Death of me

by Buddiesmutslut

Summary:

“It was a date. When you and Marisol ran into me and Tommy, it was a date.”

“Marisol thought she was pregnant and I realized that I do actually want another kid, but not with her.”

The simultaneous, overlapping confessions hang in the air like an executioner's axe as Buck and Eddie stare at each other with wide eyes, both blue screening a little as they process the dual bombs just dropped.

Eddie recovers first, his head shaking slightly. “Wait, you and Tommy? So you’re-?”

Buck makes a pained noise, hands flying through the air once he finally gets his brain working again. “Uh uh, that is not the important thing here; Marisol is pregnant?!”

-

Buck's coming out scene looks a little different when Eddie admits that he wants to have a baby.

Notes:

Hi :) I'm back with more Omegaverse Buddie :) and Omega Eddie :) Trying to bump those numbers up and I just keep getting ideas lol.

No smut or mpreg in this chapter, but there's a not 0 chance that I will add a 2nd chapter with them sharing Eddie's heat. If not, I'm sure you guys know how that would work 😂

The explicit rating is just for Buck's thoughts, which are not for the faint of heart, so I figured anybody that was avoiding explicit content would want to avoid this too, which I hope makes sense.

Chapter 1

“It was a date. When you and Marisol ran into me and Tommy, it was a date.”

 

“Marisol thought she was pregnant, and I realized that I do actually want another kid, but not with her.” 

 

The simultaneous, overlapping confessions hang in the air like an executioner's axe as Buck and Eddie stare at each other with wide eyes, both blue screening a little as they process the dual bombs just dropped. 

 

Eddie recovers first, his head shaking slightly. “Wait, you and Tommy? So, you’re-?” 

 

Buck makes a pained noise, hands flying through the air once he finally gets his brain working again. “Uh uh, that is not the important thing here; Marisol is pregnant?!”

 

“No, no, she’s not pregnant,” Eddie clarifies, taking a swig of his drink, reminding Buck of his own beer that’s currently sweating on the island in front of him. 

 

His throat is dry, palms sweating; he doesn’t know why his stomach is turning right now but yeah, a drink is a good idea. 

 

He takes a heavy swallow of his, trying not to think of Marisol carrying Eddie’s baby, Eddie resting his hand on her stomach with an adoring smile, Eddie kissing her temple during labor, Eddie cradling a tiny baby in his arms, his hands big enough to dwarf the baby’s itty bitty head. 

 

Damn it, he’s supposed to not be thinking about that. 

 

“She was late, so she thought she might be, but she just got her period late this month. Probably stress, she said. No baby,” Eddie finishes, hands held out to the side with a shrug. 

 

“Okay, but you do want a baby?”

 

Eddie hums, a small smile tugging at one side of his mouth, eyes going distant, like he’s thinking about holding a little baby in his arms too. 

 

Jesus fucking Christ Buck, not thinking about it! 

 

“Yeah, I do,” he eventually answers, his cheeks a pretty shade of pink, and that should be a new thought in Buck’s brain, but it’s really not. 

 

That probably means something, but he can’t think about it right now. 

 

“I mean, I’m more than happy with just Chris, I love that kid so fucking much, but- I don’t know. I think it might be nice, pregnancy and a baby, chasing a toddler around. I missed a lot when he was little, and I know I’ll never get that time back, but he’s growing up on me, and I’m in probably the best place in my life that I possibly could be to have another kid. Financially, mentally, physically, everything. I’m worried if I wait too much longer, I won’t be able to keep up with them,” he admits, but Buck is only half listening, his brain repeating pregnancy pregnancy pregnancy over and over on a loop. 

 

He’s known that his best friend is an omega, and that he could therefore carry a pregnancy, but for some reason, that mental image - Eddie with a soft, round belly, eyes bright as he looks up in delight when the baby is kicking, smelling extra sweet and addictive, a baby that comes out with Eddie’s dark, does eyes - is doing something to his brain. 

 

“You- you want to experience pregnancy?” His voice comes out a little bit like a croak, but he’s being as normal as he’s physically capable of being at the moment. 

 

Eddie shrugs, his blush intensifying, eyes looking up at Buck through his eyelashes and then darting away again quickly. “I mean- yeah, I guess. I always kind of figured I’d eventually meet my Alpha and carry our kids. My parents were very traditional about secondary genders,” he shares with a slight sneer that makes it clear it was in a definite not good way. “And as much as they disliked the fact that I presented as an Omega, that was one thing they couldn’t really ruin for me. Maybe because they tried to ignore it as much as they possibly could, or maybe because my Omega is just that strong, but either way, it doesn’t really matter. Shannon getting pregnant and everything else that happened after that obviously changed things, but I think I’m finally in a place where I can admit that I still want that, that I might finally be allowed to have that.” 

 

He looks serene when he finishes talking, like he’s made it to the end of some long, hero’s journey and discovered the truths of the universe and grown as a human and that’s so good for him honestly, Buck loves those stories, but his stupid fucking brain is more focused on the “ meet my Alpha and have their babies” bit, because there is an Alpha that Eddie has been spending a surprising amount of time with. 

 

It makes Buck sick to even think about it, and he knows he should be happy for his friend, knows that he should shut the fuck up and be supportive but- 

 

“ Tommy?! Is that the Alpha you want to have your kids with?” He- okay, he’ll deny the accusation that he shrieked that question until his dying day, but privately, it does come out a little more shrieky than his normal voice. 

 

Like, several octaves higher. 

 

He shoves his stool back, already shaking his head. Tommy and Eddie? No fucking way. No, absolutely not. 

 

Tommy’s too- too crass for Eddie. Eddie deserves somebody better than that. Somebody who would bend over backwards to give him everything he deserved. 

 

“You can’t have a baby with Tommy,” Buck says, pacing the floor. He’s not sure if Eddie said anything in response yet, but he needs to make it clear that Tommy is not good enough. 

 

“What? Buck, I wasn’t-” 

 

“No, because he- I’m really happy for you that you want a baby, and I totally and completely support that Eddie, okay? I swear I do, but what happens if you get insane cravings in the middle of the night, and you need like- like some random dip at 3am? Tommy’s definitely not going to go get it for you, I can tell you that much right now.” 

 

Eddie looks amused now, watching from his stool, chin propped up on his hand, but Buck can’t process the shy little smirk on his face at the moment. He needs to make sure Eddie understands. 

 

“I mean, he agreed to fly us out in the middle of a hurricane to save Bobby and Athena; a late-night grocery run sounds really easy compared to that,” he notes thoughtfully, but Buck is already shaking his head. 

 

“Okay yeah, one major hero moment, big whoop, anybody can do one really hard thing one time.” He rolls his eyes, like flying a helicopter is at all comparable to caring for a pregnant omega and a child. It’s insulting, if he’s being honest. “What happens when you’re throwing up every day during your first trimester? Or your back hurts from the baby and you want a massage? Or you have heartburn? What happens if you go into labor in the middle of the night?!” 

 

He feels like he’s making total sense. One big moment is not at all like the 9-month commitment to making sure your Omega is comfortable and happy and healthy throughout pregnancy, or the life-long commitment to raising a child, and his inner Alpha agrees very strongly. 

 

“Well, Tommy is also a firefighter, so waking up at all hours of the night isn’t anything he’s not used to either. Same with vomit,” Eddie points out, and it’s- 

 

It’s kind of pissing him off, if he’s being totally honest. 

 

Not necessarily at Eddie, despite the fact that it feels like Eddie is definitely playing some kind of game that Buck hasn’t figured out yet, but more so at himself. 

 

He’s not explaining this right, and Eddie, his best friend in the whole wide world, is going to be the one to pay the price when he’s chained to an Alpha that’s not good for him or his kid. 

 

“No, Eddie,” he growls in frustration, raking his hands through his hair, tugging at the ends. He knows that, if he looked in a mirror right now, his blue eyes would be replaced with the bright gaze of his Alpha because he’s so-

 

He’s hot, and he’s sweating, and his stomach is twisting into knots. He feels a little bit like he’s going to be sick, and he’s so pissed at his stupid brain for not putting his thoughts together in a clearer way. 

 

He forces himself to take a few deep breaths, gripping the edge of the granite island in an effort to ground himself before he does something insane. He’s not sure exactly what, but with the way he’s feeling, it’d definitely be something that Bobby would yell at him for. 

 

Once his body temperature has evened out a little bit and he has a better grip on his Alpha, he retakes his seat, grabbing Eddie’s hand, which is now free. 

 

His beer bottle is now empty, resting on the edge of the counter by the door, and Buck has no idea when that happened, but he can’t bring himself to care about that right now. 

 

“Okay, I’m obviously not explaining this right, but just- listen, okay?” He begs, and Eddie nods, curling his fingers around Buck’s and meeting his eyes in rapt attention. 

 

“Tommy is probably… fine,” he forces out through clenched teeth. He needs Eddie to listen, and that means he has to explain this rationally. 

 

Not that there’s any other reason that Eddie shouldn’t be with Tommy, of course. Just good old logic. 

 

“Okay, look, so on our date, when you and Marisol showed up and I was- weird. Do you remember what Tommy said?” 

 

Eddie’s eyes flash with something Buck can’t quite name, but then his brows furrow as he thinks back. “Not really? Something about… closet space?” 

 

Buck can see the moment it all clicks in Eddie’s brain, the comment with the added context of them being on a date. 

 

“Yeah, closet space. That was our first date, I didn’t even realize that men could be an option for me until he kissed me two days before the date. I had called myself an ally literally like, five minutes before you guys showed up because I was still coming to terms with everything, and the first person we run into that I know - the most important person - he makes a joke about being in the closet,” Buck shares, remembering the sick, twisty feeling in his stomach, the shame that burned hot on his cheeks. 

 

“He decided at that point that the date was over and cancelled the movie we were planning to go to, but he didn’t share any of that with me until the Uber he ordered was already pulling up to the curb. He didn’t say anything, he just dipped out because I was a little bit of a disaster.” 

 

Eddie’s hand tightens on his, his nails digging into the flat of Buck’s palm, but that’s fine. It’s actually good! It means Eddie is finally hearing him about Tommy and all of the ways that he’s sure to be a bad Alpha and a bad father. 

 

Buck pushes even further, gentling his tone and swiping his thumb along the back of Eddie’s hand absentmindedly. “What if Chris - one day - struggles with his sexuality? What if the baby grows up and gets treated like that on a date? Tommy thinks that’s acceptable behavior, but you and Chris and the baby deserve better than that.” 

 

Eddie leans forward, tightening his hold on Buck’s hand, tugging at it a little bit. “So do you, Buck,” he says, his breath ghosting across Buck’s face, and when exactly did they get this close? 

 

Not important. 

 

“Well, if I deserve more, then you definitely do,” he returns immediately. “You deserve someone that’s going to be just as committed to you and to the kids as you are. You deserve someone that will bring you flowers when you’re having a bad day and rubs your feet when you’re sore, who’s going to comfort you when you’re sick with a cool washcloth and- and someone who will wait on you hand and foot. I mean, they should do it when you’re pregnant, but also when you’re not because honestly, you spend so much time taking care of other people instead of yourself, and I know you’re all about compartmentalizing or whatever, but still. If you’re looking for someone to spend your life and build a family with, it should be someone that takes care of you too, you know? Like, fuck what people say, you’re not just an Omega who can carry some jackass Alpha’s legacy - or whatever the traditionalist freaks like that say - you’re Eddie, and Eddie is pretty fucking great.” 

 

His chest rises and falls rapidly, panting with the passion behind his words. There’s nothing he believes more than that, he thinks. 

 

There’s a lot that Buck knows - about firefighting, about the world, and about Eddie Diaz, and the thing that he knows to be truest out of everything is that Eddie is good. 

 

He’s a good person, a good dad, a good man. He’s good, down to his bones, from the tips of his toes to the tops of his hair, he is good, and he deserves somebody that can see that. 

 

“That’s- that’s really- thank you, Buck,” Eddie stumbles over his words, thick with emotion, and all he can do is nod. He needs a little reminding that he’s amazing, and as his best friend, Buck is more than willing to do that for him. 

 

“You know, I really thought that you were telling me that I couldn’t have Tommy as my Alpha because you really liked him,” Eddie admits into the space between them after clearing his throat a few times, blinking away the wetness of his eyes. 

 

“What?”

 

“Well, yeah. You told me that you went on a date with him - which we will be coming back too, by the way - and then you immediately tell me that I can’t have him as my Alpha and the father of my child, so I kind of assumed you just really liked him, but it doesn’t really sound like you do?” 

 

Buck blinks owlishly a couple of times because oh yeah. He went on a date with Tommy just a few days ago, him being pissy after learning that Eddie wanted him would make sense, but it wasn’t about Tommy at all. Their blooming romance had nothing to do with why he was so vehemently against him being with Eddie. 

 

Instead, he listed everything wrong with Tommy like he had them ready, holding onto them for a rainy day. 

 

Which… that’s weird, right? Why did he go on a date with the guy if he was immediately ready with all the ways he would be a shitty partner? 

 

Even before they went out, he remembers bitching to Maddie about how Tommy was lying to Chris about which Star Wars was the best as a way to endear himself to the boy, and maybe that was dramatic, but… 

 

Fuck, he’s so confused. 

 

“So, now that you know I don’t want him, are you going to call him for another date?” Eddie wonders. 

 

Buck can smell the beer on his breath and the soft, spiced fragrance that’s 100% Eddie. His eyes are so… pretty. Framed by dark lashes that Buck can practically count from this close. There’s also a little mark right below his eye that he doesn’t think he’s ever paid attention to before, but now it’s calling him like a siren’s song. 

 

“Why would I call Tommy when my-”

 

When my best friend wants to have a baby and I don’t trust anybody other than me to treat him right. 

 

Holy. Fucking. Shit. 

 

He can feel his eyes snap open from where they’d half-closed, focusing on every tiny, beautiful detail of Eddie because holy shit, he thinks Eddie is beautiful. 

 

Like, seriously, beautiful. 

 

The single most beautiful, hottest, most attractive man in the country, if not the world. 

 

That’s not a new feeling, he’s always thought Eddie was hot, objectively.

 

Everybody thinks Eddie’s hot, he’s just an aesthetically pleasing person to look at, with his bouncy hair and his warm eyes, deep and dark enough that it kinds of feels like Buck could peacefully drown in his gaze. 

 

His ass, his arms, his thighs, his hands, lord have mercy, Buck has been distracted by his hands more than normal for a straight guy. 

 

Except for the fact that he’s not a straight guy. 

 

He likes men. He liked kissing Tommy, liked going out with him, absolutely wants to shove Eddie up against the nearest wall and use every single thing he’s learned over the years to make Eddie come as many times as physically possible until he splits him open on his knot and fucks a baby into him. 

 

Oh, Jesus fuck he’s in love with his best friend. 

 

For the second time tonight, he stands so quickly that his stool scoots noisily against his floor. 

 

He takes a step away, only realizing that he’s still holding Eddie’s hand when he meets resistance after trying to take a step back. 

 

He drops it, and then immediately regrets it, missing the warmth and the roughness against his own. 

 

Picking it back up right after dropping it would be weird, right? 

 

Realizing he’s silently staring at Eddie’s hands like a freak - again - he spins on his heel and stares at his cupboards. 

 

“I- I think I should go,” he says abruptly, nodding. 

 

“...Go?” Eddie asks, confused. 

 

“Yeah. Yup, yeah, I’m going to go.” 

 

“This is- this is your apartment?” Eddie points out, humor coating each of his words. 

 

“Mhm, yeah. That’s fine. There’s food and beer, help yourself to whatever, make yourself comfortable.” 

 

“Buck what- what the hell are you talking about?” Eddie asks with a laugh, standing up and coming to stand behind him. 

 

A hand brushes against his shoulder and he jumps, backing away. 

 

Now that he’s realized his feelings, his Alpha is riding him hard, fixating on the bare expanse of Eddie’s neck where his mark would fit perfectly, on the thought of scent-marking Eddie so everybody knows that he is Buck’s. 

 

Eddie cradling a baby with Buck’s hair and Eddie’s eyes, perfectly half of each of them; his Alpha is fully prepared to bend Eddie over the kitchen island and fuck him as many times as it takes to make that happen and he needs to get out of here. 

 

“Yeah, I need to go, I have to go, I’ve gotta-”

 

He makes a break for the door, clinging to his self-control by the skin of his teeth. 

 

“Buck!” 

 

He keeps walking, grateful for his freakishly long legs and the ease with which they close the distance between him and his front door. 

 

“Evan!” 

 

Just a few more steps and he’s free. No chance of ruining his friendship with Eddie, he can’t make him uncomfortable with his feelings if he’s not in the same room, right? 

 

That might need some workshopping for when they have to work together again or spend time with Chris outside of work, but he can focus on that later. 

 

God, he can’t believe he’s that guy; the one who fell in love with their straight best friend, why does he always do this? Fall for people he can’t have. Is it some fucked up self-protection? Is it because his parents didn’t want him, so he just assumes that’s what love is supposed to be? Why does he-

 

“ Alpha.” 

 

He freezes, one hand gripping the doorknob, the other braced against the wall beside the frame. 

 

It’s so fucking unfair. He can’t ignore that call, not with the slight whine in Eddie’s voice, like his Omega is calling out for Buck’s Alpha, and his Alpha - the stupid fucking knot head who doesn’t seem to care that he’s about to ruin the best thing that happened to him - refuses to move any further away than right here. 

 

He’s fighting Buck to turn around, to go back. 

 

My Omega needs me. 

 

His grip on the doorknob tightens as he fights the urge to do just that, to turn around and run back to Eddie, to take him in his arms and claim him as Buck’s and never ever let him go. 

 

A shiver runs up his spine when he feels body heat right behind him - close but not touching. 

 

Eddie’s just standing there, smelling like Buck’s wildest dream, hanging out like Buck isn’t fighting the way his fangs want to drop and sharpen, the mating saliva gathering in his gums and making it hard for him to swallow. 

 

“Buck,” he whispers, taking a small step closer, close enough that he can almost feel the breath of it against the back of his neck. 

 

“Eddie.” 

 

“Why do you have to flee your own apartment like the building is on fire?” 

 

Buck whimpers softly, squeezing his eyes closed, hand curling until his short nails dig into his palm, hoping the slight pain will help him keep his head. 

 

“Eddie, I can’t.” 

 

“Can’t what, Buck?” 

 

“I can’t ruin the single best thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t fuck this up and lose you, Eds, please. Don’t make me,” he begs, his eyes prickling hot with tears and desperation. 

 

Hands land on his hips for a moment, slowly and deliberately sliding under his shirt to brand his skin where they come to rest over his ribcage. 

 

“Mm, I don’t think there’s anything you could do to lose me, Alpha,” he whispers, taking another step closer, until his breath is dancing across the back of Buck’s neck, sending goosebumps out across his skin. “Tell me why you think you should leave me here all alone in your apartment.” 

 

He tries to keep it in, to keep the truth locked between his teeth, but he should’ve known better than to really think he could do that. 

 

Honestly, it’s not his fault either, if he’s being honest. 

 

There has never been one single time when Eddie has asked for something that Buck was able to refuse him, and Eddie knows that. Everybody knows that. 

 

Buck is a weak, weak man when it comes to Eddie Diaz. 

 

So, he does the only thing he can do, which is lean his forehead against the door, brace for impact and admit the truth. 

 

“Well, I just realized that I’m in love with you and want you to have my babies, and the last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable, so I was going to leave until I could figure something out.” 

 

He holds his breath, lungs aching, but Eddie doesn’t move. 

 

His hands stay right where they are, splayed out over Buck’s ribs like they belong there until he hums thoughtfully. 

 

“Like what? Were you going to find me a different Alpha? Act like you didn’t want me while I found someone else to claim me? To get me pregnant? To raise a couple more kids with?” 

 

“ Eddie,” he growls, his Alpha pushing forward again in fury, jealous and possessive and incensed at the thought of some other Alpha with their hands all over his Eddie, their undeserving mark on his throat when everybody knows it should be Buck’s. 

