddie helping Olivia with her shoes. Once they were in the car, Eddie checked the Maps app on his phone, only to find that the traffic was horrible. So, he left the map open as he called Pepa. And oh boy, did he get a scolding, even though he couldn't control or predict the traffic conditions.

The fact that Christopher was stifling his laughter from the passenger seat did not help the embarrassment he felt about being a fully grown adult being scolded by his tia about the importance of being punctual.

After the call ended, Olivia wanted to listen to Taylor Swift again, and Chris groaned about it, but Eddie knew the teen didn't actually mind. He started where he'd last left off in their listen-through of Speak Now earlier. They got through one song before his phone started ringing again…

Buck sighed as he finally sat in the driver's seat of his Jeep; he was supposed to be sitting here this morning, driving to pick up Olivia from Maddie's house. He was happy that he at least wasn't going to miss dinner at Pepa's. It almost felt pointless that he had to be there today; the shift had been slow and mind-numbingly boring. After that first call, they had a false alarm call, then literally nothing else.

He ended up catching up on sleep and helping with chores before volunteering to make the B-shift guys a late lunch, for which they were very thankful. As they were eating, the B-shift's group text chain went off; the curly-haired man wasn't part of it, but one of the guys showed him the picture that had been sent. It was Jensen and his wife, both looking down at their newborn with teary eyes and huge smiles, with the caption, 'Another member added to the 118 B-shift family!'

Buck smiled and asked them to pass on his congratulations, glad to hear that everything went well and that Jensen was now a father to a healthy baby boy.

After another few hours of no calls and the station having been cleaned to the point that he could almost see his reflection on the floor, the captain had decided to let him off his shift a couple of hours early. The man insisted that they'd be fine without him until the other guy got there. Buck really hoped for their sake that his being let off early wasn't going to cause the same situation as someone saying the q-word…

Because everyone knew karma could be a bitch, with a sick and twisted sense of humor sometimes.

Anyway, the blue-eyed man was hoping that since he managed to get off two hours early, he might actually be able to be on time for dinner. However, a quick glance at the GPS said otherwise. Buck was definitely going to be late to dinner, but at least he wouldn't completely miss it. Speaking of which, he actually had to call Eddie to let him know he was going to make it, even if he was going to be late.

With that, he got driving, not wanting to waste any more time. Once Buck was on the main road and sitting in that aforementioned traffic, he decided he wanted to relisten to the most recent Sabrina Carpenter album after he called Eddie. It wasn't exactly appropriate for him to play with Olivia in the car, so now was the perfect time to listen, seeing as she wasn't with him.

His friend answered, after the second ring, and from the sound of it, he was in the car too, "Hey Buck, what's up? I'm driving, so you're on speaker."

"Hey Eddie," Buck greeted, "I just wanted to let you know that they let me off a couple of hours early."

He could hear the smile in his voice as he said, "Oh, that's great! So that means you'll make it to dinner then?"

"Yeah, that's the hope. I should be there, but I'll probably be late because the traffic's terrible," he explained.

"I know, right? Like what's everyone doing out on a Sunday evening?" the man asked half jokingly.

Buck laughed, "I'm not sure. I don't really keep up with sports, but I bet it's a football or baseball game."

Chris made himself known from the passenger seat, evidently having looked up what was causing the traffic, "It's a football game, Buck, the 49ers against the Rams."

"Ah, no wonder it's so busy then, they're rivals, right?"

"I don't know, man, I don't follow football like that," the brunette answered.

"That's fair, I probably know even less than you." he paused, "Hey, by the way, did you tell Pepa about the traffic?"

Eddie sighed, "Yeah, and I got a scolding on speaker phone about how I should be more responsible about checking the traffic report, and the importance of being punctual."

The curly-haired man laughed; he could almost perfectly imagine his best friend being scolded by his aunt as Chris stifled his laughter in the passenger seat. "Oh boy, thanks for taking the heat, Eds," he joked.

"Oh, please, Buck, you know she'd never scold you." Eddie huffed.

He thought for a moment and smirked to himself, "Actually, you're right, she wouldn't. Pepa loves me too much."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the brunette chuckled lightly over the phone.

A silence fell between them for a moment, which Buck took as a chance to change the subject. "Well, I don't know about you, but I've got a Sabrina Carpenter listen-through waiting for me."

"We'll let you enjoy that. Olivia, why don't you tell Buck who we're gonna listen to?"