 

“You know, maybe I will call Tommy,” Eddie says thoughtfully. “He seems like he could take care of an Omega. I mean, he probably knows exactly what I would need during my heat-” 

 

Buck snaps, fangs dropping, growl rumbling through his chest as he twists enough to grab Eddie and shove him up against the door, hands fisting in the hair at the nape of his neck, which has to additional benefit of protecting Eddie’s head from banging against the door. 

 

“You’re playing a dangerous game here, Eds,” Buck warns, his voice deep and rumbling with the presence of his Alpha who, despite knowing that Eddie is intentionally riling him up, is flooded with the instinct to claim, to mark, to make it unequivocally clear that Buck is the best option for a mate - by whatever means necessary. 

 

Eddie just smiles innocently. “Well, if you don’t want me, then I think I’m well within my right to-” 

 

“I want you,” Buck interrupts, tightening the grip he has with his other hand on Eddie’s hip. 

 

He can practically feel the skin bruising beneath his touch and his Alpha rumbles approvingly deep in his chest. 

 

“Well, I guess that’s a good thing then,” Eddie whispers, his gaze hot on Buck’s lips, and it takes a second to remember what exactly he said last. “Since I realized that I wanted to be yours and have your babies right around the same time I realized having more kids was something I wanted.” 

 

Buck trembles - with the effort it’s taken to hold himself back, with relief that he didn’t ruin their friendship, with an effervescent kind of ecstasy at the knowledge that Eddie wants him just as much. It’s overwhelming in the best kind of way, and the only thing that keeps him upright when his knees feel weak is the knowledge that he’s holding Eddie in place, and he can’t let his Omega fall. 

 

“You’re going to be the fucking death of me, Eddie Diaz,” he groans, and then stops fighting the need to pull Eddie against his chest and lean down just enough to capture his lips in an all-consuming kiss. 

 

It’s like a shot of adrenaline injected directly into his veins, his senses all dialing up to a thousand and yet somehow, the only thing they can focus on is Eddie. 

 

His taste on Buck’s tongue, the sweet little noises he’s making in the back of his throat, the way his scent floods the room, the heat of his skin beneath Buck’s palms when he shoves his hand beneath his shirt, needing to be as close as he can possibly in this moment. 

 

A thought occurs to him, and he drags his lips away from Eddie’s, trailing kisses across his jaw and down his neck, dragging his teeth against his scent glands, right where his mark will go soon, if he has any say about it. Not yet, but the promise is there, and the way Eddie’s body shakes in his arms, he knows it too. 

 

“You broke up with Marisol, right?” 

 

The Beta was nice enough, but Buck isn’t asking so he can have permission. Eddie is his, and he’s done letting other people take up his time and attention when it should always be Buck’s. 

 

“Yeah, yesterday,” Eddie confirms, one of his hands moving from where it’d been resting on Buck’s cheek to thread through his hair, tugging harshly to reattach their lips. “And you’re never calling Tommy again.” 

 

Whereas Buck’s was a question, Eddie’s is a command; a possessive Omega letting their Alpha know exactly what’s expected of them, and Buck has never been happier to receive an order. 

 

“Who?” He asks, because thinking when Eddie is hot and perfect and needy and hard against his body is damn near impossible, let alone the concept of thinking about a whole entire person that isn’t his Omega. 

 

He doesn’t even know why someone would want to do that, but then again, none of them had Eddie like this, so maybe it makes sense for them. Definitely not for him though. 

 

Whatever the reason, it appears to reassure Eddie, because he smiles beneath Buck’s lips and then starts to maneuver him around, pushing him towards the stairs. 

 

“My heat isn’t for a little while yet, but I think we should get some practice in in the meantime,” he murmurs in explanation into Buck’s mouth, laughing when Buck trips as whatever blood he had left in his body all rushes straight to his dick, hard enough now to cut diamonds. 

 

“Death. Of. Me,” Buck complains again, but then he’s too busy stripping Eddie’s shirt off and getting his hands and mouth on all the newly bared skin as they make their way up the loft steps to care too much. 

 

Eddie’s laughter intermingled with his moans and the heady scent of spice and need and love, his brown eyes molten and focused entirely on Buck is how he’d choose to go out anyway, if given the choice. 

 

When it comes to Eddie, there’s never any actual competition; Buck will always pick him. 

Chapter 2

Notes:

Hi. I'm back AGAIN. I literally posted this story yesterday bc my brain didn't really want to write the smut part of it so I was like "oh yeah this is fine, the girls (gn) know how heat sex works, it'll be fine."

I posted it & then my brain was immediately like "lol what if we write the smut RIGHT NOW???" So.

This is the smut that the first chapter was missing, if you were waiting on it, bon appetit, have 5k of smut lmfao

We are dabbling in intersex male omegas in this 'verse, it's not super important I don't think, but maybe something to keep in mind? Idk, I'm going to update all the tags but just in case you missed that bc I literally just put the first part of this out yesterday & you assumed it all stayed the same, idfk 😂

Buck can tell it’s getting close when they wake up for work that morning. 

 

Eddie smells sweeter, a decadence to his scent that’s designed to draw Alphas in, to pull their need to breed forward. It doesn’t make them mindless sex machines, doesn’t override their common sense or their ability to make their own decisions - though plenty have Alpha’s have claimed it did, it’s not something that holds up in a court of law - but it does make them more conscious of the desire, and Buck is definitely feeling the affects. 

Of course, the fact that his factory setting is the need to crawl inside Eddie’s skin until they exist as one single being probably doesn't help much.

 

They’re working one last shift and then they’re off for four days, and it seems like they timed it just right. 

 

Eddie is even more tactile as they get ready for work, which is really saying something. Buck had been surprised by how often Eddie touched him; absent-minded, purposefully, casually, possessively and every other way in between. 

 

Buck’s been touch-starved his entire life, and it seems like Eddie is bound and determined to fix that, despite the fact that they’ve only been together for three months. 

 

It’s been a fucking amazing three months though. 

 

He thought the transition from platonic best friends who swore they felt normal about each other to partners that were stupid in love with each other and planning to mate and grow their family would be weird, contain more fits and starts, but honestly, most of their hang ups come from that fact that there aren’t all that many differences. 

 

They’re still them, still spending as much time together as they can, FaceTiming when they have to be apart, having meals together and sharing beer on Eddie’s couch, their conversation rife with teasing before they go to bed. 

 

They’ve only added to the physical part of it - the kissing and the sex and the hand holding out and the scent marking intentionally instead of accidentally. The way they sit nearly on top of each other hasn’t changed, nor has the way they bump shoulders with nearly every step. 

 

It feels kind of silly, the ways they’ve been doing this all before without realizing what it meant to themselves and each other. 

 

Now that they have though, they’re both greedy for it, like they’ve been deprived their whole lives and were suddenly set free on a free for all.

 

It’s been exhilarating and eye-opening and a little bit exhausting at times - sex between two men in the best shape of their lives and their sexual prime can be quite the workout, and that wasn’t really necessarily a surprise as much as it was just a really fun learning curve.

Buck doesn’t think he’s ever had this much fun in bed either, which was a bit of a shock. 

 

Turns out, building a life with his best friend makes everything a hundred times better than he ever thought it could be.

 

It also makes it a little harder to stay professional while they’re at work, which he knew was going to happen, but he didn’t know how hard until he went through it. 

 

His rut isn’t for another month or so, so this is the first cycle they’ve shared together as a couple, and it is hell on Buck’s Alpha. 

 

Patches to mute their scents are mandatory, and Eddie isn’t even in pre-heat yet, but Buck knows he’s close. 

 

He watched as Eddie doused himself in scent-neutralizing spray at the station before their shift started, watched him do it again after every call they get back from, just in case, but that doesn’t stop the absolute knotheaded Alpha that lurks in Buck’s brain that wants to snap at every patient that looks at Eddie’s big brown eyes for too long, who flutter their lashes while he checks them over, or who look at the spot on his neck that’s still empty and take that as a sign that he’s free to be flirted with when he is not. 

 

Just a few more hours until he’s ours, he keeps reminding the animal that lives in his blood. 

 

They agreed to mark each other during Eddie’s heat, and that reminder is the only thing that keeps Buck from stomping across the street and ripping off the arms of the Alpha that’s lingering, his hand on Eddie’s bicep despite the fact that he looks perfectly fine. 

 

By the time shift ends, he’s genuinely not sure which one of them is more worked up. 

 

Chris is already at school by the time they get out, and Carla has already been informed that he’s going to spend a few days at Pepa’s while Buck and Eddie are preoccupied. 

 

Eddie allows him one long, drugging, claiming kiss when they get out to the truck after B-shift is briefed, but then he pulls away, a half-smirk on his lips. 

 

“We have errands to run today before my heat; we can’t spend all day making out in the car. Let’s go,” he instructs. 

 

“Can’t we just have the groceries delivered? I really don’t want to walk through a store right now.” Buck’s back teeth are locked together, his jaw sore from the effort it takes to stop himself from claiming and knotting Eddie right here behind the station. 

 

“No, we can’t. They delivered it to the wrong house last time we did that, and it took them forever to get it right. We are on a schedule, Buck. You can last for a couple more hours, I’m sure,” Eddie argues, 0% sympathetic to Buck’s plight. It’s like he doesn’t even care how irresistible he is and the effort it takes for Buck to keep himself in check. 

 

Instead of taking mercy on him upon hearing his poor teeth creaking, Eddie instead leans over the center console into Buck’s space, bottom lip jutted out, eyes wide from where he’s looking at him beneath his lashes, his voice low and crooning. “Come on, Alpha. Don’t you want me to have the food I need? What if I get dehydrated during my heat and don’t have anything to replenish my electrolytes? Don’t you want me to have what I need?” 

 

Buck’s head drops back, and he groans, long and loud and deep from his chest, because that fucker knows exactly what he’s doing, that stupid, hot glint in his eyes, the teeth in his bottom lip to keep it from stretching into a satisfied smirk. 

 

Weaponizing Buck’s own need to take care of Eddie against him. It should be a crime. 

 

Still, it does what Eddie intended and reminds Buck’s Alpha that his Omega needed more than just a knot and a baby. He needs food and snacks to eat between rounds and drinks that will replace the salt and fluids he loses from sweat, and that makes it easier to stamp down the need to mate that’s been riding him hard all shift. 

 

“You’re getting too damn good at that,” Buck grumbles without heat, his Alpha under control for the moment, enough so that he can turn the car on and shift it into drive. 

 

“Eh, you’re just so easy,” Eddie teases, settling happily into the passenger seat with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, gazing at Buck as he drives. “So eager to take care of me, no matter what. It’s really sweet, actually,” he admits, softly, like he still can’t believe that anybody thinks he deserves that, like he’s not sure he deserves it. 

 

That, even more than Eddie’s ploy from earlier, calms him. Showing Eddie how loved he is and all of the good he deserves is never a hardship, it’s one of Buck’s favorite things. 

 

So, he reaches over with his right hand and twines his fingers with Eddie’s, resting them on his Omega’s thighs for the drive. “Loving you and taking care of you is one of the best things I get to do with my time, so yeah, I guess eager is a good word for it,” he allows, smiling when Eddie brings their hands up to kiss the back of his before setting it back down again, cradled between both of his own, and that’s where it stays the rest of the drive. 

 

–

 

Pre-heat is hitting Eddie hard by the time they pull into the driveway, finally done with their errands. 

 

He’s glued to Buck’s side even more than usual, his whole chest pressed against Buck’s side, which makes carrying bags of groceries in way more difficult than it needs to be. 

 

Setting his hands on Eddie’s shoulders and pushing him away from where he’s snuffling at Buck’s neck is a herculean task, but they bought perishable things that need to go in the fridge and freezer, and there’s no way Buck is going to be able to do that while Eddie is doing his best impersonation of an octopus on his dominant side. 

 

“Baby, you ready to make your nest up?” He asks as he lightly pushes, not wanting Eddie to think it’s a rejection. 

 

“Mm, you smell so good,” Eddie pouts, his eyes glued to Buck’s throat, like he’s mesmerized by the space his own mark will go. 

 

“I know, you do too,” Buck admits, his fingers tightening on Eddie’s arms before he forces himself to loosen his grip. 

 

Just a little while longer. He’ll get the groceries put away, the house picked up a little bit so they’re not tripping over anything on their trips to and from the kitchen and bedroom, and Eddie should have his nest made up and be fully in heat by then. 

 

“I have to put the groceries away though, or they’ll spoil, so why don’t you make sure everything is ready while I do that?” 

 

Eddie frowns, his eyes a little glassy where they’re staring at Buck, the conflict clear on his face; stick to his Alpha like glue, or nest? 

 

In the end, Eddie is a nester, so he relents, taking a step back, but not without a demand. “Give me your hoodie.” 

 

After losing his hoodie - and his tee-shirt - to his Omega’s greedy hands, Buck sets out to unpacking and situating the groceries, glad that they hadn’t opened the blinds because the last thing he needed was his possessive Omega in the beginning stages of his heat to think somebody was trying to peep at Buck through the windows. 

 

If the thought of Eddie getting possessive and wild over him makes his blood sing just a little bit, that’s for him to know and everybody else to… probably guess pretty accurately because everybody knows that Buck loves when he’s reminded where he belongs. 

 

The sounds of shuffling feet, rustling fabric and thoughtful hums provides beautiful domestic background noise for him to listen to as he sets the house to rights after a long shift, one that settles right about the time he finishes straightening up the living room. 

 

He grabs a couple bottles of water and small gatorades to put in their mini refrigerator in the bedroom, something that Eddie invested in, so he didn’t have to immediately walk out on shaky legs to the kitchen when he was thirsty, and something that Buck is determined to make sure they get full usage out of. 

 

The more time he can spend knotted and holding his omega close instead of traipsing across the house for sustenance is for the best. 

 

In addition to the drinks, he also grabs the box of Eddie’s favorite granola bars for in between rounds. 

 

He’ll need to eat real food too, but heats burn off a lot of calories, and Buck takes the job of making sure he stays properly nourished throughout over the next few days very seriously. 

 

The room is quiet when he steps in, the quiet only interrupted by the air conditioner humming faintly in the background. 

 

Eddie pulled their mattress from the bed and set it on the floor in the corner, the waterproof cover already on from where Buck put it on last night, and he spies some of the waterproof sheets tucked in between their regular bedsheets and the numerous soft blankets, fluffy pillows and clothing from their family. 

 

It looks cozy and welcoming, and that’s all before he realizes that Eddie is naked where he’s sprawled out in it, the walls of the nest blocking Buck’s view until he gets close enough. 

 

He nearly chokes, stumbling over nothing but his own two feet, something that Eddie enjoys, based on the satisfied smirk on his face and the way he stretches out, all toned muscles and long angles and golden skin on full display. 

 

“ Eddie,” Buck breathes, dizzy from the sight and the heat pheromones in the air, thick enough that he can taste Eddie’s need. 

 

“ Alpha,” Eddie purrs, fully aware of the effect he has and unabashedly smug about it. 

 

Buck feels like he’s been struck stupid, unable to do anything but stand and stare, eyes greedy as they roam every inch of Eddie’s bare skin. 

 

He has no idea how long he stands there before Eddie lifts his hand, beckoning Buck to join him, and then he’s scrambling out of his clothes like a fool, nearly face planting as he shucks boxers and joggers and socks, and then he’s finally naked, crawling into the space Eddie has created and allowed him to join. 

 

“Hi gorgeous,” he greets, cupping Eddie’s cheek with his palm, filled to the brim with adoration as the omega lets his head fall, counting on Buck to support him. “I missed you.” 

 

Eddie smiles, huffing a soft laugh through his nose like Buck is ridiculous, and to be honest, he probably is. It was like, an hour at most, and they were in the same house the whole time; however, Buck would happily live inside Eddie’s skin, so any time apart - especially at a time like this - makes him feel a little pouty. 

 

“Hm, I missed you too,” Eddie admits with a smile, leaning forward and joining their lips. 

 

The kiss is soft, sweet, none of the urgency that’s been boiling in their blood all day leaking out into it. 

 

“You’re not under yet,” Buck observes once they pull apart, tugging Eddie close and tucking him under his chin. 

 

“Not yet. Close though, not much longer,” he confirms, taking the encouragement and nuzzling into Buck’s neck and inhaling his scent, fresh and unencumbered since he removed all his patches, just like Eddie did once they got home. 

 

“Need anything before it starts?” 

 

Eddie hums contentedly as Buck’s fingers make slow trails all over his skin for no reason other than to enjoy the feeling of skin beneath the pads of his fingers. 

 

Over his shoulders, down his arms, up the dip of his spine, across his collarbone and back again, the movement mesmerizing. 

 

“M’okay,” Eddie mumbles against his throat, sounding half-asleep, like Buck’s touch is just as drugging for him, and Buck settles in, getting comfortable in the nest and pulling the top blanket over them. 

 

If Eddie’s okay to sleep for a little bit, Buck’s going to take the opportunity to rest as well, because God knows his Omega is going to run him ragged for a few days. 

 

He drifts off with a smile on his face and the scent of Eddie in his nose. He can’t wait. 

 

–

 

Buck wakes up next warm, like somebody accidentally switched on the heat instead of the AC, but a high whine in his ear and a hardness against his hip tells him the actual cause of the sweat starting to gather along his temples. 

 

Eddie is still asleep, from what he can tell, pressing his furrowed forehead against Buck’s shoulder, chasing pleasure in his sleep, so Buck moves carefully, intent on making sure he gets all the rest he needs. 

 

The scent in the room is stronger than it was when they fell asleep - a few hours ago, based on the change of angle the sun is coming in through the window at - Eddie’s increased slick production only adding to the intoxicating perfume that’s sending Buck’s more primal instincts into overdrive. 

 

The only thing he can think of is the fact that his Omega is suffering and needs to feel good, and Buck can make that happen. 

 

He slides down the nest, hands feather light on Eddie’s body, bewitched by the goosebumps that follow in his trail, until he gets to his destination. 

 

He can focus next time on getting Eddie all worked up, spending hours taking him to the brink before letting him settle again, but it’s not what he needs right now. 

 

Right now, he needs a release, one that Buck is all too happy to provide. 

 

Swallowing Eddie’s cock is easy at this point; he’s done it so many times in three months - being allowed to focus on Eddie and making him feel good is one of the reasons why Buck has always loved oral sex so much. 

 

He flicks his tongue against the slit, runs it along the vein on the underside, hollows out his cheeks and takes it down down down his throat. 

 

Eddie grunts, hips twitching in his sleep, and Buck smirks as much as he can with a mouthful, because that means he’s doing this right. 

 

Letting his hand drift up the sensitive skin of Eddie’s inner thigh, loving the way they tremble beneath his touch, he finally allows himself to slip two fingers into Eddie’s opening, the slide easy with the amount of slick he’s producing. 

 

After a few leisurely strokes, he crooks his fingers at the same time his tongue delves into the slit of Eddie’s cock, pre-cum bursting on his taste buds. 

 

With his eyes glued to Eddie’s face, he sees the moment the pleasure and need becomes too sharp to sleep through, eyelashes fluttering open while his mouth drops open in a needy moan. 

 

His gaze snaps down to Buck between his legs - glassy and glazed over, fully in his heat now - and the whine that reverberates from his throat nearly makes Buck come against the sheets. 

 

“ Alpha, please,” Eddie begs, reaching down to tangle his fingers in Buck’s hair, unabashedly riding his fingers and fucking up into Buck’s mouth, chasing his pleasure. 

 

It’s not long at all before he’s coming, shooting down Buck’s throat, clenching tightly around his fingers, mouth dropped in a soundless scream, eyes squeezed shut, hips jerking minutely as he rides the waves of his orgasm. 

 

Buck barely gets a chance to breathe after pulling off before Eddie is yanking him up his body again, bringing them face to face, lips crashing together as Eddie’s tongue dips into Buck’s mouth, chasing the taste of himself. 

 

“Love you, Alpha. God, love waking up in your mouth, Buck, love you,” Eddie pants, his nails digging into the skin of Buck’s back, undoubtedly leaving scratch marks that Buck is going to treasure for however long they’re visible on his skin. 

 

Being marked by Eddie, having physical proof living on his skin that Eddie is his and he is Eddie’s and there’s proof that this is all real and not just a really really fucking good dream is his favorite thing. 

 

He can press on the hickeys Eddie leaves behind and feel them throb in time with his heartbeat, can feel the sting of scratches beneath the fabric of his clothing, and it’s like quiet whispers of love and devotion and commitment that makes him a little teary-eyed sometimes. 

 

“Love you, you’re so beautiful when you come on my fingers, have I ever told you that before?” Buck wonders, feeling like he’s the one that’s fucked out, despite the fact that Eddie hasn’t touched anywhere near his dick yet. 

 

“You have, yes. A few times,” Eddie answers, sounding just as quietly pleased as he always does when Buck tells him anything along those lines. 

 

He hums, leaning up on his elbow to brace his weight, his other hand traveling to hold the back of Eddie’s neck, keeping him exactly where Buck wants him. 

 

It’s a possessive hold, dominating, and makes Eddie positively melt into the sheets. It’s a reminder for him too, different from the marks for Buck, but similar. 

 

It’s a reminder that someone is there for him, that he doesn’t have to juggle everything all the time by himself. He has someone that is more than happy to share the weight, that Buck wants Eddie to let go of some of it and let him handle things. 

 

It’s the reminder of a partner, that Eddie doesn’t have to have everything in such tight control all of the time, that even if he stumbles, Buck won’t let him go, and if they fall? Well, then they fall together, and they’ll get back up that way too. 

 

A hand closes around Buck’s shaft, and he gasps a little, because he’d been so focused on Eddie and his kiss and the way his body melted like butter against him that he kind of just… forgot about himself, which means the touch takes him by surprise, Eddie’s big hand wrapped around him, stroking lazily. It drags a moan from somewhere deep in his chest. 

 

They’re lounging on their sides, face-to-face, so Eddie slings his top leg over Buck’s waist, guiding him to his hole. 

 

Instead of pressing him in though, Eddie drags the head of Buck’s cock through his folds, his slick squelching every time it passes over his opening teasingly. 

 

Buck clenches his teeth to try and swallow back a sob as Eddie plays with him, pulling away from the kiss so he doesn’t accidentally bite his mate and hurt him. 

 

“Ed- Eddie, what-what are you doing?” He’s trying so hard to hold himself back, to let his Omega set the pace. This is Eddie’s heat, and he knows what he needs but fuck. 

 

He wants to bury himself in Eddie’s body so deeply that he has to be pried out with the jaws of life. He wants to join their bodies together so tightly that they’re virtually indistinguishable and Eddie is playing with him. 

 

“Feels s’ good, Alpha,” Eddie hums, his hips moving in countermotions to the rhythm that he’s moving Buck against him. 

 

“It- it can feel better,” Buck stutters, dropping his hand to Eddie’s hip in an effort to keep him still and thrust in, but Eddie dances away from him, a distracted smile on his face. 

 

“Think I could come like this,” he shares, inhaling sharply when Buck’s cock slips against his, and then he incorporates that into his cycle of movement, like he’s trying to kill Buck. 

 

Over his entrance, through his slick folds, nudging up against his own cock - stroking them together a few times - and then back down again, over and over. 

 

“Would you let me come like this? If I really, really wanted to?” Eddie asks, sucking Buck’s tongue into his mouth, either because he can’t wait or because he’s trying to convince Buck to say yes, he can’t tell. 

 

When it comes down to it though, Buck is always going to capitulate to Eddie. Whatever he wants, if it’s within Buck’s power to give it, he will. 

 

So, he settles in, lets go of Eddie’s hip and cradles his face. “I’ll let you use me however you want, Eds. Take what you need.” 

 

The pleased huff that dances across his mouth is worth it, as is the happy moans that drip from Eddie’s mouth, sweeter than sugar, and Buck has never been happier to be used. 

 

Time doesn’t mean anything as he lays there, allowing his Omega to do whatever he wants, but eventually, the happy hums grow frustrated, the grinds of Eddie’s hips become jerky because he needs more and he can’t get it like this, and it’s not long before Eddie starts whining against his throat. 

 

“Alpha. Buck, please. Need more, please, more.” 

 

Buck pulls him in for another kiss, cradling the back of his head and rolling them until he’s hovering over Eddie, who goes pliant and lax when Buck reaches down, knocking Eddie’s hand away and slowly sliding all the way in, Eddie’s body sucking him in greedily. 

 

Watching his Omega’s head tilt back, eyes fluttering in the ecstasy of being filled after so long spent teasing makes his Alpha want to tip his head back and howl in victory, but he can’t do that yet. 

 

He waits until Eddie is whining again, clenching and unclenching around him in an effort to make him move - maybe just a little bit of payback - before he draws nearly all the way out and fucks back in, grinning viciously at the moan that’s punched out of Eddie, his hands clinging to Buck’s shoulders, legs thrown over his thighs. 

 

His pace is rougher than he probably would’ve started out with, but his blood is boiling in his veins, and Eddie always feels so fucking good wrapped around him that he’s more than a little out of his mind. 

 

“Love you, love the way you squeeze my cock, gonna fuck you full of my pups and knot your pretty hole until it takes,” he growls, promises, satisfied with the sob that breaks free from Eddie’s mouth before he can catch it. 

 

“ Yes,” he hisses, meeting Buck’s hard strokes as best he can, panting against his cheek. “Love you, breed me. Want your pups, Alpha, need your knot, please, please. Buck, please.” 

 

Deciding that Eddie’s done too much and deserves to do nothing more than lay out and take his pleasure, Buck grabs his legs and wrenches them up, throwing them over his shoulders and pressing forward, leaving Eddie bent nearly in half, thighs to his own chest, unable to move anything other than his arms, one of which is fisted in Buck’s hair so tightly that it stings so good, the other has dropped to his thigh, nails digging into the muscles there. 

 

There might be a scar there later, and the thought only makes Buck harder, hips snapping so hard that the sounds of their skin slapping sounds like cracks through the air, and Eddie’s cries grow in pitch and volume, half-formed pleas falling from his lips. 

 

Buck reaches down once he gets close, wrapping his hand around the head of Eddie’s own neglected cock and strokes it in time with his thrusts, triumphant when Eddie comes with a scream of Buck’s name, white streaking up his chest and over his stomach, orgasm drawn out when Buck’s knot pops, locking inside of Eddie. 

 

Buck peels Eddie’s legs off of his shoulders before collapsing on top of him, their chests moving together as they each pant, trying to catch their breaths in the come down. 

 

Eddie clenches, riding the aftershocks, squeezing Buck once more; Buck’s hips jump, grinding forward, and Eddie’s scent blooms, mouth dropping open again in pleasure. 

 

It’s like catnip to Buck, who immediately wants to keep that look on his face, so he does it again. 

 

He can’t move much, locked in as tight as he is, both of their bodies working to keep them connected and increase the likelihood of reproduction, but he doesn’t need to move much; just a little, slow grinds that tug on Eddie’s rim and press against his pleasure spot. 

 

“Bu- Buck,” he gasps, hands scrambling to hang onto him again. 

 

He hasn’t fully come down from his second orgasm, and Buck is pretty sure he can send him into a third right now. 

 

“Come on, Omega; it’s more likely to take if you feel good. You’ve got my knot, that’s what you wanted, yeah? Stretching you open, keeping you tied to me, increasing the chance of you getting knocked up, so come on Eds. I think you can give me one more.” 

 

He keeps his voice soft, whispering into Eddie’s ear all while his hips move, nonstop little circles that drag breathy uh uh uhs from the man sprawled out beneath him. 

 

His lips drag the still unmarked skin where a mating bite should be, where his bite should be, and he needs to fix that. 

 

Right now. 

 

“Come on, Eds. Come for me again and I’ll mark you,” he promises, letting his teeth scrape lightly against the skin, grinning at the whine he gets in return, the way Eddie tilts his head to the side, giving Buck even more room. 

 

“ Make me,” Eddie challenges breathlessly, his hand drifting to the small of Buck’s back and pressing down, encouraging his movement, pressing up further, offering the vulnerable skin of his throat to Buck’s sharp teeth without a second’s hesitation. “Make me come on your knot, mark me, give me your pups, make sure everybody knows that I’m yours, Buck, make me yours .”

 

And honestly, Buck is not at all surprised at how well that works, because he’s been forcing himself to keep his teeth to himself, to not fixate on that bare spot on his mate’s neck every single time he caught a glimpse of it throughout the day, just imagining his mark there, his scent mingling on a biological level with Eddie’s through his claim.

 

Eddie barely gets the words out before Buck snaps, teeth sinking into the supple skin, blood pooling in his mouth as he leaves a permanent mark, finally claiming Eddie as his. 

 

His Omega. His mate. His Eddie, forever.

 

He licks the wound as he pulls away and then tilts his own head for Eddie to do the same, his hips keeping their pace through his determination to make his Omega come for a third time that afternoon, and the deep moan and the way Eddie’s joints lock beneath him, squeezing his knot even tighter, means his accomplished his goal. 

 

Once Eddie pulls away, Buck grabs his face, smattering soft kisses all over his face, overcome with the love and devotion and pleasure and joy that’s cycling between them like a never-ending loop. 

 

His knot has deflated by the time he finally feels sane and steady enough to pull away, and even then, he only does it long enough to grab the water bottle he brought in before he’s back in the nest, twisting the lid and making encouraging noises while Eddie takes a few sips. 

 

Once he’s done drinking and Buck is satisfied for the moment, he sets the bottle down somewhere in the nest and crawls back under the covers, sighing in relief when his Omega crawls back into his arms, heavy and sated, burrowing happily into his chest with a contented hum. 

 

Buck holds him close, kisses his forehead and settles into the cozy covers again, intent on resting while Eddie does. 

 

After all, that was only the first wave; they’ve got about 3 and a half days left before they’re done for good, and Buck can already feel sleep tugging at his eyelids. 

 

He’ll have to go make them some dinner soon enough, something quick and filling, but they’re okay for the moment. The only thing he has to do right now is hold Eddie, make sure he’s comfortable enough to relax, and he’s more than happy to focus on that for a while.

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed this! I might write some like, small snippets of the pregnancy journey as they come to me but again, 0 promises on that, I am fully winging everything as I go; I have no plans, no idea what's going on, I'm just here 😂

This is not beta read & I wrote it in a goddamn fugue state or something, idk, pls ignore any mistakes you see unless they're like, really bad 🤣

Chapter 3

Notes:

Hi. It's me. Again. With this stupid fucking story. that was supposed to be a silly little oneshot. that is now THREE chapters long and 18k. and I have more thoughts. This fic will not end. I keep looking at it like "You're supposed to be done. Why are you still going?" and yet, it just keeps going!! Pls ignore the eye-twitch, this fic is driving me out of my mind. I was in the middle of writing this & had to stop and have a fun little existential crisis like Tay, oh my goooodddd. what are you writing 😭

I read through this once to try and catch any major typos but I genuinely cannot fuck with this fic anymore even though somebody was kind enough to offer to beta read my fics I need this OUT, so if there's any mistakes, I didn't see them, and you don't see them, capiche? We're living in willful ignorance rn babyyyyy lol.

Anyway, without further ado, please enjoy an additional 9k of my insanity 🤣

Buck clocks it as soon as it happens. 

 

They’d been called out to an accident scene at the tail end of their shift, when the sky above them was still dark. The driver hadn’t been paying attention and ended up over the railing, resting precariously on a cliffside. 

 

It was Eddie’s turn to harness up, so Buck checked him over (and over and over once more, just to be sure) before taking control of the winch and lowering his mate down slowly. 

 

He can hear the muffled voices as Eddie assesses the situation before he’s calling in on the radio, filling them all in on what’s going on. 

 

Giarusso is on Ravi’s line as the kid descends to stabilize the car so they can get the driver - who’s mostly uninjured but also probably drunk, apparently - out and to safety. 

 

The sound of argumentative voices rise over the cliff, Buck’s alpha immediately on guard; Eddie’s good at his job, one of the best, but it’s a dangerous situation made only more dangerous by a person whose ability to make good decisions is buried beneath the stench of booze. 

 

Buck gasps as the line pulls tight just before Eddie yells, Ravi’s voice joining the scuffle before a tumbling crash sounds, and his heart drops clear to his stomach - the only thing giving him any comfort is the weight of his partner’s body still on the other end of his rope; no sudden weightlessness like when he cut the line at the well call a couple years ago. 

 

He can’t see over the side while he’s literally holding Eddie’s lifeline in his hands, but the seconds between the jerk of the line and Eddie yelling up, “We’re fine! Buck, pull us up!” Is far too long and tense for his preference. 

 

He retracts the winch as quickly as he can while still being careful not to jerk them around too badly. 

 

The driver's head pops up first and the others rush to take him off of Eddie’s hands and get him checked out, but Buck only has eyes for his mate, reaching down to help him climb back up, barely letting him stand before his hands are roaming his torso intently, checking for injuries. “Are you okay? What happened?”

 

Eddie huffs out a breath but stands still and lets Buck check him over. “I’m fine. He just got scared and instead of sitting still, he tried to get out. The car shifted, I had to lunge for him and get him out before it crashed to the bottom. I might be a little sore later from the harness, but I’m fine,” he promises, his dark eyes soft on Buck’s, love and amusement dancing in their depths. 

 

Satisfied that there’s no major injuries, he nods, grumbling beneath his breath a little when he catches sight of the driver arguing loudly with the medics, but Bobby walks over there to get it under control, so he turns to where Ravi is, offering a hand and pulling him up before they all go about putting the equipment away. 

 

He’s setting the winch back in the side of the engine when he catches Eddie wince, and his brain is already whirring around with a plan to take care of his Omega once they get home. 

 

–

 

Thankfully, by the time they get back to the station from the accident, it’s time for shift change, so they fill B-Shift in on everything important and change out of their uniforms after a quick shower before sliding into the Jeep. 

 

Eddie settles into the passenger seat like it was built specifically for him, humming along to the radio beneath his breath, hand clasped in Buck’s as he watches the world go by outside his window like a monarch surveying his kingdom. 

 

The house is silent when they walk in, since Chris is spending a few weeks with his grandparents down in Texas, so Buck tosses their bags heavily on the chair for the moment before stalking into the kitchen. “Are you hungry?” 

 

They’ve been up since before dawn because of the call and didn’t get a chance to eat, so Buck knows he could use a little bit of something before they settle in for a nap. 

 

“Mm, yeah, a little. Do we have any of that pasta left from the other night?” Eddie calls from the other room, his question punctuated by the clacking of keys on his phone because he never figured out how to turn them off. 

 

Buck opens the fridge and finds the tupperware container with the pasta resting on one of the shelves. He easily sets them up to reheat and throws a couple pieces of garlic bread in the air fryer. 

 

It only takes a couple minutes for all of it to heat up, and Buck is setting it all on the table by the time Eddie is done checking in with Chris to see how he’s enjoying Texas and hanging out with his grandparents. “There you go, baby. Eat up,” he demands, planting a kiss on Eddie’s temple, running back to the kitchen to get them a couple of drinks before taking his own seat. 

 

They eat mostly in silence, the early morning wake-up call and adrenaline fueled scene leaving them crashing a little bit, so once they’re done eating, he grabs both of their plates and puts them in the sink to wash when they wake up in a few hours. 

 

“Alright, get naked and go lay in the bed,” he commands while doing that, intending on dealing with their bags and locking back up in the meantime. 

 

“Mmm, right after work? Is it the harness that does it for you?” Eddie teases, his voice a low purr, fingers trailing up Buck’s side. 

 

He’d be lying if he said his skin didn’t grow hot with the implication, but he shakes it off because he saw the way his Omega kept rolling his shoulders and grabbing at his biceps while they were eating. 

 

“Okay, first of all, anything you do does it for me and you know that,” he corrects, blushing a little at the half-lidded, satisfied look on Eddie’s face. Focus, Buck. “But no, you’re not getting naked for that reason. I’ve watched you wince all morning, you’re going to go lay down so I can give you a massage to try and make you feel better, and then we’re going to get some more rest.” 

 

Eddie pouts, sidling up to Buck and pressing harder against his side. “But what if I really need you after the massage?” He wonders, nuzzling into Buck’s neck, lips quirking when a soft whine works its way up Buck’s throat. 

 

Still, this is not the first morning they’ve done this, and for as big a game as Eddie talks, he hasn’t been able to stay awake one single time post-massage, and Buck doesn’t foresee today being the day that changes. 

 

It’s not worth it to argue though - not that he really wants to anyway, he’d never turn down a chance to take advantage of the empty house with his gorgeous mate - so instead, he wraps his arm around Eddie’s shoulders and tugs him in for a kiss, open mouthed and hot. “Do I ever not give you what you need?” He asks between kisses, grinning at the soft purr that starts to rumble from Eddie’s chest, the way it only does when his Omega is too happy to contain it all. 

 

“No, you’re a good Alpha,” he answers, sucking Buck’s bottom lip into his mouth before nibbling at it, knowing damn well how light-headed it makes him. 

 

“Exactly. So, go take your clothes off, lay out on the bed, and I’ll give you everything you need,” Buck promises, reaching down to pat his ass. 

 

Eddie pouts for a moment, obviously debating on whether to do what Buck says, if it’s going to be worth it to wait, but he must eventually decide it is because he nips gently at the skin that holds his mating mark on Buck’s neck before slipping out of his arms, peeling off his shirt with an absolutely filthy look thrown over his shoulder before his disappears from the room. 

 

Buck has to stand still for a second, hands planted on his hips and breathe deeply, remembering all of the grossest calls they’ve been on in the last couple of weeks to calm himself down and stop from running after Eddie and fucking him through the mattress. 

 

After a good minute or two, he finally feels in control enough to move, making sure the doors are all locked and the curtains are closed before grabbing their work bags and putting them away in the closet by the door for their next shift. 

 

He stops by the bathroom and grabs the body oil and the arnica cream on his way through the house, and then crashes to a stop in the doorway. 

 

All of that effort he put into calming himself down in the kitchen is thrown out the window when he comes face-to-face with the sight of Eddie sprawled out face down on their bed, completely naked, back arching just enough to leave his ass up in the air like he’s daring Buck to resist him. 

 

He doesn’t even bother swallowing his groans as he climbs onto their bed, straddling Eddie’s hips with his knees to lean down and pull his mate into a kiss. 

 

The angle makes it a little awkward, but Eddie pushes up on his elbows and tilts his head back further, opening his mouth to allow Buck’s tongue to enter and dance with his own. 

 

Buck allows himself to get lost in it until he can’t breathe anymore, and then he pulls away, settling more firmly on his knees and tries to catch his breath. “Okay, what all is sore?” He asks, trying to force-shift his focus from sliding into Eddie’s slick channel until his Omega comes on his knot. 

 

It would be so easy, too. He’s already naked, legs spread slightly, hips tilted up. The scent of his slick has grown heavier in the room, growing wet just from their kisses and Buck’s weight on top of him. 

 

All he’d have to do is shove down his sweats and boxers and it would be so easy to slide into his tight, wet little- 

 

“Honestly? Kind of everything,” Eddie finally admits, drawing Buck out of his fantasy. “The harness caught me, but I had to stretch out to reach that guy, so my arms, my shoulders, my back. Even my fingers are kind of sore.” 

 

Buck doesn’t love that his mate is in pain, but he also can’t help but to be endeared by the pout in his voice. 

 

It’s only for him, nobody else really gets to see Eddie this vulnerable, this open and soft. It’s only for Buck, because he trusts him, and that always makes him feel like he’s won the lottery. 

 

“Alright baby, you lay there and look pretty, let me take care of you,” Buck whispers, kissing the top of his head - knowing if he kisses his lips again, he’ll forget all about the massage - before grabbing the arnica cream first, rubbing it lightly into the same spaces that he traced hours before, and thanks anybody who’s listening that he gets to be in every part of Eddie’s life. 

 

He gets to be in the befores, in the dim quiet of the station in the middle of the night. He gets the durings, double-checking equipment and being the hands that Eddie trusts the most to put his life into, and he gets to be here in the afters too, smoothing away the sting, rubbing away the aches and making sure he’s eating and sleeping like he should be. 

 

He’s never been allowed to be this involved before, no matter how much he’s wanted it, and to finally get it with his best friend in the whole world? It feels kind of like absolution. 

 

Once the cream has soaked into the skin on both sides of his torso, he reaches for the oil, warming it in between his hands before letting them fall to Eddie’s back. 