Buck could hear Olivia giggle from the back seat and asked, "Who are you listening to with Eddie, sweetheart?"

"Taylor Swift!" She cheered happily, her sweet, excited voice a little muffled because she was far away from the phone.

Of course, she had Eddie listening to Taylor; the man wasn't surprised. "And what album are you listening to?"

"Working through Speak Now at the moment, it's pretty good," Eddie said nonchalantly.

Chris huffed, "Oh, please, Dad, don't pretend like you weren't singing along to 'Ours' just before you got on the phone with Buck."

The curly-haired man laughed again as Eddie sighed, "Geez, called out again by my own son again… on that note, I'll leave you to Sabrina, see you soon, Buck, drive safe."

Still laughing, Buck said, "Yeah, yeah, you too, Eds. Have fun with Taylor,"

With that, the blue-eyed man hung up the phone and sighed. He was relieved to hear the happiness in Olivia's voice and couldn't wait to hear about whatever it was they had gotten up to today. For now, though, Buck finally started playing Man's Best Friend, and as he sat in traffic the rest of the way to Pepa's house, the music kept his mood up though.

The traffic had actually moved a little bit faster than he was expecting it to, and he was glad for that because it meant that as he turned onto Pepa's street, the last song on the album was ending. That was surprisingly perfect timing. Buck was actually pleasantly surprised to see that he and Eddie had arrived practically at the same time, the other man apparently only having a couple of minutes on him. The curly-haired man hopped out of his Jeep with a smile and watched as his friend helped Olivia out of the back seat of the truck, gently setting her on the ground.

Buck watched Olivia's smile grow as she made eye contact with him, and as her feet touched the ground, she was off, running to him at full speed. The little girl didn't knock him off balance this time, though, because he was ready.

Buck caught Olivia in his arms before she could crash into his legs, and the momentum caused him to do a little spin as he pulled her in for a hug. This caused the golden-haired girl to laugh as she clung to him and nuzzled into his neck. The blue-eyed man closed his eyes and sighed as he buried his nose in her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"Hi, my sweet girl," he whispered as he rubbed her back lightly, "I missed you while I was at work."

He felt the girl smile against his shirt and hug him tighter as she responded with a muffled, quiet voice, "I missed you too, Buck."

As Buck held Olivia close, he idly wondered when leaving the girl for a 24-hour shift would stop feeling like he was leaving her for an eternity. After another moment of silence, he looked up to see Chris leaning against the truck, doing something on his phone, and Eddie looking at him and Olivia.

They made eye contact for a split second before the other man tore his eyes away and looked down at his feet, a slight blush tinging his cheeks.

That look… it was familiar now. Buck had seen it a couple of times. Once, on the night he first introduced the man to Olivia, and again when his best friend had come with him to pick the little girl up from school. It was like Eddie was melting from the inside out with how soft, warm, and fond his beautiful brown eyes looked. He was sure the other man thought he hadn't caught it, given how quickly he'd looked away, but he had, and he still didn't know what it meant.

After another minute of feeling like he was frozen to the spot, he was standing on. Buck finally walked over to Eddie and Chris while still holding Olivia and greeted them, "Hey, Chris, Hey, Eddie."

Chris looked up from his phone and smiled at him, "Hi Buck, " the teen stepped forward to give him a quick hug and asked, "How was your shift? Did anything interesting happen?"

"It was a good, slow one, though. Only had a couple of calls, so unfortunately, there isn't really anything interesting to tell you about," the curly-haired man answered as he ruffled Christopher's hair.

The teenager batted his hand away. "Hey, come on, Buck, don't mess up my hair," he huffed, as the man thought about what he had just said.

Buck supposed that his having been a boring, low-stakes day wasn't necessarily an unfortunate occurrence, especially in his line of work. There was probably a better way he could have worded it, though, because, technically speaking, a shift with no calls was actually a good thing. It meant, at the very least, that no one within their call radius was hurt or in need of rescuing.

The curly-haired teen just looked between him and Eddie with a skeptical look as yet another moment of tense silence passed, shaking his head before saying, "Come on, let's go inside before Dad gets scolded again."

"Chris is right, let's get inside, Pepa's waiting for us," the brunette agreed.

The Diaz boys started walking in front of Buck, and as he followed them, a thought came to his mind: he hadn't told Pepa about Olivia…

"Hey, Eds, did you tell Pepa about Olivia? I just realized that I never explained the foster care situation to her past the fact that he was going to try it."