 

He starts at the shoulders, kneading them until soft moans are falling from the man beneath him, moving down to give attention to each arm all the way down to his fingers, lovingly showering each knuckle and every inch of skin with care. 

 

Eddie lets out a loud groan when he gets to his lower back, his spine probably affected the most by his sudden jolt and the manipulation of the harness. 

 

He can’t help but to let his hands trail down the fat globes of Eddie’s ass, getting a little distracted by the way they move and bounce beneath his touch, but eventually, he forces himself to move on, getting his hands on Eddie’s beautiful thighs and calves, all the way down to the arches of his feet. 

 

Buck has no idea how long he spends lavishing Eddie in attention and lavender-scented oil, but when he’s finally finished, the loud groans his mate had been letting out before have tapered off into soft sighs unless he hit a particularly sore spot - and since they do this fairly often, there aren’t too many of those left. 

 

He wipes his hands on the towel he’d grabbed for this exact reason and then lays down beside his partner, opening his arms and grinning when Eddie curls up against his chest, arm flung over his stomach. 

 

“Ca’ we have sex now?” He mumbles around a yawn, the words barely recognizable, lips pursed from where his whole face is smushed against Buck’s pec. 

 

Buck chuckles beneath his breath, reaching out with his hand to comb it through Eddie’s hair and scratch gently at his scalp, grinning when he hums contentedly. “Yeah, cause you seem really up for it right now, Eds,” he teases, settling further into the bed, eyelids growing heavy. 

 

Eddie mumbles something beneath his breath but doesn’t move, more than half-asleep already and nowhere near energetic enough for any kind of sexual intimacy, so Buck just relaxes and pulls the blanket up over them so Eddie doesn’t get cold, and lets sleep drag him down. 

 

–

 

He wakes up on his side, facing the wall, hot and aching - both of those courtesy of Eddie, who’s spooned up behind him, panting in his ear, grinding his cock against Buck’s ass. 

 

“Good afternoon, Alpha,” Eddie greets in a teasing voice, his hand squeezing tightly where it’s clasped around Buck’s hip, holding him in place. 

 

“Hi, Eddie,” he greets back around a moan, head falling back just a little as the head of Eddie’s cock catches against his rim through his sweatpants. 

 

“You promised me you’d give me what I want.” It’s almost an accusation whispered into his ear, like Buck had any control over how sleepy Eddie was, but Buck knows where this is going, and he likes it way too much to actually complain. 

 

Still, it’s fun to egg his Omega on, so even as he pushes his hips back and meets Eddie’s grind with one of his own, he scoffs. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was my fault that you can’t stay awake after a massage.” 

 

Eddie growls, low and playful and Buck’s Alpha perks up, ready to roll over with a toothy grin and give his Omega whatever he wants. 

 

“You’re being mean to me,” Eddie informs him conversationally, leaning down to lick a stripe up his neck and nibble on his earlobe. “Do you remember what happens when you’re mean to me?” 

 

Buck is never mean to Eddie, to be clear. It’s just that Eddie likes to play, and sometimes, asking for what he wants is hard for him, so he comes up with infractions that he can “punish” Buck for. 

 

Not giving him enough attention is usually pretty high on that list, along with making a mess when he bakes and other extremely unimportant things, but it works for both of them, so they just keep doing it. 

 

“Hmm, why don’t you remind me?” Buck taunts, turning his head to bump his nose against Eddie’s, growing even harder at the mischievous glint in his darkened eyes. His breath catches in his chest at the way Eddie’s devious grin grows, fangs glinting in the filtered afternoon sun. 

 

“When you’re mean to me, I get to fuck you for as long as it takes me to come, and you can’t finish until we switch, because I deserve to be fairly compensated for the mistreatment,” he recites, and the terms aren’t written down in a rulebook anywhere, but they’ve done it so many times by now, it might as well be. 

 

Buck lets out a put upon sigh, a strangled moan catching in his throat when Eddie reaches down and grasps him through his pants without shame. “Well, I guess - if that’s what you think you deserve,” he manages to get out, biting back a smile and already reaching for the bedside table where they stash the lube for this. 

 

“I’ve already got it, just take your stupid pants off,” Eddie commands, the hand that was holding onto his hip impatiently pushing at the waistband of his sweats, and Buck tries not to laugh because he’s feeling just as eager, getting tangled up in the pants and the covers that they’re still under until he and Eddie are both laughing and trying to get him free. 

 

Eddie’s body prevents him from rolling onto his back, but the fingers under his chin help turn his head for a kiss that’s immediately dirty - open-mouthed and wet and deep - while his now free hands reach down to uncap the bottle to lube up his fingers. 

 

Buck takes a page from Eddie’s book and arches his back, pushing further into Eddie and trying to make the reach easier, and it’s so worth it when slick fingers circle his rim, waiting until he’s grunting in frustration before one of them dips in, just up to the first knuckle. 

 

“So needy for it, Alpha; is your Omega not fucking you enough?” Eddie taunts a little meanly, tugging Buck’s bottom lip into his mouth, licking the moan straight from his lips. 

 

“I can never get enough of my Omega, he’s too fucking hot, so jot that down,” Buck snarks, groaning sharply when Eddie drives his finger all the way into the last knuckle with a lewd grin. 

 

“Your Omega must be pretty lucky,” he remarks softly, and Buck grins, their kisses gentling just for a moment. 

 

“I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one,” he whispers back, losing himself in the sweetness of Eddie’s kiss and the pressure of a second finger slipping into his hole, stretching and searching until they bump up against his prostate, forcing a low moan from his chest and the heady spike of pleasure. 

 

Eddie’s soft, sweet smile disappears, like he’d been looking for that exact reaction, and then he’s relentless, stretching Buck out on three fingers, rubbing directly against his prostate with every third stroke or so, like he’s trying to make Buck finish before Eddie can even get inside of him, let alone make it through being fucked. 

 

“Baby, Eddie, come on,” he gasps, clenching his teeth against a sob. 

 

“You gonna beg for your Omega’s cock?” Eddie asks disinterestedly, like he’s making conversation and doesn’t really care one way or the other, but Buck knows this play, and well, it’s his job to make sure Eddie gets everything he wants. 

 

“ Please, Eddie, stop teasing and fuck me. You know how much I love to have you inside of me, your fat cock stretching me out, please,” he begs through his panting breaths, crying in displeasure when he tries to ride Eddie’s fingers only to be suddenly and fully empty, the lube bottle cracking open again and the sounds of Eddie stroking himself with it echoing through the room, sending a shiver down Buck’s spine. 

 

“You beg so nicely, Alpha,” Eddie praises cheekily, and Buck grins as best he can, sighing when he feels the head of Eddie’s dick rubbing over his hole and against his taint. “So pretty when you beg me to fuck you, you really love when I do this, huh?” 

 

He’s not really asking, he knows that Buck likes it because they’ve talked about it enough times that they’re both fully aware of where they stand, but Eddie likes to pick and prod until Buck is flushed with embarrassment and hard enough to pound nails. 

 

“Never thought an Alpha would love to be fucked this much, but you do. You love it when I stretch you out and fill you up, don’t you Buck?” 

 

He nods fervently, mouth opening to answer and beg some more until Eddie presses in slowly, carefully letting Buck readjust around him until he’s fully sheathed. 

 

There’s very few things that Buck loves more than feeling Eddie inside of him, pressed back to chest, breath puffing against his ear. He loves when they’re connected, when they’re as close as physically possible. He’d gladly crack his ribs and let Eddie curl up inside of him, but since he can’t actually do that, this is the next best thing. 

 

“ Eddie,” he sighs, content and desperate all at the same time, squeezing his muscles to clench down around the intrusion. 

 

Eddie lets out a strangled groan, hips jutting forward at the sensation like he couldn’t control it. “Needy Alpha,” he breathes, but draws out and presses back in just a little bit faster than the first time, getting the message that Buck is adjusted and he needs to move. 

 

His first few strokes are careful, making sure the lube is distributed and that Buck is properly stretched so there are no injuries, but once he’s satisfied, his hips snap against Buck’s ass, filling him quickly and fully, setting a hard, deep pace that forces small grunts from his chest with each stroke. 

 

One of Buck’s hands tangles in the sheets, trying to anchor himself in place against Eddie’s relentless fucking, the other reaching down across his hip to tangle with where Eddie is keeping him in place, using him to get off like he’s nothing more than a pretty, handy toy, and Buck loves it. 

 

“Ed-Eddie, Ed die,” he whines, the name the only thing left in his brain with how well Eddie’s taking him apart. 

 

“So fucking perfect, Buck, I love you so much,” Eddie whispers against his neck, mouthing at the mark that claims him as Eddie’s to everyone who sees it. “Never thought I’d find an Alpha that would let me do this, let alone one that loves it so much. You’re so perfect for me, so fucking perfect.” 

 

Buck grits his teeth against another sob, because his Omega is just being cruel now. Perfect strokes against his prostate and Eddie’s voice in his ear telling him how loved and how perfect he is? 

 

It’s not fucking fair. 

 

He grinds his teeth together, trying to think of anything other than how amazing Eddie feels right now, shoving his hips back harder, meeting each of Eddie’s thrusts with one of his own, squeezing around him with every upthrust and turning to swallow down the stuttered curses, swapping spit back and forth until Eddie’s thrusts start to grow sloppy. 

 

“Come on baby, come in me. Need- need you to come inside of me so I can fuck my knot into you; that’s what you want, right? Make your Alpha smell like you in every way po-possible, yeah? Come on Eds, please, need you to come,” he begs unevenly, holding onto the sheets and Eddie’s hand so tightly that they’ll both probably have indents from his fingernails, but the pain only seems to spur Eddie on, because it’s not more than a few strokes before he’s moaning, long and unbroken, as he fills Buck up, hips jerking and fucking his cum in even deeper. 

 

Buck stays there, grinding lightly, clenching around Eddie to milk him through his orgasm, but as soon as he lets out a heavy sigh, hips finally coming to a stand-still, forehead resting against Buck’s shoulder, he strikes, turning in the bed and moving to hover over Eddie’s sated form, catching his lips in a heated kiss that the satisfied Omega struggles to keep up with at first. 

 

“Love you so fucking much, Eds,” Buck whispers against his prone mouth, reaching down to guide Eddie’s thighs up around his hips to hold him in position as he slowly sinks into his channel. 

 

He’s plenty wet with his orgasm, but Buck’s not exactly small, and even as hot as his blood is and how strongly he wants to bury himself in Eddie’s body until they can’t get any closer, he holds himself back just enough to make sure Eddie’s ready for him.

 

He whines softly in the back of his throat, overstimulation sparking against his nerves, but his legs tighten around Buck’s waist and his arms wind clumsily around his shoulders, body still a little boneless from the force of his orgasm. 

 

Taking it as the sign it is, Buck lets go, drilling mercilessly into Eddie’s body, need lighting his body up in full force despite the switch in positions. 

 

He tucks his arms beneath Eddie’s back, holding him close and tilting his hips up to catch his g-spot, grinning ferally at the whine his Omega pushes into his mouth. 

 

“Poor thing. You said you needed my hole, my cock and my knot, and you’re whining this badly after only one of them ?” 

 

Eddie shakes his head, and then nods, brain still a little mushy. 

 

“Too bad,” Buck whispers, grazing his teeth against Eddie’s shoulder, taking a deep inhale of his scent.

 

Ever since they mated, Eddie smells like a mixture of both of them, and it’s addicting. Buck wishes he could bottle it somehow, spray it on a cotton pad and stuff it up his nose until he can’t smell anything else. 

 

He can’t really do that though, so the next best thing is to just scent Eddie all the fucking time. It’s starting to annoy the 118, but Buck can’t really be bothered to care; if their partners smelled as good as Eddie, they might understand, but - as thoroughly established - Eddie’s one of a kind, and he’s all Buck’s, and he doesn’t really need them to understand why he needs to scent-mark his Omega all the time. 

 

“ Buck,” Eddie whimpers pitifully, his nails digging into the flesh of Buck’s back. He’s drawn blood before, does it damn near every time they do it this way, the sharp bite of overstimulation that he transfers to Buck, who takes it with a grin, because as far as he’s concerned, he can never have too many marks from Eddie. 

 

Still, he knows that Eddie needs Buck to basically fuck him through the sting, because as much as Eddie loves to bend him over and fuck him stupid, he also loves to hang off his Alpha’s knot, stuffed full and out of it from multiple orgasms, and Buck enjoys being edged and also seeing Eddie fuzzy eyed and stupid from pleasure, so it really works for them. 

 

He’s already hard again, glistening cock bouncing against his stomach in time with Buck’s thrusts, unable to string words together outside of the tiny little uh uh uhns that fall into Buck’s mouth and are sweeter than any candy he’s ever tasted. 

 

“So pretty like this Eddie,” he praises, loving the flush high on Eddie’s cheeks that stretches up to his hairline and down to his chest. His skin glows with sweat, and the smile in his eyes that tells Buck he’s enjoying this even as his head tosses back and forth on the pillow beneath him. “My perfect Omega, taking all of me that he can. Nobody fucks me like you do, and nobody’s ever taken my cock as perfectly as you, beautiful. My perfect little slut.” 

 

He emphasizes the sentence with a bite to Eddie’s jaw, drawing a strangled sob from deep in his chest, the word and the pain driving him crazy, just like always. 

 

He’s ramping up for more when fingers pet clumsily at his hole, playing in the cum dripping down to his balls before two are being pushed into him again, pressing down on his prostate with unerring accuracy. 

 

“Come- come on, Alpha,” Eddie encourages, his voice raspy from his moans and cries. His eyes are still spacey, but they’re focusing on Buck’s as well as they can. “Did good, gave me wha’ I needed, knot me, Buck, please, come on, need your knot.” 

 

The pleading and the squeeze and the direct stimulation is too much for him to bear, his knot popping on his next stroke and catching inside of Eddie, pumping him full of Buck’s cum and settling right up against his g-spot, which sets him off again. 

 

Buck collapses, his core strength leaving him in a rush, and he tucks his face right up against Eddie’s neck, pressing a gentle kiss to his mating mark. 

 

The room is quiet outside of their panting breaths, and it stays that way until Buck can finally make his lungs and mouth work enough to ask, “Was that okay?” 

 

Eddie chuckles breathlessly, turning his head to skim his lips against Buck’s forehead in some tired semblance of a kiss. “You ask me that every time, and every time, it’s so fucking good.” 

 

Buck tries to shrug but his body isn’t quite back online yet so it’s more of a lazy jolt of his torso. He’s got a point, and they’ve done it like this a lot, especially in the month and a half or so since Eddie’s heat, but still. “Jus’ like to make sure you’re getting what you want.” 

 

Eddie hums, eyes slipping closed, nose tucked in Buck’s curls. “All I need is you,” he answers softly. “I just like figuring out all the fun ways I get to have you.” 

 

Buck chuckles tiredly along with him. His legs are starting to cramp but he’s so comfortable otherwise, and he knows if he moves too much, the sting of overstimulation will be much more than the pleasant bite that Eddie enjoys, which he doesn’t want. His knot shouldn’t tie them together for too much longer, so he hums as he adjusts as much as he can and then settles in, ear smashed into Eddie’s chest right over his heartbeat, letting the steadying rhythm soothe him until he can pull out and get them cleaned up. 

 

–

 

A couple weeks later, he pushes through the door, arms laden with reusable grocery bags. With Chris now back from Texas and still on summer vacation, it seemed like they could never keep enough food in the house, which is why Buck is now staggering beneath the weight of a metric ton of groceries. 

 

“Hey, let me grab some of those,” Eddie offers upon seeing him waddle into the kitchen, stealing several of the bags from him and lightening his load substantially. They pile them all on top of the counters so they can pull everything out and put it away. 

 

Weirdly enough, it’s one of Buck’s favorite things. He loves grocery shopping with Eddie in any phase of the chore, but they had to divide and conquer today, the housework piling up with the shifts that seemed to keep running over every time they planned to catch up - Buck’s pretty sure this is his last clean pair of socks, which definitely would’ve been a problem with them going back on rotation tomorrow. 

 

Still, listening to Eddie’s happy noises when he pulls out something he wanted or listening to him tease Buck for the brands he has to have is fun, and they do it all while dancing around each other like pros. 

 

He hears Eddie hum and then a seal break, but he’s not paying enough attention to focus on what he’s eating, just pleased that he’s eating something. 

 

He regrets that a moment later when he leans over to kiss his mate for the first time since he walked in the door and is assaulted by whatever the hell is lingering on his tongue. 

 

“ Jesus, Eddie, what are you eating?” 

 

“Peanut butter covered pickle,” he answers easily, popping another bite in his mouth, eyeing him judgmentally like Buck is being the weird one.

 

“ Why?” 

 

He shrugs. “I don’t know, I saw it on TikTok. You know all those “6 Eggs, 6 Ways” videos?” Once Buck nods - slowly, wondering how he got to pickles from eggs - he continues, smearing more peanut butter on one of the pickles from the can he just picked up from the store. “Well, there was this lady that was doing pickles instead of eggs. She did like, a dozen of them actually, but this was one of them, and she said she was surprised by how not-bad it was, and I mean, I like pickles and peanut butter, so if she said it wasn’t bad, I figured it was worth a try.” 

 

Buck hums, trying to act like he’s not intrigued by it - the concept of mini pickle bites, not the peanut butter combination specifically. He likes trying weird and new things, and he enjoyed the egg bites. He’ll have to see if Eddie can find the video again. 

 

“She also tried a fruit roll-up one, like the spicy chamoy sets that were going around a while ago?” 

 

It’s kind of hard to understand Eddie when he’s talking with his mouthful, but after a few seconds, he gets it. 

 

“Oh yeah, you mentioned that. Did you ever try those? Wasn’t there like, a few different flavors you wanted?” 

 

“Oh, no, I didn’t. Honestly, they were way too expensive for a pickle and some hot sauce and candy. Like, I get the concept of paying for an experience or whatever, but I’m not doing all that,” Eddie states forcefully, waving a hand through the air like the mere mention of spending money on something so trivial is a pesky gnat. 

 

Of course, Eddie’s also been a single parent to a kid with CP living off a public service worker’s salary in one of the most expensive cities in the country while also struggling with a self-proclaimed reservoir of Catholic guilt, so maybe it’s a little more complicated than that. 

 

He knows how much trouble Eddie has asking for things he wants, like wanting is only for other people, not himself. He bends over backwards to make sure all of Buck and Chris’ wants and needs are met, but it’s like there’s a wall sometimes with his own. 

 

Which means Buck hops online at the earliest chance he has and orders all of the different flavor combinations to be delivered as soon as possible to his sometimes emotionally constipated but always perfect mate. 

 

When they arrive a few days later, Eddie blushes so pretty, eyes sparkling in joy when he bites into the first monstrosity, his sweet sweet scent of delight filling the air around them that it’s worth the way Buck’s lips sting for the next twenty minutes or so after each kiss. 

 

–

 

Life goes on, work passes and school goes back into session, which means their lives get a little bit crazier again, getting with Carla to discuss Chris’ schedule at the high school and his insistence that he can be left alone more often now. 

 

It’s a delicate balancing act, raising a teenager, but Eddie makes it look easy, despite the fact that he’s damn near worrying himself sick at the thought of leaving Chris home alone for the afternoons. He handles it all with empathy and respect and Buck wants to fuck him stupid about it all of the time. 

 

Mostly, he’s taken to gluing himself to Eddie’s side, ready and waiting to be a shoulder to cry on if (and when) needed. 

 

The farther they get into their lives as a mated pair, their scents only mix together more, and the joy and contentment that seem to waft from Eddie at all times - sweet and rich like vanilla - is like a drug to Buck. 

 

His instincts are going haywire recently, almost worse than they were right before the first heat of Eddie’s that they spent together. He wants to squirrel Eddie away or chain him to his side every time somebody looks at him funny or takes a breath of his scent and smiles, and it’s making him feel more than a little insane. 

 

His rut isn’t for a while still - they only happen roughly twice a year, compared to an Omega’s heat, which is usually three or four times - so it shouldn’t be that. 

 

He never thought he’d be one of those knotheaded, caveman Alpha’s that has the urge to fling his Omega over his shoulder and keep them chained to the bed, but he can’t ignore the way his blood positively boils each time he sees somebody talking to Eddie. 

 

They’re almost all completely respectful too, recognizing the bite mark on his neck and the stench of Alpha that permeates the space around him like an aura, but Buck still feels like he’s going to lose his mind trying to keep his inner Alpha back from snapping and snarling at anyone who looks their way. 

 

He’s finally got them home now and is working on making them breakfast before they sleep off their shift. They’re in the safety and privacy of their own home, but his Alpha is still scanning the area, looking for a threat with half of his brain, the other half focused intensely on where Eddie is sitting at the kitchen table, staring off into space. 

 

The waffles are in the iron when the seat creaks behind him, and Buck spins around, pinning Eddie with a stare where he moved like he was going to stand. “What do you need?” 

 

Eddie stares at him with wide eyes. “I uh- I was just going to get a blanket.”

 

“Oh, wait here!” Buck orders, running back to the bedroom and rifling around in the closet. He comes back out holding a soft blanket that Eddie had made mournful eyes at when they stopped at Target last week but refused to buy. 

 

So, Buck went back and bought it later, washed it in their fragrance-free detergent and had been making sure it’s saturated in his scent as much as possible. 

 

“Here, I- I got this for you.” He holds the blanket out shyly, like there’s a chance Eddie might turn him down - like this is a courting gift for an unmated Omega and not (hopefully) a nice surprise for his mate. 

 

Eddie’s eyes widen a little, surprise coloring his face as he reaches out, fingers trailing over the soft fabric reverently. “You went back and got this for me?” 

 

His voice is quiet, shocked, like nobody’s ever done something like this before. Which is kind of silly, given that Buck spoils him at every possible opportunity, but the stunned gratitude is always sweet; it makes Buck feel like he’s on top of the world. 

 

“Yeah, of course. Here, hold on.” He unfolds the blanket and then tucks it in between Eddie and the back of the chair, wrapping it around his shoulders, grinning as his Omega marvels at the softness and tucks it beneath his nose, taking a deep inhale of Buck’s scent. 

 

With a lingering kiss to the forehead - because he has to get his lips on Eddie at that moment - he turns and goes back to breakfast with an extra pep to his step, humming beneath his breath. 

 

Food sizzling is the only sound in the kitchen for a little while again, and Buck is almost finished the next time the chair creaks, and he spins around again, metaphorical ears perked up like somebody just started to say the word “walk” or “ball”. “What do you want?” 

 

Eddie rolls his eyes this time, rolling to stand to his feet. “I was going to get a drink,” he replies exasperatedly, but Buck motions with his hands for him to sit back down. 

 

“You’d have to walk around me to get a glass, just let me do it,” he instructs, glaring pointedly at the seat that is now bereft of Eddie’s butt until he drops back down into it with a heavy sigh. 

 

(He’s biting on his lower lip to try and stop the smile from spreading his lips that’s already reached his eyes, fooling absolutely nobody with this disgruntled routine, but Buck doesn’t call him out on it, because he’s a good mate like that.) 

 

“I bought some more of that juice you like at the store the other day, do you want some of that?” He asks, already grabbing a glass from the cupboard and stepping to the fridge. 

 

There’s a slight chance Eddie might argue and ask for coffee instead, but Buck really thinks he needs the juice this morning. Fruits are a good start to the day, even in liquid form, everybody knows that. 

 

“Yeah, juice is good, thank you Buck.” 

 

Buck nods, pleased, filling the glass up and setting it on the table in front of Eddie before departing back to the stove with a kiss to his nose and a deep whiff of his scent. 

 

Covered in the blanket, he smells so much like Buck, only a little bit of his own scent starting to come through as it sets on his shoulders, beginning to mix in. 

 

Has Buck mentioned how much he loves the way they smell together? 

 

A text chimes through the air, and he hears Eddie pick it up and make a considering noise. “Hey, are we doing anything next weekend? Chris wants to have a sleepover, apparently they’re talking about it at school for one of his friend’s birthdays.” 

 

Buck’s brows furrow as he starts plating breakfast, already knowing exactly what Eddie likes. “Uh, I can’t remember for sure? If we do, it should be in the shared calendar.” 

 

He hears the clicking and swooshing sounds as Eddie navigates to his calendar app, and he’s setting both plates down when he sees brown eyes widen a split second before the phone slips from his grasp, just barely avoiding the fate of landing face down in his eggs. 

 

“Eddie, woah, hey-hey, what happened?” Buck questions, hurrying to his mate’s side of the table and dropping to his haunches, hands and eyes scouring Eddie’s body for whatever just made him react like that. 

 

He’s probing at his ribs, running through his memory to try and remember if Eddie still has his appendix or not, when his next sentence stops Buck in his tracks. “My heat is late.” 

 

Buck freezes, mentally running through the weeks, but, “I thought it was next week?” 

 

Eddie shakes his head slowly, eyes the size of their plates. “No, it should’ve been this week. Even if it was next week, I don’t feel anything. It’s normally like an itch under my skin for the week and a half leading up to it, but we’ve been so busy and I wasn’t feeling that itch, I didn’t even think about it.” 

 

Everything clicks in Buck’s brain at that moment, and he feels like an idiot. The extra sweetness to Eddie’s scent that he’s been salivating over, the sporadic aches in his body that they’d attributed to hard days at work, the heightened sex drive, the weird cravings, the way his Alpha has wanted to lash out every time anybody gets too close. “You’re pregnant.” 

 

Eddie shakes his head. “No, I-I don’t feel pregnant! And I haven’t had any morning sickness or anything. I haven’t experienced any nausea, including when we stopped at that gas station for lunch last week because we kept getting called out and we were all starving,” he argues. 

 

“Eds, sweetheart, you’ve never been pregnant before, you don’t know how that’s going to feel in your body,” Buck points out gently, dropping his hands away from Eddie’s ribs to cradle his hands, thumb rubbing soothingly over the pulse point in his wrist. “And you know that not every pregnant person gets morning sickness. Honestly, it makes sense - you do everything else so well, of course you make pregnancy look easy too.” 

 

His tease draws a shadow of a smile to Eddie’s lips, but it’s gone again just as quickly. “No, I- I’m not. I need- I can’t celebrate it yet, I can’t hope for it. I mean, all of my symptoms can be explained away by a fresh mating and a stressful schedule.” 

 

There’s a look in his eyes that Buck doesn’t understand. He looks almost scared, despite the fact that they literally got together in the first place because Eddie wanted to get pregnant. Something else must be bouncing around in that big brain of his, but Buck doesn’t know what it is. 

 

Yet. 

 

“What’s going on up here, huh? Talk to me, Eds.” His fingers trace over his Omega’s temple, relieved at least a little when he pushes into the gesture. 

 

“I just- I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispers, which does have dread begin to creep up Buck’s spine, but he shakes it off, forcing himself not to let it show. 

 

“Okay, I understand that, but it’s already hurting you, so maybe it’s a hurt that we can share and it’ll be lighter on both of us,” he offers quietly, cupping Eddie’s face with his palm. 

 

It must work, because he lets out a heavy sigh and then nods. “Yeah, okay.”

 

Buck waits patiently while Eddie gets his thoughts in order, grabbing a nearby chair and scooting it as close as he can so he can still hold Eddie’s hand. 

 

“It’s- I really didn’t think this was going to be something I even thought about, honestly,” Eddie says after a second, his gaze focusing on their joined hands instead of meeting Buck’s eyes. “Before- Shannon told me she was pregnant. We were at the beach, having a family outing, when she told me that her period was late and so she must’ve been pregnant because her cycle was always on time, and her being pregnant made me think about our family and what kind of dad and partner I wanted to be, which is why I ended up proposing to her again at that dinner I took her to,” he confides in a whisper, and Buck’s heart breaks. 

 

Losing his wife after they finally re-committed to each other was bad enough, but to lose a child too? God, he can’t imagine how hard that must have been. 

 

“Except when I proposed again, she told me that she actually wasn’t pregnant, and moreover, she also thought we should get a divorce,” Eddie says, and Buck nearly chokes on his own spit because that was not the truth-bomb he was expecting. How did he not know this? “It’s like, I could see this future laid out in perfect definition and in two seconds flat, the rug was pulled out from under me and everything I thought I knew was gone. And then she died, and I-” 

 

He shakes his head as if to clear it, blinking rapidly against the glassiness in his eyes. “I need proof. I feel like I’m back in that restaurant again and I need something that I can- can hold onto to prove that I’m not, that this is all real before I get my hopes up again.” 

 

His dark gaze begs Buck to understand, to see where he’s coming from, and he melts against Buck’s chest when he pulls him in for a hug. “Yeah, of course that makes sense. You’re okay baby, it’s going to be okay,” he promises softly against the soft strands of Eddie’s hair. 

 

He’s not crying into Buck’s chest, he doesn’t think, but the fingers curled in his shirt and the uneven breaths that are puffed against his throat means he’s not ready to let him go just yet. 

 

It takes a little while, but eventually, Eddie calms down enough that Buck feels okay to pull away, grasping his face in between his palms. “Okay, I’m going to run to the store and get you a bunch of different pregnancy tests while you eat. Drink all this juice and maybe some water too, just so we’re covered.” 

 

The fond smile that cracks across Eddie’s lips is like sunshine peeking out from the clouds after a storm, and that’s when Buck knows they’re going to be okay, no matter what the tests say. 

 

–

 

Unfortunately, that calm steadiness only sticks with him until he gets out the front door, his hands shaking the entire short drive to the store to pick out five different tests from different brands and the whole ride home. 

 

Eddie refused to let him into the bathroom to take the tests, saying “I don’t need help peeing on a couple of sticks, but thank you,” and Buck is trying to respect that - which he’s doing by staying in the hallway, pacing in front of the door like a caged animal, suddenly unsure of what exactly he’s supposed to do with his arms.

 

He knows Eddie is going to spend the waiting time in the bathroom, shut away so he can have whatever his own reaction is without worrying about what Buck is feeling, and Buck is trying not to break the door down and tug his Omega to his chest and promise that they’ll be okay. 

 

Honestly, he doesn’t even know why he’s so nervous for the results - he already knows what they’re going to say. It might have taken him a second to put all the pieces together, but now that he’s looking at the full picture, it’s not exactly all that hard to figure out. 

 

Realistically, it’s not the results he’s worried about as much as it is Eddie’s reaction and then everything that follows. 

 

Pregnancy and childbirth is hard, it’s a trauma on the human body, and just because Eddie’s done it with a glow to his skin like he was born for it doesn’t mean it’s without risk, and if there’s one thing that Buck wouldn’t survive, it would be something happening to Eddie. 

 

He can live without more kids, but losing Eddie would break something inside of him that he would never recover from. 

 

He’s pulled out from that spiral by the door creaking open, his attention snapping towards it as the crack grows and reveals Eddie’s face, wet with tears that don’t come close to hampering the beaming smile on his face. 

 

He hefts the tests out, letting Buck look, and every single one of them is positive. The lines are all dark, the faces are smiling, there’s no room left for doubt. 

 

“How- how are you feeling about this?” Buck makes himself ask, grinding his teeth to keep his own excitement from peeking through, just in case his Omega is struggling with some part of this. 

 

Thankfully, Eddie’s stress about it mostly seemed to be based in the not-knowing, because he laughs, loud and bright, and grabs Buck’s face, shaking him a little. “Buck! We’re going to have a baby!” 

 

The joy seems to leak from every pore, and Buck finally allows himself to let go, hoisting Eddie up in his arms and letting out a whoop that echoes in the hall around them. “We’re going to have a baby! Oh my god, Eddie, you’re amazing, you’re perfect, this is amazing, I love you so fucking much.” 

 

He drops his Omega back to his feet so he can grab his face and smatter kisses all over his face - cheeks, temples, nose, eyes, all over his forehead and across his chin, and Eddie is laughing the whole time, delight and elation making him bright and Buck can’t get enough. 

 

“We’re having a baby,” he whispers again, hanging onto Buck’s arms. “Oh my god Buck, we’re going to have a baby.” 

 

The last sentence is said with less delight and more panic, the reality finally setting it for him. “We’re going to need to figure out work and call the doctor and tell Bobby and plan a baby shower. Oh, god, we have to move, we don’t have enough rooms! We need to- ah! Buck! 

 

His list is cut off when Buck bends down enough to toss him over his shoulder, walking back towards the bedroom, his Alpha practically vibrating with the need to get his hands on his Omega as soon as possible. 

 

His Omega, who smells like him and is carrying his child - yeah, Buck needs him naked and spread out on their sheets now. 

 

“We can plan later; right now though, we’re going to celebrate,” he shares, landing a sharp smack against Eddie’s ass for trying to wiggle down, blood rushing south at the moan he lets out. 

 

“You- Buck, your breakfast is probably already cold on the table,” he points out breathlessly and Buck shrugs, carefully tossing him down on their bed, barely giving him the chance to bounce before he’s crawling on top of him. 

 

“Well, then it can’t get any colder, can it?” He points out with a grin, and Eddie chuckles breathlessly. “I’ll throw it in the microwave if I ever get done with you.” 

 

Eddie goes to argue, but with Buck’s lips on his and his tongue delving into his mouth, it’s a little hard. 

 

Seemingly accepting that he’s lost the argument, his body goes pliant, arms reaching up to wind around Buck’s shoulders and pull him down further, allowing himself to get caught up in the excitement. 

 

It’s past noon by the time they stumble back out of their bedroom - hair a mess, covered in bites and hickeys - and Buck happily eats the food Eddie reheats for him, but only after he’s pulled his Omega down to rest on his lap while he does. 

 

Eddie squawks once in outrage but curls up against his chest far too happily to convince anybody that he doesn’t actually love it. 

 

Buck spends the rest of the afternoon gleefully hand-feeding his pregnant mate anything he asks for, running around the house for drinks and blankets and the massage oil to rub Eddie’s feet - he’s got months of pampering to catch up on, and there’s no better time to start than the present.

Notes:

Did I write the first part of this bc MY fingers were sore after mowing the grass the other day and I wished I had an Evan Buckley to help me out with them? ... Mind your own business lol. I also think I had an allergic reaction to something out there & I didn't put THAT in the fic, so give me a break lmao.

I was trying to make the signs all things that could be explained away and wouldn't necessarily immediately point to pregnancy, even though I'm sure you all saw it coming (bc you know what story this is lol). The peanut butter & pickle thing is actually something I saw on my TikTok fyp, and then the lady tried out the Chamoy pickle in the next video, so apparently those are things that people don't have to be pregnant to enjoy, which means Eddie got to eat them lol.

The Shannon of it was kind of a surprise but I hope it still landed well enough, I don't think it's too out of the question to believe he might still have some triggers from that time in his life but I didn't want to spend a whole bunch of time or attention on it when I'm focusing more on the Buck & Eddie of it all.

Anyway, Buck & Eddie switch that's just true & real and bitching isn't a thing in this 'verse; don't think about any of this too hard or it might start to crumble like a house of cards 🤣

Happy Ryliver/buddie thirst tweets day & 911 season finale to all who celebrate!

Chapter 4

Notes:

Yes, you're reading this correctly, this stupid fic that was supposed to be a quick little one-shot has INDEED grown again, bc I am a stupid slut for omega Eddie. I simply cannot get enough of him and adoring Alpha Buck, so I guess I shall continue on, a willing vessel for the Muse lol.

Once again, reiterating that I did very much enjoy the Bobby storyline (rip) however, I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad about how Buck will (hopefully) become a dad & Bobby won't be there to see it, and since I control this one story in particular, have some Bobby & buddie interactions. Athena is here too, and I hope I did her and Buck's canon relationship justice 🫶

“There’s the heartbeat,” the technician confirms with a kind smile, but all Buck can focus on is the sound that fills the room, quick like the wings on a hummingbird. 

 

“Is it- it’s supposed to be that fast, right?” Buck checks, absentmindedly kissing the back of Eddie’s hand where it’s cradled in his own, his gaze intent on the OBGYN they found that specialized in pregnancy in male Omega’s. 

 

“Yes, that’s completely normal,” she assures patiently, scanning the screen and jotting down some notes.”It looks like you’re about 11 weeks along.” 

 

11 weeks would be right in time with Eddie’s heat, the first cycle that they spent together, and he tries to ignore the well of pride he feels at the fact that his mate is fertile. 

 

This is not the olden days, where a horde of kids is some kind of trophy for an Alpha. LA isn’t cheap, and kids are expensive, and Eddie is so much more to him than just a baby-making machine. He’s Buck’s best friend, his safe space, his one spot in the world where everything makes sense when everything else is garbage. 

 

He’s love and trust and commitment and devotion and quiet moments on the couch and chaotic scenes spent side-by-side and hot, sweaty hours in bed and the intimacy of waking up to the sound of his snuffling breaths exhaled against Buck’s throat every morning. 

 

Eddie is everything in the world to him, so much more than just a means to an end. 

 

However, none of that makes it any less intoxicating that Eddie ended up pregnant on their very first attempt, that they’re so compatible that it took on the very first try. 

 

“Buck?” Eddie calls, not for the first time, based on the tone of his voice and the amusement in his eyes when Buck finally peels his gaze away from where he’d been staring at his Omega’s stomach, like he could see through the skin and muscle to the baby growing in there, with it’s tiny little heart. 

 

“Wh-? Sorry, sorry, what’s up?” 

 

Eddie snorts, squeezing his hand, and the technician chuckles indulgently before turning back to her paper, and Buck tries to ignore the way his neck heats in both need for his mate and embarrassment at getting caught zoning out. 

 

He swore he’d be a good Alpha, and getting lost in his own head and in his base desires at their very first doctor’s appointment is not a very good start. 

 

They get through the rest of the appointment without incident, scheduling the next one for a month out, and then they’re done, and Buck is trying really hard not to hover as Eddie walks out to the car. 

 

He’s not even showing yet, his tall frame leading them to guesstimate that he won’t start to show until late in the second trimester or early in the third. 

 

Only his scent gives away that he’s expecting - that, and the glow to his skin that kind of make Buck feel like he’s lucky enough to have the chance gaze upon divinity. 

 

It makes it a little hard to drive, since Buck would rather stare at Eddie than the road, but his mate is counting on him to get them to work safely and on time, and that’s what he needs to do. 

 

Eddie’s thumb rubs against his the inside of Buck’s wrist, hands in his lap, his eyebrows scrunching in the middle in the way it always does when he’s thinking about something really hard. 

 

Buck waits him out, throwing darting looks over to the passenger side whenever it’s safe. 

 

(He said he was waiting it out, not that he was doing so patiently. He always does his best for Eddie though.) 

 

“I know the doctor didn’t say anything about light duty yet,” he finally starts once they’re about five minutes away from the firehouse. “But I think we should say something to Bobby all the same, see if there’s anything available.” 

 

Buck has two opposing, equal-stength internal reactions to that thought. 

 

On one hand, he understands, and he loves Eddie’s thoughtfulness about his precious cargo. It makes sense that he’s not exactly raring to go sprinting into burning buildings now that he’s pregnant. 

 

They’re as careful as they can be, and most of the time, their preparation and equipment and training is enough to keep them safe. 

 

Unfortunately, there’s still plenty of unknowns and hidden dangers in their line of work, and there’s never any guarantees, so he completely understands and supports Eddie’s decision. 

 

On the other hand is his completely selfish, childish reaction, because light duty will probably take him out of the firehouse, out at dispatch or as a Fire Marshall or in administration or somewhere else; away from Buck. 

 

He’ll be miles away from Buck for every single day that they work, too far for Buck to watch his back or make sure that he’s getting enough to eat and drink and not straining himself. 

 

They’ll spend half the pregnancy apart and he hates the thought of it. 

 

It’s stupid, he knows. Couples do it all the time, hell, very few people spend anywhere near as much time together as Buck and Eddie do. He knows this, can understand logically that they can absolutley make it work even if Eddie transfers somewhere else for light duty, but he sucks his bottom lip in between his teeth to restrain himself from pouting anyway. 

 

“Is that… what you want?” He asks carefully, signaling his turn to pull into the station. 

 

Eddie snorts lightly. “Do you think you could handle it if I spend the next 6 months running into dangerous situations without losing your mind?” 