Eddie stopped and turned to answer him, "Oh yeah, she was wondering why you didn't join us for dinner last Sunday. I hope it's okay that I let her know why you couldn't make it, and explained the situation. She can't wait to meet Olivia, though she was so happy that you were bringing her tonight."

Buck smiled, "Yeah, it's totally fine, I'm glad to hear that she's excited to meet Olivia," he said as Chris knocked on his great aunt's door.

Pepa answered the door, "Well, it's about time you all showed up," she said, guiding them inside.

"Tia Pepa." The teen greeted the woman happily. "It smells amazing in here."

Buck watched as Chris let Pepa kiss him on the forehead, and she said, "I'm glad you think so, mijo. I made one of your favorites. Can you guess what it is?"

The curly-haired boy sniffed the air again, his eyes lighting up in recognition as he gasped, "Oh, you made my favorite chili verde enchiladas! Tia, you're the best!"

The older woman smiled at the teen's excitement, "Go, wash your hands, and sit at the table, mijo. Dinner is almost ready." She said, patting his back.

The blue-eyed man watched Chris walk away on his crutches as the woman gestured for Eddie to come closer. The man gave his aunt a soft smile and hugged her gently as she kissed his cheek. The brunette then kissed her cheek in return before going to pull away, but she didn't let him, cupping his cheeks as she scoured his face with her eyes.

"Mi Eddito, you drove safely? You look tired." She commented.

He heard Eddie huff at his aunt's concern. "Yes, Tia, I drove safely, and I'm okay. Not as tired as I look, I got a couple of hours of sleep before we came over."

The woman patted the brunette's cheek affectionately before letting him go and turning her attention towards Buck and Olivia. With the attention now on them, though, the curly-haired man could tell that the little girl was feeling shy again. As Pepa spoke gently, Buck felt Olivia bury her face in the crook of his neck again.

"Evancito, I believe you have someone to introduce me to." She said, gesturing for him to bend down.

Buck did so, and Pepa gave him a kiss on the cheek, which made the curly-haired man's chest warm with fondness. The woman would usually greet him with a hug, but that was understandably a bit difficult, seeing as he was holding Olivia.

"That I do, Pepa… Sorry, she just gets a bit nervous when meeting new people, but she'll warm up in no time." He paused, the older woman nodding in understanding as he turned his attention to Olivia for a moment, reassuring her, "Livy, it's okay, Pepa is very nice, you don't have to be nervous, sweetheart."

Olivia pulled her face away from Buck's shoulder and nodded as she whispered, "Okay, Buck."

"Can I put you down?" Back waited for Olivia's answer, the girl nodded again before he set her down in front of him and officially introduced her to Pepa with a smile. "Okay, Pepa, this is Olivia. She's my foster daughter."

The woman before them smiled and she softly said, "Hi Olivia, it's nice to meet you, mija."

"It's nice to meet you, too," the blue-eyed girl said in a nervous yet polite tone.

"Buck, how about you go help little Olivia wash her hands while Eddie helps me bring everything to the table?" Pepa suggested, seeming to know that she wasn't going to get much more out of the girl right now as the timer for the enchiladas went off in the kitchen.

With that, Buck took Olivia to the bathroom to wash her hands. The scent of the enchiladas floating through the house was mouthwatering. He could see that the food was already on the table through the doorway to the kitchen. The sight of the steaming trays of enchiladas made his mouth water even more. But as he was about to walk into the room, he heard Pepa and Eddie talking. The curly-haired man stopped in his tracks, holding Olivia's shoulders so that she wouldn't walk ahead of him, and he listened.

"You have to tell him, mijo." He heard Pepa say with a serious tone.

Then Eddie sighed in response, sounding frustrated, "I know, I know… It's just hard to wrap my mind around telling him when I'm still coming to terms with it myself."

The curly-haired man was confused. What was Eddie coming to terms with? Was Eddie hiding something from him? Oh god, he wasn't sick or something, was he? Before the baseless worry for his best friend spiraled out of control, Buck took a breath and calmed himself. Eddie was probably fine… but he'd pull the other man aside later, just to make sure. For now, though, after making sure they were done talking, he finally reentered the room.

As he guided Olivia into the kitchen, the man noticed that there were two trays of enchiladas. Pepa had made one tray of Christopher's favorite chili verde enchiladas and a smaller tray of enchiladas with her mild sauce. He really hoped that the little girl would like them.