 

Buck wants to say yes so bad. He wants to promise that he’d be totally fine about it, of course he would be. 

 

He’s been fine since he and Eddie got together, kept his head in situations when his mate was in danger and counting on him to have it together, and he did. 

 

It was hard though. He clung to his self-control by the skin of his teeth and then shook apart in Eddie’s arms after it was all over and they were safe, babbling mindlessly and trembling and smothering his Omega in affection until the world felt a little more stable beneath his feet. 

 

Now though? When Eddie is carrying their child? When his instincts will be screaming at him to protect their child first and not himself? Can Buck honestly promise that his professionalism won’t slip if Eddie finds himself in danger on a call? 

 

“I- I can’t promise that I’ll be good at it,” he stutters, grip tightening on both the wheel and Eddie’s hand. “But if you want to work, then I’ll figure it out, Eds. I don’t ever want you to give up on something that you enjoy because you’re worried about how I’ll act. I- I support you, I always will, I don’t want to be an- an obstacle, or something you have to overcome in order to do something that you you enjoy doing or that fulfills you, and I’m really sorry if I ever was.” 

 

Eddie groans, dropping his head back against the seat as Buck parks the car. They’re early, the doctor’s office closer than the house and traffic wasn’t absolutely horrible for once, so he shuts the car off and turns in his seat towards his mate. 

 

“No, you- Well, I mean other than the whole basketball thing, but I just learned not to invite you to games,” he teases, and Buck chuckles along, skin heating in embarrassment at his actions, even though Eddie has long since forgiven him. 

 

“No, that wasn’t- it’s hard for me too, to see you in trouble,” he continues after their easy laughter dies down, dark eyes trained on Buck’s, fingertips tracing nonsensical patterns into the back of his hand. “You’ve never been an obstacle or a speed-bump or anything for me, Buck. You’re- you’re my lifeline; you hold me up, not back, and I’m sorry that I implied anything different,” he says, and Buck lets out a relieved breath, tension that he didn’t even know he was holding fleeing with Eddie’s reassurance. 

 

He tries really hard to be a good partner, because that’s what Eddie deserves, so any reassurance that he’s doing well is a weight off his shoulders. 

 

“What do you want to do, Eddie? Whatever you want, I support you, we’ll make it work, I promise.” 

 

Eddie sighs out a contemplative noise, studying where their fingers are playing together. “After Chris, and being so far away when Shannon was pregnant, nearly killing myself to provide for both of them, I want to do this differently. I want to- to enjoy it, you know? I was so scared back then, so terrified that I was going to mess it up just by being there, it was easier to be away, even if it broke my heart. Now though, now I’m a little older, and a lot more stable and- and I have you, y’know? We’re partners, in a way than Shannon and I never got the chance to figure out how to be, so I- I don’t know, I think I want to do this pregnancy a little different.” 

 

Buck smiles softly, his mate - who had struggled so hard for so long to take care of his own wants and desires - opening up and being vulnerable enough to be honest about what he wants , even if he doesn’t necessarily need it just yet. 

 

“Okay, so we’ll talk to Bobby,” Buck promises softly, bringing their joined hands up to kiss the back of Eddie’s knuckles, obsessed with the texture of the skin beneath his lips and his mate’s scent that wafts to his nose from his inner wrist. “See what’s available that’ll keep you a little bit further back off the front line this time.” 

 

Eddie chuckles, eyes gooey soft as he gazes at Buck, using his hand to pull him into a syrupy kiss that stretches like taffy. “I love you.” 

 

Buck hums, something delighted and warm that always flashes over him when he hears those words, even though Eddie is in no way stingy with them. “I love you too, gorgeous,” he whispers, pulling back before they get too carried away in the parking lot of their place of employment. “I saw his truck when I pulled in; you wanna see if we can catch him before shift starts, get a jump on the search?” 

 

When Eddie nods, Buck kisses him one final time before hopping out of the truck, reaching back to grab their bags, slinging them over one shoulder and grabbing at Eddie’s hand with the opposite arm. 

 

“Man, I wish we had a paramedic spot open,” Eddie sighs. “That would be kind of perfect.” 

 

Buck hums in agreement, wishing he could make it happen, but he can’t. For once, they’re fully staffed. Hen and Chimney are both settled into their lives, no major upheavals recently that would have them taking time off, same with their other medics. 

 

“There might be openings in other stations for a medic, but I’m not sure how a transfer like that would work,” Buck admits. “We can ask Bobby though.” 

 

Eddie makes a noise of disagreement, bumping their shoulders together. “Yeah, maybe. The other stations won’t have you though.” 

 

Buck bites down on his lip, but it does nothing to tamp down the pleased smile that spreads across his face. 

 

–

 

They chat with b-shift for a minute while they change into their uniforms, climbing the stairs to see Bobby stationed at the stove, readying breakfast for a bunch of hungry firefighters. 

 

“Morning boys,” he calls when he sees them breach the top step. 

 

“Morning Cap.” 

 

“Smells good,” Eddie says over him, floating nose first towards the kitchen area like he’s floating on the breeze like a cartoon character, and Buck is so stupid for him. 

 

“Glad you approve Eddie. The cinnamon rolls should be done right in time for shift change. Figure we can whip up some eggs and protein before then to make sure everyone stays full through the morning,” he explains with a smile before his expression turns thoughtful. “You guys are here earlier than usual. Everything okay?” 

 

“Yeah! Yeah, everything’s good! Fine, it’s all-” 

 

“Can we actually talk to you in private?” Eddie saves Buck from his word vomit, and he sends his mate a thankful look. 

 

“Of course. Jones is downstairs, let’s step into the office.” 

 

Once they get settled into the chairs on either side of the desk, Bobby studies them, hands steepled atop the surface of the dark wood. “I have to admit, Buck’s rushed reassurance out there didn’t exactly fill me with confidence. Is there something wrong?” 

 

Buck makes a vaguley offended noise at the dig against his reassuring abilities, but Eddie just laughs. “No, everything really is fine. It’s actually really good, I think?” 

 

His voice lilts at the end, turning to face Buck like he’s asking a question, and Buck kind of wants to explode all over the place. 

 

“You think?” Bobby questions, and Buck grunts, waving his hands a little insanely in his excitement. 

 

“Everything- well, it’s kind of fucking amazing, actually. Well, I mean the news is amazing, I don’t know if you’ll really find the request all that out of the ordinary, but it’s for probably the best reason ever. Like, okay, think back to every time that somebody has ever needed light duty, and then imagine a reason that’s like, a million times better than all of those other reasons, and you might get close to how good this is.” 

 

Eddie is laughing at him again, the unease he’d been carrying about this meeting apparently taking a back seat during Buck’s monologue. 

 

“What Buck is trying to say,” he picks up the thread, reaching out to clasp their hands between the seats, explaining the ramble to a confused - but fond - looking Bobby. “Is that we found out that I’m pregnant, and I was hoping that you might be able to find something light duty. I’m still in the first trimester, so it doesn’t have to be anything right away, if you can’t find it, but if something comes up, I would be interested.” 

 

Bobby takes a long second to process the news, and then a delighted smile breaks across his face. “You’re- boys, that’s wonderful!” 

 

Buck tugs Eddie up when Bobby stands to round the desk, pulling them into a tight, proud hug that they both melt into, clinging a little more than either of them really planned. 

 

No matter how much he tries, Buck can’t imagine himself having a moment like this with his own dad. He’s been mostly cordial with them, but they’re not really close. He knows that Maddie wanted to have them around so Jee could have extended family, but Buck isn’t sure that he feels the same desire.

 

They’re all wiping away at their eyes and not talking about it as they pull back and retake their seats. 

 

“Have you guys been to the doctor yet?” Bobby asks, and Eddie smiles. 

 

“Yeah, we went before shift, that’s why we’re so early. Do you- we had a couple copies of the ultrasound made before we left, if you… if you wanted one?” 

 

Bobby’s lips thin as his shoulders jolt, like he had to swallow down a sob, and Buck’s stupid eyes are burning again. 

 

“I- yeah, I would- I’d love one,” he says thickly, voice cracking with emotion, which just makes Buck feel even more like he’s going to cry. 

 

Eddie digs a copy of the picture out and hands it over. “Like I said, we’re not even out of the first trimester yet, so it’s stills pretty blob-y, but she’s definitely there.” 

 

“She?” Buck and Bobby both repeat at the same time, making Eddie blush. 

 

“I thought it was too early to tell the gender?” Buck’s pretty sure he read somewhere that most people found out the gender between 18-22 weeks, and Eddie’s about half of that. 

 

The doctor didn’t say anything about the gender, but maybe Eddie saw something on the screen when Buck wasn’t looking?

 

His omega shrugs, cheeks still delightfully pink. “Yeah, it’s probably too early, but call it an Omega’s intuition.” 

 

Buck hums, lips pursing. “I don’t know, I’m kind of hoping for a boy. Why mess with perfection?” He asks, referring to the perfect teenage boy they’re already raising, but Eddie’s lips quirk tauntingly. 

 

“Sorry Alpha; we’re going to have to figure out how to be girl dads together.” 

 

“I’m sorry, are you really telling me that you’re that sure about the gender because of your intuition?” Buck asks, a little incredulously. “You don’t believe in curses, or signs, or the universe. You’re iffy on religion, but this, you’re all in on? Why?” 

 

He shrugs again, and if Buck didn’t know better, he’d say his mate is being purposefully contrarian, just to rile him up. “Just ‘cause.” 

 

Before Buck can follow this argument any further, Bobby interrupts them. “Well, whatever they are, I’m incredibly happy for you both. I’m going to keep this on my desk; spot of honor.” 

 

He props the ultrasound up against the frame that has the picture of the 118 from Hen and Karen’s vow renewal ceremony, and Buck and Eddie share a look. 

 

“Or maybe you can take it home with you? You- y’know, frame it there. In your home,” Buck suggests in a stutter, and Eddie snorts at his inability to be casual. 

 

“It’s just, we only found out this morning,” he admits. “We haven’t even told Chris yet, haven’t even started figuring out a plan for what all we need to do. We need to move at some point, we don’t have enough rooms for her at the house now, and we’re going to have to go shopping for so many things- God, Shannon used to complain all the time about how many diapers Chris went through, and we should probably start putting together a registry for the baby shower and oh my god, we have to plan a baby shower!” 

 

Eddie looks like he’s one more bullet point away from a panic attack, so Buck hits his knees in front of him while Bobby - wide eyed, hands held out in front of him in supplication - attempts to do his part in cutting off the spiral. 

 

“Eddie, Eddie! Hey, you don’t have to do any of that right now.”

 

Buck captures both of his mate’s hands in between his own, tugging on him a little. “Eds, baby hey, you’re supposed to breathe between sentences; it’s best for the lungs,” he teases, chest puffing a little when Eddie lets out a small chuckle, eyes a little less manic when they fall on his. “We just found out this morning, you’re not even out of the first trimester yet, okay? We have time,” he promises. 

 

Eddie makes a noise, sniffling a little. “Only until I go on light-duty, and then we won’t have a choice but to share, because you know how they all get,” he argues, and Buck tilts his head back and forth, searching for an argument and failing. 

 

He does know how they get. Their love is wrapped up in pure, unadulterated nosiness that they’ve never learned how to curb. 

 

(Not that Buck is throwing stones from his glass house or anything. He likes to know what’s going on with his friends, and Eddie is the same, though his compassion is also mixed in with his absolute delight for gossip.) 

 

Thankfully, Bobby speaks up, a speculative look on his face. “Well, I might actually have an idea for that, one that would give you guys some more time without sparking a bunch of questions and would get you out of the engine.” 

 

Buck stands from the floor, keeping one of his mate’s hands clasped in his, and retakes his seat, gaze falling on their captain. “Oh? That would be kind of perfect,” he says hesitantly, feeling a little nervous, because there has to be a catch - nothing is ever actually perfect. 

 

(Except Eddie, of course. He’s the most perfect thing that’s ever happened to Buck, but that’s not really the point he’s making at the moment.) 

 

Taking a deep breath like he’s preparing himself, Bobby leans back in his chair. “Well, as you guys probably know, I’m only getting older.” 

 

Buck immediately dislikes where this is going. “Come on Bobby, we’re just teasing you; you’re not anywhere near old yet,” he refutes, but Bobby smile is unoffended. 

 

“No, I know, but you all have a point. I’ve been doing this a long time, at different levels and different places, and I’m good at it, but every year, the emergencies get crazier and crazier, and I think it’s time I get out while I still enough time and sanity left to enjoy being retired. I mean, Jesus guys, we just had a beenado,” he practically groans the moniker, unable to believe that it was the official name the news had been calling it when the swarm of killers bees accidentally got lose, thanks to a MVA on the highway over the summer. 

 

“Okay yeah, that was kind of crazy, I agree, but you’re- Bobby, I mean, you can’t just-” Buck stutters over his words, brain unable to get his mouth to work right. He understands where Bobby’s coming from, but it’s just… unfathomable to his brain. Bobby is the Captain. That’s his role, his place, where he belongs. 

 

Anything else doesn’t make sense. It’s wrong. 

 

“Hey kid, I’ll still be around. I’m not retiring tomorrow, I still have to train my replacement, and even when I do, it’s not like I’m going to disappear of the face of the Earth. Athena and I aren’t buying a mobile home and taking off next week or anything; especially not if you guys are expecting a new addition,” he says gently, reaching across the desk for Buck, who takes his hand a little desperately, clinging to it like a nervous kid in a crowded space. 

 

From his other side, Eddie squeezes his fingers too - eyes a little wet, smile a little sad, but steady as ever, and that helps Buck settle enough to pull in a calming breath and think around the sting of Bobby leaving. 

 

“Okay, if-if that’s what you really want, then I- I support it,” he makes himself say, feeling a little lighter still when Bobby smiles, like Buck’s opinion actually means something. 

 

“Thank you, Buck,” he says softly, tightening his grip on the hand he’s still holding. 

 

“Not to ruin the moment or anything,” Eddie inserts carefully. “But what does your future retirement have to do with me going on light duty?” 

 

And, oh yeah, that is what started this whole conversation, isn’t it? He’d been so thrown by Bobby’s news that he’d kind of forgotten. 

 

“Well, like I said, I want to stick around and train my replacement, make sure everybody and everything is ready before I step back completely. I don’t really know how long it’ll take, since Hen’s been training for this for a while, but I thought I could pull her up, have her act as Captain while I’m still around, and then you could step in as Chimney’s partner on the medic side while you’re pregnant. That way, you can start on light duty and we don’t have to listen to Buck pouting every shift that you’re gone.” 

 

“Hey!” Buck cries, offended at the implication. He’s a big boy, he’s more than capable of being professional on shift when he and Eddie don’t work together. 

 

Bobby just gives him a deadpan look, and Buck grumbles, settling back into his seat at the sound of Eddie’s amused chuckles. 

 

Well, if he doesn’t have to go several months working apart from Eddie, he’s certainly not going to complain. 

 

“You can stay there up until you go off on leave, and then you can evaluate once you come back on if that’s where you want to stay, or if you want to return to being partnered with Buck. Either way, we’ll have to bring somebody in to cover an open spot, you’ll just have first dibs. I know Ravi works pretty well with the crew, so I figure we’ll pull him up to work with Buck once we do this. That work for you, Buck?” 

 

“Yeah, Rav’s solid. If I can’t work with Eddie, he’d probably be my next choice,” Buck answers, trying not to think of all the changes coming. 

 

A new baby, a new house, Bobby retiring, Hen taking over, a new permanent person on the team.

 

It’s a lot. 

 

“What about you, Eddie? You okay with stepping up as a medic for a little while? I can find you an office job, if you’d prefer, but-” 

 

“No, no, this is- Buck and I were literally just talking about how nice it would be if we had a medic spot open that I could transfer into for a while, and doing it this way gives me a little more freedom to choose down the line, so yeah, this is kind of perfect,” Eddie interrupts before Bobby can even finish his thought, head shaking and eyes blinking rapidly like he can’t believe it’s all falling into place so easily. 

 

“Good, then that’s what we’ll do,” Bobby confirms, patting his desk with his free hand decisively before standing. “Now, I don’t think I have to tell you guys to keep this to yourselves for the time being. I haven’t talked to Hen about taking over yet, or gotten everything straightened out with Ravi, so for now, it’s going to be our little secret.” 

 

Buck and Eddie nod, standing as well. Eddie’s eyes dart to the ultrasound. “Lots of secrets floating around right now,” he observes, but Bobby just smiles. 

 

“Yeah, but they’re good surprises,” he promises, and that wipes the stressed look from Eddie’s face. 

 

“Yeah, that’s true.” 

 

“Alright, A-shift should be starting to show up. Let’s go finish breakfast up so it’s ready, I’ll try to catch Hen at some point this morning so we can get everything rolling,” he orders, and they file out of the room. 

 

The conversation sits heavy on Buck’s heart though, and later, when he and Eddie are home again, curled up together on the couch before bed, dinner sitting pleasantly in their stomachs, he can’t help but to say, “I want to do something.” 

 

Eddie - his partner in all things, his perfect mate - only leans back off his chest enough to meet Buck’s gaze calmly, a question in the dark depths of his. 

 

Once Buck lays out his proposal, Eddie grins softly, leaning up to press a sweet kiss to his lips. “That sounds perfect.” 

 

With his Omega’s blessing, they settle back into the couch for a little while longer, Buck’s mind already turning over plans. 

 

–

 

Bobby’s enjoying the empty house - Athena on shift, May back at school - catching up on his favorite cooking show when the doorbell rings. 

 

He grabs the remote with a frown, pausing the show and rising, wondering who exactly could be at the door. 

 

It really could be anyone - the 118 shows up on his doorstep randomly, on random occasions, but especially since he announced his impending retirement, but sometimes the neighbors will stop by, or Harry, on that one notable occasion. 

 

When the door swings open to reveal Buck and Eddie’s faces, he’s much less surprised. “Hey boys,” he greets, stepping aside to allow them in, noting what looks suspiciously like a gift bag in Buck’s hand. 

 

“Want anything to drink, or eat?” He offers as he closes the door behind them. 

 

“Is there any chance you have those lemon white chocolate bars?” Eddie begs, and Bobby can practically see the way his fingers are crossed in hope. 

 

From what they’ve said, Eddie’s pregnancy has only heightened his already greedy sweet tooth, and Buck is getting plenty of practice baking whatever concoction his pregnant Omega is craving. 

 

Thankfully, Bobby realized how much Eddie like these bars in particular at their last barbeque, after he watched the man eat four of them in a row and then stare pitifully at the empty platter, tears swimming in his waterline when he realized they were all gone. 

 

Since then, Bobby just happens to find himself whipping up a new batch at least once a week. 

 

He remembers how strong Marcy’s cravings where when she was pregnant, and even though it’s a little different now, Eddie’s still family, still pack, which means Bobby is more than happy to help out. 

 

“I made a fresh batch last night,” he assures, grinning at the small cheer Eddie lets out, fist bumping in the air. “How about you Buck, you need anything?” 

 

“Just a drink, lemonade, if you have some made? If not, water is good too.” 

 

Something about Buck’s stance makes Bobby wonder if the drink is more so he has something to do with his hands and less to do with a true thirst, but he’ll ignore the shifting feet and the neck scratching for now. 

 

It only takes him a second to get the refreshments, bringing them out to the living room and setting them on the coffee table in front of the couch where the boys are sitting, settling down in the loveseat. 

 

“Bobby, jesus, these are so good,” Eddie groans, cheeks pudging with the dessert bar like a chipmunk storing food for winter, and Bobby chuckles, noting the dopey look on Buck’s face as he watches his Omega indulge. 

 

If you would’ve told Bobby back when he was looking at recruiting Eddie to join the 118 that his new probie and Buck would end up mated and expecting another kid, he would’ve thought you were crazy. 

 

Of course, he also would’ve thought you were crazy if you told him when Buck first started that Bobby would ever let that kid this close, but maybe he shouldn’t be surprised. 

 

He could tell the first day Buck showed up that there was something about him that called to Bobby. It’s like he could tell, even back then, how badly he needed somebody. Somebody to show up, to care, to give him a chance and some guidance. 

 

Bobby never thought it would’ve been him to do all of that, still so focused on repaying his debt and moving on to see his family in the afterlife, but somehow, that bratty, mouthy, fratboy disaster of a kid wormed his way under Bobby’s walls and made himself a home in his heart, and Bobby can’t help but think that he’s pretty damn lucky to have been given a second chance at life. 

 

Those thoughts from before are a thing of the past, for the most part. Bobby doesn’t think he’ll ever really forget them, but they don’t rule his life anymore, not the first thing he thinks of in the morning like they were for so many years, and he’s grateful for that everyday. 

 

Like he suspected, Buck spins the glass around in his hands, playing with it more than he drinks from it, staring down into the liquid like it holds the answers of the universe. 

 

“You guys know you’re welcome here anytime, but I’m guessing there is a specific reason for this visit?” He prompts after a few seconds too long of nothing but the sound of Eddie eating and the three of them breathing, his eyes falling pointedly to the white, inconspicuous bag on the table. 

 

Buck freezes, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights until Eddie bumps their shoulders together, expression soft when Buck’s gaze swings his way. 

 

Bobby watches as Buck visibly relaxes, like the casual touch drained away some of his tension, and he reaches for the bag, looking up at Bobby again, taking a deep breath. 

 

“Okay, so you- you obviously know that Eddie is pregnant - with my baby,” he clarifies unnecessarily. Eddie rolls his eyes but waves theatrically, like he’s playing his pre-planned part. 

 

“Yes, I am aware of those things,” Bobby acknowledges, dipping his head in response to Eddie’s messy wave with an amused smirk. 

 

“Right, right, yeah, so, you know, since those things are both true, and what’s also true is that my parents- really, our parents, both of us- I mean, they’re like, they’re trying, you know? But at the same time, you can’t just half-ass it when your kids are in their 30’s and expect it to make up for everything before that, right? So- so I was hop- well, we were hoping, both of us together, but definitely me- y’know, I brought it up but Eddie’s totally on board-” 

 

Eddie leans over, resting his chin on Buck’s shoulder and his hand on his wrist, pausing the movement where he’s grabbed the bag and started fidgeting with it. “Just give him the bag, baby. I’m sure he can figure it out from there,” he encourages his mate softly, cutting off the ramble that Bobby was starting to worry that Buck might actually throw up from before he finished. 

 

Buck nods jerkily. “Right, yeah, okay.” 

 

He reaches out, movements a bit robotic as he nearly throws the bag at Bobby, hand falling to wrap around Eddie’s wrist, like he’s holding on for dear life. 

 

Understanding the importance of the moment - based on the general direction of the words Buck had chosen and his clear nervousness - Bobby reaches into the bag with the utmost care, delicately pulling out the gift and unfolding it, choking up a little when he realizes what it is. 

 

He’d forgotten baby clothes could be this tiny, since he hasn’t really been around one in a while, but currently spread out over his lap is the tiniest pink onesie that reads “ Pop Pop’s Girl” in bold letters. 

 

“I’m not mad at Maddie for wanting Jee-Yun and the new baby to have grandparents and everything she’s done with our parents to make that happen, but that’s not what I want. I don’t want our daughter to have grandparents who show up once or twice a year and feign polite interest before they disappear until the next holiday,” Buck says, a steady conviction in his voice, none of the stuttering hesitance from earlier to be found, probably buoyed by the stunned, overwhelmed tears in Bobby’s eyes. 

 

“I want her to have a support system, an actual family, one that shows up all the time, who are a part of her life because they want to be, not because they think they have to be. So, I- I want her to have you. You can- If you don’t like the name, we can figure out a different title, but I thought Pop Pop was cute, since I used to call you Pops, but if you don’t like it, or if you want to change it, we can-” 

 

Bobby stands, holding the onesie in one hand and pulling Buck up with the other, yanking the kid into his chest and squeezing with all his strength, tears rolling down his face when Buck collapses into him. “I love it, kid. Pop pop is good. I would consider myself pretty damn lucky to be your little girl’s Pop pop; same as I am to be your Pops,” he chokes out, eyes slamming shut when Buck lets out what sounds suspiciously like a sob and burrows into his shoulder.

 

The front door opens, but the two men pay no mind to it until Athena’s voice rings out, worry evident. “Everything okay, boys?” 

 

With one final squeeze, Buck steps back, wiping his face roughly like he can hide the evidence of his tears. 

 

Bobby doesn’t even try, wearing them like a badge of honor as he hands over the onesie with a beaming smile. 

 

Athena’s gaze slides over the writing, eyes widening in understanding before her concern smooths out and she tucks herself against Bobby’s side, welcoming her home with a kiss to her temple. 

 

“ Pop pop’s girl, huh?” She repeats softly, thumb rubbing tenderly over the fabric. 

 

“I kept telling him we were having a girl,” Eddie says, words smug and teasing, and Buck groans a laugh, like he’s heard all this before. “But noooo, he thought I was making it up, said there’s no way I could just know what we were having. Who’s laughing now, huh?” 

 

Buck rolls his eyes, pure affection in every inch of his body as he reaches out and tugs Eddie closer to him, hand smoothing over his hip automatically. “Yes yes, you were right, my beautiful, perfect Omega. You’re right about everything and I’ll never ever doubt you again,” he intones like he’s reading from a script, but there’s a certain softness to it all the same. 

 

Eddie sniffs haughtily. “That’s more like it.” 

 

Bobby and Athena chuckle at the display, watching on as Buck places a kiss on his partner’s temple, holding him steady as Eddie melts into his side, much the same as Athena did just moments prior, and Bobby has felt bowled over with love many times before in his life, but it never ceases to nearly knock him off his feet every time. 

 

Athena hums then, studying the tiny outfit in her hand thoughtfully. “Well, I can’t be “grandma,” that sounds far too old,” she muses, head tilting to the side. 

 

Buck freezes, choking a little before clearing his throat. “You- uh, I didn’t think- I mean, I would never assume that you would want-” 

 

“Hush Buck, I’m thinking.” 

 

Athena’s words have Buck’s jaw snapping closed with an audible sound, eyes wide, and Bobby swallows a chuckle. 

 

“You can’t have a cool name and leave me without one. What, the girl’s just going to come over to Pop Pop and Athena’s house? No, we can’t do that,” she continues, brows furrowing as she thinks it over. “Nana though, that could work. Maybe Gigi? What do you think, Bobby?” 

 

He nods, immediately supportive. “They both sound very young, very hip,” he agrees congenially, and Athena swats at him but smiles. 

 

“I’ll think it over,” she decides, handing the onesie back over and facing Buck, who’s watching her the same way that one would a fuzzy, wild animal - he wants to be closer, but knows that if he makes one wrong move, he’s taking his life into his own hands. 

 

“I uh, I know that- well, I obviously know that you and Bobby are married, but I- I didn’t expect anything from you like that, it’s just, y’know Bobby’s been there for me for as long as I’ve known him and my own dad never really was, but I’m- I never expected you to like- to-” 

 

Taking mercy on the boy, Athena cuts him off. “Relax, Buck; you’re going to give your omega a heart attack, worrying about you choking on your tongue like that,” she teases, and Eddie chuckles, kissing the blush that spreads on Buck’s cheek. 

 

She steps forward, grabbing one of Buck’s hands in both of her own. “I know that you and Bobby have your own relationship, and I’m not going to claim that we have the same one, but when we got married, he knew I had two kids, and I knew he had you. I’ve always known that our family means you too, Buckaroo, and whoever else was important to you,” she assures, and Buck nods, looking a little shell-shocked and fighting tears again. 

 

“Besides, one grandbaby is enough for now; I’m hoping if we have your little one over here, it’ll show May just how much work those babies are, and I won’t have to worry about that for a while longer.” 

 

They all laugh, and it’s enough to break the tension that had quietly settled over the room. 

 

When Buck and Eddie leave, Bobby watches on as they each hug Athena for a little bit longer than they would have before, whispered words that Bobby can’t - and doesn’t need to- hear. 

 

“So,” he drawls once the door closes behind them, tugging his wife against his chest. “Nana?” 

 

Hearing the unspoken question, Athena shrugs. “I meant what I told Buck; I knew what he meant to you, and vice versa. Him asking you this doesn’t surprise me at all, and you’ve really stepped up for May and Harry, so it’s only fair that I return the gesture.” 

 

He hums at her explanation, turning it over in his mind. “He’s- yeah, he’s a good one. Him and Eddie are good together, and that little girl is going to be so lucky to be born to people that love her as much as they will.” 

 

She nods. “They’re good parents; you can tell by how Chris is growing up. Buck’s always been good with kids though.” 

 

“Yeah, he has. They’ll be good,” he says knowingly, feeling a pride that he’s not entirely sure he’s entitled to when it comes to how well Buck has turned out, but it sits in his chest all the same. 

 

“And we are going to be amazing grandparents,” Athena declares, patting his chest. 

 

“Oh yeah? What exactly goes into being amazing grandparents?” He wonders, grinning when his beautiful wife smiles mischievously. 

 

“We take them for a night, give their parents time to rest, and then fill them full of sugar, send them home and enjoy the peace and quiet of an empty house.” 

 

He laughs, feeling another wave of love when she joins in with him.

 

“Speaking of empty houses,” he mutters, tugging on her waist to bring her in close, dropping his head to plant a kiss to her neck. 

 

“Well, I do love the way you think, Bobby Nash,” she whispers huskily, her fingers tangling in his hair and tightening, encouraging him to keep his mouth where it’s at. 

 

Her free hand tangles in his shirt as she pulls him back down the hall, and then he doesn’t have to think about anything more for a while, a mere vessel for his wife’s desires. 

 

He’s a lucky, lucky man indeed.

Notes:

Yes it IS 11pm & YES, ik I said I wasn't going to post things in the middle of the night but it's NOT MY FAULT. I had plans today. I was going to mow the grass and then come inside & shower and be all fresh and clean. Then, I was going to edit & post this sweet chapter, maybe make a quick run to the grocery store, do some laundry, all before getting to bed at a decent time, bc my dog goes back to the vet tomorrow afternoon for her final checkup from the surgery on her knee a couple months ago, & if she's going to eat breakfast, it has to be done B4 6AM!!! (trash) (bc she'll have to be sedated for the x-rays.)

However, that didn't happen, bc my grandpa texted me at like, noon & told me that they were letting him finally go home from the rehab facility (Oh, & did I mention my grandpa had OPEN HEART SURGERY ~2 weeks ago? Yeah, it's been so fun, my dad came down for a long weekend. The dad I'm no contact with, yeah, that one! bc it's his dad, and I didn't want to be an asshole to a guy whose dad is literally having his chest cracked open and heart messed with so I had to play nice!! for several days!!! I only cried like, 2 or 3 times, but at least I avoided a panic attack this time, so yay for small mercies?) anyway, so then I had to drive an hour out to pick him up, and then I somehow ended up staying for several hours to clean up & put together a new bed frame with my great-aunt & uncle (My uncle Buck. bc I literally have an Uncle Buck that I've known for my whole entire life & yet, somehow never thought abt him during any of the times I was talking about Evan Buckley lmfao). so then I come home, make some dinner, throw laundry in the wash, and sit down to edit this fic.

I left the room once and returned to find that Luna, my beloved angel love of my life owner of my heart soul dog, peed on my bed. bc she hates me. so yay more laundry and being up all goddamn night & hating myself in the morning & having even MORE time to worry about the vet appointment later. I fucking love it here, fuck me up 🤣

Uhhhh. Anyway. That was dramatic lol. Do i have anything else to say about the fic??? I thought I did, but I can't remember lmfao. Whatever, I hope you enjoyed this, I have thoughts about adding a chapter about what happens during Buck's rut, but I've ALSO been feeling the call to my "Buck & Eddie meet as teenagers and fall in love and then learn that Shannon is pregnant and move to LA together to raise Chris" fic from like, LAST buddie month??? I don't fucking know man. My brain is so so tired. I need a brain break. I need to take my brain out of my head for a bit and place it somewhere out of the way so i don't have to deal with it for a while 😂

OH! I remember now lol. Since this is obviously canon divergent, nothing happens in the same ways, but I have been trying to sneak stuff from canon in here, like Chris being with his grandparents (but without the Kim thing) & Buck baking up a storm (but for Eddie instead of to deal with his breakup) & stuff like that, so if you see something & you're like, "Wait, that almost happened in canon but also not really?" it is intentional, probably. Idk, I like fucking with canon in general, but especially in au's. Okay, I think I'm done now lol have a good night/day/whatever time it is you're reading this love yooooouuuuuuu.

Chapter 5

Notes:

I didn't realize until I was already into this that I was writing this chapter from Eddie's POV, even though most of the others were all Buck's pov, but I had a VISION, so enjoy a little peek into Eddie's head lol.

There is some like, body dysmorphia, I think? Eddie's heavily pregnant, and he's having some Feelings about it in his own head and in an argument with Buck. I'm not sure if that's the right term for it, but I figure it might be something worth noting, just in case anybody is sensitive to that, so pls keep that in mind as you read!!!

Eddie is miserable.

He’s firmly in the third trimester of his pregnancy, which means his stomach has fully popped out, and even though their daughter’s been there the whole time, the visual confirmation is making it really real.

By that, he means he finally actually feels pregnant. Like, swollen ankles, hot all the time, sobbing at everything, shuffling everywhere instead of walking, calling Buck to help him pick stuff up from the floor because he can’t bend over, back aching from the extra weight around his waist Pregnant.

He’s trying so hard not to give credence to the voice in his head that whispers about how gross he is, how Buck can’t possibly be attracted to him like this - waddling, sweaty and huge.

Their daughter is a gift, one that they’re so excited about; it’s not fair to blame his body image issues on her, not when he’s so excited that she exists in the first place.

The bloating and the cravings and the discomfort that clings to his every step and the sweating and the achiness is all worth it because they’re having a baby, and Eddie knows it’s only a matter of time before she arrives and everything changes again. He’s already dreading having her outside of him, out in the world where he can’t keep her safe and warm, but it’s going to be fine!

Everything is going to be fine, because Buck loves him, and Chris is excited to have a baby sister and Eddie’s Omega is finally settled within him now that he’s gotten everything he’d spent so long subconsciously denying that he wanted.

A short, sharp ding! rings through the air, pulling his attention away from his aggressively positive thoughts, and he shuffles down on the couch as gracefully as he can (which is, not at all) and stretches his arm out to reach his phone.

Buck’s at work - their entire schedule thrown out of whack, thanks to a spring sickness that’s ripping it’s way through the firehouse indiscriminately, leaving the healthy people working overtime to cover the empty spots - but it’s not a text sound.

Instead, a calendar notification pops up, joyfully reminding him of Buck’s upcoming rut.

For the first time all day, Eddie smiles.

–

Sex hasn’t really been on their schedule recently, much to Eddie’s displeasure.

Between the pregnancy, long, alternating shifts due to sickness and daily life for two independent adults and a teenage son that are readying themselves for an addition to the family, Eddie’s lucky if he makes it to bed before he passes out. Staying up for anything extra is simply out of the question, no matter how badly Eddie wants.

And believe him, he wants.

Over the last week or so, he’d been suffering through what his OB called “micro heats”. He can’t have an actual heat, since he’s already pregnant, but his hormones ramp up and his system can’t understand why his Alpha can’t simply bend him over the nearest horizontal surface and fuck him stupid until Eddie's pleasantly filled with his knot.

It’s been a lot, and every time, he's gone through it alone - whether they’re at work or doing separate chores or running Christopher somewhere, Buck is always away, and Eddie has to go through it on his own, and his own fist and fingers are nowhere near as satisfying as his Alpha’s cock and knot stretching him open.

So now, with Buck's rut upcoming, that's at least four days of being spread out in a fuzzy haze, hopped up on his Alpha's rut pheromones and riding the highs of mini-heats, and Eddie cannot wait for that.

He's getting butterflies just thinking about it, and- well. That's not the only thing that's fluttering either.

It's easy enough to make the calls to get Chris squared away for a few days and to get them both put on leave. Buck doesn't mention anything about his upcoming cycle, but they've been through this once before - his last rut happened right after they found out they were expecting and god, he's dripping wet just thinking about it - so Eddie just assumes they're on the same page.

After all, they're partners.

He's off the last day before their leave starts, thanks to the wonky schedule, and Buck only has one 24-hour shift to get through; one that he refuses to leave for until Eddie is kiss drunk, flushed and reeking of pure, unmistakable Alpha, something he languishes in for as long as he can before getting up and making sure Chris is ready for school and his upcoming extended sleepovers.

Then, once he's at school, Eddie spends the day stocking up on rut supplies, things to keep them both full up on carbs and hydrated. While Omega's are notoriously usually picky during their heats, Alphas aren't as much, but he still makes sure to get his mate's favorites snacks, already looking forward to the look on his face when he sees them.

After getting home and putting all the groceries away, including the ones in the mini-fridge in the bedroom, Eddie gets everything ready for his nest. If he wasn't pregnant, he'd pull the mattress off tonight and just sleep in the nest before Buck gets home in the morning, but getting up off the floor right now is a beast in and of itself, and he really doesn't feel like crawling to the bathroom a dozen times when he has to pee.

He's sure their daughter will have him up before Buck gets off-shift, so he should have plenty of time, and even if he doesn't, he's pretty sure his mate won't care all that much.

The nesting urges are strong, so he spends the rest of the day cleaning the house from top to bottom, ignoring the ache in his back from spending so much of the day hunched over.

By the time he settles down for the night after a thorough shower, he's exhausted, and crawls into the empty bed, eagerly awaiting his Alpha's arrival in the morning.

---

As he suspected, their daughter wakes Eddie up at 5:30 to pee, and once he gets out of bed and makes his way to the bathroom, he figures that's all the sleep he's going to get for the night, since this is when he's usually awake anyway.

Buck's getting off at seven, and then will have about a 45-minute drive home, so Eddie has plenty of time to get everything ready.

He drags the mattress off the bed, letting out a quiet cheer beneath his breath when it flops onto the floor after he spent 10 minutes fighting with it, the frame and his protruding stomach.

Normally, they would put the waterproof cover over it so they didn't have to worry about anything soaking through, but Eddie's not stupid enough to try and do that by himself right now, and he doesn't have the patience to wait to make his nest until Buck gets home and can do it for him.

He needs his Alpha to come home to the nest already made up and everything ready for his rut. Eddie needs this to be ready, needs to make sure Buck is coming home from what he can only assume was a difficult shift - given his pre-rut and how needy he always gets, and the fact that he had to be apart from Eddie the whole time - to the house clean, the nest up and smelling perfectly like their family, and his Omega ready to help him through his rut.

Currently, only the first and last thing are true, and given that Eddie's ready for Buck pretty much all the time, that's not really saying a lot.

So, he does the best he can in this situation and lays the cover over the mattress at the bottom of the stack before building his nest, making sure he slips in other waterproof sheets as he goes. They really can't afford to buy a new mattress right now, what with trying to buy a house for their growing family, which means they can't ruin the one they've got.

Eddie gets lost in the process, layering soft blankets and warm throws, working scented items from the three of them between the multitude of pillows. It's a little more difficult, bending over to place everything instead of being able to just crawl into the bed and situate everything the way he wants, but it's fine!

He's making it work, and he's happy that his body is a safe shelter for his baby and Buck will love coming home to the nest already made up, so it's fine. He makes it work.

He's a little extra sweaty and stiff by the end of it, the usual tranquility that making his nest a little harder to reach with all the huffing and puffing he's doing, but it's fine because the nest is made and it smells perfect and he should have just enough time to eat a quick breakfast before Buck gets home.

Deciding to play it safe, he sticks to a couple slices of toast and some yogurt with fruit, not wanting to tempt anything too heavy, even though he's been lucky enough not to deal with much morning sickness. In all actuality, his pregnancy thus far has been… almost easy.

He's heard horror stories of broken ribs, people losing their sense of hearing and smell, even the rare story of people developing cancer from getting pregnant, but outside of some standard swelling and sweating, he's gotten off easy, comparatively speaking. He tries to keep that in mind when he's struggling to stay positive.

The front door opens right as Eddie's placing his bowl in the dishwasher, and he smiles, because not even three seconds pass before there's a 6'2 barnacle attached to his back, thick arms winding around his torso, and a nose buried in his throat.