Buck first got Olivia comfortable in her seat before sitting next to her and asking, "Livy, have you ever had enchiladas before?"

The golden-haired girl shook her head, "Mm mm… what's an en-enchilada, Buck?"

The man served himself one and cut it open on his plate. "This is an enchilada. It's meat and cheese wrapped up in a tortilla with a really yummy sauce on top." He paused, then suggested, "I think you'll like it if you wanna give it a try."

"O-okay, Buck," she said, becoming nervous again as she noticed everyone at the table watching her. "I-I'll try it."

Buck smiled and cut a small piece from the enchilada on his plate, which had cooled, and let Olivia try it. As she chewed the bite, her eyes lit up, and after she swallowed it, the blue-eyed man asked, "So what do you think?"

"It was really yummy. Can I have some more?" she asked.

"Of course, you can have some more Olivia. Here, I'll cut this one up for you since it's cooled off. Do you want some beans and rice too?"

"Yes, please!" she requested politely.

The curly-haired man finished putting together Olivia's plate, adding the beans and rice and cutting up the enchilada for her before preparing his own plate. Buck served himself one of each type of enchilada, beans, rice, and some homemade tortilla chips. He positively adored Pepa's cooking, and while Buck enjoyed the chili verde enchiladas, he was also kind of a whimp when it came to spicy food, at least compared to Chris and Eddie. So when they had the enchiladas, he liked to alternate bites between the spicier chili verde and the mild sauce; it worked well to cool his mouth down.

Speaking of the chili verde, Buck needed to remind himself to ask Pepa if she could teach him how to make it sometime, because it was to die for, and he really wanted to know how to make it himself.

When Buck finally got his food in front of him, he dug in, eating quietly as he listened to Chris tell his great aunt all about the group project that he and his friends had done well on. He periodically checked on Olivia as she ate, looking over to make sure she was doing well, as he continued to listen to Pepa praise her great-nephew and the teen tell her about a science field trip that he was excited about.

Once Chris was done talking about school, the woman turned her attention to Eddie, "Mi Eddito, how was your day?" she asked sweetly.

"It was good, Pepa. I had breakfast with Maddie and Chim, then spent the rest of the day with Olivia and Chris," he explained with a smile.

"Speaking of which, how about you tell us what you did with Chris and Eddie today, Livy?" Buck encouraged.

The little girl's blue eyes sparkled as she gave the biggest smile she had all evening, "I had so much fun with Eddie and Chris today!"

"I'm so happy to hear that, baby girl, the floor is all yours! Tell us all about it." He gently urged.

With that little push, Olivia launched into her explanation of what she had done that afternoon with Chris and Eddie. It sounded to Buck like she had a blast. They taught her how to play Mario Kart, and Chris mentioned that she did very well for her first time playing. They watched Bluey, a show which, thanks to Jee Yun, he'd already fallen in love with before even having Olivia in his care.

Buck laughed as Olivia had gone on to explain how, as they watched Bluey, Eddie had fallen asleep and was subsequently happy to hear that Chris wanted to help out his dad by letting him sleep. The teen had ended up entertaining the little girl for about two hours, teaching her how to play Minecraft, then playing Play-Doh bakery with her. And finally, after nearly forgetting to mention it, she told them about the painting she had made for Eddie and how excited she was to give it to him.

"So what did you think of the painting?" Buck asked in a teasing tone, trying to get a reaction out of his friend.

Eddie, however, could see right through his plan, not giving him the reaction he wanted as he answered nonchalantly, "I was touched that she wanted to make me something, and the painting is beautiful, by the way. It's hanging up on my fridge right where it belongs."

Buck smiled, his heart melting a little bit when Eddie said that Olivia's painting belonged on his fridge. The conversation moved on from there to Buck and how his shift was. Which, to say the least, was much less interesting than what anyone else had to say. He was just happy that the girl had warmed up and was feeling less nervous now, even openly having a conversation with Pepa about something she had done at school.

Honestly, Buck could get used to this… Sunday dinners, every time they didn't have a shift, the five of them just enjoyed time together. It felt good, felt right.

Eventually, the night wound down with Buck and Eddie doing the dishes together after dessert and putting away all the leftovers. Thank yous and goodbyes were said as they parted ways for the night, but as Buck walked towards his Jeep, Eddie stopped him.

"Hey Buck, you're gonna be needing this back, right?" he asked, pulling the car seat from the back of his truck.