"Hi baby," he greets, laughing softly as he leans back into the hold, knowing Buck will take his weight.

"Missed you," Buck hums in response, tightening his arms a little and pressing a kiss to Eddie's neck. "I hate working different shifts."

Eddie chuckles at the pout, threading their fingers together over his bump. "I know, me too," he admits. "Thankfully, we have the next several days off together to get our fill."

"We do?"

Eddie frowns, feeling his brows furrowing as he lets go of Buck's hands to turn around in his arms. "Yeah? You're going into rut, bud."

Buck's eyes blow wide, like he hadn't realized.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I forgot that," he whispers, eyes going a little hazy as he starts going over the math in his mind, as well as the preparations that normally go into getting ready for a cycle, stepping away from Eddie in a move that has the Omega biting back a growl of displeasure.

"Buck, baby it's fine," Eddie assures, stepping forward into his space once again, dipping his head to find Buck's eyes. "I already called Bobby and got our shifts covered. Chris is with family for the next few days, which Carla is aware of, and I went grocery shopping yesterday and grabbed all your favorites."

He doesn't do this for praise, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to the way Buck was going to go all melty-eyed at him and breathe out something about how lucky he is to have Eddie as his Omega.

"Oh, Eddie, you- you didn't have to do all that," Buck says instead, which… okay, well, that's not entirely out of character for Buck either. He is weird about being useful, and does struggle sometimes with being taken care of.

He's gotten better about it, just like Eddie has, but the damage that made them react that way in the first place never goes away.

"Hey," he calls gently, resting his hand on Buck's shoulder like he always does when he's trying to get through to him. "I didn't do it because I had to. Okay, well, that's not entirely true, I guess," he corrects himself after a moment. "I definitely had to figure something out with Chris, because there's no way he can be here for this, but- Buck. I like taking care of you too, making sure you have everything you need. We take care of each other, always, and you've been amazing with all of this, running yourself ragged making sure I get everything that I want and need throughout this whole pregnancy. It's okay that it slipped your mind, because I've got your back, always."

His voice is soft as he finishes, and Buck leans in to kiss him, just like Eddie knew he would, but it feels… off.

Buck's smile doesn't quite reach his eyes when he pulls back. "You're the best," he says, but he sounds… guilty?

Eddie has no idea what's going on, but his confusion is only compounded when his Alpha steps away again, seemingly coming up with a plan in his head. "I need to grab a duffel bag for clothes and stuff, I can probably get a hotel room still. Is the cooler still out in the garage?" He asks casually, like he's not-

Like he's not-

"You're leaving?" Eddie asks, a bit of accusation slipping into his voice that he can't quite hold back.

Buck freezes in his tracks, back still towards Eddie where he's halfway to the garage door. "Well… yeah? I mean, I can't stop my rut, but I don't have to be here to subject you to it."

He says it so reasonably, like he's doing Eddie a fucking favor.

"'Subject me to it', huh?" He repeats, the words bitter in his mouth, his scent spoiling to match. "Right, yeah, why would I want to be a part of my mate's rut; that would be crazy," he snaps, grinding his teeth against the pressure growing behind his eyes.

He should've seen this coming, honestly.

They haven't had sex since Eddie really started to show. He thought it was just because of their schedule, but of course it wasn't. Eddie's knows he doesn't exactly look the same as he did when him and Buck first got together, but he thought his Alpha liked him pregnant, thought he didn't care that Eddie had swollen up a little, but the proof is undeniable now.

Buck's in his rut, his cycle bringing him down to his basest instincts, and he's fleeing Eddie.

He can't get away fast enough, more interested in fucking his fist for four days than he is in his whale of an Omega, and Eddie can't deny the truth anymore.

"Eddie, baby, you're pregnant," Buck starts gently, as if Eddie could ever forget that. As is he's not the one walking about with all this extra weight, constantly exhausted because of the literal life growing inside him.

As if he's not the one having to face the reality that the way he's ballooned with this pregnancy is the reason he's losing his Alpha, his best friend.

"Yeah, I know I'm pregnant, Buck," Eddie snaps, chest hot with something that feels a whole lot like shame, despite the fact that he thought he was done with that particular emotion in this relationship. "I fucking- I know that. I can feel it in my ankles and my back and the way I keep crying and in the way we haven't slept together in weeks."

Finally, Buck turns around — slowly, like he's just heard the stick crunch of a dangerous animal behind him, and that imagery pleases Eddie, for some reason.

"Eddie, sweetheart, you've been miserable," he says slowly, like that's a reason, and now a consequence. "You've been complaining for weeks about being sweaty and uncomfortable because of the pregnancy-"

"I've been miserable because you won't touch me!" Eddie cries, furious when he looses the battle against the tears that have been building up in his eyes, finally spilling down his face.

Buck freezes, eyes growing wide at the sight of them. "I- I touch you," he stutters, but Eddie's too worked up to pay attention to his bull shit explanations now. The narrative he's been building to comfort him for almost a month now is falling down around him and he feels so, so lost.

"I thought it was just work, right? We were busy and shifts kept running over, it happens; not the end of the world." He's pacing, hands flying furiously through the air as he rants. "And we have a kid already, and we're trying to find a house, so sure, our free time is limited already, and then everybody got sick, so it wasn't me, it was just the circumstances, that's why you stopped initiating sex. We were exhausted, sometime that happens, and that was fine! I'm a big boy, I'll survive a little dry spell, but now? Now, you're about to fall into your rut at any given moment, and the last thing you want is me. You- you- God, you can't get away from me fast enough! Because it's not about work, or the house or the kid. It's about me."

He finally stops pacing, looking at Buck head-on, even if his vision is blurry from tears. "You stopped wanting me because of me. I- I know that I don't look the same I always have, but I thought- I thought you loved me enough that it wouldn't matter. I thought you would still want me, even with my cankles and- and how big I've gotten, but I was just lying to myself, I guess. God, you don't- you're always gone when I go through my micro-heats, and I thought that was just coincidence." He scoffs at his own naivety. He doesn't know how he pulled that off, but it's a little too convenient that he always manages to be gone when they hit.

Maybe some of them, when he was on shift, but not all. God, he can probably smell when they're about to hit and makes sure he's out of the house because he would rather run around than be with someone so repulsive as Eddie like this.

Breathing is getting kind of hard through his sobs, but he pushes through. If Buck doesn't want him anymore because his body changed, then Eddie deserves to hear that.

"But it's not, it wasn't. You don't want me anymore, and you definitely don't love me, because you-"

His rant is cut off when hands grab his face and a furious kiss is pressed against his lips, giving him no choice but to respond through his tears as Buck forces his mouth open and dips his tongue in, like he used to when he was trying to consume him.

Maybe this is a goodbye kiss.

Buck finally realized that Eddie's figured him out, and he's giving them one last kiss, for old time's sake, before he leaves him.

Heartbroken, pregnant, and alone.

"I love you."

The declaration is steadfast, growled into his mouth because Buck won't let him go.

Eddie makes a noise of surprise when hands are suddenly at the backs of his thighs and he's hoisted into the air, held there easily until Buck reaches what he assumes must be the countertop that he's resting on and still, the kiss doesn't stop.

"You're insane. I love you. I'm an idiot."

Okay, if Eddie's being totally honest, he is struggling a little bit to keep up.

"Wha- Buck," is all he manages before his bottom lip is being sucked into his Alpha's mouth, teeth scraping against it.

"Eddie, baby, I love you more than anything, more than life itself," Buck swears, finally pulling away, his hands retaking their place on Eddie's cheeks, slowly thumbing away his drying tears. "Baby, I'm so- I'm so fucking sorry."

Buck's voice cracks, clearly distraught, but Eddie doesn't…?

"I've been trying so hard to be a good Alpha," Buck shares once his tears have been wiped away, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Eddie's. "You've been so uncomfortable, and you're always hot and sweating, and I thought the last thing you wanted was me all over you, making a pass or grabbing at you but, Jesus fucking Christ, Eddie," Buck swears, sounding pained, eyes like blue magma where they're glued to Eddie's.

"Do you have any idea how much I want you?" He asks, like he's actually asking, and Eddie slowly shakes his head, because he has no idea. He was so convinced that Buck was disgusted with him, so no, the thought of Buck wanting him so much that it pains him to hold back is completely foreign to him right now.

Fingers trail softly down his neck, ghosting down his arms until Buck's hands land on his waist, pulling a gasp from Eddie as he uses his grip to pull him closer to the edge, shortening the already minute distance between their bodies, his stomach pressed between them.

Their breaths mix in the mere inches between their mouths, and Buck's looking at him like he wants to devour him, and Eddie can't tell if his light-headedness is from the breath that's been punched from his lungs at the casual manhandling or from the wild swing of emotions, but either way, he's clinging to Buck's broad shoulders like a lifeline.

"It's all the time, Eddie," Buck whispers, his gaze half-lidded as he traces his fingers lightly down Eddie's side, all the way down to his thighs. "I see you in our bed, sprawled out and asleep and I want to wake you up with my tongue. You'll be on the couch, uncomfortable and laid up and pouting about how you can't bend down to sit normally and I want to suck you off until I choking and you're sated and smiling again. You walk around with this fucking bump peeking out from beneath your shirts, and I want to toss you over my shoulder, lay you out on our bed and ruin you. I want to knot your perfect pussy over and over again until you cannot walk, and then I want to carry you around everywhere. You know those thrones that the pharos and whatever used to be carried around on while servants fed them grapes?" He asks, a little nonsensically, and Eddie frowns thoughtfully, trying to recall what he's talking about and nodding slowly when he vaguely recalls something like it. He's pretty sure he's seen those in a movie at some point, but he's not sure what ancient Egyptian royalty has to do with his and Buck's sex life.

"Okay, right, I want to fuck you boneless and then put you up on one of those and parade you around on it. Just me though, so it'd have to be a smaller chair, somehow — I don't know, I haven't really figured out the logistics of that yet — and-and, I want to feed you grapes and all you have to do is sit there and ride around with my cum dripping out of you, looking so pretty."

Eddie's already unsteady breathing only hastens at the mental images his Alpha is painting, thoughts and needs that echo his own.

"God, Eddie, even when we're at work."

If Eddie wasn't so turned on that he's at least a little concerned about actually exploding, he might chuckle at the whine in the last word. As it is though, the only thing it does is send another wave of need down his spine.

"You should not be allowed to be that hot, competent and pregnant with my child at the same time," Buck complains, his hands slipping beneath Eddie's shirt and roaming aimlessly all over his skin, like he's trying to make up for all the touches he owes. "Shit will be on fire, and I take one single look at you, with this stupid, sexy strand falling into your face and your skin glowing and your stomach heavy with my fucking kid, and I- listen, I know you complained about not being able to see your own dick because of your stomach but I swear to God, I will bend myself in half and make it so easy for you to slip in me because it makes me fucking insane. Do you understand that?" He demands, pressing hard against Eddie's forehead, eyes wild as the feelings explode and the rut fully sets in. "You make me fucking insane, Eddie. It feels like I'm going to explode with how badly I need you. Or wait, is it implode?" He wonders, before shaking his head like he's waving the thought away. "I don't fucking care right now. Eddie, there is not ever a time that I do not wish I was all over you, in any way you'll let me. Not in any life, and damn sure not in this one. You must be fucking insane if you think I stopped loving or wanting you, because I've been trying so hard to be good, to be respectful of your discomfort and thoughtful about what you actually need but I am holding back the need to touch you in exceedingly inappropriate ways every single day by the skin of my goddamn teeth," he grits out, short nails digging into the expanse of Eddie's back, and the moan that falls from Eddie's mouth is desperate.

He's soaking wet, dick so hard it hurts and - if he's right - about 5 seconds away from falling face first into a micro-heat.

Feeling as insane as Buck looks, he threads his fingers through those dirty blonde curls and tugs, more than a little mean, grinning ferally as Buck whimpers. "I don't need your respect. I need you to touch me, and not to stop until I tell you that you can. Am I clear?"

Buck moans, deep in his throat, nodding as furiously as he can while Eddie still has his hair in his fists.

"You've got a month of touching to make up for, and instead of getting yourself in trouble by thinking, next time, you ask what I want. Do you understand? If you make me go another month without making me come because you got in your head, Evan Buckley, I swear to God, you and me are going to have a problem."

"Okay, I promise, I'm sorry, I love you. I need you, Eddie, please, I'm sorry, I'll ask next time, I love you can I have you now, please please please."

Hearing his Alpha beg to touch him will never not send fire coursing through his veins, especially when he's in his rut.

This is the Buck he knows and loves; the one who needs Eddie so bad that even when he can't think about anything else, he still begs for permission to touch. So so eager to please.

"Bedroom. Now. I made a nice nest for us, Alpha, and if we're not in it with your tongue in my pussy within the next three minutes, I will be very upset," he threatens, biting down on a laugh as Buck's eyes widen and he scrambles, sliding his hand beneath Eddie's thighs, lifting him in a bridal carry - because their daughter would get in the way in any other position after more than two seconds - encouraging Eddie to wind his arms around Buck's neck, booking it through the house like his hair is on fire.

This time, Eddie doesn't even bother trying to bite back his laughter. This is what he's been missing; the laughter and the silliness and the way they struggled forever to keep their hands off each other like horny teenagers going through puberty a second time.

He needs his Alpha, but he also needs his best friend, his partner - at work and in life and in cahoots, too - otherwise, nothing is right.

As Buck carefully places him down and sets about to ripping Eddie's clothes off, the Omega begins to think about the ways this issue can be avoided from now on.

His deliberation for the future is quickly thrown off course when a wet, nimble tongue parts his folds, cleaning up the slick Eddie'd been leaking before diving in, lapping it up from the source with a gratified groan.

Buck moans like a man getting his first drink of water after days stranded in the desert as he fucks Eddie's channel with his tongue, no doubt making a mess of his face, but Eddie can't get enough.

He lets out a noise that sounds a little too alike a sob for his taste, once again fisting his hand in Buck's curls to keep him in place, should he get a wild hair and do something stupid — like stop.

Buck's always been good at this, generous with his mouth and turned on at Eddie's pleasure like it's his own, but now, after so long of both of them holding back, it's electric.

His mate keeps pressing in further, burying himself in Eddie as much as he can, and Eddie fights with his bulging stomach to wrap his legs around Buck's head. It's a bit of an awkward angle, he's sure, despite the fact that he can't actually see Buck's face over his stomach - which is a fucking pity on it's own, because his Alpha looks so sweet with his mouth busy, eyes hazy and drunk on slick - but they make it work all the same.

It's almost embarrassing, how quickly Eddie comes, back arching, Buck's name on his lips as his muscles all lock up.

Like the wonderful Alpha he is, Buck doesn't let his head being squished stop him from helping Eddie through his first good orgasm in weeks, his tongue insistent and steady and perfect.

Eventually, Eddie lands back in his body on the mortal plane and tugs Buck up, pulling him into a kiss and groaning at the taste of himself on Buck's lips.

"Love the way I taste on you," he murmurs, reaching down and unclasping the button on Buck's pants, shoving them down uselessly until Buck gets the hint and kicks them the rest of the way down, all without breaking the kiss.

"Should taste like you always," Buck says, and Eddie chuckles.

"You'll get no argument on that from me."

Using strength and flexibility that he's pretty sure he didn't possess an hour ago, Eddie flips their positions, landing in Buck's lap with his legs straddling his hips, wasting no time as he reaches back with one hand and steadies Buck's cock enough so he can sink down onto it, groaning low and long at the stretch that he's missed so much.

"Fuck," he swears, breathless as he settles all the way down, fully speared by his Alpha's cock, the knot already starting to fatten up at the base.

Seems like he's not the only one going crazy without this, he thinks smugly to himself, taking in the starstruck look in Buck's eyes — the same one he always gets when Eddie rides him, except on steroids this time because of how long it's been.

Feeling a little bit like one of those ancient rulers Buck had mentioned earlier, Eddie lifts up and lets gravity pull him back down again, gasping sharply at the pleasure he'd missed so much.

Even as he sets a pace, he knows damn well he's not going to be able to keep it up. His back and legs are already shaking from trying to lift his weight, his core aching from how much effort it takes to keep from falling forward, but even if it's only for a moment, he loves this view: his Alpha beneath him, starry-eyed and whimpering his name like he's never seen anything more wonderful, big hands on his hips as he clings hard enough to leave bruises, like he's worried Eddie's going to be taken from him.

If he could take a picture of Buck like this - needy, desperate, worshipful - and hang it in their room, Eddie probably would. Hell, he'd make it his phone lock screen, his background on every device, he'd tattoo it on is fucking body if he didn't already know that no medium could capture the full, true experience.

So, he rides, bouncing and grinding to his greedy heart's content until he can't anymore, Buck all too happy to take over for him the moment he falters.

"I've got you; I've got you, come here," he promises as he directs Eddie to lay on his side, slotting in behind him and guiding himself back into Eddie's body, only separated for a few seconds.

A few seconds too long, Eddie thinks, but the new angle allows him to rest, and Buck to lift his leg and grind mercilessly against Eddie's g-spot until he comes again, clenching down as Buck's knot bullies itself inside of him, locking them together for at least the next 25 minutes.

Once the waves of his second orgasm of the night finally settles, he sighs happily, snuggling back into his Alpha's body, boneless body held tightly within his strong arms.

Buck's breathy grunts are muttered directly into his ear, knot pulsing with another mini-orgasm, which makes him tug Eddie down even further - which, shouldn't be possible but somehow, always is - and Eddie hums, a smile on his face.

Even as sweaty and swollen and sore as he feels already, there's nowhere else he'd rather be than right here with his Alpha who loves and desires and needs him; no matter how grumpy he can be, or how swollen his ankles get.

Buck grabs his pregnancy pillow and tucks it under his stomach, and Eddie can feel his smile against his own neck when he groans in relief.

"Get some rest while you can Sunshine, because I've got a month's worth of orgasms to make up to you, and I plan on putting a solid dent in that number this week," he growls, and Eddie shivers.

That sounds like a pretty damn good plan to him.

Notes:

All mentions of the horrors of pregnancy are from The Girl With The List on TikTok (@z00mie), the most insane page bc what do you MEAN you can develop cancer from cells that develop early in your pregnancy???? That's fucking insane to me. She has a whole playlist of like, 300+ reasons of why she's not having kids & it's INSANE.

It's so funny for me to write these stories abt Buck & Eddie having babies and wanting to get pregnant when that's like, an actual nightmare of mine; I would crash OUT if I was faced with a surprise child, I cannot imagine a worse thing 😂

Anyway yay, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Also, sorry that I keep updating it when it's marked as finished but this fic truly will not leave me alone; it's like a toxic situationship, I'm so serious, I cannot get AWAY from it. I just keep coming back for more 😂 Somebody mentioned the Diaz parents finding out about Eddie in the comments & that sparked an idea (bc I will take any opportunity to talk shit about Helena and Ramon Diaz, you all know that by now lol.) but hopefully, HOPEFULLY!!! That will be the last chapter 🤞 The birth & then the Diaz parents and then I'll wrap it up but, as you've heard me say a dozen times before, this was supposed to be a one-shot that spiraled wildly out of control, so I'm not holding my breath for it 😩

Finally, I am updating the tags for this chap, but let me know if you think I'm missing any.

Notes:

My brain is kind of obsessing on the Greek buddie kind of retelling that I thought of. I made an outline today! I've never made an outline lol. The outline has 4 different parts that take place over several years & from like, 6 different pov's. I'm shit at guessing how many words a fic will be but I'm pretty confident in saying that it's going to be my longest fic (my current longest is like, 55k, iirc.)

The Epic Musical albums have been rotting my brain & Buddie is basically branded on my brain by this point, so this should not be surprising. I'm a little scared I won't finish it bc it is going to be SO much, but like. I really want to finish it, so fingers crossed the muse cooperates with me & I can write it out the way I want 🤞🤞🤞

As always, linking my socials, but I haven't been on them a lot recently bc of the fandom and stuff 😅

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I think I got all the tags I needed but let me know if you think I'm missing something 😙 Love you alllllll, hope you enjoyed the fic!! 💕💕💕💕💕