The curly-haired man walked over to his friend, "Well, I can't be forgetting that now, can I?"

"Nope… it would be a bit of a safety concern if you did," Eddie said softly. "I also have her Play-Doh stuff in the back. I'll grab that and walk over to the Jeep with you, since your hands are a bit full."

"Okay, sounds good," Buck said, readjusting a sleepy Olivia in his arms.

Eddie came back after helping Christopher into the front seat, holding the car seat in one hand and the box of Play-Doh stuff in the other.

"Thanks again for taking Olivia. Seems like she had a great time with you guys." The blue-eyed man smiled as he and Eddie walked together to the Jeep.

He unlocked the doors, and his friend went on to reinstall the car seat in his car and put the Play-Doh box on the other seat before turning around, "Of course, Buck, like I said before, I really don't mind. Spending that time with her was nice," he paused for a moment before continuing with a smile, "I'm not the only one who enjoyed the quality time with Olivia. I think Chris enjoyed that time more than he's letting on."

Buck was really happy to hear that Chris had enjoyed spending time with the girl. He couldn't quite put into words how glad he was that Olivia was fitting in so well with the little family he'd found in the 118.

"That means a lot, Eds," Buck said, turning to put Olivia in the car seat and buckle her in. He closed the car door, gently turning back to his friend, as he added, "One more thing before you go?"

"Yeah, what is it?" the brunette asked curiously.

"I… I um heard you and Pepa talking in the kitchen earlier, just before I came back with Olivia from washing our hands, and" Buck paused, feeling a bit like he was rambling as he continued, "A-and I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I didn't want to interrupt. And I didn't hear much, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay because it sounded like you two were having a serious conversation."

A look of slight panic washed over Eddie's face for a moment as his shoulders tensed and he contemplated what to say: "I'm okay, Buck, you don't have to worry."

"So like… you're not like dying or something?" the curly-haired man asked nervously.

In a second, Eddie's hand was squeezing his shoulder reassuringly, "Oh my god, Buck, no, I'm not dying, I promise I'm perfectly healthy. The conversation that I had with Pepa had nothing to do with my health." he paused, "What's with you and Chris assuming the worst today?"

Buck breathed a sigh of relief, glad to know that his best friend was okay. "You had Christopher worrying today, too?" he asked.

"I forgot to send the text to him to let him know that I'd be home late," he answered.

"Ah, I see." Buck nodded.

"Yeah…" Eddie said, a moment of silence washing over them. "I'll uh, I'll see you tomorrow, Buck."

The blue-eyed man pulled his friend into a hug, "Yeah, see you tomorrow… and you know I'm here for you, right? You can talk to me."

He felt Eddie huff as they pulled away from each other. The man was looking at him with something he didn't recognize behind his eyes and what felt like a somber smile.

"Yeah, I know, Buck. I'm just not ready to talk about it yet."

"Well, whenever you're ready, I'm here to listen, Eds," Buck assured his friend with a soft smile.

The tension dropped from the brown-eyed man's shoulders as a genuine smile grew on his lips, and he sighed, "Thanks, Buck."

"Yeah, of course, drive safe, okay." The curly-haired man said as Eddie turned to walk to his truck.

"I will, you do the same," he answered with a wave.

With that, both men actually went their separate ways. The car ride back to Buck's apartment was quiet with Olivia, dozing in the backseat. Even without music, he found that the drive was quick enough, the traffic not being as heavy as it had been earlier, and soon he found himself carrying the little girl back up to the apartment. Olivia was so tired that she could barely sit up, so Buck bathed her and helped her get her pajamas on, but as he went to lay her down in her bed, she clung to him.

"Mm mm…" She hummed, clearly not wanting to let go.

"Olivia, I need to put you to bed, sweetheart," Buck said softly.

Olivia's answer was sleepily slurred but clear, "W-wanna stay with you, Buck."

How was he supposed to say no to that? The answer was that he couldn't. So he grabbed her snow leopard stuffed animal and carried the girl to his room, where he laid her down in his bed. Buck gave Olivia the stuffed animal, and she immediately cuddled up to it as he tucked her in and quickly readied himself for bed. As soon as he laid down in the bed, the little girl cuddled right up to him. The curly-haired man felt a pang in his chest, realizing how much she'd missed him, so he held her close, rubbing her back until her breath evened out, and she fell asleep in his arms.

"Sweet dreams, my sweet Livy girl," Buck whispered to the sleeping five-year-old, kissing her head again before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.